Dubstep & Bass Music in Phoenix: Events, DJs & Venues

Phoenix is a bass town. Dubstep and its heavier offshoots (riddim, tearout, experimental bass) fill more Valley club calendars than any other sound, and the underground keeps the older, deeper UK side alive. Here is where to hear it and who plays it.

What dubstep is (the short version)

Dubstep came out of South London in the early 2000s: around 140 BPM, half-time drums, and a sub bass you feel in your chest. The original UK sound is spacious and dubby; the American festival style that followed turned the mid-range into the main event, with wobbles, growls and drops built for big rooms. Riddim, tearout and experimental bass all branch off from there. The full family tree is in our rave genres guide.

Where to hear it in the Valley

Sunbar in Tempe is the busiest dubstep room in Arizona: touring bass names land there most weekends. On the west side, the Fillmore Warehouse leans toward dubstep and bass with late-night programming, and The Alchemist's Enclave is a 21+ after-hours lounge that books dubstep and riddim until sunrise. The biggest tours play The Van Buren downtown, and Halloween festival season brings the headline bass lineups to the outdoor grounds.

The Fraktured residents who bring the bass

Fraktured is Home of the Broken Beat, so our bass comes with a swing to it. XPLCT1 carries a full arsenal of UK dubs alongside his jungle, Shomeister plays dubstep and neuro and glitch hop with heavy basslines, FLEX mixes UK bass and experimental cuts into his breaks, and E.C.O. Freq works experimental bass into sets that run from electro to jungle. Want that sound at your own event? Book our DJs.

Bass, breaks and DnB: one family

The same sub-heavy crowd crosses between dubstep, breaks and drum and bass all night, and a Fraktured floor moves through all three. Read the breakbeat guide and the drum and bass guide for the other two sides.

Find the next one

The Phoenix events calendar lists our nights and the rest of the Valley's bass shows in one place. For the underground side, join the promo list: the address drops and presale links go there first.