Fantastic Negrito. Surviving hardship makes a smart person kinder. Enter Xavier Dphrepaulezz, who suffered through a tough, impoverished childhood, gunpoint robberies, and a car crash that about killed him off. He rose as Fantastic Negrito in 2014 and nabbed a contemporary blues Grammy the next year. And now with Please Don’t Be Dead, he’s made a genre-defying meditation on overcoming odds—in style. With sizzle guitars and the searching grit of good Chris Cornell, Negrito seeks to “break the chains” of race, religion, and gender politics. Later, the sartorially sweet (rising) star channels the controlled tenderness of Jeff Buckley as he sings the blues for pal Cornell, RIP. Each tune could be a single, from the songwriterly execution to the vocal delivery. Entire thing ends with a kickass funk sendup, Parliament-style, “Take that bullshit and turn it into good shit.” Negrito closely follows his own wise-beyond-his-years advice. Tuesday, June 26 at Club Congress, 311 East Congress St. Doors at 7:30 p.m. $12-$15. 21+. —B.S. Eliot. Details here.
Zona 78 Chef’s Dinner. Tonight Zona 78 Chef Keith Parker is sharing the Italian restaurant’s kitchen with Chef Nadia Aidi of Food My Muse for a special dinner paired with wine. The dinner will spotlight local products and purveyors like Barrio Bread and Fiori de Capra throughout its six courses. Limited to 20 people. $75 per person. Call 296-7878 for reservations. 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 26. 7301 E. Tanque Verde Road. Details here.
Baseball Nights at Kino Sports Complex. “Take me out to the ballgame! Take me out to the croooowd!” Don’t you just love the United States of America’s national anthem? Okay, so maybe that’s not the real anthem, but what’s more patriotic than eating a hot dog and popcorn at a baseball game, and cheering on the home team—in this case, any of the eight teams on the Sun Belt College League, made up of recent high school graduates from Southern Arizona and other parts of the country? Some cheat codes: $1 Hot dogs on Tuesdays, half-off soda and popcorn on Thursdays and special appearances by Woody the Woodpecker and Daffy Duck Thursdays through Sundays. Kings vs. the Javelinas today at 7p.m. Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium, 2500 E. Ajo Way. $5 adults, free for kids 12 and under. Details here.
2001: A Space Odyssey. You know what’s a great movie? This one. You should see it. If you know what it’s about, that’s all the reason you need to go see it. And if you don’t know what it’s about, you still certainly recognize the name, and that’s proof enough of its importance. Either way, I’ll see you at The Loft for their new 70mm screening. 12:30 p.m./4 p.m./ 7:30 p.m., Friday, June 22 through Thursday, June 28. 3233 E. Speedway Blvd. $10. Details here.
Dillinger Beer Dinner. Batch Café and Bar and Dillinger Brewing Company have teamed up to create a three-course meal paired with three beers for a match made in foodie heaven. The menu includes jalapeno mac ’n’ cheese with Serrano reduction, grilled cheese with Tiki Party beer and The Stud doughnut with Gang Signs Imperial Stout. $35 per person. Purchase tickets online or in store. 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 26. 118 E. Congress St. Details here.
PY Dinner with Chefs featuring Executive Chef Brian Smith. Casino del Sol and PY Steakhouse’s monthly chef dinner spotlights Maynards Market and Kitchen Chef Brian Smith this time. Come hungry for a three-course meal of asparagus and heirloom bean salad, top knot chicken roulade and toasted white chocolate sorbet. Each course is paired with wine, and make a toast to an evening of good eats with a Manhattan at the start of the meal. $65 per person. 6:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, June 26. 5655 W. Valencia Road. Call 520-324-9350 for reservations. Details here.
Events compiled by Emily Dieckman, Dylan Reynolds, BS Eliot, Ava Garcia and Jeff Gardner
This article appears in Jun 21-27, 2018.
