On Friday, November 8th in Scottsdale, Arizona, five Canadian lads alongside a So-Cali frontman and his best friends headlined the Pub Rock. With both bands being in the game for over 10 years, these two connected deeply like a brotherhood with their love and passion for what they do.
It was apparent through the night that these guys know how to work a stage and connect with their audience. While it was predominantly a Pop Punk show, this night also presented influences from Metal-Core to Indie. Local openers, Love Like Fiction and After The Calm set the fam-friendly party vibe.
The audience was energetically matching the Pop Punk party atmosphere with crowd surfing, mosh pits, stage dives, and singing along into the mic. With Randy Frobel (vocals) passing the mic to the audience to sing along throughout the set, no one could have guessed that this was We Were Sharks’ first AZ show. Will Plummer (Drums) kept the heartbeat pulsing with the throb of Matt Sears’ bass notes and the rhythmic riffs of guitarists Jason Mooney and Colin Jacques. It was apparent that the band had renewed, excited and upbeat energy with their recent signing with Revival Recordings. Check their Facebook page to get updates on their upcoming 2020 album!
Up next, Adrian Estrella (aka everyone’s big brother) gathered the crowd into an intimate family-like circle during his opening acoustic set, taking his time enjoying the connection with the audience instead of being stressed rushing between time sets. He spoke candidly about the joy of this particular tour where he’s had more time to enjoy and appreciate every moment. During our interview with Estrella you can hear more about how this tour has compared to others, especially the effects on mental health and well-being. Most of the Assuming We Survive members were back home working 9-5’s, unable to break away for this tour. Old-time friends stepped in as back up players; it was a fun run!
Even though We Were Sharks were new to the Arizona music scene, the tour with Assuming We Survive made for a new and immediate expanded family. Make sure to catch Assuming We Survive on their early 2020 tour and keep an eye out for We Were Sharks new album coming soon!
Photography and videography by Nahnalah_G. Interview by TPF Founder, Monica Demattei (aka CosmicA).