Friday, Feb. 7

Not unlike a Castaneda novel, in pursuit of A Separate Reality—while under the direct influence of a potent cumbia infused psychedelic that arose from the Peruvian highlands—Tucson cumbiancheros Chicha Dust talk to coyotes. On the plaza at Hotel Congress…

Straddling the fence, with one dusty Converse sneaker smeared with the grime of rock ’n’ roll while the other remains stuck on the sharp leaf-tip spines of an agave plant, Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers are at Rialto Theatre. With The Cole Trains…

In Advice Column, Chicago hardcore punks 88 Fingers Louie ask listeners, “What’s the fun in living in the past?” They play with middle finger extended at 191 Toole. Playboy Manbaby bringing the sexy back to the genre of polka…

Super Gay Party Machine stands proud. At Club Congress…

Like corridos? Los Cuates de Sinaloa and Jesus Ojeda y sus Parientes engage in battle: Guerra de Requintos plays out at Club 4th Avenue…

Dan Stokes performs blues and other love songs. At Sand-Reckoner…

After hiatus, The Coolers bring their horn-propelled blues/soul to Monterey Court…

Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas perform Scottish music on fiddle and cello. At Berger Performing Arts Center…

This North Carolina singer-songwriter adheres to the country music axiom “Three chords and the truth”—popularized by Harlan Howard. Juan Holladay shares the stage with local songstress Leila Lopez. At El Crisol…

DJ Nic hosts Beatz & Sweetz: A night of house music. At Batch…

They are “raw and colorful, bathed in electro-sensual alien lullabies and drunken sailor beats.” Loki Moon experiment at Saint Charles Tavern…

Tourmaline Dreams II: A gem show afterparty features DJ sets by Dexx, Jeremy Sarcoz, Man Maze and Shelby Athouguia. At Solar Culture…

Stormy Leigh presents The British Are Coming: A burlesque British Invasion with live music by The Furys. At Surly Wench Pub…

Club Z sees resident DJs Low AudiO and ZAW dropping techno house. At Zen Rock…

Saturday, Feb. 8

L.A. indie rockers flor went from recording their debut EP, sounds, in a bedroom to having their latest, ley lines, receive millions of streams. The band brings bold pop ambition to the Rialto Theatre. With the sunny indie rock of Winnetka Bowling League…

Resonance Monthly finds Canadian dubstep DJ/producer Phiso making apocalyptic robotic noise. At Gentle Ben’s…

This celebrated pianist’s newest release is a portrayal of his place in a chaotic world. George Winston presents Restless Wind at the Berger Performing Arts Center…

Reggae warriors General Tchefary & The Soldiers, with Jah on their side, bring light to the main stage (Scott & Broadway) during 2nd Saturdays Downtown…

In a jump-off from the THHF20, The Dusty Tour sees rapper Homeboy Sandman, Quelle Chris, Psypiritual x The Lasso smash into Thunder Canyon Brewstillery…

In a rad cosmic mashup that only a universe rife with chaos could align, The Exbats and Golden Boots perform together at Owls Club…

Death Bells (post-punks from Sydney, Australia) lead A Benefit For Australia. At Club Congress. Separate Ways, Hikikomori and Rough Draft contribute to the cause. Proceeds to benefit the Fire Relief Fund for First Nations Communities…

In a pre-Valentine’s Celebration, vocalist Ada Redd Austin sets the mood for love. At The Dunbar Pavillion…

The Arnold/Klingenfus Ensemble perform acoustic-driven music. At Borderlands Brewing Co…

West Coast rave scene veteran—and resident DJ presiding over legendary full-moon desert gatherings—Brad Moontribe takes you on a techno dance journey. With OVRLP (DJ Hart b2b Nic). At Solar Culture…

The third annual Beads, Blues and Beer Festival features Roman Barten-Sherman, Whose Blues Band and Brokedown Palace. At The Metal Arts Village…

Contemporary country artist Donnie Lee Strickland along with Jay Faircloth, Chris Graeber Band and Vegas McGraw are set to perform at Country Fest Tucson 2020. At The Rock…

Released in 1977, this Eagles classic sold over 32 million copies. Classic Albums Live performs Hotel California. At Fox Theatre…

The indie folk stylings of Big Grin fill John Henry’s…

The Jacob Acosta Duo captures the sound of the desert. At Black Rock Brewers…

Out on tour alt/indie rockers Past Life team up with Sad Dance Party. At Blacklidge Community Collective…

The Other Troublemakers raise hell at La Cocina…

Oppressed Logic, Besmirchers and Bleach Party USA rage at Spark Project Collective…

Ultra ’80s Dance Party at Passé…

Performing world soul music to soothe you, Porangui are at Solar Culture…

A night of bluegrass and Western music awaits. Phoenix’s Pick & Holler and Freddy Parish are at El Crisol…

Micky Dolenz and Tucson Symphony Orchestra performing the music of The Monkees will make you a believer. At Tucson Convention Center…

Sunday, Feb. 9

From Rialto, California—“an arid wasteland of boredom and empty lots”—this trio of free-spirited soul musicians, in their youth found liberation through skateboarding. Brainstory are at Club Congress. Backed by the piquant garage rock of Taco Sauce…

Find more Claytoonz here.

KXCI Community Radio will participate alongside more than 150 radio stations across the globe in International Clash Day this Friday with a day of programming dedicated to addressing climate change.

Since 2013, radio stations have paid tribute to influential punk band The Clash and their legacy as advocates every Feb. 7. International Clash Day has since evolved into a wider celebration of the issues the band stood for, with a specific theme each year.

This year's theme is Clash For Climate, which emphasizes empowering people to take action on a local level to combat climate change within their communities.

From 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. tomorrow, KXCI DJs will broadcast special programming with climate change in mind from their studio inside Hotel Congress.

The station will also host an interactive, educational exhibit called See the Bees at the Hotel Congress Plaza from 4 to 6 p.m.

This free community event was designed by master beekeeper and honeybee researcher Mona Chambers and will feature a fully contained observation hive complete with live bees. There will be a honey tasting along with a dynamic look at the art of beekeeping and education on the importance of bees as pollinators.

KXCI's International Clash Day will wrap up with an afterparty at Che's Lounge for those 21 and older with DJs from Wooden Tooth Records spinning Clash inspired sets on the patio.

The afterparty starts at 7 p.m. 

Tucson chef, Jeronimo "Mo" Madril, owner of Geronimo's Revenge food truck, wins the top prize on last night's Guy's Grocery Games, hosted by Guy Fieri. Madril and his team partner will be taking home $16,000.

The episode's theme was World Fusion, where contestants were teamed up with another chef representing a different country. The match ups were China and India, Philippines and France, Mexico and Singapore -Madril represented Mexico.

Madril's team easily got through to the second round, sending home the China/India team.

"I felt India and China had it. It's a winning combination that has been going together since the dawn of time," Madril said in regards to his feelings starting the first round. "We felt privileged to be in that position."

Madril and his partner went head to head against the Philippines/French team in the second round, where the challenge was to have a creative take on a traditional dish. Since Mo's team won the first round they got to choose their dish - fish and chips.

Mo's team created a Sapporo-battered fish, marinated in green curry and tamarindo, with yucca tots on the side. With less than 10 minutes to go, disaster struck for Mo's team - the tot's turned to mush in the fryer.

"Everything shattered, and I knew taking on those tots would be a big challenge," said Madril. "We just looked at each other can came up with our next best option of yucca chips."

Madril said he and his partner had discussed making yucca chips from the start, but opted to do something a bit more challenging to WOW the judges.

"Taking on fish and chips, we wanted to present something that was a challenge and not do basic stuff," Madril said. "But yucca chips was the way to go at the last minute."

The judges agreed and Mo's team beat out Philippines/France to win the show and $16,000.

You can congratulate Madril at his food truck usually parked at Che's Lounge on any given weekend night. Jim Vancza, co-owner of Che's Lounge, said the whole staff and the bar's regular patrons are very proud of Madril. Madril, who was a barback for many years at Che's, got his start hosting pop-up dinners on Thursday nights at the bar.

"He was a very dedicated employee and we saw his potential in the culinary arts," Vancza said. "We've been proud to support him through all of his ventures and very proud of his accomplishments."

Pilloried politics at The O

Graham Elwood and Ron Placone mean for their Progressive Comedy Tour to entertain us. Obviously, they don’t define “progressive” the way established political parties do. They see humans as progressive, and politics, with its sycophant national media, as the sludge of corporate greed. Since Placone is bringing his guitar, audience members might join in the chorus of a familiar protest song with new lyrics hilariously pillorying, say, both CNN and Fox News.

“I started talking about politics as soon as I started comedy,” Placone says, “because what interested me in comedy was people like George Carlin and Bill Hicks…. Now, if you see my act, you’re going to hear … more about the world around me and why I feel the way I do…. I’m talking about the system as a whole and the civility of our system, so people of all different political ideologies connect with that and see humor in it.

“People are really divided right now but we have to navigate the best we can. If we can all get into a room and realize that (our system) is fully broken, and that’s something we fully agree on … we can all get together and laugh about it, that’s a good start.”

Elwood and Placone have both built nationwide reputations as political comedians via tireless touring and podcasting. A 20-year comedy veteran, Elwood's comedy has sometimes been called scary and crazy, but it's plenty funny enough to make the rounds on Comedy Central. He co-hosts the Comedy Film Nerds podcast as well and frequently appears on the Jimmy Dore Show and Aggressive Progressive, which spawned the YouTube show and podcast, The Political Vigilante. Elwood’s also co-creator of the Los Angles Podcast Festival, has performed seven USO tours and, for a time, hosted Strip Poker on the USA channel.

Ron Placone can be seen regularly on The Jimmy Dore Show and The Young Turks, an independent newscast with a comedy twist. He hosts the world’s first viewer-curated streaming news show, Get Your News On With Ron, putting mics to his theory that the only news worth paying attention to is independent local media. He’s also often seen or heard on SiriusXM, TMZ, RT and FreeSpeechTV.

The Progressive Comedy Tour Show comes to The O at 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb 8. Admission is $15 via brownpapertickets.com.

Second 2nd Saturday Comedy Showcase

The city that brought us 2nd Saturdays takes some of the fun indoors, too, in case we’re not quite dressed for after dark. The 2nd Saturday Comedy Showcase at The Screening Room packs the Feb. 8 showcase with 16 comics to keep you laughing from 8 p.m. until the food trucks and vendors shut down.

The show’s producers have booked a diverse lineup, from open mic’-ers to vets, heavy on the latter. National touring comic Olivia Grace heads the bill with local favorites Matt Ziemak, Roxy Merrari and Eli W.T. Rounding out the lineup are Cindell Hanson, Jon Jon Hernandez, Jack Fletcher, Nicole Riesgo, Cody Stucki, Rory Monserrat, Jules Moreno, Justin Pinzon, Steena Salido, Griffin Cook, Clint Lapansky, Connor Hannah. Tickets are $5 at the door.

Celebrate “Pal”entines at Black Rock Brewery

What are you giving your sweetheart for Valentine’s Day? How about a laugh. You can celebrate your emotional privilege and the human comedy that is romance. The rest of us will be celebrating our pals at Blackrock Brewers’ PALentine’s Day Comedy Show at 8 p.m., Friday, Feb. 14. The show is free as part of Mo Urban’s ongoing series at the far eastside spot. She hasn’t yet revealed the lineup, so stay tuned to the Facebook event.

Still more comedy

Thursday, Feb.6, short-form improv with Harold Alpha and Choice Cut, 7:30 p.m. ($5), and public jam, 8:30 p.m., free, TIM Comedy Theatre.

Friday, Feb.7, standup (10 comedians) showcase to benefit the UArizona Fish and Wildlife Society, 8 p.m., The Screening room (5); co-headliners Butch Lord and Alex Falcone, 8 and 10:30 p.m., Laffs Comedy Caffe ($12.50 and $17.50). Long-form improv with Hanging Chads, Harold Team Beta, and I Was Promised Magic, 7:30 p.m. ($7), and The Soapbox, 9 p.m., Tucson Improv Movement/TIM Comedy Theatre ($7 or $10 for both). Family-friendly short-form improv with Not Burnt Out Just Unscrewed (NBOJU) at 7:30 p.m. ($5 and $8), Unscrewed Theater.

Saturday, Feb. 8, Standup with Kristine Levine and friends, 9 p.m., Circle S Saloon ($5 - $10); The Amazing Cop Comic Jim Perry with locals Chris Haughton and Allana Erickson-Lopez, 7 p.m., Vail Theater of the Arts, ($10-$30); co-headliners Butch Lord and Alex Falcone, 7 and 9:30 p.m., Laffs Comedy Caffe ($12.50 and $17.50). Sketch comedy with Baby Fish Mouth and long-form improv with Three’s Company, 7:30; long-form improv with The Dating Scene, 9 p.m., TIM Comedy Theatre ($7 each or $10 for both shows). Family-friendly improv with Not Burnt Out Just Unscrewed (NBOJU) at 7:30 p.m. ($5 and $8), Unscrewed Theater.

Free Open Mics
Sunday, Feb. 9, 6:30 p.m., The O, and 8 p.m., Chuckleheads in Bisbee.
Monday, Feb. 10, 7 p.m., Comedy at the Wench, The Surly Wench Pub.
Tuesday, Feb. 11, 6:45 p.m., Neighborhood Comedy, The Music Box Lounge.
Wednesday, Feb. 12, 7 p.m., The Screening Room and 8:30 p.m. at The Mint.
Thursday, Jan. 9, 8 p.m., Laffs Comedy Caffe, 8:30 p.m., Rockabilly Grill.

From Montreal, aggressive electronic trio Black Tiger Sex Machine mashes together dubstep beats with atmospheric visuals to create a dark sci-fi aesthetic. Explore “New Worlds” at Rialto Theatre. DJ/producer Blanke and the otherworldly bass of Vampa set the tone…

Emerging from the City of Brotherly Love’s punk scene in 2011, Grayscale quickly left the grit and anti-authoritarian ethos behind. These “Philly coffee shop rockers” bring the Nella Vita Tour to 191 Toole. From the near permafrost of Michigan, emo-punks Hot Mulligan heat things up first…

A “Rock ’Em Sock ’Em” indie rock double header unfolds when Weekend Lovers and Moontrax square off. At Tap + Bottle Downtown…

Riding the “Lost Highway” down from Phoenix, Tags (rock) and Celebration Guns (noise pop) join Tucson’s Noise Field (rock) for a dust up. At Club Congress…

Savitur leads an evening of Kirtan (spiritual chanting developed in sixth-century India). At Solar Culture…

Elliot Jones hosts Piano Bar Thursdays. All are encouraged to sing along. At The Dusty Monk Pub…

Known for the beauty and richness of her voice, soprano Renée Fleming joins the Tucson Symphony Orchestra for a grand finale to bring the 2020 Tucson Desert Song Festival to a close. At Tucson Music Hall…

This acclaimed Yaqui guitarist has performed for a U.S. president and he pope. As part of the Lookout Tucson Jazz Concert Series, Gabriel Ayala performs flamenco, classical and jazz influenced compositions. At Westward Look Resort…

Find more Claytoonz here.

Find more Claytoonz here.

In his upcoming State of the Union Address, President Trump owes Americans some straight talk on health care. The reality is that Trump has already broken his many promises on health care. During his three years in office, Americans are paying more for medicine and millions have lost coverage due to cost increases.

In 2015, Trump told a conservative publication affiliated with the Heritage Foundation, “I’m not going to cut Social Security like every other Republican and I’m not going to cut Medicare or Medicaid.”

The very first thing he tried was repealing the Affordable Care Act, which included a popular bi-partisan expansion of Medicaid. Here in Arizona, the ACA’s Medicaid expansion is one of Governor Jan Brewer’s proudest accomplishments. If Trump had succeeded, more than 400,000 Arizonans would have lost their health coverage. Thankfully, Senator John McCain put a stop to Trump’s plan.

So much for not cutting Medicaid.

But it gets worse.

Under Trump, we are undergoing a huge spike in drug prices. Trump’s response? Give drug companies billions of dollars in tax breaks and oppose giving Medicare the authority to negotiate lower drug prices—the most effective solution to this problem. Though Trump pretends that drug prices are coming down, the truth is that drug companies have consistently raised their prices and reaped massive profits. In 2017, the prescription drug Lantus, used by patients with Diabetes, cost Arizonans $4,702 annually. It was $2,907 in 2012. Arizonans have experienced so many significant increases in the cost of medication that we are often forced to make the difficult decision of whether to pay for medication or buy groceries. This is just plain wrong.

Break out the chips and frost those tips because Tucson chef, Mo Madril of Geronimo’s Revenge food truck is appearing on Guy Fieri’s Guy’s "Grocery Games" this Wednesday night on Food Network at 8 p.m. MST.

If you’ve never seen the show, the best way to describe it is as a reboot of legendary '80s daytime game show, "Supermarket Sweep," but with a cooking element. It stars flaming-rayon-shirt enthusiast, Guy Feiri.

“It was quite an experience,” Madril said. “I needed to learn where everything was and you get like 30 minutes to figure everything out.”

World Fusion is the title of the upcoming episode. While Madril can’t discuss too much about the show or what he made due to contractual obligations, he did say he “definitely represented Mexico."

“We got teamed up with another person from a different country and we had to work together,” Madril said. “We didn’t know who we were being paired with until we got there.”

Madril can talk about meeting Fieri. He said His Flamed Highness is just as boisterous as you would expect but a “really nice guy” who is actually concerned about how well the show’s contestants do.

“(Fieri) wants you to win, he really wants you to go for it,” Madril said. “It’s not like he can tell you much, but if you need anything he’s there to help.”

There will be a viewing party at Che’s Lounge located at 350 N. 4th Ave. on Wednesday, starting at 7 p.m. Madril said he’ll be recreating the signature dish he made on the show for guests to try, but he still can’t talk about what the actual dish is.

“I got my start at Che’s, building up my reputation doing pop-up dinners on Thursday nights,” Madril said. “I definitely have to pay tribute to my home base.”