Clicks From The Pit

Poppy at Marquee Theatre
2025-04-22 20:00 - 23:30 (America/Phoenix) | Marquee Theatre, 730 N Mill Ave, Tempe, AZ, 85281, United States
Los Angeles-based performance artist-turned-pop star Poppy makes music that deftly balances art and commerce as she takes on multiple genres — from metal to pop and all points in between — while never losing her essential Poppy-ness in the process. She gained a substantial following on social media with her early videos, the subjects of which grew ever more absurd and bizarre. When she began making music for Diplo‘s Mad Decent label, Poppy’s commentary on social media and fame became even more meta; the self-referential electro-pop of 2017’s Poppy.Computer and the forays into nu-metal and dance-pop on the following year’s Am I a Girl? further blurred the project’s boundaries. In 2020, she boldly re-branded with the critically acclaimed, Grammy-nominated I Disagree, which fully adopted the pop-metal direction she had been teasing. Following 2021’s EAT EP, she released the live-to-tape Flux, which focused her riff-heavy execution even further. More genre explorations include 2023’s industrial-leaning Zig and 2024’s Negative Spaces, which dips into synth pop and punk.
Poppy emerged on YouTube in 2014 with a video of her eating cotton candy in silence. Viewers were baffled, yet it was just the start of Poppy’s brand of smart millennial theater. Wide-eyed, platinum blonde, and decked out in precious throwback outfits, Poppy’s calculated wholesome persona, budding style icon status, and tongue-in-cheek clips — wherein she filmed herself reading the Bible for nearly an hour, repeating her name for ten minutes, or inflating a plastic rabbit — combined the satirical, the subversive, and the just plain weird. In early 2015, she began releasing music, starting with a Lana Del Rey-ified version of Mac DeMarco‘s “My Kind of Woman.” Her first official single, “Everybody Wants to Be Poppy,” arrived months later. Signing with Island Records, she released the follow-up single “Lowlife” (and a remix featuring Travis Mills), a reggae-tinged jam that would serve as the first track on her debut EP, Bubblebath. Released in February 2016, the four-song set of catchy dance-pop showcased her musical range and sensibility, attracting comparisons to Grimes, Icona Pop, Melanie Martinez, and Charli XCX. That October, she issued the experimental ambient album 3:36 (Music to Sleep To), a collaboration with polysomnographists from the Washington University School of Medicine that was designed to promote healthy sleep and dreaming. A year later, Poppy’s official debut album, Poppy.Computer (Mad Decent), arrived and peaked within the Top 40 on both the Heatseekers and Independent Albums charts. On 2018’s Am I a Girl?, Poppy worked with Diplo, Grimes, and Lady Gaga collaborator Garibay on a set of songs that incorporated mainstream pop and nu-metal sounds and explored fame, fashion, and identity. While promoting the effort, she began incorporating increasingly heavy elements into her music, inspired by Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, and Rob Zombie. In a similar vein as Am I a Girl? selections such as “Play Destroy” and “X,” Poppy’s 2019 single “Concrete” featured speedy metal riffs and pounding drums, adopting a sugar-sweet attack similar to Babymetal‘s. This new direction was fully realized on her third studio set I Disagree, which arrived in early 2020. Her first release on Sumerian Records, the album was also her first to chart on the Billboard 200. The brash, pop-metal style of I Disagree was a hit with critics and fans alike, resulting in an expanded deluxe edition, I Disagree (more). She continued an especially prolific period with Music to Scream To — the soundtrack to her graphic novel Poppy’s Inferno — and a holiday EP, A Very Poppy Christmas. To cap off her banner year, the I Disagree album cut “Bloodmoney” received a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance, making Poppy the first female artist ever to be nominated in that category. The next year at the actual Grammy Awards ceremony, she performed a new track — the scream-packed “Eat” — which landed on EAT (NXT Soundtrack). Arriving a month after the release of her cover of Jack Off Jill‘s “Fear of Dying,” the aggressive EP also featured the track “Say Cheese.”
At the tail-end of 2021, Poppy released her fourth album Flux. At a compact nine songs, it was her most focused offering to date, blending numerous hard rock styles on a straightforward and cohesive attack produced by Justin Meldal-Johnsen (NIN, Deafheaven). Led by the defiant and unrelenting single “FYB,” 2022’s Republic/Lava-issued Stagger EP paired thrashy, punk-metal riffs with melancholic alt-pop. Poppy started 2023 with the industrial metal-leaning “Church Outfit,” followed by a searing rendition of Canadian nu-metallers Kittie‘s 1999 track “Spit.” She also teamed with Stu Brooks and Danny Elfman for “They’ll Just Love You.” Capping a busy year, she joined PVRIS for a joint tour before the release of her fifth full-length, Zig (Sumerian), which featured additional singles such as the industrial-pop “Motorbike” and the vulnerable “Hard.”
Poppy started 2024 with a collaboration with alt-rock group Bad Omens, on the song “V.A.N.” (“Violence Against Nature”), toured both as a headliner and opening act, then ended the year with her fifth album Negative Spaces. On it, she expands her already wide-ranging approach to include ’80s-inspired synth pop and pop-punk while welcoming collaborations with Knocked Loose and Bring Me the Horizon‘s Jordan Fish.

Machine Head + In Flames + Lacuna Coil at The Van Buren
2025-04-07 18:00 - 23:30 | The Van Buren, 401 W Van Buren St, Phoenix, AZ, 85003
Very few bands make it to their 11th album. Even fewer do so with the same fire and fury that defined their early years. But Machine Head isn’t just any band. For over three decades, the personification of determination, Founder/Vocalist/Guitarist Robb Flynn, has led Machine Head on an uncompromising path – one fueled by defiance, reinvention, and a relentless pursuit of evolution. Now, with ‘UNATØNED’ (out April 25, 2025 on Nuclear Blast), they’ve once again sharpened their sound into its most direct and impactful form to date.
Determined to challenge himself, Flynn set strict songwriting parameters for ‘UNATØNED,’ shorter, more focused songs with a decidedly American feel, unconventional key changes, and shifting structures that break expectations. That self-imposed restraint resulted in a lean, unrelenting album that captures Machine Head at their most potent.
The album drips with melancholy melodies, and yet hammers with bludgeoning riffs, soars with anthemic sing-a-longs of love-lost and sadness, to bellowing power and undeniable confidence.
‘UNATØNED’ is Machine Head proving once again that longevity in metal isn’t about comfort – it’s about taking risks, standing firm in conviction, and refusing to stagnate. Eleven albums deep, they remain as fierce, relevant, and unstoppable as ever.

In Flames represent the best of metal’s past, present, and future. In Flames are as vital and even more energized today than when they unleashed classics like Come Clarity and Clayman in decades past.
The band built a stunning reputation with devastating, crowd-moving, inspired performances around the world at every major rock and metal festival imaginable, headlining multiple treks, and touring with the likes of Slipknot, Megadeth, Judas Priest, Killswitch Engage, Within Temptation, and Lamb Of God. They regularly headline some of the biggest stages and festivals in the world.
Foregone, the furious fourteenth studio album, combines the greatest aggressive, metallic, and melodic strengths of their landmark records with the seasoned songwriting of their postmodern era.
A sense of pride, accomplishment, and continued vitality are evident every time the band takes the stage, and all over Foregone. Melodic death metal pioneers and innovative purveyors of groove, the artistry, influence, stature, and future of In Flames loom as large as the heavy metal horizon itself.

If you know Lacuna Coil then you’ll already be aware that every album entry in their storied career is more than just a sound. Each one is a richly textured soundtrack to a specific time and a place. With Sleepless Empire, that place is dark, cinematic, and unmistakably true to the unique characteristics that have given Lacuna Coil such a celebrated entry in the annals of heavy music. As founding songwriter-in-chief Marco Coti Zelati, aka Maki explains, while the writing process for Lacuna Coil’s tenth studio record began in December, the record’s real creative birth coincided with the release of 2022’s Comalies XX, a 20th-anniversary reimagining of their landmark 2002 record, Comalies. It was more than an epic and rapturously received reinvention of that 21st century classic. It would serve to align the past, the present, and the future of Lacuna Coil as they take their first steps into the fourth decade of their remarkable career. And from the colossal refrains of album opener The Siege to the wickedly catchy I Wish You Were Dead and the irrepressibly classic feel of Sleepless Empire’s title track, there’s no mistaking the confidence of Lacuna Coil’s latest, and it has its share of surprises, too. They come in the form of two very special guest appearances from none other than New Years Day banshee Ash Costello on their epic In The Mean Time and an ear-splittingly over-the-top contribution from Lamb of God singer Randy Blythe on Hosting the Shadow.

UNEARTH are nothing short of standard-bearers and keepers of the faith for American metalcore. They were the band born in the breakdown who never wavered from their love for European death metal melodicism, supercharged by American thrash and hardcore. Now, 25 years into a career that’s seen the Massachusetts mob play innumerable gigs and massive festivals on six continents, sell hundreds of thousands of records, and inspire some of the most important bands in extreme metal today, they remain a force to contend with. On album number eight, The Wretched; The Ruinous, UNEARTH not merely continues to amp-up their metal meets hardcore intensities, but they also exceed themselves with a record that incorporates elements of classic UNEARTH offerings dating back to 2004’s “breakthrough” The Oncoming Storm, while exploring beyond the recent back-to-basics promise of 2018’s Extinction(s).
For UNEARTH’s founding mainstays, Phipps and guitarist Buz McGrath, it feels like the beginning of a new chapter. “Buz took the entire pandemic to write these songs,” says Trevor. “He pushed himself to get out of his comfort zone and explore what UNEARTH is, both past and present. Buz adding these new elements and killer song structures inspired me to be more diverse vocally. The Wretched; the Ruinous is still UNEARTH, but it’s also the most dynamic record we’ve ever done.”
UNEARTH’s storm isn’t about to let up any time soon. Catch UNEARTH on tour now.

Marilyn Manson at Arizona Bike Week 2025 at WestWorld of Scottsdale
2025-04-05 21:00 - 23:30 | WestWorld of Scottsdale, 16601 North Pima Road, Scottsdale, AZ, 85260, United States
Marilyn Manson is a perpetually controversial presence and one of the key figures in aggressive, boundary-challenging rock music. Manson became a mainstream antihero in the 1990s — much to the chagrin of conservative politicians, religious leaders, and concerned parents — ruffling feathers and shocking the masses with his dark brand of glam-influenced industrial metal, outspoken social commentary, and incendiary live shows. The self-proclaimed “Antichrist Superstar,” he peddled a disquieting vision of society that focused on sex, drugs, violence, politics, and organized religion, which pushed many of his singles — including “The Dope Show,” “The Beautiful People,” and a cover of Eurythmics‘ “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” — into the upper reaches of the modern rock charts during the late ’90s and early 2000s. During his band’s commercial peak, the conceptual triptych of Antichrist Superstar, Mechanical Animals, and Holy Wood won him a legion of die-hard fans while also attracting media attention and cultural notoriety. Following 2003’s The Golden Age of Grotesque, Manson entered his next era with a trio of releases that marked a downturn in mainstream popularity and sales. However, at the turn of the following decade, he staged a late-era comeback with a string of critically acclaimed albums: The Pale Emperor (2015), Heaven Upside Down (2017), and We Are Chaos (2020). After a series of abuse allegations came to light and he was dropped by his label and longtime manager, Manson remained out of the public eye until 2024, when he returned with his 12th album, One Assassination Under God: Chapter 1.
Born Brian Warner, Manson was raised in Canton, Ohio. At the age of 18, he relocated to Tampa Bay, Florida, where he worked as a music journalist. In 1989, he became friends with guitarist and fellow outsider Scott Mitchell Putesky; the two soon decided to form a band, with Putesky rechristening himself Daisy Berkowitz and Warner adopting the name Marilyn Manson. With the addition of bassist Gidget Gein and keyboardist Madonna Wayne Gacy, the group — originally dubbed Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids — began self-releasing cassettes and playing gigs, their gothic stage shows notable for Manson’s elaborate makeup and homemade special effects. Jettisoning their drum machine in favor of Sara Lee Lucas, the band’s sound began taking on a harder edge, and by 1992 they were among the most popular and notorious acts in the South Florida underground.
In 1993, Nine Inch Nails‘ Trent Reznor came calling, offering both a contract with his Nothing Records label as well as the chance to open for NIN the following spring; Manson accepted both offers, and the group’s debut LP, Portrait of an American Family, appeared during the summer of 1994. With new bassist Twiggy Ramirez replacing Gein, the band’s notoriety soared. Most infamously, during an appearance in Salt Lake City, Manson ripped apart a copy of the Book of Mormon while on-stage. The Church of Satan’s founder, Anton LaVey, also bestowed upon him the title of “Reverend,” further stoking conservatives’ fears. Manson’s cult following continued to swell, and the band broke into the mainstream with the release of 1995’s Smells Like Children EP, propelled by their enduring hit cover of Eurythmics‘ “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This).” Berkowitz quit a short time later and was replaced by guitarist Zim Zum, and the revised group saw their next LP, 1996’s conceptual opus Antichrist Superstar, debut at the number three spot on the pop album charts and sell nearly two million copies in the U.S. alone. Produced by Trent Reznor, the multi-platinum Antichrist Superstar became the band’s most influential and defining statement. As Manson’s popularity grew, so did the furor surrounding him. His concerts were regularly picketed by civic groups, and his music was the subject of widespread attacks from right-wing and religious fronts.
Manson continued to court controversy in 1998 with the glam-inspired Mechanical Animals, which included cover art depicting the singer as a naked androgynous alien. The album became the band’s first to top the charts and spawned the singles “The Dope Show” and “I Don’t Like the Drugs (But the Drugs Like Me).” While the resulting tour yielded a live album, Last Tour on Earth, the trek was cut short in early 1999 after the band was erroneously blamed for influencing the perpetrators of the Columbine High School massacre. Out of respect for the public, the group retreated from the spotlight and returned to the studio.

Mudvayne at Arizona Bike Week 2025 at WestWorld of Scottsdale
2025-04-04 21:00 - 23:30 | WestWorld of Scottsdale, 16601 North Pima Road, Scottsdale, AZ, 85260, United States
Heavy metal quartet Mudvayne formed in Peoria, IL, in 1996, its members adopting the unusual pseudonyms sPaG (M. McDonough) (drums), Gurrg (G. Tribbett) (guitar), and Kud (Chad Gray) (vocals). The group’s original bassist was replaced after two years by Ryknow (Ryan Martinie). During their development, the bandmembers began the practice of applying bizarre makeup. After self-releasing their first album, Kill, I Oughta, they were signed by Epic Records and recorded their major-label debut, L.D. 50, which was released in August 2000 shortly after the end of their first national tour opening for Slipknot. The album later went gold and earned Mudvayne the first-ever MTV2 Video Award at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards. Mudvayne continued touring and reissued their self-released debut EP, Kill, I Oughta, in November 2001 as The Beginning of All Things to End. A year later the band returned with its official follow-up, The End of All Things to Come, which was recorded at Minneapolis’ Pachyderm Studios with Tool producer David Bottrill. With a new album came new personas, this time as space aliens. The bandmembers changed their names accordingly, taking the new monikers of Chüd (Kud), Güüg (Gurrg), R-üD (Ryknow), and Spüg (sPaG). They embarked on a European tour, arriving back stateside in July to join the Summer Sanitarium shed tour, featuring such heavyweights as Metallica and Linkin Park. In 2005, the band released Lost and Found, their third album for Epic. In September 2007, Mudvayne announced they would allow fans to vote on the band’s website to determine the track selection for the compilation By the People, for the People, released the following month. The all new full-length New Game arrived in November 2008, followed six months later by an eponymous 2009 effort. ~ William Ruhlmann, Rovi

Stone Temple Pilots at Arizona Bike Week 2025 at WestWorld of Scottsdale
2025-04-03 21:00 - 23:30 | WestWorld of Scottsdale, 16601 North Pima Road, Scottsdale, AZ, 85260, United States
Stone Temple Pilots embark upon a new sonic adventure with Perdida, the band’s first-ever acoustic album. It includes 10 deeply personal songs that weave introspective lyrics together with unexpected instruments to take listeners on an emotional and musical journey through letting go and starting over.
Bassist Robert DeLeo says Perdida (Spanish for ‘loss’) shows how music has helped them process grief, search for meaning and, ultimately, create something beautiful from the pain. “When I’ve gone through things in my life, I’ve found that sitting down and having an honest conversation with my guitar is the best therapy.”
“Recording an acoustic album like Perdida is something the band has wanted to do for many years,” says drummer Eric Kretz. “When Robert and Dean started playing their new songs for us during our tour last year, we knew right away they would be perfect for an acoustic album.”
Writing lyrics for Perdida meant exposing himself like never before, says singer Jeff Gutt, who joined the band in 2017. “It’s an emotionally honest album and I needed to approach it that way for these songs to resonate.”
To record Perdida, the quartet assembled at Kretz’s Bomb Shelter Studios in February. The key to making the album, Dean explains, was finding a way to say more with less. “Everything you hear serves a purpose, from the space in the arrangements to the different instruments. We only added things that served the songs.”

Jackyl at Arizona Bike Week 2025 at WestWorld of Scottsdale
2025-04-02 21:00 - 23:30 | WestWorld of Scottsdale, 16601 North Pima Road, Scottsdale, AZ, 85260, United States
A raunchy, fun-loving, and hard-hitting rock band led by chainsaw-wielding frontman Jesse James Dupree, Georgia’s Jackyl emerged in the early 1990s with a sound rooted in Southern hard rock and no-frills heavy metal. The group’s eponymous 1992 debut album was certified platinum on the strength of the rock radio hits “Down on Me,” “When Will It Rain,” and “The Lumberjack,” the latter of which featured Dupree‘s infamous chainsaw solo. Jackyl’s mainstream success eventually waned, but through heavy touring and the releases of well-received efforts like Best in Show (2012), Rowyco (2016), and 30 Coming In Hot (2022), they have maintained a dedicated following that few other bands from the era can claim.
Jackyl was founded in Kennesaw, Georgia in 1991 by vocalist Jesse James Dupree, guitarist Jeff Worley, drummer Chris Worley, bassist Tom Bettini, and guitarist Jimmy Stiff. A shared fondness for AC/DC and Lynyrd Skynyrd led the five-piece to start crafting their own blend of hard rock and Southern boogie around their native state. Record executives got hip to their live show, which included chain saws, among other things, and soon the band signed to Geffen. Jackyl’s 1992 self-titled debut quickly found favor with hard rock audiences through the singles “When Will It Rain,” “I Stand Alone,” and “Down on Me.” However, the most attention was drawn by “The Lumberjack,” an ode to burly chainsaw-wielders that witnessed a power tool solo by Dupree. His chainsaw abilities became their recognized gimmick, and the like-minded Ted Nugent took the band on the road. Jackyl’s sophomore long-player, Push Comes to Shove, appeared in 1994 and peaked at number 46 on the Billboard 200. Recorded in Vancouver with Juno Award-winning producer Bruce Fairbairn, the album’s title track charted both at home and in the U.K. After playing Woodstock ’94 and touring with ZZ Top and Aerosmith, the band parted ways with Geffen and moved to Mayhem, marking the occasion with a live album before leaving the label only a year later for a jump to Sony. Arriving in 1997, Cut the Crap got some traction on rock radio — the single “Locked and Loaded” featured guest vocals from AC/DC‘s Brian Johnson — but was ultimately overshadowed by popular alternative rock acts. Sony dropped Jackyl, so they signed to Shimmering Tone and released the ancillary B-sides collection, Stayin’ Alive.
Dupree issued a solo album, Foot Fetish, ahead of the release of the band’s fifth full-length effort. Arriving in 2002, Relentless featured a new lineup — Bettini and Stiff departed, and former Brother Cane guitarist Roman Glick was brought into the fold — and saw the group working once again with Brian Johnson. An eight-year hiatus preceded the release of 2010’s When Moonshine and Dynamite Collide, which was released on Dupree‘s own Mighty Loud Records and featured a cover of Janis Joplin‘s “Mercedes Benz” and a lyrically retooled cover of “Just Like a Negro,” originally by the funk rock band Mother’s Finest. The band issued Best in Show two years later, which included the mainstream rock-charting single “Favorite Sin.” The reliably rude and rowdy Rowyco appeared in 2016, and in 2022, the band celebrated its 30th anniversary with the aptly named 30 Coming In Hot. ~ James Christopher Monger, Rovi

Arizona Bike Week 2025 at WestWorld of Scottsdale
2025-04-02 08:00 - 2025-04-06 23:30 | WestWorld of Scottsdale, 16601 North Pima Road, Scottsdale, AZ, 85260, United States
Arizona Bike Week 2025 is back!
TICKETS
Arizona Bike Week at WestWorld is a celebration of motorcycles and music. With two stages, featuring live music all day and night, plus vendors, stunt shows, bike shows, contests and demos, there’s plenty of entertainment options for everyone. Our scenic terrain and amazing spring weather make for some of the best riding in the country but even non-riders will want to take advantage of the unique experience ABW offers. We offer the option of purchasing a single day pass to see your favorite band in concert or a Rally Pass, which gives you access to all the nightly concerts and festivities. Our low ticket pricing offers an opportunity to see four incredible concerts at a price you won’t find anywhere else. Our RockYard stage has proudly featured some of the biggest names in the music world, such as Foreigner, Cheap Trick, Staind, Heart, Megadeth, George Thorogood, Brantley Gilbert, Dierks Bentley, Heart, Puddle of Mudd, REO Speedwagon, Buckcherry, Billy Idol, Rob Zombie, Doobie Brothers, ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Godsmack, Shinedown and Korn, just to name a few. Check out our website for this year’s lineup www.azbikeweek.com. There you’ll find links to purchase tickets, reserve on-site RV and tent camping or nearby hotel rooms at discounted rates. See you at Arizona Bike Week, the rally and musicfest that gives you more bang for your buck! Follow us on Instagram!

Papa Roach + Rise Against at Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
2025-03-25 19:00 - 23:30 | Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre, 2121 N 83rd Ave, Phoenix, 85035, United States
Papa Roach, the two-time GRAMMY-nominated, Platinum-selling pioneers of Alternative Hard Rock, is celebrating the 25th Anniversary of their groundbreaking album INFEST in 2025. Known for their candid approach to mental health, the band has long used their platform to raise awareness for the topic and the cause of suicide prevention, initially with their iconic hit “Last Resort” and through their recent collaboration with Carrie Underwood on “Leave A Light On (Talk Away The Dark)” which continues to climb the charts almost full year after its release.
The ever-evolving band has released eleven studio albums to date, with their latest, Ego Trip, on their own label, New Noize Records. The band’s music has racked up over 850 million streams globally, with Ego Trip producing four #1 singles and adding to their impressive tally of 26 Top-10 hits and 12 #1s across Rock, Alternative, and Hot AC charts. Now, Papa Roach is kicking off a new chapter with the release of “Even If It Kills Me.” Following sold-out arenas in the UK and Europe, their Rise of the Roach tour will continue across North American arenas and amphitheaters in 2025.

If ever there was a perfect time for a new album from the outspoken, socially-conscious, multi-Gold and Platinum punk rock band Rise Against, it’s right now. Nowhere Generation, due out June 4 on Loma Vista Recordings, is blazing and aggressive, fusing old-school punk attitude with post-hardcore fury. Lyrically, the eleven songs were influenced by input from the band’s vocalist/lyricist Tim McIlrath’s two young daughters, and the band’s community of fans, and point an enormous spotlight at the social and economic deck that has been stacked against younger generation’s pursuit of The American Dream. Today, there is the promise of The American Dream, and then there is the reality of The American Dream. America’s “historical norm” that “the next generation will be better off than the one that came before” has been diminished by an era of mass social, economic, and political instability, and a sell-out of the Middle Class. The brass ring that was promised by hard work and dedication no longer exists for everyone, and as was the case with the counterculture of the 1960s, disruption becomes the only answer for the Nowhere Generation. Nowhere Generation was recorded at The Blasting Room in Fort Collins, CO under the tutelage of Jason Livermore, Andrew Berlin, Chris Beeble and long-time producer/engineer Bill Stevenson who has worked with the band on nearly all of their acclaimed releases since their sophomore effort, 2003’s Revolutions Per Minute.

Underoath, the iconic and genre-defining band, has once again shattered expectations with their forthcoming album, The Place After This One, to be released March 28, 2025 via MNRK Heavy.vRenowned for their ability to transform chaos into harmony and aggression into anthemic survival, the Florida-based group delivers a record that promises to redefine heavy music and expand their already massive audience. With two RIAA certified gold albums, three Grammy nominations, and a legacy of uncompromising authenticity, Underoath is back—and they’re louder, bolder, and more essential than ever, while continuing to push boundaries in ways that few bands dare.
The Place After This One marks a truly momentous occasion in the band’s history. It is a stunning document and a remarkable collection of songs, signaling a renaissance period in the beloved act’s storied career. The album showcases where they’re from, and more importantly, where they’re headed. It’s a masterpiece, from musicians at the top of their game. Sonically, its references are varied and complex, and is a distillation of everything they’ve accomplished thus far: a crystalline vision blending hard rock, electronic experimentation, guttural screams and anthemic, call-to-arms choruses.

Steel Panther at Marquee Theatre
2025-03-22 20:00 - 23:30 | Marquee Theatre, 730 N Mill Ave, Tempe, AZ, 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 group fittingly played the metal band “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, who had played live with the band in Foxx’s absence. Steel Panther returned to the studio to record their sixth effort, On the Prowl. Producing it themselves, the album continued 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.

Apocalyptica + Nita Strauss At The Van Buren
2025-03-01 19:00 - 23:30 | The Van Buren, 401 W Van Buren St, Phoenix, AZ, 85003
In the lore of heavy metal only a handful of artists can claim to have changed history, and even fewer can say they’ve done so twice. Enter Apocalyptica and one of metal’s greatest, most unlikely success stories. By any account it’s the stuff of legend, and it’s about to come full circle. Formed in 1993 at the world-renowned Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland, Apocalyptica began life as a loving, lo-fi nod to Metallica from four classically-trained musicians with no greater ambition than to explore their favourite band’s music with their chosen instrument. As founding band leader Eicca Toppinnen explains, the project would take on a life of its own when they finally released Plays Metallica By Four Cellos in 1996. More than a debut, it was a monster in waiting. “We played the full first album and it was so much more fun and exciting than we expected,” says Eicca, roughly 30 years later. “We got the idea to do something like the first album, but we couldn’t do it in exactly the same way – we needed to challenge ourselves and bring a totally new perspective to the original energy and emotion of Metallica.” The result was nothing short of a sonic love-letter – an album they’d simply, elegantly title Plays Metallica, Vol. 2, and the passion poured into the recording project by Eicca Toppinen, Perttu Kivilaakso, Paavo Lötjönen and Mikko Sirén – the band’s long-time drummer who after completion of this album leaves amicably on this unique high-note – is plain to hear and see.

Los Angeles born guitarist Nita Strauss has become a force to be reckoned with in the music world, dazzling audiences across the US, UK, Europe, South America, Asia, Australia and Africa. 2018 has been a banner year for Nita. In January she was officially announced as the first ever female Ibanez signature artist with her own model, the Ibanez JIVA. She also released her signature pickups, the DiMarzio Pandemonium. April saw Nita playing WWE Superstar Shinsuke Nakamura’s entrance music at Wrestlemania in New Orleans in front of an audience of 78,000 fans and millions streaming worldwide, and in the same month she launched a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign for her debut solo record Controlled Chaos. The campaign reached its goal in two hours, doubled it by the end of the day, tripled the following day and ended up over 800% funded. Nita produced the record herself and did the majority of the engineering, as well as playing all the guitars and bass on the record. After the record was competed, Nita signed with Sumerian Records to release and distribute the album worldwide. After finishing out the Alice Cooper tour cycle, Nita will immediately hit the road supporting Controlled Chaos alongside modern guitar virtuoso Angel Vivaldi. Nita’s debut solo album Controlled Chaos is out now through Sumerian Records.

Spencer Sutherland + Cloe Wilder at The Van Buren
2025-02-23 19:30 - 23:30 | The Van Buren, 401 W Van Buren St, Phoenix, AZ, 85003
Soulful pop- and R&B-influenced singer Spencer Sutherland brings together a vintage-inspired, ’70s rock opera theatricality and a contemporary pop sensibility. He first came to the public’s attention while competing on the U.K.’s The X Factor in 2017, after which he delivered his 2019 single “Sweater.” His 2023 full-length debut, In His Mania, underscored his robust vocal chops and rock pomp and swagger, a vibe he further championed on 2024’s The Drama.
Born in 1992 in Pickerington, Ohio (near Columbus), Sutherland grew up singing from a young age, and by high school was active in musicals and show choir. He also began performing locally, appearing at restaurants and other venues. Moving to Los Angeles, he further pursued a music career, co-writing and releasing the singles “Heartstrings” in 2013, “Bad Influence” in 2015, and “Girls” in 2016. In 2017, Sutherland gained wider recognition traveling to London, where he competed on the U.K. version of The X Factor. Auditioning with Marvin Gaye‘s “Let’s Get It On,” he ultimately made it through to the live shows. The following year, he joined JAGMAC as an opening act on tour and issued the single “Talk.” He also signed with BMG, and returned in 2019 with the EP None of This Has Been About You, which featured the single “Sweater.” A second EP, Indigo, arrived the following year with the single “Wonder.”
In 2021, Sutherland branched out into acting, co-starring alongside Victoria Justice in the Netflix film Afterlife of the Party; he and Justice dueted on the song “Home” for the film’s soundtrack. That same year, he also guest starred on the Amazon television series I Know What You Did Last Summer before headlining his What a Shame Tour. He also joined Big Time Rush on tour in 2022. In February 2023, Sutherland released his debut full-length album, In His Mania. A blend of hooky pop and theatrical rock anthems, it featured a guest appearance by Meghan Trainor on the song “Chicken Little.” He also embarked on his In His Mania tour.
The single “Alive” arrived in May 2024 heralding the singer’s sophomore full-length, The Drama. Arriving that October, the album found Sutherland digging even deeper into a classic ’70s rock opera vibe. Along with “Alive” and the title track, it spawned the single “Let Me Loose” and featured a guest duet with singer Rachel Platten.

Photo Credit: Jesse DeFlorio
Cloe Wilder made her musical debut at just 14 years old releasing her first EP, Teenage Lullabies, in 2021. In a few short years, she’s amassed over 10 million total streams and media support from the likes of Ones To Watch, Just Jared, Wonderland, 1883 Magazine, and Stitched Sound, earning a reputation for her emotive songwriting and captivating melodies. Cloe has also gained significant attention for her dynamic stage presence and heartfelt connection with audiences, receiving praise for her ability to weave together vibrant energy with relatable lyrics. With a growing list of collaborations—including Angus & Julia Stone (whom she recently opened for on a tour in Australia), Nicolosi, Merōn, EZI, Jackie Young, and Mike Molina—Cloe’s sound continues to evolve, blending introspective storytelling with catchy hooks that resonate deeply with listeners. With her authentic voice and emotional depth, Cloe Wilder is making her mark in the evolving landscape of indie/folk/pop music and is a name to watch in 2025. More new music from Cloe Wilder coming soon!

Dream Theater at Arizona Financial Theatre
2025-02-18 19:30 - 23:30 | Arizona Financial Theatre, 400 W Washington St, Phoenix, AZ, 85004, United States
Long Island, New York’s Dream Theater are the globally celebrated standard bearers for progressive metal in the 21st century. Their ability to deliver tight, melodic, musically sophisticated songs and thematic concept recordings encompassing elements of hook-based hard rock, riff-fueled metal, syncopated prog, and refined lyrics has made them the band others are measured by. Their second album, 1992’s Images and Words, established their sonic signature, while 1994’s Awake and 1999’s Metropolis, Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory cemented their place in metal’s pantheon. Dream Theater is well known for their high-energy concert performances. While they’ve released several 21st century live albums — Live at the Marquee, Live in Japan, and Live Scenes from New York — they remain one of the genre’s most bootlegged bands. For 2016’s The Astonishing, a double-length dystopian sci-fi opera, they were accompanied by the Prague Symphony Orchestra and three choirs. In 2021, the band issued A View from the Top of the World.
Originally named Majesty (from a lyric in “Bastille Day”), the band was founded by Berklee College of Music students, guitarist John Petrucci, bassist John Myung, and drummer Mike Portnoy; they soon expanded with the addition of keyboard player Kevin Moore and vocalist Chris Collins. Releasing an eight-tune demo, Majesty Demo, as Majesty, the group sold 1,000 copies within six months. The departure of Collins in late 1986 left Majesty without a vocalist, and after a long period of auditioning possible replacements, the group settled on Charlie Dominici in November 1987. They decided to change their name to Dream Theater, inspired by a now-demolished California movie theater. Signing with Mechanic Records, the group began working on their first full-length album. Delays caused by label mismanagement limited the group to performing at small clubs and bars. Frustrated by this experience, Dream Theater finally severed its ties with Mechanic.
This was only one drastic change in the band’s course of action. Firing Dominici, the group spent the next couple of years searching for a vocalist. The search ended in late 1991 when a demo tape from Canadian vocalist James LaBrie, formerly of Winter Rose, arrived. After flying to New York to audition, LaBrie was invited to join the band. (Charlie Dominici died on November 17, 2023, at the age of 72.) Signing with Atco Atlantic (which came to be known as East West), Dream Theater released its second album, Images & Words, in 1992. One of three videos based on songs from the album, “Pull Me Under,” became an MTV hit. Although Theater showed considerable growth with their third studio album, Awake, recorded between May and July 1994, the group continued to be hampered by personnel changes. Before the album was mixed, keyboardist Moore left the group to focus on his solo career. Hired as a temporary replacement for the band’s Waking Up the World tour, Derek Sherinian later became a permanent member. His first recording with Dream Theater was a 23-minute epic, “A Change of Seasons,” written in 1989 and released in September 1995 on the album of the same name.
Following the mini tour Fix for ’96, the members of Dream Theater separated for several months and became involved with a variety of outside projects. Petrucci was the busiest. In addition to joining Portnoy and keyboard player Jordan Rudess in the Liquid Tension Experiment — a group that included influential bassist/stick player Tony Levin — Petrucci played guitar with Trent Gardner’s Explorers Club and made a guest appearance on Shadow Gallery‘s Tyranny album. Myung and Sherinian collaborated with King’s X vocalist Ty Tabor in the band Platypus. LaBrie worked with Mull Muzzler, a group formed with Matt Guillory and Mike Mangini.
Dream Theater experienced yet another change when Rudess was tapped to replace Sherinian, who had been fired in 1999. The band released the progressive rock-heavy Scenes from a Memory that year, a conceptual piece that followed the story of the 1928 murder of a young woman and how a modern man is haunted by the crime. It was followed by Live Scenes from New York in 2001, which suffered from an unintentional bout of controversy when its original cover featuring the city of New York in flames was pulled due to the events of September 11. The group continued in the progressive metal vein in 2002 with Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, followed by the leaner Train of Thought in 2003 and Octavarium in 2005. The live album Score: XOX was released in 2006 and featured the band backed by a 29-piece orchestra. It was followed a year later by the new studio album Systematic Chaos, and in 2009 by Black Clouds & Silver Linings.
Sherinian went on to record as a soloist and to play with a prog and jazz fusion band, Planet X. Petrucci released an eponymously titled solo album in 2003, featuring accompaniment by Dave LaRue of the Dixie Dregs and Boston-based drummer Dave DiCenso. In late 2010, Mike Mangini joined the group, replacing drummer Mike Portnoy, who left the band in September of that year. With a rigorous touring schedule that firmly broke in Mangini, Dream Theater somehow found time to record. They pre-released the track “On the Backs of Angels” on YouTube via their label, Roadrunner, in June of 2011, followed by the CD release of the aptly titled full-length A Dramatic Turn of Events in the fall. After a period of rigorous international touring, the band took a break, though its members continued writing. They reconvened in early 2013 and returned with a self-titled studio album in September — this one with Mangini completely involved in the writing process — followed in November with the concert recording Live at Luna Park on CD and DVD, which was recorded during the Dramatic Turn of Events tour over two nights at the Buenos Aires soccer stadium. Recorded live at the Boston Opera House on March 24, 2014, the concert recording Breaking the Fourth Wall arrived the following year, and in late 2015 the band announced their upcoming 13th studio album, The Astonishing. A completely conceptual sci-fi offering, it was released in January 2016. After a world tour in which they performed the whole of the album, the band took an extended breather. At the end of 2018, Dream Theater released the single and video for “Untethered Angel” in advance of a North American tour. The full-length Distance Over Time was the first album by the band to clock in at less than an hour in length in over a decade. Petrucci credited the economical running time to a more collaborative writing process that took a mere 18 days and focused on harder-edged songs than on other recent recordings. Distance Over Time was released by Inside Out in early 2019. Taking the album on the road, Dream Theater played a sold-out show at London’s Apollo, which was recorded for prosperity.
Released in November 2020, Distant Memories: Live in London, not only featured live tracks from the album but a 20th anniversary celebration of their 1999 concept album, Metropolis, Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory. In 2021, the band returned with A View from the Top of the World. Its seven extended tracks ranged from just over six to 20 minutes and comprised — for the first time in many years — an aural portrait of the band mapping out prog metal architectures and compositions without a guiding concept or theme.
In October 2023, Dream Theater announced the return of founding drummer Mike Portnoy to the lineup before heading to the studio to record their 16th album, Parasomnia. The departure of longtime drummer Mike Mangini (he always claimed to be a temporary replacement) was very amicable with praise and goodwill expressed by all sides. Portnoy, who last recorded with the band on 2009’s Black Clouds & Silver Linings, rejoins guitarist John Petrucci and bassist John Myung — with whom he founded Dream Theater in 1985 at the Berklee College of Music in 1985. The band’s lineup also includes vocalist James LaBrie and keyboardist Jordan Rudess. ~ Craig Harris, Rovi

Hinder + Saliva And More at The Van Buren
2025-02-17 19:30 - 23:30 | The Van Buren, 401 W Van Buren St, Phoenix, AZ, 85003
Hinder began crafting cocky, raucous post-grunge in the early 2000s, when Oklahoma City residents Joe Garvey and drummer Cody Hanson found Austin Winkler singing cover songs at a college party. The three formed the nucleus of Hinder, and the group started landing local gigs opening for such bands as Theory of a Deadman. Lineup changes brought guitarist Mark King and bassist Mike Rodden into the fold, and the quintet signed with Universal after issuing a self-released EP. Their 2005 full-length debut, Extreme Behavior, became one of the year’s most popular albums, climbing to triple-platinum status and sending “Lips of an Angel” to number three on the singles charts. Hinder returned several years later with a second batch of party anthems entitled Take It to the Limit. All American Nightmare arrived in 2010, followed by Welcome to the Freakshow, the group’s fourth studio album, in 2012. Winkler left Hinder in 2013. Jared Weeks filled in for a tour and then the band tested Nolan Neal before settling on Marshal Dutton in 2015. His first album with the band was When the Smoke Clears. Following the 2016 release of an acoustic EP called Stripped, Hinder released their sixth LP, The Reign, in August of 2017. ~ Johnny Loftus, Rovi

After acquiring front man Bobby Amaru in 2011, Saliva became infused with new blood, energy, and spirit. The same energy launched Saliva’s career in 2001 with the release, _Every Six Seconds – a certified Double Platinum-selling album, containing the hits, “Click Click Boom” and 2002 Grammy nominated, “Your Disease.” Saliva’s in-your-face, anthemic writing style continued with a certified Gold-selling album *Back in to Your System_ with hits: “Always,” “Raise Up,” and the Nikki Sixx co-written, “Rest In Pieces.”*
Saliva has been making waves on the charts recently, with their last single “High on Me” climbing its way into the Top 20 on both Mediabase and Billboard charts. Their music continues to resonate with fans and gain recognition in the industry. Saliva’s highly anticipated new album, Revelation, has officially dropped and is now available for streaming on all major platforms! If you’re a fan of hard-hitting rock music, you won’t want to miss this.
Saliva will continue to release music. The new music has a contemporary feel but sticks to the blue collar roots that their fans love.
Saliva is Brad Stewart (bass), Wayne Swinny (guitar), Sammi Jo Bishop (drums) and Bobby Amaru (vocals).

Texas hard rock band, Kingdom Collapse are taking the world by storm with their undeniable songwriting, die-hard fanbase, and will to overcome anything.
The band has SEVEN consecutive rock hits all added to regular rotatation on SiriusXM Octane. Two of which, becoming Top 15 BIG UNS. Alongside the band’s Octane success, several of their singles have charted on the Billboard and Mediabase Top 40 charts for Mainstream Rock, racking up over 40,000,000 streams combined.
Kingdom Collapse has been touring viciously, playing with bands such as Three Days Grace, Nothing More, From Ashes To New, Fame On Fire, Fire From The Gods, etc.
Alongside their non-stop touring schedule, they’ve made festival appearances at Danny Wimmer Presents 2021 Welcome To Rockville Festival, 2022 and 2023 Blue Ridge Rock Fest, and Rockfest 2023.

Jelly Roll at The Birds Nest
2025-02-05 18:00 - 23:30 | The Birds Nest, 8377 E Hartford, Scottsdale, AZ, 85255, United States
GRAMMY nominated singer/songwriter Jelly Roll’s debut Country album, Whitsitt Chapel, secured Top 3 on the Billboard 200 All Genre Chart & #2 on the Top Country Album charts, earning the biggest Country debut album in Billboard Consumption Chart history. Following his sweep at the 2023 CMT Music Awards, the Billboard Country Power List Cover star & “country’s ‘most authentic’ new artist” (The New Yorker) received Billboard’s 2023 Breakthrough Award & the People’s Choice Award for Male Country Artist of the Year. Nominated for Best New Artist & Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “Save Me (with Lainey Wilson)” at the 2024 GRAMMY Awards, along with winning 2024 ACM Music Event of the Year & 2024 iHeartRadio Awards Best New Country & New Pop artist, Jelly Roll is one of three artists to have scored three Country Airplay #1s in 2023 & the first to do it with his first three singles. He’s earned four consecutive #1s at Country radio & is “one of Nashville’s fastest rising stars” (The New York Times). 4X 2023 People’s Choice Country Awards winner & 2023 CMA Awards New Artist of the Year winner, Jelly continues to break boundaries. His #1 hit single “Save Me” set the stage & took him to new heights following his 28-week reign at No. 1 on Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart. Currently on his Beautifully Broken Tour, named for his latest album Beautifully Broken out now, Jelly is sharing new music for his fans including the current radio hit “I Am Not Okay.”

Katastro at Marquee Theatre
2024-10-25 18:00 - 2024-10-26 23:30 | Marquee Theatre, 730 N Mill Ave, Tempe, AZ, 85281, United States
Following their formation in 2007 as high school classmates in suburban Phoenix, Katastro officially introduced themselves with their debut EP in 2008 and their first full-length album the following year. Over the next 13 years, the four-piece – Andy Chaves [vocals], Andrew Stravers [drums], Tanner Riccio [guitar] and Ryan Weddle [bass] – issued a steady stream of music, mostly independently, releasing six full-length albums, various EPs, acoustic sessions, and a live album. Throughout their acclaimed career, Katastro has amassed over 150 million total streams from fans worldwide, garnered media support from the likes of Alternative Press, SPIN, American Songwriter, Substream Magazine, Arizona Republic, and Phoenix New Times, had their song “Under My Tongue” featured in Netflix’s hit show Outer Banks, headlined national tours, supported Dirty Heads, Sublime With Rome, Iration, 311, and Pepper, graced various festival stages, and performed at halftime at a Phoenix Suns game during the NBA Finals. Following the tragic loss of their lead singer, Stravers and Weddle launched The Kamp Podcast in 2023, featuring stories about Andy, behind the scenes tales of life as musicians, the inside scoop on their music, and conversations with special guests.

Phoenix, Arizona based, Fayuca, is ReggaeRock / Latino band fronted by founding member, Gabo. Their sound shifts through genres while blending modern-reggae melodies with Latin percussion, tied seamlessly by razor guitar riffs and progressive rock breakdowns.   Their music has been featured on MTV, Univision, FOX Sports and other popular TV networks. Fayuca’s instrumental, La Venganza was hand picked by movie director Robert Rodriguez to be used as the main title theme to El Rey Network’s original series, MATADOR.   While finishing high school in Tolleson, Arizona, Gabo sparked an interest for writing music and forming a bilingual-rock band. Since their first album release in 2004, Fayuca has launched four studio albums, including Barrio Sideshow released on Fervor Records, which fueled an MTVu launch in 2013. Their songs promote Latino culture, good vibes, and self-identification. Touring insatiably between writing and recording music, Fayuca strives to inspire people around the world by spreading a message of courage, love, and empowerment.

Hailing from San Francisco, CA led by singer/songwriter Ryan Viera, Lot 49 blends sounds and styles that include influences from Pop, Reggae, R&B, & Hip Hop.

Falling in Reverse at Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
2024-10-15 17:30 - 23:30 | Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre, 2121 N 83rd Ave, Phoenix, 85035, United States
FALLING IN REVERSE return with 2024’s Popular Monster, the postmodern trailblazer’s first full-length in seven years. The album arrives armed with no less than three RIAA-certified gold singles (“ZOMBIFIED,” “Voices in My Head,” “Watch the World Burn”), the double-platinum title track, a reimagined nü-metal classic, and six brand new anthems of furious metal, melody, and hip-hop.
Popular Monster is a defiant statement and triumphant victory for singer, songwriter, bandleader, and provocateur Ronnie Radke, who invented Falling In Reverse inside a prison cell.
Radke fills the fifth full-length from Falling In Reverse with invincible and irresistible songs that resonate across generations and genres. Co-produced with longtime collaborator Tyler Smyth (I Prevail, Skillet, Lights), Popular Monster is full of confessional angst, bravado, and clever wordplay.
Ronnie formed a series of pop-punk bands in Las Vegas as a teenager, culminating in the creation of Escape The Fate. The metalcore group’s meteoric rise coincided with the singer’s spiral into addiction. By the time he was sentenced to two years in prison, the band he started had moved on without him. Some fans, critics, and industry types figured his story would end there.

Where most bands erroneously claim wholly distinct identities, Dance Gavin Dance truly defies categorization. The Sacramento based outfit possess the kind of artistic compass shared with broadminded but heavy metal & hardcore-punk rooted iconoclasts like The Mars Volta and Coheed & Cambria, but use it to diverge wildly, charting a new course that incorporates the melodic screamo of Thursday or Taking Back Sunday, with a taste of the earnest pop melancholy of Death Cab For Cutie.
The current & most definitive incarnation of Dance Gavin Dance is responsible for half of the band’s albums.
There’s the angelic & R&B infused highs of the sweet voiced Tilian Pearson; the unhinged guttural growls & chaotic screams of cofounder Jon Mess; the dizzyingly unpredictable arpeggio-led guitar crunch of cofounder Will Swan; the soulful poly-rhythmic backbone of longtime bassist Tim Feerick; & the mind-blowingly powerful nuanced foundation laid by drummer and cofounder Matt Mingus.
Now more than a dozen years on from their inception, Dance Gavin Dance celebrates an insurgent career, in the tradition of iconoclastic artists from Frank Zappa to Nirvana who did what they wanted, how they wanted, confident that an audience would catch-up. Eight studio albums deep, a thriving fanbase champions the band’s irreverent diversity & propulsive power.

Committed to uncompromising expression, with a foundation in hard rock tradition and rule-breaking iconoclasm, Black Veil Brides is a transcendent celebration of life-affirming power and anthemic catharsis. A gothic vision first summoned in a small town by an isolated kid fascinated with death, rock, theatricality, and monsters (both real and imagined), Black Veil Brides is now a postmodern heavy metal institution with a legion of like-minded fans and supporters worldwide.
Black Veil Brides champion the isolated, dismissed and forgotten ever since the band’s inception. That spirit persists in the fully realized modern incarnation of the band. They’re an object of devotion and obsession for those who sing their anthems in unison, a diverse legion who refuse to surrender.

One of the most insane, and impactful legacies in hip-hop belongs to Tech N9ne. He’s bucked every trend, and not only built a culture, but a whole damn world with Strange Music. The craziest thing is how far he’s come since co-founding Strange Music in 2000. The Kansas City, MO rapper has gone from packed Midwest underground shows to the annual Forbes “Cash Kings” list multiple times, the cover of XXL, the playlists of Sir Elton John and Dwayne Johnson, and national commercials for the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. Beyond tallying billions of streams and views, he has scored four platinum singles, three gold singles, and a gold album. He notched 23 entries on the Billboard Top albums Chart and holds the record for “most Top 10 albums on the rap chart.” Tech has cracked the Top 5 of the Billboard Top 200 four times. His collaborators have ranged from Eminem, The Doors, Lil Wayne, Tupac, Boyz II Men, T.I., MGK, and Gary Clark, Jr. to Slipknot, Deftones, and Logic. Mainstream went Tech when he ignited ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel LIVE! Meanwhile, Complex mused upon “How Kendrick Lamar Became a Star With Help From Tech N9ne.” He has sold out hundreds of shows as part of a relentless schedule. He also introduced his own craft beer Bou Lou—in partnership with KC’s own Boulevard Brewery. There’s only one way to describe a rapper with a bigger audience than ever, wilder shows than ever, and crazier flows than ever—and it’s the title of his twenty-second full-length album, ASIN9NE.

Till Lindemann at Rawhide Event Center
2024-10-12 17:00 - 23:30 | Rawhide Event Center, 5700 W North Loop Rd, Chandler, AZ, 85226, United States
The association with Rammstein is, of course, obvious. But Till Lindemann has long been an interesting solo artist. The variety of styles and inventiveness of his own productions never cease to amaze. Till Lindemann is a real pop culture one-off, constantly exploring new things, not only as a musician but also as an author of poems or as a visual artist. Till’s common denominator is surprise, with zero musical reservations.

Dubbed the Satanic doo wop band, Twin Temple showcases the gritty sounds of leaders Alexandra and Zachary James. The duo gained cult status in 2016 with their debut, Bring You Their Signature Sound…Satanic Doo-Wop, which featured their soulfully kitschy mix of old-school R&B, pop, and rock.
Hailing from Los Angeles, Twin Temple came together on Halloween 2016 after married couple and creative partners Alexandra and Zachary James wanted to combine their love of traditional R&B and rock & roll with their practice of Satanism. The couple initially met in 2008 when singer Alexandra (née Alexandra Lee) brought guitarist Zachary into her ’70s glitter rock-influenced band Alexandra & the Starlight Band. Over the next few years, they developed the Twin Temple sound, drawing upon a pastiche of influences from classic girl groups like the Marvelettes to the rootsy guitar rock of Chuck Berry and the Satanic pop iconography of the Misfits and Screamin’ Jay Hawkins. In 2018, they issued their debut album, Bring You Their Signature Sound…Satanic Doo-Wop, which was recorded in mono over a quick two-day session. The standalone single “Satan Is a Woman” arrived in 2019. ~ Matt Collar, Rovi

Aesthetic Perfection is a 100% independent industrial pop project made up of Los Angeles-born, Austrian-based producer Daniel Graves and New York based drummer Joe Letz. Over a career spanning 22 years, seven full-length albums, and numerous singles and music videos, Graves and crew have reinvented dark electro, combining industrial, pop, goth, and everything in between. The instability of the music business in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic led to the launch of the “12 Singles in 12 Months” project, which challenged Graves to write and release one new song every month throughout the course of 2021. This ambitious project spawned the band’s biggest hit yet, “S E X”, along with numerous placements on iTunes charts across the globe. The success of this endeavor further demonstrated Aesthetic Perfection’s fearless tenacity, along with their ability to adapt to, and find growth in, any circumstance.
The project culminated with the release of MMXXI, a collection of all the year’s singles, on June 3rd, 2022.
With the world reopening, Aesthetic Perfection is poised and ready for whatever comes next.

Skillet + Seether at Mesa Amphitheatre
2024-10-11 16:30 - 23:30 | Mesa Amphitheatre, 263 N. Center St, Mesa, AZ, 85201, United States
After nearly three decades, eleven albums, and thousands of shows worldwide, Skillet play louder, fight harder, and sound more rebellious than ever. As of 2024, the band have received two-time GRAMMY® Award nominations, picked up a Billboard Music Award, and landed three albums in the Top 5 of the Billboard 200. Selling over 22 million units worldwide, they have notched multiplatinum, platinum, or gold RIAA certifications for a total of 12 singles and four full-length albums. Not to mention, they have regularly attracted 10 million monthly listeners on Spotify, boasting “one of the most-streamed rock songs of all-time” with the 5x-platinum “Monster.” Their presence has impressively surged throughout popular culture with syncs by WWE, Marvel, ESPN, and NFL in addition to coverage from USA Today, The New York Times, and more. As a live force of nature, they have touched down on four continents and in 26 countries, packing arenas everywhere from the Middle East to Russia. Not to mention, Skillet expanded their world with the graphic novel series EDEN. The first installment stood out as Z2 Comics’ best-selling book of all-time. Now, the global hard rock quartet—John Cooper [lead vocals, bass], Korey Cooper [guitar, keys], Jen Ledger [drums, vocals], and Seth Morrison [lead guitar]—deliver an insurgent, infectious, and inimitable body of work with their twelfth full-length offering and first-ever independent album, Revolution, led by the single “Unpopular.”

Since forming in Pretoria, South Africa in 1999, SEETHER has amassed a global fan base that has grown organically with the quartet’s sense of purpose and commitment spreading outwards, offering their fans around the world camaraderie, comfort and a sense of personal power. While others of their ilk faded away, SEETHER maintains a strong sense of self, ignoring trends and critics in favor of a consummate devotion to their craft. Their impressive sales and chart history includes three platinum and two gold albums, 15 #1 singles; 19 Top 5 multi-format hits, with US singles sales topping 17 million and over 1.5 billion streams world-wide across all platforms.
Three years after releasing their critically acclaimed record Poison The Parish, multi-platinum selling rock band SEETHER announced their highly anticipated return with the new album, Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum on August 28th, 2020 via Fantasy Records. Translating to “If You Want Peace, Prepare For War,” the album features 13 new tracks, a primal mix of euphoria and misery, undoubtedly some of the strongest material of SEETHER’s illustrious career, including the beautifully tormented first single “Dangerous”. The band is joined on the album by newest member, Corey Lowery (ex-guitarist/vocalist for Saint Ansonia and Stuck Mojo) Morgan’s friend of 16 years, who also assistant-engineered the album. SEETHER’s rock-solid rhythm section is bassist and founding member Dale Stewart, and drummer John Humphrey (who joined in 2003.)

Iron Maiden + The HU at Footprint Center
2024-10-09 19:30 - 23:30 | Mortgage Matchup Center, 201 E Jefferson St, Phoenix, AZ, 85004, United States
Iron Maiden are an institution. Over 50 years they’ve come to embody a spirit of fearless creative independence, spectacular live shows, ferocious dedication to their fans, and a cheerful indifference to their critics that’s won them a colossal worldwide following.
Their epic discography includes the studio albums ‘Iron Maiden, ‘Killers’, ‘The Number Of The Beast’, ‘Piece Of Mind’, ‘Powerslave, ‘Somewhere In Time’, and ‘Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son’ right up to their 17th outing – ‘Senjutsu.’ That celebrated catalogue has inspired many classic such as ‘The Trooper’, ‘Wasted Years’, ‘Hallowed Be Thy Name’, ‘The Number Of The Beast’, ‘Wasting Love’, ‘Run To The Hills’, ‘Aces High’, ‘Rime Of The Ancient Mariner’ and ‘2 Minutes to Midnight’. 2024 sees the conclusion of their The Future Past world tour ahead of their newly announced Run For Your Lives tour in 2025/26, celebrating the group’s 50th anniversary. It will include some of the largest venues the band has ever played.

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 & unique musical identity of The HU. Founded in 2016 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, The HU blend traditional Mongolian instrumentation & throat singing with Western rock in what they call “Hunnu Rock.” Their debut album, 2019 ‘s The Gereg, debuted at #1 on the World Album and Top New Artist Charts while receiving critical acclaim from the likes of Billboard, GQ, The Guardian, The Independent, Revolver, & Sir Elton John. It saw the band receive Mongolia’s highest state award, The Order of Genghis Khan, by the President of Mongolia. A deluxe version included collaborations with Jacoby Shaddix (Papa Roach) and Lzzy Hale (Halestorm) & caught the attention of Metallica who enlisted them to cover “Through The Never” for their 2021 Metallica Blacklist album. THE HU were also featured performing an original song for EA Games’ Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Their second album, Rumble Of Thunder, was released in 2022 following sold-out tours across the world in North America, Europe, Asia, & Australia including festival appearances at Coachella, Lollapalooza, Download Festival and more. In November 2022, The HU became the first-ever rock/metal band to receive the prestigious UNESCO “Artist of Peace” Designation. A deluxe version of RUMBLE OF THUNDER is due in 2023 via Better Noise Music.

Korn at Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
2024-10-03 18:30 - 23:30 | Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre, 2121 N 83rd Ave, Phoenix, 85035, United States
KORN changed the world with the release of their self-titled debut album. It was a record that would pioneer a genre, while the band’s enduring success points to a larger cultural moment. The FADER notes, “There was an unexpected opening in the pop landscape and KORN articulated a generational coming-of-angst for a claustrophobic, self-surveilled consciousness. KORN became the soundtrack for a generation’s arrival as a snarling, thrashing, systemically-restrained freak show.” Since forming, KORN has sold 40 million albums worldwide, collected two GRAMMYS, toured the world countless times, and set many records in the process that will likely never be surpassed. Vocalist Jonathan Davis, guitarists James “Munky” Shaffer and Brian “Head” Welch, bassist Reginald “Fieldy” Arvizu, and drummer Ray Luzier, have continued to push the limits of the rock, alternative and metal genres, while remaining a pillar of influence for legions of fans and generations of artists around the globe. The level of KORN’s reach transcends accolades and platinum certifications. They are “a genuine movement in a way bands cannot be now,” attests The Ringer. They represent a new archetype and radical innovation, their ability to transcend genre makes barriers seem irrelevant.

Taking their name from the original Japanese pronunciation of Godzilla, French heavy metal quartet Gojira have risen from the utmost obscurity during the first half of their career to widespread global recognition in the second. Combining elements of thrash, death, math, groove, progressive, and post-metal with philosophical and environment-themed lyrics, the band found mainstream favor in 2012 with the release of their fifth long-player L’Enfant Sauvage and doubled-down on that success with 2016’s Grammy-nominated Magma and 2021’s hard-hitting and versatile Fortitude.
Originating from the town of Bayonne on France’s southernmost Atlantic Ocean coastline, Gojira recorded the first in a sequence of almost yearly demos in 1996, gradually honing their sound until the year 2000, when bandmembers Joe Duplantier (vocals/guitar), Christian Andreu (guitar), Jean-Michel Labadie (bass), and Mario Duplantier (drums), felt ready to record their first album, Terra Incognita, relying solely on their own devices. And despite its independent status, the aptly named LP made significant waves with its unpredictable blend of death, thrash, groove, progressive, and math metal — recalling bands as diverse as Pantera, Meshuggah, Suffocation, and Sepultura.
It still took several years (and a curious detour into soundtrack music on 2003’s Maciste All Inferno EP) for the metal world to catch on, and even Gojira’s second album, The Link, had to be released through the tiny independent Boycott Records before being reissued by Listenable. (This was followed by 2004’s The Link Alive live album and corresponding video set, whose audio component was limited to 500 copies — a parting shot for Boycott.) Now finally gathering steam, Gojira saw their third full-length, From Mars to Sirius, enter the French charts at number 44, while collecting the most enthusiastic reviews of their career — a level of acclaim that led, in turn, to numerous key European festival appearances, and lengthy European and North American tours with Obituary, Hatesphere, Children of Bodom, and Machine Head, to name but a few.
By the end of the long promotional cycle for From Mars to Sirius, Gojira were widely acknowledged as a force to be reckoned with, on-stage and in the studio, and their much anticipated fourth LP, The Way of All Flesh (released stateside by Prosthetic Records), made a strong showing by debuting at number 138 on the American charts in October 2008. The extensive touring schedule that Gojira then undertook meant that fans would have to wait nearly four years for the band’s next studio album, although they did get the expansive The Flesh Alive video set to tide them over. In 2012, the band moved up to the big leagues, signing to major-label Roadrunner for the release of L’Enfant Sauvage (“The Wild Child”), inspired by the Truffaut film of the same name. It earned wide critical praise, as well as a Top 40 showing on the U.S., Canadian, Swedish, and French charts. Long years of touring and occasional recording — including another live album, Les Enfants Sauvages — were followed by the release of Gojira’s acclaimed sixth album, Magma, which was released in 2016 and earned the band a pair of nominations at the 2017 Grammy Awards. Four years later, Gojira returned with Fortitude, which was preceded by the arrival of the dynamic Eastern philosophy-inspired single “Born for One Thing.” The full-length topped the streaming charts upon its release, and the track “Amazonia” was nominated for a Grammy Award. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, Rovi

Spiritbox is a Canadian alternative metal/djent band from Victoria, British Columbia, formed in 2017. Having toured the world as members of the eccentrically iconic metal band iwrestledabearonce, vocalist Courtney LaPlante (a member of IWABO since 2012) and guitarist Michael Stringer (a member since 2015) wanted to take their intensely personal and technical musical focus in a new creative and personal direction. This now-husband-and-wife team have worked extremely hard at incorporating Courtney’s sense of vocal style and lyrical quality, hovering over Michael’s exquisitely forceful guitar riffs in their new band, SPIRIT BOX.
A Spirit Box is a device that uses common radio frequencies as a bridge of communication with the spiritual realm. Spiritual entities wishing to communicate with the human world select certain words from music/advertisement/talk radio to communicate. It is within this paradigm that Spirit Box’s new self-titled EP takes its name and musical theme. The band digitalized an EVP recording from an actual spirit box and incorporated the background static heard in every track on the EP, tying the tracks together and giving the entire project a specific commonality.
Courtney describes their latest effort this way, “Personally this record is really important for me because I finally was able to sing a lot. For Michael and me, it is our first collaborative effort since getting married and we wanted every song to reflect our commitment to structure and lyrical emotion, yet still maintain a distinct vibrancy and sound. The first four songs are one long piece meant to be listened to together. They are called ‘The Mara Effect.’”
Adds Michael, “We just wanted to focus on the material, and show our talents as seasoned professionals, but at the same time reflect what lies ahead, within a young and fresh vibe, not something from grizzly old jaded musicians.”
Having written songs for IWABO’s last two EPs, Courtney’s musical focus has always been on lyrics that reflect meaning to her and while also speaking to her listeners, often agonizing over a single word choice in order to convey the exact imagery or message she wants to convey. With Spirit Box’s debut EP, the tracks continue that commitment to both lyric and establishing a coherent sound, continuing a narrative that colors each song to complete a framework that Courtney hopes conveys a specific musical message. Fans definitely won’t need a spirit box to receive their musical messages. It’s all about the love. And obsession.

Green Day + The Smashing Pumpkins and More at Chase Field
2024-09-18 17:00 - 23:30 | Chase Field, 401 E Jefferson St, Phoenix, AZ, 85003, United States
Equal parts pop phenomenon and defiant pioneering punk juggernaut, Green Day is a band that defies category. But with millions of fans scattered across the world and an almost unbelievable career that’s been reinvented multiple times over the span of decades, the California band has proven it doesn’t need to be labelled to be successful. Alongside other intrepid bands like Bad Religion, Rancid and The Offspring, Green Day is credited for ushering punk music into the mainstream in the 1990’s.
With over 85 million albums sold and a spot in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, Green Day’s story becomes nothing short of miraculous when you consider the band’s origins. When Billie Joe Armstrong and Mike Dirnt were just 14 years old, they formed a band called Sweet Children in 1986 working with a drummer named John Kiffmeyer. The band inked a deal with Lookout! Records two years later, releasing an EP called 1,000 Hours and changing their name to Green Day, a nod to the musicians’ love for marijuana. Kiffmeyer left the band soon after in 1990 and was replaced by drummer Tré Cool, a drummer who previously played in another California band The Lookouts. Cool has been an integral part of Green Day ever since.
In 1991, Kerplunk was released, which sold an incredible 50,000 copies initially in the U.S. Now considered one of the best-selling independent albums of all time, Kerplunk has sold almost 2 million copies internationally. The album’s success brought Green Day opportunities to tour across the United States and Europe and attention from major labels. After signing with Reprise Records, the band started working with Rob Cavallo, who’d go on to produce Dookie, Insomniac, Nimrod, American Idiot and Uno/Dos/Tre. The band admired the work Cavallo did with pop-punk band The Muffs, and claimed to have formed a tight bond and musical repour from the very beginning of the relationship. It was around this time when Green Day began to feel alienated by the northern California punk scene.
Not punk enough for traditional punk fans and not accessible enough to be considered a conventional rock band, Green Day’s success was built by forging a unique musical path on their own terms. The landmark album Dookie was released in 1994, a record Fuse Magazine called “the most important pop-punk album of all time.” With the massive popularity of singles like “Longview”, “Basket Case”, and “When I Come Around,” the album sold more than 10 million copies in the U.S., making Green Day became a bona fide musical phenomenon. Spots at festivals like Lollapalooza and Woodstock ‘94 and a Grammy Award for Best Alternative Album followed soon after. A year later in 1995, the band’s fourth studio album Insomniac was released, which was received warmly by critics.
The band took a couple of years off to regroup after the unexpected success they’d experienced and released Nimrod in 1997, which represented a major musical departure for the group. The acoustic folk single “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” became a major international success, appearing in many TV shows, films and countless high school proms and graduations. In 2000, Green Day released Warning and performed a free concert on the steps of San Francisco city hall to protest the practice of artists being evicted from their homes in the city. Three years later, the band recorded an entire album of 20 tracks, only to have the masters stolen from the studio upon completion. Rather than re-record the album, Green Day scrapped the album, deciding that it wasn’t their best work. The punk rock opera American Idiot was released in 2004 instead, stunning fans and critics alike not only by the album’s ambitious concept but also with its remarkable success. Selling over 6 million copies in the U.S., the album won the 2005 Grammy Award for Best Rock Album and is considered one of the most influential pieces of protest art from the Bush era.
21st Century Breakdown was released in 2009 after Green Day’s longest hiatus between albums. The album was a hit with critics and represented the group’s best chart performance ever. A stage creation of American Idiot debuted on Broadway a year later. A series of albums called ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, and ¡Tré! were released in 2012, and in June 2013, the band broke a record by selling 60,000 tickets for a show at the Emirates Stadium in the U.K. Green Day’s 12th studio album Revolution Radio was released in 2016 followed by a massive international tour.

The Smashing Pumpkins are one of the most iconic, and influential bands of all time, shaping alternative music and culture. Since forming in Chicago in 1988, the group have sold over 30 million albums worldwide and garnered two GRAMMY® Awards, two MTV VMAs, and an American Music Award. Their catalog includes seminal offerings such as the platinum Gish [1991], the quadruple-platinum Siamese Dream [1993], the diamond-certified Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness [1995], the platinum Adore [1998], and the gold Machina/The Machines of God [2000]. Rolling Stone cited both Siamese Dream and Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness among its “500 Greatest Albums of All Time.” 2018 saw The Smashing Pumpkins unveil SHINY AND OH SO BRIGHT, VOL. 1 / LP: NO PAST. NO FUTURE. NO SUN. and launch the immensely successful Shiny and Oh So Bright Tour, which packed arenas. Maintaining this momentum, the band released their eleventh full-length double album CYR [2020], representing yet another evolution, and more recently, ATUM[2023], the sequel to 1995’s Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness and 2000’s Machina/Machine of God. The band’s forthcoming 2024 album, AGHORI MHORI MEI, in the immediate aftermath of ATUM, sees a return to form for original members Billy Corgan, Jimmy Chamberlin, and James Iha, and harkens back to the band’s early 90’s canon; where guitars, bass, drums, and spiking vocals ruled.

Emerging from the blue-collar swamps of Berkeley, California, Rancid has now been a living, breathing punk rock band for over a quarter century.
Back in 1991, after the demise of their much beloved and still influential first band, Operation Ivy, founding members Tim Armstrong (vocals, guitar) and Matt Freeman (bass, vocals) decided to do the impossible — start an even better band. Thus, Rancid.
In 1995, Rancid released the classic platinum-selling “…And Out Come The Wolves.” . They followed with the even more ambitious “Life Won’t Wait” in 1998, and in 2000, Rancid released another album entitled “Rancid,” just to see if anyone was paying attention.
After “Indestructible” in 2003, Branden Steineckert (drums) joined to solidify Rancid’s current line-up. They subsequently released the albums “Let The Dominos Fall” (2009), “Honor Is All We Know” (2014), and “Trouble Maker” (2017).
Through it all, Rancid has remained fiercely independent, never losing their loyalty to community or each other. Their music confronts political and social issues, while balancing personal tales of love, loss, and heartbreak with attitude. Rancid gives their listeners a community where everyone can belong. By carrying on the traditions and spirit of the original punk rock bands that came before, Rancid has become a legend an inspiration to punk bands that have come after. They are the living embodiment of East Bay punk.

No Obligation, the second full-length release from The Linda Lindas further advances their unironic, joyful, and exciting trajectory of mashing up L.A. punk with post punk, garage rock, power pop, new wave and rock en español. Written and recorded by the band during spring breaks, winter breaks, and long weekends (Lucia and bassist Eloise Wong are still in high school, drummer Mila de la Garza just finished middle school, and Bela Salazar is patiently waiting for them to get done with it already), the new album has been in the works for the last two years whenever they weren’t at school or touring. “I don’t got no obligation,” roars Eloise in the opening, title track of the album – “just brush off all expectation.” From the first moment of their sophomore release it is clear that The Linda Lindas are here to defy expectations and challenge norms. Since going viral with their LA Public Library performance of their song “Racist, Sexist, Boy” the world has watched these four musicians scream about injustice, sing about growing up and exhibit the kind of altruism that is so meaningful to the punk scene.

Stephen Sanchez + The Brook & The Bluff at Arizona Financial Theatre
2024-09-17 20:00 - 23:30 | Arizona Financial Theatre, 400 W Washington St, Phoenix, AZ, 85004, United States
“Now, listen here folks…our story begins 59 long years ago at a club called “The Angel”…and that club was owned by a no good, rotten Mob Boss by the name of “Hunter”. And it was there that a young buck Troubadour would meet Hunter’s angel-faced gal…Evangeline. Drawn by forbidden love, the pair would spark up a secret romance that would land the two souls in…well…hot water. But, before the hot water folks, Angel Face is out now for your listening pleasure.”
The Troubadour Sanchez will return…

In recent years, The Brook & The Bluff’s incandescent harmonies, winning arrangements, and observational acumen have placed them firmly at the center of the indie-folk revival. They are now, by far, one of the most successful young bands at folk-rock’s amorphous contemporary edge, fusing the craft of the past with the ideas and avenues of the present. Renowned for their electrifying live performances, the band has made a name for themselves on the live circuit, playing electric sets at Bonnaroo, Hangout, Firefly, and Wonderfront. Having previously toured with Mt. Joy, Noah Kahan, and Rainbow Kitten Surprise, among others, they followed this up with a 2023 headline tour that saw sold-out shows in major markets across the country.

Last year, the group released their latest full-length record, Bluebeard. The album is a career defining record for the band and the early fan response suggests it will be a breakthrough moment for them. Singles “Long Limbs,” “Tangerine,” “Headfirst,”& “Hiding,” all tracks that show the depth of this album, a mix of indie folk, fused with touches of funk and deep grooves.

Slipknot + Knocked Loose at Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
2024-09-15 19:00 - 23:30 | Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre, 2121 N 83rd Ave, Phoenix, 85035, United States
Released on June 29th, 1999, Slipknot’s self-titled debut was a smash, becoming a hit with critics and an instant classic with fans. It was, and is, a molotov cocktail signaling a revolution– embracing a creative direction that eschewed metal traditions in favor of fresh ideas. While the jaw-clenching riffs coupled with Ross Robinson’s venomous production were crucial to the album’s success, it was the care and attention to detail in the songcraft that moved the needle from “great” to “benchmark.” Not too shabby for a bunch of guys that only hoped to be heard. “We loved what we did with the first record but we didn’t even know if there was gonna be anything after that,” recalls guitarist Jim Root. “We just wanted people to hear it. Selling out of records and shows, having successful tours– those are goals for any band. But the dream scenario in some ways, came true for us.”
The infection spreads deeper and wider into 2024 and 2025, but Slipknot are not giving details as to what to expect. But it wouldn’t be Slipknot if they didn’t exceed fan expectations. “We have five OG members and lots of family in Slipknot,” recalls Clown. “We want to acknowledge what we are, where we came from and what we accomplished. We’re just Slipknot. We’re here to be. And we’re still walking uphill– it hasn’t leveled off. But you can definitely believe we’re already thinking about what’s next and next after that.”

As Knocked Loose chipped away at what would become their 3rd album, they felt the pressure from all sides. Internally, there was the need to challenge themselves as songwriters while retaining the merciless intensity and unflinching honesty that have always been their calling cards. Externally, there was a whole new set of eyes on the Louisville quintet, following a banner year in which they’d brought their underground-seasoned sound to some of the world’s biggest stages such as Coachella and Bonnaroo.
The creative process was arduous, writing close to 40 songs across a span of 4 years before locking in the 10 tracks that make up new LP You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To. In the end, vocalist Bryan Garris, guitarists Isaac Hale & Nicko Calderon, bassist Kevin Otten & drummer Kevin “Pac Sun” Kaine honed a diverse, cohesive and savagely intense album that both sums up the massive strides they’ve taken during their decade as a band, & asserts their boundless potential going forward.
There’s no ceiling for hardcore in 2024 — even an outfit as uncompromising as Knocked Loose can turn up in mainstream-adjacent spaces and win over new fans. But there’s a center to what they do that will never change: uncompromising heaviness, sonically & thematically. Everywhere Knocked Loose have been is here on this record — but so is everywhere they may yet go.

Bush + Jerry Cantrell at Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
2024-09-14 18:00 - 23:30 | Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre, 2121 N 83rd Ave, Phoenix, 85035, United States
After three decades, well over 20 million records sold, a GRAMMY® Award nomination, 1 billion streams, and a procession of #1 hits, BUSH stand tall as rock outliers whose imprint only widens as the years pass. Turn on rock radio, and it won’t be long before you hear “Glycerine” or “Machinehead.” On the big screen, their music courses through blockbuster franchises such as John Wick. On the road, they regularly pack amphitheaters and ignite festival stages. In 1994, the group delivered their seminal debut, Sixteen Stone. It notably achieved a six-times platinum certification, remaining a pillar of modern rock. The triple-platinum follow-up, Razorblade Suitcase, bowed at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 and boasted “Swallowed,” which garnered a GRAMMY® nomination in the category of “Best Hard Rock Performance.” Their catalog spans the platinum The Science of Things [1999] through Black and White Rainbows [2017]. Most recently, 2020’s The Kingdom arrived to acclaim highlighted by “Flowers On A Grave” and “Bullet Holes.” Thus far, they have notched 25 straight Top 40 hits on the Modern Rock and Mainstream Rock charts, earning seven #1 entries – most recently, 2022’s “More Than Machines”. As indefatigable as ever, they’re still here too, which brings us to their ninth full-length offering, The Art of Survival. The twelve new tracks aren’t just the sound of a band surviving though; they’re the sound of a band bucking trends, breaking ground, and besting even their most celebrated canon.

His vocals, melodies, and riffs are as instantly recognizable as they are powerful, nuanced, and eclectic. Both a disciple of the hard rock tradition and a massive influence on subsequent generations of artists, Jerry Cantrell straddles the line between earnest salt-of-the-earth songwriter and beloved living legend.
His fourth solo album I Want Blood arrives with all the aggression and heavy, inexhaustible stomp its title suggests. The follow-up to the best-reviewed solo album of Cantrell’s career (2021’s Brighten) further expands his musical palette without sacrificing any of his inescapably infectious melodic hooks. “Vilified,” which opens the album, is an anthem, a mission statement, kicking off I Want Blood with attitude.
Cantrell’s mountain of work as a solo artist and chief songwriter, guitarist, and co-vocalist in Alice In Chains stands tall in influence and respect. He’s collaborated with Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne, Danzig, and Deftones (among others). He’s contributed to music heard in films by Academy Award-winner Cameron Crowe and Judd Apatow and entries in the John Wick and Spider-Man franchises. Rolling Stone named the multi-platinum Tacoma, Washington native one of the greatest guitar players of all time. His catalog mines the best of metal, rock, blues, and Americana.

Seattle’s Candlebox emerged just as the early-’90s grunge scene was winding down. The band’s take on the genre diluted the punk and indie elements inherent in its original form and was more rooted in the bluesy, classic-style hard rock that grunge had ostensibly replaced. They found mainstream success in 1993 with the release of their eponymous debut album, which was certified quadruple platinum and included the hit singles “You” and “Far Behind.” The band issued two more records before ceasing operations in 2000 but re-formed six years later. Since then, Candlebox has remained both active and prolific, releasing well-received efforts like Into the Sun (2008), Disappearing in Airports (2016), and Wolves (2021) that show how the more challenging aspects of grunge can be ironed out and polished into a sound that mainstream rock radio can embrace without reservation. The group said farewell with their 2023 album The Long Goodbye.
Candlebox were formed in Seattle in 1990 by singer/guitarist Kevin Martin, a native of Elgin, Illinois who’d grown up partly in San Antonio, and drummer Scott Mercado. Initially calling the band Uncle Duke, they added lead guitarist Peter Klett and bassist Bardi Martin (no relation to Kevin) and changed the group’s name to Candlebox, after a line in a Midnight Oil song. Their demo tape found its way to Madonna‘s Maverick label, which quickly resulted in a record deal in 1992. Candlebox’s self-titled debut was released in 1993, and while the first single, “Change,” began to build them a following, it wasn’t until 1994, when the follow-up, “You,” appeared, that Candlebox really started to take off. “You” gave them a breakthrough hit on mainstream rock radio, which set the stage for the success of “Far Behind,” essentially a power ballad for the grunge era. “Far Behind” was a major hit on both mainstream and alternative radio, and made the pop Top 20; its exposure helped Candlebox climb into the Top Ten on the LP chart and eventually sell over three-million copies.
By the time Candlebox returned with their second album, 1995’s Lucy, the backlash was already in full swing. Partly because of the group’s previous momentum, the lead single, “Simple Lessons,” earned some rock radio airplay, and the album itself went gold and barely missed the Top Ten. However, it was largely ignored or dismissed by much of the mainstream media, and was ultimately hurt by a relative lack of memorable songs. In 1997, founding member Mercado left the band and was replaced by original Pearl Jam drummer Dave Krusen. Candlebox’s third album, Happy Pills, appeared in 1998 and marked a return to the more basic sound of their debut. “It’s Alright,” “10,000 Horses,” and the title cut all landed some airplay, but the album sold poorly; by this time, countless bands were working in a similar style, and Candlebox’s early momentum had long since dissipated. Krusen departed in 1999, as did Bardi Martin; they were replaced by Shannon Larkin (ex-Ugly Kid Joe) and Rob Redick, respectively, but the group disbanded the following year. The original lineup of Martin, Klett, and Mercado re-formed for a handful of shows in 2006 to support the release of Rhino’s Best of Candlebox compilation. The overall positive reunion stirred rumors of a new studio album, culminating in 2008’s Into the Sun. In 2012, the band inked a deal with AudiNext/Fontana, which released their fifth studio album, Love Stories and Other Musings. In 2015, Peter Klett and Scott Mercado announced they were leaving Candlebox to devote more time to their other project, Lotus Crush. A few months later, Kevin Martin and Dave Krusen unveiled a new edition of the band, featuring new guitarists Mike Leslie and Brian Quinn, and bassist Adam Kury. Disappearing in Airports, the band’s first outing for Pavement Music, was released the following year. In 2018 the original lineup reconvened for a pair of shows celebrating the 25th anniversary of their debut album, and in 2021 the band unveiled their seventh full-length effort, Wolves.
After releasing the single “This Time Tomorrow” in 2022, Candlebox issued Live at the Neptune Theatre early in 2023, setting the stage for their final album, the aptly titled The Long Goodbye. ~ Steve Huey & James Christopher Monger, Rovi

Five Finger Death Punch + Marilyn Manson at Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
2024-09-10 18:30 - 23:30 | Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre, 2121 N 83rd Ave, Phoenix, 85035, United States
FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH have amassed over 7.6 billion streams and 3 billion video views to date and have sold over 1 million tickets between 2018 and 2020 alone. Signed to Better Noise Music, they’ve garnered 25 top 10 hit singles and 15 #1 singles and are one of the top global streaming acts in the hard rock space. Five Finger Death Punch has the longest run of leading consecutive entries in the history of Mainstream Rock Airplay, which began in 1981. Having become one of the most recognizable names in music, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH frequently play all major festivals and sell out arenas around the world. Since their debut album, The Way of the Fist came out in 2007 the band has released seven consecutive albums that were certified Gold or Platinum by the RIAA, as well as two chart topping Greatest Hits albums. In addition, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH has earned numerous national and international awards and honors over the last decade, such as the prestigious Soldier Appreciation Award by the Association Of The United States Army, an honor bestowed upon only one other recording artist before them: Elvis Presley. ‘AFTERLIFE’ 2022 – “AfterLife”, the first single off the album, peaked number one on the Mainstream Rock chart, along with “Times Like These” and “Welcome to the Circus”.

Controversial rock frontman Marilyn Manson became a mainstream antihero in the 1990s — much to the chagrin of conservative politicians, religious leaders, and concerned parents — ruffling feathers and shocking the masses with his dark brand of glam-influenced industrial metal, outspoken social commentary, and incendiary live shows. The self-proclaimed “Antichrist Superstar,” he peddled a disquieting vision of society that focused on sex, drugs, violence, politics, and organized religion, which pushed many of his singles — including “The Dope Show,” “The Beautiful People,” and a cover of Eurythmics‘ “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” — into the upper reaches of the modern rock charts during the late ’90s and early 2000s. During his band’s commercial peak, the conceptual triptych of Antichrist Superstar, Mechanical Animals, and Holy Wood won him a legion of die-hard fans while also attracting media attention and cultural notoriety. Following 2003’s The Golden Age of Grotesque, Manson entered his next era with a trio of releases that marked a downturn in mainstream popularity and sales. However, at the turn of the following decade, he staged a surprising late-era comeback with a string of critically acclaimed albums: The Pale Emperor (2015), Heaven Upside Down (2017), and We Are Chaos (2020).
Born Brian Warner, Manson was raised in Canton, Ohio. At the age of 18, he relocated to Tampa Bay, Florida, where he worked as a music journalist. In 1989, he became friends with guitarist and fellow outsider Scott Mitchell; the two soon decided to form a band, with Mitchell rechristening himself Daisy Berkowitz and Warner adopting the name Marilyn Manson. With the addition of bassist Gidget Gein and keyboardist Madonna Wayne Gacy, the group — originally dubbed Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids — began self-releasing cassettes and playing gigs, their gothic stage shows notable for Manson’s elaborate makeup and homemade special effects. Jettisoning their drum machine in favor of Sara Lee Lucas, the band’s sound began taking on a harder edge, and by 1992 they were among the most popular and notorious acts in the South Florida underground.
In 1993, Nine Inch Nails‘ Trent Reznor came calling, offering both a contract with his Nothing Records label as well as the chance to open for NIN the following spring; Manson accepted both offers, and the group’s debut LP, Portrait of an American Family, appeared during the summer of 1994. With new bassist Twiggy Ramirez replacing Gein, the group’s notoriety soared. Most infamously, during an appearance in Salt Lake City, Manson ripped apart a copy of the Book of Mormon while on-stage. The Church of Satan’s founder, Anton LaVey, also bestowed upon him the title of “Reverend,” further stoking conservatives’ fears. Manson’s cult following continued to swell, and the band broke into the mainstream with the release of 1995’s Smells Like Children EP, propelled by their enduring hit cover of Eurythmics‘ “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This).” Berkowitz quit a short time later and was replaced by guitarist Zim Zum, and the revised group saw their next LP, 1996’s conceptual opus Antichrist Superstar, debut at the number three spot on the pop album charts and sell nearly two million copies in the U.S. alone. Produced by Trent Reznor, the multi-platinum Antichrist Superstar became the band’s most influential and defining statement. As Manson’s popularity grew, so did the furor surrounding him. His concerts were regularly picketed by civic groups, and his music was the subject of widespread attacks from right-wing and religious fronts.
Manson continued to court controversy in 1998 with the glam-inspired Mechanical Animals, which included cover art depicting the singer as a naked androgynous alien. The album became the band’s first to top the charts and spawned the singles “The Dope Show” and “I Don’t Like the Drugs (But the Drugs Like Me).” While the resulting tour yielded a live album, Last Tour on Earth, the trek was cut short in early 1999 after the band was erroneously blamed for influencing the perpetrators of the Columbine High School massacre. Out of respect for the public, the band retreated from the spotlight and returned to the studio.
The third and final part of a thematic album triptych, Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death) arrived at the end of 2000, just barely missing the Top Ten. One of Manson’s most sprawling conceptual pieces, the politically charged Holy Wood included the singles “Disposable Teens” and “The Fight Song.” The band returned to the road and toured to support the album during much of 2001. That December, Manson’s version of “Tainted Love” appeared on the Not Another Teen Movie soundtrack, becoming an unexpected European chart hit.
Freed from the mythology of his prior trio of albums, Manson found inspiration for his fifth effort in the sounds of burlesque, cabaret, and the excess of Weimar-era Germany. Longtime bassist Twiggy Ramirez amicably left the group before recording and his spot was filled by Tim Skold (ex-KMFDM). The result was 2003’s The Golden Age of Grotesque, which spent a week atop the album charts and ended up on several critics’ year-end Top Ten lists. The singles “This Is the New Shit” and “Mobscene” also became live staples for years to come, debuted on the accompanying Grotesk Burlesk tour. As the Grotesque period drew to a close, so too did the stints of longtime members Madonna Wayne Gacy and John 5, who left the group between album releases. The following year, another symbolic end to the era arrived in the form of a greatest-hits affair titled Lest We Forget. The collection covered the band’s career highlights — from Portrait’s first single “Get Your Gunn” to a 2004 cover version of Depeche Mode‘s “Personal Jesus” — and earned gold status in multiple countries. At this point, Manson began to branch out from music, displaying his watercolor paintings at art exhibitions, dabbling in filmmaking, and producing his own absinthe.
With the curtains closed on his peak mainstream period, Manson’s output also took an inward turn, thematically shifting from the grandiose concepts of his peak mainstream period to more personal statements. This next stage began with 2007’s Eat Me, Drink Me. Debuting a darker emotional perspective and an increase in singing, the record was written, performed, and produced entirely by Manson and Skold. Landing in the Billboard 200’s Top Ten, the set included the singles “Heart-Shaped Glasses” and “Putting Holes in Happiness.” Skold parted with Manson shortly thereafter and was replaced by returning member and right-hand man Twiggy Ramirez. Manson and Ramirez then began writing material for the band’s seventh studio album, The High End of Low, which arrived in spring 2009 and reached number four on the charts. In 2011, during preparation for the release of the band’s eighth studio album, longtime drummer Ginger Fish announced he had left the group. On his own, Manson forged ahead, premiering Born Villain, a short film directed by Shia La Beouf that served as support for his forthcoming album of the same name. One of his lowest-performing albums to date, Born Villain featured the track “No Reflection,” which managed to become his highest-charting single in almost a decade.
Despite the creative musical slump, Manson remained busy with other exploits, furthering his acting career with film and television roles, including a fortuitous appearance on the show Californication, where he met score composer Tyler Bates (Guardians of the Galaxy, John Wick, 300). The pair hit it off and began recording what would become Manson’s big comeback. His ninth album overall, The Pale Emperor was released in January 2015 on Loma Vista in the U.S. and Cooking Vinyl internationally. Favored by critics as one of the band’s best late-era efforts, the blues rock-inspired album peaked in the Top Ten of the Billboard 200 and topped the Hard Rock chart. Capitalizing on the creative momentum, Manson and Bates extended their partnership in 2017 with another collaboration. Originally titled Say10, Heaven Upside Down — Manson’s tenth album — featured the singles “We Know Where You F*cking Live” and “Kill4Me.” The set placed Manson back on the pop Top Ten and was supported by extensive touring, including a summer jaunt that reunited Manson with fellow shock-rock veteran Rob Zombie. At the start of their joint tour, Manson issued a cover of the song “Cry Little Sister” and a duet with Zombie covering the Beatles‘ “Helter Skelter.” More cover singles arrived in 2019, namely “God’s Gonna Cut You Down” and “The End” by the Doors.
The 2020s were ushered in by Manson’s 11th full-length, We Are Chaos, which was produced by outlaw country musician Shooter Jennings. Released that September, the set yielded the singles “Don’t Chase the Dead” and the title track. Months later, in January 2021, multiple allegations of abuse against Manson were made public. Subsequently, he was dropped by Loma Vista, his talent agency, and his manager of 25 years. He was also removed from scheduled appearances on television shows American Gods and Creepshow. ~ Neil Z. Yeung, Rovi

For all enquires: ilya@full-time.ninja   Kostolom is the epic second LP from the duo Alex Terrible and Jack Simmons’ band Slaughter to Prevail. The album expands on the dynamic extremes of their 2017 debut, Misery Sermon — pairing Alex’s dark, cathartic lyrics with Simmons’ pummeling riffs and tense, cinematic solos. “We wanted to make each song for us stand out in a different way,” the guitarist says. “On some of the songs, we focused on wanting to keep it uptempo, building to a breakdown as the focal point. Other songs it was about groove or the chorus — ‘how can we make this melodic?’ The albums we love the most have those dynamics, and we want to use them to make each part hit harder.”   The songs evolved over several years, the first demos constructed shortly before the release of Misery Sermon. And they finally finished the material in late 2020, with everyone (Alex, Simmons, bassist Mikhail Petrov, guitarist Dmitry Mamedov) having tracked their respective parts at home. (Evgeny Novikov recorded his drums at a nearby studio in Moscow.)   Alex’s words — largely sung in Russian, with occasional bursts of English — are also more balanced than the bleak song titles may suggest. “The lyrics,” Simmons says, “are quite personal to anyone who listens, I think — of personal struggle, keeping a positive mental attitude and going through the shit to have a better life and achieve your goals.”

Creed + 3 Doors Down at Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
2024-09-04 19:00 - 23:30 | Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre, 2121 N 83rd Ave, Phoenix, 85035, United States
During the late ’90s, Creed emerged from a sea of post-grunge contenders to become one of the decade’s biggest-selling rock bands. At a time when many other Seattle disciples were lapsing into inactivity or experimenting with less commercial sounds, Creed carried the torch of straightforward, grungy hard rock without apology — and they were amply rewarded, selling millions upon millions of albums in just a few years’ time. That success didn’t translate into critical acclaim, however. Many reviewers slammed the band’s music as derivative, and frontman Scott Stapp was a frequent, easy target for publications like Rolling Stone. Based on their frequently spiritual lyrics, some observers deemed Creed part of a new breed of alternative-styled Christian bands, an affiliation that Creed actively tried to downplay. Neither critical jabs nor a potential secular backlash could derail the band, though, and they went into the new millennium as a seemingly unstoppable commercial juggernaut. Ultimately, it was Stapp‘s personal issues that brought an end to Creed’s heyday in 2004. The remaining members partnered with vocalist Myles Kennedy to form Alter Bridge, while Stapp briefly pursued a solo career before reconvening with Creed at the turn of the decade for 2009’s Full Circle. Disbanding again in 2013, they reunited in 2023, riding a wave of attention from sports fans and social media.
Creed took root in 1994 in Tallahassee, Florida. Founding members Scott Stapp and guitarist Mark Tremonti had been classmates in high school and both attended Florida State University, where Stapp studied law before dropping out to pursue music (a decision that led to conflict with his anti-rock & roll parents, as his father was a Pentecostal minister). Stapp and Tremonti began writing songs together, many of which obliquely addressed themes of Christian spirituality, and added a rhythm section consisting of bassist Brian Marshall and drummer Scott Phillips. As an alternative to the band’s original moniker (Naked Toddler), Marshall suggested the name Creed, having previously played in another band dubbed Mattox Creed.
Now boasting a new name and a muscled, modern rock sound, Creed went on to form their own label, Blue Collar, before entering the studio in 1997 with producer John Kurzweg. Recorded on a shoestring budget of $6,000 and initially self-released in a limited run, their debut album, My Own Prison, was soon picked up by Wind-Up Records — a fledgling imprint with distribution through Sony — and treated to a beefy remix that gave it a heavier, radio-friendly punch. The trick worked, as My Own Prison subsequently spun off no less than four number one singles — “My Own Prison,” “Torn,” “What’s This Life For,” and “One” — on Billboard’s mainstream rock radio charts, making Creed the first band to accomplish the feat with its debut album. My Own Prison proved to be extremely popular, moving over five million copies over several years’ time despite little MTV exposure or media coverage.
Although Creed saw a good deal of competition from their post-grunge contemporaries, the band’s sophomore album demonstrated their staying power. Released in the fall of 1999 (when tracks from My Own Prison were still peppering the Billboard charts and radio playlists), Human Clay turned out to be a blockbuster, entering the charts at number one and selling a whopping ten million copies over the next two years. The album’s leadoff single, “Higher,” spent a record-breaking 17 weeks at number one on rock radio, and the follow-up singles “What If” and “With Arms Wide Open” topped the chart as well. This gave the band seven consecutive chart-topping hits on rock radio. “With Arms Wide Open” also gave Creed their first number one pop hit; several months later, the song won a Grammy for Best Rock Song.
During the summer of 2000, bassist Brian Marshall made headlines for criticizing Pearl Jam‘s recent songwriting style during a radio interview; he later apologized, and Stapp distanced the rest of the band from Marshall’s comments on Creed’s website. Months later, as the band readied itself for an American tour, it was announced that Marshall was no longer a member of Creed. He was quickly replaced by touring bassist Brett Hestla (also of Virgos Merlot) and later formed a new band, Grand Luxx, with his old bandmates from Mattox Creed. That same summer, Stapp was goaded into a brief media feud with Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst, who launched into a profane tirade against Stapp at a summer festival that both bands were playing. Although Stapp later blasted Durst‘s business tactics (as senior VP at Interscope), claiming they stemmed from a “mobster mentality,” things soon reverted to normal as the band returned to the studio.
Creed worked on their new album for much of 2001; although Hestla remained in the touring lineup, Tremonti chose to handle the bass parts himself, preserving the band’s initial core. Weathered was then released in November 2001, entering the charts at number one and tying a record (among other number one debuts) by remaining there for eight straight weeks; during that two-month time, it also sold a staggering five million copies. The first single, “My Sacrifice,” was a Top Five pop hit that spent nine weeks atop the rock radio charts. “One Last Breath” also demonstrated the band’s crossover appeal by faring well on both charts.
Stapp was involved in a car accident in April 2002 and suffered both a concussion and vertebrae damage. Creed initially canceled the rest of their tour, but Stapp recovered quickly, allowing the band to reschedule most of their show dates during the summer. Stapp‘s health was slipping in other ways, however, as he developed an addiction to Percocet and began taking a host of other medications on the road, including Xanax and throat steroids. The tour concluded with an infamous performance in Chicago, during which an obviously intoxicated Stapp performed one song while lying on his back. Such problems quickly led to the band’s unraveling.
Wind-Up Records officially announced the breakup of Creed in June 2004. Over the course of ten years, the band had sold over 30 million albums worldwide and became one of the biggest touring draws of the ’90s. Founding members Mark Tremonti, Scott Phillips, and Brian Marshall went on to form Alter Bridge with ex-Mayfield Four frontman Myles Kennedy. Scott Stapp went on to issue a solo record, 2005’s The Great Divide, which included a collection of rock songs inspired by Mel Gibson’s Passion of the Christ.
Three years later, Stapp and Tremonti reconvened in Florida, where they began to reconcile past differences. Shortly thereafter, the two persuaded Scott Phillips and original bassist Brian Marshall to band together once again, thus cementing Creed’s reunion. They booked a series of shows for the summer of 2009 in support of the album Full Circle, which was released later that year. The band’s first concert recording, Creed Live, was released at the end of the year. Touring continued into 2012 and the group went on another extended break in 2013. Various solo and side projects occupied bandmembers over the next decade.
Late into their hiatus, “Higher” became an unexpected standard for American sports teams such as the Texas Rangers and Minnesota Vikings — Creed even appeared at a 2023 Rangers playoff game — while social media, whether ironically or not, embraced the band’s more inspirational singles. The surge generated by all that attention helped push the group back into the public discussion. Seizing the moment, Creed announced their official reunion and an extended 2024 tour. ~ Andrew Leahey & Steve Huey, Rovi

A subsidiary of Universal, Republic Records signed the musicians and issued their major-label debut, The Better Life, in early 2000.
The Better Life became one of the biggest-selling albums of 2000, going platinum four times during its first year of release and spawning several singles. The band furthered its success with 2002’s Away from the Sun, which debuted at number eight on the Billboard Top 200 and, like its predecessor, climbed to multi-platinum status. 3 Doors Down toured steadily throughout 2003 and 2004 in support of Away from the Sun, and issued the live EP Another 700 Miles in November 2003 as a holdover between studio efforts. The group returned with a heavier album, Seventeen Days, in early 2005. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and went platinum in its first week of release. A self-titled album, which followed in May 2008, repeated its predecessor’s success when it too debuted at the top of the Billboard 200.
3 Doors Down toured throughout 2009, released a digital-only acoustic holiday album at the end of the year, and began to work on their next album in 2010. With Howard Benson serving as producer, the guys shuttled themselves between L.A. and Tokyo, recording the album in both cities and eventually emerging with 2011’s Time of My Life.

2024 has been a full circle moment for Finger Eleven. After 25 years, the Juno Award-winning band are criss-crossing America again with their long time labelmates Creed on the current Summer of ‘99 arena tour. They are working on their first new album in nearly a decade, and they sense that a big rock revival is brewing. Believe it or not, Finger Eleven have been around since 1990. Back in high school, founding members Scott and Sean Anderson (vocals and bass), and guitarists James Black and Rick Jackett formed the band with original drummer Rob Gommerman. They became Rainbow Butt Monkeys. With their blend of ‘90s alt and funk-rock, the Canadian upstarts signed to Mercury and released Letters From Chutney in 1995. But the quintet realized they needed a new name and shift in the direction. Thus Finger Eleven was born. They transitioned into a post-grunge and nu-metal influenced phase on their first two albums, Tip (1997) and The Greyest of Blue Skies (2000).
Their mainstream breakthrough came with their self-titled album. Produced by Johnny K (Disturbed, 3 Doors Down), this 2003 release marked a shift with the acoustic ballad “One Thing” which showcased a new side of the band and helped push album sales higher. They have two gold albums in the States and two gold and two platinum albums in Canada.

Def Leppard, Journey, and Steve Miller Band at Chase Field
2024-08-23 17:00 - 23:30 | Chase Field, 401 E Jefferson St, Phoenix, AZ, 85003, United States
Def Leppard are one of the most successful hard rock bands to ever wield six strings; their blend of glam rock, hair metal, and big pop ballads led to massive wave of success in the ’80s that the band has continued to ride over the ensuing decades. Emerging in the late ’70s as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, they gained a following outside of that scene by toning down their heavy riffs and emphasizing melody. After a couple of strong albums, they found crossover success with 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 a new album, like 2008’s Yeah! or 2022’s Diamond Star Halos, that harked back to the sound of their glory days.
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. In 2023 the band issued Drastic Symphonies, a set of reimagined Lep classics and hidden gems recorded with London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi

Photo by Brian Ach/Getty Images for Journey
JOURNEY is one of the most popular American rock bands of all time, creating some of the best-known songs in modern music. Since the group’s formation in 1973, the band has earned 19 top 40 singles and 25 Gold and Platinum albums and has sold nearly 100 million albums globally. Their Greatest Hits album is certified 15 times-Platinum, bringing Journey into the elite club of Diamond-certified award holders. The band continues to tour and record into the 21st century, performing concerts for millions of fans worldwide, and received the prestigious Billboard “Legends of Live” touring award. 2018’s massive co-headlining tour with Def Leppard was the band’s most successful tour to date, landing them in the Top 10 year-end touring chart with more than 1 million tickets sold. In 2017, Journey was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In March 2019, Journey released a live DVD/CD set from their concert at the Budokan in Tokyo, featuring the first-ever performances of the band’s “Escape” and “Frontiers” albums in their entireties. Journey received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, was inducted into the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame, and is the subject of the award-winning documentary, “Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey.”

Steve Miller was a mainstay of the San Francisco music scene that upended American culture in the late ’60s. With albums like Children of the Future, Sailor and Brave New World, he perfected a psychedelic blues sound that drew on the deepest sources of American roots music and simultaneously articulated a compelling vision of what music could be in the years to come. In the ’70s, he crafted a brand of pure pop that was polished, exciting and irresistible and dominated radio in a way that few artists have ever have. Hit followed hit: “Take The Money and Run,” “Rock’n Me,” “Fly Like an Eagle,” “Jet Airliner” among them. Those songs are instantly recognizable when they come on the radio. Their hooks the definition of indelible. Running through this catalog is a combination of virtuosity and song craft. His parents were jazz aficionados – not to mention close friends of Les Paul and Mary Ford – so, as a budding guitarist, Miller absorbed valuable lessons from that musical tradition. When the family moved to Texas, Miller deepened his education in the blues, then moving to Chicago, where he played with Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Buddy Guy and Paul Butterfield. Miller has now immersed himself in the blues once again. And, whether he was riding the top of the charts or exploring the blue highways of American music, he is performing with conviction and precision, passion and eloquence, making records that are at once immediately accessible and able to stand the test of time. – AD

Limp Bizkit at Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
2024-08-16 18:30 - 23:30 | Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre, 2121 N 83rd Ave, Phoenix, 85035, United States
Limp Bizkit is an American nu metal/rap metal/rap rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Their lineup consists of Fred Durst (lead vocals), Sam Rivers (bass, backing vocals), John Otto (drums, percussion), DJ Lethal (turntables), and Wes Borland (guitars, vocals). Their music is marked by Durst’s angry vocal delivery and Borland’s sonic experimentation. Borland’s elaborate visual appearance, which includes face and body paint, masks and uniforms, also plays a large role in the band’s live shows. The band has been nominated for three Grammy Awards, have sold 40 million records worldwide and won several other awards.
Formed in 1994, Limp Bizkit became popular playing in the Jacksonville underground music scene in the late 1990s, and signed with Flip Records, a subsidiary of Interscope, which released their debut album, Three Dollar Bill, Y’all$ (1997). The band achieved mainstream success with their second and third studio albums, Significant Other (1999) and Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water (2000), although this success was marred by a series of controversies surrounding their performances at Woodstock ’99 and the 2001 Big Day Out festival.
Shortly after the release of Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water, Limp Bizkit went on a hiatus while Fred Durst recovered from being crucified by Slipknot. Borland left the group in 2001, but Durst, Rivers, Otto and Lethal continued to record and tour with guitarist Mike Smith. Following the release of their album, Results May Vary (2003), Borland rejoined the band and recorded The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1) (2005) with Durst, Rivers, Lethal and drummer Sammy Siegler before entering a hiatus. In 2009, the band reunited with Borland playing guitar and began touring, culminating with the recording of the album Gold Cobra (2011), after which they left Interscope and later signed with Cash Money Records. In 2014, a sixth studio album, Stampede of the Disco Elephants, was to be released but remained in development hell. Eventually, a new album called STILL SUCKS was recorded with all of the original band members and released digitally only in October 2021.
Fred Durst grew up in Jacksonville, where he took an interest in breakdancing, hip hop, punk rock and heavy metal. He began to rap, skate, beatbox and deejay. While mowing lawns and working as a tattoo artist, he developed an idea for a band that combined elements of rock and hip hop. Durst played with three other bands, Split 26, Malachi Sage, which were unsuccessful, and 10 Foot Shindig, which Durst left to form a new band. Durst told Sam Rivers, the bassist for Malachi Sage, “You need to quit this band and start a band with me that’s like this: rappin’ and rockin’.” Rivers suggested that his cousin, John Otto, who was studying jazz drumming at the Douglas Anderson School of the Arts and playing in local avant garde bands, become their drummer. Durst, Rivers and Otto jammed and wrote three songs together, and Wes Borland later joined as a guitarist.
Durst named the band Limp Bizkit because he wanted a name that would repel listeners. According to Durst, “The name is there to turn people’s heads away. A lot of people pick up the disc and go, ‘Limp Bizkit. Oh, they must suck.’ Those are the people that we don’t even want listening to our music.” Other names that were considered by Durst included Gimp Disco, Split Dickslit, Bitch Piglet, and Blood Fart. Every record label that showed an interest in the band pressured its members to change its name. Limp Bizkit developed a cult following in the underground music scene, particularly at the Milk Bar, an underground punk club in Jacksonville. The band’s local popularity was such that Sugar Ray, who had a major label contract, opened for a then-unsigned Limp Bizkit at Velocity with hip hop group Funkdoobiest. Milkbar owner, Danny Wimmer, stated that Limp Bizkit “had the biggest draw for a local band. They went from playing ten people to eight hundred within months. Fred … was always marketing the band. He would go to record stores and get people involved, he was in touch with high schools.” However, the band knew that to achieve national success, they would have to distinguish themselves in their live performances. Attracting crowds by word of mouth, the band gave energetic live performances, covering George Michael’s “Faith” and Paula Abdul’s “Straight Up”, and featuring Borland in bizarre costumes. Borland’s theatrical rock style was the primary attraction for many concert attendees.

Everyone likes to romanticize the working class. It’s easy to fool yourself into thinking you understand a perspective because you saw it in a netflix doc or read something from a best selling “culture” critic. But what if you’re on the other side of that story, focused on survival, watching the world pay attention to all the wrong things, waking up each day fighting to get to the next.
What if the sci-fi dystopian future happening this very minute, is your reality, and all you have is a guitar, cheap synthesizer, old computer and a tangled rusty voice?
That’s the constant starting-line embraced by N8NOFACE.
Originally from Tucson, N8NOFACE made his way to LA to double down on the visual, audio and live expression naturally running through his veins. While his influences range from Suicidal Tendencies to Stones Throw compilations of minimal wave music, his sound can be uniquely classified as the past, present and future heartbeat of the real LA. A dirty melding of 80s/90s nostalgic synthpunk combined with the amalgamation of chaos heard in grimy soundcloud rap tapes.
N8NOFACE screams for those left behind, presenting the hard truth of police brutality, mental health, and the untold stories of the voiceless. His 1-2 minute minimalist distorted dark synth movements challenge every listener to accept what the real world sounds like, and dares the complacent to be shocked out of their musical safety net of never-ending sameness.

Corey Feldman is an American Singer & Songwriter who has been entertaining audiences globally for almost 50 years. Corey released his 1st Single “Something in your Eyes” in 1989 for “Dream a Little Dream” soundtrack. He followed up with 1994’s LOVE LEFT became his 1st full LP release. Through the 90’s and 2000’s Corey landed multiple sync deals, had several successful American tours and continued to release solo projects and also released albums with his band Truth Movement. In 2013 Corey’s single “Ascension Millennium” went Viral and was picked up by MTV. This was a major turning point for Feldman as a musician. Corey continued to evolve musically, with his album “A2TC”. In 2014 Corey’s single “Everybody” (Feat. Doc Ice of Whodini & U.T.F.O) became his first of many DRT top 20 charting singles. By 2016 Corey scored his first Top 40 Billboard hit with“Go 4 it” peaking at No. 32. In May 2020 “U R Free” peaked at No. 17 on Billboard. By 2022 Feldman’s CiFi Records made some big announcements. Michael DeBarge is now C.O.O. of CiFi Records, and is now a joint venture with Midtown Radio & Records, Distribution is through Sony/Orchard. If that wasn’t enough Feldman announced his 1st Sony release titled “Without U” Peaked at #21 on Billboards Adult Contemporary Indicator Chart. Now Feldman and his band have just released a brand new single CALLED The Joke with a video directed by Fred Durst , & are preparing for a 24 city Arena tour opening for Limp Bizkit. COREYFELDMAN.NET

Halestorm & I Prevail at Arizona Financial Theatre
2024-08-16 18:00 - 23:30 | Arizona Financial Theatre, 400 W Washington St, Phoenix, AZ, 85004, United States
Led by charismatic vocalist/guitarist Lzzy Hale, Pennsylvania-based post-grunge/metal quartet Halestorm are 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. A deluxe edition of the album with seven new tracks arrived later that December. ~ Marisa Brown, Rovi

An explosive American post-hardcore quintet with cross-genre tendencies, I Prevail emerged in the early 2010s and found success the following year with a metallic rendering of Taylor Swift‘s “Blank Space.” The band earned a pair of Grammy nominations in 2019 with their chart-topping sophomore full-length Trauma. They returned in 2022 with True Power, which injected electronic, pop, and hip-hop elements to their attack.
Based out of Southfield, Michigan, I Prevail formed in 2013 around the talents of Brian Burkheiser (vocals), Eric Vanlerberghe (vocals), Steve Menoian (guitar), Jordan Berger (guitar), and Lee Runestad (drums). Employing a blistering blend of metalcore, pop-punk, and post-hardcore that invokes names like Bring Me the Horizon, We Came as Romans, and A Day to Remember, the band issued their debut EP Heart vs. Mind through Fearless Records in December 2014. A hard-hitting cover of Taylor Swift‘s “Blank Space,” which elicited over two million views on YouTube, helped further establish the band as a rising force within the hardcore scene. They later proved their original songwriting capability with the release of their 2016 debut album, Lifelines. Featuring a re-tooled lineup that consisted of Burkheiser, Vanlerberghe, Menoian, and new guitarist Dylan Bowman, the LP debuted at number one on the Billboard alternative, hard music, and rock charts. The following year, the group parted ways with Runestad and bassist Tony Camposeo, recruiting replacements Gabe Helguera and Eli Clark. They got to work on their follow-up album while touring with the Word Alive, We Came as Romans, and Escape the Fate.
In 2019, the band returned with sophomore effort Trauma, which included the singles “Bow Down” and “Breaking Down.” At the end of the year, they received a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Album and “Bow Down” entered the fray, competing for Best Metal Performance. The following year saw the band release a stripped-down acoustic version of the moody Trauma single “Hurricane.” After “DOA,” a collaborative single with rapper Joyner Lucas, I Prevail issued a live version of their previous album under the title Post Traumatic, recorded around the world in 2019 and 2020. In 2022, they released their third LP, True Power, which continued to push their genre experimentation in fresh directions, incorporating cinematic electronic production, rap verses, and even shimmering pop ballads.

Hollywood Undead hail from the streets of Hollywood, California, mixing brash hip-hop, rock, and minor metalcore touches with cocky posturing. With their colorful pseudonyms and unique hockey goal tender-inspired masks, the band debuted in 2008 with Swan Songs, but didn’t hit their commercial stride until the release of their 2011 sophomore effort, American Tragedy, which cracked the Top Ten on the Billboard 200 chart. Subsequent outings like Notes from the Underground (2013), Five (2017), the two-volume New Empire (2020), and Hotel Kalifornia, performed just as well, if not better, cementing the group’s reputation as one of rapcore’s leading lights.
Owing much of their popularity and exposure to the social networking website MySpace, the group started as the musical project of J-Dog and Tha Producer in June 2005. They uploaded some new music to their profile and very quickly started amassing song plays and online friends with tracks about drinking, sex, and emo kids. “The gang,” as the guys liked to refer to themselves, grew to include six members: J-Dog and Tha Producer alongside Charlie Scene, Johnny 3 Tears (formerly called the Server), Funny Man, and Da Kurlzz. As the band’s online profile steadily increased, MySpace head honcho Tom Anderson wasn’t immune and wound up featuring Hollywood Undead’s song “No. 5” on MySpace’s first compilation album, in addition to giving them the distinction of being the first act signed to the site’s new record label (distributed by Interscope) in 2005.
Swan Songs finally appeared in 2008 on A&M/Octone Records. A year later, that label released an album of B-sides, live tracks, and covers titled Desperate Measures. In 2010, vocalist Aron “Deuce” Erlichman left the group; he was replaced by Daniel “Danny” Murillo, a former contestant on American Idol and lead singer of Lorene Drive. After shows with Avenged Sevenfold on The Nightmare After Christmas Tour, Hollywood Undead released their sophomore album, American Tragedy, in April of 2011, and the album debuted in the Top Five of Billboard’s Top 200. The following November, A&M/Octone Records released a remix version of the record called American Tragedy Redux, which featured mixes by Andrew W.K., Borgore, and KMFDM, among others.
In January of 2013, after embarking on The Underground Tour, Hollywood Undead released their third studio album, Notes from the Underground, which proved to be their highest-charting outing to date, landing at the number two spot on the Billboard Top 200 and soaring to number one on the Canadian albums chart. Their hotly anticipated fourth studio album, Day of the Dead, arrived in March 2015, and was preceded by the singles “Usual Suspects,” “Gravity,” “How We Roll,” and the explosive title cut. The band returned to the studio in late 2016 to record its fifth studio album, Five. With their contract with Interscope finished, Hollywood Undead set up their own label, Dove & Grenade Media, in collaboration with BMG to release the album. The first single, “California Dreaming” — a scathing look at the inequalities between the two sides of Los Angeles culture — was released in mid-2017, with the full-length Five arriving later that October. In 2018 the Undead released the standalone single “Gotta Let Go,” a summery blast of feel-good nostalgia about letting go of pain. The EP Psalms also arrived that year. Two years later, the band released their sixth album, New Empire, Vol. 1. A deliberate attempt to change their sound, it was heavier than before, with more electronic elements. The like-minded sequel, New Empire, Vol. 2., arrived in 2020. In 2022, the band issued their eighth full-length effort, the confident and earworm-friendly Hotel Kalifornia.

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.

Megadeth at Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
2024-08-08 18:30 - 23:30 | Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre, 2121 N 83rd Ave, Phoenix, 85035, United States
Released by UMe on September 2, 2022, The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead! further establishes MEGADETH as a band that has both defined and repeatedly redefined heavy metal since its formation. The album follows up 2016’s Grammy®-winning Dystopia, which debuted at #3 on the Billboard Top 200 (MEGADETH’s highest chart position since its 1992 classic Countdown to Extinction).
MEGADETH has crafted a record with a visceral energy, heaviness, and sometimes paranormal pace that few would expect from such a seasoned band with so little to prove. The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead! melds the ultra-frenetic riffing, fiercely intricate guitar solos, and adventurous spirit of the quartet’s groundbreaking early output with the musicality and melodicism of its ‘90s songwriting, all laced with signature virtuosity and precision – plus, of course, Mustaine’s singular vocal snarl and wry, take-no-shit lyrical vitriol.
MEGADETH recently wrapped up the European leg of their 2023 Crush The World Tour. The thrash metal pioneers will soon be taking their iconic music to stages across the United States as they continue to cement the latest electrifying chapter in a career that has constantly challenged and surprised. Their journey remains one of resilience, artistic integrity, and unbridled passion, leaving an indelible mark on the world of metal.
“I don’t think we’re nearing the end, not even close,” Dave Mustaine concludes.

Heavy metal quartet Mudvayne formed in Peoria, IL, in 1996, its members adopting the unusual pseudonyms sPaG (M. McDonough) (drums), Gurrg (G. Tribbett) (guitar), and Kud (Chad Gray) (vocals). The group’s original bassist was replaced after two years by Ryknow (Ryan Martinie). During their development, the bandmembers began the practice of applying bizarre makeup. After self-releasing their first album, Kill, I Oughta, they were signed by Epic Records and recorded their major-label debut, L.D. 50, which was released in August 2000 shortly after the end of their first national tour opening for Slipknot. The album later went gold and earned Mudvayne the first-ever MTV2 Video Award at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards. Mudvayne continued touring and reissued their self-released debut EP, Kill, I Oughta, in November 2001 as The Beginning of All Things to End. A year later the band returned with its official follow-up, The End of All Things to Come, which was recorded at Minneapolis’ Pachyderm Studios with Tool producer David Bottrill. With a new album came new personas, this time as space aliens. The bandmembers changed their names accordingly, taking the new monikers of Chüd (Kud), Güüg (Gurrg), R-üD (Ryknow), and Spüg (sPaG). They embarked on a European tour, arriving back stateside in July to join the Summer Sanitarium shed tour, featuring such heavyweights as Metallica and Linkin Park. In 2005, the band released Lost and Found, their third album for Epic. In September 2007, Mudvayne announced they would allow fans to vote on the band’s website to determine the track selection for the compilation By the People, for the People, released the following month. The all new full-length New Game arrived in November 2008, followed six months later by an eponymous 2009 effort. ~ William Ruhlmann, Rovi

All That Remains have built an unbreakable axis between pit-splitting metal and anthemic melodies. This signature balance has defined the platinum-certified band’s output since day one. It’s why the quintet— Philip Labonte [lead vocals], Jason Richardson [lead guitar], Mike Martin [rhythm guitar], Anthony Barone [drums], and Matt Deis [bass]—have notched multiple Top 10 Active Rock Radio hits, sold out shows worldwide, and generated over half-a-billion streams. By sticking to their guns, All That Remains have continued to thrive on their own terms. Among many accolades, signature hit “Two Weeks” received a Platinum certification, while “What If I Was Nothing” and their cover of “The Thunder Rolls” by Garth Brooks each reached Gold status. Meanwhile, 2008’s Overcome went gold, and For We Are Many cracked the Top 10 of the Billboard 200. They have scored five Top 10 debuts on the Billboard Top Rock Albums Chart, landing four in the Top 5. During 2022, the group launched a successful sold-out anniversary tour in celebration of their seminal LP The Fall of Ideals—which Revolver hailed as “one of metalcore’s most essential records”. They’ve weathered the changing tides of a fickle business, unspeakable tragedy, and all manner of conflict only to come out stronger than ever on the other side. This strength surges through on “Divine”, their very first full independent single offering, embodying everything All That Remains are.
