How do you get to know a city? The question is rhetorical, but the answer is usually along the lines of something having to with observation – seeing the sites that compose the environment of any given neighborhood, tasting the local cuisine, and, of course, hearing the various sounds.
Getting to know a city via sound is an underrated, but fulfilling way of learning about a new place. There may be some bias to my opinion, as I would not mind living the majority of my waking hours at a concert, but I have yet to meet an individual who doesn’t like music.
Currently, I am at the ASU Downtown Phoenix campus, and I have fallen in love with the local music scene. Even though I am a Phoenix native, living downtown has initiated my ears to various artists who basically perform in my backyard. I’ve had my views of downtown, but being accquainted with local music has helped me gain a feel for this area of town.
Local music varies from place to place, but Phoenix is a quality place for the local scene, especially if one is near the downtown area. Not only are US Airways Center and Comerica Theater a walk away from the downtown campus, but multiple venues that host local acts are just as close. These include Crescent Ballroom, The Trunk Space, and The Nash.
If you’re not familiar, here’s a rundown of each venue.
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Crescent Ballroom – This was one of the first music spaces where I got acquainted with the local scene. I’ve also had burritos from here, and they’re 10/10. Burritos and music are the greatest. Separate from local acts, artists Haim and Cults have graced the intimate venue with their tunes. The selection for concerts is always diverse.
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The Rhythm Room – While a little more of a distance from the campus, it’s a journey to be made to hear local acts. It’s a 21+ venue, but there are shows that do let in all age groups! Some sort of event is going on nightly, so it’s easy to catch a show. The club has a blues edge to it, but also hosts local and national artists.
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The Nash – The Nash is a jazz club located close to Roosevelt Row. Owned by Jazz in Arizona (a nonprofit), even walking by this club makes me feel like a classy individual. There are volunteer opportunities, as well, and The Nash grants great opportunities to local artists. They also host national acts. Get acquainted with local talent and jazz and find your inner Mad Men character
Note, these are not the only venues in the area. There are multiple locations to groove (do people still say groove?) I just chose a few. Walk around, ask around, and explore the area! There’s a chance you will find live and local music, especially if you stroll around on a First Friday.
As mentioned, diverse acts (local, and national, too) come and play at these venues. Even if you see a music act that is not local, these places are great to get a feel of Phoenix. They’re intimate spaces and not only prime locations in Downtown Phoenix, but Phoenix in general.
However, the concert experience is not for everyone. Live music is a significant part of the local music scene in any city, but there are still ways to experience and support artists from your neighborhood.
For the Phoenix scene, The Blaze 1330 AM is a great place to hear local bands. The station is huge on local music, and you can catch really amazing bands multiple times in an hour. I am a DJ for The Blaze, and I have found a good amount of local acts from listening.
If you like what you hear on The Blaze, you can buy what you hear. Revolver Records and Stinkweeds are two record stores that have offerings of local artists and their music. Of course, you can buy albums on iTunes/websites of the musician, but record stores are an experience within themselves.
While a lot of this seems to be aimed towards the general campus vibe, it is false to think that live music is just aimed towards college students. No matter what genre you enjoy, there is some act that will appeal to you.
Local music, while keeping an active state with a steady fan-base in Phoenix, is one of the most underrated types of music out there. It may not be the easiest to access due to the fact that it’s not advertised as heavily as mainstream and national musicians, but that does not mean that it should be ignored.
Don’t write off local music. Remember The Beatles were once a band in Liverpool and Taylor Swift got her start on the Nashville scene.