Against Me! at Nile Theater It was, I imagine, with a touch of irony that Against Me! opened their show at the all-ages and bone-dry Nile Theater with “Pints Of Guinness Make You Strong.” “And just like James, I’ll be drinking Irish tonight,” sang Tom Gabel which, of course is…
No AgeThe Trunk SpaceSunday, January 30, 2011The Los Angeles noise rock duo No Age has toured relentlessly during the past year. They were originally scheduled to play at The Clubhouse Music Venue in December, but rescheduled the end of their U.S. tour for last night at The Trunk Space.Singer/drummer Dean Spunt…
Handsome FamilyRhythm RoomSunday, January 30th, 2011″We stopped for coffee, in the redwood forest,” Handsome Family guitarist/vocalist Brett Sparks sang, opening Sunday night’s cozy show at the Rhythm Room. The lyrics, written by his wife and Handsome Family bassist/banjo-playing vocalist Rennie, are typical of the duo’s gothic Americana; specific to time…
Against Me!Nile TheaterFriday, January 28, 2011It was, I imagine, with a touch of irony that Against Me! opened their show at the all-ages and bone-dry Nile Theater with “Pints Of Guinness Make You Strong.” “And just like James, I’ll be drinking Irish tonight,” sang Tom Gabel which, of course is…
Ozzy Osbourne and Slash Comerica Theatre January 26th, 2011 Have you ever wondered what happened to the people who appeared in the ’80s rock documentary Heavy Metal Parking Lot? Well, from the looks of it they were all standing in a line that stretched around the Comerica Theatre last night…
At any given point in a man’s life, he’s got that one shirt — be it a tee, polo, western, or over-sized Packers jersey — that just stands a bit taller than the rest of the crowd. A shirt with such a distinguished place in the normal shirt rotation, that…
It’s hard to imagine two bands farther apart philosophically than Underoath and Cradle of Filth.Tampa, Florida’s Underoath have been at the forefront of a Christian metalcore explosion over the past decade, releasing seven albums since 1999 and establishing themselves as one of the most successful Christian metal acts of all…
You know what record is severely — “criminally,” one might say if they were given to old timey rock writer sayings — underrated? Hole’s Live Through This. Some (a lot? a bit? — I’m not exactly sure) of this certainly has to do with the oft-whispered allegations that Kurt Cobain…
Air SupplyTalking Stick ResortSunday, January 16″Are you ready to fall in love tonight?” Air Supply singer-guitarist Graham Russell asked the crowd between songs Sunday night at Talking Stick Resort. It wasn’t really a question. It was a declaration: Oh, you will fall in love tonight, bitches. Count on it. To…
Kinch at Rogue Bar Last Night The Rock ‘N’ Roll Arizona Marathon was this morning — thousands of runners, both locals and tourists, jogged 26 miles of Valley streets on a warm January day. The race wasn’t the weekend’s only impressive show of endurance along Scottsdale Road, though. Kinch’s second…
River Jones Music Festival The Paisley Violin Sunday, January 16, 2011 The first images that came to mind when I heard about a folk festival at The Paisley Violin? Tie-dyed college kids screeching out against the Vietnam War over a haze of sweet smoke.That wasn’t exactly the scene at the…
KinchSaturday, January 15, 2011Rogue Bar, ScottsdaleThe Rock ‘N’ Roll Arizona Marathon was this morning — thousands of runners, both locals and tourists, jogged 26 miles of Valley streets on a warm January day.The race wasn’t the weekend’s only impressive show of endurance along Scottsdale Road, though. Kinch’s second week of…
Joe Strummer Benefit George & Dragon Pub & Restaurant January 15th, 2011Phoenix’s punk community might not be the biggest or brightest music scene in the Valley, but, damn, it most definitely knows how to throw one hell of a wild wingding. For instance, the annual Joe Strummer Benefit that took…
Social Distortion Marquee Theatre January 13th, 2011It’s a testament to Social Distortion’s prominent influence on younger punk rock n’ roll bands that two songs in to opening band Dead Relatives’ set, I thought they were Social Distortion. It’s either a testament to that or how crappy a music critic I…
Purple Reign Talking Stick Resort January 8th, 2011 When it comes to most musical acts there really isn’t any substitution for the original. Prince, for example, is a one of a kind musician, but the tribute act Purple Reign is probably as close to the real thing as you can…
Hemoptysis and Landmine MarathonClubhouse Music VenueJanuary 7, 2011Two of the Valley’s best metal bands came together last night for a show that set the bar high for the local metal scene in 2011. Landmine Marathon and Hemoptysis put together a 1-2 punch last night that not only solidified their reputations…
New Year’s Eve in Scottsdale Scottsdale’s Old Town was celebration central as New Year’s revelers flocked to the White House, Axis-Radius, The Firehouse, and various other nightspots to fete Auld Lang Syne…see photos Epic Red Cup Massive Psycho Circus The freaks and geeks of Warsaw Pact Entertainment and Mourning Fyre…
Jimmy Eat WorldFiesta Bowl Block Party in TempeDecember 31, 2010 – January 1, 2011Playing a New Year’s Eve concert is sort of a big responsibility. Sure, it’s easy to impress a merry and well-lubricated crowd, but there’s a larger obligation, too. If you’re playing before the largest crowd assembled in…
Rx Bandits Scottsdale’s Ultimate Block Party December 31, 2011 When Matt Embree, Steve Choi, and the other members of SoCal ska-punk reggae-rock band Rx Bandits signed up to headline Scottsdale’s Ultimate Block Party New Year’s Eve some months ago, they probably thought it to be a smart idea at the…
Steve Aoki Pussycat Lounge, Scottsdale December 29, 2010 It’s safe to say that this is a first for Last Night — a show at Scottsdale’s Pussycat Lounge. For those who haven’t been to the upscale Scottsdale venue or others of its ilk, let me explain: it’s madness. It’s madness in…
Eastside Records Christmas Eve Eve Memorial Legendary local store Eastside Records is scheduled to close at the end of the month after more than 23 years, but not before going out in style with a massive memorial party that took place on Thursday, December 23. The refreshments consisted of cheese…
Over the last days of 2010 Up On The Sun will be counting down the best live shows of 2010. Today we look at the No. 7 show of the year, A Perfect Circle at Marquee Theatre…
