Scottsdale Civic Center’s grassy landscape provided plenty of room for Dreamy Draw’s third annual Southwestern-themed festival to spread out, allowing for plenty of facilities, food options and seating areas. Vendors included a permanent jewelry station from Permanent Jewelry Club and a Zyn nicotine installation.

When audiences enter the festival grounds, they’re immediately greeted by one of Dreamy Draw’s smaller stages and a plethora of dining choices. From loaded Korean BBQ fries to street tacos, attendees had plenty of options,  including plant-based and gluten free options, as well.

The magic of Dreamy Draw is, of course, when the music begins. The stages were spread out in a way that allowed attendees to quickly and safely travel from performer to performer, but there was ample space between stages so the sound of each act didn’t carry. 

Day One

Bummer Girl, a local Scottsdale psychedelic rock band, drew an impressive audience at the Poncho stage in the mid-afternoon heat on Friday. With the stage’s close proximity to many of the food vendors, fans of the local band sat on the Poncho lawn and enjoyed cocktails and snacks. After their set, the crowd traveled across the Civic Center grounds to see the other performers.

Richy Mitch and the Coal Miners began the evening portion of Friday’s set with an indie-themed bang, performing hits such as “Signal Sender,” “Lake Missoula,” and “Evergreen.” 

Performing on the Stampede stage, the festival’s second largest, the band was able to project their intimate sound to a new level of power. The fans for this set were heavily engaged with the energy of the band’s musical output. A rousing cheer erupted from the pit when lead singer Mitch Cutts encouraged his captive audience to donate to their local food banks in the wake of the nation’s SNAP benefits being suspended. 

Fans then flocked  to the Bronco Stage, the event’s largest stage, for Thee Sacred Souls. Josh Lane, lead vocalist, strutted across the massive stage with ease, crooning their hits such as “Can I Call You Rose?” and “Love Comes Easy”. 

Lane encouraged his audience to embrace interpersonal love, saying that being “shoulder to shoulder” with fellow man can create a sense of unity in a divided world. 

The final act of night one of Dreamy Draw was The Lumineers, who have performed countless times in Arizona. The band is well-versed in performance art, leading the crowd through an impressive 18-song set. “Ho Hey,” “Ophelia” and “Cleopatra” made classic appearances on the setlist. 

Day Two

For the second and final day of the festival, an arguably larger crowd gathered at Scottsdale Civic Center. 

Ashe began her performance of feminist-inspired pop music as the sun began to set on Saturday, cheerily flipping the Bronco stage audience off as she threw her high heels to the side of the stage. She sounded just like her records, a stunning feat. “Another Man’s Jeans” and “Angry Woman” were audience favorites, rousing cheers while every barricaded audience member danced in the grassy field.

Once Ashe finished her set, the crowd gathered at the Stampede stage to watch the indie-funk rock outfit Saint Motel. The band opened with “Move” which is the opening track from 2016’s “saintmotelevision.”The crowd was representative of the band’s history, with fans of all ages in both the GA and VIP sections. Lead singer A.J. Jackson jumped around the colorfully-lit stage, ending their set with what is perhaps their most popular song, “My Type.” 

Father John Misty drew the festival’s crowd back to the Bronco stage to perform what was one of the best sets of the festival, opening with “I Guess Time Just Makes Fools of Us All”. The crowd was enraptured by Josh Tillman’s frank lyricism and sardonic humor. “Nancy From Now On” and “She Cleans Up” were two of the most-filmed songs of the set, reflecting the sheer popularity of Tillman’s music. 

“How many of you were here before the show?” Tillman asked, as the audience cheered in response. “I know all of you are lying, because 20 minutes before the set, there was nobody here.”

Tillman ended the set with “Mahashmashana,” the title track from his 2024 album of the same name. The crowd applauded for him for multiple minutes after his stunning multi-piece band set. 

Vampire Weekend ended the festival with “Mansard Roof” as their opening song. The visuals during the band’s performance were stunning and colorful, specially tailored to the lyrics and energy of each of the 20 tracks they performed. “Holiday,” “A-Punk” and “Campus” were standouts from their set, rousing cheers of joy from the massive audience. 

Most of the songs the band played were from “Only God Was Above Us,” their most recent album (released in 2024). The latter half of the set was more energetic, as they played their classic hits from “Contra” and their self-titled album. 

Overall, Dreamy Draw was a smash hit, bigger than before and stronger than ever. The festival drew everyone from college students to retirees and families with young children. 

For more information about the festival, visit their website.