Top Five Must-See Shows This Week

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…

Top Five Shows to See This Weekend

Curious about what’s going on around town this weekend? Need some suggestions where to rock, dance, or krump in the Valley of the Sun? Don’t fret: These are our Five Shows to See This Weekend. Unable to get out of town and head to the massive Apache Lake Music Festival…

Lindsey Stirling on YouTube Fame and Returning to Her Hometown

Violinist Lindsey Stirling has a little something for everyone, primarily mixing classical and electronic music together. She became a YouTube sensation thanks to her innovative covers. She even wore elf ears in her Zelda suite. Her music videos are just as beautiful as her music, traveling to locales like New…

Father John Misty, Rhythm Room, 10/10/12

Father John Misty @ Rhythm Room”I want to do what a stripper does, and in another way do what a carnival barker does, or a shaman, some kind of Pentecostal preacher,” Josh Tillman, the singer/songwriter known by his alter ego Father John Misty, said when we spoke in advance of…

Metric, Marquee Theatre, 10/10/12

Metric @ Marquee Theatre| 10/10/12The moment the word “escape” crossed Emily Haines’ lips, it’s hard to go back. In concert Wednesday, as it is on the band’s latest release Synthetica, “escape” comes in the first verse of the first song. If there’s a time to think about what that means,…

President Gator Records Launches This Weekend at Crescent Ballroom

Downtown Phoenix regulars know Jeremiah Gratza — he’s that dapper guy with white-rimmed glasses and usually a snazzy hat — as Director of Operations of local promotion house Stateside Presents. But Gratza is looking to expand his resume by launching a brand new vinyl imprint. Gratza is celebrating the birth…

2 Live Crew Live in Phoenix (in 1990)

By Shea Serrano 8:45 p.m.: So here’s what this is: More than 20 years ago, 2 Live Crew, one of rap’s most notoriously offensive acts, performed in Phoenix. The concert was recorded and released as a live show album called The 2 Live Crew Live In Concert. It came out…

The Black Keys, US Airways Center, 10/9/12

The Black Keys @ US Airways|10/9/12The Black Keys have come a long way since their last performance in Phoenix a year and a half ago. They released a new album, El Camino, played prime time slots at Coachella two years in a row, and performed at a much larger venue…

The Hives, Marquee Theatre, 10/9/12

The Hives @ Marquee Theatre|10/9/12Eleven miles from the US Airways Center, at The Marquee Theatre, an important question was pondered tonight. “Do any of you like The Black Keys?” asked Hives lead singer Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist. Every band that took the stage before the Swedish garage rock band got to…

Grimes, Crescent Ballroom, 10/8/12

Grimes @ Crescent Ballroom| 10/8/12What a difference six months makes. The last time Canadian synth-pop visionary Grimes visited Phoenix, her set was riddled with painful sound problems and an unruly crowd. Rumor had it Grimes herself separated the bathroom fight that resulted in a swarm of cops in the parking…

Five Bands to Catch at Apache Lake Music Festival

Apache Lake Music Festival has grown leaps and bounds since its launch in 2010. The festival now spans three days and features nearly twice as many bands as last year’s installment, Arizona’s beloved local music fest has continued to expand in size and scope in no time at all. See…

Top Five Must-See Shows This Week

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…

Zero Zero, Rogue Bar, 10/5/12

Zero Zero Album Release Party @ Rogue Bar | 10/5/12As you might notice by the timing of this posting, I come from that age-old school of being fashionably late. (I try to limit these things to social gatherings, dinner dates and house parties, but every so often the habit bleeds…

The Hood Internet, Bar Smith, 10/5/12

Hood Internet @ Bar Smith| 10/5/12Generally speaking, the later someone stays out, the more fun they have soaking up the local nightlife. This isn’t always the case, though — if you stay out all night and pass out on a stranger’s floor, you probably aren’t having the best of times…

Minibosses Gear Up for Their 250th Show

If you’re a diehard fan of video games and you’ve never listened to The Minibosses, you should be ashamed of yourself. The local band by way of Massachusetts performs rock versions of classic Nintendo video game soundtracks. The Minibosses are scheduled to perform their 250th show at Yucca Tap Room…

Robyn Hitchcock, Musical Instrument Museum, 10/4/12

Robyn Hitchcock @ Musical Instrument Museum| 10/4/12The Musical Instrument Museum theater was a lonely place this evening, with a scant 50 music insiders in attendance to hear one of England’s great musical treasures, Robyn Hitchcock. Insiders, I say, because it takes a certain kind of music fan, one that appreciates…

Big Gigantic, Marquee Theater, 10/3/12

Big Gigantic @ Marquee Theatre|10/3/12Doors at 6:30 is pretty strange thing to me, but when it comes to music I like to be punctual. I want to make sure all is set for an entertaining night. Due Big Gigantic has always stood to the left of EDM, owing as much…

Jason Mraz, US Airways Center, 10/2/12 (VIDEO)

Jason Mraz @US Airways Center|10/2/12 Whoever was high at the Jason Mraz concert last night most likely had a blast. There were bright and swirling colors, extensive jam sessions, and captivating backgrounds that shifted from scenes of clouds in the sky to images of the universe rotating around — not…

Mt. Eerie and Bouquet, Crescent Ballroom, 10/1/12

Mt. Eerie and Bouquet @ Crescent Ballroom| 10/1/12Phil Elverum, the veteran soothsayer behind blackened avant-folk monolith Mt. Eerie, did two things that he hasn’t done in Phoenix for a very long time. First: he played with a full ensemble, complete with Sunn amp stacks and ominous keys, harboring a set…

Nick Lowe, The Musical Instrument Museum, 10/1/12

Nick Lowe @ The Musical Instrument Museum|10/1/12If the tag “The Jesus of Cool” strikes you as hyperbolic or overblown, you’ve never watched 63-year-old Nick Lowe strut onto the stage, strap on his big Gibson J-200, and proceed to crack jokes and break hearts for 90 minutes. Lowe, with his easy…