Pinback, Crescent Ballroom, 1/31/13

Pinback @ Crescent Ballroom|1/31/13After interviewing singer/guitarist Rob Crow and having an at-length discussion of Star Wars, my expectations for Pinback’s live show were set pretty high. He said somewhat vaguely, “Everybody agrees these are the best shows that we’ve ever played,” which made me feel a little skeptical, but the…

Top Five Must-See Shows This Week In Phoenix

Yeah, yeah, yeah…we get it. Mondays suck (we’ve read Garfield). But it means the start of a new week, which means a bunch of killer shows in and around Phoenix. And here are a few of the coolest — our top five must-see shows this week. See also: -Stop Hating…

W&W, Wild Knight, 1/25/13

W&W @ Wild Knight|1/25/13I am not the biggest trance fanatic, but somehow, slowly but surely, its gotten its hooks in me. Applying aural dynamics, 110 to 150 beats per minute are dropped into tempo creates such a magical and melodic sound, and Dutch trance duo W&W proved its mastery of…

The Father Figures, Crescent Ballroom, 1/25/13

The Father Figures @ Crescent Ballroom|1/25/13Not that I had any doubts, but I’m starting to think that there’s really no such thing as a bad Father Figures show. This hybrid punk/post punk trio has decades of experience in various musical endeavors and it shows. The attention to detail pays off;…

Stop Hating on the 2013 Coachella Lineup

Each year, like many of you, I impatiently wait for the Coachella lineup to be announced. Sometimes it’s disappointing (if Daft Punk says they’re not touring, chances are they’re not playing the festival), but there’s always going be a few redeeming artists. At best the lineup will be amazing, and…

Coachella 2013 Official Lineup is Posted

The wait, as they say, is finally over. You can cease all the speculation of who the hell is officially playing this year’s Coachella as Goldenvoice unveiled the lineup in grand fashion. See also: -Who Is Really Playing Coachella This Year? -The Rolling Stones Aren’t Playing Coachella, but Some Great…

Lady Gaga, US Airways Center, 1/23/13 (VIDEO)

Lady Gaga@ US Airways Center|1/23/13It’s been a hot minute since Lady Gaga released any new music, but that didn’t stop her Little Monsters from coming out in full force to support her at her sold-out Born This Way Ball at US Airways Center last night. The more than 2-hour long…

Coachella’s “Bloom” Video: WTF Does it Mean?

Yesterday afternoon, the home page of the Coachella website changed to a video called “Bloom,” which shows plants and art exhibits sprouting from the ground. Some look pretty creepy–did those worm/slug things 30 seconds into the video really just form a structure? At least the rest are fairly cute or…

Social Distortion, Marquee Theatre, 1/22/13

Social Distortion @ Marquee Theatre|1/22/23By most standards, I arrived on the Social Distortion scene rather late, some 15 years ago. I wasn’t much older than 14 when I bought my first album, and was — like most fans — immediately hooked. Many of us grew up on the lyrics of…

Iamwe, Crescent Ballroom, 1/19/13

Iamwe @ Crescent Ballroom| 1/19/13We’re going to need another venue. Iamwe is a rare exception in indie music. Last night, the local rockers packed Crescent Ballroom to release their album, Run Wild. After touring the East Coast with Anberlin, the boys returned to their hometown to play their first headlining…

Trampled By Turtles, Marquee Theatre, 1/19/13

Trampled by Turtles @ Marquee Theatre|1/19/13The rumors are true: There’s nothing like a Minnesotan man. Better yet, there’s nothing like a group of Minnesotan men gifted with knowledge, skill, and artistic sensitivity performing exciting and powerful music. This might sound like a cheap generalization, there’s no way to better simplify…