Live: Finish Ticket in Phoenix

An admirable feature of Finish Ticket shows is that they always keep ticket prices low to make sure their younger fans (which, admittedly, is most of them) can always afford to go. Given that Finish Ticket toured with twenty one pilots, it’s no surprise that their fans are a little insane. Crescent Ballroom in Phoenix is not a place where you typically see lines past the building an hour before doors, but this didn’t stop any of those who came early to get a good spot. Irontom started the night off with a harder-than-expected set, bursting with theatrics. Alex Hwang of Run River North commented that “no one else feels the music like [vocalist] Harry.” Wild gestures and facial expressions came from each performer, and the music was catchy and engaging. I’m always frustrated when openers get in, play, and get out, but this was certainly not the case with Irontom. Energetic and good-looking, the boys had no trouble getting the crowd to tune in. Regrettably, Phoenix missed out on hearing their killer cover of “Feel Good Inc.” As someone who habitually listens to Run River North as background or studying music, I was surprised to find how easy it is to rock out to their set. Artistry runs deep their writing and production, and anything that involves an electric violin is guaranteed to sound awesome. Larger than most, RRN’s lineup consists of six talented musicians that come together to form a well-oiled machine. Their new (ish) album is dope, and everyone should see “Pretender” live—it cleanses the soul. Finish Ticket was greeted with a roar of girlish screams from both the underage and overage crowds. The band deviated from their usual trend of starting off with “Wrong,” “Lying From Our Teeth” kicked off the show, and it certainly changed up the flow. The band already planned on dipping into older material, but remarkably, ended up playing a different track after several audience members yelled it out. That kind of intimacy and dedication is only possible in smaller venues like Crescent. Additional highlights of the set list were the use of “Bring the Rain” to close out the set, and a cover of Arctic Monkeys’ “Why’d You Only Ever Call Me When You’re High?” As a bit of an AM purist, I was a little worried when they announced the cover, but my fears were quickly laid to rest. The boys did the English rockers justice. I’m always blown away by the production value of Finish Ticket shows. For a band that largely plays at smaller venues, they’ve got some sweet setups, and they usually change them from tour to tour. They weren’t really given a chance to flex their genius when they were opening for the Blurryface tour, but it’s certainly not something to be missed. “Not to be missed” is a very common theme for Finish Ticket. I’m still shocked that “Wrong” hasn’t broken into mainstream radio and brought the band to stardom, but I guess we’ll just sit on our hands and wait. The three acts on this tour are perfect matches, and Phoenix had nothing but love for them. -Kelly Fox