Phoenix residents described the feeling they get when they go to concerts in small venues as intimate.
Intimacy is not just used for relationships, it is a connection.
This connection is sensed in the crowds of Downtown Phoenix as they attend concerts at the Van Buren and Valley Bar.
The concert lines might wrap around the block, but to these Phoenix residents, it is worth it once they go inside.
The smaller venues in Downtown Phoenix have a very big competition; Talking Stick Resort Arena.
Oftentimes, bands with larger followings perform sold-out shows at Talking Stick.
The ticket prices range from $40 to $400 depending on where the seats are in the arena.
The smaller venues are usually general admission which means that fans are pressed up against each other on the floor trying to get as close to the artist as possible.
"The thing that sets apart the smaller venues apart from the larger ones is a feeling of intimacy during the concert," Sierra Lockett said. "The biggest thing is the crowd because it may be smaller but there can be an adrenaline rush of trying to get to the stage."
Lockett said this rush cannot be felt when she is waiting in line at a concert at some of the larger venues.
Lockett goes to concerts frequently but she always chooses to go to the smaller venues if she has the chance.
She described how she has camped out outside the Van Buren for up-to six hours before the show sometimes just to get close to the stage.
"At places like the Van Buren, they tell you not to run," Lockett said. "But as soon as they open the doors, people run to the front to try to be front and center."
Lockett said that the smaller venues give artists a chance to get their break.
She said that the music scene in Downtown Phoenix is unique because artists do not need thousands of followers to play a gig.
"There are a lot of artists in Phoenix waiting for their break for a reason to make that quick trip to California," Lockett said. "These artists also have something to easily get themselves out there: First Fridays."
Lockett said that artists in Phoenix use First Friday as an advantage to hand out flyers to smaller concert venues so they can score a gig there.
She described how spotting out music fans in Phoenix might be tough but concerts are always packed with people.
"There is an intense passion to make it in Arizona," Lockett said. "Phoenix shows are usually full because we have such a diverse sense of music taste."
Mareena Emran agrees with Lockett and said she loves attending concerts and festivals in Downtown Phoenix.
"When it comes to the smaller venues in Phoenix especially, it's given me the chance to immerse myself in the moment," Emran said. "It gives you that intimate feel, one that you can't get at the bigger venues."
Emran said at the smaller venues you can feel more connected to the artist and the audience.
She also noted how smaller venues give you the exact experience, if not better, of the larger venues at half the cost.
However, she also described her overwhelmed feeling when the concert she attended to see an artist named Poppy turned into a mosh pit.
"It wasn't until Poppy got on stage after the opening that I got squished under people and I felt so overwhelmed that I couldn't breathe," Emran said. "But in that moment I also felt a sense of euphoria."
She said she could have done without the mosh pit but she was glad that she got to experience it.
It was attending concerts in Phoenix that made her realize how diverse the music scene is.
As an out of state student, she also found many new bands performing at the smaller venues that she could not have found if she was only focused on attending some of the larger venue concerts.
"Growing up in Houston, you really only know Travis Scott, Beyoncѐ, [and] Childish Gambino," Emran said. "I then realized that the only way I could expand my taste in music was by attending new venues and listening to stuff that is outside of the realm of my music taste."
Madison Holmes said when she attended a Kacey Musgraves concert at the Van Buren, she was one of the closest audience members to the stage.
"I was literally less than ten feet away from her," Holmes said. "There were times where she got close enough I could've touched her."
She describes going to concerts at the smaller venues as a "living room feeling."
It's at these small venues that she was able to make intimate connections with the performer and the audience, Holmes said.
She emphasized that smaller venues especially in Phoenix, allow artists to reach stardom faster.
"I feel like the culture in Downtown Phoenix is much more accepting and interested in artists that maybe don't have a global or even national recognition," Holmes said.
Holmes said that small venues and First Friday expose Phoenix residents to these new artists and give them new experiences, something that would be hard at a larger arena.
Holmes said that she would rather see her favorite artist at a smaller venue than a larger one.
"It is such an intimate experience even if you aren't front row, but so worth it for those moments with this artist that you admire so much," Holmes said.
Even with unanimous agreement that smaller venues provide a more intimate and connecting experience both Lockett and Emran found some flaws that come with the smaller venues.
"Some of the venues are connected to bars so depending on the show, they have age restrictions," Lockett said. "They send you to the back entrance which can at times feel dangerous just walking around the corner."
Lockett also mentioned that because the crowd is so tightly packed, there is a chance that someone is sick and you can come in contact with them.
She remembers how a previous show she attended, someone in the crowd had the flu and multiple people ended up catching a case of it.
Emran said that smaller venues have a harder time staying organized.
"I swear every time a venue sets a time for an event, it never starts on time," Emran said. "You can expect the opening act to start a good 30 minutes after the intended start time."
She did mention that the disorganization is what makes these smaller venues unique, however.
It adds to the socialization time and provides that intimate feeling even before the concert has started, Emran said.
These small venues are what sets apart the Downtown Phoenix music scene from most other states.
First Friday is a huge cultural event, however, these venues are the staple thing when it comes to the diverse musical culture in Phoenix.
"As Brockhampton once titled one of their songs: VIVID, [the] Phoenix music scene is VIVID," Emran said.
