Looks like Dweezil Zappa did his dad, Frank, proud last night at the Comerica Theatre. He and his Zappa Plays Zappa tribute band played a massive 2 1/2-hour set, including Frank’s entire Apostrophe (‘) album for a crowd full of both older and younger Zappa fans. Here’s what they had…
Andrew Junker The lead singer of local band Kinch plays at the band’s third annual Kinchmas party at the Rhythm Room on Thursday, December 23. Proceeds benefit Ozanam Manor, a homeless/transitional shelter in downtown Phoenix. The band says they try to make the night more like a party and less…
Is it just me, or is anyone else completely shocked by Katy Perry’s nomination for Album of the Year for the 2011 Grammy Awards?I mean, don’t get me wrong. As a person, I adore her. She’s funny, sassy, confident and beautiful, and she really does have amazing vocal talent. Her…
Looks like Los Angeles-based electro hip-hop trio Hyper Crush is going to have a busy night tonight. The band is scheduled to perform at two Valley clubs, all within less than 4 hours.First, they’ll hit Jackrabbit Lounge in Scottsdale, which continues its quest to be a House of Blues-style destination,…
Ever wondered what a zombie Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer looks like? Take a gander at this flier. It was created for metal band Living Sacrifice for their A Very Metal Christmas Tour. Since the name of the tour has to do with Christmas, Tooth & Nail Records/Invisible Creature art director/designer…
When a band has to make up a genre name to describe its music, it’s easy to suspect said band lacks focus. Not so with Tempe-based band The VeraGroove, as their self-coined “desert reggae rock ‘n’ roll” label works pretty well. The band, which says it seeks to unite listeners…
Common Wall Media’s holiday shindig at the Hard Rock isn’t your typical Christmas party. Instead of the standard yuletide carols, you’ll get popular local bands playing their brands of indie music. What Laura Says, Gospel Claws, Dead Wildlife and Snake! Snake! Snakes!, will celebrate what Common Wall Media founder and…
Get ready for a literal head-trip. Starting on Friday, November 19, Saskia Jorda debuts “Cartograms of Memory.” The artist invites you into her world as she puts her own personal life experiences on display by using maps of places she’s traveled as models for new shapes and forms that show…
Things get feisty and feminine at the A.E. England Gallery as lady artists from around the Valley come together for a woman-centric show featuring more than 30 female artists. It’s called “Sensory Consciousness/Bold Statements: Works by Arizona Women,” and the exhibit includes both well-known and up-and-coming artists looking to make…
As urban renewal takes over downtown Phoenix and its art galleries, mixed-media artist Lara Plecas (formerly Kupcikevicius) brings a little bit of nature and history into eye lounge with her new show “Territorial Nature.” This is the first solo show at the collective gallery for Plecas, who says she is…
While many music promoters get in the business for fame or money, one local man has a much more altruistic aim with his shows: to promote awareness about Huntington’s Disease. “I’m not looking to get rich, meet a bunch of musicians and hot girl types,” says Greg Forward, founder and…
Yichao Wang The artistic director of CloPet Theatr can be seen performing with Jester’Z improv this December and January What’d you eat for dinner last night? I ate at Hong Kong Gormet Buffet in Ahwatukee. Delicious though a bit pricey–but lots of yummy seafood, and great sushi as well! Favorite…
Locals who decided to stay in town for Thanksgiving weekend got quite the treat this past weekend, as a slew of great Valley acts entertained people in-between bites of turkey. On Thanksgiving Eve, at The Sail Inn in Tempe, The Black Moods, Black Carl and What Laura Says performed on…
Wow, an R&B star singing about marriage and commitment and true love. You’re not dreaming it–it’s happened with Jason DeRulo’s “What If,” and it’s downright refreshing to hear a guy who’s already sung about dirty fantasies belt about something more meaningful…
Get ready to feel like a major under-achiever.This 7-year-old kid is living thug life to the fullest, and he will absolutely blow you away with his “cover” of Kesha’s “We R Who We R” (Perez Hilton is even raving about it.)Matty B already has an entourage of little girls (see…
Call them “hyper,” “sugary,” “bouncy,” or just “too stoked to function,” and The Summer Set will totally thank you for the compliments. The young Scottsdale five-piece pop band knows its fan base is full of teenage girls and knows how to cater to them. Yes, these guys wear bright colors…
Downtown Phoenix might be more of a concrete jungle than a land of green pastures, but when Michael Patterson shows off his paintings at Trunk Space this month and next, the urban setting gets infused with some Irish spirit. That’s because the artist, who will be showing 15 of his…
As urban renewal takes over downtown Phoenix and its art galleries, mixed-media artist Lara Plecas (formerly Kupcikevicius) brings a little bit of nature and history into eye lounge with her new show “Territorial Nature.” This is the first solo show at the collective gallery for Plecas, who says she is…
Kesha is bratty, she always looks a little dirty, and she performs live with Auto-Tune (see the American Music Awards).She would wear garbage bags as clothes if she could, and she’s been pictured with only semen covering her chest. She’s not exactly the classiest or most talented artist out there,…
In case you can’t guess by looking at this flier, local indie band Banana Gun really likes old science fiction movies. Besides adopting the style when it comes to designing their promotional materials, one of the first songs the band wrote together, “HAL,” was loosely based on the computer HAL…
Luke Ciotta Ciotta is the drummer for local pop/rock group Absent Akridge What’d you eat for dinner last night? Pasta with vodka sauce and a Greek salad Favorite food: Hummus and pita Least favorite food: Anything deep-fried Favorite dessert: Rice Pudding…
Valley fans of Phoenix band This Century were let in on some disappointing news last night at their show at the Nile Theater in Mesa–due to “vocal issues” with singer Joel Kanitz, the band had to cancel their set. He explained via Twitter: “We are having to cancel again tonight…
