The Miracle of Practically People

In the streaming age, is it possible to find success on the ground, in a city as dry and sprawling as Phoenix? 

Practically People are able to consistently sell out tickets to their shows across the valley, even when playing multiple times a month. They've sold out Rebel Lounge and Crescent Ballroom as headliners. How do they do it?

PP are a force of nature live. After seeing six of their shows over the past year, it's clear how much they've improved. They've had the fundamentals since the beginning, but they've continued to loosen up more on stage and are now as comfortable as any touring act. The fandom feels so big when you're there in the crowd singing along to most of the songs, wearing the merch, the glow wristbands, punting the balloons in the air- you forget this is a band just cresting 2k monthly listeners on Spotify. 

They went all out for the Origins album release show, fitting for the album's maximalism and experiments with sound. Bummer Girl put on a great set to open the night. Bethany Home showed massive improvement from the time I saw them last year, and their new album is already becoming one of my favorites of the year. And then PP was on. If there has ever been a debut album made to be played for an audience, Origins is it. As a lead, Dmitri does a great job of deflecting focus onto the rest of the band throughout the show. With Josh coming up front to play guitar, Wills taking lead vocals on a song, Jane contributing more vocals, it's so satisfying to see them trading places and enjoying the spotlight.

For awhile they've been offering physical tickets to shows, sold direct to fans without fees. The promise of hand delivering physical tickets anywhere in the valley is absurd, but it's clearly a strategy that works. No one goes to a Practically People show cynically. Not because the price of entry is high- tickets range from free to $20. No, the sincerity is because we yearn to see something of ourselves being invented before our eyes. A scene founded on friendship and bringing people you care about to shows. We have such great venues here and I'm so grateful there are so many people working to make live music possible. In the words of Bummer Girl, yes, we're local. And we're here to stay.

Find Practically People everywhere