Thursday, Dec. 26
Five years deep. Members past and present of Steff & the Articles, Kool Shades and Lucky Devils Rendezvous annually for a one-off gig uniquely covering their favorite songs—from reggae to jazz to EDM. Anything goes. At Club Congress... The core of motley crew that oversee this zydeco-tinged, accordion-fueled Tex-Mexican bacchanal on occasion splinter-off. The Carnivaleros, with special guest Tommy Larkins, promise a special post-Christmas brouhaha, sans menudo. At Public Brewhouse... In the tradition of Bob Wills and Earl Scruggs, bluegrass and western institution, The Titan Valley Warheads are coming out to play. At Monterey Court...
Friday, Dec. 27
Filled with glitches and sonic abstractions, like the movement of fluttering butterfly wings that a camera shutter cannot quite capture, his latest release, Prelude, takes a decidedly different approach. The effect is disquieting. Nightmare or a lullaby? One is never quite sure. Brian Lopez returns to Club Congress. The Senators open the show... Deepening the sense of foreboding that a shift in the balance of power could bring. Or perhaps providing necessary release? Demon Tongue, Exit Dream, Midnight Island, Sworn Apart, For or Against, Ash To Dust and Stands With Fists help Bang In The New Year. At the Rialto Theatre... Promulgating the same revolutionary political views that won RATM legions of fans. Clenching a "Fistful of Steel," Testify, a tribute to Rage Against the Machine, aim to "Take the Power Back." At 191 Toole. Drawing first blood, Knife Party pay sanguine salute to the music of the Deftones... Fineline Revisited happens at the Surly Wench Pub. DJ Stubbie keeps the infamy alive and kicking... DJ Mijito presides over NITECALL: QG. A queer goth dance party. At R Bar... Electronic folk poppers Sharkk Heart create songs for hopeless romantics with teeth, natch. At Saint Charles Tavern... You wanna rock? The Dirt: An '80s hair metal tribute band will slay. At The Rock. Solid Ground bolsters the line-up... From Durango, Colorado, J-Calvin deliver a potent mix of neo-soul/funk. Flanked by the punk-funk of Tongs and the indie-electro of Jillian Bessett. At Sky Bar...
Saturday, Dec. 28
Faithfully reproducing the sound of these country rock icons at the peak of their success—as well as select titles from the solo works of Don Henley, Glen Frey, and Joe Walsh—Hotel California: A Salute to The Eagles will "Take It To The Limit" one more time. At the Rialto Theatre... Growing up in Nogales, AZ, bandleader Sergio Mendoza jostled between the psychological spaces created as bicultural identities form—germane to life in the borderland. Orkesta Mendoza and Bye Bye Lullaby (from Spain) share the stage. Rumba Catalan takes place at Club Congress... Ring out 2019. Breaking Glass hosts a pre-game—showcasing new material and "a couple of weirdo cover tunes"—at Saint Charles Tavern... Latin groove masters Santa Pachita make things move. At Monterey Court. Wear your dancing shoes... Gipsy Pirate Octopi is a wife and husband duo of Margarita Brosova and Tony Rosano. "I play accordion and sing, Tony plays the piano and baritone. We have tunes in Russian and English and some other languages." Experience a Russian Christmas in the Red Light Lounge at The Downtown Clifton Hotel... "Fresh off months of touring," Howe Gelb, Annie Dolan, Thøger Lund and Tommy Larkins promise an evening with zero mistakes and absolute pure perfect noise. At El Crisol (formerly Exo Bar). "Bring your Aunt Sally..."
Sunday, Dec. 29
¡Vamos a Guarachar! "As punk as the Sex Pistols and as violent as Perez Prado." Mambo Clásico sees indie mambo king's Orkesta Mendoza celebrate their 10th Anniversary with a gran fiesta. At Club Congress. Salvador Duran & Friends add appreciably to the festivities... Drawing from a rich treasure trove of musical history: Peruvian, Mexican and with origins in other Latin American countries. Tradiciones tell the story in melody. At The Coronet... Guitarist Eugene Boronow performs a lovely set of bossa nova y mas. At Public Brewhouse...
Monday, Dec. 30
The calm before the storm. Hydrate. Take your vitamins...
Tuesday, Dec. 31
New Year's Eve! "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life." Led by Purple Madness, the greatest Prince tribute band in all the land, Party Like It's 1999 pops off like a cork jettisoned from a champagne bottle. At the Rialto Theatre. Future Syndicate weaves DJ sets amid all the purple-hued hysteria... Just wanna chill? Bringing much needed balance into a chaotic universe, the peeps at Hotel McCoy provide a social anxiety-free zone. That's right. If Coloring books, crafts and musica en vivo is more your speed. Introvert's New Year's Eve is a welcome alternative to noisy, sweaty, drunken crowds. The Paul Opocensky Project supplies the mellow tunes... Pulling out all the stops. Five DJs spin into the dawn. Fuego-go dancers goad the imagination. Reveal Your Kink 2020: A New Year's Eve Queer Dance Party unfolds at 191 Toole. Dress to impress (fetish attire welcome)... Boasting downtown's "biggest NYE party," with rockettes and fireworks, two stages of musical mayhem for your dancing pleasure and the legendary "taco drop" when the clock strikes midnight. Hotel Congress is home to Tucson's Times Square... Kiss 2019 goodbye with no regrets. Commingling the improvisational spirit of psychedelic jam bands and prog rock with EDM dance beats, The Bennu to welcome in the new year. At Sky Bar... Since 2005, these multiple Best of Tucson™ winners for Best Cover Band channel new wave classics, pop and power ballads with aplomb, from what could be the best decade ever. '80s & Gentlemen rock at Casino del Sol Event Center... Tejano New Year's Eve Party features Tejano Music Awards Hall of Famer Ruben Ramos & The Mexican Revolution, LA 45 and Jimmy Lee. In the Bingo Hall at Casino del Sol... Tap + Bottle–Downtown's New Year's Eve features sets by Febbo Fuentes, DJ Carl Hanni and a mariachi. Arriba!!! Dance the night away to Best of Tucson™ Blues & Funk Band winner: Connie Brannock's Little House of Funk. At Monterey Court... Smooth jazz? "Mr. Cool" Rick Braun's New Year's Eve features saxophonists Dave Koz and Richard Elliot and guitarist Nick Colionne in a gala event. At JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa... "Hell-Bent on Heaven" shoegazers Mute Swan curate NYE 2020 at R Bar. They perform live along with Scale. DJs Castle Freak, Nitro and Bex man the decks... Sporting vintage polyester, afros, platform shoes and hip-hugging bell bottoms, The Boogie Knights—originally formed in 1992 as a Halloween gag—are now heralded as "The greatest disco revival show in the world." At The Desert Diamond Center... Led by vocalist Amy Virnelson and drawing from a repertoire of classic and modern R&B and soul, Soul Essential act as a harbinger of good things to come. At Hacienda del Sol... Twisting together dreamy folk and "a lil' tongue-in-cheek rock 'n' roll," Natty Pohanic & The Sunset shine in the Red Light Lounge at The Downtown Clifton Hotel... End this year with a blast. Start the new year off with a bang. DJ Jahmar's New Year's Extravaganza sees Papa Ranger and DJ Zube spinning reggae, dancehall, afrobeat and more. At Irene's Holy Donuts... The Endless Pursuit, ZeeCeeKeely and Sucker For The Sour break in the New Year. At The Rock... You are cordially invited to relive Prom Night at Gentle Ben's. Rent a tux and dust off the shiny patent leather shoes. DJs spin well into 2020... Check out TW's NYE: Welcome to 2020 Guide online for more happening events...
Wednesday, Jan. 1
New Year's Day! It has been said that singer-songwriter Mike Kanne possesses "the voice of an angel in the body of a steel worker." Soothe your aching head at Crooked Tooth Brewing Co...
Thursday, Jan. 2
Based in Lax Vegas, this '60s nostalgia group is comprised of four lead singers and multi-instrumentalists. They deftly recreate harmony-laden songs from The British Invasion, Summer of Love and Vietnam War Era. "No filler. Just 100% classic hit songs." Sixtiesmania are at Casino del Sol...
On The Horizon
You can feel it coming in the chill of the night air. It's time again for The 27th Annual Wooden Ball. Your chance to see some of Tucson's finest—Bekkah Rolland, Billy Sed, Chris Holiman, David Slutes & Robin Johnson, Joe Pena, Josh Brown, Katie Haverly, Little Cloud, Mute Swan and Rough Draft—stripped down to naked (er, well almost) and unplugged. On Saturday, Jan. 4 at Club Congress...
Until next week, Happy New Year,
XOXO...
