Tucson: Night Life and Music

Tucson Music Scene 2008 Guide

(Photo) Club Congress and Hotel Congress, a landmark in Downtown Tucson

Adam Gregory drops in at the Maverick

Rising country music star Adam Gregory makes a cameo concert performance at the Maverick on Halloween night, Friday, October 31, 2008, 11pm.

Twenty-three year old Adam Gregory is a native of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.  After signing his first record deal with Sony Music Canada at age 13, he scored several Top Ten hits and Gold records in his native country before permanently relocating to Nashville in 2007. Gregory toured with the likes of Keith Urban, Alan Jackson and Lonestar earlier in his career, and was nominated for a CMA Global Country Artist award in 2005.  He recently played the Grand Ole Opry for the first time in August 2008, and again the following month in September. Read more about Adam Gregory performance at the Maverick Halloween. Watch Adam's music videos.

Tucson Bluegrass Music Festival Oct. 24-26th

The Desert Bluegrass Association presents the Tucson Bluegrass Music Festival on October 24, 25 & 26, 2008 at Desert Diamond Casino. Our ninth annual festival will feature all-day (10am - 5:30pm) performances on Saturday and Sunday by Dale Ann Bradley, Kirby Knob Boys, Sawmill Road, Chris Stuart & Backcountry, Burnette Family and the Blues "N" Grass Neighborhood Band - all staged in a beautiful outdoor plaza. On Friday evening (7pm - 9 pm) we are introducing the Desert Bluegrass Association band contest. Up to 10 bands will compete for $1000 in prize money and the opportunity to perform on the festival stage on Sunday. The evenings are for jamming so bring your instrument and join us. Workshops will help pickers hone their skills, vendors will offer crafts and music for sale and Desert Diamond offers dining options ranging from fine dining to casual snacks. A section of parking area near the plaza will be reserved for camping and jamming. Daily admission is $20. Weekend passes are $30. Children under 16 are free with a paying adult. Camping is included in the price of admission. The Desert Diamond Casino is located at Interstate 19 & Pima Mine Road just south of Tucson, AZ. For more information visit www.desertbluegrass.org. The Desert Bluegrass Association is a non-profit, all volunteer organization who promotes Bluegrass Music in the Greater Tucson metropolitan area.

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Oct. 24-26, 2008: The Desert Bluegrass Association presents the Tucson Bluegrass Music Festival at Desert Diamond Casino.

Oct. 27, 2008: WWE Tickets TCC Arena

Nov. 15, 2008: The Mikado Tickets Tucson Music Hall

Jan 10, 2009: The Smothers Brothers, Tucson Music Hall

Jan. 18, 2009: Elixir of Love Tickets, Tucson Music Hall

Jan. 21, 2009: Don Giovanni, Tucson Music Hall

Feb. 28, 2009: Monster Jam Trucks, Tucson Arena

April 4, 2009: Tosca Tickets, Tucson Music Hall

Jazz in Tucson

There have been several changes in the local Tucson, AZ music club and night life scene recently.

A temporary new home has been arranged for Skrappy's, the youth empowerment center that features regular concerts. Skrappy's will share three blocks away from its former 201 E. Broadway Blvd. address to the basement of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tucson, 160 E. Alameda. Concerts will not be held at this location, but other Skrappy's program will continue until a more permanent home is found.

TESTAMENT TO BE FEATURED ON MTV'S 52 / 52...ALL TESTAMENT Ð ALL WEEK LONG. TESTAMENT CHARTS FOR SECOND WEEK IN A ROW AND REMAINS #1 ON RADIO! Tucson stop on August 29th. Held at Rialto Theater  - Headlining off date from Metal Masters Tour – ALMOST SOLD OUT…PLEASE POST/LIST DATE - 6:00 pm doors / 6:30 pm showtime  all ages  $23 gen. admission adv. / $TBA gen. admission day of show

Valley of the Moon restoration progress and the endangered Magic Carpet sculptures. Two fundraisers planned for Sept. 5 at the Hotel Congress, 311 E. Congress and a Sept. 27 fundraiser at the Hut, 305 N. Fourth Avenue, hope to acieve much of that needed goal. Local bands will perform to help raise money.

Jonathan L and his lopsided world

Newsreal's Jonathan L is back with his twice weekly radio show "THE LOPSIDED WORLD OF L," a mixture of Alternative and Rock from the past and present. Listen to Jonathan L on Saturday mornings 6:45am-10am and Sunday evenings from 6pm-8pm on 98KUPD FM, Tempe, AZ. Also read alternative rock music reviews from Jonathan L's Must Have CDs.

The Travel Channel rolled into The Maverick

"Lawrence of America: the TV Series" will be onsite at The Maverick "The King of Clubs" 7:00pm Thursday October 25, 2007 to shoot a feature profiling the Western lifestyle scheduled to air 2008 on the Travel Channel. Lawrence is an Englishman who has come to the USA to delve into many different and fascinating subcultures. In each episode of this half-hour Travel Entertainment Show, Lawrence will explore, in his own unique way, a different aspect of American culture. Continue reading...

List of Tucson, AZ nightclubs

Local Tucson Musicians

Interviews by Paisley Yankolovich

Rip Taylor
Chuck Negron (Three Dog Night)
Tiny Tim

Tucson Enterainment Magazine

Entertainment Magazine

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Elvis: Tucson '76

From the Follow That Dream series out of Europe, this is an unreleased 'live' show from June 1, 1976! All songs were recorded June 1, 1976 at the Community Center Arena, Tucson, Arizona except See See Rider (recorded in Odessa May 30 1976, afternoon show) and Love Letters (recorded in Odessa May 30, 1976, evening show).

Zoom Records Anthology "Rockin' Tucson in the '50's"

Zoom Records was Southern Arizona’s first rock and roll record label. It was the creation of two 17 year old Tucson, Arizona, Catalina High School students, Burt Schneider and Ray Lindstrom. All the records were produced during a short 7 month period in 1959, but they capture the independent rock sound of the era.
They were all recorded in Phoenix at Audio Recorders of Arizona, where Duane Eddy made all his big hits. Legendary engineer, and Grammy award winner, Jack Miller was at the controls. He was famous later for sessions with many top stars including the Rolling Stones.
None of the records were giant chart busters, but they got heavy play and made the hit sheets in Tucson as well as a few other places in the US and Europe. They continue to be included on many US and overseas compilation releases featuring 50's American rock and roll and rockabilly.
No early rock collection is complete without the "Southern Arizona Sound."

Featured Tucson Artists:
King Rock and The Knights: The wildest, groovinest, hard pounding-rockinest sound anywhere. Roger Hohlenkamp is King Rock with Knights Bob Dickey, Carson Noel, and Tom Hawk. The two cuts featured here were re-released on a 45 in 1965 and Send-di became a hit in Pittsburgh as the theme song of WZUM's legendary jock "Mad Mike" Metrovich. It is also featured on the Itzy label LP and CD "Pittsburgh's Greatest Hits." Scandal and Send-di were both cuts on on the German label Buffalo Bop's Strictly Instrumental Series.
Pete Ronstadt and The Nightbeats: Fast or slow, these vocals with Pete were the world’s best. (You may have heard of Pete's little sister, Linda Ronstadt) Besides Pete on the vocals and guitar,there was Nate Foster-guitar, Bert Roberts-Drums, Lance Hoopes-Sax, and Don Grossberndt-Piano.
Lonesome Road Rock was the biggest hit of all the Zoom sounds in Tucson. These singles have shown up quite often on foreign early rock compilation albums including the recent Collector's Records "Rockabilly Hoodlums" (Hot Greaseball Action) CD series. Actually, the words "hoodlums" and "greaseball" are really misnomers; the group was about as clean-cut as you could get...just look at the cover photo.
Jack Wallace and the Hi-Tones: He could have been Elvis, but he was just a couple of years too late. Jack’s deep vocals along with the doo-wop harmony of LeRoy Meadows and Dave First of the Hi-Tones are a real treat. This was the first Zoom Record and had the blue and silver label. All future releases would be the distinctive red and silver color. The week You Are The One was released it was played on the air very hour as a KTKT Exclusive (Tucson's top station).

Tracks:
1. Scandal – King Rock and The Knights
2. Send-Di – King Rock and The Knights
3. Lonesome Road Rock – Pete Ronstadt & The Nightbeats
4. Nightbeat – Pete Ronstadt & The Nightbeats
5. Doreen – Pete Ronstadt & The Nightbeats
6. Cryin’ All Night – Pete Ronstadt & The Nightbeats
7. Sea of Love – Pete Ronstadt & The Nightbeats
8. I Think of You – Jack Wallace & The Hi-Tones
9. You Are The One – Jack Wallace & The Hi–Tones

Original Release Date: January 2, 2002

Tucson, Arizona Dining: