I’ve already extolled Laura Walsh’s virtues already, but I have to reemphasize her talents once more. It’s a shame that she’s still not Phoenix-based, as her vocal range alone could place her in a number of genres. She subscribes to the pop country label, which may deter some hardcore country…
Before indie rock was a thing, like the hip, Urban Outfitters thing we know today, there was Built to Spill, one of the most indie of indie bands to ever indie. Which is kind of confusing, because the band has been on Warner Bros. Records for most of its career,…
The temperature isn’t the only thing that’s sizzling at Coachella. With their tanned bodies, gym rat physiques, and seriously on-point bohemian/ethereal/fairy-style choices, Coachella-goers know to look their best while they’re in the desert. Both the festival itself and the parties that go with it have some of the most desirable…
It’s tough to complain about any Coachella lineup, but people inevitably do. Often bringing together some of the best rock, rap, EDM, and pop artists in the world, Coachella does a pretty good job of collecting many of the best of the best. Since we’re all whiny pessimists anyway, here…
“You can ask me anything. You’ve opened up to me, and now I will open up to you.” Charles Bradley, the 66-year-old soul singer extraordinaire, spoke those words to me a couple hours after his fiery Friday afternoon Coachella set. I had just told him how much his spellbinding performance…
By Aimee Murillo When Coachella coverage bounces around every year, there’s plenty of focus on the headliners, buzz bands, fashion, and the people in attendance, but very little mention is paid to the attractive visual art displays that dot the polo grounds. This year, 14 new installations made their debut…
The first thing I have to say is that Quail Run Park is a pretty cool venue and has the perfect layout for many festivals to come (I hope), as it hosted two festivals this weekend. It’s also conveniently located immediately off the 202. The entire setup was a pretty…
1. The golf cart taxi service is worth its weight in gold For those who weren’t in Crazy Coyote, Roadrunner or Premier, you had a hell of a long walk from your campsite to the concert grounds. Felt like grabbing a water bottle from your trailer? Forgot your American flag-printed…
Contrary to what you might have heard, Coachella is more than just a fashion parade for B-list celebrities and trust fund kids. It also still features music! Here are reviews and recaps of some of the first weekend’s most memorable sets, from Jack White, Run the Jewels, FKA Twigs, Steely…
By: Marc Ballon Hawaiian Sierra Blackford really wanted to go to Coachella. It wasn’t easy. The 23-year-old singer-songwriter juggled three jobs as a waitress, playing gigs at local bars and working in a slipper store to save enough for her concert tickets, heavily discounted airfare (She knows somebody in the…
It was time to break the seal. When used for their intended purpose, port-a-potties are hardly a pleasant experience for either sex. But they can be especially tricky for women. Men only have to squat half the time–women have to for both excretory functions, and it can get a little…
Timothy Norris There’s never just one way to get into Coachella. Cash, of course, is always king. But there are still myriad ways to ensure that your exposed flesh is burning along with the rest of us in the Indio sun. In that case, it’s nice to know that bartering,…
Following in the footsteps of his pastor father, Joel Marquard, of Dear and the Headlights fame, decided to record a gospel album in his late 20s. Marquard’s father was responsible for picking out the hymns and songs for each service at their church and now his own 12-piece traditional gospel…
By Andy Hermann We get it, Coachella. You’ve got over 100 acts and only about 36 hours to cram them all onto your six stages, so there’s bound to be some overlap. And for the most part, you do a good job of putting acts head-to-head that have little chance…
Nobody makes sullenness seem so stylish as New York’s brooding post-punk band Interpol. As part of the so-called post-punk revival in the early- to mid-2000s, the quartet (now a threesome) helped re-popularize a genre largely forgotten by the huddled masses. Alongside the Strokes, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and the White…
Lots of good stuff to do this weekend as festival season in Arizona comes to a close with a strong finale. This weekend we have Country Thunder down in Florence, and Quail Run Park in Mesa will host two consecutive days of concerts — FestivALT AZ on Friday and UFEST…
When Drew Cooper strolls into the Hotel Congress on a dimly-lit late afternoon, he’s got a canvas bag, festooned with a pink block print of an owl, over one arm and a rambunctious, wildly endearing toddler in the other. His iPhone speaks volumes about his preferred aesthetic though, a mix…
To characterize the musical stylings of the Reverend Horton Heat as simply rock ‘n’ roll is akin to saying the founder and leader of the popular rockabilly band, Jim Heath, likes playing the occasional live show. For more than the past quarter-century, the Dallas-based Heath and his two bandmates have…
Do not come to the Swans concert expecting to hear a parade of songs from the latest album, or preceding ones for that matter. Swans leader Michael Gira doesn’t dwell in the past. Instead, he strives for the next “invigorating, energizing” sound to move his world. “It’s more about internally…
Brett Eldredge sounds like a damn maniac. He’s not listing off conspiracy theories, nor is he divulging dark stories of Hollywood debauchery: Rather, he’s laying out in detail what he’s going to do once his latest hit, “Mean to Me,” reaches number one on the country charts. “I’ve made the…
There was a point during last night’s Ariana Grande concert at Talking Stick Resort Arena where the video on the screen behind the tiny pop star scrolled some campy, sci-fi-esque nonsense (with an accompanying voice over which was probably necessary due to about 10 percent of the audience not being…
Oh, how sweet the emotion — Aerosmith is coming to Gila River Arena on Saturday, June 13. This show, part of the band’s Blue Army Tour, promises to bring a custom stage that “brings the band up-close and personal with the audience,” according to a press release from promoter Danny…
