On March 7, amidst a heavy downpour of much-needed Phoenix rain, energy buzzed in Steele Indian School Park. Phoenicians were hungry for this rain after a long, lonely stretch of sunlight and dryness, but they were hungry for something else: good music. At M3F Fest, surrounded by heavy crowds, it was very much alive.
The festival included an eclectic mix of indie-adjacent musicians. Indie staples LCD Soundsystem and Alvvays were the headliners, and smaller bands were able to shine before the headliners' debut.
Slow Pulp brought the energy with a shoegaze-dressed indie rock set for chiller audience members. The layered instrumentals and the colorful setup created a peaceful buzz in the heart of the festival's chaos.
Singer Ricky Montgomery was applauded by his fanbase during his set, especially with his classic song "Line Without a Hook."
The range of interactive activities available at M3F extends beyond the main stage.
The festival featured markets with homemade or secondhand goods, like Picker's Playground, a secondhand pop-up with records, video games, tapes, and a plethora of vintage clothing. A mini Cobra Arcade with real arcade games featured an interactive structure where guests could add their own graffiti and be surrounded by their art.
Headliner Alvvays released their original album in 2014 and became an instant sensation among college kids. About ten years later, this cohort is staying strong — The energy within Alvvays' crowd was vibrant and nothing short of contagious. The band maintains a cool-girl persona but still matched the crowd's eager enthusiasm.
M3F's other headliner, LCD Soundsystem, is fronted by James Murphy, whose music fuses an eclectic mix of punk and dance music with dry and smart undertones. His music guided the Indie Sleaze movement, a staple in the often hedonistic and grimy post-recession era of the late 2000s that celebrated youth culture and the complicated art of not caring.
"Raining definitely made for a unique experience," said Tristan Quintana, an LCD Soundsystem and Alvvays fan who came all the way from New Mexico for the experience. "And then the ethereal nature of LCD Soundsystem and their music really just creates for a unique experience, something that you definitely don't expect in Phoenix."
Murphy's music serves as an influence for a surge of other bands who have found their way to the reemerging scene as history and pop culture subtly repeat themselves again in 2025 — and it has helped younger audience members to feel seen among the endless struggles of growing up.
"I was up on the Walter Bus for most of it, and I got to oversee the crowd and different vibe pockets that were throughout it," said Rae Burton, an attendee of M3F. "It was fun, it was cool looking out at the crowd and seeing everybody dance in different ways and interact with each other ... I feel like (the concert) brought them together."
M3F served as a reminder of how important music is to bonding communities even through the most difficult and confusing times -- and it's something fans say the Phoenix area needs more of.
"There's just not enough of this in Phoenix," Burton said.
Edited by Andrew Dirst, Sophia Ramirez and Natalia Jarrett.
Reach the reporter at ebmosier@asu.edu and follow @eleribmosier on X.
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Eleri is a senior studying interdisciplinary studies, english and sociology. This is her third semester with The State Press. She has also worked in retail.
