Four Chambers presents "Welcome Home" - YabYum Sneak Peek

By Matt Marn

Published by YabYum Music and Arts

Four Chambers Press is ready to launch their latest collection of works, assembled from an open call to writers in the community. "Welcome Home: Poetry and Prose for Welcome Hospitality" will serve as the launch event for the publication this Saturday, October 3, at Welcome Diner on Roosevelt Street in Phoenix.

Welcome Diner will not only be the venue for the publication's launch event, but it is the subject of the works inside. Four Chambers' founder and editor-in-chief Jake Friedman said Welcome Diner is a beloved staple in the Phoenix community, and has become a point of pride for people living in the area.

"The goals of the Welcome Diner and Four Chambers are closely related, using culture and space as a way to relate people to each other," Friedman said. "We decided to do something for Welcome - we felt very strongly, it turned out to be very rich, both in meaning and material. We hope the works encourage people to see Welcome in a different way, but also their sense of place - their sense of home."

See the rest of the article at YabYum Music and Arts!

Gary Clark, Jr. and Foo Fighters light up the night at Ak-Chin Friday - AZCulture.com Sneak Peek

By Matt Marn

Published by AZCulture.com

Fans were crowding the gates far in advance, even lining up in their cars before the gates to the parking lot opened. Once they did, the fans swarmed in as one, ready for this show featuring Gary Clark, Jr. and the Foo Fighters - many already wearing swag from prior tours. More will join them shortly from the merch table.

The shirts, posters, and albums for sale quickly paint the picture: the Foo Fighters have been through it all over the years. From traveling halfway around the world to revisiting their hometown, these men have spent more than 20 years capturing hearts the world over.

There was even a T-shirt featured at the merch table featuring the phrase, "The Break a Leg Tour." Truly, no one makes falling and breaking your leg mid-concert look cooler than Dave Grohl.

The sun continued to set as fans continued to pour in. Lawn seats in the back filled up quickly, with the audience crowding each other to get the best view of their beloved Foo Fighters. The sun set, the house lights took over, and the cheering grew louder. Spotlights trained onto the stage - first left, then right, then center, and finally, lighting up the entire stage. The crowd cheered again, ready to take the evening's end-of-summer heat to a whole new level. Even I can't help but smile. Here we go.

Read the rest of the article at AZCulture.com!

Vintage Trouble's new album, "1 Hopeful Road," keeps energy moving with every note - AZCulture.com Sneak Peek

Vintage Trouble's new album, 1 Hopeful Road

By Matt Marn

Published by AZCulture.com

From the moment I hit 'play' on the debut album for the R&B group Vintage Trouble, I was blown away by their high-energy mix of great tempos, overdriven guitar riffs, and soulful vocals. And since I have heard their newest album, 1 Hopeful Road, I still feel that same excitement for the music.

And clearly, so does the band.

From the first notes on track one, starting the song with a snappy beat-clap, beat-clap tempo, drummer Richard Danielson helps make it very clear their spirits haven't changed a bit. The first song on the album, "Run Like the River," is a first look into the album's energy, which will have every city they visit clapping along during every show on their tour.

Ty Taylor's call-and-response during the chorus may remind listeners of their gospel style, which they blend so smoothly with their bluesy, juke-joint rhythm and solos. And by the time the call-and-response chorus, carried along with the bass rhythms of Rick Barrio Dill, gives way to guitarist Nalle Colt's magic work on the strings, you have no doubt you are in for quite the party.

See the rest of the Vintage Trouble album review at AZCulture.com!

YabYum Sneak Peek: Jeremiah Craig's campfire storytelling spins tall tales in Lost Keys in Lounge Strange

By Matt Marn

Jeremiah Craig - taken by Mandy Mothersell

Published in YabYum Music and Arts

As singer/songwriter Jeremiah Craig grew up, singing around the campfire went hand-in-hand with the tall tales that always take shape in the blaze and under the stars. And, once he picked up the banjo, his own story soon began to write itself.

"My dad played guitar, and so did a few of my friends," said Craig. "I wanted to be different, so I chose banjo. I stuck with it. I drove my parents nuts, playing the same songs over and over, but I stuck with it."

Craig progressed in his playing, winning the high school talent competition where he made his public debut. Soon, he formed a bluegrass band with his friends, calling the jam session Bluegrass Tuesday.

"We probably sounded awful," he said. "But it was a lot of fun, so we didn't care."

Craig remained nervous playing banjo until he reached college with Jack Swift, his group at that time.

"With them, we performed and played so much, I didn't have time to worry or get nervous," he said. "It was a jazz-rock group, heavily dependent on improvisation during the song... I was too busy paying attention to the band, and what the song was doing. I got caught up in the moment, almost like a trance. Ever since, I really didn't pay attention to or worry about crowds. Besides, if you mess up at an improvisation show, that's what makes it a jam. That's what makes it different from the last time the song was played."

Read the rest of the story on Jeremiah Craig, and his storytelling album, at YabYum Music and Arts!

The Phoenician Four Jazztet brings a new twist to classic jazz - YabYum Music and Arts Sneak Peek

By Matt Marn

Published by YabYum Music and Arts

The Phoenician Four Jazztet can trace its origins to a different creature than the stylings you can see them showing off around the city today. But then again, adaptation and improvisation was how jazz itself was born - so they're off to a great start.

The players first met while attending an open-door jam band in Tempe, known as Unified Fusion. This large group included singers, drummers, guitarists and bassists, as well as saxophone players. Then the day came when Unified Fusion drummer Joshua got a gig through connections at a local venue, but the jam session group was too large for that set - so Enns chose a few players from the group to join him at the smaller gig. The smaller group included saxophonist Tony Salce and bass player Scott Harris.

For the music they played at the set, the trio revisited their classic jazz roots.

"We had this huge, awesome response," Enns said. "One random passerby tipped us like $80, and went on about how much he loved young artists playing older stuff. We had a great thing, so we just kept it going."

Read the entire story
on the group's evolution into The Phoenician Four at YabYum Music and Arts! 

YabYum Music & Arts Sneak Peek: A Claire Slattery's Mix Tape Project

By Matt Marn

Published by YabYum Music and Arts

A Claire Slattery knows very well that everyone has their own unique taste in music, and most everyone likes to make mixes of that music to share. In fact, everyone knows that. But Slattery set herself apart by taking it one step further by orchestrating a massive mix-sharing event for her community, and beyond.

"The first time I did this project, I was kind of unsure why I was doing it," Slattery said. "But it seemed like a good idea. It caught on a lot faster than I thought it would. I thought that if 40 people participated, it would be a good turnout. But the day I got it up, I got 35 emails in the first 24 hours. I knew I had created a monster."

The first time she organized the event back in 2011, she called it "Make a Mix For Someone You Probably Don't Know." Over 400 people from all over the United States joined the project, as well as international participants from as far out as Germany and the Netherlands. This summer, she is hosting the project again, and according to the event's Facebook page, Slattery is on track to having just as many people join in on the fun this time around.

Read more on Slattery's Mix Tape Project at YabYum Music and Arts!

AZCulture.com Sneak Peek: Singer/Songwriter Bob Schneider Leaves MIM Cheering After Solo Acoustic Show

Photo credit: Mark Spoerner

By Matt Marn

Published by AZCulture.com

Bob Schneider is a fantastic entertainer and songwriter, to say the least. Not only does he have an impressive album catalogue - and continues to release new work - but he leaves crowds cheering, from his home in Austin all the way to New York City. And when he visited the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, he certainly did not disappoint.

The crowd at the MIM began piling in early, excited for the show, A couple in the front row takes a picture in front of the stage, empty save for a keyboard, piano, acoustic guitar, and a few pedals crowded around a lone microphone. Fans outside already crowded around the merch table, grabbing up CDs and T-shirts before he even took the stage. Clearly, Schneider's music and reputation precede him.

Follow the link to read the full article on Bob Schneider's show at the MIM at AZCulture.com!