I’m loathe to admit it, but I went into last night’s Scott H. Biram show at The Rhythm Room a bit skeptical, or worse, even a bit cynical. Don’t get me wrong. I like the whole punk-blues-country-bluegrass thing as much as the next guy, but I tend to find the…
Polysics bassist Fumi sits on the curb outside Rhythm Room chatting with the band’s photographer Tsukasa as drummer Yano stretches out. The show’s over, but she’s still wearing her orange flight suit with iconic “P” tacked onto the front and says she’s tired. After witnessing the explosive set Polysics laid…
Okay, I admit it: I have no idea why people go gaga for Phoenix, which sold out the Tempe theater. After watching the veteran act (which has been plugging away in one form or another since 1999 without getting much attention before last year) play for an hour and a…
2010 Miss Gay Arizona USofA and Reina Del Sol USofA Classic at the Wyndham You can keep your preacher’s daughter conservative country sweetheart Miss America pageant; we’ll take Miss Gay USofA any day. The lovely ladies in this competition may be male underneath the sequins, rhinestones and makeup; but their…
Since Patti Smith doesn’t make her way out west very often, when she does, it’s a notable occasion. Added to that, last night she gave an intimate talk at LA’s Hammer Museum on the artist Harry Smith — a close friend of hers and highly influential figure in American culture,…
The economy sucks… Let’s party!Yes, these are the sentiments of Pittsburgh punkers Anti-Flag. If you know anything about the band, these sentiments shouldn’t surprise you. The band has made a mark with their strong political views and activism. In fact, The Economy Sucks, Let’s Party! tour has teamed up with non-profits…
Love Me Nots Music Video Premiere at Martini Ranch Friday night at Martini Ranch, Love Me Nots, along with their pals Mod Zombies, brought the house down in honor of “Do What You Do,” the new music video from Love Me Nots…see photos Car Porn at Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction 2010…
In fact, it was a pair of local gimmick bands who helped me segue to the Valley’s vibrant local music scene. Back in 2004, I became a fan of both the Minibosses and Flagstaff’s I Hate You When You’re Pregnant after attending gigs by both bands at such venues as…
Last night’s performance from New York hardcore punk rockers Agnostic Front was anything but forgettable. Hundreds of people crowded into the Yucca Tap Room in the true spirit of punk rock.To move across the jam-packed floor, you had to pass through a large, rowdy, and intense mosh pit that was…
(Gil Scott-Heron performed sets at 6:30 and 9 p.m. last night. This is a review of the earlier offering presented by Ed Mabrey and Black Pearl Poetry.) He appeared jittery as he walked onstage, but once Gil Scott-Heron sat down and started playing keys and singing the blues about life…
Marathon Pub Crawl in Downtown Tempe Clad in corny and kitschy fitness wear, more than 50 Valley bar-hoppers engaged in a humorous running-themed pub crawl along Mill Avenue on Saturday, January 16, hitting up such downtown Tempe bars as Zuma Grill, Rula Bula, and Suite 301…see photos Kathy Griffin Talks…
“I’m a 12-year-old gay boy at heart” comedian Kathy Griffin confessed during her performance at the Dodge Theatre Saturday. The statement summed up the sassy petite redhead in a nutshell. And that’s what makes her so appealing. Like most kids, Griffin says what’s on her mind without any editing. During her nearly…
You know, the very same squad who yesterday battered about our beloved Arizona Cardinals and crushed the Valley’s dreams of returning to the Super Bowl mere hours before Cowboy Mouth’s show in Scottsdale. So does that mean their performance was marred by distressed Red Bird fans who were demanding the…
No Pants Ride Invades the Light Rail and Downtown Phoenix In conjunction with Improv Everywhere’s No Pants Subway Ride in New York, half naked people in cities around the world enjoyed freedom from pants on public transit on Saturday, January 10, 2010. In Phoenix, Improv AZ organized two teams of…
“Thanks,” Thurston Moore of legendary noise-rockers Sonic Youth laughs, hoisting up a Bethel Wildcats letterman jacket, an unusual gift from a crowd member at the group’s packed performance at Tempe’s Marquee Theatre. Moore, a 1976 graduate of the Connecticut high school, seems bemused by the offering. “You know, in high…
Undoubtedly, one of the coolest things about the Yucca Tap Room is the community of people that congregates there. Starting last summer, a core group of musicians from that community began putting together special concerts as a tribute to some of their favorite musicians. Each designated night, the group picks…
Poll: What is Your New Year’s Resolution? Tempe greeted the new year with one massive party in honor of the Insight and Fiesta Bowls. New Times was there asking party-goers for their best (or most alcohol-fueled) New Year’s resolutions. Check out what Tempe’s trying to achieve in the new year…see…
The band’s hour-long set barely even took place on New Year’s Eve at all, as Nicole Laurenne and the rest of the band didn’t take to the dive bar’s smallish stage only 10 minutes before midnight. But what they lacked in punctuality, the Love Me Nots made up for sheer…
Jeff Tweedy of Wilco at the Orpheum Theatre Perhaps it’s pathetic that any music critic would have to re-affirm his interest in seeing his favorite band stay together through Bart Simpson-style repetitive writing exercises, but I can’t help it. Jeff Tweedy’s solo performance at Phoenix’s Orpheum Theatre Sunday night was…
I will not hope Wilco breaks up.I will not hope Wilco breaks up.I will not hope Wilco breaks up.I will not hope Wilco breaks up.I will not hope Wilco breaks up.Perhaps it’s pathetic that any music critic would have to re-affirm his interest in seeing his favorite band stay together…
Mercifully, it appears as though reports of downtown Phoenix art space and performance venue’s impending demise are prove to be mildly exaggerated, as co-owners JRC and Stephanie Carrico believe their establishment has been weathering a recent financial nightmare and will continue to exist in the coming months. And such a…
The holiday season holds a special meaning for each of us. For most, the holidays are all about coming together with family and friends in celebration. For me the holidays have always been and always will be about the presents. As a music lover I got the best present I…
