Arrows in Action Open With Pure Pop-Rock Joy

Arrows in Action frontman Victor Viramontes-Pattison skipped onto the stage to start the night with “Light Like You,” off their only-days-old release I Think I’ve Heard This Before. Royal purple light flooded the stage for their second song, “Over It,” to cheers and a visibly grooving crowd.

Viramontes-Pattison’s presence on stage mixed romance cover looks with a golden retriever energy. His hair fluttered, his hands animated while he maintained perfect vocal precision, matching their recorded tracks.

“Cheekbones” took us to places only we know, with drummer Jesse Frimmel shining a smile so pure it was clear from the dark, packed crowd as he hit the final beat.

The entire band was magnetic, engaging their fans at every moment of their performance. At the end, they held true to their Spotify bio; the members of Arrows in Action were “just happy to be here,” and their joy was palpable.

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iDKHOW Bring Playful Theatrics and Retro Swagger to Tempe

The vibe shifted with the moody grooves of I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME, leading us into a jewel-lit sea of purples, teal, and gold. We swam through the eclectic discography of Dallon Weekes’ previously hidden act, which he began before he left Panic! at the Disco in 2017.

Weekes’ voice smoothly moves between soaring clean highs and sultry saunters, accompanying retro synth-laden jams with swooning guitars. The popular hit “Choke” was met with cheers and screams from the audience, and Weekes invited, “Oh, Arizona, won’t you please come and sit with me?” 

During one song, Weekes draped the microphone cord casually above him, one arm behind his head, posing as the audience cheered in approval. “Leave Me Alone” had many playful moments. One member held his guitar low, mimicking a gun, and pretended to fire at the drummer, afterward tossing a pick at him. Another time, the guitarist attempted to balance his guitar on his head, but it eventually fell into his hands. While singing the lyric “A Brand New God,” the white spotlight rose and fell as purple pulsed.

In the final moments on stage, Weekes exclaimed, “Holy shit! It’s a real-life saxophone,” which cued a saxophonist to the front of the stage for a solo, the guitarist and bassist greeting him with face-offs. The music faded, and Weekes exited the stage, exaggeratedly swinging his arms.

View full iDKHOW photo gallery below.

A countdown began on the TVs. I noticed when it was at 9:30, stagehands balled up and tossed the setlists off the stage, returning later with fresh ones. Calm and twinkling music played as the final adjustments to the stage were made. BOYS LIKE GIRLS returned for an epic encore of their 2006 debut release Boys Like Girls. 

They played in album order, beginning with “The Great Escape,” their biggest hit, with the crowd louder than the band. “Five Minutes To Midnight” and “Hero/Heroine” continued the streak of the audience singing every word with their whole hearts, showing how accurate the tour name truly is.

Throughout the night, the side stage gradually filled with handpicked fans. During “Heels Over Head” Johnson’s team replaced his pick holder, only for him to find they were James’s bass guitar picks which lead to him saying something like “Fuck, these are Greg’s!” Throughout the rest of the night there were multiple moments of him forgetting, grabbing one, and throwing it to the floor.

During “Broken Man”, Johnson expressed his appreciation of years of support, stating, “Your voices have been the soundtrack of our lives for the last twenty-five years.” 

The depth of the connection between BOYS LIKE GIRLS and their fans filled the room with genuine joy, deep love, and gratitude. The final goodbye of the night was the band giving their all in one more way. They tossed memory-soaked items from the stage, small tokens to be treasured from such an epic celebration. Boys may like girls, but we definitely love BOYS LIKE GIRLS.