Friday, Jan. 3
Not for the faint of heart: Sonoran Violence is a hardcore punk festival. This year features performances by Infest (one of the pioneers of the extremely dissonant/fast powerviolence subgenre), Iron Lung (purveyors in destructive hardcore), Sex Prisoner (Tucson hardcore/powerviolence punks) and more. At Club Congress…
Succeeded by a dust-up at Owls Clubs. Sonoran Violence After-Party features: Arizona hardcorists Get A Grip, Concrete Evidence and Lychee (Phoenix emo/punk/garage rockers). DJs Castle, Freak and Nitro throw down…
Hailing from Guadalajara, indie rock songstress—and founder of the Now Girls Rule movement in Mexico intended to inspire women in the arts—Elis Paprika & The Black Pilgrims play at The Boxyard. Local cumbiancheros Santa Pachita round out the night…
Ready to rock yo’ body, Cra$h Magic‘s repertoire covers a lot of ground, except “probably, not country or zydeco.” At Crooked Tooth Brewing Co…
Here is a kid-friendly event. Dance to the uncategorizable world beat music of Baba Marimba imbued with a very special ingredient: Joy. At Monterey Court…
An undoubtedly 21+ event. Centennial Celebration: 100 Years of Tease strips away the past to welcome the next gen. Ms. Trixie Phillips has assembled a sensational cast—Stormy Leigh, Nikki Riot, Bunny Boom Boom and many others—to recap the decades from the 1920s to the present day through the art of striptease…At Surly Wench.
The Kinda Cool Quintet plays brisk post-war jazz sorta awesomely. At The Dusty Monk Pub…
Local imprint Diet Pop Records presents a House Party showcasing the talent of candy-coated punk poppers Big Bad, the intersectional bummer pop of California’s Sarchasm and the punk ’n’ roll of teen sensations Stripes. “It’s at a house. So be cool…”
Resident DJs W3$T Friday and Elektra Tek host some of the Old Pueblo’s top and up-and-coming turntablists. Funk Yo House Fridays goes off at Irene’s Holy Donuts…
Tattered and Torn, Black Cat Bones strew their “Dead Broke Blues” at Chicago Bar…
House beats meets whiskey and donut pairings? Yes. It’s delish. Beatz & Sweetz hosted by DJ Nic, finds Phatal, DJ Hart and ZAW spinning a baker’s dozen of the freshest house music. First Fridays at Batch Cafe & Bar…
Diminutive but mighty. Connie Brannock’s Tiny House of Funk invites all to come get “boogie oogie oogie till you just can’t boogie no more.” At Sand-Reckoner…
Saturday, Jan. 4
Experience your favorite bands in a different way. It’s time again for The 27th Annual Wooden Ball. Your chance to see some of Tucson’s finest—Sweet Ghosts, Bekkah Rolland, Billy Sedlmayr, Chris Holiman, David Slutes & Robin Johnson, Joe Peña & Joe Novelli, Josh Brown, Katie Haverly, Little Cloud, Mute Swan and Rough Draft—stripped down to naked (Er, well almost) and unplugged. At Club Congress…
And, if your efforts to ring out the old were indefatigable—killin’ ‘em like a rockstar—you may need a little hair of the dog. 80’s Hangover features Cured, Arena, Blonde Day and Careless Whisper paying tribute to the music of The Cure, Duran Duran, Blondie and George Michael & Wham. Break out a can of Aqua Net and kohl eyeliner. At The Rialto Theatre…
Some say he was born a country outlaw with a classic rock attitude, Caiden Brewer shimmies and sways in the Paradiso Lounge at Casino Del Sol…
Like the title of her 2017 album announces, Ven y Baila, tejano singer Natajja welcomes all to come out and dance. In the Tropico Lounge at Casino Del Sol…
Folk harp and viola delicately commingle to arrive at a mysterious landing. Mariah McCammond and Deanna Cross are The Hatpin Duo. In the tasting room at Sand-Reckoner…
Holding steady after 34 years, reggae institution Neon Prophet demonstrate just “How The West Was Won.” At Chicago Bar. DJ Papa Ranger mans the decks between sets…
Sunday, Jan. 5
Before coming to America, as one-half of French avant-pop outfit Amor-Belhom Duo, this accomplished guitarist started out on the Parisian underground punk scene. Gabriel Naim Amor performs the more introspective, jazzier side of his repertoire. At The Coronet…
Known for her prodigious electric and acoustic violin work, soulful blues belter Heather “Lil’ Mama” Hardy performs at Chicago Bar
This article appears in Jan 2-8, 2020.
