AZ Vibe – The Ultimate Phoenix Entertainment Resource

It’s Labor Day weekend and there’s TONS to do!  Let’s get it started!

1) First Friday — It’s that time of the month where the artists of Phoenix open their doors to the public.   Since First Friday is one of the coolest and greatest cultural events that Phoenix has to offer it’s a must see event!  Check out the pictures on our Facebook Fan Page for but a small sample of the goings on.

http://www.rooseveltrow.org/first_fridays.html

For you Facebook Types:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=119749753741

Look out for the Arizona Derby Dames who will be having a Bake Sale in the Roosevelt Row area:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=130612281535

2) Final Adult Swim of the season -- September 6th -- Wyndham Hotel - 2 PM to 10 PM -- GUEST DJS — PINKY RING DJS + WILLIAM REED, JARED ALAN AND SEAN WATSON. Last chance to get in on the fun until next summer!

For you Facebook types….

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=126596709322

3) The 2009 ASU Football season is finally underway!!! The Sun Devils host the Idaho State Bengals at Sun Devil Stadium. Kickoff is at 7:00 PM and will be carried live on FSN AZ.

http://thesundevils.cstv.com/gameday/index.html

4) Phoenix Mercury Special Event - Six time olympian Jackie-Joyner Kersee  will be honored before the Phoenix Mercury game on Saturday September 5th as part of the Mercury’s Women of Inspiration night campaign.

http://www.wnba.com/mercury/

For you Facebook types:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=139217251184

5)  Black Carl -- Yucca Tap Room -- FREE -- The Editor’s favorite local band is back from their recent tour of California and they are appearing Saturday in Tempe at the Yucca Tap Room.  If you haven’t had a chance to see them live, do it.  They put on a great show.  According to the band, they should be on stage around 10:30 PM.

For you Facebook Types….

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=145656168689

6) Hell City Tattoo Fest - The Biltmore Resort & Spa -- This Friday -- Sunday -- America’s Favorite Tattoo Festival is returning to Phoenix, AZ! The Hell City Tattoo Fest 8 “Tattoo Vacation” will take place Sept 4th -6th at the Biltmore Resort & Spa in downtown Phoenix, Arizona over Labor Day Weekend. Without a doubt, this year’s festival is tattoo history in the making! Don’t miss this one of a kind tattoo vacation!

http://hellcity.com/

http://www.hellcity.com/TICKETS-ADVERTISING/HELL-CITY-TATTOO-CONVENTION-PRESALE-TICKETS.html

For you Facebook Types:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=94111402678

7) Fundraiser for the United Blood Services at the D-Backs Game -- Help out the United Blood Services by purchasing specially priced tickets from the Diamondbacks for the Monday September 7th game versus the Los Angeles Dodgers.  Tickets are only $15 and $5 of ticket price will benefit the United Blood Services.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=113909492242

8) Raven’s B2B Networking Mixer -Un Bacio -- This is THE best event to mix, mingle, network and socialize! We provide a comfortable, inviting environment openly welcoming all with an entrepreneurial spirit! Bring plenty of business cards and get ready to meet with some of the Valley’s most enterprising, successful business owners and professionals in an informal, open forum. The B2B Networking Mixer is a popular event that takes place every 2nd Thursday of each month and brings in about 400 guests. Each month we promote and feature a business or organization that becomes the focal point prior to and during each mixer. Although this event is held in a fun, upbeat atmosphere, make no mistake about it, in attendance are like-minded individuals who are there to exchange ideas, get referrals, make beneficial introductions and seek out serious business connections.

http://www.ravenevents.com/MonthlyEvents/09102009/

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=146741458133

9) The Mars Volta: Saturday -- 09/05/09 -- 8:00 PM -- Dodge Theatre

For you Facebook Types….

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=117674327090

10) Nickelback -- TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 at JOBING.COM ARENA with special guests HINDER, PAPA ROACH and SAVING ABEL

11) Head out for a bike ride. The temperatures are finally sinking below triple digits meaning it’s time to head back outside!!!

12) F@#K MICKEY MOUSE -- MADCAP Theater -- $10 -- Midnite Movie Mamacita brings World-renowned film scholar and animation expert DENNIS NYBACK to MADCAP Theaters to reveal the scandalous truth about Walt Disney’s influence on the cartoon world.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=134250571986

13) FUSE -- Bar Smith -- Friday Nights -- $5 -- Bar Smith -- Downtown Phoenix -- 10PM -- 2 AM

For you Facebook Types:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=157337832574

14) Shake! -- Every Saturday Night -- Rogue Bar -- Scottsdale -- $5 (approx) If you are a frequent reader of this site you know that one of the best places to go on a Saturday night is Shake!. Great Music and fun for a great price!

http://www.azvibe.com/phoenix-entertainment/2008/10/27/review-shake-the-rogue-saturday-october-25th/

15) Lynyrd Skynyrd -- Wednesday September 9th at 8 PM

http://www.celebritytheatre.com/upcoming.php?viewevent=656

16) Salt River Tubing -- It’s getting into the triple digits again so that must mean that it’s that time of year to start floating down the Salt River.

http://www.saltrivertubing.com/

17) 18) Don’t forget the Downtown Phoenix Public Market -- Weekly on Wednesdays from 4 to 8 PM and Saturday from 8 AM to Noon.

http://www.foodconnect.org/phoenixmarket/

19) The Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art has free admission every Thursday

http://www.smoca.org/

21) Upcoming Event Tickets: AVP Crocs Tour/Pro Beach Volleyball Returns to the Westgate City Center -- The best beach Volleyball players in the world will decend upon the Westgate City Center for the final stop of the season of the AVP tour.

The 1st ever Arizona Wine Growers festival will take place at The Farm at South Mountain on November 22nd.  Tix on Sale now. http://bit.ly/1m6wPT

22) 

21.5) Concerts

Tickets on Sale this week:

Jamie Foxx: TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY, AUGUST 28 AT 10AM
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1 at DODGE THEATRE

The Subdudes: TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY, AUGUST 28 AT 10AM
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8 at THE RHYTHM ROOM

Shows off on the horizon:

Arizona Fall Frenzy -- The first festival of the season is just around the corner. Get your tickets now for the Arizona Fall Frenzy.

http://www.arizonafallfrenzy.com/

CHICK COREA, STANLEY CLARKE & LENNY WHITE -- ORPHEUM THEATRE SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12

P!nk -- Sunday September 20th at 7:30 PM -- Jobing.com Arena

Chickenfoot -- Wednesday September 23rd at 7:30 PM -- Dodge Theater

David Cross at the Orpheum Theater – Wednesday, September 23 at 7:30PM

BonTaj Roulet: Bonnie Raitt & Taj Mahal -- Thursday September 24th -- 7:30 PM -- Dodge Theater

The Australian Pink Floyd Show — Friday, September 25th at 8:00 PM — Dodge Theater — Tickets on Sale Monday August 3rd at 10 AM

Star Wars: In Concert — October 4th — Jobing.com Arena — Two shows — 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM

The Music Of The Doors -- Featuring Ray Manzarek & Robby Krieger along with The Phoenix Symphony -- Thursday -- 10/08/09 -- at 7:30 PM -- Dodge Theatre

Little Feat at the Martini Ranch – Saturday, October 10 at 8:00PM

Frank Caliendo -- Dodge Theatre -- All Ages -- Saturday 10/10/2009 -- 8:30 PM

Children Of Bodom w/ Austrain Death Machine, Black Dahlia Murder, SkeletonWitch -- October 12, 2009 -- Marquee Theatre

Rodney Carrington -- 18+ -- Friday -- 10/16/09 -- 8:00 PM -- Dodge Theatre

The National Touring Production of ‘Grease’ starring ‘American Idol’ winner Taylor Hicks ad ‘Teen Angel’ -- October 20 through October 25th at the Dodge Theater

U2’s 360 Tour -- Tuesday 10/20/09 -- Time TBD -- University of Phoenix Stadium

Adrian Belew -- TICKETS ON SALE NOW! -- THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22 -- THE RHYTHM ROOM -- Tickets: $28

Popularity: 97% [?]

If you have ever been to Las Vegas you know that one of the best places to go is to a Hotel Pool on a Sunday morning to recover from a hangover.  It’s the perfect mix, of warm weather, booze, killer tunes, and a pool to jump into whenever you want.  Well the Hotel San Carlos has taken that killer formula and put it into an event that happens every weekend.  On Friday nights during the summer (until Labor Day) is ‘Star Swim’ an evening oasis smack dab in the middle of Downtown Phoenix. On Sunday Afternoon into the evening it’s called ‘Adult Swim’.

As you enter the hotel you step into the elevator to the 3rd Floor and walk down a long hall.  After paying the $5 cover charge you step into one of the coolest Pool Parties you have ever seen.  The only thing that was missing from this oasis was a BBQ.  Fortunately, there’s an Irish Bar Directly below the pool (see the first image below) with a full menu and full bar in case you get hungry.

As you can see from the second picture below the place was packed and it was only 9:30 PM – 10:00 PM at the time the picture was taken.  The lower level of the pool area is the pool deck and entrance to the event.  You step up stairs and you come practically face to face with the band and the bar (in the far back corner).  It’s a really intimate setting for a band and is remnant of Las Vegas style pool parties.  Also, even though it looks like there’s a roof over the pool it’s just a transparent cover to keep the sun out of the pool during the day.

The music was great unfortunately I came down with a touch of the Flu and went home after a couple of hours.  I never got to see Black Carl as I thought they were the only band that was playing that night.  When I paid my cover charge I found out that there were other bands playing before Black Carl (with a DJ playing in between the band sets).  Needless to say I wasn’t happy about that as the ‘Star Swim’ brochures advertised only one band (see original flyer at the very bottom of this page and you’ll see what I’m talking about).

I gotta admit that this is one of the coolest ideas I have seen for an event since I moved to Phoenix.  Why more people don’t come down and check this event out, I’ll never know.

The only problems I had with this event was 1) it’s for anyone 18 and over which is pretty lame and 2) in the advertisement for the Star Swim they only published one band that was playing that night.  However, when you get to the event you find out that the one band that was playing was actually the headliner and there were other bands that played before the event.  The promoters of the event have since fixed the problem with #2 so there’s only the problem with #1.  Hopefully as the event gets more and more word of mouth publicity, they can raise the age to 21 and over.

Would I go again?  Oh yeah!  I’m already planning on hitting the Adult Swim in the coming weeks with some other people.  The ‘Star Swim’ or any of the other events like this are a ‘MUST’ attend by anyone who not only wants to get out and do something cool and unique but a place to go kick back with a nice drink and watch all the other cool people hang out.

Right Click the image and select ‘View Image’ to see the full size images:

Popularity: 1% [?]