Cover Story
Out in the Desert
When Joe Sprague moved to Tucson in 2010, he expected to find a bit of what he loved in Chicago—like an LGBT film festival. After learning that no such festival exists here, as they do in other cities across the country—including the Desperado LGBT Film Festival by our frienemies in Phoenix—Sprague talked to the Tucson…
Talking Comics: Battle Scars Edition
This week, Eric and Arnie discuss Battle Scars. Also, their store Heroes & Villains is hosting an instore concert with Mega Ran this Saturday at 5 p.m. ahead of his show at Vaudeville that night. There’s more information about the show on Facebook. Eric has generously offered three pair of free tickets to the Vaudeville…
Studying the Bible: A Way To Make Atheists?
The Arizona House of Representatives has passed a bill allowing an elective course in Bible study in public schools. The Arizona Republic reports: The Arizona House on Tuesday passed a bill to allow schools to offer a course on the Bible’s influence on American history and culture. House Bill 2563, sponsored by Rep. Terri Proud,…
El Charro Cafe’s New Signature Beer Debuts Today
It’s Arizona Beer Week everyone, and what better way to celebrate than drifting into one of the local El Charro Café locations to try one of the restaurant’s new signature beers. The 1922 Amber Ale brewed by Barrio Brewing Co. and available at all five El Charro Café locations is said to be “a premium…
Poll: Obama Tied With Romney, Santorum In AZ
A new Public Policy Polling survey puts Arizona in play in November, but pollster Tom Jensen ultimately puts AZ in the GOP column: Arizona is a great microcosm of how Barack Obama’s reelection prospects have improved over the last 3 months. When we polled there in November his approval numbers were atrocious and his prospects…
Russell Pearce Talks About Crushed Scrotums
Republican Russell Pearce, the only state senate president to ever be recalled in U.S. history, shows that his political judgment is as sharp as ever. From Talking Points Memo: Russell Pearce, grandfather of Arizona’s controversial immigration law and recently recalled state Senator, spoke to the Maricopa County Republican Party Lincoln Day Lunch on Tuesday. As…
Next One Into the Pool: Farley Prepping for Run for Congress?
State Rep. Steve Farley is promising a big announcement next Wednesday, Feb. 29. In his latest Farley Report from Phoenix, Farley says he’ll be traveling across the new Congressional District 2 with big news next week: To start off tonight I want to let you know that next Wednesday, February 29, I will be making…
Zinburger Takes Over the World
Zinburger, a Fox Restaurant Concepts eatery that got its start in Tucson in 2007, has signed a megadeal to open more than 20 locations across the country. Nation’s Restaurant News has the story: The Briad Group has signed a licensing agreement with Fox Restaurant Concepts for rights to develop Zinburger units in the 23 states…
“Legislate Crazy” at MOCA Tucson
Feel free to get a little crazy as Tucson’s Museum of Contemporary Art mixes an interactive component with the current “Legislate Crazy” exhibition by artist Armando Miguelez. Every Friday, through March 30, visitors can take a picture in the Legislate Crazy Photo Booth with a sign from his compilation of artwork and that picture will…
Hey, There’s a New SWV Song
While it’s possible that I’m one of the few people in Tucson who would self-identify as a SWV fan (“Weak” is my jam), there must be someone else who is excited for the group’s first new song in 14 years. And it’s not bad!
February Rose Care – Especially in Pots!
Photo by Marylee, The Contained Gardener Mini Roses in Whiskey Barrels Pruning: Pruning of your roses should be completed by mid-February. Once you’re done pruning, be sure to clean up all the old mulch and dead leaves and throw them in the trash, not your compost pile. Dead leaves can often have mildew spores and…
Critter of the Week [Dog Edition]: Toto
Great news! Toto has been adopted. Also great news: you can find a number of great animals ready for you to take home at the Humane Society. Toto – #708133 — 1 Year Old — Pit Bull Mix — Male This adorable drifter would be ecstatic to find a place to rest his paws. Toto…
Democrat Ron Barber Picks Up More Republican Support In CD8 Special Election To Finish Giffords’ Term
Ron Barber Democrat Ron Barber, who is seeking to complete Gabrielle Giffords’ term in Congressional District 8, is picking up more Republican support. Barber, who had served as Giffords’ district director since she took office in 2007 and was shot twice in the same shooting rampage that left Giffords critically injured, had already won the…
Sister Helen Prejean at the Rialto
Sister Helen Prejean spoke and the Silver Thread Trio performed at the Rialto on Feb. 19, 2012 as part of an event organized by Coalition of Arizonans to Abolish the Death Penalty.
“Community” Is Coming Back!
While I’m not entirely psyched that Community’s return to the NBC Thursday night lineup that no one is watching will lead to a temporary hiatus for Parks & Recreation, but I’m just happy that the network isn’t just giving up and running The Voice for three hours a night, seven days a week. Great news…
Today Would Have Been David Foster Wallace’s 50th Birthday
Apparently, I’m turning the anniversary of David Foster Wallace’s birthday into a Range annual event, but mostly this post is an excuse to link to The Awl’s collection of “46 Things to Read and See for David Foster Wallace’s 50th Birthday”, which should give you plenty to do for a few days. Just pick something…maybe…
New Poll: Santorum Still Nipping at Romney’s Heels in AZ
CNN has released a new poll showing what the other recent AZ polls have shown: Rick Santorum remains within striking distance of Mitt Romney in the Arizona presidential primary: On the eve of the last Republican presidential debate before next month’s Super Tuesday contests, a poll indicates that Rick Santorum might be closing the gap…
New Poll: Flake Leading Race for Kyl’s U.S. Senate Seat
Public Policy Polling delivers the latest numbers on the race to replace U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl: Republicans look to be in pretty good shape for holding onto Jon Kyl’s Senate seat. GOP front runner Jeff Flake leads both of his Democratic opponents, Richard Carmona and Don Bivens, by identical 11 points margins at 46-35. Wil…
The Arizona Republican Debate: Lesser-Known Candidates
In advance of the CNN debate coming up in Mesa tomorrow, Republican presidential candidates on the Feb. 28 Arizona primary ballot gathered over the weekend for two televised debates among the lesser-known contenders, including Al “Dick” Perry, Sarah Gonzales, Peter “Simon” Bollander, Kip Dean, Donald Benjamin, Charles Skelley and Jim Terr. Award-winning journalist Dave Maass…
Kimberly Romo Leaving KGUN
From the KGUN webpage KGUN has announced that Kimberly Romo is leaving its morning news program. According to an internal memo, Romo, who has been behind the anchor desk at the ABC affiliate for the last five years, will pursue other opportunities. Her final day is March 9.
Gabby Giffords Joins National Institute for Civil Discourse Board
Jim Nintzel Gabrielle Giffords, who recently stepped down from her congressional seat to focus on her recovery from being shot in the head in an assassination attempt, has joined the board of the National Institute for Civil Discourse, which was created in the wake of the Jan. 8, 2011, Tucson shooting. The press release: The…
Chickenfoot Is Coming to Tucson
We may not be getting one of the Van Halen reunion shows here, but Casino Del Sol will be hosting one former member (bassist Michael Anthony) and one guy who was in a group that had the same name and was sort of like Van Halen, but not exactly (Sammy Hagar) when Chickenfoot comes to…
The Arizona Legislature Hates Project White House
While I suppose it could be a lot worse, it looks like the days of true citizen democracy in the Arizona Presidential Preference Primary might be over in 2016: On a 48-3 margin Monday, the state House voted to scrap laws which let individuals put their names on the presidential preference primary simply by filing…
The Slackers Play Club Congress Tomorrow Night
Though the Slackers are usually labeled in the ska genre, it’s hard to say they perform one style of music – because they really don’t. They’re reggae. They’re soul. They’re jazz. In fact, it’s probably why their fans find them so appealing – they can relate to the music because is covers genres across the…
The (Potentially) Great Bacon Project of 2012
There is something magic about pork belly. Those who imbibe in it are prone to eye-glazed moments of reverence when discussing it. Chefs swear by the texture and flavor even a small amount adds to a dish. I find this impressive, so I drove up to Lee Lee Oriental Supermarket this weekend to lay in…
A New Oregano’s Pizza Bistro Location
We noticed a new Oregano’s Pizza Bistro location is under construction in Plaza Del Oro, on the corner of Orange Grove and Oracle Road. The other Tucson location is at 4900 E. Speedway Blvd. Not much more to report on this one, but you can check out more about the restaurant over here.
Meet The Family Party Song Singers
If you spend much time digging through any online music service, you’re bound to stumble upon some strange stuff. After all, the barrier to get on iTunes or Spotify isn’t all that high…basically, you need to be able to record something and pay a nominal fee to submit your tracks. However, now that I’ve seen…
The Scoop on the New Restaurant Fini’s Landing
These fish tacos were downright delicious. There are seats for about 25 people at the boat-shaped bar at the new restaurant Fini’s Landing at 5689 N. Swan Road, and it’s a nice place to find oneself adrift for awhile. The big windows near the beer taps open to the outside, too, which makes the space…
Adam Kinsey Steps Down as Pima Dem Executive Director
If you’re a diehard Tucson-area Democrat, would like to learn voter file systems, and could use a job, the Pima County Democratic Party is looking for a new executive director as the current keeper of the position is stepping down. Adam’s letter announcing his resignation is below the cut. Full disclosure: I’m not friends with…
New Poll Confirms Santorum Closing Gap With Romney Among AZ Voters
A new Public Policy Polling survey shows that Rick Santorum trails Mitt Romney by only 3 percentage points among Arizona Republicans, who will decide the state’s primary election on Feb. 28. Romney has the support of the 36 percent of Arizona Republicans, while 33 percent support Santorum. This is the third poll in the last…
RIP, John Fairfax, Totally Amazing Guy
In case you missed it over the weekend, on Saturday, the New York Times ran possibly one of the best obituaries ever in honor of John Fairfax, who remains the only person to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean. You’ll want to read the entire article, which covers his life from gun-wielding Boy Scout to…
Tucson Food Tours Hits the Streets
There’s a new company called Tucson Food Tours that takes people on walking tours of local restaurants. The company’s slick website has more information. The first tour will take place downtown, with stops at Bumsted’s, Monkey Burger, Chocolate Iguana and three other restaurants. There are only 14 spots, though, and we have no idea if…
Your Daily Chance to Make “Santorum” Jokes
We’re stretching whatever muscles you use to create semi-witty puns in anticipation of Rick Santorum’s Wednesday afternoon visit to Tucson, but it turns out some of our colleagues have a little more self-control that we would have: So many options! Also, by this point, shouldn’t the King of Sweater Vests have someone on staff thinking…
Coming Soon: Another Paradise Bakery and Cafe Location
A Paradise Bakery and Café is opening in a shopping center on the corner of Broadway and Wilmot, where Austin’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream used to be. The new location is expected to open in late March, a mere six months after another Tucson location opened on the corner of Oracle and Wetmore roads. If…
Babeu Outing Front and Center in First of Three AZ Presidential Debates. All Eyes on Tonight’s Debate As Candidates Seek Breakthrough
Hank Stephenson Presidential candidates Sarah Gonzales and Cesar Cisneros clashed over women’s rights. Revelations that Mitt Romney’s Arizona committee co-chairman was involved in a clandestine gay romance threw Saturday’s presidential debate into disarray, as White House hopefuls argued—in often graphic terms—the social acceptability of same-sex relationships. The debate, which featured nine of the 23 candidates…
Babeu Is Out of Closet, Still in Congressional Race
Pinal County’s best-kept secret is out. Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu gained national attention for being a tough-on-immigration leader (some called him the new, shiny-headed Sheriff Joe Arpaio), but the attention he got from the Phoenix New Times in a story published yesterday is the kind of spotlight he’s been trying to avoid for most…
Phoenix New Times Outs Paul Babeu
Well, this should be interesting. The Phoenix New Times has dropped a bombshell on at least one congressional race, outing Pinal County Sheriff Paul Babeu, with his former lover, who happens to not be the country legally, providing images of Babeu’s Adam2Adam profile and incriminating text messages. To make the story more Tucson-relevant, the story…
Political Roundtable: Romney vs. Santorum in AZ, Rothchild’s State of the City & Union Busting at the AZ Legislature
This week’s Arizona Illustrated Political Roundtable: Democratic strategist Rodd McLeod and Tucson Tea Party co-founder Trent Humphries talk about Arizona’s presidential primary, Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild’s State of the City address & the latest at the Arizona Legislature with Arizona Public Media’s Christopher Conover and your host, Jim Nintzel.
Another Nonsensical Take on Immigration Policy
Joad Cressbeckler: Immigrants Who Survive Arizona Desert Deserve Citizenship I don’t know what Joad Cressbeckler is saying, but I imagine his opinions resonate with at least half of our legislature.
Idiot Boksen – 10 Things I Hate About “Downton Abbey”
According to my own wild speculations after looking at Twitter, approximately 90% of Americans have fallen in love with Downton Abbey, a British television series set in the 1910s that airs on PBS this side of the Atlantic. Critics love it, too. The show’s first season earned a Metacritic rating of 92, and was named…
Presidential Candidate Richard Grayson: Government Should Provide Bayer Aspirin on Demand!
Green Party presidential candidate Richard Grayson has announced his support for the distribution of Bayer aspirin by the federal government. His press release: Richard Grayson, Pinal County Greens co-chair and candidate for President in the February 28 Arizona Green Party presidential preference primary, today announced support for Bayer aspirin on demand for all women, Scottsdale…
The Premiere of “Your Turn, Hater”: Andrew Wilford Edition
[A note from Dan Gibson: A month or so ago, I thought it would be interesting to let some of our more opinionated commenters have their turn posting on The Range. After all, in the words of today’s participant, he’s “only 16 and [he] can write a heck of a lot better than Gibson.” So,…
Glen Campbell at the Fox Tucson Theatre
As part of his farewell tour, Glen Campbell performed to a sold-out crowd at the Fox Tucson Theatre on February 15th.
Political Roundtable: Santorum Rises in AZ, Rothschild Delivers State of the City & AZ Lawmakers Take on Classroom Cursing and Public Unions
Tonight on Arizona Illustrated’s Political Roundtable: We’ll talk about the upcoming Arizona presidential primary, Rick Santorum’s rise in Arizona polls, Mayor Jonathon Rothschild’s State of the City speech, and the latest action at the Arizona Legislature: Bills to ban potty language in the classroom, fund a border militia and bust up those public-sector unions. Join…
Noble Hops Gastropub Gets On Board for Arizona Beer Week
It’s not listed on the Arizona Beer Week calendar, but Noble Hops Gastropub is holding a couple of event next week. The people who handle public relations for the restaurant sent an e-mail yesterday after reading my effusive complaining regarding Tucson’s lack of participation in the event. Noble Hops has a beer-paired appetizer sampling on…
Rasmussen: Romney Leads AZ but Santorum Is Surging
Rasmussen confirms a Santorum surge in Arizona: The Arizona Republican Primary race has tightened dramatically over the past two weeks, but former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney remains in first place with Rick Santorum close behind. The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Arizona Republican Primary Voters finds Romney with 39% support to Santorum’s 31%.…
This Week in Tucson Bicycling
Steve Wilson rides the Book Bike to an event on Sunday. The Pima County Library’s Book Bike made it’s initial debut this weekend at the Keeling on the Move event. Get a first hand experience about the bike from the man riding it. Bikes warranted a mention in Mayor Jonathan Rothschild State of the City…
Citizens United Poll: Jesse Kelly Leads GOP Pack in Special Election To Complete Giffords’ Term
Zachary Vito Republican Jesse Kelly has a commanding lead in the GOP primary of the Congressional District 8 special election, according to a poll commissioned by Citizens United. After winning a crowded GOP primary in 2010, Kelly came within a few thousand votes of defeating Gabrielle Giffords, who stepped down last month to focus on…
WTF: Lawmakers Advance Bills To Prevent Naughty Language & Partisan Politics in Classroom
Teachers who drop the F-bomb or otherwise use obscene, indecent or profane language in class would be suspended or fired under a proposal by state lawmakers. Sen. Lori Klein, R-Anthem, who sponsored the measure, said teachers need to be held accountable for their words and need to set a high standard for the students. Klein…
Sneak Peek at Tucson Weekly Art Box Project — Coming Soon to a Sidewalk Near You!
Art box and photo Ryn Gargulinski Front bottom of Gretel, a new TW art box A lifelong goal of many artists is to blanket the world with their creations. While many of us have gotten a leg up on this endeavor by painting rocks, designing art for our cars or even creating the occasional mural…
You Should Consider Supporting This Kickstarter
Former Tucson Weekly intern/current freelancer/great photographer/nice guy Josh Morgan wants to go to Africa to film a documentary about the Caracal cat and the issues facing its survival in Namibia and he has a Kickstarter running to help him get the resources together to do so. Now I know next to nothing about animals, but…
New Poll: Santorum Surging in AZ
A new American Research Group poll has Santorum surging in Arizona, although Romney still leads the GOP pack: Mitt Romney leads in the Arizona Republican presidential primary with 38%. Romney is followed by Rick Santorum with 31%, Newt Gingrich with 15%, and Ron Paul with 11%. In a similar survey conducted January 25-26, 2012, Romney…
The Great Guinness Toast Takes Place This Friday
The annual attempt to break the world record for the largest simultaneous toast takes place tomorrow and Tucsonans will be gathering at the Hut to do their part. The Dusty Buskers and the Keltic Kowboys are providing music, and there will be Irish stew. The actual toast takes place at 10 p.m., but doors open…
U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva vs. State Sen. Sylvia Allen Over Border Militia Bill
Congressman Raul Grijalva and state Sen. Sylvia Allen are battling over the creation of a volunteer militia to guard the border. Grijalva calls the idea “not just silly and irresponsible, it’s a public safety threat. To arm individuals, provide paper-thin weapons training and deliberately place them in danger disrespects the taxpayers of our great state…
If You’ve Gone Gluten-Free, This Restaurant Is For You
Those who adhere to a gluten-free diet should take note of the new Gourmet Girls Gluten Free Bakery Bistro at 5845 N. Oracle Road. There’s more on the restaurant right here. The place – which markets itself as the only completely gluten-free eatery in town – offers a nice selection of baked goods ranging from…
Santorum Supporter’s Contraceptive Advice: Aspirin Between The Knees
And we keep hearing that it’s the Project White House 2012 candidates who aren’t serious… From Talking Points Memo: This whole contraception debate is just so new-fangled, says billionaire investor and mega-funder to the super PAC supporting former Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) for President, Foster Friess. In a simpler time, there were other ways to…
Win Your Chance to Meet Foreigner!
Some bands are sneaky popular, where you don’t actually realize how many hits they had until you think about it for a bit. Foreigner are one of those bands, with six platinum albums, three platinum greatest hits collections, and sixteen top 40 singles. They just have a lot of songs you’re likely to sing along…
The Televised Project White House GOP Presidential Debate!
With the Arizona presidential primary rapidly approaching on Feb. 28, we’re excited that there are three televised debates coming up in the next week—and even more excited that you, our Tucson Weekly readers, can be a big part of one of them! The first debate will be Saturday, Feb. 18, as part of Green presidential…
CD8 Special Election Technical Difficulties
The Congressional District 8 special election was already a time crunch for the candidates who want to replace Gabrielle Giffords, who resigned last month to focus on her recovery from being shot through the head last year. They need to have their nominating petitions delivered to the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office by Monday, Feb.…
Tora Woloshin Releases Debut Album
You may know her as the Season 2 winner of the local singing competition, Lucky Break. Or maybe your recognize her from when she received the golden ticket to Hollywood on American Idol. But most of you probably remember Tora Woloshin as the vocalist that blew away the judges on X Factor USA. On Feb.…
Is Santorum a Tea Party Guy?
As he enjoys the latest bubble in the GOP presidential sweepstakes, Rick Santorum will be the guest of the Tucson Tea Party next Wednesday, Feb. 22, before the big CNN presidential debate in Phoenix. Trent Humphries, who recently stepped down from his leadership role with the local Tea Party, says that the Santorum campaign reached…
Arizona Beer Week: Tucson Edition
It’s a sad showing as far as Tucson support for next week’s Arizona Beer Week, with only a handful of events scheduled locally. The mighty 1702 is the only place truly throwing down with events taking place Monday through Friday, although there are events at Maynards Market and Kitchen, Pasco Kitchen and Lounge and the…
Mailbag
The death of the middle class is upon us!
Ask a Mexican!
Dear Mexican: This question was inspired by the recent video you did on the Republicanos and the Latina/o vote: What’s your opinion of Cuban-American and Tea Party cariñito Marco Rubio? All this talk about him being the “Hispanic” savior of the Republican Party by being the vice presidential nominee is getting to me. Are Latina/o…
Top Ten in Books
1. Left for Dead J.A. Jance, Touchstone ($25.99) 2. The Hunger Games Suzanne Collins, Scholastic ($8.99) 3. Kill Shot Vince Flynn, Atria ($27.99) 4. Death of Kings Bernard Cornwell, Harper ($22.39, sale) 5. Catching Fire Suzanne Collins, Scholastic ($17.99) 6. The Cooking With Trader Joe’s Cookbook: Dinner’s Done! Deana Gunn and Wona Miniati, Brown Bag…
High-Speed Ride
Look … Ryan Reynolds is actually in a good movie! Mind you, the dark and bloody Safe House is not a great film, but it does feature Reynolds and a guy named Denzel Washington providing some potent acting fireworks. They combine to make this action thriller well worth watching. Reynolds plays Matt Weston, a CIA…
Top Ten in Music
1. Van Halen A Different Kind of Truth (Interscope) 2. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1 (DVD) Summit 3. Adele 21 (XL) 4. Drake Take Care (Cash Money) 5. A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas (DVD) Warner Bros. 6. Metallica Beyond Magnetic EP (Warner Bros.) 7. Skrillex Bangarang EP (Big Beat/Atlantic) 8. The Black…
Guest Commentary
Little has been heard around town regarding something that could change Tucson forever—the F-35. The Air Force is holding hearings on Wednesday and Thursday, Feb. 22 and 23, to receive public comment on an environmental impact statement that proposes bringing the military’s loudest jet to a commercial airport. The National Environmental Policy Act requires that…
TQ&A
Tim Jefferson is a victims’ specialist with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Tucson. Hired for a special program to serve victims of border crimes, Jefferson also helps coordinate the Southern Arizona Hate Crimes Task Force. The task force has a new website and is hoping to help Tucson’s various communities, including Tucson’s LGBT community, recognize…
That’s the Ticket
Ron Barber made it official last week: He’s running as a Democrat in the June 12 special election to complete the term of Gabrielle Giffords in Southern Arizona’s Congressional District 8. “It took me a little while to wrap my head around the idea, but now that I have, I’m going full bore,” said Barber,…
Trans and Proud
Monica Roberts is a writer, blogger, spokesperson and activist who also happens to be a proud African-American transwoman. She co-founded the National Transgender Advocacy Coalition, led a black transperson conference called Transsistahs-Transbrothas, and has won numerous honors for her advocacy. Roberts, a native Texan, will present “Blogging at the Intersection of Race and Gender” at…
Now Showing at Home
Lady and the Tramp (Diamond Edition Two-Disc Blu-Ray/DVD Combo); A Very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas: Extra Dope Edition (Blu-ray); The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1 (Blu-ray); The Dead (Blu-ray)
Diverse Viewpoints
On Feb. 2, attorneys from the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) asked a federal judge to intercede and do what the Tucson Unified School District governing board was unwilling to do—keep Mexican-American studies classes open. According to Sylvia Campoy, a plaintiff representative in MALDEF’s 38-year-old desegregation battle against the district, supporters of…
Island Flavors
Even though Tucson is landlocked, you can still get a little taste of island life: In a strip mall on the far eastside, at Golf Links and Harrison roads, the friendly folks at Lani’s Luau are dishing up traditional Hawaiian luau-style food. The interior of Lani’s is kitschy and quirky, if not a little drab,…
Police Dispatch
Who let the dogs out?; There will be blood
Noshing Around
Pick your own vegetables for fun; Another Sir Veza’s; Bushi’s birthday; and more!
Pay to Play
Unless you’re a racket run by the mob—think The Sopranos—hauling trash is mostly a mundane and odorous affair. Yet sometimes life does imitate art. That’s what the city of Tucson discovered last fall when it bid on a contract to continue managing the UA’s waste, as it had for the past 12 years. This time,…
Media Watch
Vazquez resigns; Jody Oehler on TV; and more.
Weekly Wide Web
For better or worse, Twitter is a place where you can get some sense of the public’s reaction to breaking news. While most tweets are still focused on meaningless crap (other than your tweets, which are insightful and clever, I promise), when something’s actually happening, Twitter explodes with immediate reaction. This was, of course, the…
Reaching Out More
Throughout its existence, Ozomatli has been as committed to activism and culturally diverse communities as it has been to its stew of hip-hop, funk, rock, soul, reggae, New Orleans second line and various Latin and Middle Eastern grooves. Although based in Los Angeles, Ozomatli has maintained an ongoing relationship with Tucson and the music fans…
Northwestern Exposure
Oro Valley is the town too tumultuous to stay the same. With ballots going out Thursday, Feb. 16, for an all-mail election to fill three Town Council seats, Oro Valley voters could make it so that no member has more than two years of experience on the council. Six candidates are in contention for the…
Soundbites
Remembering Jonathan Holden; X Factor contestant comes home; and more!
State of the New State
Within nine months of Arizona achieving statehood on Feb. 14, 1912, four major legal changes occurred: Women were granted the right to vote; literacy requirements were placed on voters; school segregation became mandatory; and the ability to recall judges was put back into the state’s Constitution. In 1903, the Arizona Territorial Legislature had adopted a…
Nine Questions
Petey Mesquitey (aka Peter Gierlach) has been the host of the mini-program Growing Native on KXCI FM 91.3 for almost 20 years; he rhapsodizes about the flora and fauna indigenous to the Sonoran Desert. He also plays accordion and sings from time to time in The Dusty Chaps, a country-swing band that was most popular…
Kathleen Madigan: Just Telling Jokes
If you’re familiar with Kathleen Madigan, you know she doesn’t offer a lot of surprises—maybe it’s her Midwestern sensibilities—but she’s consistently sharp, funny and entertaining. That’s why I’m surprised when she tells me what she would be doing if she weren’t doing comedy: working for the Weather Channel. “Me and my youngest brother are just…
Editor’s Note
The phone conversation started out nicely enough. The caller said he was a big fan of the Tucson Weekly. Thanks, I responded. “But …” the caller said, before reaming me for not adequately covering the “indefinite-detention” bill, which was signed by President Obama in December. The caller was right, in one sense: The bill is…
Live
When Scott Huckabay stepped foot into Solar Culture Gallery, he said he was drawn to the energy of the space next door. So Steve Eye, the building’s caretaker, gave the thumbs-up, and the show was moved to the Galactic Center. The audience sat on provided cushions on the floor. Getting started, Huckabay gently tapped his…
City Week
Science downtown; Grammy award winning vocal jazz; Dance at Flandrau?; It’s rodeo time!
The Borrowers
Even though they have been distributed in the United States by Disney for several years, the films of Hayao Miyazaki are manifestly different from everything else that takes up residence in the House of Mouse. The animation style will catch your eye first, but beneath the surface, Miyazaki’s films have an awareness to which Disney…
Lawrence Ball: Method Music (Navona)
Few fans of the Who know or care about all that’s been going on in Pete Townshend’s intensely busy mind. Those who do may have followed the episodic progress of his utopian Lifehouse project, which resurfaced memorably around 2006 with his effort to synthesize a mass of original music gathered online. From everybody. Similarly, you…
Sister Act
The Invisible Theatre’s production of Look Ma We’re Dancing is a world premiere. Its playwright, Janet Neipris, is far from a newbie, however; she’s a professor of dramatic writing at New York University and authored the book To Be a Playwright. Despite those credentials, Look Ma We’re Dancing, directed by Gail Fitzhugh, seems to violate…
Danehy
The rumors had been swirling for weeks, and that’s why I was dismayed that when Gabrielle Giffords announced she was stepping down, her hand-picked successor wasn’t standing next to her (and being introduced as such). A big-name local Dem told me, “(That person, whoever it was to be) should have been at Gabby’s side, maybe…
Gabriel Sullivan and Taraf de Tucson: None of This Is Mine; Gabriel Sullivan: Where the Bad Ones Go (Fell City)
In serious contention for the honor of “hardest-working musician in the Old Pueblo,” Gabriel Sullivan has given the world lots of excellent music in years past, including his work with American Black Lung, Fell City Shouts and Bajo Turbato, all while sitting in with acts as diverse as Marianne Dissard, Brian Lopez and Giant Sand.…
New to You
When playwright Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues grew from a simple performance piece into a theater phenomenon in the 1990s, it was both applauded and condemned. The in-your-face, no-holds-barred confrontational nature of its various stories about all things vagina-related—including birth and rape—challenged, captivated, horrified and repulsed audiences, even some feminists. A bold intimacy characterized the…
Top Ten in Movies
1. Drive Sony 2. In Time 20th Century Fox 3. 50/50 Summit 4. The Ides of March Sony 5. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 1 Summit 6. The Thing Universal 7. Real Steel Walt Disney 8. A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas Warner Bros. 9. Anonymous Sony 10. The Big Year 20th Century Fox
Convenient Meds
A few months ago, I was talking to a friend who was happy to have his new medical-marijuana card, issued by The Man himself, with “authorized to cultivate” written across the bottom in tiny but significant italics. This friend of mine is an aging hippie artist, among other things. I hope he doesn’t mind me…
Human Gestures
When choreographer Trisha Brown created the dance “Foray Forêt” in 1990, she made an unusual musical choice: Local marching bands would play whatever music they wanted whenever her dancers performed it. “That’s the best bad idea you ever had,” collaborator Robert Rauschenberg told her. At least that’s the way Brown dancer Elena Demyanenko tells the…
Serraglio
A warm-and-fuzzy eco-terrorist, three uppity Afghan women, a skid-row bum, a retired Guatemalan dictator, a gay boy and a burned-out liberal senator walk into a crowded movie theater … Not really, but there is one thing they do have in common: They all show up in the Human Rights Watch Film Festival, playing at the…
The Skinny
Republican City Councilman Steve Kozachik crosses party lines to support Democrat Ron Barber’s congressional run … Republican lawmakers try to screw up Pima County’s bonding program … The latest on guns-on-campus legislation … and more!
The Die Is Cast
Smeared in my reviewer’s pencil scrawl cross the top of Page 110 of this new Barry Graham novel are the words: “I CAN’T FINISH THIS BOOK!” I finished the book. And I skimmed it in a second read, all the while dreading Page 110. It’s not as if you’re not warned. In addition to the…
Project White House: Jim Terr’s “Attack” Ad
Jim Terr, Republican candidate for president, takes on his high profile opponents while wearing a hat.
Writer’s Block: J.A. Jance
Author J.A. Jance has added yet another suspenseful New York Times bestseller to the Ali Reynolds series. Her new book, “Left for Dead,” went on sale Feb. 7 and has already received raving reviews. (293 pages, $25.99 hardcover) “Engaging…Ali charms the locals into giving valuable if inadvertent clues.” – Publishers Weekly “A truly thrilling case…
