Cover Story
Community Over Cocktails
It’s 1 p.m. on a weekday afternoon, and Tom Novakowski is doing what he’s done almost every day for the past 40 years—tending bar. More specifically, he’s tending a gay bar. Away from the glare of the summer sun, IBT’s on Fourth Avenue offers a dark, cool respite. Novakowski stands behind the club’s bar with…
Grandpa’s a Smart Guy
Of the varying degrees of a student’s dedication to their education, none compare to 71-year-old Michael Nicholson, who’s dedicated over 50 years to furthering his education and thus receiving 29 degrees. And no, that is not a typo. This Michigan resident is one degree short of 30. What a feat right? The article, which is…
RIP, “Life in Hell”
Matt Groening’s “Life in Hell,” a comic that has appeared in the Tucson Weekly for a very long time, wrapped up its run of new strips last week, followed by four weeks of “greatest hits” starting with tomorrow’s issue, before disappearing from our pages (and those of other papers): The last “Life in Hell,” Groening’s…
Someone Gonna Fall For This: Hot Slots Edition
Like any good scam, the trick is finding a large pocket of gullible marks that are ripe to be preyed upon. What better place to start than at the casino? On my most recent trip to Casino del Sol — hey, I have weaknesses; don’t judge me — my peripheral vision caught site of a…
National Gas Price Average Below $3.50, Hallelujah!
By chance, I was watching Good Morning America yesterday and learned something interesting and exciting about gas prices. I’m sure everyone’s noticed the sudden reduction in prices. At the Shell gas station nearest to my house, I saw it go down to $3.45 from $3.49 from last weekend. Apparently, we aren’t the only place in…
Wildcats Taking Over College World Series
Photo courtesy Arizona Athletics This past year I have recently become a huge baseball fan. I would say it is perfect timing now that the University of Arizona Wildcats are playing extremely well in the College World Series. The series is being held at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Nebraska and the Wildcats are definitely…
Talking Comics: Grifter #9 Edition
This week, Eric and Arnie (with a guest appearance by talking Thor) discuss Grifter (and Hawkman, briefly) and his battle against racist aliens. There’s also a spectacular Joe Arpaio reference.
Jon Justice Joins Our Quest for a Response From Al Melvin
Today is day two of the #melvinmediawatch, as we seek to find out whether Sen. Al Melvin recommends reading the Tucson Weekly or not. Thanks go out to popular radio show host/Depeche Mode superfan Jon Justice for joining in the movement: There’s still time to help! Tweet Al Melvin (@senatormelvin) and ask him to determine…
OMG OMG OMG!!! THE TEENS ARE SAFE!!!
As medical marijuana laws roll across the nation in a huge wave of compassion and choice (there are more than a dozen states considering it), there always seems to be a corresponding wave of OMG THE TEENS!!! WHAT WILL WE DO ABOUT THE TEENS???? THEY’RE GOING TO SMOKE MORE POT!!! OMGOMGOMG THE TEENS!!! It verges…
Wilco Are Coming to Town
Perhaps this is news best conveyed by Jim Nintzel, since the band provided the name for his dog, but I beat him to it, so there. Wilco are coming back to town, this time playing the TCC Music Hall, with the legendary Jonathan Richman opening on September 19th. Tickets go on sale Friday via Ticketmaster.…
A Band We Like From Tempe Have a New Video
Thanks to director Trevvor Riley for sending the latest video from Dry River Yacht Club, a band from Tempe that seem to positively recognize that there are a number of potential fans down here, playing Tucson relatively frequently. For more info on the band, check out Gene Armstrong’s feature from earlier this year.
Have You Tried Joel’s Bistro?
Since it is the summer time, things have started to slow down and I have gotten in that rut of going to the same restaurants over and over again. So I wanted to try something new. I discovered Joel’s Bistro while walking along University Blvd. and thought I would try it out with a couple…
Let’s Watch an Ugly Semi-Anonymous Attack Ad
Secure Arizona PAC is an organization so deeply committed to Arizona’s well being that it’s located in Kansas City, Missouri, with a listed treasurer who also ran a political action committee fighting to preserve payday lending in that state. Now, they’re buying ads in the Republican primary for Arizona’s Senate seat currently held by Jon…
Writer’s Block: Jeff Sambur
Local author Jeff Sambur recently won a gold medal in the travel essays category at the Independent Publishing Awards for his book Destroying Demons on the Diagonal. ($13.95, 334 pages) It is about “a firefighter’s San Diego to Maine bicycle ride into retirement.” Some interesting facts about his ride: He biked 6,518 miles; passed through…
Who Wants Some Diamondbacks Tickets for Tonight?
This could be your view, although with more people around WE HAVE A WINNER! Thanks for participating, both of you. I have four tickets to the Diamondbacks game tonight to give away to a lucky Range reader. Two problems: 1. The game is tonight, so you’d need to pick up the tickets from our offices…
Stone Quits From McSally Campaign in Wake of Damaging Allegations
Republican Martha McSally, who hopes to unseat the newly elected Democrat Ron Barber in Congressional District 2 in November, has announced that her communications director, Sam Stone, is no longer with the campaign. McSally’s statement: Members of my campaign team are representatives of who I am, what I stand for and why I am running…
Let’s Listen to Noosa
I heard about Noosa, the band, not the yogurt, a few days ago from a friend and because of the nature of life, I quickly forgot about them. But while looking for some new music to listen to this afternoon, I rediscovered the Big Apple-based duo and am glad that I did. The group is…
Can You Help Us Find Out If Al Melvin Likes the Weekly?
#azright Pls do not read the STAR & REPUBLIC. Pls read the AZ Daily Independent & SOAZNEWSX. Both are conservative & online. Pls subscribe!! — Al Melvin (@SenatorMelvin) June 17, 2012 Senator Al Melvin was giving out media advice yesterday, but we couldn’t help but notice that the Tucson Weekly fell neither into the “do…
Hopped Up Has a New Episode
The guys from the Hopped Up series have their second video online, this time visiting with Grant Krueger and company at Union Public House. While I shook my head a little bit after Krueger’s answer to the question of which person, alive or dead, he’d most like to have a beer with, I definitely appreciate…
Writer’s Block: Robert Bonville
Local author Robert Bonville has published a historical novel entitled Voyages of Malolo: Secret of the Rongo. (578 pages, $21.95) The novel tells the story of Polynesian navigators and their journey across the Pacific on the great seagoing canoe Malolo. Bonville says the tale is fiction but based on archaeological and anthropological evidence as well…
“Fifty Shades of Grey” Saves the Philadelphia Economy
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy Based on my deeply scientific analysis at several airport bookstores, the Fifty Shades of Grey series isn’t going away anytime soon, so perhaps Tucson hardware stores should have someone working the rope station, complete with advice like one Philadelphia shop owner provides to…
Hey, Teachers! PBS Wants to Help You Out!
Watch Introducing PBS LearningMedia on PBS. See more from pbs. I recently received a press release about the new PBS LearningMedia® service, claimed to help increase student achievement. I wondered what subjects are available in this free database and visited the site. It’s pretty amazing. Check it out here. You can search a wide variety…
Apparently, Aaron Sorkin’s “The Newsroom” Sucks
I had mixed feelings about The Newsroom, which premieres this Sunday night on HBO. It’s on HBO, so I feel like I have to give it a shot, but I also invested far too much of my life into Aaron Sorkin’s last look into the world of television, the sanctimonious and not at all funny…
Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers Is Opening an Eastside Location
Frozen custard and big, meaty, fast-food style hamburgers? Tucson loves ’em. This has been proven by the unequivocal success of both Culver’s locations that opened in recent years and the steady stream of customers found at Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers at 3725 W. Orange Grove Road, in Marana. Freddy’s is now readying to open…
Skipping the Breakfast Test: Underwear Party
Photograph by Keith Perfetti Photographs by Keith Perfetti Tucson came out in skivvies, celebrating the summer almost in the full monty. Thank goodness it wasn’t raining. Keith Perfetti Keith Perfetti Keith Perfetti Keith Perfetti Keith Perfetti
Let’s Watch Some Old Footage of Tucson
Thanks to Arizona Theatre Company for pointing out this YouTube clip from the LG Wolf Company showing the groundbreaking and some of the construction of the Temple of Music and Art in 1927. Be sure to turn the sound off however, since it’s it’s the sound of the film spooling which gets really irritating after…
Now That the Underwear Party Has Come and Gone, It’s Time for Yacht Rock
I was playing some records outside on the Hotel Congress patio on Saturday with Dave, so I got a glimpse of the Underwear Party action happening inside. It was a bit surprising to me how many people were ready to get down to their underwear — men and women, across the size spectrum — which…
Political Roundtable: Immigration Politics, Barber Beats Kelly, Upcoming Congressional Races & More!
Congressman Raul Grijalva stopped by Arizona Illustrated’s Political Roundtable to talk about President Barack Obama’s new immigration policy and Pima County Democratic Party chairman Jeff Rogers, Tucson Tea Party founder Trent Humphries and former state lawmaker Pete Hershberger talk about immigration politics, Ron Barber’s victory over Republican Jesse Kelly, the upcoming congressional races in Southern…
Your Opportunity to Openly Mock Dan Gibson’s Musical Taste Is Saturday Night
For some reason, Dave Slutes, entertainment director of Hotel Congress, is allowing me to spin records (and also whatever the digital equivalent of that is, click files?) this Saturday night on the hotel’s patio, so if you’d like to hear the strange collision of my musical tastes (Early hip-hop! Early 80’s new wave! 60’s soul!…
CD8: The Calexico Bump
In all the post-election analysis of Democrat Ron Barber’s 7-percentage-point victory over Republican Jesse Kelly, one important factor has been overlooked: The Calexico Bump. Calexico has done concerts for Gabby Giffords in 2008 and 2010—and in both races. Giffords came out on top. They performed at a get-out-the-vote rally and concert for Barber last Saturday,…
Conan O’Brien Sends the Nice Guy From “30 Rock” to Weiner’s Circle
While 30 Rock’s Jack McBrayer has a predictably terrible time at Chicago’s house of hot dogs and obscenity, Weiner’s Circle, thankfully he has a friend to bring along as back up.
Obama’s DREAM Act Light: Reaction
Reaction from across the political spectrum on the Obama administration’s new policy regarding young people who have entered the country without going through the proper immigration channels: Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer calls it an “outrage”: It doesn’t take a cynic to recognize this action for what it is: blatant political pandering by a president desperate…
Political Roundtable Tonight: CD8 Post Mortem, an Advance Look at CD2 and CD3 & a Visit From Congressman Grijalva
Tonight on Arizona Illustrated’s Political Roundtable: Congressman Raul Grijalva stops by to talk about President Barack Obama’s new immigration policy. Plus, our panelists—Tucson Tea Party founder Trent Humphries, former state lawmaker Pete Hershberger and Pima County Democratic Party chairman Jeff Rogers—weigh in on immigration politics, Ron Barber’s victory over Jesse Kelly in the special congressional…
El Casino Kickstarter Needs Your Support
Daniel Buckley began a Kickstarter project last week to help support the final push for a documentary project on El Casino Ballroom, which will premiere in August at the Tucson Fox Theatre. In March 2010, I went to the El Cine Plaza series at the Fox to watch great old movies my mother watched at…
DREAM Policy Beautiful: Don’t Forget Giberto Avila Santos
A press conference takes place today with local DREAMers and advocates, 5 p.m. at the John Valenzuela Youth Center, 1550 S. 6th Avenue, South Tucson from ScholarshipsA-Z. It’s a chance to welcome President Obama’s policy shift, but also a reminder that the local fight continues for Giberto Avila Santos, a DREAMer taken into custody yesterday:…
Happy Birthday to the GIF!
Despite their rampant overuse during the early days of the visual web, the internet is a far better place these days because of the simple genius of the GIF, invented 25 years ago today: The modern-day GIF was introduced to the world 25 years ago today by Steve Wilhite as a more versatile alternative to…
Tom Prezelski Has a Kickstarter
Former Arizona legislator and all-around nice guy Tom Prezelski is raising money on Kickstarter to finish his quite-cleverly-titled book on a bit of Mexican-American history during the Civil War, Knights of Woeful Countenance: 1st Battalion of Native Cavalry, California Volunteers, 1863-1866: The current political dogma is based on the premise that Mexican-Americans are a new…
Usher Has A Hipster Streak
Whatever you think of Usher’s music, you can’t deny that the man is talented. He dances, he sings, he … he plays the bass?! And likes Foster the People!? My world just turned upside down. I’m used to seeing the R&B star show off his vocal skills and tear it up on the dance floor,…
Barack Obama’s New Immigration Policy Sounds Dream Act-Like
Well, if you think there’s not much of a difference between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, this should create some separation between the two, especially concerning immigration policy: Hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants who came to the United States as children will be able to obtain work permits and be safe from deportation under…
This Week in Tucson Bicycling
View UA Bike/Ped improvement suggestions in a larger map The University of Arizona’s bike and pedestrian plan was released in draft form this week. Check out the suggestions including eliminating two lanes of traffic on Sixth Street. Bikes and fashion collide at a free screening of the Bill Cunningham documentary on Saturday. Check out the…
Let’s Celebrate the Anniversary of the “Nice Game, Pretty Boy” Incident
Today is the 25th anniversary of the (fictional) Mets/Phillies game that led to an incident between Kramer, Newman, Keith Hernandez and (as it was later discovered) Roger McDowell.
Poor Tom: State Can’t Intervene in TUSD Deseg Case
According to a press release today from the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF), state Attorney General Tom Horne can’t get involved in the Tucson Unified School Desegregation case which has a strong chance of bringing Mexican-American studies back to TUSD. The press release is below the cut: JUDGE BARS STATE INTERVENTION IN…
There’s a New Berry In Town
Heard of the Pichuberry? I hadn’t either until I ran into my old friend Keith Green the other day and he handed me a couple of the unique South American berries. It looks like a tomatillo due to its green papery husk, but it tastes sweet and berry-like. The flavor does not really compare to…
Why Jesse Kelly Is Packing It In
We can’t say we’re terribly surprised to learn today that Jesse Kelly will not running in Congressional District 2 later this year after losing to Democrat Ron Barber by nearly 7 percentage points. Sure, Kelly said he was “absolutely” going to stay in the race before the election, but Kelly said many things during the…
The Guy Leading the U.S. Open Is From Tucson. For Reals.
After seeing a few tweets about Tiger Woods today, I decided to flip over to Yahoo to see who was atop the leaderboard for the U.S. Open golf tournament in San Francisco. Then I had a major flashback to my days covering prep sports in this town. Former Rincon/University High School standout Michael Thompson shot…
Why Do We Care About Mug Shots?
The mugshot slideshow at azstarnet.com Nearly every news website looking for easy clicks seems to throw up a bunch of local mugshots, the Arizona Daily Star included, but why do we care about seeing our fellow Tucsonans at their worst moment, innocent or guilty? The New Yorker has an interesting article about the sociology of…
We Need to Have a ‘Best Burger on the Avenue’ Competition
Every couple years I sit down with Dave Carroll, the kitchen manager at Surly Wench Pub, to sip Jaegermeister and Pabst and wax philosophical about life. He’s always got his finger on the pulse of what’s happening Downtown and his varied work history at different restaurants down there gives him a unique perspective on the…
The Iron Chef Tucson Culinary Weekend Cometh
Allen Yap of OM Modern Asian Kitchen will try to dethrone reigning champion Ryan Clark of the restaurant at Lodge on the Desert at this year’s Iron Chef Tucson Culinary Weekend event. The competition, to be held during the Culinary Weekend taking place at Loews Ventana Canyon, will unfold just like the fast-paced television show.…
Happy Birthday to Disneyland’s Monorail
Happy 53rd birthday to the Disneyland Monorail, which was the first daily operating monorail system in the Western Hemisphere and the launch of the primary transportation for Americans today a future punchline on The Simpsons. I blame Nixon, who was on hand as vice president to dedicate the monorail, as seen in the video above.
You Should Go See Aeroplane Tonight
If you enjoy dancing, you should head to Club Congress tonight for Opti Club’s Summer Party, featuring Belgian producer/remixer Aeroplane. He generally releases a monthly mix on Soundcloud (although the last one was in May, but they’re free, so who can complain?) that gives the listener a sense of his disco-influenced take on music. Plus,…
Media Watch
Warren Buffett buys a piece of the Star; Schuster’s summer road-trip radio roundup
Top Ten in Movies
1. Safe House Universal 2. John Carter Disney 3. Act of Valor Relativity 4. The Grey Universal 5. This Means War 20th Century Fox 6. Journey 2: The Mysterious Island New Line 7. Man on a Ledge Summit 8. The Secret World of Arrietty Buena Vista 9. Chronicle 20th Century Fox 10. Coriolanus Anchor Bay
Treated Like Cattle
From their world of shadows, the women step only briefly into the light. With gestures universally understood, they beckon southside drivers late on a Friday night, seeking out the wayward and lonely. These prostitutes inhabit an underworld where human beings are trafficked like cattle, recruited from impoverished countries and brought here with the promise of…
A Friendship Forged
During an impromptu job interview, Philippe (François Cluzet) asks Driss (Omar Sy) if he knows Vivaldi. That the younger man is not familiar with the composer is no surprise; Driss appears streetwise, perhaps, but as a North African refugee trying to get ahead in Paris, his appreciation of the classics is somewhat stunted. He does…
Police Dispatch
Shining a light; Fake money
Now Showing at Home
Wanderlust (Blu-ray) UNIVERSAL MOVIE B SPECIAL FEATURES A BLU-RAY GEEK FACTOR 8.25 (OUT OF 10) Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston star in writer/director David Wain’s comedy about the perils of dropping out of society to live in a commune. The movie tanked at the box office, which is a shame, considering that it is funnier…
Burrows Without Borders
The Arizona Game and Fish Department took 60 prairie dogs out of northern Mexico last year for release into Southern Arizona—but Mexican conservationists say they didn’t have the prairie dogs to spare. Conservationists at the nonprofit organization Naturalia wanted to boost the prairie-dog population in Sonora by relocating prairie dogs to a new colony, forcing…
Raw Confusion
I have been reviewing restaurants for well more than a decade, and in all of those years, I have never seen a restaurant that’s as bad at conveying basic information to its customers as Azian is. Azian started offering sushi, Korean barbecue and a few other things at the former Sushi Garden spot at Alvernon…
Editor’s Note
I had just turned on my smartphone last Wednesday after landing in Detroit, the site of the Association of Alternative Newsmedia’s annual convention. The subject of one of the 50 or so emails downloading to my phone immediately caught my eye. It was from Irene, the assistant editor, and the subject was “Typo on front…
Fashion Meets Cycling
“Greener is better” is a popular motto these days. There are hundreds of different changes people can make to save energy, from solar panels to low-energy light bulbs to low-flow toilets to re-using grocery bags—to riding a bike instead of driving. So what could be better than riding your bike on a summer evening—perhaps while…
Noshing Around
Noel Patterson will return; New restaurants; Say goodbye to a few places
Danehy
Some 2,513 insane people (and I) paid American money to sit in the midday sun in Tucson on a weekday in June to watch a baseball game. It’s truly amazing, seeing as how I hadn’t spent money (American or otherwise) to watch a baseball game since the infamous Major League Baseball strike of 1994. I…
City Week
Leftist laughery; Cartoons and the blues; Take that, Harry Potter!; The circus is in town
Going Organic
A good metaphor for describing the Cave Singers would be something along the lines of an iris growing among thistles. Or maybe a really beautiful sweater knit out of rope. Pete Quirk and Derek Fudesco, the founding members of Seattle’s the Cave Singers, were in very different bands before forming the Cave Singers. Fudesco was…
Gargulinski
A new F-word has been kicking around since the recession hit. It’s called foreclosure. But there is a way to beat it: It’s called a mortgage modification. It can work as long as you have patience and stamina—and somewhere to live in case the whole mess backfires. And the modification process can be a mess,…
TQ&A
In 2005, Habitat for Humanity Tucson did its first Rainbow Build, working with a coalition of LGBT organizations and volunteers to build a house. This year, the Rainbow Build returned, with the stipulation that the home go to an LGBT family. David and George Ruder and their 3-year-old daughter, Mariana, were selected. The build started…
Top Ten in Music
1. Henry and Glenn Forever and Ever (book) Igloo Tornado (Microcosm) 2. Make a Zine! When Words and Graphics Collide (book) Joe Biel, Microcosm 3. Pangea Living Dummy (Burger) 4. Alice Bag Violence Girl 7″ EP (Artifix) 5. The Bags All Bagged Up: The Collected Works 1977-1980 (Artifix) 6. Blood Spasm Greatest Hits, Vol. 2…
Mailbag
Thinking about the Yaquis and the border; Saving the Weekly time and money; Reconsidering the modern streetcar
Gentle Farce
The Comedy Playhouse is located at the corner of First Avenue and Prince Road, in a small, partially deserted shopping plaza. Inside the theater, however, you’ll find yourself in a surprisingly homey little space. Currently, the stage is set up like a turn-of-the-century drawing room for the latest production, A.E. Thomas’ 1908 comedy Her Husband’s…
That Outlaw Spirit
Honky-tonk singer-songwriter J.P. Harris was doing some side-of-the-road repairs to his band’s van when we connected with him via cell phone last week outside of Austin. “Yeah, I was just drilling and clamping some stuff on the van,” Harris says with a chuckle. “Gotta keep everything running. I guess I’m kind of in charge of…
Guest Commentary
“Social promotion,” in education, refers to passing students from grade to grade with little regard for their academic performance. President Bill Clinton wrote in 1998, “If we are going to go strong into the 21st century, we must continue to expand opportunity for all of our people. … That is why I have fought for…
Rickety Rabbit
You see him, don’t you? The tall rabbit that Elwood P. Dowd calls Harvey? His friend, his confidant? No? Well, don’t beat yourself up about it. Neither can a lot of folks. Then again, don’t go trying to deny his existence just because you can’t see him. Or call Elwood crazy for acknowledging his companion…
Soundbites
It’s getting hot in Tucson, so take off most of your clothes; Bands that do fun things; Old people play music!
The Dems Hold On
Democrat Ron Barber held a commanding lead over Republican Jesse Kelly in Tuesday’s special election to complete the term of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. As of 10:15 p.m. on Tuesday night, the former Giffords aide led her former political nemesis by more than 13,500 votes (with 304 of 352 precincts fully reporting), with Barber getting 52.3…
Distilled Aesthetic Essence!
The mercury has already shot up to 107 degrees. Dry winds are blowing, and wildfires are burning. That means one thing, at least to me: It’s time for the Sizeys contest at Small Things Considered: The 20th Small Works Invitational at Davis Dominguez Gallery. This lively assemblage, exhibiting tiny artworks packed with color and cool,…
Live
The T-shirts said “A Moment of Loudness.” Iron Maiden played as the house music. And in the onstage collage of enlarged photos memorializing Ernie Gardner, there was one of a grade-school-age Ernie in an Iron Maiden shirt. Friends and family gathered at Club Congress to celebrate the life of Gardner, a longtime drummer who died…
Weekly Wide Web
I spent a few days in Detroit last week at the Association of Alternative Newsmedia’s annual convention, trying to learn from other papers of our ilk, and various journalism and online experts. Hopefully, over the next year, you’ll see some new things online as a result of tips I got at the event, but one…
Tony Treats
Ever since opening its doors in 1995, Miraval Resort and Spa has won accolades from tony travel sites and publications. Condé Nast Traveler listed it on its Gold List 2012, and it was voted the No. 4 Best Destination Spa in the Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards in 2011. Everything about Miraval—the setting, the…
Nine Questions
Oliver Ray thinks Tucson is the greatest city in the United States. He grew up in New York City and moved here with his daughter, Olivia, in 2008. He joined Patti Smith’s band in 1995 and wrote songs with her until moving to Guatemala in 2005. He opened Café Aqui on South Sixth Avenue in…
Top Ten in Books
1. Damascus Joshua Mohr, Two Dollar Radio ($16) 2. The Watery Part of the World Michael Parker, Algonquin ($13.95) 3. Shame the Devil Debra Brenegan, State University of New York ($24.95) 4. The Russian Dreambook of Color and Flight Gina Ochsner, Mariner ($14.95) 5. Shavetail Thomas Cobb, Berkley ($15) 6. Sancta Andrew Grace, Ahsahta ($17.50)…
Collin Shook Trio: Derivatives (Self-released)
Derivatives, the debut album from the Collin Shook Trio, is 53 minutes of technically skilled and vividly expressive jazz. Pianist Shook, bassist Dylan DeRobertis and drummer Matt Pirc have crafted a record that honestly acknowledges its host of influences while breathing new life into jazz with an ever-shifting batch of original compositions. Recorded live in…
Way Out West: Saddle Sore Blues (Blue Bhikku)
It seems like it was decades before anyone outside of the genre was able to take country-and-Western music seriously. And so it is with cowboy-and-Western music, steeped in a tradition too often laced with the clichés of a life out on the range. But for more than a decade, Tucson’s Way Out West has distinguished…
Ready Your Rainbow Suspenders
If you were a creative Tucson nonprofit, what kind of fundraiser might you decide to host? A gala dinner? An art auction? A 5k run? Or maybe … a Big Gay Scavenger Hunt? The Big Gay Scavenger Hunt is the brainchild of Tucson Pride, a local group focused on LGBT issues. Tucson Pride is famous…
Evans the Death: Evans the Death (Slumberland)
The debut album by Evans the Death may not be the most-innovative record released this year, but it’s one of the most exciting. This is music that’s kinetic and alive, a synthesis of influences rather than a series of references that just lie there on the floor. You can’t help but think of the Smiths…
An Open Letter Regarding Tucson Pride
Based on feedback from our community, the members of Tucson Pride have learned that we need to be more open in communicating with you. I hope that this letter will open the door a little to the workings of your Tucson Pride board. In 2009, when the economy suffered a downturn, Tucson Pride events suffered…
Effective Treatment
Across the nation, numerous states are considering medical-marijuana laws with a mixed bag of choices on how they address post-traumatic stress disorder. Connecticut just passed a law that includes it as a qualifying illness, while bills pending in Illinois and Indiana don’t include it. In Arizona, the law does not cover the treatment of PTSD.…
The Skinny
Gabby Giffords comes home for a visit … Two Rio Nuevo board members get the ax … A few changes in this year’s election lineup … and so much more!
Hair-Rock Heaven
With his scaling of the tallest building in the world for last year’s Mission: Impossible—Ghost Protocol, and now his crazy-good turn as singer Stacee Jaxx in movie-musical Rock of Ages, Tom Cruise has transformed himself into Hollywood’s greatest stuntman. It took big nuts to propel himself off of the Burj Khalifa tower in that harrowing,…
Ask a Mexican!
Dear Mexican: I’m in this country illegally, but I have a current passport from the country I am from, and I have an international driver’s license. I could not renew my California driver’s license after my travel visa expired. Occasionally, I fly commercially within the U.S., and these docs are always sufficient. I wish to…
Maybe It’s Time for Maureen Dowd to Go Away
I’ve never really understood the appeal of New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd – I think she generally relies on broad caricatures and reduces complex issues into celebrity gossip – but her column today, which mysteriously includes a “joke” of sorts in a discussion of child rape, might be a step too far: Standing a…
