From 'late 1900's' to now: Eve 6 rock Innings, talk backstage with SWOMP

Eve 6 performed their first show of the year on the final day of Innings Festival 2026 in Tempe, Arizona, blending self-aware humour with late ’90s alternative rock nostalgia. Frontman Max Collins quickly set the tone, playfully sizing up the crowd and the band’s place in the “late ‘90’s radio rock” era. “Do you like alternative rock? Do you like late ‘90’s radio rock?” Collins asked. “That’s good enough for me.” Reflecting on their roots, Collins joked about the band’s usual setting compared to a major festival stage. “Coming from the ‘late 1900’s’,” he said, Eve 6 is used to playing in “300 seat, windowless rooms. “So this is wonderful for us to get to experience. We don’t want you guys to get nervous and weird about it, we are going to play a couple new songs. And they go by quick because at this stage, we’ll call it a career, what we’re kind’ve doing with regard to new music is kind’ve LARPing as a punk band in a vacuum. So these songs clocked in at about two minutes, fifteen seconds.” The band launched into ‘Black Nova’ from their 2021 EP grim value, before pivoting back to their early catalogue with a tongue-in-cheek warning about aging . “I want to prep you guys psychologically for just how old this song is. Just eyeballing the room real quick, doing a quick scan, you guys think we’re in the elder Millennial demographic, here? This song is so old that it might just confirm your worst fears about yourselves as they might relate to the passage of time and mortality.” They followed with ‘Leech’ from their 1998 self-titled debut. Throughout the set, Collins continued to riff with the crowd, mixing sarcasm and sharp wit - even joking about the band’s onstage “made up language” and calling out diehard rock show skeptics before introducing ‘Think Twice’. “We’re not trying to exclude you guys with our made up language. We’re trying to spare you. When we need to have green room conversations on the stage, we do it in our made up language. That’s what was going on here. If your natural state at the rock show, no judgement being passed here at all because it’s in fact mine too, is to stand there, arms crossed, brow furrowed, effecting kind’ve a mean countenance, waiting for the band to clam so you can look at your lady and be like ‘the bass player just played that part a half step flat, haha, you suck.’ First of all, an extra special welcome to you. We’re spiritually connected I feel. Also, this is your song, this is a hard boiled alternative rock song. This is some Raymond Chandler-esque alternative rock we’re about to do for you guys. Furrow your fucking brows.” After teasing a newer track, the band skipped it and performed one of their most recognizable songs. “This song may have been your graduation song.” They then played ‘Here’s to the Night’ before closing out the set with their biggest hit. “Thanks for remembering who we were if you did or sticking around if you were like ‘I’ve never heard of them.’ This is our last song, we pull no punches. We save it for last, why sweet pea? I’ll tell you why, it’s because it’s the heart in a blender song, dude.” The band finished with ‘Inside Out’. SWOMP caught up with the band for an interview backstage following their set.