Canadian indie-pop band Valley brought their ‘Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden’ tour to Arizona with ‘World’s Sexiest Boy Band’ Mickey Darling and alternative singer-songwriter Charli Adams.
Charli Adams
Singer-songwriter, Charli Adams took the stage at The Van Buren on October 15th as the first opener for Valley. Her dreamy and heartfelt set was the perfect opener for the night.
The singer’s melodic, nearly hypnotizing sound, reminiscent of artists like Clairo, Lizzie McAlpine and Phoebe Bridgers, captivated the audience with her powerful lyricism and beautiful melodies. The Nashville-based artist had easy flow between each song and it’s clear she really cares about her craft. With songs like, “Backseat” and “Airlifter”, it’s easy to assume many people found a new favorite song that night.
Mickey Darling
The crowd was abuzz in anticipation for Mickey Darling, the second opener of the night. Based on the level of excitement in the crowd, it’s clear people were just as excited for the indie-pop duo as they were for the headlining act.
The energy brought to the stage from the very beginning by vocalist Skyler Molina rippled through the crowd and turned the venue into a dance party. The duo’s fun, unique and mesmerizing performance was absolutely captivating and the music was absolutely incredible as well. Molina mentions that performing in Phoenix is always a special moment for them, and it’s clear why: Phoenix adores Mickey Darling.
Valley
As the lights dim, a muffled hum of music begins to play. The crowd vibrates with energy as a room full of eyes wanders the stage, waiting for Valley to walk out and begin their performance. The stage floor has been overlayed with with grass and flowers, a perfect representation for the name of the tour.
The band takes the stage and immediately jumps into ‘Water the Flowers, Pray for a Garden’, the title track for their most recent album. The song perfectly encapsulates the bands indie-pop sound and sets the perfect mood for the rest of the set.
The Toronto based trio, comprised of vocalist Rob Laska, bassist Alex Dimauro and drummer Karah James, played an array of songs from their 10 year career. Songs like, “A Phone Call In Amsterdam”, and “There’s Still A Light in the House” from their 2019 album MAYBE and “Swim” from their 2016 album, This Room is White, were sure to appeal to fans who have been following the band for a long time, while newer tracks such as “Crawlspace” and “Life Goes on Without Me” from their latest album were exciting for newer fans just getting into the band.
Just over halfway through the show, the band proposed a few songs to play that the crowd could cheer to choose from. These songs were “Closer to the Picture”, “Loop Love”, and “Park Bench.” While the first and last songs were tied, the band decided to play “Closer to the Picture” in response to a fan at barricade having a tattoo for the song (how cool is that!)
Overall, Valley’s show was an electric display of the band’s passion for music and a fun celebration of the decade-long indie-pop trio’s career. If you ever have a chance to see them live, do it! You won’t regret it.
