Gus Van Sant gets back into fine directing shape with Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far On Foot, his best effort in years. Joaquin Phoenix gets much of the credit; he’s terrific as real-life cartoonist John Callahan, an alcoholic who wound up in a wheelchair after a car accident with a new friend (Jack Black). Van Sant jumps around with his timeline, but the film is never confusing no matter where it goes. We see Callahan pre-accident, drinking tequila first thing in the morning. We also see him during one of the film’s framing devices, a convention where Callahan is sharing his story. Most effectively, we see him in group therapy sessions led by Donnie (Jonah Hill), a free spirited, generally kind man who, nevertheless, isn’t going to give you many breaks as your sponsor. Those sessions have a documentary-like feel, and Hill is especially good (and nearly unrecognizable) in them. Phoenix is having a great year (if you haven’t seen him in You Were Never Really Here, you must), and this might be his very best work yet. Rooney Mara, Carrie Brownstein and Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth show up in brief, yet effective roles. This is one of the summer’s better films.

Birds of Tohono Chul Walking Tour. It’s easy these days to look up at the sky and see only a fickle force of nature, which seems like it’s trying to set you on fire until it starts unpredictably pouring down water. But when you look up at the sky, you also have a pretty good shot at seeing one of the 140 species of birds that have visited Tohono Chul Park (on any given morning, you’re pretty likely to see at least a dozen). From our state bird the cactus wren to sweet little families of quail, from woodpeckers hiding in cactus holes to one of our year-round hummingbird species, they’re everywhere! Head over to Tohono Chul and a docent will walk you through it, teaching you how to identify birds and guiding you down the easy-to walk paths. 8 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday through September.  Tohono Chul, 7366 Paseo del Norte. $10 seniors/military/student, $13 adults, $3 kids 5 to 12, free for members and kids under 5. Details here.

Uptown Funk with the Desert Divas. Maybe you like to think of yourself as a desert diva: You can tell the different kinds of cacti apart, you have a fabulous hat to protect you from the summer sun, or maybe you know EXACTLY what ratio you like your Arnold Palmers to be. But the Desert Divas are on a whole other level. These fabulous, feather boa-wearing women are coming to the Gaslight to pay tribute to the pop/rock/R&B sounds of Bruno Mars, Alicia Keys, Adele, Meghan Trainor, Amy Winehouse and more. Grab your fancy hat, an Arnold Palmer, and maybe even a feather boa of your own, and hightail it over to this show. 7 p.m. Monday, July 23. The Gaslight Theatre, 7010 E. Broadway. $22.95 adult, $20.95 senior/student/military, $12.95 children. Details here.

March for Science Presents: Summer Science Trivia! Hooray for beer! And hooray for science! It’s easy to forget (especially after you’ve had a couple of ’em), but a lot of science goes into the making of beer. This week, Mike Mallozzi, the cofounder of Borderlands himself, will be speaking about the science of brewing. He’ll speak and lead hands-on activities for an hour, followed by an hour of science trivia on all sorts of topics. They say you learn better when you really dive into a subject, so you should probably have a beer to get a solid feel for the subject at hand. But this event is also kid-friendly, so beer-drinking is in no way mandatory. 7 to 9 p.m. Monday, July 23. Borderlands Brewing Company, 119 Toole Ave. Free. Details here.

Save Face. Like a graphic novel depiction of human folly, Save Face draw bold outlines, pen quirky lyrics and hold a mirror to modern-age pitfalls. In the fist-pump Epitaph Records tradition of The Weakerthans, New Jersey’s Save Face straddle lines between funny and gut-wrenching, “Are you bored or just preoccupied?” While fans of pre-millennial indie will likely find singer Tyler Povanda’s delivery somewhat cartoony and overwrought, closer listens reveal for all his broad emoting, his intention is sincere, at times thought-provoking. The relentless power-chording and percussive drum/bass recall The Dismemberment Plan when they’re good, or woefully overlooked ’90s band The Cunninghams, steering listeners through hyperbolic nightmares and suburban mundanities with aplomb. And their “Heartache” is the best power-pop song of the last decade, easy. With Prince Daddy & the Hyena. Monday, July 23. Club Congress, 311 E. Congress St. Doors at 7 p.m. $10-$12, 16+. —B.S. Eliot. Details here.

Car Seat Headrest. In 2011 Will Toledo penned his heart out. The tunes, raw and painfully adolescent, particularly in their first-person accounts of a small-town Virginia gay boy, “I never came out to my friends on Skype … I laughed and I changed the subject,” earned Toledo a sizable cult following. Twelve albums (!) and a Matador Records deal later, Toledo returned to his beloved debut, with a full band and the musical know-how to see his songs through. Filled with hard-won grace, the Twin Fantasy album is vital and relevant account of silent suffering many of us do even while scrolling social media. Still searching but now well-worn, Toledo’s scratched-up voice carries the ghost of Elliot Smith and even Nick Drake, nestled in a sweetened swirl of post-Sonic Youth guitars and staccato down beats. And still the brutal honesty, with rising hope prevails: “One day we won’t be alone.” With Naked Giants on Monday, July 23. 191 Toole. Doors at 7 p.m. $15-$17. All ages. —B.S. Eliot. Details here.

Events compiled by Emily Dieckman, Dylan Reynolds, BS Eliot, Ava Garcia and Jeff Gardner.

Over the next week-and-a-half, The Loft Cinema is freeing you of your parental obligations (if only for an hour or two). What’s better than watching some of the best children’s movies on the big screen? The fact that they’re all free! The Loft Kids Fest kicks off on Friday, July 20, with a Himmel Park party at 6 p.m. that includes an 8 p.m. screening of Trolls. After that, the daily action moves to The Loft. Check out: Home (July 21); How to Train Your Dragon 2 (July 22); Walking with Dinosaurs (July 23); Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes (July 24); The Neverending Story (July 25); The Last Unicorn (July 26); Looney Tunes shorts (July 27); Spirited Away (July 28); and 2017’s Beauty and the Beast (July 29). Screenings start at 10 a.m. every morning, with a second 11 a.m. screening on weekends only. Loft Cinema, 3233 East Speedway Boulevard.

Wild Strawberries. Continuing their Bergman centennial, The Loft is screening the Swedish master’s second great film. Wild Strawberries is part psychological drama, part road movie, part surrealism. It examines the memories, dreams, hopes and fears of an aging professor as he drives through the country with a rotating cast of characters. Since its debut in 1957, only a small group of films have so masterfully captured the abstract horror and humor of the human mind (Tarkovsky’s The Mirror and Lynch’s Mulholland Drive among them). 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 19. 3233 E. Speedway Blvd. Regular admission prices. Details here.

Four Peaks Beer Dinner. Upgrade your barbecue dinner with brews from Four Peaks Brewing Co. Brother John’s is hosting a pairing dinner that offers a broad sampling of the local beer and their signature barbecue. For more menu information, RSVP and call 520-867-6787 for reservations. 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, July 19. 1801 N. Stone Ave. Details here.

The Resiliency of Hopi Culture: 500 Years of Planting. There’s something about photographs taken or curated by a member of a community, rather than from the outside looking in, that gives pictures a certain power. This exhibit at the Arizona State Museum, guest curated by Hopi farmer, photographer and UA PhD candidate in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment Michael Kotuwa Johnson, is a perfect example. This series of photographs illustrates traditional Hopi farming practices and the values they’re based on. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday through June 29, 2019. Arizona State Museum, 1013 E. University Blvd. $5 adults and free for museum members, anyone 17 and under and UA faculty, staff and students with a Cat Card. Details here.

Arizona Biennial 2018 at the Tucson Museum of Art. Artwork from all over the state was juried into this exhibition by guest juror Rebecca R. Hart, curator of modern and contemporary art at the Denver Art Museum. Works by dozens of artists, in dozens of mediums, will be on display in the James J. and Louse R. Glasser Galleries, the Chann Gallery and the Green Gallery. After all, you can’t spell “Tucson, Arizona” without “art.” On display through Sunday, Sept. 16 at the Tucson Museum of Art, 140 N. Main Ave. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month. $12 adults, $10 seniors 65+, $7 college students with ID and youth 13-17, free for kids 12 and under, veterans and museum members. Details here.

Summer Artisan Showcase. Downtown clothing store Laura Tanzer Atelier is hosting an opportunity to meet Arizona artists, learn about their passions and buy some completely unique merchandise. Quiana Nwagbara is the daughter half of a Scottsdale mother-daughter business designing and creating African-inspired handbags and accessories out of mud cloth and leather. And Sam Patania is a third generation silversmith jeweler from Tucson. Both will be around to share stories and handcrafted goods, so bring your ears for listening and your money for spending. 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday, July 19. Laura Tanzer Atelier, 410 N. Toole Ave. Details here.

Krav Maga/Self Defense Basics Class. It’s a mad, mad world out there, so it’s never a bad idea to beef up your self-defense skills (or even to start building them from scratch). If you head over to Tucson’s Rising Phoenix Fitness and Defense, you can learn the basics of self-defense in a quick introductory lesson, then try out what you learned in a 45-minute hands-on class. You’ll meet lots of talented people who practice Krav Maga, the military self-defense system that uses techniques from boxing, wrestling, judo, karate and other techniques. Your first class is totally free, and after that, it’s only $35 to Krav Maga again. Or, if you’re really into it, you can get a monthly membership, and the class will be included. 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday, July 19 (and every Thursday through the end of the year). Tucson’s Rising Phoenix Fitness and Defense, 1548 S. Euclid, suite B. Details here.

click to enlarge

Courtesy

Drop-in Hula Class. If you’ve had the Lilo and Stitch soundtrack on repeat ever since it came out (and who hasn’t?), then it’s about time you learned how to dance along. Those little dashboard hula dancers make it look so easy! It’s time to find whether that’s at all true. Movement Culture is hosting a chance for people of all ages to learn the basics of hula, what they describe as a “low-impact workout.” And hey, we can’t think of a more fun or interesting way to get a workout in than to give hula a shot. Get your head in the game, and get your hips in a hula skirt. (Actually, probably just wear workout clothes. And bring water!) 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday, July 19. Movement Culture, 435 E. Ninth St. $10, cash only. Details here.

Events compiled by Emily Dieckman, Dylan Reynolds, BS Eliot, Ava Garcia and Jeff Gardner.

You know that JD Souther show we've been mentioning in print and online? Tomorrow night's performance has been postponed "due to illness and inability to travel," per Team Rialto. It's rescheduled for Saturday, Aug. 18. 

Watermelon Wednesday. Reid Park Zoo puts a wild twist on a classic summer staple with its weekly Watermelon Wednesday events. Hang out at the zoo and watch elephants, grizzlies, otters, tapirs and more snack on watermelon popsicles and smash whole watermelons. You don’t have to stand on the sidelines when it comes to the watermelon: watermelon Eegees and slices will be available for purchase throughout the zoo. 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 18. 3400 E. Zoo Court. Details here.

Beginners Guide to Meditation. Are you one of those people who’s always thought that meditating sounded like a good idea, in theory, but every time you’ve sat down to try it, you haven’t been able to stop thinking about when the last time you washed your sheets was, or whether you paid the electricity bill, or whether people still remember that embarrassing thing you did in fifth grade? This affordable series of classes will get you set up with all of the basic guidelines and simple, time-tested techniques to get you on the right track. All levels are welcome! Even if you’ve been meditating for awhile, but want to reboot your practice, this class could be for you. 7 a.m. every Wednesday through Aug. 1. The Yoga Connection, 3929 E. Pima St. $40. Details here.

Woof Down Wednesday at Mama’s Hawaiian Bar-B-Cue. Chow down on Hawaiian barbecue and help some pets while you’re at it. The Humane Society of Southern Arizona has partnered with various restaurants across Tucson to pair good food with a good cause. This week, head over to Mama’s, grab your favorite dish and be sure to take your receipt to the Humane Society table inside the restaurant, where 20 percent of your bill will go to the foundation. 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 18. At Mama’s locations at 8300 N. Thornydale Road, Suite 120, 6310 E. Tanque Verde Road, suite 120, 1011 N. Tyndall Ave. and 4016 N. First Ave., suite 100. Details here.
North of Nightfall. Sonoran Desert Mountain Bicyclists and The Loft Cinema are teaming up for a premiere of the new Red Bull documentary on some of the most incredible biking trails in the world. High up in the arctic glaciers, cyclists ride over ice and snow, and wouldn’t have it any other way. All proceeds support development of the 100-Acre Wood Bike Park. 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 18. 3233 E. Speedway Blvd. $10. Details here.

Arizona Biennial 2018 at the Tucson Museum of Art. Artwork from all over the state was juried into this exhibition by guest juror Rebecca R. Hart, curator of modern and contemporary art at the Denver Art Museum. Works by dozens of artists, in dozens of mediums, will be on display in the James J. and Louse R. Glasser Galleries, the Chann Gallery and the Green Gallery. After all, you can’t spell “Tucson, Arizona” without “art.” On display through Sunday, Sept. 16 at the Tucson Museum of Art, 140 N. Main Ave. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month. $12 adults, $10 seniors 65+, $7 college students with ID and youth 13-17, free for kids 12 and under, veterans and museum members. Details here.

Events compiled by Emily Dieckman, Dylan Reynolds, BS Eliot, Ava Garcia and Jeff Gardner.

JD Souther could be the most famous A-list ’70s dude you don’t know. Yes, he co-penned glacial radio hits for The Eagles (“Heartache Tonight,” “New Kid in Town,” natch), The Seeg, Linda Ronstadt (dated and was a producer for her, too) and Bonnie Raitt, and there was his starring cameo in country-rock stoner supergroup Souther, Hillman, Furay. (Listen for Souther’s “Border Town” on their debut for some epic country-rock sleaze.) Hell, the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame even inducted Souther in ’13. Like Paul Williams, you can hum his tunes, sing off-key to his words and never know what the hell he looks like. But his own stuff, under his own name, soars, even if it didn’t fly of shelves well. (His ’76, Peter Asher-helmed LP Black Rose was a thing of pure Mellow Mafia beauty, and it ascended from there to his ’79 gem You’re So Lonely.) Souther pens songs of a different era, when listeners would still endure painful recollection through song, looking for catharsis. His voice is lonely and vulnerable without apology. When he mourns heartbreak, it’s palpable, when he celebrates life, it’s infectious. We’ve lost this direct transfer of emotion from songster to audience in the digital, any-idiot-with-a-laptop-makes-a-record era, and Souther offers a chance to re-kindle such exchanges the old-fashioned way. Thursday, July 19. Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress St. Doors at 7 p.m. $28-$35, All ages. 

Summer Invitational—A Seat at the Table. The Coronet is celebrating the summer season with a series of great eats, especially for those who make it to their five-course dinners. This time around, they are pairing with The Natural Wine Company, and the menu includes red wine braised rabbit and chilled burnt tomato and peanut soup. To make reservations, call (520) 444-2830 or email [email protected]. $70 per guest with wine pairings or $50 per guest without the wine. 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 17. 402 E. Ninth St. Details here.

Jerry Maguire. Harken back to the ’90s! A carefree time when all we were concerned about was Tom Cruise’s sweet, unctuous bangs. Harkins Theatres invites you to one of the most iconic rom-com-drams of them all. There are pre-millennium ties, fat cell phones, and enough one-liners to get just about anybody wrapped up in the melodrama. 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 17. 5455 S. Calle Santa Cruz. Details here.

Arizona Biennial 2018 at the Tucson Museum of Art. Artwork from all over the state was juried into this exhibition by guest juror Rebecca R. Hart, curator of modern and contemporary art at the Denver Art Museum. Works by dozens of artists, in dozens of mediums, will be on display in the James J. and Louse R. Glasser Galleries, the Chann Gallery and the Green Gallery. After all, you can’t spell “Tucson, Arizona” without “art.” On display through Sunday, Sept. 16 at the Tucson Museum of Art, 140 N. Main Ave. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month. $12 adults, $10 seniors 65+, $7 college students with ID and youth 13-17, free for kids 12 and under, veterans and museum members. Details here.

Dog Days of Summer menu. Bring your four-legged friends to Café Botanica inside the Tucson Botanical Gardens from now until Sept. 30 for a chance to try out the café’s new menu. Your dog can enjoy an upgrade from their bone; the café is debuting three different options from a dog-friendly menu, such as a hamburger, chicken and rice or a handmade dog biscuit. For the humans, the café offers a menu including apricot-glazed chicken, sweet cornbread strata and more. To visit the café, pay the Tucson Botanical Gardens’ admission, which for non-members is $15 for adults and $8 for children over 3. Admission for dogs is $3 a day and $10 for additional dogs. 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 2150 N. Alvernon Way. Details here.

Events compiled by Emily Dieckman, Dylan Reynolds, BS Eliot, Ava Garcia and Jeff Gardner.

Does the video to “Tombstone Rashomon,” XIXA’s latest single, draw any philosophical parallels to Akira Kurosawa’s 1950 Japanese allegorical period piece, Rashōmon? Or to director Alex Cox’s take on the historic Gunfight at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone-Rashomon (2017)? It’s a thorny matter. The whistled melody line in the song, however, does nod towards Ennio Morricone’s epic theme to The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966). Scope out the stunning video—directed by Lesli Wood and Daniel Martin Diaz—for clues. And ask them yourself when the psychedelic cumbancheros return to Club Congress on Friday, July 20.

Tucson is brimming with artistic talent, but resources to help support that talent are not as abundant. The LifeBlood Workshop was formed by a group of artists and experts to help facilitate discussions around mental health in the creative field.

This evening from 6 to 8 p.m. the LifeBlood Workshop will be in Tucson to offer a two-hour conversation with the goal of brainstorming solutions and decreasing the stress and anxiety associated with the artistic lifestyle.

According to their website, “the rate of depression and suicide among musicians and creatives is three times that of non-musicians. The pressure of being in the public eye, of having to create and still have some sort of personal life can lead to bad decisions. Professionals may prescribe medication for the symptoms, but it doesn’t solve the underlying problem.”

The workshop will include a panel discussion, followed by a Q&A session and small group settings where artists will be given the chance to tell their stories and talk about their issues in a judgement-free environment. It’s a chance to receive advice from the experts and other attendees who share the same experiences.

The LifeBlood team, which consists of career artists and health and wellness experts, have a singular goal: to provide an alternative approach in helping the creative community manage mental and physical wellness.

The workshop will be held today, July 16, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Spark Project Collective, a nonprofit organization that produces local art to raise money for local children with disabilities. Their building is located at 4349 E. Broadway Blvd.

The workshop is free, but the LifeBlood team requests that attendees RSVP beforehand at thelifebloodworkshop.com/tucson/