Theater and Shows
Popol Vuh: The Story of Seven Macaw. Pima Community College’s newestproduction is a recreation of a Mayan creation myth, in which the Mayan hero twins must come to the rescue to end the reign of terror over the earth by corrupt Seven Macaw. They use cleverness, stealth, and their convenient abilities to shape shift in order to defeat the forces of evil, while the theater artists at PCC use enormous puppets, elaborate masks and a fusion of different dance styles to tell the story. Nov. 9 through Nov. 19. Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m. ASL interpreters Thursday, Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m. Black Box Theatre in PCC Center for the Arts, 2202 W. Anklam Road. $18, discounts for students, seniors, military, PCC employees and groups.
UA Dance “Premium Blend.” UA Dance, considered one of the top dance programs in the U.S., presents its fall show at the Stevie Eller Theatre, the 300-seat auditorium which will allow the audience to experience the show on an intimate level. The ensemble contains 140 dancers and performs more than 40 times each year. In the past, they’ve presented works by the likes of Jerome Robbins and George Balanchine. Don’t miss an opportunity to see some of best dancing around, right in your own backyard. 7:30 on Wednesday, Nov. 15 through Friday, Nov. 17. 1:30 on Saturday, Nov. 18 and Sunday, Nov. 19. Stevie Eller Dance Theatre, 1737 E. University Blvd. Tickets must be purchased in conjunction with tickets for other shows during the season, so prices vary.
Jordan World Circus. Head on over to the circus, and don’t be late, because kids will be there, adults will be there, and the Hendersons will all be there, according to the Beatles. See the classic circus aerial act and performances, as well as tigers and elephants. Perhaps best of all, kids will have the chance to ride and pet different types of animals. Don’t be late! 3 and 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 11, 1 and 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 12. Tucson Rodeo Grounds, 4823 S. Sixth Ave. $10 to $30.
Art
Art Now! Makers, Crafters, Educators: Working for Cultural Change. UA art professors Elizabeth Garber, Ph.D., Lisa Hochtritt, Ed.D. and Manisha Sharma, Ph.D. are coming to MOCA to talk about their new anthology, which examines the Pinteresting ways that the DIY movement for crafters, bakers and candlestick makers has shifted our social fabric. Could a focus on arts education, grassroots crafting and DIY social design be an important way to make strides toward social justice? Learn more at this casual, interactive lecture, and enjoy some light refreshments while you’re at it. 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 9. MOCA, 265 S. Church Ave. $10, or free for MOCA members.Yume Japanese Gardens Enchanted Evenings. Sometimes at the end of the day you just need to relax in front of the television. But sometimes at the end of the day, you need to take your relaxation to the next level and stroll through an enchanted candlelit garden to the sounds of Japanese folk melodies. And Yume Gardens has got you covered for those nights. 7 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 10 through Sunday, Nov. 12. Yume Japanese Gardens, 2130 N. Alvernon Way. $10 adults, $5 children.
Etherton Gallery Opening. As “Down at the Tower Bar” comes sadly to a close, a new series of exhibits burst to life at Etherton. Todd Walker at 100 celebrates what would have been the photographer and printmaker’s 100th birthday with a display of gelatin silver prints, photo silk scenes, collotypes and more. Frank Gohlke, Speeding Trucks and Other Follies and photographs of Bears Ear National Monument by Stephen Strom will also be displayed. A picture is worth a thousand words, so implore you: Stop reading City Week and get to the Etherton! Opening reception 7 to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18, but exhibit is open from Tuesday, Nov. 14 to Saturday, Jan. 6. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and by appointment. 135 S. Sixth Ave. Free.
Black Artists Showcase 2017. Take a free class in African dance, Dunham Technique, West African Drumming, Shotokan Karate or urban hip hop. Get some of your holiday shopping done by supporting local vendors. Enjoy performances by special guests artist, including Daomi Dela Cruz of L.A. Barbra Williams Performing Company hosts this fun-filled, educational and artistic event. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 11 and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 12. Dunbar Pavilion, 35 W. Second St. Free.
Sweat!
Fifth Annual Marana Turkey Trot 10K/5K. A healthy part of a holiday diet is participating in organized races to burn off calories en masse, and then reward yourself with heaping servings and seconds of everything at Thanksgiving dinner. Well, maybe not. But a 5K or 10K is a great way to keep yourself feeling good in this season filled with baked goods and leftover Halloween candy. Plus you can dress up and have fun with friends along the Santa Cruz River. What about that could leave you not feeling hot to trot for this Turkey Trot? 8 a.m. to noon. Saturday, Nov. 11. Crossroads at Silverbell District Park, 7548 N. Silverbell Road, Marana. $20 in advance, $25 event day, $15 for youth 12 and under.REVEL Mount Lemmon. You’ve heard the Tucson Marathon is a fast course, and a great way to qualify for Boston. But while the average finisher’s time for the Tucson Marathon course is 4:19:08, for REVEL, it’s 4:08:15. With a net elevation drop of 5,190 feet (or 3,125 for the half), you’ll pretty much be flying down the mountain. Plus it’s a gorgeous course that goes through the Coronado National Forest and into the foothills. And you get photos, a personalized highlight video, a medal, a shirt and some swag included in your registration fee. A portion of registration fees is donated to the Mount Lemmon community. 6:30 a.m. start for both races. Sunday, Nov. 12. Race parking is at La Mariosa Resort, 1501 N. Houghton Road. Participants will be bused to the start line beginning at 4 a.m. (busing included in registration fee). $99.95 for half marathon, $119.95 for marathon. $5 Facebook discount available.
Festivals
Sahuarita Pecan Festival. Pumpkins be gone, and say hello to pecan. Because things are about to get deliciously nutty. Run the Pecan Classic/Nut Run or the Family Fun Run, then reward yourself with some pecan pie, and try to make friends with the culinary genius who wins the big pecan pie contest so that you’ll have a steady supply in the future. If you’re a culinary genius yourself, it’s just 10 bucks to enter the contest, and that includes a 1-lb. bag of Green Valley pecans to get you started. Take wagon rides into pecan groves, take the kids bungee jumping and bounce housing, and show off your chops in the pecan cracking contest. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 11. 1625 E. Sahuarita Road. $5 onsite parking, participation in individual events varies.
St. Martin’s Festival 2017. Enjoy samplings from 10 different wineries, as well as one distillery (Elgin Distillery), at this new releases festival! You won’t want to miss a vineyard tour of Sonoita Vineyards, or the cabernet convos, grape gossip and tannin talk with winemakers and staff. Vendors will be onsite for your holiday shoppin needs, and The Steak Out and Luke’s Pizza will be onsite for your lunch needs. Your ticket includes a souvenir glass, 15 tasting tickets, barrel tasting with Sonoita Vineyards Wine, a vineyard tour and The Blessings of The Vintage ceremony at noon. Wine not take advantage? 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 11. Sonoita Vineyards, 290 Elgin-Canelo Road, Elgin. $35.
Tucson Comedy Arts Festival 3. Get ready to get the giggles, and to learn how to give other people the giggles, and to see a gaggle of comedians from all over the country get up onstage and do thing. Kevin McDonald of Kids in the Hall headlines, and performances by groups like Galapagos, Farce Side, One Woman Space Jam and the Traveling Thornberries (in a special reunion show) will be available for your viewing pleasure. The fest will also feature workshops on how to build your own stand up chops, including a personalized solo workshop and one presented by McDonald himself. The whole thing promises to be a laugh, a gaff and a half. Wednesday, Nov. 8 to Saturday, Nov. 11. at varying times. Tucson Improv Movement Theater, The Flycatcher and 191 Toole. Kevin McDonald’s show at 191 Toole is $20, Soapbox with Kevin show is $10, and all other shows are $5. Or you can get an unlimited pass for $25.
Third Annual Youth Blues Fest. Feeling blue that Halloween is over but Thanksgiving isn’t here yet? Let yourself wallow a little bit to the tune of this bluesy bonanza featuring youth groups, young musicians, and local blues greats. Teacher and blues musician Connie Braddock created the showcase a few years ago, and it’s just gotten bigger, better, and bluer with each year. 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 12. Monterey Court, 505 W. Miracle Mile. Free.
Veterans Day
Veterans Day at the International Wildlife Museum. Active and former military members with military ID receive free admission to the museum on Veterans Day, as their way of thanking those who have served. If you’re a veteran, spend a well-earned day at the museum, and if you love or know a veteran, “treat,” him or her to a day at the museum, where you’ll only have to pay your own admission. Museum is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., with last admission given at 5:15 pm. Saturday, Nov. 11. International Wildlife Museum. 4800 W. Gates Pass Road. Free for veterans. $10 adults, $7 seniors 62 and over, $5 kids 4 to 12, free for kids 3 and under.98th Annual Tucson Veterans Day Parade. The American Legion Morgan McDermott Post 7, the City of Tucson and Tucson residents are coming together to honor the veterans and current members of the military who have stepped up to serve our country. This year’s theme, “For the hearts of veterans,” recognizes the bravery and the courage that these men and women found within themselves. This year’s Grand Marshal, Adolfo “Harpo” Celaya, is a survivor of the USS Indianapolis who survived by holding onto a raft for five days after the ship was sunk in 1945. 11 a.m., with parade participants beginning to assemble at 8 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 11. At intersection of West Alameda Street and Granada Avenue downtown. Free.
Shop ’Til Ya Drop
Fall 2017 Bike Swap. Join more than 5,000 bi-annual attendees and 40 vendors at the largest, most bicycle-y bicycle swap in the southwest. Vendors and individuals can register for spaces to sell bikes and bike parts, and buyers can feast their eyes, gorge their wallets and talk shop to their hearts’ content. Just have one bike you’re looking to sell? Bring it on down, slap a price on that baby, walk around with it and see if you get any takers. 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 12. 400 N. Fifth Ave. Free entry and free bike valet.Vintagepalooza: Find Your Curiosities. As our old friend Alice once said when she first arrived in Wonderland, “Curiouser and curiouser!” And you could be saying the same thing at Cat Mountain Station’s upcoming event, where vendors will be selling clothing, jewelry, furniture, accessories, home goods and bakelite. Stroll the aisles and ponder how you would decorate your house if you had endless money, and maybe buy just a couple of things to get you started on your dream house. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 12. Cat Mountain Station, 2740 S. Kinney Road. Free entry.
Tohono Chul Guatemalan Sale. This special trunk show will feature unique textiles, jewelry, clothing and home decor woven by Guatemalan women on traditional back-strap looms. Support these incredible artists and brighten up your life with a flowered huipile (square-cut blouse), a bright and colorful rebozo (shawl) or another piece that weaves together both threads and ancient and modern styles. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 10 and Saturday, Nov. 11. Lamar House, Tohono Chul Park, 7366 Paseo del Norte. Free admission during the sale.
Just 'Cause
Free Entrance Days for National Parks. The benevolent National Park Service is giving you the perfect opportunity to take that hike you’ve been meaning to at Saguaro National Park. Or, hell, to take a road trip to go visit one of the more than 400 national parks that are sprinkled generously between sea and shining sea. Entrance fees, commercial tour fees and transportation entrance fees are all waived for the weekend in order to make the parks accessible to more people and remind us how much beauty there is in the world around us. Saturday, Nov. 11 and Sunday, Nov. 12.Slutwalk. Protest victim blaming, slut shaming, sexual assault and violence, and the idea that what you’re wearing in ANY WAY implies consent. This worldwide protest against rape culture allows women to stand in solidarity with survivors of sexual assault, and will include crafts in the Women’s Resource Center, a march to Revolutionary Grounds, live performances, a speak-out and tabling organizations. Wear whatever you want, whether that means putting on your Sunday best or dressing like a proud slut! Hosted by FORCE at UA and the UA Women’s Resource Center. 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 9. Revolutionary Grounds Books and Coffee. 606 N. Fourth Ave. Free.
To Tell Our Stories: Holocaust Survivors of Southern Arizona. Hear the heart-wrenching stories of the men and women who survived Nazi persecution during the Holocaust and now are our neighbors as they share experts from their book, which has the same title as the event. Let yourself hear these stories and take them to heart, so that you can be a driving force to make sure that history doesn’t repeat itself. Proceeds benefit direct services for Holocaust Survivors at Jewish Family and Children’s Services of Southern Arizona. Noon to 1:30. Thursday, Nov. 9. Jewish History Museum, 564 S. Stone Ave. Free.
Learnin’ at the Library
Ancestry.com for the beginner. It seems that the older and more mature we grow, the more important family history becomes. With resources like ancestry.com make this learning process more centralized than ever, sometimes navigating ancestry.com itself is its own process. In this class, the library lets patrons use a free version of Ancestry.com and encourages participants to bring a USB drive so they can take home and document or photo treasures they come across. Instructors will also offer both a lecture on how to use Ancestry.com and individual assistance with search results. 1 to 3 p.m. Monday, Nov. 13. Or Valley Public Library, 1305 W. Naranja Drive. Free, with registration required. Call 594-5580 or visit the library to register.Reading Tutoring: ReadStrong (Tutoria de lectura). Take this opportunity to build your reading skills, whether you’re a second grader starting to move onto chapter books, an adult with English as a second language or anyone in between. ReadStrong Tutors are trained to focus on individual students by using a combination of reading software and books that appeal to students’ interest without too much complicated vocabulary. What have you got to lose? 3 to 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 13. Quincie Douglas Library, 1585 E. 36th St. Free.
Mindfulness Meditation. We don’t tend to think of “slowing down” as a skill, but sometimes it’s what we need more than anything and can’t seem to manage. Let a trained volunteer help you learn to practice being fully in the moment, and remind you about all of the benefits in can provide to your body, mind, relationships and happiness. This event is offered every Tuesday at least through Dec. 26, so you’ll have plenty of opportunities to practice. 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14. Himmel Park Library, 1035 N. Treat Ave. Free.
Nightcrawler
Noam Chomsky—In conversation with Toni Massaro. Colorless green ideas sleep furiously. For more than half a century, Noam Chomsky has been studying and theorizing about human being’s innate ability to recognize grammar; language is then, a basic instinct. And if innate lingual recognition is possible, then it follows that we should all be building bridges, across cultures and languages and political divides. Chomsky has devoted his life to that work too. He has warned us about distractions like sports, or more recently Facebook, which, while connecting us and engaging our intellects, allow us to be easily taken advantage of—or turn our backs on international affairs. It’s safe to say that Noam Chomsky may be the most high-level, far-reaching philosopher of our recent time—right up there with Einstein—and he now lives here in the Old Pueblo. He’s an 89-year-old genius anarchist, so let’s shout it to the hills: “NIMBY—Noam is in my backyard!” Thursday, Nov. 9 at Centennial Hall, 1020 E University Blvd. 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. $15 public, $10 students. Centhall.org. —B.S. EliotChynna. Her female take on trap broadens, deepens and subverts the form. While boys spit of big-booty girls, she questions herself for sporting too-tight trou, half proud, half remorseful. While they brag about drank, she wonders how she’s “stuck MDMA/Brain feels like pasta/ Body like penne.” Her swagger’s pensive; she knows “they can’t handle it.” But the soft slur of her delivery grooves, makes us lean forward and listen. The 22-year-old Philly native, and A$AP Mob affiliate, calls herself “dark” and “spiritual,” which pairs perfectly with trap’s ominous tone, but widens it to embrace an elevated consciousness. There’s hyper cartoon menace, but this rapper/model’s first two records help shade in the shadows behind the murderous tableaux, offering a trap-inspired look at life that’s truly three dimensional. Wowsa. With Positive Satan on Thursday, Nov. 9. Club Congress, 311 E. Congress. Doors at 7 p.m. $5. 21+. —B.S. Eliot
Girlpool. “Girlpool started as this mutual love for songwriters and going to punk shows in L.A.,” says bassist Harmony Tividad, who with guitarist Cleo Tucker co-founded the band. Inspired by the likes of Elliott Smith, The Cranberries and Cocteau Twins, the duo released their self-titled debut EP in 2014. On “Slutmouth” they question the world around them with anger. “Sometimes I wanna be a boy/Cause I feel like a toy/...Cause I don't wanna get fucked/By a fucked society.” They’ve received props from the New York Times, Pitchfork, Spin and NPR. Since the release of Powerplant (2017), the undertow for these indie folk-punks has been relentless. The ingredients are still served raw, without unnecessary rock trappings, where lyrics about gender politics are not a niche. “I feel more courageous and mature and in other ways smaller and softer,” says Tividad. Their sound has developed by adding a drummer on Powerplant. Girlpool’s distinctive magic lies in their close harmony vocals. Lyrically, they confront love and heartbreak with unsparing emotional pragmatism. Like on opener “123,” “Looking pretty at the wall is my mistake in love installed/While the moth doesn’t talk but in the dress the holes you saw.” Tucker says, “Vulnerability and honesty is the greater intention of [our] existence.” Girlpool with French Vanilla and Cool Funeral on Wednesday, Nov 15. Solar Culture Gallery, 31 E. Toole Ave. Doors at 7 p.m. $13-$15. All Ages. —Xavier Otero
Hiss Golden Messenger. North Carolina songwriter M.C. Taylor, mastermind and principal songwriter behind soulful rock band Hiss Golden Messenger, has a message for the darkness: even in the midst of fear, destruction and loneliness, there’s enough hope to push forward. Hallelujah Anyhow (released Sept. 22 on Merge Records), the latest gorgeous album from Hiss Golden Messenger, is a collection of love songs to the indomitable human spirit, a force that’s won out time and time again over the ages. Taylor and his band, local Durham-area pals like Phil and Brad Cook (of Megafaun), among many others on record, play with a freewheeling style, roots rock that’s informed by too many styles to sit in one place for long. With Hallelujah Anyhow released on the heels of 2016’s Heart Like a Levee, Hiss Golden Messenger is a band on a roll, and a band not to be missed. Saturday, Nov. 11 at Club Congress. Doors at 7 p.m. $15. All Ages.—Eric Swedlund
Tennis. A dulcet-toned chick voice, one part “Holiday” Madonna, one part Cyndi Lauper, harmonizes with itself atop retro synths and Cars-era guitars. This is Tennis, a husband/wife Denver duo who, for the last seven years, have been creating subtly catchy, American Apparel-y vintage pop. And the tone is inscrutable. “Born and raised on the mean streets/That’s where she learned how to keep the beat.” Like Cream’s “Anyone for Tennis,” this Colorado-based band offers up cringe-worthy songs to hum along to. At their best, they make good on their promise, “I can be the archetype of whatever you’re feeling.” While we want Tennis to be as successful as Zappa (on Joe’s Garage) or Beck (on Midnight Vultures) in their cartoonish use of musical anachronisms and its resulting/now-boring irony, Tennis never fully gives in to the fun of the aforementioned records. And so we return to Cream’s best and worst song; “Anyone for tennis? Wouldn’t that be nice?” With Wild Ones on Tuesday, Nov. 14. 191 Toole. Doors at 7 p.m. $14-$16. All ages. —B.S. Eliot
Lil Peep. A fuzzy, singsong reverb trails every half-hearted, emo-trap note. It’s an endless scuzzy haze of drug-wreck references to blow blackouts, ice death and switchblades. Easily the most nihilistic rap record since Necro, the most shocking thing about Lil Peep isn’t his lyrics (“a pretty white bitch showed up in my ride/Took her to the crib and showed her how to die/Then I wake up and I’m still fucking high … Why Lord why do I gotta wake up?”), it’s that he’s got five dark, ultra-lo-fi vids with over four million hits (!?) each on YouTube. Trapheads the world over love this face-tatted, Sou. Cal. Goth Boy—a self-proclaimed asshole coked-up “prince” of the underground. There is very little that’s sympathetic about Peep’s persona except perhaps his brutal honesty: “Never in the streets /Cuz I never leave my home/If you wanna live a dream/I ain’t comin’ bitch I told you.” Wednesday, Nov. 15 at The Rock, 136 N. Park Ave. 7 p.m. —B.S. Eliot
