24 Jan 11th–Jan 17th, 2024 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | Opening Acts The best concerts happening in Phoenix in January. BY BENJAMIN LEATHERMAN J anuary is a unique month for concerts in the Valley. After a brief post-holiday lull, things get back into a groove as legendary artists and blockbuster tours start rolling into music venues across the Phoenix area. This month is no exception. From mid- January onward, a parade of big names are scheduled to perform in the Valley. Iconic rock bands the Eagles and Foreigner. Chart- topping rappers like Kevin Gates and Young Nudy. Country music star Cody Johnson and gutterbilly act The Goddamned Gallows. Punk stalwarts Black Flag and rising hyperpop artist Ericdoa. Britpop bands The Charlatans U.K. and Ride. Other highlights of January’s concert calendar include several notable local music events, like the Full Moon Festival’s seventh-anniversary celebration, a 16-piece ensemble performing music from Wes Anderson’s films and the return of Phoenix Art Museum’s PhxArt Amplified event. Read on for details about these gigs and the rest of Phoenix’s best concerts in January or check out our music listings for even more shows around the Valley. Power 98.3/96.1 Powerhouse Saturday, Jan. 13 Desert Diamond Arena, 9400 W. Maryland Ave., Glendale The folks at Valley radio station Power 98.3/96.1 tend to bring in hip-hop heavy- weights to perform at their annual Powerhouse concerts. (To wit: Previous editions of the show have seen the likes of Snoop Dogg and Ice Cube taking the stage.) This year’s Powerhouse, which was originally scheduled to take place last summer but was postponed until January, will be no exception. Chart-topping rapper Kevin Gates — the Louisiana-born artist behind such hits as “Really Really,” “2 Phones” and “Me Too” — will headline the concert. Others scheduled to perform include trap/hip-hop artist Young Nudy (“Peaches & Eggplants”), Grammy- nominated hitmaker Joyner Lucas (“Your Heart”), Strange Music co-founder Tech N9ne (“Fragile”), motormouthed rapper Twista (“Slow Jamz”) and R&B singer- songwriter Eric Bellinger (“G.O.A.T.”). 5 p.m., $69-$125 via ticketmaster.com. BENJAMIN LEATHERMAN Rock the Block feat. Foreigner Friday, Jan. 19 Westworld of Scottsdale, 16601 N. Pima Road Classic cars will mix with classic rock when Foreigner brings its Feels Like the Last Time farewell tour to WestWorld to coincide with this year’s Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction. The concert, which includes an opening set by Night Ranger, will take place a day before the launch of this year’s auction and will serve as a pre- party of sorts to the event. It’s rather fitting, considering Foreigner’s various hits from over the decades — including such favorites as “Jukebox Hero,” “Long, Long Way from Home,” “Head Games” and “Double Vision” — have aged just as well as the vintage automotive gems up for auction each year at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale. 8 p.m., $59-$249 via axs.com. BENJAMIN LEATHERMAN Eagles Friday, Jan. 19, and Saturday, Jan. 20 Footprint Center, 201 E. Jefferson St. How much time do we have left before the Eagles revival is fully upon us? Everything gets a critical reappraisal eventually. Fleetwood Mac, Hall & Oates, ABBA and Steely Dan were all punchlines at one point and have since been reclaimed as avatars of pop perfection. How much longer can we live in this beautiful world where the Eagles are still considered cheesy? Despite being the subject of ridicule by hipsters around the world, the Eagles have gone platinum so many times that only Michael Jackson can challenge their best-selling bona fides. People can’t get enough of the band’s mellow, drinking-tequila-at-last-call country-rock vibes. Listen to any classic rock radio and their songs are inescapable. They may not have respect but they have the world. Even though the Eagles are in the midst of their ongoing farewell tour, none of us will ever leave the Hotel California, no matter how hard we try. With Steely Dan; 7:30 p.m., tickets are available on the secondary market. ASHLEY NAFTULE The Maine Friday, Jan. 19 and Saturday, Jan. 20 The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren St. “I disregard the pessimism, disappoint the algorithm,” Josh O’Callaghan sings on “Blame” off The Maine’s 2023 self-titled record. Nine albums in, homegrown Valley band The Maine are finding new ways to make themselves unclassifiable. Are they pop? Are they rock? Are they a dance band? On their latest release, they’re all of the above. Propelled by anthemic guitar hooks and the strong rhythmic interplay of bassist Garrett Nickelsen, drummer Patrick Kirch and rhythm guitarist Kennedy Brock, the Maine make an infec- tious brand of pop rock that’s laden with buzzy guitars and sweet synth sounds. There’s even a touch of disco swagger on songs like “Leave in Five.” The Maine’s ability to kick up a groove is what makes their music stick in your memory. They’re scheduled to visit The Van Buren this month for a two-night stop on their Sweet Sixteen tour. Both shows are officially sold out, but you can probably score tickets via resellers. With The Summer Set and Weathers (on Jan. 19) and Diva Bleach (on Jan. 20); 7:30 p.m. ASHLEY NAFTULE PhxArt Amplified Vol. 3 Saturday, Jan. 20 Phoenix Art Museum, 1625 N. Central Ave. If there’s one question that continues to grow louder among museums and art insti- tutions across the globe, it’s this: How can they stay relevant in the 21st century? Museums still serve as guardians of cultural history, but as communities increasingly come to expect that their institutions reflect them and their needs, these institutions’ self-reflection can allow new ideas to gain traction. In Phoenix, one of those ideas is Amplified, the annual music and arts festival that’s returning on Jan. 20 after a four-year hiatus. More than 50 bands and artist groups will take over the museum for a day, offering visitors not only the experience of a staggering number of acts in a single place, but also transforming the possibilities of the museum’s role in the community. Performances will takes in various indoor and outdoor spots throughout the museum, including the Dorrance Sculpture Garden. The lineup will include June McDoom, Little Jesus, Los Esplifs, Golden Boots, Pijama Piyama, Terminal 11, JPW, Tatiana Crespo, Flower Festival and many more. Noon, $40 via phxart.org. PAULA IBIETA Black Flag Saturday, Jan. 20 Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave., Tempe Few bands — hardcore or otherwise — are as iconic as Black Flag. The Raymond Pettibon album covers, the “get in the van” touring ethos, the raucous L.A. concerts that would turn into police riots, the rotating door of legendary punk vocalists (including the legendary Henry Rollins), the instantly recognizable four black bar logo — so much of the band is steeped in iconography and history that it’s easy to forget that the music also kicked ass. “Damaged” and “My War” are two of the great rock records, steeped in sludgy atmo- spherics and ear-shredding riffs. What can you expect from seeing Black Flag in 2023? Not much of the original lineup, for starters. While Black Flag has always been guitarist/songwriter Greg Ginn’s baby, the band’s classic run featured a cast of players who were as critical to the their sound and development as Ginn’s contributions. None of them are still in the band, as it’s basically the Greg Ginn show now. While you won’t get to see Rollins bursting a vessel to “Depression,” you can still hear one of the all-time great punk guitarists shred his six-string while performing two sets, one of which will include every song from their iconic 1984 album “My War.” 8:30 p.m., $35-$89.48 via seetickets.us. ASHLEY NAFTULE The Hot Sardines Tuesday, Jan. 23 and Wednesday, Jan. 24 Musical Instrument Museum, 4725 E. Mayo Blvd. It takes a rare breed of musician to cite both Bugs Bunny and Louis Prima as musical influences, but the hepcats behind The Hot Sardines are anything but normal. Hailing from NYC, the multi-musician ensemble are a hot jazz band in a Members of La Luz de La Luna perform at PhxArt Amplified in 2019. (Photo by Benjamin Leatherman) ▼ Music >> p 26
