Melissa Fossum

Sara Robinson at Los Dias De La Crescent 2013

That Tupac hologram probably gave the whole industry a scare, but for the moment it looks like tribute bands are safely ensconced as the only way you'll be able to see, say, Pantera live.

A night of cover bands at the Marquee, don't-call-it-chillwave at Last Exit Live, the less-wordy parts of Graceland, and more make up this weekend's list of five shows to see in Phoenix. As always, if there's another show you're excited about, let us know in the comments.

More »

Somewhere outside of Phoenix, in the blistering desert, towering rock and roll legends of the past buried a time capsule containing the key to a long lost sound. Through perseverance, talent and brilliance, The Black Moods from Tempe, AZ seem to have uncovered that capsule and tapped into the secrets of stripped down, in-your-face rock and roll excellence.

Coming off their self-titled debut album, The Black Moods--Joshua Kennedy on guitar and vocals, Ryan Prier on bass and backing vocals, and Danny "Chico" Diaz on drums--are proving their worth to the musical community by injecting their style into the vein of rock and roll. Their influences are clear, from their groovy logo, Kennedy's Robert Plant-esque hairdo, their name--derived from the legend of Jim Morrison--and their infectious guitar work and catching lyrics.

Up on the Sun was able to step inside the mind of singer Kennedy before The Black Moods perform this Saturday at Rockbar in Old Town Scottsdale to get his perspective on the local music scene in Phoenix, his ultimate guitar god, and the story of The Black Moods.

More »

"Free at Dawn," the opening song of Small Black's second full-length album, is the sound of a band reclaiming itself at the start of a new day.

Gone is much of what characterized the band's eponymous 2008 EP and 2010 debut album New Chain -- the chill synths and preset Casio beats of a band that began as a bedroom project.

While still self-produced, Limits of Desire abandons the occasionally overstuffed sound of home-studio tinkering that guitarist-keyboardist Ryan Heyner and keyboardist-singer Josh Kolenik began with before adding bassist Juan Pieczanski and drummer Jeff Curtin. The full-band approach draws from an expanded palette, making Limits of Desire a surprisingly nimble album, synth-pop that fits itself into unexpected places.

"We kind of stumbled onto a lo-fi sound for the EP, and that was fresh for all of us, so we latched onto it," Pieczanski says. "But as time went on, we wanted to move beyond that, make it more spacious. The more we played live, the more we realized we could take it to different places."

Small Black is scheduled to perform Saturday, June 15 at Last Exit Live.

More »

If you want to see the Refreshments, who haven't played together as a band since 1998, now might be a good time to figure out whether you're legally allowed to go to Mexico.

I don't mean to spoil this week's Must-See Phoenix Shows This Weekend, but it might take you a little time to figure that out, and I wanted to give you a head start. If you're stuck stateside, there's still plenty to tide you over until the Refreshments play again in 2028.

More »

Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers

Circus Mexicus

The Refreshments are back. The fizzy, fuzzy, big, and buzzy '90s band behind the hit "Banditos" is scheduled to reunite for one show only -- but not in their home state or even their home country. The good news is that the gig is only as far as Puerto Peñasco, Mexico, as part of Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers' Circus Mexicus festival.

Clyne began Circus Mexicus in Rocky Point about 14 years ago, and in the years since, it's grown from a single night of music into a four-day extravaganza of bands, soccer, jam sessions, charitable events, and private-label tequila. It's fitting that the Refreshments' reunion is the festival highlight, since Clyne says all he really wanted to do when the Refreshments were a hit-making band was play music on the beach.

More »

June is here (basically.) All across the Valley, people are glancing nervously at the sun, aware that at some point in the next month rising temperatures are going to force them into a kind of ersatz air-conditioning hibernation until sometime just after Christmas. Or maybe that's just me.

But hey: There's still time. Here are five shows to go see this weekend, while you retain your full measure of brain function. As an Illinois transplant, I hope it's some consolation that Cheap Trick's native Rockford will be nearly as unpleasant in July.

More »

JP Manzan

Firemen are the real heroes. Or maybe teachers -- I can never remember. In any case, there will be lots of superheroes in town this weekend for Phoenix Comicon. Some of them will even be local musicians.

But if you're looking for a break from the convention -- or just another place to wear your super-accurate Doctor Who costume -- try any one of these five Phoenix shows to see this weekend.

More »

One brand-new way to validate your musical tastes in front of your friends: Tell them that you were a fan of Huey Lewis and the News before he put on a raincoat and murdered Weird Al Yankovic with an ax.

Murdering Weird Al is a classic sell-out move, but you can go see him in Chandler on Saturday anyway. That and more awaits you in today's five shows to see in Phoenix this weekend.

More »

So are you a Tribute-John guy, or a Tribute-Paul guy? Or a Tribute-George guy, I guess?

This question and more answered in this week's list of five Phoenix-area shows this weekend.

More »

Prince will not be playing anywhere this weekend. He's surprised me before, but I'm willing to make the call now and just be wrong if he shows up at "Rock the Purple," which is not what you think it is, probably.

In his stead: Lydia comes home in support of their first album post-hiatus, iamwe actually does rock the purple, and Bell Biv DeVoe doubles our existing regional supply of sampled drum hits.

More »