Rumble on Central

John O’Brien
Mesa Legend

Photos Courtesy of John O’Brien
Photos Courtesy of John O’Brien

Last weekend downtown Phoenix was the scene of a rumble.  The Rumble on Central is an annual rockabilly event that gathers live music, a car show and a zombie pin up contest all in one place. Kandy K is the originator and host of the event. “Each year we like to mix it up and keep everyone on their toes,” said Kandy.  “I’m especially excited to invite Walter, the giant VW bus to the show this year, if you haven’t heard of Walter, go search it online,” she added. The event stretched down Central Avenue from Washington to Jefferson Streets and was filled with restored pre-1972 cars and trucks. Local band Creepsville 666, followed by the Irish ‘Shamrockabilly’ band California’s Craic Haus were among the performers. For those not in the know, rockabilly is a genre of music with its sound based in the 1950s. With greased hair and big guitars, rockabilly combines bluegrass and rock and roll, heavily influenced by the likes of Bill Haley and Elvis Presley.

The popularity of rockabilly faded in the 60s and 70s, however, the genre saw a resurgence in the early 80’s with the popularity of bands such as the Stray Cats and has continued to remain popular into the new century. The Delta Bombers, a rockabilly band from Las Vegas headlined the event. “Whenever you combine vintage rock and roll and vintage cars, magic happens. It’s kind of a law of the universe,” said the group.  “The rock and roll / rockabilly scene has been around for a long time, it never really left, and it’s very welcoming to newcomers. We feel very lucky to be able to play these sorts of events.” the group added. The Rumble was originally brought to Phoenix by Kandy in 2013.  “After hosting many events in the past, I decided I wanted to bring my own event to Downtown Phoenix,” she said.  “I have been in the rockabilly scene for many years now and I really support it, having been to these kinds of events all over the country, I love the fact I can create one in the city I love with all my friends involved,” Kandy added.

Photos Courtesy of John O’Brien

Twenty women competed in the zombie pinup contest this year.  It’s a competition where not only beauty and poise but also creativity and imagination. Models were dressed in various pin-up outfits with the added effects of zombie and horror makeup. “When you hear pinup pageant, your first thought is not gorgeous gals covered in blood and rotting flesh,” said zombie contestant Scarlett Rose.  “However, if you attend Rumble on Central, that’s what you get,” she added.“This isn’t your traditional pinup pretty pageant where you see ladies dressed in their 50’s classic best. Here, you will not want to touch these ladies because they are covered in [fake] blood,” Scarlett added.

Event organizer Kandy, a United Kingdom native, would appear to be a modern day version of the buxom blonde bombshell Marilyn Monroe. Where Monroe used sex appeal and a dumb blonde persona, Kandy uses her tattoos to define her personality and image. Kandy has been living in the Phoenix area for nine years and thinks of herself as a Phoenician. The pinup model said there were more opportunities in hosting these types of gatherings and decided to try her hand at putting on events like a rockabilly locally.

  • Mesa Legend Staff

    These are archived stories from Mesa Legend editions before Fall 2018. See article for corresponding author.

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