The DonkeysYucca Tap RoomSaturday, June 18The past few shows I have been to — Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., Givers — have wound up being pretty low-key, unassuming affairs. Crowds at either show have been modest at best and each set turned out to be a tight, enjoyable hour or so…
Panic! at the Disco June 17, 2011 Marquee Theatre Brendon Urie sure seems happy these days.At last night’s Panic! at the Disco show at Marquee Theatre, the frontman seemed more comfortable than ever, hitting high notes his fans haven’t been used to, screaming and growling with urgency, and even smoking…
You know indie rock has reached full maturity when longtime genre protagonists are forming “supergroups.” Well, that and Arcade Fire winning a Grammy, Pitchfork holding its own music festival, Pavement reuniting, Pomplamoose performing in car commercials, etc. Guess what comes after maturity, kids? The inevitable decline… so best to enjoy…
When I got the flyer for Phoenix death rockers Bella Lune’s upcoming video release party next week, I was ready to dismiss it after reading two words: death rock, not to be confused with death metal, which is where my mind immediately went. (Nothing against you metal heads; I just…
, according to Rolling Stone.The rider was made by Gus Brandt, the Foo Fighters’ tour manager. A section of the rider entitled Catering Visual Enhancement & Activities depicts the differences between a lame entree and an awesome entree, the differences between a good salad and a bad salad, what constitutes…
Like everyone else on the Internet, we here at Up on the Sun have a serious thing for the hilarious and wonderful Tumblr blog, Dads are the Original Hipsters. On the blog, fantastic vintage photos, all submitted by fans of the site, are coupled with exquisitely snarky captions that detail…
Kara Roschi The local artist is co-owner of Practical Art. When you put your key in the ignition and turn on the radio, what station would play right now? I am proud to be car-free! But when I did have one, it was NPR in the afternoons, KSLX in the…
The dreamy, danceable, synth-heavy music of Fate of the Galaxies sounds more like something that would come out of early-to-mid ’80s England (The Cure, Joy Division) than downtown Phoenix. But that’s where the trio that makes up Fate of the Galaxies — Mandel Moreno, Oompa Pavone, and Chris McClay –…
Mavis Staples and Dr. JohnCelebrity TheatreThursday, June 16″Joyful noise.” That’s how Mavis Staples described what her and her band create onstage. It’s an apt characterization, one that is appropriately loaded with gospel history, and one that connotes how the 71-year-old singer approaches performing. It can be summed up by another…
Rush US Airways Center Thursday, June 16 It’s always exciting when a band pays tribute to their most successful album by playing it from beginning to end. It was no surprise that US Airways Center was nearly sold out last night, packed with thousands of Rush fans singing and air-drumming…
But someone did understand. Someone knew exactly what to say to get us through. From the anthems of loneliness to the uplifting reminders that things would get better, pop-punk kept our little hearts ticking through it all.
To this day, these songs still cause little prickly twinges of nostalgia to dance around in our chests when they pop up in our headphones.
The Musical Instrument Museum already boasts some cool rock ‘n’ roll relics, including an Eric Clapton guitar and John Lennon’s piano. But on Sunday, June 19, the museum will unveil perhaps its most iconic instrument yet: a 1975 Martin D28 acoustic guitar that belonged to Elvis Presley.Presley played the guitar…
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 happened back in 1971, when Alice Cooper says Elvis asked him to put a gun…
I will be the first to admit that I had no clue about San Diego garage/folk rockers The Donkeys until someone dutifully pointed them out for me. You see, The Donkeys have a show this Saturday at the Yucca Tap Room and I was asked if I wanted to catch…
“Homegrown” and “organic” are not words normally associated with Phoenix. After all, what the hell could possibly grow from soil that rivals the sun in heat? How about “acoustic-driven indie folk” artist Charles Barth from local band Saddles. Barth, 24, is something of a one-man army of musical talent. All…
, according to Consequence of Sound.Dexter Isaac, who is already an inmate, confessed to the shooting. Isaac’s shooting took place two years prior to Tupac’s death. Isaac has claimed that he was hired to shoot Tupac by one of Tupac’s associate MCs. He says James “Jimmy Henchan” Rosemond, the CEO…
Bill CallahanThe Rhythm RoomWednesday, June 15His reputation as a “sad guy with a guitar” notwithstanding, one defining element of Bill Callahan’s music struck me the most while listening to him at The Rhythm Room last night: his sense of humor.Don’t misread me; Callahan never even cracked a smile. But he…
Bruno MarsJune 15, 2011Comerica TheatreWhat a long way Bruno Mars has come in the last 8 months since he’s been to Arizona last. Back then, his single “Grenade” was just catching on, and he packed a sold-out Martini Ranch. Now, he’s got a third solo single under his belt, “The…
The use of punctuation in band’s name, however, is nothing new. Exclamation points, question marks, periods and backslashes have been a included in the process of coming up with a band name since the ’60s. With one of the more recognizable punctuation mark bands coming to town this Friday –…
Nothing puts people in a good mood quite like reggae music does, particularly in the summertime. There’s just something about those bass lines and those steel drums that can instantly turn any ordinary day into a really great one. From Bob Marley and Jimmy Cliff to the Wailers and Peter…
Forget whatever your ’80s metalhead friends say about the merits of Poison and Mötley Crüe — New York Dolls are the most important and influential band on this triple-header summer tour. The band, formed in 1971, pre-dates the formation of Poison by 12 years, and the Crüe by 10 years…
Taj Weekes doesn’t possess a typical “reggae” voice, but that’s okay, because he doesn’t make “typical” reggae. Weekes’ voice is reedy, almost androgynous, and on A Waterlogged Soul Kitchen, his latest release, he puts his unique timbre on display over classic reggae sounds augmented by nods to calypso, folk, blues,…
