It took me a little bit to find a way to put things out to words. I found there was no way I would make it through typing it out on my phone. I had to write it out this way. To be woken up to a message that I have lost one of my favorite people in our Phoenix punk scene was not how I expected my Sunday to start. Alas, we have lost Billie Russell, known to most here from the band Contradiktion. I sought out the earliest…
Read MoreHow about that? Probably the earliest in the day posted video. Tried the recording it the night before approach here and chocked it full of a bunch of shows you should try to catch for the next week. Hopefully I see you out there at a couple! Friday 23 Skinny Lister with Will Varney and Cockswain at Valley Bar Fairy Bones Album Release with Doll Skin, Bear Ghost, and Paper Foxes at the Crescent Ballroom Twin Ponies Yucca Residency with James Band, Willetta, and Nanami Ozone at the Yucca Tap…
Read MoreI’ve attended open mics time to time over the years. They bring out great and growing musicians. There were a few I became a regular for a while, including the one that gave me my first nickname of “Homemade Shaker Joe.” This was a night that my friend Jaime, of 1967, returned to Phoenix to visit and perform. I was going to relax after his little set, but a surprise showed itself later into the night. First, let us talk Jaime and 1967. He was once a resident of Phoenix…
Read MoreNow there’s a lot of awesome music stuff for your Presidents Day weekend and week. That is what this thing is for. Hopefully I see you out at one of these shows! Thursday 15 Dead to Me, Western Settings, Reason Unknown, and Skull Drug at Pub Rock Live Jeff Rosenstock with Lemurai and ROAR at the Rebel Lounge JJCNV, Bad Vibes, and Echo Bombs at the Time Out Lounge HA HA TONKA with Lawnchair and Michael and the Pentecost at the Yucca Tap Room Shake the Baby Til The Love…
Read MoreA great week of shows coming up! That is with a packed Friday and Saturday, plus a couple killer bands in town next week. See you out at a show. Thursday 8 TOSO “The Cleanse” release show with The Sink or Swim, Exxxtra Crispy, and Fear and Love at the Rebel Lounge The Rocketz at Chopper Johns Friday 9 Bad Cop/Bad Cop, Go Betty Go, Glam Skanks, Venomous Pinks, Shovel, and It’s Embarassing at the Yucca Tap Room American Standards with The Ephemeral, Ghost Mother, Torah, and Silk Stockings at…
Read MoreThis show was a different kind of line up for me. I don’t usually listen to a lot of hardcore punk. There are exceptions, with the fantastic PEARS and Tarter Control. But I usually just don’t get into the Hardcore punk. Enter a night where one of the highest ranking bands on my favorites list, Anti-Flag, comes to town with three of them in tow. If anyone this night made a case for another Hardcore band that I could get into, it was Sharptooth. This was a band with similar…
Read MoreAnother week of a show with that awesome intro song from Tony, of Dumpster Hump! A little less thanks to the Super Bowl, but still plenty of great shows to get out to! Friday 2 Synergy with Iriefuse, Mind Upside, Good Rust, and Why Worry at the Yucca Tap Room Rumble in Melrose, Punk Rock vs Hip Hop, with Quantum Colossus, Birth of Monsters, Def Yeti, Mr. Yellow, Kyle James, and Madman Ray at the Quail Lounge Amor, Beyond Unbroken, Paranova, Outsiders, and Constellations at Rebel Lounge The Bones Have…
Read MoreEveryone has an opinion. You don’t have to agree with them, but you can listen to their take on it. It is a common discussion that comes up about two piece bands. There are people out there that aren’t fans. They aren’t open to the idea two members can make great music. However, over the past three years I’ve seen a couple now that I feel make the convincing argument for the amazingness that is a two piece band. In this smaller show, we had the two piece of Mobina…
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