Yeah, I forgot about all those places shutting down. Nita's Hideaway used to have a lot of good shows- now most bands just come straight to Tucson.

Long Wong's too- where the saviours of rock n' roll, the Gin Blossoms, got their start. There's a Long Wong's here, but it's just for eating, I believe. No shitty bands.

If you're really hard up for recs (and want to spend all day tearing the yellow tag of the spine of a used CD) there's always Zia.

Severance Package wrote:
Stinkweeds is still open in Tempe (was just in there today, actually) and is doing well. The one in Phoenix is a brand new, separate store and is probably rules, though I haven't been there myself.

That is awesome.

Kimber Lanning, who owns Stinkweeds and Modified, is a hard motherfucker. She opened Stinkweeds, I think in the early 90s, when she was like 21? Something like that. She always had great records and great shows there.

And she is a really good person, and a really good drummer. I think she is playing with Bruce Licher (ex-Savage Republic guy who does that beautiful Independent Projects Press stuff) in his band Scenic.

If you appreciate having good cultural institutions in fucking Tempe and Phoenix, and if you appreciate a true independent punk badass who didn't give up, didn't waste time talking shit, didn't move away, and who does it the right way...give Kimber your support.

Angus Jung wrote:

Severance Package wrote:
Stinkweeds is still open in Tempe (was just in there today, actually) and is doing well. The one in Phoenix is a brand new, separate store and is probably rules, though I haven't been there myself.

That is awesome.

Kimber Lanning, who owns Stinkweeds and Modified, is a hard motherfucker. She opened Stinkweeds, I think in the early 90s, when she was like 21? Something like that. She always had great records and great shows there.

And she is a really good person, and a really good drummer. I think she is playing with Bruce Licher (ex-Savage Republic guy who does that beautiful Independent Projects Press stuff) in his band Scenic.

If you appreciate having good cultural institutions in fucking Tempe and Phoenix, and if you appreciate a true independent punk badass who didn't give up, didn't waste time talking shit, didn't move away, and who does it the right way...give Kimber your support.

This is heartening. Thanks everyone - you've unearthed some potential beauties here.

I was looking at the Modified calendar and there are some other good shows coming up (of course, the Minutemen showing is next Fri):

7/16

NAIM AMOR Franco-american avant power pop. Charles Mingus-meets-Giant Sand. An icon in Tucson and France. FIRST NATURAL Tricky post-punk bliss with catchy lyrics and energetic guitars. SNEAK THIEVERY Highlighting an offbeat, lo-fi aesthetic that defines underground pop music. Doors at 8, $5.

7/29

BATTER THE DRAG Exuberant and compelling heavy indie rock with a huge wall of sound. THE BITTER LIFE TYPECAST Imagine The Smiths, Mineral and Mogwai in a blender. CHIEF BEEF Explosive and sorely needed catalyst for rock reinvention in Arizona. MANIFOLD Droning and sultry from Tucson. THE BODHI TREE Versatile, almost unclassifiable blend of rock. Doors at 730, $5.

8/8
PELICAN Subtle fluctuations and oscillations of tempo, attack, and feel.. and some damn heavy music. On Hydrahead. BIG BUSINESS Jared (from Karp, the Whip and Tight Bros) and Coady (from Murder City Devils) are hard rock practitioners with vitaes to back it up. RED SPAROWES Post-rock instrumental. Doors at 730, $10.

I'm definitely coming up w/ my buddy Dave for the Pelican show.