Cover Story
30 Years, 30 Stories
“Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.” —Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr (French critic, journalist and novelist, 1808-1890) The more things change, the more they stay the same. I type these words in my office in Barrio Viejo, directly across the street from 314 S. Convent Ave., the first office of the Tucson Weekly in 1984.…
Jan Brewer Vetoes SB 1062
Moments ago, I vetoed #SB1062. pic.twitter.com/gdQn0dG2vB— Jan Brewer (@GovBrewer) February 27, 2014 She didn’t answer questions, but Jan Brewer announced this evening that she vetoed SB 1062, stating that she hadn’t heard a concrete example of the sort of religious discrimination the bill was designed to prevent. The governor’s comments: Good evening, and thank you…
Vote For Your Favorite Make-A-Thon Project
Makers and big thinkers have been around forever. Finally, local collaborative groups like Start Up Tucson, Xerocraft and CoLab Workspace are bringing local liked minded individuals to create stuff. Last Saturday’s pre-Make-A-Thon event is a perfect example of the exceptionally prolific talented folks among us. The event was “aimed at fostering creative development in the…
Talking Comics: Hail Hydra and Read ‘Winter Soldier’ #1
This week Bobby and Cynthia review Marvel comics, Winter Soldier: the Bitter March #1! The story takes place in the James Bond like 1960s time period. Shield agents Ran Shen and Nick Fury are in the middle of the Cold War and come across the very lethal Winter Soldier. Who is the mysterious Winter Soldier?…
Remembering William F. “Bill” Greer
Photo courtesy of Greer family. William F. “Bill” Greer Beloved former University of Arizona journalism professor and Associated Press editor, William F. “Bill” Greer, died in San Diego on Saturday, Feb. 8, 2014 at the age of 68. A staunch believer in social justice, Greer, who joined the UA Department of Journalism in 1980, recruited…
Mayor Jonathan Rothschild’s State of the City Address
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 2014 State of the City Address. I’d like to thank the Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and the Tucson Convention Center for hosting this year’s event. Thanks especially to the Chamber for sharing proceeds with three local nonprofits that are helping with several of my initiatives: 51 Homes Vets,…
PGA Recap: Sudden Death At Accenture
Sunday’s Final match of the Accenture Match Play tournament had enough excitement to make even the greatest golf haters want to rush out into garage, blow the dust off grandfather’s clubs and hit the driving range. The heavy weight match that stared young guns Jason Day and Victor Dubuisson had enough miraculous shots that the…
SB1062 Explained
There is a lot of information out there about SB1062, so let’s try to break it down. How this came to be: There’s a group called the Center for Arizona Policy and they were scared of a case in New Mexico where a lesbian couple sued a photographer for not photographing their wedding (they were…
AZ House Approves Call for Constitutional Convention
PHOENIX — Rep. Bob Thorpe (R-Flagstaff) may have missed out on the first Constitutional Convention, but he doesn’t plan on missing a second one if it ever happens. Thorpe is the sponsor of House Resolution 2017, a resolution that calls for Congress to call an Article V convention. The resolution barely passed through the House…
The Star’s Inaccurate Headline And Story On The TUSD Meeting
Image courtesy of shutterstock.com I’ve referred to the folks who write the headlines as the Star’s Creative Headline Writing Team and even held a “Worst Star Headline of the Year” contest. The paper’s headlines have gotten better since then, but today they slipped back into their old bad ways, with an assist from reporter Alexis…
About TUSD’s All Day Strategic Planning Meeting
My opinion: TUSD’s all day strategic planning meeting Tuesday was pretty good. Let me put “pretty good” in perspective. I hate meetings. Hate them. When I was a teacher and I had to suffer through an after school staff meeting that was especially dismal or depressing, I’d stand up and walk out the minute my…
New ‘Godzilla’ Trailer Looks Promising
Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. ‘Godzilla’ is scheduled to hit theaters on May 16. Bryan Cranston steals the show in this latest Godzilla trailer. Hopefully, this is a refreshing take on the 60-year-old monster that has seen endless retellings and sequels. The film is scheduled to be released on Friday, May 16 in 2D and…
Tucson Pothole Blog Established to Hold City Accountable
Tired of plowing your vehicle through crater sized potholes in the mean streets of Tucson? Someone started a wordpress photo blog that exposes potholes around town. “Help hold Tucson City Council accountable for the potholes on Tucson’s roads” is the blog’s slogan. Tucson Potholes encourages you to email pictures of potholes and the locations. A…
More on Pima County Supervisor Ally Miller’s Road Troubles
Last Friday, Feb. 21, the Weekly reported that Pima County Supervisor Ally Miller had changed transportation staff recommendations on transportation projects to include paving of Oasis Road in her own neighborhood—and that one of her closest political allies and other campaign contributors lived along Oasis Road as well. Miller did not return a phone call…
A Heart Wrenching Night of Classical Music
Above: A Quartet for the End of Time as performed by a different set of musicians. The past few weeks, UA Presents at the University of Arizona has presented a “Classical Music Night” at the Crowder Hall at the School of Music on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. This week is no different. This week will…
Media Advisory on Public Records Request Reimbursement Bill Stakeholder Meeting Came with 24 Hours Notice
Yes, public records requests can be a pain for public entities and their employees, but Weekly World Central isn’t so sure a bill proposed by Republic Rep. David Stevens of Sierra Vista is such a good idea either. HB 2419 would allow places like the Tucson Police Department, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department, different departments…
Anti SB 1062 Fundraiser at JunXion Tonight
Courtesy of G3 Tucson. Tucson’s monthly gay happy hour group G3 Tucson is hosting a fundraiser to combat SB 1062 tonight from 5 to 10 p.m. at The JunXion Bar, 63 East Congress Street. 100% of the bar sales will go to printing and promotional expenses to fight the anti-gay legislation. Individual liberty, justice and…
NBC News Says Brewer’s Going to Veto SB 1062, For What That’s Worth
No word on what’s taking her so long (she’s scheduled to meet with “key players” tomorrow) or why we’re letting Al Melvin talk to people, but NBC News is tweeting (what a world!) that Brewer’s made up her mind to veto SB 1062: Ariz. Gov Brewer likely to veto controversial SB 1062, sources say #NBCpolitics—…
I Guess Fox News Is Against SB 1062 Now
Fox News has generally made a big stink about the sort of “religious freedom” issues that SB 1062 was created to keep from happening, but in a weird change of direction, this morning’s edition of America’s Newsroom hosted contributor Juan Williams and co-host of The Five, Andrea Tantaros, to bash the bill for six minutes.…
Grijalva, Kirkpatrick and Barber Urge Gov. Brewer to Veto SB 1062
Arizona lawmakers are coming out of the woodwork to voice their opposition on SB 1062. Who can blame them after Al Melvin’s deplorable performance on Anderson Cooper’s talk show on Monday night. Arizona Representatives Ann Kirkpatrick, Ron Barber and Raul Grijalva spoke out against the anti-gay legislation and urged Governor Jan Brewer to veto the…
Tucson Poker Folks Representing
It’s a good week to be a professional poker player with connections to Tucson. Two of the region’s most successful players, both of whom have moved on to greener (get it?) pastures, are making headlines for their feats in parts abroad. Late Sunday night saw the biggest online poker tournament of the weekend go to…
Al Melvin at His Confused Best/Worst on ‘Anderson Cooper’
If it weren’t bad enough that Arizona is now associated with SB 1062 and the Center for Arizona Policy’s attempt to legalize religious-based discrimination, we also get the worst of our politicians showing up on news programs trying to justify their terrible decision-making. Tonight it was Cap’n Al Melvin, the man who seemingly can’t find…
Here’s Why Jadeveon Clowney Could Be The No. 1 NFL 2014 Draft Pick
If you consider yourself a sports fan then surely you’ve seen the story from the NFL Scouting Combine that is all over ESPN, Twitter and Facebook that has scouts chirping, fans in shock and NFL owners trying to trade up for high draft picks. So far the highlight of the 2014 NFL Scouting Combine in…
Actor, Writer and Director Harold Ramis Dead at 69
We lost another iconic voice in the world of cinema. Harold Ramis passed away early Monday morning, according to Ramis’ wife Erica Mann Ramis and Chicago Tribune. Ramis will always be remembered for his directing/writing/acting in cult classics Stripes, Caddyshack, Animal House, Groundhog Day and The Real Ghostbusters. Ramis was 69. Ramis, a longtime North…
Apple’s Against SB 1062, Might Take Away Our iPhones
Image courtesy of Shutterstock Well, now you’ve done it, Center for Arizona Policy and the remaining Republican legislators who haven’t had a change of thought – you’ve gone and pissed off Apple: Corporate tech giant Apple has asked Gov. Jan Brewer to veto the controversial religious freedom bill SB1062, the company and the Governor’s Office…
Here’s Jon Justice’s Reaction to the End of the Daytona 500
Morning radio host Jon Justice is a big fan of driving-a-car-around-in-circles guy Dale Earnhardt Jr., so yesterday was a solid day for Jon, as Earnhardt won the rain-delayed Daytona 500. I can imagine Justice posted this video on Youtube, capturing his reaction to the end of the race, for our collective amusement, so here you…
The Infamous Olympic Rings of Sochi
This year’s Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia has come to a close but not after providing us with thrilling competition and plenty of comical photos of this year’s Sochi problems, which became a trending hash tag on social media before and during the games. In case you missed the opening ceremony where the final ring…
Jaw-Dropping Education Op-Ed In The Star
“Who is this person?” I asked myself as I read Vicki Alger’s op ed, Education improves when parents can bypass clueless bureaucrats, in today’s Star. It segues from a diatribe against the U.S. Department of Education to a fact-challenged advocacy of vouchers into one of those states rights, 10th Amendment statements so popular on the…
Have Questions About SB 1062? Today’s Your Lucky Day
Although I guess I can’t really blame them, the Center for Arizona Policy’s PR campaign on behalf of SB 1062 has largely been in “rally the troops” mode following Cathi Herrod’s not-so-well-received appearance on CNN Friday, with Communications Director Aaron Baer taking the lead on Phoenix’s conservative talk station KTAR and elsewhere to discuss the…
Supreme Court: Another AZ Abortion Law Is Unconstitutional
The U.S. Supreme Court today announced it would not hear arguments regarding an Arizona law that sought to strip funding from Planned Parenthood for health-care programs unrelated to abortion services. As the Weekly explained when the law was struck down in federal court in February 2013: The 2012 law sought to prevent women on the…
John McCain Tweets at Governor Brewer: Veto #SB1062
I guess we know where Senator John McCain stands on SB 1062. Senator McCain tweeted this message to Governor Jan Brewer: I hope Governor Brewer will veto #SB1062— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) February 24, 2014
U.S. Secretary of Defense Wants to Set the Military Forces Back to Pre-World War II Era
U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel will unveil his plan to drastically cut the military budget by billions of dollars later this afternoon. Hagel is going to have a tough time convincing lawmakers to approve a budget and cut troop levels military hasn’t seen since pre-World War II. The proposal calls for the Army to…
David Safier On The Buckmaster Show Monday
Bill Buckmaster has an education-heavy lineup for his Monday show, at noon on KVOI, 1030 AM on your radio dial (It streams live online as well). The first half is a regular Face-off feature with Jeff Rogers and Bruce Ash, two men who never need to be told, “Say what you mean.” They’ll be talking…
February in Your Desert Potted Garden
The Potted Desert Edible Garden 1. Get in another planting of all your cool season veggies, if you have room. Go ahead and transplant some more greens for an early spring salad. (Spinach, all lettuces, mesclun, swiss chard, kale) 2. Get your garden ready for the warm season planting. But, be ready to cover if…
Hulk Hogan is Coming Back to the WWE
Photo courtesy of s_bukley / Shutterstock.com. Hulk Hogan is back! Whatcha ya gonna do brother, when the 60-year-old pro-wrestling legend and Hulkamania run wild on WWE, again? That’s right, Hulksters. Terry Gene Bollea, better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, will host WrestleMania XXX in New Orleans on April 6. “I definitely want to…
Fukushima: The Nuclear Disaster That Keeps On Giving
Image courtesy of shutterstock.com The tsunami and meltdown at Japan’s Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant happened way back in March, 2011, going on three years now. Old news, right? Meltdowns happen. Actually, not such old news. Another 100 tons of radioactive water leaked last Wednesday, just one of an ongoing series of mini-disasters occurring regularly at…
Viva Arizona Celebrates the People Behind the Performance
¡Viva Arizona! has a lot to celebrate this weekend. As always, Viva will be celebrating Hispanic culture in Tucson. The event will chronical everything since the 1800s with mariachis, can-can dances, orchestras and special thanks to Tucson Hispanic radio announcers who helped keep the culture alive. It is the 20th anniversary celebration of the organization,…
Rodeo Days Arts Celebration This Sunday
Courtesy of Rodeo Days Facebook page. Rodeo weekend is coming to an end, so what better way to end it with the fourth annual Rodeo Days Arts Celebration. The event starts at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 23, at the Plaza Palomino, 2960 N. Swan Road. There will be live music by Mariachi Herradura, Arizona…
Oh Great, Arizona. Now George Takei is Pissed Off.
Photo by Helga Esteb/Shutterstock.com George Takei and his husband Brad Altman have strong Arizona ties. We have seen a number of people voicing their opinions against SB 1062. George Takei, Star Trek legend and LGBT activist, wrote an open letter to Arizona to express his disappointment regarding the anti-gay legislation that’s pending Governor Jan Brewer’s…
March Radness Preview: Iamsu!
March Radness is not terribly far off (March 8! Get your tickets now! They’re going to get more expensive!), so we’re going to give you a taste of what to expect from the stellar lineup of bands here on The Range between now and then. How often do you get to see one of the…
Pima County Supervisor Ally Miller Has Odd Transportation Priorities
A map shows the various subdivisions and out-of-the-way roads where Supervisor Ally Miller chose to spend transportation dollars rather that patching potholes on River, Sabino Canyon and Sunrise roads. The Range reported yesterday that District 1 Supervisor Ally Miller created her own list of preferred road projects rather than going with the recommendations of the…
First United Methodist Church Tucson Pastor Responds to SB1062
Rev. Elizabeth Rambikur of First United Methodist Church Tucson responds to SB 1062 and HB 2153: Our call as human beings, made in the image of God, is “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5) and Jesus reminds those…
Pima County Supervisor Ally Miller’s Paving Project Benefited Political Ally, Campaign Contributors
Earlier today, The Range reported that Pima County Supervisor Ally Miller moved dollars from major streets that the Pima County Transportation Department recommended be fixed to her own neighborhood. But now the Weekly has learned that the road project also benefited her political allies and contributors. Miller collected $1,080 from residents along Oasis Road. Among…
Cathi Herrod Would Prefer Not to Answer Actual Questions About SB 1062
Cathi Herrod, the head of the very powerful theonomy-lobbying group Center for Arizona Policy, doesn’t do a ton of press, usually preferring to work behind the scenes to advance her organization’s agenda in the legislature, but she did turn up on CNN today to discuss SB 1062. For some reason, CNN hasn’t uploaded the entire…
Visit Tucson Opposes SB 1062
Not surprisingly but still notable, Visit Tucson (formerly the Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau) opposes SB 1062: Dear partners and visitors, Many of you have called our office with questions about SB1062, the Religious Freedom Act currently sitting on the Governor’s desk awaiting signature or veto. Visit Tucson has been in contact with different…
GOP Candidate for Governor Christine Jones: SB 1062 Should Be “Withdrawn”
From Christine Jones’ webpage. Christine Jones, who you might remember from her singing tribute to Joe Arpaio, has made her statement on SB 1062, which seems to be “I’m fine with laws against gays, but this isn’t the best timing because economy.” I support protecting the First Amendment and believe that government must not dictate…
Pima County Supervisor Ally Miller Moved Transportation Projects to Her Own Neighborhood
A map shows Pima County Supervisor Ally Miller’s home (in black) just around the corner from the repvaving project on Oasis Road that she picked over staff recommendations to pave major arterials elsewhere in District 1. When four members of the Pima County Board of Supervisors voted this week to move an estimated $800,000 in…
Community Protest Against SB1062 Today
Wingspan, Tucson’s LGBT community center, is calling for a protest today against SB1062 at 4 p.m. with a rally at the community center’s headquarters, 430 E. Seventh St., followed by a march to the governor’s Tucson office at 400 W. Congress St. Under the dubious name of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the bill allows…
Jon Stewart on the “No Cake for Gays” Bill
Arizona once again makes The Daily Show as a punchline for a segment about how even Kansas rejected the anti-gay legislation that passed the AZ Legislature yesterday. Meanwhile, Mother Jones looks at how similar bills are cropping up in state legislatures across America: Republicans lawmakers and a network of conservative religious groups has been pushing…
Republican Candidate for Governor Scott Smith Seemingly Against SB 1062
Republican candidate for governor Scott Smith While the remainder of the Republican candidates for governor have not responded to requests for comment on SB 1062, former Mesa mayor Scott Smith released a statement today that seems to signify that he opposes the bill, although in classic “I’m running for an office” style, he doesn’t exactly…
HuffPo Highlights Rocco’s Little Chicago Pizzeria Response To SB 1062
Photo courtesy of Rocco’s Little Chicago Pizzeria. “We reserve the right to refuse services to Arizona Legislators.” Rocco’s Little Chicago Pizzeria is notorious for its prolific witty and eye catching messages on their marquee. But pizzeria owner Anthony Rocco DiGrazia really outdid himself with a small window display to reserve the right to refuse services…
Eric Kroll Photographs the Tucson Rodeo
Photographer Eric Kroll made some photographs of the cowboys and cowgirls at La Fiesta del los Vaqueros this week. The rodeo is back in full swing this weekend. Details here. ©Eric Kroll ©Eric Kroll ©Eric Kroll ©Eric Kroll ©Eric Kroll ©Eric Kroll ©Eric Kroll ©Eric Kroll
Diana Butler Bass’ Open Letter to Governor Brewer
Diana Butler Bass is one of my favorite Christian authors (her book A People’s History of Christianity is a great read on what following Jesus has actually meant historically) and a former Arizonan. On her Facebook page this morning, she posted a letter to Jan Brewer regarding our current legislative fiasco. As far as I’m…
The Week (At the Arizona Capitol): Feb. 17-21
On Monday, a bill that would permit the government to construct a “virtual fence” at the border between Arizona and Mexico passed through the Senate Government and Environment committee. The bill would provide $30 million out of the state general pay for the fence. Sen. Bob Worsley (R-Mesa), the sponsor, said he doesn’t trust the…
#Bad4AzBiz and Hero Phoenix to Protest SB 1062 at the State Capitol Tonight
Photo courtesy of Hero Phoenix. Hero Phoenix and Bad4AzBiz are planning a demonstration from 4 to 6 p.m. tonight at the State Capitol, 1700 W Washington St, Phoenix, Arizona. Arizona was set back a couple decades on Wednesday when the Senate passed proposition SB 1062. The bill will allow businesses to refuse service based on…
Is Ethan Orr A Moderate? NRA Edition.
Image courtesy of shutterstock.com The question is still out there: How many non-right-wing votes does it take for a Republican to qualify as a moderate? Or, to put it another way, how many right-wing votes does it take for a Republican to lose any semblance of “moderate” cred? Take Rep. Ethan Orr, who wants to…
Best Pizza Delivery Guy Ever?
The UK is known for a lot of things, but exceptional customer service isn’t one of them. Some blokes filmed a pizza delivery guy successfully launch a pizza box three stories to an awaiting customer near his window. The customer floats the money down to the pizza magician and away leaves the scene like Mary…
Dawson Needs a Home
The Humane Society of Southern Arizona presents Dawson, a male, 1 1/2-year-old, Shepherd MixReference No. 749499 Meet the darling of the Humane Society of Southern Arizona! Dawson is an energetic love sponge seeking an active, committed family. Dawson is house trained and has a terrific history with other dogs of all sizes. However, Dawson can…
Cinema Showdown: Anti-Social Space Botanists and Trailer Park Filmmakers Edition
It’s Rodeo Weekend, but unfortunately there is no motherlode of cowboy cinema classics to be found. It’s a dry gulch out there, lil’ doggies. Fill your hand, Tucson! The Loft Cinema presents Fateful Findings on Friday, Feb. 21 and Saturday, Feb. 22 at 10 p.m. I caught this flick last fall when it premiered at…
Win Tickets to See Lewis Black at The Tucson Music Hall
We interviewed the riotous comedian Lewis Black in this week’s T Q&A. Black was very vocal about his opinions reguarding politics in the state of Arizona and what our elected officials should do with their time. Tweeting isn’t one of them. They just shouldn’t do it. Just move on. Senators and congressman don’t have time…
Andrew Sullivan on AZ’s Latest Anti-Gay Legislation
Andrew Sullivan weighs in on the anti-gay legislation nearing passage at the Arizona Legislature: I know the danger to gay people remains great, and I don’t want to minimize the impact of living in a state where businesses of all kinds are empowered by law to put “No Gays Allowed” or “No Gays Served” in…
You Should Try Random Acts Of Kindness Instead of Deadly Drinking Games
Yesterday we shed some light on the latest pathetic drinking game that has captured the drunken attention of young people all around the world. Instead of waiting for it to our hit home turf, there’s a extremely better alternative to this fad that has probably already passed us. The solution: Random Acts Of Kindness. Anything…
Sen. Yarbrough’s Latest Anti-Public School Legislation
State Senator Steve Yarbrough has been sucking at the public teat for years, making loads of money with his various School Tuition Organizations (STO) and related businesses, all of which get their funding from Tuition Tax Credits — aka backdoor vouchers. The courts say the tax credits are legal even though state supported vouchers are…
No Easy Answers
Palestinian filmmaker Hany Abu-Assad, Oscar-nominated for his brilliant 2005 film Paradise Now, has notched another well-deserved Best Foreign Language Film Oscar nod for his latest, the intense and gripping Omar. Adam Bakri delivers a commanding performance as the title character, a Palestinian baker who routinely scales a zoning wall to see his girlfriend, Nadja (Leem…
Danehy
On her new solo CD, Jennifer Nettles (of the country duo Sugarland) does a rousing, bluesy version of Bob Seger’s “Like a Rock.” The lyrics “Twenty years now; where’d they go? Twenty years, I don’t know; I sit and wonder sometimes where they’ve gone” have always had a haunting quality to them. When you change…
Corsets and Cousins
"Please save me.” In a postcoital moment with the only man she’s ever loved, Thérèse (Elizabeth Olsen) pleads with Laurent (Oscar Isaac of Inside Llewyn Davis) to take her away from her life of wedded misery. He has an idea of what to do, but the how, when, and where will take some planning. Based…
Guest Commentary
What’s up with Brian J. Pedersen hating on La Fiesta de los Vaqueros just a few days before the annual festivities begin (Pedersen on Sports, Feb. 13)? His argument is that soccer is not getting enough love because our local media and elected officials are obsessed with our cowboy ways and are participating in what he…
True TV
The Private Lives of Nashville Wives Monday, Feb. 24 (TNT) Series Debut: We’re going to need a ruling on the definition of “Private,” here—does it mean, “Followed around by a camera crew capturing every calculated second of our scripted ‘Lives'”? Don’t expect an answer from TNT anytime soon, because they’re floating obliviously in an alternate…
Police Dispatch
GO DIRECTLY TO JAIL; DO NOT COLLECT YOUR DRUG-CARTEL MONEY DEC. 19, 10:50 A.M. A man wouldn’t stop screaming obscenities—and then wouldn’t stop rambling on about drug cartels to deputies, according to a Pima County Sheriff’s Department report. The man’s father told a deputy he awoke that morning to find his son “acting crazy” in…
DVD Roundup
Gravity A doctor (Sandra Bullock) and an astronaut (George Clooney) are set adrift in space when their shuttle is destroyed; now, it’s a race against time before the oxygen runs out and/or someone asks “Why’s it called Gravity when there is none?” (Warner Bros.) Hollywood & Vine An nobody actress (Nicky Whelan) impersonates a famous…
Media Watch
RICK HUNTER WINS GOLDEN MIC AWARD In the radio world, there are folks whose names you know, and others whose voices you know. The latter belong to the voiceover people, and one of those familiar voiceover talents nabbed this year’s AAF Tucson Golden Mic Award, presently annually by the Tucson chapter of the American Advertising…
Made in Detroit
The formula for the kaleidoscopic indie-pop of Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. lies in the space where Josh Epstein and Daniel Zott find creative common ground. “We’re really different people in a lot of ways, but we’re kind of like a Venn diagram,” Epstein says. “We overlap in certain places and musically it just works. If…
Soundbites
THESE ARE MY PEOPLE Gems and craft beers are, like, so last week. With the rock folks leaving town for greener pastures, and all of Tucson’s microbrews consumed during Arizona Beer Week (it actually runs through Saturday, Feb. 22, but play along with me here), this week, with the WGA-Accenture Match Play Championship and the…
30 Years of Tucson Weekly: 1984-1989
1984 Ed Abbey scratches for meaning in the ancient petroglyphs scratched onto rocks by earlier settlers of our desert region: Some of the pictures, however, are disturbingly strange. We see semihuman figures with huge blank eyes, horned heads. Ghostly shapes resembling men, but without legs or feet, float in the air. Humanlike forms with helmets…
Live
††† THE ROCK Friday, Feb. 14 Unsurprisingly, ††† (Crosses) isolates frontman Chino Moreno’s contributions to his day job at the Deftones and builds on them. Out of all its late-’90s nu metal peers, the Deftones was the only band of its era to not regard sexuality and femininity with revulsion, contempt, or a threat to…
30 Years of Tucson Weekly: 1990-1995
1990 Jeff Smith goes on a road trip with his son, Caleb: Caleb and I spent one month preparing for two weeks on the road, on the bike. That’s about a standard ratio: two hours, days, weeks, months of prep for every corresponding unit of time on the road. This is true because bikes get…
Decade of a Dream
It’s been 10 years since Kristen Nelson pulled the trigger on her dream mission, packing up her life in New York City and heading out to find a place where she could establish a writing center unlike any that existed back home. “I was looking for a community that had a vibrant writing and arts…
Lethal Dosage: Consume
Up-and-coming Tucson-based metal quintet Lethal Dosage’s second release, Consume, follows a nonlinear narrative throughout its 10 tracks about the devastating effects of alcoholism, opening a window into the lives and situations affected by the addict. From album opener “Drink” to the inevitable conclusion “Sleep,” the song titles tell the story, but Consume doesn’t operate at…
Sports
Quitting is something I wouldn’t normally advocate, and isn’t a common practice for me. It’s why I watched Desperate Housewives through every murder, affair and cul-de-sac plane crash in its eight-year run. No matter how cheesy and ridiculous it got, I stuck with it out of loyalty and the hope that it would eventually get…
History for Sale
Southwest Indian Art Fair 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 2210 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 23 Arizona State Museum1013 E. University Blvd. 621-6302; statemuseum.arizona.edu More than 200 Native American artists from across the Southwest will come together for a two-day celebration to showcase their art and the history of their ancestors. This…
Jillian Bessett: Electric Moon
Jillian Bessett presents to you the piano. The deep, evocative power of the piano—in this case a 100-year-old Estey upright that Bessett breathes life into. Layered with her equally deep and evocative voice and poetic lyrics, Tucsonan Bessett’s album Electric Moon is a master class in piano songwriting. “Spade” starts off the album with a…
30 Years of Tucson Weekly: 1996-2001
1996 Luis Alberto Urrea tells the strange yarn of two Mexican women who end up in trouble—and how he ended up smuggling them back into Mexico: This is the story of Carmela and Mariposa, a secretary and her next-door neighbor, who have spent their whole lives in Hermosillo and never dreamed of coming to the…
Wait Wait … It’s Paula
Paula Poundstone 8 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 22 Fox Tucson Theatre17 W. Congress St. 547-3040;foxtucson.com Two years ago Paula Poundstone rang in the New Year in the Old Pueblo, and she’s coming back to the Fox Theatre to make more Tucson memories. Before she became a regular on NPR’s weekly news quiz show Wait Wait ……
Aroma: Oni
The architect behind this project is multi-instrumentalist Sam Christopher, who has played with such local acts as Young Hunter, Ohioan and Sutcliffe Catering Co. The focus here is on outsider folk-rock with a perceptible avant-jazz approach. Christopher’s engaging vocals, slightly slurred and slightly buried in the mix to spooky effect, create an attractive buzz, but…
30 Years of Tucson Weekly: 2002-2007
2002 Jim Nintzel watches Raul Grijalva climb the political ladder: The low-budget campaign means Grijalva can’t afford much TV airtime, so he’s falling back on his old strategy of sending the troops out walking and talking on his behalf. With his unruly hair, lively mustache and frequently rumpled wardrobe, Grijalva is not what you’d call…
Musical Time Travel
¡Viva Arizona! 2 to 7 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 23 El Casino Latino437 E. 26th St. 310-1866;vivaperformingarts@gmail.com The Viva Performing Arts Center presents a chance to travel back in time through 100 years of Tucson’s Hispanic musical memories with song, dance and pictures dating back to the 1920s. During the ¡Viva Arizona! event, performances start in…
Slow Growth Tucson
In 2003, a factory owned by doorknob manufacturer Weiser Lock closed in Tucson. The company, which employed more than 1,000 people here in its 1990s heyday, was sending its last 150 factory jobs to California, because it just wasn’t viable to keep them here anymore. The Weiser Lock departure story made headlines in local news.…
30 Years of Tucson Weekly: 2008-2013
2008 Jim Nintzel chronicles the end of the Phoenix Mars Lander, a robotic lab assembled and operated by the UA Lunar and Planetary Lab in partnership with NASA: When the end finally came, Phoenix was killed off by an unforgiving dust storm that blew across the arctic plains of Mars. The days were growing short…
Diversity Fest
Pima Community College Family Heritage Celebration 6 to 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 20 Pima West Campus Center for the Arts, 2202 W. Anklam Rd. 206-6986; www.pima.edu/cfa In conjunction with Pima College’s production of Fiddler on the Roof, the school is holding a sort of pre-show celebration of our own community’s cultural diversity. The Family Heritage…
T Q&A
Lewis Black Lewis Black’s rant is overdue. It’s been four years since the 65-year-old best-selling author, actor, playwright and comedian brought his act to the Southwest. You might have seen Black on The Daily Show or heard his voiceover work on Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or The Penguins of Madagascar. Black is…
Hibernian Happenings
Aggie Whyte, grandmother of FullSet fiddler Michael Harrison, was a widely known Irish fiddler in the East Galway tradition. “That style of fiddling is very lively, with a strong bow hand, not overembellished,” her grandson explained by phone from Ireland last week, on a snowy day in Tipperary. Whyte won the All-Ireland Fleadh title in…
Waiting for Something
Borderlands Theater is such a wonderful idea. It’s an artistic entity that focuses on new plays, and trades works from one America to the others. It fosters an emphasis on border issues in the truest sense of the word—that metaspace of unity and divergence that creates both imaginary and real lines between people, cultures and…
The Glass Menagerie Glows
When writers spin their wheels trying to express themselves, when they flail about searching for ideas with resonance, struggling mightily to find their voice, they are often told to write what they know. It certainly worked for a boy named Tom whose only sister was emotionally crippled by what turned out to be schizophrenia. His…
Editor’s Note
So, here we are, our 30th anniversary issue. First of all, thanks to Rand Carlson, who created the art piece (about 2′ by 3′ in non-print form and currently sitting on the desk next to mine) for this week’s cover. Rand’s been a part of the Weekly for ages, so it’s only fitting that he…
Serious Concerns About TUSD’s “Strategic Plan” Consultants
Image courtesy of shutterstock.com TUSD hired a group of five consultants to help it develop a five-year strategic plan. The hiring process has earned the district two days of bad press in the Star (here and here) and put a cloud over Superintendent H.T. Sanchez’s head. And rightly so. There are questions that need to…
Tim Steller And Blog For Arizona Battle Over Ethan Orr’s Moderate Cred
Image courtesy of shutterstock.com It may have started here with my post, Victoria Steele’s Very Good Day, I don’t know, where I wrote about one of Rep. Steele’s bills and about the three-way race shaping up in Legislative District 9 between Steele, fellow Democrat Randy Friese (the newcomer) and Republican Rep. Ethan Orr. I mentioned…
