PHOENIX, AZ | Almost Monday brought their “The Dive Tour” to Phoenix, Arizona, just one stop over from where they grew up in San Diego, and they sold out the Valley Bar basement with ease.
Valley Bar is one of the more unique venues in downtown Phoenix and is certainly a hidden gem—just like the band itself. When you take in Almost Monday’s set, you’ll think to yourself, “Oh, I know this one.” “Oh wow, I know this one too.” This being the case, it’s just a matter of time before they hit the larger music scene—hard. The fans this night in Phoenix got really lucky because Almost Monday will never play venues this intimate again, and the next time we see them they’ll be selling out theaters. The younger band has the stage presence to rock anywhere they go, especially frontman Dawson Daughtery. Dawson looks like he has been performing for his entire life—and while he probably has—he’s an absolute natural.
The night kicked off by a very strong frontman in his own respect, Adrian Lyles. Adrian has a similar sound to Frank Ocean, chasing that alternative R&B groove. It takes guts to cover a Frank Ocean song, but Adrian covered “Pink + White” like it was nothing. It’s clear he is an actor, because he interacts with the crowd and performs like he was born to do it. The once member of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Adrian has hit the music industry pursuing a new realm. His acting experience certainly doesn’t hurt, and Adrian is a ton of fun to watch. Another artist I predict to have a lot of success in 2025.
The headliner, Almost Monday, the next big thing. Emerging from garage jams and D.I.Y. gigs. Almost Monday—Dawson Daugherty (vocals), Cole Clisby (guitar), and Luke Fabry (bass)—burst onto the scene in 2020 with a sound that embodies the sun-soaked essence of California. As I mentioned, even if you haven’t heard their name, you have heard their music. The sold out Valley Bar crowd certainly had, and they let the band know it.
Dawson interacted with the entire room, and I could tell as a viewer it means a lot for the band to have the audience scream the lyrics back. My personal favorite, “Cough Drops” was played third in the set, and is a very fun tune to jump around and dance to. Their whole setlist is upbeat music that is easy to enjoy. They bring a ton of energy to the room and definitely bring their California vibe with them. Arizona isn’t too far off geographically, but its’ a fairly different vibe than the state of California, I would say. It absolutely does not matter at an Almost Monday concert—it felt like we were right there in San Diego.
ADRIAN LYLES
ALMOST MONDAY
