Cover Story
The Evolution of Dan Savage
Through his sex column, “Savage Love,” Dan Savage has become one of the most high-profile gay figures in the country, a tireless and fearless advocate of a liberalized philosophy on sex and relationships. People think of different sexualities as opposing baseball teams; Savage has been coaching all sides for 22 years now. He’s crass, unapologetic,…
Judge Orders Appointment of Deseg Implementation Committee
U.S. District Court Judge David Bury officially ordered on Monday, July 15 the appointment of Vicki Balentine, Rebecca Montano and Edward Thompson to the Tucson Unified School District unitary status plan’s implementation committee. Judge Bury’s order: ORDER_Appointing_Vicki_Balentine_Ph.D.__Rebecca_Montano_Ed.D._and_Edward_Thompson_Ph.D._to_the__Implementation_Committee.pdf The idea of the implementation committee is to assist court-appointed special master Willis Hawley in monitoring the implementation…
Johnny Manziel: A Study In (Mis-)Handling Controversy
Ka’Deem Carey, let’s hope you were watching ESPN this morning. If so, Arizona’s star running back would have seen how college football’s top-tier superstar, Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel, addressed the myriad of off-the-field issues he’s run into since being the first-ever freshman to win the Heisman Trophy last season. Or, depending on how you…
Annoying Your Friends With Arrested Development Quotes Just Got Easier
Arrested Development fans, we all know one thing to be true: Any situation can be made better by quoting a Bluth. “After all these years, God’s not going to take a call from you.” “I hear the jury’s still out on ‘science.'” “What’s Spanish for ‘I know you speak English?’” When won’t those be useful?…
A Note To the ‘Keep Tucson Shitty’ Crowd: You’re the Problem
Yesterday, we published a short item about Gio Taco, the latest venture to come from the folks at Metzger Family Restaurants, who are also responsible for Jax Kitchen and The Abbey. The plan, according to the release announcing the forthcoming restaurant, is to move into east end of Congress St., in Downtown Tucson, where Gio…
Let’s Watch the Demolition of a Florida Power Plant, Because Why Not?
Florida Power & Light recently demolished their old, ’60s-era Port Everglades Power Plant to make way for a “cleaner, more-efficient plant run on American natural gas” (because only American natural gas contains the ingenuity to power American appliances!), and honestly, the video is just damn cool. Unless you’re interested in what members of Florida’s utilities…
Jan Brewer Has Been Named One of the Worst Governors in the Country for Her Ties to CCA
Gov. Jan Brewer doesn’t always have her share of fans ’round these parts (“these parts” meaning most anywhere in Arizona, as of late), but as of today, she’s apparently among the worst governors in the country. The Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington has named Brewer in the bottom 12 governors in the country…
Apparently, Asiana Airlines Won’t Be Suing the Oakland TV Station That Released False, Racist Crew Names
So, remember when I said that Asiana Airlines’ lawsuit toward Oakland’s KTVU over incorrect, racist crew names “wasn’t going away any time soon” (You probably should; it was about this time yesterday)? Whoops. In a statement, the carrier acknowledged the apology from KTVU, and said it would focus on “managing the aftermath of the accident.”…
‘People Who Steal Really Suck’ Concert Raises Funds For Thieved-Upon Musicians
Heather ” Li’l Mama” Hardy’s many Tucson friends threw a concert for her Tuesday, July 9, at Boondocks. Sometime Tucson Weekly contributor Jim Lipson organized the shindig to raise funds for replacing gear stolen from the popular Tucson blues singer and fiddle player. The occasion featured musicians and friends including Sabra Falk, Marie O’Hagin, Mitzi…
McCain Brokers Deal To Avert Nuclear Option
Talking Points Memo sums up the winners and losers in the filibuster deal that was struck today to allow the Obama administration to appoint people to run federal agencies: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) lost big in the filibuster battle that ended Tuesday morning. Senators struck a tentative deal to confirm seven nominees to…
‘Drawing Dicks on the Tucson Weekly’ Might Be My New Favorite Facebook Group [NSFW]
Sometimes, you just have to laugh at yourself. It’s a sometimes-difficult prospect in this world, filled with foolish folks, such as the James T. Harrises and the Amy’s Baking Companies and the rogue commenters seeking to put themselves over everyone else. It’s easy to get defensive when someone pokes fun at you. But there’s just…
Catching Up! Dylan Pratt at the Hotel Congress Patio
After taking some time off to visit Bozeman and Yellowstone (which were lovely, thanks!) I came back in time to find that our rock-star photographer, C.E. Elliott, was gallivanting through New Mexico en route to an Alabama Shakes concert. The Shakes skipped over Tucson on their Southwestern jaunt, but I’m feeling better about it now…
Metzger Plans to Open New Restaurant, Gio Taco, in Downtown
Metzger Family Restaurants, owners of Jax Kitchen and The Abbey, has announced plans to open their newest venture, Gio Taco later this year. In a press release, restaurateur Brian Metzger said that their our tacos “will be intentionally designed to ignite a sense of adventure among our guests,” pulling inspiration from “the streets of Havana,…
Oakland’s KTVU To Be Sued By Asiana Airlines Over Fake Crew Names
Remember Oakland TV station KTVU goofing, badly, on the supposed names of the Asiana Airlines crew? Well, Asiana has taken exception to the report (which KTVU apologized for, as seen above): Asiana has decided to sue KTVU-TV to “strongly respond to its racially discriminatory report” that disparaged Asians, Asiana spokeswoman Lee Hyomin said. She said…
The Gathering of the Juggalos Promo Video is Almost 30 Minutes Long and Insane
I don’t get the Juggalo thing, guys. I mean, I tend to think that Insane Clown Posse’s music is, at most, vaguely listenable, and at worst, f—king terrible. Personally, I prefer when they stay around the middle ground of absolute inanity, as with the widely “loved” song, Miracles. The point is, the Insane Clown Posse…
The Unified Pixar Timeline Theory is Bananas
Everyone knows about Easter eggs in Disney films: King Triton is on a Mardi Gras float in The Princess and the Frog, Mrs. Potts and Chip are brought along in Tarzan and Mickey, Donald and Goofy are in a crowd at the beginning of The Little Mermaid. But, for a few years now, people have…
Kanye West is Selling a Plain T-Shirt for $120, Proving That Fashion Is Weird and Dumb
Kanye West, recent father of North West (birthed by Kim Kardashian, who was undoubtedly chosen as the vessel for Kanye’s child because of dat ass, or something) and musician responsible for loosing Yeezus onto the world (his other, more emotionally dark, child — though this one was birthed from his mind, not a reality show…
Lessen the Desert Heat Stress — For Your Potted Plants, At Least
In the midst of our extended summer heat wave, here are a few tips for keeping your plants happy and health: Marylee, The Potted Desert An Empty Palm Tree Bed Keep your water bill under control: Check your irrigation system for leaks. Keep your beauty growing: Be sure your tender annuals are getting enough water.…
The Dream Is Gone: Home Under Construction For 18 Years Goes Up In Flames
That smoke you saw early this morning on your commute along Interstate 10 to work? That was a generation’s worth of plans and hard work wafting into the Tucson sky. Fire gutted an 8,000-square foot custom home on West Green Street, northwest of I-10 and 22nd, on Monday morning, turning black the clock on a…
Amazing Spider-Man Actor Wonders Why Spidey’s Love Interest Can’t Be A Man
Andrew Garfield, who plays the lead role of Peter Parker/Spider-Man in The Amazing Spider-Man and its sequels, posited this idea the other day: why can’t Mary Jane Watson (the love interest and eventual wife of Spider-Man), be a man? From Entertainment Weekly: Andrew Garfield has loved Spider-Man since he was a little kid. He can…
Native Hip-Hop Group Wants White Fans to Stop Dressing in ‘Redface’ At Their Shows
Apparently, today is a banner day for race-relations in this country. A Tribe Called Red, an EDM group comprised of people from Canada’s aboriginal First Nations, apparently has to deal with their white fans dressing in “redface” — as Indians. For why that bothers them, we point you toward this interview with the Huffington Post…
Oakland’s KTVU Got Trolled Hard With False Asiana Crew Names
In yet another instance of apparently missing fact-checkers, Oakland’s KTVU was taken on a sad, sad ride when it displayed the following names, which were supposedly those of crew members aboard the Asiana Airlines crash last weekend in San Francisco. Upon further review, it’s fairly obvious they were not: Gawker You’d think they’d have picked…
Let’s Watch Andrew W.K. and Marky Ramone Review Russian Music Videos
Things I’ve learned today: Andrew W.K. and Marky Ramone are still relevant in Russia; Russian music videos appear to be roughly a decade or two behind American music videos (Skateboards! Awkward hipsters! Someone that reminds me of Queensryche!); and apparently, Maxim Russia thrives on awkward interactions. You can see all this for yourselves below, as…
Making Things Right: The Loft Gets Back to a Reader’s ‘Team America’ Response
In this week’s Mailbag, reader W. Welch describes a difficult time had at the Loft Cinema’s July 4 screening of Team America: World Police. An excerpt: Yesterday, two close friends and I came to The Loft to celebrate, as with other fellow Americans, our complicated relationship with our country. We thought the Loft’s choice of…
Update on Raul Alcaraz Ochoa: Press Conference Today at Noon
An update to yesterday’s report regarding Raul Alcaraz Ochoa was posted on Facebook yesterday from Roberto Lovato: “RAÚL is FREE! Very rapid response helped make this happen. Local groups, Derechos Humanos, National Day Laborer Organizing Network and others , created the momentum. Wondering if my two cents-threatening to talk about Raul’s case on MSNBC this…
Randy Travis Recovering After Brain Surgery
Country music musician Randy Travis is currently recovering after surgery on Wednesday to relieve pressure on his following a stroke suffered earlier this week. From USA Today: Travis remained in critical condition after surgery Wednesday night to relieve pressure on his brain, publicist Kirt Webster said. The 54-year-old Grammy Award-winning singer had been improving while…
Prescott Brewing Company Plans “Heroes 19” to Benefit Fallen Granite Mountain Hotshots
As officials declare the Yarnell Hill Fire completely contained, and after Billy Warneke, one of the 19 members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots who died fighting the blaze, was honored yesterday in Marana, Arizonans continue to find ways to benefit the families of firefighters who were lost. Prescott Brewing Company has announced that they will…
Local Activist Raul Alcaraz Ochoa Appears To Be In Custody Again
Immigration rights activist Raul Alcaraz Ochoa appears to be in Border Patrol custody after attempting to intervene in the detention of a worker on Tucson’s south side today. From Facebook: This isn’t the first time that Alcaraz Ochoa has attempted to intervene in a Border Patrol action, as he took similar action in February regarding…
[Update] Tucson’s El Parador is Closing After 40 Years
El Parador Restaurant, at 2744 E. Broadway Blvd., has announced that it is closing its doors. From a press release: We would like to thank the thousands of Tucsoans who placed their trust and faith in us hosting their wonderful family celebrations. Also, special thanks to the many business and professional groups that met weekly…
The Inevitable Has Arrived: Daft Punk “Get Lucky” Condoms Are Now Reality
You had to know this was coming, right? “Get Lucky,” Daft Punk’s first single off of Random Access Memories has blown up—way, WAY up. That’s not a surprise, given that they’re f—king Daft Punk, but this seems almost seems like a bit much. Apparently, the French masters of EDM have partnered with condom manufacturers Durex…
Watching the Highlights From a My Little Pony Convention Hurts So Good
Fiesta Equestria, the…uh…”premier” convention for My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic fans (hereafter referred to as “bronies” regardless of their sex, because “reasons”), took place in Houston a few weeks ago…and…well. This is what happened. Honestly, I’m not sure what to make of this. People are having fun, and loving what they’re doing. But there’s…
Babeu Won’t Run for Congress Next Year
We noted in The Skinny this week that Pinal Couny Sheriff Paul Babeu was among the rumored candidates in Congressional District 1, where a few Republicans are already building campaigns to challenge Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick. Babeu took himself out of the running for the seat with an announcement on his Facebook page: You may have…
We Did It, Tucson: Tastykakes Are Back!
TastyKakes are coming back to Tucson! Over the past couple weeks, we’ve written about the trouble Frankie Santos of Frankie’s South Philly Cheesesteaks was having in his quest to keep the REAL Tastykakes in his shop. It was a business decision on the part of the Tastykakes company — it seems that, for whatever reason,…
McSally To “Seriously Explore the Option” of Challenging U.S. Rep. Barber
We mentioned in this week’s Skinny that former Air Force squadron commander Martha McSally filed the necessary paperwork for a rematch against Congressman Ron Barber earlier this month. McSally sent out a statement to the press yesterday: I am humbled by the overwhelming enthusiasm and encouragement I have received from the across the district to…
Pima Animal Care Center is Overflowing, Offering $13 Adoption Special This Weekend Only
On July 4, the center took in 75 animals alone. Just days into their new fiscal year, the Pima Animal Care Center has seen an increase of more than 100 adopted or rescued animals. But with every animal saved, even more are pouring through the door. As of yesterday, the center had seen an increase…
License to Swill
Ask around my neighborhood, and you’ll find few folks railing against soccer or beer. But combining the two, just a short march from their front doors? That they call a problem. Ask me, and I’ll agree. In fact, I joined them in fighting a liquor license for the Maracana Indoor Sports Arena, which sits within…
The Art of Improv
After finishing graduate school at the UA, Justin Lukasewicz moved to North Carolina to work and ended up living near the Dirty South Comedy Theater. It was there his interest in improv grew when he decided to take a class at the theater. It was love and he got to experience firsthand how to run…
Police Dispatch
An affluent young douchebag antagonizes a neighbor … and a man wants alone-time and some pot — and only gets one.
Spidey Shines
Spider-Guy Presented by the Gaslight Theatre 7 p.m., Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday; 6 and 8:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday; 3 and 6 p.m., Sunday, through Sunday, Aug. 25; matinee, 12:30 p.m., Wednesday, July 24 7010 E. Broadway Blvd. $18.50 adults; $16.50 students, military and seniors; $8.50 children 12 and younger Runs about two hours, with…
Editor’s Note
I’m writing this editor’s note from a hotel room on Monday evening while my family sleeps. Since I took over the paper on the first of the year, I haven’t really taken more than a day off (and that might have only been once or twice), so the break is nice, but I’m sure the…
Pedersen on Sports
If you’re like me, most of your Saturdays during the latter half of 2013 have already been booked up, either with attending UA football games or watching them on TV somewhere. Sundays are pretty much taken, too, what with all of those NFL games that must be tracked in order to keep up on one’s…
Mailbag
A reaction to the Loft Cinema’s screening of Team America: World Police.
T Q&A
Zombilly Ray, a local lowbrow artist, jokes that you need to be a Spanish diplomat to get his real name right. It’s long and ethnic, and a lot of people have trouble with it. He uses an unusual moniker as his artist name to keep his personal life separate from his work. People call him…
Media Watch
Jim Parisi goes a new direction … Sherlock and Kerrigan hit the dusty trail … and Lee shows some promise!
Soundbites
Tucson remembers better(?) days … inFest Tucson strikes back! … and more!
The Skinny
The red light and speed camera referendum has legs … the city council campaign funding numbers are in! … and more!
Getting it Right
There will always be debate over which medical cannabis dispensary in Arizona is the best, but there can only ever be a first one—Arizona Organix in Glendale, which opened in December. Since I was passing through Phoenix last week, I decided to stop by and take a look at what the West Valley shop has…
Thundercat: Apocalypse (Brainfeeder)
Nowhere is the 21st-century post-postmodern breakdown of genre barriers more evident than in the positioning of artists like Thundercat and his frequent collaborator/producer Flying Lotus. Apocalypse (like 2011’s The Golden Age of the Apocalypse before it) successfully mingles dance/club music, jazz connoisseurship, ’70s funk, hip-hop, psychedelic soul, prog rock and about a dozen other subgenres…
City Week
This week, we chill with some hot tunes … take in some cowboy art … get mini with it … and join in as Ignite helps us explore our geeky sides.
Shaun Harris x Bell Biv Cousteau: Shock G Calls Me Chris (Self-Released)
Shaun Harris doesn’t really have an agenda. He’s not out to be the best rapper ever just to make a great album. Shock G Calls Me Chris isn’t exactly art for art’s sake; it’s Harris’ musings on whatever for art’s sake. These seven songs play as a series of tweets that are part hilarious, part…
Ask a Mexican!
The Mexican explains love for palm trees … getting touchy about ad copy … the nature of Mexicans haggling … and look-alikes.
Mavis Staples: One True Vine (Anti-)
Like Rick Rubin did with Johnny Cash’s American Recordings series, Jeff Tweedy’s production work for Mavis Staples grabs the true essence of a legendary artist and renders it as vital as ever. And like the best from the Rubin-Cash collaborations, One True Vine comes across as an effortlessly synthesized vision, presenting Staples’ uncompromising gospel-soul voice…
Double Threat
Megafauna with Garboski 9 p.m., Thursday, July 18 Sky Bar 536 N. Fourth Ave. Free 622-4300 skybartucson.com Powerhouse. Shredder. Ax-grinding. Face-melting. Heaviosity. The descriptive praise aimed at Megafauna guitarist Dani Neff is piling up in both the Austin, Texas, music scene and beyond. Add in a lengthy tour and a new album set for October…
Danehy
The coup is almost complete and most o’ y’all slept through it. After two decades of legislative chicanery, malfeasance, incompetence and the misuse of public funds that should have landed several people in prison, we are now being told that the Arizona charter-school “movement” is a success. Except it isn’t. I know, I know, here…
Top Ten in Books
1. The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared Jonas Jonasson ($15.99) 2. Joyland Stephen King ($12.95) 3. Bossypants Tina Fey ($8.99) 4. In the City of Bikes: The Story of the Amsterdam Cyclist Pete Jordan ($15.99) 5. Let’s Pretend This Never Happened: (A Mostly True Memoir) Jenny Lawson ($16) 6. Meditation in…
Live
Saturday night at Che’s Lounge is fun, with a fun band playing fun songs about fun things. But every now and again, you get the wrong band in the wrong bar. The kind of band whose triumphs are tribulations in a party atmosphere. The kind of band that you lose your mind in as opposed…
Embracing Ambiguity
A character in one of Johanna Skibsrud’s recently reprinted, finely rendered short stories develops a fascination with the pointillist painter Paul Signac. “She marveled,” writes Skibsrud, “over the manner in which the small points of color maintained themselves independently of the image they conveyed, while at the same time they gave themselves up to it…
Top Ten in Cinema
1. The Incredible Burt Wonderstone 2. Jack the Giant Slayer 3. The Call 4. Quartet 5. 21 & Over 6. Upside Down 7. 6 Souls 8. Movie 43 9. The Last Exorcism Part II 10. Stoker
Nine Questions
By day a crafter of fine-art wood furniture, Dan Hostetler regularly performs with his band, the Determined Luddites (shockingly, he owns a CD changer!), at the Hotel Congress patio, Monterey Court and nearly every festival in town. He will be playing with his surf band, Big Galoot, on Friday, July 12, at Monterey Court. What…
Still Solid
Dakota Bar & Grill 6541 E. Tanque Verde Road, in Trail Dust Town 298-7188; www.dakotabarandgrilltucson.com Open 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Sunday and Monday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday Pluses: Beautiful patio Minuses: Inconsistent food temperature The Dakota Bar & Grill opened its doors…
Top Ten in Music
1. J. Cole Born Sinner 2. Daft Punk Random Access Memories 3. Amon Amarth Deceiver of the Gods 4. Black Sabbath 13 5. Wale The Gifted 6. Kanye West Yeezus 7. Filter The Sun Comes Out Tonight 8. Transplants In a War Zone 9. Queens of the Stone Age … Like Clockwork 10. Queensrÿche Queensrÿche
Worst Western Ever?
At one point during its journey to the screen, the people at Disney halted production on The Lone Ranger because it was costing too much and they weren’t sure a Western-themed summer tent-pole movie was a good idea. Then, they caved into the likes of Johnny Depp and director Gore Verbinski, producing it for a…
Noshing Around
RA Sushi raises money for the Granite Mountain Hotshots … we look forward to July’s beer dinners … Enoteca says goodbye … and Rincon Market’s closed for repairs.
It’s All About Gru
The criminal mastermind known only as Gru is a great movie character. To Steve Carell’s credit, he’s presented well both in the original Despicable Me and its new sequel. It may have begun the way a lot of things do in the world of digital animation (Despicable Me is a Universal product; Universal is related…
True TV
You Should Watch It Orange Is the New Black Thursday, July 11 (Netflix) Series Debut: Made it through all of those new Arrested Development episodes yet? No? You’ve had more than a month! Here’s another one to add to the queue: Orange Is the New Black is the latest from Weeds’ creator Jenji Kohan, about…
Troubled Environment
Last week, the Sierra Club’s Grand Canyon chapter released a report card on the recently completed legislative session. The bipartisan agreement on the state budget and the expansion of Medicaid did not extend to the environment for the most part. Southern Arizona Democratic lawmakers earned A’s or A-pluses on the report card, while Southern Arizona…
Finding Beauty in Asphalt
Claire Harlan: Grandscapes 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, through Friday, Aug. 30 Free Joseph Gross Gallery, in the UA arts complex, 1031 N. Olive Road 626-4215; web.cfa.arizona.edu/galleries/ When has anyone ever found beauty in El Con Mall? Until now, probably never. The shopping center is a dispiriting collection of cheap-junk commercial structures…
Large, Strong Unemployed Men of Tucson, We’ve Found Work For You
Strongmen of Tucson, we all know it can be hard out there for large, powerfully-built individuals to find work that involves picking heavy things up and putting them down. But we’ve got a solution for you, friends — and as always, Craigslist has saved the day, giving you the opportunity to toss a grown man…
