Friday, May 15, 2015
You don't need to go too far outside of Tucson proper to get a festival experience this weekend because on Saturday, May 16 eight bands will be taking over Cowtown Keeylocko to play together for a special one-night event.
Now in its third iteration and second year, Keeylocko aims to be "a celebration of the desert / Tucson / the weird," according to Algae and Tentacles' John Melillo. His band will be joined by other local acts including Ohioan, The Myrrors, Louise Le Hir, Hank Topless, Al Foul and Aroma. L.A.'s Tara Jane O'Neil will also be performing.
Melillo and Ohioan's Ryne Warner put on the events, which are organized in conjunction with Lightning Records. In an interview with the Tucson Weekly last year, Warner said the event seeks to put live music in a new setting and see what happens.
“The thing that really interests me that doesn’t get considered much is the context in which we experience music,” Warner says. “I get pretty worn out always going to bars to experience music in that context. It presents a monotonous mentality. I wish there was a different sort of communal experience happening.”Like the past events, Saturday's Keeylocko festival will include the option of staying and camping at the venue, though attendees are encouraged to bring food and tents to make it happen. A cash-only bar will provide drinks for attendees as well.
The $8 event includes camping and it begins at 4 p.m. Cowtown Keeylocko is located at 12230 S. Coleman Road near Three Points.
Before you go, you can check out this video on Cowtown Keeylocko's founder Ed Keeylocko:
Cowtown Keeylocko from Dark Rye on Vimeo.
Tags: cowtown keeylocko , festival , music , live , tucson , algae and tentacles , ohioan , lightning records , Video
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
The Mayor's Senior Task Force (a branch off the ELDER Alliance) says that, with about 16,000 people in need of these services, the only way to meet the demand is with more residents stepping up to donate some of their time.
“Volunteer drivers can help older adults age with dignity and independence,” Rothschild said in a statement. “Daily, routine activities that we take for granted are vital to allowing individuals to live at home, regardless of age, illness or disability.”
There are a handful of local nonprofits, such as the ITN Greater Tucson, that provide door-to-door rides to residents 60 and up or with some sort of disability. The ITN is collaborating with Interfaith Community Services, Mobile Meals of Tucson and the Pima Council on Aging's Neighbors Care Alliance to recruit drivers.
For more info, visit volunteer.unitedwaytucson.org or call 903-3977.
Tags: itn greater tucson , interfaith community services , mobile meals of tucson , pima council on aging , neighbors care alliance , elder alliance , tucson jonathan rothschild
Friday, May 8, 2015
SAGA's Abby Jensen says they thought this week would be appropriate, since trans actress Laverne Cox visited us on Monday and there is an LGBTQ wellness and health conference all day today, where SAGA will have a table.
"Part of it is to reintroduce Tucson to SAGA to the fact that SAGA is still here and SAGA is doing great stuff and we want the community to know about us," she says.
They also need a better picture of what Tucson's transgender and gender nonconforming community looks like. "There will be paper pads with specific questions so people will be able to write down their thoughts about what SAGA needs to be doing, we can start getting an idea of where we should be focusing our efforts," she says. Reaching out to trans people of color and youth is at the forefront of their efforts, too.
SAGA at the Tipping Point is happening at Fluxx Studios from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. There will be food, beer, wine and lots of music. It's a free event.
Tags: southern arizona gender alliance , transgender , lgbt , fluxx , abby jensen , laverne cox
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
A BFF is the very special kind of person who is always around to finish your sandwiches, and it is BFFs who are the subject of the upcoming Female Storytellers event on Wednesday, May 6.
The monthly event delivers funny and true tales on a given topic that changes every time that are written and performed by local women. This time you can listen to short pieces about friendship from Annie Conway, Stephanie Carlson, Erin Whittig, Maryann Green, Kate Schwartz and Amanda Sierra.
There's a suggested donation of $7 (cash only) to watch the show. A portion of the proceeds from this event will go to Ben's Bells and their mission to infuse more intentional kindness into Tucson.
You can catch all of the Female Storytellers at Flycatcher, located at 340 E. Sixth St. on Wednesday evening. Doors open at 7 p.m. and performers begin at 7:30 p.m. It's a 21 and over event.
Tags: female storytellers , tucson , speaking , event , flycatcher , friendship
Friday, May 1, 2015
When I meet new people, they either comment on my name ("Are your parents musicians?" No, no they are not) or on my glasses (because they're really good). I've had these frames for almost two years now and they're just starting to show signs of distress. As someone who wouldn't be able to wouldn't be able to recognize her own mother from 10 feet away without her glasses on, it's pretty important to find a frame before the glasses I've got now wear out.
So, fill out your Best of Tucson® ballots! And make sure one of the (minimum 30) categories you fill out is Best Eyeglass/Optical Retailer!
Tags: Fill your ballot out!
The fight for $15; demands to stop police and Border Patrol agents from continuing to kill unarmed, innocent people; immigrants and LGBT rights; support for indigenous rights at Oak Flat and Rio Yaqui; public education (reinstating Mexican-American studies); and the "We Stand With Rosa!" campaign (supporters of Rosa Robles Loreto, who's been living in sanctuary at Southside Presbyterian Church for eight months now) will also be present.
Jim Byrne, who is one of the advocates who helped organize this year's gathering, says this is also about making noise against violence toward sex workers, transgender people—the list is long.
"(These are) people trying to make ends meet, to make a living, to do what they can, and everybody who is at this march is trying to make sure we stand in solidarity," he says.
Members of Tucson's May 1st Coalition—which include labor groups, immigration activists, etc.—will start off at the Santa Rita Park for opening remarks and an invocation by the Calpolli Teoxicalli danza group. The march will then head to Mirasol Park, 29th Street near Mountain, where the Escuelita Musical will perform and more speakers will come forward.
Also, there will be food!
The march is from 5 to 7 p.m., and will meet at Santa Rita Park.
Tags: may day , international workers day , immigration , lgbt , indigineous , police brutality , black lives matter , we stand with rosa , oak flat , rio yaqui , also there will be food
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
I really love going to comedy shows. Concerts aren't my bag: I don't know much about music, I'm a notably bad dancer and I'm 5 feet tall, making my face pretty much at elbow level—no, thank you. So, l go to comedy nights (and I'm sure some of you tall, dancing, music experts do, too).
So, while the rest of the comedy nerds and I await next month's Eddie Izzard show, who should we go see? Who should be named 2015's Best of Tucson® Best Local Comedian?
As always: Make your case for the most amusing local in the comments but head over and cast your vote where it counts so they get some recognition.
Monday, April 27, 2015
To help cover restoration costs for the vandalized Fox Theatre, you can visit its website and make a special donation (or call 547-3040)—anyone who gives $75 or more will get a free one year membership.
"The response from many in the community who wish to protect and preserve this beautiful historic theatre has been overwhelming," says a statement by Craig Sumberg, executive director of the Fox Foundation. "We are so grateful for those who have offered their donations of time and money to help restore the front entryway."
The foundation is also raising money to install security cameras to prevent any future attacks.
There will be a free music even Saturday for 2nd Saturdays, and donations will also be accepted then.
The Tucson Police Department is looking into area security cameras that may have captured who graffitied the theatre's entry. If anyone has information, call 88-CRIME.
Tags: fox tucson theatre , vandalized , graffiti , tucson
Saturday, April 25, 2015
One of my favorite of my Best of Tucson® categories is probably one of the more challenging ones: Best Local Legend. I love it because of the huge range of answers we're getting so far. Sadly, I can't share those with you. Well, not the specifics, at least.
I love that some of the people being nominated are national icons that hail from the Old Pueblo—They're not so much ours any more, but we're happy to watch them shine. Other people are a few years gone. Not dead, necessarily, but done being in the spotlight. These business icons and sports heroes still define our city years after their names stopped appearing in the papers. And, of course, we've got our current Tucsonans. Those people you know by stage names, through cartoons and appearances at the Loft. The people who pull you off the couch and out on the town every weekend.
What do you think? When you think of Tucson legends, do you think rainbow unicorn stickers or kick ass basketball seasons? Iconic radio personalities or people the whole nation has learned to love? Perfectly greased up hair, piles of used books or the best local musicians? What and who are our legends?
Make your case in the comments, but don't forget to cast your vote where it counts.
Tags: Best of Tucson , Best Local Legend , Tucson Legends
Friday, April 24, 2015
Unsure of what to do tomorrow? The eighth annual Unity Festival is happening—a day of hip hop, urban art, cultural events and workshops, lots of food and aguas frescas to celebrate youth, and encourage them to express themselves in a a positive and creative way.
It is put together by Tucson High and the school's M.E.Ch.A—Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan—in honor of Consuelo Aguilar, who founded the festival. She died of cancer in 2009 at the age of 26. (The Consuelo Aguilar 2015 Scholarship Walk/Run is also tomorrow.)
Donations for the scholarships, which are given to students majoring in Mexican-American studies, and next year's Unity fest will be accepted at the gathering at Tucson High happening from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
There's going to be some mariachi music, hip hop and folkloric dancers, and spoken word goodness by the Tucson Youth Poetry Slam.
Tags: unity festival , consuelo aguilar , tucson high magnet school , tucson youth poetry slam , hip hop , culture
