More than 15 years ago, trance wunderkind Markus Schulz earned some serious scrilla performing at now-defunct Valley clubs like The Works in Scottsdale and Freedom in Tempe, as well as spinning up EDM on local radio. The German-born trance artist, who resided in the Phoenix area in those days before…
Crazy things tend to happen in abundance in the West Valley. Consider, for instance, the pothead teenaged mom who made international headlines recently after cruising around the avenues while her infant was strapped into its car seat on the roof of the vehicle. Such nuttiness is par for the course…
Steven Chung (a.k.a. DJ Tranzit) tends not to do anything small. The 31-year-old electronica artist crafts heavy-duty house-music tracks filled with huge beats and titanic turntablism tricks, and he has remixed some of the biggest EDM superstars ever (including Congorock, Wolfgang Gartner, and Dada Life). So it’s apropos that Chung’s…
In last week’s issue of New Times, we profiled 10 new(ish) bands we expect to dominate Phoenix iPods and boomboxes this long, hot summer. We’ll be focusing more deeply on those artists over the next couple of days on Up on the Sun. See the entire list: 10 Phoenix Bands…
The Texas Rangers relentlessly unloaded hits and homers upon the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday evening during a 9-1 thumping at the Ballpark in Arlington. So much for that nifty five-game winning streak that the Boys in Sedona Red had going up until last night. It was a rather inauspicious beginning…
If — for some reason — you haven’t made it out to any of the posh pool parties that have taken place at local hotels over the past month or so, this weekend offers plenty of chances to dive right into the swanky swim scene. The organizers of the annual…
Erik King is probably unlike any other DJ or producer in the Valley. The 29-year-old, better known by his nickname Riot Earp, wouldn’t be caught dead mashing up Skrillex, Deadmau5, or any other overexposed EDM artist. Instead, King prefers work in little known microgenres you’ve probably never heard of, such…
The proprietors of the Phoenix Place Hotel better make sure they’ve got cases and cases of PBR stocked up. They’ll most definitely need it when the hipster/artist crowd invades the stylish CenPho inn on Saturday, June 30, for the Sharks and Minnows pool party. FauxShow promoter Jared Alan is organizing…
Author Lewis Carroll envisioned it as a nonsense-filled Victorian satire. Walt Disney, however, transformed it into a harmless comical romp. And Tim Burton depicted the daffy event as a dreamy and messy affair. Pop culture is littered with many an interpretation of the chaotic and colorful Mad Hatter’s Tea Party…
Even if you’re forced to settle for a staycation this year, it doesn’t mean wasting away poolside. In fact, you can party like they do in L.A. or New York without ever leaving the Valley. Some local joints mimic the sights, sounds, and feel of nightlife found worldwide, whether it’s…
Some things in life are totally worth the wait. Like, for instance, a return visit to the Valley by electronica wizards Lazer Sword. It’s been almost two years since the team of L.A.’s Lando Kal (a.k.a. Antaeus Roy) and Berlin-based beathead Low Limit (better known as Bryant Rutledge) hypnotized locals…
News broke earlier this evening that Mark Anderson, owner of the now-defunct Tempe Improv who has been missing for the past three weeks, was found dead this morning in a motel room in Buckeye. According to Lt. Jared Griffith of the Buckeye Police Department, the 60-year-old’s body was discovered by…
See also: Ray Bradbury, Champion of Books, Writing Hero See also: Ray Bradbury Gave Us Great Advice One Night At ASU–We Should Have Listened Geeks and bookworms are mourning the loss of author Ray Bradbury — the iconic science-fiction scribe behind such influential books as Farenheit 451 and The Martian…
Although they possess a passion for Heavenly Father — not to mention the nutty belief that all disease can be healed solely through prayer — the folks at the Christian Science Monitor apparently don’t possess a sense of humor. To wit: The publication has brought down the thunder from the…
If you’ve walked by Bar Smith on a recent Wednesday evening and had your eardrums assaulted, its probably Jason Ayers’ fault. The bass-loving beat-juggler and his long-running SubConscious night have (literally) been shaking the downstairs walls at the downtown Phoenix club with a storm of subharmonics and plenty of thrum…
Though the Icehouse may be a bit off the beaten path when it comes to Downtown Phoenix art spaces, you might want to consider visiting the venerated venue during First Friday. Especially since its proprietors will unveil two artsy enterprises located on the property, as well as a brand new…
Officially, Major League Baseball has taken a hardline stance against bullying in our nation’s schools, vehemently condemning any form of intimidation and harassment whatsoever. Ironically enough, however, said stance doesn’t seem to apply to the game of baseball itself. To wit: The Los Angeles Dodgers have become the bullies of…
It’s easy to spot the beast known as the Douchebagus scottsdalia while traveling the wilds of Old Town on any given weekend. Simply look for their standard adornments of popped collars, fake bake tans, and spiky hair. Avoid trying to corner the Douchebagus, however (as it tends to puff out…
Fridays used to be one of the pimpest nights of the week at Central Avenue danceteria DWNTWN, even dating back its days as Crowbar more than a decade ago. The crowds were huge, the DJs were top-notch, and the beats were hot. Then proprietors pulled the plug on Fridays, preferring…
Anyone hoping to impress Howard Stern would probably need some combination of scantilly-clad women and sordid tales involving sex or scandalous behavior. Local daredevil performer Jeremy Kinison and a few of his fellow freaks, however, needed only some broken glass, an ordinary chair, and a couple of swords to astonish…
The year 1977 had a slew of watershed moments for both science fiction and pop culture as a whole. In theatres across the country, George Lucas’ bombastic space opera flick Star Wars was blowing up like the Death Star and changing the cinematic landscape. Every child who was lucky enough…
Just days before the Tempe Improv is set to disappear from the Valley’s comedy scene, the club’s longtime owner has gone missing. Mark Anderson, who has run the club for more than 23 years, reportedly has been missing for the past two weeks. News broke within the past 24 hours…
