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Static-X - Rise of The Machine Tour 2023 at The Van Buren
2023-03-07 18:30 - 23:30 (America/Phoenix) | The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St, Phoenix, AZ, 85003, United States
American metal crew Static-X emerged at the tail end of the ’90s, pushing an aggressive thrash metal blend with industrial overtones and a techno pulse. Their breakthrough debut, 1998’s cult classic Wisconsin Death Trip, rocketed them to stardom in the heavy music world, their image boosted by frontman Wayne Static‘s distinctive hair and vocal delivery. While maintaining momentum into the 2000s with additional efforts like Machine and Shadow Zone, Static‘s passing in 2014 effectively halted the group in their tracks. However, at the close of the decade, the original lineup made a comeback with the help of previously recorded Static vocals, issuing Project Regeneration in 2020.
Static-X’s roots trace to the Midwest, where vocalist/guitarist Wayne Static grew up in Michigan and drummer Ken Jay in Illinois. They ended up in Chicago separately and met at the record store where Jay worked, introduced to one another by future Smashing Pumpkins vocalist Billy Corgan (who was in the band Deep Blue Dream with Static). Static and Jay decided to head west to California and start up a new band. Shortly after their arrival, Osaka native Koichi Fukada responded to the duo’s ad and became their new guitarist, as well as programmer. Bassist Tony Campos, the only true Californian, was the final piece of the puzzle. Signed to Warner Brothers in February 1998, Static-X debuted with Wisconsin Death Trip a year later. The album was a hit and eventually certified platinum, bolstered by the strength of the singles “Push It” and “Bled for Days.” Despite the success, founding guitarist Fukada briefly left the group in 2000, replaced by Tripp Eisen (ex-Dope) for 2001’s gold-certified Machine, their highest-charting effort to date. Further lineup changes followed, as drummer Jay left after the 2003 album Shadow Zone. Soon after, misdemeanor charges forced Eisen to leave the band in 2004 (he was later convicted and spent a year in prison). Still, Static-X was undeterred. Static tapped Fukada to rejoin on guitar and programming in 2005, while touring drummer Nick Oshiro took over full-time.
In June 2005, a rejuvenated Static-X returned to recording with Start a War, home to the single “I’m the One.” Fifth album Cannibal arrived in 2007, charting inside Billboard’s Top 40. The band toured and released a CD/DVD document, Cannibal Killers Live, then settled into the recording of their sixth studio album, Cult of Static. Released in March 2009, it debuted inside the Top 20, their second highest showing to date. The group went on hiatus not long after finishing a lengthy tour, with Wayne Static announcing a renewed focus on his Pighammer side project, with contributions from his wife, Tera Wray. In 2011, Pighammer appeared as a solo album under his own name. A year later, he re-formed Static-X — minus any of the original members. The lineup, which consisted of his solo backing band, mounted a tour but broke up by 2013, and a year later, Wayne Static was dead of a drug overdose at the age of 48. Just over a year after that, his widow Tera Wray took her own life.
This tragedy seemed to spell the end of Static-X, but a few years later, the remaining bandmembers patched up their differences and decided to see if they could salvage anything from past recordings. Starting from a slew of unreleased demos, the group went into the studio, once again with Ulrich Wild, where they stripped Wayne‘s vocals from the demos and composed entirely new tunes around them. The resultant album, Project Regeneration, was released in two volumes, with Vol. 1 arriving in the summer of 2020. To support the release, the band embarked on tour with a new, masked frontman named Xer0, rumored to be Edsel Dope of Dope. Lead single “Hollow” crashed the U.S. Dance/Electronic chart, peaking in the Top 15. ~ Neil Z. Yeung & Josh Loehr, Rovi

One can’t overstate the size of the Fear Factory boot print on the neck of heavy metal. Unleashing influential albums with devastating anthems for over 30 years, Fear Factory is widely recognized as both crucial and innovative in extreme metal circles. Fear Factory manufactured, demanufactured, and remanufactured a sound that reverberates across several subgenres. They perfected an explosive blend of staccato paint-stripping riffs, industrial-tinged drums, electronic flourishes, and a scream/sing dichotomy, all of which became staples in heavy music, ever since the group first emerged in L.A.
Fear Factory records are cinematic in scope; sonic landscapes, echoing the dystopian post-apocalyptic futures found in classic sci-fi literature and films, from Ray Bradbury to Blade Runner. Aggression Continuum, the tenth studio album, is the culmination of three decades of unforgettable songs, performances, and forward-thinking storytelling concepts, while simultaneously rebooting Fear Factory onto a brilliant and excitingly unpredictable new path.
Aggression Continuum boasts the definitive attack of songs like “Recode,” “Distruptor,” and “Purity.” The riffs, concepts, and passion remain strong, as Fear Factory celebrates its past, present, and future. Whatever may come, Fear Factory will be there, a soundtrack to humankind’s uncertain times ahead.

An uncompromising New York City-based outfit that draws from both heavy metal and industrial music, Dope’s confrontational emissions evoke Ministry, Skinny Puppy, and White Zombie. Emerging in 1999 with the hard-hitting Felons and Revolutionaries, the group continued to beat the post-industrial drum on 2005’s American Apathy and 2018’s Blood Money, Part 1, while managing to weave in elements of speed, alternative, rap, and nu-metal.
The quintet was formed in the Chicago area by brothers Edsel Dope (lead vocals, rhythm guitar) and Simon Dope (keyboards). Simon studied chemistry at the University of Florida, then received a scholarship to Polytechnic in Brooklyn. There he was joined by his brother, with the two claiming to have financed their demos by selling drugs. The initial incarnation of the band included lead guitarist Tripp Eisen, bass player Acey Slade, and drummer Preston Nash. They began a selective series of gigs in late 1997. In October 1998, they were signed to Flip Records, which made a production deal with Epic.
Dope’s debut album and best-selling release to date, Felons and Revolutionaries, was released in September 1999. The Dope brothers gutted their lineup after the ensuing tour, switching Slade to guitar and bringing in original bassist Sloane Jentry, guitarist Virus, and drummer Sketchy Shay. In the fall of 2001, they released their second album, Life. Two years later, the band inked a deal with Artemis and issued the nu-metal-leaning Group Therapy. The punitive American Apathy arrived in summer 2005, featuring covers of Depeche Mode‘s “People Are People” and N.W.A‘s “Fuck tha Police.” It topped the Billboard Heatseekers chart upon release. No Regrets was issued four years later, and featured a guest appearance by Zakk Wylde. After an extended hiatus, Dope’s classic lineup returned with a new album and coinciding tour. The band — Edsel Dope, Acey Slade, Virus, and Racci Shay — released Blood Money, Pt. 1 in late 2016, with a sequel, the aptly-named Blood Money, Pt. 2, arriving in 2019.

Known for their theatrical live show and the black masks that most of their members wear on-stage, Mushroomhead are one of the more unique and adventurous alternative metal outfits that emerged in the 1990s. The band’s forceful yet melodic alternative metal incorporates elements of hip-hop, punk, and goth rock as well as industrial and techno. Since releasing their eponymous debut in 1995, Mushroomhead have sold over two million albums worldwide, with highlights arriving via 2003’s XIII, 2006’s Savior Sorrow, and 2014’s The Righteous & the Butterfly.
The members of Mushroomhead have been performing incognito since 1993, when drummer Skinny founded the band. At first, Mushroomhead were only meant to be a side project. Their members were playing in various local bands at the time, and they wore the blacks masks (which look like a cross between S&M/bondage masks and World War I gas masks) so that people wouldn’t recognize them. The only Mushroomhead member who doesn’t wear a black mask opts for Kiss-like clown makeup instead. After a few years, the group became one of Cleveland’s top local attractions — and the bandmembers kept wearing the masks when they saw how intriguing people found them to be.
Mushroomhead’s self-titled debut album was released independently in 1995, followed by Superbuick in 1996 and M3 in 1999. The Midwesterners signed with Eclipse in 2000, and their next record, XX, came out the following year. In 2001, Mushroomhead’s members included drummer/founder Skinny, lead vocalists J-Mann and Jeffrey Nothing, guitarists Bronson and Gravy, keyboardist Shmotz, bassist Pig Benis, and sample provider Stitch when they signed to Universal Records to re-release XX. Their first proper effort for the label was 2003’s dynamic XIII, but the band soon parted ways with not only Universal but also vocalist J-Mann during a subsequent tour. Undeterred, Mushroomhead pressed on with their D.I.Y. ethos intact and welcomed new frontman Waylon, formerly of 3 Quarters Dead, into the fray.
The concert film Mushroomhead, Vol. 1 followed in mid-2005 before the group returned in September 2006 with the critically acclaimed Savior Sorrow, released through New York-based indie Megaforce Records. Beautiful Stories for Ugly Children, the band’s seventh studio album, arrived in 2010, followed in 2014 by The Righteous & the Butterfly, the latter of which became the group’s first album to crack the Top 20 of the Billboard Top 200. 2020’s A Wonderful Life introduced new members Steve Rauckhorst and Jackie LaPonza (vocals), and Tom Shaffner (guitar), who replaced longtime vocalist Jeffrey Nothing and guitar player Tommy Church. It was Mushroomhead’s eighth studio LP and first outing for Napalm Records

Steel Panther at Marquee Theatre
2023-02-26 18:00 - 23:30 | Marquee Theatre, 730 N Mill Ave, Tempe, 85281, United States
Satirically pretending to be a hair metal band that missed its big break in the ’80s, singer Ralph Saenz (“Michael Starr”), drummer Darren Leader (“Stix Zadinia”), bassist Travis Haley (“Lexxi Foxxx”), and guitarist Russ Parrish (“Satchel”) hit the club circuit on the Sunset Strip around the turn of the millennium under the name Metal Shop (later changed to Metal Skool, and then to Steel Panther). With big, spiky wigs, leather jackets, zebra-striped spandex, chops earned from playing in a Van Halen tribute band, and lots and lots of machismo, their comic take on sex, drugs, and rock & roll to the extreme caught on quickly, leading to sold-out shows and some unexpected brushes with mainstream success. As their popularity increased, the Hollywood crowd started frequenting their sets, often making appearances on-stage. This led to some opportunities: the band fittingly played the role of a metal band as “Danger Kitty” in a Discover Card commercial; they appeared on The Drew Carey Show as themselves; and their song “FF” was used as the theme for MTV’s Fantasy Factory.
In 2008, the band signed to Universal Republic. After releasing the singles “Death for All But Metal” and “Community Property,” Steel Panther’s full-length Feel the Steel was released in October of 2009. The album broke the band onto the Billboard chart, netting them a spot at number 98 on the U.S. charts (and 48 on the rock chart). Not wanting the fun to stop, the band got back to it quickly and in 2011 followed up with Balls Out, which featured guest appearances from comedian Dane Cook and Nickelback‘s Chad Kroeger, among others. 2014’s All You Can Eat featured the single “Party Like Tomorrow Is the End of the World,” and featured cover art parodying Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper. In 2016, the band issued their first concert LP, Live from Lexxi’s Mom’s Garage, which was released in conjunction with their first full-length feature film, which blended comedic vignettes and other assorted antics with the aforementioned glam-folk garage show.
At the end of 2016, Steel Panther released a cover of Cheap Trick‘s “She’s Tight” in advance of their fourth studio album Lower the Bar, which arrived in March 2017. The group headed out on tour in support of the album, playing dates across the world before embarking on their Sunset Strip Live tour, which saw the band playing a mix of original material and classic metal covers. Tapping producer Jay Ashton for their fifth album, the band dropped the unabashed Heavy Metal Rules in late 2019, preceded by the single “All I Wanna Do Is Fuck (Myself Tonight).”
Following a brief spell of absence from touring Lexxi Foxx announced his departure from the band in 2021, with the group holding open auditions for a new bassist. The group eventually settled on Joe “Spyder” Lester, whom had played live with the band in Foxx’s absence. Steel Panther returned to the studio to record their sixth album, On the Prowl. Producing it themselves, the album continued with their tongue-in-cheek hair metal, with the tracks “Never Too Late (To Get Some Pussy Tonight)” and “Friends with Benefits” preceding its release in early 2023.

Riff-monsters Crobot conjures up the kind of rock ‘n’ roll that has grooves so powerful they throw you around the room and hooks high enough to shake the heavens. They take the sweet-sounding nectar of the gods and pour it down your throat until you’re wailing along like a banshee. With tens of millions of streams, countless shows and acclaim from the likes of Metal Hammer, Classic Rock, Kerrang, BBC Radio, SiriusXM Octane, Loudwire, Guitar World and more, Brandon Yeagley [vocals], Chris Bishop [guitar], Tim Peugh [bass], and Dan Ryan [drums] realize their vision like never before on their fifth full-length, Feel This [Released June 3 via Mascot Records]. Feel This is the follow-up to 2019s Top 10 Heatseekers album Motherbrain – whose cumulative streams have surpassed 30 million. 20 million of which were for the goliath single “Low Life” – a US Top 10 at active rock radio on the Billboard Mainstream with a 29-week run.

Paramore + Bleachers at Footprint Center
2023-02-09 19:00 - 23:30 | Mortgage Matchup Center, 201 E Jefferson St, Phoenix, 85004, United States
Paramore is a band that formed in 2003 in a quiet town that is now known as Nashville, TN. Still in junior high, music made up 100% of their extracurricular time. Until eventually, they all left for tour in the middle of a school year and thank heaven music would eventually work out for them. No one understood how a band so un-country could be from this strange little town called Nashville, nor how a bunch of kids so small could play their angst-filled songs so proudly.
Much time has passed since those innocent days.
Life has worn its grooves into the record that is Paramore’s collective life. If you look closely, you can see that the members of Paramore all have very sexy dark circles under their eyes now… and surprisingly, haven’t all quit music after years of sexism in the media, soap opera-worthy drama, and nearly 15 years inside the brutal beast that is the music industry.
Paramore still reside in their beloved home of Nashville, TN, which these days looks a lot more like a construction site than a well-kept secret. They spend most their days and nights sitting on the porch together laughing or crying… reminiscing, daydreaming, or trying desperately to just stay present.
The band recently wrote and recorded their 5th album in their hometown of Nashville. It’s called After Laughter, and it’s available everywhere now.

Bleachers is an American rock band from New Jersey and the official stage name of songwriter and record producer Jack Antonoff. Antonoff has been nominated for a Golden Globe Award and won six Grammy Awards, including the 2022 Grammy for Producer of the Year. Bleachers’ rock music is heavily influenced by the late ’80s, early ’90s, and the high school-based films of John Hughes while still using modern production techniques. Their debut single “I Wanna Get Better” was released in February 2014, followed by three studio albums: Strange Desire (2014), Gone Now (2017), and Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night (2021).

Parkway Drive at Marquee Theatre
2023-02-01 18:00 - 23:30 | Marquee Theatre, 730 N Mill Ave, Tempe, 85281, United States
In the kitchen of the Byron Bay home of Winston McCall stands a refrigerator, adorned on one side by a quote from Tom Waits: “I want beautiful melodies telling me terrible things.”
This, the Parkway Drive vocalist says, is a pretty good summation of himself. It holds true, too, as one of the guiding principles behind Darker Still, the seventh full-length album to be born of this picturesque and serene corner of north-eastern NSW, Australia, and the defining musical statement to date from one of modern metal’s most revered bands.
Darker Still, McCall says, is the vision he and his bandmates – guitarists Jeff Ling and Luke Kilpatrick, bassist Jia O’Connor and drummer Ben Gordon – have held in their mind’s eye since a misfit group of friends first convened in their parents’ basements and backyards in 2003. The journey to reach this moment has seen Parkway evolve from metal underdogs to festival-headlining behemoth, off the back of close to 20 gruelling years, six critically and commercially acclaimed studio albums (all of which achieving Gold status in their home nation), three documentaries, one live album, and many, many thousands of shows.
“When Parkway originally started out, we all were trying to push ourselves to do more than we possibly could,” is how McCall explains it. “The better we got at it, the more comfortable we got, to the point where it became all comfortable. That is when we chose to acknowledge that just being comfortable was not necessarily doing justice to the skills and the creativity that you have grown over the years. What you hear on Darker Still is the final fulfilment of our ability to learn and grow catching up with the imagination that we have always had. These are the kinds of sounds we always had in mind. This is the way we always dreamed.”
To understand that growth is to understand Darker Still, both musically and thematically. Those who thought they had Parkway Drive figured out – the unrivalled energy, the high-octane breakdowns, McCall’s trademark bark – need reconsider everything they know about Australia’s masters of heavy. Not that anyone truly paying to their recent evolution should be surprised, though. “This is a journey we began with Ire, and which grew further still on Reverence,” McCall says, referencing the band’s preceding 2015 and 2018 works, respectively. In that context, it is easy to view Darker Still as the curtain-closer on a transformative trilogy that has seen Parkway reach new heights of creativity and success by eschewing the restrictive, safe conventions of genre and abandoning their own self-imposed rules in favour of a wide-eyed appreciation of bold new horizons. “There are compositions and songs that we’d never attempted before – or, to be more accurate, which we have attempted in the past, but not had the courage, time or understanding to pull off,” McCall reveals.
The vocalist would be the first to tell you that in order to grow, you have to let go of the past; a mantra Parkway embraced tighter than ever before when it came to blueprinting Darker Still. McCall describes how “we wanted to make a record that stood alone from the records we hear at this point in time”; one that delivers on “a more expansive sound, which allows a new weight to fall into the music.” Gordon, meanwhile, says it features “some of the heaviest moments we have ever created, but it is a different kind of heavy: an emotional catharsis that you can feel in every cell in your body.” The drummer is brutally honest in his reflection that, between “the ever-changing COVID lockdowns, government mandates, travels restrictions and tense personal relationships within the band”, Darker Still was the most challenging moment of the band’s career. Ling offers agreement, admitting that the three-year journey of writing and recording – which commenced as far back as April 2019 and would conclude in February 2022 following three months in the studio with producer and engineer pairing George and Dean Hadjichristou – “broke me by the end” as he juggled lockdown family life with the “daunting task of trying to stick everyone’s ideas together” in his downstairs home studio.
“When writing songs, we have a few questions that we ask ourselves that helps define our creative path,” he explains of the gruelling process. “‘What will this song achieve?’ ‘Why does this song deserve to be on this album?’ ‘What emotional response will this song provoke in the listener?’ If all these points check out, we know we are on the right path.”
“We are very much a collaborative band when it comes to song writing,” says Gordon. “Each song goes through several layers of scrutiny and refinements before the final version emerges. Some songs are completely unrecognisable from the first rendition to what ends up on the record.”
And so while Darker Still remains irrefutably Parkway Drive, it finds the band sonically standing shoulder to shoulder with rock and metal’s greats – Metallica, Pantera, Machine Head, Guns N’ Roses – as much as it does their metalcore contemporaries. “I wanted a classic guitar tone for this record,” explains Ling, who credits much of his inspiration to the connection his riffs have with a crowd in a live setting. “I’ve always been drawn to early ‘90s metal, so something along these lines with a modern edge was my jive. Creatively my goal was to write intricate and intriguing music that is also simple enough for everyone to understand and enjoy. We made a conscious decision to not go overboard with layering and soundscaping. This move would help reinforce our raw and classic album vision.”
“Production wise, we wanted to have a slight throwback to the ‘90s, leaning into some more real and natural sounding tones, which gives the record more character,” nods Gordon, whose work behind the kit on Darker Still – “Less about how much I could show off, and more about what will best compliment the song,” is his simple assessment – is emblematic of the record at large. “It took us a long time to learn about the importance of dynamics,” he says. “We now pick our moments much more and let the song breathe when it needs to.”
It is a revivified sound that provides the backdrop for some of McCall’s most personal and introspective songs yet. Exploring the concept of the ‘dark night of the soul’ – “The idea of reaching a point in your life where you are faced with a reckoning of your structure of beliefs, your sense of self and your place in the world, to a point where it’s irreconcilable with the way that you are as a person,” as McCall describes – Darker Still unfurls like the great rock concept albums, from Pink Floyd to, most comparably, Nine Inch Nails’ The Downward Spiral.
Amongst ruminations on society’s fear of death, societal isolation and a loss of humanity, its 11 tracks play out in a classic three-act structure. Ground Zero opens its ‘setup’; a “reckoning with your own internal monologue, says McCall, which ominously speaks to “the fights, the falls, the scars and broken bones” and how “beneath it all, the cracks begin to show…” Its second act – its ‘confrontation’ – frames the album’s title track at its core: a classic rock epic about “love and time” that spans a near seven-minutes and which evokes Metallica’s Nothing Else Matters. The album’s ‘resolution’, meanwhile, concludes with From The Heart Of Darkness: a brooding monster that opens with McCall’s contemplative searching (“There’s a war going on inside, nobody’s safe from / You can run, but you can’t hide / When it’s your soul you must confront”) before exploding with its mosh-call of “Fury be my victory!”
“I wanted the end of the record to mirror my experience to a degree of what this journey has been like for me,” McCall reveals. “I found that I was always afraid of showing defiance to be honest and true to myself, even if that meant sacrificing who I was to become a better version of who I could be. That has to be ripped from the darkest part of you, because the darkest part of you is what you are always afraid of in the first place. It’s the thing that you don’t want to shine the light on. It’s the element that you don’t want to show people, which you shy away from, which you’re too scared to embody.”
It is a closing statement that truly defines Darker Still. This is the Parkway Drive the band have been striving to be for two decades. Ling says it best: “I’m really proud of what we have achieved together, and feel that as musicians, we have really ascended to new realms of class and ability.” Emerging from the darkness of the past few years, this is the true face of Parkway: redefined and resolute, focused in mind and defiant in spirit.

Over the course of their career, Memphis May Fire have channeled a generation’s worth of angst, frustration, and pain, with a focused blend of gigantic melodic hooks and crushing aggression. Even after topping Billboard’s Hard Music Albums chart, having an album debut at No. 4 on the Billboard Top 200, and breaking into radio’s Active Rock Top 20, Memphis May Fire refuse to sacrifice who they are or the people who made them.
A new season unfolds for the band, and it’s filled with revitalization and renewal. Stripping things down to their core elements, hearkening back to the days when they created the music their fans most cherish, Memphis May Fire rekindled the spark within to build an inferno of riffs and inspirational words. They have returned to their roots with the seasoned polish earned through years of touring and making music together. “Blood & Water” is proof positive of this fact.
Memphis May Fire have toured with a vast list of important rock and metal acts that include Killswitch Engage, Sleeping With Sirens, Black Veil Brides, Sevendust, and Atreyu. They’ve co-headlined with Yellowcard and The Devil Wears Prada, regularly appeared on Warped Tour, and at major rock festivals. The band’s previous six albums’ continued relevance is a testament to the energized connectivity between the band and their audience. Songs like “Miles Away,” “No Ordinary Love,” “Beneath the Skin,” and “Carry On” account for 100 million views and millions of streams.
Expect more anthems for the broken and beyond from Memphis May Fire in due course.

CURRENTS is the new standard for death-infused metalcore. This is emotionally fraught and impossibly angry music soaked in cold, depressive atmosphere. CURRENTS explore the forbidden realms of a tortured psyche, searching for meaning amidst uncertain chaos and venom.
Heartache, physical abuse, abandonment, trauma – no dark emotion is spared examination. CURRENTS also turn their gaze outward, offering no mercy to man-made catastrophes like climate change and animal abuse. An exploitative system that inflicts such harm upon humanity and the entire world will not be spared the wrath within this explosive, weaponized bombast.
Immediately upon the arrival of the first taste of the band’s second album, the comments section lost its collective mind. Shockingly devoid of the genre’s penchant for hateful trolling, the music video for “Poverty of Self” (a scathing indictment of the predatory industries taking advantage of the sick and broken) was met with an avalanche of praise. “These guys are breakdown scientists,” declared one commenter. “That intro wastes no time to smash you right in the face,” wrote another.
The best gem? “I would donate my organs to this band just to watch them live again.”
The Way It Ends, the second full-length from the Connecticut bruisers, is a thematic and spiritual successor to their dense, bludgeoning, and smartly constructed full-length debut, The Place I Feel Safest (2017), and a direct follow-up to the blistering and diverse EP, I Let The Devil In (2018).
Those well-versed in Meshuggah, Humanity’s Last Breath, Vildhjarta, and Architects have embraced CURRENTS with full-throated passion. A combination of their contemporaries and influences, channeled through unique perspective and personal experience, resulted in something revolutionary. It’s why they were handpicked for tours with August Burns Red, As I Lay Dying, We Came As Romans, Fit For A King, Born Of Osiris, and the Impericon Never Say Die! Tour.
CURRENTS is comprised of singer Brian Wille; guitarists Chris Wiseman and Ryan Castaldi; bassist Chris Pulgarin; and drummer Matt Young. A winding road through earlier incarnations culminated in a series of self-released EPs, leading to the band’s partnership with SharpTone.
Kerrang! put “Silence” from The Place I Feel Safest on a list of the 15 Greatest Mosh-Calls in Heavy Music, alongside bangers by genre leaders like Parkway Drive and Code Orange. Calling the song an “exploration of emotional torment, all blunt force riffage, wiry guitars, and spat vocals,” the rock mag summarized the track as “a narcotic blend of melodrama and madness.”
Album number two was produced by ex-For Today guitarist Ryan Leitru (Sleeping Giant, Your Memorial) and Wiseman, generating the kind of expansive and expressive performances best captured by producer/engineers who are also passionate musicians. Mixing duties were handled by ex-Periphery multi-instrumentalist Adam “Nolly” Getgood (Devin Townsend, Animals As Leaders). The Way It Ends was mastered by Kris Crummett (Dance Gavin Dance, Issues).
CURRENTS take special care to ensure each release serves a purpose, with a cohesive journey from start to finish, more in line with classic metal albums than today’s mere collections of songs. The lyrics are thoughtful yet accessible, skipping easy t-shirt ready sloganeering for actual depth. Blast beats, breakdowns, and a driving onslaught of riffs are tempered by stripped back, tranquil, ambient moments. There’s post-hardcore, punk rock dissonance, and even black metal esotericism.
“A Flag to Wave” is a CURRENTS anthem, a mission statement kicking The Way It Ends off after a moody intro, cascading with devilishly dynamic riffing and intense, rapid fire rhythm. By contrast, album tracks like “Kill the Ache,” “Split” and “Origin” introduce slight electronic elements, keys and synths, that actively drive the songs forward. A significant portion of The Place I Feel Safest was about abandonment. Building to a crescendo, “Let Me Leave” serves as a narrative mirror image, from the opposite perspective, a first-person account of the one who walks away.
The raw emotion on display in CURRENTS is the key to the deep connection the band has made with its ever-widening audience. They’ve proven themselves a consistent, determined, and reliable entity that will always challenge themselves and move forward, without compromising their core.

The Iron Maidens at Marquee Theatre
2023-01-07 18:30 - 23:30 | Marquee Theatre, 730 N Mill Ave, Tempe, 85281, United States
Formed in 2001, The Iron Maidens have quickly established themselves as one of southern California’s most popular tribute acts and are rapidly gaining international recognition. The band boasts beauty as well as excellent musicianship, lively stage presence, and a remarkable stage show with theatrical scenes interspersed throughout.
First and foremost on the agenda of The Iron Maidens is talent. These women are highly trained professionals with diversified musical backgrounds ranging from orchestral and musical theater to blues and rock. The band and its members have been the recipients of many awards including best tribute band, and best in category (guitar, bass, drums, voice) at events such as The Rock City News Awards, The LA Music Awards, and The All Access Magazine Award Show to name a few. The line-up is Kirsten “Bruce Chickinson” Rosenberg on vocals, Linda “Nikki McBURRain” McDonald on drums, Courtney “Adriana Smith” Cox and Nikki “Davina Murray” Stringfield on guitars, and Wanda “Steph Harris” Ortiz on bass.
The Iron Maidens cover Iron Maiden material from all eras of the band’s career, encompassing the band’s biggest hits as well as fan favorites. The stage show includes appearances by Maiden mascot Eddie, the grimreaper, the devil and more.
The Iron Maidens have packed houses everywhere they have played.

Empire of Dezire is an all original metal group consisting of 6 members: Guitarist Ken Howey and vocalist Tulin Howey who joined forces in Toledo, Ohio, then brought their music to Phoenix, AZ along with original member and bassist Kyle Beaver in the early 90’s. They had been very successful but ran into the most common reasons musicians usually fall off the radar..addiction as well as financial demands and a drop off in what once was a flourishing metal scene. After a long hiatus mixed with smaller projects in between, their passion for music and a resurgence in Arizona based metal once again ignited a desire to create new songs that have been inspired by world events, mysticism, and the human condition. Empire of Dezire currently has four albums: Chrome which was released in 2013, Paradigm in 2014, Prime in 2016, and most recently their 3 song E.P. Entitled A.I. In 2018. Ken Howey: founding member, guitarist and “Riffmaster” Endorsed and plays Bad Boy Guitars.. His own series..The Viking by Bad Boy will be released in 2021. Amplification is Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier. His influences are Tony Iommi, Micheal Schenker, Glenn Tipton, Zakk Wylde, and Roy Clark. Tulin Howey: Founding member and vocalist, uses Shure SM58 wireless mic system and Boss effects pedal. Her Influences are Ronnie James Dio, Ann Wilson, Pat Benatar, Geddy Lee, and Bruce Dickinson. The most recent additions to EOD have been (in no particular order): Keyboardist Jim Starke: coming soon Drummer Duncan Campbell:”Big Daddy Sug” Campbell: early influences include Ginger Baker, Bill Ward and many others. After relocating to Phoenix from New York in 1990, he began playing the local music scene shortly after. Previous bands include St. Madness, Mersa, Kill em All. He currently plays PDP Concept Maple drums, Zildjian cymbals, Tama snares and pedals, Humes & Berg and SKB cases. Guitarist Jeremy Dasher: Greatest Influences in the beginning were Eddie Van Halen, and Angus Young, then as his music style progressed it became Dave Mustaine, Rhandy Rhoads, Jimi Hendrix. He is the current also a member of Latency and Viertel and plays Jackson guitars, Mesa Boogie amplification, and MXR effects. Bassist Neal Harris: Also a member of Dream Chemistry, Greatest Influences are Greg Chaisson, Kenny Chaisson, Todd Chaisson, Steve Harris, Tony Levin and Chris Squire. He plays Fender and Jackson basses Ashdown amplification and Peave cabinets.

LINDSEY STIRLING at Mesa Arts Center
2022-12-22 19:30 - 23:30 | Mesa Arts Center, 1 East Main St., Mesa, AZ, 85201, United States
Lindsey Stirling remains fearless enough to always dream big. In the near decade since the release of her 2012 self-titled debut, the electronic violinist, dancer, and artist has quietly and humbly become one of the 21st century’s most innovative stars. Her groundbreaking vision of cinematic violin-driven electronic music has gained her millions of adoring fans worldwide, four Billboard chart topping albums, a RIAA Gold certification for her sophomore opus Shatter Me , and two Billboard music awards. Having amassed over 12.5 million subscribers and 3 billion views on YouTube, Forbes placed her at #4 on its 2015 World’s Top-Earning YouTube Stars list, making her the highest-ranked female. The multi-hyphenate was also runner-up on the 25th season of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. Stirling’s first holiday collection, Warmer In The Winter (Deluxe Edition), closed out 2017 as the best-selling holiday album of the year. In addition, her single “Carol of the Bells” is still the only instrumental song to ever reach the Top 10 at AC Radio. Her highly anticipated fifth-studio album, Artemis, released in 2019 to critical acclaim and debuted at #1 on the Dance/Electronic Album Chart. In the wake of the cancellation of her 2020 tours due to COVID-19, Lindsey funded and directed a virtual livestream concert that received over 100,00 unique viewers. She started the 2021 year with the release of Lose You Now, a single featuring Artist/Producer Mako that reflects on loss.

JINJER & POD at The Van Buren
2022-12-20 19:00 - 23:30 | Marquee Theatre, 730 N Mill Ave, Tempe, 85281, United States
A versatile, progressive groove metal unit based out of Ukraine, Jinjer have found success both in their Eastern European homeland and abroad with their punitive blend of post-hardcore and death/progressive/nu-metal. Drawing from a wide array of influences, including R&B, soul, hip-hop, and the full spectrum of heavy metal, the band formed in 2009 and features a lineup consisting of Tatiana Shmailyuk (vocals), Roman Ibramkhalilov (guitar), Eugene Abdiukhanov (bass), and Vladislav Ulasevich (drums). Jinjer issued a pair of EPs, 2009’s OIMACTTA and 2012’s Inhale, Do Not Breathe, before breaking big at home with the release of a full-length version of the latter album in 2013. The group’s sophomore long-player, 2014’s Cloud Factory, caught the attention of heavy metal institution Napalm, which signed Jinjer and released their third full-length effort, King of Everything, in 2016. The group toured heavily in support of the LP, hitting the European festival circuit and making their presence known overseas as well. In early 2019, the band returned with the Micro EP, again on Napalm. By the end of the year, its natural counterpoint, Macro, arrived. ~ James Christopher Monger, Rovi

Since 1992, P.O.D. have globally rallied audiences around a hypnotic hybrid of hard rock, hip-hop, reggae, and alternative punctuated by a message of unification and a powerful pledge to persevere. Sonny Sandoval [vocals], Marcos Curiel [guitar], Traa Daniels [bass], and Wuv Bernardo [drums]—rose up from a tough neighborhood just four exists north of the Mexican border into a three-time GRAMMY® Award-nominated multiplatinum mainstay. Moving 10 million-plus records, selling out gigs on multiple continents, logging four Top 10 debuts on the Billboard Top 200, and collaborating with everyone from Rock and Roll Hall of Fame® inductee Carlos Santana to Katy Perry, the group continue to bring people together everywhere.
After countless sweaty basement shows coast-to-coast, the grind continued on 1999’s platinum The Fundamental Elements of Southtown. It set the stage for Satellite in 2001. Not only did Satellite bow at #6 on the Billboard Top 200 and go triple-platinum, but it also yielded four signature singles “Alive,” “Youth of the Nation,” “Boom,” and “Satellite” and the band garnered three GRAMMY® nods. Three top 10 albums followed with the gold Payable on Death, Testify, and When Angels & Serpents Dance. 2012’s Murdered Love logged a Top 20 debut. After 2015’s conceptual The Awakening, Circles earmarked a new chapter in 2018. Billboard claimed, “P.O.D. takes a leap forward with ‘Circles’,” as “Listening For The Silence” and “Always Southern California” lit up DSPs.

The Smashing Pumpkins + Jane's Addiction at Footprint Center
2022-11-18 18:30 - 23:30 | Mortgage Matchup Center, 201 E Jefferson St, Phoenix, 85004, United States
Alt-rock icons the Smashing Pumpkins are recognized for their amalgam of progressive rock, heavy metal, goth, psychedelia, and dream pop; a layered, powerful style driven by swirling, distorted guitars that churned beneath lead singer/songwriter Billy Corgan‘s angst-ridden lyrics. One of the most visible bands of ’90s, alongside grunge acts like Nirvana and Pearl Jam, the Smashing Pumpkins achieved mainstream success over the decade with classic releases Siamese Dream and Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. After a foray into electronic rock on Adore, Corgan issued a final pair of efforts before putting the group to sleep for an extended early-2000s hiatus that ended with 2007’s Zeitgeist. Along with an ever-changing lineup, he continued to record under the Pumpkins moniker before reconvening most of the original lineup for a 2018 reunion tour and albums such as 2020’s synth-heavy Cyr and 2023’s Atum: A Rock Opera in Three Acts.
The son of a jazz guitarist, William Patrick Corgan grew up in a Chicago suburb, leaving home at the age of 19 to move to Florida with his fledgling goth metal band, the Marked. After the band failed down South he returned to Chicago around 1988, where he began working at a used-record store. At the shop he met James Iha (guitar), a graphic arts student at Loyola University, and the two began collaborating, performing, and recording songs with a drum machine. Corgan met D’Arcy Wretzky at a club show; after arguing about the merits of the Dan Reed Network, the two became friends and she joined the group as a bassist. Soon, the bandmembers, who named themselves the Smashing Pumpkins, had gained a dedicated local following, which included the head of a local club who booked them to open for Jane’s Addiction. Before the pivotal concert, the band hired Jimmy Chamberlin, a former jazz musician, as their full-time drummer.
In 1990, the Smashing Pumpkins released their debut single, “I Am One,” on the local Chicago label Limited Potential. The single quickly sold out, and in December the band released “Tristessa” on Sub Pop. By this point, the Smashing Pumpkins had become the subject of a hot bidding war, and the group latched onto a clever way to move to a major label without losing indie credibility. They signed to Virgin Records, yet it was decided that the group’s debut would be released on the Virgin subsidiary Caroline, and then the band would move to the majors. The strategy worked; Gish, a majestic mix of Black Sabbath and dream pop produced by Butch Vig, became a huge college and modern rock hit upon its spring 1991 release. The Pumpkins embarked on an extensive supporting tour for Gish, which lasted over a year and included opening slots for Red Hot Chili Peppers and Pearl Jam. During the Gish tour, tensions between bandmembers began to escalate, as former couple Iha and Wretzky went through a messy breakup, Chamberlin became addicted to drugs and alcohol, and Corgan entered a heavy depression. These tensions weren’t resolved by the time the group entered the studio with Vig to record their second album.
Toward the beginning of the sessions, the Pumpkins were given significant exposure through the inclusion of “Drown” on the Singles soundtrack in the summer of 1992. As the sessions progressed, Corgan relieved himself of his depression by working heavily — not only did he write a surplus of songs, he played nearly all of the guitars and bass on each recording, which meant that its release was delayed several times. The resulting album, Siamese Dream, was an immaculate production and was embraced by critics upon its July 1993 release. It was their first blockbuster, debuting at number ten on the charts and establishing the Smashing Pumpkins as stars. “Cherub Rock,” the first single, was a modern rock hit, yet it was “Today” and the acoustic “Disarm” that sent the album into the stratosphere. The Smashing Pumpkins became the headliners of Lollapalooza 1994, and following the tour’s completion, the band went back into the studio to record a new album that Corgan had already claimed would be a double-disc set. To tide fans over until then, the Pumpkins released the B-sides and rarities album Pisces Iscariot in October 1994.
Working with producers Flood and Alan Moulder, the Smashing Pumpkins recorded as a full band for their third album, the double-disc set Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, which became an even bigger hit than Siamese Dream, debuting at number one on the charts. On the strength of the singles “Bullet with Butterfly Wings,” “1979,” “Zero,” and “Tonight, Tonight,” it sold over four million copies in the U.S., eventually being certified platinum over eight times. The Pumpkins had graduated to stadium shows for the Mellon Collie tour, and the band was at the peak of its popularity when things began to spiral. On July 12, prior to two shows at Madison Square Garden, the group’s touring keyboardist, Jonathan Melvoin, died from a heroin overdose; he was with Chamberlin, who survived his own overdose. In the wake of the tragedy, the remaining Pumpkins fired Chamberlin and spent two months on hiatus as they recovered and searched for a new drummer. Early in August, they announced that Filter member Matt Walker would be their touring drummer and Dennis Flemion, a member of the Frogs, would be their touring keyboardist for the remainder of the year. They returned to the stage at the end of August and spent the next five months on tour.
In spring, the Smashing Pumpkins recorded two songs for the soundtracks for Batman & Robin (the Grammy-winning “The End Is the Beginning Is the End”) and Lost Highway (“Eye”). The latter track hinted at the direction of their next album, which took a surprise turn into subdued electronics. Shrouded by the death of Corgan‘s mother and a divorce, Adore followed a few months later. Despite topping international charts and peaking at number two on the Billboard 200, the effort’s sales and reviews were disappointing, with many critics confused by their new direction. The band embarked on a tour, contributing 100-percent of the earnings to charity, and returned to the studio.
Prior to the release of their fifth album, Chamberlin returned to the group and Wretzky made her exit, replaced by Hole bassist Melissa Auf der Maur. Bringing the band back to its early rock roots, MACHINA: The Machines of God landed in early 2000. Peaking at number three, MACHINA included the singles “Stand Inside Your Love” and “The Everlasting Gaze.” In the midst of album promotion, Corgan announced his intention to dissolve the band that year with a farewell tour. Fans received one last treat when Corgan and company finished tracks that were left over from the MACHINA sessions. Surprisingly, Virgin Records balked at the idea of releasing the 25-track set so close to the release of their previous album, so the band put the entire album (going by the official title of Machina II: The Friends and Enemies of Modern Music) on the Internet for fans to download for free. On December 2, 2000, the Pumpkins played a mammoth show at Chicago’s Metro (also the venue at which the group played its first show back in 1988). Booked as a final farewell, it would actually just be their first official hiatus, the start of an uneven period for Corgan when the Pumpkins would become known as much for lineup and status changes as the music itself.
During the break, former members of the band didn’t wait long before carrying on with other projects. Corgan spent the summer of 2001 playing guitar with New Order on select concert dates, and later in the year unveiled his new band, Zwan, which included Chamberlin on drums (as well as former Chavez guitarist Matt Sweeney and bassist David “Skullfisher” Pajo). He also released a book of poetry. The other two former Pumpkins, Iha and Auf der Maur, began putting together an alt-rock supergroup dubbed the Virgins. Iha also began playing with A Perfect Circle. A pair of postmortem Pumpkins collections were also issued as a double-disc/DVD, both called Greatest Hits (aka Rotten Apples). Corgan released his first solo album, The Future Embrace, in 2005, and on the day it came out, he took out a full-page ad in The Chicago Tribune to announce that the Smashing Pumpkins were reuniting just five years after splitting. However, he hadn’t informed any of his past bandmates, and only Chamberlin joined for the ride. The resulting album, Zeitgeist (Reprise Records), was issued in 2007. Although it peaked at number two, the effort continued the band’s late-era decline in sales and critical acclaim. The new lineup — which added guitarist Jeff Schroeder, bassist Ginger Reyes, and keyboardist Lisa Harriton — embarked on a successful international tour, despite lukewarm reception to Zeitgeist.
Corgan and Chamberlin released an EP, American Gothic, at the start of 2008, before Corgan shook things up once again by announcing that the group would no longer record albums and would instead only issue singles. Chamberlin parted ways with the band once again in March 2009 and Corgan was joined by Schroeder, bassist Nicole Fiorentino, and drummer Mike Byrne. Once the dust settled, Corgan followed through on his promise to issue only short-form releases, putting out the track “A Song for a Son” in December of 2009. Scattered songs from the band’s Teargarden by Kaleidyscope concept were released over the next two years as free downloads, with physical collections of the tracks released in 2010 by way of the EP box sets Songs for a Sailor and The Solstice Bare.
In 2012, Corgan decided to take a break from the single-centric concept and released Oceania, the Smashing Pumpkins’ official eighth studio album. A live companion, Oceania: Live in NYC, was released the following year. In 2014, Corgan announced that he would be releasing two albums the following year under a new deal with BMG, which would tie up the Teargarden concept; these would be titled Monuments to an Elegy and Day for Night. By this point, Fiorentino and Byrne had left the band, and drums on Monuments to an Elegy were played by Tommy Lee of Mötley Crüe. Monuments was released on December 9, 2014 and debuted in the Top 40 of the Billboard 200, making it their lowest-charting effort since their debut. Chamberlin returned to the band for a 2015 tour, although the promised Day for Night failed to materialize on schedule.
In early 2016, Iha reunited with Corgan and Chamberlin for a performance in Los Angeles, their first show together in almost two decades. Subsequent live shows followed, leading to an eventual reunion of the original lineup (sans Wretzky) for a 2018 tour. The Shiny and Oh So Bright Tour featured the three founding members and bassist Jack Bates (son of Peter Hook). To coincide with the summertime trek, the Pumpkins released “Solara,” the first single from their reunion album Shiny and Oh So Bright, Vol. 1/LP: No Past. No Future. No Sun. Produced by Rick Rubin, Shiny and Oh So Bright appeared in November 2018.
Iha and Chamberlin were also on board for the group’s 11th studio album, 2020’s Cyr. Produced by Corgan in Chicago, the double LP also featured contributions by longtime guitarist Schroeder and included the songs “Cyr” and “The Colour of Love.” Released in November of 2020, the album hit number ten on Billboard’s Top Rock Albums chart. It was also released in conjunction with a five-part animated sci-fi series, In Ashes.
A single, “Beguiled,” arrived in September 2022 as the first track released off 2023’s Atum: A Rock Opera in Three Acts. Along with being the Pumpkins 12th studio album, Atum was the group’s third concept album, a spiritual sequel to both 1995’s Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness and 2000’s MACHINA:The Machines of God. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine & Neil Z. Yeung, Rovi

Los Angeles quartet Jane’s Addiction were one of the most influential and iconic alternative rock bands of the late ’80s and early ’90s. Hotly pursued when they first debuted in the mid-’80s, they released a pair of landmark albums before dissolving in 1991. Subsequent reunions yielded additional efforts while they maintained their cult status into the 2000s. Flamboyant frontman Perry Farrell, formerly of the band Psi Com, had an undeniable charisma and an interest in provocative art (he designed the band’s album covers), and Jane’s Addiction played a hybrid of rock music: metal with strains of punk, folk, and jazz. The quartet, comprised of Farrell, bassist Eric Avery, drummer Stephen Perkins, and guitarist Dave Navarro, had already released its debut album as well, in the form of a live recording from the Roxy in Hollywood. Finally, Warner Bros. won the bidding war and released Nothing’s Shocking in 1988. The band’s abrasive sound and aggressive attitude (typified by the nude sculpture on the cover) led to some resistance, but Jane’s Addiction began to break through to an audience — the album spent 35 weeks on the charts.
Ritual de lo Habitual followed in 1990 and was the band’s commercial breakthrough, reaching the Top 20 and going gold. Farrell designed the traveling rock festival Lollapalooza as a farewell tour for Jane’s Addiction. After the tour was completed at the end of the summer of 1991, the group split. Farrell would continue to be involved with the organization of the annual Lollapalooza festival for the next several years; he also formed Porno for Pyros with Perkins in 1992, releasing their debut record the following year. After a couple of quiet years — which included forming Deconstruction, a band that didn’t release any records until 1994, with Avery — Navarro joined Red Hot Chili Peppers at the end of 1993.
By 1997, Perkins and Farrell had dissolved Porno for Pyros, while Navarro was about to resign from Red Hot Chili Peppers. After Navarro began playing with his two former bandmates again during Porno for Pyros‘ final tour, a Jane’s Addiction reunion tour was announced for the fall of the same year. The only catch was that Chili Peppers bassist Flea replaced Avery (Avery refused to participate, as he concentrated on his new band, Polar Bear). To coincide with the short tour, the newly reunited Jane’s Addiction issued the album Kettle Whistle, which compiled classic live performances and demos alongside a few newly recorded tracks. The album didn’t fare well on the charts, but the reunion tour was a rousing success. It didn’t lead to a permanent re-formation, however, as members went their separate ways once more after its completion. A planned film documentary of the reunion tour failed to materialize, as a best-of compilation that chronicled Farrell‘s work (with Jane’s, Porno, and a few new solo tracks) was issued in 1999, titled Rev. His first solo full-length, Song Yet to Be Sung, saw the light of day in 2001. Navarro‘s debut solo effort, Trust No One, was issued a month earlier than Farrell‘s, as another Jane’s Addiction reunion was announced the same year. Avery again refused to participate, with his spot being filled by former Porno for Pyros bassist Martyn Lenoble.
Several years later, Jane’s Addiction readied themselves to do it again. In mid-2002, Farrell, Navarro, and Perkins headed back into the studio for their first album of new material in over a decade. Bass player Chris Chaney (Tommy Lee, Alanis Morissette) was added to the group and Bob Ezrin (Pink Floyd, Kiss, Aerosmith) signed on to produce the new record. Capitol prepped for the release of Strays in July 2003 while Farrell resurrected Lollapalooza after a six-year break.
Around 2004, Jane’s Addiction announced they had broken up yet again and the members began work on several other music projects. Navarro, Perkins, Chaney, and vocalist Steve Isaacs formed the band the Panic Channel, and released the album (One) in 2006. Also in 2006, Navarro co-hosted the CBS reality music competition Rock Star: Supernova, in which contestants vied to become the lead singer for a supergroup featuring drummer Tommy Lee, bassist Jason Newsted, and guitarist Gilby Clarke. In early 2007, the Panic Channel and Supernova toured together. Meanwhile, Farrell and his wife Etty Lau Farrell, along with former Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt, formed the band the Satellite Party and released the album Ultra Payloaded in 2007.
In 2008, Jane’s Addiction reunited, this time featuring the original lineup including bassist Avery, who had not performed with the band since 1991. The band quickly re-recorded two tracks, “Whores” and “Chip Away” — which had never officially been recorded in a studio — and joined Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails on tour. The lavish box set A Cabinet of Curiosities appeared in 2009. In 2010, Avery announced he was leaving the band and was replaced by former Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan. Originally added as a temporary member, McKagan ultimately signed on full-time and the band began working on new material. In May of 2010, the new-look Jane’s Addiction with McKagan on bass premiered the song “Soulmate” during a Cinco de Mayo concert in Hollywood. McKagan left the group the following year, and was replaced by TV on the Radio multi-instrumentalist Dave Sitek, who also appeared on the band’s fourth proper studio album, 2011’s The Great Escape Artist. For the supporting tour for The Great Escape Artist, Chris Chaney joined Jane’s Addiction and stayed with the band for the next few years, a time which was marked by semi-regular concerts and festival appearances. In 2016, Jane’s Addiction launched the Sterling Spoon Anniversary Tour which celebrated the anniversaries of Lollapalooza and Ritual de lo Habitual. To accompany the tour, the group released a vinyl box set called Sterling Spoon. ~ William Ruhlmann & Greg Prato, Rovi

ATEEZ at Desert Diamond Arena
2022-11-10 20:00 - 23:30 | Desert Diamond Arena, 9400 W Maryland Ave, Glendale, AZ, 85305, United States
On October 24 th 2018 the world of K-pop was introduced to its most exciting new boyband act named ‘ATEEZ’. This introduction happened through the release of the ‘TREASURE EP.1: All To Zero’, an EP that signifies the first chapter of an exciting and interactive adventure in which fans are invited to strap in and join the band on the start of their musical career.
ATEEZ consists of 8 members who both individually and collectively connect with fans on a multitude of levels. The band is made up of Hong Joong, team leader, rapper and composer; Seong Hwa, vocals; Yun Ho, vocals and choreographer; Yeo Sang, vocals and choreographer; San, main vocals; Min Gi, rapper and choreographer; Woo Young, vocals and choreographer; and Jong Ho, main vocals.
A variety of performance videos have already garnered the attention of fans across the world, leading to ATEEZ hosting their very first fan event before any official music release. Furthermore, the Mnet reality show ‘Code Name is ATEEZ’ gave fans a glimpse of the band’s debut story and what goes on behind the scenes of their quest to become the perfect boyband.
The world of ATEEZ is made up of incredible performances, fantastic music productions and truly unique and engaging personalities. So sit back and join ATEEZ on what is going to be a truly epic voyage.

I Prevail | Pierce The Veil & Fit For A King at The Van Buren
2022-10-28 18:30 - 23:30 | The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St, Phoenix, AZ, 85003, United States
Platinum-certified and twice GRAMMY-nominated Michigan rock powerhouse I PREVAIL — Brian Burkheiser (vocals), Eric Vanlerberghe (vocals), Steve Menoian (guitars/bass), Dylan Bowman (guitars), and Gabe Helguera (drums) — have announced their first North American headline tour in support of their new album TRUE POWER. Their much-anticipated album was just released via Fearless Records on August 19. You can check out the video for “Body Bag” here. Also, the band shows off its dynamic chops with “Self-Destruction” here.

I Prevail have established themselves as the forerunners of the genre in the 21st century. TRUE POWER, once again produced by Tyler Smith, features the sort of stadium-sized riffs that will rattle your teeth loose from your gums and unforgettable, supremely catchy melodies that will camp out in your brain for weeks at a time. The band also alternately mixes screamed vocals that sound as though they crawled from the depths of hell with soaring, emotional vocals and heartfelt, intimate lyrics that go so deep, they hit marrow. The end result is an album that resonates with the listener in the most personal way. Rising to an arena level and receiving two Grammy nominations, I Prevail proved that they were built to last.

Right now, Pierce the Veil are at their most raw, crackling with urgency and immediacy. Never predictable, always engaging, Pierce the Veil continue to soar on the strength of highly potent energy, rich musicality, and a scrappy sense of authentic exuberant ambition that’s frankly unrivaled. Frontman Vic Fuentes, guitarist Tony Perry, and bassist Jaime Preciado put volatile, angsty, confessional emotions into the music, which is why their songs resonate with so many. “No matter where the band performs, fans will show up,” wrote Loudwire. “When you see Pierce The Veil live, you’ll understand why.”
PTV’s evolution from album to album is nothing less than stunning. The early buzz generated by A Flair for the Dramatic (2007) made its follow-up one of the most anticipated albums of 2010. Selfish Machines shot to No.1 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart. The Chicago Tribune saluted Collide with the Sky for its “post-hardcore punk with more than a few nods to Queen.” They became a true arena act on Misadventures, selling out huge venues without losing the intimate connection with their fans.
Pierce the Veil have long cemented their status as one of the most exciting and relevant acts in their genre — by constantly evolving.

Trauma and tragedy transfer from one generation to the next. As difficult as it may be, we still possess the power to break the cycle and start anew. Fit For A King ponder the pain of these cycles and the possibility to end them on their seventh full-length offering, The Hell We Create [Solid State]. The Texas quintet—Ryan Kirby [vocals], Bobby Lynge [guitar], Daniel Gailey [guitar], Ryan “Tuck” O’Leary [bass], and Trey Celaya [drums]—explore this ebb and flow with a deft, yet delicate balance of sharp metallic intensity and soaring melodic energy. “The album is a reflection of the events that happened throughout the pandemic,” recalls Ryan. “In short, my wife and I adopted children and had to homeschool them. She almost died from a stroke. The Hell We Create is by far the deepest and most personal record we’ve ever written.” In 2011, Fit For A King emerged out of Texas with a searing signature style rooted in metal and hardcore and uplifted by hypnotic hooks. Following the breakout LP Creation/Destruction [2013], they earned four consecutive Top 5 debuts on both the Billboard Top Christian Albums Chart and the Top Hard Rock Albums Chart with Slave to Nothing [2014], Deathgrip [2016], Dark Skies [2018], and The Path [2020]. The latter marked their first #1 on the Top Christian Albums Chart and Top 10 on the Billboard Top Album Sales Chart. Plus, the band collaborated with fellow heavy-hitters such as August Burns Red and We Came As Romans.

AFI at Marquee Theatre
2022-10-28 18:30 - 23:30 | Marquee Theatre, 730 N Mill Ave, Tempe, 85281, United States
AFI are leaders, not followers. A collective in a perpetual state of creative evolution as fluid as the evocative figures contorting on the cover of Bodies, their newest collection of songs. The record is a snapshot of unrelenting artists in motion, unconcerned with compromise or outside demands.
The band initially summoned a steady subcultural groundswell in the mid-90s, devoid of careerist ambitions. The band first made music as teenaged misfits in an obscure Northern California town, steadily assembling a dense catalog over the years marked by its diversity and authenticity.
The platinum success of Sing the Sorrow blazed a path for a generation of hardcore-punk weaned bands to similarly crossover. 2006’s Decemberunderground upended expectations again and earned AFI a second platinum plaque. Crash Love was another adventurous turn, with expansive and almost optimistic-sounding melodies, glistening with emotion. The haunting Burials arrived four years later, debuting in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200. The self-titled follow-up, commonly referred to as “the Blood Album,” became AFI’s second-highest charting album since their inception, debuting at No. 5 in 2017.

Known for their androgynous image, prominent use of reverb-laden guitar work, and forlorn vocals akin to the style of early Killing Joke, Drab Majesty are an alternative neo-goth project from Los Angeles, California. Led by singer/songwriter Andrew Clinco (aka Deb DeMure), Drab Majesty came about after Clinco decided to focus his creative energy on his own work, primarily geared toward particular aural and visual aesthetics. Following their emergence in 2011, the group gained critical acclaim in 2015 with their DAIS Records debut Careless, and 2017 follow-up The Demonstration.
Raised in a musical household during the early 2000s, Clinco became more interested in making music after discovering abandoned vinyl in the bins of the local thrift stores around Hollywood. He developed a taste for the culturally defining sounds of acts from previous decades such as Siouxsie and the Banshees, Red Lorry, Yellow Lorry, and Felt. Clinco also found time to build up his own musical abilities by teaching himself to play his father’s guitar and attending regular church visits with his grandmother, where the expansive range of the church choir and the naturally cavernous acoustics of the church would later influence his eclectic vocal style.
Over time, Clinco began to experiment with various instruments and styles, and eventually found his first niche in handling drum duties for post-rock outfit Marriages and neo-goth darkwave band Black Mare. After having established himself on the gig circuit and extensive recordings with both bands, Clinco felt he needed to delve deeper into his own creativity and inner consciousness by developing a multi-angled project of his own. Interested in creating something that traversed visual arts as well as aural textures in which he could become “a vessel” for outside influences flowing inwardly through him, the idea ultimately resulted in the character of Deb DeMure and the world of Drab Majesty. Opting for a blend of ’80s-esque new wave with jangly, reverberated guitars and ethereal synth leads, DeMure amassed a number of songs, and Drab Majesty put out the independent release Uranian Dances in 2012 in a limited run of 100 cassette tapes. The effort was later picked up and re-pressed by Lollipop Records.
Drab Majesty then went on to sign with DAIS Records and release the full-length effort Careless in late 2015. The record was a success, with many critics praising its use of nostalgic sound and its crystalline production techniques. Drab Majesty then went out on the road to promote the record, in support of acts such as Clan of Xymox, the Black Queen, and DAIS labelmates King Dude and Youth Code. It was around this time that DeMure added keyboardist Alex Nicolaou (aka Mona D) to the band. These numerous live appearances, both in the U.S. and overseas, began to expose the project to a wider audience, earning them an ever-increasing fan base.
It wasn’t long until Drab Majesty’s followers were demanding another full-length release. They got what they wanted with The Demonstration, issued in early 2017. The effort featured the project’s signature sound alongside more prominent use of synthesizers, effects, and post-punk-influenced guitar work. They spent the following year writing and recording their third LP. Modern Mirror arrived in May 2019. ~ Rob Wacey, Rovi

A Day To Remember | The Used | Movements & Magnolia Park at Mesa Amphitheatre
2022-10-27 16:00 - 23:30 | Mesa Amphitheatre, 263 N. Center St, Mesa, 85201, United States
Over the course of the past several years, each of A Day To Remember’s releases have hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Rock, Indie and/or Alternative Charts. They’ve also sold more than a million units, racked up over 800 million Spotify streams and 500 million YouTube views, two Gold-selling albums and singles (and one Silver album in the UK) and sold out entire continental tours (including their own curated Self Help Festival), amassing a global fanbase whose members number in the millions. All of which explains why Rolling Stone called them “An Artist You Need To Know.” In other words, their creative process has worked and worked well. But for new album Bad Vibrations, the Ocala, Florida-based quintet switched gears and headed for uncharted territory.
“We completely changed the way we wrote, recorded and mixed this album,” says vocalist Jeremy McKinnon. “It was one of the most unique recording experiences we’ve ever had. We rented a cabin in the Colorado mountains and just wrote with the five of us together in a room, which was the polar opposite of the last three albums we’ve made. We just let things happen organically and in the moment. I think it forever changed the way we make music.”
Bad Vibrations debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 and #1 on the Top Album Sales Chart. It was also the #1 album in Australia, #6 in the UK and #7 in Germany.
On Aug 20 the band debuted their new single ‘Degenerates’.

The Used is an American alternative rock band from Orem, Utah. Their sound has been classified under many sub-genres of rock. They signed with Reprise Records in late 2001 and rose to fame in June 2002 after releasing their debut self-titled album, The Used. Soon after a CD/DVD package named “Maybe Memories” was released containing unheard demos and a “behind the scenes” story of the band/band’s past. They followed up with their second album, In Love And Death, in September 2004 and their third album, Lies For The Liars, in May 2007. An EP, Shallow Believer, was released in February 2008 that featured most of the band’s B-sides to date. They spent the entire year of 2008 working on their fourth studio album, Artwork, which was released September 1st, 2009. The band has achieved both Gold and Platinum statuses in over 6 countries worldwide. Speaking with Songfacts
in a 2012 interview, The Used bassist Jeph Howard said that “A Box Full of Sharp Objects” is probably his favorite song by the band.
A few years ago, while preparing to send the album art for b-side collection Shallow Believer to his record label, Bert McCracken scrawled the word “Artwork” across its cover in silver ink. The sentiment, which, to Bert and his bandmates in The Used, resonated with both extreme simplicity and indescribable complexity, said everything without really having to say anything. Now, the Utah band has titled their fourth full-length album with that very word: Artwork.
The group started writing the album after finishing the Taste of Chaos International tour in 2007, slowly collecting and jamming out ideas with no concrete intention beyond making the songs as dirty as possible. The Used, whose last album, 2007’s Lies For the Liars, debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard Top 200, spent the first half of 2008 in LA exploring and refining these ideas, eventually piecing tangential riffs and melodies into a scattering of songs that contained a surprisingly cohesive sensibility. The band members dubbed the music they were writing “gross pop,” their own new genre of hook-laden numbers that pushed the boundaries of the grotesque. Tracking for the album began in June of 2008 with producer Matt Squire and eventually concluded in February of 2009, primarily at LA studios The Lair and NRG. Between a few sporadic tours, the band spent about three months total recording with Squire where they allowed their creativity to dictate when they worked on something.
“I wouldn’t say it was hard to make any of the record but it definitely was time consuming,” Bert says. “We worked on our time table. The band allowed me to create when I was able to create, which was a good thing. I didn’t feel pressure to force things. There was no specific time I had to do anything. If we were in the studio and I’d been working on lyrics for five hours and nothing came out, we would just try again tomorrow.”
In the studio Squire approached the recording process with a laid-back attitude the band both appreciated and needed. The decision to work with a new producer after establishing a longtime relationship with producer John Feldman, who was at the helm of the band’s past three albums (Lies For the Liars, as well as 2004’s In Love and Death and 2002’s The Used, both of which were certified gold), was derived from a simple desire for change. The Used wanted to see what would happen if they entered the studio with someone different, a process guitarist Quinn Allman compares to “breaking up with your girlfriend not because you don’t love her but because you need to try something new.”
“It wasn’t that we absolutely didn’t want to work with Feldman or that we absolutely wanted to work with Squire,” Bert explains. “It was more that the band needed a change. We wanted to try something different and have it sound a lot different. It took a few weeks for us to get a vibe for each, but once we got used to it, it was really easy. Squire brought in this willingness to try anything and an open mind and a good attitude. I feel like he was really in touch with what the band wanted to do and he was really supportive of our ideas.”
The result is a raw collection of twelve songs that not so delicately teeter the line between being aggressively discordant and charmingly hooky. The first single “Blood On My Hands,” which Quinn describes as the song that “sums up everything about The Used,” is confined chaos, brutally thrashing one moment and proffering a pop-driven, sing-along chorus the next. “Empty With You,” a track Bert says is “about feeling empty and lonely but as long as you have someone who can feel lonely with you then everything’s okay,” surges with passion and gripping honesty, while “Cut Yourself” balances the album’s predilection for propulsive rage with its quieter, piano-driven exploration of what it means to have someone to lean on.
“This record is more sincere,” Quinn says. “It’s got a sound more reminiscent of the first record. Lyrically, it completely engulfs you and makes you feel safe but it’s all about feeling alone and empty and knowing there’s always a light. If you’re frustrated that much it means you care that much. The lyrics carry you through the record and you’re right with Bert and where he’s at. The music isn’t showing off. It’s just being what it is. I think the fans will appreciate all that.”
“This record is about coming together,” Bert adds. “Whether it’s through positivity or negativity, it’s about coming together through anything.”
Artwork encapsulates the past eight years of a band that’s played tours and festivals like Warped Tour, Ozzfest, Projek Revolution, Give It a Name, Reading and Leeds and SxSW, and sold over two million albums in the States alone, while simultaneously urging them forward. It’s a collaborative effort that drew The Used closer together during its creation. It’s about love and mortality and the basic human emotions we all experience every day. It’s biting and gritty, and it’s melodic and catchy. It’s a new chapter for a band that’s constantly sought to redefine the bounds of pop music—and have always successfully done so. It’s a reminder, as Bert says, “we’re all artists creating our own art just by living it.”
“I Come Alive” is the first single from The Used’s fifth album, Vulnerable. It is the first release on the band’s own label, Anger Music Group, an imprint of Hopeless Records. The song was released on January 17, 2012. (I Come Alive Songfacts).

Reflecting personal changes from a whirlwind five years, Movements realize the full scope of their storytelling, musicianship, and vision on their second full-length album, No Good Left To Give [Fearless Records]. Not only does the music address the emotional push-and-pull of relationships, but it also explores loss, love, mental health, and even intimacy through a prism of newfound clarity soundtracked by post-punk grit, alternative expanse, heartfelt spoken word, expansive rock, and subtle pop ambition. The Southern California quartet—Patrick Miranda [vocals], Ira George [guitar], Spencer York [drums], and Austin Cressey [bass]—quietly worked towards this moment since forming in 2015. Following the 2016 EP Outgrown Things, the group cemented a singular sound on their 2017 full-length debut, Feel Something. Eclipsing 40 million total streams by 2020, it immediately connected by way of “Daylilly” [11.1 million Spotify streams], “Full Circle” [6.1 million Spotify streams], and “Colorblind” [5.5 million Spotify streams]. Along the way, the four-piece received acclaim from Brooklyn Vegan, AXS, Rock Sound, Culture Collide, and more. In between packing shows worldwide, they joined forces with Alzheimer’s Association for the “Deadly Dull” video and covered “Losing My Religion” by R.E.M. for the Songs that Saved My Life compilation.

It’s no secret that Epitaph Records has been the breeding ground for some of the most legendary punk acts in existence and Magnolia Park carry on in that tradition with their highly anticipated debut full-length, Baku’s Revenge. Since forming in Orlando, Florida, in 2019, the six-piece act—vocalist Joshua Roberts, guitarists Tristan Torres and Freddie Criales, bassist Jared Kay, drummer Joe Horsham and keyboardist Vincent Ernst—have released an EP, mixtape and handful of singles and toured with everyone from Sum 41 to Simple Plan as a way to bring their upbeat brand of pop-punk to the masses. While Magnolia Park’s music is at times lighthearted, the ethnically diverse act are also serious about spreading a message of inclusivity and inspiring other kids like them to start bands as a form of creative expression. “Our goal when we’re together is to make sure the next generation doesn’t have to face as much racial backlash for being a rock band,” Torres explains. “In the industry, people look at us a certain way and try to impose things on us—and we want to make sure the next generation of rock bands don’t have to go through what we’ve been through.”

In This Moment + NOTHING MORE + Sleep Token & Cherry Bombs at House of Blues Las Vegas
2022-10-14 17:00 - 23:30 | House of Blues Las Vegas, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV, 89119, United States
Initially conceived as a metalcore counterpart to Evanescence, In This Moment moved into more melodic territory with its fantastical 2008 breakthrough album The Dream. Though capable of throat-scraping screams, vocalist Maria Brink shone brightest on mature and atmospheric material, putting In This Moment in the running as a promising goth rock band. The Los Angeles-based act also widened its exposure by touring with the like-minded Lacuna Coil as well as metal veterans Megadeth and Ozzy Osbourne.
Born of a chance meeting and the innate musical rapport established between vocalist Maria Brink and lead guitarist Chris Howorth, In This Moment quickly grew from local cult favorites performing in Los Angeles clubs to a MySpace phenomenon before landing a deal with Century Media. Along the way, the group was fleshed out by rhythm guitarist Blake Bunzel, bassist Jesse Landry, and drummer Jeff Fabb. In This Moment embarked on several U.S. tours with the likes of Diecast and 36 Crazyfists and gradually honed its melodic metalcore songwriting for their 2007 debut album, Beautiful Tragedy. The band supported it on the Hot Chicks of Metal Tour, featuring Lacuna Coil and Within Temptation, among others. The Dream arrived in 2008 and became their breakthrough as well as their first on the album charts. It was followed by the Top 40 A Star-Crossed Wasteland in 2010.
Multiple changes to the band’s original line-up took place in their earliest years, with Landry leaving the band in 2009, replaced by new bassist Kyle Konkiel. Konkiel only lasted a year before he too left the band and was replaced by Travis Johnson in 2010. One of the largest line-up shifts occurred when founding members Jeff Fabb and Blake Bunzel left in 2011. Their replacements — drummer Tom Hane and guitarist Randy Weitzel — stepped in to complete the recording of electro-charged fourth album Blood in 2012. The album was a Top 20 hit.
The group moved to a major label, Atlantic, for their fifth studio long-player, 2014’s Black Widow, and were rewarded with placement inside the Top 10. In 2016, Hane left the band and former 3 by Design drummer Kent Diimmel took over. In June 2017, the band dropped the single “Roots” in anticipation of the release of sixth full-length Ritual, which arrived in July and hit number 23 on the chart. The following year, recording for their seventh album coincided with a tour, teasing the theme of “mother” in its stage show. The band pushed their sound into heavier territory, including on the single “The In-Between” and the album Mother, which appeared in March 2020.

Rock audiences count NOTHING MORE among the most cherished acts, the kind of band who straddle the line between populism and intimacy with every performance. The San Antonio, Texas-born quartet builds unapologetically massive anthems from catchy hooks. Crowd-pleasers clear a path for heady, confessional, thought-provoking emotionalism. Fresh rewards reveal themselves with repeat listens, welcoming like-minded seekers with rich melodicism, like the best of Deftones or Tool.
Those who saw the band on tour with hard rock heavyweights like Shinedown, Five Finger Death Punch,Breaking Benjamin, Papa Roach, and Disturbed will attest to what The Guardian observed: “There’s a sophistication to NOTHING MORE’s angst that raises them above the tumult-tossed pit.
”Kerrang! named NOTHING MORE one of 22 Artists Shaping the Future of Rock, alongside Nine Inch Nails, Twenty One Pilots, and Bring Me The Horizon. And frontman Jonny Hawkins, who met guitarist Mark Vollelunga before they were old enough to drive, appeared with Billie Joe Armstrong, Dave Grohl, and Hayley Williams in the English tastemaker’s Top 50 Greatest Rockstars in the World.
Hawkins and Vollelunga started the band in 2003 and were quickly joined by bassist Daniel Oliver and later by drummer Ben Anderson. The band’s blend of explosive bombast and nuanced storytelling resulted in a half dozen Top 10 singles at Mainstream Rock Radio, including the No.1 hit “Go to War” and the Sirius XM Octane song of the decade and Active Rock chart-topper “This is the Time (Ballast).”The Stories We Tell Ourselves earned a head-turning three Grammy nominations. They’re set to follow it up with a new albumin 2022, which is filled with their most philosophical and primal music to date. The first offering, “TURN ITUP LIKE,” released in March 2022, is a fitting first taste of what’s to come.
NOTHING MORE appeals to fans of Linkin Park, Incubus, Rage Against The Machine, and all crucial acts that stoke relatable passion with authenticity and integrity. Memorize the arena-ready hooks. Get mesmerized by the intimate, communal live show. Dig deeper down the rabbit hole into the work of philosophers and artists like Eckhart Tolle, Carl Jung, and Alan Watts, who inspire the band.
There’s a place for every type of rock fan with NOTHING MORE. Built to last, here to stay.

Sleep Token are a masked, anonymous collective of musicians; united by their worship of an ancient deity crudely dubbed “Sleep”, since no modern tongue can properly express its name.
This being once held great power, bestowing ancient civilizations with the gift of dreams, and the curse of nightmares.
Even today, though faded from prominence, ‘Sleep’ yet lurks in the subconscious minds of man, woman, and child alike. Fragments of beauty, horror, anguish, pain, happiness, joy, anger, disgust, and fear coalesce to create expansive, emotionally textured music that simultaneously embodies the darkest, and the brightest abstract thoughts. He has seen them. He has felt them. He is everywhere.
Sleep Token, led by the perpetually tormented Vessel, creates music that brings to the fore our most submerged thoughts and feelings, coaxing them from the desolate, terrifying caves of our subconscious mind.

Cherry Bombs bring an entire new way to experience rock and roll music – combining daredevil arts with feminine power, fearless and dynamic performances feature dance, fire, aerial, grinding, stilt walking, and so much more.
Cutting their teeth in the world of motorcycle rallies, they soon climbed the ranks of live entertainment by being the first group of its kind to bag a national tour with Buckcherry and Black Stone Cherry in 2016. Since then, Cherry Bombs have appeared in performances and tours nationally and internationally (Stone Sour/Steel Panther, Corey Taylor, KnotFest Mexico, ForceFest Mexico, KnotFest Colombia), on television (AEW), and in numerous music videos (Corey Taylor, 21 Savage, Fozzy, Moonshine Bandits).
2019 saw the premiere of the YouTube docu-series titled, “Girl Gang”, which pulled the curtain back to reveal what it takes to put on such a unique show. The series has been met with overwhelmingly positive reception for its raw storytelling and willingness of the performers to show vulnerability. Episodes focus on the inner-workings of Cherry Bombs, including the adventures, challenges, and triumphs they experience. With four seasons of “Girl Gang” out, fans anxiously await the next one with each passing year.
Like many in the industry, the pandemic of 2020 forced Cherry Bombs to cancel their tour. However, they adapted quickly, and filmed their headlining show, “Macabarét” – a story of karma wrapped in temptation, action, and danger around every corner. This “eyegasm” of a movie was streamed worldwide and met with rave reviews, cementing it to become an annual event every October.
For 2022, Cherry Bombs will be hitting the road nationally, and, for the first time- reaching their fans across the pond as they travel to select cities in the UK.

Shinedown at Ak-Chin Pavilion
2022-10-07 19:00 - 23:30 | Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre, 2121 N 83rd Ave, Phoenix, AZ, 85035, United States
Multi-platinum, record-breaking band Shinedown, Brent Smith [vocals], Zach Myers [guitar], Eric Bass [bass, production], and Barry Kerch [drums] has sold more than 10 million albums worldwide, earned 11 platinum and gold singles and four platinum and gold albums, and amassed more than 1.5 billion total overall streams to date. Each of Shinedown’s singles released throughout their career have reached Top 5 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Songs Chart, an unparalleled feat. The band’s latest album yet, ATTENTION ATTENTION (Atlantic Records) uproots convention and delivers a personal, poignant, and powerful body of work that evolves from ruin to reclamation to revelation. An enduring statement about the resolve of the human spirit emerges, as seen on tracks like the #1 rock radio hits “GET UP” and “DEVIL.” With a distinct mix of explosive rock n roll spirit, thought-provoking lyrics, melodic sensibility and cinematic colors, ATTENTION ATTENTION, simultaneously hit #1 on Billboard’s Alternative, Top Rock and Hard Rock Albums Charts and debuted Top 5 on the Billboard 200. The uplifting anthem “GET UP,” has been galvanizing listeners around the globe with its offer of hope, empathy, and encouragement in the face of personal struggles, whatever they may be. Hailed for their high-octane live shows, Shinedown continues to engender diehard love from millions of global fans and has racked up countless sold-out tours and festival headlining sets.

Born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, Jason DeFord, professionally known as Jelly Roll, cut his teeth selling mixtapes hand to hand and touring the United States in a Chevrolet conversion van. From run-down dive bars to sold-out music halls, Jelly Roll’s passionate performance conveys a therapeutic message infused with a wide array of influence spanning from southern rock to dirty south rap. His journey is the epitome of unfiltered authenticity and unrivaled persistence, and you’ll likely never meet a more charismatic outlaw in your life.

Bring Me The Horizon + Knocked Loose & grandson at Arizona Financial Theatre
2022-10-07 18:30 - 23:30 | Arizona Financial Theatre, 400 W Washington St, Phoenix, AZ, 85003, United States
BRIT and Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum-selling quintet Bring Me The Horizon is one of the most electrifying and successful rock bands to emerge from the UK. The group released their gold-certified sixth studio album, amo, in 2019, which debuted at Number 1 in 17 markets and was named “one of the most anticipated albums of 2019” by Billboard, with NME describing it as “bold, brilliant and boundary-pushing.” amo garnered the band their second Grammy nomination for ‘Best Rock Album’ after the LP’s first single, “MANTRA,” earned them a nod for ‘Best Rock Song’ in 2018. The Sheffield 5-piece also received their first BRIT Award nomination for ‘Best Group’ this year. Bring Me The Horizon has sold over 4 million albums globally to date, played sold-out shows in over 40 countries, including two sold out nights at London’s O2 and one night at The Forum in Los Angeles, wowed a traditionally non-rock crowd at Glastonbury Festival in 2016 and 2018, and stole the show at high profile festivals across Europe all summer 2019. amo followed 2016’s critically acclaimed, Platinum-certified That’s The Spirit, which entered the UK charts and the US Billboard album chart at Number Two. They have now also amassed over 1 billion video views on YouTube. Bring Me The Horizon are vocalist Oli Sykes, guitarist Lee Malia, bassist Matt Kean, drummer Mat Nicholls, and keyboardist Jordan Fish.

For A Tear in the Fabric of Life, Knocked Loose wanted to do something different. Or they may have been forced to. With quarantine upending their extensive touring schedule — “we’ve kind of been consistently on the road since 2014,” says vocalist Bryan Garris — the group found themselves in early 2020 sequestered near Louisville, in Oldham County, Ky., where they’re from. By June, they were hunkered down in a cabin in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., focused on writing a concept album. By the end of September they had finished recording.
What they came up with is a six song-EP that expands on the narratives hinted at on A Different Shade of Blue, their 2019 full length, and grows beyond them sonically. It’s the band’s most dynamic and contained offering to date, and a balancing act: a mid-length EP with grand ambitions and scope, one full of new sonic elements and a cohesive aesthetic that hangs onto Knocked Loose’s trademark anthemic delivery.

Grandson is the pseudonym of Canadian/American alternative artist Jordan Benjamin. He takes elements of his rock and roll, hip hop and electronic music roots and combines them to tell stories of reclaiming power over one’s life, confronting social issues facing his generation, and opening up about struggles with addiction and mental health. Since releasing his Modern Tragedy EP series, grandson has toured extensively across North America, Russia, and Europe, accumulated hundreds of millions of streams online, and received co-signs from the biggest names in rock and roll and progressive politics, from Tom Morello to Bernie Sanders. Now, grandson has released his debut album, Death Of An Optimist. This body of work conflates personal anxieties with political realities. As the protagonist, grandson simultaneously explores the dark underbelly of his unrelenting optimism for change, by creating an antagonist, X. An ambitious project, grandson delivers a subtle A-side/B-side structure totaling twelve tracks, following grandson and X’s dueling world views. Through DOAO, grandson delivers an overwhelming urgency to do something, “After the hardest year of our lives, it’s time to confront the reflection staring back at you, because only in doing so can you know who you truly are,” he says. Showcasing a conflicted soul for intense scrutiny has the benefit of not dictating what is right or wrong. It just shows that we’re in this together.”

Stevie Nicks + Vanessa Carlton at Ak-Chin Pavilion
2022-10-06 20:00 - 23:30 | Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre, 2121 N 83rd Ave, Phoenix, AZ, 85035, United States
Famed for her mystical chanteuse image, singer/songwriter Stevie Nicks enjoyed phenomenal success not only as a solo artist but also as a key member of Fleetwood Mac. Possessed of a raspy croon, Nicks had a duo with Lindsey Buckingham in the early ’70s, releasing an excellent folk-pop album as Buckingham Nicks before the pair were absorbed into veteran U.K. group Fleetwood Mac. Nicks’ and Buckingham‘s talents helped steer the band to superstardom with the enormous hit albums Fleetwood Mac and Rumours. In the ’80s, Nicks ventured out on her own, scoring numerous hit singles and ultimately leaving the band. In the late ’90s, however, she reunited with her Fleetwood friends, who began performing and recording with renewed vigor.
Stephanie Lynn Nicks was born May 26, 1948, in Phoenix, Arizona; the granddaughter of a frustrated country singer, she began performing at the age of four, and occasionally sang at the tavern owned by her parents. Nicks started writing songs in her midteens, and joined her first group, the Changing Times, while attending high school in California.
During her senior year, Nicks met fellow student Lindsey Buckingham, with whom she formed the band Fritz along with friends Javier Pacheco and Calvin Roper. Between 1968 and 1971, the group became a popular attraction on the West Coast music scene, opening for Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Creedence Clearwater Revival. Ultimately, tensions arose over the amount of attention paid by fans to Nicks’ pouty allure, and after three years Fritz disbanded; Buckingham remained her partner, however, and they soon became a romantic couple.
After moving to Los Angeles, the duo recorded its 1973 debut LP, Buckingham Nicks. Despite a cover that featured the couple nude, the album flopped, but it caught the attention of the members of Fleetwood Mac, who invited Buckingham and Nicks to join their ranks in 1974. In quick time, the revitalized group achieved unparalleled success: after the LP Fleetwood Mac topped the charts in 1975, the band recorded 1977’s Rumours, which sold over 17 million copies and stood for several years as the best-selling album of all time.
Major hit singles like “Dreams” and “Rhiannon” made Nicks a focal point of Fleetwood Mac, and in 1981 she took time off from the group to record her solo debut, Bella Donna, which hit number one on the strength of the Top 20 hits “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” (a duet with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers), “Leather and Lace” (a duet with Don Henley), and “Edge of Seventeen (Just Like the White Winged Dove).” After a return to Fleetwood Mac for the 1982 album Mirage (which featured her hit “Gypsy”), Nicks released her second solo effort, The Wild Heart, highlighted by the Top Five smash “Stand Back.” Rock a Little, which featured the single “Talk to Me,” followed in 1985.
After a long hiatus (during which time Nicks was treated for a chemical dependency problem), Fleetwood Mac reunited for the album Tango in the Night; The Other Side of the Mirror, Nicks’ first solo record in four years, followed in 1989. After a series of lineup changes and dropping sales figures, she left Fleetwood Mac in 1993 and issued Street Angel a year later. In 1997, she rejoined the reunited Fleetwood Mac on tour and on the album The Dance. In 1998 Nicks, along with her Fleetwood Mac bandmates, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the same year that her three-disc Enchanted box set landed in stores.
Nicks returned to the studio in 2001 with friends Macy Gray, Sarah McLachlan, Sheryl Crow, and Dixie Chick Natalie Maines for the solo album Trouble in Shangri-La, and again in 2003 for the Fleetwood Mac reunion album Say You Will. Reprise released the CD/DVD Crystal Visions: The Very Best of Stevie Nicks in 2007, but it wasn’t until 2011 — almost a decade to the day after Trouble in Shangri-La’s release — that Nicks returned with a new solo album. Produced by Dave Stewart and Glen Ballard, In Your Dreams found her singing a mix of Bob Dylan-inspired folk songs, Italian love ballads, and rock anthems. In Your Dreams debuted at six on Billboard’s Top 200 and generated an adult contemporary hit in “Secret Love.” Nicks rejoined Fleetwood Mac in 2013 for the Extended Play release and a reunion tour that eventually blossomed into a full reunion with Christine McVie. In 2014, Nicks released 24 Karat Gold: Songs from the Vault, a collection of newly recorded versions of old songs; it debuted at seven on the Billboard charts. In 2015, she continued to tour with the reunited Fleetwood Mac and the following year her first two albums, Bella Donna and The Wild Heart, were given deluxe reissues.
In 2016 and 2017, Nicks toured with the Pretenders. As Fleetwood Mac was gearing up for a 50th Anniversary tour in 2018, the group parted ways with Lindsey Buckingham, replacing him with Neil Finn and Mike Campbell. Nicks was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a solo act in 2019, making her the first woman to be inducted twice. To accompany her induction, Rhino/WMG released the anthology Stand Back: 1981-2017. In October 2020, she released the song “Show Them the Way,” which featured contributions from Dave Grohl and Dave Stewart. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi

“Always building up, falling apart. Love is an art,” sings Vanessa Carlton on the title track of her sixth album, Love Is An Art. Like the record itself, the song is a meditation on the eternal seesaw that is human connection: the push, the pull, the balance, the bottoming out. It’s that constantly evolving nature of love, expectations and compassion that Carlton analyzes from all angles on Love Is An Art, from romantic, to parental, to the friends that hold us up and the leaders that repeatedly let us down. And on tracks like the album’s opener, “I Can’t Stay the Same,” that also includes the relationship with the person staring back at us in the mirror, each and every morning.
Produced by Dave Fridmann (MGMT, Flaming Lips), Love Is An Art finds Carlton reckoning with toxic relationships (the confessional “Miner’s Canary”), eternal partnership (“Companion Star”) and the children who fill the world with love and grace while politicians fill their pockets (the passionate “Die, Dinosaur,” written after the shootings in Parkland, Florida). And true to Carlton’s skill as both a lyricist and an instrumentalist, the arrangements on Love Is An Art tell these tales as vibrantly as the words themselves: piano parts that speak of rage and tenderness, synths that burst and glow like dawn.

Knotfest Roadshow at Ak-Chin Pavilion
2022-10-02 18:30 - 23:30 | Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre, 2121 N 83rd Ave, Phoenix, AZ, 85035, United States
There was never a band like SLIPKNOT, and there will never be another. Like a spore out of the Midwest, they’ve quietly bloomed into the most uncompromising, undeniable, and unique presence on the planet whose influence transcends genres and generations. Since sowing the seeds for revolution in Iowa during 1999, these musical outliers have captured a GRAMMY Award alongside 10 nominations, scored 12 Platinum / 41 Gold album certifications around the world, and logged over 8.5 billion global streams and 3.5 billion video views to date – unprecedented for a rock act in this generation or any other. Rolling Stone cited the seminal platinum-selling 2001 album Iowa among “The 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time,” while The Ringer attested, “They’re the most important heavy band of their era.” In addition to marking the group’s third consecutive #1 debut on the Billboard Top 200, their sixth full-length album, WE ARE NOT YOUR KIND, bowed at #1 in twelve countries worldwide in 2019. Selling out shows on multiple continents, they deliver an irreplicable multi-sensory experience on tour and through their own festival KNOTFEST. With their seventh album THE END, SO FAR, SLIPKNOT are back, and nothing will be the same again.

Like the undead slashers celebrated in their songs, Ice Nine Kills return with The Silver Scream 2: Welcome To Horrorwood, a sequel of gruesome movie-sized proportion to The Silver Scream. The new album carves out a fresh, bloody homage to the VHS celluloid classics that possessed singer Spencer Charnas at an early age, with a devilish new twist.
Ice Nine Kills make music both timeless and timely, mixing metal, hardcore, and punk, with accessible power. New anthems like “Rainy Day” and “Hip To Be Scared” demonstrate Spencer’s fascination with fright, pop culture obsession, and his expertise with inescapably wicked melodic hooks and clever twists of phrase. Producer Drew Fulk returned for Welcome To Horrorwood which includes cameos from members of Papa Roach, Cannibal Corpse, Atreyu, Fit For A King, and Senses Fail.
Decadent, devious, and fiercely insane, Ice Nine Kills celebrate pop culture’s darkest edges, mining a cinephile library’s worth of iconic horror on The Silver Scream and its sequel. The creative marriage made in hell of music and fiction began in earnest with the Every Trick In The Book, which brought the previous three records’ themes to new levels.
The band’s synergy of music and lifestyle draws favorable comparisons to Slipknot and Rob Zombie. Visionary trailblazers and multimedia raconteurs, INK built a thrilling world for a growing legion of devoted true believers, with theatrical shows, high-concept videos, and inventive band-to-fan communion.

A sweeping self-awareness and expansive creativity are at the heart of CROWN THE EMPIRE, the modern post-metalcore anthem makers who embrace their dirty rock roots and stadium-ready melodies with bold courage.   What began as high-school pals posting clips on YouTube has grown to over 60 million views on the platform alone; endless streams of songs like “Machines,” “Hologram,” and “Voices”; and several Billboard 200 accomplishments, including a Number 1 debut on the Top Rock Charts. Alternative Press anointed them as Best Breakthrough Band and with good reason. Praised enthusiastically as “thrilling,” “progressive,” and “dynamic,” by tastemaker genre publications like Rock Sound, Kerrang! and Outburn (who, like AltPress, put the band on their cover), Crown The Empire climbed to the top of an emergent style by jettisoning the scene’s most formulaic traits.   A cinematic sensibility permeates each chapter in the band’s story, from the epic thematic darkness of their earlier work to the sci-fi dystopian ambience of new songs like “20/20.” Super-intense and high-energy songs will always remain a part of the Crown The Empire mission statement. It’s a journey that’s been marked by growth at every turn, coalescing into the modern incarnation of Crown The Empire, a band that’s built to last.

Bad Bunny at Chase Field
2022-09-28 18:00 - 23:30 | Chase Field, 401 E Jefferson St, Phoenix, AZ, 85004, United States
Bad Bunny is a young urban music singer, rapper and producer originally from Puerto Rico. This talented artist has demonstrated his already overwhelming power, influence and demand with completely sold-out concerts all over Europe, Latin America and the U.S.   Some of his most recognized singles include “Soy Peor,” “Diles,” “Tu No Metes Cabra,” “Chambea” and Mia thats out with Drake. Bad Bunny has had a short but stunning career with colossal amounts of success

Alesso, a DJ and dance music producer from Stockholm, Sweden, has achieved cross-genre success, blending progressive house with pop and scoring worldwide hits in collaboration with a wide range of artists. His earliest pop hits included 2012’s “Calling (Lose My Mind)” (with Sebastian Ingrosso and Ryan Tedder) and 2013’s “Under Control” (with Calvin Harris and Hurts), the latter of which reached number one in the U.K. He opened for Madonna during several British and Russian dates on her 2012 MDNA Tour, and performed at major festivals such as Coachella, Creamfields, and Electric Daisy Carnival. “Heroes (We Could Be),” a 2014 single featuring Tove Lo, became his first U.S. Top 40 hit, preceding his 2015 debut full-length, Forever. His next major international hit, 2017’s “Let Me Go,” was a collaboration with actress Hailee Steinfeld and country duo Florida Georgia Line. He also released two mixtapes, Progresso, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2.
Alessandro Lindblad, more commonly known as Alesso, is a DJ and dance music producer from Stockholm. His career quickly gained mainstream recognition for his remixes of Tiësto, Swedish House Mafia, and Avicii, as well as his own productions. His first major achievement came in 2011, when his remix of Nadia Ali‘s track “Pressure” was one of the most successful EDM efforts of the year. Later in 2011, he placed in DJ Mag’s Top 100 list, debuting at number 70. Early 2012 started well for him when he was named an MTV “one to watch,” made his first BBC Radio 1 essential mix, and earned the Track of the Year award on Zane Lowe‘s prime-time Radio 1 slot for the single “Calling (Lose My Mind).” Alesso also managed to move up many notches in DJ Mag’s DJ of the Year listings to number 20. He leaped to major success when he had a U.K. chart number one with his collaborative single “Under Control” alongside Calvin Harris and Hurts.
In 2014, Alesso inked a deal with Def Jam Recordings, and in 2015 he issued his debut album, Forever, which included the singles “Tear the Roof Up,” “Cool,” and “Heroes (We Could Be),” the latter of which featured Swedish pop star Tove Lo. The following year, he released a pair of collaborations with prominent Asian pop stars. A version of “I Wanna Know” featuring Taiwanese singer Jolin Tsai on vocals was promoted in Ibiza and Shanghai, while “Years” received a K-pop revamp with EXO‘s Chen. In 2017, Alesso scored a modest hit on the all-star collaboration “Let Me Go,” which featured Hailee Steinfeld, Andrew Watt, and Florida Georgia Line. The track hit the Top 40 across the globe, rising to number six on the Billboard Dance/Electronic chart. After closing out that year with the Anitta collaboration “Is That for Me,” he returned in 2018 with the solo singles “Remedy” and “Tilted Towers.”
In early 2019, Alesso released the mixtape Progresso, Vol. 1. Several non-album tracks arrived in 2020, including “In the Middle” with Sumr Camp, “Midnight” featuring Liam Payne, and “The End” featuring Charlotte Lawrence. Progresso, Vol. 2 arrived in June 2021 and was followed by more non-album tracks, including “Leave a Little Love” with Armin van Buuren, “Going Dumb” with Corsak and Stray Kids, and “Chasing Stars” with Marshmello and James Bay. ~ James Pearce, Rovi

SABATON + EPICA at Arizona Financial Theatre
2022-09-24 20:00 - 23:30 | Arizona Financial Theatre, 400 W Washington St, Phoenix, AZ, 85003, United States
In over two decades since their launch, Swedish metallers Sabaton have carved out a reputation as one of the hardest working bands in the business – gaining a legion of loyal fans across the globe, delivering ten highly-rated studio albums (including two certified platinum-sellers), and scoring multiple industry award wins and nominations… not to mention launching their own annual festival and cruise.
Combining soaring power riffs with vocalist Joakim Brodén’s instantly-recognisable gruff baritone, the band refuses to be simply slotted into a genre. Fans need only know them as Sabaton: the heavy metal band that sings of real life wars and the people who played a part in them – of gruelling campaigns and dazzling acts of bravery, of magnificent victories and touching personal struggles – true stories more fantastic than any fiction.
Sabaton are perhaps best known for their electrifying live shows, combining accomplished musical performances and a finely-crafted stage show – including their full-sized tank drum-riser – with energy and laughter. The band has headlined as far afield as North America, Australia and Japan, and regularly fills arenas and takes top-billed slots at festivals across Europe. They are also a favourite support act for metal titans Iron Maiden and Scorpions. Sabaton’s live show has won top industry accolades in Germany (Metal Hammer Award), Sweden (Bandit Rock Award), as well as being nominated for two Metal Hammer Golden Gods awards in the UK.

Formed by composer Mark Jansen after leaving @AfterForever back in 2002, Epica quickly gained attention outside their home country, taking big steps towards becoming the leading symphonic metal superpower they have long proven to be. On their past seven records so far, they soared from gothic undertones to a broad, epic and triumphant amalgamation of all things monolithic, establishing their unique brand of Simone Simons’ unparalleled vocal excellence with a band both ready to tear down venues around the globe while at the same time installing orchestral splendour, progressive elegance, oriental enchantment, cinematic soundscapes and colossal fury into their trailblazing bombshell sound.
For the first time in years, they congregated in a villa in the pastoral beauty of rural Holland, setting up their temporary studio in several rooms. Thus, “Omega” is an album of unity, of friendship, of the close bond the members share. And in the middle of a world in turmoil, of a cataclysmic change in society, Epica somehow managed to create their most spectacular album yet. An album that is seamlessly bringing together metal and orchestra, choir and oriental instruments to a perfect storm constantly emitting goose bumps. Add to that specifically written suites for orchestra and choir, a wide range of ethnic instruments recorded around the world by some of the best native musicians out there and you get something like the ultimate Epica album you never dared dream of.

CHVRCHES at Marquee Theatre
2022-09-24 19:00 - 23:30 | Marquee Theatre, 730 N Mill Ave, Tempe, 85281, United States
Crafting songs with big synths and bigger melodies, Chvrches combine their indie roots with their love of chart-friendly pop. The mix of Lauren Mayberry’s crystalline, emotive vocals and the sweeping synths of Iain Cook and Martin Doherty on 2013’s bittersweet yet anthemic debut album The Bones of What You Believe bridged the gap between the classic synth pop of Depeche Mode and New Order and the brash, EDM-influenced sounds of the early 2010s, influencing countless contemporaries along the way. Later, Chvrches brought an extra sheen to their music without sacrificing any of its depth. They went all in on their pop leanings on 2018’s Love Is Dead, where their collaborators ranged from pop producer Greg Kurstin to the National‘s Matt Berninger. On 2021’s Screen Violence, Chvrches sharpened the edges and hooks of their songs as they reaffirmed their place as synth pop standard-bearers.
Before Chvrches formed, keyboardist/vocalist Iain Cook and keyboardist/vocalist Martin Doherty became friends in 2003 while studying at Glasgow’s University of Strathclyde. The pair forged their musical partnership when Doherty asked Cook to produce his band Julia Thirteen. Though little came of the sessions, they continued to work together, and became members of the band Aereogramme. By 2007, they had left that group, with Doherty joining the Twilight Sad as a touring member and Cook becoming a composer for film and television. Seeking a change from alternative rock, they founded their own experimental synth project. In September 2011, the pair invited vocalist Lauren Mayberry, who’d previously played with the band Blue Sky Archives and holds a law degree as well as a Master’s degree in journalism, to sing on some demos. The sessions went so well that the trio christened itself Chvrches — spelling it with a “v” instead of a “u” to differentiate themselves in internet searches — and began writing songs inspired by Prince, Depeche Mode, and Kate Bush.
In May 2012, Chvrches posted their first song “Lies” online. It quickly became a viral hit and received airplay on BBC Radio 1. The band’s official debut single, “The Mother We Share,” appeared in November 2012 and was also an online hit. Late that year, Chvrches were among the acts selected for the BBC’s Sound of 2013, ultimately finishing fifth. In January 2013, the band signed with Glassnote and soon embarked on an international tour that included a performance at that year’s South by Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas. That March saw the release of the Recover EP, and Chvrches’ debut album The Bones of What You Believe appeared that September. Recorded in Glasgow’s Alucard Studio with a handful synths including a Minimoog Voyager, the album debuted at number nine on the U.K. albums chart and was later certified gold in the U.K. It also entered the Top 20 on the charts in Canada, Australia, and the United States, among other countries. “The Mother We Share” also charted in the U.S., Japan, Belgium, and the U.K., where it was a Top 40 hit; in July 2014, the song was featured in the opening ceremony for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Later in the year, the band contributed the track “Get Away” to the re-scored soundtrack to Nicolas Winding Refn’s influential 2011 film Drive, and covered Bauhaus‘ “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” for the movie Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters.
In January 2015, Chvrches began working on new material at Alucard Studios, which they were able to upgrade thanks to the success of The Bones of What You Believe. Taking inspiration from Quincy Jones‘ lean yet massive-sounding production style, their second album, Every Open Eye, appeared in September 2015. The album debuted at number four in the U.K., reached number eight on the Billboard 200 Albums chart in the U.S., and also became a Top Ten hit in Australia, Ireland, Scotland, and New Zealand. Every Open Eye’s singles included a version of “Bury It” that featured Paramore‘s Hayley Williams.
In 2016, Chvrches performed at Royal Albert Hall for the first time and collaborated with Solar Fields on “Warning Call,” which appeared in the video game Mirror’s Edge Catalyst. The following year, the band contributed a cover of Tegan and Sara‘s “Call It Off” to the tenth anniversary edition of the duo’s album The Con, and went into the studio with producer Greg Kurstin and collaborator Dave Stewart to work on their third album. Boasting a bigger, more straightforward sound than their previous releases, 2018’s Love Is Dead included the singles “Get Out” and “My Enemy,” a duet with the National‘s Matt Berninger. The album debuted at number seven in the U.K. and topped Billboard’s Top Rock Albums and Alternative Albums charts in the States. Late that year, Chvrches released the Hansa Session EP. Named after the Berlin studio where it was recorded (and which also hosted David Bowie and Nick Cave, among other artists), it featured acoustic and string-driven arrangements of several of Love Is Dead songs. In 2019, the band performed with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra to commemorate the launch of the BBC Scotland television channel; they appeared on Marshmello‘s “Here with Me” and contributed the single “Death Stranding” to the album Death Stranding: Timefall, a set of songs inspired by the action video game of the same name. Early in 2020, Chvrches started recording album number four, with Doherty and Mayberry in Los Angeles and Cook in Glasgow. Featuring a darker sound as well as a collaboration with the Cure‘s Robert Smith, Screen Violence appeared in August 2021

Damage Inc at Marquee Theatre
2022-09-17 17:00 - 23:30 | Marquee Theatre, 730 N Mill Ave, Tempe, 85281, United States
For over fifteen years, international Metallica tribute band, Damage Inc Southern California’s Tribute to Metallica, has performed for thousands of fans across the US, Canada and Mexico.
Selected by Metallica to perform at …And Tributes for All concert in San Francisco as part of Metallica’s San Francisco Weekend Takeover 2021.
Featured on AXS.tv’s WORLD’S GREATEST TRIBUTE BANDS – Season 1
Featured on AXS.tv’s WORLD’S GREATEST TRIBUTE BANDS – Season 8
Named one of LA Weekly’s top 20 tribute bands (2015)

Twenty One Pilots at Footprint Center
2022-09-16 20:00 - 23:30 | Mortgage Matchup Center, 201 E Jefferson St, Phoenix, 85004, United States
Twenty One Pilots shook the world with the release of their 2015 LP BLURRYFACE, an album that would go on to sell over 7 million copies worldwide and earn the band their first ever GRAMMY® Award as they shattered longstanding chart records, and captivated audiences worldwide on sold-out arena runs and at international festivals. Now three years later, the duo of Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun have returned to write the next chapter of their story with TRENCH, the band’s highly anticipated new studio album. TRENCH finds Twenty One Pilots fearlessly reimagining the possibilities of their music through the same candid expression and genuine identity that helped to cement their place as one of the largest bands in the world.

Alice In Chains + Breaking Benjamin + Bush at Ak-Chin Pavilion
2022-09-10 17:30 - 23:30 | Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre, 2121 N 83rd Ave, Phoenix, AZ, 85035, United States
Alice in Chains both epitomized the solemn, heavy Seattle sound of the 1990s and stood apart from the grunge hordes. What separated Alice in Chains from their alt-rock brethren was how their roots lay in heavy metal, not punk. Guitarist Jerry Cantrell and vocalist Layne Staley both played in metal bands prior to the formation of Alice in Chains in 1987 and they released the band’s debut, Facelift, in 1990, well before Nirvana‘s Nevermind pushed the underground into the mainstream. Despite their connections to metal, Alice in Chains thrived in the glory days of grunge, and it wasn’t merely a question of timing, either. The band’s sensibility fit into the alternative rock zeitgeist of the early ’90s. Cantrell‘s gloomy, minor-key riffs were an ideal match for Staley‘s tortured lyrics, creating a sound that felt as heavy as their Seattle cohorts but also was slightly slicker and ready for radio. It was versatile, too. After the group scored rock radio and MTV hits with “Man in the Box” and “Would?” in the early days of grunge, Alice in Chains became one of the first alt-rock bands of the ’90s to delve into acoustic-based music, scoring hits with the comparatively softer “No Excuses” and “I Stay Away.” Despite its success, the band was plagued with internal tensions during its commercial peak, much of it stemming from Staley‘s drug addictions. His abuse slowed the band’s upward trajectory in the back half of the ’90s, a descent culminating in the singer’s accidental death in 2002. Four years later, Cantrell, drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Inez revived Alice in Chains with singer William DuVall, sparking an extended second life of recording and touring that has lasted longer than their original incarnation.
The roots of Alice in Chains lay in Sleze, a Seattle-based hair metal band that featured Layne Staley as lead singer. Sleze switched their name to Alice N Chains in 1986, roughly a year prior to Staley‘s introduction to Cantrell at a party at the rehearsal space called the Music Bank. The pair became friends and Staley invited Cantrell to crash with him at his rented unit at the Music Bank. Shortly afterward, Alice N Chains broke up, as did Cantrell‘s band, Diamond Lie. Cantrell began auditioning players for a new band, recruiting drummer Sean Kinney and bassist Mike Starr, but he still needed a vocalist and held out hope for Staley to join. At the time, Staley was singing in a funk band that also happened to need a guitarist, so Cantrell agreed to play on the condition his friend would join the fledgling group. Staley agreed. Not long afterward, the funk band folded and this quartet gelled under the name Alice in Chains.
Alice in Chains started to gig regularly in the Seattle area, often sharing bills with Mother Love Bone, earning the attention of promoter Randy Hauser, who bankrolled a demo. Dubbed The Treehouse Tapes, the demo earned the attention of Soundgarden managers Kelly Curtis and Susan Silver, who passed it along to Columbia. The label signed Alice in Chains in 1989 and made them a priority, ushering the band into the studio with producer David Jerden, who had recently worked with Jane’s Addiction. Early in 1990, the label released the promo-only We Die Young EP with their eye on heavy metal audiences and its title track became a hit on rock radio, setting the stage for the August release of the group’s debut, Facelift, which was quickly followed by a tour opening for Iggy Pop. “Man in the Box” became the album’s second single in January 1991, and once its video entered heavy MTV rotation, Facelift took off. The album entered the Billboard charts in April 1991, Van Halen requested Alice in Chains as a tour opener in August, and in September the album earned its first gold certification; it would later earn two platinum certifications.
As Facelift’s momentum grew, Alice in Chains kept busy behind the scenes, working on material for a second album and recording an acoustic EP called Sap. One of the first all-acoustic records from an alternative rock band, Sap was released in February 1992. Alice in Chains also filmed a cameo in Singles, Cameron Crowe‘s romantic comedy celebrating Seattle’s vibrant underground scene of the early ’90s. By the time the film’s soundtrack appeared in June 1992, the Seattle scene had exploded nationally thanks to the unexpected success of Nirvana‘s second album, Nevermind, and Alice in Chains were in the thick of it.
“Would?,” a menacing grind that doubled as the first single from both the Singles soundtrack and Alice in Chains’ second album, Dirt, started its climb up Billboard’s mainstream rock chart in June 1992, the same month the Singles soundtrack was released. By the point Dirt appeared in stores in September, Alice in Chains had firmly laid stakes in the grunge camp: “Them Bones,” the second single pulled from Dirt, became their first song to chart on Billboard’s alternative rock chart. Arriving at the peak of 1992’s grunge explosion, the dark and gloomy Dirt made Alice in Chains’ career. By December, the album earned a platinum certification — it would go platinum once again in 1993 and 1995, with a fourth and final certification arriving in 2000 — and it stayed on the charts thanks to “Angry Chair” and the Top Ten mainstream rock hits “Rooster” and “Down in a Hole.”
Despite their success, Alice in Chains were in turmoil behind the scenes. Mike Starr left the band in January 1993, to be replaced by Mike Inez. The band’s initial story was that Starr wasn’t ready to gear up for an intense work schedule, but Starr later said he was fired due to drug addiction. The specter of heavy drugs hung over the band, thanks to lyrical allusions on Dirt and rumors alleging that Staley was addicted to heroin. Alice in Chains soldiered forth, releasing two new songs on the soundtrack for the Arnold Schwarzenegger film Last Action Hero (including the radio hit “What the Hell Have I”) and playing a plum spot on the third Lollapalooza tour in 1993. Jar of Flies found the band retreating to softer, moody music, and the shift paid off commercially. Upon its January 1994 release, it became the first EP to debut at number one on the Billboard charts and, thanks in part to “No Excuses” — which went to number one on the mainstream rock chart and three on Billboard’s alternative chart, the highest placing they’d have with Layne Staley in the lineup — it was certified platinum by March; it would eventually earn two additional certifications.
Alice in Chains remained on the top of the charts, but they also remained off the road during 1994, fueling speculation that Staley was mired in heroin addiction. The rumors were true. Behind the scenes, Staley went through a bout of rehab that didn’t stick, leading the band to cancel its summer tour on a day’s notice and enter an unofficial hiatus. During this time, “Got Me Wrong” — a song initially released on Sap — was pulled as a single from the Clerks soundtrack and wound up as a radio hit. The bigger news during the hiatus was Staley‘s busman’s holiday, Mad Season. Originally the Gacy Bunch at their initial concerts, Mad Season was a Seattle supergroup also featuring Pearl Jam‘s Mike McCready, the Screaming Trees‘ Barrett Martin, and John Saunders. The band’s lone album, Above, arrived in March 1995.
As Above was in the middle of its run on the charts — it peaked at 24 on Billboard’s album chart, with “River of Deceit” reaching the Top Ten on Billboard’s mainstream and modern rock charts — Alice in Chains reconvened to record their third album with producer Toby Wright. Upon its November 1995 release, the eponymous record debuted at number one on Billboard, with the singles “Grind” and “Heaven Beside You” reaching the mainstream rock Top Ten; the latter peaked at six on the alternative rock chart. Once again, Alice in Chains were loath to tour. Instead, they recorded a concert — their first in nearly three years — for MTV Unplugged on April 10, 1996. By the time the show was released as an album on July 30, Alice in Chains’ return to the stage was already thwarted: after four supporting dates for Kiss, Staley was found unresponsive after a heroin overdose on July 3, 1996 following a show in Kansas City, Missouri.
Staley recovered from his OD but the band struggled as he battled his addiction. Following the death of his former fiancée, Demri Parrott, in October 1996, Staley secluded himself from the public, leading Jerry Cantrell to write and record a solo album called Boggy Depot; Mike Inez and Sean Kinney both appeared on Cantrell‘s solo effort. Alice in Chains completed two new songs, including the Top Ten mainstream rock hit “Get Born Again,” for the 1998 box set Music Bank. The box was the first of a series of archival releases in the next three years: Nothing Safe: The Best of the Box showed up in 1999, followed by the concert compilation Live in 2000 and Greatest Hits in 2001. All the members of Alice in Chains busied themselves during this extended hiatus. Sean Kinney and Mike Inez appeared in Spys4Darwin, Inez gigged with Zakk Wylde‘s Black Label Society during his downtime, and Cantrell worked on a second solo album. Degradation Trip, the guitarist’s sophomore record, appeared in June 2002, two months after Staley was found dead from a drug overdose at his Seattle condo.
Alice in Chains parted ways after Staley‘s death, with Inez becoming a member of Heart and Cantrell collaborating with a number of hard rock and metal acts, including Heart and Ozzy Osbourne. Sony released Alice in Chains from their record contract in 2004, and the next year the group reunited to play a benefit concert for the South Asia tsunami disaster of 2004. Pat Lachman, the singer for Damageplan, acted as Staley‘s replacement but other stars appeared with the band, too, including Ann Wilson and Maynard James Keenan. The one-off concert went well enough that Alice in Chains decided to make their reunion permanent. Hiring William DuVall, formerly of Comes with the Fall, as Staley‘s replacement, Alice in Chains toured in 2006, which led to a tour supporting Velvet Revolver in 2007.
The revived Alice in Chains recorded a comeback album in 2008 with co-producer Nick Raskulinecz, which appeared in September 2009 as Black Gives Way to Blue. Debuting at five on the Billboard charts, Black Gives Way to Blue wound up going gold while racking up two Grammy nominations, reestablishing Alice in Chains as a force in mainstream and modern rock. The group toured into 2010 and then in 2011 set to work on another album with Raskulinecz. Entitled The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here, the album debuted at two upon its release in May 2013. Alice in Chains toured The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here into 2014, then spent the next two years on the road. In 2017, the group started work on another new album with Raskulinecz. Recorded primarily in Seattle, the resulting Rainier Fog appeared in August 2018. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

Pennsylvania hard rock outfit Breaking Benjamin debuted with a brand of metal-tinged alternative that came to define the sound of mainstream rock in the early 2000s. Over the years, multiple lineup changes would impact the sound of the band, which developed into a more arena-friendly act by the late 2000s. Originally indebted to the minor-chord dirges of grunge rockers like Alice in Chains and the menacing darkness of nu-metal acts like Godsmack and Chevelle, Breaking Benjamin became one of the most popular rock groups in the United States, scoring a number one with the single “Breath” in 2007 and topping the Billboard 200 in 2015 with Dark Before Dawn. In addition, three of their albums — 2004’s We Are Not Alone, 2006’s Phobia, and 2009’s Dear Agony — have been certified platinum in the U.S.
In late 2000, after parting ways with the band Lifer, founding guitarist Aaron Fink and bassist Mark Klepaski joined forces with singer Benjamin Burnley and drummer Jeremy Hummel to form Breaking Benjamin. When the quartet started playing around their hometown of Wilkes-Barre, they favored a radio-friendly post-grunge approach that was informed by influences like Live, Bush, Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, and Nirvana. Later, they would adopt the downtuned guitar sound of groups such as Korn and Tool.
In 2001, Breaking Benjamin’s Wilkes-Barre gigs caught the attention of a local radio DJ named Freddie Fabbri, who was an on-air personality at alt-rock station WBSX-FM. Fabbri put their song “Polyamorous” in rotation, later financing the recording of their self-titled debut EP. That year, they signed with Hollywood Records, which connected the band with Ulrich Wild (Static-X, Pantera, Slipknot), who served as both producer and engineer on their debut full-length, 2002’s Saturate. The David Bendeth-produced We Are Not Alone followed two years later, complete with a few collaborations with Billy Corgan. The group landed a spot on tour with Evanescence in support of the effort, as three of the album’s singles made their way onto the Billboard charts (“So Cold” and “Sooner or Later” both peaked at number two on the Mainstream Rock Songs list).
Breaking Benjamin issued their third album, Phobia, in August 2006 before heading out on a nationwide headlining trek. The album featured new drummer Chad Szeliga and was spearheaded by the single “The Diary of Jane,” which gained radio airplay and helped the album debut at number two on the Billboard charts. Phobia was reissued that fall with additional bonus tracks, while the band continued touring alongside Godsmack. After the tour, Breaking Benjamin dove back into the studio to begin work on their fourth full-length. The resulting Dear Agony, fueled by first single “I Will Not Bow,” arrived in the summer of 2009. More touring followed, including legs with Three Days Grace and Nickelback, before Burnley announced a hiatus due to persistent health issues. Ensuing legal disputes within the group led to Fink and Klepaski being fired just before a collection, Shallow Bay: The Best of Breaking Benjamin, was released in 2011. Szeliga exited the band in 2013.
The following year, Burnley confirmed that Breaking Benjamin would continue as a quintet, and in June of 2015 they returned with their first album of new material in six years, Dark Before Dawn. The comeback effort featured the lineup of Burnley (who also produced), guitarists Jasen Rauch and Keith Wallen, bassist Aaron Bruch, and drummer Shaun Foist. The lead single, “Failure,” cracked the Billboard Hot 100 and hit number one on the Mainstream Rock Songs chart, and the album became their first American chart-topper. While still touring behind Dark Before Dawn, Breaking Benjamin recorded their sixth effort, Ember, which arrived in 2018. Debuting on the charts at number three, the LP included the hit singles “Red Cold River,” “Feed the Wolf,” and “Blood.” Two years later, Breaking Benjamin returned with Aurora, a collection of reimagined versions of some of their best-known songs featuring a guest list that included Cold frontman Scooter Ward, Saint Asonia vocalist Adam Gontier, and Underøath‘s Spencer Chamberlain. ~ Neil Z. Yeung & Alex Henderson, Rovi

English rock band Bush emerged during the grunge boom of the early ’90s, becoming the first British band post-Nirvana to hit it big in America. Following the release of their breakthrough debut, 1994’s Sixteen Stone, they carried that international, multi-platinum success to greater heights with their chart-topping follow-up, Razorblade Suitcase. A hit on radio and MTV, the band — fronted by guitarist/vocalist Gavin Rossdale — rounded out their peak period of popularity with 1999’s experimental The Science of Things. By 2001, shake-ups to their founding lineup and the poor performance of Golden State led the group to disband; they would not return for almost a decade. In the meantime, Rossdale went on to form a new band and work on solo material, eventually kick-starting the group again in 2010. They made their big comeback the following year with The Sea of Memories, the beginning of a new phase for Bush. Rossdale and his bandmates remained busy in the 2010s, issuing an additional pair of efforts (2014’s Man on the Run and 2017’s Black and White Rainbows), while maintaining a rigorous touring schedule.
Formed in late 1992 by Rossdale, Bush landed an American record deal before they even had a British label. Their debut album, Sixteen Stone, produced by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley (producers of early-’80s hits by Madness and Elvis Costello, among others), was released in late 1994 by Interscope Records. By the end of December, Bush’s “Everything Zen” video had landed in MTV’s Buzz Bin and the album began to take off; by spring of 1995, the record had achieved gold certification. By that time, the band was successful enough in the U.S. to land a British record deal, although they weren’t able to match their American success in the U.K.
Over the course of 1995, Sixteen Stone became a major hit in the U.S., with “Little Things” reaching number four on the modern rock charts in the spring; later that year, “Comedown” and “Glycerine” both reached number one on the modern rock charts, as well as crossing over into the pop Top 40. Despite their mainstream success, Bush received negative reviews from the press and attracted scorn from alternative rock insiders. To counter the criticism, the band asked Steve Albini — notorious for his abrasive productions for not only Pixies, Nirvana, and PJ Harvey, but also countless indie bands — to helm their second album. The resulting Razorblade Suitcase was released in time for the Christmas season of 1996. The record was greeted with mixed reviews that were nevertheless more positive than those surrounding Sixteen Stone, entering the U.S. charts at number one and showing at number four in the U.K. By the spring of 1997, the album produced the hit singles “Swallowed,” “Greedy Fly,” and “Cold Contagious.” Later that year, the band recruited the likes of Goldie, Philip Steir, Dub Pistols, and Tricky for the electronic remix set Deconstructed.
In the fall of 1999, Bush returned with The Science of Things. Peaking at number 11, the effort was certified platinum on the backs of singles like “The Chemicals Between Us,” which topped the Billboard Modern Rock chart. In late 2001, they went back to basics with the guitar-driven album Golden State. Although it didn’t storm the charts like previous albums, fans still supported Bush, as was evidenced by their sold-out tour across North America. During this time, Helmet guitarist Chris Traynor was added as a touring member. Shifts within the band, however, took a sharp turn several months later when founding member Nigel Pulsford announced his departure in May. Pulsford, who had started a solo career as well as a new family, left without much drama and disapproval. Traynor stepped in to fill his shoes, but the tour would still be the last for the original Bush lineup. They ultimately disbanded in 2002, with Rossdale returning to music in 2004 with a new project, Institute, as well as a solo album, Wanderlust, in 2008. While a Best Of set (which included a recording of their Woodstock ’99 performance) and Zen X Four (a double-disc live album/music video collection) were issued in 2005, Bush would not be heard from for a decade.
In 2011, after years of planning, Rossdale re-formed Bush with Traynor, bassist Corey Britz, and founding drummer Robin Goodridge; Pulsford and Parsons declined to rejoin the band. That year, they released the Bob Rock-produced The Sea of Memories, their fifth studio album and first since 2001’s Golden State. The album performed modestly well — lead single “The Sound of Winter” topped Billboard’s Alternative Songs and Rock Songs charts, with the record peaking at 18 on the Billboard 200 — and the group toured behind the album into 2012.
Reinvigorated by being back on the scene, Rossdale returned to the studio almost immediately after coming off tour and began writing another record. The sixth Bush album, Man on the Run, was recorded in 2014 with Nick Raskulinecz and Jay Baumgardner, and released in October of the same year. They promoted the effort into 2016, returning to the studio for a follow-up. The next year, Bush issued their seventh album, Black and White Rainbows. Led by the ballad “Mad Love,” the set was promoted with a 2018 summer trek alongside Stone Temple Pilots and the Cult. In 2019, Goodridge parted ways with the band and was replaced by Nik Hughes.
Bush ushered in the 2020s with their eighth studio full-length, The Kingdom. In addition to lead single “Flowers on a Grave,” the LP also included “Bullet Holes” from John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum. ~ Neil Z. Yeung & Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

Keith Urban at Footprint Center
2022-09-08 19:00 - 23:30 | Mortgage Matchup Center, 201 E Jefferson St, Phoenix, 85004, United States
Keith Urban has spent the better part of his life harnessing a deep-seated passion for music. This, when combined with his authenticity, talent and driving musical inquisitiveness, helps to understand why he is one of the most successful and well-respected artists in the world. He’s won four GRAMMY© Awards, thirteen CMAs, fifteen ACMs, three AMAs, two People’s Choice Awards and celebrated nine consecutive gold, platinum or multi-platinum albums.
His latest studio album, THE SPEED OF NOW Part 1, marks the fourth in an historic streak of simultaneous #1 album debuts in the United States, Canada and Australia. It’s produced the top 5 songs “God Whispered Your Name,” and “We Were,” as well as the global smash and duet with P!nk “One Too Many,” which in its first 10 months has garnered over 100 million Spotify streams.
2021 has seen Urban featured on two songs from Taylor Swift’s album Fearless (Taylor’s Version) including “That’s When” and “We Were Happy,” a part of the performance of the John Lennon’s “Imagine,” for the opening ceremonies of the Olympics, as well as his return as host for the 56th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards with Mickey Guyton.
THE SPEED OF NOW WORLD TOUR will take Urban across the globe for the remainder of 2022 with dates in the US, Canada, and Australia.

Gloria Trevi at Arizona Financial Theatre
2022-09-03 20:00 - 23:30 | Arizona Financial Theatre, 400 W Washington St, Phoenix, AZ, 85003, United States
After selling 30 million records worldwide, recording more than 500 songs, receiving dozens of awards, selling out hundreds of shows, and entertaining millions of fans for three decades, Gloria Trevi remains one of the most influential Mexican artists of all. the times. She has built a catalog of hits “You didn’t want to hurt me” “Loose hair” “Your guardian angel” “With closed eyes” “Everyone is looking at me” “Dr. Psychiatrist”. Pollstar names her as one of the “artists with the best-selling tour of the 21st century” and “the Mexican artist with the best-selling tour in North America” in 2019 and 2020. Her successful tour La Diosa de La Noche broke attendance records until 2020 and consolidated her as the first artist to sell 14 shows at the Monterrey Arena and 5 shows at the National Auditorium. He has earned honors at the Billboard Awards, Premios Juventud, and the BMI Presidential Award. In 2021, he teamed up with Guaynaa on “Nos Volvimos Locos” and was named by Billboard as “a song of urban pop fused with intelligent rhythms of EDM” and which was part of a global Zumba® and ZIN® campaign in more than 186 countries. It launched “Rehearsing how to ask for forgiveness” and was recognized for the first time at Latin GRAMMY® in the category “Best Pop Song” for “La Mujer” with Mon Lafert and. This 2022, Trevi will release his new single “La Recaída”, is preparing to release a new album and announce his new Isla Divina tour with three sold-out shows at the National Auditorium.

Después de vender 30 millones de discos en todo el mundo, grabar más de 500 canciones, recibir docenas de premios, vender cientos de espectáculos y entretener a millones de fanáticos durante tres décadas, Gloria Trevi sigue siendo una de las artistas mexicanas más influyentes de todos los tiempos. Ha construido un catálogo de éxitos “No querías lastimarme” “Pelo suelto” “Tu angel de la guarda” “Con los ojos cerrados” “Todos me miran” “Dr. Psiquiatra”. Pollstar la nombra como una de las “artistas con la gira más vendida del siglo 21” y “la artista mexicana con la gira más vendida en América del Norte” en 2019 y 2020. Su exitosa gira La Diosa de La Noche batió récords de asistencia hasta 2020 y la consolidó como la primera artista en vender 14 espectáculos en el Monterrey Arena y 5 espectáculos en el Auditorio Nacional. Ha obtenido honores en Premios Billboard, Premios Juventud, y el Premio Presidencial BMI. En 2021, se asoció con Guaynaa en “Nos Volvimos Locos” y Billboard nombró como “una canción de pop urbano fusionada con ritmos inteligentes de EDM” y que formó parte de una campaña global de Zumba® y ZIN® en más de 186 países. Lanzó “Ensayando cómo pedirte perdón” y fue reconocida por primera vez a Latin GRAMMY® en la categoría “Mejor Canción Pop” por “La Mujer” con Mon Laferte. Este 2022, Trevi lanzará su nuevo sencillo “La Recaída”, se prepara para lanzar un nuevo álbum y anuncio de su nueva gira Isla Divina con tres shows totalmente vendidos en el Auditorio Nacional.

RAMMSTEIN at Soldier Field
2022-09-03 17:00 - 23:30 | Soldier Field, 1410 S Museum Campus Dr, Chicago, IL, 60605, United States
Rammstein are one of rock’s most individual and successful names, a multiple award-winning outfit with a vision that continues to evolve. Since forming in 1994, the six East Berliners have headlined the world’s major festivals and stadiums, selling millions of albums, and topping charts worldwide.
For the Rammstein kollektiv, and it’s the same line-up now as at the start, it’s always been a case of marching to their own beat; they sing in German, side-step those visuals typical of the metal world, and present an incendiary live experience that touches all of the senses – an experience underpinned by cultural and artistic weight.
To date, there are seven studio albums under the Rammstein banner, the most recent being 2019’s untitled release – a body of work that headed the charts in 14 countries and went Top 10 in the US, breaking new ground. Produced by the band with Olsen Involtini, this 11-tracker (double platinum in Germany) was preceded by lead single ‘Deutschland’, a domestic No. 1 supported by a nine-minute movie – an epic, unflinching look at German history directed by Specter Berlin.
Not only was this album a decade in the making, it also saw the musicians taking their legendary live show into Stadiums, selling 800,000 tickets immediately and eventually playing to over 1.2 million fans across 17 countries.
The next leg of the European Stadium Tour takes place in spring / summer 2021, with most venues sold out.
Dante Bonutto, 2020

Five Finger Death Punch + Megadeth at Ak-Chin Pavilion
2022-08-26 18:30 - 23:30 | Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre, 2121 N 83rd Ave, Phoenix, AZ, 85035, United States
One of the most successful rock acts in modern music, Five Finger Death Punch have been hard at work in the studio over the past year writing and recording the follow-up to their 2020 album F8. The album, produced by Kevin Churko, debuted at #1 on Rock charts around the world with top 10 mainstream chart debuts in the USA, Austria, Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and more. It produced four #1 hit singles with “Inside Out,” “A Little Bit Off,” “Living The Dream,” and “Darkness Settles In,” the latter of which saw the band tie the record for most consecutive #1’s on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay Chart with seven chart-toppers in-a-row with Disturbed. The band has amassed over 8 billion streams and 3 billion video views to date and have sold over one million tickets between 2018 and 2020 alone.
5FDP is also venturing into the film space, with their appearance in the upcoming horror-thriller film THE RETALIATORS, a Better Noise Films production, which is set for a fall 2022 theatrical and streaming release. The band appears both onscreen and on the film’s original soundtrack, alongside some of the biggest names in rock: Mötley Crüe’s Tommy Lee, Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach, Spencer Charnas of Ice Nine Kills, From Ashes to New, The HU, All Good Things, and more. This past August, the movie had its WORLD PREMIERE at Arrow Video FrightFest in London. Its North American premiere took place at the iconic TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles as the OPENING NIGHT film for ScreamFest, where the production took home an award for Best Make-Up and earned itself rave reviews, with a rare rating of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, which it still maintains today.
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MEGADETH have taken their place as one of metal’s most influential and respected acts, and that vitality and excitement has only grown in recent years. Having sold over 38 million albums worldwide, the band’s most recent album, 2016’sDystopia, earned MEGADETH their first GRAMMY® Award (for “Best Metal Performance” for the title track “Dystopia), and charted #1 on Billboard’s Top Rock and #3 on the Top 200 (beating or matching the highest chart numbers of the band’s career), while landing on Top Ten Metal Albums of the Year on Rolling Stone, Revolver and many others. MEGADETH are slated to release their 16th studio album, “The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead” this year.
Having recently toured North America as co-headliners of Metal Tour of the Year, and joined Five Finger Death Punch in a full European tour in 2020, MEGADETH are primed and ready to crush North America alongside Five Finger Death Punch again this fall.

In 2019, an NPR story put a spotlight on “a band from Mongolia that blends the screaming guitars of heavy metal and traditional Mongolian guttural singing,” accurately highlighting the cultural importance and unique musical identity of The HU. Founded in 2016 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, The HU, comprised of producer Dashka along with members Gala, Jaya, Temka, and Enkush, are a modern rock group rooted in the tradition of their homeland. The band’s name translates to the Mongolian root word for human being, and their unique approach blends instruments like the Morin Khuur (horsehead fiddle), Tovshuur (Mongolian guitar), Tumur Khuur (jaw harp) and throat singing with contemporary sounds, creating a unique sonic profile that they call “Hunnu Rock.”
Their debut album, 2019 ‘s The Gereg, debuted at #1 on the World Album and Top New Artist Charts. With it, the band have accumulated over 250 million combined streams and video views to date and have received critical acclaim from the likes of Billboard, NPR, GQ, The Guardian, The Independent, Revolver, and even Sir Elton John himself.
Proving their global appeal, The HU have sold out venues across the world in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, with scheduled festival appearances at Coachella, Lollapalooza, Download Festival, and more, creating a community of fans from all walks of life. They quickly grabbed the attention of the industry, leading to collaborations with Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach and Lzzy Hale of Halestorm. And most recently, the band received praise from fans and critics for their Mongolian rendition of Metallica’s “Sad But True,” which Metallica themselves acknowledged on their social media accounts, seemingly giving the band their official seal of approval. The band has also explored eclectic ways to reach audiences with their sound, most notably writing and recording music for EA Games’ Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.
Readying their next chapter as a global force, The HU are putting the finishing touches on their highly anticipated sophomore album, which is due for a global release later this year from Better Noise Music. The project will include a selection of tracks that were premiered live on the band’s critically acclaimed North American tour at the end of 2021, coinciding with their appearance on Metallica’s 2021 retrospective covers album The Metallica Blacklist, alongside other high-profile guest artists like Miley Cyrus, Chris Stapleton, Phoebe Bridgers, J Balvin, St. Vincent, and so many more. The HU’s forthcoming 2022 headlining tour will kick off with a special set at Coachella this April.
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For some artists making music isn’t a choice, it’s fueled by something larger than themselves. This is undoubtedly true of Fire From The Gods whose second full-length American Sun sees them adopting the tagline “In Us We Trust” meaning “we the people” are responsible for change; a unifying statement in order to try to prevent society from succumbing to the growing malaise brought on by soul-sucking technology, divisive politics and environmental destruction. “With this record what we’re trying to drive home is that our differences and where we are from doesn’t need to define who we are moving forward,” frontman AJ Channer explains. “Like [2016’s] Narrative I’m telling the story from my perspective, but it’s a story that people from all walks of life can relate to in the sense that we all face the same challenges… and the only way to conquer them is if we face them together.”
Fire From The Gods have experienced their share of ups and downs since the Austin, Texas-based act released their David Bendeth-produced (Breaking Benjamin, Paramore) debut three years ago. Since then, the band—which also features drummer Richard Wicander, guitarists Drew Walker and Jameson Teat and bassist Bonner Baker—have toured incessantly with acts like Sevendust and Of Mice & Men, played festivals ranging from the Vans Warped Tour to the country’s largest Rock festival, Rock On The Range, re-released their debut as The Narrative Untold featuring new songs produced by Jonathan Davis of Korn and spread their message to fans all over the world. However instead of resting on their laurels, the act doubled down on their message with American Sun, their first album after signing with juggernauts Better Noise (fka Eleven Seven Music Group). “I think this record is a lot more personal because I’ve become a lot more open about who I am and what I’ve had to deal with,” Channer explains. Channer spent his childhood shuffling between London, New York, Los Angeles, Norfolk and Ghana, giving him a unique perspective on the world, however the issues that he’s dealt with such as anxiety, depression, anger, rejection and loss are universal.
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Butcher Babies at Marquee Theatre
2022-08-26 18:00 - 23:30 | Marquee Theatre, 730 N Mill Ave, Tempe, 85281, United States
For nearly a decade, Butcher Babies have been crushing stages worldwide with their vicious live performance and explosive energy. Their stage presence is a hypnotic spectacle that leaves audiences hungry for more. Frontwomen Heidi Shepherd and Carla Harvey, guitarist Henry Flury, bassist Jason Klein and drummer Chase Brickenden juxtapose brutal, aggressive riffs with beautiful melodies that wail with emotional redemption. Hailing from the City Of Angels, Butcher Babies aided in the jubilant revival of the Metal scene on the Sunset Strip. While gaining attention from several record labels the band signed a worldwide deal with Century Media Records in December 2012. Less than a year later, July 2013, they released their debut album GOLIATH, produced by Josh Wilbur (Gojira, Lamb of God, Hatebreed). Followed by their highly anticipated sophomore headbanger, TAKE IT LIKE A MAN, August 2015, produced by Logan Mader (FFDP, Gojira, Soulfly). The evolution continues as the band is set to release their third full studio album, October 27, 2017, LILITH, produced by Steve Evetts (Suicide Silence, Dillinger Escape Plan, The Cure). With three albums and two EPs under their belt, Butcher Babies have reached a new level of maturity solidifying a triumphant return after a brief creative hiatus to write and rebuild. This album runs the gamut between exploring the dark roots of lust and the high energy thrash hijinks that Butcher Babies have become known and loved for.

Def Leppard + Mötley Crüe + Poison & Joan Jett & Blackhearts at State Farm Stadium
2022-08-25 17:00 - 23:30 | State Farm Stadium, 1 Cardinals Dr, Glendale, AZ, 85305, United States
In many ways, Def Leppard were the definitive hard rock band of the ’80s. There were groups that rocked harder, but few captured the spirit of the times quite as well. Emerging in the late ’70s as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Def Leppard gained a following outside of that scene by toning down their heavy riffs and emphasizing melody. After a couple of strong albums, they were poised for crossover success by the time of 1983’s Pyromania, and skillfully used the fledgling MTV network to their advantage. They reached the pinnacle of their career with 1987’s blockbuster Hysteria, then had another big hit, 1992’s Adrenalize, that defied the mainstream turn toward grunge. After that, the band settled into a pattern of touring exhaustively and releasing an album every few years, maintaining a steady audience and occasionally surprising fans with an album, like 2008’s Yeah!, that harked back to the sound of their glory days, or the oversized 2022 record Diamond Star Halos.
Def Leppard originated in a Sheffield-based group that teenagers Rick Savage (bass) and Pete Willis (guitar) formed in 1977. Vocalist Joe Elliott, a fanatical follower of Mott the Hoople and T. Rex, joined the band several months later, bringing the name Deaf Leopard with him. After a spelling change, the trio, augmented by a now-forgotten drummer, began playing local Sheffield pubs, and within a year the band had added guitarist Steve Clark to the lineup, as well as a new drummer. Later in 1978, they recorded their debut EP, Getcha Rocks Off, and released it on their own label, Bludgeon Riffola. The EP became a word-of-mouth success, earning airplay on the BBC.
Following the release of Getcha Rocks Off, 15-year-old Rick Allen was added as the band’s permanent drummer, and Def Leppard quickly became the toast of the British music weeklies. They soon signed with AC/DC‘s manager, Peter Mensch, who helped them secure a contract with Mercury Records. On Through the Night, the band’s full-length debut, was released in 1980 and instantly became a hit in the U.K., also earning significant airplay in the U.S., where it reached number 51 on the charts. Over the course of the year, Def Leppard relentlessly toured Britain and America, playing their own shows while also opening concerts for Ozzy Osbourne, Sammy Hagar, and Judas Priest. High ‘n’ Dry followed in 1981 and became the group’s first platinum album in the U.S., thanks to MTV’s strong rotation of “Bringin’ on the Heartbreak.”
As the band recorded the follow-up to High ‘n’ Dry with producer Mutt Lange, Pete Willis was fired from the group because of his alcoholism, and Phil Collen, a former guitarist for Girl, was hired to replace him. The resulting album, 1983’s Pyromania, became an unexpected blockbuster, due not only to Def Leppard’s skillful, melodic metal, but also to MTV’s repeated airing of “Photograph” and “Rock of Ages.” Pyromania went on to sell ten million copies, establishing Def Leppard as one of the most popular bands in the world. Despite their success, they were about to enter a trying time in their career. Following an extensive international tour, the group reentered the studio to record the follow-up, but producer Lange was unavailable, so they began sessions with Jim Steinman, the man responsible for Meat Loaf‘s Bat Out of Hell. The pairing turned out to be ill-advised, so the bandmembers turned to their former engineer, Nigel Green. One month into recording, Allen lost his left arm in a New Year’s Eve car accident. The arm was reattached, but it had to be amputated once an infection set in.
Def Leppard’s future looked cloudy without a drummer, but by the spring of 1985 — just a few months after his accident — Allen began learning to play a custom-made electronic kit assembled for him by Simmons. The band soon resumed recording, and within a few months, Lange was back on board; having judged all the existing tapes inferior, he ordered the band to begin work all over again. Recording sessions continued throughout 1986, and that summer, the group returned to the stage for the European Monsters of Rock tour. Def Leppard finally completed their fourth album, now titled Hysteria, early in 1987. The record was released that spring to lukewarm reviews, with many critics claiming that the album compromised Leppard’s metal roots for sweet pop flourishes. Accordingly, Hysteria was slow out of the starting gates — “Women,” the first single, failed to really take hold — but the release of “Animal” helped the album gather steam. The song became Def Leppard’s first Top 40 hit in the U.K., but more importantly, it launched a string of six straight Top 20 hits in the U.S., which also included “Hysteria,” “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” “Love Bites,” “Armageddon It,” and “Rocket,” the latter of which arrived in 1989, a full two years after the release of Hysteria. During those two years, Def Leppard’s presence was unavoidable — they were the kings of high school metal, ruling the pop charts and MTV, and teenagers and bands alike replicated their teased hair and ripped jeans, even when the grimy hard rock of Guns N’ Roses took hold in 1988.
Hysteria proved to be the peak of Leppard’s popularity, yet their follow-up remained eagerly awaited in the early ’90s, as the band took a break from the road and set to work on a new record. During the recording process, however, Steve Clark died from an overdose of alcohol and drugs. Clark had historically battled alcohol, and following their Hysteria heyday, his bandmates forced him to take a sabbatical. Although he did enter rehab, Clark’s habits continued, and his abuse was so crippling that Collen began recording the majority of the band’s guitar leads. Following Clark’s death, Def Leppard resolved to finish their forthcoming album as a quartet, releasing Adrenalize in the spring of 1992. Adrenalize was greeted with mixed reviews, and even though the album debuted at number one and contained several successful singles, including the Top 20 hits “Let’s Get Rocked” (notable for having one of the first ever CGI music videos) and “Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad,” the record was a commercial disappointment in the wake of Pyromania and Hysteria. After its release, the group added former Whitesnake guitarist Vivian Campbell to the lineup, thus resuming Def Leppard’s two-guitar attack.
In 1993, Def Leppard issued the rarities collection Retro Active, which yielded another Top 20 hit with the acoustic ballad “Two Steps Behind.” Two years later, the group released the greatest-hits collection Vault while preparing for their sixth album. Slang arrived in the spring of 1996, and while it proved more adventurous than its predecessor, it was greeted with indifference, indicating that Leppard’s heyday had indeed passed, and they were now simply a very popular cult band. Undaunted, Leppard soldiered on, returning to their patented pop-metal sound for Euphoria, which was released in June of 1999. Despite the success of “Promises,” the record failed to produce any additional hits, resulting in a return to adult pop balladry on 2002’s X. The two-disc Rock of Ages: The Definitive Collection arrived in 2005, followed in 2006 by Yeah!, a strong collection of covers.
In 2008, the guys released their tenth studio album, Songs from the Sparkle Lounge, which debuted at number five and was supported by a lucrative summer tour. Material from that tour helped make up the bulk of 2011’s Mirror Ball: Live & More, a three-disc live album containing a full concert, three new studio recordings, and DVD footage. Another live album followed two years later: Viva! Hysteria found Def Leppard running through their 1987 blockbuster in its entirety on the first disc, and a collection of early, rarely played material on the second. In 2015, the band released Def Leppard, their 11th studio album and first collection of original music since 2008.
In February 2017, the group issued And There Will Be a Next Time, a live album culled from the Def Leppard supporting tour. Later that year, a Super Deluxe Edition of Hysteria came out in celebration of the record’s 30th anniversary. Further repackagings continued in 2018 with a box set of their ’80s albums titled The Collection, Vol. 1 and The Story So Far: The Best of Def Leppard, a multi-disc set that included the band’s first four studio albums and various rarities. The next year saw the release of The Collection, Vol. 2, a set of their ’90s records, and The Story So Far, Vol. 2: Hits & B-Sides, which picked up where the first volume left off with material from the band’s ’90s run and beyond. Def Leppard continued to tour on a regular basis and played a Las Vegas residency, then in 2020 issued a collection of their first two albums plus a live set and BBC sessions titled The Early Years 79-81. After this slew of live and reissued material, the band finally released another studio album in 2022, their 12th. Entitled Diamond Star Halos, it was heralded by the barnstorming, old-school promo track “Kick” and featured two collaborations with Alison Krauss. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

MÖTLEY CRÜE is The World’s Most Notorious Rock Band. Hailing from Los Angeles, CA, the quartet—Vince Neil (vocals), Mick Mars (guitars), Nikki Sixx (bass), and Tommy Lee (drums)— has commandeered the rock pantheon for 40 years.
They’ve accumulated worldwide album sales exceeding 100m, 7 platinum and multi-platinum albums, 22 Top 40 mainstream rock hits, 6 Top 20 pop singles, 3 GRAMMY nominations, 4 New York Times best-sellers and even landed a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
With utmost success from their Netflix biopic, The Dirt and its soundtrack, the band landed another #1 album on iTunes and Top 10 worldwide with 22 chart-topping singles and 7 albums on the charts. Its massive global success saw Mötley Crüe’s popularity soar to new highs, catapulting the band’s music back to the top of the worldwide charts with the younger 18-44 demographic now representing 64% of the band’s fanbase.
In the six months following the release of THE DIRT, Mötley Crüe has celebrated a meteoric rise of almost 350% increase in streams of their music across all streaming platforms. Known for their iconic live performances, they’ve sold-out countless tours across the globe in front of millions of fans with groundbreaking production highlights such as Tommy Lee’s, Crüecifly-Drum-Rollercoaster and Nikki Sixx’s Flame-Throwing-Bass.

In a decade fueled by party anthems and power ballads, Poison enjoyed a great amount of popularity, with only Bon Jovi and Def Leppard outselling them. While the group had a long string of pop-metal hits, they soon became just as renowned for their stage show, and continued to be a major attraction long after the ’80s came to a close (bringing the commercial downfall of pop-metal with it). Meanwhile, frontman Bret Michaels reinvented himself as a reality TV star in 2007, and his involvement in several TV shows — particularly Rock of Love, Celebrity Apprentice, and Life as I Know It — helped maintain the band’s popularity in concert.
Formerly known as Paris, Poison was formed in 1984 by Bret Michaels, bassist Bobby Dall, and drummer Rikki Rockett. After leaving their hometown of Harrisburg, PA, and resettling in L.A., the boys began holding auditions for a fourth member. Guitarist C.C. Deville got the gig, famously beating out future Guns N’ Roses bandmate Slash in the process. With their lineup intact, Poison embraced a glammy, androgynous image and began playing shows in L.A., becoming masters of self-promotion and D.I.Y. advertising in the process. The hard work won them a contract with Enigma Records in 1986, and they released their first album, Look What the Cat Dragged In, that summer. The record spawned a pair of Top 40 hits, “Talk Dirty to Me” and “I Won’t Forget You,” and sold over two-million copies within a year of its release.
The band was already quite popular by the end of 1987, but 1988’s Open Up & Say…Ahhh! proved to be Poison’s commercial breakthrough, due to the massive hits “Fallen Angel,” “Nothin’ But a Good Time,” and “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” (which became the band’s first chart-topping single). After a prosperous tour alongside David Lee Roth, the group returned to the studio to record Flesh and Blood in 1990. The album, which included the number three hit “Unskinny Bop” and the number four ballad “Something to Believe In,” was another multi-platinum success, but it also signaled the end of Poison’s glory days. While touring in support of Flesh and Blood (as documented on the double-disc concert album Swallow This Live), the band began falling apart, and an infamous appearance on MTV showed Deville performing “Talk Dirty to Me” with his guitar unplugged. The band broke into a brawl backstage after the disastrous performance.
Shortly after the release of Swallow This Live, Poison fired Deville due to his increasing addiction to drugs and alcohol. His replacement, 21 year-old Richie Kotzen, made his commercial debut with the band on 1993’s Native Tongue. Despite some strong reviews and a hit single, “Stand,” the album proved to be a commercial disappointment. Kotzen was fired during the subsequent tour, having reportedly struck up an illicit relationship with Rikki Rockett’s fiancé, and solo artist/session guitarist Blues Saraceno became Poison’s third guitarist. The band recorded its fifth studio album, Crack a Smile, for an intended release in 1996, but the record was shelved and replaced with the Greatest Hits: 1986-1996 disc instead. Toward the end of that year, Saraceno left and Deville returned to the band, a move that resulted in a successful reunion tour during the summer of 1999. The Crack a Smile sessions were finally released the following spring, followed by Power to the People, which paired five new songs with 12 live tracks from the band’s comeback tour. However, another tour was cut short by an accident that left Dall with serious back surgery.
Following Dall’s lengthy recovery, the band stepped into the studio and recorded Hollyweird, which was released in the summer of 2002. The following tour was promoted as a nostalgic experience and was funded by VH1, laying the brickwork for a lucrative relationship between the band and the television channel. Deville would later appear in the network’s sixth season of The Surreal Life, while Michaels was awarded his own dating show, Rock of Love with Bret Michaels. Hollyweird’s reception was lukewarm at best, and Poison spent some time out of the spotlight while Michaels and Rockett released solo albums. They reconvened in 2006, celebrating their 20th anniversary with a nationwide tour and another greatest-hits album. Propelled by Michaels‘ new status as a reality TV star, The Best of Poison: 20 Years of Rock debuted inside the Billboard Top 20, a feat the band hadn’t accomplished since Native Tongue. The following year brought similar luck, with the band’s seventh studio effort — a covers album titled Poison’d! — moving over 20,000 units during its first week. ~ Barry Weber & Andrew Leahey, Rovi

Joan Jett grew up during a time when rock ‘n’ roll was off limits to girls and women, but as a teenager, she promptly blew the door to the boys’ club off its hinges. After forming the Blackhearts in 1979, with whom Jett has become a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, she has had eight platinum and gold albums and nine Top 40 singles, including “Bad Reputation,” “I Love Rock ‘N’ Roll,” “I Hate Myself For Loving You,” and “Crimson and Clover.” With a career that has spanned music, film, television, Broadway, and humanitarianism, Joan Jett remains a potent force and inspiration to generations of fans worldwide. As a producer, she has overseen seminal albums by Bikini Kill, and the Germs‘ LA punk masterpiece ‘GI.’ Jett and Kenny Laguna (her longtime producer and music partner) co-founded Blackheart Records from the trunk of Kenny’s Cadillac after rejections from no less than 23 labels. 40 years later, Blackheart is a thriving entertainment company producing music, film and television, and continues to champion emerging bands. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts continue touring the globe with headlining shows alongside fellow rock legends like The Who, Green Day, Heart, and Foo Fighters. After two COVID-19 postponements, the group has returned to the road for The Stadium Tour with Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe and Poison. ‘Bad Reputation,’ a documentary about Jett’s life, premiered to critical acclaim at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and is now available for streaming.

Halestorm & The Pretty Reckless at Arizona Financial Theatre
2022-08-05 18:00 - 23:30 | Arizona Financial Theatre, 400 W Washington St, Phoenix, AZ, 85003, United States
Led by charismatic vocalist/guitarist Lzzy Hale, Pennsylvania-based post-grunge/metal quartet Halestorm have become one of the most successful hard rock groups of the early 21st century. With an aggressive yet hook-heavy sound that has become a fixture of American rock radio, Halestorm have toured restlessly, playing hundreds of shows per year and sharing the stage with nearly all of the popular American hard rock acts of their era. In 2013, the band took home a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance for the single “Love Bites (So Do I),” which appeared on their sophomore studio effort, The Strange Case Of…. Subsequent efforts Into the Wild Life (2015), Vicious (2018), and Back from the Dead (2022) have shown the group to be equally adept at muscular hard rockers and piano-driven power ballads, and their sound has branched out to include elements of dance music and pop-country.
Siblings Elizabeth and Arejay Hale, the core members of Halestorm, formed the group in late 1997 near York, Pennsylvania, with Arejay on drums and Elizabeth on vocals and keyboard. Wanting to expand their sound, the duo invited their father, Roger, to play bass with the band. Shortly after their first professional gig in 1998 at the Blue Mountain Coffee House in Hershey, Pennsylvania, Halestorm added various guitar players and released an EP, 1999’s (Don’t Mess with The) Time Man. More lineup changes occurred, but Halestorm finally solidified with Elizabeth (who was by then going by Lzzy) on vocals and guitar, Josh Smith on bass, Arejay on drums, and Joe Hottinger on guitar. The band caught the attention of producer David Ivory as well as Atlantic Records — both were involved in the group’s major-label debut, 2006’s One and Done, a five-song EP recorded live at a show in Philadelphia. They would finally make their full-length studio debut in 2009 with the eponymous Halestorm, all the while maintaining a rigorous touring schedule that would see them playing upwards of 250 shows a year.
The following year, Halestorm released the concert recording Live in Philly 2010, and Reanimate: The Covers EP appeared in 2011, featuring the band’s takes on songs by Heart, Guns N’ Roses, and Lady Gaga. Their sophomore album, The Strange Case Of…, followed in 2012, and the single “Love Bites (So Do I)” earned the group a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance. Reanimate 2.0 was released in 2013, this time finding the band tackling Fleetwood Mac, Daft Punk, and Marilyn Manson. Halestorm’s eclectic third studio long-player, the Jay Joyce-produced Into the Wild Life, was released in April 2015, and was preceded by the single “Apocalyptic.” The live EP Into the Wild Live: Chicago arrived in 2016, followed in early 2017 by their third covers set, Reanimate 3.0, which featured songs by Whitesnake, Metallica, and Soundgarden. Vicious, the band’s fourth studio long-player, followed in July 2018 and earned the group a Best Rock Performance Grammy nomination for the single “Uncomfortable.” 2020 saw Halestorm issue Reimagined, a six-song EP that featured stripped-down versions of five fan favorites and a cover of “I Will Always Love You.” Two years later, they unveiled their fifth long-player, Back from the Dead. Produced by Nick Raskulinecz with co-production by Scott Stevens, the 11-song set included “The Steeple” and “Back from the Dead,” the latter of which became Halestorm’s sixth single to reach number one on the Active Rock charts. ~ Marisa Brown, Rovi

Formed in New York City during 2008, The Pretty Reckless and late producer Kato Khandwala initially made waves with their 2010 debut, Light Me Up. After countless gigs, the band returned with Going To Hell in 2014. Not only did the record crash the Top 5 of the Billboard Top 200, but it also ignited three #1 hits—the gold-certified “Heaven Knows” (the biggest rock song of 2014), “Fucked Up World,” and “Follow Me Down”—a feat that had not been accomplished by a female-fronted group since The Pretenders in 1984. Meanwhile, their third offering, Who You Selling For, saw them return to #1 on the Mainstream Rock Songs Chart with “Take Me Down,” which cemented them as “the first band to send its first four singles to #1 on the chart,” according to Billboard. Praise followed from Vogue, Nylon, and more as the quartet lit up television shows such as Letterman and Conan. With over half-a-billion streams, they headlined countless sold out shows and toured with Guns N’ Roses and many other heavy hitters.

The Warning infuse rock music with a much-needed shot of adrenaline. The Monterrey, Mexico trio of sisters—Daniela “Dany” [guitar, lead vocals], Paulina “Pau” [drums, vocals, piano], and Alejandra “Ale” Villarreal [bass, piano, backing vocals]—charge forward with head-spinning riffs, unpredictable rhythms, stadium-size beats, and skyscraping vocals. They stand out as the rare presence equally at home on network television and on stage at Heaven & Hell Festival. After exploding online with one viral moment after another, The Warning parlayed this momentum into a series of independent releases, including Escape the Mind EP [2015], XXI Century Blood [2017], and Queen of the Murder Scene [2019]. They graced a stacked bill at Mother of All Rock Festival as the only Mexican band and opened up two sold out Monterrey shows for The Killers and for Def Leppard in Mexico City and Guadalajara. After quietly amassing over 120 million YouTube views and 10 million streams, they’ve already surged to the forefront of hard rock on their LAVA Records debut single “CHOKE” which Right out of the gate, “CHOKE” cracked 1 million-plus streams.

Lilith Czar arrives with the force of an otherworldly thunder, arising in visceral rebirth from an untimely grave of surrender and sacrifice. Her voice is the sound of supernatural determination, summoned with a confessional vulnerability and unapologetic authenticity. The girl who was Juliet Simms – her dreams discouraged and dismissed, her identity confined and controlled – is no more. In her place stands Lilith Czar, a new vessel forged in unbridled willpower and unashamed desire.
Her motivation is simple: if it’s truly a man’s world? She wants to be King.
Created from Filth and Dust, the debut album from Lilith Czar, is an evocative invitation into her bold new world. It’s aggressive music with warm accessibility; huge hooks with driving hard rock—the new larger-than-life icon channels the fierce combativeness of Fiona Apple and Stevie Nicks’ seductive witchery. Lilith Czar arms herself with sonic power, theatricality, and confidence. It’s a sound where the pulse of Nine Inch Nails, Halestorm’s songcraft, and the libertine spirit of David Bowie converge, all in service of a ritualistic ache for a more just and equitable world.
