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Dance Gavin Dance Blend Chaos and Control at The Van Buren on ‘Return of the Robot’ Tour
June 22, 2025 • by Phyoe Thaung
Even before the first note hit, the sold-out crowd at The Van Buren already felt like part of the show. Sacramento-based Dance Gavin Dance’s Return of the Robot tour made its Phoenix stop on a sweltering Thursday night, and inside the venue, the energy was immediate and tightly wound—longtime fans shoulder to shoulder, ready for a set that promised both technical precision and absolute unpredictability.
They launched into “Speed Demon” without hesitation: Matthew Mingus locking in the drums with machine-tight precision, and the signature vocal back-and-forth between unclean vocalist Jon Mess and clean vocalist Andrew Wells crashing over the top. “War Machine” followed, only raising the stakes—syncopated grooves collided with shouted hooks, and the crowd was fully locked in.
The night leaned deep into DGD’s stranger terrain. “The Robot With Human Hair Pt. 2½” and “Midnight at McGuffy’s” didn’t so much flow as combust—funk, post-hardcore, prog, and pure chaos trading places every few measures. Somehow, it all landed.
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“Need Money” and “Straight From the Heart” found the room grooving rather than moshing, bodies moving with the rhythm instead of against it. The band kept banter to a minimum, letting the seamless setlist transitions and tight performances carry the momentum forward.
“Blue Dream” and “The Backwards Pumpkin Song” pulled the loudest crowd response yet, with fans shouting every word. “The Robot With Human Hair Pt. 3” kept the floor in motion, with Will Swan’s sharp guitar work cutting through the sonic mayhem like a live wire.
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They ended the main set with “Burning Down the Nicotine Armoire,” a full-tilt closer that blurred melody and math-rock mechanics until the crowd was left in a daze. The lights dropped, but the room stayed boiling.
For the encore, “All the Way Down” brought a moment of reset before Brian Butcher of The Home Team jumped in on “Uneasy Hearts Weigh the Most.” His vocals locked in tightly with Wells’s, a standout blend that earned its eruption of cheers.
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The band closed with “The Ghost of Billy Royalton,” a tribute to late bassist Tim Feerick that quieted the noise for a few poignant minutes. There were no dramatics—just a steady, focused performance that carried its own weight.
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Dance Gavin Dance didn’t just run through a checklist of fan favorites. They showed up, stretched out, and delivered a set that was as unhinged as it was locked-in. In a scene full of copycats, they’re still writing their own rules—and breaking them in real time.