Concerts 

Bro, Don’t Call Me Bro

There is not quite a show like a Broloaf show. I could name it that because of the presentation. The confetti, the beer bongs, and the story skits they put on through any given show. Though actually, it includes the bands that are booked with them. I find myself seeing fantastic bands, not always of the punk genre, playing on the bill with Broloaf. This is what leaves me anticipating anytime Broloaf plays, with no exception tonight. No stranger to me or this site, We Might Be Wasted kicked off…

Read More
Concerts 

The Ska Prom and a Spring Fling

Spring is a time where the temperatures in Phoenix would be summer time for the rest of the country. Growing up here I’ve become acclimated to it, making it just a great time to get outdoors. With it brings the celebrations and the prom seasons too. This Saturday night was a combination of both for me, with a Spring Fling and taking in another annual Ska Prom. I made my way to the gorgeous Cave Creek for the first time for my friend’s, Jason, Spring Fling. This was my first…

Read More
Concerts 

Punk Rock Straight Outta Yorkshire

What better way to usher in a weekend than with some high paced, punk rock? Coming off a week where I had a house sale to deal with on top of the normal ebb and flow, I was exhausted enough to have an unexpected nap after work. By the first song of First or Last, I already could tell I was too relaxed for a punk show. This couldn’t stand, so with a beer given to me, we started the process into matching the fast paced sounds of the night.…

Read More
Concerts 

Making St. Patty’s Day Pink

One of the longer running punk bands in the valley are the Venomous Pinks. Over the last couple months the hard work they have been putting has been paying out dividends. They are now signed to a label, Squid Hat out of Vegas. They have an opening slot on the main stage of this year’s Punk Rock Bowling. Now the first fruits of labor under Squid Hat released with a great new EP titled “We Do It Better,” with two of the hardest songs I’ve heard from them titled “Pizza…

Read More
Concerts 

Ruining… or Making Your Grandma’s Music Better?

Expressions are a great way to engage with an audience. The more animated on stage the more entertaining it can make a performance. Tonight felt like the culmination of a couple of the most expressive performers in our scene getting together. The first two are perfect compliments to each other too. Franks and Deans brought on top one of the most unique punk performances I have seen. The night opened up with the guys from Payson, Alex Squared. This fast paced group of punks right away showed their appreciation for…

Read More
Concerts 

Celebrating St. Patty on the Ides of March

It is never too early to start drinking. That seems a good mantra to apply to any day, but, in addition, to starting to celebrate St. Patty’s Day. While two days off, it didn’t keep some of our best Celtic bands from putting together a show over at the Yucca Tap Room. I can say it was a lot of fun, and a little confusing to start off. The band that had me scratching my head a little was the Rugged Rogues. These guys certainly dressed the part with kilts…

Read More
Concerts 

Theatrics and Fun Times Ahead

I’m of two minds of set times being posted. First, and probably more unique to myself and a few others, having set times posted can help me figure out on busy nights like tonight a plan of attack to hit the music I want to see. However, I’m on the other mind where I’ve been at a show early with an amazing local band, and no one is there. This happens more often than I like to see, and if there is only a start time you get a couple…

Read More
Concerts 

The Best Solution for a Rainy Night

Rain in this city usually does two things, show how bad our local driving etiquette and keep people indoors for the time water falls from the sky. It was the perfect time to have a punk show. Yucca played host to the Generators from California and the Tribulators making the trek up from Tucson plus our solid local bands. Right at the top of it was Reason Unknown. These political punks warmed up the crowd. Travis and Pat sing lead vocals dependent on the song. They contribute to the great…

Read More
Concerts 

The Perfect Example

People should be dancing and skanking at a ska show. This was not the case for the majority two nights ago, and it was frustrating. Tonight, people came to move, dance, and sing with the bands from start to finish. There was always at least one person dancing around to every band, and it was awesome. If there is an example of a great show with some amazing touring and local acts, this is a good model to look at. Opening up was our local ska band who has been…

Read More
Concerts 

I Love Livin’ in the City

A cool thing about these things is I get to bring bands to the forefront of people’s attention. I get to showcase bands I enjoy to see a lot. It creates an exercise in writing too, as I see bands more often trying to put different words into my take for the night. Tonight was a great night to see bands you don’t hear enough about from me that I think are fantastic, along with my usual staples of awesome local punk bands. Right off of the bat, I got…

Read More