Music in the Neighborhood.
Started in 2020 as a response to seeing that all musicians were out of work due to COVID-19. The very first idea was to have a musician stroll around the neighborhood like a ‘minstrel’ and test this concept out while visiting through a window with some friends. The musician took his guitar and went across the street and started to play and sing. While this was good, the audio would not carry far and walking and singing was not going to give the listener more than a fleeting glimpse of the music. We then talked about a truck bed and rolling through a neighborhood. While this was achievable, again the music would be fleeting. So the first iteration of the implementation was to have the artists play in sequence at 4 locations in a neighborhood so people could be outside and not have too many people in one place. We had one that wanted to use his car and another that we used a VW bus from a neighbor. The Neighbors allowed us to plug in to their power and the musician had their simple PA system. Sets were 15 minutes, and then the first musician left and the second one started. They then followed each other to 3 more locations, ending at the Ditch. The musicians were great and the neighbors were supportive so we continued the series and streamlined to 3 locations and then 2 as we understood more about COVID and finally just at the Ditch location.. 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and beyond the music continues…
In 2023 an idea came along for a number of reasons. The idea was that we could do the ‘Ditch Music’ model in public parks so that we would be able to bring music to more people, potentially replicate it in different areas of the City and also activate the parks and have live music in the air. The only requirements were that it needed to be cheap to get a permit and that beer needed to be allowed. Working with the City over many months a pilot program was settled on and we arranged the first activation in April of 2024. The peak crowd count was 400+ and the attendees were respectful, generous and the park was clean at the end. In fall of 2024 we will try one or two more pilot activations and then the City Code amendments can we drawn up and hopefully approved. For 2025/6 the City is going to allow the Park Music Sessions to continue until the code can be updated. Mill Music Sessions is being tested in Oct and Nov 2025 and Jan 2026, free shows, beer garden for alcohol control, live art, etc. These are not related to Ditch or Park Sessions, but the concept originated with them. These shows are funded by DTA and City of Tempe.
Additional thoughts/concepts: Ditch Music Inside (at a local bar) so that during the hot and cold months, people could go see live music at a place and use the same model for compensation and Ditch Music at Danelle (Danelle Plaza) through a local non-profit.
The Ditch is the last dirt road (Parkway) in Tempe and contains one of the last open irrigation canal in Tempe. It’s actually called George Ditch or George’s Ditch. It is a small canal and is about one half mile long.
- Links
- https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/best-of/2021/nightlife/best-pandemic-concert-series-12110911
- https://kjzz.org/content/1659547/ditch-music-rolls-socially-distanced-concerts-tempe-neighborhoods
| 2020 | |
| Kim Capria | 4/17 |
| Jim Gerke | 4/17 |
| Bill Hamilton/Tiff Bailey | 4/25 |
| Aj Odneal | 4/25 |
| Drew Bollmann | 4/25 |
| David Rhodes/Cassie Rhodes | 5/1 |
| Mark Zubia | 5/1 |
| Janelle Loes | 5/1 |
| Laura Joy | 5/9 |
| Alexia Rodriquez | 5/9 |
| Walt Richardson | 5/9 |
| Kim Capria | 5/15 |
| Jim Bachmann | 5/15 |
| Bill and Tiff/Francesca and the Nobodies | 5/15 |
| Walt Richardson | 9/26 |
| Rozotadi | 9/26 |
| Kim Capria | 9/26 |
| Alexia and Caleb | 10/16 |
| Jim Bachmann and Joshua Williams | 10/16 |
| Jim King and Chris Losey | 10/16 |
| Jim Gerke and Brian Blush of Murphy’s Outlaw | 10/30 |
| Travis and Martin of Japhys Descent | 10/30 |
| Laura Hamlin | 10/30 |
| Tempe High Mariachi Band | 11/13 |
| Bill Hamilton, Tiffany Bailey, Reed Fox | 11/13 |
| Janelle Loes | 11/13 |
| Robbie Roberson, Ed Ganero, Ella Arlienne | 11/13 |
| Marc Norman and Judge | 11/27 |
| Carol Pacey and Andy Borunda | 11/27 |
| AJ Odneal | 11/27 |
| Annabelle Stern (Ditchmas) | 12/11 |
| Alexia and Caleb (Ditchmas) | 12/11 |
| Lottie and the Lizards feat. Monique Faber (Ditchmas) | 12/11 |
| Marc Norman and Judge (Ditchmas) | 12/11 |
| 2021 | |
| Walt Richardson w/Robby Roberson and Friends | 2/19 |
| Kim Capria | 2/19 |
| Alexia and Lindsay | 3/5 |
| Travis and Martin of Japhys Descent | 3/5 |
| Millennial Summer (Park Music Sessions) – Daley Park | 3/19 |
| Norm Pratt, Jon Rauhouse and Carolyn Rust Camp | 3/19 |
| Janae Dunn | 4/2 |
| Ed Ganero, Robby Roberson, Ella Scofield | 4/2 |
| Bill Hamilton, Tiffany Bailey, Reed Fox | 4/16 |
| Murphy’s Outlaw (Jim, Brian, Dustin, Drew) | 4/16 |
| Aiyana Havir w/Alan Havir | 4/30 |
| Francesca and the Nobodies | 4/30 |
| Alexia Rodriquez and Caleb Clifton | 4/30 |
| Kim Capria | 4/30 |
| Bill Hamilton | 5/22 |
| David Rhodes | 5/22 |
| Murphy’s Outlaw | 5/22 |
| Tempe High Mariachis (Ditchmas) | 12/17 |
| Annabelle Stern (Ditchmas) | 12/17 |
| Walt Richardson (Ditchmas) | 12/17 |
| 2022 | |
| Bill Hamilton, Tiffany Bailey and Reed Fox | 10/22 |
| Dirty Rhodes (David, Cassie, Phillip, Jim, Ryan, Troy, Mark) | 10/22 |
| Danielle Durack | 11/4 |
| Walt Richardson | 11/4 |
| Annabelle Stern and Sarah (Ditchmas) | 12/16 |
| Alexia Rodriguez and Caleb Clifton (Ditchmas) | 12/16 |
| 2023 | |
| Kim Capria and Philip Thorneycroft | 3/24 |
| Santini Bros (Jim King/Mysterious Andrew) | 3/24 |
| Carol Pacey and Andy Borunda | 4/28 |
| Emilee Allan and Bill Hamilton | 4/28 |
| Kevin Michael Prier w/David/Cassie Rhodes/Jim Gerke | 4/28 |
| Millennial Summer (Park Music Sessions) – Daley Park | 5/12 |
| Pine Riders feat. Jon Gillan | 5/12 |
| Punk Daddy | 10/20 |
| Walt Richardson and Hannes Kvaran | 10/20 |
| Millenial Summer | 11/10 |
| Farmer Wilson | 11/10 |
| David Rhodes/Jim Gerke and Friends (Ditchmas) | 12/9 |
| 2024 | |
| Green 182 | 3/22 |
| Slug Bug | 3/22 |
| Kim Capria | 4/12 |
| Lost in the Sun | 4/12 |
| Bill Hamilton and Tiffany Bailey (Park Music Sessions) – Daley Park | 4/20 |
| Farmer Wilson (Park Music Sessions) – Daley Park | 4/20 |
| Jim Gerke and Friends | 5/3 |
| Ella Scofield, Michael Powers and Ed Ganero | 5/3 |
| The Woodworks (Park Music Sessions) – Mitchell Park | 9/21 |
| Japhys Descent (Park Music Sessions) – Mitchell Park | 9/21 |
| Postponed due to heat | 9/28 |
| Postponed due to heat | 9/28 |
| Green Day Experience | 10/18 |
| Walt Richardson | 10/18 |
| David and Cassie Rhodes | 10/19 |
| Farmer Wilson | 10/19 |
| Lottie and the Lizards | 11/1 |
| Low Rise | 11/1 |
| Japhys Acoustic Duo (Park Music Sessions) – Optimist Park | 11/11 |
| Farmer Wilson (Park Music Sessions) – Optimist Park | 11/11 |
| Norm Pratt and Jon Rauhouse (Ditchmas) | 12/7 |
| 2025 | |
| Japhys Trio (Travis, Martin and Joy) | 3/21 |
| Dirty Rhodes | 3/21 |
| Marloma (Park Music Sessions) – Parque de Soza | 4/5 |
| Daphne + The Glitches (Park Music Sessions) – Parque de Soza | 4/5 |
| Walt Richardson (Park Music Sessions) – Daley Park | 4/11 |
| Millenial Summer (Park Music Sessions) – Daley Park | 4/11 |
| Veronica Everheart | 4/25 |
| supernormal | 4/25 |
| Russell Sepulveda and Jim Swafford | 10/3 |
| Madman Theory | 10/3 |
| Farmer Wilson | 10/17 |
| 9th and Ash | 10/17 |
| David Rhodes | 10/18 |
| Marc Norman and the 2020s | 10/18 |
| Big Finish, Banana Gun, Wyves (Mill Music Sessions) | 10/24 |
| Aiyana (Park Music Sessions) – Daley Park | 11/7 |
| Slug Bug (Park Music Sessions) – Daley Park | 11/7 |
| supernormal, Walt Richardson, Farmer Wilson (Mill Music Sessions) | 11/30 |
| The Derailleurs (Ditchmas) | 12/6 |
| 2026 | |
| The Haley Green Band, Katie Mae and The Lubrication, Wheelwright (Mill Music Sessions) | 1/31/2026 |
| Revolutionary Development | 4/24/2026 |
| supernormal | 4/24/2026 |
| Bartholemew’s Children | 5/15/2026 |
| Farmer Wilson | 5/15/2026 |
| Haley Green Band | 5/15/2026 |
10/2/2026 | |
| 10/17/2026 | |