Phoenix New Times | The Leading Independent News Source in Phoenix, Arizona

Still Time to Catch the Final Concerts at the Arizona State Fair 2018

By Benjamin Leatherman

Oct 23, 2018

Plus all the details you need to know about where to park and how to get inside.

The 13 Best Concerts in Phoenix This Weekend

By Phoenix New Times Music Writers

Oct 19, 2018

Freaks, geeks, cowboys, and more.

Nirvana Played the Arizona State Fair Exactly 25 Years Ago Today

By Benjamin Leatherman

Oct 18, 2018

Looking back at the legendary grunge band's final show in Phoenix.

The 11 Best Concerts in Phoenix This Weekend

By Phoenix New Times Music Writers

Oct 5, 2018

Shows on shows on shows.

The 30 Best Concerts in Phoenix in October 2018

By Phoenix New Times Music Writers

Oct 4, 2018

There are an obscene amount of great shows this month. Seriously.

Wayne Coyne on The Flaming Lips' Return to the Arizona State Fair

By Gerrit Feenstra

Oct 4, 2018

"I remember going when I was a kid and this would have blown my fucking mind.”

35 Years in 52 Tracks: On The Flaming Lips' Greatest Hits, Volume 1

By Ashley Naftule

Oct 2, 2018

The Flaming Lips play the Arizona State Fair this Saturday.

Pitbull Is Coming to the Arizona State Fair 2018

By Benjamin Leatherman

Aug 13, 2018

Mark your calendars for October 17.

Arizona State Fair Announces 2017 Concert Lineup

By Benjamin Leatherman

Jul 24, 2017

Every single act that's been announced so far.

Using His Electronic Talk Box, Phoenix’s MC Magic Creates Latin-Funk Futurism

By Jason P. Woodbury

Oct 14, 2016

You know MC Magic when you hear him, and not only because the Phoenix producer/rapper/singer often intros himself at the top of his songs. Whether on one of his own records or features for Latin rappers like Brown Boy, Arion, and Ms. Krazie, Magic (real name Marco Cardenas) is instantly...

The 40 Best Arizona State Fair Concerts of the Past 40 Years

By Benjamin Leatherman

Oct 10, 2016

Think the Arizona State Fair’s annual concert series is nothing but has-beens and country bumpkins? Huh. You obviously have never been to one recently, pal. While it's true that years ago, the concert selection was sort of a mixed bag or heavy on country, things have sort of changed. These...

Here's Every Single Concert That's Happening at This Year's Arizona State Fair

By Benjamin Leatherman

Aug 12, 2016

There are a few hallmarks of the Arizona State Fair each year that everyone enjoys, ourselves included. There’s the fried food, of course, as well as fantastic rides, furry creatures, and arguably our favorite part, all the free concerts. As a matter of fact, it’s as much a part of...

The Flaming Lips to Perform at This Year's Arizona State Fair

By Benjamin Leatherman

Aug 11, 2016

We’ve got some good news for local fans of colorful and kooky rock band The Flaming Lips: they’re heading back to Phoenix this fall for a concert. And here’s some even better news: you can see the show for free…sorta. That’s because Wayne Coyne and company will be performing at...

Meat Loaf Is Willing to Die for You on Stage

By Caleb Haley

Oct 15, 2015

Rock opera maestro Marvin Michael Lee Aday, better suited by his stage name, Meat Loaf, finds his way to Phoenix as a headlining act for the opening weekend of the 2015 Arizona State Fair. The multi-platinum Bat Out of Hell entertainer will take the stage on Sunday, October 18 at...

Alabama Shakes at the Arizona State Fair (PHOTOS)

By Melissa Fossum

Oct 25, 2013

Last night's Alabama Shakes concert was like being teleported back in time. Brittany Howard sings with a soulful ferocity that is only matched by someone like Janis Joplin or Mama Cass. Her guitar hooks channel the likes of Chuck Berry, with a heaping dose of Southern blues. Howard even looks...

Arizona State Fair Concerts: Who You'll See and When in 2013

By Phoenix New Times Staff

Oct 11, 2013

Arizona State Fair concerts aren't like most concerts--and this isn't even about the average age of the performers involved. They're different because you can go to them almost by accident. Exhausted your fried food budget? Unwilling or unable to win your sweetheart a gigantic, unlicensed Angry Bird by shooting a...

Every State Fair Concert Is a Nostalgia Concert

By Dan Moore

Oct 10, 2013

I'm going to be totally honest with you, here: I love state fairs, but I'm mostly in it for the lemon shake-ups. That's not to say I don't enjoy the concerts--it's just that I only enjoy them after I've eaten a lot of unconventionally fried food and then spun it...

When Did ZZ Top Become More About Kitsch Than Music?

By Glenn BurnSilver

Oct 10, 2013

ZZ Top formed in 1969, a rough and tumble blues band forming amongst the gritty backdrop of Houston's oil greed and NASA's continuing space race. But it was the summer of 1974 in the community of Friendswood--a small town then, a thriving Houston suburb now--that my curiosity with ZZ Top...

Arizona State Fair Concerts

Arizona State Fair Concerts 2019: Here's the Complete Lineup

The Most Popular Music Stories of 2018

Arizona State Fair Concerts

Arizona State Fair Concerts 2019: Here's the Complete Lineup

The Most Popular Music Stories of 2018

Newsletter Sign Up

Enter your name, zip code, and email