THE SCORE
Country piano man Phil Vassar due at DDC
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 07.17.2008
Nashville singer-songwriter Phil Vassar will headline Desert Diamond Casino on Aug. 28 in his first Tucson concert since he played the intimate City Limits in 2003.
Of course, die-hard fans may have caught Vassar several times since then in his yearly appearances at Country Thunder USA in Florence.
Vassar is not a country artist, per se; he's a pianist, a song-crafter and a wordsmith, telling rich suburban love stories and playful tales of growing older, wiser and a bit more jaded. His live shows are energetic piano-pounding affairs that appeal to music fans of all stripes; if you like adult contemporary, you'll feel just at home here as a Stetson-wearing die-hard Rascal Flatts fan.
The show starts at 7 p.m. and tickets ($18) are available now through www.ticketmaster.com.
— Cathalena E. Burch
It's true: See Carolina Liar for under a buck
Carolina Liar is one of the few artists being pushed by a major label right now that isn't a singer/songwriter or a pop-punk band.
Signed to Atlantic Records, the band plays poppy rock and kind of sounds like Ryan Adams meets The Killers.
Carolina Liar will be at Plush for a 10:30 p.m. show Friday. Tickets are 92 cents.
Opening is Phoenix's Dust Jacket, which shows traces of Bright Eyes.
— Kevin W. Smith
Warlocks, Vandelles share the bill at Plush
Interesting bill Tuesday at Plush.
First up is the dark garage of New York's The Vandelles, kind of like The Kinks mixed with the Velvet Underground.
The headliners are The Warlocks, a Los Angeles band that brings the darkness even thicker, but with more of a droney, psych-folk vibe.
You almost hope it rains all day and night Tuesday, just to set the atmosphere for the show.
Tickets are $8 and the show starts at 9:30 p.m.
— Kevin W. Smith
Beach Boys returning
The Beach Boys will roll into town again a week from tonight.
The influential band will select from its extensive collection of sun-drenched classics about surfing, cars, girls and . . . yeah, that's about it.
The Beach Boys play Desert Diamond Casino at 7 p.m. Tickets range from $32 to $45.
— Kevin W. Smith
Gaslight hosts family-friendly magic show
Old-school and new-school magic will share the Gaslight Theatre stage Monday.
Veteran comedy magician Norm Marini and illusionists Gene and Charlene Collins will show new kid on the block Jayson Schultz a few old tricks. Schultz might have a few new tricks of his own to impart in his high-energy act of contemporary twists on classic routines.
It's part of the monthly It's Magic series, which at 14 years and still going strong is the longest-running magic series in Tucson. The series regularly sells out, in large part because the shows are G-rated and family friendly.
Tickets are $14 for adults, $11for children through the Gaslight, 7010 E. Broadway; 886-9428.
— Cathalena E. Burch
Funnyman Dave Attell due at the Rialto Oct. 17
Dave Attell zips around the stage, doling out rapid-fire barbs on everything from the Ku Klux Klan to the devastating Indonesian tsunami, which he calls "God's money shot."
He's a brooding character in his own sinister world where comedy comes in spurts and shouts. Attell, who is hosting a new version of "The Gong Show" on Comedy Central, is the comedian comedians like to see, so don't be surprised if you see a few local ha-ha peddlers in the Rialto Theatre audience Oct. 17.
Tickets ($27-$39) go on sale Saturday at the Rialto, 740-1000.
— Cathalena E. Burch
Beck coming to Phoenix
Post-modern singer-songwriter Beck is bringing his "Modern Guilt" tour to Phoenix's Dodge Theatre Sept. 22.
Tickets ($38.50, $42.50) go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday through www.livenation.com. MGMT will open the show.
"Modern Guilt" is Beck's follow-up to 2005's platinum-selling "Guero" and 2006's acclaimed effort "The Information." Pitchfork called the recently released album "Beck's most harrowing collection of songs." USA Today called it "retro-contemporary fusion for the ages."
— Cathalena E. Burch
0 Comments on this story
