American Pie’s Thomas Ian Nicholas joins the rock club

Thomas Ian Nicholas: Saturday, August 30, at Cave Creek Coffee Company By Clay McNear Okay, I’m gonna throw a bunch of names at you and ask you to tell me the common denominator: Steven Seagal, Zooey Deschanel, John Corbett, Scott Baio, Kevin Bacon, Leif Garrett, Russell Crowe, Tony Danza, Jennifer…

Flier of the Week: Andrew Jackson Jihad

This week’s “Flier of the Week” is for a show tonight featuring O Pioneers!!! and Andrew Jackson Jihad. In case you don’t recognize him by now, the surly mug on the flier belongs to Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. We particularly like the SS-style lightning bolts shooting out of his eyes.

Local Grammy Award-Winning Group Changes Name

By Steve Jansen Earlier this week, the group formerly known as the Phoenix Bach Choir announced that they have changed their name to the Phoenix Chorale. Along with the more contemporary-friendly sounding moniker comes a slick new logo (as seen above) and a cool redesigned Web site that is still…

The worst jobs in rock

Labor Day is upon us once again, so we’re paying tribute to America’s celebration of the workingman by recognizing the worst jobs in rock. They don’t get any shittier than these, boys and girls. Guns N’ Roses’ management June saw the release of nine allegedly mastered tracks from Guns N’…

Judas Priest singer Rob Halford dishes on Nostradamus

A symphonic heavy metal concept double album about Nostradamus may not rank among such conceptual classics as Pink Floyd’s The Wall, David Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, or the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, but when the band making Nostradamus…

Judas Priest Singer Rob Halford’s Phoenix Favorites

I recently had the chance to speak with Halford about the Metal Masters Tour, the new Judas Priest album, and his favorite things about Phoenix. You can read about the former two things in the music section of this week’s issue (“Seer Review,” August 28, 2008), but we saved the desert dishing for this blog.

Winner’s Circle: The 2008 Summer of Sound Awards show recap

The Phoenix New Times Summer of Sound series was a success again this year, thanks to the hard work and dedication of our marketing department and some of the finest local bands in town. It’s been a long, hot summer, but we finally got through all seven shows in seven genres over the course of 15 weeks. Just like last year, we had audience members at each show vote for their favorite band. But unlike last year, we didn’t announce the results at the end of each night, choosing instead to announce all winners at the awards show last night at Big Fish Pub in Tempe.

Is Dave Matthews the ultimate cock blocker?

Here are two situations you have probably found yourself in if you (a) have a penis, and (b) are/were not in a fraternity: Number one: While at a friend’s generally lame party (he just played Journey), you meet a girl who looks as bored as you. She’s beautiful, and that…

Flier of the Week: The Maine

This week’s “Flier of the Week” comes from Tempe indie rockers The Maine. After a long summer tour with Boys Like Girls and Good Charlotte, the band will be playing a hometown show on August 30. Check it.

The Top 14 Heavy Metal Men of Arizona

Believe it or not, Arizona has always been a haven for heavy metal icons. From the earliest days of heavy metal, the Valley of the Sun has housed and spawned some of the most influential acts in the genre: Flotsam and Jetsam, Sacred Reich, Megadeth, Soulfly, Linkin Park — hell, our state even has ties to Slayer and Metallica. We’re not sure if it’s the purgatory-worthy heat, the mystic mountains, or the minions of metalheads here, but one thing’s for certain: more famous metal musicians live or have lived in Arizona than the average Joe realizes. The 14 most noteworthy Arizona metal men are listed below, in no particular order.