It's a unique night of local music and it's something you've never heard before. The Flycatcher, a local bar and small-time music venue on Fourth Avenue, will host Tucson's fifth annual rock lottery to benefit the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona.

The concept is simple: Gather 25 of Tucson's local musicians and fashion them into five musical groups, which are selected all by chance. Each group will be sent off to different practice locations across town and will have only 12 hours to create a band name, write four original songs, learn a song to cover and perform all five pieces to a Flycatcher audience.

All of the musicians chosen for this rock lottery comes from all walks of life and musical genres, according to The Flycatcher's official website. The hope is to highlight the unique musical styles within the Tucson community and bring together new genres while still maintaining the styles of each musician.

Where: The Flycatcher, 340 E. 6th St.
When: Dec. 10 at 9 p.m.
How to get in: Be at least 21; $5 admission at the door and/or bring two non-perishable food items to donate, all proceeds go to the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona

For more info click here.

John Doyle and Duncan Wickel
Renowned Irish guitarist and songwriter John Doyle has long written Irish-style tunes inspired by history. In his latest CD, Shadow and Light, Doyle, who plays at Pima College West Saturday night with fiddler Duncan Wickel, zeroes in on the great Irish immigration to America in the 19th century.

Echoing the travails of today’s beleaguered immigrants, his song “Liberty’s Sweet Shore” laments the immigrant’s fate, telling of a journey in a coffin ship, sailing “on an ocean of tears.” The chorus evokes the loss of home: “We left all we know/to this new life we’ll go.”

Another tune, “Clear the Way,” recounts the true-life Civil War exploits of the Irish Brigade, led by the legendary Thomas Francis Maher.

Born in Dublin, Doyle is familiar with contemporary immigrant life—he’s spent many years living in the U.S., in Asheville, home of southern traditional music. But he hasn’t lost his Irish charm. In his frequent stops in Tucson (this is his fifth local concert), he’s showed off his gift of gab, spinning hilarious yarns about Ireland, including a memorable one about his aged grandparents riding a motor scooter through their village.

Doyle is also an extraordinary guitarist. A founding member of the Irish-American band Solas, he’s now a solo artist who’s played with most of the greats of today’s Irish music scene, including Eileen Ivers, Liz Carroll and Mick Moloney. On his last stop in Tucson, he was joined by singer Karan Casey. This time he shares the stage with Wickel, a Boston multi-genre fiddler who is as comfortable in jazz and classical music as he is on old Irish ballads.

He and Doyle will perform many of those traditional songs. Doyle grew up in the music, going to pubs with his father and brothers to hear his grandfather on the accordion.

As Doyle once said, “I was a folk nerd from way back.”

Danú: Féile Na Nollag: A Christmas Gathering
The Irish still practice some of their old Christmas customs, even in its post-Celtic Tiger, high-tech era. The Wren Boys still go around from house to house on Wren’s Day, the day after Christmas, and community choirs still sing in the squares.

If you’re a fan of flamenco music and dance, you won’t want to miss this Saturday’s show by a crew of international artists who are performing at the Sea of Glass Center for the Arts.
Lluvia Flamenca will feature Tucson flamenco dancer Mele Martinez, French singer Jose Cortes, Cuban guitarist Andres Vadin and two Venezuelan artists, percussionist Diego “El Nego” Alvarez and pianist Gonzalo Grua.

The show, choreographed by Fanny Ara, is titled "Luz" and is a celebration of motherhood and artistry, according to organizer Angelina Ramirez, who writes:

In Spanish, dar a luz means to give birth. This definition symbolizes the heart of Luz— a flamenco project honoring mothers who live and work as artists. Luz will explore the labors and joys found in balancing a life as caregiver and creator. It will feature choreography by award-winning artist, Fanny Ara, introduce world-class flamenco musicians from across the globe, and present American flamenco dancer and mother Mele Martinez. Luz seeks to inspire, to embolden, and to enlighten those who recognize the synergy between motherhood and artistry.

The show is at 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, at the Sea of Glass Center for the Arts, 330 E. Seventh St. Tickets are $26. Find more information here.

Tucson hip-hop artist Lando Chill says "I make music and talk to people. Do a lot of inspiration on the side." Chill released his debut album For Mark, Your Son earlier this year and can be seen making inspirational speeches and talks with Tucson youth.

What was the first concert you attended?
Geez Louise. I think it was Ella Jenkins. She’s a very famous old folk singer. She sings in many different languages. That was the first concert I think I went to as a kid. She used to go to my church back in Chicago.

What was the first album you owned?
I listened to my mom’s music. It was either between Luther Vandross, Nat King Cole, James Taylor. She was really into Marvin Gaye.

What are you listening to these days?

Can I check my Spotify?... A lot of Anderson .Paak, a lot of Bon Iver. I’ve been going back and listening to a lot of Joey Bada$$. I listen to a lot of my old music, which is weird, but most of the time I listen to it in a critique or in a way in which I can learn something from it so I can
use for upcoming music.

What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone seem to love, but you just don't get?

Simple artist or simple music. I don’t get simple shit. That can fall under a EDM track that just has
someone pressing play to Lil Yachty singing nursery rhymes over some trap beats that his friend gave him to just like some dude hooking up his acoustic guitar to some pedals and thinking that its psych rock. I wanna hear the complexity. I wanna hear the artistry. I wanna hear some showmanship and I feel like that’s lost in music nowadays. 

What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live?

Oh man! Anderson .Paak! That dude is the fuckin’ shit! Him or Bon Iver or Moses Sumney or The Internet too. The Internet would be really sick to see live and it be cool to go on tour with those cats.

What is your favorite guilty pleasure?

I’m not really ashamed of anything I listen to honesty and I don’t think I have a guilty pleasure.

What song would you like to have played at your funeral?

Aww, shit! I was just talking about this with somebody and I already know what it is, “Fire and Rain” by James Taylor! Yep! 'I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend... But I always thought that I'd see you baby, one more time again, now!'

What artist changed your life and how?

Me, honestly. I realized it after I went to Coachella. It was my first music festival and I went because Kid Cudi and watching him on stage was like... it wasn't like I was disappointed but it was like I can do that shit.

Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time?

Best album of all time is probably Food & Liquor. Yeah, [Lupe Fiasco's] debut album. 

As valuable as crowd-funding platforms like Kickstarter and Indiegogo have become for independent musicians, the online campaigns lack face-to-face interaction between musicians and their fans.

Based on a successful event last fall, Thunder Canyon Brewery’s downtown location is launching a series of monthly events to help local musicians raise funds for upcoming projects.

The idea is to pair a short, acoustic performance with an extended meet-and-greet, to give musicians a better chance to explain their upcoming projects and mingle with fans, friends, family and potential donors.

Last August, hip-hop group Jivin’ Scientists held a Kickstarter event at Thunder Canyon, with a unique, stripped-down performance to showcase songs from the band’s in-progress album Thirsty.

To make the events a win-win, Thunder Canyon will name four beers specifically for the band’s event (for example, for Jivin’ Scientists’ Thirsty, the beers were Thirsty Blonde, Thirsty Red, Thirsty IPA and Thirsty Stout). The beers will be priced at $6 each, with $5 from every beer purchased going to the band as a donation to the crowd-funding project.

“The Jivin’ Scientists event seemed to go perfectly and we want to replicate that,” says Thunder Canyon General Manager Jason Schneider. “People got to talk to the band and interact and the band raised the money for their project.”


Thunder Canyon has done similar fundraising events for animal rescue groups like Pima Paws for Life. The Kickstarter parties would be once a month on Thursday evenings, with beers tapped at 5 p.m. and short performances at 6:30 p.m. Since the brewery isn’t great for sound, the event will be geared more for the opportunity for the band or musicians to introduce and describe the project.

“One thing to drive home is it’s not a performance-based event,” Schneider says. “Playing a few songs acoustically is the idea, but it’s more of a meet-and-greet and mingling event and we encourage bands to create a unique experience with features such as live art, videos of past performances. It’s great for people to be creative and weird and do different stuff and we’re open to all that.”

Bands must have an established crowd-funding campaign and are encouraged to set up a computer for people to contribute on the spot. For more information or to schedule an event, contact Schneider at [email protected] or 520-396-3480.

Last Saturday night an army of bassheads sporting tutus and kandi bras, armed with homemade totems, turned out to see our favorite artists and rage the night away with 10,000 of our best friends. Global Dance Festival: Wild West Edition was hosted by its namesake and Relentless Beats at the incredible Rawhide Western Town and Event Center in Chandler, Arizona. 

As a veteran of the scene, I was impressed by the level of production and lack of mishaps. There were an appropriate amount of well-maintained water stations. We were immersed in the Wild West theme as soon as we entered the gates; it was like we had stepped into a Clint Eastwood film.

Wild West featured a diverse lineup, including a DJ group from Japan. Addressing the lack of female DJ's, Global Dance Fest booked Alison Wonderland. Her set was incredibly intimate and emotional as we explored the darker depths of her soul. As legions of Bassnectar fans rocked their bodies to the low frequencies, I finally understood the depth of their loyalty. Unlike most DJs,
Bassnectar doesn't just press play. He does a live set and uses a private collection of underground remixes.

Many critics claim dubstep is repetitive; Datsik sampled this as a joke and nod to the humility that our scene offers: “Same old crap over and over again” (*cue bass drop).

At California events, it's easy to take for granted how accepted everyone is, inside and outside the venue. In Arizona I felt I was stepping into a sacred gathering for people who have no other safe place to express their true selves. In the wake of this Election, performers and ravers alike appreciated this chance to embrace a culture of acceptance.


Zion Crosby is a Waldorf teacher in training and a native Hawaiian. He also happens to be Bing Crosby's great grandson.

According to this piece in Rolling Stone, Mötley Crüe's Vince Neil has been "uninvited" to play the presidential inauguration. It's just all so ugly.

Here's the original post:

So Mötley Crüe's duck-voiced frontman Vince Neil is scheduled to perform at Donald Trump’s inauguration. Of course he is. We knew this face-lifted, woman-loathing, drummer-slaughtering tub o’ lard was a Trump supporter. The two are spiritual bros, to be sure, and they even share the same sort of thinning coif. And just earlier this year in Vegas, Neil was found guilty of battery for pulling a woman to the ground by her hair.

The Crüe, and 98 percent of the fake-glam Sunset Strip metal from which they rose, was total Republican rock, a big, loud and smelly reflection of Reagan-era greed and selfishness. It was also the first time in rock 'n' roll history when its (supposed) outlaws were false outlaws. (Every Crüe event, from ODs to arrests, was tainted with self-interest, and reeked of PR slime. They even titled a album collection Music to Crash Your Car to: Vol. 1. Remember, back in the '80s, old Neil crashed his car drunk, killing Hanoi Rocks drummer Razzle. He got off.)

The Crüe's anti-art, anti-intellectual, woman-abusing macho horseshit was never about the music, it was about how rich they figured they could be, about how famous they figured they could be. It was utter misinterpretation of The New York Dolls, Sweet and Alice Cooper.

Neil will be Trump’s bro in arms in Washington D.C. on Jan. 20 when the thumbhead gets sworn in as the 45th president of the United States.

Neil no doubt has his eye on the White House. Stranger things have happened.

Casa Maria mission was part of the lay Catholic worker movement founded in the 1930s. Liberty, Social Justice and Peace—just words? Sure, but with each year they become more important to the health of a city and its residents and those visiting or just passing though. Like many of you, I used to see Brian Flagg on television in a role that was and is uniquely his. I liked his gentle yet direct voice on the radio, defining issues for the poor, for minorities, for those whose very life is affected by the smallest increase in the bus fare, the closing of vital neighborhood schools, and always to feed the hungry—the Casa Maria Soup Kitchen. He's been an advocate on our streets for thirty some years. This is a week for gratitude, with Thanksgiving just around the corner.

Gabriel Sullivan is a Tucsonan, a very gifted one at that. A few years back, following a brief tour, he left me in Austria to fly myself home while he headed on to Denmark to make what would be a very different record—JVPITER with Desoto Caucus for the most part. On arriving home, he played me a track called "Mr. Flagg." When it was through, I asked to hear it again. A few days ago I asked Gabe about the song. He thought and said that he took inspiration from Brian—a man who walks his talk, a man who has given so much to others. The song is a lullaby, comfort in its words, the chorus a mantra (Where do you find the will/Where do you find the will, Mr. Flagg/To hold the hands of all these good men). By its end, it transcends a song and become reassurance of those who love and those who struggle to be loved.

This Monday, Nov. 21, is the annual Thanksgiving benefit for Casa Maria Soup Kitchen. a tradition that has been kept alive for the last 13 years thanks to Rich Hopkins. The event will be held at Hotel Congress (311 E. Congress). Doors 7 p.m., show starts at 7:30. A $10 donation is suggested, and please bring some cans of food if you can spare them. I would like to ask you all to come down and join us for this event, and if you can't make it, please consider taking a moment to visit the Casa Maria website for instructions on how to make a donation.

Cesar Aguirre will begin the show, RIch Hopkins and the Luminarios will kick up the decibels as always and I am looking forward to sharing a couple songs with Gabriel Sullivan and his band who will close out this beautiful night. Hope to see a lot of folks 'there who don't usually make it out. God Bless.

Pabst Blue Ribbon flowed with the steady stream of drunken humanity that moved through Tucson's Che’s Lounge last Saturday night. Others stood close to the band to watch and listen, and some danced. It was a birthday party for storied Tucson musician and treasure Joey Peña (his 50th!). Spirits were high.

The even more storied Naked Prey kicked things off. (The band, you’ll recall, formed in back in ’82 by former Green on Red trapsman Van Christian, earned a Euro fanbase and have seven albums to their credit.) Christian’s brand of “Hard Roots” was tonight backed by guitarist Loren Dirks, bassist Brian Green, multi-instrumentalist Bill Elm and Peña himself on drums.

The crack combo, which frontman Christian hilariously referred to as “boot camp” for local aspiring musicians, played tunes that spanned their history. But it was the song “Push Comes to Shove,” from Christian’s 2013 solo album Party of One that stung most. The quieter studio version boiled over live into a booze-addled rock ’n’ roll frenzy. Local guitar-hero Clif Taylor sat in on the finale. 

Afterwards, on the sidewalk outside of Che’s, Peña seemed ecstatic, pausing to catch his breath before gushing, “Dude, I fucking love playing the drums.”  

Tucson DJ and hip hop enthusiast Pike Romero has been doing a lot with Tucson’s hip hop community, focusing on local artists and for some time. From B-Boys and B-Girls to producers and DJs, Romero likes to curate interesting, and at times off beat, events and hip hop shows in Tucson. Romero is also creator of WeAreBugginOut and director of the Tucson Hip Hop Festival.

What was the first concert you attended?

It was my friends band but I can’t remember my friends band name. Ummmmm, I’m just gonna say the first major show that I went to, but now I can’t remember the name of the tour…. Oh, it was at the Rialto and it was De La Soul, Biz Markie, The Pharcyde and it was the… nope, I can say that one because I went to a jam, a b-boy jam at the downtown Y and it was before this.

What was the first album you owned?

In my mind, I remember getting a Fat Boys tape. I think I was four and I got it at the swap meet and now I’m trying to remember the name of that Fat Boys tape, I think it’s just Fat Boys. I use to play it over and over and I remember specifically getting it at the swap meet with my dad. It was Crushin'.

What are you listening to these days?

The latest thing I’ve been listening to is SNOH AALEGRA. The new Common. On my way here I was listening to Public Enemy’s "It Takes a Nation." I mean everything! I’ve been listening to "Black Beatles" a lot by Rae Sremmurd it's a good song.

What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone seem to love, but you just don't get?

That’s a tough one man, 'cause I’m really open and I really don't  judge others opinions of their art. I’m just trying to think of something that really annoys me but I don't think I have something!

What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live?

I would’ve like to have seen Public Enemy in the heyday, late '80s early '90s. Nirvana as a whole I would’ve like to have seen.

What is your favorite guilty pleasure?

I think until I heard about SoundCloud rappers or SoundCloud rap, I didn’t know anything about it and now it has grown so much that it’s kinda the popular music to listen to so, cloud rap or SoundCloud rap.

What song would you like to have played at your funeral?

“Always and Forever” by Heatwave. That’s just my favorite song ever, of all time.

What artist changed your life and how?

Tupac is first artist that stands in my mind, but I don't really don't know how. Granted he was pretty vulgar and misogynistic with his lyrics but he also had a sense of being human and I related to him for some reason at the age of 12 and 13 you know.

Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time?

Madvillain’s “Madvillainy.” That did a lot for me in my early 20s and during college and me really branching out to do hip hop. That would be the one.