For years, Dave Rawlings and Gillian Welch have worked as a team writing acclaimed and, at times, harrowing songs bridging the country music world and the back porches of Appalachia. In this context, almost exclusively, Welch has been the lead voice. It is a rare and blessed occasion when Rawlings…
When I first interviewed Ben Haggerty, better known as Macklemore, a little over three years ago, my first call to him was marked by the appearance of his alter ego Raven Bowie, who picked up the phone and hammered out a series of unintelligible words in a heavy British accent…
Queensrÿche is a band that has had its fair share of ups and downs, especially in the past decade. Since its birth in 1982, the American metal act has released 14 studio albums, one of which was ’88’s Operation: Mindcrime, considered one of the best concept albums of all time…
The College Football Playoff National Championship game won’t be the only battle of brawn hitting Phoenix this weekend. CAMPVS, a Universal Music Group-backed company that brought universities across the country Battle of the Bands and MovieFest, is hosting the final throw down for its EDM competition right in the heart…
Representatives of every punk subscene will be at Leftover Crack’s gig at Mesa’s Nile Theater. The reason being is that Leftover Crack is really good at being punk. There are a lot of bands that describe themselves as makers of punk rock, but very few of them embody the attitude…
Phoenix music fans love visiting our kindred desert sister city of Indio for Coachella, and the lineup for the mega-festival published yesterday. In addition to headliners LCD Soundsystem and Guns N’ Roses — both groups haven’t played publicly in years, and remember when LCD Soundsystem “retired”? — some big names…
Here are our picks for best concerts to catch around town this week. For more options, check out our comprehensive concert calendar. Puddles Pity Party – Crescent Ballroom – Monday, January 4 It could be said that a lot of clowns grace the stage at Crescent Ballroom, but just over…
Happy New Year, metal music lovers! From one metalhead to another, I hope your 2015 closed out on a happy note, filled with love, many cheers, and great music. While 2015 was a year for the books when it came to metal in the Valley — just check out the…
The year 2015 A.D. is pretty much in the books, so its time to turn the page and start looking ahead at what’s on tap for the new year, starting with the first “can’t miss” concerts that will kick things off. And during the first weekend of 2016, that includes…
It could be said that a lot of clowns grace the stage at Crescent Ballroom, but just over a year ago, the term held a little more weight when Puddles Pity Party visited for a fun night of music and, uh, you know, clowning around. Puddles himself is a sad…
Only a handful of days remain until 2015 turns into 2016 and there happens to be great concerts and live music events to check out almost every night. That’s especially true of Thursday, December 31, as tons of local bands and DJs will be out celebrating the occasion. Check out…
So how did your 2015 go? Whatever your answer, we’re guessing the past year was nowhere near as pimp as it was for the members of Jack Ü, the EDM superduo featuring Skrillex and Diplo. The artist formerly known as Sonny Moore, for instance, collaborated with everyone from Chance the…
Yes, we’re well aware that Christmas happens to take place this weekend and — in all likelihood — most of y’all will be busy with trimming the tree, decking the halls, making the yuletide bright, and whatnot. If you need a break from all the holiday hullabaloo, there happens to…
California-based musician Kepi Ghoulie, who primarily handles vocal and bass duties in his projects, is a man on a mission. He tours nonstop playing his signature garage-y, catchy, pop-punk songs, is continuously making new music, and creates original art that he sells at shows. He was in Chixdiggit, and spent…
Fans of the Valley’s old-school dance music scene are about to get a chance to check out some of their heroes from back in the day in action once again. That’s because some of Phoenix’s more legendary turntablists and selectors will be hitting the decks over the next couple of…
Ask yourself what you were doing in 1995 and the answer might depend on how old you were. If you were in your 30s, you were probably enjoying your regularly scheduled midlife crisis and getting divorced. In your 20s? Enjoying grunge and toying with a substance abuse habit, but of…
Pyrotechnics and Aqua Net hair spray could normally be a combustible combination but thankfully no one’s spandex caught fire when Alice Cooper and Motley Crue rolled through town Saturday night at the Talking Stick Resort Arena. Co-headliner Cooper pulled out all the stops (and props) with a head-spinning romp…
For reasons you can probable imagine, there isn’t much of a concert calendar this week. That said, here are some picks if you’re interested in seeing some live music before the holidays. Waka Flocka Flame – Monday, December 21 – Livewire Waka Flocka Flame is an artist known just as much…
Looking for something to do this weekend? Look no further. Here are the best concerts happening this weekend. Check out our comprehensive concert calendar for more options. Kottonmouth Kings – Friday, December 18 – Joe’s Grotto Twenty-one years after Kottonmouth Kings’ humble beginnings in the Orange County town of Placentia, it’s…
If you frequented the Mason Jar in the mid- to late-’90s, you probably saw one of the three bands reuniting for Onus Records’ Night of a 1,000 Reunions (slight exaggeration) on Saturday, December 19. There were three things you could always count on at the Jar: The bands were always…
Judith Hill sure knows how to turn a phrase. Her debut album, Back in Time, begins with a track that harks back to the ’70s-era soul albums of Stevie Wonder. With the line “Might as well be famous/Since I ain’t gonna be white,” “As Trains Go By” recalls a time…
We live in Arizona and honestly, much of the population starts to feel a chill at 65 degrees, and it was 20 degrees lower than that at the ALT AZ Ugly Sweater Party Sunday night at Mesa Amphitheatre. I’ve seen Bob Dylan in the rain in early spring in the rain…
