By Benjamin Leatherman The crowd of Hollywood Alley fans who gathered for the show. See more shots in our slideshow. I know I’m probably going to take some shit for saying this, but Hollywood Alley in Mesa is probably the closest thing to a CBGB’s that Phoenix will ever experience…
By Benjamin Leatherman In this week’s issue of the Phoenix New Times, I wrote about tomorrow night’s “20 Years of Rock” party at Hollywood Alley in Mesa, celebrating the landmark local club’s two decades of existence. Writing the piece was something of a challenge. Due to space restrictions, I only…
By Benjamin Leatherman Country punker Scott H. Biram is scheduled to rock Last Exit in Tempe on Saturday, August 23. — FRIDAY, AUGUST 22: Eek-a-Mouse With Another Day [reggae] 7 p.m. $20-$25 (visit www.clubhousegigs.com) The Clubhouse Music Venue, 1320 E. Broadway Rd., Tempe, 480-968-3238. Extreme With Kings X, and Rock…
By Benjamin Leatherman Black Moses, 1942-2008. RIP. The Grim Reaper’s had something of a hard-on for African-American is the entertainment industry as of late. In the past few weeks, death incarnate has taken a pretty staggering list of talented mofos into the great beyond: comedian Bernie Mac, blues guitarist Phil…
It’s the summer of 1988 and the Valley’s music scene is ruled by such venues as Edsel’s Attic, the Sun Club, Long Wong’s, and the Mason Jar. Meanwhile, over in Mesa, an entrepreneur named Ross Wincek quietly opens the doors of his bar and grill, Hollywood Alley, 2610 West Baseline…
It’s going to be something of a busy weekend for DJ Seduce. The Valley’s mixmaster maestro of bossa nova basslines and jazzy globe-trotting jams starts things off by heading up Afro:Baile’s “Summer Sessions” gig at Club Mardi Gras, 8040 East McDowell Road in Scottsdale, on Friday, August 22. The night…
By Benjamin Leatherman This week’s version of “What’s Selling” focuses on the central Phoenix location of Zia Record Exchange, 1940 West Indian School Road. The store’s list of top 10 best-sellers for the week of August 11 to 17 is a pretty eclectic mix, ranging from from hard rock and…
By Benjamin Leatherman Hot girls. Dancing on the bar. What more could you ask for? Spotlights pierced the north Scottsdale night sky on muggy Saturday night, beckoning in the beautiful people and other top-shelf types to the opening night VIP fete of the Valley’s newest nightspot, the Black Card Ultralounge…
By Benjamin Leatherman We just received a tip tonight that longtime downtown Phoenix coffeehouse and culture venue the Willow House was closed down on Thursday until further notice. According to our source, a Willow House employee who asked to remain anonymous, the shuttering was due to a dispute the property…
By Benjamin Leatherman Dear and the Headlights are scheduled to perform on Saturday at the New Times Summer of Sound Rock showcase at the Clubhouse Music Venue in Tempe. Here’s a rundown of all the concerts and major music and comedy events scheduled over the next 72 hours, from tonight…
Whenever we’re out surveying some of the more ostentatious and showy nightspots that make up P-town’s club scene, the lyrics from that Finger 11 song “Paralyzer” seem to roll through our heads. You know, the verse where Scott Anderson sings: “This club has got to be/The most pretentious thing/Since I…
By Benjamin Leatherman Let mortal kombat begin. It was announced recently that Danzig will be heading back to the Valley this November as a part of the “Blackest of the Black Tour,” which also features fellow black metal rockers Dimmu Borgir, Moonspell, Winds of Plague, and Skeletonwitch on the lineup…
By Benjamin Leatherman It’s a damn shame that in a city the size of Phoenix (the fifth largest in the nation last we checked) there’s a real dearth of cool independent music stores. But, hey, at least it lets us appreciate those scant few record shops that are available all…
By Benjamin Leatherman Birthday boy William Fucking Reed’s gonna party like its 1999 at the Hotel San Carlos tonight. Local DJ impresario/über-scenester extraordinaire William Fucking Reed turns 31 years old tonight, and the dude’s celebrating in grand style at his weekly “Adult Swim” pool party that goes down every Sunday…
By Benjamin Leatherman The hometown boys of Peachcake are scheduled to perform on Saturday at Modified Arts in downtown Phoenix. Here’s a rundown of all the concerts and major music events scheduled over the next 72 hours, from tonight until Sunday. Click the link for ticketing info. FRIDAY, AUGUST 8:…
By Benjamin Leatherman Here’s a list of what’s been selling at Circles Records & Tapes (800 North Central Avenue in Phoenix). 1. Lil Wayne, Tha Carter III (Cash Money) 2. Suga Free, Sunday School (Siccness) 3. The-Dream, Love Hate (Def Jam) 4. Roca Dolla, Roca Is a Classic (5Fith Coast…
If nothing else, the members of Tucson indie rock outfit seemingly have an endless supply of confidence in their sound. How do we know this? Just check out the slogan on their MySpace page, bub, featuring the declaration that they’re the “Most Underrated Band in The World.” Normally we’d just…
It’s been more than a decade since the blockbuster electronica duo of Ken Johnson and Scott Kirkland (a.k.a. The Crystal Method) broke out big-time in 1997, helping to popularize the late-’90s “big beat” EDM sound. And though most alt-music acts from that era have faded into obscurity, Crystal Method is…
By Benjamin Leatherman Matthew Reveles and Fancy Cloud are scheduled to perform tonight at Holgas. August is usually the deadest month when it comes to First Friday. Blame a combination of late summer heat and monsoon mugginess that makes people want to stay hunkered inside someplace air-conditioned instead of sweating…
By Benjamin Leatherman Party hard with Sweetbleeders tonight at the Ruby Room during their CD release show. So watcha got planned for tonight? Heading out to the monthly First Friday festivities or perhaps dropping by the nearby multiplex to watch The Dark Knight for the 863rd time? We say bollocks…
By Benjamin Leatherman The indie rock cuties of Paramore are scheduled to perform on Saturday. Here’s a compilation of the big shows and events scheduled to go down at Valley concert and music venues this weekend. FRIDAY, AUGUST 1: BeatleMania Live [tribute band] 7 p.m. $37-$40 (visit www.ticketmaster.com) Casino Arizona…
If you’re planning to head to The Door in Tempe to hang out at Groove Candy this coming Hump Day, a minor course correction is in order, yo. That’s because the crackalackin’ Wednesday-night hip-hop affair has flipped the script and moved northward to Lyte Lounge, 7419 East Indian Plaza in…
