M3F Festival made its annual return to Steele Indian School Park last weekend, bringing the Valley together for two days of music and community. PHOENIX magazine was on-site to bring you through the festival’s incredible first day, moment by moment.
Photos by Brian Mecinas
Local indie rock band Right Rosemary brought its mellow stylings to the Valley Stage on Day 1 of M3F. The dark clouds and constant downpour that marked the first few hours of the festival did not stop the youthful sextet from shining. Year after year, the inclusion of local talent from around the Valley is a cornerstone of the reputation that M3F has built.
Early on in the day, temperatures were already dropping as even the feathered residents of Steele Indian School Park curled up in an attempt to stay warm.
Some attendees were determined to get the best view of the main Vista Stage, rain or shine. The roof of Walter the Bus, an installment by Walter Productions, was a popular elevated vantage point.
Keeping the indie rock streak going, Summer Salt brought a vibrant beachside vibe to the crowd of attendees who braved the mud to get as close as they could to the main stage.
Norwegian trio Orions Belte worked hard to bring smiles to the audience that had gathered at the Daydream Stage, utilizing the screen behind them to display lush landscapes that completed the experience.
A smiling couple pushes through the cold as Orions Belte performs.
The guitarist and bassist of Orions Belte take a moment to tune their instruments in between songs.
Fans eagerly await Ricky Montgomery’s set on the Vista Stage. For the first half of Day 1, the sections of the GA standing area closest to the barricade were closed off due to excess mud.
As festival security made the decision to allow fans to enter the previously closed off area, dozens of young fans made a frantic sprint to secure their spots next to the barricade.
A fan poses for the swarm of photographers that were capturing crowd portraits.
A group of friends patiently wait for technical issues to be resolved so that the next act could take the stage.
Due to unforeseen technical issues on the festival end, Ricky Montgomery’s one-hour set was cut short by nearly 50 minutes. The 31-year-old pop singer-songwriter apologized to his fans and encouraged them to yell out song suggestions, as he would only be performing two songs with the little time that remained. Montgomery performed his 2016 hit song “Mr Loverman” for a cheering crowd. Among the acts that had taken the stage so far that day, this was the first where fans were noticeably singing along to every word. At the end of his set, he briefly came down from the stage to greet fans and thank them for their support.
The cloudy atmosphere stuck around as the sun set, though this only highlighted the incredible light display put on by Slow Pulp during their set at the Daydream Stage. The bright vocals of the Midwest indie-rock outfit’s lead singer drew a growing crowd to the stage. Over the course of its hour-long set, the band kept a tight grip over the crowd and put on one of the best performances of Day 1 overall.
Indie pop heavy hitters Alvvays brought their ethereal sounds to the Vista Stage as the penultimate act on the festival’s main platform. The light drizzle that continued falling down onto the festival grounds was nearly unnoticeable next to the vast, glimmering presence that the band’s upbeat setlist maintained onstage for the entirety of the performance.
Indie icons LCD Soundsystem brought the night to a close, drawing in the largest crowd of the day for their heavy-hitting setlist. Photo by Kyle Dehn/courtesy M3F.
