Darkwave seems to be making a resurgence with newer generations. The Near Dark Festival brought darkwave to life in Phoenix. Not only were artists there to perform, but there were also local artists selling and sharing their crafts with others.
The night started out quiet. People were slowly making their way into The Van Buren. Many stopped along the way to the entrance of the building to purchase goods, drinks, and merchandise. Everyone was dressed to the nines in their gothic attire. There were many different types of goths attending the event from romanticism to mall goths, and everything in between! Each style is unique and fun in its own way.
Once you’re bettered the building there was a DJ playing music in between sets. His music choices ranged from The Cure to New Order. The audience was a little sparse as the night started but it definitely grew as the night wore on.
The first band to go on stage was Urban Heat. A three-piece band from Austin, Texas that formed in 2019. Jonathan Horstmann multi-instrumentalist and vocalist approached Kevin Naquin and Paxel Foley to join him in creating their post-punk band that has hints of the 80s in it. This darkwave band is on the up and up; they’re a band to keep an eye on and one of my personal favorite darkwave bands.
This was a band I was so excited to see. The band walked onto the stage in darkness, their shadows could be seen. The audience clapped and they began to play as they were covered in red lighting. With each song the band picked up more momentum and the audience became more engulfed in the performance. They played the song “Have You Ever?” from their 2022 EP Wellness. Once Urban Heat started playing this song Horstmann really began to pick up his movements and antics. Their performance was impeccable and so much fun to watch!
Horstmann would move all over the stage while playing his guitar but after “Have You Ever?” ended he put his guitar down and began to focus on singing and his showmanship. He ran all over the stage and would jump in the air. This band really knew how to capture the audience’s attention and love. By the end of their performance, everyone was dancing along. Urban Heat is the band you want to keep an eye on. They have a lot to offer and it will be exciting to see what they put out. I am so glad I was able to watch this band, it really made me love them more than I already did!
More people made their way into The Van Buren.
The next band to go onto the stage was Body of Light from Tempe, Arizona. The band was formed in 2012 by two brothers named Alex and Andrew Jarson. This duo brings some fun vibes to darkwave. The brothers do a great job of keeping fans entertained. As they perform they keep their fans engaged. Andrew Jarson would headband and dance around as he played on his keyboard/synthesizer.
Alex jumped, spun, and ran all across the stage. At one part he jumped off the stage and climbed the barricade so he could interact with the audience. The fans soaked it up. Every moment was cherished by them. Everyone started dancing and getting more into the groove of the show. They were definitely a fun band I would see again!
The time was getting closer to that part of the night I was most excited for or equally as excited for, Calabrese! Calabrese and Urban Heat were my bands of choice for attending this concert. Calabrese is a local, Phoenix, Arizona, rock band formed by two brother Davey calabrese-drums and Bobby Calabrese-guitar/vocals. Calabrese formed in 2003. For the night’s show they brought on Argyle Goolsby to fill in on bass. Goolsby is in the band Blitzkid and he also has a self-titled project.
The standing area was busier more people had ushered in to watch Calabrese perform. The minute the band walked onto the stage everyone went wild! The band began to play and their energy was just amazing! Goolsby ran all over the stage jumping and spinning his guitar around his body, he had true showmanship! The audience and the band fed off of each other’s energy. The crazier the band got the more hyped up the audience became. Calabrese played some of the fan-favorite songs, as well as songs from their newest EP Death Cult released in 2022. Some of the songs included “Voices of the Dead”, “Death Eternal”, “Be My Death Cult” and “There Is No Heaven(Only Hell)”. Everyone was singing along to every song, it was as if they were in a trance. Goolsby jumped off the stage with his bass and stood on top of the barricade playing. All the girls who were close screamed. Calabrese really put on a great show. At the end of their set, Davey threw pumpkin buckets into the crowd,. He grabbed dead roses and handed them out to people. He climbed back on stage and they took an end of their set photo with the audience!
Before the next band came on the DJ played a lot of great music! He even played some banda and Hispanic darkwave songs and boy did these really get the crowd dancing. The house lights began to go dark and the final band of the night came onto the stage.
Twin Tribes began to play and everyone clapped and cheered. For many people in the audience, this is what they were waiting for all night! Twin tribes formed in 2917 by Formed by Luis Navarro-vocals/guitar/synth/drum machines and Joel Niño, Jr.-bass/synth/vocals. The band hails from Brownsville, Texas.
The band was mesmerizing to watch, their outfits and looks were captivating. It made you want more! Their performance was more mellow and take compared to the bands that performed before them but their sound was impeccable. They were shrouded in red and blue lights, creating a bit of mystery. Their music was dark and soulful with lyrics that sucked you in. I can see why so many people liked their music and were there to watch them. Twin Tribes is a band I would like to see live again!
