HARK!
I hear … speakers sparkin' ….
Waaaaaay back in December, when Valley Bar https://www.facebook.com/ValleyBarPHX was posting bookings of shows eight and nine months later, Terry Szukaitis asked: “When are you guys reopening?”
No response ….
For months and months and months, the stellar HARK Valley/Phx live music and DJ venue was posting shout outs to bars and cafes struggling to stay open, and the odd “Pulled strait from the VB archives (A.K.A. our staff’s phones), here’s a clip from when Brazilian psych rock 4-piece, @boogarins, took our stage in 2016!”
The Valley Bar (""Basement Venue, Bar, and Restaurant in Downtown Phoenix.
130 N. Central Ave.) and sister spot the Crescent Ballroom (one block west of the Van Buren Light Rail station at 308 N. 2nd Avenue, Phoenix AZ 85003) both went dark March 15, 2020, though the Crescent stayed open for takeout.
The Crescent speakers sparked back to life in early August: TUESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2021 AT 7 PM MST #SOLDOUT - a band called THE MAINE is proud to bring LIVE MUSIC back to the Crescent Ballroom.”
Now ...after being dark and silent for over a year...the Valley Bar reopens August 18. (“Open 7 days a week, 6pm-2am.”)
DĀM-FUNK
Wed Aug 18 at 9:00 PM
MIAMI HORROR (DJ SET)
J-ME LEE
Thu Aug 19 at 9:00 PM
CHOIR BOY
Body of Light
Fri Aug 20 at 7:30 PM
CHOIR BOY AFTERPARTY
w/ DJ Haircl1p
Fri Aug 20 at 10:00 PM
...
This is good news for fans … and bands:
“We are always looking for bands to fill our lineup. We host acoustic shows, DJ shows, comedy shows, and various full-sized (multi-genre) shows in the Music Hall. We have something for everyone! For more information, contact, info@valleybarphx.com. Please remember to include a link to your music and any upcoming shows so we can check you out!”
Local bands will have a tough time cracking the lineup, which features the likes of touring studs like Black Joe Lewis, a new-bluesman who hits Valley Bar Saturday, August 21.
If you like Black Pumas - big “yep” on Black Joe Lewis
According to his ink: “Black Joe Lewis is the realest motherfucker there is. When Covid sidelined his touring this past year, he started laying concrete to help support his baby mama and his kid. That’s fuckin’ real. When Joe and his band, the Honeybears, popped onto the national stage over a decade ago, many critics embraced him but still, there were some that maintained that they hadn’t paid their dues. Joe’s still here. Still going. Still cashing checks and snapping necks. The dues of hard work; the delirious heights of the industry as well as the disappointments and low hanging fruit. Through this all, Joe’s only honed his mastery over gut bucket blues guitar and his true voice. It’s a vital and distinctly American voice that never anticipated the attention he wound up receiving, never went looking for it either. It just started happening. The garage, the blues, the propulsive and synergistic live performances that inhabit the spaces of James Brown, Lightnin’ Hopkins, and the MC5…”
The Valley Bar is rolling with five, six, seven DJ/live band shows a week:
Some FAQ’s:
How do I get ticket?
There are four ways to purchase tickets for shows at Valley Bar:
Purchase directly from our website/See Tickets page at ValleyBarPHX.com/calendar
Our Facebook events at facebook.com/valleybarphx
In-person at Stinkweed’s record shop on Camelback and Central
At the door if the show is not sold out
Where is Valley Bar located?
A: 130 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, AZ. The entrance is in the alley on the West side of the building. Finding it is part of the fun!
Q: Is there a light rail station nearby?
A: There is! It is right around the corner on Central Avenue (just south of Adams for Westbound trains) and Van Buren (on 1st Ave for Eastbound trains). If you need more information on the light rail, please visit: www.valleymetro.org/metrolightrail
Q: I heard I can come into the Rose Room to eat and drink. Does this mean I can go into the Music Hall while a show is going on as well?
A: The Rose Room is usually open and free to the public as long as we are within capacity requirements (except when we have a full venue event that requires a cover charge). We encourage you to hang out for shows in the Rose Room, but if you have not purchased a ticket to the show, you may not go into the Music Hall.
Q: What is the capacity at Valley Bar?
A: Valley Bar can comfortably accommodate roughly 250 guests in the Music Hall. The overall capacity of the entire venue (Music Hall, Rose Room, Game Room, Reading Room, and etc.) is 480. Capacity up to 480 is managed at the discretion of Valley Bar staff to help ensure a comfortable and fun experience for all.
Q: Are firearms allowed in the venue?
A: No. Firearms are not allowed in Valley Bar. This is pursuant to A.R.S. § 4-229.
