The crowd at Gila River Arena in Glendale began to cheer before Judas Priest even took the stage. Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” played overhead and the audience, tuned into a frequency only they could hear, knew that one of the most prominent and distinguished metal band of the last 40…
I’m not a Phoenix guy. I am from the great state of New Jersey, and I have been around the block a little bit, and I must say that Phoenix does weird better. The Pizza Underground came through the Rhythm Room with Har Mar Superstar and Candy Boys on Wednesday…
A blonde musician sporting purple eyeliner and a leopard print jacket stares directly into the lens and asks the camera operator, “What are you trying to do? Get a snapshot into Sheffield life? The hopes and dreams of the common man?” The Sheffield he is referring to is the city…
It’s clear that El-P and Killer Mike, the explosive rap duo that make up Run The Jewels, give a shit about their fans. You need look no further than how they handled the funding for Meow The Jewels, the tongue-in-cheek proposal to remix Run The Jewels 2 with nothing but…
There are three bands about to come through Phoenix that have, collectively, been writing, recording, playing and influencing heavy metal for around 100 years. One. Hundred. Years. You might think, yeah, okay; that’s impressive. What if I also said that, collectively, these bands have released more than 30 studio albums,…
Adrian Belew, a man widely considered one of the most innovative guitar players of the 21st century, once toiled in a Beatles cover band, an Elvis impersonator band, a Holiday Inn circuit band, and many other aborted failures. Before he was even 30, Belew was on the verge of throwing…
Wait a second, you might say — Phoenix has a Jewish funk band? It’s true. As the name implies, Jerusafunk skillfully blends traditional klezmer with the ass-bopping sensibilities of R&B rhythms, tossing in jazzy twirls here and there. Using instruments such as bass clarinet, saxophone, and trumpet, the band attacks…
Cohesion is the name of the game for Dum Dum Girls’ Dee Dee Penny nowadays. Though you might know the band because of its highly acclaimed first album, I Will Be, the band’s sound has morphed four years later from a lo-fi, surf vibe heavy on female vocal harmonies to…
The Black Keys came on stage at US Airways Center last night in front of a light blue curtain with red, velvet stage drapes with gold trim on either side. After the fourth song, during a tension-building burst of distorted guitar noise, the curtains dramatically dropped, and the band launched…
Los Dias de la Crescent is hitting Civic Space Park and, later in the evening, Crescent Ballroom this Saturday, November 15. The free all-day music festival is jamming 17 local acts into one day this year and reserving the second day’s festivities for a bike-in movie showing of Raising Arizona…
With nearly 80 musicians playing, Sidepony Express Music Festival in Bisbee promises to be one wild weekend. From Friday, November 14, to Sunday, November 16, folks from as far as Los Angeles, North Carolina, New Mexico, El Paso, Nashville, and Portland will make it to the southeastern Arizona mining town…
Indie duo Tegan and Sara, identical twin sisters with the surname Quin from Calgary, have toured with their fellow countryman Neil Young and had their track “Walking with a Ghost” covered by The White Stripes. Their connection to their music and each other is clear during their live shows. The…
Shows are in season this week, with a slew of great options for musical entertainment in the Valley of the Sun. So kick back, relax, and get your concert on. We’ve got recommendations for you below, and be sure to check out our comprehensive concert listings for more info…
The members of Arch Enemy have always set the bar high for themselves and their genre. Then again, let’s be honest: any band labeled Swedish melodic death metal provokes high expectations. It combines the strongest elements of heavy metal, like super heavy riffs and refined melodies, set in an environment…
Earlier this year Phoenix New Times celebrated the cream of the crop with our 36th annual Best of Phoenix edition. Here are our top picks for best radio stations in metro Phoenix. Best Alternative/Rock Radio Station: KWSS 93.9 FM KWSS stepped up in a big way this year, sponsoring the…
Saturday night’s Psychedelic Furs and Lemonheads show at Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale could have done without one thing — chairs. I’m sure that opinion wasn’t shared by everyone, as plenty of butts seemed to keep those bad boys warm all night long, and when my party stood at times…
“Pizza is life and life-affirming,” says The Pizza Underground. And who could disagree? By extension, The Velvet Underground could be described similarly. That’s why, with songs like “Pizza Gal” and “Take a Bite of the Wild Slice,” The Pizza Underground is one of the best combinations of things ever. TPU…
Throughout the past four weeks, we’ve introduced you to the 10 finalists in our Best Concert Photographer in Phoenix contest. To recap for those who haven’t been paying attention, earlier this year, we made a call for photographers to submit 10 concert photos. A panel of five judges winnowed the…
You won’t be able to catch local indie band The Brown Tones performing at the Ice House Tavern later tonight. Ditto for Six Gun Satellites and their gig on Saturday night at the dive bar. That’s because all upcoming live music events at the Ice House Tavern have been canceled…
The first thing you should know about this Saturday’s Bloodfest out in Mesa is that the titular liquid that will drench attendees isn’t composed of plasma, erythrocytes, platelets, or leukocytes. Instead, it’s a mixture of water, various dyes, and other non-toxic ingredients. Despite what you may have heard or read…
Earlier this year, we announced a concert photography contest. We received more than 46 submissions, and a crack panel of judges winnowed down the submissions to 10 finalists. We are now introducing you to each photographer, presented in random order. The final finalist is Shari Corbett…
Long before heavy metal was known for ingredients such as shredding guitars, double bass, “horns up” or black leather, the budding chefs were studying up in the ‘burbs of England. Not far from Birmingham — which eventually spawned Black Sabbath — a young Rob Halford walked to school in Walsall…
