Walking down the sidewalks around 4th Ave in Downtown Phoenix, an unaware passerby might have briefly thought a minor earthquake was starting. Between the distinct resonance of a shouting crowd and the feeling that the entire block was lightly rumbling, it would be easy enough to have mistaken the show happening at The Van Buren for one. For just one night, PVRIS had returned to Arizona for an earth shattering performance as part of her larger North American summer tour, joined by Pale Waves and Bruses.

Frontwoman Lynn Gunn has hit the ground running since the 2023 release of PVRIS’ fourth album EVERGREEN, which saw the singer officially redefine the alt-rock band into a solo project. The change has seen Gunn’s newer tracks stray toward a more high energy, pop-rock oriented sound that set a high bar for what her live performance would deliver. Having just come off months of touring that saw her blaze through the United Kingdom, Europe, and more than half of her U.S. dates, the crowd was absolutely buzzing with excitement for the fine-tuned show that we were about to experience.

The lively crowd was packed with fans of all ages, all of whom unleashed a wave of cheers and ecstatic screams as the stage was plunged into darkness for a few seconds. After a few moments, the bouncy, guttural guitar riff of “GOOD ENEMY” quickly filled the room, charging the air with a dynamic energy that forced dozens of hands up into the air like static. Waving their hands along to the beat, Gunn smiled briefly before jumping into the first verse that featured notable, defining lyrics like “I was idle, now I start a lot of shit / Look at what I did / It’s a funeral, ‘cause now my ego’s dead”. The singer only further sparked the crowd’s spirit as she let go of the microphone stand and passionately belted out the spunky chorus of “I love a good enemy, and baby, it’s me”, striding across the stage to greet every side of the growing crowd.

Throughout this first song of the set, Gunn somewhat maintained an aura of mystery around herself via a masterful lighting design that meshed well with the rhythm and energy of “GOOD ENEMY”. With a wave of red flashing strobe lights across the stage, it was nearly impossible to catch a glimpse of her for longer than a few seconds at a time. It allowed for Gunn’s prominent vocal talent and fiery stage presence to precede her visual appearance. Whether intentional or not, it felt like a fitting, subtle acknowledgement of the larger legacy and history that PVRIS holds as a project that is larger than just her alone.

Marching up to the microphone stand, Gunn looked out into the crowd with a firm intent as she continued setting the tone for the show with another track off EVERGREEN, “ANIMAL”. The song itself maintains a consistency with the previous one in its heavyweight production and messaging, carving out moments for Gunn to powerfully pace across the stage as she cried out “Quit acting like you own me, own me / Saying that I’m yours to control, but I’m not”.

Having clearly introduced herself to the crowd through the vibrant performance of two songs from this newest era of PVRIS, Gunn pivoted into a mix of tracks that spanned across all four of her albums to date. With live renditions of songs like “White Noise”, “Nola 1”, “Monster”, “You and I”, and more, there was plenty for both new and old fans to enjoy throughout the course of the set.

The pacing of the set itself was masterfully designed, as Gunn kept fans on the tip of their toes with an energy that rose and dipped every few songs, all seemingly with the intent to deliver an explosive finale to the show. If this truly was her intention, it was wildly successful.

The last portion of the show saw Gunn return to a steady series of high energy songs with standouts including breakdown anthem “I DON’T WANNA DO THIS ANYMORE”, earworm pop ballad “Hallucinations”, and hard hitting rock number “My House”. My personal favorite of the night was Gunn’s final, climactic performance of “GODDESS” that sent the crowd into an absolute frenzy. There are few words that could accurately describe the spectacle that this song produces, but Gunn describes it best herself within the lyrics of “Ooh I don’t know who your god is, but I’m a goddess, so hypnotic… / Said you wanted iconic, I’ve been iconic since I started”. If you’re lucky enough for your city to be graced with a visit from PVRIS in the near future, I can’t stress enough that it is an experience that you absolutely cannot miss.