The Entertainer! Special Edition - The Interviews 2014-2016

The Interviews 2014 - 2016

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL

COMEDY SANS SLEEVES Larry the Cable Guy coming to town to rehash his beginnings

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Lynette Carrington » The Entertainer! ou might not know Daniel Whitney, but you know his good ‘ole boy character.

He’s the blue collar everyman; the redneck next door. He’s Larry the Cable Guy—perhaps the least crude, yet somehow controversial comedian in the country.

“I think there are a lot of people that just judge a book by the cover when it’s with me,” he says. “People always say I’m one of those acts that people really, really can’t stand or really, really like. And the people that really, really like me have seen me and the people who really, really don’t like me, they just read stuff that’s written about me.

“If they would actually come to a show, they would enjoy the show. It’s all goofy one-liner type stuff and nonthreatening. It’s funny and I just enjoy what I do.”

Whitney broke onto the comedy scene when he appeared in 2003’s “Blue Collar Comedy Tour,” a stand-up film gone massive filmed at Downtown Phoenix’s Comerica Theatre, then dubbed Dodge Theatre.

The longevity of the Larry the Cable Guy character is perhaps due to the fact that he’s just so mass marketable—and likable to most. He comes complete with trademarks in his sleeveless plaid shirts and baseball caps. Whitney’s catchy phrases “Lord, I apologize” and “Git-RDone,” can be grinding or knee-slapping, depending on whom you ask.

Despite his southern persona, Whitney is originally from Pawnee City, Nebraska. No matter where he’s from, though, he’s still relatively well-versed in playing the Wild West that is the Valley.

“I enjoy Arizona. There are a lot of Nebraskans that live in Arizona,” he says. “It’s like a suburb of Omaha or something.”

Larry the Cable Guy is the ultimate everyman’s comic. Just about anyone can appreciate the humor of his sweet-natured character, who, at the end of the day, has his heart in the right place.

“He’s just a nice fellar...,” muses Whitney about Larry the Cable Guy. Really, Larry might not be so much of an alter ego as he is a way for Whitney

to go over-the-top with his blue collar, Southern-inspired humor.

The Larry character has gained a new generation of fans thanks to his voiceover work as tow truck Mater in the film “Cars.” But his wife is perhaps Mater’s biggest cheerleader, and that’s because she’s Whitney’s biggest cheerleader, too.

“My wife pretty much describes me as (the character) Mater because I really love that little cartoon and I wanted to put as much of me in the cartoon as I could and that’s what [I] did,” Whitney says. “When I do Mater, I just put on an accent—make it country-fried truck. The way Mater acts in that movie is basically my personality to a ‘T’ and that’s why my wife loves that movie—because it’s literally my personality that’s in that truck.”

Like many comics, Larry the Cable Guy has his share of wacky fans—to say the least. At one show in Albany, New York, a women dropped ‘trou and asked him to sign her appendix scar. He politely obliged because, well, he loves his fans.

Now that’s commitment.

Sleeveless plaid shirts make Larry the Cable Guy instantly identifiable, but they’re not just a kitschy set piece in his act.

“The sleeveless thing… when I did the very first Blue Collar movie, I always wore flannel shirts onstage with my jeans and loafers because I’ve always been kind of chubby. Now I’m fat, but losing weight, but I generally run chubby,” he says.

“Flannel shirts I love because they just kind of hang really good off your body.

They make you bigger up top and a little thinner. So they proportion you out a little better.”

The first “Blue Collar Comedy” stand-up film was shot in Phoenix during the middle of the summer. The sleeveless trademark came about due to necessity.

“I wore red flannel with no sleeves because it was hot. No particular reason... not because I was trying to make a fashion statement or whatever. But then when that movie got really popular, people knew me as the guy with no sleeves,” Whitney says.

See Larry the Cable Guy in all of his sleeveless glory at his upcoming show at Chandler Center for the Arts. Try to keep your scars in your pants, ladies.

Saturday, October 18 » 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. » $55-$100 Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Avenue, Chandler 480.782.2680, chandlercenter.org

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PATIENCE

PAYS OFF Local band Kongos scores with certified platinum hit

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

K

ongos is a really, really big deal these days, but just a few short months ago, you could have seen them in any small local venue around town. The four brothers, who split their time between South Africa and the Valley, attended Chaparral High School and Arizona State University. They’re truly homegrown heroes.

The Kongos brothers come from a musical family, including their father, John, who is best known for his 1971 Top 10 hit single, “He’s Gonna Step On You Again,” on which the ‘90s band Happy Mondays based their hit “Step On.” “My parents taught us music from an early age,” says bass and lap slide guitarist Dylan Kongos. “They believed it was something we’d enjoy later in life. It wasn’t necessarily to create a band.”

But now that their smash hit single “Come with Me Now” is certified platinum, selling over 1 million digital

copies in the United States, we’ll have to share them with the rest of the world.

Sorry, Phoenix.

Kongos have had a “pretty crazy” nine months on the road, according to Dylan.

“It’s been 10 or 11 years of build up to that,” he says in his faint South African accent. “But the last eight or nine months have been insane.”

He is somewhat modest about the popularity of “Come with Me Now,” which appears on Kongos’ sophomore album, Lunatic.

“I think it’s timing and a little bit of luck,” he says.

Kongos explains that bands like Mumford and Sons, with their propensity for banjos and acoustic rhythms, have opened up the minds of listeners and radio stations, paving the way for songs like “Come with Me Now.” “But the song’s definitely connecting,” he adds. “You can’t discount that. It’s a lot of timing and luck.”

The song has resonated not only with fans and radio stations, but the rest of the entertainment industry as well. “Come

with Me Now” was placed in commercials for movies like “The Expendables 3” and was chosen as the theme song for the WWE pay-per-view “Extreme Rules.”

“It’s kind of weird,” he says. “We’re on the bus and touring so much that we don’t get to watch that much TV or movies. We get texts from friends or messages saying, ‘I just saw your song on this or that.’ It’s pretty exciting.”

The brothers—Danny, 25, guitars/ vocals; Jesse, 30, drums/vocals; and Johnny, 32, accordion/keyboards— actually released Lunatic in South Africa first in December 2012.

After signing with Epic Records, they re-released the album on February 25.

“The timing between the release of Lunatic in South Africa and the success it started to have here in the States has been over two years,” he says.

Now it’s just a matter of time before Kongos can get back into the studio because their touring schedule is so jam-packed, which isn’t that bad of a problem, Kongos says.

“First-world problems,” he adds with a laugh.

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL

Pratt

SMASH! Local radio’s most controversial character makes friends with the enemy—The Internet

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Christina Caldwell » The Entertainer!

ave Pratt has been local radio’s most controversial character over the last 30 years, but you wouldn’t know that just standing in a room with him.

The “Morning Mayor” is, appropriately, an entertainer. He has his fair share of wise cracks and music trivia to dole out to anyone who will listen. He’s not out to offend, but he’s not exactly holding back either. Not holding back is kind of what gave him the “controversial” label in the first place.

Call him a shock jock, but Pratt is far from it in the flesh. As we shot this month’s cover—our first cover—his wife of 26 years, Paula, filmed a video of Pratt smashing radio equipment for his four kids.

“Remember, honey, what I said if you started dating at an early age?” Pratt says into the camera for his daughter. “This is practice.” He lowers the sledgehammer, laying the radio to its final resting place— scattered across the floor.

As downloadable music, Internet radio and podcasts slowly creep into terrestrial radio’s territory—and advertising dollars—the airwaves are facing a slow death.

Hired and fired at some of the Valley’s most popular radio stations, including a 20-year stint at 98 KUPD, Pratt later found a home on country’s KMLE until he was replaced by Tim and Willy in 2008. After that, Pratt grew tired of being a radio nomad. He left for his new “home base.”

In 2011 he launched DavePrattLive. com, where he broadcasted his show live at 8 a.m. each weekday. That URL will still take you to Pratt’s show, but that little idea has expanded into something big since.

Pratt turned terrestrial radio’s biggest nemesis into his best friend, continuing to broadcast Dave Pratt Live weekdays on the Doublewide Network—an Internet network he created with hundreds of niche, local and nationally-based radio shows and covering a variety of niche topics, from real estate to religion.

Familiar Valley mainstays like Mark Lewis, longtime Channel 12 anchor, Mark Asher, former sports radio host on KTAR and beginning this month, former

KFYI morning anchor Bruce Jacobs will find a home at Doublewide.

You might sense a running theme here. Some of Phoenix’s favorite names are recognizing the trend and making their way to Internet radio.

Staying far away from radio towers these days, Pratt calls two floors of office space at Scottsdale’s Camelback Tower Doublewide’s home.

The Entertainer!: How would you say the Doublewide Network is different from terrestrial radio, besides that you’re online and not on traditional airwaves?

Pratt: Old school radio is limited by bulky towers, clunky transmitters and signals full of static when they get just a few miles out of reach. Old school radio is, well, old. Believe me, I was blessed by a career in old school radio, but I was also blessed by

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2014

learning to type on a typewriter. Technology moves forward.

I find it desperate and humorous how old school radio stations just regurgitate the same old content from their radio stations onto a mobile app or onto their old websites. Bad food is bad food. Listeners are smart. Listeners deserve better. Listeners deserve original digital content delivered with up-to-date, toplevel distribution.

As old school radio continues to downsize and cut costs by getting rid of their best talent, their content is getting worse and worse. It is suicide from within.

Old school radio is now being hosted mostly by beginners and by those willing to work for extremely low pay.

Meanwhile, the better radio talent is gradually moving to new media distributors, such as Doublewide.

What’s the key to creating a show people actually want to listen to instead of just listening passively, the way they would with traditional radio?

Niche programming is very popular in new media, where the host can focus on a specialty and on a specific item of interest, a unique category. Niche programming attracts a very loyal audience who will passionately follow a host, resulting in much greater impact for advertisers at a much lower price. This is absolutely killing old school radio, which remains afraid to take any chances, and therefore remaining boring, predictable and homogenized.

KDKB announced another format change from classic rock to alternative recently. Local stations seem to be in constant flux. What sets Doublewide and Dave Pratt Live apart from that?

Radio is not really needed anymore for music. That time has passed. Music radio is mostly old, boring and dead. Music fans now get their music in a million different ways or at the click of their mouse. If our network plays music, it is either to accent a story we are telling or for an entertaining and relevant reason, or simply to give us a quick blast of energy or a quick break.

You’ve no doubt been a controversial figure in Valley media over the last few decades. Facebook groups like “Dave Pratt Ruined 103.9” kind of cement that. That has to be hard to take. How do you deal with the negativity that comes your way?

Those silly Facebook pages are started by radio geeks and competitors who are afraid to use their own names. Lots of

bitter radio people are around who have never achieved success so they drown in their own sorrow by taking shots from the bushes at others. Junior high stuff.

103.9 The Edge was already dead for well over a decade, and the management had already committed to killing the station before I even entered the picture.

They had already decided to take The Edge off the air.

The Edge management brought me in as a “Hail Mary” and then left me hanging for five months while they delivered the final lethal injection to the format. Total ineptitude. I was literally left sitting there, sleeping with my head on the counter for five months. Only our sense of humor guided my crew through that mess. Upon entering the 103.9 graveyard, it was obvious why that station had constantly scraped the bottom of the ratings. Look, if you come across a train that has already wrecked, all you can do is help carry away the carnage. We couldn’t wait to get out of there. Shortly thereafter, that same station had to combine signals with another station just to stay afloat. It is still the same. Sad on every level.

You’re known to stress the importance of local living and business. What is it about the Valley that you love so much?

Wow. I could literally write a novel about why I love Arizona so much. It is home. Elko, Nevada will always be my hometown, but Arizona will always be my home. Other than nine years growing up in Northern Nevada, my entire life has been spent in Arizona. Even during those nine years, much of my summers were spent with my father in Arizona. I will never leave. I met my wife here. I was married here. All four of my kids were born here, my mom is here, my father is buried here, and I will be buried here. I bleed Arizona and I am proud to wave the Arizona flag at every opportunity. This is why I am so proud of Doublewide! It is an Arizona-based company with a growing worldwide footprint.

What was it that drew you to radio as a teen? What draws you to broadcasting now?

Good question. I have never really been able to come up with an answer. I just know that it is all I have ever wanted to do. Radio has always been my one and only career dream. It still is! My dream is the same. Only technology has changed, making it even better. Now my dream is worldwide!

Catch Dave Pratt with former Diamondback Luis Gonzalez at the Arizona State Fair on October 25, where he will present Dave Pratt’s 1980 Something Concert featuring John Waite, Berlin and Tom Keifer of Cinderella.

For more information, visit doublewidenetwork.com or azstatefair.com.

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CITY

CALENDAR OCTOBER 1 – 4 Phoenix Fashion Week

Talking Stick Resort, phoenixfashionweek.com

OCTOBER 2 – 5 Michael Kosta

Wanda Sykes

Celebrity Theatre, celebritytheatre.com

Taste of the Town

Scottsdale Quarter, tasteofthetown.az.com

OCTOBER 18 – 19

Stand Up Live, standuplive.com

Rainbows Festival and Street Fair

OCTOBER 4

MIMFest: Global Music Festival

Duel For Domination

Arizona Event Center, arizonaeventcenter.com

Tour De Fat

Tempe Beach Park, newbelgium.com/ events/tour-de-fat/tempe.aspx

OCTOBER 5 – 6 Rapture Horror Expo

Heritage Square Park, phoenixpride.org Musical Instrument Museum, mim.org

OCTOBER 18 Front Porch Festival and Old Towne Marketplace locations vary, visitglendale.com

Arizona’s Ultimate Women’s Expo

Double Tree Hotel, rapturehorrorexpo.com

Phoenix Convention Center, azwomensexpo.com

OCTOBER 9 – 13

OCTOBER 19

Scottsdale International Film Festival

WestWorld of Scottsdale, scottsdaleshowdown.com

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, scottsdalefilmfestival.com

OCTOBER 9 – 12 Ralphie May

Tempe Improv, tempeimprov.com

OCTOBER 10 – 11 Margaret Cho

Stand Up Live, standuplive.com

OCTOBER 10 – NOVEMBER 2 Arizona State Fair

The Scottsdale Showdown

OCTOBER 24 – 25 Apache Lake Music Festival

Apache Lake, apachelakemusicfestival.com

OCTOBER 24 – 26 Pete Holmes

Stand Up Live, standuplive.com

OCTOBER 25 Dia de los Muertos Festival

Mesa Arts Center, mesaartscenter.com

Zombie Walk

Arizona State Fair Ground, azstatefair.com

Heritage & Science Park, downtownphoenix.com/zombie

OCTOBER 11

Halloween- Horror at the FilmBar

Lil Jon

Maya Day + Nightclub, mayaclubaz.com

Rage In The Cage

Celebrity Theatre, celebritytheatre.com

OCTOBER 15 – 16 Taste of Cave Creek

Stagecoach Village, tasteofcavecreek.com

OCTOBER 17 – 19 Bruce Bruce

Stand Up Live, standuplive.com

Norm Macdonald

Tempe Improv, tempeimprov.com

OCTOBER 17 Wiz Khalifa

Arizona State Fair Ground, azstatefair.com

FilmBar, thefilmbarphx.com

OCTOBER 26 – 27 Taste Of Trucks

Downtown Phoenix, rooseveltrow.org

OCTOBER 30 Duke Dumont

Maya Day + Nightclub, mayaclubaz.com

OCTOBER 31 Haunted Hotel Ball

Hotel Valley Ho, hauntedhotellball.com

Wicked Ball

Talking Stick Resort, talkingstickresort.com

Halloween Bash

Arizona Event Center, arizonaeventcenter.com

Sweet EMOTION 60

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Joe Perry unearths tales of Aerosmith and self in ‘Rocks’ Christina Fuoco-Karasinski The Entertainer!

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erosmith guitarist Joe Perry is used to the rigors of gigging, but he’s unsure about the intensity of his forthcoming book tour, which comes to Tempe and Scottsdale this month.

Perry is hitting bookstores and Guitar Center locations to push his autobiography “Rocks: My Life In and Out of Aerosmith,” which arrives in stores October 7.

“I’ve done some pretty crazy things with the band, like doing a gig in one place and jetting off to some other place,” says Perry, the co-founder of Aerosmith and songwriter alongside singer Steven Tyler. “But [touring with Aerosmith is] a little slower. We’re often waiting for equipment to show up. This is a whole new ballgame for me, pouring out my heart and soul like I did for this book. To be able to get out there and talk to people

about it—I’m really fascinated by the whole thing.”

Perry spoke to The Entertainer! about “Rocks,” his love of Jack Kerouac and his ties to Arizona.

The Entertainer!: Was writing the book a good experience or was it difficult?

Perry: I think—no, I know—it was a lot more work than I expected, first off. I’m a big fan of the Jack Kerouac school of just

letting it flow, then moving on. I think there were some fun parts of reliving some of the good times. Then there was also the aspect of getting into some of the stuff, some of the decisions I made, or certain circumstances that I had to relive and really get into that wasn’t so much fun, frankly. It was tough emotionally. I think the overall experience was really amazing.

Knowing what I know now, I wouldn’t want to go through it again.

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JOE PERRY BOOK SIGNING

Changing Hands Bookstore 6428 S. McClintock Drive, Tempe, 480.730.0205 changinghands.com, Saturday, October 18, 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., charge for books Guitar Center, 8949 E. Indian Bend Road, Scottsdale, 480.362.1150, guitarcenter.com, Sunday, October 19, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., free

Your bandmates have written books as well. How does this one differ?

My book follows that traditional autobiographical format. Certainly there are going to be a lot of surprises in there for people. I didn’t want to write a sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll book. We kind of did that in “Walk This Way.” It’s been done so many times. It’s part of our story.

I didn’t want to disregard that as part of the whole Aerosmith thing. I wanted to go deeper than that. That was the focus to get down to human nature.

How have your shows been in Arizona in the past?

It’s been a while since we played there.

It’s been about six years, which is really a shame. It’s always been a great place for us to play. We really like it there. My mother lived in Sedona for 13 years. It’s always a great stop for us. We’d always make time to go up and visit her. That was back in the ‘90s and she has since moved back to the East, in New Hampshire, and she passed away last year. But yeah, Phoenix was always one of those stops that I look forward to. The fans have always been great there.

Sedona is amazing.

I know. You talk to people you live there and they go on—and I don’t blame them—about it being more and more commercialized. It was still kind of this undiscovered spiritual place. There was a lot of focus on that. Of course there are a lot more Pink Jeeps running around. It’s still an amazing place. When we do get a chance—it hasn’t been for a while—we [go] up there to visit, even though my mother isn’t there.

Have your bandmates read the book yet?

Not yet. I really wanted to give it to them in a totally complete form. I just got the completed copies with the pictures and the cover, all the elements, the way it’s going to be on the bookshelf about a week ago. I wanted them to see it like that. I didn’t see the point in showing them the galleys when there was still editing going on.

Were you worried about revealing anything to the public in “Rocks”?

Yeah. It’s not in my nature to open up certain parts of my personal life—my heart and soul, so to speak. That’s on the personal level. It is basically an autobiography about my life. Certainly Aerosmith fans will be looking to see more about the Aerosmith news, to see if there’s anything new in there—which I’m sure there will be. There’s the dynamic

between Steven and I. I actually got a question a couple days ago: “Is the band still together?” It just goes to show how far afield some of these stories can get or people’s perceptions can get. The fact that we’re still able to do it 42 years later and deal with all that ... I just wanted to try to get it as close to the truth of what I recall and taking responsibility for the good and the bad, whether it’s my own personal life or the band’s life.

What’s in the plans for Aerosmith?

Everybody’s sitting around shaking off the last three years. It’s been a constant run since the start of the making of the last album. This is the first break we’ve had in over four years, I think, where we actually have six to eight months before we would normally tour. We’re talking about different options right now. But I think everybody’s just enjoying their time off. I’m just starting to realize I don’t have to get up and get on a plane again. We do have a private party, but that’s kind of like a one-off kind of thing. It’s one of those things we like doing, a low-pressure thing and it’s fun playing those kinds of shows.

Actually, that’s when I’ll give the guys the book. I’m just trying to figure out when the best time is to give it to them.

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THE NEW FAB FOUR

England’s Arctic Monkeys turn garage glam on new album Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

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nglish garage rockers-goneglam Arctic Monkeys have long been popular overseas.

They’ve played Wembley Arena, smashed debut album sales and made girls all over the world buckle at the knees.

While they’ve scored a few hits in the U.S., Their latest record, 2013’s AM, catapulted the group into the realm of full-fledged American favorites, garnering radio play and critical acclaim.

England’s new Fab Four miss the United States, so bassist Nick O’Malley couldn’t be any more thrilled that the band has returned to these shores.

“We’re ready for the U.S.,” says O’Malley via telephone from England.

“We’ve done a lot of Europe recently.

We’re missing the U.S. a little. I really miss the bars. I think Americans do bars really well. Oh, and the food. And the friendliness. You do Mexican food well.”

Heck yes, we do.

Arctic Monkeys are touring on the heels of AM, a collection that NME—a

seminal U.K. music magazine—called perhaps the best album of the decade.

Although O’Malley is flattered by the comment, he’s not quite sure that that’s true.

“I don’t know about that,” he says with a laugh. “It’s nice to hear that, definitely. I’ve tried to avoid reading stuff like that and getting too into it. Whether it’s good or bad, it can affect you negatively in your brain. If it’s overly positive, you start getting a bit big headed. If everyone is saying your record’s sh*t, then you get upset. From what I hear, people tell me mostly pretty positive comments.”

AM merges hip-hop drum beats with ‘70s heavy rock, a reflection of Arctic Monkeys’ penchant for listening to songs like “Ziggy Stardust.”

“You know, riffs that are a bit sexy without being too heavy,” O’Malley describes.

The writing of AM was collaborative, as opposed to previous efforts when the members penned parts individually. While other bands may find this daunting, Arctic Monkeys found it refreshing.

“Of all the bands we know, we’re the four least likely to bicker,” O’Malley says matter of fact. “We let each other try what

we want to try and reach a decision. We all come up with the same conclusion.

“When someone’s into something, you can read what they’re thinking.”

Arctic Monkeys will play a sold out, career-spanning show at the Comerica Theatre on Saturday, October 25. It marks the second time in a year that Arctic Monkeys have played the area, having performed at the Marquee in December.

“We played Tempe a few times now—four or five times, maybe,” O’Malley says. “We always have a great show whenever we’re there. It’s a good one for us. Some places in America we’ve never really been before. We don’t know if anybody’s going to turn out. But, Tempe, we have a nice rapport there. We always have a good time.”

Arctic Monkeys w/Mini Mansions

Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington Street, Phoenix, 800.745.3000, comericatheatre.com, Saturday, October 25, 8 p.m., $30-$45.

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’tis the season foR tso The holidays aren’t complete without Trans-Siberian Orchestra Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

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rans-Siberian Orchestra concerts are visual feasts, with videos of marching toy soldiers, while lights blink and strobe overhead—that’s just for one song.

The act puts millions into its yearly concerts, but there’s a simple explanation for founder Paul O’Neill’s obsession with all things special effects. “(I) have a deep-seated fear of having to get a real job,” O’Neill cracks during a teleconference with reporters.

All joking aside, technology is so important to O’Neill that TSO’s management company has a division of “young kids” who are charged with coming up with new special effects.

“We always tell them the same thing: ‘Make believe you’re working for NASA,’” O’Neill explains. “‘We don’t want you thinking rocketry or jet propulsion. We want you thinking transport beams and warp.’ If only one out of 100 ideas makes it to the flight deck, we win. Also, every light company, every pyro company, every special effect company knows that we’re always looking for cutting-edge stuff.”

Fans can expect nothing less when

TSO comes to Gila River Arena in Glendale on Sunday, November 30, for two performances of “The Christmas Attic.” This is the first tour the mega rock orchestra is doing this show.

“We never intended to do (1996’s) ‘Christmas Eve and Other Stories’ for 13 years in a row. It just sort of happened,” O’Neill says.

When O’Neill approached his agents about switching things up, they told him they subscribed to the theory of “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” But O’Neill came out on top.

First, TSO decided to do “The Lost Christmas Eve,” and when that did “phenomenally,” fans started asking “When are you going to do ‘The Christmas Attic’?”

Always up for something new, O’Neill relented and worked studiously on the show.

“We always have a narrator, so if somebody brings his girlfriend, it’s easy for him to follow the story, it’s easy for her to follow the story,” O’Neill says.

“It’s about a kid who goes into an attic where people have been throwing things for decades, if not centuries, and anyone who has been in an old house with an attic knows it’s filled with all kinds of treasures.”

The girl discovers the trunk and reads letters from the past, distant glimpses of how

the holidays affected people decades and centuries ago, and a glimpse into the future.

“Of all the rock operas I’ve written, it’s probably the lightest,” O’Neill says.

“It’s more along ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ just because, again, between what’s going on in the world with ISIS and all these other things, people need escapism, and so we just wanted to give them a great escape story.”

The second half of the show will feature songs from upcoming albums.

The show is unabashedly prog rock with 24 lead singers, a small orchestra, a rock band and two stages. The demographics of his performances amaze O’Neill to this day. He sees everyone from grandparents to 5-year-old kids at arenas worldwide.

“Around 2004, I got a call in the middle of the night from one of our promoters, who’s a demographic nut,” O’Neill says. “He goes, ‘Paul, I just got your demographics back. I’ll give you 10 guesses, you’ll never guess them.”

It turns out the shows attract folks from every economic class, from the extremely poor to the super rich. The average age is 21. Despite the ornate special effects, TSO strives on keeping its ticket prices reasonable to accomplish this goal of bringing in the masses.

“We always agonize over keeping the

ticket prices between $25 and $70, so even with people adding fees, shipping fees, nothing ever goes over $100,” he says.

“Trans-Siberian Orchestra never sells behind the stage, never sells obstructed view, and it’s just super important to us that we watch the fan’s money 10 times more than we watch our own money. So far, it’s worked out.”

And it’s all worth it in the end.

“You love the look on the audience’s faces—especially the kids when they see a new special effect that they’ve never seen before, and we need more than the ordinary band because, as you are probably well aware, we have stages at both ends of the arena.

“You can always tell the rookies in the audience just because they hear orchestra, they think 50 people in folding chairs, 200 lights on or off, and then all of a sudden this humongous prog rock production starts to put itself together, and we’re off and running.”

trans-siberian orchestra

gila River Arena, 9400 W. maryland Avenue, glendale, 800.745.3000, ticketmaster.com, Sunday, November 30, 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., $32-$67

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The meTropoliTan | The arTisT | The CriTiC | The Diner | The CrafTmasTer | The highroller | The glaDiaTor | The youngsTer | The exTraorDinaire | The Showman | The nighTowl

consonance anD Dissonance Manchester Orchestra explores two sides with new albums

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

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lt rock band Manchester Orchestra will look for any cheap excuse to go back into the recording studio.

So when the Atlantabased act “went loud” with its album Cope, it retreated to the studio shortly after its release to turn soft for Hope.

“Cope is a very hard-hitting, guitardriven record,” says keyboardist Chris Freeman. “We decided to take a step back and reimagine that record in a softer way.

“A lot of the vocals are brought up and the instrumentation was sparse. It was very liberating to be able to look at a finished record and reimagine it, rather than writing a whole new record.”

Manchester Orchestra’s fifth album, Hope, grew out of fan reaction to a stripped-down arrangement of Cope’s “Top Notch,” which the band recorded for SiriusXM’s Alt Nation. The new album melds softer vocals by singer Andy Hull accompanied by Fender Rhodes electric piano, acoustic piano and some strings.

Expect to hear that when Manchester Orchestra plays the Mesa Arts Center’s Ikeda Theatre on Thursday, November 6.

“We’re going to play a lot of the Hope record,” he says. “But we’re trying

to figure out how to pull off the string arrangements and the piano parts amongst five members. [The show] will be that and, on top of it, a reimaging of other songs.

“I’m sure Andy will play a couple of acoustic songs as well. We’re trying to make this a special experience.”

At the time of interview, Manchester Orchestra was in the midst of arranging the songs to play live. Freeman says that each member will play different keyboards.

“I think it’ll be an experiment for sure,” he says with a laugh.

It’s clear that Manchester Orchestra didn’t reimagine Cope because it was unhappy with the product.

“I feel like what we did with Cope was we consciously made an effort to make a rock record,” he says, “I think the fans like both sides of our band, which is being loud and quiet. We weren’t quiet on Cope and we could reimagine and do a labor of love for fans who enjoy that other side of us. That’s how it came about. We are versatile in what we can do. Why not use that gift and make a soft record, or a more pretty record?”

Freeman is much more than a keyboardist for Manchester Orchestra. He is also the brains behind the merchandise and the cover art for Hope.

“Being there for the process of the record does help when trying to

imagine what the artwork should be,” explains Freeman, who was sketching new merchandise designs just before the chat. “The cover for Hope spawned from an idea for Cope. It originally seemed too illustrious for a hard-hitting record.

“Taking that and using it for Hope made a lot of sense. I went back and flipped through some old sketches and found that. It was clear that that was the direction to go in with a sprawling record.”

Like the designs, the album was a challenge.

“It was an interesting and fun process, though,” he says. “We like to be in the studio and we were happy to get back in and hash out this thing. We had the freedom to do whatever we wanted.

We have a sense of comfort when we’re working when we can go in any direction we want.”

Manchester orchestra w/chris staples

mesa Arts Center’s ikeda theater, 1 E. main Street, mesa, 480.644.6500, mesaartscenter.com, thursday, November 6, $21-$33

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL

John Heffron

IS ON A COMEDY BENDER

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Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

aking an audience laugh is a big deal to self-proclaimed “clean” comedian John Heffron. But he has even bigger goals for the 23 hours that he’s not on stage.

“I do my show and find food,” Heffron says. “Foraging for food is my biggest accomplishment during the day. I kill time in ways that I don’t end up killing myself.”

The Michigan-born comedian will perform at Phoenix’s Stand Up Live Thursday, December 11, through Sunday, December 14. These are rare public shows in Arizona for Heffron, who plays many corporate audiences in this area.

“They’re two completely different ways to do stuff,” Heffron says. “They both have their advantage. Because my act is so clean, I get booked for a lot of that stuff. I don’t talk about race, religion or sex in my act.

“Sometimes the shows are 700 businessmen who would rather be at some strip club than listen to you do your thing. But it’s nice because you’re in and out of a city in one day, as opposed to being someplace Wednesday through Monday.”

Working on a new special, Heffron will test the jokes at Stand Up Live.

“You’ll get to see the special I’m about to shoot, which is nice,” he says. “My act is very universal. I have people who are 70 years old at my show who love me, and a table full of 20-year-olds.

“I’ve always been pretty universal and a really good date night or you can bring clients, have a corporate Christmas party and that stuff. It’s just the style of standup I’ve always done. I’m not overly edgy. I’m lazy and that seems like that’s a lot of work to do.”

Heffron started pursuing comedy when he was in his late teens, when his life experiences were at a minimum.

Born in Detroit, he was raised in South Lyon, Michigan, and graduated from that city’s high school as well as Eastern Michigan University. He served as radio sidekick to Danny Bonaduce in Detroit and guest commentator on the 2004 VH1 TV series “My Coolest Years: My First Time.”

Heffron has appeared on “Comedy Central Presents,” “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and won the second season of “Last Comic Standing.” He hosts the podcast “The State I’m In with John Heffron.”

“Even though my act is clean, I swear and talk about adult stuff,” Heffron says. “It’s not a Disney-type show.

I’ve always stayed within those lines and have not ever moved out of that style. Twenty-three years later, it’s all working out for me.”

Now in his 40s, he finds that his jokes are evolving.

“I’m starting to get to that age where talking about partying and stuff like that is creepy,” he says with a laugh. “It’s funny if you’re a 22-year-old kid talking about how drunk you got the night before. But if someone in their 40s says that, people tend to think you have a problem. It’s not romantic anymore when you’re talking about your bender when you’re middle aged.”

John Heffron

Stand Up Live, 50 W. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, 480.719.6100, standuplive.com, Thursday, December 11, through Sunday, December 14, various times, $20 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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The meTropoliTan | The arTisT | The CriTiC | The Diner | The CrafTmasTer | The highroller | The glaDiaTor | The youngsTer | The exTraorDinaire | The Showman | The nighTowl

Living After midNight Judas Priest’s Rob Halford talks casinos, fans and his ‘love affair’ with Phoenix Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE november 2014

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native of The Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield, England, Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford feels just as comfortable in his Paradise Valley home.

“I’ve still got a great love affair going on with Phoenix,” Halford says via telephone from Chicago.

“I still feel the same when the plane comes into London or coming on the tour bus. I’ve got a lot of memories. I’ve been there since the beginning of the ‘80s. I have a lot of friends there and I just feel really comfortable.”

Halford and Co. will return to the Valley on Wednesday, November 12, to play Gila River Arena, formerly Jobing.com Arena, on their “Redeemer of Souls Tour.”

“I watched Glendale grow from small kind of cowboy town into this part of the Valley,” says Halford, 63. “It’s great. It’s wonderful to see how that side of the Valley’s doing, particularly with the new facilities there.

It’s always good to get back into the home turf. I should probably have a very long guest list for the show.”

At the time of our interview, Judas Priest just played its first gig in about two and a half years in Rochester, New York—the first in support of the Redeemer of Souls album. He says it’s satisfying to go from basic skeleton ideas of a song to the stage.

“To play it live in front of your fans for the first time, that’s when it really becomes special,” he says.

“The songs become alive when they’re played live. The way this material has moved from the studio recording into the live dimension, it’s spectacular. It’s crushing.

It really is.”

Halford has had this feeling throughout Judas Priest’s 40 years. He explains he doesn’t really think about his career in terms of decades—until his body gives him little hints about his age.

“I did feel it when I fell off the bus after an 11hour overnight drive to Chicago from Rochester,” says Halford, putting the emphasis on “11-hour.”

“I was feeling it. But you’ve probably heard other musicians say this: When the lights go down and the fans start screaming, you feel like a million dollars. Some days you’re going, ‘Man, 40 years.’ That’s when my knees hurt. Other days, wow. It’s too good to be true.”

JuDas PRiest w/steel PantheR

gila River Arena, 9400 W. maryland Avenue, glendale, 800.745.3000, ticketmaster.com, Wednesday, November 12, $10-$75

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Halford says Judas Priest stays relevant and he stays interested in music by reading about eight to 12 metal websites daily.

“I stay in that world,” he says. “I stay in tune with it. It excites me. It gives me a buzz to know I’m in the company of all these really talented musicians that are doing well. A lot of them I know. That’s what keeps me going. Then again, that’s what I do. I don’t know how to do anything else. I’m still singing for my metal supper.”

He’s quick to give props to Judas Priest’s fans, whom, he says, have stuck by the band through thick and thin.

“Without the fans we have nothing,” he says. “So, we worked hard together. We’ve supported each other, watched out for each other. The fans deserve the best each time we put out a record and put on a show. That’s what we’re doing now.”

The shows to which he’s referring will focus on Redeemer of Souls, but they will acknowledge the past.

“If you don’t do ‘Breaking the Law,’ you’re going to get a riot,” he says. “If you don’t play ‘Living After Midnight,’ you’re going to get a riot. Those are songs that are significant.”

After Chicago, Judas Priest was scheduled to play an Indiana casino which, he admits, is “always dangerous for me.”

“I’ve now moved into the casino years,” Halford says with a laugh. “When I’m back in the Valley, you’ll see me at Harrah’s Ak-Chin or Wild Horse Pass.

“I just like to get on the machines and veg out. I never thought I’d become one of these people. It’s just a thrill. That’s the thing about the casino. I’m not in it for the cash because I’m a cheap player. I like to get on the penny slots. It’s the unexpected. I like the unexpected about the casino, of the buzz and the thrill that I get from that. It’s a bit like rock ‘n’ roll, to a certain extent.

There’s nothing better than seeing your band—any band, from Priest to Celine Dion—you can’t beat a live performance because there’s a thrill and the danger of the unexpected. You don’t really know what’s going to happen next. That thrill for me never really diminishes.

After two and a half years, when we last played, the band was roaring last night. The fans were nuts. It’s the best thing in the world.”

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL

Aniston’s Next Step Love, life and what happens after Jen steps behind the camera

Phil Thompson » The Interview Feed WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2014

J

ennifer Aniston arrives for an interview looking sunny and perky in a purple patterned mini dress with a frilly skirt.

The former “Friends” actress is on hand to promote her film, “Life of Crime,” a crime caper in which she plays a kidnapped wife.

Based on the Elmore Leonard novel “The Switch,” Aniston’s Mickey Dawson is a Detroit socialite, whose husband Frank (played by a blond Tim Robbins) is a wealthy but crooked real estate developer.

Although they live in a tidy suburban home with their teenage son and are members of the local country club, Mickey feels lonely and neglected by her husband. She’s trapped in her marriage with no way to get out.

The California-born actress was more than eager to talk about the film in which she plays an unhappy housewife and was released on DVD in late October.

So this story must have really appealed to you to want to produce it. What made you invest in that part of it too?

This man (Schechter). That was pretty much from the get-go. I had a meeting with him and he just impressed me to no end. I was so excited because I’ve always loved Elmore Leonard, but I hadn’t read “The Switch,” which is the actual name. There already was a movie called “The Switch” about best friends making a baby. Then I read the book, and it was such fun and wonderful. I love how he writes.

His characters are so interesting and detailed and his bad guys aren’t the brightest and yet somehow they make it happen. They’re charming and loveable.

I also thought the Mickey character has such a beautiful arc and a powerful one. In that time, to write that for a woman in the ‘70s was pretty awesome. The whole package was exciting for me.

Is producing also a way to send your career in a different direction—away from in front of the camera?

I’ve always been interested in producing. But of course you know that your time in front of the camera might be limited. Age plays a part, there are still not very many parts for older women in Hollywood—and Meryl Streep gets most of them anyway (Laughs).

You get roughed up a little bit in the movie. How did you prepare for those physical scenes?

I didn’t prepare, I just let them hurt me. It’s the best way to get a real reaction, it turns out.

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How do you and your fiancé manage your schedules. He’s busy, you are obviously busy.

Does that create problems at times?

It creates problems in trying to be in the same city at times. But otherwise it’s just a question of planning.

I’ve gotten better with time. We try to make time for each other. And it’s working fairly well. I am not complaining.

Let’s speak about the movie again: You and John Hawkes have great chemistry in this. Did you detect that when you first met him?

I think that that stuff is kind of natural. I don’t think you can force it or create it. We got along instantly when we met. I think we’re both interested actors. We were interested in the story and the very subtle odd, not even love story, but that’s sort of what unfolds. We both thought it was really interesting. Chemistry is … chemical, man. I don’t know how you can make it.

How was it working with Tim Robbins? How was it when he treated you like a dishrag?

It was pretty awesome. I mean, he really was a jerk, just a jerk. (Laughs) No, he’s lovable. To say he’s a teddy bear is an understatement. He is quite towering. I mean, he’s a towering figure, for sure.

So in the (argument) scenes it was quite intense but fun and awesome to play, especially towards the end where she grows a good set of balls and takes him over. He’s just a lovely man, and I’ve known him for a long time so it was fun to have him beat me up a little bit.

What did you learn from your co-stars?

Isla (Fisher) and I are friends and have been for a very long time. We had a lot of fun together.

We were all really excited to work together. I thought that was clear from the beginning, the first rehearsals. It starts at the top. (Schechter’s) enthusiasm and love of all the characters filtered down. You always find surprises about people, the way they work. Certain people come on and it’s just there. I love the curiosity from Tim, especially and John, especially.

Are there still some things you haven’t done in movies that you would like to do?

Direct. Absolutely. That’s the next big sort of hurdle that I want to take on. I’ve done a few short films. I just loved the experience of doing. I’m just waiting for that wonderful window and that wonderful script. That’ll be the next one for me.

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Everclear’s VISION

WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2014

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CLEARER THAN EVER Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

W

ith self-deprecating humor in tow, Everclear’s Art Alexakis is excited to talk about his band’s forthcoming album, Black is the New Black, as well as his solo tour, “Songs and Stories—An Evening with Art Alexakis of Everclear” which comes to the Musical Instrument Museum on Sunday, December 14.

“If you’re a fan of Everclear and you’re a fan of my songs, you’ll think it’s pretty cool,” Alexakis says. “If you’re just a fan of music, you’ll think it’s pretty cool. It’s just me playing songs, telling stories behind the songs and stories that come to mind. It’s also just me being a knucklehead in front of people. When people give me the mic, it’s trouble in a good way.”

Alexakis says he likes to perform this way whenever Everclear is releasing an album. As of late November, Black is the New Black was wrapped up and mastered.

It’s due to hit stores in the spring.

“I’ll be playing a couple songs off that,” he says. “I’ll also be talking about the record, talking about where I’m at in my life—just telling stories and just trying to have a good time. I get people involved.

“It’s very interactive. I pull people on stage and try to make them look silly, but they end up making me look silly.”

He describes Black is the New Black as a “hard-rocking Everclear record” with not a lot of “bells and whistles.”

“It’s just pretty straight ahead,” he adds. “I miss that. That’s what radio and culture are missing right now. I say that tongue in cheek, really. There are so many great bands that don’t get played on the radio. The culture’s there, but they can’t break through to the mainstream.

“You know what, though? I’m OK

with that. I like rock ‘n’ roll. I like rock ‘n’ roll being in the underbelly. That’s where the good, weird thing comes from. This is a dark record. I think people who are Everclear fans are going to like it. I think people who are into rock ‘n’ roll are going to like it. It’s a dark record.”

Just because it’s “dark,” it doesn’t mean that Alexakis was going through a “dark” time when he penned Black is the New Black. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.

“It’s kind of like Sparkle and Fade,” he says of the album that includes the hit “Santa Monica.”

“I was coming out of a dark time” and that album is pretty much upbeat.

“It’s just like this one. I wasn’t going through a dark time, but I think it’s just part of being depressed and an addict. I’m in a great place, though. I have great kids, a great wife. I’m still the (messed) up kid that I’ve always been. It’s always going to be there.”

Alexakis was raised in a lowermiddle-class household by his single mother, according to his bio. His father left the family during Alexakis’ childhood, an incident that would later pepper many of Everclear’s most popular songs. The dual deaths of his brother and girlfriend—his brother by heroin overdose; his girlfriend by suicide— persuaded him to kick his own cocaine habit in the mid-’80s.

But his father’s departure didn’t affect his parenting skills. Alexakis had become a father around the time Everclear released “Father of Mine,” and the birth of his daughter prompted the singer to become even more politically active. He testified in front of Congress regarding child support laws. Everclear was also hailed Modern Rock Artist of the Year by Billboard magazine in 1998.

He is also the mastermind behind

the Summerland tour, which has brought ’90s bands like Sponge, Soul Asylum and Spacehog—as well as Everclear—to stages like that of the Marquee Theatre in Tempe.

Songs such as “Santa Monica,” “I Will Buy You a New Life” and “Father of Mine” have resonated with fans, thanks to 1990s satellite radio channels and film. It doesn’t hurt that the songs still sound fresh.

“People tell me that and I think that’s really cool,” Alexakis says. “I don’t have the outlets that were available to us than I did at that time. You have to have something that’s cool and unique and touches a nerve with people. Half of it is getting to people and being in the right place at the right time.

“Radio was playing a band like us.

There are a lot of bands—band that are new bands and bands that are old bands— that don’t get played on the radio. It’s frustrating that they don’t get the exposure that they deserve.”

Some of those bands include Rival Sons, who will support Lenny Kravitz at Wembley Arena in London, and Royal Blood, who is set to open for Foo Fighters next summer on select dates. That does not include the gig at Ak-Chin Pavilion in Phoenix.

“I’m in a rock place right now where I’m really digging on rock music,” he says.

Songs and Stories: An Evening with Art Alexakis of Everclear

Musical Instrument Museum, 4725 E. Mayo Boulvard, Phoenix, 480.478.6000, mim.org, Sunday, December 14, 7 p.m., $33-$38 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2014

THE SHOWMAN

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LISTEN » JAM » INNOVATE » EVOLVE » ROCK » SING

Everclear 62 Mannheim Steamroller 66 Live Music Calendar 64

STILL MIGHTY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS

Mighty Mighty Bosstones spread ska across the country Christina Fuoco-Karasinski »

D

The Entertainer!

icky Barrett of the Mighty Mighty Bosstones swears that the onus is on his Boston-bred ska band—not the fans—for the act not performing in Phoenix in some time.

“If any of the Bosstones’ fans or ska fans or fans of punk rock are blaming themselves in Arizona, please tell them to stop,” says Barrett, as his typical sarcastic self.

“We take full blame. It’s our fault. We’ve been neglectful. It wasn’t

malicious. We’re just not that bright.

It was an oversight.”

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones will make good on their “oversight” by returning to the Valley to play Marquee Theatre on Friday, December 19. The shows are a raucous good time, even to first-timers, he says.

“You won’t be disappointed,” says Barrett, 50. “If you’re looking for something to do that’s entertaining, that doesn’t involve staring at Facebook or playing a video game and you want to get out, have a couple of drinks and have fun, come see the Bosstones.”

The show is just the beginning of an

exciting 12 months for the band, who is planning on releasing its first album since 2011’s The Magic of Youth in 2015.

“We are always working on new material,” says Barrett, who served as the announcer on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’”

“We enjoy each other’s company and we enjoy writing music together.”

Technology has helped the band pen the music for the album.

“These days, with technology, if you have a musical idea, I could yell it into my phone and send it in a .jpg or even in a text message and say, ‘Here, this is what I was thinking about.’

Technology has made writing Bosstones

songs a lot easier. Maybe we’re writing (crappy) songs. I don’t think so. I think the last two albums were damn good.”

But fans won’t see Barrett rocking out to his own songs like “The Impression that I Get” in his car when he hears them on satellite radio.

“It makes me uncomfortable,” Barrett says. “I turn it. I’m glad they’re playing it and it makes me happy. I do enjoy the songs. But if I’m listening to (the channel) Lithium and the Bosstones are on and I get a little into it, then someone sees me doing that, yeah, it could be awkward.”

So he changes the channel quickly or, if he wants to “take a trip down memory lane,” he indulges at home in California.

“Plus, we do the show, I get my fill of those songs when I have my own time,” Barrett says.

The Tempe show will serve as a warm-up gig for its Hometown Throwdown, an annual three-day event in late December in Boston.

“The Hometown Throwdown are big shows in Boston,” he says. “It should be fun. We’ve never sounded better in my opinion.”

Mighty Mighty Bosstones w/The Interrupters and Captain Squeegee Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Avenue, Tempe, 480.829.0607, luckymanonline.com, Friday, December 19, $33

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THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2014

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SO TWISTED After three year hiatus, Spoon morphs into a sneaky, sexy new sound

TOM HIRES

Alan Sculley » Last Word Features

A

fter going more than four years without releasing a studio album, Spoon has come back as a bit of a new band—at least where its lineup is concerned.

After spending most of its twodecade history as a four-piece, the group now has a fifth member in Alex Fischel, who is especially making a major impact on Spoon as a live band. That’s what bassist Rob Pope is seeing as the group begins touring behind its newly-released album, They Want My Soul.

“He (Fischel) is playing a lot of guitar on the old songs,” Pope says, noting this allows singer/guitarist Britt Daniel to focus more on singing and entertaining the audience. “And then Alex, who is the new guy, he’s a hell of a keyboard player, too. So that’s been the biggest live switchup. That’s been really fun because there are parts in old songs that were never there before that we didn’t have enough hands on stage to do them (live). Now we can.”

Fischel’s arrival in Spoon is a direct result of the hiatus the group began in 2011 when touring wrapped up behind the 2010 album, Transference.

Soon after putting Spoon on hold, Daniel teamed up with Dan Boeckner of

Wolf Parade to form a side band, Divine Fits. That group released a critically acclaimed album, “A Thing Called Divine Fits,” in 2012. The keyboardist in Divine Fits was Fischel, and Daniel was so impressed with Fischel’s contributions, he recruited him to join Spoon when the group reconvened earlier this year.

Daniel wasn’t the only member of Spoon who didn’t exactly disappear during what turned out to be nearly a three-year hiatus.

By the end of 2013, though, Spoon was once again calling and the band started writing and getting plans squared away to record the new album.

Initially, the band planned to record the entire album with Joe Chiccarelli (The Strokes, Jason Mraz, My Morning Jacket) and have Dave Fridmann (Flaming Lips) mix the record. But that plan didn’t hold.

“We got about half way through (with Chiccarelli). We had about half of the songs done,” Pope says. “And we started mixing with Dave, and we got along with Dave so well. Dave (asked) us about tracking with him, and we couldn’t pass that up. We kind of parted ways with Joe, not on bad terms whatsoever, but just we wanted to keep moving with the record. So we decided to track the last half with Dave, which was a blast.”

The music that emerged on They

Want My Soul is frequently edgier and a bit more aggressive than Spoon’s previous seven albums, whose taut and economical music has earned the group considerable popularity and recognition as one of alternative rock’s leading bands.

This is apparent as big drum beats introduce the opening track, “Rent I Pay,” a swaggering, hard-hitting tune. “Rainy Taxi” is a sneaky rocker, whose intensity grows as the song unfolds. The chunky hook-filled “Do You” and the chunky title track also add grit to the album.

Meanwhile, more textured tunes like the electronic leaning “Inside Out” and the space age-sounding “Outlier,” balance out the album nicely.

This was exactly the kind of album the band had in mind, Pope says.

“The last record (Transference), it was a cool record, but it was more of like a sit in the corner with headphones record,” he says. “And we were looking for something you could turn up on your car stereo this time around.”

Spoon

Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Avenue, Tempe, luckymanonline. com, 6:30 p.m., $28 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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CONSTANT CHRISTMAS For Mannheim Streamroller, the holidays are an all-year affair Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

E

arly in his career, Mannheim Steamroller mastermind Chip Davis was told by retailers not to create Christmas music because that spells doom for anyone’s career. “‘When they can’t think of something else to do, they’d write a Christmas album,’” he recalls them saying.

But that wasn’t the case for Davis.

He and his indie label, American Gramaphone Records, recently released Mannheim Steamroller 30/40, which celebrates the 30th anniversary of Davis’ first Christmas record and the 40th anniversary of the debut of the iconic Fresh Aire series.

He attributes his success to two things: The multiple generations who enjoy his performances and the fact that Mannheim Steamroller only tours once a year.

“When you come to a Mannheim concert it’s not unusual to see grandma and grandpa, mom and dad, and the kids,” Davis says.

“The mom and dad of today are bringing their kids and they were the kids of before. You’ll see three generations all at the same concert sitting together.

Another thing that’s key is it only comes at Christmastime. It’s not like when a hit record comes out and, for a year, the record company pounds it down everybody’s throats and you get to where

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you can’t escape it. Ours is only out there for six weeks.”

Davis figures that his two teams of touring bands perform about 100 concerts a season. He won’t personally be in Arizona when Mannheim Steamroller plays ASU Gammage on Friday, December 26.

“There are two bands out traveling and then, in December, I am in Orlando being a third company doing ‘The Grinch Who Stole Christmas’ for Universal Studios,” he says.

“This will be my seventh year and they want to extend it another three. So I’ll be there 10 years. It’s a fun thing to do because it’s just on weekends.”

If he wasn’t doing “The Grinch,” he probably still wouldn’t be touring, says Davis, 67.

“I couldn’t do that at this age,” he says with a laugh. “That’s a younger man’s game. They’re traveling on buses, sleeping on buses. It’s difficult. They’re at an age when they think it’s adventurous.”

Nevertheless, the shows will still have Davis’ touch. Fans can expect “the usual types of things.”

“Of course we have the live performance of the music, an orchestra and the multimedia show that goes with it,” he says. “Sometimes we’ll have background visuals, like a full film that’s the size of the whole stage, synchronized lighting and special effects, like fog when it’s appropriate. That’s what I’ve done for several years. A lot of things, they change, but it’s the same basic idea.”

That includes some of his favorite merchandise like his cinnamon hot chocolate.

“It’s hot chocolate made with Madagascar cinnamon,” Davis explains.

“We’ve sold 80 tons of it over the years.

Particularly around the Christmas season, it’s kind of nice to have hot chocolate around.”

Each year, though, Davis adds new technology, that is researched by his team of engineers who constantly are reading manuals about upgrades.

“I’ve got two engineers, one works with me every day,” he says. “I wrote a track for a horse the other day. We have to send it out to the trainers in California today.”

The show boats a full venue experience.

Past shows have included the scent of flowers when they appear on the large screen.

“We try to hit all the senses,” he says.

“I have a really fun time designing all these crazy things, finding different ways to hit the senses. I want to make people laugh, make people cry, reach into the heartstrings, bring back some memories from the past. At the end when we play ‘Silent Night,’ it’s been around so long, people go back to memories of their families and Christmas.”

Mannheim Steamroller

ASU Gammage, 1200 S. Forest Avenue, Tempe, 800.745.3000, ticketmaster.com, Friday, December 26, 8 p.m., $36-$101

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE JANUARY 2015

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DANCING WITH

SELF-DEPRECATION Valentin Chmerkovskiy brings humor, sick moves to the Valley Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

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rofessional dancer Valentin Chmerkovskiy considers meeting and greeting his fans one of the perks of his job. But when he and fellow “Dancing with the Stars” castmates tour this winter, he hopes to chat with a whole different demographic.

“I’d like to meet all those people individually who didn’t vote for me to win this season and give them a handshake and ask them why,” Chmerkovskiy says with his typical dry sense of humor.

The brother of former “DWTS” dancer Maksim, Chmerkovskiy took third place in season 19 with partner Janel Parrish of the TV show “Pretty Little Liars.” He is part of the “Dancing with the Stars” tour, which stops at Comerica Theatre in Phoenix for two shows on Sunday, February 8 at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.

“It’s just fun,” he says about the tour.

“You meet the audience and the show is very interactive. There are plenty of times I jump into the audience and dance with who knows who.”

Although he wished to not reveal many details, he did say that season 19 winner Alfonso Ribeiro of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” will narrate and perform in the show.

“Witney Carson, his partner, who just won, she’s a super talented dancer,” says Chmerkovskiy, who also plays violin in the show. “And Emma (Slater) is a sweetheart. She’s amazing. Then you’ve got me. I’m a decent performer. OK looking, got an OK personality. Hopefully I can also contribute to the cast. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

“Dancing with the Stars” has proven to be challenging for the Ukraine-born Chmerkovskiy. It all starts with, what he calls, an “arranged marriage.”

“You don’t know who you’re going to get,” he says. “Once you’re walking through that door to meet this person, you’re handcuffed to one another. You’re dependent on one another and you need one another for growth and individual success, at least for the show. It’s a very unusual process, but it’s an exciting one and a lot of fun.”

He says he has to build his partners’ confidence and make them believe in

themselves. He considers himself to be a life coach of sorts, managing the stars from “A to Z”—making sure they eat right and avoid injuries. Chmerkovskiy is part psychiatrist, part psychologist.

“I make sure their head is in the right place, to make sure the pressure of the live show doesn’t get to them, keep them cool headed,” he explains.

“I have to be a coach, partner, mentor and ultimately a friend. These are all the things that we have to play on the show. That, sometimes, can get a little overwhelming. Hopefully it all comes together. I’m very grateful to be put in those situations. It makes me grow as a person. It allows me to help somebody else become a greater version of themselves.”

Chmerkovskiy is modest when told it’s noble that he thinks of his partners above himself.

“First of all, I have a responsibility to the person who took a chance on me or hired me,” he says.

“I guess I have a little bit of an oldschool mentality and accountability and responsibility. When our casting director meets with people, with these celebrities, and she pairs them up and she says, ‘You

know what? We’re going to give you Val and I think you’re going to love him,’ I have to live up to that responsibility.

“My partner is lost, excited, anxious, beautiful and frightened. They have no idea what’s going on.”

Chmerkovskiy says he’s a representative of the show and the art.

“I have the responsibility to champion not only ‘Dancing with the Stars’ but ballroom dancing in general.

I take a lot of pride in that. I want to make this experience as great for them as possible. Maybe I was brought up that way. I’m at my best when I’m helping others. I look my best when I’m presenting my partners. That’s my outlook on things.

I appreciate the credit I’m given for it, but ultimately, that’s the way I think it should be.”

“Dancing with the Stars: Live! Tour”

Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington Street, Phoenix, 800.745.3000, comericatheatre. com, Sunday, February 8, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., $28-$63

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HERE’S HOWIE! Howie Mandel on the highs of stand-up Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

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Howie Mandel

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts’ Virginia G. Piper Theater, 7380 E. Second Street, Scottsdale, 480.499.8587, scottsdaleperformingarts.org, Saturday, January 10, 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., $45-$79 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

omedian and TV personality Howie Mandel envisions his stand-up dates as one “giant party” and he’s the center of attention.

“Regardless of what I do, I always come back to stand-up,” says Mandel, calling from the set of TBS’ “Deal With It,” which he executive produces and occasionally stars in.

“It’s the only thing that has no rules.

It’s the only thing that has no marks to hit, no lines to recite, no commercials to throw to, and no editing. Just don’t bring the kids.”

Mandel is set to celebrate that freedom at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, January 10, at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. Sometimes performing in front of an audience can be challenging, but it’s one that he prefers to take on. Like the year 2015, Mandel doesn’t have a plan for his local performance.

“It’s just whatever happens,” he says.

“After all these years, I have a plethora of material to draw from. But I look to be taken off the path. I want whatever happens that night at that show to be unique to that night, that show.

“A big part of it is improvisation.

A big part of it is if somebody yells something out. It’s very interactive. The audience seems to be a big part of it.

It’s fun. I’m just trying to be the center of attention. I think 2015 should be more fun.”

Among his projects for next year, though, is another season of “America’s Got Talent,” for which he serves as a judge along with Howard Stern, Heidi Klum and Melanie Brown of the Spice Girls.

“I love not knowing what you’re going to see, which is inherent in my stand-up,” he says about the show, which is abbreviated “AGT.” “I like to be surprised. Plus, I just love watching somebody who has all these dreams, hopes and wishes, their life changes right in front of me. It’s a very different world, standing there on stage. I have the empathy doing what they’re doing. I’m going to do that in Scottsdale. You’re at the mercy of the audience. Hopefully, they respond and change. I feel my life is changed every time I walk out on stage.

Just to be witness to that is enjoyable.”

He adds that it’s moving when he sees a contestant win the $1 million prize and a stint in Vegas.

“I know how much it means to them,” he says. “I know how much is at

stake for these people. This is a dream come true from the moment they walk on stage. The look in their eyes. They look at the crowd, the theater, the judges, the camera like ‘this is surreal.’ It’s kind of moving, emotional, exciting, funny, awkward and amazing. Every single emotion there is.”

The chemistry of the judges panel is unparalleled to other reality variety shows.

Mandel explains it’s because the panelists actually like each other.

“As luck would have it, we legitimately know each other outside of the show,” Mandel explains. “We’re really friends. I have the utmost respect for everyone on the panel, who are from four different walks of show business. I think we all have legitimate input, as far as what we talk about.”

Judging “America’s Got Talent” and executive producing “Deal With It” just goes to show Mandel’s versatility. He’s also an actor who appeared on the hit TV show “St. Elsewhere.” Mandel says he loves watching a TV show come together.

“Somebody has an idea, then you watch 200, 300 people come together and bring that idea to fruition,” Mandel explains.

“It’s very collaborative; it’s the opposite of stand-up. It’s fun. It’s like a puzzle. You put all the right people together and sit in a room and say an idea out loud. Your directors, producers, editors, actors, comedians, writers and all these people that are involved in the network all come together to hopefully watch this idea come to fruition on television.”

Mandel squeezes in “Deal With It” and “America’s Got Talent” in between his 200 to 300 stand-up dates.

“Stand-up comedy is a primal scream,” he says. “I can get up on stage and do anything and everything to entertain and have fun. I’m alone. I’m in control. I love that autonomy.”

Mandel explains that the magic starts when the emcee says, “Ladies and gentlemen, Howie Mandel!”

“I think my reputation precedes me of being open and fun,” he says. “I can’t tell you how many times I walk down the street and someone will say something like, ‘I was there that night at the Fox Theatre when the lady with the red hat fell off her seat.’ Something specific happens that is unique to that night. Things will happen that night and will never happen again. That’s what I look for and that’s what makes it fun. Everything I’ve ever been punished for, expelled for, hit for, is what I get paid for.”

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RUN AWAY

WITH THE CIRCUS

Marchfourth Marching Band skips the day job for full-time fun Christina Caldwell » The Entertainer!

M

archfourth Marching Band is probably the least cliché band in history, but their show can be described by one trite phrase—you have to see it to believe it.

Stilt walkers, firey baton twirlers and creepy-cool costumes combine for a trippy and whimsical show that’s beyond words.

“I’m still waiting for an accurate description of us that doesn’t take a paragraph,” jokes band leaders and ringmaster John Averill.

Known by fans as M4, the band of 30 ragtag circus performers and musicians from Portland is actually serious business when they’re not on stage, as Averill explains to The Entertainer!

The Entertainer!: Last time I saw you guys in Phoenix, your bus broke down and people from the crowd threw cash on the stage for repairs.

Were you able to get back on the road with that cash?

Averill: [Laughs] Yes and no! That was our first bus, “Razzle Dazzle.” After that

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show we drove to Scottsdale, where we were staying. The next morning the bus left for the shop in Phoenix, as we had the day off. As soon as it got on the freeway, it spilled out just about every imaginable fluid in one belch. And that was it, the end of an era, [which was a] pretty amazing journey, considering we bought Razzle for $10,000 on eBay and drove it approx 350,000 miles before all over the country.

The money the fans gave us went into towing fees, I suppose!

I spent that day finding us a charter bus to L.A. (we had a 3 p.m. gig in Pasadena the following day) while Dan dealt with the driver and the dead bus. Some very nice people carpooled us to get our stuff off the bus and let us stay at their house in Phoenix. The charter stretch-van picked us up at 7 a.m. and we got to Pasadena in time, played another show that night, got dropped off, then rented vans to complete the last week of tour. Didn’t miss a gig!

You literally ran away with the circus.

What were you doing before M4 came to be?

I did graphic design in L.A. for several years, then started working on film and commercials as a model builder, which

led me to work in Portland at Will Vinton Studios (now Laika). My last job there was as a stop-motion animator on a show called “The PJ’s,” which ran on FOX for three seasons before being cancelled. The work dried up and most of my co-workers followed the next job.

I took unemployment and started over with the goal of becoming a working musician. I never imagined the main vehicle for this would be a circus. It’s like I helped build a machine and it chased me out of town.

Do you ever have plans to get a “normal” job again?

I can’t go back to working for someone else. As much as it would appear M4 is all fun and games, this band is a business.

When you start something that becomes your business, then you have to tend to that business 24/7. With M4, there is never a moment where something cannot be worked on, whether its the mundane stuff, tour planning and logistics, staffing the roster, scheduling, or the fun stuff like writing and playing music. Most of my time spent on M4 is in my head. I wish I could get everything done that I see in my head. Fortunately we have a team,

but we really need help with stuff, such as marketing. It’s never ending.

I’ve seen you twice now—once at Tucson’s Hotel Congress and once here in Phoenix at Crescent Ballroom.

Both were very different experiences, just based on the venues’ respective sizes. What’s your ideal venue?

I loved those Congress shows, even though the band barely fit on the stage. I just like that rowdy small club bar energy. In general, my ideal indoor venues are theaters with big stages where the stage isn’t too high and there are no seats and everyone’s dancing on the floor, and the only seats are in the balcony.

Outdoor shows festival shows are great too.

How do you translate your fun live image into an album?

That’s still a work in progress. We’ve tried to capture that energy in the studio, but it’s still never going to be like the live experience. We’re like the Grateful Dead in that respect. As far as future recordings, I’d love to experiment more in the studio and make records that stand alone as something you would listen to. We’re overdue for an album. [We’re] probably going to start recording in March.

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FOOTBALL

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13

FIREWORKS Katy Perry heads to the Valley to light up the Super Bowl

Jan Janssen » The Interview Feed

K

aty Perry is on top of the world, and now she’s also about to be in front of it. Seven in 10 American households will tune into the Super Bowl on February 1, so all eyes are on the bubblegum pop songstress.

It’s a triumphant cap to a tumultuous year. After ending a heavilypublicized relationship with John Mayer, and before that, a marriage with comedian Russell Brand, Perry needed time for self-reflection.

“I needed to explore so many things about what had been going on in my life,” Perry explains about the writing process on her latest album, Prism. “At first it seemed like it was going to be darker but then I reached a point where I decided to let the light in. That’s why I decided to call the record Prism—because it’s inspired by all the self-reflection I went through and how it led me to a place of greater honesty and harmony. So now I’m beaming all that light out towards my fans.”

Prism is a rousing blend of pure power pop (“Roar”) and throbbing dance vibe (“Walking on Air”) that will play especially well with Super Bowl audiences.

Perry, who was raised by bornagain evangelical minister parents before she rebelled against her religious indoctrination, reveals the various existential leaps she had to take towards retaking charge of her life and how that played out into the making of her new album, Prism.

Katy, what kind of life lessons have inspired you as of late?

I’ve spent a lot of time working on myself.

I learnt that going through bad times can also put you on a road to incredible self-discovery and personal rebirth. Those aren’t clichés, they’re real feelings you experience when you take stock of things and realize how much you can achieve just by looking forward and opening up your heart again.

Do you think you have a different perspective on love and romance now?

I’ve understood that I have to be secure in who I am first and not let my own identity hinge on anyone else. You have to be strong on your own no matter what and then you can allow yourself to be vulnerable and open your heart without

worrying how sad you might feel if things don’t work out.

Do you feel stronger now?

I feel a lot wiser and cooler about things.

I have a much broader perspective. I’ve travelled a lot, I’ve gone through a lot, and you kind of get educated about life in the process. I like where I am now.

Does your album, Prism, represent a breakthrough for you in some way?

It’s all about self-empowerment. I dug pretty deep inside myself to come up with a lot of the ideas and themes for it. The record is about finding the strength to deal with all the curve balls life throws at you and get past your doubts and fears.

You’re known for not being afraid of putting your personal life out there.

Honesty is something which has always driven me in my work. When I was shooting my concert film (“Katy Perry: Part of Me”), I didn’t want to whitewash anything. I knew it would be hard to allow people to see me experiencing some very sad and traumatic things that were going on in my life, but that’s the kind of thing that makes it real. It enables people to see inside who you really are. I feel an obligation to tell the truth, at least about myself.

wasn’t shown in some way. I went into the project wanting to be honest about my life and I stuck to that.

Is it hard to go on stage in front of thousands of fans when your personal life is falling apart?

(Laughs) It’s the hardest thing you can imagine. You want to cry for a few hours curled up in bed but you tell yourself that everyone has problems and you’re being paid to perform for people who have been looking forward to seeing you and you’ve got to suck it up and just go out there and do your job. You’ve got to respect your fans and they’ll respect you for that.

You’re reportedly also on a health kick these days?

I like to go on hikes or long walks whenever I can. I hate working out and so I need to do things that keep me fit without it feeling like torture. I’ll train before I go on tour because you need to be in top shape if you’re going to be

able to get up on stage several nights a week performing and fly from one city to another over the course of several months. I’m getting used to drinking green tea instead of lattés and taking lots of vitamins, and when I’m on the road I’ll usually have a soup for lunch and have a grilled chicken salad with asparagus. I keep it pretty simple.

What are you biggest musical influences?

When I was growing up, I fell in love with Queen and Alanis Morissette. Alanis was singing from such an incredible raw space and she spoke to me and I think to a lot of young women. I’ve been inspired by her and I’ve tried in my own way to speak to women. I also liked listening to Garbage and Gwen Stefani and a lot of female artists. But I’m constantly listening to music and trying to learn and draw inspiration from wherever I can. I’m a sponge when it comes to learning and discovering. I feel like each day brings something new to me.

Your film was remarkably frank. Do you ever think it went too far?

I wanted the film to be an honest portrait of who I am and what was going on in my life during this particular journey. I wasn’t interested in putting out a selfpromotional and narcissistic “Oh, Katy Perry is great” movie. I wanted to present myself in a very truthful context and not hide anything and show my strengths as well as my flaws, with and without makeup and everything else. It was important to me that people see that people in my position are not perfect and that I look like a normal plain Jane when I wake up in the morning. I wasn’t afraid of showing myself upset or crying. Those are the difficult moments where people see you as you really are and it would have defeated the point of the film to avoid showing those very emotional moments...And if I hadn’t dealt with my marriage it would have left this huge gap where everyone who saw the film would have wondered why that part of my life and what I was going through WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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Esai Morales co-stars as Mr. Santillan in “Spare Parts,” based on the real story of four Carl Hayden Community High School Students that took on the MIT robotics club to win an underwater robotics competition.

PHOTO BY GIULIANO BEKOR

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Background

NO MORE Esai Morales looks to promote Latino talent in Phoenix-focused ‘Spare Parts’ Lynette Carrington » The Entertainer!

I

t’s a story from our own backyard, but it’s not one that’s often told.

Prolific actor, producer, director and activist Esai Morales co-stars in upcoming film “Spare Parts,” which will be released January 16, based on a true Phoenix story that occurred in 2004. The film also stars George Lopez, Jamie Lee-Curtis and Marisa Tomei.

It centers on Carl Hayden Community High School and its real life students, Oscar Vazquez, Cristian Arcega, Luis Aranda and Lorenzo Santillan—all teens from a poor part of town, some of whom were undocumented.

The unlikely group of students, with nothing more than $800, used car parts and some guts, took on the prestigious MIT Robotics Club and won the Marine Advanced Technology Education Competition Underwater Robot Challenge.

The film showcases several Hispanic artists in meaningful roles, including Morales, who portrays the father of student Lorenzo Santillan. He recognizes that there are few roles like this in Hollywood, so when he got a call from George Lopez, who also stars in the film, about the script, the story resonated with him.

“That’s the shot in the arm that young people from those communities and others need to really see—that you can strive to do great things and actually

achieve them,” Morales says.

“I was connected with the relationship with the son and the father and that whole dynamic,” he explains. “I got to meet the real Lorenzo and some of the people that we were portraying at the wrap party. It was a pleasure and an honor, because as much as I’ve done in my life, I look at other people and I’m floored and humbled by what they do in theirs.”

Morales hopes that people take away

“We have to stop the negativity that is passed on down to our children and the neuroses,” he says.

Morales is taking an active role in how Latinos are perceived in media, and not just with the roles he chooses. He founded National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts in 1997 with actors Sonia Braga, Jimmy Smits, Merel Julia and attorney Felix Sanchez to encourage increased presence of Latinos in media

That’s the shot in the arm that young people from those communities and others need to really see—that you can strive to do great things and actually achieve them. a positive message from “Spare Parts.”

“I think it’s a multi-faceted message,” Morales says. “Number one, we’re people—people left in the background.

We’re not monolithic. Not everybody speaks Spanish, not everybody is an immigrant and not everyone is an American.”

The relationship between father and son in the film was also an important one that can serve as an example of what is possible with encouragement, Morales says.

and entertainment.

The organization has provided scholarships in excess of $1 million to more than 350 Hispanic students who are pursuing graduate degrees in the arts. ”We started the organization to improve the quantity of our people— Latino Americans—who participate in this business,” Morales says. “The more that we support the students that excel in their studies we’ll be able to populate the industry with talented individuals.”

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GOOD

OLD BOY Kid Rock might not be a kid anymore, and he’s cool with that Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

A

fter 25 years in the music business, Kid Rock is done with indulgent partying.

Instead he’s taken up golf, which makes him the perfect fit for performing an intimate show at the Waste Management Phoenix Open’s Birds Nest on Friday, January 30.

He’s calling from Florida, where his friend, legendary golf coach/Valley resident Hank Haney, is teaching the rapper-turned-rocker to be a links master.

“A year and a half ago I got into it,” says 43-year-old Kid Rock, otherwise known as Bob Ritchie.

“Now I’m down here in Florida WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

working with Hank Haney, who’s probably the best golf coach in the world.

Jack Nicklaus was giving me some tips yesterday. It’s so fun and so surreal.”

Rock—who counts Birmingham, Michigan-turned-Scottsdale, Arizona, resident David Spade among his friends— can’t believe that he and his buddies have resorted to golf to relax and have fun.

“When something crazy happens, I say, ‘I was at the White House last week, crazy man. We were making dirty rap songs 25 years ago.’”

Kid Rock has evolved into a rocker and sometime country artist who will release his 10th album, First Kiss, in late

February. The first single is the nostalgic first track that blends Bryan Adams’ “Summer of ’69” guitar riffs with the innocence and sincerity of Rock’s hit “All Summer Long.”

“The video’s kind of the same, too,” Rock says. “The boat is now a pick-up truck and there’s a performance piece.”

For the album First Kiss, Rock recruited Austin rockers Band of Heathens to perform with him.

“I brought them in after we had a bunch of songs written,” Rock says. “I always like to do things outside the box.

I’m a fan of those guys. They’re great players. We just came in, started tracking,

laying stuff down and then I finished the rest of the stuff myself.

“I also went to Nashville to cut a couple songs with Dann Huff and just really focused on this record because it’s my last contracted record with Warner Bros. I kind of feel like a major league baseball pitcher. I don’t know what the future’s going to hold but I know it’s going to be better to go out on top. I felt the pressure and really focused on it. I buckled down on it and went back to my old school work habits.”

The album was hard work, but something to which Rock is accustomed.

“When the pressure’s on, you got two

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE JANUARY 2015

choices: You buckle or you buck up,” he says. “When the pressure comes on with something that’s important to me, I work my ass off. I stay focused and I work my ass off. Those are things people never see.

“They just say, ‘Hey (I saw) Kid Rock’s fight at the Waffle House.’ They don’t see Kid Rock’s in the studio at 7 a.m., you know, and worked ‘til 9 p.m. and he did that for months.”

Another song on the album is “Good Times and Cheap Wine,” the quintessential Rock topics.

“Those are some Kid Rock lyrics,” he says with a laugh. “It’s old school rock ‘n’ roll. It’s Kid Rock telling you what he

likes, what he doesn’t like, how I’m the old guy and I’m fine with it.

“I don’t know how to ‘Facetweet.’

I’m not a fan of Coldplay. I’m not cool enough to play Coachella. I don’t give a (crap) about what’s rock ‘n’ roll. I just want to have some good times and drink some cheap wine.”

He calls festivals like Coachella and Lollapalooza “fashion shows,” and is at peace with not playing them. He still doesn’t get Coldplay, though.

“It’s not that I hate them or anything,” he says. “They’re fine. I’m glad people like them. I just don’t get it.

“I saw them play in London in front

of 30,000 people. I’m like, ‘Maybe if I go and see it live, I’ll understand.’ But I don’t get this. I don’t get it at all.”

He does get why it’s important to support the troops and charities and to spread goodwill. He recently donated $20,000 to the now-defunct Orbit Magazine in suburban Detroit to allow it to create an anthology dedicated to the alt monthly. Rock also was given the Patriot Award for his work with U.S. troops.

“I’ve been blessed enough to be where I’m at,” Rock explains. “It’s so easy to help people out in the position I’m in.

I try to as much as I can. Obviously, being taken under the wing of our military and

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the guys and girls that serve, and a lot of them like I do, I get to travel all over the world and play for them. It’s great for them, but it’s a win-win because it makes me feel good.”

Contemplative now that he’s releasing his 10th album, Rock is quick to crack a joke about his quarter century in music.

“If you would have took that bet in Vegas asking if Kid Rock would be around in 10 years from my successful Devil Without a Cause record, nobody would have taken that bet. Hell, I might not have taken it.”

He attributes his longevity to hard work and honesty.

“I treat [the fans] fair. I treat them right. I don’t take advantage of them. I see people driving around in their Rolls Royce with their windows tinted and they’re embarrassed. I’m not. I have made a ton of money. But you know what? I’ve never taken an unhonest dollar from the working man.”

Sure, he adds, that entertainers have to be “somewhat” good at what they do.

“I’m sure people will debate that about me, just like they would about anyone else who does anything creative.

But I think it’s just hard work and honesty and give people what they want and make yourself happy, too. I really enjoy what I do.”

That is especially true for his live shows. With his trademark microphone flip and energetic performances, Kid Rock can’t be appreciated until music fans are seated in front of him. His followers understand that and have made his show at the Birds Nest the fastest sellout in the event’s history.

“We’re bringing the whole show,” Rock says. “Whether it’s my concert or a fair or a festival or a corporate gig, I don’t slouch. Even when it’s a corporate gig, let’s say, and there’s 200 people in the room and it’s a weird setting, I still give it everything I got. These people paid top dollar for this. We’ll entertain them. I don’t care where we’re at. It’s always been my attitude.”

He’s looking forward to the Waste Management Phoenix Open gig and swinging the clubs in Scottsdale. Fans won’t see him frequenting Super Bowl or golf throwdowns. He sticks to celebrating on stage.

“I’m all partied out after 25 years,” he says. “I’m a stay-at-home party guy now.

We still have a great time, but being in nightclubs, sitting in corners with a bottle of booze and music pumping in your ears, those days have passed me by.”

Kid Rock

Coors Light Birds Nest at the WM Phoenix Open, TPC of Scottsdale, 17020 N. Hayden Road, Scottsdale, ticketmaster. com, Friday, January 30, 3:30 p.m., $58

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THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE JANUARY 2015

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#SELFIE-MADE MEN The Chainsmokers earworm their way into Super Bowl festivities Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

O

therwise known as the DJ duo The Chainsmokers, Andrew Taggart and Alex Pall rose to fame with their cheeky 2014 hit

“#SELFIE.” Although they tapped into pop culture to create the track, Taggart and Pall are—admittedly and surprisingly— out of touch with what’s hip, namely sports and satellite radio.

The Chainsmokers are performing as part of a Super Bowl XLIX free concert series on Thursday, January 29, at Westgate WaterDance Plaza, but that’s as close to a football game they’ve been all season.

“It’s kind of funny because we’re the worst sports fans ever,” Pall says with a laugh. “We’re always traveling on Sundays.

I haven’t seen an entire football game this entire season yet. We’ll be able to be a part of the biggest football game now.”

Based in New York City, The Chainsmokers were able to feel the vibe of last year’s Super Bowl, which was played at MetLife Field in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

“There was so much energy and cool vibes and events and stuff and everyone’s in such a fun mood,” Pall says. “Being there will just be awesome.”

The Westgate Entertainment District gig is the only show The Chainsmokers are doing early in the year so they can concentrate on finishing “an incredible amount of music.”

“I don’t think we’re planning on releasing an album,” he says. “I don’t want to rule it out, though. We want to release music. I think people hold onto music so closely.”

The year 2015 follows a successful

2014 for The Chainsmokers. MTV recently crowned the group an “Artist to Watch.” “#SELFIE” was officially certified platinum by the RIAA for digital sales in excess of 1 million.

The song also soared to No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs Chart within five weeks and reached the Top 5 on iTunes in more than 43 countries. “#SELFIE” is Top 10 on YouTube’s “Top Music Videos of 2014.”

Furthermore, it garnered a nomination for “Choice EDM Song” at the 2014 Teen Choice Awards.

Now we’re really interested in showing people what we’re actually about—which is not taking selfies.

“I’d be lying if I said that we had any clue that we made a (hit) song,” Pall says. “It was lot of fun, a great learning experience and a dream come true in some respects.

“We’re happy that we had the opportunity to tour the world and make these all great fans, and to be a part of Republic Records. All these great opportunities came out of it. Now we’re really interested in showing people what we’re actually about—which is not taking selfies.”

The hit also gave The Chainsmokers the opportunity to partner with YouTube and SiriusXM to launch the digital show “The YouTube EDM 15.” Taggart and Pall host the program, which counts down the top-trending EDM tracks on YouTube.

“Everyone at Sirius, they’re the nicest people,” he says. “That’s been our thing. We like to do whatever we want.

We can act and react however we want.

We want to be ourselves.

We are the true champions of being yourself. We have so much fun with the shows. It’s such a great outlet to support

other friends of ours who are artists, and talk about the random weird shit that goes through our heads anyway.”

Ironically, Pall has no idea how Sirius XM works, so he has yet to hear The Chainsmokers’ show.

“The funny thing about being from New York is I haven’t listened to the radio in five years,” he says, laughing again. “You don’t have a car here. You don’t drive anywhere. But I know how important the radio is to everyone else in the world. It’s where they get their music.

It’s cool to be a part of something that you don’t even know what’s going on. I don’t listen to our show because I don’t know how to.”

The Chainsmokers

Westgate WaterDance Plaza in the Westgate Entertainment District, 6751 N. Sunset Boulevard, Glendale, 623.385.7502, westgateaz.com, Thursday, January 29, 8:30 p.m., free WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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PHX INSIDER

THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL

I’ve never gotten to the point where I thought I was just going through the motions. I always enjoyed it and I think people sense that.

MICK FOLEY’S

COMEDY SLEEPER HOLD

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

M

ick Foley is groggy when he answers the phone in an East Coast hotel room.

“The phone call woke me up,” he says before being asked if The Entertainer! should call back. “This is as good a time as any.”

The retired WWE wrestler, who went by a variety of ring names including Dude Love, Mankind and Cactus Jack, sleepily makes his way through the conversation.

Wrestling isn’t Foley’s only career choice. He has also worked as an author, color commentator, actor, voice actor and comedian. He’ll return to Phoenix

to perform at Stand Up Live on Sunday, February 8.

“I had a very good time the last time I was in town,” Foley says. “I expect more of the same insane enthusiasm, respect and warmer weather.”

Foley eludes to rumors that fans have low expectations about his stand-up act.

“Limited expectations” is the way he describes his show. “It’s so much better than people think it will be. I’m really proud of that. It’s frustrating and flattering. When word gets around, hopefully in a year or two, people will have seen it and get on with their lives.”

That no-nonsense attitude is part of

Foley’s charm. It weaves in and out of his books—memoirs, children’s fiction and contemporary fiction.

“For me, I love telling stories on paper,” he says. “It seemed like a really short trip, and one that people should understand better. It was a short and strange trip from the ring to the page to the stage.”

Spending time as a renaissance man of sorts has paid off for Foley.

“Nothing ever really got stale,” he says as he yawns. “It never got to the point where I thought I was just going through the motions. I always enjoyed it and I think people can sense that.”

One of the satisfying moments was a rather unexpected one.

“I’d say singing ‘Must be Santa’ with Norah Jones,” says Foley, who is just as known for being charitable as he is athletic.

“I don’t have video to back me up.

It was great to come from that world and the people I worked with were so good, so understanding of my limitations.”

This year will be a mixed bag of projects for Foley, who was hesitant to reveal his plans.

“I’m going to try some new things; some things will be more successful than others,” he says. “I’m taking on the Wing Bowl in Philadelphia, which is a tradition going back 20 years, celebrating man’s ability to eat as much as they can. But right now, I’m looking forward to going back to sleep for a little bit.”

Mick Foley, Stand Up Live

50 W. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, 480.719.6100, standuplive.com, Sunday, February 8, 7 p.m., $25

Life hacks for having fun in the Valley Breanne DeMore » The Entertainer!

Now that the bigger car auctions have packed up their bidding cards, sold signs and mallets and rolled out of town, we’ll be honest—we miss them.

We miss seeing those cool hot rods and beautiful classics driving around town. We miss finding out how much that dream car of ours went for. We miss the roar of the engines!

Luckily for us car enthusiasts, we live in an automobile paradise that has plenty of world-renowned car museums all around our state that are open all year round.

These places are perfect for those that know what they are looking at when the hood is lifted or to take that visiting uncle who has held on to the 1972 Trans Am all this time.

Martin Auto Museum

17641 N. Black Canyon Highway, Phoenix, 602.298.2377, martinautomuseum.com

Penske Racing Museum

7124 E. Chauncey Lane, Phoenix, 480.538.4444, penskeracingmuseum.org

AZ Open Wheel Racing Museum 3534 E. Broadway Road, Phoenix, 602.276.7575, azracingmuseum.org

Franklin Museum

1405 E. Kleindale Road, Tucson, 520.326.8038, franklinmuseum.org

Teppan-STyle, Old WOrld Mexican FOOd • Over 100 TequilaS & MezcalS

7001 N. ScottSdale Rd. 480-284-4527 • Fogonaz.com WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL

If the Coen brothers offer or are interested in me doing anything that they’re involved in, I’m interested.

The Dude

ABIDES

Jeff Bridges on new role and reprising old ones Lynette Carrington » The Entertainer!

WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

A

ctor, producer, musician and antihunger crusader Jeff Bridges is well-known for his iconic starring roles in “The Big Lebowski,” “Crazy Heart,” “The Fabulous Baker Boys” and “True Grit.” In his new film, “Seventh Son,” the Academy Award-winning actor dives into the fantasy adventure genre.

Bridges has tackled roles as a romantic lead, a quirky and lovable bum, someone from the stars and even a surfing penguin. In “Seventh Son,” Bridges found a character that appealed to him on many levels, and is a bit of a departure from his most recent film roles.

“When I first became aware of the script I understood it was based on a book

by Joseph Delaney called ‘The Spook’s Apprentice.’ I got the book and looked

through it and thought it was a wonderful story and this was a good chance to play a mythical might,” says Bridges of his role as Master Gregory in the film. “I really enjoy and get a lot out of myths, and it was also a chance to work with Sergey Bodrov, a wonderful Russian director.”

The character of Master Gregory is a local “spook” who is training Tom Ward (Ben Barnes) in fighting evil spirits.

The role was physically demanding, and

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2015

Bridges had to be fit and prepared.

“I worked with some great stunt fellows. My stunt double in the movie, [Thomas DuPont], was very helpful, as was the stunt supervisor. We worked pretty intensely on fighting with staffs and tumbling,” Bridges says.

“Seventh Son” also stars Ben Barnes, Kit Harington, Djimon Hounsou and Julianne Moore, who Bridges stars with for the first time since the cult hit, “The

Big Lebowski.”

“The cast just fell into place. Julianne Moore was somebody who I loved working with in Lebowski, and it was a chance to work with her again as well,” Bridges says.

“She’s such a lovely person and a talented actress and we had a great time working on Lebowski together,” he says. “I consider her a friend and it’s nice to play with friends, you know?”

The Internet has been buzzing in the last few years about the possibility of a Lebowski sequel.

“That’s so funny,” Bridges chuckles.

“There are rumors… there was a really good one recently that sounded like the real thing, and I had to call my manager and find out if this was the real thing or not, and of course, it was a sham.”

Bridges is leaving the door open to bringing The Dude back to the big screen.

33

“If the Coen brothers offer or are interested in me doing anything that they’re involved in, I’m interested,” he says.

Despite being busy with his acting career and touring with his band, Jeff Bridges and The Abiders, who were in town at LiveWire in Scottsdale in January, Bridges manages to devote time to advocacy through NoKidHungry.org, an organization that fights childhood hunger.

“I’m just doing the best I can, and the eighth wonder of the world helps me a lot with juggling,” says Bridges of his wife, Sue. “Sue is the keel to my sailboat. She keeps me on course.”

“She helps me to remember what my mother used to say to me and now she says it to me—‘Remember Jeff, have fun and don’t take it too seriously.’”

“Seventh Son” opens nationwide Friday, February 6. For more information on the film, visit seventhsonmovie.com.

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THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2015

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PASS THE CROWN

Dean Z brings the king of rock alive Dominique Del Grosso » The Entertainer!

E

lvis was a once-in-a-lifetime talent. His swiveling hips, piercing baby blues and trademark sideburns made women all over the world swoon. After his passing in 1977, you could be certain you’d never see him again.

But Dean Zeligman, known by his stage name Dean Z, might change your mind.

The world-renowned Elvis impersonator is a a superstar of the tribute genre. Performing two shows each day, six days each week for 11 months, he says that his Elvis comes to life for more than 500 shows throughout the world year after year. Dean Z’s on-stage celebrity is one that is acclaimed by the Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc., with a 2013 Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist competition win.

The contest affords the winner a $20,000 cash prize and contract to perform with “Legends in Concert” and “Elvis Lives: The Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Event,” a concert that travels throughout the United States bringing Elvis to life on stage with a full-length production.

From age 3, Dean Z had an instant connection with Elvis. He says that he began watching a performance by Elvis on TV, and he then cleared off a table, jumped on top of it and began to sing and shake his hips in Elvis fashion.

“As I got older and progressed in my abilities, it became something where I could actually do well and make a living,” he says. “It was a passion that found me as a young person. It just became a career. It’s nothing that I actually chose; it chose me more than anything else.”

On stage, Dean Z doesn’t give a performance that spans Elvis’s music career. He specializes in Elvis’s early days; an era that he says is when Elvis burst onto the music scene with a raw energy and sound. But unlike other performers, intertwining a sense of personal interpretation isn’t exactly the best way to go about nailing on-stage Elvis.

“I don’t want to change it. We want it to be authentic. We want it to be a heartfelt tribute to Elvis and not try to add our own pieces into it or to change it in any way. We want to get it as close as possible,” he says.

For a guy who lives Elvis on stage as much as he lives a life off stage as Dean Z, there’s bound to be a lack of separation between the two; however that’s not always true for him. Other than his full head of natural black hair, sideburns that would

make Elvis proud and an indulgence in some of Elvis’s favorite foods, Dean Z likes to keep space between Elvis and his personal life.

“I like to approach it like a separate entity that I can turn on and turn off.

‘50s Rockabilly and rock ‘n’ roll music

influences me in a way where I don’t dress like the average guy. I like to look sharp.

It’s not really Elvis necessarily,” he says.

“And, I don’t know if you’ve ever tried a peanut butter and banana sandwich, but it’s delicious. So, I highly suggest it.”

Elvis Lives: The Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Talking Stick Resort Showroom, 9800 E. Indian Bend Road, Scottsdale, 480.850.7777, talkingstickresort. com, Friday, March 20 and Saturday, March 21, 8 p.m., $40-$85

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THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2015

FORK

IN THE ROAD Chris Carrabba diverges onto new path with Twin Forks Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

T

he road to influential tours has been short for indie rock darling Chris Carrabba and his latest project, Twin Forks.

Carrabba, who also serves as singer-songwriter for emo’s Dashboard Confessional and Further Seems Forever, has a simple explanation for that.

“I’d like to think it’s my hair,” says Carrabba, calling from his bus where he was struggling with poor cell phone service. “I’m just kidding. That’s [a] running joke there.”

Twin Forks has gone from headlining small clubs, to supporting the Counting Crows in theaters, and back to intimate

venues like the Crescent Ballroom, where the band will open for Jukebox the Ghost on Tuesday, February 3.

“I believe it’s kind of the same tenets that made Dashboard connect,” Carrabba says of Twin Forks’ success. “We really appreciate our fans and we’re not afraid to show it from the stage or on stage. It’s a big deal, I think. I don’t know why it’s a big deal. It seems elemental, but it’s still a rarity in some cases.”

He explains that the joy and celebratory nature of Twin Forks— something that was subtle in Dashboard Confessional—attracts fans as well.

Carrabba founded the Americana folk-rock band in 2011 in Boca Raton,

Florida. He and his bandmates—vocalist/ mandolin player Kelsie Baron, vocalist/ tambourine player Sara Bost, Jonathan Clark on bass and drummer Shawn Zorn—now run the band through Nashville. It has released an EP (2013) and an album (2014), both of which are dubbed Twin Forks.

To thank fans for successful tours, Twin Forks regularly releases free music. Listeners just have to email twinforksmusic@gmail.com and put “music” in the subject line.

“We do a free EP, but we constantly change the content of the EP,” he says.

“Sometimes it’s four songs; sometimes it’s five songs; sometimes it’s three songs.

95

Sometimes the songs are changed out one at a time. Some of them are on the record.

It’s another invitation we get to send out to people who are interested in hearing what we’re about.”

The musicians of the Counting Crows are some who definitely want to hear what Twin Forks has to say. Carrabba was equally as flattered that the pop mainstays invited his band to tour with them. He is hoping that the two acts can hit the road together again.

“It was fantastic,” Carrabba says.

“Those guys are musical heroes of ours and just about the best hosts you could imagine on tour.”

He admires Counting Crows’ musical prowess.

“I think the way that they subtly push themselves further and further every night was really inspiring to me,” Carrabba says.

“I’ve been a fan for a long time.

They had a period where they would take their songs in radically different directions and they’ve kind of brought them back to the original structure. The songs performed live are certainly within those structures again.”

Carrabba is thrilled to return to Crescent Ballroom and Phoenix.

“I love that place,” says Carrabba of the Crescent Ballroom. “My experiences in Phoenix have been incredible. I can remember vividly my first experience playing in Phoenix. I was just talking with Chad (Gilbert) from New Found Glory about it. I was opening up for them, back in Dashboard, not knowing what to expect. I think it might have been the first or second date I did with the tour we were on together.

“It was overwhelming. I had people singing at my show from the very get go.

We never really opened for a band. I didn’t know what to expect. Every single person there sang every single word of mine. I was king of the world. I said to myself, ‘This is how it’s going to be forever.’ It didn’t happen again on that tour. I’d say I have a long lingering fondness for Phoenix.”

Jukebox the Ghost w/Twin Forks, Secret Someones

Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Avenue, Phoenix, 602.716.2222, crescentphx.com, Tuesday, February 3, 8 p.m. $15-$18 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL

LIVING THE LEGACY

Rosanne Cash builds a resume that would impress her late famous father Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

S

inger-songwriter Rosanne Cash knew she had something special when she wrapped up the 2014 album The River & The Thread.

She’s “delighted” that her peers and industry folks have thought so as well, as she’s up for three Grammy Awards on Sunday, February 8.

“It’s very gratifying to have the album recognized in the industry, and even more gratifying that fans have responded to it so powerfully,” says Cash via email.

“When we finished the album we knew it was special, but of course that’s no guarantee that people will notice! It’s hard to get above the noise in the digital age. It was a team effort to get it out there, with the good folks at Blue Note Records, and then people started to notice.”

Her last two albums—2006’s Black Cadillac and 2009’s The List—were both nominated for Grammy Awards.

Comprised of songs given to her by her father, Johnny Cash, The List was also named Album of the Year by the Americana Music Association.

The River & The Thread is her take on a trip through the South that began when Arkansas State University contacted Cash about its interest in purchasing the home

PATRICK MCBRIDE

in Dyess, Arkansas, in which her dad lived as a child.

“Visiting Money, Mississippi, and seeing Robert Johnson’s grave, Bryant’s Grocery and the Tallahatchie Bridge in a single day was quite overwhelming,” she says.

“Going to my dad’s boyhood home when it was nearly on the ground with decay, and going back when it was completely restored—that was a very moving experience.”

Cash, who has charted 21 Top 40 country singles, including 11 No. 1 tracks, wrote all of the album’s songs with her longtime collaborator—and husband—John Leventhal. He also served as producer, arranger and guitarist.

“We work together well,” she says.

“We have very different strengths, and we respect each other. I think we both realize how fortunate we are to work with someone who brings their best self to work. We argue about things—about melodies or a lyric, or an arrangement— but we try not to take it personally. We try to keep arguments in service of the song.

We succeed most of the time...”

She and Leventhal invited special guests to put their touches on the album

as well, ranging from young guns like John Paul White (The Civil Wars), Cory Chisel and Derek Trucks to such legends as Kris Kristofferson, John Prine and Tony Joe White.

“I learn from everyone,” she says.

“Cory Chisel, a new artist, is so deeply musical and has such a soulful voice.

It was a pleasure just to be in the same room and hear him sing and see how he experiences music. Kris Kristofferson, who I’ve known since I was a teenager, is such a deep soul. He is his authentic self in every moment of the day. It’s an honor to be around him. I’m very fortunate.”

Cash will perform in Scottsdale as part of the Arizona Musicfest 2015. She’s looking forward to her time here.

“I have good memories of shows in Arizona,” she says. “I look forward to getting back to such a beautiful state.”

Rosanne Cash at Arizona Music Fest

Highlands Church, 9050 E. Pinnacle Peak Road, Scottsdale, azmusicfest.org, Friday, February 20, 7:30 p.m., $33-$75

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2015

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AIN’T LIFE GRAND

Widespread Panic on the laid-back vibe of our desert town Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

T

here’s something magical about Arizona, according to John Bell, Widespread Panic’s guitarist/vocalist.

And there’s nothing the Georgia-bred rock band likes more.

“Arizona has a good vibe to it, so the people who come out carry that good vibe with them,” Bell says in a recent phone interview. “They’re laid back. A lot of those Southwestern states—New Mexico and Arizona—have a lot of history going on like tribal history and just the geographic formations themselves, with the combo of deserts and mountains way off in the distance.

“That has a celebratory atmosphere with it. We’re always up for that—always up for a celebration.”

Widespread Panic will have the chance to celebrate with thousands of its closest fans when it performs on Sunday, March 29, the last day of the McDowell Mountain Music Festival.

Bell spoke to The Entertainer! about recording his band’s first album of new material in five years as well as the perils of hitting the studio in the winter.

You give them the opportunity to get in there and offer their own inspiration.

Sometimes folks would leave it alone, sometimes they have some great ideas and you open up the song. That’s the beauty of being in a band; you come up with something better than you would all on your own.

The songs sound like they change a lot while you’re in the studio.

Yeah, and then they change again when we get to know them better on the

stage. Sometimes we write them on the stage first, and then they go through a morphing process there, and then we take them in the studio. However it comes about we accept that gift.

Why was now the time to record a new album?

I don’t know. It’s just kind of like when you have a craving for spaghetti. You just kind of go, “Yeah, it’s time to do that. That’s going to satisfy my hunger.”

Collectively, everybody was in that mood.

As far as the schedule goes, we had the time that we could carve out and do that.

Having songs evolve on stage must keep it fresh for you.

Yeah, it helps with the sanity factor. We’d go bananas if we were playing the song the same way every night. We’ve been around for a while so we have a lot of songs to choose from. Every night sets itself up a little differently. Depending on our mood, the songs may take on different personalities as well.

The Entertainer!: I understand you’re going in the studio in late January to begin recording the follow up to 2010’s “Dirty Side Down.”

That’s the plan. We’re going to go down to the Dominican Republic for a week to do some shows there and then we go right into the studio. You get a brief look at what the warm weather’s going to be like to come. By the time we get out of the studio, it’ll be close to spring.

What’s the biggest challenge for this new record?

Oh boy. I guess in a positive way the biggest challenge is just hoping that you’re going to be satisfied with the result, collectively. That’s a good challenge. Overall, you get excited to go into the studio. We’re not there all the time. We’re not in the studio as much as we’re on stage on the road. There’s a freshness to it that’s always exciting. Oh! You know what the biggest challenge is going to be? Not stopping work altogether for the Super Bowl. That truly is going to be the biggest challenge. The rest should be smooth sailing.

What is the recording process like for Widespread Panic?

It’s whatever comes out—in any form.

Everything is open to collaboration, though. If you come in with an almost fully baked song, it’s still everybody’s.

Widespread Panic

McDowell Mountain Music Festival, Margaret T. Hance Park, 1202 N. Third Street, Phoenix, mmmf.com, Friday, March 27, through Sunday, March 29, times vary, $50-$180

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

CHESTER BENNINGTON

STEPS UP ARIZONA BIKE WEEK MIC TO

THE

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

H

opping on one foot while balancing his cell phone, Chester Bennington is quick to apologize for sounding out of breath.

He’s hobbling along thanks to a recent ankle injury—one in a long line of mishaps and illnesses that are so frequent that they’re outlined in their own section of Bennington’s Wikipedia page.

That said, he won’t be getting on any motorcycles during Arizona Bike Week at WestWorld in Scottsdale from Wednesday, March 25, through Sunday, March 29.

The Valley-bred Linkin Park singer will eschew the road, and front Stone Temple Pilots during the festival at WestWorld on Saturday, March 28.

“Being a desert boy, I grew up on motorcycles,” Bennington says during a

WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

phone interview from his California home.

“I’m more of a dirt bike kind of guy.”

His dream motorcycle is, however, a Triumph Bonneville.

“I would love to have one of those,” he says. “Unfortunately, I’m probably the most accident-prone human beings I know.

“I have kids and a lot of people who depend on me being able to perform. For the future of my band and my kids, I do them a favor and stay off the street bikes.”

He does admit, though, that he’ll be eyeing the goods at the Arizona Bike Week. Bennington enjoys checking out the custom choppers and how they meld “old-school craftsmanship, true elbow grease and modern-day technology.”

“That’s what choppers and custom bikes are,” he says. “It’s pretty awesome. I’m

excited to get around and live vicariously through all the bikers out there.”

When he’s not perusing the hogs, Bennington heads up the Stone Temple Pilots’ new lineup featuring guitarist Dean DeLeo, bassist Robert DeLeo, drummer Eric Kretz and vocalist Bennington was revealed in May 2013 at KROQ’s annual Weenie Roast as the new frontman.

The “new” band’s debut single, “Out of Time,” reached No. 1 on Active and Mainstream Rock charts. Bennington replaces troubled vocalist Scott Weiland.

“Those guys are incredible musicians,” Bennington says.

“They’re some of the best songwriters of our time. Live we just crush it. It’s an amazing gift to get up on stage with these guys and play songs that I grew up listening to and loving. We’re in the studio now

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MARCH 2015

working on a new record. It’s super fun to be able to be in two bands with some of the best writers in the world. It’s a great privilege.”

Even though Bennington is a longtime STP fan, don’t say his latest stint is a “dream come true.”

“None of my dreams ever consisted of me joining another band—other than when I was in the fourth grade when I think I had a string of repeating dreams that Depeche Mode flew in and brought me in and made me the fifth member of the group,” he says.

Instead, he fantasized about founding a band, like Linkin Park.

“Being in Linkin Park, that’s my dream come true,” Bennington says. “To be in a position to be able to contribute to the future of a band that I grew up listening to and loving and present the music they’ve

created and inspired me is a privilege.”

He first sang with STP on the Family Values Tour in the early 2000s.

“When they invited me to sing a song with them live, that was a dream come true,” he repeats. “Unfortunately, I would say that the ultimate dream would be that Scott would continue to be a productive member of this group and make music that I continue to love.

“It’s not a dream come true for me to be taking his place. No, I would definitely say that taking Scott’s place is not a dream come true. I respect Scott and care for him. This is an unfortunate situation in many ways. But, at the same time, it’s a privilege to be able to continue creating new music to fans.”

Bennington has a busy year. He’s working on a new album with Stone

Temple Pilots.

“The songs sound great and we’re really trying to capture the essence of Stone Temple Pilots and deliver an album that is missing in the rock world,” he says.

“We’re trying to bring some attitude back, some sexiness and piss and vinegar.”

He’s pulling double duty throughout 2015, hitting the studio and the road with Linkin Park as well.

“I keep myself busy,” he says with a laugh.

Fans need not fret about Bennington’s injury, though. He’ll do just fine on stage.

“It’ll be good,” he says. “The voice works, so that’s good. It’s going to be tricky. I won’t be jumping off of any stages, amps of any of that kind of stuff for a while. Hopefully, I’ll be moving around pretty well by then.”

23

None of my dreams ever consisted of me joining another band—other than when I was in the fourth grade when I think I had a string of repeating dreams that Depeche Mode flew in and brought me in and made me the fifth member of the group.

Stone Temple Pilots

Arizona Bike Week, WestWorld of Scottsdale, 16601 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale, azbikeweek.com, Saturday, March 28, 9 p.m., $28 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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KEVIN NEALON

TAKES THE ‘SNL’ BALL AND RUNS WITH IT Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

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or the longest time, “Saturday Night Live” alum Kevin Nealon didn’t think he deserved to have a comedy special. That is until he remembered a bit of sage advice that “SNL” creator/producer Lorne Michaels gave him.

“Lorne Michaels always said, ‘You’re never ready to go on. It’s time to go on. You do the best you can and not worry about things being perfect,’” Nealon recalls.

No longer weary, Nealon is coming to Stand Up Live in Phoenix Friday, March 13, and Saturday, March 14, to test bits for possible inclusion in an upcoming special.

“I’m working on my stand-up so I can do another special,” he says.

“It is fun. It’s a compilation of your work on the road and it’s fun to get it all together and put it out there, and document your material.”

He says he’s considering taping the special in Phoenix.

“I love Arizona,” Nealon says. “I love that desert atmosphere. It’s one of my favorite places to go and it’s not that far from Los Angeles, either. There’s always a good turnout. I think if I ever shot another special I would do it in Phoenix.”

Nealon has had an exciting 12 months. State Farm reunited his and Dana Carvey’s “SNL” characters, Hans and Franz. In the company’s TV commercial, they attempt to teach Green Bay Packers’ quarterback Aaron Rodgers how to “pump you up.”

“State Farm asked us if we wanted to be part of it,” Nealon says. “Dana and I thought it would be fun to bring those characters out again, so we did. People really like it.”

Rodgers was the consummate professional, Nealon says.

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“He’s a nice guy—really a nice guy,” he adds. “He was very easy and very comfortable to work with.”

Nealon also stars in “AOL’s Laugh Lessons,” a show that he co-produces with Ellen DeGeneres about comedians teaching kids how to be funny.

“We’ve done one season already and it was really successful,” he says.

Nealon and his wife, Susan Yeagley, recently penned a series for NBC, who eventually passed on it. They are approaching other networks.

“It’s about a divorced couple who coown a bar,” he explains.

But the pinnacle of the last year was the recent “Saturday Night Live” 40th anniversary special.

“That was amazing,” he says.

“That was just a throwback to being with all those people. It was just a fun time and great for people watching. So many people showed up. It was a little intimidating. I was sitting in front of Diane Sawyer and Paul McCartney, Keith Richards, Lorne Michaels. It was interesting, that’s for sure.”

Thinking back to his “SNL” days, Nealon says he’s grown as a comic.

“Some of my material now is based on my life as I see it,” Nealon explains.

“I’m a family man now. I’m a father. But the material’s not really based on family so much as it is an observation of my life now because of the family.

“If there’s a fight in a bar now, I’m going to stay away from it. I don’t want to leave my kid fatherless. But being a comic is kind of like being a blues musician: You take from your life or your experiences.”

Kevin Nealon

Stand Up Live, 50 W. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, 480.719.6100, standuplive.com, Friday, March 13, and Saturday, March 14, $25

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SOCIAL DISTORTION

BRINGS THE GRIT TO ARIZONA BIKE WEEK

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

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Social Distortion at Arizona Bike Week

WestWorld of Scottsdale, 16601 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale, azbikeweek.com, Wednesday, March 25, 9 p.m., $28

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onny “2 Bags” Wickersham vividly recalls the first time he heard the 1990 album, Social Distortion.

“I remember what I was doing and what street I was driving down when I actually heard some demos or rough mixes before it came out,” says Wickersham.

The rhythm guitarist was driving down Brookhurst Street in Huntington Beach, California, when he heard the collection that features the songs “Story of My Life” and “Ball and Chain.”

“I was friends with the band and everything,” Wickersham explains. “In so many ways it was such a jump forward in the sound of the band. The whole quality of the recording was like the band really kind of evolved from (1998’s) Prison Bound to that record. I felt it was really strong.”

At the time, Wickersham was just good friends with the California-bred band. He joined Social D after founding guitarist Dennis Danell died from a reported brain aneurysm in 2000.

This year celebrates the 25th anniversary of the album Social Distortion. In Europe, Social Distortion is scheduled to play the collection from front to back. Wickersham says the Mike Ness-fronted rockabilly-inspired band

just may do that here, as well, when it kicks off Arizona Bike Week festivities at WestWorld at 9 p.m. Wednesday, March 25. The annual week will feature a ride for prostate cancer, a stunt show, motocross show, demo rides, and of course, heavy-hitting musical talent.

“When we do things like that, what it means is that there are songs that we never play that we’re going to throw in the set,” Wickersham says. “In a sense, it’s like playing new songs. It’s not really a challenge. You just have to learn the song and play it, just practice it a couple times.”

Social Distortion’s last album was 2011’s Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes, an album that reached No. 4 on The Billboard 200 albums chart. Wickersham explains the band is in the very preliminary stages of recording a new album.

“We’ve got a handful of songs that we’ve been messing around with,” he says.

“We sort of find grooves at soundchecks and mess with them a little bit. We’re starting to collect these ideas. At some point, Mike will pick the best ones and we’ll continue to work on those, hone them in and get them finished for the record. We’ve been talking about the direction we’d like to take on this record.

We’re not going in, like, next week to start working with it.”

Wickersham says he is constantly writing material, whether it is for Social D or for himself. He co-wrote several songs

with Ness for Social Distortion’s albums Sex, Love and Rock ’n’ Roll (2004) and Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes (2011).

He says that, being a sideman, he usually writes songs that he hopes the singer will like. At this point, it’s not hard to do.

“Everybody in the band’s so experienced at this point,” he says.

“Things come together pretty quickly and pretty easily. Everybody’s got a lot of ideas.

Everybody reads each other’s minds at this point, and can tell where a song needs to go—where to put a bridge, dynamically where things need to occur, what kind of dialogue needs to occur. It’s an instinctual thing at some point. When I was younger, it was very hard. We just could barely make it through the song.”

With the help of producer David Kalish, Wickersham recorded 2014’s critically acclaimed album Salvation Town.

After urging Wickersham for years to make a solo record, Kalish helped the guitarist produce and iron out tunes like “Then You Stand Alone” and “Forlorn Walls.”

“It was a completely different experience,” he says. “The music’s completely different—a whole different thing in every way. It’s just great. It’s a great outlet and an opportunity for me to be able to have complete control over what I want to do creatively. I’ve never had that. It’s always been a collaboration or a compromise. It’s really good. It’s very positive, I think, and very healthy.”

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TRY TO CONTAIN HIM

Chris Kattan comes Phoenix to perform comedy, flattery Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

C

omedian/“Saturday Night Live” veteran Chris Kattan is everything a journalist would hope he would be.

Equal parts funny and informative, Kattan pokes fun of his career, his hits and misses, and even one of his most well-known “SNL” characters, the apple-devouring Mr. Peepers.

Kattan spoke to The Entertainer! to preview his Thursday, April 30 gig at Stand Up Live in Phoenix.

The Entertainer!: I have to admit that I’m a big fan of your “Saturday Night Live” skits and the movie “A Night at the Roxbury,” which is a guilty pleasure.

Thank you. I appreciate that. I think the best thing about “A Night at the Roxbury” is that it’s in color. That’s one of my favorite things.

Your publicist said you’re filming something new. What are you working on?

A new Adam Sandler film called “The

Ridiculous Six,” and it’s a Western comedy, actually. It’s got a great cast— Luke Wilson, Nick Nolte, Kevin Costner, and, uh, (laughs) Rob Schneider, a lot of people, Whitney Cummings. I’m trying to remember who else. It’s a great ensemble cast. I’m excited to be a part of it.

I read on the Internet—I don’t know how accurate that is—that you have a few projects in post-production. It sounds like it’s going to be an exciting year for you.

Unfortunately, some of those will never be released. But that’s OK. No, I’m joking.

I’m looking forward to seeing them all. All two of them.

During your time on “SNL,” what was the one thing you took away from your time there?

How to be good looking is one. How to eat well. How to make out with Will Farrell.

I’m sure Mr. Peepers taught you how to eat apples the right way.

I think the best thing about ‘A Night at the Roxbury’ is that it’s in color. That’s one of my favorite things.

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I learned how to do it incorrectly. I still eat apples exactly the same way. I don’t know the correct way.

What can we expect from your show when you come to town?

I think you’ll definitely have a fun time.

A lot of things to laugh about, and most of all, I think you’ll probably be crying a lot. My show is a big tearjerker. You’ll be crying for about 20 to 30 minutes.

I know you’re kidding but I’ll probably definitely cry. I cry about anything.

Why do you cry a lot?

I’m just a sap. I’ll cry at an AT&T commercial.

Did you cry at “Dumbo” or “Bambi”?

I probably would, yeah You haven’t seen either one?

I saw them but I was pretty young. It was probably 40 years ago.

You’d probably cry more.

That’s all I need is more crying.

I don’t want to spoil it, but Bambi’s mom dies and Dumbo’s mom gets chained up.

There are a lot of mother issues.

I sobbed like a baby at “American Sniper.”

That’s a good one. That’s funny one. A lot of laughs.

What do you have planned for the rest of the year? Just the Adam Sandler flick?

That’s going to take about an hour of my time. That’s really it. No, I’ve got a couple of Pilates classes. I’ve got my birthday.

That’s going to come. Christmas and the show in Phoenix. That’s about it. Actually, I’m really looking forward to it. I have a lot of stuff coming up. “Hotel Transylvania 2,” I did a voice in that. There are a couple other things that are so exciting but I’m not allowed to discuss them.

Do you do a lot of improvisation in your live show?

I do some. I have a set, but I like to definitely be off the cuff, as they say, and be ready and stay on your toes. The audience likes it. Keeps it alive and they like to be involved as well. I like to do it.

It’s fun to do that. It’s a good thing to do.

I remember speaking to you before. Your voice is very memorable.

It was a long time ago!

You have that sexy, “I just woke up” kind of sound.

Chris Kattan

Stand Up Live, 50 W. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, Thursday, April 31, 8 p.m., 480.719.6100, standuplive.com, $22

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TAKING SHOTS Roger Clyne seeks to thrill longtime fans and expand tequila brand

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

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oger Clyne isn’t a fan of being too comfortable. So fans who saw Clyne and his Peacemakers perform in December at Talking Stick can expect a totally new show when they perform at the venue’s pool on Friday, April 24.

“We’re trying to figure out how to make it a little risky for the band—maybe change up an instrument for a set, or do an ‘all-request-on-the-fly’ set,” Clyne says. “We’re trying to decide what sort of novelty we can add to it. But I know we’ll be providing something really fun for our awesome audience.”

Clyne and the Peacemakers are wrapping up the tour cycle for their album The Independent, which debuted at No. 7 on the iTunes Rock Chart. Clyne says he’s unsure why the album fared so well.

“I’m very happy that it did, though,” he adds. “I don’t know what might have propelled it so high on iTunes and

Billboard charts. I’m just glad that people are paying attention. It’s really hard for artists to get people’s attention. Our American attention span is so short. I’m so glad that people are still interested in what we have to say—especially when we release it as a full-length album.”

Following its release, the band toured The Independent live across the country and journeyed down to Puerto Peñasco, Mexico, to perform at Clyne’s acclaimed, self-produced annual music festival, Circus Mexicus.

Each show on the bill was different, Clyne says, much like the gigs at Talking Stick Resort.

“We never play the same set twice,” he says. “I always make up a new setlist for every show. If we’re playing two shows in a row, one night will be different from the other.”

That included the AZ Highways Tour, a seven-stop jaunt that took the band on the outskirts of Arizona. Each venue on the AZ Highways Tour featured signature cocktails of Clyne’s brand of premium sipping tequila, Mexican

Moonshine Tequila. The line of tequila was named after one of Roger Clyne and The Peacemakers’ songs titled “Mexican Moonshine” off of the critically hailed album, ¡Americano!

“The tequila line is coming along slowly but surely,” he says. “Those who know it, like it. We’re working on getting competitive with the big brands.

“We’re garnering lots of accolades from the world spirits community. We’ve gotten several gold and silver medals when we enter contests. We’re very proud of that. We’re working to get the word out. It’s difficult without million-dollar budgets. But person-by-person, shot-byshot we’re getting there.”

Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers

The Pool at Talking Stick Resort, 9800 E. Indian Bend Road, Scottsdale, 480.850.7734, ticketmaster.com, Friday, April 24, 8 p.m., $39

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HEADING HOME

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE APRIL 2015

81

Hometown heroes The Maine start fresh in Tempe

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

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ith the impending release of its fifth studio album, American Candy, Tempe-bred band The Maine feels like it’s starting over.

Drummer Pat Kirch describes the music as upbeat and danceable, reflective of what the band members were listening to as fledgling musicians in the late 1990s, early 2000s like Third Eye Blind and New Radicals.

“I feel like we kind of hit a point with the last couple records that we took that sound as far as we could take it,” Kirch says.

“This feels like we’re a brand new band again. It’s exciting.”

The album is due out March 31, a few days before The Maine kicks off its world tour on April 3 at Marquee Theatre.

“It’ll be great to start the tour there,” he says. “Generally, we always end our tours there.

“This has been great. We definitely appreciate the hometown support system that we have now. I think it’s one of those instances where you go on tour, see all these different places and it takes all of

that to realize how great it is to be from here.”

Kirch is excited that his hometown fans get to hear the new music first. The album has been under wraps, so much so that the musicians didn’t tell a soul that they were working on new tracks.

“We recorded in the middle of the desert in California in Joshua Tree,” he says. “We rented this giant house in the middle of the desert and recorded up there for a month.

“We got off the Internet. For two to three months we weren’t using any social media or our website. It was nice to get back to the only thing we had to focus on, which was the songs.”

The secretive process helped build excitement within the band, which formed eight years ago.

“It feels fresh and exciting,” he says.

“There are so many things we haven’t had a chance to do that we want to do. There is tons of excitement around the band right now.”

Because of this new sound, though, don’t expect The Maine to shun its past.

“We’re going to play a bit off of all the records,” he says. “I think we’ll

probably play the exact amount of songs off all the records. I think this particular tour will be a good representation of everything that we’ve done as a band.”

American Candy fits perfectly within the band’s catalog.

“This could have been our second or third album and it would make as much sense then as it does now,” he says.

“This record is who our band is. It’s one of those things when you go into record an album, you don’t know exactly what’s going to happen. I didn’t know what kind of album we were going to make. I got a little freaked out. But it’s so exciting and new that the energy is just building.”

The Maine w/Real Friends, Knuckle Puck and The Technicolors Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Avenue, Tempe, 480.829.0607, luckymanonline.com, 7 p.m.

Friday, April 3, $20

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PLAYING CATCH UP Hozier attempts to connect with his rising stardom

Alan Sculley » The Entertainer!

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H

ozier admits that, as someone who is naturally rather introverted, he’s had to work to get used to playing in front of the increasingly large audiences that are populating his shows in the wake of the huge success of his hit single, “Take Me To Church.”

“It certainly was a very steep learning curve,” he says. “I was very much in my comfort zone, I think, on smaller stages with more intimate audiences. You know, last summer we played a lot of huge stages at music festivals and stuff. It was something that was quite a steep learning (curve) for me. Even still, I’m not the most extroverted of performers on stage…

But the more that I gig and the more that I get to see audiences enjoy the music, the more I kind of enjoy this and the more, I suppose, I’m drawn to it.”

In fact, Hozier showed he could handle one of the most intimidating moments an artist can face during the Grammy Awards on February 9. With a star-studded live audience looking on and millions of viewers tuned in on television, he performed “Take Me To Church”— with Annie Lennox joining him on vocals near the end of the song. That song then segued into a powerhouse version of the Screaming Jay Hawkins classic, “I Put A Spell On You” (with Lennox delivering mesmerizing vocals on that song). The two-

song performance was widely considered the highlight of the Grammys telecast.

“The success of ‘Take Me To Church,’ I never imagined it,” Hozier says. “So in many ways, celebrating the Grammy nominations, performing at the Grammys, the shows that we’re playing now in America, they surpass what I maybe dared to dream of, so I’m thrilled, absolutely thrilled.”

Hozier’s sound began to come together in 2013 when he made a demo of “Take Me To Church” with producer Robert Kirwan. It was the first recording that truly captured the gritty sound rooted in blues, soul, gospel and jazz that Hozier had been chasing.

A video was then made that tied into the song’s message about the connections between sex, love and humanity—and specifically Hozier’s support for equal rights for gays and disdain for the religious denominations, governments and other entities that denounce homosexuality as sinful and offensive to God. The video ends with footage of vigilantes attacking a gay man while his partner helplessly watches in horror.

The video was posted on YouTube on September 25, 2013 and within days it topped 200,000 views. That total is now more than 30 million. The video went viral just a few weeks after Hozier’s debut EP, Take Me To Church, had been released.

The YouTube activity got the attention of bigger worldwide labels, and

Hozier was signed by Columbia Records in America. Songs from the Take Me To Church EP, a second EP, From Eden, and some newer songs were assembled to create Hozier’s self-titled debut album, which was released this past September.

“Take Me To Church,” naturally enough, became the album’s lead single and reached number two on Billboard magazine’s all-genre Hot 100 singles chart in December. Now with the exposure from the Grammys, Hozier is primed to be one of 2015’s breakout stars.

He’s currently touring the states with a seven-piece band, stopping at Tempe’s Marquee Theatre to play a sold out show on April 19. He’ll play a set that goes a bit beyond just the 13 songs included on the self-titled album.

“There were a few of the songs that were released as kind of bonus tracks, so we have a few of those in the sets,” Hozier says. “And there are one or two covers… like a pop cover that we might change up and have some fun with. Or I might play some blues music, which was very influential to me.”

Hozier

Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Avenue, Tempe, 480.829.0607, luckymanonline.com, Sunday, April 19, 8 p.m., sold out

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IT’S NOT ALL

BACON & MASCULINITY Nick Offerman shows his softer side with wife Megan Mullally in ‘Summer of 69: No Apostrophe’

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THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE APRIL 2015

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Breanne DeMore » The Entertainer!

F

or seven seasons, Nick Offerman, as the character Ron Swanson, personified all that is man on the hugely popular NBC show “Parks and Recreation,” which aired its last episode on February 24.

Mustachioed and always dressed in a collared polo shirt and pleated khaki pants, Offerman’s character provided memorable one-liners and statements about how a free-thinking man should act such as “Fishing relaxes me. It’s like yoga, except I still get to kill something.”

He also gave sound, though riotous advice such as “Never half-ass two things—whole ass one thing.”

Offerman is not his whiskey-guzzling, breakfast food-obsessed counterpart, but one can’t help but notice more than a few similarities between the two men.

“I think the writers are so brilliant and they took aspects of me and wrote them in a much larger, cartoon-y way.

So I do love meat. I do love brunettes in the shape of [my wife] Megan Mullally. I love wood-working. And they took all of

I had a lot of fun assuming the constipated rictus that was Ron’s face, but having done that for 125 episodes, now I’m looking forward to doing things like smiling and showing my teeth...

those attributes and wrote them in a much funnier way than I do them in my life,” he laughs.

Offerman is also quick to point out the differences between his character and himself. For instance, he actually enjoys the company of others while his character lives alone in the woods in a cabin that he built himself.

“I had a lot of fun assuming the constipated rictus that was Ron’s face, but having done that for 125 episodes, now I’m looking forward to doing things like smiling and showing my teeth [and] mincing about the room without having to be a combination of John Wayne and an oak tree.”

However, it’s clear that Offerman looks back on his time as Swanson with as much fondness as fans do.

“It’s just an absolutely life-changing, epic experience. It opened the world of opportunity to the entire cast and writing staff and so, we’re a bunch of lucky stiffs who were handed a very beautiful carpet ride for seven years,” he says.

Offerman is also able to perfectly capture why fans of the show stayed so loyal for seven years and were so desperately sad to see it go.

“There is a way to exist in that [entertainment field] spreading love and not giving in to things like fashion and cynicism. And so, that is my strongest takeaway—the way that we can be very funny while still saying ‘I love you,’” he says.

Now Offerman is coming to Phoenix with wife Mullally, who fans will recognize from her unforgettable performance as Karen Walker on the early ‘00s show “Will & Grace.” The two have worked together before on one another’s projects, but this show is a direct collaboration between the two.

“We had done some touring separately… and we began to kind of stick our chocolate into each other’s peanut butter, as it were. The one drag about touring was that we were away from each other… and we were missing each other.

So we said, ‘Let’s come up with a way to tour together.’ And here it is.”

The show, called “The Summer of 69: No Apostrophe,” is a hilarious though risqué peek into the couple’s relationship.

(“There will be a lot of sexual education taking place both in word and deed,” jokes Offerman.) Through jokes, songs and skits, Offerman and Mullally will explain how they have maintained their marriage of over 10 years.

“We have a handful of very enjoyable songs including a musical rendition of our wedding vows, and it’s kind of like a good ole fashioned show-biz couple [show].

There [are] elements of ‘Sonny and Cher,’ or ‘Captain and Tennille’ or even ‘Nichols and May.’ But we’re getting up to lovebased hi-jinks all over the stage,” explains Offerman.

Although they have been married since 2003, Offerman and Mullally are never short of loving words about the other and are still very much able to surprise and impress one another. In fact, Offerman is amazed at what a truly great touring companion she is.

“She is a lady and I am a man, so there’s an element of protection in our relationship. When we tour and we go on these long road trips, because we like to drive between cities, she’s delightfully accommodating. I’m very grateful that she’s not a big griper,” he says.

After touring through the rest of the weather-beaten country, Offerman is excited to come to Arizona to play. Our beautiful state has served for multiple romantic getaways for the couple, though neither of them has ever played here.

“One of our favorite things about touring is just that tangible experience of getting to commune with the citizenry in a big room in the flesh and blood,” he says.

“Given all of the places that we’re visiting on this tour, I think Phoenix is gonna feel like a little bit of a vacation.”

Nick Offerman & Megan Mullally in ‘Summer of 69: No Apostrophe’ Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington Street, Phoenix, 602.379.2800, comericatheatre.com, Thursday, April 23, 8 p.m., $40

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THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE APRIL 2015

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ACROSS THE POND, ACROSS GENRES

Rixton brings its pop-rock sound to American audiences Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

J

ake Roche is tired and out of breath. Feeling badly for delaying an interview because he was stuck on “the tube,” he quickly ducked into a London pub in Oxford Circus where he could find relative peace.

Roche—the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for the English pop band Rixton—is anxious to talk about his band’s debut, Let the Road, which hit stores on March 3. He and his bandmates were preparing to promote the album while opening for American songbird Ariana Grande on a tour that comes to US Airways Center on Monday, April 6.

“It’s just all a bit crazy at the moment,” Roche says. “We always feel that with our live show, we have to step it up. This is the perfect platform. We feel her audience has such a side demographic.

“We can’t really wait to really (captivate them) and have a lot of fun, really. I think that’s the bottom line: Have as much fun as possible.”

Naturally, the set will include

Rixton’s Matchbox 20-inspired hit “Me and My Broken Heart.” Ironically, the relentlessly catchy song wasn’t the one pegged to capture Americans’ hearts. “We All Want the Same Thing” was the golden child, but Rixton kept writing and “Me and My Broken Heart” did the trick.

“Originally it didn’t fit right,” he says of “We All Want the Same Thing.”

“We were struggling; we were in and out of the studio. We’d try and challenge each other. But straight away it just hit us. It was the last song we recorded for our album. We were very happy that it was our first single.”

Rixton can see its career moving forward, thanks to the boost from “Me and My Broken Heart.” The subsequent single, “Hotel Ceiling,” is moving up the charts and garnering radio play on terrestrial and satellite radio.

“We want to be a band that grows with the audience,” he says. “It’s been a real snowballing effect, where you feel like it can only get bigger and bigger. We want a gradual slow build.

“We want to be doing this for 10 to 15 years or later. We want to hold our own and not rush it.”

Roche knows a thing or two about show business. He is the son of actor Shane Patrick Roche, also known as Shane Richie, who played Alfie Moon on the BBC One soap opera “EastEnders” from 2002 to 2005 and again since 2010.

His mom is English singer/presenter Coleen Nolan.

“I come from a very large singing family,” he says. “My mom was in a girl band and in the ‘70s and went on tour with Stevie Wonder.”

His mom largely influenced him, turning him on to swing music, jazz and R&B. He grew up idolizing Michael Jackson and then moving on to Justin Timberlake, Ed Sheeran. But he generally finds himself going back to the legends.

“They put their own stamp on the music and did their own thing,” he says.

“They’re not in your face.”

Roche and bassist Danny Wilkin began writing songs together when they

“left school,” the English equivalent of graduating from high school. Roche writes songs on an acoustic guitar, based on his or Wilkin’s ideas.

“It’s all recorded on the voice memos on our phone,” Roche says. “They are the worst sounding things you’ve ever heard, but they make sense in our heads.”

The songs bounce around between the band members’ emails, proving that Rixton is a democratic being.

“There’s not a real John Lennon thing going on here,” he says.

Roche is looking forward to sharing his music with fans at US Airways Center, as Rixton has been one of the few English artists to really crack the U.S. market.

U.K. superstars like Robbie Williams, who sells millions of tickets in one day overseas, is a relative unknown in the States. Olly Murs is another English singer who isn’t getting the respect he deserves. Roche says he believes that Rixton is making its mark because its sound is “American friendly.”

“That just helps a lot,” he says about the pop sound. “We worked with Benny Blanco, who’s worked with Maroon 5 and Katy Perry—they haven’t done too bad for themselves. We have that lucky ingredient plus we have the Rixton sound. That really helps.”

Rixton only has an hour to warm up fans for Ariana Grande, but Roche gives it his all.

“It’s a high-energy show,” Roche says.

“It’s as high energy as possible. We feel like we stepped up now that we’ve worked closely with Jennifer Lopez’s musical director. We’ll include a few covers.

“Basically, we’re just there for the fans.

We love making new fans but we consider ourselves very, very lucky that radio has been supportive. It’s a great honor.”

Ironically, talking about playing arenas while sitting in a pub makes Roche recall the earlier days.

“We started out in places like this,” he says. “We feel like we can grow with the audience. We’ve gotten bigger and the audience has gotten bigger. Arenas are crazy. They are just mind blowing. We just can’t wait.”

Ariana Grande w/Rixton and Cashmere Cat

US Airways Center, 201 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, ticketmaster.com, Monday, April 6, 7:30 p.m., $25-$65 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

THEY’VE COME SO FAR

Kids in the Hall still a legendary force on the improv scene

PHX INSIDER

Life hacks for having fun in the Valley Christina Caldwell » The Entertainer!

Don’t sneak! Around this time of year, you’ll hear murmurs of friends and family sneaking into the swankiest hotels around for the exclusive use of their pools.

Local resorts offer lazy rivers, water slides, diving boards and more to warm weather visitors looking to cool off.

But there’s no need to risk being caught by security. As an addon to already-awesome services and shows, many Valley hotels and resorts will let you use their facilities. You can ease your mind knowing you won’t be found out and the hotel won’t have to deal with in-town riff raff looking for a free soak. Here are the some of the best payto-play hotels and resort pools around town!

Hotel Valley Ho

Stopping by the Hotel Valley Ho for some spa services at the VH Spa for Vitality? Sneak a peek at some of Scottsdale’s hottest bods after you’re done. Entry to the pool is included in spa packages. Get pampered and then sit in the sun!

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

T

he Kids in the Hall’s Mark McKinney is, to say the least, having problems with his rental car’s GPS in Toronto. Throughout a recent conversation, he jokingly curses at the system and even threatens it for trying to take him back to his original location.

“My GPS is behaving like a jackass,” McKinney says in the most humorous way possible. “I’m going to have to stop it and beat it. ‘You listen to me, you son of a bitch.’ It’s taking me back to the place I’ve just been.”

When sarcastically told that’s “helpful,” he asks a reporter, “What are you, stupid?”

It’s all in good fun.

In 1984, The Kids in the Hall formed in Canada with comedians McKinney, Dave Foley, Kevin McDonald, Bruce McCulloch and Scott Thompson. The troupe’s self-titled TV show ran from 1988 to 1994 on CBC in Canada, and 1989 to 1995 on CBS and HBO in the United States.

Since then it has boasted a fervent following thanks to those airings, as well as Netflix and YouTube.

“Our audience is kind of all ages now,” McKinney says.

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“There has been a whole ‘nother generation that has found the show, since the generation that found the show after the show.

We’re on our third generation.”

There’s another way in which fans have heard about The Kids in the Hall. Fellow comedians have cited The Kids in the Hall as an influence.

“That is the really nice part of having a career and having done something good,” he says. “People love to see it. The troupe is still alive. I’m still a comedy geek. When I met Fred Armisen, I lost my mind because he’s so brilliant.”

But since The Kids in the Hall started, McKinney hasn’t had to “compromise too much to get an audience.”

“Comedy troupes—shut up you GPS—can live like rock stars and have their own identity.”

The Kids in the Hall

Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd Street, Phoenix, 602.267.1600, celebritytheatre.com, Thursday, June 4, 8 p.m., $40-$70

Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale

The Four Seasons renovated pool is free to anyone who books more than $210 in spa services. Book a VIP cabana for flat screen TVs, mini fridges and ceiling fans.

Talking Stick Resort Hotel & Casino

The EDM scene is hot around Old Town Scottsdale, but venture just down the road and across the 101 for some of the hottest electronic music shows around. For the price of a ticket to the show (which is usually between $15 and $30), you get full access to Talking Stick’s pool area.

Plus you’ll get to see a killer show!

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FI

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ALL RED UP Emilia Clarke on playing the fiery “Game of Thrones” dragon mother The Interview People

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2015

T

he mild-mannered English actress Emilia Clarke is starkly different in appearance from her platinum-blonde “Game of Thrones” character, “Khaleesi” Daenerys Targaryen. But like her girl power character, Clarke started from the very bottom, learning humility, empathy and great responsibility along the way.

Daenerys evolved from an inexperienced young girl into a major ruler. You have grown from a novice actress into a big star. Do you see these parallels yourself?

Yeah, I do. It’s funny. Obviously there are some parallels that are not quite the same. I don’t have dragons, shockingly enough. It’s been an incredible journey to go on with her. Before I was doing “Game of Thrones,” I was doing catering. We were both very innocent when we started and then went on a big journey, and it’s now finally in season five, where I as myself feel more relaxed and more aware of what it is that I am a part of.

It has taken me a couple of years to see it for what it is. Now I am seeing it where I am and it’s a wonderful feeling.

Do you ever feel desperate to know when you finally arrive at Westeros?

Definitely. Every time a script is coming in, I go “How much ground am I covering? How quickly can I get to the Iron Throne?” But the thing Daenerys is doing this season—she is realizing ... that she can’t go there straight away because she is inevitably going to fail. She can have grand, innocent ideas of what it is to be a leader. But unless she tackles the day-today problems with it, simply freeing the slaves is not enough. You have to be able to rule the kingdom that includes every social class and maintaining that peace is what is going to make her the best ruler to sit on the Iron Throne. And she’s going to figure that all out outside of Westeros first.

Your character has a lot of fans. Do you think this will help you get to the throne or might you get killed along the way?

They like to kill off beloved characters, so you never know. No one is safe.

How is the work with the infamous platinum blonde wig?

She has progressed, the wig. We name her every season because she is slightly different. It’s two and a half hours in the chair, so I am normally the first person on set, which are long days. She just gets bigger every single season.

Does it help you not get recognized on the street?

Yeah. Still I remain quite incognito because I look so very different without the blonde hair. But that’s petering away a bit. I am getting a little bit more recognized.

Since the show has so many obsessive fans, have you had any interesting encounters?

Maybe some people have a great idea

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they’ll do something mad when they meet me. And then they see I am quite normal and I don’t have blonde hair and they are bit [like] “Oh, you can go.”

You’re Daenerys, and now you’re also playing Sarah Connor in the upcoming “Terminator Genisys.” Do you consider yourself a badass?

In my own special way, yes. But I am definitely nowhere near as badass as the characters I decide to play.

What do you mean by “your own special way?”

Obviously the parallels that can be drawn within myself and the characters that I play are the situations that you find them in. I am not fighting robots, I don’t have dragons. So there is only so much badassness you can bring to your day-to-day life. But if I am being perfectly honest, the most badass thing you can do as a woman is just accept who you are and be happy with it. That is the hardest thing.

Daenerys becomes more commandeering as the seasons progress. Do you think she’s becoming more like her brother?

I think she paid attention when she was a kid. She grew up watching her older brother and seeing his strength but also what his downfalls were. And the sensitivity that she has as a character that has allowed her to stay off the minefields that got him killed. You flip a coin with the Targaryens whether you get madness or greatness. This season she is walking that tight rope closer than you have ever seen her before.

Is she a heroine?

I definitely see her as a heroine. She is resolute in what she wants and she has the least selfish want out of any character in the show. She really is destined for the greater good. And I think it’s that lack of selfishness and selfish want that enables her to be continually clear-headed and clear-sighted about it. And not to be too wrapped up in her own vanity.

Do you consider yourself a role model for other women?

I would love to say that. Daenerys, as a character, is a strong female who is young, and if I could give any young girl that extra bit of confidence, that would be incredible. I would love to see that.

Do you look forward to the day when the series doesn’t rule your life any longer? Or do you fear it?

It’s not so much that it’s ruling my life. It is the catalyst and the reason for so many wonderful things that have happened to me that I could never feel anything other than grateful love for it.

Have you ever asked George R. R. Martin what will happen to your character?

Yes, but you know what the answer is. And the answer is “I’m not going to tell you.”

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THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2015

NOT R SPINNING THEIR WHEELS

REO Speedwagon caters to fans’ every whim Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

EO Speedwagon vocalist Kevin Cronin knows his band is “required” to play certain songs during its set or else the musicians are bound to meet an angry mob outside of their tour bus.

But 1980s hits like “Take It on the Run,” “Keep on Loving You” and “Can’t Fight This Feeling” aren’t exactly tough for REO Speedwagon to jam on stage.

“Luckily for us, the most popular songs are songs we like to play,” says the 63-year-old Cronin, calling from his California home.

“We’re really fortunate that we’re a ‘writer band,’” Cronin elaborates. “We don’t do covers or outside songs that someone wrote for us and we have to play.

These are all songs that one of us wrote.”

That’s a pretty big selection. Forming in the late 1960s, REO Speedwagon built its following throughout the 1970s, but found gold in Hi Infidelity, which spawned four U.S. Top 40 hits. The collection sold more than 10 million copies. To date, Cronin and Co. have moved over 50 million records and charted 13 Top 40 hits.

Even still, REO Speedwagon has a personal connection with all of the songs.

It’s just a bonus, Cronin says, that they were hits.

“It’s much more than playing a big hit,” he says. “It’s playing a song that happens to become a big hit. For me, it’s a song that’s extremely personal and a time in my life that’s very emotional.

“I get to relive that emotion on stage, and relive it from a different perspective as my life goes on. I consider that a privilege. I enjoy sharing those new perspectives on the song with the audience every night.”

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Cronin explains that it’s touching to hear and see so many of his fans singing REO Speedwagon songs nightly. These fans have taken REO Speedwagon’s songs into their lives and made them a part of their lives.

“It’s a pretty awesome experience to be the guy up there doing it,” he says. “I feel there’s a real communal spirit between the band and the audience. I try as a frontman, I work to make that bond stronger.”

To further entice and entertain his fans, Cronin jokes between songs or tells the crowd what inspired the songs. That’s something he’s relied on since the band was formed.

“A lot of people say they had their first kiss to that song or it was in their wedding,” he says. “Whatever it is that brings the people into the theater we want to exceed their expectations and it’s really fun. We see it happen every night.”

When asked how he keeps the songs fresh, he’s quick to compare his songs to his children.

“When you see your children grow up, you don’t get sick of them growing up,” he says matter of fact. “My daughter just turned 18 and is a senior in high school. When she’s walking into the kitchen all dressed up—she’s a beautiful young girl—I see the little baby I used to hold in my arms and cuddle. I see the totality of her life.

“It’s the way I look at these songs as well.”

REO Speedwagon

The Pool at Talking Stick Resort, 9800 E. Indian Bend Road, Scottsdale, 480.850.7734, talkingstickresort.com, Sunday, May 17, 8 p.m., $57 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2015

THE SHOWMAN

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LISTEN » JAM » INNOVATE » EVOLVE » ROCK » SING

Jason Bonham 72 Bryan Adams 71 Live Music Calendar 68

BACK AT IT

The Mavericks head back on the road after an eight year hiatus Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

T

he darlings of critics everywhere for years, The Mavericks were admittedly a little nervous to return to music after an eight-

year absence.

Drummer Paul Deakin explains that his band’s latest release, Mono, was almost like a sophomore album—one that had to battle against an uber-successful debut. In this case, it was 2013’s In Time.

“Those are the tough ones,” he says with a laugh. “But people are liking this one. That was a relief and it felt really good. You don’t make albums for that reason, but in the back of your head, you do wonder.”

During their time off, Deakin and the rest of the band—vocalist/guitarist Raul Malo, guitarist Eddie Perez and pianist/organist Jerry Dale McFadden— didn’t know if The Mavericks would resume performing and recording.

But one day, the band, according to Deakin, was offered a “ridiculous amount of money” to reform and play 20 shows. Malo, who forged a successful solo career, then met the rest of his group at dinner to suggest they make an album by The Mavericks. He already had a record label—Big Machine Records— owned by “American Idol” mentor Scott Borchetta, who also discovered Taylor Swift.

“He broke our record, What a Crying Shame, when he was a lowly record

promoter—I say ‘lowly’ jokingly,” he says.

Deakin, an avid tennis player, was ready to return to The Mavericks, even though he enjoyed his time as a carpenter during the off years. It’s clear, he says, that The Mavericks are enjoying being back.

“We’re a very live band and dancing ensues,” he says. “What makes a difference is when a band puts the energy out there and you can feel it back, it becomes cyclical and exponential in joy and energy. If I could put our shows down to two words it would be ‘joyful noise.’ We have fun with what we do and we’re that kind of band that would love for the audience to be as involved as they would like.”

The Mavericks

LiveWire, 7320 E. Indian Plaza, Scottsdale, 480.970.6980, livewireaz.com, Friday, May 15, 7 p.m., $50

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SONG

THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

THE

I don’t know how many times I’ve played ‘Since I’ve Been Loving You.’ No matter how many times I play that song, it still gets me every time.

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REMAINS THE SAME

Jason Bonham carries his father’s musical legacy 35 years after his death Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

J

ason Bonham’s eyes well up with tears when he speaks about his father, the late Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham. It’s even evident over the phone.

It’s a topic he finds he must speak about whenever his act, Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience, hits the road. A “tribute act” is too light of a moniker to place next to JBLZE, which he founded in 2010. It’s more of a sentimental journey that finds Bonham, who is also a drummer, remembering his father and Led Zeppelin’s music.

“It’s a heartfelt thing that I don’t do that much,” Bonham says via telephone.

“It’s not like I’m doing 200 shows a year. It’s more like 20, if that. Last year, it was 14. It’s something that has to be done with the passion that all of my band guys have with the music.”

Bonham explains it has to feel “relevant and right.” It has to be done for a reason. After his dad died in September 1980, Jason played with Zeppelin several times, including the Ahmet Ertegün Tribute Concert at The O2 Arena in London in 2007.

The first time he played with Zeppelin, the band prepared to play six songs. But Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones didn’t stick with the setlist. They played other tracks.

“My knowledge is pretty good of Zeppelin,” he says with a laugh.

While rehearsing with Zeppelin, the trio of remaining members were careful about what they shared with Jason. They allowed him two questions a day for six weeks, he recalls.

“I figured, I’m not going to let them go to waste,” Bonham says. “It’s like a genie who grants you three wishes. It was crazy.”

It’s good times like those and the bad times that leave Bonham choked up.

“I don’t know how many times I’ve played ‘Since I’ve Been Loving You,’” he

says. “No matter how many times I play that song, it still gets me every time.”

He quickly adds to the reporter while laughing, “You must be depressed.”

But he’s pleased that Zeppelin’s music does “that emotional thing to me.” During his JBLZE shows, Bonham couples songs and interludes with images of his dad, mom and himself.

“It’s a tough one, as much as I’ve lived with it for a while now,” says Bonham, 48. “I just literally turned 14 in July, before he passed in September.”

Bonham himself has a 21-year-old daughter and an 18-year-old son, the latter of whom is 6-feet 3-inches tall.

“He’s built more like my dad when he was young than me,” he says. “He has skinny long legs that come to my underarms. As a kid, he was short for a long, long time. When he was 16, all of a sudden he just really grew. He went past me and carried on taller than his grandfather.

“I never got to that ‘Dad you’re old’ (phase). He was just my hero.”

Bonham’s son plays it cool about his dad’s career—even in front of President Barack Obama.

“The president of the United States asked him at The Kennedy Center Honors, ‘Will you be playing the drums like your father and your grandfather before you?’ He says, ‘No, I don’t think so.

I see the pressure it puts on my father. I’m more of a rapper.’ He tells the president this as he leant in for a selfie.

“I’ll give him that. He wasn’t short for words, but it was nice. My wife was in tears when she heard that.”

Bonham explains he is tickled when fellow drummers contend that his father was a major influence in their careers.

He cites conversations with the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith and the Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl as those who admire the elder Bonham.

“It’s like my dad had a bunch of

kids, and I was fighting with them (for his approval),” he says. “They all loved him when he was playing. They all have their things they stole from him or were inspired by. Chad Smith, I love his playing. He said he was really influenced by my dad. ‘Your dad changed my life,’ he said. It always comes full circle.”

Bonham admits to having felt a twinge of jealousy about Grohl, however.

“He looks more like my dad than I do,” he says. “With the long hair and the three circles tattooed all over him. He lights up when you bring up that subject of what John Bonham meant to him.

“Dave is such a big fan. He kind of has hair like my dad. It’s a weird thing.

Dad had no idea when he left the world that he would leave behind a legacy. I think he really was good, but the impact that he had with Led Zeppelin was beyond belief.”

Jason Bonham has received his share of accolades and invites as well. He has performed with—this is the short list—Sammy Hagar, Black Country Communion, Foreigner, Steel Dragon, UFO and his own band, Bonham. Despite his success and family’s legacy, Bonham is always gracious with the press.

“I know this from growing up and hearing dad sometimes: The press were never great to Led Zeppelin,” he says.

“Part of that was they were never great to the press. There was all this negativity around them. Years later, the fans, the young kids at the shows that were probably 15 at Madison Square Garden, are now the editors and the program directors of some of these big organizations. They’re being praised for what they did. It wasn’t all about how many rooms they trashed, or how many groupies they had and all the carnies that came with Led Zeppelin, the mystique and the black magic—or anything you put around them. It really was about the music. It’s timeless—it really is.”

Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Experience

Wild Horse Pass Casino’s Ovations Live!, 5040 Wild Horse Pass Boulevard, Chandler, 800.946.4452, wingilariver.com, Friday, May 29, 8 p.m., $33-$68 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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RECKLESS W Bryan Adams looks back at three decades in the ‘biz

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer! hen introduced to Bryan Adams as “Mr. Adams,” it can be a little intimidating, yet it says a lot.

Adams—known for songs like “One Night Love Affair,” “Heaven” and “Summer of ’69”—demands respect. The Canadian rocker, who now lives in Europe, is on the road celebrating the 30th anniversary of his career-defining album, Reckless.

A favorite of satellite radio and classic rock stations, Reckless has yet to sound dated and Adams appreciates that. He has no idea, however, why it was so successful, selling more than 12 million copies.

“What do I know? Nothing,” says in an accent that is an amalgamation of American, Canadian and European.

“I certainly can’t project it. When making records, you just sort of make it as real, as natural as possible. And there’s that old adage: ‘It’s not what you say. It’s how you say it.’ Making it believable, that’s the key, really.”

Since the release of Reckless, 30 years have flown by. Adams has played “thousands of shows,” he says. He has traveled worldwide for his shows, from Canada to Belarus to Iceland.

“I have a lot of air miles, honey,” he adds.

Reckless was four albums deep when it was released. The single “It’s Only Love,” for which he duets with Tina Turner, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group. In 1986, the song won an MTV Video Music Award for Best Stage Performance. Good songwriting was the key to Reckless, he says. With the album offering six successful singles, that can’t be far from the truth.

“I don’t think I could do that again,” says Adams about the songwriting process. “I was 23, 24 when I wrote that record, you know. I can’t write those songs any more. I’d write the songs I write now.”

Speaking of which, Adams has a new album set for release this fall. It was co-produced by ELO’s Jeff Lynne.

He “seriously” calls the album, for which he does not have a name, his best collection yet. It’s the perfect follow-up to the Reckless tour in that it is within “the same ballpark,” Adams says.

The collaboration with Lynne has been one for which Adams has wished for some time. He always admired his fellow musician and his work.

“I wanted to work with Jeff for years,” Adams says. “By some strange coincidence I met this film director who was working on something. It turns out he’s friends with Jeff. I said, ‘If you’re talking to Jeff, tell him I said hi. I’d like to talk to him sometime.’

“He called me up the next day and said, ‘I talked to Jeff and he asked me to give you his number.’ I called him up and went around to see him one day.”

Adams has worked with a variety of producers. For Reckless, it was Bob Clearmountain who turned the knobs with Adams.

But Adams says, the unspoken talent behind that record was percussionist Jim Vallance.

“We hit our stride on that album,” says Adams, who had worked with Clearmountain previously.

“Also, in fairness, a lot of the pre-production was done with myself and Jim Vallance. Jim deserved a lot of credit. I was going back to the demo and checking it out. There was so much stuff there. It was really good. I used to say, ‘If the song’s gonna make it on the record, it has to be better than the demo because the demos were already super good.’”

He’s glad it all worked out.

BLUE Bryan Adams

Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington Street, Phoenix, 800.745.3000, comericatheatre.com, livenation.com, Thursday, May 19, 8 p.m., $39-$69 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE JUNE 2015

ALL DRESSED UP

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Eddie Izzard is bringing his unabashed attitude to town, whether you like it or not Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

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onning high heels and pontificating about human sacrifice, English comedian Eddie Izzard doesn’t hold back on stage. A selfdescribed transgendered person (“A lesbian trapped in a man’s body,” he’s been known to say.), the 53-year-old Izzard says his comedic appeal is wide ranging—and he doesn’t care about those who don’t get it.

“Human beings are so universal,” Izzard says via telephone. “Someone falls over, you go over and help them and they say thank you. You’re on holiday and you know the same thing is going to happen. I talk about human sacrifice.

That’s universal.”

“If they don’t get my humor, I just don’t play to those people.”

Izzard is bringing his massive “Force Majeure” world tour back to Arizona, this time for two shows at the Orpheum Theatre, Tuesday, June 2 and Wednesday, June 3. It follows his 2014 run of U.S. tour dates where he performed 50 shows in 32 cities in 64 days. The jaunt is his most extensive to date, playing everywhere from Arizona to Kathmandu. Adding to his impressive resume, Izzard performed his show in France entirely in French, and in Berlin he spoke German. He plans to master Spanish, Russian and Arabic.

“I’m getting into my fourth language,” says Izzard, who was born in the Colony of Aden in the south of contemporary Yemen. “I encourage other people to do this as well. Come on, compete with me. Let’s all go to multiple languages and play 27 countries. I think Jared Leto’s band 30 Seconds to Mars has played 51 countries. So that’s where the bar is set. I’m going to beat that.”

These accomplishments are top notch. Dubbed by The London Sunday Times as “The greatest British standup comedian of his generation,” Izzard isn’t fazed by that.

“It only puts pressure on you if your ego’s not up to it, I’m afraid,” Izzard says. “I don’t feel it’s a pressure.

If I wasn’t working so intensively, it would be a pressure.”

Izzard made such a name for himself that he also found a successful second career as an actor, appearing in films like “Velvet Goldmine” and shows like “Hannibal” and “Powers,” the first series broadcast on the PlayStation Network.

Izzard works hard at what he does and doesn’t take exception to anyone questionings his beliefs.

“I’m transgender,” he says. “Some people have a big issue about that. I say to them everyone’s given genetic cards at the beginning of life.

“If you believe in a god, god’s handing out these cards. I don’t believe in a god. I believe they’re given out on some sort of random inherent thing that comes through luck, sperm and egg.”

Izzard says he knew as early on about his sexual disposition.

“I’m honest. I’m upfront. This is true,” he says. “I knew when I was 4 years old. It’s my life and this is who I am.

“We get obsessed about (sexuality).

We’re brought up girls and we’re brought up boys. We’re at a school for girls or at a changing room for girls.

We say, ‘Nice cat’ or ‘Nice dog.’ We don’t say, ‘Nice boy cat’ or ‘Nice boy dog.’ We have no clue at any point in their life what they are. We just don’t know. I think cats and dogs say, ‘Nice human.’ They don’t say, ‘Oh, it has long hair, so it must be a girl or it could be a hippie,’ depending on the era. We get obsessed it. Everyone should calm down and say we’re all humans. I’m being honest and truthful about it. If we’re not being honest about ourselves, well what’s the point?”

Eddie Izzard

Orpheum Theatre, 203 W. Adams, Phoenix, 602.534.5600, phoenix.ticketforce.com, orpheumtheatrephx.com, Tuesday, June 2 and Wednesday, June 3, 8 p.m., $47-$69 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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TOWN HEROINE Emma Stone takes big risks that pay off in Hollywood, using her Scottsdale roots The Interview Feed

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hen Emma Stone was a young girl growing up in Scottsdale, she would often lose herself in a dream world where she was acting in classic Hollywood films. But for Stone, it was no idle fantasy. At 14, she used a PowerPoint presentation to convince her parents to let her go to L.A. and start making the rounds at studios to jumpstart her acting career.

Permission granted. The redheaded beauty has gone on to become one of Hollywood’s most popular actresses.

While enjoying the popularity that has come with her role as Gwen Stacy in the “Amazing Spider-Man” franchise of films, she has made her mark chiefly as a superb comedienne who has delighted audiences and critics alike in films like “Superbad,” “Easy A,” “Crazy Stupid Love” and last year’s Woody Allen Riviera romp, “Magic in the Moonlight.”

“Comedy is my true love,” Stone admits. “That will always be my favorite movie genre and nothing can compete with that. But I’ve also been lucky to have the opportunity to experiment with roles outside of comedies because I want to be able to explore different kinds of stories that require a different style of acting. I’ve always been

interested in studying the human psyche and acting is an incredible way of trying to understand how we think and behave and why life can be so complicated to figure out.”

Her new film, “Aloha”, written and directed by Cameron Crowe, gives Stone a chance to test her comic mettle once again in the form of Crowe’s typically ironic and endearingly humorous look at relationships.

The 26-year-old Stone is currently basking in the afterglow of her Oscarnominated performance in “Birdman.”

With respect to her first Academy Award nomination, Emma was somewhat flabbergasted.

“I’m not sure that I will ever know what this means overall. It’s a wonderful, very strange feeling. Nothing I can really wrap my head around quite yet.”

Emma, in the past year you’ve played in a Woody Allen movie, worked with Cameron Crowe on “Aloha”, and you made your Broadway debut as Sally Bowles in “Cabaret.” Is this too much success for one girl too handle?

(Laughs) No, I can handle it! (Laughs) This business has lots of ups and downs, and it’s just wonderful when things work out and you feel you’re flying high and enjoying every minute of what’s

happening to you. I’ve been living with this dream for most of my life and it still feels kind of surreal when you find yourself doing exactly what you aspired to. I can still remember a few years ago when I was crying on my couch by myself when I didn’t get some roles I wanted really badly and feeling so upset. That helps make this time in my life that much more meaningful and fulfilling because you know you had to struggle to get here.

You’re also getting to work with Cameron Crowe.

Cameron Crowe is a director I’ve always adored and I loved the script and the kind of character I get to play. Shooting in Hawaii is also an incredible pleasure, especially after I got to spend a summer shooting “Magic in the Moonlight” in one of the most beautiful places you can ever want to be. You sometimes feel that you’re part of a fairy tale when you get to be part of these projects and that’s part of your thinking anyway as an actor. It just enhances the process.

You seem to be a rather carefree and engaging woman. Is it hard on occasion to be out in the public constantly?

Sometimes I try to show that I’m a little cooler and more relaxed than I actually

am. But I prefer being myself and not trying to hide my nervousness or vulnerable sides, rather than trying to put on a facade or hide behind any contrived public persona. I think the public also appreciates it when you are able to be natural and just relate to people as honestly as possible.

Your parents and particularly your mother have been an inspiration to you. Can you talk about how they have influenced your life?

I was very lucky to have two parents who have always encouraged and supported me. They knew nothing about the film business yet they were ready to support my dream because they believed in me and wanted me to fulfill my dreams. My mother agreed to accompany me to L.A. when I was only 15, even though that meant a big change in her life, and you never forget that kind of love and really unselfish act.

What are your goals for the future?

I want to become more real and live as authentically as possible. I want to become a better individual and now just try to be happy but also to be braver and scare myself sometimes by taking on new challenges. I want to keep evolving as much as I can.

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COME ORIGINAL

311 tries to keep things fresh after 25 years in the business

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

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ick Hexum, lead singer for the reggae-rock band 311, likes to host destination shows—gigs where fans can see the show, imbibe and stay the night.

The Pool at Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale is certainly one of those places.

“It’s actually a really cool venue,” Hexum says about the stage, which 311 played last year. “It’s a really nice setting. The sun sets and people are partying. There’s enough open floor where everybody is dancing.

“They don’t have to drive home. A lot of people are staying there and they go gambling.”

It’s sure bet that 311 is having a big year. Not only is the band doing its own jaunt, it’s headed out on the resurrected H.O.R.D.E. tour, playing a two-night residency at Mandalay Bay Beach in Vegas over Independence Day weekend, and celebrating 311’s 25th anniversary.

“We have looked a lot at the big picture and realized how fortunate we are that we’ve been going so strong for this long,” says the 45-year-old Hexum.

Named after the Nebraska state police code for indecent exposure, 311 formed in 1988 in Omaha. The band released its self-titled album in 1995 and instantly catapulted to fame, gaining a dedicated following and star-studded reputation. The record was eventually certified triple platinum and generated

three hit singles that received constant radio airplay including “All Mixed Up,” “Down” and “Don’t Stay Home.”

As of 2015, 311 has sold more than 10 million records in the United States.

Right now, 311 is hard at work on its new album, which is due out in 2016. The first song for the collection was written just before its 311 cruise to Mexico.

“We have a lot of demos ready and I think it’s a really exciting batch,” he says.

“We’re keeping the random wild creativity going that we found on ‘Stereolithic’ to make sure if anything sounds different and weird and unusual we pursue that. That’s the main concern when you’re working on your 12th album. We’re making sure that it’s fresh and new and different than sticking to what works.”

Fans can expect innovative production styles that have some kind of builds and breaks and drops that listeners would hear in electronic music.

“It’s all within the live band setting, though,” he says. “I have more reggae tunes on there. There was a lot of riff rock on the last album, not much reggae.

I want to step that up a little bit. I want more clean guitars.

“A lot of people, when they say, ‘I can’t wait to hear how your next album comes out,’ I say, ‘Me, too.’”

Currently, 311 is pushing its celebratory box set, which will include 80 tracks—including unreleased songs,

b-sides, bonus tracks, pre-production records and demos. A book of photos will be featured as well. It was compiled by “band archivist” drummer Chad Sexton.

“We cleaned out our keepsake boxes and got all these cool songs and set lists and studio charts,” Hexum says. “It’s almost like a coffee table book that comes with it, and four CDs. That’s really going to be exciting for the fans. It was a lot of fun to put together.”

This year, there will also be vinyl re-issues, a poster auction, the launch of the 311 Amber Ale craft beer, and 311’s partnership with BK Racing in support of car Nos. 23, 26 and 83 in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series sporting the 311 logo.

“That’s one of the cool things about the box sets,” he says. “We’re releasing a lot of the demos of old songs and fans can hear examples of how things changed from the demos, production lyrics, everything.

“People live with the songs for a long time. To hear a song in its infancy, I think it’s going to be a trip for people.”

311

The Pool at Talking Stick Resort, 9800 E. Indian Bend Road, Scottsdale, 800.745.3000, ticketmaster.com, Thursday, July 2, 8 p.m., $51 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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PITCH

PERFECT

D-backs pitcher Bronson Arroyo and his off-field musical passion Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

S

itting in the Chase Field locker room, Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Bronson Arroyo and outfielder Mark Trumbo are jamming with blues guitarist Joe Bonamassa.

Arroyo and Trumbo strum acoustic guitars as the pitcher sings over licks by Bonamassa, who later that day would perform the national anthem.

“He was just really down to earth and chill,” Arroyo says about the blues guitarist. “It can be a very awkward environment to sit down and jam with the guys—especially since most of us who play music in the baseball world aren’t at the level in order to keep up.

“But it was nice. We got to play a couple songs. Me and Trumbo played and I sang. Joe just riffed over the top of them, which was cool. I asked him to play some old stuff, stuff he learned as a kid, like Hendrix.

Arroyo and Trumbo are two of a handful of Diamondbacks athletes who play music. They have fabulous stories of jamming with Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready, meeting Rush’s Geddy Lee, and hanging out with Billy Corgan.

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In 2005, Arroyo released his appropriately-dubbed debut album, Covering the Bases. It included covers from bands such as Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, Foo Fighters and Incubus. The album also includes the Red Sox victory song “Dirty Water” by The Standells.

SINGING WITH DAD

At a young age, Arroyo pumped iron in the weight room with his father, who would listen to ‘70s rock. None of it inspired Arroyo.

“He would have the radio on,” says Arroyo, 38. “I did get used to hearing the oldies—The Beatles, Mamas and the Papas, Credence Clearwater (Revival) and Elton John and all those guys.

“I like the music, but nothing about that music made me want to play it. I heard ‘Plush’ by Stone Temple Pilots when I was 15. It had a whole different vibe.

There was more angst in his voice and the story he was telling. That’s what sparked my interest in music.”

In 1999, while Arroyo was playing Double-A ball with the Pittsburgh Pirates he picked up an acoustic guitar for the first time and was enthralled.

“There was a guy who worked as the clubhouse manager who put the food out and cleaned the clothes and everything,” he recalls. “He slept in the clubhouse— that’s what happens in the minor leagues.

A lot of guys pretty much live there.

“Anyway, he had an acoustic guitar.

I picked it up tooled around with it. I had just kind of just gotten to the point where I was really singing along with Stone Temple Pilots and Pearl Jam and Creed.

I never had any formal training. I was drawn to the guitar. I got to where I could hear the beginnings of a song then I was completely hooked.”

While Arroyo was inspired by 1990s rock, these days he’s been listening to country.

“It seems like rock is a dying breed,” he says. “The really catchy, poppy melodies are coming out of Luke Bryan, Keith Urban and Lee Brice. I’m listening to a bit of that.

“I really loved the Lumineers record.

I like their funky folky style. I saw them in concert a couple times. Those types of things are really grabbing me.

“I just love anything that you can play with an acoustic guitar and have a singalong. I’m not really boxed into one specific genre. I loved Staind, Creed and Pearl Jam, but there’s only a few of them around. If they are around, they’re not putting out a lot of new music. You’re forced to look elsewhere.”

Arroyo doesn’t plan on penning his own album anytime soon. He’s too busy recovering from Tommy John elbow surgery and keeping his body in shape for baseball.

“Most of the music I loved listening to that really turned me on is all dark stuff,” he adds. “I haven’t had much of that in my life. I grew up with a father talking to me when I was 13, 14 years old in a weight room about the glass being half full under any circumstances.

“That’s regardless of anything, like if your arm got chopped off or if someone has a gun in your mouth and they were going to shoot you. With that mentality, mixed with the fact that I wanted to be a Major League Baseball player and I made it happen, most of the things in my life have gone as planned. I don’t have a lot of angst in me to really write an authentic story that comes from [a place within]. They come out ‘pretty’ and I don’t know that I want to put my stamp on them as mine.”

He would like to jam again with Bonamassa, whose Comerica Theatre show Arroyo did not attend.

“He was telling stories,” Arroyo says.

“They were playing in major altitude in Colorado Springs a couple days before.

The trumpet player had a hard time keeping up with the notes. He purposely lengthened the songs. He was dying to keep up. That was hilarious.”

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE JUNE 2015

THE SHOWMAN

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LISTEN » JAM » INNOVATE » EVOLVE » ROCK » SING

Aerosmith 66 Chuck D. 68

GIGS

WITHOUT GIMMICKS

Butch Walker keeps it real without the whizz, boom, bang Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

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inger-songwriter-producer Butch Walker is on board his bus, traveling from New York City to Washington, D.C. His son is playing video games while Walker fields calls from the media.

Eventually, he will reach Scottsdale’s Livewire, where he is supporting his own music, namely Afraid of Ghosts. The setlist will feature his recent work, including some of his late father’s favorite songs.

“This tour is kind of like a salute to my father who died two years ago,” says the uber producer/songwriter. “We were very close. Most of the new record is about him. At the risk of sounding corny, it’s been really amazing feeling him there every night.”

The collection was produced by eccentric rocker Ryan Adams, a prolific singer-songwriter and knob-turner in his own right. Walker—who worked with everyone from Taylor Swift to Weezer— spent a year writing the album, but it was recorded in four days.

“It wasn’t because we didn’t have the time,” Walker says. “We wanted it to be purposely be a little spontaneous sounding. We thought it would be fun to have it kind of breathe a little bit and have some idiosyncrasies, quirks and rough spots and bruises. I think it complements the lyrics on these songs, if I can say that.”

Critically and with fans, the reception has been good to his seventh LP, Afraid of Ghosts, which features special appearances

by Bob Mould and Johnny Depp.

“I gotta say, honey, people have been saying really nice things,” he says. “Without sounding too cocky, they’ve said ‘It’s the best tour you’ve ever done.’ There’s been a lot of that which makes me feel really good.

“You get nervous. The longer you do this, hopefully it’s not a gimmick and that’s where you get something new out of it every time. I certainly don’t have any background dancers, flashpots, fire and catwalks.”

Instead he has the spirit of his father.

“You’re never prepared for (death),” he says. “I feel what’s happening is finding a lot of fans have experienced the same thing, or dealing with it coming up soon.

It’s really been inspiring to talk to people about it and hear how this tour and this record has been super cathartic for him. It makes me feel good knowing I did more than just write another rock song.”

Butch Walker w/ The Dove and The Wolf and Jonathan Tyler Livewire, 7320 E. Indian Plaza, Scottsdale, 480.970.6980, livewireaz.com, Friday, June 12, 7 p.m., $18

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world to support its 2011 Address, a title that reflects the multiple it’s pretty hard to write about the fish Nickelback album Here and Now, locations in which the album was bowl. You have to be outside of the fish but one place the muchrecorded. The new collection features bowl to write about it.” continues maligned Canadian didn’t traditional Nickelback (“Get ‘Em Up”) as He says his Nickelback cohorts are play was Arizona. Bassist Mike Kroeger well as more experimental songs like “Got especially proud of the versatility of “Make its global apologizes for that.

Me Runnin’ Round” featuring Flo Rida.

Me Believe Again,” a song that was recorded “Don’t worry. A lot of people got an “That was kind of Chad’s baby in several points around the world. about that,” says Kroeger with a entirely,” says Kroeger of “Got Me “It’s the kind of song that could be dominance earful laugh. The musician is the brother of lead Runnin’ Round.” “He had a real vision a rock song as it is, or a pop song, if you of what he kind of wanted to do for that change the instrumentation and the way despite the singer“WeChadreallyKroeger. wanted to be there, but one. We weren’t sure it was going to work. it’s sung,” he says. “It could also be an for whatever reason, we could not. It There was a calculated risk there. urban song. It could be anything. It has a have been an availability thing, “To me, it felt a little outlandish and universal appeal to it.” haters could everything was busy. We regretted not crazy. I was a little skeptical, especially For the show, which features openers ickelback criss-crossed the

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

coming, but other people regret it more.”

Jokes aside, Nickelback is making good on its promise to return by performing at Ak-Chin Pavilion Wednesday, July 1.

“We’ve had some great shows in Phoenix,” Kroeger says. “We have some friends in Phoenix who come out. David Ellefson from the band Megadeth is a good, good friend of mine. Anytime we get close, I hear from him. I love spending time with him.

“Alice Cooper’s a good friend of mine.

If he’s not on tour, I’d really love to see him. We spent time at Alice Cooperstown, his bar and restaurant, quite a few years ago. Phoenix is a good place for us, a special place. There’s a lot of hockey there.”

The show is in support of No Fixed

he says. “When you’re inside the fish bowl,

having Flo Rida come in. Once I heard it, it was brilliant execution.”

“Edge of a Revolution,” topically, is a departure for Nickelback, according to Kroeger, who penned the tune.

“We hadn’t tacked any issues of social whatever, consciousness, to this point,” he says. “Mostly, it’s just about partying and what have you. I’m fairly politically minded, so it was in my wheelhouse to help write this.”

Kroeger says the songwriting process for “Edge of a Revolution” was simple, even though he is so close to the topic.

“If you have a lot of those ideas on the front of your mind and you’re really well versed in the subject, it helps a lot,”

Lifehouse, Kroeger promises in his thick Canadian accent a retrospective of hits as well as songs from its latest collection No Fixed Address.

“It’s going to be old, old songs, new songs,” he says. “If you’ve been to our shows, it’s a hot, sweaty, loud rock experience—real simple. We’ll be having a good time, having a few drinks, a few laughs and playing some rock tunes.”

Nickelback w/Lifehouse

Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Avenue, Phoenix, 800.745.3000, livenation.com , Wednesday, July 1, 7:30 p.m., $25-$80 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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FEELING

RETROSPECTIVE

Aerosmith recounts the past while living in the present Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

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THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE JUNE 2015

A

erosmith bassist Tom Hamilton is excited about the seminal rockers kicking off its U.S. tour at Gila River Arena in Glendale on June 13. But Hamilton can’t quite promise that the 16-date run will be easy.

“It’ll be easy as pie,” he says before hesitating. “Wait, I don’t want to jinx myself by saying it’s easy. It sounds like a Murphy’s Law thing.”

The “summer jaunt,” as he calls it, isn’t focused on a specific album, as the last collection Aerosmith released was 2012’s Music from Another Dimension.

Instead, Aerosmith is planning a retrospective of hits, with a special focus on Toys in the Attic, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.

Hamilton says it’s “insane” that Toys in the Attic is feting its 40th anniversary.

“It feels like we put that album out 10 or 15 years ago,” he shares. “It’s definitely not an album where we feel like we’ve grown way past it. That album came out really good.

“It has that characteristic where every song is something we feel really good about. The audience loves most of them.

It’s never going to grow old, I don’t think.

It certainly won’t for us and I certainly hope it won’t for fans” The success of Toys in the Attic is based on the quality of the record as a whole, instead of individual songs.

“I play the bass guitar, so I’m into riffs and guitar hooks and all that,” Hamilton says. “One thing I’ve learned is if I listen to an album to listen to the bass player, it has to be in the context of good songs. I can’t just listen to music where it’s a mediocre song but there’s some fancy bass playing in it. I think this album passes that test. There’s plenty of room to make your statement on your instrument but it’s in the context of a good song.”

Hamilton says he and the rest of the band—singer Steven Tyler, lead guitarist Joe Perry, drummer Joey Kramer and

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rhythm guitarist Brad Whitford—already have the framework for the set.

“We’re not the kind of band who goes and plays a few of our well-known songs and then jams for the rest of the show,” Hamilton says. “We want to make every song count, to make sure that everyone gets the experience they’re looking for, yet there is some spontaneity in there. That’s one of the benefits of having to do this for so long. We understand how to do that.”

The “Blue Army” tour will take Aerosmith through mid-August.

Afterward the band may play a few shows, but singer Tyler is busy promoting his debut country album.

“When we’re done and I’m off the road, I’ll be doing my job as being the best bass player I can be—recording and writing,” Hamilton explains “I have a lot of music that I’ve been storing up. I can’t wait to work on it more and finish it and hopefully present it someday.”

For now, he’s hoping to enjoy the Arizona weather and colorful sunsets.

“There have been times when we play there and stay, and other times when we play there and then fly into another city after the show.

“The last time that we played and stayed there—I forget the name of the place we were at—but it was in Scottsdale. It was a really great place to go out on this little balcony and stare at the mountains. You know the time of day when it’s still really, really warm but the sun is down behind the mountain and you get those amazing colors.

It was just a great moment to enjoy that.

Thinking about it, it’s really nice especially after the winter we’ve had in the Northeast this year. I can’t wait to be somewhere where it’s impossible to be cold.”

Aerosmith

Gila River Arena, 9400 W. Maryland Avenue, Glendale, 800.745.3000, ticketmaster.com, Saturday, June 13, 8 p.m., $35-$150 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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FIGHT THE

POWER

Chuck D. lends his commanding voice to the end of corporate radio Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

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apper Chuck D. is his own worst enemy.

The Public Enemy mastermind is, by his own accord, “scatterbrained” and not in the right frame of mind for an interview. He’s putting the finishing touches on a new PE record, Man Plans God Laughs.

He’s relentlessly pushing the “world’s loudest rap and hip-hop Internet station,” RAPstation, and telling the world about his distribution company SPITdigital.

But top of mind is Man Plans God Laughs, a collection that he needs to have a societal impact. It’s due in stores this summer.

“There are a trillion albums out there,” says Chuck D., whose act performs with alt rockers The Cult at the Marquee Theatre on Friday, June 5. “You

have to make sure yours is absolutely outstanding.”

The keys to creating “outstanding” albums are being in touch with society and current events, as well as keeping the rap and hip-hop genres relevant, as Chuck D. does with RAPstation.

“I think to make a rap and hip-hop album, you have to know what’s going on,” he says. “I mean, a lot of people think they know what’s going on. We have RAPstation.com. I’ve been doing radio shows for the last six years on a constant basis and everybody in the world can and does check it out.

“That’s helpful because you know it’s possible to do something that somebody is not doing. I think the trend over the last decade has been trying to do something that somebody is doing.”

Public Enemy is the exception to that rule and the seminal rap group isn’t necessarily catering to taste, either.

“We’re not trying to make appealing music,” he says. “We’re trying to make you hate it and beat you over the head with it.”

Man Plans God Laughs comes on the heels of Chuck D.’s 2014 solo effort The Black in Man. He laments that urban radio didn’t back the album, but television was supportive.

“Urban radio has been a cancer to anything good coming out of rap music, hip hop and black folk,” he says. “It’s a shame. That has never been open to us.

My highly acclaimed solo record The Black in Man came out. ESPN played it more than urban radio.

“It was myself and Mavis Staples doing ‘Give We the Pride.’ ESPN played

it and urban radio didn’t. I didn’t expect urban radio to play it. If ESPN is going to be the outlet for something good, then we should maybe end urban radio.”

It’s up to listeners, Chuck D. says, to call for the end of corporate radio.

“Can’t they protest it and just end it?” he says rhetorically. “It’s almost like you got a river, right, and all kind of poison in the river, right? People said, ‘I don’t pay attention to the river. I get bottled water.’

“The river’s still got poison in it. You have to figure out ways to clean the river regardless of whether you’re drinking it or not. That’s the case, culturally. ...

Collectively we have to understand that the airwaves belong to the people and we can’t have companies run it.”

Public Enemy and The Cult Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Avenue, Tempe, 480.829.0607, luckymanonline.com, Friday, June 5, 7:30 p.m., $50

WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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A REAL

HOMECOMING Wynonna Judd heads back to the Valley—her home away from home Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

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“

love Arizona, period.”

Wynonna Judd, born Christina Claire Ciminella, changed her name in her teens to reflect an unincorporated community in Coconino County, made famous in the song “Route 66.” Needless to say, she’s enamored with the Grand Canyon State.

“I love Arizona,” Judd says. “I was named after Arizona. I have a love affair with my fans there big time and I go there a lot. I’m in my 38th year [of performing]. I feel like I was raised in and out of Arizona.”

Judd, who returns to the state to perform with her band The Big Noise at Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix on Friday, June 5, is having more fun than ever entertaining.

“You get to an age where you have wisdom and experience and you know what not to do and you know what works,” she says.

“You know what’s important; that life is more important than show business.”

These days she’s celebrating life for different reasons. She’s not in music for financial gain, but she’s grateful for the opportunities her profession has given her.

“I thank God for what I have, but that’s not what defines me,” Judd says.

“What defines me is the music and the joy that comes from it.

“You get to the point where you surround yourself with the right people. You know what works for you. I have the best team in my entire career. You get down to the people who you trust on your left hand.

It’s not about how many friends you have, it’s about the ones who are loyal, that I trust.

I know I have people that if I fall back with my eyes closed, they’ll catch me. I just know.”

Part of her team is husband/ producer/drummer Cactus Moser, with whom she has been working on her eighth studio album. The pair debuted new songs during a gig at the SXSW Music Festival.

“It was a really bizarre, weird,

wonderful time,” she says about the Austin show. “It was really a return to the well.

I spent a lot of time there as a teenager listening to bands.

“When mom [Naomi] and I made it, we did ‘Austin City Limits,’ which was a big deal, like doing ‘David Letterman.’ To come back there at this point in my career it was a reflection of an amazing journey.

This is a really interesting time.”

An interesting and satisfying time for Judd.

“Musically there’s not a better feeling in the world than going on stage with your tribe and we’re all dancing to the same beat,” she says. “It’s like doing a group dance.

“At a recent show, I looked up at this beautiful sky when somebody was doing a solo. I looked up and I stretched my arms out and said, ‘Thank you God.’ I could feel literally heaven on earth. I would feel the heavens coming down. It was a marvelous feeling of the camaraderie I have with this band. I’m no longer the solo artist. I’m not a chick in a band, you know? It feels like a team.”

Wynonna and The Big Noise Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd Street, Phoenix, 602.267.1600, celebritytheatre.com, Friday, June 5, 8 p.m., $46-$71

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

DUMBED DOWN DRINK

Making mixologists of the laziest of drinkers Breanne DeMore » The Entertainer!

EDM WITH AN ACCENT

UK Thursdays makes triumphant return with Doctor P at Monarch Theatre

The classic mojito compared to the “gummy mojito” and the “schnapps mojito.”

W

hen the weather is scorching and you’re looking for a relaxing drink, there is almost nothing better than a mojito. Exotic, fun and crisp, there is no denying that a great mojito is refreshing as hell.

With lime and mint floating around, the classic mojito is a truly beautiful and eye-catching drink. The sweetness of the rum and sugar combined with the lime and mint really just plop you right on a beach in the Florida Keys. So we wanted to know, was there a way to replicate the flavors of the mojito with items that any and every kitchen would have?

Classic mojito ½ oz. lime juice 1 tsp sugar 4 leaves mint 2 oz. white rum club soda

Gummy mojito 2 oz. rum lemon-lime soda 1 stick peppermint chewing gum

WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

Schnapps mojito

2 oz. rum lemon-lime soda 1 oz. peppermint schnapps THE VERDICT We had to get a little creative with this one because the mint flavor was so specific and key to the cocktail. So although any cocktail purist would be absolutely appalled at the thought of chewing gum while drinking a cocktail, we thought that it would add the necessary flavor while also being something that almost anyone would have on hand. The schnapps was also included because it seems like everyone has the half unwanted bottle of schnapps lying around.

As much as it hurts to admit, the favorite of all three was the “gummy mojito.” I know, I know—it’s weird. But for some reason, the flavors really worked well together. I really enjoyed it and would definitely drink it again.

As far as which variation imitated the original one the best, I would also have to go with the “gummy mojito.” The peppermint schnapps was a lot sweeter and less minty than the gum and therefore it overpowered the citrus in the lemon-lime soda. However, both would certainly do in a pinch.

A

fter a brief hiatus, UK Thursdays at Monarch Theatre are back and better than ever. This special series of events showcases the talents of various artists in all bass-heavy genres, from dubstep to drum and bass to glitch, plus other UK-based bass genres.

Having housed artists like Rusko, Candyland, Yellow Claw, Brillz and Zomboy, Monarch makes sure that all forms of dubstep taste buds are satisfied. Without a show since February 12, back when RL Grime ornamented the decks with his paramount artistry, UK Thursdays is back on June 25 and will be no holds barred.

As this summer’s inaugural UK Thursday show, UK Thursdays and Relentless Beats are bring you Doctor P, one of the godfathers of dubstep. What better way to kick off the series than with a legend?

Doctor P, real name Shaun Brockhurst, can do it all. He is a musician proficient in drums and guitar, plus he is an excellent producer who holds nothing back with his massive productions, and he is a DJ who can work a crowd like it’s second nature. Having started off as a drum and bass producer, Brockhurst had mild success, but it wasn’t until he discovered the wubs and womps of dubstep that he found his true calling.

On June 25, Doctor P brings with him another wildly talented artist off of his Circus label, FuntCase. FuntCase provides the same dirty dubstep sound, but with a little bit of a twist. Coming from his death metal roots, as well as a hint of influence from happy hardcore and jungle, FuntCase has created a hypnotic and dreamlike sound that relentlessly punishes our eardrums. And to further his persona, he even wears a now infamous mask resembling something you might see during the nuclear apocalypse.

Don’t miss the return of UK Thursdays on June 25, where you can witness some of the world’s biggest dubstep legends in action. This show is going to be loud, it’s going to be filthy, the walls are going to crumble. Your ears are going to bleed, and you’ll love it.

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TIME TRAVEL

Sugar Ray brings nostalgic tour to town Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

S

ugar Ray’s Mark McGrath is, in his own words, the world’s worst salesman. He is discouraging some music fans from attending shows on his third annual “Under the Sun” tour, which kicks off Friday, July 17, at Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino.

“When you see all the bands in a collective playing short sets, you’re just bombarded with hits,” says McGrath. “If you don’t like No. 1 songs from the ‘90s, please don’t come to this tour. It’s like it sells itself, which is great.”

Besides the multiplatinum Sugar Ray, Under the Sun will feature Uncle Kracker, Eve 6 and Better Than Ezra.

“We’re not relying upon new records,” McGrath says. “It’s a great celebration of like-minded individuals.

People there obviously love that decade; they have great memories of the music— fathers and sons, mothers and daughters.

The music means a lot to the audience.

You can really feel that as a performer.”

Each of the bands has scored a slew of hits, as McGrath says. Eve 6 is a

California-based pop-punk trio who had a No. 1 modern rock hit with “Inside Out” in 1998. It followed that success with the singles “Promise” and “Here’s to the Night,” the latter of which found success on Top 40 and MTV. “Eve 6 is starting the show,” says McGrath, whose California-based band played its first gig outside of The Golden State at the Nile Theater in Mesa. “They could headline, multiplatinum with all the hits.”

Born Matthew Shafer, Uncle Kracker served as the DJ for his hometown friend Kid Rock, only to step out from behind the turntables to release Double Wide in 2001. The album went double platinum, thanks to the single “Follow Me.” “He’s such a gentleman and a great guy, his whole band,” McGrath explains.

“They really exemplify what this tour’s about. Every band on here has to share the same spirit—a willingness to please the crowd. Instead of saying, ‘Here’s a new one.’ We’re saying, ‘Let’s play these short sets and hit them with all the hits.’ I can’t

think of a better partner to drive around the country than Uncle Kracker.”

Finally, renowned singer-songwriter Kevin Griffin and his band Better Than Ezra have had a run of hits including 1995’s “Good” and 2014’s “Crazy Lucky.”

“Kevin is such an incredible songwriter,” McGrath says. “He’s become a Nashville songwriter—a go-to guy for anyone who needs hits. He wrote ‘Stuck Like Glue’ for Sugarland a couple years ago and it was a massive hit for them. The guy is a really serious tunesmith and an incredible musician.

“They know how to entertain an audience, too. Kevin is like a stand-up comedian, in the vein of John Mayer.”

Uncle Kracker is equally as pleased with the lineup and the reasoning behind the tour.

“Everybody just comes out, they play their hits and they leave,” Shafer says. “For anybody coming out who’s bought the records, it’s a good blend of everybody and everything. I find myself playing an hour and a half and new songs

to people who don’t want to hear them.

It gets frustrating, but that’s the way it’s been done for years and that’s the way it’ll always be done.

“This tour is perfect.”

McGrath, who is working on a solo album, describes the crowds at “Under the Sun” as growing, mostly out of necessity.

“I think if you love organic rock ‘n’ roll, you almost have to go backward now,” he says. “They aren’t making much of it anymore with this whole DJ culture we live in. If you go backward, you could start at the ‘90s. There are worse places you can start.”

Under the Sun w/Sugar Ray, Better Than Ezra, Uncle Kracker and Eve 6

Wild Horse Pass’ Ovations Showroom, 5040 Wild Horse Pass Boulevard, Chandler, 800.946.4452, wingilariver.com, Friday, July 17, 8 p.m., $63-$99 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

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AGAINST ALL ODDS George Lopez’s legendary comedy career was paved by some seriously unfunny events Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

W

hen comedian George Lopez was in his early teens, he and his friends would frequently head down to Hollywood Boulevard to gaze at some of the 2,500 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars. There was one that he would regularly visit.

“I would see George Burns’ star and I would imagine my name where it said ‘Burns,’” Lopez says. “I wondered what it would be like to be on Hollywood Boulevard.”

Lopez’s dream was realized. He was honored along the famous strip in 2006 in conjunction with the 100th episode of his TV show, “George Lopez.”

The honors have been many since George Lopez started his career 36 years ago in high school. It became a serious endeavor when actress Sandra Bullock discovered him in a comedy club. Since then, his accolades include Time naming him one of the 25 Most Influential Hispanics in America, and the Harris Poll dubbing him one of the Top 10 Favorite Television Personalities.

Lopez is modest about his recognition, but adds that his success has touched him.

“They do mean a lot because I saw a lot of guys get shows before I came along,” Lopez says. “I saw Tim Allen when ‘Home Improvement’ first started. I saw Drew Carey get his show when that first started, Seinfeld—guys who I have known who got shows and stayed on the air or didn’t stay on the air.

“I would say, ‘I don’t care how long the show stays on the air. I just want an opportunity to succeed or fail.’ It was really changing my life and being that person who said, ‘I’m not going to take no for an answer.’”

Lopez’s career has been rich. In 2004, 2006 and 2009, he was nominated for Grammys for his albums Team Leader, El Mas Chingon and Tall, Dark and Chicano, respectively. The same year, his book, “Why You Crying?”, made The New York Times Bestsellers List. He was also the subject of the award-winning documentary “Brown is the New Green: George Lopez and the American Dream.”

The list of accomplishments is endless. He has voiced characters in “Rio,” “Rio 2,” “Escape from Planet Earth,” “The Smurfs” one and two, and “The Beverly Hills Chihuahua” one, two and three. His other most recent film credits include the box-office hit “Valentine’s Day,” “Henry Poole is Here” and “Balls of Fury.” Lopez starred in “Spare Parts,” the story of four Hispanic high school students from Phoenix who form a robotics club.

“It’s emotional,” he says about the flick. “You know we can run, but now you can see us use our brains. ‘Spare Parts,’ the people who I see write on social media, they really, really like the movie.”

All of his success has been in the face of a genetic condition, which causes his kidneys to deteriorate. In April 2004, he was told he needed a kidney transplant.

The next year, his now-estranged wife, Ann, donated a kidney. He jokingly says it’s not safe for transplant patients to know their donors.

If Lopez could give anyone advice, it wouldn’t really have much to do with acting or stand-up comedy. He would tell fans and the public to go to the doctor if they feel something isn’t right.

“One time I flew back from a show and I couldn’t stand upright,” he says. “I should have gone to the doctor early on.

That’s one thing I try to promote—early detection is extremely important. When you have pain or your body’s trying to tell

you something, see a doctor.”

Lopez has been a frequent visitor to Phoenix, having played the Celebrity Theatre several times and filming his first HBO comedy special, “America’s Mexican,” at the now-dubbed Comerica Theatre. He will return to the Celebrity for two shows on Saturday, July 18, during his “Listen to My Face” tour.

“I’m coming back at the hottest time, so you know I’m liking it,” says Lopez, who counts among his friends Tony LaRussa, chief baseball officer for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

He recalls a time when he really learned about the effects of Arizona’s summer.

“One time, I was playing golf there,” he recalls. “The guy I was with said, ‘Oh stop. I want to go inside and grab a golf shirt’ or something. I said I’d wait in the car. I waited in the car for about 30 seconds. I got the hell out of there. I thought I was in a soup can.”

When Lopez comes back to town, he will try out jokes for a new special.

“I’m always around creating another special,” he says. “This [new] one is about entitlement; so is the other one. This is a different version of entitlement and getting older and feeling, ‘I’m closer to the end.’

“I always imagine myself young. But when you realize that you’re closer to the end than you are to the beginning, you truly, truly must enjoy everything you do. It’s about taking every opportunity to enjoy your life.”

George Lopez

Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd Street, Phoenix, 602.267.1600, celebritytheatre.com, Saturday, July 18, 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m., $48-$95 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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LISTEN » JAM » INNOVATE » EVOLVE » ROCK » SING

Rob Thomas 69 Sublime with Rome 67 Luna Aura 70

THICKER THAN WATER

Hunter Hayes on the road with Lady Antebellum, Sam Hunt for good cause

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Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

ountry star Hunter Hayes has made some life changes, but fans need not worry about his music style.

The five-time Grammy nominee is turning the music industry on its head by releasing songs on streaming services first, even before iTunes.

“We have all different ways to get music,” says Hayes, who recently released the songs “21” and “Where It All Begins,” the latter of which features Lady Antebellum.

“I love that the conversation is very catered toward individuals. The fans can hear songs however they want to. They can get new music however they want to.”

Hayes, whose last album was 2014’s Storyline, says he’s listening to fans to see how they want music delivered and how he releases it.

“It makes it really fun,” he says. “I can create stuff and put it out within a couple [of ] weeks.”

Besides changing his music delivery, Hayes is attempting to adapt to needles.

While Hayes is on tour with Lady Antebellum and Sam Hunt—a jaunt that comes to Ak-Chin Pavilion on Saturday, July 11—he has teamed up

with the American Red Cross as part of its “Country in My Blood” campaign.

Hayes, who has a deep fear of needles, is pushing for 21,000 blood donations from fans this year.

“We’re really fortunate that we get to partner with cool and fantastic organizations that do really important work,” Hayes says. “Music is powerful and it’s pretty awesome to see it can be a part of something even bigger.”

Last year, Hayes sent a tweet encouraging fans to give blood. He explains he was surprised when the American Red Cross lauded him for doing so.

“I’m afraid,” he says with a laugh.

“I’m a chicken, but this is the year to be brave. We’re going to do something important with that fear and use it in a good way—in a powerful way.”

Lady Antebellum w/ Hunter Hayes, Sam Hunt

Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Avenue, Phoenix, 800.745.3000, ticketmaster.com, Saturday, July 11, 7 p.m., $26-$55 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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WELCOME

TO THE NEW AGE

Imagine Dragons ushers in new era with sophomore album and tour

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

I

magine Dragons bassist Ben McKee is sitting in his hotel room in Oregon where it is rainy and gray, a little jealous about the warm Arizona weather. But on par with his positive attitude, he finds a bright spot.

“Somewhere in between, life’s paradise,” McKee says.

He admits he is pleased that Imagine Dragons are bringing its “Smoke + Mirrors Tour” inside to an arena—US Airways Center—on Saturday, July 25.

Arizona is a place that means a lot to Nevada-based Imagine Dragons. Being near Vegas, the Valley was a frequent destination for the band. It also filmed the video for “I Bet My Life” in the Grand Canyon State at the Salt River and Roosevelt Dam. “It just had that sort of desert landscape that we were looking for, with a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful river,” McKee says. “We were also trying to find a big dam that we could use for filming.

“They’re not exactly so keen about filming whatever you want on the Hoover Dam. Arizona is basically next door when you live in Vegas. It had everything we needed.”

“I Bet My Life” was the first single off

of the album Smoke + Mirrors, a collection that was inspired by being on the road for 2012 debut Night Visions for so long.

“There’s a lot of that experience of being on the road woven throughout the record,” McKee says. “I think you can hear what the weather was like where we were when we were writing the songs.

The harsh winter of northern Europe in songs like ‘Friction.’

“A lot of it was written with the idea of performance in mind, too. I think we really were focusing on creating a record that would really translate to the stage really well. We spend so much of our lives on the road playing all the music from Night Visions that we knew we needed to create music we were proud of and we liked to play so we could be happy with the next couple of years of touring.”

That’s not to say that Imagine Dragons, which includes singer Dan Reynolds, were unhappy with Night Visions.

“With Night Visions we found ourselves, as we were on the road, expanding sections of songs and tweaking arrangements just to keep it fresh for us,” McKee says. “We built that into this record. We maybe wrote a little bit heavier of a record this time around because we

favor playing the harder songs live.”

Arizona fans and those in town for the Super Bowl received a sneak peek of Smoke + Mirrors when Imagine Dragons played the opening track, “Shots,” at the DIRECTV Super Fan Festival in Glendale.

“It was crazy to be associated with something as big as the Super Bowl,” McKee explains. “It was really awesome to go out there and perform for all the fans who came there. It’s cool whenever you get to play for a group of people like that who have come from all over. It’s not like playing for fans from one place. It’s playing for fans from all over the country.

It was a fun vibe.”

One benefit of playing the DIRECTV show was McKee was able to chat with childhood football hero Steve Young. The band and the Football Hall of Famer partnered for the Tyler Robinson Foundation, McKee says. Imagine Dragons set up the charity in 2013 to help families financially while their children battle cancer.

“It’s cool whenever we get to see Steve,” he says.

Imagine Dragons will be on the road at least for the next year to push Smoke + Mirrors. After the band plays North

America, it will do a “proper” Asian tour for the first time. It will then hit up parts of Eastern Europe that Imagine Dragons haven’t seen before.

“We get to see as much of the world that we got to see in the last year—and even more,” McKee says “I’ll go to a lot of places I’ve never been to this year.

“You really become aware of how small the world is. Everybody is linked together in this way. We feel like we’re running into old friends wherever we are. You go to Russia and you find an old friend.

“It’s unbelievable. Last year we went to Latvia to play a festival,” he says. “I couldn’t even point out Latvia on a map.

We played a festival and 35,000 people were there singing along to our music in Latvia. Performing is definitely the best part of my life.”

Imagine Dragons w/Metric and Halsey

US Airways Center, 201 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, 800.745.3000, ticketmaster.com, Saturday, July 25, 7:30 p.m., $30-$50 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

STILL BEATING Ska band English Beat keeps its lengthy career alive Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

H

aving played Livewire and the Musical Instrument Museum in the last year, the 2 Tone ska band English Beat is coming back in mid-July. For singer Dave Wakeling, the July 11 gig at Livewire is a “celebratory return.”

“It’s a lovely room, a great spot,” says Wakeling. “That helps—more people want to come out if it’s a nice place.”

He’s equally as enthusiastic about the MIM, although it was a bit sterile, he says jokingly.

“Oh my gosh, I’ve never seen anything about music that clean,” he says with a laugh. “That’s the only thing that scared me. It was hospital clean. I wondered if they had a room with four drunk guys rolling around crying saying how songs were written.”

Wakeling is having more fun now with music as English Beat prepares to release Here We Go Love this fall.

He’ll preview a few of the new songs at

Livewire. He calls the recording process a true labor of love.

“It’s like word games or Scrabble,” Wakeling says. “You set yourself up with the idea in the first place. Then you have to look into your own points of view and examples that you’re seeing and lead it to a conclusion about why you wrote it in the first place. It’s quite a difficult process. It’s self-exploration and attempts at connection. It’s worth it to put the time in. The song means a lot to the fans, you know that it works.”

It’s been working for the Birmingham, England-bred band since 1978. He chalks up English Beat’s long career to “brilliance” and “tenacity.”

“I think probably in the 1980s our songs weren’t as famous in the singles charts than some other ones,” he says.

“We were more college darlings. The record company didn’t put the bribes in for the top 40 singles. I used to get jealous of it. Now I’m rather thrilled because a lot of those songs I was jealous of you don’t

hear on the radio much. I get more radio play now than I did at the time.”

That’s evident by previous sell outs at Livewire and the MIM. He’s amazed that he even packed the house in Omaha, Nebraska.

“I think it’s because we’ve come to these places several times,” Wakeling says.

“The fans who bought our records, they’re not actively involved in the music world, or it takes them a minute to know that we’ve come back to do a concert. The shows seem to be getting more and more packed. That’s a great place to be with a new record coming. There’s genuine excitement in the band.”

English Beat w/2Tone Lizard Kings

Livewire, 7320 E. Indian Plaza, Scottsdale, 480.361.9783, livewireaz.com, Saturday, July 11, 7 p.m., $23

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SUBLIMINALLY

SUBLIME Sublime with Rome’s lead singer builds upon Bradley Nowell’s legacy Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

Sublime with Rome w/ Mickey Avalon The Pool at Talking Stick, 9800 E. Indian Bend Road, Scottsdale, 800.745.3000, ticketmaster.com, Sunday, July 19, 8 p.m., $45-$100

W

hen Rome Ramirez initially heard the reggae-alternative rock band Sublime, he was inspired.

“They were my favorite band—still are,” says Ramirez, 27. “That was the very first band that ever got me into playing music. I was just a listener up to that point. Then I heard Sublime and I wanted a guitar and changed the way I dressed.”

Little did he know that would lead to something more. After the death of lead singer Bradley Nowell, Ramirez joined Sublime after a series of chance meetings.

Due to legal reasons, the band has been dubbed Sublime with Rome.

Ramirez has a heavy hand in Sublime V.2, having produced its album Sirens, due out on July 17—two days before the act hits The Pool at Talking Stick. Sirens kicks off with the title track, which is a collaboration with Dirty Heads.

“Personally, that’s my favorite song on the record,” he says. “I think it’s a very perfect song to showcase what the record is going to be like. It’s a concoction of everything.”

Ramirez originally penned the song for rapper Mickey Avalon, who opens for Sublime with Rome in Scottsdale. When it came time to work on Sublime with Rome’s new album, Ramirez switched gears, and Avalon gave him permission to use it on Sublime with Rome’s new album. Ramirez was so excited about the song that he named the collection after it.

“I ended up taking that one and reworking it with the guys,” he says. “I decided it would be a perfect song to have [Dirty Heads] hop on. I was in Texas at the time. My engineer recorded over at my studio. When I had the track emailed to me, it was incredible. I popped it in and knew we had the title song.”

Ramirez says it’s now second nature to perform with Sublime with Rome. But he still can’t believe everything that has happened in his career.

“I played a festival in front of 80,000 people in Brazil,” he recalls.

“It was televised throughout the whole country on basic cable—millions and millions of viewers.”

Was that a scary endeavor for Ramirez?: No way.

“Eighty thousand people is not as scary as playing in front of eight. I’m weird like that.”

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

VINDICATED Dashboard Confessional reunites after a five year hiatus Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

Dashboard Confessional and Third Eye Blind w/ Night Terrors of 1927 Comerica Theatre, 400 N. Washington Street, Phoenix, 800.745.3000, ticketmaster.com, Sunday, July 12, 7 p.m., $30-$50 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

D

ashboard Confessional singer Chris Carrabba loves his Italian heritage, embracing everything from his large and loud family to his roots in the “old country.” He even supports fellow Italian musicians, such as “American Idol” winner Nick Fradiani.

When Carrabba was asked to write the “Idol” coronation song, “Beautiful Life,” he wasn’t told which contestant it was for. He secretly hoped it would be Fradiani, who went on to win the contest.

“It was a great fit for me; he’s another Italian kid from Connecticut,” he says.

“There aren’t too many of us who are trying to do music the way we are. I’d watched (‘American Idol’), too, and I thought, ‘This is the guy I connect with.’”

But now he’s taking his own songs and bringing them to stages across the United States as Dashboard Confessional unites for its first full-band tour since around 2010, he says. Dashboard Confessional took a break after 10 years of averaging 280 shows a year. That got to him and his fellow musicians, who pulled the plug fearing burn out. “‘Maybe we need to take a break,’” Carrabba recalls telling his bandmates.

“Nobody knew for how long.”

The caveat to returning to the stage was that each member had to agree to reform. The answer was a resounding “yes” when Dashboard Confessional was asked to co-headline with Third Eye Blind. Carrabba—who also fronts Twin Forks and Further Seems Forever—was preparing the setlist at the time of the

interview, but planned to try to “please everyone.”

“I’m trying my damnedest to go out there and make sure everyone hears every song they hope to hear,” he says.

“You will hear the obvious ones that everybody knows, the songs that people connect with and ask for year in and year out. There will also be a couple of, what we call, deep cuts, the dark horses that never really blew up to a big, broad fanbase, but the smaller circle of the most devoted fans. We’d like to play those too.”

He’ll have to please a lot of folks at the Comerica Theatre, as a large contingent of Carrabbas live in Arizona.

“I have a lot of family there,” he says.

“Every Italian from New York now lives there. My guest lists for Arizona are huge.”

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THE

GREAT UNKNOWN

Rob Thomas explores new territory on forthcoming album Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

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s the singer-songwriter of Matchbox Twenty, Rob Thomas has, essentially, been a hit-making machine for 22 years, scoring topselling songs like “Bright Lights,” “3 a.m.” and “Lonely No More.”

But when he was penning his third solo album, this fall’s The Great Unknown, Thomas admits there were times when he just couldn’t write. It took a fellow artist to set him straight.

“I got scolded by Ryan Adams,” says Thomas during a teleconference.

“We were doing something. I had texted him. I felt like I just wasn’t liking what I was writing. If I write a song, the day you write a song, you feel like the most creative person on Earth. Then if you can’t write for a few days, you feel like a hack.

You know?

“He just started to go off, ‘Listen, you never say you can’t write. You take your car, you drive down to the lake. You lay on the hood. You look at the stars.

You take another song that you love, you rewrite it and then make it your own.’ He went through, literally, six pages of ‘This is why if you’re a writer you never say you

can’t write.’ From that point on, I will never again say that I can’t write, thanks to Ryan.”

One of the fruits of his labor is the first single, the up-tempo “Trust You,” which he wrote with OneRepublic singer Ryan Tedder. The song tells the story about “bad-influence friends.”

“I’ve definitely been a bad-influence friend,” he says with a frequent laugh. “I have certain friends that my wife knows to not expect me home too early when I’m with and I have friends that their wives know not to expect them home if I’m out.

“I understand, where I’m at now in my life, bad decisions are usually just you’re holed up somewhere really late listening to music with some friends, but you’re way too drunk to be doing it. You know what I mean? Or you could wind up at bars standing on top of the bar doing karaoke when nobody’s doing karaoke “Trust You,” along with other new songs, will be showcased when he performs at Phoenix’s Comerica Theatre on Thursday, July 9. He admits he plays a few Matchbox Twenty songs, although they may not be recognizable because his bandmates—specifically drummer Paul

Doucette and lead guitarist Kyle Cook— are missing.

“You know what I do?” he says rhetorically. “I don’t like to do the same album version. I don’t mind playing it in any group of people, but I don’t want to play Kyle’s part and Paul’s part, and have another person come in and play that.

“What I’ll do with Matchbox is either I’ll come out and I’ll play something by myself acoustic on the guitar, or if the band does it, I bring it to them as if I just wrote it and let them reimagine it. They’re hearing the song that I wrote that means enough to me that I want to play it, but I don’t feel like I’m taking away anything from the other guys. That way, next year or the year after, you still have a reason to want to come see Matchbox because it’s going to be something different.”

With the fall release of The Great Unknown, Thomas’ first solo album since 2009’s Cradlesong, he is ready to explore his creative bucket list while Matchbox Twenty returns for its 20th anniversary in 2016.

“Well, let’s see,” Thomas says. “Pop. I’ve done ‘90s ‘I’m angry and I don’t know why’ alternative.’ I’ve done, ‘I’m going to

make you shake your ass’ pop. I think if I could hit a real solid ‘cry in your beer,’ then I’m done.”

Thomas is kidding—or maybe not.

“To some degree, I have fun making pop records,” Thomas says. “However, this may be my last pop record that I ever make. ... I’m trying to create this vibe.

It still has to fit into a way that I can sit down with you and just play it on a guitar, an acoustic guitar, and just play you the song and you’ll get it as a song, and it does something to you as a song. I think the difference between me writing ‘Trust You’ or me writing, like, Rihanna’s ‘Bitch Better Have My Money,’ that’s probably never going to happen anytime soon.”

Rob Thomas w/Plain White T’s

Comerica Theatre, 400 N. Washington Street, Phoenix, 800.745.3000, ticketmaster.com, Thursday, July 9, 7 p.m., $42-$72 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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ALIENESQUE

AURA

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Local electro-pop ‘alien’ Luna Aura strikes it big Alexa D’Angelo » The Entertainer!

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he calls herself an alien, claiming she is not of this world. Her unique music may prove just that.

Luna Aura is an up-andcoming Phoenix musician with one EP under her belt and another coming August 7.

“I play with the alien thing. I make myself creepy instead of pretty,” Aura says.

“What I’m trying to say is that I am not of anything that’s happening in this world. I am my own entity.”

“You can’t put me anywhere, I’m too weird,” the 22-year-old Aura says.

Aura often wears wigs and changes her hair (only her family knows her

What I’m trying to say is that I am not of anything that’s happening in this world. I am my own entity.

real hair color!) and plays with different contact lenses to make herself more alienesque. And the look perfectly matches the music. Even Aura’s sad songs are uniquely upbeat, with her electronic, forward-thinking sound being the perfect addition to those weird, eclectic summer music festivals.

Aura’s latest EP, Supernova, will have five songs, including single “Dancing with Your Ghost,” a catchy tune that Aura wrote in memory of her little brother, who passed earlier this year.

Aura says the song is a testament to the everlasting connection between two beings existing in two completely different worlds at once.

“My little brother was my biggest fan,” Aura says. “He always wanted to share my music with his friends.”

“It’s funny, now the roles are reversed.

He looked up to me for so long but now I’m the one looking up to him,” she says.

Aura began singing at an early age, showcasing her unmistakable talent to only her close family. But at age 15 she began putting on live shows around Phoenix and writing her own music.

For the last four years, Aura has been focused on making music to share her message, but now she’s hoping to share the positivity of her little brother in her music as well.

Aura’s tunes have themes ranging from love to feminism and are all created using electric-based methods.

With this album she has had the opportunity to write with other artists and grow in her music.

“You could say the writing was star-studded,” Aura jokes. “But really the EP had different writers, all of which are fantastic, and together we were able to create some really great songs.”

Though the writers have changed, Aura says her music still has the same sound as her first album.

“My sound has definitely matured with me, but it’s not a huge jump from the first EP,” she says. “It’s just very mature, with more mature themes, I think.”

In the interim between the releases of her two EPs, Aura has been busy performing in Arizona and parts of California.

“I got the chance to perform at the Global Dance Festival at the Tempe Beach Park not that long ago and it was incredible,” she says. “I was on the same stage as some great artists and I just loved everyone there.”

Aura puts on a commanding and wacky show, but her fans love every minute of it. Aura says that she writes music for her fans, not for herself.

“It’s an opportunity to create something that other people can relate to,” she says.

“It’s not like I write something so I can sit on my bed and jam out to myself,” she laughs.

But even though Aura has become an up-and-coming artist in the last year, she says she hasn’t let it get to her head.

“My parents and my family keep me very grounded,” she says. “They are my biggest cheerleaders, but they also critique me in a way that helps me improve.”

“I truly owe my parents for everything, they raised me to be very humble and keep me that way,” she says.

After the EP’s release in August, Aura plans to go on tour. She’ll be stopping by Valley Bar on August 29, with details to be determined.

“I just want to make music and show everyone, girls especially, that it’s okay to be weird and to be whatever the hell you want.”

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TURN DOWN FOR

TRAP CALENDAR NIGHTLIFE

Trap music: A history lesson

D

espite what you may think, there is a long history surrounding the term “trap” in regards to music. Nowadays, we look at trap as a genre that is known for filthy basslines, juicy beats and curve-ball drops. But there was a time when trap music was quite different from what we’re used to today.

In the ‘90s, hip-hop was at the forefront of popular music and the term “trap” was used to define a specific genre of hip-hop that referred to

artists, such as Three 6 Mafia and Master P, who rapped about “the trap,” or drug dealing and the struggle for success. But the popularity of this form of rap evolved the genre into something that appealed to a wider audience.

Following T.I.’s massively successful album Trap Muzik in 2003, the genre took over mainstream hip-hop charts in America. By the end of the decade, artists like Beyonce, Twista, Katy Perry and Chief Keef were creators of trap and other genres began to take on trap’s characteristics, including electronic.

Using the 808’s, snares, synths, and brass/ string/woodwind combination from classical trap, electronic music artists began to create subsets of trap that were all their own. Thanks to artists like Diplo, Flosstradamus and RL Grime, we were graced with the trap that begs us to “get, get, get low when the whistle blows.”

In 2013, electronic trap reached a high point when Rolling Stone labeled the DJ Snake and Lil Jon track, “Turn Down For What,” as the second-best song of the year. Experience the evolution of trap music on July 18 when Trapfest takes over the Monarch Theatre with current masterminds Bro Safari, Brillz and Sikdope.

Sonreal

JULY 2 Manufactured Superstars

Pub Rock, 7 p.m., $10

INTL, 9 p.m., $10

JULY 17

JULY 3

Trapfest Tucson w/Brillz, Lookas and Sikdope

Panda Funk w/Deorro, Zoo Funktion, Dirty Audio and IEZ

Talking Stick Resort, 11 a.m., $20

Rialto Theatre, 7 p.m., $22

JULY 18 Trapfest Phoenix w/Bro Safari, Brillz and Sikdope The Pressroom, 9 p.m., $30

JULY 4 Erick Morillo

Talking Stick Resort, 11 a.m., $21

JULY 24 Father

Club Red, 7 p.m., $15

JULY 11 Adrian Lux

JULY 25

Talking Stick Resort, 11 a.m., $10 for males/females free

Kymani Marley

Pub Rock, 7 p.m., $18

TIPSY DRINK OF THE MONTH A sweet and tart cocktail from TIPSY to savor July

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OLD TOWN LISTENING TO A NECTAR

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LEGEND Iconic DJ and producer comes to Monarch Theatre

T

ipsy is celebrating July with Dakota Bar and Restaurant in Scottsdale’s Entertainment District. Dakota, owned by the Triyar family, is not only a nightlife hotspot, but also a full service restaurant whose menu consists of local and organic foods crafted all day.

Entering through the large doors you feel like Alice in Wonderland, surrounded by rustic-yetelegant ambiance, immaculate chandeliers and a magical sensation. You can also count on being greeted with a smile and amazing service.

Arianna Theison has been a bartender at Dakota since it opened in December 2014.

“I have been a bartender for over seven years but enjoy working here because of the people and the Triyar family,” she says.

Theison recommended we try the Old Town Nectar cocktail, a guest favorite.

WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

1.5 oz. Grey Goose Melon ½ oz. Aperol ½ oz. St. Germain in recent years, Oakenfold has also been 2responsible oz. sweet sour mix for&amazing music scores in some of of Hollywood’s films such as Splash orange hit juice

“The Bourne Identity,” “Shrek 2,” “Matrix Reloaded,” “Swordfish” and “Collateral.”

Combine all ingredients in His popularity in the U.S. doesn’t Jasmine Kemper » The Entertainer! a shaker with ice. Shake end there. With over a half a million sales, Over the years, Theisonince hadthe her share crazy has ‘80s, PaulofOakenfold vigorously and strain.

Serve he was awarded as the highest selling DJ stories. One incident stands paved out among the waythe for rest. the dance mu- over compilation in U.S. history.

Oakenfold ice and garnish with “A guest wrote his number on aand sugar packet sic scene is still goingand strong has also traveled on three worldwide tours, lime twist. tossed it in my face while I prepared his drink. ” today. The DJ and producer was performed on the Great Wall of China and She says being a bartender hard but bornisinaLondon and got his start played at the Hollywood Bowl in California. rewarding job. She just wants Dakota’s customers Dakota in music at the early age of 16 when he Despite his popularity over the years, to have a great timeand andhis know bar Fung, is doing 7301 E. Indian Plaza, Scottsdale, friend,the Trevor played in a Oakenfold always returns to the music everything it can tobasement offer stellar 480.361.1030, dakotabar.com bar inservice.

Covent Garden. styles that made him who he is today.

For more information onworked Dakotawith andsome all ofofitsthe biggest He’s Don’t miss your chance to see this iconic amazing specials, download app and check names in the the Tipsy business including Madonna, DJ perform his set at the Monarch TheFor $15 a month, the Tipsy the bar’s profile. For $15 month, Tipsy members U2aand The Happy Mondays, receive but it’s his atre on Saturday, July 11. five vouchers redeemable for complimentary drinks, app gives you five vouchers, dedication to the music that has helped front-of-the-line passes and no-cover-charge entry to over him remain relevant in the trance music redeemable for complimentary 30 bars and clubs in Scottsdale, Tempe Phoenix.

Paul Oakenfold genre. He was notedand as the numberUse one drinks and VIP experiences at promo code “Dakota”DJ to receive the first month for free!

Monarch Theatre, 122 E. Washington in the world

by DJ Magazine for two over 35Phoenix, venues 602.456.1991, in Scottsdale, Tipsy launchedconsecutive in April and is and currently Street, years has beenavailable nominated on Android and iOSfor with over 1200 users.

Visit monarchtheatre.com, Tempe and Phoenix.Saturday, three Grammys for his musical talents. imtipsy.com for more information.

July 11, 9 p.m., $15 Not only is he a well-known DJ, but

S

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THAT LOVIN’ FEELING

Marriage is no ‘battlefield’ for Benatar, Giraldo Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

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at Benatar and her husband/ guitarist, Neil “Spyder” Giraldo, are a match made in musical heaven. He calls the “Love is a Battlefield” singer his “muse,” while she says the two “dig each other like crazy.”

Benatar and Giraldo have been married since 1982, and now the couple is celebrating 35 years in music.

Slated to perform at Chandler’s Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino on Friday, August 21, Benatar and Giraldo say there’s no real formula to their happiness—with marriage or music. A good, old-fashioned strong work ethic, authenticity and integrity equals success.

“We began as musical partners first, that grew into a romantic relationship,” Benatar says. “At that point we made a commitment to each other and our future together. We talked over all the critical issues that come up in a marriage. We worked them out. We both put our marriage and our family life first and made a pact to never let

anything interfere.

“It has not been without its challenges; we have not been perfect. But we work damn hard and we get damn close. The respect we have for each other as musicians and people carries us through the bumpy parts. Plus we still dig each other like crazy.”

The fans are equally as ravenous.

Benatar, Giraldo and their band supported Cher on her 2014 farewell tour, including the kickoff date at US Airways Center in Phoenix. Thousands of fans hung on her every lyric for songs like “Hell is for Children” and “Shadows of the Night.”

The appeal, she says, is up to the listener.

“Occasionally, if you’re lucky, you touch on subject matter and emotions that are part of the collective—the common thread,” Benatar says. “This means that you’re feeling what they’re feeling and vice versa. It must be an organic occurrence, one ounce of fabrication and it disintegrates. We’ve tried to be authentic and genuine when we write and perform—hopefully that’s part of it.”

Another facet of the live show is Giraldo’s energy, which he says comes naturally. “(It’s) not hard at all,” he says. “Every night is a new experience, you’re feeling different, the audience is different. I go out and do what I’ve always done. I play every song like it was the first time; I give 1000 percent of my energy.

“Patricia and I have a beautiful musical relationship on stage...We are each other’s muse. We’re enjoying ourselves and we share that with the audience.

What they give us back in return is immeasurable.”

Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo

Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino’s Ovations Live Showroom, 5040 Wild Horse Pass Boulevard, Chandler, 800.946.4452, wingilariver.com, Friday, August 21, 8 p.m., $45-$105 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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THE

RIGHT WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

JOB

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The Interview People

M

ichael Fassbender feels no shame in admitting he loves Formula One racing, women, motorbikes, karting, and the occasional drink, without committing to an order of preference.

This year, audiences will see Fassbender starring in “Macbeth,” the latest screen adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s greatest plays. Directed by Australia’s Justin Kurzel, “Macbeth” costars Fassbender in the title role opposite Marion Cotillard as Lady Macbeth, David Thewlis as Duncan, and Elizabeth Debicki (“The Great Gatsby”) as Lady Macduff. According to Fassbender, the offer to play one of the most formidable characters in all of Shakespeare was one he couldn’t refuse.

“Macbeth” is the first major film in which audiences will have the chance to see Fassbender since last year’s “X-Men: Days of Future Past.” He’s already finished work on the new Steve Jobs biopic directed by Danny Boyle in which he plays the late founder and genius behind Apple, which opens in theaters October 9.

Was starring in a Shakespeare role always one of your career ambitions?

Fassbender: It wasn’t, really. I had done Shakespeare in drama school and never really imagined that I would do a stage production or work on a film adaptation.

It was quite accidental but I saw “Macbeth” as a chance to do something very different from my other work of late.

What was it like speaking in iambic pentameter?

(Laughs) That was one of the more difficult aspects of mastering the text. I would keep repeating the lines over and over until I felt that I had mastered the rhythm. I approached Shakespeare’s text as if it were music and you try to make the melody part of your speech pattern. But my thinking was that the rhythm is there to amplify the meaning and emotions of the words, and in the process of acting I hope that I got the rhythm right.

Michael Fassbender on his sex symbol status and playing Apple’s late founder

Was it interesting for you to go back to the world of theater in the form of this Shakespearean play?

I wouldn’t consider myself a theater actor by any means. I did some popular theater, including an adaptation of Quentin Tarantino’s “Reservoir Dogs” when I was around 18 years old. Playing Macbeth is a far more difficult proposition than anything I ever did in theater when I was younger.

Marion Cotillard plays Lady Macbeth.

What was it like working with her?

I was very impressed by how brave she

was to do Shakespeare given that she’s French-speaking and has to master a particularly difficult form of English speech. I can’t imagine myself speaking French in an adaptation of Voltaire, for example! (Laughs) Marion does a brilliant job, though. She makes the process (of acting) seem so natural and she brings an incredible intensity and subtlety to her work. She is also so present in her acting that it’s almost frightening.

You recently completed filming on “Steve Jobs.” What are your impressions of the man after having played him?

I worship his intellect. He was an extraordinary man who changed the way we live on so many levels. I’m something of a cavemen when it comes to technology, so it was quite an education for me to prepare for the film. I also discovered that Steve Jobs was also instrumental in introducing the Apple stores at a time when the industry was worrying about online sales. The man was remarkable and ahead of his time.

“Macbeth” is a fairly harrowing and violent film. You are often cast in difficult roles where your character has to suffer or otherwise inflicts pain, as has been the case in “Hunger,” “Shame” or “12 Years a Slave?”

It might be because I’m really mad myself! (Laughs) But I’m not mad enough to allow that to destroy myself. But I think we’re all a little mad and it’s more interesting to acknowledge and portray madness than to ignore it. If you look at how we behave on this planet there is no doubt that madness is everywhere...

When I look at the roles I seem to be drawn to, you can see something of a recurring pattern at work. I don’t know whether directors or producers see me as a tortured soul. Maybe they do! I guess I have that tortured look [to] me! (Laughs) I think it’s time for me to start doing more comedies.

You’re regarded as a sex symbol, even though you often play very complex and sometimes unsympathetic characters. Is that a contradiction?

I’m happy in my skin, and I never think about whether my characters are unsympathetic or tormented in terms of wanting to play those kinds of roles. I look at every part as a way of expressing different aspects of their humanity.

I have no vanity when it comes to that. That’s what I love so much about acting—it’s the ability to submerge your ego into that of another person. And the whole notion of being a sex symbol is a bit frightening and ridiculous—although it suits me! (Laughs) WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE AUGUST 2015

THE SHOWMAN

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LISTEN » JAM » INNOVATE » EVOLVE » ROCK » SING

Lindsey Stirling 68 Vance Joy 67 Grace Potter 72

ALL IN THE R

FAMILY

R5 turns on-screen recognition into real-life fans Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

iker Lynch admittedly works hard. The former “Glee” cast member has balanced his band, R5, with “Dancing with the Stars” and managed to succeed in both. But it’s not without a cost.

“I will say that ‘Dancing with the Stars’ was so much harder than anybody realizes,” Lynch says. “I hugely tip my hat to anybody who’s even thought about being on the show. That is so difficult. It’s insane.

“I can kind of dance. I was on ‘Glee.’

I did a lot of dancing there. I was like, ‘Cool. I got this.’ But no, no, no. It was ridiculously hard on my body.”

A runner up on “Dancing with the Stars,” Lynch is coming to Mesa Amphitheatre on Saturday, August 22, to

perform with R5, which also includes his siblings Ross (vocalist/rhythm guitarist), Rydel (keyboardist) and Rocky (guitarist), and family friend Ellington Ratliff (drums).

The show is in support of the recently released, successful album Sometime Last Night, which debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. The collection kicks off with the song “All Night,” which, Lynch says, perfectly sums up the album.

“I was instantly hooked by it,” says Lynch, calling from St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada. “When we came up with the album title, ‘Sometime Last Night,’ the rest of the songs were just fitting in there perfectly.”

“Let’s Not Be Alone Tonight” and “All Night” have both received airplay on terrestrial and satellite radio. “Let’s Not Be Alone Tonight” was a little tricky to write, Lynch admitted. It began with an acoustic guitar intro, but the group deemed it a little “too folk” for R5. Next up came piano and synth intros, but they weren’t feeling it.

“Then we threw a hip-hop-feeling drum beat on it,” he says. “That was the cherry on top for that one.”

Lynch says fans can expect to hear the new songs, as well as a selection of older tracks at the Mesa Amphitheatre. As an alum of “Dancing with the Stars,” Lynch says it’s been fun to see how his audience has, in fact, evolved.

“There are more moms coming to the shows—that’s a large part of it,” he says with a laugh. “I also get people just coming up to me, saying they voted for me every week, I was amazing and then they just walk away.”

R5 w/Jacob Whitesides and Ryland Mesa Amphitheatre, 263 N. Center Street, Mesa, mesaamp.com, Saturday, August 22, 7 p.m., $33-$45

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ONE-TWO

PUNCH

Vance Joy supports Taylor Swift on massive global tour

L

aidback Aussie singersongwriter Vance Joy is probably the last person anyone would expect to see at the Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather fight in Las Vegas.

The subtle, beachy beats of “Riptide” and “Mess is Mine” aren’t exactly on par with a major pummeling. The fight may have been abbreviated, but he made an Arizona connection.

“I met a couple of nice people from Arizona, actually, in Las Vegas at the Manny Pacquiao fight,” says Joy, whose real name is James Keough.

“It was the coolest thing to do. The

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer! fight wasn’t very good. When Manny got a few punches in, that was the moment of excitement. That was really great. I had a great time. I had no regrets about paying a stupid amount of money for the ticket.”

The friendship he forged with the couple makes his visits to the Grand Canyon State lovely.

“That, and when I’m in Tempe, I went rollerblading by the lake near the venue—those are experiences of Arizona that were nice,” he says.

Joy is returning to the area for two shows supporting Taylor Swift on her 1989 World Tour, which comes to Gila River Arena in Glendale on Monday,

“It’s interesting to see what happens when you walk out in front of so many people.

I say, ‘Hey everybody’ and I get a response. It’s funny how intimate a big venue can feel.

August 17, and Tuesday, August 18.

Calling from his bus “somewhere between Baltimore and Washington, D.C.,” Joy explains it’s been a learning experience to tour with the global superstar.

“It’s interesting to see what happens when you walk out in front of so many people,” he says. “I say, ‘Hey everybody’ and I get a response. It’s funny how intimate a big venue can feel.”

The most important thing he’s learned is to speak slowly and be “obvious in my gestures.”

“I want to go out there and do my best,” he says. “I want to be OK with that feeling of nervousness and uncertainty. If you’re going to try something new that night, just give it a go. I think it’s a bit of a challenge to have.”

A fan of Sufjan Stevens, Paul Simon and Caribou, Joy admires Swift’s work ethic. Nearly every day she brings out a special guest, ranging from country singer Sam Hunt to R&B’s The Weeknd. That requires Swift and her band to learn new songs with little notice.

“There is so much that goes into that show—it’s impressive,” he says. “It’s a very professional working crew. I’ve learned about a lot of new artists. I’ve heard a bunch of new songs as a result of it. She had The Weeknd out. I love that song ‘I

Can’t Feel My Face.’ That song is cool. I was really enjoying the show Friday night in New York when the whole cast of girls from ‘Bad Blood’ (video) came out and Lena Dunham was smoking a cigar.”

As for his own music, “Riptide” and “Mess is Mine” can both be found on his 2014 release Dream Your Life Away. The collection is so successful that “Riptide” alone has been streamed on Spotify more than 225 million times.

“I was not expecting (‘Riptide’) to have done what it did,” he says about the song’s success. “In a way I wasn’t surprised because by the time I got to America, it had already done well in Australia and gotten that special response.

“But I was told it was going to be difficult to break the States from my record label. They said, ‘You have to play a lot of radio stations. You’ll be working hard and doing it, doing it, doing it.’ It was good to have in my head. It prepares you for that.”

Taylor Swift w/Vance Joy

Gila River Arena, 9400 W. Maryland Avenue, Glendale, 800.745.3000, ticketmaster.com, Monday, August 17, and Tuesday, August 18, 7:30 p.m., $33-$194 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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SHATTERED EXPECTATIONS Local Lindsey Stirling followed her naivety to stardom Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

W

hen a young Lindsey Stirling, growing up in Gilbert, shared that she wanted to meld the sound of her violin with electronic music, others tried to dissuade her.

But the 2005 Mesquite High School graduate soon learned that being different has been “a great thing.”

“When I started, I kept being told that I was too different and there wasn’t a market for what I was doing because it was too outside the box,” she says. “I found that what people thought would be my greatest demise is my greatest advocate. I’m the only one who’s doing what I’m doing and it’s worked out well.”

Thanks to her talents, 28-year-old Stirling has been included in Forbes’ “30 Under 30 In Music: The Class Of 2015.” Her song with Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale, “Shatter Me,” hit No. 2 on The Billboard 200 album chart, and she has more than 6 million subscribers on YouTube.

“I think it’s cool doing things the YouTube way,” she explains. “It allows you to become connected to the fans on a personal level. They feel like they’re part of my journey more so, rather than just relying on label or radio to make things happen for me. By watching my videos and sharing them, they’re a part of my story.”

Her list of accolades grew when she was given the Billboard Music Award for Top Dance/Electronic Album for “Shatter Me,” against such stiff competition as Avicii, Calvin Harris, Disclosure and Skrillex.

“It was very exciting,” Stirling says.

“It was very exciting. I was nominated with some of my idols. I love Skrillex.

He introduced me to dub step in the first place. I love Calvin Harris. To be nominated with them was a huge honor.

When I won I was so shocked and excited.”

Due to her busy schedule, she hasn’t had time to really cherish her award.

“I’ve been on tour ever since I got it,” she exclaims. “I had to send it home with my manager, but I’m definitely going to put it on my little mantle next to my bed.

It’ll keep me motivated and excited.”

FOLLOWING HER DREAM

Stirling has always been fascinated with dance and violin. She told her parents she wanted to do both, but they said she had to choose one. Stirling chose the violin, but slowly incorporated dancing in her performance.

She explains that it’s “unnatural” to play violin and dance; it took a lot of practice to nail that part of her performance.

Pursuing a career in music since just after high school, Stirling says she’s glad that she went in with her eyes shut.

“I had no idea what was ahead,” Stirling explains. “I had no idea it was going to be an up and down journey. I was naïve as to how hard it would be.

The naivety kept me excited and going.

Every single step was a big and exciting step. Rather than just looking up to see how far the climb was, I was just excited about every little foot hole that I found—every bit. In a way, it was a blessing in disguise that I didn’t know what was ahead.”

COMING HOME

Stirling will reunite with her family when she performs a hometown show at the Comerica Theatre in Phoenix on Thursday, August 13.

“I can’t wait to come back,” she says.

“It’s so fun. I get to have my parents come and my friends come. There’s something special about going to your hometown

and playing in front of friends, peers and family members.”

Performing in Phoenix or Provo, Utah, where she attended Brigham Young University, is stressful for Stirling.

“Whenever you have family or friends coming out, there’s definitely extra pressure. You want to do your best in front of the people you care about or people you love or love you.”

Stirling plans on indulging in the comforts of home while she’s in the Valley.

“I love to go to Café Rio,” she says with a giggle. “That’s one of my favorite places. I love to go home and go to my parents’ house. They still live in the house where I grew up. I love to sleep in my old bedroom, have my mom’s home cooking, play[ing] games. I get to see the family dog. I love that.”

Like the rest of her tour, her Phoenix show will include a premiere of the song “Firefly,” which will offer a surprise for fans.

“It’s really different,” she says. “I actually sing on it. I never sing. My fans have been asking me to sing for forever.

They wanted me to write a song that I can sing. I decided to give the people what they want.”

She admits that it was nerve-wracking.

“I was so nervous before the first show,” she says. “Nobody’s expecting this.

I never sing live. So it was definitely scary.

My fans are so supportive, though. They cheer me on every single night when I sing. It’s cool.”

Lindsey Stirling w/Lights

Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington Street, Phoenix, 800.745.3000, comericatheatre.com, Thursday, August 13, 7:30 p.m., $39-$49 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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PHOENIX

RISING

Locals Jared & The Mill bring their local sound on the road Alexa D’Angelo » The Entertainer!

J

ared Kolesar has been toying with music as long as he can remember.

In the fourth grade the Phoenix native was in orchestra at school, where he learned the cello, the bass and the piano before he started writing his own songs in high school.

Now the titular Jared in Jared & The Mill, Kolesar is preparing to go on a huge tour of the United States following the spring release of the band’s latest EP, Life We Chose, which was released in April.

“These are our first tunes following our 2013 album, Western Expansion,” Kolesar says. “It’s important to me that we stay motivated and stay inspired as we go into our next identity.”

But local fans need not worry—the indie folk rock band is sticking to its Southwest music roots.

“Our sound is a culmination of all the influences that touch us as a group of lads from the Southwest,” he says. “I like to use the phrase ‘Western indie rock.’ We have a fair amount of Western/country vibe to our tunes, but there are a lot of modern indie-rock elements, as well as subtle Mexican influences.”

The band, made up of six friends from Phoenix, got its start in 2011 playing local hotspots. Two years later they released their first album, including hit “Breathe Me In,” which channels Mumford & Sons WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

with its country-folk sensibilities.

Since then, Kolesar says the band has been evolving over the years and really developing their own, unique sound and says he’s proud of the band and the music they have created, but it hasn’t come without a price.

“I’ve missed weddings, I’ve missed family being born. I’ve lost very important people because of how much time I’m away from home,” he says.

But the indie rock artist says he has drawn from these events in his life to create the songs for Jared & The Mill.

“Western Expansion was very much about the trials and tribulations of growing up from boy to man. Most of the songs were written when I was in college,” Kolesar says. “Once the band was up and touring, the content was very much about living such and abstract life as being a touring musician.”

Though Kolesar says he loves all the songs on the EP, his favorite is “Messengers.”

“It’s a tune that personifies the emotion of love, and depicts it as a girl, who I miss dearly,” he says. “Like I said, one gives up a lot when living on the road, and one thing that I miss very much is the ability to be in love and be able to spend time with the person I cared about every day, and just being in love with somebody who loved me.”

The band has experienced significant

commercial success, including a No. 4 spot on Billboard Mountain Region Heat Seekers Charts, being featured on 100 radio stations nationwide and even having their music playing in Starbucks locations across the country.

The group has been busy gearing up for their U.S. tour, where they will share the stage with four or five bands, depending on the night. Kolesar says the group has grown spending time on the road and looks forward to their next adventure promoting Life We Chose.

Life We Chose will be distributed on vinyl at Urban Outfitters locations nationwide following their tour, which will take them to most major cities across the U.S. “We want to show the nation that we are extremely proud of our Phoenix roots,” Kolesar says.

“It’s important to me that we are just six boys from the Southwest who hope people come out to our shows and have a damn good time.”

Jared & The Mill w/Tommy Ash Band Harrison Fjord

Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Avenue, Phoenix, 602.716.2222, crescentphx.com, 8 p.m., $12-$17

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE AUGUST 2015

UNLIKELY IDOL Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

T

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‘Idol’ winner Nick Fradiani talks coronation single, live show

his year’s “American Idol” winner, Nick Fradiani, “randomly” auditioned for the Fox TV show after a little convincing by his friends, family and talent scouts.

“I didn’t think it was something for me,” says Fradiani, who previously appeared on “America’s Got Talent” with his band. “I just felt at the end, before I did it, that this was an opportunity where if I didn’t do it, I might really regret it. I thought, ‘Why not just do it?’

“I lucked out. I definitely lucked out.”

Impressive from the auditions, Fradiani is pushing his coronation song “Beautiful Life,” a track co-penned by Dashboard Confessional’s Chris Carrabba.

The song—which he expects to be on his debut album set for release next year—will be included in his set when he and the

other four finalists come to the Mesa Arts Center on Sunday, August 16.

“When you get Chris Carrabba to write a song for you, it’s incredible,” says Fradiani, calling from Nashville, where he was meeting with Scott Borchetta, the CEO of the “Idol’s” label, Big Machine Records.

“American Idol,” he says, schooled him in music. The top stage hands, choreographers and vocal coaches helped improve his stage presence, he says.

“That was my best improvement,” Fradiani explained. “I worked on the overall self-confidence of it all.”

That self-confidence will shine at the “Idol” show at the Mesa Arts Center.

“The tour’s going to be great,” he explains. “I’m so excited for it. It’s a little different than years past and an improvement than years past.”

This year, only the top five will

perform, allowing the finalists to show off their craft. Fradiani will play “Beautiful Life,” an original song and selections from his time on “Idol.”

“You’re going to see a lot more of each contestant,” he says. “You might get to know each contestant a little more. It’s more intimate. I’ll be able to talk a little about each song—why I picked this song on the show or that song. I think it’s going to be a ton of fun.”

American Idol Live!

Mesa Arts Center’s Ikeda Theater, 1 E. Main Street, Mesa, 480.644.6500, 480.644.6500, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, August 16, $39-$309 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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THE

FO

Grace Potter w/ Rayland Baxter

Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd Street, Phoenix, 602.267.1600, celebritytheatre.com, Saturday, August 8, 8 p.m., $29-$37 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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RTUITOUS

FLUKE Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

Grace Potter accidentally embarked on solo career without The Nocturnals

R

ock singer Grace Potter considers her career to be pretty laughable.

Recently, she joined the Rolling Stones on stage in Minneapolis to perform “Gimme Shelter.” She sang alongside Daryl Hall on his television show “Live at Daryl’s House,” not to mention she has had a successful career with her band, The Nocturnals.

But now Potter is embarking on a solo career with her new album, Midnight, which will be available Friday, August 14.

“It’s such an exciting time at the beginning of a record,” Potter says. “The possibilities are endless. It’s a joke that I get to do this for a living.”

Potter, who will play Celebrity Theatre on Saturday, August 8, introduced the new song, “Alive Tonight,” recently to rave reviews. She said the album came about naturally. For eight months, she penned what she thought was a Nocturnals album. But it bloomed into something more.

“Life has this way of happening while you’re busy making other plans,” Potter says. “Isn’t that what John Lennon said?

“I was really in the thick of writing an album for The Nocturnals. I didn’t think about whether it was the right time for a solo record at all. This project kind of

manifested into becoming what it was.”

She switched gears—and bands— because Midnight had a sort of dark feel to it. With The Nocturnals, she writes the skeleton of the songs and the band comes in and fleshes it out.

“But there didn’t need any flushing out,” she says. “It took a long time to realize—and other people realized it before I did—that there was no planning.

I wish I was a mastermind of my own career like that. I kind of go wherever my muse takes me.”

Potter is confident about the music on Midnight, but she admits she was a little nervous hitting the stage for the first time without her band.

“I’ve lived a whole bunch of different versions of my life, but I’ve always lived it with this safety blanket of a band,” she says. “I’ve always felt that to be true.

“When I started realizing that that wasn’t true and my fans were too smart, there was no way I could pull this over on them.”

She decided to dub it a Grace Potter record to avoid confusion, while simultaneously taking a risk.

“I’m really proud to be taking it at such a time in my career. When the opportunity presents itself, you have to let the universe guide you that way. I’m glad I tried something new.”

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DARLING NICKY

Nicky Romero brings his global sound to Talking Stick Resort’s Release Pool Party Jasmine Kemper » The Entertainer!

N

ick Rotteveel, born in the small city of Amerongen, Holland, has come a long way since his quaint hometown roots. Now known as Nicky Romero, the 26-year-old Dutch DJ and music producer is taking the electronic music world by storm.

His rise to fame came in 2010 when he released his unofficial version of David Guetta’s “When Love Takes Over.”

He then caught the attention of Guetta himself and their collaborations helped Romero get his start in the EDM scene. He worked on many projects with Guetta such as, “Wild One Two” and “Metropolis.”

His hard worked paid off, because in 2012 Romero accepted a yearly residency at Guetta’s FMIF club nights in Ibiza.

Since then, he’s collaborated with music industry legends such as Rihanna, Britney

Spears, Calvin Harris and Avicii.

He’s also performed his sets at numerous acclaimed electronic music festivals including the Electronic Daisy Carnival, Coachella, Tomorrowland, Ultra Music Festival and many more.

Romero will be taking over the Pool at Talking Stick Resort for August 15’s Release Pool Party. Don’t miss your chance to party it up with this hot DJ bright and early at 11 a.m. Tickets are $15 in advance and $40 at the door. If you’re a registered hotel guest tickets are free, so prepare to drink the day away and crash at night!

Talking Stick Resort

9800 E. Indian Bend Road, Scottsdale, 480.850.7777, talkingstickresort.com, Saturday, August 15, 11 a.m., $15 adv, $40 dos

ODDLY ACCURATE ASTROLOGY What does August hold for your social life?

Weiss Kelly » The Entertainer!

LEO »

SCORPIO »

July 23 – August 22 Happy Birthday, Leo! The spotlight is on you this month and you’re welcome to do and say as you please. Take advantage of your chances to meet fun people and establish new contacts before work becomes more demanding later this month. Romance is a given for Leos, so keep a lookout for someone interesting.

October 23 – November 21 Any unfinished obligations from the last few years are approaching an end, but not until next month. They will not interfere with this month’s social calendar. Take advantage of getting away for a bit. Keep in mind that attitude is everything and that we create our own happiness.

VIRGO »

November 22 – December 21 You generally prefer your freedom over being tied to one person, and you’ll keep this “I can do it all” attitude for most of the month. Your sense of adventure will come in handy mid-month as travel becomes a priority.

Next month may have a more restrictive schedule, so it’s recommended to take that trip while you can.

August 23 – September 22 Take time at the beginning of the month to deal with any unfinished issues or personal goals, and you’ll be thankful you did. During the rest of the month you’ll be able to leave work at work and focus on having a bit of fun.

As the sun enters your sign toward the end of the month, you’ll find yourself moving forward at a rapid pace.

LIBRA »

September 23 – October 22 Those home or family matters that weighed you down last month will be lifted and allow for much more social freedom this month. The first half of the month will see you very busy with your friends, but by mid-month, work or other goals will start to be more demanding and you’ll need to spend more time alone to accomplish more.

SAGITTARIUS »

CAPRICORN »

December 22 – January 19 August will be a time of transition for you. You’ll need to start putting more emphasis on your social life. It will be a personal transformation and whatever changes take place will be irrevocable, which is a good thing since your life can use some changeups. Significant others will play a huge role in this month’s creativity, so make sure to invest in them.

AQUARIUS »

TAURUS »

January 20 – February 18 This month is all about networking—for your career and your social life. Work projects might be slow to conclude this month, so focus on making connections. August is time to make your romantic life a priority.

Put yourself out there and have a “no excuses” attitude.

April 22 – May 20 Don’t get down just because things aren’t happening as quickly as you would like. Once the New Moon approaches on August 14, your current situation will take on new life and the effort you put forth will pay off. New ideas, a refreshed motivation and even some new people will all enter your life.

PISCES »

GEMINI »

February 19 – March 20 No one can stop a Pisces’ draw to anything and everything artistic. Although things are a bit tight financially, you’ll still be able to see and do more with less. For all you single people, this month starts a year-long opportunity to meet the girl or guy of your dreams!

ARIES »

March 21 – April 21 Family and home issues will occupy you the first week of this month, but after that and until August 24, you’ll have a much lighter plate and not nearly as many important obligations. Take this time to enjoy a getaway and a bit of romance before work takes priority again.

May 21 – June 21 Your social life will have an unusual amount of emphasis this month—which is ideal for one last summer vacation. Local events are starting to pick up, and if you take care of some of your pending matters, you’ll be able to attend them all. Your work life will definitely set into full gear the last week of August.

CANCER »

June 22 – July 22 The beginning of this month is chock-full of new developments! You can afford to indulge a bit, but keep an eye on it. Buy that ticket, attend that event and escape the monotony of your everyday. Act on it before work picks back up during the last week of the month. New developments happen early this month.

Weiss Kelly is a Valley-based astrologer and Professional Member of the American Federation of Astrologers. For your personal 2015 forecast recorded on a CD, send her an inquiry email at weissastro@aol.com or call 480.600.7424.

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

Margaret Cho brings her feminist comedy to audiences across the country Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

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orking as a comedian is about being in the moment, Margaret Cho says. So when she brings her “psyCHO” tour around the world, she takes in the culture and the news of the host city so fans can relate.

“I think the world has gotten a lot smaller in the way that we know what’s happening every minute of every day from Facebook and different social media,” she says. “It’s a good time to do a show and a good time to be traveling and going everywhere.”

“Everywhere” includes the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, where she will perform October 17. She has fond memories of gigging in the Valley, specifically the Tempe Improv.

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MASS HYSTERIA

“I used to do shows in Tempe and Jimmy Eat World used to come,” Cho says with a laugh. “This is a long time ago.

They were so sweet.”

She promises her show will be a celebration of all things funny—including her late influences Joan Rivers and Robin Williams.

“It’s my comedy family and my influences that’s something that I’m very excited about doing,” Cho says. “It’s going to be great. It’s really a great honor to have had such wonderful mentors and be able to share their stories through that.”

Cho will create memories for her fans as well. Not just through the show, but she’ll marry a couple at each gig.

“It’s really great,” she says. “It’s great to be able to celebrate (marriage equality),” she says. “I’ve been working on

marriage equality since 2004. It’s a good time for this kind of thing to happen—to celebrate all the hard work we’ve done.”

Cho, who has been in the business since she was 14, explains that the name of her tour comes from the stereotype that women are “psycho.” “‘Psycho’ is always feminized—‘She’s a psycho b*tch,’” she says. “It’s a word that’s constantly used to demoralize women. That and ‘hysteria’ are feminine expressions of anger or perceptions of women.

“That’s the way that language works.

We don’t have nouns that are feminine and masculine like in German or other languages. There’s definitely sort of a tense and a way that you approach gender in language. In English it’s a lot more complicated. You have these different

impulses that are attached. It’s a way to keep the patriarchy in place.”

Even though “psyCHO” has a deep meaning, she’s hoping that fans have a good time.

“There’s a sense of urgency in that we need comedy to alleviate the suffering on the planet, and point to things that need attention,” she says.

“My hope is that for people to see the way that comedy can change the world.”

Margaret Cho

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 E. Second Street, Scottsdale, 480.499.8587, scottsdaleperformingarts.com, Saturday, October 17, 8 p.m., $39-$69

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BILLY BOB BEATS Billy Bob Thornton charms with rockabilly soul on screen and stage

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THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2015

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

T

he musicians in The Boxmasters, featuring Billy Bob “Bud” Thornton, call their band “old school.”

They believe in the quality of the lyrics, a stellar live show and gorgeous harmonies. Something Thornton and bandmate J.D. Andrew draw from decades past.

“We’re a ‘60s rock ‘n’ rollinfluenced band,” Andrew says. “Like The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, the Eagles. Add that with The Beatles and The Animals and other British-based bands, and take a bit of Big Star from Memphis from the early ‘70s, and that’s what we sound like these days.”

The Boxmasters have carried that sound over into its double album, Somewhere Down the Road and its digital record, Providence, both of which the band will promote during a September 15 show at Livewire in Scottsdale.

“We’re very proud of it,” Thornton says of the album. ‘It’s frustrating, though, when you take care to really try to write good lyrics and write meaningful songs and the lyrics get lost with people.

“I guess it’s always been that way to a certain degree. They hear the sound of the song and they like it for that reason.

It’s always good when people appreciate lyrics. I always did. It’s pretty important to me.”

These days, Thornton says, he is inspired by his wife and kids—along with his grandkids, as a bandmate shouts in the background of the phone conversation.

Thornton clears his throat and goes back to The Boxmasters’ influences.

“They inspire me,” he says of his family. “Also, there’s always something political or sociological that inspires me to write things. Sometimes you just want to write a plain rock ‘n’ roll song. Boy-girl songs will always be around.

“But political songs are tough to write. Any time I wrote lyrics that are political in nature, they’re usually not from the point of view of a political party. I’m kind of down the middle, to tell you the truth. I call myself a ‘radical moderate.’ I take whatever I believe is the best [part] of any side. I guess I would probably say I comment on social topics more than political.”

Although The Boxmasters have an intense touring schedule, there’s always time for fun. During a stop in Grand

31

Rapids, Michigan, they took time out to bowl with Def Leppard.

“For some reason it got in the press that we played against Def Leppard. That isn’t true,” Thornton says with a laugh. “It was only Joe (Elliott) and Rick (Allen).

We were both off and we ran into them at the hotel. They said, ‘What are you guys up to?’ We told them we were going bowling and invited them to come. The teams were mixed up. It was a good time.”

But the primary focus of the next couple months is the tour and the albums.

Somewhere Down the Road captures the best sides of The Boxmasters.

“The first one has a lot of songs that are great to play live,” Andrew says. “It’s an upbeat, ‘60s jangle rock and pop record.

We dive into a few songs from the second album, which has a very dark, Americana sound. The upbeat jangle rock is better for an audience and the divey clubs that we’re playing—except for Livewire.”

The Boxmasters feat. Billy Bob Thornton w/Tommy Ash Livewire, 7320 E. Indian Plaza, Scottsdale, 480.361.9783, livewireaz.com, Tuesday, September 15, 8 p.m., $23-$33

B’S WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2015

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TOGETHER

THROUGH TRAGEDY

Toto, Yes pairing actually makes perfect sense

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

W

hen booking agents paired prog rockers Yes with the softer sounds of Toto for a summer tour, some saw the lineup as odd.

Toto’s guitarist/vocalist Steve Lukather acknowledges this, but says the partnership works on several levels.

Namely, both bands have recently suffered the deaths of core members—Yes’ Chris Squire and Toto’s Mike Porcaro.

“They lost Chris tragically,” says Lukather of the musician, who died in Arizona of leukemia. “He was one of the greatest musicians ever. We lost our brother, Mike, couple years go. There are no egos on the tour.”

Although they play different genres of music, Toto and Yes have utmost respect for each other, says Lukather, who goes by the nickname “Luke.” Those differences actually make for the perfect tour.

“We just wanted to be a little more eclectic,” Lukather says. “It was so exciting. Chris was supposed to get better and he didn’t. It’s really tough for their camp. It was like us losing Jeff Porcaro, our leader, our guy. We just lost Mike, we’ve lost two.”

Throughout the run, which includes a Friday, September 4, show at The Pool at Talking Stick, Yes and Toto are paying tribute to their fallen musicians.

“If I was to go (die), I’d like the guys to continue playing music,” he says. “Not playing isn’t going to bring me back.

“If anything, we celebrate the memories. Mike was a legend. Chris was one of the greatest musicians ever. We have to carry on with respect. All this does is remind me that every day is a blessing.

We have to make the most of it. I’m a very sensitive cat, but I also have a great sense of humor.”

His silliness shines during the second half of the interview, which focused on Toto’s new album Toto XIV, which hits stores March 20. It is one of the band’s most critically acclaimed albums.

“We’re not used to good reviews,” he says. “We always got our asses kicked.

They compared us to punk music, which is like comparing a massive rump steak to a vegetarian. You can’t put the two on the same plate.

“We survived it all. It’s been a great long career. It’s a rollercoaster ride. One we had to hang on to without being flung out from the top. We all went to school together. There’s something we have that very few people understand.”

Toto’s album and shows have been successful thanks to megahits like “Africa,” “Rosanna” and “Hold the Line.” While Toto’s sound has evolved, the touring routine has not.

“That’s real,” he says. “Nobody is showing up to see what my (butt) looks like in my jeans, although I’ve been told that it looks OK in my jeans. I don’t look bad for my age. I have a young girlfriend, he, he, he. I’m not a creep. You just never know who’s going to like you and who you’re going to like.”

The Pool at Talking Stick gig is a rarity for Toto, who primarily tours overseas. But he’s excited to bring the noise to the United States “We’re bringing it,” he says. “The band’s tight. We’re having fun. We haven’t toured the U.S. as much, so we’re kind of fresh meat, if you will, for the lost era.”

Yes and Toto

The Pool at Talking Stick, 9800 E. Indian Bend Road, Scottsdale, 800.745.3000, ticketmaster.com, Friday, September 4, 8 p.m., $55$150 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2015

THE SHOWMAN

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LISTEN » JAM » INNOVATE » EVOLVE » ROCK » SING

Live Music Calendar 72 Ricky Martin 77 Authority Zero 76

TOO BIG FOR TEMPE? How exactly did Summer Ends Music Festival land Kanye West?

Miguel Otárola » The Entertainer!

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empe Beach Park has really stepped up its game over the last few years. Just take March’s Pot of Gold Music Festival, which brought four days packed with artists like Bastille, Kendrick Lamar and Fall Out Boy. The field is set for another festival this month—the second annual Summer Ends Music Festival. The last date of the fourday fest particularly stands out, finishing with a 90 minute set by the one-and-only Kanye West.

That night’s lineup was booked with direction from Kanye West’s representative, according to Tom Lapenna, owner of Luckyman Concerts, which organized the festival. Luckyman had previously promoted Kanye during his 2013 Yeezus tour stop at US Airways Center.

“This year we opted to go after one headliner each day that we knew would have a great draw and then add support acts that complement the headliner,” Lapenna says.

To say it’s exciting for the festival to book such a huge artist for

a somewhat unlikely venue is an understatement, especially considering Variety reported last year that a booking for Kanye ranges from $400,000 to $600,000 and he headlined the international festival phenomenon Glastonbury this year.

However they convinced him to come to our little “beach,” we’re glad they did. And now, the fest’s two most exciting days come at a discounted price. As a package, Luckyman is selling day 2 (which includes talent like J. Cole and Big Sean) and day 3 together (featuring Kanye, Pusha T and more) for $129.50.

Kanye draws attention wherever he goes, so here’s to hoping that this is just the beginning of even more great artists to come.

Summer Ends Music Festival

Tempe Beach Park, 54 W. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe, summerendsaz.com, Thursday, September 24 through Sunday, September 27, times vary, $55-$130 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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BEST

BAND BROS S

ince the spring of 2007, Kevin continues. “Watching them every night Brand New, Devine has been a member of made me realize that consistency was an indie rock “rat pack” of sorts, beautiful also.” headed by Long Island Internet Devine has consistently punched Manchester cult icons Brand New and the clock for years. Under his own name, Southern gentlemen of Manchester Devine has released eight LPs and 10 Orchestra the Orchestra. The collection has created quite EPs. Most recently, he partnered with a buzz in both the alternative and indie Bad Timing Records to release a series a vinyl splits along with Matthew Caws bring their rock Asscenes. a result, Devine can tell you a (Nada Surf ), Meredith Graves and Tiger thing or two about brotherhood. He Additionally, he’s released a pair of ‘rat pack’ to credits it as the driving force for what has Jaw. well-received LPs with Bad Books, a side kept him going over the last 15 years. project with Manchester Orchestra.

“I have doubled my fanbase because “Through Manchester Orchestra, I Summer Ends of (Brand New’s) Jesse Lacey,” he confesses got a second band that ultimately sounds asked about the connection. “He nothing like my solo project in Bad Music Festival when put his arm around me and championed Books,” Devine says. “It is an excuse to Joshua Hammond » Special to The Entertainer!

my music.”

A tour with support act Manchester Orchestra forced him to be a better live performer, says Devine, who, along with Manchester Orchestra and Brand New, play the Summer Ends Festival on Friday, September 25. The festival will be headlined by the likes of Kanye West and J.Cole throughout the weekend of September 24 through 27.

“Until then I had some indie vision in my head that inconsistency was beautiful in an artistic way,” Devine

hang out with friends and an outlet to keep making music when you want to put the other projects to sleep for a while.”

The trio of bands is not only a driving force in the music scene. They’re equally as important to each other.

“I’d say that if you look at each band since that tour,” Devine says, recalling his first tour with Brand New and Manchester Orchestra, “You’ll see that everyone’s music has gotten more interesting. There is a push to be better. I don’t think that’s coincidental.”

Equally important, Devine stresses how his personal life has changed from having found his friends on the road.

“I see it as a sort of community,” Devine continues. “We’re also kind of a sounding board for each other...not only in music, but somewhat in life. I think we’re all better people for having each other.

“I didn’t know Manchester Orchestra in any aspect going into the tour. March 2007 we had never met. By May 2007 we were on a path toward being lifelong friends who attend each other’s weddings.

I probably talk to Andy (Hull, Manchester Orchestra) in some capacity once a day about something. It is something special.

Sometimes things just sync up like that and you’re really lucky when you find it. It sometimes only happens once or twice in a career.”

Summer Ends Festival

Tempe Beach Park, 80 W. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe, luckymanonline.com, summerendsaz.com, Friday, September 25 through Sunday, September 27, 5 p.m., $55-$130

WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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GEAR TODAY, GONE

TOMORROW Authority Zero picks up pieces after equipment stolen on the road Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

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uthority Zero’s 20th anniversary has been bittersweet.

This year the band, which melds punk, ska and reggae, embraced its two-decade career with a sold-out show at Club Red. But a gig in San Antonio earlier this summer didn’t bode so well. The Mesa-based act’s van and trailer with production equipment, amps, guitars, drums, mics, merchandise, backdrop and computers were stolen. The vehicle was later recovered, but the goods were long gone.

“We felt violated,” says singer Jason DeVore via telephone in between East Coast tour stops. “It was kind of a hit, but we’re getting through it.”

The healing process has been bolstered by a Go Fund Me crowdfunding page that is seeking $30,000 in donations.

As of August 24, 429 donors gave $19,648 to Authority Zero to help defray the costs of replacing its equipment.

“People have been super responsive and overly gracious,” DeVore says.

“We’ve had donations from all over the world, including Prague. We’re extremely humbled.”

DeVore peppers his conversation with the word “humbled.” He’s honored that Authority Zero is still around. The band made its mark on the national scene in 2001, when it signed to Atlantic Records subsidiary Lava Records. Its first album, A Passage in Time, sold more than 250,000 copies worldwide.

Major labels didn’t suit Authority Zero, though. It went indie with the collection 12:34, which was released by Big Panda in 2007. Recordings followed on Suburban Noize Records and Hardline Entertainment.

“When we actually got our record deal in 2001, that was a pretty high point WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

for us,” DeVore contends. “It slingshot us into the major touring circuit where we’re still at today. It is taking us all over the world. With the old-school days, there was an innocence to it.”

The vocalist says Authority Zero has achieved what it has by maintaining a positive attitude and continually improving.

“You do realize the accomplishments you have,” he says.

“You embrace those and keep on trying to grow as a band and musician. It’s in my blood, obviously. I love music in general. Being able to do what I love for a living—being with my buddies, seeing kids show us love and support—it keeps you motivated.”

The hometown adoration helps as well. After heading around the world

and back, Authority Zero—which also includes guitarist Brandon Landelius, bassist Mike Spero and drummer Christopher Dalley—will perform a local show at Marquee Theatre on Saturday, September 19.

“We’ve got a lot of friends playing it,” he says about the support acts. “It’s going to be a big celebratory show. We’ve been gone all summer.”

After the show, the band will pack up again, this time to California where it will work on a new album. Although the music won’t hit stores until next year, fans can expect to see a live CD and DVD of its 20th anniversary show later this year. A Canadian tour is slated for November and December.

Authority Zero’s schedule is

packed, but DeVore wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Being here right now, still, is a big highlight of my career,” DeVore explains “There are times you realize how long it’s been: ‘Man, it’s been 20 years for sure.’

You can feel it. Time goes by at the blink of an eye, but it’s been a heck of a ride.”

Authority Zero w/Strung Out, Lightspeedgo, Perfect Sense, Adult Arcade, Contadiktion Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Avenue, Tempe, 480.829.0607, luckymanonline.com, Saturday, September 19, 6 p.m., $20

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2015

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STRONGER THAN EVER After a few ups and downs, Ricky Martin gets soulful Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

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eeling vulnerable after a breakup of a six-year relationship, Ricky Martin was ready to work on a new album.

But this time, he wasn’t going to be shackled to a schedule or record company demands for eight months. The process was to change.

“I talked to my record label and said, ‘You know what? I’m sorry. Not this time.

I’m going to walk in the studio whenever I have something to say. Not something to say, but when I’m ready to lay some tracks because I already have some amazing ideas,’” Martin recalls via telephone from Australia, where he was mentoring fledgling singers on the country’s version of “The Voice.”

“So I went on the road. I said ‘Whenever I’m ready, I’m just going to tell my manager I’m ready to rent a studio. Let’s go in and lay the vocals and lay the tracks.’”

The fruit of his labor is “A Quien Quiera Escuchar” (or “To Anyone Who Will Listen), a 10- to 16-song collection, depending on which version is purchased.

Martin says he felt vindicated. The collection debuted at No. 20 on the Billboard 200 album chart, selling 25,000 copies in its first week, which is quite a feat for a foreign-language album. It reached No. 1 on the Top Latin Albums chart, earning Martin his sixth chart-

topping album, and topped the Latin Pop Albums chart. Critics raved about “A Quien Quiera Escuchar” as well.

“According to the sales and the reaction of the media and the critics, apparently this is the way to go from now on,” Martin says. “It’s a very honest CD, very transparent. I was very vulnerable.

Every time I walked in the studio I was completely open. I could hear it in the interpretation. I’m very, very pleased with this. It’s one of my favorite productions.”

Elaborating on the content, he said it was “all about me, me, me, me, me.”

“It was all about me and allowing myself to feel and to put on paper my emotions and the things I’ve been through. The ups and down, the emotional ups and downs, as I call them. I broke up with a six-year relationship that I had a few years ago.”

The father of two boys, Martin said writing about himself was “very liberating, very cathartic.”

Martin hasn’t released an Englishlanguage album since 2005 and that will change, he says.

“I have already tracks recorded. Pretty much all I have to do is fine tune and mix and present it. Once again, I don’t want to feel the pressure of ‘You have to go into the studio right now and do it in English.’ I do have the need to do music, but I cannot do it based on a schedule or

a clock. The record company’s fine with it.

I’m working on it little by little. I cannot wait to talk about it.”

Confident with his shows as well, Martin will perform in Phoenix and Tucson in September. He is known for his high-energy concerts that feature a slew of back-up dancers, stellar musicians and a few surprises here and there. He says he will continue that tradition.

“There are amazing musicians and dancers,” he says. “It’s going to be fun. Be ready for carnival.”

With Martin happy about his music, he wants fans to follow suit.

“I think the most important thing for me is for people to leave the venue happy—as simple as that. I want them to forget; forget about all the issues in life and, for the next hour and 45, hour and 50, allow yourself to be. Don’t feel judged.

Just dance if you feel like dancing. Cry if you feel like crying. Just be. That’s the idea.”

Ricky Martin w/Ha*Ash

Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington Street, Phoenix, 800.745.4000, ticketmaster.com, Saturday, September 26, 8 p.m., $26-$126 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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NIGHTLIFE

CALENDAR

SEPTEMBER 5 Snails and Trollphace

Monarch Theatre, 9 p.m., $15

SEPTEMBER 6 Laidback Luke

Talking Stick Resort, 11 a.m., $15

Headhunterz

Maya Day + Nightclub, 12 p.m., $15

Maxxi Soundsystem Bar Smith, 9 p.m., $10

Ilan Bluestone and Fehrplay Monarch Theatre, 9 p.m., $10

SEPTEMBER 11 Ferry Corsten and Pierce Fulton

Maya Day and Nightclub, 9 p.m., $15

SEPTEMBER 13 Showtek

Maya Day + Nightclub, 12 p.m., $25

SEPTEMBER 18 Blackalicious

Crescent Ballroom, crescentphx.com, 7 p.m., $18

Sam Feldt

Urbane Manner, 9 p.m., $10

Klingande

Maya Day + Nightclub, 9 p.m., $10

SEPTEMBER 19 Mick Jenkins and Stwo

Monarch Theatre, 8 p.m., $16

SEPTEMBER 24 Tritonal and Cash Cash Livewire, 8 p.m., $25

SEPTEMBER 25 Griz

Livewire, 8 p.m., $22.50

LAZER FOCUS Major Lazer sets Jasmine Kemper » The Entertainer! merican DJ and music producer sights on Mad Diplo made a name for himself he worked alongside Decent Block M.I.A., when a British musician who helped to fame.

Party and EDM him rise Then in 2008, with the help of producer DJ Switch, he co-created domination M.I.A. the electronic music group Major Lazer.

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This multi-genre music collaboration is a mixture of dancehall, reggae fusion, electro-house and more.

Today, members Diplo, Jillionaire, Walshy Fire and Boaz Van De Beatz make up the mixmaster supergroup. Together, they have released three albums, Guns Don’t Kill People...Lazers Do, Free the Universe and Peace Is the Mission.

Their newest album, Peace Is the Mission. includes the hit song “Lean On” featuring DJ Snake and MØ. Since its release earlier this year, the single has reached number one in multiple countries including Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium, Australia and Finland.

The album features many other top music performers including Ellie Gould-

ing, Tarrus Riley, 2 Chainz and Travi$ Scott. Ariana Grande is also on the album with the song “All My Love,” which was featured on “The Hunger Games: Mocking Jay, Part 1” before being remixed by Major Lazer.

In 2005, Diplo also founded and currently manages his music label, Mad Decent. The label formed a multi-city music tour called the Mad Decent Block Party, which travels through multiple cities around the United States.

The Mad Decent Block Party will stop in Phoenix on Friday, September 18 from 5:30 p.m. to 12 a.m. Major Lazer will be in attendance, as well as other big names like Yellow Claw, Dillon Francis and What So Not. General Admission is $53 and VIP Tickets are $78. Grab yours to see Major Lazer in action.

Rawhide

5700 W. North Loop Road, Chandler, 480.502.5600, rawhide. com, Friday, September 18, 5:30 p.m. to 12 a.m., $53-$78 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2015

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CLARITY IN CAREER

Zedd no longer has to ‘work’ a day in his life Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

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orn into a musical family, Anton Zaslavski never thought he would earn a living as a DJ. Now known professionally as Zedd, he has become a hot commodity in the world of electro-house music.

“I would never guessed in a million years I would be a DJ, or would live off producing songs for me and other people,” he says with a laugh. “I knew I was going to have a career in music because that’s the only thing I loved in my life. When you really love something, you really go find a way to make it work.”

The Russian musician has been playing in a band since his early teens.

Even then, he knew he was going to be a full-time musician.

“Both of my parents are musicians,” he says. “They gave piano lessons, guitar lessons, bass lessons and drum lessons. My dad then switched to a music teacher in school. There are a lot of jobs you can do if you love music, if you truly believe in that being your path.”

He has definitely made it work.

Zedd’s 2013 weepy single, “Clarity,” featuring English singer-songwriter Foxes, sold 2.2 million copies. Earlier this year he released a collaboration with Selena Gomez, “I Want You to Know,” which he co-wrote with Ryan Tedder of One Republic and KDrew. The single, which appears on his album True Colors, landed high on the Billboard singles chart, too.

“With ‘Clarity,’ I knew that the song had the potential [to] become what it

actually became,” Zedd says via telephone from his Los Angeles home.

“A year before it came out, I sent it to the label as a simple demo. I said, ‘This is a huge hit.’ I didn’t actually mean it’s going to be a hit. I thought it had everything a song needs to become a huge cultural song that has a huge impact.”

The song was released but it took nine months before it really gained traction. “I Want You to Know,” however, immediately made an impact. Since the Gomez-fronted song, Zedd released a second single from True Colors, “Beautiful Now” featuring Jon Bellion, and the follow up “Papercut” with Troye Sivan. “‘Beautiful Now’ was really interesting to see live,” Zedd says about the reaction from the audience.

“I knew that song was going to be huge. I love it. I’m my own judge there. I remember playing it out. People usually rarely react [to] a song well if they don’t know it yet. But that song has always been a huge song live. I think that says a lot.”

Although it was a favorite at shows, radio station executives thought otherwise and said the song wasn’t a hit. Over time, programmers changed their minds when it started receiving good feedback.

“Right now it’s my favorite song to play out live,” Zedd says. “To see the entire stadium chant with me, that is really magical.”

Zedd shared his love for the song via the CMT Awards when he collaborated with Lady Antebellum and its song “Long Stretch of Love.”

“That was a lot of fun to do,” he says.

“I love the guys from Lady Antebellum. I was on the phone with them a bunch of times to create that mashup between our songs, which are very different—different worlds, different temps, different keys— and I had to make sure the transition was natural and works fine.

“It was a real pleasure working with them. It’s really refreshing to see artists being really huge and so grounded and intelligent and musical. I really loved working with them.”

Zedd fans can hear a special version of “Beautiful Now” when he performs at the Mesa Amphitheatre on Saturday, September 12.

“I’m super excited for this entire tour,” he says. “I think a lot of these shows, especially for college kids, they probably have never had as much production as I’m going to bring in. I think they will be happy to see what I have planned.”

Growing up with musical parents has been a boon to Zedd. He starts his songs on the piano, with a simple chord progression. He records a piano-vocal demo before he starts the song. Then, he produces and mixes it before he tries to find the right vocalist.

“Sometimes I record just one and I know it’s right,” he says. “Sometimes I have to record four or five different singers. I tell everyone that I just need to hear different voices so I know what I want, so anyone isn’t disappointed.”

When he listens to vocalists sing his songs during the recording phase, he looks for someone who makes the song relatable.

“I think it is very important for everyone to make relatable music,” Zedd says. “That’s why I take so much time to find the right vocalist. If it’s sung by somebody who can’t translate a message,

you don’t believe it. If you don’t believe it, you don’t like it.

“I don’t like music that sounds manufactured. ‘Clarity’ almost didn’t make it on the album because I couldn’t find a singer who translated the message the way I wanted it. I still felt like it was a hit. I wasn’t happy with it until I found Foxes and felt like she was almost crying when she was singing the song.”

These days, Zedd is planning his life a year in advance. He wants to head to territories he’s rarely visited, including Asia, which was one of his biggest markets this year. He’s also planning stops in South Africa and South America.

“I’m also hungry and writing music again,” Zedd explains. “I’m writing new ideas and new songs. Whether that is being an album or just singles or an EP don’t know yet. I just finished my album, I don’t have a plan for the next one yet.

The one thing I’ll never stop doing is writing music.”

Understandably so. Zedd says it’s been a “frustrating and hard path” to get to where he is today.

“I’ve played concerts since I was 6 or 7,” he says. “I’ve been in bands since I was 12. We’ve played so many gigs for absolutely no money. We paid money to play gigs. We would drive ourselves to the shows and back, sleep on floors. We did that not for money but because that was our passion. That’s what we love to do. At least we don’t ‘work.’ That’s the big advantage of doing what you love.”

Zedd w/Madeon, Alex Metric

Mesa Amphitheatre, 263 N. Center Street, Mesa, 480.644.2560, mesaamp.com, Saturday, September 12, 5 p.m., $40 adv, $50 dos WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2015

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ALL GIGGLES

AND GUITARS Jeff Daniels and son set out on the road to play music, and have a bit of fun doing it Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

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hether it’s with movies like “Dumb and Dumber,” at his concerts or with interviews, actormusician Jeff Daniels feels the need to make people laugh.

“We’ll walk and people will say, ‘What is this?’” Daniels says with a sly laugh about his show, which comes to the Mesa Arts Center on Friday, October 30.

“You don’t know what to expect: You have an actor with a guitar and that’s usually a bad thing, but it’s entertaining as hell. You’re also getting the guy who’s been on Broadway and knows how to be in front of people.”

Daniels, who is accompanied by his son’s act, Ben Daniels Band, says he engages in conversation with the audience.

“And with my son’s band, there’s a lot of musicianship. I feature those kids. [The audience] is laughing then we drop one on them that just makes them tear up, then we get them up dancing in a way that they never have before with a song called the ‘Big Bay Shuffle.’

“It’s a great night out. It’s the fourth tour we’ve gone out on. We keep going because it works. We have a great time

and so does the audience.”

Ben Daniels, a graduate of The Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences in Tempe and Gilbert, agreed with his dad.

“It’s very entertaining,” Ben Daniels says about the concert. “For the most part it’s all upbeat. He tells a lot of really good stories about the songs. The songs are great, too. With our band and him, everybody gets the chance to be featured.

“We get to play a couple songs after one of the intermissions. We get to do a couple songs about him. He comes back and it escalates from there It’s a pretty wild time.”

In between filming movies, Daniels recorded and released Times Like These, his sixth album to benefit his Purple Rose Theatre in Chelsea, Michigan. He says he is a very patient songwriter.

“It’s an ongoing process,” he says. “It comes and goes. The thing that you wait on are the lyrics or the good idea. I’m not very good at writing three bad ones to get to a decent one. I’m a little more critical.

“I edit myself now. If I use the same chord progression for two weeks and I still haven’t written anything, I keep throwing things away.”

Besides the tour, these are busy times for Jeff Daniels. He just wrapped the film “The Divergent Series: Allegiant,” which he calls the third film in what could be a four-film series. Next, he’s promoting the Steve Jobs movie “Jobs,” in which he plays John Sculley, the former CEO of Apple, and the sci-fi drama “The Martian,” with Matt Damon.

“Martian” and “Jobs” have serious tones to them, but Daniels knows when to draw the line with comedy.

“I learned that it’s OK not to be funny,” Daniels says. “We really focus on just throwing good songwriting onto it.

It’s not that I don’t think the set is going to be funny. It will be. The people who are there, they don’t want to hear me doing an hour and a half of navel gazing.”

Jeff Daniels and Ben Daniels Band

Mesa Arts Center’s Piper Repertory Theater, One E. Main Street, Mesa, 480.644.6500, mesaartscenter.com, Friday, October 30, 8 p.m., $39-$49 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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FOREVER YOUNG

ABC stays relevant 30 years after major hits Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

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artin Fry and his band, ABC, have traveled the world thanks to the ‘80s hits “Poison Arrow” and “Be Near Me.” Despite the hundreds of locales, Fry vividly remembers a 1982 gig in Phoenix.

“We had a 14-piece band,” Fry says via telephone from England. “We had sparkly outfits. We were kind of ‘new romantics’ conquering America.

“Then we had to open for a heavy metal band. We had a lot of success in Britain and it was our first date in the U.S. That brought us down to earth.”

ABC is hoping to have better luck when it returns to the Valley to play

“Lost ‘80s Live” with other stalwarts from that decade like Wang Chung, A Flock of Seagulls, Christopher Anton of Information Society and Boys Don’t Cry. It is set for Saturday, October 10, at Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino.

“I’ve played a lot of multi kind of band gigs before and it’s a lot of fun,” Fry says. “There’s a tiny little competitive edge between the acts, which means everybody’s up for it. They want to maximize the applause in a way.”

Besides playing gigs like “Lost ‘80s Live,” Fry has been writing new songs for a sequel to the album Lexicon of Love, which spawned the hits “Look of Love” and “Poison Arrow.” Orchestral music will be featured on the new collection.

“The album is about what it’s like to be the age I’m at now and looking at love

and all its manifestations,” he says.

“I’m in my mid-50s, you have to be very inspired to make a record. I saw that New Order just put an album out.

U2, too, of course. Those guys are my contemporaries. If you’re an artist in your 50s, you have to be on fire. You gotta show up with a very strong selection of songs to justify making a record because it’s a young man’s game—young women’s game—like Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift.”

Lost ‘80s Live

Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino’s Ovations Live Showroom, 5040 W. Wild Horse Pass Boulevard, Chandler, wingilariver. com, Saturday, October 10, 8 p.m., $39-$99 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2015

THE SHOWMAN

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LISTEN » JAM » INNOVATE » EVOLVE » ROCK » SING

Slash 88 ICP 87 Albert Hammond Jr. 91

TO THINE OWN SELF

BE TRUE

ZZ Ward stays true to herself, no matter how many times she changes Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

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hen ZZ Ward writes music, she just wants to get something off her chest. She’s willing to put pen to paper about the beginning or end of a relationship or just something that’s bugging her.

For her new EP, Love and War, things were different.

“I found that I was in a new situation in my life,” Ward says via telephone from the road between Cleveland and Minneapolis.

“I was in a relationship and I wasn’t in a relationship before. I realized, though, that I was still the same girl in a new situation. I still had all those feelings of insecurity, those feelings of fear, those feelings of passion and fierceness. I found it really natural writing the new EP.” The 29-year-old Ward, whose full name is Zsuzsanna Eva Ward, feels free to express herself through her blues-meetship-hop music, but there’s one caveat.

“You gotta make music that you would listen to,” she stresses. “You have to love the songs first. That’s really what it’s about as an artist. That’s all you can do is make music that makes you feel an emotion, whether it’s sexy, sad, angry or makes you want to change the world. You have to feel that way about your music and then hope that

everyone else feels that way, too.”

According to Ward, her fans do feel the same way, judging from the crowd reaction. She hopes to continue with her sophomore effort, This Means War, which hits stores in March.

“It’s really great to go out to the world after you catch those moments in time and see that people are relating to those songs,” Ward explains.

“It’s a moving experience. It’s pretty incredible to go out and have people tattooing lyrics on their body permanently.”

She says it’s not scary to see fans show their devotion as such.

“I’m more of a realist,” she says.

“I look at it logically. These are songs that mean a lot to me. They’re songs that I write from my heart. They’re very authentic to the situations that I’ve gone through and these people connect with these lyrics. They feel connected to these lyrics so much in their own minds. I think that’s kind of what it’s about.”

ZZ Ward w/Marc Scibilia, The Young Wild Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Avenue, Tempe, 480.829.0607, luckymanonline.com, Saturday, October 17, 8 p.m., $23-$95

WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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A JUGGLING ACT Insane Clown Posse brings its 35th album to The Pressroom Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

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aygo-spraying horrorcore duo Insane Clown Posse admittedly aren’t Christian or religious.

But the face-painted, joker card-dealing Detroiters are calling their latest album, The Marvelous Missing Link (Found), inspirational.

“We’re not saying, ‘Here are the answers [to life],’” says member Shaggy 2 Dope via telephone from the Psychopathic Records office in Michigan.

“But it is a more uplifting record.

People can tell you all day what’s necessary in your life to be more righteous, to be more straight and narrow. You know in your heart of hearts what you need to do is basically what the album is saying.”

Shaggy 2 Dope, who’s joined in ICP by Violent J, is quick to add that he’s not lecturing.

“Who’s to say who’s right and who’s wrong?” he explains. “Everybody has a moral compass. Well, some people don’t.

They’re called ‘clinically insane.’ Like, you don’t go out and beat up old ladies.

“To some people, spitting on the

sidewalk is a travesty. I spit and adjust [myself ] every three seconds and that doesn’t make me a bad person. It’s up to the individual to find out who you are and what you need to do to find that missing link in your life.”

Juggalos, the moniker given to ICP “family” members, are seeking the duo’s help alright. The album has seen healthy sales and now ICP is embarking on a tour that comes to The Pressroom in Phoenix on October 20.

“I love Phoenix,” Shaggy 2 Dope says.

“It’s nice and warm. There’s good-looking broads, super Juggalos. We’ve been, like, down with Phoenix for forever.”

Juggalos can expect ICP to play tracks from The Marvelous Missing Link (Found) at the show. It’ll mark one of the first times that the hip-hop duo has performed the material live.

“We haven’t really done much of it live, besides a song at ‘The Gathering,’” he says about ICP’s annual festival.

“We’re looking forward to doing material off of it on this tour. It’s always

crazy doing new songs at shows because we don’t have radio hits or nothing like that. Well, we don’t have songs on the radio or nothing. You never know what songs are going to go over good with the crowd. Sometimes people are paying attention and watching. Other times they’re loud. It’s hard to pinpoint what songs to do live. We never know which ones are going to be the ones the crowd is going to move to.”

Shaggy 2 Dope is surprised to hear that The Marvelous Missing Link (Found) is his and Violent J’s 35th overall release.

“I lost count,” he says with a hearty laugh. “That’s a lot of records.”

But it also says a lot about longevity.

“Not only are we still in the game, but we’re thriving in it, you know what I’m saying?” he says. “We don’t take breaks. We don’t take time off. We’re constantly in the grind.

“If we’re not actually coming out with a record, we’re still up at Psychopathic. It’s a 9 to 5 job just figuring out different [stuff ] to do and different

meetings, different marketing meetings, down to merchandising. If you go to 9 at night, you go to 9 at night. We don’t stop and we never have.”

Shaggy 2 Dope equates the strong work ethic with success.

“A lot of bands will take a year or two off, do side projects, or take time off and hope for the best, or pray to God their next record has a big radio hit and they can tour off of it,” Shaggy 2 Dope explains.

“We don’t have to be concerned about that because we’re consistent. We’re always going to be relevant because we’ll never stop.”

Insane Clown Posse w/P.O.D., Stitches, Young Wicked, Dope D.O.D.

The Pressroom, 441 W. Madison Street, Phoenix, thepressroomaz. com, Tuesday, October 20, 6 p.m., $27 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2015

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STROKE OF LUCK OR TALENT The Strokes’ Albert Hammond Jr. sets out on solo tour with humility

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

A

lbert Hammond Jr. is modest about his success.

As one-fifth of The Strokes, Hammond saw the band skyrocket as part of the garage rock revival of the early 2000s.

But he’s a little unsure about his solo material, which includes 2006’s Yours to Keep and 2008’s ¿Como Te Llama? It wasn’t until Hammond released Momentary Masters seven years later that he felt a bit more secure.

“After I completed this record, I was so excited,” says Hammond, the son of Albert Hammond, who’s responsible for the song “It Never Rains in Southern California.”

“I wanted to see if it could stand on its own two feet, if I could make a career out of this. Some people see touring and making records as a given, but it’s more of a gift. You have to prove to people why

you deserve to make another one.”

The album, which hit stores in the summer, was the start of something new for Hammond—figuratively and literally.

It marked the first time he recorded with his own band.

“The biggest difference is a band had formed while touring the EP. I was really excited to see what it would sound like. I didn’t know what would happen.”

Hammond has channeled that nervousness, excitement and everything in between into his live show, which comes to Valley Bar on Monday, October 12.

“The setlist has been pretty rad,” says Hammond, who moonlights as a fashion designer. “It’s an entertaining rock ‘n’ roll set. I’ve got a little bit of everything.

We do play a bunch of songs off the new album. I play songs off of everything.”

And he’ll be spreading the word worldwide—including the Far East—for

the next year, hoping to maintain the album’s traction.

“Japan, to me, is one of the harder ones,” he says. “I always feel—even in Europe—really rude not knowing someone’s language and trying to talk.

“I just don’t like when you talk and there’s the assumption that everyone’s going to understand you. It’s awesome because it’s very unique. They really listen.

They clap really loud and then they get really quiet to see what you’re going to do next. It’s really amazing. I love Japan.”

Albert Hammond Jr.

Valley Bar, 130 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix, valleybarphx.com, Monday, October 12, 8:30 p.m., $14-$16 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2015

WELCOME TO THE DESERT

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I’d like to think that I’ve gotten better as a songwriter since I’ve been doing solo stuff, mostly because I’m forced to write more than I did in previous lineups. The songwriting process hasn’t changed much; I just get ideas in my head or when I’m noodling around on the guitar and then flush those ideas out and basically come up with the basis for a song. I’m still a big fan of rock ‘n’ roll riffs, and I’m always looking for new and interesting ideas.

Slash’s latest collaboration is non-stop rock Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

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ock and Roll Hall of Famer Slash is knee deep in the production of his forthcoming record featuring Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators. Although the former Guns N’ Roses axman is pleased with the collaborative’s 2014 album World on Fire, he’s amped about the new stuff.

“It’s really great,” Slash says in an e-mail interview. “It’s obviously a hard rock album—that goes without saying— but I’m really happy with where we’ve gone with World on Fire at this point.”

Slash, along with Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators, is set to showcase World on Fire during a performance on Tuesday, October 20, at Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino’s Ovations Live Showroom.

World on Fire takes on a serious tone with the anti-war sentiments of “Dissident” and the coming-of-age saga “Bent to Fly,” to such charged issues as elephant poaching (“Beneath the Savage Sun”), child abuse in the Catholic Church (“The Unholy”), addiction (“Wicked Stone”) and the perils faced by females of a certain age in show business (“Withered Delilah”). There’s also a song inspired by Mad Men’s Don Draper (“Shadow Life”) and a rockin’ instrumental (“Safari Inn”).

But Kennedy and Slash are fanning the Guns N’ Roses flames by performing a healthy dose of GNR tracks, courtesy of Kennedy’s wide-ranging vocals. Most music listeners know Kennedy from the band Alter Bridge, which he co-founded with Creed guitarist Mark Tremonti, as well as his role in the film Rock Star with Mark Wahlberg. (He plays the fan that Wahlberg pulls out of the audience toward the end of the movie.) But he seems to have found his comfort zone with Slash.

According to a setlist from a September 24 show in Montreal, the band plays “Paradise City,” “Nightrain,” “You Could Be Mine,” “Welcome to the Jungle,” “Civil War,” “Rocket Queen” and “Sweet Child o’ Mine.” However, when asked about GNR, the questions went unanswered.

Slash did respond to a slew of questions about his current project. Here is what he had to say to The Entertainer!

Magazine.

Do you have any fond memories of playing in Arizona? I’m sure you’ve played here several times over the years.

I have many fond memories from playing in Arizona! All decadent.

You’re playing a show at the intimate Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino, which is a beautiful room, by the way.

It must be kind of fun to play a mixture of festivals and smaller theaters throughout the year.

Yeah, it was always my intention to never play the same exact sized venue over and over again. I like to break it up as much as possible, from clubs and theaters to arenas and stadiums.

Congratulations on the good reviews and the No. 10 debut of World on Fire. Do those kinds of things matter to you, or no?

I can’t say that it doesn’t feel good for somebody to actually appreciate a piece of work when you put it out, although I make it a point not to read any of the reviews (good or bad). The general vibe has been very positive, but it’s not what motivates my writing or recording.

World on Fire is a great album. The guitar riffs are so hook-laden. What inspires you these days to write the riffs and the songs that you do. And how has the songwriting process evolved over the years?

You recently released the Live at the Roxy DVD. When you film shows for DVDs, do you plan the shows any differently? What kind of pressure does it put on you?

No, basically you just put together a set list like any other show. I mean, the Roxy show was one of four shows that we did last September, so you just put a set list together that’s not identical to the set list the night before—and then you just go for it.

What can we expect from your live show?

That’s always a hard question to answer, every gig is more of a spontaneous thing than anything. It’s really in the moment.

How the band is, the crowd and how we interact, but I can definitely say that it’s going to be a high energy, hard rocking good time The band is really in top form right now, so I’d say just expect a good show! We’re definitely looking forward to playing in Arizona.

How do you feel that World on Fire fits in with your catalog?

I never really looked at it fitting in with my catalogue per se but as far as what the Conspirators have been doing, I think it definitely shows the natural progression of the band and the development in the song writing. Just establishing what we already knew with the chemistry we have and then fleshing that out.

What was it about Myles Kennedy that made you say, “Hey, I have to work with him”?

He’s just got such a beautiful voice. He’s got a great rock ‘n’ roll sensibility but, at the same time, a fantastic melodic approach and an amazing range, plus he’s a great lyricist. I was really blown away when I first worked with him.

Slash featuring Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators

Ovations at Wild Horse Pass Casino, 5040 Wild Horse Pass Boulevard, Chandler, Tuesday, October 20, 8 p.m., $49-$89 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

SOUTHERN SCRIBE

Zac Brown Band is about so much more than just music

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

B

eing at home in Atlanta is a rarity these days for Zac Brown Band multiinstrumentalist Coy Bowles.

The act has spent the summer gigging at football stadiums and baseball fields, including three sold-out shows at Fenway Park in Boston and the first concert at Coors Field in Denver.

While these milestones are notable, Bowles is thinking out of the box during his rare alone moments. He’s been penning children’s books.

“I got into the children’s book thing in the oddest way,” he says with a laugh.

“I don’t have kids. Heck, I wasn’t even married then.

“I taught guitar lessons for a long time. I have one of those personalities where if you’re going to hang out with somebody and spend 30 minutes a week teaching a kid to learn how to play, a huge part of it is investing time into getting to know who they are—not keeping everything business.”

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That’s part of Bowles’ desire to make a difference in people’s lives. So he put pen to paper and created “Amy Giggles, Laugh Out Loud,” which is available on the ZBB’s website. A portion of the proceeds of sale of the book will be donated to Camp Southern Ground Inc., a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.

“You can never go wrong with going to help kids,” Bowles says. “I started writing short stories while I was bored on the road. I wanted to write to keep my creative fire going.”

Bowles’ writing career didn’t stop there. He says, “There’s a bunch of cool stuff going on in that world, too.” He has another book coming out in December.

He also just inked a publishing deal with Random House for another children’s book that he wrote.

“I’m going to be an official published author, instead of self-published,” he says proudly. “I’m super stoked.”

But Bowles doesn’t eschew his day job with ZBB, who is playing Ak-Chin Pavilion in Phoenix on Thursday, October 8. Bowles works hard at music and his writing endeavors, but he calls frontman

Brown “a beast.” ZBB rehearsed 87 songs for the tour—covers and the entire new album and previous efforts.

“Zac is one of the hardest-working dudes in show business right now—if not ever,” Bowles says. “If you can keep up with him, then you’re doing pretty good.

“He doesn’t enjoy wasting time. He has kids, a busy schedule and all this. He likes to bust ass and get out. We crammed essentially two weeks into four days. When all was said and done, I thought my brain was going to drip out of the side of my head.

“But Zac is an animal. He really is a creative force to be reckoned with. I have a lot of admiration for his work ethic, for sure.”

That work ethic as well as Brown’s vocals have equaled success for the ZBB. Its latest album, Jekyll + Hyde, was certified gold in September for selling more than 500,000 copies. ZBB is also nominated for Vocal Group of the Year at this year’s CMA Awards, set to air at 8 p.m. Wednesday, November 4, on ABC. “I think we’re successful because, first and foremost, people believe what Zac is saying,” Bowles says. “He has this quality to his voice. He sounds sincere. People

believe in his voice.

“When you hear people sing and you don’t really believe it, there’s something saying, ‘I’m not really digging it.’ He has this voice that everybody believes, which makes for a great lead vocalist.”

The gold record plaque, the nominations and the stadium shows are icing on the cake of a “job” that Bowles enjoys.

“We have a lot of fun, for sure,” says Bowles, whose musical taste runs the gamut of Jason Isbell and Mastodon. “We have so many inside jokes as we sit around waiting for the bus to come or the plane to come or a gig to be over with.

“There is a lot of downtime in between things. We’re professionals in making sure the downtime isn’t a bummer.”

Zac Brown Band w/ Muddy Magnolias

Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Avenue, Phoenix, 800.745.3000, ticketmaster.com, Thursday, October 8, 7 p.m., $33-$78

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

THE ELECTRONIC RENAISSANCE MAN

Kayzo to demonstrate his musical variation at Foam Wonderland Dylan Arndt » The Entertainer!

H

ayden Capuozzo, known as Kayzo to the masses, is a 23-year-old DJ/producer originating from Houston, Texas, now residing in Los Angeles. What makes Kayzo special is that his powerful drive and deep passion for dance music has allowed the producer to do what many others in his position lack the courage to do: bend genres.

The young producer allows his diverse musical interests and abilities to be his identifying attribute, and through his musical integrity blends genres that may not have otherwise been married.

Capuozzo is known for stirring hard dance tropes into genres like trap, dubstep, electro, and more, but still takes the time to develop his own individually unique tracks that do not incorporate hard

dance. For example, last month Kayzo released his own “harder” remix of NWA’s “F.T.P.” The track is certainly “hard,” as the title of the remix suggests. However, it relies more on dirty trap beats than elements of hard style or hard dance to complement the ‘90s rap.

On the other hand, the producer can certainly make a mean hardstyle track too. Having collaborated with artists like LNY TNZ and crafting some remarkably unique hardstyle remixes of Knife Party and KDrew, Kayzo’s diversity really bleeds through his library of music.

And it doesn’t stop there. Kayzo has also tackled a bit of DnB with his fantastic drum and bass remix of Alesso’s worldwide success, “Heroes.” The track retains the melody of the original track, but picks up the pace a bit and is graced with that signature Kayzo flair that begs audiences to bang their heads.

Kayzo caught his big break in 2012 when he won Insomniac’s Project Discovery mixing contest. His potential was recognized so early on, in fact, that by winning the contest, Kayzo was able to say that his first-ever live DJ show was at Insomniac’s Escape from Wonderland.

His first show! He has played many since then, and you will have the opportunity to catch this electronic renaissance man spin another when he opens for Bingo Players and UZ at Foam Wonderland later this month.

Foam Wonderland feat.

Kayzo, UZ, Bingo Players

Rawhide, 700 W. North Loop Road, Chandler, foamwonderland.com, Saturday, October 17, 8 p.m., $29-$59

TIPSY DRINK OF THE MONTH Out with the old, in with the new with this citrusy October cocktail

BOURBON BLOSSOM

2 oz. Woodford Reserve Bourbon ¾ oz. St. Germaine ½ oz. lime juice (freshly squeezed) 1 oz. apple juice ½ oz. maple syrup

I

n the mood to mix up your normal drink order?

Head over to Union Barrelhouse to grab a Bourbon Blossom and explore the rest of their great craft cocktails!

Union Barrelhouse is an American bar and grill located at the edge of Old Town Scottsdale. This comfy joint is known for its laidback atmosphere and delicious drinks. A colorful chalkboard menu displays the daily specials and with twists on your favorites like the Undertow Margarita or creative names like La Barbe De Grand Pere (translated to “Grandpa’s Beard”), the drinks come alive some even have interesting back stories. (You just have to know who to ask!)

Drink mixologist and beverage director Anthony Georgoulis has been mastering the art of drink making for over 24 years, and says he wanted to create a drink menu that “engages and dazzles.” One of his favorite drinks at Union Barrelhouse is the Bourbon Blossom.

“The Bourbon Blossom is accessible to non­ whiskey drinkers and whiskey lovers alike. With

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a slightly spicy and a little sweet taste palate, the drink’s got a really cool taste,” Georgoulis says.

If Bourbon’s your thing, Union Barrelhouse has over 100 bourbons and whiskeys available, in addition to their awesome craft beer selection.

And why not have something tasty to nibble on with your drink? Their food menu is stacked with a variety of burgers or melts to fit any craving, not to mention eight different kinds of grilled cheese!

“Union Barrelhouse is a mix of classic and new,” Georgoulis says. “A place for anybody, anytime of day.”

For more information on Union Barrelhouse and how to get yourself a complimentary Bourbon Blossom cocktail, download the TIPSY app and check their profile. For $10 a month, Tipsy members receive five vouchers redeemable for complimentary drinks, front­of­the­line passes and no­cover­charge entry to over 35 bars and clubs in Scottsdale, Tempe and Phoenix. Tipsy is currently available on Android and iOS with over 2000 users. Visit imtipsy.com for more information.

Mix all ingredients in a shaker. Shake and strain.

Serve in a Collins glass and garnish with a lemon twist.

Union Barrelhouse

3636 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, 480.946.7258, unionbarrelhouse.com

For $10 a month, the Tipsy app gives you five vouchers, redeemable for complimentary drinks and VIP experiences at over 35 venues in Scottsdale, Tempe and Phoenix.

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THE GREEN MACHINE

Green Velvet leaves academic past behind to pursue DJ dream Jasmine Kemper » The Entertainer!

C

urtis Alan Jones was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1967. Now known as Green Velvet, this American techno DJ made a life-long career out of his passion for music.

Jones left his master’s degree studies in chemical engineering at UC Berkeley to pursue his hobby of creating music. As a child he loved science fiction and video games, and those iconic sounds influenced his music later in life. His father was also a part-time DJ in Chicago.

Green Velvet’s sound (and hair) has evolved over the years. He’s experimented with genres all over the music spectrum but has always made sure to stick to his Chicago roots.

He was widely popular in Europe, performing his sets at numerous music festivals, clubs and other gigs. His third album, Walk In Love, was a mixture of classic house beats, pop and punk tracks released in 2005. It included songs like “Pin-Up Girl” and “Come Back.”

Relentless Beats now presents DJ Green Velvet at the Monarch Theatre. Join him as he drops some sick beats on Saturday, October 24 from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. Tickets for the show are $15 and can be purchased online or at participating Zia’s Records.

Monarch Theatre

122 E. Washington Street, Phoenix, 602.456.1991, monarchtheatre.com, Saturday, October 24, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., $15

ODDLY ACCURATE ASTROLOGY What does October hold for your social life?

Weiss Kelly » The Entertainer!

LIBRA »

CAPRICORN »

ARIES »

September 23 – October 22 This month, it’s all about you, Libra. Make yourself your priority and don’t feel guilty about it. Last month may have brought about an ending or a turn in the right direction.

This month will bring your fair share of invitations, because when the Sun enters your sign, others will notice you more.

December 22 – January 19 A bit of networking has its advantages this month.

Expect to spend some extra time at work the first half of the month and you’ll have to put your social life on the back burner.

Also, be aware of slight oversights. You’re diligent, but some may get through, so be extra cautious this month.

March 21 – April 21 This month is all about your social life, but unfortunately, it won’t all be great. It’s going to be more about how you reach out to others rather than if you reach out. That’s right, this time, the emphasis will be on them and not you, but if you keep that in mind, you’ll avoid misunderstandings.

SCORPIO »

AQUARIUS »

TAURUS »

October 23 – November 21 Take some time this month to take stock and focus on your social life—no need to push yourself but try to get out there. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to meet new people, even potential romances. In other words, throw away the key to the past and go in a bright new direction!

SAGITTARIUS »

November 22 – December 21 Expect to get a bit more serious about your commitments but be prepared for last minute adjustments. Use this month to pay more attention to your health and exercise routine. Work-related social activities will be common this month, but don’t be too weary. This will help your relationship with your colleagues and boss.

January 20 – February 18 October is a transition month for you, Aquarius.

By nature, you are always ready to seek out new experiences and this month will have a bevy of opportunities for you to do just that. Watch out for October 14 to 18 for any job changes, but with your networking skills, you shouldn’t have any issues in this area.

PISCES »

February 19 – March 20 You may be playing a waiting game at the beginning of the month as it appears you’re forging forward towards the end of the month. Keep a careful eye on your finances the first week or week and a half but still be willing to wiggle a little on your social life. Get there and enjoy some of the great local events!

April 22 – May 20 This month is all about money and romance! A new exciting prelude to romance will be found around town. Check out all of the fun events happening and if you show up, they’ll show up. Just remember to be patient with matters that may seem to be on hold.

GEMINI »

May 21 – June 21 You’ll be working hard and playing hard this month.

The first two weeks will have a lot of indecisions and your innate ability to flexible will be tested, but after October 13, you’ll start a new project, meet someone new or something else will be altered in a more positive way.

CANCER »

June 22 – July 22 Your home or work life will take up a lot of your time the first week of this month, but if you focus on them early on, you’ll be able to get them out of the way. The turn of the seasons always opens up possibilities, so keep your mind open to new romances and trying something new! There is no excuse to stay at home this month!

LEO »

July 23 – August 22 Leos will love October. It’ll be tough to determine which of the many events you have time for, especially when some friends seem a bit non-committal early on. Don’t wait for them, they’ll catch up eventually. The new moon on October 13 almost guarantees a new romance or creative agreement.

VIRGO »

August 23 – September 22 This month, leave work at work. Jupiter is in your sign, so you should be able to loosen up a bit.

You’ll experience a peak in creativity and motivation this month as well as an open mind. Splurge a little on yourself this month—you’ll have plenty of options to do so.

Weiss Kelly is a Valley-based astrologer and Professional Member of the American Federation of Astrologers. For your personal 2015 forecast recorded on a CD, send her an inquiry email at weissastro@aol.com or call 480.600.7424.

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THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2015

FREE TO BE M.E. Melissa Etheridge finds freedom in newfound independent career

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

M

elissa Etheridge has never felt so free.

After being signed to a major label deal for most of her career, Etheridge is now doing things her way, and to celebrate, named her latest album, This is M.E. “The whole experience is different,” Etheridge says. “It’s my first independent record, and I’m doing that in a whole different way—starting with the budget.

“It used to be I’d get a budget from the record company. I’d write songs and find a producer. Now you don’t have that money up front.”

Now she’s rethought the financial end of it, and has partnered with producers to collaborate on songs and releases. In return, she gives them “back end.”

“I wasn’t used to collaborating that much,” she says. “With some people, it didn’t work. The ones I worked with were amazing.”

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Her newfound freedom allowed her to explore uncharted territory, namely her R&B and soul roots.

“I just loved that,” she says. “That’s where some of these sounds came from— the lush production. The songs are still me. That’s why I called it This is M.E. This is no more me than anything, even though it might sound different.”

When she performs Friday, November 13, at Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino’s Ovations Live Showroom, Etheridge will show an even more different side of her—that of an acoustic musician.

“When I make a song, I have to be able to stand on stage by myself and make this song and love it and enjoy it and share it with the audience,” she says.

“It can’t be a gimmicky song. It has to be a real song. I create each one of them with that in mind. The solo tour is a unique way of presenting the songs.

“I’ve gotten much better at it now.

I know what I’m doing. I have a looper, so I accompany myself a little bit more.

It highlights my ability as a musician. I think a lot of people might not be aware of the type of guitar player I am.”

Etheridge says she enjoys showcasing these skills at casinos, which have become premier venues over the last decade.

“The casinos have really stepped up,” explains Etheridge, who has already begun work on a new album. “It used to be that, ‘Oh you’re playing a casino. It’s the bottom of the line.

“But casinos have made theaters that people can go to that are really great.”

It’s rooms like those and the rabid fans they hold that makes her career worthwhile.

“I love it,” she says about her career.

“I will always love it and continue to love it. I’m so grateful for being able to make music for a living. When you have gratitude and enjoyment, it stays fresh.

Every few years, I change musicians and approach songs different. But that’s how I keep it fresh.”

Melissa Etheridge

Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino’s Ovations Live Showroom, 5040 Wild Horse Pass Boulevard, Chandler, 800.946.4452, wingilariver.com, Friday, November 13, 8 p.m., $64- $144 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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HUNTING for COUNTRY Sam Hunt might be country’s most unlikely star, but tell that to the sales charts Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2015

S

am Hunt is an unlikely country star. His debut album, Montevallo, isn’t exactly a study in the genre’s music, but it and Hunt have become breakout stars.

Even Chris Matthews, assistant program director for the country station KMLE, questioned it briefly—but wholeheartedly believes in the strapping former college football player.

“It’s very interesting and, by all accounts, it shouldn’t have happened,” says Matthews, who doubles as the midday on-air personality. “You wouldn’t look at this on paper and say, ‘God this makes sense. This is going to be huge.’”

But Hunt defied doubters, taking his blend of country, hip-hop, rock and pop music to score four singles since 2014: “Leave the Night On,” “Take Your Time,” “House Party” and, most recently, “Break Up in a Small Town.”

“If you listen to that album, there are very, very few things that sound country,” Matthews says. “With the climate of the format today and the different kinds of music, it has found a place on country radio.

“It’s catchy enough. It’s poppy enough. It’s just different and unique enough that it really resonates. Plus, the fact that he’s 6-feet-4 and gorgeous doesn’t hurt with the ladies. It’s the perfect storm of something new and different and it’s taken off.”

It couldn’t have been any clearer when Hunt supported Lady Antebellum and Hunter Hayes at Ak-Chin Pavilion on July 11. Fans packed the summer shed long before Hunt’s 7 p.m. showtime, yearning to get a glimpse of him.

Matthews says he hasn’t seen that sort of response since a fledgling band named Florida Georgia Line served as an early opener “before they really blew up.”

“Now here they are headlining,” he says of FGL. Hunt will most likely be in that position by the end of 2016. He’s been to Phoenix a handful of times in 2015, playing the DirecTV Super Fan Festival in January, a Scottsdale block party in the spring and with Lady Antebellum.

He will return once again this year, this time to play “KMLE 107.9’s Not So Silent Night” on Thursday, December 3, at Comerica Theatre. He already has a gig scheduled for next year: He’ll perform during the all-day “Spread the Love” tour stop with Kenny Chesney and Miranda Lambert at Chase Field on Saturday, May 7.

Matthews says it was a no-brainer for KMLE to book Hunt for the Comerica Theatre concert.

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“He was somebody who we realized [was a draw] when we saw research scores just through the roof on this guy,” he says. “The first single, ‘Leave the Night On,’ remains one of our strongest testing songs. ‘Take Your Time’ took that to the next level.”

It’s a mutually beneficial partnership. KMLE gets yet another big name attached to the show, which also includes performances by Lee Brice, Old Dominion, Jerrod Niemann and Chase Rice. Hunt, in turn, gets increased exposure.

“We were able to catch him on the way up,” Matthews says. “With guys like this who shoot up so quickly, it’s really valuable to get him at this stage. We hope to make a connection with him. ‘We supported everything you’ve done. We believe in you and we know that it’s going to be an amazing show.’

“We were fortunate enough to be able to lock him in on this date. With his schedule over the next year—the next 12 to 18 months—Sam Hunt is going to continue to climb.”

Hunt is juggling family obligations, touring and the recording of a new album.

Matthews says a new collection isn’t quite necessary—yet.

“I don’t think we’re done with this album,” he says. “I think there are one or two more songs that could be singles.

All of the ladies in our building here, the females I have spoken to love ‘Ex to See’ and are waiting for that to be released.”

The KMLE show will be a little different for fans and Hunt. Matthews calls the gig “power acoustic” and its direction was refocused after Lee Brice was added to the bill.

“Jerrod Niemann and Lee Brice are pals—like real good, good friends. Like trouble together,” he says. “Sam Hunt and Chase Rice were on the road when they were first getting started. Old Dominion were writing songs for established artists.

“We’re going to capitalize on the uniqueness and the chemistry that’s going to happen on that stage. We’re doing it guitar-pool style, with Sam, Chase, Jerrod and Lee on stage at the same time—just hang on for the ride.”

KMLE 107.9’s Not So Silent Night

Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington Street, Phoenix, 602.379.2888, comericatheatre.com, Thursday, December 3, 7 p.m., $44-$55 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2015

85

NO MORE MISTER

NICE NED

Justin Stabley » The Entertainer!

M

ost people don’t get the opportunity to experience Internet fame in their lifetime.

For the few who do, it’s a surreal and usually brief experience.

Recently, the heavy metal band Okilly Dokilly made it big on the World Wide Web after posting its photos and demo songs online for the first time.

“We didn’t think it was going to be huge. It was just a fun side project,” says Head Ned, the lead mustachioed vocalist of the group. He asked that he, and the rest of the group, all be referred to only as their on-stage monikers.

Okilly Dokilly is a Phoenix-based group that makes moshable tunes inspired by the straight-laced “The Simpsons” character, Ned Flanders.

Within a few weeks, the band gained online renown for their gimmick, attracting laymen and news media alike. This popularity, however, came as a surprise for the small-time group, which made the band as a hobby.

HIDEY HO, WORLD-A-RINO! Head Ned had been performing in local music groups for five years, but wanted to

move in his own direction.

“I got jaded by doing that constantly,” he says.

Late last year, he started thinking of fun projects to break the rut.

“Me and my drummer were just joking around, trying to come up with goofy names,” says Head Ned. In that couch conversation, Okilly Dokilly was born, as well as the new genre: “Nedal.”

The joke continued to snowball, and by November 2014, he and the other band members were making songs together. Okilly Dokilly came to consist of Head Ned on vocals, Bled Ned on drums, Thread Ned on bass, Stead Ned on Guitar and Red Ned on synth.

For inspiration, Head Ned would scour the Internet for funny quotes from the character that “sound even slightly ominous,” and then watch the episode for further research.

Take for instance the famous quote, “Feels like I’m wearing nothing at all” from season 11 of the show. “Stupid, sexy Flanders” goes skiing in skin-tight snow pants, much to the disdain of Homer Simpson.

“Taken out of context and screamed, it sounds very heavy,” Head Ned explains.

Phoenix’s Okilly Dokilly turns beloved ‘Simpsons’ character hilariously hardcore

SPREADING THE GOOD WORD At first, no one understood the idea, compelling Head Ned to organize a photo shoot and release the band’s demo tape for the sake of publicity.

The photos, taken by Head Ned’s girlfriend, posted to the band’s Facebook on August 10 followed by their Bandcamp page. They didn’t expect the storm of popularity that followed.

“Once we put them online, the whole Internet wanted it,” he says.

In just three days, their Facebook page received 16,758 likes and reached over 26,000 by the end of August. It was safe to say that the band had become viral even before their first live performance.

Soon, large-scale news sites like time. com, billboard.com and playboy.com picked up the story, calling them “the metal band you never knew you needed” and a “stupid, sexy Phoenix rock band.”

“The instantaneousness of it was a shock for us,” says Head Ned. “Suddenly your face is everywhere.”

Their first show was at Rebel Lounge on September 25, and the place was completely filled.

“It’s weird to have your first show sell out. You miss the development phase, testing what works live. In some parts we were flying blind,” Head Ned says.

‘NEDAL’ GONE GLOBAL It’s been several weeks now since they went viral and the media blitz has mostly diminished.

“I think we’ve hit the peak of any popularity we may ever have,” Head Ned says. “I think that first three days was the tip of the mountain, it’s pretty much downhill from there.”

Head Ned sees the decline in interest as an opportunity to refine their work and figure out a long-term plan.

“It’s hard to have too much of a plan right now, we’re still testing the waters,” he says.

Because of the initial success, Okilly Dokilly is now a medium-level band with upcoming performances in Flagstaff and select cities in California. With no manager, it’s still a very independent group that makes its own decisions.

“I like keeping it that way, too,” says Head Ned. “I don’t like people being able to tell me what to do.”

Now if only Flanders could adopt a bit of that metal attitude...

Okilly Dokilly

The Green Room, 15 N. Agassiz Street, Flagstaff, ticketfly.com, Saturday, November 7, 8 p.m., $5 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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MORE THAN JUST FANS

Motion City Soundtrack frontman finds personal connection with his audience

SHERVIN LAINEZ

Joshua Hammond » Special to The Entertainer!

J

ustin Pierre, the animated and frenzied frontman of Motion City Soundtrack, hasn’t always wandered down the simplest paths.

Even a casual listener will notice as themes of mental health, failed relationships, substance abuse and addiction bleed through the mix. Rather ironically, however, is the manner in which Motion City Soundtrack inadvertently became the champion of self-worth for a generation because of Pierre’s instability.

“It was sort of an accidental byproduct of my feelings,” Pierre admits when asked about the connection between his fans and his music.

“It is overwhelming in a good way, yet I get a little nervous about it because I never intended to help anyone with my music. I just wrote what was in my head and what was going on in my life. I know what I’ve gone through and how that feels. A lot of those things that I have, or have had, or have worked through, other people currently have, or have had, or have worked through.”

Almost organically, fans of Motion WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

City Soundtrack found themselves buried in the lines Pierre had penned to save himself.

“I didn’t really even notice at first because I keep to myself at shows,” Pierre says about his connection with his fans.

“I’m not trying to be anti-social, I just talk a lot when I get started. So to keep from losing my voice, I hole up in my bunk and read or watch movies. It is the only way I can be quiet. I started reading messages from people on social media as a way to interact with fans. I began to realize that people were telling what they’ve gone through. ‘I have what you have,’ they’d say to me. They’d feel personally connected to the songs.”

It was that fusion of fans’ feelings and Pierre’s ability to capture them, even unintentionally, that kept people coming out to shows and buying albums as fast as Motion City Soundtrack could create them. That same loyalty found them on the road supporting Commit This To Memory, celebrating the 10th anniversary of its release.

Now, a decade after the release of that iconic record, Motion City Soundtrack hopes to resonate with fans, both new and

old, in a similar fashion through its newest album, Panic Station, on Epitaph Records, which hit shelves September 18.

Pierre admits that the new release takes him back to a time when music was fun and exciting: “This album that reminds me of how we used to write in the garage space in the late ‘90s. Panic Station is a return to the gut-driven writing style. That’s all we used to do when we were kids. It was exciting to find that place to write from again.”

More importantly however, Pierre is living in the moment.

“I feel like I was less aware of what was going on 10 years ago. The last few years, I’ve become much more excited about life and everything that I do.”

Motion City Soundtrack w/ The Wonder Years, State Champs and You Blew It! Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Avenue, Tempe, 480.829.0607, luckymanonline.com, Sunday, November 8, 7:30 p.m., $23

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IN THE MOMENT

Chris Cornell looks back on the past and to the future to form present solo career

WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2015

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

C

hris Cornell feels nostalgic.

During his solo acoustic shows, Cornell enjoys singing hits and deep cuts from his bands Soundgarden, Audioslave and Temple of the Dog. But he wants to look forward, too.

In an effort to do so, on September 6, Cornell released the album Higher Truth, which is fodder for his one-man acoustic show.

“After King Animal came out from Soundgarden, the follow-up tours that were acoustic shows might have [featured] one or two songs that I wrote for that album,” Cornell says.

“The shows are really a look back, mostly. I want it to feel like it’s going to be a look ahead as well. With the four years of acoustic touring and bringing my entire history of songwriting to this one show, my feet finally hit the ground as a solo artist—a solo artist with an identity.”

The 51-year-old Cornell feels fortunate that he can switch gears between projects.

“Whether it’s touring or a one-off show [with Soundgarden] or songwriting or recording, it’s a completely different focus in every way—the songwriting, the performing, being in a band and a collaboration versus being alone,” Cornell explains.

“There’s no confusing one or the other, either. Two months on the road playing acoustic songs immediately transfers to being on stage with a really loud band,” he adds. “As soon as I’m sick of one, the other is waiting.”

This would appear to be the ideal career. Cornell doesn’t necessarily disagree.

“The closest thing I can see in terms of looking out across the landscape of other American songwriter performers would be like Neil Young, who seems to keep busy his whole career doing pretty much just that.

“He’s figuring out new ways of exploring his songs and his songwriting and making albums and presenting

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them in so many different ways and so many collaborations.”

He cites the Young-Daniel Lanois 2010 collection, Le Noise, as an example.

“It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever heard,” he says. “It came and went and he’s off and running doing other things. It’s pretty inspiring, but it’s good for someone like me who’s had an almost 30-year career, to look at someone whose career is over 40 and it’s still just as vital and still inspired and moving along. I’ve never seen a finish line for what I do. I’ve never viewed it as a job, so I never thought of such a thing as retirement.”

So Cornell keeps working and, besides his sold-out solo acoustic tour that comes to the Orpheum in Phoenix on Wednesday, November 4, he’s in the beginning phases of a new Soundgarden album. (Tickets from the postponed September show will be honored.)

“I’m working on new songs,” he says with a bit of hesitation. “There is no schedule of events. It’s definitely as fun as it’s ever been. I think it’s something that’s kind of better to always my one foot in. I think there were years when Soundgarden wasn’t together when I wasn’t really thinking about it.

“I wasn’t automatically coming up with song ideas that were relatable to Soundgarden. Now that we’re together again, that happens automatically.

“It feels really good. It’s a huge part of my musical identity. It’s this super close family member that I’m glad, at this point in my life, didn’t die or move to the other side of the planet where I’ll never see them. I think we’re lucky to have our band back again. I think we’re lucky to have it back on our own terms. It’s been nothing but great since it happened.”

Chris Cornell w/Hemming

Orpheum Theatre, 203 W. Adams Street, Phoenix, 800.745.3000, ticketmaster.com, Wednesday, November 4, 7:30 p.m., sold out WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2015

THE NIGHTOWL

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SIP » UNLEASH » MIX » MINGLE » PULSE » SHAKE

Horoscopes 98

Tipsy Drink of the Month 94 Nightlife Photos 95 Mija Gone Global 96

EASY AS I CAKE

Breanne DeMore » The Entertainer!

Steve Aoki brings his highenergy show to Livewire

t’s tough to talk about EDM without mentioning Steve Aoki.

Although the American musician and record producer founded his own label, Dim Mak Records, in 1996, he actually released his debut mix album, Pillowface and His Airplane Chronicles, in 2008. In just seven short years, Aoki has made a huge impact on the EDM industry.

The long, dark-haired DJ was nominated in 2013 for the Grammy for Best Dance/Electronica Album and won the 2008 Billboard Award for Best Mix Album of the Year. His three studio

albums, including his 2015 release, Neon Future II, have all broken the top 10 in the Dance/Electronic Album charts in the United States. His second studio album, Neon Future I, even reached No. 1 after its release in 2014.

A key aspect of Aoki’s success has been his collaborations with artists from virtually every genre including will.i.am, Afrojack, Iggy Azalea, LMFAO and Linkin Park. Additionally, Aoki has done inventive and memorable remixes of artists ranging from Drake to The Killers and from Bloc Party to Robin Thicke.

Now he is coming back to Livewire, where he performed their first sold out show ever in February 2015. This show, presented by Live 101.5, will surely be as exciting as his reputation promises.

Known for his high-energy show, which he almost always throws cake (Yes, sugary, frosted, delicious cake.) into the crowd, Aoki is one EDM star you definitely don’t want to miss.

Best Night Ever with Steve Aoki

Livewire, 7320 E. Indian Plaza, Scottsdale, live1015phoenix.com, Thursday, November 12, 9 p.m.

WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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FUNNY

GIRL

Gilbert comedian Jill Bryan breaks down barriers, far away from comedy’s capitals

Sarah Marmolejo » Special to The Entertainer!

W

ith a brother like Jimmy Kimmel, you would think breaking out of his shadow might be difficult. But it’s not, if you’re Gilbert comedian Jill Bryan.

It was another day at the bland, dull office where “babysitting adults” and “political correctness” go hand-in-hand, Bryan says. Another day, another dollar, and one more day at the office as an administrative assistant wasn’t something Bryan could take.

When she heard about an open mic night in town, she decided to give it a shot. After all, comedy runs in the family.

Bryan explained that she always loved acting and making her friends laugh, so stand-up seemed like the natural next step.

But it was not until July 2006 that she gave it a shot and fell in love, and by then she was 35.

Since Bryan began her comedy career late by the industry’s standards, the nagging factors were always there—the late start, the male-dominated field, the idea of failing.

But Bryan didn’t let anything get to her as she raced through the doorway to success.

Bryan grew up around boys. As she entered the comedy scene, dealing with the male majority was nothing new, and she sure didn’t let that stop her. It should not stop anyone, she explains.

“I have had always had more male friends than female friends, so it felt

normal to me,” she says. “But I also won’t allow anyone to treat me poorly, so my gender hasn’t been an issue so far. My only advice to women who may want to try comedy is to be a funny woman. Don’t try to be a guy. Be a woman. And be funny.

That’s the only way to go.”

Gilbert might be happy to stake its claim on Bryan as she breaks through comedy’s barriers, but why here? Bryan has accomplished a great deal in her career and might be expected to live in Hollywood or New York, but she says she loves it here—and not just because it’s a town that is slightly cheaper than Los Angeles.

“I love my little house, my neighborhood . . . it’s easy to live here. Much cheaper than L.A. The traffic is barely existent, the schools are good. I may move to L.A. or New York if my career leads me in that direction, but for now I am very comfortable.”

Bryan may enjoy living in Gilbert but that doesn’t stop her from traveling as she gets ready to go on her third tour for the U.S. military, where she will be joined by a few other comedians. For Bryan it’s not about being the most famous comedian, it’s about making people who need it smile.

With such a go-get-‘em attitude, it’s no wonder Bryan is as successful as she is.

Catch Bryan this month as she performs a show at SanTan Village in Gilbert with Clayton Perkins and Michael Turner on Friday, December 4.

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DRAGON

15

New Years Eve

BREADTH RUBEN PAUL

Piff the Magic Dragon proves you can blend comedy and magic seamlessly

SPECIAL PRESENTATION

DECEMBER 31

3 GREAT SHOW PACKAGES TO CHOOSE FROM

Breanne DeMore » The Entertainer!

M

ix one part magician with two parts comedian and wrap it all in a green dinosaur suit and . . . PIFF! You’ve got Piff the Magic Dragon.

A magician for this generation of magic-lovers, Piff performs his routine with a deadpan delivery and a sarcastic, and almost self-deprecating, sense of humor—all while wearing a dinosaur suit and holding his Chihuahua named Mr. Piffles.

From card tricks to disappearing acts, Piff seamlessly performs astounding magic tricks while keeping his audience laughing hysterically with his simple yet impactful commentary and seeming nonchalance attitude about performing in front of so many people. He keeps his character as a dragon, occasionally “sneezing” sparks and making excuses about what “dragons like.”

He has performed on “Penn & Teller: Fool Us” before performing on “America’s Got Talent,” where he very nearly made it to the finals. With 12 million YouTube views, Piff has also performed as the opening act for Mumford & Sons on their 17-date UK tour and just finished up a six-month residency at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

He’s performed on stages ranging from London’s Shakespeare’s Globe to New York’s Radio City Music Hall to the Sydney Opera House, and now he’s coming to Phoenix. Expect to alternate between laughing out loud and picking

your jaw up off the floor with this fun and unique performance. You won’t want to miss this unique and memorable magician who is quickly becoming an international star.

TRIPLE

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A COUNTRY CHRISTMAS

LeAnn Rimes spreads holiday cheer to the Valley this month Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

L

ike most artists, LeAnn Rimes doesn’t make a habit of listening to her own albums.

She worries she’ll hear a mistake, or something she wishes she could change.

But she’s making an exception for Today is Christmas, her latest holiday release that hit stores in October.

“After many years of trying to please other people, it feels so good to do what I want,” she says. “I don’t feel like there’s anything missing anymore. I’m proud of the Christmas record. Maybe that’s why I can bear with it.”

Accordingly, she’s proud and supportive of anything that carries her name, whether it’s a clothing line or other product.

“After years and years of being in business, I’ve learned to be authentic that way,” she says.

The authenticity shines through on Today is Christmas, which features guest appearances by Aloe Blacc (“That Spirit of Christmas”) and Gavin DeGraw (“Celebrate Me Home”).

“They’re such great guys,” Rimes says.

“They’re both such soulful people. They have completely different voices. They both brought their own things to each song.

She calls DeGraw “crazy” and Blacc “a kind soul.”

“I saw him [Blacc] perform live and when ‘That Spirit of Christmas’ came up, I thought he’d sound really cool on the song.

“I had never met him, but he immediately said yes. He came in the studio, we shook hands, said hello and went face to face with two microphones. It was like a love scene where you say, ‘Hey, nice to meet you. Let’s make out.’ I got to know him really quickly and he’s a kind, kind, sweet soul.”

Creating a holiday collection was much more challenging than an original studio album, she says. She worked on making songs sound original, but possess the same traits as the standard.

“It’s definitely a challenge to do that, to find songs people have heard and not a million times,” she says. “I had written a couple of originals, which was really fun as well.”

For Today is Christmas, she wanted to capture the gamut of emotions felt by fans during the holidays. There are some who feel sad because they associate the season with deaths or breakups. Others are joyous toward the end of the year.

Rimes’ Christmas season is the latter.

“I have to say that my favorite Christmas is one of the most recent ones,” she says. “My husband [actor Eddie Cibrian] and I got engaged on Christmas Eve several years ago. I would have to

say that was probably one of my top Christmas memories.”

In 2016, she’s hoping to create more musical memories for her fans, who will then see a new album. There are other projects in the works that she’s not ready to announce.

Whether Rimes is working on a new album or not, she is always writing. When she’s inspired, she’ll take notes and take them to the next writing session.

“My inspiration all depends on the day,” she says with a laugh. “Last year during my Christmas tour, somebody in the audience yelled out ‘I still believe in Santa.’ I don’t know why. It was pretty random.

“I knew we were talking about writing originals for the next record.

I said, ‘That’s a great song title.’ My inspiration comes from random places—a dream or life.”

LeAnn Rimes w/Ellee Duke

Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino’s Ovations Live Showroom, 5040 Wild Horse Pass Boulevard, Chandler, 800.946.4452, wingilariver.com, Friday, December 18, 8 p.m., $47-$99 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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EMILY JOYCE

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THAT YOUNG ATTITUDE D Dwight Yoakam rekindles youthful spark on latest album Alan Sculley >> Special to The Entertainer!

wight Yoakam sees several parallels between his new album, Second Hand Heart, and his 1986 debut album, the altcountry classic Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. “It feels in a strange way connected to the very first record, Guitars, Cadillacs in the way that it came about,” Yoakam says in a recent phone interview “That album [Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.] was an EP originally, and then Warner signed me in ’85 and I re-released it in January of ’86 as a full-length...And this one has its own, it’s almost as if that album had its own journey and a couple of lives.”

As Yoakam suggests, both Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. and Second Hand Heart include songs that had a previous life before being redone in somewhat different ways for the two albums.

Several songs from Guitars, Cadillacs surfaced on an independent EP that was later supplemented with other WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

songs and re-released as the Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. Second Hand Heart, includes a few songs that had been gestating with Yoakam for some time. “V’s of Birds,” was a song Yoakam had thought of covering as far back as the mid-1990s.

The title track was written and under consideration for Yoakam’s previous release, the acclaimed 2012 album 3 Pears, while another original, “Dreams of Clay,” originally surfaced in a far different form on the 2000 album Tomorrow’s Sounds Today.

“The [new] album kind of created itself. And you know, funny enough Guitars, Cadillacs...the first album did that,” he says. “It was an example of the album leads you to where it’s going to go.”

Another parallel is both Guitars, Cadillacs and Second Hand Heart are on Warner Bros./Reprise Records, the label Yoakam called home for his first eight albums before parting ways and releasing his 2003 album, Population Me,

and his 2005 album, Blame the Vain, on independent labels.

What’s more, both Guitars, Cadillacs and Second Hand Heart were recorded in the same studio—the legendary Capitol Records Studio B. “That room’s just flat out got magic in it,” Yoakam says. “Let’s see, the first six studio albums of my career were done at Capitol Studios, Guitars, Cadillacs through Gone. So that feels like home always.

That room doesn’t lie. You better be on your game when you go into B because it just spits back to you in your face exactly what you just did.”

But what might be the biggest link between the two albums is an attitude Yoakam brought to the projects—a spirit, as he put it, of “reckless abandon, mischief making and fun” that reminded him of why he wanted to make albums in the first place.

It’s a feeling he says has been present at times on all of his albums, but was

never articulated as well as it has been with certain songs from 3 Pears and now Second Hand Heart.

“You hear it on all of the albums,” Yoakam says of that reckless abandon.

“You hear it on things like ‘Long Way Home.’ Another song that would have that expression in it would be ‘Only Want You More’ a raved up rockabilly comingoff-the-rails [kind of song]. And in [the 1995 album] ‘Gone,’ I think the song ‘Never Hold You’ has a bit of that thing.

But left to my own devices, I’m pushing more kind of the envelope maybe on 3 Pears and now this [album], in terms of the sonics of it.”

That sort of full-throttle, hardrocking sound pops up on the new album in Yoakam’s cover of “Man of Constant Sorrow,” which was made famous on the “O Brother Where Art Thou” soundtrack, and his original, “Liar.” On those tracks, Yoakam amps up the beats, lets the guitars rip and rocks out with the kind of abandon he’s only occasionally displayed on earlier albums.

“Yeah, that’s a collision of the Ramones ambushing Bill Monroe,” Yoakam says of his take on “Man of Constant Sorrow.”

If Yoakam rarely rocked as hard on his earlier albums as he does on “Man of Constant Sorrow” and “Liar,” his sound nevertheless proved very successful, especially during the first decade of his career.

A native of Pikeville, Kentucky, who grew up in Columbus, Ohio, Yoakam came to Los Angeles in 1977, inspired by the rocking country sounds of Bakersfieldbased Buck Owens and the Sweethearts of the Rodeo-era Byrds.

He scuffled for several years before getting signed by Warner Bros., and releasing the chart-topping Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc. Etc. album. It started Yoakam on a commercial roll that has produced 22 top 20 country singles and nine platinum albums. His total album sales stand at 25 million.

Yoakam figures to play a careerspanning set in his live shows, and a couple of members of his touring group also played extensively on Second Hand Heart, lending a continuity to the album and live show.

“It’s just gratifying to have the musicians I’m working with on stage work on the record with me,” Yoakam says.

“There is a purity of energy and intent that you capture.”

Dwight Yoakam

Harrah’s Ak-Chin, 15406 N. Maricopa Road, Maricopa, caesars.com/harrahsak-chin/shows, Thursday, December 10, 4:30 p.m., free

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015

THE SHOWMAN

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LISTEN » JAM » INNOVATE » EVOLVE » ROCK » SING

Brian Setzer 97 Lights 98 Trans-Siberian Orchestra 96

ALL IN THE FAMILY

X Ambassadors secures a spot in the mainstream, together Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

X

Ambassadors’ “Renegades” has been one of the surprise breakthrough hits of 2015. Lead guitarist Noah Feldshuh says the formula behind its success is simple: It comes down to family.

“Our band is really a family—both literally and otherwise,” says Feldshuh, who was calling from the set of “The Late, Late Show with James Corden.”

Singer Sam Harris and keyboardist Casey Harris are brothers, while Feldshuh

grew up with the two. The trio met drummer Adam Levin in college.

“We have about 10 years together and we went through our transformative times together,” Feldshuh says. “We support each other and we’re just a group of guys that is a family. We’re relatable.

“As far as musically, we try to put as much of ourselves in our music as we can.

Hopefully that has a lot to do with why it resonates with people.”

The hummable “Renegades” seeped into music listeners’ brains via a commercial for Jeep Renegades, naturally.

Eventually it weaseled its way onto radio, where it secured a spot as one of the most

ubiquitous singles of the year.

An ode to “misfits and adventurers,” “Renegades” is somewhat nostalgic to X Ambassadors, who recently released the album VHS. Keyboardist Casey is blind and underwent a kidney transplant.

“He’s an inspiration to all of us; same with the other people we have in the video” says Feldshuh, whose band plays the Mesa Amphitheatre on Monday, December 14.

“It’s just a song about defying the odds and doing things differently and doing things your own way in spite of what society tells you is normal. We’re so happy to hear the response that the song has gotten. It means so much to so many people.”

VHS is X Ambassadors’ first fulllength album for the label run by British music producer Alex da Kid. With Alex da Kid’s help, X Ambassadors brought forth its diverse musical backgrounds.

“Alex da Kid has visions for the music and has a very creative mind,” Feldshuh says. “We’ve been able to come out with stuff that pushes the envelope that we’re really proud of.”

Mostly, Alex da Kid taught X Ambassadors to come to grips with their music.

“The hardest thing when you’re writing is to know when it’s good and when it’s finished,” Feldshuh says. “There’s no right or wrong answer.

“You’re always going to think there’s something better. You’re always going to second guess yourself or think you can make something better. Overthinking hurts the outcome of what you’re trying to do. He worked as our sounding board and beat maker. He’s the captain of the ship.

He’s really, really valuable and furthered our music a lot.”

Ugly Sweater Holiday Party w/Bastille, Chvrches, Wolf Alice, Of Monsters and Men, George Ezra and X Ambassadors Mesa Amphitheatre, 263 N. Center Street, Mesa, 480.644.2560, mesaamp. com, Sunday, December 13, and Monday, December 14, 6 p.m., $43-$68

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HOLIDAY HEROES

The magic of music overcomes all this holiday with Trans-Siberian Orchestra Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

P

aul O’Neill understands the power of music. As the man behind Trans-Siberian Orchestra, he has seen families come together and even potential enemies.

Case in point: In July, TSO played the Wacken rock festival in Germany, and what he saw changed the direction of the rock orchestra’s latest album Letters from the Labyrinth.

“While I was there, the night before, I was wandering around the campsite— true story—and bumped into two young men, about 20,” says O’Neill, whose collective plays two shows on Sunday, December 6, at Gila River Arena.

“I asked them where they were from, and they were from Iraq. They were Sunni Muslims. We talked for a little while. About 50 feet away, about 30 minutes later, [I] bumped into two other young men, also 20s, a little bit older, and they were Shiite Muslims from Iran. I can’t imagine that, during the next three days, these guys didn’t bump into each other.

“I would like to believe that, God forbid, in two years if these four young men, who are in two separate militias, met in combat in Syria in that horrible civil war, that if they recognize each other that not only would they not pull the trigger,

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I think they would actually unchamber their weapons.”

O’Neill says the two groups may recall the TSO concert they attended.

“It’s hard to hate someone—let alone shoot them—who you’ve gone to a concert with. That is the magic of music.

It’s really amazing.”

Letters from the Labyrinth is a major change from the way TSO regularly creates new work. It’s the first TSO album that’s not built around a completed story.

“Instead, it’s a collection of completed songs that have, basically, left the safety of the studio where they were born,” O’Neill says.

“The stories will emerge from their combined journeys. Just as TSO was designed to be a constantly evolving, morphing band over the decades, Letters from the Labyrinth is our first album where we’re experimenting. We’re calling it an open-ended album. Like our own lives, the story will develop and evolve. We’re not really sure what’s going to happen tomorrow, let alone next year.”

The show has evolved as well. O’Neill is hoping to perform at least six new songs at Gila River Arena. Those include “Madness of Men,” “Forget About the Blame” and “Not the Same.”

“Not the Same” references the Amanda Todd cyberbullying incident in Canada, but it all hearkens back to Wacken.

“There were quite a few people I bumped into there from the Middle East,”

O’Neill says.

“Also, while I was over there, we were watching the news. I had a bunch of Iranians say this is all the Iraqis’ fault. The Iraqis are saying blame Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabians are, like, blame the Shiite militias.

“The people living in Syria, they don’t care about blame. They just want it to stop. What’s happened in the past, is the past. You can study it to correct the future, but it’s not going to change the past.”

The album’s direction changed on a dime and, perhaps, TSO’s career will too. “[The album] literally changed from the one concert we did—right in the middle of doing it.

“It just made me realize a single day can change the perspective of everything.

Again, you’re looking at Pompeii one day, and 70 A.D. a volcano goes off and everything changes.

“You’re looking at a country that’s at peace in 1914, and 1915 everything changes. It’s all about perspective.”

Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Gila River Arena, 9400 W. Maryland Avenue, Glendale, 623.772.3200, gilariverarena. com, Sunday, December 6, 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., $34-$69

READY, SETZ, GO!

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2015

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Brian Setzer brings Christmas show to get the Valley in the spirit of the season

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

B

rian Setzer has a good head on his shoulders.

After repeated shows at the Celebrity Theatre, the rockabilly legend with upswept hair pretty much has the revolving stage thing down pat.

“Even though you’re not going fast, you can get a little dizzy,” Setzer says with a laugh. “You get a little spun around; it sounds a little silly. You get used to it really quick.”

The Celebrity Theatre has become a favorite stop on his annual Christmas Rocks! Tour, which returns Tuesday, December 15.

“That’s a really cool show for us at the Celebrity,” says Setzer, the frontman and brains behind the Stray Cats. “There’s a really cool crowd and it’s really an enjoyable show.”

Setzer is touring behind this year’s Rockin’ Rudolph, his first new holiday album in 10 years. For this collection, Setzer put his stamp on “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” “Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” “Hark!

The Herald Angels Sing” and “YabbaDabba Yuletide.” The key to recording a Christmas album, Setzer says, is to not stray too far from the original.

“People have to know the song,” he says. “You can’t change it too much. If you do ‘Rudolph’ like Gene Autry did it, it’s a cowboy song. You have to take it and make it your own somehow. I call it ‘scuffin’ up the songs.’ It’s like taking sandpaper to them.”

This year’s performance—which will feature a pianist to reflect the addition of the instrument on Rockin’ Rudolph—will include not only songs from his holiday collections but Stray Cats tracks as well.

“It’s half Christmas and half Stray

Cats songs, and just some rockabilly songs that I feel like doing,” he says. “I do whatever I want.”

He has been playing Stray Cats songs like “(She’s) Sexy & 17,” “Rock this Town” and the classic “Stray Cat Strut,” since the early 1980s. But Setzer never tires of them.

“They’re just really good songs,” he says. “They’ve become classics. What I do is I change up the solos every night. I never play the same solo twice. I don’t feel like I’m tied down to playing the same thing. I perform them with a big band arrangement. Like with ‘Sexy & 17,’ I’ll bring the girls down with me and we’ll do a trade-off.”

Stray Cats music isn’t the only sentimental thing about Setzer’s tour.

He has been using the same guitar since he was 17. As a matter of fact, the Smithsonian wanted the guitar, but, for the time being, he gave them a replica.

The Smithsonian’s request for his ax was a true honor, he says.

“It’s awesome,” Setzer says. “It truly is. I don’t take it lightly. That was something to go down there and present it to them. My manager said, ‘Oh the Smithsonian wants one of your guitars.’ I was like, ‘Wait a minute. Let’s just wind that back. Wanna say that slowly?’”

Ultimately, Setzer explains, he would

like to give the museum one that he played in the Stray Cats, but he’s not quite willing to give up his guitar yet.

“When I’m done with it, I’m going to swap it out,” Setzer says. “I bought it when I was 17. I still use it. It’s been with me longer than anything.”

Setzer isn’t planning to hang up his career anytime soon. In 2016, he’s taking out yet another act, the Rockabilly Riot.

“That’s my four-piece band—guitar, piano, bass and drums,” he says. ‘It’s kind of like the big band where I play whatever I want. It’s just less musicians with the Rockabilly Riot. It’s a scaled down rockabilly band.

“I’m going to go to Japan with it. I don’t know if I’m going to go to Europe or stay in the U.S. For me to take off four months is unheard of. I like to work. I don’t like to sit around.”

The Brian Setzer Orchestra’s 12th Annual Christmas Rocks! Tour w/Low Volts

Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd Street, Phoenix, 602.267.1600, celebritytheatre.com, Tuesday, December 15, 7:30 p.m., $61-$79 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

LIGHTS

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UP

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Pop star Lights ready to take her place in the mainstream Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

T

he 2014 album Little Machines was both a victory and a learning experience for Canadian pop star Lights.

Also known as Toronto-bred Valerie Anne Poxleitner, Lights suffered from writer’s block as she tried to pen songs for the collection, but it paid off in the end.

In March, she was awarded Pop Album of the Year at the 2015 Juno Awards, Canada’s version of the Grammys.

“There was a three-year gap between records,” Light says. “I took too much time off writing and I felt it freeze over.

There was a whole year there where I was overdue for a record and that pressure on top of writer’s block made for this perfect storm.”

The key to breaking down those walls was to return to the innocence of creativity, dig deep and find the words that were in her head.

“I needed to make that connection from my fingertips where I’m making my music to that part of the brain where everything is locked away,” she says.

“That’s the challenge of songwriting: Making those two things meet up. That is when songwriting is fun and enjoyable.”

It’s still enjoyable. She’s currently working on a new album; a release date has not been set.

“When you get back to that place of comfort, where it’s fresh and exciting, I had to rediscover that again,” Lights says. “I’m really learning to enjoy music again. Once you’re in the industry, you see behind the smoke and light. You know what’s going on. You have to look a little

harder to enjoy the performance than you did when you were younger.”

She puts just as much thought into her concerts. She’s playing the Marquee on Saturday, December 12, and she’s promising that fans will see an evolution in her performances.

“We’re doing things on this run that we’ve never done,” she says. “Our set looks amazing. We’re breaking things down and doing an acoustic portion in the set. It feels really special and cohesive.

I have fans who come to multiple shows, so I’m trying to give them something they haven’t seen.”

The acoustic sets are important to Lights, who has released unplugged versions of her albums. Coming up in 2016 is the acoustic Little Machines, which she recently wrapped.

“I’ve been putting out acoustic versions of my records from the beginning,” Lights says. “There’s a built-in understanding of my music in that way. It makes sense to show that off a little bit.”

She is also headed to the high seas to play on Paramore’s cruise, PARAHOY!, along with Chvrches, X Ambassadors, New Found Glory and others.

“I’ve never even been on a cruise,” she says. “I don’t even like boats—but look where music has gotten me.”

Lights and The Mowgli’s, w/K. Flay

The Marquee, 730 N. Mill Avenue, Tempe, 480.829.1300, luckymanonline.com, Saturday, December 12, 7:30 p.m., $23 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

TAKE THE NIGHT

AC Slater brings LA’s night bass to Phoenix Dylan Arndt » The Entertainer!

B

ass music has always been a staple in electronic music, but as of recent the huge umbrella of a genre as grown exponentially into something that is now one of the most in-demand sub-genres in the market.

With the likes of future house, trap and dubstep dominating local and national ticket sales, audiences are clearly as thirsty as they have ever been for some bass music and are looking to sink their teeth into this trending sound.

Well fear not, for on December 12, Los Angeles’ hottest bass music event is making it’s way to Phoenix for a very special night of hard-hitting rave music blended with some underground grime that will satisfy even the most intense of thirsts. LA-based producer, DJ and promoter, AC Slater, brings his acclaimed

club series Night Bass to Phoenix with his Take the Night Tour which includes stops in San Diego, Kansas City, and Denver leading up to his stop here in Arizona.

Since Night Bass’ launch in 2014, this monthly event in Los Angeles has transformed into one of the most sought after and acclaimed nightlife events in the city. The Night Bass movement has ushered in a new wave of appreciation for bass music in general, and specifically, the underground bass-heavy garage sound.

“There’s nowhere I can hear this music in L.A.,” Slater stated in an interview with Insomniac. “It kind of exploded. It turns out people wanted that music, not just me.”

With the success of the Night Bass Series came a quick rise to fame for AC Slater as well as a brand new record

imprint, Night Bass Records, which launched earlier this year and has been home to some of the leading talents in the Night Bass style of underground and rave.

Prepare your body and soul for a chest-pounding night of heavy drums and cracking beats as AC Slater takes you on a journey through the night with his fine-tuned bass music and see what the LA nightlife is all about right here in your own backyard.

AC Slater

Monarch Theatre, 122 E. Washington Street, Phoenix, relentlessbeats. com, Saturday, December 12, 9 p.m., $10

TIPSY DRINK OF THE MONTH Drink in the holiday season with this refresher from Shady Park in Tempe C

elebrate the Holidays with great pizza, chill vibes and the best happy hour deals in town with Tipsy at Shady Park.

Tempe’s newest and hottest spot is Shady Park. Located on University just east of Mill Avenue, Shady Park is your perfect neighborhood spot to grab some drinks and enjoy an amazing, authentic Italian cuisine. The venue is split into three sections. The first is an outdoor covered patio facing University. The second is an indoor bar/ club area with great furniture and scene. The last (which is our favorite) is an outdoor covered patio filled with shade trees, bean bags, grass and a beer tap system stretching wall to wall.

Robert Birmingham, also known as Super Fun Bobby, is serving up the Zen Zero this month. Bobby described Zen Zero as “snappy.”

“The hint of ginger ale makes it a great holiday drink but you can enjoy it all year around,” he says.

Bobby has been a bartender for 27 years and he is proud to tell you stories about his past as a promoter, event manager and entertainer. Actually, he was nine years old only when he mixed his first martini! He chooses to be at Shady Park for the experience.

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“Everything is authentic. Our chef prepares handmade pasta and all of our ingredients are top quality. There is no other venue in the area offering a similar experience.”

The happy hour specials are unbelievable. For $3 only you can receive a slice of pizza plus any well or draft drink. Using the Tipsy app. you can redeem your vouchers for any well or draft drink regardless of happy hour specials.

For more information about Shady Park, download the TIPSY app and check their profile.

Tipsy members receive vouchers every month redeemable for complimentary drinks, front-of-theline passes and no-cover-charge entry to over 40 bars and clubs in Scottsdale, Tempe and Phoenix. Tipsy is currently available on Android and iOS with over 3000 users. Visit imtipsy.com for more information.

ZEN ZERO

1 ½ oz. Bourbon or gin ¾ oz. Fresh squeezed lemon juice ½ oz. Ginger simple syrup ½ oz. Ginger beer 2 dashes Cardamom bitters 1 dash Angostura bitters, as garnish Pour all ingredients in a shaker and shake well.

Shady Park

26 E. University Drive, Tempe, 480.474.4222, facebook.com/ shadyparktempe

For $10 a month, the Tipsy app gives you five vouchers, redeemable for complimentary drinks and VIP experiences at over 35 venues in Scottsdale, Tempe and Phoenix.

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FEEL GOOD TRANCE

Markus Schulz returns with his sick beats Jasmine Kemper » The Entertainer!

A

ll his life, German-American DJ and music producer Markus Schulz has had a passion for music, helping shape the trance and progressive music scene with his distinct beats.

Schulz emigrated to the United States from Germany at the age of 13, when the breakdance scene in America was just getting its start. It was then that his love for the turntable began to flourish.

Today, the successful DJ is known around the world, performing at some of the biggest EDM festivals, including the Electric Daisy Carnival, Electric Zoo, Ultra Music Festival, Love Parade and many others. When he’s not DJing, Schulz is recognized for his work on the weekly radio show “Global DJ Broadcast” and is also the founder of Coldharbour Recordings and Schulz Music Group.

This talented music man, who formerly lived in Arizona, has had the chance to collaborate with some major names in the industry, such as Madonna, Fatboy Slim, Depeche Mode and more.

His remixes of “Intuition” and “Stand” by American singer Jewel even reached No. 1 on the Billboard club chart.

Through his work, he’s been ranked on the world’s top 10 DJs list in DJ Magazine and even won the Best American DJ at the International Dance Music Awards show in 2008.

Start your weekend with some sick beats as Steve Levine Entertainment and Disco Donnie present DJ Markus Schulz at Maya Day + Nightclub. He’ll take control of the stage on Friday, January 15, at 9 p.m.

Maya Day + Nightclub

7333 E. Indian Plaza, Scottsdale, 480.625.0528, mayaclubaz.com, Friday, January 15, 9 p.m., $15 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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SMART AND FUNNY Ben Gleib begins 2016 comedy tour in Arizona

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THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE JANUARY 2016

Erica J. Thompson » The Entertainer!

B

en Gleib is in the middle of the most successful time of his comedy career.

“This has been the busiest, most work filled year I have ever had,” he says. “I have been able to do so many different things. It has been a really great time.”

In just over a year he wrapped working on “Chelsea Lately” as a regular panelist, completed a stand-up comedy world tour in five countries, and has his own television show, “Idiotest,” on the Game Show Network. Gleib is also appearing more and more on television with recent appearances on “Last Call with Carson Daly “and “The Today Show.”

Gleib grew up in Los Angeles and got his start working the comedy circuit in Southern California.

“I grew up with a love of stand up and wanted to do it since I was 5 years old,” he says. “[I] developed a speech problem as a kid and was unable to talk for much of my youth and childhood.”

Since his childhood he wanted to be involved in comedy, inspired by the likes of Johnny Carson, Bill Murray, Steve Martin and Chevy Chase.

“My absolute favorite comedian of all time was George Carlin and I think I am most similar to his style of stand up, except I improvise a lot more,” Gleib says.

After college Gleib moved home to

Los Angeles to pursue a career in comedy.

“I was in an improv group with Kristen Wiig and Felicia Bay, called The Empty Stage, training as an actor and doing stand up is what worked for me.”

Stand-up comedy was the first of his pursuits to take off. Gleib said stand-up is where he received “the best response from people and the most direct connection with the crowd.”

Since his early days in comedy Gleib has had a growing presence on television and film. Gleib shares that one of the highlights of his career so far has been having his own show and being on “Chelsea Lately.”

“I love hosting ‘Idiotest,’ Gleib says about the show based on a app game.

“Getting to host a popular game show feels amazing. I just love being able to be on TV consistently for the last seven to eight years. Being on ‘Chelsea Lately’ was a real blast. Getting to spar with Chelsea Handler was one of the quickest minds in comedy was really fun.”

Gleib is a co-executive producer on “Idiotest” and helps write all the brain puzzles. He loves being involved with a show that he calls, “a unique combination for television that is both very intelligent mixed with very silly laugh-out-loud comedy. I don’t think you get that combination many places on TV or anywhere.”

While this last year brought new professional opportunities for Gleib, he says that his favorite aspect of his career

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is getting to perform stand-up across the country and the world.

“There’s no rush quite as good as getting on the stand-up stage in a different city and connecting with a crowd of people and making them laugh hysterically for an hour.”

His six late-January shows at Rick Bronson’s House of Comedy at High Street marks the beginning of his 2016 tour.

“I can’t wait for people to see my new material and to get to come out and have an all new experience,” he says.

One of the trademarks of Gleib’s comedy is his ability to think quickly and improvise a large portion of his show.

Each show is different depending on the room Gleib is playing to.

“Every show is different and I really tailor the show to the crowd to what they want to hear and what the vibe of the room is,” he says. “You’ll never see the same show twice. I just love to feed off the energy of a particular crowd and I can’t wait to for the crowds in Arizona.”

Ben Gleib

Rick Bronson’s House of Comedy, 5350 E. High Street, Suite 105, Phoenix, 480.420.3553, houseofcomedy.net, Thursday, January 28, through Sunday, January 31, various times, $15 to $22

SERVING LUNCH & DINNER DAILY AWARD-WINNING BRUNCHES SATURDAY & SUNDAY WITH LIVE MUSIC!

HAPPY HOUR

3-7PM MON-FRI, $3 WELL, WINE & SELECT DRAFTS WE CATER!

404 S. MILL AVE, TEMPE AZ 85281 (480) 967-5887

For catering or parties contact: events@blastedbarley.com

• 32 Taps • 25 Bottles & Cans • 5 Blasted Barley Brews • Growlers!

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GR

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AMMER CLASS

Andy Grammer keeps his mom in his heart whether dancing or singing

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

A

s a celebrity on “Dancing with the Stars,” Andy Grammer was asked for his most memorable year.

He chose 2009—the year his mother, Kathryn, was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was so advanced that he and his family had two to three days to say goodbye.

Devastated, Grammer returned to busking but one day he looked to the sky and hoped for something positive to happen.

He went home and, out of pain, penned his breakthrough hit “Keep Your Head Up.” It went on to sell more than 1 million downloads.

The success of that song, as well as “Honey, I’m Good” and “Fine by Me,” afforded Grammer to participate in “Dancing” and pay tribute to his mom.

One of Grammer’s subsequent singles, “Good to Be Alive (Hallelujah),” provided the soundtrack to the cha cha he danced with partner Allison Holker.

“You know, there’s no right way to have a relationship with someone who has passed,” says Grammer whose father, Red, is a successful musician himself.

“To honor them, remember them, we all find our own way. One of the ways I chose to honor my mother was...through dance. Amazing. Absurd. Surprisingly, so so sweet.”

Besides being emotionally challenging, “Dancing with the Stars” was a physical and mental test.

“It was super challenging and maybe one of the most rewarding experiences of my life,’ Grammer says. “Honestly, physically, it wasn’t the hardest. I’m in decent shape, but mentally it was so hard.

Remembering choreography every week was like finals week in college.”

He wasn’t exactly schooled in dancing, either.

“Honestly I don’t know how to dance and had very little dance experience,” Grammer says. “If you go on YouTube and watch some of the dances there were times where a girl is spinning from my neck and stuff. Unbelievable.”

Dancing aside, Grammer will show off his musical prowess during the AT&T Playlist Playoff Live in Phoenix.

He and Moon Taxi are supporting John Mellencamp on Sunday, January 10. An avid fan of Army and Navy, Grammer explains he’s not intimidated about opening for the “Pink Houses” singer.

“As a songwriter I’m always really impressed by people who have been able to crank out a bunch of hits,” he says. “So someone like John, I am very honored to play with. Me and the band are all looking forward to it.”

Grammer is the quintessential showman and he says to expect an

enthusiastic show in Phoenix.

“This is not a singer-songwriter stand behind the mic and just play my songs type show,” he says. “Me and the band aim to make everyone get out of their seat and have the best time they’ve had in a while.

“It’s a high bar to set every night and we go after with the same intensity I would imagine college football players run out of the tunnel with.”

Besides playing Phoenix, Grammer will spend part of this year penning new music.

“I’m definitely back into writing as the main focus of the New Year,” Grammer says. “I have a bunch of musical ideas that I’m excited to wrangle down into songs. I’m really looking forward to digging in.”

He has the work ethic to back that statement. Thanks to his success as a singer-songwriter and as a dancer, he is confident in his talents.

“With the right work ethic you can do anything.”

Andy Grammer

downtown Phoenix, collegefootballplayoff.com/events, Sunday, January 10, gates open at 12 p.m., free

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE TOURIST | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

DANCING

WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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51

IN THE

SEATS Human Nature brings its love of Motown to Symphony Hall

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

A

ndrew Tierney and his brother, Mike, began their love affair with music as children growing up in Australia. But it wasn’t until they and their friends were introduced to Motown music that it turned into an all-out lifelong relationship.

The Tierneys along with friends Toby Allen and Phil Burton have dedicated most of their career to performing the Detroit-born music as Human Nature.

“When we started in high school, we weren’t familiar with Motown at all,” Andrew Tierney says.

“We looked at the history of vocal groups and we were told by our mentor to check out Motown acts like the Four Tops and the Temptations. It was the groups in Motown that stood out to us as something we were just, I guess, inspired by. The sound they made, the way they performed, the choreography. This was our introduction to Motown. We studied the whole catalog.”

Now Human Nature is one of Australia’s top acts and has released nine records, five of which went to No. 1 there. The quartet even piqued the interest of Motown legend Smokey Robinson, who recorded “Get Ready” with the four guys and landed Human Nature its gig in Las Vegas.

A part of it research, Human Nature visited Hitsville U.S.A. in Detroit in between the release of its first album and the recording of the second.

“We were living in Australia still and we made our first Motown record and we were making a follow up to that,” says

Tierney, whose group now calls Las Vegas its homebase.

“We wanted to grow up knowing the legacy of Motown and had never been. We should pay homage and go to Hitsville. We spent some time there. Martha Reeves took us through Hitsville and showed us what was going on in the room. It was amazing that so much creativity came out of a humble little house.”

It even amazes some of Human Nature’s fans, some of whom say they think they’re not big fans of Motown.

“Everyone loves the music—even if they don’t know it,” says Tierney of Motown music. “They’ll hear a song, start tapping their feet and say, ‘I love that song.’

“We had a career of our own doing original songs and covering other music sounds as well. To add Motown to our catalog of music is a blessing. To do something we do well and be known for it is something we really treasure.”

Now Arizona audiences can treasure it as well when Human Nature makes its Grand Canyon State debut with the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra Friday, January 15, Saturday, January 16, and Wednesday, January 27, at Symphony Hall.

“We were asked by the Phoenix Symphony to guest with them and we jumped at the chance,” he says “They had seen our show in Vegas and we told them about performing with orchestras before and so it just kind of made a lot of sense.

“Playing with the Phoenix Symphony is going to be amazing. We’ve been lucky enough to perform with the symphony in Australia. This is the first

time in the States. We’re really excited about it.”

During its show, Human Nature will perform Motown songs and touch on other tracks from the 1950s and 1960s.

“We’re going to go in and out and around of Motown and have some fun,” Tierney says.

Outside of Motown, Human Nature has had the opportunity to perform with Sir George Martin, The Beatles’ original producer.

“We did a song just with him and the orchestra at the time,” Tierney says.

“He said, ‘I’d like to introduce this group called Human Nature. And you know I’ve worked with another great group as well—and they didn’t do too bad with the vocals. I’m hoping Human Nature will keep the legacy alive.’

“It was fun that he put that challenge down to us. To sing Beatles songs to the man who produced the records and had such an insight to the musicality to it was really amazing.”

But it’s Motown music that’s Human Nature’s niche.

“The music in Motown is timeless,” he says. “We’re happy to be a small part in keeping alive the music that was created by Hitsville back in the day.”

Human Nature

Symphony Hall, 75 N. Second Street, Phoenix, 602.262.6225, phoenixsymphony.org, 7:30 p.m. Friday, January 15, and Saturday, January 16, and 2 p.m.

Wednesday, January 27, starts at $18

WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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BREAKING ‘STEREOTYPES’ Black Violin blends hip-hop and classical in new album

Damir Lolic » The Entertainer!

L

ong before the duo graced the Broadway stage, Black Violin’s classically trained aficionados, violist Wil Baptiste and violinist Kev Marcus, stumbled upon orchestra class.

“I wanted to play the saxophone, but they put me in the wrong class,” reveals Baptiste during a recent phone interview.

“Kev’s mom enrolled him in a musical program over the summer and violin class was the only one with spots available.”

After meeting in high school, the two Florida-based musicians forged an unmatched chemistry by simply taking what they were given and establishing what pundits are calling “genre-busting” music. Heavily influenced by jazz, bluegrass and funk, but equally adroit in Mozart and Beethoven, Black Violin set out to do something many wouldn’t dare.

WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

“Growing up in hip hop and just so happened to play the violin, we realized that jazz and the blues helped cultivate the urban culture so it was a natural for us to fuse it all,” he says.

Their penchant for doing something different has led them to earn the Legend title at the famed Apollo Theatre in New York. By March 2009, only a year after the release of its debut album, Black Violin was on Broadway performing pop covers by Akon, Lady Gaga and The Fugees. Since then, the duo has had the opportunity to work with major leaguers like Aerosmith, Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty. Receiving worldwide acclaim captivating audiences, Baptiste says he feels as though they’ve come a long way since the debut of their 2008 self-titled album.

“We’ve grown tremendously and touring has played a large part in that process,” he said. “Coming up as two black guys playing the violin in the club

it looked insane. Sometimes people were jiving and sometimes they didn’t know what to think, but either way we kept moving and improving.”

At the root of Black Violin’s clover is an undying work ethic. The band played 160 shows alone last year. Touring the country to gain notoriety for their latest project titled “Stereotypes,” the maestros are joined on stage by their longtime leader of ceremonies DJ TK, who plays the role of hype man in addition to supplying the duo with a rhythm and beat.

The final ingredient is Baptiste providing vocals to the show that truly completes the exclusive atmosphere.

Being socially conscious musicians, the duo’s message is deeper than instrumentals, Baptiste explains.

“Nowadays with all the craziness going on, everybody needs a common ground and I feel like we bring that,” he says.

“Something kind of like baseball in

the ‘70s in a sense that all races can come together to root for one city or team.”

Baptiste wants people to leave Black Violin shows feeling more optimistic and he encourages fans to interact during the spectacle.

“When you come to a Black Violin concert, we want you to leave all the issues of the world behind and have a great time,” he said. “We encourage the fans to yell out, scream out—whatever you’re feeling just express it.”

Black Violin

Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Avenue, Chandler, 480.782.2680, chandlercenter.org, Friday, January 15, 7:30 p.m., $24 to $38

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THE FINAL COUNTDOWN I

commercial stars Europe just Europe sees stepped off the stage where they performed with the Scorpions. renewed Joey Tempest is exhausted but eager to say that Europe is much more interested than a Geico commercial and the hit single “The Final Countdown.” But he acknowledge that the TV spot has thanks to Geico does helped renew interest in Europe.

“We saw another commercial in commercial England Iggy Pop,” Tempest says about t’s 10 p.m. in Paris and Geico

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

the decision to join forces with Geico.

“He did a similar thing with another insurance company. We figured if he could do it, if he could get away with it, then we could.”

Tempest and the rest of Europe bargained with Geico: If they could perform an updated version of “The Final Countdown” and feature their contemporary style, they were into it.

“I mean, we did five albums [since the reunion],” he says. “We had telephone meetings and decided, ‘Cool. Yeah, let’s do it. Let’s work together.’ It was a great experience. They had good directors.

They knew what they were doing We had a blast doing that one. It seems like it’s awakening people to this band again.”

The commercial affected fans so much that “The Final Countdown” hit No. 1 for the first time.

“To hit No. 1 after all these years on Billboard, that was pretty cool,” he says.

Tempest is hoping for an equally as successful relaunch of its 2015 album War of Kings. Released December 4, the War of Kings special edition includes its “Live at Wacken 2015” DVD and BluRay. The set is available in three formats (twodisc Ecolbook CD and DVD, two-disc Ecolbook CD and BluRay, limited edition deluxe package with War of Kings CD, DVE and BluRay and Photobook), and an audio-only edition of the Wacken 2015 performance is available via digital format.

“It’s neat,” Tempest says. “We worked hard to put a DVD together. We filmed it at this German festival called Wacken Open Air. We used lots of cameras. Kevin Shirley mixed it. We used our video guy.

“It’s our album, but it has a bonus DVD and a whole gig—17 songs—which we had carefully package to make it as good as we can.”

Europe formed in Sweden under the name Force in 1979 by Tempest, guitarist John Norum, bassist Peter Olsson and drummer Tony Reno. Since its formation, Europe has released 10 studio albums, three live albums, three compilations and 19 videos. They broke up in 1992 and reunited in 1998.

“We’re so lucky,” Tempest says. “We met when we were teenagers. John, the

guitar player, was 14. I was 15. Here we are doing what we love still after all these years.

“We’re getting respect. We’ve released five albums [since the band reformed].

We’ve been together longer the second period than the first period. We’re going on 11 years now.”

Tempest explains he and the rest of the band—which now includes keyboardist Mic Michaeli, bassist John Leven and drummer Ian Haugland—are anticipating Europe’s first West Coast run in 10 years.

“We have a lot of great touring memories from America,” he says. “You have to be honest, it’s the birthplace of blues, rock ‘n’ roll, moving pictures. It’s holy ground for us.

“We love coming there and now we’re getting another opportunity to reacquaint ourselves. We’re going to do it our way.”

Europe

Wild Horse Pass’ Ovations Live Showroom, 5040 Wild Horse Pass Boulevard, Chandler, 800.946.4452, wingilariver.com, 7:30 p.m. Monday, January 25, $30 to $60 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE JANUARY 2016

THE SHOWMAN

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LISTEN » JAM » INNOVATE » EVOLVE » ROCK » SING

Live Music Calendar 100 Gem & Jam Festival 106 Marianas Trench 107

SECOND WIND S

Rejuvenated Vanessa Carlton to showcase new record at Livewire Damir Lolic » The Entertainer!

ince the release of her platinumselling debut album Be Not Nobody more than 13 years ago, Grammy-nominated singer/ songwriter Vanessa Carlton, has quietly continued to put out wonderful work. Her latest record Liberman is no exception. In fact, Carlton’s fifth studio album has exceeded expectations; generating raving reviews from respected publications across the country. Carlton can thank her grandfather Alan J. Lee, for painting the image that served as her spark.

“The album was very much inspired by an oil painting my grandfather did in the ‘60s,” she says. “I realized I was staring at that painting, kind of getting lost in the psychedelic colors while I was writing the record.”

In the last three years, the seasoned songstress has moved to Nashville, settled down with Deer Tick frontman John McCauley and even welcomed a baby girl last January. McCauley had a hand in helping craft three songs on the aforementioned album.

“John is a really natural musician, there’s nothing contrived about his style or who he is,” she says. “There was no way I wasn’t going to ask him to be involved in the creative process. He contributed beautiful guitar and production work.”

Now more curious than ever, Carlton believes she’s exploring different sounds and sentiments at this stage in her accomplished career.

“Earlier, I didn’t really take control of the sonic element of making albums until I met Steve Osborne and started working with him,” she says, hailing the Great Britain-based record producer for instigating a new chapter in her life.

Carlton also mentioned how leaving the major label system helped boost her morale.

“To be quite honest, I was very much sold and marketed as a pop-pianist, but that’s not really who I am,” she says. “I’m really interested in other types of sounds and I finally got the confidence to just go for it in 2010,” Carlton hasn’t looked back since then.

When the New Year kicks off, Carlton will embark on the second leg of her tour, which will include a stop at Livewire on January 26.

Accompanied on stage by all-around musician Skye Steele, Carlton is able to recreate the richness of the record.

“The show is a little bit different than what fans would expect,” she says. “Skye’s able to record live on stage, so we create loops and play over that; stripping some songs down entirely, but also playing some of the old songs along the way.”

Vanessa Carlton

Livewire, 7320 E. Indian Plaza, Scottsdale, 480.361.9783, livewireaz.com, Tuesday, January 26, 7 p.m., $18 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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ROOTING FOR THE

HOME TEAM

‘Bama fans The Band Perry play AT&T Playoff Playlist Live!

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

T

he Band Perry’s Reid Perry calls tentatively and asks if he’s dialed the right extension for an interview.

He’s relatively shy behind the scenes, but he lets his guard down when he talks about his home state and The Band Perry’s love of the Alabama Crimson Tide.

“We grew up in Mobile, Alabama, so whenever you grow up there, you have to pick as a child whether you’re Auburn or Alabama,” says Perry, who was calling from New York City where he and his siblings—Neil and Kimberly—were to play the lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree.

“All of us chose Alabama. If they actually go all the way to the championship, we’re going to hang around and go to the game.”

Of course he’s referring to the Cotton Bowl, where the Crimson Tide take on the Spartans of Michigan State on Thursday, December 31. The winner heads to the College Football National Championship Game.

Grammy Award-winning The Band Perry is among the slew of stars playing the free AT&T Playoff Playlist Live!

WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

concert series in Downtown Phoenix near the Phoenix Convention Center that coincides with the championship game.

The lineup features The Band Perry and David Nail on Friday, January 8; Ciara and Walk the Moon on Saturday, January 9; and John Mellencamp, Andy Grammer and Moon Taxi on Sunday, January 10.

Gates open at 12 p.m. each day.

Perry says the set will include a few songs slated to appear on the upcoming Heart + Beat record that is due out in the beginning of 2016.

“We keep most of those tracks under the radar until they’re out,” he says. “We want people to hear the track first before they hear it live.

“We love gigantic singalongs. We construct our set so we have a lot of opportunities to talk with the crowd and to the crowd, and to have those gigantic singalongs.

We have a lot of energy as well. Playing live was our first love—before we were doing interviews or writing songs. It is our favorite thing we do in this music thing, if you will.”

The Band Perry takes all of this into consideration when it is recording and writing songs as well.

“Whenever we write songs, we always

do think of them in a live sense,” Perry explains. “We’re huge Queen fans. They wrote gigantic melodies that worked themselves into big singalongs. It’s Freddy Mercury’s influence there.”

That influence has helped The Band Perry crossover into pop radio and pop listeners’ heads. Also aiding in that was an appearance on the CMT show “Crossroads,” in which The Band Perry teamed with pop masters Fall Out Boy. The similarities and the differences between the bands were striking.

“When we were all walking in to rehearse, we knew it was going to be good because we all showed up in black leather,” Perry explains.

“The other great thing about it was we actually were no longer the shortest people up on stage. Even Kimberly with heels was taller than some of the boys there. We had a fun time, though. We love what they do and to be able to play with them and see how they, as a band, work, interact and operate, it was fun for us.”

Heart + Beat will carry on that pop sensibility, says Perry, whose band will return to play The Good Life Festival at Encanterra in San Tan Valley on Saturday,

March 5. For its third album, The Band Perry wrote with Diplo and Pharrell Williams, among others.

“We spent two days with him, writing,” Perry says of Williams. “It’s a really great song, but what I loved about him were the conversations we had. He talked about the process of writing, what the song’s about—talking in general.

“His philosophy is the visuals are just as important as the sonics. That’s always resonated with us. We think musically with our eyes. We always envision these images and visuals in our heads. To be able to find a guy who thinks along the same lines was really cool.”

The Band Perry

Downtown Phoenix, collegefootballplayoff.com/ events, Friday, January 8, gates open at 12 p.m., free Encanterra’s Good Life Festival, 36460 N. Encanterra Dr., San Tan Valley, 888-856-3727, thegoodlifefest.com, Saturday, March 5, 6 p.m., $25 to $75.

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE JANUARY 2016

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THINGS ARE ‘LOOKING UP’

FOR SAFETYSUIT W

Upbeat single shows new side of Nashville band Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer! hen SafetySuit released its uplifting new song “Looking Up” recently, there were a few skeptics who posted their thoughts on the Nashville band’s Facebook page.

“Looking Up” was much peppier than SafetySuit’s lovelorn hit singles “Stay” and “Get Around This.” However, “Looking Up” was a natural progression.

“It’s a lot different,” singer Doug Brown acknowledges. “We try to write songs to make you feel good, but we don’t necessarily make them sound happy. It’s a happy sounding song.

“We were like, ‘Let’s get out of our comfort zone a little bit and record something that’s going to sound happy from the first downbeat all the way to the end of the song.’”

SafetySuit’s plan worked. “Looking Up” has made headway into listeners’ brains, as it has been added to satellite and terrestrial radio stations.

“The fans have enjoyed the fact that it is lighter and poppier because, at the same time, it still has the SafetySuit roots in there,” says Brown, whose sister-in-law lives in the Valley.

“That’s important our core fans.”

The mood of “Looking Up” mirrors that of SafetySuit.

“I think, overall, the band has always been a happier group of guys than most,” he says. “There’s a difference between recording a song that maybe you think will be positive to somebody and recording a song that will sonically match that message.

“Sometimes you can be saying something positive and uplifting, but you can be saying it over a music bed that, if you weren’t paying attention, lyrics you wouldn’t know what’s going on.”

Brown is looking forward to playing it live, something the act had yet to do as of mid-December. Fans can expect to hear it—and five or six other new tracks— when the band returns to the Valley to play the Marquee Theatre on Saturday, February 6. The tunes will be part of a new album that’s in the offing.

“It’s definitely upbeat,” Brown says of

the album. “It’s a little happier. Overall it’s just a really beautiful combination of the first two records. It’s got all the power and excitement of our bigger stuff and, at the same time, it honed our songwriting skills.

Our songs, at the core, are better songs.

They’re written better, but that’s just a byproduct of writing a lot. Hopefully you’re better than you were when you started.”

“Looking Back” is SafetySuit’s first new single in about two years. Brown says the break wasn’t intentional. It was a matter of circumstance.

“There are a lot of things that went into it,” he says. “Mainly, we went through a lot of changes with labels and managers. Everything that happens on the business side of things takes 10 times longer than you expected to.

“Getting into new ones [business relationships] takes time. All of a sudden you’ve been working the whole time—a year and a half—and you don’t realize it.

On our side of the fence, we’ve been doing something the whole time.”

Because he’s so entrenched in his new album, Brown hasn’t had time to listen to other acts’ music, save for British

singer Jack Garratt, who sings the song “Weathered.” Brown says, for the most part, he’s a fan of lyrics.

“I would prefer to have the person saying something,” he says. “But I like the dumb dumb stuff just as much as the next guy, too. I don’t mind listening to something that’s blurting out the same word over and over.

“I think lyrics though, kind of make people attach to the artist a little bit more.”

Back to its 2016 headlining run, Brown excited about serving up something new to his fans.

“We’re playing the typical 90-minute set and have the new ones mixed in between the fan favorites and the old stuff,” he says. “You can get excited about your new material and want to play it all. But fans that I love have played their way through the new record and it can be frustrating because you can’t get into it because you know the new stuff. There will be plenty of new material, so you don’t feel like you’re seeing the same old show.”

SafetySuit w/Connell Cruise

Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Avenue, Tempe, 480.829.0607, luckymanonline.com, 8 p.m.

Saturday, February 6, $16 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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BACK IN TIME

1980s pop culture fanatics Marianas Trench create the perfect tribute to a lost era Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

S

itting around a dinner table one night after a show, the Vancouver emo/pop band Marianas Trench tossed around ideas for the followup to its 2011 fairytale-themed album Ever After.

The band, including bassist Mike Ayley, agreed to write music that recalled the best of 1980s pop culture. The result is Astoria.

“We were totally going for capturing some of that ‘80s essence,” says Ayley, calling from a tour stop in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. “New Wave has been done a bit. We wanted to do our own interpretation of that era of music. It sounds like the Eurythmics, the Police, Michael Jackson, Tears for Fears, Depeche Mode—a lot of those sorts of really influential and cool bands at that time.”

But the concept isn’t only about the music. Movies—particularly “The Goonies” and “E.T.”—played a heavy hand in the presentation and the music. The band loved the idea of recalling kids in unrealistic adventures who beat the odds to succeed, as in the J.J. Abrams throwback movie “Super 8.” Astoria’s cartoonish cover and its title are odes to “The Goonies.”

Marianas Trench’s fourth studio album, Astoria follows a slew of nominated and

award-winning collections. On its mantles, Marianas Trench boasts MuchMusic Video Awards and Western Canadian Music Awards, among others. But in 2013, it won the Juno—Canada’s equivalent of the Grammys—for Group of the Year. Singer/ guitarist Josh Ramsay received a Grammy nom for co-writing “Call Me Maybe” with fellow Canuck Carly Rae Jepsen.

Marianas Trench is hoping for similar accolades for Astoria, an album that Ayley says was easy to record after a series of tragedies.

Ramsay’s singer/mother was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia, a debilitating disease described as a cross between Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, according to Marianas Trench’s bio. As his mother got sicker, his relationship with his fiancé ended and he was hospitalized. When the hospitalization wrapped up, Ramsay was inspired to write again and Marianas Trench’s musicians were equally as stoked.

“This is the most fun we’ve had recording any album,” Ayley says. “The first one was cool because it was new.

“But we did most of the recording in Josh’s condo or apartment. We had all the recording gear there except for drums. It was more comfortable in a home environment.”

That “environment” included decorating the room with vinyl records and “Indiana Jones” posters—anything to

recreate that ‘80s feel.

“It was an artistic place and a very nurturing environment for creativity,” he says. “We could come and go as we pleased, but we ended up coming in all the time. It was really cool to have that process. I feel like that’s a similar process to how we’ll work in the future.”

Astoria has given Marianas Trench something it has yet to have: a breakthrough hit in the United States. The yearning ballad “One Love” has been added to pop radio stations’ playlists throughout the country as well as Sirius/XM. “One Love—finally just got that add,” Ayley says. “I remember the day they first spun it. That’s really cool.

“The song has a lot of feeling. If I had to pick one song that captured the embodiment of the album and sort of emotional content of it, that would be a pretty good example. We thought that was a good one.”

Thanks to that exposure, Marianas Trench’s U.S. fanbase is growing, Ayley acknowledges. The band plays anywhere between 700- and 1,100-capacity venues here, however, the musicians are hoping to increase its following.

“We want more people to hear us,” Ayley says. “We want to bring our full arena production down here and show you guys what we’ve really got.”

Ayley is no way shooting down the club show it’ll play at the Marquee Theatre on Sunday, January 17. Ayley is particularly excited to play in Arizona, as his dad and stepmother have a winter home in Scottsdale. It marks the first time Marianas Trench has performed in Arizona, he adds.

“It’s cool to see new places, too,” he says. “Even though I only get a couple hours in a day to explore, I still get a taste of it. I have my hit list of all the cities I want to do on short vacations. It’s growing rapidly.”

Fans can expect to hear a slew of songs from Astoria, as well as a Marianas Trench retrospective.

“By then we should have every song on the album up to speed,” he says. “As for the setlist, we’re unsure. The one we currently have is flowing very, very well, but we have to add in the last two songs—‘Yesterday’ and ‘Wildfire.’

“We’ve got to get those going,” he says.

“They’re good songs.”

Marianas Trench

Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Avenue, Tempe, 480.829.0607, luckymanonline.com, 7 p.m.

Sunday, January 17, $20 to $125 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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E SHIP2SHIP

Destructo’s Holy Ship! lands ashore with Justin Martin and Rezz in Tow Dylan Arndt » The Entertainer!

lectronic dance music cruises are all the rage lately with outings like Mad Decent Boat Party, Groove Cruise and HARD’s Holy Ship! These weeklong excursions are filled with days and nights of partying, hanging out with some of the world’s most highly coveted DJs, sailing the high waters of the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, and creating fond memories.

Well, the bad news is that most of these adventures are costly and often require a decent amount of travel to get to—especially from here in Arizona. The good news is that for all of us who can’t afford these lofty vacations, HARD’s own Gary Richards, or Destructo as the dance music populace knows him, is bringing us the next best thing with his Holy Ship!

SHIP2SHIP Tour featuring himself, Justin Martin and Rezz.

Sure, there is no ocean beneath our feet, nor do we get to sip (or chug) classy cocktails with celebrities. We do get to sample some of the raw flavors that these artists would be throwing down on the ship, and we all know we really go for the music. With Destructo’s SHIP2SHIP

Tour, Richards intends on stopping in 14 cities between the porting of the January Holy Ship! voyage and the departure of the February outing. The tour kicks off in Austin, Texas, and follows with visits to Denver, Seattle, Phoenix, Toronto and more.

Supporting acts Martin and Rezz are quickly making names for themselves, receiving strong support from Destructo early on. Along with Claude VanStroke, Martin co-founded Dirtybird, a San Francisco-based techno label. Rezz, or Isabelle Rezazadeh, found success through her pitch-black and hypnotic music, reminiscent in style to French-tech producer, Gesaffelstein.

Although it’s no cruise liner, you’re not going to want to miss this unique mix of Caribbean vibes and trippy techno music. It’ll make for one Saturday night you won’t soon forget.

SHIP2SHIP

Monarch Theatre, 122 E. Washington Street, Phoenix, relentlessbeats. com, Saturday, January 30, 9 p.m., $15-$20

TIPSY DRINK OF THE MONTH Cheers to a new year with this sipper from Casablanca Lounge

N

estled along the canal in Old Town Scottsdale, Casablanca Lounge boasts unbeatable panoramic views and a warm, charming atmosphere. Their patios are the perfect place to relax with friends and enjoy one of their exotic cocktails while taking in the desert views. Inside you will find an elegantly decorated lounge that serves dishes made from locally grown ingredients, entertains with live music, and sports one of the largest whisky and bourbon selections around. Whether you are dancing to the music of the band inside, or enjoying a cigar on their scenic rooftop patio, you are bound to be impressed by the scene at Casablanca Lounge.

The cocktails served are sure to impress as much as the venue itself. We met with Ashlynn and MJ, two longtime bartenders at Casablanca, who mixed

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us up one of their unique signature drinks, Altogether Lovely. Its name definitely does this cocktail justice, as the orchid and cucumber infused ice cubes are striking and beautiful.

“Everybody gets a kick out of the Altogether Lovely, the muddled fruits and herbs give it fresh flavor, and the edible orchid and cucumber infused ice cubes definitely enhance that fresh element,” Ashlynn tells us.

The All Together Lucky is an inspired drink as well. MJ explained, “Our house musician has a song titled Altogether Lovely, which the entire staff here loves. So, we bartenders got together to create this drink to compliment that song.”

Casablanca Lounge is an absolute must go to venue in Old Town. Not only are their cocktails and entertainment worth the visit, but the food is exceptional as well. They offer a weekly rotating menu that offers diners only the freshest, locally grown ingredients. If you haven’t been here yet, stop by and get the All Together Lucky you won’t regret it.

Don’t forget to tell them that Tipsy sent you!

For more information about Casablanca Lounge, download the TIPSY app and check its profile. Tipsy members receive vouchers every month redeemable for complimentary drinks, front-of-the-line passes and no-cover-charge entry to more than 45 bars and clubs in Scottsdale, Tempe and Phoenix. Tipsy is available on Android and iOS. Visit imtipsy.com for more information.

The Casablanca Lounge

7134 E. Stetson Dr., Scottsdale 85251 thecasablancalounge.com

ALTOGETHER LOVELY

Muddled Basil & Cucumber 1 ½ oz. Hendrick’s Gin ¾ oz. elderflower liqueur ½ oz. lime juice ½ oz. simple syrup top off with ½ soda ½ sprite poured over edible orchid and cucumber infused ice cubes Start off the year right with exquisite cocktails, live music and one of the best patio views in Old Town with Tipsy at The Casablanca Lounge.

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE TOURIST | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

10 SONGS Format’s Sam Means flies solo with debut album

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

S

am Means describes Nate Ruess, his former bandmate in The Format, as big and bold.

But Means says he’s more reserved, and a mixture of both personalities is reflected on his debut album, 10 Songs, which hit stores January 22.

While he doesn’t compare their music, he does size up their musical approaches.

“Nate always had a lot of really grand ideas,” Means says during an interview at a Tempe coffeehouse. “Everything was big.

His voice was big. His ideas are big and he has a big personality.

“I was always quiet and simple, purposely restrained. The things that I learned [with The Format] were to keep a really good balance, how to keep it in the middle. I wanted to try to keep it catchy and not too complicated. I tried to balance how Nate would sing with

how it’s still pretty low key. There are still moments where it’s grand. It’s a mix.”

That’s his approach to 10 Songs. He would like to tour in support of it, but he’s not sure that it’s practical. Means is hoping that through some press and word of mouth, fans will discover 10 Songs.

“My goal is to get it out,” he says.

“It’ll do its thing. Since I did put a little more money and time, it’s definitely more special to me than anything I’ve done.”

Means kept the project in The Format’s family, relying on lawyers, publicists and producers from his days with the alternapop band.

Means wrote the songs in 2014 in Phoenix with some of his former Format bandmates—bassist Don Raymond Jr., guitarist Marko Buzard and drummer John O’Reilly Jr. The album was produced by Steven McDonald in 2015 in Los Angeles

“I worked with Steve McDonald, who I worked with before with The Format,” Means says. “I also worked with Roger Manning Jr., who was in a band called Jellyfish. He did all of the arrangements for [The Format album] Dog Problems.

“I knew a lot of this has an orchestral vibe to it, so it was super cool to work with him again.”

Sitting in the coffee shop it’s clear that Means is excited about his new project. After all, the full-length release is Means’ first since The Format disbanded.

Instead of pursuing music again full time, he started Hello Merch in 2008 and the following year, his daughter arrived. But he was always interested in making new music.

“I just want to keep making music,” he says. “It’s not all I want to do—it’s what I want to do.”

AmericanAuctionCo.com

Live auctions 1st & 3rd Saturdays each month or BID ONLINE WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE TOURIST | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

HEROES AND VILLAINS

Alek Skarlatos goes from tackling terrorist to ‘Dancing’ star Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

A

lek Skarlatos is late for an interview. The Oregon Army National Guardsman was tied up going through airport security on his way to his hosting duties for the “Dancing with the Stars Live!” tour.

The story is ironic. After all, he did a little terrorist prevention of his own when he and two friends—Spencer Stone and Anthony Sadler—famously tackled a gun-wielding man on a Paris-bound train in August.

His life has been a whirlwind since then. President Barack Obama awarded him the U.S. Army Soldier’s Medal, and from French president Francois Hollande he received the Legion of Honour. On a lighter note, he spent the fall competing on season 21 of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” with pro Lindsay Arnold, finishing in third place.

“Honestly, I just take it a day at a time. That’s the only way,” says the 23-year-old Skarlatos of how he handles his fame. “Life changes whenever it wants WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

and however it wants. You can’t really control a lot. So you just have to learn how to deal with things as best you can.”

That includes serving as host on the “Dancing” tour, which comes to the Comerica Theatre for two shows on Sunday, February 14.

“It’s going to be a lot of fun,” Skarlatos says. “I’m actually really excited.

We’re all having drinks together right now, waiting for our flight. I like all the people I’m going with. It’s a lot of fun. They’re all good people.”

While most former contestants complain more about the physical toll on their bodies during their run on “Dancing,” Skarlatos knows how to put things in perspective.

“It really wasn’t too bad,” he says about the constant rehearsals. “At times it was kind of rough, using different muscles than I’m used to using. Coming off of Afghanistan, it wasn’t too difficult. Maybe if it was before Afghanistan it would be hard. But [while I was in Afghanistan] I was working out every day.”

He’ll continue his “Dancing” participation as a host and dancer.

“I’m doing a little bit of hosting

and talking, then I’m doing about three or four dances with Emma [Slater] and Lindsay [Arnold] and a group number,” he says.

At the time of the interview, he was looking forward to the first show so he could soothe his nerves.

“I’m a little nervous about the speaking parts,” he says. “I’ve never had to fill time before. But when they asked me to host, honestly, it was like no big deal.

I’ve been dancing in front of 14 million people every night.

“This is a whole different story, honestly, seeing everybody looking at you and having to talk for 2 minutes at a time or whatever and fill space. It’s going to be a challenge for me.”

Skarlatos’ latest challenge is penning a book about his experiences on the train.

He couldn’t give any details about it other than it is planned for 2016.

“It’s been a pretty crazy year for me,” he says. “I’m looking forward to things calming down.”

“Dancing with the Stars Live!”

Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington Street, Phoenix, 800.745.3000, www. ticketmaster.com, Sunday, February 14, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., $38-$63

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE TOURIST | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

ALONE

IN THE SPOTLIGHT Harland Williams learned stand up the hard way—on his own

H

arland Williams always knew he wanted to be an entertainer.

“After spending most of my childhood in front of a mirror making funny faces and contorting my body, I thought I could make people laugh,” he says.

He studied animation in college when he realized it wasn’t his true passion. That’s when he decided to brave the comedic stage at a small club in downtown Toronto.

“I was terrified and excited equally.

It was like if you could cut my body down the middle, the right side of my body was completely petrified and the left side of my body was completely just full of adulation. I was ready to explode with excitement.”

Williams is best known for his roles in films like “Dumb & Dumber,” “Rocketman” and “Half-Baked.”

While he loves the stand-up world, he’s more inspired by comedic actors than comedians.

“I try not to get inspired too much by other comedians because I try to craft or forge my own identity. I think I like

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Jasmine Kemper » The Entertainer! watching actors like Jerry Lewis and Don Knotts and the people from The Second City. People like that really seem to inspire me more,” Williams says.

Throughout his comedy career, Williams has done it all. He’s been on David Letterman, done voiceovers, sitcoms, podcasts and starred in Hollywood films. While his career has taken him to many places, he says every moment in his career have been highlights.

“When you do stand up, there’s no school, there’s no business course, no book, no coach, there’s nothing. You really just build something from nothing.

You just go, wow this came from a belief in myself.”

Williams is coming to Rick Bronson’s House of Comedy this month as part of his newest show, “Harland On Tour.”

“I try to make everything I do abstract. So I’ve always tried to present that in my act because that’s my style.

Whether I’m talking about North Korea or dinosaurs, I try to put my abstract glaze on top of everything that I do so that you’re looking at the world in a different light.”

The unique thing about this new

tour is that no one show is ever the same.

While he prepares material, Williams also loves improvising jokes by interacting with the audience.

“People will come to see my shows a few times in the same weekend because they know that ever show is going to be different. I just love that danger element and the crowd really enjoys it so it’s a mixture of the silly and the unexpected.”

In a world where social media is taking over, Williams says he both loves and hates the Internet.

“I find social media frustrating but I’m really glad it’s out there because in the old days you had to the stand-up circuit for seven years before anyone even noticed you,” he says.

Back in the day, comedians worked very hard to get noticed, and now all it takes is a click of a mouse to get millions of online views.

“You can be a kid in your basement and put up a video of you taking your electric train and driving it over a caterpillar and suddenly you’ve got representation in Hollywood by the top talent agency,” Williams says with a laugh.

Today, the comedian continues to

work on new projects, like the hilarious Harland Highway Podcast. You can listen in on Mondays and Thursdays by downloading the free app on your smartphone. He also wants to work on finishing a sci-fi novel he’s been writing for over 20 years.

All in all, Williams says that the beauty of stand up comedy is in the freedom he has to express himself.

“I know that my job is to spread joy to people. The only other person that I think is Mother Teresa. I may be a saint the next time you talk to me. When you do stand up, you kind of have freedom to just express yourself and say what you want to say without inhibition and that’s very gratifying.”

Harland Williams

Rick Bronson’s House of Comedy, 5350 E. High Street, Suite 105, Phoenix, 480.420.3553, houseofcomedy.net, Thursday, February 25, through Sunday, February 28, times vary, $30

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2016

THE ARTIST

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CULTURE » THEATER » DANCE » GALLERY » DRAMA » VISION

Ben Vereen 54 Arizona MusicFest 56 Arts Calendar 50

BLUES INJECTION T Canned Heat and festival celebrate remarkable anniversaries he annual Blues Blast and its headliner Canned Heat Blues Band will celebrate their respective anniversaries during the Phoenix Blues Society-presented festival on March 5 at Margaret T. Hance Park.

This year’s show marks the festival’s 25th anniversary and Canned Heat’s golden year.

Gates open at 10 a.m. with downbeat at 11. Canned Heat will be joined by co-headliner The Laurie Morvan Band from SoCal. Along with those stellar acts, the Phoenix Blues Society has added a two-hour retrospective of Valley blues featuring artists who have contributed and still are active in the scene. Arizona Blues Showdown ’15 winners Smokestack Lightning and solo artist Eric Ramsey round out the bill.

Food, beverages and arts and craft vendors will be on site. A popular art mural spanning the show perimeter is offered for everyone’s contribution. Also, there is a children’s area offering activities for the youngsters.

Admission is $25 in advance and $30 day of show. Children younger than 16 accompanied by a parent will be admitted free. Early bird tickets are available through February 6 at eventbrite.com/e/blues-blast-16tickets-18812617044. Tickets can be purchased online until day of show.

Ice chests, pets, weapons and re-entry are not permitted. Patrons will be able to bring in one bottle of water.

The park is easily accessible from Interstate 10 or by the Light Rail. Exit at the Roosevelt station and walk east two blocks. A secure motorcycle parking area will be available.

For questions or information, email info@phoenixblues.org.

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THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2016

SATCH BOOGIE Joe Satriani brings his virtuosic guitar sounds to stable ground Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

F

or guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani, playing in the Valley has been a dizzying experience.

“The Celebrity Theatre may have been the first place I ever played,” says Satriani about the Phoenix venue with the stage that revolves. “It was also the first time I remember that I should avoid revolving stages at all costs and it was the first time I

realized I had a motion sickness problem.”

He remembers telling the crew to slow down the spinning stage. On his Saturday, March 5, visit, Satriani is on steady ground, playing The Salt River Grand Ballroom at Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale as part of his “From Surfing to Shockwave” tour.

“It’s always fun to be there,” Satriani says about Arizona. “It’s such a unique environment. I live in San Francisco and it’s never hot and dry. It’s always foggy and

60 degrees something like that. I come to Phoenix and the whole experience is so unique.”

Satriani is playing Scottsdale to promote his 15th solo album Shockwave Supernova. The 48-date tour is said to be celebrating “30 years of mind-bending guitar daredevilry.” He will spotlight music from his first album, Not of This Earth, through his latest release.

“We lucked out this time,” Satriani says about the tour. “We got the green

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light from our promoters around the country to put on an “evening with.” That gives us the extra time to dip into the catalog a little extensively.

“We have a two-part show, we take a little intermission and we’re combining the new material from Shockwave Supernova that came out about six months ago or so with fan favorites and some of the things we never played before or at least a decade or two. We’re putting it together with some pretty cool visuals.”

He calls the blending of new and old a “cool unification between the performer and audience.” Satriani knows what the audience wants, and fans are getting what they need.

“Everybody is thinking the same thing,” he says.

Recording Shockwave Supernova was a cathartic process of creating the concept and trying to convince himself that he could do it.

“It’s an instrumental record about a fictitious alter ego taking over the performer,” Satriani says. “In the end, I think with everybody’s support, I found the energy to complete it. It was important to me to have a theme to help propel a super melodic-sounding record.”

Although Shockwave Supernova is a concept record, Satriani is not playing the album front to back when he appears at Talking Stick.

“Putting on a live performance is a different animal altogether,” says Satriani, who also plays in Chickenfoot with Chad Smith and Sammy Hagar. “What I’ve learned over the years—especially with instrumental music—is you got to have that right amount of flow between crazy stuff, quiet stuff, fast, slow, mid-tempo, different key signatures, and bright and inviting music. We want it scary, too, so fans look within themselves” It’s difficult to promote a new record and play it from top to bottom because, he says, it never works in terms of the flow of a concert.

“The audience does want to hear other songs from the catalog,” Satriani explains. “For someone with 15 albums out, like myself, it’s difficult to choose the right 22, 24 songs to make everybody happy.

“It’s a balancing act. We are going to start the show with ‘Shockwave Supernova,’ the title track, and that turned out to be the right opener. Then we go back and forth throughout the catalog.”

Joe Satriani

The Salt River Grand Ballroom at Talking Stick Resort, 9800 E. Talking Stick Way, Scottsdale, 480.850.7734, www.ticketmaster. com, Saturday, March 5, 8 p.m., $40-$100 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE TOURIST | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

MUSIC MAN

Ben Vereen says thanks to longtime fans with performance Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

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THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2016

F

ilm, TV and stage personality Ben Vereen has been blessed to have a 40-year career, one that has been honored by colleges around the nation and most award shows.

The legendary performer is touring the world to say “thank you” to fans for supporting him and allowing him to make audiences smile.

The 69-year-old “Roots” star is set to play the Chandler Center for the Arts as part of “Steppin’ Out Live with Ben Vereen and Trio” on Saturday, February 27.

“I’ve never been to Chandler, Arizona,” Vereen says via telephone. “I look forward to meeting the people of Chandler who built such a beautiful facility.”

According to Vereen, the show pays tribute to Broadway, Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr., and features songs like “Defying Gravity,” “Mr. Bojangles,” “For Good” and “Life is Just a Bowl of Cherries.” Vereen will also share stories about his career and his humorous yet positive spin on life.

“It is fun,” he says. “It’s my thank you to my audiences for this wonderful, fantastic career I have had. I tell them about my journey they’ve allowed me to have. We just generally have fun.”

Vereen continues to have fun himself.

Last year, he appeared in “Top Five,” a Chris Rock-directed feature film. Vereen complimented Rock on his directorial skills. He says that each project he works on is a learning experience.

“I learn another aspect of what I do and how to approach it,” he says. “I also teach master classes. I leave myself open to learning and I take those lessons I learn and pass them on to my students. I call them the steps toward excellence and the excellence is you.”

He also starred alongside Richard Gere in “Time Out of Mind,” for which he received a Variety Oscar Critics’ Pick mention. “‘Time Out of Mind’ is about the homeless and I play a character named Dixon, who befriends [Gere’s character] in a homeless shelter,” he says.

“It’s not blaming anything. It’s like a day in the life of a homeless person.

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Richard wanted to do this to give voice to the voiceless.”

Vereen is passionate about the United States remedying its homeless problem. As a matter of fact, he’s downright frustrated.

“You’re spending money to put up the camps and keep them homeless,” he says about states that provide such service.

“Give them money to put them back in homes and make them viable citizens, so they can help the communities.”

He considers everyone equal so friends, family and strangers should all be helped when necessary.

“We are all our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers,” Vereen explains. “Someone reached out to me. I want to be there for them as much as we can.”

His acting abilities have garnered him several nominations and awards. For his work on “Grey’s Anatomy,” he earned a Prism Award, while he was nominated for an Emmy for “Intruders: They Are Among Us.” Vereen also has seven Emmy Awards under his belt for “Ben Vereen: His Roots” and a Golden Globe nom for “Ellis Island.”

He doesn’t keep any of his awards at his home. Instead, he donates them to Boston University, which is archiving his career.

“The accolades are wonderful and marvelous and I thank the people for acknowledging me,” Vereen says. “My want is to continue to give them what I do and then allowing me to do that. The opportunity to give is more [satisfying].”

He hopes audiences are just as satisfied with “Steppin’ Out Live with Ben Vereen and Trio.”

“I hope they have a good time,” Vereen says. “I hope they walk away with a good message and a good time.”

“Steppin’ Out Live with Ben Vereen and Trio”

Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Avenue, Chandler, 480.782.2680, chandlercenter. org, Saturday, February 27, 7:30 p.m., $38-$58 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2016

THE SHOWMAN

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LISTEN » JAM » INNOVATE » EVOLVE » ROCK » SING

Steel Panther 131 Lindsey Stirling 129 Live Music Calendar 124

DO THE MATH

Mutemath’s latest album, tour add up to success Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

A

do-it-yourself work ethic has always been important to Mutemath and singer/ founder Paul Meany. So when it came time for the electro-rockers to leave Warner Bros., the departure was tempered.

“It made a lot of sense for us to just go for it all the way,” Meany says.

The first product of this newfound freedom is Vitals, a project that was started while Mutemath was still inked to Warner.

“It made it easier to finish the album,” Meany explains. “When we started this record, we were still on Warner. It wasn’t until somewhere in 2014 that we decided we were going to part ways. We did the final stretch on our own.”

Its first album in four years, Vitals was recorded slowly and with caution.

“We wanted to get a lot of ideas on the table, which we had never done before,” Meany says. “We took our time.

We needed to find something that felt fresh to us. We started some families in the band. Me and Darren [King, percussionist] were new fathers in the past four years. So we just wanted to let time happen and live life a little bit but write a ton of songs.”

Not only has Meany been writing songs—something he continues to do even though Vitals was just released—

he’s writing checks. It’s something he’s unaccustomed to doing.

“It’s so expensive,” he says about the DIY ethic. “There are a lot of things to pay for but that’s OK. There’s no obstacle course of decision making. We just say, ‘What do you want to do? Let’s do this.’

Nothing stops us. There’s no need for approvals or board meetings. It’s between our band and our management.”

Mutemath will bring Vitals to the Crescent Ballroom in Phoenix on Tuesday, March 1, for a sold-out show. Fans should expect to hear plenty of new music.

“We’ve got four records to cover, but we’re doing every song off the new album,” Meany says. “We’ll mix up some of the songs from the last three records.

“Whatever tour we do on a particular record, that is the only time we will ever play all of those songs. I loved our last record, Odd Soul. We played that whole thing on the last tour. When we write a new record, a lot of the songs we say ‘goodbye’ to. It makes this tour seem so much more important to us.”

Mutemath

Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Avenue, Phoenix, 602.716.2222, crescentphx.com, Tuesday, March 1, 8 p.m. Sold out.

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE TOURIST | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

THE WINDS OF

CHANGE

Guster continues to evolve, while keeping fans’ attention

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

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T

he acoustic pop band Guster doesn’t visit Arizona very often, and its Feb. 9 show at the Marquee Theatre was nearly postponed. But lead singer and guitarist Ryan Miller says that the musicians pushed aside this “crazy thing” they were offered and decided they couldn’t let down Tempe fans.

“It was on the chopping block for a minute,” he says. “We got this offer to do this crazy thing but, we said, ‘We can’t not go to Arizona!’”

Miller explains that Guster was in Phoenix so long ago that he barely remembers the gig.

“We have a small but enthusiastic audience,” he says, acknowledging the fan base isn’t strong here. “I think we opened for John Mayer, though. We also played this super cool theater [Marquee] there. We went to a super cool recording studio there.”

The band, as a whole, enjoys touring and, instead of hunkering down in its bus, pursues landmarks, historical spots and nature preserves to visit.

“I’m a big fan of seeing America,” he says. “I’ve been to Cleveland, Ohio, a lot. But Arizona is not a place I’ve been very often. I do know there’s some amazing food there, as well as nature and architecture and stuff.

“That’s part of the reason we’re still a band; We don’t sit on the bus and look at computers. We go out and experience the universe.”

Part of that “experience” is playing live for fans. In the last year, that meant performing songs from its catalog, including the album Evermotion, its seventh studio collection. Miller was vague, however, on what fans can expect from the Marquee show.

“I don’t know...meditative reading on feelings?” he asks rhetorically. “We’re going to play songs from our albums. We have a long history and people have been listening to us for a while.”

He reassures fans that two-thirds of the show will be back catalog material, while the rest will be songs from Evermotion.

The songwriting process for Evermotion was tough, but satisfying in the end.

“It took a long time for the songwriting part,” he says. “It coincided with us all having kids. With our band, we try to figure out what we’re trying to say and how we’re going to say it. We see if we all agree, but it’s a little bit of a process getting there.”

Miller’s talents do not stop at Guster.

He works on soundtracks to films as well.

“I just finished a documentary of Detroit recently and there’s some really

interesting stuff that’s going on there,” says Miller, who has had five films featured at the Sundance Film Festival. “The documentary is about John Hantz who bought stuff that was falling apart and turned it into an urban farm.”

With any of his music, Miller hopes that listeners are able to relate to it.

“The big takeaway for me is that they know we’re still writing really cool pop songs, that we still have a lot of fire in us, a lot of ambition,” he says. “We have something to say.”

The band is working on its summer tour plans. Surely, the musicians will continue seeing the world.

“I think we just appreciate our time together,” Miller adds. “This is our job.

We still [care] about our band after all these years. We continue to make music.

We don’t just say, ‘It’s time for a new album so let’s [put out] 12 new songs.’ We just want to put out something we can stand behind and something our fans are proud of.”

Guster w/Vetiver

Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Avenue, Tempe, 480.829.0607, luckymanonline.com, 8 p.m.

Tuesday, February 9, $25.

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE FEBRUARY 2016

I

‘PARTY’ GIRL

nfectious electronic beats, carefree from very humorous and fun childhood Gilbert’s dancing and a violin. It’s not the stories to deeper things, such as how I usual recipe for success, but for learned I had an eating disorder, and how Lindsey Stirling, it was enough to I overcame anorexia and depression” Lindsey Stirling propel her onto the global spotlight.

Despite her tremendous Since her online debut in 2007, the achievements, Stirling credits most of pens memoir dubstep violinist from Gilbert has enjoyed her strength to past struggles and an two chart-topping albums, sold-out tours unyielding desire to become a better and numerous musical awards. person. By sharing her experiences, about fame and worldwide With more than 7 million subscribers and Stirling hopes to encourage readers to 1 billion views on her YouTube channel, lose hope. mental illness Stirling’s unprecedented success can only never“My road to success has been filled

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be described as a tour-de-force as she prepares to record her third album and celebrates the release of her first book, “The Only Pirate at the Party.”

Through the book, the 29-year-old musician, named one of Forbes magazine’s 30 Under 30 in Music, shares stories of her unconventional rise to fame, quirky adolescence and struggles as a young artist with mental illness. “‘The Only Pirate at the Party’ is the story of how I turned into the person I am.” says Stirling. “It has everything

with a lot of failures along the way and a lot of disappointments,” she explains “But the most successful people are the ones that persevere and keep going through the failures, so I’m hoping that someone who is wants to chase their dream will have the courage to do so and realize that there will be a lot of ups and down, and that it’s just part of the process.”

After being rejected by countless music reps and on national television during 2010’s “America’s Got Talent,” Stirling launched her career using social

media, which many claimed would end in another failure. Fortunately, with the infinite support of friends, family and countless fans, Stirling was able to reach her goals.

Over the years, Stirling says, she has come to realize that one of her biggest challenges and triumphs has been learning to accept who she is, and embracing what makes her special.

“I don’t mean to be different,” Stirling says. “It’s not like I try to stand out and be different all the time, but sometimes you just realize that you are different and that it’s OK to be different.

“That’s what I want people to take away from that story and many other stories from my book: You can embrace what makes you different and it doesn’t have to make you feel alone, it doesn’t have to make you feel like an outcast.

Differences can be wonderful. They can be celebrated. And I actually owned a huge part of my success to my differences rather than them being a huge setback.”

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HIP HOP

HOORAY

Naughty by Nature celebrate 25 years with gig at Crescent Ballroom Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

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in Rock of the pioneering hip-hop group Naughty by Nature feels blessed to have spent 25 years recording and promoting his trio’s music, including the hits “O.P.P.” and “Hip Hop Hooray.”

“As a musician, you’re lucky if you have a few timeless classics,” he says. “That, along with our live performances, are what we are known for. We’re known for having a hell of a live stage show. That definitely helps sustain us through the years.”

In celebration of its quarter-century career, Naughty by Nature has embarked on a tour that comes to the Crescent Ballroom on Wednesday, February 10.

“We just did an eight-show run in Australia,” he says. “So we’re changing up our setlist as a precursor to the U.S. run.

We dressed up our stage a little more.

“We have some inflatable bats up there that really set the tone and the atmosphere. We just go in hard body, hardcore hip hop, Naughty style.”

Rock says that he’s proud of Naughty

by Nature’s career, but he wishes the group would have been more consistent, in terms of albums.

“We haven’t put out enough music for the people,” he says. “Collectively in 25 years, we only put out five albums to date.

With this 25th anniversary, we’re refocusing on the group again, the music again.

“We’re working on one album and breaking it into two EPs. After we finish

the tour, we’ll release the first EP. So I think the fans deserve it. The brand itself deserves it. We’re all focused now so people will get a good musical treat from Naughty.”

Rock, as well as cohorts Treach and DJ Kay Gee, compares Naughty by Nature’s career to Kobe Bryant’s longevity.

“I just heard he’s retiring,” Rock explains. “He’s had a 20-year career. We’re like five years old in our career than Kobe.

It doesn’t seem like it when you’re living it. The next thing you know it’s 25 years later. It’s kind of funny, but I’ll take it.”

Naughty by Nature first hit was the controversial “O.P.P.,” which sampled The Jackson Five’s “ABC.” “The content is about infidelity,” he says. “That’s been going on since Adam and Eve, I imagine. It’s a question, ‘You down with O.P.P.?’ We still have people coming to us trying to get the true definition from the horse’s mouth. It’s amazing. I’ve heard so many different versions.”

Rock admits that these days, he’s a passive music listener.

“I like Drake. I think he’s incredible, he says. “He’s diverse. He raps. He can sing. He writes for other artists. I could really listen to him all the time.

“J Cole—I think he’s dope as a producer and MC. Kendrick Lamar really stand out. J Cole and Kendrick are like throwback ‘90s performers with a current swing to them.”

He should know. He’s watched rap and hip hop evolve.

“When hip hop first started, there was a social-political movement, with Grandmaster Flash to Public Enemy to KRS-One—even NWA and what they were talking about.

“They had trials and tribulations and today’s kids are the beneficiaries of that struggle. Maybe they’re not faced with exactly the same challenges. It’s more fun for them and more spoiled. You get happygo-lucky music, swag music and strip club music. It’s more fun and games. That’s why I like Kendrick Lamar. He’s bringing social consciousness back to the music.”

But what would he advise newbies to the industry to do?

“What I found out was, and I think this is part of our longevity, if you stay true to yourself, you don’t have to worry about what anybody else thinks.

“If you stay true to yourself and stay around true family and friends, you can conquer the world literally with a solid foundation.”

Naughty by Nature w/ Pickster One and Mello

Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Ave., Phoenix, 602.716.2222, crescentphx.com, 8 p.m. Wednesday, February 10, $25 to $28.

FEEL THE STEEL

Steel Panther brings campy glam metal to Livewire

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Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

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lam metal jokesters Steel Panther are the antithesis to everything metal. The leather and Spandexclad band is known for its humorous lyrics, over-the-top performances and satirical depiction of the 1980s glam and hair metal genre.

Lead singer Michael Starr is pretty unapologetic about what fans will get when Steel Panther plays Livewire in Scottsdale on Saturday, February 13.

“If you like to have a party and have a laugh, and you like having a good time, you’re going to really enjoy our show,” Starr says.

“Our show is about having a good time. If you want to get really serious and introverted and think about your past as a child and how your parents ruined your life, you might want to go listen to some Nirvana.”

The best thing about Steel Panther shows, according to Starr? The hot chicks.

“We love metal,” he adds. “We love everything about metal. We’re just being ourselves. That’s the way it is. Personally, I don’t want to go see a band that’s mad at each other or they’re phoning it in.

I want to see a band that’s on fire and

enjoying themselves.”

The band is preparing to release Live from Lexxi’s Mom’s Garage, a CD/ DVD combo.

“It’s going to be awesome,” says Starr.

“This is something we’ve been working on for a few months. Everything’s done.”

The CD/DVD will showcase everything Steel Panther is about.

“We’re bringing a party to your town,” he says. “For me, when I was growing up, Van Halen with David Lee Roth was my band. When I went and saw them, the concert was two hours long but it felt like it went by in 45 minutes.

“That’s how great it was. He captivated the audience. He was funny.

Eddie Van Halen is a fantastic guitarist.

That is fun. Metal is about having a good time, listening to music and talking to some hot chicks. I always associate heavy metal with a party.”

Steel Panther

Livewire, 7320 E. Indian Plaza, Scottsdale, 480.361.9783, livewireaz.com, Saturday, February 13, 8 p.m., $26.50

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THRASH IT OUT

All is happy in Megadeth’s ‘dystopian’ world

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nstability is Megadeth’s stability.

While singer Dave Mustaine and bassist David Ellefson have pretty much been the core of the band since they founded it in the early 1980s, there’s been a revolving door of support musicians.

But things are different for Megadeth. A Scottsdale resident, Ellefson says now there’s a “really good unity in the band” with drummer Chris Adler and guitarist Kiko Loureiro.

“Chris Adler has been a friend and a fan of the band,” he says about Megadeth’s drummer. “He’s certainly one of the premier thrash metal drummers today.

For him to be playing on the record and touring with us is amazing.

“Kiko Loureiro brings an amazing skill level of musicianship to the band that is just really a nice boost for us.”

The result of the quartet’s talents is Dystopia, a collection that Ellefson calls one of Megadeth’s strongest yet.

“It’s been a long time in the making—and in a good way,” Ellefson says. “We didn’t have any tour dates or any other commitments. We were able to take time to make the best record we could.”

Dystopia is the first album to be released in January since 1988’s So Far, So Good ... So What! It was the same winter that Megadeth toured with Dio and Savatage.

“It’s kind of cool to have it come out

at the beginning of the year and have this whole year to take this thing around the world and play all these new songs for the fans,” he says.

Dystopia was recorded in Nashville, marking the third time the band laid down tracks in that city.

“There’s a quality and a clean factor about Nashville records,” Ellefson says.

“Things are very clean and pristine down there. For Megadeth, one time we were dubbed the state-of-the-art speed metal band, so it’s very fitting for us.

“We play with extreme precision. Our songs are written and composed in a very methodical manner. The Nashville way of working on records works well for us.”

Making records gives Megadeth an excuse to travel the world, according to Ellefson. The musicians stay upbeat during the tiresome chore of traveling by touring new regions.

“We just did a six-week around-theworld tour,” he says. “We played Beijing and Shanghai for the first time ever. It was really terrific.

“We spent 10 days in India, too.

We are now the heavy metal band above anyone else in the world who has one the most extensive touring in India. We’ve now canvassed India very well. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, something else pops up on the itinerary. I was never that good in geography until I joined a rock band

and now I know the planet pretty well.”

But now it’s time to return to the United States and, for Ellefson, to come home. The band plays the Comerica Theatre on Saturday, February 27.

“That’s one of the really terrific venues of the world, quite honestly,” Ellefson says about the Comerica Theatre.

“I’m proud that it’s in my backyard.

The Live Nation people have been big supporters of us for plenty of years. It’s nice to come home to friendly faces.”

The show will feature new staging and a revamped stage presentation.

“There’s a diversity on the album and the songs all really translate live,” he says.

“Sometimes you make certain songs are great listening experiences and other songs work really well in a live, high-octane rowdy rock show. It’s going to be nice to freshen up the setlist and bring a whole new show to our fans this year.”

Megadeth w/Suicidal Tendencies, Children of Bodom and Havok

Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington Street, Phoenix, 800.745.3000, ticketmaster.com, Saturday, February 27, 7 p.m., $49.50

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FINDING A

BALANCE A self-proclaimed workaholic, Jepsen finds inspiration in the ‘80s

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

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arly Rae Jepsen is sitting on the set of “Grease: Live,” in which she appeared as Frenchy. She’s about to be called for rehearsals at any moment, but she’s bound and determined to speak about her tour that comes to the Marquee Theatre on Wednesday, February 24. That’s even if the interview has to happen in two parts.

Jepsen enjoys being busy. In late January, she was not only juggling “Grease,” which aired January 31 on FOX, and interviews, but late-night TV show appearances, concert rehearsals and a promo tour of Japan. But she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I’m a workaholic,” confesses Jepsen, who broke through to U.S. radio with “Call Me Maybe.” “I think it’s sort of easier [to handle] when you’re passionate about the work that you do. It doesn’t feel as extreme as it balances itself out.”

That personality trait especially came through when she was preparing to record

her latest album, 2015’s Emotion. She wrote 200 tunes for it—including the hit “I Really Like You”—with a slew of songwriting partners.

“It was long and confusing,” she says about the songwriting process. “I wasn’t sure what I wanted to make at first. So I started to collect all the things that I loved about pop music. I worked with many different writers and producers and allowed myself to experiment.

“It all became clear and started taking shape once I found inspiration.”

That muse was the 1980s, a decade she loves.

“There’s something about the ‘80s that pulled me when I was making this record,” says Jepsen, 30, and a former “Canadian Idol” contestant who finished third.

“I wanted to make it an ‘80s lovefest on the album and live. Live, I have a very talented keyboard player, who happens to play the saxophone. So it’s a drummer, guitarist, bassist and myself. We’re all the

best of friends. We boogie together and play a lot of the songs from Emotion and some of the songs from Kiss as well.”

She’s a workaholic and a perfectionist. She made changes to her album past her deadline, she says.

“I listened to it a lot when I was done,” she says. “I wanted the order to feel right. I wanted to see if I had harmonies I wanted to add. I really analyzed it a lot.

I’d take it on runs, listen to it in the car. I turned in something later than expected.

It just wasn’t totally right yet.

“The perfectionist and workaholic qualities in me must drive others crazy, but I can’t help myself. I’m only doing what comes the most natural to me.”

Carly Rae Jepsen

Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Avenue, Tempe, 480.829.0607, luckymanonline.com, Wednesday, February 24, 8 p.m., $25 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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J

CHAMPIONING

WOMEN Jennifer Nettles serves as mentor on ‘Next Women of Country Tour’ Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

ennifer Nettles finds every opportunity she can to support women in country music, or any genre for that matter.

So when she was approached to headline the “Next Women of Country Tour,” the decision was a no-brainer.

“I always want to champion women any chance I get within this industry that I love so much,” says Nettles, whose tour comes to the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix on Friday, February 19.

“I think there’s clearly an across-theboard need for this in every industry and the music industry is not immune to that.

It’s important that we take note of that and we are able to support each other and try to get our music out there.”

On the tour, the Sugarland singer is serving as mentor to Brandy Clark, Lindsay Ell and Tara Thompson, the trio who is opening for her.

“I had been out with Brandy earlier,” Nettles says. “We toured together and we really got to refine our shows that you see now on this tour. Tara Thompson and Lindsay Ells are new to the gang and the scene. They popped on and I think that’s a nice refreshing way to open the show for sure.”

Nettles has more than the tour about which to be excited. She is set to release her sophomore solo effort, Playing with Fire, this year. “Unlove You” is the first single from the collection.

“Luckily, that’s doing really well at radio,” she says. “Brandy Clark and I wrote it. I love writing with her. She is so fantastic at what she does.

“One of the reasons I like writing with her is she’s much more traditional country. I’m from south Georgia. I’m from the swamp. My vocal stylings and my music choices show that. A lot of gospel and R&B and blues come from that area, not to mention clearly country as well.”

She said that when she and Clark get together and write, the songs are a nice blend of the nostalgic and the fresh.

“That’s really fun for me,” Nettles says. “I think [Playing with Fire is a nice representation of where I am now. Art imitates life. It’s about what I have learned since becoming a woman. I had a lot more to say on this record than That Girl.”

Nettles will be playing new songs at the Celebrity Theatre show, and it doesn’t bother her that the tracks may find their way onto YouTube prematurely.

“That’s just a given,” she says.

“That technically is part of our reality now. I think at the end of the day, like bootleggers of the past, when fans get excited about the music—regardless of how it’s delivered to them—I think it’s a positive thing.”

Jennifer Nettles w/Brandy Clark, Lindsay Ell and Tara Thompson Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd Street, Phoenix, 602.267.1600, celebritytheatre.com, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, February 19, $43-$66

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KEYS TO

SUCCESS I

sketches; collectively bringing them to the t’s no secret that Canada has become Trap-hop table,” Tune says. a hotbed for budding musicians.

“When all three of us dig something, Canadian electronic music trio Keys we all work on it until we finish it. Or the N Krates have added its name to a trio Keys N track gets scrapped or put to the side.” list of artists gaining global headway Turntablist Flo cites heavyweight hipfrom the Great White North. Comprised of Krates brings drummer Adam Tune, keyboardist David hop producers such as Timbaland, Just Matisse and turntablist Jr. Flo, Keys N Krates Blaze, Swizz Beatz and Hit-Boy as sources of inspiration, but also claims bands like a keen musical versatility that can progressive possess Caribou, M83 and Lotus help round out seldom be replicated. Having been together sound. for eight years, the trio was by no means an sound to Crush overnight success. That is until they signed the trio’s “Guys we consider our peers like Damir Lolic » The Entertainer!

to Steve Aoki’s Dim Mak Records, through which they have released three EPs. “We are constantly messing with samples, melodies, vocal ideas and beat

Hudson Mohawke, Rustie and Cashmere Cat also influence us a lot,” he says. “They are making progressive instrumental rap stuff that derives from different styles.”

Their “Dum Dee Dum,” track sits at just under 60 million views on YouTube, and several of the trio’s trap-infused hiphop remixes continue to propel its career.

The foregoing mixes music video garnered the Toronto natives nomination nods for Canada’s Prism Prize, as well as a Berlin Music Award in Germany.

The art of remixing is almost as trendy as it is to make an original song these days, but not everyone can fruitfully arrange an existing piece of music with innovative additives that pop. Typically, the trio’s approach to mixes is cautious.

“For the most part, we only take on a remix if we think we can come up with a clear vision to make it our own,” Flo says.

“Something about the original, or one of the stems in the original, has to spark an idea with us.”

This year promises to be ascendant for the trio as it marked the release of its third EP titled “Midnight Mass,” for which it’s promoting with a 32-date North American tour. Matisse reveals what fans can expect when experiencing one of their sets.

“They can expect our music, our remixes and live versions and flips of tunes that we dig and fit into our vibe; all played by three dudes live,” he said. “It’s a dance party, it’s a concert and it’s an experience.

Crush Arizona

Rawhide, 5700 W. North Loop Road, Chandler, relentlessbeats.com, 6 p.m. Saturday, February 13, $55-$88

THE BEST NIGHTLIFE EVENTS FOR FEBRUARY Bryson Tiller

FEBRUARY 1 Hailing from Louisville, Kentucky, 23-year-old singer-songwriter/ rapper Bryson Tiller has seemingly swept the nation with his soulful ultra-successful single, “Don’t,” which peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard chart.

As recently as 2014, Tiller was plying his trade at Papa John’s, now he’s getting ready to launch his first tour.

Livewire, 7320 E. Indian Plaza, Scottsdale, 480.970.6980, livewireaz.com, 7 p.m., $32.50

Chromeo

FEBRUARY 5 The Canadian electro-funk duo consists of musicians David “Dave 1” Malkovitch and Patrick “P-Thugg” Gemeyal. Their 2004 debut album, She’s in Control, introduced them to the world and featured the song “Needy Girl,” which became a worldwide club hit. Since then, Chromeo has unleashed four albums, two of which went on to chart in eight countries.

Livewire, 7320 E. Indian Plaza, Scottsdale, 480.970.6980, livewireaz.com, 8 p.m., $30 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

Hoodie Allen

FEBRUARY 14 One-time Google employee Steven Markowitz, AKA Hoodie Allen, rose to prominence in 2012 through the release of his inaugural EP All American. Following a string of successful albums and mixtapes, the rapper is no stranger to touring and working with the panjandrums of the music industry. Check out Allen when he brings his comically catchy raps via the “Happy Camper Tour” to the Marquee Theatre.

Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Avenue, Tempe, 480.829.0607, luckymanonline.com, 7:30 p.m., $30-$50

Dzeko & Torres

FEBRUARY 19 Then teenagers, Julian Dzeko and Luis Torres established Dzeko & Torres in 2008. The duo focuses on house music and its many subgenres, catching the attention of Steve Aoki and Tiesto along the way. Known for their ground-breaking remixes of some of the world’s mega hits, the Torontonians will have Maya Day

and Nightclub goers frolicking on the dance floor all evening.

Maya Day + Nightclub, 733 E. Indian Plaza, Scottsdale, 480.625.0528, mayaclubaz.com, 9 p.m., $15

Carly Rae Jepsen

FEBRUARY 24 Canadian pop star Carly Rae Jepsen has sold more than 20 million records worldwide. One had to be living under a rock not to have heard her sensational single “Call Me Maybe,” which topped the charts in 18 countries in 2012. Jepsen’s latest project titled Emotion is a mix of 1980s-influenced pop songs and will be on full display at the Marquee Theatre.

“Gimmie Love Tour,’ Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Avenue, Tempe, 480.829.0607, luckymanonline. com, 8 p.m., $25

UZ and Aazar

FEBRUARY 20 Dubbed the “masked trap maestro” turntablist UZ has been gaining momentum rapidly. After the release of the Trap Shit Series in 2012, he was backed by the likes of Diplo,

Flosstradamus and Mau5trap.

Although UZ’s identity remains anonymous, his production and style is infectious. Fellow up-and-coming French DJ Aazar arrived on the scene in 2015. The popular trap music blog Run The Trap listed his “Get Low Remix” as one of the top 25 trap tracks of 2015.

Monarch Theatre, 122 E. Washington Street, Tempe, 480.289.0607 monarchtheatre. com, 9 p.m., $10-$30

Tyga

FEBRUARY 27 Although just 26 years old, the California-based rapper has enjoyed nearly a decade of mainstream relevance in hip hop. With four studio albums, a collection of bigscreen appearances and a clothing line to his name, Tyga boasts quite the impressive resume. Check out the “Rack City” rapper when he showcases his flashy antics at Livewire.

Livewire, 7320 E. Indian Plaza, Scottsdale, 480.970.6980, livewireaz.com, $30-$50

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COMEDY UP HIS

SLEEVE

Jasmine Kemper » The Entertainer!

F

or Jimmy Shubert, being a comedian is a lot like being a magician.

“There are no bad audiences, there are only bad magicians. And I think it’s the same for stand-up comedy,” Shubert says.

At an early age, he knew he wanted to be a funny guy. He started practicing magic at age 9 and then at 18, he dipped into the comedic world.

“I hung up the wand and retired the rabbit and started doing stand-up comedy,” Shubert says.

His background in comedy didn’t come from attending comedy school.

Instead, Shubert learned from experience by jumping onto the stage at open mic nights in Philadelphia.

“Comedy is one of those trial-anderror jobs. If you want to learn how to do it, you just have to do it. You have to do

Jimmy Shubert’s first love was magic, but comedy was his calling

all of that stuff in front of an audience,” Shubert says.

Part of that learning process involved finding his comedic voice.

“Thank God I did magic because I had to wait for my writing ability to catch up with my performing ability. I was writing and trying to find my voice.

It takes you a while to find your voice as a stand-up comic, it takes years and years to get good at it,” Shubert says.

Eventually he found his voice, which combines a comedic short-story form and poking fun at pop culture.

“My stand-up is lead with the punch lines. It’s kind of like an older style of comedy,” Shubert says. “You have the subject and you really just pound it out until you get every last bit of laughter out of the subject matter, it’s a lot like sculpting.”

The comedy world is new and evolving, but Shubert has found a way to use his forward approach to his advantage.

“A lot of these kids are ironic and they’re storytellers—I just like it to be funny. That’s the kind of comedy I like.

It’s a classic style of comedy,” he says.

Shubert draws inspiration from comedians like George Carlin, who he says plays with language in a way that he aspires to.

“You gotta be able to put a paragraph into one sentence and paint pictures with words, it’s all in the details,” he says.

When Shubert isn’t doing a set on stage, he’s making it to the top 10 on “Last Comic Standing,” acting for television shows and films and is constantly creating new content to add to his repertoire.

“Acting fuels my personal appearances. It’s a lot like being an athlete.

People follow your high school career, your college career, and then you go to the pros and people come out to see you again and again,” Shubert says.

He’s worked with Charlize Theron, Brat Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Robin Williams and many other big names in Hollywood.

“I got to work with Robin Williams in ‘One Hour Photo,’” Shubert says.

About a year before his untimely death, Williams even watched Shubert perform in San Francisco. It’s a moment he calls “incredible.”

“I didn’t get a picture with him, but I got to have a moment with him. That to me was really powerful. I got to have a moment with a legend and he stayed and watched my show for 25 minutes. He was really laughing. That makes me feel pretty good,” Shubert says.

His newest project is a television special called “Smoke and Mirrors,” which he hopes to bring to Netflix.

“I actually open the show with a little bit of close-up magic. The magic is really a metaphor for what I’m talking about on stage— it’s that everything in life is smoke and mirrors,” Shubert says.

The special has allowed him to manage his content and keep up with this fast-paced business.

“That’s the name of the game. It’s changed a lot. You look at a guy like Louis C.K. who’s a writer, a producer, an editor and he does a show. His work ethic is unbelievable.”

As he wraps up his TV special, Shubert isn’t slowing down. He’s coming to the Valley for seven shows, and he couldn’t be more excited to perform at Rick Bronson’s House of Comedy at High Street in Phoenix.

After 25 years in comedy, the performer continues to make people happy, and makes a living while doing it.

“That in itself is a huge success. I know how blessed and how lucky I am,” Shubert says. “There’s enough stuff in the world that make people sad and angry and I just like making people laugh.”

Jimmy Shubert

Rick Bronson’s House of Comedy, 5350 E. High Street, Suite 105, Phoenix, 480.420.3553, houseofcomedy.net, Wednesday, March 9, through Sunday, March 13, times vary, $13-$22.

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FAMILY TIES

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

T

he Avett Brothers have an intimate relationship with Father Time.

Sure, it sounds like an odd statement, but bassist/ vocalist Bob Crawford is pretty convincing when he mentions that the mythical figure appears on Live, Vol. Four.

“We’ve got a good relationship with Father Time, which is really special and exciting,” Crawford says of the album that was released December 18.

“We always like for him to do a song with us. When you’re dealing with Father Time, you really have to choose the right song.”

Mystery revealed: Father Time is really Valient Himself, of the Southern heavy metal band Valient Thorr. Recorded in Raleigh, North Carolina, on December 31, 2014, Live, Vol. Four features 14 tracks, including four covers and two unreleased songs.

Crawford says, besides reining in Father Time for a NYE show, preparation is minimal for a live CD. Same goes for the band’s nerves.

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“I really don’t sense that,” he says about the anxiety level of The Avett Brothers before a NYE gig.

“Once the preparation for how many balloons are we going to have, what time do you shoot off the confetti canon, when do you drop a certain banner [things cool down],” he says. “I would think the prep is more on our crew than us; the guys who have to pull off the lights and the sounds.

There’s more pressure on them.”

Crawford and the rest of The Avett Brothers—Scott Avett on vocals/banjo/ kick drums; Seth Avett, vocals/guitars/high hat; keyboardist Paul Defiglia; violinist Tania Elizabeth; cellist Joe Kwon and drummer Mike Marsh—return to Phoenix to play the McDowell Mountain Music Festival on Sunday, March 13. Crawford says The Avett Brothers will play a few new tracks from an album that’s due out in the summer, perhaps. But that’s all he’ll say.

“The only thing I’ll say about it is we, for the first time, recorded with a seven-piece band,” he says. “We’ve never done that before. That alone will make it unique.”

He’s chattier when The Avett Brothers’ last album, 2013’s Magpie and the Dandelion, as well as its predecessor,

2012’s The Carpenter.

“That was such a weird time period,” Crawford says. “They were both recorded in the same window of time.

“We put out The Carpenter and that got a lot more behind it than Magpie ever did. We don’t bury our heads in the sand and we’re not completely aloof as to how something is perceived or how successful it is.”

That’s not something on which Crawford or his bandmates focus.

“For us, it’s the creation of the record that’s the memorable point,” he says.

“Once it’s released, however, how well it does or does not do is technically out of our hands.

“I will say this about our two records.

We recorded all of these songs and when we released The Carpenter, we didn’t know what was going to happen to the rest of the songs.

“Six, seven, eight months went by and Rick [Rubin, producer] started playing with the tracks we had remaining.”

He and The Avett Brothers found that the songs could work as a standalone collection.

“It was amazing how thematically different Magpie is from The Carpenter,”

The Avett Brothers return to the stage for MMMF Crawford explains. “So in that respect, I’m really proud of Magpie. It was compiled and released so far away from the time it was recorded that it really gave us, well, me, the opportunity to be disassociated from it and be distant from it.

“I remember listening to it before it came out. I would listen to it like I wasn’t in the band. There was something about that distance that made it appealing in the songs and the vibe of the record.”

Magpie and The Carpenter aside, Crawford is looking forward to playing his new songs at the McDowell Mountain Music Festival.

“It’ll be our third show of the year,” he says. “Hopefully we remember how to play the songs. We’re looking forward to getting back out there. We’ve been off since November. It’s time to get back to work.”

McDowell Mountain Music Festival

Margaret T. Hance Park, 1202 N. Third Street, Phoenix, mmmf.com, 3 p.m. Friday, March 11, 12 p.m.

Saturday, March 12, and Sunday, March 13, $70-$600.

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AIMING FOR SUCCESS

Maynard James Keenan uses his relentless attitude to propel his bands Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

M

aynard James Keenan is, admittedly, a smack-talking Irishman.

Whether he’s fronting Tool or Puscifer, Keenan maintains a theatrical show, but in discussing it, the conversation soon turns questionable.

“It’s always a challenge when you take on theatrical elements, combining that with just performing,” says Keenan, who performs with Puscifer on Friday, March 18, at the Comerica Theatre.

“You have to make sure that you’re delivering a song in the manner that you like and it feels effective. It’s about kind of finding that perfect balance between tapping into that emotional side and tripping over the props or getting in the way of the show itself. This time out, though, we have an actual Lucha Libre ring on the stage to make sure you’re navigating the rope properly.”

Besides the problems navigating the stage, or “ring,” Arizona-based Keenan finds it challenging to get Puscifer’s music heard, specifically its latest album Money Shot.

“Were an independent project,” says Keenan, who runs vineyards in Jerome.

“Many years ago, a lot of things used to be able to survive in the middle. Now there’s a big huge hole in the middle. It’s like very commercial stuff gets pushed on your plate and very independent things go unnoticed. To make your mark, you have to put the work in.”

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Keenan adds that it’s frustrating, but it’s part of the work.

“We’ve gotten used to putting less effort in and getting a lot more back,” he says. “We’re going to move again to a time where that’s not going to be the case anymore.”

The writing process for Money Shot, Puscifer’s third studio album, was centered around Arizona and California.

“We were traveling a lot for the first [album],” he says. “We were in hotels, in venues, in a bus, in studios around the country. It was a little schizophrenic in terms of capturing that traveling energy.

“These last two were written in Arizona. That environment is going to affect you as an artist. You’re going to be influenced by what you see. It’s our own version of a local first movement.”

Money Shot, which features Keenan’s 20-year-old cellist son, Devo, marks an increased presence of Carina Round, whose vocals blend well with Keenan.

“She’s a firecracker,” he says. “We were born about three days apart, several years apart, though. We are cut from the same s--- talking Irish mold. We definitely complement each other and we work really well together.”

Puscifer w/Luchafer

Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington Street, Phoenix, 800.745.3000, ticketmaster.com, 8 p.m. Friday, March 18, $38-$68.

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THE ARTIST

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CULTURE » THEATER » DANCE » GALLERY » DRAMA » VISION

Shen Yun 52 Phoenix Chorale 53 ASU Gammage 50

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PUMP

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer! l Volo’s Piero Barone is pumped up—literally and figuratively.

The charming singer in the Italian “popera” trio is pumped about Il Volo’s U.S. tour as well as the workout he just finished at a RitzCarlton “somewhere in America.”

“I can’t wait to bring our show to Phoenix,” he says. “It’s been two long years.”

Barone is joined in Il Volo by baritone Gianluca Ginoble and fellow tenor Ignazio Boschetto, all of whom practically grew up in the public’s eye.

As teenagers, Ginoble, Barone and Boschetto were discovered on an Italian singing competition show “Ti Lascio Una Canzone” in 2009. They performed solo until the show’s creator put the three together to create a trio similar to The Three Tenors (Placido Domingo, Jose Carreras and Luciano Pavarotti). By the fourth show, the three young men were singing together.

The 23-year-old bespectacled Barone says he didn’t mind aging in the spotlight.

That maturation is evident on Il Volo’s fifth studio album, Grand Amore, and on its PBS special, “Il Volo: Live from Pompeii.”

But there’s always that image to uphold.

“It’s great doing PBS special,” Barone says with a laugh in his thick Italian accent. “But you have to fix all the time your hair and put on makeup. We have to concentrate [in front of cameras], you’re not just with the boys, you have to improve your image.”

It’s not that Il Volo’s image was tarnished. Teenage girls—and their mothers—scream so loudly at concerts

that Barone says it makes it hard to sing.

The band’s career is shining brightly, too, having won awards here and abroad.

Barone has a couple special places in his home for them.

“We bring them home to put in our wall,” he says. “In my house, I have the award wall. I put all these awards in my wall, yes. I put the awards in the bathroom, too. Every time you go to pee you see your awards.”

While Barone is a big fan of Pavarotti and Domingo, he listens to plenty of American music to get him jacked at the gym.

“At the gym, I always listen to Bruno Mars, Justin Timberlake, Lady Gaga, Pink—all these artists who get me up,” he says.

“We perform four to five concerts per week. If it’s a concert day, we do just cardio, then when we have a day off, we do weights. The gym is crucial for our way of life.”

IT UP

Whether Il Volo is in the gym or on stage, music is always the focus

Il Volo

Mesa Arts Center, One E. Main St., Mesa, 480.644.6500, mesaartscenter.com, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 24, $49.50-$189.50.

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THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MARCH 2016

THE SHOWMAN

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LISTEN » JAM » INNOVATE » EVOLVE » ROCK » SING

Charlie Daniels 126 Futuristic 119 A Great Big World 122

GETTING HIS Granger Smith is geared up to succeed with new SHOT album, Remington

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Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

ountry singer Granger Smith is a modest man of few words.

Known for his No. 1 track “Backroad Song,” Smith doesn’t take the credit for its success.

“We have a really good team behind us, Wheelhouse Records,” says Smith, who is playing The Great American Barbecue and Beer Festival on Saturday, March 19, in Chandler.

“They have been complete rock stars.

I’m very grateful and extremely excited and on cloud nine because of the success of it. But am I surprised? Not so much because of the team that works with me.”

“Backroad Song” will be found on Smith’s forthcoming album, Remington, which is due to hit stores March 4. The Texas native had a hand in writing the songs.

“It’s important to me to have a hand in all that and to write the songs,” he says.

“It represents who I am more. It’s my

eighth studio album. Each one represents a snapshot of my life during that time.

That’s the way that I can express myself and tell my stories is through songs.”

He explains that his songwriting process changes from song to song.

“Some songs could take years to write—and they have,” Smith says. “Some songs you can write in 20 minutes. There’s no rhyme or reason why. It’s the way your brain works.”

The hardest song to write on Remington was the title track. Smith says he just worked on it until he thought it was finished.

“It doesn’t really ever get discouraging,” he says. “You don’t have to keep your morale up. It’s like when you lose your keys in your house. You know they’re in your house. You don’t get discouraged because you know they’re in there. You just have to look a little longer.”

Inspired by George Strait, Smith

is looking forward to the barbecue and beer festival—things that he says go hand in hand with country music.

Tracks from Remington are sure to be on the setlist, he says.

“A lot of the new ones and a lot of the ones that people expect to hear,” Smith explains. “We like to have a lot of energy. It’s a fun experience and a blast to be on stage.”

The Great American Barbecue and Beer Festival

Dr. AJ Chandler Park, 3 S. Arizona Avenue, Chandler, chandlerbbq.com, 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, March 19, $10-$15.

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HOMETOWN HERO

Rapper Futuristic excited about what lies ahead

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

F

uturistic hopes to be “the biggest rapper that there is”— and that’s not just lip service.

With nearly 1 million followers on Facebook and 65,000 on Twitter, Futuristic shows what could be ahead for the Arizona rap scene.

Even though Futuristic—who, as Zachary Lewis Beck, attended McClintock High School in Tempe—makes that bold statement, he is still conflicted about how successful he wants to be.

“I go back and forth,” he says, traveling to a Midwest tour date. “I think, ‘Oh I don’t want to be too huge.’ But the

more successful you get, the more you want.

“My goal is to keep pushing as long as I’m happy. I want to be able to do what I do and not be pressured. I just want to be creative, be myself and be happy doing music.”

Now living in Los Angeles, Futuristic will return to the Valley—specifically Livewire in Scottsdale—Thursday, March 10. He’s thrilled to be coming back home.

“That’s the only show I ever stress over,” he says. “‘Yo, it’s got to be sold out.

It’s got to be this. It’s got to be that.’ I go all out for the Arizona shows.

“You have everybody hitting you up from family and stuff. Everyone forgets that you have so many other things going

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on. I have to turn my shit off those days.”

That said, family is important to Futuristic, who appears on A Great Big World’s single “We Hold Each Other” (See related story).

“I’ve been rapping since I was 6 years old,” says the 24-year-old who was influenced by Will Smith, Ludacris, Eminem and Busta Rhymes. “My family’s in music. My pops is a drummer.

My older brothers—one’s a drummer/ guitarist/bassist. My other older brother raps. My little brother plays drums. From a very young age, I was always around music.

“When you’re in a house and it’s there, you do [music] without even thinking.”

So far, his innate talent has deemed him a success. His latest album, Coast 2 Coast with Devvon Terrell, peaked at No. 12 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

Futuristic knew he was on the right path when he sold out the former location of Club Red in Mesa.

“It was just crazy,” he says. “I was backstage talking on the mic before I went on and everyone went nuts. I was like, ‘Holy shit.’ They knew every word.

It was a 500-cap [capacity] room, the old Club Red. It was nuts to me that it sold out.

“It’s always tight, especially when it first starts happening. When it happened in other cities, people knowing all the words, it was like, ‘Damn.’”

Futuristic has accomplished what he has only with the help of a manager. His DIY work ethic was recently featured in Forbes magazine, an impressive feat not only for a rapper, but an independent artist at that.

“It’s definitely been a lot of hard work,” he says. “Literally, it’s been hard work and just being creative. You have to come up with new ways of introducing yourself to new people. At a certain point, you can get [record labels] to work for you, instead of working for them.”

Despite the ups and downs of his career, Futuristic has managed to keep a positive outlook, in life and in his music.

“I do that just because kids are so influenced by everything,” he says. “If you have a positive message and something that people need to hear and you’re an influential person you should speak it.”

Futuristic w/Devvon Terrell

Livewire, 7320 E. Indian Plaza, Scottsdale, livewireaz.com, 7 p.m.

Thursday, March 10, $20-$50.

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SEEING THE ‘LIGHTS’

D

J/producer artist Kaskade Kaskade calls has a simple reason for wanting to return to the his upcoming Valley to play Phoenix Lights in early April. show ‘life “I love it there—that’s why I keep coming back,” says Kaskade via email as he’s changing’ overseas. “It’s an interesting spot because of Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

its proximity to L.A. and Vegas [and] it stays really current. But more than that, people there love to be outside, which is fun for me.”

Kaskade will be part of a myriad of acts playing Phoenix Lights Saturday, April 2, and Sunday, April 3, at Margaret T. Hance Park in Phoenix.

“It will, for certain, be the most important and life-changing experience, musical or otherwise, for everyone who comes within a 50-mile radius of what I’m going to do,” he boasts.

His last Valley show was “all-out madness,” according to Kaskade, born Ryan Raddon.

“It’s been cool to watch it go from little tiny club shows in Arizona to my most recent show there which was, like, 25,000 in a tent,” he says. “I’ve been able to witness this growth over the years and it’s a good indicator of what’s happening in North America as a whole.”

Another “huge victory” for dance music are the Grammy nominations that artists have garnered. But it doesn’t necessarily mean a lot to him.

“I’ve been nominated for and attended the Grammys over the past four years,” he says. “It’s fun and a great night to celebrate music and be recognized by your peers.

“However, being nominated doesn’t validate me personally. I’ve not ever been that guy on any level that is gunning for awards and acclaim. You won’t see me pleading for votes online for any contest, and you won’t see me staking my career on a trophy. Would it feel good to win? Sure.

But a Grammy isn’t a goal. It’s a perk.”

In mid-February, Kaskade released three remixes and a video of his track “Whatever,” featuring KOLAJ, from his ninth studio album, Automatic, released

by Arkade/Warner Bros. Records on

September 25.

“Whatever,” remixed by NEUS, ATTLAS and Robotaki, carry elements of disco, new wave and funk. Kaskade says sometimes remixing can be challenging.

“Remixing is tricky because you need to reimagine a song,” he explains.

“The majority of the time, the song will come to me with something in it that I know I want to change. I will know what I want to do immediately. It’s not a matter of liking or disliking the song. It comes down to the strength of the song.

I won’t take a weak song and try to remix it. For instance, with Galantis, I loved the original but I needed something heavier to work in my set so I created a remix that would work for me on the floor.”

Kaskade, who recently collaborated with the clothing line Imperial Motion, says if he could change one thing about his career, it would be the speed of his ascent.

“This has been a slow but constant progression,” he says. “I think the only downside is that the progression could have been a little faster. I am extremely proud of what I’ve been able to do, and luckily, I’m doing exactly what I love.”

Phoenix Lights

Margaret T. Hance Park, 1202 N. Third Street, Phoenix, 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, April 2, and Sunday, April 3, phoenixlightsfest.com, $99$1,500.

WHAT’S THAT IN THE SKY? Andrew Rayel prepares fans for Phoenix Lights at The Pressroom Dylan Arndt » The Entertainer!

P

hoenix Lights in April is set to be one of the largest Electronic Dance Music festivals that the city has yet to see. After a stellar Decadence on New Year’s Eve and an incredible Crush Fest just last month, Relentless Beats has proven that it can deliver on its promises.

But before we embrace the impending Phoenix alien mystery-themed festival, we have to prepare for all-out musical abduction. To do so, Before the Lights, the official Phoenix Lights pre-party, comes to the Pressroom in Downtown Phoenix on March 26 one week before Phoenix Lights.

Before the Lights, a complete trance takeover, will feature Andrew Rayel and Heatbeat, both of whom are established WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

names in the euphoria-filled and highenergy genre.

Rayel, born Andrew Rata, hails from Chisinau, Moldova, where he began producing music at the age of 13. In his formative years as an established musician, Rayel received heavy support from trance legend Armin van Buuren, who signed the young talent to his label, Armada Music.

From there, the rising star and the legend created a collaboration of their own, “EIFORYA.” The rest is history.

Heatbeat is an Argentinian trance duo, also signed to Armada, who have been producing together as far back as 2006. The duo Matias Faint and Agustin Servente are skilled in piano, guitar and drums, leading to a virulent takeover of electronic production skills.

Prepare for the lights with Andrew Rayel and Heatbeat at the Pressroom.

Before the Lights featuring Andrew Rayel and Heatbeat

The Pressroom, 441 E. Madison Street, Phoenix, relentessbeats.com, 9 p.m.

Friday, March 25, $15-$750.

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LOVING PLAY TO

E Street Band’s Nils Lofgren shows versatility, depth Ken Abramczyk » The Entertainer!

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THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MARCH 2016

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ast year Nils Lofgren toured England with his long-time collaborator and multiinstrumentalist Greg Varlotta.

Lofgren’s wife, Amy, was on the road with them, helping sell T-shirts on the tour. Show after show, fans asked Amy for CDs of the music they had just heard. These live songs hadn’t been released yet. She thought the fans were onto something special.

“She said, ‘Look, these are the best shows I’ve seen you do, you should record them,’” Nils Lofgren says. “We set up a [sound] board, recorded it and she was right.”

After six or seven shows, the UK2015 Face the Music Live CD was put together and Amy had something for the fans to embrace and a show memory. “It was a great idea and I’m glad she came up with it,” Lofgren says.

The album highlights what Lofgren enjoys the most: performing.

The CD conveys a deep sense of mood conveyed by Lofgren’s nimble guitar work and haunting vocals, and excellent accompaniments from Varlotta. The 15 tracks span Lofgren’s career from his early days fronting Grin with “Lost a Number,” “No Mercy” from the late 1970s to “Miss You ‘C’,” a tribute to his former E Street bandmate Clarence Clemons. His cover of Danny Whitten’s “I Don’t Want to Talk About It” is touching.

Juxtapose this work against some of Lofgren’s searing guitar leads with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band of Springsteen’s “Youngstown” (Live in New York) and “Tunnel of Love” and you will come away with a respect for Lofgren’s versatility, talent and depth.

Lofgren chalks his latest work with an ability to reference to a voluminous repertoire of work over the past 48 years highlighted on his monumental Face the Music box set, a nine-CD/one-DVD retrospective, which was released in 2014.

Lofgren doesn’t show signs of slowing down. Once his current tour with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band ends, Lofgren expects to resume his tour to promote his live CD. Springsteen and his band make a stop Thursday, March 10, at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix.

“I’m working in my 48th year now, and you’re always trying to make the most comprehensive, emotionally powerful show you can of the ammunition of, at this point, hundreds of recordings that I’ve written and made, and of course the immediacy of each night,” he says.

“Yes it’s a duo, but as opposed to a thin folk sound or folk music, it might be great. We’ve added a lot of bottom, body and guitars and keyboard, so there’s a lot more air being moved, and we might take a piano, I’ll sit at the piano, and after a while I’ll like to have some strings to fade into a midsection to just get another dynamic into it.

“It’s just a function of wanting to keep the intimacy of the duo, but not lose the power of the band and just walk that line as best we can.” Lofgren describes Varlotta as a very powerful player and great on the road. “Amy was right. It was a great time to commemorate these types of shows.”

Lofgren appreciates and respects Amy’s opinion, realizing that he didn’t

have the overview that Amy did, and just kind of let it fall into place on its own.

“It was totally out of left field, and kind of in a good way, you didn’t have to worry or belabor making a live recording at all,” Lofgren says. The CD received great reviews. “People who saw me for 40 years says I hadn’t been better, I said, ‘Really, I just thought I did a good job.’”

After listening to it, Lofgren was pleased as well.

“I haven’t had a record in 20 years, that’s the neat thing about being a grassroots, off-the-grid artist, is she had an idea for that.” Lofgren liked how quickly the album was conceived, recorded and released to the public. There wasn’t the usual record company red tape and meetings to discuss the music, whether the album should be live, and the corporate foot-dragging. There’s a lot of those issues with the industry, Lofgren says, but there was none of that.

“Can we have a recording system by tomorrow night, yes, bang, eight shows later record it, I go home, I listen, and I still was not expecting it to be that quality and it was and hats off to Amy on that.”

“We didn’t overthink it, I just kind of recorded it and it led to a great record.”

Lofgren was touring in the United States to promote UK2015 Face the Music Live late last year when he was called for another Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band tour, this one to celebrate and commemorate the 35th anniversary of The River which was re-released in The Ties That Bind: The River Collection box set.

At the time of this interview, Lofgren is in New York City, between a show in Albany and one in Connecticut. He jokes that he is “a little delirious” the day after a three-and-a-half-hour show, but grateful and getting his “sea legs” on the tour after seven or eight shows. It’s a quick change for him from lead performer to sideman, which he doesn’t mind.

“It’s a different pressure. Pressure is a rough word, because it is an environment I thrive in, [whether it’s] being in a band in front of an audience or being with an audience with a guitar and wanting me to sing for them. It’s my favorite thing to do and what I’m best at.”

He remembers when he was 18 driving in a car with David Briggs, who produced Neil Young’s After the Gold Rush, when Lofgren who played piano, guitar and sang for Young, thought about how great it was not to be the band leader and just playing with great musicians.

Band leaders generally sing and play lead or rhythm guitar, Lofgren says, but that same leader can sing harmonies and play different instruments in a different band. With E Street, Lofgren learned a little beginner bottleneck, lap steel, pedal steel and six-string banjo and prior to that, in the early 1970s, piano in Young’s

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band. “I’ll pick up a tambourine, I’ll play anything. I just like to contribute and I have good instincts.”

When Lofgren does his show and isn’t in the mood to play a particular song, he won’t play it, but if he is playing with Springsteen’s E Street Band, Young or Ringo Starr, if they call out a song, his first instinct is how he will “pick it up.” “It is kind of effortless for me, because I was pulled in at a young age,” Lofgren says.

At the show in Albany, Springsteen and the E Street Band played “Meet Me in the City,” the entire The River album, then the band rolled into the “Detroit Medley,” the Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels songs of “Jenny Take a Ride,” “Devil with the Blue Dress,” “Good Golly Miss Molly” and “C.C. Rider.”

The tour is all about The River.

“Bruce’s intent is to present that album and what it means to him and the stories,” Lofgren says. Once the band finishes The River, it turns to other songs from the Springsteen catalog. And sometimes, Springsteen ventures off the set list.

“It’s funny, we have only 12 or 13 songs to choose from [to play], but you’ve got 300 great songs to choose from. Well, how the hell are you going to do that?

The good news is I don’t have to do that.

I just look at Bruce, he thinks about it, he walks over to me in the dark, he gives me a title, I go play Paul Revere and run over to everyone to tell them what’s up next, and a few seconds later, we’re off to the races.”

Lofgren enjoys the spontaneity of the shows, but Springsteen sometimes will pull something out of nowhere for a little improv. “You have to allow for some rough edges. And he does. He’s got a great sense, if the guys are down in it, the girls are down in it, and rolling with it, then that’s OK. Is there going to be some rough edges, of course, there are, when you’re playing a song you never played before in your life, and you’re working on an arrangement at your mic and they’re scrambling online to put the lyrics you never saw on the teleprompter and in 18 seconds, you going to go ‘one, two, three, four,’ it’s quite exhilarating.”

Lofgren and Amy, a professional cook by trade, have lived in Arizona for 20 years. Nils, who grew up in the Washington, D.C., area, doesn’t miss the winters of the Northeast.

“It’s a steady, slower pace than either of the coasts,” Lofgren says of Phoenix, a pace that suits him just fine.

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, 800.745.3000, ticketmaster.com, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 10, $55-$150.

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WHOLE NEW

WORLD A Great Big World slated to play first Phoenix concert Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

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ith incredibly personal songs like “We Hold Each Other” and “One Step Ahead,” A Great Big World is a band that pulls at the heartstrings.

That’s the same effect the songs have on their founders, Ian Axel and Chad King, who released their latest album, When the Morning Comes, on Nov. 13, 2015. “‘One Step Ahead’ is, for me, a difficult song to sing,” Axel says of one of the new tracks. “That’s was the song I proposed with to my fiancée. Playing it for the first time at a show—with my fiancée there—that was really, really difficult. I felt exposed.”

King, who swaps vocal duties with Axel, shares that “We Hold Each Other” is tough.

“But sometimes, for me, it’s different,” he says about the song’s effects.

“Sometimes it’s for someone in the audience who I imagine needs to hear that message and can hopefully be affected by it, inspired by it or moved by it.

“It depends on where my headspace is at. It’s never the same from any performance.”

When the Morning Comes is A Great Big World’s second album. The first one, Is Anybody Out There?, spawned the

successful single, “Say Something,” a duet with Christina Aguilera.

King says the two albums were recorded very differently.

“The last record definitely felt like we were taking a bunch of songs that we had written over the course of five to eight years and saying, ‘Let’s take this one and that one.’ It was like a potluck,” he says.

“This one felt that it had a direction.

It had a path. It needed to because we had three months to write and three months to record the record. We felt the pressure of time on the record, more than the last one. We felt the pressure of ‘Say Something’ and what that did to us and how to proceed in the world we wanted to live in.”

That “world” is a pop environment, one in which King and Axel try to stay honest and authentic.

“I think Ian and I are both really proud of this record and what came out of it,” King adds.

The duo is especially excited about the inclusion of rapper Futuristic, who attended McClintock High School in Tempe, on “We Hold Each Other.” (See related story about Futuristic.)

“He’s so freaking talented,” Axel says.

“We’re falling in love with everything he’s doing and everything he’s putting out in the world. We’re so lucky to be able to collaborate with him.”

The duo discovered Futuristic after the rapper did a cover of “Say Something” and posted it on YouTube.

“It was as easy as it could be to work with anybody,” explains Axel, who is marrying in April. “We get along with him perfectly. It felt like we were supposed to be doing this. There was no resistance from the universe.”

They are trying to get Futuristic to perform with them when A Great Big World plays the Crescent Ballroom on Thursday, March 17. The show marks what Axel and King call their first “proper” Arizona gig. They last appeared at the Phoenix Pride Festival.

“It’s a whole new show than the last time,” Axel says. “It feels like a new band in a lot of ways. The instrumentation is a lot different. The songs are produced to be a lot bigger than on the last album. We’re trying to recreate the album live, so it has a bigger sound. It’s still going to be fun.

It’s still an emotional rollercoaster, but it feels like a new band.”

A Great Big World w/ Genevieve

Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Avenue, Phoenix, 602.716.2222, crescentphx.com, 8 p.m. Thursday, March 17, $25-$65.

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Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

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ords are important to music legend David Crosby. So much so that he regularly books acoustic shows in the same format as MTV’s “Storytellers.”

“The solo acoustic shows mean a whole lot of songs and some of the more off-the-beaten path stuff than you would normally run into and the words count,” says Crosby, who brings his jaunt to the Fox Tucson Theatre on Friday, March 25, and Talking Stick Resort on Saturday, March 26.

“That’s the part I like very much about solo acoustic shows. You get to actually tell the tale. That means a great deal to me. I like words.”

He isn’t too thrilled about a lot of the music that’s out these days, as it seems

that words no longer matter.

“If you go for the pop stuff, the pop stuff is about as deep as a bird bath,” he says with a laugh. “But there are singersongwriters who are putting out really good works and worthwhile stories to hear. That’s what I want to hear.”

Among his favorites are The Beatles, Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan and James Taylor.

“Lately I’ve been listening to this jazz band called Snarky Puppy,” he says.

“I’m making two solo albums and Snarky Puppy’s band leader and composer, Michael League, produced the first one, which I just finished.

“The second one is being produced by my son, James, who produced by last Croz album. I can hear him doing it in the background. I want to jump up and run in there.”

Crosby’s new collections are coming along nicely, he says. The songs are flowing out of him.

“It would be daunting if I didn’t have the songs,” Crosby explains. “I’ve been very, very fortunate about songs lately.

They’ve been coming to me really well.

Mike and I co-wrote five songs. Me and James have four songs that we co-wrote already and we have more coming.”

Crosby and his son have “incredible communication,” he says. The two didn’t always communicate. James’ mom put him up for adoption and Crosby didn’t know James’ location or name until about 20 years ago.

“We found each other and he was really wonderful,” Crosby says. “He gave me a chance to earn my way into his life.

We became very, very close. Normally that kind of meet up doesn’t go very well, but we’re very close and we have incredible musical communication “James is doing great work—really great work. He’s a jazzer. He’s a better musician than I am. He listens to a lot of jazz. The music that he and I write

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together seems to get really complex. I love complex music. That’s why I’m such a Steely Dan fan.”

When he’s writing songs, he takes into consideration a bit of advice he received from Mitchell.

“When I get few words that I like, write them down,” he recalls. “You don’t know when it’ll spur you into an entire song. I do the same thing with the music, but I don’t write it down. I remember it.”

Back to his acoustic shows, Crosby mixes up the arrangement of songs to keep it fresh to him and his fans who have repeatedly watched him perform.

“The older songs, I don’t play them the same way,” he says. “I change them as I go along. That’s one of the things I like about solo acoustic shows.

I pull out songs that I can’t do with Crosby, Stills and Nash or Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. These songs would never see the light of day. This way, I can do them.”

MAKING WORDS COUNT

David Crosby continues to tell his tales David Crosby

Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W. Congress Street, Tucson, 520.547.3040, foxtucson.com, 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 25, $32-$90.

Talking Stick Resort, 9800 E. Talking Stick Way, Scottsdale, 800.745.3000, ticketmaster.com, 8 p.m.

Saturday, March 26, $40-$85.

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JUSTIN 2.0 124

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Justin Bieber finds new ‘Purpose’ after tumultuous time

Richard Aldhous » Interview Hub

J

ustin Bieber is experiencing a rebirth; this process started almost exactly one year ago, as he began making public appearances after months of self-imposed exile.

Bieber posted an emotional video repenting to his diehard fans for his “arrogant” behavior. Call it a spiritual enlightenment or coming of age, but whatever it is, the Canadian singer has achieved a remarkable transition over the past year, converting critics into Beliebers with a string of chart-dominating hits and a sell-out world tour faster than you can say “Sorry.”

Bieber’s reincarnation is even the more remarkable, given his impressively dramatic fall from grace. A split from long-term, fan favorite girlfriend Selena Gomez, a night in prison, and a spell of community service saw the young star struggle through a rough patch at the end of 2014.

“I’ve made myself so unrelatable the past year with all the stuff that I was doing,” he admits. “Not even bad stuff sometimes, just outrageous stuff.”

However, Bieber has his own explanation for what can spark that sort of behavior.

“I would like people to understand that when you have so much going on and you’re constantly under scrutiny it’s a very tough place to be.

“I started feeling very cynical and wanting to do my own thing and not listen to anyone. It was a hard time for me and I needed to rebel against everything.”

His depiction in the media, including the crowing headlines when he was arrested, played its own role in the decisions and behaviors he now regrets.

“A lot of it was about that,” he says.

“I was frustrated that every stupid thing that happened was getting blown out of proportion...it was almost like I was a

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reality star rather than a musician. I started believing the hype and acting in a certain way. I just was giving them [the press] ammo, and they were feeding into it, and I was feeding into it, and I wasn’t caring. I was just like...being a jerk, a little bit.”

Having got through these darker times—he was reportedly temporarily estranged from his devoted mother, Pattie, during his bad boy phase—Bieber has come out the other side, and began his comeback in earnest with a performance at the MTV VMAs, which saw him break down in tears of contrition and gratitude.

Through trial and error, he now has an album—the aptly titled Purpose—with a critically acclaimed, progressive pop sound that reflects the lessons he’s learned.

An album track, “I’ll Show You,” features some telling lyrics: “My life is a movie and everyone’s watching/So let’s get to the good part and past all the nonsense…This life’s not easy. I’m not made out of steel/Don’t forget that I’m human, don’t forget that I’m real.”

That “realness” is a far cry from the throwaway lyrics of his previous work.

Now decidedly more self-aware, Bieber is reflective of his journey through adolescence and music.

“If I would’ve came into the industry at a young age and never had any failures, people would’ve been like, ‘Who is this kid? He’s not relatable.’ Now, I went through my s--t, I came out on the other side, and I’m going to show you it gets better,” he says, with equal parts defiance and optimism.

A variety of successful projects have seen Bieber return to the spotlight in slick fashion, showcasing the fun side to his personality and reinforcing the aura that made him the superstar. A self-deprecating skit involving him playing “Carpool Karaoke” with comedic tour de force

James Corden on “The Late, Late Show” has reached 48 million views on YouTube and was one of the most watched videos of 2015.

In February, he was seen in Ben Stiller’s “Zoolander 2.” The movie trailer hinted at a fabled assassination attempt on his life, as he posts one last video to his 52 million Instagram followers with his last words: “Peace out, world.”

Fully back on track with his primary line of work, he became Spotify’s most-streamed artist in a single day in 2015 (a casual 36 million plays) and the Purpose World Tour, kicking off in March, has already sold out.

Encompassing shows across the United States, Canada and Europe, tickets were in extremely high demand.

As with any international pop star, Bieber understands the power of surrounding himself with the right people.

“Over the last year, I’ve done a lot of thinking and I’ve been hanging around with some very cool people who have made a big difference,” he says.

“I had gotten away from who I was and wanted to be when I was younger.

Now I can turn to people who aren’t afraid to tell me what’s real.”

As with all aspects of his superstar fame, Bieber’s complete lack of privacy has proven to be highly problematic.

“It’s hard to imagine what it’s like never being able to go anywhere on your own without people following you,” Bieber says.

“It really depresses me sometimes...I miss just being able to go to theme parks and go on rides and not have people go crazy.”

Those closest to him provide the stability he needs to cope with the immense amounts of attention.

“I went through some really dark times the last year...Like I didn’t know

myself. [You think] you’re not good enough. People hate you...I turned to my father for advice and he just told me, “You got to be like a rock.”

With the right people, and most importantly, the right music, firmly in position, Bieber has all the essential elements in place for a highly successful— and profitable—year ahead. The petulant teenager of the police deposition video is long gone, and in his place, a more mature, contemplative Bieber is ready to retake his rightful place in center stage.

IN

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Justin Bieber

Gila River Arena, 9400 W. Maryland, Glendale, 800.745.3000, ticketmaster.com, Wednesday, March 30, 7:30 p.m., $50.50 to $116.

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DEVIL GOES DOWN TO MESA

Charlie Daniels continues success by doing things his own way Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

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F

or Charlie Daniels, live performances are about entertaining his fans. He’s says he’s not like other selfish artists who play all new material or deep tracks because they’re tired of the hits.

“We do the songs that people are familiar with,” says Daniels, who performs at Mesa Regal on March 1 and Valley Del Oro on March 2 and March 3. Both parks are in Mesa.

“Every year we change the show a little bit. We play a lot of the same places.

We don’t do exactly the same thing, but at the same time, we do the songs people remember. You’ve gotta fill in around the edges with the new things and the things people haven’t heard us play before. But my aim is to entertain.”

Playing some new songs is one way in which Daniels keeps it fresh. There are other ways as well.

“You’re constantly in competition with yourself to play it perfect,” he adds.

“I’ve never done that. I’ve never played one song perfect in all the years I’ve been playing—or at least what I call perfect. I am just trying to do that night after night after night.”

Many of Daniels’ shows sell out quickly because of his penchant for entertaining. He chalks that up to doing what he does best.

“We never followed trends or fads,” he says with a matter-of-fact tone. “We never got involved in disco or anything.

We always did our own thing.

“Our music is basically not part of an era. It’s not something that has to be frozen in the ‘50s, ‘60s or ‘70s or any other time. It means the same thing today as it did yesterday, last year or 20 years ago. It sticks around—thank God.” Daniels is a proud supporter of U.S. veterans. On his recent 79th birthday, he and his more than 290 guests raised funds for the 501 (c)(3) nonprofit The Journey Home Project.

“We have been doing a benefit for

veterans in that time for year for a long time,” he says. “For the first time in many years, my birthday fell into that area of time when we were thinking about doing a benefit birthday bash. It worked out well. All of my life I’ve been a patriot. I have the greatest respect for the folks who serve in our armed forces.”

Charlie Daniels

Mesa Regal, 4700 E. Main Street, Mesa, 480.981.5118, cal-am.com/ concerts/, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 1, $60-$80.

Valle del Oro, 1452 S. Ellsworth Road, Mesa, 480.984.5076, cal-am.com/concerts/, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 2, and Thursday, March 3, $60-$80.

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ONETRACK MIND

Baby-faced Charlie Puth is fixated on success Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

S

inger-pianist Charlie Puth is overwhelmed.

The 24-year-old rookie artist has been nominated for Golden Globes, Oscars and Grammys—all before the release of his debut album Nine Track Mind, which hit No. 6 on The Billboard 200 album chart. His U.S. tour, which comes to Scottsdale’s Livewire on Monday, March 7, is completely sold out.

Up next for the baby-faced pop star: He’s opening for Billy Joel in Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C., in early July, and supporting Selena Gomez in Los Angeles on the last date of her jaunt.

“It’s fricking awesome,” Puth says.

“Even just hearing you say all that now, I never thought I’d be playing with Billy Joel, Selena Gomez and having a tour that’s sold out. It’s kooky.”

Puth—who has scored hits with “See You Again,” “Marvin Gaye” and “One Call Away”—always dreamed that he would be this successful, if not more.

“I thought it would take a little bit longer, though,” he explains. “It seems to have all happened in one year.”

He has a theory about why this has happened to him and not the millions of others worldwide who pray for the same sort of marketability.

“I think the main thing people have to remember is that people are genuinely interested in hearing other people’s stories, especially when they’re surrounded by catchy melodies,” Puth says.

“I made music that I was happy with and I wanted to listen to. It was genuine to me. Once I stopped making music that other people would like and I started making music that I knew I would like, that’s when people started gravitating toward it.”

Besides his own music, Puth penned “Celebrate” for Pitbull, produced “Slow Motion” for Trey Songz and arranged sessions with Jason Derulo and Lil Wayne.

“The key is to make sure that the artist that you’re working with doesn’t

fall out of love with the record you’re making,” he says.

“You want to keep them excited.

As you’re presenting updated versions of the song, you want to make sure that it is sounding really pristine and almost finished. You can add on top of that.

“If you give them a reason to critique it and become less excited about it when they originally wrote it with you, it’s not good. You want to perfect it every time and inspire them.”

Himself, Puth was inspired by rapper Wiz Khalifa, with whom he sings “See You Again,” the Paul Walker tribute from the “Furious 7” soundtrack. The duo cowrote the song.

“I get stuck in my own ways when I’m making a record,” Puth admits. “I think the person who I learned the most from was Wiz because the song was so big.

“Outside of producing and songwriting, I learned how to basically perform the song that I wrote for him.

I was not a performer before ‘See You

Again.’ Seeing Wiz up there relaxed and ready to work and super chill, I took that and grabbed it and ran with it. Now I’m a better performer because of it.”

He’s learned a few tricks of the trade from watching Joel perform as well.

“There are no gimmicks,” he says about his own show. “There is no crazy light show or things that’ll distract people from the music. It’s just me on the piano playing with my band. Like Billy Joel, I want to showcase the true musicianship and I aspire to be someone like Billy Joel. Music itself will always be the most entertaining factor.”

Charlie Puth w/Phoebe Ryan and Sophie Beem

Livewire, 7320 E. Indian Plaza, Scottsdale, livewireaz.com, 7 p.m.

Monday, March 7, sold out.

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IT’S

MADIGAN AGAIN D

women in the United April 8, at the Del E. Webb Center for hesitates when asked if she was nervous.

Comic returns States, comedian Kathleen the Performing Arts in Wickenburg, and “Not really,” she responds. “It went Madigan didn’t follow any Saturday, April 9, at Talking Stick Resort great. It was a ton of fun. You work for to Arizona for comics while growing up in Scottsdale. a couple years to get it going. Hopefully in St. Louis, Missouri.

For someone who didn’t think about you luck out and have a great crowd. I more about music,” she says. going into comedy, Madigan has been suc- lucked out. two shows “I knew“I knew the people who were headlining cessful. She won the American Comedy “There was concern though. The ubbed one of the funniest

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

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when I started and that’s who I really watched. This whole career really was an accident. I was lucky to walk in a bar.

Maybe I’ll put that on my tombstone.”

Eventually, she asked the Funny Bone, a comedy club chain in St. Louis, if she could be an opening act. As soon as she started getting paid, she knew she could make this a career.

“It was terrible money, but I told myself it can get better. I started at 23 and I figured if I’m not doing well by 26, I was still young enough to regroup and figure out what I wanted to do,” says Madigan, whose 2013 standup special, “Madigan Again,” is available on Netflix.

She’s quick to add that she didn’t exactly have a back-up plan. If she wasn’t working, she might be golfing with Lewis Black.

But she has no plans of stopping. The 50-year-old comic has been in the business for half of her life, playing 300 shows

a year. Among those shows are Friday,

special in Milwaukee in February. She

Award for “Best Female Comedian” and the Phyllis Diller award for “Best Female Comedian.”

She also wrote for and produced Black’s “Root of all Evil” on Comedy Central and for Gary Shandling’s Emmy monologues. She’s done two USO tours to Iraq and Afghanistan with Black, Robin Williams, John Bowman and musicals acts Kid Rock, The Zac Brown Band, Kix Brooks and Kellie Pickler.

A top three finalist on season two of “Last Comic Standing,” Madigan is modest about her success. Black is the one who dubbed her the “funniest woman in America.”

“That’s very flattering, that’s not ever in my mind ever,” she says. “That’s wonderful that someone wants to write that. I just go about my way. I’ll read that and I’ll go, ‘That’s nice.’ It doesn’t have a bearing on anything I’m actually doing.”

Her latest gig was filing a comedy

crowd is great. If the camera goes wrong or the lighting, it’s hard to reset that energy. But the crowd was really into it and we didn’t have to stop.”

Kathleen Madigan

Del E. Webb Center for the Performing Arts, 1090 S. Vulture Mine Road, Wickenburg, 928.684.6624, http://dewpac.org/event/ kathleen-madigan/, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, April 8, $35-$45 Talking Stick Resort, 9800 E. Talking Stick Way, Scottsdale, 800.745.3000, ticketmaster.com, 8 p.m. Saturday, April 9, $40-$65

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE APRIL 2016

TWENTY-YEAR

‘BUZZ’

Audience keeps the Peacemakers’ career alive

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

F

izzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy was a landmark album for the now-defunct Tempe band The Refreshments. But more than the collection’s success on the charts and in stores, it taught Roger Clyne’s band a thing or two about the music industry.

“It was such a blur, such a frenetic time,” Clyne says. “After the major label release of Fizzy Fuzzy, we went on tour with the Gin Blossoms and Dead Hot Workshop.

“We got to see what it was like in the big show—the staging, the trusses, the lighting at front of house. We were still in a van, but it was really thrilling to see how the big show worked. Step by step, The Refreshments worked their way out of the van and into a tour bus. That first glimpse into touring was really exciting.”

Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers are revisiting that era by celebrating the 20th anniversary of Fizzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy with a show at The Pool at Talking Stick Resort on Saturday, April 2.

“I love that venue,” he says. “We’re ushering in Spring in the desert. There are very few states where you can be poolside in the first weeks of Spring. We’re one of them. We’re lucky.”

The Peacemakers will perform Fizzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy from front to back, track by track, as well as that band’s crowd favorites. Clyne says he wanted to capture the nuances of the album, which was released in February 1996.

“When we’re rehearsing, we even focus on the amount of time between the songs, the same as it was sequenced on the

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album,” Clyne says. “We want fans to hear the live version of the album coming off the stage. We want to keep it as verbatim as possible. It’s been challenging, but I really love it.”

Typically, Clyne doesn’t go back and listen to his albums once he’s finished mixing them. It’s an uncomfortable situation, one in which he would find himself criticizing every note.

“I listened to Fizzy Fuzzy, however, and I thought, ‘I’ve really changed these songs a lot,’” says Clyne, who hopes to release a Peacemakers album by year’s end.

“I went back to the way I recorded them, and lo and behold, I really liked the way we finalized those recordings. There’s not a lot I would change now. They’re pretty pure in their simplicity.”

Clyne says he feels he has been successful for 20 years because of the way the music resonates with the audience. He owes his longevity to his fans and he’s not afraid to share that.

“Our audience is the catalyst for keeping our career moving,” says Clyne, who penned and sings the D-backs’ theme song “D-backs Swing.”

“I’m very, very grateful for all of their support in a lot of ways. When the music paradigm changed from recorded music being a way to support rock ‘n’ roll bands and other musicians, our audience stepped up and bought more tickets and T-shirts. That’s kept the business viable for us to keep making the art.

We have a great relationship with the audience with a symbiosis that’s pretty rare in this ‘industry.’”

Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers

The Pool at Talking Stick Resort, 9800 E. Talking Stick Way, Scottsdale, 800.745.3000, ticketmaster.com, 8 p.m. Saturday, April 2, $30-$100.

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THE SHOWMAN

103

LISTEN » JAM » INNOVATE » EVOLVE » ROCK » SING

The Darkness 112 Country Thunder 108 Live Music Calendar 104

SMOKING HOT

Blackberry Smoke pumped about forthcoming album Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

I

t’s ironic that the Southern rock band Blackberry Smoke is playing Arizona Bike Week at WestWorld.

The father of singer Charlie Starr put the fear of go into him anytime he considered riding a motorcycle.

“I’ve only ridden a motorcycle twice in my life,” he says with a laugh. “I was always into old cars rather than motorcycles. When I was a kid, my dad had a good friend who had been in a really bad wreck when he was young. He had an arm he couldn’t use. To try and discourage me from getting on a motorcycle he’d say, ‘Look at Frank’s arm. See what happens when you ride a motorcycle?’”

That doesn’t mean that Starr and Blackberry Smoke aren’t excited about the festival. It’s a good thing whenever Blackberry Smoke can play its music, especially from its latest album Holding All the Roses. “[The show] will hopefully be good and loud,” he says. “We’ll play a little bit from each album.”

Starr is quick to add that Blackberry Smoke is working on a new album.

Although cliché, he shares his thoughts on the as-of-yet untitled record.

“It’s awesome,” he says. “I know I say that every time, but I feel it’s our best yet—but you can’t trust me. If it was OK, I wouldn’t tell you.”

At the time of the interview, Blackberry Smoke had just finished the Outlaw Country Cruise, which is right up its alley. The trip

featured more than 2,500 cruisers and six stages of music with the likes of Lucinda Williams, The Mavericks, Bobby Hare, Steve Earle, Shooter Jennings and Mojo Nixon.

“It’s like walking around a floating hotel every day,” he says. “The fans get the chance to meet all of us throughout the trip.”

That’s the dream of every music listener, and recently, Starr’s wish was fulfilled

when Blackberry Smoke’s 2009 album Little Piece of Dixie was released on vinyl.

“If you have truly a nice turntable and speakers, you hear the ghosts in that vinyl,” he says. “I like to listen to our records specifically. I hear the magical things that happened when we were making the record. Vinyl really does let you hear what it’s supposed to sound like.”

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts w/ Blackberry Smoke

WestWorld, 16601 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale, 480.312.6815, azbikeweek.com, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, April 6, $25 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE APRIL 2016

A MUSICAL F

LIFELINE

Parachute vocalist calls latest album an emotional investment Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

or Parachute vocalist Will Anderson, making music is an investment—an emotional investment. Like other artists, his songs are like a diary to him, but his band’s latest album, Wide Awake, was just that—an awakening of sorts.

“I worked with a level of detail that I didn’t know I necessarily had in me,” Anderson says. “I didn’t know if other people do. Once ‘Without You’ came out, it was like a weight was lifted off my shoulders, not to sound too epic or cliché.

I didn’t know I was so invested in the songs until I took a step back and people told me, ‘You’re really getting surgical with these ones.’”

“Without You,” for which Anderson and company were joined by a gospel choir, is an “upbeat love anthem,” he says.

Anderson is especially proud of Wide Awake because he wrote the majority of it himself, instead of co-writing with other musicians. But the songs on which he did collaborate offered a new perspective.

“It was funny because I didn’t co-write too many songs during this process,” he says. “But it was really nice to have a few people in town in L.A. when I got stuck and sick of myself. I would go to the writers and say, ‘Let’s write something together.’

“Four of them made record out of the 70-plus songs that I wrote. They came at exactly the right time when I needed a new perspective. I got to work with good buddies of mine Dave Barnes and Nathan Chapman. They’re the kind of guys where we can call it a day or we can write a song together.”

Some songs came easier for Anderson, like “Without You” and “Crave.”

“Those are the two songs where I was like the Kool-Aid guy breaking through

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the wall; here we are. This is what we’re doing. They’re great songs and we’re all excited about them.”

He’s equally as thrilled about Parachute’s Saturday, April 23, show at the Crescent Ballroom in Phoenix.

“It should be a good time,” Anderson explains. “We were able to play it the last time acoustically with a sit-down kind of quieter show. It was just [keyboardist/ saxophonist] Kit French and me. We said that would be a really fun place to do a full band set, standing up, rocking out to a fully packed audience.”

The highlights of the show are the bigger production and the opener, Jon McLaughlin.

“Jon took us out on our first tour ever,” Anderson says. “He taught us a lot about the touring side of the music business like how to conduct yourself. He’s been a big help to all of us. For him to be willing to come on the road for us, it’s really a dream come true.”

A self-proclaimed McLaughlin “fan boy,” Anderson has high hopes for this jaunt.

“I think we’ll do some collaborations,” he says. “There’s bigger and better production and we have four albums to pull from now. We’re so ready to go out and play some shows. I can’t imagine that that energy won’t find its way to the stage.”

Parachute w/Jon McLaughlin

Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Avenue, Phoenix, 602.716.2222, crescentphx.com, 8 p.m. Saturday, April 23, $23-$25.

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Festival rookies look forward to the sun and the stage in Florence

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must-see event in Arizona, Country Thunder has hosted nearly every major artist on its stage in Florence. But at least two acts will make their Country Thunder debut—Cam and Chase Bryant.

The festival is known for its party atmosphere and great music for all four days, Thursday, April 7, to Sunday, April 10. Cam wants to maintain that feeling.

“You get to know how to reach a group of people who’s really hot and drinking and having a good time,” Cam says. “You want to keep it going.”

As much as she wants the crowd to enjoy her, she is yearning to enjoy herself.

Cam has been taken by other acts she’s seen at similar events.

“I remember standing and watching Kacey Musgraves at a festival and our jaws just being on the ground. I was so impressed with her stage setup.

“There’s a reason why they’re at the top of the game.”

Cam is no slouch. She is the most-nominated female on this year’s Academy of Country Music Awards with a tally of six. The flaxen-haired singer is nominated for ACM New Female Vocalist and her platinum-certified No. 1 song “Burning House” is up for ACM Single, Song and Video of the Year. The show will air at 8 p.m. Sunday, April 3, on CBS. “The nominations are unreal,” she says. “I remember watching the ACMs and thinking about the women who were nominated multiple times. It’s weird that I’m somehow in this. I’m super grateful.

“I’m definitely proud. I feel like there were a lot of years where my manager and I slept on a mattress and had no money. It makes it really gratifying when people say you’re doing a good job. It feels good.”

No stranger to award shows, Cam recently presented a prize during the Grammys in a tight dress.

“That was nerve-wracking. My dress was so tight I couldn’t walk up the stairs,” Cam says. “At the last minute, they set me up at the top of the stairs and said, ‘Go, go, go.’”

Naturally, said dress was yellow, her favorite color.

“I wear yellow every time I’m performing,” explains Cam, who will marry in the fall. “It’s my California sunshine coming through. It’s my positive outlook on things that I can bring along with me everywhere. People seem to be nice to me if I’m dressed in yellow.”

Her perkiness even bubbled to the top when she arrived in Nashville and was WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer! frequently told “no” by record labels.

“I was then going to be a writer,” she says. “My first publishing deal was a horrible deal. You definitely cry a lot but it’s a blank plate to fill your dreams in.”

CHASE BRYANT Known for his successful debut single “Take It on Back,” Chase Bryant couldn’t be any more excited about Country Thunder.

“Yeah, Country Thunder, we’re excited to be out there,” says Bryant, calling from his Nashville home. “I’m a big fan of Country Thunder, but I’ve never played out there before. We’re really excited about that.

Festivals are always a blast, too, but hopefully I won’t drink too many beers in the heat.”

Early last year “Take It On Back” became a top 10 single on the Country Airplay chart, which is published weekly

by Billboard.

“Having my first Top 10 hit ‘Take It on Back,’ and the second one, ‘Little Bit of You,’ that’s still climbing really well is too cool. It’s a moment you don’t forget. I’ve dreamed of that since I was a child. It’s one of those moments you can’t explain or fathom how it happened. I’ve had a blast with these songs. It’s a pleasure to have them played on the radio.”

Bryant is an acclaimed guitarist with a unique guitar playing style, as he is lefthanded but plays a right-handed guitar upside-down.

“A lot of people don’t understand how all that works,” he says. “I play righthanded guitar upside down and backward.

I’ve had a tough time. It was one of those things that took a while to grasp how it was going to work. I played that way since I was a kid. It’s like trying to speak Spanish backward. Everything is so inverted that way. It’s my own things and not a lot of people do that.”

His talents have certainly been appreciated, given the success of “Take It on Back.” He’s working on a new album.

“I’ve been a lot more serious with it lately,” he says. “I’m not sure it’ll be done soon. I’m just trucking away.”

Bryant calls the studio his “happy place.”

“It’s a fun place to be creative,” he says. “It’s like a canvas. You can throw all these different colors at it.”

Country Thunder

20585 E. Price Station, Florence, arizona.countrythunder.com, various times, Thursday, April 7, through Friday, April 10, starts at $50.

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A NEW CHAPTER

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After a two-year hiatus, hometown heroes The Summer Set are back at it with a new album and tour

Damir Lolic » The Entertainer!

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here is a certain sound of sunshine that stems from being a desert-bred band, and homegrown pop-rock five-piece The Summer Set perfectly captures that.

Frontman Brian Dales grew up in Scottsdale, meeting bandmates and brothers John and Stephen Gomez in 2007.

Shortly afterward, he joined their band and they got to work immediately.

“We were workhorses playing shows all the time in Arizona and Southern California trying to build a community amongst the fans and other bands,” Dales says.

By 2009, they started touring nationally and soon the Vans Warped Tour was calling their name.

Their third studio album Legendary lived up to its title featuring popular singles “Boomerang” and “Lightning in a

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Bottle” which rapidly gained momentum.

Following the album’s success, The Summer Set won Macy’s iHeart Radio Rising Star competition in 2013. The perks included sharing the stage with Sheryl Crow and the Backstreet Boys at the iHeart Radio Music Festival as well as Macy’s Glamorama events.

“Our third album kind of felt like our first one,” he says. “A lot of different doors were opened once we won that competition putting us on a platform we had never experienced. Things got really interesting because even though we had been a band for six years, it felt like the beginning all over again.”

The Summer Set continued touring rigorously and, at one point, was on the road for 16 months straight. But the last year and a half have been quiet except for a few rumors circulating that the band split up in 2015.

Those rumors were squashed in January when they announced a fourth

studio album, Stories for Monday, which was released April 1. Dales touches on The Summer Set’s hiatus, admitting he was overwhelmed by the pressure of writing hit songs at first, but explaining how a journey to self-discovery revved his creative engine.

“I was submerged by the strain I put on myself to write music so I kept shying away from working on the album,” he says. “I decided to take a break and traveled to Mexico, Alaska and Bali when this weird thing happened where I got in tune with myself enabling the words to flow out.”

The record took more than a year to write but the production was wrapped up in five weeks at John and Stephen’s house.

“We went from nothing to everything and the record was done out of nowhere,” he says.

The lead single released off of Stories for Monday is titled “Figure Me Out,” a second single titled “Missin’ You” quickly followed. Prior to these releases, it had been over two years since they put out any music.

“We forgot what it was like to have people tell you what you did was good. I’m really thankful that we have a couple songs out there and people seem to like them.”

Dales feels as though it’s the most honest album they’ve made and is happy they took a long break to start a new chapter.

The Summer Set

Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Avenue, Phoenix, crescentphx. com, Saturday, April 16, 7 p.m., $20-$22

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COOL KIDS

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

Chipotle Mexican Grill’s Cultivate Festival

WestWorld, 16601 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale, chipotlecultivate.com, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, April 30, free admission. There is a charge for food and drinks.

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chosmith’s song “Cool Kids” carries the message of selfworth and self-acceptance.

But sometimes, lead singer Sydney Sierota says, it’s hard to subscribe to that belief.

Her band—which includes her brothers Jamie, Noah and Graham—has toured for three years, mostly on its 2013 debut album Talking Dreams, and announced in the Fall that it’s going on a break to record a new collection. The three years have been educational.

“I think learning that having your own identity is a big deal,” Sierota says.

“There are so many other artists and bands out there. It’s easy to feel like, ‘Man, maybe I should try avoiding that kind of music because that’s working. Or maybe I should look like this.’

“Naturally, in this world, you’re going to compare yourself to others. That does relate to the message of ‘Cool Kids.’ It’s funny because we’re finding that we relate to the song more so now than when we wrote it.”

Sierota says she and her brothers have continued to learn self-acceptance over the last three years.

“It’s important to be yourself,” she says. “That what people really fall in love with. That’s what they connect to.”

But Sierota says her profession isn’t any different than others.

“Every profession has its own differences and challenges,” she says. “In the

Echosmith finds its own identity

end, I’m not complaining, but everybody has their thing and their stuff they have to deal with and work through and address in their personal life and professional life.

I think everyone goes through it. There are plenty [of ] things that people have to deal with in this industry and a lot more maybe sometimes.”

Echosmith’s profession brings it to Chipotle Mexican Grill’s free Cultivate Festival at WestWorld from 4:30 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. Saturday, April 30. Young the Giant and Lukas Graham are among the other acts slated to perform throughout the day. Arizona shows are meaningful for the California-based band.

“I love Arizona. Plus, we have family there, and that makes it even better—my grandparents, a few of our cousins and aunts and stuff. There are quite a few people, actually.”

The family has shared in Echosmith’s success, which includes three hits—“Cool Kids,” “Let’s Love” and “Bright.”

Echosmith hopes to replicate that success on a forthcoming album.

“Lots has happened to us in life, and musically I hope we’ve improved,” Sierota says with a laugh. “It’ll be interesting to see what comes out.”

Those experiences include being a surprise guest during two of Taylor Swift’s shows.

“Taylor’s super sweet and obviously talented,” she says. “It was a great experience both times that we did it. It was

really cool. Her crowds are so excited and they scream louder than you’ve ever heard.

She’s a great person and to have that opportunity is great. I’m really thankful that she wanted us to sing with her on her tour. She could have asked anybody. It’s something we’ll never forget.”

Perhaps her biggest thrill was playing on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”

“That was a big step for us,” she says with a smile that transcended the phone line. “That was always on our bucket list.

We would watch it every night. It was such a dream come true.

“It’s hard to determine which are the biggest deals out of the three years of doing things. I would say playing ‘The Tonight Show’ was probably the biggest one.”

But she admits to being uneasy on TV stages.

“I don’t normally get nervous,” she says. “But I’m nervous for TV performances. It’s live and, well, a normal show is live, too. But you’re only playing one song. It’s not a normal concert setting.

“The crowd isn’t right in your face.

It’s completely different. They’re having to act cordial because they’re on TV. It’s a really interesting environment.”

That hearkens back to her comments about insecurity.

“Over the three years, I did need to have my own identity and try not to find it in anybody else’s opinion of you.”

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INTO THE LIGHT

Rockers The Darkness pull from Queen, call themselves ‘better looking’ Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » Interview Hub

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nglish rockers The Darkness are about to return to the Valley, and bassist Frankie Poullain said fans can expect the usual—a rocking show, great vocals, etc. But, he added, there is more to it than that.

“You can expect new looks. Justin’s got a new look; his hair’s a bit shorter,” Poullain says about singer Justin Hawkins.

“He shaved his beard off, too. He looks much younger. You can expect some old stuff we hadn’t played before. We’ve been hitting the gym as well. We’re suntanned, lean and mean.”

Poullain is most excited, though, about the band’s recent addition in drummer, Rufus Taylor, the son of Queen’s drummer Roger Taylor.

“We have a little bit of Queen genes in the mix there,” he says.

“Through the miracle of osmosis, we’re all 15 percent younger and better looking when we stand next to him. He also brings propulsion, rhythm, urgency and, excuse the word, spunk. We have to raise our game because of his vibe and his thing and his background.”

The band will come to Livewire in Scottsdale on Saturday, April 16, to push its May 2015 release, Last of Our Kind, which was inspired by a tumultuous time in which The Darkness was embroiled.

“There was a backdrop of problems we had with our management and our drummer and with our record company,” Poullain explains. “That’s why there’s an intensity and a passion. It’s very emotive, this album. I think we were trying to escape from all of the problems we had.”

The collection’s title, he said, is symbolic of how The Darkness’ musicians felt at the time.

“Justin always stresses that the album is a photograph of a memento of a time that we went through,” he said.

“The album captures a particular, emotional landscape. Even though this is The Darkness and there’s a sense of fun involved, it still comes from the heart.

“There are really cool melodies as well. We’ve just opened things up a lot more. I sang one of the songs on the album. Justin sang a song in character in a completely different voice. People when they hear it think it’s Vince Neil. He was creating a character.”

So how did The Darkness, who is best known for its worldwide hit the falsetto “I Believe in a Thing Called Love,” make it through this dark time?

“We just did it through friendship and love through each other,” Poullain said. “The three of us, we dug deep and we were resolute and defiant. If I had to use one word to describe the record, it would be ‘defiant.’”

The Darkness

Livewire, 7320 E. Indian Plaza, Scottsdale, livewireaz.com, 7 p.m.

Saturday, April 16, $23-$28.

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Country singer thriving after tumultuous time Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

FINDING HERSELF A

turbulent life often leads to the best songs. Valley-raised country singer Erin Kalin was able to find her voice after a divorce, and all signs point to a potentially successful album in the forthcoming You Found Me. “I think that for artists working on an album it’s exciting and they’re grateful,” Kalin says. “It’s bittersweet for me in a way. I didn’t know if I was going to go back into music. I went through a very hard time in my personal life. I felt really broken. I didn’t feel worthy. I didn’t feel like myself at all.

“But many people championed me. The president of EMI Records [Bill Hearn] championed me. He really encouraged me to get back into this. I told him that as a single mom, I didn’t feel I emotionally had it in me. I fought it kicking and screaming. It wasn’t like I was trying to be rebellious.”

(Hearn was unavailable for comment.)

Eventually that rebellion eased and Kalin started writing again. She wrote from the viewpoint of “If I was a woman

listening to a song, what I wanted to hear.

I wanted to be as transparent as possible, and I was completely vulnerable as a person. I wrote about my past life in a couple songs, a lot about the broke times and when I wasn’t treated right. I wrote about being in relationships you shouldn’t be in. As a woman, we all know that.”

Music is in the blood of Kalin, who attended Horizon and Desert Mountain high schools before moving to Monterrey, California, with her family.

“My dad is an amazing singer and musician,” she says. “When he was younger, he even played with the Eagles and Linda Ronstadt. He taught me everything I know about music and I grew up loving watching him.

“He really put such great music around us. I grew up listening to everybody—Patti LaBelle, Luther Vandross—anybody who had amazing voices and incredible songs. The sounds are pretty epic and big and moved you.”

She slowly moved toward country in her teens.

“I liked Reba McEntire,” Kalin says.

“I remember loving her and looking up

to her for her charity work. I watched a special when she went to Africa. I was crying and saying to my mom, ‘I want to be like her.’ She did it all. Her and Dolly were the first women to do it all.

“They paved this incredible way for us. Martina McBride, Shania Twain and Faith Hill were game changers when it came to me falling in love with country music. Keith Urban was one of those people who made me love it even more. I fell in love with the storytelling.”

Kalin, who lives in Cave Creek with her children, hopes to carry on that storytelling legacy with You Found Me. “I can honestly say that I was so incredibly grateful to do this album,” she says. “I know what it’s like to work in corporate America, and to work two, three, four jobs to make ends meet. The fact that I got to focus on making this album and music was amazing. It was like a dream come true. I didn’t take it for granted. It was opening up some places of me that I didn’t want to go back through, though.”

For example, “I Need You” is literally a journal entry, while “In the Dark” talks about being in a toxic or abusive

relationship. Her hope is that she’ll be able to ease the pain of women going through similar situation.

“I just didn’t want other people who were hurting to think they were the only ones feeling these feelings. I want them to think, ‘If she can get through it, I can get through it.’

“The other thing is I wanted people to know you can get through it. There are a few songs that deal with the brokenness.

I’m in such a great space. I’m so grateful to be here. I wanted to write to that and say to others that everyday gets better. You get through that pain and it gets better.”

Erin Kalin

Scottsdale Culinary Festival, Scottsdale Civic Center Mall, 7380 E. Second Street, Scottsdale, scottsdalefest.org, 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, April 16, and 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, April 17, $10-$40. Erin Kalin’s set is 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, April 16.

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LIFELONG

DREAM

Heart’s Nancy Wilson reflects on 40-year career Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer

Heart

Encanterra Country Club, 36460 N. Encanterra Drive, San Tan Valley, 888.856.3727, thegoodlifefest.com/festivaltickets, 6 p.m. Saturday, April 16, $32-$70.

Heart, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts and Cheap Trick

Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Avenue, Phoenix, 602.254.7200, ticketmaster.com, 6:30 p.m.

Sunday, August 21, $25.25$125.50.

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F

or Nancy Wilson of Heart, her 40-year career has gone by in the blink of an eye.

It’s been four decades since the release of Heart’s debut album, Dreamboat Annie, which spawned the singles “How Deep It Goes,” “Magic Man,” “Crazy on You” and the title track.

Heart continued topping the charts through the ’80s and ’90s with huge hits like “These Dreams,” “Alone,” “What About Love,” “If Looks Could Kill,” “Never,” and a string of other hits that showcased the sisters’ talents as musicians, singers and songwriters. This new millennium showed them back in the charts again, with the albums Red Velvet Car and Fanatic.

“It doesn’t seem that long at all since Dreamboat Annie,” says Wilson, who is joined in the band by sister/singer Ann Wilson. “It seems like a lot of personalities ago, not four decades. You kind of live a few lifetimes in your life. You look back on life in your 20s and say, ‘What was I thinking.’”

Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, Heart is getting a second chance at its music with the forthcoming album Beautiful Broken. The Wilsons and their band are reimagining and rerecording hits and their favorite songs for the collection, which will also feature new tracks.

“We’re working on a new album for Concord Records,” says Wilson, who will perform with Heart twice this summer, including Saturday, April 16, at Encanterra Country Club.

“They came to us with an idea to have the chance to redo some gems from albums past to rerecord them and rerelease them. We’re doing a couple of our favorite songs that got lost in translation in the ‘80s. There are some of the all-time favorites that we wish we could have redone.

Some of these songs come to life the way we wish they would.”

The project has breathed new life into the songs—not that the Wilson sisters were tired of them.

“The way things are turning out now, it sounds like one of our first albums before the digital stuff started happening,” she says. “The band came together in studio. We played together in the same room. We took a real human direction

with it. It’s a really good sound.”

Wilson expects to perform some of the new songs and reimagined tunes at the Encanterra show.

“It’s just really nice to have some new things,” says Wilson, who frequently listens to the college music channel Sirius XM’s XMU. “So we’re not going to go out and do the same stuff all the time. We’ll do the familiar stuff that everybody wants to hear. I think it’ll be special, though, with the new stuff. That’s for sure.”

While recalling her last 40 years, Wilson says she owes her longevity to her family, actually, as fans.

“Our mom told us one time that however deep into this entertainment industry you get, always remember who you are,” Wilson recalls. “The tendency is to let it affect you, believe your own hype, and don’t let it turn you into an egomaniac.

“The important thing is to remember yourself and who you are. You should keep things real. If you’re so driven by success, you will compromise your own artistic integrity to the point that it’s not you anymore.”

She admits, however, that she and Ann went “through our various rollercoaster rides.”

“Most of that was about substance in the ’80s in particular,” she says. “We’re a strong family dynamic. Me and Ann and our sister, Lynn, who travels with us, too, have a very strong family. We keep our band close to us like a family. We all act like a family. It’s a good way to be.”

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DRIVING

SUCCESS

Skylar Grey gets that California feeling when she listens to music Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

S

kylar Grey loves the feeling of listening to music in the car.

She’s hoping her fans will experience the same joy when she releases her third album later

this year.

“I wrote it to be an album that I would like to listen to if I was driving up the 101 in California,” Grey says via telephone about the as-of-yet untitled album.

“That’s my favorite drive in the country.

Some of my favorite albums are by Radiohead and Kendrick Lamar. I love to listen to those albums while I’m driving. I wanted to make an album that would sit alongside those.”

Formerly known as Holly Brook, Grey compares the collection to childbirth.

“I feel like I’ve been in labor for the last week,” she says with a laugh. “I have a million songs to choose from. But I want to pick an album that’s cohesive, not all over the map.

“It’s about picking a few really great songs and surrounding it with stuff that complements it, and also create a vibe for the whole thing.”

Grey, who plays the Crescent Ballroom in Phoenix on Friday, April 29, may not sound familiar, but fans would know her work. In 2010, she co-wrote Eminem and Rihanna’s hit single “Love the Way You Lie,” alongside Eminem and British record producer Alex da Kid, who signed her to his label. Two years ago, she won the Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording for “Clarity,” a song she co-penned with EDM artist Zedd.

She also served as a guest vocalist on Fort Minor’s “Where’d You Go,” Diddy’s “Coming Home,” Dr. Dre’s “I Need a Doctor” and Nicki Minaj’s “Bed of Lies.”

“I learned something different from every session,” Grey says. “I think Eminem has always been my No. 1. I feel he really understands my artistic instincts.

“It’s easy to work with him. He’s very

appreciative of what I do and that’s really nice because I’m a huge fan of his. It was a huge dream to work with him and then I did and I continue to. It’s still kind of mind-blowing.”

She enjoys working with Eminem because he stays grounded by remaining in suburban Detroit, and she in Utah.

She’s happy to be disconnected from the formulaic process in Los Angeles.

“I love to just purely rely on my creative instincts, versus to trying to chase something that’s not necessarily authentic.

When I lived in L.A., I kept getting pulled in all of these different directions.

“Being in Utah, I can rely on the pure creative juices that I have, instead of being swayed by opinions and people.

I can stay authentic to who I am as an artist.”

Grey’s artistic career began in tiny Mazomanie, Wisconsin, where she was reared by a musical family who schooled her on Joni Mitchell and James Taylor.

After writing her first song at age 14, she became obsessed with songwriting.

“I’ve been doing this professionally since I was 6,” explains Grey, whose mom was a Celtic harpist and her dad was in a barbershop quartet. “If you work hard at something for that long, it’s just a matter of time before [you’re successful].

“I think a lot of people get discouraged. It’s a very discouraging industry to be in. Also, I have a really eclectic musical background. I can walk into a lot of different rooms and genres and work there.

I’m not limited by one genre. When I was

a kid, though, I never thought I’d end up working in hip hop.”

Her eclectic tastes and talents have allowed her to work with a range of artists from Moby to Kaskade and T.I. Kaskade revealed during a recent interview with The Entertainer! that he thoroughly enjoyed working with Grey.

“I’ve spent so much time in the studio and worked over the years with so many inspiring musicians,” he says. “It’s hard to say what would be the most. What comes to mind and does stand out is when I worked with Skylar Grey. The first night I met her and talked to her about music, I knew there was something special there.

Collaborating with her was incredibly fun, and came together beautifully.”

Grey’s latest collaboration is with labelmates X Ambassadors on the high-energy anthem “Cannonball.” Her follow-up single, “Moving Mountains,” is expected to be released soon. It’s a gentler song about living in the moment.

“The thing with writing is I like to try new things all the time,” Grey says.

“All of the songs end up sounding different. I have to be marketable.”

Skylar Grey and Atlas Genius

Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Avenue, Phoenix, 602.716.2222, crescentphx.com, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, April 29, $20-$23

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COMING TO

AMERICA After sweeping Europe, Lost Frequencies is making headway in the U.S. Damir Lolic » The Entertainer!

F

elix Safran De Laet, better known as Lost Frequencies, grew up in the fertile valleys of Belgium. The western European country is historically known for its Flemish renaissance architecture, but has proven to provide euphonious exports such as Jacques Brel and Stromae.

Interestingly enough, neither of those two influential figures have been able to claim the top spot on the U.K. singles chart.

The 22-year-old DJ can proudly say he’s accomplished that feat. The young mixologist can also add Australia, Austria, Belgium, Germany, Spain and Switzerland to the mix of countries in which he’s hit No. 1. These days, instead of curating songs in his room, Lost Frequencies is presiding sets at some of the hottest cities on the sphere. Last month, the young DJ caroused a crowd of 15,000 people in Hyderabad, India, but the outpour of international love is still very surreal.

“Sometimes I go somewhere and wonder do people really know my music?” he beams via Skype. “But then I get to the club where people are going crazy, singing my songs and wanting to take pictures.”

In 2014, he besieged European dance charts by masterfully mixing Easton Corbin’s country megahit “Are You with Me,” to originate its dancing deep house sibling.

The simple fact that he took an American genre with the least global reach, and transformed it into a chart-topping phenomenon, is significant in its own right. His second single, “Reality,” was no slouch either, peaking at No. 1 in three of the aforementioned countries dance charts.

“I still get the same excitement playing it now as I did when it first came out,” he says.

Enamored by the deep house movement his hits are frequenting, Lost Frequencies doesn’t believe in fitting a certain musical mold.

“People like to put music in boxes and say this is house, this is EDM, or this is rock, but when I start to WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

produce music I don’t think about genre, I just make something that has a groove and sounds cool.”

Lost Frequencies is releasing the groove we lust, attributing the generational diversification at his shows to the spreading sound of deep house. He’s even got his grandma blasting her speakers.

“The deeper sounds are really hot right now because it’s so easy to listen to,” he says. “It’s really cool to see people from different ages and places having a good time at my shows.” The music I make, my grandma, mom and friends all enjoy.”

Now shifting his gear toward the United States, the young DJ picked up English while vacationing in Santa Barbara for three months. Kicking off his debut set at New York’s Webster Hall on January 29, he’ll make his way to Maya Day and Nightclub on April 15, giving Valley house-goers more than a few chances to dance. The following day will showcase the turntablist overseeing a colorful Coachella mob, surely cavorting at the Belgian’s authority.

“I don’t know much about Arizona, but when I think of Arizona, I imagine myself baking in a sweater in the heat,” he says with a laugh.

There probably won’t be a need for him to bring anything long-sleeved.

On the morning of March 25, about a week after the interview with Lost Frequencies, tragedy shook the Belgian’s homeland in the form of a terrorist attack at a subway station and the Brussels Airport. The bombing senselessly claimed at least 31 lives and left 300 more wounded. Lost Frequencies was unavailable for a second comment about the tragedy.

Lost Frequencies

Maya Day and Nightclub, 7333 E. Indian Plaza, Scottsdale, http://bit.ly/1WNNpf, 9 p.m. Friday, April 15, $10

TAKE A DIP, TAKE A SIP RELEASE pool parties make their long-awaited return to Talking Stick Resort Dylan Arndt » The Entertainer!

T

he time has come for RELEASE, Arizona’s hottest pool parties, to return to Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale. Starting April 9, a poolside Long Island iced tea or margarita

couldn’t taste any better.

But the events are more than hanging out by the pool imbibing in drinks. International and national EDM artists are slated to take over the pool stage.

April is jam packed with a slew of steaming hot DJs looking to supply the music that bleeds ferocity. Kicking off the season is Canadian electro-house brothers DVBBS on Saturday, April 9. Famous for its relentless bangers and high-energy personalities, DVBBS is sure to get everyone in the pool splashing. On Sunday, April 10, a massive turnout is expected for the King of Crunk, Lil Jon. Lil Jon has been taking a break from the mic, and placing his hands on the decks instead to deliver fans’ favorite club tracks.

The following week, patrons will be treated to a little Dutch House music from Firebeatz, who made its last appearance in the state almost a year ago to the day.

Firebeatz will take over the stage on Saturday, April 16, as one of the last acts of the month to prepare music lovers for a massive show.

Grammy Award-winning producer Diplo defines Arizona pool parties. Coming off of his historic performance as Major Lazer in Cuba, this frequent Skrillex collaborator (Jack U) has been dominating electronic music news releasing hit after hit with tracks like “Be Right There” and “Set Me Free” as himself, “Where Are U Now” as Jack U, and “Lean On” as Major Lazer. This will likely be the first of many shows in the Grand Canyon State from Diplo, as he recently announced a partnership with Arizona United SC as a lead investor in the club.

RELEASE is set to be this summer’s place to be, so do it right and make your way to Talking Stick Resort starting April 9.

RELEASE

Talking Stick Resort 9800 Talking Stick Way, Scottsdale, (866) 877-9897, releasevip.com/, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through the summer, various prices

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Jasmine Kemper » The Entertainer!

A

ANGELO

TSAROUCHAS

‘The Funny Greek’ is getting up close and personal

ngelo Tsarouchas has always been a sucker for laughter.

“If you look at my high school yearbook I said I wanted to do stand-up comedy,” said Tsarouchas, otherwise known as “The Funny Greek.”

“I always loved laughter and always liked making people laugh. I’m not one of those comics that go into a ball after the show and disconnects from the world.

I remember in class I was telling a joke and the teacher said, ‘Well why don’t you come in front of the class and tell the whole class?’ So I did...for 30 minutes.”

Tsarouchas puts it all on the table during his shows, which makes for a very open and honest look into the comedian’s crazy life.

“Put it this way: I’m a big man in a thin world, whose parents are Greek. I’m from Canada, I live in America, my wife is Armenian, I have a baby and I love people,” Tsarouchas says.

The multifaceted stand-up comic got his start at the Punchline Comedy Theater in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and now performs all over the globe, but it wasn’t always an easy ride.

“At first it was hell. (I’d) have one good show and five shit shows,” he says with a laugh. “I loved the challenge of it so much that I kept doing it but, God, it was rough.”

“I just kept going and going. I live in Los Angeles now. I’m an actor and a comedian and the thing is...most people ask for advice and the advice I give them is wherever you can showcase your talents, go on stage and do it, and the more times you can get on stage, the better you’re going to be,” Tsarouchas says.

Along with being a comedian, Tsarouchas is an actor, playing notable roles in films and on television including “Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle,” “Cinderella Man” and “Mad Men.” He has worked with Hollywood stars like Russell Crowe and Sylvester Stallone.

“I love watching people in their craft, you know, in their moments,” he says. “I’ve been very fortunate to work with a lot of these actors. I always find that’s the best way to learn something,” Tsarouchas says.

As for his comedy, Tsarouchas looks up to fellow funnymen Sam Kinison, Rodney Dangerfield, George Carlin, Norm Macdonald and Russell Peters.

In his shows, however, he is inspired by everyday life.

“I think my comedy style is very

open, unabashed, sort of a view of my life and how people look at me and how I look at them,” he says.

“You always talk about things you know. Being married now with a child is funny. Dealing with my in-laws, traveling.

You know I always try to absorb things wherever I’m going. So I try to take a little bit of all that and put it together. It’s very much what’s current in my life and what’s going on.”

Although he’s traveled all over the globe, highlights from his career include performing for the troops on the U.S.S. Eisenhower and at the Friars Club in New York City, meeting George Carlin at the Comedy Magic Club in Hermosa Beach, and getting to know the king and queen of Jordan with Russell Peters and Gabriel Iglesias.

“I really thought it was a joke. We actually went and met the king and queen of Jordan. We hung out with them. It was so weird,” he laughs.

Tsarouchas is headed to the Valley to perform seven shows at Rick Bronson’s House of Comedy. Not only is he excited about the gigs but he is thrilled he can have a peanut butter, jelly and sriracha burger from Rehab Burger Therapy.

“They’re going to get a glimpse into what makes things funny in my world and I think they’re going to relate a lot,” he says about the show.

“I’m the kind of guy that you sort of know. I always get people saying, you remind me of my brother Pete or Bruno the plumber or whatever. I think people are really in for a good treat. I’m really looking forward to it.”

His favorite part about stand-up comedy is how immediate the response is from the audience, something that seems to have gotten lost in the age of the Internet.

“It’s you and me straight on,” he says.

“There’s no streaming. There’s nothing.

People who don’t go see live stand-up comedy, they’re missing something.

There’s something about being in the moment. If you’re in the moment and see the magic happening on stage, there’s no better feeling in the world, for me and for the audience.”

Angelo Tsarouchas

Rick Bronson’s House of Comedy, 5350 E. High Street, Suite 105, Phoenix, 480.420.3553, houseofcomedy.net, times vary Wednesday, May 18, through Sunday, May 22, $13-$22.

JULY 15 - AUG 7 ARIZONA’S LEADER IN MUSICAL THEATRE

623.776.8400 | AZBROADWAY.ORG WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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LOOKIN’ BACK

Michael McDonald will play the hits, but look forward, too, at Celebrity show

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

M

ichael McDonald is expected to plow through a set full of hits when he performs at the Celebrity Theatre on Tuesday, June 7. But there’s at least one song with which fans will not be familiar.

“If You Wanted to Hurt Me” is one of a handful of tracks that may be included on a forthcoming new collection. He has drummer Shannon Forrest to thank for the project. The two co-opt a studio in Nashville.

“It’s a different kind of record,” says McDonald, calling from New Orleans.

“It’s original music. I haven’t done a record of all-original music in quite some time.

I’ve recently done the Motown records.

“But this came about in an odd way because it’s stuff that I had been recording as far back as before the Motown records, eight or nine years ago.”

The multiple Grammy winner had old demos lying around and Forrest encouraged the former Doobie Brothers singer to improve them and put them on an album.

“Oddly enough, we reassembled the tracks around those early vocals,” he adds.

“In many cases, we hadn’t replaced these tracks because they sounded great with these original vocals for one reason or another.

“This project would never be but for we had this relationship and we were just kind of co-existing under the same roof in the studio there.”

McDonald just needs to record one more song for the album. The next task is to find a label to release it.

For now, he’s concentrating on his tour that comes to the Celebrity Theatre on Tuesday, June 7.

“I’m hoping to go back and rework some older songs, some obscure songs,”

McDonald says about the setlist.

“But we thought, ‘What the hell.

We’ll just go ahead and play at least this one song from the new record that we thought might work live.’ We try to cover what we think people will want to hear though and something extra that they might not expect.”

Michael McDonald

Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd Street, Phoenix, 602.267.1600, celebritytheatre.com, 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, June 7, $50-$275.

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THE EXTRAORDINAIRE

23

STYLE » ENVY » PASSION » FASHION » BEAUTY » DESIGN

STRIPPING DOWN The Naked Magic Show leaves nothing to the imagination Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

M

ike Tyler and Christopher Wayne of the Naked Magic Show are full of puns. There’s nothing up their sleeves for this performance. Great magicians don’t need pants. And then there’s the obligatory comments about magic wands.

Fans can expect all of that and more when the Aussie duo performs at Symphony Hall on Thursday, May 12.

“As you can imagine from the name, the Naked Magic Show, we literally strip away the magic stereotypes from the top hat to the cape to the magic wand to perform the funniest and cheekiest magic show ever,” says Tyler, via telephone with Wayne from Australia.

“There’s never been a show like this,” Wayne adds. “We believe it’s the funniest magic show you’ve ever seen. The audience has the best time. For Mike and I, this has hands down been the most amazing, bloody experience of our lives.”

The duo says its show is special because it attracts an audience that’s different from the usual magic gigs.

“Both of us, together, have been doing magic for some time,” Tyler says.

“We thought how do we attract an audience who otherwise wouldn’t see a normal magic show? We thought we would create a naughty magic show.

“When we started to design the show together, it was about when ‘Magic Mike’ came out. My name is Mike and I was having a lot of stripper-related jokes thrown at me—‘How big is your magic wand?’ ‘Will you make my clothes disappear?’ Our show is naughty and cheeky, but there’s real magic in it. But every single person on the planet loves magic or

nudity or both. So there you go.”

Magic is a longtime love for both Tyler and Wayne. Wayne’s grandfather introduced him to magic—although it was a bit more innocent. When he was 21, he made a career out of it. Tyler worked a 9 to 5 “boring job in banking.”

“I traveled overseas and coming back after a couple months, I decided that if there’s one thing I can do, it was to pursue my passion at the time, which was magic,” Tyler says.

The duo did a “taste of America” tour last October and the jaunt did better than expected.

“We can’t wait to come back and bring it across as many cities as possible in America and Canada,” Tyler adds. “It turns out that America likes naked Australian magicians more than Australia. We’ve never had a better reception to the show.”

Tyler and Wayne admit that it was a little unnerving to get naked in front of each other. But the jitters eventually gave way to the quest for success.

“We hadn’t been naked in front of big groups of people before,” Wayne explains.

“We were nervous about standing naked in front of a room full of people. Now that we’ve done that, it works really well. That moment I stand naked and the audience goes absolutely nuts, I feel invincible.

There’s no greater feeling.”

The Naked Magic Show

Symphony Hall, 75 N. Second Street, Phoenix, http://bit. ly/1SZWVb7, 8 p.m. Thursday, May 12, $21.58-$80.94.

Need a Tux? PROMS - WEDDINGS - QUINCEANERAS

$49.95 - 1 free with 4 paid rentals

Angels Tuxedos

6622 W. Camelback Rd, Glendale

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Ryan Sims talks Cave Creek, country music and change

RISING FROM THE ASHES

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

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W

hen Ryan Sims walks into a room, he commands attention. Whether he’s striding on stage with a guitar slung over his shoulder at Copper Blues, or mastering an acoustic show at a golf club, the local country star knows how to work an audience.

But that’s all in a day’s work, he says.

“During live shows, we turn it up to 10 and go—not the volume, but the energy,” he says. “We want to make sure that when the night is over, we’re dripping in sweat and we don’t have one note left in us.

“That’s how I play. If I can talk at the end of the show, I haven’t done my job.

Usually I’m whispering and hoarse and I have to sit down for a minute.”

Fans can experience Sims’ energy Friday, May 27, and Saturday, May 28, at Harold’s Cave Creek, where he will play country sets.

Sims’ strong work ethic and friendly demeanor is well known. The former singer for local—and national—favorite EastonAshe, Sims has pursued a solo

career since the band broke up in 2011.

He competed on “The X-Factor” later that year. He also put in time as a songwriter in Nashville.

But it all began in Cave Creek, a town where he continues to play regularly. He’s been playing at Harold’s for about 14 years.

“Before that, I was a busser when I was 16 years old,” he adds. “That’s what got me started playing music.

“I was bussing tables in high school and I’d see all of these great bands. I probably saw more than I should have at 16 years old. Now, a lot of those old band members are my friends and colleagues, like Mogollon. It was amazing to see those guys tear it up in honkytonk bars back then and I thought, ‘I could do that.’”

And he has. His record release party at Harold’s sold more than 1,500 tickets. His self-titled debut hit stores in January 2014.

“It was probably the most fun I’ve ever had at a show,” Sims says with a wide grin. “It was an EastonAshe reunion too.”

“We really try to further ourselves independently, which is really expensive

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2016

band members and lighting specialist left the band. “(The hiatus) seemed right to keep that sacred for the guys who put it together,” Sims continues. “We still get together. It’s a great memory in my life.

“It was very hard to transition. There are a lot of emotions involved when you have people who put that much heart into something. Everyone wants to see that protected.

“The guys weren’t complaining that I was the last guy still playing as EastonAshe. But once (original guitar player) Matt Henderson left, it didn’t seem right to be EastonAshe anymore.”

He embarked on a solo career and shifted his focus from rock to rock-infused country. He says now that the change wasn’t that big of a stretch.

“I’ve really enjoyed country music and it was a natural transition from rock ‘n’ roll to country,” Sims explains. “That’s only because country music changed. I didn’t.

“What was thought of as country music became what I already was. It was interesting for me to hear that from people: ‘I love that song. What a great country tune.’ I’d say, ‘What are you talking about?

It’s not a country song at all.’

“But then I listened to the radio— which I rarely do—and I thought, Yeah, that’s true. Country music has really turned into what rock ‘n’ roll was. There’s no rock ‘n’ roll anymore.”

hand goes numb whenever he straps on his guitar. Most years, he has big plans or a special show to play. But in 2016, he’s leaving it up to fate.

“I’ve got so much going on in my personal life,” he says. “I haven’t put out a new record. I think this year for me is just about healing because I’ve been in pain for so long. I wanted to get better before I attacked it again.”

Still, he’s not letting pain ruin his work ethic. He requires his fellow musicians—which, in addition to Ocheltree, includes lead guitarist Jay Poole, bassist Ethan Newman and drummer Perry Senn—to work hard.

“People spend their whole week working 9 to 5 or, even worse, 6 to 5,” he

25

says. “People work their asses off all week.

If they come to see me on Friday because that’s how they want to forget about their week, what an honor. I want to show them how much I appreciate them putting their faith in me to get rid of the stress of the week. That’s my favorite part of this business.”

Ryan Sims Band

Harold’s Cave Creek Corral, 6895 E. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek, 480.488.1906, 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Friday, May 27, and Saturday, May 28. Call for ticket information.

For information about Ryan Sims, visit ryansimsmusic.com/.

MAKING A LIVING

to do. But at that show, they had to move out every table and every chair.

We had it front to back and that was a great feeling.”

PAINFUL BREAKUP

During its reign on the local music scene, EastonAshe was known for its blend of acoustic rock and funk, playing covers of bands ranging from The Beatles to The Killers.

It was its debut full-length album, Can I Drive It?, though, that garnered EastonAshe the national independent album of the year at the 2007 LA Music awards. In back-to-back years, EA was honored with the performer of the year award at the LA Music/ Hollywood Fame Awards in 2007 and 2008. The next year, Sims grabbed songwriter of the year at the Phoenix Music Awards.

With the strong friendships among the guys in the band, as well as their success, Sims says the breakup was hard to wrap his head around.

“Painful. It was so painful,” Sims says bluntly.

He paused EastonAshe when his

Sims makes his living playing covers— with a few originals thrown in now and then. At a recent four-hour show at Cityscape’s Copper Blues, Sims’ original song, “Hurricane,” went over just as well as his band’s medley of “Walk” by Pantera, The Beatles’ “Come Together” and Nine Inch Nails’ “Closer.” Don’t expect a metal show, though, that out-of-leftfield medley was thrown in among the Black Crowes, Tom Petty and The Police.

Acoustic shows feature Sims with his band’s guitarist Jeff Ocheltree. The duo performs on the quieter side at McDowell Mountain Golf Club from 5 to 8 p.m.

Sundays. The playlist features a healthy dose of Sims’ original material as well as covers like Michael Buble’s “Home” and “All of Me” by John Legend.

“We rely on corporate gigs and acoustic gigs, as well as weddings,” explains Sims, who just returned from a weeklong stint in St. Bart’s.

“Weddings can be a lot of fun. They pay well. Corporate things and weddings are no different. There’s no room for the raucousness of being in a band. Nobody wants to see you be the party guy. You have to mind your P’s and Q’s.”

This year is a year of healing for Sims, who will soon undergo spinal surgery. His WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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REAL DEAL

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Broadway, TV star Kristin Chenoweth wants audiences to know who she is Kenneth LaFave » The Entertainer!

K

ristin Chenoweth wants people to know who she is.

And you thought you already knew the star who originated Glinda in “Wicked,” played Annabeth Schott on “West Wing,” won an Emmy for her role in ABC’s “Pushing Daisies,” appeared in five episodes of “Glee” and helped bring “Promises, Promises” and “On the Twentieth Century” back to Broadway.

Nope. You won’t really know her until you’ve heard her in concert, which is possible when she performs with The Phoenix Symphony Saturday, May 21, and Sunday, May 22. For times and ticket information, visit phoenixsymphony.org.

“I believe doing concerts has helped me define what kind of artist I want to be,” says the Oklahoma-born actress and chanteuse via email.

“It’s one thing to be behind a role in a show or TV or movie. But when you’re decided material, and what you wanna say, not just as an artist, but as a human, it helps you know how you want to be remembered.”

What will she be saying in her Phoenix Symphony concerts? Getting the answer to that is why we buy tickets.

But it’s not by chance that Chenoweth is appearing with a symphony orchestra, for she credits her classical training as a young artist at Oklahoma City University with being able to do what she does.

“If I hadn’t had the training from OCU and my beloved mentor, Florence Birdwell, I for sure wouldn’t have had the

technique to get through many shows a week,” Chenoweth says.

“On Broadway we do eight a week.

Training to sing a show of any kind is like training for a race. Only it’s really a marathon, because you never really stop. Unless you quit altogether. Which would never occur to me because I’m an artist and know nothing else! Ha.” Chenoweth spent the 1990s on the edge of stardom, appearing in Broadway shows such as the revival of “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.” Then, in 2003, the role of a lifetime showed up: Glinda, the Good Witch in the smash hit “Wizard of Oz” prequel, “Wicked.” Her performance “set the gold standard” for the part, said Playbill, and indeed, it set a standard for her own future stardom.

“West Wing” and a ream of Broadway offers soon followed.

Chenoweth has spent a lot of her career in the development of revivals, older Broadway shows that are brought back after decades to engage with new audiences. She does this out of sheer love for the form of the musical, helping to remind younger theater-goers of the charms attending such shows as Jerome Kern’s “Music in the Air” and Leonard Bernstein’s “Candide.”

Of all of her revivals, it is perhaps “The Apple Tree,” with music and lyrics

by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick of “Fiddler on the Roof ” fame, that she says maybe her favorite. The first act is based on Mark Twain’s “Diary of Adam and Eve.” “It doesn’t get better than the act one of that show, ‘Adam and Eve.’ The minute the French horn starts in the overture, you

see Adam and Eve, and their evolution as woman and man, then as a couple. Mark Twain would love the music and lyrics. I believe he would’ve been so proud of that show,” Chenoweth says.

The revivals are important, she adds, to keep the musical alive.

“I’m happy to show my younger audiences what these shows are about. It’s important to do these gems to keep it all going.”

Even Chenoweth has career disappointments, and “the one that got away” from her was...

“For sure Millie in ‘Thoroughly Modern Millie.’ I had to make a tough decision about going to do a TV show. It was a real heartbreaker. But ultimately, it was the right decision...It’s all part of the Big Picture. Not always easy, but usually turns out right.”

So, who is she after all? Someone, she says, who cares that “when audiences come see my concert, they have fun.”

“I want people to know who I am, not just as a singer but as a woman, friend, artist, neighbor, American and lover of God.”

Kristin Chenoweth with the Phoenix Symphony

Symphony Hall, 75 N. Second Street, Phoenix, 602.495.1999, phoenixsymphony.org, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 21, and 2 p.m.

Sunday, May 22, $33-$98.

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89

GOING HOME

Blue October singer shares newfound happiness Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

S

inger Justin Furstenfeld enthusiastically answers the phone to discuss Blue October’s forthcoming album, Home. With well-documented struggles with bipolar disorder and addiction, happiness hasn’t always come easy.

“Happiness comes in waves,” Furstenfeld says. “I think I’ve mastered the art of sucking up the moment. I’m really, really protective of my good moments. I don’t want any moment to be wasted.

“I demand to be prepared. When we’re in the studio, everything has to be prepared. It has to be right, perfect, or I’ll work on it until it is. But the happy moments, it’s crazy. It’s such a different place for me.”

With sobriety came positivity. He weeded out all the negative influences in his life, but he’s not necessarily saying that negativity doesn’t come.

“I push it to the side and I say, ‘You’re not going to get me today,’” he explains.

“Sometimes I get stung by the negative.

I can’t control that. I just keep moving forward.”

Home reflects his joy. Take the chorus for example: Like dancing in the kitchen in the pale moonlight/ Only care in the world is that our kids are all right/ Daddy loves momma and momma loves him/ Tomorrow we get to do it over again.

“This record is amazing because, first of all, (2013’s) Sway was pretty much me discovering that there was a life outside of being crazy,” Furstenfeld confesses.

“There was a life outside of me, me, me. That was like being reborn. This album was just about life can be as good as you want it to be, as long as you just give it your all. When I was making this album, I would come up with these melodies in my head.”

The other theme of the album was pushing boundaries or going outside of the box. So what did Furstenfeld do?

He took up jogging at night to ponder these melodies.

“I’m not a jogger,” he says with a laugh. “What? What’s that shit about. If this album is going to be about getting outside of your shell and doing something that might make you uncomfortable, what better than to go jogging at night when everyone else is sleeping.”

Jogging didn’t necessarily come easy for Furstenfeld, either. He would tell

himself not to “wimp out; don’t give up.

Go faster.”

The result was a collection of anthemic songs about doing your best—“the best husband, the best son, the best father.

“The song ‘Heart Go Bang’ is just about making out with your wife, guy or girl—someone you think is so freaking hot. You have to make out to your fullest; make it good,” Furstenfeld says.

He dubs the recording process as “summer camp in the winter.

“It was awesome,” he says. “All of the guys would come over and it would be this massive ‘mancave’ of studio. We talked about our lives. It wasn’t like we were sitting there mixing (previous hits) ‘Hate Me’ or ‘Dirt Room,’ where it’s about something tragic. Every song was about something uplifting. Everyone was in a good mood. If drama came in, I’d say,

‘You have to go.’ Good vibes only.”

That mood reflects the live show, which comes to The Showroom at Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale on Friday, June 3.

“I don’t think I’m going to play a lot of sad songs,” he says. “This album is so refreshing and makes me feel so good.

I want to go up there and have everyone for an hour and a half feel so good.

When they leave, I want them to say, ‘What just hit me?’

“That’s what I’m hoping for.”

Blue October

The Showroom at Talking Stick Resort, 9800 Talking Stick Way, Scottsdale, 800.745.3000, ticketmaster.com, 8 p.m. Friday, June 3, $45-$65.

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THE SHOWMAN

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LISTEN » JAM » INNOVATE » EVOLVE » ROCK » SING

Bad Company 105 Lamb of God 106 Live Music Calendar 102

LIVING ON THE EDGE

Filter singer Richard Patrick takes chances on new tour Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

F

ilter singer Richard Patrick says he owes Phoenix a stellar show.

The Valley is usually one of the first stops on Filter’s tour, when the band is still rusty.

This time, the industrial rock band hits the Marquee mid-jaunt, but Patrick says not to expect perfection.

“I’ve seen my favorite bands 10 to 15 times at this point,” says Patrick, the brother of actor Robert Patrick of “Law and Order: SVU” and “Terminator” fame.

“The most charming moments are when they’re looking around at each other saying, ‘Where are we?’ They’re all in different bands. They’re all like, ‘What?’

“One of those bands is U2. Bono forgot the lyrics to ‘Mysterious Ways’ when I saw him. He had to have the crowd sing it to him. But that’s what you’re paying for—chaos. It’s a high-wire act.”

Formerly of Nine Inch Nails, Patrick is taking chances as well on the new tour, which supports Filter’s latest album, Crazy

Eyes. On the first track, “Mother,” Patrick holds a note so long that Mariah Carey would be jealous.

“I just took a deep breath,” Patrick says with a laugh. “I know it’s going to be hard to do it live. For the first couple of shows, I might have some issues. Once you get used to playing it in front of people, it’s OK. I can sit in a rehearsal and rehearse the (crap) out of it. It’s heavy, though, and really high. It’s like Evel Knievel. Is he going to make it? Let’s see what happens.”

Filter w/Orgy, Vampires Everywhere, Death Valley High

Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Avenue, Tempe, 480.829.0607, luckymanonline.com, 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, May 17, $20.

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Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

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IN GOOD COMPANY

Paul Rodgers talks Rich Robinson and new tour

hen Bad Company guitarist Mick Ralphs decided to sit out this summer’s “One Hell of a Night” tour, singer Paul Rodgers kicked into action.

He recalled the band who accompanied him when he attended a Jimmy Page tribute in Seattle. His guitarist was an axman named Rich Robinson, formerly of the Black Crowes.

“At the dinner I thought wow, he’s great,” Rodgers recalls. “I said to him that we should do something somewhere down the road.”

That turned out to be sooner rather than later. Rodgers said he thought Robinson would be the perfect temporary replacement for Ralphs.

“I think he’s going to be a great fit,” he says. “He’s got a touch of soul in him.

He’s a thoughtful guitar player. I think it’s going to be pretty creative.”

Fans can see Robinson team up with Bad Company when the “One Hell of a Night” tour hits Ak-Chin Pavilion in Phoenix on Sunday, May 22.

“There are a lot of songs that jump to mind that we must do—‘Can’t Get Enough,’ ‘Feel Like Makin’ Love,’ ‘Shooting Star,’ ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy,’ ‘Bad Company,’” Rodgers explains.

“It starts to be a pretty full set pretty quickly. I do want to expand a little bit.”

Mixing up the set, as well as improvisation, keeps performing fresh.

“We come from the school of ad-libbing, Rodgers says. “There are always changes in arrangements from one night to the next. It’s always very creative, even though they might be older songs like ‘Feel Like Makin’ Love’ and ‘Shooting Star.’”

The release of Bad Company’s live album, “Live in Concert 1977 & 1979,” was one of the reasons for the expansion of the set to include deep cuts. It marks the first official live album to spotlight the original Bad Company lineup of Rodgers, Ralphs, Simon Kirke and Boz Burrell. The collection was released April 29.

Although he’s looking forward to playing with Robinson, Rodgers admits he’s melancholy about Ralphs’ absence.

“It was difficult, I kid you not,” he says about how he felt upon hearing the news.

“But I’m quite excited to have Rich on the band. We have Howard Leese on guitar, too, and they’ll be working in concert, orchestrating guitar parts. Where we have strings, we’ll recreate with a guitar.

We’ve got Todd Ronning on bass. He’s also in my solo band, as well as Bad Company and a number of other bands. Of course we have Simon Kirke on drums. It’s going to be very interesting and exciting to get together and do the rehearsals.”

Bad Company and Joe Walsh Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Avenue, Phoenix, 602.254.7200, ticketmaster.com, 7 p.m. Sunday, May 22, $20-$125.

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RENAISSANCE MAN

Singer Randy Blythe explores the arts outside of Lamb of God Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

R

andy Blythe enjoys fronting his metal band Lamb of God. However, that’s only one of his loves.

“I’m really into all aspects of the arts,” says Blythe, whose band plays the Comerica Theatre on Friday, May 27. “Last year, I even composed music for the Richmond Ballet. I have a friend who’s a dancer and choreographer there.

“It’s neat to have your fingers in different pies. There are a lot of changing ideas when the arts cross-pollinate.”

The band members, five-time Grammy nominees, pulled those influences together for the 2015 release of Lamb of God’s heavy metal epic album VII: Sturm Und Drang.

The album is the first since Blythe was arrested in 2012 on a charge of manslaughter in the Czech Republic. During a Lamb of God show two years earlier in Prague, a fan, Daniel Nosek, died from head injuries after Blythe reportedly threw the 19-year-old offstage.

Blythe was arrested when he returned to the Czech Republic. He was held for five weeks.

On March 5, 2013, Blythe was acquitted and not held criminally liable; instead the promoters and security members were blamed. The ruling was upheld by the Prague High Court three months later.

Blythe’s management requested that he not be asked about the experience, but many of the songs on VII deal with the topic. One notable exception is the single “Erase This,” which was penned by guitarist Mark Morton about negative people.

The band members, who worked with producer Josh Wilbur again, deal with the negativity of the world in “Erase This.” The song was penned by Mark Morton. That negativity is especially prevalent in social media.

Social media is something that gets under Blythe’s skin in general. He shut down his Twitter account because of negativity.

“I only have one social media

account; it’s my Instagram,” he says. “I’m a photographer. I don’t take pictures of my lunch or selfies or any of that crap. Who cares? I try to drive a strong visual narrative with some substance behind it. There’s not a lot of negativity there, which is really interesting. I’m driving a narrative with the pictures. I used Twitter to communicate with fans, but it turned into a bunch of nonsense.”

Fans—and even nonfans—were getting into arguments, and Blythe wasn’t into the negativity.

“Oh my God, who cares,” he says.

“It’s a waste of time. Do something with your life.

“Social media can be a great tool. I did a walk for breast cancer with my wife.

I used Twitter to raise funds. It worked really well, so the mechanism can be used for good things. Regrettably, it isn’t most of the time.”

Indulging in the arts allows Blythe to get a different perception on things. For example, a musician looks at something differently than a visual artist would.

“Album art is just a throwaway, sadly,” he says. “Album art was so cool when it was on vinyl. I don’t expect those days to ever come back because I’m a realist. Some of it was really inspiring.

Even look at the goofy stuff. I’m not an Iron Maiden fan but look at the old records. There is amazing stuff on the covers. You just don’t see that today in the era of downloads.”

Expanding on his art, the photographer, author and musician recently started the magazine UNBUILT with designer Tom Bejgrowicz and Alex Skolnick, the lead guitarist for Testament. The biannual, limited edition culture and lifestyle publication is debuting in the spring.

“It’s a small magazine,” Blythe says.

“It’s really focused on high-quality art, writing and photography. There are no ads.

“It’s a good place for me and my buddy, Alex, and Tim to [publish] well-executed pieces. I see a lot of small magazines, like there are some I really like in the surfing culture that are really high-quality print with super good photography.”

Despite naysayers’ comments, Blythe doesn’t think that print is dead.

“I do think it’s changing, though,” he adds. “It’s getting smaller and only the really high-quality stuff is going to survive, sadly.”

Because there are no ads, UNBUILT’s staff is free to what about whatever it wants.

“The way media is now, everything is getting so compact because everybody’s used to freaking Twitter,” he says.

“Quality work is disappearing along with critical thought, I think. Everyone wants to read a story of 140 characters. That doesn’t leave much room for thought. We wanted to do the magazine as a way to explore thought in a more extensive way.”

Blythe keeps his life simple, as well as Lamb of God’s shows.

“We don’t have elaborate stage props or dragons and wizards and Peter Pan flying,” he says with a laugh. “You can expect five ugly dudes up there playing heavy metal. That’s about it.”

Lamb of God w/Clutch and Corrosion of Conformity

Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington Street, Phoenix, 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 27, 800.745.3000, ticketmaster.com, $35.

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CREEPY ‘CAR’ Singer Gordon Gano defends the horror of ‘Big Car’

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

V

iolent Femmes singer Gordon Gano is coy. He speaks about a fellow band member who wasn’t thrilled about recording the song “Big Car” for the Femmes’ latest album, We Can Do Anything.

But Gano is amused by the reaction to the murderous track that was actually written 25 years ago.

“I’ve tried to have our band do it throughout the years,” he says. “It seems like a perfect fit. It sounds like another Violent Femmes song that people love.

But there always been somebody in the band who hasn’t wanted to play it.

“It almost wasn’t recorded this time.

Somebody in the bad isn’t entirely happy with the song because of the lyrics. I’m amused and amazed. What about some of the other songs? Why are you OK with those?”

Gano contends that the song is a little creepy, but he calls it fun and playful as well.

“It’s kind of creepy, then it goes I bad taste, then it jumps and catapults into horror and something which I would hope

and think is a surprise, if you’re following the lyrics,” he says.

“If that’s objectionable, then you better not watch or enjoy any Coen Brothers movie. There are a whole lot of things in our culture that people enjoy. I hope you are completely opposed to all of this other stuff, too.”

He doesn’t see the harm in the song, which he wants listeners to translate for themselves.

“It’s a made-up story,” he says. “It’s not anything autobiographical. There’s a country death song where a man in desperation kills his own daughter. I guess that’s always been OK with everyone.”

The title of the album, We Can Do Anything, pokes fun at the dynamics within Violent Femmes. Illustrated by the Barenaked Ladies multi-instrumentalist Kevin Hearn, the cover represents that as well. Violent Femmes met Hearn when BNL and the Femmes toured together. He also plays accordion in a few tracks.

“We did a great deal of the recording for We Can Do Anything on tour,” Gano says. “We would let him hear the songs.

He said it would sound great to have an

accordion on this song or that song. He wanted to play guitar, too, on a song and that sounded great. He’s a big part of the album.

“He’s just one of these incredibly, noticeably nicer than most other people guys.”

The inclusion of Hearn was one thing that the band could agree on. Gano hopes that “Big Car” will get its due live.

“We still haven’t played it live, even though it would be an obvious thing to do,” he says. “I’m just awfully glad after decades that it exists. I like it as a song.

That’s what it is—it’s a song. I think it’s amazing in certain respects. It’s a song that’s a warning: Do not ever get into the car with that creepy guy who is circling the high school. Do not do it.”

Violent Femmes w/ Happiness

Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Avenue, Tempe, 480.829.0607, luckymanonline.com, $35 and $55.

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE TOURIST | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

KRIS ALLEN GETS PERSONAL

‘American Idol’ winner opens up on Letting You In

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

N

otoriously private singer and “American Idol” winner Kris Allen is giving fans a glimpse into his personal life with the appropriately titled new album, Letting You In. He calls it his most revealing collection yet.

“I try to be personal, but there’s always this part of me that I don’t let through in the songs,” says Allen, who plays the Valley Bar in Phoenix on Friday, May 13.

“For me, I’m a private person—especially in these days of social media. I let people see glimpses of things. I’m not going out and telling people exactly what’s going on in my head. There should be some privacy to the world. But the way that I let people in is through song. I feel like this record does that.”

Allen’s personal life was thrown in the spotlight, however, when he and his pregnant wife, Katy, were involved in a head-on car crash on New Year’s Day 2013 in Arkansas. The accident shattered his wrist and required multiple wrist-fusion surgeries. Now, he has limited range of motion.

“For me, part of being private is not wanting anyone to feel sorry for me,” he

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says via telephone from Arkansas, where he grew up. “Stuff happens.

“It’s one of those things I’ll remember for the rest of my life, but there was nothing I could do about it. I’m stubborn, too. I would tell everyone, ‘I’m fine. I’m fine. I’m fine.’ It was on the local news and kind of on some national stuff, too.

But I was hopped up on a lot of drugs, so I don’t remember a lot of that time.

There’s a year of my life where I don’t remember much.”

His ability to play guitar was iffy for a while, but to compensate, he’s learning a new way to perform.

“I had to learn how to play guitar differently, which is still something I deal with,” he says. “But again, I’m trying to make sure that nobody feels sorry for me.

It’s not something I want. After all, it could have been a lot worse.”

Now the family lives in Nashville, a city that Allen calls “inspirational.”

“I was just talking to my wife today,” he says. “Do we miss Arkansas? We miss a lot about Arkansas, like our family. We think Arkansas is our little secret.

“But for what I’m doing and the community that I’m trying to be in and surround myself in is the perfect place.

I’ve never experienced anything like that, where everyone’s looking out for each other but pushes each other at the same time.”

He appreciates the work ethic there as well. Songwriters and musicians work during the day, then go home and hang out with their families. Sometimes they return to the studio afterward, but he calls it “a really nice environment.”

Another “nice environment” was “American Idol,” to which he returned recently. He judged potential constants during auditions in Little Rock, Arkansas.

“I thought it was going to be weird and I would feel like the college kid who graduated seven years ago and now I don’t know anybody,” he says.

“It was weird because I was judging, but I was comfortable in my surroundings. I was back home. I had a blast. It was good to see some of the producers. It was nice to be behind the veil a little bit during that process. There was no reason for me to be nervous.”

He says he was just there to have fun.

“It’s fun to be a part of the new—and last—season,” he says. “I’ve tried to keep up as much as possible this year. I don’t get the chance to do that, but I made an extra effort to do that this year. I’ve been really impressed.”

Kris Allen w/Marie Miller

Valley Bar, 130 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix, valleybarphx.com, 7 p.m. Friday, May 13, $20-$25.

GOING SOMEWHERE FAST

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2016

Old Dominion finds success and rejoins Kenny Chesney on tour Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

T

he last time Old Dominion played Country Thunder, very few were aware of the band’s talents. This year when it performed at the Florence festival in early April, it was different.

The single “Nowhere Fast” from its debut album Meat and Candy has garnered spins on pop stations, including Sirius XM’s The Pulse. Old Dominion won the Academy of Country Music’s best new vocal duo/group of the year prize. It was also nominated for vocal group of the year at ceremony, but lost to Little Big Town.

After nine years as a band, it’s making a national splash.

“We’ve been a band for a really long time,” says lead singer Matthew Ramsey, whose band opens for Kenny Chesney on his “Spread the Love Tour” on Saturday, May 7, at Chase Field. “We’ve been playing little clubs and touring in a van and stuff like that for years and years and years. We made little EPs and gave them out for free.

“We had one on iTunes once we started getting satellite radio [airplay]. It’s hard to do that as an independent band.”

Old Dominion found a record label to help and it was then time to release Meat and Candy, a title that refers to the waves of intense and then fun songs.

“It’s hard to break into the radio world,” Ramsey says. “We needed a record label to do that. Once the record label came on board and we got a single rockin’, it was time to release our full-length album.”

The reviews have been stellar from the Nashville-bred band. NPR called Meat and Candy “first-rate craftsmanship.” That was something that thrilled Ramsey.

“We were geeking out pretty hard on that,” Ramsey says with a laugh. “We’re all NPR fans. We listen to that a lot. To hear our name mentioned on that was a big moment for us to go, ‘Whoa, this is real now. We’re actually out there in the world.’”

The last 12 months have been filled with landmarks. Last year Old Dominion also toured with Chesney, marking the first time a independent band was invited on a stadium tour.

“That was a huge moment for us,” he says. “To have our first No. 1 song this year, that was mind blowing. We’ve had a lot of moments that left us saying, ‘Can you believe this is really happening?’”

The first Chesney tour was definitely a learning experience for Old Dominion, Ramsey says. He expects Chesney—as well as Miranda Lambert and Sam Hunt, who are also on the bill—to school them further this spring and summer.

“We’ve learned so much from that guy,” he says. “He’s the best there is. From a performing standpoint, you just learn about connecting with your fans and song choice.

“From a business standpoint, you

109

learn about his organization and the people he hires and surrounds himself with. I’ve never met someone on the tour who’s in a bad mood—ever. They’re all so happy to be there. He takes care of us when we’re out there. We learned how to tour and how to do it the right way.”

It has also spoiled Old Dominion.

“I love playing baseball stadiums,” he says. “We have to figure out our set length. We have to get as much bang for our buck as we can. We want to get out there and make sure we’re energetic. You have to be a bigger band on a bigger stage.

“You can take your time when you’re at a club. You have a long set and you can talk to the audience a little bit more. You can hear the people and you can feel that energy.”

Kenny Chesney w/ Miranda Lambert

Sam Hunt and Old Dominion, Chase Field, 401 E. Jefferson, Phoenix, 800.745.3000, ticketmaster.com, 5 p.m.

Saturday, May 7, $20.50-$250.

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LIVING THE

DREAM

D

ream Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess firmly believes that music listeners’ attention spans are dwindling.

Despite that, his progressive rock band known for its intricate musical stylings released its most ambitious album to date: the two-disc collection The Astonishing.

“It’s certainly not the thing that everybody’s doing,” Rudess says via telephone. “We’re going in the other direction because of what’s going on in the music business and society.

“People have limited attention spans.

They buy single songs, stream music, listen to music while they’re doing other things. Dream Theater is a unique entity.

We have the very rare position of being able to do what we want to do.”

That includes playing The Astonishing from beginning to end in concert. The tour comes to the Mesa Arts Center on

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Thursday, May 5.

“We just recreate this album,” he says. “We’re also making a bit of a statement. We want people to listen to this, ideally, from beginning to end. It’s very entertaining and fun for people to hear.

It’s something positive to what’s happening in the world, as far as our ability to listen to music and the ability to get deep into the concept.

“We’re not demanding that people do this. But in a way, we still support the idea of listening through and enjoying music that has some depth.”

According to Dream Theater’s record label, The Astonishing paints a tale of a retro-futurist post-apocalyptic dystopia ruled by medieval-style feudalism. It’s a place aching for a Chosen One to rise above the noise and defeat an Empire defined by the endless drone of noise machines and the illusion of safety in bland conformity.

“We wanted to do a concept album,” he says. “That was our goal. When we

Prog-rock band defies trends to release epic collection

started to get into it, we quickly realized that it would be fun to present what we’re doing as an entire show/experience.

“We thought that if we’re going to do this, if we’re going to do this live, we’re going to create an evening’s show so that it had some substance to it.”

In terms of writing the album, Rudess says it wasn’t difficult because the band was inspired by guitarist John Petrucci’s story.

“With the detail of the story that John Petrucci wrote, it wasn’t hard to create that much music. It was like doing a film score or writing a musical.

“We wanted to support the story and bring it to life. It turned into something that was pretty big. It was a great creative project. It allowed us to do so many things that we just found to be really creative and really very satisfying.”

For Dream Theater as a whole, that means creating a book and a video game to complement the record. Rudess has the opportunity to tap into different keyboard styles during the recording process.

“There was a lot of piano work and orchestration,” says Rudess, who will release an instrumental solo album this summer. “I got to use my electronic sounds and instruments. We wanted it to be as broad as it was very satisfying for me as a musician.”

Dream Theater

Mesa Arts Center, One E. Main Street, Mesa, 480.644.6500, mesaartscenter.com, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 5, $41-$89.

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PLEDGING TO MAKE

GOOD MUSIC Modern English readies new album, while acknowledging the success of ‘I Melt with You’ Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

M

odern English vocalist Robbie Grey realizes that he would be “lynched” if his band didn’t perform “I Melt with You”—especially with the resurgence of the post-punk sounds by him, The Cure and Joy Division.

But on Modern English’s tour that come to the Rhythm Room in Phoenix on Wednesday, May 18, the band will focus on 1981’s Mesh and Lace. Don’t fret: “I Melt with You” will be thrown in as an encore.

“I’m looking forward to playing the first album, Mesh and Lace, in its entirety,” Grey says via telephone from Suffolk, England.

“We’ve never done that before. It’s a first to play all of the early singles, which is more edgy, kind of wilder stuff, from the start of the ‘80s.”

The task hasn’t been without its headaches, though, Grey says. The band has been rehearsing for six to eight hours a day to nail the material. In between, Modern English has been mixing a new album set for release in May and running a Pledge Music campaign to fund it. In the crowdfunding campaign, fans can give money to the band and receive goodies like a bass lesson, an on-stage appearance or their name in the liner notes.

“With no record sales, no actual physical sales shaping up anymore, this was necessary,” Grey explains about the crowdfunding campaign.

“It’s all about connecting with your fanbase, I suppose. It’s quite good fun

seeing what people would want to do. I have someone taking me out to dinner in San Diego. We have the bass player giving a bass lesson. Someone else will play guitar on stage.

“It’s all kind of new for us, all of that kind of stuff. It’s different. Quite exciting I suppose.”

Grey calls the album, which has yet to be named, a departure for Modern English, yet it fits in with the catalog.

“We have some orchestration on it,” he says. “There are two to four tracks with orchestration on it. Some tracks are more aggressive, like the earlier stuff. It’s a mixture of things, I suppose. We’ve spent quite a lot of time on it.”

His favorite song is “Trees,” which he compares to a “Midnight Cowboy” soundtrack. “Moonbeam” is the most commercial tune and Grey may play it at the Rhythm Room.

Speaking of hits, Grey is impressed with the longevity of “I Melt with You,” which has stayed in the forefront of fans’ minds because of commercial placement.

“We played in the Philippines last year,” he says. “Everyone knew the words.

It’s a worldwide song and so many people have covered it over the years. There has been a bossa nova version which did really well. If you look at YouTube, you can see harp versions of it, country and western versions of it. It’s fantastic to see all of that, actually.”

He chalks it up to the “gliding” nature of the song.

“It sort of propels along really well, musically just glides along,” Grey says.

“It has an uplifting feel to it. When you marry that with the vocals and the lyrics that I wrote, it’s quite uplifting. You can tap your foot or nod your head to it.”

Modern English w/The Captives and DJ Manchester

Rhythm Room, 1019 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix, 602.265.4842, rhythmroom.com, 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 18, $15-$20.

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE TOURIST | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

THE BEST NIGHTLIFE EVENTS FOR MAY

Damir Lolic » The Entertainer!

Lil Dicky

B.o.B.

Dash Berlin

Dillon Francis

Aesop Rock

Skrillex

MAY 1 The Pennsylvania native went from working at an advertising agency to being one of the most sought-after rap acts. Providing laughs with every line recited, Lil Dicky held his first concert less than two years ago. Now, he has a No. 1 album and a track with Snoop Dogg.

Maya Day + Nightclub, 733 E. Indian Plaza, Scottsdale, 480.625.0528, mayaclubaz.com, noon, $20.

MAY 5 A social media savvy DJ, Dillon Francis has won legions of fans with his comedic demeanor and epic collaborations. The 2011 hit “Masta Blasta” started the party and he continues to quench club-goers’ thirst for rhythmic sounds worldwide.

Livewire, 7320 E. Indian Plaza, Scottsdale, 480.970.6980, livewireaz.com, 9 p.m., N/A.

MAY 14 The Atlanta native landed on everyone’s playlist in 2010 with the No. 1 single “Nothin’ On You.” Since then, B.o.B. has managed to stay relevant with a slew of hit songs and Grammy nods. We’ll give him a pass for his recent remarks about the Earth being flat.

Maya Day + Nightclub, 733 E. Indian Plaza, Scottsdale, 480.625.0528, mayaclubaz.com, 9 p.m., $15-$100.

MAY 15 Recording artist Aesop Rock was one of the leading underground hip-hop acts to emerge in the late 1990s. For nearly two decades, he’s compiled record after record of thoughtprovoking material. With the release of his seventh studio album, The Impossible Kid, set for June, Aesop Rock will be at the Crescent Ballroom on promotional duties.

Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Avenue, Phoenix, 602.716.2222, crescentphx.com, noon, $22.

MAY 22 The Dutch electronic music group is easily one of the most prominent artists of the genre. Having done remixes for superstars like Justin Timberlake, Janet Jackson, Usher and Lenny Kravitz, these guys have made a living giving fans platinum-selling hits—in abunDANCE! Maya Day + Nightclub, 733 E. Indian Plaza, Scottsdale, 480.625.0528, mayaclubaz.com, noon, $20.

MAY 28 The American EDM producer has reigned supreme over the dance scene for the last four years. Holding the record for most Grammy awards won by an EDM artist—with eight—Skrillex is showing no signs of slowing down.

The Pool at Talking Stick will come to life with all his hits as fans chill poolside and enjoy the vibe.

The Pool at Talking Stick Resort, 9800 Talking Stick Way, Scottsdale, 480.850.7777, 11 a.m., $30.

Dylan Arndt » The Entertainer!

A MOST ELOQUENT MUSICAL ENDEAVOR Four Tet brings the abstract of electronica to Phoenix

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A

musical scientist. A melodic surgeon. An Einstein of mixing. These are three accurate descriptors of English-born Kieran Hebden, or Four Tet as he is better known in the world of electronic music.

Marked by elements of hip-hop, electronica, techno, grime, jazz and folk music, Four Tet’s releases rely heavily on the melding of house music into the above genres. This makes for an incredibly abstract sound that both relaxes and confuses our groove—in the best way possible. His music is a psychedelic concoction of different sounds you’d never think would complement each other, but to much surprise, this serum soothes to the utmost.

Favoring a more abstract approach to music, relying strongly on improvisational skills and the capabilities of his laptop, Four Tet is not your average musician.

Four Tet got his start following his Elliott School education with his band Fridge and its debut album Ceefax via

Robin Schulz

MAY 29 In 2014, Robin Schulz teamed up with Mr. Probz to release the remix of “Waves” which topped the charts in five countries. The German-born producer has sustained that appeal with commercially successful albums and platinum-selling singles. A fan favorite wherever he goes, Schulz will have everyone at The Pool at Talking Stick dancing to his EDM show.

The Pool at Talking Stick Resort, 9800 Talking Stick Way, Scottsdale, 480.850.7777, 11 a.m., $15.

Output Recordings. This relationship with Output expanded to his solo career where he released his first solo single “Double Density.”

In 1999, Hebden’s first release as Four Tet dropped via Output entitled Dialogue, which introduced his unique hip-hop/jazz sample blend. Following his first release, Four Tet dropped four albums on Domino Records between 2001 and 2010, then his three newest albums via Text Records including his most recent, Morning/Evening, in 2015.

His remix of Eric Prydz’s massive track “Opus” is the current marker of his career, as well as his North American tour with Ben UFO and Anthony Naples.

Don’t miss this obscure journey through music come May 11 when Four Tet takes over the Monarch alongside Ben UFO.

Four Tet w/Ben UFO

Monarch Theatre, 122 E. Washington Street, Phoenix, relentlessbeats.com, 9 p.m.

Wednesday, May 11, $15.

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BAND OF BROTHERS

Phoenix’s Kongos ready to explore ‘egomania’

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Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

D

ylan Kongos and his brothers have been anxiously awaiting the release of their third album, Egomaniac, on June 10.

The band of siblings, otherwise known as the Phoenix alternative rock band Kongos, were all set to finish the record a couple years ago when something remarkable happened.

A single from their sophomore effort, Lunatic, took off. After reaching success in the brothers’ home country of South Africa, a little song called “Come with Me Now” became one of the most ubiquitous singles on radio, soundtracks and commercials.

“It did well for us in South Africa and, for a couple years, it sat doing nothing in America,” says Dylan Kongos, who plays bass and lap steel guitar. “That’s why we moved on to Egomaniac.”

While they were preparing to work on what would become Egomaniac, the brothers Kongos told management to send “Come with Me Now” to radio just to see what would happen; maybe they could create a bit of a buzz before Egomaniac was released.

“It took off and crossed over to pop,” Kongos says about “Come with Me Now.” “Who would have thought that a song with an accordion, guitar riffs and male vocals would cross over to pop radio?

“It blew us away and we had to put this new material on the back burner so we could support Lunatic by touring. It was a good problem to have.”

But, Kongos admits, it was just a little frustrating when he and his brothers—guitarist Daniel, drummer Jesse and accordionist/keyboardist Johnny—had to temporarily put aside the new material.

“There’s an energy and buzz around when you write a new song,” he says.

“There’s a couple of weeks of being really excited about the demos and having people hear them.

“We didn’t really have much of a career to speak of until ‘Come with Me Now’ took off. We were grinding away for 10 years trying to make something happen. You take any chance with that and you run with it. We were able to tour the world. Lunatic was amazing because it got a real shot. The album was heard.”

Global influences

The Kongos brothers spent their childhoods in London and in South Africa and are the sons of John Kongos, who is best known for his 1971 hit “He’s Gonna Step on You Again.” The Manchester ‘90s band Happy Mondays based its song “Step On” on the single.

The Kongos family moved to Paradise Valley and the boys attended Chaparral High School and/or ASU. “We grew up as kids in South Africa, but a lot of the writing and touring is all been in the United States,” says Kongos, whose band is expected to perform in the Valley in the fall.

“Not to put down Arizona, but there hasn’t been much of a music scene or arts scene until recently. We felt a little bit isolated but it was a good thing. We didn’t get caught up in trends, hip new things or hip new styles.”

Instead, the quartet of brothers kept all facets of their art inside. They wrote, recorded, mixed and mastered Egomaniac in their home studio. The Kongos’ musicians create their own artwork and shoot and direct most of their videos.

“We wrote our own songs and we did whatever we wanted,” Kongos says.

“I hoped that people would be able to connect to it. It’s been isolated and I think that’s a good thing.

“We don’t intend to make trendy music. We tend to make the music that we like and just hope that it connects on some level with people. If we were in Los Angeles or, say, Portland or New York, we might have been swept up in a new sound or a new trend.”

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The song “Come with Me Now” was used in the films “Holy Motors” and “The Expendables 3,” and as the theme song to the WWE pay-per-view event “Extreme Rules.”

That paves the way for Egomaniac, which is set for release on June 10.

Egomaniac has a good shot at success. The first single, “Take It from Me,” was the No. 1 most added song at alternative radio shortly after its April 15 release.

Family matters

The brothers have come to rely on each other. They agree that being in the entertainment business is a nonessential job.

“Everybody want to be in a band or an actor,” Kongos says. “The competition out there is insane. It’s not a necessity for people’s lives. It’s not providing a service that’s do or die for people. We knew it was hard work and we’d have to put a lot of time into it.”

The band was going to put out maybe one or two more albums, and then, perhaps, call it a day. They would remain in the music business, maybe playing winetasting as a jazz quartet, or “do corporate things.”

“We’d probably still stick with music or film,” Kongos says. “We used to make Bar Mitzvah videos for kids. We were always doing something relative, or maybe open a restaurant—something where we could work together as brothers.”

But don’t compare them to the ever-battling Gallagher brothers in Oasis.

“We have our moments. Don’t get me wrong,” he says with a laugh. “We’ve been doing this for so long that we’re quick to move on to the more important things. These last two years we spent close to 10 months straight on a bus with us four and eight other people.

Living in close quarters and being brothers, we’ve learned to move on from silly issues and egos.”

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MOTOR CITY

MADMAN Ted Nugent talks Michigan, music and moods

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

T

ed Nugent is one excitable SOB, as he likes to say.

Speaking faster than a kitten runs, Nugent turns it loose when he is asked about music, hunting and, of course, the Motor City.

On a day when he’s “so good, it’s stupid,” Nugent is not only looking forward to his July 1 show at the Celebrity Theatre, but his future.

“I look forward to this interview. I look forward to being in the front yard with my dog. I look forward to snuggling with Mrs. Nugent. I just look forward,” he says.

“I look forward to the unbelievable musicians that I’m surrounded by. Every time I pick up my guitar, it’s like my first (time). It’s so intoxicating.”

“Sonic Baptizm Tour” that comes to the Celebrity Theatre on July 1 gets Nugent pumped up, too. He’s proud of his band—guitarist Derek St. Holmes, bassist Greg Smith and drummer Jason Hartless, a 21-year-old master of the WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

sticks, he says.

“I’m constantly beating myself up to achieve the most ferocious, fiery, crispy, fat, beefy guitar tone, even though I’ve accomplished that every year of my life since 1957,” he adds. “The sound of my guitar is just insane. It makes me play like I’m possessed. It’s very exciting.”

His excitability—or intensity as he interchangeably calls it—is a product of his years in Michigan. The Nugents now live in Texas.

“I do interviews all the time and I don’t think they grasp the intensity that we invented and perfected in Detroit.

“I think it might throw them off a little bit. I’m not sure if they know how to quite digest the ‘Motor City Madhouse,’ shall we say. It keeps them on their toes.”

As for the 67-year-old, he relies on his daily activities to keep him on his toes, musically.

“I live like the original man in year 1,” he says. “Today I ran my trap line.

I fixed some fence. I hauled a bunch of rocks to a water crossing that was starting to erode. I trained my labs. I trained with some of my firearms. I planted a bunch of trees. I worked shovels, hoes, hammers,

saws and chainsaws.

“When you function so earthly, so down to Earth, so removed from the music process, when I come in and grab my guitar, it’s like a firestorm.”

Playing songs like “Cat Scratch Fever,” “Stranglehold” and “Great White Buffalo” doesn’t get old to Nugent because of these activities.

“I keep it fresh because I escape it,” says Nugent, who frequently teaches guitar to children at his local guitar shop.

“When you don’t play ‘Cat Scratch Fever’ except on tour or during a jam session, it’s fresh. I have such an escape through my outdoor ranching lifestyle that when I turn to the electric guitar, it’s exciting as hell.”

That said, the most important piece of advice he can render is “being the best you can be in those pursuits you’re passionate about. How can it not be fresh?”

He feels blessed to be able to charge forth to his passions daily.

“All of the things I was just talking about, from welding to mechanics, is important. I killed a deer last night. I loved gutting that deer and carving off sacred flesh and putting it on mesquite

coals, like I did an hour and a half ago.

“I have such a reputation for ferocity. They can tell I love this. That kind of dedication and compassion is really, really contagious and everybody is looking for it.”

Nugent boasts of his Midwestern work ethic, or specifically, his Detroit lifestyle. He loves all things Motor City— especially the music of Kid Rock, Mitch Ryder or the MC5.

“The intensity of the music—the music,” he stresses, “is unparalleled. When other people try to do it, like the Sex Pistols or some of those English bands, they look foolish. Michigan music is not organic to them. We’re defiant without trying. We just play our music and it scares people. We love the rhythm and blues defiant spirit.”

Ted Nugent

Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd Street, Phoenix, 602.267.1600, celebritytheatre.com, 8 p.m.

Friday, July 1, $40-$70.

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE TOURIST | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

MAGIC MIKE

Michael Carbonaro has a positive ‘effect’ on people Jasmine Kemper » The Entertainer!

M

ichael Carbonaro has discovered a way to turn all of his passions into one exciting career.

Using his love of magic, acting and special effects makeup, this mysterious man has plenty of tricks up his sleeve.

“For a long time I was worried that I had my finger in too many holes,” Carbonaro says. “It was like, you gotta choose one of them or you’re just going to fizzle across the board.”

You might know him from his hit truTV show, “The Carbonaro Effect,” where he uses magic to persuade people to think insane scenarios are real, such as a wireless soda machine or the hatching or a prehistoric dinosaur egg.

“All of the sudden, I was in this little world of performing magic and doing it secretly. A lot of the stuff on ‘The Carbonaro Effect’ and even my live show takes that special effects background to orchestrate some of those tricks, and also takes comedy. Performing magic is a really wonderful formula to get to utilize all of those skill sets at the same time,” he says.

Carbonaro didn’t always know he was going to be a magician.

“When I was in my teens I would say that my two biggest heroes were Freddy Krueger and David Copperfield,” he says with a laugh.

“My love for magic really came from a love for special effects and horror movies and monsters. I was sure that I wanted to be a makeup artist. I loved the art of special effects, (but) I really found myself as a performer through magic tricks.”

At age 13, he stumbled upon magic on accident while looking for special effects makeup in a magic shop.

“I slowly just sort of found myself on the other side of the magic shop. I always think it’s interesting that both of those things are sold in the same store—magic, makeup and costumes. It’s all that kind of secret, mysterious art.”

He performed for friends and family occasionally, but it was his mother who encouraged him to continue magic growing up.

“The kid next door had Big Bird come to his party, and (he) even did a few tricks and my mom was like, ‘Your tricks are so much better than that. Why don’t you put together some of your best stuff and try putting up signs in the supermarket to hire you out as a magician for parties?’”

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Growing up in the densely populated area of Long Island, New York, it wasn’t hard to find magic gigs, even as a teenager. Carbonaro would pass out business cards to the neighbors, and as his popularity in the area grew, he eventually booked three of four shows every weekend.

“I ended up doing that my whole life and putting myself through NYU with money I made from doing magic birthday parties,” he says.

Carbonaro ultimately landed an eight-episode spot on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” where he performed “hidden camera magic.”

“I came in with my ideas and they loved it. I was finding a witty way to put funny little spins and weird reasoning behind why the tricks were happening,” Carbonaro says.

During his time on “The Tonight Show,” the magician met numerous network producers interested in his work, including those involved with Court TV, which was rebranded to truTV. From there, “The Carbonaro Effect” was born.

The show has gained popularity since its inception, and because of that, Carbonaro is able to go on tour. He is coming to Comerica Theatre on Thursday, June 23.

“It’s really fun because a lot of people know me from ‘The Carbonaro Effect.’ So everybody coming to the show knows that I am a magician. It’s really exciting—even though they know I am a magician—to find ways to throw in curveballs (and) to pull the rug out from under the audience,” he says.

Carbonaro says he loves performing simply because in a world where we have all the answers at our fingertips, magic makes people stop and think.

“It’s really cool that magic, more than any other art, has a way of making people stop for a second. There’s this inhale, and they breathe in, their eyes open and their mouths drop.

“You can actually see them thinking: ‘The world doesn’t work the way I thought it did. Maybe there are things that I have yet to explore.’ It’s a really exciting feeling, and magic ignites that.”

Michael Carbonaro

Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington Street, Phoenix, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 23, $35.

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE JUNE 2016

THE EXTRAORDINAIRE

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STYLE » ENVY » PASSION » FASHION » BEAUTY » DESIGN

HAPPY HOUR

‘Chapelle’s Show’ alumnus says laughter is a guilty pleasure Jasmine Kemper » The Entertainer!

W

e all know that mother knows best. This is especially true for comedian Donnell Rawlings, who thanks his mother for pushing him to take the comedy world by storm.

“I remember one night, me and my mom were up late talking and she said, ‘Don’t tell me another joke unless you’re going to make some

money doing it,’” he says.

That’s all the push he needed to pursue a career in making people laugh.

However, he didn’t immediately go into standup—at first, he was just a heckler.

“I started heckling the comedians.

I started to become the popular heckler.

The club wanted me to shut up and they pretty much dared me to go on stage and I did—and it’s what I’ve been doing 20 years later,” Rawlings says.

His first experience performing on stage was frightening and exhilarating.

“It was something I wanted to do for the rest of my life. It was electric. I was nervous as heck, but once I got good feedback on the first show I knew this is what I wanted to do,” Rawlings says.

As an actor and standup comedian, Rawlings has made appearances on HBO’s “The Wire,” “Def Comedy Jam,” MTV’s “Guy Code,” and he was even the judge on its spinoff show, “Guy Court.”

However, what he’s most recognized for is his role on “Chappelle’s Show” as his eccentric character Ashy Larry. Being on the sketch-comedy show was one of the highlights of his career.

“We had fun, from the moment we walked on set to the time that we left. It was cool, the camaraderie was there,” Rawlings says.

While acting is enjoyable, his heart will always be with his first love—comedy.

“With standup I’m more in control of the destiny of my career. With acting, for the most part, it’s waiting for somebody else’s approval. I don’t get that gratification out of acting like I get out of standup. I enjoy both of them, but what I really enjoy is standup,” Rawlings says.

This funnyman uses a classic-style approach to comedy, and puts his unique spin on it. About 40% of his material is planned before he goes on stage, and 60% of the show happens in the moment.

“It’s character-driven from (people) in my life. It’s observational and it’s definitely in the moment,” he says. “It’s self-reflective of my life. People really respect when you can turn something spontaneous into part of your act.”

This comedy form comes from the many inspirations in his life, including classic comedians like Martin Lawrence.

“When I was coming up, Martin Lawrence was one of the hottest comics, he seemed just like a regular guy telling regular day-to-day stories,” Rawlings says.

The best part about standup comedy for Rawlings is making someone laugh who really needs it.

“You got people that want to laugh, and that’s good, but then there’s those people who say, ‘I didn’t know I was going to come out, I’ve had trouble with my marriage, I’ve lost a family member, but I’m so glad you came out because you really made my day, you put me in a happy place for like an hour.’ That’s one of the greatest rewards of standup is making other people feel good.”

What can Phoenix audiences expect from Donnell Rawlings when he plays Rick Bronson’s House of Comedy from Thursday, June 23, to Sunday, June 26?

“A fresh act. Not a super clean act but not super dirty, but just a happy medium of guilty pleasure laughter,” Rawlings says.

As for the future, Rawlings hopes to see the resurrection of the show that changed his life.

“I’ve been pitching a couple of sitcom ideas for myself. The thing I would love to see happen, it’s very doubtful but you never know, is the return of ‘Chappelle’s Show.’ You never know, but until then, I’ll continue to hit the road and create some more opportunities.”

Donnell Rawlings

Rick Bronson’s House of Comedy, 5350 E. High Street, Suite 105, Phoenix, 480.420.3553, houseofcomedy.net, times vary, Thursday, June 23 , to Sunday, June 26, $18-$25 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE JUNE 2016

THE ARTIST

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CULTURE » THEATER » DANCE » GALLERY » DRAMA » VISION

PLAYING THE

COOL CHARACTER

‘Newsies’ is hot off Broadway

J

Kenneth LaFave » The Entertainer! oe Barreiro and Jack Kelly have one thing in common: They’ve never been to Santa Fe. Other than that, says Barreiro, who plays Kelly in the Disney-produced musical “Newsies” at Gammage Auditorium this month—zip.

“I’m nothing like Jack as far as being graceful and always knowing what to say,” Barreiro says. “But every night when I put on the hat, I get to be him. It is so satisfying to play the cool character. It’s as fun as it looks.”

And fun is the key word here.

“Newsies” is an old-fashioned feel-good musical about newspaper boys who go on strike. The national road tour, which started last year following the show’s successful Broadway run, will stop at ASU Gammage June 14 to June 19.

A “newspaper boy” or “newsboy,” for those too young to recall, was a kid who delivered the morning (or afternoon) newspapers to subscribers’ homes. In 1899, a bunch of them in New York City went on strike when newspaper mogul Joseph Pulitzer increased their cost of product, thus shrinking their pay. “Newsies” is based on that historic incident. The character of Jack Kelly is the strike’s leader.

But, what was that about Santa Fe?

“Jack is always longing to get out of New York and find open spaces,” says Barreiro. Santa Fe becomes Jack’s unseen ideal, as well as the title of the song that both opens and closes the first act.

Of course, this being a musical, and a Disney musical at that, Jack—spoiler alert here—finds his true calling during the strike, falls in love with a spunky reporter from the paper, and realizes that New York is his true home.

Barreiro is a multiple-threat musical theater guy who plays the piano and conducts shows as well as singing and acting in them. Last year, he was music-directing a production of “Urinetown” in upstate New York when his agent called with a stunning opportunity: Could he audition for the touring production of the latest Disney Broadway hit?

Those words led to a successful audition and fulfilled the work of his life over the past few years.

“I was a singer in choir through high school but knew I didn’t want to sing in choirs the rest of my life,” Barreiro says.

“I started watching a lot of Daniel Day Lewis films and his performances were so transformative that I thought, ‘I’m going to be an actor.’”

Barreiro has appeared in musicals and nonmusicals and developed a sophisticated taste for both. The musical role he would most like to perform is George in Stephen Sondheim’s “Sunday in the Park with George.”

“I’d add ‘Sweeney Todd’ but I’m a tenor and that’s a baritone role, so it’s not

in my future,” Barreiro says.

And the nonmusical role?

“I would love to play Stanley Kowalski in ‘A Streetcar Named Desire.’

I want to communicate a deeply superficial character.”

One of the things Barreiro loves about “Newsies,” in addition to being the cool character, I that the songs were composed by a childhood hero.

“I am a ‘90s baby, born the year after ‘Little Mermaid,’ the first of the great Disney animated musicals. The composer was Alan Menken,” who went on to compose “Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin,” “Pocahontas” and the original live-action film, “Newsies,” on which the stage musical is based.

“Without Alan Menken’s music for those films, I’m not sure I would have gone in the direction I have,” Barreiro says. “Those scores are deeper in me than any other pieces of music. I am completely in awe of Alan Menken’s work.”

Barreiro also praises the lyrics for the show, which were written by Jack Feldman.

“There’s a move in some shows to push Broadway songs more in the direction of pop. But the Broadway show is a lyrical medium, and the words to the songs need to keep the plot moving.”

After seven months touring in “Newsies,” Barreiro has no immediate plans for the future.

Of course, the next call from his agent might be for a Broadway show, right?

“Exactly,” says Barreiro, who knows precisely what to say.

“Newsies”

ASU Gammage, 1200 S. Forest Avenue, Tempe, asugammage.com, various times, Tuesday, June 14, to Sunday, June 19, $20-$150.

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MUSIC WITH A MESSAGE

Ziggy Marley promotes peace in a turbulent time Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

Z

iggy Marley’s new self-titled album has meaning to the reggae legend. He hopes it has the same importance to his fans.

“I want listeners to know that love is a reality that can exist,” Marley says with his thick Jamaican accent. “If dreams of negative forces can come true, then the dreams of positive forces can come true, also.”

The album was released May 20 through Tuff Gong Worldwide. Last February, Marley debuted several tracks from the album in conjunction with his acting debut on “Hawaii 5-0.”

Like with Ziggy Marley, the singer stepped out of the box by appearing on the CBS television show. “‘Hawaii 5-0’ was great,” he says.

“For me, it was something that I’ve never done before. It helped me to grow. With the acting thing, I had to put aside my ego to play this role and to play this other person who was not me. It was definitely a growing experience.”

He admitted to being insecure about his appearance on the show.

“I was not as nervous as I was being unsure,” he says. “That’s the hardest part for me. It was scary, but that’s why I decided to do it. These are challenges that I must face up to in life.”

Another hurdle he faced was doing most of the songwriting, engineering and mixing for Ziggy Marley.

“I was wearing many different hats,” he says. “I looked at that, too, as a learning

experience. I am very excited about having the experiences that I’ve never had before.

This album helped me grow.”

Marley is bringing his new music and classic hits to Chandler, Flagstaff and Tucson; see details below. Again, the show, like Ziggy Marley, comes down to the message.

“I hope that people can leave the concert with an experience that helps them grow just like I grew from my experiences,” he says.

Marley, the son of the late musician Bob Marley, likens his family’s work to that of preachers.

“We have work to do,” he says. “When the inspiration comes to us, we are obligated to spread this good word. We’re like preachers spreading their word. We’re the same thing: We spread our word and the positive ideas that we are inspired to think.”

Ziggy Marley

Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino, 5040 Wild Horse Pass Boulevard, Chandler, 800.946.4452, bit.ly/1TivdYr, 8 p.m.

Saturday, June 4, $42-$99.

Pepsi Amphitheater at Fort Tuthill Park, Flagstaff, pepsiamp.com, 7 p.m. Sunday, June 5, $18-$75.

Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress Street, 520.740.1000, rialtotheatre.com, Friday, August 19, $39-$48.

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OPENING DOORS

3 Doors Down explores new sounds on Us and the Night Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

L

iving in Nashville is inspirational to plenty of artists who have moved there. Originally from rural Mississippi, Brad Arnold of 3 Doors Down finds it a tad intimidating, however.

“You don’t sing karaoke in Nashville,” Arnold says with a laugh. “If you do, you bring your fricking A game. There’s an incredible amount of talent here. When they ask me to sing karaoke, I just sit back and say, ‘I’m good.’”

But when Arnold and his band hit the stage, things are a little different.

He commands attention, and will at 3 Doors Down’s show on Friday, June 10, at The Pool at Talking Stick Resort. The gig is backing its album Us and the Night, which is a departure for the band. The first single, “In the Dark,” teeters the line between pop and dance.

“That’s a little bit different for us there,” he says laughing. “It was recorded different—but not just different for the

sake of being different. We were just more open minded. Whatever came out was what came out.

“We just kind of opened up the fences and let it run this time. Nothing was out of bounds.”

The injection of fun into 3 Doors Down’s music comes courtesy his new bandmates, including bassist Justin Biltonen, who joined 3 Doors Down in 2013 when Todd Harrell was initially arrested on charges related to a fatal crash he caused. Harrell plead guilty in 2015.

“I think we really just felt more comfortable,” Arnold says about the recording process. “We have some new guys in the band right now. We just let it go in a good way. Nothing was really intentional. The only goal was to not record another old 3 Doors Down record.

“No matter what we write, it’s still going to be us. We are who we are. We wanted to explore some new things and be open.”

The Grammy-winning band’s previous singles like “Here Without You,” “Be Like That” and “Let Me Go” are melancholy, and Arnold wanted to step away

from that for a bit.

“We tried not to be so, so deep on this record,” he says. “We tried to just have fun on it. There are some introspective songs on there, but we wanted to say was going on outside, too.”

All of this was accomplished in Rivergate and Blackbird studios in Nashville. Rivergate is owned by Bobby Capps of 38 Special and Chris Henderson of 3 Doors Down.

“It was nice to go home at night and be in the studio during the day,” he says.

“We wanted to take our time at Rivergate and not be confined to financial constraints. That’s not how music’s supposed to be.”

3 Doors Down

Talking Stick Resort, 9800 E. Talking Stick Way, Scottsdale, 480.850.7734, talkingstickresort. com, 8 p.m. Friday, June 10, $45$100 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE JUNE 2016

THE SHOWMAN

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LISTEN » JAM » INNOVATE » EVOLVE » ROCK » SING

FINDING STABILITY

There’s nothing hindering this band’s success

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

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rummer Cody Hanson is feeling something he hasn’t sensed in a long time with his band Hinder—stability.

Former lead singer and Hinder cofounder Austin Winkler suffered challenges with sobriety that were well documented before he departed the band in 2013. Since then, new vocalist Marshal Dutton has been the rock that Hinder needed.

“It’s something we’ve never had before,” Hanson says. “We always had that question mark. Now we feel like a band— really solid and tight. The four of us know what the goal is moving forward.”

The band is celebrating the release of its first acoustic EP, Stripped, with a show at the Musical Instrument Museum on Sunday, July 3.

“We’re planning on putting together a setlist of songs that we normally wouldn’t play,” Hanson says. “We’re going to be doing different versions of different songs. We’ll mix up some of the instrumentation. I’m sure I’ll come out and play guitar. Marshal and Mark will play piano.

We’re planning on making it special for sure.”

Hanson says he and his bandmates always wanted to release an acoustic album. Now was the right time.

“It gives us an opportunity to show off Marshal’s ability,” he says. “He’ll play shows around town and we’ll got to the bar and watch him play. We’ll go to see him play around town and he’s so much fun to watch in that setting. That’s where he shines.”

The EP primarily focuses on reimagined songs from Hinder’s last album, When the Smoke Clears. It also features a cover of “Not an Addict” by K’s Choice.

“We heard Marshal play it before and thought it was super cool,” Hanson says. “We thought it was super cool and we started doing it for VIP sessions on the road for people. We decided to throw it on the EP.” Hanson says he and the rest of Hinder, who is working on a full-length album, admire Hanson for what he brings to the band “He’s one of the most talented musicians I’ve ever met,” he says. “He’s so one of the most talented musician I’ve ever met. He’s a great songwriter, a great producer. His knowledge of music is incredible. I learn something new from him every day. His knowledge about music is endless.”

Hinder w/Brad Ray and Like a Storm

Musical Instrument Museum, 4725 E. Mayo Boulevard, Phoenix, 480.478.6000, mimmusictheater.themim.org, 7 p.m. Sunday, July 3, $48.50$58.50.

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THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE JUNE 2016

OF LIFE AND LOVE

71

Los Lonely Boys bringing positive message to Chandler

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

G

od, life and love are three things by which Los Lonely Boys live. The three musicians—Henry, Jojo and Ringo Garza—find it tough sometimes, but they rely on the love of God to get them through the bumps in life.

Their mother died a year ago, and previously they almost lost Henry. Their 2014 album, Revelation, touched on Henry, who suffered serious injuries in a fall from the stage during a February 2013 Los Angeles performance. It necessitated a lengthy and ongoing recovery period.

“That was a big change for us,” Jojo acknowledges. “The whole experience was a wake-up call for us. It made us rethink every aspect of our lives and our careers, and it reminded us of what’s really important to us.”

The new music that Los Lonely Boys is writing is inspired by their mother’s death.

But as usual, they put a positive spin on it.

“There is always some sort of struggle or something that tries to stop you from

what we feel is God’s work,” Jojo says.

“When Henry got hurt, it was a tough time for us, but we found a way through. We lost our mother last year and we’re still working through that now.

We’re coming up on a year here in June.

But when you’re doing something you love, that helps you deal with the blows that life gives you.”

He says that that can be hard sometimes.

“It hurts to be without those you love,” Jojo says. “The mourning never really ends. We’ve lost multiple family members. It hurts and it’s something that stays with you forever. You only have one mom and one dad.”

The band has been writing occasionally, but there isn’t a new album in the works. Los Lonely Boys is still pushing Revelation, for which it worked with alt-country icon Radney Foster, in-demand pop tunesmiths Matthew Gerrard and David Quiñones, Black-Eyed Peas collaborators George Pajon Jr. and Keith Harris, and Raul Pacheco of Ozomatli.

“Those guys are something else,” Jojo says about Ozomatli, with whom they played at the Comerica Theatre some years

back. “They’re a great live band.

“Raul Pacheco is more than a guitar player. As far as the band goes, he plays a lot of guitar parts. But we’ve written a few tunes together.”

Like Los Lonely Boys and Ozomatli, the music brings fans and the band together. Music does not divide people.

“We’re all about having a good time, but we also make an effort to write about things that really matter,” he says. “A lot of people write songs about superficial things, like how you look and what kind of car you drive and how much money you have, but we’re not interested in that.

We want to create music that’s about the love and the energy and the spirit that we all carry as people.

“We’re very thankful that God blessed our family with a drummer, a guitar player and a bass player, and that the three of us get to make music together.

There’s been a few bumps in the road here and there, but that happens in any family and in any band. The main thing is that we stick together, and that we’re trying to pass on that feeling of brotherhood, of familia, in the music that we make.”

Los Lonely Boys

Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Avenue, Chandler, chandlercenter.org, 7 p.m. Sunday, June 12, $28-$38.

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STANDUP

GUY

J Chris Newberg brings his musical comedy act to Phoenix Jasmine Kemper » The Entertainer!

D

omedian J Chris Newberg has always been funny, but he was never one to boast about his talent.

“When I was in high school, I would say to people, ‘Oh, I heard this joke and it’s funny!’” the former Michigander says via telephone.

“It was something that I wrote, but I didn’t have the courage to say that I had written it. Everyone would laugh and that was it. I just put it in the back of my brain.”

Things have changed in the last 16 years. Since 2000, the Los Angeles resident has been bringing his skills front and center at comedy clubs throughout the world and on TV sets, thanks to “America’s Got Talent.” He occasionally slips into the background to pen jokes for the likes of “Saturday Night Live,” “Late Night with David Letterman,” “Chelsea Lately” and “The Conan O’Brien Show.”

Newberg began his career simply.

“I took a comedy class and then I just got up on stage and did an open mic,” he says.

But unlike other new comedians, Newberg was comfortable performing in front of audiences. Back in Michigan, he rocked out on stage with his pop-rock band, Vudu Hippies. He parlayed his musical prowess into a singing/standup act.

Just because he was a natural on stage, it didn’t mean comedy came easy to him—at least not at first.

“I was bad. I mean, when you start comedy—whoever you are—you’re bad,” says Newberg, who finished in the Top 20 on “America’s Got Talent.”

He honed his smart and edgy style and has since toured alongside some of the most highly respected—and funniest—comedians.

“I toured all over the world with Russell Peters and all over the U.S. with Dane Cook. That was a lot of fun,” he says.

Newberg candidly described his comedy style as “funny—depending on whether or not you think it’s funny.”

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He is inspired by comedic hitmen such as Rodney Dangerfield, Woody Allen, Dave Attell and Mitch Hedberg.

“They’re quick, and they do a lot of reversals and a lot of one-liners, and it’s just smart,” he says.

That smart and quick comedic style is something Newberg has incorporated into his act, and, when it comes to the source of his material, nothing is off limits.

“I think every conversation, every sentence and every situation is food for comedy,” he says.

He uses that nourishment for a variety of projects, although it’s difficult for him to choose a favorite medium.

“When I get out of a TV show, I’m ready to hit the road, and when I’ve been on the road a while, I’m ready to do a show.”

Even so, he says standup comedy is unique because it produces an instant response from the audience that you can’t get from a TV production.

“With standup, you get the most brutally honest reaction ever. It’s like, whether they love you or hate you, you know immediately—you either live or die in the now,” he says.

So what can Phoenix audiences expect from a J Chris Newberg show?

Discover for yourself when he takes the stage at Rick Bronson’s House of Comedy from Wednesday, August 3, to Sunday, August 7. For a taste of his act, check out youtube.com/jchrisnewberg.

“It’s a high-speed chase of the mind.

Put it this way, they should expect to have a good time. Everyone come out to the show. It’s going to be fun—and it’s going to be hot outside.”

J Chris Newberg

Rick Bronson’s House of Comedy, 5350 E. High Street, Suite 105, Phoenix, 480.420.3553, houseofcomedy.net, Wednesday, August 3, through Sunday, August 7, times vary, $13-$22.

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Natalie Wasile books weekend mainstay at Club X Connor Dziawura » The Entertainer!

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N

atalie Wasile, also known as DJ Design, started performing in bars a decade ago. With years of experience behind her name, she has worked her way up to performances at large spots such as Talking Stick Resort, Dos Gringos and Mill Cue Club, just to name a few. Not limited to local shows, Wasile has also spun at venues across the United States and in the Caribbean.

“I’ve been into music my whole life. My dad took me to concerts at a really young age,” says Wasile, whose first concert was Bush and No Doubt.

Wasile began DJing 14 years ago, shortly after graduating high school in Nebraska.

“My husband, who was my boyfriend at the time, actually taught me how to DJ. I would say it was a hobby for about five years and then, after that, I started getting some gigs kind of by accident,” explains Wasile, whose husband, Stephen, spins under the name DJ Switch.

“I would actually fill in for my husband while he would go to the restroom. I was DJing at the Sun Bar and the bar owner didn’t know that I could do that, so that’s actually how I landed my first gig.”

Now, 10 years later, Wasile entertains Saturday nights at Club X at the UltraStar Multi-tainment Center at Ak-Chin Circle. Wasile incorporates a wide variety of genres and influences into her performances.

“I play absolutely everything. I play rock, house, hip hop, top 40,” she says.

“When I’m at home, I definitely like to play more house music, though. There’s a song by ZHU called ‘In the Morning’ that I’m really into.”

As a DJ, Wasile cannot approach a performance with a firm setlist. Different crowds give varying responses to the music, requiring a certain attentiveness and skill to play off the atmosphere.

“I definitely scan the room and kind of see what I’m working with,” she says. “If there’s something that’s getting a response, I try to play off of that. There’s a different vibe when there are girls in the room and I think that’s maybe my advantage, because I can definitely relate to that—and typically when you can get the girls dancing, it kind of helps gets things started.”

According to UltraStar Promotions and Events Manager David Trujillo, she is the perfect DJ for Club X, which is known as Luxe Lounge the rest of the week. It offers ladies night promotions on Saturdays.

“Her style of music that she brings, her live mixes, her energy that she herself just brings is a great fit for Club X.”

DJ Design

UltraStar Multi-tainment Center’s Club X, 16000 N. Maricopa Road, Maricopa, 520.494.7827, ultrastarakchin.com, 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturdays, free.

POP

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GODS

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THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE JULY 2016

19

Revitalized Duran Duran brings visual show to Glendale Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

D

uran Duran bassist John Taylor owes his life to Arizona. Simply put: If he didn’t head to Tucson seeking sobriety, he may not have been around to push his band’s latest album, Paper Gods.

“There’s a big place in my heart for Tucson,” Taylor says during a recent phone interview. “I got sober in Tucson.

I’m very grateful for the spirits that inhabit that particular city.”

Taylor, who became sober in the late 1990s, and the rest of Duran Duran— singer Simon Le Bon, keyboardist Nick Rhodes and drummer Roger Taylor—will return to the Grand Canyon State on Wednesday, August 3, to play Gila River Arena in Glendale to support its 14th studio album, Paper Gods. The collection entered the Billboard 200 at No. 10 and became its first Top 10 album since 1993’s Duran Duran.

Taylor describes the road to Paper Gods as a “great journey;” one that revved up Duran Duran—once the process started.

“It took us awhile to get some traction,” he says. “At this stage, we’re just as good as our collaborators. (Producer) Mr. Hudson brought a tremendous energy to the project. It was good to have Mark Ronson involved again, too. (Chic’s) Nile Rodgers came along for a few days.”

But the list of stellar collaborators doesn’t end there. Lindsay Lohan and former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist

John Frusciante make appearances on Paper Gods. Duran Duran worked with singers like Janelle Monae (“Pressure Off”) and Kiesza (“Last Night in the City”), too.

“They really lifted the project and gave it character,” Taylor explains. “The team—the Duran team—has been together for 30 years. We need a little fresh blood sometimes.

“The two are quite different, but their enthusiasm was the same,” he adds about Monae and Kiesza. “They were open to what could be achieved and that was incredible, too. Singers today are used to going into rooms and working with a lot of different writers and producers. You have to be flexible and be open to where the track’s going to go. They both blew me away. It was exciting to do sessions with them.”

Shortly after Paper Gods was released on Sept. 11, 2015, Duran Duran made a number of TV appearances, all of which portrayed the English pop band in a new light. There was a newfound excitement emanating from the band and Taylor agrees.

“It’s always good to get an album finished—especially now,” says Taylor, 55.

“There are a lot of things that get harder as you get older. Completing an album is a great undertaking—especially if you have ambition for it, like we still do.

“We were looking for a major label, an international deal. Of course we’re looking to invigorate our audience, too. It was a massive kind of relief that informed

our actions. That’s part of what you’re seeing. We’ve been let out of the studio after two years.”

Afterward, music listeners were introduced to an evolved Duran Duran sound, one that features EDM and the pop sensibilities for which the band is known.

“The blueprint for our sound is ‘modern,’” he says. “We have this ‘X factor.’ Actually, we have two ‘X factors.’

One is a keyboardist who’s like a synthesizer player, as opposed to a keyboard player. Whenever we reconvene to start on a new record, keyboards have changed.

The sounds that we would have been using in 1982 were different than if we were recording in 1990, and they’re different now.

“The other one is we don’t have a fulltime guitar player. That leaves an opening in the music that can be filled by whomever. That’s a challenge on one hand. It allows us to have more flexibility in a way. Even if we wanted to do the same album twice, we couldn’t.”

Taylor explains that Duran Duran, now working on a ballet, is better off this way, anyway.

“The audience has different needs,” he says. “They need to be inspired, too.

Even if you tried to take the big hits and recreate, it’s very difficult.”

Taylor—who chronicled his years in the band and his sobriety in the 2012 book “In the Pleasure Groove: Life, Death and Duran Duran”—says the act recreates its journey during its 16-song show.

“It tells the story of Duran Duran and its engagement with contemporary music of the last 40 years,” Taylor says.

“It’s a very visual show. It’s the first time we’ve done that 100%. In the past, we had songs that would have video things happening up on the screen. Then it goes away and comes back. Now we have video throughout the show. It helps bring all of the songs into the present day in a way.

What you’re really trying to do is reflect the changing time, at the same time, keep everything on the same plane.”

He guarantees that the set will get fans moving.

“It’s not like this is just a set from the ‘80s or a set from the ‘90s,” he says. “We give everything the same kind of varnish.

It’s a show to dance to, mostly. People come to our shows to have a good time.

As he finishes, he realizes he has a better way to describe the show.

“People are suffering from hit fatigue,” he says with a laugh. “They’re leaving the show saying they’ve never heard so many hits.”

Duran Duran w/Chic featuring Nile Rodgers

Gila River Arena, 9400 W. Maryland, Glendale, 800.745.3000, ticketmaster.com, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, August 3, $23.45-$128.45.

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THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE JULY 2016

THE EXTRAORDINAIRE

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STYLE » ENVY » PASSION » FASHION » BEAUTY » DESIGN

IT’S A ‘DRY HEAT’ Jeff Foxworthy says hosting benefit for Hope for the Warriors is serious business

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

J

eff Foxworthy has a theory: Laughter is the relief valve that keeps the boiler from exploding.

He wants to provide that release, so he became a comic in 1984.

“Everybody has bad stuff in their lives,” Foxworthy says. “We just laugh and carry on.

That’s the great part of my job. I meet people after my shows who tell me, ‘I can’t remember the last time that I laughed that much.’

“That’s a pretty cool thing to be able to do for somebody.”

Foxworthy is returning to Phoenix to play the Celebrity Theatre on Friday, July 29, as part of the Dry Heat Comedy show that benefits Hope for the Warriors and the Arizona Spinal Cord Injury Association, a chapter of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation Association.

“I especially love doing things for the military,” he says. “If I’m on the road, and I’m playing in D.C. or Baltimore, I’ll spend the day at Walter Reed. What those people do is above and beyond most of us. Anytime you can give back to them, it’s really cool.”

Best known as heading up The Blue Collar Comedy Tour, Foxworthy will be joined by multiple award-winning comedy magician Michael Finney and “The Spouse Whisper” comedian Mark Cordes.

Others on the bill are Nate Bargatze of Comedy Central’s “Full Time Magic” and his dad, Stephen Bargatze; Bruce Baum of “The Simpsons” and “America’s Funniest People,” comedian Kevin Jordan; comedy magician Fielding West; Steve Smith; Michael Walter; James O’Brien; Tim McTigue and more.

“It’ll be a lot of fun,” Foxworthy says.

“Comedians don’t see each other a lot because we’re all on the road doing our own thing. When we get the chance to meet up and hang out, it’s fun for us, too.

Before we were comedians, we were fans of comedy. It’s fun to watch my buddies.”

Speaking of buddies, Foxworthy and Blue Collar Comedy cohort Larry “The Cable Guy,” are releasing a special on Netflix on August 26. The duo also has a show on SiriusXM. “Larry and I had been on the road for the last eight months playing arena and things,” says Foxworthy, who played Talking Stick Resort Arena with his friend in early April.

“Netflix approached us and said this should be a special. We agreed. The business has changed so much. If I was starting over at comedy, I don’t know how I’d make a living. I made my money off records, CDs and DVDs. Now because of the internet, nobody sells the records anymore—not even in music. People can download it whenever they want to watch it. That’s the world we live in.”

Foxworthy says he has plenty of fodder from which to pull jokes. He and his wife are recent empty nesters and that alone is funny “My kids think you can Google the answer to anything,” he says. “Here’s something you can’t Google. When you get into a situation where you feel you have to unbutton in transit, the muscle that guards the flood gates sees the unbuttoning as the signal to abandon their posts.

“The 2 seconds you saved on the button are nullified by the hour and a half you spent mopping and doing laundry. Google doesn’t tell you that. You only learn that the hard way. Now that’s funny.”

Dry Heat Comedy All Stars Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd Street, Phoenix, 602.267.1600, celebritytheatre.com, 8 p.m.

Friday, July 29, $45-$80.

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A NEW

DAY

Pinetop singer Zella Day is finding her way Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

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inetop native Zella Day is on a mission. The 21-yearold Bohemian-chic vocalist is striving to make it as a singer-songwriter not only in Los Angeles, where she relocated, but worldwide.

Day is making strides. Her song “Hypnotic” has been played across the dial on SiriusXM as well as several terrestrial stations in her home state and beyond.

“I’m doing what I came here to do, which is focus primarily on music and travel,” Day says via telephone from her Silverlake home. “I want to be able to create art out of my music in many different ways. I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished living in L.A.” Day, who released her debut studio album, Kicker, on Hollywood Records in 2015, has yet to hear her music on the radio, though. That may change with her critically acclaimed single “Mustang Kids,” released in June.

“The radio stations that play my music are so spread out over the country,” she says. “It hasn’t really touched down in L.A. yet. I do have friends back home who hear it all the time.

“I’ll be totally excited when it happens, though. It’s going to be a

moment of validation for sure. There was so much work that went into it. I dedicated everything that I am, into this music career.”

ARIZONA BRED Growing up in Pinetop was inspirational yet limiting for Day, whose other passion is soccer.

“It was one of those environments where there was no pressure, it was accepting,” she says. “Being raised in Pinetop, I had a sheltered childhood. It was beautiful, serene and quiet. My mother and my grandmother, who passed away in 2002, were very artistic.”

Day and her mother owned a paintyour-own-pottery studio/coffeehouse that hosted musicians every weekend. Day was one of those who hit the stage.

“I felt comfortable whether I was playing Elvis covers on stage or playing some of the first songs I ever wrote about my first-grade crush. I was able to be exactly who I was as a child growing up.

“I was inspired by my family and being in that environment around music and creativity. It was a very quiet, safe place to start writing music.”

The singer left Pinetop three and a half years ago for California.

She kickstarted her career before she departed Arizona.

“I was already creating demos and having writing sessions in L.A. as well as Nashville,” she says. “I was working on my relationships and setting the groundwork for if and when I moved here.

“When I did, it was the best thing for my career. I could completely give myself to what I was doing without distance being an obstacle.”

Within proximity was Coachella, the two-weekend festival in Indio, California, that she played last spring. It paid off, as she garnered rave reviews for her music and her fashion sense.

“Coachella was amazing,” says Day, who was excited to see Beach House, Chris Stapleton and LCD Soundsystem perform there. “There was a lot of prep and hard work that went into Coachella, including my outfits and my set.

“It was challenging to be able to sustain a specific kind of energy for two weekends straight. It was amazing and I can’t wait to play it again; I hope I can play it again. It was great for me.”

She also hopes to see her hometown friends when she returns to Arizona for two shows—July 27 with Fitz & The Tantrums at the Marquee

in Tempe, and August 5 with Michael Franti and Spearhead at Flagstaff’s Pepsi Amphitheater.

“I love going back home. I get to see familiar faces,” she says. “I don’t get to go very often. My dad, who was originally living in Arizona when we left to go to California, now lives in Colorado. I don’t have family there anymore.

“I don’t go back for holidays. I’m so focused on what I’m doing here in California. But Arizona is so good and familiar.”

Fitz & The Tantrums w/ Zella Day

Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Avenue, Tempe, 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 27, 480.829.0607, luckymanonline.com, $26-$36.

Michael Franti and Spearhead w/Zella Day

Pepsi Amphitheater at Fort Tuthill Park, Flagstaff, pepsiamp.com, 7 p.m. Friday, August 5, $31-$45.

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A LESSON LEARNED Chris Isaak rolls everyday experiences into engaging live show Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

hether it’s on the phone with a journalist or on stage in front of thousands of fans, Chris Isaak lives to entertain. He finds the humor in almost every situation—like the time he created four tickets to see The Tubes.

“I borrowed one of my friend’s tickets and copied it by hand,” Isaak says with a laugh. “I just made it up. I made four tickets for myself and my friends.

“Twenty years later, I’m playing with Prairie Prince, the drummer from The Tubes. I told him I owed him $12 because I snuck into his show. I showed him the ticket and he says, ‘You drew it?’ That taught me never to forget what it’s like to not have money.”

Isaak says he is by no means encouraging fans to make counterfeit concert tickets. Fans will have to buy tickets to his shows on Tuesday, July 26, at the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix and Wednesday, July 27, at the Fox Tucson Theatre in Tucson.

The consummate showman, the 59-year-old Isaak engages his fans by inviting them on stage or slipping into the seats with them. It’s important to him to bring it every night.

“My No. 1 goal is to make the audience have fun,” he says. “I play what they want to hear. I wrote the songs. It’s always stuff I like.”

Isaak attributes his onstage persona to his band, with whom he has played for three decades.

“We still love touring together,” he says. “When you drive 500 miles a night, you find out who they are after 30 years.

You’re either going to hate them or love them and I love them. I don’t think there’s a night that goes by when we don’t try to bring it.

“I saw an act that I love remember thinking—I’m not going to name names—they’re just phoning it in. They’re just looking down at their shoes. They’re shoegazers. They look at their shoes.

They’re not dealing with the audience.”

He even learns something from shows like that.

“I learned early on to never do that,” he says. “We always make it a point to

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(480) 367-0469

carlosobriens.com WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

mix it up with the audience—get the audience on stage, get into the audience, talk to the audience. It makes it a lot more fun for everyone.”

Isaak is touring to promote his recent album, 2015’s First Comes the Night, which was produced by Isaak, Dave Cobb, Mark Needham and Paul Worley. Worley showed him the importance of work-life balance.

“I was singing really well,” Isaak says about one studio session. “Paul says to me that we should wrap it up in another hour or two. I says that I could keep singing, but Paul says he had to go to a baseball game.”

It turned out that it was Worley’s child’s baseball game.

“He asked me if I wanted to go, so I did,” he says. “It was very fun. That was a lesson, too—in perspective. Yes, it’s important to sing your record, but it’s also important to be friends and fathers.”

He hopes that his shows will bring people together as well—just as it did for Roy Orbison and his crew at a show Isaak saw in California.

“Like the Celebrity Theatre, the stage was turning and it broke,” Isaak says.

“Can you imagine? Here you are on stage, you’re playing, but half of the audience only has a view of the drummer’s back.

“Roy was singing but there was panic among the crew and the people who were running the show. Suddenly, there are eight guys from the crew out there physically pushing the stage around. It was something to watch. They would push it a quarter of the way around and then stop for a minute, and do it again. But they couldn’t keep it steady. Finally, he got to the middle of the song, the crew is resting and he stops the song and says, ‘Push.’ I just died.”

Chris Isaak

Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd Street, Phoenix, 602.267.1600, celebritytheatre.com, 8 p.m.

Tuesday, July 26, $55-$85; Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W. Congress Street, Tucson, foxtucson.com, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 27, $34-$97.

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KISS AND TELL?

Paul Stanley stays mum on Arizona experiences Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

K

iss’ history with Arizona is “pretty long and pretty steamy on all sides,” says singer/rhythm guitarist Paul Stanley.

But don’t press him for details.

“I’ve spent my fair share of time there with and without the band,” says Stanley, whose legendary act kicks off its summer tour on July 4 at Casino del Sol in Tucson.

“I have some long-term ties there and I have some great memories. I won’t go much more into detail. We have been going to Arizona, whether it’s Phoenix or Tucson, for as long as I can remember. It’s always been hot in more ways than one.

That’s rock ‘n’ roll.”

Stanley could be talking about debauchery, Kiss’ trademark pyro or the Sonoran Desert temperatures. One thing is clear: On this tour, Kiss is supporting

soldiers by partnering with Hiring Our Heroes (HOH) and Veteran Tickets Foundation (Vet Tix). Kiss is hiring for the enviable role of “Roadie for the Day” for each show and donating tickets to VetTix.org.

Stanley says it’s imperative to support the troops.

“They just don’t get a fair shake,” he says passionately. “They volunteer to go into harm’s way. They volunteer to risk everything they have. It’s difficult for them physically and psychologically.

“We forget about their families. So many people are impacted by their service.

Anytime we can shed a light on that is great.”

Stanley says he and his bandmates— bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons, guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer—see charity work as something that’s required of them.

“I think the more success we’ve gotten, the more it’s clear that charity isn’t an option. It’s an obligation,” Stanley says.

“The greatest reward is giving.”

Kiss’ giving nature extends to live shows. Stanley adds that Kiss still enjoys playing the hits like “Detroit Rock City,” “Cold Gin” and “Rock and Roll All Nite.”

“Listen, I love what I do,” he says.

“When bands start rearranging songs it’s because they’re bored. They’re also showing that the songs don’t hold up as they were. They’re also showing a lack of respect for bands. Fans don’t want to hear a reggae version of a song.

“They want to hear it the way they remember it. Otherwise, it shows blatant disregard for fans. We’re there for the fans, not vice versa.”

Stanley says yes, there will be plenty of pyro on July 4.

“We’re never known for subtlety,” says Stanley, who also fronts Soul Station, his 13-piece R&B band. “We will be in our full glory. The band’s never been better.

At this point, we don’t compete with anybody—just our legacy and our history.

“When we go out every night, it’s not only to live up to our past, it’s to surpass it. We don’t want someone to say, ‘You should have seen them when ...’ Every show is the only show that matters. We make sure it’ll be a show to talk about for some time to come.”

Kiss

Casino del Sol’s AVA Amphitheatre, 5655 W. Valencia Rd., Tucson, 855.765.7829, casinodelsol.com, 8 p.m. Monday, July 4, $100-$1,250.

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THE SHOWMAN

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LISTEN » JAM » INNOVATE » EVOLVE » ROCK » SING

RELISHING

THE PAST

Toad the Wet Sprocket fine with being remembered as ’90s act Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

T

oad the Wet Sprocket’s Dean Dinning is thankful for the 1990s. The decade was filled with great music, including the band’s breakthrough album, Fear, he maintains. The bassist is pleased, too, that the era is finally being recognized for its proclivity.

“A lot of people are thinking about the ’90s again and ’90s pop culture, like the ‘Empire Records’ soundtrack and ‘Friends.’ People write articles about why ‘Empire Records’’ soundtrack was the best soundtrack of all time.

“We were involved in so many things at that time, too, and we’re definitely coming back now. “ Thirty years after Toad the Wet Sprocket began, the name is continuing to become a piece of pop culture trivia.

“We keep ending up in TV shows and things like that,” Dinning says. “There was even a Toad the Wet Sprocket commemorative beer.”

Toad the Wet Sprocket as well as Rusted Root are bringing back the era with a co-headlining run that comes to the Marquee Theatre on Sunday, July 10.

The run also allows Toad the Wet Sprocket to thoroughly reexamine 1991’s Fear.

“It’s nice to have something like that to celebrate,” he says of Fear’s 25th anniversary. “It’s a great record. There are so many good songs on it. It certainly did well for us. We wouldn’t be doing this if it wasn’t a great record.”

Dinning isn’t exaggerating when he suggests he owes his career to Fear, which spawned the hits “Walk on the Ocean,” “Hold Her Down,” “All I Want” and “I Will Not Take These Things for Granted.”

They still resonate with fans.

“They’re just good songs and the

production’s not overbearing,” Dinning says about the tunes’ longevity. “We were very tasteful about what we were doing back then—and still are.”

Despite a few short breaks, Toad the Wet Sprocket has maintained its original lineup of Dinning, vocalist/guitarist Glen Phillips, guitarist Todd Nichols and drummer Randy Guss.

“This is the same four guys who got together in 1986,” Dinning says. “This has never been a band that’s about one person. That may have prevented us from being bigger.

“Like with Matchbox Twenty, everybody focuses on Rob Thomas. Twenty years later, Rob Thomas is out with Counting Crows. I hope the other guys in Matchbox Twenty are doing well.”

In 2013, Toad the Wet Sprocket released its first new album in 16 years called New Constellation. In a nod to the continuing success of Toad the Wet Sprocket, a Kickstarter campaign

to raise money to record the album. It raised $50,000 in 20 hours. Earlier this year, the band recorded a cover of Roger Miller’s “Nothing Can Stop You My Love.” Dinning expects it to be released in the fall.

“Things are ever-expanding,” he says.

“Seriously, when you hear this thing, it’s going to blow you away. It’s one of the best things we’ve ever done.

“I see us continuing. There’s more music to be made. After New Constellation, we have a lot more ground to cover. We have a lot more to explore and we still got it.”

Toad the Wet Sprocket

Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Avenue, Tempe, 480.829.0607, luckymanonline.com, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, July 10, $33-$113.62.

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE TOURIST | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

A TASTE OF

CHAOS

Emo heavyweights help revive the stalled tour Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

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T

aking Back Sunday singer Adam Lazzara has seen his fair share of musicians move in and out of his band.

But now that the same guys have worked with Lazzara for three albums, it was time for him, bassist John Nolan, guitarist Eddie Reyes, bassist Shaun Cooper and drummer Mark O’Connell to experiment.

“Everybody has been stretching themselves as they’re playing,” says Lazzara, who just wrapped up recording Taking Back Sunday’s seventh album.

“All of us are really comfortable with one another’s abilities.

“That helped us with the last record (2014’s Happiness Is). This time, everybody pushed themselves that much further. When I hear what Mark and Shaun have come up with, I can’t believe it’s the band I’m in.”

Taking Back Sunday fans can get a preview of the as-of-yet-unnamed album when the band performs along with Dashboard Confessional, Saosin with Anthony Green and The Early November as the Rockstar Energy Drink Presents Taste of Chaos tour on Thursday, July 14, at the Comerica Theatre. The jaunt, founded in 2005 by Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman and John Reese, has returned to stages for the first time since 2009.

Lazzara says the tour was a longtime coming, as all of the bands are friends.

“We had done a good number of shows with Saosin when they were actively touring,” he says. “With Dashboard Confessional, we met Chris a few years ago when we played a festival together. We never did an actual tour together though.

“We’re happy to make this happen.

For us, we just finished the record. We’ll play a couple new songs, which I’m really happy about. It’s going to be a good time—high energy in the Arizona heat. Well, it’s a bonus that we’re playing inside.”

Rockstar Energy Drink Presents Taste of Chaos w/ Dashboard Confessional, Taking Back Sunday, Saosin and The Early November Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington Street, Phoenix, 800.745.3000, ticketmaster. com, 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 14, $39.95-$59.95.

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TWO DECADES OF

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Connor Dziawura » The Entertainer!

T EXTREME FUN Vans Warped Tour returns to Phoenix on its 22nd tour

he Vans Warped Tour has brought extreme sports and a variety of music to the United States and beyond for more than two decades. Founder Kevin Lyman has given acts like Katy Perry, My Chemical Romance and Fall Out Boy their big breaks by crossing genres from punk to hip-hop to pop and electronic.

This year’s Vans Warped Tour, which hits the Phoenix Event Complex on Tuesday, August 2, will maintain its traditional feel while making small improvements.

“We’ve scaled back a number of stages a little bit. We got a little bit more focused and, if you look at the lineup, we went back to our roots,” Lyman says. “It’s a very well-balanced lineup. It’s still going to feel like the Warped Tour. There’s still going to be a lot going on.

It just might not be so manic.”

Some of those returning to the Phoenix stage are Sum 41, New Found Glory, Less Than Jake and Reel Big Fish.

“NOFX and Bad Religion used to come every couple years. It’s a great way to connect with new fans,” Lyman says.

“Then you have bands like Less Than Jake and Reel Big Fish, because ska never ages.

Those bands could be around forever and they never get old.”

However, it is the newer acts that Lyman is especially looking forward to.

“I’m excited for some of the bands, because I know they’re going to grow this summer,” explains Lyman, specifically citing Against the Current. “By now they’re pretty well known within this genre of music, but when I booked them in October, a lot of people were like, ‘Oh man, I don’t think I’ve heard that band.’ And then two bands that are completely new—The Heirs and Sykes from the U.K.—are going to surprise a lot of people.”

There is a reason that the Vans Warped Tour is the longest-running traveling music tour. By bringing together new acts with veteran Warped Tour bands, the event allows fans to come together and discover new music in one place.

While stages have been scaled back and the location has been changed, Lyman says he believes that Warped Tour is still as familiar as it was two decades ago. The tour has constantly evolved with the times without losing sight of its beginnings.

“The sense of discovery is still there and I think the value is still there,” says Lyman. “If you compare it to other festivals, we’re still the most reasonably priced music festival, I feel, with this amount of lineup that we’re bringing. So we try to make it accessible for as many people as possible, leave them as comfortable as possible and open some minds up to some discovery.”

Vans Warped Tour

Phoenix Event Complex, 2209 N. 99th Avenue, Phoenix, 602.622.2518, VansWarpedTour. com, Tuesday, August 2, $35-59.

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MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

The Church’s Steve Kilbey helps create the ultimate ’80s night out Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

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G

rowing up in Australia, Steve Kilbey was hungry for concert double bills because they were economical and entertaining.

As an established musician leading the alternative rock band The Church, Kilbey is satisfying fans who follow ’80s music by touring with the Psychedelic Furs. He sees it as a perfect fit.

“There aren’t a lot of bands in the world who have the same spirit as The Church, but the Psychedelic Furs do,” says Kilbey, via telephone from Australia.

“They have the same influences as me. They love Dylan and Bowie. I think that’s a good match.”

The similarities don’t stop there between the Richard Butler-led Psychedelic Furs and The Church, who is set to perform first when the two bands come to the Pepsi Amphitheatre in Flagstaff.

“The music is yearning and self-deprecating,” Kilbey says. “Richard looks at himself as well in those songs.”

He cites the Furs’ “Highwire Days” as an example.

“The way he sings it, there’s an implication that the view wasn’t as good as he thought,” he says. “Both of us specialize in regret, but I don’t think either band is

depressing. We’re sometimes sad, but we’ll use happy music. Sometimes we’re happy but we’ll use sad music.”

Kilbey, whose band is best known for the song “Under the Milky Way,” says he feels a kinship with Butler.

“However, we do make very different music,” he says. “They have a lot of keyboards and sax. We are a guitar band and, unlike the Psychedelic Furs, we’ve gone on making new albums.

“They explore their catalog, which is fine.”

The Church is touring in support of its 25th studio album, Further/ Deeper, which was released in North America last year to rave reviews. That same year was a successful year for the band with performances at SXSW, Primavera Sound in Spain, two North American tours and its first European tour in eight years.

“I can’t stop writing music,” Kilbey says. “Someone in Australia once wrote about The Church and said we were like sharks. We have to keep swimming or else we’ll die.

“I’m always working on new music and always writing new songs. I have a very protestant work ethic. I work all the time. It’s all a bit of a paradox. I’m trying to maintain the connection with what

we used to do and at the same time move forward.”

With a catalog like that, it’s difficult to create a setlist.

“We have 25 albums and that’s 250 songs that we could do,” he says with a laugh. “We have to narrow it down and it’s not fun making up a setlist when you’re in The Church.”

Kilbey learned to be prolific from David Bowie, whose death he called “tragic.”

“I was on a holiday with my family and I was taking an afternoon nap,” he says. “I woke up and everyone was sitting there crying. I said, ‘Oh my God. What’s happened?’

“They told me that David Bowie just died. I just did this concert in Sydney for David Bowie. It was the most grueling gig I had ever done. There’s nobody like him.

You can’t compare anyone to him. He was my No. 1 influence in the way I sing and what I do.”

Psychedelic Furs and The Church

Pepsi Amphitheatre at Fort Tuthill, Flagstaff, pepsiamp.com, 8 p.m. Friday, July 15, $18-$200.

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TAKE TWO

Darius Rucker enjoying success as country artist Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

D

arius Rucker is embracing his musical second act.

After years of fronting Hootie and the Blowfish, Rucker made an easy transition to country music in the late 2000s. The move was so successful that he is only one of two African Americans who has won a Country Music Association (CMA) award; the other was the influential Charley Pride in the 1970s.

Playing country music and writing songs in that genre allow Rucker to scratch one item off his bucket list.

“I was just doing it because I said I wanted to make a few country records someday,” says Rucker via telephone from his Charleston, South Carolina, home. “I would have done it in a little studio with my friends. I was going to do it big scale or not. Then I got a record deal and somebody was going to pay for my record. That was a good thing.

“It’s almost a decade in and I’m still playing big shows and having songs on the radio.”

Some of those tracks include “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It,” which went No. 1, and “Wagon Wheel,” a threetimes platinum smash. He is working on a new album as of press time.

Rucker, who plays Ak-Chin Pavilion in Phoenix on Saturday, July 9, is excited to return to the Valley.

“Arizona’s always been so good to me,” Rucker says. “That’s what it’s all about for us; we want people to leave and say, ‘That was fun.’ If they’re not having fun, we’re not having fun.

“But every time I get to do it, I get really excited to go out and create a fun atmosphere.”

He calls his show a full-fledged party.

“For us it’s about playing the songs that people want to hear and have fun doing it,” says Rucker, who does perform Hootie and the Blowfish songs during his set.

“There are no big dance routines or wardrobe changes. We’re old school. We just want to come out and play the songs and hopefully everybody there has a good time and says, ‘I want to see him again.’”

Resurrecting older tracks with a different band sometimes isn’t appealing to musicians. But, again, Rucker is all about having fun and pleasing the audience.

“Getting a new crowd every night keeps it fresh for me,” Rucker adds. “It’s a thrill seeing different faces sing along and get so excited about the song they’re dying to hear. I know a lot of guys who don’t like to play old songs, but I’m not one of those guys.”

For his party, Rucker is bringing along Dan + Shay and Michael Ray. “Dan + Shay and Michael Ray are great,” says Rucker, 50. “My thing about opening bands is I want somebody who’s doing something and making noise in the business; people I want to get to know better and I want to hang out with.

“I met Dan + Shay and Michael Ray and I thought these guys are cool. I can hang with those kids.”

The Nashville scene has been good to Rucker. He counts Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley as one of his best friends.

“I love Charles,” he says. “Charles is one of my best friends in the business.

He and I are tight. We get each other. We have a good time. Anytime I get to work with Charles I say yes. I’m trying to get him to do something on this record. He’s not only an amazing talent, but he’s a better person and I love him.”

They’re avid golfers, too. Rucker’s love of the sport is well-documented; he even performed at Tiger Woods’ wedding.

“I’ve taken Charles golfing a couple of times,” he says. “He’s a really good player. I’m OK and I’ll leave it at that. We enjoy the game so much. It’s cool that he can sing like that and it’s cool that he can write like that. But he’s the guy you want to hang out with outside of music.”

As for music, Rucker says he feels blessed.

“I chalk up my success to luck,” he says. “I love being able to try something different. The whole country music thing was such a godsend. I was able to start over and that was a good thing.”

Darius Rucker w/Dan + Shay and Michael Ray

Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Avenue, Phoenix, 800.745.3000, ticketmaster.com, 7 p.m. Saturday, July 9, $32.50-$50.

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE TOURIST | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

THE BEST NIGHTLIFE EVENTS FOR JULY Evan Baltman » The Entertainer!

Armin Van Buuren

JULY 2 With a slew of impressive accolades under his belt, Armin Van Buuren is easily one of the most successful DJs of the decade. His popular podcast, “A State of Trance,” attracts millions of listeners weekly and his song “This Is What It Feels Like” featuring Trevor Guthrie was nominated for best dance recording Grammy. His worldrenowned trance and house music has electrified venues across the globe and continue to do so during his tour for his latest album Embrace.

The Pool at Talking Stick Resort, 9800 E. Talking Stick Way, Scottsdale, 480.850.7777, 11 a.m., $40.

Kill the Noise

JULY 9 Jake Stanczak, better known by his stage name Kill the Noise, has become a staple in EDM festivals. With major gigs like HARD, Electric Daisy Festival and Audiotistic under his belt, it’s safe to say that he’ll impress at Monarch on July 9.

Monarch Theatre, 122 E. Washington St., Phoenix, 602.456.1991, 9 p.m., $15.

JULY 16 If you’re a fan of trap, drum-and-bass or hip hop, you won’t be disappointed with Trapfest. Presented by Relentless Beats, Trapfest is the one-stop shop for big names in electronic and hiphop music. With headliners like GTA, Troyboi, Stooki Sound, Oshi, Just Blaze, Craze and Four Color Zack, be sure to expect a nice variety of styles and flavors, but also beats that will definitely keep your head bobbing.

The Pressroom, 441 W. Madison Street, Phoenix, 602.396.7136, relentlessbeats.com, 8 p.m., $40-$250.

they were also named Artists to Watch at the MTV Video Music Awards.

Make sure to catch these two on their impressive “Emotional Roadshow World Tour” when they arrive to light up the Talking Stick Resort Arena on the 26th. The show is nearly sold out.

Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix, 800.745.3000, ticketmaster.com, 7 p.m., $20.25-$40.25.

DMX

G-Eazy, Logic, YG and Yo Gotti

JULY 2 After concluding his “When It’s Dark Out” tour with A$AP Ferg just a couple months ago, G-Eazy sets off with Logic, YG and Yo Gotti on his “Endless Summer” jaunt. G-Eazy has definitely made his name known in the hip-hop community recently with his wildly successful single “Me, Myself and I” as well as his sophomore effort When It’s Dark Out in 2015.

Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Ave, Phoenix, 602.254.7200, 6:30 p.m., $30-$69.50.

Trapfest

Warren G

JULY 9 Synonymous with West Coast hiphop from the late ’90s, Warren G is set to entertain new and old fans of hip hop with his hits like “Regulate” and “This DJ.” He’ll celebrate the release of his new EP, Regulate...G Funk Era, Pt. II with his Livewire show.

Livewire, 7320 E. Indian Plaza, Scottsdale, 480.970.6980, livewireaz.com, 7 p.m., $23.

JULY 23 Known for his aggressive-yet-soulful take on hardcore hip-hop, DMX became a big name in the music industry a decade ago. Sure, he’s had his troubles, but we can’t deny his talent. His first four albums entered the charts at No. 1, making him the first artist to do so. He also starred in the film “Exit Wounds” in 2001.

The Pressroom, 441 W. Madison Street, Phoenix, 602.396. 7136, thepressroomaz.com, 8 p.m., $30.

Twenty One Pilots

JULY 26 It’s hard to listen to the radio without hearing this rap-infused high-tech pop duo and its hit “Stressed Out.” Formed in 2009 by high school friends, Twenty One Pilots features drummer Josh Dun and vocalist/keyboardist Tyler Joseph. Their 2015 album, Blurryface, was extremely successful at the Billboard Music Awards and

Brodinski + Ryan Hemsworth JULY 30 Blurring the lines of hip-hop and indie-pop, Canadian DJ and producer Ryan Hemsworth is a rising star in electronic music. Known for his many remixes of popular artists, Hemsworth has also produced two albums, with his latest being 2014’s Alone for the First Time. Don’t miss this up-andcoming performer when he takes the stage at Monarch.

The Monarch Theatre, 122 E. Washington St, Phoenix, 602.456.1991, relentlessbeats.com, 9 p.m., $15.

WELCOME TO THE

HOUSE PARTY

Trapfest returns to Arizona with a lineup worth talking about Dylan Arndt » The Entertainer!

O

ver the last few years, trap music has been taking over the speakers of nightclubs, pool parties and main stages—and fans are going hog wild for it.

Trap music has become trendy thanks to its belligerent and gritty lyrics telling the hardships of the “trap”—street life, poverty, violence and harsh experiences in urban surroundings.

Relentless Beats is bringing its next installment of Trapfest to The Pressroom in downtown Phoenix. Fans have seen performances by UZ, Brillz, Bro Safari and many more of the industry’s leading names. This year, however, the talent is spilling over the main room and onto the patio of The Pressroom.

Dominating the decks in the venue’s main room is headliner GTA, creators of the track “Red Lips,” and Aero Chord.

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Joining the provocateurs of good times ahead is U.K. smooth talker Troyboi, who is bringing his silky trap beats and amazing MC skills back to the Valley after a rousing performance at Phoenix Lights.

Finally, up and comers Stooki Sound, who just played EDC Las Vegas, and the opener, Oshi.

If that’s not enough, Just Blaze is hosting his own house party stage where classic trap/hip-hop with a host of DJs like Craze and Four Color Zack.

The trap is in full force with this one, even taking audiences back to the classics and the beginnings of an era. Be sure to witness the event of the year for all you trap heads out there, and don’t forget to learn a little about where it all started, too.

Trapfest

The Pressroom, 441 W. Madison Street, Phoenix, relentlessbeats.com, 8 p.m. Saturday, July 16, $40-$750.

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HUMOR IN SURPRISING PLACES Comedian brings ‘genuine’ humor to Phoenix Connor Dziawura » The Entertainer

I

n his youth, Monroe Martin didn’t imagine that comedy would be a

career option.

“I didn’t have a passion for it,” says Martin, who grew up in foster homes around Pennsylvania.

However, when he saw comics on BET, everything changed. Now, a successful comic, Martin is coming to High Street in Phoenix for a stint at Rick Bronson’s House of Comedy from August 17 to August 24.

Martin is an alum of the NBC television show “Last Comic Standing,” appearing during its eighth season in 2014. Consequently, Martin doesn’t look at comedy as a competition. Instead, he sees it as an outlet for different views, perspectives and styles.

“In comedy, you’re never up against anyone. You’re up against yourself,” he explains. “I don’t even bother myself with all that competition stuff. I took it as an opportunity to be on TV as long as possible (and) get as many sets out there as I possibly could.”

Before he honed his comedic chops, Martin wanted to be a social worker to give back to communities like the ones in which he grew up.

“I bounced around Philly and Pennsylvania a lot,” he says about his foster care years. “It was an interesting experience. I could see how everyone lived. I was just like a fly on the wall. I was just there as an outsider looking in.”

He hasn’t forgotten those experiences.

He provides outreach to communities in an effort to boost the morale of foster kids.

He offers free tickets to his shows and organizes a film festival for foster youths.

“I want to let them know that I’m still part of that community,” he says.

It’s that positive attitude and drive that motivates Martin.

“Even when I bomb, I say, ‘Nah, I can do way better than that. I’m going to prove that I can do way better than that,’” he says. “So I think it was always the challenge of being better every time I got on that stage.”

Martin, who cites legends like Richard Pryor, Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle as influences, looks to his peers as a primary source of inspiration.

“My favorite comics are the ones who haven’t made it yet, because they’re daredevils in a way,” he explains. “They’re saying exactly what they want to say and how they want to say it because they have nothing to lose.”

Maintaining an element of surprise is an essential part of comedy to Martin, who enjoys alternating between one liners, stories and crowd interaction.

“If your audience can see your next joke coming, they’re not going to watch you for 45 minutes or an hour,” Martin says. “So you have to be able to switch it up and have a different arsenal every time.”

Overall, Martin hopes fans understand he’s genuine.

“I like to say I’m in the moment and I just like to be as genuine as possible,” he says. “It’s about being genuine and that’s what people connect to.

“Even if I say something you don’t like, you know I meant it and it came from a genuine place...No matter what’s going on in the world and in your lives, we can all sit back and laugh and have fun.”

Monroe Martin

Rick Bronson’s House of Comedy, 5350 E. High Street, Suite 105, Phoenix, 480.420.3553, az.houseofcomedy.net, August 17 to August 24, various times, $13-$22.

CAN YOU ESCAPE THE

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OPENING A NEW CHAPTER

Guitarist Zakk Wylde releases ‘Book of Shadows II’—20 years after the first Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

G

uitarist extraordinaire Zakk Wylde is a quote machine.

He knows how to spin a story—and do it well.

Wylde—one of two acts opening for Guns N’ Roses on Monday, August 15, at University of Phoenix Stadium—compares his latest album, Book of Shadows II, to GNR’s Chinese Democracy. Both albums took more than 15 years to create.

“People ask me, ‘Why 20 years?’,” Wylde says. “Chinese Democracy took 15 years to make. The goal was to break that record. When we got to 16 years, we could have gone with the cliché ‘sweet 16’ and the whole 9 yards. We decided to pad the numbers and go with 20 because it’s a bolder-sounding number.”

He’s proud of Book of Shadows II and doesn’t care what other people think about it.

“Put it this way, if someone thinks this album is the best thing since sliced bread, that’s great,” he says. “If someone thinks it makes a better beer coaster, that’s awesome as well.

“One thing will remain: There were 20 years in between albums. The only

person who could stay unemployed between records is Richard Branson. We owned this record for 20 years.”

Wylde has hardly been unemployed.

Born Jeffrey Phillip Wielandt, Wylde is the leader of the heavy metal band Black Label Society. He’s the mastermind behind Wylde Audio, a company that sells guitars for around $1,000. Naturally, some of them boast his signature bull’s-eye design.

In 2001, he starred as the lead guitarist for Steel Dragon in the Mark Wahlberg movie “Rock Star.” The former guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne appeared in “Aqua Teen Hunger Force’s” “Spirit Journey Formation Anniversary” as himself. He’s behind Valhalla Java, too.

Wylde is proud of all of his projects, but thoroughly enjoys recording.

“There has never been an album that I didn’t have a good time recording, in all of the years with Ozzy, Pride and Glory, Book of Shadows, Black Label Society. I’m doing what I love.

“I don’t understand musicians who say they have a hard time making records.

You’re playing music.”

He asks his wife, Barbaranne, when it’s OK to have the “fellas” over to record.

She’ll set a time limit and he’ll start working immediately.

“Every day, you start writing and you keep digging until you get what you like,” he says. “If today we didn’t get any ideas, I might come up with two tomorrow. The next day we’ll go digging again.

“Listen, it’s like me and you looking for dinosaur bones. We have a 3-mile radius and we know they’re out there. There’s no need to panic. We’ll look today. We’ll dig somewhere. If we don’t find anything, we’ll go out and have something to eat. Tomorrow, we’ll wake up, have some Valhalla Java and ultimately we’ll find something.”

When he has a deadline, he meets it.

“I sit there and focus,” says Wylde, the father of Hayley Rae, Hendrix, Sabbath and Jesse.

His advice is simple for anyone wishing to enter the music business.

“Make the band your job,” he says.

“Led Zeppelin was not a hobby for Jimmy Page. It was his life. It was everything.

“If there’s a day when you say, ‘I’m bored,’ then you’re not doing enough. If you’re not playing, you’re not practicing, you should be working on merch or this or that. I have a guitar company, an amp

company, strings. The best way to do it is to do it on your own. That way, you don’t have anyone to blame if things don’t pan out. There really is no fail, ever.”

Wylde was scheduled to play the Marquee Theatre this fall, but canceled the show when he landed the gig supporting GNR with Tyler Bryant and the Shakedown. It’s the only show on the rock legend’s itinerary that he’s playing.

“Definitely we’ll remember this one,” he says. “We played with the guys when DJ Ashba and all the fellas were in the band. It’ll be great to see Duff McKagan and Slash up there throwing down. It’ll be a great time.

“I think it’s great for the whole rock community that they’re back together.”

Guns N’ Roses w/Zakk Wylde and Tyler Bryant and the Shakedown

University of Phoenix Stadium, 1 Cardinals Drive, Glendale, 800.745.3000, ticketmaster. com, 8 p.m. Monday, August 15, $30.50-$250.

VISIT OUR NEW LOCATION! SCOTTSDALE

7000 E. Mayo Blvd.

Building #21, Phoenix, Az 85054

(480) 367-0469

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MAKING A POINT

Jay Leno thrives on making people laugh— without obscenities

J

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

ay Leno doesn’t believe in the power of swearing. Instead, he sees it as a sign of weakness.

“I do a reasonably clean show,” Leno says. “I have nothing against comedians who work ‘blue,’ but I find it lazy.

“When the punch line is a four-letter word, it really isn’t a joke. I don’t think anybody is shocked by obscenity anymore. Back in the day of Lenny Bruce, obscenities were shocking and made a point. Now, everybody uses obscenities. It degrades the language when you use it over and over again. It fails to make its point.”

Leno, who performs at Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale on Friday, August 5, recalls his performances on “The David Letterman Show” in the 1980s.

“Dave’s a great wordsmith,” he says.

“I liked coming up with phrases he would find funny. We would get off on these tangents and find words that expressed them better than obscenities.”

That’s easier said than done. Words flow from Leno’s mouth, but when it comes time to reading or writing, it’s a different story.

“I was dyslexic as a kid—and I still am,” Leno says. “Everyone said, ‘What’s going to happen with Jay?’ I wasn’t a very good student. My mother would always tell me that I would have to work twice as hard as the other kids to get the same thing.

“Consequently, I don’t drink. I don’t smoke or gamble. The nice thing about dyslexic people is when they find

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something they like, they tend to focus on it. It’s worked out quite well for me.”

The car collector doesn’t let that stop him, as he pens articles for the likes of Autoweek, Octane Magazine and Wheels.

“To me, it’s extremely painful being dyslexic. I also can’t spell,” says Leno, who hosts “Jay Leno’s Garage.”

“The greatest thing ever is being able to dictate into my iPad. For me, the hardest autograph to give is Michael. I get the E and the A backward, so I just scribble it.

“I’m extremely pleased with writing when it’s finished, but the process is like homework.”

His 2016 is relatively busy. Besides writing for the three magazines and hosting his TV show, he schedules about 210 gigs a year. Leno adds that he feels blessed to be able to roll all of his loves into a well-rounded career, even if things have changed.

“I really like being a comedian,” he says. “I can write about cars. Cars were the iPhones of the day when I was a kid.

Kids virtually go places now. In my day, we had to go there in reality. We had to physically go places and a car was the best way to do that.”

Jay Leno

Talking Stick Resort, 9800 E. Talking Stick Way, Scottsdale, 800.745.3000, ticketmaster.com, 8 p.m. Friday, August 5, $65-$225.

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THE EXTRAORDINAIRE

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STYLE » ENVY » PASSION » FASHION » BEAUTY » DESIGN

GOOD

KARMA

Reunited Culture Club enjoys legacy, continues to evolve Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

C

ulture Club guitarist/ keyboardist Roy Hay has witnessed the evolution of his band since it scored the international hit “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me.” But it’s not in the way it may seem.

“We have a full brass section now, a percussion player and the background singers,” says Hay, calling from a California golf course. “In a weird way, we’re morphing into the ’80s version of Chicago—Chicago with the male version of Cher singing.

George is slowly turning into Cher.”

Fans can see this for themselves when Culture Club brings its live show to the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix on Tuesday, August 23. The tour, of which the Valley date is a part, is Culture Club’s longest recent jaunt.

“We had such a good time doing 22 shows last summer and it was so well

received that we thought it was silly not to continue touring,” Hay says.

“We have this whole body of work.

Everybody looks back and appreciates what we did and how special the band is.

The magic is still there when we play. It was so much fun.”

The concert will feature the hits as well as a song or two from its forthcoming album, tentatively titled Tribes.

“It’s not ready to come out yet,” he says. “When we stop tweaking, it will come out. It’s hard because we have four different personalities in the band.

Culture Club is a tough room. It has to be a really strong idea to get it through Culture Club.”

The quartet—which also includes bassist Mikey Craig and drummer Jon Moss—began recording the album two years ago with producer Youth, otherwise known as Killing Joke’s bass player.

“We recorded in the Spanish countryside,” Hay says. “It was quite a spiritual moment to be with the guys.”

But there was a bit of drama, according to Hay. “George decided to bring a film crew as well,” he says with a laugh. “That led to a bit of drama. As we know from all of the bloody reality shows, you get cameras around and things happen, don’t they?

George loves the camera. George definitely loves the camera.

“Seriously, though, the new songs fit in quite well with the old hits and some of the old album tracks that we play. It’s a nice production. It’s not Roger Waters, but it’s a good production.”

Hay, who moved to the United State 27 years ago, said Culture Club is “good for a reunion every 15 years or so, but we want to keep it on the burners this time.”

He adds that the show isn’t necessarily a tribute to Culture Club’s 1980s-era career. Instead, it a fresh and modern show that thrills the band.

“Sure, we were associated with the 1980s, but we’re an ongoing band,” Hay says. “We could have gone out and done just the hits and done quite well.

“But we have new material and people appreciate it. It’s not two hours of new material. We’re not just churning out the hits for the money. We came out of the ’80s, but we don’t sound like synth pop like Howard Jones. We’re quite an organic band and I think the songs stand on their own.”

For example, he said, if Outkast released Culture Club’s hit “Church of the Poison Mind” nobody would question it.

“It’s got the Motown beat and maybe it’s a little ’80s in the chorus,” he says.

“But it would be relevant.”

Hay, who works on music for commercials in his off time, is looking forward to playing Phoenix.

“It’s going to be a lot of fun,” he said.

“It’s a long tour, but hopefully we won’t kill each other by the end of it.”

Culture Club

Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd Street, Phoenix, 602.267.1600, celebritytheatre.com, 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, August 23, $59-$415.

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SOAKING UP

THE SUDS Sponge brings beer-inspired record to Fort McDowell Casino Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

M

ichigan rockers Sponge have expanded the reach of the trendy “drink local” campaigns.

The Vinnie Dombroski-led band recently wrapped up production on its eighth studio album, The Beer Sessions in suburban Detroit. Just like the title implies, beer played a big role in the recording, but not for the cliché reasons.

They filmed the studio time and edited the video to approximately 15 minutes per song and gave access to those who contributed to its PledgeMusic campaign. Each time Sponge recorded a new song, it invited some of Michigan’s top brewers to discuss their craft.

“We partnered up with some of our favorite local Michigan brewers, how can I put this, to enhance what we’re doing in the studio,” Dombroski says with a laugh.

“The brewers came out and we sampled their beer and interviewed them.

We were basically hanging out and drinking beer just like the good old days—but on steroids.”

For Dombroski, the album has a retro feel. For its last collection, Stop the Bleeding, Sponge wrote the songs in the studio. This time, it was different.

“We wanted to write the songs prior to being in the studio or have a really good sketch of the song and cut it nearly live in the studio,” Dombroski says. “It’s been a lot of fun. It’s something that we used to do many, many years ago and haven’t done it in a long time.”

Sponge is releasing The Beer Sessions on its own, without the backing of a record label.

“That’s how we started; we are an independent band,” Dombroski says. “The first Sponge record was just a blast. We could do what we wanted to do. It’s really refreshing to operate like that.”

Sponge will play a retrospective of

its hits, including “Molly (16 Candles),” “Wax Ecstatic” and “Plowed,” when it tours with Everclear, Sugar Ray and Lit as part of the “Summerland” tour. It hits Fort McDowell Casino on Saturday, August 13.

“Our music is still out there and we feel very fortunate,” Dombroski says.

“We’ve been out with many ’90s bands lately. Experiencing that music again reminds me of how cool it was.

“I’m not waxing nostalgic. I’m going, ‘Wow. That music still holds up.’ It’s still interesting to me. It’s refreshing.”

Summerland w/Sugar Ray, Everclear, Lit and Sponge

Fort McDowell Casino, 10424 N. Fort McDowell Road, Fountain Hills, 800.745.3000, ticketmaster. com, 7 p.m. Saturday, August 13, $35-$70.

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THE SHOWMAN

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LISTEN » JAM » INNOVATE » EVOLVE » ROCK » SING

MAKING NOISE Bassist Sergio Vega says Deftones ‘pounce’ on fresh ideas

Connor Dziawura » The Entertainer!

D

eftones have a simple formula for writing new songs: “just start making noise.”

“Basically, when someone does something that draws the other people in, we pounce on it,” says bassist Sergio Vega. “Everyone is very quick to add to each other’s ideas.”

The band used this method for its eighth album, Gore, which was released in the spring. Vega says Deftones may not waver from their recording process, but the sound is always different.

“What changes from record to record is really our palate,” explains Vega, who joined Deftones in 2009 when then-bassist Chi Cheng fell into a coma and later died after a serious auto accident. “What makes it unique isn’t the songwriting process as much as what toys we have.”

Vega recently added to his toy chest a six-string bass, which adds new elements to

Deftones’ music. That’s part of the Deftones’ wish to incorporate different pedals, amplifiers and other equipment into the mix.

Gore is the follow-up to 2012’s Koi No Yokan, an album that was released a year before Cheng died from cardiac arrest. The four-year gap is the longest in the Deftones’ career. Contrary to what this long silence would imply, the band found itself on a creative streak.

“We wound up with more material than ever before,” Vega says. “We have so many ideas that didn’t come to fruition or some that did and didn’t get recorded.

We were really hitting a peak in terms of output, creatively.

“The thing that made it take longer in a calendar sense was that we were just taking a lot more time off. Instead of concentrating on it over seven months at once, we would give ourselves a couple of weeks at a time.”

Fans and critics agree that this was a

good move. Gore became Deftones’ highest-charting album on the Billboard 200 since their 2003 self-titled release.

Now, they are bringing songs from Gore, along with their classics, to the Mesa Amphitheatre on August 31.

“It’s the first record that I wouldn’t mind just trying to play front to back,” Vega says. “It’s a great record. I’m just stoked about it. I’m really hyped on it, so if we get to play anything off it, I’m kind of happy.”

Deftones w/Yelawolf, Sister Crayon

Mesa Amphitheatre, 263 N. Center Street, Mesa, 480.644.2560, mesaamp.com, Wednesday, August 31, 6:30 p.m., $47.50.

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE TOURIST | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

M

arvin Gaye inspired plenty of musicians, but BJ the Chicago Kid takes that influence and twists it into an art

MOTOWN

SOUL

BJ the Chicago Kid shares love of Detroit-bred music on ‘In My Mind’ WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

form that’s his.

“Marvin Gaye is a huge inspiration to me,” BJ the Chicago Kid says. “The music he graced us with gave the world a little more beauty, and a lot more soul.”

Recently, he performed as part of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ Spring Gala, “How Sweet It Is: A Tribute to Marvin Gaye,” with Andra Day, Ledisi and Jussie Smollett.

“I was honored to be a part of that,” he says. “It wasn’t intimidating at all. I love singing and there isn’t anything challenging about that. It was just straight-up dope. I’m doing what I love.”

The result of BJ the Chicago Kid’s love for Motown is In My Mind, which features collaborations with a variety of artists. In the last decade, he has worked with Dr. Dre, Kanye West, Schoolboy Q, Kendrick Lamar, Kehlani, Chance the Rapper and Ty Dollar $ign.

BJ the Chicago Kid is bringing his music to Pub Rock in Scottsdale at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, August 6.

“It’s going to be amazing,” BJ the Chicago Kid says about his show. “It’s something we set up to be amazing for you guys.”

He plans on bringing a little Motown to his gig.

“Motown always inspired me, from the moves they made to the connection they had with the people to the music they made. It’s always inspiring,” he says.

BJ the Chicago Kid

Pub Rock, 8005 E. Roosevelt Street, Scottsdale, 480.945.4985, pubrocklive.com, 8:30 p.m.

Saturday, August 6, $15-$20.

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LIKE A ROLLING STONE

Bone Thugs-n-Harmony’s Flesh-n-Bone discusses Eazy-E, future projects and being hip-hop’s Rolling Stones Connor Dziawura » The Entertainer!

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ip-hop wasn’t always known for being melodic, so when Bone Thugs-nHarmony entered the scene, they brought a completely new style and delivery.

“We ended up taking a style and really, really giving hip hop a facelift to a certain degree and not just influencing Cleveland and putting Cleveland on the map, but putting hip hop on a whole entirely new level with the harmonies—with the fast twist flows,” says Flesh-n-Bone.

Inspired by hip-hop artists such as Run-DMC, The Fat Boys, Slick Rick and Dana Dane at the time, as well as New Edition and the Jackson 5, they used their influences and vocal training to develop their unique brand of fast flows and harmonized vocals.

“The choirs are where the teachers made us really, really force those vocals and those singing capabilities out,” he says. “We had to find out if we can hit a high note or a baritone if we were low.

That choir stuff was really, really crucial to that in junior high school and elementary and all that.”

Formed as The Band-Aid Boys

in 1991, they became one of the most revered hip-hop acts of the ’90s, releasing the highly influential album E. 1999 Eternal and its Grammy-winning single “Tha Crossroads.”

Now, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony will bring their live performance to Scottsdale’s LiveWire on August 25.

“For me, I think I tried to write my first rap when I was maybe 9 or 10 years old,” he says. “We got really gifted with it and things progressed and The Band-Aid Boys became a really popular phenomenon in Cleveland.

“Everybody gave us so much support.

They knew that we had what it takes to get out there and have an influence and impact in music and eventually we would take those dreams and aspirations all the way to the West Coast to meet Eric Wright and it proved true.”

It was when they traveled to California and got into contact with Wright, otherwise known as Eazy-E, that they received their big break.

After traveling to California, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony got in touch with Ruthless Records, eventually leading to an opening gig for Eazy-E in Cleveland.

“We eventually got to speak to Eric

(Wright, Eazy-E) and audition with him over the phone,” he remembers. “We all actually kicked verses for him that he really, really loved over the phone...He was on tour at the time and he said that he would be in Cleveland, actually, and we were looking at it as an opportunity.”

In recent years, Bone Thugs have been hinting at a collaboration album with West Coast legends Tha Dogg Pound. However, Flesh-n-Bone notes that recording this album would require the participation of Warren G, WC and other West Coast heavyweights.

“We been speaking on it for a couple years now. It’s called Thug Pound,” he explains. “It’s an idea and it’s something that needs to be put together on the business side of things…One of the cats that’s gonna help spearhead that is Snoop [Dogg], so as we figure out how to put the pieces of the puzzle together and everybody be able to dedicate a significant amount of time for it, that’s exactly what we’re gonna work on.”

While Thug Pound is something that they hope to do in the future, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony have also been working on other music since 2013’s Art of War: WWIII.

“Bone Thugs-n-Harmony is the Rolling Stones of hip-hop. There’s no other way to look at it. And we’ll be looking at projects to come in as we stay rockin’ and rollin’,” says Flesh-n-Bone.

“We got some great ideas as far as we been leaning toward how we should do it or what to call it and stuff of that nature, but it’s a work in progress...we’re gonna definitely be keeping the masses updated, but right now I don’t wanna spill any beans or anything like that.”

As for what can be expected from a Bone Thugs show, Flesh-n-Bone says they’re always energetic and ready to engage their crowds.

“The energy that we bring is essentially electrifying. It’s very electrifying,” he says. “The crowds love it. We bring the energy and we bring that energy out of our crowds no matter how laidback they get.”

Bone Thugs-n-Harmony

Livewire, 7320 E. Indian Plaza, Scottsdale, 480.970.6980, livewireaz.com, Thursday, August 25, 8 p.m., $30.

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE TOURIST | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

DRIVING SOLO Silversun Pickups find that being independent is freeing Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

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or Los Angeles-born Silversun Pickups, releasing its recent album Better Nature was like attending a rock ‘n’ roll camp. The quartet was able to experiment more, and even learn new instruments because it recorded under its own label, New Machine Recordings.

They owe the expanded sound to producer Jacknife Lee, with whom they had worked previously.

“We were all ready to try new things,” says bassist Nikki Monninger. “I played the vibraphone for the first time.

Jacknife brought it into the studio one day and said, ‘Who wants to try this?’

“It’s nice to free yourself. We go in

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with structure, but we were also open to experimenting.”

Monninger also played “a little piano,” something usually reserved for bandmate Joe Lester, and acoustic bass.

Even though Silversun Pickups messed around a bit with instrumentation, Monninger says Better Nature fits in nicely within the band’s catalog.

“Every album shows growth for us as musicians,” she says. “This one is a nice mixture of our past and also our future.

“We always try to push ourselves to grow and to learn. We don’t feel outside pressure from record label; this time we were the record label. We always put pressure on ourselves from the inside. I think this is a culmination of where we’re at, which is a good place.”

Silversun Pickups recorded Better Nature thanks to a PledgeMusic campaign

with perks like personal postcards from the road. Monninger, 41, says there was no bad blood when the group left its previous label, Dangerbird Records, but it enjoys being responsible for its future.

“We were trying to come up with something new around our album,” she says. “It came out really well. Things sold well. A lot of these items were special to us.”

“My favorite was postcards out from the road. My other favorite was when we took disposable cameras and took pictures and sent that out to people. It’s personal to us. We’re fans of music ourselves.

We wanted to do what we thought our favorite bands would do. It was a fun collaboration and it was pleasantly surprised.”

Silversun Pickups are bringing their new music—and some old—to The Marquee at 8 p.m. Tuesday, August 16.

“To me, playing old songs can be just as exciting,” she says. “I’m still not tired of the song ‘Lazy Eye.’ It’s been great, so far, playing the new songs and seeing how they mix with the old songs.

“But our new songs bring new life to the band. Jacknife made us question what we were doing. It was spontaneous. He pushed us to try more instruments and that was the best.”

Silversun Pickups w/A Silent Film and Kiev

The Marquee, 730 N. Mill Avenue, Tempe, 480.829.0607, luckymanonline.com, 8 p.m.

Tuesday, August 16, $33.50.

ARMS WIDE OPEN Scott Stapp is touched by fans’ support during his recovery Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

S

cott Stapp has had a harrowing battle with the downward spiral since Creed collapsed in 2004. Two years ago—just before he was to make two Valley appearances—Stapp suffered a mental breakdown brought on by drug and alcohol use, as well as bipolar disorder. He even claimed that his family were members of ISIS. But Stapp is getting his life together and he’s flattered that his fans have his back.

“I’m human and they’re human, too,” says Stapp, sounding content. “When I meet the fans personally, I find out we’ve been through the same experiences— mine’s just public and theirs isn’t.

“We share so many common stories and common experiences that I think that’s why they stuck by me. We’re in this journey together. Another reason is the music. I think the music has connected with folks on a deeper level, and I think both of those have synergy.”

He’s hoping to connect with fans on his “Proof of Life” tour, which hits The Marquee in Tempe on Sunday, August 21.

He has various meet-and-greet opportunities for fans so he can feel connected.

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“We wanted to try to create as many ways as possible to connect up close and personal,” he says. “They’ve been so good to me over the last nearly 20 years. I want them to have the chance to hang out and get to know me, and me to know them— and tie it in with the show experience as much as we can.”

For his show, Stapp is trying to bring an “arena rock show” to smaller, more intimate settings. He stepped up the production quality and is bringing selections from his entire catalog to the concert— including Creed tracks.

“For me, Creed is part of the story,” says Stapp, who turns 43 on August 8.

“It’s the story of my life. I love to play those songs and the fans want to hear them. It’s not just about me. I want to make the fans happy, too.”

Stapp is keeping busy not only with his recovery, but side projects as well. He volunteers for ChildFund USA and adopted a village of children in the Philippines. He made it his mission to provide necessities to the kids, while raising awareness of the organization.

Later this year, he will release an album with Art of Anarchy, a band

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formerly fronted by the late Scott Weiland. The rock act also boasts former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, Disturbed bassist John Moyer, and twin brothers Jon and Vince Votta. A single is set to be released soon, with an album to follow in the fall.

“I thought it would be a fun project to get involved with,” Stapp says. “So we were off to the races. We began writing the record and I thought it would be something different to do and an exciting project to get involved with. I love working with new artists and talented people.

“It helps with my mindset to get involved with something fresh and something new.”

Scott Stapp

The Marquee, 730 N. Mill Avenue, Tempe, 480.829.0607, luckymanonline.com, 8 p.m.

Sunday, August 21, $25.

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE TOURIST | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

Melissa Szenda » The Entertainer!

H A BLAST FROM

THE PAST

Four house classics take to Talking Stick for a series of B2B performances

ouse music hasn’t stopped evolving from its birth in tiny Chicago basements in the 1980s to selling out massive festivals.

But the Release Pool Party at The Pool at Talking Stick is kicking it old school on August 20 with four classic house DJs—DJ Dan, who will be playing B2B with Donald Glaude, and Bad Boy Bill joining Richard Vission for B2B. These four DJ/producers have not only made their mark in the industry, but have paved the way for current house knob turners.

DJ Dan and Glaude’s talents stretch over two decades. Dubbed an “L.A. underground staple and music legend”

by Insomniac’s Pasquale Rotella, DJ Dan combines elements of ’70s disco with ’80s and ’90s house, all with a modern twist.

Glaude, a pioneer and innovator of house music, aims to bring emotion to his sets. With five full-length albums

under his belt, Glaude shows no signs of slowing down.

Bad Boy Bill and Grammynominated Vission have been DJing together for over a decade. These two are on their “Back to Vinyl Tour,” during which they’re throwing down new music and some crowd favorites—without the help of the latest technology. No sync buttons, software or loop buttons allowed, just pure DJ talent.

Escaping the summer heat may seem impossible, but Release Pool Parties have proven that Talking Stick Resort is the perfect oasis in the desert for any 21-andolder dance music lover.

DJ Dan, Donald Glaude, Bad Boy Bill and Richard Vission The Pool at Talking Stick, 9800 E. Talking Stick Way, Scottsdale, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Saturday, August 20, free.

ODDLY ACCURATE ASTROLOGY What does August hold for your social life?

Weiss Kelly » The Entertainer!

ARIES »

March 21 – April 21 Summer is fading fast, but August is a “fun” month.

You’ll do what you want and as much as you want. Set your own priorities. Don’t worry, your friends will go along with your agenda. Everything has a beginning and an end, just like the New Moon and a Full Moon. This month’s New Moon (August 2) and Full Moon (August 18) relate to a romantic issue. Financial matters will need your attention between August 23 and August 31.

TAURUS »

April 22 – May 20 Focus on your personal life and those who affect your life and lifestyle. You may prefer to entertain in familiar surroundings. In other words, you need a solid base for your social activities. Your outer world will be demanding.

The New Moon on August 2 gets things going. Projects should be completed by August 18.

GEMINI »

May 21 – June 21 You will have fun and attend artsy events in August. Take advantage of any opportunities to increase your interactions with others. The New Moon on August 2 suggests you are ready to move on.

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CANCER »

June 22 – July 22 Before you purchase that front-row ticket to an event, you should reflect a bit on your financial situation and be practical. Is it necessary to go first class? Think about it.

LEO »

July 23 – August 22 Happy birthday Leos. This marks a new beginning. The Sun in your sign enables you to recharge yourself, social life and romantic life. It’s OK to be a bit self-centered. Ask yourself what you need, where to go, what to see this month and just do it. You may not be able to indulge later in the month.

VIRGO »

August 23 – September 22 In a way, your year is ending.

The last 12 months have mostly been positive and productive. Why not enjoy the local arts scene while you can? Your lucky year should have taught you to live creatively. A bit of private time may be needed. Organize after August 22.

LIBRA »

September 23 – October 22 Focus on your friends until August 22. There is no lack of choices this month. In fact, too much, too soon could prove to be a bit of too much.

Circle the August 2 to August 22. No one can live in a vacuum. Expect to be more in demand once the Sun enters your sign on August 22.

SCORPIO »

October 23 – November 21 New plans and interests motivate you this month.

Create your own happiness. You’ll have new options for your career. Relationships, partnerships and commitments may have come to an end. You’ll address this by the Full Moon on the August 18.

SAGITTARIUS »

November 22 – December 21 Broaden your horizons before they are limited. The last day of August could bring a delay or change of circumstances. Travel could be fun and spontaneous; so can romance. Enjoy friends and events between August 13 and August 30. Focus on professional groups this month and sort out finances before September. This isn’t the right time to be engaged.

CAPRICORN »

December 22 – January 19 Your social life is active, but don’t let work keep you overly busy. Let your social life take over the weekend of August 13 and beyond.

Be more in touch with your feelings.

Remember: Nothing’s free. It’s only money.

AQUARIUS »

January 20 – February 18 Social connections are necessary. You always have friends or associates. You should be able to find someone special this month. Relationships may be short lived, while others linger on a bit. That’s OK. Enjoy this fun-loving month. There could possibly be talk of a job change.

PISCES »

February 19 – March 20 Artsy folks will be at their creative peak. You may reunite with former associates; circle the weekend of August 12. The sign of Pisces is associated with music, art and dance. Decide which one is most enjoyable.