Legendary film composer John Williams is scheduled to appear at a benefit performance by the Phoenix Symphony on September 28. It’s not like he needs to tour to help raise money for his kids’ college fund, and he’s probably busy with the Jurassic Park IV and new Star Wars soundtracks…
Crescent Ballroom wasted no time becoming a downtown Phoenix staple putting on shows almost every day of the year, and serving delicious food and drinks in the lounge. The venue expanded its horizons last year with Los Dias de la Crescent, where local bands performed both inside and outside for…
LA Ink and Ink Master are entertaining ways to gawk at (mostly) good tattoos, but the real fun comes from shows like Tattoo Nightmares, which shows how sometimes awful work can be salvaged into something great. Unfortunately you’re usually stuck with a bad tattoo — unless you want a large,…
Prince and his backing band, 3rd Eye Girl performed a once-in-a-lifetime show at Marquee Theatre last night. Er, twice–I guess they’ll be coming back tonight. It was pretty fantastic, but don’t take my word for it. Here’s the Twittersphere’s review of Prince’s first night in Tempe: @seerock1023 Prince leaned back/down…
PrinceMarquee TheatreApril 30, 2013 His Royal Purpleness reigned supreme at Marquee Theatre last night, and like most of the people who saw him there, I’m still taking it all in. We just saw a legend perform at a mid-sized venue and we were close enough to actually see his face…
Alkaline TrioMarquee Theatre, TempeSunday, April 28, 2013 I’ve got a big, fat fucking bone to pick with you, Alkaline Trio. In case you haven’t heard, I’m sick and tired of waiting to hear “Radio.” I wish you would have swapped some new songs for “Nose Over Tail,” “Clavicle,” and all…
Nerf HerderPub Rock, ScottsdaleApril 26, 2013 What the heck have geek rockers Nerf Herder been up to since their last trip to Phoenix in 2002? It’s been a full 11 years since the band co-headlined a show with Guttermouth at Club Rio. At the time, the band’s third full-length album,…
Alkaline Trio’s songwriting formula works — Matt Skiba and Dan Andriano share vocal duties in a Jekyll-and-Hyde-like fashion, singing songs about heartache and the macabre. The band has progressed quite a bit from the tongue-in-cheek breakup anthem “Stupid Kid” from 2001’s From Here to Infirmary. The band’s latest album, My…
News flash: You probably eat bugs a few times a week without realizing it. It sounds kinda gross, we know, but the cochineal bug has been used as a red dye for centuries. The Spanish conquistadors were so impressed with the bug’s crimson hue that the insects were one of…
Alkaline Trio has appealed to the pop-punk-loving masses for nearly two decades now by finding the midpoint between the macabre themes of The Damned or The Misfits and the hopeless-romanticism of bands like Saves the Day and New Found Glory. Tales of love and woe are what attract many female…
A common complaint about the Phoenix live music scene is fan apathy. A show may be sold out, but many fans will keep their arms crossed and not move around much. That was not the case at Marquee Theatre Tuesday night. The Gaslight Anthem’s fanbase showed what live music should…
Digital Leather, the synthpunk brainchild of Shawn Foree, has evolved quite a bit since the Arizona musician started it as a solo project. In concert, Foree shares the stage with members of The Reatards, Destruction Unit, Lenguas Largas, The Wongs, and Lost Sounds. Digital Leather recently expanded its synth section…
That Damn Show | Mesa Amphitheatre | April 20, 2013 The history of That Damn Show is full of fond memories. A decade or so ago, the festival combined punk bands with alt-radio favorites for a blistering day in the sun. Saturday, it was back with a vengeance, and hopefully…
The Postal Service’s reunion is still fresh. The band played its first live show on April 9, the day the Give Up reissue was released in honor of The Postal Service’s 10-year anniversary. The reunion news was sudden and raised some questions. First and foremost, would the reunited Postal Service…
If you’re going to That Damn Show–tickets here; schedule here–on Saturday and you don’t already know a lot about Bad Religion, you might be in trouble by the time they hit the Main Stage at the Mesa Amphitheatre at 9 p.m. Luckily, our print feature this week is all about…
The roster of touring acts of That Damn Show gives the festival the appearance of something that happened a decade ago. I remember being stoked to see acts like Bad Religion, Face to Face, and Fenix Tx for the first time in the early Aughts — and, in some cases,…
Romance may be the key to a woman’s heart, but a hunk of meat is all a gal needs to make a man squirm. The fourth annual Arizona Barbeque Festival will easily meet those requirements with tons of meaty goodness. We can’t guarantee that love will be in the smoky…
“You might not think there’s any wisdom in a fucked-up punk rock song,” sings Greg Graffin in “Kyoto Now!” summarizing Bad Religion’s ethos in one fell swoop. Classic punk songs like Black Flag’s “TV Party” and The Misfits’ “Hybrid Moments” are fun and riotous but offer little substance. Bad Religion…
If you went to Coachella last weekend, you’re probably still sunburned, dehydrated, and physically exhausted. Sleeping in your own bed is a glorious feeling after camping out or crashing on a friend’s hotel room floor, but some aches and pains are bound to persist. Fortunately, if you had a good-enough…
Movies like The Day After Tomorrow, Twister, and Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs are a testament to mankind’s obsession with extreme weather — even if the details are a little exaggerated. But, really, who wouldn’t want it to rain pizza? “Weather or Not: Art with Atmosphere” showcases the beauty…
Minimalist R&B-inspired music is riding a wave of popularity right now, but not all makers of breathy, sexytime music are created equal. The sensuality in the music of The xx — comprising Romy Madley Croft, Oliver Sim, and Jamie Smith — is one that The Weeknd and James Blake can’t…
Monday’s news of former English prime minister Margaret Thatcher’s death elicited mixed responses. Some sites praised the Iron Lady’s leadership tactics, while others celebrated her death. Pushing to get “Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead” in the Top 40 charts hours after Thatcher’s death is pretty tacky, but not completely…
