The Tell-Tale Art
Live Drawing Atelier. Can we all agree that you’re held a little bit more accountable when someone is watching you? You try just a little bit harder, maybe turn out work that’s just a little bit better? At this event to benefit the UA School of Art Advisory Board, you can be either the accountable or the accountability. Artists are invited to take part in two 45-minute sessions at 5:45 at 6:45 p.m., and can purchase drawing kits or bring their own supplies. Non-artists are invited to ogle over the skills of artists while enjoying wine, beer, a complimentary “Artist’s Alchemy” cocktail from The Independent Distillery’s Mixologist and appetizers from Johnny Gibson’s. 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 1. The Independent Distillery, 33 S. Arizona Ave. $80 (includes appetizers and two drink tickets). First-time attendees to a School of Art Advisory Board event get a 15 percent discount, so tickets are $68. ($40 tax-deductible from either ticket.) Drawing kits are $10.Arts in the Plaza. You are about to experience so much art that you are going to come away from this event with an urge to buy a downtown studio apartment and start wearing a beret. But really, with more than 50 artists participating in this festival, as well as violin, guitar, jazz piano, harp, and cello music providing a soundtrack to the event, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more pleasant way to spend a day, not to mention a better opportunity to support local artists. Jewelry, ceramics, glass, metalwork, photography, acrylic, digital art, leather, sculpture, mixed media and even custom wood designs are all available for perusing, ’preciating and purchasing. Mention you’re attending Arts in the Plaza for a 10 percent discount at Union Public House or Reforma Cocina Cantina. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, and Sunday, Oct. 29. St. Philip’s Plaza, 4280 N. Campbell Ave. Free.
Sugar Skulls! If you’re not skully prepared for Dia de los Muertos yet, here is your chance to finally get your head in the game. As supplies last, the library will be providing materials for patrons to decorate sugar skulls with glitter, feathers, sequins and a skeleTON of other stuff. Don’t miss this opportunity to customize a Day of the Dead staple to your liking. 3 to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26. Miller-Golf Links Library. 9640 E. Golf Links Road. Free.
Portentous Performances
Carnival of Illusion Season Opener. Carnival of Illusion, the vaudevillian, close-up sleight of hand, cozy magic show founded by Tucson locals Susan Eyed and Roland Sarlot, is kicking off its ninth season with a (Mesa performance and then a) Tucson performance! Take a night off from all the tragic stuff going on and get some magic stuff going at a show one reviewer called “Better than the pool on a 100 degree Arizona day.” Is that even possible?! It’s definitely worth looking into, wouldn’t you say? 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28. Scottish Rite Grand Parlour, 160 S. Scott. $33-$48.Gabriel Iglesias: Fluffymania. He’s fluffy, he’s flashy, and he’s fluent in a wide array of impressions that sound like they can’t possibly be coming out of him. He’s also the star of six one-hour comedy specials, one of the most-watched comedians on YouTube and a voice actor in Smurfs: The Lost Village and both Nut Job movies. On his FluffyMania World Tour, he celebrates 20 years of fat jokes, animated delivery and his beloved empire of #fluffyfans. 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28. AVA Amphitheater, 5655 W. Valencia Road. $40-$100.
The Music of James Bond. Silence may be golden, but the music of the James Bond movies caresses listeners with a Goldfinger, and truly brings down the house–the soundtrack songs may even make the Skyfall. And it’s safe to say that Nobody Does It Better than Hilary Kole, an award-winning vocalist who is performing the show with the TSO. It packs a real nostalgia punch, not only because of the music, but because of the script Kole has put together surrounding the music, including interesting tidbits about the actors and fun facts on the Bond franchise. 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 28 and 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 29. Tucson Music Hall, 260 S. church Ave. $15 to $78.
Mausoleums… er, Museums
ArtNow! The Artist As Culture Producer with Sharon Louden. What is an artist? The short story is “a lot of things,” but a more interesting reflection on the question will be presented by Sharon Louden, as she examines the way that an artist’s impact extends beyond his or her work, the way that artists shape the development of the creative economy and the definition of success. Her book The Artist as Culture Producer explores these concepts more in depth. By the end of the night, you’ll be asking yourself, “What came first: the artist or the art?” 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26. MOCA, 265 S. Church Ave. $10, or free for MOCA members, includes light snacks and refreshments.Pima Air and Space Museum Night of Fright. Want to get in the Halloween spirit without getting too spooked? What you need is eyeball mini putt, ghost bowling and a pumpkin beanbag toss. And the Pima Air and Space Museum is here to provide it all, plus trick-or treating, temporary tattoos, Halloween-y dinners at the “Fright Grill,” an assortment of games and the chance to explore the Main Hangar aircrafts and exhibits under some ghostly mood lighting. Costumes are encouraged, but no one’s going to call you out for being a Halloween Scrooge if you opt out. 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27. Pima Air and Space Museum, 6000 E. Valencia Road. $10 ages 13 and up, free for members and kids 12 and under.
Autumn Fest at Amerind Museum. Learn about Southern Arizona's American Indian population at the Amerind Museum's annual Autumn Fest. The event will also celebrate a historical connection to Chihuahua, Mexico. There will be performances, arts including Mata Ortiz potters and a series of lectures during the event. Take the time to drive out to the museum, (one hour from Tucson) and see the scenic Texas Canyon where the museum is situated among the rock formations. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28. 2100 N Amerind Road, Dragoon. $10 per car.
Spectre-cles in General
Nightmare on Congress Street. Have you ever heard that banger (well, obviously they're all bangers) by Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff, “Nightmare on My Street,” where Smith raps about a creepy guy who only appears when you’re all asleep, one who’s “burnt up like a weenie, and his name is Fred!” Anyway, a nightmare on our very own downtown street is set to ensue this weekend, with five acts, $1,000 in costume contest prizes and other altogether spooky stuff. And it’s just the first day of Halloweekend at Hotel Congress, with So Spooky Saturday, WTF AF! Halloween Party, a Devil’s Night Dinner and Halloween Night also on the docket. Nightmare on Congress is at 8 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 27. Hotel Congress, 311 E. Congress St. $7-$9. 21+.Rocco’s Fourth Annual Blanket & Sock Drive/FREE HUG Event. In honor of National Make a Difference Day, Rocco’s and The Compassionaries are taking an unorthodox approach: instead of rocking anyone’s socks off, they’re planning to rock some socks onto the feet of those in needs. Drop off new or gently used blankets and socks, or make a cash donation to buy a pizza or a drink for someone in need of a good meal. Everything donated in the drive will be given to members of the local homeless community immediately following the event. 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28. Rocco’s Little Chicago Pizzeria, 2707 E. Broadway Blvd.
Freddy’s on Oracle Car Show. Get ready, Freddy. And everyone else get ready too, because you’re all invited to this family-friendly, burger-rific, vehicle-tastic Halloween event. For their Halloween event, the guys and gals behind the Freddy’s cruise-ins and car show have really upped the ante, with awards in almost 20 categories, as well as candy at every car (please bring candy!) and a Freddy’s Haunted house. Dress up your car! Dress up your motorcycle! Dress up yourself! And get ready to see some of the spookiest sports cars in town. 4 to 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27. Freddy's Frozen Custard and Steakburgers, 11143 N. Oracle Road. Free.
Spellabrations
Halloween Party at Kartchner Caverns. Taverns are great, but caverns are where the real Halloween vibes are at, and Kartchner Caverns State Park is here to cave the day with a Halloween party! There will be games, kids' crafts and a costume contest with prizes—not to mention loads of candy. Park entrance is free with a donation of canned goods for the Benson Food Bank. All the ghoul kids are telling us that this is where it’s bat. 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28. Kartchner Caverns, 2980 S. Hwy 90, Benson. Free with donation of canned food item to support the Benson Food Bank.Halloween Spooktacular. The Oro Valley Community Center is back at it again with a series of Halloween festivities that seem especially Halloween-y this year. Hayrides, candy, a candy cart lane and the real R2D2 and Kylo Ren! (They might just be costumed actors instead, but it’s all kind of the same to the kids, right?) Food is also available for purchase, and the whole event can accommodate more than 1,000 trick-or-treating, tootsie-roll-toting tots. Parents are welcome as well, but the its up to the kids whether or not to share the candy. 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27. Oro Valley Community Center, 10555 N. La Cañada Dr. Free.
Hogwarts/Harry Potter Halloween Party. You’re definitely going to want to opt in for this hoggy, warty party at a local optometrist’s office. The Great Hall at Hogwarts was already rented out, not to mention that muggles literally aren’t allowed in. But other than the venue, this promises to be just like a good old-fashioned Harry Potter Christmas, complete with butterbeer, Hogwarts invitation letters and possibly the closest thing humans have to magic: green screen photos! So you can look like you’re on campus after all fun. Butterbeer, prizes, green screen photos and Hogwarts invitation letters. 6 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 31 (Halloween). Civano EyeCare, 10501 Seven Generations Way, suite 101. Free.
Boo at the Zoo. “This is the day you will always remember as the day you almost caught Captain Jack Sparrow,” said Captain Jack Sparrow once. But at this Reid Park Zoo event, you’ll have the opportunity to meet good ol’ Captain Jack, along with many of your other favorite storybook and moving characters, including Princess Elsa. As you stroll through the park, children can play games and activities, and explore a western “skele”town and ride a spooky “scare”ousel. The scary loop in the Conservation Learning Center is new this year, and recommended for brave souls ages 12 and up. The whole family can enjoy meeting a wizard at Platform 9 3/4, pumpkin patch and saloon jail photo ops and a steampunk entourage. 6 p.m. (5:30 p.m. admission for zoo members). Friday, Oct. 27, to Sunday, Oct. 29. Reid Park Zoo 3400 E Zoo Court. $10 for non-members, $8 for members, free for children two and under free.
Get a Boo-ve On!
Cyclovia Tucson. Cyclovia is a Spanish word meaning the temporary closure of a street to cars so it can be open for people. Fittingly, this event gives Tucsonans the opportunity to get out on the street and enjoy some fresh air in a true pedestrian paradise. Participants are welcome to bike, walk or skate on the street during the closure, and participate in street events and activities along the way. Motor vehicles are detoured away from the street to allow participants to comfortably and safely enjoy the street during the event. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29. S. 12th Ave. Free. Desert Boneyard 10K Run and 5K Run/Walk. Do you ever feel frustrated when you’re running or walking and there’s just not enough aircraft around? Well, be frustrated no more! This annual run takes place on the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) “boneyard,” where a whole bunch of specialized aircrafts (as in almost 4,000 specialized aircrafts) are stored. Runners and walkers can follow a course between all of these crazy cool flying machines, usually seen only by employees and a bus tour here and there. One hundred percent of event proceeds go to a Morale, Welfare and Recreation fund to support military members and their families on Davis-Monthan AFB. AMARG gate opens at 6:30 and will stop accepting entries at 8:45. Opening ceremonies are at 9, with the races starting shortly after. Saturday, Oct. 28. Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, South Kolb Road and East Irvington Road. $35 for 5K and $40 for 10K. $5 cash fee to watch race (free with military ID).
TMC Get Moving Tucson Half-Marathon, 5K and FitKidz Mile. Hercules once offered up some wise and timeless words in his classic Disney film: “I will find my way. I can go the distance. I’ll be there someday, if I can be strong.” They’re great words to keep in mind when you’re trying to find the bathroom in an unfamiliar restaurant, trying to get anywhere when the GPS on your phone isn’t working, or when you’re in the middle of one of the three courses offered at this SAR-sponsored event. The first 1,500 racers registers get a free race T-shirt and a finisher’s medallion, and everyone is invited to enjoy live music, vendor booths, food trucks and a breakfast after-party. Kids can enjoy activities just for them, including a jumping castle. Proceeds benefit several local charities, including Team Hoyt Arizona and the Tucson Symphony Orchestra. 5:45 a.m. half marathon early walker start, 6:30 a.m. half-marathon start, 8 a.m. 5k start, 9 a.m. FitKidz mile start. Sunday, Oct. 29. Jacome Plaza, 101 N. Church St. $70 half-marathon, $40 5K, free FitKidz mile.
Nightcrawler
Madeintyo. A military brat who came of age in Tokyo before heading back to East Atlanta, Madeintyo has got that bling blow ooh flow up in the groove, with the trap beats to make your shrug your shoulders and ollie that board. He deconstructs language, spits lyrical nonsense (lots of Gucci and Louis!), but that’s OK because it’s not about bitches or cash, it’s about that rhythm—the old in-out. One of few artists who eschews sentences, phrases or even real words, Madeintyo uses all those onomatopoeias to his advantage. Stream-of-conscious flow: “I can’t fuck with art/Never stop/Pull up in a juice box/Uber-fucking everywhere.” And it works, across genres of hip hop and EDM, cultures of black, white and Latino, classes of rich and poor. You don’t even have to speak English. This is beat-boxing inside the flow, new language construction. We dare you to tune in and not get hyped. With 24hrs, K Swisha and Jay 305 on Friday, Oct. 27. 191 Toole. Doors at 7 p.m. $20-65. All ages.Black Pussy. The most problematic thing about Black Pussy is hardly their name (which, like, say, Whitesnake, rings both racist and sexist). But no, they’re not racists or sexist, just button-pushing irony dorks from Portland who know how to work the PR machine like a strap-on. It’s their tone that’s problematic. Their latest record begins, “Wanna take a ride/Just hold on tight …” after a spacy synth intro, and promising psych shreds. But that second tune, “Slice of Paradise,” rings of ironic cock-rock bravado, and pushes against the real sensuality and stoner mojo the band had mastered. Throughout the record, moments of true rock greatness—two guitars in Thin Lizzy harmony, layered vocals and glammy pounding drums—draw us in like Fang Island or Rated R-era QOTSA, or even Suzi Quatro, but then, an ironic keyboard or self-conscious vocal distances us. So frustrating! Like a gifted dancer resorting to the running man under scrutiny, Black Pussy undercuts their own power. No matter. Live they smoke. Wednesday, Nov. 1 at The Flycatcher, 340 E. Sixth St. Doors at 7 p.m. 21+. Tickets TBD.
Cash’d Out. Every great while a super-skilled combo channels a Legend in lieu of penning tunes. Mostly these endeavors blow, are all out of context and offer no real insight to history (see any Beatles cover band). But Cash’d Out, despite the moniker, is more than a cover band—they’re a tribute band who manage to embody the feel and spirit of the original musicians, without the hammy act-outs and dress-ups. And Cash’d Out is no exception; they faithfully revive the Man in Black just as Dark Star Orchestra breathes new life into The Dead (yes, we said The Dead). This San Diego quintet has, for more than a decade, devoted themselves to perfecting Johnny Cash’s early years at Sun and Columbia, so they’re a bit more than weekend beer-swill fanboys. Hell, they’re a legit anachronism, even endorsed by JC’s daughter and manager. Plus, they offer up classics like “Folsom Blues,” “Ring of Fire,” “I Walk the Line” live, as if for the first time. The band’s depth and versatility, and the singer’s uncanny phrasing and tonality, goes lengths to explain Cash’d Out’s mad Old Pueblo following. With Christopher Rolland on Saturday, Oct. 28. Club Congress, 311 E. Congress. $8-$10. 7 p.m. 21+.
