RIALTO REPLACEMENT
Last week, we discussed the music-related fallout in Tucson from the passage of SB 1070. To refresh your memory a bit, Cypress Hill canceled a Rialto Theatre show scheduled for Friday, May 21, stating in a message on their website that the "decision was made in an effort to show support and solidarity with those, undocumented and otherwise, being directly affected by this unconstitutional 'law.'"
This was after Rialto general manager and booker (and occasional Weekly contributor) Curtis McCrary sent the group a letter unsuccessfully urging them to reconsider. (For more from McCrary, see Guest Commentary.) In essence, his letter called for an all-out media blitz with the group as a way of calling attention to their opposition to the bill, using the show as a platform to spread their anti-1070 message.
Well, to mangle a quote from another rap group, the Rialto has taken the lemons of the canceled Cypress Hill show and painted that shit gold in the form of Rise Up and Dance: Todos Somos Arizona, which, according to the theater's website, is intended to "(show) the world that not all of Arizona agrees with that law and others of its type."
The event itself is a combination of "bilingual political theater" from Verbobala, who will present a "spoken video piece" called "Border Remixeado"; hip hop from Shaun Harris, who will be performing with a full live band; live music from Tucson's unofficial troubadour, Salvador Duran; and a "sonidero dance party," also courtesy of Verbobala.
As an added bonus, the event doubles as a fundraiser for Derechos Humanos Arizona, which, according to its website, is "a grassroots organization which promotes respect for human/civil rights and fights the militarization of the Southern Border region, discrimination, and human rights abuses by federal, state and local law enforcement officials affecting U.S. and non-U.S. citizens alike."
The all-ages event begins at 8 p.m., Friday, May 21, at the Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress St. Admission is a suggested donation of $5 to $10. For more information, call 740-1000.
CLASSIC-ROCK SUNDAY
KFMA Day hit the Pima County Fairgrounds last month, and this week comes its sister station's turn to rock the masses. KLPX FM 96.1's annual KLPX Fest will feature performances from classic-rock stalwarts the Steve Miller Band, 38 Special, Ratt, Starship featuring Mickey Thomas and the Edgar Winter Group. Talk box fans, take note: After his equipment was destroyed in the recent floods in Nashville, Peter Frampton has been forced to cancel his appearance. Unfortunately, the cancellation came too late to find a replacement act.
Fly like an eagle (or just drive like everyone else) to KLPX Fest at the Pima County Fairgrounds, 11300 S. Houghton Road, on Sunday, May 23. Doors open at noon, and music starts at 1 p.m. Tickets are available for $35 at all Catalina Mart locations. All ages are welcome. Head to klpx.com for further info.
TWO CD-RELEASES, ONE NIGHT
Another spring week means two more local acts are releasing new music and playing live shows to celebrate. Unfortunately, they both fall on the same night, Saturday, May 22.
Similarly unfortunate: We didn't receive copies of either release.
Art punks (or whatever the hell it is they call their magical sonic strains) Lenguas Largas is an unholy union of dudes from other great bands: Isaac Reyes (Shark Pants), John Polle (Solace Bros.), a pair of drummers in Chris Kohler and Dick Solomon (Ultramaroon), Mark Beef and Ricky Shimo (ex-The Jons). After releasing a 7-inch single on Tic Tac Totally, the band this week will celebrate the debut of another pair of vinyl singles—one on iekk! Sounds, and the other on Dirt Cult.
Lenguas Largas will perform at Che's Lounge, 350 N. Fourth Ave., on Saturday, May 22. Stoned at Heart opens at 9 p.m., and as usual, there is no cover charge. Call 623-2088 with those itching, burning questions.
Meanwhile, a short jaunt away, at Vaudeville, local hip-hoppers Jivin Scientists will be celebrating the release of their new CD, Autumn. According to the group's MySpace page, they'll be joined by a slew of special guests including Big Ox, DJ Element and Reason the Citizen. 8-Bit Cynics are also scheduled to perform, according to Vaudeville's MySpace page.
It all goes down at either 8 or 9 p.m. (depending on whose page you believe), Saturday, May 22. A $5 cover includes a copy of Autumn. Vaudeville is located at 110 E. Congress St., and you can call 622-3535 for more info.
'ROOTS' MUSIC
We received late word that Jeremy Michael Cashman is also releasing a new CD, Roots, and will celebrate it with a release party on Friday, May 21, at The Hut, 305 N. Fourth Ave. Music gets started at 9:30 p.m., and the bill features sets from the El Camino Royales, Hash Knife Outfit and JMC and the Wooden Hearts. No word on cover charge, but homemade copies of Roots will be available for the asking (i.e., free). Call 623-3200 for more information.
SO LONG, MARK!
Also this week, a longtime Tucson musician bids us farewell, while a Tucson expat drops in for a visit.
Mark Robertson-Tessi, multiple Tucson Area Music Awards winner and master of all things stringed, will be moving to Florida at the end of the month, so guitarist Greg Morton, his bandmate in the String Figures, has organized an all-star send-off jam for him. The String Figures will host the event, which will also include appearances from Robertson-Tessi's bandmates in Round the House, the Determined Luddites (of which he was once a member) and other folks from the bluegrass and trad-music community.
The farewell party takes place from 2 to 5 p.m., Saturday, May 22, at Old Town Artisans, 201 N. Court Ave. Admission is free. For more info, call 623-6024.
Later that same night, former Tucsonan and current resident of Australia Bob Log III will bring his patented brand of punk-addled Delta blues (and his monkeypaw, natch) to Plush, 340 E. Sixth St. The action begins at 9:30 p.m. with openers the Lemon Drop Gang and Acorn Bcorn, which includes two-thirds of the defunct The Beta Sweat. $8 gets you through the door, and more info is yours by calling 798-1298.
ON THE BANDWAGON
I sure do wish there was more space here to go into detail about all of the other fantastic shows going down around town this week. Alas, this will have to do:
Ska legends the English Beat at Club Congress on Tuesday, May 25; Clem Snide and the Heligoats at Plush on Sunday, May 23; Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek at DV8 on Saturday, May 22; the Robert Cray Band at the Rialto Theatre on Monday, May 24; Box Elders, Wild Thing and Otherly Love at Plush on Tuesday, May 25; Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo at the Diamond Center at Desert Diamond Casino on Saturday, May 22; Star Wars: In Concert at the Tucson Convention Center on Wednesday, May 26; Powhaus presents Okie Dokie Karaoke at the Rialto Theatre on Saturday, May 22; Annabel, La Cerca, the Runaway Five, Doctor Dinosaur and Feel Good Revolution's final show, at Skrappy's on Friday, May 21; Chicago soul-ska band Deals Gone Bad (recommended!), Outlaw Nation and The Hounds at The Hut on Monday, May 24; Whole Lotta Zep at Club Congress on Saturday, May 22; Chayanne at AVA at Casino del Sol on Saturday, May 22; Joe Nichols at the Diamond Center at Desert Diamond Casino on Friday, May 21; Flower Mound, Daughters of the Sun, Vampire Hands and Cadillac Steakhouse at The HangArt on Sunday, May 23; Holy Rolling Empire and Dead Western Plains at Sky Bar on Friday, May 21; the finale of Tucson Jazz Society's outdoor season at St. Philip's Plaza with Big Band Express and Crystal Stark on Sunday, May 23; a night of rockabilly with Phoenix's Voodoo Swing (CD-release party), Utah-based family band Mad Max and the Wild Ones (a father and his three sons; the singer is 8 years old!) and the Midnight Howlers at The Territorial Bar on Friday, May 21.
