Welcome to The Baby Doll Ball: The Buttertones Transform Phoenix Venue into a Valentine’s Day Dance

Photography by Shiaira Bradley

Entering the doors of Walter Studios in downtown Phoenix, the venue was transformed from a contemporary lounge and bar into a vintage, sweetheart-inspired party: heart-shaped balloons floated around the lobby, red tinsels on the walls, even a photo backdrop near the entrance, creating the ultimate prom experience. Attendees were decked out in Valentine’s Day colors, reds and pinks, and many people have brought out their best dresses and button-downs.

But this event was not a dance, at least not in the literal sense. 

On Sunday, Feb. 16, indie-rock band The Buttertones brought the Baby Doll Ball, a “1950s-inspired prom night,” to Walter Studios, making it the band's first concert back in Arizona since their anniversary tour in 2024, where they performed at Crescent Ballroom.  

“This is our first time being here (at Walter Studios),” lead singer Richard Araiza said. “I love it more than other ones (we’ve performed at) already.”

The Buttertones took the stage a little after 10:00 p.m., starting their set off with “Sweetest Sweetheart,” a dreamy ballad that set the perfect tone for the night, like the first slow song to play on prom night. The last song on the setlist, “Baby Doll,” before the encore, was the namesake of the event. Araiza’s vocals, sometimes gravelly, sometimes lilting, and always captivating, brought these tracks to another level of energy and feeling when performed live.

The night didn’t stay in the slow, dance haze all night, though. Other tracks played throughout the night, such as “Winks and Smiles” and “Bebop” turned the crowd into a high-energy mosh pit. 

A fan at the show, Amalie Jordan, came dressed in a floor-length, silver-sequined gown, but regretted it after seeing the high energy crowd. 

“I wish I wore a more moshable outfit,” Jordan said. “The crowd was hype.”

Crowd interaction was overall a high point of the night. From the at-times insane mosh pits that seemed to spawn without warning, to the crowd who knew most of the tracks regardless of the year they came out, to the multiple fans who offered Araiza cigarettes during the show (something of a staple item for him). One fan, Erick Ramirez, even showed Araiza how to roll his r’s. 

Of course, the night ended with one of the band’s defining tracks, “Orpheus Under The Influence.” The romantic-sounding and wistful track was the perfect end for the night: a classic that got the whole crowd singing along. 

The show was a promotion for the band’s album, “Face to Face with Fantasy,” whose name is derived from a line in the 1991 film, “Beauty and the Beast.” 

The album is the first album to be released since bassist Sean Redman left the band in 2020. Since then, members Karly Low, who subbed for Redman during their show in Mexico City, and Mimi Pretend, a longtime friend of the band, have joined the band, which previously consisted of Araiza, Modeste Cobián, Brandon Gold, and Carlos Sanchez. 

“They’re great musicians so it’s easy to explore a lot more genres,” Araiza said. “And the girls look after us. We’re all like family.”

Some of the tracks performed at the Baby Doll Ball from the album included “Awesome Monster,” a track that perfectly captures the high, soft vocals of Low and Pretend. Another track, 

Other members of the band had plenty of moments. “Denial You Win Again” featured a saxophone solo from Sanchez that garnered a lot of support from the crowd. “Sadie’s A Sadist,” part of their encore performance, saw electrifying performances from all members of the band, but especially Gold and Cobián on drums and bass.

Support for the night included indie/emo band Bethany Home and Israel’s Arcade, each who had a thirty minute set. Bethany Home’s set consisted of upbeat, 2000s-esque pop-rock while indie-rock artist Israel’s Arcade delivered high-energy and strong vocals.

“They work perfectly with us. I feel like their music is really in line (with ours) and they have such a good fanbase,” Low said about Israel’s Arcade. They're really energetic.”

Following the Baby Doll Ball, the band will be preparing to perform a charity concert in Los Angeles to raise money for victims of the Pacific Palisades wildfires. After that, the band is preparing to release new music and additional show dates. 

“We’re working on another album because we hadn’t had an album come out for four years,” Araiza said. “And we have shows coming: Mexico again, maybe South America, Europe, then back to Cali.” 

Erick Ramirez, a fan of the Buttertones since 2019, has been to most of The Buttertones’ shows in Phoenix in the past five years, excluding their 2024 show. 

“I made up for missing last year by getting there early and being as close to the stage as possible,” Ramirez said. “The Buttertones stole the show once again. They delivered in performing with everything they got and having all of us feel alive with their music.”