Your Weekly guide to keeping busy in the Old Pueblo.

Naturally

Tucson Mountain District Guided Bird Walk. How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? If you’re going to find the answer to that age-old question anywhere, it’ll probably be on this 30-minute walk through the wash behind the Red Hills Visitor Center. Park volunteer John Higgins will guide the public on a tour to see woodpeckers, sparrows and other birds found among cacti and shrubbery. Interested parties may want to head over to part two of the walk at Sus Picnic area, where they may see specimens such as sirens and haws. Wear walking shoes, hats and sunscreens, and it’s not a bad idea to bring a water bottle and a trusty pair of binocs. 9:45 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 26. Red Hills Visitor Center at Saguaro National Park West, 2700 N. Kinney Road. Free with paid admission to the park.

Starfari. One of the only things that’s as truly “fun for all ages” as the International Wildlife Museum itself is looking up at a sky full of stars. Whether you’re looking at them as a scientist, an astrologer an artist or just someone with a thermos of hot chocolate and a heart full of wonder, stars are just really neat. Tucson Amateur Astronomy will have telescopes set up for the event, and there will also be nocturnal animal crafts, activities and an inflatable planetarium inside with animal constellation shows. Hooray! 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 25. International Wildlife Museum, 4800 W. Gates Pass Road. Included with museum admission ($10 adults, $7 military and seniors 62 and over, $5 kids 4 to 12, free for kids 3 and under. Free for museum members.)

Now Showing

Jingle Bell Rock. You don’t want to be a regular mom, do you? You wanna be a cool mom like Amy Poehler in Mean Girls. So grab your video camera and your pink sweat suit and head over to this local production, in which a Christmas Cheer Squad faces off with J.B. Coulson, head of the coal industry and certifiably anti-Christmas cheer and anti rock ’n’ roll. You have to be there to sing and dance along with the cheer squad—that is, unless you want evil to prevail. Your call. 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 26 and Sunday, Dec. 3, 10 and 17. Live Theatre Workshop, 5317 E. Speedway Blvd. $7 for kids, $10 for adults.

Bugs Bunny at the Symphony. They don’t make ’em like they used to, Doc. Now, we wouldn’t have thought to create a Bugs Bunny at the Symphony show, but now that it exists, we can’t stop thinking about how episodes like What’s Opera, Doc, Baton Bunny and Rhapsody Rabbit were always meant to be played in a symphony hall and accompanied by a full orchestra. George Daugherty, co-creator of the show, will be conducting. 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 25 and 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 26. Tucson Music Hall, 260 S. Church Ave. $15 to $86.

Carnival of Illusion. Got a wedding? Anniversary? Date night? Birthday? UNbirthday? Just looking for a fun night out? Roland Sarlot and Susan Eyed, the Tucson magicians behind this sweet, smart and cozy magic show, are back to give you the perfect way to spend a Saturday night, even if all you have to celebrate is that you have an open night to spend at a magic show. All of the seats are the good seats at their intimate venue, and they have a very special assistant named Harriette you won’t want to miss. 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 25. Tucson Scottish Rite Cathedral, 160 S. Scott Ave. $33 to $48.

Irish Christmas in America. Irish ballads, Celtic dancing, and a guy named Séamus? That’s right, the Irish are coming! There’s something about Ireland that just makes it seem a little bit more festive, year round, than the rest of the world. So get into the Christmas spirit with the talents of the award-winning Irish group Téada, featuring vocalists Séamus Begley and Sligo Niamh Farrell, piper Sean Gavin, keyboardist and dancer Samantha Harvey and harpist Grainne Hambly. Plus members of the Celtic Steps Irish Dance Academy, and probably at least one redhead! 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 26. Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W. Congress. $20 to $30.

The Voice of the Prairie. This award-winning show tells stories of love, longing, loss and living rooms during the time in America’s history when families used to gather around their radios each night. There are more than 20 characters in the show, all portrayed by only three actors. It’s nonlinear and lovely, and features local actors Josh Parra, Christopher Young and Samantha Cormier. If that’s not a compelling enough description, then just know it was written by a man named John Olive, which sounds like a pseudonym John Oliver would use if he ever wanted to get into playwriting. 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, 3 p.m. on Sundays, through Dec. 23. Live Theatre Workshop, 5317 E. Speedway Blvd. $18 to $20.

Shop!

Holiday Gift Boutique. Yup, another one! But this one is gluten free! Held at Dedicated, the boutique will feature local artists selling their pieces and other unique vendors offering up their wares. C’mon, you know if you get your best friend that cute scarf from Target, she’s going to know exactly where you got it. So have your loved ones saying “Where did you GET that?!” in excitement this holiday season by checking out local events like this one—especially for Small Business Saturday. 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 25. Dedicated., 4500 E. Speedway Blvd., suite 41. Free entry.

MOCAShop Holiday Market. What could be better than getting a ton of your Christmas shopping out of the way while supporting local businesses AND keeping your blood sugar up so you don’t get grumpy halfway through the day? How about enjoying MOCA for free all day? Not only will this Holiday Market include jewelry, ceramics, records, prints, frames and textile vendors, but it will also be host to food trucks, the local coffee collective, Altar and a Scented Leaf pop up! MOCA members also get mimosas and early-bird access to the market from 9 to 10 a.m. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 26. MOCA, 265 S. Church Ave. Free entry.

Annual Holiday Arts and Crafts Fair in Reid Park. We’ve said it before, and we’re saying it now, and we’ll probably say it again: You gotta start your holiday shopping, and it’s extra awesome if you do it locally. And this event will bring you 140 crafters, bakers and artisan soap makers (also jewelers, potters, photographers and everything you can imagine, including hand-painted sunglasses). Even if you don’t buy anything (and good luck trying to not buy anything), you can gawk at how talented your Southwest neighbors are and enjoy a beautiful afternoon at the park, right? 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 25 and Sunday, Nov. 26. Reid Park, 900 S. Randolph Way, just west of the DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center (best to enter at the Concert Place entrance from Country Club). Free.

IMC’s World Famous Rummage Sale! Get ready for some magical, musical money-saving fun. Instrumental Music Center has $99 clarinets! $20 ukuleles! $10 guitar straps! $5 metronomes and tuners! $1 drumstick sets! And a whole lot more stuff on sale. It is literally billed as “THE MOST FUN YOU’VE EVER HAD IN YOUR LIFE.” We here at the Weekly can’t guarantee that this will be true, but it seems pretty ballsy of them to make the claim, so it's gotta at least be worth checking out. It’s at the Speedway location only, and their Facebook event has a $10 off coupon, so be sure to pull that up on your phone during checkout. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 24 to Sunday, Nov. 26. Instrumental Music Store, 7063 E. Speedway Blvd. Free entry.

Celebrating Culture

Western Heritage Festival. To celebrate all of the reasons that Tucson is the best in the West, head over to Old Tucson, where—good news!—there is enough room in town for the two of us. Artists from Raices Taller 222, the city’s Latino-based, contemporary nonprofit art gallery/workshop/cooperative, will be there with special demos and exhibits. Also, local cultural group demos and the opportunity to get some holiday shopping done at all these neat vendors. Bring a donation to their Goodwill clothing drive or Salvation Army Toys for Tots drive to get two bucks off admission (on up to four admissions). 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 24 to Sunday, Nov. 26. Old Tucson, 201 S. Kinney Road. $18.95 for adults, $10.95 for kids four to 11.

American Indian Month Social. Celebrate the OG Americans and a rich tradition that has survived for thousands of years at this cultural celebration. See authentic artwork and crafts, hear traditional music and celebrate 15 tribal nations. Award-winning hoop dancer Cecil Manuel, a Tohono O’odham and Apache, will present the featured cultural presentation. Feel free to bring your cameras and video cameras, and enjoy the free parking and admission! 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 24, Saturday, Nov. 25 and Sunday, Nov. 26. Sheraton Hotel Ballroom, 5151 E. Grant Road. Free.

IRC Presents: Cross-Cultural Refugee Panel. The Tucson branch of the International Rescue Committee is partnering with the Murphy-Wilmot Library to host the third part of this series, which features speakers from the refugee community. Hear firsthand stories of the multicultural group, hailing from all over the world, who have resettled into new homes in Tucson. Gain some perspective, learn about other cultures and get to know your neighbors all in one go. 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 28. Murphy-Wilmot Library, 530 N. Wilmot Road. Free.

Beyond the Wall. If you’re looking for a getaway where you can celebrate borderland culture and the people of both Mexico and the U.S., don’t miss this two-day festival in Nogales. It starts Friday night with an art exhibit featuring pieces by artists on both sides of the border, and continues Saturday with an all-day block party downtown north of the border preceding a concert and festival on the southern side. Fifteen-foot tall puppets will be parading through Nogales both nights, but on Saturday they’ll come together at the wall and connect neighbors across the border. 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 24 and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 25. Nogales, AZ. Free, with donations gratefully accepted online.

Art

ArtNow! With Einar and Jamex De La Torre. This is definitely an example of a picture being worth a thousand words. Or in this case, the vibrantly colorful, gorgeously detailed and altogether stunning glass art by the De La Torre brothers is worth about a gazillion words. The two will be at MOCA talking about how how they create their pieces, and how they do it together. Take one look at their website (delatorresbros.com) and you’ll want to learn everything about them—and this is your chance! 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 28. MOCA, 265 S. Church Ave. Free for MOCA members, $10 nonmembers.

Desert Corridors and Royce Davenport at Tohono Chul. Two new exhibitions went on display at Tohono Chul earlier this month. Desert Corridors explores the natural superhighways that creatures of all shapes, sizes and species use to travel across the great state of Arizona. In taking a look at the beaten path that isn’t always obvious to us humans, the exhibit examines where animals are going and where they came from. Royce Davenport’s art of Vail uses everything from sardine tins to saguaro ribs to mouse traps to create his wonderfully wacky folk art creations. Desert Corridors shows through Feb. 7, with a curator’s talk on Tuesday, Nov. 28 at 10 a.m. Davenport’s art shows through Jan. 7. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day). Tohono Chul, 7366 Paseo del Norte. $13 adults, $10 seniors/students/military, $3 children five to 12, free for members and kids under 5.

Holi-yays

Enchanted Snowfall. Get ready to get walkin’. And we’re not talkin’ just any old walkin’. You gotta get ready to go walkin’ in a winter wonderland! Many people aren’t aware that, due to an anomaly in Southwestern weather patterns, it snows every Friday and Saturday from Nov. 24 to Dec. 23, and only at La Encantada Shopping Center. It’s no use trying to understand the science behind the event, so just stop by and soak up the magic with a cup of piping hot cocoa and some live music. 6 and 6:45 p.m. every Friday and Saturday until Saturday, Dec. 23. Begins this Friday, Nov. 24 and Saturday, Nov. 25. La Encantada Shopping Center. 2905 E. Skyline Drive. Free.

Krampus Bedtime Christmas Scarol Tour. The RavenHearse Family Classic Haunt, Trail Dust Town’s resident spookiness supplier, is dishing up a helping of that alt. holiday, frighteningly festive, Nightmare Before Christmas-esque spirit. It’s Krampus, the half-demon, half-goat, all-terrifying folklore figure comes around during the holiday season to punish all of the children who have been naughty during the year, and during RavenHearse visits, will also be available for photo ops. 6 to 9 p.m. Thursdays, 5 to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 5 to 9 p.m. Sundays. Saturday, Nov. 25 through Sunday, Jan. 7. RavenHearse Family Classic Haunts, Pinnacle Peak and Trail Dust Down, 6541 E. Tanque Verde Road, #26. $5 Haunt admission, $10 Krampus photo ops.

Black Fur-Day SpeedAThon. What could be merrier than a terrier? Or more jolly than a collie? Nothing! So treat yourself to that recreating that scene in Lady and the Tramp where she opens a present on Christmas morning and finds a dog, but do it on Black Friday instead. Pima Animal Care Center is doing FREE pet adoptions at their Amado location, and every pet will go home with a free pet starter kit. There will be more than 30 animals available for adopting, and inanimate stuff like foods, toys and treats will all be 25 percent off. Plus free Sonoran hot dogs, a DJ, giveaways and raffle baskets! Two Petco stores in town (5625 E. River Road and 585 E. Wetmore Road) will also be doing PACC adoptions for the day. Festivities are Friday only, but the waived fees at PACC go through Monday, Nov. 27. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 24. Pima Animal Care Center, 4000 N. Silverbell Road. Free.

Sweat!

Stilts on Sundays. We’d be lying if we said we’d never fantasized about how fun it would be to walk and dance around on stilts, and we think you would be too. Not sure where to start? Right here! Beginners and all-ages are welcome at this class to get you going from baby giraffe to graceful gazelle (if gazelles had legs as long as giraffes). Reps from Tucson Circus Arts will go over form, fitness, acrobatics, sculpture, four-legged (no idea—we’ll have to go to find out!) and parade skills. They’ll also have loaner stilts available if you don’t just happen to have a pair lying around the house. Beginners should include shoe size in their RSVP. 2 to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 26. Himmel Park, 1000 N. Tucson Blvd. $15.

POUND at Reid Park. Make sure you bring some water to this one, a drumming-inspired cardio jam session that’s gonna have you swingin’, swayin’ and sweatin’. Especially sweating. It’s going to be sweaty. Your muscles will burn, your heart will pound, your Thanksgiving meal will start to burn off and maybe…just maybe…you’ll actually have fun. Bring water (as stated), a yoga mat and $5 cash, but Stay Fit With Olivia will provide the sticks. The class will be next to the big lake. 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 25. Reid Park, 900 S. Randolph Way. $5.

Nightcrawler

B.A.M! French rock combo EXP and Texas hip-hop crew The Word Association formed Binary Audio Misfits (B.A.M!) several years back. “I ain’t met a man who could break me/So I’ll be damned if I let a nation shake me/I think and feel outside the flag.” Yes, outside the mold and the genre, too. This is indie rock-rap, a blast-out fusion of bilingual word salad, atop glacial instrumentation. At their worst, B.A.M! is the downside of both genres—amelodic and tedious. But when they’re on, the dynamic interplay of cultures and styles exhilarates. With the slow, deliberate flow of a Brother Ali disciple, and the light staccato of Serge Gainsbourgh-y spoken word, the music melds virtuosic scratching with persistent chugga-chang guitar riffs. Fuck “Get Rich or Die Tryin,” this is “Get Loud or Get Dyin” music—new, fresh and tres tres chouette. Monday, Nov. 27 at The Flycatcher, 340 E. Sixth St. Doors at 9 p.m. 21+. Free.—B.S. Eliot

Bryan Thomas Parker. With the rousing, shambolic spirit of Flogging Molly and the whiskey-loosened No Depression roots of early Uncle Tupelo, Tucson’s own Bryan Thomas Parker takes no prisoners, calling out exactly how we got here: “Do you see the tree of liberty/Bleeding bloody tears from years of inequality?” Anthemic, Irish fight-song acoustics uphold a gritty voice that speaks, sings or shouts as content dictates. There’s Johnny Cashian mayhem when Parker plugs in, reaching full-tilt hellbilly as he pushes past primal instincts of survival, daring anarchy to reign like Captain Dan calling down God on the ladder of that great big fishing boat. “Well I don’t know where the next time will be … just gimme gimme blackberry wine.” With Brokedown Palace and Half Broke Town on Wednesday, Nov. 29. The Flycatcher, 340 E. Sixth St. Doors at 9 p.m. 21+. Free.—B.S. Eliot


Molotov. Bringing together the sonic fury of rock and the cutting urban wordplay of rap, Mexico City’s Molotov have been stepping to their own beat since 1995. Their lyrics, which juxtapose satire and debauchery alongside scathing social commentary, have incited controversy. Following an alleged incident in 2013 when a gay Chilean teenager, Esteban Navarro, was viciously attacked by six anti-gay assailants shouting anti-gay epithets and wielding knives, iron bars and a machete, pressure came down from LGBT activists to drop the word “maricon”(loosely, “faggot”) from one of their most popular songs, “Puto.” Molotov balked: “Our music gives a voice to people who aren’t in a position to do so for themselves...It was never meant to disrespect the gay community.” Molotov have recorded nine studio albums, including the latest, 2en1 (2017). Politically correct? They have sold over 3 million records being not so. But what would the world of rap rock be without insulting someone? “Frijolero,” off Dance and Dense Denso (2003), is an exchange in which characters trade racially charged insults. ([In Spanish, frijolero means “beaner.”) The American character is described as a “pinche gringo puñetero.” (Roughly, “fucking white boy wanker.”) Tongue-in-cheek humor? You be the judge. With Simpson A Huevo on Tuesday, Nov. 28. The Rialto Theater, 318 E. Congress St. Doors at 7 p.m. $40-$45. All Ages.—Xavier Otero

Great American Tragedy. The winter sun falls early lately and it gets harder to shake that Sonoran chill in the bones. Days are filled of easy, cheap regrets, and you’re broke but you thank any god you’ve ever heard of for the wine and the back-up bottle in your kitchen, and maybe Great American Tragedy. The soothing lo-fi of a pining man and his acoustic guitar offers sonic protection with the gentleness of Sun Kil Moon and the sad melodic harmonies of solo Crosby, Still & Nash. Songwriter Alex Scheitinger reminds you how true comfort comes from taking solace in someone else’s sadness, in someone else’s nostalgia. “Silhouette I see you there, quite beyond compare.” Everyone he longs for is already a ghost. Like Nash, Scheitinger wisely and subtly pairs down to serve the spare beauty of his songs, and the moments they exist in. With Texas T Trash and Dirty Magic, Friday, Nov. 24. 191 Toole, 191 Toole Ave. Doors at 8 p.m. 21+. Free.—B.S. Eliot

Sammy Wilk. If you’re a white dude from Omaha, a fake Jamaican Patois probably ain’t OK. At least on record. You might roll mad blunts and sip 40s with other Nebraskans, but those deliberate “goddamns” are as convincing as Mouseketeers flipping birds. Still, it’s hard to hate Sammy Wilk; he’s an internet “personality”––so what do we get? There’s an inexplicable Wilk clothing line because a million Twitter and Instagram followers can’t be wrong. He stiffly rhymes with his buddy on Sammy and Skate singles, and there’s a laughably bad romantic beach video (“Aye Ma”) that makes Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game” classy. Wilk does bestow a portion of his proceeds to help a Sierra Leone school “break the cycle of poverty,” and, despite zero authenticity, he seems surprisingly sincere. But don’t blame him: His celebrity is merely a sign that doomsday is here, a final shiny ornament atop our glittery tower of babble. With Derek Luh on Wednesday, Nov. 29. The Rock, 136 N. Park Ave. Doors at 7 p.m. $20-$80. All ages. —B.S. Eliot

Thriftworks. Since the age of 16, electronic music producer Jake Atlas (aka Thriftworks) has been splicing together dark glitch, electronic ephemera, eclectic samples, trippy psychedelic effects and the bass-soaked thump of hip hop to create his unique sound. On The Feather & The Sword (2017), Thriftwork’s futuristic instrumentation weaves a tapestry of baroque soundscapes full of bass heavy synth riff, the percussive sound of steel pipes clacking together in time or eerie vocal samples that ensnare the listener? Beautifully strange. Undeniably, there is something unsettling about the single “Flapjack’s Revenge.” Like occult communications between spirits during psychomancy. At a slower BPM, yet equally as hypnotic, “Bone Roaster’s Anthem” is a downtempo groove seemingly made for dance-floor escapism. It may take more than one listen to excavate through all the dense layers of sound on this recording, which is drawing comparisons to glitch hop artists Russ Liquid and Vibesquad. Thriftworks brings his outside-the-box sound with Lance Rand, Noodleworks and TOT on Saturday, Nov. 25. 191 Toole, 191 E. Toole Ave. Doors at 9 p.m. $10-$20. 18 and over.—Xavier Otero