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| Coldplay to bring 'Viva la Vida' tour to Valley in July |
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British rock band Coldplay will bring their “Viva la Vida” tour to Glendale’s Jobing.com Arena, 9400 W. Maryland Ave., on Saturday, July 12, it was announced Friday. Read more... |
| 'Music Builds' tour featuring Third Day and Switchfoot, to make stop in Valley |
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Third Day, Switchfoot, Robert Randolph & the Family Band and Jars Of Clay have teamed up for “Music Builds,” a tour benefiting local Habitat for Humanity chapters that will make a visit to the Cricket Wireless Pavilion on Thursday, Sept. 25. Read more... |
| Brooks & Dunn and ZZ Top to co-headline Valley show |
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Superstar country duo Brooks & Dunn will team up with blues rockers ZZ Top for a tour that will make a stop at the Cricket Wireless Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix, on Saturday, August 2, it was announced Friday. Read more... |
| Headliners Judas Priest bring 'Metal Masters' tour to Valley |
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Pioneering British metal bands Judas Priest, Heaven and Hell and Motorhead will bring their “Metal Masters” tour to the Cricket Wireless Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix, on Thursday, August 28, it was announced Friday. Read more... |
| Chip Hanna returns to Valley from Berlin | |
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When Chip Hanna moved with his wife to Berlin several months ago, the Valley lost one of its finest singer-songwriters of classic-sounding country and bluegrass music. Read more... |
| Local music notes: Tramps & Thieves CD release show, Mill Avenue, Inc., and OTEP |
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Tempe-based Tramps & Thieves play Last Exit to release 'Perennials', Valley filmmaker 'Nico' Holthaus premieres 'Mill Avenue, Inc.', and OTEP plays The Clubhouse. Read more... |
| 'American Idol' down to final three |
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First of all, why is the “American Idol” results show still an hour long with only four contestants left? These results shows are packed with more filler than a goose-down pillow — all fluff and very little substance. Read more... |
| DPS cites rapper DMX for high speeds on Loop 101 | |
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State authorities have arrested rapper DMX on suspicion of driving at speeds exceeding 100 mph on Loop 101 through Scottsdale. Read more... |
| Tom Waits opens tour with Valley dates | |
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Tom Waits — the longtime singer/songwriter known for his throaty voice, compelling lyrics and songs that span genres from jazz to folk to blues to Tin Pan Alley pop — will kick off his brief "Glitter and Doom" tour by playing two shows at Phoenix's Orpheum Theatre, 203 W. Adams St., on Tuesday, June 17, and Wednesday, June 18. Read more... |
| Randy Travis coming to Celebrity Theatre |
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Singer Randy Travis, who revolutionized country music in the mid-'80s by returning the genre to its traditional roots, will appear at the Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix, on Friday, Oct. 10. Read more... |
| Reunited Stone Temple Pilots to play Dodge Theatre |
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The Stone Temple Pilots, the San Diego based band that rode the grunge wave to stardom in the ‘90s before splitting up in 2003, have reunited and will bring their first tour in eight years to the Dodge Theatre, 400 W. Washington Ave., Phoenix, on Tuesday, July 29. Read more... |
| 'Idol' contestant White thanks East Valley fans |
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“American Idol” contestant Brooke White may have been “living in a bubble” for the past few months while making her run for the title, but said she wanted the East Valley to know that she appreciated all the support during her time on the show. The Mesa native was eliminated Wednesday after making the top five. Read more... |
| Local music notes: Guana Batz, 'Turbo Ocho', and Marquee Theatre |
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Psychobilly British band, The Guana Batz play their first Arizona show at Chasers Bar & Nightclub in Scottsdale Friday, RCPM's 'Turbo Ocho' is in stores as is Dierks Bentley's 'Every Mile a Memory: Greatest Hits 2003-2008', and for the hot show of the week, head out to Marquee Theatre for the local music showcase Saturday. Read more... |
| Gilbert’s Nathan Dean finds a home in country music | |
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Nathan Dean grew up on a farm in northern Illinois learning to sing by imitating whomever he heard on the radio, and it was impressions of singers such as Michael Jackson, David Lee Roth and Enrique Iglesias that, in a roundabout way, led him back to his country roots. Read more... |
| Rush brings decades of evolution to Valley | |
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Canadian prog-rock trio Rush brings the second leg of their “Snakes & Arrows” tour, which passed through the Valley last July, back for an encore at Cricket Wireless Pavilion Thursday night. Read more... |
| 'Alt-rock' vs. 'Indie' |
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A colleague of mine (and an ardent music fan) here at the Trib raised an interesting question recently: What is the difference between “alt-rock” and “indie rock?” Read more... |
| Review: Blues Traveler rocks McDowell Mt. Music Fest | |
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Australia's John Butler Trio may have been Saturday's headliner at the McDowell Mountain Music Festival, but it was the blues-harp histrionics of Blues Traveler frontman John Popper — one of the greatest blues harpists to ever throw down on the harmonica — that stole the show on the final day of the popular two-day jam band fest at West World of Scottsdale. Read more... |
| Neil Diamond coming to Jobing.com Arena in October |
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Pop legend Neil Diamond, who for more than four decades has been a top-selling recording artist and concert draw, will play a show at the Jobing.com Arena, 9400 W. Maryland, Ave., Glendale, on Friday, Oct. 10, it was announced Monday. Read more... |
| Toby Keith coming to Cricket Wireless Pavilion |
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Country superstar Toby Keith will bring his “Biggest & Baddest Concert Tour” to the Cricket Wireless Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix on Thursday, July 10, it was announced Friday. Read more... |
| It’s time to jam at the McDowell Mountain Music Festival | |
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The third of three Valley music festivals this spring, the McDowell Mountain Music Festival, kicks off Friday at WestWorld of Scottsdale. Read more... |
| The Nuge to play Celebrity in June |
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Legendary rocker Ted Nugent — who parlayed his wild-man image into a reality TV show (VH1’s now-defunct “Surviving Ted Nugent”) and guest spots on talk shows where he espouses his right wing views on gun control — will perform a show at the Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St., Phoenix, on Monday, June 9. Read more... |
| Slipknot, Dusturbed to headline Mayhem Festival on July 18 |
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Iowa nu metal band Slipknot and Chicago rockers Disturbed will headline the first-ever Mayhem Festival, which comes to Phoenix’s Cricket Pavilion on July 18. Read more... |
| Hometown hero Dierks Bentley shines at Country Thunder | |
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Valley native Dierks Bentley won a Country Music Association Horizon Award, given to a country artist who has “shown significant creative growth” in their young career — and if the singer’s performance as Saturday's Country Thunder USA headliner is any indication, Bentley may be taking home the prestigious Entertainer of the Year award in the future. Read more... |
| Sugarland, Fogerty rock day two of Country Thunder | |
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Reigning Country Music Association duo of the year Sugarland may have been the headlining act on the main stage at Country Thunder USA on Friday, but John Fogerty, the former Creedence Clearwater Revival singer/songwriter and solo artist who played a nearly 90 minutes set before Sugarland, proved he’s still a tough act to follow. Read more... |
| Neal McCoy livens up first night of Country Thunder | |
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Country Thunder USA 2008’s opening day could not have been more pleasant, as Thursday’s moderate temps and bright sunshine invigorated the announced crowd of 15,000 country fans (way up from last year’s opening-day attendance), and with nice weather predicted through Sunday and a handful of popular headlining acts set to perform at Canyon Moon Ranch in Florence over the next three days, the party is off to a great start. Read more... |
| Valley native returns as Country Thunder USA headliner | |
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Country star and Phoenix native Dierks Bentley may now call Nashville, Tenn., home, but he makes it a point to make it back to the Valley, especially since a particular 7-foot center now resides here, too. Country Thunder 2008: Blogging the festival Read more... |
| Country Thunder 2008: Blogging the festival | |
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Music writer Chris Hansen Orf and multimedia producer Chris Page blog all four days of the 2008 Country Thunder music festival, April 17-20, with headliners Dierks Bentley, Sugarland and Phil Vassar. Check back for photos, videos and special reports. Read more... |
| Local music notes: Intrinzik, back from SXSW, opening for Tech N9ne in Tempe |
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Fresh off a successful showcase at South by Southwest, acclaimed Valley rapper Intrinzik will perform on a rap bill that includes underground rap star Tech N9ne and Paul Wall at the Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe, on Sunday, April 20. Read more... |
| Motley Crue brings “Crue Fest” to Cricket |
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Hair-metal pioneers Motley Crue will bring their Crue Fest tour — billed as “The Loudest Show on Earth” — to Phoenix's Cricket Wireless Pavilion (2121 N. 83rd Ave.) on Thursday, July 31. Also on the bill: Buckcherry and Papa Roach. Read more... |
| Mesa’s Jimmy Eat World to play Dodge Theatre |
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Jimmy Eat World, who have gone from playing clubs in Mesa in the mid-‘90s to selling millions of records worldwide, will return to the Valley to play a headlining show at the Didge Theatre, 400 W. Washington Ave., Phoenix, on Wednesday, June 18, it was announced Tuesday. Read more... |
| Family, friends, fans gather to cheer 'Idol' contestant | |
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Most of us can watch "American Idol" with a sense of impersonal detachment, rooting for our favorite singers on the Fox talent competition to do well - but if they get voted off, so be it. Read more... |
| Snoop Dogg / 311 tickets go on sale April 18 |
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Tickets for the Unity Tour 2008 with headliners Snoop Dogg and 311 will go on sale 10 a.m. Friday. Price is $54.50. Read more... |
| Browne the musician makes some noise | |
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Although Jackson Browne may be more visible as a political activist than as a singer/songwriter these days, Browne's latest two discs have given longtime fans a unique glimpse into the artist's creative process. Read more... |
| John Mayer coming to Cricket Pavilion | |
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Grammy winning singer/songwriter John Mayer will perform at the Cricket Wireless Pavilion (2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix) on Wednesday, July 30, it was announced Friday. Read more... |
| Zubia + DeGuvera: Tempe duo gets back to basics | |
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Most bands that head out on tour travel by bus — or at the very least, depending on tour support, a minivan — but Valley duo Zubia + DeGuvera recently toured the Midwest in style. Read more... |
| Local music notes: Clyne & The Peacemakers announce May ‘Circus Mexicus’ | |
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Tempe alt-rockers Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers have announced the festivities surrounding their 16th “Circus Mexicus,” an outdoor concert that takes place every spring and fall in Puerto Peñasco, Mexico. Read more... |
| Linkin Park brings Projekt Revolution 2008 tour to Valley |
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Linkin Park, one of the biggest selling bands of the new millennium, will bring its Projeckt Revolution 2008 tour to Cricket Wireless Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix, on Thursday, August 7, it was announced Friday. Read more... |
| Local music notes: Music festival month, Last Exit Bar hosts cancer benefit, Shurman | |
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With Country Thunder, McDowell Mountain Music Festival and the Chandler Jazz Festival, April is certainly the Valley's musical festival month. Last Exit Bar and Grill will present a "Save the Boobs 2.0" cancer benefit concert April 5th, and don't miss twang rockers 'Shurman' this week. Read more... |
| Death Cab For Cutie to play Mesa Amphitheatre |
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Alt-rock “it” boys Death Cab For Cutie will return to the Valley for the first time in two years when the band plays an outdoor gig at the downtown Mesa Amphitheatre (263 N. Center St.) on Thursday, June 19. Read more... |
| Vans Warped Tour returns to Valley in June |
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The Vans Warped Tour, an annual summer concert staple featuring a plethora of national and local alt-rock/punk, will return to the Valley on Wednesday, June 25, at the Cricket Wireless Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix. Read more... |
| Fergie closes Tempe Music Fest with “Fergalicious” bang | |
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The so-called Dutchess of Pop herself, Fergie, closed out the most successful Tempe Music Festival in its six year existence Saturday with a set consisting of a Black Eyed Peas medley, tunes from her 2006 solo disc, “The Dutchess,” and a host of surprising covers during her hour and fifteen minute set. Read more... |
| Photos: Hot bods from Tempe Music Fest |
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A collection of skin-baring, hotness-exuding folks from the 2008 Tempe Music Festival, March 28-29 at Tempe Beach Park. Read more... |
| My Chemical Romance highlights start of Tempe Music Fest | |
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This year, organizers of the Tempe Music Festival broke the bank to get two red-hot headliners, pop/goth/punk act My Chemical Romance for Friday, and pop princess Fergie for Saturday. And it paid off big-time Friday as My Chemical Romance played to the biggest crowd on opening day in the Tempe Music Festival’s six years. Read more... |
| Blogging the 2008 Tempe Music Festival | |
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Check out our continuing coverage of the 2008 Tempe Music Festival (March 28-29, at Tempe Town Lake) with regularly updated blog, videos and photos. Read more... |
| Local music notes: Insley scores with 'Wine', May Pang, Dead Hot Workshop and Tucson's Sand Rubies |
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Alt-country singer/songwriters Dave Insley garners national attention for his third solo album 'West Texas Wine', and ex-Lennon girlfriend May Pang set to appear at Rock Star Gallery in Scottsdale, and see Dead Hot Workshop and Sand Rubies at Last Exit Bar and Grill. Read more... |
| Tempe Music Festival: Valley alt-rock icons are back | |
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Most touring bands will tell you the worst part of being on the road is the endless driving. But Meat Puppets bassist Cris Kirkwood is downright upbeat as he talks via cell phone while the band makes its way to Albuquerque, N.M. Read more... |
| Festival scores diverse headliners Fergie, My Chemical Romance | |
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During his six years as organizer of the Tempe Music Festival, co-founder Ken Koziol has learned a few things about booking the main-stage acts for the two day, outdoor festival at Tempe Beach Park. Read more... |
| Guitarist Jonny Lang plays Celebrity in June | |
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Guitarist and singer Jonny Lang plays Phoenix's intimate Celebrity Theatre June 12. Tickets go on sale Monday, March 31. Read more... |
| George Michael to play US Airways Arena in June | |
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George Michael, the former leader of ‘80s Brit pop duo Wham! and a multimillion-selling solo artist, will bring his first American tour in 17 years to Phoenix's US Airways Arena on Sunday, June 22, it was announced today. Read more... |
| Jazz fusion legends Return To Forever returns to Valley |
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Reunited jazz fusion legends Return To Forever, whose early ‘70s work altered the course of both jazz and rock, will perform at the Dodge Theatre, 400 W. Washington Ave., Phoenix, on Saturday, June 24. Read more... |
| Legendary blues-rockers Hot Tuna to play Mesa Arts Center |
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San Francisco based blues/rock band Hot Tuna, featuring former members of ‘60s rock band Jefferson Airplane, will play an all electric show at the Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main St., Mesa, on Monday, May 12. Read more... |
| Chicago, Doobie Brothers co-headline at Dodge Theatre | |
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Two of classic rock’s biggest hitmakers, Chicago and The Doobie Brothers, will co-headline a show at Phoenix's Dodge Theatre, 400 W. Washington Ave., on Tuesday, June 3. Read more... |
| Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers record album in 'Turbo’ mode | |
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Most bands will tell you that writing and recording an album is a long, painstaking process. Getting enough good songs together. Booking the studio time. Recording the record. Putting the record out in stores. Read more... |
| Local music notes: Ben Jelen and Horse Thieves; SRP Garage Band competition, and Psychostick |
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Two national touring acts Ben Jelen and Horse Thieves will hit Yucca Tap Room this week, and watch and vote for your favorite college and high school-aged bands in the SRP Garage Band Competition finals this month on "Cox Rox", plus Psychostick is the hot show of the week at The Sets Friday. Read more... |
| Classic rock's Crosby, Stills & Nash to perform in Valley |
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Legendary folk rock trio Crosby, Stills & Nash will make a tour stop at the Dodge Theatre, 400 W. Washington Ave., Phoenix, on Saturday, June 21. Read more... |
| Heavy metal legends Iron Maiden to play the Valley in May | |
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Iron Maiden — who on most lists of the greatest heavy metal bands of all time comes in second only to fellow Brits Black Sabbath — will bring their “Somewhere Back in Time” tour to the Cricket Wireless Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Ave., Phoenix, on Thursday, June 12, it was announced Friday. Read more... |
| Country star Brad Paisley to play Cricket Pavilion in June | |
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Brad Paisley, the reigning ACM and CMA Country Male Vocalist of the Year, will play Phoenix's Cricket Wireless Pavilion on Thursday, June 12, promoters announced Friday. Read more... |
| Local music notes: Melton, Hopkins to 'Duel', Mojo Farmers, and Led Zepagain |
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Legendary guitarists Barry Melton and Tucson's Rich Hopkins will play together Saturday at Club Mardi Gras. The Mojo Farmers say goodbye to longtime drummer Tim Olson at Last Exit Bar and Grill on Friday. And catch the best Zeppelin tribute band act, Led Zepagain, Saturday at the Marquee Theatre. Read more... |
| Former Refreshment, novelist Edwards returns to music | |
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While there are plenty of novelists who’d love to be rock stars, you’ll probably be hard-pressed to find a rock star who wants to be a novelist. Read more... |
| A brave New Age for John Tesh | |
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John Tesh followed his heart, and for that he will always be a punch line. His booming voice, sun-bleached mop and sturdy chin made him a hit on “Entertainment Tonight,” which he anchored in the early ’90s. Read more... |
| Valley's Meat Puppets added to Tempe Music Fest | |
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Valley alt-rock legends Meat Puppets, who rose from the Phoenix hardcore punk scene in the early 1980s to national prominence in the ‘90s, have been added to the Tempe Music Festival lineup, marking the band’s first appearance in their old stomping grounds since reuniting in 2006. Read more... |
| Great drummers sometimes can step up to the mike | |
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There’s an old music joke that goes like this: Q: What did the drummer say right before he was kicked out of his band? A: Hey, guys, let’s try one of MY songs ... Read more... |
| McDowell Mountain Music Festival lineup finalized | |
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Blues Traveler, The Wailers will play the fifth annual McDowell Mountain Music Festival, scheduled for April 25 and 26 at the WestWorld Polo Grounds in Scottsdale. Read more... |
| Robert Plant and Alison Krauss to play Valley in July | |
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Concert promotions giant Live Nation have announced that Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, whose album “Raising Sand” landed on many music critics’ best albums lists for 2007, will perform at Phoenix's Dodge Theatre on Tuesday, July 1st. Tickets go on sale March 10. Read more... |
| 'Idol's' Jordin Sparks, Alicia Keys play Valley encore in May | |
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“American Idol” winner Jordin Sparks will open for Alicia Keys on tour beginning in April – including a May 12 concert at Jobing.com Arena in Sparks’ hometown of Glendale. Read more... |
| After studio stint, One Lone Car returns to Tempe | |
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When St. Louis’ One Lone Car scored a record deal, the band knew exactly where they wanted to record their debut album. Tempe, Arizona. Read more... |
| Valley duo Hellen changing the face of heavy metal | |
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When one thinks of a metal band, images conjured might include a group of dudes dressed all in black, with long hair, maybe some goth face paint, and upside-down crosses or other scary implements of the metal trade. Read more... |
| Local music notes: Jeff Dahl, 'Amp in a Can', and Grave Danger at Yucca Tap |
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Jeff Dahl plays his last Valley show Friday, Total Guitar magazine gives 'Amp in a Can' their highest rating, and don't miss Grave Danger at the Yucca Tap Room. Read more... |
| The Police returning to Valley in May; Costello opens | |
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Before last June it had been two decades since ‘80s hitmakers The Police had played a show in the Valley, and now, with the announcement that the band will play the Cricket Pavilion on May 24, they’ll give their fans a second local gig in less than a year. Elvis Costello opens. Read more... |
| Copy cats: A guide to starting a tribute band | |
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When Bono belts out “Even Better Than the Real Thing” in concert, he probably isn’t singing about the many U2 tribute bands that have popped up in recent years. Read more... |
| Music notes: Roger Clyne, Phunk Junkeez’s Soulman, Intrinzik | |
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Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers celebrate their new disc, "Turbo Ocho" with a concert at Celebrity Theatre, Phunk Junkeez's Soulman DJs at Sugar Daddys, and Intrinzik performs at the SXSW music festival in Austin, Texas. Read more... |
| G. Love and Special Sauce at Marquee Theatre |
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Alternative hip-hop artist G. Love and his band Special Sauce sound like what might happen if the Beastie Boys and Bob Dylan ever recorded a record together. Read more... |
| Valley singers make the 'Idol’ cut | |
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Two singers with Valley ties — Mesa native Brooke White and Glendale’s David Hernandez, both 24 — were voted to the Top 24 following Wednesday’s “American Idol” results show. Read more... |
| Jazz guitarist Pat Metheny plays Orpheum March 1 | |
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Multiple Grammy Award-winning jazz guitarist Pat Metheny will bring his Pat Metheny Trio to the Orpheum Theatre (203 W Adams St., Phoenix) on Saturday March 1, promoters announced Monday. Read more... |
| Phoenix Bach Choir wins Grammy |
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The Phoenix Bach Choir shared a Grammy Award with the Kansas City Chorale and their shared conductor, Charles Bruffy, for their classical album "Grechaninov: Passion Week." Read more... |
| Symphony to perform music chosen by fans online | |
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A symphony concert - people playing centuries-old songs on centuries-old instruments - just sounds about as far away from cutting-edge as possible. Read more... |
| Fergie, My Chemical Romance play Tempe Fest | |
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The 2008 Circle K Tempe Music Festival is breaking out the big guns this year. Fergie and My Chemical Romance are set to headline the sixth annual fest, scheduled for Friday, March 28 and Saturday, March 29 at Tempe Beach Park (Northwest corner of Rio Salado Parkway and Mill Avenue). Read more... |
| Jackson Browne plays Mesa in April | |
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Singer/songwriter Jackson Browne, who is synonymous with the laid back "Mellow Mafia" movement in 1970s L.A., will make an appearance at the Mesa Arts Center on Monday, April 14. Read more... |
| Life’s 'Wonderful!’ for crooner Mathis | |
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Talking to pop singer Johnny Mathis, turns out, is a lot like slipping one of his old platters onto the turntable. (Or, OK, cuing up his greatest hits on the iPod.) Read more... |
| They got the funk: Clinton and the gang | |
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When George Clinton brings Parliament Funkadelic to the Marquee Theatre, Valley fans can expect to get funked up by a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and a man who is regarded by many to be the most important link between rock and funk. Read more... |
| Music notes: The Format, Tom Curtis and Steppchild |
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The Format disbands to concentrate on solo efforts, founding partner of Mesa's Beatlocker Records Tom Curtis gets a gold record, and Steppchild headlines at the Yucca Tap Room. Read more... |
| The Format disbands 'for foreseeable future' | |
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Pop duo The Format, whose 2006 disc “Dog Problems” is one of the greatest discs produced by a local act, has disbanded “for the foreseeable future,” according to the band’s publicist. Read more... |
| Tom Petty summer show on sale Feb. 9 |
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Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, with opening act Steve Winwood, play Jobing.com Arena Aug. 20. Tickets go on sale Feb. 9, following Petty's Super Bowl XLII halftime show. Read more... |
| Valley rockers Vayden score deal with Silent Majority Group | |
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After a successful 2007 that saw Valley rockers Vayden release a stellar CD and welcome two new members, the band got their 2008 off to a good start on Martin Luther King Jr. Day: They signed a record deal with Silent Majority Group, home to rockers such as Candlebox. Read more... |
| Music notes: Brittney Elizabeth, Super Bowl, The Bravery | |
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As the crush of media, football fans and A-list celebrities descend on the Valley for the Super Bowl, plenty of musical events in all genres are on tap... Check out what winning has done for Valley singer/songwriter Brittney Elizabeth... and go see neo-’80s synth/pop band The Bravery at The Clubhouse Music Venue. Read more... |
| Music notes: Scary Kids, Crash Street Kids, Metalfest | |
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Chris Hansen Orf plugs into the local music scene. This week: Big in Japan? Try going No. 1 in the U.K. ... Crash Street Kids did; Scary Kids Scaring Kids play nice with animals; Scottsdale's Mardi Gras goes Metalfest. Read more... |
| American death metal burgeoning in new millennium | |
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Since the new millennium, several American death metal bands have formed that are taking the genre in new directions. The Black Dahlia Murder’s concert on Tuesday inspires a look at the brightest new lights in death metal. Read more... |
| Rush returns to Valley in May | |
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Canadian hard rock/prog trio Rush will return to Phoenix's Cricket Pavilion May 1, it was announced Friday. Read more... |
| Music Notes: Songsmith, passports and straight-edge | |
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Chris Hansen Orf trains his ear on the local music scene. This week: Americana songsmith Todd Snider plays Tempe's Last Exit; Glass Heroes head to London for Henry Rollins gig; hardcore straight-edgers Bane play The Clubhouse in Tempe. Read more... |
| Southern rock is alive and well — on the country charts | |
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Plenty of new country artists are putting Southern rock on the country charts, and in honor of Oklahoma combo Cross Canadian Ragweed’s show in the Valley, here’s a look at few of the country artists with a decided Southern bent. Read more... |
| Only thing predictable about 'American Idol' is ratings |
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As “American Idol” kicks off its seventh season, the TV juggernaut’s producers are again promising that we’ll uncover America’s next music superstar. Read more... |
| A match made in 'Stairway to Heaven’: Symphony meets Led Zeppelin | |
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Unless you were one of the lucky 20,000 Led Zeppelin fans who won a ticket lottery to see the legendary rockers’ reunion show in London last month, the best chance you’re going to get to hear live Led Zeppelin music this year is when the Phoenix Symphony performs “The Music of Led Zeppelin” Friday at the Dodge Theatre. Read more... |
| Reunited Sugar High again making sweet power pop | |
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If you’ve ever seen the movie “Drive Me Crazy,” the 1999 teen comedy starring then-teen queen Melissa Joan Hart, you probably already know that after the opening sequence, the movie goes downhill fast. Read more... |
| Hardcore essentials: The bands that made it happen |
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For fans of American punk rock, there are three generations of bands to listen to, from the first blast from NYC in the ’70s to the early ’80s hardcore movement to the ’90s punk old school resurrection. Read more... |
| Chris Orf's top albums of 2007 |
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1. “Magic,” Bruce Springsteen - After a decade of concentrating on his acoustic Americana side (save for 2002’s “The Rising”), Springsteen gets his legendary backing group The E Street Band back together to make some serious “Magic." Read more... |
| Local music notes: Top 10 local CDs of 2007 |
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The end of the year is a time for looking back, reflecting on past events and, for music geeks like me, ruminating on the best music of 2007. Read more... |
| Valley legend Jerry Riopelle back for New Year’s Eve | |
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When Jerry Riopelle went looking for a place to set up his new company, Beamz Interactive, he knew just the place to go. Read more... |
| Reunited Sand Rubies back with 'Mas Cuacha’ | |
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Fresh off the plane from his band’s first tour of Germany in eight years, Sand Rubies guitarist Rich Hopkins is battling jet lag. Read more... |
| Grave Danger digs being eclectic | |
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Ask Grave Danger fans to classify their music and you’d most likely hear “punk” or “rockabilly,” but the members of the Tempe-based band say they go beyond that — they love old-school punk rock, pre-’70s country, even R&B from the ’50s. Read more... |
| Tucson’s Pakulis turns on 'Mockingbird Radio' | |
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The way Tucson singer/songwriter Kevin Pakulis tells it, despite the fact he’s been a fine guitar picker since the age of 14, he never thought much about writing songs and singing them until just a few years ago. Read more... |
| Source Victoria makes a break for it with 'The Fast Escape’ | |
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For a couple of years now, the prevailing wisdom at Get Out has been that if you want to run into a local rock celebrity, go see a Source Victoria show, where you’re likely to find members of such Valley-based national acts as Jimmy Eat World, The Format and Reubens Accomplice dotting the crowd. Read more... |
| Quiz: Match the actor to the band |
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John Corbett isn't the only actor to moonlight in a rock band. Try and match the actor with his or her musical side project. Read more... |
| 'Sex & the City’s’ Corbett steps out with country-rock band | |
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While most will recognize John Corbett as Aidan from HBO’s “Sex & the City” or from his roles in films such as “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” “Raise Your Voice” and “Raising Helen,” there’s more to the 45-year-old than acting. He’s also a musician. Read more... |
| Rockers band together for tots | |
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One of the more rocking events benefiting Toys For Tots this season will take place Friday, Dec. 14, at Anderson’s Fifth Estate in Scottsdale. Read more... |
| Mojo Farmers’ 'jam’ finds varied audience in local music scene | |
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Tempe’s Mojo Farmers know that being labeled a “jam band” might bring about some preconceived notions of what the band might sound like (endless guitar solos) and who they might play for, (the hippies who followed the Grateful Dead or the frat boys who gravitate toward the Dave Matthews Band). Read more... |
| Review: Loose Stevie Wonder gives Glendale fans career-spanning retrospective | |
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In his 1983 stand up comedy special "Delirious," comedian and noted Stevie Wonder impressionist Eddie Murphy says talks about letting the singer get a word in edgewise during a conversation because "you gotta cut Steve off quick, 'cause if he gets a roll going he'll talk your ear off." Read more... |
| Kanye, Winehouse lead Grammy noms |
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LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Whether he wins or loses on Grammy night, the chances of more Kanye West awards show drama were high after he received a leading eight nominations Thursday. Read more... |
| Stevie Wonder is one of rock's true geniuses |
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The word “genius” has been branded on seemingly every popular rock artist who can string a melody and some words together, from Axl Rose to Kurt Cobain to Eminem. Read more... |
| Review: A kinder, gentler Ozzy still brings the rock |
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There was a time when Ozzy Osbourne was one of the scariest, most unpredictable stars in all of rock music - a booze-fueled wild man who christened himself “The Prince of Darkness,” draped himself in large robes and was prone to biting the heads off of live pigeons and dead bats. Read more... |
| Review: Fall Out Boy keep it simple during arena show |
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Although they were headlining Glendale’s 18,000-capacity Jobing.com Arena, Fall Out Boy kept it simple during their 90-minute performance Monday night - aside from a few pyrotechnics. Read more... |
| This battery-powered brew will blast your guitar | |
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It looks like an ordinary 24-ounce can of Heineken beer — and, indeed, it used to be. But don’t crumple up this can and throw it in the recycle bin. Plug your guitar into it. Read more... |
| Reunited, rejuvenated Van Halen in top form at Jobing.com Arena |
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With David Lee Roth back as Van Halen’s lead singer after an absence of 22 years, the 20,000 fans of the 1978-1985 version of the band that packed Glendale’s Jobing.Com Arena on Friday night can officially go ahead and just forget that that whole “Van Hagar” episode never happened. Read more... |
| Formerly embittered Van Halen members reunite for Valley show | |
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They’re like a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup — two great tastes that go great together — but rock history is littered with bands whose lead singers and lead guitarists could barely stand to be on the same stage with each other. Read more... |
| Ozzy’s guitarists among rock’s greatest |
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Since his departure from Black Sabbath in 1979, Ozzy Osbourne has played with some of the best guitarists, from unknowns to established players, during his nearly three-decade solo career. Read more... |
| Osbourne talks bats, sobriety and work ethic | |
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Anyone who has seen the former MTV reality series “The Osbournes” knows paterfamilias and heavy metal icon Ozzy Osbourne was sometimes hard to understand — even if the travails with his wife and manager, Sharon, and kids Kelly and Jack were all too familiar. Read more... |
| Kelly Clarkson plays ‘storyteller’ at packed Gammage concert | |
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There was a lot of hubbub surrounding the release of Kelly Clarkson’s third album "My December" – a clash with record label honcho Clive Davis followed by a canceled tour – but the first winner of Fox’s "American Idol" proved her lows were behind her when she headlined ASU’s Gammage Auditorium in Tempe Tuesday. Read more... |
| Review: Self-titled debut from Jordin Sparks earns 'B' | |
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During her charge to victory on “American Idol,” Jordin Sparks’ best moments on the show were when she used her mature voice (at 17, she was the youngest contestant ever to win the competition) to belt out such ballads as Shirley Bassey’s “I Who Have Nothing” and Martina McBride’s “Broken Wing.” Read more... |
| 'Idol' winner Jordin’s big voice lights up debut CD | |
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This summer, Glendale teenager Jordin Sparks got a pretty cool job. Read more... |
| Charting Kelly Clarkson’s highs and lows |
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Kelly Clarkson, who on Tuesday brings her My December tour to Tempe, has certainly seen her share of ups and downs — ballooning weight, feuding with her record label and a critically panned third album — since being crowned “American Idol." Read more... |
| Hubba Bubba: Sirius DJ likes Valley metal band | |
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If you’ve ever listened to Bubba the Love Sponge on Sirius Radio, you’ve heard the shock jock spin CDs from unsigned bands, then make merciless fun of them on the air. For Valley metal band St. Madness, a rare thing happened: Bubba loved them. Read more... |
| Jewel is ready to release a country gem | |
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It shouldn’t be any surprise to hear that Jewel Kilcher is going country. Earlier this year, the coffeehouse troubadour-turned-pop rocker (thanks to the 1995 hit album “Pieces of You”) hosted “Nashville Star,” the cable TV twang-off. Read more... |
| Liquor Store Junkies re-create fabled 'Sun Sessions’ sound | |
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With a name like Liquor Store Junkies, you’d expect the members of the Valley rockabilly favorites to spend most of their free time hanging out at Tempe’s Tops Liquors sampling the goods. But the quartet insists the only thing they’re junkies for is old-school rockabilly music. Read more... |
| She Wants Revenge halt show after fight breaks out | |
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She Wants Revenge singer Justin Warfield abruptly halted the LA band’s performance Monday at the Marquee Theatre after punches were thrown amongst people in the audience. Read more... |
| Spektor’s songwriting spans genres | |
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Growing up in Moscow during the Cold War era, a young Regina Spektor was fortunate to have an amateur musician father who was able to obtain Western pop recordings by such artists as The Beatles and Queen while his impressionable young daughter was learning how to play the piano. Read more... |
| Brittney Elizabeth shooting for punk-pop stardom | |
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Some of the greatest rock music in history has been inspired by a muse. The most famous rock muse is Patti Boyd Harrison, who inspired her husband, George Harrison, to write “Something” with the Beatles and Eric Clapton to write “Layla” when he had a hopeless crush on her and “Wonderful Tonight” after the two married in the ’70s. Read more... |
| Sugarland brings sweet country pop to state fair | |
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For years Brooks & Dunn has had a stranglehold on vocal duo of the year at the Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music award ceremonies, but the competition has gotten tighter now that Sugarland, after the early 2006 departure of guitarist Kristen Hall, has become a duo. Read more... |
| The Green Lady Killers whip up killer proto-punk | |
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If ever a band name were serendipitous for its members, it is The Green Lady Killers. Read more... |
| Outrageous stage antics made Alice Cooper a rock superstar | |
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There are plenty of rumors and urban legends regarding Alice Cooper, who rocketed to fame in the early ’70s — some true (sort of) and some patently false, but all contributed to the shock rocker’s legend. Read more... |
| Montgomery Gentry prove they are no second fiddle at State Fair | |
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Country duo Montgomery Gentry have a lot in common with the great race horse Alydar. Read more... |
| Steven Curtis Chapman keeps the faith | |
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Steven Curtis Chapman is to contemporary Christian music what Muhammad Ali was to boxing: The Greatest. Read more... |
| Local music notes: Tech N9ne, rock camp, Halloween show | |
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Valley rapper Intrinzik will open up for Tech N9ne at the Marquee Theatre on Sunday, Oct. 28 — a show that will raise the profile the Valley’s best rap/rock export. Read more... |
| Kid Rock shrugs off Waffle House bust at State Fair show |
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Kid Rock has the No. 1 album in country this week with his latest release “Rock and Roll Jesus,” but the rap/southern rock/country star has been in the news more recently for his work with his fists than his work behind the mic. Read more... |
| Don’t fret, Peter Frampton still plays a good guitar | |
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Gone are the golden curls of Peter Frampton’s Tiger Beat pinup days in the mid-’70s, replaced now by a gray buzz cut, and gone, too, are the arena-sized crowds that showed up for the singer/guitarist’s shows after his double live album, “Frampton Comes Alive” (1976), made him a superstar. Read more... |
| Review: Rihanna brings hot R&B to Arizona State Fair | |
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In a scant three year career, R&B superstar Rihanna has scored three consecutive hit albums and a plethora of smash singles. The singer gave fans who packed the Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum at the Arizona State Fair Saturday night a tight retrospective of her brief, meteoric career. Read more... |
| Local music notes: Rock Star Gallery, more | |
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Rock Star Gallery, 16451 N. Scottsdale Road in the Scottsdale Promenade, will celebrate the gallery’s move to Kierland Commons with a tribute to some of rock’s greatest guitar heroes on Saturday, Oct. 20 and Sunday, Oct. 21 Read more... |
| Valley music fans waking up to Awake and Alert | |
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The way Awake and Alert guitarist Blake Kimball tells it, finding a competent singer is the hardest piece of the puzzle when putting together a band — so much so that he and bassist Spencer Reed had been resigned to playing instrumental music together, without a vocalist. Read more... |
| On the Web, everyone can hear you shred | |
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It's called shredding - the fleet-fingered art of playing guitar solos as fast as five digits can fly across a fretboard. Read more... |
| Where does Jimmy Eat World rank among Arizona musical artists? |
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Mesa’s own Jimmy Eat World — on the cusp of releasing the fifth album of their decade-long recording career, “Chase This Light,” on Tuesday, Oct. 16 — have undoubtedly established themselves as one of the all-time great musical artists in Arizona history. Read more... |
| Big Fish Pub gets makeover, alters musical direction | |
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Tempe’s Big Fish Pub got a major face-lift over the summer. The longtime strip-mall bar, which has been open for more than 20 years, morphed from a dive bar to a sultry lounge in late June after the “silent owners” decided to take a hands-on approach. Read more... |
| Local music notes: Hersey returns to Valley, more | |
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Sonoita-based working cowboy and singer/songwriter Andy Hersey, who has amassed a large Valley following with his songs detailing the cowboy life, will play a show Thursday, Oct. 11, at Mardi Gras Bar and Grill, 8040 E. McDowell Road, Scottsdale. Read more... |
| We pick the perfect accompaniment to the Arizona State Fair’s top musical acts |
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The Arizona State Fair kicks off this week, and Valley residents will be able to get their fill of dizzying rides; food staples such as fry bread, Polish sausage with all the fixings and a variety of deep-fried delicacies and concert acts ranging from country music to hard rock to soul. Read more... |
| Tale of the Tape: Alan Jackson vs. Brooks & Dunn | |
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Two Nashville heavyweights will square off Sunday, leaving fans with the tough decision of deciding who got the better of who on the most-anticipated co-headlining country bill to hit the Valley this year. Read more... |
| Local Music Notes: Dayton, Liquor Store Junkies, more |
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Texas country singer Jesse Dayton will perform Sunday, Oct. 7, at Club Red, 2155 E. University Drive, Tempe. Read more... |
| Jimmy Eat World, others rocked the Q.C. for annual EdgeFest | |
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While Queen Creek and rock music don’t exactly go hand in hand, the two did on Saturday for KEDJ’s (103.9 FM) EdgeFest, the radio station’s 13th annual all-day music festival. Read more... |
| Gilbert's Jim Bachmann explores 'schizophrenic’ country sounds | |
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There may not be a more appropriate band name in the East Valley than “Jim Bachmann and The Schizophrenics.” Read more... |
| Joe Pena finds right recipe for success with Greyhound Soul | |
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It’s a steamy afternoon at Greyhound Soul frontman Joe Pena’s historic home, and before we get down to brass tacks about his transformation from a drummer in early ’90s Tucson outfit Brilliant Fools to one of the best singer/songwriters in Arizona, Pena, a skilled chef, is explaining how he makes his killer spicy salsa, which I am shoveling in on blue tortilla chip after blue tortilla chip. Read more... |
| Local Music Notes: Sand Rubies, Peacemakers, more | |
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Reunited Tucson legends Sand Rubies — who are releasing their long-awaited new disc, “Mas Cuacha,” in November — will play Scottsdale’s Mardi Gras Bar and Grill, 8040 E. McDowell Road, on Friday, Sept. 28. Read more... |
| Edgefest brings alt-rock lineup to East Valley |
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After several years on the west side, Edgefest, the annual alt-rock festival sponsored by KEDJ (103.9 FM), has moved to the East Valley, taking up permanent residence at Queen Creek’s Schnepf Farms. Read more... |