By Martin Cizmar Common is about as close to imageless as you can get in the rap game. He’s got the pretty boy thing going, but he’s not LL Cool J or Nelly. He’s known for smart rhymes, but he’s not Talib Kweli. He’s got live instrumentation, but it’s not…
By Martin Cizmar Some cool new shows announced this week, including Metallica with Austin’s The Sword and former Pantera frontman Phil Anselmo’s band Down, who will bustle the shit out of your hedgerow. Metallica Tuesday, Oct. 21 Metallica released a new album this week (see earlier blog item) so they’ll…
By Jonathan McNamara Friday, September 12: Brad B. CD Release Party at Hollywood Alley Call me optimistic, but if there’s free music to be had, I want to hear it. My external hard drive clamors to be fed even more 320 kbps MP3s, especially if we’re talking about local acts…
By Jonathan McNamara Happy Monday, Phoenix. Here’s what you missed while you were decompressing at home from the last work week. First Friday The kids were all right last night as they partied up and down the streets of Phoenix celebrating September’s First Friday. View: this Night Out slideshow with…
By Sarah Ventre The Yucca Tap Room is one of those celebrated landmarks left standing in Tempe, made famous by the bands that grew up there. Last Saturday night, local music fans were treated to a bit of nostalgia when Art Edwards, bassist of the Refreshments, made his first appearance…
By Jonathan McNamara September has reared its slightly cooler (we hope) head and bestowed upon us a great deal of new things to see and do. Here’s what we’ll be hitting up this weekend. Friday, September 5: First Friday in Downtown Phoenix You know the drill: a bunch of kats…
By Jonathan McNamara We said goodbye to Summer (yeah right!) in style this weekend. Check out the plethora of summer themed parties. And just in case that isn’t enough, we’ve got a few shots from a Lucha Libre. Is there a better seasonal send off than a bunch of burly…
By Jonathan McNamara Friday: CopperCon That’s right, Phoenix. It’s time to get your geek on. Enjoy more science fiction and fantasy than you can shake your bantha stick at. Read more: “CopperCon 28” Saturday: AZ Bully Expo 2008 Saturday’s for the dogs. No, really. This Saturday, Pitbull Terriers will descend…
By Benjamin Leatherman The power was off, but the party was on at the Trunk Space. Better than: Watching Colorstore in the middle of a hurricane. “Holy shit! What the hell is going on outside!?!” This profanity-laced exclamation was uttered by yours truly at around 10 p.m. last night as…
The Metal Masters Tour rolled through the Valley last night, with a bill that boasted four titans of heavy metal: Testament, Motörhead, Heaven & Hell, and Judas Priest. Unfortunately, Testament hit the stage at 5:30 and I was stuck in traffic on the I-10 W until about 6. When I arrived at the venue, Motörhead had just started playing.
By Benjamin Leatherman The crowd of Hollywood Alley fans who gathered for the show. See more shots in our slideshow. I know I’m probably going to take some shit for saying this, but Hollywood Alley in Mesa is probably the closest thing to a CBGB’s that Phoenix will ever experience…
By Jonathan McNamara Dave Matthews Band at Cricket Wireless Pavillion Despite the loss of saxophonist LeRoi Moore last week, Dave Matthews Band delivered a great performance at Cricket Wireless Pavilion on Saturday, August 23, 2008. Rage in the Cage at Celebrity Theatre A collection of 24 fighters trained in various…
By Jonathan McNamara Friday, August 22: Manzanita Speedway’s 57th Annual Anniversary Race Weekend Manzanita Speedway will kick off it’s two day celebration remembering 57 years of high-octane racing tonight. Expect to see Barnett Dirt Modifieds Dwarf Cars, Sport Modifieds, Factory Stocks and Bombers.” This is a family affair, so don’t…
Better Than: Any other act that has played the Super Bowl in this millennium. See more photos from Tom Petty’s concert at Jobing.com Arena in our slideshow. The arena concert is often an impersonal experience. Paying top dollar for a seat with a brilliant view of a jumbotron hardly makes…
By Jonathan McNamara Star Swim at Hotel San Carlos What Laura Says Thinks and Feels and Miniature Tigers played to a roof top pool full of bathing suit-clad guests during Hotel San Carlos’ continuing event Star Swim. One DJ Night at The Ruby Room The Ruby Room in downtown Phoenix…
Friday, August 15: “That Enthralling Gallop” at The Kitchenette Photography Collective Betsy Schneider’s “France” This week Managing Editor Amy Silverman presented New Times readers with a look at controversial artist Betsy Schneider. Starting tonight, Schneider’s work can be seen in an show called “That Enthralling Gallop” starting tonight at “Kitchenette…
By Jonathan McNamara This weekend The Crystal Method brought the dance to Phoenix. Did you feel the beat on Friday night? Also, some Imperial scum and villainy got together to do some good by raising money for Phoenix Childen’s Hospital at Tempe Marketplace. Not enough action for one weekend? Here’s…
Here’s a handful of upcoming shows that were recently announced.
By Jonathan McNamara Friday August 8: The Crystal Method at Myst The Crystal Method started recording in an abandoned bomb shelter. It’s terribly appropriate, I would say, as their tracks tend to explode with a furious electronic force. Check out The Crystal Method’s remix of “Jack’s Suite” from Pirates of…
By Jonathan McNamara Friday August 1: Breaking Dawn midnight release party at Changing Hands Bookstore Twilight Series fans are too busy scanning the internet for details about the upcoming book in the series. Harry Potter anyone? If you don’t know about Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight Series, get your head out from…
By Steve Jansen The Octopus Project: What dreams are made of I had a strange dream last night. Possibly because I knew I was writing about The Octopus Project today, or I am truly super jacked up to see the Austin-based noise/rock ensemble. Either way, the dream went something like…
I expected a big show rock show. I saw Stone Temple Pilots perform at the Arizona State Fair in 2000, back in Veterans Memorial Coliseum’s “big crack in the ceiling” days. The band sounded great in spite of the venue’s structural damage, and I remember I left that show thinking Scott Weiland was the consummate front man.
