Friday, March 13, 2015
It's not just about the music, though, for this event, as the night will feature both food and craft vendors to offer up a "festival atmosphere." Bands will be playing on the outdoor stage, with festivities running from 8:30 p.m. until 1 a.m.
The jam band said in a release that you can expect their newest album to feature elements of southern rock, New Orleans funk and roots reggae.
However, the album has a more animalistic force behind it. Using the lion as their "spirit animal" and an Asiatic lion as the album's cover art, the band seeks to draw attention to the rapidly dwindling population of the lions. At this time, the release said, there are only 411 Asiatic lions left in the world so the band will be using the album to "promote education and conservation efforts in the Asiatic Lion's only remaining home, the GIR forest in Western India."
You can support both 8 Minutes to Burn's new album and the lions by heading to The Hut this Saturday. Here's the night's line-up:
8:30 to 9:30 p.m.: 8 Minutes to Burn playing "Gravitate" in full
9:45 to 10:45 p.m.: Suns of Santos
11 p.m. to 1:00 am: 8 Minutes to Burn's late show with guests
Tags: 8 Minutes to Burn , album , release , gravitate , concert , live , music , tucson , the hut
Scott & Co. is debuting a new cocktail menu next week and a sneak peak showed a focus on bright, exotic flavors, bitter liqueurs and an egg white or two. Overall, the menu seemed well-suited for spring and summer drinking, with most options being shaken, light and juicy drinks that range in price from $10 to $14.
During the tasting, bartender Rik Evans explained that many of the cocktail's elements are crafted especially for the drinks. This includes a pipe tobacco-infused tincture, macadamia orgeat, roasted coconut water syrup, and a plum sauce made with soy sauce for a savory kick.
Several of the drinks included saline drops to balance flavors and mellow out some of the more bitter components. This technique was most aptly utilized in the Giant Slayer, a drink made by Matt Martinez that was one of the day's best offerings. The bold drink combined coffee-infused Dewars, Ardbeg Islay scotch, Cherry Heering, Creme de Cacao, saline and an entire egg.
One of the event's most unexpected standouts was the Slow Slipper, which was green in color with a bright green screwpine milk float that reminded me instantly of Hi-C's Ghostbuster-themed Ecto-Cooler. (Bring back Ecto-Cooler, Hi-C!) With a sweet base of Mt. Gay rum and Giffard banana liqueur, the drink was balanced out by a lovely roasted coconut water syrup. The cocktail looked absolutely nothing like it tasted, showcasing the playfulness of the new menu.
There were definitely a few other drinks that had tiki elements too. The Shore Leave used arrack, Evans' plum sauce, Cocchi Barolo and a rosemary tincture. Topped with club soda, the drink, which could've been intense and heavy, was light and refreshing with a depth on the back. The Loki's Travel was an interesting blend of aquavit, green Chartreuse, macadamia orgeat, pineapple juice, lime juice and a tobacco tincture. Served over crushed ice, the drink started sweet and bright—almost like cotton candy, but finished more complex once diluted.
Although not all of the cocktails exhibited a strong balance of flavor, the menu as a whole was a work in experimentation, getting back to what Scott & Co. became known for in this town. For a bar that kickstarted the careers of many of the town's top folks behind the stick, it's nice to see the small speakeasy-like spot carrying on the tradition and pulling in and nurturing new talent.
You can check out Scott & Co.'s new cocktail menu beginning next week at 49 N. Scott Ave. The bar is open Monday through Thursday from 5 p.m. until midnight and Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. until 1 a.m.
Tags: scott & co , cocktails , new , menu , tiki , tucson , downtown , erik evans , matt martinez , Image
Like he's done so many times in the past, Logan Phillips, aka DJ Dirtyverbs, is introducing Tucson to some new sounds in the patio of Hotel Congress this evening: LA's Buyepongo, La Diabla is coming to represent Tijuana and DJ Maclovio visits from Phoenix. The trifecta is a known presence in the Valley's version of El Tambó, ¡Clandestino!, but hadn't had the chance to make it down to the Old Pueblo. Phillips made it happen because he loves us.
If you haven't listened to Buyepongo or La Diabla, jump on that. Buye's music is a fusion of cumbia, merengue, punta, salsa, son—the best of Central and South American afro-Latino sounds. Punta comes from the Garifuna people of Guatemala, Belize and Honduras and you add Colombian cumbia into the mix, thank you.
Then, there's La Diabla from the Baja California borderlands. Their cumbia sabanera is hypnotizing, just good old dirty cumbia—a lot of accordion and guacharaca.
So, come have a drink and put your hip bones to good use.
The festivities begin at 8 p.m. and it's FREE.
Here's these to warm up:
Tags: el tambo , hotel congress , logan phillips , dj dirtyverbs , sonoran strange , cumbia , buyepongo , la diabla , maclovio dj , Video
One of downtown's top art galleries is no longer a downtown art gallery. That's right folks, The Drawing Studio has moved from its place on Sixth Avenue, next to the future Johnny Gibson's.
Although it might seem like a loss to the downtown community, Chris Novak, business manager for the gallery, says the move will be good.
"We are still in the process of finishing up the move and putting the finishing touches on our new space but we are very excited," Novak says.
The Drawing Studio's new location is in the building Ted's Country Store used to be, located near Glenn Street at 2760 N. Tucson Blvd. The space will be a permanent home to the gallery. To stay up to date with the new space, follow The Drawing Studio on Facebook.
Tags: the drawing studio , tucson , art , gallery , moving , downtown
Thursday, March 12, 2015
A few hundred students packed the Tucson High Magnet School auditorium earlier this afternoon for a forum to discuss the effects the state's $30 million budget cut to joint technical education districts will have at the school and the entire Tucson Unified School District.
Leroy Aaron Fisher, a junior at Tucson High, says the cuts jeopardize his plans of becoming a paramedic, and he has a question for Gov. Doug Ducey: "Why would you do that?"
"I don't want to sit down and take this," the 17-year-old said while he waited for the forum to begin. "How can I, as a student, how can we, as a school, combat this?"
Tags: tucson unified school district , take a stand for jted , career and technical education , JTED , arizona , budget , students
This Sunday you can start your St. Patrick's celebrating a couple days early when the 28th annual St. Patrick's Day Parade and Festival hits the streets of Armory Park with a "Peace, Love, Shamrocks" theme.
Beginning at 10 a.m., attendees can watch live music, step dancers and other entertainment, including a game area for children. Food and beverage vendors will be at the event as well—some serving "traditional Irish drinks" for the 21 and over crowd.
Then at 11 a.m., an hour long parade will put over 1,000 participants on display for crowds to watch. You can expect plenty of floats and local celebrities, all presented by 2015's parade grand marshal Tom McNamara.
The St. Patrick's Day event runs from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Sunday, March 14. The parade and other festivities are free to attend. You can check out the route and map of events to get an idea of where you're going to plant yourself for the best view here and more information on this year's event can be found on the event's website.
Tags: st. patrick's , parade , tucson , events
For lack of any state funding, tuition for in-state students at Pima Community College is increasing by 7 percent for the 2015-16 school year. The board made their decision at Wednesday's afternoon meeting.
Starting July 1, residents will pay $5 more per credit hour (from $70.50 to $75.50) and non-residents $23 more (from $329 to $352 per credit hour). PCC also raised its tuition last year by nearly 8 percent. Up until now, the in-state price for full-time students has been $2,115.
"The college is very sensitive to the impact of tuition increases on our students. When we discussed tuition with student government leaders, they recognized the balance PCC must maintain between keeping tuition low and having the resources necessary to provide quality education and services to our students," a statement from PCC said.
The board also increased the college's semester processing fee from $10 to $15, but got rid of the $15 graduation fee and the $2 fee for student ID cards.
This school year, PCC got $7.7 million from the state. A budget deal approved Saturday eliminated all state money for Pima, as well as Maricopa Community Colleges as of next year. Pinal Community College District got $2 million.
Tags: pima community college , tuition , raise , budget , arizona , budget
Downtown's top spot to eat vegan is soon going to leave the scene soon. Kathy Iannacone, owner of Urban Fresh, says she's been telling her customers as much as possible about the restaurant's imminent closing to ease the blow.
"We’ve been telling our regular customers because we don’t want to be a shock when they come in on the 27th and we're closed," Iannacone says.
But on Friday, March 27, Urban Fresh, located at 73 E. Pennington St., will serve up its last smoothie. The restaurant specialized in vegan and raw foods with a full menu of salads, wraps and fresh juices, catering to the downtown lunch crowd.
"Restaurants that are only open for lunch downtown have a harder time," she says, adding, "and our sourcing is expensive for a daytime lunch spot."
However, she says she doesn't feel bad about the restaurant ending. Despite the difficulties of educating while making everything from scratch, Iannacone believes she set out what she meant to do with her downtown restaurant while it was open.
"I want to be positive about everything. I really love downtown and I love our customers," she says. "We’ve met so many great people."
Iannacone says her and her staff are ready to move on to other things. Her daughter and business partner will be moving out of the state and she plans to focus on being an integrative nutritionist and certified raw foods chef. She plans to continue teaching classes on both topics. She says she hopes other people will pick up the torch for vegan fare downtown.
"I’m hoping in my lifetime more and more people will want to do a business like this," she says. "It’s so important."
Tags: urban fresh , tucson , closing , restaurant , downtown , vegan
This week in Talking Comics we have the whole cast reviewing Princess Leia #1!
Set right after the destruction of Aldeeran we see how Princess Leia handles the loss of her home planet in Rebel fashion.
Written By Mark Waid, with art by Terry & Rachel Dodson
Long time co-host Jenny Cake Sweigert is venturing to Louisiana with her fiance to go find SwampThing or whatever you do in Louisiana.
She will be dearly missed and we wish her the best!
Watch the second video to see the cast tribute goodbye video for Jenny. It may or may not have been inspired by the hit song "Kiss by the Rose"- Seal, from Batman Forever.
Talking Comics is brought to you by Heroes & Villains comic book store
Tags: Princess Leia , Marvel , Comics , Star Wars , Terry Dodson , Rachel Dodson , Batman Forever , Seal , Video
Here's the first video from Calexico's upcoming album Edge of the Sun, which drops April 14. "Falling From the Sky" is another great Calexico song but you also get a peek inside downtown Tucson's legendary Wavelab Studios, where the band recorded the new album with engineers Craig Schumacher and Chris Schultz. The video was directed by Aaron Schock, who also directed the astonishing documentary Circo (for which Calexico provided the soundtrack).
