Tuesday, November 15, 2016
If you’ve never been to Pueblo Vida Brewing, well, you’re about two years behind the times. This Saturday the local brewery is celebrating its two-year anniversary—plus the release of a bunch of new brews—with a beer-garden party lasting all day long. Those proceeds will partially benefit the awesome local nonprofit Watershed Management Group, whose mission is to “develop community-based solutions to ensure the long-term prosperity of people and health of the environment.”
The party will include a ping-pong tournament, live music by the band Hey, Bucko and record spinning by DJ Alias and DJ Sonario, plus a special hour of old-school hip-hop selections by Ronnie Hardcase.
A whopping 16 beers will be on tap all day, and this is the time to check out the brand-new (as in, released that day) canned beer that Pueblo Vida has dubbed “2”—named after the number of years this place has been in business, of course. While you’re quenching your thirst with all that, enjoy food-truck eats by Tumerico and Ricuras de Venezuela (and other trucks TBA).
A day-long beer-garden party to celebrate local music, local food and great craft beer, all with an awesome soundtrack at an awesome downtown location—and to help an awesome nonprofit that seeks to help our own community? Sounds like a day in paradise.
The party takes place from noon to 11 p.m., Sat., Nov. 19, at Pueblo Vida Brewing, 115 E. Broadway Blvd. Learn more at pueblovidabrewing.com or facebook.com/pueblovida. Learn about the Watershed Management Group at watershedmg.org.
I came to Leonard Cohen admittedly late. It seems we took a long break from each other ...
But I first heard heard his Songs of Leonard Cohen LP in 1969. It was a youth group from my church and the leader put on "Suzanne" twice as we wrote on a legal pad how we felt after hearing this song twice.
The sense of words unpacking a suitcase of what love does to you if your not careful, I'm pretty sure I was much more generic and if I wrote two sentences then I was pleased.
That song hovered here and there in my teens, flitting from flower to flower like a butterfly, aware of his 20-some year career until one day when a friend accosted me, made me sit down and listen to Cohen's "Hallelujah." The time was '85 or '86 and word went he'd recorded tons of versions, and finally came to settle on this one. It had power with a subtle grain of wood that led all direction one way, a spiritual one with as few words could speak such texture. (At that particular moment I was fairly far away from that procession of the divine.)
In the mid-'90s he continued to make his records stark, full of space, "Everybody Knows," "The Future," and more, all made their way to the screen bringing this poet's music to a younger audience while his peers followed the changes in his brand.
The Cohen documentary, I'm Your Man, played to good reviews. The track "Tower of Song" got extensive airplay at public radio. There was an acceptance of his artistry that broke through genres.
He was so full of words, written against the grain, in slow, seductive lines, modernism, rarely pretentious and one of the world's true poets. His live shows sold out. His time was heavily sought. And I might guess, he tried to stay just outside the star machinations that ruined so many from his generation and those to come.
With Cohen no longer among us and faced with which song of his to choose from a catalog so vast, so well known and so widely loved, for me, it is "Going Home," an intimate piece of a moment between Leonard and his god, off his 2012 album, Old Ideas, that is the most appropriate selection for this purpose.
That song is in my eyes a reconciliation with god, a slow shuffle brings it on, created by a snare drum brushed in two strokes. In it you find the mighty and in it you find the weak, a bloodletting true to his work on recording, or on page, or maybe in how he looked at a fan in the seventh row. We are in a dark place, but a right place, a Rhodes keyboard and still the damn shuffle, "going home," and the listener, a conversation he believes god would have him. The first words sparkle, drops of a morning's refuge, this is a still-life of what he is to hear. Alone, the intimacy, first words, a conversation, the belief that god is speaking straight to you (I'd love to speak with Leonard/He is a sportsman and a shepherd/He is a lazy bastard living in a suit/Going home without my sorrow/Going home sometime tomorrow/Going home to where it's better than before).
Leonard Cohen: Sept. 21, 1934 - Nov. 7, 2016.
But I first heard heard his Songs of Leonard Cohen LP in 1969. It was a youth group from my church and the leader put on "Suzanne" twice as we wrote on a legal pad how we felt after hearing this song twice.
The sense of words unpacking a suitcase of what love does to you if your not careful, I'm pretty sure I was much more generic and if I wrote two sentences then I was pleased.
That song hovered here and there in my teens, flitting from flower to flower like a butterfly, aware of his 20-some year career until one day when a friend accosted me, made me sit down and listen to Cohen's "Hallelujah." The time was '85 or '86 and word went he'd recorded tons of versions, and finally came to settle on this one. It had power with a subtle grain of wood that led all direction one way, a spiritual one with as few words could speak such texture. (At that particular moment I was fairly far away from that procession of the divine.)
In the mid-'90s he continued to make his records stark, full of space, "Everybody Knows," "The Future," and more, all made their way to the screen bringing this poet's music to a younger audience while his peers followed the changes in his brand.
The Cohen documentary, I'm Your Man, played to good reviews. The track "Tower of Song" got extensive airplay at public radio. There was an acceptance of his artistry that broke through genres.
He was so full of words, written against the grain, in slow, seductive lines, modernism, rarely pretentious and one of the world's true poets. His live shows sold out. His time was heavily sought. And I might guess, he tried to stay just outside the star machinations that ruined so many from his generation and those to come.
With Cohen no longer among us and faced with which song of his to choose from a catalog so vast, so well known and so widely loved, for me, it is "Going Home," an intimate piece of a moment between Leonard and his god, off his 2012 album, Old Ideas, that is the most appropriate selection for this purpose.
That song is in my eyes a reconciliation with god, a slow shuffle brings it on, created by a snare drum brushed in two strokes. In it you find the mighty and in it you find the weak, a bloodletting true to his work on recording, or on page, or maybe in how he looked at a fan in the seventh row. We are in a dark place, but a right place, a Rhodes keyboard and still the damn shuffle, "going home," and the listener, a conversation he believes god would have him. The first words sparkle, drops of a morning's refuge, this is a still-life of what he is to hear. Alone, the intimacy, first words, a conversation, the belief that god is speaking straight to you (I'd love to speak with Leonard/He is a sportsman and a shepherd/He is a lazy bastard living in a suit/Going home without my sorrow/Going home sometime tomorrow/Going home to where it's better than before).
Leonard Cohen: Sept. 21, 1934 - Nov. 7, 2016.
Tags: Leonard Cohen , Billy Sedlmayr , Video
I can't just sit by and do nothing. As worried as I am about the fate of this country under a President Trump, I have to do something. Actually, I have to do a number of somethings. The question is, what?
This post is a start. It's the beginning of what I plan as a continuing feature: Trump Human Rights Erosion And Termination Watch. THREAT Watch.
All kinds of terrible things are going to happen with Trump in the White House, a Republican majority in both houses of Congress and a conservative majority on the Supreme Court. Taxes and business regulations will favor the rich even more than they do now. Entitlement programs for the poor will be cut dramatically. Comprehensive women's health care which includes abortion will be nonexistent in many parts of the country. Obamacare, Medicare and Social Security will be savaged. The list goes on. We absolutely must fight to limit the damage in all those areas using every legislative, political and people-powered means at our disposal.
But as bad as those changes will be, my worst fears for the country have to do with the loss of human rights and the suppression of dissent. Trump and his allies don't have to pass new laws to persecute minority groups and target enemies. All it takes to create a police state and a climate of fear is an increased use of force against citizens and credible threats directed at the media. A Trump administration can do that on its own. It can make people afraid to congregate, afraid to act, afraid to say and write what they think—even afraid in some cases to come out of their homes.
If we're paying attention, it's not hard to notice when new laws are passed and new court decisions are rendered, but suppression and repression can creep up on us so gradually, we hardly know they're coming until they're here. It's far too easy for us to turn into frogs in a pot of water being brought to a boil. ("Is it getting hot in here?" "No, it's your imagination. Well, yeah, maybe it's getting a little warmer, but nothing we can't handle.") Repression can be targeted against one group while the rest of us look the other way. ("First they came for the immigrants, but I didn't speak up because I wasn't an immigrant. . . .") The media can be badgered into normalizing the administration and its actions by perpetuating false equivalencies and downplaying the dangers of its most dangerous words and deeds.
Tags: Donald Trump
Monday, November 14, 2016
THE SWITCH, REBOOTED
The Switch, our Best of Tucson™ Staff Pick for “Unique Comedy Show Format,” returns on Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 8:30 p.m., after a brief hiatus to change venues and regroup accordingly. Fans will benefit from “the switch” to the Screening Room. Now they can enjoy comfy theater seating, great acoustics and direct-to-your-seat delivery of Empire Pizza from two doors down. Local comedians in this month’s game include hosts Pauly Casillas and Alex Kack, Stephany Green, Mo Urban, Bethany Evans, Bridgitte Thum, Monte Benjamin, Richard Aguirre and yours truly. The Screening Room also serves lots of beers and movie snacks at 127 E. Congress St., tsrdowntown.com.
LAUGHING LIBERALLY, RESCHEDULED
Usually held on the last Sunday of the month, this political comedy romp changes it up to Nov. 20 to avoid messing with your Thanksgiving weekend. The good news? The evening may supply you with enough bon mots to get you through that annual sit down with your family’s misogynist, racist, anti-immigrant, trenchantly gender-binary and exhaustingly religious/vegan/local-source/your-pet-peeve-here zealots, and those who love them. Laughing Liberally is at 8 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 20, at The Flycatcher, 340 E 6th St., flycatchertucson.com.
STOCK
Love Kathleen Madigan? To know her is to follow her anywhere. Now we can revisit her on Netflix. Our Friends at the Rialto Theatre and ticketfly have tipped us off that she’s just released an hour-long Netflix special featuring new material and some you’ll remember from her last Tucson concert. The special is called “Bothering Jesus.” Find a sample, “The Villages,” at youtube.com
THIS WEEKEND AT LAFFS
This weekend at Laffs Comedy Caffé two headliners, Justin Berkman and Leif Skyving, trade sets for shows at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday. Both have appeared on many popular TV comedy shows. Skyving, born in Sweden, is also frequently heard on XM Radio.
Laffs is at 2900 E. Broadway Blvd. Admission is $10 to $15 with a two-item minimum. Visit laffstucson.com for reservations and artist information.
ALL ABOUT YOU
Got a great joke? If it’s under 50 words, send it along. I’ll try to find room for it in a column sometime and pay you in street cred! And if I can use a good tip you send me about someone coming to town or releasing new product, a great new podcast you’ve discovered, or a new comedy venue and open mic, you might find your name in print.
Have fun!
The Switch, our Best of Tucson™ Staff Pick for “Unique Comedy Show Format,” returns on Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 8:30 p.m., after a brief hiatus to change venues and regroup accordingly. Fans will benefit from “the switch” to the Screening Room. Now they can enjoy comfy theater seating, great acoustics and direct-to-your-seat delivery of Empire Pizza from two doors down. Local comedians in this month’s game include hosts Pauly Casillas and Alex Kack, Stephany Green, Mo Urban, Bethany Evans, Bridgitte Thum, Monte Benjamin, Richard Aguirre and yours truly. The Screening Room also serves lots of beers and movie snacks at 127 E. Congress St., tsrdowntown.com.
LAUGHING LIBERALLY, RESCHEDULED
Usually held on the last Sunday of the month, this political comedy romp changes it up to Nov. 20 to avoid messing with your Thanksgiving weekend. The good news? The evening may supply you with enough bon mots to get you through that annual sit down with your family’s misogynist, racist, anti-immigrant, trenchantly gender-binary and exhaustingly religious/vegan/local-source/your-pet-peeve-here zealots, and those who love them. Laughing Liberally is at 8 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 20, at The Flycatcher, 340 E 6th St., flycatchertucson.com.
STOCK
Love Kathleen Madigan? To know her is to follow her anywhere. Now we can revisit her on Netflix. Our Friends at the Rialto Theatre and ticketfly have tipped us off that she’s just released an hour-long Netflix special featuring new material and some you’ll remember from her last Tucson concert. The special is called “Bothering Jesus.” Find a sample, “The Villages,” at youtube.com
THIS WEEKEND AT LAFFS
This weekend at Laffs Comedy Caffé two headliners, Justin Berkman and Leif Skyving, trade sets for shows at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday. Both have appeared on many popular TV comedy shows. Skyving, born in Sweden, is also frequently heard on XM Radio.
Laffs is at 2900 E. Broadway Blvd. Admission is $10 to $15 with a two-item minimum. Visit laffstucson.com for reservations and artist information.
ALL ABOUT YOU
Got a great joke? If it’s under 50 words, send it along. I’ll try to find room for it in a column sometime and pay you in street cred! And if I can use a good tip you send me about someone coming to town or releasing new product, a great new podcast you’ve discovered, or a new comedy venue and open mic, you might find your name in print.
Have fun!
Tags: Kathleen Madigan , Linda Ray , The Screening Room , The Flycatcher , The Switch , Laughing Liberally
Hi, I'm Bella!
I'm a pretty 1.5-year-old girl and I need a new home. I was transferred to HSSA from a different shelter so they don't know a lot about my history, but what they do know is that I love to play, run and jump!
I'm looking for an active home where I can get ample exercise and play time and might even benefit from some doggy brain games.
If you're looking for a pretty, playful dog to join your home I might be the perfect fit!
Contact the Humane Society of Southern Arizona Main Campus at 520-327-6088 ext. 173 for more information and to check on my status!
Lots of love,
Bella (832905)
As life would have it, on election night I celebrated my first wedding anniversary with my husband, a white Jewish man whose mother lost much of her family in the Holocaust. My husband, because he loves me, refused to let me look at any news websites or social media that night. Instead, we gorged ourselves on mediocre pasta and fell asleep watching Shaun The Sheep. For that night, we felt safe in our lives, safe in our homes, and safe in our love. We also had faith that that feeling would still be present come morning.
We were wrong.
On Wednesday, Nov. 9, we woke to an America that had elected Donald J. Trump to be our leader. A man who ran on a platform of "otherness," racism, bigotry, misogyny, and the sloughing off of sexual assault. Many have said that he ran on this platform because it spoke to the "forgotten people" of rural America, and he knew if he could win them, he could win the country. Honestly, at this point, it is not important why he ran on that platform, but rather, what do we do about it now. Because the Rooster is in the Henhouse, and the chickens have come home.
Throughout the course of this election, we have seen the absolute WORST of this country come out—on BOTH sides, and from every walk of life. We've seen some people come out and say how much they hate niggers and spics and how glad they'll be when Trump sends us all back to Africa and Mexico, and we've seen Brock Turner get three months in prison for raping an unconscious woman, while Corey Batey received five years for the same exact crime (only he didn't commit it). We saw some people talking about "Kill All White People," and we saw Ben Carson (the question is, did he see us? Because I mean really, he looked like he was asleep the entire time, but I digress). Everywhere we turned there was anger—and rightfully so. If I felt like my president had forgotten about me, I'd be angry too. In fact, I've been angry most of my voting, adult life for that very reason, so I get it.
What I don't get is the blanket of hate that hasn't been casually tossed over our country by this election, but rather draped and slung across shoulders as if we are Jesus marching to our own death. I don't understand the violence that has been used against Muslim Americans, and Muslims from other countries. I can't wrap my brain around children being told "today you sit at the back of the bus" by their peers, same-sex couples being told to return their wedding dresses because "that shit ain't happening," or children with profound differences in abilities now being mocked, when they were once hugged. I don't understand it. My brain is completely unable to comprehend this behavior. Anger yes, I get that. I am pissed to high hell. But ACTIONS AGAINST OTHERS fueled by anger—no, that I do not get. But, let's not pretend that EVERYONE that voted for Trump is going out there saying vile things or committing heinous acts against others. I call these people the "cosigning racists." They will never say a racist thing to your face, or maybe even behind your back. They may genuinely feel that Black Lives Do Matter and that not all undocumented citizens (because I am so damn tired of the word "immigrants"...they are PEOPLE) are rapists and murderers. But because they have a beef with Obamacare, or taxes, or have a hatred for Hillary (which even that I won't hold against them because let's face it, it's easy to view her as problematic), they have cosigned the platform of hatred and unkeepable promises that Donald Trump ran on. It's kind of like when your friend asks you to lie to their spouse after you've caught them cheating. You know they're wrong, and you know their actions, and the fallout from their actions will cause an incredible amount of harm to his family, but you do it anyway because one day he'll return the favor (he promised), and besides, you're not in that family, so it doesn't affect you. So you do it. You cosign on the lie because it doesn't hurt you any, and one day, it might actually help you.
We were wrong.
On Wednesday, Nov. 9, we woke to an America that had elected Donald J. Trump to be our leader. A man who ran on a platform of "otherness," racism, bigotry, misogyny, and the sloughing off of sexual assault. Many have said that he ran on this platform because it spoke to the "forgotten people" of rural America, and he knew if he could win them, he could win the country. Honestly, at this point, it is not important why he ran on that platform, but rather, what do we do about it now. Because the Rooster is in the Henhouse, and the chickens have come home.
Throughout the course of this election, we have seen the absolute WORST of this country come out—on BOTH sides, and from every walk of life. We've seen some people come out and say how much they hate niggers and spics and how glad they'll be when Trump sends us all back to Africa and Mexico, and we've seen Brock Turner get three months in prison for raping an unconscious woman, while Corey Batey received five years for the same exact crime (only he didn't commit it). We saw some people talking about "Kill All White People," and we saw Ben Carson (the question is, did he see us? Because I mean really, he looked like he was asleep the entire time, but I digress). Everywhere we turned there was anger—and rightfully so. If I felt like my president had forgotten about me, I'd be angry too. In fact, I've been angry most of my voting, adult life for that very reason, so I get it.
What I don't get is the blanket of hate that hasn't been casually tossed over our country by this election, but rather draped and slung across shoulders as if we are Jesus marching to our own death. I don't understand the violence that has been used against Muslim Americans, and Muslims from other countries. I can't wrap my brain around children being told "today you sit at the back of the bus" by their peers, same-sex couples being told to return their wedding dresses because "that shit ain't happening," or children with profound differences in abilities now being mocked, when they were once hugged. I don't understand it. My brain is completely unable to comprehend this behavior. Anger yes, I get that. I am pissed to high hell. But ACTIONS AGAINST OTHERS fueled by anger—no, that I do not get. But, let's not pretend that EVERYONE that voted for Trump is going out there saying vile things or committing heinous acts against others. I call these people the "cosigning racists." They will never say a racist thing to your face, or maybe even behind your back. They may genuinely feel that Black Lives Do Matter and that not all undocumented citizens (because I am so damn tired of the word "immigrants"...they are PEOPLE) are rapists and murderers. But because they have a beef with Obamacare, or taxes, or have a hatred for Hillary (which even that I won't hold against them because let's face it, it's easy to view her as problematic), they have cosigned the platform of hatred and unkeepable promises that Donald Trump ran on. It's kind of like when your friend asks you to lie to their spouse after you've caught them cheating. You know they're wrong, and you know their actions, and the fallout from their actions will cause an incredible amount of harm to his family, but you do it anyway because one day he'll return the favor (he promised), and besides, you're not in that family, so it doesn't affect you. So you do it. You cosign on the lie because it doesn't hurt you any, and one day, it might actually help you.
Tags: politics , donald trump , love , election night , election , president , protests , protection
This minimalist horror film mixes elements of Cujo, Alien and Ghostbusters. I include Ghostbusters because the title monster looks a lot like a greasier version of the demon dog Rick Moranis transformed into in the comedy classic.
There’s nothing funny about how badly a road trip goes for Kathy (Zoe Kazan) and daughter Lizzy (Ella Balletine) when they have a blowout on a rainy night in the middle of nowhere.
Their car hits a wolf, a bloody wolf, and Lizzy makes the keen observation that something it was fighting must’ve driven it in front of their car and into harm’s way. She’s very right. There’s a monster in the woods, and it wants to not only eat them, but anybody that tries to help them.
Writer-director Bryan Bertino (The Strangers) has made a decent creature feature here, one that is as much a mother-daughter drama (there are plenty of flashbacks showing their troubled times) as it is a flick about a monster. Kazan is damn good here, and continues to be one of the more under-appreciated actresses in movies today (She must get some more higher profile roles). Balletine is every bit her match as a daughter who has much more common sense than her mother.
The movie clocks in at 91 minutes, but it feels long due to some stretches that are drawn out just a tad. Still, enough of the movie works to qualify it as yet another decent movie in a resurgent horror genre.
Available for rent on iTunes, On Demand and Amazon.com during a limited theatrical release.
In almost any other city, it’d be crazy to plan the grand opening of your awesome new ice-cream shop in November. But this is Tucson, the land of the 70-degree [insert winter holiday of choice], where maybe it’s actually a good strategy to debut your shop now, when you’ll probably have the ice-creamery-opening market cornered.
Such was the (successful) plan of the UA and Shamrock Farms, who’ve joined together last week in opening The Scoop Creamery, a new concept store on campus, where UA attendees can enjoy hand-dipped ice cream, protein-packed shakes and cold-brew coffee.
It’s definitely a UA-themed place, with fun menu items like the “Lean Mean Machine” protein shake—perfect for a Wildcat football player or other aspiring student athlete—and ice cream flavors like “StrawBear Down”—which will get you in the team spirit while simultaneously providing a sugar rush.
But is The Scoop only for UA students? Of course not! Check it out inside the Student Union, 1303 E. University Blvd., 626-0396.
Friday, November 11, 2016
What a week it's been. While it's true that I advocate for downtime every weekend, I think a lot of people could benefit from a little R&R this weekend. Go on a hike (it's finally cool enough!), grab some tacos and hit up Casa Video for some popcorn and a little escapist entertainment.
Here's your weekly list of last week's most popular rentals at Tucson favorite video store:
1. Star Trek Beyond
Here's your weekly list of last week's most popular rentals at Tucson favorite video store:
1. Star Trek Beyond
No, not “morning”—“mourning.” That’s right, it’s time to bid a respectful, proper goodbye to the “Dim Sum and Then Some Sunday Brunch” at Chef Janos Wilder’s Carriage House.
Wilder’s wild success with this restaurant has driven him to make the difficult decision to end the brunch, which has admittedly been very popular since the Carriage House opened in February.
The brunch passed last Sunday, Nov. 6.—the last glorious day the Carriage House served its Hong Kong tea-house-inspired brunch, featuring Wilder’s take on delicacies from South Asia, the Pacific Rim, the Americas, Africa, Europe and the Middle East—as well as French toast and other more “normal” brunch items.
That’s right, let it out—have a good cry for the end of an era. However, we can all take great comfort in the fact that the brunch will live on.
Chef Wilder promises that superstar dishes from the former brunch—like ma po tofu, Szechuan eggplant and even Dr. Pepper pork biscuits—will reappear at Chinese New Year’s, on reception menus and at holiday brunches in the future.
RIP, Dim Sum and Then Some (2016–2016). We can’t forget you, and we won’t have to. Ask about the fate of your favorites from the late, great brunch next time you visit the Carriage House, 125 S. Arizona Ave., or at carriagehousetucson.com.
