AZ Vibe – The Ultimate Phoenix Entertainment Resource

Reviewed October, 25th

Well, I went to check out Shake at the Rogue Bar mainly to see Black Carl but ended up experiencing a really fun and cool event/venue in the process.  Shake is Correctly billed (on their MySpace Page) as a “Motherfucking Rock and Roll Dance Party” in that the first part of the evening are all live bands.  At approximately 11:30 or so the music switches to some pretty damned good DJ’s until the The Rogue Bar closes at 2:00 AM.

First off, the major negative of The Rogue Bar and going to Shake is finding the venue. For those of you who have had a hard time trying to find The Rogue Bar in the past know exactly what I am talking about.  The problem with heading North on North Scottsdale Road from Highway 202 in Tempe is that the Addresses jump all over the place numerically.  Secondly, is that there are not any signs or markings of where the Rogue Bar is at.  It’s right next to a mini mart and the chances are you will drive right by it if you are not paying attention are REALLY high.

Just so everyone knows for future reference….

The Rogue Bar is on the corner of North Scottsdale Road and East Fillmore Street when you look it up on Google or those new fangled internet map sites.

I got to the Rogue Bar and paid my five dollar cover charge just as the evening’s festivities were getting underway.  The first band to take the stage was Montresoros.  I’ve never heard them play before and for the short time that they were on stage, I was pretty impressed.  I’m pretty hard to impress when it comes to live shows as I’m not only a musician who has played around Seattle and in San Diego (mainly in Seattle) but I have pretty high expectations of what a really good live show should be.  Montresoros is a pretty good live band and if you see them on any bill around the Phoenix area, check them out.   You won’t be disappointed.

The next band up on the bill was Black Carl.  If you are a frequent reader of AZ Vibe you all know I have a big man crush on this band.  Why?  Because Black Carl REALLY knows how to put on a killer live show. This is the main reason why Black Carl has their own dedicated Event Search Link in the right hand column of AZ Vibe.

Black Carl genuinely, from the last time I saw them this summer, have been working on bettering their craft and it showed during their set at The Rogue Bar.  I’m not sure how long they’ve been around but the vibe they gave out Saturday night at the Rogue Bar was one like they have been playing together for a long time.  Secondly, the characteristic of a REALLY good live band like Black Carl was that they were all visibly having a TON of fun playing that night at the Rogue.  Whether they know this or not, the crowd REALLY fed off of that positivity and it made their performance better and better as the set went on.

The highlights of the set were not only the new songs (all I have is their EP at the moment) and their amazing covers of Blackstreet’s ‘No Diggity’ and the Talking Heads ‘Psycho Killer’ (this cover really got the crowd into the show). By the time their set ended, Black Carl definitely left a solid mark not only on the Rogue patrons but on the Phoenix Music scene as an up and coming force to be reckoned with.  This will especially come true if they keep getting better and better with their live shows.

If you ever see Black Carl on a bill around town they are absolutely a ‘MUST SEE’‘.

The Headliner of the Rock and Roll part of ‘Shake’ was ‘The Stiletto Formal’ and they started off with a BANG and a really killer driving groove.  However, as the set went on, The Stiletto Formal’s set didn’t really go anywhere.  I don’t know if they had an off night or they were trashed but they really need to work on their live show.  The entire set was pretty one-dimensional as it sounded like they were playing the same Wolfmother song over and over and over again.  I normally give bands a couple of chances before making a decision on whether or not they are worth seeing or not.  I’ll check them out again in the future.  Hopefully they can work the kinks out of their live show before I check them out again.

After ‘The Stiletto Formal’s’ set was finished and they took all their equipment off the stage, the next part of ‘Shake’ began.  DJ’s.  The Rogue Bar converts to a dance club and a bunch of DJ’s took turns (in approx 30 or so minute sets) throwing down the best jams for the crowd.  The DJ’s I saw were pretty talented and were definitely keeping the vibe of the crowd in mind when they did their mixes.

One of the other things that was cool about ‘Shake’ is that they had a photographer there named Tate Hemlock that takes pictures during ‘Shake’ that captures the essence and coolness of the evening.  The photos from this past Saturday night are not up yet but keep checking this link as it will be updated soon:

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewAlbums&friendID=198399562

All in all, ‘Shake’ at the Rogue Bar is an amazing and unique event that must not be missed.  If you are a fan of music and want to try something new, ‘Shake’ is the thing for you.  This edition of ‘Shake’ was the perfect combination of multiple styles of music rolled up into a mini festival.  Shake is definitely a  ‘MUST SEE’ event

Popularity: 9% [?]

Reviewed October 26th

Well our readers have asked for it and we have delivered.

This evening we visited the Twisted Big Top Haunted House in Glendale and it’s sister Haunted House “Haunt of the Living Dead” at the Mesa Riverview. 

The review for “Haunt of the Living Dead” will be in a separate review to be published later today.

I should note right now that there won’t be any pictures of the interiors or any detailed explanations of the Twisted Big Top as I beleive that this is one of the best Haunted Houses I have been too in over 15 years.  If I tried to explain what exactly goes on inside will not only spoil people’s experiences but I simply cannot (or will not) do the amazing experiences in the Twisted Big Top justice.

Twisted Big Top is located at the corner of Westgate Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard on the North west area of the Westgate City Center.  Since the Twisted Big Top is in the same Complex as the Jobing.com Arena and the University of Phoenix Stadium the wait times to get in may vary depending on the other events going on around the complex.  Fortunately, there were not any other events going on Sunday at the Westgate City Center so wait times were really short.  The Twisted Big Top is visible from the west side of the Westgate City Center and is easy to locate no matter where you park on the Westgate City Center Grounds.  There’s a link below that has a map with the exact location of the Twisted Big Top at the Westgate City Center.

The Picture above is the entrance to the Twisted Big Top and the Ticket office is off to the right of the picture.  If it’s a busy night and the wait is over an hour I will say right now that spending the extra $10 for the VIP ticket is worth the Money.

To maximize the effects of the Twisted Big Top people were ushered in a few at a time.  One awesome thing I will say about the staff at the Twisted Big Top is that they made sure that people didn’t bunch up throughout the entire course of the Twisted Big Top.  I know one of the things I really don’t like about Haunted Houses in general is when groups run into each other.  You don’t have to worry about this at all.  The people at the Twisted Big Top take great care to make sure that your experience is a memorable one.

For those of you who are not familiar with all of the attractions that make up the Twisted Big Top, it is a Circus Clown theme gone horribly wrong.  (Original AZ Vibe Article About the event can be found here)

Once you enter into the Twisted Big Top you are shuttled into an a staging area before entering the first attraction ‘Six Feet Blunder’.

‘Six Feet Blunder’ is a fun opening attraction that serves as the setup for the rest of the haunted house.  Without giving too much away, ‘Six Feet Blunder’ is an attraction that is more reminiscent of the Haunted House at Disneyland than your typical Haunted House with the different animatronics and other cool effects that go on.

After ‘Six Feet Blunder’ has been completed, the next attraction is the ‘Mirror Mayhem’.  Again, without going into any descriptions or ruining anything that goes on, the ‘Mirror Mayhem’ is a maze of mirrors that is the beginning of the path to your final destination…the Twisted Big Top.

Once the ‘Mirror Mayhem’ has been completed, it is now time to enter the Twisted Big Top.  As you make your way to the entrance you are given a set of instructions of Do’s and Do Not’s when inside the Twisted Big Top.  After given your set of instructions, you then wait in front of the sign you see below….

…until it’s your turn to enter the Twisted Big Top. Once you enter…you are on your own. From what the people who work at the Twisted Big Top have told me there have been reports of people freaking out, peeing their pants, crying, and other people who couldn’t make it through the entire Twisted Big Top.  Don’t say we did not warn you.

Once you enter the Twisted Big Top you will be confronted with horrific displays of what once were nice Clowns turning evil and then turning other clowns into evil clowns or…well I’ll leave the rest for the people at the Twisted Big Top to show you what else goes on to clowns who don’t want to turn evil.

The Twisted Big Top is not your typical Haunted House where all they do is try to scare you.  The Twisted Big Top makes an all out attack on all of your senses for the course all three attractions and do a REALLY great job at it.  It’s a fun, memorable time that must be taken before it closes down after Halloween.  Once Halloween is over, so is the Twisted Big Top.

So the big question you are probably asking right now is if the Twisted Big Top is really worth the $25 and the drive to Glendale?

ABSOLUTELY!

Is the Twisted Big Top Arizona’s Scariest Haunted House as they advertise?

ABSOLUTELY!

You will not be disappointed at the special effects, the sheer originality and fun of many of the effects/haunts in the Twisted Big Top.  The creators of the Twisted Big Top took great care and injected great amounts of experience, creativity and originality into making your experience a memorable one.  If you want to go out for the evening and have a great time with a date, friends or your significant other, the Twisted Big Top is a mandatory event for the Halloween Season.

If there were any negatives about the Twisted Big Top it was that some of the lighting was a bit too bright in some spots but the awesome parts of the Twisted Big Top dramatically outweighed any negatives.

Tickets: $25 – $35 for VIP No Wait in line tickets

Parking: Free

Time to go through the Twisted Big Top: Approx. 25-30 minutes – This all depends on how busy the Twisted Big Top is.

For more information, please refer to the Twisted Big Top information page:

http://www.frightened.com/twistedbigtop/information.html

Popularity: 11% [?]

If you’re a Hockey fan, I mean a REAL hockey fan you know that the best way to become a fan is to go to a game in person. Every single aspect of the game on and off the ice is part of the game experience. 50/50 raffles, the food, the sounds and feelings that occur when your favorite team scores a goal or wins the game. All of these experiences from going to a Hockey game, no matter what level of a hockey game you go to, carries on with you for the rest of your life.

However, not everyone gets to experience the joy of going to an NHL game let alone a hockey game.  Especially the disadvantaged children of the Greater Phoenix area.  Would you not like to offer the chance for a child who may not be able to get to experience a hockey game the chance to go?

The Phoenix Coyotes ‘Tickets for Kids’ campaign gives everyone the chance to donate tickets and suites to numerous Valley non-profit organizations. Why not give the gift of Hockey to kids who just might become life long fans? Who knows, perhaps that child will become the next Sidney Crosby or Wayne Gretzky? It all starts with you and your gift of a ticket to a Coyotes game!

“Last season, we were able to donate about 20,000 tickets through the Tickets for Kids program,” said Flavil Hampsten, vice president of ticket sales for the Coyotes.

Tickets are distributed to non-profit organizations that apply each year to the Coyotes front office.  Among the organizations that have benefited from Coyotes Fans Generosity are:

- The Arizona Lost Boys Center
- Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona
- Chicanos Por La Causa
- The Single Parents Association
- The Sojourner Center

“The Coyotes truly have some of the most loyal and generous fans in the league. This concept of fans giving back to fans is really inspiring to us,” added Hampsten.

For more information on the ‘Tickets for Kids’ program call the Phoenix Coyotes at 480-563-PUCK (7825)

Popularity: 5% [?]

On October 25th the Phoenix Coyotes will be hosting ‘Firefighter Appreciation Night’ during the annual Howl-O-Ween Event.  The ‘Firefighter Appreciation Night’ will be part of the Coyotes ‘Howl-O-Ween’ celebration when the Phoenix Coyotes do battle with Jerome Igilna and the Calgary Flames.

This offer is open to all Arizona Firefighters, their families and friends and they will be able to purchase tickets at a discounted price with a portion of the proceeds to benefit Firefighters Charities.   Ticket packages are priced as low as $23 which include a ticket, Hot Dog, and a Drink.

For more information or to purchase tickets call Dustin England 623-772-3226.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Here’s part 2 of the weekend of Black Carl.  I’m not sure what the cover charge is but the Show starts at 9:00 PM and goes until closing time at 2:00 AM.  Don’t miss this chance to see a great band at a great venue!

The Rogue Bar
423 N Scottsdale Rd
Scottsdale, AZ 85257
(480) 947-3580

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=110117270783108833567.000459e876986e0ac46a8&ll=33.453371,-111.925597&spn=0.000942,0.001751&z=19

Popularity: 6% [?]

As you all may or may not know I, the editor, am a HUGE fan of the Local Phoenix Band ‘Black Carl’.  Well, they’re playing twice this coming weekend.  This is the first of the shows which will be at the Yucca Tap Room in Tempe.  The cover charge is Free and Black Carl will go on around 10:30 PM.  If you haven’t seen them yet, they put on one of the best live shows I’ve seen in Phoenix.

Yucca Tap Room
29 W. Southern Ave.
(Southwest Corner of Southern and Mill)
480-967-4777

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=110117270783108833567.000459e824390bc9378b5&ll=33.393261,-111.940421&spn=0.000943,0.001751&z=19

Popularity: 6% [?]

That’s right!  The Arizona State Fair announced Wednesday that on the remaining Sundays of the fair Admission will be FREE from 10:00 AM to 12 Noon.  You can’t beat that price at all!!

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=110117270783108833567.00045930a881f552387e8&z=19

Popularity: 2% [?]

This Weekend the Arizona State Sun Devils will be playing at home on Family/Hall of Fame Weekend against the Oregon Ducks.  No word at this point on Television coverage but Kick off is at 7:00 PM.

Tickets can be purchased here:

http://ev10.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ExecMacro/evenue/ev69/se/Main.d2w/report?linkID=asu

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=110117270783108833567.000459b96a48489931515&ll=33.446482,-111.935406&spn=0.063739,0.114841&z=13

Popularity: 1% [?]

The great folks at the Phoenix Coyotes sent us an e-mail for a KILLER deal for their October 23rd home game against the Washington Capitals.  Every Student, Teacher, and Military persons with valid ID will be able to purchase specially priced tickets for the game.

Specially priced Lower-level tickets will cost only $20.

Specially priced Upper-level tickets will cost only $10.

The tickets can only be purchased at the Jobing.com Arena Box Office beginning at 6:00 PM on the day of the game.  This offer is valid as long as there are tickets.  Once the tickets are gone, that’s it!

For more information about this deal you can check out the Coyotes website at http://www.phoenixcoyotes.com or call 480-563-7825.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Soundgarden and Audioslave front man Chris Cornell and Pop Producer Timbaland will be making the Marquee Theater one of their eight stops on Cornell’s Scream promotional tour.  Please note that Cornell will not be playing any songs from any of his past albums.  He will be performing his new album Scream from start to finish with no breaks.

Tickets can be purchased here (Limit of six tickets per order):

http://www.etix.com/ticket/servlet/onlineSale?action=selectPerformance&performance_id=853132&cobrand=luckymanonline

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=110117270783108833567.000457a384f283c5bdf14&z=19

Popularity: 2% [?]

You already probably know by now that Chris Cornell and Timbaland will be playing at the Marquee Theater on Sunday October 19th.  However, did you know that you have a chance to meet Chris Cornell and Timbaland in person before the show at the Marquee?   Starting at 2:00 PM on October 19th at the Verizon  Wireless Store in the Tempe Marketplace you will be able to meet the now legendary singer of Soundgarden and Audioslave along with one of the best Music producers in the industry.

Verizon Wireless Store
2040 E Rio Salado Pkwy
Tempe, AZ 85281
480-557-9017

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=110117270783108833567.0004561c08e0cdd777843&z=19

Popularity: 2% [?]

Well it’s that time of year!  The Arizona State Fair is upon us and with this great event is the promise of food, fun, and memories to last a lifetime.  Make sure you refer to the hours and days that the Fair is in operation as they have specific hours and they are closed on Monday’s.

For Ticket Prices, Hours and other information please refer to the Fair’s website:

http://www.azstatefair.com/state-fair/information.aspx

Arizona State Fair
1826 W McDowell Rd
Phoenix, AZ 85007

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=110117270783108833567.00045930a881f552387e8&ll=33.468645,-112.098355&spn=0.008019,0.016222&z=16

Popularity: 2% [?]

Man oh man you Packers fans are gonna love this one.  Especially those of you who are from Wisconsin!

Mable Murphy’s is as about as close to Wisconsin as you’re gonna get without going over the Dixon/Moose line.  The moment you set foot in front of Mable Murphy’s you are greeted with a welcome embrace for Packers fans and Wisconsin residents.  Mable Murphy’s a good sized bar with Friendly people.  This place gets PACKED for Packers games (not sure if pun is intened or not) so get there at least an hour before game time to get a good seat.

As for the pub grub?  Two Words.  Cheese Curds.  That’s as Wisconsin as it gets.

More information and a look at their menu check out Mable Murphy’s website:

http://mabelmurphysaz.com/Home.html

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&num=20&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=110117270783108833567.000458a95102650e7341c&ll=33.495991,-111.929741&spn=0.007963,0.017209&z=16

Popularity: 4% [?]

Here’s something to checkout today if you aren’t interested in going to the Tempe Oktoberfest.  It’s the 8th Annual Arizona Irish Festival at the Irish Cultural center in Downtown Phoenix (Map at the bottom of this article).  All who attend the festival will be able to immerse themselves in Irish culture through Food, Music, Dance, and tons of other entertainment for all ages.

Among the amazing activities at the festival will be food, pubs, whiskey sampling, gifts, a silent auction, and a raffle with the grand prize being a trip to Ireland!

ALSO NEW THIS YEAR ~ IRISH TOAST CONTEST!

ARE YOU A TOASTER?

Calling all toasters to enter The First EVER Bushmill’s Best Irish Toast Contest!

Sharpen your wits and brush up on your blarney to write a prize-winning expression of that Celtic Pride!

Beginning now through Festival time (October 4th) participants are invited to write and “perform” their best Irish toast! Sign up at your favorite pub.

The finals will take place on the Bushmill’s Irish Pubs of the Valley Stage at the Arizona Irish Festival on Saturday, October 4th. Compete for Cash Prizes: $500, $250 & $100!

Worst Irish Toast: Into the dunk tank!
Bring all your friends to the Festival to cheer you on to victory!

Come out and explore this amazing cultural activity as it only comes once a year!  Come see why the Arizona Irish Festival is one of the key Cultural events that makes Phoenix such a great city!

Tickets are $10 for Adults – $8 for Seniors and Military with ID – $1 for Children 6 to 12 years of age – Children under the Age of 6 are free

There are so many things going on that you need to check the schedule below and plan out your day.

Here’s the schedule of what’s going on (Irish Whiskey Tasting!!!):

Harp (West) Stage

10:30am Opening Ceremonies (15 min)
10:45am Tir Conaill School (20 min)
11:05am Oceans Apart (45 min)
11:50am Celtic Dance Academy (20 min)
12:10pm Molly’s Revenge (45 min)
12:55pm Mayor Gordon & Arizona Colleen 2008 (15 min)
1:10pm The Academy Fiddlers (45 min)
1:55pm McTeggart Dance School (20 min)
2:15pm Oceans Apart (45 min)
3:00pm The Bracken School (20 min)
3:20pm Molly’s Revenge (45 min)
4:30pm The Inis Band
5:30pm The Black Velvet Band (45 minutes)
6:30pm The Academy Ceilidh Band
7:30pm Raffle of Trip to Ireland Winner Announced
7:45pm The Black Velvet Band
8:45pm Harp Stage Closes

Pubs of the Valley (East) Stage

10:45am Pat McCrossan (45 min)
11:30am The Knockabouts (45 min)
12:30pm Pat McCrossan (45 min)
1:30pm The Knockabouts (45 min)
2:30pm Keltic Cowboys (45 min)
3:30pm The Biffos (45 min)
4:30pm Keltic Cowboys (45 min)
5:30pm The Biffos (45 min)
6:15pm Irish Toast Contest Semi-Finals
6:45pm The Brazen Heads (45 min)
7:30pm Irish Toast Contest Finals (30 min)
8:00pm The Brazen Heads (45 min)
8:45pm Pub Stage Closes

The Great Hall

11:00am Irish Travel by Ursula Blackburne, CIE Tours
12:00pm Crafting a Bodhran by Len Reheaume
1:00pm Irish Whiskey Tasting and Distilling History by Robert Anderson, Bushmills
2:00pm Archeology and Ancient Ireland by James Boyle
3:00pm Irish Whiskey Tasting and Distilling History by Robert Anderson, Bushmills
4:30pm Closing Ceilidh – music by Oceans Apart, Jane Hilton and Molly’s Revenge, Dances called by Jim and Anne Daugherty

In The Cottage

11:00am – 8:00pm – Every Hour on the Hour
Cottage Tales – readings from Irish history, poetry, myths and more followed by an introduction to The Kells Exhibit
*Times are approximate and subject to change.

Irish Cultural Center
1106 N. Central Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85004 and
Margaret T. Hance (Deck) Park
602.308.4601
http://www.azirishfestival.org

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=110117270783108833567.0004586cf27eff5ebe554&ll=33.463633,-112.074323&spn=0.007554,0.01545&z=16

Popularity: 2% [?]

Tonight is a historic event in the history of Mixed Martial Arts in the State of Arizona.  The Celebrity Theatre hosts the ‘highest caliber’ Mixed Martial Arts Event ever in the State of Arizona.

If you are a fan of MMA you do not want to miss this event!

More information and who is appearing on tonight’s card can be found at the EVO MMA website:

http://www.evomma.com/events.html

Ticket prices range from $55 to $150

http://celebritytheatre.ticketforce.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=991&c=39&pg=

Club Doors open at 5:30 PM

Theatre Doors Open at 6:30 PM

The Show starts at 7:30 PM

Popularity: 1% [?]