Holy Ship!! Day One: A Surprise Guest Whose Name Rhymes With Drillex

Katie BainOn Friday afternoon, nearly 3,000 raver chicks, dude guys, scenesters, club kids and DJs assembled at a port in Fort Lauderdale and boarded the MSC Poesia, a.k.a. Holy Ship!! (There are two exclamation points because this is the second edition of the EDM party cruise put on by L.A.’s…

Who Is Really Playing Coachella This Year?

Historically, the Coachella lineup has been announced in January. That means it — along with the schedules of some artists who, hopefully, will make their way to Phoenix between dates — should be announced any day now. There have been a number of fake posters circulating on the Net –…

FMLY Fest on Fifth Street

PHX FMLY Fest @ Fifth Street|12/28/12Perhaps it was a few too many Santa Clauses wandering around, but FMLY Fest felt a lot like spending the holiday season with the extended family. The massive festival — featuring 60 bands taking dozens of stages on Fifth Street, drew all sorts of interesting…

Dogbreth: Phoenix’s Most Unlikely Motivational Pop Punkers

“I think Tristan’s [Jemsek, guitars/vocals] Craigslist addiction is the biggest influence on the band,” says Dogbreth bassist Erin Caldwell. Dogbreth — the long running downtown pop punk combo — has been around for a while, but 2012 has been a year of growth for the band, seeing it make a…

The Story So Far: The Renaissance of Pop Punk?

Touring with New Found Glory seems like a dream come true for any up and coming pop punk band…especially one that takes its name from the closing track of Sticks and Stones, like California band The Story So Far does. The group just wrapped up a tour with NFG, where…

Six Must-See Doomsday Shows on Friday in Metro Phoenix

Party at ground zero/Every movie starring you/And the world will turn to flowing pink vapor stew — Fishbone Shit could be getting real in about 96 hours from now, yo, when the fated date of December 21 finally dawns. It’s highly unlikely, since NASA hasn’t spotted any killer comets en…

The Sword, Club Red, 12/14/12

The Sword @ Club Red|12/14/12Valley metal heads got one the their last doses of heavy riffs and shredding guitar solos this year when Austin sci-fi enthusiasts The Sword played to a packed house last night at Club Red. By 9:00 — well before the band were scheduled to perform –…

The Blasters vs. X: It’s L.A. Circa ’80 for the Yuletide Season

It’s peculiarly fitting that these two punk trailblazers should arrive in town on the same night, because they’ve been inextricably bound together for more than 35 years since the beginnings of Los Angeles’ punk underground. For one thing, they’ve endured, even though (or perhaps because) their members have solo careers…

Bloc Party, Marquee Theatre, 12/9/12

Bloc Party @ Marquee Theatre|12/9/12Bloc Party brought a night full of surprises to Tempe — chiefly one that all attendees would be able to get a good night of sleep. Singer Kele Okereke had a bit of a cold, and the show ended at the very un-rock ‘n’ roll hour…

La La Land Music Festival, Phoenix Convention Center, 12/7/2012

La La Land Music Festival @ Phoenix Convention Center, 12/7/2012Has the current zeitgeist of electronic dance music about to hit its expiration date? It’s a contentious topic that’s been bandied about by DJs, producers, and online music wonks in recent weeks. No less a source than the great godhead himself…

Orgy, Joe’s Grotto, 12/7/12

Orgy @ Joe’s Grotto|12/7/12Alt metal band Orgy had its heyday in the late ’90s/early 2000s, but after singer Jay Gordon retooled the lineup last year (Gordon is the only remaining original member) I was curious to see how they would actually fare live. Luckily, what I found at Joe’s Grotto…

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Jobing.com Arena, 12/6/12

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band @ Jobing.com Arena|12/6/12Who is Bruce Springsteen anyway? The street rat poet singing about characters straight out of West Side Story? The balladeer casting American youth in B movie glory, Roy Orbison grandeur, and fleets of fast cars? The protest singer, spitting bile at…

David Bazan, Rhythm Room, 12/5/12

David Bazan Band (with members of Jimmy Eat World) @ Rhythm Room|12/5/12David Bazan’s grandma spent the evening at the merch table. I’m not sure when exactly it struck me, the realization that Bazan’s relentless honesty knows no bounds, and that the man’s grandma must be used to it. Maybe it…