Cover Story
For Pima’s Sake
Today, Pima is a few years into reforming itself after a period of neglect. Change never comes easy or, it would seem, without differing perspectives on what kind of change is needed.
Watch Local Filmmakers Battle it Out for the Golden Gong (and $1000) at The Loft
It’s big, it’s loud and it’s golden. And 14 local filmmakers want it. “It” is the esteemed “Golden Gong” trophy—the prize one filmmaker will win, along with $1,000, for their submission to The Loft Cinema’s First Friday Shorts: The Golden Gong Year-End Showdown short-film contest on Friday, May 6. The showdown currently plans to feature…
Casa Video Top 10
Stepping out of my swamp-cooled, cavelike house into the hot sunlight is a shock every morning. Join me in pretending the truly sweaty days of summer are still ages away with a weekend movie marathon. Here are Casa Video’s top 10 most rented DVDs from last week: 1. The Revenant 2. The Hateful Eight 3.…
Cinema Clips: Everybody Wants Some!!
Writer-director Richard Linklater makes a sort of companion piece to his breakthrough film Dazed and Confused with mixed results. This time out, he gives us a crew of young baseball players showing up for college a few days before classes and partying in various settings (disco, honkytonk bar, punk bar) because it’s 1980, and things…
Tucsonan Lydia Millet’s New Novel Earns High Marks in NYT
The New York Times gives high marks to Tucson author Lydia Millet’s new novel, Sweet Lamb of Heaven. Laura Lippman’s review begins: It’s not bragging if it’s fact: Few novels surprise me. This is not because I’m a genre writer, but because I’m a genre reader, sampling broadly — crime, horror, romance, speculative, dystopian and,…
See Amy Goodman in Tucson This Thursday and Help Out KXCI Community Radio
Amy Goodman, the host of radio show Democracy Now!, will be making a Tucson appearance to talk about her new book, Democracy Now!: Twenty Years Covering the Movements Changing America. Goodman, whose show airs on KXCI, 91.3 FM, will talk to fans from 7 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, April 28, at the TCC Leo Rich…
Can Hillary Beat Trump in AZ?
A Rocky Mountain Poll showing Hillary Clinton beating Donald Trump in Arizona is getting attention in the national media. Politico notes that “Trump Could Put Arizona in Play.” The Hill reports that “Clinton Beats Trump.” PoliticsUSA’s headline is “Arizona Could Turn Blue As Both Hillary Clinton And Bernie Sanders Lead Donald Trump.” It’s certainly possible that Trump…
Susan Stryker is Stepping Down as Director of UA Institute for LGBT Studies
After five years as the head of the UA’s Institute for LGBT Studies, Susan Stryker announced on her Facebook page today that she is leaving the position. Perhaps one of Stryker’s biggest accomplishments at the UA is the formation of the world’s first-ever transgender studies degree. Most recently, Stryker had also been in talks with…
Translating Prop 123 Ducey-Speak: “It’s a First Step”
Doug Ducey loves to say Prop 123 is a “first step.” That phrase has become a mantra for Ducey and others supporting Prop 123. The question Ducey won’t answer is, if Prop 123 is the first step, what’s the next step? “First step” is one of those vague, Rorschach-test statements politicians love which allow voters to…
Janos Wilder’s Agave Heritage Week Dinner Looks Utterly Delectable
The gang at Hotel Congress have assembled quite a celebration of the thorny succulent that gives us the sting of tequila. The debut Agave Heritage Week starts Tuesday, May 3, and includes some sumptuous meals, live music, guest speakers and more, all built around the humble agave. You can find the whole schedule here, but check…
Buddy Needs a Home
Hi, I’m Buddy! I’m a 2-year-old little boy and I’m looking for a home. I’m really strong and need a home where I can get a lot of attention, love and exercise. I would do great in an active home but I also want to live indoors and be a snuggle dog for your family.…
Best of Tucson: It’s About More Than Just Tacos and Happiness
Seeing the Best of Tucson winners list is always a lot fun—a vetted list of where to grab a drink, where to ride your bike and which shows to see. But Best of Tucson is also there for more practical advice: Who is the best handyman? Which dealership should you go to when buying a…
Court Settlement Forces Fish and Wildlife to Have a Recovery Plan for Mexican Gray Wolves by 2017
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has until November 2017 to have a comprehensive recovery plan for Mexican gray wolves. The court settlement comes nearly two years after several environmental groups filed a lawsuit against the federal agency. Earthjustice—a coalition of environmental organizations including the Center for Biological Diversity—sued Fish and Wildlife in November 2014…
ALEC Gives Arizona an ‘Economic Outlook’ Magic Pony Award
I missed this when it came out a few weeks ago, but with the proposed Arizona state budget being revealed in dribs and drabs this week, it seems like a good time to talk about the assessment by ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) regarding Arizona’s economic outlook. It’s excellent! We’re Number 5! We’re Number 5!…
INTERVIEW: Maynard James Keenan Injects Arizona Scenery into Puscifer’s Money $hot
The guiding principle for the third album from Maynard James Keenan’s eternally strange rock band Puscifer was one simple word: more. With a steadier lineup—most crucially multi-instrumentalist and lead guitarist Mat Mitchell and vocalist Carina Round—Puscifer set out to make Money $hot a bigger, stranger, tighter, more expressive, more focused and more collaborative record. “It’s…
13th Annual Pie Party Returns to YWCA on Sunday, Get Your Recipes Ready
Once you’ve mastered pie making in the kitchen, it feels like a turning point in your technical ability. Finicky dough can cause problems and what the heck do you even thicken a berry pie with? Tapioca? Cornstarch? Arrowroot? Well, no doubt, you’ve already mastered a pie or two in your time, and now is the…
Seems Like the Morning Daily Supports Prop 123
What’s your view again?
Wheeler Rolls on Prop 123 Support: “Prop 123 Is a Sham”
With just weeks to go before the May 17 special election, State Rep. Bruce Wheeler announced yesterday that he was now opposed to Prop 123. “I was wrong,” the Tucson Democrat told the Weekly Monday. Wheeler had originally opposed sending the controversial school-funding plan to the ballot, but had since said he supported Prop 123,…
29th Jello Wrestling Benefit And Auction For SAAF (SLIDESHOW)
A jello wrestling benefit and auction for the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation is held on Saturday, April 23 on 4th Avenue and 7th Street. The evening saw multiple drag performances and several wrestling match ups throughout the jello shot-filled evening of generous donations.
Never Mind: State Lawmakers Move To Repeal Abortion Pill Legislation Before the Courts Shut Them Down
The Weekly has reported in recent weeks about how Gov. Doug Ducey signed an anti-abortion bill requiring doctors to force their patients seeking to terminate their pregnancy with the abortion pill to use an outdated FDA protocol. That’s a bad situation for doctors, who are essentially being told to violate state law or violate their…
Andrew Shuta Provides an Opportunity to Steep in Oversaturated Brightness at UA MFA Thesis Show
When he decided to go back to school, Andrew Shuta, the artist whose Master’s thesis Something Went Wrong but I Can’t Remember Why is now showing at Joseph Gross Gallery, knew that he’d ultimately have to stay in Tucson. Spork Press, the small press he has co-run for the last six years, is at a…
Celebrate Prince This Weekend with the I Would Die 4 U: 2cson’s Tribute 2 Prince Rogers Nelson
Three of the best stages in Tucson are teaming up this weekend to celebrate the life of Prince. On Friday, the Loft Cinema will be screening Purple Rain as a sing-a-long and Club Congress will be hosting a Prince-themed dance party. Then on Saturday, there’s a big ol’ Prince Party at the Rialto Theatre. Here…
Win Tickets to See the Diamondbacks vs. Cardinals Game on Tuesday
The Diamondbacks are playing the Cardinals at Chase Field on Tuesday and you could be there. Up for a spur-of-the-moment baseball adventure? We’ll get in touch with the winner at noon on Tuesday—as in, the day of the game. If you win, you’ll have to stop by our office on the northwest side of town…
Minimum Wage Hikes, Ballot Measures, Doug Ducey and the Restaurant and Hospitality Association
The Arizona Daily Sun has a more accurate headline on a Howard Fischer story about Ducey and the minimum wage than the Star. Here’s the misleading Star headline I read this morning: Raising state’s minimum wage may be Arizona’s best option, Ducey says I had to read through the story to find out that, no,…
2016 Pima County Fair (SLIDESHOW)
Scenes from the second and final weekend of the 2016 Pima County Fair including side shows, copious amounts of barbecue, a performance from nu-metal band P.O.D., rides, games and family fun on Friday, April 25.
Barney Needs a Home
Hi I’m Barney! I’m a 2.5 year old little boy who lives at the Humane Society of Southern Arizona Main Campus! I’m very shy and scared in the shelter and really cant wait to find my new home! I have good history with another dog in my previous home but am pretty shy around new…
Support Tucson’s Best Game Stores
Tucson, you’ve probably noticed we’re a little bit blessed when it comes to game stores. Pretty much anywhere in town, you’re just a few minutes away from picking up a game of Catan or some Magic the Gathering cards. Support your favorite local game stores in Best of Tucson’s Best Game Store category—but also support…
Cinema Clips: My Golden Days
A traveling man (Mathieu Amairic) is stopped in customs and recounts his life. Paul tells a short story about a strange trip to Russia that involved a bit of espionage, and that story segues into his college years and Esther (Lou Roy-Lecollinet), the love of his life. Quentin Dolmaire plays Paul for the majority of…
Zona Politics: Meteorite Hunting, County Attorney Barbara LaWall & More!
April 24th, 2016 from Zona Politics with Jim Nintzel on Vimeo. On this week’s episode of Zona Politics with Jim Nintzel: Meteorite hunter Geoff Notkin, the former host of the Discover Channel’s Meteorite Men, talks about his longtime fascination with space rocks and his upcoming meteorite-hunting boot camp; County Attorney Barbara LaWall tells us why…
Tumbling Dice
Originally, I was going to write about one of my favorite quick meals to be found in midtown Tucson for under $10, the Tempeh BLT sandwich and a 16 oz. cup of Conspiracy Roast coffee (pictured above) at the Food Conspiracy Co-op on 4th Avenue. As usual, Tucson had a different idea. While I was…
Spend Some Time Outside This Weekend in Honor of Earth Day
Google marked Earth Day with some truly stunning illustrations. As beautiful as those doodles are, celebrating our planet is better done offline and outside. Go to a farmers market, take a hike, grab a sketch book and illustrate the Earth on your own. Find a way to say thanks to the planet for keeping us…
Evening Scenes On The UA Campus (SLIDESHOW)
Sometimes professors are feeling merciful around finals and let their evening classes out after only ten minutes. Quiet scenes of palm trees, olive trees and red brick buildings from my walk back to my car from the Marshall Building to the parking lot behind the Harvill building on the UA campus on Thursday, April 21.
Buyer Beware When It Comes to Educational Studies, Statistics and Conclusions
I sometimes cite education studies and statistics in my posts, but I try to be careful to write about the “conclusions” drawn from the material rather than saying the study “shows” or “proves” something. Any study is only as good as the quality of its data as well as the way the data is sliced…
Identity Exploration Workshop and Poetry Performance With Poet J Mase III
Come celebrate National Poetry Month at the Joel D. Valdez Main Library (101 N. Stone Ave.) on Sunday, April 24 for the free workshop entitled “How I Survived the Gay Rights Movement as a Trans Person of Color” and a poetry performance by the black, transgender Huffington Post blogger J Mase III. The workshop, which runs…
Playboy Loves Tucson’s Tough Luck Club
In case you missed it, local basement bar Tough Luck Club—which is secreted below Reilly Craft Pizza and Drink—has recently earned a spot in Playboy Magazine’s online “Bars We Love” section. “We’re thrilled that our bar program just keeps getting better and better,” said co-owner Tyler Fenton in a press release. “We’re excited about Playboy recognizing the…
Last Call For Free Tickets to the Pima County Fair
It’s the end of the line, folks. This Sunday, April 24 is the last day of this year’s Pima County Fair. We’ve got free tickets to the event, but here’s the deal: You have to pick them up from our office on the Northwest Side of town by 5 p.m. on Friday. If you’re looking…
Tell Me About the Best Places to Donate Time and Money
Let’s talk giving: What’s your favorite Tucson cause to support? Arizona Gives Day just passed, which means your favorite nonprofits should still be on your brain. Show them a little love in the Best Place to Donate Your Time/Money category in Best of Tucson. Honestly, this is one of my favorite categories to watch as Best…
Win Tickets to Friday’s Diamondbacks vs. Pirates Game
Want some baseball tickets? The Diamondbacks are playing the Pirates at Chase Field on Friday and you could be there. Only enter if you’re up for a spur-of-the-moment baseball adventure: We’ll get in touch with the winner at noon on Friday. They’ll have until 5 p.m. (when we lock the office doors and head off…
Learn Sustainably
Jlhan Gearon, executive director of the Navajo nation’s Black Mesa Water Coalition, will host her “Just Transitions” talk on April 21 at Changemaker High School
The Skinny
Dialing for Dollars: McSally, Steele, Heinz, McCain, O’Halleran, Babeu, Gowan, Kiehne, Bennett, Rogers, Kirkpatrick and more.
Beer With the Bard
The Tucson Fringe Festival will host its second annual Beer with the Bard on Saturday,
Letter to the Editor
Tucson saved me.
Constrain & Construe
Watch local sisters Dawn and Kee Copps perform an insular, interactive and Butoh-inspired performance art piece, “Constrain and Construe,” at the Steinfeld Warehouse Community Arts Center (
T Q&A
Tucsonan Bryan Sanders was assaulted by a Trump supporter while he attempted to peaceably protest the event. In the hours after the event, videos of the incident, blogs, articles and rumors flooded the internet. Now, in retrospect, Sanders spoke to the Weekly about what happened.
The Philosopher’s Stone
Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens and Leo Tolstoy walk in to a—does that sound like a setup?
Magic in the Night
It’s a starry night on the Devil’s Highway.
Punk’s Not Dead: La Merma
We were in his bedroom watching YouTube at the house he shares with his mother and his son. The liter of cheap merlot was long gone, and since I needed to head back north eventually, I had switched to Garden Herb Triscuits and tamarind candy from the corner store on the other side of the…
Death Shrine: La Luz
When’s the last time a surf song made you contemplate your mortality?
B-Sides: Abstract Rude
Catch Abstract Rude live with touring support from Joaquin Daniels and Cquel, as well as Tucson up-and-comers Coyote Keyes, Ricky the Dealer, Aeon and more.
B-Sides: Woody Woodmansey’s Holy Holy
“Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy! Holy!”
B-Sides: Allah-Las
If you can’t get enough of the ever-popular neo-psych scene invading modern rock nowadays, you’re in luck.
Editor’s Note
The question came up: Can you have mining and tourism at the same time?
Dust Devil
He’s Mighty like a River, He’s Mighty like a Rose/
Back to Tradition
Based on the graphic novel by Jacques Tardi and directed by Christian Desmares and Franck Ekinci, the film features an alternate universe where the world is reliant on steam and terrorized by lizard-robot people. Yeah, like I said, it’s weird.<
Tucson Salvage
We stand out front of the Silver Room bar and breathe in the Palo Verde blossoms. There’s a too-hot-for-April breeze stirring dust, and searing Air Force jets above cancel the lilting coos of desert mourning doves.
A Food What?
Pivot Produce was conceived, oddly enough, in a parking lot.
Treating Parkinson’s
April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month and so now is a good time to have some discussion about cannabis treatments for these conditions and the state of Medical Marijuana in Arizona.
Lady Basing
Looking for an acro-yoga class for the open-minded and nimble-bodied? Cirque Roots has got you covered.
Pleasure Activist
Erotic bondage is about restraining or being restrained. It can be a liberating experience to be denied your ability to move in that it is a form of permission to not be the mover.
