Candlelight Concerts: 90s Unplugged

Candlelight Concerts: 90s Unplugged - July 19, 2025 - Warehouse 215, Phoenix

It was an evening to remember as the Sweetwater String Quartet, a four woman group performing with cello and three violins played an hour long set of pop songs that were hits in the 1990s. And there was more to it than just nostalgia!

Candlelight Concerts take place in unusual venues all over the world and Phoenix got to experience the phenomena at Warehouse 215, a downtown venue near Chase Field. True to the concert's name, the show took place by candlelight as hundreds of LED candles illuminated the stage area and other places around the venue. That added a hint of romance to the presentation that featured 17 songs and that began with a snippet of Coolio's "Gangsta's Paradise." The Coolio hit segued into "Bittersweet Symphony" by The Verve, a cut especially suited to a classical interpretation since it is already orchestrated in its original form. Cuts by The Backstreet Boys, The Spice Girls, Haddaway and Britney Spears followed before the ladies played a tribute to the grunge era with a take on Nirvana's "About a Girl" and a sublime reading of the Smashing Pumpkins hit "Today." Hits by Mariah Carey, Seal, The Goo Goo Dolls and Santana's "Smooth" were played, and things got a little rowdy when the gals rocked through Ricky Martin's "Livin' La Vida Loca" and "Santeria" by Sublime, which got one of the biggest audience responses of the evening. The show ended with a trio of angst-y songs in "Losing My Religion" by R.E.M., "Under the Bridge" by Red Hot Chili Peppers and "Semi-Charmed Life" by Third Eye Blind. Fans were invited to take photos and videos during the final number; they were otherwise not allowed. Besides the stellar playing of the strings, the quartet were adept at adding rhythm to the songs by tapping on their instrument bodies and plucking individual strings. It was great fun to reminisce and to hear these hits reimagined as classical music, and many fans no doubt made their trip home singing these 30-year-old songs.

Other Candlelight Concerts that are scheduled include tributes to Taylor Swift, Adele, Queen and the Beatles, Drake, Juan Gabriel, Linkin Park and others. Some shows take place at the Phoenix Art Museum or in open air settings at the Phoenix Zoo. For a complete list of shows and to purchase tickets go here.

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