Best Phoenix Concerts This Weekend: Deftones, UFest, Deadbeats Arizona

Watchu got going on this weekend? If you’re in the mood for a show, there's no shortage of great concerts and music events happening from Friday, April 22, to Sunday, April 24, in metro Phoenix.

Highlights include an electronic dance music festival (Deadbeats Arizona 2022) and KUPD’s annual UFest. Other notable music events this weekend include a DJ set by Stones Throw Records founder Peanut Butter Wolf, as well as gigs by reggae artist Collie Buddz, veteran indie rock band Built to Spill, and alt-metal band Deftones.

Details about each of these shows can be found below. And for even more concerts happening throughout the Valley, visit Phoenix New Times’ online music listings.

Boston Manor

Friday, April 22
The Rebel Lounge, 2303 East Indian School Road

Formed in 2013, Boston Manor quickly became a beloved act for aging emo kids. The British quintet burst onto the scene with Be Nothing., which boasted an accessible pop-punk sound that has since been dwarfed by a much heavier, angrier motif. On tour in support of their third studio album GLUE, Boston Manor visits the Rebel Lounge this weekend with support from Trash Boat, Higher Power, and Anxious. Doors are at 6:30 p.m. and tickets are $23. Matthew Keever

Electric Six

Friday, April 22
The Rhythm Room, 1019 East Indian School Road

Do you like to dance? Seriously, do you really want to just absolutely let go on the dance floor to the sounds of hard rock, glam metal, surf, and who-knows-what? Well, then get ready for a hot and sweaty night with Electric Six at the Rhythm Room on Friday. Over the course of about 20 years and just as many albums, Electric Six has kept the energy going with songs about fast food, fire, sex, dancing, and masculinity (with tongue planted firmly in cheek). The band has claimed that most Electric Six songs are really about nothing, and honestly, we will grant them that. Lyrically, there isn't a whole lot to read into but there is much with which to laugh along. What makes Electric Six a band worth seeing is the absolute spectacle of it all. This is a band that wants each and every single member of their audience up, dancing and having the best of all possible times. Doors are at 7 p.m. and Volk opens. Admission is $20. David Fletcher

Deadbeats Arizona 2022

Friday, April 22
Phoenix Raceway, 7602 Jimmie Johnson Drive, Avondale

Genreless music formed by heart-stopping beat drops and deep bass repetitions is the name of the game for electronic music group Zeds Dead. Since debuting in 2009, the duo of Dylan Mamid and Zachary Rapp-Rovan has been bringing electrifying dance anthems to the masses. This month, they’ll do it at Deadbeats Arizona, an electronic dance music event at Phoenix Raceway in Avondale on Friday night. NGHTMRE, Dimension, Dion Timmer, Rossy, and other DJs will perform at the annual event, which is returning after a two-year absence due to the pandemic. Gates open at 7 p.m. and tickets are $55 to $125. Megan Marples

Built to Spill

Friday, April 22
Crescent Ballroom, 308 North Second Avenue

Formed in 1992, Built to Spill have lasted long enough to become one of indie rock’s most esteemed elder statesmen, with the kind of broad appeal that netted the Idaho band invitations to play events like Coachella and San Francisco’s Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, as well as the kind of respect from their peers. Balancing Doug Martsch’s thickety, Neil Youngian guitar jams with nakedly emotional songwriting, Built to Spill consistently displays a kind of stylistic diversity. They’ve kept on keepin’ on over the past 30 years and are gearing up to release their tenth studio album, When The Wind Forgets Your Name, later this year. Built to Spill is set to perform at the Crescent Ballroom on Friday night with support from Prism Bitch and Itchy Kitty. The concert is at 8 p.m. and admission is $30. Chris Gray

Bernadette Peters

Saturday, April 23
Highlands Church, 9050 East Pinnacle Peak Road, Scottsdale

There are about a zillion reasons you should go see Bernadette Peters when she’s in town for a performance at the Highlands Church in Scottsdale this weekend as part of the Arizona MusicFest. The 74-year-old actress, singer, and musical theater veteran is a living legend: a classic, ageless beauty and an enduring tour de force who can belt it out on Broadway (especially if it’s Sondheim) and steal every scene she graces on the big or small screen. Don’t miss this opportunity to see this renowned, engaging, and one-of-a-kind performer do her thing. Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. performance and $49 to $100. Jennifer Davis-Lamm

Collie Buddz

Saturday, April 23
Marquee Theatre, 730 North Mill Avenue, Tempe

It's easy to look at Collie Buddz (or even just hear his name) and dismiss him as a joke or at least a novelty. He's a white guy singing reggae, and he's using the last name of Buddz rather than his given Harper. People who dismiss him out of hand, though, are truly missing something special. Collie Buddz was born in New Orleans and raised in Bermuda, and his skills and passion for reggae really shine through on any of the five albums he’s released since his debut back in 2006. Collie is playing Tempe’s Marquee Theater this weekend, so reggae/dancehall/soca fans should consider dropping the $23 to attend the show, which starts at 8 p.m. Dead Poet Society opens. Brett Gillin

Deftones

Saturday, April 23
Arizona Federal Theatre, 400 West Washington Street

At its best, Deftones’ take on alt-metal is lush, heady, and seemingly always on the verge of collapse. At its worst, the band’s music hovers somewhere between nu-metal and something even more innocuous. Wherever your opinion falls between these two extremes, you have to admit Deftones has survived longer than most bands from its era. Formed in 1988 by vocalist/guitarist Chino Moreno, lead guitarist Stephen Carpenter, drummer Abe Cunningham, and bassist Dominic Garcia, they’ve put out nine studio albums since then, including 2020’s Ohms. The 10-song release not only topped Billboard’s Top Hard Rock Albums chart and was nominated for two Grammy Awards, but it was also critically beloved and appeared on several year-end “best” lists. It’s another feather in the cap of a legendary act with plenty of energy left to burn. Deftones are set to perform at Arizona Federal Theatre on Saturday night with opening sets by Gojira and Poppy. Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. show are $39.50 to $69.50. Jonathan Patrick and Benjamin Leatherman

Rosie Flores and the Talismen

Saturday, April 23
The Rhythm Room, 1019 East Indian School Road

Rosie Flores is making a stop in our fair city this weekend, bringing her brand of hardcore honky-tonk and rockabilly to the Rhythm Room along with her current backing band the Talismen. She’s been a fixture of the Texas music scene for decades, earning accolades in whatever city she decided to call home. Folks with good memories will recall Flores' stint in the country-punk outfit Screamin' Sirens way back in the '80s. Since then, she's barely mellowed a bit. Often called a female version of Dwight Yoakam, she released a double-sided single with the Talismen last year featuring country-fried covers of the Everly Brothers’ “So Sad” and “I’ve Got a Right to Cry” via Mule Kick Records. Fans of no-frills country will not find a better excuse to venture out on a Saturday night than this show, which starts at 8 p.m. Local rockabilly band Pat Roberts and the Heymakers open the 8 p.m. show. Tickets are $20. Darryl Smyers

Peanut Butter Wolf

Saturday, April 23
Thunderbird Lounge, 710 West Montecito Avenue

Hard to believe it, but Stones Throw Records has been around for 26 years. The Los Angeles independent record label is known for putting out classic records from producers like Madlib, the late MF DOOM, and other hip-hop legends. Peanut Butter Wolf, the DJ and producer who also founded the label, will visit the Valley this weekend to headline the third-anniversary party of Thunderbird Lounge on Saturday. He’ll perform a two-and-a-half-hour DJ set spinning nothing but funk, soul, disco, and hip-hop on vinyl. DJ Gila Man will open. The party starts at 8 p.m. and admission is free. Jeff Gage

UFest 2022

Sunday, April 24
Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 North 83rd Avenue

Local rockers can always count on KUPD to send out the spring with UFest, coaxing thousands to spend one of the last few tolerable days in the sun before temps hit triple digits. This year, the high-energy festival's lineup is packed with such hard-hitting (and frequently played) bands from the realms of metal, punk, and hard rock, including Rise Against, Coheed and Cambria, Pennywise, Highly Suspect, and Atreyu. The rest of the lineup features Ded, Plush, and Dropout Kings. The varied lineup speaks to the changing and evolving state of hard rock music — it's not just for the angry mooks anymore. Which isn't to say things won't get plenty wild during the festival, which takes over Ak-Chin Pavilion on Sunday. Just make sure to bring your black T-shirt and sunscreen. Gates are at 2 p.m. and tickets start at $32.50. Lauren Wise

Alex Lahey

Sunday, April 24
Valley Bar, 130 North Central Avenue

Australian singer-songwriter Alex Lahey is making waves with her slacker indie rock riffs and pointedly honest lyrics about the ins and outs of daily life as a twenty-something. She's out touring behind the 2020 EP Between the Kitchen and the Living Room, which Lahey recorded at her mother’s house during the pandemic and features re-imagined versions of five of her previously released songs. Lahey is scheduled to perform at Valley Bar on Sunday. Good Boy Daisy and Diva Bleach open the 7:30 p.m. show. Tickets are $16. Jeff Strowe