The recent wave of new concerts being announced at metro Phoenix venues is continuing, including a pair of arena shows by country superstars Kane Brown and Eric Church. Meanwhile, the High Tide music festival at Tempe’s Big Surf has officially been canceled, and struggling blues hub Rhythm Room has launched a new crowdfunding campaign.
Read on for more details about each of these stories, as well as other recent news from the Valley’s music scene.
Rhythm Room Launches New Crowdfunding Campaign
Like that one Bernie Sanders meme, central Phoenix music venue the Rhythm Room has once again turned to the public for financial support. Last week, the long-running blues hub, which has been around since 1991, relaunched a GoFundMe campaign aimed at raising additional money to help pay for various operating costs and bills over the next few months.Last December, Rhythm Room owner Bob Corritore used a GoFundMe campaign to drum up more than $37,000 to cover its sales and property taxes, back utilities, permit costs, and a new roof. According to a Facebook post from April 8, the venue is in need of additional funds in order to get through the summer and reopen in the fall. “We could use a little bit of money just for our basic holding-on expenses,” the post stated.
So far, the campaign, which can be found here, has raised more than $2,000 for the Rhythm Room.
High Tide Festival Officially Canceled
Organizers of the High Tide Festival, a one-day outdoor concert at Tempe’s Big Surf water park, have pulled the plug on the event less than a month before it was scheduled to take place. The alternative/reggae-rock festival, which was to be headlined by the Dirty Heads and Sublime with Rome, was set for Sunday, April 25, at the park.A notice on the Facebook event page for the festival stated it was canceled, but didn’t provide any further details or refund information. It's the second year in a row that High Tide, which is promoted by L.A.-based Activated Events, has been canceled because of the pandemic.
Eric Church, Kane Brown, and Mother Mother Announce Valley Concerts
Country music stars Kane Brown and Eric Church will be headed to the Valley next year on their newly announced tours, as will rock band Mother Mother. Brown, the platinum-selling artist behind such hits as "Used to Love You Sober" and "What Ifs,” will bring his Blessed & Free Tour to Phoenix Suns Arena on Thursday, February 3. Restless Road and Chase Rice will open the 7:30 p.m. concert. Tickets went on sale this morning.Church is scheduled to visit Gila River Arena on Saturday, May 14, on his Gather Again Tour. Ticket prices and openers for the 8 p.m. concert haven’t been announced yet.
Also, Canadian indie rockers Mother Mother will be coming to The Van Buren in downtown Phoenix on Tuesday, January 11, in support of their upcoming album Inside. Tickets for the 7 p.m. gig are $25 in advance, $28 the day of the show.