You may not know this, but Elvis Costello has a wicked sense of humor. While the prolific musician may be better known for his rancorous songs like the contentious “Tramp The Dirt Down,” which famously stated he would dance on the grave of then-British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, he’s long…
If you thought last month was packed with big shows, wait until you get a load of what April’s concert calendar has in store. Herb Alpert and Lani Hall – Tuesday, April 5, and Wednesday, April 6 – Musical Instrument Museum Two living legends, Herb Alpert and Lani Hall, will…
As the temperatures rise, those who travel via motorcycle begin to hit the open road. Bike festival season is on the horizon. The big four nationally recognized veteran bike events are well-known across the US: Sturgis, South Dakota; Myrtle Beach, Florida (both in their 76th year); Daytona Beach, Florida in…
Sad Kid may just be a pack of whiners. Because for all the crying the Phoenix band’s name implies they just hosted one of the most anticipated local shows of the year in the Broken Hearts Ball. They just returned from their first big out of state gig in New…
It’s 6:45 a.m. when Old Dominion vocalist Matthew Ramsey calls us, the exhaustion heavy in his voice. There’s no other time for the band to do phone interviews these days, requiring wake-up calls that would make most musicians blush, curse, and dive back under the covers. When asked if these…
Phoenix Lights 2016 this past weekend was a colorful experience, to say the least. The two-day electronic dance music festival, which invaded Margaret T. Hance Park in downtown Phoenix, was filled with vivid and vibrant hues from start to finish. There were all the colored lights and lasers emanating from…
Lately I have seen more and more bands getting their equipment stolen while they are on the tour. I have never been a victim of this predicament (knock on wood…), but I have had several close friends, and not just AZ bands, suffer at the hands of evil criminals. And…
March came in like a lion and went out like a light for 16 notable musicians. The latest in the Reaper Ranks for the past 31 days, we have the demise a knighted record producer, a prog rock maverick and an actress turned pop star of whom we know that…
When it rains, it pours—and that’s exactly what you can expect from the metal gods this April in Phoenix! It’s springtime, guys, and we’re in that teeny tiny window of gorgeous weather before triple digits start to slap us across the face. The Valley of the Sun is packed with…
As we reported a week or so ago, Guns N’ Roses basically announced that they would play a concert in Phoenix sometime after Coachella. Until now, they hadn’t released a date. Now, the wait is over. The band announced today that it would play University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale…
There’s a helluva lot of live music happening around the Valley this weeked — and that ain’t no April Fools joke. There’s a free gig by The Struts over at Tempe Marketplace tonight, the multitude of performances during First Friday, and the Phoenix Lights electronic dance music free-for-all up at…
A glam indie rock band lead by a strapping young peacock — that’s lead singer Luke Skinner’s nutshell description for his up-and-coming Brit band the Struts. And now they’re bringing those vibes to the Valley. On Friday April 1, they’ll be headlining a free concert at Tempe Marketplace as a…
Mitchell Hillman listens to more local music than just about anyone in the Valley. He presents his picks for best local music in column, Right Hear, Right Now. decker. – “Cellars (W.A.S.H. Remix)” At first listen to the music of decker., it’s difficult to imagine any of their songs being…
Something happened to pop star Justin Bieber in late 2015 when he released his latest effort, Purpose. Suddenly, he didn’t just appeal to adoring teen girls around the world. Purpose broadened his fan base to those who were looking for something other than just another teen idol. It wasn’t just fans…
Masta Ace has been a rapper’s rapper since he jumped into the game back in 1988, and after a 27-year career he remains one of the most respected underground MCs of all time. He is going to be coming through Phoenix for a date at downtown’s Last Exit Live on…
It’s not uncommon in the world of popular music for the progeny of legendary performers to try and make a name of their own. The late Natalie Cole, the late Frank Sinatra Jr., and Jason Bonham are a few successful, contemporary examples. For sibling singers Sofia, Melanie, Amanda, and August…
Like most well-known, middle-aged personalities, Punk Rock, known by friends as simply Punk, is a little coy about disclosing its true age. For the most part, though, Punk’s fans and critics tend to agree it was born in 1976, making this year its 40th birthday. We thought it would be…
Oddly enough, Celebration Guns has run into some confusion about their name. It comes from a Stars song off their album Your Ex-Lover Is Dead, but when the Phoenix quartet played Michael Feldman’s travelling radio show Whad’Ya Know?, a few members of the aging, liberal crowd raised an eyebrow: “Celebrating…
Hrishikesh Hirway is a one-man band — literally. For his chart-topping podcast, Sound Exploder, where he pulls apart songs with the musicians who wrote them, Hirway is like a scientist putting sonic emotion under a microscope. He interviews artists like U2, Björk, and Spoon and breaks down their song construction. He pulls apart each musical…
It’s not that Spafford has anything against Phoenix or Arizona, it’s just that the super heavy prog-jam quintet doesn’t like being called a “local” band. And as of now, the group is starting to earn the credentials necessary to be called a national act. Not only have more of their…
Carbon-based life forms of the Valley, be warned: the phenomenon known as the Phoenix Lights will once again invade our city a few days from now, bringing with it an otherworldly aura and an array of colorful beings into our midst. But before you start stocking up on ammunition or…
Viva PHX, the music festival that turns downtown Phoenix into a mini-South By Southwest for a night, will return on Saturday, March 11, 2017. The 2016 festival brought around 70 musical acts to 17 venues across the city. If you missed it, you can catch a glimpse of the madness…
