Mark your calendars…
Thursday, June 16
Down at the Twist and Shout. Fresh faced and still in high school, this singer-songwriter found her voice on the Washington D.C. folk scene, during the late 1970s. A demo tape recorded with guitarist John Jennings found its way to Columbia Records execs and led to a recording contract, in 1987. While some execs were hesitant to add her soft, folky, feminist songs to radio playlists, Mary Chapin Carpenter found acceptance on mainstream country airwaves, during the late 1980s and into the ’90s. On The Dirt and the Stars (2020) the Hometown Girl returns to her folk roots. At Rialto Theater. Leyla McCalla opens…
It has been said that listening to these Tucson musicians play is akin to being invited over for a spot of whiskey and a seat at the bar. Purveyors of fine Southwest Americana/roots rock, Barnaby and the Butcher. At Hotel Congress (plaza)…
Say What! With lyrics that explore redemption and relapse, and “twerking at the altar of one’s mind,” this emerging alternative R&B artist, coming at you straight out of LA’s Chinatown, has been compared to Al Green and Andre 3000, with a smattering of Grand Master Flash. Tolliver is the son of a preacher, but his music is far from pious. His songs are as irreverent as they are confessional. At Club Congress…
Where shafts of light fade into shadow. Late Night sees the Jakub Rojek Trio—a crossover artist whose repertoire pits free-form jazz improvisation against structured composition—lead the way into the dead of night. At The Century Room…
The latest installment of Piano Bar takes place at Owls Club. Esteemed pianist Elliot Jones presides…
Friday, June 17
Chrome, Smoke & B.B.Q. Prior to the passing of co-founding member Dusty Hill in 2021, “That Little Ol’ Band From Texas” laid undisputed claim to being the longest running major rock band with original personnel intact. The Texas trio was together 51 years. In keeping with Newton’s Laws of Motion, the band has hit the road in advance of a forthcoming album, RAW (slated for release in July 2022). Recorded in 2019, the classic lineup gathered for an intimate session at Gruene Hall, the oldest continually run dance hall in Texas. The album is an anthology that recalls the band’s early recording history. In a statement, Frank Beard says, “It was as bare bones as when we first started touring in a behemoth Chrysler station wagon, driving vast stretches between those early far-flung shows under blackened Texas skies and first hearing our records on the radio. We were bonded as brothers. ‘The Dust’ may have left the building but he’s still very much with us.” With new bassist Elwood Francis, ZZ Top bring the Raw Whisky Tour to the AVA Amphitheater…
“Making cathartic indie pop for weirdos, outcasts, queer folks, and anyone else who needs it,” synth-loving indie poppers Chateau Chateau celebrate the release of Grow Up (2022, Kill Rock Stars), the duo’s album debut. They are pulling out all of the stops—confetti cannons, disco balls, props—for this glitter-littered fête. Playboy Manbaby and Annie Jump Cannon add to the revelry. At 191 Toole…
Hey Baby, Que Paso? Reminiscent of the Texas Tornados and Linda Ronstadt, the sound of Laura Denisse y Los Brillantes is that of a Mexican band that grafts American country music together with Mexican folklore, utilizing accordion and steel guitar. At Club Congress. With the Winston McGuinn Band…
The Queen of El Tambó, DJ Humblelianess—presiding over Tucson’s legendary Latinx dance party sin fronteras—holds court. At Hotel Congress (plaza)… Setting the tone for Father’s Day weekend, the Arthur Vint Quintet perform Horace Silver’s classic album Song for My Father (1965). At the Century Room…
Method To The Madness, Freddy Jay, Just Najima top the bill at Juneteenth Freedom Day: A Community Celebration. All are welcome. At Vista Del Pueblo Park…
Beezy hosts Bar w/Friends. ADN Crae, Amazen, Kyrim, Jay Bailey and DuB set the musical vibe. Enzyme provides the sounds. At Thunder Canyon Brewery…
Saturday, June 18
Giving voice to frustration and tensions on both a personal and political level, Ani Di Franco reflects on her latest album, Revolutionary Love (2021). “As I started to come out of years of dealing with marriage problems, I saw my entire country in the same situation; the complete breakdown of communication and loss of empathy and connection. But after what seems like unforgivable damage, then where do you go? You can’t kick each other off the planet, you can’t change the past, so what then?” At Fox Tucson Theatre. Rainbow Girls—“A gang of sweet angels punching you in the heart”—kick things off…
In 2009, after proclaiming My Shit Is Perfect (Voodoo Rhythm Records), this racy rocketman summoned women from the audience to “stir his whiskey with their tits,” according to NME. Brace yourselves for a mind-blowing set of finger-picked, steel-string blues and heavy rock played by a wildman in a human-cannonball jumpsuit and full-face racing helmet rigged with a telephone receiver as a mic. Yes, it’s Tucson’s own Bob Log III. At 191 Toole. Flanked by Shooda Shook It and Borts Minorts…
Rock ’n’ roll with swagger. Led by dynamic frontman/guitarist Josh Kennedy, Tempe’s The Black Moods “Say It For the Last Time.” At The Rock…
Since 1983, this sludge metal/hardcore band has been bludgeoning eardrums. Putting Zajonc’s Familiarity Principle of Attraction to the test. The Melvins return. At Club Congress. With Helms Alee and Harsh Mellow…
Spinning everything from the classics to the newest Latin hip-hop, trap and perreo, the hottest reggaeton dance party in the land Gasolina burns white hot. At Rialto Theater…
The pianist and trombonist led Denali Kaufman Quartet make their debut. At The Century Room...
Cuing up today’s hottest jams, turntablists Bex & Halsero drop napalm bombs on the dance floor. At Hotel Congress (plaza)…
Sunday, June 19
Serving as a love letter to the desert borderlands that nourished them for over 20 years, “El Mirador (2022) is dedicated to family, friends and community,” says Joey Burns. “The pandemic highlighted all the ways we need each other, and music happens to be my way of building bridges and encouraging inclusiveness and positivity.” Calexico. At Rialto Theater. Molly Parden opens…
Los Angeles blues rocker Dennis Jones fans the flames with his sultry guitar solos and soulful vocals. Congress Cookout. At Hotel Congress (plaza)…
Monday, June 20
Virginia Beach emo/dream poppers Turnover bring Altogether (2019), the band’s fourth studio album. At Club Congress. Backed by Healing Potpourri and Temple of Angels…
Tuesday, June 21
Spinning funk, soul, hip hop, Latin, and anything else that fits the mood, old school vinyl turntablist DJ Buttafly soundtracks Taco Tuesday. At Hotel Congress (plaza)…
Wednesday, June 22
Led by Allman Brothers and Grateful Dead alumnus, Grammy Award-winning artist and guitar legend Warren Haynes, Gov’t Mule has become synonymous with the jam band scene over the course of their 12-album history. They present their latest, Heavy Load Blues (2021), a “soul bearing journey of the blues.” At Fox Tucson Theatre…
Until next week, XOXO…
