Shurman - Last Exit Live - Friday, December 20

If you haven't seen Shurman before, it's hard to entice you by saying this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience; the Texas natives tour relentlessly, and they've been to Phoenix at least once already this year and last. Lead singer Aaron Beavers has a simple explanation: "We're not shoegazers... the interaction between our band and the audience is really paramount to us." Sever that connection and there's nothing going on, right? Not quite; their studio sound, much as it varies from record to record, is a fair-enough substitute for the real thing if it's been a few months since they came around.

But they don't play 20-plus shows a month because they like traveling--they're doing it because their country-soul-hard-rock hybrid is dependent on the energy the crowd is giving off. Your response to their performance could be the difference between a good show and a great show. Since they're back in town so soon, the energy in Phoenix must have been to their liking. -- Dan Moore