Sanctum’s Opening in Pictures

There’s something of a debate going on in the comments section of our blog from a few weeks ago about the opening of new dance club Sanctum. Amongst the comments about whether or not the establishment is a benefit to the surrounding Melrose district, an Up on the Sun reader…

Pinky Ring

The swanky and sinful Pussycat Lounge, 4426 North Saddlebag Trail in Scottsdale, underwent a big-time renovation in August, hitting the F5 button on its décor and design scheme while all the college kids were away for the long, hot summer. There’s a new DJ booth, dance floor, and video screens…

Sanctum Opens to the Public Tonight

If you’ve been dying to get a sneak peak at Sanctum, Steven Rogers’ newest dance club, tonight’s your chance. The nightlife entrepreneur is holding a “soft opening” of the establishment starting at 8 p.m. with DJs Kevin Brown and Chris Shannon on the record decks spinning tribal house music. Much…

What’s On Tap for Tonight’s First Friday

First Friday has come a long way since its humble beginnings in the late 1980s. Just look at tonight’s edition for example, which will feature Roosevelt Street getting blocked off completely for the first time ever. As little as a year ago, both city of Phoenix officials and representatives from…

10 Things Under $10 This Weekend: Labor Day Weekend Edition

Its Labor Day weekend, which means three straight days and nights of fun, fetes, pool parties, and (best of all) no work. Appropriately, this edition of “10 Things Under $10” includes a few cheap thrills that are scheduled to take place on Monday, September 7. Have fun, y’all, and keep…

Breakbeat Boutique

When it comes to breakbeats, there’s no bigger fan of the EDM genre than DJ Louder. In fact, the 31-year-old spent most of the past decade sharing his love for pounding syncopated, polyrhythmic tracks at clubs and raves around the Valley, much as he’ll do this weekend during the Breakbeat Boutique…

The Men in Black

To Hell with Joaquin Phoenix, the producers of the Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line shoulda cast Douglas Benson as the “Man in Black.” After all, the frontman for San Diego tribute act Cash’d Out does such a thorough vocal facsimile of the late country legend that listening to him…

Pinky Ring Moves to Scottsdale Starting Tonight

In case your looking for a little action on a Wednesday night, head up to Scottsdale to catch Pinky Ring’s debut at its new home at the newly-remodeled Pussycat Lounge. The long-running electro/hip-hop night that’s been going down at Bar Smith since last November, has eschewed downtown in favor of…

Impact Zone Wrestling Finds a New (Temporary) Home

As we reported yesterday, the closure of Tempe nightclub The Sets this past weekend left Impact Zone Wrestling, the Valley’s resident grappling group, searching for a new location to hold its bi-weekly slamfests. We just spoke with IZW spokeperson Chris McClennan, who informed us that they’ve found a new home…

Pussycat Lounge’s New Look in Pictures

Debaucherous Scottsdale nightspot Pussycat Lounge re-opened this past weekend after a undergoing a month-long renovation. So what’s new, Pussycat? Lots, including a redesigned interior space. That annoying wall that seperated the entraceway from the rest of the club has been 86’d, the DJ booth has been put in its place,…

The Sets in Tempe Closes for Business

It saddens us to report this, but Tempe music venue The Sets has gone belly up after five years. As in closed. Finito. The big goodbye. The multi-room bar and nightclub shut its doors permanently on Sunday night following a local battle of the bands showcase. But as startled as…

Phoenix DJs React to Death of Adam Goldstein (a.k.a. DJ AM)

The music world was stunned and saddened by the tragic and untimely passing of DJ AM (a.k.a. Adam Goldstein), who was found dead in his NYC apartment this past Friday. It’s been reported that the 36-year-old superstar was the victim of an apparent accidental drug overdose. The shockwaves from Goldstein’s…

DJ Dossier: Rob Wegner

In 2001, Wegner launched a class dedicated to the ins and outs of the DJ biz over at Scottsdale Community College, the first of its kind in the Valley (which got some ink in the pages of the Wall Street Journal). It’s since expanded to three separate courses that cover…

Silver Medallion Posts New Music Video

Filmed and edited by local lensman Giulio Sciorio (who’s photog work has been featured in New Times over the past few years), the three-minute video is for the single “Gravity” and is a vibrant nighttime tour of some of the cooler/funkier parts of downtown Phoenix. Oren and Carnegie hop onboard…

Love Mania

Phoenix has been good to DJ Emile. Throughout a big chunk of the ’90s, the outspoken mixmaster amassed some hefty fame and fortune as one-third of the PHX’s notorious turntablism triumvirate, the Bombshelter DJs. Together with Z-Trip and Radar, the trio rocked many an underground party while working the wheels…