Bud Light Music Stage
8 p.m.: Z Street Band
9 p.m.: Felix y Los Gatos (Albuquerque, N.M.)
10 p.m.: Chris Miller, James Sasser and the Guilty Men (Portland, Ore.)
11 p.m.: Mad Max and the Wild Ones (Springville, Utah)
Midnight: Mike Eldred Trio (Phoenix)
KRQ Stage
8 p.m.: LeeAnne Savage
9 p.m.: Roll Acosta
10 p.m.: Whole Lotta Zep
11 p.m.: Tryst
Midnight: Broken Romeo
92.9 The Mountain Stage
8 p.m.: Axé Capoeira Tucson featuring Quetzal Guerrero (Los Angeles)
9 p.m.: Haley Jane
10 p.m.: The Ghost of 505
11 p.m.: Yardsale Heart
Midnight: The Jons
Tejano/Mia Stage
9 p.m.: Relente
10 p.m.: Relente
11 p.m.: Se Salen with Rudy Palacios
Midnight: Se Salen with Rudy Palacios
Rialto Theatre
8 p.m.: Matt Ellis (Australia)
9 p.m.: Silver Thread Trio
10 p.m.: Seashell Radio
11 p.m.: Greyhound Soul
Midnight: Bettie Serveert (Holland)
Hotel Congress Outdoor Stage
8 p.m.: Muddy Bug
9 p.m.: Early Black
10 p.m.: Young Mothers
11 p.m.: Shaun Harris
Midnight: RCougar
Club Congress
8:30 p.m.: The Electric Blankets
9:30 p.m.: Jon Rauhouse (Phoenix) featuring Rachel Flotard (Seattle)
10:30 p.m.: Blind Divine
11:30 p.m.: Provocative Whites
12:30 a.m.: HAIRSPRAYFIREANDGIRLS
The District
9 p.m. Double Tap
10 p.m.: Fish Karma and The Love Generation
11 p.m.: Al Foul
Midnight: Lenguas Largas
1 a.m.: Cadillac Steakhouse
Vaudeville
9 p.m.: Working for Brewhas
9:45 p.m.: Logan Greene and the Bricks
10:30 p.m.: Brass Tax
11:15 p.m.: Packrat (Phoenix)
Midnight: Boogie Nazis
12:45 a.m.: God of the Sea
O'Malley's
7 p.m.: Front Heavy
8 p.m.: Constant Chaos
9 p.m.: The Foleys
10 p.m.: Neiphi
11 p.m.: Frantic
12:30 a.m.: Beyond The Firewall
The Hut Outdoor Stage
8:30 p.m.: The Possibles
9:30 p.m.: 8 Minutes to Burn
10:30 p.m.: San Lunes
11:30 p.m.: Skitn
The Hut
8 p.m.: Thru-Liner
9 p.m.: Love Mound
10 p.m.: Loren Dircks and Gila Bend
11 p.m.: The Little Morts (Austin)
Midnight: The Swigs
1 a.m.: The Jits
Sky Bar
8:30 p.m.: Lunar Light Collectors
9:30 p.m.: A Son y Sol
10:30 p.m.: Amy Rude
11:30 p.m.: Andrew Collberg
12:30 a.m.: Naim Amor
The Screening Room
8 p.m.: The Determined Luddites
9 p.m.: Billy Sedlmayr and Gabriel Sullivan
10 p.m.: Van Christian
11 p.m.: Ashbury
Midnight: Al Perry
Sharks
8 p.m.: House of Fire
9 p.m.: Brent Kort and Friends
10 p.m.: R-Tistic
11 p.m.: Funky Bonz
Midnight to 2 a.m.: DJ Chucky Chingon
Sacred Machine Museum
8 p.m.: King Bowser
9 p.m.: Philip Wade
Midnight: Blind Divine (acoustic set)
Red Room at Grill
11 p.m.: I Am the Lion
Midnight: Mr. Free and the Satellite Freakout
Chicago Store
7 p.m.: The Sword Against Her
8 p.m.: Mellobean (Yuma)
9 p.m.: Son D'Palo (Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico)
10 p.m.: Snakes in Love
Delectables
7 to 10 p.m.: Stefan George
Chocolate Iguana Patio
7 to 9 p.m.: Greg Morton
Martin's Comida Chingona
7 to 10 p.m.: Salvador Duran
Winsett Park Stage
7 to 9 p.m.: Monkey Knuckle
Iguana Café
8 p.m. to 1 a.m. The Benjamins
Cushing Street Bar
7:30 to 10 p.m.: Jeff Lewis and Friends
Casa Vicente
7 to 9 p.m.: Tablao Flamenco featuring Flamenco del Pueblo Viejo
Magpies Gourmet Pizza
7 to 9 p.m.: Hank Topless
Flanagan's Celtic Corner
7:30 p.m.: Mark Luther
Bud Light Music Stage
8 p.m.: Z Street Band
9 p.m.: Felix y Los Gatos (Albuquerque, N.M.)
10 p.m.: Chris Miller, James Sasser and the Guilty Men (Portland, Ore.)
11 p.m.: Mad Max and the Wild Ones (Springville, Utah)
Midnight: Mike Eldred Trio (Phoenix)
This big ol' outdoor stage is dominated this year by rootsy out-of-towners. The lone locals, the Z Street Band, get things rolling at 8 p.m. with harmony-rich folk-rock reminiscent of Crosby, Stills and Nash, just before Albuquerque's Felix y Los Gatos treat the masses to a set that will combine zydeco and Tejano at 9 p.m. When they're not serving as Dave Alvin's backing band, Portland's Chris Miller, James Sasser and the Guilty Men play their own brand of smokin' honky-tonk. They're on at 10 p.m., which precedes an 11 p.m. set by Springville, Utah's Mad Max and the Wild Ones. Billed as "the greatest band under 400 pounds," this roots-rockabilly outfit is a family affair composed of a father and his three sons, age 18, 14 and 10. Fronted by the band's namesake blues guitar sensation, Phoenix's Mike Eldred Trio wraps things up at midnight.
KRQ Stage
8 p.m.: LeeAnne Savage
9 p.m.: Roll Acosta
10 p.m.: Whole Lotta Zep
11 p.m.: Tryst
Midnight: Broken Romeo
The outdoor KRQ Stage will feature an eclectic mix of acts that mostly boast mass appeal. Onetime Tucson music mainstay LeeAnne Savage has been out of the limelight for the last decade or so, but she returns with an 8 p.m. performance here. Acoustic folk-pop trio Roll Acosta released a debut EP in July that our own Gene Armstrong raved about, describing the band's music as "earnest, heartfelt songs, often about the tribulations of the heart and human consequence, with an emphasis on unflinching honesty and the sense of learning from his mistakes." They're on at 9 p.m., just prior to Tucson's pre-eminent Led Zeppelin tribute band, Whole Lotta Zep, at 10 p.m. Tucsonans are wild enough about the jazz-pop of The Tryst that Weekly readers overwhelmingly voted them their favorite act in the Jazz category in this year's Tucson Area Music Awards. Find out why at 11 p.m. Fronted by brothers James and Steve Turpin, Broken Romeo turn up the amps to 11 at midnight with their grunge-y hard rock, which will certainly please fans of Alice in Chains and Stone Temple Pilots.
92.9 The Mountain Stage
8 p.m.: Axé Capoeira Tucson featuring Quetzal Guerrero (Los Angeles)
9 p.m.: Haley Jane
10 p.m.: The Ghost of 505
11 p.m.: Yardsale Heart
Midnight: The Jons
Another outdoor stage with another diverse lineup of acts. The action at the 92.9 The Mountain Stage begins at 8 p.m. with a performance by the sprawling capoeira (an Afro-Brazilian art form that combines dance, martial arts and percussion-heavy music) ensemble Axé Capoeira Tucson, which tonight will feature special guest Quetzal Guerrero from Los Angeles. The 92.9 The Mountain Stage is the perfect venue for Haley Jane, who blend tasteful pop hooks with bursts of rock guitar. They take over at 9 p.m., followed at 10 p.m. by The Ghost of 505, a local act that has grown a large following in a relatively short period of time due to their feel-good brand of slightly rootsy pop-rock. Formed just earlier this year, Yardsale Heart is a coed four-piece that hearkens back to the days when mainstream rock bands first started integrating vintage keyboards (think The Cars with a female vocalist and a warmer heart). They'll take the stage at 11 p.m. At midnight, The Jons will have you asking: Is there anything these guys can't play awesomely?—when you're not dancing, that is.
Tejano/Mia Stage
9 p.m.: Relente
10 p.m.: Relente
11 p.m.: Se Salen with Rudy Palacios
Midnight: Se Salen with Rudy Palacios
The Tejano/Mia Stage tonight delivers what its name promises—and a whole lot more. The 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. slots will be covered by Relente, a sextet that includes several veterans of much-loved Tejano acts performing cumbias, corridos, rancheras and a little bit of country. Then, from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m., Se Salen with Rudy Palacios take to the stage for a heady dose of classic Tejano music, just as they've been doing for the last 15 years.
Rialto Theatre
8 p.m.: Matt Ellis (Australia)
9 p.m.: Silver Thread Trio
10 p.m.: Seashell Radio
11 p.m.: Greyhound Soul
Midnight: Bettie Serveert (Holland)
One of the beloved hubs of downtown Tucson nightlife, the Rialto Theatre starts off the night with an 8 p.m. set from Matt Ellis. He was born in Australia and spent his formative years there, and he also spent significant time in Hong Kong and New Zealand, so it should be no surprise that Ellis brings a troubadour spirit to his rootsy singer-songwriter fare. Speaking of rootsy, it doesn't get much rootsier than the folk instrumentation and angelic harmonies of female threesome the Silver Thread Trio, who these days are adding more original songs to their repertoire of obscure ancient folk tunes. They're on at 9 p.m. Just when you think you have Seashell Radio pegged as an atmospheric piano-pop band, or as sweet balladeers who aren't afraid of sudden bursts of noise, they'll pull a 180 on you. Expect great, unexpected things when they play in the 10 p.m. slot, just before the veteran grit-rockers of Greyhound Soul, whose classic-sounding rock never disappoints, at 11 p.m. Midnight brings a real treat: Since their 1992 Matador Records debut, Palomine, Bettie Serveert, fronted by the lovely vocals of Carol van Dyk, has been churning out melodically charming, beefed-up-guitar-driven songs that are undeniably great. We caught them on their first U.S. tour almost 18 years ago and were absolutely blown away.
Hotel Congress Outdoor Stage
8 p.m.: Muddy Bug
9 p.m.: Early Black
10 p.m.: Young Mothers
11 p.m.: Shaun Harris
Midnight: RCougar
The outdoor stage at Hotel Congress tonight is mostly devoted to young, up-and-coming acts that are steadily building their fan bases. Although they've been around a few years, Muddy Bug recently emerged from an extended hiatus and have been reintroducing their slightly melancholy, slightly whimsical pop songs that pay homage to the golden age of '90s indie-rock. They kick things off at 8 p.m., just before Early Black, whose recent album Life:Love::Love:Murder is equal parts Joy Division gloom and, as our Jarret Keene put it, "gothic shoegaze." They'll play at 9 p.m., then at 10 p.m., it's a set from Young Mothers, whose recent Fort Lowell Records 7-inch recalls Built to Spill and other earnest indie bands of their ilk. Whether he's performing solo or with eclectic rockers Flagrante Delicto backing him, Shaun Harris spews rhymes intelligent enough to stand against any MC in town. He'll have you bouncing at 11 p.m., just before a midnight set of electronic-abetted indie-pop courtesy of RCougar.
Club Congress
8:30 p.m.: The Electric Blankets
9:30 p.m.: Jon Rauhouse (Phoenix) featuring Rachel Flotard (Seattle)
10:30 p.m.: Blind Divine
11:30 p.m.: Provocative Whites
12:30 a.m.: HAIRSPRAYFIREANDGIRLS
We realize we keep using the word eclectic to describe some of these lineups, and we'll use it again here. Newbies The Electric Blankets get the indoor stage rolling at this downtown mainstay at 8:30 p.m. with their hook-laden jaunty rock 'n' roll. The 9:30 p.m. slot brings a real treat: Jon Rauhouse is one of the finest pedal-steel guitar players in the land, lending his talents to a number of projects. Among them, he's an indispensable member of Neko Case's band, and he's issued a series of albums under his own name on the venerable Bloodshot Records label. To top it off, he'll be joined for this appearance by the fantastic Visqueen vocalist and fellow Case collaborator Rachel Flotard. At 10:30 p.m. the graceful, sultry, moody goth-pop-rockers Blind Divine hit the stage (which just happens to have been designed by the band's Daniel Martin Diaz). Next up is a double dose of full-on rock 'n' roll: The Provocative Whites' soft-loud dynamics at 11:30 p.m., followed at 12:30 a.m. by the punk-addled hooks of one of this year's best new local rock bands, HAIRSPRAYFIREANDGIRLS.
The District
9 p.m. Double Tap
10 p.m.: Fish Karma and The Love Generation
11 p.m.: Al Foul
Midnight: Lenguas Largas
1 a.m.: Cadillac Steakhouse
The District, a fine downtown watering hole that doesn't normally feature live music, jumps into the Crawl fray, as they always do, and we love 'em for it. We also love the lineup of bands they've got scheduled to play. Double Tap was formed by a pair of former military men to tell the stories of their experiences—in a melodic rock setting. They start the night off at 9 p.m., just before the veteran social and political satirist Fish Karma and his band The Love Generation—whose most recent album, Halloween in America, was issued on Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles label—take the stage at 10 p.m. If you don't know who Al Foul is by now, you haven't been living in Tucson very long. The charismatic Foul serves up the most authentic vintage-sounding rockabilly in the Old Pueblo. He's on at 11 p.m., and then it's time for two more of the best new bands in Tucson: Lenguas Largas' brand of art-punk (for lack of a better term) seems to get better every time we see them play (and they started out pretty damn great to begin with). They're on at midnight, followed at 1 a.m. by prog-punks Cadillac Steakhouse, whose frontwoman, Nikki Rosing, is a frenetic bundle of mayhem.
Vaudeville
9 p.m.: Working for Brewhas
9:45 p.m.: Logan Greene and the Bricks
10:30 p.m.: Brass Tax
11:15 p.m.: Packrat (Phoenix)
Midnight: Boogie Nazis
12:45 a.m.: God of the Sea
Vaudeville tends to split its bookings between hip-hop and heavy-duty rock, and tonight, the latter wins out. Working for Brewhas—think The Clash meets Jose Feliciano—hit the stage at 9 p.m., with the endearingly earnest heart-on-sleeve pop-rock of Logan Greene and the Bricks following at 9:45 p.m. Brand-spankin'-new local act Brass Tax perform a variety of intricate but accessible instrumentals that incorporate elements of jazz, rock, prog and gypsy music at 10:30 p.m., just prior to Phoenix's Packrat, who play a heavy-ass brand of math-punk that'll keep you on your toes at 11:15 p.m. Boogie Nazis graduated from the school of punk-influenced surf rock founded by bands like Man or Astro-man?, Los Straitjackets and, hell, The Trashmen and Davie Allan. They're on at midnight, right before God of the Sea perform their pummeling, goofball punk rock à la Jesus Lizard, Mudhoney, and Tad at 12:45 a.m.
O'Malley's
7 p.m.: Front Heavy
8 p.m.: Constant Chaos
9 p.m.: The Foleys
10 p.m.: Neiphi
11 p.m.: Frantic
12:30 a.m.: Beyond The Firewall
The action at this perennial college hang starts at 7 p.m. with Front Heavy, who specialize in anthemic, post-Pearl Jam alternative rock originals. Then, at 8 p.m., it's Constant Chaos, who play similar music—though mostly covers of '90s alt-rock songs from the likes of Seven Mary Three and Puddle of Mudd. The Foleys, who take the stage at 9 p.m., trade in guitar-heavy songs with pop hooks. At 10 p.m., Neiphi cranks out pop-punk with chanted choruses, the variety of which will appeal to Hot Topic types (in fact, they recently played at the Park Place Mall location). Frantic plays a dramatic brand of rock influenced by bands like Days of the New, Nickelback and Godsmack. They perform at 11 p.m., just before Beyond the Firewall closes out the night at 12:30 a.m. with its melodic hard rock that should appeal to fans of Alice in Chains.
The Hut Outdoor Stage
8:30 p.m.: The Possibles
9:30 p.m.: 8 Minutes to Burn
10:30 p.m.: San Lunes
11:30 p.m.: Skitn
If you get lost, look toward the sky for the giant tiki head, Fourth Avenue's version of the North Star. The outdoor stage there tonight launches at 8:30 p.m. with the lovely, brooding, gothic Americana of the relatively new local trio The Possibles, followed at 9:30 p.m. by the rock, funk and reggae stylings of 8 Minutes to Burn. San Lunes, who begin at 10:30 p.m., play a blend of reggae, pop, jazz and funk, and at 11:30 p.m., Skitn bring their Sublime-influenced beach-pop/reggae hybrid to keep your dancin' shoes busy.
The Hut
8 p.m.: Thru-Liner
9 p.m.: Love Mound
10 p.m.: Loren Dircks and Gila Bend
11 p.m.: The Little Morts (Austin)
Midnight: The Swigs
1 a.m.: The Jits
Things are a little more rockin' on the indoor stage at The Hut, starting at 8 p.m. with the cinematic, desert-influenced Americana of Thru-Liner. At 9 p.m., it's the loud-as-giddy-up, potent blues-rock of veterans Love Mound, followed at 10 p.m. by the giddy country-metal of fellow mainstays Loren Dircks and Gila Bend. The perfect follow-up to Dircks and co. comes during the 11 p.m. slot, when we'll take a little detour to Austin for good-time cowpunks The Little Morts. Led by Kevin Henderson, The Swigs, who trade in—but aren't afraid to stray from—classic blues-rock power-trio territory, just may be one of Tucson's most underrated bands. Find out why at midnight. The Jits can sound like Hüsker Dü playing a country song (with horns, no less) one minute, and a blazing '70s-era hard rock combo the next. They close out the night at 1 a.m.
Sky Bar
8:30 p.m.: Lunar Light Collectors
9:30 p.m.: A Son y Sol
10:30 p.m.: Amy Rude
11:30 p.m.: Andrew Collberg
12:30 a.m.: Naim Amor
Another great relatively new downtown/Fourth Avenue bar, another great Club Crawl® lineup. This one starts at 8:30 p.m. with a promising new trio, Lunar Light Collectors, who play mostly midtempo, slightly rootsy guitar-pop songs. At 9:30 p.m., A Son y Sol performs self-described "Latin American music with a twist." Amy Rude, who plays everything from brooding country ballads to rockabilly-rooted Americana rave-ups, takes over at 10:30 p.m., followed at 11:30 p.m. by Andrew Collberg, whose excellent latest album, On the Wreath, is the best work so far by this country-tinged, Beatles-influenced neo-folk-pop singer-songwriter. Part of the fun of going to see French native Naim Amor perform, which you can do at 12:30 a.m., is that you never know what you're going to get. The guy plays almost every instrument imaginable with great proficiency—and writes some fine songs to boot.
The Screening Room
8 p.m.: The Determined Luddites
9 p.m.: Billy Sedlmayr and Gabriel Sullivan
10 p.m.: Van Christian
11 p.m.: Ashbury
Midnight: Al Perry
With the addition of a lovely new marquee, this downtown movie house has also expanded its programming to include special live music events, and we couldn't be happier to have it participate in this Fall Club Crawl®. And what a lineup! If you haven't caught The Determined Luddites at their ongoing Thursday-evening residency on the patio of Maynards, do yourself a favor, and check out their anything-goes-as-long-as-it-can-be-played-on-acoustic-instruments approach at 8 p.m. Billy Sedlmayr has done more living than you, and he's survived to write songs about it. He's been called "Tucson's Townes Van Zandt," and that's a pretty accurate description of what you'll hear at 9 p.m., when Gabriel Sullivan backs him on guitar. Onetime Naked Prey frontman Van Christian has done almost as much living as Billy Sed, and he's emerged with a passel of great new songs to show for it. He's on at 10 p.m., just before brothers Randy and Rob Davis, the founding members of the great, if largely overlooked, local '80s band Ashbury perform an acoustic set of originals and country-rock covers at 11 p.m. Al Perry, arguably the current heart and soul of Tucson music, takes over at midnight.
Sharks
8 p.m.: House of Fire
9 p.m.: Brent Kort and Friends
10 p.m.: R-Tistic
11 p.m.: Funky Bonz
Midnight to 2 a.m.: DJ Chucky Chingon
Sharks, the downtown epicenter of Latin rock, colors a bit outside the lines tonight with a lineup that begins at 8 p.m. with House of Fire and a dose of island-style hip-hop. There's no telling what Funky Bonz frontman Brent Kort and Friends have planned for what we're pretty sure is their live debut, but we can all find out together at 9 p.m. R-TISTIC performs his East Coast-style hip-hop at 10 p.m., followed by Kort's longtime funk-rock outfit Funky Bonz at 11 p.m. Then, from midnight until the lights come on, DJ Chucky Chingon spins the wheels of steel.
Sacred Machine Museum
8 p.m.: King Bowser
9 p.m.: Philip Wade
Midnight: Blind Divine (acoustic set)
This Congress Street art gallery recently launched by visual artist Daniel Martin Diaz and Paula Catherine Valencia (his wife and co-founder of their band, Blind Divine) opens its doors tonight for its inaugural Crawl, which pleases us greatly. King Bowser performs at 8 p.m., followed at 9 p.m. by Philip Wade. If you missed Blind Divine's earlier set at Club Congress, midnight brings another chance to see them—and this one will be a special acoustic performance.
Red Room at Grill
11 p.m.: I Am the Lion
Midnight: Mr. Free and the Satellite Freakout
The side room/bar of this 24-hour diner on Congress Street is known for its casual, intimate performances (not to mention its tater tots—just don't ask for cheese on 'em). Tonight's lineup features two prog-tastic bands: The post-punk prog of I Am the Lion at 11 p.m., and the Zappa-esque prog performance art of Mr. Free and the Satellite Freakout at midnight.
Chicago Store
7 p.m.: The Sword Against Her
8 p.m.: Mellobean (Yuma)
9 p.m.: Son D'Palo (Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico)
10 p.m.: Snakes in Love
The legendary downtown music store (and go rent Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore if you haven't already) hosts four bands tonight: Christian hard-core purveyors The Sword Against Her at 7 p.m.; Yuma-based horn-driven Latin rockers Mellobean, who add a touch of soul and reggae to the mix, at 8 p.m.; funky Latin grooves from Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico's Son D'Palo at 9 p.m.; and the '80s-style metal of Snakes in Love at 10 p.m.
Delectables
7 to 10 p.m.: Stefan George
This longtime favorite Fourth Avenue eatery tonight hosts three hours of folk-blues by the great Stefan George from 7 to 10 p.m.
Chocolate Iguana Patio
7 to 9 p.m.: Greg Morton
Some music with your latte? When it's coming from flat-picking acoustic-guitar-master Greg Morton, why not? He'll perform from 7 to 9 p.m.
Martin's Comida Chingona
7 to 10 p.m.: Salvador Duran
Have you tasted Martin's pollo mole? And have you heard the gorgeously resonant pipes of Salvador Duran? From 7 to 10 p.m., they're a match made in South-of-the-border heaven.
Winsett Park Stage
7 to 9 p.m.: Monkey Knuckle
This outdoor park, next to Bison Witches on Fourth Avenue, features a performance from the goofball bass/drums/vocals funk duo Monkey Knuckle from 7 to 9 p.m.
Iguana Café
8 p.m. to 1 a.m. The Benjamins
The Congress Street restaurant and bar will feature The Benjamins playing rock oldies from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Cushing Street Bar
7:30 to 10 p.m.: Jeff Lewis and Friends
Jeff Lewis, who just happens to be the former president of the Tucson Jazz Society's board of directors, performs with friends at this downtown mainstay tonight from 7:30 to 10 p.m.
Casa Vicente
7 to 9 p.m.: Tablao Flamenco featuring Flamenco del Pueblo Viejo
Enjoy some flamenco-dancing with delicious tapas courtesy of Tablao Flamenco featuring Flamenco del Pueblo Viejo from 7 to 9 p.m.
Magpies Gourmet Pizza
7 to 9 p.m.: Hank Topless
This Fourth Avenue pizza mainstay will host the blues and country stylings of Hank Topless from 7 to 9 p.m.
Flanagan's Celtic Corner
7:30 p.m.: Mark Luther
He's been called the Irish troubadour of Tucson, and he'll be performing in this adorable store that offers all things Irish at 7:30 p.m.
