Curious about what's going on around town this weekend? Need some suggestions as to how to rock, dance, or krump in the Valley of the Sun?
Don't fret: These are our Five Shows to See This Weekend.
Friday, July 13: Rebecca & Fiona @ Wild Knight in Scottsdale
Swedish EDM duo Rebecca and Fiona are excited about coming to America. Like, really excited. "It's so fun to come to America, [where EDM] is exploding, where the big audiences are," says Fiona Fitzpatrick. "Honestly, it's a bit scary because it's so out of control. We're used to playing to specific audiences, but when the audience is so big and open-minded, it's a different kind of performance." The two split their time between DJing parties (as they will do at Wild Knight in Scottsdale) and singing live, as they do on their new record, I Love You Man. The album has all the bleeps and bloops of modern dance music, but the production is anchored by classic pop songwriting along the lines of Phoenix and Vampire Weekend (both cited by Fitzpatrick as influences).
"We wanted to make something that would last," Fitzpatrick says. "The electronic dance thing is very, uh, short-lived sometimes. A song is popular for a month and then people get tired of it, because it's so intensely played. All the DJs play it; it's all over the place. We wanted to make something that wasn't just contemporary, something you could have at home and listen to." But while the record is more ABBA than indie on the surface, Fitzpatrick says, there were some unlikely starting points. "We're very inspired by a band called Suicide," she says of the legendary electronic proto-punk duo of Alan Vega and Martin Rev. "It's so dark but melodic and catchy. We would almost call it party music, except it's really not." So should we expect an airing of "Frankie Teardrop" at the popular Scottsdale discothèque? Fitzpatrick laughs. "We wouldn't play Suicide at our shows." --Jason P. Woodbury
(Read more about Rebecca & Fiona.)
Friday, July 13: Doomsday @ Sanctum
Better live it up while you can, because there may be just less than six months left until Armageddon. At least, that's the belief that all those wacked-out prepper and nutjobs spouting bunk about the end of the Mayan long-count calendar. It makes for riveting late-night radio fodder on Coast to Coast AM, not to mention inspiration for apocalyptic-themed club events like this weekend's Doomsday -- An End of the World Dance Party. Fittingly taking place on Friday, July 13 (get it?), the fatalistic fete at Sanctum, 4343 North Seventh Avenue, will feature dour and dark sets of industrial, EBM, and alternative from a Four Horsemen-like quartet of Noiz.Fkr, Dark Mark, Apollynon, and Angel Toxin. Attendees are encouraged to don "Road Warrior/after the bomb" makeup and gear and bring their surliest attitudes. It probably wouldn't hurt to also pray for your eternal soul after a night of wickedness, especially since Sanctum resembles a church. -- Benjamin Leatherman
Saturday, July 14: The Palace @ FilmBar
We spoke with downtown selector supreme DJentrification over a year ago about his plans for The Palace World Music Night at FilmBar. It was clear from the start that the night wouldn't be the typical boom-boom and club music heard at Valley dance nights.
"I'm playing, man, there's a lot a lot of different sorts of music from all around the world," he explained. "I'm playing stuff from Thailand, Turkish stuff, Ethiopian stuff, Bollywood/Indian stuff, even South American, like Peruvian."
A year later, The Palace is still going strong -- real strong. And that means a party, which promises "Thai, Turk, Khmer, Latin, Indian, and Beyond." To commemorate, DJent even dropped a killer new mix, comprised of original 45s found in Bangkok and Chiang Mai. --Jason P. Woodbury
Saturday, July 15: J-Diggs @ Celebrity Theatre
J-Diggs is paying forward a debt laid on him by close friend Mac Dre, who was shot and killed on a Kansas City highway eight years ago. Born Jamal Diggs in North Vallejo, California, Diggs had success rapping at an early age but deferred to his Crest neighborhood buddy Mac Dre (born Andre Hicks). Diggs and his "Romper Room" posse robbed area pizza stores to fund Dre's budding career (which saw him help originate hyphy). Then in '92, Diggs, Simon "Kilo Curt" Curtis, and Dre were busted for conspiracy to commit bank robbery.
Dre wasn't involved but refused to snitch and got five years. Ringleader Diggs -- who was Dre's cellmate -- got 10. They plotted their music industry takeover, and when Dre got out, he launched the Thizz Entertainment label. When Diggs tasted freedom, he released his 2003 debut, Both Sides of the Gate. Since Dre's death the following year, Diggs has dedicated his career to him. Like many Bay Area cats (Del, the Grinch), Diggs is prodigious, with at least 15 releases in the past decade. He primarily busts gritty true-crime fare and club-heavy party music. His pace and flow aren't special, but he's got a certain showman's flair and gangsta-inspired lyricism that's sometimes cinematic. -- Chris Parker
Sunday, July 16: Aaron Lewis @ Showroom at Talking Stick Resort
Staind's frontman/lyrical mastermind Aaron Lewis has veered away from his post-grunge past with new single "Country Boy" -- sort of. On his new EP crafted in Nashville, Town Line, expect to hear "country" songs that really sound like a clash of Bon Jovi and Alice in Chains, sung in that "imitation of Scott Stapp imitating Scott Weiland imitating Eddie Vedder" style that Staind has perfected. "Country Boy" features Charlie "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" Daniels and another legend of the classic country era in George Jones. Jones plays the role of the devil in the song, offering Lewis millions of record sales and his name on the marquee in exchange for his soul and the condition that he whiten his teeth. If you're into this kind of thing, you might not read into the lyrics and just accept the truth: Los Angeles and rock 'n' roll are the devil. We're betting that some Staind classics like "It's Been Awhile" and "Right Here" figure in too. --Jose Flores
