Tucson: Night Life, Bars and Music
The Tucson Nightlife Music Scene
While the Tucson, AZ live music scene has dwindled in the past few years, there are still some popular nightclubs that attract steady and loyal music fans. In 2009, some Tucson bars and clubs will undergo changes- partly due to the economy.
Club Congress, in Downtown Tucson, has been a landmark in the local Tucson music scene for decades. Alternative and rock concerts held weekly, spotlighting local musicians and national acts, continue to attract a following.
Country fans still have long time bars, The Maverick and Cactus Moon on Tucson's eastside. After a devasting fire, The Maverick relocated to Tanque Verde and Grant.
Tucson Music News:
Tucson favorite El Charro Café announces the start of their NEW Fiesta de la Musica Live Music Series at select locations (see attachment), a great new value of live music every weekend featuring some of Tucson’s most talented local musicians.
Platinum-selling Aussie Xavier Rudd at the Rialto
Xavier Rudd, Australian best singer/songwriter, is kicking off his North American tour and will be stopping through to play the Rialto Theatre in Tucson, AZ on Tuesday, June 23rd, in support of his fourth album, Dark Shades of Blue. Xavier has led sold out tours through Europe, Canada, Australia, and the US, and has also toured with the Dave Matthews Band, Jack Johnson, and Ben Harper – therefore broadening his already supportive and large fanbase.
Xaviers past albums/DVDs have received gold and platinum sale awards, and this fourth album is on its way to continue that wining streak. The release, in its entirety (along with online media), can be found at http://www.transfermediagroup.com/release/xavierrudd/xavier_rudd.html
Anamieke at Plush
As part of her Schoolnight Sessions series, 'Fresh and Folky, Swing and Sultry' indie songstress Anamieke Quinn entertains on a Tuesday night in the front room of the highly regarded hipster venue Plush in Tucson on June 23 at, 9:30pm. Having recently returned from the SXSW festival in Austin, Phoenix-based singer/songwriter Anamieke is now preparing for a July tour of New England.
You may know her from her appearance with rock band Phish, Les Claypool and John McEuen in the recently released live album/dvd ‘Vegas 96’; or as Squeak the yodeling cowgirl from campy vintage western trio Motel Arizona (www.motelarizonamusic.com). But this time she is solo with an acoustic guitar instead of a bass fiddle, and not yodeling- but singing all original tales of triumph and adversity.
Eclectic and Funky Folk rock mixed with deep and stirring ballads are at the heart of Anamieke's performances. Lyrically intensive pieces that hook and deliver are her specialty. With a voice that soars and scratches in just the right spots mixed with Django-esque chord progressions and quirky subject matter i.e. Bite Me (The Cannibal Song), she is not your typical strummy-strum-strum heartbroken female guitar player. New full-length release 'Anamieke Is Singing To You!!' will be available at the shows. To see & hear more visit: www.anamieke.com. For booking/interviews, please write to: anamieke@yahoo.com
Tucson Bluegrass Music Festival 2009
The Desert Bluegrass Association presents the Tucson Bluegrass Music Festival on October 23, 24 & 25, 2009 at Desert Diamond Casino.
The tenth annual festival will feature all-day (10am - 5:30pm) performances on Saturday and Sunday by The Gibson Brothers, Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike, Goldwing Express, The Brombies, Headline Bluegrass Band and the Blues "N" Grass Neighborhood Band - all staged in a beautiful outdoor plaza. Friday evening (7pm - 9 pm) features the Desert Bluegrass Association band contest. Up to 10 bands will compete for $750 in prize money and the opportunity to perform on the festival stage on Sunday.
 Tucson blues legend, Sam Taylor dies at 74
Tucson, Arizona's former blues guitarist and singer-songwriter, Sam Taylor, passed away on Monday, January 5, 2009 at the age of 74, in his Islandia, New York home.
Taylor had spent a decade in Tucson, AZ. and was a staple on the local music scene. He left Tucson in 1996 to live with his family in New York.
Read interviews of Sam Taylor while he performed in Tucson, see photos of Sam Taylor in concert. Sam Taylor interviews.
Photo: Sam Taylor. Photo by Thomas J. Pennington © 1989 for Entertainment Magazine.
T.S.O.L. in Tucson; free download
Orange County’s original beach punks, T.S.O.L. (True Sounds Of Liberty), have released their aptly named 30th Anniversary album, “Life, Liberty & The Pursuit of Free Downloads", Thursday, January 8, 2009 as a free download on www.hurley.com/tsol. With fans that span three decades, T.S.O.L. has become a fixture on the Southern California music scene. In partnership with the band, Hurley is helping to produce the record and giving-away the album for free as a gift to the fans of punk rock and T.S.O.L. In just one week, the band recorded their 16th album with Grammy-award winning producer, David Bianco. Through-out the recording process, December 17th to December 24th, 2008, visitors to Hurley.com were able to access live streaming video of the band while at the Hurley Studio via the URL www.hurley.com/tsol.
Tucson Bluegrass Music Festival 2009
The10th Desert Bluegrass Association presents the Tucson Bluegrass Music Festival 2009 in October 2009. The dates are yet to be set.
The 2008 Bluegrass Festival was held on October 24, 25 & 26, 2008 at Desert Diamond Casino. The ninth annual festival featured all-day performances on Saturday and Sunday by Dale Ann Bradley, Kirby Knob Boys, Sawmill Road, Chris Stuart & Backcountry, Burnette Family and the Blues "N" Grass Neighborhood Band - all staged in a beautiful outdoor plaza.
On Friday evening (7pm - 9 pm) the Desert Bluegrass Association band contest was introduced. Up to 10 bands competed for $1000 in prize money and the opportunity to perform on the festival stage on Sunday. Workshops helped pickers hone their skills, vendors offered crafts and music for sale and Desert Diamond offered dining options ranging from fine dining to casual snacks. The Desert Diamond Casino is located at Interstate 19 & Pima Mine Road just south of Tucson, AZ. For more information visit www.desertbluegrass.org. The Desert Bluegrass Association is a non-profit, all volunteer organization who promotes Bluegrass Music in the Greater Tucson metropolitan area.
 Jonathan L and his lopsided world
Newsreal's Jonathan L is back with his twice weekly radio show "THE LOPSIDED WORLD OF L," a mixture of Alternative and Rock from the past and present. Listen to Jonathan L on Saturday mornings 6:45am-10am and Sunday evenings from 6pm-8pm on 98KUPD FM, Tempe, AZ. Also read alternative rock music reviews from Jonathan L's Must Have CDs.
Local Tucson Musicians
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Tucson, AZ 2009 Calendar of
Music and Entertainment
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 TWELVE TRIBES Reggae Shop & Concerts
See what Reggae Concerts Papa Ranger has planned for Tucson's Reggae Scene
Pato Banton, Mystic Roots Band. Wednesday, March 4, 2009, All Ages Show, 8:00 PM - 12:00 PM $25 @ the door ($5.00 discount on advance tickets)
Also at the Twelve Tribes Reggae, Bold Bird CD Release Party held on Saturday, March 7, 2009, from 8pm to 12:00. Opening bands: 8 Minutes to Burn and Cosmic Slop.
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The King of Clubs
Live Country Music
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Tucson Music from Amazon
From the Follow That Dream series out of Europe, this is an unreleased 'live' show from June 1, 1976! All songs were recorded June 1, 1976 at the Community Center Arena, Tucson, Arizona except See See Rider (recorded in Odessa May 30 1976, afternoon show) and Love Letters (recorded in Odessa May 30, 1976, evening show).
Zoom Records was Southern Arizona’s first rock and roll record label. It was the creation of two 17 year old Tucson, Arizona, Catalina High School students, Burt Schneider and Ray Lindstrom. All the records were produced during a short 7 month period in 1959, but they capture the independent rock sound of the era.
They were all recorded in Phoenix at Audio Recorders of Arizona, where Duane Eddy made all his big hits. Legendary engineer, and Grammy award winner, Jack Miller was at the controls. He was famous later for sessions with many top stars including the Rolling Stones.
None of the records were giant chart busters, but they got heavy play and made the hit sheets in Tucson as well as a few other places in the US and Europe. They continue to be included on many US and overseas compilation releases featuring 50's American rock and roll and rockabilly.
No early rock collection is complete without the "Southern Arizona Sound."
Featured Tucson Artists:
King Rock and The Knights: The wildest, groovinest, hard pounding-rockinest sound anywhere. Roger Hohlenkamp is King Rock with Knights Bob Dickey, Carson Noel, and Tom Hawk. The two cuts featured here were re-released on a 45 in 1965 and Send-di became a hit in Pittsburgh as the theme song of WZUM's legendary jock "Mad Mike" Metrovich. It is also featured on the Itzy label LP and CD "Pittsburgh's Greatest Hits." Scandal and Send-di were both cuts on on the German label Buffalo Bop's Strictly Instrumental Series.
Pete Ronstadt and The Nightbeats: Fast or slow, these vocals with Pete were the world’s best. (You may have heard of Pete's little sister, Linda Ronstadt) Besides Pete on the vocals and guitar,there was Nate Foster-guitar, Bert Roberts-Drums, Lance Hoopes-Sax, and Don Grossberndt-Piano.
Lonesome Road Rock was the biggest hit of all the Zoom sounds in Tucson. These singles have shown up quite often on foreign early rock compilation albums including the recent Collector's Records "Rockabilly Hoodlums" (Hot Greaseball Action) CD series. Actually, the words "hoodlums" and "greaseball" are really misnomers; the group was about as clean-cut as you could get...just look at the cover photo.
Jack Wallace and the Hi-Tones: He could have been Elvis, but he was just a couple of years too late. Jack’s deep vocals along with the doo-wop harmony of LeRoy Meadows and Dave First of the Hi-Tones are a real treat. This was the first Zoom Record and had the blue and silver label. All future releases would be the distinctive red and silver color. The week You Are The One was released it was played on the air very hour as a KTKT Exclusive (Tucson's top station).
Tracks:
1. Scandal – King Rock and The Knights
2. Send-Di – King Rock and The Knights
3. Lonesome Road Rock – Pete Ronstadt & The Nightbeats
4. Nightbeat – Pete Ronstadt & The Nightbeats
5. Doreen – Pete Ronstadt & The Nightbeats
6. Cryin’ All Night – Pete Ronstadt & The Nightbeats
7. Sea of Love – Pete Ronstadt & The Nightbeats
8. I Think of You – Jack Wallace & The Hi-Tones
9. You Are The One – Jack Wallace & The Hi–Tones
Original Release Date: January 2, 2002
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Tucson, Arizona Dining and Services:
Bunbuku | Sachiko
Mama Louisa's Italian Cuisine
Discount Tucson Dining Coupons
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The Disco Pimps