Cover Story
Off-The-Charts Poor
If poverty were a disease, Pima County officials would have declared an epidemic by now. In the past few years, local poverty has literally gone off of a chart compiled by the Pima Association of Governments. Yet elected officials, other local leaders and the media do not appear interested in the fact that Tucson recently…
Now Showing: William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe
The Library’s summer series of free movie screenings continues with Himmel Library showing William Kunstler: Disturbing the Universe, a film about the famous and controversial attorney, Monday, July 11, at 6 p.m.
Artistic Range: Philabaum & Phriends
“Blue Buddha” by Susan Gott is on display in Philabaum and Phriends, continuing through July 2, at Philabaum Glass Gallery & Studio, through Sept. 30, at Philabam Glass Gallery & Studio, 711 S. 6th Ave.
More Local Brew: Catalina Brewing Company
We thought three new brewing operations starting up this year was impressive, but now there’s a fourth: Catalina Brewing Company. This company is all about the bikes and the brew, and will even brew a beer for the annual 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo mountain-bike race. The cherry beer sounds awesome, too.
Another Thing For James Franco To Put On His Resume
When I think of all of James Franco’s crappy attempts accomplishments, I get a headache: an MFA, two PhDs, hosting the Oscars, playing himself on TV and in movies, and now a music video? If you’ll notice, though, he’s not even singing. He’s just being James Franco once again. Here’s what Vulture has to say…
Twenty-Five Years Ago in the Tucson Weekly: “Dungeons and Dragons: Playing With Fire?”
From the June 25-July 1, 1986, edition of the Tucson Weekly: “Dungeons and Dragons: Playing With Fire?” “Many of the fantasy and role-playing games are smack in the middle of the occult, and that’s the truth,” says Jack Gracie. Gracie is the spokesman for Tucson’s Christian Awareness Fellowship, a “non-profit interdenominational Christian group primarily devoted…
The New “Mission: Impossible” Might Be Good
Somehow I missed that there was a third Mission: Impossible film, which is strange since I usually don’t have much going on other than seeing movies about technology happy spies, but now that there’s a fourth installment hitting theaters this winter that actually looks entertaining, maybe I’ll go back and catch up. Stuff exploding! Fancy…
The Food Truck Diaries, Volume 17: Whatachon
Whatachon is a little food trailer at 1337 W. Prince Road, near the intersection of Prince and Flowing Wells roads. It serves some of the better roadside tortas, tacos and caramelos we’ve found; the prices are super-low; and the guys who run it are just plain nice people. It was proposed to me recently that…
Wild West Mock Gunfight Shoots Real Bullets, Pervert Hangs out in Yoga Fest’s Portable Toilet Tank and More: Rynski Radio at Party934
Update with playlist and download at bottom of post Photo Ryn Gargulinski Perhaps the Dakota Wild Bunch didn’t get the memo. Tucson has its share of Old West re-enactments — but we tend not to use real bullets like a re-enactor did in South Dakota. While The Associated Press report did not note if the…
Single Malt Scotch Gelato Bar: Great Idea or Greatest Idea?
One note and one question: Note: If someone starts selling bourbon paletas in town, I will buy a case. I like to drink American, after all.Question: How early can one legitimately eat booze related frozen desserts and not be a drunk? [HT: Laughing Squid]
Another Person Who Won’t Be Tucson’s Next Mayor
I applaud anyone willing to run for mayor. While the pay is pretty good for a job in this town (am I right?), this might not be the time to try to take the reins, with Rio Nuevo prosecutions still a possibility and the general malaise of the economy a likely issue for some time.…
Those Cirque du Soleil People Are Showoffs
We get it, dude. You guys wear weird costumes and do flips. Just throw the damn ball and stop making the rest of us look bad.
Artistic Range: Lee Friedlander at Etherton Gallery
“Galax, Virginia,” by Lee Friedlander, is on display in Masters of American Photography, continuing through Aug. 27 at Etherton Gallery, 135 S. Sixth Ave.
What Does Tucson Have to Do to Get Pro Bowling Back?
The Pro Bowling Association announced their 2011-2012 schedule today, and while it includes stops in Columbus, Ohio and Indianapolis, Tucson is still notably absent, as it has been since 2004, even though it seems like anyone in their right mind would rather be here than Allen Park, Michigan in early February. It’s obvious that professional…
Historic Sign Ordinance Meeting Tonight
Dave Devine wrote about the Historic Sign Ordinance debate in last Thursday’s issue: Two years ago, when the City Council began discussing the preservation of Tucson’s historic signs, the focus was on “restoration, adaptive reuse, and relocation.” Today, a proposed ordinance would also allow exact replicas of signs in place prior to 1961. “We lost…
If You Like Movies…I Mean If You Really Like Movies
I personally have really good intentions about seeing movies in the theater (Tree of Life, for example, which I really want to see, but I’m sure I’ll end up missing), but there was a time period when I worked nights that I would just go see movies to get out of the house in the…
Giffords’ Office Hosts Debt-Reduction Town Hall with Concord Coalition
The clock is running out on the opportunity to raise the nation’s debt ceiling—and even GOP economists are warning that allowing the U.S. to default on its debt could have devastating consequences for the economy. As we reported last week, Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl was the last Republican to walk out of debt-reduction talks with…
Our Weekly View From Mars
Let’s take a virtual trip to Mars courtesy of the UA Lunar and Planetary Lab’s HiRISE camera aboard the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Here’s a shot of Opal Deposits near the Valle Martineris. The marble swirls on this thing remind me of Rocky Road ice cream, and suddenly I’m hungry: The compositional diversity of Mars was…
Did You Buy Rice Krispies in Late 2009? Get Your $5
Rice Krispies was marketed for awhile as being full of antioxidants and apparently that was a problem, so now Kellogg’s is paying off $2.5 million in a settlement. So, if you purchased Rice Krispies (or the sickeningly sweet Cocoa Krispies) between June 1, 2009 and March 1, 2010 and are willing to attest to that…
Rep. Giffords Appears at NASA Event
From Space.com: Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords made her first public appearance since January Monday evening (June 28), showing up unannounced at a public event honoring her astronaut husband and his space shuttle crewmates. Giffords and her husband Mark Kelly attended the public NASA ceremony for the crew of the shuttle Endeavour’s final mission STS-134, a flight…
Ryan Clark Wins Iron Chef Tucson 2011
Ryan Clark, the executive chef of Lodge on the Desert, is the new Iron Chef Tucson. Clark beat Steven Schultz of Red Sky in Luna Bella at this weekend’s Iron Chef Tucson competition at Loews Ventana Canyon Resort. Let’s go over a few factoids about Clark, shall we? The man is in his mid-20s and…
Trailer for “Brave” Might Help You Forget “Cars 2”
You’ll have to wait a little less than a year, but it looks like Pixar gets back on track with the fairy tale Brave in 2012. To be honest, I’m just happy Larry the Cable Guy isn’t involved.
New: Three and a Half Brothers Café
A new restaurant called Three and a Half Brothers Café has opened in the old Sanchez Burrito Company building at 2530 N. First Ave. I took a quick look at the menu, and it’s all-American fare, with breakfast served all day. “You can sleep in and come on in here, and we’re not gonna say,…
Artistic Range: Tom Philabaum at Philabaum Glass Gallery & Studio
“Harvest,” by Tom Philabaum, is on display in Philabaum and Phriends from July 2 through Sept. 30 at Philabam Glass Gallery & Studio, 711 S. Sixth Ave.
Sen. Russell Pearce Cheers Demise of Matching Funds for Clean Elections, Even Though He Took the Maximum Amount in 2008 Campaign
Arizona Senate President Russell Pearce cheers the U.S. Supreme Court decision to get rid of matching funds: “The U.S. Supreme Court this morning ruled the matching funds provision of Arizona’s taxpayer-funded campaign finance system unconstitutional. This is a victory for Arizona and a victory for free speech. The Court rightly found that matching funds illegally…
Congressman Grijalva Calls Supreme Court Ruling on Clean Elections “A Troubling Sign That Wealth Now Decides How Much Free Speech You Get.”
Congressman Raul Grijalva reacts to the Supreme Court decision knocking down matching funds for Arizona’s Clean Elections candidates: The Supreme Court earlier today struck down a major portion of Arizona’s campaign finance law granting public funds to candidates whose privately funded opponents spend more than a certain amount during the course of the campaign. Rep.…
Yeardley Smith Ruins My Day
I was happier thinking it really was Michael Jackson playing a mental patient playing Michael Jackson, thank you very much: Michael Jackson hand-picked an MJ voice impersonator to sing the famous “Happy Birthday Lisa” song featured on “The Simpsons” back in 1991 … this according to Lisa herself, Yeardley Smith. Smith was outside the Red…
Today in Fascinating Accidental Reunions
Not the sort of thing that happens all the time, I imagine: Two women meet in a retirement home, find out that they used to be secret operatives together during World War II.
Bill Clinton: Huge “My Little Pony” Fan
Who knew that former President Bill Clinton was such an authority on My Little Pony, going three for three on NPR’s Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me this weekend? I don’t want to think how he acquired this information, but he does share this field of knowledge with my three old daughter who also answered all…
New: Overboard Seafood and Grill
All of the local Long John Silver’s are being converted into Overboard Seafood and Grill locations, and while the menus seem sort of the same, there’s more emphasis on healthy fish dishes that don’t get the deep-fried treatment. I’m glad Long John Silver’s has left the Old Pueblo. I try not to hate on things…
Thanks New York for Destroying America by Allowing Gay Marriage
No particular surprise at this point that Pat Robertson wasn’t thrilled with New York’s vote for marriage equality and that he’d claim that American society was falling down around us. At this point, he’s an old guy with a TV show, it’s not like he’s going to do a lot of reflection on his ideas…
A Question of Whether We Need to Buy Pets
San Francisco, a city named after the patron saint of animals, is discussing a ban on the sale of animals for reasons other than eating, which would end to the sale of animals as pets. The city’s Commission of Animal Control and Welfare recommended to the Board of Supervisors the ban to encourage the adoption…
U.S. Supreme Court: Clean Elections’ Matching Funds “Burdens Political Speech”
Arizona’s Clean Election program, which provides campaign dollars for candidates for state office, suffered another blow today, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that its matching-fund program is unconstitutional. The 5-4 ruling (which you can find here) doesn’t bring an end to the program—but it does seriously hamstring candidates who decide to use it. Qualifying…
Coming Soon: Another Paradise Bakery and Café Location
A banner on the new shopping complex on the corner of Oracle and Wetmore roads says Paradise Bakery and Café is opening a location there. The chain-restaurant also has a location in Main Gate Square, although it’s owned by a different franchisee. There’s more information about the company here. The new location is expected to…
Congratulations, Oscar Jimenez and Wingspan
Wingspan formally announced on Thursday that beginning next month, Oscar Jimenez will officially take over as program director for Tucson’s LGBT community center. Outgoing program director Linda Thomas, who joined Wingspan in April 2010, said she wants to spend more time with her partner, Hollace Lyon, and focus on fundraising and development. Thomas, a retired…
UA To Acquire Biosphere 2
Twenty years after the first crew was sealed inside its glass walls, the University of Arizona is set to be the new owner of Biosphere 2. The UA will announce Monday that the giant terrarium, located on Oracle Road north of Catalina, will be given to the College of Science, which has been managing the…
Pima GOP Says It “Has Not and Will Not Support or Pursue Efforts To Remove Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords” Before 2012 Election
With all the speculation regarding Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords’ political future in light of the recent articles about her recovery, the Pima County Republican Party has released a brief statement that they will not make any effort to push Giffords out of office: The Pima GOP has not and will not support or pursue efforts to…
Artistic Range: Frank A. Rinehart at Etherton Gallery
“Chief Joseph-Nez Perces,” by Frank A. Rinehart, is on display in Masters of American Photography, continuing through Aug. 27 at Etherton Gallery, 135 S. Sixth Ave.
25 Years Ago in the Tucson Weekly: “Who Is the Real Howe Gelb?”
From the June 18-24, 1986, edition of the Tucson Weekly: Who Is the Real Howe Gelb? Playing in multiple bands simultaneously is nothing new for stage-struck musicians who will do almost anything for their art. Certainly Howe Gelb is neither the first nor the best player to go that route. In two quick years, however,…
The Russians Have Changed the Popsicle Game
I don’t know if these ice creams pops are actually worth eating (and the Che Guevara shaped one seems like sort of a bad idea), but tequila flavored ice cream in Mario form might actually challenge paletas as my new favorite frozen dessert on a stick.
Idiot Boksen – The Reign of King Louie
FX Before I get into the two FX premieres last night, I’d like to bid pained adieu to The Onion Sportsdome, which was canceled by Comedy Central this week. I can’t say it’s a surprising cut since the show was so polarizing. I thought it was one of the two most innovative comedies on television,…
Arizona Supreme Court: Brewer Can Go Forward With Health-Care Cuts
The Arizona Supreme Court declined to take action on a lawsuit to stop Gov. Jan Brewer from moving forward with plans to block some low-income from receiving health insurance. Tim Hogan of the Arizona Center for Law in the Public Interest had filed a lawsuit to stop the Brewer administration changing AHCCCS eligibility levels that…
Trolley Pub Is On The Road
Get a load of this contraption: It’s a bar! It’s a bike! It’s a trolley car! It’s kind of all three. Learn more about what the Trolley Pub is all about—and how it can be yours for an evening when it rolls into public view at Gentle Ben’s this Saturday from 7 p.m. to midnight.…
Kyl Abandons Debt Talk: Reax
Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl was the last Republican to walk away from the bipartisan debt negotiations. When last heard from, Kyl was sticking to the GOP line that any tax increase would be catastrophic to economic recovery, despite mountains of evidence that he’s completely wrong. We observed yesterday that Kyl’s comments were evidence of the…
This Week in Tucson Bicycling
The southside of the Rillito at Mountain Avenue is closed for construction. Pima County is starting a project on the Rillito River that has some neighbors steamed. Check it out. A Tucson businessman combines his love of trees and bikes. Find out how The Pedaling Arborist uses his bike. The Bicycle Belles, a new group…
Big Weekend for the Tucson Padres
Samantha Sais The Padres brought out their bats for a 9-7 win over the Sacramento River Cats yesterday and have a big weekend coming up at Kino Stadium. Tonight, local chefs will be competing to be crowned the Tucson King of Hot Wings. (We didn’t want to say Tucson’s Best Wings because of legal issues…
Taiwan: Bad Place to Start a Food Blog
It’s hard out there for food reviewers, Liu. We’re sympathetic. The Taichung branch of Taiwan High Court on Tuesday sentenced a blogger who wrote that a restaurant’s beef noodles were too salty to 30 days in detention and two years of probation and ordered her to pay NT$200,000 in compensation to the restaurant. The blogger,…
Now at the Loft Cinema: Fashion in the Streets
Now showing (and continuing for an additional week) at The Loft: Bill Cunningham—New York Times photographer—is more than just some cute-old-man-snapping-pics-on-a-bike. He’s a living legend who’s been chronicling fashion trends for decades. And he does it all on the streets—smack dab in the middle of the action in NYC. A collection of rave reviews for…
Skinny 2012: Williams Eyes Board of Supes; Kwasman Eyes Williams’ House Seat
TW staff writer Mari Herreras rounded up some political gossip while I was out of town last week: This year’s race for mayor of Tucson is pretty much over, so is it too soon to start focusing on 2012? Every member of the Pima County Board of Supervisors— Ann Day, District 1; Ramón Valadez, District…
TucsonWeeklyTV.com – Weaving With Crane Day
Tucson Weekly summer intern Celia Ampel visited the downtown studio of Crane Day who showed her his woven creations and a bit of the process behind them.
Potential Bleacher Collapse Seems Like Something Worth Worrying About
Yeah, this seems bad. I’ve sat on those bleachers, City of Tucson. I would have appreciated knowing that they’re held together with zipties and duct tape: The bleachers at the Tucson Convention Center have been used for 27 years. When the TCC needs more seats for a show or an event, the bleachers are set…
The Stranger Side of Magic—and Other Things—at Tucson’s 2nd Saturdays Downtown
Photo L.A. Tucson magician John Coppin sticks a sword through participant’s throat at recent 2nd Saturdays Downtown. It’s all fun and games until someone sticks a sword through your neck. Then it’s all fun and games with a gaping wound. That is, unless the someone doing the sword sticking is Tucson’s John Coppin. Coppin is…
Hacker Group Protests SB1070 With Deluge of Information
Hacker group Lulzsec, which has been on a data thievery rampage of late, including attacks on Sony, PBS, and the tv show X Factor, has made Arizona law enforcement its latest target. Making 700 confidential documents from Arizona Public Safety available on torrent sites, the group said in a press release that they were “targeting…
New Video From Album We Really Liked
Tucson Weekly music critic Sean Bottai really liked the new album from Canadian band Fucked Up, calling David Comes to Life “the record people who think they don’t like hardcore should hear all the way through” and the songs “uniformly gorgeous”. Now there’s a somewhat strange video for “Queen of Hearts” and like the album,…
State Parks: Big Money Problems
Arizona State Parks Slide Rock State Park near Sedona Here’s the good news from the State Parks Board meeting this week in Tucson: Despite more sweeps of the parks’ funds by the Arizona Legislature, all of the state parks that are now open will remain open next fiscal year. The Joint Legislative Budget Committee agreed…
Images From the Monument Fire Evacuations
Photographer Josh Morgan went down to Hereford, Arizona to document the evacuations resulting from the Monument Fire.
Mad Dogs British Pub Coming to Tucson
Mad Dogs British Pub is opening a Tucson location. From the press release: (Tucson, AZ)—- Mad Dogs British Pub, a full tilt experience of British-influenced food, beers and colorful décor is expanding its unique brand of pub entertainment across the U.S. Targeting development in Phoenix, Tempe, Mesa, Peoria, Tucson and Scottsdale, Mad Dogs British Pub…
Arizona Biennial ’11 Opens at TMA Tomorrow Night
The Arizona Biennial ’11 opens tomorrow night at the Tucson Museum of Art, followed by an after-hours party that includes Powhaus Productions, Pork Torta and lots more. And they say there’s nothing to do in this town in the summertime…
Try Some Killer Cocktails on the Cheap
If you haven’t read The New York Times story giving high praise to the cocktails at Tucson’s own Scott and Co., you might enjoy it. And if you want to try those cocktails at cut-rate prices, you can do so at Scott and Co.’s new happy hour from 6 to 8 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday.…
Your Kids Might Be the Only Ones Who Enjoy “Cars 2”
It’s a little strange to think of a Pixar movie as not being universally loved, even by critics. Even the studio’s sequels are wildly acclaimed, with reviewers discussing how Toy Story 3 brought them to tears, but it looks like Cars 2, hitting theaters tomorrow, might break their winning streak. Right now, the film is…
Al Melvin Is No Abe Lincoln
The Arizona Republic busts Republican state Sen. Al Melvin of Southern Arizona for posting a phony quote allegedly from Abe Lincoln on his Twitter account.
Marshall Home Asks Arizona Supreme Court To Knock Democrat Rothschild From Mayoral Ballot
You may have thought you’d heard the last of Marshall Home, the fringe candidate who was kicked off the mayoral ballot last week on the reasonable grounds that he doesn’t live in the Tucson city limits. But Home is back with the appeal to the Arizona Supreme Court of his unlikely claim that Democrat Jonathan…
You Might Like This Michael Kiwanuka Song
At this point, the last thing the world of popular music likely needs is another retro soul singer. There’s been a run on that sort of thing the last few years, and for good reason, since soul music generally has an authenticity in feel that resonates with people. The catch is that most of the…
Doughnuts, Mohawked Chefs, Barbecue and Other Things
There’s another new restaurant opening on the first floor of the building at 44 E. Broadway Blvd. The paper-covered windows say breakfast, lunch, cocktails and the like will be available at some point, but no opening date, name or any other information is posted. Meanwhile, up north in the old Acacia spot, people still aren’t…
Kyl Walks Out on Budget Talks
ABC News reports that Sen. Jon Kyl has followed Congressman Eric Cantor out of the debt talks with Democrats: Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., will also drop out of the debt talks, a source within his office confirms today. The Arizona Republican’s office will issue a formal statement shortly. After House Majority Leader Eric…
You Really Should Watch “Louie” Tonight
You might have missed the first season of Louie CK’s show, cleverly titled Louie, when it aired last year. The network it’s on, FX, is a strange collection of occasionally great original programming (The League and Justified, for example) and then a seemingly endless stream of terrible movies. The other night, they were showing a…
Artistic Range: Tohono Chul Park’s “Monsoon” Opens Tonight
Friend of TW Rand Carlson—he does our weekly “Random Shots” cartoon and his illustrations have graced many a cover—has a shiny tin piece in Tohono Chul Park’s new exhibition, Monsoon. The show, which celebrates the summer thunderstorms we’re already dreaming about, has an opening reception tonight from 5:30 to 7:30. Details here. BTW: If you…
Bless the Cupcakes Down in Africa
We’re pretty darn impressed by UA senior Kelsey McKinney, who’s set to open the first cupcake bakery and coffee shop in Tanzania by August of 2012: Kelsey McKinney is fulfilling the dream of a lifetime by establishing the first and only gourmet cupcake bakery and coffee shop in Tanzania. It took acceptance into the Arizona…
Celiacs, Rejoice!
Pizza is practically religion in the United States. We have numerous major pizza chains competing for our almighty dollar. We eat it with nearly every imaginable topping, from fish to fruit. To ask a hard-core believer to change his or her views on New York thin-crust or Chicago deep-dish is to wage a holy war.…
Ask a Mexican!
Dear Mexican: I’m wondering how Mexicans feel about the communities of American expats springing up all over Mexico (especially those Mexicans who live near or in these communities). Also, are there places in Mexico where it doesn’t get so hot that Americans are generally pretty comfortable year-round? Could you name a couple of regions or…
Noshing Around
Eclectic Pizza changes name; Tucson’s best wings for a good cause; Beer events; And much more!
Cerebral yet Carnal
Just past the halfway point of its unhinged and impressive 2008 debut album, The Airing of Grievances (Troubleman Unlimited/XL), Titus Andronicus singer Patrick Stickles brutally unfurls his emotions. Over the reckless stampede of the song “Titus Andronicus,” Stickles unleashes his petulance: “Nobody cares what I’ve got to say anymore,” “I’m repeating myself again,” and “Now…
For the Right Listeners
Jesse Tabish’s musical upbringing was pretty typical for a contemporary indie-rock musician: He took piano lessons as a kid, but fell away from it because practicing was a drag. Then he played in punk-rock bands as a teenager before rediscovering an affinity for Neil Young and The Beatles. “I don’t listen to much in the…
A Matter of Perspective
Could next week’s Tucson City Council public hearing on historic signs help Speedway Boulevard become the “ugliest street in America” once again? In January 1962, Mayor Lew Davis gave Speedway its notorious moniker. Then on July 24, 1970, Life magazine used a photomontage to depict the visual clutter on Speedway near Country Club Road—largely due…
Weekly Wide Web
Frank Antenori pulls down a Facebook poll not in his favor; The week on The Range; Comment of the week; And more!
City Week
Story Slam; El Dia de San Juan Fiesta; Himmel Park Library celebrates an anniversary; Local play inspired by Bill Hicks!
Nine Questions
Bob Kastella, aka “Moshin’ Bob” and “The Godfather of Tucson Metal,” has been on the local metal and hard-rock scene for 35 years. Kastella currently works as a security guard. His many local bands have included Nitro, Rampage, Sacred Wrath, Treachery, Nuiclayic Fear, Decimate, H.O.I. (Habits of Intensity), Leather Reign, P.A.L. (Puppet Assassination League), 1320,…
TQ&A
Jessica Lambertson was recently hired as the Southern Arizona coordinator for Mi Familia Vota, a national organization working to increase Latino civic engagement and voter participation. Lambertson needs volunteers to begin canvassing neighborhoods for 2011 elections and is organizing eight citizenship workshops in Tucson. The first citizenship forum will be held on Saturday, July 16,…
The Skinny
State schools chief John Huppenthal rules that TUSD’s Mexican-American studies program is against the law—no matter what his own audit of the program shows … Candidates for mayor of Tucson are a vanishing breed … and more!
The Greatest Show
The Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey circus is back in Tucson with a new show, Fully Charged. Starting next Thursday, June 30, and continuing through Sunday, July 3, a new and unique set of talent is set to dazzle Tucsonans. The Fully Charged show will show off animal power, super-human strength and amazing athletic…
Real vs. Make-Believe
What a treat it is when a skilled playwright applies his considerable resources to make us laugh. And when you combine the resulting script with a solid production from a theater which delights in intelligent plays, you get a show like the Rogue Theatre’s The Real Inspector Hound, by English playwright Tom Stoppard. Stoppard might…
Live
Three musical duos converged on Plush Saturday night. Nowhere Man and a Whiskey Girl, from Bisbee, play Tucson with some regularity, and they seemed to feel at home on the Plush stage, although singer-keyboardist Amy Ross—she of the mischievous eyes and withering remarks—mentioned during an aside that she and guitarist Derrick Ross felt out of…
Soundbites
Local CD release shows; Local benefit shows; The Parson Red Heads; And much more!
A New Perspective
When SB 1070 was signed into law by Gov. Jan Brewer last year, Paco Velez and some other Arizona performance and video artists were in Mexico City. Their trip was supposed to be about the artists’ shared cultural heritage with Mexico—but it turned into a series of performances and discussions focusing on division. Velez, a…
Barrier Rebuilt
A man named Enrique was packing up his hot dog cart on Calle Internacional in Nogales, Sonora, late one recent hot afternoon. Asked his opinion of the new border wall across the street, he looked up appraisingly at the 18-foot steel posts looming above him. “It’s más beautiful,” he said, speaking in the Spanglish of…
The Rosebuds: Loud Planes Fly Low (Merge)
It’s nothing new for a songwriter to turn a crumbling relationship into an album of cathartic reflection. But when the breakup involves both halves of one band, that album becomes a conversation. The Rosebuds—the once-married duo of Ivan Howard and Kelly Crisp—trace the outlines of their breakup on Loud Planes Fly Low. The sound, poppy…
Playing in the Dirt
Name a well-known archaeological site in Arizona, and odds are that Julian Dodge Hayden turned the dirt there—even though he had no university credentials and seems to have held a deep skepticism of academia throughout his long life. He was nonetheless a friend and colleague of the leading lights of desert of archeology; he published…
Borderline Insanity
When Robert Lee Maril first caught wind of a huge security project slated for the U.S.-Mexico border, he smelled a skunk of epic proportions. Several years later, he’s still amazed at how defense contractors managed to fleece American taxpayers yet again—this time for a project that turned out to be a $1 billion flop. This…
Editor’s Note
Every so often, the Tucson Weekly is accused of being unsupportive—of downtown, of Tucson as a whole, of business, of the arts community, of the dining scene, of (insert whatever here)—after we publish a not-so-positive review or story. It happened a few of weeks ago when Jacqueline Kuder had some serious problems with the service…
Top Ten in Books
1. State of Wonder Ann Patchett, Harper ($26.99) 2. How to Be Sick: A Buddhist-Inspired Guide for the Chronically Ill and Their Caregivers Toni Bernhard, Wisdom ($15.95) 3. Bossypants Tina Fey, Reagan Arthur ($26.99) 4. Shaken and Stirred Joan Opyr, Bywater ($14.95) 5. Just Kids Patti Smith, Ecco ($16) 6. Through a Dog’s Eyes Jennifer…
Beyoncé: 4 (Columbia)
On 4, when Beyoncé says “I,” she means we or us or you. Or at least she makes it easy to believe that. It’s not every pop star who can be bracingly singular yet generous enough to make us all feel welcome. Beyoncé is such a star. When, on “Best Thing I Never Had”—a wry…
Danehy
Tucson city voters: Do you ever feel like you’re stuck in the middle of a Coen brothers movie, where the good guys are hopelessly flawed, and the bad guys (with the exception of Anton Chigurh) are far more inept than evil, prompting the victims to laugh even as they’re being ripped off? After spending the…
Carrey Crap
It’s hard to tell if Jim Carrey is looking to rebuild a relationship with his old audience, or forge a bond with a new one in Mr. Popper’s Penguins. However, it is easy to tell that he hasn’t done either. In 1994, Carrey became one of the kings of comedy thanks to the first Ace…
Okkervil River: I Am Very Far (Jagjaguar)
Will Sheff is operating on a higher plane these days. On Okkervil River’s stunning I Am Very Far, Sheff revels in ambiguous and evocative imagery that keeps pace with inspired studio wizardry. In fact, Sheff’s recent foray into production—best evidenced on last year’s Roky Erickson album—suggests he is adept at crafting oddly fragile, symphonic pop…
Downing
The living is easy in America these days. Yeah, it’s rough for lots of people compared to a couple of years ago, but step back a bit: Compared to, say, life in pioneer times, or the Bronze Age, it’s a piece of cake. Or switch the plane of reference, and think about what it takes…
Top Ten in Movies
1. True Grit Paramount 2. Battle Los Angeles Sony 3. Red Riding Hood Warner 4. Just Go With It Columbia 5. Hall Pass Warner 6. Biutiful Roadside 7. The Company Men Weinstein/Anchor Bay 8. Sanctum Rogue 9. Drive Angry Summit 10. Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son 20th Century Fox
Top Ten in Music
1. La Cerca Rock ‘n’ Roll to the Rescue (self-released) 2. Howe Gelb Sno Angel and Melted Wires 7″ 45 (Fort Lowell) 3. Against Me! Total Clarity (Fat Wreck Chords) 4. Amebix Arise! (Profane Existence) 5. The Dwarves The Dwarves Are Born Again (Greedy) 6. The Swigs Johnson Family Values (Sapient) 7. The Pork Torta…
Guest Commentary
It has taken me decades to be recognized as an environmental extremist. My “attack” on Alaska Republican Rep. Don Young, a National Rifle Association board member, in Sierra Magazine fomented a mass exodus from the Outdoor Writers Association of America. I serve on two foundations that award major grants to groups defending land from developers,…
It Ain’t Easy …
After a brief appearance as Deadpool in Wolverine, and all of those rumors about him as a possible choice for The Flash, Ryan Reynolds finally gets his big superhero chance with Green Lantern. Unfortunately, all of that waiting has netted him a role that is as interesting as dust bunnies behind your bathroom door. Reynolds…
Media Watch
More drama at The Jolt
Mailbag
Help for jaguars; Issues with Leo Banks; Getting the word out about Kino Sports Complex
Now Showing at Home
The Adjustment Bureau (Blu-ray); Unknown (Blu-ray); Insignificance (Blu-ray); Red Riding Hood (Blu-ray)
Police Dispatch
Kissing the clerk; Conspiracies everywhere
Artistic Range: Ansel Adams at Etherton Gallery
“Jeffery Pine, Sentinel Dome, Yosemite National Park, California” by Ansel Adams, is on display in Masters of American Photography, through Aug. 27 at the Etherton Gallery, 135 S. Sixth Ave.
Scott and Co’s Summer Cocktails in the New York Times
Nice mention for Ciaran Wiese and Scott and Co., an establishment that could stand to be twice as big as it is already: SO, what’ll it be tonight? How about a Smoke Signal made with bacon-infused rye, chipotle syrup, cold-brewed coffee ice and porter? Or the Grillo Canción, an exotic and possibly deranged member of…
