Hip-hop shows will be in the mix the next few nights in metro Phoenix, including gigs by Project Pat and Shaggy 2 Dope of the Insane Clown Posse. Rap-rock act Kottonmouth Kings will also be in town and the first-ever Arizona Roots Festival at Rawhide on Saturday and Sunday will feature names like Atmosphere and J Boog. The folks behind the Blunt Club will also celebrate the life and legacy of the late J Dilla on Friday night at Crescent Ballroom.
Other notable concerts this weekend include performances by Holy Fawn, Tommy James and the Shondells, and Cafe Jaleo.
Details about each of these gigs can be found below in our list of the best shows happening in the Valley this weekend. And for even more live music happening around the Valley, hit up Phoenix New Times' online concert calendar.
Beats, Rhymes & Donuts
Friday, February 8
Crescent Ballroom
When it comes to influential hip-hop artists, J Dilla ranks up there as one of the biggest. So much so that fans of the late record producer and rapper are still
The celebration has been dubbed Beats, Rhymes & Donuts (a reference to his third album, Donuts) and will feature sets by a slew of hip-hop artists, including Elzhi, Bronze Nazareth, Marley Bertrand, Cash Lansky Writers Guild. Rockness Monster (a.k.a. Rock) of
Kottonmouth Kings
Friday, February 8
Marquee Theatre in Tempe
For 22 years, the Kottonmouth Kings have been grinding out albums deeply smitten with weed. You don't need to go parsing the band's lyrics in "Proud to Be a Stoner," "Pack Ur Bowls," and "Roll It Up" to detect the obsession. Hell, you don't even need those song names when you consider album titles like Rollin' Stoned, Joint Venture, and 2012's Mile High. The outfit hit their mainstream peak in the early 2000s when rap-rock dominated the world (the Kings' core hip-hop sound is greatly influenced by alt-rock and reggae), but Kottonmouth Kings still boast a loyal fan base and consistently tour and record. The band's discography is increasingly sprawling – more than two dozen albums, including the 2018 compilation, The Harvest.
Much like the Beastie Boys, Kottonmouth Kings' sound sprouted from hardcore punk roots and fused its stylings, energy, and verve with hip-hop. And ever since the Kings debuted as a band in 1996, it's been focused on weed, with that lyrical theme popping up in band's 1998 first album, Royal Highness, and the
Emo Prom
Friday, February 8
The Rebel Lounge
If ever there was a holiday conducive to the emotionally wrought nature of emo music, it’s Valentine’s Day. So DJ duo Daylight Heist (the dudes behind the monthly Emo Night PHX) earn a few genius
Holy Fawn
Saturday, February 9
The Rebel Lounge
Holy Fawn have only been around for a few years, but in that short span of time between 2015 and 2018 they’ve managed to put out two stunning albums and made a name for themselves outside Arizona. Their latest LP, 2018’s Death Spells, has landed on several year-end best of lists from publications like Stereogum. They’ve also drawn the attention of labels like Deathwish and the U.K.’s Holy Roar, who are both
Project Pat
Saturday, February 9
Club Red in Mesa
As the older brother of Juicy J and an unofficial member of the Tennessee rap group Three 6 Mafia, Project Pat has been steadily releasing mixtapes and albums since the early aughts on Hypnotize Minds and his own label Project Records. Along with DJ Paul and other Southern rappers and producers, Project Pat helped craft the sound and characteristics of
Destructo
Saturday, February 9
Shady Park in Tempe
Destructo (a.k.a. Gary Richards) is the electro-house chief in charge of Hard Events, the good people behind Holy Ship!!! and the Hard Miami parties during Winter Music Conference and Miami Music Week. But Richards is more than just a promoter. He's been DJing and producing his own killer tracks since the early '90s. And this Saturday, he'll be showing off those skills at Shady Park in Tempe.
Destructo knows how to put together a tight
"People want to hear new shit, but they're just not getting it," he said. "I think a lot of times, the promoters just serve up the same-old same-old because it's easy or they just think, 'Oh, that guy can sell tickets,'” he says. “I'm always trying to challenge people and get them to hear new things and bring new things to the table." Kat Bein
Tommy James and the Shondells
Saturday, February 9
Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale
At the end of the '60s, Tommy James' stock was on the rise. Early entries like "I Think We're Alone Now" and "Mony Mony" helped assure the Shondells their Top 40 appeal, but "Crimson and Clover" and "Crystal Blue Persuasion" found them fusing their commercial instincts with headier aspirations and studio innovation. This weekend, James and the current version of the Shondells (which includes John Golden, Bobby Guy, Glenn Wyka, Greg Smith, Mike DiMeo
Arizona Roots Festival
Saturday, February 9, and Sunday, February 10
Rawhide Western Town in Chandler
Love reggae, rock, dub, rocksteady, or any combination of these genres? You’ll likely dig this two-day music festival on Rawhide’s Riverwalk with performances from more than 20 local and touring bands and artists of the reggae-rock/roots reggae variety, as well as a few prominent rappers.
The lineup on Saturday, February 9, will include sets from Rebelution, Atmosphere, J Boog, Trevor Hall, Mike Love, Katchafire, Clint Stevens, Tha 'Yoties, and Rilen' Out. On Sunday, February 10, there will be performances by Stick Figure, Dispatch, Collie Buddz, The Movement, Iya Terra, Xiuhtezcatl,
Cafe Jaleo
Sunday, February 10
Crescent Ballroom
There aren’t many opportunities or places to hear cumbia live in Phoenix. While the genre may have traveled from Colombia to many parts of the world, the practice of live cumbia never became solidified here in the Valley. That’s a shame because it’s perhaps the most inviting sound in the world to dance to. The tempo is never so fast that you’re afraid of twisting up your spaghetti legs, and the percussion practically guides your feet. When Cafe Jaleo takes the stage at Crescent Ballroom, you’ll finally understand what that ballroom is for. Julian Hernandez
Shaggy 2 Dope
Sunday, February 10
Club Red in Mesa
In 1997, when a heavy, rock-influenced sound and record label meddling gave Insane Clown Posse their first brush with the mainstream, it was hard to imagine Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope remaining relevant in 2003, let alone 2019. That's because none of us were taking the Juggalos into account. In the 27 years since the release of their first album, 1992’s Carnival of Carnage, ICP has watched as a devoted fanbase morphed into a closely knit culture and a lifestyle all its own. Local Juggalos are likely to be in abundance when Shaggy 2 Dope’s current solo tour comes to Club Red in Mesa on Sunday. Ouija Macc will open. Doors are at 7 p.m. and tickets are $20-$25. Dan Moore
