Read on for more details about these shows or click over to Phoenix New Times’ concert listings for even more live music in the Valley from Monday, October 10, to Thursday, October 13.
The War on Drugs
Monday, October 10The Van Buren, 401 West Van Buren StreetThe actual war on drugs has been a national disgrace since Nixon coined the term in 1971, months after the president met a visibly high Elvis in the White House. As a band, The War on Drugs have had an altogether more positive effect on the national spirit. They’re tapping into a vein of heartland rock that Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp mined so deeply in the ’80s: deeply sincere lyrics, traditional instruments in lock-step with synths, weary masculine voices, and a wide-open sense of space in the production. But what makes the band sound so modern is how they mix in shoegaze guitars and krautrock motorik rhythms into songs that expand and recede like the shore. Fronted by Adam Granduciel, the Philadelphia band has grown rapidly to become the heirs apparent to Wilco’s dad-rock throne. Their latest album, 2021’s I Don’t Live Here Anymore, builds on the promise of their early work. Meditative and engaging, it’s the perfect record to get lost in while driving for hours on the highway. With Adam Miller and Inner Magic; 8 p.m., $39.50/$45 via ticketmaster.com. Ashley Naftule
The Black Keys
Monday, October 10Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 North 83rd AvenueBack in the distant, ancient pre-pandemic years Sun Kil Moon singer/career misanthrope Mark Kozelek sparked a beef with The War on Drugs by calling their music "beer-commercial guitar shit." Few bands more aptly fit that description than Akron, Ohio, blues-rock duo The Black Keys. Whether you consider that to be an insult or not depends on your tolerance for their reverent blues-inflected garage licks and dads-cutting-loose-in-Vegas swagger. The Black Keys emerged around the same time as The White Stripes, drawing similar inspiration from Flat Duo Jets and other garage-rock revivalists. But whereas the Stripes were kinda arty and twee (Beat Happening is as much a part of the band’s DNA as the Mississippi Delta), The Black Keys made their bread by being unpretentious dude rockers who just wanna boogie. Pat Carney bangs the drums with metronomic precision while Dan Auerbach shreds and wails like he’s auditioning to front a Sonics cover band. The Black Keys make music that makes you want to pound brews, drive fast, get divorced, and alienate your co-workers with your sudden Blind Lemon Jefferson fandom. With Band of Horses and The Velveteers; 7 p.m., $34.50-$169.50 via livenation.com. Ashley Naftule
Karol G
Tuesday, October 11Footprint Center, 201 East Jefferson StreetColombian-born pop/reggaeton star Karol G is in the midst of her blockbuster $trip Love arena tour, which is powered by her award-winning 2021 album KG0516. She’s been selling out venues across the country, including her gig this week at Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix (don’t worry, you can still score tickets through resellers), and the tour qualifies as her biggest to date. All that said, her media coverage lately has been focusing on her on-again/off-again relationship with Puerto Rican rapper Anuel AA. It’s kind of a shame, considering Karol G. is a groundbreaking artist with an astounding voice who earned the shared honor of having the first song by two female artists to debut at number one on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs in 2019 when “Tusa,” her collaborative track with Nicky Minaj topped the charts. It’s on Karol G’s current tour setlist along with her hits "Mi Cama," "Secreto," and "Créeme.” With Agudelo888; 8 p.m. Benjamin Leatherman
Dusk Music Festival's Phoenix Battle of the Bands
Wednesday, October 12Valley Bar, 130 North Central AvenueNovember’s Dusk Music Festival will take place down in Tucson, but its promoters are drawing upon musical talents from around Arizona. Case in point: Battle of the bands competitions will be held in our state’s three biggest cities (Phoenix, Flagstaff, and Tucson) over the next couple weeks, each offering the prize of a performance slot at the festival. The Valley’s battle is scheduled to occur on Wednesday evening at Valley Bar and will feature local indie faves Bummer Girl, Gnarwhal Jrz, Paper Foxes, New Royals, and Barefoot attempting to rock their way to victory. Which band will experience the thrill of victory while the others taste bitter defeat? You’ll have to stop by to find out. 8 p.m., $10/$12 via seetickets.us. Benjamin Leatherman
Bit Brigade
Wednesday, October 12The Rebel Lounge, 2303 East Indian School RoadThe shtick for rock act Bit Brigade is as straightforward and geeky as a game of Rush’n Attack: Its musicians — many of whom are also members of math-rock band Cinemechanica — perform live versions of the soundtracks of old-school Nintendo Entertainment System games while one of their friends does a speedrun through of the classic title that’s projected onto a large screen. Bit Brigade, which was originally known as Contraband or Castlebandia, has been around since the mid-2000s and has played numerous cons and club gigs, proving to be a hit with both nerds and gamers alike. Their music resides in the harder edge of rock and includes riffs more killer than Mega Man 2’s metal blades. With Snailmate; 8 p.m., $16/$18 via seetickets.us. Benjamin Leatherman
Dehd
Thursday, October 13Valley Bar, 130 North Central AvenueHailing from Chicago, Dehd sound like refugees from New Zealand's Flying Nun scene. Spindly guitars, tambourines, small-p psychedelia, winsome vocals: pull a reverse Demolition Man and send Dehd back in time to the heyday of bands like The Clean, The Chills, and Tall Dwarfs and they wouldn’t sound out of place. Like those New Zealand bands, Dehd have an intimate sound that invites the close listening of an eavesdropper. They sound like a group making music for themselves. All three members sing in Dehd, but Emily Kempf's vocals make the strongest impression. She has that your-friend’s-cool-sister energy that The Breeders’ Kim Deal has in spades. On songs like “Bop” and “Empty In My Mind” Kempf’s laconic charm takes what could be pretty straightforward low-energy indie rock and gives them a sharper edge. Dehd are a stew of familiar elements (post-punk, lo-fi pop, girl group, even a bit of surf) but Kempf’s voice and stage presence is that extra bit of seasoning that gives Dehd its unique flavor. 8 p.m., $25/$28 via seetickets.us. Ashley Naftule
