Nightlife

Legendary Phoenix blues guitar player Carvin Jones, known for his passionate riffing and cool swagger, has been a fixture in the Valley’s music scene for years. When he announced in April that he’d been diagnosed with cancer, fans offered an outpouring of love and support. Like many artists, he has no health insurance. He faced massive bills and was enduring a “huge blow emotionally, physically and financially” since he couldn’t continue performing. In a blink, a GoFundMe benefit raised $35,000 for his treatment. And more than 300 people turned out to a benefit concert in Fountain Hills at the end of that month, with admiring musicians and fans gushing about Jones’ special place as an artist and mentor in the Valley’s musical community. The action was a silver lining and a reminder that music knits us together as people.

Post Malone is a juggernaut, with hits like “Rockstar,” “Circles” and “Sunflower” that blend an eclectic mix of genres like rap, country and pop. The man truly defies category — no wonder he found his way to Gracie’s Tax Bar. After rocking State Farm Stadium on June 21, Malone ventured to the popular downtown Phoenix bar, which is known for its egalitarian-bohemian vibes, cheap drinks and long lines on weekend nights. Malone hung out until the bar closed at 2 a.m., buying rounds, taking pictures with anyone who wanted one and splashing a huge tip for the staff. Malone was “very kind,” said Grace Perry, who owns the bar. His appearance was the wish-you’d-been-there coolest celebrity cameo in Phoenix this year. And he couldn’t have picked a more apropos spot.

Few Phoenix area musicians have a resumé as iconic as Kevin Daly. From the early days of his protopunk band, the Hoods, to his stint with rockabilly upstarts Grant and the Geezers in the early 1980s, Daly has set the (unmistakably awesome guitar) tone for a music scene that would be a whole lot less interesting without his often-stoic presence. Daly’s nimble fingers and explosive songwriting were the backbone of the aforementioned bands as well as Hellfire, the Trophy Husbands, Grave Danger and, more recently, Kevin Daly’s Chicken & Waffles. As cool as they come, Daly has not only been in some of the best bands this town has ever produced, he has staunchly supported of his Phoenix peers, as well. It was not uncommon to see Daly in the crowd at shows dating to the ’80s. Fans and musicians alike can learn from his irreplaceable presence.

Dive bars are a dying breed in Phoenix. When they change hands, they often get a new veneer that sanitizes well-earned grime and higher prices that piss off longtime customers. In March, when the nearly 30-year-old Swizzle Inn went up for sale, we wondered if the Phoenix institution would succumb to the same fate. By June, the Swizz had a new owner: POV Foods, the hospitality team behind such stalwarts as Old Town Scottsdale’s Rusty Spur Saloon and Phoenix’s twee drive-thru 32Shea. Yet once the group announced it had bought the bar from founder Beth Johnson, its owners said they aren’t going to rebrand or even remodel. They prefer to preserve the Swizz and its beachy holiday vibe that’s best enjoyed over a game of pool or browsing the jukebox. A dive that gets to remain a dive is worth celebrating — Shark Fart shots for everyone!

Even when it’s 115 degrees out, The Pemberton is the coolest outdoor spot in town. Its internationally themed bars, a fine-dining restaurant, party-ready pool and splashy murals featuring icons like Prince and Freddie Mercury make The Pemberton a polychromatic wonderland unlike any other place in Phoenix. Reimagined from an earlier iteration and reopened earlier this year, The Pemberton defies easy description. Picture a labyrinth of pop art and visual pleasures where you can wander around with a cocktail, take a bachata dance lesson, stumble onto a Zumba class, catch a killer live band, dip your toes in the pool or have dinner in a hexagonal cell of a giant honeycomb structure. The reverence for detail — the murals, the lighting, the decor, the design — make this sprawling property a few steps from Roosevelt Row feel like a delirious pocket multiverse, especially once the sun sets and the beautiful people arrive.

The first time we showed up at Arizona Party Bike headquarters for a ride, we were unconvinced. We’d seen the open-air vehicles ringed with barstools puttering through Old Town Scottsdale — a cheesy if cheerful novelty that only tourists would pay for. Turns out, if riding around in the fresh air, cocktail in hand, laughing with our friends makes us cheesy, then so be it. Your Arizona Party Bike experience begins at its on-site beverage shop. You’ll buy two to four drinks to enjoy on the ride — options include cans or plastic containers of beer, seltzers and Beatboxes. Then, you ride. Your tour hits multiple bars around Old Town; on any given day, you may stop at Rockbar, 50 Shades of Rosé or Giligin’s, soaking up drink specials. Arizona Party Bike does plenty of business with visitors, yes, fine, sure. It’s also a hell of a lot of fun for anyone looking to conquer Old Town with your buds.

Depending on your point of view, the folks featured on Nightcart Confessions are either the dregs of society or the most hilarious people you’ve ever seen. Either way, keep watching. The account, run by Ryan O’Connor, shows him driving around Old Town Scottsdale (and occasionally South Florida) in one of those annoying and ubiquitous golf carts. Nothing is off-limits in the cart. Passengers talk about queefing, STDs and cocaine with a frankness that makes us wonder: Why on earth are you letting yourself be recorded right now? Most of the account’s videos are the standard cart interviews. Every once in a while, you get footage of a bro fight or a drunk person being carried down the street. Nightcart Confessions is wild, a little bit trashy and a whole lot of fun — just like Old Town itself.

Downtown nightlife mainstay Cobra Arcade Bar just got a facelift. It was time. While the inside remains mostly the same, many of the vintage games were swapped out for fresh titles that your 0.15 BAL button-mashing will no doubt wreck in no time. Outside, the roof has been extended to provide more shade across the three businesses on the corner of Second and McKinley streets. An upgraded red neon sign hanging from that extension and paints passersby in a warm glow, and visitors stroll along new geometrical brick flooring as they make their way inside for a scene that’s equal parts game room, dance floor and neighborhood bar. Catch resident DJs Aja Cruz on Wednesday nights, Who the DJ and Tony Trips on Tuesdays, and a bevy of other events on their weekend calendar.

Budget is the only thing slowing us from setting up a residence at Tell Your Friends. The speakeasy under The Americano in north Scottsdale is not cheap. Rather, it is gorgeous, intimate, luxurious. The velvet chairs, mirrored walls and retro lighting provide a fitting backdrop to top-notch cocktails. For something fresh and bright, the Green With Envy pairs vodka and aloe liqueur with cucumber and lime. Their espresso martini, Call the Paparazzi, is also a solid pick. Order light bites off the menu or ring The Americano upstairs and they’ll bring your food down to you. To knock a couple of bucks off your (substantial) bill, make a reservation for Tell Your Friends’ happy hour. You’ll get a decent discount on the signature cocktails and a separate food menu.

Phoenix’s hottest flight this year didn’t depart Sky Harbor. Once the long-awaited immersive bar experience Carry On landed downtown in November, its weekly ticket releases became the drop that Valley residents set alarms to secure. And for good reason — this night out is a trip. Guests enter a lounge tricked out as a 1970s-vintage plane cabin, awash in a palette of burnt orange, brown and cream. Once seated, sip your welcome drink and peck at peanuts while your crew reviews pre-departure announcements. Then get your cocktail order going and gaze out a “window” that displays cities and skies mid-flight. The drinks likewise take inspiration from earlier decades, updated with modern twists and techniques from the bar team led by Jax Donahue. Those heady tipples, and the playful, luxe space, soon racked up awards and nominations. Carry On doesn’t make for a cheap night out by any stretch. But damned if your head isn’t still in the clouds once you set your feet back on the sidewalk.

Jax Donahue has been a heavy hitter in the Valley’s cocktail scene for a decade, working at spots with notable bar programs such as Clever Koi, before serving as beverage director for the group behind the award-winning immersive cocktail bars Platform 18, UnderTow and Grey Hen Rx. Since joining Pretty Decent Concepts last summer, Donahue has been on a tear, even for him. He helped the team behind Wren & Wolf and Chico Malo expand their beverage offerings at all kinds of concepts, from coffees and sodas made with house syrups at the upscale bakery Creampuff Donuts to jaw-droppingly good cocktails at Carry On, the buzziest bar to open in the Valley of late. Pretty Decent Concepts, and Donahue, aren’t done yet, with three new hotspots on the horizon in downtown Phoenix. This drink alchemist (yes, his IG handle is @bevwizardjax) is a font of magical ideas for cocktails, shaping an array of tastes in the Valley.

There are bars where you can watch sports, and there are movie theaters that serve food. Then there’s Backyard, a combination of both, with a dog park for good measure. This multipurpose spot can’t be beat if you’re looking to watch a game and grab some grub. Enormous screens fill the top half of the high-ceilinged room, and on game days, the sound blasts at full volume. Smaller screens tile every cranny, meaning there’s no bad seat in the house, and everyone can catch the most minute details of the game. Their stacked beer list, shareable snacks, wings, burgers and pizzas make this a consummate low-stress hangout.

Your average sports bar can leave female patrons feeling like an afterthought, particularly when they want to watch women’s games. That changed this spring with the arrival of Phoenix’s first bar and restaurant dedicated to women’s sports. Founded by longtime Melrose restaurant and bar owners (and former athletes) Audrey Corley and Kat Moore, Title 9 Sports Grill celebrates women’s sports on its 22 TVs and in just about every corner of the dining area. There are historic photos and details about the subjects, along with an entire wall covered with a photo of Mercury legend Diana Taurasi driving to the hoop — embellished with a real basketball. A neon sign trumpets “Play like a girl!” The kitchen is excellent, as are the drinks on tap, including spirits, wine and beer from women makers such as Phoenix’s Greenwood Brewing. Though women’s sports are the focus, you’ll find men’s games on view. You just may have to watch college football on mute if Serena Williams or the WNBA playoffs are on.

The Valley is so rich in rooftop bars that we can stake out an opinion here that will sound like heresy to a cold-weather reader: A rooftop bar beside a hotel swimming pool is often too much. Sometimes we want a different vibe. Lucero Rooftop Lounge and Terrace is in a hotel — the Omni Tempe Hotel at ASU — but it’s many floors above the pool, giving it a more sophisticated feel. You can enjoy Lucero’s craft cocktails and inventive food options indoors, either at tables or the bar, or outdoors on a terrace dotted with comfy couches and fire tables. Either way, you’re on the 16th floor, so you’re going to have spectacular views of Tempe and beyond — all the way to State Farm Stadium, in fact. Lucero is a great spot to take a date, to score a bite before an ASU Gammage show or to sneak a nightcap under a full moon.

Little Rituals isn’t just the best hotel bar in Phoenix: Spirited Awards recently dubbed it the top hotel bar in the country. On the fourth floor of the downtown Residence Inn by Marriott, this sleek and swanky nook serves some of the Valley’s finest cocktails and offers excellent views of the city’s center. Overhead starburst chandeliers and neon douse the room with vibrant overtones. The bar’s sprawling menu features such cocktail lounge classics as martinis and highballs as well as fruity, smoky and spirit-forward options, each with an illustration and brief description of the drink’s essence. Every detail — from the decor to drinks — is just right.

A subterranean jewel, Melinda’s Alley isn’t the easiest place to find — but that adds to the fun. A door under a red light in a downtown back alley signals what lies below down a stairwell: a cocktail cove drenched in red lights reminiscent of the ones that drove Kramer stir-crazy in “Seinfeld.” Here, the light sets a mood (everyone looks good in red light, after all) befitting the divine rotating selection of cocktails placed in elegant vessels. The space and its low coffee tables, vintage velvet and fabric chairs, and long hallways summon the grand spirit of Prohibition times, making it feel like a true speakeasy — and the city’s coolest, at that.

Stroll in and give yourself a moment to adjust to the space. Then, take a closer look at the white background and black squares on the walls. The clientele of Killer Whale Sex Club have played their part in adorning the cavernous lounge with lewd Polaroids, all of which were taken in the bar. But don’t let the tastefully off-color decor distract from the truly excellent cocktails. The veteran mixologists who run it — and maraud under the name of Those Pour Bastards — change the menu a few times every year, making your every visit fresh and interesting. At once classy and playfully irreverent, KWSC’s blue ambiance and, yes, killer drinks earn it this singular crown.

“Exotic” and “immersive” aren’t just buzzwords at this pair of cocktail bars, both seductive, tropical hideaways smack dab in the desert. Here, those descriptives are part and parcel of the 90-minute experience that requires a reservation to land in the cargo hold of a 19th-century ship. Once inside, you’re transported to a sultry, secluded nautical world. It’s easy to relax in the sleek setting, feasting your eyes on the keenly designed tiki-themed destination. The cocktails are equally evocative — you can practically hear warm waves crashing against hot sand when you sip their classic, eye-popping Blue Hawaii or the rummy Zombie. It’s hard to go with friends and not share a Scorpion Bowl, where nutmeg, citrus and rum collide. The attention to detail here is impeccable, whether you’re soaking it up visually or through a straw.

In a city that does brisk trade in bachelorette parties, one place stands out as the pinkest, prettiest, girliest spot in town. Mon Cheri in Old Town Scottsdale is located in a little pink house with a jaunty green-and-white awning. Inside, the ceiling is lined with roses; on the back patio, cafe tables and wicker chairs stand on a checkerboard-painted floor. Most of the signature cocktails fall into the “pink and sweet” category, and there’s a good selection of nonalcoholic drinks for the sober girlies. Surely, you think to yourself, the food can’t be pink, too. Guess again: A pasta entree with an Alfredo sauce tinged with beetroot is Mon Cheri’s signature dish. Is it all a little much? Yes. But is it a charming, special place to visit during a bachelorette weekend? Absolutely.

If you’re craving throwback energy with a downtown edge, Spin Room is where your night should begin — or end. Tucked in the CityScape area, this 3,000-square-foot vinyl bar brings crate-diggin’ vibes to the dance floor with a setup made for music aficionados who appreciate the crackle and pops when the needle hits the groove of the record. The DJs here don’t just press play and spin dials — they spin real records. Sets lean heavily on nostalgia: think ’80s, ’90s, and ’00s R&B, hip-hop, soul, funk, and pop — curated and melded with care via resident disc jockeys DJ HoodBaby, PsychoPat and Mixekid. The full-service bar is another highlight. You can keep it classic with a $6 beer or go full flavor with signature drinks like the PYT, Crank Dat or I Wanna Dance Wit Somebody. Special nights like DirtyWyne Wednesdays and Vs. Thursdays keep the dance floor packed and the vibes high. Spin Room ain’t just a bar with turntables — it’s a music-driven lounge where every night feels like a vinyl revival. Come for the cocktails, stay for the cuts.

There is no establishment in Tempe — or even the wider Valley for that matter — that can hold a flame to the legacy of Casey Moore’s. The magic of Casey’s is hard to explain to the uninitiated — it simply is the spot. Just off Mill Avenue and tucked away in the Maple-Ash neighborhood, this bar is consistently hopping with a motley assemblage of Tempe’s unswervingly loyal local heads, college students, rabble galore. For these assorted characters, Casey Moore’s is a north star: fantastic servers, reasonable prices, great food, the Valley’s best patio, a cozy interior and innumerable different nooks for any group size or occasion. It’s all set in a historic 1910 home, built by early Tempe notables William and Mary Moeur, that guests swear is frequented by paranormal activity and ghosts. Poltergeists, we can’t confirm. We do know, however, that the bar is haunted by certain humans. You know who you are.

People often say Chopper John’s is a biker bar by day and a rock ‘n’ roll bar by night. While it may lean in those directions, in reality, you’re likely to find a blend of bikers and musicians hanging out there ’round the clock, along with folks who only want to sit a spell at a homey place that’s as far from pretentious as possible. The vibes start from the top down. Chopper John himself, who is usually around, keeps it cordial. Solid drinks, pool tables, a jukebox and a convivial smoking patio make this neighborhood joint an easy choice. Various local bands — rock, rockabilly, pop, metal — are on deck most nights of the week, and touring bands often take the stage to deliver the goods.

Now that even movie theaters are serving espresso martinis, it’s clear this caffeinated cocktail is the drink of the moment. Élephante sets itself apart by elevating the beverage with premium ingredients. Espresso enthusiasts are offered a choice of top-shelf vodka, reposado mezcal or reposado tequila as a base. We particularly enjoy the mocha variation that showcases creme de cacao and vanilla. Take an iPhone shot of these picturesque martinis if you must, or go the extra step: Snap the menu’s QR code that allows you to upload any photo on your device to be printed on top of your cocktail.

When you can corral Magdalena Bay, Fleetwood Mac and T-Pain into the same jukebox, you know your night won’t be constrained by anything as fickle as genre. Situated on the farthest wall from the door in this cozy neighborhood lounge, the eclectic jukebox has beckoned many a regular to invest a fiver into setting a vibe. Sidle up to flip through the CD collection. Press the numbers to cue up a SZA record, then queue up a Talking Heads classic. Once you rejoin your party, you’ll notice the bar almost physically thumping to your tunes. Turns out Gracie’s doesn’t just have a great music selection — it also plays it at borderline-uncomfortable levels, forcing you to lean in close, conspiracy-style, to make your close friends even closer and make sure you get your money’s worth.

You’ve been at bad karaoke bars before, dull spots with nervous singers and listless applause after each number. Grapevine is none of the above. Fearless singers and the people who scream “woooo!” for them pack this two-story Old Town Scottsdale bar and restaurant seven days a week. Are all the singers good? Hell, no. Does the crowd cheer each one like it’s the “American Idol” finale? You bet. We’ve got a million stories from our visits to Grapevine. On a recent Wednesday at midnight, two guys in sunglasses serenaded the room with Usher’s “Love in This Club” as the rest of the patrons danced and sang. We remember the time that there was no one in the bar except us and a pack of wasted bachelorettes scream-singing “You Belong With Me.” Then, there was the time that two strangers pulled us up to the mic for a “Killing Me Softly” trio. Spend an evening at Grapevine, and you’ll have a story or two of your own.

Supporting queer artists and entertainers starts at home. The abundance of amazing drag talent across the Valley serves up shows any night of the week. But for a taste of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” in your own neighborhood, sashay into Stacy’s @ Melrose for the Rising Star Talent Competition. Hosted by Mia Inez Adams, a local drag icon with decades of experience performing and hosting, Rising Star is a 10-week, zero-elimination talent competition showcasing a truly deranged array of local drag talent: kings, queens and everything in between. Come for Mia’s hilarious stage presence, stay for the laugh-out-loud performers (you never know who might be the next breakout star). The show goes off every Tuesday night, hopefully until the sun expands into a red dwarf in 5 to 7 billion years, incinerating the Earth and claiming the ultimate “rising star” title.

The weekly calendar is packed with events at this hotspot located in the heart of midtown Phoenix at the revamped Park Central Mall, right off the light rail. We’ve sung the praises of this venue’s karaoke nights — it’s still among the top destinations for unleashing your vocal stylings upon the world. Drag shows here are legion and top-notch. You’ll see a mix of performers from favorites like Barbra Seville and Lexxx A’Pro to newbies making their drag debuts. Trivia Tuesdays are also a hoot at this spot, so get your brainy peeps together to compete for a crown and prizes. A regular event called The Queer Arcana showcases local and national queer performance art in a relaxed atmosphere. And you’ll find a craft cocktail menu that also tilts spicy and sweet with standout drinks like The Mango Situation and the Prince Prickly Pear Margarita.

In the heart of Phoenix’s gayborhood, Boycott blends dive bar charm, feminine energy and great dancing. Whether you’re here to cut up at a queer-artist-themed dance night, to meet someone new at an aptly named U-Haul party, enjoy a drag show, or play some pool or bingo in the back room, the bar will keep you entertained — and feeling right at home — until the wee hours. Photos of lesbian icons fill the walls of the intimate space as Phoenix lesbians and members of the LGBTQ+ community fill the dance floor. As Phoenix’s only lesbian bar, it doesn’t have a lot of competition for this title. But that doesn’t dim the bar’s impact during 21 years of business. Owner Audrey Corley, a strong leader and advocate for Arizona’s LGBTQ+ community, has curated a safe space for queer Phoenicians, one that we remain proud to recognize.

This two-story Mill Avenue dance club and venue offers a cosmic collision of sound, light and energy that’s light years ahead of other Valley venues. Built for bass lovers and beat-seekers, Darkstar is equipped with an elite PK Sound sound system that hits like a comet, a towering projection screen behind the stage, and ample space to groove on its dance floor and mezzanine. Some of the finest local and touring DJs perform each weekend, from solid Valley talents like Alaskan Franks to nationally known EDM heavyweights like Sander Van Doorn, with occasional special events like K-pop nights. Darkstar recently added the Lobby Bar, an adjacent lounge for laidback vibes, jazz shows, open mics and 2-for-1 specials for anyone needing a breather from the bangers.

Soon after the Thundercat Lounge shuttered earlier this year, Grace Perry, of Gracie’s Tax Bar notoriety, swooped in to claim the two-story space, which got a major overhaul. The ambiance went from neon-soaked retro-futuristic to something darker, shinier, slinkier. On a typical night at Club Contact, you’re likely to find a mix of DJs, backdropped by projection art, spinning for cool kids dancing beneath rows of half-sphere mirrors that lower the ceiling, shrinking the room to feel at once cozier and more glam. The outside patio teems with folks lounging and flirting and enjoying tacos from the pop-up taqueria. But point of fact, there’s no such thing as a typical night at Contact. Look for evenings dedicated to line dancing lessons, ballroom dance lessons, world music, trance, eurodance, Latin house, bachata, singles nights, queer singles nights, lube wrestling (seriously), Halloween in August, neighborhood association meetings. Invariably these events attract a delightful-ass crowd: diverse, upbeat and hip without being aloof. Contact is the rare club — honestly, the rare venue of any sort — where people have as much fun as they’d hoped. Parking is free and abundant; the cover is, at most, $5; and you can get a beer for as little as $3. You are welcome.

Walk past the counter at Ziggy’s Magic Pizza Shop, down a short hallway, and then yank the handle of what looks like a walk-in freezer door. Behind it is Stardust Pinbar, a seven-nights-a-week disco and pinball quasi-speakeasy with a dance floor straight out of “Saturday Night Fever.” The floor, aglow with a rainbow of changing lights, is jammed with an eclectic cast of downtown Phoenix’s sharpest night owls, moving beneath a mirrored ceiling and a moon-sized disco ball. The lit floor is a catalyst any night of the week. We’ve seen it inspire a full-on conga line during a Harry Belafonte number at Uncle Joe’s weekly Wednesday karaoke night, with two dozen strangers holding one another by the waists. On the weekend, the floor gets even zanier. By midnight on a Friday you’ll notice that these colored tiles have gone from dry to damp to so sticky your soles peel off the floor with a crackling noise audible even over Pitbull or Selena or Sheck Wes booming from the speakers overhead. When some folks leave it all on the dance floor, they’re clearly referring to their Tecate or their Bad Bunny (Don Q coconut rum, hibiscus-mango syrup, lime and soda). But you, with your plastic cup held stable and your waist in a spin cycle? You’re leaving with tired legs and probably a couple of phone numbers.

Metro Phoenix isn’t exactly a hotspot for after-hours action. Permit hassles, steep insurance costs and a lack of liquor sales after 2 a.m. tend to kill the vibe (and the motivation) for most clubs to keep going past last call. Still, a few Phoenix dance joints keep the grooves going deep into the night, and none does it hotter than Karamba. The party at the LGBTQ-friendly Latin club stays lit until 4 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights, and everyone’s invited: guys, girls and every gorgeous identity in between. The dance floor is pure energy, packed with young, pretty party people ready to get moving and go hard. DJ Jesus Vega gets the perreo pumping as he spins some of the most fire remixes of Top 40 en Español in the Valley. Who needs sleep when you can make the scene down at Karamba?

The ’80s called. They have a few demands. They want you to grab a can of Aqua Net or any other hairspray with the kind of power that will hold your hair firmly in place, preferably pointing high to the sky. Next, get dressed — ’80s fashion, if you have it. Think neon, lace, pearls, paisley. Mix it up or just throw on whatever allows you to flow freely across the dance floor and head to this Melrose nightlife spot for Back to the 80’s. Every second Saturday, DJ Bueller takes the club back four decades, turning the outdoor patio into a supercharged retro party. Sweat out the hair gel and melt the goopy eyeliner using your best moves dancing to songs from The Cure, INXS, New Order, Depeche Mode and on and on. Head to the Melrose District for this totally bitchin’ good-mood party and spin yourself right round, like a record, baby.

From the outside, it’s just a bulky warehouse. But step inside to one of the country’s most distinctive venues and you’ll have a hard time believing your eyes — even if you’re sober as a surgeon. Nestled in Phoenix’s industrial district, Walter Where?House hosts some of the world’s top DJs, big names like Folamour, Claude VonStroke, Adam Ten and Vintage Culture. The warehouse’s stage — named Kalliope — should be in the running for marvels of the modern world for its unreal, swirling lights and lasers. Combine it with a killer sound system and plenty of room to dance amid Walter’s iconic art cars (made to look like mega Volkswagen vehicles) and you have a party nonpareil. As in the Burning Man environment in which Walter was born, personal expression is highly encouraged — you’ll see lots of eccentric outfits or people using flow objects. This is a playground for the mind, an immersive art experience. The where?house also hosts one of the Valley’s finest art galleries, which rotates out pieces as fast as they sell.

Dark Mark has been a fixture in Phoenix’s dance music landscape for decades. The guy has seen and spun it all since cutting his teeth in the mid-2000s at infamous local goth haunt Tranzylvania. Ever since, he has unleashed heavy, hard-hitting sounds at late-night clubs, off-the-grid desert raves, festivals, fetish balls, after-hours spots, art galleries — you name it, he’s dropped bass there. Partygoers in the Valley know him as a sharp purveyor of dark sonic alchemy. His sets lean bass-heavy, fusing the chest-rattling, face-melting anthems of dubstep and riddim with excursions into trap, EBM, industrial and rhythmic noise. Despite the ominous moniker, he’s known as one of the friendliest DJs behind a booth. In a scene as decidedly cutthroat as Phoenix nightlife, that counts for a lot.

If your week is in motion and you’re looking for a little party action to take the edge off, you need you some 602sdays at Bikini Lounge. The Tuesday night party at Phoenix’s legendary cash-only tiki joint (which has been around since 1947) is as reliable as they come. But this is no cocktail hour — it’s for the late-night crowd. Like clockwork, the place gets jumping around 11 p.m. on Tuesdays. Count on seeing longtime local vinyl master Djentrification spinning obscure records from around the world until 2 a.m., giving the party a uniquely cultured texture for a midweek dive bar experience. Shimmy between the improvised dance floor and the bar, past the pool table to the back patio. There you’ll find a collection of Phoenix’s midweek warriors, artists and industry heads mingling and ripping cigarettes like it’s 1920s Paris. Tuesdays, baby.

This growing group of like-minded, music loving, socially conscious women around the Valley is becoming a force to be reckoned with on the scene. DJ M-80 (Mandie Smith), DJ Jasper K (Karen “Jasper” Cristobal Gacula), DJ Kate Scratch Fever (Katy Mason) and their collaborators work with a variety of venues — bars, restaurants, local events — to spread the joy and strength of music while working steadfastly to help local nonprofits provide needed services to people around the greater Phoenix area. These DJs bring a wealth of music background and knowledge, as well as incredible taste in headbanging and bopping tunes. Adding them to your event ensures good times that are likewise good for your soul.

You gotta hand it to the crew at The Nile Theater. Not content with operating one of Mesa’s best concert spots — plus a second basement-level venue downstairs, an in-house coffee shop and a thriving record store just up the street — they added a stylish new music and event venue, The Rosetta Room, to their growing empire of cool in June. Like their other ventures, the spot keeps music at its core, with a 400-person concert hall that hosts metal, punk, hip-hop and indie acts on an 11-by-20-foot stage. But The Rosetta Room differs from its sister projects and other local venues. For starters, it leans into a midcentury aesthetic with vintage decor and other nods to Mesa’s history. It’s also designed with higher purpose. Owner Michelle Donovan says the goal is something deeper than an ordinary venue: a community hub that’s “accessible by all.” While most venues function as communal gathering places by default, The Rosetta Room fully embraces the concept with community-driven events such as record swaps, DJ workshops, open-format dance parties and nighttime yoga sessions planned. “I want to make sure we’re not regurgitating all the same stuff we have at The Nile and that this space is something unique in itself,” Donovan says.

As exciting as it is to watch a band collect enough fans to fill an arena, nothing beats packing into an intimate venue for a live music show. Last Exit Live, in downtown Phoenix’s Historic Warehouse District, is a welcoming respite for just that. It accommodates some 300 people and features a regular lineup of local and touring acts playing the spectrum — country, rock, soul, EDM, reggae. No matter the style of music that’s shakin’ the place, the sound quality is, as they say, straight fire. The deep colors and rich lighting contribute to a vibrant experience, as does a patio that, when the weather permits, has a roll-up door that makes the stage visible, so you can have your cake and eat it, too. And by cake, we mean cigarette.

This downtown venue is a dream for your typical show. It holds about 500 people, and even when it’s sardined with fans seeing a band they love from any one of a slew of genres, you cannot go wrong. It’s mostly standing room in front of the lengthy stage, with a wall of bleachers in the back that are sometimes sold as premium seats, depending on the night. Fully seated events happen there, too. In either case, there’s generally a nice aisle between people on their feet and people on their butts, allowing a welcome flow from the front entrance to the bar and the bathrooms. The merch is set back from the stage but always in view, so as you’re digging the show, you can also think about what you may take home. Crescent’s lounge and sprawling streetside patio offer other options for hanging out, drinking and stuffing your face with tacos and burritos. The unparalleled booking staff keeps the calendar lit with up-and-coming musical acts, touring heavy-hitters, storytelling, trivia, themed dance parties — the only thing you won’t find in a given week is a bad time.

This 5,000-seat venue has been bringing people together in downtown Phoenix since the early 2000s, when the competition for shows was much thinner. But even as Phoenix’s events calendar has filled out, this venue hasn’t missed a beat. Year-round, this place assembles a lineup of musicians, comedians, dancers and holiday shows that breathes life into the shopworn adage “there’s something for everyone.” The setup is in the style of a classic theater, so you’re seated, with limited floor space in front of you. Still, at particularly energetic shows, the close quarters don’t discourage fans from leaning into the spirit.

This 17,000-capacity venue is known best as the home of the Suns — but don’t hold that against it. Many of the biggest shows in the country sell out here on the regular: Stevie Nicks, the Jonas Brothers and Shane Gillis are just some of the acts scheduled to perform before we say goodbye to 2025. Whether seated on the floor or in the nosebleed sections, you get a good view of the onstage action and booming sound for a quality show experience. But seemingly every year the arena becomes more attractive for what’s outside, as well. It’s nestled at the base of downtown, easy to access by light rail, flanked by abundant parking garages, and set amid a walkable assortment of restaurants and bars. If you don’t want to pay arena prices for your beer and booze, you have beaucoup choices for where to hang before or after. Hit the sidewalks after a big event and you’ll practically have new friends at the ready, humming the same tune you are, heading to a next location to swap stories of the still-young night.

The Rebel Lounge occupies a singular place in Phoenix music history. The no-frills, low-slung venue near 24th Street and Indian School Road is the erstwhile home of the Mason Jar, the city’s seminal ’80s/’90s rock club. For the past 10 years, Rebel has carried the torch, giving punk and hard rock bands a home in the Valley and championing acts deserving of attention. Under founder/owner Stephen Chilton (of Psyko Steve Presents), Rebel is a friendly, no-bullshit space where Phoenix’s distinctive music culture is being born nightly. More than a place to visit the past, Chilton’s high-metabolism curation of local and traveling bands make this a venue where you can see the city’s future rising up, mic in hand.

If authenticity and longevity are the yardsticks by which a great blues club is measured, then The Rhythm Room is the best joint in town. Since opening in 1991, it’s been a soul-soaked sanctuary of the genre, steeped in history and powered by the passion of owner and harmonica player Bob Corritore. Admittedly, there isn’t much to the place (just a handful of tables and chairs, a dance floor and a stage), but that’s part of its charm. Shows at the Rhythm Room hit differently, thanks to the juke joint vibes not found elsewhere. The sound is crisp, the energy’s raw, and the high-energy grooves run deep when locals and touring artists play. They’re performing on hallowed ground, as giants of the genre — Bo Diddley, R.L. Burnside, George “Mojo” Buford, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown — have graced the place across the decades. Even badass blues queens like Jessie Mae Hemphill and Janiva Magness have gigged here. The Rhythm Room ain’t fancy, but it’s gritty, soulful and unshakably real. In short, it is the blues.

At this popular destination for live music in Tempe, the only thing between the stage and the soundboard is you. And if there’s a raucous punk rock show happening, you’d better, as they say, move it or lose it. It’s not a large area, and fans don’t mind squeezing in and getting sweaty together. The stage is knee-or-so-high, making the night even more intimate, and when the sticks hit the skins, they propel bodies in chaotic directions. Could be a mosh pit or some manic head shaking — the whole vibe here is “you do you.”

Murkemz is flat-out one of the hardest-working emcees shaking up the national scene. His bars are samurai-sharp, his delivery versatile. When he freestyles, the mic trembles. He switches flows and tempos like gears in an Italian exotic — smooth, aggressive, always pushing the redline. His breakout track “We Outside” cracked the algorithm wide open, going viral across TikTok, Instagram, and hip-hop podcasts coast to coast. The song stamped Phoenix as a city with some serious boom-bappin’ heat. When legends like Inspectah Deck and OG Ice-T give you the nod? That shit’s not hype, that’s confirmation. His raw skill, polished wordplay, and relentless drive put Murkemz front and center, leading the next wave of Arizona hip-hop into the spotlight.

Marvin “Young MC” Young busted onto the scene with “Bust a Move” in the late 1980s, earning the first-ever televised Grammy for Best Rap Performance and etching his name into hip-hop history. Now posted up in Scottsdale since the mid-2000s, he’s not just basking in the glow of ’90s fame — he’s flipping the script and helping Phoenix find its flow as a rising hip-hop hub. Young’s hustle hasn’t missed a beat. His single “Fun Part” cracked the Rhythmic Airplay charts, and his slick new video Kinetic — shot right here in the Valley — shows he’s still got the moves (and then some). Now at a merely young-ish 58, he’s dropping feel-good bangers while lifting up local talent, blending Cali swagger with desert-drive ambition. Through studio collabs, live gigs, and community-building, he’s still bustin’ moves.

If Arizona has a breakdancing dynasty, it’s Furious Styles Crew. Repping the Valley since 1993, this iconic group shaped the scene from the ground up. What started with a tight group of siblings in Maryvale has grown into an intergenerational crew with worldwide reach. FSC’s power moves and footwork fuel some of the most respected hip-hop jams in the Southwest, blending dance battles, DJ sets, live graffiti art, and straight-up community connection. Their annual events draw dancers from around the globe and serve as a training ground for Olympic hopefuls — turning Phoenix into a legit b-boy and b-girl hub. As they mentor the next wave of breakers and tear up battle floors in downtown Tempe, Furious Styles keeps it raw, real, and rooted in culture.

It took a jaunt to Tucson to see indie rock supergroup The Hard Quartet, featuring Pavement’s Stephen Malkmus, to help us remember our love for Phoenix band The Sheaves. We walked in the door, didn’t know they were on the bill, got caught off guard by some driving rock ‘n’ roll shrouded in an art-punk cloak coming from the stage that sent shivers up the ol’ ear canal — and bam. The band — Daniel Schurgin, Eric Mudd, Joe Vittetoe, Lucas Aguirre and Matt Hamel — started out recording together before taking their tunes to the live stage in 2019. They’re concocting a gut punch of punk sounds while bucking preconceptions of structure. That aforementioned art-rock sound, along with some krautrock, lo-fi, indie, post-punk and experimental flourishes converge into unpredictable, addictive songs. Local label Moone Records put out their first cassette, and SDZ Records in France dropped their album debut, “A Salve for Institution,” in 2024. Those 10 intriguing tracks take you on a heady journey of simultaneously rocking out and scratching your head, wondering where the next turn will lead.

Dobrasound doesn’t fit into a single genre. Rather, they’re too busy creating their own lane. Born out of Phoenix’s eastside, this four-piece crew fuses reggae, islander rhythms, funk and hip-hop into a vibe that feels like a backyard party and a live jam session rolled into one. Their latest tracks, “Breathe” and “Storm,” show off a laid-back flow, live instrumentation, and lyrical smoothness that hits just right whether you’re cruising or sparking one up. These guys have made their mark at local staples like the Marquee Theatre and are quickly leveling up — set to perform at the Arizona State Fair as this issue drops. Expect the four members to rep their signature locs and Dixxon flannels, dialed in like pros who came to move a crowd, not just play a set. Their blend of chill island vibes, live funk grooves, and bars that merge effortlessly into melody creates an only-in-Phoenix sound worth seeking out.

Of the many great bands who have toured the world and showcased some rollicking slice of Phoenix culture, few have been as bizarre as Snailmate. The duo — Kalen Lander on synths and Bentley Monet on drums — have spent recent years gigging across the country and bounding between tours of Japan and South America at top speed. (“Never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever ever have a day off,” they sing in “Masking,” and apparently they stand by that.) Their Carmen Sandiego tendencies reflect beautifully on Phoenix. When a couple of road-dogs like Snailmate show off our singularly intense, weird music, they prove we’re still gestating great bands in the desert, where oddballs and rockers continue to experiment and mutate before springboarding away to conquer the world.

Emo has crawled out of the shallow grave 2010 stuffed it into. (Turns out, growing up in our current cultural hellscape has turned many youngsters onto the genre.) Among the throngs of bands on that emo tip, Tempe’s own Sundressed deserves a certain special attention — and if your out-of-town friends are lucky enough to visit when this quartet has a gig, this is where to take ’em. The group brings a sound that hums brightly through intense emotions: joy and angst as nitroglycerine. Their heart-on-sleeve approach doesn’t obscure their roots in the punk-hardcore scene. They prove that emo can have gumption, it can be crunchy, it can be bold and exciting and expressive. You and your visitors will be nodding your heads and even smiling as Sundressed’s songs kick you squarely in the teeth.

By day, five of the six Central Line band members work as medical professionals at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. But for more than a decade, they — and now one of their sons, who attends Arizona State University — get together a few times a year to belt out Gen X rock classics mainly from the 1980s and 1990s to sold-out crowds. They play at venues such Copper Blues and Wasted Grain in front of hundreds, delivering impressive renditions of No Doubt’s “Just a Girl” and Beck’s “Loser,” for example. The lineup includes plastic surgery nurse Ben Bailey on rhythm and slide guitar; pediatric ER doc Vasanth Coorg of Phoenix on drums; anesthesiologist Steve Ozer of Scottsdale on lead guitar and vocals; his son, Danny Ozer, on lead guitar; orthopedic surgeon Greg White on bass and vocals; and pediatric surgeon Kathleen van Leeuwen on lead vocals. White, by the way, has played in bands that have opened for the likes of The Black Moods, Cracker, and Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers. These docs legit rock.

Like chocolate and peanut butter cozying up in a candy bar, the union of musicians JPW (Jason Patrick Woodbury) and Dad Weed (Zachary Toporek), who created this fantastic offering, also results in a sweet treat. Released in April on Fort Lowell Records, the 11-song “Amassed Like a Rat King” sounds and feels like the intersection of several pertinent moments in music: the breezy spirit of ’70s light rock, gritty ’80s radio rock a la Tom Petty, and those jangly moments of R.E.M. before they emerged from the shadows. We felt like pulling out some Posies records after the first listen. Instead, we simply took “Amassed Like a Rat King” for another few spins. It may be loaded with a variety of inspirational influences, but don’t try pinning it to any one style. These expert music-makers crafted a group of tracks brimming with great melodies and catchy riffs and topped them with JPW’s rich, earnest vocals. At times, you catch a laugh or feel a spark that underlines the pair’s chemistry. We hope a sophomore effort is in the works.

These Phoenix garage rockers dropped the boss two-song single featuring “Primitive” and “Man in the House” around the end of January. It’s been stuck in our head ever since. The former is driven by a quick beat interspersed with short fills that sound like rounds of bullets firing beneath the buzzy guitars and minimal vocals. It clocks in under two minutes, so zero time is wasted in delivering a nasty rocker that also makes you want to jump around and dance. The latter is a brisk, heady track that skews psychedelic. The music drives forward, swerving over the vocals and off-course through twists and turns. No matter how astute the playing is, DOMS always feels gleefully reckless. We’ll stay on that train with them until it crashes.