The Shark Fart tastes better than it sounds, I promise. This is one of Dar Bieling’s favorite drinks to make because she loves shaking the hell out of the tumbler. Hey, she’s gotta get that aggression out somehow if she wants to remain, as owner Beth Johnson says, “The only…
Dar is a class act. She never forgets your drink and is as pleasant as can be. She’s a top notch bartender, and is atrociously gorgeous. This isn’t how Darlene (or “Dar” as she’s more commonly known) Bieling describes herself, nor is it my own personal judgment upon meeting her…
To the good people here in the States, Russia is generally equated with vodka, Communism, and Sarah Palin’s formerly “watchful eye.” Rock ’n’ roll? Not so much. Lucky for us, insanely popular (in Russia) band Mumiy Troll is determined to change that. MT’s catchy “rockapops” sound is kind of like…
If you’ve never read VICE MAGAZINE, you get an “F” on your Hipster 101 exam (it’s gonna take a ton of coke and American Apparel merchandise if you want to pass now). Starting as a punk zine in 1994, the New York City based highly-offensive-to-the-general-public magazine now publishes its print…
Please don’t tell PETA we’re saying this, but the best kind of wasp is a dead one. They’re creepy-looking, can’t make honey, and don’t even have the decency to die after stinging you. For those reasons and more, the name Dead Wasps is a wise choice for UK duo Gaz…
Hard to believe the International Horror & Sci-fi Film Festival has terrorized the Valley for five years now. To our delight, the three-day affair returned to its original location this year, right in the heart of ASU student nightlife’s portion of the Mill Avenue District. What once was Harkins Centerpoint…
The Turf Restaurant and Pub may be an Irish bar, but Jameson and Guinness are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to The Turf’s list o’ libations. No matter what yer poison, The Turf’s bartenders can make it–and they don’t need a bevy of “house cocktails” to…
There are people who tend bar, and then there are bartenders. Both can mix you a drink and take your money, but a true bartender wears more hats than a balding boy band. One must learn to be drink-maker, host, counselor, server, cashier, bouncer, manager, custodian, concierge and friend (often…
It’s not often you get to see a rock n roll legend perform, period; so the fact that Wanda Jackson, the “Queen of Rockabilly” and 2009 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, played an intimate venue like the Rhythm Room last night is nothing short of amazing (you can…
Wanda Jackson has been dubbed many titles, most of which are some play on “The Queen/First Lady of Rock/Rock n Roll/Rockabilly.” This year she finally got that official recognition when she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as an “Early Influence.” Last night, a 71-year-old Jackson…
When it comes to making drinks, Linda Q. Chu is a somewhat of a Muhammad Ali. She lacks the inflated ego, but her drinks are known to “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” Nearly every cocktail, martini and saketini on the drink menu she created for Sens Asian…
Linda Q. Chu doesn’t just serve the numerous cocktails, martinis and saketinis at Sens Asain Tapas & Sake Bar–she also invented them. As an ASU graduate in international business, the restaurant industry wasn’t even on Chu’s radar. But her career path wasn’t a change of mind so much as a…
If you didn’t know that SMoCA stands for Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, you should either check out the cultural hot spot this weekend or give up the ghost and move to Buckeye. From 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, October 3, the museum kicks off the fall season with a…
In case you missed it, the re-established Hoodlums Music store in Tempe turned one year old this weekend, proving you can’t keep a good store down (the store even managed to win a Best Of award before it re-opened for business). Owners Steve Wiley and Kristian Luce celebrated their success…
If you don’t know how to categorize a band, just call it “punk.” From Blink-182 to Green Day, musical acts are constantly given the label for lack of a more appropriate, genre-defining term. Houston-based trio O Pioneers!!! tends to get thrown under the giant punk umbrella, as well. However, its…
Four wheels good, two wheels better. Unfortunately, it takes more than an Orwell allusion to pull off a serious manual combo on your skateboard, so you better leave it to some potential pro-worthy amateurs. On Friday, September 4, 30 of the AZ’s best amateur skateboarders will compete to win more…
Life is good when you’re a skinny hipster in a poppy, two-man indie-rock group. For an example, check out Bad Veins’ Benjamin Davis and Sebastien Schultz, a Cincinnati-based duo whose catchier-than-thou sound falls stylishly between The Killers and The Strokes, thus securing its destiny to become (what should probably be…
Newsflash: A positive musical message doesn’t have to be a Christian one. And, while we’re at it, straight-edge hardcore shows don’t have to be violent. If your mind was just blown, we suggest giving a listen to Have Heart, a Massachusetts band that’s been a commanding presence in the “posicore”…
So you think you can dance (for the Phoenix Suns, that is)? About 200 women from around the Valley thought so when they showed up at the US Airways Center in Phoenix on Saturday morning to audition for the 2009-2010 Suns Dancers squad. In the end, however, only 16 can…
Seems like only yesterday that we were stoked on seeing Nivek Ogre and his band ohGr perform at the Marquee last December. But no matter how great the performance was, many die-hard fans of Skinny Puppy were still left with a gaping hole in the shape of cEvin Key –…
Normally, we liken the tribute-band experience to that of watching our favorite movies through a Cricket cell phone, but somehow NYC’s Daft Punk cover DJ crew, Faux Punk, makes the “next best thing” seem pretty damn good. Flossing the same android helmets, music equipment, and laser lights, Faux Punk recently…
What’s the difference between the transient pervert who sits outside the Circle K with a mirror on his shoe and a celeb like Kid Rock? Money, of course, or at least the appearance of having it. Hollywood hip-hop has taken this highly offensive subculture even further, bumming lyrics from the…
