Read on for more details about each of these shows or click over to Phoenix New Times’ online concert calendar for more live music from Monday, October 31, to Thursday, November 3.
King Princess
Monday, October 31The Van Buren, 401 West Van Buren Street "Face it: loving me takes patience," Mikaela Straus sings on “For My Friends,” the beguiling synth-drive single for her latest album. As King Princess, Straus sings of a body electric (her own), one that powers relationships just as much as it can shock and repel if you’re not careful. She’s a lot, but you love that about her. Signed to Mark Ronson’s album, Straus hit the ground with her debut Cheap Queen in 2019. The title song mixes confessional singer-songwriting with a hip-hop flavored beat and swagger, Straus sweetly boasting “I’m a real queen/I can make grown men cry” on the chorus while painting a vivid portrait of being high on herself and stuck in a rut in the verses. This year’s follow-up Hold On Baby finds her steely confidence intact but there’s a newfound solemnity to her music. Trading in the soulfulness of her debut for a more indie-rock accented sound, Straus flashes her teeth as she barks come-ons and fuck-offs over Strokes-style guitar riffs. Just like on Cheap Queen it feels like watching someone put on a suit that doesn’t quite fit them, but what makes the music interesting is the distance between Straus’ hip queen persona and the sounds she’s playing with this time. With Em Beihold and Astrud Aurelia; 8 p.m., $35 via livenation.com. Ashley Naftule
Jeff Beck and Johnny Depp
Tuesday, November 1Celebrity Theatre, 440 North 32nd Street A chance to see virtuoso axman Jeff Beck live is always a draw, considering he’s achieved guitar god status after shaping British Invasion-era psychedelic rock with the Yardbirds and collaborated with iconic musicians ranging from Eric Clapton to P!nk. Add in actor-turned-musician/vocalist Johnny Depp into the mix and the gig becomes a “can’t miss” show. It shouldn’t come as a surprise the duo’s tour in support of their collaborative album, 18, is selling out dates across North America, including their stop in Phoenix this week (you can still score tickets through resellers, though). The release, which dropped in July and hit No. 10 on Billboard’s Top Albums and Top Current Albums charts, offers 13 tunes in the classic rock vein, including two written by Depp (“Sad Motherfuckin' Parade” and "This Is a Song for Miss Hedy Lamarr") and covers of Killing Joke, Marvin Gaye, The Velvet Underground, and others. Expect to hear Beck’s expert riffs when they perform most of 18’s tracks being performed during the show, as well as a few of his hits (including “Freeway Jam,” “Star Cycle,” and “Big Block”). 7:30 p.m. Benjamin Leatherman
Gogol Bordello (singer/guitarist Eugene Hütz in center) takes over Tempe on Tuesday night at the Marquee Theater.
Sanjay Suchak
Gogol Bordello
Tuesday, November 1Marquee Theatre, 730 North Mill Avenue, Tempe Formed in 1999, Gogol Bordello is a creative vehicle for one of the most interesting and entertaining frontmen in underground music today. Eugene Hütz was born in Boyarka, Ukraine, and the singer, guitarist, DJ, actor, and snappy dresser came to the U.S. in 1992 and settled with his family in Burlington, Vermont, after years of political persecution. In Ukraine, Hütz remembers listening to bands like GBH, One Way System, and Exploited, but became aware of NYC hardcore bands like Agnostic Front, Madball, and Murphy’s Law after moving to America. When you listen to Gogol Bordello’s music, the influence of the heavier New York hardcore-style bands might not immediately jump out at the average listener, but it is clearly there rubbing shoulders with the Romani influences Hütz and his myriad bandmates have brought to the table. In the 23 years Gogol Bordello has been a band, they’ve released nine studio albums, an EP, and been on multiple compilations. Their latest release, Solidaritine, dropped in September and is a rollicking good time filled with protest songs, exciting guest appearances, and Gogol Bordello’s signature sound. Expect to hear a healthy number of songs from the album when the band hits the Tempe’s Marquee Theater in Tempe. With Crazy and the Brains, 8 p.m., $32.50-$65 via ticketweb.com. Tom Reardon
SoCal Punk Invasion feat. Black Flag and T.S.O.L.
Tuesday, November 1Nile Theater, 105 West Main Street, MesaJust because it isn’t summer anymore doesn’t mean you can’t indulge in nostalgia-fueled tour like this one, which features four seminal Southern California punk rock bands. Topping the bill is the iconic Black Flag, although they’re far removed from their glory days of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s with Greg Ginn being the only member of the OG lineup still with the band. Next is T.S.O.L. (a.k.a. True Sounds of Liberty), who are best known for the songs “Superficial Love,” “Code Blue,” and “Abolish Government/Silent Majority.” Rounding out the big are The Dickies (“Banana Splits,” “Paranoid”) and hardcore punkers Total Chaos (“Riot City,” “Police Rat”). 5:30 p.m., $37 via ticketweb.com. Benjamin Leatherman
Mother Mother
Tuesday, November 1Arizona Financial Theatre, 400 West Washington Street
It's not often one hears a musician proclaim he wants to start a "vocal-driven pop band," but such was the case with Mother Mother guitarist/frontman Ryan Guldemond. But why aim for such commonplace pop fare? Because this is the kind of music the generally unaware music populace loves — it doesn't require any thought to subconsciously tap one's foot or nod one's head — and they buy a lot of it. The Canadian band, which also includes vocalists/keyboardists Molly Guldemond and Jasmin Parkin, received a jump start to success when New Pornographers producer Howard Redekopp signed on to work his pop magic. So for Mother Mother, the concept has worked well enough, signified by the release of eight albums, nominations for assorted awards (mostly Canadian), and a song, "Bright Ideas," being featured in a series of Kraft food commercials. Might not be the path to legendary status, but it's good work if you can get it. With Vundabar and Transviolet; 7:30 p.m., $28.75-$200 via livenation.com. Glenn BurnSilver
Marc Rebillet
Wednesday, November 2Marquee Theatre, 730 North Mill Avenue, Tempe Snagging a setlist after a show is a time-honored tradition for certain fans. That crinkled paper with a bunch of songs written on it doesn’t look like much but for the lucky fan who gets their hands on it’s both a trophy and keepsake of an evening they’ll treasure. Good luck getting a setlist from a Marc Rebillet show. While the electronic musician has released a string of albums (many of them bearing the title Loop Daddy), his live modus operandi isn’t playing the hits. You can expect the unexpected at a Marc Rebillet show because the loopmaster himself isn’t a 100 percent sure what he’s going to do onstage that night. Building his music out of layers of loops, Rebillet is a big fan of musical improvisation. He built up a devoted following online through a combination of comedic stunts and pranks (including uploading a “lost Sufjan Stevens album” he “found in a dumpster”) and by doing loop jam sessions on YoutTube and Twitch, where he’d create songs in real time based on fan requests. He carries that you-call-the-shots ethos to his live shows, where he comes up with songs on the fly from the audience. Mixing comedy with funk, soul, hip-hop, and electronic dance music, a Rebillet show is half dance party, half longform improv show. You’ll just have to make up your own setlist at the end of the night to commemorate it. With Pink Siifu; 7 p.m., $55 via ticketweb.com. Ashley Naftule
Death From Above 1979
Thursday, November 3Crescent Ballroom, 308 North Second Avenue “Indie sleaze” has been making a splash as a style trend over the last few years. Nostalgia for the early 2000s and the edgelord glory days of Vice Magazine when hipsters still wore trucker hats is on the rise. Perhaps no better musical avatar for indie sleaze exists than Canada’s premier dirtbags Death From Above 1979, the bass-and-drums duo of Jesse Keeler and Sebastien Grainger. Their debut album, 2004’s You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine, remains a high water mark for horny, ugly, and irresistible rock music. While the pair have broken up, reformed, and released other albums since You’re a Woman, nothing they’ve done has quite penetrated the zeitgeist to the degree that album did. It’s a scuzzy, coke-addled masterpiece. Songs like “Romantic Rights” and “Going Steady” overwhelm with a combination of noisy, aggressive sonics and catchy dance rhythms. It’s music that pummels you and makes you want to shake your ass at the same time. It’s lighting-in-a-cheap-domestic-beer-bottle that the band hasn’t been able to recapture since. But when you tap into something this potent, you only need to stick the landing once. With The OBGMs; 8 p.m., $25-$40 via seetickets.us. Ashley Naftule
