Curious what's going on around town this weekend? Need some suggestions as to how to rock, dance, or krump in the Valley of the Sun? Don't fret: These are our Five Shows to See This Weekend. Hunx and His Punx @ Yucca Tap Room
Ever since its genesis with Chuck Berry and Elvis, the rock formula has consisted of three parts fun and one part danger. Proto-punkers like the MC5 and The Stooges gradually shifted the ratio a bit, but somewhere down the line, the guitar-based offspring of blues, rock 'n' roll, and punk got it in its mind that outright joy had no place in music (looking at you, ponderous proggers and mathletes).
Seth Bogart, the flamboyant frontman best known as Hunx, harks back to the original recipe: three parts fun, one part debauched stage insanity, lather, rinse, repeat (and as a professional hairdresser, he knows that last part well).
Bogart, who was born in Tucson, has been playing his freaky '50s revival rock since 2007 with his Oakland-based outfit Hunx and His Punx. The group has gone through a few lineup changes (most notably, his all-female backing band iteration called Hunx and his Punkettes), but the sock-hopping guitar chords and doo-wop vocals have remained the same.
As a gay-fronted punk band, Hunx and his Punx would seem like an outlier. Even in the Bay Area itself, independent Oakland plays as a faster, dirtier cousin to San Francisco and its renowned psychedelic history. While lo-fi songwriting wizard Ty Segall and prolific scuzz-rock marathoners Thee Oh Sees shred bluesy psych trails on the S.F. side of the Bay Bridge, Oakland maintains its adherence to theatrically fearless first-wave rock 'n' roll. --Chase Kamp
Since taking over The Morning Infidelity in 2009, Brad Pffirman, known locally as Beef Vegan, has pushed local music from bands such as Mergence, The Love Me Nots, Kongos, and many more, all scheduled to appear at his second annual Phochella Event at the Sail Inn in Tempe. The date, April 20, marks the anniversary of Beef and his sidekicks, Shorty and Buddah, and, as you might have guessed, is something of a stoner holiday.
"Honestly, it's the stoner's bookmark," Pfirrman says, laughing. "April was when I was going to take over, and starting on 4/20 just made sense. I did my first 4/20 show, which was terrible, and the rest is history, I guess."
It also will be the second year that Pfirrman hosts a live radio broadcast, from noon to 4 p.m., that will feature dozens of TMI/KWSS favorites, each playing one song live, making for a continuous stream of music. "It's essentially taking our radio program and making every aspect of it live," he says. "It's not bands putting on mini-sets or anything else; it's bands playing one song, live on the radio." --Jason P. Woodbury
Four Peaks Randomonium @ Tempe Beach Park
For many of us, life on this arid slab of scorched desert would be tougher to swallow without a pint from Four Peaks Brewery to wash it down. And the fact that the Tempe-based beer maker has left such an immutable impression on so many 'Zoners in fifteen years is as astounding as their product are drinkable. So in honor of the microbrewery's macro success, the folks at Four Peaks will throw themselves a 15th birthday party replete with barley, bands, and besotted bystanders.
Dubbed Randomonium, the event will also include signature Peaks grub, a zip line, and a smattering of carnival rides -- all of which could combine and turn the evening into barfomonium for an over-indulgent few. Nevertheless, the brew maestros will go all out on the entertainment front, bringing indie darlings Airborne Toxic Event to headline a Tempe-friendly lineup which includes local funksters Black Carl. --Rob Kroehler
With the spectacular English translation of their newest record leading the way, Japan's veteran purveyors of black cowhide rocket garage (note: real genre) have returned to the USA. They've replaced the dearly departed Billy on bass, but with Seiji leading the way on guitar and Toru (Drum Wolf) backing up, Guitar Wolf are sure to match the serrated laser beam intensity and extreme canned beer consumption they've long been known for. Wear your coolest-heeled boots. -- Johnny Loftus
Black Carl and Yellow Minute @ Camelback Mountain (The Top of It)
You know how you're always like, "I wanna go to a show, but first I feel like I need to climb a mountain?" Well Black Carl (featured in this week's issue) knows what you mean: the band's set to climb to the tippy top of the Valley natural landmark with their buddies Yellow Minute for another mountaintop gig. Don't expect amps or anything, just acoustic instruments, some hand percussion, and one of the last tolerable days before the summer takes hold.
