Taking you Deeper into the vaults of EDM, DJs Atom Energy and LunarFluxx tap into a motherlode of house. At Bar Passé... Singer-songwriter Joe Peña's distinctive blues songs bear enough heart to prompt St. Peter to give this sinner a pass. He performs on the patio at Agustin Kitchen... Pianist and composer Larry Redhouse leads a world-class ensemble whose repertoire incorporates straight-ahead jazz, Latin, funk and reggae. The Larry Redhouse Trio play the Lookout Bar and Grille at the Westward Look Resort... Tucson Jazz Guild hosts Jam for Vets. Featuring Chakalo, Beyond Words! and Tony Frank & Mike Moynihan. At Irene's Holy Donuts. A portion of the proceeds to benefit Pay It Forward Tucson, a local charity helping homeless veterans and low income families... Whether it's funk, disco, rock or early new wave, DJ Carl Hanni drops the needle on '70s timebombs. At The Libertine... A DJ Competition is taking place at Gentle Ben's. Five DJs step behind the decks, rockin' 30-minute sets, for a chance to perform on the DUSK Music Festival main stage in November...
Friday, Oct. 25
Fishnet-clad mistresses of maritime trauma The Surfbroads raid their closets for titillating surprises in advance of raining theremin-drenched hi-jinx and sunny oblivion at this year's Nightmare on Congress Block Party. At Hotel Congress... The cultural remezcla that typifies the borderlands spills over to the Maynard's plaza late night. DJ Q and Quiahuitl from the El Tambó crew spin sides... These purveyors of "south of the border, Pulp Fiction-esque, Latin blues-rock" got their start playing raunchy strip clubs in Nogales, Sonora. Now, Los Nawdy Dawgs provide the soundtrack for Día de las Luchas. Briny, spandex-clad luchadores top the bill. At the Rialto Theatre... Brace yourself. Composer Brandon Boone, performing a live score, transports the audience into a web of terror when The No Sleep Podcast brings its touring show Live For Halloween to 191 Toole... Showcasing some of the Old Pueblo's top and up-and-coming turntablists, Funk Yo House Fridays goes off at Irene's Holy Donuts. Resident DJs W3$T and Elektra Tek host... At once sophisticated, yet whimsical, if not quirky. Two-Door Hatchback perform in the tasting room at Sand-Reckoner... A perfect pairing for date night. Naim's A Jazz Trio is at Exo Roast Co... Halloween Havoc 2 features sets by Shaun Harris, McNastee, J.G. SWAYZE
Stoner Jordan, Hannibal Havoc, Tony Jaw, Ernie D, I am Gilgamesh, Stacc Styles and others. At Thunder Canyon Brewstillery. Hosted by Eddie Ohnesorgen and DJ Looney... Taking inspiration from Alice in Chains and Creed, these post-grungers scored a platinum record with their self-titled debut album. Tantric bring Mercury Retrograde (Pavement Records, 2018) to EncoreTucson. Hard rockers Bravo Delta kickstart your heart...
Saturday, Oct. 26
Inspired by "older kids who smoked weed and listened to Title Fight," wide-eyed brothers Erik and Stephen Paulson formed a band while in high school. Dubbing their debut album Greatest Hits—an album gripped by self-reflection and suburban malaise—captures their sense of ironic humor. "I'm in the trunk gagged and hog-tied/But I've never felt so alive." Remo Drive present their sophomore release Natural, Everyday Degradation (Epitaph, 2019) at Club Congress. Rockers Summer Cannibals and Diners commence the feast... These Berklee College of Music grads formed in 1985 under the name Majesty. Now, the Distance Over Time Tour sees progressive metallists Dream Theater roll the semi-trucks into the Tucson Convention Center... Released on Inauguration Day 2017, Apocalipstick revealed gnashed teeth. "I was an over-confident teenager trying to solve the world's problems," says singer/guitarist Clementine Creevy, with go-for-broke honesty. On Stuffed & Ready (Secretly Canadian, 2019), "I am a much more weary and perhaps cynical woman who believes you need to figure your own self out first." Cherry Glazerr take a "Sip O' Poison" at 191 Toole. Cowgirl Clue breaks the ice... From her salad days with The Stone Poneys to her timeless pop classics, Ann Hampton Callaway celebrates the many faces of love in Linda Ronstadt's iconic career. At the Fox Theatre... From California, Rock 'n' Rollers with cowpunk tendencies, The Mutineers ride the Tidal Wave. At Che's Lounge. Lana Rebel kicks up the dust first... Representing women's voices in Celtic rock, the mighty Eldritch Dragons perform two sets. At Saint Charles Tavern... Gonna set the place on "Fire." Funk-A-Palooza features R&B Music Hall of Famers Ohio Players with Zapp and Con Funk Shun. Ride the "Love Rollercoaster." At Desert Diamond Casino-Sahuarita...
Sunday, Oct. 27
From West Virginia, Eric Burton grew up singing to the congregation in church. After moving to Austin in 2016, he saw the power of the human voice while busking in the streets—eventually becoming the subject of a short documentary film, Street Music. Retro-soul slayers Black Pumas rise like a black moon above the clouds. At 191 Toole. Piano prodigy Neal Francis opens... Melding together synthesizers, vocal loops and extraneous noise and field recordings, Gardner creates a place where nothing was. At Club Congress. Chelsey Lee Trejo and Ryan Chavira add to the sonic experimentation. Adan Martinez Kee contributes visuals... Her latest album Diosa De La Noche (Universal Latin, 2019) has been hailed as gutsy and relevant as ever by RollingStone. Mexican pop superstar Gloria Trevi brings her firebrand intensity and spectacle to the AVA Amphitheater. Colombian reggaeton singer Karol G sets the dance party en fuego... Like your toast with jam? Mik & The Funky Brunch provide family-friendly funk. At La Cocina... Sunday Blues & BBQ continues. Smokestack Lightning supplies the music. Hotel Congress serves up the BBQ... Be tragic. Tunes From The Crypt finds DJs Nullus and SET spinning goth and industrial from the '80s and '90s to darkwave and witch house from today. Darkness knows no bounds. At the Surly Wench Pub... Enjoy the patio life with Golden Boots and Feverfew. At Che's Lounge... The post-modern American western of P.D. Ronstadt & The Co. and the home-grown indie folk of Big Grin can be found at Monterey Court... Wooden Tooth Records presents: Anodyne: A film Noir Comedy. Musical score by Ryan O'Rourke. At Exo Bar... Words and music collide. Tucson author Frankie Rollins and queer experimental performer Rogue Violin collaborate on the fantastical. It's Sunday Session at Saint Charles Tavern... Featuring violinist Tessa Lark, The Tucson Symphony Orchestra performs Hector Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique. At Tucson Convention Center. Perry So is at the podium...
Monday, Oct. 28
Tucson hip-hop artist Sui Blue, Rough Nite and others gather to bid farewell to Otis. At Club Congress... Drawing from traditional jazz, swing and the American songbook, Tucson Jazz Institute hosts JAZZ JAMbalaya. At The Glowbal...
Tuesday, Oct. 29
This Richmond, Virginia metalcore outfit's lyrical content revolves around despair, struggles with mental health and addiction. "The Worst in Me" is about an unhealthy relationship. Frontman Noah Sebastian expands, "More specifically, it's something you can't let go of even though it's not good for you—whether it's a relationship, a drug problem or terrible situation. You're addicted." Trying to find God before God finds them, Bad Omens are at 191 Toole. Flanked by Gila Byte and Echoes... Featuring Mexico Beyond Mariachi and a company of dancers, Sugar Skull: A Dia de los Muertos Musical Adventure delves into rich cultural traditions. At the Fox Theatre... With lyrics inspired by personal struggles and social inequality, Grün Wasser have risen from Chicago's underground to land at the forefront of the minimal electronic music scene. Along with Portland rock 'n' rollers The Shivas, they are sure to "Start A Fire." At Club Congress. With local support from Moontrax and Jrown... She has been a staple in the Southern Arizona music scene for over 25 years. Performing as part of Plaza Live! Tuesday Night Concert Series, vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Sabra Faulk sings folk rock and Americana. At St. Philip's Plaza... Day of the Dead Tertulia is an evening of music, conversation and poetry. Cultural historian Luis Coronado Guel will lead a presentation sharing the history and rituals of El Día de los Muertos. Guitarist/assistant professor of Latin American Music José Luis Puerta will perform with Borderlands Ensemble. At Exo Roast Co...
Wednesday, Oct. 30
On Devil's Night, this musical preacher leads a congregation that accepts everyone. With a force-of-nature voice, blues/folk/soul singer Shawn James examines The Dark & The Light (Parts + Labor Records, 2019). At 191 Toole. Austin singer-songwriter Sam Houston & BLK ODYSSY champion the cause... Former Dead Kennedy Jello Biafra says "Fish's music is your basic Fugs-style electric grunge folk. His lyrics feature some of the meanest put-downs of American consumer culture I've heard in years." Fish Karma and/or The DeRailleurs celebrate Karma's 60th Birthday. At Club Congress. Jim Nyby adds to the hoopla... Drawing from a repertoire of familiar classic country and old time music and handcrafted original material, Lookout Tucson Singer-Songwriter Series sees Freddy Parish performing in the Lookout Bar & Grille at Westward Look Resort...
Thursday, Oct. 31
From the City of Fallen Angels (L.A.) on one of the biggest party nights of the year, Club '90s presents '90s vs. '00 Halloween Massive. Spinning all the retro madness, DJ Jeffrey transforms the Rialto Theatre into a haunted party paradise... DJs Mother Tierra and Bob Really add spine-tingling thump and bang to Halloween Night. At Hotel Congress... And, bordering on surreality, Golden Boots and The Pork Torta promise a phantasmagorical Halloween not soon to be forgotten. At Tap + Bottle-Downtown...
Shout Out
John Densmore of The Doors gave high praise to this Tucson, by way of New Mexico, singer-songwriter. "His songs move like the wind. He is the lone coyote howling in the desert." John Coinman celebrates the release of his sixth album, Under the Sun, a collection of personal stories of the world. Coinman's band includes bassist Blair Forward, drummer Larry Cobb, Duncan Stitt on keyboards, Neil Harry on pedal steel and special guests. On Saturday, Oct. 26. At Hotel Congress...
On The Horizon
Reminiscing about The Last Days of Summer, "Unequivocally the hottest female voice in R&B," Summer Walker is at the Rialto Theatre. On Saturday, Nov 2. Rising Harlem rapper MELII helps to warms things up... Is it a bird? Is it a frog's croak? On Sunday, Nov 3, "When The Fire Comes," Londoner indie poppers Kero Kero Bonito will be there. At the Rialto Theatre. With the ethereal club pop of Negative Gemini... Nietzsche wrote, "There is always some madness in love..." And this Cuban/Puerto Rican-American spitfire appears to agree. "I'll make excuses/And I'll keep all your secrets/I will take your bullets/Even if it were you holding the gun." On Tuesday, November 5, Confidently Lost, R&B singer Sabrina Claudio will be at the Rialto Theatre. Up first, Gallant does chivalrous things...
Until next week, XOXO...
