going out. “Maybe in today’s age, budgets are tight,” says Brejtfus. “I think that’s why we try to be very conscious of our ticket price. It’s been a ticket price plus tax. And we feel it’s pretty reasonable. That was maybe the one thing that we did that we’re like, ‘Hey, let’s try and get as many people in to expe- rience the event this first year back so that we can continue to do this and show people what we’re doing.’” The bands/artists, too, are thinking about change and how this revitalized VIVA might better serve their careers and their engagement with fans. For Zawisa and Breakup Shoes, who’ve gained a more robust national profile in recent years, a gig like VIVA is a chance to further evaluate the future. “The stage design stuff, or just how we want to present ourselves overall, is intimi- dating,” says Zawisa. “Some people have really strong instincts on what they want to look like, or how they want to publicly present themselves. And then I’ve always tried, with our music, to be extremely vulnerable and true to myself, which gets a little weird when (you’re) trying to have a public persona. It’s challenging and some- thing that I spend a lot of time worrying about.” Pfeffer and Playboy Manbaby find themselves in similar territory. “In 2017, we were a local band,” says Pfeffer. “We did tours, but we were playing in people’s basements. We’re not going to be the Foo Fighters anytime soon, but the majority of the shows we play, and the majority of the people who like us, are outside of Arizona. Now, instead of just playing 15 shows a year in Arizona, we’re playing one or two. So they have to mean something.” In a greater sense, singer Veronica Everheart, who’s also booked various events/shows at Crescent Ballroom, thinks that awareness goes deeper still. Namely, that the talent plays a much larger role in getting people engaged, especially in a big fest like this that encourages so much wandering/discovery. “When people get booked, they think, ‘Well, I’m playing at this venue, so they should be bringing all these people in,’” says Everheart. “But in actuality, it’s this symbi- otic relationship. From an artist’s perspec- tive, these people are putting so much time and effort into making this event happen, and it should be your responsibility to make it successful as well.” It’s a point furthered by Jemsek of Dogbreth. Opportunities are one thing, but it’s got to be about something true and organic. “I want to represent myself as an artist and the band as the collective of musicians as best as we can,” says Jemsek. “If something happens from a certain performance, I want it to be reflective of who we are as artists. If it’s going to happen, I want it to be because people are digging what we’re doing.” Perhaps the responses and ideas of the artists hit at something that’s central to VIVA: They want to be the right kind of local-centric fest. Baquet says that 50 percent of the lineup is local bands, adding that they “built the lineup around what we’re seeing already in the scene in Phoenix.” While all of that’s impressive, not everyone is completely satisfied. “I will say I have a critique,” says Louise. “I’ve worked with and for several promoters in the Valley, and I know festi- vals like this are a massive undertaking, but we want more local Phoenix bands opening!” Clearly the local-centric approach is massively important. These artists recog- nize that this emphasis and approach to booking is the only way to truly embrace the Valley’s multifaceted identity. “There’s a lot of bands from here on the lineup,” says Pfeffer. “Like, a lot of really cool bands and all that sort of thing. But that mix, that hodge-podge, I would say that really is Phoenix. That’s what it should be.” They also know that some of the city’s other big-time events/fests haven’t always maintained the best track record. “If you didn’t have the local component for the talent, that’d be very bizarre,” says Everheart. “A lot of festivals don’t do that here, which is interesting because we’re small enough for them to do that, right?” Brejtfus says that for VIVA PHX, Arizona artists are “a focus and not just filling space. There’s a lot of great local acts here that we want to highlight, and, really, VIVA is an idea, and I know (Baquet) agrees, that we would like to bring to the city and grow with the city.” Further echoing some of those points, Brejtfus recognizes that putting on a fest takes much more than good intentions. “I don’t think it’s market-specific. Festivals are a difficult business,” he says. “If you look even around this year, there’s been a number of festival cancellations. They’re complicated to build, they’re expensive and you’ve got to count on people to buy tickets. That’s the biggest factor that comes to festivals disappearing after a year or two years.” Even still, there’s little denying that for smaller bands, like Dogbreth among others, that local focus is vital — even with one important caveat. “I focus on just representing myself and what we’re doing as best we can, and not everyone is going to resonate with what you do, no matter what you do,” says Jemsek. “And if you’re trying to resonate with everyone, you’re not being authentic to yourself. So, we’re not going to be for everyone, but we are for some.” It’s a notion that Zawisa is also familiar with: Playing VIVA isn’t going to make or break you, but it can sure help. “I don’t know that it’s really A large crowd during Viva PHX 2016. (Photo by Melissa Fossum) Sir Mix-A-Lot in the crowd at VIVA PHX 2014. (Photo by Jim Louvau) Breakup Shoes are set to appear at VIVA PHX 2024. (Photo byNeil Schwartz Photography) Downtown Sound from p 18 >> p 22