Top Five Must-See Phoenix Shows This Weekend

Look, this could go either way: It could be that all the broken, empty-hearted Breaking Bad fans who’ve spent a month of weekends in their houses, talking about Breaking Bad with each other, decide to get some fresh air and see a show, and you’ll be able to see some…

John Mayer – Ak-Chin Pavilion – 10/2/2013

by Amanda Ventura John Mayer (See the complete slideshow here) Ak-Chin Pavilion October 2, 2013 Say what you need to say about John Mayer. You just don’t know the goodness of his music until you’ve heard him blowing his songs wide open with guitar solos and those special deviations and…

Savages – Crescent Ballroom – 10/1/13

Savages Crescent Ballroom October 1, 2013 If you name your band Savages, you’d better be damn ferocious and feral. I suppose you could go the irony route and be real timid and wimpy, akin to when a giant, burly ax murderer’s name turns out to be Tiny. Me, I prefer…

Top Five Must-See Phoenix Shows This Week

Every so often The Maine comes to town playing a slightly larger venue than it did the time before. Their goal, so far as I can tell, is to take advantage of this until, having played U.S. Airways Center and University of Phoenix Stadium in short order, local government is…

Keith Urban – Ak-Chin Pavilion – 9/29/13

Keith UrbanAk-Chin PavilionSunday, September 29 One way to reverse engineer the perfect American Idol judge would be to just go to concerts until you find a bunch of people who used to watch American Idol clapping and having a good time at one. I like to think that’s how they…

Vampire Weekend at Comerica Theatre, 9/27/13

Vampire Weekend Comerica Theatre Friday, September 27, 2013 Last night’s show was just about everything a Friday night show should be: Vampire Weekend was on point and performed a great selection of songs that didn’t neglect its debut album. The crowd was into it–if the majority of the seated area…

Top Five Must-See Phoenix Shows This Weekend

If you didn’t happen to be in Casa Grande when Jimmy Eat World played this show, back in May, you may find it more convenient to head out to Tucson for a show from this year’s Readers’ Choice for Best Local Band. If you weren’t really into “The Middle,” for…

Top Five Must-See Phoenix Shows This Week

The nights in Phoenix are rapidly going from unbearable to beautiful, which is exactly why we’re suggesting you spend a couple of nights this week inside a stuffy venue where someone will be playing music under weird, artificial lights. Think about how nice it’ll be to walk out into the…

Zedd – Madison Events Center – 9/21/2013

Zedd September 21, 2013 Madison Events Center With a hectic security system, oversized VIP section and timing being completely off, the music was the only thing that shined Saturday night. Taking the light rail to the show was an interesting start to the night, but hell, why not, right? Getting…

Franco and The Urge Resurrect The Mason Jar for One Night Only

Two phrases that Franco Gagliano tends to say a lot nowadays are “I don’t want to offend anyone” and “I’m not gonna lie to you.” When Franco ruled supreme as owner of The Mason Jar, one of Phoenix’s longest-enduring rock clubs from the early ’80s into the early Aughts, you…

Top Five Must-See Phoenix Shows This Weekend

Multiple big EDM shows and a gig at the Mason Jar(!) await you in today’s Must-See Phoenix Shows This Weekend. That seems like enough for us, but if you’re looking for even more options, check out our complete, sortable concert calendar. We won’t be offended…

Help Kids at Scattered Melodies’ Back-to-School Book Drive

Local bass-and-drums duo Scattered Melodies loves helping locals so much the project wrote a song called “Community Service” with collaborator Ruca. Appropriately they’ll be playing it with Ruca frontwoman Haley Griagaitis during their Back-to-School Book Drive this Saturday, September 21 at Gilbert’s Bergies Coffee Roast House. “The song was inspired…

Franco Gagliano Talks Legends of The Mason Jar, Past and Present

On his Facebook “About” page his education reads Università DI Napoli “Federico II.” Under work it reads “Music Production” and that he is the President at “Salf Enploy,” which is how it would sound phonetically when Franco Gagliano says it. When the “Legends of the Mason Jar” show which reunites…

10 Things I Learned at Riot Fest Chicago

My flight landed in Phoenix late Monday night, and I’m still adjusting. It hasn’t fully sunk in yet that I just saw The Replacements and The Pixies back to back. The Broadways reunion really happened. Debbie Harry is super adorable in person. My feet are still throbbing, and I’m pretty…

The Zombies – Crescent Ballroom – September 16, 2013

OK, so I don’t know much about The Zombies. Like, at all. For years, I thought their number one sizzling summer hit “Time of the Season” was actually Marvin Gaye. Give me a pass on that one, the English rock band were clearly trying to crimp his style far more…