The Death of Local Music Series

VOLUME I — THE DEATH OF LOCAL MUSIC

The first volume of The Death of Local Music documents an important part of Arizona’s local music history through the bands, musicians, venues, recordings, photographs, flyers and stories that helped build the scene.

Active Archive · New Material Will Be Added

The First Volume

About Volume I

This archive page will continue to grow as additional photographs, corrections, memories and historical material connected to Volume I are recovered.

Preserving the Record

History & Context

Local music history was not built only by nationally known bands. It was built in rehearsal rooms, clubs, bars, garages, record stores and small venues by musicians, promoters, sound engineers, photographers, radio people, fans and families who kept the scene moving.

This online archive gives Volume I room to keep growing beyond the printed page as additional evidence, memories and historical material are recovered.

The Published Volume

Inside Volume I

Volume I is organized as a journey through what local music once had, what changed, what survived, and what can still be rebuilt. The structure below follows the published book and gives readers a roadmap into the larger story behind the archive.

Part I

What We Had

Chapter 1 — When Every Town Had a Sound
Chapter 2 — Flyers, Phone Calls, and Packed Rooms
Chapter 3 — The Bands That Escaped the Bar Scene
Chapter 4 — Survivors
Chapter 5 — When Music Became a Business

Part II

What We Lost

Chapter 6 — The Rise and Fall of the Local Venue
Chapter 7 — Promoters, Politics, and Power
Chapter 8 — The Internet Revolution
Chapter 9 — Streaming Killed the Record Store
Chapter 10 — Social Media and the Illusion of Success
Chapter 11 — The Cost of Chasing the Dream
Chapter 12 — The Death of Community
Chapter 13 — The New Gatekeepers

Part III

What Remains

Chapter 14 — The Musicians Who Refused to Quit

Part IV

The Future

Chapter 15 — The Future of Local Music
Chapter 16 — How We Get It Back
Epilogue — Keep the Lights On
Appendices — Arizona bands, venues, archives and timeline material

Explore the Archive

Volume I Archive Sections

Bands & Musicians

Names, lineups, timelines and stories connected to the Arizona music history preserved through the project.

Browse Band Profiles →

Venues & The Scene

The rooms, stages, promoters, gathering places and local institutions that gave Arizona musicians somewhere to be heard.

Flyers, Photos & Recordings

Original flyers, photographs, demo tapes, recordings, clippings and other surviving pieces of Arizona music history.

Browse Archive Finds →

Firsthand Stories

Memories and oral history from the musicians and scene participants who were actually there.

Browse Interviews →

Names That Open the Door

First-Wave Archive Preview

These are not complete band histories. Volume I uses them as preview entries — names and stories that point forward into the larger Arizona Music History Archive. As interviews, photographs, recordings and firsthand information are recovered, these histories can grow into fuller archive entries.

Arizona Heavy Archive

Sacrificial Death

A direct connection to Arizona's late-1980s and early-1990s underground metal history.

Arizona Heavy Archive

Scapegoat

Part of the author's own musical history and a branch of the Arizona metal family tree.

Hard Rock & Metal

RUKKUS

A doorway into a wider network of Arizona musicians, bands and firsthand scene memories.

Hard Rock & Metal

Bad Axxe

A name tied to the attitude and underground hard-rock culture of the era.

Underground Archive

Zig Zag Black

One of the old-scene names the archive is working to preserve through surviving evidence and memory.

Underground Archive

H8 INC / H8 Incorporated

Part of the harder-edged Arizona underground and the local network of shared stages and scenes.

DIY Arizona

Beats The Hell Out of Me

A reminder that important local history often survives in scattered memories, shows and DIY artifacts.

Arizona Legacy

Icon

One of Arizona's major hard-rock and metal legacy names with reach far beyond the local circuit.

Arizona Heavy Metal

Surgical Steel

A key name in the early Arizona heavy-metal story and the foundation inherited by later bands.

Arizona Hard Rock

Loosely Tight

An important chapter in Arizona hard rock and the pre-internet live-music era.

Crossover & Alternative

Phunk Junkeez

Proof that Arizona music could be loud, funky, aggressive, strange and impossible to box into one genre.

International Arizona Metal

Sacred Reich & Flotsam and Jetsam

Breakthrough Arizona metal names that demonstrate the reach and weight of the desert scene.

Survivor Story

St. Madness

A long-running Arizona heavy-music story built around endurance, theatricality and survival.

Long-Running Arizona

Pelvic Meatloaf

A story of persistence, humor, commitment and decades of participation in the scene.

Current & Survivor Archive

2 IN THE CHEST

Family, faith, endurance and the continuing fight to keep Arizona local music alive.

Modern Arizona Heavy Music

Sectas

A modern heavy band connected to professionalism, musicianship and shared Arizona scene history.

Tucson Archive

Flying Half Full

A reminder that Arizona music history extends beyond Phoenix and includes Tucson's own rooms, bands and identity.

Modern Metal

Show N Tell

Part of a newer wave carrying the spirit and presentation of classic metal into the current era.

Theatrical Modern Scene

Dutch Rosenberg Theater

A modern example of the idea that a live show should be memorable, theatrical and more than background noise.

The Wider Community

More Arizona Names

The Part-Ridge Family, Lindholm, TEC B, Soul Solution, Dawn of the Rising, Empire of Dezire and more remain part of the living network.

Updated Volume I Appendix A

Expanded Arizona Index

The newest Volume I manuscript contains a much larger Arizona music index than the original First-Wave Preview. The lists below preserve the names as they appear in the updated manuscript while keeping this webpage easy to navigate. Open any section to browse the names.

Arizona Legacy Bands Historic hard rock, metal, punk and underground names preserved in Appendix A

4614 Alowiciuos Tool Angel Black B Strange Bad Axx Bad Axxe Ball & Chain Beats The Hell Out of Me Boodaloo Broken Silents Change of Mind Chuck Hall and the Brick Wall Cinchen Contact High Crushed Deadwood Fred Green Future Allies H8 INC Hang’em High Hedshel HouseQuake Human Remains ICON Idols of Perversity Inferno Ingraved IXTAPA Jesus Chrysler Supercar JFA / Jodie Foster’s Army Kid Nasty KraiseD Lio Living Dolls Lock 44 Loosely Tight Lurch Killz Mass of Virtue Methran Mighty Sphincter N17 Nasty Suicide Notorious OIL One Foot in the Grave One Night Stand Orpheus Outrage Page the Village Idiot PHANTASIA Platypus PWR RUKKUS Sacrificial Death Saint Michael Scapegoat Schoolboys Shadowtalk Sibling Rivalry Sin Wicked Soothsayer Soul Grind Spoiled Rotten St. Madness Straitjacket Sun City Girls Surgical Steel Teaser Terra The Feederz Therica Toy Soldier Triplever Western Society Wicked Season Zig Zag Black.

Current / Recent Arizona Bands Rock, punk, hard rock, hardcore and metal

2 IN THE CHEST 24 Thorns A.G. Session Able Cain Addict3D AJJ American Standards Anarbor Ape Gone Bad Apex Nemesis Arsenic Kitchen Asphalt Alchemy Ass Wipe Junkies Authority Zero Axe Collectors Back From Ashes Bad and Dumb / So Bad and Dumb Bethany Home Big Gulp Birds and Arrows Blacklight Acoustic Conspiracy Bleed the Fifth Black Carl Blessthefall Body Rez Bowcat Brain Cake Bridget Auriel Burn’d Bridges Calabrese Camel Enamel Chat Bot Riot Chemical Clownz Circus of Mayhem Civil War Coaccion Commoner Corky’s Leather Jacket Crushed Dawn of the Rising DED / Ded Desert Underground Destructured Dismay Dogbreth Downhill Trend Element a440 Embers Rise Empire of Dezire Ends Embrace Escape The Hive Eternal Eternal Midnight Evil Wizard Weed Exiled Fairy Bones Fat Gray Cat Fixed Reaction Flying Half Full Four Banger Four XI Fred Green Freezing Hands G.A.S.M. Gatecreeper Glass Heroes Go Ask Alice Golden Boots GOZ Grudge Meyer Greeley Estates Grey Daze He, Then High On Formadehyde Hollywood Gods N’ Monsters Iesore Incite ISOLATYRS Jimmy Eat World Job for a Cowboy Jugular Slice Kactus King Kthulu King Cherry Lago Landmine Marathon League of the Forgotten Saints Lenguas Largas Life and Limb Life’s Torment Lindholm Madd Dog Tannen Malo De Dentro Mike and the Moltovs Mosara Motley Two Mourning Star Mr. Incommunicado Mute Swan Necrambulant New Misphoria Nooses Noyes Factory Ok Chief Pelvic Meatloaf Perfect Sense Playboy Manbaby Plunge Poison Tribe Price of Life Psyko Circus RAVENHAAG RattleSnake Suitcase Reckless Summer Red Shirts Die Rejected Monsters Rock Addix Rocket 211 Rocket Steadman Romeo’s Sin Samurai Spaceman Sculpture Sectas ShackleS Six Sex Prisoner Show Me God / SHOWMEGOD Show N Tell Sick in the Head Sicksense Skeleton Army Skullcrush Slay Squad Snailmate Something Outrageous Soul of the Sun Soul Solution Spitegeist St. Madness Stereo Rex Straitjacket Sucker for the Sour Sweet Mess Swigfoot TA-80 Take Over and Destroy T-Bexxx and the velocirockers The Moonlight Lady Tenacious B The Bellwethers The Bennu The Black Hole The Coolers The Dead Rabbitts The Distortionists The Exbats The Fast 86ers The Female Gaze The Maine The Originals The Pain Proof Punks The Part-Ridge Family The Skavelinas The Sugar Thieves The Summer Set The Word Alive Thorn Tony Noyes’ S.E.X. Torn at the Seam Torso Traumatone Triplever Two Tone Lizard Kings Tyrant 21 Vacendak Vic Tims and The Kentucky Rifles Vindicated Vox Manicka Weekend Lovers Whiskey’s Quicker Within A Relapse Woundvac Wyrmhaven Yellowcake Zero Gravity Zig Zag Black

Current Punk / Ska-Punk / Hardcore Bands receiving special attention in the updated Volume I appendix

A.G. Session Ape Gone Bad Asphalt Alchemy Ass Wipe Junkies Bad and Dumb / So Bad and Dumb Chat Bot Riot Desert Underground Four Banger Glass Heroes Kactus King Perfect Sense Rejected Monsters Rocket Steadman Skeleton Army Sick in the Head Something Outrageous Swigfoot The Fast 86ers The Originals The Skavelinas Two Tone Lizard Kings Vic Tims and The Kentucky Rifles Vox Manicka

Current Metal / Heavy / Doom / Hardcore Bands receiving special attention in the updated Volume I appendix

2 IN THE CHEST Axe Collectors Big Gulp Coaccion DED / Ded Dismay Dust Ends Embrace Eternal Evil Wizard Weed G.A.S.M. Gatecreeper High On Formadehyde Incite Jugular Slice Kthulu Life’s Torment Mosara Necrambulant Nooses Pelvic Meatloaf Plunge Poison Tribe Sectas Sex Prisoner Sicksense Skullcrush St. Madness The Word Alive Thorn Traumatone Woundvac Wyrmhaven Yellowcake

Tucson / Southern Arizona Current rock, punk, metal and alternative bands

Birds and Arrows Bridget Auriel Commoner Flying Half Full Freezing Hands ISOLATYRS Lenguas Largas Mute Swan New Misphoria Ok Chief RAVENHAAG Spitegeist Swigfoot The Exbats The Female Gaze Weekend Lovers

Larger Arizona-Connected Current / Recent Bands Arizona-connected rock and heavy bands

AJJ Authority Zero Bless the fall Calabrese Dog breth Fairy Bones Flotsam and Jetsam Gate creeper Grey Daze JFA Jimmy Eat World Job for a Cowboy Sacred Reich The Maine The Summer Set The Word Alive

Additional Current / Recent Names More Arizona names retained in the updated appendix

Able Cain Addict3D Apex Nemesis Back From Ashes Burn’d Bridges Chemical Clownz Crushed Dawn of the Rising Element a440 Embers Rise Empire of Dezire Escape The Hive Exiled Go Ask Alice Greeley Estates Iesore Lago Landmine Marathon Malo De Dentro Mourning Star Noyes Factory Redrummed Rocket 211 Soul of the Sun Stereo Rex Sweet Mess Take Over and Destroy The Dead Rabbitts Torso Tyrant 21 Zig Zag Black

Historic Venues Rooms and stages preserved in the Volume I appendix

The Mason Jar Long Wong's Buddy's The Sun Club Mr. Lucky's Minder Binders Club Rio Hollywood Alley The Atomic Cafe Boston's Nita's Hideaway Electric Ballroom Hammerheads Porky's Joe's Grotto Club Red / Red Owl Rogue Bar Big Fish Pub Crabby Don's Goat Head Saloon 910 Live Cajon House The Venue of Scottsdale House of Bards

Current Venues Current venues listed in the updated Volume I appendix

Club Congress Marquee Theatre Pub Rock Live Rialto Theatre The 44 Sports Grill & Nightlife The Blooze The Den (Prescott) The Nile (Mesa) The Nile Theater The Rebel Lounge The Rhythm Room The Rock (Tucson) The Starlite Lounge Pho Cao (Scottsdale) Tones N Bones Yucca Tap Room

Festivals & Community Events Festivals, showcases and community events

Anne Fest Desert Fest Dime Fest Dust Bowl Metal Show Fest. Skull Fest March Mayhem Orchard Fest The Reverend Black Birthday Bash Battle of the Bands Competitions Independent Music Showcases Community Benefit Concerts Arizona Bike Week Music Events Seasonal Music Festivals Local Venue Festivals Talent Showcases The Breakfast Club Live Stream Shows

Community Builders People recognized in the updated Volume I appendix

Adam Spleen Kadrmas Bryon Mogul Donn and Shaunna Morinville Joe Grotto Kim Larowe Kristin Dawn Penny Freeman Rich Fourmy Scott Rowe Tom A. Rodrigues Tony Toledo Travis Kolasinski

Media, Promotion & Scene Supporters Radio, photography, studios, archives and community support

Dust Bowl Metal Show Yeti Radio Rock Rage Radio Metal World Radio John Rolland Photography Villain Studio Steampunk Audio Labs Band Oasis Independent Music Journalists Independent Photographers Independent Videographers Local Radio Hosts Podcast Hosts Volunteer Street Teams Festival Volunteers

Newer Scene-Support Additions

The updated manuscript specifically includes Villain Studio, Steampunk Audio Labs, and Band Oasis in the Media, Promotion, and Scene Supporters section. These names are now preserved on the website index as well.

History Can Be Corrected

Corrections & Additions

An archive built from decades of music history will continue to change as better information becomes available. Dates can be corrected, names can be added, lineups can be clarified and surviving material can reveal details that were previously unknown.

Corrections are part of preserving history. When stronger evidence appears, the online archive gives us a place to document it and keep the record moving forward. Browse Corrections →

Were You There?

If you played in an Arizona band, booked shows, ran sound, worked radio, photographed the scene, saved flyers or recordings, or remember a story connected to this history, your information may belong in the archive.

Submit Volume I History

KEEP LOCAL MUSIC ALIVE

THE DEATH OF LOCAL MUSIC

EXPLORE THE VOLUMES