I've been on a 2010's music kick for the last month, so it was extremely fitting that I got to see Icon for Hire live for the first time this week. Supported by Lauren Babic and Paper Foxes, The Rosetta Room in Mesa, Arizona, bloomed with the sweet sounds of nostalgic teenage angst in the form of heavy guitars, ass-kicking drums, f-bombs, and, of course, the color pink.
Paper Foxes started us off with a heavy dose of vampy, brooding tunes that brought me back to the times when a young me laid in bed hopelessly yearning for someone who didn't know I existed. I'm always on the hunt for local bands to dive into, so it's a treat when artists bring in local supporting acts I'm not familiar with. If you're into Depeche Mode and The Cure, you'll love Paper Foxes. It hits all the marks of that iconic post-punk, gothic synth-pop sound of the 80's new wave era.
Sufficiently thirsty for blood, we cheered Lauren Babic to the stage next. I was pumped for some badass frontwoman energy. I discovered Lauren on TikTok (this seems to be a theme in my reviews... endless doom scrolling has its perks, okay?), and my first impression of her was her incredible cover of Linkin Park's "Given Up." Yeah. Blown away, deceased, in my grave. Her scream vocals are so clean – and anyone who does justice to Chester Bennington's memory is going to earn my immediate respect. But then in complete contrast, she belts out in this angelic, velvety singing voice. I was instantly enamored. I later learned that Lauren is the frontwoman for Red Handed Denial, a Canadian metalcore band from Toronto. They've since joined my playlists in heavy rotation.
If you get an opportunity to hear Lauren Babic live, go. She played a couple of unreleased tracks I heard about prior to the show and was super excited to hear "Bloodbath" and "No New Friends." Two heavy-hitting songs I hope to see on a debut full-length solo album sometime soon. Lauren got the crowd involved for “Bloodbath” and had us chanting “1, 2, BLOODBATH!” with her. Her commanding stage presence felt natural and was fun to watch. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love Lauren's metal covers of popular pop songs, but her songwriting and musical personality in her solo originals are unmatched. I've had her single "Why?" on repeat since its release in August, so that one was a clear favorite for me as she closed out her set. As drummer Richie Martinez exited the stage, he tossed a drumstick to the person behind me, who then screamed and jumped with their friends in celebration.
"Gather around, mortals. This is my city. This is my stage. And the characters you are about to meet are nothing but pawns..."
Icon for Hire opened their set with a storybook-style narration, complete with an old-timey backtrack and a narrator who told a humorous, sarcastic tale of how the band came to be and what led them here. I appreciated the snubs to the record label they initially signed with for the release of their debut album, "Scripted." It was fitting, knowing that they named their band in a similar vein—a satirical commentary on the state of the music industry. 15 years later (God, I'm getting old), we celebrated the anniversary of the debut album and relished in memories of the MySpace days as now-adults. There was a good mix of younger audience members too, though, which made my millennial heart glow. The kids are alright.
The set list was packed mainly with songs off of "Scripted," with some others from the second album, "Icon for Hire," and a few from the newer albums. Just before starting "Pulse," Ariel paused and addressed the crowd with a serious tone. She and Shawn did a literal pulse check on the audience to make sure everyone was feeling alright — which I didn't question since that's a pretty standard thing for artists to do — but then they shared that someone at a recent show had to be resuscitated during that song. (They're okay now, thankfully!) They gave everyone a moment to do a quick self-analysis and encouraged anyone who wasn't feeling well to step to the back for medical attention if needed. I did actually see one young crowd member make their way to the back. Hopefully they're feeling better now. This is one of the reasons I love Icon for Hire – they put their fans first and genuinely care about them.
If you haven't heard Icon for Hire's music but you're a fan of Paramore, Flyleaf, and Halestorm, you have some homework. Frontwoman Ariel Bloomer's powerhouse vocals paired with her husband Shawn Jump's heavy guitar riffs are a blissful blend of pop punk and alternative metal with sprinkles of hip hop and rap rock. I'd seen some online concern about Ariel's voice at recent shows, but she sounded perfect in Phoenix. She's masterful at commanding attention from the crowd and keeps it lighthearted and upbeat. And her kickass all-pink outfit and tiara had me rethinking my mostly black wardrobe.
If you're due for a dose of nostalgia and want to celebrate Icon for Hire's 15th anniversary of "Scripted," there are only a few shows left in this tour, so snag a ticket if they're coming to your area. As for me, I'm off to do some online shopping for hot pink cargo pants.
