SXSW, AZ Derby Dames, Chandler BBQ, and Doughnuts Paired With Beer Over the Weekend

SXSW: Japan Nite There was no shortage of variety to the musical stylings presented at this year’s SXSW Music Conference, but you’d be hard-pressed to find more genres represented at a single showcase outside of Japan Nite at Austin’s Elysium venue. Featuring the likes of Omodaka, Okamoto’s, Chatmonchy, and Jinny Oops!, Japan Nite continued its fifteen year tradition of introducing the West to some of Japan’s best bands…see photos

Courtney Love and Hole at Spin’s SXSW Party Courtney Love and Hole tore through Spin Magazine’s party at SXSW, playing hits from their debut on down through her new “Skinny Little Bitch.”…see photos

Chandler BBQ Throwdown Burns Brisket and Bridges ​They came for delicious smoked meat. They left having found long lines for some of the worst barbecue served this side of the Mississippi. If you follow a lot of local foodies on twitter — or if you’re otherwise plugged in to the world of barbecue — you’ve probably heard that the Chandler BBQ Throwdown was a disaster…full story

Beer and Donuts: Together At Last at Il Vanaio ​It’s an idea so obvious it’s surprising it hasn’t been done before: beer with donuts. Though someone somewhere has probably tried it (maybe Paul Westerberg?) Mesa’s Il Vanaio took the pairing of microbrews and hot-out-of-the- fryer gourmet donuts to a new level Saturday with its first in a planned semi-annual series of tastings involving Homer Simpson’s two favorite foodstuffs…full story

AZ Derby Dames at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum The AZ Derby Dames did battle on their first banked track at Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum. See the Schoolyard Scrappers take on the Brutal Beauties and the Coffin Draggers destroy the Runaway Brides in these photos…see photos