Day one of Innings Festival in Tempe ended with a bang - literally. Green Day treated guests to a high-energy all out sing-along which ended with flames and fireworks. Saturday was a sold-out show, whereas Sunday proved to be calm after the storm. The lineup for day two was stacked with indie-alternative bands such as The Revivalists, Mt. Joy, Marcus Mumford, The Head and The Heart, and more. 

Delivering all of the solid pure relaxation vibes for the day, guests took their time getting to the festival, which we can assume was solely from the heights of day one. Day two was for a more chill vibe music-wise but allergies stemming from relentless winds were in full effect. 

Mt. Joy certainly was a favorite of the day. Opening with the single, “Lemon Tree,” from their third album “Orange Blood” the band hit a home run during their hour-long set. “We've been cold all day but the sun is shining on us now. Let's settle in and have some fun,” Matt Quinn, the frontman shared. The elevated jam band highlighted their increased confidence as they blasted through hit after hit which coyly showcased the evolution of their sound as a band.

We’d be remiss to not focus on the improvements that the festival has added due to some less-than-stellar feedback. One major area of improvement was the lack of vendors and accessibility. Previous festival-goers had to pick between seeing a band of choice or waiting in atrociously long lines for a bite to eat. The experience, which made many frustrated, has since improved. There were also more vegan and vegetarian options. This year, the creators placed food vendors in three different areas to mitigate the flow and traffic of the sold-out show. As with any new festival comes growing pains, and we’re pleased to see the changes the creators have implemented to ensure all in attendance are having a great time!

Top bites from the weekend of course are the cult-favorite, Island Noodles. However, there were a few newcomers who were well-received. “It’s my first time attending the event! But (I'm) really excited about the great lineup. Also looking forward to sharing my culture via our food with others,” Pupusa Princess shared. It’s always great to be able to expose our flavor in large-scale events.” Easily the top dish of the weekend, which included delicious pupusas served alongside plantains, rice, and salsa. Besides being one of the top vendors (in our option), Eddie Vedder also couldn’t resist.

The food options this year were aplenty. Guests enjoyed local restaurants putting their spin on the festival fare at Innings Fest. Fan favorites such as Island Noodles, El Jefe Tacos, Pork on a Fork BBQ, Danzeisen Dairy Creamery, and many more will be there to cure all your festival cravings. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options will be available. 

“We take part in Innings because we love working alongside great people and being able to be a part of huge events going on in our home state of Arizona,” a rep from Hot Bamboo shared exclusively to IdentifyLA. “Being able to showcase our brand at a nationally recognized festival means a lot for a small business like us.” The line was nonstop at this gem, and for good reason, the beloved restaurant showcased delicious bowls filled to the brim with teriyaki chicken, pork dumplings, musubi, and more. The well-laid-out setlist allowed guests to squeeze in sips and bites from a few of the vendors on site. Guess fueled up on the perfect amount of delectable bites before continuing for the rest of the night, which included Marcus Mumford, The Revivalists, and Eddie Vedder.

Marcus Mumford took to the stage promptly at the start of his set after dusk. Although the majority of the set was hit singles from Mumford & Sons, the frontman proved he’s got the star power to carry on. Between singles, the indie-folk favorite joked with the crowd in what may have been the most stripped-down performance of the weekend. The evening ended with a calm performance from a true classic, Eddie Vedder. Although Vedder has performed at Innings before, this performance was even better than the last. 

While Innings Festival had a pretty packed lineup, the days were clearly split by genre. One rock day and one light-alternative day. Innings Festival is one of the few festivals to make adjustments based on customer feedback and continues to improve each and every year while obtaining bigger names on the bill. Well done Innings Festival in Tempe! Until next time!