While the world at large may have kept spinning in the days following Role Model’s sold out, headlining show in Phoenix at The Van Buren, it’ll be quite some time until his fans will be able to think about anything else. Armed with a smile and his signature cheeky humor, the endearing indie-pop artist (born Tucker Pillsbury) kicked off his North American “No Place Like Tour” right here in the desert. Even though our temperatures haven’t started to hit their summer peaks, make no mistake, this crowd absolutely brought the heat to start this tour off right.

The atmosphere in the packed 1800-cap venue was nothing short of electrifying in the moments leading up to the start of Role Model’s set. Few concerts that I’ve been to had this level of anticipation in the air, it felt almost tangible, though that might have just been the shoulder-to-shoulder conditions that most of us were enduring for the sake of the music (totally worth it, in my opinion). Given that the show was coming hot on the heels of the release of his LP’s deluxe version, Kansas Anymore (The Longest Goodbye), it was easy to understand why. Standout bonus track “Sally, When The Wine Runs Out” had been making rounds on social media in the days leading up to the release, almost instantly becoming a viral favorite among Pillsbury’s largely Gen Z audience. 

As the first few overhead lights began to dim, giddy fans all around the concert hall began unfolding signs that said a variety of things, not all of which could be read out loud in a family-friendly setting, as Pillsbury later noted. For those without signs, don’t even worry. They more than made up for it with the devoted screams of joy that erupted throughout the pit.

Opening with lively fan-favorites “Writing on the Wall” and “Scumbag,” Pillsbury immediately matched the energy, aptly setting the tone for the night. 

One thing that Pillsbury and his fans share in common is the urge to fill every moment of silence with humor, which made the whole experience all the more entertaining. During a brief moment taken to tune guitars and quickly prepare for another song, the audience erupted into chants of “daddy,” prompting a playful smile from Pillsbury, who responded with an exaggerated “Okay DivAAAaas,” much to their delight.

It was a great warm up for everyone involved as the singer transitioned into the gentle opening of “Superglue”. His smooth vocals were elevated by those of countless fans across the crowd who were passionately singing along to each and every word with an accuracy and love that only fans could truly muster. During “The Dinner,” the prolonged syllables of “oooo-hh” echoed vibrantly across the room each time Pillsbury sang out the line “take me home”, his voice blending seamlessly with the hundreds of others joining him. 

For much of the first portion of the set, Pillsbury showed little mercy as he launched into an onslaught of the most energetic tracks from his new album, leaving fans nearly breathless. However, he finally slowed things down with “Frances,”delivering a heartfelt performance that, rather than calming the audience, only seemed to add fuel to their fire. As the slow melody of the song took hold, more and more voices joined the growing crowd chorus to form a communal sing-along. Even with nearly two thousand people packed into the venue, Pillsbury managed to create an intimate vibe with each passing verse of the song. 

Though Role Model’s humor and charm make for an incredibly dynamic show, the generally unserious singer did break character for a brief moment to express his gratitude to the crowd. “I know what it takes to come to a concert,” he shared. “I know you sacrifice—whether it’s work, time, school, or having to travel—I am so grateful for you being here with me for this hour and a half.” It was a heartwarming pause in a stream of otherwise nonstop energy, giving us a small glimpse of the person behind the performer.

The night wouldn’t have been complete without the Role Model rendition of The 1975’s “Somebody Else”, which even drew me into the sea of voices singing along. The remainder of the set ran through mellower tracks off the new album like “Compromise”, “Slipfast”, and “Old Recliners.” Shortly after the last of these, I took a much needed intermission to visit the merch table, which is a true highlight of this tour. My personal favorite item is the (currently) tour-exclusive scarf that features stitched symbols from every song off of the album, which won my wallet and I over after just a few seconds. Building off of a relationship established late last year, this specific piece of merch was a collaboration between Role Model and Oddli.

One financially irresponsible (but so necessary) decision later, I ran back to the crowd just in time to catch the last few songs. Closing things off with a bang, Pillsbury delivered absolutely incredible renditions of “blind”, “Sally, When The Wine Runs Out”, and “Deeply Still In Love.” The last of these drew out the loudest cheer of the night when Pillsbury quite literally dropped down and put his little waist to work, truly allowing for the night to end on a triumphant note. Phoenix showed up for Role Model—and he more than delivered.

If one thing about the show is certain, it’s that there truly is No Place Like Tour.