Slideshow: Obama Rally in Chicago

Hundreds of Thousands Flock to Obama Rally in Chicago See the event for yourself courtesy of this slideshow direct from Obama’s rally in Chicago. Barack Obama closed his campaign with a massive outdoor public event — a street party in downtown Chicago centered on Grant Park, near the Lake Michigan…

Brew Review: Surviving Malt Liquor

By Jonathan McNamara Once again I assembled a crew of able-bodied Phoenix New Times employees to the break room for a Brew Review. Sitting between the rows of plastic coffee cups and packages of creamer, a large, black sack awaited us. Inside was a substance with a reputation so vile…

First Taste: True Food at Biltmore Fashion Park

By Jonathan McNamara I’m not too sure about you, but it’s a rare event that a waiter in a restaurant runs out to ask me if “two percent organic milk” is okay for my latte. Sure, on a Starbucks run “half-calf, full foam, double shot, two percent, organic” or some…

Truckers on Speed at Clubhouse Music

By Sarah Ventre Truckers on Speed don’t mess around and you sure as hell wouldn’t want to mess around with them. When they throw a CD release party it’s one intense event. By the time the Truckers took the stage at Clubhouse Music, local bands Two Spot Gobi, Plowed Under,…

First Taste: Sens Asian Tapas and Sake Bar

By Jonathan McNamara See shots from Sens in our slideshow. If Sens Asian Tapas and Sake Bar was going for an authentic Japanese bar experience, they definitely gave it to their patrons on opening night. Guests were packed tighter than a Tokyo subway during rush hour in the bar located…

Brew Review: Four Peaks Pumpkin Porter

By Jonathan McNamara Last week’s look at seasonal brews introduce us to a selection of ales and lagers that hinted (and in some cases hit you upside the face) with seasonal flavors. But there was one type of beer decidedly lacking from our selection: the porter. Every year Four Peaks…

Roger Clyne and The Peacemakers In Multimedia

By Jonathan McNamara When Music Editor Martin Cizmar asked me to accompany him to Mexico to cover a Roger Clyne concert for the debut of his column, Sonic Truth, I knew it was going to be a big deal. But it wasn’t until I was hanging from a scaffold trying…

Polysics at The Clubhouse

By Jonathan McNamara Something amazing happened at Clubhouse Music last night. In the old tales of concert-going I’ve heard of this mysterious phenomnenon called “interaction,” but it wasn’t until a group of Japanese musicians in orange jump suits with rectangular sunglasses took the stage at the Clubhouse that I witnessed…

Streetlight Manifesto at The Venue of Scottsdale

By Joseph Golfen Some say that punk is dead, but Streetlight Manifesto’s frenzied show at the Venue of Scottsdale proved that at the very least, Ska is still alive and kicking widely. Friday night’s show packed the house with manic kids flailing their limbs to horn-fueled mayhem. See more shots…

First Taste: Il Terrazzo

By Jonathan McNamara Il Terrazzo, the “authentic italian restaurant” occupying the space that used to be The Terrace, opened its doors and its kitchen to hungry members of the press on October 16. See more tasty shots in our Il Terrazzo slideshow…

This Weekend: Weezer and Spam

By Jonathan McNamara Saturday, October 18: Weezer at the State Fair Here at New Times we’re trouble makers. That’s right, we eat our candy with the pork and beans. Which is why we’ll be venturing off to see Weezer at the State Fair. We swear it’s true. Oh! You’re planning…

First Taste: BLT Steak at Camelback Inn

By Jonathan McNamara If you find yourself down in the dumps about the dwindling economy, I have an instant panacea. Find a whole-roasted then smoked pig and eat it. Trust me on this. I found myself in a position to do just that during BLT Steak’s media invite only dinner…

Cousins of the Wize

If there’s one way that Cousins of the Wize’s second album, The Art of Living, suffers, it’s in poor track sequencing. There’s a lot to like here, from the radio-ready “Two Bottles of Beer” to the instrumental “Spaghetti Western,” which could easily be subbed into the Kill Bill soundtrack without…

Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers at Circus Mexicus

By Martin Cizmar It’s nearing 3 p.m. Monday and I’m still recovering from an amazing weekend in Rocky Point, where web editor Jonathan McNamara a few friends and I traveled to see Roger Clyne and the Peacemaker’s Circus Mexicus extravaganza. See more photos in our Roger Clyne and the Peacemaker’s…