The title track to their 2019 release, Terms of Surrender, "Is a song that considers what we as humans are willing to sacrifice in order to live the lives we think we want," says MC Taylor. "It's about the ways we stretch our truths to accommodate our realities. And really, it's mostly about love." Indie folksters Hiss Golden Messenger perform at 191 Toole. With Daughter of Swords... "Not Fade Away." Thanks to holographic technology, the presence and remastered voices of rock 'n' roll pioneers Roy Orbison and Buddy Holly are brought back to life to perform their greatest hits, in virtual reality, with a live band. The Rock 'n' Roll Dream Tour manifests at the Tucson Music Hall... This Bay Area rocker has opened for KISS, Mötley Crüe, Slash and Bon Jovi. His sophomore release, Silver Inside (Spectra Music Group, 2018), pulses with slashing guitars and rock 'n' roll swagger. "It's A Sure Thing," Thadeus Gonzalez is at Irene's Holy Donuts... Loveland—the wonderful and expansive country collective stewarded by the inimitable David Bryan—perform at Tap + Bottle-Downtown... Boots & Balls Thursday (use your imagination) sees this award-winning fiddler transform from a mild-mannered Clark Kent into a Southwestern country rock Superman. Billy Shaw Jr. Band perform at The Maverick... L.A. acoustic rock/soul singer Megan Betley performs music for "gypsy hearts & beautiful souls." At Monterey Court... Playing bossa novas, ballads and blues The Jed Paradies Trio swing at The Coronet...
Friday, Oct. 4
Futuristic does the "Happy Dance" at 191 Toole. The I Am Tour also showcases young artists Ray Vans, ScribeCash, Dylan Reese and Demrick... It's been 32 years since "Bamboléo" (which means wobbly)—off Gipsy Kings self-titled third album—became a worldwide hit. And apparently, after a few sangrias, that is the only way to live. Vocalist/guitarist André Reyes formerly of Gipsy Kings performs at the Tucson Music Hall... The blues-based soul of Miss Olivia and the Interlopers help heat the air on the patio at Crooked Tooth Brewery Co... From Barrio Santa Rosa, this bajo sexto and accordion-driven conjunto specializes in a polka and traditional Mexican steeped sound so intoxicating that one can easily lose their volition and dance with abandon. Pedro Y Los Liricos play Exo Bar... Showcasing some of the Old Pueblo's top and up-and-coming turntablists, Funk Yo House Fridays goes off at Irene's Holy Donuts... Creating The Scene, Rilen' Out!, Nocturnal Theory, Desert Fish, Skyler Lutes, Los Streetlight Curb Players seek to ignite passions. Watch as they burn uncontrollably, giving off smoke. Local Love presents Hazy Fest. At the Rialto Theatre... Crave diversity? A night of hip-hop, ska and punk awaits. Anti-Sheeple Movement, Sauced Up, Fun Abuse, Benny and Dr. Soap perform. Alcohol-free fun. At Blacklidge Community Collective... Zona Libre perform salsa, cumbia, merengue and bachata for your dancing pleasure. At Brother John's Beer, Bourbon & BBQ...
Saturday, Oct. 5
This Motown titan has amassed 37 Top 40 Hits—like "My Girl," "Cruisin'" "and "Being With You"—over the course of a storied career. UA Presents the legendary Smokey Robinson. At Centennial Hall... EDM heads recognize. From Tel Aviv, DJ/producer Borgore drops mad dubstep at Gentle Ben's. RΛRE, Billy Gatt and G!O and Tunez go B2B... Formed by Peter Gierlach (aka Petey Mesquitey), George Hawke, Woody Janda and Bill Lackey, the Dusty Chaps brought their honky-tonk sound to now-infamous local watering holes such as the Stumble Inn and Poco Loco. They went onto sign with Capitol Records, released two albums, and toured throughout the country. "The greatest band to have ever come out of Tucson" will celebrate their 50th anniversary at the Hotel Congress Plaza Stage. Mayor Jonathan Rothschild is proclaiming Oct. 5 as Dusty Chaps Day and awarding the band a key to the city... Ice Cube, Blueface, Kurupt, Ying Yang Twins and Luniz headline this year's West Coast Music Festival. At Mercado San Agustin Annex.
See westcoastmusicfest.com for full lineup... The El Chivo Tour sees rapper Berner roll into the Rialto Theatre with the "Top Down"... Some of the featured artists scheduled to perform at Tucson Kitchen Musicians Fundraiser include Heather Hardy, Alvin Blaine, John Coinman, Mitzi Cowell, Gary Mackender, Taza Guthrie, Marx Loeb, Danny Krieger, Amochip Dabney, Eb Eberlein, Craig Schumacher, String Bean Folk Orchestra and many others as they gather to say farewell to Tom Woolley and Wayback Machine with a night to remember. Proceeds to benefit Tucson Folk Festival... The Gabriel Naim Amor Trio perform jazz in the courtyard at Mercado San Agustin... Voyager and The Jack pay tribute to the music of Journey and AC-DC at House of Bards... The fifth annual Club Carnival Tucson promises the hottest Brazil Party. Featuring, "Brazil meets Jimi Hendrix," violinist Quetzal Guerrero; Batuque Axé, a nine-piece Brazilian Band playing forro, baiao, samba and funk; DJs, dancers y mas. At American Eat Co... More than an impersonation. "Just close your eyes and it's Frank." Dave Halston's Tribute to Frank Sinatra is at the Fox Theatre... The Hotel McCoy transforms 10 hotel rooms into tiny venues as part of their One-Year Anniversary Celebration. Arizona Art Fest features art, comedy, fashion and musical performances by Brian Lopez, Seanloui, Street Blues Family, DJ Carl Hanni, Mattea, Jillian Bessett and more... Hosted by saxophonist Autumn Dominguez, The Strawberry Jam Session is weekly jazz sit-in. John Black, Jonathan Hines and Kai Felix comprise the house trio. Listen or sit in. At Espresso Art Cafe... "Now that I'm older I no longer steal...But I think about it all the time." Ambitious? This indie-folk rocker is currently the lead singer of Circa Survive, Saosin and The Sound of Animals Fighting in addition to a solo career. Anthony Green is at The Rock...
Sunday, Oct. 6
Quik Is The Name. Born in Compton, David Marvin Blake chose his stage name because of his ability to write and produce records on the fly. Deep in The Midnight Life, rap icon DJ Quik creeps into the Rialto Theatre... Have brunch with strains of dreamy folk wafting through the balmy air. Natalie Pohanic performs at Ten55 Brewing Company... Acclaimed Americana singer-songwriter/storyteller Kevin Pakulis and his Band create a front-porch vibe. In the taproom at Borderlands Brewing Company... The Sunday Blues & BBQ continues. Rhythm & Roots presents Tucson stalwarts Bad News Blues Band. At Hotel Congress... Five years running, the weekly three-hour musical odyssey continues. Mik & The Funky Brunch entertain at La Cocina... Dedicated to preserving America's original music, Tucson Jazz Society presents The Phil Davis Jazz Band. At Brother John's Beer, Bourbon & BBQ... With tongue in cheek, this trio's latest anthem, "Sh!tshow," counterpoints self-loathing with resignation. "When it comes to my self-deprecation, I like to make me a celebration!" From Niagara Falls, alt-pop rockers James Blonde have a little fun. At Monterey Court. Tucson indie rockers The Introverts open...
Monday, Oct. 7
Drawing from traditional jazz, swing and the American songbook, Tucson Jazz Institute hosts JAZZ JAMbalaya. At The Glowbal...
Tuesday, Oct. 8
Referencing Incubus and the Red Hot Chili Peppers as heroes, these alt-rockers released their 2013 major label debut EP Love Songs Drug Songs. Earlier this summer, the band released "Optimistic," a stand-alone single that speaks out against endemic gun violence in the United States. Now, out on the road to promoting Orion (Interscope, 2019) X Ambassadors make a stop at the Rialto Theatre. Flanked by indie rockers Bear Hands and LPX... Performing as part of Plaza Live! Tuesday Night Concert Series, like a summer monsoon, English bluesman Tom Walbank will leave you shaking your head in bewilderment wondering what just hit you. At St. Philip's Plaza... "And you will know us by the trail of maple syrup." Alt/garage rockers Banana Pancakes intrepidly declare that "Charlie Sheen is a Punk Rocker." At Club Congress. Flanked by Droll and Crashing Saturn...
Wednesday, Oct. 9
Recorded in the same studio once used by Brian Wilson for Pet Sounds, Painting With (Domino, 2016), Animal Collective's 10th studio album is far from primitive. Noah Lennox (aka Panda Bear) expands on the initial vision going into the sessions, "Caveman circles, the first Ramones record, early Beatles and electronically produced. I think that was kind of our starting point." Like Cubist painters, these guys fragment and abstract reality. At the Rialto Theatre. Artistic omnivores, Dustin Wong & Takako Minekawa open... "The King of Brazillian Pop," legendary composer/keyboardist Guilherme Arantes performs at Sea of Glass: Center for The Arts... "And I think I'm dying/'Cause this can't be living/Should I be searching for some kind of meaning?" queries indie popper Amber Bain. From Buckinghamshire, England, The Japanese House are at 191 Toole...
Thursday, Oct. 10
Abraham Laguna (aka Ookay) recently tweeted, "Sex is cool. But have you ever put on a brand new pair of jeans?" DJ/EDM producer Ookay chases rainbows. 30 Days 'Til Dusk Pre-Party pops off at the Rialto Theatre. Phoenix musician/producer Ekonovah blasts bass/house beforehand... The upbeat polkas and waltzes of Oktoberfest are what's on tap. The Oro Valley Concert Series features The Bouncing Czechs. At the Oro Valley Marketplace... And, a fundraiser for People's Defense Initiative takes place at Club Congress. The indie/emo/punk and glorious whatever of The Trees, Rough Draft, Alien Jacket, Sad Reptilian and Them & I will spill forth from the stage...
Shout Out
On Friday, Oct 4, local guitar-slinger/record producer and prolific songwriter Gabriel Sullivan commemorates the release of Black Crow (Dust & Stone Records, 2019) his fifth solo album. A record Sullivan says "is exploring minimalism. Large, vast imagery in subtle sounds. It is me continuing my journey in unearthing the dark and mystic qualities that my desert has to offer. Lonesome and dry. Crude and raw. Sharp and unforgiving." As exemplified on "Where the Roses Won't Grow." "I step soft upon the Earth/I'm aware of the powder keg/I'll do what I have to do/Alone/Where the Roses Won't Grow." At Club Congress. With erstwhile Tucsonan, purveyor of bedroom pop/tropicalia/Americana, singer-songwriter Casey Golden... Jump, jive and wail. They traveled the great expanses playing swing and West Coast blues. Now, The Kings of Pleasure reunite—original members guitarist Mike Hebert and singer/drummer Paul Elia with newcomers Alex Flores on saxophone and bassist Koko Matsumoto—to celebrate the release of Kings of Pleasure Live! Recorded in June 1996, during the band's heyday, at The Shelter Cocktail Lounge. Friday, Oct 4. On the plaza at Hotel Congress...
On The Horizon
One of country music's biggest DIY success stories, neo-traditional singer Aaron Watson dons his Red Bandana (Big Label, 2019). On Friday, Oct 11. At the Rialto Theatre. Singer Stephanie Quayle—who Rolling Stone Country hailed as a "Top 10 Artist You Need to Know"—opens the show... On Sunday, Oct 13, Mexican Institute Of Sound, Orkesta Mendoza, Vetusta Morla, Chetes (of Mexrissey), Mesquite and DJ Buttafly round out the lineup for RazaFest. On the plaza at Hotel Congress. With an after-party—featuring cumbias from Tlalpan, Marco Carrión y amigos. And a DJ set by Camilo Lara and Joey Burns—at R Bar. Proceeds to benefit No Mas Muertes... Also on Oct. 13, "Best Friend[s], Sophie Hawley-Weld and Tucker Halpern's hit single "Drinkee" is sung in Portuguese. Hawley-Weld clarifies, "It doesn't matter whether or not you can understand Portuguese. The point of "Drinkee" isn't the meaning; The point is the nonsense." EDM artists Sofi Tukker swing into 191 Toole for a lil' sip. With Haiku Hands and LP Giobbi... On Wednesday, Oct. 16 former Gallows and Pure Love frontman Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes bring an End of Suffering (International Death Cult, 2019) to 191 Toole. Sporting Hi Heel[s], Canadian alt-rockers The Beaches rev up the crowd...
Until next week, XOXO...
