Weathered by life's detours and disappointments, inspired by musical storytellers Kris Kristofferson and Bruce Springsteen, this country singer uses his voice to paint vivid portraits. Gone are the days of playing for "Beer Money," Kip Moore gives us a "Reason To Believe." At the Fox Theatre. Nashvillian singer Devin Dawson opens... Slamming punk and gangsta rap together, "G-punkers" Hed PE lay siege to EncoreTucson. Flanked by homeboys, metallists Stands With Fists and shredders Within A Dream... This 20-something DJ/producer exploded onto the EDM scene with his unique mix of dubstep, hardtrap and electro. From El Paso, Riot Ten brings the Hype or Die 2019 Tour to Gentle Ben's. Jessica Audiffred and Sharps provide backing... This installment of Opti Club: Thanks For Nothing sees Los Discos join resident DJs H.R. Guerin and Lance Fairchild behind the decks. At Club Congress. With guests Chris Miranda and Alex Anders... His love affair with the violin began at age 12 after hearing a cassette by French-Italian violin great Stéphane Grappelli. After studying classically at UC-Santa Barbara he spent time touring throughout Europe before arriving in Tucson. Violinist Nick Coventry showcases his unique swinging style of Gypsy jazz in the Lookout Lounge at the Westward Look Resort & Spa... Yo, hip-hoppers, Top Nax, Yung Davon, Kinko Valentino and Raycoalfaxx will prowl the Club Congress stage, spitting rhymes... A taste of Spain in downtown Tucson. Alternating weekly, throughout the month of December singer-songwriters Amanda Rochelle and Natalie Pohanic shall serenade for Tapas & Tonics. In the lounge at the AC Hotel Tucson... Hard country with the Hank Topless Band can be found at Tap + Bottle-Downtown... Doing the wango tango one last time before the festive piñata—chockful of adult party favors—drops at your backyard party ushering in 2020. Sucker for the Sour, Hussie and Associations rage unapologetically. At Sky Bar... At the forefront of the swing revival, Rock This Town, the one and only Brian Setzer Orchestra tribute, faithfully renders big band swing and classic Rock 'n' Roll of the 1950s. In the Paradiso Lounge at Casino del Sol...
Friday, Dec. 6
Kim Wilson is perhaps best known for his 30-year tenure as the leader of the Fabulous Thunderbirds. Not one to rest on his laurels, this acclaimed blues singer/harmonicist's hard-driving chops have appeared on albums by Bonnie Raitt, Buddy Guy, Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, James Cotton and others, surely earning him a place in music history. The Southern Arizona Blues & Heritage Foundation and KXCI present Kim Wilson's Blues All-Stars. They roll triumphantly into the historic El Casino Ballroom with The New Speedway Stompers—featuring Billy Wildman on harmonica—in tow... Originating in the Mexican state of Veracruz, this regional folk music fuses indigenous, Spanish and African elements dating back to Spanish colonial times. Comprised of intergenerational students, Son Jarocho Collective keep the tradition alive. At El Crisol (formerly Exo Bar)... Welcome the joy of the holidays into your heart with roots, dub and reggae that adds a unique pinch. Winter Reggae Fest features ZeeCeeKeely, Dub Society, DJ Jamar and Jahlos and The Rebels. At the Rialto Theatre... Guitar-driven desert rock super collides into the intergalactic. La Cerca and Silver Cloud Express mashup in The Boxyard... Denver-based musical traveler Curtis T performs an inspired set of originals and nostalgic covers ranging from the '50s to the present day. At Sand-Reckoner... The ukulele-driven, gypsy-inspired, whimsical indie-pop of Little Cloud create a microcosm of bitter-sweetness inside a glass of wine. At Monterey Court... Hosted by DJ Nic, Beatz & Sweetz finds Sonario, DJ Hart and Lunafluxx spinning a baker's dozen of fresh house music. At Batch Cafe & Bar... 1950s holiday inspired Burlesque anyone? Dashers, Dancers, Prancers & Vixens titillate. At the Surly Wench Pub... Snowed In: Reveille Men's Chorus create the verisimilitude of a white christmas in the desert. At the Tucson Convention Center... The Kinda Cool Quintet play jazz at The Dusty Monk Pub... "Party God," DJ Jahmar leads the congregation of revelers towards Valhalla. In the downstairs lounge at No Anchovies... From The ATL, DIY indie rockers Omni's latest effort Networker (Sub Pop, 2019) takes a candid snapshot of the "digital you" aspect of life in the internet age. With Ricky Shimo's Anchor Baby and Jade Helm at Club Congress... With the scent of "Burnt Almonds" wafting through the crisp air, shoegazers Mute Swan return to Owls Club, "Just Like Weeds." Joseph Valentino aka Neglect lays down velvety layers of ambient electronica, up first...
Saturday, Dec. 7
Known for his Chicago house, acid jazz and downtempo work, he's received props from URB, Muzik and BPM magazines and been recognized as one of the world's best DJs. Mark Farina's 2016 album, Mushroom Jazz Eight, hit No. 1 on Billboard's Top dance/electronic chart. Watch this early house music pioneer cut at 191 Toole... Conceived by cartoonist and professional insultant David "Fitz" Fitzsimmons, The Arroyo Café Holiday Radio Show is a variety show set in a fictional cafe. Join Mark Russell, "America's Greatest Musical Satirist," Crystal Stark, Bobby Rich, Mayor Jonathan Rothschild, The Arroyo Players and Triple Threat, as seen on America's Got Talent, for a live taping y más. Proceeds to benefit Casa Alitas, U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, HIAS and AZPM. At The Rialto Theater... Celebrating a decade of collaboration, songwriters Carlos Arzate and Ryan Alfred present a collection of original material, new sketches and select covers. With special guest Adam Bruce. At El Crisol (formerly Exo Bar)... Veteran singer-songwriter Joe Peña and guitarist/lap steel player Joe Novelli (Orkesta Mendoza, The Cloud Walls) join forces to form a lush musical palette. At The Dusty Monk Pub... It's a birthday bash! With 10 candles on the cake. Garage rock duo Acorn Bcorn—sisters Marina and Leann—suss out "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?" At Owls Club. Rounding out a rad night of DIY duos, Feverfew and Vasectomy bring fun party favors along for your enjoyment... With songs about "Stripper Poles" and "Cherry Pop Tarts," Funky Bonz have been "Making It Funky" since 1993. They share the stage with the amalgam of barrio flavors that is Los Streetlight Curb Players. It goes down at Sky Bar... From Nogales, AZ, these genre-crossing Tucson favs are comprised of six childhood friends who grew up wanting to rock. The Jons' Holiday Extra-vaganza pops off at Club Congress. With special guests, guitarist Jim Dalton (Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers) and Paul Jenkins (...music video?, The Pangs)... Holding the low end down with a tuba, imaginative rockers Deschtuco return to the scene. At Saint Charles Tavern... Blues vocalist/violinist Heather Hardy and her all-star band perform at Monterey Court... Looking for that perfect blend of country and rock 'n' roll? Rockabilly rebels the Al Foul Trio "keep the motor running." In the courtyard at Mercado San Agustin...
Sunday, Dec. 8
Hailing from the streets of Cleveland, Ohio, these veteran hip-hoppers meld EDM-tinged beats with their signature fast-rapping style on their latest release. New Waves (eOne Music, 2017), Bone Thugs-n-Harmony's tenth studio album, marks a new direction. They "Creep" into The Rialto Theatre. Mike Jones and Sloan Bone (of Mo' Bone) kickoff this Winter Jam... With its origins deeply rooted in the Gypsy culture of Spain, this traditional art form presents the interactions between song, dance and guitar, executed atop a percussive platform. Tablao Flamenco perform at El Crisol... Performing funk and experimental hip-hop, Juliana Warkentin and Mik Garrison are Kaddywumpus. At Public Brewhouse... Fusing together Detroit, Chicago and Delta blues, "Smooth" Johnny Rawls paints the night with shades of cobalt. At Monterey Court... A Tucson treasure, the Tucson Symphony Orchestra—with pianist Sean Chen—perform a program spotlighting Beethoven's Symphony No. 5, Antonio Estévez's Mediodía en el Llano and Camille Saint-Saëns' Piano Concerto No. 2. José Luis Gomez is at the podium... Flugelhornist Dmitri Matheny, drummer Pete Swan and vocalist Holly Pyle perform America's only true original art form. At Brother John's Beer, Bourbon & BBQ...
Monday, Dec. 9
JAZZ JAMbalaya—where Tucson Jazz Institute faculty, alumni and students convene to jam together. At The Glowbal...
Tuesday, Dec. 10
Performing new material and holiday favorites such as "Christmas in Jail," nine-time Grammy Award-winning country outfit Asleep at the Wheel celebrate a Merry Texas Christmas Y'All. At The Fox Tucson Theatre... Get some folk and flamenco when guitarists Nancy Elliott and Ismael Barajas perform at Monterey Court...
Wednesday, Dec. 11
Since their formation in 2000, these NYC punk darlings, by touring near constantly, have developed a rabid cult-like following, becoming the voice for outcasts and the hopeful, alike. Bayside truck the Interrobang Club Tour 2019 to 191 Toole. Capstan and Love Like Fiction commence the high-arousal ritual... This Tucson folk gem's compositions have been sung worldwide. Not many can lay claim to that distinction. Accompanied by Gary Mackender, Matt Rolland, Michael Markowitz and Slim Rost, Don Armstrong & The Whiskeypalians exude, and perhaps tip one back, at the Monterey Court... Grammy-nominated pianist/composer David Benoit brings the joy and memories of a Christmas Tribute to Charlie Brown to the Leo Rich Theater... Texas rock 'n' roller Koe Wetzel tracks in the red dirt. At The Rock. Tucson's Drew Cooper kicks things off... Jesus Christ Superstar: A Holiday Sing-along—to a fully restored print of Universal pictures 1973 film classic—manifests at the Fox Theatre...
Thursday, Dec. 12
What happens when your favorite local bands gather to unabashedly pummel the crowd with mad covers in support of community radio? Why it's The 2019 Great Cover Up. A golden-hearted charity event not to be missed. Three nights, three venues. Night One of the three-ring circus sees local bands paying tribute to a menagerie of artists as diverse as The Sex Pistols, Stevie Wonder, Squeeze, Neil Young, Linda Ronstadt, Janis Joplin, George Michael, Daniel Johnston and Creedence Clearwater Revival. Featuring Breaking Glass, Fontana Love Triangle, Mr. Manager, Nick Prevenas, Smallvox, Southbound Pilot, The Bennu, The Distortionists and The Minds. All proceeds from this year's Great Cover Up to benefit community radio KXCI 91.3 FM. The mania kicks off at 191 Toole... Inspired by a myth that suggests that, as humankind evolved from sea creatures, some chose not to leave the water and walk the earth, but rather to stay in the ocean and explore the darkness as dolphins. Mega Bog presents Dolphine—her fifth release—at Club Congress... As part of the Oro Valley Concert Series, P.D. Ronstadt and the Company perform original material and traditional Southwestern and Mexican folk songs. At the Oro Valley Marketplace... Telling the story visually. Projected Explorations pairs works by female composers with digital projections designed by artist Ryan Brady. Arizona Friends of Chamber Music presents, The Neave Piano Trio. At Berger Performing Arts Center... Resonance Monthly: December Edition casts the spotlight on "Anarchist," Copenhagen producer/EDM artist, Snavs, who brings his forward-thinking genre-defying beats to Gentle Ben's...
On The Horizon
On Friday, Dec. 13, The The 2019 Great Cover Up continues at Club Congress. Night 2 features: Armando Moreno & the Southern Revival, Eugene Boronow, Just Najima, Miss Olivia & the Interlopers, Natalie Pohanic, Paul Opocensky, Taco Sauce and The Muffulettas. Covering: The Pixies, The Eagles, The Doors, Lana Del Rey, Jeff Buckley, Cream, Chris Cornell and Al Green... And, on Saturday, Dec. 14, Night 3 features: Diluvio, Eric Schaffer & the Other Troublemakers, Fitter Happier, Kvasura, Little Cloud, Mark Insley & the Broken Angels, Mike Dixon & Friends, Roll Acosta, Still Life Telescope and Stripes. Covering: Townes Van Zandt, Tom Waits, The Police, The Clash, REM, No Doubt, Guns and Roses, Dolly Parton, Arctic Monkeys and Alabama Shakes. At 191 Toole...
Until next week, XOXO...
