Mar 7-13, 2013

Mar 7-13, 2013 / Vol. 30 / No. 3

Cover Story

Adam Rex Gets A Big Head (…Not Really)

Sure, having one of your books banned provides some street cred—and maybe a prime spot in the window display at Bookmans during Banned Books Week—but for Tucson children’s author and illustrator Adam Rex, it’s a status he’d rather do without … Entering the Epic Café on Fourth Avenue, Rex looks like any other coffeehouse regular.…

Spring Is Here!

Late Winter Potted Garden Your gardens are ready — for cut backs, new plants, it is time! The next week will be unseasonably warm but then we get back to average temperatures in the 70s and the long range outlook is great!! Now is the time to cut back your damaged plants. Prune back any…

Owners of 47 Scott Bring Caribbean Food To Downtown Tucson

The owners of 47 Scott will be bringing Caribbean food and a lot of rum to downtown Tucson this August. After some construction delays thanks to the age of the building, Saint House, is set to open August 15 at 256 E. Congress, filling the space left behind by Shark’s Nightclub. The owners decided to…

Arizona Could Lose $137 Million or Gain $19 Million in Sales Tax Change

Simplifying Arizona’s sales tax just got a whole lot more complicated. While lawmakers worked on sealing the deal on HB 2657’s most continuous issue, construction tax, the Joint Legislative Budget Committee ran some numbers. What they came up with varies, by a lot. The committee ran two scenarios one that mimics the Department of Revenue’s…

The Hopyard Market Opening Friday

Opening this Friday, March 15 is the most recent addition to the food selection on Fourth Avenue. Located at 210 N. Fourth Avenue, in the Tophoy building, the Hopyard Market will be open serving what looks like to be a combination deli and small market fare. The back counter will be serving grinders, soups, salads,…

Apparently, Paradise Valley Rules America’s Pornographic Fantasies

Though considering “Paradise Valley” already sounds like the name of a fictional village somewhere within the canon of pornographic lore, that shouldn’t be surprising. pornmd.com Pornography search engine PornMD (NSFW — but if you click on a link to a site named PornMD while working, you deserve to get fired) has done the world a…

Tucson, We’ve Got #CircleKProblems

Those of you who love to find our lovingly hand-crafted issues of Tucson Weekly at your local, neighborhood Circle K will notice that you’ll actually have a problem with that starting next week. azweeklymagazine.com Just what I needed: Information on Scottsdale art shows! Namely, that Circle K has decided to start carrying this thing you…

Dewey Does Austin: Day One of SXSW

After a slightly hellish train ride, I arrived in Austin with maybe having two hours of sleep in the past 24 hours. I immediately set upon the convention center to grab my badge, check out the press room, and gulp down a few cups of coffee. I was ready to party. …No, I wasn’t. I…

It’s Her Party, She’ll Change Her Vote If She Wants To

The controversial election bill that would turn volunteers who return early ballots into felons almost died in committee, but at the last moment a Republican changed her vote, causing several audience members to gasp. The vote on SB 1003 was split 4-4 in the House Judiciary Committee when the chair, Rep. Eddie Farnsworth, asked Rep.…

Mississippi Keeps Up Seven-Year Streak as “Fattest State”

Courtesy of Calorie Lab As Mississippians continue the cry of, “Give me my super-sized soda, or give me death!”, they seem to be missing the point that those two things may go hand-in-hand. For the seventh year in a row, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention named Mississippi the fattest state in the nation,…

Dewey Does Austin: On the Eve of SXSW

By the time you’ve read this, I will have already have boarded a train to Austin, Texas for SXSW. I have a laptop full of Walter Hill movies, spaghetti westerns and more than a fistful of tunes for the 24-hour trek. This will be my second time out there, and like I did last year,…

Border Film “The Girl” Will Screen in Tucson Friday

Almost a year after it earned a Best Narrative Feature Nod at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival, director David Riker’s The Girl is set for an exclusive Tucson run at the AMC Loews Foothills 15, 7401 N La Cholla Blvd, this Friday. The film, tinged with the timeliness of immigration issues and starring Abbie Cornish,…

Today in Papal Conclave News: Is There White Smoke Yet?

The Vatican enclave to elect the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church began today—and the coverage has been pretty interesting. Take, for instance, Guardian News’ istherewhitesmoke.com, a play off of similar one-note sites, such as DidDukeWin (which, as some folks will note, is so much sweeter after a Blue Devils loss). istherewhitesmoke.com But this…

‘The Great Gatsby’ To Headline Cannes Film Festival

Spring is the consummate “out with the old, in with the new” season in the movie world, as film festivals screen both highly-anticipated blockbusters and low-profile indies that may hold equal weight next award season. The 66th Cannes Film Festival looks like no exception to that rule: festival organizers announced yesterday that Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation…

Lodge on the Desert’s Ryan Clark Hits the Big Time

Executive Chef Ryan Clark from Lodge on the Desert is in the running for Food and Wine’s The People’s Choice Best New Chef’s Award. Currently there are 100 chefs on the list for ten geographical areas in America. Starting today through March 18, you can vote for Ryan. Logically, he’s eligible for the Southwest region.…

A Really Cool Dad Hacked ‘Donkey Kong,’ Making Mario the Damsel in Distress

Today in Awesome Hacks of Classic Video Games, programmer/cool father Mike Mika reprogrammed Nintendo’s classic Donkey Kong, switching the roles of the game’s protagonist, Mario (then known as “Jumpman” for all you gaming history nerds), with his damsel-in-distress, Pauline. Above is gameplay from the first four levels of the revised DK, culminating in Pauline besting…

Bill To Block Gun Buybacks Advances

Bethany Barnes of Arizona-Sonora News Service brings us the latest on the effort to ban gun buybacks in Arizona: A bill that would put a stop to city-run gun buybacks passed through the House on a 36-23 vote on March 7, but not without attempts to exclude Pima County from the ban and accusations of…

Services for Jesus Acedo Have Been Announced

Services for Jesus Acedo, the guitarist for Black Sun Ensemble who passed away on March 4, have been announced. There is also a new online tribute page here, where you can leave your thought and memories about Jesus and which has all the details. From that page: Service Schedule Funeral Service10:00 AM, Thursday, March 14,…

ASU’s Mascot Redesign Draws Hilarious Backlash

Earlier this month, our Tempe-based friends from Girls Gone Wild University and Casino unveiled a new look for their long-beloved mascot, Sparky the Sun Devil. On the left, you’ll see the old Sparky that you’ve learned to know and love/hate/be completely indifferent towards because you take no interest in college sports. On the right… azcentral.com…

Referendum To Eliminate Clean Elections Funding Advances

Bethany Barnes of Arizona-Sonora News Service brings us the latest on the effort to eliminate funding for Clean Elections: A bill that would ask voters if they want to defund Clean Elections in favor of education barely passed out of the House Thursday with a 31-27 vote. Republicans and Democrats argue that HCR 2026 is…

Yup, We’re Printing Body Parts Now

Courtesy of Discover Magazine A unidentified American man received a 3-D printed implant this week, replacing 75 percent of his skull and making him the second person ever to undergo this type of procedure after a woman was implanted with a titanium jaw last year. Once the Food and Drug Administration ok’d the technology, produced…

Nevada Has Stopped Recognizing Arizona CCW Permits

If you’re traveling to Nevada, make sure to leave your concealed carry weapons at home — officials from the Silver State have decided that they’ll no longer recognize CCW permits issued by Arizona. Apparently, Arizona’s training requirements are too lax for Nevada officials to abide by. From the Associated Press, via the AZ Capitol Times:…

Tom Goes to the Chair: Bazinga!

On October 4, 2007, I wrote in my column: “There’s a new CBS sitcom that has one of the funniest pilots I’ve ever seen. The Big Bang Theory features two Star Trek/computer nerd roommates who clash when a young woman who works at The Cheesecake Factory moves in across the hall. They argue over string…

The Cordials’ discuss Not Like Yesterday, song by song

The Cordials, a Tucson supergroup of sorts, will celebrate the release of their debut album this Saturday at the Whistle Stop Depot. The band—Laura Kepner-Adney (Silver Thread Trio), Courtney Robbins (Seashell Radio), Cristina Williams (the Modeens) and Winston Watson (Greyhound Soul, Saint Maybe)—got together in 2011 and recorded an eclectic pop-rock album that reflects the…

MalintZINE Launch Party Tonight and More

In late January, the Range begged you to read a new online Tucson zine that describes itself as “an online zine by radical women and queer people of color.” At that point it had close to 16,000 views at only 40 days old. Well, as of today the zine has almost 27,000 views and MalintZINE…

Bamboo Club Asian Bistro Closing

Well, the Park Place Mall will be one eatery short in a few days. From the Bamboo Club Asian Bistro web site: It is with much sadness that we must announce that March 10, 2013, will be the last day of business for the Bamboo Club Asian Bistro at Park Place. This closure is due…

Get Your Exile on Congress Street Tickets Now!

Tickets are now on sale for the first Exile on Congress Street music festival, brought to you by the Tucson Weekly, with three venues coming together on April 20, providing an obscene amount of entertainment for one super-affordable price. $12 will get you into the Rialto for indie-rock legends Dinosaur Jr., Congress to see Coachella-booked…

The Dude’s Still Abiding After All These Years

Pour yourself a White Russian and call a toast to the Dude: the Coen Brothers’ classic The Big Lebowski is celebrating its 15th anniversary this week. Despite being considered a box office flop for only grossing $5 million in its opening weekend (still, not bad for a film with a budget of $17 million -…

This Week in Tucson Bicycling

The driver accused of hitting a professional cycling team took to the internet to defend himself. It’s since been taken down, but you can see all the comments here. Know someone who is like the post office of bike commuting? Everyday, rain or shine? Nominate him or her for an award. Find out how. Camping…

The City of Tucson Is Totally Pumped About Aaron Lewis Playing Golf

Facebook “Getting a little golf in Tucson before tomorrow’s show. -AL” Remember Aaron Lewis? Not so much? Well, does this ring a bell? Yeah, Aaron Lewis (famously of Stain’d) is in town, promoting his solo country record with a show at the Fox Theatre tonight (at 7:30 p.m.; tickets start at $26) and he apparently…

Josh Haden Discusses the Return of Spain

When Josh Haden, son of iconic jazz bassist Charlie, unveiled The Blue Moods of Spain in 1995, its minimalist melancholy was unlike anything ever recorded. Almost unexpressive in his vocal delivery, Haden and his L.A. bandmates in Spain exuded a dark eroticism only the best crime novels (The Killer Inside Me, The Postman Always Rings…

Understanding The State’s Sales-Tax Reform: What’s At Stake?

Bethany Barnes of Arizona-Sonora News Service brings us the latest on the complicated efforts to reform the state sales tax: For a moment it looked like changing Arizona’s complex tax system, at least when it came to construction, might not be possible this legislative session. While everyone’s still holding cards close to their chest and…

Gangnam Style is Back

Photo from Flickr Creative Commons by KOREA.NET – Official page of the Republic of Korea You may have thought PSY’s “Gangnam Style” madness had come and gone, being replaced by the “Harlem Shake” insanity that is sweeping the YouTube nation. But don’t you worry, it’s back. The ever so popular electronic infused beats have made…

INCITE! Andrea Smith to Speak at UA, JVYC

It’s Andrea Smith weekend, beginning today when the scholar-activist speaks from noon to 1:30 p.m., in the University of Arizona Student Union Copper Room, delivering the 2013 Miranda Joseph Annual Endowed Lecture. In “Surviving and Thriving in Academia as a Scholar-Activist: A Conversation with Andrea Smith,” she shares her experiences on integrating activism and scholarship,…

Origin of Adam Rex’s Big Head: The Video

In our cover story in this week’s issue on children’s book illustrator and writer Adam Rex, we promised you the video that features the large paper mache head on the cover and inside. Its also just a fun video with Rex and author Mac Barnett ironing out the “differences” in their relationship. The due recently…

Doing Something Different

The Cordials’ Not Like Yesterday CD release party with Sun Bones (formerly Boreas), the Andrew Collberg Band and Joe Novelli 8 p.m., Saturday, March 9 Whistle Stop Depot, 127 W. Fifth St. $5 Local draft beer, specialty cocktails and The Chef’s Kitchen food truck will be available The Cordials embarked on one hell of a…

Mailbag

Horses Aren’t the Problem, Animals Are Last week, food safety officials in United Kingdom, France, and Sweden found traces of horse meat in ground beef sold across Europe. Massive recalls and lawsuits are ensuing. Can it happen here? Horse slaughter for human consumption was banned in the U.S. between 2007 and 2011. But now, a…

Top Ten in Music

1. Jim James Regions of Light And Sound Of God 2. Eels Wonderful, Glorious 3. Yo La Tengo Fade 4. Adam Green & Binki Shapiro Adam Green & Binki Shapiro 5. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Push the Sky Away 6. Amos Lee Live From the Artists Den 7. Local Natives Hummingbird 8. Otis…

Nine Questions

Courtney Robbins is the guitarist for the Cordials and Seashell Radio, two local, indie-rock four-pieces. Catch her with the Cordials (see page 46) this Saturday, March 9, for the band’s CD-release party at 8 p.m. at the Whistle Stop Depot, and again the following night with Seashell Radio for a “reunion of sorts” show at…

True TV

You Should Watch It Grimm Friday, March 8 (NBC) Midseason Premiere: Along with the still-MIA Revolution, fantasy-drama Grimm is one of NBC’s few scripted hits, and yet it’s has been off the air for over three months—anyone else see why the Peacock occasionally finishes in the ratings behind corporate Spanish cousin Telemundo? (That’s not one…

Lit T Q&A

Eric Laursen is the author of The People’s Pension: The Struggle to Defend Social Security Since Reagan, a comprehensive look at the political battles over the future of Social Security over the last 30 years. Laursen will appear on two panels, “Should Wall Street Control Social Security” (10 a.m. Saturday, March 9, in the Integrated…

Live

If there’s an argument to be had against the idea that the last innovation in rock and roll music happened in Brooklyn art spaces in 2002, opposition is probably going to be hard to come by in Tucson these days. Merging ’80s electronics, garage rock, and ’90s indie rock aesthetics seemed like a pretty good…

Editor’s Note

If you’ve picked up this week’s issue before the weekend has passed you by, come see us at the Festival of Books Saturday and Sunday. Jim Nintzel will be doing a panel at some point, we’ll have Max Cannon and cover story subject Adam Rex (ask either one to draw you a leprechaun … I…

The Skinny

Raúl Grijalva isn’t happy about the sequester-related release of detained migrants; the battle heats up over Gov. Brewer’s plan to expand Medicaid; and The Center for Creative Photography has a new lease on life!

Simple and Tasteful

When Southern Arizona Integrated Therapies opened in December, it was a bit of a letdown. The cannabis dispensary had limited meds for sale, and they were seeing patients by appointment only. It seemed like a bit of a hassle to have to call ahead of time, make an appointment and then pick up a limited…

Danehy

The Arizona Legislature, which in recent years has replaced patriotism as the last refuge for scoundrels, is off to a relatively moderate start this year (although I must stress the use of the term relatively). In recent years, lawmakers have carried out a full-scale assault on public education and teachers, they’ve knelt before the gun…

Weekly Wide Web

On March 2, The New York Times published an op-ed written by researchers who determined that the tone of reader comments below an article can change the way that readers perceive what they just read. Their study, published in The Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, asked more than 1,000 participants to read a fake news post…

Ex-Cowboy: Ex-Cowboy (Diet Pop)

Ex-Cowboy’s debut album does not resemble their namesake. The songs are beyond-the-grave whispers from (probably) dead cowboys, stuck in purgatory, intent on frightening the listener into the same submission to salvation in the afterlife that they wish they did in the first place. Musically, the album is very strong. Songs like “Hunter’s Daughters” and “Sinner’s…

Messina

Camille James Harman’s story begins the same way as many others: She awoke one night in a paralyzed state. Her body was transported onto a spaceship and placed on a table. Alien beings began to examine her. Harman was terrified. After another abduction Harman immersed herself in the UFO community. She became a public speaker,…

Jack the Film Industry Slayer

After having its release postponed last year, Jack the Giant Slayer finally makes it to screens … with a reported budget somewhere in the neighborhood of $200 million. This thing will go down as one of the worst domestic flops in recent Hollywood history. Director Bryan Singer, who took a lot of flack for his…

My Bloody Valentine: m b v (Self-Released)

Shoegaze juggernauts My Bloody Valentine did themselves no favors by waiting nearly 22 years to release a follow-up to Loveless, the group’s unimpeachable classic of wailing guitars, lush drones, and soporific vocals. Therefore, even as good as m b v is (and it is), it cannot help but pale in comparison to either Loveless or…

Bricks and Blues

It’s a crisp Saturday afternoon and Sixth Street traffic is clogged as it winds past the Steinfeld Warehouse. This motorized queue contains a fair share of rubberneckers, too, apparently surprised to see life swirling around an antique building that was nearly left for dead. Built in 1907 in the Victorian Commercial style with corbelled brick…

Drunken Deja Vu

The supreme irony of 21 & Over is that you have to be under 21 to enjoy it. Drunken hijinks and nothing but, the movie presents a 21st birthday as a legitimate rite of passage, one that must be celebrated like a Roman orgy. This is, almost to the letter, a bargain bin version of…

Camper Van Beethoven: La Costa Perdida (429)

It’s been a good nine years since the last album of new material by indie-rock stalwarts Camper Van Beethoven; more remarkably, the band is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Camper’s 10th album, which explores a variety of oddball characters from the Northern California coastline, includes most of the original members. It kicks off with…

Bills on Parade

The ink wasn’t even dry on last week’s “25 Bills To Watch” feature in our print edition before TW realized there were more bills that we should follow in our online Blogislature feature. Take House Bill 2282. Following the recall of Sen. Russell Pearce, lawmakers realized that non-partisan recall elections are a danger to their…

Top Ten in Cinema

1. Argo 2. Skyfall 3. Anna Karenina 4. The Master 5. The Perks of Being a Wallflower 6. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 2 7. Game of Thrones (Season 2, disc 1) 8. The Man With the Iron Fists 9. The Sessions 10. Game of Thrones (Season 2, disc 2)

Pedersen On Sports

I like my downtowns vibrant, with a diversity that is as much about the people as it is the entertainment choices. To have that diversity of options requires more than just an ever-growing stable of trendy bars and restaurants; it also means holding events that run the gamut of a community’s interests. Translation: a good…

Tiny, Hidden and Hip

Liv Café & Bistro 4340 N. Campbell Ave., Suite 164 Open Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. 638-5786, livtucson.com Pluses: Solid breakfast choices, quality coffee Minuses: Service is spotty, most of the menu isn’t spectacular Liv is sort of hard to explain. Tucked into the recesses of…

City Week

Thrift Shop Deluxe Junior League of Tucson’s 55th Annual Rummage Sale 6 to 10 p.m., Friday, March 87 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, March 9 Tucson Expo Center, 3750 E. Irvington Road. 299-5753; juniorleagueoftucson.org Not only is the Junior League of Tucson (JLT) celebrating their 80th year in Tucson, they also are hosting their 55th…

Noshing Around

Sausage Deli moves around the corner; Ari Shapiro’s Falora is now open; Diablo Burger looks for local liquid flavor; and Calle Tepa is coming “soon”

Shakespeare on the Skids

Cymbeline Presented by Arizona Repertory Theatre 7:30 p.m., Thursday and Friday, March 7 and 8; 1:30 and 7:30 p.m., Saturday, March 9; 7:30 p.m., Friday, March 22; 1:30 and 7:30 p.m., Saturday, March 23; 1:30 p.m., Sunday, March 24 UA Tornabene Theatre, 1025 N. Olive Road $28 adults; $26 UA employees, seniors and military; $19…

T Q&A

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., and raised in Phoenix, Laurie Notaro attended Arizona State University, where she studied journalism and wrote for the university’s State Press. She eventually became the paper’s foremost humor columnist before moving on to do the same for The Arizona Republic. Now a New York Times best-selling author, Notaro has completed her…

Hunting for Humanity

Kafka’s Monkey and Metamorphosis Presented by the Rogue Theatre 7:30 p.m., Thursday through Saturday; 2 p.m., Sunday, through March 17; additional show at 2 p.m., Saturday, March 16 The Historic YWCA, 300 E. University Blvd. $30; Discount Thursdays, $20 Runs two hours and 10 minutes, with one intermission 551-2053; theroguetheatre.org Change is certain. Sometimes we…

Heaven and Hell

Surface Tension: Alice Leora Briggs, Joel-Peter Witkin and Holly Roberts 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, through April 6 Etherton Gallery, 135 S. Sixth Ave. Free 624-7370; ethertongallery.com Alice Leora Briggs takes her inspiration from Ciudad Juarez, a hellhole of annihilation where humans are slaughtered wholesale and bodies are butchered and disappear. In…

Carly Rae Jepsen Joins Train in Leaving National Scout Jamboree

Photo from Flickr Creative Commons by Lunchbox LP Carly Rae Jepsen announced on her Twitter Monday that she would be joining Train in stepping down from her headlining spot at the National Scout Jamboree this year, due to the gay Scout member and Scout leader ban the Boy Scouts of America have in place and…

Rabbi Cohon Put On a Good Show, But It Was Too Jewish

Courtesy Temple Emanu-El Robert Klein and Rabbi Sam Cohon Some of the yiddish went above the head of this goy at Rabbi Sam Cohon’s Too Jewish 10th Anniversary Radio Show at the Fox Theatre on Saturday, March 2, but the evening was a fun dip into Jewish culture topped by a riotous performance by veteran…


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