Cover Story
At Tucson’s Heart
Before the sounds of cumbia filled the dance floor with couples and children, Raúl Ochoa led the crowd at the Corazón de Tucson fundraiser in a chant of, “Si, se puede.” Ochoa, a 29-year-old organizer for the immigrant-rights organization, had just presented certificates to 10 community members who participated in his leadership class. Their faces…
A New Study Tries To Scare Us Into Sleeping More
This story from the Atlantic Wire has the benefit of being both newsy AND terrifying, a practically irresistible combination for those who live on the blogosphere. A new study connects a lack of sleep to increased obesity and diabetes by showing how sleep deprivation can hurt people on a cellular level. A new study published…
The My Big Fat Greek Restaurant at the Foothills Mall Has Closed
The My Big Fat Greek Restaurant at 7265 N. La Cholla Blvd. is closed, according to a sign in the window. The eastside location at 7131 E. Broadway Blvd. remains open.
Ms. Lauryn Hill Is Coming to the Rialto Theatre (Everybody Cross Your Fingers)
It’s been a decade since Lauryn Hill, hip-hop goddess and onetime member of The Fugees, released a new album — and that was the scattershot live session MTV Unplugged No. 2.0. But the Rialto Theatre has just announced that Hill (who now prefers to go by Ms. Lauryn Hill, like, all the time) is scheduled…
Help Local Restaurateur Brian Metzger Help His Twin Brother
Brian Metzger, owner of popular local restaurants Jax Kitchen and The Abbey, is holding a dinner next week to help his twin brother’s family as they deal with a medical emergency. From a press release: For more than four years, local restaurateur Brian Metzger has put smiles on the faces of Tucson’s foodies, through his…
9Q+1: Fook
Fook Fook, the morning-show host at KFMA FM 92.1/101.3, moved to Tucson last year from Chicago, where he was a DJ for Q101. Ever since, he’s been waking up KFMA fans with sarcasm and hilarity. What was the first concert you attended? Public Enemy with Neil Young—at the time, what I thought was the most-bizarre…
Talking Comics: Ultimate Comics: Iron Man #1
Heroes and Villains’s Cynthia and Eric discuss Tony Stark’s less glamorous side in this edition of Talking Comics. Finally, an Iron Man poor and self-destructive enough for Eric to relate to! Ultimate Comics: Iron Man #1 Written By: Nathan Edmondson Illustrated By: Matteo BuffagniColored by: Andy TroyLettered By: VC’s Joe CaramagnaEdited By: Sana Amanat
Heard About the Tucson Coffee Crawl?
If you’re into the caffeinated lifestyle, this upcoming event is for you. Cartel Coffee Lab, eXo Roast Co., Sparkroot, Caffe Luce, Yellow Brick Coffee, Adventure Coffee Roasting and Brewd Coffee Lounge have already signed up to participate in the Tucson Coffee Crawl on Saturday, Nov. 10. Each stop will provide something coffee-related – classes, tastings,…
The Author of TUSD-banned “Occupied America” Speaks Out
Rodolfo Acuña, Chicano activist, professor and author of TUSD-banned Occupied America, recently published an essay on the political blog Counter Punch in response to a paper he received by Tucson Unified School District’s Augustine Romero, now charged with developing TUSD yet-to-be unveiled multicultural curriculum. You can read Acuña’s essay in it’s entirety here, but here’s…
It Appears The Candidates Want Nothing to Do With Follow-Up Questions Tonight
In what appears to be the most disappointing thing of the Presidential debate season thus far, Slate reports that Barack Obama and Mitt Romney have agreed that they should be asked no follow-up questions during tonight’s debate. According to Slate: [Moderator Candy Crowley]’s assignment—as defined by the commission and the two campaigns—is to take a…
Tucson’s First Indian Food Truck Is in the Works
It’s too good to be true: A food truck specializing in Indian food will soon add its assortment of skewered meats and other dishes to the ever-growing ensemble of local mobile-food options. From the Twisted Tandoor Facebook page: Hi Tucson !! this is to let you all know that our food truck The “Twisted” Tandoor…
From the Brilliant Users at RapGenius, Taylor Swift Songs Explained
In this picture: Why Taylor Swift is a millionaire genius. For the uninitiated, RapGenius is basically the Wikipedia of rap lyrics — users can upload song lyrics and add explanations to them to give a sense of context and meaning to them. This is used to fantastic effect, such as when one has trouble understanding…
New York Times Blogger Welcomes America to the Arizona Showdown
The New York Times has identified a startling trend within our own, beloved Arizona: the growing power of liberals! I’m just as shocked as you are, readers. Written by Jeff Biggers, the author of “State Out of the Union: Arizona and the Final Showdown Over the American Dream,” which was excerpted in the Weekly a…
“Americans” Short Film Goes From Political Penis Measuring to Some Kind of Understanding
A video made by conservative-leaning musician Kid Rock with documented lefty Sean Penn makes it seems like we could all get along if we just traded shirts, shared conversation over beers rather than cocktails and … yeah, trying to steer the country back to civil discourse is a bit more complicated than that. Still, the…
Clutch fans rejoice: New Album Coming in March!
Rock band Clutch has announced a new album, titled “Earth Rocker,” set to come out in March of next year. According to the website, “this will be the heaviest and fastest Clutch album to date.” Considering the diversity of musical styles and tempos in their nine studio records, Clutch fans may not know what to…
TUSD Candidates Forum Tonight
With the Tucson Unified School District governing board race winding down, there is one final candidates forum tonight 7-8:30 pm at St. Johns Church at 12th Avenue and Ajo Way, sponsored by Support TUSD’s Small Schools. Organizers shared that the last forum at El Casino Ballroom was probably the first where voters were finally able…
From Far, Far Out There in Phoenix: Vernon Parker Says Kyrsten Sinema Is A Pagan Hippie
This video, from the CD 9 race in Maricopa County, is one of the weirdest campaign ads I’ve ever seen; it’s second only to the wacky “Demon Sheep” from Californian Carly Fiorina’s failed 2010 US Senate campaign in abject strangeness. CD 9 candidate Republican Vernon Parker’s campaign went to a strange, LSD-tinged place with this…
Tonight at Club Congress: Canada’s Datsik and the UK’s xKore Bring Back the Commonwealth of Nations
Tonight at Club Congress, you may very well be hearing two great young producers spinning to improve relations between Canada and the U.K. — Dubstep artists Datsik of the great, frozen North and xKore, touring from across the pond, are dropping into the Old Pueblo. From Hotel Congress: If DATSIK (born Troy Beetles) sounds more…
Paul Ryan Enters Soup Kitchen After Hours, Washes A Dish, Leaves
Okay, it may have been a reach to poke fun at Paul Ryan for looking like ’90s Fitness Model Kermit the Frog. But this report from the Washington Post is just plain absurd: The head of a northeast Ohio charity says that the Romney campaign last week “ramrodded their way” into the group’s Youngstown soup…
Carmona Vs. Flake: Televised Senate Showdown
Democrat Rich Carmona came out swinging and kept Republican Jeff Flake on the defensive throughout a lot of last night’s televised forum in the race to replace the retiring Sen. Jon Kyl. The candidates talked about health care, immigration and those recent TV ads that Flake has been airing about Carmona’s alleged temperament problems.
Your Monday Evening Wind-Down Song: 40 Watt Hype, “Muevete”
And now, to end a fairly long-feeling Monday, I present 40 Watt Hype’s “Muevete,” a song I first heard in 2006 while helping a friend out on his college radio show at UA’s KAMP Student Radio. 40 Watt Hype is, in this writer’s opinion, a quality Latin/Hip-Hop fusion band that just never got enough credit…
Former Officials Warn of Marijuana Showdown
Surprise, surprise. It seems some former Drug Warriors are on the warpath concerning the prospective legalization of marijuana in Colorado, Washington and Oregon. Former administrators from various Washington drug enforcement agencies (including the nefarious National Institute on Drug Abuse, which keeps cock-blocking clinical trials) gathered on a conference call to try to pressure Attorney General…
Dash for Cash: Barber Outraises McSally in CD2
Congressman Ron Barber and his GOP challenger, Martha McSally, have both released their third-quarter fundraising totals today. Barber edged out McSally, raising $788,652 to her $479,998. Since Aug. 8, when the campaigns filed pre-primary reports, the money race has been closer, with Barber raising $475,876 and McSally raising $432,966. Barber had the advantage in cash…
Vanity Fair Provides a Look Into the Assassination of Osama bin Laden
Vanity Fair has a huge, seven-page adaptation from a new book by Mark Bowden, which discusses how the plan to assassinate Osama bin Laden came together. Here, we’ve excerpted a few paragraphs from the story’s second part, but we highly encourage you to check out the whole thing — it’s a great read, and hell,…
Is AZ in Play in Presidential Race? Probably Not
Over the weekend, the Rocky Mountain Poll released a survey showing Barack Obama leading Mitt Romney in Arizona, 44 percent to 42 percent: The state’s two most populous counties, Maricopa and Pima, came out in support of Obama, while Romney has a lead in the rural counties. Men are evenly split between the two candidates,…
What Happens In Vegas … Can Sometimes Screw Those Lofty Career Goals
This is why booze and rare birds don’t mix. Two University of California-Berkley law students were arrested in Las Vegas last Friday for allegedly decapitating an exotic bird inside the wildlife refuge at the Flamingo Hotel and Casino. Eric Cuellar, 24, and Justin Teixeira, 24, have been charged with — I didn’t know there was…
On the Anniversary of Buddy Holly Opening for Elvis, Some Vintage Video
On this day fifty-seven years ago, October 15th, 1955, Buddy Holly opened for Elvis Presley in Lubbock, TX, an important milestone in his brief career. Having just a brief 4-year career, Holly influenced most major acts of the ’60’s and was one of the first to use the standard 4-instrument (guitar, guitar, bass, drums) band…
Let’s Get Dizzy Watching A Man Fall From Space
Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartener leaped from a capsule raised 24 miles into the sky by way of a helium balloon on Sunday, breaking the sound barrier and numerous world records as part of Red Bull’s “Stratos” project. This is video from his chest cam, taken in the midst of his free-fall — and, presumably, before…
Heads-up, Farmers’ Market Fans: The Sunday St. Phillips Market Is Moving For The Day
The Sunday St. Phillip’s Farmers’ Market is packing up and moving for the day on Sunday, Oct. 21, from its regular location at River Road and Campbell Ave. to Rillito Downs at River Road and First Ave. This weekend also marks the the second weekend of Tucson Farmers’ Market’s Winter Hours, with markets opening at…
Ernie Menehune’s Music Now on CD
Last year, we reported that Frank Luna, of Luna Recorded Archives, planned to put Ernie Menehune’s records in digital format. (See post here). Luna stopped by Weekly World Central recently to let us know that he restored Menehune’s first record, Back to Aloha Land. It’s now on sale at all Zia Records locations for $10.…
A Monday Morning Coffee Conversation Worth Your Time
Awake yet? Me neither, but this handful of magic coffee beans from the newish Exo Roast Co. should fix that. I’ve been hearing about the place for months but finally made it down there this Saturday. It’s a super cool space, all brick and steel like many of the places downtown, and the people are…
Visit ‘Green-Living’ Homes This Weekend
A cistern installed at Manzo Elementary School. Want to go green at home but need some ideas? The Watershed Management Group is conducting their second home-scape tour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 20. Watershed Management Group’s Green Living Co-op has been helping Tucson residents since 2008. They use a barn-raising model where…
Political Roundtable: Carmona vs. Flake, Antenori vs. Bradley, Wright vs. Miller & More
On Arizona Public Media’s Political Roundtable this week: Pima County Democratic Party chairman Jeff Rogers, Republican strategist Sam Stone and Tucson City Councilman Steve Kozachik tackle the U.S. Senate race between Democrat Richard Carmona and Republican Jeff Flake; the state Senate race between Republican Frank Antenori and Democrat Dave Bradley (including Frank’s recent comments regarding…
Arizona Week: Pros and Cons of Sales-Tax Prop
On Arizona Public Media’s Arizona Week last night, host Michael Chihak had an in-depth look at the pros and cons of Prop 204, which would extend the one-cent sales tax, with 80 percent of the funding going to education, 10 percent going to roads and 10 percent going to social services, with an eye toward…
So, Who Won Last Night’s VP Debate? A Look at Opposing Views
Accounts as to who won last night’s vice-presidential debate between current VP Joe Biden and Congressman Paul Ryan, running mate to Presidential candidate Mitt Romney, are split, though CNN polls showed Ryan winning by a slim margin over Biden, 48% to 44%. So, in the interest of fairness, I’ve pulled two differing opinions as to…
Let’s Listen to Calexico Performing at World Cafe Live
Hey folks, a quick item for those of you who dig Calexico’s live performances: NPR Music has a near-40 minute set of their performance at Wold Cafe Live at the Queen in Wilmington, Delaware, accompanied by a set of high-quality photos. I can’t find a way to embed the audio and photos, unfortunately, so a…
From We Got Cactus: Getting Sick of These Reminders About the Great Cover-Up Deadline? Then Send Us Your Submissions Already!
(Crossposted from We Got Cactus) Another call-out to all local bands and performers: Time is running out to get your submissions in for the 15th Annual Great Cover-Up, the three-day blowout in which local acts that normally perform original music cover other, more famous acts, in 20-minute sets, all in the name of charity. This…
This Week In Tucson Bicycling
Mountain biking legend Gary Fisher will be in town next week encouraging recreational bicyclists to use their bikes for transportation. Find out how you can ride with him. Tucson’s new bicycle and pedestrian coordinator has been on the job for a few weeks. Find out what she is working on. The Euclid and University Intersection…
Local Business Advocates Plan to Swarm Antigone Books Tomorrow — Will You Be There? [Update: Nope, it’s Sunday]
If you’re not familiar with the small business advocates Mind Our Own Businesses, it’s about time that you should be — Mind Our Own Businesses has made efforts to motivate Tucsonans to keep our local businesses alive, particularly those that might be suffering as a result of construction along Fourth Avenue and Congress Street. Already…
Why Lindsay Lohan’s Endorsement of Romney Is Kinda Important
So, Lindsey Lohan plans on voting for Mitt Romney this November, according to a bit of information released by E! News. Now, I generally discount the words of a raving serial drunk driver and rehab center frequenter (Do you get a free mug with a DT-proof splashguard after five visits or something?) as much as…
CD 1 Air War: Paton has “Words” for Kirkpatrick
As early ballots are hitting Arizona mailboxes this week, Republican Jonathan Paton has launched another TV ad against Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick in the Congressional District 1 race. The ad is a mashup of talking points that Paton has used throughout his campaign. The first targets Kirkpatrick’s support of the Affordable Care Act. “Kirkpatrick voted for…
Getting Sick of These Reminders About the Great Cover-Up Deadline? Then Send Us Your Submissions Already!
Another call-out to all local bands and performers: Time is running out to get your submissions in for the 15th Annual Great Cover-Up, the three-day blowout in which local acts that normally perform original music cover other, more famous acts, in 20-minute sets, all in the name of charity. This year’s event will take place…
Hey Game Fans, Check Out Dice & Decks at Cartel This Weekend!
Table-top gamers, are you looking for people to play with this weekend? If so, head out to Cartel Coffee Lab on 2516 N. Campbell to game with the members of Marana Dice & Decks, who will be engaging in a five-hour hangout-and-play session from 7 p.m. to midnight this Saturday, Oct. 13. Dice & Decks…
Watch the Austin City Limits Festival From the Comfort of Your La-Z-Boy
I don’t know about you, but I’m not a big fan of massive music festivals. Maybe I’ve just gotten spoiled by seeing bands in clubs, or maybe I just don’t like battling 75,000 people trying to all gawk at the same stage (it certainly doesn’t help that I’m a short dude), or maybe I just…
Let’s Watch the Manufacture of The Urn For This Year’s All Souls Procession
Paul Weir talks about the new Urn for the All Souls Procession 2012 from Leslie Ann Epperson on Vimeo. This video was shot by Leslie Ann Epperson, who recently achieved full funding for her film Many Bones, One Heart, which documents the making of Tucson’s annual All Souls Procession. From the video’s description on Vimeo:…
Explorer Newspaper: Ally Miller Has “Hulk Angry” Attitude
Thelma Grimes of the Explorer newspaper assesses the temperament of Republican Ally Miller, who is facing Democrat Nancy Young Wright in the race to replace retiring Pima County Supervisor Ann Day: However, after listening to Miller in several debates, her behavior with the press and her attacks on her opponent, there are so many red…
Today In Misguided Photo Shoots: Paul Ryan Working Out
Paul Ryan could not look any less comfortable, or any more like an early ’90s fitness model, than he does here. Poor, poor Paul Ryan. On the day of his Vice Presidential candidate debate with current VP Joe Biden, it’s come out that he has no idea how to look natural in a photo shoot.…
The Old Chicago Halloween Mini Beer Tour Has Started
They had me at “special Mini Tour T-shirt with glow-in-the-dark Halloween graphics.” From an e-mail earlier this week: Through Halloween, Old Chicago guests are invited to enjoy eight specialty beers. The Tucson location will feature Coney Island Freaktoberfest, OC Blood Orange Wheat, Newcastle Werewolf, Woodchuck Seasonal Cider, Blue Moon Harvest Pumpkin Ale, Widmer Brothers Pitch…
In Honor of National Coming Out Day: Murs’s “Animal Style”
Today is National Coming Out Day, and considering that this weekend is Tucson Pride 2012, we figured that today is a good one to check out the “Animal Style” video from Murs, which was filmed in and around Tucson and features gear from local shops, including The Underestimated City. “Animal Style,” (which was controversial in…
The Desert Diamond Casino Poker Overhaul
Some of the fondest memories of my post-first-marriage years involve playing poker in Desert Diamond Casino’s old rickety, wobbly, cramped quintuple-wide trailer that served as a poker room for several years in the mid-2000s. With its own bathrooms, parking away from the rest of the casino and a door blocking out all the slot player…
Peruvian Folklore at Tucson Meet Yourself
Grupo Tradiciones, or Group of Traditions, is new to Tucson Meet Yourself. Last year, they performed for the first time and it was a huge success. Here’s a video they made of last year’s performance. It’s kind of long but it’ll give you an idea of what they do. I didn’t get a chance to…
Kadooks! Food Truck Takes the Plunge
From the Facebook page of one of Tucson’s newest food trucks, this update: OK folks, this is official now, we are really taking the leap here. Kadooks! Food Truck is ready to announce that we are going to do everything in our power to have a grand opening on December 1’st at the Oro Valley…
Love Your Teacher Week
Educator Appreciation Week, as it is officially called, takes place the week of Saturday, Oct. 13 through Oct. 20. Barnes and Noble on the eastside (5130 E. Broadway Blvd.) will host a series of events to celebrate teachers. Here’s a rundown of the events: On Saturday, Oct. 13, at 4 p.m., an opening reception takes…
Bird in the Trees, and the Tucson Film and Music Festival
A celebration of film, music, and films by, for and about music and musicians previewed with with a double feature in the gently tree-lit and bustling La Cocina patio. The festival continues today through Sunday, Oct. 14 with screenings at Cinema La Placita, the Loft Cinema and Century 20 El Con. Look for highlights to…
Ajia’s Gospel Brunch Is This Sunday
A huge heartfelt thank you to Ajia Simone for organizing a brunch and advertising it thusly: Calling all sinners… I SAID… CALLING ALL SINNERS… If you’re sleeping with your bestfriend’s husband.. I’m talking toyou! If you cheated on your taxes…I’m talking to you too – Amen! If you go to communion just forthe free wine…
Weekly Wide Web
‘Komen’ to Porn? Susan G. Komen for the Cure doesn’t want to accept donations from porn websites. Pornhub.com, the 68th-most-popular website in the world, recently announced a promotion wherein they would donate one cent to breast-cancer research for every 30 unique views given to, uh, breast-related videos. The Komen folks, not wanting to sully the…
Ask a Mexican!
Dear Readers: The Mexican must take the week off, because, just as the Tucson Weekly did two weeks ago, his home paper is publishing its annual Best Of issue. If the devil ever condemns you to visit Orange County, pick up the OC Weekly! To honor the Best Of, here’s a doozy from 2006. If…
The Middle East-Studies Ban
When Republican Gabriela Saucedo Mercer’s now-infamous comments describing “Middle Easterners” as “those people” whose “only goal in life is to cause harm to the United States” were revealed, her opponent, Rep. Raul Grijalva, spared no indignation in his response. “This is reckless hate speech,” he said in an Aug. 28 statement, “and I call on…
The Tucson Weekly 2012 Endorsements
Early voting begins this week, so the Tucson Weekly is once again presenting endorsements in a variety of races in Southern Arizona, along with our recommendations on various ballot propositions that voters will decide in the Nov. 6 general election. You’ll note that we did not endorse in every race; in many of them, the…
A Community Theme
This year, Pride means partying and commitment. The emphasis for the 35th annual LGBT Pride in the Desert festival, presented this weekend by Tucson Pride Inc., is on building a stronger community, which is reflected in this year’s theme, “Pride Links Us Together.” This year, all Pride activities are downtown, including the main events: the…
Occupy’s Anniversary
Celebrate the anniversary of Occupy Tucson on Sunday, Oct. 14.
T Q&A
Kevin Maxey is a physician who has seen the LGBT community through many changes over the years since he helped start the Southern Arizona Gender Alliance in 1998, and started volunteering with Wingspan around the same time. In January, he saw the documentary Gen Silent, and was so moved by its story—about LGBT elderly and…
Soccer and Saints
Borderlands Theater’s Guapa, about an aspiring young Latina soccer player, has debuted in Tucson as part of a three-city “rolling world premiere.” This means that after opening at Borderlands, Guapa will go on to “premiere” two more times, at the Phoenix Theatre in Indianapolis, and the Miracle Theatre in Portland, Ore. The triple-opening is engineered…
City Week
Get informed before the election; TSO celebrates the King of Pop; ghouls walk the streets; and the Film and Music Festival comes back for its eighth edition.
Fun and Tasty
I’m not a northwest-sider, but several of my friends and co-workers are, and they’re always complaining about a lack of decent neighborhood joints—locally owned places where you can grab a cold brew, catch a game, enjoy some grub and feel at home, whether you’re with your kids or your fantasy-football buddies. The Station Pub and…
Editor’s Note
On Sunday, Sept. 30, The Times-Picayune, New Orleans’ largest newspaper, published its final issue as a daily. While The Times-Picayune lives on in print three days per week, what was once one of America’s great dailies is now a mere shell of its former self. Of course, a similar thing is happening to our own…
Fresh Off the Page
What if the hokey pokey is what it’s all about?” When Tucson playwright Gavin Kayner saw this question posed on a bumper sticker, it intrigued and, as it turns out, inspired him. The outcome is Hokey Pokey, a play that will take the stage for the first time this weekend. It’s publicized as a joint…
Noshing Around
The Fat Greek becomes Pelio; Loews Ventana Canyon chef spreads the prickly pear love; Liv Café now open later; and Lulu’s and Pollo #1 open up!
Danehy
A teenage girl walks into a classroom every day, usually a few minutes late. She then puts her head down on the desk and falls asleep. When the teacher asks the kid why she even bothers to show up at all, the girl explains that she has two kids of her own (who are being…
Fabric of Our Lives
On July 31, 2006, Maria Elena Rojas Nieto of Mexico drowned in a wash in Nogales. A few weeks later, on Aug. 20, Maria Santa Lopez Comacho, 19, of Guatemala, baked to death in the sun in the flatlands east of the Baboquivaris. In between, on Aug. 7, nine Mexican migrants, including 28-year-old José Daniel…
Dramatic Contrasts
Acclaimed singer-songwriter Aimee Mann creates the prettiest pop-rock melodies, only to wrap them around desperate, dark or heart-wrenching lyrics. That delicious conflict has been at the heart of Mann’s material throughout a solo career of more than 20 years. When asked about this during a recent interview, she admits she’s always had a weakness for…
Downing
Some years back, a neighbor down the street got solar panels on her house. I don’t know her, but I admire everything she does. She painted the trim on her red-brick ranch a pretty blue right after she and her young daughter moved in, and soon after, she spent days digging giant holes for the…
The Appointed One
It’s been years since Tucson had a poet laureate to call our own. Now we have one again, thanks to Mayor Jonathan Rothschild, who, with the help of the Tucson Pima Arts Council, just appointed Rebecca Seiferle to serve as our city’s emissary for literacy. Actually, Seiferle’s résumé almost merits a U.S. poet laureate post.…
Soundbites
FOR YOUR READING AND VIEWING PLEASURE Usually in this space, I explain that there’s so much great music stuff happening around town that it simply won’t fit in our print pages, and I implore you to check out our listings section for a more-complete picture. And that’s true again this week. But we’ve taken a…
Mailbag
Citizens United resulting in “future payback at the expense of our democracy”; how to eat well for cheap
Top Ten in Books
1. The Mark of Athena: The Heroes of Olympus, Book 3 Rick Riordan, Hyperion ($19.99) 2. The Casual Vacancy J. K. Rowling, Little, Brown ($35) 3. No Easy Day: The Autobiography of a Navy Seal: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama Bin Laden Mark Owen with Kevin Maurer, Dutton ($26.95) 4. The…
Top Ten in Music
1. Y la Orkesta Mambo Mexicano! (Cosmica) 2. Ron Pandy Truth and Other Lies (self-released) 3. Acero Acero (self-released) 4. Stefan George and the Fellow Travelers Blue House (self-released) 5. Gabriel Sullivan Where the Bad Ones Go (Fell City) 6. Namoli Brennet Black Crow (Flaming Dame) 7. Mitzi Cowell and the Valiants Just the Blues…
Guest Commentary
It wasn’t all about six guns. There were petticoats. True, women were outnumbered, but they played a significant part in the history of the Old West. A few men—engineers, merchants and bankers—brought their wives to these camps. Some of their wives made a name for themselves. Clara Brown, whose husband was a mine engineer, wrote…
Out of Iran
When spies are involved, the truth is very often stranger than fiction. Long before he created the world’s best-known secret agent, 007 author Ian Fleming was a real one, and his idea to drop a corpse carrying phony war plans off the Spanish coast deceived the Nazis and helped the Allies turn the tide against…
Nine Questions
Walter Gonçalves has been a fixture within Tucson’s indie scene since the formation of his post-punk group Early Black in 2007. His singing, guitar-playing and songwriting have helped earn Early Black a substantial local following for fans of underground proto-goth rock, as played in the late 1970s. What was the first concert you ever saw?…
Bad Track Record
The reports splash across my screen like a contagion: injury after injury at Tucson Greyhound Park, most of them due to outright neglect. But the conditions that resulted in no fewer than 68 damaged racing dogs over a two-month period—from broken equipment to shoddy track maintenance—led to nothing more than harsh words from the Arizona…
Top Ten in Movies
1. Marvel’s The Avengers Walt Disney 2. Dark Shadows Warner Bros. 3. Snow White and the Huntsman Universal 4. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel 20th Century Fox 5. The Cabin in the Woods Lionsgate 6. What to Expect When You’re Expecting Lionsgate 7. People Like Us DreamWorks 8. Hysteria Sony 9. Iron Sky Entertainment One…
Live
The last Shins show in Tucson was sweaty—sweaty—without air conditioning at the Rialto Theatre, and with sound that too often became muddy at the loud and low ends. It was a last hurrah, of sorts, that June night in 2004, before a six-month transformation turned the Rialto around in both sound and experience. The Shins,…
No Help
During the entire time Stella Mae Smith’s son attended Tucson Unified School District schools—from elementary through high school—diagnosing his disability and getting the services he needed was a challenge. Smith and her son Carter were among the 14 families who filed complaints last year with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights. They…
A Crazy Movie
Writer-director Martin McDonagh’s Seven Psychopaths is one of the best films since the Coen brothers’ Barton Fink about the art of writing—or, perhaps better put, not being able to write—a screenplay. This is an ingenious, wildly engaging movie from the man who brought us the brilliant In Bruges (my pick for the year’s best movie…
The Tough Shits: The Tough Shits (Burger)
On the debut by Philadelphia’s The Tough Shits, one is treated to a cartoon by comic artist Avi Spivak, depicting a cast of characters partying on a seedy boardwalk. It’s an indicator of lyrical themes. The realm of The Tough Shits is an insular world of early adulthood: the trials of being let loose for…
The Skinny
Ron Barber and Martha McSally spar over Social Security … A GOP poll puts Republican Jonathan Paton ahead in CD 1 … Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick releases a bullshit ad against Paton on Rio Nuevo … and more!
Now Showing at Home
E.T. comes home; ‘Rock’-in’ with Mr. Cruise; Moonrise Kingdom marks Anderson’s return to live-action.
Various Artists: Just Tell Me That You Want Me: A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac (Hear)
Tribute albums can be a mixed bag, but this new release is filled with more hits than misses. What can you expect when you pair such top-notch material—drawn pretty much from throughout the band’s career—with creative interpreters such as Marianne Faithfull, Antony Hegarty, Lykke Li, Craig Wedren and St. Vincent? This has many familiar names,…
Media Watch
AZPM Loses Michaels; Patyk moves to San Diego; Horton opens Gannet’s records; and more!
The Drowning Men: All of the Unknown (Borstal Beat)
The Drowning Men are trying for a lot of things at once: The Oceanside, Calif., quintet blend folk, stately indie rock, dark subject matter, occasional bursts of punk energy and more. It’s hit and miss, but All of the Unknown offers a lot of quality songs. “Lost in a Lullaby” opens the band’s second album…
Police Dispatch
A literal pool stabbing; a jilted lover takes things out on his ex’s car.
Pending Inspection
The first medical-marijuana dispensary in the state could very well be in Tucson—and it could be open soon if the state crosses a few T’s and dots some I’s. “We’re ready to open doors, pending their inspection,” said Ken Sobel, who plans two local dispensaries under the name Green Halo: one at 7710 S. Wilmot…
A Chat With Rebecca Seiferle, the New Tucson Poet Laureate
A portion of this interview by Jarret Keene appears in the Oct. 11 print issue. The extended interview begins after the jump. It’s been years since Tucson had a poet laureate of our own. Now we have one again, thanks to Mayor Jonathan Rothschild, who, with the help of the Tucson Pima Arts Council, appointed…
