TMA Spring Art Market & Flower Festival. Home is where the art is, right? And this weekend, the art is definitely down at TMA, where more than 100 unique and local artists will be showcasing their pottery, jewelry, fine art, glass, textiles and gift items. Florists and nurseries will be offering up living art as well, while local food vendors and bands round out the experience with some good eats and good beats. A special “Garden in the Galleries” event with floral arrangements by more than a dozen local nurseries and florists will be on display starting Thursday, March 14. The market is 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, March 15, through Sunday, March 17. Tucson Museum of Art, 140 N. Main Ave. Admission to the galleries is free during the market and festival! Details here.

Mahler Symphony No. 5. Mahler’s Symphony No. 5, particularly its horn bits, might sound familiar to you from the 1971 film Death in Venice. At this Tucson Symphony Orchestra event, you’ll also hear the Van Cliburn silver medalist, pianist Joyce Yang, team up with former TSO principal trumpet Conrad Jones to perform Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 1. Rounding it out is Giuseppe Martucci’s Notturno, composed as part of his mission to get 19th century Italians interested in anything besides opera. (It worked—they loved it. And you will too!) 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 15 and 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 17. Tucson Music Hall, 260 S. Church Ave. $15 to $86+. Details here.
Marana Bluegrass & Acoustic Music Festival. Bill Monroe, often called the “father of bluegrass,” said this of the twangy, foot tappin’ genre: “It’s Methodist and Holiness and Baptist. It’s blues and jazz, and it has a high lonesome sound.” Get your fill of lonesome sounds this weekend by heading up to Marana, where bands from the local region will be playing original tunes. See bands like the Dusty River Band, Brokedown Palace, Out of the Blue and others that not only have a quintessential bluegrass sound, but those names are quintessentially bluegrass. And hey, they’ll throw in some blues as well. 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, March 15, 10:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 16, and 9:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 17. Gladden Farms Community Park, 12205 N. Tangerine Farms Road, Marana. $20 per day or $30 for a weekend pass. Details here.

The People Electric. Hawkinsdance is presenting this hour long show, with nine dancers and music by local artists, for their first self-produced contemporary dance concert. The title work of the evening, The People Electric, features six dancers, vocals by Katie Heavenly and Jillian Bassett, and fashion to represent feminism’s second wave in the 1970s. The evening’s other featured work, The Crystal Cave, presents a trio of male dancers dancing to music by Neo-classical pianist Anton Faynberg, and imagines a world uncorrupted by the effects of humanity. 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 15, and Saturday, March 16. 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 17. Scoundrel and Scamp Theatre, 738 N. Fifth Ave. $20 or $12 for youth (22 and under!) Details here.

Matilda (Free Screening). A young girl uses her telekinesis to make the world a more fun place. What more do you need? Based off the beloved Roald Dahl book, this film is a Danny Devito extravaganza! Not only does he play Matilda’s father, but he’s the narrator and director as well. So if you’re looking for a classic ’90s film with a heaping helping of the Veet, this is the show for you. This screening will take place outdoors on “Hippie Hill” at Himmel Park, please bring your own seating. Presented by The Loft Jr. 6:30 to 8:15 p.m. Friday, March 15. 1000 N. Tucson Blvd. Details here.

El Patrón. The Screening Room presents the public premiere of a locally made crime drama. Not only do you get to see the movie, plus a few local short films, but you get to meet the cast and crew as well. This is an all-around great networking opportunity for Arizona filmmakers. 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, March 15. 127 E. Congress St. $5. Details here. 

Margarita & Sangria Festival. There’s only two ways to enjoy fruit: floating in your alcohol, or pinned on the rim of the glass. Either way, this festival is sure to entertain. The Oasis at Wild Horse Ranch is hosting a Margarita & Sangria Festival where you get to sample over 25 different drinks, dance to music and feast from local food trucks. 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, March 16. 6801 N. Camino Verde. $25 regular admission, $40 VIP. Details here.
All One Voice. “This is the sound of all of us, singing with love and the will to trust. Leave the rest behind; it will turn to dust. This is the sound of all of us.” These are the lyrics to “One Voice,” a song by Australian-born singer-songwriter and member of The Wailin’ Jenny’s Ruth Moody. On this night, 12 Tucson choruses will come together as one voice to perform this song together. We’re talking everyone from the Tucson Girls Chorus to Reveille to Tucson Desert Harmony. All the choruses will perform individually before joining together for the big finale. Couldn’t you use a heaping helping of unity? 7 p.m. Saturday, March 16. Ascension Lutheran Church, 7650 N. Paseo del Norte. $15. Details here.

Raffi. Is there a more wholesome figure on this Earth than the children’s entertainer Raffi? Raffi, who has never made any commercial endorsements aimed at kids because he wants to treat his young fans with respect? Raffi, who sings tunes like “Baby Beluga” and “Bananaphone?” Raffi, who founded the Centre for Child Honouring, a nonprofit whose motto is “Respecting Earth & Child”? If there is a more wholesome figure (which we figure is pretty unlikely), he or she probably isn’t coming to Tucson this week, and Raffi is! It’s been 40 years since he released Singable Songs for the Very Young, and he’s celebrating with this tour, at which Beluga Grads (his child fans back in the ’70s and ’80s who are now grown up) and everyone else are welcome. 1 p.m. Saturday, March 16. Fox Theatre, 17 W. Congress St. $35.50 to $83.50. Details here.

37th Annual Wa:k Pow Wow. Every month in Tucson is a pretty good month. But in March, it’s neither snowing nor unbearably hot. AND it’s the month that features Tucson’s largest gathering of Native American arts, crafts, culture, food and dancing! Everyone is welcome (but note that video cameras, drugs and alcohol are most definitely not) to enjoy watching team dancing, hoop dancing, owl dancing and inter-tribal dancing. On the non-dancing front, be sure to catch the drum contest. Ryan Rumley is the master of ceremonies, and Eldred Matt is the arena director. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 16, and Sunday, March 17. San Xavier Mission del Bac church, $7 adults, $5 kids, free for kids 6 and under. $3 per vehicle to park. Details here.
Climate Change in Arizona: What Can and Should We Do? Sometimes issues like climate change seem so enormous that you’re left feeling powerless. This program sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Greater Tucson is designed to help mitigate this feeling. You’ll hear from three scientific experts: Diana Liverman, Regents professor of geography and development and former co-director of the UA Institute of the Environment; Kathy Jacobs, director of the UA Center for Climate Adaptation, Science and Solutions; and Edward Beshore, a member of the local chapter of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby. 9:30 a.m. to noon. Saturday, March 16. Joel D. Valdez Main Library, 101 N. Stone Ave. Free. Details here.

Silver Spike Festival. On March 20, 1880, the Southern Pacific Railroad arrived in Tucson, with long-lasting effects including vastly expanding the city’s economy and causing people nearly 140 years into the future to have to sit in excruciating traffic while they wait for the damn thing to go by. Seriously though, the arrival of the train in Tucson was hugely important and definitely worth celebrating. Just see what Charles D. Poston, who some people call “The Father of Arizona,” said this in the Arizona Daily Star the day before the arrival: “And now the railroad comes along, like a giant anaconda, embracing the continent in its coil, and its ponderous machinery breathes the vitality of civilization in sonorous respirations, breaking the silence of the desert and awakening the reverberations of the mountains for the first time since the planet commenced its revolutions in the universe.” The Southern Arizona Transportation Museum is having a vintage vehicle display, a re-enactement of the arrival and live music to celebrate. 9:30 a.m. Saturday, March 16. Southern Arizona Transportation Museum, 414 N. Toole Ave. Free. Details here.

Tour of Tumamoc Hill. Tu-mamoc? Or not tu-mamoc? That is the question. You’ve probably seen Tumamoc Hill, and you’ve likely even hiked it. But have you ever had emeritus curators of the UA School of Anthropology and a research associate from the Arizona State Museum give you a guided tour of all the ceramics, rock art and pit remains on the hill? What about the village site? This is your chance. Paul and Suzanne Fish, the emeritus curators, and Gayle Hartmann, the research associate, are offering this guided tour of the hill as a fundraiser for the Tucson Presidio. Why not support a local cause while learning a little bit more about local history yourself? Tu-mamoc, indeed. 10 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, March 16. Tumamoc Hill. $30, or $25 for Presidio members. Details here.

Heart Medicine: Honey, Tonics and Tisanes. You’ve probably had honey before, are familiar with the idea of a tonic, and are not totally sure what a tisane is. It’s a medicinal herbal tea, originally made with barley. That’s just the sort of information you’re going to gain at this workshop hosted by Patrisia Gonzales, in partnership with the Dunbar African American Cultural Center, about how to identify desert plants that can calm the spirit, feed the heart and relax the system. You’ll be making herbal infused honeys, teas and floral waters, and you’ll be feeling so, so calm. We dare you to tell us that doesn’t sound appealing. 9 a.m. to noon. Saturday, March 16. UA College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, 200 W. Douglass. $55. Details here.

Shop Women-Owned Tucson. It’s Women’s History Month in the U.S.! Hooray! Celebrate by supporting some of Tucson’s local businesses owned by women. Here’s how it works: Stop by Pop Cycle to pick up a stamp card, and throughout March, get a stamp for every $10 you spend at participating establishments (ranging from Tiny Town Surplus to the MOCA Tucson museum shop to Crooked Tooth Brewing Co. See the Facebook event page for a full list!). When your card is full, go back to Pop Cycle to get a free sticker and a coupon for a free blizzard at the Fourth Ave. Dairy Queen, AND to be entered into a raffle. Raffle prizes include a $100 Pop Cycle Gift Card and other assorted Fourth Avenue swag. All month at participating locations! Pick up your card at Pop Cycle, 422 N. Fourth Ave. Details here.

Free Family Fun Day! Wonder World Jumping Castles, a family-based, veteran-owned bounce house business here in the Old Pueblo, has been around for five years now. To celebrate, and to thank the community for its support, they’re hosting this fun fest with about a dozen different kinds of enormous inflatables, free popcorn and cotton candy, and dozens of vendors selling goods. What, are you going to NOT take your kid to experience this child’s paradise? For that matter, are you yourself not going to take advantage of the chance to enjoy this free paradise for your inner child? 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 16. 1825 N. Alvernon Way. Free. Details here.

How Rednecks Saved Hollywood. The Loft Cinema presents a talk by author Joe Bob Briggs on the identity of “rednecks” in American film. The “drive-in movie critic” will use more than 200 clips and stills from movies to examine both grindhouse and mainstream movies. Beyond recounting the history, you will also learn about the most sacred redneck cinematic moments and why the redneck is the scariest monster in all of film history. For real! 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Saturday, March 16. 3233 E. Speedway Blvd. $18. Details here.

Civano Park Food Truck Roundup. Come one, come all, come hungry! All the best food trucks in Tucson are getting together so can have a little bit (or a lotta bit) of great food. Participating food trucks include: Stacey’s Irresistible Cheesecakes, Los Locos Tacos, TacoQueta, Meatball Madness, Fiesta Filipina, You Sly Dog, The Curry Pot Sri Lankan Fusion and more. 5 to 7:30 p.m. Sunday, March 17. At Civano Park, 5241 Richard Ashley Way. Details here.

Downtown History and Libation Tour. Southern Arizona Guide is hosting a tour where you get to explore the history of Tucson, and taste it too. This walking tour allows you to see Tucson “with the eyes of George Hand, saloonkeeper.” Beyond the history, you will get to enjoy libations at the old Presidio and Maynards for lunch. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, March 17. Meet at Mercado San Agustin at Congress and Convento. $69. Details here.
De Kooning Revealed. Speaking of the UA Museum of Art, you might know that back in 1985, the Willem de Kooning’s “Woman-Ochre” painting was stolen from the museum, and that thanks to a series of fortunate events and a bunch of kind people, the priceless painting was recovered and returned in 2017. Now, the museum’s leadership council is hosting an exclusive, pre-conservation viewing of the painting, giving you a chance to become a part of history (or at least to have a cool story to brag about at your next family gathering). Enjoy cocktails, heavy hors d’oeuvres and entertainment by the Fred Fox Jazz Ensemble and the UA School of Dance. 5:30 to 8 p.m. Sunday, March 17. UA Museum of Art, 1031 N. Olive Road. $95 for museum members, $125 for non-members. Details here.

The Emperor! These free concerts put on by the Civic Orchestra of Tucson will feature Rimsky’ Kosakov’s Le Coq d’or (The Golden Cockerel) Suite, Glinka’s Ruslan and Lyudmila Overture and Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major, Op. 73, “Emperor.” This last one was Beethoven’s last completed piano concerto, and will feature piano soloist Rex Woods, who has been teaching at the UA since 1988 and who presented his first public solo recital more than 50 years ago. 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 16, at Journey Church, 4700 N. Swan Road. 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 17, at Crowder Hall, 1017 N. Olive Road. Free. Details here.

St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival. What are your St. Patrick’s Day plans? Tossing back a few pints at the pub? Tossing back a few more pints at the pub after that? Well, of course. But what about all day before it becomes socially acceptable to head to the pub and throw back a few pints? Why not go to the Tucson St. Patrick’s Day parade? Last year, more than 10,000 Southern Arizonans were there, so it must at least be worth checking out. There will be traditional Irish dancing, a performance by Nancy McCallion and friends, and plenty of other traditional Irish cultural events. St. Patrick’s Day Committee president John Murphy and guest emcee David Fitzsimmons lead the opening ceremony. 10 a.m. Sunday, March 17. Armory Park south of Sixth Ave. Free. Details here.

Steele Blue at Tohono Chul. Tohono Chul’s Sundays in the Garden spring concert series features music on Sundays throughout March and April, just before it gets too hot to endure any outdoor music. This week, vocalist Sheal Kimball and guitarist Mike Zimmerman will perform their covers and arrangements of everything from classic rock to jazz standards. Sheal studied jazz and classical voice in college, and cites Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee and Pat Benatar among her main vocal influences. Mike is a Guitar Institute of Technology graduate and guitar instructor largely influenced by the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton and Eddie Van Halen. Don’t miss them playing among the prickly pears. 1:30 to 3 p.m. Sunday, March 17. Tohono Chul Performance Garden, 7366 N. Paseo del Norte. Fee with admission: $13 adults, $10 senior/military/student, $3 kids 5 to 12 and free for members and kids under 5. Details here.

Witness to Democracy: The Journey of a Mother and a Photographer. Part of the Loft’s “Journalism on Screen” series, this documentary tells the story of three people brought together by the tragic killing of college student Lee Han-yeol, whose death propelled the South Korean Democracy Movement in June 1987. Followed by UA professors and filmmakers. 2 to 3:45 p.m. Sunday, March 17. 3233 E. Speedway Blvd. $8. Details here.

St. Patrick’s Day Roundup. What, you thought Tucson was going to let an excuse to have fun just slip by unnoticed? Here’s a list of only some of the many events happening when the Old Pueblo embraces the Old World on Sunday, March 17.

• Arizona Beer House is hosting a free, family-friendly event along with Tucson Celtic Festival and Scottish Highland Games. This features a jumping castle, live music, food trucks, face painting, bagpipers, balloon twisting, Irish Whisky, and more. Noon to midnight. 150 S. Kolb Road. Details here.

• 1912 Brewing Co. is hosting an employee cook-off of corned beef and cabbage (what else?) and you get to eat it! They will also be releasing three beers in celebration of this event: the Shenanigans Pale Ale, the Irish Sobriety Imperial Red Ale, and a new Irish Creme Stout. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. 2045 N Forbes Blvd, Ste. 105. Details here.

• Ten55 Brewing and Sausage House is releasing a new Irish Red Ale and maybe even tapping a special keg just for the occasion. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. 110 E. Congress Street. Details here.

Events compiled by Briannon Wilfong, Emily Dieckman, B.S. Eliot and Jeff Gardner.

This band of Los Angeles “bad boys from heaven,” shortly after releasing their debut album Less Religion More Sex, felt it prudent to announce that they were parting ways with their bassist following allegations of sexual misconduct. Cherry Pools behave badly at 191 Toole. TiLLie opens the show. Details here.

“Is this thing on?” Featuring live sets from Taking Back Harambe, Tucson is the Reason and Dirt Friends, Emo Night Live celebrates its third anniversary at Club Congress. Details here.

Dance to the Queen of Tejano projected on giant video screens with other ’90s and Latin anthems mashed into the mix. Club ’90s LA presents Selena Night at the Rialto Theatre. Details here.
Amped-up Seattle punk rockers Monsterwatch blaze through Sky Bar. With The Exbats and Taco Sauce in tow. Details here.

Conductor José Luis Gomez leads the Tucson Symphony Orchestra through a program that highlights Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 5. Pianist Joyce Yang and trumpeter Conrad Jones are featured soloists. Details here.

During the 1920s, this charismatic vocalist introduced Weimar era cabaret songs and pop from the American songbook to audiences across Europe. Max Raabe & The Palast Orchester are at the Fox Theatre. Details here.
From London via a lost corner of New Mexico, Lonesome Shack’s latest release Desert Dreams, while finding a new home in the urban jungle, has not lost sight of the desert’s mysticism where this musical journey began. At Exo Roast Co. With blues and American Primitive fingerstyle guitar wunderkind, Roman Barten-Sherman. Details here.

Borderlands Brewing Taproom Sessions presents multi-instrumentalist/producer Brandon Bailey Johnson, who holds the Guinness World Records title for being the Youngest Professional Music Producer. Achieving this distinction at 12 years of age for his debut album My Journey. Details here.

Adara Rae makes her tasting room debut at Sand-Reckoner. Details here.
Entwining assertions, assumptions, predictions and reflections around a core of transcendent harmonies, their style has been described as “exquisitely-arranged, literary-minded, baroque folk-pop.” Darlingside reconcile with a “God of Loss.” At 191 Toole. North Carolina-bred folk-rockers River Whyless provide underpinning. Details here.

Following an elbow injury, this erstwhile college baseball pitcher took up songwriting. “Here Tonight,” country pop singer-songwriter Brett Young is at the Diamond Center. Details here.

It’s time again, The Lucky Ones kick off St. Patrick’s Day festivities in the sunshine on the back patio at Crooked Tooth Brewing. Details here.

Jahmar International and guest DJs—L3XX, Jam-Is-On, Touch, Jah Fyah, Strip, Papa Ranger and Shrek—spin in honor of St. Patty at Mr. Heads. Details here.

Febbo & Fuentes play Mexican-Americana in the tasting room at Sand-Reckoner. Details here.

The Tequila Taxi pulls up just long enough for the Al Foul Trio to fall out and entertain in the courtyard at Mercado San Agustin. Details here.
From SoCal, the world’s only all-female tribute to Iron Maiden, The Iron Maidens, are at the House of Bards. With The Jack doing a fine rendition of AC-DC. Details here.

Club Sanctuary resident DJs Plastic Disease and Black Flagg spin industrial/goth/EBM for St. Batty’s Day. At the Surly Wench Pub. Details here.

Sky Bar is the site for the 2019 Great Cover-Up Reprise. Which finds The Distortionists channeling The B-52’s, Miss Olivia and The Interlopers taking on Bjork and Big Mean interpreting Depeche Mode. Details here.

Golden Boots and Otherly Love worship the alter at Che’s Lounge. Details here.

Vocalist-songwriter Mattea performs her lushly beautiful music at Hotel McCoy. Details here.

The latest musical project from Wesley Eisold—author of Deathbeds (Heartworm Press) a compendium of darkness chronicling the constant struggle that is depression and the bursts of energy absolutely necessary to see another day—has become a name synonymous with the contemporary resurgence of darkwave and synth-pop. Cold Cave trip the light macabre at 191 Toole. Adult. and Vowws provide support. Details here.

St. Patrick’s Day celebration at Hotel Congress features performances by the Maguire Academy School of Dance and “the best, most almost authentic Irish band in town,” the Bastard Sons of Patrick. Details here.

DJ Mijito curates After Dark: Darkwave/post-punk/coldwave/synth at Passé. Details here.

In a fundraising event, Mariachi Aztlan de Pueblo High School perform a tardeada at El Casino Ballroom. Details here.

Son of Phoenix Makes Good

Phoenician-gone-good Michael Longfellow heads a bill that includes frequent local headliners at the next Brew Ha Ha Showcase at Borderlands Brewing Company at 8 p.m. Monday, March 18.

Raised in Phoenix, Longfellow formerly appeared regularly at Tempe Improv standup shows. Now he lives the comedy life in L.A, where he’s been chosen as one of TBS’ Comics To Watch, done a standup set on CONAN and can now be seen on Hidden America with Jonah Ray. 

Matt Ziemak and Rory Monserrat host. Mo Urban, Josiah Osego and Tony Chavira round out the bill. Urban teaches standup comedy at the Tucson Improv Movement (TIM) and produces the popular local comedy shows The Dating Game and C*nts Being C*nts Talking about C*nts. Tickets are $5 at the door or in advance via squareup.com. Food is available from Blacktop Grill. 

Wish we had more room to talk about…

Every time we see The Belle of Tombstone is a delight. It’s a throwback to the forgotten era in which the Gaslight and Pinnacle Peak have their roots, when westerns dominated screens large and small, the bad guys wore black hats and the heroes rode white horses. The Belle of Tombstone is all that, covered in music and amazing puns. Visit gaslighttheatre.com for reservations and more information. It closes March 31.

Another perennial favorite, amazon drag queen Tempest du Jour, holds forth with her ever hilarious, inter-active Retro Game Show at 6 p.m., Saturday, March 16, at Club Congress. This month’s send up is The Wheel of Missfortune. Admission is $10, but we recommend reserving for the splash zone, $12 via hotelcongress.com

There’s so much comedy coming up we need this head start.

We love discovering new comedy, but never more than when it’s an underground favorite that’s been packing alternative halls for years. It made our day when we discovered Matt Kearney’s ongoing comedy series at the Viscount Suites Hotel, 4855 E Broadway Blvd. Apparently, we are the last to know.  

At 9 p.m., Friday, March 29, Kearney and his crew invite you to LOL Comedy Jam, with headliner A.G. White and host Rob Rodriguez. White hails from East New York—that place Brooklyn folks warn others about. He says his was “that one white family that will never move out of the ’hood.” Fellow Brooklyn comic Barry Ribs, Tucsonan Pablo Pugh and Phoenician Tommy Black round out the bill. ν

Tickets are $15 in advance via grownsexy.ticketleap.com/lol-comedy-jam, or $20 at the door. VIP and group rates are available. 

Louisville, KY-based band Small Time Napoleon is headed to SXSW with a couple of guitars, a stand-up bass, a drumset and lots of accolades from their home state in tow. With influences ranging Tom Waits to Elvis Costello and Paul Simon, the band serves up a unique mix of sounds they like to describe as "jazz-ish." Vocalist and guitarist Jeff Thomas answered some questions in advance of the band's performance in Austin.

Is this your first year at SXSW? What are you most excited for?

We've never been to Texas, let alone SXSW. So we're super excited to check out the musical landscape of that area of the country along with the vibe of the festival as a whole.

What sparks your creativity? Is it a place? A person? A specific type of sandwich? (Your answer is not limited to those options)

Creativity can come somewhat randomly, but most often from life events. They seem to lead to the best tunes for us, anyways. We have songs about close family deaths, relationships being built and lost and other random life events. Writing about what you know almost always seems to be the best practice.

You describe yourself as a "jazz-ish" band. Do you specifically work to make music that can't be pigeonholed into one category, or do you just make what sounds came to you and worry about what to call it later?

We describe ourselves as jazz-ish because jazz can be such a divisive word. If you're into jazz, calling ourselves jazz might disappoint you because we write tunes with pop influences. If you hate jazz, calling ourselves a jazz band might turn you off before you listen. We've found that our jazz influences help us stand out against other bands who play similar pop-influenced tunes. Hopefully we live in the sweet spot between "too jazzy for mainstream" and "not jazz enough for those seeking something new/different."

What is your favorite song of yours, and why? What song of yours would you recommend people listen to first, and why? If these are different songs, why?

I polled the band and everyone has a different answer for this question.

• Dave, our bassist, best likes a tune called "Tower Song" off our first EP. Tower Song is primarily in 5/4, but mixes in 4/4 and 6/4 throughout. It's easy to make mixed meter stuff sound ham-fisted, but in the case of "Tower" it serves the song. It's easy to not even realize the tune is jumping back and forth from time signature to time signature.
• Zack, our drummer, cited "Me and Mary Magdalene" (from our full-length LP) as his favorite. It starts off as a low ballad, just acoustic and voice, and continues to build into an extremely hard-hitting and wild tune.
• Dan, one of our singer/guitarists, said he enjoyed "Maybe," also off the full length, as his favorite. "Maybe" is a multi-part tune that shifts between fermata style sections, funk, and rock. Lyrically, it's somewhat cheeky, all while remaining approachable.
• Jeff, vocals/guitar, really likes a tune of ours called "High Wire," off our most recent EP, Too Big To Fail. It has a really laid-back feel to it. Lyrically, it's simultaneously about a poker game and a bar fight. Its also a story song that prequels a tune called "Boring Little Play" from our LP.

If you're going to listen to us for the first time, I would suggest "Sucker for a Tomboy." Its an upbeat, approachable tune with cryptic lyrics worth exploring.

Do you have and your other band members have day jobs? If you do, what are they and what drives you to do music as well?

We each have day jobs. Dan works in IT, Dave is a title abstractor, Zack works for the University of Louisville's medical department and Jeff is a front-end developer. I don't think any of us could imagine a world in which music wasn't a part of our lives. In that way, we don't have a choice not to be musicians.

Small Time Napoleon's SXSW set is Thursday, March 14 in The Elephant Room, 315 Congress Ave.

Find more Claytoonz here. 

Traffic can now travel over Interstate-10 and the railroad tracks after West Ina Road re-opened Thursday morning.

While work continues in the area, one lane of Ina Road is available in either direction, a major milestone in the interchange project. The posted speed limit is 25 mph.

According to a press release issued by the Arizona Department of Transportation, ramps connecting Ina Road with I-10 are expected to open “in the next few weeks.” Widening Ina Road from I-10 west to the Santa Cruz River and connecting with a new bridge over the river, the final parts of the project, are expected to finish up later this spring.

With the new, four-lane overpass in place, drivers will no longer need to wait for trains at Ina Road.

The $128 million project also includes replacing a single, two-lane Ina Road bridge over the Santa Cruz River with two bridges, doubling the road’s capacity west of I-10, and creating a bicycle path that connects with The Loop.

ADOT is overseeing the project, which is funded by the Federal Highway Administration, the Pima Association of Governments and the Regional Transportation Authority. Marana chipped in $7.9 million toward the cost of the new Santa Cruz River bridges.

Fiesta Sonora Show. Did you know there’s a Southern Arizona Watercolor Guild? Now that you do, can you think of anything lovelier? If you’ve tried watercolor, you know how difficult and unforgiving it can be, but if you’re good at it, or you know someone who is, you know how stunning the results are when it goes well. Come check out some depictions of the Sonoran Desert, and soak up the beauty just like a paper soaking up watercolor paint. Hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays throughout March. A reception is 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 14. SAWG Gallery, 5420 E. Broadway, #240. Free. Details here.

Morocco. As 1930 rolled around, and Hollywood embraced the advent of sound, they took every chance they had at heightening drama. Director Josef von Sternberg’s romantic melodrama was certainly no exception. Morocco follows the career of a cabaret singer fleeing her former life, and performing in North Africa. While entertaining, she meets a strapping young legionnaire. Is romance soon to ensue? Of course it is. You knew that. 7:30 to 9:15 p.m. Thursday, March 14. 3233 E. Speedway Blvd. Regular admission prices. Details here.

Walk a Mile in a Refugee’s Shoes. Even with more than 68 million people displaced around the world, sometimes it’s still easy to forget how fortunate we are to have luxuries like running water, places to call home, and united families. We Are All America, the Tucson International Rescue Committee and the UA are teaming up to host this second annual simulation event, which will provide participants with a small window into the hardships and pain refugees endure. It also features guest speakers, performances and refugee stories of resilience. It’s a valuable way to spend an afternoon. Noon to 4 p.m. Thursday, March 14. UA Mall, 1303 E. University Blvd. Free. Details here.

Rumor has it that British electronic music producer/DJ Chris Lake’s show at Gentle Ben’s has sold out. Details here.
Spektrum: QG Dance Party—DJ Mijito and Vamp Feline spin goth/darkwave/industrial/techno—at R Bar. With a special performance by Lav Andula. Details here.

The Oro Valley Concert Series brings together Sabra Faulk and Amber Norgaard. Whisking together country, folk, blues and rock, this veteran duo promise a high-energy performance. At Oro Valley Marketplace. Details here.

Polish quartet Trupa Trupa recently signed to Sup Pop Records, and are kicking off their world tour with several SXSW performances. Their alt rock/post hardcore songs sound upbeat but feel philosophical (the press release says, "just beneath the surface of Trupa Trupa’s bright and indelible songs, there is a world teeming with nihilistic considerations, slyly dark humor, and survivalist self-assurances"), and come about through a dedicated strategy of running a democratic ship.

This is the band's second year at SXSW. In an interview with The Wire Magazine, vocalist and guitarist Grzegorz Kwiatkowski explained how his amp broke, and by the time they got it sorted out, their set was almost half over. They played 35 minutes worth of songs in 20 minutes. Then, the  bass player's guitar broke in the middle of the set, so he started shouting. The the audience (including the journalists present) loved it. "We are lucky to have strange accidents working on our side," he said.

Kwiatkowski answered a few questions in advance of Trupa Trupa's SXSW sets about how they do their music and how they hope there's no broken amps at this year's festival:

So, this is your second year at SXSW. What are you most excited for? What did you enjoy the most about last year?

For sure we will meet our new partners from Sub Pop and Paradigm, and it's very exciting because we like to cooperate in a friendly and family style. So we are happy to meet our new family soon. We're going present some new songs at SXSW gigs, so it's also very exciting. Last year was crazy - gigs were just unbelievable and full of chaos and madness. We were frightened, but after all very happy. It was like a blow. We also enjoyed family meetings – it was the first time we met Jim McGuinn, David Newgarden, David Fricke and many more of our great supporters and friends from the U.S.

What sparks your creativity? Is it a place? A person? A specific type of sandwich? The meaningless, inescapable routine of daily modern life? (Your answer is not limited to those options.)

Many things from non-musical stuff have a big impact on the music. We try as much as we can to have some distance from the music environment and to have our own private stuff that we later put into compositions. Definitely our city has some impact, as well as beautiful nature around us, because we live in a really great place – the city of Gdańsk in the north of Poland, surrounded by the sea, forests and lakes.

You said in your interview with The Wire that your albums are "a bit boring," because you like to be bored, and also that you don't exist for the audience - you exist for yourselves. How do you balance those desires when you're making music for a world full of people demanding to be entertained and catered to?

All the time I am changing my point of view. And of course Trupa Trupa are four individuals. I am one of them and I am not a frontman or leader. So this is only my point of view. But anyway, I am sure all of us make music for ourselves, and I don't find it controversial. It's just one of many spiritual ways of doing stuff. But we don't have anything against the artists who think differently and address their music to specific audiences. It's all good. I just think we are a band made by accident and we are all made by accident. You know what I mean. We are not uber mensch. We are weirdos and rather weak people.

What is your favorite song of yours, and why? What song of yours would you recommend people listen to first, and why? If these are different songs, why?

I really like "To Me” from our Jolly New Songs album, because it's so easy and simple, but on the other hand or - maybe because of that - it's very powerful and straightforward. I also enjoy "Dream About,” our new single song from Sub Pop. For me it's a kind of Samuel Beckett's Lonely Hearts Club Band. A mantra and love song to nowhere. Almost dream pop stuff. I like such combinations.

Do you have a day job?  If you do, what is it and what drives you to do music as well?

I am a poet, Tomasz Pawluczuk is a graphic designer, Wojtek Juchniewicz is a painter, and Rafał Wojczal is a photographer and reporter. It's has a big impact on the music. It's great that we are different people, and we have a democratic structure in the band, and everyone of us has a different perspective on life and a different job and a different understanding of music. It's the key to our band: this polyphonic way of doing things.

Trupa Trupa’s SXSW sets are at 12:20 a.m. on Thursday, March 14 at Hotel Vegas and 3:30 p.m. on Friday, March 15 at Flatstock Stage in the Austin Convention Center.

Moonlover is the recording project of Quang Dinh, a DIY multi-instrumentalist from Melbourne (formerly the bassist of the band Little Red.) His debut album, Thou Shall Be Free, from last year was created over nine months of DIY rockin’ and rollin’ in Dinh’s bedroom studio. Dinh also produces delightfully wacky music videos for the band, like for "Wedding Day," a song off Thou Shall Be Free.

When I asked Dinh about his plans for SXSW and thoughts on music, he talked about taxi drivers two separate times, offered some animation tips and tricks and talked about why he and the band are all the better for not having “a Beyonce budget."

Is this your first year at SXSW? What are you most excited for?

We are excited to just be in the thick of it. Show people our wares. And rock out! It's such a hustle to get over here and do the thing, so we're getting used to that vibe. But I watched Taxi Driver before coming and think I may have a twisted understanding of what might go on here. Thanks, Martin Scorsese.

What sparks your creativity? Is it a place? A person? A specific type of sandwich? (Your answer is not limited to those options.)

Creativity is sparked from any place, anytime, any person or thing. It's just a matter of being open to feeling and emotion. It's like being on a yacht in a still wind and then all of a sudden the wind starts blowing and you do your best to get the yacht moving.

Where did you learn to make your cool music videos?

I learned from the internet. I loved making the Moonlover music videos. It was accessing another part of the creative mind. Animation and Final Cut and After Effects are all deep oceans and I just piddled my foot in there and got what I got. A damn good lot of hungry collaborators helped. There is no shortage of them in Melbourne town. I like DIY stuff. Limitations allow a lot of ideas and workarounds to happen that wouldn't be possible with Beyonce's budget.

What is your favorite song of yours, and why? What song of yours would you recommend people listen to first, and why? If these are different songs, why?

I think one of my faves is "On The Day That I Was Born." I think I could play this song for the rest of my life and it'd still make sense. It's one of those songs that really hit a nerve with me.

Do you have a day job? If you do, what is it and what drives you to do music as well?

My day job is as a taxi driver. I realized a few years ago music was my calling, and I am going to do it for the rest of my life. Music is an endless exploration and you can go as high or as low as you can possibly conceive. I enjoy most when songs and special things fall down from the ether. It feels amazing to not know what is happening and to look back and go 'hey, that was alright!'

Moonlover's official SXSW showcase is at 12 a.m. on Wednesday, March 13. They're also playing shows at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 13 at the Austin Taco Project, at 2:45 p.m. on the Aussie BBQ Front Yard Stage on Thursday, March 14, at 8:30 p.m. at Whip in on Friday, March 14 and at 4 p.m. at the ABGB and 7 p.m. at Hotel Indigo on Saturday, March 16.