Subject: Luke Holwerda

• Some Photos from a Friend

  April 29, 2007

• Police State: The Police at US Airways Arena last night

  June 19, 2007

• Devilish Double-Header: Slayer and Marilyn Manson, August 27 at Cricket Wireless Pavilion

  August 28, 2007

• Outshined: Alice In Chains and Velvet Revolver, September 18 at Cricket Wireless Pavilion

  September 19, 2007

• Seismic Fortitude/Tent City/Yellow Swans/Mouthus @ The Trunk Space October 6th

  October 10, 2007

• Black Moth Super Rainbow Aesop Rock @ The Clubhouse, October 13

  October 15, 2007

• Sour Girl: Stone Temple Pilots and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at Dodge Theatre, July 29

  July 30, 2008

• More Edgefest Photos

  September 28, 2008

• You Asked For It: Smokescreen

  October 1, 2008

• Reel Big Fish's Marquee Gig Was Fantastic...If You Were Under 25

  Reel Big Fish's trombone player Dan Regan (left) and vocalist Aaron Barrett. See more shots in our Reel Big Fish slide show. Dear Reel Big Fish, I never thought it would end like this, but I think we're gonna have to call it quits. After more than a decade, I don't think I can call myself a fan anymore. As the old chestnut goes, it's not you, it's me. We've just outgrown each other and I've flat-out moved on from your snarky and self-deprecating ska-punk (as well as most third wave stuff in

  January 6, 2009

• Willie Nelson Concert at Dodge a Quintessential American Experience

  Luke HolwerdaWillie Nelson on stage at Dodge Theatre If I didn't know better, I'd suspect country music legends entered in to an informal tontine some time in the mid-60s, pledging to play each other's best songs after the others had passed, all the way down to the last man standing. Depending on who all you're willing to call a legend, Willie Nelson may or may not be the last one of his era still strumming a guitar. Either way, though, he's got an incredible catalog of songs to play -- his own

  January 26, 2009

• Six-Inch Heels and $6 Beers: An Evening with O.A.R. in Scottsdale

  Luke HolwerdaSee more shots from the gig in our O.A.R. slide showI have to admit, before New Times music editor Martin Cizmar asked me if I wanted to review O.A.R.'s show at the Birds Nest, I was only peripherally familiar with the band. "Aren't they a hippie jam band?" I asked. Fortunately, the chicks in my life came to the rescue to give me a crash course: My girlfriend loaned me a CD and my sister DVR'ed some concert they played at Madison Square Garden, so I was practically an O.A.R. expert

  January 30, 2009

• Katy Perry Is One of the Girls Just as Much as Boys

  Luke HolwerdaSee more shots from her concert in our Katy Perry slide show. Katy Perry is hot! Well, she's cute and she's hot. This seemed to be the general consensus from the sold-out audience at Tempe's Marquee Theatre on Tuesday. Perry, who wore a flashy gold dress and looked like she should be adorned on the top of a cake of some sort, worked the crowd with her pinup good looks and wide-eyed demeanor throughout her nearly 90-minute set. The audience, comprising teens, tweens, parents and ev

  February 4, 2009

• The Pretenders Bring Too Much Twang to Dodge

  Luke HolwerdaYou'd be hard-pressed to find a better-preserved 57-year-old rock star than Chrissie Hynde. Onstage at Dodge Theatre Wednesday night, the Pretenders frontwoman looked incredible and sounded exactly as she did 30 years ago, when the band recorded their eponymous debut. Really. Her distinctive voice -- a raspy coo that's been described as a switchblade with a pearl handle -- still has every note it once did. Maybe there's something to that vegetarian thing after all.Unfortunately, for

  March 5, 2009

• Slipknot Makes 'Em Mosh at Dodge

  Luke HolwerdaI've been in my fair share of mosh pits, but I'm pretty thankful that I wasn't in any of the three or four that raged on all through Slipknot's show at Jobing.com Arena on Thursday night. Swirling like tornadoes full of teen angst and shirtless fat dudes, the pits dominated the already chaotic arena floor and provided countless examples of what happens when keeping it real goes wrong. Detractors (myself included) can say all they want about Slipknot's music or image, but the visce

  March 6, 2009

• Jimmy Eat World's Clarity Anniversary Show Impressive

  Luke Holwerda All week we've been sharing personal essays about Jimmy Eat World's Clarity, online and in print. Sadly, I don't have a Clarity story because I wasn't in to the Mesa emo/pop act until my college paper got an advance copy of Bleed American, the follow-up to Clarity, in July 2001. But man, oh man, did I love Bleed American. We played that record a few times every day in the college paper office, to the point that our ex-Deadhead newspaper adviser knew all the words.On September 10, 2

  March 8, 2009

• Billy Joel and Elton John Show Lacks Special Moments

  Luke Holwerda In 1994, when Billy Joel and Elton John first took the stage together in Philadelphia, it was quite a novelty. Two piano-playing singer-songwriters -- who've each sold more than 100 million records on their own -- together in concert! Wowza!Five tours and 15 years later, the newness is gone. Last night's Face 2 Face Tour stop at U.S. Airways Arena was nothing if not predictable, from "Yankee Doodle Dandy" playing as Joel took the stage through the awkward hugs after the closer, "Pi

  March 27, 2009

• Jimmy Eat World's Marquee Show From Clarity Tour to See Official Release

  Luke HolwerdaJimmy Eat World closing out their Clarity tour at the Marquee.The finale of Jimmy Eat World's Clarity x 10 tour at the Marquee will see digital release next week. Distributed through jimmyeatworld.com, the release will feature the front-to-back live performance of the wildly influential 1999 album Clarity along with two bonus tracks ("What I Would Say To You Now," "No Sensitivity") recorded during the encore and a digital booklet featuring photos from the tour. Pretty cool, especia

  March 31, 2009

• Calexico Classy at Heritage Square Concert

  Luke HolwerdaCalexico's Joey Burns sings at the band's show Saturday at Heritage Square. See more shots in our Calexico slide show.There's one word that describes the Calexico concert at Heritage Square last night: Classy. From the tastefully-appointed stage, to the home-made tamales and high-end beer (Tecate and Four Peaks products only; no Bud) to the gorgeous textures of the band's unique blend of Western and Tejano music and indie rock, it was a show that felt more like the best wedding rece

  April 5, 2009

• Conor Oberst Keeps it Mystical at Marquee

  Luke HolwerdaConor Oberst on stage at the Marquee in Tempe on April 14, 2009. Comparing Conor Oberst to Bob Dylan is somewhat old hat. It's easy enough to make a case for grouping the two Midwestern singer-songwriters known for folky instrumentation and unique styles of story-telling, and people have been since Oberst's days as a child prodigy in Omaha. But what really strikes me about the two men is their fearless, oftentimes seemingly anti-commercial approach to their careers.Dylan, of course,

  April 15, 2009

• Unwigged and Unloved: Spinal Tappers Play for Small but Appreciative Crowd

  Luke Holwerda"Spinal Tap" metal and "A Mighty Wind" folk each got their due Monday night.Before the Unwigged & Unplugged show even started last night, the official Spinal Tap moment had already happened. When the announcer came onstage at Dodge Theatre to do the customary plugging of upcoming shows, he looked over the half-full house and noted that the guys backstage had asked him if they'd advertised this show. It's too bad that more people didn't get to see Christopher Guest, Michael McKea

  April 28, 2009

• Freebird & Monkey Sex: A Night With Flight of the Conchords

  Luke HolwerdaFlight of the Conchords performing at Dodge Theatre in Phoenix. See more shots in our Flight of the Conchords slide show.Though music and comedy may seem suitable bedfellows, the marriage of the two is often a mangled mess of bad puns and crappy guitar playing. One concept is, more often than not, more polished than the other -- the comedian sucks at playing guitar or the musician tells super lame jokes. It's a novel concept, indeed, but it usually pans out into one boring, awkward

  May 20, 2009

• Yeah Yeah Yeahs at The Marquee: Spazzy and Brilliant

  Luke HolwerdaYeah Yeah Yeahs singer Karen O had a 'Date With The Night' at the Marquee MondayKaren O's charms are mysterious. The Yeah Yeah Yeah's frontwoman can't sing, for one. Truth be told, I'm not sure she would score well singing her own song, "Maps" on the pitch-sensing mic for Rock Band -- at least not in expert mode. She's regarded as a sex symbol, but she looks a lot like a younger sibling of Joey Ramone, and he wasn't really considered "sexy." On stage, she comes across like a

  June 9, 2009

• Loretta Lynn Plays the Classics at Celebrity

  Luke HolwerdaLoretta Lynn on the circular stage of Celebrity Theatre.It's been five years since Loretta Lynn's Grammy-winning collaboration with Jack White but it seemed even longer at last night's Celebrity Theatre show, where the Van Lear Rose era seemed long forgotten. Sure, a few curious hipsters made their way down to the show, but, for the most part it was a good ol' country crowd, appropriately appreciative of the chance to hear the legendary 74-year-old Kentucky native's older material

  June 18, 2009

• Could Jay Z Replace Michael Jackson?

  Luke HolwerdaJay Z took the "connect with the fans" thing to extremes at his Dodge Theatre show.Jay Z's claim to being "The Best Rapper Alive" is delivered so flippantly it's almost filler anymore. Certainly, there was a time after 2003's The Black Album dropped that it'd have been indisputable to any serious fan of hip-hop music, but, in the years since, it's become such a droning constant that I can't recall the last time I put Jigga's self-applied title under any real scrutiny. Maybe now

  July 3, 2009

• Jack's Mannequin Out Shines Chart-Topping The Fray as Opener at Dodge Theatre

  Luke HolwerdaThe Fray and Jack's Mannequin made the perfect touring partners when their show stopped into the Dodge Theatre Tuesday. Both bands produce piano-driven melodies and songs that can get haunt your head for days. Both tend to attract a late teen to twentysomething crowd of starry-eyed girls as well as couples to their shows. Both have come along way since they played smaller venues like the Marquee Theatre last year, and both performed covers during their set (we'll get into that later

  July 15, 2009

• Aerosmith and ZZ Top Prove They're Real Guitar Heroes at Cricket Wireless Pavilion

  Luke HolwerdaSteven Tyler of Aerosmith​ A funny thing has happened to the recording industry lately. Video games have begun to influence to music sales. Don't believe me? Consider that the re-release of the entire Beatle Catalogue is scheduled for the exact same day as the release of The Beatles Rock Band, a music simulation game featuring The Beatles music and instrument-shaped controllers. Consider also the latest tour from the fab fivesome, Aerosmith, is presented by Guitar Hero: Aerosm

  July 28, 2009

• Local Lyricist Maja Rapping for McDonald's

  Luke Holwerda Does anyone remember this guy? He's Maja, the local rapper, lyricist and anime-enthusiast who Benjamin Leatherman profiled back in 2007 because of his unique brand of hip-hop, which he called a "fusion of urban culture and dorkdom chic." Well, it's been a few years, but his name is still Maja (like "major," not "mah jong," the Chinese board game) and he's still rapping -- though his subject matter may have changed this time around. Instead of rapping about "Janglish" (that'

  July 28, 2009

• Pat Benatar Goes Through the Motions, Blondie Rocked and The Donnas Backed Out at Dodge Theatre

  Luke HolwerdaPat Benatar​ Picture this: teen girls in too much makeup channeling new wave goddesses with their overbearing, nacho-chowing mothers, wrinkled women in low-cut, studded halters exhibiting chests long past their perky prime, and grooving chicks with hair too long and pants too high. All once- or to-be punks, plus their counterparts. Ladies snapped forbidden shots of two female rock icons that they've lived through vicariously for the past 30 something years. Proudly prancing

  July 29, 2009

• Lil Wayne at Cricket Wireless Pavilion In Photos

  Luke HolwerdaLil Wayne on stage at Cricket Wireless Pavilion​Lil Wayne and his entourage fired up Cricket Wireless Pavilion with pyrotechnics, giant screens and all the hot dance moves they could Flash for the "America's Most Wanted Tour" on Wednesday. Check out shots from the show in our Lil Wayne slide show.

  August 13, 2009

• Green Day Brings Classic Rock Feel To U.S. Airways Show

  Luke HolwerdaGreen Day's Billy Joe Armstrong on stage at U.S. Airways Center in Phoenix.​Depending on who you ask, there's something either: a) vaguelyorb) obviously and irredeemably pathetic about a 37-year-old man in skinny black jeans. So, yes, Green Day singer Billy Joe Armstrong immediatly looked a little silly strutting on stage at U.S. Airways Center as the piano-driven opening of "21st Century Breakdown," the title track to his band's latest record, played over the PA. It's forgivabl

  August 23, 2009

• Bret Michaels Vs. Billie Joe Armstrong: Poison at Cricket Pavilion Reviewed

  Luke HolwerdaBret Michaels was the star of the show at Cricket Pavilion Saturday night.​In the messy science of music criticism it's not often a writer gets to test his hypotheses as directly as he'd like. After drawing some fire for making an unfavorable comparison between Green Day and Poison in my review of last Saturday's show at U.S. Airways Center, I saw a rare chance to subject one of my statements to some scrutiny this Saturday as Poison and Def Leppard show played Cricket Pavilion. A

  August 30, 2009

• Poison and Def Leppard in 140 Characters Or Less

  Luke Holwerda​Who says old people can't twitter? There were plenty of tweets from last night's Poison/Def Leppard show at Cricket Pavilion though, admittedly, many appeared to be from younger people in the crowd (including one who tweeted about buying her first concert beer). Humorously, at least some youngsters don't seem to know that Warrant, and not Poison, sang "Cherry Pie." I guess all hair metal bands do sorta look alike.Also check out our show review here.VictorVladmir: P

  August 30, 2009

• Concert Review: U2 Gets Intimate in Glendale

  Luke Holwerda​There's something inherently incongruous about the serene, relentlessly thoughtful music U2 made at its creative peak and the stadium-sized spectacle that came to Glendale last night. Sure, the band has been one of the few extant rock acts capable of (nearly) selling-out football fields for two decades, but I still say something about seeing such personal songs sung to crowds that large just feels weird. And I know I'm not the only one who noticed."Believe it or not we built this

  October 21, 2009

• Concert Review: Dirty Heads and Dear and the Headlights at Red Bull Soundclash

  Luke HolwerdaThe Dirty Heads. See more shots in our Red Bull Soundclash slide show.​I've said it before: With very few exceptions (well,  really one exception, The Aggrolites) white reggae is a pox upon America. So, believe me, it's not that I wanted to go see The Dirty Heads play last night's Red Bull Soundclash at Marquee Theatre. But, since the other half of the show -- stages are set up on opposite sides of the theater, the bands play a song or so, sometimes covering each other, then the

  November 5, 2009

• Fit For Rivals: "Damage" (Luke Holwerda's First Video)

  We try not to get too homerish around here, but I've gotta share this new video produced by Up on the Sun's senior freelance photographer Luke Holwerda.The video is for a Jacksonville pop-punk band named Fit For Rivals but it was shot here in Phoenix. Aside form being shot here and directed by local guys, it's also great. Holwerda is seriously one of the most talented concert photographers (and now videographers) in the city. We're proud to bring his photos to you here -- at least as long as we

  November 10, 2009

• November 10 In Blogs: Fit For Rivals, Regions Bistro, and Google

  ​​In the 24-hour news cycle it can be difficult to keep up. We have the solution. Check back on Valley Fever every evening for highlights from each of New Times' blogs. Today's entries: Up on the Sun: Fit For Rivals: "Damage" (Luke Holwerda's First Video) Enya's Greatest Hits Coming Soon... Wait, Enya Had Hits? Chow Bella: Certified Local Fall Festival Wins Fans With Free Comfort Food New Open: Regions Bistro in Tempe Valley Fever: Sky Harbor to Conduct Random Luggage Checks and Psychol

  November 10, 2009