Earth Crisis @ Pub Rock

Earth Crisis is the epitome of obnoxious vegan straight-edge subculture. Not that there’s anything wrong with being vegan or straight-edge — both practices require discipline and are healthy if done correctly — but being preachy about it on this level rarely is cool. The title track of the hardcore band’s…

Poeina Suddarth @ The Lost Leaf

Rumor has it Poeina Suddarth canceled her June 27 Phoenix show because she couldn’t arrange transportation to the Valley, let alone the venue. Suddarth currently is supporting Poeina on her “Trains, Planes and Automobiles” tour, relying on the ride-sharing kindness of fans, strangers, and truckers to get her from gig…

Billy Joe Shaver @ Rhythm Room

It’s best not to confuse Billy Joe Shaver with Billy Ray Cyrus. It’s unlikely Shaver would ever sing anything as maudlin as “Achy Breaky Heart,” for one thing. He probably won’t sing anything as popular, either; Shaver falls in with that long line of acclaimed but underappreciated West Texas outlaw…

This Is What Juggalo Food Looks Like

One of the true hardships that we face as a nation is the omnipresent problem of being surrounded by booze and stimulating foods. In the comforts of your own home, you may be able to curb your pizza roll addiction into having just a civilized cup of tomato soup. At…

The Weirdest Things We Heard at Gathering of the Juggalos

by Daniel Hill and Drew Ailes During the Gathering of the Juggalos, Cave-In Rock, Illinois becomes a sonic disaster zone. Even if you’re a rap lover, it’s hard to keep your mind sharp with all the noise. But within the cacophony of sounds, a few incredible Juggalo statements were somehow…

Death at Gathering of the Juggalos Leads to Drug Bridge Closure: Reports

Daniel HillThe now-closed “drug bridge” [Editor’s note: Daniel Hill and Drew Ailes are covering the Gathering of the Juggalos in Cave-in-Rock, Illinois.] The Gathering of the Juggalos’ infamous “drug bridge” is closed today, following reports of a fatal overdose. Ambulances were on the scene at Cave-in-Rock, Illinois around 2 p.m…

10 Must-Have Camping Items When Gathering with Juggalos

Nate “Igor” SmithA juggalo photographed on Wednesday, the first day of The Gathering, 2013.At some point in your life, you may find yourself sitting in a minivan in rural Illinois, stressed out as you wear a metal butcher knife pendant around your neck. Your ankles are covered in mysterious goo…

Masked Intruder @ Yucca Tap Room

Madison, Wisconsin’s pop punk quartet Masked Intruder has been stealing hearts and VCRs across the country this year, and for good reason: The band’s debut full-length sounds a bit like Screeching Weasel and The Ergs!, with a pinch of lovelorn Weezer added for good measure. “ADT Security” seems like the…

Vintage Trouble @ Crescent Ballroom

Hollywood-based retro-rock outfit Vintage Trouble may only have one studio album, 2012’s The Bomb Shelter Sessions, but the band’s résumé is impressive nonetheless. Vintage Trouble already has opened for The Who, Dave Matthews Band, and Bon Jovi. The band played alongside Kiss’ Paul Stanley at his 60th birthday party, and…

The Black Moods @ Last Exit Live

For two months, Tempe-based rockers The Black Moods have been crossing the Midwest and the West Coast on their first extensive tour, promoting their self-titled debut. All the work has paid off — each show bringing a more receptive audience — and by the end of the tour, they’d been…

Tim McGraw @ Salt River Fields

Last year, Tim McGraw left Curb Records after 20 years to join Big Machine Records. Contract disputes and lawsuits ensued upon the shift, but it seems to have been the right step for one of country’s most consistent stars. Coming just two weeks after his first collaborative album, Tim McGraw…

Hardwell @ Wild Knight

Although the scribes at DJ Mag won’t be releasing the results of their annual (and oft-debated) Top 100 poll for another couple of months, we’re willing to wager there’s one name that’s guaranteed to be close the top of the list: Hardwell. Bet on it. Life’s been most prosperous for…

Lady Gaga’s New Song “Burqa” Is Weird and Awesome

A new Lady Gaga song leaked Monday night called “Burqa,” though some blogs suggest it may actually be called “Aura.” (Hypeable did some sleuthing, leading us to believe that it is, in fact, called “Burqa.”) Both Zedd and Calvin Harris are mentioned in Gaga’s “**rq*” tweet from October, prefacing this…

The 25 Best Phoenix Club Photos of July 2013

An emergency deployment to Hollywood Alley might have deprived them of sleep and beer money, but it wasn’t about to keep our Club Candids photographers off their usual July beat: Taking pictures of people who would probably have left Phoenix for the summer if it weren’t for the pool parties…

25 Photos from Hollywood Alley’s Last Week

Our intrepid Club Candids team was camped out at Hollywood Alley all last week as the Mesa institution prepared to close its doors just shy of its 25th birthday. The result: Copious material for an upcoming feature, some video, and lots and lots of photos. They were on assignment, technically,…

14 Albums That Prove Shark Week and Heavy Metal Belong Together

I used to look forward to the arrival of Shark Week like it was a new Hatebreed album release — amped up and eager for new material and bloodshed. Unfortunately, after a couple years of tuning in, I realized that the masterminds behind the programming didn’t really care to bring…

Every Time I Die’s Keith Buckley Keeps It Light While Staying Heavy

“I’m just looking for a sign.” Keith Buckley, vocalist for establish metalcore act Every Time I Die, is a composed character, having fronted one of the most beloved metal acts of the past 16 years. He’s conducted symphonies of straight-edge moshers meeting in the pit with hardcore veterans and beer-swilling…

Photos from Hollywood Alley’s Final Night (1988-2013)

After 25 years of slinging drinks, trashy fun, and rock ‘n’ fucking roll, the party is finally over at Hollywood Alley in Mesa. All the beer and booze has been exhausted, the last song has echoed through its cavernous sticker-covered interior, and the last pizza has been served. We dropped…