Emma & James Music at Pho Cao: A Night of Arizona Live Music, Original Songs, and Full-Band Energy
- James Mattison
- Jun 28
- 10 min read
Emma & James Music at Pho Cao: A Night of Arizona Live Music, Original Songs, and Full-Band Energy
On June 19, Emma & James Music had the chance to headline Pho Cao in Scottsdale, Arizona as part of a special night called Femme Frequencies. The show was put together by promoter Chris Crockett, and the theme fit the night perfectly. His wife, Thea Crockett, opened the evening, followed by the husband-and-wife duo George and Georgia, and then Emma and James Music closed out the night with Emma as the lead vocalist and focal point of our full-band set.
For us, this was more than another gig. It was our first time officially playing Pho Cao outside of the open mic setting, and it felt like a milestone. We had played the open mic there before, which is how Chris first saw us. Then he and Thea came to our show at ASU Kerr on May 15. After watching that performance, they wanted to book us for Pho Cao. That is one of the beautiful things about the Arizona live music scene. One night can lead to the next opportunity when people are paying attention.
From Open Mic to Headlining Pho Cao in Scottsdale
The show ran from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., and the room had a great energy from the beginning. Going into the night, we were hoping for an audience that would be open to our style of music. Emma & James Music has always leaned heavily into original songs, with a handful of covers that match our sound and Emma’s vocals.
We are not trying to be everything to everyone. We are trying to create something honest, soulful, bluesy, cinematic, and a little unexpected.
Before the show, we felt prepared. We had two full rehearsals with the band, and Emma and I already knew the songs well. The goal was to bring the other musicians into the world of the songs and let everyone find the groove together.
Most of us met through jam sessions, so there is already a level of trust in the room. If something shifts in the moment, we are used to listening, adjusting, and finding the pocket together.
That ability to adapt became more important than we expected.
Thea Crockett Opens the Night
Thea Crockett opened the show, and this was a big moment for her. Up to this point, she had mostly played open mics, usually two songs at a time. For Femme Frequencies, she stepped onstage alone with her guitar and her voice and played a full 45-minute set.
That is not a small thing.
Thea was nervous, but once she started, she looked like a true professional. She spoke to the audience, gave background to her song choices, and sang beautifully. There is something special about watching an artist step into a bigger version of themselves in real time. She did exactly that, and it set a meaningful tone for the rest of the night.
Sharing the Stage with George and Georgia
After Thea, George and Georgia took the stage. We have known them for a couple of years, but this year we have started doing more shows together. This was our second time sharing a night with them for a gig, and our styles complement each other very well.
George and Georgia are seasoned pros. They have both been in music for most of their lives as individuals, and they have been performing as a duo for around five years. George is amazing on guitar and also sings. Georgia plays bass, adds percussion, and has an absolutely gorgeous voice. Together, they harmonize in a way that captures the room.
Sharing the night with another husband-and-wife duo felt natural. There was also a real sense of community between the acts. We even had shared fans there to support the show. Emma and I look up to George and Georgia as mentors. They feel like brothers and sisters in music, the kind of people who have your back and want to see you grow.
Bringing the Full-Band Version of Emma & James Music to Life
For our set, Emma sang lead vocals, and I played guitar. We were joined by PA Dave on trombone, Chris Perrin on bass, and Stokes on drums.
As a duo, Emma and I bring a more intimate version of our songs. With the full band, those same songs become something bigger. The drums and bass give the music a toe-tapping pulse, and the trombone adds tasteful fills and solos that lift the songs into a different space. It still sounds like us, but with more movement, more energy, and more room for the audience to feel it.
We played mostly original music, including “Can’t Sleep,” “I Get a Fever,” “As the Sun Goes Down,” “I Need Another Hero,” “Leopard in a Cage,” and “Savior.”
We also included a few covers that fit our sound and Emma’s voice, including “Broken Bones” by Kaleo, Peggy Lee’s “Fever,” “Can’t Go Back” by Dennis Lloyd, and “Feeling Good” by Muse.
Peggy Lee is probably the closest match to Emma’s soulful, sensual vocal style, although Emma never tries to copy her.
With the other covers, Emma loves taking songs originally sung by men and making them her own. She changes lyrics when needed so they fit her voice and perspective, and she also removes anything that would not fit the family-friendly tone we want our shows to have.
The Moment the Band Clicked
From my perspective as the guitarist, I felt the show click by the end of our second song, “Can’t Sleep.” The next song was Peggy Lee’s “Fever,” and we already had some people in the audience dancing.
Honestly, the band felt locked in even earlier than that. During sound check, we played Patsy Cline’s “Walking After Midnight” to get the full band sound together.
Instead of making the audience hear the same part repeated over and over, Emma started improvising the lyrics and making them about the sound check itself.
The audience started laughing. Then they started cheering. By the end, they were calling out for more sound checks.
That was the first sign that Emma was on fire that night.
Later in the set, she had the audience cheering through our original song “I’m Gonna Whine,” with a massive cheer at the end. She repeated that audience interaction during “Can’t Go Back,” and the crowd stayed with her. She was not just singing the songs. She was leading the room.
“As the Sun Goes Down” and the Magic You Cannot Fake
The strongest moment of the night may have been our original song, “As the Sun Goes Down.”
We wrote that song earlier this year as part of a songwriting challenge, and it has grown into one of the songs that feels most important to us. At Pho Cao, it hit hard. The audience seemed to lean in and hang on every word of the story.
Then, PA Dave’s trombone solo took it to another level.
After that, the song moves into a key change where the drums lift the whole story into its final stretch. Emma had to go up another level vocally, and that part had been a challenge in the past. There was even a time when she lost her voice trying to get through that section.
That night, she absolutely nailed it.
I remember thinking, “Oh my gosh, that sounded amazing.”
Emma felt it too. There are certain breaks in some of our original songs that have to be timed perfectly, and she was depending on me to communicate those moments rhythmically with Stokes. Stokes nailed them. He added dramatic drum fills that made the whole song feel bigger, and that energy triggered Chris and Dave to come in with even more confidence.
For a few minutes, it felt like the whole band was connected in a way that is hard to explain. It just felt magical.
When the Night Tested Us
Of course, not everything went perfectly.
There were sound challenges early in the night, and after Thea’s set, the venue had to make a change. That meant everyone had to adjust quickly. At one point, we were all working to make sure the sound was manageable, the audience could enjoy the night, and the show could continue smoothly.
Stokes used his studio knowledge to help get the audio moving in the right direction. Then we got lucky when Chris Perrin’s friend Jacob, who is a sound engineer, showed up and jumped in at the last minute. He helped save the night.
The sound went from being too loud for the room to something much more comfortable for the audience. That mattered. One family had brought a large group to see us and celebrate with an elderly father who has late-stage dementia. If the sound had stayed too loud, they may have had to leave early.
Instead, they stayed for the whole night, enjoyed the show, and were able to be part of the experience.
That was a reminder that live music is not only about the musicians. It is about the room, the people, the families, the staff, and everyone who came hoping to have a good night.
The challenge could have derailed the show. Instead, the band adapted. The audience stayed. The room settled in. And the night became one of those experiences that taught us we can find a way when things do not go as planned.
The Audience Made the Night
The room was relatively full, and most of the people there were truly there to watch the show. Our friend and musician, Gary Beckert, who was the food and beverage supervisor at ASU Gammage for 25 years, pointed out that when he looked around, he saw the room full of people who had come for the music.
People listened closely. They danced. They cheered. They came up afterward and told us how much they enjoyed the show. Some had brought friends, and those friends told us they were not disappointed and would love to see us again.
That means a lot.
One of the biggest compliments of the night came from Gary Smith, a Hall of Fame drummer who has played with the Pistoleros and the Gin Blossoms. We did not even know he was in the audience at first. He had come to see his friend, PA Dave, on trombone.
After the show, he told us that our performance was great and that our rhythm section absolutely nailed it. PA Dave later told us how meaningful that compliment was because Gary is not someone who casually praises rhythm sections.
Emma, the band, and I were elated to hear that, especially after only two rehearsals.
Why Pho Cao Worked for Original Music
Pho Cao turned out to be a good room for original music because of the way the space is laid out. The bar is far enough from the stage that people who want to talk and enjoy their company can do that without sitting directly in front of the band. At the same time, people who want to listen closely, watch the performance, or dance can sit closer to the stage.
That balance matters for original music.
Not every room is built for listening. Pho Cao gave people options, and that helped the night feel comfortable and alive.
What This Show Meant to Me
Personally, this show meant a lot.
Before music, I was a live show actor and entertainer. I did not come from a musical background. After COVID and years away from the stage, I honestly thought my nights as a performer might be over.
Then, during the last five years, I learned to play guitar. Emma and I started writing songs together. We kept building. We kept showing up. We came up with dozens of original songs, and now people are starting to love them, remember them, and even request them.
That still feels surreal to me.
It feels like I have been given the chance at a whole other life that I never knew was possible. This year has been a major milestone for us. There is a Jim Rohn quote about deciding on something, sticking with it, and arriving after five years of consistent effort. I may be butchering the exact quote, but the idea feels true.
Five years later, here we are.
Emma & James Music has arrived at a new chapter.
What Comes Next for Emma & James Music
Pho Cao gave us more confidence that we can almost always find a way. It also showed us that the full-band version of Emma & James Music is the right direction.
But honestly, people have not seen anything yet.
Emma has a dance background, and that part of her performance will come to life on stage very soon. Both of us come from live entertainment backgrounds, and we have ideas in the works that go beyond standing still and playing songs.
We are building something with movement, story, emotion, and a bigger visual presence.
We just need to get Emma a wireless headset mic, and here we go.
The Work Behind the Show
One thing I want fans to understand is that building a live show takes more work than people usually see.
It reminds me of watching HGTV, where someone renovates an old house. You see the beginning, then the show fast-forwards through the hard parts, and suddenly the final product looks amazing. But the part they skip is the grind. The planning, the business side, the rehearsals, the messages, the schedules, the troubleshooting, and all the small decisions that make the final result possible.
Sometimes it feels like we are always living inside that fast-forward part. Then suddenly, there is a show.
We are always striving to improve and to bring excellence to what we do. I hope that shows every time people see us perform.
Thank You to Everyone Who Came Out
Thank you to Chris and Thea Crockett for putting Femme Frequencies together and inviting us to be part of it.
Thank you to Thea for opening the night with courage and heart.
Thank you to George and Georgia for sharing the stage with us and continuing to be mentors and friends.
Thank you to PA Dave, Chris Perrin, Stokes, and Jacob for helping us bring the full-band sound to life.
Most of all, thank you to everyone
who came to Pho Cao, listened, danced, cheered, brought friends, and supported original Arizona live music.
If you want to keep up with Emma & James Music, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. You can also subscribe to our website to hear about new blogs, upcoming shows, original music, and future releases.
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We hope to see you at the next one.
Well written. Thank you for the kind words and honest view of the night. You guys rocked it!!
You 2 are great entertainment, look and sound perfect together, bring the audience in and just plain wonderful humans... just sayin' ... (and fun to photo too!)