On Friday, May 16, fans packed the Van Buren in Phoenix, AZ, excited for Nightly’s return to the Valley. This performance would mark their first headlining performance at the venue, a significant milestone reflecting their growth and rise in popularity, having played in more intimate Arizona venues previously. The band has been on the road since the beginning of April with only a few tour dates remaining. Nightly is touring in promotion of their new album, songs to drive to, released in March. Nightly Live On Tour 2025 has featured many supporting acts, with Johnny Valentine and Jonah Marais supporting the band on this evening. 

On his last night of the tour, Johnny Valentine took the stage, bringing his Pop/R&B music stylings to fans who filled the room early. He opened his set with his most recent single, “Count of 3,” released in October. Valentine’s charm was apparent as he worked the stage, taking moments to make eye contact with fans, singing directly to them. He had a hold over the young ladies in the crowd who were screaming his name as he performed and went wild when he removed his shirt. The audience was treated to Valentine’s upcoming single, “Where Do We Go” before he closed his set with “Slip Away.” As he was ending his set, Valentine explained that he was nearly late to his performance, but thanks to his Uber driver, he made it on time. He brought his Uber driver out on the stage for a front row seat for his final performance of the tour. As the end of the song was nearing, Valentine jumped down to the barricade, sharing a special moment with a fan as they shared the microphone, singing to one another while he looked deeply into her eyes. As he left the stage, he tossed merch into the crowd and hyped the audience for the upcoming performances. Between his vocal ability, stage presence, and ability to connect with fans, it’s quite evident why the singer has amassed the social media following that he has, with over 11 million followers between Instagram and TikTok. Give him a listen!

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Jonah Marais, pop artist from Minnesota and former member of the boy band Why Don’t We, took the stage next, kicking off his set with “Slow Motion”. On this evening, Marais was celebrating the release of his new EP, More Than Enough. When introducing the title track to the EP, Marais opened up to the audience about his struggles with mental health following the split of his band, reminding those listening that there is hope in times of struggle. Marais connected well with the audience, and this moment of vulnerability only strengthened that connection. In addition to songs from the new EP and his previous EP, The Jonah Marais Mixtape, Jonah treated the audience to a Why Don’t We fan favorite, “8 Letters”. Marais gave a strong vocal performance and had the attention of fans from the start. The audience lit up the venue with their flashlights, swaying their arms as Marais closed his set with “A Million Midnights”. Jonah Marais is set to announce a tour in the upcoming weeks. Catch him when he pulls through a city near you!

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The lights dimmed and Tate McRae’s “Sports Car” began to play over the speakers. The lights went out and the sound of a car ignition echoed through the venue. Headlights beamed from the stage, mimicking the glow of a vehicle coming to life, while snippets of songs played as if someone were rapidly flipping through radio stations. Nightly took the stage, immediately launching into “tv shows,” the first track off of their new album songs to drive to. The band would go on to play several tracks from that album, in addition to favorites from their previous projects like “the feeling,” “the movies,” and “Twenty Something.” They had great engagement with the audience throughout the show, with two moments in particular that really stood out. The band paused to show off a cowboy hat that they had decorated specifically for Phoenix, featuring a mountain range and the Phoenix Suns logo, which would be awarded to the fan who showed the most enthusiasm during “gas station cowboy hats.” A fan offered up her own pink tasseled cowboy hat which was worn by guitarist Joey Beretta for the remainder of the set and also earned her the coveted custom cowboy hat. The band also led the audience through an experiment in which the crowd was divided and tasked with singing a “randomly chosen word” louder than the competition. The audience took turns singing “some” loudly, and as they all sang the word together, the band transitioned smoothly into a cover of Smash Mouth’s “Allstar.” The audience also saw a cover of Sixpence None the Richer’s “Kiss Me” which was seamlessly mashed with Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso,” which had all of the lovers in the crowd slow dancing and sharing kisses. Nightly slowed things down for a bit for an acoustic moment during which they took song requests from the audience. While it appears this segment typically features two songs requested by the audience, Phoenix was treated to three. This evening’s song selections included “XO,” “Younger,” and “older. ”  The band took several moments to express their sincere gratitude for the fans’ support, noting that each time they have returned to Phoenix, they have been able to fill larger and larger venues. The band skipped the traditional encore, opting to play through to the end of their set and closing out with “where do we go from here.” Fans exited the venue, buzzing with excitement after a truly memorable performance. Catch Nightly on tour through May 30, when they end their tour with their biggest headlining show to date at the Iconic Ryman Theater in Nashville. 

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