On September 29, fans packed into The Van Buren in Phoenix, AZ, to catch Judah & The Lion on their “The Boys Are Back (Tour).” The tour celebrates the release of the duo’s newest record and features support from Nashville indie-pop band Band of Silver and Dallas-based artist colby!. The night featured a mix of catchy tracks, nostalgic covers, and emotional moments as Judah & The Lion shared the personal stories behind some of their music. With plenty of crowd singalongs and a few surprises along the way, the band gave fans a night to remember.
Band of Silver kicked off the night with an energetic set featuring tracks like “Necromancer,” “Endurance,” and “Mind Over Matter.” Their sound gave me major ‘80s vibes, and the light-up mic stands definitely added to the aesthetic. The band is made up of Avery Silvernagel and her two brothers, Alex and Evan. Avery danced around the stage throughout the set, keeping the energy up. Between songs, she opened up about her battle with chronic illness and how it has influenced her songwriting. Introducing “Hello Sunshine,” she shared that the song is about remembering that the sun will always shine, no matter how bad things get. Before “Machine,” she talked about being diagnosed at 17 and having to navigate the loss of independence that came with her illness. The set also featured a cover of Depeche Mode’s “Enjoy the Silence,” which she introduced by talking about how isolating chronic illness can be, adding that playing a song everyone knows is a great way to bring people together. Band of Silver closed with “Titanium,” which had only been released earlier that week, making the Phoenix crowd one of the first audiences to hear it live. Be sure to give the new single a listen!
BAND OF SILVER | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TIKTOK | SPOTIFY
Up next, colby! took the stage for her Arizona debut. The Dallas artist brought beautiful pop vocals and a fun stage presence, sporting a Phoenix Suns shirt with basketball shorts layered over a lace skirt. She introduced one of her original songs by asking how many people in the crowd were single. The response was pretty underwhelming. She joked that all Judah & the Lion fans were married, and switched up her prompt to “Who has been in a bad relationship?” and receiving a much better response. She explained that the song was about an ex, whose family called her an angel, and that because she is petty and a songwriter, she named the song “Who’s Your Angel Now?”
colby! also had a microphone issue during the set, but handled it well, taking a moment to drink some honey while the crowd cheered her on with chants of “Chug! Chug!” She even spent some of the downtime chatting with people in the audience. Later in the set, she performed a cover of Cage the Elephant’s “Cigarette Daydreams.” Her voice worked really well with the song, and the crowd was clearly enjoying it. She shared that she got her start posting covers online, including one that really helped her reach a wider audience, before closing out her set with that very song: her version of Lorde’s “Team.” This was a fun introduction to colby!, and I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on what she does next.
COLBY! | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE | TIKTOK | SPOTIFY
The room was packed by the time Judah & The Lion took the stage. As they prepared to take the stage, flashing lights pulsed like a heartbeat before a prism appeared on the screen. Judah Akers came out and sat on the ground as Brian Macdonald played ukulele behind him, opening the set with “Prism,” a track from their I AM A PRISM album, released in August.
The colorful lighting and camcorder footage projected onto the screen throughout the night made for some great visuals, but the real highlight was watching Judah do what he does best: connecting with the crowd and giving everything he has onstage. The setlist included plenty of favorites, including “Take It All Back” and “Suit and Jacket.” “Why Did You Run?” was slowed down a bit, allowing the emotion in Judah’s voice to really come through. During “Long Dark Night,” the band gathered at center stage for an acoustic jam that gave the performance some country vibes. Judah got everyone yelling “Yee haw!” before responding with “Hell yeah!” and sharing a story about his grandfather, a Tennessee country boy from a family of farmers and musicians. His grandfather would sit in the back of church with a Bible and a dip cup and say “Hell yeah” instead of “Amen,” much to his wife’s dismay. The story offered an unexpected and fun glimpse into Judah’s family and where he comes from.
One of the most emotional moments of the night came during “As the Crow.” Judah shared how some songs take years to write, while others seem to come together in just a few minutes. He talked about how the song came out of a difficult time for his family, when they received news that was almost too much to process. Sometimes, he said, he turns to the piano or guitar to work through what he’s feeling, without necessarily looking for answers. Some songs, he noted, are ones you just receive, and this was a song that hit him right in his tracks that night. “I hope this song finds you,” he told the crowd. The lyrics were especially touching, and I imagine they hit home for anyone in the audience who has experienced loss or found themselves missing someone important to them. The addition of violin was especially beautiful here, with the song building into a powerful finish before transitioning into “Suit and Jacket.” This was easily one of the night’s standout performances.
Later in the set, Judah brought colby! back onstage for a cover of Lit’s “My Own Worst Enemy,” and the crowd absolutely lost it. With so many kids in the audience singing along with longtime fans, it was great to see how the band’s music continues to reach new listeners.
Judah also took a moment to thank the crowd for continuing to show up, acknowledging the cost of tickets, parking, and everything else that comes with going to a concert. He spoke about how difficult touring has become for independent artists and promised that as long as the band continues making music and touring, they will keep coming back to Phoenix.
The band returned for an encore featuring “Beautiful Anyway,” which Judah said they weren’t originally planning to play but felt it was meant for someone in the room. They closed with “Sports,” which he jokingly introduced as a “severely emotional” song before launching into the decidedly unserious track. Judah jumped into the crowd to sing and dance with fans while the rest of the band kept things going onstage. Before leaving, he shared the band’s three rules: eat more chocolate, be kind to people, and, most importantly, listen to more Judah & The Lion.
With a great mix of fan favorites, personal stories, and plenty of crowd participation, Judah & The Lion gave Phoenix a night worth remembering. The band’s latest album, I AM A PRISM, is out now, so if you haven’t given it a listen yet, this is your sign to check it out. And if you haven’t seen Judah & The Lion live, be sure to catch them the next time they roll through your city! Tickets can be purchased here.
Remaining dates for the “Boys Are Back (Tour)”
October 4 – Roseland Theater – Portland, OR
October 5 – The Showbox – Seattle, WA
October 6 – Knitting Factory Spokane – Spokane, WA
October 8 – The Depot – Salt Lake City, UT
October 9 – Summit Music Hall – Denver, CO
October 16 – First Avenue – Minneapolis, MN
October 17 – Riviera Theatre – Chicago, IL
October 18 – Manchester Music Hall – Lexington, KY
October 20 – The Sylvee – Madison, WI
October 21 – The Truman – Kansas City, MO
October 23 – The Intersection – Grand Rapids, MI
October 24 – Danforth Music Hall – Toronto, ON
October 25 – Saint Andrew’s Hall – Detroit, MI
October 27 – Webster Hall – New York, NY
October 28 – Royale – Boston, MA
October 30 – Empire Live – Albany, NY
October 31 – The Fillmore Silver Spring – Silver Spring, MD
November 1 – Union Transfer – Philadelphia, PA
November 3 – The National – Richmond, VA
November 4 – The Senate – Columbia, SC
November 6 – The Fillmore Charlotte – Charlotte, NC
November 7 – The Ritz – Raleigh, NC
November 8 – The Refinery – Charleston, SC
November 11 – Jannus Live – St. Petersburg, FL
November 12 – Tabernacle – Atlanta, GA
November 13 – The Pinnacle – Nashville, TN
JUDAH & THE LION | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | YOUTUBE | TIKTOK | SPOTIFY
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