The only thing better than rocking out to great live metal is rocking out for a great cause. With that in mind, four upcoming metal shows are celebrating metal legends and local idols, and they should have a spot on your concert calendar.
We're talking Slash, the best of Arizona metal bands, single moms with cancer, and fallen heroes. So if you feel like hearing some great metal while contributing to a great cause (or, in some cases, just celebrating my favorite and Pantera), don't miss these shows.
Every year, venues across the country pay tribute to Pantera's Dimebag Darrell right around his birthday, August 20. This year, there are two different events, and I've gotta say: They're both looking great. The Sail Inn is hosting "Dime Fest" on August 24 to pay tribute to the guitar god. Local Pantera tribute band Cowboys N Hell (we interviewed them earlier this summer) is playing, along with fellow tribute acts Recipe for Disaster (Guns 'N Roses), Bad Reputation (Joan Jett), Kill 'Em All (Metallica), and Faceless (Godsmack.)
Cowboys N Hell is one hell of a band, and after seeing them you'll see the solid tribute they pay to Pantera.
The second DimeFest is at Joe's Grotto, also on August 24. This show features Sectas, Inner Chaos, Latency, Souless, Discordent, Twelve Gates, Bellacose, Skullcap, Cactus Chainsaw, From Athens We Fled.
Cactus Chainsaw has been one of my favorite local acts since they started out in 2009, and Joe's Grotto is a great venue for a metal show, so if you can I would recommend heading to Joe's Grotto early on, then making your way to the Sail Inn to catch Cowboys N Hell. It may be a long drive, but hey -- you'll be heading to Prescott the following day for Rock N' 2 Remember, so it won't seem so bad, right?
On August 25, Rock N' 2 Remember is a surefire way to find some solace from the desert heat. Head to Prescott to catch this benefit concert that features Slash, Storm of Perception, Razer, John Fiddler and Stella's Infirmary.
The event--at Prescott Rodeo Grounds--will raise funds for the Wildland Firefighter Foundation, Prescott Fire Fighter Charities, 100 Club of Arizona, and displaced residents of Yarnell.
After you've recovered from all that venue-hopping, start making plans for another benefit show at Joe's Grotto, put on by the local metalheads in Vex and going on in conjunction with Vex's release of the claymation video for their song "Road to Success."
But you won't just be supporting local metal--a portion of the proceeds will go to Singleton Moms, a local nonprofit dedicated to helping single parents who've been diagnosed with cancer.
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