You may not know this, but Elvis Costello has a wicked sense of humor. While the prolific musician may be better known for his rancorous songs like the contentious “Tramp The Dirt Down,” which famously stated he would dance on the grave of then-British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, he’s long…
If you thought last month was packed with big shows, wait until you get a load of what April’s concert calendar has in store. Herb Alpert and Lani Hall – Tuesday, April 5, and Wednesday, April 6 – Musical Instrument Museum Two living legends, Herb Alpert and Lani Hall, will…
Sad Kid may just be a pack of whiners. Because for all the crying the Phoenix band’s name implies they just hosted one of the most anticipated local shows of the year in the Broken Hearts Ball. They just returned from their first big out of state gig in New…
It’s 6:45 a.m. when Old Dominion vocalist Matthew Ramsey calls us, the exhaustion heavy in his voice. There’s no other time for the band to do phone interviews these days, requiring wake-up calls that would make most musicians blush, curse, and dive back under the covers. When asked if these…
As we reported a week or so ago, Guns N’ Roses basically announced that they would play a concert in Phoenix sometime after Coachella. Until now, they hadn’t released a date. Now, the wait is over. The band announced today that it would play University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale…
There’s a helluva lot of live music happening around the Valley this weeked — and that ain’t no April Fools joke. There’s a free gig by The Struts over at Tempe Marketplace tonight, the multitude of performances during First Friday, and the Phoenix Lights electronic dance music free-for-all up at…
Something happened to pop star Justin Bieber in late 2015 when he released his latest effort, Purpose. Suddenly, he didn’t just appeal to adoring teen girls around the world. Purpose broadened his fan base to those who were looking for something other than just another teen idol. It wasn’t just fans…
It’s not uncommon in the world of popular music for the progeny of legendary performers to try and make a name of their own. The late Natalie Cole, the late Frank Sinatra Jr., and Jason Bonham are a few successful, contemporary examples. For sibling singers Sofia, Melanie, Amanda, and August…
Oddly enough, Celebration Guns has run into some confusion about their name. It comes from a Stars song off their album Your Ex-Lover Is Dead, but when the Phoenix quartet played Michael Feldman’s travelling radio show Whad’Ya Know?, a few members of the aging, liberal crowd raised an eyebrow: “Celebrating…
In case your teenaged kids haven’t already excitedly informed you, Justin Bieber is headed to the Valley later this week. Like it or not, the 22-year-old hitmaker is hitting Gila River Arena in Glendale on Wednesday with his “Purpose” tour in support of the blockbuster album of the same name…
The Vanishing Show in Tempe’s Maple-Ash-Farmer-Wilson neighborhood is a novel response to Tempe’s strict noise ordinances. The event, which had its second annual show Saturday night, acts as a moving house party with bands playing no longer than 20 or 30 minute sets. The idea is that by the time police…
When was the last time you were actually afraid of losing something? That primordial fear rattled me just before seeing Fall Out Boy for the first time on Friday night. I was truly concerned that the nostalgia of laying on my living room floor after school and watching Fall Out…
It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that Guns N’ Roses’ much-anticipated reunion at Coachella 2016 wouldn’t be the last time the legendary rock group played together this year. After all, if there’s any truth to the $3 million per show payout that GN’R was seeking, why wouldn’t…
Game to go a show this weekend? You’ve certainly got no shortage of options available as the concert calendar in overloaded with big gigs by major names taking place around Phoenix. That includes performances by rock and country legends (David Crosby, Vince Gill), burgeoning hip-hop stars (Migos), and phenomenally gifted…
Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds were all set to open a New Year’s Eve party for Daryl Hall at the singer’s Hudson Valley venue, when a perplexing cancellation sent the band scrambling to book a replacement gig. But the hard-touring Brooklyn-based band, a seven-piece that plays a feisty mix…
Tucked in the northeast corner of Ultra Music Festival near the UMF Radio stage, dozens are unabashedly grabbing condoms courtesy of the Florida Department of Health. Most pick up the flavored ones that come in pineapple and strawberry varieties, and there the confident few who grab the Magnum XL’s. (Just…
Even if he’d never released a single note of his own music, Alan Parsons would have been a part of rock history. As engineer on the last two Beatles albums, he presided at two noteworthy sessions — the last ever Beatles live show (on the roof for Let It Be)…
At the same time that clashes between supporters and haters dominated news coverage of Donald Trump’s weekend rallies in Fountain Hills and Tucson, thousands of Mexican rock fans gathered in the Arizona desert for a protest of a different sort. In reality, Rock Fiesta — which we called “the Coachella…
When was the last time you told your bro you loved him? Seriously. When was the last time you looked into his eyes, placed a hand gently on his quadricep, and said, “Hey man, I really care about you.” Male friendship is a complicated phenomenon. Taught from birth to internalize our…
With Ultra 2016 in the history books, it’s time to look back at just who exactly came out on top, and who walked away from Bayfront Park with nothing but regret and a T-shirt soaked in other people’s bodily fluids. This year, like every year, we end the weekend with…
There have to be moments of existential angst for every worthwhile pursuit. There really does. If the universe is fair, everybody out there — working away at some job or profession, hobby, labor of love, whatever it might be — has to have some moment where you look within your…
Some of the biggest and most notable music fests of the springtime are officially in the rearview, both here in the Valley and elsewhere. Pot of Gold, for instance, wrapped up its second year down at Rawhide in Chandler over the weekend with memorable performances by headliners Futuristic and Big…
