On Monday, October 27, Petey USA brought his “WE’VE GOT THE YIPS Tour” to The Van Buren in Phoenix, AZ, with support from Alex Cameron. He is touring in celebration of his new album, The Yips, released in July. While “the yips” is a sports term referring to the anxiety athletes experience that interferes with their ability to perform, Petey USA uses it to describe people who have lost all sense of their ambitions, with each track representing a conversation between patrons at a fictitious bar called The Yips. On Monday, Petey USA invited Phoenix to take a seat in that imaginary dive bar, raise a glass to their struggles, and let go of all their inhibitions.

Australian singer-songwriter Alex Cameron delivered a strange but captivating performance. Opening his set with “No Solider,” fans were initially a bit confused about his rigid stage presence and unusual persona, but as his performance continued, it became clear that the act seemed to be a clever mix of comedy and satire, right in line with Petey USA’s brand of comedy and making him a perfect fit for the bill. Cameron is a high concept artist known for adopting the persona of obscure characters, and his comical lyrics, like those in the song “Jesus Never Had No Porno,” had the audience in stitches at times. He performed a set of mostly unreleased songs with the exception of the newly released track “Short King,” which he described as a song about how a woman left him, a 6’4″ man, for a man just under 5’2″. By the end of his set, Cameron had fully won over the crowd, setting the ideal tone for the night ahead.

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The lights dimmed and a voice filled the speakers, welcoming the crowd into the Yips Saloon. It announced that we would all die tonight—before quickly backtracking with an awkward yet comical reassurance that we probably wouldn’t, but possibly could—a monologue reminiscent of something you might see in one of Petey USA’s TikTok videos. The stage, illuminated by a neon “Yips” sign, was outfitted with a woodland backdrop and jukebox, which roared to life, blasting Janet Jackson’s “Escapade” as the crowd jammed along with the tunes. The jukebox began to malfunction, and Petey USA’s band took the stage. As Petey USA emerged, the band launched into “Ask Someone Else,” a track from his recent release, The Yips. Given that this tour was celebrating the release of the album, the audience was treated to a healthy dose of tracks from the record, including songs like “Breathing the Same Air,” “The Milkman,” and “Spirit Animal.” While heavy on tunes from The Yips, the setlist also featured tracks from across his entire discography, including favorites like “More To Life Than Baseball” and “Haircut.”

Petey USA traded off between guitar and tambourine, dancing around the stage between verses. He was backed by four talented musicians who all helped bring the performance as a whole to the next level. The vibes of the set were perfect; the entire crowd could be heard singing along, letting go of all of their inhibitions and dancing like no one was watching, fully present in the moment. As he started into “The Freedom to Fuck Off,” the crowd, as if on cue, passionately screamed in unison, “fuckin’ off takes money, fuckin’ off takes time, been fuckin’ off wrong my whole life, now I’m fuckin’ off right,” throwing their hands up into the air.

In addition to being a talented musician, Petey USA is a hilarious comedian—something he showcased brilliantly between songs through quick-witted banter with fans in the crowd. Petey USA’s quick wit and playful energy kept the crowd engaged between songs, while his band’s tight musicianship brought real depth to the performance. “The Freedom to Fuck Off” led right into a cover of Alanis Morissette’s “Hand in My Pocket” before ending the set with “DON’T TELL THE BOYS.” Petey USA returned for an encore of “Pitch a Fit!,” a fitting finale for a night that felt like one big release among friends at the world’s rowdiest dive bar.

The WE’VE GOT THE YIPS tour is nearing its end with only three stops left in the Pacific Northwest. Petey USA’s show is guaranteed to be a good time. Be sure to catch him next time he makes his way through a city near you!

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