Doctor Bones

If you haven't yet gone out to see Doctor Bones perform live, you should do so right away. More than just a great band, Doctor Bones knows how to put on a stellar stage show. Their live show tells a similar tale every time, the same one heard in their first EP, Numbers: troublesome love and addiction.

Lead singer Anthony Fama is Phoenix's very own Gypsy Rose Lee, sorta. A man who seems quiet, maybe even a little withdrawn, totally transforms onstage proving he is the consummate performer. His character wall will not falter and his shirt will come off. To be precise, one shirt will be unbuttoned and removed and one will be torn off, all in the context of the show. Now, it's probably starting to sound like I'm mocking, I promise I'm not. You just have to see the show live. The band really puts itself out there with the self-assurance needed to make for a really compelling performative act. There is no holding back for Fama. Too many other artists give into their reservations and fall short of their own vision. I say fuck that. Put yourself out there.

The most timid performer onstage is the lovely Hannah Kilen, female vocalist for the band. Now this is a woman whose first words to me were, "I'm going to touch you with my vagina," (this is flagrantly irresponsible journalism, taken entirely out of context, yet 100% true). She seethes even when she seems to hold back a little amid the onstage antics. It does seem like quite the task to divide her attention between keys, singing, and maintaining a character within the overarching story line but somehow she manages to steal the audiences' attention for extended intervals throughout the performance.

The show that makes Doctor Bones would be totally devoid of power and subject to ridicule the likes of which have never been seen if the music didn't back up the act. It's this sort of dark, punky New Wave Revisited all set to a beat you can dance too. The band combines very talented musicians and a fierce rehearsal schedule. By the time the band hits the stage each night, the music is flawlessly down and the members of Doctor Bones sink into the experience of being onstage in front of a crowd. Drummer Mike Vigil can be found out of his seat, or "throne" as I'm told it's called, pumping his fist and singing along while guitarist Chad Stark keeps himself tucked away in a corner more intent on keeping the lead funky than on dancing. Swaggering bassist Jess Pruit might be the one to watch. He has invented his very own dance style I like to call the "Slouch-N-Snap" which involves an aberrant, slithering slouch and then popping straight up again when he drifts too low. A classic in the making.

Go see them live. It'll be an award-winning performance. We promise. - Yab Yum Music and Arts

Wednesday night brings a whole slew of local talent to downtown Tempe. Echo Cloud Productions put together a great night of music featuring Doctor Bones and including Quick Henry, Banana Gun, and Isle of Essence (Lee Perreira from Monday at the Roxy Lounge). This will all be at The School of Rock at 411 S. Mill Avenue. If you still haven’t heard Doctor Bones live, the best comparison I can offer would be Franz Ferdinand. They have a similar vibe throughout many of their songs. And The Cars cover they perform? Well, I’ve mentioned it before, but it’s better than a dead ringer. And for only $5 cover, it’s a super buy for live music as well. - The Alternative Music Blog

First of all, their live shows establish them as an ungodly force to be reckoned with, between the commanding presence and quirky vocals of Anthony Fama, the vocals, violin and keys of Hannah Kilen-Keys, Chad Stark on angular lead guitar and the nearly unmatched rhythm section of bassist Jess Pruitt and Drummer Mike Vigil, everyone that catches their show is usually pretty stunned.

They finally released their debut last month and Numbers pretty clearly answers who the hell Doctor Bones is—the answer, one of the coolest, craziest, rock oriented dance bands to have come around in a while. Think an American Arctic Monkeys who have more investment in punk rock, Oingo Boingo and a seriously deep rooted sense of what little made the early 1980s great. - Java Magazine

Doctor Bones played inside last and, while I hate the inside stage (too small and hard to photograph), I dig this band. They played Thursday since Fama had to fly east for a family wedding, or I bet the band would’ve been booked outside Saturday with the hard hitters. Their eclectic and energetic set started with my favorite “The Sun City” with those mysteriously apocalyptic vocals of hope and later Hannah Kilen ripped through “Angora,” her signature song about Bela Lugosi, while kicking a sweaty shirtless Fama around the stage’s floor. By then everyone was exhausted and while some returned to the haunted house on site or rain drenched tents, I slipped into my dry truck. - Sound Around Town

Doctor Bones played inside last and, while I hate the inside stage (too small and hard to photograph), I dig this band. They played Thursday since Fama had to fly east for a family wedding, or I bet the band would’ve been booked outside Saturday with the hard hitters. Their eclectic and energetic set started with my favorite “The Sun City” with those mysteriously apocalyptic vocals of hope and later Hannah Kilen ripped through “Angora,” her signature song about Bela Lugosi, while kicking a sweaty shirtless Fama around the stage’s floor. By then everyone was exhausted and while some returned to the haunted house on site or rain drenched tents, I slipped into my dry truck. - Sound Around Town

Doctor Bones produces the type of music not typical to Arizona and thank goodness. Their album Numbers blends a mix of 80s punk, Robert Smith spirit, new wave rock, and their own unique dance music of today, calling their sound “Robot infused dino-rock.” Whatever that may mean Doctor Bones brings together a potluck of people, sounds, inspirations, and influences. The emergence of bands such as The Killers, The Strokes, Franz Ferdinand, Bloc Party, and many more started in the early 2000s, and Doctor Bones continues this trend with classy execution. - Yab Yum Music and Arts

New wave punksters Doctor Bones went up next. Wearing matching red and black attire, the 5-piece "robot-infused dino-rock" group relied on high energy and a bit of the old drama to work up concertgoers. Vocalist Anthony Fama and bass player Jess Pruitt were animated and drastic in their movements while keyboardist Hannah Kilen, guitarist Chad Stark and drummer Mike Vigil stood more poised behind their instruments. Together they maintained a dance-friendly beat while Fama's throaty monotone voice battled it out with Kilen's softer siren. The set ended with a shirtless Fama dancing and singing on the bar. - Phoenix New Times

Don't let bassist Jesse Pruitt fool you with his long hair and grizzly beard. These Tempe-natives resonate more like an '80s flashback party than they do a hippie dance circle. The quintet draws on staple new wave and punk rock influences like The Talking Heads, Joy Division, and Dead Kennedys to formulate a mixture that is undeniably catchy. They pride themselves on delivering performances with enough energy to satisfy the most insatiable of appetites. - Phoenix New Times

The Regal Octopus Show is coming up this weekend. Between the monocle on the "fedorable" cigar-smoking mustachioed octopus that looks wise beyond his years and the design of a traditional movie poster, we can tell that the event is definitely going to be a classy one.

After all, the flier claims stellar reviews all around.

The very artistic indie rock shindig will feature a slew of local favorites, including Doctor Bones, Dry River Yacht Club, Sun Ghost and Underground Cities.

The Regal Octopus Show will be taking place Friday, May 25 at 8 p.m. at Tempe Tavern. You might be asking, "Just how regal will the show be?" You'll have to show up to find out! - Phoenix New Times

On my visit, Brian, Mike and Hannah Kilen were searching through thousands of MIDI sounds to see what would give catchy-as-all-Hell dance rocker “Confusion” the right sound, which is no easy task. Whatever sound you could think of – brass, synth bass, sitar, “chainsaw,” you name it – it’s there, yet none of them seemed to be giving Brian and the band the sound they were looking for. But finding that right sound has always been a bit of a struggle for the band during these sessions. - Echocloud.tv

Part of the charm and power of this band is on the herky jerky syncopation of their songs. The lyrics are terrific and charmingly simple, the recorded songs don’t translate to the stellar live experience of this rock show. - Echocloud.tv

As of this writing, and I’m speaking on each contributor’s behalf, we are all still recovering from the unprecedented numbers of smiling faces melted, dancing feet bruised and hung over heads pounding - Echocloud.tv

But there was no time to get teary eyed, as Doctor Bones closed the first night with one of the most solid and consistent live shows you’re ever going to find in the Valley. Yet on this night they were even more on fire, filled with even more energy and aggression than normal, which is really saying something. Who knows if it was because of the fact that they were closing the night, or the fact that they felt the need to live up to the “Band You Need to Watch at Apache Lake” declaration by the Phoenix New Times. Or maybe they just really wanted to kick some ass. Whatever it was, it seemed like they were playing like it was the last night on Earth, and the crowd ate it up. Every time Anthony Fama flung himself into the audience, it was like a piece of bread was being thrown into a hungry, starving mob. It was really something to watch, and something I won’t forget (especially since my sweatshirt was practically covered in his sweat by the end of it). - Echocloud.tv