The Battle of the DJs returns to Main Stage on Friday, Jan. 29. Each year, Main Stage gathers a group of Northern Arizona’s finest DJs of different styles and backgrounds and has them face-off to crown the best of the Verde Valley.
Local DJ A*Naut [Alex Rovang] has dazzled the large crowds and won in each of the event’s first two years. But it’s always been a close contest.
A*Naut willl defend his title for a second year while facing off with other local favorites including DJ EcKs, Cleankut, Trebloff and more.
The event is hosted by local favorite and Main Stage mainstay DJ ill.Ego. The contestants are judged on a combination of various skills including crowd reaction, technical ability and creativity. This year’s team of “celebrity judges” includes local icon Mike Costentino as well as Cam McWilliams and Jesse Kennen. There are cash prizes for the winner.
The event always promises a night of high-energy entertainment for all attendees. The battle begins at 9 p.m. and costs $5 for entry.
Saturday, Jan. 30, sees Rockabilly Night at Main Stage, benefitting the Verde Valley Humane Society. Arizona rockabilly legend Al Foul returns to Main Stage as the venue puts on a big celebration for local rockabilly fans. The night will feature pin-up girls, a silent auction and raffle in addition to the music of Foul.
Foul has romped through not only the Southwest but all the way to France for multiple tours. Adopting a surname from his early days with the Foul Mouthed Elves, Boston’s notorious “drunk rock” band, Foul has been making music for more than 15 years.
Shortly after hitchhiking to Tucson in 1991, he formed Al Foul and the Shakes, which quickly generated an international fan base and became known for delivering something most rockabilly bands at the time lacked: A raw poise and straightforwardness culled from a punk rock background. With Foul at the helm, their songs took on a primitive emotional immediacy, preferring to shine with an inner savagery rather than get by on frills alone.
Now, as a one-man band, Foul has been able to focus more on whittling his distinctive songwriting and inimitable style into a sharp point that pokes through the trends and fashions to get at something timeless. All the cuts on his album were recorded live with him simultaneously singing, playing guitar and drumming in the basement of producer Naim Amor.
Having released several records and playing incessantly for the better part of two years, he has developed a deep cult following. His unmistakable vocals never waver and brilliantly shine seemingly from deep inside his beer-soaked guts. Whether it is a desperate love song or the ballad of a troubled troubadour, Foul can sing it with a degree of sincerity that cuts to the bone. The show is free and begins at 9 p.m.
Main Stage is located at 1 S. Main St. in Cottonwood and is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to close and Sunday from 9 a.m. to close. All events are free to the public unless otherwise noted.
