Read on for more details about each of these acts and their various shows. And for more live music happening around town from Monday, February 20, through Thursday, February 23, visit Phoenix New Times’ concert calendar.
The Frights
Monday, February 20Crescent Ballroom, 308 North Central AvenueSurf punk dates back to the late ’70s and early ’80s, when acts like Agent Orange (who famously covered Dick Dale’s “Miserlou”) helped pioneer the hybrid genre. These days, bands like San Diego’s The Frights are popularizing the sound, which blends surf’s reverb-heavy guitars and fuzz with punk attitude and furious chords. The foursome — which includes Mikey Carnevale (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Richard Dotson (bass guitar, backing vocals), Marc Finn (drums), and Jordan Clark (lead guitar, backing vocals) — add elements of doo-wop, indie rock, and garage into the mix, creating an aggressive sound on their first few albums, such as the 2013 EP Dead Beach and 2016 full-length You Are Going to Hate This. In 2018, The Frights flipped the script on their third studio album Hypochondriac (released on Epitaph) diving head first into more personal songs about such issues as relationships and mental health. They haven’t released a new album since 2020’s Everything Seems Like Yesterday but are back out on the road. With Pleasure Cult and Lovervoid; 8 p.m., $25/$30 via seetickets.us. Benjamin Leatherman
Kurt Travis
Tuesday, February 21The Underground, 105 West Main Street, MesaThink you’ve got a lot on your plate? Probably not as much as singer, musician, and songwriter Kurt Travis, who not only plays with post-hardcore bands Royal Coda and Push Over, as well as math rock duo Gold Necklace, he also operates his own indie label (Esque Records) and a merch company (Big Wave Industries). The Valley native also started releasing solo albums more than a decade ago (back when he was involved with A Lot Like Birds and Dance Gavin Dance), starting with the Wha Happen? EP in 2012. He’s had five more releases since then (including his most recent solo record, 2019’s There's A Place I Want To Take You, and Fun & Games, a 2021 collaborative EP with Zachary Garren). Travis’ solo efforts, which fall mainly in the realms of indie pop, emo, and post-hardcore, have been lauded by critics, who have praised his songwriting as “dreamy” and “captivating.” With Amarionette, Predisposed, Giveaway, and Commiserate; 6 p.m., $18 via simpletix.com. Benjamin Leatherman
Quasi
Wednesday, February 22The Rebel Lounge, 2303 East Indian School RoadPortland, Oregon's Quasi writes the most killer, tightly wound, punk-ish indie pop around these days. With the recent release of their first record in a decade, Breaking the Balls of History, the two-piece band furthers their stellar reputation with 12 tracks of fuzzy fun. Drummer Janet Weiss and bandmate, Sam Coomes (vocals, guitar, rocksichord, bass), have been through the rock 'n' roll wars in Quasi and as members both individually and together of a who’s-who of indie bands including Sleater-Kinney, Heatmiser, Wild Flag, and The Jicks. The band’s new record, Breaking the Balls of History, is something of a stripped-down record in terms of sound for Quasi, who in the past have used a wide array of often-overlooked instruments like the vibraphone, accordion, and harp. It's also one heck of an album that both new and longtime Quasi fans will enjoy for the layers of punk, fuzz, and pop in its songs. With Yuvees; 8 p.m., $18/$20 via seetickets.us. Tom Reardon
¿Téo?
Wednesday, February 22Valley Bar, 130 North Central Avenue¿Téo? stands at an intersection of styles. The Colombian artist’s Latin roots can be clearly heard in his beats and production style and in his rich, husky balladeering. The kid who grew up listening to Ricardo Arjona with his mom is plainly evident in these songs. But so is the guy who got turned onto Eminem and Lil Wayne in his youth. ¿Téo? raps with as much aplomb as he sings, shifting vocal styles in mid-song to keep things unpredictable and enticing. He’s also fond of switching it up linguistically, seamlessly hopping from Spanish to English and back again in the middle of songs. Some people chafe at living in two different worlds but ¿Téo? revels in having one foot planted in hip-hop and the other in traditional Latin music. ¿Téo? sounds like he's ready to level up on recent singles like "In the Essence” and “What’s On UR Mind.” The music is both more accessible and experimental, with ¿Téo? singing over soundscapes that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Blood Orange album. With Maesu; 8 p.m., tickets are available on the secondary market. Ashley Naftule
Black Jacket Symphony
Wednesday, February 22The Van Buren, 401 West Van Buren StreetThis group of touring virtuoso musicians are dedicated to applying that kind of symphony mindset to the classic rock canon, painstakingly recreating classic albums live in their entirety. Note for note, sound for sound, as true to the original vibes and instrumentation as possible. For more than 13 years, they’ve applied their sonic necromancy to classic albums by Prince, The Allman Brothers, Michael Jackson, and Pearl Jam. Their current tour is devoted to an album that has brought together generations of listeners: Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours. If you ever wanted to hear songs from the landmark 1977 album performed live — including "Second Hand News," "You Make Loving Fun," "Gold Dust Woman," and (of course) "Go Your Own Way" — this is the next best thing to waiting for Mick Fleetwood and company to tour again. 8 p.m., $25.50-$30.50 via livenation.com. Ashley Naftule
Nessa Barrett
Wednesday, February 22, and Thursday, February 23Crescent Ballroom, 308 North Central Avenue“I’m petty as fuck,” Nessa Barrett sings on “I hope ur miserable until ur dead.” It’s an anthem for the haters of the world, propelled by crunchy ’90s rock guitars and Barrett’s sweet/snide vocals. As someone who’s been very vocal about her mental health issues and tumultuous upbringing, it’s no surprise that Barrett has fully embraced “hot mess” as both a lyrical and sonic guiding principle. There are no small feelings in Barrett’s songs. She doesn’t just say I love, she sings “I hope I die first cause I don’t wanna live without you.” Citing influences as varied as the Arctic Monkeys and Lana Del Rey, Barrett found her way into pop music through TikTok. Her videos drew big enough followings to land her a major label contract. With one EP and one album (2022’s Young Forever) under her belt, Barrett has turned herself into a songbird for the “I’m Not Ok” set, a diva for the depressed. With Isabel LaRosa; 8 p.m., tickets are available on the secondary market. Ashley Naftule
