Okay so I lied. I did four posts from July 15-24, each post three days apart after not having done one since May and swore I would be more consistent. Hey, I get paid to write for someone else and I get paid a lot of nada for this. But we all know this is the writing I truly love.
Before I get rolling I want to give a shout-out to Brendan Murphy and Scott Hessel from Source Victoria. Thanks again for the “Once I’m Dead” single, it gets played A LOT on the iPod, especially the full-band rocking version. PLEASE get that album out soon before I have to do my Top 1o for Stinkweeds this year. 😉 Also, thanks to my cousin Steve Reiman (in spite of what Klugman says) for telling people about this blog. Thanks brother!
Okay, so today is Day One of September. If you care, here are the shows to look out for this month:
Saturday September 3 – Agent Orange – Club Red. I’ll make this simple for you. Agent Orange, IMHO, is one of the greatest bands OF EVER. Guitarist/vocalist Mike Palm has been delivering the Agent Orange style of surf/punk/rock and roll for over thirty years now and still shreds. I was lucky enough to see The Father Figures open for Agent Orange earlier this year at a private party at The Modified and that show is easily my 2011 Concert of the Year (at least until I see Elbow in Los Angeles next month) right now. That night they played ALL of their classic full-length debut Living in Darkness, parts of the Bitchin’ Summer and When You Least Expect It EPs, almost all of my favorite album of theirs This is the Voice, “Wouldn’t Last a Day” from Virtually Indestructible and even their cover of the Dead Kennedys classic tune “Police Truck”. Yes, I remember all that, the show was the good.
Saturday September 3 – Berlin – The Canyon Club. Okay, so I won’t be going to this show, but I have to list them since they were a band I really liked back in junior high and high school. “No More Words”, “Masquerade”, “The Metro” and of course, “Sex (I’m A …)” were great songs. And yes, the “Top Gun” song that Maverick and Charlie french kissed to was awesome as well.
Monday September 5 – Japandroids – Trunk Space. I really like this Canadian duo’s style of noisy, beautiful indie rock, they really know how to rock hard.
Tuesday September 13 – Camper Van Beethoven and Cracker – Martini Ranch. Wait a minute, these are both bands David Lowery plays in, so how can both be playing the same night at the same venue? Oh wow, Camper Van Beethoven is playing Key Lime Pie in its entirety and Cracker will be playing all of Kerosene Hat. I have never seen Cracker play, I have seen CVB twice. The last time was a few years ago opening for Built to Spill at the Marquee Theatre. First time? Will you believe opening for the Chili Peppers at Big Surf back in the nineties?!
Wednesday September 14 – Rhythm Room 20th Anniversary Bash – Rhythm Room. One of my favorite venues in town has been around all of my adult life, so the time has arrived to celebrate twenty great years! A slew of great local bands on this bill that includes Dry River Yacht Club, Sweetbleeders, Fatigo, ROAR, Where Dead Voices Gather and Matthew Reveles. This will be an acoustic show folks. There will also be two straight days of tons of great blues music Saturday and Sunday to continue the celebration.
Thursday September 15 – Fleet Foxes, The Walkmen and Bon Iver – Comerica Theatre. Calm down people, I know that Bon Iver is headlining and have a lot of respect for the artist. But this writer is all about the two openers, particularly the Fleet Foxes. LOVE this band! I saw them at Coachella in 2009, but the Outdoor Stage at that festival is a horrible setting for their quiet, mellow, beautiful style of folk rock. Indoors is where this band needs to be seen. Their latest release Helplessness Blues will land on my 2011 Top Ten Albums list and the last track on the album “Grown Ocean” is one of the best things they have done. As far as I know we are the only city that gets to see The Walkmen as part of this tour, so don’t miss out!
Friday September 16 – Psychedelic Furs and the Tom Tom Club – Talking Stick Resort and Casino. Sweet! Hey, I’m 42 and will never apologize for staying true to my 80s roots. The Psychedelic Furs were one of my favorite bands when I was in high school and their third album Forever Now remains a personal favorite. I have seen this band twice, one terrible show years ago at Club Rio and years later an amazing show at the Cajun House. The Tom Tom Club is the rhythm section of the Talking Heads, Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz. Years ago they opened for the Fine Young Cannibals at Gammage in Tempe. That was a great show. Yes, I will be at this one. 🙂
Saturday September 17 – Source Victoria, Snow Songs and Sunset Electrics – Teakwoods. I will make this easy for you. Read this Musings post about why you should love Source Victoria, then go to this show and thank me for telling you about this great band by buying me a dozen delicious wings at the show. I really like Snow Songs as well, beautiful indie pop. I just hope this show ends at a time that allows me to see the next show as well …
Saturday September 17 – Mill’s End – Icehouse Tavern. I have posted about these guys several times, so you should know by now I like their brand of Americana. You need to make sure you take advantage of opportunities to see these guys. Trust me on this.
Sunday September 18 – Santana & Michael Franti and Spearhead – Cricket Pavilion. No, I will not refer to that venue by its current name. I could not stand Santana growing up because my Dad played the Santana and Abraxas albums every Saturday on our reel-to-reel system while he was working in the yard. After seeing him perform in Las Vegas in 2009 and 2010 I can proudly say I am a converted fan. I preferred the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy over Michael Franti’s current project Spearhead, but this is a good band.
Sunday September 25 – Agnostic Front – Chasers. I’ll be honest. Agnostic Front was never my favorite punk band and I disliked their loyal fans from back in the day even more. However, their debut EP on Ratcage Records United Blood and their first full-length Victim in Pain are absolute classics. When I read that the band will be playing both releases in their entirety … well, now I have to go see this show.
Thursday September 29 – Love Me Nots, Flamingo and Labor Party – Sail Inn. The Love Me Nots and Labor Party both smoke! You get 60’s garage rock from The Love Me Nots and brutal garage punk from Labor Party. It’s always great to see another member of the Sunnyslope Crew (Buck Ellis, drummer for Labor Party) playing in a band!
Friday September 30 – ZZ Top – Comerica Theatre. I will be on the way to Los Angeles to see Elbow on October 1, so I won’t be able to see this concert. “That Little Ol’ Band from Texas” returns to the Valley of the Sun and to Comerica Theatre. I saw them live the last time they played Comerica (when it was still Dodge) and as always they were amazing. Billy Gibbons is an absolute magician on the axe. Seeing ZZ Top live at least once should be on everyone’s Bucket List, they are that impressive!
Friday September 30 – Jimmy Eat World – Arizona Fall Frenzy at Tempe Beach Park. Well, obviously I will be missing this as well. Friday night of Fall Frenzy is pretty useless to me, but it would have been cool to see Jimmy Eat World. They have been posting a number of shows on their website when they will be playing Bleed American in its entirety. I saw the Clarity Live show two years ago; that was amazing. I hope Fall Frenzy is not a Bleed American set since I will be gone. Should you go? I say yes and leave after JEW so you can miss that POS sissy punk band that will be headlining.
Feels good to be blogging again after a few months of solid SEO content! As always, please let me know if I missed a show. Cheers!
The Musings of Frank Gallardo 
I, too, will be going to the Elbow concert so I have to miss ZZ Top. Darn, they are definitely on my list of shows I want to see! It’s great to read this posting, professional as usual, TFronky. Great job.
Nice post, I love the website.