It was a weird, wild, and wet weekend. We’re talking about Summer Ends Music Festival, Lucky Man Concerts’ three-day extravaganza scheduled for Tempe Beach Park. But Mother Nature had other plans, and after the second huge rainstorm to hit the Valley in a month dumped more than an inch of…
As if the 2,200 person capacity Marquee Theatre wasn’t an intimate enough venue for the Phoenix homecoming of the now-platinum four-piece .KONGOS, the four brothers decided to throw their own little welcome home surprise party at Scottsdale’s Rogue in the early afternoon before their Summer Ends Music Festival set. At…
It’s on. It’s off. It’s the end of the world. The sky is falling and I might die without ever seeing The Replacements. What a crazy, rain-filled day Saturday, September 27, was as torrential downpours, micro bursts, and low levels of chaos hit Tempe and almost ruined the fun for…
Our desert summer is finally winding down; and really, it wasn’t so bad, now was it? It’s probably in part to the awesome parade of metal shows that came through our fair state since the music industry’s touring season was in full swing. Either way, at least the October nights…
Perhaps everyone has a music hangover from this past week, because after a week that saw a giant three-day music festival get washed out by the rain and featured performances by heavyweights Katy Perry, Drake, and Lil Wayne, this upcoming is much calmer. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t musical…
If there’s one thing that Metro Phoenix has no shortage of, it’s vacant buildings. Thanks to the Great Recession and the ever-fickle whims of consumers, and the normal failure rate of any business, our area is littered with scores of available spaces or shuttered enterprises. Some will eventually be reborn…
Update 2:Good news for tonight. From Luckyman Concerts’ Facebook page: “Tentatively to play, The Maine Taking Back Sunday Luscious Jackson Descendents (Official) & The Replacements” Update: According to a press release from Luckyman Concerts, which organized Summer Ends Music Festival, the city of Tempe shut down the festival at 2:30…
Well, don’t we feel silly? We published an interview with The Album Leaf’s Jimmy LaVelle titled “Why You’ll Have to Visit Arcosanti to Hear The Album Leaf.” The headline was in reference to a quote LaValle gave in response to a question about playing in Phoenix, and he implied that…
Turns out that Phoenix isn’t immune to losing a cool and much-beloved music venue, as one of the city’s more renowned hip-hop spots has gone down for the count. The Hidden House, the midtown dive and lounge that’s been a cornerstone of the local boom-bap and rap scene for more…
In spring of last year, Stephen Rose shot an email to Jen Long and Matt Flag about an idea he had. Each of the three headed independent labels that release cassette tapes: Rose had SEXBEAT, Long ran Kissability and had a hand in Transgressive Records alongside Rose, and Flag oversaw…
When writing show reviews, I always struggle with the journalistic imperative to report “what happened?” because usually nothing really happened other than some brooding subculture people played some notes and maybe moved around in a vaguely distinct way. The kind of stuff that is so commonplace that it’s not worth…
If you’re itching to spend Sunday afternoon and evening going hard at one of El Hefe’s signature 4-2-10 ragers, you’re gonna have to hold off or party elsewhere, at least for the next six weeks. Currently, El Hefe is el cerrado from now until early November as the day-drinking spot,…
“How many of you are under the age of 10?” Tegan from indie-pop group Tegan and Sara asked the crowd last night at Gila River Arena. Thousands of girls, including one super-shrieky one directly behind me, screamed in delight as their young age was recognized by a band they’d probably…
Numerous significant events occurred in 1974: President Richard Nixon imposed the 55 mile per hour speed limit. The Six Million Dollar Man debuted on TV. The Symbionese Liberation Army kidnapped Patty Hearst, and Hank Aaron passed Babe Ruth as the all-time home run hitter. It also marked the first (and…
By definition, an “album leaf” is a musical piece written in dedication to a friend or admirer to be inserted in their album or autograph book. Whether it was intentional or not, Jimmy LaValle of The Album Leaf has inserted his own leaves into his latest project. The Album Leaf…
Do you like music but hate overly large crowds? Is Tempe Beach Park your idea of hell? Do you hate everything you hear on AAA and alternative radio stations? Never fear. There are other things going on this weekend besides Summer Ends Music Festival, and we’ve got the six best…
Local Americana group The Senators have had an exciting year. The band has recorded a live session album in Paramount Studios in Hollywood, opened for Phillip Phillips in front of 4,000 fans, while also playing the occasional local bit at Sail Inn or Crescent Ballroom. You can catch The Senators…
Once upon a time, there was a city. It was not the largest city, or the smallest. It was not the richest or the poorest. But this city had a reputation, nonetheless. It was known throughout the land as dry and inhospitable — heated to unimaginable temperatures for several months…
Once upon a time, there was a city. It was not the largest city, or the smallest. It was not the richest or the poorest. But this city had a reputation, nonetheless. It was known throughout the land as dry and inhospitable — heated to unimaginable temperatures for several months…
Copenhagen’s Lower have been together since 2009 and recently joined up with Matador Records, which just unleashed the band’s first full length recording, Seeking Warmer Climes. The four-piece creates edgy punk that is forceful, creating a little pervasive anxiety as its noisy guitars teeter on the edge of explosion while…
Taken a look at a concert calendar recently? Like migrating birds, major music acts are flocking to the Valley as the weather shifts from outdoor sauna to merely hot. What better way to celebrate turning your air conditioner off than heading out to the biggest three-day music festival to happen…
Taken a look at a concert calendar recently? Like migrating birds, major music acts are flocking to the Valley as the weather shifts from outdoor sauna to merely hot. What better way to celebrate turning your air conditioner off than heading out to the biggest three-day music festival to happen…
