Change, as they say, is inevitable. And in Phoenix’s live music and nightlife scenes, it’s practically a fact of life. Every single year will always include any number of both arrivals and departures of venues and clubs as places open to much fanfare or regrettably close their doors. Such was…
The College Football Playoff National Championship game won’t be the only battle of brawn hitting Phoenix this weekend. CAMPVS, a Universal Music Group-backed company that brought universities across the country Battle of the Bands and MovieFest, is hosting the final throw down for its EDM competition right in the heart…
Country music lovers with an affinity for its roots, classic songs, and seminal performers are most likely familiar with Dana Armstrong. Known around town as DJ Dana, Armstrong is behind the Valley Fever event that features live country acts with the spinning of country records in between band sets by…
After playing The Marquee Theatre on New Year’s Eve, Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers are headed southbound on Mill Avenue to Yucca Tap Room. The band is taking up residence at the Tempe bar to commemorate the 20th anniversary of The Refreshments’ major label debut Fizzy Fuzzy Big and Buzzy,…
I recently watched I’ll Be Me, the powerful documentary chronicling music legend Glen Campbell’s 2011 tour and simultaneous walk into the dark night of Alzheimer’s disease. Not only was it brave for Campbell to hit the road for 151 shows as his condition worsened but it was incredible that his…
In case you haven’t noticed, the Valley has a major case of football fever right now. (And no, we’re not referring to the widespread fandom for the playoff-bound Arizona Cardinals.) The biggest college football game of the year will take place a few days from now when the Clemson Tigers…
Although there’s something ghoulish about measuring a year’s passage by how many celebrities we lost to the Reaper, the Academy Awards’ and Grammy Awards’ “In Memorium” montages provide a much-needed public service in the “I didn’t know (insert name/pronoun) died!” department. Because everyone knows celebrities generally die in threes, a…
Mesa hip-hop artist Mohamad Tokko was frustrated with Donald Trump’s bluster about how all Muslims are potential terrorists who should be barred from entering the United States — so he wrote a song for the GOP presidential candidate. “Tryna slander, defame us,” he raps in his latest video. “Terrorism ain’t…
Mitchell Hillman listens to more local music than just about anyone in the Valley. He presents his picks for best local music in his column, Right Hear, Right Now. Bear Ghost — “Funkle Phil” Bear Ghost is celebrating the New Year by releasing another single from its forthcoming debut full-length…
Good news for anyone who’s been fervently awaiting the official opening of downtown Phoenix’s Cobra Arcade Bar: it’s only 48 hours away. According to co-owner Ariel Bracamonte, the much-anticipated bar and arcade will be unveiled to the general public during its grand opening on Friday night. And from the looks…
A year ago we began this Heritage Hump celebration each Wednesday with the hope of bringing you the stories and songs of great Arizona bands, sung and unsung. Now that year has come to a close, and so has our series. We’d like to thank all the bands that participated…
At first glance, it may seem trivial, but one of the things every city needs is a good record label. Sure, clean water is nice, a low crime rate is great, and affordable housing is key, but a good record label can make a city into something truly special. Just…
Representatives of every punk subscene will be at Leftover Crack’s gig at Mesa’s Nile Theater. The reason being is that Leftover Crack is really good at being punk. There are a lot of bands that describe themselves as makers of punk rock, but very few of them embody the attitude…
Phoenix music fans love visiting our kindred desert sister city of Indio for Coachella, and the lineup for the mega-festival published yesterday. In addition to headliners LCD Soundsystem and Guns N’ Roses — both groups haven’t played publicly in years, and remember when LCD Soundsystem “retired”? — some big names…
Psyko Steve Chilton’s Rock Lottery (scheduled for Saturday, January 16), now approaching its third year, is one of the more brilliant ideas to take hold in the local music scene. There is nothing quite like the exhausting task of shuffling some two dozen musicians together, forming random, new five-piece bands,…
Here are our picks for best concerts to catch around town this week. For more options, check out our comprehensive concert calendar. Puddles Pity Party – Crescent Ballroom – Monday, January 4 It could be said that a lot of clowns grace the stage at Crescent Ballroom, but just over…
The story of Jodi Arias involves deviant sex, hyper-violent murder, and domestic violence. Arias was convicted in 2013 of killing her ex-boyfriend and lover Travis Alexander in 2007. On the night of his death, Arias stabbed Alexander almost 30 times and shot him in the head. The trial spun out…
Happy New Year, metal music lovers! From one metalhead to another, I hope your 2015 closed out on a happy note, filled with love, many cheers, and great music. While 2015 was a year for the books when it came to metal in the Valley — just check out the…
The year 2015 A.D. is pretty much in the books, so its time to turn the page and start looking ahead at what’s on tap for the new year, starting with the first “can’t miss” concerts that will kick things off. And during the first weekend of 2016, that includes…
Downtown Phoenix nightlife fans, start digging up some quarters and get ready to get your game on. That’s because Cobra Arcade Bar is getting ready to open. The long-awaited and much-anticipated arts district nightspot, which will feature several dozen arcade classics and a full bar, will finally open its doors…
15) Taylor Swift Made 15,000 New Best Friends in Glendale Last Night “They say with enough repetition, even the most asinine messages start to have a ring of truth to them. Hell, that’s not even just true in government propaganda. It’s the whole basis of the radio industry — “we’ll…
While it’s impossible to pass through a minute of social media quality time this week without being reminded of the sad demise of Motörhead’s Lemmy Kilmister, it does also remind me that one band was rechristened his namesake because of some club owner’s mistake in New Times. “It was one…
