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Top Five Phoenix Music Stories of the Week

The news waits for no one -- at least that's what we read somewhere -- so it's perfectly understandable that you, the reader, might have missed out on a musical tidbit, breaking news about your favorite venue, or one of our rants. So enjoy this digest-style sampling of some of our biggest stories f ... More >>

Please, Hold the "Criminal" Jokes: Fiona Apple Arrested in West Texas for Hash Possession

So, songstress Fiona Apple played a set at Mesa Arts Center the other night. It was really very good, with Apple seeming quite happy in front of the crowd (bizarre rant about "small-titted girls" and her label aside). But anyway, that's Tuesday night's Apple news. Here's today's: Apple has been ar ... More >>

Freeze Or Burn

Reps for Strength

fun., Ikeda Theater at Mesa Arts Center, 5/31/12

fun. Ikeda Theater at Mesa Arts Center Thursday, May 31 See also: Nate Ruess Has Some fun. At Zia Records fun. frontman Nate Ruess wears his heart on his sleeve, and that's why it's so easy to get into his head. His lyrics -- part stream of consciousness ("My friends are in the bathroom, getting h ... More >>

Incoming: Cage the Elephant, Garbage, Hot Tuna

​Kentucky alternative rockers Cage the Elephant are making a stop at the Marquee Theatre in April. The band is still pumping out singles from their latest release, Thank You, Happy Birthday, and will surely be performing many of them for the Tempe crowd.Cage the Elephant, Garbage, Hot Tuna and oth ... More >>

TedxPhoenix and Mergence Over the Weekend

​Mergence's 11.11.11. Show at Crescent Ballroom The 11.11.11 show featuring Mergence, Kongos, The Technicolors, and Huckleberry was long anticipated. And you could feel that excitement all throughout the night at the Crescent Ballroom. Arriving around 9:45 pm, the patio was packed, the lounge wa ... More >>

Tim Minchin Talks Gingers, Religion, Ben Folds, Sperm Banks, Flight of the Concords, and More

Tim Minchin is a rather humble lad. Despite having millions of fans in his homeland of the UK, Australia, and here in the states (not to mention awards up the ying-yang) the 35-year-old piano-playing comedian and musician remains pretty modest about his success."I'm lucky to be doing what I'm doing, ... More >>

The Decemberists Coming to Mesa Arts Center

​Huge and old-timey show announcement today: The Decemberists will play Mesa Arts Center on August 11.The date comes at the end of the Portland indie-folk act's extended summer tour, which is in support of their January record, The King Is Dead. No support for this date announced yet but other leg ... More >>

April 18 In Blogs: JeanPants, The Decemberists, Over Easy, and the Mormon Church

​​​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:

Bubbles of Joy

Is Mesa Amphitheatre in Trouble? Outdoor Venue Losing Revenue Fast

Victor PalaganoMesa Ampitheater during a sold-out Kings of Leon concert in 2009. There was no pigeon shit, but no air-conditioning backstage, either.​A story in today's Arizona Republic should worry all local music fans. The paper reports that Mesa Amphitheatre, a grassy 5,000-capacity outdoor&nbs ... More >>

From the Underground Up

East Valley spot celebrates one year of cool-making

The King's Singers

Fourth Annual Dia de Los Muertos Celebration @ Mesa Arts Center

Purple Reign

Sing out, Celie!

Arty Time

Mesa Arts Center throws itself a little party

Sufjan Stevens Announces Mesa Concert

​Michigan-bred singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens will bring his banjo to Mesa Arts Center on October 22."Sufjan himself scheduled the trek, which takes him to some of the continent's most notable venues, like New York's Beacon Theatre and The Chicago Theatre," says Stateside Presents, which is prom ... More >>

Day at the Museum

Check out these oft-forgotten treasures

Merle Haggard at Mesa Arts Center

​Go to see a few country legends in concert and you begin to notice a strong correlation between the number of drinkin' songs in those artists' catalogs and the condition of the specimens on stage. George "No Show" Jones, for example, looked about how you'd expect a man who first had a hit in 1959 ... More >>

Eating Through Downtown Mesa at Il Vinaio, De La Cruz Bistro, Mangos Mexican Cafe, and More

Curtains: Rene Foss' Around the World in a Bad Mood! Finally Lays Over in the Valley; Dodging Bullets Is Back for Phoenix Fringe

Ed KriegerFlight attendant Rene Foss uses the resources at hand to simultaneously fill in for the in-flight movie and resolve a seating conflict. Bonus puppet points​First, a blurb of super-good news for you audience types: David Barker's astonishing one-man show, Dodging Bullets, returns as part ... More >>

Hot Links: Motorcyclists Killed, Mesa Arts Center, and Boats

​Three people were killed yesterday when a dump truck hit a group of motorcyclists in north Phoenix. Eight motorcycles were stopped at a red light near 27th drive and Carefree Highway when the dump truck hit them from behind, pinning three people under the truck. Six more people were taken to the ... More >>

Black Magic

Fashion goes to the dark side

Closed for Business: S'Bistro in Mesa

​Looking for an upscale dining option before getting a culture fix at Mesa Arts Center? You'll have to look a little bit harder now that S'Bistro has closed. A dispute over rent between chef-owner Brian Banasek and landlord Craig Pouty led to the shuttering, as reported in detail by The ... More >>

Local Chefs to Join Guy Fieri Roadshow

Photo by Sherrie Blondin.​ ​A few weeks ago, we interviewed Guy Fieri of Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives about his upcoming Road Show at Mesa Arts Center on Friday, December 18. We also speculated about why Guy had chosen Flagstaff chef John Conley to participate in t ... More >>

Food Network Star Guy Fieri Rock n' Rolls into Town

Food Network star Guy Fieri is taking his show -- and his rock and roll attitude -- on the road with The Guy Fieri Road Show, a 21-city tour that combines Guy's love of music and his passion for food. The tour will hit the Mesa Arts Center on Friday, December 18, with tickets ran ... More >>

Curtains: M*A*S*H's William Christopher in Church Basement Ladies at Mesa Arts Center

courtesy of Troupe America, Inc.While this isn't the star-studded cast you'll see at Mesa Arts Center, this is a good sample of the cuteness that goes on in Church Basement Ladies.​Last summer, I took advantage of time alone in a friend's lovely Seattle home to curl up and read several books from ... More >>

Incoming: The Swell Season, Brett Dennen, Ghostface Killah, A Fine Frenzy, Grand Archives, and More

Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová of the Swell Season are scheduled to perform on November 17 at Mesa Arts Center.​Life's filled with second chances. Case in point: If you weren't able to get into last year's sold out appearance by the Swell Season at the Orpheum, you've got another shot. The Os ... More >>

Lucinda Williams Plays the Non-Hits at Mesa Arts Center

Victor PalaganoLucinda Williams on stage at Mesa Arts Center.It takes some hutzpah to read your lyrics off a music stand. When you've been dubbed "Americas Greatest Songwriter" by Time magazine (a publication that's not known for it's music criticism, but nonetheless notable in any grand pronounce ... More >>

Concert Calendar for This Weekend: Jordin Sparks, Digital Summer, Nappy Roots, The Game, and More

The Nappy Roots are scheduled to perform on Friday at Club Red in Tempe. Now that the chill of winter is starting to subside (temps are supposed to get into the high 70s) you've got little excuse to stay cooped up inside your domicile this weekend. Why not book it to the ongoing Renaissance Festi ... More >>

Concert Calendar for This Weekend: Celine Dion, David Banner, The Hanson Brothers, Wu-Tang Clan, and more

DJ Deadmau5 is scheduled to spin tonight at Myst in Scottsdale. While we're sure most of you are gonna be heading out west to the Cricket Pavillion to check out tonight's mega-sized Phooson shindig, there's more than just that concert going on this weekend. Here's our weekly rundown of the weekend ... More >>

Curtains: Southwest Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale at Mesa Arts Center

By Julie Peterson Mary Riley and Richard Baird in The Winter's Tale. Photo by Laura Durant, graphic enhancements by Southwest Shakespeare Co. Watching a play by William Shakespeare can be like watching a biopic (or, for that matter, like trying to get on an O.J. Simpson jury) -- you alre ... More >>

Black Crowes Canceled

Tonight's Black Crowes concert postponed

Exterior Decorators

Visiting artists brand the flesh and the metal

Ten Tenors, No Wating

Art Scene

Current shows, installations, and exhibitions

Art Scene

Current shows, exhibitions and installations

Art Scene

Current shows

Art Scene

Current shows, exhibitions, and installations

Best Case Scenario

Mesa Arts Center stages a triple threat

Play Bills

Fair-feather friends flock to Mesa

Near-Future Shock

Of Mice and Guffman, or Whatever

Getting Over Ansel

Kid Pics for the week

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