Review: The Format Resurrects at Hollywood Forever Cemetery
REVIEW
REVIEW
☆ BY JOEY POVINELLI ☆
IS A BAND EVER REALLY BROKEN UP? No matter how many years pass after the last release, if one person is singing along in 100-degree heat with the windows down. What does “indefinite hiatus,” even mean? For acolytes of The Format, they never went away.
It’s hard to explain The Format’s impact without going back to their come-up in Phoenix. At the time, Phoenix was a bit of a cultural wasteland, with a strong, community-driven underground, but very few acts broke through the surface. To listen to The Format is to be taken back to class, where the girl you thought was cute is showing you their first record (Interventions and Lullabies), and told you to gatekeep it because if too many people got onto them, they would be uncool. Once their second, and final pre-hiatus album, Dog Problems came out, there was no secret keeping as a whisper in the halls grew a shout, and by the end of eighth grade, going to their shows became just about the sickest thing you could do.
And just like that, it was over. Sure, there was Nate Reuss’ next band, fun., which put him on a national map that felt unbelievable yet well-earned, but The Format endured, and their decades-spanning absence only grew the myth. So how do the boys sound with the distance of years, hit singles, and Eminem features between them? Can Nate Reuss and Sam Means still recapture the magic of two best friends from Arizona?
In 2025, the boys put that to the test with a series of shows (including a performance at the Arizona State Fair), culminating at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Everything has changed, and consequently, this didn’t feel like a legacy act playing the hits. It’s a new chapter with the band sounding dialed in and vital. Nothing can evidence that this a true comeback further, than the performance of the new album single, “Holy Roller.” They’re playing like their life depends on it and clearly loving ever second. This isn’t the sound of a band about to fade back into the sunset.
Both studio albums were beautifully rendered in Reuss’ impeccable, almost Broadway-level voice. It’s hard to get into the highlights without just listing the entire setlist… Means and Reuss beautifully harmonized on an acoustic version of “Snails,” with a backup assist from the entire audience. “Dog Problems,” arguably the band's highest achievement, was vibrantly brought to life. It’s hard to get into the highlights without listing the entire setlist but Interventions and Lulabies’ cuts, “Tune Out” and “Give It Up,” were special. Reuss embodied nonstop energy, using the entire length of the stage, while Same contrasted as steady, holding it down from behind his keys and guitar. Reuss addressed the crowd a few times, clearly humbled by the audience of living and dead, including David Lynch, Johnny Ramone, and Charlie Chaplin. The encore included classic cuts like “On Your Porch,” “The First Single,” “A Save Situation,” and the debut live performance of their upcoming album's title track, “Boycott Heaven.”
Reuss told the audience he was retired and isn’t cut out for this, but it’s hard to believe him. Attendees at Hollywood Forever Cemetery witnessed born showmen doing what they're made to. The tour is over, but The Format is forever.
