Admit it, you watch Dancing With the Stars every now and then. We do, too. 1. Because there’s nothing wrong with guilty pleasures. 2. It’s fun to see celebrities with no dancing skills become polished experts. 3. Better yet, the show is full of drama. Imagine applying the same principle…
Even though we still have a few months left of 110 degree heat, we’re sorry to say that summer peaked last weekend. It’s true. Fourth of July weekend was the ultimate stretch of pool parties, sunburns, and lots of booze. Heck, you might still be hung over. But there is…
BroLoaf’s 5th Annual Patriotic Meltdown Yucca Tap Room Friday, July 4, 2014 Most Tempe residents flocked to Tempe Beach Park to watch fireworks on Fourth of July, which is a shame, because they missed out on a massive party at Yucca Tap Room. BroLoaf returned for its 5th annual Fourth…
Against all odds, Pennsylvania punk outfit the Menzingers gets better with every tour. The band gained quite the following with its fantastic 2012 album, On the Impossible Past. If Past serves as an introduction to the Menzingers, the band’s most recent record, Rented World, will make lifelong fans. The Menzingers…
We’ve been dreading it, but it’s finally happened. After a beautiful winter and spring, we had our first 100-degree day, and from here things will only get worse. Air conditioning and summer dresses are appreciated, but pool parties really do the trick. There’s no need to sneak into a hotel…
Teens: Sorry to break it to you, but prom is totally lame. It’s not like the movies. Your crush probably won’t ask you to dance, and even though you’re dressed to kill, you’re probably going to be let down. You have an opportunity to make up for that during the…
The spooky, fashionable drag queen Sharon Needles has been busy since she won season four of RuPaul’s Drag Race. She’s kept up with her mantra of “when in doubt, freak them out,” releasing a record full of catchy songs about Ouija boards and Halloween and recently starring as Dr. Frank-N-Furter…
In 2012, Against Me!’s Laura Jane Grace took the world by storm when she publicly revealed herself to be transgender. Though had we been paying attention, we would have noticed the not-so-subtle cues in the band’s lyrics, like these from “The Ocean”: “If I could have chosen / I would…
Against Me!’s latest album, Transgender Dysphoria Blues, may be one of the most important records of the decade. We’re deep in a cultural war for gay and women’s rights, but we’ve barely scratched the surface regarding transgender issues. The coming out of someone in the public eye still qualifies as…
As Danny DeVito in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia will vouch, trolls operating toll bridges are usually bad news. While typical trolls are quite greedy, they’re also easy to fool. Just look at the classic story of “Three Billy Goats Gruff.” A family of goats esnts to cross a river…
Serendipity is nice, whether you think of the John Cusack movie, the kick ass restaurant in Las Vegas and New York City, or the true meaning of the word. These pleasant surprises can be found just about anywhere, and while it won’t include any frozen hot chocolate or copies of…
Against Me!’s latest album, Transgender Dysphoria Blues, may be one of the most important records of the decade. We’re deep in a cultural war for gay and women’s rights, but we’ve barely scratched the surface regarding transgender issues. The coming out of someone in the public eye still qualifies as…
Chuck Ragan and the Camaraderie Crescent Ballroom Thursday, May 8, 2014 Chuck Ragan’s reputation precedes him. The Hot Water Music singer has now released four albums rooted in acoustic folk, and he’s one of the manliest guys in music (just take a look at his Instagram page). Chuck is also…
We Are Scientists crafts great songs, tunes that are sincere and catchy slices of indie rock. But the Berkeley trio’s primary appeal (besides looking sharp in suits) may lie in its sense of humor. There are the music videos, especially 2005’s “The Great Escape,” which features the band’s members crouched…
Even after four albums, each drastically different from the others, Manchester Orchestra is a band headed in the right direction. The Atlanta band’s 2006 debut, I’m Like a Virgin Losing a Child, balanced anthemic jaunts “Wolves at Night” and “Now That You’re Home” with the heartbreakingly reflective “Where Have You…
Gone (hopefully) are the days when underground rockers like Kathleen Hanna, Exene Cervenka, Kim Deal, and Kim Gordon needed to prove themselves as musicians. It’s no longer about women in rock; it’s just about women making good rock. Oh, and having a damn good time doing it. It’s one of…
Let’s face it, you’re not as fit as you’d like to be. That’s okay, because the majority of the population is in the same boat. It’s easy to fall off the wagon and nosh on some Cheetos while gorging on the new season of House of Cards, but the trick…
2014 was a year of Coachella firsts for me — it was my first time camping and not going as a member of the press. It was a series of highs and lows all bundled up into one fun, yet exhausting weekend. I’m still coughing up dust, but I can…
The wide-open, flat, dead desert regions that surround Phoenix are no sight for sore eyes. The landscape looks like a brush fire waiting to happen more than anything. A lot of the state is quite gorgeous though, and areas such as Sedona, Bisbee, and the Grand Canyon have breathtaking beauty…
3D chalk art is pretty impressive. Not only are these floor installations you’ve seen passed around on Facebook worthy of being displayed in a gallery, some are so realistic that you may find yourself watching a step. Chalk art transforms mundane sidewalks and cityscapes into a slice of beautiful nature…
Ludwig van Beethoven’s work is pretty dramatic. Just think of the emotional response triggered by arrangements like “Moonlight Sonata” or the Fifth Symphony. But not all of his work is brooding or plays out like the soundtrack to a great battle. In fact, Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony is full of levity…
The PHXAM skate competition was larger than you’d imagine. The Phoenix skateboarding showcase took over Desert West Skateboard Plaza on April 5 and 6, giving skateboarders from all over the world an opportunity to test their mettle in the desert heat…
