There was no amount of banter, bad jokes, costume changes, or iconic rock songs that could save anyone with the last name Van Halen from lead singer David Lee Roth last night at Ak-Chin Pavilion. From the opening notes of “Light Up the Sky” the flamboyant frontman never stood a…
October has to be one of the greatest months of the year in Arizona. Not only is the weather finally, finally cooling down—but metalheads get to embrace the influx of heavy metal concerts that come to town, right in time for Halloween. With so much going on, it can be…
With a self-titled album coming from local minimal art imprint Moone Records, and by taking on a darker, more mature and full-bodied sound, it’s taking every effort to resist saying “Pro Teens are growing up.” Indeed, the sextet have come a long way since their singles “Puberty” and “Teen Feels,”…
J There are headliners for festivals, and then there are headliners for festivals. The closing night of the Summer Ends Music Festival was undoubtedly the latter of the two, as every act to perform before Kanye West just felt like an opener for the man known to many as Yeezus…
Love him or hate him, Eddie Van Halen changed the rock-guitar world forever. I play guitar and have been in bands for many years, so he was always someone I was aware of. There was no way to ignore Eddie’s presence if you were interested in hard rock of any…
The Foo Fighters might be the most fun band in rock. Friday night at Ak-Chin Pavilion, Dave Grohl and the rest of the Foos played almost two-and-a-half hours of relentless rock ’n’ roll, and Grohl had a smile on his face the whole time. Not too many pop stars come…
Van Halen – Monday, September 28 – Van HalenA small handful of players in rock history have dramatically changed people’s expectations of what was possible to do with an electric guitar. That doesn’t necessarily mean that I have to like their music, but it would be dishonest to say that…
For the second straight year, Saturday at Tempe’s Summer Ends Music Festival encountered an unexpected issue. At least this time they didn’t force everyone up the street into the Marquee Theatre. About two songs into Rebelution’s 7 p.m. set, the music stopped and an announcement came from the festival’s other…
I knew things had gone a little too smoothly on Thursday night, everything was like clockwork. With that in mind I was sure it would be the same case, but alas it was not. I approached the media check in with a smile and was very nearly scolded and told…
It’s a great time to be Dierks Bentley these days. The homegrown country music superstar, who has deep roots in the Valley, performed a surprise duet with Taylor Swift during a recent concert in Kansas City, dropped the fifth hit single from his latest album Riser earlier this summer, and…
It’s safe to say that the first day of the Summer Ends Music Festival was a pretty great success, at least from a talent perspective. It honestly didn’t feel much like a festival so much as a concert in the park. Sure there were vendor, tents, and a massive stage,…
You might not understand the lyrics in Groupo Liberdade’s new song “Batucada do Sol,” sung in Portuguese by Amanda Soares and Poranguí, but the energy the seven-piece band transfers to its listeners is infectious. The Afro-Brazilian band, going strong for more than 10 years, mixes samba, samba reggae, coco, maracatu…
Holy Fawn – “Colossus” At the same moment that Ryan Osterman announced that after two original full length albums, an album of covers, and an EP, Owl & Penny had run its course, he also announced that he would be spearheading a new endeavor. That new band is called Holy Fawn…
One of the coolest shows coming through town this week (and there are plenty) is happening at the Pressroom on Friday. San Francisco’s Thee Oh Sees will make their third stop in Phoenix this year, but this time they have two really cool opening acts, Tucson’s Lenguas Largas and Desert Hot Springs,…
There’s a story circulating about Royal Blood, the hottest export from England since fish and chips. The story claims that drummer Ben Thatcher picked up friend and bassist Mike Kerr at the airport and Kerr immediately said, “Let’s form a band.” Incredibly, the band performed its first gig the next…
Thousands upon thousands came to Rawhide Western Town in Chandler recently, all of whom had pretty much the same goal in mind — partying their asses off at the Valley’s biggest electronic dance music event of the year, the Mad Decent Block Party. They came clad in off-kilter costumes, neon-colored…
While it might not necessarily feel like it right now, the summer is officially over. Yes, we’re aware that its still going to be hot for the next couple of weeks or so, but according to the calendar, the season that we all dread and ultimately must all suffer through…
Trust us, it was great.
In 1981, most folks thought punk rock died with Sid Vicious, Black Flag was a bug spray, and skateboarding was an activity confined to a handful of lunatics in California. Hardcore punk and skateboarding were both interests that folks had to learn about the hard way, before the Internet put…
Every Wednesday is Heritage Hump Day! That’s because every Wednesday from now to the end of the year or before someone really big stops us, Heritage Hump Records (a temporary subsidiary of Onus Records) and New Times will be bringing you a limited edition collector’s item of a much beloved…
The owner of Crescent Ballroom and Valley Bar, Levy fills his businesses with his own love of the city. My job is to make spaces where artists can present their craft and others can enjoy that craft. I came from Louisiana in the late 1980s to attend ASU. Since then,…
Through the early 2000s, Phoenix wasn’t much of a music festival city. Outside of Lollapalooza’s initial stop in 1991, significant music festivals were virtually nonexistent in the Valley. Festivals weren’t the monstrous industry they are now, but as the scene began to grow and expand from a few festivals to…
