A collection of observations from the Dave Matthews Bands’ performance at Cricket Wireless Pavilion, time-stamped by solo:Time: First violin solo (presumed)As DMB hit stage promptly at 8 p.m., the ticket line is not moving. The reason? A graying gentleman with a backwards Callaway ballcap, sunglasses perched on it even though…
It’s rare to see a fight at a Phoenix show. When that fight is between two girls standing outside a Scottsdale art gallery where they just witnessed a brilliant performance by a banjo-playing bluesman from Iowa? Well, that’s just weird.Yes, William Elliot Whitmore’s show at Chyro Arts was quite a…
First Friday in Photos Local music was the focus of First Friday on May 1, 2009. Back Ted N-Ted hit up Roosevelt Row for an outside gig, while local favs What Laura Says, and Dry River Yacht Club battled it out for band supremacy at Phoenix Art Museum. See more shots…
In the disorganized menagerie of music and art that you’ll find at a typical Phoenix First Friday, I’ve found that it’s usually best to show up without plans and let the muse lead you. Friday night I showed up with a mission, though: See Back Ted N-Ted at Lost Leaf…
[jump] FRIDAY, MAY 1: Tomcat Courtney[blues]8 p.m., $7Rhythm Room, 1019 E. Indian School Rd., Phoenix, 602-265-4842. DJ Matt DareyWith Sean Essex, & Brook B[trance/house]9 p.m., $5-$20Myst, 7340 E. Shoeman Ln., Scottsdale, 480-970-5000. Bruce Fine[comedy]8 & 10 p.m., $10-$12The Comedy Spot, 7117 E. Third Ave., Scottsdale, 480-945-4422. Jim Florentine[comedy]8 p.m.., $20Club…
Before the Unwigged & Unplugged show even started last night, the official Spinal Tap moment had already happened. When the announcer came onstage at Dodge Theatre to do the customary plugging of upcoming shows, he looked over the half-full house and noted that the guys backstage had asked him if…
The Flaming Lips Dazzle at McDowell Mountain Music Festival Major labels get a lot of flack. Whether it’s because they supposedly put out nothing but overly-commercialized crap, or because they’re suing computer-using kids in a vain effort to salvage their busted business model, it’s rare to hear anyone say anything nice…
Major labels get a lot of flack. Whether it’s because they supposedly put out nothing but overly-commercialized crap, or because they’re suing computer-using kids in a vain effort to salvage their busted business model, it’s rare to hear anyone say anything nice about the Big Four. That’s why Flaming Lips…
So between New Times and my “day job” I get to go to more shows and festivals than anyone ever should. After a while you notice that most share a lot more in common than you might think after you look past line-ups. Sitting in the VIP area at MMMF…
The sun has set at McDowell Mountain Music Festival and the crazies have run to the parking lot to retrieve their pink robot costumes for the big Flaming Lips closer. As for the rest of us, we’ve run out to get our jackets as it’s about as cold a night…
This weekend marks a big occasion for fans of outdoor music festivals and jam-ish bands: the McDowell Mountain Music Festival. The lineup boasts The Flaming Lips, Matisyahu and Michael Franti — a pretty solid lineup for such a festival (and I didn’t even include Hot Tuna). Those artists all lend…
What’s there to do this weekend? A lot. Unless you’ve been living under a rock somewhere (or haven’t been reading Up on the Sun much lately), you probably aware that fearless freak Wayne Coyne and the rest of the Flaming Lips are performing on Saturday at the massive multi-day McDowell…
Since my day at Coachella I’ve been asked by a lot of people if I discovered any cool new bands. Actually, I did: The Aggrolites. I have to admit, I was pretty skeptical about the band, who took the stage after local boys Dear and the Headlights, when I first…
Best of Coachella 2009 The festival’s tenth anniversary took place again this past weekend in the Indio desert with Paul McCartney, M.I.A., Leonard Cohen, My Bloody Valentine. Food and Fights: Highlights of the 2009 Scottsdale Culinary Festival Everyone who’s anyone in the Phoenix metro culinary scene, from local foodies to…
I know it’s probably unfair to compare a crowd at the Marquee to a crowd at Coachella — where the music-obsessed kids even greeted the white reggae band who came on after local boys Dear and the Headlights like The Beatles at Shea Stadium — but since Franz Ferdinand and I were both…
Believe it or not, record stores still function in this digital day and age. On top of that, this Saturday is Record Store Day, or “Time to Give a Shit About Record Stores.” While record stores are a debatable topic, a day that celebrates music in an orderly fashion is…
[jump] THURSDAY, APRIL 16: The Brian Jonestown Massacre [rock/pop/indie] With Flavor Crystals 8 p.m., $15 The Clubhouse Music Venue, 1320 E. Broadway Rd., Tempe, 480-968-3238. Grayskul With The Insects, Crusher Sound System, DJ Element, Pickster One, Emerg McVay, & more [hip-hop] 9 p.m., $10 Club Red, 2155 E. University Dr.,…
Comparing Conor Oberst to Bob Dylan is somewhat old hat. It’s easy enough to make a case for grouping the two Midwestern singer-songwriters known for folky instrumentation and unique styles of story-telling, and people have been since Oberst’s days as a child prodigy in Omaha. But what really strikes me…
Well the long wait is over: those in power at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival (Goldenvoice) have released the set times for this weekend’s affair. An initial glance at things shows a pretty smooth flow for the weekend, with minimal conflict for fans of the same genres. Picking…
Zombie Ball: Undead Dancers and One Freaky Side Show I was halfway to the drug store when I remembered what I was wearing: a suit coat stained with blood and ripped to as though it had been run over. My face was paled like parafin and my eyes were sunken…
This Saturday marks the 2009 installment of Arizona’s own Horns and Halos’ Zombie Ball. Knowing what Horns and Halos is capable of, this Saturday will be an epic event, sure to bring out the most devoted zombie fans and other fans of fetish/adult oriented entertainment. It’s remarkable to try and…
Does anyone have any concert-going energy left (or any money, for that matter) after last week’s ginormous orgy of music events? We definitely do, which is why our asses will be out and about this weekend. Since Easter is on Sunday, the schedule is somewhat lighter than normal, but there’s…
