Fiesta Bowl Block Party @ Mill Avenue District

Since the Fiesta Bowl Block Party began taking over downtown Tempe on New Year's Eve, it's either become the absolute best place to be or the one place you want to avoid — depending on the crowd you run with. Either way, music fans are curious to know who will...

By Sarah Ventre

December 30, 2010

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Since the Fiesta Bowl Block Party began taking over downtown Tempe on New Year's Eve, it's either become the absolute best place to be or the one place you want to avoid — depending on the crowd you run with. Either way, music fans are curious to know who will play, how good they'll sound, and how much it will be worth it to stand in a crowd of drunken, puking people (a large percentage of whom are tourists) for several hours to hear a classic rock band. Thankfully, the Block Party has always tried to remain fairly local-centric, and this year it has doubled down on PHX. Phoenix acts always play on small stages scattered throughout the area, and this year, the headlining band is Jimmy Eat World. They are given the dubious honor of entertaining the hot mess of a crowd, many of them football fans in town for bowl games. Though the event has come to entail far more than just a concert, it's nice to know that when it's televised, the band ringing in the New Year at the largest block party in our time zone is one that locals can be proud of — even if said crowd isn't totally conscious.

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