Hope you have some disposable income to spend on concert tickets as a number of notable indie, alt rock and even ska bands are performing in town this week. The list includes pop-influenced acts like The Happy Fits and TV Girl, alternative favorites Blue October, and indie singer-songwriter Andrew McMahon. You can also get a double dose of thundering metal from Mastodon and Opeth, spend an evening at The Toasters, or slam dance to the punk sounds of Off With Their Heads. Read on for more details on each of these gigs, or check out the Phoenix New Times online concert calendar for more music events this week. Keep in mind, however, that most local venues require proof of COVID-19 vaccinations or a recent negative test result in order to attend shows. Please see the ticketing sites for each concert for more information. TV Girl at The Van Buren If The Jetsons were a reality, it would be easy to imagine a space age teenager trying to wow Judy Jetson with a mixtape full of TV girl songs. TV Girl is a trio from Los Angeles and makes music that sounds futuristic and retro at the same time. They mix 60s-style pop melodies with electro dance vibes and samples, creating a strange kind of introspective indie dance music. Imagine Belle & Sebastian trying to follow in the footsteps of indie dance rock acts like St. Etienne and Primal Scream from the Screamadelica era. TV Girl’s music sounds so playful and confusing because of her skillful sampling skills. Disembodied voices of bygone times swing in and out of the mix and create an atmosphere that allows everything, reminiscent of classic, sample-heavy albums like Paul’s Boutique and 3 Feet High and Rising. TV Girl’s current tour is celebrating their 2014 debut album, French Exit, and hits The Van Buren, 401 West Van Buren Street on Monday 29 November. Jordana opens the show at 8 p.m. and tickets range from $ 22.50 to $ 25. Ashley Naftule click to enlarge Ska loyal to The Toasters. Next Big Thing PR The Toasters at Yucca Tap Room The Toasters have a reputation for being America’s first ska band despite being of English descent, and have been playing tight, groove-laden riddims since 1981, shaping a sound that continues to this day Has . In many ways, the Jamaican roots band is caught between the 2-tone second-wave ska revival in the late 1970s and the more popular third-wave ska bands today like Sublime with Rome, Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Reel Big Fish. When Hingley emigrated in 1979, ska was not yet fully introduced in America, although the scene across the pond was teeming with bands like The Specials, Madness, The English Beat and The Selector. The Toasters worked on the 2-tone blueprint but added edgier guitars and a sometimes more aggressive horn section to create an original style of ska for the American palate. 35 years later it still tastes great. They will perform on Tuesday November 30th at the Yucca Tap Room, 29 West Southern Avenue, with the support of local ska bands 2Tone Lizard Kings and Bowcat. Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. show are $ 15. Glenn BurnSilver click to enlarge The Metal Maniacs of Mastodon. Clay Patrick McBride Mastodon and Opeth at the Mesa Amphitheater The newest Mastodon album, Hushed and Grim, is the kind of album Cecil B. DeMille would love if he were still alive and inventive prog metal. The first double album in the Grammy-winning band’s over 20-year history is broad and dramatic like these CinemaScope blockbusters. Mastodon will be performing songs from the album when they return to Valley with Swedish progressive metal / rock band Opeth on Tuesday November 30th at the Mesa Amphitheater, 263 North Center Street. Hushed and Grim features the well-known, driving guitar work of Brent Hinds and Bill Kelliher stays, supported by Troy Sanders on bass and Dailor on drums. Thematically, the album is a drama that is driven by the feeling of loss, but also by the promise of hope. If you’re planning on Mastodon’s Mesa amp gig, the show starts at 5:30 p.m. when Swiss avant-garde metal band Zeal & Ardor opens. Tickets cost $ 46.50 to $ 48.50. Jesse Sendejas Jr. click to enlarge The members of the indie band The Happy Fits. The Syndicate The Happy Fits at Valley Bar Last fall, NPR rock critic Ken Tucker noted that The Happy Fits are “making some of the freshest, catchiest pop music out there”. The New Jersey band are not exactly new to the music game. Since its founding in 2016, the trio, which refines its mixture of folk and indie rock with a huge portion of pop, has collected over five million streams with the song “Too Late” and has more than 861,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. And in 2020 the Happy Fits released their second album What Could Be Better, which received critical acclaim. They are back on the streets after pandemic delays resulted in their tour plans being put on hold and will roll into Valley Bar at 130 North Central Avenue on Wednesday, December 1st. Indie rock multi-instrumentalist MAGS and rock band Snarls open the 8pm show. Entry is $ 20. Kendall Little Click to enlarge The current line-up of Off With Their Heads. Epitaph Records Off With Their Heads at Pub Rock Live Having previously postponed this show, the charm will be the third time punk rock band Off With Their Heads takes the stage on Wednesday at Scottsdale’s Pub Rock Live, 8005 East Roosevelt Street . December 1. According to local promoter Permanent Vacation, the gig was originally scheduled for October 2019 but has been postponed a couple of times due to the pandemic. Now, 25 months and a new acoustic album later, Off With Their Heads is ready to bring what we have been missing out on for so long. The band’s punk rock is heavy, and singer / guitarist Ryan Young’s thundering baritone always seems on the verge of a complete nervous breakdown. In addition to the indie pop band Slingshot Dakota, the power pop band Supercrush will also play an opening set. Admission to the 8pm show is $ 17. (Note: The bands also need a vaccination certificate or a recent negative test result.) David Fletcher Click to enlarge Andrew McMahon is returning to the valley at the end of November. Brendan Walter Andrew McMahon at Van Buren Andrew McMahon is a man who knows exactly where he is, where he has been and where he is going. At the age of 9 he started playing the piano and writing songs. It was his EP Ready Break with his band Something Corporate that gave the then 17-year-old a record deal for the first time. A few years later, when he was front man for Jack’s Mannequin, an accident broke out. He was diagnosed with leukemia. After more than a decade in remission, says McMahon, he still bears psychological scars from the battle with cancer. His 2016 album, Zombies on Broadway, had the solemn atmosphere of a man overcome illness. However, there is more of a nostalgic vibe at Upside Down Flowers 2018 as McMahon brings back memories of childhood, family, starting Something Corporate, and dealing with illness. As usual with any McMahon project, it involves lively and atmospheric storytelling. He will perform on Tuesday November 30th at The Van Buren, 401 West Van Buren Street. Singer-songwriter Annika Bennett opens the 7pm show. Tickets cost $ 32.50 to $ 35. David Rolland click to enlarge Percussionist and sound artist Tatsuya Nakatani is coming to Trunk Space this week. Tatsuya Nakatani Tatsuya Nakatani at The Trunk Space Tatsuya Nakatani is a sound artist and master percussionist from New Mexico. While so many new music / avant-garde musicians tend to stay rooted in one place, Nakatani is a seasoned street dog. He tours the country frequently, either at solo shows or as the ringleader of his Nakatani Gong Orchestra. While he’s put out a decent amount of recordings over the years, the real magic is seeing Nakatani live. It’s like watching live action painting: the end result isn’t the point; It’s the process of seeing the tension of the tightrope, a human’s imagination come to life in the touch of a hand and furrowed brow that makes it worthwhile. Nakatani is scheduled to perform on Thursday December 2nd at Trunk Space, 1124 North Third Street. The experimental / avant-garde sound art groups Butoh Sonics and Windy Boijen will open the show at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $ 10. Ashley Naftule Diamond Rio at the Celebrity Theater Diamond Rio has consisted of the same six members since 1989, which means that their sound and style have remained constant over the past 32 years. The 1991 single “Meet in the Middle” was the very first to debut at # 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. Diamond Rio also recorded a number of Christian contemporary songs that lack the original harmonies and style of the band. But their latest album, I Made It, released in 2015, is more true to the group’s traditional country roots. They are expected on Thursday December 2nd at the Celebrity Theater, 440 North 32nd Street. Matt Farris will be the special guest, and tickets for the 8 p.m. concert will range from $ 29 to $ 59. Diamond Rodrigue click to enlarge Alternative rock band Blue October. Abel Longoria Blue October at The Van Buren Blue Octobers records have always reflected the mental state of singer Justin Fürstenfeld. The band made a big impact with fearful tracks like “Hate Me” and “Into the Ocean” that explored drug addiction, suicidal thoughts and depression. But since the early 2000s, Fürstenfeld – who found sobriety and subsequently peace – has been concentrating on the positive, and Blue October’s last three albums are consequently bursting with positivity and life-affirming messages. They are touring in support of their latest 2020 release, This Is What I Live For, playing The Van Buren at 401 West Van Buren Street on Thursday December 2nd. Doors open at 7 p.m. and tickets cost $ 37 to $ 40. Matthew Keever Related Stories I Support Local Community Journalism Support the independent voice of Phoenix and help keep the future of the New Times free.
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