The Mavericks
FEB. 1
The Mavericks purvey a genre-hopping mix of hard rock, banda, country, Tex-Mex, salsa, ska, norteño and Southwestern blues, all with high energy and laugh-out-loud good humor. After more than 30 years selling out live music venues, the band recently earned its first Billboard No. 1 spot for its first all-Spanish language album, “En Español.” Lead singer and songwriter Raul Malo has said the album was inspired by the immigrant environment of his upbringing in Miami’s “Little Havana.”
Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W. Congress Street, Tucson, tickets start at $20, 7:30 p.m., www.foxtucson.com
“Pulse” Weavings and Paintings by Marlowe Katoney
TO MARCH 23
In his radically contemporary work, Marlowe Katoney brings ancient practices and materials into the 21st century. His imagery can be startling. Across the top of a rug, for instance, a b-boy breaks out over patterns and colors that themselves contradict more traditional Navajo (or Diné) design. The material, though, is wool, tinted with vegetal dyes. Winslow-based Katoney studied at the UA School of Art but learned weaving from his Diné grandmother.
University of Arizona Museum of Art, 1031 N. Olive Road, Tucson, $8, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily,
www.artmuseum.arizona.edu
Gem Show Kickoff at the Alfie
JAN. 27
This daylong event provides context for getting the most out of Tucson’s monthlong gem and mineral attractions. You can learn from expert guest speakers, network with industry professionals and check out the new exhibits and installations in the museum. Among highlights will be Dante Lauretta discussing the Osiris-Rex Mission and Craig Lynch talking about jewelry recovered from the RMS Titanic. A reception takes place from 4 to 6 p.m. Reservations are advised.
Alfie Norville Gem & Mineral Museum, 115 N. Church Avenue, Tucson, free, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., www.gemandmineralmuseum.arizona.edu
Tucson Fringe Festival
TO JAN. 28
This remarkably tightly run event is an intentional hodgepodge of great ideas for mostly solo shows you won’t find anywhere else. They all have titles meant to stimulate curiosity, e.g., “From LDS to Goth: My Teen Years,” “Audacious Ignacious Lost in Atlantis,” “Percussion +: Works for Solo Percussion and Electronics” or “Don’t Stop Believing: A Theatrical Remix of the ’80s.” Tucson may not be Edinburgh, but this event continues to attract more and better acts as it grows. You can be sure that you will not have seen anything like them before.
Multiple downtown venues and a virtual venue, tickets start at $25, various times, www.tucsonfringe.org
Creative Mornings’ Fifth Anniversary
JAN. 26
Five years ago, leading Tucson creative professionals had a radical idea: If there were a version of, say, Rotary Club for advertising, designers and marketing people, what would it look like? Who would come? What would they care about? The result was Creative Mornings, Tucson creatives’ resource for tips, insights, camaraderie and, above all, inspiration for their unique work and business lives. This event features live music, drink specials and food for sale; fellowship is gratis.
Downtown Clifton, 485 S. Stone Avenue, Tucson, free, 6 to 8 p.m.,
www.creativemornings.com
Bjork Night
JAN. 26
Producer and DJ Mijito — who regularly plays and books unique dance nights through his company, Nitecall — caught our eye with this one: Bjork Night. It makes perfect sense to feature a Scandinavian goddess in the dead of winter to remind us that it’s always cold somewhere. Bjork was an acquired taste for some; others never much appreciated the sonic art aspects of her aesthetic. From following Mijito’s show calendar, though, we’ve learned that he’s an “if you know, you know” guy. He’s playing siren calls for smart misfits.
The Royal Room, 450 N. Sixth Avenue, Tucson, free, 9:30 p.m.,
www.theroyalroomtucson.com
Celebrating Nogales Buffalo Soldiers
JAN. 27
In the relentless westward expansion of the United States, Black enlisted men known as Buffalo Soldiers served with dignity and courage, while prominent military leaders, including George Armstrong Custer, declined promotions rather than have Black soldiers under their command. Although they were prohibited from fighting east of the Mississippi, Buffalo Soldiers were crucial to holding the line against incursion by the forces of the Mexican Revolution. Exhibits and living history events take place at several Nogales locations. Find essential background reading on the website.
Nogales Cemetery, 1191 N. Grand Avenue, free, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.,
www.nogalesbuffalosoldiers.org
Youth on Their Own Benefit Harp Concert
JAN. 28
A benefit for Youth on Their Own will present “Sixteen Songs for the New Year,” featuring four different world music harps. Selections will mix Asian and European melodies with a taste of Madagascar. Historic San Pedro Chapel was the heart of the Mexican community that sprang up around Fort Lowell when the U.S. Army abandoned it. Youth on Their Own supports high school graduation and the continued success of youth experiencing homelessness.
San Pedro Chapel, 5230 E. Fort Lowell Road, Tucson, donations accepted, 2:30 p.m., wyomingharp@yahoo.com
New Book, Ancient Tale Revive Hope for the Middle East
JAN. 28
“The Girl Raised in Bull Blood” spins new understanding through an ancient Persian cautionary tale of time travel and sorcery. The story offers hope for the future in the strife-torn Middle East, promising, “There is always a remedy for everything.” Author Nooshie Motaref, an award-winning novelist, was a professor in Tehran when the Islamic revolution was stifling freedoms across the country. She fled Iran rather than become the first woman in three generations of her family to cover her head.
Historic Y, 738 N. Fifth Avenue, Tucson, free, 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.,
www.drnooshiemotaref.com, reservations are requested via nooshiem@msn.com
This article appears in Jan 18-25, 2024.