Reno, Nevada’s hometown hero, Red Leather, just wrapped up the first leg of his blazing Bet It All on Red tour. The alternative-rock singer-songwriter has been electrifying crowds across 50 stops nationwide, and his latest stop, a sold-out show at The Last Exit in downtown Phoenix, was no exception.
From the moment he appeared, the crowd was ready. Phones shot into the air as fans tried to catch a glimpse of him emerging like a gunslinger from a classic western. And Red Leather didn’t disappoint. He stormed the stage in his now-iconic getup: a crimson leather jacket, red bandana, and a sombrero dripping with tasseled fringe that shrouded his face. Mysterious. Badass. Straight-up Desperado.
He kicked things off with “El Dorado”, the seventh track from his breakout album RENO. The opening notes sent the crowd into a frenzy, bodies pressed shoulder to shoulder, a sea of red merch filling every corner of the room. Hardcore superfans even dressed head-to-toe in Red Leather cosplay, their outfits almost indistinguishable from the man himself. And when he sang? The audience sang back; every lyric, every word, like a choir of true believers.
For all his growing fame, Red Leather has built a reputation on mystery. Despite viral moments and a social media following that’s soared past a million fans, he’s never revealed his face, legal name, or age. What he does reveal, though, is poured straight into his music: raw honesty, vulnerability, and a refusal to shy away from heavy topics. His debut single, “The Only Time It Rains in Hollywood,” exposed the darker underbelly of chasing dreams in LA, shining a light on the homelessness crisis often hidden behind the city’s bright lights…