Above & Beyond, Larry June, and more of Phoenix’s best concerts this weekend

U.S. NEWS


We’ve hit Memorial Day weekend, which always means plenty of pool parties headlined by superstar DJs. True to form, the three-day stretch from Friday, May 26, to Sunday, May 28, will feature names like Above & Beyond, Nervo, and DJ Snake staging poolside ragers at local resorts. If you’d prefer a gig where no one’s sporting any swimwear, this weekend’s concert calendar includes shows by rapper Larry June, Bisbee father/daughter rock band The Exbats, thrash kings D.R.I., and the legendary Modern English and Gentlemen Afterdark. Also of note: the Phoenix music scene will bid farewell to one of its biggest boosters, KWSS radio host and local “scene mom” Dani Cutler.

Read on for more details about each of these events or visit Phoenix New Times’ concert listings for more live music this weekend.

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The late Chico Chism.

Timothy Archibald

Chico Chism Memorial Birthday Show

Friday, May 26
The Rhythm Room, 1019 East Indian School Road

Chico Chism was most definitely the man. Just ask any blues fan who’s familiar with the genre’s history or the late drummer’s talents, lively personality, and charm. Chism started banging the skins at 14 and didn’t stop for more than five decades, playing with many notable names in the blues biz, including the late Howlin’ Wolf in the ’70s, as well as such cats as Choker Campbell, Lowell Fulson, Big Joe Turner, Sunnyland Slim, Otis Rush, and Stevie Ray Vaughn. After Valley blues guru Bob Corritore brought him to town in 1986, Chism lit up the Rhythm Room alongside such greats as R.L. Burnside, Bo Diddley, Pinetop Perkins, and Louisiana Red. And he did it with style and aplomb. Chism, who died in 2007, left behind a legacy of blues greatness. This weekend, The Rhythm Room will host a celebration of his life and music a few days shy of what would’ve been his 96th birthday. The Rocket 88’s and other local blues musicians will perform. 8 p.m., $12 via seetickets.us. Benjamin Leatherman

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Post-punk/New Wave band Modern English.

Eleonora Collini

Modern English and Gentlemen Afterdark

Friday, May 26
Gila River Resorts & Casinos – Wild Horse Pass, 5040 Wild Horse Pass Boulevard, Chandler

Modern English and Gentlemen Afterdark will play together for the first time on Friday at Wild Horse Pass. While the two bands have taken different paths to get to this particular stage, they’re kindred spirits. Modern English got their start as a punk rock band called The Lepers in 1978. A few years later, the post-punk/New Wave band scored a hit with “I Melt With You” in 1982. The song was featured regularly in the early days of MTV and is easily Modern English’s best-known song. Gentlemen Afterdark, on the other hand, enjoyed moderate success in the early ’80s and were easily the best band in Arizona before leaving for the greener pastures of Los Angeles almost 40 years ago. Often a quintet, Gentlemen Afterdark included Robin Johnson on guitar (now a member of Greyhound Soul), drummer Winston Watson, vocalist Brian Smith and his brothers, Barry (violin and keyboards) and Stuart (keyboards and guitar). Sadly, bassists Fred Cross and Kevin Pate (as well as former drummer Jon Norwood) have shuffled off this mortal coil, so local legend Harry McCaleb will be stepping in on bass for their gig with Modern English. 8 p.m., $20-$55 via ticketmaster.com. Tom Reardon

The Exbats

Saturday, May 27
Valley Bar, 130 North Central Avenue

Bisbee’s Exbats may not have a sweet multicolored bus like The Partridge Family but they do share one thing in common with that traveling clan: They’re also a family affair. A power trio, the band’s heart and soul are father-daughter songwriting team Kenny McLain (guitars) and Inez McLain (drums). They played their first show together when Inez turned 12, kicking off a career that has produced a handful of propulsive, catchy albums and tours around the world. With the addition of bassist Bobby Carlson, the band sounds fuller and more impactful than ever. The Exbats’ style is stripped-down garage rock that draws from the golden age of doo-wop and girl groups. Like The Ramones, they love The Ronettes and snotty attitudes. While many of the sounds they conjure are retro, all those handclaps and multitracked “oooooh” backing vocals and fuzz-toned guitars don’t sound like museum pieces. They’re animated by the enthusiasm of the McLains, who invest each of their songs with an intensity that has no expiration date. With Sureson and Vid Nelson; 7:30 p.m., $13/$15 via ticketweb.com. Ashley Naftule

Wave Pool Party feat. Above & Beyond

Saturday, May 27
Talking Stick Resort, 9800 East Talking Stick Way, Scottsdale

Trance! It rhymes with “dance,” which is what you should do when you hear it, especially when it’s coming from the decks of Anjunabeats label founders Above & Beyond, who return to the Valley this weekend to kick off Talking Stick’s new Wave Pool Party series. Too long seen as the enfant terrible of the dance-music world — favored by fist-pumping bros and neither as classy as house nor as brainy as techno — trance, with its jagged synths and big beats, has made a comeback. And if you really wanna dig into the genre, there’s no better place to start than with the trio of Tony McGuinness, Jono Grant, and Paavo Siljamaki. The trio began making tracks in 1999 in London, where they hit up clubs and passed dubplates to first-gen trance DJs such as Paul Oakenfold. After cosigns from Paul van Dyk and Pete Tong and remixes for Madonna and J-pop star Ayumi Hamasaki, the three began DJing, debuting in Tokyo and taking their talents all the way to Ibiza. Since then, they’ve released some albums and toured the world, including multiple appearances in the Valley. With Brett Ortiz, Lujan, Materia Blu, and Yahra; 1 p.m., $60 via ticketmaster.com. Douglas Markowitz

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Local music booster and KWSS radio host Dani Cutler is excited about the expansion into the East Valley.

Catriona Simental

We Love Scene Mom! Dani Cutler’s Farewell Show

Saturday, May 27
Last Exit Live, 717 South Central Avenue

Dani Cutler, KWSS DJ for 16 years and fixture of the Phoenix music scene, is leaving Arizona in June. Cutler, who announced the news earlier this month this morning on her namesake radio show, will be “looking for some new roots in Massachusetts” with her husband. She’s been a part of KWSS for more than a decade, hosting “The Dani Cutler Show” and her afternoon program, “Dani’s Diner.” When Cutler’s not on the air, she’s got her own marketing business and has spent countless hours attending shows to support local musicians. In a prepared statement, Cutler said, “I can’t begin to express how much I’m going to miss the music community here in Phoenix. As much as I have supported it, the music scene has been equally supportive of me over the past 16 years. I have made lifelong friends through this community. Even some listeners have become friends over the years, and they’re friends for life. It’s a family, and being dubbed ‘Scene Mom’ has always been an important honor to have.” A farewell show will is scheduled for Saturday night and will feature local bands The Instant Classics, Daphne and the Glitches, Summer and the Rain, The Frequency Principle and Jam Now. 7 p.m., $10 via eventbrite.com. Jennifer Goldberg

D.R.I.

Saturday, May 27
Nile Theater, 105 West Main Street, Mesa

The Texas band D.R.I. — short for Dirty Rotten Imbeciles — launched in 1982 as a hardcore act. Five years later, their short, ferocious songs (most clocked in under a minute-thirty) got longer as the group moved in a more metal direction. (They’re often credited as pioneering the “crossover thrash” style.) The evolution worked for D.R.I., and they’re going strong after all this time, a few lineup changes notwithstanding. The band still features original vocalist Kurt Brecht and guitarist/backing vocalist Spike Cassidy. Greg Orr (formerly of Attitude Adjustment) has been on bass since 2017, and drummer Rob Rampy has had multiple stints with the band since 1990. While D.R.I. haven’t released a full-length album in almost 30 years (they’re most recent being 1995’s “Full Speed Ahead”), they’re currently touring in honor of the band’s 40th anniversary last year. With Scattered Guts, Saintbreaker and Scars of Atrophy; 6 p.m., $20 via seetickets.us. Amy Young

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EDM sister act Nervo.

Chloe Paul

Oasis Pool Party feat. Nervo

Saturday, May 27
Gila River Resorts & Casinos – Wild Horse Pass, 5040 Wild Horse Pass Boulevard, Chandler

We’re willing to bet there’s little, if any, sibling rivalry going on between twin sisters Miriam and Olivia Nervo. Why? Probably because the Australian-born twins rose to stardom in the music world together and have experienced mutual success in whatever they’ve done, whether it’s singing, songwriting, producing, or DJing. It started at age 16, when both Liv and Mir inked a songwriting deal with Sony before going on to pen hit songs for themselves and such artists as Kesha, Ashley Tisdale, and UK pop star Rachel Stevens. In 2009, the pair helped write the Grammy-winning David Guetta/Kelly Rowland hit “When Love Takes Over” before diving into the dance music world as producers. Since then, the Nervo sisters have collaborated with Afrojack, Steve Aoki, R3hab, and others, as well as dropped multiple hit tracks themselves, including 2016’s “People Grinnin’.” They also DJ, too, and have done so at clubs and festivals worldwide. This weekend, Nervo headlines the first Oasis Pool Party of the season at Wild Horse Pass with support from With Aja Cruz, Shaysova and DJ Colleen Shannon. 5 p.m., $49-$149 via ticketmaster.com. Benjamin Leatherman

OME New Music Festival

Saturday, May 27, to Sunday, May 28
Phoenix College, 1202 West Thomas Road

There are organizations in the Valley that have been trying to wrest instrumental music free from that stuffy box. “New music,” that genre where classical music and the avant-garde intersect, is thriving in Arizona. Schools like Arizona State University and Paradise Valley Community College have been putting together new music concerts for years. Ensembles like Crossing 32nd St have been bringing the music of new music pioneers like John Cage back to life in front of downtown audiences. And the folks at OME (Oh My Ears) have been organizing multiday music festivals that bring in guest composers and new music artists from across the country to turn Phoenix into a hotbed of musical experimentation. This year’s edition of OME’s New Music Festival takes place at Phoenix College and will feature four concerts across two days featuring such musicians and ensembles as Amber Walker, Megyn Neff, Corey Denham, Bill White, Sonoran Swamprats, Bassisking, Elizabeth Soflin, Silent G and Elliot Yang. The complete schedule is available on OME’s site. Times vary, $15 via oh-my-ears.square.site. Ashley Naftule

Larry June

Sunday, May 28
The Van Buren, 401 West Van Buren Street

In the world of hip-hop and rap, it has become difficult for artists to find ways to separate themselves from the pack when it pertains to their style and sound. But Larry June, a Bay Area rapper and producer, is rapidly rising to the top of the underground hip-hop scene because of his organic sound and casual style. You can find lyrics about cars and women in almost every rap song, but Larry’s verses regularly sit on top of soulful R&B samples from the ’80s and just hit the ears differently. He is a must-see act for anybody looking to break free from the expected rap music that seems to follow us year after year. Larry released his first project, “#GoodJobLarry” under Warner Bros. in 2015, and was featured on Post Malone’s “August 26th,” which was released the following year. Since his record with Posty, he has gladly played the underground scene and continues to build an organic and faithful following similar to the blueprint set by Jet Life founder Curren$y. With Monroe Flow and Dvme; 8 p.m., $59-$69.50 via livenation.com. Douglas Markowitz





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