The Afterglow Tour Takes on Tacoma
Tacoma, Washington - July 16, 2026
The co-headlining Afterglow Tour, consisting of Cannons and Bob Moses, performed at Dune Peninsula on Tuesday evening, bringing together people from all backgrounds for one shared reason: the music. With the Puget Sound stretched out behind the stage and the cotton candy sunset skies, Tacoma became the backdrop for a euphoric show.
The evening began with the opening act, Oxis, a bubbly, fish-loving artist who created her set in real time through live looping, layering vocals and instrumentation on stage, becoming something bigger than the crowd could ever have expected. Watching her work was reminiscent of catching a glimpse of the manic pixie dream girl you didn't know you were in love with, quietly creating a song out of nothing but loop pedals and her vision. Her mashup of "Mr. Brightside" into her own "Long Sardine" was the unexpected highlight of the night, blending the timeless anthem of the youth into her own world so seamlessly that it felt less like a cover and more like an introduction to who she is as an artist.
When Cannons took the stage, the energy shifted into something electric. The band carried itself with this kind of effortless, instant cool that makes an entire crowd want more. Michelle Joy wasted no time connecting with the Tacoma crowd, almost possessing everyone in attendance, raising her hands and asking the crowd to do the same; the crowd willingly obliged without hesitation. The stage lighting, though dulled by the sun not wanting to set, still managed to catch the funk running through the band's newest album, Everything Glows, a groove that had the whole crowd moving in sync.
Vocally, the band was connected. Joy's voice paired beautifully with guitarist Ryan's harmonies, and the bassist, Jade, got in on the vocal work, rounding out a sound that felt layered and intentional. Visually, Joy stood apart from her all-black-clad bandmates in a silky low-waisted pink skirt and white corset. She was the color in the frame, and everyone's eyes followed accordingly. She danced across the stage like she was alone in her bedroom, fully in her own world, which only made the crowd want to follow her into it.
The pull became literal during "Take Me to Tokyo," when Joy paused to speak about a dream and a place before letting the song tell the story. Again, through "Up All Night" and set staple "Fire for You," the band's now-classic. In less than an hour on stage, Joy had created a trusting bond with the listeners. "This is music we felt we needed to make," she told the audience, a reference to finding the people who connect with it, and for a moment it was clear the feeling was mutual.
Tom Howie and Jimmy Vallance, who make up the Bob Moses duo, arrived in time with the sun going down. The immediate energy from the pair, backed by visuals and lighting. The production leaned maximalist in the best way, waves of color and light synced tightly, turning Dune Peninsula into something closer to a festival main stage than a park by the water. The set built toward two high points in particular: "Tearing Me Up," the song that first put the duo on the map, and "Afterglow," the tour's name, both of which the crowd enjoyed.
By the time the show closed, Dune Peninsula did not feel like a park anymore. Between Oxis's mysterious and addictive set, Cannons' magnetic performance, and the Bob Moses experience, the Afterglow Tour proved itself to be exactly what it was supposed to be, giving the audience something to take home.
