DANCE WITH ME DOLORES
Valentine's Day falls on a Friday this year, which means some of us will celebrate our significant other and the reciprocal love we share together into the wee hours without repercussions when we sleep in the next day. Others of us, however, will be shooting dirty looks at those blissful couples while we down another whiskey and wait for the date to change—with the added benefit of being able to sleep off our hangovers on Saturday, albeit alone.
Another benefit of Valentine's Day hitting on a Friday: Local venues have got you covered with lots of musical options on Friday, Feb. 14.
Regardless of which of those above camps you fall into, a safe bet for all of us is the Valentine's Day Love/Hate Hoot Night that La Cocina's got cooked up "to celebrate all the emotions Valentine's Day stirs up," according to the Facebook event page. To make things easy for all of us, the night will be divided in half: For the first two hours, from 10 p.m. to midnight, local acts will cover "love songs you know and love," while the second two hours, midnight to 2 a.m., will be devoted to "hate songs you know and love." (If I were a betting man, and this were Vegas, I'd put some serious money down that "Love Will Tear Us Apart" will be performed by someone at some point in the latter half.) And they've got a hell of a lineup of acts doing the covering. Scheduled to appear are Acorn Bcorn, Otherly Love, Bradford Trojan, Battery Eaters (featuring Dimitri Manos of Golden Boots and Dr. Dog), Lori LeChien, Katterwaul, Liila, Burning Palms, and Secret Highway Secrets.
Things get rolling at 10 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 14. La Cocina is located inside Old Town Artisans at 201 N. Court Ave. Admission is free, but donations are welcome. Questions? Ring 'em up at 365-3053 or head to lacocinatucson.com.
Plush has got a similarly stacked local lineup for its Valentine's Day show, being billed as "a night for lovers." Headlining is the fantastic folk-rock combo Carlos Arzate and the Kind Souls, and the evening will also feature performances by the Sundowners (most of whose songs are about crumbling relationships, it seems, so this could be interesting), a relatively new band fronted by Greyhound Soul's Joey Pena, Mike Montoya of Phoenix's Fatigo, and Copper and Congress, which features the lovely-voiced Katie Haverly.
It all gets started at 9:15 p.m. on Friday at Plush, 340 E. Sixth St. Cover is five bones. Call 798-1298 or check out plushtucson.com for more information.
In the hazy days of the 1970s and early '80s, there was perhaps no local band more popular than The Dusty Chaps, who released three albums on Capitol Records during that period. Often described as a country or honky-tonk band, they were that, but they were also so much more. In a Weekly review of a show two years ago, for which a 13-member incarnation of the band performed its concept album Domino Joe in its entirety, Jim Lipson described it as "country gumbo with elements of swing, jazz and rock ... marked by precise arrangements, intricate horn charts and lots of clever wordplay...." (KXCI FM 91.3 fans take note: The band is fronted by Peter Gierlach, aka Petey Mesquitey.)
Sweethearts of the Rodeo with The Dusty Chaps hits Club Congress, 311 E. Congress St., on Friday, Feb. 14. The band will perform two shows, an early show at 7 p.m., and a late show at 10 p.m. Admission to each show is $15, and there are also deluxe packages being offered. For more info point your browser to hotelcongress.com/club or call 622-8848.
If you and your sweetie pie want to get out of the house, but also want to keep things nice and mellow, head over to the Galactic Center and catch a rare performance by Steve Roach. Because he tends to keep a low profile and doesn't perform often, it's easy to forget that Roach, one of the foremost practitioners of electronic ambient music over the last 30 years, actually lives in Tucson. To my knowledge, it's been years since he's performed a local show, so catch him while you can.
You'll have two opportunities to see Steve Roach live this weekend, as he will perform on Friday, Feb. 14, and Saturday, Feb. 15. Both shows begin at 8 p.m. and admission for each is $20. The Galactic Center is located at 35 E. Toole Ave. It's worth noting that the shows will be especially intimate, as attendance is being capped at less than 100 people per show. Visuals will be provided by Kati Astraeir. For further details dial 884-0874 or check out solarculture.org.
Cheapskates and/or rockers on a budget have a fine option at The District Tavern, which will play host to a show featuring three of District music booker Mark Beef's favorite new Arizona bands—Tucson's Free Machines and Carbon Canyon, and Phoenix's Man Hands. There's no cover and the bands will get started around 10 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 14. The District is located at 260 E. Congress St. Call 792-0081 for further details.
Created, no doubt, as a response to Black Cherry Burlesque, which has held court at Surly Wench Pub, 424 N. Fourth Ave., once a month for the past eight years, The Manly Manlesque Show is, as the Wench puts it, "burlesque with a manly twist." On Valentine's Day, the troupe will perform two shows—an early show at 8 p.m., and a late show at 10 p.m. Cover is $10 for general admission, or $20 for a VIP seat up close. Get more info by calling 882-0009, or heading to blackcherryburlesque.com, where you can also purchase advance tickets.
If you're looking to impress your date with your oh-so-sophisticated taste, UApresents is bringing Laura Benanti to town for a show at The Westin La Paloma Resort and Spa on Friday. While the soprano is best known for her work on Broadway—in 2008 she won a Tony for her performance in Gypsy, and she reportedly stole the show portraying Elsa Schrader in the live broadcast of The Sound of Music in December—she is also a lauded cabaret singer. In a review of one of her club shows, last May The New York Times wrote that "her bright, full soprano, with its semi-operatic heft, can go almost anywhere."
Valentine's Day with Laura Benanti begins at 8 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 14, at The Westin La Paloma Resort and Spa, 3800 E. Sunrise Drive. Tickets are $85 and include wine or champagne and dessert. For tickets or more information head to uapresents.org or call 621-3341.
Finally, if you're just looking for a casual, budget-minded night of dancing to live reggae music, The Boondocks Lounge has got you covered. Hal Jackson and the Rockers Uptown will commence the skankin' at 9:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 14. Cover is $5 and the bar will feature "Valentine's Day Sweetheart Specials," whatever that means. I'm sure they can explain if you call 690-0991.
Please note that the ††† (Crosses) show at The Rock on Valentine's Day, as well as both George Lopez shows, on Friday and Saturday at the Casino del Sol Conference Center, are sold out.
INVINCIBLE MAN
Although he may be best known for penning "Time to Get a Gun," made famous when Miranda Lambert covered it on her 2009 album Revolution, Canadian singer-songwriter Fred Eaglesmith has got a passel of songs just as good, if not better, from the course of his 35-year career. A songwriter's songwriter, Eaglesmith crafts vivid portraits of everyday folks in precarious positions, and though he's usually categorized as a country-folk artist, he's also not afraid to take a leap into experimentalism that may recall, say, Los Lobos' Kiko.
The Fred Eaglesmith Traveling Steam Show hits Club Congress, 311 E. Congress St., at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 15, in a show presented by Rhythm and Roots. Tiff Ginn will open. Advance tickets are $23 and available for purchase at Hotel Congress, Antigone Books, and Dark Star Leather, or online at rhythmandroots.org and hotelcongress.com.
ROUNDER
A quick look at some other noteworthy shows this week: Ringo Deathstarr, Liila, Purple, and Secret Meetings at Plush on Monday, Feb. 17; B.B. King and Tom Walbank at the Fox Tucson Theatre on Tuesday, Feb. 18; Jake Shimabukuro and Katie Haverly (of Copper and Congress) at the Rialto Theatre next Thursday, Feb. 20; Chris Mann at the Fox Tucson Theatre on Saturday, Feb. 15; Top Dead Center with David Gans at The Boondocks Lounge on Saturday, Feb. 15; The Second Annual Rialto Gala: A Red Letter Event benefit for, and at, the Rialto Theatre on Saturday, Feb. 15 (see the City Week section in this issue for more info); The Anti-Job, Otherly Love, and Ocean Void at Plush on Tuesday, Feb. 18; Brass Tax, The Blind Pets, and Psygoat at The District Tavern on Sunday, Feb. 16; Attila, I See Stars and more at The Rock on Wednesday, Feb. 19; Sweet Ghosts on the Che's Lounge patio on Sunday, Feb. 16.
