▼ Music Theatre, 730 North Mill Avenue, on the heels of the group’s fourth album, Wallflowers, which dropped in August. Deathcore band Suicide Silence and metal act All Hail the Yeti are also on the bill for the 7:15 p.m. show on Sunday, December 12. It’s $32.50 for general admission on the Marquee’s main floor and $67 for access to the balcony. (Note: This show was origi- nally scheduled for The Pressroom. All previously purchased tickets will be honored.) Jon Solomon Republic Records Clemens Rehbein and Philipp Daush of Milky Chance. Ticket to Rock Here are the biggest concerts coming to Phoenix in December. BY BENJAMIN LEATHERMAN T he last month of every year is typically the busiest, which is completely understandable with the holiday season and all. December 2021 will be no exception. The metro Phoenix concert scene will also be plenty busy as well as the next few weeks are filled with shows being put on by radio stations (ALT-AZ 93.3) and high- profile tours rolling through town (Allman Family Revival, Milky Chance). Add in some local legends performing for home- town crowds (Gin Blossoms, Injury Reserve) and a two-day electronic dance music massive (Decadence Arizona) and you’ve got a packed calendar. Details about each of these concerts and events can be found below in our list of the best shows happening in the Valley in December. (For more gigs around town, check our Phoenix New Times’ online list- ings.) And as we’re sure you’re aware by now, every major music venue in metro Phoenix is requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccinations or a recent negative test to at- tend their shows. 34 ALT-AZ’s Ugly Sweater Holiday Party Mesa Amphitheatre For the better part of 30 years now, Weezer has been a household name. The pop-ori- ented rock quartet — fronted by the one and only Rivers Cuomo — got its first taste of mainstream success in 1994 with “Undone (The Sweater Song),” which became a favorite on college campuses. Since then, the band has put out more than a dozen studio albums, but not all of their discography has been celebrated (read: anything that’s not the Blue Album or Pinkerton). Undeterred, Weezer has pressed onward, and is still touring and performing. Cuomo and company are scheduled to headline the annual Ugly Sweater Party put on by local alt-rock radio station ALT-AZ 93.3 on Saturday, Decem- ber 11, at Mesa Amphitheatre, 263 North Center Street. Female-fronted punk band The Regrettes and Phoenix-born pop wunderkind UPSAHL open. Gates are at 4:30 p.m. and tickets are $65 to $175. Mat- thew Keever Beach Bunny Crescent Ballroom Pop-punk outfit Beach Bunny’s happy- actually-pretty-sad spirit is on full display in their music, particularly on their first full-length album, 2020’s Honeymoon. The opening track “Promises” is meant for blaring with the car windows rolled down, windblown hair and all, screaming about an ex. Vocalist/guitarist Lili Tri- filio’s vocals guide the production, set to lyrics less optimistic than Beach Bunny’s melodies suggest. At the top of the chorus, she sings: “Part of me still wants you.” A few bars later: “Part of me still hates you.” Despite covering lyrically gray areas, Beach Bunny’s songs are so colorful and energetic that you might find yourself smiling at the melancholy, dancing through it all, and hollering the lyrics (in no particular order) when they perform at Crescent Ballroom, 308 North Second Ave- nue on Sunday, December 11. The 8 p.m. show is sold out but tickets can be found on the secondary market. John Amar Jinjer Marquee Theatre Ukrainian progressive-metal band Jinjer, fronted by vocal powerhouse Tatiana Shmailyuk, will play Tempe’s Marquee Milky Chance The Van Buren A trifecta of German folk, reggae, and elec- tronic music, Milky Chance are a harmoni- ous cacophony of something you’ve never really heard before. Singer Clemens Reh- bein has the voice of a long-lost friend, his raspy, sultry attitude enriched by dreamy beats from DJ/producer Philipp Daush. Their 2013 album Sadnecessary became an international hit, launching the duo into multiple world tours, as well as perfor- mances at venues and festivals worldwide. And after a four-year wait, Milky Chance finally released a follow-up album, Blossom, in 2017, which charted in coun- tries worldwide, including the Billboard 200. Their latest release is Trip Tape, a 10-track collection of covers, demos, and remixes, as well as their newest single, “Colorado.” It’s bound to be in Milky Chance’s setlist when they come to The Van Buren, 401 West Van Buren, on Mon- day, December 13. The 13-and-over concert begins at 8 p.m. and tickets are $37.50. Eleanor Lambert Dave Koz and Friends Mesa Arts Center Grammy-winning saxophonist and smooth jazz king Dave Koz is bringing his annual Christmastime tour back to the Valley for a performance at Mesa Arts Center, 1 East Main Street, on Wednesday, December 15. This year, he’ll be accompanied by guitarist Jonathan Butler, trumpeter Rick Braun, saxophonist Richard Elliot, and vocalist Rebecca Jade to form a Voltron of jazz. They’ll perform a variety of holi- >> p 37 The musicians of Beach Bunny. Brandon Hoeg DEC 9TH– DEC 15TH, 2021 PHOENIX NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | FEATURE | NEWS | OPINION | FEEDBACK | CONTENTS | phoenixnewtimes.com
