TVD Live Shots: Innings Festival at Tempe Beach Park, 2/22

TEMPE, AZ | Day two of Innings Festival kicked off at Tempe Beach Park on Saturday the 22nd. Following the high bar set by day one, day two had a lot in store for the festival attendees.

For the uninitiated, Innings Festival is an event in Tempe, Arizona that celebrates the opening weekend of MLB Spring Training. Not only are there many people from other states who live in Arizona, half of the league trains in Arizona making it a weekend often circled on the calendar. For most of the country February is a very cold month and outdoor time is limited, however in Arizona, it’s the best time to be outdoors. With baseball and music going on, the weekend is jam packed with activity.

Friday was headlined by Fallout Boy and featured other legendary artists such as All American Rejects and the Black Keys during the day. The weekend certainly had a rock and roll vibe to it featuring artists who cover the entire spectrum. From blues, to pop, to punk there was a little something for everyone throughout the weekend. Day two kicked off with younger artists, Anna Graves and 18-year old Grace Bowers. The young prodigy, Grace Bowers, has a very bright future in music. Already the spotlight in her band, she and the Hodge Podge will have a busy year.

The midday slot featured high energy from The Kills who are an absolute blast to watch, and Gary Clark Jr. who embodies the soul of Jimi Hendrix. I have always wished I could have covered a Hendrix show or anything of the sort, and this is the closest I will get. As the sun began to set, Andrew McMahon took to the piano. We met a good number of fans who were strictly at this festival for Jack’s Mannequin. The band had taken a very long break before 2024 and are back and better than ever. They actually played their first gig as a band in Tempe, and Jack mentioned it almost as a homecoming.

Tempe Beach Park is set up in almost a big U shape for the festival grounds. On the one side there is Home Plate, the headlining stage. On this side are also food options and sponsors. The festival brings in sponsors such as Jersey Mike’s, Espolon Tequila, High West Whiskey, and many others. In addition, each sponsor station has fun activities for guests, photo booths, and even a small stage where bands who had already played during the day would play a mini set.

The way the festival operates is when a band is playing at Home Plate, they are the only band playing. Once the set is completed, fans can walk to the other side of the “U” or stay at Home Plate. Opposite Home Plate is Right Field. This allows fans the ability to stay and secure a good seat for bands coming up on the bill or to get a little bit of everything. To get from Home Plate to Right Field you walk through more local food vendors and sponsor stops such as Ghost Energy and Mike’s Hard Lemonade.

Over on the Home Plate side is an entire baseball themed section. The section includes batting cages, a game to clock how fast you can pitch, and the ability to interact with the baseball players. Truly melding the love of music and baseball, the festival offers quite a unique layout not often seen.

The night slot for day two featured Beck, Boyz II Men, and The Killers. Beck played Home Plate and brought his old school-inspired sound. Beck showed why he is still a late day festival feature with a setlist covering his entire discography. He is as active as ever and is traveling to London soon to continue this run. This set was followed by Boyz II Men as the last band of the weekend to play the Right Field stage. Deservingly so, these guys brought their unique soul to the set. The trio has true gift, and it’s remarkable to see them so strong after all of these years. I hope these guys never stop singing and continue to tour as long as they possibly can.

While there was a lot of talent on the board, it’s obvious who deserved the headlining spot. With legendary tunes such as “Mr. Brightside,” “Somebody Told Me,” and “Human,” The Killers are one of the most recognizable bands on the planet. Frontman Brandon Flowers has not lost a step in the slightest, and brought the fire. More than deserving of the headlining spot, The Killers brought the weekend to an end. While a bittersweet feeling, we will look back on this weekend with immense joy for the decades of music we enjoyed.

BECK