Author Archive: Brianna Ward

Yuckin’ It Up at Tucson Comic Con 2023

Tucson Comic Con returned this year with a star-studded lineup, fun panels, and an excellent exhibit hall. The exhibit hall is always the highlight of the convention, and this year was no different. Small local artists shared the aisles with long-time Tucson Comic Con staples like Bookmans, Zia Records, and Tucson Games and Gadgets, which allowed guests to seamlessly explore the more than 300 vendors, with plenty of variety, unlike the repetitive displays so often seen at other conventions. There was a large variety of artists highlighted and a strong sense of diverse interests represented.

In the hallway above the exhibit hall the cosplay and specialty group area returned. Here, groups like the 501^st Legion and the Arizona Brown Coats set up their displays of Star Wars and Firefly memorabilia and costumes while also encouraging fans to join in and become a member of these fan clubs. Continuing down this path led to an exciting display of fake battles, also known as Live-Action Role Playing (LARP), where guests were given foam bats and allowed to attack each other as if it were the Middle Ages. It was a sight to see, but one that might have been missed due to its location. While it’s fun to see everything in this specialty area, it can cause a major traffic jam. Navigating through can be a bit difficult and at times it might have had a bit of a deterrent effect, making some people choose to skip it entirely.

This year the celebrity guests were quite the draw for convention goers. Chandler Riggs (Carl Grimes in The Walking Dead), Tracy Lynn Cruz (Yellow Ranger in Power Rangers), and Honky Tonk Man (WWE Hall of Famer) had long lines throughout the convention and full panels full of questions from fans. Another exciting event that happened throughout the weekend was the ability to play a Dungeons and Dragons campaign that was run by Luke Gygax, author, gamer, and son of the creator of the game, Gary Gygax. Being able to play with the son of the creator seemed like a dream come true for some of the fans that joined in. There was also a significant amount of comic book guests in attendance, which is always great to see for a comic convention. Guests like Jimmy Palmiotti, Amanda Conner, and Tucson native Henry Barajas joined the convention for the weekend, also hosting panels and chatting with fans on the exhibit hall floor.

Along with the Dungeons and Dragons experience, the game area of the convention hosted many board game sessions. From established board games to brand new playtesting games, there were plenty of options for Tucsonans to explore. In this section there was an area set aside for people to paint miniature figures for their games. It was quiet and peaceful, with just the right amount of calm for someone to spend a few hours making sure their figure looks just right before debuting it to the world. On the other side, Cobra Arcade and Next Level Arcade had a few arcade cabinets set up with classics like Mortal Kombat and Galaga available for players of all ages.

For its 14th year, Tucson Comic Con did a fantastic job of keeping the heart of the convention while also making sure there were new and exciting sights to see. The variety of vendors, the different forms of entertainment, and the fact there was so much to see and do throughout the weekend made Tucson Comic Con one more reason to take pride in our city.

Photographs by Jake Ward

Tucson’s Demon City Wreckers Return after a Near-Dozen-Year Absence

Demon City Wreckers are back for the first time since 2011 and playing a 20th anniversary show at 191 Toole on Sunday December 4 with psychobilly legends Koffin Kats.

Demon City Wreckers have been a fixture of the Tucson psychobilly scene since 2002, when they played their first show together as a band. Mike O’Brien had wanted to get a band together but had some difficulties doing so. After a little while, he turned to a few friends he had known for years and recorded an EP as a sort of recruiting tool to get permanent members of the band. Little did he know that doing that would form the original lineup of Demon City Wreckers (originally Left for Dead). The original members consisted of Mike O’Brien, Jericho Davidson, Ian Philabaum, and Jason Mashburn (who sadly passed away in 2006). Over the years David Williams, George Palenzuela, Sean Williams, Drew Combs, Jimmy Hixson, and Ed Slocum have also been a part of this killer band. The band’s close friend Scott Northrup has also been involved as their manager/band counselor/backbone.

Their first show was with the very popular psychobilly band Nekromantix, and when the band caught wind that they were playing at Club Congress they opened for them. Thanks to their connections in the music scene, they were able to reach out and secure the opening slot alongside another band known as The Last Call Brawlers. The band recalls the show as being “high energy” and that the Nekromantix were great performers and a lot of fun to open for.

The last time Demon City Wreckers played a show together was in 2011, and ironically it looked very similar to their upcoming show on December 4. It was the Sunday after Thanksgiving, and they played Club Congress with the Koffin Kats, who hail from Detroit. The band fondly remembers that show and the moment when Mike broke his bass. Instead of stopping the show, Mike asked Koffin Kats bassist Vic if he could borrow his bass. Vic agreed anxiously, but Mike returned the instrument to Vic unharmed. The Koffin Kats, being longtime friends of Demon City Wreckers, reached out to them to play this reunion show, and the band agreed without hesitation. The first practice back after many years went smoother than the band had anticipated and Ed Slocum noted that it was “like riding a bike, for the most part.”

The band’s foundation is good-hearted friendship, and they say that “the states/cities/venues/bands/friends/fans and even enemies shape the whole damn experience.” They also encourage anyone who has an interest in the live music scene to go after it and to make memories with no regrets. Demon City Wreckers are excited to take the Tucson stage again, and you never know what to expect, especially now that they’ve resurrected the band after almost a decade.

Don’t miss out on their 20-year anniversary show at 191 Toole, Sunday December 4, doors at 7pm, show begins at 8pm. Tickets are $15 in advance  (available at https://www.191toole.com/events/koffin-kats-191-toole/), $17 at the door.

Dorothy Doesn’t Surrender

Though it was the first week of October, monsoon season decided to make one more appearance the night that Dorothy rocked the Rialto Theatre. After they commuted through lakes and downpours, the venue welcomed concertgoers with the promise of a night full of excitement and rock and roll. Regardless of the rain, Tucsonans came out ready to party, and the crowd was even more amped up after the opener, Mac Saturn, brought a fun electricity to the stage.

Dorothy Martin, lead singer of Dorothy, came out and instantly had the crowd moving with the funky guitar riffs and her powerful voice. The blue aura of the stage lighting, paired with the perfectly placed and timed fog machines, gave her an almost angelic look while she belted into the microphone. Adorned in a shiny overcoat, she twirled and danced with a Stevie Nicks flair. Her presence onstage is undeniable, and it is backed up by her vocals, which could make even the sourest person smile.

Dorothy’s music is reminiscent of blues rock, a genre that holds the spot between classic rock and newer rock fans quite well. The songs they sang have graced local radio stations for some time now, and it seems safe to say that their popularity and fan base will grow even more in the coming years. Each member of the band brought seasoning, talent, and stage presence to the performance.

Throughout the set they kept the energy high and never faltered. Even in the first song, the melody made the whole audience move in time with dancing and clapping. When they slowed it down for an acoustic song, Dorothy and guitarist Sam “Bam” Koltun commanded the audience’s attention all the way through, and instead of going to the bathroom or checking their phones, the crowd stayed transfixed on the show that was unfolding before them. The band ended on a strong note and left the audience chanting the “one more song” mantra, which unfortunately never came to pass. It was an experience.

The Word Alive Cycles Through Life

The setting: Arizona toward the end of the aughts. The “post-hardcore” scene was in its early infancy, and bands around the country were experimenting with new sounds and things that had never been done before. Bands like Jimmy Eat World and The Bled had put Arizona in the map in a mainstream way, but the post-hardcore scene had not yet found its footing. Enter The Word Alive.

The Word Alive started in 2008 in Phoenix, when Arizona post-hardcore legend Craig Mabbitt decided he wanted to start yet another new band to take the world by storm and recruited some friends from the Phoenix area, Zack Hansen and Tony Pizzuti, to play together. Soon after forming The Word Alive, Mabbitt became a full-time member of Escape the Fate, and Hansen, Pizzuti, and the other members wanted to focus on growing The Word Alive’s presence. They replaced Mabbitt with Tyler “Telle” Smith, who was a prominent vocalist in the scene. Smith, Hansen, and Pizzuti got to work on writing new music and touring the country. Fearless Records signed them in 2009 and soon after released their EP Empire. After touring nonstop, the band slowed down to record their first full-length album, Deceiver, and from then on The Word Alive took over the scene.

The Word Alive toured frequently and became a well-known part of the Fearless Records roster, touring on the “Fearless Friends” tour in 2011 and releasing six full-length albums with the label. In 2020 the band parted ways with Fearless in order to focus on their future and their new sounds. In 2021 they also parted ways with Pizzuti, leaving Smith and Hansen as the only remaining longtime members of the band.

When the events of 2020 turned the world upside down, The Word Alive kept their spirits up by writing and recording new songs. Their newest album, Monomania, experiments with a more accessible sound, focusing more on clean vocals and melodies as opposed to harder guitars and screaming their first albums highlighted. Though not fully in the post-hardcore scene, The Word Alive still sticks to their roots in a few of their songs by highlighting Smith’s vocal range, from singing to screaming (but for only a few bars).

The band is currently touring and celebrating the 10-year anniversary of their second full-length album, Life Cycles. Catch them on Saturday, September 17, at 191 Toole with Dayseeker. For more information visit https://www.191toole.com/.

With “Grow Up,” Tucson Indie Pop Band Chateau Chateau Enters a New Era

Chateau Chateau’s new album Grow Up is a perfect example of pairing pain with pleasure. The indie pop group hails from Tucson, which has seen an explosion of fun and quirky music these last few years. Chateau Chateau is led by Bleu and Alex, the power duo that bring darkness and humor to their tracks. The band formed in 2018, with Bleu joining in 2019, and it has since released a steady stream of empowering and exciting songs that remind people that it’s completely acceptable to be themselves and be comfortable in doing so.

As with most musicians, the COVID-19 pandemic was tough on the group, but that didn’t dampen their spirits. They not only released a wonderful “Chateau Chateau” cooking video and a full band Q&A, both of which can be found on their YouTube channel, but they also released the album Princess during the height of the pandemic. Since the restrictions lifted and live music returned, the band has gotten back into touring and recently made an appearance at South by Southwest, bringing tracks from Grow Up to the festival’s stage.

Grow Up is set to release on May 6. The album is gritty and real and will leave anyone who has experienced similar stories feeling overwhelmed, but in the best possible way. Each song is about an experience frontwoman Bleu has had during her dating years. As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, Bleu wanted to highlight her experiences with relationships from romantic to familial and to bring a voice to those who might not normally feel heard. In “Converted,” Bleu brings anger—with a dash of humor—to the table as she discusses her experience being the token “converted homosexual” for a man she dated. Grow Up also highlights her experiences growing up in a religious, abusive household. The lyrics are raw, but the upbeat guitars and synthesizers bring a bubbly feeling to the track that will make the most cynical person start dancing.

As the album progresses, it keeps the funky, fast-paced pop sounds throughout. Grow Up’s penultimate track is a cover of ‘Til Tuesday’s “Voices Carry,” and Bleu knocks it out of the park. The song’s 80’s funk meshes perfectly with Bleu’s raw vocals, and it will make any fan of the original smile.

Chateau Chateau is a force to be reckoned with. Its album release party is slated for 8:00pm on Friday, June 17, at 191 Toole. Tickets and information can be found at https://chateauchateaumusic.com/shows or on the band’s socials @ChateauChateau_.