music of arizona

Arizona's musical history has been heavily influenced by Mexican immigrants. Banda, corridos, mariachi and conjunto became very popular in Arizona in the 20th century and innovative scenes popped up in immigrant communities across the state.

Flagstaff

Flagstaff has an orchestra called the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra. The Orpheum Theater is the biggest performing venue in northern Arizona. The city hosts two music festivals, the Flagstaff Folk Festival and the Flagstaff Music Festival. The city's folk scene, which is a hub attracting performers from across northern Arizona, has produced Peter McLaughlin, Katie Lee, Frog Mountain, Don Charles, Tony Norris, Bill Burke, Deb Gessner, Laurie Lewis and Grant Street.

Phoenix is a center for musical innovation, and has been called a rock mecca by Jim Adkins of Jimmy Eat World http://music.ign.com/articles/569/569227p1.html. Jimmy Eat World is a rock band, the most famous group to emerge from Phoenix in recent years. In the 1960s, rock and R&B bands inspired by British Invasion groups like The Beatles appeared in Phoenix. The most famous musician to emerge from this era was Alice Cooper, along with Bill Spooner (most famously of The Tubes); local stars included The Superfine Dandelion, Mike Condello, The Grapes of Wrath, Phil & the Frantics and Floyd & Jerry. Phoenix boasts a renowned orchestra called the Phoenix Symphony.

Main article: Phoenix hardcore In the early 1980s, Phoenix saw a vibrant hardcore punk scene. The biggest bands included The Feederz, Jody Foster's Army and Meat Puppets, the latter of which combined country influences and became a major influence on grunge music.

The city of Tucson, Arizona, has an Official Troubador position, currently Ted Ramirez. Ramirez is a singer and songwriter who uses both English and Spanish lyrics, as well as singing in Oodham; he is also an Arizona Culture Keeper. The city of Tucson also produced the Ronstadt family, which most famously includes Linda Ronstadt; her father, Michael Ronstadt, is a popular local musician. Tucson's music festivals include the Norteño Music Festival & Street Fair, which celebrates the Mexican-American style of norteño. Tucson supports an orchestra called the Tucson Symphony Orchestra.

Blush, Steven. American Hardcore: A Tribal History. 2001. Feral House. ISBN 0-922915-717-7

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