Written and Photographed by Noelle Simeon
Hey Violet, Wrenn, and Victoria Anthony brought a nostalgically fresh sound to their adoring fans from beginning to end. Though each act had its distinct sound, the show flowed together collectively as if they had all been friends touring together for years.
The headliner of the evening, Hey Violet, is no stranger to the art of performance. Starting in middle school under Cherri Bomb, their original bands were sisters Rena & Nia Lovelis and former members Julia Pierce and Miranda Miller. This lineup had Pierce as lead singer, Rena on bass, Nia on drums & percussion, and Miller on guitar & keyboards. All four members were singers, purposefully crafted so each could take a chance at the front-woman spotlight. Their talents were quickly noticed, and between 2010-2013, Cherri Bomb opened for some more significant rock acts of our time, such as Foo Fighters, Bush, Staind, and the Smashing Pumpkins.
In 2013, things began to shift, and the members of Cherri Bomb, with Pierce “parting ways” and guitarist Casey Moreta being added to the roster, and their sound began to change. After a couple of years of touring and exploring different musical styles, their new sound was finally ready to match a new name: Hey Violet. So they hit the road, promoting their first EP as Hey Violet, I Can Feel It, opening for 5 Seconds of Summer, who had signed Hey Violet to their record label, Hi or Hey Records.
Eventually, Miller left the band, Rena stopped playing the bass to focus as lead singer, and Nia and Casey continued their energies on drums and lead guitar. Once a bassist spot opened, Iain Shipp joined the group until 2019 and let go once finding out he was being accused of a sexual assault. Now a trio, Casey, Nia, and Rena, can focus on what makes Hey Violet, Hey Violet. And on a lovely night in May, I got to see what that is.
The opening act was the delightful Victoria Anthony. Victoria brought a powerful voice that filled the room. Singing “You,” “Dirty Lipstick,” and “Stress Me Out,” she had a presence on stage that money cannot buy (though I could say the same of all the acts of the night). She talked and quipped, soaking in the moments her songs made us smile and dance along with her. Victoria’s cover of Alanis Morrissette’s “Hand In My Pocket” would have made her fellow Canadian proud.
Next up was Wrenn, dressed in a blue jumpsuit that matched her bright hair, performing her hits “Psychosexual,” “Cease Fire,” and “Breaking Your Own Heart,” she enticed us with both her vulnerability and confidence. We laughed, cried, and screamed, “fuck you, Hailey!” at the top of our lungs. The fan favorites were the songs “Hailey,” which went viral on TikTok in 2020, and “You,” a haunting, heart-breaker that I haven’t gotten out of my head since.
Eager fans began excitedly shouting at Nia and Casey as they entered the stage. Then, rocking a Wrenn t-shirt with starry tights, matching the vibe of the venue’s name, Rena appeared. Playing hit after hit, the crowd sang along to singles “Clean,” “Where Have You Been (All My Night),” “Hoodie,” and “Break My Heart,” as well as songs “Forget About Us” and “Fall For Me First,” from the just-released EP, Bloom.
Between songs, they spoke to the crowd, joking about the heat in Phoenix and even getting us all to strike a pose with Nia’s polaroid camera. This band was not only comfortable with each other but with us. Rena sang with the swagger of a lounge singer gone pop, Nia energized the crowd from behind her drum set, and Casey grooved along with his guitar. Only shifting the mood once with their beautiful single “She,” he brought out an acoustic guitar while Rena and Nia sat next to him on stage. Closing their set with the hit “Guys My Age,” the audience danced to the heavy bass that begged us all to let it all loose.
Not only was Victoria, but Wrenn and her full band were in the audience with us. They did not skulk off to some backstage green room but hung out with their fans and supported each other’s performances. It. Was. Awesome.
The show was a blast, and I was 25 again for a night. I felt the familiar tugs of my 90’s youth and the camaraderie of the garage bands I grew up listening to. These artists are incredibly talented, but they are also fucking fantastic.
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