Their latest release boldly declares that Love Is Dead. Indietronica sensation CHVRCHES are at The Rialto Theatre.

Rockers Cherry Glazerr smear on their Apocalipstick before opening the show. Details here.

He co-authored the group’s biggest hits: “I’ve Seen All Good People,” “Roundabout” and “Owner Of A Lonely Heart.” One of the most recognizable voices in prog rock, Jon Anderson of Yes is at the Fox Theatre. Details here.
Garage rockers Feverfew are embarking on a maiden voyage into uncharted terrain: A tour. Phoenix’s Nanami Ozone and locals Stripes add to the celebration at Club Congress. Details here.

Washington’s Red Ribbon and Mute Swan gaze down blissfully at their shoes at Owls Club. Details here.

Propelled by his commanding voice, this hard rocker was the engine that pulled 1970s stalwarts Grand Funk Railroad to the top of the charts with hits like “Some Kind of Wonderful,” “I’m Your Captain” and “The Loco-Motion.” Mark Farner’s American Band keeps the train rollin’ at the Pima County Fair. Details here.

From a small village in Niger where secular music was all but prohibited, this Tuareg guitarist traveled to Nigeria in 2008 to record his debut album. This album of spacey autotune, drum machine, and synthesizer became a viral hit in West Africa. Mdou Moctar brings his unique sound to 191 Toole. American folk artist Marisa Anderson kicks things off. Details here.

Renowned for their wild antics, kaleidoscopic guitar work and tunefulness, Cosmonauts land on the stage at Club Congress. Details here.

A proposed $88 million hotel project that would have incorporated the downtown’s historic Rialto Theatre is dead.

Developer Scott Stiteler, who announced the plans last October, told the Weekly that he couldn’t find a way to make the project work, saying that urban development involves many challenges.

“It's very different than buying a piece of land and developing something on the periphery of a community, because you're dealing with usually very small sites and a lot of neighbors and viewpoints,” Stiteler said. “To get everything you want in a building that's gonna last for a long time and make an impact for the surrounding area, it's not easy."

The proposal would have put two Marriott hotel brands, Moxy and Element, on the parcel of land behind and to the west of the Rialto Theatre. It would have injected millions of dollars into a makeover of the Rialto’s interior as well.

“We put our heart, soul, and pocketbook into it,” said Stiteler. “We spent $750,000 on the plans for this, which we will lose. Maybe not entirely, Jim, because we learned a lot. We know more about the 22,000-square-foot parcel and the theater and the structure of the theater. So maybe all is not lost, because probably no one understands the development potential of that site, strengths and weaknesses, better than we do. I love that block, so I'm not going anywhere, and we have big investments across the street on the other two blocks. We will do something great there one day.”

Rialto Theatre Foundation Executive Director Curtis McCrary said he was disappointed that the plans fell through, but the show would go on.

“Everyone was hopeful that the dream as outlined could be realized and it would have made for huge improvements to the theater and that would have been a really great thing,” McCrary said. “While it's disappointing, it's not really going to affect anything in terms of what we do or are doing or will continue to do.”

McCrary said the nonprofit Rialto Theatre Foundation, which recently wrapped up a major capital campaign that has allowed the theatre to revamp its bathrooms and make improvement to the heating and cooling systems, will now decide how to best use its remaining resources on less-ambitious improvements than the makeover promised by the hotel project.

“Now we can instead take the actions that we were otherwise planning to take to bolster the structural needs of the theater,” McCrary said. “And then we have significant funds left and might be some opportunity to raise a bit more funding, because it's a 100-year-old theater. The million dollars is going to be able to help us accomplish certain things but there are lots of needs.”

Since the project isn’t moving forward, the Rialto won’t be relocating its operations to the Corbett Warehouse on Sixth Avenue and Seventh Street for two years during the hotel construction process.

The Corbett Warehouse is owned by Stiteler, who says he’ll be turning his focus to that parcel next while reconsider what can be done with the property surrounding the parcel.

Stiteler and his various partners have developed a number of downtown projects, including the AC Marriott at Broadway and Fifth Avenue, as well as the Rialto Building that is now home to the Connect co-working space, Diablo Burger and other restaurants; the neighboring block that houses Hub and Playground; and the One North Fifth apartment building. He says he will continue his downtown development efforts despite this setback.

“I won't rest until I complete the four blocks that I have the opportunity to develop, with a vision that I think is good for what we're doing, for the community, the neighborhood,” Stiteler said. “They're four really important blocks, and two of them are in a great place. … We better get it right. And sometimes getting it right means you have to walk away from something and revisit it later.”

Taking alternative and metallic influences and allowing them to boil into an unexpressed inner storm, Seether search for a “Remedy” for their ills at the Pima County Fair. Details here.

Beginnings were humble for this jazz-fusion institution named after corkscrew-twisted bands of freshwater green algae: An ongoing Tuesday night jam session at a Buffalo nightclub—plagued by narcissism—is where it began. “Don’t forget the interminable solos we were taking,” recalls bandleader Jay Beckenstein. “We were the kings of self-indulgence. It came as a shock when word of our psychosis got out.” Earning them the right to charge a quarter at the door. Now, with 10 million albums sold worldwide, Spyro Gyra return to The Rialto Theater. Details here.

Club 90s: NSYNC vs. Backstreet Boys Night plays out on the dancefloor at 191 Toole. DJ Jeffrey spins. Details here.

Phoenix reggae rockers Fayuca make the short trek down I-10 to Club Congress. With support from Vana Liya, Santa Pachita and Desert Fish. Details here.


Looking for something low-key? Jazz Late Night with Rafael Moreno is at Maynard’s Market & Kitchen. Details here.

While the rest of the world descends into madness, The Eleventh Annual SwedeFest 2019 provides much needed respite. Here’s the lineup: The Pangs, Underbutt & The Sideboobs, Fort Worth, Dos Muñoz and Dennis Moore. At the Surly Wench Pub. Details here.

And, the Spring Concert Series continues with singer-songwriter Katie Haverly & The Aviary displaying their formidable talents on the plaza at Hotel Congress. With Intuitive Compass. Details here.


Hailed as a consummate “rapper’s rapper,” Murs will take you on a Strange Journey Into The Unimaginable at 191 Toole. With Locksmith, Cojo and DJ EPS. Details here.

Featuring Puddle of Mudd, Saliva, Trapt, Saving Abel and Tantric, MuddFest 2019 provides opportunity to wallow deep in the mire at Club XS. Details here.

Trumpeter extraordinaire, Chris Botti breezes into the Diamond Center. Details here.


“Young & Crazy” country singer/guitar picker Frankie Ballard declares that it’s a “Helluva Life.” Along with Carly “If My Name Was Whiskey” Pearce. At the Pima County Fair. Details here.

Once a fixture on the local scene, alt rockers Sunday Afternoon are reuniting for a one-time only show on a Saturday night. At Club Congress. Details here.

Purveyors of surf/psychobilly/horror baptized in firewater and blood, The Mission Creeps provide the soundtrack for Día de las Luchas. Oh yeah, and there are luchadores: Lucha Libre champions Lord Drako and EJ Sparks top the bill. At the Rialto Theatre. Details here.

And, SwedeFest Day 2 continues at Sky Bar. Featuring the Jivin Scientists, Stauferland, The Good Little Thieves, Dennis Moore, Juju Fontaine, DASH and Atomic Sherpas and more. Details here.

“With a hip hop the hippie to the hippie/The hip hip a hop, a you don’t stop the rockin’ To the bang bang boogie/Say up jump the boogie to the rhythm of the boogie the beat.” In 1979, “Rapper’s Delight” broke ground as the first single to introduce hip-hop to a mainstream audience. The effect was incendiary. Now, seminal rap artists the Sugarhill Gang, along with The Furious Five, roll the Rapper’s Delight 40th Anniversary Tour into the Rialto Theatre. DJ Jahmar International spins. Details here.

As an early pioneer of Atlanta’s trap scene, this rapper’s mixtapes have Been About The Benjamins. Now, Rich The Kid changes the ethos with The World Is Yours. At the Pima County Fair. Details here.

Improvisationalists Bumble Buzz push boundaries at Public Brewhouse. Details here.

Blending folk traditionalism with indie rock aesthetic, this Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter says of her 2019 release, “Placeholder wishes people were on the same wavelength, but unfortunately, it’s just never that simple.” Meg Duffy’s project Hand Habits are at Club Congress. Details here.

Mid-1990s chart topper, “Mr. Boombastic,” Shaggy takes gaslighting to a new level of denial trumpeting “It Wasn’t Me.” At the Pima County Fair. Full details at pimacountyfair.com. Details here.

Some of the fledgling bands that musician/record producer/songwriter John Vanderslice has hand-picked to accompany him on tour—Sufjan Stevens, Okkervil River and St. Vincent—went on to critical acclaim. Vanderslice holds court at 191 Toole. This time around, Meernaa occupies the opening slot. Details here.

Based on hundreds of photos from articles and amateur videos of the original Selling England By The Pound concerts—one of the first-ever multimedia performances—The Musical Box: A Genesis Extravaganza captures the surrealism of these shows that took place between 1973 and 1974. At the Fox Theatre. Details here.


“Who cares if you come from paradise or hell/Appalling Beauty, artless and monstrous scourge/If only your eyes, your smile or your foot reveal the infinite I love and have never known.” Full of dark, cold condemnation, Danish post-punkers Iceage commit acts of simony at Club Congress.
With South London alt rockers Shame and Pelada. Details here.


Drawing from Sufi trance, African beats, Indian ragas and Aboriginal motifs, Baraka Moon deliver pulsing, spiritually charged music for dancing. At Solar Culture. Serena Gabriel provides the opportunity for healing through music. Details here.
A diverse lineup: Fanclub, Sea Moya, Asian Fred and Cool Funeral are at Sky Bar. Details here.

Northern California neo-soul/funk outfit The Gold Souls are at The Sea of Glass-Center for The Arts. Details here.

Gooch Palms, The Exbats and Feverfew are making an in-store performance at Wooden Tooth Records. Filling the shop with love. Details here.

Co-founder of Animal Collective, experimental popper Avey Tare herds the Cows on Hourglass Pond into 191 Toole. Ambient experimentalists Paradot provide underpinning. Details here.

This soulful Syrian-American vocalist’s lyrics touch on love, loss and the Syrian Civil War that has touched his family. Prompting this funk/neo-soul ensemble to donate a portion of their merchandise proceeds to the Karam Foundation, a humanitarian relief organization. Bassel & The Supernaturals are at Club Congress. Flanked by the formidable Adara Rae & The Homewreckers. Details here.


Expect the unexpected. Listening Room show with Alex Dupree, Re De Ye, Sun Riah and Chelsey Lee Trejoat Exo Roast Co. Details here.

After a near-death experience this indie icon returns with Circuit Boredom, some of the strongest music of his career.

“We were in this sweet little cabin and in the middle of the night, Lizzy [Kweller’s wife] woke up in a panic, ‘Ben, get up! Something’s wrong. I feel horrible.’” Kweller adds, “We grabbed the boys out of bed, trying to shake them awake.”

After testing their blood, the paramedics found that the carbon monoxide levels were so high, the entire family were 15 minutes away from not waking up. Ben Kweller perdures at 191 Toole. The Technicolors add muted tones. Details here.

Lenguas Largas, Human Kitten and Hey Bucko! perform at a fundraising event for SPW. At The Royal Room. Proceeds go towards the purchase of harm reduction supplies. Details here.

Formed in a UK boys school in 1975, their first release for Island Records was “Ku Klux Klan” a chastisement at the evils of racism. Roots reggae artists Steel Pulse “Cry, Cry Blood.” At the Rialto Theatre. Locals Desert Fish open the show. Details here.  

“No man grows till he tests his might against what his eyes can’t see.” Gifted with a barrel chested voice like that of a manic street preacher—perhaps a result of the gospel choirs he sang with as a youngster—folk singer-songwriter Shawn James examines The Dark & The Light at 191 Toole. Psychedelic rockers Fever Feel provide support. Details here.

From the stasis of Fugazi being frozen in indefinite hiatus emerged this D.C.-area improvisational punk trio. The Messthetics blaze through Club Congress. Folk/electronic singer-songwriter Jillian Bessett opens the show.  Details here.

The Spring Concert Series continues. Musical camaleón and curandero Carlos Arzate & the Kind Souls work their magic on the plaza at Hotel Congress. Details here.

In a Rabelaisian celebration of liberation from restraint and societal dogma, under the stewardship of Tucson Libertine League’s Lola Torch, Reveal: A Debut of Burlesque Performances unveils itself at 191 Toole. Details here.

“Shake, shake, shake.” Shaking booties since 1993, Funky Bonz will do just that at Saint Charles Tavern. Details here.

Psychedelic, darkwave cumbiancheros XIXA with radicals Ojalá Systems thresh at Club Congress. Details here.

Looking for something from the underground? From D.C. post-punk/darkwavers Social Station willfully enter The Shit Dungeon. With Vasectomy and Lav Andula in tow. Details here.

And, in the twilight, as part of the Friday Night Live Free Concert Series, Zona Libre perform contemporary Latino, urbano and popular Americano. At Main Gate Square. Details here.

Since 2005, these multiple Best of Tucson winners for Best Cover Band channel new wave classics, pop and power ballads from what could be your favorite decade. 80s & Gentlemen rock on the rooftop at Playground. Details here.

Kyklo plays the music that wafts through “mountain villages, ancient islands, hashish dens, cafés, harems, pubs, dance halls, cloisters and prisons of the old world.” In the tasting room at Sand-Reckoner. Details here.
Looking for something low-key? Jazz Late Night with Mesquite is at Maynard’s Market & Kitchen. Details here.

In two dramatically different sets, Taco Sauce and Juju Fontaine will raise the dust, and likely swill a few beers, in honor of frontwoman Gabi Montoya’s birthday. At Tap + Bottle-Downtown. Details here.

From Durango, Colorado, J-Calvin deliver a potent mix of neo-soul/funk at Exo Roast Co. Details here.

Surf’s up! Shrimp Chaperone and The Furys pay musical homage to surf legend Dick Dale. At Sky Bar. Details here.

From Nantes, France, garage rockers Rock Roll & Remember unveil their latest recording Tyranny Of Men (Compact Disc Records) at Owls Club. A set by “international skiffle trio”
Golden Boots kicks off the festivities. And the futuristic funk of Pork Torta 2.6 brings the night to a close. Details here.

Touring in support of his solo debut, Wolves, Matchbox 20 guitarist Kyle Cook lands at Monterey Court. With Paul McDonald cushioning the landing. Details here.

What a Good Day. Hailed by Albert “Ice Man” Collins, as “One of the brightest young stars on the blues scene today.” Carvin Jones brings The Big Time Souvenir Tour to 191 Toole. Details here.

Experience Buster Keaton’s 1920 silent film One Week, as it was originally screened, accompanied by organist Ron Rhode on The Mighty Wurlitzer Organ. At the Fox Theatre. Mariachi Los Changuitos Feos de Tucson round out the event. Details here.

The Joyce Luna Trio debuts at Crooked Tooth Brewing. Details here.

The Eugene Boronow Duo performs bossa-nova and melodious original compositions in the tasting room at Sand-Reckoner. Details here.

“Americana’s most wanted fugitive,” Mark Insley and The Broken Angels retell tales of woe at The Dusty Monk Pub. Details here.

Jimmy Carr and the Awkward Moments help The Coronet celebrate their fifth anniversary. Details here.
He’s had a lot on his mind. Singer/rapper Jake Miller is still “Drinkin’ About You.” At The Rock. Pop rockers Just Seconds Apart and Logan Henderson share the bill. Details here.

DJ Stubbie precedes over The Fineline Revisited. At the Surly Wench Pub. Details here.

Imbued with the sabor and infectious rhythms of Bolivia, Peru, Brazil and Colombia. Baracutanga ignite the dance floor at Monterey Court. Details here.


Deep Roots Folk Blues musician Christopher T Stevens performs the music that was spawned upriver from New Orleans in the Mississippi Delta. At Exo Roast Co. Details here.

Pushing Buttons: A Monthly Producer Getdown is host a Battle of the Beats. At Thunder Canyon Brewstillery-Downtown. Details here.

From British Columbia, this singer-songwriter’s writing style hovers somewhere near that of Jackson Browne, Gillian Welch and The Woods Brothers. Sam Weber follows the Shadows in the Road. At The Sea of Glass Center for The Arts. Details here.


Capturing a futuristic vibe, with alien basslines and gangster beats, Space Jesus navigates his interstellar vessel through a traversable wormhole. At the Rialto Theatre. With electronic/bass/trap artist Buku. Details here.

Layers of improvisational guitars and tribal hard-bop drumming coalesce this modern jazz duo’s telepathic kinship and fuels inspired performances. Identical twin brothers, The Mattson 2, shimmer and shake at 191 Toole. Details here.

West Coast hip hoppers SOB X RBE bring the Strictly Only Brothers Tour to 191 Toole. Sneakk, Peacoat Gang, Ricky P., Tommy Will and YOUNG TUC share the bill. Details here.

An intriguing new musical conglomeration, Tongs—featuring Chris Peña on keys, trapsman Tom Beach and bassist Chris Pierce—reveal themselves at Tap + Bottle Downtown. Details here.

Guitar-driven pop duo Sales celebrate “Chinese New Year” at Club Congress. With Atlanta “pool rockers” Lunar Vacation. Details here.

Singer-songwriters Nancy & Neil McCallion perform original Americana acoustically at La Cocina. Details here.

UA Presents Alex de Grassi and Andrew York. In a program suffused with diversity, New Age fingerstyle steel-string acoustic and nylon classical guitars interlace at Crowder Hall. Details here.