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Top 10 Places to See Live Music in Phoenix, AZ

In October of 2021, I became one of many California transplants to join the California pandemic exodus, ending up a six-hour drive southeast to the hot, dry and vast desert valleys of Phoenix, AZ. Having spent over 11 years living in the entertainment capital of the West coast, I was a bit worried I wouldn’t have as much to do, but to the contrary—over the past seven months I’ve gone to more events and shows than I had previously in L.A.   As I continue to explore my new city, I’ve put together a list of some of my favorite places–obvious and not so obvious–to see live music in the budding city so far.


Top 10 Places to See Live Music in Phoenix, AZ

    1. The Van Buren (https://www.thevanburenphx.com) is my hands-down favorite venue in town to catch a show. With a spacious outdoor bar/lounge and theatre-style open floor plan, there’s no ‘bad view’ in the house and even for packed shows, it’s pretty easy to slide your way to the front. They also have one of the coolest backstage ‘green rooms’ that I’ve experienced, including an entire wall of books for artists to peruse.
    2. Boondocks (Tempe) (https://tempe.boondocksaz.com/) is a brand new sports bar/venue that is bringing live entertainment back to Tempe. With an assortment of cover bands, like Gail & The Night Owls, and up-and coming acts, you can grab some standard fare bar food and watch a Suns game then stay for the music. Did I mention they have a reverse happy hour during the week too?
    3. Old Town Tavern (https://www.oldtowntavernaz.com) is a local’s favorite bar in the heart of Old Town Scottsdale. Located adjacent to the Scottsdale Civic Center Park, the small two-level bar with open air seating and an outdoor patio has live acoustic music every night of the week from an array of local musicians ranging from classic rock and blues to country and singer-songwriter. A few Gin Blossoms members have been known to drop in for a surprise set on occasion.
    4. Tempe Marketplace (https://tempemarketplace.com/concerts/) is an open-air shopping center with over 100 retail stores and restaurants with an outdoor stage area in the center. They often host free shows throughout the year featuring national and local acts. Most recently Escape the Fate and The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus took part in their Rock It Up Spring Concert series.
    5. Frasher’s Tavern (https://www.frasherstavern.com/) is not only the best place to get a steak in Scottsdale, but also hosts intimate acoustic shows on occasions. SRO clients, The Black Moods, have performed here for the release of their “Sunshine” wine which the restaurant paired with a set dinner menu and a signed bottle.
    6. Rebel Lounge (https://therebellounge.com/) is one of my favorite places to see a rock/punk show in Phoenix. If you’re looking for a sweaty, headbanging and mosh-friendly venue, look no further. 
    7. Coach House (https://www.coachhousescottsdale.com/) is the oldest dive bar in Scottsdale. It’s adorned with colored lightbulbs (wrapped around the inside and outside of the open-air building), wrapping paper and tinsel. Open only at night, it’s impossible to miss.
    8. Yucca Tap Room (http://www.yuccatap.com/) is the oldest venue in Tempe and located in the middle of a strip mall plaza that looks vacated minus a few random businesses and a weed shop. An intimate venue with a spacious dance floor with a full arcade attached and a Tiki speakeasy! Play some Iron Maiden or Rush pinball before catching a touring or local act and make sure to head to the bar for an extensive craft beer selection.
    9. Chars Live Music (https://charslive.com) is the revamped and rebranded venue formerly known Char’s Has The Blues, an r&b, jazz and soul nightclub. A great spot for a date night, they have amazing specialty cocktails served in a dark-lit ambience. They’ve expanded genres so you can also catch a DJ or drag show now.
    10. Rusty Spur Saloon (https://rustyspursaloon.com) is a country western dive bar, if you couldn’t tell by the name. It’s randomly popular with celebrities and has served everyone from John Wayne and Clint Eastwood to Jennifer Aniston and even Post Malone. They have music seven days a week and with an 80-person capacity it quickly fills up on the weekends.

SRO Promotes Kelly Walsh to VP, Announces Launch of Phoenix, AZ Office

DT: APRIL 26, 2022
FM: MITCH SCHNEIDER, MARCEE RONDAN / SRO PR

KELLY WALSH
PROMOTED TO VICE PRESIDENT
AT SCHNEIDER RONDAN ORGANIZATION
(SRO PR)

MUSIC, ENTERTAINMENT & EVENT PR FIRM ANNOUNCES LAUNCH OF PHOENIX, AZ OFFICE

Photo Credit: Zack Whitford;
Jewelry by SRO client, Heart Of Bone

KELLY WALSH, Account Executive and Tour Publicist at SCHNEIDER RONDAN ORGANIZATION (SRO PR), has been promoted to Vice President effective immediately, it was announced today by the company’s Founder/Partner Mitch Schneider and Partner Marcee Rondan. SRO PR has also revealed the opening of a Phoenix, AZ office; this expansion adds a fourth city to SRO’s footprint which includes their Los Angeles headquarters and Las Vegas and Nashville offices. The Phoenix expansion will be overseen by WALSH, who relocated to Scottsdale, AZ in late 2021 following her previous 12-year residence in Los Angeles.

WALSH’s current roster at SRO includes Nothing More, The HU, The Verve Pipe, The Jack Kerouac Estate, Butcher Babies, The Black Moods, Redlight King, Osaka Popstar, Capital Theatre, Pistols At Dawn, The Nocturnal Affair, J.D. Huggins, Cold Kingdom, The Sweet Things, Velvet Chains and Dimestore Dolls.

“We feel the promotion of Kelly to Vice President is another important moment in the history of the company,” says Mitch Schneider. “From the beginning, as an Account Executive and Tour Publicist, she brought a level of expertise in PR, social media and marketing that was instantly impressive. It is why she has resonated with our artists and the media. Add in her excellent and wide-ranging taste in music—which has enhanced the company’s edge–and you have a really winning combination.”

“Kelly has worked diligently while at SRO and that dedication has earned her this promotion,” says Rondan. “Her move to Phoenix–and working in and exploring opportunities in that market–will afford us additional prospects in continuing to grow the company.”

WALSH began at SRO PR in 2018 as National and Tour Publicist before advancing to the position of Account Executive a year later in 2019. Over the past four years, WALSH has brought her forward-thinking and strategic publicity and marketing skills to campaigns for an array of diverse clients including Godsmack, Papa Roach, Pop Evil, Tash Sultana, Wardruna, In Hearts Wake, Hilltop Hoods, Brad Arnold (3 Doors Down), Gilby Clarke, Ice Nine Kills, Amigo The Devil, Hyro The Hero, Manda Mosher and Jason Charles Miller and many more. She has also coordinated PR for events including Mike Tyson’s KIND Festival and continues to work alongside Rondan and Schneider on the annual Above Ground benefit concerts led by Dave Navarro and Billy Morrison. WALSH has also lent her knowledge and skills to campaigns for varied companies such as Australian lifestyle & jewelry brand Heart of Bone, rock’n’roll and celebrity clothing brand Junker Designs, The Dead Daisies’ limited horror series Welcome to Daisyland (via ScreamboxTV) and, alongside Schneider on the non-profit live music advocacy organization NITO and D2C music sales app SINGLE MUSIC.

WALSH was born and raised in Medina, NY and moved to Los Angeles in 2009 to pursue a career in the music industry after spending a year abroad in London, UK studying Shakespeare and Creative Literature. For nearly the next decade, she developed her career in music and entertainment publicity with in-house positions at labels including Century Media/SONY and Prosthetic Records along with working independently and with various boutique PR and management firms on national campaigns for a diverse range of artists including Marty Friedman, Arch Enemy, Animals As Leader, Skeletonwitch, Body Count and Scale The Summit, events such as Chris Hardwick‘s Id10t Music Festival And Comic Con-ival and ALT 98.7’s Big Adventure Festival, and on campaigns for artist-exclusive craft beer collaborations including Pennywise’s “Pennywiser” IPA (Lost Coast Brewery) and Prosthetic Record’s “Blood Junkie” IPA (Three Weavers Brewing Company).

About SRO:

SRO PR maintains offices in Los Angeles, Nashville, Las Vegas and now Phoenix headed by Marcee Rondan, Lyndie Wenner, Mitch Schneider and Kelly Walsh, respectively. With its iconic and cutting-edge artist roster–and its representation of internationally heralded music festivals, tours, events and companies–the company has the eyes and ears of America’s exuberant music fans. It has been hailed as a “bonafide taste maker” (L.A. Weekly, 2010) and by Music Connection (2019) as “one of the world’s premier public relations firms… [the] roster is eclectic and encompassing. It includes various styles and genres, superstars, musical legends, festivals, award shows and emerging artists. That diversity enables…[the company]…to obtain coverage in multiple outlets and mediums, from underground to mainstream.” The company began as MSO in 1995 and rebranded as SRO, reflecting Rondan’s promotion to partner, in 2019. It marked its 25th year in 2020.

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(Walsh pictured above at Coachella (April 15, 2022) with SRO clients THE HU alongside their producer Dashka and their entertainment lawyer Eric German and his wife Laura.)

Contact Info:
Kelly Walsh
kwalsh@sropr.com
585-765-5162


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