BEST VENUE FOR NATIONAL MUSIC ACTS 2007 | Celebrity Theatre | Bars & Clubs | Phoenix
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BEST VENUE FOR NATIONAL MUSIC ACTS

Celebrity Theatre

With a maximum capacity of 2,600, Celebrity Theatre may not be the biggest concert venue in the Valley, but therein lies the charm. No seat is farther than 75 feet from the stage, making this venue the only one in Phoenix where the phrase "not a bad seat in the house" really holds true. Because of the enclosed space and the circular seating around the stage, the acoustics are excellent — which may be one reason the venue still draws national acts like Heart, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, and Bow Wow, despite bigger venues in town with more advertising muscle. And Celebrity Theatre's unique setup (like the revolving stage) often provides concertgoers with a more personalized experience, as some performers are always compelled to comment on the setup from the stage. Return performer Lucinda Williams has remarked about the "weird" half-round setup that always has her directly facing the stage exit the past three times she's played the venue. Or Cyndi Lauper, who found herself performing on the stage in 2003 while it was rotating and proclaimed, "Stop the stage! I feel like I'm gonna throw up."

BEST VENUE FOR LOCAL MUSIC ACTS

The Clubhouse Music Venue

In addition to being one of the few all-ages rock clubs in town, The Clubhouse has the distinction of hosting some of the hottest bands in the PHX on a regular basis — Authority Zero, Casket Life, Greeley Estates, The Format, The Heartless, and The Earps have all played that stage, many as opening acts for national performers. And the venue seems to have a knack for booking national acts that are about to blow up into the year's biggest buzz bands — artists like Sage Francis, Isis, Matisyahu, and Menomena. The CMV doesn't shy away from the unknown, either, as it's played host to numerous Battles of the Bands, from the Zippo Hot Tour competition to the 101.5 Free FM showcase to the Emergenza local showcase competition, where Valley rockers like Cold Fusion, e(v)olocity, and Storm Within have gone for the glory. The acoustics in the place are great, and yes, there is a bar for those 21 and older. The only drawback is that you can't take your al-kee-hall past the bar, and the entire area in front of the stage is a no-booze zone.

BEST C&W NIGHTSPOT

Arizona Joe's

Located at a dusty intersection just off the Old West Highway (natch), Arizona Joe's is a rollicking roadhouse where you can do some serious hootin' and a-hollerin' any night of the week. Country is king here, as an array of cowboy hats is stapled above the bar and the walls are lined with plenty of Western art and NASCAR memorabilia. Local groups like The Desert Skies Band and The Jeff Stevens Band serve up some pickin' and grinnin' here nightly, providing plenty of good ol' boy music, drinking songs, and Willie Nelson covers for the delight of the cowboy junkies in attendance. Trailer-park rats, trucker hat-wearing country bumpkins, and tattooed Kid Rock types come from miles around to boot-scoot across the dance floor, suck down bottles of Budweiser and Coors, or puff on Marlboros. It makes us want to throw on our snakeskin boots and amble on down for a taste of country comfort. Y'all come back now, ya hear?

BEST CLUB FOR BLUES

The Rhythm Room

Rhythm Room owner Bob Corritore isn't about to relinquish his title as "Mr. Phoenix Blues" just yet. While his club has been booking more rock acts in the past few years, he still manages to host every hot blues show in town, from the legendary (Joe Louis Walker, Mem Shannon, Sonny Rhodes) to the new guard (Black Diamond Heavies, Wayne "The Train" Hancock, Candye Kane). And the Rhythm Room still plays host to more Valley bluesicians than any other venue, with acts like Big Pete Pearson, Paris James, Hans Olson, and Sistah Blue regularly rockin' the stage. But the Rhythm Room is more than just a blues club — it's a Phoenix institution, where famous blues guitarists mingle alongside the club's regulars and all-star jams can last until 2 a.m. Despite the absence of "Arizona's Ambassador to the Blues," Chico Chism, who died in January at age 79, the Rhythm Room's fire is still burning, and like the posters of past performers that adorn the walls, the vibe in the small club is one of remembrance and celebration, a slice of nostalgia straddling the modern world.

BEST CLUB FOR NEW BLUES AND ROCKABILLY

The Blooze

Situated in a strip mall on the northeast side, The Blooze may not look like much, but once you walk in and get a feel for the place, you appreciate the kicked-back atmosphere. On weekends, local blues and rockabilly bands like Jailhouse Poets, The Dynoglides, Maricopa County Prison Band, and Shadowcasters set up on the modest stage and rock the joint, while patrons enjoy $1.25 domestic drafts. Occasionally, an out-of-town band like Cali's Brian Jay & The Last Call Boys will play the club, too, and since The Blooze is so hot on cars (they broadcast every NASCAR race), they welcome car enthusiasts — vintage vehicle clubs like Glendale's The Invaders are frequent visitors.

BEST EMERGING INDIE MUSIC CLUB

Ruby Room

The same scrubs behind the defunct Emerald Lounge are trying to make a go of it with their recent purchase of this downtown bar. It's a slippery game they're playing — trying to be all shadowy and underground and indie, without forcing it. Authenticity cannot be faked, but the Ruby Roomers must be doing something right because their club is starting to catch on with local bands and DJs. Every time we've been there, the place is riddled with local musicians, checking out their peers' work or showing their musician pals some support. With a crowd like that, we'll be keeping our eye on this spot for sure.

BEST NEW MUSIC SERIES

Mesa Arts Center's Sound in the Ground

It takes more than a glitzy exterior for a venue to be fly. It's what's inside that counts. That's why the stunning Mesa Arts Center, arguably one of the most stylish arts spots in the Southwest, places a premium on programming happening events like Sound in the Ground. The bimonthly Thursday-evening series plugs the opening of exhibits in the Mesa Contemporary Arts galleries by bringing in local musical acts that represent the displayed shows. Because the art lives on the edgier side, the musicians — ranging from high-energy rock/funk group Attack of the Giant Squid to Terminal 11's electronica freak-out — are geared toward the experimental and improvisational. The larger ensembles perform outside on the spacious courtyard while eclectic DJs entertain folks queuing at the wine and beer cash bar inside. That old racket about Mesa shutting down after sunset just isn't true when SinG is in full effect, cuz the party goes off 'til midnight.

BEST PLACE TO CATCH LOCAL MUSIC SCENE LEGENDS

Club Mardi Gras & VooDoo Lounge

While Long Wong's may have gone to the great music scene in the sky after getting the bulldozer treatment a few years back, the spirit of the legendary Tempe rock 'n' roll bar lives on at Club Mardi Gras & VooDoo Lounge. Hang out at this raucous roadhouse in south Scottsdale and it'll feel like you've been transported back to the glory days of Mill Avenue, as many a local music scenester from the mid-'90s onward grabs some stage time here. Every Wednesday, brothers Brent and Kylie Babb unleash their brand of experimental pop-rock followed by a weekly gig by Dave Speed of Truckers on Speed. On Sundays, see The Zen Lunatics holding a weekly "Rockaraoke Night," in which they perform live-band karaoke. Steve Larson and Dead Hot Workshop have frequented the place, as have former Long Wong's favorites The Sand Rubies, and Greyhound Soul. Now if only Roger Clyne would reform The Refreshments and stop by for a couple renditions of "Banditos," we could die happy.

BEST PLACE TO CATCH LOCAL MUSIC SCENE NEWBIES

Trunk Space

Your newest band just spent the past few weeks in mom and dad's garage rehearsing like crazy — and making the folks equally so — and now a location is needed to unleash your indie efforts upon the world (and we don't mean a street corner during First Fridays). Unfortunately, until you've got more of a refined sound and serious following, the Marquee is out of the question (or Modified Arts for that matter), so we recommend ringing up the Trunk Space, where owners JRC and Stephanie Carrico have something of a yen for embryonic musical outfits such as yours.

In the past year alone, the Grand Avenue art gallery and performance venue has given up debut gigs for some of the newest bands the Valley music scene has birthed, such as folk-pop guitar and cello duo Jon Gake, shoe-gazing rockers A Technicolor Yawn, the experimental sounds of Glochids, the acoustic pop quartet Foot Ox, and the psychedelic roots band Iji. Who knows, Steph and JRC may even let you hawk your band's homemade CD-Rs at their joint. Just be sure to give a cut to your parents to cover their migraine meds.

BEST PLACE TO CATCH NEW LOCAL HIP-HOP ACTS

The "RapStock" series

Dubbing itself "Arizona's Underground Hip-Hop Movement," Southwest RapStock is the brainchild of Sassy, a west-side promoter and vice president of local label Topp Notch Records. The monthly RapStock event is the culmination of Topp Notch's weekly "Hip-Hop Thursdays" event at J-heads, which packs dozens of Valley MCs onto the stage in a single night (always the first Thursday of the month). Each rapper performs about two songs, hoping to impress the crowd and potential talent scouts who may have dropped in unannounced. Local artists like Influence, Fetti Profoun, Big Yo, Loc Dawg, BobKatt, Thee Originals, The Hood Cartel, Candilicious, Golden, and J-Slugg have all honed their skills at RapStock, and the event just keeps getting bigger. Promoters are currently booking acts for the 12th RapStock show, and competition is getting fiercer, as the event has drawn the attention of Cali acts like G-Bundle and JT the Bigga Figga.

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