City Week: Weekly Picks

JOGS Tucson Gem & Jewelry

AUG. 31 TO SEPT. 3 – We can think of the JOGS Tucson Gem & Jewelry show as an annual preamble to the sprawling fabulousness that is our citywide gem, mineral, fossil and etc. extravaganza in January. Since the JOGS show has a bit more emphasis on gems and finished jewelry, the timing is ideal. We buy whatever delights us, as long as we can afford it, and tell ourselves that it will be perfect gift for the holidays, or whenever we happen to get around to giving it up.

Tucson Expo Center, 3750 E. Irvington Road, Tucson, $20, 3 to 6 p.m.,

www.jogsshow.com

Crown Cars & Coffee

EVERY FIRST SATURDAY – Custom car builder and racing shop Crown Concepts, unique in the Southwest, hosts an ad hoc car show that includes free admission to Topgolf’s high-tech driving range. Coffee is free, too, but if, say, a triple caramel oat milk latte or the like is your jam, you’re welcome to bring your own. Show off your spiffed up vehicle or just come and marvel at all the ways others imagine the potential of personal transportation design, inside, outside and under the hood.

Topgolf Tucson, 4050 W. Costco Place, Tucson, free, 7 to 9 a.m.,

facebook.com/crownconceptsus

Lyle Lovett and His Acoustic Group

SEPT. 5 – Naming sui generis musical artists out of Texas would be a great drinking game. Somewhere mid-alphabet, Lyle Lovett holds forth with a unique, yet altogether organic sound. It’s as if he’s amalgamating a dozen microgenres from the south and the Midwest into one music. Regardless of the instrumentation — combo to symphony — it feels impeccably homemade. Part of the fun of this show will be watching the delight he takes in his masterful accompanists’ ideas and artful fingering.

Fox Theatre Tucson, 17 W. Congress Street, Tucson, tickets start at $20, 7:30 p.m., www.foxtucson.com

The Book Bike Comes to Lalo Guerrero/Barrio Viejo Elderly Housing

SEPT. 1 – On the first Friday of every month, Sam Lena-South Public Library delivers a mini-library, on a bike, to elderly residents of Barrio Viejo and anyone else who happens by. The bike is outfitted with bookshelves full of popular titles, library cards and information about literacy programs and other services. The bike librarian is bike-wise, too, full of information about bike routes and upcoming bike events.

Lalo Guerrero/Barrio Viejo Elderly Housing, 124 W. 18th Street, Tucson, free, 10 to 11 a.m., library.pima.gov/locations/stu/

Katherine Byrnes and Jeff Haskell perform Linda Ronstadt

and Nelson Riddle

SEPT. 1 – With the 1983 release of “What’s New,” Linda Ronstadt stepped out of the rock and country rock genres she had dominated for a dozen years into the realm of jazz standards. Almost no one else thought it was a good idea except Nelson Riddle, the undisputed king of “easy listening” and arguably the most influential band leader of all time. The duo went on to release two more albums. In this tribute show, Katherine Byrnes sings from the repertoire, and Jeff Haskell backs her with a jazz quartet, adding strings to emulate Riddle’s lavish arrangements.

The Century Room, Hotel Congress, 311 E. Congress Street, Tucson, tickets start at $25, 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.,

www.hotelcongress.com

Willcox Flyer Bike Ride

SEPT. 2 – At almost twice Tucson’s altitude, Willcox is the relatively cooler choice for a long-haul bike ride this time of year. This event lets bicyclists choose between 8-, 33- or 66-mile rides through the rolling hills and open range around historic Willcox. All the rides traverse picturesque landscapes. The shorter routes lead toward Dos Cabezas Mountains; long-distance riders continue toward the Chiricahuas.

Proceeds benefit Small Town, Big Dreams.

100 S. Historic Railroad Avenue, Willcox, registration starts at $20 for 8 miles,

active.com/orgs/roca-motion

“Artists of WAMO”

SEPT. 2 – The First Saturday Art Walk in the historic Warehouse District will repeat every Saturday this month. Exhibits feature works by the artists of WAMO, the Warehouse Arts Management Organization. They work in a wide range of media, often in studio space within the historic Steinfeld Warehouse. The structure’s interior space has been reimagined around the bones of the original exposed brick and wood pillars.

Steinfeld Gallery, Steinfeld Warehouse Community Arts Center, 101 W. Sixth Street, Tucson, free, 4 to 9 p.m.,

www.steinfeldwarehouse.org

HoCo Fest Film Fest: “High and Dry” New Member Recruitment

Sept. 3 – Some of us attending this, the final HoCo Fest, will recall having seen Michael Toubassi’s film “High and Dry” at the first one, over one memorable Labor Day weekend in 2005. Shown then in a gallery that no longer exists on the other side of Congress Street, the film documented that musically rich period in the early 1980s that spawned the Sand Rubies, nee Sidewinders; Giant Sand; Calexico; Rainer; Al Perry; Bob Log III and others, including Tucson Weekly contributor Brian Smith’s Gentlemen Afterdark.

The Screening Room, 127 E. Congress Street, Tucson, $5 and $8 cover, www.screeningroomdowntown.com

Broadway in Tucson: “Aladdin”

SEPT. 5 TO SEPT. 10 – With this staging of “Aladdin,” Broadway in Tucson celebrates 30 years since Disney’s animated Aladdin first found the magic lamp. The stage play was produced by the same team that brought us “The Lion King” and the music is by Tony and Academy Award winner Alan Menken. For anyone unfamiliar with the story, it’s boy-meets-girl magic with sets involving mountains of glittering treasure and goofy sidekicks and a villain you will love to hiss. But mind the cobra.

Centennial Hall, 1020 E. University Boulevard, Tucson, tickets start at $40, various times, www.broadwayintucson.com

The Films of Wes Anderson

WEDNESDAYS THROUGH SEPT. 10 – As Wes Anderson’s “Asteroid City” wins new fans for the auteur, true believers love discovering all his exquisite tropes laid out like cookie crumbs for us to find. Anyone hungry for more will enjoy The Loft Cinema Presents “The Films of Wes Anderson-Part Two,” “Part One” having shown in the run-up to “Asteroid City.” Part Two titles include “Rushmore,” “French Dispatch,” “Isle of Dogs” and “The Life Aquatic.”

The Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway Boulevard, Tucson, $10.50, discounted tickets available, 7:30 p.m.,

www.loftcinema.org

“Drinking Local:

A Toast to the Southwest”

TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY – Local brews are nothing new in Southern Arizona. An exhibit now featured at the Arizona History Museum traces the history and community impact of Southern Arizona brewers, distillers and vintners. Artifacts include the original bar from Tombstone’s Birdcage Theatre, the original copper still from Tucson Distiller Whiskey del Bac and artifacts of the soil scientist whose research led to the establishment of Sonoita’s first winery. Admission includes all museum exhibits.

Arizona History Museum, 949 E. Second Street, Tucson, $12, $6 children, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., https://bit.ly/41TaXqH

This article appears in Aug 31 – Sep 6, 2023.