Drain Is Arizona's Friend

Drain kicked off their headlining “...Is Your Friend” tour back in March, making a stop in Tempe, Arizona, and bringing along an absolutely insane opening roster. Joined by Secret World, Haywire, and No Pressure, every band on the bill brought the heat, as if Arizona isn’t hot enough already. Drain is guaranteed to take the party wherever they go, and they’ve been climbing to new heights on this tour, bringing it harder than ever before. It was a huge beach bash in the middle of the desert. Despite the venue having a barricade, Arizona proved that the barricade is nothing but a mere construct, and only exists if you let it.

Hailing all the way from Sydney, Australia, Secret World heightened the energy straight from the get-go, getting the crowd moving and fired up. I wasn’t super familiar with the band prior to this show, but they came out in full force, guns blazing, immediately drawing me in. I always love to discover new bands, and in my opinion, there’s no better way to do it than seeing them live. Whether you were already a fan beforehand, or a newcomer like myself, Secret World engaged everyone in the audience, and they got the good times rolling.

Secret World by Shane Zobel / @shanewayfare

Haywire is undeniably one of the biggest bands in hardcore right now. Their dedication to their music and the community has made them extremely beloved. The second they came on stage, it was like an earthquake hit. They have such an incredibly strong presence, and the crowd just goes ballistic. If Haywire is on stage, you seriously better watch your head. It was a free-for-all when they played their cover of “Shed” by Title Fight, the closest that I, and many others will ever get to a live Title Fight show. The crowd especially showed a little extra love as they played “ALWAYS BY MY SIDE”, as Austin paid tribute to the late Bo Lueders before kicking into the song. Bo’s passing has hit the hardcore world very heavily, and it's beautiful to see so many people coming together to celebrate his life and pay tribute in their own ways. Not only does Haywire dominate the stage, but their merch game is completely unmatched. For each stop on this tour, they made jerseys that match one of the city’s sports teams, with Arizona rocking a Haywire x Phoenix Suns jersey. Within the first hour of doors being open, I saw quite a few people already sporting their jerseys. Haywire is a band that has rapidly gained momentum, and deservedly so. They've practically been on the road since they started. There’s no sign of them slowing down, and I look forward to their return to Arizona.

Haywire by Shane Zobel / @shanewayfare

While I had been highly anticipating every band on this tour, I was especially stoked to be seeing No Pressure for the first time. Watching clips from their sets throughout the tour was just making me even more antsy. If you got to experience their Fall Out Boy cover at the Chicago stop, just know I’m extremely jealous. My energy was already overflowing, and with No Pressure opening up with “Doin’ Fine”, I was set ablaze. I immediately jumped on everyone, surfing and screaming those lyrics at the top of my lungs. There’s truly nothing more cathartic than that. If you’re familiar with The Story So Far, then you know Parker Cannon doesn’t have to do much to command the stage. There’s such a natural intensity to No Pressure’s set, something so simple yet so effective. It was non-stop motion the whole time they were on stage. No Pressure will be releasing a new album later this year, and they have given us a little taste of what’s in store with their newest singles, “Good Enough” and “Wearing Thin”, both of which have been on the setlist for this round of shows. Hopefully a new album alludes to yet another tour.

No Pressure by Shane Zobel / @shanewayfare

Now, the moment I’ve been waiting months for. I definitely felt the pressure as Drain kicked into their set with the blood-pumping track from California Cursed. The whole venue erupted, and it was a roaring symphony as the crowd gave the band a very warm welcome. They moved straight into a couple songs off of the …Is Your Friend album, including “Nights Like These”. It’s the perfect soundtrack for a night out with friends seeing incredible bands, just like this one. Drain has already well earned their position as the most fun band in hardcore, but as stated earlier, they just keep getting better and keep bringing it harder. Without a doubt one of the greatest highlights from this tour is Sammy crowd surfing (literally, with a surfboard) for “Good Good Things”. You can’t get anymore on brand for Drain than that. With the band’s relentless energy, 3 simultaneous pits, and the shark kewpie hitting insane background choreo, it was a huge party that I didn’t want to end. Of course for the final song you have to full-send it. Sammy called for hundreds of crowdsurfers for “California Cursed”, and boy did Arizona deliver on that request. Seriously, shoutout to everyone holding it down at the barricade. I got dropped with 3 other people at the same time, and the struggle to get us back up and not drop anyone else into the pile was too real. How I came out of this show without a concussion is a miracle. And can I just say, shoutout Drain for finally coming out with a baby tee, the merch table took my whole paycheck, and I’m okay with that.

Drain by Shane Zobel / @shanewayfare

I’ve been a fan of Drain for a little while, with this show marking my 6th time catching them live. It’s crazy to think about how much they’ve grown throughout the time I started listening to them, and getting to experience that growth first hand at their shows as well. The first time I saw Drain was back in 2023 with a sold out show at the Nile Underground. Little did I know how much attending that show would go on to change my life. I’ve been fortunate enough to meet some incredible people because of this band, many of which I am lucky to call friends. It was great to see so many of them at this show, bringing everything back full-circle. In hindsight, I haven’t been attending their shows for that long considering the band’s career, but something just clicked for me at my first show and I was all in.

Drain is continuing to hit bigger and bigger milestones, including their debut at Coachella with a killer set for weekend one. The “...Is Your Friend” tour will be wrapping up on April 18th, with a special show in their hometown of Santa Cruz to close it out. If you weren’t able to catch Drain on this tour, make it a point to be there at the next. You won’t regret it, unless you’re allergic to a good time. I walked out with at least 10 new bruises, drenched in sweat, and the biggest smile on my face. I’m looking forward to many more Drain shows in the future and doing it all over again. Drain is your friend!