For its third consecutive year, Dreamy Draw Music Festival transformed Scottsdale Civic Center into a wild-west-inspired haven for folk and indie fans. The 2025 edition was headlined by The Lumineers (Friday, November 7) and Vampire Weekend (Saturday, November 8). While The Lumineers fit the festival’s folk-forward tradition, Vampire Weekend’s appearance underscored promoters Oh Wow Presents and Scottsdale Arts’ goal to broaden Dreamy Draw’s palette—blending in punk, soul, and alternative influences alongside rootsier sounds.
Four stages were scattered across the park, each offering its own sonic personality. Arizona favorites like Bummer Girl and Izzy Mahoubi brought local flavor to the Poncho Stage, while the Stampede Stage leaned alternative with sets from Richy Mitch and the Coal Miners and Hovvdy. Even electronic music had its spotlight, with Chromeo and Barrett keeping Saturday night crowds dancing well past sundown.
This year also marked the debut of the Bronco Stage at Scottsdale Stadium, newly converted by Scottsdale Arts into an open-air amphitheater complete with jumbotrons and a VIP section. While the lawn offered plenty of space, the lack of elevated seating made dinner a balancing act for some Saturday attendees—especially after the previous night’s spilled drinks left the grass still damp.
Festival Highlights
The Lumineers
The Lumineers christened the Bronco Stage’s catwalk, using every inch of it during their rousing 90-minute headlining set. Radio staples like “Ophelia” and “Ho Hey” became communal singalongs under the stars. Founders Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites dedicated “You’re All I Got” to Jeremiah’s mother, Cathy, who was in attendance. The band also debuted songs from their upcoming album Automatic (2025), which were warmly embraced by the crowd as if they were longtime favorites.
Thee Sacred Souls
Though best known for their viral hit “Can I Call You Rose?,” Thee Sacred Souls showcased a much broader range of soulful, Latin-inflected sound. Their lush performance—with backup singers, a horn section, and an undeniable groove—stood out as one of the weekend’s most musically rich moments. Frontman Josh Lane’s charisma was magnetic: he sat on an amp for an intimate take on “Easier Said Than Done,” then jumped offstage to dance among the crowd during “We Don’t Have to Be Alone.”
The Marcus King Band
South Carolina’s Marcus King Band brought a blast of southern rock swagger to the Stampede Stage. With his gravelly voice and fiery guitar work, King drew comparisons to the likes of Creedence Clearwater Revival and Waylon Jennings. Donning a towering cowboy hat, he joked mid-set, “If you’re trying to figure out what kind of band we are, well, we’re still trying to figure that out too.” The group balanced gritty rockers like “Here Today” with tender moments on “Beautiful Stranger.”
Houndmouth
Houndmouth’s blend of bluesy guitar tones and laid-back indie charm made their set one of the most fun of the weekend. Songs like “My Cousin Greg,” “McKenzie,” and “Gasoline” came wrapped in the band’s characteristic looseness and humor. While not the tightest performance technically, their joy in playing together was undeniable—and infectious.
ASHE
ASHE, now collaborating with FINNEAS in the new duo The Favors, delivered a solo set that reaffirmed her place as one of indie pop’s defining voices. She performed “The Little Mess You Made” and “Angry Woman” with emotional precision and theatrical flair, barefoot and spinning across the stage. Her closer, “Moral of the Story,” shimmered with lush harmonies and perfectly captured her trademark mix of heartbreak and resilience.
Father John Misty
Ever the wry storyteller, Father John Misty balanced wit and melancholy in a set that ranged from the sardonic “The Night Josh Tillman Came to Our Apt.” to the tender “Mental Health.” Known for his self-aware humor, he quipped early on about the empty seats before gates opened: “I was looking forward to the ego death of playing for no one.” His finale, “Mahashmashana,” soared with saxophone and violin, a fittingly dramatic close to his set.
Local Natives
Nearly missing their slot due to flight issues, Local Natives made a triumphant arrival by driving overnight in their old tour van, “Old Blue.” “We were supposed to sell it this week,” frontman Taylor Rice told the crowd, “but we looked at it and thought, ‘One more ride?’” They dedicated their performance of “I Saw You Close Your Eyes” to the trusty vehicle, and opened with the wistful “Past Lives,” setting a heartfelt tone.
Vampire Weekend
Saturday night closed with Vampire Weekend’s genre-bending, high-energy spectacle. The band delivered an electrifying set packed with dynamic lighting, surreal visuals, and even an interpretive dancer in a green loincloth. New songs from Only God Was Above Us (2024), including “Connect,” blended seamlessly with classics like “Unbelievers” and “A-Punk,” the latter sending the crowd into a frenzy. They wrapped with a euphoric “Walcott,” leaving fans buzzing as the desert night settled over another unforgettable Dreamy Draw.
Photos by Becca Greenberg
