WHY RESEARCH HISTORY WHEN YOU CAN MAKE IT UP?
In collaboration with Not Those Wright Brothers and Unscrewed Theater, this hit two-man musical spoof is back by popular demand after being nominated for a MAC Award in 2018.

Two desperate songwriters perform a backers’ audition for their new musical about Gutenberg, the inventor of the printing press. With an unending supply of enthusiasm, Bud Davenport and Doug Simon (portrayed by real-life brothers Carson and Tyler Wright) sing all the songs and play all the parts in their hilarious historical epic!

Who: Some adult content, PG-13 recommended
When: Thursday, August 22 – 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, August 24 – 2 p.m.
Sunday, August 25 – 2 p.m.
Where: Unscrewed Theater
4500 E. Speedway #39
How Much: $25 General
$20 Military, Student, Teacher
$75 for season tickets (4 shows)
All seating is reserved
Tickets: Website: www.sapactucson.org
Call: 520-780-6119
Email: [email protected]
David Shack, Box Office Manager

GUTENBERG! THE MUSICAL!
CAST
Bud Davenport – Carson Wright
Doug Simon – Tyler Wright
Charles the Pianist – Khris Dodge
Originally Directed and Designed by
Carson and Tyler Wright
Original Production was presented in August 2018 at Catalina Foothills High School by Not Those Wright Brothers

On her sophomore release, First Flower (Captured Tracks, 2018), this Austin singer-songwriter turns her  bleeding-heart lyrics away from romance to stare down her inner anxieties.

"I struggle with the anticipation of experiences. I do not have the answers by any means. [The album] is me being transparent." Molly Burch is at 191 Toole with the melancholic indie-pop of Jackie Cohen and homeboy Brian Lopez.

Comrades gather to help locals Black Medicine offset expenses incurred following a nasty automobile accident while on tour. Street Blues Family, Miss Olivia and The Interlopers, Crøøked Saints and Taco Sauce unite purposefully to perform. Black Medicine Fundraiser at The Boxyard.

From Queens, this indie rapper's latest project Raw Every Day (R.E.D.) is a clash of aggressive, violent songs juxtaposed with extremely personal and introspective songs.

"I didn't approach the project with a specific concept in mind. I wanted to just be as real as possible," Aaron Cohen expands. "I wanted to tell the truth. If I felt angry, I made an angry song. If I felt sad, I made a sad song. If I was feeling like the man, I wrote a song about being the man." "Capitalist" Aaron Cohen spits blood red at Solar Culture backed by B.I.G., Amazen, DIAMONDSR8, Young Mob and others.

Chameleonic vocalist Holly Pyle fronts a powerhouse jazz ensemble performing familiar and original material for your listening pleasure in the Lookout Bar & Grille at the Westward Look Resort.

DJs Atom Energy and Lunarfluxx drop a motherlode of house. Deeper happens at Bar Passé.

Pianist Elliot Jones tickles the ivories at The Dusty Monk Pub.

Leave your boombox and cassette mixtape in the closet. Classic '80s New Wave soundtracks the revelry at The Libertine, in digital.

DJ Bonus spins a one-of-a-kind set scoring George Miller's 2015 post-apocalyptic action film Mad Max: Fury Road at Thunder Canyon Brewstillery. Jivin' Scientists' Runt hosts.

Violinist Heather Hardy and singer/guitarist Oscar Fuentes swap songs and stories at Tap + Bottle-Downtown.

Singer-songwriter/guitarist/ukuleleist Joshua Butcher hosts The Butcher's Block. With performances by local luminaries at Iron John's Brewing Company-Congress.

Singer-songwriter Tracy Shedd releases her first new album in six years next month, and the Tucson Weekly has a preview of the indie-pop earworm single “Holding On.”


The one-time Tucsonan now lives in Wilmington, North Carolina, and the aptly titled new record The Carolinas reflects the years since she returned from the Southwest to the Southeast. The record is another evolution in Shedd’s style, which has ranged from quiet and acoustic on her last album, Arizona, to piano-driven songs to the melodic shoegaze of her earlier work.

“Holding On” is the album’s second single, following “Kissing and Romancing.”

“I love how living in different states can slowly seep into your music and subtly influence you,” Shedd said. “Arizona was an acoustic, introspective album, whereas The Carolinas has more of a fun, lighter feel. Another difference is the change of instrumentation, adding synthesizers and drums.”

In their seven years in Tucson, Shedd and husband/guitarist James Tritten became a major part of the local music scene. Tritten’s Fort Lowell Records released vinyl albums and singles by the likes of Howe Gelb, Shedd, Young Mothers, La Cerca, Naïm Amor, Andrew Collberg, …music video?, Saint Maybe, and the Luz de Vida compilation.

Since moving to North Carolina, Shedd and Tritten have been playing in a synth-pop project Band & The Beat, with a drum machine and analog synthesizers. That experimentation carried over to Shedd’s new record, recorded with drummer Nicolas Jenkins from South Carolina.

“That opened my mind to the possibility of rearranging songs and not being attached just because you initially wrote something one way,” Shedd sais. “The Carolinas was a blast to create.”

The album will be released Sept. 20, on vinyl by Science Project Records, and digitally via Fort Lowell Records.

A preschool teacher by vocation, this indie folk singer-songwriter from Hermosillo, Sonora, after a period of turmoil found her voice and will—to free herself from an oppressive relationship—to pursue her dreams. The result is Los Colores, her debut album.

On Los Colores Carmina Robles pours out her heart into songs about love, loss, hope and the walls that we as individuals build that become societal barometers. Her stories unfold in her native vernacular, Spanish. But the plaintive melodies and raw emotion in her execution strikes a chord of universality that transcends cultural divides.

“My music is folk with roots in the north of Mexico. Folk music from the south has a different sound,” Robles expands.

“The music from the north (Norteño) resembles American country music. And at the same time, my sound is a bit alternative.”

The opening track, “Hoy No Están Aquí” [“Today They Are Not Here”], speaks of a pivotal moment in her life.

“It was important for me to write this song because it gave me the courage to take my music further, to other places.”

Subsequently, Robles began traveling north to win American audiences.

“Los Colores” [“The Colors”], the title track,is a simple folk song about love. Its inspiration came during a road trip.

“I distinctly recall being on the highway, traveling through the desert towards Tucson and being awestruck by the beautiful spectrum of colors at sunset.”

The song captures a bittersweet memory bathed in light.

She also knows when it’s time to cash in what’s left of the poker chips and walk away. Like on “Los Bares Bajos” [“The Low Bars”], a spirited barroom romp, she sifts through the ashes of love to arrive at a forlorn conclusion: “And I say, I’d better get drunk instead.”

Moving effortlessly in another direction, on “Éxtasis” [“Ecstasy”] Robles draws from her rock influences — bands like Caifanes, iconic Mexican alt-rockers. Building from a whisper to a scream, she sings.

“To understand that you're here in a world without spaces/In an ecstasy drowning what is left of you.”

Robles digs deeper, “Sadness lets us see a reality that can be beautiful as well.”

Her pen also writes about social realities as they exist.

On “Se Van Alzando Muros” [“They Are Raising Walls”] Robles speaks out on the dehumanizing effect that separating human beings with border walls holds on the psyche.

“I opened myself to the internal walls within our culture. Being an outcast community, naturally, we believe that our value as people is less than others. I encourage you to recognize us as Latinos in all our greatness. To look up and show all our abilities before our shortcomings.”

With few instrumental embellishments, Los Colores is not a varnished production. It is raw. The simple arrangements are deftly upheld on the strength of Robles’ vocal melodies and her guitar; The measure of a good song. This is not the work of an old master in the winter of one’s life. No. These are the early flowers of an artist in bloom.
Check out “Zona de Guerra.” Her latest song addresses the violence that drug traffickers have wreaked on Ciudad Obregón, her hometown.

For the movie-goer looking to experience the big screen like royalty, one of Tucson’s most popular theaters is getting a multimillion dollar facelift.

The Harkins Tucson Spectrum theatre, located at 5455 S Calle Santa Cruz, will receive a variety of enhancements as part of Harkins Theatres' $150 million initiative to upgrade their existing theaters.

“Tucson Spectrum holds a special place in our hearts as our first Tucson location, especially for me as a native Tucsonan,” said Mike Bowers, President and CEO of Harkins Theatres in a press release Thursday. “Delivering the Ultimate Moviegoing experience for our guests is always our number one priority. Part of delivering on this promise is to reinvest in our theatres with best-in-show technology and amenities. We are thrilled to announce the enhancements coming to Harkins Tucson Spectrum.”

The upgrades to the Spectrum Theatre will include new plush leather seating in all auditoriums, state-of-the-art laser projection, reserved seating and an in-lobby bar with local craft brews.

A CINÉ1 premium large format auditorium will also be added to the theater that includes features like Ultimate Lounger seats and Dolby Atmos 3D sound.

The construction has already begun and the theater will remain open while the upgrades take place.

For more information about Harkins Theatre, visit www.harkins.com/locations/tucson-spectrum-18. 

Friday, Aug. 9

Straight from "Jackass Acres," Phoenix cowpunks The Earps have been on a big bender, "Shitkickin'" and chasing "Rockabilly Girls" since 2003. They will share the Brodie's Tavern stage with Tucson's The Gem Show and Cubes.

"Trance around the world." Forever Trance is a monthly EDM happening at The Underground.

The Freddy Parrish Trio with Hank Topless unite with the expressed intent of making fine country music come to life at Sky Bar.

Like a good mixtape, guitarist Mike Sydloski, bassist David Hostetler, drummer Daniel Thomas and ever-wicked vocalist Olivia Reardon crossfade to form Miss Olivia & The Interlopers. They pair with dedicated mistresses of maritime trauma The Surfbroads for a romp at 191 Toole.

Experience traditional bluegrass in the spirit which it was indeed. Cadillac Mountain play it at lightning speed and adorn it with harmony vocals capable of resounding off canyon walls at Westbound.

Choro ["little lament"] is an instrumental music genre which originated in 19th-century Rio de Janeiro. Despite its name, the music is often uptempo and happy. From São Paulo, Choro Das 3 perform at Sea of Glass-Center for The Arts.

Sasami returns to fill Club Congress with ethereal synth musings that bolster shoegazey guitar textures. With the '60s tinged witchcraft of Hannah Yeun and the positive punk of Stripes520.

Mama's House continues at Hotel McCoy. Resident DJ Mother Tierra spins an eclectic mix poolside.

To help Ten55 Brewing Company celebrate its first anniversary downtown, musical shapeshifter Jacob Acosta performs.

Latin Legends glides into the AVA Amphitheater featuring the smooth uptown soul of Brenton Wood ("Gimme a Little Sign"), Tierra ("Together"), Malo ("Suavecito"), Thee Midniters ("Whittier Blvd") and El Chicano ("Tell Her She's Lovely").

Cruisin' For A Bluesin', Bad News Blues Band have their dukes up at Monterey Court.

On the 24th anniversary of Jerry Garcia's passing, The Paper Airplanes Project celebrate his legacy at Crooked Tooth Brewing Co.

"When the lights go down in the city," from the luminescence of the Las Vegas Strip, Another Journey pays tribute to one of rock's enduring legends at the Rialto Theatre.

Saturday, Aug. 10

Be the Void (ANTI-Records, 2012) was recorded at these Philadelphian's "Meth Beach" studio, yet bears a distinct Tucson watermark: The album features Golden Boots founding member Dimitri Manos on drums and was co-produced by Nathan Sabatino. Neo-psychedelic/baroque poppers Dr. Dog will be at the Rialto Theatre.

Irene's Holy Donuts is the site of Return of The Mermaids Late Night Afterparty. With performances by The Surfbroads—"hot broads playing cool surf" who add the briny tang of the sea—and IllumiNaughty, a tribal fusion dance troupe known to shake their flukes. DJ Nation hosts this semi-human aquatic event of mythic proportion.

"Ray of Sunshine" pop singer Belinda Esquer, accompanied on bass by Jon D'Auria, perform "Elevator Music" on the patio of Hotel Congress.

It's the songs. Imbued with universal themes—loss, desperation, self-loathing, shattered dreams, and an existential longing unfulfilled—that resonate deeply with a faithful audience decades after the band's formation. Greyhound Soul perform at Che's Lounge.

His "Daddy Was a Badass." This outlaw Americana singer-songwriter's tear-stained voice and lost soul sensibilities were nudged listening to Johnny Cash, his big sister's folk records, three-chord punk rock rave-ups and '70s AOR FM radio; By doing so he has managed to create a distinct hybrid. Jesse Dayton is at Club Congress with Houston singer-songwriter, with "No One To Drink With," Mike Stinson.

This guitarist's influences span from clever pop of The Beatles to the rhythmic bossa novas of Brazillian composer Antônio Carlos Jobim. The Eugene Boronow Trio play The Dusty Monk Pub.

Only God knows? The August edition of Resonance Monthly finds DJ/producer Angelz—known for his love of house, hip hop and bass—dropping Heat at Gentle Ben's.

They are a little folk, a little country and a whole lot of trouble, with a Southwestern tan to boot. Eric Schaffer & the Other Troublemakers are at Monterey Court.

Bound by a mutual love of Green Day, a fascination with B-movies and a heart for social justice, high schoolers/sodapop punks Mudpuppy extract incisors at Crooked Tooth Brewing Co.

Some say he was born a country outlaw with a classic rock attitude. Caiden Brewer shimmies and sways in the Paradiso Lounge at Casino Del Sol.

Dash Pocket, blazing up-and-comers, play Americana, folk and alt-country at BlackRock Brewers.

Bleach Party USA, D.B.F.O.S., The Dead Beat Hymns, The F.I.S.T., Bring Your Own Molotov, Los Diablos Gordos and Mickey Siixx perform to raise funds and awareness for Southern Arizona Gender Alliance at Spark Project Collective.

Metallists Stands With Fists share their Cinematic Mind when they headline a 3D Glow Show. They share the stage with Sorrows Ruin, Elyzian, Gila Byte, Within a Dream and Decenvir. Artist Donovan White will paint live. All-Ages at Encore.

Palm Sunday and Hemlock—songstresses from Louisiana touring the West—offer somber bedroom folk tunes at Exo Roast Co. Chanteuse Louise Le Hir adds appreciably to the evening.

Tour of Tucson: Battle in The Old Pueblo is a drag show spectacular to benefit Tucson Pride at 191 Toole.

Featuring guitarist Damon Barnaby, bassist Duane Hollis and Tom Larkins on percussion, Mark Insley y Trés Burros are at Iron John's Brewing Company–Congress on Downtown Saturday Night.

Cochise County All-Stars play honky-tonk and jukebox country in the courtyard at Mercado San Agustin.

From the Tohono O'odham Nation, Gertie and the T.O. Boyz perform waila music—along with speakers, poets, dancers and more—as part of World Indigenous Peoples Day at Alliance For Global Justice.

Sunday, Aug. 11

Fueled by hits "Glycerine," "Swallowed" and "Everything Zen"—selling over 20 million records worldwide—these Londoners went on to become one of the defining alt-rock bands of the '90s. In a 2014 interview, with regard to Man on the Run, frontman Gavin Rossdale spoke about "staying true to your path, to your vocation and your passion." But does this statement of intent still apply today? Find out. "Selling The Drama," The ALTimate Tour—featuring Bush, Live and Our Lady Peace—rolls into the AVA Amphitheater.

A Celebration of Friends sees an impressive lineup of pals—Anchorbaby, Barely Bipedal, Freezing Hands, The Gem Show, Pork Torta and Shit Knife—gather to help raise cash to aid of guitarist Leo Schwamm with mounting medical expenses due to protracted illness at Alliance For Global Justice.

This blues singer/guitarist's repertoire includes 1930s Depression Era blues and Ginsbergian Beat Generation poetry. Michael P. Nordberg engages at Crooked Tooth Brewing Co.

The Limes celebrate the release of their debut album at Club Congress. AM Waves, Somniac, Logan Greene and Carnival add to the merriment.

Hungry? Like a side of funk with your scrambled eggs? Multi-instrumentalist Mik Garrison & The Funky Brunch stacks layer upon layer of musical loops in real time at La Cocina.

Brace yourselves; An epic night of hardcore awaits. South Floridians Ecostrike and Envision and North Carolina's Magnitude team up with Arizona's Get A Grip, Construct and Concrete Evidence. Mayhem is sure to ensue. All-ages at Ward6.

Harnessing power directly from the red rock mountains and vortexes of Sedona where he resides—or so we are asked to believe—decker. (psychedelic/desert folk) channels electromagnetic Earth energy at Club Congress. He is flanked by Phoenicians Banana Gun and Wyves.

This Brooklyn-born rapper’s parents—two college professors—christened him “The seeker of truth.” Known for his activism and strong political views on police brutality, racial stereotyping and the prison-industrial complex he told HuffPo that the youth possess the energy to take to the streets. Cautioning that activism cannot be done by just sitting at a computer, Talib Kweli brings Hip Hop for Respect to the Rialto Theatre. Tucson institution Jivin’ Scientists kick things off.

Pianist and vocalist Sly Man & Sheryl Ann pick jazz, blues, pop and a few surprises from the American Songbook in the Lookout Bar & Grille at the Westward Look Resort.

DJs Atom Energy and Lunar Fluxx drop a motherlode of house. Deeper happens at Bar Passé.  

As cooler nights set in during the summer, the Mercado San Agustin Annex invites you to their Summer Night Market. Every last Friday of the month through September, the annex is turned into an open-air market with local makers and vendors.

Come for the live music from DJ Herm, grab some Japanese food from Kukai and browse some rescued potted cactus from DIRT shop.  This family-friendly event features Now or Never boutique store, Why I Love Where I Live and MESA shop, among many others.

When: Friday, August 30

6 – 10:00 p.m.

Where: MSA Annex

267 S Avenida del Convento

Next Night Market:

Friday, September 27

6 p.m. – 10 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 2

Hosted by KXCI's Marty Kool, the eighth annual House Rockin' Blues Review is a West Coast Blues explosion. This year's event features Junior Watson, Billy Watson and Taryn Donath, backed by  the all-star rhythm section of Troy Sandow and Marty Dodson at El Casino Ballroom. The Bryan Dean Trio kicks off this barnburner. Proceeds will benefit KXCI Community Radio.

During the '90s, this alt-folk singer fronted a noisy post-grunge band, Verbena. In 2003, after the band dissolved, he found a piece of himself that had been missing and began recording American Hearts (Fat Possum Records), a transmutation towards a minimal folk sound. Despite a few modern conventions—the sparing use of a synth or drum machine—the sorrow at the heart of his music is timeless. A.A. Bondy renders "Images of Love" at Club Congress.

As humanity plunges into its darkest hour, the fog of existence has finally cleared thanks to the fruits (and campy VHS tape clips) of your favorite found footage collective, Everything Is Terrible! at 191 Toole.

"We're all just out of college. By the time you're out of school, you'll have it all figured out, we were told. But that's not really how it is," said bandleader Cleto Cordero. Red Dirt country outfit Flatland Cavalry of Lubbock, Texas, storm The Rock with The Cole Trains of Safford, Arizona, in tow.

Bryan Thomas Parker & Friends dole out "lizard-flavored roots and rhythm," enough to make you shed your skin at Sky Bar.

Led by vocalist (retired Command Sergeant Major) Connie Brannock, Little House of Funk, like a violent thunderstorm, will energize the evening air with R&B as part of the Friday Night Live Free Concert Series at Main Gate Square.

"Round & Round": Niki J Crawford, one of L.A.'s hottest soul/blues/funk bands, return to Monterey Court.

Mother's House finds August resident DJ Mother Tierra spinning an eclectic mix poolside at Hotel McCoy.

Beloved acoustic performers Sam & Dante play original jazz and ragtime with a twist of whimsy at Westbound.

From Barrio Santa Rosa, this bajo sexto and accordion-driven conjunto specialize in a polka and música norteño so intoxicating that one can easily lose their volition and dance with abandon. Pedro Y Los Liricos are at Exo Roast Co.

The Telecasters will surely howl and snarl, during this psycho country skirmish, when The Hank Topless Band (featuring ax-man Loren Dircks) and Kentucky country/rockabilly picker Michael Monroe Goodman take to the stage outdoors on the plaza at Hotel Congress.

Saturday, Aug. 3

In 2017, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees appointed this Japanese pop star as a Goodwill Ambassador for his work visiting refugee camps around the world. "Under the Same Sky," Miyavi brings the No Sleep Till Tokyo Tour in for a stop at 191 Toole.

Fronted by vocalist Randy Cordeiro, Super Diamond: A Tribute to Neil Diamond play a verisimilitude of the hits that transformed the real Diamond into an international pop icon at the Rialto Theatre. Like a pearl handled pistol, The Lola Torch Trio lend dangerous intrigue.

DJ Jahmar International hosts Locals Only Saturdays. This installment sees J Sims, Jase, Super Sick, Pharaoh Abstract and Suuugggaaarrr perform at Mr. Head's.

Mutiny: DJ NoirTech spins alt/'80s/indie/electronic/industrial at the Surly Wench Pub.

Guitarist extraordinaire Pete Fine is Beyond Words at House of Bards.

An evening of time-honored Latin American music with Tradiciones Entre Peruanos unfolds at Exo Roast Co.

Hosted by Marley B and Johnny Rubix, For The Love: Sanctuary features performances by Jaca Zulu, Lizzy Page, Vinney Mendez, EZ Goin, UG Desert Artists, Jaron Ikner, Street Blues Family y mas. Donations support the political committee Tucson Families Free & Together in the effort to persuade voters to make Tucson a sanctuary city this November at Thunder Canyon Brewstillery.

Break out your holy water sprinkler. Los Diablos, Drug Thirsty Mule, Conqueror Worm and Gun Runners play "The Devil's Music" at Irene's Holy Donuts.

Imagine that... It's an art party! Artist Dimitri Manos' latest work, "Up to Bat," is a 3-dimensional installation utilizing salvaged materials. The opening reception features a live set by Golden Boots at How Sweet It Was. DJ Ponytail Cruiser provides ambience.

"Train, Train, take me on out of this town." With no original members, Southern fried hard rockers Blackfoot perdure at Encore.

Sunday, Aug. 4

On Lucas Acid (Fake Four, 2018), frontperson/lyricist Chris Martinez came out as a transgender  woman. The result: An unflinchingly ferocious album of trans anthems with a glitch-laden industrial edge. "The biggest difference was just being able to write freely, openly and honestly," said Martinez. "Once you come out, there's a whole host of issues that you don't really consider. This record has a lot of that in there." Pioneers in noise rap, Moodie Black are at Club Congress with Coolzey, Liquid Space and Atmosphere.

Like your toast with jam? Mik & The Funky Brunch provide family-friendly funk at La Cocina.


Jazz saxophonist Autumn Dominguez leads her quartet at Bar Passé.

All for One and One for Ball sees FebboFuentes, Billy Sedlmayr, Heroes Reunion, Amy Mendoza & the Strange Vacation, The Bennu, Golden Boots and Loveland circle the wagons in support of beloved local guitarist Joe Fanning, who was recently diagnosed with testicular cancer at Tap + Bottle–Downtown.

Is it real? Out on The Simulation Tour, Born Of Osiris wheel into The Rock with Michigan harcore/punks Spite.

Join Pima County Public Library for a screening of Maggie Smith’s award-winning short film Tucson Salvage The Documentary, inspired by the book "Tucson Salvage" by Brian Jabas Smith. Following the film, Brian will perform a reading from his book and host a discussion.

Dusenberry-River Library, 5605 E. River Rd.
Saturday, August 17 from 3–4 p.m.

Brian Jabas Smith is an award-winning journalist, editor and the author of "Spent Saints & Other Stories" and "Tucson Salvage: Tales and Recollections from La Frontera." 

Maggie Smith is a filmmaker, writer, mother and human rights activist. She has adapted, co-written and executive produced the web series Spent Saints and co-written and directed the festival-winning documentary Tucson Salvage.

Tucson Salvage is based on Smith’s columns for the Tucson Weekly. Offering sharp, empathic commentary on diverse subjects, Smith channels the people not usually seen or valued in society, and in doing so, holds a mirror to us all. The Asheville Scene called it “an artful collection that reads like the diary of an observant poet.”

Tucson Salvage the Documentary is a 30-minute meditation on five humans profiled in Smith’s columns. Forged by adversity and united by humanity, the people in this documentary allow us to witness those we might never approach and hear them tell their own life stories.

Brian and Maggie have traveled across the United States stunning audiences at such well-known places as The Hudson Theatre in Los Angeles, Elliot Bay Bookstore in Seattle, Bookbeat in Detroit, and Malaprop’s Bookstore in Asheville.

This event is free and open to the public. Copies of "Tucson Salvage" will be available for sale. For more information visit library.pima.gov or call Infoline at (520) 791-4010.