Other live music options worth checking out in Phoenix this weekend include a chance to hang out with Bishop Briggs at The Van Buren, rock out with Def Leppard and Journey at Ak-Chin Pavilion, or travel back to the '90s with local jangle-pop heroes Gin Blossoms.
Details about each of these gigs can be found below. And for even more live music happening around the Valley this weekend, hit up Phoenix New Times' online concert calendar.
The Phenomenauts
Friday, September 7
Yucca Tap Room in Tempe
There's nothing deceptive about The Phenomenauts – what you see is what you get. And what you get is a shtick-filled, hard-rocking punk band that dresses in retro-futuristic space gear, writes songs called "Rocket Roll," "Giant Asteroid," "All Go For Launch," and calls its fans "cadets." Not only do The Phenomenauts shows have a rep for high entertainment value, the music backs up the band's image – they're a tight, groove-happy punk rock 'n' roll machine, and this show should be entertaining as they come. David Accomazzo
Running From Bears
Friday, September 7
The Nash
Imagine a ferocious Kodiak bear is running after you. How would you soundtrack this terrifying (and possibly final) moment in your life? A giant furry engine of death slathering at your heels, looking at you like you’re salmon on legs. Heavy metal seems like it would be the go-to score, but for the sextet of dudes in Running From Bears, jazz is the preferred form of chase music.
Coming together in 2009, Running From Bears has been an active player in the downtown jazz scene. Composed of Eric Rasmussen (alto sax), Adam Roberts (tenor/soprano sax), Keith Kelly (tenor/baritone sax), Jeff Libman (guitar), Ben Hedquist (bass), and Ryan Anthony (drums), the Bears have been playing monthly shows at spots like The Lost Leaf and The Nash for years. They integrate elements of rock and funk into their jazz, creating a sound that’s playful and driving.
They also have a wry sense of humor, as exhibited by the title and artwork of their 2017 Edgetone Records album Maul of America. Sure, Branford Marsalis can play his ass off, but we bet his pun game isn’t on Running From Bears’ level. Ashley Naftule
Alice’s Wonderland III: The Red Queen’s Revenge
Friday, September 7
Aura Nightclub in Tempe
When underground dance party Alice’s Wonderland II took place last September, it was arguably one of the biggest local EDM events of the fall. Hundreds of
Expect just as much colorful fun as last year’s event and tons of DJs. According to Liberty, the event – which takes place on Friday, September 7 – will feature sets by such locals as AZTech, Chris Tiano, Elwer, Daxxin, Alexander
Def Leppard and Journey
Friday, September 7
Talking Stick Resort Arena
Def Leppard and Journey are halfway through a massive North American tour. Co-headlining each night, both acts are leaning heavy on the hits. If you want the most familiar, you'll not come away disappointed. You'll hear "Hysteria," "Pour Some Sugar on Me" and "Rocket" from the Lep while you'll hear "Don't Stop Believin'," "Separate Ways" and "Only the Young" with the Journey guys. It is a good pairing, as both of these bands headlined arenas in the 1980s. You know exactly what you're getting, and given how the songs have remained in the public's favor, it should be a good show. Eric Grubbs
I See Stars
Friday, September 7
Pub Rock Live in Scottsdale
I See Stars is
Devin Oliver handles the vocal duties on the (relatively) mellow numbers while Chris Moore does the screaming material. Somehow, this mixture works more often than not. You might even say that I See Stars creates music best suited for a mental institution, which, I'm fairly certain, is exactly how the band wants it. Darryl Smyers
Club '90s Selena Night
Friday, September 7
The Van Buren
If there was one word to describe Selena Quintanilla — from her style to her music — it would be iconic. Celebrate the Tejano queen’s legacy on Friday, September 7, with a night of endless bidi
The celebration begins at 10 p.m. at The Van Buren, 401 West Van Buren Street. The event is 21 and over, and tickets are $12 in advance. Melina Zuñiga
The Eagles
Saturday, September 8
Talking Stick Resort Arena
The “unexpected reunion” tour. The “we still know how to record good music” tour. The “we’re celebrating our decades in the business” tour. The Eagles might not have been working from a set playbook, but everything they’ve done since they reunited has felt calculated. Even a band with a wild man like Joe Walsh on the team knows the value of making the right moves.
So what then is this tour, the first following the death of Glenn Frey? It’s by no means a “memorial for a friend,” although they certainly do pay their respects to one of the founding members of the group. As they’ve rolled through their setlists on this tour – which hits the Valley this weekend, the remaining founding members of the group will take their respective turns in the spotlight, it becomes clear what the goal of the tour is; this is the “this is who we are now and you should keep paying to see us” tour. And to their credit, they do it in pretty impressive passion.
The new additions to The Eagles’ lineup fit in perfectly. Deacon Frey may not be his father, but what he lacks in stage charisma he makes up for in his ability to replicate some of the things his father did so well. He gets a moment to shine when taking the lead vocals on “Take It Easy,” and handles them like a champ. As per the norm with any Eagles concert, expect to hear all of their hits during their performance at Talking Stick Resort Arena on Friday night. Cory Garcia
Gin Blossoms
Saturday, September 8
The Van Buren
To the band that made the following lines famous – "Anywhere you go, I'll follow you down. I'll follow you down, but not that far!" – we have a message for you: We, your loving audience, will keep following you. For the countless adults caught in that awkward place between Gen X and Y who remember when MTV played music, there are a handful of names that impart that deliciously distinct '90s-lost-innocence nostalgia, from Blues Traveler to Bush to Counting Crows, but it might just be Gin Blossoms who take the cake. With the salty-sweet voice of vocalist Jesse Valenzuela and hits like "Hey Jealousy," "Follow You Down," and "Til I Hear It From You," Gin Blossoms had a virtual monopoly on the soundtracks to school dances and car make-outs of the '90s.
Formed in 1987 in Tempe, Gin Blossoms broke out with "Hey Jealousy," a song that became the center of a tragedy after its writer,
Tashi Dorji
Saturday, September 8
The Trunk Space
Experimental guitarist Tashi Dorji is prolific. From full-length LPs to singles and live records, he’s got dozens of releases available, and on each, his honed and intimate knowledge of the instrument finds him plucking and twisting the strings in ways that shift and bend the listener’s mind just as much. Sometimes the songs are stark and choppy, like “If I Were You, I’d Leap Into the Torrent,” his track from the Mother of All Saints split 7" with Eyvind Kang. Its mild discordance offers enough warmth for you to stick with it until the end, with plenty of little side trips along the way. “All This World is Like This Valley,” found on Collected Works, is the opposite — it’s melodic and sweet, folky mountain music, the kind you’d expect to hear while lazing on a Carolina hillside.
Dorji was born in
Bishop Briggs
Sunday, September 9
The Van Buren
Radio pop has swung into darker territories lately, with vocalists like Tove Lo, Elle King, Lykke Li, and even Hozier inflecting electro-pop with soul-influenced brooding. Bishop Briggs, a.k.a. Sarah Grace