Cartel brings Chroma 20 Year Anniversary Tour to Phoenix

Cartel’s Phoenix stop on the Chroma 20 Year Anniversary Tour at The Van Buren on October 12 delivered a potent mix of nostalgia and renewed fire. The air felt electric from the moment they took the stage — a crowd united in memory and present excitement as the band embarked on a full‑throttled tribute to Chroma.

They traversed the album track by track, offering both reverence and reimagination: every guitar riff, vocal harmony, and lyric felt intentional, polished without losing raw edge. There was a sense of time collapsing as longtime fans sang back every line, while newer listeners leaned in, discovering through the performance why Chroma still resonates two decades on.

Throughout the night, Cartel struck a delicate balance between honoring the original versions and embracing the sonic tweaks introduced in Chroma – 2025, their fresh re‑recording. Moments of vulnerability stood beside full-throttle rock anthems; quiet introspective passages gave way to wave after wave of crowd chants and singalongs. The energy never flagged — the audience remained locked in, feeding off the band’s focus and passion.

Visually the show complemented the sound. Lighting cues shifted with the mood, underscoring crescendos and pulling back during softer moments, giving space for the performance to breathe. The stage felt intimate yet grand, as though this was more ritual than concert.

By the time the final chords rang out, it was clear this wasn’t just a reunion or nostalgic throwback — it was a reaffirmation. Cartel showed that Chroma, in all its sonic color and emotional weight, still lives and breathes, not just in memory but in the lives of those who’ve carried it with them. The Phoenix night stood as proof that anniversaries aren’t mere celebrations of the past — they can be prophecies for what’s yet to come.