Recess Monkey have come and gone, but I'd be remiss if I didn't post a few photos from the show, along with my thoughts. (It should be noted that since I, well, presented the show, this really isn't a "review.") Readers who've already purchased the band's latest disk, Tabby Road, will recognize the band's iconic Honda Element and trailer. OK, perhaps it's not really iconic, but maybe it'll become like Abbey Road and find itself in hundreds of thousands of pictures as the years go by. Hey, wait, guys -- they totally need to ship that thing to London and have it photographed crossing the Abbey Road intersection. How mind-blowing would that be? OK, not really at all, but still, kinda cool. Anyway, the band got to Modified about 1:30, got set up, and waited for the throngs to arrive. And sure enough, by 3 PM, there was a healthy crowd of people (not quite full, but definitely not empty, ready to rock out. Actually, with the air conditioning not being very strong on a 114-degree day, there was comparatively little rocking out, though one of the fun parts of seeing a band live after they've played songs for a while was seeing how the audience interaction developed -- "Down Down Down" and "Boogie Monster" are two songs that really do lend themselves to crowd participation. And of course, the band sounded really good live. After close to an hour of playing, the band wrapped up with "Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road." We had dinner at the grandparents' to get to, so we didn't literally see them off, but you can find out much more about the day at the band's ever-amusing tour blog. Thanks very much to the band for making room in their schedule for Phoenix. It was a great show. We hope it's not the last time -- as the band's suggested before, spring training makes for an excellent excuse to visit the Valley of the Sun. More photos after the jump, and videos from the show later today.

I know, I know, I've told you many times before, but in case you need to be reminded, Recess Monkey continues its national tour on Sunday right here in Phoenix at Modified Arts downtown (407 E. Roosevelt). Doors open at 2:30, show starts at 3:00, with tickets $6 for adults, $3 for kids, and free for infants. Don't miss the fun at Modified's first kids' show. Just think, when they're hosting shows for kids weekly, you'll be able to say you were there.

OK, I leave town, and the tumbleweeds blow across the website like a movie cliche. Recess Monkey leaves town, and they're like Paul Theroux, writing up a storm. (Clearly, I should have asked them to be my guest blogger in my absence.) If you have not been reading their tour blog, you must stop what you are doing, and start reading. Pronto. It'll make slightly more sense if you start from the bottom and work your way up, but if you're thinking you don't have quite that much time, the most recent entry (from DC) will suffice. More importantly for you Phoenix/Arizona folks -- the Recess Monkey show this Sunday will start at 3 PM, with doors at 2:30 PM, at Modified Arts in Phoenix. $6 adults/$3 kids/infants and monkeys free.