Cover Story
Tucson’s 100 Essential Dishes
First, let’s get something out of the way: We’re sorry. We’re sorry we missed your favorite dish in town. The place you recommend to everyone you know? We should have included it. If this is some consolation, we’ll take the best of the likely-angry emails and comments we get from this feature and we’ll publish…
Hey, Who Wants to See Bon Jovi in Glendale?
How often do you hear of big-time musicians lowering ticket prices? Remarkably, when Bon Jovi come to Glendale on April 23, you can actually get tickets for $19.25 before those pesky surcharges kick in. For a band that has sold 130 million albums, 13 top 40 hits and had their most recent album What About…
A Phoenix Firefighter Is Sick of All These Penises Everywhere
Image courtesy of Shutterstock A firefighter is taking the City of Phoenix to court because of a pasta-related prank gone too far, that he felt led him to be sent to an undesirable gig: [Frank] Cheatham, a deputy chief shift commander with 24 years on the job, claims he “admonished” supervisors for “specifically, two depictions…
Terri Proud Fired for Comments About Women’s Menstrual Cycles in Combat
The director of The Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services resigned and an assistant he hired was fired Wednesday after Arizona-Sonora News Service published an article where the new hire said menstrual cycles might be too problematic for women to be in combat. While Joey Strickland resigned after the article on the new hire, former Tucson…
Bisbee Will Recognize Same-Sex Civil Unions, Unless Tom Horne Gets His Way
Late last night, the Bisbee City Council voted in favor of an ordinance in which the city would legally recognize same-sex civil unions, becoming the first city in Arizona to do so. And state Attorney General Tom Horne, an exemplary champion of the sanctity of marriage, has sworn to fight Bisbee’s resolution. From azcentral.com: The…
Female Veterans See Red Over Terri Proud’s Remarks on Women in Combat
A former Tucson lawmaker just hired to coordinate a female veterans’ conference isn’t sure women belong on the front lines, at least partly because combat is no place to be dealing with menstrual cycle issues. Terri Proud, a one-term state representative, was recently hired as an administrative assistant with the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services…
More Than One in Four Voters Believe in a New World Order; My Faith in Humanity Plummets
At least, that’s according to the results of a poll released by Public Policy Polling, detailing a number of conspiracy theories that American voters, for whatever reason, appear to believe to varying extents. For instance: – 37% of voters think that global warming is a hoax; – 20% believe that there’s a link between childhood…
Win Tickets to the UA Repertory Theatre’s “Nine”
Courtesy of the UA School of Theatre, Film and Television UA students Erica Renee Smith, Caitlin Stegemoller, Sydnee Ortiz and Max Tzannes star in “Nine.” The Tony Award-winning musical Nine has made its way to Tucson, courtesy of the University of Arizona’s Repertory Theatre, and you now have a chance to win a pair of…
Indie Rockers City and Colour Release New Song, Announce New Record
City and Colour Facebook page Dallas Green, the Canadian soft-rock musician who’s been going by the moniker of City and Colour for nearly a decade, has streamed a second song from his forthcoming record, The Hurry and the Harm. Green announced the record last week in a Facebook message, about a week after streaming “of…
AP Stylebook No Longer Using ‘Illegal Immigrant’
Every newspaper in existence adheres to some type of style to make sure copy is uniform. Many newspapers, although not all, use the Associated Press Stylebook to guide those decisions, but every paper makes its own style decisions on certain word choices. However, illegal immigrant is one of those words that’s been problematic for some…
Win Tickets to See Phoenix at AVA
Phoenix, on their way to Coachella to promote their new album Bankrupt!, are stopping here at AVA for a concert on April 9. If you’d like to win a pair of tickets to the show, enter here. We’ll draw a winner on Friday. If you don’t want to take your chances on missing the show,…
Mindy White of States Covers Justin Timberlake’s “Suit & Tie”
Although I grew up in the era of boy bands, where *NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys battled it out for the top spot in the charts as well as every teenage girls heart, I am refreshed to hear a different version of Justin Timberlake’s new song, “Suit & Tie.” The song is on his new…
Please, G-d, Can’t You Pay Cathi Herrod a Visit and Tell Her She’s Fucked Up
Seriously, it’s a legitimate prayer. Dear Lord and every other deity known to humankind, can’t you just do the right thing and provide the Center for Arizona Policy some type of hole to crawl in? Perhaps one of those sink holes made from our destructive water practices? That would be perfect. But maybe it would…
TUSD School Board Gets to Superintendent Search at Tonight’s Special Meeting
Tonight’s Tucson Unified School District special meeting of the governing board is mostly about the search for the district’s next superintendent. The meeting opens at 4 p.m. at TUSD admin, 1010 E. 10th St. The board goes into executive session the top of the meeting to talk about personnel issues related to outgoing Superintendent John…
You Can Win HUB Ice Cream for a Year, Earn New “Fatso” Nickname
morris-day-and-the-time_ice-cream-castles by 80smemories Life can be a dull slog, a meaningless grind from one day to the next, but hey, there’s always ice cream, right? HUB is running a contest on Facebook that I don’t quite understand, but seems to involve tweeting something, but the prize is two scoops of ice cream (one of our…
Don’t We Get At Least A LITTLE Break From UA Hoops?
The season ended in dramatically devastating fashion five days ago, and many Wildcat fans are probably still in mourning (not to mention contemplating their existence), which means now should be a time to move on past the University of Arizona basketball team for a while. In fact (shameless plug!) I wrote a column about that…
Tucson Bus Riders Union Wants Ronstadt Transit Center Planning “To Be Truly Public”
The Tucson Bus Riders Union and the Primavera Foundation want community input on the future of the downtown Ronstadt Transit Center on Tuesday, April 2, at 5:30 p.m. at the Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress St. There will be music, food, information and discussion on the future of the transit center. From the Tucson Bus…
AZ on the Daily Show: Guns in Tucson Edition
The Daily Show with Jon StewartGet More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook Arizona made The Daily Show again last night as John Oliver came to Tucson to look into the controversy over the gun buyback that Tucson City Councilman Steve Kozachik did back at the beginning of the…
MaFooCo Expanding to a Fleet of Four (UPDATE: No They’re Not)
Good news for Korean/Mexican fusion outfit MaFooCo, who are expanding in a big way, jumping from one truck to four, according to their Facebook page. NOTE: Yep, this was an April Fool’s joke. I hate that damn day.
Arizona Named 11th ‘Freest’ State in the Union, Says Mercatus Center
In an announcement sure to raise the hackles of many a person who likes running around in Colonial-era garb, it appears that Arizona is unfortunately NOT among the freest states in America — we’re only 11th. But hey, better than those freedom-hating Commu-socialist bastards on the coasts! From Freedom in the 50 States: Arizona scores…
Watch Santigold in Short Film
Born in Nairobi, Kenya, artist Wangechi Mutu is now living in Brooklyn and has recently collaborated with musician Santigold to put together an animated short film. Titled The End of eating Everything, the film is presented by Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University and MOCAtv on YouTube. In the description of the video, it…
A Non-Comprehensive List of the Crap People Are Doing for April Fool’s Day 2013
Hey folks, it’s April Fool’s Day again — you know, the one day out of the year that people believe that they have free rein to be obnoxious and slightly dickish under the guise of it being “fun!” and “wacky!” Whee. We at Tucson Weekly find April Fool’s Day to be unnecessary — after all,…
Effort To Restore Heritage Fund Dead for the Session
It looks as if the chance to restore Heritage Fund dollars to state parks and transit services is dead for the year. But Tucson Rep. Ethan Orr said he would continue to work to restoring the Heritage Fund, despite the House Appropriations Committee’s recent decision to not hear House Bill 2594. Orr, as the bill’s…
Come Listen to Great Music and Drink Beer Wednesday
I really couldn’t be more excited for the Tucson debut of FELA!, the Tony-award winning musical about the life of Nigerian funk-master/musical genius/political revolutionary Fela Kuti. I feel somewhat responsible for the success of this show for UApresents, since I campaigned for them to book it in the first place, so we’re throwing a party…
‘Santana and Saul’ Tells the Story Of An Unlikely Friendship
Santana and Saul tells the story of a long-time friendship between two men who lived completely different lives and hold different religious beliefs. The “dual memoir,” as the author Saul Diskin calls it, tells the story of Santana, a guy who spent 30 years in and out of prison, was addicted to heroin and influenced…
‘TPD is Doing it Again’: Press Conference on the Deportation of Moisés Aparicio
Today at noon, a press conference will take place at 317 W. 23rd St., regarding the deportation case of Moisés Aparicio, who was stopped by Tucson Police Department on Saturday, March 23. Aparicio has three children and his wife is pregnant with their third child. Press release details here: Eight weeks ago, the case of…
Here’s a Google Map of Our Essential Dishes
If you’re a visual person or if you’re just trying to find some stuff to eat in your neighborhood, here’s a Google Map of our 100 Essential Dishes list from Thursday’s issue. The same map has a more permanent home here, if you’re into bookmarking.
“60 Minutes” Looks at the Pioneer Fire
In case you missed it, 60 Minutes ran a story about the 1970 Pioneer Hotel Fire and the case of Louis Taylor, the 16 year-old convicted of the crime. Taylor is set to be released from prison on Tuesday after pleading no contest in exchange for a term reduction to time served.
AZ Illustrated Politics: Marriage Equality, Immigration Reform, Social Security’s Future
On last night’s episode of AZ Illustrated Politics: Congressman Jim Kolbe, National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Daniel Scarpinato, Democratic strategist Rodd McLeod and former Pima County Democratic Party spokesman Jeff Rogers joined host Jim Nintzel to discuss the Supreme Court hearings this week on marriage equality, comprehensive immigration reform and the future of Social Security…
Cunningham Aide Katie Bolger Had a Rough Night With the Cops
On March 22, Katie Bolger, Chief of Staff for Ward 2 City Councilman Paul Cunningham and one-time Green Party candidate, walked home from a night drinking. That’s where it got weird. Bolger was apparently crossing Speedway near 5th Avenue in a generally poorly lit area when a cop in an unmarked police vehicle almost struck…
An Arizona Judge Has Denied Divorce For the ‘Pregnant Man’
A Phoenix court ruled that transgender man Thomas Beatie, who became known as the ‘Pregnant Man’ late last decade during a whirlwind of television appearances during his first pregnancy, could not divorce from his wife because they could not prove that their Hawaiian marriage was not a same-sex marriage. From the Arizona Republic: In December,…
Tulsa Dentist Endangers 7,000 Patients
As if a trip to the dentist isn’t already painful enough, about 7,000 patients received notice that they should be tested for HIV and hepatitis after visiting a dental practice in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Described as the “perfect storm” for infection by Susan Rogers, the executive director of the Oklahoma Board of Dentistry, the clinic is…
Seeking Submissions for the Yuma Film Festival
Courtesy of the Yuma Film Festival Facebook Page If you have a film you might want to share with audiences of the Yuma’s 2nd Annual Independent Film, Art and Music Festival, now’s the time: the final deadline for submissions is Monday, April 1. The festival returns on April 19 and 20, in a town with…
Teddy Riley to Zoom-A-Zoom-Zoom in Tucson’s Boom Boom
So, Teddy Riley is coming to the Rialto Theatre with Blackstreet on May 5. Blackstreet have quite a few hits (“Don’t Leave” and “Girlfriend/Boyfriend,” although let’s get real, everyone wants to hear “No Diggity”), and I’m sure it’ll be a fun night, but wouldn’t it be great if Teddy Riley runs through the music he…
This Week in Tucson Bicycling
Data suggests the University of Arizona campus is seeing a surge in bike thefts. Check out the interactive map and find out how much thefts are increasing. Once upon a time Tucson had three bike corrals. Now the city is down to just one. That is changing however. Find out where the new ones are…
Since Newtown, There Have Been More Than 3,000 Gun Deaths
As mentioned on the Range back on Jan. 9, Slate partnered with Twitter user @GunDeaths to keep track of every firearm-caused death of every flavor (whether it be in the commission of a crime, in self-defense, by accident, and everything in between), and created an interactive map to accompany their count. By Slate’s count, there…
Hey, US Senators, Thanks for Visiting, How About a Tour?
Border Action Network, along with Promise Arizona and Mi Familia Vota, issued this open letter in a press release today inviting U.S. Senators Charles Schumer, Dick Durbin, Robert Menendez Michael Bennet, Lindsey Graham, and Marco Rubio: Esteemed Senators, Charles Schumer, Dick Durbin, Robert Menendez, Michael Bennet, Lindsey Graham, Marco Rubio, On behalf of a number…
Tucson Lawmakers’ Bill to Boost Mental Health Services Dies
A bill that aimed to give Tucson a sense of closure after the January 2011 shooting died last week and there have been no shortage of reminders for Tucson about community violence in the days following. A heap of records came out of the Pima County Sheriff’s Department on Wednesday; former mayoral candidate Shaun McClusky…
The Blues Explosion Returns to Tucson
It really does seem like everyday there’s an announcement for a great concert coming to Tucson. I was buried in deadlines and didn’t even have a chance to mention that De La Soul and Public Enemy are on a bill at AVA in May (with Ice Cube and LL Cool J, who are less interesting…
Voting for the Tucson Weekly Celebrity Showdown’s Round of 16 is Live!
Folks, the votes have been counted, celebrities have been eliminated, and we’re finally ready to move our Tucson Weekly Celebrity Showdown Round of 16 — just in time for the Wildcats to play in today’s Sweet Sixteen game against Ohio State today. We totally planned it this way. So, who’s going to be moving on…
Mayors Against Illegal Guns Group Launches New Push For Gun-Violence Legislation
For once it would be great to travel outside Arizona and not have folks look at you in pity when you tell them you’re from Arizona. Even saying you’re from Tucson doesn’t offer much coverage in terms of pity, extreme empathy or sadness. I’m not sure what it is, but perhaps Shaun McClusky’s not-so-brilliant scheme…
UA Comprehensive Survey about Migration and Border Security to Be Released Today
A bi-national team of researchers from 13 institutions conducted interviews in six Mexican cities along the U.S.-Mexico border. The information from their interviews and surveys are part of a new study to be released today during a press conference in the UA Marshall Building, Room 311, on Park Avenue and University Boulevard, 10 a.m. From…
Weekly Wide Web
It appears that H.B. 2004, proposed by Dist. 23 State Rep. Michelle Ugenti, which would have made it a felony for people to impersonate people using social media accounts – though the language of the bill was noticeably unclear regarding parody accounts, despite claims from Ugenti that parody accounts were not her chief concern -…
Dream Sick: Morkkis (Self-Released)
Dream Sick are as much garage rock or shoegaze as the Replacements were punk. In other words, they’re a songwriter’s rock ‘n’ roll band with superficial trappings of current styles. This is hardly detrimental to their new album, Morkkis. At its core, Morkkis fuses passionate performances and light experimentation with strong, anthemic songs that groups…
Sleep Like Trees: You’re Alright (Self-Released)
From the opening seconds of “Nice Scissors, Chief,” Sleep Like Trees establish the sound of their debut album, You’re Alright: early Modest Mouse, but without the vocals, bass guitar, keyboards or anything else. But that’s less than half the story; the sound has little to do with the style. Guitarist Ben Kohlhepp and drummer Michael…
City Week
Librarian Wardrobe shushes stereotypers; walking for orphans on Good Friday; a community call to discuss redeveloping the Ronstadt; and a Trapped in the Closet Sing-a-long!
Stefan George & The Ditchriders: Stefan George & The Ditchriders (Self-Released)
A bona fide local-music treasure, George is a blues-folk singer, songwriter and guitarist who has recorded and played in Tucson for more than 30 years. He’s performed as a solo artist, with groups too many to list here and as half of an inspired duo with Tom Walbank. His latest project is a rough-hewn honky-tonk…
T Q&A
Ben Johnson has been the curator of exhibits at Tohono Chul Park since May 2010. Lately, he’s been putting together Artworks in Glass, which opens Friday, March 29. The exhibit features works from 12 local artists that showcase the many forms glass art can take. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the…
Like Butter
I made butter once – just plain, old regular butter. It’s actually really easy. All you have to do is put some heavy cream in a jar and shake it for a while. You can do it much quicker by beating the cream with a hand or bowl mixer until it forms stiff peaks, then…
‘Wicked’ This Way Comes (Again)
Wicked Presented by Broadway in Tucson 7:30 p.m., Thursday, March 28; 8 p.m., Friday, March 29; 2 and 8 p.m., Saturday, March 30; 2 and 7:30 p.m., Sunday, March 31; 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, April 2, 3 and 4; 8 p.m., Friday, April 5; 2 and 8 p.m., Saturday, April 6; 1 and…
Top Ten in Cinema
1. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 2. Zero Dark Thirty 3. Life of Pi 4. Les Mierables 5. This Is 40 6. Argo 7. Wreck-It Ralph 8. Hitchcock 9. Flight 10. Skyfall
Fresh Paint
I Wonder If My Name Is Alice Dance concert by Artifact Dance Project; live painting by Joe Pagac; live music by the Kingfisher String Quartet and pianist Alexander Tenster) 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday, March 29 and 30; 2 p.m., Sunday, March 31 Stevie Eller Dance Theatre, on the UA campus $25 general; $18 students…
Ask a Mexican!
The Mexican deals with a bit of good-natured ethnic confusion; and what’s the deal with driver’s license reciprocation?
Tear Down This Wall
Continental Divide: Wildlife, People, and the Border Wall By Krista Schlyer Texas A&M University Press $30, 192 pages There’s an old reporter’s rule that says “Follow the money.” While photographer and writer Krista Schlyer may have avoided that particular aspect of homeland security and who benefits from the billions spent on the militarization of the…
Mailbag
Not everyone was crazy about our interview with Isaiah Toothtaker.
Top Ten in Books
1. The Cats of Tanglewood Forest Charles deLint ($17.99) 2. The Name of the Wind Patrick Rothfuss ($8.99) 3. Outlander: A Novel Diana Gabaldon ($35) 4. The Raven Boys Maggie Stiefvater ($18.99) 5. Just One Day Gayle Forman ($17.99) 6. The Unwanteds Lisa McMann ($6.99) 7. Deadly Stakes: A Novel J.A. Jance ($25.99) 8. Beautiful…
Everyone’s a Performer
A 12-hour-long arts festival this weekend aims to be both entertaining and educational, with live music and dancing as well as a number of workshops to encourage audience participation. Many Mouths One Stomach, a local arts-based collective, will host its second annual MoctoberFest to promote Tucson’s arts community. It includes a variety of performers plus…
Capable ‘Croods’
A tip of the hat to the animators and digital artists who make The Croods more than just a family-friendly cartoon. New animated flicks often tack on 3-D because it guarantees a comfortable profit, but The Croods actually benefits from the 3-D. Even Pixar hasn’t completely cracked how to make its films more engaging in…
The Skinny
Steve K. kicks off his reelection campaign; SB 1432 wants you to show your papers before you pee; and an update on other bills we’ve been tracking.
Disappointing Debauchery
If you are longing to see Vanessa Hudgens naked in a pool with James Franco doing his best impersonation of Gary Oldman in True Romance, then Spring Breakers just might be for you. If you prefer a movie with a script, a sense of direction and sans James Franco doing his best Gary Oldman-in-True Romance…
Guest Commentary
Much has been made recently over Mark Kelly’s now-cancelled purchase of an AR-15 rifle at Diamondback Police Supply here in Tucson. I don’t get it. According to reports, he walked into the store to buy a pistol, and ended up buying a 1911 style semi-automatic. As he was leaving, he spotted an AR 15 rifle…
Pedersen On Sports
(Disclaimer: I consider gambling a sportslike activity. It’s a combination of entertainment, skill, luck and excitement that for many of us scribes—remember the adage that those who can’t play, write about it—is as close as we’re going to get to the sporting life.) For a metro area that can’t seem to get a Dave &…
True TV
See It Doctor Who Saturday, March 30 (BBC America) Spring Premiere: The Only TV Column That Matters™ doesn’t claim to know much definitively about the long-long-long-running Doctor Who, other than it’s not Dr. Who (because he was a few credits short of graduating?), he usually has a cute-but-doomed sidekick (recently Karen Gillan, but …) and…
Targeting Protection
On most days, the International Wildlife Museum sees a steady stream of visitors, drawn by coy marketing or morbid curiosity to this peculiar citadel in the Tucson Mountains west of town. That was even more the case one crisp Saturday in mid-February, as the museum auspiciously celebrated its 25th anniversary with jaunty food trucks and…
Editor’s Note
So, if you’re reading this, you probably saw that our cover story this week is a list we put together of what we think are Tucson’s 100 essential dishes. The idea was to create a guide to dishes worth trying, the sort of information you generally need to get by talking to someone in the…
Traveling Man
Stuart Oliver and the Desert Angels CD-release party 8 p.m. Saturday, March 30 Café Passé, 415 N. Fourth Ave. $5 suggested donation All ages admitted 624-4411 or oldbisbeerecords.com On his new album, singer-songwriter Stuart Oliver often is inspired by a sense of place, the natural environment and of traveling. On the country-rockin’ Sheddin’ Every Skin,…
Minty Fresh
On Fridays, a go-go dancer stands outside the Mint Cocktails, a neighborhood bar on Grant Road near Richey Boulevard, to welcome working guys in for an after-work respite. It’s part of a business model—including burlesque shows and soon Wild Boys male revue shows—to help Ricardo “Skyy” Garcia and his business partner, Chris Smith, make the…
Media Watch
A conversation with Tucson’s Brian Jeffries about his Hall-of-Fame career.
Soundbites
This weekend is packed full of music you need to see: Jeff Mangum, Booker T. Jones, the Angry Samoans, and so so much more — and that’s just Friday!
Danehy
At first glance, one might think that Clint Bolick is on a roll. He’s a big shot at the Goldwater Institute, a usually conservative think tank, the main task of which is apparently to lead the Republican-dominated Arizona Legislature around by its collective nose. He’s a big-time attorney and lobbyist and he recently co-authored a…
Top Ten in Music
1. Shout Out Louds Optica 2. The Cave Singers Naomi 3. Eric Clapton Old Sock 4. Frightened Rabbit Pedestrian Verse 5. The James Hunter Six Minute by Minute 6. Various Artists Love for Levon 7. Cordials Not Like Yesterday 8. Eels Wonderful, Glorious 9. Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell Old Yellow Moon 10. Lady Lamb…
Police Dispatch
A case of hair-theft, and the most pathetic drunk driving arrest we’ve run in recent memory.
Live
You’d expect plenty of horns and rhythm at this distinctly Tucson festival. But even with the young mariachis, Sergio Mendoza’s indie-mambo orchestra and Calexico’s uniquely Southwestern blend of sounds, there was still room for more. New Orleans’ Rebirth Brass Band brought an entirely different flavor to the party. Jazzy, funky and impossibly tight, the Rebirth…
Downing
Poor, dear, silly Spring, preparing her annual surprise. —Wallace Stevens Why is spring always a surprise? Perhaps just because it’s so lovely that we can never quite remember how beautiful it is, how wonderful it feels to be alive in spring. During the endless heat of summer and the darkness and cold of winter—yes, even…
Nine Questions
Julia Pernet is chairwoman of the Tucson Guitar Society. On Saturday and Sunday, April 6 and 7, the society’s last concerts of the season will feature Grammy-award-winning guitarist David Russell performing at the UA’s Holsclaw Hall. Tickets are $30 for nonmembers, $25 for society members and $20 for students. For more information, visit tucsonguitarsociety.org. What…
Biosphere 2: A Model City for Sustainability (Audio included)
JOHN DE DIOS Researchers at Biosphere 2 are looking into the idea of a Model City. The idea is to make the 40-acre campus into a sustainable, solar-powered and energy-efficient example for municipalities to follow. Technologies for solar-powered grids and storage are being tested along with water-harvesting techniques. Audio and Slideshow after the jump. Like…
