Thursday, April 18
Mid-1990s chart topper, "Mr. Boombastic," Shaggy takes gaslighting to a new level of denial trumpeting "It Wasn't Me." At the Pima County Fair. Full details at pimacountyfair.com... Some of the fledgling bands that musician/record producer/songwriter John Vanderslice has hand-picked to accompany him on tour—Sufjan Stevens, Okkervil River and St. Vincent—went on to critical acclaim. Vanderslice holds court at 191 Toole. This time around, Meernaa occupies the opening slot... Based on hundreds of photos from articles and amateur videos of the original Selling England By The Pound concerts—one of the first-ever multimedia performances—The Musical Box: A Genesis Extravaganza captures the surrealism of these shows that took place between 1973 and 1974. At the Fox Theatre... "Who cares if you come from paradise or hell/Appalling Beauty, artless and monstrous scourge/If only your eyes, your smile or your foot reveal the infinite I love and have never known." Full of dark, cold condemnation, Danish post-punkers Iceage commit acts of simony at Club Congress. With South London alt rockers Shame and Pelada... Drawing from Sufi trance, African beats, Indian ragas and Aboriginal motifs, Baraka Moon deliver pulsing, spiritually charged music for dancing. At Solar Culture. Serena Gabriel provides the opportunity for healing through music... A diverse lineup: Fanclub, Sea Moya, Asian Fred and Cool Funeral are at Sky Bar... Northern California neo-soul/funk outfit The Gold Souls are at The Sea of Glass-Center for The Arts... Gooch Palms, The Exbats and Feverfew are making an in-store performance at Wooden Tooth Records. Filling the shop with love...
Friday, April 19
Taking alternative and metallic influences and allowing them to boil into an unexpressed inner storm, Seether search for a "Remedy" for their ills at the Pima County Fair... Beginnings were humble for this jazz-fusion institution named after corkscrew-twisted bands of freshwater green algae: An ongoing Tuesday night jam session at a Buffalo nightclub—plagued by narcissism—is where it began. "Don't forget the interminable solos we were taking," recalls bandleader Jay Beckenstein. "We were the kings of self-indulgence. It came as a shock when word of our psychosis got out." Earning them the right to charge a quarter at the door. Now, with 10 million albums sold worldwide, Spyro Gyra return to The Rialto Theater... Club 90s: NSYNC vs. Backstreet Boys Night plays out on the dancefloor at 191 Toole. DJ Jeffrey spins... Phoenix reggae rockers Fayuca make the short trek down I-10 to Club Congress. With support from Vana Liya, Santa Pachita and Desert Fish... Looking for something low-key? Jazz Late Night with Rafael Moreno is at Maynard's Market & Kitchen... While the rest of the world descends into madness, The Eleventh Annual SwedeFest 2019 provides much needed respite. Here's the lineup: The Pangs, Underbutt & The Sideboobs, Fort Worth, Dos Muñoz and Dennis Moore. At the Surly Wench Pub... And, the Spring Concert Series continues with singer-songwriter Katie Haverly & The Aviary displaying their formidable talents on the plaza at Hotel Congress. With Intuitive Compass...
Saturday, April 20
Hailed as a consummate "rapper's rapper," Murs will take you on a Strange Journey Into The Unimaginable at 191 Toole. With Locksmith, Cojo and DJ EPS... Featuring Puddle of Mudd, Saliva, Trapt, Saving Abel and Tantric, MuddFest 2019 provides opportunity to wallow deep in the mire at Club XS... Trumpeter extraordinaire, Chris Botti breezes into the Diamond Center... "Young & Crazy" country singer/guitar picker Frankie Ballard declares that it's a "Helluva Life." Along with Carly "If My Name Was Whiskey" Pearce. At the Pima County Fair... Once a fixture on the local scene, alt rockers Sunday Afternoon are reuniting for a one-time only show on a Saturday night. At Club Congress... Purveyors of surf/psychobilly/horror baptized in firewater and blood, The Mission Creeps provide the soundtrack for Día de las Luchas. Oh yeah, and there are luchadores: Lucha Libre champions Lord Drako and EJ Sparks top the bill. At the Rialto Theatre... And, SwedeFest Day 2 continues at Sky Bar. Featuring the Jivin Scientists, Stauferland, The Good Little Thieves, Dennis Moore, Juju Fontaine, DASH and Atomic Sherpas and more...
Sunday, April 21
"With a hip hop the hippie to the hippie/The hip hip a hop, a you don't stop the rockin' To the bang bang boogie/Say up jump the boogie to the rhythm of the boogie the beat." In 1979, "Rapper's Delight" broke ground as the first single to introduce hip-hop to a mainstream audience. The effect was incendiary. Now, seminal rap artists the Sugarhill Gang, along with The Furious Five, roll the Rapper's Delight 40th Anniversary Tour into the Rialto Theatre. DJ Jahmar International spins... As an early pioneer of Atlanta's trap scene, this rapper's mixtapes have Been About The Benjamins. Now, Rich The Kid changes the ethos with The World Is Yours. At the Pima County Fair... Improvisationalists Bumble Buzz push boundaries at Public Brewhouse... Blending folk traditionalism with indie rock aesthetic, this Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter says of her 2019 release, "Placeholder wishes people were on the same wavelength, but unfortunately, it's just never that simple." Meg Duffy's project Hand Habits are at Club Congress...
Monday, April 22
Propelled by his commanding voice, this hard rocker was the engine that pulled 1970s stalwarts Grand Funk Railroad to the top of the charts with hits like "Some Kind of Wonderful," "I'm Your Captain" and "The Loco-Motion." Mark Farner's American Band keeps the train rollin' at the Pima County Fair... From a small village in Niger where secular music was all but prohibited, this Tuareg guitarist traveled to Nigeria in 2008 to record his debut album. This album of spacey autotune, drum machine, and synthesizer became a viral hit in West Africa. Mdou Moctar brings his unique sound to 191 Toole. American folk artist Marisa Anderson kicks things off... Renowned for their wild antics, kaleidoscopic guitar work and tunefulness, Cosmonauts land on the stage at Club Congress...
Tuesday, April 23
Their latest release boldly declares that Love Is Dead. Indietronica sensation CHVRCHES are at The Rialto Theatre. Rockers Cherry Glazerr smear on their Apocalipstick before opening the show... He co-authored the group's biggest hits: "I've Seen All Good People," "Roundabout" and "Owner Of A Lonely Heart." One of the most recognizable voices in prog rock, Jon Anderson of Yes is at the Fox Theatre... Garage rockers Feverfew are embarking on a maiden voyage into uncharted terrain: A tour. Phoenix's Nanami Ozone and locals Stripes add to the celebration at Club Congress... Washington's Red Ribbon and Mute Swan gaze down blissfully at their shoes at Owls Club... In what may prove to be an evening of bedlam and unadulterated fun, Nashvillian surf rockers Los Straitjackets and Igor and The Red Elvises descend upon 191 Toole...
Wednesday, April 24
"Extra, extra, read all about it." Australian contemporary Christian artists the Newsboys spread the word about the "Greatness Of Our God" at the Pima County Fair... Award-winning western singer-songwriter Carolyn Markstrom is joined by much lauded Texas singer-songwriter Jim Jones at Monterey Court... In a touring songwriter showcase, Jude Valentine, Jarod W. Spencer, Alice Caroline and Ranelle Mathews tell tales at Passé... Mississippian garage punks Bass Drum of Death lead the sonic procession towards "Better Days." At Club Congress...
Thursday, April 25
During the 1990s, despite numerous well publicized spats with the law, their management and with each other, this girl group scored four number 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100: "Creep," "Waterfalls," "No Scrubs" and "Unpretty." TLC get CrazySexyCool at the Pima County Fair... Knocked Loose, The Acacia Strain, Harm's Way, Sanction and HP provide all-ages mayhem at The Rock... The Members Only Tour brings "The Greatest Asian rapper alive" Kid Trunks, Craig Xen and Rob Banks to 191 Toole. With Coolie Cut and Bass Santana... Featuring local poets Kristen Nelson and Aura Valdes, The 36th Annual Tucson Poetry Festival launches with readings at the Steinfeld Warehouse Community Arts Center...
On The Horizon
Rock 102.1 KFMA presents P.O.D., Buckcherry and Adelitas Way. Heaven meets Hell on Friday, April 26 at the Pima County Fair... On their latest Cheers—an album that winks at mid-century folk and '70s glam with tinges of R&B and hip-hop—the three frontwomen of the band leaned into their differences and gave each other unprecedented freedom in the studio. "It was a scary thing for us," said Mackenzie Howe, "because when you have three writers, you often have to tame your differences and come to some sort of agreement. It was the first time we said, 'Screw that, why don't we just record the songs the way they should be done?'" With harmonies that feel like bright light suffusing a dim room, The Wild Reeds perform on Friday, April 26, at 191 Toole. With support from Valley Queen... Finally, with an impressive arsenal of chart topping hits to draw from, three of country music's biggest artists—Terri Clark, Pam Tillis and Suzy Bogguss—perform an intimate evening of acoustic music. "I'd been thinking about putting this together for years," says Clark. "There is a short list of women that have the hits to back it up. Pam and Suzy are a great fit." Chicks With Hits promises to be packed with A-list musicianship, stories, girl power, harmonies and more. Monday, April 29, at the Fox Theatre...
Until next week, XOXO...
