16 March 21st-March 27th, 2024 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | you had 12 major-label bands. There was still this nucleus of national-caliber bands in one area. There was no denying, of course, that Long Wong’s stood at the center of this ’90s rock “network.” Rhodes: Long Wong’s was the crown jewel of that scene because they had the most diverse, the most avant-garde, the most cutting-edge and most relevant musi- cians of anywhere on the block because they’d been doing it for decades before everybody else. Plus, few other places let bands play almost exactly as they intended. Chris Hansen Orf, guitarist and country music journalist: Del Montes (a “secret identity” of the Gin Blossoms), I think there was one month there that they played like 18 times there or something. Grippe: I liked three-hour sets. I sweated my ass off there a couple of times a week for years and years. It felt good to play there. I loved going home after that and just being exhausted and dehydrated. It was the epitome of leaving it on the stage. Ultimately, though, it was less about the venue itself and those larger “interactions” with Mill and Tempe at large. Carter: Back then, it was just a free for all. So you would have all of this energy filing out into the street that reciprocated and flowed right back in. And you might have a crowd of people around the door and behind you in the window. You’re playing with all that energy. That Tempe sound One of the ways that “energy” is seen even today is that Long Wong’s supposedly helped birth the “Tempe sound,” a jangly approach to pop-rock championed by banks like Gin Blossoms. Rhodes: After the Gin Blossoms had taken off, it was more salient of a concept than it was prior. Because before that, it was just bands making noise. And I remember watching that transition from where everybody and their brother who could freaking hold a guitar was starting a band in the ’90s because of Gin Blossoms. Grippe: The Gin Blossoms, though, were different. They had a sticker that said, “Gin Blossoms. Tempe, Arizona” when they were on “Late Night With David Letterman.” Robin wore a Dead Hot Workshop shirt. They took us and The Refreshments on tour with them. They actively promoted our town. As important as the Gin Blossoms were, that whole “Tempe sound” moniker often proved a touch problematic. Cina: I just hate that term, “Tempe sound.” I know that there’s people that think about the ‘90s and they think about a certain type of music. Even if you think about Seattle, I’m sure there were a bunch of other bands that didn’t sound like what you think Seattle sounded like in the ‘90s. Plenty of other bands deserved the spot- light. Dead Hot Workshop, an often under- appreciated member of that musical community, were regularly touted across these interviews. Zubia: What about Dead Hot Workshop? When I think of that whole era and all those bands, they’re at the top of the list of the bands that created that. There were other acts/artists, of course. Carter: Kevin Daly and Dave Insley from The Trophy Husbands made friends with us and they were like, “You guys are awesome, let’s do a show.” I remember going, “What are we doing playing with a band like this?” But the cool thing was that everybody just embraced good music. They didn’t care what it was, as long as it was good and it was fun. Those connections weren’t just born out of mere appreciation. So many other bands have stories where they only got in at Long Wong’s because of some other band they’d admired. Rhodes: I got in there because Stephen Ashbrook let us open up for him. We practiced a lot and played a bunch of shitty shows and a bunch of private parties. I paced myself before I approached Sara, and she said, “Get on with the band that’s already got a night.” So Stephen Ashbrook was Long Gone from p 15 >> p 18 A bartender serves customers during the closing celebrations at Long Wong’s. (Photo by David Rhodes)
