Bud Light Music Stage
8 p.m.: Loren Dircks and Gila Bend with Ned Sutton
9 p.m.: Grams and Krieger
10 p.m.: The Van Dykes
11 p.m.: John "Juke" Logan (Los Angeles)
Midnight: Kenneth Brian (Alabama)
Things at the Bud Light Music Stage kick off at 8 p.m. with what promises to be a smokin' collaboration between Loren Dircks and Gila Bend's hybrid of country and hard rock, and roots veteran Ned Sutton. Another couple of veterans, the acoustic country-blues duo Grams and Krieger, take the reins at 9 p.m. Guitarist Danny Krieger will remain onstage for the 10 p.m. slot, during which he'll team up with bassist Larry Lee Lerma and drummer Ralph Gilmore to perform funky covers of pop and rock classics as The Van Dykes. Los Angeles' John "Juke" Logan has lent his blues harp-blowing skills to folks like Dave Alvin, Ry Cooder and Los Lobos over his 45-year career. Hear why at 11 p.m. At midnight, Decatur, Alabama's acclaimed Kenneth Brian performs his brand of country, which ranges from bluesy ballads to shit-kickin' honky tonk.
Tucson Museum of Art—Who Shot Rock and Roll/KRQ Stage
8 p.m.: Smallvox
9 p.m.: Spirit Familia
10 p.m.: Crosscut Saw
11 p.m.: The Tryst
Midnight: Broken Romeo
The action on this outdoor stage begins at 8 p.m. with a set from Smallvox, who specialize in midtempo folk-pop. Make sure your dancing shoes are laced up at 9 p.m., when Spirit Familia dishes out grooves that incorporate everything from reggae to rap, and gypsy to cumbia. At 10 p.m., get a dose of Texas blues when Crosscut Saw, fronted by the father-and-son guitar team of Clark and Jeff Engelbert, take over, followed at 11 p.m. by the jazzy, funky dance stew of multiple 2011 TAMMIES winners The Tryst. At midnight, brothers James and Steve Turpin front Broken Romeo, who will crank out '80s-influenced, melodic hard-rock tracks from their brand new album, Desperation Daze.
Allusion Studios/92.9 The Mountain Stage
8 p.m.: Key Ingredients of African Soul
9 p.m.: AmoSphere
10 p.m.: The Jits
11 p.m.: Kicking Harold (Los Angeles)
Midnight: Greyhound Soul
Jim Pavett's Allusion Studios and The Mountain 92.9 FM, picked by you this year as Best Pop Music Station in the Weekly's annual Best of Tucson® poll, team up to bring you an eclectic mix of acts starting at 8 p.m., with a dance-friendly set of Afro-pop, African folk, reggae and Caribbean soca by Key Ingredients of African Soul. Fronted by multi-instrumentalist and Grammy nominee AmoChip Dabney, AmoSphere performs dance music from the '60s to the present day, at 9 p.m. There is simply no pegging Alan Anderson's The Jits to a genre: They can sound like Hüsker Dü playing a country song (with horns, no less) one minute, and a blazing, '70s-era hard-rock combo the next. They're on at 10 p.m., just before a re-formed version of Los Angeles-based '90s post-grunge-rockers Kicking Harold take over at 11 p.m. At midnight, Joey Pena's Greyhound Soul bring their gravel-voiced, classic blues-rock to the stage.
Tejano/Mia Stage
9 p.m.: Hibrido
10 p.m.: Hibrido
11 p.m.: Nudoz
Midnight: Nudoz
The Tejano/Mia Stage is your best one-stop for all things Latin tonight, starting at 9 p.m. with two sets by pop-rock en español outfit Hibrido. Starting at 11 p.m., Nudoz, who sound like a Latin Simple Minds on one tune, and a funk band à la War on the next, play the final two slots here tonight.
Rialto Theatre
8 p.m.: Triple Double Band
9 p.m.: The Project
10 p.m.: La Cerca
11 p.m.: The Pork Torta
Midnight: The Love Me Nots (Phoenix)
The eclectically booked historic downtown theater's lineup is all over the map, starting at 8 p.m. with the "soul-soothing funky reggae blues party" of the Triple Double Band. Featuring members of Dead Western Plains and the Holy Rolling Empire, The Project is a relatively new six-piece outfit that merges the soulful sounds of early-'70s Motown with modern-day hip-hop. Catch them at 9 p.m., just prior to the veteran indie-rock band La Cerca, whose latest album, Rock 'n' Roll to the Rescue, is a killer, at 10 p.m. Git dancin' to some tasty garage funk courtesy of The Pork Torta at 11 p.m., and at midnight, it's co-ed '60s-inspired garage rock courtesy of Phoenix's The Love Me Nots. (See the feature article in this section.)
Rialto Theatre Patio
9:40 to 11 p.m.: Tom Walbank
The recently opened patio on the north side of the Rialto Theatre participates in its inaugural Crawl tonight as blues-harp-blowin', slide-guitar-playin' Delta blues howler Tom Walbank steps up to the plate from 9:40 to 11 p.m.
Hotel Congress Outdoor Stage
8 p.m.: Lariats
9 p.m.: Ferrodyne
10 p.m.: Gospel Claws (Phoenix)
11 p.m.: RCougar
Midnight: Snake! Snake! Snakes! (Phoenix)
Featuring veterans of such bands as Versus the Mirror and the American Black Lung, the beer-swilling Lariats bring feel-good, catchy punk rock to the 8 p.m. slot of the outdoor stage at this downtown hub tonight. At 9 p.m., get a dose of tasty Southwestern folk-rock courtesy of Ferrodyne. Dubbed "the unofficial standard-bearers for Phoenix indie rock" by the Phoenix New Times, Gospel Claws sound a bit like a piano-less Cold War Kids. They're on at 10 p.m., just prior to RCougar's set of winning pop of the indie and electro varieties at 11 p.m. At midnight, Phoenix's Snake! Snake! Snakes! bring lush, moody guitar-driven pop-rock to the stage.
Club Congress
8 p.m.: DJ Dewtron
9:30 p.m.: Bulletproof Tiger (El Paso)
10:30 p.m.: LexiconDon (Los Angeles)
11:30 p.m.: Fabian (Los Angeles)
12:15 a.m.: DJ Matt McCoy
Saturday nights at Club Congress are reserved for its Bang! Bang! dance night, and tonight, the club brings in some ringers and live music to join its usual cast of DJs. Bang! Bang! regular DJ Dewtron (aka Tucson Weekly contributor Casey Dewey) gets the party started at 8 p.m., just before El Paso synth-and-guitar duo Bulletproof Tiger perform a set of dance tunes while wearing tiger masks at 9:30 p.m. From there, a pair of L.A. acts takes over: Trio LexiconDon tosses hook-ridden synth-pop softballs to the masses at 10:30 p.m., followed by an anything-goes set from Fabian at 11:30 p.m. From 12:15 a.m. until the bouncers give you the boot, DJ Matt McCoy spins his usual booty-quakin' electro-jams.
Sacred Machine Museum
8 p.m.: Phillip Shiozaki
10 p.m.: King Bowser
Midnight: Blind Divine
The Congress Street visual-arts gallery, co-owned by artist/musician Daniel Martin Diaz and his partner in life and crime, musician and gallery operator Paula Catherine Valencia, opens its doors tonight for a trio of acts starting at 8 p.m. with a performance by Tokyo Bloodworm guitarist Phillip Shiozaki. King Bowser (no, not the videogame character) takes over at 10 p.m., and at midnight, Diaz and Valencia join their Blind Divine bandmates for a set of sultry, sensual, goth-y pop-rock.
Sharks
7:30 p.m.: Three Messy Cans
8:30 p.m.: 115Down
9:30 p.m.: Los Nawdy Dawgs
10:30 p.m.: Mad Styles
Midnight: DJ Chucky Chingon
Downtown's traditional home of all things Latin music doesn't stray from its course tonight, as Three Messy Cans get the ball rolling at 7:30 p.m., followed at 8:30 p.m. by 115Down, who play everything from folk-pop to reggae. Nogales transplants Los Nawdy Dawgs bring their self-described "south of the border pulp fiction Latin blues rock" to the stage at 9:30 p.m., just before a set of hip-hop from Mad Styles, who are on at 10:30 p.m. And, in keeping with Crawl tradition, DJ Chucky Chingon takes over the wheels of steel at midnight to close out the evening.
The District
9 p.m.: DJ Butta Fly
10 p.m.: Ultramaroon
11 p.m.: Texas Trash and the Trainwrecks
Midnight: Double Tap
1 a.m.: The Besmirchers
It's rare for downtown watering hole The District to shut off its well-stocked jukebox for a night to allow for live music, and we're happy they're doing so tonight. Even better, they've got a mighty sweet lineup scheduled. DJ Butta Fly brings his deep soul and funk grooves to the turntables at 9 p.m., and at 10 p.m., bluesy scuzz-funk duo Ultramaroon crank the knobs up for what will follow. At 11 p.m. get a dose of punkabilly courtesy of the always-worth-catching Texas Trash and the Trainwrecks, who are on just before Double Tap performs melodic rock informed by the members' experiences in the military at midnight. At 1 a.m., downtown institution Lenny Mental fronts The Besmirchers, who specialize in the sort of fast, dirty, confrontational punk rock favored by the likes of The Mentors and the Dwarves, with whom they recently shared a bill at the Rialto.
Vaudeville
8:30 p.m.: Asses of Evil (Phoenix)
9:30 p.m.: Scorpion vs. Tarantula (Phoenix)
10:30 p.m.: Dead Chiefs
11:30 p.m.: Dirty Filthy Mugs (Los Angeles)
12:30 a.m.: Agression (Los Angeles)
Vaudeville tends to book either hard-rock and punk acts or hip-hop ones, and tonight, they're going with the former. A pair of Phoenix-area bands start the night off: At 8:30 p.m., it's the hard-charging, melodic punk rock of Asses of Evil, which features JFA drummer Bam Bam on the skins, and at 9:30 p.m., the female-fronted Scorpion vs. Tarantula add a little blooze to their garage punk. Tucson's Dead Chiefs dish out dirty punk with a little metal on the side at 10:30 p.m., and then two L.A. bands take over for the duration of the night: Dirty Filthy Mugs are way more technically proficient than they need to be to play their brand of self-described "aggressive, fun, honest punk rock." Prepare to shout along with the choruses. The 12:30 a.m. slot brings us a real treat: One of the great pioneering '80s skate-punk bands, Agression schools you on what nardcore is all about.
The Screening Room
8 p.m.: Al Perry
9 p.m.: Billy Sedlmayr
10 p.m.: Van Christian
11 p.m.: Hank Topless
Midnight: Ashbury
This downtown cinema tonight transforms into one of the most intimate listening rooms you'll find at the Crawl—all the better to showcase its stellar lineup of local singer-songwriters. The unofficial mayor of Tucson, Al Perry flaunts his incredible catalog of country weepers at 8 p.m. Billy Sedlmayr injects his gorgeous, fragile songs full of the details on what it means to be a survivor at 9 p.m., followed at 10 p.m. by Naked Prey frontman Van Christian, who will likely play some tunes from his acclaimed, still-unreleased solo album. Former Topless Opry frontman Hank Topless won't need to travel far to get to his 11 p.m. slot—he's playing across the street at the Red Room at Grill directly preceding his set here. Randy and Rob Davis, the founding members of the great, if largely overlooked local '80s band Ashbury, perform an acoustic set of originals and country-rock covers at midnight.
O'Malleys
9:30 p.m.: A Son y Sol
10:30 p.m.: Yardsale Heart
Midnight: The Jons
Plus: DJ Johnny G, 10 p.m. to close on the outdoor stage
This perennial UA mecca tonight features two stages—one in the back of the bar where bands will perform, and one outdoors, where DJ Johnny G will be working the decks. As for those bands: A Son y Sol features three native Mexicans, a native Peruvian and a flute-player. Their sultry take on acoustic Latin music will have you working up a sweat at 9:30 p.m. Yardsale Heart is a co-ed band that merges desert rock and new wave and adds a bit of surf guitar to the mix. Check 'em out at 10:30 p.m., just before two members of Yardsale Heart—James Peters and Charlie Rodriguez—team up with the members of their other band, the everything-plus-the-kitchen-sink The Jons, to close out the night at midnight.
The Hut Outdoor Stage
8 p.m.: Funky Bonz
9 p.m.: Planet Jam
10:15 p.m.: 8 Minutes to Burn
11:45 p.m.: Cosmic Slop
If funky dance music is your thang, park yourself at the outdoor stage of this Fourth Avenue Quonset hut tonight, where funk-rockers Funky Bonz will get your ass moving in style at 8 p.m. Next up, at 9 p.m., is Planet Jam, who inject a healthy dose of gypsy music into their reggae, rendering them unlike any reggae band you've ever heard. At 10:15 p.m., 8 Minutes to Burn, a funky-ass jam band with a killer horn section, flaunt their wares, and at 11:45 p.m., the funkin' awesome Cosmic Slop pay homage to P-Funk with a set of original tunes.
The Hut
8:30 p.m.: Alien Jane
9:30 p.m.: Sugar Stains
10:45 p.m.: Disciples of Prime
Midnight: Frantic
Meanwhile, The Hut's indoor stage will feature an x-chromosome-heavy lineup of straightforward rock bands, starting at 8:30 p.m. with Alien Jane, who combine elements of '90s riot grrrl with '80s rock. At 9:30 p.m., the relatively new female quartet Sugar Stains serve up a platter of short, sharp pop-punk tunes, just before Disciples of Prime take over with their brand of Paramore-influenced dramatic rock at 10:45 p.m. At midnight, Frantic, whose brand of rock is influenced by bands of the '70s and '80s, stick a fork in the night.
Sky Bar
8:30 p.m.: gHosTcOw
9:30 p.m.: Widow's Hill
10:30 p.m.: Lunar Light Collectors
11:30 p.m.: Skitn
12:30 p.m.: The Modeens
This astronomy-themed Fourth Avenue watering hole tonight boasts a lineup of local acts that's stylistically all over the map, starting at 8:30 p.m. with the blues/post-punk/rock blend of gHosTcOw. Self-described "hillbilly" quartet Widow's Hill takes over at 9:30 p.m. with their take on vintage country, just before the rootsy guitar-pop of Lunar Light Collectors at 10:30 p.m. At 11:30 p.m., it's time to lace up those dancin' shoes for the Sublime-influenced beach-pop/reggae hybrid of Skitn, and at 12:30 a.m., prepare yourself for the fuzzy, buzzy, hella-fun garage rock of The Modeens.
Hub Restaurant and Ice Creamery Rooftop
8 p.m. to 2 a.m.: Big Brother Beats, DJ Bonus and friends
If you've dined, gotten a cocktail or eaten ice cream at this fantastic new downtown hotspot at the right time, you've been treated to one of their regular DJs spinning music in the front corner of the restaurant. Tonight, some of those DJs, including Big Brother Beats and DJ Bonus, take the turntables to the roof to spin jams from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Red Room at Grill
10 p.m.: Hank Topless
11 p.m.: Vox Urbana
Midnight: Salvador Duran
Another intimate listening room, the Red Room is actually a red room that serves as the lounge at the 24-hour diner Grill. Before heading to The Screening Room to perform there, Hank Topless will turn in a set of inspired country blues tunes here at 10 p.m., just prior to the "garage cumbia"—a mix of punk rock and cumbia—of Vox Urbana at 11 p.m. At midnight, the golden-throated Salvador Duran brings a heaping dose of charm to his Spanish-language folksongs.
47 Scott
8 to 10 p.m.: St. St.
This acclaimed downtown bistro tonight features live music from 8 to 10 p.m. courtesy of the literary male-female folk duo St. St. (That's pronounced Saint Street, by the way.)
La Cocina
7 to 10 p.m.: Oscar Fuentes
If you haven't been to this downtown restaurant and lounge since new management took it over, do yourself a favor, and check it out. Tonight offers you a perfect excuse to do so, as Guadalajara native Oscar Fuentes treats you to covers and originals that encompass everything from rock and pop to blues and musica ranchera, from 7 to 10 p.m.
Downtown Kitchen + Cocktails
10 p.m. to 1 a.m.: Bad News Blues Band
Celebrated local chef Janos Wilder made a triumphant return to downtown with the opening of this, his latest venture. The eatery regularly features live music on weekends, and tonight is no exception, as the Bad News Blues Band treats you to some house-rockin', horn-driven blues, from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Enoteca
5:30 to 9 p.m.: Noodles Factorie
This downtown Neapolitan Italian restaurant and wine bar features live music tonight from 5:30 until 9 p.m., courtesy of Noodles Factorie.
Iguana Café
8 p.m. to 1 a.m.: The Benjamins
At this downtown café and tavern, it's all about The Benjamins, who play classic-rock covers tonight from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Cushing Street Bar and Restaurant
7:30 to 10 p.m.: Jeff Lewis and Friends
Jeff Lewis, the former president of the Tucson Jazz Society's board of directors, performs with friends at this downtown mainstay tonight from 7:30 to 10 p.m.
Casa Vicente
7 to 9 p.m.: Flamenco with guitarist Misael Barraza and dancer Macarena Giraldez
This downtown Spanish restaurant transforms into a flamenco club from 7 to 9 p.m. tonight with music by guitarist Misael Barraza and dancing from Macarena Giraldez.
Café Passé
6:30 to 8:30 p.m.: Bouncing Czechs
This newly expanded Fourth Avenue café now serves a full selection of beer and wine—just the thing to get you into the mood for the traditional polkas and waltzes of the Bouncing Czechs, who perform from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Martin's Comida Chingona
8 to 10 p.m.: Salvador Duran
Fuel up on Martin's incredible Mexican fare while you take in the delightful sounds of Mexico native Salvador Duran's extensive catalog of Spanish-language folksongs, from 8 to 10 p.m.
Delectables
7 to 9 p.m.: Belly Dance Tucson
The longstanding Fourth Avenue eatery tonight features the seductive art of belly-dancing, courtesy of Belly Dance Tucson, from 7 to 9 p.m.
Magpies Gourmet Pizza
7 to 9 p.m.: Stefan George
Grab a quick slice of 'za at the Fourth Avenue location of this pizza joint while taking in the fantastic folk blues of veteran Stefan George from 7 to 9 p.m.
Chocolate Iguana
7 to 9 p.m.: Duo Vibrato
The perfect place to fuel up on coffee and sugary treats, the Chocolate Iguana will feature the guitar-and-violin chamber act Duo Vibrato from 7 to 9 p.m.
Winsett Park
7 to 9 p.m.: Monkey Knuckle
This outdoor park, next to Bison Witches on Fourth Avenue, features a performance from the goofball bass/drums/vocals funk duo Monkey Knuckle, from 7 to 9 p.m.
Spencer Park
7 to 9 p.m.: Desert Bluegrass Association
The Desert Bluegrass Association will provide some killer players for your listening pleasure from 7 to 9 p.m. at Spencer Park (near the northern part of the Fourth Avenue underpass).
