Best Phoenix concerts this weekend: Lindsey Stirling, Arizona Goth Festival, Phoenix Rock Lottery
This weekend’s slate of concerts and music events will include both unique experiences and opening celebrations.
In the former, you have the annual Phoenix Rock Lottery (which involves more than two dozen local musicians mixed and paired into new bands) and a karaoke dance party hosted by indie rocker Robbie Pfeffer and singer-songwriter Sareena Dominguez. Meanwhile, outdoor concert venue Bell Bank Park in Mesa and downtown blues/R&B club Phoenix Chars LIVE will both debut.
Other highlights of this weekend’s concert schedule include the staging of Arizona’s first-ever Gothic Festival and performances by jazz vocalist Karrin Allyson and electronic dance music trio Keys N Krates. .
Read on for more details on each of these concerts or click on to Phoenix New Times online concert listings for more live music this week. Keep in mind, however, that COVID-19 and its Omicron variant are still prevalent right now and most local sites require proof of vaccination or a recent negative test result to attend.
Lindsey Stirling at Bell Bank Park
Violinist and vocalist Lindsey Stirling, a former Arizona resident, is the foremost musician in the narrow classical/dubstep/hip-hop/Celtic folk genre. She’s been a force to be reckoned with for over a decade now, releasing multiple hit albums, selling millions of copies and selling out venues worldwide. Stirling brings excitement to every track as he moves gracefully and earnestly on stage, his bow flying over the strings to deliver melodies over electronic backbeats. Its intensity is contagious. And it’s impossible not to get caught up in the show. Stirling returns to his hometown on Friday, February 4 to celebrate the grand opening of Bell Bank Park, 1 Legacy Drive in Mesa. His performance begins at 8 p.m. and tickets cost between $45 and $99.50. taylor gilliam
Robbie and Sareena’s Karaoke Dance Party at the Crescent Ballroom
You want to go karaoke. You want to go out to one of the trendiest places in town. Those goals don’t always align, but they will on Friday, February 4, when Crescent Ballroom, 308 North Second Avenue, presents Sareena & Robbie’s Karaoke Dance Party. Your hosts, Sareena Dominguez and Robbie Pfeffer (of Playboy Manbaby/TikTok fame) will present an evening of low-key karaoke entertainment in the Crescent Lounge. The list of some 200 song options will be available in a binder at the event and special guests from the local music scene will be featured. Karaoke starts at 10 p.m. Participation is free, but you must be at least 21 years old to attend. Jennifer Goldberg
Opening weekend at Chars LIVE
Downtown Phoenix’s famous bar and music venue, Char’s Has the Blues, has been transformed into Chars LIVE. This weekend, the 2,245-square-foot business along Seventh Avenue south of Camelback Road, which sports a revamped interior and exterior to go along with its updated name, will return. A longtime live music staple, it hosted local musicians and bands in its dimly lit interior several nights a week as patrons crowded the bar’s dark interior to drink, dance or soak up some the retro atmosphere. Chars co-owner David Cameron said the spot would continue to book some of the same local bands and musicians who performed there regularly during his Char’s Has the Blues days. That will be the case this weekend, as R&B band Soul Power perform at 9 p.m. on Friday, followed by a set from blues icon Big Pete Pearson at 9 p.m. on Saturday, February 5. Benjamin Leatherman
Born dirty in Shady Park
Israeli-born who spent his childhood in France before moving to London, house artist Mika Abadie (better known as Born Dirty) burst into the world of electronic dance music a while ago. just a few years old and almost immediately caught the attention of some of the major labels in the industry. , such as Mad Decent, OWSLA, Fool’s Gol and Dirtybird. Abadie has also performed at major festivals around the world including Lollapalooza, Electric Daisy Carnival, Shambala and Splash House. He will take over the public address system at Shady Park, 26 West University Drive in Tempe, on Saturday, February 5. Home openers include Medicine Mike and Richi Savage, who will play a back-to-back set. Music starts at 9 p.m. and admission is $17. David Flecher
Phoenix Rock Lottery 2022 at Crescent Ballroom
This weekend, more than two dozen local musicians gather at the Crescent Ballroom, 308 North Second Avenue, to deliver an embarrassment of musical riches. Launched by Stephen “Psyko Steve” Chilton in 2014, the Phoenix Rock Lottery is shaking up the local scene for a good cause. All proceeds go to Rosie’s House, a non-profit organization that provides musical education to disadvantaged youth from low-income backgrounds. The format offers music fans an extremely unpredictable experience. Artists from different genres and groups are randomly grouped into five new groups and have until the end of the day to write and rehearse three new songs (and a cover) to perform that night in front of a live audience. This year’s edition includes names such as David Cosme, Nicole Laurenne, Amber Johnson, Michael Coughlin, Megyn Neff, Jim Bachmann, CeCe Oates, Camille Sledge and Tatiana Crespo. The showcase starts at 8:30 p.m. and admission is $15. Ashley Naftule
Keys N Krates in Sunbar Tempe
This Toronto trio was formed in 2008 and includes drummer Adam Tune, keyboardist David Matisse and record player Jr. Flo, all of whom have come together to produce music that has drawn heavily on electronic dance music over the course of the last decade (including many trap bangers). With their new album, 2021’s original classic, the trio ditched many EDM tropes while embracing more mundane sounds. Like Complex noted last year, Keys N Krates now focuses “on sweet Brazilian melodies, vibrant Bollywood samples and other offbeat elements that should endear them to discerning critics and club crowds rather than the average festival-goer”. . Hear it for yourself when they come to Tempe’s Sunbar, 24 West Fifth Street, on Saturday, February 5. Doors open at 9 p.m. and tickets are $22. McWhite, Ico Soundz and Residuo will open. David Accomazzo and Benjamin Leatherman
Arizona Gothic Festival at the Nile Theater
This gloriously dark celebration will kick off at 5 p.m. on Saturday, February 5 at the Nile Theater, 105 West Main Street in Mesa, and will offer goth fans plenty to do. Vendors will take over the Nile basement and upstairs it’s all about the music, according to organizer Ruben Garcia Jr. “We have local legends, The Limit Club, who mix psychobilly, punk rock and darkwave, as well as the new ones doing a dark-punk-metal-synth fusion,” he says. DJs will be the entertainment between the bands. “The main Nile room will change from a concert atmosphere to a dance hall, and we’ll have sets from a handful of local DJs – Apollynon, Mijito, Zander Buel and Hexmachine – they’re the blood of the local gothic dance scene.” Admission is $20. Amy Young
Karrin Allyson at the Musical Instrument Museum
In 1992, Karrin Allyson was an unknown jazz singer from Nebraska. Thirty years, five Grammy nominations, several world tours and more than a dozen world tours later, she is considered one of the most versatile and talented singers of her generation. Allyson’s vocal range is nearly unmatched in jazz circles, and her masterful inflection has drawn comparisons to Ella Fitzgerald and Shirley Horn. Her live repertoire includes covers of songs by Carly Simon and Joni Mitchell; his recorded material has been equally eclectic. She took over French and Brazilian music (From Paris to Rio), John Coltrane (Ballads: Remembering John Coltrane), and blues (In blue). For local jazz fans looking for a real treat, his 7 p.m. concert on Sunday, February 6 at the Musical Instrument Museum, 4725 East Mayo Boulevard, is the place to be. Tickets cost between $35 and $45. Sam Chennault