I have FOMO. If an artist I like is playing a show somewhat near me, I will be there. This means late nights, little sleep, and spending too much money on gas for trips between Tucson and Phoenix. No matter what, though, it is always worth it (even if it doesn’t seem like it the morning after). I experienced this feeling for the first time this semester during the second and third weeks of September.
The Garden – September 9, 2026 @ The Nile Theater (MESA)
Anyone who knows me knows that I am ride or die for The Garden. Having just released their first album in four years, Bootleg, I was excited to hear new songs that strayed from the setlists of their past shows. My friends and I made our way up to the Valley early so that we would have enough time to put on jester face paint, a hallmark of The Garden’s aesthetic. Although the face paint never makes it out of the concert unscathed, it is something that I look forward to the most about seeing The Garden.
Her New Knife was playing when we got into The Nile, bringing some loud shoegaze and noise rock, which I really enjoyed (shoutout to my Loop earplugs, though, because they were 100% needed)! I had heard of them before, but seeing them live put them more on my radar, and I have to dig into their music deeper. Once Her New Knife finished, The Garden’s pre-show playlist consisting of classical music started. The music definitely set the atmosphere, the calm before the storm, but it was so stress-inducing while anxiously waiting for them to start. Eventually, the lights dimmed, I ditched my earplugs, and I immediately headed for the pit.
The Garden played a good mix of staples and new songs, and kept the energy high all night. The pit was lively with all the fans singing along, security was put to work catching crowd surfers, and the twin brothers on stage were rolling and jumping all over the place. Crowd favorites like “AMPM Truck,” “Ballet,” and, of course, their most popular song and night closer, “Thy Mission,” were the highlights for me, getting everyone up and moving. I could go on and on about how much fun I had, how sweaty I got, how enjoyable it is to find my friends in the pit during our favorite songs, and how lost my voice was after leaving the show, but all I will say is that The Garden’s live show shouldn’t be missed.
The Garden performing “The Kockroach”
The Frights – September 9, 2026 @ The Nile Theater (MEsa)
Just three days later, I was back in the same venue as I was before. The Frights, from San Diego, California, are a favorite of mine when it comes to garage/surf rock and are best known for their song “Tungs.” I saw them live for the first time over 6 years ago, which means The Frights have been a Cami staple since freshman year of high school.
However, before the show, I started wondering whether I should have passed on seeing The Frights. After all, I had not listened to them in a while and had recently been more interested in other artists and genres. This thought immediately disappeared the second they hit the stage, playing the entirety of You Are Going To Hate This to celebrate its 10th anniversary. The words to all their songs immediately started flooding back, and this time, I stayed out of the pit, which gave me a perfect view of the stage and the crowd surfers (thank you to The Nile’s lack of barricade, meaning the fans are right up against the stage, which is more fun in my opinion). After the album’s completion, the band members asked for a crowd request. Everyone yelled back at them, and honestly, I had no clue what they were going to play because I could hear no clear song title from the concert attendees. They started with the first note of “C & C,” from their debut album, and I was ecstatic because this song doesn’t get played too often and is one of my favorites! The Frights finished the night playing even more songs I had forgotten how much I liked, and I left the concert sweaty, once again.
I don’t know why the thought of regret and not going even crossed my mind. The Frights will always be a Cami staple.
The Frights performing “Kids”
Slayyyter – september 14. 2026 @ The Van Buren (Phoenix)
Another day, another drive up to Phoenix. You would think I’d be tired of making this drive so often, but it was hard to be when I was about to see one of my most anticipated concerts of the year. Slayyyter has grown increasingly popular since the release of her electropop album, WOR$T GIRL IN AMERICA, gaining far more attention than she was expecting. WGIA is one of my contenders for album of the year, so knowing that it would be played in its entirety got me even more excited to see her live.
Pearly Drops started the night off on the right foot. When I saw the tour announcement, I knew Pearly Drops was going to be the perfect opener, and I honestly couldn’t have picked anyone better. Their dreamy electronic pop was easy to listen to, and I was super pumped to hear “Bloom For Me.”
Once they finished, the wait for Slayyyter couldn’t come soon enough, and The Van Buren seriously filled up! With a capacity of just under 2,000, The Van Buren was the safe choice for Slayyyter, but she could 100% fill a bigger room now, which makes me so proud of her.
Slayyyter came on stage, sang her heart out (her voice is insane), and had the crowd engaged the whole time. Outfit changes, beautiful set design- this was an entire production! One thing I particularly enjoyed from her performance is having a live band. Many modern electronic pop artists use a backing track with instrumentals. The band really stood out during the heavy-hitting moments, like the drums in the beat drop in “YES GODDD” (my favorite song of the night). It is unbelievable when a song sounds better live, but this ended up being the case throughout Slayyyter’s entire concert, from start to finish. Slayyyter’s encore started with “brand new chanel$’ followed by “BEAT UP CHANEL$,” which I need to relive over and over again on repeat for the rest of my life.
WOW! Slayyyter really knocked it out of the park. I cannot wait to see her grow from here and get even bigger than she is now.
Slayyyter performing “BRITTANY MURPHY.”
Alison Wonderland – September 17, 2026 @ Gentle Ben’s (Tucson)
It is not every day that a free show gets announced within walking distance of you. When I opened Instagram and saw an ad saying that Alison Wonderland was DJing here in Tucson, I genuinely had to read it a few times to make sure I was not making this up, especially right on University. Urban Outfitters was sponsoring the event, which meant that once we got to Gentle Ben’s, there were free T-shirts, food, and drinks. It felt too good to be true, and honestly, even while I sat there waiting for her to come on, I still didn’t believe it.
I know Alison Wonderland primarily from her song “Heaven” featuring Ninajirachi, another DJ that I have been a big fan of recently. One of the first songs Alison played was “F–k My Computer” by Ninajirachi, a nice nod to her that set the tone for the rest of the set. DJ sets are always so fun to me because of the uncertainty about what is going to play next. She continued with some of her own songs mixed with others, like Slayyyter’s “CRANK,” Skrillex’s “Bangarang,” and even Chief Keef’s “Love Sosa.” The small room got sweaty fast from all the dancing and jumping, but it was easy to ignore because we all knew it would be over before we knew it. Luckily for me, I got to hear my favorite Alison Wonderland song, “Everything Comes In Waves,” right at the end of her set. By the time she was done, it was only 9 p.m., and it felt so bizarre to be done so early and still not believe I had just experienced that.
Thank you, Alison Wonderland. I genuinely never would have expected to see you perform in Tucson, last minute, for free, on a random Thursday night.
Alison Wonderland performing “Get Started”
After this week, I started thinking about the insane concerts I have lined up for October. 8 concerts, 2(ish) weeks… yikes, but I wouldn’t have it any other way!! :3