New Times and Stateside Presents Announce Viva PHX -- A One-Day Music Festival in Downtown Phoenix on March 7

Music gormandizers of Phoenix, better make sure you've got an open schedule on Friday, March 7. Oh, and a comfortable pair of walking shoes as well. Both are going to come in handy if you want to make the most of Viva PHX, a one-day music festival that New Times is staging along with the cats of Stateside Presents that will full on takeover of downtown.

Glutted with talent, it promises to be a vast musical feast of bands and performers from across the country, around Arizona, and throughout the realms of alt-folk, lo-fi, dance pop, ratchet, EDM, hip-hop, avant-garde noise, and straight up rock 'n' roll. Plus, Sir Mix-A-Lot to boot.

Needless to say, it's nothing if not diverse -- and plenty ambitious.

That's because the acts hitting up Viva PHX (more than 50 in all) will take to the stages at not one, but a 13 different venues and sites scattered throughout downtown.

And it's won't be contained to hotspots like the Crescent Ballroom (natch), Bar Smith, and Last Exit, however, as locales like Hotel San Carlos, Hard Rock Café, FilmBar, Civic Space Park, and the Arizona Latino Arts and Cultural Center will each host a portion of the lineup.

In other words, its basically 13 different shows at once, all within walking distance of each other (for the most part). It's also similar in spirit to the old New Times Music Showcases of the past -- where slews of local bands and a few big-time touring acts would invade the bars of Mill Avenue for a one-night festival -- only with much bigger lineup.

So who's playing Viva PHX (other than Mr. Baby Got Back)? Plenty of major names that are likely have rocking your playlist.

Cutesy MTV hitmakers and indie heartthrobs The Neighbourhood of "Sweater Weather" fame will headline the festival along with the laidback-pop-meets-math-rock Pinback, alternative hip-hop icons Blackalicious, lo-fi singer/songwriting pixie Nite Jewel, underground rap star Murs, glittery dream-popper Kitten, and the ever jangly PAPA.

You can also gorge yourself on such tastemakers, buzz bands, and indie faves as Painted Palms, Chicano Batman, Adam Arcuragi, Ava Luna, GRMLN, The Wild Ones, and Weyes Blood. A "who's who" of locals and Arizona-based acts also along for ride and run the musical gamut from Zero Zero and The Holy Coast to Tucson's Salvador Duran and Vox Urbana.

The full lineup is as follows:

The Neighbourhood Pinback Blackalicious Sir Mix-A-Lot Murs Nite Jewel Papa Kitten Chicano Batman In The Valley Below Salvador Duran Adam Arcuragi PigPen Theatre Co. Kan Wakan The Prowling Kind Painted Palms The Senators Avid Dancer Dry River Yacht Club Zubia Brothers Black Carl Bogan Via Vial of Sound Sidereal Ava Luna GRMLN Flamenco Por La Vida Sara Robinson and the Midnight Special The Wild Ones Big Mona Brian Marquis Wooden Indian Weyes Blood Tesoro David D'Alessio The Burning of Rome Krill Kings of Spade Vox Urbana The Holy Coast Zero Zero Tobie Milford Treasurefruit

The schedule of who's playing where will be released on February 7. In the meantime, tickets for the whole damn thing are on sale right now via Stateside. Attendees will receive a wristband upon arrival that will permit access to every venue. General admission is $12 this weekend only [UPDATE: They're already gone] $15 thereafter, and $30 for an express pass that allows "priority entry."

Stay tuned to Up on the Sun for more info in the coming weeks.

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