The Pixies Comerica Theatre 2/24/14 In the darkened setting of Comerica Theatre on Monday night, it was easy to close your eyes and imagine the floaty female harmonies are those of the Pixies’ original bassist, Kim Deal. It wasn’t, of course, as those harmonies belonged to Paz Lenchantin, a more…
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…
So, how was your weekend? Perhaps you got all up in the club, got in as much revelry as possible, or got yourself into one of the big concerts going on around town. Meanwhile, the Up on the Sun staff spent the past several nights hitting up shows like Cibo…
The Urinals, Far Corners, Man Hands, Button Struggler, Mr. Atomm’s Bombs Double Nickels Collective 2/22/14 In the sterile fluorescent light of Tempe’s Double Nickels Collective, a crowd of about 50 congregated with the shared intention of seeing Southern California’s legendary punk trio The Urinals Saturday night. It was a tight…
The Wind-Up Conspiracy Roosevelt Row 2/21/14 Downtown Phoenix’s most bizarre DJ duo ever, The Wind-Up Conspiracy, made their public debut last night and added an extra touch of strange to the oddball art circus known as Third Friday. The distinctly strange twosome of DJ Birch and DJ Decca played their…
Cibo Matto Crescent Ballroom 2/21/14 It’s been a minute since the NYC-based band, whose name means “crazy food” in Italian has graced a Valley stage. And by a minute, we mean close to 15 years. Last night, supporting their first release in about that same amount of time, Cibo Matto…
Hear that? It’s the clock counting down the hours until your weekend begins and it’s nearing the magic moment known as quitting time. To help the time pass more quickly, you might consider what it is you’ll actually be doing during the next couple days and nights of work-free bliss…
Admit it: You’ve always longed for a music video that, in sum, features shots of bananas, pineapples, and other fruit; an explosively gaudy color scheme; several bizarre green-screen backgrounds seen at a rapid-fire pace; a rap interlude; a saxophone solo; lyrics about French bread and oysters; and the phrase “motherfucking…
Imagine Dragons U.S. Airways Center 2/17/14 Alternative rock hitmakers Imagine Dragons came to US Airways Center in Phoenix last night and were greeted by a lively Arizona crowd. The concert opened with “Fallen” as a faux moon rose above the stage. Lead singer Dan Reynolds told the near-sellout US Airways…
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…
If you just happened to blow town on Friday in honor of the big three-day weekend, you sort of missed a lot, concert-wise. Suffice it to say, there were some epic shows over the past 72 hours or so, including wild performances by Panic! at the Disco at Marquee Theatre…
There are names you might expect to read in a review of Jess Williamson’s Native State: Karen Dalton, Joanna Newsome, Devendra Banhart. But Pitchfork’s Lindsay Zoladz struck mighty close to the source when she compared Williamson’s voice to that of a coyote. Though it was clearly intended as an accolade,…
Crush Music Festival Arizona Event Center 2/15/14 Like any good Valentine’s Day date, the crowd at Crush Music Festival on Saturday night was hot, wet, and ready for action. Young ravers, EDM fans, and party monsters packed themselves into a sold-out Arizona Event Center in Mesa for the sixth edition…
Fetish Revolution feat. The Genitorturers Marquee Theatre 2/15/14 Last night, society’s outcasts, kink-cravers, pleather-wearing thrillseekers, and those looking to enjoy some pleasures of the flesh dressed in their finest and freakiest fetishistic wear made their way to the Marquee Theatre in Tempe for the 10th annual Fetish Revolution. This is…
Augustines Crescent Ballroom 2/15/14 You should never mess with a band’s encore. If you do, it might lead to some unexpected consequences, like with what happened at the end of last night’s Augustines show at the end of last night’s Augustines show. As midnight approached at the Crescent Ballroom on…
The Linecutters Long Wong’s 2/14/14 Although its always hard to tell how far any new band will go — and even harder when said band comprises high school juniors — local punkers The Linecutters seem to have it. The Gilbert-based thrash trio have been around only since September, but they…
Panic! at the Disco Marquee Theatre 2/14/14 Brendon Urie probably never thought he’d be the only original member standing from his band Panic! at the Disco, but being the sole survivor didn’t seem to bother him while performing in front of a sold-out crowd at Tempe’s Marquee Theatre Friday night…
St. Valentine’s Day Massacre The Sail Inn 2/14/14 There is a stark contrast between the playing styles of Field Tripp’s Dan Allmond and Brandon Decker. To wit: Decker appears to be a driven perfectionist looking to squeeze every bit of soul out of each note, while Allmond seems content as…
The Lawrence Arms Pub Rock 2/14/14 It’s safe to say that I had a better Valentine’s Day than the majority of the Valley. Unlike most of you, I didn’t have to deal with either setting sky-high expectations for a beau or sulking about being single — I just got to…
Hear that? It’s the clock counting down the hours until your weekend begins and it’s nearing the magic moment known as quitting time. To help the time pass more quickly, you might consider what it is you’ll actually be doing during the next couple days and nights of work-free bliss…
The Toasters Crescent Ballroom 2/12/14 It’s often said that good things come to those who wait. So after a decade of waiting, I finally got a chance Wednesday night to once again catch one of the oldest ska bands in the United States in concert: The Toasters. And despite having…
Bring Me the Horizon Marquee Theatre 2/11/14 British metalcore act Bring Me the Horizon not only sold out Tempe’s Marquee Theatre Tuesday night, but they also blew the roof off the place with a performance that demonstrated why the band is blowing up in the States. The five-piece blasted through…
