Alice Cooper’s A Taste of Christmas Pudding Comerica Theatre December 18th, 2010 In a lot of ways Alice Cooper’s yearly Christmas Pudding charity concert is like most families Christmas gatherings. Everybody gathers together in one spot and you have to sit through a lot of boring, awkward and downright uncomfortable moments in…
You would have thought the new Twilight movie was premiering by the looks of Pollack Tempe Cinemas last night, as a line of girl-after-teenage girl winded around the theater. They were actually there to catch a glimpse of the oh-so-dreamy local band The Maine, who also happen to have a…
Neon TreesDecember 14, 2010Ovations Live! Showroom at Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino I never thought one of the best shows I saw all year would be in an Arizona casino.Even the bands playing last night at Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino in Chandler, Paper Tongues and Neon Trees,…
The Temper TrapDecember 13, 2010Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill In perhaps the weirdest artist/venue pairing ever, Australian indie band The Tempe Trap played Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill in Mesa last night. “I’ve never seen so much plaid,” someone in the crowd said, and…
“I’ll kick anyone out smoking reggie.”
Those were Curren$y’s first words to the audience at the Clubhouse Music Venue on the eventful last stop for the Smoker’s Club Tour. The crowd — mostly flat-brimmed baseball cap clad guys in their early 20s — received the threat warmly. A few minutes later they tossed a few blunts onto the stage for him.
Dweezil ZappaComerica TheatreMonday, December 6, 2010 Grey-haired dudes in tennis shoes, file in Co-mer-i-caThey throw back beers and let loose cheers, they scream ‘woo-hoo, oh yeah!’Their past they seek sans acid peak, at the Zappa showLive it up, do it big, Just don’t eat that yellow snow Dweezil Zappa played…
Yo Gabba Gabba at the Comerica Theatre Last Afternoon I haven’t been to one of these afternoon kids shows before, so I’m not sure if there are generally so many indie-looking dudes with beards ecstatically singing along with with a song called “Get the Sillies Out” at the Comerica Theatre…
Yo Gabba GabbaComerica Theatre in PhoenixSunday December 5, 2010As I mentioned in my interview with Yo Gabba Gabba! co-creator Christian Jacobs, I have seen every episode of the popular kids TV show Yo Gabba Gabba! a minimum of six times. You may think that number is an exaggeration but…
Yo Gabba Gabba LiveComerica Theatre in PhoenixSaturday, December 4, 2010I haven’t been to one of these afternoon kids shows before, so I’m not sure if there are generally so many indie-looking dudes with beards ecstatically singing along with with a song called “Get the Sillies Out” at the Comerica Theatre…
Toubab KreweCompound GrillSaturday December 4, 2010Here’s something amazing that pretty well sums up the vibe at Saturday night’s Toubab Krewe show at Compound Grill: They let the chicks bring in their hula hoops and, dammit, they used them!In case you missed the memo, hula hooping is what hippie chicks started…
Brother Ali, The Grouch, Eligh and Los RakasClub RedDecember 3, 2010The Grouch might have been the headliner last night at Club Red in Tempe, but it seemed pretty obvious that Minneapolis rapper Brother Ali was the main draw on this stop of the How The Grouch Stole Christmas Tour. The…
Looks like Los Angeles-based electro hip-hop trio Hyper Crush is going to have a busy night tonight. The band is scheduled to perform at two Valley clubs, all within less than 4 hours.First, they’ll hit Jackrabbit Lounge in Scottsdale, which continues its quest to be a House of Blues-style destination,…
While many music promoters get in the business for fame or money, one local man has a much more altruistic aim with his shows: to promote awareness about Huntington’s Disease. “I’m not looking to get rich, meet a bunch of musicians and hot girl types,” says Greg Forward, founder and…
Thanksgiving Eve Gravy Bikini Wrestling Girls in bikinis? Check. Girls in bikinis wrestling? Check. Girls in bikinis wrestling in gravy and mashed potatoes? Check. Hurricane Bay hosted the second annual Thanksgiving Eve Gravy Bikini Wrestling Party on Wednesday…see photos Roger Waters at US Airways Center Last Night Since it’s safe…
Roger Waters November 27, 2010 US Airways Center British rocker Roger Waters performed Pink Floyd’s album The Wall with style at the US Airways Center last night. It was, indeed, a “show,” as much a theatrical exercise as a musical one.Since it’s safe to say that at least most of…
The Summer Set Nile Theater November 27, 2010 As someone who reviews concerts fairly regularly I try and keep an open mind with every show I see. Being objective is part of the job. In general, giving negative reviews isn’t a lot of fun because in my opinion every band,…
The Roots and Miniature Tigers at American Junkie Last Night Okay, let’s go ahead and get this out of the way first: In terms of who would win in a true, neutral-turf battle of the bands between The Roots and the Miniature Tigers, there is really little doubt that it…
The Roots & Miniature Tigers American Junkie November 20, 2010 Okay, let’s go ahead and get this out of the way first: In terms of who would win in a true, neutral-turf battle of the bands between The Roots and the Miniature Tigers, there is really little doubt that it…
Bruno Mars November 20, 2010 Martini Ranch Wow, what a showman Bruno Mars is.The young singer-songwriter made it clear he’s not just another pop star at his show Saturday night at Martini Ranch, launching his set with an extensive drum solo. While other musicians in his genre might hide behind…
Rhythm Room, PhoenixNovember 17 2010It was at some point during Portland indie punk trio The Thermals’ set last night where I caught myself remembering that I wasn’t the biggest fan of the band’s 2004 album Fuckin A.Granted, I was a total spazz back then and my music tastes weren’t quite…
You’re lucky if you already have Bruno Mars tickets for his show this Saturday, November 20 at Martini Ranch–the show quickly sold out, and it’s no wonder, considering you can’t turn on a Top 40 radio station without hearing one of his many hit tracks. Martini Ranch was probably a…
Elephant 6 stallwart Julian Koster, formerly of of Neutral Milk Hotel, has been doing weird shows with his new band The Music Tapes for years. For example, playing “White Christmas” outside random apartments in New York as part of an annual Christmas Carol tour.These are the sorts of tours that…
