If you were out soaking up the sounds at the Monarch Theatre during Pete Tong’s spectacular set last month, we might have taken your picture. Ditto for those who hung out at both Bottled Blonde and El Hefe in Scottsdale, folks celebrating Spring Training at Dos Gringos and Giligin’s, or…
Those able to picture Axl Rose adorned in an ornate, oversized sombrero, or a bandanna-wearing Bret Michaels strumming a fat guitarrón, or Motley Crue wearing rivet-edged chaps, vests and pointy toed boots among the eyeliner, then it’s also possible envision the spectacle that is Metalachi. Made up of five half-brothers,…
The world never cared about Death. Until now. In the early 1970s, before even the long-revered “godfathers and godmothers of punk” were trailblazing the genre, the Detroit trio was doing it first (and quite well, for that matter). But nobody outside of sibling band members David, Dannis, and Bobby Hackney,…
The Red Rocker is alive and well. Better yet, he’s thriving within his own realm, which could appropriately be dubbed Sammyland. The thing about Sammyland is that it’s not a standalone entity. Instead, it’s sort of like a community outreach program filled with charitable efforts, loyal followers, and musical roots…
This year’s McDowell Mountain Festival went off like a weekend in the park, and we mean that both figuratively and literally. Perched upon the green grass of Margaret T. Hance Park, the three-day concert fest seemingly took place without a hitch and happened to feature gorgeous weather and a lot…
Colorful streamers, balloons, and even a donkey piñata adorned the digs at the Trunk Space Sunday, adding an extra festive — not to mention silly — air to what was a major occasion: the kickoff of Indie 500, the 10-day music festival celebrating the Grand Avenue music and art space’s…
Not many bands have attained popularity and commercial success outside the mainstream music industry box the way that Mustard Plug has done. While they can’t claim to be most famous ska-punk band in existence, the septet have amassed a sizable cult following, as well as radio-friendly songs and music videos,…
Since the dissolution of Ohio-based experimental trio Emeralds in early 2013, guitarist Mark McGuire has kept busy. He’s explored smooth jams with his project Road Chief, and contributed to Do the Beast, the first album from the Afghan Whigs since 1998. He also found time to record and release his…
A ghost from my high school years visited me this week. It spoke to me over the radio on a sudden trip home, blasting from tinny speakers in a random storefront. Staying purposefully out of touch with Top 20 radio, especially the songs that get spun in my hometown, I…
Hey, didja hear that rumor that’s going around about the Yucca Tap Room in Tempe? You know, the one about how it’s going to be closing this summer? What about the other one about how the Tempe dive is going to be gonezo a year from now because of construction…
Joe Louis Walker first got his hands on a guitar at age 8, and he hasn’t stopped playing since. The internationally acclaimed bluesman, who was well renowned for his playing skills by his teenage years, has done much during his 50 years in the music business. He’s released more than…
Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite, Dwight Yoakam, G. Love, and More McDowell Mountain Music Festival 3/30/14 I love music festivals for one simple reason: there are always surprises. And the final day of McDowell Mountain Music Festival 2014 on Sunday was filled with said surprises for the eyes and ears…
Want to get in a show this week? There are plenty of concerts over the next five days around Metro Phoenix to choose from, as you can see for yourself by viewing our extensive online concert listings. And we’re fairly certain that there’s something for everyone, regardless of your particular…
The bad news just keeps on coming for live music in Tempe. On the heels of recent news that a few high-profile venues are preparing to depart the scene, the staff at local band haven Long Wong’s suddenly and shockingly announced Sunday evening that the Tempe bar and restaurant will…
Disco Biscuits, Slightly Stoopid, Allen Stone, Dispatch, Black Bottom Lighters, and More McDowell Mountain Music Festival 2014 3/29/14 Saturday proved to be the day for jam bands galore at McDowell Mountain Music Festival, offering up what was arguably the most cohesive and sensible lineup of any of its three-day run…
Small Leaks Sink Ships, Leonardo DiCapricorn, Snake!Snake!Snakes!, Playboy Manbaby Parliament 3/28/14 Lately, I’ve been choosing the shows I go to based on a certain criteria. The first is that I must see something new, the second is that I want to see a band I haven’t seen in a while,…
STS9, Gramatik, Lettuce McDowell Mountain Music Festival 2014 3/28/14 It was a great spring night to spend outdoors at Hance Park for day one of the McDowell Mountain Music Festival before the brutal summer swoops in for the next six months or so. There was an excitement in the air…
Atypicality goes one of the two ways in the music industry: Either you’re left of center enough to fail or left of center enough to resonate with listeners. In the case of Allen Stone, the latter rang true. For the 26-year-old Northwest soul-leaning sensation, picking an alternative path was the…
The Tempe music scene’s suffered the loss of a slew of venues in the last couple years, including the Clubhouse, Rocky Point Cantina, Stray Cat, and — a few months from now — The Sail Inn. And it’s about to lose two more: Club Red and Red Owl. The proprietors…
The Slackers Crescent Ballroom 3/27/14 After two long years, The Slackers returned to Phoenix with a vengeance last night to a crowd of super-starved local fans at the Crescent Ballroom eager to hear their ska sounds. With an extensive catalog after more than 20 years of releasing records, the audience…
Tool US Airways Center 3/27/14 Initially, it seemed prog-metal legends Tool might be trying to pull off one of the biggest pranks in rock ‘n’ roll history or just going in for another cash grab when booking a just-completed short run of tour dates. After all, the band hasn’t put…
Curious about what’s going on around town this weekend? Need some suggestions as to how to rock, dance, or krump in the Valley of the Sun? Don’t fret. We’ve got the hook up on what shows you might be interested in attending over the next couple nights and days. This…
