Live Music in the Phoenix Area

Organ Stop Pizza 

One such place that you can go is a local business in Mesa called Organ Stop Pizza. This is a local pizzeria where family and friends can get together and enjoy a meal while listening to a rather interesting Wurlitzer pipe organ playing in the background. The store offers pizza, sandwiches, beer, and has a self-serve salad bar available as well. However, this organ is not as traditional as one might think, considering the fact that it takes up most of the building. This mighty instrument has over one hundred possible sounds, from snare drums to trumpets, from xylophones to wind chimes, and it even has duck sound! With over 6000 different pipes and an intricate air blowing system, this mighty machine is probably one of the most interesting things to witness in person. The organist of the night typically plays in shifts every 15 to 30 minutes, playing such tunes as Frozen, the theme from Star Wars, and even patriotic songs like You’re a Grand Old Flag. Patrons can also make song requests on slips of paper with the hopes that the organist will play their song. The only disappointing factor of this place is that it is only open from 3:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. during the week, with closing hours changing to 9:00 p.m. on the weekends. This is a great spot to bring the whole family, but this facility is one of the busiest places I have seen. My recommendation would be to get there early and spend the night there, or go closer to closing time.

Civic Space Park

Another excellent spot to hear music outdoors is in the Civic Space Park right next to the Walter Cronkite Building of Journalism on the Downtown campus for Arizona State University. This area has different events throughout the year, from fun college-sponsored events like outdoor movies, to local band’s just practicing in the park, but occasionally there are small concerts held by the ASU music program. I had the pleasure to listen to the advanced music classes perform covers of different genres of songs just before spring break and it was so much fun. One band was a Bob Marley cover band while another performed pop songs from the late 2000s. After finding out a little more information about the event from a parent in the crowd, I had learned that the bands were actually required to do this sort of thing for a grade but no one would have known based on how they were playing, interacting with the crowd, and just generally having a really good time on stage. For the older scene, if you are older than 21, there are several different bars in the area that allow bands to play for the night. To find more information about events happening in this area, one recommendation is to check out the Downtown Phoenix website where they have a complete list of events, and music available for Downtown. 

Yucca Tap Room

Another interesting bar in Tempe is the Yucca Tap Room, which according to their website, is the original live music venue. The bar and arcade venue has been open since the '70s to all lovers and players of music alike. According to their website, they have received multiple awards since their conception and are locally known as a Tempe landmark. They have events nearly every single week, from hosting dozens of local bands from all over, and even an expanded pinball arcade to enjoy a well! They also host open mic nights every Monday night for anyone that is looking to start their own career. However, since it is an actual bar as well, make sure you check their website at www.yuccatap.com for nights that are 21 and over only.