Another year, another Mad Decent Block Party has come and gone. We had our scribes on site to document the music, the culture, and the people. Here’s what they saw. Best: Dada Life’s Pillow Fight Halfway through our journey to Dada Land, the Swedish duo shouted the words “pillow fight,”…
Going into Saturday night’s Prophets of Rage show at Ak-Chin Pavilion, there were two questions that immediately came to mind. The most obvious was why on earth are the members of Rage Against The Machine doing a tour revisiting their past with Chuck D of Public Enemy and B-Real of Cypress Hill…
Looking for a great local concert to check out this week? Look no further. We’ve got the lowdown on biggest and best shows happening at music venues throughout the Valley over the next several nights. And all of ‘em are worthy of both your time and money. For instance, if…
Black Sabbath is calling it a day. After Wednesday night, they will (supposedly) never play Phoenix again. Now this isn’t the original lineup, as Bill Ward has been replaced by Tommy Clufetos, but the other three original members (vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, and bassist Geezer Butler) are on…
Rawhide’s going to be a major hotspot for electronic dance music fans this fall – and some of the biggest DJs in the biz will be spinning there. No, the kitschy theme park and events venue hasn’t become the home of some newly built ultra-lounge or danceteria recently. Instead, it…
Finding the balance between advances in modern technology and the excess that can come from them has always been at the center of the message that permeates the mysterious and yet mesmerizing music created by Kraftwerk, the godfathers of modern synthesizer music. Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider formed the band…
Up for seeing a great concert this weekend? If so, we’ve got a few suggestions for y’all. As a matter of fact, we’ve got nine of ‘em, which include shows from a wide variety of genres, from the gleeful pop stylings of Demi Lovato and the hip-hop of Post Malone to the emotive indie music of Cass McCombs and the down-home sounds of newgrass king Sam Bush. There are also much anticipated gigs by hometown heroes Jared & The Mill, who will have a release party for their new album at Livewire in Scottsdale on Saturday, and the long-awaited gig by the much-ballyhooed supergroup Prophets of Rage, which features three-fourths of Rage Against the Machine plus Chuck D. and B. Real.
There’s something special about the moment when a big-piece soul ensemble clicks and all the musicians start really feeling each other. That undefinable, magical groove is no doubt what enchanted Daryl Hall and John Oates in the first place and led to their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame career…
Mitchell Hillman listens to more local music than just about anyone in the Valley. He presents his picks for best new local music in his column, Right Hear, Right Now. Fairy Bones – “8 Ball” Apparently when Fairy Bones goes on hiatus they not only end up making hilarious short…
Been by the Crescent Ballroom lately for drink or a show? You might’ve noticed a big change being made to its entrance and exterior. More specifically, the outdoor patio in front of the downtown Phoenix music venue now sports a brand-new second level. It’s been under construction for the last…
“I remember, it was early afternoon, and the car was so hot I couldn’t get in it. I couldn’t touch the steering wheel in the car. I had to start it and run the air conditioner for about 15 minutes,” says Emmett “Murph” Murphy III, Dinosaur Jr.’s original drummer. Murphy…
The “hardest working band in the world” is back. After years of silence following their heartbreaking 2013 album Hummingbird and a massive globetrotting tour to support it, they just released the considerably more optimistic followup Sunlit Youth on Friday. Now they’re hitting the road again, and they’ll be performing at Tempe’s…
The Womack, the Chez Nous-inspired nightspot created by Tucker Woodbury’s Genuine Concepts, will open its doors on September 30. Now, the plan is to recapture some of the Chez Nous vibe in The Womack by bringing in some of the same musicians that once played the classic Phoenix club. The…
The music scene doesn’t happen on its own. What we see on the surface is the result of passionate people behind the scenes, writing, creating, organizing, promoting, and working tirelessly to bring music to the venues, bars, and houses of Metro Phoenix. We will look at 25 here, some familiar,…
There are many reasons to look forward to this time of year: the weather’s nicer, the days are shorter, and both the nightlife and music scenes get way livelier. Big concerts and even bigger music festivals are headed our way, including the annual Mad Decent Block Party. One of more…
Park City, Utah, is a paradox of a place in the summertime. The green hills are quiet in the early mornings but bustling with activity in the afternoon, tourists window shopping at boutiques that specialize in overpriced work-wear and Western motifs: a $500 pair of jeans here, a $700 denim…
There was once a time when blues music was a popular force in American music. Funk music dominated the ’70s. Folk singer-songwriters once ruled Billboard charts. Now, blues rarely strays outside the confines of blues clubs, funk music is a garden from which hip-hop artists occasionally harvest to create new sounds,…
DRAWL! is a video series created by all-around renaissance man Robbie Pfeffer and New Times that focuses on the odd and exciting experiences that make life in a band interesting. With a mix of first-person storytelling and animation, DRAWL! hopes to show that these artists’ lives can be just as engaging…
At long last, it’s finally here. That moment when the live music scene in Phoenix finally awakens from its summertime slumber and gets into gear. For proof, look no further than the fact that many of the Valley’s various arts centers are kicking off their fall performance schedules in the…
Phoenicians love to combine music and skateboarding. From Jody Foster’s Army (aka JFA) to AZPX Records (and Skateboards) and beyond, skaters have been making music, supporting bands they love, and shredding empty backyard swimming pools, riding ramps, and local skate parks since the late ’70s. Flash forward to 2016 and valley…
Still got some money, energy, and mojo left over from your action-packed Labor Day adventures? Feel like checking out a cool concert or dance party this weekend? If you answered “yes” to either question, we’ve got a few suggestions for you. This weekend’s slate of “can’t miss” concerts includes emo…
The music scene doesn’t happen on its own. What we see on the surface is the result of passionate people behind the scenes, writing, creating, organizing, promoting, and working tirelessly to bring music to the venues, bars, and houses of Metro Phoenix. We will look at 25 here, some familiar,…
