Weekly Wildcat Playlist: Artists who show Tucson love

April 1, 2017

We all have our favorite artists and bands for different reasons, but when one of your “top 25 most played” books a show right here in Tucson, they get extra bonus points.

Here’s a list of feel-good songs from a few artists and bands who have acknowledged our relevance and brought their music to Tucson, instead of making us drive two hours to Phoenix for a concert (we’ve all been there).

1. “Breezeblocks” by Alt-J

Alt-J performed at the Rialto Theatre on December 10, 2014.The tour highlighted their second album, This is All Yours. The album sold over a million copies worldwide and won a few awards in the process. The track “Breezeblocks” is a classic from their first album, An Awesome Wave.

2. “Clubhouse” by Mac Miller

This mainstream rap artist has put Tucson on his list of cities to hit multiple times in the past few years, which means we must be doing something right. Miller came to the Rialto Theatre on November 20, 2015 to perform his third studio album GO:OD AM, and again on November 15, 2016 to perform his following album The Divine Feminine.

3. “Drifter” by Hippie Sabotage

Hippie Sabotage has performed in Tucson twice in the past two years; once at Club Congress on September 15, 2015 and again at the Rialto Theatre on October 6, 2016. The electronic dance duo, Kevin and Jeff Saurer, have rapidly risen to fame with multiple big-hit singles, and will hopefully book us again.

4. “Hippie Babysitter” by Papadosio

Papadosio came to town a few years ago on March 11, 2014. They performed at the Rialto Theatre after gathering an extensive Tucson following with their unique mix of electronic and rock music.

5. “Juice” by Chance the Rapper

Chance the Rapper performed in Tucson during his rise to fame on November 14, 2013. He promoted his second mixtape, Acid Rap, during the concert, which was the start of his rise as one of today’s best new rap artists.

6. “Life$tyle” by Casey Veggies

Casey Veggies, a more laid-back rap and hip-hop artist, has performed at the Rialto Theatre multiple times, most recently on May 12, 2015. At the concert, he performed songs from one of his mixtapes, created with Rockie Fresh, titled Fresh Veggies.

7. “Lofticries” by Purity Ring

After a long absence, Purity Ring booked a concert in Tucson on September 2, 2015 to showcase their album Another Eternity. Vocalist Megan James and producer Corin Roddick expanded the groundwork they laid with their first album Shrines and brought some amazing new songs to the Rialto Theatre.

8. “Time Bomb” by Iration

Iration, a California reggae band that religiously returns to Tucson to perform for their large fanbase, introduced their album Time Bomb to our city on February 9 during their Lost & Found Winter Tour.

9. “Weight of Love” by The Black Keys

The Black Keys, a dominant American rock band, came to the Rialto Theatre back in March 2008 to begin their Attack & Release Tour, which promoted their fifth album under the same name. “Weight of Love” comes from one of their more recent albums, Turn Blue, but was too good not to include.

10. “Who Knows” (feat. Chronixx) by Protoje

Protoje, an up-and-coming reggae artist from Jamaica, opened at the Rialto Theatre during the Iration concert on February 9. The two reggae groups pleased their audiences, especially with this famous single released in 2014.