Turns out that Phoenix isn’t immune to losing a cool and much-beloved music venue, as one of the city’s more renowned hip-hop spots has gone down for the count. The Hidden House, the midtown dive and lounge that’s been a cornerstone of the local boom-bap and rap scene for more…
If you’re itching to spend Sunday afternoon and evening going hard at one of El Hefe’s signature 4-2-10 ragers, you’re gonna have to hold off or party elsewhere, at least for the next six weeks. Currently, El Hefe is el cerrado from now until early November as the day-drinking spot,…
Michael 23 is kind of what you’d call a survivor. Over the past several years, the enigmatic artist provocateur and co-founder of The Firehouse has endured personal tragedies, professional setbacks, financial hardships, stressful legal battles, and other such emotionally draining drama. Like anyone who’s faced such situations, he’s acquired loads…
As we’re sure you’re well aware by now, it’s been a momentous year for live music and nightlife in Tempe, to say the least. While a lot of beloved bars or venues have exited the scene, there are have been a couple of new joints that are about to spring…
If you tune into KDKB right now — 93.3 on your FM dial — you’ll hear something a bit different from the classic/hard rock station’s usual offerings of Ozzy, Metallica, Judas Priest, or AC/DC. At this exact moment, the local radio institution is broadcasting nothing but wall-to-wall Richard Cheese, including…
Stand-up comic Kathleen Madigan has never been shy about skewering herself. In fact, she can be both candid and clever when joking about her drinking habits, gambling habits, lack of ambition in the gym, Irish-Catholic upbringing, or perpetual singlehood while onstage or in her most recent special, the hilarious Netflix…
Thousands upon thousands came to Rawhide Western Town in Chandler this past Friday, all of whom had pretty much the same goal in mind — partying their asses off at the Valley’s biggest electronic dance music event of the year, the Mad Decent Block Party. They came clad in off-kilter…
Despite anything you might’ve read online, Dillon Francis does not own a Taco Bell. That was just a clever April Fool’s prank. That said, the infamous dance-music producer seems to spend enough time patronizing the fast food chain and professing his love for its various menu items that one could…
Don’t look now, but the live music scene in Mesa has gotten bigger and a bit livelier recently. Yes, you read that right — Mesa. The often-quiet East Valley suburb, which was notoriously deemed as one of the “10 Most Boring Cities in America” earlier this year, has become noisier…
Dancing, as famed poet Robert Frost once wrote, is a vertical expression of a horizontal desire. In other words, when some couples take to the dance floor at your average club night, it’s not only from a desire to show off some sweet steps and fancy moves. More carnal intentions…
In the 2013 mini-documentary chronicling the rise of the Mad Decent Block Party, über-producer and festival founder Diplo has a bit of advice for anyone who performs at the event: “If you’re an act, don’t play after Flosstradamus,” he says. “That’s really hard.” It’s a simple edict that illustrates not…
Your dance music pals are most definitely going. Ditto for some of the hip-hop heads you see hanging out at an average Blunt Club, those indie kids who are always gushing over STRFKR or Phantogram outside of Jobot, and probably a good portion of Scottsdale’s club crowd, all of whom…
No one can accuse Dillon Francis of taking himself too seriously. Sure, he might be guilty of prank-calling, re-creating Ghost’s pottery wheel scene with 12th Planet on YouTube, or giving away ham at shows, but he’s never been one of those self-important EDM producers obsessed with image. Instead, the 26-year-old…
With local colleges back in session, the summertime drawing to a close, and the Super Bowl (and all its related parties, concerts, and galas) on the horizon, Scottsdale’s entertainment district is busy gearing up for big crowds and good times ahead. In the last several months, clubs both remodeled and…
After The Big Bang in Tempe makes its big swan song this weekend, the Mill Avenue space that houses the beloved piano joint isn’t going to stay dark for very long. As a matter of fact, property co-owner Austin Walter says that work will start very soon after The Big…
Japanese pop culture can often be a bit colorful and imaginative, to put it mildly. Maybe we’re showing our gaijin (or foreigner) by saying such things, but it seems that much of what constitutes entertainment by denizens of the Asian isle — be it video games, TV shows, movies, literature,…
There were a lot of things both shiny and new making a debut in local nightlife during the month of August. Spots like The King or Cowboys and Whiskey in Scottsdale opened to the clubgoing public while a few new dance nights (such as Motown on Mondays at the Crescent…
When the Tempe History Museum unveils its long-awaited exhibition delving into the city’s storied live music past later this year, don’t be surprised if there’s little to no mention of Paul “PC” Cardone amongst the many displays doting on the Gin Blossoms, The Refreshments, or other local jangle-pop icons. By…
When gaggles of local geeks stroll down University Drive in Tempe on November 1 for this year’s PBS Nerd Walk, many will be clad in cheery, gold-colored T-shirts adorned with a particularly nerdy bit of artwork. And exactly what piece of art will be featured on said shirts? Well, that’s…
The dog days of summertime officially come to an end a few days from now, which certainly is reason enough to celebrate. Here’s another: It’s also Labor Day weekend, and that means around 72 hours of work-free bliss, if you’re fortunate enough to have all three days off. Your friends…
The Big Bang in Tempe are about to go silent after more than a decade. Owners of the underground piano bar, a hallmark of Mill Avenue’s nightlife scene since it opened 2003, have announced that it will closing its doors on September 6. Recent messages on both the bar’s voicemail…
If you’re a fan of local DIY label Rubber Brother Records, any of its associated bands, or Tempe’s fringe music scene, you’re might hate the bad news we’re about to tell you: Parliament is closed. No joke. Earlier today, its staff pulled the plug on the all-ages music and arts…
