“From an intellectual academic level,” says Rebecca Tingley, a fine arts Ph.D and former cast member of Chelsea Handler’s show, Girls Behaving Badly, “I have been exploring how things surrounding women and their sexuality is always a secret.

“If you have an abortion it's a secret. If you're having your period it's a secret. If you are a woman that’s sexual, that’s supposed to be secret.” And, as we lately have been reminded, repeatedly and deeply disturbingly, molestation and harassment are always secret. Until they aren’t.

“Being able to talk frankly about sex from a female perspective demystifies it,” Tingley says. As a veteran New York and LA standup comic, she decided, “Let's just make a comedy show about sex so we can talk about whatever we want.” The result, Let’s Talk About Sex, Baby, debuted successfully in October, and returns to Club Congress from 8 to 9:30 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 30. Doors open at 7:30; admission is $3.

Tingley’s wheelhouse is “feminist comedy,” a genre that undermines the dour stereotype of feminism with a fun-house mirror perspective on the culture that’s spawned it. “Feminist comedy is a nice niche,” Tingley says. “But I also wanted (the sex show) to have broader appeal

Her concept evolved over a year’s worth of weekly counsel from ballet moms at the studio where she enrolled her daughter. She describes them as ‘very progressive women,” who happened to have family ties to Hotel Congress.

“I told them about my idea,” Tingley says. “What could we do that would just be across the board something people would talk about? How could we draw people to it as a fun thing to do? Go laugh about sex! Have some drinks downtown!”

The outcome was a talk show, with Tingley in the Johnny Carson role, sidekick Tammy King as Ed McMahon and Tucson favorite Randy Ford as what Tingley says is a cross between Doc Severinsen and Vanna White. Tingley opens the show, then leads a segment called “Catching up with Tammy,” wherein she queries King, just divorced after 25 years, about her latest discoveries in the single life. “I describe her as going through puberty again,” Tingley says.

Four guest comedians do ten -minute sets, then field questions from the audience about sex. Phoenician Sari Beliak, headlines the show; Tucsonans Josiah Osego, CJ Lundblad and a special guest round out the evening.

“We really are talking about sex and we want comics to do jokes that are headed that way.”

Charismatic fiddler Oisín Mac Diarmada returns to Tucson Sunday, Nov. 26, with his merry band of Irish musicians—and one American—to stage the popular Irish Christmas in America concert of Irish song, music and dance.

The troupe skipped Tucson last year, but makes up for it with a cohort of talented musicians and a team of local dancers from the Celtic Steps Irish dance school in town. Mac Diarmada, an All Ireland Fiddle Champion, member of award-winning band Téada and graduate of Trinity College, learned his fiddling in his native County Clare, home to remarkable fiddlers of the likes of Martin Hayes, and up north in County Sligo, where he now lives.
Always good with the gab, Mac Diarmada serves as a host to an evening that evokes nostalgia for Christmas in the Ould Sod, dishing up jokes, showing slides and telling the old stories. The Irish diaspora only heightens the bittersweetness of an Irish Christmas.

“One of the most heartfelt themes of Irish Christmas is emigration,” Mac Diarmada said in press materials. “Music was a way that people stayed close to home.”

New this year to the enterprise is the young singer and flutist Niamh Farrell, born into a musical family in Sligo. Still in her 20s, Farrell has mastered the ancient sean nós style of highly ornamented singing. Farrell is the counterpart of singer and accordionist Séamus Begley, a regular in the Christmas concert and a native of the Gaeltacht of County Kerry, where the Irish language is still spoken and sean nós is still sung. Now in his late 60s, Begley links the young band to older traditions. The singers are adept in both Irish and English.

Also in the ensemble: Ginne Hambly on harp and concertina, Sean Gavin on Irish pipes and whistles, Patrick Doocey on guitar and the American-born Samantha Harvey, dancer and keyboardist. Harvey, who married Mac Diarmada a few years back, will dance solo as well as side by side with the Tucson youngsters.

Irish Christmas in America concert is at 7 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 26, at the Fox Tucson Theatre, Tucson, 17 W. Congress St. Tickets are $20, $30 and $35 at 547-3040 or www.foxtucson.com. All seats reserved. Presented by In Concert Tucson.

Your Weekly guide to keeping busy in the Old Pueblo.

Naturally

Tucson Mountain District Guided Bird Walk. How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? If you’re going to find the answer to that age-old question anywhere, it’ll probably be on this 30-minute walk through the wash behind the Red Hills Visitor Center. Park volunteer John Higgins will guide the public on a tour to see woodpeckers, sparrows and other birds found among cacti and shrubbery. Interested parties may want to head over to part two of the walk at Sus Picnic area, where they may see specimens such as sirens and haws. Wear walking shoes, hats and sunscreens, and it’s not a bad idea to bring a water bottle and a trusty pair of binocs. 9:45 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 26. Red Hills Visitor Center at Saguaro National Park West, 2700 N. Kinney Road. Free with paid admission to the park.

Starfari. One of the only things that’s as truly “fun for all ages” as the International Wildlife Museum itself is looking up at a sky full of stars. Whether you’re looking at them as a scientist, an astrologer an artist or just someone with a thermos of hot chocolate and a heart full of wonder, stars are just really neat. Tucson Amateur Astronomy will have telescopes set up for the event, and there will also be nocturnal animal crafts, activities and an inflatable planetarium inside with animal constellation shows. Hooray! 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 25. International Wildlife Museum, 4800 W. Gates Pass Road. Included with museum admission ($10 adults, $7 military and seniors 62 and over, $5 kids 4 to 12, free for kids 3 and under. Free for museum members.)

Now Showing

Jingle Bell Rock. You don’t want to be a regular mom, do you? You wanna be a cool mom like Amy Poehler in Mean Girls. So grab your video camera and your pink sweat suit and head over to this local production, in which a Christmas Cheer Squad faces off with J.B. Coulson, head of the coal industry and certifiably anti-Christmas cheer and anti rock ’n’ roll. You have to be there to sing and dance along with the cheer squad—that is, unless you want evil to prevail. Your call. 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 26 and Sunday, Dec. 3, 10 and 17. Live Theatre Workshop, 5317 E. Speedway Blvd. $7 for kids, $10 for adults.

Bugs Bunny at the Symphony. They don’t make ’em like they used to, Doc. Now, we wouldn’t have thought to create a Bugs Bunny at the Symphony show, but now that it exists, we can’t stop thinking about how episodes like What’s Opera, Doc, Baton Bunny and Rhapsody Rabbit were always meant to be played in a symphony hall and accompanied by a full orchestra. George Daugherty, co-creator of the show, will be conducting. 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 25 and 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 26. Tucson Music Hall, 260 S. Church Ave. $15 to $86.

Carnival of Illusion. Got a wedding? Anniversary? Date night? Birthday? UNbirthday? Just looking for a fun night out? Roland Sarlot and Susan Eyed, the Tucson magicians behind this sweet, smart and cozy magic show, are back to give you the perfect way to spend a Saturday night, even if all you have to celebrate is that you have an open night to spend at a magic show. All of the seats are the good seats at their intimate venue, and they have a very special assistant named Harriette you won’t want to miss. 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 25. Tucson Scottish Rite Cathedral, 160 S. Scott Ave. $33 to $48.

Irish Christmas in America. Irish ballads, Celtic dancing, and a guy named Séamus? That’s right, the Irish are coming! There’s something about Ireland that just makes it seem a little bit more festive, year round, than the rest of the world. So get into the Christmas spirit with the talents of the award-winning Irish group Téada, featuring vocalists Séamus Begley and Sligo Niamh Farrell, piper Sean Gavin, keyboardist and dancer Samantha Harvey and harpist Grainne Hambly. Plus members of the Celtic Steps Irish Dance Academy, and probably at least one redhead! 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 26. Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W. Congress. $20 to $30.

The Voice of the Prairie. This award-winning show tells stories of love, longing, loss and living rooms during the time in America’s history when families used to gather around their radios each night. There are more than 20 characters in the show, all portrayed by only three actors. It’s nonlinear and lovely, and features local actors Josh Parra, Christopher Young and Samantha Cormier. If that’s not a compelling enough description, then just know it was written by a man named John Olive, which sounds like a pseudonym John Oliver would use if he ever wanted to get into playwriting. 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, 3 p.m. on Sundays, through Dec. 23. Live Theatre Workshop, 5317 E. Speedway Blvd. $18 to $20.

Shop!

Holiday Gift Boutique. Yup, another one! But this one is gluten free! Held at Dedicated, the boutique will feature local artists selling their pieces and other unique vendors offering up their wares. C’mon, you know if you get your best friend that cute scarf from Target, she’s going to know exactly where you got it. So have your loved ones saying “Where did you GET that?!” in excitement this holiday season by checking out local events like this one—especially for Small Business Saturday. 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 25. Dedicated., 4500 E. Speedway Blvd., suite 41. Free entry.

MOCAShop Holiday Market. What could be better than getting a ton of your Christmas shopping out of the way while supporting local businesses AND keeping your blood sugar up so you don’t get grumpy halfway through the day? How about enjoying MOCA for free all day? Not only will this Holiday Market include jewelry, ceramics, records, prints, frames and textile vendors, but it will also be host to food trucks, the local coffee collective, Altar and a Scented Leaf pop up! MOCA members also get mimosas and early-bird access to the market from 9 to 10 a.m. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 26. MOCA, 265 S. Church Ave. Free entry.

Annual Holiday Arts and Crafts Fair in Reid Park. We’ve said it before, and we’re saying it now, and we’ll probably say it again: You gotta start your holiday shopping, and it’s extra awesome if you do it locally. And this event will bring you 140 crafters, bakers and artisan soap makers (also jewelers, potters, photographers and everything you can imagine, including hand-painted sunglasses). Even if you don’t buy anything (and good luck trying to not buy anything), you can gawk at how talented your Southwest neighbors are and enjoy a beautiful afternoon at the park, right? 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 25 and Sunday, Nov. 26. Reid Park, 900 S. Randolph Way, just west of the DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center (best to enter at the Concert Place entrance from Country Club). Free.

IMC’s World Famous Rummage Sale! Get ready for some magical, musical money-saving fun. Instrumental Music Center has $99 clarinets! $20 ukuleles! $10 guitar straps! $5 metronomes and tuners! $1 drumstick sets! And a whole lot more stuff on sale. It is literally billed as “THE MOST FUN YOU’VE EVER HAD IN YOUR LIFE.” We here at the Weekly can’t guarantee that this will be true, but it seems pretty ballsy of them to make the claim, so it's gotta at least be worth checking out. It’s at the Speedway location only, and their Facebook event has a $10 off coupon, so be sure to pull that up on your phone during checkout. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 24 to Sunday, Nov. 26. Instrumental Music Store, 7063 E. Speedway Blvd. Free entry.

Celebrating Culture

Western Heritage Festival. To celebrate all of the reasons that Tucson is the best in the West, head over to Old Tucson, where—good news!—there is enough room in town for the two of us. Artists from Raices Taller 222, the city’s Latino-based, contemporary nonprofit art gallery/workshop/cooperative, will be there with special demos and exhibits. Also, local cultural group demos and the opportunity to get some holiday shopping done at all these neat vendors. Bring a donation to their Goodwill clothing drive or Salvation Army Toys for Tots drive to get two bucks off admission (on up to four admissions). 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 24 to Sunday, Nov. 26. Old Tucson, 201 S. Kinney Road. $18.95 for adults, $10.95 for kids four to 11.

American Indian Month Social. Celebrate the OG Americans and a rich tradition that has survived for thousands of years at this cultural celebration. See authentic artwork and crafts, hear traditional music and celebrate 15 tribal nations. Award-winning hoop dancer Cecil Manuel, a Tohono O’odham and Apache, will present the featured cultural presentation. Feel free to bring your cameras and video cameras, and enjoy the free parking and admission! 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 24, Saturday, Nov. 25 and Sunday, Nov. 26. Sheraton Hotel Ballroom, 5151 E. Grant Road. Free.

IRC Presents: Cross-Cultural Refugee Panel. The Tucson branch of the International Rescue Committee is partnering with the Murphy-Wilmot Library to host the third part of this series, which features speakers from the refugee community. Hear firsthand stories of the multicultural group, hailing from all over the world, who have resettled into new homes in Tucson. Gain some perspective, learn about other cultures and get to know your neighbors all in one go. 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 28. Murphy-Wilmot Library, 530 N. Wilmot Road. Free.

Beyond the Wall. If you’re looking for a getaway where you can celebrate borderland culture and the people of both Mexico and the U.S., don’t miss this two-day festival in Nogales. It starts Friday night with an art exhibit featuring pieces by artists on both sides of the border, and continues Saturday with an all-day block party downtown north of the border preceding a concert and festival on the southern side. Fifteen-foot tall puppets will be parading through Nogales both nights, but on Saturday they’ll come together at the wall and connect neighbors across the border. 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 24 and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 25. Nogales, AZ. Free, with donations gratefully accepted online.

Art

ArtNow! With Einar and Jamex De La Torre. This is definitely an example of a picture being worth a thousand words. Or in this case, the vibrantly colorful, gorgeously detailed and altogether stunning glass art by the De La Torre brothers is worth about a gazillion words. The two will be at MOCA talking about how how they create their pieces, and how they do it together. Take one look at their website (delatorresbros.com) and you’ll want to learn everything about them—and this is your chance! 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 28. MOCA, 265 S. Church Ave. Free for MOCA members, $10 nonmembers.

Desert Corridors and Royce Davenport at Tohono Chul. Two new exhibitions went on display at Tohono Chul earlier this month. Desert Corridors explores the natural superhighways that creatures of all shapes, sizes and species use to travel across the great state of Arizona. In taking a look at the beaten path that isn’t always obvious to us humans, the exhibit examines where animals are going and where they came from. Royce Davenport’s art of Vail uses everything from sardine tins to saguaro ribs to mouse traps to create his wonderfully wacky folk art creations. Desert Corridors shows through Feb. 7, with a curator’s talk on Tuesday, Nov. 28 at 10 a.m. Davenport’s art shows through Jan. 7. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day). Tohono Chul, 7366 Paseo del Norte. $13 adults, $10 seniors/students/military, $3 children five to 12, free for members and kids under 5.

Holi-yays

Enchanted Snowfall. Get ready to get walkin’. And we’re not talkin’ just any old walkin’. You gotta get ready to go walkin’ in a winter wonderland! Many people aren’t aware that, due to an anomaly in Southwestern weather patterns, it snows every Friday and Saturday from Nov. 24 to Dec. 23, and only at La Encantada Shopping Center. It’s no use trying to understand the science behind the event, so just stop by and soak up the magic with a cup of piping hot cocoa and some live music. 6 and 6:45 p.m. every Friday and Saturday until Saturday, Dec. 23. Begins this Friday, Nov. 24 and Saturday, Nov. 25. La Encantada Shopping Center. 2905 E. Skyline Drive. Free.

Krampus Bedtime Christmas Scarol Tour. The RavenHearse Family Classic Haunt, Trail Dust Town’s resident spookiness supplier, is dishing up a helping of that alt. holiday, frighteningly festive, Nightmare Before Christmas-esque spirit. It’s Krampus, the half-demon, half-goat, all-terrifying folklore figure comes around during the holiday season to punish all of the children who have been naughty during the year, and during RavenHearse visits, will also be available for photo ops. 6 to 9 p.m. Thursdays, 5 to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 5 to 9 p.m. Sundays. Saturday, Nov. 25 through Sunday, Jan. 7. RavenHearse Family Classic Haunts, Pinnacle Peak and Trail Dust Down, 6541 E. Tanque Verde Road, #26. $5 Haunt admission, $10 Krampus photo ops.

Black Fur-Day SpeedAThon. What could be merrier than a terrier? Or more jolly than a collie? Nothing! So treat yourself to that recreating that scene in Lady and the Tramp where she opens a present on Christmas morning and finds a dog, but do it on Black Friday instead. Pima Animal Care Center is doing FREE pet adoptions at their Amado location, and every pet will go home with a free pet starter kit. There will be more than 30 animals available for adopting, and inanimate stuff like foods, toys and treats will all be 25 percent off. Plus free Sonoran hot dogs, a DJ, giveaways and raffle baskets! Two Petco stores in town (5625 E. River Road and 585 E. Wetmore Road) will also be doing PACC adoptions for the day. Festivities are Friday only, but the waived fees at PACC go through Monday, Nov. 27. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 24. Pima Animal Care Center, 4000 N. Silverbell Road. Free.

Sweat!

Stilts on Sundays. We’d be lying if we said we’d never fantasized about how fun it would be to walk and dance around on stilts, and we think you would be too. Not sure where to start? Right here! Beginners and all-ages are welcome at this class to get you going from baby giraffe to graceful gazelle (if gazelles had legs as long as giraffes). Reps from Tucson Circus Arts will go over form, fitness, acrobatics, sculpture, four-legged (no idea—we’ll have to go to find out!) and parade skills. They’ll also have loaner stilts available if you don’t just happen to have a pair lying around the house. Beginners should include shoe size in their RSVP. 2 to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 26. Himmel Park, 1000 N. Tucson Blvd. $15.

POUND at Reid Park. Make sure you bring some water to this one, a drumming-inspired cardio jam session that’s gonna have you swingin’, swayin’ and sweatin’. Especially sweating. It’s going to be sweaty. Your muscles will burn, your heart will pound, your Thanksgiving meal will start to burn off and maybe…just maybe…you’ll actually have fun. Bring water (as stated), a yoga mat and $5 cash, but Stay Fit With Olivia will provide the sticks. The class will be next to the big lake. 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 25. Reid Park, 900 S. Randolph Way. $5.

Nightcrawler

B.A.M! French rock combo EXP and Texas hip-hop crew The Word Association formed Binary Audio Misfits (B.A.M!) several years back. “I ain’t met a man who could break me/So I’ll be damned if I let a nation shake me/I think and feel outside the flag.” Yes, outside the mold and the genre, too. This is indie rock-rap, a blast-out fusion of bilingual word salad, atop glacial instrumentation. At their worst, B.A.M! is the downside of both genres—amelodic and tedious. But when they’re on, the dynamic interplay of cultures and styles exhilarates. With the slow, deliberate flow of a Brother Ali disciple, and the light staccato of Serge Gainsbourgh-y spoken word, the music melds virtuosic scratching with persistent chugga-chang guitar riffs. Fuck “Get Rich or Die Tryin,” this is “Get Loud or Get Dyin” music—new, fresh and tres tres chouette. Monday, Nov. 27 at The Flycatcher, 340 E. Sixth St. Doors at 9 p.m. 21+. Free.—B.S. Eliot

Bryan Thomas Parker. With the rousing, shambolic spirit of Flogging Molly and the whiskey-loosened No Depression roots of early Uncle Tupelo, Tucson’s own Bryan Thomas Parker takes no prisoners, calling out exactly how we got here: “Do you see the tree of liberty/Bleeding bloody tears from years of inequality?” Anthemic, Irish fight-song acoustics uphold a gritty voice that speaks, sings or shouts as content dictates. There’s Johnny Cashian mayhem when Parker plugs in, reaching full-tilt hellbilly as he pushes past primal instincts of survival, daring anarchy to reign like Captain Dan calling down God on the ladder of that great big fishing boat. “Well I don’t know where the next time will be … just gimme gimme blackberry wine.” With Brokedown Palace and Half Broke Town on Wednesday, Nov. 29. The Flycatcher, 340 E. Sixth St. Doors at 9 p.m. 21+. Free.—B.S. Eliot


Molotov. Bringing together the sonic fury of rock and the cutting urban wordplay of rap, Mexico City’s Molotov have been stepping to their own beat since 1995. Their lyrics, which juxtapose satire and debauchery alongside scathing social commentary, have incited controversy. Following an alleged incident in 2013 when a gay Chilean teenager, Esteban Navarro, was viciously attacked by six anti-gay assailants shouting anti-gay epithets and wielding knives, iron bars and a machete, pressure came down from LGBT activists to drop the word “maricon”(loosely, “faggot”) from one of their most popular songs, “Puto.” Molotov balked: “Our music gives a voice to people who aren’t in a position to do so for themselves...It was never meant to disrespect the gay community.” Molotov have recorded nine studio albums, including the latest, 2en1 (2017). Politically correct? They have sold over 3 million records being not so. But what would the world of rap rock be without insulting someone? “Frijolero,” off Dance and Dense Denso (2003), is an exchange in which characters trade racially charged insults. ([In Spanish, frijolero means “beaner.”) The American character is described as a “pinche gringo puñetero.” (Roughly, “fucking white boy wanker.”) Tongue-in-cheek humor? You be the judge. With Simpson A Huevo on Tuesday, Nov. 28. The Rialto Theater, 318 E. Congress St. Doors at 7 p.m. $40-$45. All Ages.—Xavier Otero

Great American Tragedy. The winter sun falls early lately and it gets harder to shake that Sonoran chill in the bones. Days are filled of easy, cheap regrets, and you’re broke but you thank any god you’ve ever heard of for the wine and the back-up bottle in your kitchen, and maybe Great American Tragedy. The soothing lo-fi of a pining man and his acoustic guitar offers sonic protection with the gentleness of Sun Kil Moon and the sad melodic harmonies of solo Crosby, Still & Nash. Songwriter Alex Scheitinger reminds you how true comfort comes from taking solace in someone else’s sadness, in someone else’s nostalgia. “Silhouette I see you there, quite beyond compare.” Everyone he longs for is already a ghost. Like Nash, Scheitinger wisely and subtly pairs down to serve the spare beauty of his songs, and the moments they exist in. With Texas T Trash and Dirty Magic, Friday, Nov. 24. 191 Toole, 191 Toole Ave. Doors at 8 p.m. 21+. Free.—B.S. Eliot

Sammy Wilk. If you’re a white dude from Omaha, a fake Jamaican Patois probably ain’t OK. At least on record. You might roll mad blunts and sip 40s with other Nebraskans, but those deliberate “goddamns” are as convincing as Mouseketeers flipping birds. Still, it’s hard to hate Sammy Wilk; he’s an internet “personality”––so what do we get? There’s an inexplicable Wilk clothing line because a million Twitter and Instagram followers can’t be wrong. He stiffly rhymes with his buddy on Sammy and Skate singles, and there’s a laughably bad romantic beach video (“Aye Ma”) that makes Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game” classy. Wilk does bestow a portion of his proceeds to help a Sierra Leone school “break the cycle of poverty,” and, despite zero authenticity, he seems surprisingly sincere. But don’t blame him: His celebrity is merely a sign that doomsday is here, a final shiny ornament atop our glittery tower of babble. With Derek Luh on Wednesday, Nov. 29. The Rock, 136 N. Park Ave. Doors at 7 p.m. $20-$80. All ages. —B.S. Eliot

Thriftworks. Since the age of 16, electronic music producer Jake Atlas (aka Thriftworks) has been splicing together dark glitch, electronic ephemera, eclectic samples, trippy psychedelic effects and the bass-soaked thump of hip hop to create his unique sound. On The Feather & The Sword (2017), Thriftwork’s futuristic instrumentation weaves a tapestry of baroque soundscapes full of bass heavy synth riff, the percussive sound of steel pipes clacking together in time or eerie vocal samples that ensnare the listener? Beautifully strange. Undeniably, there is something unsettling about the single “Flapjack’s Revenge.” Like occult communications between spirits during psychomancy. At a slower BPM, yet equally as hypnotic, “Bone Roaster’s Anthem” is a downtempo groove seemingly made for dance-floor escapism. It may take more than one listen to excavate through all the dense layers of sound on this recording, which is drawing comparisons to glitch hop artists Russ Liquid and Vibesquad. Thriftworks brings his outside-the-box sound with Lance Rand, Noodleworks and TOT on Saturday, Nov. 25. 191 Toole, 191 E. Toole Ave. Doors at 9 p.m. $10-$20. 18 and over.—Xavier Otero

The Salvation Army of Southern Arizona has a message of good news as Thanksgiving fast approaches.

The nonprofit, which gives out free turkey dinners each year, had a serious problem coming into this week.

They were well short of the number of birds necessary to feed the masses—with 40 turkeys as of Monday to feed an expected crowd of 2,000 people on Thursday.

Well, the good news is that after our post on the subject on Monday, turkeys came metaphorically flowing in by the handful.

Salvation Army of Southern Arizona Public Relations Director Corey Leith reports that more than 800 turkeys showed up at their doorstep on Tuesday alone.

In addition to the sudden helping of avian deliciousness, the William and Mary Ross Foundation donated $15,000 to cover the Thanksgiving meal costs and any equipment purchased for the meal, according to Leith.

Last year, by comparison, the center had 300 turkeys, feeding 1,600 people in total.

More than 250 volunteers have signed up to help prepare and cook the turkey feast, with more than 600 Thanksgiving meals delivered to homebound residents.

Donations are still being accepted at the Hospitality House, including turkeys, canned green beans, instant box potatoes, butter, already cooked assorted pies, yams, eggs, cranberry sauce, turkey stuffing, loafs of bread, brown gravy and cartons of milk.

Leith expressed gratitude the community for its overwhelming response for Thursday's event, which runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Salvation Army Hospitality House, 1002 N. Main Ave.

"We would like to thank the Tucson community for their generous donations," Leith said in an email to Tucson Weekly.

Major Dawn Rocheleau, director of special services Tucson Metro, expressed a similar level of thanks to the community for helping those less fortunate, so they can have a great Thanksgiving experience.

"We want the community to know what types of resources we provide for those in need," Rocheleau said. "This could not be done without the support from the people in Tucson."

For more information, contact The Hospitality House at (520) 795-9671, or at the Salvation Army's website.

“I'm busier in my career than I have ever been in my entire life,” says Baltimore septuagenarian John Waters, the author, stand-up comedian, satirist, paradigm smasher, movie auteur and, not least, his hometown’s Statue of Liberty. He styles himself as “The People’s Pervert.”

Waters brings his annual, one-man Christmas show to the Rialto Theatre on Saturday, Dec. 2. Tickets are $30 to $110 at rialtotheatre.com. The show’s parental advisory portends laughs guaranteed to up-end taste, decorum and firmly held beliefs of all kinds.

“I just want people to fear Christmas. It's extreme! It's coming and you can't escape it, no matter what religion you are or what your politics are or anything. You have to have an opinion about it. You have to spend money!”

Just in time, Make Trouble, Waters’ 2015 commencement speech to the Rhode Island School of Design has been released in limited edition, 7” red vinyl by Jack White’s label, Third Man. The speech earlier went viral online, then became an illustrated gift book published by Algonquin.

“I've lived my life to be a stocking stuffer!”

The joke is that he devotes his Christmas show to subverting the season’s excesses. He works up to the minute on timely content for each performance, writing with hilarious and pan-themic irreverence for the season’s tropes. Regarding dangerous toy lists, e.g.: “My friend used to give her daughter plastic bags to play with from the cleaner, and the child loved it. ‘You just watch them,’ she said. You have to watch your children.”

When he’s not touring, Waters’ days are filled with other creative pursuits and live appearances. He has made a dozen movies and published nearly as many books but, like the commencement speech, he says, “I love to get all my work re-invented all the time.” He notes that his 1970 film Multiple Maniacs came out again this year, restored by the Criterion Collection—another stocking-stuffer alert.

Waters’ career would have made history had it ended with his 1972 film, Pink Flamingos. That movie, his second, at once defined and subverted the exploitation genre. His Hairspray has been a megahit in every medium, from the Broadway stage to children’s books and multiple internet sites. While the HBO sequel hasn’t yet been financed, it’s written, and production may be inevitable.

“I'm still participating in that business,” Waters says. “Hollywood's been fair to me. My movies satirized all the things that used to be in movies. But I don't really satirize special effects.”

Your Weekly guide to keeping busy in the Old Pueblo.

Music

2017 International Tucson Guitar Festival. The guitar is one of those things that allows space for infinite improvement: You can practice for years and still only beginning to unlock your potential, because there are just that many possibilities. But the world-class guitarists coming to this event will blow you away with what looks and sounds a whole lot like mastery. Three-time Grammy Award nominee Berta Rojas performs at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18 and Grammy Award winning composer/guitarist Sérgio Assad and Grammy Award nominated pianist/vocalist Clarics Assad perform at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 19. Cuban guitarrista Iliana Matos opens the festival at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 11 and the Beeston competition is at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 12. Holsclaw Hall, Fred Fox School of Music, 1017 N. Olive Road. Ticket prices vary.

A Celebration of Joni Mitchell with Kimberly Ford. It goes without saying that every day is a celebration of Joni Mitchell in its own way, or at least it should be. But treat yourself to an evening jam-packed with Joni by seeing this six-piece SoCal based band headed by Kimberly Ford on vocals. Let Kimberly and Joni remind you that we’re all stardust, and that sometimes sadness, when sung about in just the right way, can be overwhelmingly beautiful. 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 17. Gaslight Music Hall of Oro Valley, 13005 N. Oracle Road, No. 165. $25.

April Verch Band: Canada’s Finest Fiddle & Stepdancer. Not many adults are doing the same things today that they were doing when they were 3, or 6 and a half. But those are the ages at which April Verch learned to stepdance and fiddle, respectively, and she’s been steppin’ and fiddlin’ away ever since. Also, she sings. And sometimes she does all three at once. She fiddled at the 2010 Olympic games, she’s fiddled in Vienna Austria, and she’s fiddled her way onto the pages of Rolling Stone magazine. Now, it’s time to let her fiddle, stepdance and fiddle her way into your heart. With Matt & Bekah Rolland of Run Boy Run. 6 to 9 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 19. Monterey Court, 505 W. Miracle Mile, Tucson. $15.

The Spirit of Argentina. They move quickly, dramatically and sensually, to the music composed by some of the most legendary figures in the world of tango. They are Tango Buenos Aires, known internationally as one of the most talented and authentic Tango dancers in the world. Contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t take two to tango. It takes a whole expert company of musicians, vocalists and dancers to bring you the cultural experience of a lifetime. (And don’t worry. You don’t have to tango.) 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 21. Fox Theatre, 17 W. Congress. $24 to $39.

Shopping

Made in Tucson Market. They say home is where the art is, and at this festival, you can find art and goods from dozens of vendors who make their goods locally. And while you’re picking up art prints, candles, jewelry, ceramics, kitchen supplies and other Tucson-made treats, you can chat with the artists (all of whom are Tucson residents) and learn about their processes. How sweet it is to stock up on holiday gifts, treat yourself and support local artists all at once. 10 a.m. to dusk. Saturday, Nov. 18. On Seventh Street between Fourth and Fifth Avenues. Free.

Your Weekly guide to keeping busy in the Old Pueblo.

Theater and Shows

Popol Vuh: The Story of Seven Macaw. Pima Community College’s newest
production is a recreation of a Mayan creation myth, in which the Mayan hero twins must come to the rescue to end the reign of terror over the earth by corrupt Seven Macaw. They use cleverness, stealth, and their convenient abilities to shape shift in order to defeat the forces of evil, while the theater artists at PCC use enormous puppets, elaborate masks and a fusion of different dance styles to tell the story. Nov. 9 through Nov. 19. Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m. ASL interpreters Thursday, Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m. Black Box Theatre in PCC Center for the Arts, 2202 W. Anklam Road. $18, discounts for students, seniors, military, PCC employees and groups.

UA Dance “Premium Blend.” UA Dance, considered one of the top dance programs in the U.S., presents its fall show at the Stevie Eller Theatre, the 300-seat auditorium which will allow the audience to experience the show on an intimate level. The ensemble contains 140 dancers and performs more than 40 times each year. In the past, they’ve presented works by the likes of Jerome Robbins and George Balanchine. Don’t miss an opportunity to see some of best dancing around, right in your own backyard. 7:30 on Wednesday, Nov. 15 through Friday, Nov. 17. 1:30 on Saturday, Nov. 18 and Sunday, Nov. 19. Stevie Eller Dance Theatre, 1737 E. University Blvd. Tickets must be purchased in conjunction with tickets for other shows during the season, so prices vary.

Jordan World Circus. Head on over to the circus, and don’t be late, because kids will be there, adults will be there, and the Hendersons will all be there, according to the Beatles. See the classic circus aerial act and performances, as well as tigers and elephants. Perhaps best of all, kids will have the chance to ride and pet different types of animals. Don’t be late! 3 and 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 11, 1 and 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 12. Tucson Rodeo Grounds, 4823 S. Sixth Ave. $10 to $30.

Art

Art Now! Makers, Crafters, Educators: Working for Cultural Change. UA art professors Elizabeth Garber, Ph.D., Lisa Hochtritt, Ed.D. and Manisha Sharma, Ph.D. are coming to MOCA to talk about their new anthology, which examines the Pinteresting ways that the DIY movement for crafters, bakers and candlestick makers has shifted our social fabric. Could a focus on arts education, grassroots crafting and DIY social design be an important way to make strides toward social justice? Learn more at this casual, interactive lecture, and enjoy some light refreshments while you’re at it. 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 9. MOCA, 265 S. Church Ave. $10, or free for MOCA members.

The Loft Film Fest kicks off tonight with a screening of Revenge of the Nerds," a performance by ’80s cover band 80s and Gentlemen and an appearance by Curtis Armstrong, who played Booger in the film. It's just the start of the Loft Film Fest, which you can read about in last week's Tucson Weekly cover story or at the Loft Film Fest's official website.

The Weekly caught up with Armstrong ahead of his visit to Tucson. This interview has been edited for clarity.

You have a new book, Revenge of the Nerd: The Singular Adventures of the Man Who Would Be Booger. Tell me a little bit about that and what your impetus was for writing.

I don’t know exactly how it manifested. It was one of those things. I’ve written a lot but mainly it’s been articles for literary journals that I subscribe to. It’s not a part of my life that a lot of people know about. I guess I reached a point where I was starting to look back on these things, as you do. I think you get to a point in your life and you starting thinking, “How did I wind up here?” My daughter is in college now and she’s going for her master’s degree at Oxford and I’ve had this career lasting 40 years. You start doing the conventions and you see how many generations are into work that you’ve done over the years and it just makes you reflective.

I look at Revenge of the Nerds as the coolest movie ever shot in Tucson. Tell me what you knew about Tucson before you filmed here and your experience of Tucson as a city while you were here in ’84.

I had never been to Tucson before. When we got there, we really were very focused on making sense of this screenplay, which was kind of a mess. We spent the first week with the writers and the director, just going through everything and trying to find the humanity in these cartoon characters. The thing that Jeff Kanew, the director, felt strongly about—having been a recovering nerd himself—was that we needed to be able to make the characters human so we would empathize with them. It was a tough challenge. In my case, of course, I’m playing someone named Booger and I’m picking my nose, belching and saying all these horibble things, but you still have to find a way to make that character accessible. So we did a lot of things, a lot improv, a lot of working out stuff on our own about who these characters were. That was the first week, and in the meantime, we were going out in the evenings and going to bars and restaurants, most of which, I think, are gone now. We would go to these places and party. I remember going out to Old Tucson, and that was a thrill to all of us, because we were all film nerds. We shot the interior scenes of the Nerd House inside a house at Old Tucson. It was really strange because you’d shoot all day inside this house and then you’d walk outside and you were in an Old West town.

Talk a little bit about Revenge of the Nerds as the proto-nerd culture movie. Nerd culture has kind of taken over, with computer culture and the conventions you were talking about. Did you have any sense you were on the cutting edge of that?

Kevin McDonald, co-founder of the legendary Kids in the Hall, emailed that he’d always wanted to visit Tucson, and asked if Tucson Improv Movement (TIM) might allow him to host a show and a workshop. As a matter of fact, TIM founder and owner Justin Lukasewicz thought that was a swell idea and, on the spot, gave one of the world’s best-known sketch comedy artists the headline slot in Tucson Comedy Arts Festival 3, Nov. 8-11.

Responding to its growing reputation, this year’s fest branches out from TIM’s 50-seat black box theatre to include the Flycatcher, home of the event’s standup comedy components; the Sea of Glass, where McDonald performs with students from his day-long, sketch-writing workshop, and 191 Toole, where a solo performance by McDonald will cap the festival at 8 p.m., Saturday.

Most of the action, though, is at TIM Comedy Theatre, 239 E. 7th street, where 30 improv teams  gather from Tucson, Phoenix, Chicago and Los Angeles, to perform a dozen showcases over the three days. Daytime workshops there cover skills for short form, long form and sketch techniques for ensemble and solo improvisers.

TCAF has something for everyone, including children and Spanish-language speakers. Visit tucsonimprov.com/tcaf for the full schedule and to register all the events. Except for McDonald’s, shows are $25 for a full festival pass, or $5 each, and workshops are $50. Some scholarships may be available.

Unique and recommended among the improv performers are Mary Catherine Curran’s solo sketch One Woman Space Jam; the Spanish language team, Cómo Se Dice; the hip-hop and rap team, Third Beats; Slideshow Fairy Tales, a unique solo comedy performance that you should Google; From the Top, a team that improvises an entire musical in 25 minutes; the all-female team, The Riveters; The Soapbox, featuring Kevin McDonald inspiring TIM’s top improvisers with anecdotes from his life; Phoenix-based veterans, Galapagos; and FOMP (Friends of Make Pretends), a show for children with lots of audience participation and stage time. 

We’re also looking forward to stand-up sets by Chicagoan Dame Grant; Tucson ex-pat Ben Dietzel, now of L.A.; local favorite, Josiah Osego; and, from Phoenix, Matt Storrs’ popular game show for stand-up comedians, The Storrs Objection.
The performer we’re most looking forward to seeing is Brooke Hartnett, because the Tucson comedy scene misses her. An alumna of the UA’s Charles Darwin Experience, a stand-up comedian and a TIM company member, she moved to Chicago to study improv and pursue a comedy writing career.

She says she misses the food and the low cost of living, but, “Chicago’s a really lovely city and a good place to work on comedy without the pressure of L.A. and New York. I’d like to teach improv one day, but I’m realistically more likely to make money acting or writing or directing film.” 

Hartnett’s Chicago team, Kill Phil, performs late Friday night, but she’ll be busy much of the rest  of the festival reuniting with besties in the top TIM ensembles she left behind: The Riveters, The Travelling Thornberries, Party Barf, and her duo team with Clare Shelly, Kitten Spit, a past crowd favorite.
It was Hartnett who encouraged TCAF workshop presenter Mary Catherine Curran to sign on for TCAF3. Hartnett had studied with Curran at iO Chicago. Curran, in turn, suggested her friend Alex Carday, an alumnus of the UA’s Charles Darwin Experience, and a current member of the nationally recognized short-form improv company, Comedy Sportz, in Chicago.

Carday’s workshop covers short form game techniques. Curran’s covers making strong emotional choices in scenes, but she also offers a personalized workshop for improvisers interested in solo  performance. How is that different from stand-up? “It's character-driven, and it's more personal, more, I think, an art,” Curran says. “I think mostly standup is based on creating or forming a joke, and you’re yourself most of the time. Solo improv is like a sketch show. It’s tightly scripted, and each piece is separated by blackouts or transitions.”

José  Gonzales, a co-founder of Phoenix’s Torch Theater, a ten-year-old school and  performance space for independent improv teams, will teach workshops on enhancing scenes by working with imaginary objects. His techniques help improvisers create and perform within environments they create in an audience’s imagination. Gonzales also will perform a set with his 14-year-old team, Galapagos, which has toured all over North America and Europe.

While hosting its third comedy festival, TIM also celebrates five years in business. Lukasewicz says, "It's been amazing to see (TIM) sprout up from nothing. My two goals with TIM were to create high quality, fast-paced shows and to have a supportive, inclusive community. At the fifth anniversary show … the quality and support were amazing. I am lucky to get those sorts of moments on a regular basis.”

Get to tastin', Tucsonans!

Gelato Festival Tucson 2017. Get ready for a lot o’ gelato, and a lot o’ authentic Italian artisanal gelato to boot. Gelato’s a huge deal over in Italy, but is starting to gain popularity in the U.S., and the benevolent Gelato Festival America is taking on the noble mission of raising awareness of the neat, sweet treat from across the pond. Try flavors from some of the world’s best gelato artisans, and learn how to make you own as well. To quote Gwen Stefani: Go Gelato! G-E-L-A-T-O Fest! 2 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 3 and noon to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 4 and Sunday, Nov. 5. La Encantada, 2905 E. Skyline Drive. $13.50-$40.

Murder Mystery Dinner. Let the games begin, and let the Game of Thrones begin first and foremost. Damascus Road Tucson presents this event, billed as a coronation for Queen Cersei, and everyone from Lord Marana to Lady South Tucson is invited. (Everyone is invited). Rincon Market will cater a formal dinner, so that guests will be plenty fueled up for part two of the evening: solving a mysterious murder (cue spooky music). Dress formally, but also dress ready to solve some crimes. 6-9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4. University of Arizona, Institute of the Environment, ENR2 Building, 1064 E. Lowell St. $20.