Concerts

The band and I had the chance to spend another day with the Dain Griffin’s very hospitable and friendly family. We also got to walk around the neighborhood for a bit and enjoy some nice (78 degrees) sunny weather.

Kurt Vile and the Violators The Rhythm Room July 31, 2011 I spent the day in Flagstaff on Saturday, and shortly after having lunch at Mountain Oasis International Restaurant, a woman approached me with a small flier which read: “Real Freedom is Closer Than You Think.” Turns out, she was…

While Los Angeles might be a sexier destination, we are setting out for one of it’s many little brothers–the kind of trendy downtown area in Whittier, California. Lead singer Dain Griffin’s cousin owns a little bar right in the center of town, so the band thought it would be the perfect spot to start off the tour.

As profiled over at our sister (er, brother blog?) Feathered Bastard, Arizona-based human rights group Puente is planning a celebration tonight at El Portal, the Mexican restaurant located Grant Street and First Avenue owned by Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox. The event celebrates one year of non-compliance in regards…

The Los Angeles rap collective is widely known for its unique, high-energy, punk-rock-style performance. Ski masks, stage diving and unpredictable antics are par for the course.

For the next week or so I will be traveling on the road with local pop punk outfit Out of Reverie as the boys travel the west coast and beyond, pedaling their tunes to anyone who will listen.

Buffalo KillersThe Compound GrillThursday, July 28I’m all for ironic appreciation of the ’70s, but you know what? Some things about the ’70s can be liked without having to resort to some sort of “ha ha, isn’t it funny” crutch. When I watch Dazed and Confused, I don’t find myself laughing…

Fans of hiatus-dwelling folk band Finding Grampa’s Monsters will have one more chance to catch the trio together for a one-time reunion show. The show will take place tomorrow night, July 29, at The Trunk Space in Phoenix. They’ll be sharing the stage with acoustic hip-hop act Jive Talkin’ Robot,…

Those Darlins The Rhythm Room Wednesday, July 27 Better Than: a “Snaggle Tooth Mama” Ah, the South. Damn I miss it. Geographically speaking, the southern states have produced some of the best music this country’s ever heard–Buddy Holly, Hank Williams, Loretta Lynn, fucking Bo Diddley, Tom Petty, The Black Keys, hell,…

For local hardcore band American Standards, performing isn’t just about the music, it’s about making an impact on the community. Their show this Saturday, July 30 at The Fixx in Tempe is called “Hope for the Hopeless” and serves as a benefit for Teen Lifeline, a local non-profit working against…

Liturgy The Rogue BarTuesday, July 26Unfairly or not, Liturgy gets a lot of flack. There are a lot of reasons, I suppose. The band plays black metal — true “outsider” music — but they don’t look the part, at least not when the part normally looks like this. Then there’s…

A Perfect Circle Comerica Theatre July 25, 2011 It was just this past November that the members of A Perfect Circle ended their six-year hiatus by performing a trio of shows at Tempe’s Marquee Theatre. Each of the three shows had the group focusing on one of their three albums…

How much brass can you handle? If you think whiny trumpets, throaty trombones, and snappy snare drums are the bee’s-knees, well then you might want to jive your way down to The Lost Leaf to catch Phoenix’s Bad Cactus Brass Band later this week. On Thursday, July 28, the New…

Zombie Beach Party at Rips Ales & Cocktails Phoenix’s dead showed up in grand style for the Zombie Beach Party at Rips Ales & Cocktails on Friday night. Undead ghouls slammed back shots and cold ones while the still-living got painted up to look like their zombie brethren…see photos Cannonball…

​David Heartbreak is considered an innovator in the tropical bass dance genre, Moombahton. He is fresh off his self titled Heartbreak (EP) release and gearing up for his first European tour in September.He has been playing gigs in Europe for a while now and featured regularly on BBC’s Radio 1. Heartbreak…

Alkaline Trio The Nile Theater July 24, 2011 After 15 years, the guys in Chicago punk staple Alkaline Trio still rock as hard as ever. It just may be a bit harder to hear them over the roar of their boisterous fan base. From the moment the band took the…

Night Ranger, Foreigner, and JourneySunday, July 24Ashley Furniture HomeStore PavilionIn all my years attending concerts at this pavilion (under its myriad names), I’ve never seen traffic like what we waded through before the Foreigner/Journey concert. Cars were still backed up and blocking the intersection at 83rd Avenue and McDowell an…

BY LAUREN WISERed Line Chemistry 910 Live Saturday, July 23, 2011 “This Phoenix show is by far the best we’ve done yet on this tour,” admits Red Line Chemistry bassist Tom Brown, pushing his black-stripe-spiked mop of hair from his forehead after finishing his performance at 910 Live last night.”But…

To celebrate 15 years as a band, Alkaline Trio released a semi-acoustic greatest hits album called Damnesia earlier this month, which features a couple new songs from the band and a Violent Femmes cover. Alkaline Trio is scheduled to play at The Nile Theater on Sunday, July 24 with fellow…

Iceage, Weird Ladies, and Nihilism Yellow Canary Dance Hall Tuesday, July 19, 2011 Hipsters and their irony — goddamn, it’s cute. The place is called Yellow Canary Dance Hall, however, there weren’t any birds, and only a handful of people dancing at last night’s Iceage show. The Danish foursome has…

To put it bluntly, I didn’t know what to expect walking into Comerica Theatre last night.I’m a Bob Dylan fan, but let’s face facts: He’s 70. His most recent album, 2006’s Modern Times and 2008’s Together Through Life, have both been phenomenal efforts, but sounding good in the studio is very…

Ben Folds Marquee Theatre Monday, July 18, 2011 Ben Folds has been writing piano rock oscillating between sardonic humor and commentary on the human condition since his beginnings with Ben Folds Five. Along the way, he’s been cast as many things — a father, a joker, a pissed off dude — but…