The Beach Boys, Mayhem Festival, Joan Jett, and Foster The People Over the Weekend

By Jason P. Woodbury Mon., Jul. 9 2012 at 4:00 AM

Categories: Over the Weekend

Melissa Fossum

The Beach Boys

The Beach Boys @ Grand Canyon University Arena

50 songs for 50 years. It's hard to imagine any band getting away with it, right?

It's even harder to imagine it being exceptional, but that's the best word I can use to describe what The Beach Boys (Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, David Marks, Bruce Johnston, and their crack nine-piece backing band) did last night at Grand Canyon University. Read more.

See the full Beach Boys @ GCU Arena slideshow.

Richard Noel

Foster the People

Foster the People @ Comerica Theatre

The crowd descended upon the pit in front of the stage for Foster the People. All of Comerica Theatre was on its feet when they finally took the stage, opening with "Miss You." The show was visually overwhelming, with lighting that bordered on convulsive as the group moved frantically through "Helena Beat" and "Waste."

Vocalist Mark Foster is clearly someone who loves performing for the crowd. I got the sense he is grateful for his fans, but at times he seemed a bit unsure of himself, and he had a tendency to ramble, even when the band was trying nudge him into the next song. Read more.

Melissa Fossum

Joan Jett

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts @ Talking Stick Resort

Joan Jett is one of those musicians whom everybody should see if they get the chance. She's an inspiration to every girl who ever picked up a guitar, pioneering the riot grrl movement before it had a name (she later produced a Bikini Kill album). Jett has continued to rock since she formed The Runaways as a teen. Now, she's still going strong as a 53-year-old. Read more.

Melanie Mathieu

Slipknot at the Mayhem Festival

Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival @ Ashley Furnture HomeStore Pavilion

Lemmy Kilmister isn't supposed to exist during waking hours.

Call it a rock 'n' roll fantasy, but I've always imagined Motörhead, fronted by the 66-year-old, perma-sore-throated Kilmister, to be the sort of band that just wouldn't work with the midday sun beaming overhead. Read more.

The full Mayhem Festival slideshow.

Follow us on Twitter and friend us on Facebook