There’s simply no shortage of things to see and do in October. Discounting all of the hullabaloo of Halloween at the end of the month, there are fall festivals to attend, tankards of German ales to quaff at Oktoberfest gatherings, pleasant weather to enjoy (no…really), and all the thrills and…
It’s all too easy to take a shot at Rascal Flatts in 2015. What’s easily remembered is the frosted tips, v-neck T-shirts, dismal awards show performances, and saccharine, phoned-in singles of the mid-’00s, but what’s rarely mentioned is the Ohio-based group’s prototypical status in country pop, paving the way for…
Sam Smith told the audience at Gila River Arena last night that it was one of the best crowds he’s had in America during this, his first international tour. The crowd of screaming fans was certainly loud enough to merit consideration. For the entire concert, fans erupted with the first…
Spiritual Warfare – “My Day Off” Joel Marquard has led a wonderful career in the local music scene for as long as I can remember, whether it was fronting Gospel Claws, founding Dear In The Headlights, leading The Through And Through Gospel Review, manifesting Samuel L Cool J, or his…
When we first got word of the Arzona Hip Hop Festival last year, we gawked. Organizer JustUs Samuel’s vision for a massive showcase featuring almost 100 hip-hop performers from around the state of Arizona was, in a word, ambitious. But after a full day of music that took over Comerica…
Every Wednesday is Heritage Hump Day! That’s because every Wednesday from now to the end of the year or before someone really big stops us, Heritage Hump Records (a temporary subsidiary of Onus Records) and New Times will be bringing you a limited edition collector’s item of a much beloved…
Max Frost sounds like your prototypical modern pop star serving up a cool blend of driving dance beats, chunky grinds, silky rhythms, and rich vocals. That we’re even talking about Frost is simply the case of him being in the right place at the right time — or rather, one…
There was no amount of banter, bad jokes, costume changes, or iconic rock songs that could save anyone with the last name Van Halen from lead singer David Lee Roth last night at Ak-Chin Pavilion. From the opening notes of “Light Up the Sky” the flamboyant frontman never stood a…
J There are headliners for festivals, and then there are headliners for festivals. The closing night of the Summer Ends Music Festival was undoubtedly the latter of the two, as every act to perform before Kanye West just felt like an opener for the man known to many as Yeezus…
Love him or hate him, Eddie Van Halen changed the rock-guitar world forever. I play guitar and have been in bands for many years, so he was always someone I was aware of. There was no way to ignore Eddie’s presence if you were interested in hard rock of any…
The Foo Fighters might be the most fun band in rock. Friday night at Ak-Chin Pavilion, Dave Grohl and the rest of the Foos played almost two-and-a-half hours of relentless rock ’n’ roll, and Grohl had a smile on his face the whole time. Not too many pop stars come…
Van Halen – Monday, September 28 – Van HalenA small handful of players in rock history have dramatically changed people’s expectations of what was possible to do with an electric guitar. That doesn’t necessarily mean that I have to like their music, but it would be dishonest to say that…
For the second straight year, Saturday at Tempe’s Summer Ends Music Festival encountered an unexpected issue. At least this time they didn’t force everyone up the street into the Marquee Theatre. About two songs into Rebelution’s 7 p.m. set, the music stopped and an announcement came from the festival’s other…
I knew things had gone a little too smoothly on Thursday night, everything was like clockwork. With that in mind I was sure it would be the same case, but alas it was not. I approached the media check in with a smile and was very nearly scolded and told…
It’s safe to say that the first day of the Summer Ends Music Festival was a pretty great success, at least from a talent perspective. It honestly didn’t feel much like a festival so much as a concert in the park. Sure there were vendor, tents, and a massive stage,…
One of the coolest shows coming through town this week (and there are plenty) is happening at the Pressroom on Friday. San Francisco’s Thee Oh Sees will make their third stop in Phoenix this year, but this time they have two really cool opening acts, Tucson’s Lenguas Largas and Desert Hot Springs,…
There’s a story circulating about Royal Blood, the hottest export from England since fish and chips. The story claims that drummer Ben Thatcher picked up friend and bassist Mike Kerr at the airport and Kerr immediately said, “Let’s form a band.” Incredibly, the band performed its first gig the next…
While it might not necessarily feel like it right now, the summer is officially over. Yes, we’re aware that its still going to be hot for the next couple of weeks or so, but according to the calendar, the season that we all dread and ultimately must all suffer through…
Some things are best left to chance even after experience has long since taken hold. Take Cold War Kids’ latest single, “First,” off their recently rereleased deluxe version of last year’s record Hold My Home: Though the Los Angeles-based band has been together for over ten years now, the success…
Summer Ends Music Festival round two is right around the corner, and for its second year of early fall festing Lucky Man Concerts has brought Kanye West into the mix. What is the point of some other useless turn of phrase when the just the use of his name spruces…
Kanye West is one of the most influential rappers/producers of all time, there’s no doubt about that. Where he ranks among the all time greats will always be up for discussion, but the impressive combination of his own music along with the songs and beats he’s produced for others (not…
An hour after talking with Brandon Flowers, his publicist called me back to ask me to take out part of my interview. First, she thanked me for conducting it so early in the morning and let me know that Flowers had enjoyed speaking with me, which surprised me as he…
