Cover Story
The 2012 Fall Club Crawl Overview!
Saturday, Oct. 6. Get $8 wristbands ($15 VIP) in advance at Zia Records; $10 advance ($20 VIP) night of. Rialto Theatre/KRQ Stage 8 p.m.: Wolf Larsen 9 p.m.: Andrew Collberg 10 p.m.: Dry River Yacht Club (Phoenix) 11:30 p.m. to 1 a.m.: DeVotchKa (Denver) The Rialto and KRQ have teamed up to bring us what…
You’ve Got ‘Til Oct. 19 to Participate in TUSD’s “Virtual Open House”
According to a Tucson Unified School District press release, you have until Oct. 19 to participate in an online survey that’s part of an online “virtual open house,” on the TUSD school master plan. New info, is a governing board public hearing on the plan rescheduled for Oct. 15, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the Catalina…
Writer’s Block: Barry Graham
Daishin Stephenson (photo) Arizona author Barry Graham has teamed with artist Vince Larue to produce Dark Heat, a graphic novel. ($148 pages, $16, pub date Sept. 26, 2012, www.barrygrahamauthor.com) Summary from publisher: From the macabre minds of writer Barry Graham and artist Vince Larue, Dark Heat is a contemporary hybrid of crime thriller and ghost…
Catch A Special Jon Rauhouse Performance
Jon Rauhouse falls squarely into the “is there anything this guy can’t do?” category. A master on the pedal steel guitar, Hawaiian guitar and banjo, Rauhouse is the type of multi-instrumentalist so in demand for session and touring work that his own projects keep getting pushed to the side. Rauhouse – in a mixture of…
24th Annual Patagonia Fall Festival
Fall is here and it’s time for the 24th annual Patagonia Fall Festival, a celebration of art, music and fun. The small town of Patagonia invites the whole family to come enjoy some cooler weather in the town park, where the festivities are held. Shoppers will find authentic gifts, trinkets, food, art, and more. “This…
Would You Like to Eat Animal Organs and Drink Good Beer?
Technically it’s called “offal,” but most of us call it guts and organs. It is, however, edible, and actually prized by chefs and adventurous eaters alike. Ryan Clark, the award-winning executive chef at Lodge on the Desert at 306 N. Alvernon Way, dropped us an e-mail today to announce an upcoming dinner based almost entirely…
AZPM Political Forum: LD10 House of Representatives
The latest in Arizona Public Media’s Your Vote 2012 political forums: I moderated a forum with the candidates for the Arizona House of Representatives in Legislative District 10, a midtown Tucson district that’s considered one of the most competitive in the state. Your candidates on the Republican side are state Rep. Ted Vogt and Todd…
Welcome to Foreigner Watch: Beware the Truth
Another video gem from our friends at Narco News TV — news anchor Nancy Gunn and analyst Ida Dumass get to the heart of the War on Drugs and those extremist Mexicans. Help make it go viral, Tucson:
The Best Barbecue Secret I’ve Heard All Year
Sources say some of the best barbecue in Tucson can be found as a secret menu item at a nondescript sandwich shop on Broadway Boulevard, at least for the time being. I spoke with the man behind this amazing barbecue this morning and he confirmed the rumors. Mike O’Toole says his barbecued pulled-pork sandwiches, which…
Writer’s Block: Al Napoli
Tucsonan Al Napoli’s book Belmont 2017 has recently been published by local publisher Fireship Press. (206 pages, $14.50 paperback, $8.50 Kindle. Ten percent of the profits will be donated to a local charity.) Summary (from publisher): There’s no race as fantastic as the Belmont Stakes when a Triple Crown is on the line!Already the winner…
9Q+1: Walter Gonçalves
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?The…
Trashion Fashion at Dinnerware!
“Trashion Fashion” is recycling in style—reusing items and clothing to create art, jewelry, attire and objects for the home. David Aguirre, the creator of the Presidio Fashion Exchange, believes that now is the time for Tucson creatives to strut their fashion stuff. Aguirre started the Presidio Fashion Exchange in September—but this is not your usual…
It’s Time to Plant Tucson’s Potted Gardens
Photo by The Contained Gardener Mature Winter Planting – Midtown The forecast for the end of the week will provide us Tucsonans with the perfect opportunity to plant most of our winter flowers. The only thing that might hold us back is a full variety of plants but I imagine by Friday, the nurseries will…
Roll Call Rounds Up Arizona Races
Roll Call takes a look at where federal races stand in Arizona. The U.S. Senate race: A year ago, Republican Rep. Jeff Flake was considered to have all but a total lock on this seat. But it has been a long year. First, Flake was sucked into a quagmire of a primary with a self-funded…
The OSU Marching Band Brings Video Games to Life
Regardless of whether you grew up playing Space Invaders in the ’80s, Super Mario Bros. in the ’90s, or Halo in the Aughts, this video of the Ohio State Marching Band’s halftime performance from last weekend is pure awesomeness. Yeah, I know it’s over nine minutes long. But there’s a reason it’s racked up over…
CD2 Air War: Kolbe Defends McSally As Candidates Debate Social Security’s Future
We noted last week that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee had released a poll showing Congressman Ron Barber with a massive, 14-percentage-point lead over GOP challenger Martha McSally. McSally released a poll of her own yesterday showing a race that was knotted up in a dead heat, with both candidates capturing 47 percent of the…
This Peanut Butter Recall Is Getting Ridiculous
I dislike food recalls, but not because they scare me in any way. Anybody who knows me will tell you that I will eat expired food, drink murky water, munch lamb testicles. Hell, I even ate a bean burrito from Taco Bell the other day. You get the point. What irks me about food recalls…
AZPM Candidate Forum: House of Representatives, Legislative District 2
Arizona Public Media is continuing its series of forums featuring candidates in the Nov. 6 election. Last night, Andrea Kelly spoke with the three candidates seeking two seats in the Arizona House of Representatives in Legislative District 2. Tonight, the four candidates seeking two seats in the Arizona House of Representatives in Legislative District 10—Republicans…
To ‘HELL YEAH’ and Back With Molly Hatchet
When a pal informed me that a local band he was acquainted with had secured the opening slot for the George Thorogood/Molly Hatchet concert, I was happy for them. When he offered to get me a ticket, I was slightly dismayed. You see, I detest Southern Rock, and Thorogood, face it, is pretty darn boring.…
Stop Putting Uncooked French Fries in My Breakfast Burritos
I have made it a point to fess up about my heinous eating habits, which revolve around eating whatever is cheapest and closest. But I will not stand for uncooked French fries in my breakfast burritos. Do you hear me Mexican restaurants of greater Tucson? If it says “potatoes” on the menu board then that…
Rosemont ADEQ Public Hearing Tonight (Oct. 9) 6 p.m.
A public hearing on Rosemont’s proposed air quality permit with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality is tonight, Tuesday, Oct. 9, 6 p.m. at Sycamore Elementary School in it’s multi purpose building, 16701 S. Houghton Road, From Save the Scenic Santa Ritas: This is a final reminder that ADEQ will be holding a public hearing…
Tuesday’s Song of the Moment: Shad K., “Rose Garden”
Now, I’m unapologetically a huge fan of Canadian rapper Shad K. At times I’ve been criticized for listening to his music all damn day through comments on my Spotify stream, and I’ve pointed just about all of my friends in this song’s direction at one time or another. “Rose Garden,” off of Shad’s 2012 album…
Reminder: Today Is the Last Day to Register to Vote For the Nov. 6 General Election
If you haven’t registered to vote yet, you have no excuses. That link takes you to the EZ Voter Registration page at ServiceArizona.com. Click it. Register. Voice your opinions. It’s one of the great things about democracy, people. That, and you get a sticker to wear. What’s not to like? You’ve got ’til midnight tonight.…
A Rambling Discussion of Tucson’s Hamburger Scene
Monkey Burger even has its own food truck. Does that image of a monkey eating a hamburger freak anyone else out? Maybe it’s just me. Did it start when Adam Richman came to Tucson and got schooled by Lindy’s on Fourth? Right about that time burger joints started popping up everywhere. Culver’s, Five Guys Burgers…
CD 1 Candidates Spar in Oro Valley
If Democratic candidate Ann Kirkpatrick wins the congressional race for CD1 in November, she’ll return to Washington, ready to sponsor a balanced-budget amendment. Republican candidate Jonathan Paton will throw his support behind a repeal of the Affordable Care Act. And Libertarian Kim Allen? Well, he admitted the scenario wasn’t one he had given a lot…
Mark Kelly Visits Colbert
The Colbert Report Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c Mark Kelly www.colbertnation.com Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog Video Archive Astronaut (and new Tucson resident) Mark Kelly crossed the border into the Colbert Nation last night to plug his new children’s book, Mousetronaut. The backstory to the book is pretty darn funny.
Lulu’s Shake Shoppe Opens This Saturday
French fries, tater tots, hot dogs and thick-ass milkshakes are coming to downtown via the new Lulu’s Shake Shoppe that opens this Saturday, Oct. 13, at 270 E. Congress St. I remember standing in the kitchen of HUB Restaurant and Ice Creamery at 266 E. Congress St. one morning as owner Kade Mislinski explained why…
More Gabby Mercer Gems
Just when you think Gaby Mercer didn’t have more gems to share with us, there’s always her Facebook page: “And yet another one of our finest Border Patrol Agent is murdered by illegals and one seriously wounded. And some people don’t want me to talk about the wide open borders in Arizona?” Immigrant rights activist…
“It’s Almost as If You Were Put Blind Into a Big Room …”: A Chat With Field Report
Field Report A song, if you’ll permit Chris Porterfield the analogy, is like a dark room. The singer-songwriter behind Field Report, which is opening for Aimee Mann at the Rialto Theatre on Friday, says he writes songs with details that emerge bit by bit, letting the whole take its shape slowly. “A song, the first…
PETA Vs. Pokemon: PETA Makes Flash Games Now, I Guess
I get that PETA is totally against the “collecting and battling” nature of the Pokemon games. It makes sense, and viewing the games as celebrating virtual cockfighting is awful. But to coincide with the release of the Pokemon games Black 2 and White 2, sequels to the Pokemon Black and White games of two years…
NRCC Poll Shows Paton Ahead of Kirkpatrick on Day of CD1 Debate
Republican Jonathan Paton, Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick and Libertarian Kim Allen are set for a Congressional District 1 debate tonight in Southern Arizona. The candidates, who are facing off in a sprawling district that includes Oro Valley, Marana, Eastern Arizona, Flagstaff and the Navajo reservation on the north end of the state, will answer questions before…
Casa Video, One Doc At A Time: “Sir! No Sir!”
I’ve always had a huge interest for past and current social movements in the U.S, Latin America and the rest of the world — especially everything that went down in the 1960s and 70s. Since I can’t time-travel back to that era, I have to settle for watching documentaries and reading about all the history…
80,000 People Sing “Gangnam Style,” and It’s Incredibly Cool
For the record, we giant nerds here at the Weekly (e.g., just me) will never get tired of PSY’s “Gangnam Style” — and apparently, Korea loves it just as much, if not more, than I do. This is from a public concert put on by PSY in front of Seoul’s City Hall, where 80,000 people…
Giant Giant Sand in Golden Gate Park
Eric Swedlund John Paul Jones and Howe Gelb One of the greatest virtues of San Francisco’s Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival – aside from the fact that it’s free, in a gorgeous setting and laden with legendary talent – is its propensity for special guests to show up. But even knowing that trait of the festival…
Nuns on the Bus Believe That Paul Ryan’s Budget Cuts Leave Something To Be Desired: Morality
This column about the Nuns on the Bus, a group of women of the cloth who are hoping to promote “solidarity, justice and the common good,” from the Washington Post’s E.J. Dionne raises some interesting points about Paul Ryan’s proposed, oft-touted budget — namely, that it doesn’t take into account how much difficult the private…
“What I Remember”: Gabby’s Visit Back to the Site Where Everything Changed
The Daily Beast has this excerpt from a chapter written by Mark Kelly for the paperback edition of “Gabby: A Story of Courage, Love and Resilience.” Fair warning: I got a bit emotional reading through it. Give it, the excerpt as a whole, and the book a read when you get the opportunity. The paperback…
Hey, Are You Registered To Vote Yet?
Remember, the deadline for registration for the November 6 General Election is tomorrow, by midnight — typically, Arizona requires voters to register 29 days before an election is scheduled to take place, but as today is Columbus Day, late-comers have been granted a day of reprieve to get their registrations together. So let’s do it,…
Happy Birthday Johnny Ramone!
John Williams Cummings, better known as Johnny Ramone, would have been 64 today. Sadly, he passed away on September 15, 2004 from prostrate cancer. It wasn’t easy being a die-hard Ramones fan in the early 2000s, what with Joey, Dee Dee and Johnny passing away within three years of each other. Johnny was never apologetic…
Mark Your Calendar for the Haunted Saloon Showdown
Made any Halloween plans yet? If not, we suggest checking out Noble Hops’ (1335 W. Lambert Lane, in Oro Valley) awesome bash on Friday, Oct. 26. If you’re a beer lover this event is a no-brainer being that Noble Hops stocks one of the best selections of beer in Southern Arizona. But there will be…
‘Under Arpaio’ Now on YouTube
If you never had chance to see a screening of Jason Michael Aragón’s Under Arpaio, his documentary on Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and those fighting for justice, you can see the documentary in its entirety on YouTube.
Political Roundtable: Carmona Gains on Flake, McSally Gets NRCC Support, Downtown Biz Hurt By Streetcar Construction & More!
Another lively edition of Arizona Public Media’s Political Roundtable: Tucson Tea Party founder Trent Humphries, Tucson City Councilman Steve Kozachik and Pima County Democratic Party chairman Jeff Rogers discuss the tightening U.S. Senate race between Republican Jeff Flake and Democrat Richard Carmona; the national political committees getting involved in the race between Congressman Ron Barber…
Your Saturday Afternoon Club Crawl® Hype Video: DeVotchKa
So, are you ready for Club Crawl® tonight? If so, good! We’ll see you there. I’ll enjoy a beverage with you. It’ll be nice. If not, what’re you waiting for? Head over to Hotel Congress, hotelcongress.com, or either of Tucson’s Zia Records shops to grab ’em — and you might as well do it now,…
Critter of the Week: Meet Teddy!
Teddy – #734723 — 1.5 Years Old — Lab/Mastiff Mix — Male “Can I be your Teddy Bear?” When the other dogs ganged up on him and attacked, Teddy was surrendered to the Humane Society of Southern Arizona. This calm, passive boy is still pretty shaken up but craves companionship every minute of the day.…
Your Friday Afternoon Club Crawl® Hype Song: The Living Breathing
Hey, have you got your Club Crawl® wristband yet? If not, there’s still time before gates open tomorrow! Head down to Hotel Congress, hotelcongress.com, or either of Tucson’s two Zia Records locations for your entry to this Fall’s Club Crawl®. There you can see the likes of Tucson’s own The Living Breathing, a progressive/alt-rock band…
Susan G. Komen of Southern Arizona Would Like to Remind You That It’s ‘Mammo-Time’
As mentioned earlier, this is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Susan G. Komen For The Cure Southern Arizona has a fun little PSA that’s been making its way around — rumor has it that it’s a bit too risque for a few of our other friends in the local media, but not here, dammit.…
Today In Weird Stuff We Get: The Authorized Biography of New Kids On The Block
I honestly don’t know why we have this in our office, but here it is: I can’t believe that this exists. Or that it’s on my desk. In a way, I suppose it makes sense. I mean, NKOTB did have their big ol’ tour with the Backstreet Boys (dubbing themselves NKOTBSB), and they apparently have…
Take a Peek at What Tucson Used to Look Like
With the “Images of America” series, Arcadia Publishing does a great job giving readers a pictorial look back in time to celebrate the history of neighborhoods, towns and cities in the United States. For the series on Pima County, photographic archives were pulled from the Arizona Historical Society. Jill McCleary of AHS, and Linda Mayro…
NBC News Reports Nicolas Ivie’s Death To Be From ‘Friendly Fire’
NBC News is reporting that the death of Border Patrol agent Nicolas Ivie, who was killed Tuesday morning while investigating a disturbance east of Naco, Arizona, was a result of “friendly fire,” or an accidental shooting by his fellow Border Patrol agents. From NBCNews.com: Investigators are preparing to announce that the death of Border Patrol…
Komen Foundation Refusing Donations — From A Porn Streaming Website
In honor of October being National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the pornography streaming website Pornhub has announced that they’ll be donating one cent for every thirty views of “breast-related videos” to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. The Komen Foundation, for some strange reason, has decided to refuse this money. I’m just as shocked as you…
The Artist Formally Known As Snoop Dogg Posts List Of Reasons To Vote For Obama & Not For Romney
The former Snoop Dogg, now known as Snoop Lion following his musical conversion to reggae, recently posted a list of reasons why he’s not voting for Mitt Romney, and why he’s going to be voting for Barack Obama. Sure, the list doesn’t exactly seem to be his (all signs point to it being lifted from…
Romney Avoids MMJ Question, Campaign Spokesman Doesn’t
Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney tried to avoid the question of medical marijuana during a campaign stop this week in Denver, but it didn’t work. In a campaign bus interview Oct. 1, Romney offered a less-than-deft non-sequitur to the Denver Post when asked how he would address Colorado’s burgeoning MMJ business. “I oppose marijuana being…
The Storyline Is In Your Hands
Have you ever read a book and felt that you could have written a better storyline or ending? Well now you have that chance. eBook publishing house Osutoria Publishing and Mzure, an interactive technology firm, joined together to create Open Book Projects (www.openbookprojects.com). This is a collaborative reading and writing experience whereby one person writes…
Local Guitar Center Honors the Late, Great Rainer
Yeah, I know that The Guitar Center is a corporate entity, and there are plenty of other music shops around town that are actually locally owned. But there’s no denying that The Guitar Center’s naming of its new rehearsal spaces after the late Tucson blues guitarist Rainer is really, really cool. From an email we…
Wanna Play at This Year’s Great Cover-Up?
Calling all local bands and performers: Time is running out to get your submissions in for this year’s Great Cover-Up, the annual 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 at Plush…
Want Tickets to the Vamos A Tucson Mexican Baseball Fiesta? You Got ‘Em.
We’re giving away four pairs of two tickets to today’s Mexican Baseball Fiesta action at Kino Stadium to the first four people who send a tweet to @tucsonweekly with the hashtag #VamosATucson. If you don’t Tweet, don’t fear — we’ll be giving away tickets for this weekend’s action later today as well on Facebook and…
CD 1 Air War: Kirkpatrick Levels BS Claim Against Paton on Rio Nuevo
We’ve seen plenty of BS in congressional races this year, with our favorite being the Big Lie that Democrats cut more than $700 billion from Medicare. That one has been debunked repeatedly by FactCheck.org and PolitiFact, although that didn’t stop Mitt Romney from using it again in this week’s presidential debate. Now it’s Democrat Ann…
This Week in Tucson Bicycling
Mayor Jonathan Rothschild, left, and his chief of staff Andrew Greenhill ride their bikes to work during Bike to Work Week. The number of Tucson bike commuters dropped slightly in 2011. Check out all the number here. Have kids? Like to bike? Check out Tucson’s second Kidical Mass ride tomorrow. Breaking bicycle traffic laws on…
Happy Friday! I Dedicate This Video to My Friend Dan Gibson
As I mentioned earlier, I listen to a lot of electronic dance music (EDM, as the kids are calling it these days) (not really), and every time this song comes on, it gets stuck in my head, and I can’t get it out, and it makes me want to cry a bit. And when I…
Wanna Play at This Year’s Great Cover-Up?
Calling all local bands and performers: Time is running out to get your submissions in for this year’s Great Cover-Up, the annual 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 at Plush…
U.S. Agents Are Investigating Possibility of ‘Friendly Fire’ in Border Patrol Shooting; Two Detained By Mexican Authorities
Federal agents say they that, based on collected evidence, they cannot yet rule out the possibility that Nicolas Ivie died as a result of “friendly fire,” (or an accidental shooting from fellow officers) on Tuesday morning, Oct. 2. NBCnews.com has this brief: Federal investigators have told NBC News they are examining whether the shootings of…
Hip-Hop Producer 9th Wonder Announces Next Collaborations, Final Album With Murs
Widely celebrated hip-hop producer (and academic — the guy has taught courses in hip-hop at Duke and is currently working on a project at Harvard) 9th Wonder just announced the release dates for his two latest collaborative albums, both of which will drop on Nov. 13. “The Solution” is 9th Wonder’s third collaboration with Brooklyn-born…
If You’re Balding, Consider Shaving Your Head — It Might Help Your Career
This is handy bit of information for those who might consider themselves follicularly challenged — according to a study by the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, men with shaved heads are perceived to be more masculine and dominant than those with hair. From the Wall Street Journal: Wharton management lecturer Albert Mannes conducted three experiments…
We’re Looking for a Food Blogger/Columnist, Sadly
For several years now, Adam Borowitz has been kicking ass and taking names here on The Range with his Tucson food coverage. He helped birth Tucson’s food-truck scene. He’s broken more restaurant stories than I can count. He’s been entertaining as hell. And sadly, in a month or two, he’ll be moving on. Therefore, Tucson…
Your Thursday Afternoon Club Crawl® Hype Video: 8 Minutes to Burn
Today, we present 8 Minutes to Burn! This funky jam band has been around for quite some time (their YouTube videos date back as far as 5 years ago, for one indicator) and they, honestly, just rock. It’s the same kind of bass-driven rock that reminds me of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, to be…
People Still Clinging Desperately To The Idea That Saucedo-Mercer Has A Chance
No, seriously. People, somewhere, still think that. Why else would I continually see tweets like the one below at least once a day? Raul “Boycott Arizona” Grijalva behind in latest poll in southern AZ!usa.goooh.com/k76v— Bob Foy (@bobfox321) October 3, 2012 Now, I’m not posting that to give it any credibility — I’m posting it to…
Tickets for Tony Abou-Ganim’s Southwest Spirit Summit Are Now Available
Tickets for the biggest booze bash to ever hit Southern Arizona – except maybe for Club Crawl®, which is this weekend – are on sale. The Tony Abou-Ganim Southwest Spirit Summit takes place this November. It includes competitions, tastings, a Jim Beam barbecue and myriad other cocktail-related offerings. The event takes place at Casino del…
So, How About That Debate Last Night?
As an apparent, dyed-in-the-wool, card-carrying-communist member of this liberal rag, I’ve gotta say, Mitt Romney fared pretty well against Obama. Okay, that’s an undersell. Romney has come out looking like the victor, according to roughly the entire damn internet. Simply, he was on point. He seemed comfortable, he was aggressive, and (instance where he basically…
Free Download: The New Trust at La Cocina on Thursday, Oct. 11
The New Trust will visit La Cocina next Thursday, Oct. 11. Some words from the band’s press folks. (Note the ridiculous overstatement in the third sentence of the second paragraph.) Sharing a six-pack is so much easier with a three-piece band. Just ask the New Trust, who in the past 10 years have gone on…
See These Performers
Wavelab Studio is teaming up with Club Crawl® to host a showcase at the Hotel Congress outdoor stage. Craig Schumacher, owner of Wavelab Studio, is also the producer and engineer for beloved acts such as Neko Case, Calexico and this year’s headliner (playing at the Rialto Theatre), DeVotchKa. In fact, it was Schumacher who pursued…
Nine Questions
Jim Waters is a world-renowned Tucson-based producer. Since he moved here in the early 1990s, he has become a champion of local music and a fixture of Tucson’s music scene. Although he has worked with some major players (like Sonic Youth and Jon Spencer Blues Explosion), Waters tends to stay away from the big record…
Danehy
On the first of May in 1950, members of the Mosinee, Wis., American Legion—war veterans, all of them—dressed themselves in Russian military uniforms and staged a Red Dawn-like takeover of their small town. The town’s mayor, Ralph E. Kronenwetter, was dragged from his bed in his pajamas and forced to surrender to his captors in…
Genuinely Engaged
You usually don’t realize that you work hard when you attend the theater, but you do. To make theater, there is always “audience participation,” a phrase that strikes fear—or even contempt—in the hearts of many. Actually, we like it that way. It’s probably one of the most attractive aspects of theater. It may seem like…
Gargulinski
Buying local is the best way to buy—and I’m not just saying that because I sell things in Tucson. I’m saying that because there are so many phenomenal businesses around town that deserve our support. Besides, bad things happen if you don’t support local companies. Many of those businesses have been kicking around for years.…
Guest Commentary
I have to start with an apology. I’m sorry it takes staged events like last week’s SNAP Challenge to get us talking about what life is like on the bottom end of the economic slope. I’m also sorry writers like me wail like babies when we are coaxed out of our comfort zones and asked…
Mailbag
Rose Hamway praises Mark Stegeman; and our apologies to Café Passe
Whole Hog
Before Danny Lyon graduated from the University of Chicago in 1963, he was well on his way to a career that would transform the very idea of what photography is. The summer before his senior year, he worked as a staff photographer for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, the civil-rights-activist group. He traveled South and…
The Helio Sequence: Negotiations (Sub Pop)
Nobody does shimmering cool quite like the Helio Sequence. With sparse instrumentation—guitars, keyboards and drums—and a sense of all-enveloping reverb, the Oregon duo of Brandon Summers and Benjamin Weikel essentially spins gold from hay. Four years after the exceptional Keep Your Eyes Ahead comes Negotiations, a similarly exceptional album that finds the band molding a…
Live
On record and live, Beach House is a band that establishes its comfort zone instantly, and for better or worse, never leaves it. The band’s softly swaying dream-pop —particularly on this year’s Bloom and 2010’s Teen Dream—is built with grandeur, depth and the airy voice of Victoria Legrand. Keyboardist Legrand and guitarist Alex Scally add…
Arizona’s Film Future
It was late September, and in the 10th-floor offices of Mayor Jonathan Rothschild, officials were salivating over the notion of reviving Arizona’s once-lucrative but now-moribund film industry. There was Mike Varney, president of the Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, and Brent DeRaad, chief of the Metropolitan Tucson Convention and Visitors Bureau. Shelli Hall, head of…
The Idea of the Savage
In the Odyssey, part two of Homer’s epic saga about the Trojan War and its aftermath, Odysseus, the conquering warrior-hero, experiences more than a few delays as he tries to get back home following the war. In addition to a 10-year sojourn with Calypso, an island-dwelling nymphomaniac, Odysseus is sidetracked by the Lestrygonians, a band…
Kreayshawn: Somethin ‘Bout Kreay (Columbia)
Cultural consensus tells us that some artists have little to no value. They’re the musical equivalent of junk food—all empty calories and chemical additives. Kreayshawn, in context, belongs to the same brain-dead girl gang as Ke$ha and Dev and Uffie. They’re the anti-Beyoncés, who sneer rather than sing, who are flippant—not romantic—about sex, who are…
Pot at the Polls
In a perfect world, you would be able to walk into a store and openly buy your medical cannabis at will, slapping down cash in exchange for goods and services the way God, our Founding Fathers and the voters intended. But we live in Arizona, which by and large is pretty awesome, but sometimes sucks…
The Skinny
Richard Carmona goes after Jeff Flake regarding votes against programs for military vets … A new poll shows Congressman Ron Barber with a big lead, but is it skewed? … Nancy Young Wright picks up another GOP endorsement in the race for the Pima County Board of Supes … and so much more!
Top Ten in Books
1. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Sherman Alexie, Little, Brown ($14.99) 2. Learning From the Octopus: How Secrets From Nature Can Help Us Fight Terrorist Attacks, Natural Disasters, and Disease Rafe Sagarin, Basic ($26.99) 3. Desert Reckoning: A Town Sheriff, a Mojave Hermit, and the Biggest Manhunt in Modern California History Deanne…
Milo Greene: Milo Greene (Chop Shop/Atlantic)
Crisp male and female vocal harmonies dominate this young Los Angeles quintet’s familiar SoCal coastal folk-rock sound. The songwriting and arrangements on this debut album are somewhat derivative, but that’s mitigated in large part because those influences are so ably integrated into the well-crafted songs. The gorgeous voices and the balance of pop, folk and…
Ask a Mexican!
Why Chicanos claim to be Aztecs; and why do Mexicans have region-hate?
More Spores?
About 15 years after being infected with valley fever, a Kansas man is still feeling the effects of the fungal disease, and is now being treated in Arizona—where the number of confirmed cases continues to rise. Joseph Couture of Wichita contracted the disease between 1996 and 1997 while he was stationed in Lamar, Calif., during…
Joseph as Bruce
The makers of Looper took a big risk by casting Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a young Bruce Willis. (Heck, you take a big risk when you cast the suddenly inconsistent Bruce Willis in anything nowadays.) Those risks paid off in mega-jackpot fashion in writer-director Rian Johnson’s brilliant and taut Looper, one of the best time-travel epics…
Media Watch
KGUN and Steve Nuñez part ways; KWFM is going ‘Bad’; and KSZR has someone local on air!
Police Dispatch
A man goes to his backyard for target practice; the perils of drunken horseback riding.
Top Ten in Movies
1. Marvel’s The Avengers Walt Disney 2. Snow White and the Huntsman Universal 3. The Cabin in the Woods Lionsgate 4. The Five-Year Engagement Universal 5. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel 20th Century Fox 6. Safe Lionsgate 7. What to Expect When You’re Expecting Lionsgate 8. Hysteria Sony 9. The Samaritan MPI 10. The Woman…
Weekly Wide Web
Last Friday, Sept. 28, a man led Phoenix-area police on a lengthy car chase, after reportedly carjacking a driver and shooting at police officers. The chase ended more than 10 miles away from its starting place. The suspect ditched the car in a field, wandered for a while, pulled out a handgun, placed it to…
Dead on Arrival
It’s been almost 30 years since Tim Burton’s first Frankenweenie, a short film he directed while working as an animator at Disney. Around the same time he made that short (as well as the animated love song to Vincent Price, appropriately titled Vincent), Burton’s work could be seen in TRON and The Black Cauldron. But…
Editor’s Note
The first post we ever did on our blog (which later became The Range, our daily dispatch) was written by yours truly, on May 25, 2006. The title was “About Our Blog,” and in the post, I babbled about how excited we were about this awesome new online thing we were doing. Well, two weeks…
Long-Term Investment
Habitat for Humanity is not picky. Being a nonprofit, it can’t afford to be. The builder of homes for low-income residents has preferences for where it would like to put housing—but it will take what it can get. That made one of Habitat’s most-recent land acquisitions—a little more than 1 1/4 acres near Interstate 10…
Now Showing at Home
The Dark Knight comes out of retirement; a strange way of raising funds; and the one of the summer’s best films is out on Blu-ray.
Pushing the Sound
For more than a decade, DeVotchKa pushed their dramatic, orchestral music to fuller and bigger arrangements. And, no surprise, Nick Urata found he could only push that sound so far before borrowing an entire orchestra to do it. With their romantic, gypsy-Latin folk-rock apparently ready-made for grandeur, DeVotchKa joined the 60-plus-member Colorado Symphony Orchestra for…
Shameless Self-Promotion
For the third year in a row, the Tucson Weekly was honored with one of the Arizona Newspaper Association’s big awards in the annual Better Newspaper Contest. The Weekly editorial department earned the General Excellence prize for non-daily newspapers with a circulation of more than 10,000. The Weekly earned the same honor in 2010, and…
Atypical Taqueria
Papa Locos Tacos and Burgers’ location—tucked behind a gas station/minimart/barber shop—is a bit off-putting, but don’t let that fool you: The food here is good, really good, and the vibe is a cut above that of your neighborhood mom-and-pop hole-in-the-wall. The restaurant has all the trappings of the typical taqueria: counter service, a menu hanging…
Fall Club Crawl® 2012 Schedule
Rialto Theatre/KRQ Stage 8 p.m.: Wolf Larsen 9 p.m.: Andrew Collberg 10 p.m.: Dry River Yacht Club (Phoenix) 11:30 p.m. to 1 a.m.: DeVotchKa (Denver) Bud Light Main Stage 8 p.m.: Triple Double Band 9 p.m.: Skitn 10 p.m.: LeeAnne Savage 11 p.m.: Black Carl (Phoenix) Midnight: The Living Breathing My 92.9 Stage 8 p.m.:…
Get ‘The Big Picture’
Philip Melton’s fine little watercolors are like postcards from the West, quick and lovely sketches that capture big skies above and saguaros below. His Arizona views are in an exhibition at Davis Dominguez Gallery that dissects wildly differing approaches to painting the landscape. Take Five—Interpretations of the Landscape has its reception this Saturday night, Oct.…
Noshing Around
Epazote is open; the Great Tucson Beer Festival is near; a whole lotta good stuff is coming to Downtown; and we’ve got buffets aplenty in the Old Pueblo.
A True ‘Feat’
“Let me start this interview by asking you a couple of questions,” said the Hood Internet’s Steve Reidell when I called him on his cell phone. “First of all, we’ve never been to Tucson, but we hear Club Congress is a really cool place to play—and what’s all this about Club Crawl®?” Some answers clearly…
Pro-Literary Choice
Hear from authors whose work has been pulled by TUSD at the University of Arizona on Friday.
Mysterious Mummies
It’s hard to dislike a band whose name doubles as an announcement of its impending arrival. It also helps that Here Come the Mummies know their way around visceral funk and R&B grooves in the classic 1970s style. The true and ancient funk force is so strong in these Mummies, it’s almost secondary that the…
Concerned About Getting to Club Crawl®? Don’t Be. It’s Easy. Really.
How is the streetcar construction affecting the Club Crawl® layout? Good news: We are still using Congress Street between the Rialto Theatre and Hotel Congress, and Fifth Avenue between Broadway Boulevard and Toole Avenue, to host three of our outdoor stages. However, the section of Congress Street between Fifth and Sixth avenues is slated to…
City Week
Celebrate faiths of all kinds; join the quest for the Grail; watch lady footballers in drag; and feel the magic of butterflies.
Soundbites
FALL CRAWL, Y’ALL! If it seems like the number of great shows and music events is increasing almost exponentially with the arrival of fall, it’s not just your imagination. This is easily the busiest music week since spring, and we’re proud to say the biggest event of them all is the Tucson Weekly’s annual Fall…
Eat While You Listen
Club Crawl® is all about the bands and the music—in fact, we fill every little corner of downtown with it, including restaurants along Congress Street and Fourth Avenue. These are intimate places where you can get up close and personal with the artists. Here’s a list of our club-and-grub venues. Café Passé, 415 N. Fourth…
T Q&A
Tempest DuJour is, literally and figuratively, one of the biggest drag queens in the Old Pueblo. Tempest is involved in countless community events as a hostess and performer. She enjoys participating in activities that will benefit people, and loves indulging audiences with her inappropriate jokes, extravagant costumes and mountainous hairstyles. During the day, Tempest is…
Top Ten in Music
1. Cadillac Steakhouse Cadillac Steakhouse (self-released) 2. Ghosts Behind the Sun: Splendor, Enigma and Death: Mondo Memphis, Volume 1 (book) Tav Falco (Creation) 3. Justin Valdez Deuce-Seven Off Suit (Los Muertos) 4. Young Flesh Required: Growing Up With the Sex Pistols (book) Alan G. Parker with Mick O’Shea (Soundcheck) 5. The Deadbeats Kill the Hippies…
