Califone, Destruction Unit, Cherie Cherie, Los Puchos The Icehouse 3/21/14 Wooden Indian didn’t merely put on a concert Friday night at the Icehouse — they created an experience, transforming the cavernous downtown Phoenix arts venue into an otherworldly sonic happening. And the evening was every bit as epic as Wooden…
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings Heritage Square 3/21/14 Whatever it was that you did yesterday that left you feeling awesome — no matter how cool it was — then good for you. But Sharon Jones still kicked your ass. Hell, like one of her Dap-Kings said when he was introducing…
The headliners at each year’s McDowell Mountain Music Festival have always been a little hard to classify or pigeonhole into a certain genre, much like the annual three-day event itself. Ditto for singer/songwriter Dwight Yoakam, who ostensibly can be classified as country-rock, but doesn’t easily fit easily into either category…
Unlike soccer and vuvuzelas, guitars and baseball don’t necessarily go together. But when you’re talking about two institutions as American as the Fender Stratocaster and Major League Baseball, the alignment seems a little more warranted. Such is the case with the new MLB-approved line of Fender Strats that the company…
Hear that? It’s the clock counting down the hours until your weekend begins and it’s nearing the magic moment known as quitting time. To help the time pass more quickly, you might consider what it is you’ll actually be doing during the next couple days and nights of work-free bliss…
Even with a storied career spanning more than five decades already firmly implanted in the American pop culture landscape, country music legend Kenny Rogers is still breaking new ground, furthering his achievements, and streamlining his talents. In 2013 alone, Rogers found himself accepting the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award, earning…
Toadies, Supersuckers, BattleMe Crescent Ballroom 3/19/14 A seriously epic show went down Wednesday night at Crescent Ballroom, courtesy of Toadies and friends. It was the first show of the alt-rock band’s current tour, which is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its kick-ass debut album, Rubberneck, and includes two Northwest-by-way-of-the-Southwest bands,…
St. Vincent & Noveller Orpheum Theatre 3/18/14 Downtown Phoenix’s Orpheum Theatre is kind of a surreal place, as the stunning concert hall blends both the past and present in grand fashion. And St. Vincent deserved to perform at no other venue in town, as her show on Tuesday evening was…
Taking Back Sunday and The Used Marquee Theatre 3/18/14 A 20-something screamo fan’s dream lineup became a reality Tuesday night at the Marquee Theatre as Taking Back Sunday and The Used had fans packed into the Tempe concert hall. Both bands have seen their fair share of mainstream success in…
Flogging Molly Tempe Beach Park 3/17/14 A wild, crazy, and drunken St. Paddy’s Day celebration unfolded at Tempe Beach Park on Monday night as the Celtic folk-punks of Flogging Molly rocked a crowd of thousands during their visit to the Valley on their 10th and final Green 17 Tour. Dave…
It seems as though everything that Kip Moore has touched in recent years has turned to gold, or — more specifically — platinum. The Georgia-born country artist has had a string of hit songs since 2011, such as “Somethin’ ‘Bout a Truck,” “Beer Money,” and “Hey “Pretty Girl,” all of…
Want to get in a show this week? There are plenty of concerts over the next five days around Metro Phoenix to choose from, as you can see for yourself by viewing our extensive online concert listings. And we’re fairly certain that there’s something for everyone, regardless of your particular…
Andy Warpigs Album Release Party The Lost Leaf 3/16/14 Andy Warpigs has officially taken a step up from DIY phenomenon to full-on local rock star following Sunday night’s raucous release party for his debut album, Folk Punk Yourself. The album is an eight-song ode to juvenile humor, drug use, and…
Liquid Sol Music Festival Sportsman’s Park in Glendale 3/15/14 Nostalgia was one of the many themes at Liquid Sol Music Festival on Saturday at Sportman’s Park in Glendale. It was arguably one of the last nice days before the summer heat starts to bloom, and the daylong festival was the…
Iron Chic, Low Culture, Lenguas Largas, Rumspringer Yucca Tap Room 3/14/14 Upon entering the Yucca Tap Room, the famous words of Shakespeare’s Henry V always seem to come to mind: “Once more unto the breach dear friends.” The legendary Tempe bar has seen its fair share of improbable mayhem, which…
Curious as to what’s going on around town this weekend? Need some suggestions as to how to rock, dance, or krump in the Valley of the Sun? Don’t fret. We’ve got the hook up on what shows you might be interested in attending over the next couple nights and days…
The stage is already up, the tents are in place, and the sound equipment is being hooked up. Yep, the scene at Sportsman’s Park next door to the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale is a hectic one at the moment as the organizers of the Liquid Sol Music Festival…
Despite what you may have heard, this weekend’s Liquid Sol Music Festival isn’t just some alt-rock revival of throwback bands. Yes, more than a few favorites from the ’80s (BoDeans, Lovehammers), ’90s (Blind Melon, Fuel), and ’00s (Buckcherry, Train) are on the lineup of the daylong event on Saturday, March…
When childhood friends Marcus Pepperell and John Hamson Jr. formed THUMPERS, they were in need of a musical escape. One dumped, the other fired from his previous band, the London-based duo started putting together songs in pieces, working toward a deeply layered indie-pop that fits somewhere between the Polyphonic Spree…
Mavis Staples can be found in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s traveling “Women Who Rock” exhibit, currently on display at the Musical Instrument Museum. However, the soul icon, who ironically won a 2012 Grammy Award in the Americana category, easily could fit in several of the loosely genre-demarcated…
Country music favorites Lady Antebellum have hit the road, again. The trio of Charles Kelley, Hilary Scott, and Dave Haywood, who have been kicking around the country scene since 2006, are relentless travelers who constantly crisscross the U.S. and are currently pounding the pavement on their “Take Me Downtown” tour…
Downtown Phoenix definitely came alive this past weekend. The various sidewalks were packed with people, activity, and — most importantly — the sound of live music wafting from more than a dozen different venues, nightspots, and locations that comprised the Viva PHX music festival on Friday night. Music lovers, scenesters,…
