Dance Gavin Dance Owned the Night in Phoenix

More than 20 years after the band's formation, Dance Gavin Dance is on tour with four other bands following the release of their latest album, Tree City Sessions 3, in May. On June 30th, the Phoenix bill excluded Fall of Troy and featured Novelists, Wolf & Bear, Horse The Band, and Dance Gavin Dance as headliners, which made for a powerful lineup at The Van Buren. This was a staggering 38 dates into the tour with 18 more to go, and they were seemingly unfazed. I’ll have what they’re having. 

I was incredibly impressed by Novelists’ vocalist Camille Contreras. Her pink tulle dress perfectly juxtaposed the typical image of metalcore bands, and similarly, her beautiful singing voice contrasted her harsh vocals. She had a commanding stage presence, and I was eager to hear more after every song. After a few of the songs, she would quickly switch from performing some brutal vocals to saying “thank you” in an unassuming voice, which was such a delight. Camille joined Novelists in 2023 when the band changed vocalists, and I think they made a solid choice. This primarily Parisian band is made up of the two founding members, brothers Amael and Florestan on drums and lead guitar respectively, Nicolas on bass, and Pierre on rhythm guitar. They have a recent single called “WHERE TO FIND ME” and their most recent album, CODA, featuring Camille’s vocals. It will have you asking yourself, “Am I losing my mind?” 

Next on the bill was Wolf & Bear, a post-hardcore band from Northern California. Upon researching this band, I learned the terms “clean vocals” and “unclean vocals” that separate more of a typical singing style from the distorted scream singing. Marcus Cisneros sings the clean vocals and Blair de Leon takes on the unclean vocals, making for a balanced dynamic between the two. And while Marcus sang, Blair thrashed and danced to the drums. They got the crowd all riled up, and that is when people started crowd surfing, with one person waving a cowboy hat high in the air as they made their way to the front, before security swiftly picked them up and pointed them toward the exit. 

My favorite song from their new album is “1800GO2HELL” because it’s genuinely good, and I also like the tongue-in-cheek name. I still think you should check out the full album, A Hill to Die On.

I was not prepared for the positively chaotic HORSE The Band, but the thing is, I don’t think anyone is meant to be ready for them. The triangle percussionist Ed Edge was the star of the show, the hypeman to the crowd, and a vital member of the band. From the very start, he took center stage, triangling the triangle with more spirit than I had ever seen before – jumping in the air, standing on the barricade in the face of the crowd, running from one side of the pit to the other, shaking it, all while beaming with joy as if this was his first show. Even from the crowd, I could hear the triangle over the metalcore and harsh vocals. 

I loved seeing all the band members having fun, particularly Erik Engstrom on keys, who was smiling the entire time, which made me smile. Lead singer Nathan Winekke intermittently ruled the stage from a throne, but it was when he was standing that he could headbang with his long hair, which flowed in the breeze of a fan, and conduct during a heavy breakdown. They played some of their most popular songs like A Million Exploding Suns, Birdo, and HORSE the Song. 

Each of the previous bands had asked the crowd, “Are you guys ready for Dance Gavin Dance?”, and now the time had finally come. Often, when I do press at shows, I think about the significance of the bands to the crowd members and how special it is for many there to see their favorite band, maybe for the first time or after waiting years between shows. This excitement was evident in the front row, where nearly everyone wore DGD shirts and VIP lanyards from the meet-and-greet, and the entire room descended into chaos when the lights dimmed. 

The six members of Dance Gavin Dance took over the stage and performed a total of 14 songs, spanning multiple albums from their twenty-year discography, but mostly from their 2025 release Pantheon. “Clean” lead vocalist Andrew Wells was very interactive with the crowd, often pointing to fans and reaching out to crowd surfers, and pacing the width of the stage. I was amazed by the way the harsh vocalist Jon Mess could calmly perform the screamo lyrics with his eyes closed, seeming to be focused on the words and his technique. Jon is one of the original DGD band members, so I would imagine he’s practiced certain songs countless times over the years, which would explain how he makes it look easy. 

The vibes were great, and the synergy between the band and the crowd was strong from beginning to end. They ended the night with a three-song encore, and show opener Camille Contreras joined them for the last song, “Inspire The Liars”. 

This was my first DGD show (a first for all four groups, actually), and it won’t be my last. Thank you to the bands for an incredible night! 

Make sure to keep up with the artists on their socials listed below!

Novelists: Website | Facebook | Instagram | X | TikTok | Spotify | YouTube

Wolf & Bear: Website | Facebook | Instagram | X | Spotify | YouTube

HORSE The Band: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Spotify | YouTube

Dance Gavin Dance: Website | Facebook | Instagram | X | TikTok | Spotify | YouTube