The Thing made their Phoenix stop on their coast-to-coast tour on Wednesday, playing at Valley Bar downtown. The New York based 4-piece up-and-comers have fully dedicated their lives to music and are taking their rock n’ roll energy all across North america. The sound, the look, the jam all point to old souls, The Thing is reshaping the idea of rock-n-roll for the new generation. Influenced by genre-defining legends in their own right, The Thing hauls from influences such as The Black Keys, King Gizzard, Grandfunk Railroad, and many others. The band is far from home, as the desert is quite different than the Big Apple, but the band made themselves known on that stage. It's not always easy to play on a Wednesday night halfway through the week, but the band did that with ease. The Valley Bar in downtown Phoenix is a hidden gem, and those who got to experience it were certainly in for a thrill.
The Thing’s headlining show was opened by Wurmfur, a local Phoenix rock trio. I was blown away by the sound they were able to generate with only three people. Self-defined as a Power-Trio, they are not lying about that name. The hometown heroes were a good compliment to The Thing, opening the show with tons of sound and energy. Wurmfur set the bar high getting the crowd engaged as the fans got ready for The Thing.
Touring on their new album The Thing Is, The Thing is rocking out everywhere they go. It's not mentioned on their personal influence list, but I would throw a hint of Arctic Monkeys in there As a concert goer, it's always nice to like music, but it's another thing to see a band like the music as well. Watching The Thing play their music on stage, it's clear they gave up their previous lives for music for a reason. The newer band is just hitting the scene, having released their first album in 2022, and are already in for a big 2024. Set to hit the stage at two of the larger festivals, Boston Calling & Governors Ball this summer, The Thing is on a fast track to sharing their rock and roll sound with the entire country. I can personally say that I will be following along on the journey, and I'd suggest everyone else tunes in as well.
