Photographer: Sarah

It’s no surprise that 191 Toole, a favorite venue for intimate performances among locals and artists alike, was one of just eight stops on DIIV's Southwest U.S. tour. Everyone in attendance, including the venue staff, knew how lucky they were to experience the band’s show in Tucson, AZ on May 1st.

If you're at all familiar with shoegaze as a genre, you know the bands that fall into that category typically bring a low-energy, heads-down-and-sway atmosphere. DIIV, however, alongside their perfectly selected opening act Draag, blended their shoegaze-centric sound with elements that gave the music a distinct danceability. Together, the bands delivered beautifully layered music to a crowd with the perfect energy to receive it.

The attention to detail with DIIV doesn't stop with just their songs. The entire performance exhibited subtle commentary on late-stage capitalism and societal collapse, woven into the performance both visually and sonically,

photos by Sarah