Archive for the ‘Music/Live’ Category
December 24th, 2009
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Author: Nitzer Ebb, Alter Der Ruine
by Mel Mason
NITZER EBB, ALTER DER RUINE THE ROCK Tuesday, Dec. 15 Industrial music can be a complicated thing to pull off for a live audience. Any number of elements can be preprogrammed, including drums, keyboard melodies, effects and vocals, and it may leave people questioning the authenticity of what’s happening on stage. I’m thrilled to report on two bands that blow this stereotype out of the water. Alter Der Ruine is based in Tucson, and anyone who enjoys well-crafted songs and…
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Howe Gelb and His Melted Wires
by Linda Ray
HOWE GELB AND HIS MELTED WIRES LOFT CINEMA Saturday, Nov. 12 Before the Melted Wires set began, Calexico drummer John Convertino recalled, “I think Howe’s always heard a choir in some of his music. I remember him saying 20 years ago things like, ‘Here’s where the choir comes in.’” Gelb eventually recruited a choir to that vision after he happened to share a stage with them at a Canadian blues festival. He tells the story in the film ‘Sno Angel…
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The Haymarket Squares
by Linda Ray
THE HAYMARKET SQUARES PLUSH Tuesday, Dec. 1 “Who fucking planned this? / They should be fired / Can’t you finish one thing / before you start another?” That lyric could be about the last couple of years in downtown Tucson, but it’s actually a cry from the heart of Phoenix regarding construction of the light-rail system. The words inspired in the Plush audience an unfamiliar sense of empathy for our brethren from the north. We might reflexively regard Phoenicians as…
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Garboski, Mr. Gnome, The Gentlemen of Monster Island
by Annie Holub
GARBOSKI, MR. GNOME, THE GENTLEMEN OF MONSTER ISLAND PLUSH Friday, Nov. 27 Friday night’s show at Plush was all about the facial hair: Opening band the Gentlemen of Monster Island’s lead singer, Connor Woods, has quite the beard, as does drummer Jericho Davidson, and, of course, there’s bassist Justin Lillie’s muttonchops. Ohio’s Mr. Gnome, who played second, has singer and guitarist Nicole Barille, whose curls drape over her face while she performs. And then there were Garboski drummer Josh Skibar…
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Tori Sparks, The Sugar Thieves
by Mel Mason
TORI SPARKS, THE SUGAR THIEVES CLUB CONGRESS Sunday, Nov. 22 Tori Sparks is a combination of Ani DiFranco steeped in Nashville and the Cowboy Junkies’ Margo Timmins hopped up on Red Bull. Stepping onto the stage for the first time in Tucson, she intimated, “Some people leave when they see one female with a guitar on stage, so thanks for sticking around.” She broke into “Cold War” using percussive thumps on her acoustic guitar, intermittently mixed in with her expressive…
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Hanson, Sherwood
by Linda Ray
HANSON, SHERWOOD RIALTO THEATRE Tuesday, Nov. 10 Hanson were mere adorable kids, ages 11 to 16, when “MMMBop” launched an era of teen megastars, from Britney Spears to the Jonas Brothers. It was all but a foregone conclusion that they’d flame out and never attain credibility as serious, talented musicians. In the dozen years since, they’ve all gotten married, had kids, lived through label tribulations worthy of indie-rock princes and taken up global social causes, à la U2. They’ve also…
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Peaches, Men
by Sean Bottai
PEACHES, MEN RIALTO THEATRE Wednesday, Oct. 28 If Peaches’ latest album, I Feel Cream, represents a mellowing of her material—with less of an emphasis on pornographic shock-talk—Wednesday’s performance was a jolting reminder that she’s still got her edge. Her stage show was evidence that Peaches is the performer Madonna always wished she could be, from the avant-garde costume changes—a bubblegum-pink Metroid-esque leotard; a gold lamé druid’s cloak; white latex hot pants with a matching vest and aviator sunglasses—to her potty-mouthed…
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Lagoon, Umbrella Bird, Rescue Lights
by Linda Ray
LAGOON, UMBRELLA BIRD, RESCUE LIGHTS PLUSH Saturday, Oct. 24 A core of avid fans clustered near the stage to celebrate Lagoon’s homecoming on Saturday night. Their fist-pumping and singing along were rewarded with a host of new material and a passel of favorites from the band’s two previous albums. At first, David Ziegler-Voll’s voice seemed a bit unreliable, an affliction he shared with vocalists in both opening acts, Rescue Lights and Umbrella Bird. But the rest of Lagoon carried him…
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Junior Boys, Circlesquare, … music video?
by Linda Ray
JUNIOR BOYS, CIRCLESQUARE, … MUSIC VIDEO? PLUSH Saturday, Oct. 17 From the general run of their press, you’d think you’d need to get your geek on for a Junior Boys show. The Canadian band is known for exploring the outer fringes of the dance music galaxy, where your passport needs to be stamped with the likes of The Postal Service, The Pulsars, The Blue Nile and distant ancestors in German math rock and ’70s Bronx DJs. But Saturday night at…
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Dr. Dog, Jeffrey Lewis and the Junkyard
by Mel Mason
DR. DOG, JEFFREY LEWIS AND THE JUNKYARD CLUB CONGRESS Wednesday, Oct. 7 When great acts play undersized venues, magic can happen. It’s the kind of thing people talk about in the streets after the show, and the kind of experience you wish your friends could’ve witnessed. Aside from the bummer all-ages setup (corralling anyone with a beer into a fairly small area nowhere near the stage), this sold-out show brought together a peaceful and progressive group of people to see…
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