There will be gigs by fearsome rockabilly acts, for starters, as well as witchy DJs working the wheels of steel, punk pranksters mixing jingoism with surrealism, and a world-renowned mixmaster taking his final bow.
If none of that is
Details about each of these shows can be found below. And for
The Quakes
Friday, June 29
The Rebel Lounge
In spite of limited commercial success, The Quakes are one of the most influential bands in the tatted-up, creepers-and-pompadour subgenre of psychobilly. The band formed in Buffalo, New York, in 1986 and relocated to London shortly thereafter, where they established a reputation as a fearsome live combo.
"There was no scene here in the states whatsoever, zero, nothing, so it didn't make sense to stay here," says vocalist Paul Roman, the only remaining original member of the band. "Back in those days, the center of that universe was in London."
These days, however, psychobilly has proven to be popular across the globe and not just in the U.K., as evidenced by the fact that The Quakes are still rumbling and rocking across the world. Roman and the band's most current lineup (including drummer Juan Carlos and bassist Wes Hinshaw) rolled through France, Belgium, Poland, and elsewhere in Europe back during the fall and are likely to hit the road again sometime this spring.
In the meantime, The Quakes will shake the walls of The Rebel Lounge along with Arizona rockabilly act The Belfry Bats during on Friday night. Doors are at 8:30 p.m. and tickets are $12. Melissa Fossum
Die HARD Vol. 2
Friday, June 29
Club Red in Mesa
Local fans of DJ S3RL will want to attend this ultra-colorful electronic dance music event on Friday night since it's likely the last time they'll be able to see the Australian happy hardcore producer perform in the Valley. S3RL, born Jole Richard Hughes, is reportedly hanging up his headphones jaunt across the globe.
That includes a stop at Club Red in Mesa, where he'll headline Die HARD Vol. 2, an over-the-top dance party by the same cats who put on last year's equally colorful Imaginationland Cosplay Rave. Local DJs like Kore, Mako, Maromi, Underdown, and Zeus will also perform. The event goes from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. and tickets are $25 at the door. Benjamin Leatherman
Snow Tha Product
Friday, June 29
The Van Buren
Without mainstream attention or recognition, rapper Claudia Feliciano — better known by her stage name, Sno Tha Product — has built a hip-hop empire all on her own. Through her own website, wakeyagameup.com, the California-born and -raised Chicana MC and singer has mobilized fans behind her music and political message.
Blending English and Spanish, Feliciano’s work crosses the cultures that define her style. The mixtape queen with a lightning-fast lyrical delivery dropped her latest collection of songs, Vibe Higher Mixtape, in 2017, and continues to be a voice for her own “woke nation” of hip-hop fans across the country. Bree Davies
Black Milk
Friday, June 29
Crescent Ballroom
Curtis Cross makes beats that ripple like heat waves. As Black Milk, the veteran rapper/producer has been pushing the sonic envelope for years. A skilled crate-digger and beatsmith who can stand shoulder to shoulder with fellow turntable titans like J Dilla and Madlib, Black Milk knows how to
More than just a producer, Black Milk is an accomplished bandleader. On albums like No Poison No Paradise and If There’s a Hell Below, he uses his skill as an arranger to create instrumental backing tracks that hum with energy and warmth. While his lyrical prowess isn’t quite up to the level of his production work, he’s gotten sharper and more assured on the mic with each new record. On 2018’s FEVER (which Cross says was influenced by the psychedelia of Tame Impala and The Internet’s weird neo-soul album Ego Death), he sounds positively hungry. His words snap as hard as his beats.
He’s been active since 2002 and is still growing into his artistry. Forget everything that you know about dairy
Quiet Slang
Saturday, June 30
Valley Bar
Fans of Beach Slang need no introduction to the talent of James Alex, frontman
Last year, Alex decided to flip the script and formed a side project for himself, lovingly titled Quiet Slang, where he re-envisions Beach Slang songs with piano, strings, and minimal accompaniment. “I was asked to do an NPR Tiny Desk. So, it was just me and my guitar, and I got so much feedback from that where people were like, you should do a record like that. There’s just, it really changes it in a really great way, and the lyric becomes the sort of a center point of focus,” Alex explains over the phone from the road.
After meeting Dan Delaney (cello) and Keith Giosa (piano), Alex had the team in place to take his rowdy rock ’
Häxan v
Saturday, June 30
The Rebel Lounge
The word “disco” typically conjures images of shimmery ’70s fashion and jerky, embarrassing dance moves. If that sounds terrible to you, don’t worry, you won’t find any of that at the Häxan v Warlock, A Doomed Disco-tech dance party. This event will bring the glorious gloom.
From the tunes to the vibe, you can feed your
Passafire
Saturday, June 30
Crescent Ballroom
The city of Savannah, Georgia, sure isn't a particularly beachy place, but reggae knows no geographical bounds, especially among the college-age set. And school is indeed where this group formed in
Although the group occasionally delves into
BroLoaf's Patriotic Meltdown
Saturday, June 30
Yucca Tap Room in Tempe
Want to get an early start to Independence Day? Consider visiting BroLoaf's silly, satirical, and sloppy Patriotic Meltdown. A word of warning, however: It's unlike any other star-spangled celebration you're probably used to attending.
Words can’t even begin to describe the fun of the event, which celebrates the excesses of 'Murica and has typically involved a cavalcade of messy and mirthful antics with confetti, cheerleaders, toilet paper, beer bongs, crotch thrusts, and American flags. In other words, an adrenaline rush of jingoism mixed with surrealism that stars walking, talking caricatures of current politicians. (Last year's Meltdown saw a clone of Arnold Schwarzenegger turn into a massive grand old party animal.) Oh, and there’s also a barbecue involved.
This year’s edition of the meltdown takes place on Saturday, June 30, and will include sets by Creepsville 666, Skull Drug, Birth of Monsters, Brain Zap, and (of course) BroLoaf themselves. And given the event’s emphasis on political satire, it sort of goes without saying that President Donald Trump will be roasted and skewered throughout the evening.
Brit Floyd
Saturday, June 30
Comerica Theatre
Will the real Pink Floyd please stand up? Actually, the real one has decided to sit it out for the foreseeable future, but in its place stands the live spectacle known as Brit Floyd, perhaps the closest thing to the real McCoy. With a syncopated psychedelic light show complete with video and laser projection, a full band including horn section and background vocals, and the ability to pull anything from Floyd's diverse catalog, musical director Damian Darlington says Brit Floyd is the ultimate Pink Floyd experience.
Darlington formed Brit Floyd in 2011 after a 17-year stint with Australian Pink Floyd Show, which, as you can guess, is an Aussie Pink Floyd cover group. His reasoning? Simply because he felt he could do it one better.
"There is much more attention to details in every aspect of the show, from the music to the visuals to the lighting," Darlington says. "Everything is that much more
The band amazingly squeezes in something from every Pink Floyd album, from the early psych wonder of Piper at the Gates of Dawn to masterpieces like Animals and The Wall to the band's final (though Roger Waters-less) recording, The Division Bell. Glenn BurnSilver
[image-11] Dent May
Sunday, July 1
The Rebel Lounge
Mississippi-bred, L.A.-based Dent May is among the finer songwriters working in the noble tradition of Supertramp and Manfred Mann’s Earth Band’s version of “Blinded by the Light.” On last year’s Across the Multiverse, May expresses his contemporary angst with punchy piano and tongue-in-cheek lounge-singer swagger. Whether or not you buy into his persona, lead single “Face Down in the Gutter of Your Love” is downright irresistible. We dare you not to be charmed. Elle Carroll