Plenty of bands have soldiered on after a drummer bails, but when that drummer is Mike Portnoy, widely regarded as one of the best drummers of all time, the move is quite dramatic. But progressive metal masters Dream Theater always have had a taste for musical theatrics. Songs run up…
In 1972, free jazz pioneer Sun Ra proclaimed, “Space is place,” in a bizarre sci-fi/blaxploitation film of the same name. Space remains the focus of intense interest for astronomers, astronauts, moviemakers, and UFO hunters, and it also serves as the latest inspiration for former Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart, who…
Thursday 1 Afterlife: Thumpin’ Thursdays (various) Bar Smith: Ladies Night with DJ Idenaty, DJ EC Rock, & DJ Oh-Jezus (various) Capitol Sports Lounge: DJ Danny Peru (old school, Latin, Top 40) Crescent Ballroom: Boomstick! with Poolside, Strobes, DJ Sean Watson, DJ Sophia Gunn, & DJ President Gator (various) Dollhouse Cocktail…
Don’t call it a come back: mythic Phoenix art-punk Eddy Detroit never went away, releasing a string of albums all throughout the ’80s, ’90s, and ’00s, but thanks to Ammit Records, the vinyl imprint of downtown music shop Revolver Records, he’s back in vinyl form. Eddy Detroit Meets the Sun…
This week, New Times ran a list in our print publication highlighting some of the most interesting posts published at Up On The Sun over the past week. Here are links to those posts. What songs are we excited to spin this holiday season? What Back to Black Friday vinyl…
Music can be a lot of things: powerful, divisive, heartbreaking, cathartic. When Manu Chao came to Phoenix in September, his music served a rare purpose: healing. Like it or hate it, The Sound Strike has linked the topics of immigration and music. The Sound Strike endorsed Chao’s appearance (it was…
Local fans of ’90s alt-rock hitmakers Bush are in for some heartbreak and disappointment. The band’s upcoming concert at Celebrity Theatre next Wednesday, which was part of X103.9’s “No Snow Holiday Show” series, has been cancelled.An e-mail that was sent out by Celebrity Theatre’s staff (and reposted on Bush’s official…
“I know hits when I hear them,” Miss DJ MJ says, hanging out in the New Times office. I believe her. She’s been on the air for 10 years, working as music director at Power 98.3. She recently left the station, but not before becoming the first female on-air mixer…
When The Dollyrots left Joan Jett’s Blackheart label earlier this year, they went to their fans to help raise money for the band’s fourth record of buzzy, catchy punk. The fans came through. The band set its Kickstarter goal at $7,500, but fans wound up pledging $33,124. “It blew us…
As finals wrap up and holidays consume every waking minute, some people still have work to do. That’s exactly what Stellacutta is doing: working on their debut album. Earlier this year, Michael Lopez broke down the Tempe rocker’s two-song self-titled EP in You Asked For It, and showed a lot…
Beware, West Coast festival lovers! The Coachella flier that has started circulating is a phony.Whoever made this flier is both ridiculous and awesome. This is one hell of a lineup but is typically “wishlist,” as these things tend to be. I’d really be pissed at Goldenvoice and other festival organizers…
The holidays are all about getting crap, right? Well, it’s also about giving crap and giving back. By shopping local, you can do a bit of both. But when chains like Guitar Center and online retailers like iTunes remain on top for musicians around the globe, you can choose to shop…
Radius hosted Electroball, its first 18-and-over rave on Wednesday, November 23. Axis was closed off, but guests had plenty to be thankful for at this pre-Thanksgiving bash. DJs Henry Dilema, Sean Watson, and EddieNMarco provided the house, hip-hop, and dubstep beats while the crowd danced under a cover of fog,…
By this time you should be out of your turkey coma, foraging through your garage for that shabby box labeled: Christmas Lights. All that talk about department stores jumping the gun after Halloween is behind us, because it’s time to show your Christmas cheer and light the night skies with…
There won’t be any pulsating electronica beats or brutal dubstep drops coming from Rockbar Inc. in Scottsdale. Instead, Craftsman Court’s newest nightspot (which opened during Thanksgiving weekend) will be the home of killer guitar riffs, sweet licks, and epic drum solos. According to co-owners Brian Mrochinski and Alex Mundy, the musical…
Even with rumors rumbling that the Big Four (soon to be three?) will cease producing CDs at the end of 2012, Seattle-based label Light in the Attic has teamed with Rhino Handmade to help distribute ultra-deluxe compact discs. Turns out, certain people (collectors) still want some physical, musical products, provided…
If you want to get noticed on the internet, cats are an easy way to do it. If you have any doubts, just watch this Catvertising video. Roar, a local pop/indie band got hip to the cat formula for its most recent music video, “I Can’t Handle Change.” Sporting a…
Legendary concert promoter Barry Fey’s Twitter bio is pretty revealing: “Its Barry Fey. I am a rock promoter. I have promoted a few shows here and there. Maybe you have heard of me?” Fey, “The Rockfather,” retired from the business in 1997, but not before establishing himself as one of…
With the impending arrival of Filter Magazine’s Phoenix newsletter, it feels like a lot of eyes are on our music scene. Here’s hoping Filter digs in and really investigates. I did so in April 2010, attempting the goal of going out to a different show every night for the entire…
We’re used to being shown a whole lot of fliers here at Up On The Sun. Each of them is artistically unique in its own way. But none of them has ever struck me quite like this one.What Laura Says has an absolutely beautiful flier for their upcoming show at…
For as much awareness that has been brought upon HIV in recent years, it’s still called an “unhuggable” disease because of the stigmas and misconceptions surrounding it — though, no, hugging someone with AIDS will not cause you to catch it yourself (duh).In an effort to educate community members and…
After Thanksgiving comes and goes, it seems like just about everyone gets into the holiday spirit. Even the creepy, strange and misguided among us (which describes most of the lovely Up on the Sun staff, now that we think about it). We’re not sure what these artists were thinking when…
