Inside Charlie Levy's new Arizona concert venue — and who's playing first

Tucson's newest music venue, a converted monastery called La Rosa, announced its first wave of concerts and events ahead of its highly anticipated grand opening with Calexico the weekend of Oct. 17.
With a mix of international icons, beloved locals and genre-defying performers, this initial lineup offers a first glimpse into the kind of entertainment La Rosa will bring to Tucson.
There are rock shows, jazz shows, blues shows, Latin, metal, classical, country, world music, indie rock, EDM, swing, burlesque, EMO, flamenco, singer-songwriters and an ambient music legend.
La Rosa finds former Hotel Congress entertainment director David Slutes (of the Sidewinders and Sand Rubies) joining forces with Charlie Levy, the longtime Phoenix concert promoter at Stateside Presents who changed the face and sound of downtown Phoenix with the opening of three great venues, The Van Buren, Crescent Ballroom and Valley Bar.
The venue will open in the chapel of the beautifully restored historic Benedictine Monastery at 800 N. Country Club Road in Tucson on Friday, Oct. 10, with a La Gran Noche celebration featuring Tucson's Orkesta Mendoza, followed on Friday, Oct. 17, by the official grand opening weekend with Tucson legends Calexico.
Other highlights among the first events announced include a talk with Carl Bernstein, DeVotchKa, Built to Spill, La Santa Cecilia, Tatiana Eva-Marie and Ladysmith Black Mambazo as well as Arizona favorites (Roger Clyne and The Peacemakers, Brian Lopez, Ryanhood, XIXA). There are themed events (Club Pride, Dolly Hoot, Candlelight Concerts), and genre showcases, from flamenco to emo to New Orleans jazz and indie rock.Slutes shared a statement saying, 'We've dreamed of creating a home for music and performance that reflects the full range of Tucson's styles and performers… This first announcement is just a taste of what's to come, and we have a pile of exciting shows we will be announcing over the next couple of weeks.'
La Rosa aims to become a new cultural anchor for Tucson, hosting everything from concerts to speaker series and community celebrations.
Tickets for the announced shows will be available at www.larosatucson.com. Follow La Rosa on Instagram and Facebook for more announcements, artist features, and surprises on the way to October.
These are the shows announced so far for La Rosa:
Oct. 10 — La Gran Noche with Orkesta Mendoza.
Oct. 17 — Grand Opening with Calexico.
Oct. 19 — The White Buffalo.
Oct. 23 — Tatiana Eva-Marie.
Oct. 29 — Bitchin' Baja.
Oct. 30 — Lizzy and the Triggerman.
Oct. 31 — Halloween Ball.
Nov. 1 — DeVotchKa.
Nov. 4 — History as a Warning: Carl Bernstein on Watergate, Politics and the 2025 Election.
Nov. 6 — Coco Montoya.
Nov. 7 — EMO Brooklyn.
Nov. 9 — LEISURE.
Nov. 11 — Darrell Scott.
Nov. 12 — Sun Kil Moon.
Nov. 14 — YEBO! Phoenix Afrobeat Orchestra, Pijama Piyama, Djents and Herm.
Nov. 18 — Built To Spill.
Nov. 22 — CLUB PRIDE.
Nov. 26 — XIXA.
Nov. 28 — Ryanhood.
Dec. 5 — Omnom.
Dec. 6 — Steve Roach.
Dec. 11 — La Santa Cecilia.
Dec. 13 — Sophia Rankin & The Sound.
Dec. 26 — Brian Lopez.
Dec. 27 — Live From Laurel Canyon (Celebrating the artists of Laurel Canyon (1965-1975) with music and stories.
Jan. 3 — Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers.
Jan. 13 — Tommy Castro.
Feb. 8 — Tucson Flamenco Festival featuring world-class artists from Spain, New York and the Sonoran Desert.
Feb. 14 — Lola Torch 20th Valentine's Burlesque.
Feb. 20 — Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
More: How Crescent Ballroom proved the doubters wrong and helped make downtown Phoenix vibrant
Ed has covered pop music for The Republic since 2007, reviewing festivals and concerts, interviewing legends, covering the local scene and more. He did the same in Pittsburgh for more than a decade. Follow him on X and Instagram @edmasley and on Facebook as Ed Masley. Email him at ed.masley@arizonarepublic.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona concert venue La Rosa opens soon. Everything to know

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