Martin Cizmar

Do You Believe in the Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine?

After more than 100 years of searching, it looks like nobody's been able to find the Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine or lore, which is supposed to be located in the Superstition Mountains.We bring this up due to one of the most recent unsuccessful gold-hunters, a woman named Robin Byrd, who had to be pluc ... More >>

Chow Bella Weighs in on Martin Cizmar's New Diet Book, Chubster

​Remember Martin Cizmar? He was our music critic at Phoenix New Times (left last year, he's now at the Willamette Week in Portland, Oregon) and he also kicked up some dust in the Phoenix food community. As you might recall, Cizmar got into a bit of a tiff with Earl's BBQ (there's still a "Wanted" ... More >>

New Times' Writers, Designers and Photographers Win Honors from Arizona Press Club

Phoenix New Times walked away with nine first place awards Saturday night at the state Press Club's 2010 Best Journalism in Arizona contest -- including for the paper's comprehensive immigration series, "Amongst U.S."The newspaper received more than 30 awards for work during 2010.Sarah Fenske, ... More >>

"Sad Songs" by Andrew Jackson Jihad Featured on Lauren Records Comp I Think We Should Stay Away From Each Other

​At the start of this year, Martin Cizmar wrote an excellent piece about local folk-punks Andrew Jackson Jihad. Though the band is known for lyrically dense, poignant songs, they also have a reputation as being damn funny guys. The duo, comprised of guitarist/singer Sean Bonnette and bassist Ben ... More >>

Cafe: Big Earl's BBQ

​Making good bbq is not easy. It's an exercise in patience; one that requires discipline and hard work. That's why we leave it to the pros and their fully-equipped BBQ restaurants. Sadly, it looks like Big Earl's Fancy BBQ is not the place to spend your BBQ dollars. Music Editor Martin Cizmar o ... More >>

Feedback from the Issue of Thursday, March 31, 2011

Scott Weiland's Publicist and "Good Friend" Comes to His Defense

​Sometimes people ask me, "Martin, why are you so hard on noted junkie and sometimes rock singer Scott Weiland?"Well, for one, because he's a pathetic piece of trash who makes donations to a "charity" that's actually just his late brother's family. Also, because he seems to have been caught lip-sy ... More >>

Snake! Snake! Snakes!, Toby Keith, Ted Nugent, and More in This Week's Issue

Snake! Snake! Snakes!​This week's music feature is on the local band Snake! Snake! Snakes!, who are starting to get a lot of national attention, particularly from the college radio world. Despite their burgeoning success, the group has a bit of a problem a la Spinal Tap: They can't hold onto a dru ... More >>

Smashingsun Pumpkinups at Marquee Theatre on 7/17/2010

Martin CizmarS.P. performing at Marquee Theatre. Where's the "ZERO" shirt?​Weird story: So last night I went to Marquee Theatre to see standard-bearing folk-punk band Against Me!, who just put out their second-consecutive awesome album, White Crosses.Unfortunately, the ticket line was about 100 ya ... More >>

Nothing Not New: Podcast #7

​Music editor Martin Cizmar and I are back with a new podcast. We've got new 10 songs and Martin's musings on his favorite record from the grunge era. Here's what's in store from podcast #7. Crystal Castles: "Empathy" Sleigh Bells: "Infinity Guitars" The Cool Kids: "Strawberry Girls" Ariel P ... More >>

Twittenemies and Online Nemeses, New Record Releases, and More in This Week's Issue

Elycia Marie: Martin Cizmar's internet nemesis.​This week's music feature is an explanation of the strange series of events that made Elycia Marie, the girlfriend of Malcolm in the Middle child star Frankie Muniz, who plays drums for a Phoenix band, the Twitter nemesis of music editor Martin Cizma ... More >>

Chubster: A Weight Loss Guide For Hipsters Written By One of New Times' Own On the Way

Kirsten Veng-PedersenMartin Cizmar...or at least what's left of him.​Music Editor Martin Cizmar is a larger than life personality. The same can not be said about his stature, however. For nearly two years now, I have consorted with Mr. Cizmar both as a colleague and a friend and frequently sharin ... More >>

Angry Cocktail Waitresses and Merle Haggard on SB 1070 in This Week's Issue

Beware of angry cocktail waitresses.​This week's music feature is a cold, hard look at why your cocktail waitress hates you, written from the perspective of a drink-slinging, cork-topped tray carrying, waitress.Martin Cizmar does an interview with none other than country music legend Merle Haggard ... More >>

A Fundraiser at Applebee's? Die Ignorant Got the Last Laugh

BBQ 101: From Novice to Slightly Less Than Novice

Jonathan McNamaraBrisket in the early morning.​There is a point at which night turns to day. It's barely visible to the naked eye, but in that smallest of moments while the moon is still full and the sun casts its first fires across the sky, a transition happens. I know because last Sunday a ... More >>

Arizona Barbecue Festival 2010: We'll be There. Any Chefs Wanna Play for Pinks?

Jonathan McNamara Here's our smoker. Yes, we're serious. ​"Don't let your mouth write a check that your tail can't cash" -- Bo Diddley, coining an age-old axiom. "Props to [Karnivorous BBQ Team] for having brisket when everyone else was out, even if that intensely-dry brisket tasted a lot l ... More >>

N.W.A's Eazy E, Paul McCartney, and Wrestling Theme Music in This Week's Issue

​This week's music feature is on N.W.A's Eazy E, and how his death from AIDS shook the rap world. The column is the culmination of Martin Cizmar's 12-day series, The Posse Project.You can also find our list of Paul McCartney's worst songs, and the ten best wrestling themes. That should get you gea ... More >>

Chandler BBQ Throwdown Burns Brisket and Bridges

Martin CizmarThis may have been the only great-looking brisket at the entire festival. Sadly, we were told to wait 10 minutes while he cut it, left, and returned a short time later to find all the meat was gone.​They came for delicious smoked meat. They left having found long lines for some of the ... More >>

Beer and Donuts: Together At Last at Il Vanaio

Martin CizmarThe Doughnuts, clockwise: chocolate cake, ricotta fritter, beignet, strawberry filled.​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 micr ... More >>

Rampage Fest Versus Cizmarch Madness? Naw, It's All Cool

Antique Scream, SxSW, Self-Loathing Bands, and Cizmarch Madness in This Week's Issue

Antique Scream​This week's music feature is about Antique Scream, who moved from the Valley to the Pacific Northwest over a year ago, and is now coming back on tour.Also in this week's issue, you'll find the lowdown on every Valley band headed out to Austin for SxSW in the coming week. We'll give ... More >>

Hemoptysis

New Issue Lowdown

​We can officially look back at 2009 in the dust trail behind us. It's over and done, and we are just finishing up contemplating what the year brought us. For the music crowd, that means a reflection of any and all recordings that made 2009 what it was. Music editor Martin Cizmar presents t ... More >>

Top 10 of 2009: Jay Bennett

Up on the Sun is counting down the days until the unveiling of music editor Martin Cizmar's personal Best of 2009 list with some other lists from New Times' stable of excellent freelancers. Today, we bring you a list from Jay Bennett, New Times' editorial operations manager and a contributor to Up o ... More >>

Nothing Not New: We All Suffer from "Aesthetic Atrophy," But at Least I'm Getting Help

"If music be the food of love, play on. Give me excess of it . . ." -- Wm. Shakespeare ​ I recently received some bad news regarding a diagnosis. It's never easy to hear someone (especially an expert in his field) tell you that you have a serious problem, and it certainly wasn't easy this t ... More >>

Lynyrd Skynyrd: Point/Counterpoint

By Martin Cizmar and Brian BardwellUnfortunately we were unexpectedly barred from taking photos at last night's Lynyrd Skynyrd show at Celebrity Theatre.​Sometimes one perspective on a show isn't enough. So, like we did with Beck and Tool, Up on the Sun is bringing you a point/counterpoint style w ... More >>

Post 2K

Yes, this is Up On The Sun's 2,000th post. Can you believe it?I realize I'm opening a can of words here, but anything you'd like to see change here on the music blog most easily reached by typing www.PHXmusic.com in to your preferred browser's address bar? More coverage of your friend's band? Le ... More >>

Adolf Hitler an Arizona Cardinals Fan? Check it Out.

We've gotten our fair share of hate mail over the years, especially after our Super Bowl cover story about weak-kneed Cardinals fans and their coal-mining hillbilly counterparts (Steeler Nation) from Western Pennsylvania, but we've never received anything as hilarious/disturbing as this video. Yes ... More >>

Mini T's, What Laura Says Play SxSW Showcases

Martin CizmarWhat Laura Says at SxSW Greetings from the outskirts of Austin, Texas, where we're holed up in a hotel after a long day of music at South by Southwest's opening day. What happened? Well, a few Phoenix bands played their showcases, hopefully making an impression on tastemakers and indust ... More >>

Concert of the Year Countdown: #5 Metallica

Show: Metallica at Jobing.com Arena on October 21Unlike Niki, I'm not much of a metalhead, but this should was truly brilliant. In fact, I found myself listening to Death Magnetic for weeks afterwards, and was fond of saying things like "I feel like I just discovered this new band... Metallica! The ... More >>

Light Rail Riding? Steer Clear of Mesa Stop

Not sure how many more folks are headed out to the train today, but if you are steer clear on the eastern most stop. There are several thousand people there, all waiting in a looong line for their chance to take a ride on the Valley Metro's first day of operation. Unless you're in to the scene drive ... More >>

Concert of the Year Countdown: #6 Bloc Party

Show: Bloc Party at The Marquee on Dec. 14After a terrible interview to advance the show, I wasn't expecting Bloc Party singer Kele Okereke to have much verve on stage. Boy, was I wrong. The front man carried his British indie band through an exciting set at a packed Marquee - on a Sunday night, no ... More >>

Kinch Teaser Video Now Up

Kinch, one of my favorite local bands (and you'll find out just how favorite when my column on the top 10 local CDs of the year drops next week) has posted a new video chronicling the recording of their upcoming record in Austin. You can click below to see the YouTube version below, or go to kinch ... More >>

Concert of the Year Countdown: #10 The Loveblisters

It was a year of transition for the New Times music section, with Niki D'Andrea being promoted to staff writer and Martin Cizmar taking over as music editor. And so, for the rundown of the 10 best shows of the year appearing, we're teaming up to bring you five shows reviewed by both Niki and Mar ... More >>

Alice Cooper's Christmas Pudding This Weekend

It just wouldn't be Christmas in Arizona without Alice Cooper's annual event, Christmas Pudding, where the shock rocker turned radio jock assembles local and national talent to raise money for The Solid Rock Center, a Christian center aiming to keep teens out of trouble and teach them about the Way ... More >>

Night Train: PHX Airport Shuttle (Stop #18)

Where: The Crowne Plaza's Café Sha Longue (4300 E Washington St.) is directly across from the station, less than a minute walk from where the train stops. Drink: Whatever you can get them to serve your drunk ass before you get booted. Scene: We would not send you in to the tony Crowne Plaza hote ... More >>

Country Thunder 2009: Now With Layaway

Perhaps recognizing that the tanking economy has hit the blue-collar sorts you'll find at a massive multi-day country music festival especially hard, Country Thunder is introducing an installment purchase plan. Or, as we like to call it, "layaway." Now on countrythunder.com you can get your tickets ... More >>

Night Train: Mill Avenue/Third Street (Stop #21)

Where: Anywhere. Drink: Anything. Scene: Where oh where can you get a drink on Mill Avenue? No, really, since Coconut Club closed we've been hard pressed to find a decent bar on Mill! Ahem. Chuckles aside, seriously, folks, getting a drink on Mill is obviously easy, so pick your poison. If you M ... More >>

Paula Abdul Hosting Phooson Tonight

So, if there's one thing I thought Phooson, tonight's popped up show at Cricket was missing, it was some B-list hosting talent. Luckily, Johnjay and Rich are bringing in the big guns: Paul Abdul. The American Idol hostess will join the disc jocks on stage at Cricket Pavillion to introduce Rihanna, F ... More >>

Billy Joel and Elton John Coming to U.S. Airways Together

On Tuesday we told you about the big announcement we'd been summoned down to U.S. Airways Center for: free lunch, entertainment by The Big Bang as well as the Phoenix Suns dance team and their Gorilla mascot. Hell, they even brought us two little chocolate pianos and a flier to promote the press c ... More >>

Pop Culture: Java Pop

By Martin Cizmar It’s 10:45 a.m. and you’re thirsty. Do you go for a cup of coffee or a bottle soda? Either you’re drinking coffee in the middle of the say like a cop with 30 years on the force or you’re drinking soda before noon like some punk kid who got up at 6:30 to catch his school ... More >>

sBACH Geeks Out at Modified Arts on Nov. 15

If you’re not attuned to such things, you might be surprised to know how big a niche there is for bands interested in playing covers of classic Nintendo game soundtracks in today’s geek-friendly world. At comic, gaming, and computing conventions bands like The Advantage and No Use For A Name at Yucca Tap Room? For Free?

Meatloaf Cancels State Fair Show, Flo Rida Out At Venue of Scottsdale

Phoenix's Best Haunted Houses: Our rankings and reviews

Haunted House Review: Ghoulfland

Haunted House Review: Shadowlands

Haunted House Review: Fear Farm in Glendale

Haunted House Review: Arizona’s Original Scream Park in Scottsdale

Flier of the Week: AAWL Benefit Show