46 Dec 26th, 2024-Jan 1st, 2025 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | Hit Parade The 10 most-read Phoenix New Times music stories of 2024. BY BENJAMIN LEATHERMAN P hoenix New Times readers, we hear you loud and clear. In 2024, you wanted to know about venue openings and closings, major concert announcements and the latest local music news. You also dove into stories about metro Phoenix’s most iconic nightspots, the Arizona State Fair’s annual concert lineup and insights from music legends with local ties like Maynard James Keenan and Dave Mustaine. Suffice it to say, it’s clear this year was all about staying dialed into the Valley scene. Stay tuned in 2025 as we continue to bring you the latest music news and more engaging content. In the meantime, here are the most-read Phoenix New Times music stories of 2024. 10. Phoenix punk scene’s 10 best albums ever Punk rock will never die — and neither will Phoenix’s enduring love for the thunderous genre. To wit: Our rundown of the best records to emerge from the Valley’s punk scene since the early ‘80s was embraced by readers after its September publication. The list celebrated one of Phoenix’s more vital and resilient scenes and showcased the diverse sounds it produced over 40-plus years — from the 1980 split 7-inch “K15 Presents 2x2” (featuring local ska pioneers The X-Streams and New Wave act The Nervous) to Yellowcake’s 2022 crust-punk banger “Can You See the Future?” Other standout albums highlighted include JFA’s underappreciated 1988 gem “Nowhere Blossoms,” Authority Zero’s 2002 classic “A Passage in Time” and AJJ’s folk-punk masterpiece “People Who Can Eat People Are the Luckiest People in the World.” 9. Char’s Has the Blues: The life and death of Phoenix R&B institution When Phoenix’s beloved R&B joint Char’s Has the Blues closed in March, fans were devastated. Open since 1985, the 2,245-square-foot venue along Seventh Avenue south of Camelback Road was a live music institution for more than 40 years, hosting such legendary local blues, R&B, soul and funk artists as Big Pete Pearson, Chico Chism, Laydee Jai and Larry Bailey. After shuttering in 2020 due to the pandemic, new owner David Cameron transformed it into Char’s Live two years later. While it honored Char’s legacy and featured a similar many of the same performers who graced its stage back in the day, the bar struggled to recapture the same crowds and energy. 8. Tool’s Maynard James Keenan opening Arizona venue and record store Maynard James Keenan gave us many reasons to write about him and his projects in 2024. The prolific singer, artist, wine- maker and Arizona resident brought his three bands (Tool, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer) to Phoenix, released new music and announced both a jiu-jitsu film and a new destination music festival in the Dominican Republic. If that weren’t enough, Keenan also relocated Puscifer the Store from Jerome to Cottonwood, trans- forming it into Queen B Vinyl Cafe — a record store, wine bar, coffee roaster, ramen house, hair salon and music venue. The enterprise (or should we say enter- prises) opened in late October with various concerts and events, including perfor- mances by comedian Rory Scovel and “Star Wars” metal band Galactic Empire. 7. Your guide to the Arizona State Fair 2024 concert series Concerts at the Arizona State Fair have always been a big draw. Held inside the Veterans Memorial Coliseum since the 1960s, they’ve been a key part of the event’s mix of big-ticket thrills and hometown charm. (Legends like Nirvana, Korn, Green Day, Snoop Dogg and Bob Dylan have performed over the years.) Prior to the pandemic, concerts took place nearly every weekend during the fair’s month-long run and were free to attend. Since 2023, the series has featured more modest lineups and required reserved seating. The fair’s concert lineup continues to attract plenty of attention, with the 2024 lineup — including Big Time Rush, The All-American Rejects and Vanilla Ice — being no exception. 6. ‘Repo Man’ soundtrack showcases ‘80s punk from L.A. 40 years later The 1984 cult sci-fi flick “Repo Man” turned 40 this year and marked the occasion in September with a deep dive into its landmark soundtrack and its collection of punk and wild, weird, under- ground rock. Curated by director Alex Cox with assistance from the members of Latino punk band The Plugz, the soundtrack was a snapshot of L.A.’s late ‘70s/early ‘80s punk rock scene with tunes from Iggy Pop, Suicidal Tendencies, Black Flag and Circle Jerks. No wonder we called it one of the greatest movie soundtracks ever made. 5. Phoenix Reddit names the grimiest bars in the Valley In August, a user on the r/Phoenix subreddit asked for a roll call of the grimiest bars in the Valley. Local Redditors eagerly responded, listing a rogue’s gallery of noto- riously gritty establishments, including Royale Lounge, Bikini Lounge, Maverick Saloon, and Mesa’s Hambone Sports Bar. Topping the list—unsurprisingly—was Tempe’s infamous watering hole and occa- sional venue, Palo Verde Lounge, affection- ately dubbed the “Dirty Verde.” If you’ve ever stepped into its dank atmosphere or graffiti-covered bathrooms, you’d likely agree. One Redditor summed it up perfectly: “Dark, kinda scary, low ceilings. And I hope it never changes.” Authority Zero’s 2002 classic “A Passage in Time” made our list of the 10 best Phoenix punk albums. (Photo by Corona Chronicles) The restroom walls of infamous Tempe dive Palo Verde Lounge. (Photo by Lauren Cusimano) The exterior of Char’s Has the Blues on Seventh Avenue in 2020. (Photo by Benjamin Leatherman) Maynard James Keenan: singer, writer, artist, winemaker and Arizona resident. (Photo by Jim Louvau) The scene during a previous edition of the Arizona State Fair. (Courtesy of Arizona State “Repo Man” celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2024. (Photo by Universal Pictures) >> p 48 ▼ Music
