We Still Believe @ Location to Be Announced

The members of Rebel Disco are being tight-lipped about their newest hangout. After years of slinging beats at such Phoenix nightspots as Bar Smith and Club 24, the tastemaking local DJ collective has a new joint in town, which will make its debut Friday, February 21, during the We Still…

I Chaperoned a Middle-School Valentine’s Day Dance

Editor’s Note: Shea Serrano is an award-winning music writer and goofball whose recent exploits include Bun B’s Rap Coloring and Activity Book, and writes this weekly column about his life and times. 3:20 p.m.: Today I am chaperoning our school’s Valentine’s Day dance. A line of about 100 kids is…

The Most Metal Instruments at NAMM

A few weeks back, I wrote about the most metal moments at NAMM, but now I’d like to touch base on some of the amazing products at the one of the largest music trade shows in the world. Manufacturers seem to have found a way of creating affordable instruments that…

Things That Need to Happen at My Funeral

Editor’s Note: Shea Serrano is an award-winning music writer and goofball whose recent exploits include Bun B’s Rap Coloring and Activity Book, and writes this weekly column about his life and times. Earlier this week, I went to the funeral of a person that I cared about. While I am…

Kid Congo and the Pink Monkey Birds @ Yucca Tap Room

No matter who you are, it’s a pretty sure bet guitarist Kid Congo Powers has cooler friends than you do. After all, Powers (real name Brian Tristan) got his start in 1979 playing guitar with legendary punk-blues firebrands the Gun Club, then jumped ship in 1980 to spend a few…

Tempe’s Time Out Lounge Beefs Up Its Music

If there’s been one thing missing from Time Out Lounge over the years — and, frankly, there isn’t much you can’t find at the infamous Tempe dive bar and pool joint — it’s live music. But that situation’s changed, thanks to Westley Allen. The veteran Time Out bartender, DJ behind…

Marilyn Manson’s Twisted Relationship with Lewis Carroll

Confession time: Alice in Wonderland was one of my favorite childhood films. In fact, I had an Alice in Wonderland tea set with cracked cups picturing the White Rabbit and Mad Hatter. Don’t judge me, but it’s one of the one things I’ve managed to keep over the years in…

Rod Piazza Continues His 60-Year Blues Odyssey

For Rod Piazza, playing the blues isn’t just an ordinary pursuit. The legendary harmonica player considers it to be his life’s calling. “It wasn’t a choice for me. I heard the blues, and it chose me,” he says. “I never looked back.” During his 47-year career in the genre, Piazza,…