See more Elf Power shots in our slideshow. By Martin Cizmar There’s a shortage of music for the contented. Not the ecstatically happy or the introspective, mind you, but for those who are simply satisfied with life for a moment. That’s why it was such a joy to see Elf…
By Martin Cizmar The Yucca Tap Room’s no cover policy has always served me well, usually by getting a bunch of cheap friends to see a cool local band without bitching about their $5. Occasionally, though, things really get interesting, as a national act comes in to play a free…
By Martin Cizmar
A few show announcements fans of alt-country are going to like this week, led by Cottonwood’s Junior Brown and California’s Limbeck.
This week’s flier of the week is for a show that’s slightly out of town, but sounds really cool. As Chris Hansen Orf told you in this week’s paper, Mountain Mojo III is a hippie shindig up in Jerome, where Tempe’s Mojo Farmer play once a year. They’re also joined by Mossy Rocks, The Breadwinners, Bargrass Revival, Joy World Entertainment Co., The Overtones, and Nacho Jesus, so grab a tent and a lighter and head on up.
It’d be hard to pinpoint exactly when Woody Guthrie joined Iggy Pop, Wayne Kramer and Johnny Cash as a proto punk demigod. Somewhere along the line, he seems to have slipped in there though, at least for certain segments of the punk world. The Revival Tour, which stopped in Tempe last night, is probably the best evidence you’ll find to that effect.
By Martin Cizmar
If you’re someone like me who, somewhat embarrassingly, cannot get enough Ben Gibbard, I have some good news.
By Martin Cizmar
It’s not often an album I’ve never heard before makes me nostalgic for my high school days, let alone one that came out last year and is sang partly in Japanese. But so it was with Toybox’s five-song EP, Five Seconds To…, which really took me back. Despite the fact that it’s Toybox is three ASU Japanese-exchange-students-turned-locals, and perform some of their songs in Japanese, they sound like the bands all my friends were in during my school days, old school pop-punkers of the 924 Gilman Street persuasion.
By Martin Cizmar
There ain’t no bowling alley at Kierland Commons. So, really, I am at a last to explain what happened at Sunset Bowl today, as a team from Desert Living Magazine bested two New Times teams and a slew of other area bands, promoters, club owners and assorted independent music types to win the inaugural Phoenix Independents Bowl.
By Martin Cizmar
To be honest, we purposely drug out feet on the show announcements this week. Usually we blog ‘em here Friday, but I couldn’t bring myself to tell you all we’ve got is Kenny Loggins and NOFX.
By Martin Cizmar
If you want to judge a concert based on how far back the crowd is dancing – and I think it’s a pretty fair way to do it – it would be hard to top The Faint’s show Saturday. Feet weren’t just moving in the first few rows, or in the main clump in front of the stage at the spacious Marquee, they were sliding around all the way back by the soundboard, where some dude in a day-glow hat had his own little rave and where a girl in a gray dress indiscreetly scanned every guy around her in search of a suitable dance partner then, coming up empty, switched to a new spot.
By Kelly Wilson
Is Casey Moore’s really haunted? Most of the staff at the Tempe neighborhood bar – located off Ninth and Ash – have personal ghost stories, some that are sure to make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. And many swear up and down that something unearthly stalks this Cheers-like haunt (no pun intended).
By Martin Cizmar Halloween fun doesn’t end Friday, as the poster for this underground rave shows. This forum has some info, but for the location, call the infoline on the day of the show, (602) 501-5466…
By Martin Cizmar
Final Destination III
Arizona Avenue and Frye Road
Chandler
The good: Impressive acting, great props.
The bad: Not as thought provoking as it could be, nor as controversial.
The ugly: Long and slow line, too much time spent crammed together on dark and steep stairs.
With his final works, the American Recordings series, Johnny Cash had some of his biggest commercial and critical success, setting the bar ridiculously high for departed country singers. On Waylon Forever, billed as the country outlaw’s final record, Jennings doesn’t come close to Cash, though the record has a few…
A Vagabond Dreamer,
A Ryhmer and Singer of Songs.
A Revolutionary in Country Music
Beloved By The World
By Martin Cizmar
I do not generally drink in cemeteries. Yesterday, I made an exception.
By Martin Cizmar Just yesterday I was praising Coheed and Cambria, and today it was announced that they’ll be playing in town Sunday, along with local boys Stiletto Formal. Man, it seems like since they got signed it’s been forever between Stiletto Formal shows here in Phoenix, it’ll be good…
By Martin Cizmar Meatloaf’s concert at The Arizona State Fair, scheduled for Thursday, has been canceled due to illness. No make up date was announced. Tickets will be refunded at point of purchase. Earlier this week, Flo Rida’s show at The Venue of Scottsdale was quietly scrapped. No reason was…
Comfort For Change
Stories that didn’t hit the page…
(Self-released)
By Martin Cizmar
It’s not often a local band without a record deal delivers a product as polished as Comfort For Change’s Stories that didn’t hit the page…
By Martin CizmarIn the last month I’ve seen a lot of chainsaws. Quite possibly more than I’ve seen in the rest of my life combined. Why almost every haunted house in the Valley ends with a chainsaw-wielding dude chasing you out the back door is a mystery to me, but they do.
By Martin Cizmar
Ghoulfland
Country Club and The 60
Mesa
The good: Lots of startles throughout maze-like house, other fun activities at Golfland.
The bad: Fairly short, scenery is often a little cheesy.
The ugly: None.
By Martin Cizmar
So, sadly, Phoenix does not appear to be getting of Montreal’s Skeletal Lamping Tour, which MTV says is a much better bet than Madonna’s latest tour – and features Kevin Barnes on horseback, staging his suicide covered in whip cream but we do have a few related acts with shows announced this week. But a few shows by related acts were announced this week.
By Martin Cizmar
Shadowlands
Fiesta Mall, Alma School and The 60
Mesa
The good: Outdoor trail is full of great scenery and well-placed actors, some impressive scenery, novelty factor since it is much different than other area houses.
The bad: Not enough scares, overly complex and ultimately meaningless storyline, poor use of available live monsters.
The ugly: Too much yelling of directions.
