Girl Tones Turned Valley Bar Into a Pressure Cooker of Electric Energy
Photographer: Kili Goodrich
Girl Tones transformed Phoenix's underground Valley Bar into a whirlwind of guitars, sweat, and nonstop energy. From arms raised high, to stepping into the crowd with a raised guitar, the duo delivered a performance that didn’t allow the room catch its breath.
Girl Tones
.𖥔 ݁ ˖
Girl Tones .𖥔 ݁ ˖
There's something fitting about seeing Girl Tones at Valley Bar. You slip down the back alley, follow the glowing stars beneath the neon sign, descend underground, and suddenly Phoenix disappears. The desert heat stays outside. At least, that's the illusion. The sibling duo, Girl Tones brought enough fire of their own to make an Arizona summer feel almost cold.
Opening for The Rare Occasions on June 21, the sister duo proved they weren't there to warm up the room. They were there to fully ignite it. Their blend of garage rock, punk attitude, and grit filled every corner of the basement venue. Loud without losing its precision. Raw without ever feeling reckless. It was the perfect match for the night ahead.
I had photographed Girl Tones earlier this year during Treefort Festival in Boise, Idaho. That performance stuck with me. Walking into Valley Bar, I knew I wasn't about to miss another opportunity to witness that fiery energy again.
When the opening notes of "Got It" hit there wasn't a second of hesitation. Hair flew through the air with every swing of the guitar. The stage felt too small to contain them. Kenzie Crowe Shultz, commanded every inch of it. The rhythm behind her drove each song forward with relentless force. The audience answered immediately, arms raised overhead, clapping in rhythm as though they'd rehearsed it beforehand.
"Burnout" and "Fade Away" leaned into the band's fuzz covered hooks. Balancing distortion with melodies that refused to leave your head no one could stand still. "Volcano" simmered, while "Pigs" landed with an unapologetic bite. Every song carried its own personality, yet together they formed one continuous rush of adrenaline.
One of the night's best moments came halfway through the set. Looking out across the room, Crowe Shultz challenged the audience. If anyone dropped their hands, the band would stop playing and start the song over from the beginning.
Nobody tested her.
For the next few minutes, dozens of hands stayed suspended in the air, clapping until shoulders had every reason to complain. Nobody wanted to be the one responsible for interrupting what had become a shared act of joyful endurance. The room was soaked in sweat, laughter, and volume. A fiery, breathless kind of fun that was impossible to fake.
"Again" rolled into "Cherry Picker," Girl Tones somehow found another gear. Just when it seemed the ceiling had been reached, Crowe Shultz stepped off the stage with her guitar and disappeared into the crowd. Laila Crowe continued to power punch rhythm into the room from the drum set. Instead of bringing the audience to them, Crowe Shultz became part of it. The room compressed around her as the final song exploded from every direction. A finale that left everyone looking at each other afterward with the same expression… Did that really just happen?
After the set, I happened to run into Laila for a brief conversation. It lasted only a few moments, but it reflected everything I'd already seen onstage. Genuine. Humble. Grateful. Despite delivering one of the night's most commanding performances, there wasn't an ounce of ego attached to it. All love for the music, and love for having a solid fun time with community.
If Girl Tones aren't already on your radar, they should be. If you get the chance to see them in a room as intimate as Valley Bar, don't think twice. They'll meet you underground and somehow make the whole place feel like it's about to erupt.
Article by: Kili Goodrich
Plug In. Tune Out.
Girl Tones fuse garage rock, punk, blues, and alternative rock into a sound that is vintage on the edges and unmistakably modern with punch. Whether they're delivering an explosive anthem or a slow burning groove, the duo plays with an intensity that makes every song feel bigger than the stage they're standing on. It's loud, unapologetic rock that invites you to move first and think later.
