The Drums
August 19, 2015
Crescent Ballroom- Phoenix, AZ
The Drums, an indie-pop band from Brooklyn New York performed a sold-out show at Crescent Ballroom in Phoenix Arizona this past Wednesday the 19th. Since their formation, The Drums have released three albums, with their most recent album Encyclopedia dropping in September of 2015. Opening for The Drums was Froth, a rock band from Los Angeles. Fans began filtering into the Ballroom throughout Froth’s set until the entire room was packed. The naturally intimate Ballroom felt especially cozy as fans stood shoulder to shoulder trying their best not to move in order to stay cool in the Arizona heat. Not only were the fans on the floor tightly packed, but the fans in the bleachers squeezed in as many people as possible.
As the lights dimmed for The Drums the crowd went wild with screams for lead singer Jonny Pierce and Jacob Graham (keyboards). The giant banner that 
hung behind the stage read “The Drums” in all capital letters. Graham also had the name of the band plastered on the back of his shirt, holding a prominent position on stage as he turned to play the keyboards throughout the set. Pierce emerged looking incredibly stylish (as usual) and together the band jumped into their first song of the evening, Bell Laboratories. The band covered all their bases by performing a number of songs from each of their albums. Songs from the newest album that were highlighted included: I Can’t Pretend, and Wild Geese. Throughout the set Pierce danced his way across the stage with his unique dance moves. Pierce was no stranger to the front row as fans outstretched their arms to meet his and sing into his microphone during popular songs such as Best Friend. Dim blue light soaked the band throughout the set inspiring first row fans to shine their phone lights on Pierce to illuminate the singer. Crowd surfers popped up at various points during the set, and at times made their way to the stage to dance for a few seconds and dive back into the crowd. For the encore, the band ended with some of their popular songs from the first album including: Forever and Ever Amen, Let’s Go Surfing, and ending with their heartfelt slowjam Down by the Water to cap off the night. Hoards of fans made their way to the stage during the last song as singer Pierce was engulfed by a crowd of girls. Overall, the night was an incredible success filled with smooth dance moves and incredible musical talent. Personally, my history with The Drums goes back a few years as I stumbled upon their show at Bonnaroo and fell in love with the live performance. Now, seeing them years later, I am just as impressed with their performance and would never pass up an opportunity to dance with Jonny Pierce.
Review by: Meghan Lee
