Mark your calendars…
Thursday, Dec 28: Indie garage-pop, tropical desert psych-folk and heartfelt acoustic twee will tumble and twine into the night when Dirt Friends, Casey Golden and Zachary Vito perform at The Flycatcher...
Friday, Dec 29: The Wooden Ball is all about capturing the power of the song; naked and raw with no trappings to hide behind. The brainchild of singer-songwriter Chris Holiman (River Roses, 35 Summers), it is a semi-acoustic showcase for local artists, many of whom typically perform amplified, to render their songs unplugged. With performances by Howe Gelb, Steph and The Articles, Fourkiller Flats, Mute Swan, Sweet Ghosts, Leila Rose Lopez, Al Perry, Greyhound Soul and River Roses. The Wooden Ball celebrates its 25th anniversary at Club Congress...
Saturday, Dec 30: Tucson musicians gather to support one of their own. A Benefit for Randy Lopez, to aid with skyrocketing medical costs, takes place at The Flycatcher. Featuring Loveland, Little Cloud, Keli Carpenter, The Electric Blankets, Shrimp Chaperone, Katie Haverly, The Sunbelt Boys (Austin Counts), Miss Olivia and The Interlopers and more. $10 suggested donation... In 1987, Great White exploded out of the Los Angeles music scene with Once Bitten (Capitol Records). 1989s ...Twice Shy (Capitol Records), propelled by a raucous cover of Ian Hunter's "Once Bitten (Twice Shy)," topped the charts. They sold over 10 million albums worldwide. Fast forward. Rather than look backwards, reliving multi-platinum rock 'n' roll glories, Jack Russell set his sights on the future. In 2011, Jack Russell's Great White first bared its teeth. They are out now touring a new album, He Saw It Comin' (Frontiers Music, 2017). Russell credits Tucson-bred guitar hero Robbie Lochner (cover story in Tucson Weekly, Dec 2016) as catalyst for moving forward. "I wasn't sure how the writing would go at first. But soon realized the chemistry is beyond words. He's my copilot and one of my best friends," says Russell of Lochner. With The Jack, a tribute to AC-DC, at The Rialto Theater...
Sunday, Dec 31: There is a lot happening on New Year's Eve (check out last week's Tucson Weekly's NYE Guide—available at tucsonweekly.com if you didn't pick up a print edition—for deets). But, if it's live music that you seek...here's a couple events worth noting. Bringing the sounds of the Amazon rainforest to the desert Southwest, XIXA along with DJ Dirtyverbs bring Arizona Amazonica NYE 2018, a cumbia and Peruvian chicha dance party to The Rialto Theater. It promises to be a most memorable affair. If you're not too hungover to remember any of it the next day. Cheers... Fusing psychedelic with electronic rock, jazz and dance beats, The Bennu, known for their live performances, headline a high energy New Year's Eve at 191 TOOLE. With Woke Up Dead... And, for the intrepid willing to travel, Bisbee Bizarro New Year's Eve Ball is sure to rock. A surrealist New Year's celebration featuring The Mission Creeps, Lenguas Largas, The Rifle and DJ Nullus. Hosted by Magic Kenny Bang Bang. The madness takes place at The Quarry Bisbee...
Tuesday, Jan 2: Their latest album, Berkeley To Bakersfield (Savoy, 2014), combines harder-edged '70s Bay area rock with classic Bakersfield twang. It should make for a simpático pairing when Cracker and the avant-garde/post-punk/country of Camper Van Beethoven make a stop at 191 Toole...
Wednesday, Jan 3: Things could get wild when hip-hopper Krizz Kaliko pulls the "Talk Up On It" tour bus into The Rock... Out promoting their debut full-length album, Camp Poppa, Portland's The Macks transport their bluesy four-piece, garage-rock sound to Bar Passé. With Bruja & The Coyote and Black Medicine...
HOT WAX...
Shout out to Jae Tilt on the release of "Out of Town" the lead single off of GLDN and Friends (GLDN Artist Group, 2017) compilation album. The young rapper with razor-sharp tongue is adept at transforming gritty, real-life experiences into urban poetry. "'Out of Town' is like an excerpt into the new and profound [me]. More confident, witty and upfront," says Tilt. Mixing styles to create his own lane. "Turning ugly truth into beautiful lyrics was my goal." GLDN and Friends dropped on Dec 22. Featuring Jae Tilt, Marley B, Cash Lansky, Jaca Zulu and others. Watch "Out of Town" https://youtu.be/1OB6nFKNjD8 on YouTube...
ON THE HORIZON...
Storied singer-songwriter Willie Nelson rolls into the Desert Diamond Center on Friday, Jan 5... And, finally, the world renowned Tucson Jazz Festival 2018 takes place at various venues Jan 11-21. This year featuring: Sheila E., Spyro Gyra, Arturo Sandoval, The Hot Sardines and more. UA Presents kicks off the festival with Hypnotic Brass a Chicago-based brass sensation consisting of eight sons of the prolific jazz trumpeter Phil Cochran. Their musical style is an eclectic mix combining hip-hop and funk, rock, calypso and gypsy jazz into a wall of sound they call "now music." Thursday, Jan 11 at The Rialto Theater...
Until next week, XOXO...
