Thursday, November 21, 2019
Forget Houdini. Magic doesn’t have to be about dark and dangerous arts. As Rod Housley tells it, all magic is about fooling people. He believes that fooling people should be fun to watch, and even more fun to be fooled.
Housley has entertained thousands at conventions and special events over the more than 20 years he’s performed as a professional magician around the country. He’s also won more than 20 awards in magic including Arizona’s Close-up Magician of the Year, Arizona’s Stage Magician of the Year, and the People’s Choice Award.
He will treat Tucson comedy fans to two unusually intimate club performances at 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday, Nov. 22 and 23 at The O. Reservations are $10 and $15 via intimatewonders.wellattended.com.
Housley began creating comedy magic as a child to cope with his sister’s death. “I kind of became the entertainer in my family,” he says. “Magic does the same thing comedy does. Telling a joke, there’s usually a left turn where you don't see it coming. It makes your brain fire in a new place. Magic creates that wonder. When you see something (surprising), people automatically laugh.”
Asked what makes him a magician's magician, Housley says his technique is like that of a standup comedian justifying the payoff to a joke. “I create a ‘why’ for every trick. Most magicians just do a trick and then they do another trick.
“I might do the trick a thousand times and then, suddenly, I'm like, ‘Oh! That's how I should present that. That will resonate with the audience’.
“I try to create magic that leaves the audience in a better place, where anything's possible and things are amazing and you're allowed to laugh. That's the childlike state of wonder that I think magic can create.”
Dreading Thanksgiving dinner?
The O’s Pre-Thanksgiving Extravaganza on Wednesday, Nov. 27 has some potential to stuff you with enough comedy that your uncle’s politics won’t give you indigestion. It’s worth a try.
Stephanie Lyonga lights up the lineup with electric energy and language unfit for reverent family holidays. Bilingual comedians Andrea Salazar and Tony Kanani Bruhn perform in English but make audience members feel at home in either language. Rounding out the show are Daryl Graves and two popular Phoenix comics, Glendon McGee and Derek McFarland.
The show starts at 7:30 p.m. and admission is $5 at the door.
What are you doing New Year’s?
Laffs Comedy Caffe is now taking reservations for folks wanting to welcome 2020 with a smile.
Ron Feingold headlines shows at 7 and 10:30 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 31. Reservations are $30 plus tax and tip. The 7 p.m. show includes dinner, and at the 10:30 show, a dessert buffet sustains revelers in the count down to the new year’s debut. May it give us all something to look forward to.
More Laughs!
Friday, Nov. 22: Politically musical Standup with Randy Rainbow at 7:30 p.m., Fox Tucson Theatre ($41.50 to $87.50). Country musical standup with Rodney Carrington at Desert Diamond Casino ($30 to $45). Standup with Greg Romero Wilson at new winter times, 7 and 9:30 p.m., Laffs Comedy Caffe ($12.50 and $17.50). Improv with Shatfan and The Lobbyists at 7:30 p.m. and The Soapbox at 9 p.m., Tucson Improv Movement (TIM)($5). Family-friendly improv with Not Burnt Out Just Unscrewed (NBOJU) at 7:30 p.m. and Fourth Friday Free Form Friday at 9 p.m., Unscrewed Theatre ($5 and $8).
Saturday, Nov. 23: Standup with Trevor Noah at 9:30 p.m., Tucson Music Hall ($47 to $93) and Greg Romero Wilson at 7 and 9:30 p.m., at Laffs Comedy Caffe ($12.50 and $17.50). Improv with Third Beats and Harold Omega at 7:30 p.m., and Pilot Season and Standup 101 at 9 p.m. at TIM ($5). Uncensored improv with NBOJU at 7:30 p.m. and uncensored Tellabration!, a nationwide event hosted in Tucson by Tellers of Tales at 9 p.m. at Unscrewed Theater ($5 and $8). High camp Retro Game Show Night, BattleMimes, at 7 p.m. at Club Congress ($12, Eventbrite).
Free Open Mics
Sunday, Nov. 17, 6:30 p.m., The O, and 8 p.m., Chuckleheads in Bisbee.
Monday, Nov. 18, 7 p.m., Comedy at the Wench, The Surly Wench Pub.
Tuesday, Nov. 19, 6:45 p.m., Neighborhood Comedy at The Music Box Lounge.
Wednesday, Nov 20, 7 p.m., The Screening Room and 8:30 p.m. at The Mint.
Thursday, Nov. 21, 8 p.m., Laffs Comedy Caffe and 8:30 p.m., Rockabilly Grill.
Tags: Rodney Wayne Housley , Rod Housley , Rod Wayne Housley , Stephanie Lyonga , Andrea Salazar , Tony Kanani Bruhn , Daryl Graves , Glendon McGee , Derek McFarland , Laffs Comedy Caffe , Image
Monday, November 18, 2019
The intergalactic mashup of arts, gastronomy and cutting edge music that could only have been paired together in a galaxy far away as rogue stars collide, returned to downtown Tucson on Nov. 9-10 at Armory Park.
Here are some highlights.
Tags: Dusk Music Fest 2019 , Kaskade , Dombresky , Fitz and The Tantrums , Wax Motif , Rezz , TokiMonsta , XOXO , Live , Image
Thursday, November 7, 2019
The Screening Room hosts the first Second Saturday comedy show.
With earlier sunsets on the way, Tucson’s most popular monthly downtown event, Second Saturdays, opens up to comedy in the cozy indoors of The Screening Room.
Chris Quinn, host of the weekly Wednesday open mic at the venue, will host The Second Saturday Comedy Showcase at 7 p.m., beginning November 9. The show is $5 and recommended for ages 18 and over.
Ten local comedians perform in the debut. Headlining are Autumn Horvat, Dom DiTolla and Amber Frame. Also featured are Tony Kanani Bruhn, Eli W.T., Paul Fox, Rich Gary, Tim Maggard and Stephanie Lyonga.
Dillinger Brewing Company hosts Sean Finnerty
Is this the first time Dillinger Brewing Company has hosted a comedy show? They’re getting off to a great start with Sean Finnerty and Kevin Casey White on the Craft Comedy Tour. The show is at 8 pm, Tuesday, Nov. 12. Reservations are $15 via Eventbrite.com.
Finnerty considers it his highest honor to have been the first Irish comedian to perform on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon. He was selected for Comedy Central’s Up Next competition in 2013, and in 2014 he won a competition to open for WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley. Every year since has brought ever more impressive notes to his biography, leading to his current status as the number-one ranked roast comic in NYC.
Kevin Casey White was indelibly pegged in The Chicago Tribune as “a physical expression of an exclamation point.” The Chicago Reader crowned his podcast, Arguments and Grievances, “Best Variety Show.” It could hardly be named more appropriately for our anxiety-bound era. White got his start as founder of Bare Knuckle Comedy, the longest-running indie comedy showcase in St. Louis. He recently moved to NYC.
With comedy shows at Borderlands Brewing Company, Crooked Tooth Brewery, Corbett Brewery and Black Rock Brewery, Tucson, not-surprisingly, is ahead of the curve. The Craft Comedy Tour website says its aim is to “change the comedy landscape” by providing affordable comedy in locally-owned breweries, to celebrate their success as “pillars of their communities.” Hear, hear!
KMKR launches Tucson Comedy Radio
The Clash and Black Flag aside, our personal favorite punk legacy is the DIY ethic. It’s what we love about the whole maker movement. We particularly celebrated Xerocraft, a maker space for artists, in the historic Steinfeld Warehouse.
KMKR radio, housed in a closet-sized space at Xerocraft, allows anyone to broadcast what they create. Its signal covers only the downtown area, but the station is an on-ramp for podcasting, the new must-have techno skill that allows audio artists to be heard around the clock around the globe.
On Wednesday, Nov. 6, KMKR (the MKR stands for maker. Get it?), opened a new frontier for Tucson comedy with the first episode of Tucson Comedy Presents.
Phil Gordon, the show’s founder and director, says it will be broadcast on Wednesdays from 9 to 10 p.m. He hopes to cover the 10 to 11 p.m. hour as well by the first of the year.
A rotating cast of local comedians will host the broadcast. Gordon is the founder of Laughing Liberally. Dave Margolis created and hosts the semi-monthly Casa de Comedy showcase in Marana. Roxy Merrari co-founded and hosts the Comedy the Wench weekly open mic and monthly themed showcase.
The team would like to add more hosts to the rotation. Contact Gordon via Facebook to apply.
All three hosts have local radio experience. Gordon worked as a news reporter at KCTV-TV in Wyoming and as station manager at WXAV-FM in Chicago. According to Gordon, “We’re going to feature news about Tucson’s vibrant comedy scene, interviews with local and touring comedians, and a current performance calendar. It’ll be chock full of laughs from classic comedy bits to live in-studio performances. We’re going focus on Tucson’s rich spoken word culture including stand- up, Improv and storytelling.”
More Laughs!
Continuing through Saturday, Nov. 9: Tucson Comedy Arts Festival featuring improv, standup, improv for kids and improv in Spanish at TIM Comedy Theatre ($5 each show). Visit tucsonimprov.com/tcaf for the complete schedule.
Friday, Nov. 8: Standup with Daniel Tosh, 8 p.m., Tucson Music Hall ($47-$77), and Sid Davis with DJ Sandhu, 8 and 10:30 p.m., Laffs Comedy Caffe ($12.50 and $17.50). Family-friendly improv with Not Burnt Out Just Unscrewed (NBOJU) at 7:30 p.m., and uncensored Freeform Friday at 9 p.m., Unscrewed Theatre.
Saturday, Nov. 9: Standup with Sid Davis, featuring DJ Sandhu, 8 and 10:30 p.m., Laffs Comedy Caffe ($12.50 and $17.50); Carcajadas: Una Noche de Comedia (todo en español), 7:30 p.m., TIM Comedy Theatre ($5) and Kristine Levine and Friends presents Butch Lord, 10 p.m., Circle S Saloon. Improv at 6:00 p.m. with Unscrewed Theater Family Hour featuring Comic Chaos and From the Top followed at 9 p.m. with NBOJU Uncensored at Unscrewed Theater ($5 and $8)
Free Open Mics
Sunday, Nov. 10, 6:30 p.m., The O and 8 p.m., Chuckleheads in Bisbee.
Monday, Nov. 11, 7 p.m., Comedy at the Wench, The Surly Wench Pub.
Tuesday, Nov. 12, 6:45 p.m., Neighborhood Comedy at The Music Box Lounge.
Wednesday, Nov. 13, 7 p.m., The Screening Room and 8:30 p.m. at The Mint.
Thursday, Nov. 14, 8 p.m., Laffs Comedy Caffe and 8:30 p.m., Rockabilly Grill.
Tags: Laffs Comedy Caffe , Rockabilly Grill , The Mint Bar , The Screening Room , Neighborhood Comedy , Music Box Lounge , Surly Wench Pub , The Surly Wench , Chuckleheaes , The O , NBOJU , Unscrewed Theatre , Comic Chaos , From the Top , TIM Comedy Theatre , Kristine Levine , Butch Lord , Carcajadas , Sid Davis , DJ Sandhu , Daniel Tosh , Tucson Music Hall , Freeform Friday , TCAF , Tucson Comedy Arts Festival , tucsonimprov.com , Phil Gordon , David Margolis , KMKR , Xerocraft , Kevin Casey White , Arguments and Grievances , KMKR , Borderlands Brewing Company , Black Rock Brewery , Corbett Brewing , Crooked Tooth Brewery , Craft Comedy Tour , Sean Finnerty , Autumn Horvat , Dom DiTolla , Amber Frame , Tony Kanani Bruhn , Eli W.T. , Paul Fox , Rich Gary , Tim Maggard , Stephanie Lyonga. , Image
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
The instant the house lights dimmed at the Rialto Theatre the near capacity audience—largely young and female—began to chant with zeal, “Summer, Summer,” before the R&B it girl even took to the stage this past Saturday, Nov 2. Unequivocally, they were there to hear Summer Walker—who many of her devotees consider to be “the hottest female voice in R&B”—reminisce about The Last Days of Summer on a cool fall night.
From the downbeat Walker’s band moved in lockstep. The BPM never deviated far from a slow, steady grind. Flanked by two leotard clad pole dancers, with high-heeled platform pumps, that began to twirl and writhe adding to the drama and sensuality of the faded desire in “Drunk Dialing.”
Booties were shaking everywhere.
Before her breakthrough, Walker herself worked as an exotic dancer and a housekeeper.
Between songs the dancers placed a bottle of wine and a candle on a small folding table for Walker to enjoy as she sang about Mai Tais and her consuming desire to “want to get wasted with you.”
Walker has cited straight-talking, neo-soul/R&B queens Erykah Badu and Amy Winehouse as influences. She sat in a chair, guitar in hand, as if drawing from a collective pool of heartache, to sing “Session 32," a raw piece that confronts an ex-boyfriend who failed to show his love for her and commitment to the relationship.
“You don’t know what love is/If you’re too good to call a million times.”
On “Off Of You,” Walker stabbed a steely knife into the bleeding heart of R&B - The agonizing hell-ride that love can be. While plucking away at guitar strings with bare fingers, she sang, “You been mistreating me/I ain’t gonna try no more/Ain’t gonna cry.../‘cause/I’m off of you.” Convincing no one.
“This next song is about being passionately smitten.” At all of 23-years-old, Walker’s words resonated with her audience, surging like an electrical charge, bonding over shared experiences. “Ladies. Y’all better sing to this shit.” And judging by the uproar that followed, man, did they. “Girls Need Love”—a sex-positive track co-written with Drake, which rose to number two on the Billboard charts, is poised to establish Walker as a fresh voice for young women.
Its success caught this rising star by surprise. “I really see how we are all going through the same shit,” Walker explained. “I didn’t know my music was so relatable until after the album dropped.”
Towards the end of her 70-minute set Walker called out, “Does anybody like to twerk? Does anybody want to shake their ass?” Before inviting some peeps from the audience to gyrate on the pole during “Playing Games.”
Keeping it real, Summer Walker brought the gentlemen’s club experience to the Rialto Theatre. All that was missing was a few dollar bills to tuck into g-strings.
“Thank you. I appreciate it. I love you.”
And so The First and Last Tour, quite literally, ground to a close.
But, with everything seemingly going in her favor—Over It (LoveRenaissance, 2019) is the highest-charting debut album for a female R&B artist in more than a decade—could this really be Summer Walker’s First and Last Tour?
“Performing gives me so much anxiety,” the sultry singer recently told Billboard. “I would be more at peace if I could just record music and slide it under the door.”
Rising Harlem rapper MELII helped to warm things up opening the show.
Tags: Summer Walker , In The Flesh , Live , XOXO , Image
Sunday, October 27, 2019
Or was it the French champagne during the initial brainstorming session that served as conduit?
From the enchanted hills of Bisbee, photographer Puspa Lohmeyer assembled a cast from a creative group of friends—artists, musicians, burlesque dancers—with virtually no acting experience, to embark on a first-time foray into filmmaking.
The result, Anodyne, a 17-minute film noir comedy.
XOXO caught up with Lohmeyer and cast members Tiffany Alexander and Ryan O’Rourke for a confab.
Originally from Germany, Lohmeyer came to the states after marrying her husband in 2001.
How did you get into art?
Puspa Lohmeyer: Growing up I was always interested in art. In high school that manifested itself mostly in drama class. But my immediate family isn’t really an artsy family. Very practical people. After high school I traveled a bit. But I didn’t allow myself to be an artist because I felt I had to be useful, contribute to society. I didn’t come from a place that had any appreciation or use for art. Art was considered a hobby.
When did you start shooting your own work?
Puspa Lohmeyer: It wasn’t until about eight years ago that I began doing my own photography and making art. As a photo retoucher I was bottled up, doing what the client wanted me to do. (After moving to Arizona), I meet all these creative people in Tucson. Stylist Sydney Ballesteros being one of them. So, now you are taking someone who came from the suburbs of Germany where art wasn’t appreciated as lifestyle. And then coming to Arizona and being immersed in this creative soup. …
Tags: Anodyne , Puspa Lohmeyer , Tiffany Alexander , Ryan O'Rourke , XOXO , Image
Friday, October 11, 2019
Kennerly’s images have appeared in hundreds of publications around the world, including on the covers of Time, Newsweek and Life. He has photographed 10 U.S. presidents, from Lyndon B. Johnson to Donald Trump, and leading world figures including Queen Elizabeth II, Mikhail Gorbachev, Anwar El Sadat, Fidel Castro, Deng Xioping and many others.
Spanning more than 50 years of history dating from 1965, the David Hume Kennerly archive features nearly one million images, prints, objects, memorabilia, correspondence and documents. It includes iconic portraits of U.S. presidents, world leaders, celebrities and individuals, as well as personal correspondence and mementos such as the helmet and cameras that Kennerly used while photographing the Vietnam War.
"The extraordinary archive of photos by David Hume Kennerly is an asset for scholars, students and visitors to campus. His visual legacy will be an integral part of our curriculum," said University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins in a statement. "He is already working with the Center for Creative Photography to create programming that will draw on his experience and expertise and will spark conversations throughout our campus and broader community."
In conjunction with the acquisition of the archive, the Center for Creative Photography opened a year-long exhibition, David Hume Kennerly: Witness to History, Wednesday, Oct. 11. A talk with Kennerly and fellow Pulitzer Prize winner Jon Meacham will be held at 7 p.m. at the University of Arizona. They will introduce the university's In the Room series, which shares firsthand accounts of being "in the room" where history was being made. The event takes place at Centennial Hall, 1020 E. University Blvd.
"The Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona is the pinnacle of photographic institutions. Their dynamic leadership values the importance of images, and they are committed to incorporating them into the wider curriculum at the university," Kennerly said, in a release.
"Having my archive join the work of Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, and so many other great photographers at the CCP is hands-down one of the most exciting and satisfying moments of my life."
The University of Arizona Center for Creative Photography is located at 1030 N. Olive Road. Find more information online at kennerly.ccp.arizona.edu or over the phone at 621-7968.
Tags: photography , Center for Creative Photography , University of Arizona , David Hume Kennerly , archive , Image
Friday, October 4, 2019
The Carmen Awards are named after Carmen Soto de Vásquez, the founder of the barrio’s Teatro Carmen. Carmen was devoted to presenting dramatic works in Spanish and in 1915 opened the theatre with a production of Cerebro y Corazón by Mexican playwright Teresa Farias de Isassi. It remained a theatre and community arts and entertainment venue until 1926. The original building is still standing in Barrio Viejo.
The Carmens will honor Tucson’s best actors, directors, technicians and designers. We’re looking to celebrate creatives of all genders, races, ages and abilities by de-gendering awards and focusing instead on the variety of production and work that brings a play from page to stage. In addition to celebrating actors and directors, we’re turning the spotlight to stage crews, front of house staff, set, costume, and props designers, and local playwrights.
We’re also committed to recognizing the work that gives back the most to Tucson with three special awards: The Lalo Guerrero Landmark Award, for a local theatre artist, technician, or worker whose work has been impactful and important for at least 20 years; The Community Steward Award, for a local theatre artist, technician, or worker who consistently shows a responsibility to the Tucson arts community or whose work improves the Tucson community at large; and the Important Production Award, for a production that stands out in its artistic originality, social or political mindfulness, community impact, or other exciting element.
Make sure the play that moved you to tears, the actor that truly embodied a character, and the theatre that made the story come to life get recognized. There is no maximum number of nominations you can submit, but please only nominate each person or theatre once per production.
Tags: Theatre , Taming of the review , Carmen Awards , nominations , actors , directors , producers , Image
What’s so funny about 10/12?
You have tough choices for Saturday, October 12. At 8 p.m., Tig Notaro performs an all-ages show at the Rialto Theatre. Tickets are $30 o $42 at Eventbrite.com. Her CD, Live, was the number one selling comedy album the year it was released. A cancer survivor, she’s been nominated for an Emmy and a Grammy for her HBO special, Boyish Girl Interrupted, and her memoir was a New York Times Best-seller.
You can test your stamina with 24 hours of comedy at TENWEST’s 86,400 Second Tucson Comedy Marathon from 6 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 12 until 6 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 13 at Hotel McCoy. Produced by the Tucson Comedy Alliance, it’s free, live and live streamed on Facebook at tucsoncomedy.com. Bring the kids for six hours of family comedy from 6 a.m. to noon on Sunday, Oct. 13. Watch for more details in Tucson Weekly’s coverage of TENWEST.
Finally, Tucson expat and current New York City comic Lorrie Brownstone features for headliner Jason Cheny at Laffs Comedy Caffe at 8 and 10:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday, October 11 and 12. Tickets are $12.50 and $17.50 via laffstucson.com.
Titters
If there weren’t already a word combining boobs and laughs, rascally cartoonist, satirist and raconteur David Fitzsimmons would have to invent one. His annual Titters comedy show, featuring an all-female lineup, has a serious heart, though. It benefits Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, a program that funds breast cancer research. Fitzsimmons lost both his mother and sister to breast cancer. Two of the show’s comedians are survivors.
Brownstone extends her stay to head up the bill. The lineup includes Nancy Stanley, founder of The Estrogen Hour; Priscilla Fernandez of the Retro Game Show, attorney Stacy Scheff and Laughing Stock’s own Linda Ray. Fitzsimmons hosts.
The show is at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 16. Tickets are $16 via freshtix.com.
The Estrogen Hour celebrates its “Wood” anniversary.
While we all know about those fancy anniversaries in double digits – gold, silver, maybe crystal — leave it to those randy Estrogen Hour girls, at least the straight ones, to celebrate the wood for their fifth anniversary. In its five years, the show has raised more than $40,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
The lineup has not yet been confirmed, but The Estrogen Hour typically features female comedians, including a few comedy “virgins” and, occasionally a “guestosterone.” Follow The Estrogen Hour on Facebook for updates.
The Estrogen Hour: 5th Anniversary Show starts at 6:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 20 at Laff’s Comedy Caffe. Reservations are $15 via pages.lls.org/tnt/az/ashvle20/MSteed
Even More Laughs
Friday, Oct. 4: Standup with Michael Turner at 7:30 p.m at The O ($5 and $10). Standup with Mike Merryfield at 8 and 10:30 p.m., Laffs Comedy Caffe ($12.50 and $17.50) Improv with Constable and 301 Showcase at 7:30 p.m. and The Soapbox at 9 p.m. at Tucson Improv Movement ($5).
Saturday, Oct. 5: Standup with Mike Merryfield at 8 and 10:30 p.m., Laffs Comedy Caffe ($12.50 and $17.50). Improv with The Match Game at 7:30 p.m. with Seasons Readings and 3rd Beats at 9 p.m. at Tucson Improv Movement ($5).
Sunday, Oct. 6 and 13: Free Open Mic at 8 p.m. at Chuckleheads in Bisbee.
Monday, Oct. 7 and 14: Free Open Mic at 7 p.m. at The Surly Wench. Oct. 14: Free improvised standup show with audience participation at The Switch at 9 p.m. at The Hut.
Tuesday, Oct. 8: Free open mic and Oct. 15 Roast of Roy Lee Reynolds at Neighborhood Comedy at 6:45 p.m. at The Music Box Lounge.
Wednesday, Oct. 9 and 16: Free open mics at 7 p.m. at The Screening Room and 8:30 p.m. at The Mint.
Thursday, Oct. 10 and 17: Free open mics at 8 p.m. at Laffs Comedy Caffe and 8:30 p.m. at Rockabilly Grill.
Tags: Tig Notaro , Andry Andrist , Kristine Levine , TENWEST , 86 , 400 Second Tucson Comedy Telethon , Hotel McCoy , Doug Stanhope , Lorrie Brownstone , Tucson Improv Movement , The Match Game , Demetri Martin , Rockabilly Grill , Laffs Comedy Caffe , The Screening Roo , The Mint , The Music Box Lounge , Roy Lee Reynolds , Neighborhood Comedy , The Music Box Lounge , The Surly Wench , Chuckleheads , Mike Merryield , Tuson Improv Movement , The Soapbox , Michael Turner , The Estrogen Hour , Leukemia and Lymphoma Society , Nancy Stanley , Stacy Sheff , Linda Ray , David Fitzsimmons , Priscilla Fernandez , Making Strides Against Breast Cancer , Lorrie Brownstone , Jason Cheny , Comedy Virgins , TENWEST , TENWEST;s 86 , 400 Second Comedy Telethon , marathon , Hotel McCoy , Image
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Harper, who works as vice president for a software company by day, has found his calling in carving intricate designs into pumpkins and other gourds in his spare time.
That hobby has blown up over the last few years, with Harper’s art growing more and more detailed.
A quick glance at Harper’s Instagram page shows the extent in which Harper delves for his carvings, featuring everything from a Medusa-like snake-wrapped skull to a man with a cigarette in his mouth.
Harper, who studied art in college, said the hobby took on a life of its own after he found interest in creating 3D designs in the Halloween mainstays.
“This is a full-on hobby. It's turned into something cool because it is a unique thing to carve, a neat thing to do. But yeah, the origin was just like anybody else: carving jack-o-lanterns at Halloween,” Harper said. “And then I have an art background from way back in college and I had to put it aside and I had a family and all that stuff. And about four or five years ago, I picked it back up.”
Harper’s exploits caught the attention of Food Network, which will feature Harper on the Sunday, Sept. 29, episode of "Halloween Wars."
The show, which pits contestants against each other to create the most unique Halloween-themed items possible, was a once-in-a-lifetime moment for Harper and his family.
“What was really fun was getting to know a lot of the other artists,” Harper said. “Tucson is jam-packed with artists. I mean, just loaded. And to even be in the same breath as some of the local Tucson artists is just an honor. And to me, being around some of these hand-selected national artists was really inspiring.”
Harper’s wife, Mindy, made the trip to Los Angeles with him for the show’s taping. She said watching her husband’s television debut in person was a great experience.
“It was great. We would watch the show — and we have three daughters — because we would watch Halloween with them, like, ‘Oh my gosh you are so much better than these people,’ or at least as good,” Mindy said. “Our daughter is the one to really push him over the top to send pictures. He is very humble about his work.”
Harper wouldn’t spill any state secrets about how his debut on the Food Network program fared but said he’s proud of what he accomplished.
He’s hopeful that the exposure will help his artistic career to flourish, as his talents run beyond mere gourds and assorted other vegetable-related carvings.
“The highlight of the show, for me, was getting a little bit more attention or notoriety through the pumpkin carving. It's a really fun thing that I think more and more people should try,” Harper said. “It's a strange way to build your art portfolio, to be on a competitive show like this. But if it ends up getting me a little bit more notoriety, then that's great. But just to be a part of the Tucson art community is probably the most exciting thing.”
Mindy said Matt’s latest exploits are no surprise to the family, as he is constantly on the move, either doing artwork, playing music or helping with local causes.
“First of all, I'll say he's a man of many, many talents,” she said. “I'd say he's kind of like a modern renaissance man, because he will not only be sculpting pumpkins, he's also a drummer in a band in Tucson. He's a swimmer. He's a member of a few philanthropic groups around town. Plus, I don't know, he's just always been very creative ever since I first met him. He does have a lot of creative outlets, which I think is fantastic.”
Tags: Halloween Wars , Food Network , pumpkins , pumpkin carving , art , Matt Harper , Image
Thursday, September 19, 2019
Lisa Landry at the Wench
Comedy at the Wench steps up its game with its first booked national act, Lisa Landry, at 7:30 p.m., Monday, Sept. 23. The show is also the series’ first for which advance tickets are available. They are $10 on Eventbrite.
Tucson comedy regulars know Landry from her headlining sets at Laffs Comedy Caffe. At the Wench she’ll top the bill of the club’s annual Cat Show, featuring cat-themed outfits and laughs in tribute to the next best pet to a dog.
It seems impossible that the life of a popular comedian with cover-girl looks could be anything like ours, but apparently it is. She nails the nexus of daughterhood, motherhood, the grind in general and the mixed legacy of her Louisiana birthplace with line after line of laugh-makers. It’s pretty much exactly what’s in our own 21st-century-afflicted brains, if we were that funny.
Landry uses swear words like a first language, which is to say deftly and where nothing else will do. She won her stripes at the crucible of New York comedy clubs, but her comedy is as grounded as a Costco. She’s had a Comedy Central special, headlined shows in Las Vegas, appeared on a dozen TV shows and released four CDs.
Comedy at the Wench is now in its fourth year with host Roxy Merrari at the helm. The Cat Show is a favorite in the series of special shows that take place on the fourth or last Monday every month. The club’s weekly Monday open mics are free, and past special shows, featured on the fourth or last Monday of the month, have been funded by audience donations.
Kristine Levine and Friends
Tucson’s most famous comedian Kristine Levine opens a new venue for greater Tucson comedy at 10 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 21. She’ll headline and host a show at Circle S Saloon in Marana. Tickets are $10 at the door or $5 in advance at (520) 682-5377.
Levine is best-known locally as Frank Brinsley’s partner on KLPX’s popular World -Famous Frank Show. She performed on several episodes of Portlandia and has guested at comedy festivals all over the U.S.
Last Friday, Last Laughs
This popular free monthly comedy series continues at Hotel McCoy on Friday, Sept. 27 at 8 p.m. In recent months the crowd has regularly overflowed into the patio and an adjacent room so we recommend arriving by 7:30. This month’s lineup includes, among others, Ashley Tappan, Tony Bruhn, Jerry Robin, Leo Skrzypczak, Mo Urban and Jarrod Martin.
Polo Ceniseros and Ryan Talmo at The Screening Room
Los Angeles comedy scene regulars Polo Ceniseros headlines a show at The Screening room with fellow angeleno Ryan Talmo at 8 p.m., Friday, Sept. 27. Tickets are $10 via Eventbrite.com. Rich Gary (Battle at the Roast Room, Keep Tucson Sketchy) hosts the show, which also features Chris Quinn (Open Mic Night at The Screening Room) and Dom DiTolla.
Hot Ticket: Keep Tucson Sketchy
If you were shut out of the first two, standing room only Keep Tucson Sketchy shows, they’ve heard you. The Saturday, Sept. 28 edition offers two showtimes: 7 and 10 p.m. Tickets are $15, but $10 in advance via keep-tucson-sketchy.ticketleap.com/ktsep3/.
Tucson Improv Movement (TIM) cast member Amanda Tennyson hosts the event with includes funny videos as well as hilarious sketches, written, produced and performed by a cast of more than 40 talented Tucsonans. Local musician Amanda Rochelle, also a TIM member, provides a musical break and DJ Sonario plays music for dancing in the aisles.
More Laughs
Friday, Sept. 20: Standup with Ben Roy, feat. Monica Nevi, at 8 and 10:30 p.m., Laffs Comedy Caffe ($12.50 and $17.50). Improv with Constable, Three’s Company and Chocolate Wheatie Things at 7:30 p.m. and The Soapbox at 9 p.m. at Tucson Improv Movement (TIM) ($5). Family-friendly improv with Not Burnt Out Just Unscrewed (NBOJU) at 7:30 p.m. at Unscrewed Theatre ($5 and $7).
Saturday, Sept. 21: Comedia standup en español with Franco Escamilla at Fox Tucson Theatre ($42 to $128). Standup with Joe Koy at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. at Tucson Music Hall ($40 to $55). Standup with Ben Roy, feat. Monica Nevi, at 8 and 10:30 p.m., Laffs Comedy Caffe ($12.50 and $17.50). Improv with The Openers and Spanish language team Como Se Dice at 7:30 p.m., followed by Round 2 of the 3 v 3 Tournament at 9 p.m. at TIM, ($5). Family-friendly improv with NBOJU at 7:30 p.m. followed by House Team Double Feature at 9 p.m. at Unscrewed Theater ($5 and $8).
Sunday, Sept. 22: Free open mic at 8 p.m. at Chuckleheads in Bisbee.
Tuesday, Sept. 24: Free open mic at 6 p.m. at The Music Box
Wednesday, Sept. 25: Free open mics at 7 p.m. at The Screening Room and 8:30 p.m. at The Mint.
Thursday, Sept. 26: Standup with Tom Segura at The Fox Tucson Theatre ($43 to $79). Free open mics at 8 p.m. at Laffs Comedy Caffe and 8:30 p.m. at Rockabilly Grill.
Tags: Lisa Landry , Fox Tucson Theatre , The Music Box , The Screening Room , Laffs Comedy Caffe , Rockabilly Grill , Chuckleheads , Tucson Improv Movement , TIM comedy Theatre , Unscrewed Theatre , NBOJU , Not Burnt Out Just Unscrewed , The Openers , Cómo Se Dice , Tom Segura , Monica Nevi , Ben Roy , Joe Koy , Franco Escamilla , Tucson Music Hall , Constable , Three’s Company , Chocolate Wheatie Things , Amanda Rochelle , Amanda Tennyson , DJ Sonario , Ashley Tappan , Tony Bruhn , Jerry Robin , Leo Skrzypczak , Mo Urban , Jarrod Martin , Keep Tucson Sketchy , Rich Gary , Polo Ceniseros , Ryan Talmo , Chris Quinn , Dom DiTolla , Kristine Levine , Frank Brinsley , KLPX , Circle S Saloon , Roxy Merrari , The Cat Show , Comedy at the Wench , Surly Wench , Image
