33 March 7th–March 13th, 2019 phoenixnewtimes.com phoenix new Times | Contents | FeeDBACK | oPInIon | neWs | FeAtURe | nIght+DAy | CULtURe | FILm | CAFe | musiC | Burrito Deluxe Our favorite acts at the 2019 Flying Burrito Festival By Gerrit Feenstra and douGlas Markowitz A fter bidding farewell to Viva PHX in 2017, Stateside Pres- ents (The Van Buren, Cres- cent Ballroom, Valley Bar) gave us something new last year in the form of Flying Burrito Festival. At FBF, Stateside scaled things down, high- lighting emerging acts and burrito-toting food trucks along a Second Avenue block party outside of Crescent for the price of a fancy cocktail. Flying Burrito returns this year with a stronger boast than its debut: more bands, more burritos, less money. By and large, FBF focuses on the road to SXSW, giving rising acts a great opportu- nity to warm up before a week of shows in Austin, Texas. But we’ll also get to see plenty of Arizona mainstays show their stuff, including a namesake set of Calexico playing Flying Burrito Brothers material. All in all, it’s an action-packed Saturday for less than $2 an hour, and here, we have five acts that you absolutely do not want to miss. GERRIT FEENSTRA Jerry Paper After years of relative obscurity, 2018 marked a highlight for Lucas Nathan, the synth-pop wunderkind who braves wavy frontiers under the name Jerry Paper. On the excellent LP Like A Baby (released on Stones Throw Records), Jerry Paper is a unicorn treading green landscapes some- where between the introvert electro of Dent May and the freak-out dreamland of Tyler the Creator. Inasmuch, it’s no sur- prise that Tyler asked Nathan to make an appearance on his Grinch-themed holiday EP. The only thing that will outshine Na- than’s cool croon on stage at Crescent is the dance party. GH illuminati Hotties After years of production and technical en- gineering work for artists like Amen Dunes, Slowdive, and Porches, Sarah Tudzin now gives us the culmination of her learnings in the form of Illuminati ▼ Music Hotties: tongue-in-cheek beachside mel- ancholy on a level with bands like Alvvays and Alex Lahey. Her aptly-titled debut al- bum, Kiss Yr Frenemies, explores the messy nature of love and low-budget survival in a city that never feels quite as big as it should. Her set will be a perfect prologue to warming weather and summer nights of endless opportunity. GH soft kill The last decade has seen a massive swell in the amount of post-punk revival bands. From Edmonton’s Preoccupations to Pro- tomartyr of Detroit and more, dozens of bands have popped up with a brand of brooding, atmospheric rock. Go ahead and add Soft Kill to that tally. The Portland, Or- egon band’s latest record, Choke, is full of dark chords and airy guitar textures that’ll make any fan of this burgeoning scene feel right at home. We especially like the slightly jangly, beach-rock vibe on “Wake Up.” DouGlAS MARkowITz nanami ozone Two Arizona acts will be returners at Fly- ing Burrito: unmissable Tucson cumbia collective Vox Urbana, and quite possibly Phoenix’s best emerging rock act, Nanami Ozone. Less than a week from their set at FBF, the four piece will release their highly anticipated second LP, NO. Lead single “Alone Too” showcases a band that has put ample work in to build on the strength of an already impressive debut, while deeper album cuts like “Something to You” flex a confidence and fervor relatively unseen among their peers. Their Asada Stage ap- pearance will be a great sneak peak of this exciting new chapter. GH in Mirrors This year, L.A.-based electronic collective Italians Do It Better will put on their first tour in over five years. Chromatics and De- sire will embark on a co-headlining tour, bringing along Jesse Taylor, a.k.a. In Mir- rors, who has been collaborating with Chromatics’ Johnny Jewel for over a de- cade. In Mirrors’ 2017 debut, Escape From Berlin, is an ambient, visceral soundtrack to dark dreams. Here, Taylor mixes dark dance music, ethereal textures, and a won- derful Stevie Nicks cover to make a master- piece. Thanks to FBF, Phoenix gets a priceless gift in the form of two In Mirrors sets in one year. GH numb.er UK electronic duo The KVB write se- quenced ’80s-leaning jams in the universe of New Order and Depeche Mode, so who better to bring along on a U.S. tour than an L.A. post-punk band channeling the same idols? Numb.er, led by photographer Jess Fribourg, take a little The Cure, a touch of Modern English, and a sprinkle of Siouxsie. They don’t try to hide the heroes — instead, they lean into them. Debut full- length Goodbye showcases years of careful consideration, culminating in a record on par with other worshippers at the post- punk altar like Iceage and Total Control. GH Calexico Playing the Flying Burrito Bros. Now, it wouldn’t be suitable if a festival didn’t pay tribute to its namesake, now would it? Luckily, this one picked a right- tootin’ one in The Flying Burrito Bros., the now-classic country rock band whose slightly psychedelic take on Americana is top-notch. Naturally, since the Bros. hung up their guitars a while ago, Phoenix’s own Calexico will be taking up the mantle to play a set of covers of the older band. Can we get a yeehaw? DM Flying Burrito Festival. 4 p.m. saturday, March 9, at Crescent Ballroom, 308 north second avenue; crescentphx. com. tickets are $14 via ticketfly. In Mirrors Johnny Jewel Jeff Fribourg Numb.er Jairo Zavala Ruiz Calexico will play a set of Flying Burrito Bros. covers to honor the festival’s namesake. Monika Mogi Jerry Paper Nanami Ozone. Benjamin Leatherman Kristy Benjamin Illuminati Hotties
