Flamingos in the Tree is an indie pop rock band from “the Biggest Little City in the World,” Reno, Nevada. The band’s tour started on Aug. 24, and features its new sophomore album, which was released on Aug. 16. The group’s Phoenix stop took place at The Rebel Lounge on Sept. 8.

With early influence from The Beatles, Boy Pablo and Her’s, Flamingos in the Tree has a unique mix of classic rock influence transitioning into newer soft pop sounds. Each song has noticeable inspirations with a sound distinct from other bands and raw lyrics. The band’s music is like a coming-of-age version of its well-known influences.

Flamingos in the Tree was formed in 2020 during the band members’ time at University of Nevada, Reno. They are returning back home for the next two stops of their tour, performing two shows at The Holland Project on Sept. 14 and 15.

“There’s a lot of emotions [going into these shows]. There’s so much about the culture of Reno; it reminds me of when we were growing up as a band. And the scene in general, it’s a little bit nostalgic going back. It’s a little bit scary in a way,” lead singer and guitarist Daniel Escovar said.

Growing popularity as a band coincides with appreciation among fans in Reno.

“It's super cool being recognized,” drummer Jarvis Humlick said, “It’s like yeah, we’re playing two nights at the home venue, but at the same time it’s like the city didn't really accept us that much until we were bigger so it’s kinda a double sided coin.”

Going back to their home venue is still a very exciting time for the band members.

“The people are great, the fans are great, so that's all we could ask for,” Humlick said.

Ryan Mack, a longtime fan of Flamingos in the Tree, has been listening to the band for two years. Showing his dedication, he sat outside of the venue for about three hours waiting for doors to open.

“My favorite song is probably…‘Toes’ or ‘Sarah Tonin’ is just a really good one. It's one of their most popular ones, but I really liked those ones. And ‘Mulholland Drive,’ their new single,” Mack said.

He was early enough to snag a picture with the band outside of the venue during soundcheck, and to secure the front row of the barricade, which was right in front of the lead singer for all three bands performing.

“I'm just really excited for the show, and I've been waiting for this for a long time,” Mack said.

To start the night, Slug Bug, a local band from Tempe, Arizona, brought an electric performance to the Rebel Lounge for fans. This is not the band’s first time playing at this venue.

“It definitely gets easier,” lead singer and guitarist, Wyatt Hjerpe, described how he deals with pre-show nerves, “The thing that helps me is just being up there with the bandmates, the friends, and everybody. It makes it more comfortable.”  

The band had a fantastic stage presence throughout the night, playing songs exclusively performed live.

“We have been recording some cool stuff. We’re working on it and it will be out soon,” Hjerpe said.

Not every performance is perfect however. Hjerpe’s guitar string broke shortly after the set started, and he finished the set using Flamingos in the Trees’ Spencer Thomas’ guitar. Thanks to the fast recovery that did not interrupt the band’s flow, it was a dynamic performance from the up-and-coming band.

Blue Rain Boots, a soft rock indie band based in Salt Lake City, Utah, followed the performance from Slug Bug. They played many songs from their new album, The Grand Idea, released in May, presenting an alternate mellow sound to some of the singles they have released in previous years.

Blue Rain Boots featured their single, “Oh My God You Are Fine,” a fan favorite released in 2018 that brought them popularity as a band. They brought a lot of energy to the crowd, getting excitement flowing for Flamingos in the Tree.

Headliner Flamingos in the Tree came on stage shortly after their set. The band’s setlist included many songs from “as it falls into place” with a few big hits from their first album, “sunsets that i had w u.” One big hit from that album was “Take Me by the Hand,” their most famous song, with 9.6 million Spotify streams that reached several millions of views on social media platforms.

The performance was exhilarating. Fans in the audience danced to all of their songs and sang along. Each band member played off the fans’ energy, creating a thrilling environment. Their passion for music shined through the performance, and together they had amazing stage chemistry.

During the set, guitarist Thomas switched between playing his guitar and keyboard.

Although the fans were small in numbers, they had an incredible amount of energy.

“C’mon you can be louder than Texas,” Escovar said. He compared their previous show in Houston, Texas, to the Phoenix crowd. He exclaimed, “There’s a really good energy in here tonight.”

During “Take Me by the Hand,” Escovar engaged the fans and asked the crowd to crouch down and jump up as the song reached its chorus.

The performances by all three bands were outstanding and a consistent high energy was linear throughout the night.

Check out Flamingos in the Tree’s new album, “as it falls into place,” and expect some new tunes from Slug Bug and Blue Rain Boots down the line.