From Tempe to a Twenty-Year Toast
The Format grew out of Arizona garage pop, led by Nate Ruess and Sam Means, and their songs mix show-tune flair with punchy guitars. After a long break that started in 2008 and a brief 2020 flicker, this run marks a full-circle return built around
Dog Problems and the fanbase it shaped. Expect the album front to back with highlights like
She Doesn't Get It,
The Compromise, and a wide-open sing on
The First Single (You Know Me). The crowd trends mixed-age, with thirty-somethings who wore out the CD standing next to younger fans who found them through
fun.. Trivia heads know the record was self-released on The Vanity Label after leaving a major, and that kazoos and handclaps were tracked as real parts, not gimmicks. You may also hear
On Your Porch tucked into the encore as a nod to their start.
What Might Hit the Set
Everything about the possible set and production here is inferred from past shows and may change on the night.
Confetti Hearts and the Community Orbiting The Format
Nostalgia Worn Well
The scene skews thoughtful and warm, with vintage tees from 2004 stacked next to fresh anniversary prints. Fans tend to dress like the record sounds: floral shirts, striped cardigans, and bright sneakers that match pastel merch. You hear layered singing, not just on choruses but on the wordless bits, like the la-da tag in
She Doesn't Get It. People bring pocket kazoos or clap parts on the off-beat, and it reads as part of the show, not a stunt.
Chants, Colors, Keepsakes
Merch tables favor vinyl, lyric-forward posters, and clean type that nods to old label art. Between sets, there is easy talk about Phoenix venues and who first saw
The Format at a VFW hall. The culture prizes melody and honesty over cool, which makes the room feel open to both lifers and first-timers.
Waltzes, Whimsy, and The Format's Big-Room Heart
Arrangements With Teeth
Nate Ruess's tenor sits high and clear, and
The Format support it with harmonies that punch like extra instruments. The band leans on crisp snare, walking bass, and piano stabs, trading the wall-of-sound for space where the story lands. Many songs start with a hush then bloom, so the room gets that rush without turning muddy. Live, they will likely cover strings and brass with a small section or clever keyboard splits, keeping the bounce while letting guitars add sparkle.
Small Secrets, Big Payoff
Watch for a common switch: the bridge in
Dog Problems loosens into a swing feel live, which nudges clapping to the off-beat. They also like to lift the key at the end of
Inches and Falling, a simple trick that raises the stakes without shouting. Lights usually track the music's mood changes rather than chase effects, so your focus stays on the arrangements.
Kinfolk and Kindred: The Format's Extended Family
Threads That Connect
Fans of
fun. will feel at home thanks to Nate Ruess's theatrical melodies and big group choruses.
Bleachers share the same heart-on-sleeve pop with live brass swells and a danceable backbeat. If you like wordy, hook-smart rock,
Motion City Soundtrack hit similar tempos and clever phrasing. Piano-pop followers of
Ben Folds will catch the vaudeville swing and wry storytelling. And fans of
Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness often overlap here, drawn to earnest singalongs that still leave room for bittersweet turns.
