.png)
Show Lineup: Justice, LCD Soundsystem, Alvvays, Sylvan Esso, and many more.
Genre: EDM, Indietronica, Indie, Shoegaze
Venue: Steele Indian School Park, Phoenix, AZ
Date: 03/07/25-03/08/25
Description: The epic non-profit Phoenix music and arts festival, M3F, returned once more last weekend with two killer headliners, LCD Soundsystem and Justice, as well as other artists like UPSAHL, Alvvays, Sylvan Esso, Ricky Montgomery, and Slow Pulp!
The Festival:
Last weekend, I got the privilege to experience the M3F Festival for the first time with co-Music Director Lexie! This was the best possible way I could have spent the weekend, and left me with unforgettable memories and amazing experiences.
M3F Festival is entirely non-profit, with all of the money made from the festival going to charities like Habitat for Humanity, Aunt Rita’s, Rosie’s House, and many many more charities benefited through the M3F Fund. The festival is dedicated to helping fund community, education, the arts, and the environment through music. The event happens annually, so if you feel especially charitable- consider getting a ticket next year, or volunteering with the festival!
Though there was no on-site parking, there were a lot of options available for transportation. There was a streamlined rideshare drop-off area, which was by far the most convenient option. There was little to no traffic at the festival entrance for rideshare, save at the busiest hours of the event. The second most convenient, and most cost-effective option, was the light rail stop located at Indian School/Central Avenue. It’s only about a 10 minute walk from the light rail to the festival grounds, and we saw many people using transit to both enter and leave M3F. Alternatively, you could find parking nearby and walk. We did this, and it worked fine!
Unfortunately, it rained quite a bit on the first day of the festival, which brought a lot of people home with muddy boots- the festival organizers handled this well, allowing people to bring umbrellas and changing the flow of traffic to avoid muddy areas, and the rain didn’t impede any of the festival activities. If anything, the rain added ambiance to points of the event.
M3F’s Vendor Village was a really fun area to explore between sets as well! There was handcrafted jewelry, clothing, and sunglasses, and multiple vintage markets to rifle through. I saw people wearing intricate items they had found in the vendor village, like a bikini made out of baby doll heads, and I ended up getting a pashmina for myself!
The Sets:
Ricky Montgomery: This artist was supposed to start at 5:30, but he came on stage with 6 minutes left of his set time, played two songs and left. It was disappointing, as I was curious to hear his sound, but he played his famous “Line Without a Hook” before leaving. After waiting for a while to see if he would come on, we ended up wandering over to Slow Pulp, and watched him play from afar.
Slow Pulp: This was my first listen to Slow Pulp, and I really enjoyed their sound! Their music was relatable and meaningful. The lead singer had so much energy, and I loved hearing the story of their childhood friendship. They had a lovely, shoegazey indie sound, and the vibes were absolutely there.
Alvvays: This was another artist that I hadn’t heard much of before this event! The stage opened with a Canadian flag, and took the floor with an indie-pop, female fronted sound. Hearing Marry Me, Archie live was awesome! One of my favorite parts of their set was watching Kerri MacLlelan kill it on the keyboard. At points the rain falling through the lights made it a magical experience to watch.
LCD Soundsystem: After Alvvays, we met up with Alternative MD Micah, and camped in the first few rows for a while to get the best views. We watched them set up the various synths, lighting pieces, and giant disco ball. By this time, the rain had let up a bit, and we were ready to hear the headliner of the night. I had researched the band a bit, and had somewhat of an idea of what I was going into.
The first track started, and immediately the sunset lighting on stage wowed me. I couldn’t help but start to dance, and the energy from the crowd was electric. The light hit the disco ball, scattering over the faces of the audience, and I kind of hoped it would rain again. Enthralled in the music, the 1h15m set flew by, and suddenly it was the last two songs of the night. Ending with Dance Yrself Clean and All My Friends, we left that night with a profound sense of the power of music and connection.
Beach Weather: I loved listening to Beach Weather’s indie-rock “Sex, Drugs, Etc.” in my playlist, and was really excited to see them! Unfortunately, we arrived without much time left to spare in their set, and listened to songs like High & Driving and Fake Nice, before heading over to explore the festivities of Day 2.
Sylvan Esso: I also went into this set blind, and came out a fan! Sylvan Esso is an electropop duo, and it was member Nicholas Sanborn’s birthday that day! The crowd, upon hearing that, launched into the worst rendition of Happy Birthday I’ve heard yet- but it was a valiant effort, and we made it up for it with lots of energy and cheers. Lead singer Amelia Meath’s dancing and outfit combined with Sylvan Esso’s looping synths and vocals made this set unforgettable!
Girl Talk: This was an unexpected standout of a DJ set for me! Girl Talk brought the party with him, filling the stage with audience members and inflatable palm trees. Every new track was an unexpected mashup.
Easily my favorite mashup of the night was Guess by Charli XCX ft. Billie Eilish mashed up with Blue Monday by New Order. This was a great set to bring up the energy for Justice, and left me ready to dance!
Justice:
If a show starts with a 10-minute strobe/flashing lights warning, you know it’s about to be fire. During Sylvan Esso’s set, I was wondering what all of the mirrors and lighting equipment was for, and at this point I realized it was for Justice. This set was my highlight of the weekend, with hits like Stress, D.A.N.C.E., and Neverender.
The lightshow was brain-melting, with strobes, mirrors, and colors that all but overpowered my sunglasses and earplugs (which I highly recommend!). The crowd was loving every second, as was I. At one point the RGB lights flashing off of bubbles floating over the crowd made for a magical moment. I was floored by the production, and my jaw stayed on the floor for the whole show.
This was an unforgettable festival, and I feel so grateful to have gone. The lineup was the perfect mix of genres and artists! I also really appreciated the venue.
Thank you so much to the M3F organizers who have made this possible!
Comentários