Cover Story
Let The Races Begin!
Get ready for impassioned pleas, junk mail and outrageous claims: Election season for the city of Tucson is officially underway. While it’s unlikely that all of the candidates will survive legal challenges to their eligibility, here’s how the mayor and City Council races looked as of our deadline: In the race for mayor, Democrat Jonathan…
Want to See a Spaceship?
There aren’t many opportunities to see a spaceship. Even fewer to see a spaceship from the future, but for the next two days, NASA’s Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle will be at the Pima Air and Space Museum: NASA’s Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) crew module flight test vehicle will be on display at the Pima Air &…
Huppenthal Rules Against TUSD Ethnic Studies
In one of the least surprising developments in the ethnic studies controversy, Arizona State Superintendent of Public Instruction John Huppenthal announced in a press conference this afternoon that TUSD is out of compliance with state law: Today, Superintendent of Public Instruction John Huppenthal announced his determination that the Tucson Unified School District (TUDS) is not…
Pima County Democrats: GOP Mayoral Candidates and Others Demonstrate “Stunning Show of Incompetence”
After coordinating legal challenges to most of the candidates running for mayor of Tucson, Pima County Democrat Party chairman Jeff Rogers does an early victory lap: In a stunning show of incompetence, four would-be challengers for mayor proved themselves failures at “Running for Office 101,” failing to meet the basic standards to get on the…
Dems Move to Kick Darcy Off of Mayoral Ballot
Local Democratic organizer Sam Almy is looking to get independent mayoral candidate Pat Darcy kicked off the ballot. In his lawsuit, Almy—represented by local attorney William Walker, the same lawyer who is representing Luke Knipe, the local Democratic activist suing to get “Democrat” Marshall Home kicked off—notes that Darcy filed 3,104 signatures to get on…
Gabrielle Giiffords Discharged to Outpatient Care
Great news and an amazing milestone in Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’ recovery as she transitions to outpatient care. From a TIRR Memorial Hermann press release: HOUSTON — U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords reached a major milestone in her recovery today when she was discharged from TIRR Memorial Hermann and will soon begin outpatient treatment at the same…
Something to Listen To: A Tribute to Gil Scott-Heron
Gil Scott-Heron Tribute Mix by Gilles Peterson by gillespeterson Somehow I missed this last week, but British DJ Gilles Peterson put together a mix of the late Gil Scott-Heron’s music that’s available to stream. If your ears have an hour and seventeen minutes to spare, this mix would be a great way to keep them…
Send Your Kids to Tea Party Summer Camp
If you haven’t made plans to push your kids off on someone else during the summer (which is always a troublesome balance between not wanting to spend money vs. not wanting to hear children whining about being bored for three months), check into flights to Tampa, because just $15 will get your child the learning…
Eclectic Pizza is Now Renee’s Organic Oven
When Eclectic Pizza at 7065 E. Tanque Verde Road first opened in 2005, owners Renee and Steve Kreager made a commitment to use as many healthy and organic ingredients as possible. They kept at it, adding more and more free-range and organic items as the years ticked by, and have now taken it to the…
Keith Olbermann: ‘Protecting Themselves From Assassination Threats’
In this week’s Rolling Stone, Keith Olbermann talks about leaving MSNBC and giving money to Arizona Democrats Raul Grijalva and Gabrielle Giffords. You can read the entire interview here. Why did you give money to Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and two other Democrats when you knew there was a rule against it? People say, “Why did…
Court Filing: Marshall Home’s Lawsuit “Not a Cognizable Claim As a Matter of Law” & Other Legal Briefs
Attorney Gerald Maltz, representing Democratic mayoral candidate Jonathan Rothschild, has responded to Marshall Home’s lawsuit to knock Rothschild from the ballot because Rothschild is a lawyer.The gist of Maltz’s argument: Plaintiff contends that a lawyer is disqualified from seeking election as Mayor of Tucson. There is no legal authority for that contention. It is not…
‘Grandma’s Urn’ Donated to Goodwill, Wild Dog Pack on Killing Spree and More: Rynski Radio at Party934
Update with playlist and download at bottom of post Photo Ryn Gargulinski Goodwill thrift stores end up with some of the kookiest stuff—and a recent donation to a Goodwill in Fenton, Mich., is one of the kookiest yet with a box that was marked “Grandma’s Urn.” Sure enough, a 10-inch, cream-colored urn was found inside…
A Book Trailer: “What You See in the Dark”
Tucson author Manuel Munoz’s new book, What You See in the Dark, gets the book-trailer treatment. Looks mucho noir. A collection of rave reviews for the book: “[A] stellar first novel…with a subtlety worthy of Hitchcock himself.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Muñoz has hit upon a killer premise: the making of Psycho set against a real-life…
Monument Fire Destroying Sierra Vista Area
Sierra Vista Herald The Monument fire in the area around Sierra Vista has taken a turn towards being far more destructive, including “jumping” Highway 92 in recent hours, with several developments reported as “a total loss” and other areas in forced evacuation states. Our sister paper, the Sierra Vista Herald, is slammed with web traffic…
Loughner’s Rant in Court Updated
In case you were wondering (although I’m not entirely sure it matters what insane things came out of the mouth of an insane person), the transcript of Jared Loughner’s May 25th court appearance has a different version of his outburst than had previously been reported: “Thank you for the free kill. She died in front…
Coming Soon to Your Library: “Two Spirits”
The Geasa-Marana library will be screening the 2009 film Two Spirits, which looks at traditional ways Native American cultures understand gender and sexual identity through one mother’s tragic loss as a free one night show, Wednesday, June 15, at 5 p.m. A discussion will follow. For more details on the film, check out http://twospirits.org/
Starbucks Provides an Example of How to Respond to Controversy
You might have seen a blog entry working its way around the internet in which a customer of a New York Starbucks claims to have witnessed an employee in the process of being fired for his sexual orientation: The event got more horrific, when he, who had kept his composure through the entire incident, not…
Images and Stories From the Wallow Fire
Story by Nick Scala, photos by Josh Morgan The smoke swells as its billowing plumes blanket the sky across the visible horizon. Dark clouds, accented by a reddish hue from the raging inferno below, spread across the Eastern Arizona skies. For the last nine days, the Wallow Fire invaded hundreds of thousands of acres of…
Arizona Daily Star Outsources Arizona Political Reporting to the AP
The Arizona Daily Star has been running a slogan recently (one we’ve poked some fun with our own house ads) claiming that they’re “First. Best. Anytime. Anywhere”, which is the sort of statement that sounds it was stolen from a newscast, but hey, it’s an admirable goal for a journalistic outlet. After all, in a…
Update: Save Ethnic Studies Calls for Pedicone’s Resignation
While the morning daily is dedicating an editorial to a Tucson Unified School District human-resource issue, now is a good time to remind everyone that when this entire ethnic-studies issue began, it was all about HB 2281. Keeping focus on that issue and the teachers fighting the law on their own (remember, TUSD refused to…
Following the Money in Tucson City Council Races: Romero Raises Big Bucks in Ward 1
The next round of campaign finance reports in the Tucson City Council race isn’t due until the end of June, but there’s a carrot that encourages candidates to turn in their reports sooner: The city’s campaign-financing program. In the late ’80s, long before the state established Clean Elections, Tucson voters passed an initiative creating a…
Foster the People Show Moves From Congress to Rialto
The Foster the People show that was scheduled for Club Congress on July 5th has moved across the street to the Rialto, which makes sense, since the Congress show has been sold out for a week or so. If you’d like to see the band behind school shooting anthem “Pumped Up Kicks” and the superior…
President Shelton: ‘I Leave the UA Proud of What it Stands for and What it Means to Arizona’s Future’
A Message to the Campus Community From Robert N. Shelton: I write to you today with a bittersweet message. For the past five years, it has been my honor to lead this great University. Despite the fact that my tenure as President has coincided with the most challenging economic time in modern Arizona history, we…
Hollywood Officially Out of Ideas, Part MMXXI
Clearly what the world needs is a live-action full length movie of Thomas the Tank Engine, but since the script was co-written by one of the guys behind the “Let’s see if we can’t get a little more cash out of what was once a decent concept” film Shrek the Third, I’m sure this won’t…
UA President Robert Shelton Expected to Take Job at Fiesta Bowl
The Arizona Daily Wildcat reports that UA President Robert Shelton is expected to resign to take a position as executive director of the Fiesta Bowl: Robert Shelton’s five-year tenure as UA president appears to be drawing to a close as Shelton is expected to take a position as executive director of the Fiesta Bowl. Shelton…
Tucson Mayoral Candidate Marshall Home: “We Are American Freemen”
The dueling lawsuits to knock both mayoral candidates off the ballot will be heard this Thursday, June 16. Attorney William Walker will argue that Marshall Home doesn’t meet residency requirements, while Home will argue that Democrat Jonathan Rothschild should be kicked off the ballot because he is a lawyer. We suspect that Walker’s lawsuit will…
Win Tickets to See the Black Lips at Plush!
You might feel like there are enough bands in your life with the word “Black” in their name. I wouldn’t blame you if you just stuck with Black Flag and ignored bands like the Black Keys just to make organizing your music easier. However, you’d be missing out if your somewhat absurdly obstinate policy led…
Special Session Ends Without Extending Benefits to Arizona’s Jobless
The Arizona Legislature’s special session has wrapped up without a change to state law that would have extended unemployment benefits for out-of-work Arizonans. To be eligible for additional federal dollars, state lawmakers only had to change one word in state law. But GOP lawmakers refused to make the change. The Democrats’ spin: GOP lawmakers made…
BreakOut Studios and Axé Capoeira’s Monday Night Class
If you’ve walked along Fourth Avenue recently, you’ve probably stopped to gawk at the sweaty dancers over at Breakout Studios. Deep down inside, though, you’ve thought: I should be dancing. So instead of drooling on the studio windows, why don’t ya check out their new Capoeira class?! It’s a killer, Afro-Brazilian workout that mixes martial…
El Guero Canelo’s New Eastside Location Is Open
El Güero Canelo’s new eastside location at 5802 E. 22nd St. opened this weekend. Check out some pictures from the opening over here. This is the third location for the restaurant, and co-owner and operator Daniel Contreras has said in the past that he hopes to open restaurants elsewhere in the state, or even in…
Tell UApresents Who You Would Like to See at Centennial Hall
2012 marks the 75th anniversary of Centennial Hall, so for the occasion, UApresents is taking a survey of what performances Tucsonans would like to see at the venue. The best show I’ve ever seen at Centennial Hall was either Alison Krauss and Union Station or the Bang On A Can Allstars, so my first thought…
Tough Day at the Miami Herald Ad Department
It makes sense that Macy’s had an ad ready for the Miami newspaper with merchandise celebrating the Heat as NBA Champions just in case Lebron and company won Games 6 and 7. What doesn’t make sense is that no one thought to pull the ad when the Heat lost last night or that the ad…
The Most Confusing Cooking Accessory of the Year
I cook hot dogs now and then, even for my children, and I can’t say that it ever occurred to me that the resulting food item wasn’t quite enough fun or human-shaped. I guess that’s why I’m not a famous inventor. [Daily What]
George Lucas’s New Plan to Ruin Star Wars Delayed a Bit
I know that people defend the animated series The Clone Wars on occasion, and as someone forced to watch the show due to a Star Wars obsessed son, it’s not terrible, I suppose, but it does lack anything resembling emotional gravity at times. I think Pixar has proven that animation need not be soulless, but…
Arizona’s Lawmakers a Little Less-Educated Than Average
Arizona’s lawmakers hold fewer degrees than the average state legislator, according to a new report in The Chronicle of Higher Education. The report found that about 27 percent of Arizona’s state lawmakers do not hold a bachelor’s degree, compared to 25 percent of state legislators in the nation. In Arizona, 16 percent of lawmakers reported…
TucsonWeeklyTV.com: The Boca Challenge
Cardboard Shell has nearly every record on the Lindy’s wall and might be the only was the first person to beat the Something Sweet challenge, but could she defeat the Boca Challenge, one of each of their (quite large) tacos and a massive stuffed baked potato?
First Photos of Rep. Giffords Post-January 8th Released
From Rep. Giffords’ Facebook page: P.K. Weis, SouthwestPhotoBank.com P.K. Weis, SouthwestPhotoBank.com Background of the photographer The photos were taken by P.K. Weis of SouthwestPhotoBank.com. He has worked as a photojournalist in the Southwest for about four decades. He worked at the Tucson Citizen for 36 years, including 30 as photo editor, until the paper closed…
Tucson Mayoral Candidate Asta May Face Petition Challenge
The biggest story of the 2011 mayoral election since the candidates filed earlier this month has been the lawsuits. As we’ve followed on The Range all week, both Democratic candidates for mayor have had their candidacies challenged, although Marshall Home’s challenge to attorney Jonathan Rothschild is certainly far more frivolous than the Democrats’ challenge to…
Essential Cinema at The Loft: Free Screenings of “Rififi” on Sunday and Tuesday
You’ve got two chances this week to see Rififi on the big screen at the Loft Cinema: Sunday, June 12, at 1 p.m. and Tuesday, June 14, at 7 p.m. Both screenings are free, although The Loft does suggest you consider a $5 donation. Here’s the Loft’s summary: RIFIFI, Jules Dassin’s 1955 masterpiece of French…
Writer’s Block: Susan Vance
Tropic Born War Torn: Untold Tales of World War II in the Philippines, by Susan Vance, marketing director of DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun, has been published by Inkwater Press. The book is available online at Amazon and Barnes and Noble, and also at www.inkwaterbooks.com. The book is 124 pages and costs $15.95. Visit www.tropicbornwartorn.com…
Snapshots from the Wallow Fire
Josh Morgan Firefighters perform a backburn operation outside of Eager, Ariz. The Wallow Fire is burning through over 400,000 acres of land in eastern Ariz. and western N.M. Thousands of people and animals have been displaced from their homes and habitats while firefighters continue to battle the raging Wallow inferno. Josh Morgan The Wallow Fire…
Pamela Hale’s Sand Spirits
Tucsonan Pamela Hale, author of Sand Spirit Insight Cards and Handbook, will offer a mini-workshop on the purpose of the cards and how to best use them, from 1 to 3 p.m., Saturday, June 11, at Barnes and Noble, 7325 N. LaCholla Blvd. The cards feature Hale’s photographs of sand designs, each unique and created…
Idiot Boksen – Just Watch Basketball
Whenever I think about the Arizona summer now, I like to think about it the way Ned Stark refers to winter in Game of Thrones. It’s coming, it’s going to be awful, and most of the television landscape leaves on the last cool breezes. Things aren’t that bleak, of course. Game of Thrones still has…
This Is Certainly One Way to Get Divorced
While it’s unfortunate that Jack White, formerly of the White Stripes and currently part of seventy (approx.) musical projects, and his wife, musician/model Karen Elson are getting a divorce, they seem remarkably upbeat about it, based on this invitation for their anniversary/divorce party held tonight. Any excuse to throw a party, I suppose. [Consequence of…
Arizona Lawmakers More Incompetent Than Usual Today
So, (some of) the Arizona Legislature shows up and catches a paycheck today, but no actual work gets done? Why would we want an additional $3 million a week in federal money (at no cost to the state) anyhow? I forgot: it’s because people living off their contest winnings like Andy Biggs (“If we really…
Dogs Vs. Sprinklers
I should really just go home. Nothing I can post for the rest of the day could possibly be more interesting than the twenty photos of dogs playing in sprinklers on Buzzfeed. You win, internet. You win.
San Diego Chicken at Padres Game Tonight
The San Diego Chicken made a brief appearance at the ballpark last night, dancing atop a dugout and laying a few eggs between second and third base. He’ll be back for a full night of fun tonight at Kino Stadium as the Tucson Padres take on the Las Vegas 51s. The homestand continues through Sunday.…
Democratic Activist Files Suit To Knock Marshall Home Off Mayoral Ballot
Luke Knipe, an activist with the Pima County Democratic Party, filed a lawsuit today to knock Democratic mayoral candidate Marshall Home off the ballot. Knipe, who is represented by attorney William Walker, alleges that Home is ineligible to run for mayor because he has not lived in the city limits for three years prior to…
The Editor of Arizona Highways on the Wallow Fire
From the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests Flickr feed On the Arizona Highways blog, the magazine’s editor-in-chief wrote about the fires devastating the White Mountains: It’s hard to watch the news, but there’s no point in turning off the television. The images are everywhere: Facebook, Flickr, Twitter. Especially Twitter. Of all the mainstream social media, Twitter is…
Palin’s First Presidential Campaign Ad?
Part-time Scottsdale resident Sarah Palin provides a completely different—and propagandistic—view of her buscapade than we’ve seen from the lamestream media, with its “Gotcha!” questions like: “What have you seen so far today and what are you going to take away from your visit?”It certainly looks like someone who wants to run for president. Slate’s John…
This Week in Tucson Bicycling
A Tucson cyclist gains speed heading down Mt. Lemmon, which is where cyclists traditionally escape the summer heat. The father of Sam Abate, the cyclist severly injured in a hit-and-run crash last month, talks about his son’s progress and what challenges he will face. Caution: The post contains graphic images of Sam. Read what Sam’s…
It’s “Hobo With a Shotgun” Day!
Truly a great day in Tucson cinema history as Hobo With a Shotgun opens at the Loft. Only two showings today at 5 and 10 pm, but you’ll want to catch the early show so you can catch Wet Hot American Summer at 10. Thank me later for planning your evening for you.
$2 Million Lottery Winner Refuses to Give up Food Stamps—Epitome of New American Dream
Photo Ryn Gargulinski The American Dream sure isn’t what it used to be. Lottery winner Leroy Fick, who hit the Michigan jackpot of $2 million, is making headlines around the nation. His headline-making is not because he struck it big in the “Make Me Rich” contest last June, but rather because he still receives —…
Writer’s Block: Kim Nelson
Woman’s Evolution, a collection of poems by Tucsonan Kim Nelson, was recently published by Finishing Line Press. The poetry chapbook “offers a glimpse into the lifespan of a modern American woman,” writes Nelson. For more information, visit Nelson’s website.
What a View: Endeavour at the International Space Station
The Endeavour space shuttle returned home last week, but we just came across an extraordinary photo gallery of pics of the shuttle docked on the International Space Station that we had to share. Via NASA: This image of the International Space Station and the docked space shuttle Endeavour, flying at an altitude of approximately 220…
The Life of a Black Bear Event Postponed
This event appears on Page 26 in the June 9 print issue. Due to forest fires, the event has been postponed to Friday, Aug. 12. THE LIFE OF A BLACK BEARMount Lemmon Community Center. 12949 N. Sabino Canyon Parkway. 877-6000. An illustrated presentation covers the natural history and habits of black bears in Arizona, and…
The Crock Pot at the Buffet Bar and Crock Pot Has Been Replaced With a Shiny New Soup Pot
I am sad to report that the age old crockpot at the Buffet Bar and Crockpot has been replaced with a high-tech soup pot thing-a-ma-whatever. I understand that the crockpot — which lengthened more nights of drinking than pixels can accurately describe — was fit for retirement, but it will be missed. The hot dogs,…
Film Forward: Free Screenings at The Loft and Cinema La Placita
The Sundance Institute’s Film Forward series wraps up tonight with two free movies: Amreeka at the Loft Cinema and La Mission at downtown’s Cinema La Placita. Details, including showtimes, here.
RIP, Leonard Stern
I’d imagine that if I invented a book series that sold over 100 million copies worldwide, hands down that would be hands down the highlight of my obituary. Instead, Leonard Stern had an amazing career in film and televison, starting out writing jokes for Milton Berle at the age of 16 before writing dozens of…
Your Thursday Live Music Recommendation: The Globes at Club Congress
I should admit up front that I haven’t heard The Globes at all. Cassie Van Gelder from Seashell Radio sent me a link to their Facebook page and mentioned that her band would be playing with the group from Spokane, and I kept meaning to click the link and check them out, but once something…
So Long, Rizzo. Padres Start New Four-Game Series Without Slugger
Samantha Sais If you didn’t get your chance to see Anthony Rizzo hit a home run at Kino Stadium, you’ve missed your chance, at least for now. The slugger has been called up to The Show and will start tonight: Rizzo will make his Major League debut, starting at first base, and, according to Black,…
Debbie Loves Cats
Meet Debbie. She really does love cats and she wants a soulmate who also loves cats (and can accept with coming in second to a bunch of cats). Is that so wrong? Is it? [Note: I briefly considered whether it was a violation of blog ethical standards to mock this woman. Then I saw this,…
Pia Carusone Provides Some Detail on Rep. Giffords’ Condition
The question of how Gabrielle Giffords is doing and whether she’ll stay in office or run for election again has been floating out there for awhile, without much specific detail of her plans or condition, but Giffords’ chief of staff, Pia Carusone, offered more information to the Republic’s E.J. Montini than has been made public…
Arizona Afire: Wallow Fire Forces Evacuation of Springerville and Eager
A devastating portrait of the Wallow fire, via NASA: An oasis of green in the desert southwest, the Apache National Forest covers the mountains due east of Phoenix and spills across the border with New Mexico. In late May and early June 2011, the island of forest became fuel for one of the largest fires…
Boom! We’ve Got Your Domain Names!
Self serving, sure, but I hope you don’t miss my favorite part of this week’s (excellent) issue: How the Tucson Weekly came to own a bunch of domain names that probably shouldn’t have been available. However, for some reason, there’s a strange obsession among the current crop of candidates with using domains that end in…
Help Tucson Maybe Win Something (For Once)
Outside magazine, a publication for people who either live outside or enjoy being outside, is hosting an online poll to determine the Best Outside Town in America, and while the weight that should be given to an poll conducted on Facebook can be argued, I think we can all agree we don’t want Portland to…
Serraglio
After an unusually pleasant May, including the coolest Memorial Day in 23 years, signs of summer are now ubiquitous and unavoidable. Time to start carrying an extra layer to the movie theater, with the AC consistently cranked up to the “Antarctic” setting. Can’t negotiate the front walk barefoot to get the mail anymore, unless you’re…
Media Watch
Metromix get local nix; Radioexiles continues growth – with one notable loss.
Lovely Day
What makes the perfect wedding music? As you can imagine, potential consultants will not hesitate when asked for recommendations, whether those consultants be friends, wedding planners, colleagues, DJs, chamber musicians, garage bands, websites or any of the countless tomes packing shelf after shelf at the local bookstore. Like belly buttons, everybody’s got an opinion. Whether…
Top Ten in Movies
1. Biutiful Roadside 2. I Am Number Four Touchstone/DreamWorks 3. The Mechanic Sony 4. The King’s Speech Weinstein/Anchor Bay 5. The Rite Warner Bros. 6. True Blood: The Complete Third Season HBO 7. The Green Hornet Sony 8. Drive Angry Summit 9. The Tourist Columbia 10. No Strings Attached DreamWorks
Nine Questions
Boston-based Ellis Paul is a master songsmith in the folk-rock and Americana traditions. He’ll play Friday, June 10, in Suite 147 at Plaza Palomino, 2970 N. Swan Road. Amber Norgaard will open at 7:30 p.m.; $18 advance; $20 at the door; $10 for students. Call 319-9966 for information. What was the first concert you ever…
Prepping for the Big Day
When Britain’s Prince William married Catherine Middleton, the comparisons to his parents’ big day were inescapable—as were the details of the whole tawdry mess that followed his parents’ big day. The replays of Prince Charles and Lady Diana’s wedding inspired in some of us a new perspective on the affair: The intervening global-warming predictions and…
Mailbag
Can Walkup Make D-M, Raytheon Change Their Ways? Tom Danehy is great fun even when I don’t like what he’s saying; I didn’t need his piece about Mayor Bob Walkup (May 19), though, when I’m seriously trying to persuade Walkup to toughen up. Here’s our basic problem, as I see it, and what I want…
Weekly Wide Web
Name Game!; The week on The Range; Comment of the week; Best of WWW.
Now Showing at Home
Papillon (Blu-ray); Passion Play (Blu-ray); The Company Men (Blu-ray)
Fucked Up: David Comes to Life (Matador)
If hardcore is the music of male aggression—which, let’s be honest, it totally is—then Fucked Up discovers hidden multitudes of feeling within it. More specifically, they push beyond aggression to total vulnerability. Damian Abraham’s tinny sneer is really, like many punks who came before him, the man wearing his heart on his sleeve. David Comes…
Guest Commentary
Being privy to the dark and twisted bureaucratic methods of communication at Pima Community College has its perks. I have found myself saying recently, “Damn, The New York Times is now getting a taste of my daily strife.” As a reporter for the Aztec Press, PCC’s biweekly student newspaper, there never seems to be any…
Tyler, the Creator, Goblin (XL)
This is an ugly album. From the opening, bleak beats of “Goblin” (“I’m fucked in the head / I lost my mind with my virginity”) to the haunted, crackly synths of closer “Golden” (“Ending it is all I fucking think about”), Goblin is abject pessimism. The unbridled work of an irascible 20-year-old, Goblin deftly meshes…
Mickey Mouse Deal
Editor’s Note: Due to misleading information provided by Veterans Affairs, the original version of this story reported that the VA had spent $92,000 for the Disney Institute to train its regional concierge staff. The truth is more surprising: The VA is spending millions to train all of its regional employees. Here’s the corrected version. A…
Paul Simon, So Beautiful or So What (Hear)
Paul Simon—69 and fearless—tackles spirituality, mortality and the endless, mysterious power of love on a stunning new record that eclipses all of his solo work since Graceland. With poetic directness and restless curiosity, Simon’s lyrics are loaded with questions and pondering about the meaning of life, the nature of God and where precisely humanity fits…
Fresh but Flawed
When Ramiro Scavo announced he was opening Pasco Kitchen and Lounge, a restaurant with an emphasis on fresh, local ingredients—urban farm fare, he called it—local foodies jumped for joy. Scavo has great credentials; he’s the former executive chef for the group that runs Zona 78, Harvest Restaurant and Hacienda del Sol. The locals he’s partnered…
Police Dispatch
An order of highs; Grounds for arrest.
Soundbites
A new album from La Cerca; Several benefit shows; and much more!
Noshing Around
Food Conspiracy expands; Dragoon Brewing Company offering another local beer option in 2012; New York Pizza Department; and more!
Dance Without Limits
Tucson’s Arts for All and Georgia’s Full Radius Dance are inviting the community to watch as stereotypes and pre-conceptions about how the human body can move are smashed, with a public-dance workshop and a performance featuring mixed-ability dancers. Mixed-ability means that some of the dancers are physically disabled. Those unfamiliar with the varied performers are…
Behind the Iron Curtain
Artist Yana Payusova grew up in Leningrad in the waning days of the Soviet Union. Born in 1979, she was just 12 when the USSR collapsed in 1991. Judging from Tale of Two Heads, her series of storybook paintings at the UA’s Joseph Gross Gallery, the Soviet-era Leningrad of her childhood was a grim and…
Perform This Way
In this day and age, “Weird Al” Yankovic just doesn’t seem that weird. Of course, he has a wicked sense of humor, which has served him well during a hugely successful career of creating song parodies, musical humor and accordion torture sessions. This is, after all, the man who gave the world such bent classics…
City Week
Remembering Ted DeGrazia; The Garlic and Onion Festival; The Dragonboat Festival; Live Music for a Good Reason.
Animal Warfare
The challenging nexus of free-roaming horses, ranching and public lands in the West is an ongoing news item, especially in states like Arizona and Nevada, where wild mustangs fall under the protection of the Bureau of Land Management. These animals today are viewed in one of two ways—they’re either rangeland-destroying pests competing with private livestock…
The Skinny
Sen. Jon Kyl opposes Medicare cuts by Democrats, but supports the same cuts by Republicans … Rosemont Copper takes another step toward ripping a giant hole in the Santa Rita Mountains … environmentalists gear up for lawsuits to block Rosemont’s mine … and more!
TQ&A
Attorney Paul Eckerstrom is one of the organizers of Start Our State, which is pushing for a proposition on the November 2012 ballot that would start the process of splitting Pima County from the rest of Arizona to form the 51st state. While the details still need to be worked out, Eckerstrom says Start Our…
Top Ten in Books
1. Heaven Is for Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent, Thomas Nelson ($16.99) 2. A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1 George R.R. Martin, Bantam ($8.99) 3. The Map of True Places: A Novel Brunonia Barry, Harper ($14.99)…
A Living ‘Blues Cat’
Near the end of a recent, enthralling phone conversation with the iconoclastic Buddy Guy, whose sleepy eyes belie the blur of his hands on an electric guitar, he offers this astute and touching insight: “Well, son, I get questioners always asking—you can go back in your history books—they’ll always ask, ‘When are you retiring?’ Blues…
Funny Women
You don’t necessarily need a fresh script, flawless acting and an impeccably honed pace to enjoy yourself at the theater. Such was the case last weekend, when Studio Connections launched its final show of their season, an equal-opportunity revamp of Neil Simon’s wildly successful The Odd Couple. The audience hooted and laughed and applauded and…
Young Mutants
X-Men: First Class continues with the origin stories that began with the widely panned X-Men Origins: Wolverine, going way back to show us the beginnings of Professor X, Magneto, Mystique and a few other mutants who aren’t half as interesting. Director Matthew Vaughn (maker of Kick-Ass) does a fantastic job with the origin stories of…
Sheesh, Caliche!
A few things in Tucson are givens: It is blast-furnace hot in the summer. The UA football team won’t play in the Rose Bowl. And caliche in the soil is a real pain for everybody. That last Tucson certainty is causing problems at three large flood-control detention basins being dug along downtown’s Arroyo Chico, south…
Editor’s Note
Some bits and pieces this week: • I was shocked at the Monday, June 6, announcement that the entire Coronado National Forest—including Sabino Canyon—would be closed due to the extreme fire danger as of noon, Thursday, June 9. There’s no doubt that the fire danger is indeed extreme—the Wallow Fire and the Horseshoe 2 blazes…
Top Ten in Music
1. Death Cab for Cutie Codes and Keys (Atlantic) 2. My Morning Jacket Circuital (ATO) 3. Flogging Molly Speed of Darkness (Borstal Beat) 4. Foster the People Torches (Columbia) 5. Eddie Vedder Ukulele Songs (Universal Motown) 6. Adele 21 (Columbia) 7. Fleet Foxes Helplessness Blues (Sub Pop) 8. Lady Gaga Born This Way (Interscope) 9.…
The City of Light
It is easy to get an audience on your side if you set your film in one of the greatest cities on Earth and then heavily romanticize it. Woody Allen has succeeded with Manhattan—perhaps his best film, top to bottom—more recently with Vicky Cristina Barcelona, and now with Midnight in Paris. But how would Allen…
Talking It Over
Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction John Huppenthal is expected to issue a report this week on the Tucson Unified School District’s Mexican American Studies Department, saying whether its classes, in his eyes, violate an anti-ethnic-studies law that Gov. Jan Brewer signed into law last year. The anticipated release of the compliance report has various groups…
Danehy
A couple of weeks back, I wrote that albums (8-tracks, actually) by Average White Band and Earth, Wind and Fire helped me get through college where the only two local radio stations played American country and Mexican country. I apparently struck a chord (there’s no way around that phrase), because I got a bunch of…
Live
It’s nobody’s fault, but sometimes precious-gem gigs go unnoticed by the greater Tucson music intelligentsia. Such was the case when Austin’s Little Brave played a terrific concert for a crowd that topped out at nine people. Maybe the band might’ve been more comfortable playing in Plush’s more-intimate lounge area. Little Brave is the performing name…
¡Ask a Mexican!
Dear Mexican: There are many who give lip service to border security. You may or may not be one of them. You may be an open-borders advocate. But for the moment, put on your secure-borders hat and tell us how you would secure the borders if your job depended on its success. Is it possible…
