Your weekly guide to keeping busy in the Old Pueblo

Family Friendly

Family Funday at the Farmers Market. Bring the kids to this carnival-meets-farmers-market event presented by Trail Dust Town and Heirloom Farmers Market. More than 20 food vendors will be on site, and the carnival portion of Trail Dust Town will be open for the kids (and young at heart). Enjoy live music, rides and face painting while perusing some of the finest local products on the market. 8 a.m to noon. Saturday, July 29. Trail Dust Town, 6541 E. Tanque Verde Road. $6.

Summer Safari Nights. The Tucson Medical Center hosts these childhood utopias Friday evenings at the Reid Park Zoo. Aside from their regular lions and tigers and bears, they’ll be offering face painting, glitter tattoos and camel rides, oh my! Adults can enjoy the live music, sponsor booths and the café specials: chimichangas on July 28 and pulled pork on Aug. 4. 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. July 28 and Aug. 4. Reid Park Zoo, 3400 E. Zoo Court. $3-$9.

Meteor Mania! The Kitt Peak National Observatory is hosting a viewing party of the Delta Aquariid meteor shower. The viewing starts at 10 p.m. and goes until 3 a.m., so those in attendance are encouraged to bring warm clothes, blankets and lawn chairs. Thanks to a waxing crescent that sets before midnight, the Delta Aquariids shouldn’t be blocked out by moonlight, and viewing may reach peak rates of up to 15 to 20 meteors per hour. 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. Saturday, July 29 to Sunday, July 30. Kitt Peak National Observatory Visitor Center. noao.edu/kpno. $47-$55.

Sports

Golden Boy Boxing on ESPN. Summer can be a slow time for sports. If you enjoy the sweet science, you'll love the fight card being put on by Golden Boy Promotions. Head down to Casino del Sol and catch the headliner between talented welterweight contender Sadam Ali, as he takes on long-time veteran Johan Pérez. Undercard fights will begin at 3:05 p.m. 4 p.m. Saturday, July 29. Casino del Sol Conference Center, 5655 W. Valencia Road. $40-$120.

Make your reservations now: Hotel Congress today released the schedule for the annual HOCO Fest running Wednesday through Sunday over Labor Day weekend.

With a lineup of nearly 60 bands, the festival offers everything from local favorites to what are sure to be some diamonds in the rough. HOCO Fest offers not only music, but a series of events focused on food and music.

Lando Chill will take to the stage Wednesday, Aug. 30 to charm the audience with his lyrical hip-hop and mellow vibes touching on themes of race and gender. Chill just released his second album The Boy Who Spoke the Wind in July.

The Mexico Institute of Sound brings a blend of traditional Mexican instrumentals with DJ electronica from Mexico City to Tucson on Friday, Sept. 1. DJ/producer Camilo Lara was tapped to supervise the soundtrack for Pixar’s latest creation, Coco, about a 12-year-old boy and his magical guitar in a Day of the Dead tribute, set to release Nov. 22.

That same day, Tucson’s very own Orkesta Mendoza—led by Sergio Mendoza, who has frequently collaborated with Mexico Institute of Sound—offers pysch rock-infused mambo inspired by legend Pérez Prado. The band is known for its showmanship in crisp matching suits and intricate big band sounds. The show comes on the heels of a months-long European tour.

Lee Fields and The Expressions will travel from New York City to deliver some soul on Sunday, Sept. 3. Sampled by several of today’s hip-hop artists, Fields’ sway is something hips can’t shy away from. A 50-year career hasn’t slowed as the band returns from a European tour.

Community radio KXCI will broadcast live from the station's new satellite studio inside Hotel Congress with an open house Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Check out the station’s new digs and donate your favorite CDs and album to help pack their playlists.

HOCO Fest will also give festival goers a tour of Tucson intoxicants to the first 300
arrivals each day, featuring Arizona wineries, Four Peaks Brewery, mezcal and more.

Two fairs will take place on Saturday and Sunday at the Maynard’s plaza with vintage clothing and record vendors.

And if that’s not enough, the after parties will keep you satisfied ’til sunrise with electronic music brought to you by Threshold by Ascetic House.

Check out the full list of artists and events on the site.

Chuck Barris may never die. At least the TV game shows that made him millions—The Gong Show, The Treasure Hunt and The Dating Game—seem immortal. In memory, scratchy videos, sequels and knock offs, they continue to resonate with universal human drives—winning, foraging, mating. Are they popular because the beasts are less daunting in a comical light?

Tucson Comedians Bethany Evans and Mo Urban resurrect The Dating Game at The Flycatcher, 430 E. 6th St., at 9 p.m. on Sunday, July 30; free. Anyone who’d like to find something funny in dating, i.e. anyone who’s ever had or wanted a date, might want to join the fun. Literally.

“We are still looking to fill a spot,” Evans says. “We especially welcome contestants from our LGBTQ community.” Prospective contestants should get their names in as soon as possible, but plans are for the show to be quarterly; you’ll have another chance. Like washing the car to provoke rain, applying for The Dating Game might even inspire the universe to find you a date, meanwhile. Email your interest to [email protected]

“A lot of contestants are comics,” Evans says, “because those are the people Mo and I know. Comics like to play because of the opportunity to improvise. About half of (the contestants) are regular people we know through work or other networks. We really want a lot of diverse people to play the game, though.”

Evans first hosted a dating game in 2003 at Bumsted’s (R.I.P.) at the suggestion of then owner Barb Shuman. In 2015, again at Shuman’s invitation, she brought the show back for five “episodes’ with partner J. Lugo Miller. Miller co-produces the 2017 iteration, taking charge of sound, sound effects and simple props.

Evans says, “The reboot will follow the original format: one bachelor or bachelorette, questioning 3 unseen contestants, and choosing one for a date, based solely on their answers.”

Recalling the Bumsted’s years, Evans says, “It was a blast, I heard a lot of great stories about people’s experiences with it.” Urban, an early contestant, has even woven her Dating Game turn into her comedy routine.

“My experience was so positive I was sad to see it go,” she says. “It wasn’t so much about finding someone. It was more about just putting myself out there.” And that’s just what you have to do.

Your Weekly guide to keeping busy in the Old Pueblo.

Nature

Seed Processing Workday. It’s time to turn your lackluster backyard into a botanical paradise. Come help out Native Seeds Search Conservation Center and learn about seed saving. Free chile seeds from their walls, sort out the best beans, shell corn and winnow squash. Children welcome but parental supervision is required. 1 to 4 p.m. Thursday, July 20. Native Seeds Search Conservation Center, 3584 E. River Road. Free.

Edible Desert. The desert gets a bad rap, and it's not well deserved. These thorny lands are thriving with life and life-sustaining tools. Tohono Chul Park will be teaching the relationship between the people of the Sonoran Desert and the plants of the region that provide food, shelter and medicine. Take home samples and recipes. 11 a.m. to noon Saturday, July 22. Joel D. Valdez Main Library, 101 N. Stone Ave. Free.

Cool Summer Nights. The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum continues its “Cool Summer Nights” series. On Saturday, July 22, the focus is on “Insect Insanity” and you’ll be able to get up-close and personal with the insects and arthropods of the Sonoran. On Saturday, July 29, “Creatures of the Night” will feature a live animal show, animated animals and art activities. Saturday, July 22 and July 29. 2021 N. Kinney Road. More info at Desertmuseum.org and 883-2702.

Food and Drink

Cooking Class. Ever wonder how you can prepare a meal like legendary local chef Janos Wilder of DOWNTOWN Kitchen + Cocktails? Here’s your chance to learn from the master and his team. Janos is presenting a cooking class and pop-up dinner at downtown’s Carriage House on from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, July 21. For $80 (plus a service fee and tax), foodies can learn about the history of food in Florianopolis, Brazil, see a culinary demonstration by Chef Devon Sanner, and then enjoy ho’s d’oevres and a four course meal.

Peach Mania. Apple Annie’s Fruit Orchard in Willcox celebrates peaches with wagon rides, peach picking, free samples of peach product, and all-you-can-eat peaches and pancake breakfasts. This weekend and next (July 22-23, July 29-30) is Watermelon Weekend paired with a Sweet Corn Extravaganza. On Saturday and Sunday, July 29 and 30, there will also be a craft fair from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. More info at Appleannies.com or 520-384-2084.

Your Weekly guide to keeping busy in the Old Pueblo.

Food & Booze

Tucson World Music & Culture Showcase. Enjoy a little culture from all over the world The University Of Arizona Africana Studies Department and the Community Food Bank are coming together for a day of music, dancing, poetry and, of course, food. 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday, July 14. CeeDee Jamaican Kitchen, 5305 E. Speedway Blvd. Free.

Summertime Speakeasy & Del Bac Showdown. Hamilton Distillers is partnering with Scott & Co. for the distillery’s first-ever hosted cocktail competition. For one evening, 47 Scott/Scott & Co will close its doors and reopen for a summertime speakeasy complete with candlelit live music, delicious food samples, and Whiskey Del Bac cocktails. Guests can sample cocktails from six local bartenders from across the city as they compete for Judges Pick. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Living Streets Alliance. Tickets Includes food and 6 cocktail samples. 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, July 15. 47 N. Scott Ave. $40.

Outdoors

Cool Summer Nights. Beat the Arizona heat and enjoy an night out at the Desert Museum. The desert comes alive as the sun sets. Skies become speckled with stars and animals rise from their daytime naps. Bring your flashlight and explore, experience a live animal encounter, or participate in special nightly activities. 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, July 15. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, 2021 N. Kinney Road. $16.

Sports

FC Tucson vs. Colorado Rapids U23. Come out and watch Tucson's only professional soccer team take on division rival (and MLS Development team) Colorado Rapids U23. With FC Tucson currently sitting atop the Western Conference Standings, the game serves as a finale before the playoffs for both teams. Enjoy a hot dog and a beer and help cheer the team on to victory! Gates open 6 p.m., kickoff at 7 p.m. Saturday, July 15. Kino Sports Complex, North Stadium, 2801 E. Ajo Way. Adults $12, Children (5-12) $8.

Movies

Cactus Drive-In Theatre. Indulge in the iconic drive-in experience at the Tanque Verde Swap Meet on Thursday night in July. On Thursday, July 13, you can catch a screening of La La Land, 2016's award-winning musical starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. Follow the lives and love of two L.A. dreamers as they await their big break. On Thursday, July 20, The Princess Bride will pay homage to (and skewer a little bit) all your favorite fairy tales. Movies start at 8 p.m. Suggested donation per carload is $15. More info at cactusdriveintheatre.com.

Cinema La Placita Summer Series. Take a trip downtown and enjoy the Cinema La Placita's continuing outdoor summer film series. This Thursday, July 13, enjoy a legendary piece of resistance cinema. Do the Right Thing, is a groundbreaking examination of race relations in America. Directed by the iconic Spike Lee, this movie spans the length of a day and examines the whole spectrum of life and culture in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. By the end of the movie, Lee challenges audiences to decide whether anyone truly does the "right thing" when it comes to race. On Thursday, July 20, you can see the classic Inherit the Wind (1960), which dramatizes a 1925 courtroom battle over the teaching of evolution. (We’re kind of hoping that this is a settled matter, but could see it back on the Supreme Court’s docket sometime in 2019.) Movies start at 7:30 p.m. in the Tucson Museum of Art plaza. In addition to the screenings, audiences are invited to enjoy the cash bar and food truck on site. More info at cinemalaplacita.com

Music

Kolezanka. Don't let the drum machine chump you—everyone in Kolezanka (Polish for friend) has soul. In fact, this dreamy postmodern pop trio from Phoenix has the unearthly quality of Vespertine-era Bjork and the tight-fist chemistry of Yo La Tengo. Their delicate minor harmonics move like how seaweed catches you and gently claws. The bass echoes of nimble-fingered Marcus Miller (Miles Davis, yo) in his most sexual playing groove. Keys shimmer and pool around female vocalists, strong as sirens, vulnerable as people. In “Pageant,” one voice sings, "Anytime they ask, you know that I lie. It's easier to just pretend that I'm fine," while her breathy backup counters, "I always wanted a sis-ter." It’s an utterly grounded and relatable emotion, backed by haunting and transcendent musicality. It rises to something good as beauty. Songs feel like they're organically poured from the musicians at once—arrangements wind around one another, creating an underwater spiral, pretty and circular and always rising toward the surface without ever quite breaking into the light. With Karimer Walker and Lowlife on Friday, July 14. Club Congress, 311 E. Congress. 8 p.m. 21+. Free.

We’re a Big Fan!

At 6’ 6”, Tucson’s Patrick Holt is an imposing drag queen. But height’s the least of the assets he brings to his alter-ego, Tempest DuJour. There’s also the drop-dead fabulousness of her costumes, created by the head of the UA’s costume design program—Holt, himself. Her sass is comedy gold, too.

What doubtless earned Tempest a spot in Ru Paul’s Drag Race, though, is her megawatt charisma. As an emcee, her performance is brash, sophisticated, and funny, but it's as kind as it is subversive. Tempest openly cherishes the quirks and complexities of human nature.

Since her star turn as a “Ru girl,” she has scored gigs in Brazil, Australia and the UK among other drag hotspots. “The exposure is amazing,” Holt says. “We get booked regularly to perform all over the world.”

Yet Tempest still finds time to emcee the Retro Game Show, an original entertainment that Holt created with David Hoffman almost six years ago. Hoffman, a graphic designer, prop-builder and all ‘round creative mind also serves as producer. The format allows Tempest to cross over from traditional drag shows for gay audiences, to a format that can play to widely diverse audiences, anywhere.

“It's not a drag show,” Holt says. “(They’re not) going to see someone lip-synching. It's a game show that happens to be hosted by a drag queen. Some of our more popular shows are Sassword, The Wheel of Misfortune, The $9.95 Pyramid. We just added BattleMimes. It’s like charades, but you have to wear a mime mask and a beret and white gloves.” It’s also original and exclusive to the Retro Game Show.

“My favorite is Sassword because it was the first thing we ever did, and it's really so much about the contestants. I love that the most.” Holt says it’s impossible to profile a perfect guest, but “If I call their names and they walk up to the stage with a cocktail in their hand—I pray for those.”

See Retro Game Show at 7 p.m., the second or third Saturday of every month at Club Congress, 311 East Congress Street. Follow Retro Game Show Night on Facebook for each month’s schedule and advance ticket information. Admission is $12 for the “splash zone” an $10 for available seats and standing room the evening of the show.

As a comic-book heroine continues her blockbuster dominance this summer, a much lesser known film has also grabbed moviegoers’ full attention. The self-distributed Native American story “Neither Wolf Nor Dog” has quietly sold out nearly every one of its appearances at multiplex theaters across the U.S. over the past two weeks. This box-office winner, with an amazing and authentic star, has touched so many hearts that theaters are extending their movie runs in cities and while expanding into new markets. Due to the overwhelmingly positive reception in Phoenix to “Neither Wolf Nor Dog,” the independent film has just added Tucson to its growing list of cities for wider release—set now to premiere at Harkins Theatres Tucson Spectrum 18 on July 7 for at least one week of showings.

Based on Kent Nerburn’s critically acclaimed novel by the same name, “Neither Wolf Nor Dog” tells the unforgettable Indian story of a 95-year-old Lakota elder named Dan, played perfectly by Dave Bald Eagle. Getting too old, the Native American leader wants his personal notes formally recorded for history’s sake. Tasked to compile the leader’s lifelong journey is none other than fair-minded author and white man Nerburn (Christopher Sweeney).

Modestly filmed by a crew of two over only 18 days, “Neither Wolf Nor Dog” is an incredible look inside the Lakota Country of South Dakota. The movie powerfully captures the culture, hardships, and obstacles that Native Americans have endured over the years. It also highlights the graciousness, humor, and pride still vibrant throughout the Lakota people.

The excellence and shear power of “Neither Wolf Nor Dog” is found in its main star, Dave Bald Eagle, who died post-production at the age of 97. Left for dead on D-Day in real life, Bald Eagle leads a stellar cast that’s both believable and fascinating to watch. The interaction of the characters, particularly Sweeney’s as Nerburn opposite Bald Eagle’s robust Dan, is what keeps this dialogue-heavy movie rolling and interesting.

“Neither Wolf Nor Dog” is an education for viewers throughout. It presents the beauty and tragedy of Lakota life in simple terms, right down to the cinematography and filmmaking techniques used to tell one man’s iconic journey. A historical account that goes back to the Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890. All events and relationships that must be remembered forever. And that’s the true importance of “Neither Wolf Nor Dog”: the deeply seeded history lesson of our nation’s past and present with the Lakota culture.

This film isn’t bringing home the box-office sales of “Wonder Woman,” but it’s selling out theaters everywhere it’s shown. “Neither Wolf Nor Dog” is a bold, rich take on Native American history that is catching fire with audiences throughout Arizona. We’re fortunate to have this unforgettable story come to Tucson this week.

Patrick King is a resident of Tucson and writer for the REEL BRIEF movie blog at www.reelbrief.com.

Your Weekly guide to keeping busy in the Old Pueblo.

Music

Dogbreth. "I want you to feel like you could rely on me if you need to" ... but I’m not sure if you can. This typifies the brutally honest, slightly neurotic voice of Dogbreth, a self-effacing indie combo from Phoenix and Seattle. Despite the lead singer’s openhearted rawness, the band is surprisingly well-produced and polished. Kindred to Fang Island, though by far less straight-ahead rocking, these kids were suckled on Belle and Sebastian's Tigermilk, reared on The Shins and came of age to Wayne Coin's quirked-up psych-pop earnestness. By calling themselves out on their own awkwardness, "head shaved, eating pizza at the Christown mall, waiting for you to call," Dogbreth is instantly endearing. That the fuzz guitars really soar and the bass really pounds make up for the wavery vocals, hell they highlight how authentic they really are. "Rock ’n’ roll won't make it all OK, but it used to seem that way.” Damn straight, and when we hear bands like this we remember why we felt that way. With Nice Try, Her Mana and CTV. Sunday, July 9
at Club Congress, 311 E. Congress St. $7. 7 p.m. 16 and up.

Satanik Goat Ritual. Rimshots pound your skull with relentless determination, a guitar pelts you with driving black rain and a vocalist terrifies, growling unholy utterances that keep popping up in an unseen speakers, like some Wackamole demon. The effect is disorienting, dark and appears utterly devoid of irony. This is Satanik Goat Ritual. Hailing from El Paso (fuck, yeah!), the band channels the violence of life lived debajo de la frontera. There’s no native language that will help you understand SGR's lyrics—they are utterly indescifrable— or universally understandable, depending on your perspective. In a "Prayer for Death," it’s like the deep vocal bark and repetitive hammer-fist downstrokes evoke thing you’re really ashamed of, sexual or otherwise. That’s power in song! This brutal combo channels real menace and conjures and harnesses that energy, and it’s primally unnerving. With Olden, Shadows of Algol, Bloodtrail and Xiuhcoatl on Saturday, July 8 at The Flycatcher, 340 E. 6th St. 9 p.m. $5. 21+.

decker. With the melodic sensibility of early Wallflowers, harnessing the jaunty chorale energy of the Polyphonic Spree, decker continuously bounces the listener like a baby on his knee and turns well-worn phrases over like quarters in his hands. He takes old-timey Americana orchestration to tackle modern topics like being a suburban "Patsy" ("Never better over there"), or the fact ODB will take his secrets "to the grave." His voice is a sincere blend of high nasal wine and perfect jazz control, a stellar combo and this music would be impeccable if it weren't for the irony. The production is perfect, stylized, craft-cocktail-hip, as are his pro YouTube vids. Perhaps he wants to be up-to-the-moment Jonathan Richmond (that’s be a real drag), but the music lapses into hipster clever-clever land too often. In the bluesy "Blackwash" he asks, "You want it real hot baby, how you feel it now?" I just want to feel something. And we’d much rather this mustached dude be real than hot. Ultimately his mastery over his music is his lorded mastery over us. As he strings together cliché after cliché, I wonder if he's just smirking inside, stringing listeners along too. With the mighty Carlos Arzate and The Kind Souls, Upsahl on Friday, July 7. Club Congress, 311 E. Congress St. 8 p.m. 21+. Free.

Patsy's Rats. "Rock ’n’ roll friend/Come see me again?/I'm starting to miss you" is sung to the limits of earnest Patsy Gelb’s vocal range. A dude sorta harmonizes overtop for emphasis, and punchy glimpses of a "My Sharona"/“Pretty Vacant” guitar punctuates and soars. The whole thing’s sweetly nostalgic, like Holly and the Italians or early Cars. Her vocals can be coolishly indifferent-sounding like VU's Mo Tucker, so when Patsy invites her friend to join her in a big black car, who wouldn’t wanna get on in with her. The band hails from Portland, but Patsy's dad is Pennsylvania-via-Tucson hero Howe Gelb, and her mom co-wrote Belinda Carlisle’s giant killer hit “Mad About You.” So, yeah, pretty good genes. On "Hard Time Karen,” we say goodbye to the girl enough times to make this song a solid drinking game selection. It's bouncy but dark and captures the duality of pop and macabre that’d make Lou Reed or Ric Ocasek green with envy. See the Rats before they blow into full-on underground superstars. With The Resonars, Al Lover and Wooden Tooth Record DJs on Thursday July 6. Club Congress, 311 E. Congress St. 7 p.m. Free.

We heart this cool flick.

The Fox Tucson Theater offers comfy seats, central air and air-conditioning for the brain with the zephyr-light, Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire vehicle, Funny Face, at 7:30 p.m., Friday, July 7.

Among the most enduring relics of Hollywood’s golden age of romantic comedies, this technicolor gem features haut style in an uber-cool Parisian fashion environment.

It’s the genre paradigm that gave rise to La La Land, but we’ve seen Fred Astaire, and adorable as Ryan Gosling is, he is no Fred Astaire.

The Fox event benefits the Andra Heart Foundation which provides heart screening for high-school athletes and heart health information to the community. General admission is $25; VIP seats are $75 and include a reception at 5:30 p.m. plus reserved seats in the loge or balcony.

“Sing,” laugh and stay cool with the kiddies!

The 2016 animated feature Sing echoes the story of the Fox Theatre, where it screens at 10 a.m. Friday, July 14. The movie follows the exploits of Koala Buster Moon who aspires to rescue his grand old theater with a singing competition worthy of the Guinness Book of Records. Five contestants show up, hi-jinx and calamities ensue and lives are changed forever. The movie’s free, and so is the popcorn!

Cool off with coffee?

Historically, Tucsonans drank coffee to stay cool. Perspiration plus zero dew-point made swamp coolers of their skin. Now we can drink iced coffee and enjoy free entertainment every Friday at 8 p.m. at air-conditioned Epic Café, 745 N. 4th Ave. The Sound of Comedy open mic features aspiring musicians and comedians, both. Organizer Rich Aguirre says, “We are giving more artists more stage time so they can grow. And more performers bring more audience members.”

From the improv class that brought them together just a few years ago, the musical improv group From the Top has climbed to prime time at Unscrewed Theatre. This week, they begin performing as a house team in the theater’s top slot, 9:30 pm, the first Saturday of every month.

From the Top uses audience suggestions to create scenes that mimic Broadway shows; characters may burst into song at any moment. Players make up lyrics in real time to fit both the scene and a music track chosen by teammates according to the scene’s mood.

The lyrical improv ensemble earned a monthly show last year through a series of head-to-head events on Unscrewed’s Free Form Fridays. That show, the second Friday every month, features competing teams from throughout Tucson.

Of the group’s humble beginnings, organizer Cynthia “Cy” Barlow says, “When that (improv) class finished, we liked each other enough that we wanted to keep playing together. We were trying out different formats and then one day, we all were like, ‘I've always wanted to try musical improv.’ ‘Hey, me too!’ ‘Hey me too!’” And we kind of went ‘Oh! Well, that's doable.’”

The consensus was perhaps inevitable given that all the group members have musical backgrounds. Barlow has three music degrees including a master’s in music theory. Still, the fledgling project was not without challenges.

“The challenges for musical improv are coming up with a way to accompany yourself,” Barlow says. Musicians weren’t eager to offer free accompaniment, but the team found a solution in Laura Hall’s Improv Karaoke, two CDs of backing tracks in a range of genres.

“For a while we used those, then I started making my own accompaniment tracks.” Barlow says. “Now the challenge is to keep that fresh. We don't want to get too familiar with them.

“That's been our biggest challenge,” Barlow says, but she adds, “The biggest challenge is really getting over the fear of singing in front of people!”

Unscrewed Theatre is at 3244 E Speedway Blvd. Tickets are $5 at the door or at unscrewedtheatre.org.

Fat Lazy Slob Who Did Good

Kevin Smith wrote and directed lots of films including Dogma, created AMC’s Comic Book Men, contributes daily to Smodcast.com and has written two books, including one whose name inspired this subhead. See him at 8 p.m., Friday, June 30 at the Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress St.; $28 to $48.