Yuck at Rhythm Room Last Night

YuckThursday, February 10, 2011Rhythm Room, PhoenixMy ears are still ringing as I write this, and I couldn’t be happier. Normally, I loathe doling out such large amounts of damage to my eardrums, but if it was at the hands of North London buzz band Yuck, then I think I can…

Tennis at Rhythm Room Last Night

Tennis Rhythm Room Tuesday, February 8, 2011 So it was — a waif, diminutive indie chanteuse and her prim, penny-loafer adorned husband took to the stage last night. The local crowd came out in impressive numbers for a Tuesday night in February. People were dancing, nodding their heads in appreciation of the laid-back, effervescent music. And…

John Legend at ASU Gammage Last Night

John LegendFebruary 8, 2011ASU Gammage AuditoriumJohn Only needed his voice and a piano to make a huge impression at Gammage auditorium last night.Legend’s show, sponsored by Arizona State University’s undergraduate student government and the black/African coalition, was held in celebration of Black History Month, and that background heavily flavored the…

Daniel Bernard Roumain Last Night at ASU Gammage

My name is Benjamin and I’m a classical music lover. I grew up in a household where Pachelbel’s Canon, Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, and Handel’s Messiah were played regularly. I’m also a big fan of hip-hop, although not to the degree of some of my colleagues (who can craft outstanding blogs…

Interpol at Marquee Theatre Last Night

Interpol Marquee Theatre Saturday, February 5, 2011Interpol hasn’t headlined a Phoenix show since 2004, a few months after Antics was released. In 2005 they visited our state twice, playing Edgefest, and Coconuts, a small Tucson bar that is now closed. Since then, Arizona has been skipped on every tour, including…

Calexico at Corona Ranch Last Night

Someone at Corona Ranch realized it was after 11 p.m. Someone knew the band had been playing for damn-near two-hours. Someone wanted to punch their time-card and go home, not caring to hear a truly stellar Southwesternized version of “Tomorrow Never Knows,” which you’d have to imagine part-time Tucsonian Paul…

No Age at The Trunk Space Last Night

No AgeThe Trunk SpaceSunday, January 30, 2011The Los Angeles noise rock duo No Age has toured relentlessly during the past year. They were originally scheduled to play at The Clubhouse Music Venue in December, but rescheduled the end of their U.S. tour for last night at The Trunk Space.Singer/drummer Dean Spunt…

Handsome Family at Rhythm Room Last Night

Handsome FamilyRhythm RoomSunday, January 30th, 2011″We stopped for coffee, in the redwood forest,” Handsome Family guitarist/vocalist Brett Sparks sang, opening Sunday night’s cozy show at the Rhythm Room. The lyrics, written by his wife and Handsome Family bassist/banjo-playing vocalist Rennie, are typical of the duo’s gothic Americana; specific to time…

Against Me! at Nile Theater Last Night

​Against Me!Nile TheaterFriday, January 28, 2011It was, I imagine, with a touch of irony that Against Me! opened their show at the all-ages and bone-dry Nile Theater with “Pints Of Guinness Make You Strong.” “And just like James, I’ll be drinking Irish tonight,” sang Tom Gabel which, of course is…

Ozzy Osbourne and Slash at Comerica Theatre Last Night

Ozzy Osbourne and Slash Comerica Theatre January 26th, 2011 Have you ever wondered what happened to the people who appeared in the ’80s rock documentary Heavy Metal Parking Lot? Well, from the looks of it they were all standing in a line that stretched around the Comerica Theatre last night…

The Get Up Kids at Clubhouse Music Venue Last Night

At any given point in a man’s life, he’s got that one shirt — be it a tee, polo, western, or over-sized Packers jersey — that just stands a bit taller than the rest of the crowd. A shirt with such a distinguished place in the normal shirt rotation, that…

Underoath and Cradle of Filth: A Double Q&A on Religion and Music

It’s hard to imagine two bands farther apart philosophically than Underoath and Cradle of Filth.Tampa, Florida’s Underoath have been at the forefront of a Christian metalcore explosion over the past decade, releasing seven albums since 1999 and establishing themselves as one of the most successful Christian metal acts of all…

Best Coast at Clubhouse Music Venue Last Night

You know what record is severely — “criminally,” one might say if they were given to old timey rock writer sayings — underrated? Hole’s Live Through This. Some (a lot? a bit? — I’m not exactly sure) of this certainly has to do with the oft-whispered allegations that Kurt Cobain…

Air Supply at Talking Stick Resort Last Weekend

Air SupplyTalking Stick ResortSunday, January 16″Are you ready to fall in love tonight?” Air Supply singer-guitarist Graham Russell asked the crowd between songs Sunday night at Talking Stick Resort. It wasn’t really a question. It was a declaration: Oh, you will fall in love tonight, bitches. Count on it. To…

Kinch at Rogue Bar Last Night

KinchSaturday, January 15, 2011Rogue Bar, ScottsdaleThe Rock ‘N’ Roll Arizona Marathon was this morning — thousands of runners, both locals and tourists, jogged 26 miles of Valley streets on a warm January day.The race wasn’t the weekend’s only impressive show of endurance along Scottsdale Road, though. Kinch’s second week of…

Joe Strummer Benefit at George & Dragon

Joe Strummer Benefit  George & Dragon Pub & Restaurant January 15th, 2011Phoenix’s punk community might not be the biggest or brightest music scene in the Valley, but, damn, it most definitely knows how to throw one hell of a wild wingding. For instance, the annual Joe Strummer Benefit that took…

Social Distortion at Marquee Theatre Last Night

Social Distortion Marquee Theatre January 13th, 2011It’s a testament to Social Distortion’s prominent influence on younger punk rock n’ roll bands that two songs in to opening band Dead Relatives’ set, I thought they were Social Distortion.  It’s either a testament to that or how crappy a music critic I…