Downtown Phoenix music promotion has essentially been taken over by Live Nation. With its purchase of The Van Buren, the company has dominated the upper-tier indie-rock niche that was once the bread and butter of Charlie Levy’s Stateside Presents.
But locally promoted live music is popping up in unexpected places, including the Showroom at Wild Horse Pass resort and casino in Chandler. Since Anastasia “A.P.” Palmer Johnson stepped in as the casino’s corporate director of entertainment, the venue has aggressively leaned into live music, boasting a lively, diverse slate of acts in 2023, from an upcoming show with The Wallflowers to a headline-grabbing performance by Cardi B and Offset during the weekend of Super Bowl LVII.
“Part of the catalyst for bringing me on was that I don’t come from a casino background,” Johnson says. “I come from the world of stadiums, arenas and amphitheaters.”
There are several reasons for the shift from Engelbert Humperdinck to Echo and the Bunnymen. Part of the shift is changing demographics and parent company Gila River’s pivot to a resort, capped by the completion of Wild Horse Pass’s $180 million expansion last year, making it a strong competitor with Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale and its musical offerings.
Johnson says the legacy acts Wild Horse Pass is known for will remain, as evidenced by upcoming appearances by The Beach Boys and Night Ranger. And she knows it’s hard to compete with Live Nation, but she believes the venue’s ability to offer something different sets them apart.
“We’re apples, and they’re oranges,” Johnson says. “There’s enough room in the sandbox.”
Other All-In-One Live Music Ops
Pub Rock Live
South Scottsdale’s destination venue for up-and-coming punk.
MIM Music Theater
This mid-size venue at Musical Instrument Museum in North Phoenix features all that jazz – and more.
Rhythm Room
Get your live blues fix at this Central Phoenix institution.
