Tucson Weekly: City Week (June 10

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Thursday 10

STRING BEINGS. Violinist Willie Royal and guitarist Wolfgang "Lobo" Fink team up to "make music that soothes and invigorates." In other words, they rev up their loyal following with incredible virtuosity, blending a vast array of styles from across the planet. Their latest release, Wild Heart, is a hypnotic brew of gypsy, flamenco, jazz, Mexicali blues, Cuban swing, Cajun zydeco...you get the point.
City Week The dynamic duo is a perennial Tucson favorite, with one raucous performance at 8 p.m. in the Berger Performing Arts Center, 1200 W. Speedway. Advance tickets are $16, available at Antigone Books, Hear's Music, or by calling 770-3690. Tickets are $18 at the door.
A NIGHT OF CHASTITY. In honor of National Gay and Lesbian Book Month, the Tucson-Pima Public Library sponsors a free lecture at 7 tonight by Chastity Bono. Originally booked at the downtown Main Library, the venue has been changed to the TCC Leo Rich Theater, 260 S. Church Ave.
Bono's new book, Family Outing, narrates her own coming-out story as well as that of more than a dozen other gay and lesbian persons, with special emphasis on the reactions of their parents.
Bono's book has received rave reviews, just as her mother, the uni-named Cher, has released her first rave record. A coincidence?
Chastity has proven an extremely intelligent advocate for gay rights, in spite of the fact that her father was Sonny Bono, so her talk is not to be missed. However, if you do miss it, she'll make a second appearance from 10 a.m. to noon Friday, June 11, at the Gallagher Theater on the UA campus. For details, call 791-4391.
GENIUS JAZZ. It's no coincidence that trombonist Steve Feld, one-third of the hot Tom Guralnick Trio, is also the recipient of a prestigious MacArthur Fellowship. Also known as the "Genius Award," the prize was given to Feld for his studies in Papua-New Guinea, documented in the book Sound and Sentiment, and on the recording Voices of the Rainforest, produced by Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart.
These days Feld contributes his musical eminence to the Trio, which is a smart property in its own right. Headed by reedman Guralnick and percussionist Jefferson Voorhees, the ensemble offers an adventurous "post-Braxtonian soundscape that melds the eclectic backgrounds of its members to a single purpose." Focus your cerebral cortex on them apples.
The Tom Guralnick Trio plays at 8 p.m. in the Mat Bevel Institute, 530 N. Stone Ave. Advance tickets are $8, available at CD Depot and Antigone Books. Tickets are $10 at the door. Call 882-7154 for information.

Friday 11

IN THE SWIM. Get wet behind the ears when Tucson Parks and Recreation hosts a series of Friday and Saturday night pool parties, divided into teen-only and all-family events.
Today's teen party runs from 7:30 to 11 p.m. in the Clements Center Park Pool, 8155 E. Poinciana Drive; and the Himmel Park Pool, 1000 N. Tucson Blvd. There will be food, refreshments, games and a hot mix of music by local DJs.
The all-family party runs from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 12, also at the Clements and Himmel pools, and will include "Dive-In Movies," swimming, food and refreshments. Admission is free. For more information, call 791-4245.
COMMON THREADS. Tucson High Magnet School pays homage to AIDS victims with Quilt: A Musical Celebration, featuring a presentation by preeminent New York playwright Jim Morgan. (See this week's Arts section for details.)
The play brings to life the moving, often humorous, and always bittersweet stories of those whose lives have been memorialized in the Names Project Memorial Quilt.
"The greatest feeling possible is to be laughing and crying at the same time," Morgan remarked about the transformation of the pain of his experiences in attending the funerals of fallen friends, to their portrayal in his play.
Quilt: A Musical Celebration takes the stage at 7 tonight and Saturday, June 12, in the Tucson High Magnet School Auditorium, 400 N. Second Ave. Tickets are $7, $5 for seniors and students, available at the Southern Arizona AIDS Foundation, and How Sweet It Was. Call 322-6226 for information.
ORTS ABOVE. High-minded movement takes center stage in Orts Theatre of Dance's All-Aerial Concert. Guest artist Robert Davidson joins the acclaimed troupe for an evening of riveting trapeze work that includes "Ave Maria," "Inclusae" and a Davidson solo yet to be named. (For more information, see the related article in this week's Arts section.)
Performances are 8 tonight and Saturday, June 12, in the PCC Proscenium Theatre, 2202 W. Anklam Road. Advance tickets range from $8 to $12, available at Bentley's House of Coffee and Tea, Antigone Books, Silverbell Trading, the PCC Center for Fine Arts box office, or by calling 624-3799. Tickets will cost $2 more at the door.

Saturday 12

RHYTHM RICH. Yavaz returns to Tucson with a hip-shakin' blend of Afro-Cuban and Brazilian dance music. This fiery, San Diego-based band takes its name from the Spanish term ¡Ya vas!, meaning "Let's go!" And that's exactly what they do.
The band features Willie Negron, salsa's elder statesman and a native of Puerto Rico. A player since the '50s, Negron has honed his skills with the likes of Tito Puente and Tito Rodriquez. He's accompanied by Nelson Ortiz on congas, and Tucson native Steve Alvarez on guitar.
Join Yavaz for a natural good time at 8 tonight and Sunday, June 13, in the courtyard at Plaza Palomino, southeast corner of Swan and Fort Lowell roads. Advance tickets are $12, available at Enchanted Earthworks, Hear's Music and Beaver's Band Box. Tickets are $14 at the door, with a $2 discount for KXCI members. Call 297-9133 for details.
DOWN TO BASICS. Get in on the ground floor of an increasingly popular building technique with Straw Bale Basics. Sponsored by Women Build Houses, the class covers codes, cost, solar design, basic vocabulary and other details that'll make solid sense of this remarkable recycled material.
Today's class runs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., and advance registration is required. For cost, location and upcoming class information, call 206-8000.

Sunday 13

TEA TIME. Learn the details of this delicate craft at The Way of Tea, a serious introduction to the ancient art that promises to heighten your senses with refreshing aromas..."where your eyes are filled with the vibrancy of true colors, where your ears are awakened to melodious and subtle sounds."
That's a lot to ask from a humble leaf, but this serene afternoon with Lhasha Tizer will teach you how to bring a tea-time aesthetic to your daily routine.
Drink it in from 1 to 4 p.m.; cost is $25. For reservations, directions and other information, call 321-3670.
PICK A PECK. Blow off the city stink and head to Willcox this weekend, where a barrelful of farms open their fields so you can pick your own fruit, or at least purchase freshly plucked crops.
The Sehe-Ya farm is offering juicy hydroponic strawberries, along with their usual assortment of great pistachios. Valley Farms is seeing its first ripe batch of Bing and Ranier cherries, while Richcrest Farms (open year-round) has an organic assortment of herbs, tomatoes, sweet corn, squash, okra and nationally famous elephant garlic. The Arizona Ostrich Fillet and Willcox Critter Farm also welcomes visitors year round. Additional farms will similarly open their fields and shelves as the harvest season advances.
For more information, including a brochure and map, visit the Willcox Chamber of Commerce at 1500 N. Circle I Road; or call (800) 200-2272.

Monday 14

REBEL LEGEND. Artists pay tribute to Mexico's favorite revolutionary hero--and inspiration for the ongoing struggle of the Zapatistas--with Zapatismo Tucson.
Hosted by the Tucson/Pima Arts Council, this group exhibit includes works by Zapatistas in the war-torn Mexican state of Chiapas, and by pro-Zapatista artists in Tucson and Nogales.
Through a variety of media, the show examines the relationship between the traditional women artists of Chiapas, other artwork inspired by zapatismo, and the political and cultural beliefs of both the Zapatistas and their international supporters.
The show is sponsored by Pueblo por la Paz, a coalition of artists, scholars, and religious and social activists.
Zapistismo Tucson runs through July 16, with an artists' reception from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday, June 19, in the T/PAC Community Gallery, 240 N. Stone Ave. Regular gallery hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call 624-0595 for information.
HANKERING FOR HARDWOOD. Feast your eyes on a lovely--and endangered--ironwood forest in the hills and dales of the likewise embattled village of Tortolita.
Some of the area's ironwood trees are more than 400 years old. Unfortunately, like many of this valley's treasures, they're quickly falling prey to rapid-fire development. And like saguaros, the trees don't take well to transplanting.
Luckily, lovely swatches of surviving ironwoods are visible on Thornydale Road between Cortaro Farms and Tangerine Roads; on La Cholla Boulevard between Overton and Naranja Roads; on Naranja between La Cholla and Shannon Road; and on Shannon between Naranja and Lambert Lane. You can also glimpse the trees at Arthur Pack Regional Park, 9101 N. Thornydale Road.

Tuesday 15

TV ALTERNATIVE. Tucson Parks and Recreation gets into the sporting spirit--and lures youngsters away from the boob-tube--with the open-gym "Jam" program. Kids ages 8 to 18 are eligible to join healthy, supervised fun including badminton, basketball, board games and volleyball. The free program runs from 6 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday through July 22. Locations are Amphi Middle School, 315 E. Prince Road; Catalina High School, 3645 E. Pima St.; Palo Verde High School, 1302 S. Avenida Vega; Pueblo High School, 3500 S. 12th Ave.; and Sunnyside High School, 1725 E. Bilby Road. For more information, call 791-4870.
BIG HIT. Musical strains from Beethoven to Gabriel, the Yucatan to India, and from Bourbon Street to Vienna combine potent forces at tonight's World of Percussion Spring Concert.
Featuring Tucson Institute of Percussion players Homero Ceron, Brian Harris and Todd Hammes, this far-ranging show will feature a likewise eclectic array of instruments, from Mexico's marimba to India's tabla; the djembe of Western Africa and gongs from China to iron from the junkyard. All together, they'll pound out the best in heart-thumping action.
Show time is 7:30 p.m. in the Tucson Symphony Center, 2175 N. Sixth Ave. Tickets are $3 at the door. Call 326-4908 for details.

Wednesday 16

READ ON. The Tucson/Pima Library has a busy literary summer scheduled, with everything from book clubs to a popular reading program for kids.
The Contemporary Fiction Book Club meets at 1:15 p.m. Thursdays in the Main Library, 101 N. Stone Ave. (call 791-4393); the Audio Book Club meets at 10 a.m. Saturdays in the Wilmot Branch Library, 530 N. Wilmot Road (791-4627); and the River Readers Book Club meets at 7 p.m. Tuesdays in the Dusenberry-River Center Branch Library, 5605 E. River Road (791-4979).
Story time gatherings for children of various ages meet in El Pueblo, Miller-Golf Links and Columbus branch libraries, and at the Main Library.
The "Read Arizona" summer reading program likewise returns, running through July 31. Kids are encouraged to "read about Arizona and its starry skies, leaping lizards, cunning coyotes, and more!" Prizes are awarded based on the amount of time they spend turning pages. Three hours of reading will win a sheriff's badge, while a whopping 48 hours can land an honorable mention in the Arizona Daily Star. Kids can sign up at their nearest library branch. For more information on these and other library events, call 791-4391.

City Week includes events selected by Calendar Editor Tim Vanderpool. Event information is accurate as of press time. The Weekly recommends calling event organizers to check for last-minute changes in location, time, price, etc. To have material considered, please send complete information at least 11 days prior to the Thursday issue date to: Tucson Weekly, P.O. Box 2429, Tucson, Arizona 85702, or fax information to 792-2096, or email us at listings@tucsonweekly.com.

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