If you aren't familiar with his band, Mr. Meeble or his famed anti-Arpaio activism that includes a Facebook group and a SB1070 protest involving a pair of handcuffs, you'll want to be after you read about our night out.
The Meet Up: We started the night at The Rhythm Room to check out Devin's band mate Rick Heins' guest gig with another local band.
The venue's crowd was inviting and eclectic, ranging from regular bar flies to young hip music lovers. We stayed long enough for Devin and Rick to talk shop about an upcoming
art and music show at The Sail Inn on April 30 but left shortly after Rick's performance.
The Company: Devin is the guy you feel like you see everywhere.
This could be because you really do see him everywhere supporting the local scene or because his sideburns and contagious energy tend to make a lasting impression on everyone in the room.
We made a quick stop at the nearest gas station to grab some essential items before our next venture: A case of beer, a banana and some peanut butter crackers.
NEXT: Pablo Gomez's house in Downtown Phoenix for what Devin calls "crate digging" and "a meeting of the minds."
Inside Pablo's house the boys' geek out over new music and let me in on a little secret. The two have recently signed on for a special one time performance at Bar Smith for Solstice Saturday's, an established night dedicated to house music. Their collaboration is kinda a big deal and may or may not include a giant laser.
Favorite Spot(s): SideBar for Retro Hi-Fi, a place that's always Fleenor friend heavy. Pablo came along and we were met by an array of friendly locally involved faces, including DJ Radar, Rani G, Craig Citizen, Tondra Dene and Reuben Martinez.
On the way home, Devin shares his views on Phoenix. He expresses the difficulty in living here because of things like the political climate and inferiority complexes. "If people stopped saying things like, It's cool ... for Phoenix, we wouldn't have to be this second tier city. There's enough talented people here, we just need to step it up."
From tonight's events alone, it seems that as long as Phoenix inhabits people like Devin Fleenor, things will be stepped up.
