Phoenix Music Blog

Last night, the Tempe Center for the Arts was filled to the hilt with adoring fans. Dozens more -- mainly dudes -- waited in a line outside the doors in the hundred-degree heat, hoping to score a seat in the packed house. What the hell was this? Blue Man Group? Lady Gaga's "I'm not a hermaphrodite, I swear" tour? A surprise visit by Jenna Jameson? Nope. This was Diggnation, a techie video podcast with a cult following hosted by Alex Albrecht and Kevin Rose, formerly of TechTV's The Screen Savers.

​If you haven't seen the show before, these two guys sit around and talk/joke about the current front page stories on social media site Digg, Wayne's World style. They tell off-color jokes and occasionally interview celebrities like Ashton Kutcher, who was at their last taping in Las Vegas. They give away shirts and stress balls. They drink (a metric assload) of beer. And the audience goes nuts for it, mostly because they're equally inebriated.

More pics, plus hilarious quotes from last night's show, after the jump...​

Billed as "killer deals for all you in the service biz," Sunday Service is Side Bar's new weekly night for all those in the "Industry."  It's the brainchild of downtown DJ and party-maker Bradford Still. The pairing up of Still and the hip new bar promise to make for one of Phoenix's best industry nights.

Single and want to add a twist to your Valentine's Day this year? Then head over to Phoenix boutique Devious Wigs & Things, 1229 NW Grand Ave., on Saturday, Feb. 14 for the Devious Dating Game. The boutique is looking for four women and four men to participate as contestants in the show where one bachelorette and one bachelor will ask three bachelorettes and three bachelors a series of questions and then choose a date to spend the night on the town. Want to get in on the action? E-mail gs@deviouswigs.com to participate. The fun will start at 7:30 p.m

By Wynter Holden

Met any freaks lately? Now, by "freaks" I don't mean the black trenchcoat wearing, Twilight book reading, A Perfect Circle listening, tragically hip wannabe goth set. Or the scary dudes who post pictures of their penises in the "Casual Encounters" section of Craigslist. I'm talking about actual live freaks: genetically unusual humans who have one leg, or two claws, or scales covering their entire bodies, but are otherwise just like the rest of us.

999 Eyes is an honest-to-goodness freak show, touted by ringleader(ess) The Freak Mama as the only one of its kind in the world, and they graced the outdoor stage of The Trunk Space on Wednesday night. A few things I learned:

1. Freaks are not on time. LA traffic detained this bunch, so the 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. shows melded into one gigantic vaudevillian event that began around 9:30ish and ended a bit before midnight.

2. "Freak" isn't a bad word, despite what the ADA tells us. The performers are proud of their genetic anomalies, and wear the "freak" label with pride. Think of it like gays calling themselves "queer" or women embracing the C-word.

3. Freak shows are still illegal in 3 states, according to 999 Eyes. (Wonder if they're the same states that outlawed gay marriage??)

4. In the '80s, one freak performer was sued by a disability rights group for exploiting his oddity for profit. "Frog Boy" won the lawsuit and went on to perform at the now defunct Coney Island freak show (story as told by 999 Eyes).

By Jonathan McNamara

Yesterday we told you which bands would play First Friday. Today, we're giving them to you.Courtesy of Clubs Editor Benjamin Leatherman, here is a video sampler of the tunes rocked on Grand Avenue and Roosevelt Row last night.

Need more First Friday fun?

Don't miss this slideshow with shots from Paisley Violin, Ruby Room, Lost Leaf and more.

By Jonathan McNamara

Anybody heard the clanking of chains and muffled moans coming from the club that formerly housed The Loft underneath Gordon Biersch on Mill? Me either, which is a shame because that spot's new joint, Whip Lounge, wants you to get an S&M vibe from the new digs.

We're not saying we necessarily participate in or enjoy S&M, but come on, Whip Lounge. Go big or go home! At the opening last night, we spied a poster depicting a submissive getting poked at by riding whip-handling dominatrix while wearing aviator sunglasses. Sunglasses? What? Because you've got look cool while you're getting hurt? Aside from that, a few other posters of posers in precarious positions and words like "submit" painted on the steps of the staircase there was very little to get our interests peaked.

Luckily we've got the goods for you to decide for yourself. Check out this slideshow of shots from Whip Lounge's opening night and see if you think this is the kind of club worth dragging out the handcuffs for.

Whip Lounge
420 S. Mill Ave., Suite 101, Tempe

By Jonathan McNamara

If there's one thing we don't like it's people referring to Wednesday as "hump day." Very annoying. Luckily the cats and kittens out and about last night were of a sort that knows better. They referred to Wednesday as a night to go chill at George and Dragon or maybe an opportunity to go see What Laura Says Thinks and Feels at Rhythm Room.

Then there were these guys:

Pretty & Nice came straight out of Boston to play a show at Modified Arts.

What? You didn't make it out last night? No worries, we were there with cameras.

Check out what you missed in our Wednesday Night Out slideshow.