It’s not fairly the kickoff of the 2023 pageant season (that will be Coachella subsequent month), however Innings Fest is actually the spring coaching of the live performance calendar. Artists are engaged on their proverbial swings and shaking off the cobwebs to heat up for the upcoming yr on the highway. That’s one of many joys of this no-frills Tempe, Az., occasion in entrance of a pleasant crowd in (largely) preferrred climate situations. For the second yr in a row, we had been on the Arizona version of Innings Fest (there’s one in Florida going down subsequent month) to soak up all of the sights and sounds. – Daniel Kohn
From Andrew McMahon performing a trio of hits from The whole lot in Transit together with “I Woke Up in a Automotive,” to the Offspring and Weezer each performing practically each one among their traditional tunes (together with the latter’s shock hit cowl of Toto’s “Africa”), practically each massive identify at Innings Fest made the clever pageant resolution of primarily giving the followers what they wish to hear. Inexperienced Day would possibly’ve gone a contact heavy on its American Fool-and-later materials given the age of the group and different bands, however its pyro-filled set was extra concerning the spectacle anyway. – Josh Chesler
I stated it final yr and I’ll say it once more: each pageant ought to have a batting cage. In fact, this being a baseball pageant, it made excellent sense to be aligned thematically. In addition to taking a couple of swings, attendees may additionally throw a pitch and see its velocity displayed on a radar gun and dive onto a area of froth to make a game-saving catch. – DK
