It was a weekend of voodoo curses and dynasties dying but somehow I managed to get ahead, going 3 out of 4 on the picks. It would appear I forgot that the Saints are cursed in the post-season and Kirk Cousins was really liking it. Otherwise we are on pace for a great post-season sitting at $133 in the bank to work with. Let's see if we can’t wrangle up some winners for the second round and build this bankroll going into championship weekend.

Game 1: Vikings at 49ers (49ers -7)

After an excellent performance in the Wild Card weekend for the Vikings, they are flying out west on a short week to face the fearsome 49ers. 49ers looked unbeatable in the first half of this season, but after some injuries they returned to their expected mean of an 8-win team for the second half, dropping a game against the abysmal Falcons.

The Vikings are looking like a playoff team after last week, with Dalvin Cook at full health and defense playing to their ability. The 49ers could run away with this one but I think that there are some jitters here with it being Shanahan and Garoppolo’s first playoff game. Zimmer is a phenomenal coach and will have his guys ready. This is also right in Cousin’s wheelhouse of a nice daytime game. I’m more than happy to take a touchdown and see how this one plays out.

Bet: Vikings +7 for $25 to win $22.50

Game 2: Titans at Ravens (Ravens -10)

The legend of Tannehill and the phoenix rising from the ashes continued last weekend as the Titans snuffed out any Patriots hopes of a repeat. The real story of the game here is Derrick Henry, who is the 2019 NFL rushing champion. He is a force to reckon with and has really come into his own. Luckily for the Ravens' defense, they have some practice going against elite rushing offenses as they practice against their own. Lamar Jackson is simply the most fun player in the NFL I’ve seen in my lifetime. While I enjoyed the Titans story, I can’t see myself laying money against the Ravens this year. Too explosive, too hard-headed, too much smash-mouth football for a Titans team who’ve had a great story so far but it ends early. I’m not a fan of the 10 points but I see an opportunity teasing this one with the Chiefs game for 7 points to get the spread down to 3.

Bet: See below Chiefs game

Game 3: Texans at Chiefs (Chiefs -9.5)

Ninth Annual Tucson Fringe Festival. Three cheers for this very Tucson festival, which provides avant-garde and nontraditional performing artists a chance to perform in a low-risk, low-cost setting. AND which provides non-artists like us a chance to take it all in. This year, there are more than 50 shows spread across four days. There’s dance, theater, poetry, comedy, storytelling and more, and show titles like “Men Are Garbage” and “Sexology: The Musical!” Thursday, Jan. 9, to Sunday, Jan. 12, at various times. Shows are at the Temple of Music & Art, 330 S. Scott Ave; The Screening Room, 127 E. Congress St; StudioONE, 197 E. Toole Ave., the Steinfeld Warehouse Community Arts Center, 101 W. Sixth St.; and The Circus Academy of Tucson, 400 W. Speedway Blvd. Most shows are $10, but you can get a two-show pass for $18, a five-show pass for $43 and an eight-show pass for $64.

Free healthy eating class at Catalyst. Start this new year on a healthy note with a free nutrition class at Catalyst Arts & Maker Space, the new location of the Southern Arizona Arts & Cultural Alliance. This nutrition class, hosted by the Happy Vegan Couple, covers the benefits of increasing the amount of plants in your diet. It’s a workshop introducing not only the health effects, but offering meal ideas for breakfast, lunch and dinner for healthy dishes all day long. 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10.

Zoppé Family Circus. Way back in 1842, Napoleone and Ermengilda Zoppé launched a circus in Venice, Italy full of acrobats, jugglers, dancing dogs, clowns and aerialists. Nearly 200 years later, their descendants are still going strong on tour with their one-ring, 500-seat tent. Giovanni Zoppé, the sixth-generation circus artist who stars as Nino the Clown, and a whole crew of performers are making their ninth annual visit to the Old Pueblo this month, and it’s an absolute treat. This year’s show pays special tribute to La Nonna, the matriarch of the Zoppé family, who kept the show going throughout the Great Depression. Friday, Jan. 10, through Sunday, Jan. 26 with shows at various times Thursdays through Sundays. Mercado San Agustin, 100 S. Avenida del Convento. $10.

12th Annual Southern Arizona Clogging Festival. Have you heard of the Square and Round Dance Association of Southern Arizona? Also known as SARDASA, it’s dedicated to promoting and preserving American folk dance here in Southern Arizona. And, with two-day festivals like this one, they certainly do! Come dance the weekend away at workshops with featured instructors Lelia and Russ Hunsaker from San Diego, evening dances and plenty of exhibitions. Make sure your taps are clean, please! Friday, Jan. 10, and Saturday, Jan. 11. Workshops are from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m., evening dances are 7 to 9 p.m. on Friday and 7:30 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, and exhibitions are from 12:30 to 1 p.m. and 7 to 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. Old Pueblo Dance Center, 613 E. Delano St. Registration for individual events varies in cost, but $50 gets you into everything.

“Roots” with Akiko Senda. CreativeMornings are delightful, once-a-month opportunities to hear from a local creative and enjoy free breakfast. And what’s not to love about that? This month’s theme, for CreativeMornings happening all over the world, is “roots.” Fittingly, Tucson’s talk is by Akiko Senda, the owner of Bloom Maven, a local boutique plant and flower shop located in the Mercado San Agustin. Senda opened a retail boutique business back in 2011, after years of working as a window and prop stylist. From there, she fell in love with floral arrangement. Hear about her journey and her art over coffee and breakfast this Friday! 8:30 to 10 a.m. Friday, Jan. 10. The Screening Room, 127 E. Congress St. Free.

The Norwegians. This dark comedy tells the tale of two recently scorned women in Minnesota who hire some (very nice and polite) gangsters to kill off their ex-boyfriends in the middle of a brutally cold winter. It’s got the spirit of Fargo with the humor of Saturday Night Live, and it will keep you laughing. “It is a tale more of mayhem than of murder. We invite you to laugh along with the twists and turns of this tale and discover that, surely, hell hath no fury like two women scorned,” says director Roberto Guajardo. Preview shows are 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 9, and Friday, Jan. 10. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and 3 p.m. on Sundays, through Saturday, Feb. 15 (this final date also features a matinee show). Live Theatre Workshop, 5317 E. Speedway Blvd. $20 GA, $18 military/senior/students, $15 Thursdays and previews.

63 Up. The Loft Cinema is screening the possible final installment in a groundbreaking documentary series more than 50 years in the making. Directed by Michael Apted, the “Up” series follows the lives of 14 British children from various socio-economic backgrounds as they become adults. 63 Up is the ninth film in the series, with a new installation revisiting the subjects every seven years. The film titles correspond to the participants’ ages (21 Up released in 1977, 28 Up released in 1984, 35 Up released in 1991, etc.). This latest installation examines the participants, first filmed in 1964, now preparing for retirement (at least those who are still alive are). Screenings begin at 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10. 3233 E. Speedway Blvd.

Pure Abstract. So, yeah, not everyone likes abstract art—works that use color and forms to express things like thoughts or concepts, rather than to represent objects or sights in a traditional way, can take some getting used to. But, boy oh boy, if you do like abstract art, this exhibit will blow you away. Three established regional artists are exhibiting: Joanne Kerrihard (Tucson) is showing 5-foot-by-5-foot canvases, Amy Metier (Denver) is showcasing midsized paintings and collages and Steve Murphy (Houston) is exhibiting metal and wooden sculptures. Friday, Jan. 10, to Saturday, Feb. 29. Davis Dominquez Gallery, 154 E. Sixth St. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays. Free.

Beer Dinner at The Dutch Eatery. The Dutch is hosting a specialty “From the Field” five-course wild game dinner by chef Marcus van Winden. Dishes include pheasant terrine with Belgian endive and arugula salad; house-cured wild boar bruschetta with sauerkraut and mustard; “hazenpeper” rabbit; roasted venison with Brussels sprouts and potatoes au gratin. Each of these dishes is also paired with a beer from Modern Times, including the Abbadon Helles Lager, Black House Stout, Mythic Worlds Hazy IPA and more. 6:30 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11. 943 E. University Blvd. $69 per person. 21+

La Galette des Rois. The French Alliance of Tucson (Alliance Française de Tucson) is bringing a French culinary tradition to Tucson. It’s a type of cake filled with frangipane, a cream made from sweet almonds, butter, eggs and sugar. The puffy cake usually includes a small charm, the fève, hidden inside. Galette des Rois is baked throughout January in France to celebrate the day the Three Kings (Rois) visited baby Jesus. 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11. 2099 E. River Road. $5 for Alliance Française de Tucson members, $10 for non-members.

Sentinel Peak Sixth Anniversary. Sentinel Peak Brewing Company is celebrating another year in the books with brisket, ribs, live music, giveaways and plenty of beer. Sentinel Peak will be serving up their Anniversary Strong Ale, which is an American style ale reaching 8.2 percent ABV and 40 IBU. Congratulations, Sentinel Peak, only 15 more years and you can legally drink. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11. 4746 E. Grant Road.

Ninth Annual BEYOND at Mission Garden. The subtitle of this Pima County-wide event in honor of those who lost their lives in Tucson’s January 2011 mass shooting is Move, Explore, Nourish, Connect. And who wouldn’t want to be doing more of those things as we open our arms to a new decade? Events will be held all over Pima County, but over at Mission Garden, Scott Risano is teaching a Tai Chi Class, they’re hosting a chance to volunteer in the garden, and Deana Frances (aka Chef Booya-D) will be giving a food prep demonstration. One will be made from produce in the garden, and the other will be a healthy, fatty snack and some information on good fats vs. bad fats. 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11. Mission Garden, 946 W. Mission Lane Road.

Discover Petroglyphs in the Tortolitas. For some people, the start of a new year fills them with a spirit of adventure. For some, a new year full of expectations and the awareness of time passing provokes something more like paralysis or dread. Whether you’re in an adventuring mood or in need of something to get you out of your rut of ennui, this hike might be just what you need. It’s six miles long, with an elevation gain of 900 feet. But it’s also a chance to look back in time at the symbols of the past and think about a new year as one small (and, if you look at it in just the right light, sort of exciting) step forward. This event is part of BEYOND. 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, Jan. 11. Wild Burro Trail, 13810 N. Secret Springs Drive in Marana. Free.

Community Harvest with Iskashitaa Refugee Network. You know what rocks? Oranges. You know what sucks? Wasting oranges! Join fellow community members and the Iskashitaa Refugee Network (a local organization that creates opportunities for UN refugees to integrate into the community) on this journey to glean local fruit trees in Himmel Park and the Sam Hughes neighborhood. This event, part of the 9th Annual BEYOND, is a great chance to help reduce food waste, increase food security and strengthen the local food system. Afterwards, you’ll be able to answer “Orange you glad you spent your Saturday morning this way?” with a confident “Yes!” 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 11. Himmel Park, 1000 N. Tucson Blvd. Free.

James and The Giant Peach (Free Screening). This film might just be responsible for more ’90s kids’ fascination with surrealism than any other. Part stop-motion, part fairy tale, all unnerving, this 1996 film will be screened as part of the The Loft Cinema’s Loft Jr. series. It should also be noted, this was directed by the same guy who directed The Nightmare Before Christmas and Coraline (and it’s not Tim Burton!). Henry Selick brought a world of talking spiders, centipedes and glowworms to children’s delirious dreams worldwide. This screening also includes pre-show activities hosted by Mildred & Dildred Toy Store. Activities begin at 9:15 a.m., film starts at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 11. 3233 E. Speedway Blvd. Free.

Hot Toddies at 1912 Brewing. Last year, 1912 Brewing’s specialty craft beer hot toddies turned out to be so tasty, they decided to bring them back. While typically made of liquor, water, honey, herbs and spices, 1912 is replacing the liquor with their beer. They’re offering up two different types of their experimental hot toddies. Warm up for January! 2 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11. 2045 N. Forbes Blvd., Ste. 105.

Dragoon/Pueblo Vida Collaboration Release. Caps & Corks is home to the first great beer collab of the year! In December, Dragoon and Pueblo Vida brewing put the finishing touches on their collaborative “Chirality IPA” and are releasing it this week. Chirality is a kind of scientific asymmetry, often found in chemistry. Does this hint at what Dragoon and Pueblo Vida are up to with this collaboration? Well we don’t have to guess, because Pueblo Vida recently released the info on this anticipated collab: This craft beer was brewed with Great Western 2-Row, C-15 and C-60 malts, and Unmalted Sonoran White Wheat from BKW Farms in Marana. It was also dry-hopped with a nugget and experimental hop blend. This release event also features Dragoon’s and Pueblo Vida’s own IPAs, so you can taste every part of the Venn diagram. 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10. 3830 W. River Road.

Discover Ikebana. Ikebana, the Japanese art of floral arrangement, is an art in the truest sense of the word: much of the beauty lies in the process. These subtle, elegant arrangements are created in a disciplined and meditative process that aims to embody the harmony between humans and nature. Patricia Deridder, executive director at Yume Japanese Gardens, has studied and taught Ikebana flower arranging styles for more than 40 years. At this event, she’ll introduce some of the practice’s earliest teachings and then demonstrate some of the arrangement methods that have emerged since. 1 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 12. Yume Japanese Gardens, 2130 N. Alvernon Way. Free with regular admission, which is $13 adults, $10 seniors, $9 students/military, $6 kids 3 to 15 and free for kids 2 and under.

Little One-Inch. Little One-Inch is a Japanese folktale about an elderly couple whose prayers are answered when they find a small baby boy by the roadside. As he grows older, he remains very tiny, and one day, he sets off on an adventure, using a rice bowl as a boat and a chopstick as his oar. He encounters a wealthy lord, a princess and an ogre on his quest, which makes for an excellent story if I ever heard one. Come see this show performed in possibly the most whimsical of art forms: a puppet show! Red Herring Puppet Studio, headed by Lisa Sturz (who has worked with Jim Henson Productions, Walt Disney Imagineering and many other prestigious places), is putting on this special treat, ideal for ages 3 to 12. 2 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 12, 19 and 26, and Feb. 2 and 9. Red Herring Puppet Studio at the Tucson Mall, 4500 N. Oracle Road (between Macy’s and Forever 21). $8.

Friday, Jan. 10

“Born Under a Bad Sign?” Well, Maybe not. This child prodigy took up the oboe, saxophone, trombone, double bass and piano as a schoolboy and his signature instrument, organ, while putting in time at church. He went onto become a key figure in the development of Memphis soul—recording timeless soul classics as part of the racially integrated house band (the M.G.’s), unprecedented in that time of racial strife, at Stax Records—earning Grammy Awards, Lifetime Acheivement honors and immortality as an inductee in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Booker T. Jones’ celebrates the release of his memoir Time Is Tight and companion album Note By Note with a reading, Q&A and live performance. At the Rialto Theatre…

They come from around the world by plane, train and automobile. The Sixth Annual Tucson Jazz Festival 2020 kicks off tonight. Headlining this year’s fest: David Sanborn Jazz Quintet, Grace Kelly & Aubrey Logan, David Hazeltine and The New York All-Stars, Allison Miller’s Boom Tic Boom, Average White Band, Afro-Cuban All-Stars, Christian McBride & Inside Straight, Mavis Staples and a whole lot more. The occupation runs through Monday, Jan. 20. See tucsonjazzfestival.org for all the details…

Merging “Taste, Tone and Space” this Boston guitarist has drawn comparison to country picker Danny Gatton, jazz guitarist Pat Martino and iconic rocker Jeff Beck. “I want to create instrumental music and deliver it like a vocalist. You can be a great player. But what people really remember is a great melody.” Johnny A. plays at 191 Toole. Tucson’s own bluesman extraordinaire Tom Walbank takes the lead…

He’s collaborated with James Brown, George Clinton and Prince. Embodying the legacy of soul and funk, like no other. Saxophonist Maceo Parker & His Big Band kick-offs of the Jazz Fest at Centennial Hall…

Saturday, Jan. 11

Originally christened The Elgins, before Berry Gordy discovered that another group had laid claim to the name, their story is an epic journey of courage, struggles, triumphs, setbacks and ultimately, international superstardom. Motown legends The Temptations bring their catalog of classic R&B and soul hits to the Desert Diamond Casino-Sahuarita…

Rolling Stone proclaimed this genre-hopper, “Among the great saxophonists of the past four decades.” He is jazz, funk, soul, pop, blues and rock. After releasing 24 albums, eight gold and one platinum, and winning six Grammy Awards one might ask, “So what now?” Full of passion, this “Saxophone Colossus” has recently assembled a stunning program of straight-ahead jazz tunes for his new quintet. David Sanborn blows at the Fox Theater…

La Cerca, Louise Le Hir and Miss Olivia & the Interlopers gather to help low-power radio station KMKR 99.9 FM celebrate its second anniversary. At Club Congress. Cheers…

In addition to collaborations with Alfonso Rodenas, Tony Gilkyson, John Densmore and others, this award-winning singer-songwriter has released five solo albums and composed numerous songs for film (Dances With Wolves) and television (Hatfields & McCoys). “The lone coyote howling in the desert.” John Coinman performs at El Crisol (formerly Exo Bar)...

Honoring divas past and present, Miss Gay Tucson America 2020: American Horror Story. At the Rialto Theatre. Apple and Diva preside over the pageantry…

Followed by the hottest reggaeton dance party in the land. Spinning everything from the classics to the newest Latin hip-hop, trap and perreo, Gasolina burns into the night. At the Rialto Theatre…

Sunday, Jan. 12

Incorporating digital technology with prodigious chops, singer/saxophonist Grace Kelly was featured by Vanity Fair as a millennial shaking up the jazz world, pushing her electro jazz-pop to the forefront of the fusion scene. She will share the stage with “The Queen of Sass” vocalist/trombonist Aubrey Logan, who is a featured artist for Postmodern Jukebox and the Dave Koz Band. Making jazz young again, Grace Kelly & Aubrey Logan are at the Rialto Theatre…

“Oh, I heard it through the grapevine…” The Coronet is the place for what is rumored to be an exemplary happy hour heightened by the appearance of Jazz Festival special guests. Expect the unexpected…

Mayor Regina Romero today signed on with Mayors Against Illegal Guns and announced the creation of the Mayor’s Task Force on Gun Safety and Violence Prevention at a City Hall press conference.

“It is important that we stand in solidarity with mayors across the country to show that in absence of state and federal action, our national cities will act,” Mayor Romero said. “We do not need to wait for the federal government to act locally.”

Mayors Against Gun Violence is comprised of a bipartisan nationwide coalition of current and former mayors committed to end gun violence and is a program of the advocacy group Everytown For Gun Safety. More than 1,000 mayors have signed on with the coalition, according to everytown.org. Everytown For Gun Safety is also the parent group for Moms Demand Action.

“Mayor Romero understands the importance of taking real action to reduce gun violence in our community,” said Rene Friedkin, a volunteer with the Arizona chapter of Moms Demand Action. “We are thrilled to have her join this bipartisan coalition who are working on the frontlines of gun safety.”

Romero also announced the creation of the Mayor’s Task Force on Gun Safety and Violence Prevention, which will be composed of gun-violence survivors, students, neighborhood leaders, mental health professionals, public safety officers and others.

Find more Claytoonz here.

This installment of Ladytowne: A Tucson feminist talk/variety show features the comedy of Molly McCloy. The music of Flor de Nopal. Interviews with Nirantha Balagopal & Sophie McTear (from Groundworks) and Nelene Deguzman (of The Rifle). Plus, Darío Andrade Mendoza will speak about a recent workshop regarding the epidemic of loneliness. At Club Congress…

Eek. The Cyclops Invasion is coming. From Philly, dubstep DJ/producer Subtronics fills Gentle Ben’s with angry, bouncy robot noise…

This burgeoning saxophonist has been described as a “passionate, humble and captivating jazz musician.” The Autumn Dominguez Quintet performs in Geronimo Plaza at Main Gate Square…

Looking for something a little off the beaten path? The ninth annual Tucson Fringe Festival kicks off tonight. This year’s fest includes 22 shows ranging from aerial dance performances, sketch comedy, unscripted storytelling y mas. Runs through Jan. 12. See tucsonfringe.org for all the details…

“You keep your mind on the money/Keeping your eyes on the wall.” Covering a career that spanned five decades, Private Dancer: A Tribute to Tina Turner slink into the Casino Del Sol…

Electronically looping together snippets of funk, rap, jazz and R&B, multi-instrumentalist Mik Garrison performs at Arizona Beer House…

A taste of Spain in downtown Tucson? Alternating weekly, singer-songwriters Amanda Rochelle and Natalie Pohanic shall serenade for Tapas & Tonics. In the lounge at the AC Hotel Tucson…

Oro Valley 2nd Thursdays Concert Series presents, “Wild Women,” vocalist Diane Van Deurzen and pianist Lisa Otey. They will perform hot jazz, sultry blues and boogie woogie. At Oro Valley Marketplace…

Featuring pianist Doug Martin and upright bassist Scott Black, The Jed Paradies Trio play bossa novas, ballads and blues. At The Coronet…

Zoppé Family Circus. Way back in 1842, Napoleone and Ermengilda Zoppé launched a circus in Venice, Italy full of acrobats, jugglers, dancing dogs, clowns and aerialists. Nearly 200 years later, their descendants are still going strong on tour with their one-ring, 500-seat tent. Giovanni Zoppé, the sixth-generation circus artist who stars as Nino the Clown, and a whole crew of performers are making their ninth annual visit to the Old Pueblo this month, and it’s an absolute treat. This year’s show pays special tribute to La Nonna, the matriarch of the Zoppé family, who kept the show going throughout the Great Depression. Friday, Jan. 10, through Sunday, Jan. 26 with shows at various times Thursdays through Sundays. Mercado San Agustin, 100 S. Avenida del Convento. $10.

The Norwegians. This dark comedy tells the tale of two recently scorned women in Minnesota who hire some (very nice and polite) gangsters to kill off their ex-boyfriends in the middle of a brutally cold winter. It’s got the spirit of Fargo with the humor of Saturday Night Live, and it will keep you laughing. “It is a tale more of mayhem than of murder. We invite you to laugh along with the twists and turns of this tale and discover that, surely, hell hath no fury like two women scorned,” says director Roberto Guajardo. Preview shows are 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 9, and Friday, Jan. 10. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and 3 p.m. on Sundays, through Saturday, Feb. 15 (this final date also features a matinee show). Live Theatre Workshop, 5317 E. Speedway Blvd. $20 GA, $18 military/senior/students, $15 Thursdays and previews.

Ninth Annual Tucson Fringe Festival. Three cheers for this very Tucson festival, which provides avant-garde and nontraditional performing artists a chance to perform in a low-risk, low-cost setting. AND which provides non-artists like us a chance to take it all in. This year, there are more than 50 shows spread across four days. There’s dance, theater, poetry, comedy, storytelling and more, and show titles like “Men Are Garbage” and “Sexology: The Musical!” Thursday, Jan. 9, to Sunday, Jan. 12, at various times. Shows are at the Temple of Music & Art, 330 S. Scott Ave; The Screening Room, 127 E. Congress St; StudioONE, 197 E. Toole Ave., the Steinfeld Warehouse Community Arts Center, 101 W. Sixth St.; and The Circus Academy of Tucson, 400 W. Speedway Blvd. Most shows are $10, but you can get a two-show pass for $18, a five-show pass for $43 and an eight-show pass for $64.

Funny at the Fringe

By definition, Fringe Fest performers don’t fit any category, but many of them are comedy acts, and this year’s Tucson Fringe Festival, January 9 through 11, features more than most.

“There's so much comedy!!!” fest honcho Maryann Green texted us. "’<=2’, (less than or equal to two) is sketch comedy from the directors of the Elgin Fringe Festival. 'How To Contract Lycanthropy' is dry humor from award-winning Minneapolis Fringe Festival artist Matthew Kessen. 'Sexology the Musical' promises to be a rockin’ good time.” And Green is just getting started.

Tucson Fringe Fest is popular for a wide range of great, little-known talent. Green and her team see, screen and invite plenty of fringe acts they know will find a Tucson audience. But their strategy of short shows and low prices all but guarantees a good time. If you don’t love the show you’re seeing, there’s another within the hour that could blow you away.

Admission to the fest is $3 for a button. Shows are $10 each, but passes are available for two, five or eight shows each for $18 to $64. Tickets and details of all the shows are at shop.tucsonfringe.org.

Twenty-two shows will be performed more than 50 times in five venues that are less than a mile apart downtown. They include The Screening Room, Steinfeld Warehouse, StudioONE, the Cabaret Theatre at the Temple of Music and Art and The Circus Academy.

Much excitement around this year’s fest is about the 16 acts appearing for the first time, including Phoenix sketch comedy team The Cosmonauts. The eight-year-old ensemble has performed in multiple festivals. They suggest that the audience think of them “like Saturday Night Live, but R-rated”

Green continues, “Space Force is a political farce.” And then she touches on the one we want to see most: “‘Silly Woman’ is about two young comedians discovering the comedy genius of funny females of the past, like Phyllis Diller and Lucille Ball. ‘Tammy's Bachelorette’ is an interactive comedy romp through a ‘Whiskey Tango’ wedding.” We think she means “white trash,” but she wouldn’t ever punch down.

“(Longtime local favorite) Tom Potter is doing a set he calls ‘The History of American Musical Humor’," she says, comparing him, a little hesitantly, to Dr. Demento. We get that one! He’ll have funny lyrics to songs we recognize.

"’What Will You’, Green says,"is a modern queer take on Shakespeare’s comedy, Twelfth Night, and, finally, ‘You've Got To Be Kidding Me’ is a live comedy podcast about carrying the emotional baggage of childhood."

If you’re reading this on Thursday, you can head over to Café Passé for a preview party from 6 to 9 p.m. Fest acts perform two-minute samples of their sets, and audience members win raffles and prizes.

Martin Luther King Day weekend

There is so much comedy headed your way, you should just block out the next two weekends. Upcoming we have an impossible choice among three top comedians plus the usual great improv shows. And from Jan. 25 through Feb. 1, every night has at least one and up to eight shows for the Tucson Comedy Crawl. It’s more than two-dozen shows, produced by and with members of Tucson’s burgeoning comedy scene, and it’s all sponsored by Tucson Weekly and Tucson Local Media.

Here’s a head start on next weekend, though, with comedy booked especially for Martin Luther King Weekend.

Matt Kearney’s LOL Jam returns to The Viscount Suites at 8 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 18. Tickets are $15, or $20 for VIP seating, via grownsexy.ticketleap.com. Rob Rodriguez hosts, reminding us once again that we don't see him often enough in Tucson. The Lineup includes BET Allstar Drew Frazer, Kool Bubba Ice and local newcomer Janize.

Laffs Comedy Caffé hosts Jon Roy for five shows the same weekend. Clever and clean, with a megawatt resume, Roy riffs like a funny best friend on cultural anomalies, dilemmas of childhood, racial tolerance and the chaos that is contemporary media. His jokes can land with impressions or inspire a song. Jimmy Calloway features. Details and tickets are at laffstucson.com/coming-soon.html.

More Comedy

Friday, Jan. 10: Standup with Tyler Boeh featuring Jeff Horste at 8 and 10:30 p.m., Laffs Comedy Caffe ($12.50 and $17.50). Improv Happy Hour at 7:30 p.m. ($5) and The Soapbox at 9 p.m. ($7) at TIM Comedy Theatre (TIM)($10 for both shows. All shows $2 off with Cat Card). Family-friendly improv with Not Burnt Out Just Unscrewed (NBOJU) at 7:30 p.m. and Freeform Friday at 9 p.m., Unscrewed Theater ($5 and $8).

Saturday, Jan. 11: Standup with Phoenix prop comedian, Dan Hanson, featuring local favorite Josiah Osego opening and Nick Chant as host at 8 p.m., The O ($7 door; $10 Eventbrite. Tyler Boeh featuring Jeff Horste at 7 and 9:30 p.m., Laffs Comedy Caffe ($12.50 and $17.50). Kids improv, F.O.M.P. (Friends of Make Pretends) at 2 p.m. at TIM Comedy Theatre ($5) Improv at 7:30 and 9 p.m. at TIM ($7, both shows for $10, $2 off with Cat Card). Improv with Unscrewed Family Hour at 6 p.m., Family Friendly NBOJU at 7:30 p.m., and NBOJU: Uncensored at 9 p.m., Unscrewed Theater ($5 and $8).

Free Open Mics

Sunday, Jan. 12, 6:30 p.m., The O, and 8 p.m., Chuckleheads in Bisbee.
Monday, Jan. 13, 7 p.m., Comedy at the Wench, The Surly Wench Pub.
Tuesday, Jan. 14, 6:45 p.m., Neighborhood Comedy, The Music Box Lounge.
Wednesday, Jan. 15, 7 p.m., The Screening Room and 8:30 p.m., The Mint.
Thursday, Jan 16. 8 p.m., Laffs Comedy Caffe and 8:30 p.m., Rockabilly Grill.

Dozens gathered on the Pima County Courthouse lawn in remembrance of the six people who were killed and 13 others wounded during the Tucson shooting at then-Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords' Congress on Your Corner event nine years ago Wednesday morning.

At 10:10 a.m., to coincide with the time the shooting started, a silver bell rang as each of the names of those who died or were wounded on January 8 were read aloud.

Moments before the ceremony took place, Ron Barber, a victim of the shooting and former Arizona congressman, spoke about the new permanent memorial currently being constructed at the west end of the courthouse which should be finished by fall.

“This memorial will not only honor the victims and survivors,” Barber said. “But also law enforcement personnel, the EMTs, the doctors and the citizens who came to our aid.”

The theme to the memorial is “embrace” and “resilience," according to Barber.

“Embrace is what we all felt and still feel from our community,” Barber said. “This memorial is also about resilience, which has been the hallmark of Tucson going back decades.”

The memorial will showcase the resilience of all who have lived in southern Arizona for centuries, from Native Americans, Mexicans, pioneers and all who have faced adversity, according to Barber.

Barber also stated the memorial is supposed to get a national designation, as legislation is being introduced into the House and Senate this week.

“Tucson is unlike any other city and it has proven that over and over again in the wake of Jan. 8,” Barber said.

Davis Dominguez, a long-running gallery of contemporary art and a respected venue that shows many local artists, will close its doors at the end of June.

After that, the gallery’s elegant warehouse space at 154 E. Sixth St. may house the popular Mexican restaurant Lerua’s, which lost its own longtime space to the Broadway widening, Lerua’s is in negotiations, says building owner Mark Berman, but no contract has been signed.

Wife and husband gallerists, Candice Davis, age 72, and Mike Dominguez, age 73, say that they had been considering closing the gallery for some time.

“Candy and I have been semi-retired for the last couple of years,” Dominguez said Wednesday afternoon, with painter Juan Enriquez(cq) running the gallery several days a week. The two owners are devoted hikers and, Davis added, “We’re in good shape. There are lots of things we can do.”

Berman said that their current lease actually ends March 1, but he’s allowing the pair to keep the gallery going until June 30, when Davis Dominquez typically ends its season.

The gallery will stage three more shows, including Pure Abstract: Paintings by Joanne Kerrihard, collage and paintings by Amy Metier and sculpture by Steve Murphy, which opens with a reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday night. (See info on all three shows below.)

It will be a scramble to clear out the gallery in the short time after the final exhibition ends June 13. Among the many tasks, the owners will have to ship years of artworks back to the artists.

“I’m nervous about getting it all done,” Davis says.

Dominguez and Davis have rented the space from Berman for some 20 years, and they say they’ve had a productive relationship.

“Mark is the finest landlord and a great supporter of the arts,” Dominguez said.