Record labels that liken themselves to one big family go back to the Motown days. On the local tip, River Jones Music (RJM) is kind of like early Death Row and mid-period Roc-A-Fella, meaning that if there’s one of RJM’s artists on a show bill, you’re sure to see at…
The Trunk Space, one of downtown Phoenix’s top art galleries and performance venues, celebrates its sixth anniversary this month. Ample toasts and huzzahs should be sent the spot’s way, especially considering the rough and tumble place that the local art scene can be. The Trunk Space cheers the artists that…
Howard Stern bellowed that he was the King of All Media, but we like the idea of Tom Green as Jester of All Media That He Can Get His Hands On. Green’s probably best known for his odd pranks on his family, getting ditched at the altar on SNL by…
It turns out that Arizona bands heading to South by Southwest have been doing it wrong. They should have heeded the words of Alabama, the Southern country band, when they said, “If you’re gonna play in Texas, you gotta have a fiddle in the band.” On Monday, March 29, Austin’s…
Wrestlemania is in town this weekend, but we dig the kind of slams that don’t require greasy shirtless dudes. All across America, you’ll find poetry slams giving voice to folks compelled to rant, rave, and share their life through a mic. Who do we thank for this? Marc Kelly Smith,…
We laud Lady Gaga for bringing back a sense of show-person-ship that turns award-show snooze fests into something watchable. When people suggest that she’s doing something revolutionary, though, we think, fiddlesticks! Instead, we feel that Gaga would have fit perfectly in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s New York club…
We’re excited about the first annual Chandler Barbecue Throwdown. Why? The event logo is a portly cowboy pig about to cook up a slab of pork. Anthropomorphic cannibalism is the surest, most awesome sign that the food will be so delicious that it would eat itself. The East Valley’s best…
Beyond the impact on the local economy, there are other reasons to avoid big-box retailers. Those florescent-lighted traps seem to hire overly chipper sales-bots who adeptly disappear when needed. We’re glad that “keeping it local” gets a breath of fresh air with the Second Saturday Sidewalk Sale. The shops, restaurants,…
We never had an automobile that warranted a ridiculously sexy name. So, we’ll live vicariously through the prime rides at the Goodguys Spring Nationals. This show of vehicular eye candy, curated by the Goodguys Rod and Customs Association, is the largest of its kind. After nearly 30 years in the…
If you’re into So You Think You Can Dance – which throws a random assortment of semi-known figures (“celebrities” probably isn’t the word) on the dance floor and manages to garner some ratings – then you might think Americans are dancing machines. Apparently. For something more of the America’s Best…
We get it. You’re the type who only steps into a church on major holidays. However, the Phoenix Chorale has given us another good reason to spend some time in the pews with its “Darkness & Light” performance at Brophy Chapel. The circa 1928 spot showcases plenty of Spanish architectural…
It’s hard to think of Phoenix institutions and entities that have been around for 40 years. Off the top of our heads, we could only come up with the Phoenix Suns, who started hooping in ’68. That makes the Black Theatre Troupe’s 40th year of continuous operation that much more…
If you’re looking at this Sunday with some anxiety because you’re without a snuggle bunny, no worries. There’s one place where, whether solo or polyamorous, you’ll be welcomed with open arms: Chopper John’s for the “You’re the Cat’s Meow! Valentine Variety Show.”There’s gonna be a lot of love shared in…
To quote 50 Cent, “Daaaaamn, homie. In high school, you was the man, homie!” When Fiddy spouted knowledge about the fronting folks who peaked in their teens, he could have been talking about Martin Lawrence. Between starring in a string of hit movies and hosting HBO’s Def Comedy Jam as…
Valentine’s Day is almost here. In other words, the hounds of capitalism are sounding the call, but that’s no reason to get down, especially when Phoenix is lucky enough to have Bunky Boutique and PHX DIY around. On Saturday, February 13, the camps join forces for In the Yard. Bunky,…
It’s hard to believe that a whole month of 2010 is already gone. February is destined to be quite the flash, too. There’s gotta be a way for these days to be a little more memorable, which is why we’re hinging our hopes on the “Printmakers’ Calendar 2010” exhibit that’s…
This is the first in a two-part series by two Phoenix-based music critics that happen to feel that D’Angelo’s Voodoo, which turned ten years old this week, is (to put it bluntly) one of the best things ever. Part two can be found here. It was appropriate that weeks before…
Everyone has the rebellious older cousin whose against-the-grain ways benefited him or her in the form of way-out music that we couldn’t find on our own. If you grew up during the ‘80s, you probably received a dubbed cassette of legendary oddball punks The Dead Milkmen. If you were reared…
Created and curated by premium selectah Al Page, The Shop has been holding it down for half a decade by pumping the time-tested sounds of rap’s best old school and underground artists with good doses of funk, soul, and reggae. The weekly hip-hop night celebrates its fifth anniversary with bass-heavy…
The year 2009 seemed to be a banner one for the Love Me Nots. The Valley’s best outlet for Detroit-driven garage rock dropped the Jim Diamond-produced Upsidedown Insideout that features Nicole Laurenne’s rollicking vocals leading the torrent of Farfisa-hammered sounds and fuzzy guitar licks. The effort even garnered a generous…
What humbly started out as a Web site to give directions to a New Year’s Eve party so many years ago has grown into an online community focused on local music with plenty of in-real-life action. Last March’s SHIZZFEST gave Phoenix a homegrown, multi-stage music blowout; and presently, a new…
Anytime we get a little skeeved out by all of the fancy lofts and upscale eateries that are sprouting downtown, we’re happy about the existence of the lovingly rough-around-the-edges space The Firehouse and its monthly Firestage extravaganza. Downtown denizen Ernesto Moncada curates the alchemy of interesting oddness, and then shuffles…
