Rooted in Tucson. Powered by Local Music. Kept Alive by Fans.
We started Tucson Local Bands in April 2020, right when live music suddenly went silent. Stages were dark, venues were closed, and our local musicians—our friends—lost their audiences overnight.
So we did the one thing we could do: we helped keep the music flowing.
At first, that meant collecting livestreams and virtual tip jars and sharing them anywhere possible. We weren’t running fancy video gear or offering professional audio services. We were simply curating livestreams so Tucson musicians could still reach the fans who loved them (and maybe meet a few more along the way).
That same spirit still drives everything we do.
Today, Tucson Local Bands is still exactly what it started as: two Tucson-born sisters who adore this city’s music scene and feel incredibly lucky to live where music thrives. We’re not a business. We’re not a nonprofit. We’re a passion project powered by love for local music.
Tucson Local Bands in the News
2026: featured on KGUN9 News in a story about how Tucson Local Bands emerged from the pandemic to help reconnect musicians with live audiences and grow Tucson’s music scene. The piece highlights how the site started as a lifeline for local musicians during lockdown and has become a vibrant hub for fans, bands, and venues across the region.
What We Do (and What We Don’t)
Our mission is simple: support Tucson’s local music community.
Here’s how we do it:
- We keep a community-powered calendar of local shows, updated daily with help from musicians, venues, and fans.
- We offer a band and musician directory, where artists can add themselves to help venues discover new talent.
- We maintain a venue directory, so bands can easily find places to play.
- We moderate a Facebook group where fans, venues, and musicians share upcoming gigs, recommendations, and local music love.
And here’s what we don’t do:
We don’t book shows, run production, provide audio/video services, operate as a nonprofit, or guarantee exposure. We’re just fans who love Tucson music and want to help people find it.
Meet the Fans Behind the Project
Erika Tenney
aka Kandra’s Sister ⭐ co-founderIf you’ve spent much time at Tucson shows, there’s a good chance you’ve seen Erika. She’s one of the city’s most dedicated superfans—part cheerleader, part archivist, part local-music mom. She and her husband, Geof, are regulars (almost icons) at venues across the city, cheering on artists and championing the scene.
Even before Tucson Local Bands existed, Erika spent years filming performances and posting them on her YouTube channel. Musicians loved it, and those heartfelt reactions helped spark the idea for the site itself.
Outside of live music, Erika is a paint-pour artist.
You can see her work—or even take a class with her—at Paint Pour Academy.
Kandra Jean
aka Erika’s Sister ⭐ co-founderKandra is the builder behind the Tucson Local Bands website, brand, and many of the behind-the-scenes pieces that keep the project running smoothly. She loves local music for the dancing—especially the twirling on the dance floor, which has been known to make people dizzy.
She’s also a web developer, designer, and brand consultant who has been helping businesses and creatives build their online presence since the early aughts—which is funny to say out loud because it makes the 21st century sound all old-timey and antiquated.
She especially enjoys helping local musicians with branding and marketing—anything that helps empower artists and move toward higher-paying gigs. You can see some of her work at designfiles.net.
When she’s not at a show, she’s the maker behind Alō Goods, a natural skincare brand, and the creator and teacher behind Soapy Friends, where she helps people learn how to handcraft botanical soaps.
David Mendoza
dancing to feed his soulDavid is one of those people you’ll spot on a dance floor long before you catch his name. For him, live music is “food for the soul,” and he’s out supporting local bands several nights a week. When he’s not dancing, he’s designing — promoting upcoming shows with his own original poster art and creating Southwest- and music-inspired T-shirts you can find at his shop, Art by DMM.
He also helps keep Tucson Local Bands lively by sharing videos, photos, and moments from shows across the city. It’s fans like David that keep the Tucson music scene dancing!
And yes… he can confirm that Kandra’s spinning absolutely makes him dizzy.
Derek Salois
always ready for a guitar solo or a good music conversationDerek started playing guitar at 13. By 15, he was already performing in the Tucson music scene with his band, The Opposables. In 2011, Derek and the band won the Arizona Daily Star Battle of the Bands. Since 2019, he has been the lead guitarist of Gift Horse, playing iconic venues throughout the greater Tucson area.
Derek is also the brainchild and host of Desert Sound Check, an interview series where he sits down with Tucson musicians to talk about their music, their stories, and what makes the local scene tick.
He believes music is meant to bring people together, whether as a performer or as a listener. The idea that live music can connect strangers and turn a crowd into a community is reason enough to keep doing it.
And if Derek shows up somewhere with a guitar… chances are a conversation about music isn’t far behind.
How You Can Get Involved
Tucson Local Bands exists because locals show up to support the scene. If you’d like to help, here are some meaningful ways to get involved:
Volunteer Opportunities
Write for the blog
You can submit a single article or become a regular contributor. Write about venues, bands, musicians, or the history of Tucson’s music scene.
Help maintain the directories
Bands and venues change constantly, and an extra set of eyes helps keep everything accurate. We would need someone comfortable with proofreading and editing content in WordPress.
Tag us on Facebook!
Fans, bands, and venues can tag us anytime they share music, photos, videos, or event announcements. We’ll reshare them to help spread the word.
Bands & Venues:
Get listed on the directory, and submit your calendar link!
Tags in your events on Facebook.
This helps us add your gigs to the public calendar quickly.
If you’d like to volunteer, just reach out—we’d truly appreciate it.
Support the Project
Tucson Local Bands is completely fan-run and community-supported. Donations help cover website costs and help us keep supporting Tucson’s musicians.
You can donate here:
https://tucsonlocalbands.com/support-tucson-local-bands/
As donations come in, we’ll share how funds are used—transparency matters to us, and this project belongs to everyone who loves local music. As of now, the site is fully funded by Erika and Kandra.
Thanks for Being Here
If you’re reading this, you’re part of Tucson’s music community—whether you’re a musician, a venue, or someone who just loves a great night of live music.
We started this project during a crisis to help musicians stay connected with their fans. We keep it going because Tucson’s music scene deserves every bit of love and support we can give it.
Thanks for being here. And thanks for loving Tucson music as much as we do.
