Dripping in Divinity: Carley Cavender’s Leap Into Full-Time Music
Release Date: 03/02/2026
From Coffee Shops to Change: The Purpose-Driven Sound of Tia Penny
Arizona Backroads - A2Z
On this episode of Arizona Backroads, Birdman sits down at the intimate Z-Bar inside the Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort with one of Arizona’s most promising young voices — Tia Penny. At just 18 years old, Tia has already built an impressive musical foundation. From receiving her first ukulele at age seven to performing in coffee shops across Arizona, her journey reflects both talent and purpose. With influences ranging from Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin to Bob Dylan, her soulful sound carries a depth far beyond her years. But Tia’s story goes beyond music. She shares...
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Black Moods & Backrooms: How The Black Moods Cut Their Teeth in Tempe
Arizona Backroads - A2Z
Origin: Tempe, Arizona Genre: Rock / Blues Rock Core Members: Josh Kennedy — Guitar, Vocals Chico Diaz — Drums Brandon Kuntz — Bass On this episode of Arizona Backroads, Birdman sits down with Arizona rock powerhouse The Black Moods to talk about how it really starts. Before the tours. Before the big stages. Before opening for national acts. It was four-hour bar gigs. Moving pool tables out of the way. Playing to eight people at the Yucca Tap Room. Josh, Chico, and Brandon break down: 🎸 How the band name “The Black Moods” came from...
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Acoustic by Week, Full Band by Friday: The Rise of Lacy Rashea
Arizona Backroads - A2Z
On this episode of Arizona Backroads, Birdman walks into Roosters Country and discovers a band on the brink of something bigger. Meet Lacy Rashea and her band. By weekday, Lacy and Shane strip it down to acoustic — what she calls “paid practice” — tightening harmonies, testing songs, and building chemistry. By weekend, it’s a full five-piece country-rock show that brings the rowdy. Lacy shares: 🎤 Growing up with a country-singer dad who opened for Tim McGraw 🎸 Picking up guitar at 12 but choosing songwriting over theory 🔥 Winning Best Female...
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No AI, No Tracks — Just Blues: JC & The Juke Rockers on Arizona Backroads
Arizona Backroads - A2Z
On this episode of Arizona Backroads, Birdman is back at the Grand Vista Lounge inside the Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort, sitting down with Arizona blues powerhouse JC & The Juke Rockers. Frontman John Chavez (JC) shares how a $12 Stella guitar at age 12 launched a lifelong journey from classic rock roots to full-time blues musician. Alongside bassist and longtime collaborator Rob DeVries and Chicago-raised drummer Matt Indies, the trio breaks down what keeps live music alive in Arizona. You’ll hear about: 🎸 From high school choir to 20+ years of band chemistry...
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Dripping in Divinity: Carley Cavender’s Leap Into Full-Time Music
Arizona Backroads - A2Z
Birdman pulls up in Downtown Mesa at Diamond Don’s, right next to The Saltmine Studio Oasis, to sit down with rising Arizona vocalist and recording artist Carley Cavender. Carley’s story is the real behind-the-scenes grind: singing at weddings at nine years old, getting bullied after a school talent show, then reclaiming the mic at 18 through open mics and never looking back. She breaks down why open mics matter for artists, why small rooms can be scarier than big stages, and how sobriety changed her relationship with performance — nerves, confidence, and all. Now she’s...
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Gold, Ghosts & 750,000 Dollar Bills: Arizona’s Oldest Stagecoach Town
Arizona Backroads - A2Z
On this episode of Arizona Backroads, Birdman rides 13 miles and 138 curves deep into the Superstition Mountains to visit one of Arizona’s most legendary outposts — Tortilla Flat. Population: 6. Oldest surviving stagecoach town in Arizona. And home to an estimated 750,000 dollar bills covering the walls. Birdman sits down with Ryan — assistant general manager, maintenance lead, and unofficial town historian — to unpack the wild history behind this former dam-worker camp turned iconic desert stop. You’ll hear about: 🏜️ How Tortilla Flat got its name...
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The Situation at Sunset: Live & Loud at the Grand Vista Lounge
Arizona Backroads - A2Z
On this episode of Arizona Backroads, Birdman is back at the Grand Vista Lounge inside the Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort, sitting down with Ron Alosi and members of his powerhouse band, The Situation. Seven-piece band. No backing tracks. No safety nets. Just live musicianship under the Arizona sky. Ron — entertainment director at the resort — along with Dave Morgan on bass and Harry Young on guitar, break down how the band came together, how a strapless emergency bass gig turned into a long-term partnership, and why live music in Scottsdale is stronger than ever. ...
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From Center Stage to Grand Vista: The Reinvention of a Scottsdale Icon
Arizona Backroads - A2Z
On this episode of Arizona Backroads, Birdman goes behind the scenes at the newly renovated Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort with Regional Director of Engineering Jennifer Mueller — the woman who helped oversee a massive $120 million transformation of one of Scottsdale’s most legendary properties. From the iconic days of Center Stage Bar to today’s reimagined Grand Vista Lounge, this isn’t just a renovation story — it’s the evolution of live music culture in Arizona. You’ll hear about: 🎸 The legacy of guitarist , who launched his career right here 🏔️ Why...
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JTM3 at the Grand Vista Lounge
Arizona Backroads - A2Z
Birdman is coming to you from the legendary Vista Lounge inside the Grand Hyatt Scottsdale Resort, a venue long known in Arizona’s live music scene — from the days of Center Stage to performances by guitar icon . In this episode of Arizona Back Roads, Birdman sits down with acoustic harmony powerhouse JTM3 — Jay Allen, Tony, and Matt Henderson — a trio built on decades of friendship, musicianship, and desert-stage experience. 🎸 Acoustic guitars, lap steel, cajón percussion 🎤 Three-part harmonies 🌵 Seven years as JTM3 — 20+ years in Arizona’s music trenches...
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Arizona from A to Z: The Backroads Podcast
Arizona Backroads - A2Z
Welcome to Arizona Back Roads, the podcast where local legend Birdman takes you beyond the tourist traps and into the real heart of Arizona. Before podcasts were cool, Birdman was already behind the mic—starting in the early 2000s when shows were built for the iPod and downloaded off iTunes. From broadcast TV and magazines to radio and full-time podcasting, the journey has always been about storytelling. Now, it’s about the road. As a lifelong motorcyclist, Birdman has logged thousands of miles across Arizona’s highways, desert cuts, mountain passes, and forgotten two-lane...
info_outlineBirdman pulls up in Downtown Mesa at Diamond Don’s, right next to The Saltmine Studio Oasis, to sit down with rising Arizona vocalist and recording artist Carley Cavender.
Carley’s story is the real behind-the-scenes grind: singing at weddings at nine years old, getting bullied after a school talent show, then reclaiming the mic at 18 through open mics and never looking back. She breaks down why open mics matter for artists, why small rooms can be scarier than big stages, and how sobriety changed her relationship with performance — nerves, confidence, and all.
Now she’s stepping into her next chapter: leaving her day job and going full-time music, pushing her original work, and building beyond Arizona. Carley talks influence and identity (blues and soul at the core, modern edge in the delivery), the business reality of early gigs, and the mindset shift from “cover sets for hours” to “artist sets that move people.”
You’ll hear:
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Why open mics are the best training ground for stage confidence
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The truth about early gig pay and how artists level up
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Performing sober vs. “liquid courage”
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Staying grounded while chasing big visibility
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What’s next: originals, out-of-state shows, and a bigger stage
Arizona Backroads — get out and explore.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carleycavendermusic/
Facebook (Soulful Sounds by Carley Cavender): https://www.facebook.com/Soulfulsoundsbycarleycavender/
Spotify (Artist): https://open.spotify.com/artist/2JM4y2vCZF8NH1yboGqa5X
YouTube (Dripping In Divinity playlist): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_m7LPtN7gROUWfor8MYAZbAcXSgxTuAcH8
YouTube (Carley Cavender Music channel): https://www.youtube.com/@CarleyCavenderMusic/videos