242 Best of phoenix 2023 | WWW.bestofphoenix2023.c0m | septemBer 28, 2023 Best Musical Tribute PC’S CELEBRATION OF LIFE The death of Paul “PC” Cardone in November 2022 shook the Tempe music community. The bassist, who played in dozens of bands over the years, was a fixture of the scene for decades, but more than that, he was a connector, a mentor, an encourager and a friend to pretty much everyone he ever met. His friends and fellow musicians quickly decided that the only possible tribute was a memorial concert, which took place in January on two stages at Tempe’s Yucca Tap Room. The show will go down in local music history as one of the scene’s greatest events. The lineup was a who’s-who of 30 years of Tempe music, including Robin Wilson of the Gin Blossoms, Dry River Yacht Club, Satellite, Ghetto Cowgirl, Banana Gun, Wyves, The Sugar Thieves, Dead Hot Workshop, Chocolate Fountain, Walt Richardson and many more. Friends and family came from around the world to cry and sing, dance and drink, reminisce and reconnect, and celebrate Cardone’s inimitable life and legacy. In April, the city of Tempe honored the concert’s orga- nizers with an award for the Neighborhood Event of the Year, a fitting tribute for a man whose nickname was the “Mayor of Tempe.” Best Pop Culture Frenzy TAYLOR SWIFT’S ERAS TOUR This year, metro Phoenix was the center of the world’s attention for two reasons. One was the July heat wave that kept the city cooking for a month. The other was the fact that a pair of shows at Glendale’s State Farm Stadium in March was the kickoff for Taylor Swift’s zeitgeist- altering Eras Tour. Glendale temporarily renamed itself Swift City before the inter- national music press descended on the Valley (along with thousands of out-of- town fans). And the show lived up to every iota of the hype. The three-hour, 44-song magnum opus on March 17 was just the beginning of the Eras’ Tour takeover of pop music, TikTok and the cultural landscape. Six months later, the tour is still going strong, and we feel fortunate that we were among the first to experience it. Best Concert You Weren’t Invited To DAVE GROHL’S PRIVATE SHOW During Super Bowl weekend in Phoenix, you could pretty much get into any event if you were willing to put up the money. The big game, celebrity-studded parties, the fanciest VIP area at the Waste Management Open: Everything was accessible for a price. But no one could pay any amount of money to attend a Feb. 10 show at Crescent Ballroom featuring a performance by Foo Fighters legend Dave Grohl. Hosted by Crown Royal, the mission of the invite-only event was to celebrate the hospitality and military communities. Attendees enjoyed free food and drinks, assembled care packages for members of the military and heard an opening set by country artist Scotty Hasting. Then, it was time for Grohl, who performed four Foo Fighters classics solo on an acoustic guitar, stopping in between songs just long enough to banter with the crowd. It was an awe-inspiring opportunity to see one of the biggest rock stars on the planet up close and personal. Best Music Festival ZONA MUSIC FESTIVAL zonamusicfest.com We’re thinking of making T-shirts that read, “I survived Day 1 of Zona Music Festival.” The inaugural event, held last December, had already faced setbacks before it even began: Headliners Tegan and Sara had to drop out nearly at the last minute when Sara Quin tested positive for COVID-19. Then, on the first day of the festival, Phoenix got three-quarters of an inch of rain, breaking a record for precipi- tation for Dec. 3. It turned Margaret T. Hance Park into a swamp and kept away a number of ticketholders. But despite all that, Zona was the best music festival of the year. Organizer Stephen Chilton of Pskyo Steve Presents put together an excellent lineup that was extremely heavy on both established and up-and-coming local acts, and included national indie favorites such as Japanese Breakfast, Portugal. The Man, Beach House and others. The fest had great food options, cool merch, an arcade area presented by Cobra Arcade Bar and four stages that kept concertgoers busy all day and night. Did everything go perfectly? No festival is ever perfect, especially not in its first year. But we tip our hat to Chilton and his team for their vision and execution under trying circumstances. There’s been no official word about future installments of Zona, but we dearly hope that it’s not a one-and-done. Best Local Compilation “HOOKWORM TWO” hookwormrecords.com Arizona music has a grand tradition of local compilation albums. Hit up the right garage sale or secondhand store and you could find examples curated by rock radio station KDKB or local record store chain Zia Records. Author Ryan Clark took his love of local music and turned it into a record label, Hookworm Records, whose first compilation, “Hookworm ONE,” came out in early 2022. Now, Clark and Hookworm are back with the aptly titled “Hookworm TWO.” This installment boasts six original songs by six Arizona indie rock bands: local outfits Chrome Rhino, Daphne + The Glitches, Fairy Bones, Sliced Limes and Weekend Lovers, and Tucson group Birds and Arrows. The new record is another testament to Clark’s dedication to the scene and to the depth of Arizona’s musical talent. Best Reason to Get a New License Plate ALICE COOPER LICENSE PLATE azdot.gov It seems like there’s an Arizona specialty license plate for every interest, from veterans and Cardinals fans to hunger relief and cancer awareness. But we haven’t been tempted to get one until this summer, when the Arizona Department of Transportation unveiled a new Alice Cooper license plate showing the legendary shock rocker on a red back- ground. The plate, which is available for cars, motorcycles and even golf carts, doesn’t just help drivers show off their love of rock ’n’ roll. Proceeds from sales of the license plate ($17 of the $25 fee) go to support the work of Cooper’s Solid Rock Teen Centers, his long-running nonprofit that gives young people a safe place to hang out and learn skills relating to music, art and performing arts. Solid Rock recently announced it would open a third center in the West Valley in 2024, so now’s the time to give the organization a little boost by ordering yourself a cool new plate. Best News for Drinkers SIP & STROLL tempemarketplace.com desertridge.com One of the things we actually like about Las Vegas is the ability to carry our adult beverage with us wherever we go. That’s never been a thing in Phoenix — until now. Under a law that took effect in January, Tempe Marketplace and Desert Ridge Marketplace now have a program called Sip & Stroll. Here’s how it works: People of legal drinking age can order a drink from a participating bar. Drinkers get a wristband and their drink of choice, at which point they can take the drink out of the bar and walk around designated areas of the shopping center. You can’t take your drink into any stores, and heaven help you if you’re caught giving any alcohol to someone who’s underage. But responsible adults willing to follow the rules can now have a glass of wine while watching an outdoor concert or sip a beer during a game of cornhole. It’s pretty darn cool. Best Bar CASEY MOORE’S OYSTER HOUSE 850 S. Ash Ave., Tempe 480-968-9935 caseymoores.com Casey Moore’s Oyster House has every- thing we need in a bar. A cool space? It’s located in the 113-year-old W.A. Moeur House, one of the oldest buildings in Tempe. A great patio? The outdoor area, strung with lights and dotted with picnic tables, wraps around two sides of the building. Food and drink? Casey’s does bar food well (we love the spicy cauliflower bites and golden wings) and seafood very
