Alt-country/punk/Southern rockers Lucero are true road warriors, spending more than half their days on tour in any given year. The band has earned a die-hard fan base thanks to their near-constant touring and twangy, rough-and-tumble sound. In a recent e-mail Q&A, Up on the Sun asked guitarist Brian Venable about…
What do you do if it’s Valentine’s Day and you’re an musician who makes music far removed from fuzzy teddy bears and chocolate, who has a concert scheduled, and not the sort of concert that just draws brodogs and the like? It was an interesting challenge for Pete Yorn, who…
The Pretty RecklessFebruary 14, 2011Martini RanchGossip Girl star Taylor Momsen told the crowd at Martini Ranch Monday night her band The Pretty Reckless almost canceled their show because her voice was completely shot. For the devoted fans in the half-full venue, it’s a good thing she didn’t. But for a concert…
YuckThursday, February 10, 2011Rhythm Room, PhoenixMy ears are still ringing as I write this, and I couldn’t be happier. Normally, I loathe doling out such large amounts of damage to my eardrums, but if it was at the hands of North London buzz band Yuck, then I think I can…
Rocking out and getting sweaty next to complete strangers might not exactly sound romantic, but it’s an unconventional and fun way to spend Valentine’s Day this Monday. The Pretty Reckless comes to town to play Martini Ranch on their first headlining, intimate club tour, after the Taylor Momsen-fronted band sold…
Tennis Rhythm Room Tuesday, February 8, 2011 So it was — a waif, diminutive indie chanteuse and her prim, penny-loafer adorned husband took to the stage last night. The local crowd came out in impressive numbers for a Tuesday night in February. People were dancing, nodding their heads in appreciation of the laid-back, effervescent music. And…
John LegendFebruary 8, 2011ASU Gammage AuditoriumJohn Only needed his voice and a piano to make a huge impression at Gammage auditorium last night.Legend’s show, sponsored by Arizona State University’s undergraduate student government and the black/African coalition, was held in celebration of Black History Month, and that background heavily flavored the…
Calexico at Corona Ranch Someone at Corona Ranch realized it was after 11 p.m. Someone knew the band had been playing for damn-near two-hours. Someone wanted to punch their time-card and go home, not caring to hear a truly stellar Southwesternized version of “Tomorrow Never Knows,” which you’d have to…
My name is Benjamin and I’m a classical music lover. I grew up in a household where Pachelbel’s Canon, Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, and Handel’s Messiah were played regularly. I’m also a big fan of hip-hop, although not to the degree of some of my colleagues (who can craft outstanding blogs…
Interpol Marquee Theatre Saturday, February 5, 2011Interpol hasn’t headlined a Phoenix show since 2004, a few months after Antics was released. In 2005 they visited our state twice, playing Edgefest, and Coconuts, a small Tucson bar that is now closed. Since then, Arizona has been skipped on every tour, including…
Someone at Corona Ranch realized it was after 11 p.m. Someone knew the band had been playing for damn-near two-hours. Someone wanted to punch their time-card and go home, not caring to hear a truly stellar Southwesternized version of “Tomorrow Never Knows,” which you’d have to imagine part-time Tucsonian Paul…
Against Me! at Nile Theater It was, I imagine, with a touch of irony that Against Me! opened their show at the all-ages and bone-dry Nile Theater with “Pints Of Guinness Make You Strong.” “And just like James, I’ll be drinking Irish tonight,” sang Tom Gabel which, of course is…
No AgeThe Trunk SpaceSunday, January 30, 2011The Los Angeles noise rock duo No Age has toured relentlessly during the past year. They were originally scheduled to play at The Clubhouse Music Venue in December, but rescheduled the end of their U.S. tour for last night at The Trunk Space.Singer/drummer Dean Spunt…
Handsome FamilyRhythm RoomSunday, January 30th, 2011″We stopped for coffee, in the redwood forest,” Handsome Family guitarist/vocalist Brett Sparks sang, opening Sunday night’s cozy show at the Rhythm Room. The lyrics, written by his wife and Handsome Family bassist/banjo-playing vocalist Rennie, are typical of the duo’s gothic Americana; specific to time…
Against Me!Nile TheaterFriday, January 28, 2011It was, I imagine, with a touch of irony that Against Me! opened their show at the all-ages and bone-dry Nile Theater with “Pints Of Guinness Make You Strong.” “And just like James, I’ll be drinking Irish tonight,” sang Tom Gabel which, of course is…
Ozzy Osbourne and Slash Comerica Theatre January 26th, 2011 Have you ever wondered what happened to the people who appeared in the ’80s rock documentary Heavy Metal Parking Lot? Well, from the looks of it they were all standing in a line that stretched around the Comerica Theatre last night…
At any given point in a man’s life, he’s got that one shirt — be it a tee, polo, western, or over-sized Packers jersey — that just stands a bit taller than the rest of the crowd. A shirt with such a distinguished place in the normal shirt rotation, that…
It’s hard to imagine two bands farther apart philosophically than Underoath and Cradle of Filth.Tampa, Florida’s Underoath have been at the forefront of a Christian metalcore explosion over the past decade, releasing seven albums since 1999 and establishing themselves as one of the most successful Christian metal acts of all…
You know what record is severely — “criminally,” one might say if they were given to old timey rock writer sayings — underrated? Hole’s Live Through This. Some (a lot? a bit? — I’m not exactly sure) of this certainly has to do with the oft-whispered allegations that Kurt Cobain…
Air SupplyTalking Stick ResortSunday, January 16″Are you ready to fall in love tonight?” Air Supply singer-guitarist Graham Russell asked the crowd between songs Sunday night at Talking Stick Resort. It wasn’t really a question. It was a declaration: Oh, you will fall in love tonight, bitches. Count on it. To…
Kinch at Rogue Bar Last Night The Rock ‘N’ Roll Arizona Marathon was this morning — thousands of runners, both locals and tourists, jogged 26 miles of Valley streets on a warm January day. The race wasn’t the weekend’s only impressive show of endurance along Scottsdale Road, though. Kinch’s second…
River Jones Music Festival The Paisley Violin Sunday, January 16, 2011 The first images that came to mind when I heard about a folk festival at The Paisley Violin? Tie-dyed college kids screeching out against the Vietnam War over a haze of sweet smoke.That wasn’t exactly the scene at the…
