Andrew Bird Mesa Arts Center Wednesday, April 18 When I opened the doors of Mesa Arts Center last night to see indie rock whistle-master Andrew Bird, I was greeted by an ocean of flannel shirts and beards. Folks were politely waiting in line for an overpriced beer and excited to…
See also: M. Ward Discusses A Wasteland Companion, and His Arizona Ties to The Meat Puppets and Howe Gelb M. Ward Crescent Ballroom Tuesday, April 17, 2012 Following fIREHOSE’s blistering set of punk jazz, I was almost worried that the hushed immediacy of Portland-based singer/songwriter/producer M. Ward would suffer by…
See also: fIREHOSE’s Ed Crawford: “It Was Our Job. We Fuckin’ Showed Up Every Day.” fIREHOSE Crescent Ballroom Tuesday, April 17, 2012 I entered the Crescent Ballroom with a mix of anticipation and apprehension in my gut. Soon to be on stage was fIREHOSE, a band I frequented in the…
For more than a decade, industrial electro/rock band The Strand have increasingly become known for an electrifying stage presence, undeniable talent, and enigmatic sexual energy. They’ve been known to frequent the Valley’s fetish balls and favored intimate venues. And they have a knack for seducing the crowd — not just…
Frankie Rose and Chandails Rhythm Room Monday, April 16 To all aspiring indie rock mavens: no matter how many blog accolades you acquire (even, yes, the three-pronged hydra of “Best New Music”) or how many spine-crushingly cool side-projects bolster your C.V., at some point you will play Phoenix, Arizona on…
School is almost out for summer but for the Mathmadix crew, class will still be in session when their long-awaited album, In a Class of our Own, finally drops on April 20. “We’ve been trying to drop this album for a couple years now and it’s been difficult because of…
Gabrielle CanonGiant Flower at CoachellaSee also: Best of Coachella: Sunday, April 15 See also: Top 10 Awkward Dance Moves at Coachella (GIFs) By Gabrielle Canon Coachella-goers arrived to the festival Sunday to find a giant 100 foot tall lotus flower on the grounds near the Gobi tent. Trippy! The crazy…
See also: Coachella: Radiohead’s Weekend 1 Set Has No Alarms and No Surprises See also: The Best of Coachella Sunday, April 15, 2012 By Ben Westhoff At Coachella, folks come from all over the world to lose themselves in the music. They’ll employ almost anything in this quest — but…
Timothy Norris/LA WeeklySee also: Coachella: Radiohead’s Weekend 1 Set Has No Alarms and No Surprises See also: The Best of Coachella Sunday, April 15, 2012 By Lilledeshan Bose Aging hipsters–the very same people Coachella targeted when it began holding the music fest in Indio–are usually easy to spot on the…
Andrew Youssef/OC WeeklySnoop!See also: *The Best Of Coachella: Saturday, April 14 *Top Ten Awkward Coachella Dance Move GIFs Wow, that was fast! In a whirlwind of top-notch performances from legends and buzz bands alike, pool parties, and rain, Coachella’s first weekend is over. Here are our scribes’ favorite moments from…
Soulive McDowell Mountain Music Festival at Compound GrillSunday, April 15 Groove is what you make of it, and Soulive makes plenty of groovin’ music. This trio from New York City–brothers Neal and Alan Evans, on Hammond B-3 organ and drums, respectively, and guitarist Eric Krasno–draw inspiration from mid-1960s soul jazz…
The Travelin’ McCourys featuring Keller Williams McDowell Mountain Music Festival at Compound GrillSunday, April 15This unexpected pairing of bluegrass royalty and one man band loop master looks from the outside to be an awkward marriage of convenience, with the McCourys ambling in for Williams’ latest whim of making a bluegrass record…
See also: Download: Nite Jewel’s Sultry, Direct Song “In the Dark” Chairlift, Nite Jewel, and Bell Crescent Ballroom Saturday, April 14 Watching the trio of on-the-rise bands at Crescent, I saw three very different approaches to both stage presence and synth-driven pop. Headliners Chairlift struck a very entertaining balance between…
See also: Coachella: Radiohead’s Weekend 1 Set Has No Alarms and No Surprises See also: Coachella: The Black Lips’ Cole Alexander Goes Full Monty, Plays Guitar With His Ding-Dong See also: Best of Coachella Weekend One: Friday, April 13 Everyone was ready to shit their pants for Radiohead, but there…
See also: A Look at the Creamy Radio Stage at McDowell Mountain Music Festival See also: Galactic’s Robert Mercurio on Carnivale Electricos See also: Ozomatli, Galactic, and More at McDowell Mountain Music Festival Dark Star Orchestra McDowell Mountain Music Festival at Compound Grill Saturday, April 14 A good part of…
See also: Big & Rich and Jake Owen at Country Thunder in Florence, 4/13/12 Country Thunder Caynon Moon Ranch in Florence, Arizona Saturday, April 14, 2012 After Friday’s fraught and frightful driving experience to Country Thunder, I shut off the GPS and drove from memory. All went smoothly and I…
Andrew Youssef/OC Weekly Radiohead Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Indio April 14, 2012 By Adam Lovinus Radiohead might have a problem. They are so consistently great that an elite performance, such as the one turned in Saturday night at Coachella, could be seen as missing that element of surprise…
See also: *The Best Of Coachella: Day One *”What My Spirit Hood Means To Me”: Coachella-Goers Explain *Coachella Preview 2012: Everything You Need to Know About the Performers By Kai Flanders The Black Lips started off Saturday at Coachella with a bang. The flower-punk band from Atlanta, Georgia decided to…
Gabrielle CanonSee also: *Spirit Hoods: The Weirdest Fashion Startup Ever *Expected Fashion Trends at Coachella By Gabrielle Canon Spirit Hoods are back! At Coachella this year these fuzzy animal-themed head gears resembling furs (but not!) have returned with a vengeance; one’s instinct remains, as always, to mock them, but this…
Day one of The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival brought something more unusual than ironic outfits or that poor guy who couldn’t get his flip flops on for the life of him: this year there was rain. The festival held in the Southern California desert is known for scorching, sometimes three-digit…
See also: The Five People You Will Meet at Country Thunder Country Thunder Canyon Moon Ranch in Florence, Arizona Friday, April 13, 2012 I’m not superstitious, but it’s hard to brush off the supreme bad luck I had on Friday the 13th, attempting to drive my Nissian Maxima to Day…
See also: A Look at the Creamy Radio Stage at McDowell Mountain Music Festival See also: Galactic’s Robert Mercurio on Carnivale Electricos McDowell Mountain Music Festival Outside of The Compound Grill Friday, April 13, 2012 Dark ominous clouds, chilly 70-degree weather, and one of the most superstitious days of the…
