Dirty Bourbon River Show has been rocking out of New Orleans, Louisiana, with their brand of gypsy circus brass stylings for the past five or six years. In that time, they were able to assemble a cast of highly skilled players and multi-instrumentalists, made easier by the city’s high supply…
It’s been six years since Phoenix has seen Amos Lee. With his Mountains of Sorrow, Rivers of Song album climbing the charts, it’s only fitting that he plays intimate shows across the country, and last night’s Mesa Arts show was intimacy paired with dark sunglasses and Americana flare. It was…
Wow, what a show. The Hold Steady made a long overdue appearance at Crescent Ballroom last night on the Teeth Dreams tour, but mostly stuck to older material. The music was far from perfect, but that’s the beauty of going to a Hold Steady show…
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, led by singer-songwriter and Philadelphia native Alec Ounsworth, set the standard for being independent artists. In 2005, the band combined the guitarist’s unique vocals with a post-punk beat to critical acclaim on their self-titled debut. They were living proof that hard work and grassroots marketing…
Former Guns N’ Roses/Velvet Revolver axeman Slash brought plenty of nostalgia to Talking Stick Resort Friday night, visiting the Valley for a one-off date in the middle of his North American Tour with Aerosmith. The 49-year-old still looks almost identical to how he looked in the ’80s, still sporting his…
August has begun, and with it, the countdown to the end of summer. (And there’s non-literal meaning to that as well — the Summer Ends Music Festival, which happens just after fall begins at the end of September in Tempe.) Blessed are the rains down in Phoenix this past weekend,…
Andrew Jackson Jihad might be the best band Phoenix has produced. And unlike certain local punk bands from the ’80s, they remain relevant. Unlike most musicians who move elsewhere to “make it,” totally neglecting their hometown later, Sean Bonnette and Ben Gallaty have made every effort to stay involved in…
Plenty to do this weekend, from past-their-prime ’80s rockers to up-and-coming locals. Check out our five recommendations, and browse our comprehensive listings for even more options…
The changes that mark the Hold Steady’s new album are many. Starting out its second decade, the band added a new lead guitarist in Steve Selvidge. Singer Craig Finn left behind many of his signature lyrical elements. The band recorded with a new producer, Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Deftones) in…
Nick Waterhouse is not part of a movement. Despite allusions to the soul sound of Daptone Records in Brooklyn, or the proximity to the rise of doo-wop and R&B in Los Angeles thanks to Burger Records, the still-young singer-songwriter is following a vision that is simply his. While rising to…
Lady Gaga brought her own version of the Electric Daisy Carnival to US Airways Center when her ArtRave: The Artpop Ball came through. The show featured neon ravewear and leg warmers, pacifier shots, glow-in-the-dark balloon backpacks, light-up squishy balls, and stuffed animals galore. It was the most colorful Gaga concert…
We bring you the finest musical offerings the Valley of the Sun has to offer you this week. Check out our comprehensive concert listings for more options…
Tori Amos, wearing leather pants underneath a long flowing dress, straddled herself on the piano bench in a position that would seem uncomfortable to anyone who played the 88 keys on a regular basis. She played “Parasol” from the 2005 album The Beekeeper with her right hand on a keyboard…
Well, it was bound to happen anyway. As one Facebook commenter put it, “They were responding to a call they got in the goddamn ’90s.” I’m talking about W___ S____, a South Phoenix storage unit turned underground show space that’s been hosting shows for nearly two decades — and was…
Instead of bitching about the weather, like we usually do here, let’s instead think of reasons why 113-degree temperatures are actually good. After all, if you live in Phoenix during the summer, the world is your sauna, am I right? And to think some folks like to be indoors when…
Perhaps the reason garage rock fits so well at The Trunk Space is because the venue is the size and shape of a good-sized garage. The acoustics are just perfect for it. I never realized that before and that makes me like the small venue that much more. Straight Straws…
On July 13, Sara Robinson and the Midnight Special announced through their Facebook page that they would be splitting with their original lead guitarist and chief songwriter Brandon Croft. Furthermore, the band announced that following their headlining date at Crescent Ballroom last Friday the band would be taking a hiatus…
If having a packed house from start to finish is the benchmark for a great show, then Dilated Peoples and Jurassic 5 had a great one July 19. The Marquee Theatre was full of hip-hop heads throughout the evening, from M.C. Supernatural’s opening freestyles all the way through J5’s encore…
’80’s hair metal kings Mötley Crüe held very little back in the production department when their supposed final tour made its stop at Ak-Chin Pavilion on Saturday night to a sold out crowd. While there were enough pyro, flamethrowers, female dancers, and a lighting spectacle that would make a Nelson…
First, the binge. Inevitably, the come down. This past weekend was a veritable musical orgy, as a flood of touring and national bands came through Phoenix. This week, things are a little drier. Check out our five favorite shows happening this week, and browse our comprehensive concert listings for more…
Since it’s the worst part of the summer right now, spending more than a few hours at an outdoor music festival, let alone an entire day, isn’t something we’d recommend. However, when late October rolls around (and Arizona feels less like Satan’s grundle) whiling away an entire weekend in the…
In summertime, when we put together this list of best shows to see in Phoenix on any given weekend, we don’t have very many options. It can be slim pickings for live music around here when it hits triple digits. Not this week. There are more concerts than you could…
