This Week’s Best Concerts: Blu DeTiger, The 1975

Thanksgiving week has many benefits among them is that it’s three-day workweek. Another positive news: there are some notable events and shows are scheduled at venues throughout the Valley especially on Wednesday nights (a.k.a. the night before Thanksgiving).
Highlights include English pop-rockers The 1975, post-punk/darkwave act The Soft Moon, and bass player/singer-songwriter Blu DeTiger. Local acts Phunk Junkeez as well as Dead Hot Workshop are also performing shows in their hometown on Wednesday nights, which will likely provide some nostalgia.

More information is available below. If you want to hear more live music going on in the Valley beginning on Monday, November 21, through Thursday on November 24, look up Phoenix New Times ‘ online concert calendar .

Monday, November 21,
Valley Bar, 130 North Central AvenueOakland’s Luis Vasquez has a lane and he can drive it very well. It’s dark and mysterious it’s a lane that is awash with industrial and darkwave soundscapes. The band of Vasquez The Soft Moon has been performing its sound of intense dark, brooding electronic music since 2009 that taps into a vast source of post-punk and gothic influences. Vasquez isn’t so vocal as he mutters about his songs. His music is a soundscape filled with hissing, cold electronics which engulf the listener with dry smoking ice. The Soft Moon’s album for 2022 Exister , Vasquez throws in some goth rockers to liven up the mood. Although the majority of the album is in the post-punk bliss zone where everything has the sound of music that The Depeche Mod’s Martin Gore would write to play at his funeral, songs such as “Become The Lies” and “Him” draw on the pulsing energy of a club which gets the blood flowing. As with the best goth music, The Soft Moon’s songs are sexy and sad, but he does it with a dose of Tinnitus. With MSPAINT Secret Attraction, along with DJ Desire Armed. 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 through seetickets.us. Ashley Naftule

Tuesday, November 22,
Crescent Ballroom 308, North Second AvenueAs soon as Blu DeTiger got locked down and she was unable to leave, she made the decision to go down. The bass prodigy developed an audience in the initial days of the epidemic by re-posting songs via social media. It all began when she began playing around with the bass and covered “Say so” of Doja Cat on a dumped TikTok with a few hundred thousand likes later, she discovered her niche. DeTiger has made it a routine habit, dressing up each day to practice and play a new song for her growing fan base. Although social media fame has given her a bit of an increase, DeTiger has been an active musician for many years. Inspiring by the bass technique and virtuosity of Bernard Edwards and Meshell Ndegeocello The New York-based musician played for years and became a sought-after player for artists including Caroline Polacheck. She’s now got her own album, How Did We Get Here? , out. With a groove-based alternative disco sound DeTiger’s music is filled with exuberant attitude and irresistible bass and licks. There have been several collaborations with Chromeo who’s sleazy, goofy music is perfect to the style of DeTiger. With Tiffany Dayl, 8 p.m. Tickets are $20/$23 through seetickets.us. Ashley Naftule

Wednesday, November 23
Marquee Theatre 730 North Mill Avenue, TempeThe legendary rap-rock group Phunk Junkeez — whose dance-hall anthems “Me and You Girl,”” “I Love It Loud,”” as well as “B-Boy hard” were a staple of the ’90s alternative radio, and were featured in movies like Tommy Boy and The National Lampoon’s Senior Trip Tempe’s Marquee Theatre into a time machine on Thanksgiving Eve. The majority of the initial lineup (including Soulman, K-Tel Disco DJ Roachclip) will be performing along with disco tribute group The Boogie Knights and DJs like Al Page. Don’t hesitate to bring out your wallet chains and JNCOs for this party that should be just as energetic as the dragsters PJ used to host in now-defunct venues such as at the Party Gardens back in the early days. 7:15 p.m. Tickets are $35 through ticketweb.com. Benjamin Leatherman

Wednesday, November 23
Arizona Financial Theatre, 400 West Washington StreetWhile most contemporary bands choose to keep the foundations of the 1980s and clean, they often let some of the more extravagant, over-the-top parts to decay. However, not so with The 1975. The UK Alt-rockers built their name by being excessively. The group’s sound is glistening and perfect: a flawless mix comprised of New Wave synths, Phil Collins studio cheese, and the rich romance of the Scottish band The Blue Nile. While their music screams “I WANT MY MTV,” what makes The 1975 a band of the 21st century is Matt Healy’s stream-of-consciousness, social media-poisoned lyrics. The 1975 don’t shy away from their sly tendency to be a bit hard. They discuss Kerouac during interviews. They compose songs that are inspired by the Joseph Beuys, and have released several (different!) songs that are named after their own group. Healy is the type of lyricist that will quote memes and popular social media lyrics as if performing a Burroughs-inspired cut-up on his Twitter timeline. He’s not afraid to rhyme “Adderall” by combining “vitriol” or “Aperol” within the song. However, what makes the songs of Healy fascinating is how self-aware Healy is in questioning his own place in society and ridiculing the band’s self-seriousness, while making a mix of brutal and genuine remarks about addiction and love. 7 p.m. Tickets 7 p.m., tickets are sold on the secondary market. Ashley Naftule Crescent Ballroom’s page on Facebook ” href=”https://media2.phoenixnewtimes.com/phx/imager/u/original/14955957/crescent-ballroom-10th-anniversary-party-october-2021-tickets.jpg” title=”Crescent Ballroom in downtown Phoenix. The Crescent Ballroom’s Facebook”>

Wednesday, November 23
Crescent Ballroom 308, North Second AvenueIt’s possible that the times will change however, local favorite Dead Hot Workshop have managed to continue its longstanding tradition hosting the annual Thanksgiving Eve show for many years. In keeping with tradition the upcoming edition of the event is scheduled to take place on a Wednesday evening in the Crescent Ballroom. Expect many familiar faces on stage and in the crowd because Dead Hot’s close friends and collaborators will perform. For instance, singer-songwriter Stephen Ashbrook and local band The Stumbles (both of whom are also refugees from Tempe’s Jangle-pop glory years of the 1990s) will perform at the start of the. In the Crescent’s bar, you will be able to see a performance by the rockers Sliced Limes before the band gets moving in the main room. 7 p.m. Tickets are $15/$20 through seetickets.us. Benjamin Leatherman