With only 6 shows left on the Unity Tour, 311 brought the house down at Arizona Financial Theater on Saturday, August 24, with special guests Neon Trees and Awolnation.
Before 311 took the stage, Neon Trees and Awolnation warmed up the crowd with several multi-platinum records. Neon Trees, widely known for “Animal” and “Everybody Talks,” showed that they could perform those all-time-hits and also show some of their newly released music, including from their upcoming album, “Sink Your Teeth.”
Awolnation started to raise the hype even more as the crowd started to fill in. Lead singer, Aaron Bruno, brings a unique energy to the stage where everyone keeps their eyes on him to see what is coming next, from running across the entire stage, to jumping off podiums. After both opening acts finished, the anticipation for 311 could be seen around the whole venue.
Lead singer, Nick Hexum, came onto the stage at 9:00 to start off the main event that everyone came to see. Right when you thought the crowd couldn’t get any louder with excitement, SA Martinez showed up on stage to complement Hexum’s singing with his one of a kind flow. The two would go back and forth along with the rest of the band showing that some people are born with such great talent that never goes away. The Arizona heat was no match for what was being played on stage, and even everyone in the crowd did not seem to mind that it was still over 100 degrees outside of the venue, since they got to see 311 put on such a show. With so many great songs to play, you would think there would be some fans who might not know the words to one or two, but every fan in the General Admission pit sang every single word to every single song. Along with the performance from 311 band members, the stage visuals and lighting was a show of its own. The effects on stage were perfect for every beat drop and switch up that 311 had to bring, really putting the fans in the moment. With call backs to the opening bands and the fans, the sincerity from Hexum and the rest of the band could really be felt and seen throughout the show as well. It is nice to see a band that appreciates their fan base that much, which explains why they have such a loyal group of supporters that will continue to support for the rest of their lives.
For one night, fans at Arizona Financial Theater were transported back in time a few years to the good ole days. Whether it was someone’s first concert, or 100th show, everyone seemed to be having the time of their lives screaming every lyric to every song. No matter what goes on in peoples’ lives they can always look forward to having a great time when they get to see their favorite band live.
- JUSTIN TOWN