When it rains, it pours—and that’s exactly what you can expect from the metal gods this April in Phoenix! It’s springtime, guys, and we’re in that teeny tiny window of gorgeous weather before triple digits start to slap us across the face. The Valley of the Sun is packed with…
As we reported a week or so ago, Guns N’ Roses basically announced that they would play a concert in Phoenix sometime after Coachella. Until now, they hadn’t released a date. Now, the wait is over. The band announced today that it would play University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale…
There’s a helluva lot of live music happening around the Valley this weeked — and that ain’t no April Fools joke. There’s a free gig by The Struts over at Tempe Marketplace tonight, the multitude of performances during First Friday, and the Phoenix Lights electronic dance music free-for-all up at…
A glam indie rock band lead by a strapping young peacock — that’s lead singer Luke Skinner’s nutshell description for his up-and-coming Brit band the Struts. And now they’re bringing those vibes to the Valley. On Friday April 1, they’ll be headlining a free concert at Tempe Marketplace as a…
Mitchell Hillman listens to more local music than just about anyone in the Valley. He presents his picks for best local music in column, Right Hear, Right Now. decker. – “Cellars (W.A.S.H. Remix)” At first listen to the music of decker., it’s difficult to imagine any of their songs being…
Something happened to pop star Justin Bieber in late 2015 when he released his latest effort, Purpose. Suddenly, he didn’t just appeal to adoring teen girls around the world. Purpose broadened his fan base to those who were looking for something other than just another teen idol. It wasn’t just fans…
Masta Ace has been a rapper’s rapper since he jumped into the game back in 1988, and after a 27-year career he remains one of the most respected underground MCs of all time. He is going to be coming through Phoenix for a date at downtown’s Last Exit Live on…
It’s not uncommon in the world of popular music for the progeny of legendary performers to try and make a name of their own. The late Natalie Cole, the late Frank Sinatra Jr., and Jason Bonham are a few successful, contemporary examples. For sibling singers Sofia, Melanie, Amanda, and August…
Like most well-known, middle-aged personalities, Punk Rock, known by friends as simply Punk, is a little coy about disclosing its true age. For the most part, though, Punk’s fans and critics tend to agree it was born in 1976, making this year its 40th birthday. We thought it would be…
Oddly enough, Celebration Guns has run into some confusion about their name. It comes from a Stars song off their album Your Ex-Lover Is Dead, but when the Phoenix quartet played Michael Feldman’s travelling radio show Whad’Ya Know?, a few members of the aging, liberal crowd raised an eyebrow: “Celebrating…
Hrishikesh Hirway is a one-man band — literally. For his chart-topping podcast, Sound Exploder, where he pulls apart songs with the musicians who wrote them, Hirway is like a scientist putting sonic emotion under a microscope. He interviews artists like U2, Björk, and Spoon and breaks down their song construction. He pulls apart each musical…
It’s not that Spafford has anything against Phoenix or Arizona, it’s just that the super heavy prog-jam quintet doesn’t like being called a “local” band. And as of now, the group is starting to earn the credentials necessary to be called a national act. Not only have more of their…
Carbon-based life forms of the Valley, be warned: the phenomenon known as the Phoenix Lights will once again invade our city a few days from now, bringing with it an otherworldly aura and an array of colorful beings into our midst. But before you start stocking up on ammunition or…
Viva PHX, the music festival that turns downtown Phoenix into a mini-South By Southwest for a night, will return on Saturday, March 11, 2017. The 2016 festival brought around 70 musical acts to 17 venues across the city. If you missed it, you can catch a glimpse of the madness…
In case your teenaged kids haven’t already excitedly informed you, Justin Bieber is headed to the Valley later this week. Like it or not, the 22-year-old hitmaker is hitting Gila River Arena in Glendale on Wednesday with his “Purpose” tour in support of the blockbuster album of the same name…
The Vanishing Show in Tempe’s Maple-Ash-Farmer-Wilson neighborhood is a novel response to Tempe’s strict noise ordinances. The event, which had its second annual show Saturday night, acts as a moving house party with bands playing no longer than 20 or 30 minute sets. The idea is that by the time police…
When was the last time you were actually afraid of losing something? That primordial fear rattled me just before seeing Fall Out Boy for the first time on Friday night. I was truly concerned that the nostalgia of laying on my living room floor after school and watching Fall Out…
The last time The Hourglass Cats (THC) dropped an EP Jan Brewer was still governor, KONGOS wasn’t platinum yet, Black Carl was still together, and Sheriff Joe. . .was still sheriff. But that’s neither here nor there. It has been since June of 2012 since THC has release a collection…
It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that Guns N’ Roses’ much-anticipated reunion at Coachella 2016 wouldn’t be the last time the legendary rock group played together this year. After all, if there’s any truth to the $3 million per show payout that GN’R was seeking, why wouldn’t…
Game to go a show this weekend? You’ve certainly got no shortage of options available as the concert calendar in overloaded with big gigs by major names taking place around Phoenix. That includes performances by rock and country legends (David Crosby, Vince Gill), burgeoning hip-hop stars (Migos), and phenomenally gifted…
If you are a fan of local art rockers Fairy Bones, there is no doubt that you’ve been eagerly awaiting the release of their newest video for the final track from last year’s Dramabot, “Notes From Wonderland.” It is the group’s best video since the creepy house party that was…
You want to see a magic trick? Because the Maple Ash Farmer Wilson Neighborhood is going to make their annual walking tour show disappear. That’s right, the lads and lassies over in the Casey Moore’s district of Tempe, also known as the Maple-Ash-Farmer-Wilson neighborhood or Zone 1, are throwing another “Vanishing…
