The “American Idol Tour” has been somewhat of a maturing experience for Michigan teenager Jena Irene Asciutto.
It marks the first time the second-place finisher has traveled extensively throughout the United States and, in mid-July, she turned 18. That meant she could tour without her sister, who served as her guardian.
“I’ve been having a blast just traveling to different places all over the U.S.,” says Asciutto, whose tour comes to Phoenix’s Comerica Theatre on Wednesday, August 13.
“I’m only 18 and I haven’t been that many places. I believe we have a day off the day before our show in Arizona. So I get to go out and explore the city.”
For her birthday—and as a fond farewell—Asciutto and her sister went to a tattoo artist.
“My sister flew out yesterday after staying with me for three and a half weeks,” she says. “This is my first day on my own. But we got tattoos, my sister and me—matching tattoos.”
The tour features nine of the Top 10 contestants singing songs made popular by the 13th season of “American Idol.” Dexter Roberts, who landed in ninth place, dropped off the tour for unknown reasons in early July.
“I actually never went to an ‘American Idol’ tour,” Asciutto says about her life prior to the show. “But on this tour, there’s no genre that’s the same. All of the Top 10 are pretty different in their styles of music that they play. It’s cool to be a part of.”
According to reports, Asciutto is set to perform her new single, “We are One,” along with “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley and “My Body” by Young the Giant, as her solo pieces.
She cites Young the Giant as one of her influences, joining Paramore, Incubus, The Killers and Band of Skulls. Her true love is electronic music, which she performed around Metro Detroit in her band.
Asciutto, the second “American Idol” wild card to make it to the finale, explains that the show’s “‘80s Week” was the most challenging for her. But the songs grew on her.
“I don’t listen to ‘80s music,” she says. “When I did ‘I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll’ by Joan Jett—even though the judges didn’t like it that much—I was obsessed with it. It was hard but it was a half-and-half thing. Either you loved it or you hated it.”
Her other ‘80s track was a duet with eventual winner Caleb Johnson on the Bryan Adams-Tina Turner hit “It’s Only Love.”
“When I was living in L.A. for the competition, and production said we were going to do a duet of that, I looked up a live version of it on YouTube to see how they performed it, to kind of get inspired into how I was going to make it my own.
“But Tina Turner is Tina Turner. It was fun. It was really fun to perform.”
Throughout the competition, she didn’t necessarily have that much time to prepare.
“I would pull out songs that I already knew and performed with my band years ago,” Asciutto says.
“That’s what I did for about the first half of the Top 13,” she says. “When it got down to the top five, top six, that’s when I had to start learning new songs and it got a little more challenging. It was a lot of fun, though. I really appreciate my time on the show.”
Jena Irene Asciutto along with the rest of the “American Idol” cast, Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington Street, Phoenix, 800.745.3000, ticketmaster.com, Wednesday, August 13, 7:30 p.m. $39-$69
Ex-Bauhaus singer humbled by fans, set back by stalkers
Christina Fuoco-Karasinski • College Times
Goth godfather Peter Murphy has seen his fair share of over-obsessed fans and heard mounds of rumors about himself.
It’s become so bad that the former Bauhaus frontman has had to abandon social media and leave it up to his team.
It’s flattering, he says, to have the kind of response he’s had to his new album, Lion.
“It’s always humbling, except of the odd, excessive stalker type,” he says. “With things like social media it becomes more evident. I don’t interact personally now. It’s a bit of a minefield.
“You’ve got the outreach and then you have, what I call, the ‘gossip door’ for anybody who goes in. There’s so much erroneous stuff out there. It was always there, but it’s exposed in some sort of forum-type thing. Some of it can be off-putting, so I had to withdraw from that personally.”
Fans will have to make do with live shows. He plays a sold out show at the Crescent Ballroom on Saturday, July 26. Murphy plays about six new songs, older material and, maybe, a couple Bauhaus tracks.
“I’m playing new material, which is always a challenge for the audience,” says Murphy, who was battling a cold in Los Angeles at the time of the interview.
“Most of the audience seems to know what’s going on. They’ve got ahold of the album and listened to it. It’s a difficult album to realize live. It’s very dense and very big and, like, orchestrated. Our resources restrict us to working with a four-piece band. But I do supplement some of the songs with some of the necessary electronic elements with it. It’s working out well.”
Lion was recorded in two parts; one just before his “35 Years of Bauhaus Tour” in 2013 and again in Spain. Both sessions were produced by Killing Joke bassist Youth, an alias for Martin Glover. Murphy says he had to “parachute in from the Bauhaus tour.”
Before the tour, “we were initially meeting to fill out ideas,” Murphy says. “Youth has such great ideas. It was a very prolific kind of session. We had what we thought was most of the album done. Then we had another week in Spain in Youth’s studio there. We did four songs there.
“It was a very fast process, which part of me really loves. Overstraining on a song can often ruin it. You can overwork a song. There were some elements I would have liked to have done—some parts here and there. That’s part and parcel of that kind of speed.”
One of the most striking songs on the album is “Hang Up,” with which he opens his live shows. It is also the first track on Lion.
“It works well,” he says. “That seems to be the most obvious one to open with (on the album). It’s really just a message of hanging up the phone; disengage from the imaginary sort of trips and health into the reality of things were sobriety is the thing, really. It’s a nice notion to hang up the phone and come on over to the real thing—whatever that is. I’m still working on it.”
Peter Murphy w/My Jerusalem, Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Avenue, Phoenix, 602.716.2222, crescentphx.com, Saturday, July 26, 8:30 p.m., sold out
“Deliver Us From Evil” delivers burgeoning bromance for Eric Bana and Joel McHale
Ana Anguiano • College Times
It seems like an unlikely pairing, but seeing Eric Bana and Joel McHale interact with one another is a thing of beauty. The “Hulk” badass and the star of NBC’s “Community” play New York cops in the horror thriller “Deliver Us From Evil,” a film based on the true accounts of a Bronx police officer who encountered unexplainable evil during his midnight shifts. The film, which is directed by Scott Derrickson and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, follows Ralph Sarchie as he delves into the world of demons.
Bana and McHale stopped by Phoenix during their press tour and College Times got a chance to pick their brains about scary movies, knives, and their blossoming bromance, which is fairly top notch. They don’t need very much to keep the party going all on their own. The film opens on July 2. Keep an eye out for our review online.
College Times: Did you two know each other before filming this movie?
McHale: Yeah, we did “The Time Traveler's Wife” together. I played the wife.
Bana: We had a lot of kissing scenes.
McHale: He was a big fan of mine, so he was aware of me, but we didn’t know each other.
So were all the kissing scenes cut from this movie?
McHale: No. Did you see the movie?
I did. Maybe I covered my eyes for that part.
McHale: See? It was terrifying.
So there was passion…
McHale: You think that we would kiss without passion? You think it would be a loveless kiss?
Bana: Press pause a lot when you get the Blu-ray. Watch it shot-by-shot and see if I’m lying or not. If you’ve got the time, you might find something.
Do you remember the first horror movie you watched as a kid?
Bana: It must have been “The Exorcist.” I must have been like 10 or something.
McHale: You saw that when you were 10?
Bana: Yeah, I had an uncle that let me see everything. I would sneak into the drive-in in the trunk of his car with him and his girlfriend, and then they would hop in the backseat, I would hop in the front seat, and I would sit through whatever we went to see.
McHale: And then they would be doing stuff in the backseat?
Bana: Perhaps. I never looked over my shoulder.
McHale: What’s your uncle up to these days?
Bana: Let’s not go there.
McHale: He’s in that much trouble? That’s terrible.
Bana: I saw a lot of films thanks to that uncle.
McHale: I’m trying to think of the first movie that really scared me and I think it was this movie called “The Watcher in the Woods,” which had a very old Bette Davis in it. It’s from the late ‘70s or very early ‘80s and it’s a Disney film, I believe. But it’s about these kids that go away to their weird great aunt’s mansion for the summer and they start disappearing into the woods. It’s terrifying, especially as a kid. I lived in the woods basically so I was like, “this is going to happen to me.”
Joel, your character uses knives in the movie, and from what I understand, you really enjoy knives.
McHale: I have a lot of knives of my own. I have some Samurai swords and some short swords. I have a lot of switch blades and Bloody Marys.
Bana: What’s a Bloody Mary?
McHale: It shoots out the front.
Bana: What?
McHale: That’s an automatic knife that is very legal. You hit a button and the knife...
Bana: Oh, it’s like a flick knife.
McHale: I’ll bring one tomorrow. They’re amazing. Very illegal.
Do you travel with them ever?
McHale: Not that you know of! But when (director) Scott [Derrickson] wrote the script, we’ve been good friends for many years, he wrote the part [of Butler] as if it were me, not that I was going to get the role. So I have an obsession with knives. I always have.
Bana: Do you worry about the kids getting a hold of them and playing and cutting each other up?
McHale: I’m being this kind of father where I go, 'Well, you better handle these things and learn how to use them and be very careful.' If I’m ever cutting something I give them the knife to cut it. So far no fingers have been lost. I have knives all over the house in almost every room. I have a whole bag of them.
How old were when you started playing with knives?
McHale: Like five. My mom and dad—we lived in Europe, thank you. In my parent’s travels in the ‘60s, they picked up all sorts of weird weapons from the Middle East and Africa. So now I collect wine and knives. It’s great. The best combination is booze and weapons.
Yeah, cheese is stupid.
McHale: So the knives I use in this movie are a ka-bar and a double edged dagger are the ones that I fight with. But when I was actually doing the fight scenes they were made of rubber...
Bana: [Sighs] Talk about taking the air out of the movie. Come on, we are promoting the film, not demoting the film!
McHale: Excuse me. The knives were real but during the fight I was wearing a rubber.
“So our Sail Inn is sailing away,” says Gina Lombardi, owner of one of the few standing Tempe music venues, which will be closing its doors on June 29.
Lombardi points all around the venue and remembers that only a few years ago everything surrounding The Sail Inn was dirt. Now there are traffic cones and construction signs for the brand new condos being built all around and developers are planning to fill the area with bars and restaurants.
“Our property, half an acre, a little over, this is going to be The Lodge, which is a bar in Scottsdale. It will be mainly a bar/restaurant and they won’t be doing live music,” she says.
Lombardi has been a mover and a shaker in the Tempe music scene for three decades. As the owner of The Sail Inn she has given musicians and their loved ones a place to gather and feel at home. She has cultivated a family of loyal friends that are all coming together to celebrate the venue one last time at The Sail Inn Farewell Festival, June 27 through June 29.
“We’ve had a really good run here and the Sail Inn has been my baby since I was a kid, really,” she says. “I’ll be 53 and I got the bar when I was 28. It’s seen many changes.”
The patio area once had grass and the outdoor stage area once was a volleyball court, but the memories that will live on are those of times spent together with friends, some who have passed on.
Ken Kareta, the production manager at The Sail Inn and the man behind the sound system for both indoor and outdoor stages, says the venue is a place that put him back together after the loss of his wife.
“I think it’s a shame that we are going to be losing the only local venue with an outdoor stage,” Kareta says.
“We have probably one of the most extreme varieties of any club in the area. We have the tie-dye sect dancing with their children in bare feet Sundays and Thursdays. On Wednesdays it could be a jazz show or a punk show, there’s indie pop bands. It’s definitely a variety. It’s hard to get bored.”
The Farewell Festival will serve as a memorial for the venue and a final hoorah before Lombardi moves on to Cactus Jack’s in Ahwatukee.
“This was going to be it and I was going to retire and so many of the bands kept coming up to me and saying, ‘You’re not done. Where are we going next?’” Lombardi says.
A new stage, almost as big as the outdoor Sail Inn stage, is being built at Cactus Jack’s with a new sound system and a dance floor. The Noodles, which were one of the first bands to play The Sail Inn, will be one of the first bands to play the new stage.
Lombardi says they plan on starting live music there on Sunday, July 13, but first she has to full enjoy the three-day Farewell show.
Sail Inn Farewell Festival, w/Love Me Nots, Sara Robinson & The Midnight Special, Banana Gun, Japhy’s Descent, Dry River Yacht Club, Jared & The Mill, Black Carl, Hot Birds & the Chili Sauce, The Noodles, Sugar Thieves, Xtra Ticket, The Sail Inn, 26 S. Farmer Avenue, Tempe, thesailinn.com, Friday, June 27 to Sunday, June 28, times vary, $15 per day, $35 three day pass
Mariah Deraet (of Avery) w/Her & Gold, The Riveras, Crescent Ballroom, June 26, 8 p.m., $3-$5
Hellbound Glory, Pub Rock Live, June 26, 8 p.m., $8-$10
No Shelter w/Sorry Charlie, The Rhythm Room, June 26, 8 p.m., $8-$10
Springfield w/Maximum Roach, Rhema Marshall, Clay Fighter, Trunk Space, June 26, 7:30 p.m., $6
Vial of Sound w/Future Days, Let’s Drive to Alaska, Adventurface, Crescent Ballroom, June 27, 8 p.m., $10-$12
Lil Debbie w/ Cut Throat Logic, Miny, Kid Swift, DJ Baby Chino, Pub Rock Live, June 27, 7 p.m., $14
Avery Burke w/Ash & The Grave Giant, The Cosmopolites, Trunk Space, June 27, 7:30 p.m., $6
Sons of Providence w/Man Made machine, The Hard Luck Kid, Romance Mechanics, Harper & The Moths, It’s a Long Story, Yucca Tap Room, June 27, 7 p.m., free
EMA w/Mas Ysa, Yus, Crescent Ballroom, June 28. 8:30 p.m., $12-$14
White Trash Millionaire w/Versions of You, Mime Light, Sovereign Seas, Bent Self, Last Victim Standing, Goodbye July, The Marquee Theatre, June 28, 6:30 p.m., $13
No Gimmick (album release) w/Black Canyon Bastards, NEATO, Lightspeed Go, Alert!, Pub Rock Live, June 28, 8 p.m., $5
Incan Abraham w/A Cloud For Climbing, Last Exit Live, June 28, 8 p.m., $10-$12
Bill Daniel w/Ralph White, Gospel and The Wolf, Andrew Is Tired, Clay Martin, Trunk Space, June 28, 7 p.m., $7
Young Widows w/White Reaper, Via Vengeance, The Rhythm Room, June 29, 8 p.m., $10-$12
Dub Thompson w/Ought, Bad Neighbors, Pub Rock Live, June 29, 8 p.m., $10-$12
The Woodworks w/SpaceWaster, Sister Lip, Bacchus, Last Exit Live, June 29, 8:30 p.m., $6
Gog w/Mallevs, Dross, Crescent Ballroom, June 29, 8 p.m., free
Wussy w/Red Rank, Andy Warpigs, Trunk Space, June 29, 6 p.m., $6
Deafheaven w/Destruction Unit, Wreck & Reference, Crescent Ballroom, June 30, 8 p.m., $15-$18
PHOX w/Trails & Ways, The Rhythm Room, June 30, 8 p.m., $10-$12
Surf w/Lastronauts, B.O.T.S., Nadroj W Zurc, Yucca Tap Room, July 1, 9 p.m., free
Pale w/Run-On Sunshine, Saba-Oats, Chemical X, The Trunk Space, July 1, 7:30 p.m., $7
The Donkeys w/Cherie Cherie, Makeshift Skyline, DJ Babynose, Yucca Tap Room, July 2, 9 p.m., free
Field Tripp w/Fairy Bones, MAN CAT, Lawn Chair, Crescent Ballroom, July 2, 8 p.m., $3-$5
Islands and Tigers w/Rotary Speed Dial, Uno Sideburn, Adam Sessions, The Trunk Space, July 2, 7:30 p.m., $7
Party Gardens w/Wooden Indian, There Is Danger, Crescent Ballroom, July 3, 8 p.m., $8-$10
Dance your booty off with our favorite summer band, Party Gardens!
Diners w/Kitten Crisis, Amandou’s Crew, Donut Shop Death, Pro Teens, The Trunk Space, July 3, 7:30 p.m., $7
Phoenix Afrobeat Orchestra w/Chica Dust, La Saga, Crescent Ballroom, July 4, $7-$8
Broloaf, Yucca Tap Room, July 4, 9 p.m., free
Tramps & Thieves w/Banana Gun, Last Exit Live, July 5, 9 p.m., $5
Shifter w/The Ganderers, The Smoke Bombs, The Trapdoors, The Backyard Remedy, Yucca Tap Room, July 5, 9 p.m., free
Candye Kane, The Rhythm Room, July 5, 8:30 p.m., $12
N.A.C. Suite II: Chris Schlarb w/Rhys Kelso Quintet, Holly Pyle, The Trunk Space, July 5, 7:30 p.m., $7
Be Like Max w/Liam & The Ladies, The Sara McAllister Duo, DJ Beat Betty & Fullstop, Pub Rock Live, July 6, 7:30 p.m., TBA
Bob Weir w/Ratdog, Celebrity Theatre, July 7, 6 p.m., $38-$65
Rising Sun Daughter w/Hasty Escape, Crescent Ballroom, July 7, 8 p.m., $3-$5
Wye Oak w/Pattern Is Movement, Crescent Ballroom, July 8, 8 p.m., $16-$19
D.C. Fallout w/Reason Unknown, Black Thoughts, Lightspeedgo, Yucca Tap Room, July 8, 9 p.m., free
Ted Nugent, Celebrity Theatre, July 8, 8 p.m., $45-$60
Kiss w/Def Leppard, Ak-Chin Pavilion, July 9, 7 p.m., $39-$187
Little Tybee w/Mystery School, Yucca Tap Room, July 9, 9 p.m., free
The Waters w/Ryne Norman, Oh, Jeremiah, Sydney Sprague, Crescent Ballroom, July 9, 8 p.m., $5-$7
S. Carey w/The Pines, Crescent Ballroom, July 10, 8 p.m., $12-$15
Wild Party w/Ezer, The Rhythm Room, July 10, 8 p.m., $8-$10
Downtown Boys w/The Congs, The Linecutters, Drunk and Horny, The Trunk Space, July 10, 7:30 p.m., $7
Turkuaz w/Something Went Awry, Last Exit Live, July 11, 9 p.m., $7-$10
Phobia w/GodAwfulNoise, Sorrower, Biocidio, Yucca Tap Room, July 11, 8 p.m., $10
Jessica Hernandez & The Deltas, Wooden Indian, Pub Rock Live, July 11, 8 p.m., $8-$10
Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival 2014 w/Avenged Sevenfold, Trivium, Wretched, Upon A Burning Body, Asking Alexandria, Miss May I, Texas Hippie Coalition, Veil Of Maya, Suicide Silence, Islander, Emmure, Body Count, Ill Niño, Darkest Hour, Mushroomhead, Cannibal Corpse, Korn, King 810, Erimha, Ak-Chin Pavilion, July 11, 1 p.m., $39-$96
Black Carl w/The Burning Of Rome, Crescent Ballroom, July 11, 8:30 p.m., $10-$12
The buzz that surrounds Yellow Ostrich is totally true. Give them a listen and see if they suit your indie fancy.
Everclear w/Soul Asylum, Eve 6, Spacehog, The Marquee Theatre, July 15, 7 p.m., $35
Jeff Gonzales w/Leap Dream, Yucca Tap Room, July 15, 9 p.m., free
Mr. Mudd & Mr. Gold, Crescent Ballroom, July 15, 8 p.m., $3-$5
Apothesary w/Repaid In Blood, Yucca Tap Room, July 16, 9 p.m., free
Rusty Maples w/Celebration Guns, Kachina, The Rhythm Room, July 16, 8 p.m., $10-$12
Ceschi w/Chisme, Milo of Hellfyre Club, Mega Ran, Passage, DJ Crispy, Last Exit Live, July 16, 9 p.m., $10-$12
The Chain Gang of 1974 w/Zak Waters, Empires, Crescent Ballroom, July 16, 8 p.m., $12-$14
The Dwarves w/The Queers, Masked Intruder, The Atom Age, Yucca Tap Room, July 17, 7 p.m., $15
Rakim, Celebrity Theatre, July 17, 7:30 p.m., $15-$25
The Antlers w/Thus Owls, Crescent Ballroom, July 17, 8 p.m., $17-$20
A Sunny Day In Glasgow w/Larkspurs, Last Exit Live, July 17, 9 p.m., $8-$10
Sara Robinson and the Midnight Special w/Banana Gun, Steff and the Articles, Sunset Voodoo, Crescent Ballroom, July 18, 9 p.m., $8-$10
The Crookes w/Caught A Ghost, The Soft White Sixties, Pub Rock Live, July 18, 8 p.m., $10-$12
The Fremonts w/Bob Corritore, The Rhythm Room, July 18, 9 p.m., $8-$10
Black Pussy w/Mothership, Flying Scorpion, Fuzz Evil, Yucca Tap Room, July 18, 8 p.m., $18
Jurassic 5 w/Dilated Peoples, Beat Junkies (D-Styles), MC Supernatural, The Marquee Theatre, July 19, 8 p.m., $42-$43
The ‘90s are alive with the sound of alternative hip hop!
WhiteKaps w/Sidekick, Unstable Youth, The Pragmatics, Yucca Tap Room, July 19, 8 p.m., free
The Turtles w/Chuck Negron, Mark Farner, Gary Lewis & The Playboys, Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels, Celebrity Theatre, July 19, 8 p.m., $38-$68
Cage w/Sadistik, Maulskull, Passage, The Society Of Invisibles, NKNGS, DIGI POCK, DJ CRISPY, Last Exit Live, August 15, 9 p.m., $12-$15
Adam Marsland w/The Break Up Society, Yucca Tap Room, August 15, 9 p.m., free
New Cold War w/The People’s Whiskey, Yucca Tap Room, August 16, 9 p.m., free
Woods w/Bear State, Crescent Ballroom, August 17, 8 p.m., $12-$14
John Legend w/Mapei, Comerica Theatre, August 17, 7:30 p.m., $58-$102
The Burning of Rome w/With Our Arms To The Sun, Crescent Ballroom, August 19, 8 p.m., free
Interpol, The Marquee Theatre, August 20, 8 p.m., $39
The Brothers Comatose w/If Birds Could Fly, Last Exit Live, August 20, 8 p.m., $7-$10
Joe Teichman w/Leonhardt, Yucca Tap Room, August 20, 9 p.m., free
Bart Crow w/Some Dark Hollow, Shawn Skinner, The Rhythm Room, August 12, 8 p.m., $10-$12
The Phenomenauts w/The Rebel Set, Freaks of Nature, Yucca Tap Room, August 22, 9 p.m., free
City Mouse w/Samsara, Detached Objects, Yucca Tap Room, August 23, 9 p.m., free
Grant Ferguson w/Alice Tatum, The Rhythm Room, August 23, 5 p.m., $10
Kottonmouth Kings, Joe’s Grotto, August 26, 7 p.m., $16
Jeffery Broussard & The Creole Cowboys Bad Cactus Brass Band, The Rhythm Room, August 27, 8 p.m., $15-$20
Whitey Morgan & The 78’s w/Junction 10, Yucca Tap Room, August 27, 8 p.m., $10
The Offspring w/Bad Religion, Pennywise, Stiff Little Finger, Mesa Amphitheatre, August 29, 5 p.m., $42
Fortunate Youth w/The Steppas, Ease Up, Yucca Tap Room, August 29, 7:30 p.m., free
Dropdead w/Lilith, Juice, Pub Rock Live, August 30, 7 p.m., $10-$12
Marc Anthony, Jobing.com Arena, August 30, 8 p.m., $73-$171
Ed Sheeran, Jobing.com Arena, August 31, 8 p.m., TBA
Rosie Ledet & the Zydeco Playboys, The Rhythm Room, September 1, 8 p.m., $14-$18
Atmosphere w/Prof, Dem Atlas, DJ Fundo, The Marquee Theatre, September 1, 8 p.m., $33
Nato Coles & The Blue Diamond Band, Yucca Tap Room, September 1, 9 p.m., free
Thompson Twin’s Tom Bailey w/Howard Jones, Midge Ure (Ultravox), China Crisis, Katrina (from Katrina & The Waves), The Marquee Theatre, September 3, 7 p.m., $47
Pinback w/Tera Melos, Crescent Ballroom, September 3, 8 p.m., $18-$21
Black Market Research, Yucca Tap Room, September 3, 9 p.m., free
Bob Log III w/Pork Torta, Crescent Ballroom, September 5, 8 p.m., $12-$14
Man Hands, Yucca Tap Room, September 5, 9 p.m., free
Strand of Oaks w/Christopher Denny, Last Exit Live, September 5, 10 p.m., $12-$14
Blake Shelton w/Dan + Shay, Neal McCoy, The Band Perry, Ak-Chin Pavilion, September 5, 7 p.m., $39-$74
Rick Estrin & The Nightcats, The Rhythm Room, September 5, 9 p.m., $12-$15
The B-Side Players, Last Exit Live, September 6, 9 p.m., $10-$12
The Yellow Payges, The Rhythm Room, September 6, 6 p.m., $8
Joey Cape w/Chris Cresswell, Brian Wahlstorm, Yucca Tap Room, September 6, 9 p.m., free
Haunted Summer, Crescent Ballroom, September 9, 8 p.m., free
Linkin Park w/30 Seconds To Mars, AFI, US Airways Center, September 10, 7:30 p.m., $62-$103
Porter Robinson w/Lemaitre, The Marquee Theatre, September 10, 8 p.m., $32
Owen Pallett, Crescent Ballroom, September 15, 8 p.m., $14-$16
One Direction, University of Phoenix Stadium, September 16, 7 p.m., $40-$100
Kopecky Family Band, Crescent Ballroom, September 18, 8 p.m., $12-$14
Adam & I w/Bad Luck Blue Eyes, The Rhythm Room, September 18, 7:30 p.m., $10-$15
Little Mix w/My Crazy Girlfriend, Jackson Guthy, Comerica Theatre, September 19, 7:30 p.m., $42-$74
Jason Aldean w/Florida Georgia Line, Tyler Farr, Ak-Chin Pavilion, September 20, 7:30 p.m., $40-$75
The Dig w/Celebration Guns, Yucca Tap Room, September 20, 9 p.m., free
The Airborne Toxic Event, The Marquee Theatre, September 22, 8 p.m., $27
Odesza, Crescent Ballroom, September 23, 8 p.m., $13-$15
Slim Cessna’s Auto Club, The Rhythm Room, September 24, 8 p.m., $14-$16
Katy Perry w/Tegan and Sara, Jobing.com Arena, September 25, 7 p.m., $30-$106
Capital Cities w/Lindsey Stirling, O.A.R., Andrew McMahon, The Senators, Dry River Yacht Club, Murrieta, Carol Pacey & The Honeyshakers, Tempe Beach Park, September 26, 4:30 p.m., $65-$150
The Replacements w/Descendents, Taking Back Sunday, Switchfoot, Luscious Jackson, Katastro, Black Carl, Fayuca, Playboy Manbaby, Never Let This Go, Sundressed, Tempe Beach Park, September 27, 12:30 p.m., $65-$150
Foster The People w/Fitz & The Tantrums, Kongos, Violent Femmes, Allen Stone, Kitten, Bogan Via, Banana Gun, Luna Aura, Tempe Beach Park, September 28, 12:30 p.m., $65-$150
Metalachi, The Rhythm Room, September 28, 8 p.m., $15
A Day To Remember w/Bring me The Horizon, Chiodos, Mesa Amphitheatre, September 28, 5 p.m., $37
Temples w/Wampire, Fever The Ghost, Crescent Ballroom, September 29, 8 p.m., $15-$18
The Pretty Reckless w/Adelitas Way, The Marquee Theatre, September 30, 8 p.m., $29, VIP $113
Ben Kweller, Crescent Ballroom, September 30, 8 p.m., $20
The Gaslight Anthem w/Against Me!, Twopointeight, The Marquee Theatre, October 1, 8 p.m., TBA
Joyce Manor w/The Exquisites, Dogbreth, Rumspringer, Yucca Tap Room, October 1, 7 p.m., $15
Bombay Bicycle Club w/Milo Green, The Marquee Theatre, October 2, 8 p.m., $30
Justin Currie, Last Exit Live, October 3, 8 p.m., $22-$25
Johnny Boyd (of Indigo Swing) Bill Tarsha & The Rocket 88s, The Rhythm Room, October 4, 8 p.m., $10
Boy & Bear w/Run River North, The Marquee Theatre, October 7, 8 p.m., $22
Belle and Sebastian, Civic Space Park, October 8, 7 p.m., $32-$41
The Matador w/Conflicts, Yucca Tap Room, October 8, 8 p.m., free
Pomplamoose, Pub Rock, October 8, 8 p.m., $15-$18
The Matador w/Conflicts, Yucca Tap Room, October 8, 8 p.m., free
Turquoise Jeep, Crescent Ballroom, October 9, 8 p.m., $15-$18
Sonata Arctica w/Delain, Club Red – West Theater, October 10, 7 p.m., $25-$70
Wakey!Wakey!, Last Exit Live, October 11, 8:30 p.m., $12-$15
New Pornographers w/The Pains of Being Pure At Heart, Crescent Ballroom, October 13, 8 p.m., $30
Royal Canoe, Pub Rock, October 16, 8 p.m., $10-$12
Of Montreal, Crescent Ballroom, October 17, 8:30 p.m., $20-$23
Eddie & The Hot Rods w/Dime Runner, The Smoke Bombs, Yucca Tap Room, October 18, 9 p.m., free
Erasure, Comerica Theatre, October 21, 7:30 p.m., $58-$63
Sinkane w/Helado Negro, Last Exit Live, October 23, 8 p.m., $12-$15
Matisyahu w/Radical Something, The Marquee Theatre, October 27, 8 p.m., $33
Mineral w/Into It. Over It., Crescent Ballroom, October 27, 8 p.m., $15-$18
Black Veil Brides, The Marquee Theatre, October 31, 7 p.m., $29
Il Sogno Del Marinaio w/Mike Watt, Crescent Ballroom, November 1, 8:30 p.m., $13-$15
Yelle, Crescent Ballroom, November 3, 8 p.m., $23-$26
J Mascis, Crescent Ballroom, November 11, 8 p.m., $17-$20
Arch Enemy w/Kreator, Huntress, Starkill, The Marquee Theatre, November 14, 6:30 p.m., TBA
The 1975, Comerica Theatre, November 22, 8 p.m., $25-$33
Aaron Carter, Pub Rock Live, December 12, 8 p.m., $17-$70
Ben Bruce is a self-proclaimed genius. When the Asking Alexandria guitarist was asked to give advice to bands playing the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival for the first time, he had a simple answer: Bring flushable wipes. Or better yet, he says, gut a tour bus and install a portable toilet inside of it.
“I am a genius,” says Bruce, who moved from his home country of England to New Jersey in 2008.
Bruce did, in fact, strip his tour bus, which he paid for out of his own pocket. But it wasn’t for sanitary reasons; it was to build a recording studio. While touring with this year’s Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, which comes to Ak-Chin Pavilion on Friday, July 11, Bruce and his band are going to start recording their fourth album.
So far Bruce has 10 songs written for the follow up to From Death to Destiny.
“I want to be recording and writing 10 to 15 more,” he says. “I just recorded a bunch of songs intended for the re-release of From Death to Destiny, but I just got the mixes back the other day. I kind of don’t want to waste them on a re-release. They sound so good. I don’t want to waste them on a re-release. I want to put them on a new album.
“I’m getting ahead of myself. I don’t want to do a re-release. I want to do a new record.”
The Mayhem Festival, as it’s been nicknamed, isn’t going to be all work for Asking Alexandria, which includes Tempe resident rhythm guitarist Cameron Liddell.
“We actually did it (Mayhem) a couple years ago and it was incredible,” he says. “A lot of our friends are on the tour—Avenged Sevenfold, Korn, Trivium, Suicide Silence and Miss May I. That’s a bonus.”
This time around, there’s a buzz surrounding Asking Alexandria—a far cry from the last go around.
“The first time it was like Slipknot, Slayer, Motorhead and we were there,” Bruce says. “I thought, ‘This is going to be awful. People are going to throw bags of (waste) at us. Oh man, they’re going to think we’re a (wimpy) band compared to the others.
“We were nervous. When we went into the tours, the bands were awesome. The fans were awesome. We had a really good time. There’s a good, positive buzz and it’s really made us more excited to get the tour starts, really.”
Most importantly, the jaunts have been learning experiences.
“I’ve had so many great conversations with Matt Heafy of Trivium,” he says. “He saw us go through all our drunk and drug problems. He said, ‘I went through the exact same thing and it did nothing but bad things for my career. It’s taken me this long to listen to guys. I’m finally back to the point where I’m comfortable and happy again. Older bands like that really offer you advice that’ll stick and help you with your career. Younger bands are still in crazy party mode and doing whatever they want. It gets messy and you feel like you’re 60 years old at the age of 25.”
The Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Avenue, Phoenix, 800.745.3000, ticketmaster.com, Friday, July 11, 1 p.m., $30-$90
Grab a blanket, some cold drinks, a couple of friends and all the snacks you can carry. It’s time to enjoy the outdoors and the company of your closest pals with a breezy picnic.
Mapei - “Don’t Wait”
We can’t get enough Mapei. Ever.
Future Islands - “Balance”
This is a feel-good song that should set the mood for your picnic nicely.
Aer - “Sincerely”
Don’t forget your sunnies and your SPF! Aer would want you to be protected.
Solange - “Losing You”
If you only know Solange from elevatorgate2014, you are missing out.
RAC ft. Kele, MNDR - “Let Go”
Find a shady spot and sprawl out on a blanket with this jam.
The Preatures - “Is This How You Feel?”
This track is made of sunshine and lemonade. Enjoy it with a slice of watermelon.
Chromeo ft. Toro y Moi - “Come Alive”
This collaboration is everything we never knew we wanted.
Quadron - “Hey Love”
You probably think there are a lot of female singers in this playlist, but maybe there’s not enough!
Max Frost - “White Lies”
You might have heard snippet of this song on some sort of commercial but it’s pretty great on its own.
Len - “Steal My Sunshine”
Throw this in just to throw everyone off.
Generationals - “Put a Light On”
Find yourself a dance partner for this here song.
Smile Empty Soul singer/guitarist Sean Danielsen lives in a world of contradictions.
“When you’re home, you wish you were on tour, and when you’re on tour, you wish you were home,” he says with a laugh.
This month, he’ll have the best of both worlds as the band wraps up the latest leg of its tour. Then he’ll have the chance to head home to California.
The band is on the road opening for Wayne Static, but filling in “free time” with headlining gigs, like the one it’s playing on Friday, June 27, at the Electric Ballroom, formerly known as the Roxy Lounge, in Scottsdale.
“We’re going home at the end of this month,” he says. “Then we’ll go back out in late July and do July, August, September.”
For this tour, bassist Ryan Martin is staying home to tend to his pregnant wife, who is due in September. Filling in temporarily is Taproot bassist Phil Lipscomb, a good friend of the band.
“Phil learned 14 songs before the tour,” Danielsen says. “We we’re pretty much sticking with a pretty similar set that’s a nice mix of the different albums for this whole tour because those are the ones that Phil knows.”
This is all to promote Chemicals, its sixth full-length album. Smile Empty Soul recorded the album live—meaning drums, bass and guitar at the same time.
“There was very minimal editing to those tracks and we kind of walked away with the basic tracks finished after a couple days in the studio,” he says.
“We wanted it to represent the live show a little bit more,” Danielsen says. “It feels a little more raw. It’s a cool way to record. We had a blast making the album.”
Smile Empty Soul released Chemicals on an imprint label with a friend of theirs, who is now a business partner.
“We’ve been doing everything ourselves,” he says. “We’ve been running the radio campaign, publicist campaign and hiring teams of people to help, but we’ve been running and controlling it."
That has lent itself to a much more relaxed and non-stressful career. That feeling even carries over into Smile Empty Soul’s live shows.
“Our show is a pretty straight forward rock show,” he says. “There are explosions. We wear a lot of spandex, glitter and there are dancing chicks on stage. That’s the best part.”
Smile Empty Soul w/Ebenezer, Icelus and A Moment to Rise, The Electric Ballroom, 7443 E. Sixth Avenue, Scottsdale, ticketfly.com, Friday, June 27, 7 p.m., $12-$14
Phillip Phillips has a serious case of the touring bug
Photo courtesy Nick Walker
Christina Fuoco-Karasinski • College Times
Phillip Phillips is going “a little crazy.” He’s been home on and off for the past few weeks, after touring with John Mayer and Matchbox Twenty. He can’t wait to hit the stage again.
“I’ve been itching to get on tour and everything,” a jovial Phillips says. “I haven’t been able to jam with my band.”
Phillips, who won the 11th season of “American Idol,” is taking to the road to support his latest album Behind the Light, which features the single “Raging Fire.”
For the collection, Phillips was able to experiment a bit more, after having rushed through his first post-“American Idol” release The World from the Side of the Moon. The album was nevertheless successful, having spawned the hits “Home” and “Gone, Gone, Gone.”
“It’s similar, but it’s different,” Phillips says of Behind the Light. “It’s more mature. You can tell there’s a lot of growth there. It’s a little bit deeper as well, lyrically. It takes you into a deeper side of things. Everyone goes through things in life, whether someone knows it or not. I think the lyrics really speak well on this album.
“From the first song ‘Searchlight’ to ‘Midnight Sun,’ it’s about life in general. I’m still young—only 23—but being out on the road for a couple years straight, every time you get to go home, you see the age in all your family and friends. Then, you look at yourself in the mirror and say, ‘I guess I’ve gotten older as well.’ That’s what this album is about.”
Phillips perform tracks from the album when he headlines Salt River Fields on Thursday, July 3. A native of Leesburg, Georgia, Phillips feels very blessed that he’s been able to spend so much time on the road. He’s created some strong friendships throughout the learning process.
“It’s hard to say who I learned the most from because John Mayer, he was so busy, but we got to hang out a little bit,” he says. “Rob Thomas was a great guy. They had a lot of great advice and they really respected how I played music. They were really nice to me and great with my whole crew. If I did ask them anything, they would say keep doing what you’re doing and keep making the right decisions.
Phillip Phillips w/Sara Robinson and the Midnight Special, The Senators, Matt Kahler, Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, 7555 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale, 800.745.3000, ticketmaster.com, Thursday, July 3, 5:30 p.m. $20-$40
Local music primer: How 3 local bands stack up to national acts
Black Carl
Christina Caldwell • College Times
Getting into the world of Phoenix’s local music scene can be a daunting task. You have to circumnavigate the hipsters, pick out the poseurs and get to the heart of why people make and listen to music—because they actually freaking love it.
You don’t need to be part of the too-cool-for-school crowd to love local music, and there are dozens of local acts that are just waiting for their moment in the national spotlight. Don’t let casino cover bands fool you—these original artists are the real deal.
Black Carl
Genre: Blues rock, soul rock
Who they are: Emma Pew, John Krause, Chad Leonard, Matthew Noakes, Ian Woodward
Sounds like: Janis Joplin, Alabama Shakes
Your first listen: “Hussy”
Why they rule: It’s hard to believe that Emma Pew’s soulful, powerful voice comes out of a little white girl. She commands the stage like she’s been doing it for 20 years. The rest of the black complements her and is happy to play second fiddle, knowing what a talent they have on their hands in Pew. Still, it’s not like the rest of Black Carl is small beans. They’re the internal groove of the band, rife with funky ass bass and sexy guitar.
Party Gardens
Genre: Psychedelic surf, indie rock
Who they are: Jake Brennan, Sean Brennan, David Moroney, Greg Muller, Paul Waxman
Sounds like: BestCoast, The Strokes
Your first listen: “Eat Sunlight”
Why they rule: These guys are a supergroup of local bands of the past and present. Members of Dear and the Headlights, What Laura Says and Wooden Indian all make a home in PartyGardens. Plus, they have a sound totally unique to them. Part beach rock, part psychedelic, part lo-fi, it harkens back to ‘60s Venice Beach without going full Morrison. They have obscenely catchy hooks that don’t venture into the realm of pop.
Mergence
Genre: Blues rock
Who they are: Adam Bruce, Yod Paul, Brandon Shupe, Jason Roedl
Sounds like: Cold War Kids, The Black Keys
Your first listen: “Me And My Family vs. The Robots”
Why they rule: Mergence is a local band with staying power. Since their 2010 debut, they’ve been winning over fans both young and old with their classic rock-inspired blues rock tunes and playful stage presence. Taking influences from Led Zeppelin and The Beatles doesn’t mean they’ve totally adopted their sound. Mergence twists classic rock with jumpy, bright guitar hooks and a keyboard lead at the hands of frontman Adam Bruce. Good luck getting a ticket to any of their shows locally. They’re a hot commodity around these parts.
As if you needed an excuse to have a drink this Fourth of July, the Raspberry Martini from Paul Martin’s American Grill in Scottsdale is totally patriotic and refreshing. Plus, raspberries are in season, so you know it’ll be good. Get fancy and all-American with this USA-inspired martini.
What you’ll need:
2 1/2 ounces raspberry infused vodka
1 ounce fresh raspberries
1 ounce fresh lemon juice
1 ounce simple syrup
3/4 ounce sweet vermouth
Martini glass
Plastic cocktail skewers
Shaker
Preparation:
Step 1: Muddle six raspberries with the simple syrup and lemon juice in the shaker.
Step 2: Add the raspberry infused vodka and shake vigorously.
Step 3: Rinse the martini glass with sweet vermouth and pour all ingredients into the glass.
Step 4: Garnish with three skewered raspberries, dunked in the martini and placed to the left side of the martini glass rim.
This electro house maven is prepared to take her hometown of Phoenix by storm. She’s been grinding her teeth on the festival circuit, including Electric Daisy Carnival Puerto Rico and the Sound Wave Music Festival in Scottsdale, and she’s played with artists like Calvin Harris and Porter Robinson. But now she’s headlining her own gigs, so get in line.
Maya Day + Nightclub, 7333 E. Indian Plaza, Scottsdale, 602.810.0736, mayaclubaz.com, Friday, June 27, 9 p.m., $10
Paul Oakenfold @ Monarch Theatre
The legend comes to life the day before the Fourth of July, so celebrate your independence from Top 40 with the dance master himself, Paul Oakenfold. He’s worked with massive names like Madonna, U2 and The Happy Mondays, and now he’s coming from across the pond to get you to work your body. He’s one of the most respected men in electronic music, so head down to Monarch to pay homage. Monarch Theatre, 122 E. Washington Street, Phoenix, rentlessbeats.com, Thursday, July 3, 9 p.m., $20-$25
DJ Pauly D @ Release
Oonce, oonce, oonce, oonce. Fourth of July nights might be dedicated to fireworks, but the day is dedicated to partying. “JerseyShore’s” record spinning tan man, DJ Pauly D, is heading to Talking Stick Resort to get your Fourth moving. Launder your swimsuit, hit the gym beforehand and get your tan on next to the resort’s legendary pool. It’s a very seen-and-be-seen event, so dress in your patriotic finest to celebrate America—the only country that would celebrate DJ Pauly D. Talking Stick Resort, 9800 E. Indian Bend Road, Scottsdale, 866.877.9897, talkingstickresort.com, Friday, July 6, 11 a.m., free
Milo & Otis @ Maya Day + Nightclub
Is it getting steamy in here, or is that just the DJ duo Milo & Otis? Hot off the “22 Jump Street” soundtrack, where they’re remixed with Skrillex and KTN, Milo & Otis are going to hit the desert for even more hotness. The festival veterans just can’t stop lighting up the charts and top DJ lists, and now they’ll be lighting up the tables at Maya Day + Nightclub. Make it a scorching night out. Maya Day + Nightclub, 7333 E. Indian Plaza, Scottsdale, 602.810.0736, mayaclubaz.com, Friday, July 11, 9 p.m., $10
Fans of trap will be elated to know there is a fest with them in mind. LA DJ and producer Jose Guerrero, aka ETC!ETC!, is known for mixing trap, moombahton and bass to create a sound unique to him and one that’s deep-seated in his culture. College Times got a chance to chat with Guerrero about his influences and his pre-stage jitters. Check him out along with Ookay and Tropkillaz at The Pressroom on July 18.
College Times: Hi Jose! What are your summer plans?
ETC!ETC!: [I’m] playing tons of festivals this summer. Gonna be a busy one but hoping to drop an EP also around that time.
What does trap mean to you and what is it about trap that draws you in?
Trap is just a genre to me, [it] means 808s and hi hats infused with the current state of dance music. What draws me to it is that it’s fun to play live. You can play any hip-hop classic or flip it into this genre and [the party] will go off.
What is it about moombahton that inspires you as well?
Moombahton is vibes. It’s what makes your neck snap back and forth. It’s tropical; it’s everything that makes me feel Hispanic.
I read The Beatles were a big influence for you. What did you take away from them when it comes to making your own music?
The Beatles are great. I got into making music because of them, not necessarily this type of music but when I was in bands. The Beatles just taught me to work hard, have fun, and be you. They did that with all their albums and they are all masterpieces, I think.
Do you have other influences that have changed the way you view making music?
Always, everyday. Anything from my wife and kids to what my friends are making. Music is everywhere. Small elements. It’s just how you incorporate [it] in yours.
What is it like for you before you step on stage and then what is it like when you step off?
I always get nervous before I go on stage. ...I pace around or listen to the DJ before me to get a vibe of what is going on outside. When I get off, I just ask people how it was. [I’m] always self conscious about my sets. [Laughs]
When you’re playing festivals, who do you like to see on the lineup with you? Who is the best to play alongside or to go see?
Bro Safari, Gent and Jawns, Mayhem, those are my besties. Also Ookay, Borgore, Valentino Khan, Diplo, or anyone from L.A. I can shoot the shit with.
What can we expect from you at Trapfest in Phoenix?
I expect it to be very hot and I will eat lots of Sonic. But from the fest, just ratchetness.
Trapfest w/ETC!ETC!, Ookay, Tropkillaz, The Pressroom, 441 W. Madison Street, Phoenix, relentlessbeats.com, Friday, July 18, 9 p.m., $25, $55 VIP
