What do you call a night of absolutely FUBAR noise, improv musical comedy, a cult recruitment/job seminar, the death of the dunkwave genre, and an experimental Pentecostal church service complete with demented exorcism and cross-dressing?A normal Tuesday night at Trunk Space, of course. …
Bob Marley was such an integral part of bringing reggae to the U.S. that when he died in 1981, the commercial life of reggae almost died with him. But the genre has lived on through reggae acts like Burning Spear, Sly and Robbie, and Steel Pulse. The latter is scheduled…
Coheed & Cambria Marquee Theatre, Tempe Monday, May 9, 2011 My two previous attempts at seeing Coheed & Cambria perform live were marred by bad luck. The first time I went to a Coheed show, about three years ago, I brought a girl I was sweet on. Much to my dismay, she decided…
Next month marks the 18-year anniversary of punk pariah G.G. Allin’s death. Yes, G.G. Allin is dead, but that hasn’t stopped his older brother Merle from using his name to try and make a living. You may have noticed a band called “G.G. Allin’s Murder Junkies” are playing this Thursday…
Queensryche wasn’t in town last night, but for their fans, what went down at Club Red had to be the very definition of “next best thing.” Following an introduction by Queensryche singer Geoff Tate, in town to pimp his Insania Wine, the Ryche took the stage.Arguably the premier Queensryche tribute…
Black Carl and Gospel Claws The Duce Friday, May 6Who would have thought a boxing ring would make such a great stage? And that an old warehouse turned retro mini-mall and bar would have good acoustics? But both were so Friday night at The Duce in downtown Phoenix, where two well-known local…
The term “progressive rock” conjures all sorts of sound bites, good and bad, from the jam meanderings of King Crimson to Geddy Lee’s nasally wail in Rush. The music of Coheed and Cambria, playing the Marquee Theatre on Monday, is often labeled progressive rock, but it’s really more just rock…
This weekend, you can have your local funk and experimental art rock, too. Not only are Black Carl and Gospel Claws playing a free show at hip hot spot The Duce on Friday, but there’s another killer music show of local acts lined up at The Fixx in Tempe for Saturday…
Crusher Sound System and Mr. Meeble Last Night at The Sail Inn You know, the old substance over style debate can get a little old. Isn’t it possible to have both? It sure seemed like it watching Mr. Meeble on the outdoor stage at Next Fest at Sail Inn last…
Day 3, McDowell Mountain Music Fest Compound GrillSunday, May 1, 2011Last night, I stood at The Compound Grill bar watching the president deliver a speech about the death of Osama Bin Laden, as the sounds of Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros wafted in from the open doors. The band…
Crusher Sound System, Mr. Meeble & more. Sail Inn Saturday, April 30 You know, the old substance over style debate can get a little old. Isn’t it possible to have both? It sure seemed like it watching Mr. Meeble on the outdoor stage at Next Fest at Sail Inn last…
McDowell Mountain Music Festival, Day Two The Compound Grill Saturday, April 30, 2011 The idea of a music festival in a parking lot is a little disconcerting. Sure, Warped Tour can pull it off, but they have a main stage and grassy areas, and most importantly, they don’t share a…
Dirty Beaches, Outro Mundo, Where Dead Voices Gather The Trunk Space Friday, April, 29 2011 My favorite review of Dirty Beaches’ latest LP, Badlands, is also the most negative one I’ve read. In a review for Dusted Magazine, Doug Mosurock states: So, the ’50s sucked, right? They sucked pretty hard…
Gardens & Villa, Factories and Hello the Mind ControlThe Trunk SpaceWednesday, April 27Sometimes it doesn’t take a packed room full of sweaty bodies to have a dance party.Sometimes it just takes the right band and the right fans. Santa Barbara band Gardens & Villa brought the funk to Trunk Space…
Jet Life
-noun
smoking weed and rapping about it.
Railroad Revival Tour in Tempe There might be no grouping of more high-spirited entertainers than the three groups that took the stage yesterday evening in Tempe. Throughout the night, each band invited members of other bands to join them for collaborations for a few songs. Marcus Mumford was invited to…
Railroad Revival TourTrain tracks at S. Farmer Ave. and W. 5th St.Saturday, April 23, 2011Aside from some setup issues on this leg of the tour, the Railroad Revival tour is a truly great concept that, once the concert started, proved to be very well executed by all three bands that…
The Big 4 Festival (Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax) Empire Polo Grounds, Indio, California Saturday, April 23, 2011 It’s not an understatement to say that yesterday’s Big 4 Festival was an event nearly three decades in the making. Since the advent of thrash metal in the early 1980s, four bands…
hile using a band for a live hip hop show is no longer unorthodox — The Roots, Lil Wayne, Atmosphere have all done it — Lupe’s show was unique. The Roots jam. Atmosphere’s tour band jams. Lupe’s band rocked.
Lil Wayne US Airways Center, Phoenix Tuesday, April 19, 2011 Lil Wayne has entertained the idea of morphing from a rapper into a full-fledged rock star for a few years now. Why would one of the world’s most successful rappers want to learn to play guitar despite being mercilessly mocked…
Fake Problems doesn’t have many problems, real or imagined. Instead of worrying, they focus on having a good time and touring often. Singer/guitarist Chris Farren taught the band how to play Bobby Darin’s “Dream Lover” while lounging poolside before opening for Lucero in Phoenix a couple months ago.The band is…
Dear Coachella,Remember me? I wrote you a letter about this time last year to voice my concerns about you. I was worried that you’d gone off the rails, blatantly ignoring the ones who loved you the most in favor of a new group of peers who were ultimately leading you…
