Thursday, February 22, 2018

The Weekly List: 23 Things To Do In Tucson This Week

Posted By and on Thu, Feb 22, 2018 at 9:00 AM

Your Weekly list to keeping busy in the Old Pueblo.

Theater

Lost in Yonkers. New York State: Two young teenage boys are sent to live with their menacing grandmother for the summer (but also with their sweet Aunt Bella and Louie, their hoodlum of an uncle). This Pulitzer Prize- and Tony award-winning play takes place in New York State during World War II, but it’s a story that anyone who’s ever been 15 and felt suffocated by their family. Saturday, Feb. 24 and Sunday, Feb. 25 and Friday through Sunday, March 2-4. Fridays and Saturdays at 7 p.m. Sundays at 2 p.m. Arizona Rose Theatre, 4500 N. Oracle Road, suite 329. $15 GA, $13 senior and military with ID, $8 kids 12 and under.

Black Pearl Sings! There are two things to know about Alberta “Pearl” Johnson. She’s in prison for life for murder, and the rare folk songs her ancestors have passed down to her are her lifeline to her family. Susannah, a collector of songs for the Library of Congress, wants to record Pearl singing the songs. To Pearl, Susannah could mean freedom. And to Susannah, Pearl could mean a huge advancement in her career. But the two find themselves tied together in ways deeper than they expected in this play that pass the Bechdel test with flying colors. 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 22 through Saturday, Feb. 24 and 3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 24 and Sunday, Feb. 25. Invisible Theatre, 1400 N. First Ave. $34 GA.

Let’s Get Literary

Panel: Poetry + Non-literary Influence. The Bagley Wright Lecture Series at the UA has given poets a platform to talk about the way they think about poetry since 2013. In this event, lecturers Dorothea Lasky, Joshua Beckman, Timothy Donnelly, Terrance Hayes, Rachel Zucker, Srikanth Reddy and program director Matthew Zapruder will all be reading from their lectures and talking about some of their greatest influences from outside the world of poetry. 3 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24. UA Poetry Center, 1508 E. Helen St. Free.

An Evening With Spent Saints. If you haven’t read the writings of Brian Smith, our resident literary superstar, stop reading this and go read one of his Tucson Salvage columns in the Weekly. When you’re done with that, come back for the details on this reading. Brian’s been on a nationwide book tour for Spent Saints for the last year, but he and some fellow authors and musicians—Isaac Kirkman, Maggie Go, Cal Freeman, Billy Sedlmyer and Barry Smith—are coming together for this event. Maggie Harstad hosts, and the night also features two short films based on stories from Spent Saints. 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24. Galactic Center, 35 E. Toole Ave. Free.

Festivals

Cactus Flower Comedy Festival. With fantastic lineup of funny females, this is one festival that’s guaranteed to induce some lmao-ing and rofl-ing. Kristine Levine, whose humor has been described as a cross between that of Lenny Bruce and Roseanne Bar, is serving some truths and inducing some laughs as this year’s headliner. Plus, tons of other performances from both groups (including Ex-Boyfriend Impov, From the Top Improv, the Riveters and Birds & Broads) and individuals (including Molly McCloy, Danielle Williams and Linda Ray). There’s also an All Gender Jam, a Short-Form Showdown, an improv workshop and a class on how to write jokes for social media. Let’s get laughing! Thursday, Feb. 22 through Saturday, Feb. 24. Tucson Improv Movement, 414 E. Ninth St. Tickets sold for individual events, with most shows $5 to $10, and $40 for the workshops.

2018 Peace Fair and Music Festival. Just want some peace and quiet? This isn’t quite the event for you. Want some peace and passion, for everything from social justice to environmentalism? Don’t miss it. See groups like AZ Palestine Solidarity Alliance, Tucson for 9-11 Truth, Tucson Clay Co-op and Veterans for Peace and over a dozen other groups speak at the community soapbox in the Armory Park Center, and enjoy performances by One Heartbeat, Tucson Raging Grannies, Santa Pachita, Vimala, The Enchanters and Mark Holdaway and Friends. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24. Armory Park, 221 S. Sixth Ave.

Arizona Renaissance Festival. Hear ye, hear ye! Come one, come all, to this fabulous mix of jousting knights, dancers, circus performers, swordplay, wordplay, raucous music, comedy and the royal family—across 13 different stages. Watch some glassblowing demonstrations, get some style intel from Lady Tess, Fashion Advisor, see some mermaids and buy gorgeous work from the more than 200 artisans at the marketplace. And when you get hungry, you can choose from seafood, sausage, baked goods and crepes, pizza, bread bowls, pathway cart snacks, burgers and, of course, those massive turkey legs. There’s more activities and food than can we can list here, so you’ll have to go see the rest for yourself. Open Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Sunday, April 1. No pets. Free parking. Get tickets online for $25 for adults and $15 for kids 5 to 12. Pick up tickets at Fry’s to save a dollar, or buy them at the box office when you get there for an extra dollar.

Museums

Free UA Museum Entry. As Discovery Days, which celebrates all things research and innovation, continues at UA. At the Arizona State Museum, 1013 E. University Blvd., see “Life Along the River,” “Paths of Life,” “The Pottery Project” and “Woven Through Time” exhibits. At the Center for Creative Photography, 1030 N. Olive Road, see “Courting Failure, Embracing Risk: Mark Klett and Collaboration.” And at the UA Museum of Art, 1031 N. Olive Road, see five different exhibits, “Our Stories,” “You are Here,” “In Transit/En Tránsito,” “X, Y, Z” and “The Altarpiece from Ciudad Rodrigo.” Noon to 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 22.

Girls’ Day at the Mini Time Machine Museum. Hinamatsuri, or Girls’ Day, is a Japanese Holiday on March 3, which honors the well-being of girls. The tradition is to set up a display of dolls in mid-February to rid the girls of bad spirits and strengthen their character, as well as ensure an early marriage for young girls. What does this mean for the Mini Time Machine Museum? They have a five-tiered display of 15 dolls and other symbolic accessories on display, including furniture, tools and carriages. The display was created in the 1950s, and donated to the museum in 2014 by Nancy Phillips. On display through through Sunday, March 4. Museum hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, and closed on Mondays and major holidays. Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures, 4455 E. Camp Lowell Drive. $9 GA, $8 senior and military, $6 ages 4 to 17, free for kids 3 and under.

For the Kids

The Story of Babar The Elephant. When 20th century French composer Francis Poulenc’s 3-year-old cousin showed him the children’s book Histoire de Babar and said, “Play this!” Poulenc got right to work. Nearly a century later, hear the whimsical results of Poulen’s piano improvisation-turned-masterpiece. 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24. Leo Rich Theater, 260 S. Church Ave.

Goat Playground Day! If you’ve been to the Funny Foot Farm petting zoo and have found yourself staring through the fence into the goat enclosure, pining away for your chance to be with the goats like Martin in Edward Albee’s “The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia,” now’s your chance! Pay the normal entrance fee into the petting zoo (which already includes a full tour and food for all of the animals), and take a tour of the goat enclosure on this special day. Plus, see all the usual tortoises, capybaras and porcupines. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 25. Funny Foot Farm, 2405 W. Wetmore Road. $8.

Children’s Adventure Hour at the Tucson Presidio. This rodeo weekend special features a museum experience specially designed for children ages 4 through 8. They’ll get a special tour of the museum, a demonstration on cochineal (the red dye and crucial trade commodity for early Arizona settlers), a story and hands-on activities that could range from pot gardening to old-fashioned laundry to wool and clay bracelet making to tortilla making. They’ll wrap things up with a coloring activity, and then kids and their parents are encouraged to stick around and enjoy the museum for as long as they’d like. 10:30 a.m. to noon. Saturday, Feb. 24. Presidio San Agustín del Tucson Museum, 196 N. Court Ave. $5 adults, $1 kids 6 to 8 and free for members and kids ages 4 to 5.

Music

Rémi Geniet, Piano. At age 20, Geniet took second place in the 2013 Queen Elisabeth International Piano Competition. Four years later, he’s only grown more talented, and the Arizona Friends of Chamber Music are bringing him to town. Hear him play Bach’s Chaconne, transcribed by Ferruccio Busoni, Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 31 in A-Flat Major, Stravinsky’s Three Movements from Petrushka and Ravel’s La Valse. 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 25. Berger Performing Arts Center, 1200 W. Speedway Blvd.

Verdi Requiem. The True Concord choir and orchestra, the UA Arizona Choir, and featured soloists soprano Arianna Zukerman, mezzo-soprano Teresa Buchholz, tenor Hugo Vera and baritone Andrew Stuckey are coming together to perform this 19th-century musical setting of a Catholic funeral mass. It was composed by Giuseppe Verdi in memory of Alessando Manzoni, an Italian poet and novelist whom Verdi admired. Here’s hoping that when your favorite writer dies, it inspires you to create one of the most frequently performed major choral works in the world, or something of equal caliber. 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 24 at the Valley Presbyterian Church, 2800 Camino Del Sol, Green Valley and 3 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 25 at UA’s Centennial Hall, 1020 E. University Blvd. $20 to $75.

The Ten Tenors–Wish You Were Here. Who doesn’t love some classic Aussie charm? And who doesn’t really love listening to some of the greatest hits of all time from the artists we all miss? David Bowie, Leonard Cohen, Prince, John Lennon, Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse and Whitney Houston are just some of the dearly departed artists they’ll be celebrating and honoring through this musical set. In fact, though they can’t literally sing the music of every lost legend, the concert is intended to be a celebration of all the happiness that’s come from all the artists we lost too soon. If you’ve ever wanted to have Bowie back for just a moment, you’ll want to be there. 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 27. The Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W. Congress. $29 to $75.

Outdoorsy

Summit Hut Swap Meet. Sell your used outdoor equipment! Buy new (for you) used outdoor equipment! If you’re selling, tables are available to use for free, first come, first serve, and be sure to bring enough small bills to give change. If you’re buying, know that Summit Hut will also be selling used return items at hugely discounted rates. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. So get rid of your trash and go pick up some treasure. 9 a.m. to noon. Sunday, Feb. 25. Summit Hut, 5251 E. Speedway Blvd. Free.

7th Annual M.O.V.E. Across Two Ranges. What better way to explore the Tortolitas and Catalinas in one day than knowing that a bunch of other people are doing it, too? There’s plenty of different options for how far to go as well: six (mighty hike), 10 (major hike), 15 (mega hike) or 21.5 miles (massive hike). At the Summit Hut packet pickup, enjoy some beer and snacks to fuel you through the hike. Saturday, Feb. 24. Start times vary. Wild Burro Trailhead, 14810 North Secret Springs Drive. $35 day-of, $20/family member for the My Family Hike or $35 for the My Family Event Day.

Fun in General

Southwest American Indian Collector’s Expo. If you’re willing to hang out in Oracle for a day (or two, or three…) you can see some of the finest artists—from more than 80 tribal nations—in the Southwest. See a 30-year old collection of turquoise stones, have some custom jewelry made by one of the silversmiths on hands, see beadwork, basketry and kachina carving demonstrations, and enjoy performances by flutists and hoop dancers. And take the chance to buy bead supplies and other art forms. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 23 through Sunday, Feb. 25. Oracle Inn & Steakhouse, 305 E. American Ave., Oracle. Free admission and parking, with scholarship donations appreciated.

Tucson Roadrunners vs. San Antonio Rampage. The Roadrunners have two games this week against these San Antoni-foes. Friday, Feb. 23 at 7:05 p.m. is $2 beer night, which makes the hockey game a cheaper and more entertaining place to drink than pretty much anywhere else. And Saturday, Feb. 24 at 7:05 p.m. is cancer awareness night, which makes for a Saturday night equal parts rage-y entertainment and being a part of a good cause. Tucson Convention Center, 260 S. Church Ave. $10 to $56.

Tucson Rodeo. The 93rd Annual La Fiesta de Los Vaqueros continues this weekend, with the 200+ float Tucson Rodeo Parade, several ProRodeo Competitions and a couple of RAM Mutton Bustin’ and Justin Junior Rodeos. Each night also features a Coors Barn Dance for just 5 bucks, where patrons under 21 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, and kids under 13 get in free. Yeeeeee hawwww. Thursay, Feb. 22 through Sunday, Feb. 25. Gates open at 11 a.m. each day. Tucson Rodeo Grounds, 4823 S. Sixth Ave. Ticket prices range from $28 to $70 depending on the day and which section your seat is in.

Nightcrawler

The White Buffalo. It’s not Jake Smith’s multi-octave range, nor his pitch-perfect whistle that distinguishes him as a preeminent American folk-country-rock songsmith and singer; it’s that he shows absolute musical gifts while allowing his untamed storyteller spirit to rumble through. “Mother,” he begins on “I Wish It Were True,” and we understand that embedded within is all the power and heartache of John Lennon’s post-primal scream therapy maternal ode called “Mother.” It’s no accident—for two decades, Smith’s commanding nuance has earned his songs a place on some of TV finest, including Sons of Anarchy and Californication, but like any pop heroes of yore (from Tim Hardin to Crosby, Stills and Nash to Leonard Cohen), he has never sacrificed quality or censored his lyrics. Smith dares to stand for his beliefs, personally and politically, alone onstage, acoustic in hand. (Fat chance any of the myriad corporate-sponsored popstar doofs like Ed Sheeran would ever do that.) His weighty voice takes on God and war and sidesteps clichés in an honest exploration of the interplay between darkness and light. He proves he’s no chickenshit because he’s not hiding behind irony. Go! With Arum Rae on Friday, Feb. 23. Club Congress, 311 E. Congress. Doors at 7 p.m. $20. 21+. —B.S. Eliot

Marty Grimes. There’s nothing substantial about Marty Grimes’ lyrics—sippin’ Henny, rollin’ deep, torchin’ trees, baggin’ bitches—save for a late-night shred of conscience. “Yeah chasin’ tale is fun/But when it’s all said and done/You’re the only one/And I’m the lonely one.” But Grimes’ flow sizzles, freakishly. Inhaling and exhaling as he spits, Grimes makes mid-verse change-ups sound effortless. He earned a BA in sound arts and the result is an astute and hyper-dynamic interplay between MC and producer. In his own delivery, Grimes’ playful phonetics and reverb-drenched tone clarify his meta-command and control. Steeped in the sticky-green Bay Area tradition, but with an ear for the mainstream, Grimes rolls up psych-laced club joints like “Hell of a Night.” Yet it’s when he goes deeper, “Wishing” he could ‘fess his true feelings, “Faded” and melancholy, that his content and practiced skill offer glimpses of greatness. With Wes Period on Saturday, Feb. 24. The Rock, 136 N. Park Ave. Doors at 7 p.m. $15-$18, All ages. —B.S. Eliot

Motionless in White. By blending death-metal vocals with industrial/hardcore slam and goth binaries of love and death, Motionless in White (MIW) overcome the individual genre’s shortcomings. The verses—wretched up from growler Chris Cerulli’s depths—ignites and exorcises listener tensions. It is easy to appreciate the catharsis of a well-growled “fuck you,” especially these days of mass shooting and tyrannical leaders, yet the band’s dynamic enough to stand on their own. With a mix of precise, ear-shredder riffs and suckerpunch beats, MIW injects industrial sexuality into its music. The goth-y élan, replete with chick bassist and sex in coffins, don’t hurt. The band’s self-seriousness is hard to swallow, but thankfully it veers absurd, “It’s my party and I’ll die when I want to …” MIW channels and manifests relatable frustration in this age of Trumped-up egos, untouchable wealth and lies. With Every Time I Die, Chelsea Grin and Ice Nine Kills on Friday, Feb. 23. Rialto Theatre, 318 East Congress St. Doors at 6 p.m. $25-$28, All ages. —B.S. Eliot

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