24 July 11th-July 17th, 2024 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | Cheap Thrills Crescent Ballroom’s affordable summer concerts have returned. BY BENJAMIN LEATHERMAN C rescent Ballroom has an offer you can’t refuse. The down- town Phoenix venue is bringing in some of Arizona’s best bands for weekend matinee concerts this summer featuring cheap tickets, ample air conditioning, and great vibes. Sounds like a win-win scenario, right? It’s part of the venue’s Escape to Crescent Ballroom Summer Matinee Concert Series and was popular enough last year — despite record-breaking temperatures in the Valley — to make a return in 2024. Crescent Ballroom’s Charlie Levy says the concerts are aimed at providing an alternative to spending the dog days of summer at home or at the movies. “Many times, when it’s the middle of summer, people get like, ‘What’s some- thing fun to do?’ There’s only so many movies you can see or shows you can watch, though,” Levy says. “So we thought, ‘Why don’t we open the ball- room, crank the AC and bring in some really great live music?’” The series started on June 30 with a performance by Agua De Coco, a salsa band based in Hermosillo, Mexico. Concerts will take place at 2 p.m. on various Saturdays and Sundays through September 8. All shows feature affordable admis- sion. Prices start at $5 and a majority are only $8 if you purchase tickets in advance. ‘Something to do’ during the dog days of summer The Escape to Crescent Summer Concert Series debuted last June as something for its patrons and staff during the dog days of summer, Levy says. “We kinda did it for ourselves and for everyone else to have something to do during the day in the summer, because when it gets hot there’s not much to do,” Levy says. “So at the last minute, we put together a concert series.” It was a hit and the shows were packed. Levy says he and his staff were surprised be the response. “It was a lot better than we thought it was going to be,” he says. “So we had to bring it back.” And they had an entire year to plan the 2024 edition of the Escape to Crescent series. ‘Something for everybody’ Most of the Escape to Crescent gigs are open to all ages, save for an 18-and-over perfor- mance by Tucson-based burlesque artist Lola Torch. And Levy says they’re bringing in artists and acts from a variety of genres. “We really tried to have something for everybody,” he says. “It’s great artists from all over Arizona, the southwest and even into Mexico. There’s not a stinker in the bunch.” The Escape to Crescent lineup ranges from indie bands such as pop act Barefoot and rockers Paper Foxes, as well as the New Orleans jazz ensemble the Bad Cactus Brass Band and the tastemaking Tucson mambo group Orkesta Mendoza. Other highlights include the galactic neo-soul act Hyperbella and local jazz legend Charles Lewis, both of whom Levy says will deliver fantastic shows. “If you haven’t seen Hyperbella perform, it’s an experience anyone can enjoy,” Levy says. “And we’re excited to have Charles Lewis back. He’s 91 years old and has been playing in Phoenix since the ‘50s. He always puts on a great show.” Crescent Ballroom summer concert series lineup Here’s the schedule for the Escape to Crescent Ballroom Summer Matinee Concert Series. Shows start at 2 p.m. Ticket prices vary. • July 14: Barefoot (indie pop), $8 in advance. • July 21: Flamenco Por La Vida (tradi- tional flamenco), $16 in advance. • July 27: Lola Torch (burlesque). $14 in advance. • July 28: Bad Cactus Brass Band (New Orleans jazz), $8 in advance. • Aug. 3: Hyperbella (galactic neo-soul) with Ruminations, $8 in advance. • Aug. 4: Paper Foxes, Proper Pet and Practically People (indie rock), $8 in advance. • Aug. 11: Charles Lewis Quintet (bossa nova), $8 in advance. • Aug. 17: Orkesta Mendoza (Latin/ mambo), $15 in advance. • Sept. 8: Great American Songbook feat. Rick Naimark (jazz standards), $5 in advance. Tucson’s Orkestra Mendoza is scheduled to perform at Crescent Ballroom on Aug. 17. (Photo by Josh Harrison) ▼ Music Music Fun for Free Here’s who’s playing Chandler Center for the Arts’ no-cost summer concert series. BY BENJAMIN LEATHERMAN L ike it or not, the summer has arrived in Arizona. Over the next several months, the heat will dominate and complicate all of our lives as triple-digit tempera- tures relentlessly roast the Valley. There’s a silver lining to the annual summertime swelter, though. Thanks to the dearth of touring acts in metro Phoenix this time of year, several venues and arts institutions in the Valley will offer summer concerts showcasing the talents of local musicians and bands. Chandler Center for the Arts will be one of them, as the long-running venue announced plans earlier this month to stage its annual free summer concert series starting in late July. The series will serve as the kickoff for Chandler Center for the Arts’ yearlong 35th-anniversary celebration and will feature Arizona artists and acts from multiple genres, ranging from jazz and blues to Americana and Latin music. Performances will take place at 7:30 p.m. every Friday from July 26 to August 23 on the Steena Murray Mainstage. Admission to each concert is free, but RSVPing via the venue’s website is recommended. >> p 26 Mikel Lander and Meridith Moore of The Sugar Thieves. (Photo by Marilyn Stringer)
