On the closing night of their six week tour, Phoneboy made their final stop in Columbus, Ohio on May 9th, and undoubtedly made it a show to remember. No matter if you were coming there as a life long fan, or seeing them perform for the first time, their welcoming energy and enchanting stage presence was certain to keep you hanging on for more.

The night’s lineup was packed with talented acts setting the stage before the headliner Phoneboy. From Pony and Slow Joy’s grunge leaning sound, Heart Attack Man’s punk sound, to Phoneboy’s indie rock sound – it made for the perfect combination of genres and an incredible night of music. 

Phoneboy’s set was stacked from start to finish, and had the perfect rise and fall between upbeat and slower tunes. Starting out strong with “Wayside,” the title track from their most recent album Heartbreak Designer, was a perfect choice to have the crowd up and moving. From the moment the song started, they had the room up on their feet and cheers roaring throughout the venue. It was very clear this was a highly anticipated show, fans arms were covered in handmade beaded bracelets paying homage to song titles, recently purchased merch and vinyls being held onto tightly, and tears of excitement forming in peoples’ eyes. 

The indie/alternative rock band is powered by members Wyn Barnum (vocals/guitar), Ricky Dana (vocals/guitar), James Fusco (bass), and Jordan Torres (keyboard/vocals). Making their start in 2018 playing shows at their college in a space with little influence surrounding indie rock, they soon started selling out shows and building a large fan base; leading to millions of streams, multiple tours, and successful album releases. As they’ve continued to release new music and further discover their sound, their high energy performances and engaging lyrics prove why people keep tuning in for more.

Keeping the energy of the night upbeat with tracks like “OMG” and “Moving Out,” Phoneboy continuously showed how they’ve mastered keeping a crowd engaged and spirits high. Not only did they showcase their incredible stage presence, they also showed that they have undoubtedly mastered crowd work. In a moment I’d only ever seen before in videos online, before starting “Something On My Mind” the band called a fan from the crowd on stage to fill in for guitar, and guitarist and vocalist Dana made his way to the barricade to sing intimately with the crowd. Fans cheered and danced, singing along with nothing but joy and admiration. All night long, members were jumping, twirling, and skipping around the stage, turning to one another to sing and take in the last blissful moments of their headlining tour. 

As the show came to a close, the band thanked the crowd saying there was “no better place to end the tour than Columbus.” The crowd roared with cheers and held their hands in hearts towards the stage, making sure the band knew how special this show was for them. The displays of love and appreciation from everyone in the room made it clear this show was the perfect bittersweet ending to Phoneboy’s tour. 

Photos & Review by Maddie Culbertson