A new Harkins Theatre will be coming to the Tucson Mall, located at Oracle and Wetmore Roads, in the near future.

On Jan. 30, Harkins announced plans to build its third theater in Tucson and 37th location overall.

“We are proud to be a local Arizona company and love it when we have the opportunity to bring a new theatre to our home state,” wrote Dan Harkins, Owner of Harkins Theatres, in a press release. “The Tucson Mall theatre will include our latest and greatest amenities and programs that we are excited to share with our friends in Tucson.”  

The new theater will be a 14-screen luxury cinema featuring some of Harkins most luxurious and advanced features.

It will include the CINÉ1® XL auditorium, made up of the largest screen in the state, ultimate lounger seats, 3D object-based sound across 150 plus speakers and gold drapes.

Some of the other highlights of the new theater include reserved seating, state-of-the-art projectors, in-lobby bar with wine and beer, gourmet concessions and mobile ticketing.

Groundbreaking and grand opening dates will be announced soon.

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On Queenie, songstress Just Najima’s debut album, her impassioned voice simmers and seethes. Her prose dripping with ‘tude—“I Ain’t Got Time (For That Shit)”—can impale a stake straight into the gut.

Like on “America Blues,” she wails about Michael Brown and how the system let a murdering cop go free, “injustice crying out.” Defiant, Najima holds her ground, firmly. “I said I won’t pledge allegiance, until I see some equality, for black folks like me.”

Queenie is not easy listening. Just Najima’s unique “Southwestern Gothic soul”—conveying a modern sense of urgency veiled in a traditional framework—is unafraid to walk through the darkness. Fearlessly she chants, “It’s a wicked world. Let’s burn it down.”

Najima shares a few thoughts with XOXO.

How did Queenie come about?

When my last band [The Sinners] broke up in 2018, I was devastated. I poured my heart break into writing a bunch of songs. But those songs were also a leap of faith. I had no money, no connections and no band. Around that time I got involved in a group for female musicians and met Jillian Bessett. Jillian was about to start offering to do independent recording in her home studio. So I became her first client.

Without material, what did you work on?

Initially, we sang mostly old blues songs. No originals. So it is a new thing for me to write and arrange/compose my own music. Working with Jillian was amazing. We were able to communicate, through music, in a way that helped me to take this stuff from inside my head and make it real.

Is the material on Queenie written entirely by you?

Yes, for the most part. “Somebody Talking About Jesus” is an old spiritual Christmas song. I changed the lyrics to be about the broader crisis. “America Blues” is my take on JB Lenoir’s [American blues guitarist/singer-songwriter, active in the Chicago blues scene in the 1950s and ‘60s] old civil rights song “Alabama Blues.” But the rest of the songs I wrote and composed myself. Jillian helped me make them real and we worked on producing them together.

Is there a message that you are trying to convey to your audience?

The album is about the journey, I believe, all intelligent, empathetic people have been feeling the last several years. We went from 'Yes, we can' to 'holy shit, I guess we can’t.' It’s been an ugly and dark time. I know lots of people have felt battered and disheartened by the world around them. The album goes on that journey from carefree to dark and disaffected. But it ends on a bittersweet note of resilience and resistance.

Who else played on the recording?

Chris Callahan (Shrimp Chaperone) played guitar. Becky Diamond and Sarah Mohr played piano. Backing vocals, Jillian, Katherine Byrnes and me. It was a small shop and we cranked it out, working mostly nights, because Jillian has three kids and I have one. It was really just love, love, love and women supporting one another that really created this album.

When was Queenie recorded?

Last February. It’s all just like fallen into place. And honestly, I don’t really know how. I mean, obviously, I’ve been busting my ass. But, I can’t believe how far I’ve come in such a short period of time.

So, what’s next for Najima?

I’ve been singing my entire life. But always lending my voice to other people’s music. I’ve always had a powerful voice. But, I never thought of myself as a real musician. After my band broke up in 2018, I started singing mostly backup. But, the truth is I had limited myself and I just couldn’t see it until the band ended. I was scared to be the front person. I was scared to have a vision. But, then I was like...I think I can do this. And, I started writing.

And, the future looks bright. Here's a glimpse.
Just Najima celebrates the release of Queenie with an extravaganza: The Apocalypse Cabaret explodes with fabulousness on Friday, Jan. 31. At Club Congress. Flor De Nopal, Jaime J. Soto and Jeena Doucure provide musical, drag and burlesque performances.

Queenie is available on iTunes, Spotify and Bandcamp on Jan. 31.

With a salvo, in advance of a new album, Honeyden (Burger Records, 2020), scheduled to drop on Jan. 31, gunsmoke-diffused indie rockers The Rifle are breadcrumbing fans with a trail of singles.

Nelene Deguzman reflects on the backstory to “Are We Having Fun Yet?", revisiting a difficult time in her life in hindsight.

“I was remembering a time in my life in middle school and high school when offensive racial humor was really popular,” says Deguzman. She was labelled a stick in the mud by some classmates for not finding humor in racial stereotyping funny. “I remember feeling really misunderstood and isolated as one of the only non-white kids at my school.”

With creeping determinism Deguzman expands, “The song started with me meditating on some of these experiences and wishing I could have a dialogue with my younger self.” And ended up being a way for her to consider feelings from a different perspective. “One that I hadn't been able to put into words at the time.”

Deguzman is excited.

“This is the first single from an album that we'll be releasing via Burger Records. And, we will be doing a small tour after we release the album.”

What blossomed out of a solo recording project in Deguzman’s bedroom has evolved into their third release. In good fashion, The Rifle commemorate the release of Honeyden, their latest full-length with a bash. On Friday, Jan. 31. At 191 Toole. Weekend Lovers and Casanova will bring party favors.

Check it out. “Are We Having Fun Yet?”

Friday, Jan. 31

EDM and jam band enthusiasts take heed. Dubbed "The Crown Jewel of the Southwest Festival Scene" by Huffington Post, the Gem & Jam Festival 2020 kicks off its thirteenth installment at the Pima County Fairgrounds. This year's synthesis of jam bands, EDM, cutting-edge sound and lighting includes: Tipper, Big Gigantic, The Floozies, Twiddle, Billy Strings, supergroup TH3 (featuring members of The String Cheese Incident), Thriftworks, Manic Focus, Dirtwire, Desert Hearts Takeover, Desert Dwellers, Bluetech, Buku and many more. Visit gemandjamfestival.com for all the details...

His playing style interweaves the folkloric music of Greece, Spain and Latin America with pop sensibilities. Celebrated guitarist Pavlo blows "Besos Mediterreano" at the Fox Theatre...

Chakalo provide the soundtrack for Día de las Luchas. Briny, spandex-clad luchadores top the bill. At the Rialto Theatre...

In their only Tucson show of 2020, deathcore collective Decayer are set to shoot a video. Before The Silence are making their highly anticipated debut. Stands With Fists, Fire Glass, Dedwin and Creating The Scene add a "Twist of Cane" into the metallic cauldron until it spills over. At The Rock...

Pieta Brown has been hailed by the BBC as "a self-styled poetess, folk goddess and country waif," while David Huckfelt's music functions as a darkly poetic canticle to protect all things vulnerable and sublime. Together these former Tucsonans share the stage at El Crisol Bar...

Shit Knife, Lone Control and Sherbet & Champagne do sordid things. At the Surly Wench Pub...

Modern house connoisseur Dillon Nathaniel manipulates frequencies. At Gentle Ben's...

Saturday, Feb. 1

After a long hiatus, in the wake of a scandal involving accusations of sexual coercion in 2017, Pinegrove seek to earn back fans' trust. At Club Congress. Lake lends support...

This modern violin quartet transform the music of Metallica, Led Zeppelin, AC-DC and others into something uniquely their own. Femmes Of Rock dazzle at The Fox Theatre...

Wolf Parade's latest album Thin Mind (Sub Pop, 2020) was recorded in an old stone barn in the woods while employing '80s synthesizers to create a future-forward sound. Hear what it sounds like live at 191 Toole. Fellow Canadian indie-rockers Land of Talk open...

"The Godfather of British Blues," elder statesman John Mayall will play the Rialto Theatre. Local blues titan Tom Walbank takes to the stage first...

Arizona Opera presents one of the most gifted and distinguished tenors of his generation, Matthew Polenzani, accompanied by pianist Christopher Cano perform at Holsclaw Hall... Progressive hard rockers YYNOT bring Resonance to The Rock...

Tucson Kitchen Musicians presents Grammy nominated Americana/roots artists Wood & Wire. With special guests Ryanhood. At El Casino Ballroom...

From Santa Fe, country-tinged garage poppers Clementine Was Right wheel The Lightning & Regret Tour to The Boxyard. With Moontrax and Tonight's Sunshine...

From Palestine, Texas, Blacktop Mojo's fiery blend of hard-driving Southern Rock will ignite EncoreTucson en fuego...

In a program that focuses on the lowest pitched brass instrument, the Tucson Symphony Orchestra presents Tubalicious. At Catalina Foothills High School...

It's a garage rock extravaganza with The Rebel Set, The Sound Station and Gutter Town. At Sky Bar...

In the tradition of narrative country music, capturing the poignancy and melodrama, James Woodruss (aka Adam Frumhoff) performs select Songs and Sonnets of William Shakespeare. At El Crisol Bar...

Playing a mix of rockabilly, country and rock 'n' roll, the inimitable Al Foul Trio raise the dust in the courtyard at Mercado San Agustin...

Sunday, Feb. 2

The Kinda Cool Quintet plays brisk post-war jazz sorta awesomely. At Monterey Court...

Friday

Tucson Roadrunners vs. Colorado Eagles. It’s bird vs. bird at this weekend’s two home games for our local hockey team. Friday is “I Love Gems” night, which features an actual wedding on the ice! They’ve also got family four-packs, which include four tickets and four Roadrunners hats or beanies for just $80. Saturday is Harry Potter night, which means you get to jump on Nimbus Two Thousand and chase the golden snitch into the arena, then take photos with characters from the books. Plus, the first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive a Roadrunners scarf. The $100 Harry Potter Pack includes four tickets, $20 in concessions, and exclusive access to a pregame meet & greet with animals from the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 31 and Saturday, Feb. 1. Tucson Arena, 260 S. Church Ave. Regular tickets are $12 to $61+.

Ballet Tucson Winter Concert (Made in America). There’s something uniquely impressive about the unparalleled strength and beauty of ballet dancers. Treat yourself to a night of watching fantastically talented people make it all look easy at this concert, presented in collaboration with the Tucson Desert Song Festival. Serenade, the first ballet George Balanchine (aka the father of American ballet) created in the U.S., starts the night off. Then, the premiere of Chieko Imada’s Unsquare, which fuses classical ballet with jazz dance to capture the spirit of American musical innovation. Last, the premiere of Mark Schneider’s Recollections, presented in turn of the century period costumes.7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31, and Saturday, Feb. 1. 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1 and Sunday, Feb. 2. Pima Community College (West Campus) Center for the Arts Proscenium Theatre, 2202 W. Anklam Road. $45 GA, $40 seniors/students/military.

DeGrazia’s Circus. Perhaps one of the reasons Ted DeGrazia’s work is so colorful and fascinating is that he led such a colorful and fascinating life. For instance, from the ages of 11 to 15, he lived in Southern Italy, where the Italian circus left a strong impression of him. This new exhibit features a selection of paintings of circus horses and clowns he produced more than 20 years later from memory. Come enjoy the art and relive your own childhood memories of the circus at this exhibit! Opening reception is 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31, but the exhibit is on display through Sept. 2 at the DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun, 6300 N. Swan. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. $8 adults, $5 ages 12 to 18 and free for kids under 12.

Latin Dance Social. Sometimes it’s hard to think of putting “exercise” and “fun” in the same sentence, unless you’re saying something like, “Exercise is not very fun.” But this evening full of salsa, bachata, merengue, kizomba and timba dancing is a great way to get active, meet some new people and even challenge your brain in new ways (is it “left right left” or “right left right”?) This night starts with two Cuban salsa classes (one beginning and one intermediate), followed by a social where you can put your new moves to the test. 8:50 p.m. to 1 am. Friday, Jan. 31. Tucson Creative Dance Center, 3131 N. Cherry Ave. $10 for class and social, or $7 for just the social.

Unscrewed Theater’s Anniversary. This local nonprofit community theater, run 100% by volunteers, has kept its doors open for six years! If that’s not worth celebrating, what is? Come on down to join the rejoicing at this two-day event. At 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 31, enjoy family-friendly improv comedy, with special guest Ken Carr ($8 adults, $5 kids). At 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 1, enjoy an even bigger celebration show, with giveaways, prizes, special guest David Fitzsimmons, and so much more! Tickets for the big party are just 20 bucks. And you know everything is going to a great cause!

Happy Hour Hobble. You don’t have to be a member of the Southern Arizona Roadrunners to attend this event, but attending just might make you want to join. Join a group for a free social run/walk of 1 to 3 miles around the UA campus, then head to Gentle Ben’s for food, drinks and fun afterward. You might even win some Happy Hour Hobble swag. Exercising and then grabbing a couple of beers make for a wonderful, balanced way to start the weekend. 5:45 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31. Gentle Ben’s, 865 E. University Blvd. Free.

Midsommar. Although we’re technically in the middle of winter, Ari Aster’s latest horror flick is powerful enough to reach you at any time of year. Midsommar, while steeped in tradition, mythology and classic horror tropes, is very forward thinking in that it almost entirely takes place in broad daylight. In this 2019 blend of psychological and folk elements, a group of Americans travel to Scandinavia, and wind up getting a bit more of the culture than they were expecting. This screening at the University of Arizona is presented by Cats After Dark. 8 to 10:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31. At Gallagher Theatre, 1303 E. University Blvd. Free w/ CatCard.

Les Misérables (2019). The feature film debut from Ladj Ly isn’t so much a spiritual successor of Victor Hugo’s classic work as it is a spiritual reenvisioning. This 2019 film follows three plainclothes cops as they navigate Montfermeil, the same Parisian district Hugo set his classic novel in. The film examines the ethnic and racial tensions between law enforcement and the area’s growing population of Muslim transplants. A kind of “hood film,” Les Misérables won the 2019 Cannes Film Festival Jury Prize. This screening at the Loft Cinema will be in French with English subtitles. Screenings begin Friday, Jan. 31. 3233 E. Speedway Blvd. $10.

2020 Oscar Nominated Short Films. The Oscars are coming up quick on Susnday, Feb. 9, and the Loft Cinema is helping you seem like you know what you’re talking about when it comes to current films by screening every short film nominated for an Oscar this season. The screenings are cut into three shows: live action, animation and documentary. The short films this year come from Tunisia, Belgium, France, China, the U.S. and more. Live action short films screen 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31; Monday, Feb. 3; and Saturday, Feb. 8. Animated short films screen at noon Saturday, Feb. 1; 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 5; and 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7. Documentary short films screen at noon on Sunday, Feb. 2 and 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6. $10 each screening. 3233 E. Speedway Blvd.

Girl Scout Cookie pairing. Multiple locations around town are celebrating this cookie holiday season. 1912 Brewing Co. is concocting three specialty pairing flights. Which 1912 craft beer goes best with Girl Scout cookies? 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31. 2045 N. Forbes Blvd. The very next day, Caps & Corks are also hosting a beer and cookie pairing. And at each location, a local Girl Scout troops will be on-hand to sell boxes of cookies. 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1. 3830 W. River Road.

Saturday

Law Enforcement Appreciation Day at the Pima Air and Space Museum. So, obviously, admission for active and retired law enforcement with ID is free to the museum today. But they’re doing more than that, too. They’ll have emergency vehicles on display and services from local law enforcement agencies alongside their usual collection of hundreds of historic aircraft. Come around lunchtime to see the sheriff’s helicopter land! 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1. Pima Air and Space Museum, 6000 E. Valencia Road. $16.50 GA, $13.25 Pima County resident, $13.75 active military & seniors, $10 for kids ages 5 to 12 and free for kids 4 and under.

Wood & Wire with Ryanhood. Grammy-nominated Americana musicians Wood & Wire are coming to town this weekend, and you won’t want to miss their mix of country songwriting, bluegrass virtuosity and sheer joy. Though this is their first show in Tucson, their banjo player Trevor Smith grew up here in the Old Pueblo! Opening is Ryanhood, the acoustic duo that headlined the 2017 Tucson Folk Festival and was named best group/duo in the 2014 International Acoustic Music Awards. Proceeds benefit the next Tucson Folk Festival! Doors 6:30 p.m. and show at 7:30, Saturday, Feb. 1. El Casino Ballroom, 437 E. 26th St. $15 in advance or $20 at the door.

La Bohème. Get ready to get emotional! Opera is just one of those art forms full of highs and lows—both musically and thematically—that can have you laughing, crying, marveling, and doing all three at the same time. This show, one of the most popular operas in the world, tells the story of a group of bohemians living in Paris in the 1830s, centering around the timeless, tragic love story of Mimi and Rodolfo. La Bohème is based on a book, but its depictions of poverty were also autobiographical for Italian composer Giacomo Puccini, who once said, “I lived that Bohème, when there wasn’t yet any thought stirring in my brain of seeking the theme of an opera.” 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1. 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 2. Tucson Music Hall, 260 S. Church Ave. $25 to $120.

Carnival of the Animals. This month’s installment of the Oro Valley kids’ concert series is nothing short of whimsical. Musicians will be playing selections from Saint-Saens’ Carnival of the Animals, painting a musical picture of a parade of elephants, swans, donkeys and fish that will have your child’s imagination running at full speed ahead. They’ll also be led through movements to match the story. There’s nothing like those childhood days of running around pretending to be a circus animal, so we say lean into it with your kids. 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 1. Oro Valley Council Chambers, 11000 N. La Cañada Drive. Free.

James Woodruss: Songs and Sonnets of Shakespeare. After leaving the music project The Wanda Junes, Tucson musician James Woodruss (aka Adam Frumhoff) spent two years gathering up some of his favorite passages and sonnets by William Shakespeare. Then he got to work setting them to music, and writing instrumental works based on Shakespearean characters and stories. The result is a collection of songs that feel almost familiar, in the vein of narrative country music, while at the same time feeling epic and ancient. This is the first time he’s performing the material. 8 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1. El Crisol Tucson, 403 N. Sixth Ave.

Boots ‘n’ Brews 2020. Tanque Verde Ranch is hosting their fourth annual Boots ’n’ Brews event, which pairs multiple local craft beers with a cowboy food cookout. Participating breweries include Crooked Tooth, Dillinger, Sentinel Peak, Barrio, Copper Mine and more. The “Cowboy Cookout” menu includes BBQ ribs, fire-roasted veggies hamburgers, beer brats, and baked potatoes as well as a pizza and street taco station. A day pass is open to the public, which includes tastings and dinner, but for the real Tanque Verde fanatics, check out the whole weekend package. 4:30 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1. 14301 E. Speedway Blvd. $55 for general admission, $200 for full weekend package.

Chinese New Year Dinner at Carriage House. Chef Janos Wilder and Chef Devon Sanner of The Carriage House are celebrating the Year of the Rat with a special five-course menu for New Years. Dishes include the “Yusheng Prosperity Toss Salad,” with salmon, jicama, daikon, pickled ginger, wontons and plum sauce; the lobster Xo dumpling with pork shumai and shrimp spring roll; roasted quail stuffed with rice, with citrus glaze and ginger scallion sauce; and red-cooked pork with Shanghai Nian Gao. The Carriage House will also be welcoming back the Jade Lion dancers to celebrate the New Year. 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1. 125 S. Arizona Ave. $87.50.

First Saturday at the Potter’s Yard. Have you ever been over to HF Coors, a local pottery store and factory where they make gorgeous, durable and lead-free dishware? Whether you’ve never heard of ’em or you’re a regular customer, you’ll want to head over this Saturday for a chance to save 75 percent to 90 percent on seconds, overruns and discontinued items. You can also take a free tour of the factory at either 10 or 11 a.m. and enjoy free coffee and scones from Prep and Pastry. It’s about time you treated your kitchen to some new dishware, right? 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1. HF Coors, 1600 S. Cherrybell avenue.

Less than a year after work was completed at the Ina Road Interchange, construction is underway at Ruthrauff Road and Interstate 10.

The $79 million project, when completed, will allow drivers to pass over the interstate and Union Pacific railroad track, similar to the Ina interchange. Sundt Construction is handling the project.

The project includes widening I-10 to four lanes in each direction and reconstruction of the traffic interchange. Other improvements include widening Ruthrauff Road and El Camino del Cerro to two lanes in each direction near I-10, reconstructing the I-10 frontage roads to connect to the new interchange and other miscellaneous work including constructing concrete barriers, storm drain, guardrail, granite mulch, landform graphics, signing and pavement marking.

Construction is expected to finish by the end of next year, with the Ruthrauff Road overpass opening to traffic by fall 2021 and interchange ramps opening later in the year.

In a power move worthy of Gordon Gekko, Alden Global Capital acquired a near six percent interest Wednesday in media rival, Lee Enterprises, after purchasing a $9.2 million stake in the company on the open market.

Alden’s subsidiary, MNG Holdings (DBA) Digital First Media reported purchasing 3.4 million shares to the Security and Exchange Commission at roughly $2.72 a share on Wednesday. By the final bell, Lee Enterprises stock closed at $2.11 a share. 

The acquisition comes on the same day billionaire Warren Buffett announced he was selling his media empire, BH Media Group, to Lee Enterprises for $140 million, bringing 81 dailies under their control. Lee Enterprises currently owns 46 newspapers, including The Arizona Daily Star. Buffett’s company, Berkshire Hathaway also loaned Lee Enterprises $576 million, at 9 percent interest, to finance the deal and help alleviate Lee’s $400 million debt.

According to Alden’s SEC filing, the company “intends to engage in discussions with management and/or the Issuer’s Board of Directors about certain operational and strategic matters, including, but not limited to the recently announced acquisition of Berkshire Hathaway’s newspaper operations and matters pertaining to the Issuer’s 2020 Annual Meeting."

Alden has built a vulture capitalist reputation after acquiring and gutting media companies, like Digital First Media, and numerous other dailies and weeklies over the past decade. Alden unsuccessfully tried to acquire control of Gannett, Lee’s 50-50 partner in the Arizona Daily Star, by attempting to plant their members on the media company’s board in 2019. Gannett shareholders overwhelmingly rejected the hedge fund’s attempt last May.

Lee Enterprises has declined to comment on the potential acquisition at this time.

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Black Violin. We could all use a little bit more music in our lives that blends classical and hip hop influences, am I right? So thank goodness for Black Violin, led by classically trained string players Wil B on the viola and Kev Marcus on the violin and joined by DJ SPS and drummer Nat Stokes. Their music aims to overcome stereotypes and encourage EVERYONE, regardless of age, race, income or culture, to come together around music. They’ve been on everywhere from NPR to Ellen, and they’ve worked with the likes of Kanye West, Aerosmith and the Wu-Tang Clan. 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30. UA Centennial Hall, 1020 E. University Blvd. $19 to $85+.

The Art of Plating. The Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona and Copenhagen Imports are teaming up for an event that mixes art and food, featuring some of Tucson’s top chefs. Throughout the Copenhagen Imports furniture store, Art of Plating stations will feature chefs showing off their expertly designed food dishes, and attendees get to try them out and vote for their favorite. Featured chefs include Moody Elbarasi from The Coronet, John Martinez from Tito & Pep, Roderick Ledesma from PY Steakhouse at Casino Del Sol, David Solorzano from Penca Restaurante and more. Proceeds benefit the Community Food Bank. 6:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30. 3660 E. Fort Lowell Road. $55.

Mezcal tastings at El Crisol. The newly named El Crisol bar (formerly Exo Bar) hosts a public mezcal tasting every Thursday evening, hosted by owner Doug Smith—except when he’s off in Mexico finding new mezcal. If you’ve ever visited El Crisol or talked with Smith, then you know there’s basically an endless amount to learn about mezcal: geographic varietals, distilling techniques, ingredient harvesting and more. But even if you don’t want to study up on this southern spirit, El Crisol’s dozens of mezcal options ensures you’ll learn a good amount about the drink. The price of admission gets you several pours of high quality mezcal straight from the proprietor. 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30. 403 N. Sixth Ave. $20.

Tohono O’odham Nation Rodeo & Fair. This is the 82nd annual iteration of the Tohono O’odham nation’s biggest event of the year! Learn more about Native American culture by participating in social round dancing, enjoying a variety of music, sampling traditional foods and perusing a wide variety of vendors. On Saturday, Feb. 1, enjoy a parade with more than 100 floats with the theme “Honoring the People Who Inspire Us.” There’s also the All-Indian Rodeo Competition, and, for the first time this year, an All-Indian Women’s Rodeo! A beauty pageant, a Toka Tournament, a Ha’a Race and a basketball tournament are just a few more of the things this weekend has in store. Thursday, Jan. 30 through Sunday, Feb. 2. At various times. Eugene P. Tashquinth Sr. Livestock Complex, 3 miles west of Sells, AZ along State Route 86.

Honeyland. The Loft Cinema is screening a documentary centered in an isolated mountain region in Eastern Europe. Hatidze Muratova lives in a small village where she works as the last in a lineage of Macedonian beekeepers. But when a new family moves to the area, along with many of the changes that come with modern living, Muratova’s life is upheaved. This documentary, which is a 2020 Academy Award nominee for Best Documentary Feature and Best International Feature, examines the delicate balance between humanity and nature, growth and sustainability. Honeyland also won that World Cinema Documentary Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. 7:30 to 9:15 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 30. 3233 E. Speedway Blvd. $10.