Cover Story
Attacking the Incumbent
In the 2010 general election, Democrat Raúl Grijalva faced Tea Party Republican Ruth McClung—a newcomer to the political scene—and he came surprisingly close to losing the congressional seat he’s held since first being elected in 2002. The Tea Party battle cry is a bit muffled these days, but in the new Congressional District 3, Grijalva…
Enjoy Your Fourth of July
Courtesy of RAYGUNshirts in Des Moines, Iowa, here’s our Fourth of July greeting to you, our beloved readers. Probably no Range content on the holiday itself, although this week’s issue will be online at some point Wednesday, but you never know. Feel free to leave your browser on our homepage, refreshing the screen every fifteen…
Imaginary Actions of Former Presidents, Volume Two
I didn’t realize this would become a theme today (previously in the series), but tomorrow’s some sort of patriotic holiday by my understanding, so why not pretend that Bill Clinton is a fan of French electronic pop? [Reddit]
If the “Freakonomics” Guy Links to Us, We’re Famous Now, Right?
Thanks to Tucson Citizen editor Mark Evans for mentioning a blog post on the Freakonomics site, which referenced a Leo Banks piece from 1997 about the curse of stealing from the Petrified Forest: Bras are a favorite hiding place for Petrified thieves. A woman told of jamming three samples into her brassiere, only to have…
Show Us the Money: Fundraising in the Race To Replace Pima County Supervisor Ann Day
We’ll have a lengthy look at the Republican candidates in the race to replace Pima County Supervisor Ann Day in this week’s print edition, but while you’re waiting for that, campaign-finance reports covering fundraising through May 31 were due yesterday, so let’s take a quick look at what’s happening on the money front. We’re sure…
Let’s Watch People Win Absurd Amounts of Money
Eight men are going to sit around a poker table this afternoon in Las Vegas, all of them already insanely wealthy. But at the end of the night one of them is going to walk away with the largest prize ever awarding in a poker tournament. And they’ll be able to thank the creator of…
Finally, I Understand What Was So Great About Ronald Reagan
When Republicans go on and on about the glory of the Reagan administration, I get somewhat confused, mostly because my memories of the era are largely focused on the game shows I used to watch then and not on political history. However, now that artist Jason Heuser has captured the historical moment when the late…
RIP, Andy Griffith
Of course Andy Griffith, who died today at the age of 86, will be best known for the Andy Griffith Show which ran for eight years, but which might live on via reruns forever, or possibly for the nine years of the folksy legal drama Matlock. However, if you have the opportunity, check out A…
Arizona’s “Best New Band” Is Leaving the State
Every year, the Boston Phoenix picks a band from each of the fifty states and anoints them the “Best New Band” for that state. Previous winners from Arizona have included Phoenix’s ROAR, Tempe’s Hell-Kite, and Tucson’s Shark Pants (who played our Spring Club Crawl). This year’s winner? Stephen Steinbrink, who performs under his own name…
First Timer Heads to the Farmers Market
Tucson Farmers Market is brought to Maynard’s Market & Kitchen every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. located at 400 N. Toole Ave. Vendors come bearing delicious treats and fresh produce ranging from goat milk soap, homemade salsa, organically grown vegetables, herbs and spices and much more. The farmers market is something I had…
Now Serving Beer: Tucson Tamale Company
Not exactly life-changing food news, but Tucson Tamale Company at 2545 E. Broadway Blvd. serves beer now. We hear they’ve got a decent selection of bottles and cans, domestic and imported, for you to enjoy. Hey, it’s hot out there. Cold beer is good. There’s more on the restaurant over here.
Jesse Kelly Going to Work For Citizens United
Joie Horwitz He might not have wanted to be a politician, but it appears that Republican Jesse Kelly, the Tea Party champion who has now lost two congressional campaigns here in Southern Arizona, is going off to Washington. We’re told by multiple sources that Kelly has landed a job with Citizens United, the political operation…
The Muppet Film Festival at the Loft Will Be the Most Amazing Thing Ever
Thank you, Loft Cinema. Thank you so much. Tickets and passes go on sale tomorrow. MUPPETS™, MUSIC & MAGIC: JIM HENSON’S LEGACY / A Month-Long Celebration!Jim Henson and the Muppets! All through the month of August!Starts Thursday, August 2ndIndividual screening admission: $8.00 general; $6.00 Loft members & Children 12 and under.Series pass: $40.00 general; $35.00…
31 Days of Riesling
Wine Depot is holding a month-long celebration of wines made from Riesling grapes. Event officials say this grape – which originates from Germany’s Rhine region – is one of the “world’s greatest and misunderstood,” which should make these tastings all that more interesting. From the listing promoting the event: Each of these tastings will include…
Today in People Demanding My Firing
Thank you, Tara Carreon, wife of (possibly) the most hated man on the internet/local attorney Charles Carreon, for proving the most disliked comment since we added the thumbs up/down mechanism and for being the first person this month to call for my firing in the comment section. I had the 10th in the pool, so…
The Pet Shop Boys Have a New (Olympics-Themed) Song
Since the London Olympics are right around the corner, English musicians are apparently energized creatively, composing their own non-official anthems for the games. Noted fans of athletics, the Pet Shop Boys released “Winner” via the internets and it sounds very much like everything they’ve done, in the best possible way.
Dizzy G’s Is Open!
Dizzy G’s is more than just a restaurant. It’s a Downtown landmark. It originally opened as Dizzy G’s in 1983 – a fact belied by the aged wooden sign still affixed above the entrance – but the building at 75 E. Pennington St. has been serving food in one way or another since the 1950s.…
Political Roundtable: Supreme Court Rulings on Health Care and SB 1070, Fast and Furious & More!
On this week’s Political Roundtable, Tucson Tea Party founder Trent Humphries and Pima County Democratic Party chairman Jeff Rogers discuss the U.S. Supreme Court rulings on health care and SB 1070, unpack the Fast and Furious scandal that has led to contempt of Congress charges for U.S. Attorney Eric Holder, Secretary of State Ken Bennett’s…
Want Tickets to See Seal or Joe Cocker?
The actual Seal will likely give a far more professional performance of his hit “Kiss From a Rose” than the cast of Community did this season, so that’s something to look forward to when the singer comes to AVA on August 3rd. On a somewhat different note, Joe Cocker and Huey Lewis and the News…
Here’s Something to Do on Sunday Nights
Somehow, Kitty Katt McKinley has managed to make the backroom of Auld Dubliner in Main Gate Square seem like the Black Lodge from Twin Peaks but with shuffleboard. I don’t understand it, but I suspect anyone who goes might be changed forever. Consider yourself warned. [Yes, I’m aware we’ve posted a lot of Kitty Katt-related…
There’s a New Avett Brothers Song
You can’t really judge an album by the first single – well, maybe a little bit – but theoretically, a record label throws a band’s most commercial song out there ahead of the album, hoping to make an impression on whatever audience is out there still actually buying things. So, I’m trying not to panic…
TucsonWeeklyTV.com – Talking to Those Affected by the Streetcar Construction
A conversation with the voices involved in modern streetcar construction, including representatives from the city and local merchants.
Ryan Clark Won the Iron Chef Tucson 2012 Competition
Ryan Clark’s most recent victory at the Iron Chef Tucson Culinary Weekend must make him one of the most decorated, competition-wise, chefs in town. I’ve lost track of how many competitions he’s won at this point, but they are many. He beat Allen Yap of OM Modern Asian Kitchen at this competition. The secret ingredient…
Today in Local Roller Skating Events
While I don’t ever actually go, unless my son is going to a birthday party or fundraiser, I still consider myself a fan of Skate County. I spent a ridiculous amount of time there in the mid-80’s, I’ve gone to the effort of getting prices to rent the place out for a surreal adult birthday…
How Good Must The Food Be To Warrant Dressing Up For It?
It’s one thing to get something for free because of what you’re wearing — I still fondly recall the time that my I Love Hot Moms shirt got me free double meat in my Subway cold cut combo footlong because the sandwich artist told me that ‘us moms appreciate that’ — but I think I…
This Week in Tucson Bicycling
The people responsible for keeping people out of the bike lanes seem to park in them when it’s convenient for them. Check out these two separate officers who parked in the bike lanes within 10 minutes of each other. The defense attorney for a woman accused of seriously injuring a cyclist and then trying to…
Another Step Towards Our Robotic Doom
Great, another day, another Japanese robot designed with a new skill in mind. Now, the Ishikawa Oku Laboratory has built a robotic hand that wins every single game of Rock, Scissors, Paper. Thankfully, the robot isn’t capable of reading minds (yet), but instead is programmed to look for minute changes in the human hand to…
Maybe We Should Be Worrying More About Catnip
Jason Willis, known to Tucson music fans as a member of bands including the Weird Lovemakers and the Knockout Pills, also makes funny videos. Here is his latest, uncovering a controversy regarding catnip that you might not have been aware of.
In Case You Missed Our “Magic Mike” Review…
While somehow Colin Boyd’s review of Magic Mike didn’t make into one of our two featured movie review spots this week, I don’t personally recall a film discussed quite as much at the Weekly offices during my time with the paper. So in case you’re wondering what Colin thought of Steven Soderbergh’s take on male…
Let’s Watch the “O’Reilly Factor” Tonight
Thanks to Media Matters for keeping this clip handy. I don’t suspect Bill O’Reilly will actually apologize for his mistaken punditry, but one can hope he’s actually a man of his word, right?
Still Have Batcat Fever? Go See the Padres Tonight!
If you found yourself captivated by the University of Arizona baseball team’s run to the NCAA championship over the last month, extend your enjoyment of their winning season tonight at the Padres game, sponsored in part by the Tucson Weekly. Not only will you be able to get your picture taken with the championship trophy…
Daniel Patterson’s New Mexico Political Career Fizzles
Alas, it appears that Daniel Patterson’s plans to forge ahead with a new political career in Silver City, New Mexico, have hit a snag: On May 29, the town of Silver City received an application from a D.R. Patterson to serve on the town s planning and zoning commission. Patterson was sworn in June 19,…
Romney Responds to Supreme Court Decision in Entirely Predictable Way
So, Mitt Romney still plans to overturn the Affordable Care Act? It’s a job killer? Quelle surprise!
Supreme Court Upholds the Affordable Care Act (or Obamacare or Whatever)
So, there was a ruling and the entire right wing shed a collective sad tear. Jon Justice is taking advice from Tyler Vogt, failed city council candidate, on the air. Small business owners who subscribe to Glenn Beck’s pseudo-cable network are claiming they’re going to give up on their life’s work. Dogs are kissing cats.…
Top Ten in Books
1. State of Wonder: A Novel Ann Patchett, Harper ($15.99) 2. Agaves: Living Sculptures for Landscapes and Containers Greg Starr, Timber ($39.95) 3. Tucson Oddities, Too Arizona Daily Star ($14.99) 4. Everybody Needs a Rock Byrd Baylor, Aladdin ($6.99) 5. The Dog Who Knew Too Much: A Chet and Bernie Mystery Spencer Quinn, Atria ($15)…
Ask a Mexican!
Dear Mexican: Barrack Hussein Obama, how you dare deprive Mexico of its young, educated people! These illegal aliens in the U.S. are the only hope for Mexico, and you want to keep them here in the United States. They could start businesses, create jobs and improve the standard of living for the people of Mexico.…
Guest Commentary
Martha Retallick (“We Should View Streetcar Construction as a Unique Opportunity,” Mailbag, June 14) has some great ideas about events and unique activities that would dovetail nicely into what people have been doing and are planning for the upcoming months in downtown. As the fences were being erected on Congress Street, an ad hoc committee…
Boo Hoo!
There are two kinds of people in the world. The first kind would hear Lola ask, “What if I like my life the way it is? What if I don’t want it to change?” and feel sorry for the rough time she’s going through as a pretty, 29-year-old doctoral student living in Manhattan. Then there…
Doctor’s Orders
Democrat Richard Carmona is seeking the seat of retiring U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl. A decorated Vietnam veteran who went on to become a trauma surgeon, work on Pima County’s SWAT team and serve as surgeon general in the George W. Bush administration, Carmona will face the winner of the Republican primary between U.S. Rep. Jeff…
Tedious Abe
At some point in the development of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, somebody made the call to play it completely straight, as if Honest Abe was a serious enemy to the undead during his young adulthood and presidency—and there was nothing funny about it. Big mistake. This film has no sense of humor. None. It wants…
The Skinny
The U.S. Supreme Court tosses most of SB 1070 … Congressman Ron Barber pisses off some local Democrats … Will we get a chance to vote on a sales-tax proposition this fall? … and more!
Now Showing at Home
Louie: Season 2 (Blu-ray); Shallow Grave (Blu-ray); 21 Jump Street (Blu-ray)
Media Watch
You can’t have a concert paid for with best wishes
Beyond Mexican
Tucson’s southside has plenty of well-known restaurants, but for the most part, they are Mexican/Sonoran joints. The only longstanding sushi restaurant on the southside is Sachiko Sushi, right across the street from us here at Weekly World Central. However, there’s an intriguing new joint (sort of) in the neighborhood: Sushi Lounge, at Sixth Avenue and…
Weekly Wide Web
In this space on May 17 (“Love/Hate Relationship”), I pondered my feelings about our most-prolific commenters at TucsonWeekly.com, one of whom had left 15 percent of that month’s comments. Well, since then, we’ve banned the people who had been our most-frequent commenters, largely because they insisted on constantly violating our comments policy by leaving remarks…
Core Concerns
Natasha Winnik knows precisely when she first heard that her beloved old building would eventually come down, making way for a new road. “Jan. 10, 2008,” says the gregarious downtown business owner, standing in her sunlit shop amid eco-friendly building supplies, from nontoxic paints to reclaimed wood. “Yes, I know the exact day, because everything…
Noshing Around
Get some cold stuff for a hot summer; Firehouse Subs opens; Whiskey at Union Public House; Options for vegans and vegetarians downtown
Police Dispatch
Smoking potpourri; Refill drama
Boutique Country
Back in the late 1980s, I was chatting with some middle-age fans during intermission at a mainstream country concert at the Tucson Convention Center Arena. These die-hard country fans were discussing the then-new bunch of “weird” country acts, such as Dwight Yoakam, k.d. lang, Lucinda Williams and, especially, Lyle Lovett. These exasperated folks just didn’t…
The Holdouts
The mini-dorm issue has plagued neighborhoods around the University of Arizona, most notably to the north and west. Lawsuits and community outrage have become the norm as residents and developers battle over land use. Avoiding those problems was the goal of a Georgia developer when it set out to build a large-scale student complex about…
Soundbites
Not the best week for live music in Tucson, but our music editor finds some shows worth checking out
Top Ten in Music
1. The Mollys Live at El Casino Ballroom (self-released) 2. Gabriel Sullivan and Taraf de Tucson None of This Is Mine (Fell City) 3. Eric Holland American Inmigrante (self-released) 4. Last Call Brawlers The Pressures of Living, The Darkness of Dying (Los Muertos) 5. Pablo Peregrina Traveling Shoes (self-released) 6. Kevin Pakulis Band Shadesville (self-released)…
‘All You Have to Do Is Fight’
U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva and his two Democratic primary challengers, Amanda Aguirre and Juan Manuel Arreguin, all said that reaching Latino voters is an important part of their campaigns—but they don’t give specifics on how they plan to do that, beyond canvassing neighborhoods. Latino voters are characterized as a sleeping giant. Every election season, capturing…
Nine Questions
Jeniffer Zimmerman is a native Tucsonan with a varied palate for music. She was the music journalist for Cannabis Culture magazine, and her music photography has been published in Spin and the Tucson Weekly. Zimmerman hosts the Wednesday afternoon Music Mix on KXCI FM 91.3 and studies music therapy as part of her graduate work.…
Editor’s Note
The Round One votes from our readers and our panel of critics have all been tallied, and it’s official: We have our 2012 slate of Tucson Area Music Awards (aka TAMMIES) finalists! However, we’re keeping the figurative cat in the bag until next week, when we’ll announce the finalists and launch the final round of…
Soundtrack to Our History
Let Freedom Sing, Centennial Hall, July 4, 2012
Live
Maybe it was the weather. Last Friday, three very different bands played at Plush with one thing in common: a serious sense of urgency. During these lazy days of summer, Yardsale Heart, the Electric Blankets and Lariats played a ferocious concert in three parts as though their lives depended on it. In one of their…
Danehy
There is a strange and wonderful world out there, and I almost never see any of it. Like salsa left in the trunk of a car on a hot summer day, I don’t travel well. Quite frankly, I don’t know how anybody travels well, although I have friends who claim to be able to do…
City Week
News novelizations; Customers and employees; Down the rabbit hole with Alice; Wine and cats, not as sad a combination as usual
Bloodspasm: Greatest Hits Vol. 2 (Beer)
Rather than calming down—to any degree—Tucson’s longest-standing hard-core punk band, Bloodspasm, remains devoted to its roots and playing harder, faster and heavier than ever. Greatest Hits Vol. 2 is a batch of songs recorded this year: 15 defiant tracks of buzz-saw guitars, pummeling drums and speed-shouted lyrics. “No Place to Play” is at once an…
Messina
Located down a sunlit corridor in the Historic Y on Fifth Avenue, there’s a small office suite that doesn’t feel like an office at all. The room has deep-brown wood doorways and flooring. A window supplies natural light, and a high ceiling adds character. There’s a desk, a bookcase, a storage dresser and a red…
TQ&A
Wendy Erica Werden, director of marketing and strategic partnership for Arizona Public Media, is coordinating a local training effort for Tucson educators and home-schoolers to use PBS LearningMedia, a new educational platform with a searchable database of videos, lesson plans and other resources. The material, from PBS archives, is organized by topic and grade level.…
Tom Walbank: Live (Self-Released)
Tucson’s resident badass bluesman, Tom Walbank, has compiled a digital-only release of live, all-original material. Drawn from several years of live recordings, these 10 tracks represent some of the best of his songs, recorded raw, dirty and rocking. It’s just Walbank, his guitar, voice and harmonica, with Tasha Bundy sitting in on drums on two…
Mailbag
A song for Jesse Kelly; Sometimes only the beginning of our paper is worth reading
Historical Show
Everyone has a tradition for celebrating the Fourth of July; barbecues, fireworks and other outdoor activities usually top the list. But the Comedy Playhouse celebrates with an annual play—The Fireside Chats With FDR. Performed by James Gooden, with his wife, Elizabeth Gooden, the show dramatizes some of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s iconic radio addresses to…
Tommy Bolin and Friends: Great Gypsy Soul (Samson/429)
Stellar guitar heroes gather to celebrate a semi-obscure rock pioneer on this new release, which pairs decades-old recordings by the late Tommy Bolin with contemporary six-string slingers such as Warren Haynes, Derek Trucks, Joe Bonamassa, Nels Cline, Peter Frampton, Steve Morse and others. Bolin was a revered ’70s-era rock-jazz-funk guitarist, singer and songwriter who toured…
Scenes From a Marriage
James G. Davis first painted Mary Anne Davis 50 years ago, when she was a girl of 20. In that early painting, she’s in classic model pose. She sits on a couch amid the disorder of Davis’ grad-student studio, with sketches and random objects crowded in behind her. But there’s no mistaking the painting’s central…
Top Ten in Movies
1. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows Warner Bros. 2. Safe House Universal 3. Wanderlust Universal 4. Project X Warner Bros. 5. John Carter Disney 6. Jeff Who Lives at Home Paramount 7. Act of Valor Relativity 8. Breaking Bad: The Complete Fourth Season Sony/AMC 9. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance Sony 10. Man on…
Women of Verse
I’ve long considered the American Southwest to be rife with ridiculously talented writers. However, as small-press poetry publishers continue to inundate me with verse collections, I feel the need to update: The Southwest teems with wonderful women poets. The first of three books to arrive last month and blow the top of my head off?…
Calming Influence
Everyone feels anxious from time to time. We get tense when we have important meetings or hot dates or when we’re in traffic and some asshole cuts us off. But clinical anxiety is a different animal. People who suffer from generalized anxiety disorder don’t get a break when they see the date is going well…
Go Check Out Some Local Soccer Saturday Night
FC Tucson, in their first season in the Premier Development League and with their own home field, have been a pleasant surprise spending the season so far either at or near the top of their division. This Saturday night will be a milestone in the team’s progress as they take on the Ventura Fusion for…
Lola Versus Will Not Open in Tucson This Friday
Greta Gerwig in “Lola Versus.” For those of you who read Colin Boyd’s review of Lola Versus (here) and want to see the film, please note it will no longer be opening at Century El Con 20 on Friday, June 29. Please check back here, The Range: The Tucson Weekly’s Daily Dispatch, for updates.
Brazil’s ‘Redemption through Reading’ Program
Brazilian inmates can now have their prison sentences shortened by reading books from an approved list and writing essays about them. From the Christian Science Monitor: That’s right, Brazil’s government recently rolled out a new program, Redemption through Reading, that allows inmates to shave four days off their sentence for every book they read, with…
Tucson Voters Won’t Have Jesse Kelly to Kick Around Anymore
Joie Horwitz Jesse Kelly has announced on his Facebook page and in a message to the media that he’s dropping out of the forthcoming CD 2 race: I would like to thank our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, my wife Aubrey, and our supporters for their unwavering commitment to the values that make America great.…
