When word broke a few weeks back of the impending return of Long Wong’s to Tempe, I’m sure Valley music lovers had visions of the Gin Blossoms or Dead Hot Workshop headlining its grand opening. Sorry to disappoint, but Robin Wilson and the boys won’t be playing at tonight’s unveiling…
By all accounts, the soft opening of the Underground this past weekend was a big success. According to Erin Peters of the Mantooth Group, more than 160 people turned out on Friday to witness the debut of the downtown Mesa music venue, relive its days as the Nile Basement, and watch onetime…
It’s been a long time coming, but the Sasquatch! Music Festival — held annually at Washington’s Gorge Amphitheater over Memorial Day weekend — has come of age. Too long the festival had been bogged down by underwhelming lineups, but 2009 started an impressive upturn in the artists being asked to…
No, not exactly. The recent controversy over John Mayer’s interview with Playboy has been discussed from nearly every angle. The journalist who interviewed him, Rob Tannenbaum, said that there was much more to the interview than the tiny blip that was repeated, re-posted, and re-Tweeted so many times. …
Welcome to “Nothing Not New,” a yearlong project in which New Times editorial operations manager Jay Bennett, a 40-year-old music fan and musician, will listen only to music released in 2010. Each Monday through Friday, he will listen to one new record (no best ofs, reissues, or concert recordings) and…
Alice in Chains has always been a tough interview. In fact, the band’s late lead singer, Layne Staley, infamously refused to talk to the media nearly a decade after a Rolling Stone reporter, Jon Wiederhorn, wrote about his hideously track-marked hands.It wasn’t all Staley, either. The band’s guitarist/songwriter/motivator/brain Jerry Cantrell…
Stinkweeds has always been a haven for indie rockers and hipsters. They specialize in independent music in a way that few others do. While it seems like most of the kids jonesing for their fix of the lastest indie release head to Tempe, they also travel a little further west…
Chris Jericho is one prolific mofo. Besides his day job as a dastardly villain for World Wrestling Entertainment (on its weekly Smackdown TV show), the 40-year-old Canuck is a published author, indie film actor, and one of the many talking heads featured on such VH-1 programs as 100 Most Shocking…
Of course, everyone knows Madonna as the middle-ager who keeps managing to re-invent herself. Part of how she’s done that is by working with contemporary artists, such as Justin Timberlake, to create a relevant, ever-evolving sound.Today, the Queen of Pop releases Revolver (Mixes), an EP with eight songs, including six…
Strong Beer Festival at Margaret T. Hance Park The only evidence that we have of even attending the Strong Beer Festival on Saturday, February 13 at Margaret T. Hance park are these photos. Based on them, we can assume that there were many varieties of deliciously decadent brews all very,…
Welcome to “Nothing Not New,” a yearlong project in which New Times editorial operations manager Jay Bennett, a 40-year-old music fan and musician, will listen only to music released in 2010. Each Monday through Friday, he will listen to one new record (no best ofs, reissues, or concert recordings) and…
Were you at the 2010 Strong Beer Festival in downtown Phoenix Saturday?Seriously, this is not a rhetorical question. If you were at the annual fest — relocated from Mesa to CenPho’s Margaret T. Hance park this year — you might not remember it. At all.This is a festival where the…
No, this isn’t some snide commentary. It’s the truth. They’re taking the words “music television” from their logo. I think everyone does suspect, though, that it’s got something to do with the fact that MTV rarely plays music anymore. Some poor intern for Paste even forced himself to watch 24…
It was ironically named The Losers’ Ball, but if you know anything about how people market stuff nowadays, you’d correctly guess that Sail Inn’s show had incredibly cool musicians playing for a bunch of incredibly cool people. That started right at the top of the bill, with North Carolina’s Dex…
The Jack’s Mannequin show on Saturday at Marquee Theatre was full of youngn’s, and they were quick to take to their Twitter accounts to let the world know what they thought of the concert. Here’s a sampling of what was being said online. (And read our review here.) @whatitladue- Tonight was…
It was clear who the star of the show was Saturday night at the Jack’s Mannequin concert at Marquee Theatre — Nate Ruess, formerly of local band The Format, currently with New York City-based fun. (possibly the worst band name ever.) Fun. lived up to its name, entertaining the sold-out young…
News flash: Valentine’s Day is in less than 48 hours. If you don’t have plans now, you will be tempted to take dangerous paths towards Valentine’s Day merriment. Luckily for you, we have experienced all of the possible pitfalls and can help you avoid them. Whatever you do this Valentine’s…
No Longer Together(Self-released)Grade: DWell, it was a bumpy start to my first go around with You Asked For It. The transition into my second week was somewhat better, but not by much. Case in point: Scottsdale’s No Longer Together, a spunky little three-piece that won Alice Cooper’s “Proof is in…
Alkaline Trio’s newest album, This Addiction, which is set to be released on the 23rd of this month, will be the first record put out on their own, newly formed label, Heart & Skull, in conjunction with Epitaph Records.Singer/guitarist Matt Skiba said, “We made the decision to form Heart &…
Well, let’s face it. That ground was desecrated in April 2008. A year and a half after the legendary punk club closed down, John Varvatos opened a boutique store on the spot. Since then, it has become something of an underground tradition for those passing by the intersection at Bowery…
Reviewers are supposed to be objective. By that standard, perhaps I’m not the best person to write about Thursday night’s St. Vincent show at the Rhythm Room. So, before you read on, in the interest of full disclosure, I’ll be honest with you: I’ve been a huge fan of Austin-based…
