A long-awaited return, a dreamy opener, and a setlist that did not miss

Some shows are just shows. This one felt like a holiday.

Aries has not toured in years. He released a new album after another long stretch of quiet. For those of us who have been living with Welcome Home and Believe in Me, Who Believes in You for years, this return felt overdue. I treated it accordingly – star graphic eyeliner, bracelets themed to his songs to hand out to other fans, Aries t-shirt and hoodie. 

I know. The whole “Eras” style concert culture can feel corny. I have rolled my eyes at it before, but there I was – fully participating. If that sounds like a contradiction, fine. I was excited. I leaned in.

I bought Vertigo Lounge tickets so I could get in early, grab merch, and secure a barrier spot because I knew I would be working. When I went to the box office to grab my media pass, my name was not on the list. Anxiety instantly high. I ended up contacting Aries’ manager, Olly, to get it sorted out. Between him and the tour videographer, Colton, my media pass was at the box office within 15 minutes. To their credit, The Fillmore staff were extremely helpful and accommodating the entire time. Calm. Professional. Patient while everything got fixed. 

The snafu was resolved and I got inside, but my nerves were already so Zack Villere the perfect opener.

Zach Villere Sets the Tone

Zach Villere’s sound does not sit neatly in one genre. It leans indie R&B, drifts into lo-fi, and carries soft, jazzy textures that feel weightless, slow and dreamy. 

The band matched that energy. Low key, but exactly what the music called for. Not boring, but restrained in a way that worked for their vibe. Alfredo, the diosynth player, was killing it. Clear, emotional runs that cut straight through the room.

The piano player looked like he was wearing 3D glasses, which somehow fit the slightly surreal vibe. There were space-like sound effects layered throughout, and at one point it genuinely sounded like someone was blowing into the mic as part of the atmosphere. I dug it. 

At one point Zach told us his mom and Aunt Ellen were somewhere in the crowd. Without being asked, the house lights come up. I don’t think he did spot his family, but the nod to them was sweet. 

“Ooey Gooey” stood out immediately. It was about love and exactly what the title promises. Soft, warm, almost sticky sweet without tipping into cheesy. The setlist moved through tracks like “Searching For The Yeti,” “On Your Way Home,” and “Gravity Falls,” building that immersive, floaty mood. 

Thank God for that set because my anxiety walking in was high, and that slow, dreamy performance genuinely leveled me out.

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Between Zach and Aries, I snuck over to the merch area and met Guldo (a longtime friend of Aries) and chatted a bit while he rang me up. Word had already traveled about the list mix-up because he asked if I was the one talking to Olly earlier. Yep. That was me. Props to Guldo for being so chill and personable. A+ merch man. 

I returned to the stage area and then the lights dimmed.

Aries Delivers, Start to Finish

Aries walked out solo and immediately took control of the room. “IN THE FLESH” immediately followed a spoken word build-up and red flashing lights before he stormed through the stage curtains. 

Mirrors were positioned to catch and bounce beams of light back into the crowd and at times, onto Aries. At certain angles, the reflections were almost blinding. Sometimes a single spotlight would hit the stone arch and illuminate the bird mask, isolating it in a dramatic glow.

I will be honest. I missed the video visuals from his last tour. They added a cinematic layer that I loved and featured a lot of art by Aries himself, and I felt their absence. But once I started really watching the stage, I began to appreciate what was there instead.

Aries was performing on a sprained ankle, brace tucked beneath his flare-bottom pants and still moving with boundless energy. You could see his passion in the way he grinned out at the audience. Big, toothy smile. Fully present.

He talked to us between songs and it did not feel rushed. At one point he recognized a fan from the night before and remembered she had been holding up a picture of her cat. She joked that he had fat-shamed her cat. The room loved it.

Someone asked how his ankle was doing and he gave an update mid-set. Later, the crowd started a “thank you” chant. He paused, smiled, and said, “That was cool.”

Right before “DITTO,” he asked us to turn our cellphone lights on. The entire room lit up instantly. It looked like a sea of stars. For someone who showed up in star eyeliner, that moment felt almost poetic.

The setlist was literal gold from start to finish.

He opened strong and kept weaving in fan favorites. There was a healthy handful from the new album, a solid run from Believe in Me, Who Believes in You, and only two or three from Welcome Home. When “RIDING” hit, the crowd was locked in. “BAD NEWS” and “DITTO” had everyone screaming. Honestly, every song prompted a wooing from the crowd. Not a single dead spot.

He covered “How to Save a Life” by The Frey as those opening notes started, the room shifted. Aries told us he gets a little spooked about playing it because he’s never sure if the crowd will know it. The entire room sang along. Then he slipped into a snippet of “Home.” I audibly gasped. That song means a lot to me and hearing even part of it live after all this time felt surreal. I almost cried. 

As an encore, we got “RACECAR” and “SAYONARA.” Two of his top hits from Welcome Home and “RACECAR” are actually tied with “HOME” for top favorite songs from that album for me. 

By the time the house lights came up for real, the earlier stress felt small. The box office tension. The waiting. The scramble. It was all worth it. I just photographed my favorite artist – Aries – for the second time. I was beaming. 

Zach steadied the room and then Aries ignited it.

From “IN THE FLESH” to “SAYONARA,” it was a no-skip night. I cannot wait to see him again. 

See full gallery of the night here!

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