Many years ago, The Format took a break. There were a lot of good times that I had when I could hang with them. It was great to see my friends being successful and doing amazing things. I met a lot of really great people through them. In 2020, they scheduled a reunion including an acoustic show in Phoenix to kick things off. Covid squashed all of that. They announced the reunion again a few months ago. Things held up this time and they were able to get things kicked off.
I hit up Mark about a week early to see what the plans were. He was in for rehearsals and I was really hoping to hang for a bit with him. The last time I saw him was about 5 years earlier at his house. We kept in contact all week, but being able to hang would not be in the cards. I had taken Friday off as well. I needed another break from work and wanted to come to the show relaxed and ready to hang.
It was raining a lot in Phoenix over the previous few days. It was nice as it felt a little gloomy. I spent Saturday morning sleeping in a bit. I headed out to get a massage as my back was in bad shape. I really needed it. I then headed out to get downtown. I made a few stops along the way to grab some of the new Spider-Man Magic The Gathering cards. I got parked and made my way into the State Fair. I was meeting my friend Adrienne for the show. I'd had some other plans that cancelled last minute. I hit her up and she was down to catch the show. We met up and started walking around.
Along the way, it was confirmed that Nate and Nick were there. We all linked up and started milling around. Looking north, you could see a bad storm coming in. It did not take long to get there and it hit hard. We scrambled to find a building to hide out in for a while. We spent about 25 minutes sheltering before things died off. We got back to checking out the fair, grabbing some food, and enjoying the time before the show. We decided to get in and get settled. Nate and Nick parted ways and Adrienne and I got settled in our seats.
It was not long until the band hit the stage. The lineup was a little different that it has been in the past but the show was great. They came out to Tie The Rope and jumped right into it. They ended up ripping through about 18 songs in total. Halfway through the set, they introduced a new song which the crowd was very excited for. For the encore, they headed off and came back in custom jerseys with their names. They finished the show out including another new song. Everything sounded really great and tight. I loved seeing Mark on stage and doing his thing. I am very happy that he's out doing this.
The show closed and I headed out. Adrienne left and I hung around for a while. I heard from Rachel earlier and ended up meeting up with her and her friend for a bit. We caught up a little bit while the crowds clamored for a ride on the Ferris Wheel. We parted ways and I decided to take a final lap of the fair before heading out. On the way, I ran into Cory and Amanda who were there for the show as well. It was great to see them.
I am happy that I got to see a great show and for Mark to be onstage again. I am thankful for the hookup from him. I am glad that I got to see so many other friends throughout the night. I am excited to see where this goes and when I may be able to see them again.
