Given all the great concerts happening over the weeks and months ahead, it’s a good idea.
Other highlights of this week’s concert list include ska pioneers The Skatalites, soul/jazz singer Kandace Springs, and enigmatic goth-punk band Pyg. Details about each of these events can be found below. For even more live music happening around the Valley, check out Phoenix New Times' online concert calendar.
Cold War Kids at The Van Buren
Nathan Willett has made a living penning honest, heartfelt rock and roll. “I’m not that macho, tough kinda’ man,” he admits on “Waiting For Your Love,” one of his band’s singles from 2019. A decade and a half removed from their debut, Cold War Kids have evolved from blues-inspired rockers into polished indie darlings, complete with soaring choruses and arena-ready anthems – much to the chagrin of their original fanbase. On tour in support of their soon-to-be-released ninth studio album, New Age Norms 3, Cold War Kids visit The Van Buren, 401 West Van Buren Street, on Monday, September 20. Indie folk singer-songwriter Gabe Goodman opens the 8 p.m. show. Admission is $30. Matthew KeeverAnti-Flag at The Rebel Lounge
Formed in 1988 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Anti-Flag has never minced words in its denouncement of war, generally, the imperial ambitions of its home country, specifically, and the usual social ills that are perpetually neglected by the power elite of the United States. But Anti-Flag delivers that message with an upbeat tunefulness that doesn't sugarcoat the message, so much as make it accessible. It could be claimed the band can get polemical and that that undermines its impact, but there's no doubt these guys, by the sheer momentum of their longevity and ability to write good songs to go along with the lyrics, have changed the thinking of at least one section of America's youth, and that has to count for something. Their current tour comes to The Rebel Lounge, 2303 East Indian School Road on Thursday, September 23. Dog Party, Grumpster, and Oxymorrons open and the concert is at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Tom MurphyThe Black Dahlia Murder at The Nile Theater
Detroit's Black Dahlia Murder first burst onto the metal world's radar in 2001 with their attention-grabbing demo, What a Horrible Night to Have a Curse, followed by a four-track EP, A Cold-Blooded Epitaph, a year later. In 2003, the melodic death-metal band released a hell of a full-length debut with Unhallowed, and its blend of death-metal speed and crunch with black-metal screeching was unnervingly powerful. Since then, Black Dahlia's put out nine different LPs, including last year’s Verminous. They're also a kick-ass live act and are currently alongside fellow death metal bands After the Burial, Carnifex, Rivers of Nihil, and Undeath. They’ll unleash terror at The Nile Theater, 105 West Main Street in Mesa, starting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, September 22. Tickets are $25. Phil FreemanKandace Springs at Musical Instrument Museum
It’s hard to imagine what jazz vocalist Kandace Springs’ debut full-length album, Soul Eyes, would have resembled if Prince hadn’t intervened. The Purple One saw the soulful singer cover Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me” and was smitten with her undeniable talent. He invited her to perform at his Minneapolis production complex for the 30th anniversary of Purple Rain. Springs was already working with some accomplished pop producers, but Prince suggested that she stay true to herself. She took the advice and ran with it.Turns out, Prince was right. Released in 2016, Springs’ Blue Note debut, Soul Eyes, captures the singer’s genuine talent and passion for her craft. The title track (a cover of the Mal Waldron standard) sends chills down the spine, pairing her rich and intense vocals with the trumpet of Terence Blanchard. Catch her in concert at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, September 22, at the Musical Instrument Museum, 4725 East Mayo Boulevard. Tickets are $38.50-$49.50. Jason Keil