Thursday, November 24, 2016
Your Weekly guide to keeping busy in the Old Pueblo.
Pick of the Week: Local Black Friday & Holiday Shopping
Somehow, it happened. Despite months of intending to get holiday shopping done early, Thanksgiving has arrived and there are still gifts left to buy. Well, you might as well save some money. Ditch the mall this weekend and shop local this Black Friday and Small Business Saturday.
The annual Fourth Avenue Black Friday (and Small Business Saturday) deals look pretty good this year, including discounts and double stamps at Antigone, free admission to future Jellywink sexuality workshop facilitated by Ally Booker with any purchase from our favorite sex toy store, dollar drafts at Mr. Head's, discounted improv classes at Tucson Improv Movement and 20 percent off at How Sweet It Was, the Book Stop, Rustic Candle Company and some items at Pop Cycle. Check out the Facebook page for more details on when and where these discounts are going down.
Other small business to check out for holiday deals include: Wooden Tooth Records, Fantasy Comics and Heroes and Villains. Need someone to watch the kids while you're fighting over discounted television sets? Register the kiddos for a day at Heart and Soul Kids Activity Center. Just need a drink? Casa Video's Film Bar is pouring black beers all day long.
But wait, more options await you throughout the weekend!
Holiday Arts and Crafts Fair: Holiday shopping is quickly approaching! Check out the Holiday Arts and Crafts Fair to find unique items from more than 100 vendors from all over the Southwest ranging from artists, crafters, photographers, painters, potters, jewelers and more at one of Tucson's most popular craft shows. Be sure to stop for food and refreshments from local vendors along the way. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov. 26 - 27. Reid Park, 3400 E. Zoo Court. Free.
Native American Month Social & Indian Craft Market: Learn about the heritage, culture and art of different Native American tribal nations at this special event held every year on Thanksgiving weekend. There will be works by artisans, demonstrations of dance and song, and activities for children. There will also be a cultural presentation from award-winning hoop dancer Cecil Manuel, Tohono O'odham and Apache nations. Noon to 5p.m. Nov. 26-Nov. 28. Sheraton Hotel & Suites, 5151 E. Grant Road. Free admission & parking.
The Big Lebowski at the Fox: Watch the Dude get into all kinds of shenanigans in this Coen brothers' 1998 dramatic comedy featuring Jeff Bridges, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi more of Hollywood's finest. You can catch this flick at the Fox for one days only. 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 27 Fox TucsonTheatre, 17 W. Congress. General Admission: $7, Students, military and kids under 12: $5 movies.
John Hughes Movie Night: Watch your favorite stories of high school angst and longing at Casa Video and Casa Film Bar. The new hang out at the old move stop will play a loop of John Hughes classics all Black Friday night long. 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 25 Casa Video and Casa Film Bar, 2905 E. Speedway Blvd. Free, bring money for food and drinks.
Breaking Away: Chosen by the staff members of Tucson's movie theater gem, this Academy Award-winning comedy covers the frightening transition into real life from high school, chronicling the lives of teen recently-graduated teens. 7:30 - 9:15 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 20. The Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway Blvd. General Admission: $6, Members: $5.
Friends Trivia: Friends has been on Netflix for about two years now, which means you’ve had ample time to memorize every moment from the television show that dictated our hair cuts and helped us name our kids in the late ’90s. Stop singing to your neighborhood smelly cat and leave your ugly, naked neighbor alone on Tuesday, Nov. 29 a 7 p.m. and show off your Central Perk knowledge. Make sure you know who “Ms. Chenandler Bong” is. The fun takes place at Casa Video’s Film Bar (2905 E. Speedway Blvd).
The Sound of Music comes to Tucson: This musical classic will take to the UA's Centennial Hall for six days only presented by Broadway in Tucson in conjunction with UA Presents. The musical is under the direction of Tony Award winner Jack O'Brien with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. times vary Nov. 29 - Dec. 4 Centennial Hall, 1020 E. University Blvd. $19 - $100.
Caffinated Comedy: Enjoy a night of stand-up comedy at Cafe Passe's back patio hosted by Mo Urban and guest host Rory Monserat. Grab a cup of coffee, a pastry or some alcohol at the patio bar and make sure to get some laughs in at this open mic night. Sign-up: 6 p.m., Starts at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30 Cafe Passe, 415 N. Fourth Ave. Free, bring money for food and drinks.
Lightwire Theatre, A Very Electric Christmas: "Brighten up your holidays" with Lightwire Theaters A Very Electric Christmas, a magical tale of family, friendship and hope set to timeless holiday hits including Nat King Cole, Mariah Carey and Tchai. This show is open to people of all ages and will be a night to remember for the whole family! 6pm, doors 5pm Friday, November 25 Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W. Congress Street $17 - $32.
An Evening with Garrison Keillor: Spend an evening with Garrison Keillor, one of Americas most renowned radio hosts and humorists, and learn about his life and success along the way. He is the host of the daily program The Writer’s Almanac and the editor of several anthologies of poetry. Keillor has also been awarded with a Grammy, ACE, and George Foster Peabody awards, the National Humanities Medal, and election to the American Academy of Arts and Letters. 7:30-9:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29. Fox Tuscon Theatre, 17 W. Congress Street. $37-$84.
23rd Waila Festival at Old Tucson: Old Tucson is hosting their annual celebration of southern Arizona heritage and culture, with O'odham dancers and performances by the Waila Festival Band. In addition, there will be polkas, schottisches, and mazurkas as well as booths serving native desert food dishes and a barbeque. 6-10 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 26. Old Tucson, 201 S. Kinney Road. $10 per person.
Holiday Special, Home Alone in Concert: Are we in the part of the year where it is socially acceptable to start watching holiday movies yet? The Tucson Symphony Orchestra is featuring the famous Christmas comedy classic Home Alone on the big screen. But wait, there’s more: The screening will feature composer John Williams’ charming score performed by the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Vinay Parameswaran. Add some hot cocoa and it sounds like the perfect start to holiday madness. Saturday, Nov. 26 at 4 p.m., Sunday Nov. 27 at 6 p.m. Tucson Music Hall, 260 S. Church Ave.
Music
Bubba Sparxx: This son of a school bus driver has overcome lots of things to become Bubba Sparxx the rapper. For one thing, he was a high school football star, and he’s white, tubby, and he grew up in impoverished rural Georgia along a dirt road and his closest neighbor was a half mile away. Not exactly prerequisites to rap stardom. As a kid he discovered 2 Live Crew and then West Coast gangsta, and that, ultimately, connected him to world that was far more exciting than his own. It saved him, you could say. His 2001 debut album came out from absolutely nowhere, with Timbaland at the helm, went gold, and he became the go-to slinger of the white poor south, which made him a star. He’s also a master at country rap too. A real American story. With Yelawolf and Jelly Roll on Sunday, Nov. 27 at 7 p.m. Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress. $26-$29. All ages.
Tele Novella: Hurl a Timothy Leary tome in any direction and you’ll knock an indie psych band in the head. Yeah, we’d wager there are more so-called “psych” bands today than at any time in the mid to late 1960s. Many of them are just detached and self-indulgent, retro-vaudvillians who forget that part of their job is to entertain an audience while mistaking droning sounds for actual songwriting. Worse, many have never ingested hallucinogenics! But this Austin-based band, led by the ferociously skilled guitarist/singer Natalie Ribbons, has the show, the songwriting—the thought and the passion—that allows them to use the “psych” label without embarrassment. And the band is so much more than that too. The hook-filled songs move in welcome unpredictable ways, can flip from sunny to melancholy in an instant (sometimes with eerie Lynchian sonic turns). It’s the same sort of literate, song-y mindset that possessed everyone from Sky Saxon to Burt Bacharach to Jackie DeShannon to Ruthann Friedmann to ’60s-era Paul Williams … so it’s beautifully baroque, filled with sculpted twang and singsong choruses. But never does it sound like they’re lifting wholesale from the greats. Ribbons has a glorious lilt in her voice too, kinda like Mama Cass, and you can imagine her one day singing standards. No shit. We can’t recommend this band highly enough. With Tucson’s mighty nihilistic bubblegummers The Resonars at 8 p.m., Wednesday Nov. 30, Club Congress, 311 E. Congress. Free. 21+
Capitán Koala: Straight out of Hermosillo, Sonora, this monster power-chording, Spanish-singing, roust-the-dead rock ’n’ roll outfit play as if their lives depend on it. They back up songs about eternal indifference and pawnshops with a kind of fist-pumping verve we’ve not heard out of a so-called “rock band” in ages. (It’s only more kickass that they’re Mexican.) Cross our hearts, this young quartet (one EP out, the punchy “Luciana”) make contemporary combos like the Foo Fighters sound even more bland and mediocre than they already are. They’re huge in Tijuana too. See them twice in Tucson: Saturday, Dec. 3 at Brodies Tavern, 2449 N. Stone. 7 p.m. 21+, and Sunday, Dec. 4 with Snailmate, at The Loudhouse, 915 W Prince Rd., 7 p.m. 21+.
Too $hort: Raised in South-Central L.A., Too $hort was an original West Coast gangsta rapper, slinging rhymes of porno-like schtupps and murderous suckerpunches that millions of white kids in middle America were eating up by 1990. $hort is infamous for many other things too, like collaborating with both The Notorious B.I.G. and 2Pac when they were huge. Now he’s one of the rare rappers who’s entered an age of his own nostalgia, where his fanbase is still strong but aging. And that says a lot about how his words and mad rapping skills have evolved with audience. He’s can be considered classic rap now, sort of like the Paul Simon of hip-hop. With Mistah F.A.B. on Saturday, Dec. 3 at The Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress. $25-$30. 7 p.m. All ages.
Seu Jorge: This badass-haired singer/songwriter helped to popularize samba beyond South American borders. You may have seen him too: He was Knockout Ned in 2002’s Oscar-nominated City of God, and he co-starred in Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic with Steven Zissou, in which he beautifully covered David Bowie songs in Portuguese. (Bowie himself was moved by Seu Jorge’s versions). Over the years he has also covered the likes of Leiber & Stoller, Tim Maia, Serge Gainsbourg and others to incredible effect. As evidenced on his many albums, the madly charismatic Jorge is blessed with one of those voices that can seemingly tackle anything—he’s equally at home lilting over dancefloor-slamming South American rhythms as he is crooning over beds of soul or funk. It’s no surprise that his tours do great business—his sets move effortlessly between somber acoustic-guitar strummed beauties and sweat-soaked, horn-drenched sambas. And he’s doing the David Bowie stuff on this tour. Thursday, Dec. 1 at the Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress. 7 p.m. $38-$59. All ages.
House of Stairs: This quartet’s comely and effortless-seeming blend of fusion jazz, pop and soul mixes well with J. Dilla-inspired beats, varied electronics and loops. It doesn’t hurt that singer Holly Pyle has a graceful, liquid-like voice, sort of like Rickie Lee Jones, or that band member Shea Marshall plays a multitude of instruments, including bass clarinet, saxophone, harmonica, accordion and synth. Their song “Zoloft”—a blend of fusion, horns and unpredictable time signatures—manages to sound like how you feel when you actually “want to feel again,” but in the best possible way. With Katie Haverly on Friday, Dec. 2, at the Flycatcher, 340 E. 6th St. 9 p.m. 21+
Henry Rollins: The author, actor, columnist, book publisher, songwriter, podcast host, political activist, radio voice, forever punk rocker, and one-time Black Flag frontman is still kicking ass and taking names, despite the gray hair. (And no, we still would never go anywhere near his protein drink.) This protean wonder, whose finely wrought opinions are as sculpted as his gym-assisted torso, is bringing his angry/funny/enlightened spoken-word riot to these parts, and from what we understand the show is one sidesplitting anecdote to another. It’s also filled with charged screeds directed at mouthbreathing practitioners of sexism, racism and homophobia. He’s a man of the people, a poet of the proletariat, and if you don’t believe us, just go up and try telling him he’s not. Then see what happens. Friday, Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress. $27-$36 All ages.
Pick of the Week: Local Black Friday & Holiday Shopping
Somehow, it happened. Despite months of intending to get holiday shopping done early, Thanksgiving has arrived and there are still gifts left to buy. Well, you might as well save some money. Ditch the mall this weekend and shop local this Black Friday and Small Business Saturday. The annual Fourth Avenue Black Friday (and Small Business Saturday) deals look pretty good this year, including discounts and double stamps at Antigone, free admission to future Jellywink sexuality workshop facilitated by Ally Booker with any purchase from our favorite sex toy store, dollar drafts at Mr. Head's, discounted improv classes at Tucson Improv Movement and 20 percent off at How Sweet It Was, the Book Stop, Rustic Candle Company and some items at Pop Cycle. Check out the Facebook page for more details on when and where these discounts are going down.
Other small business to check out for holiday deals include: Wooden Tooth Records, Fantasy Comics and Heroes and Villains. Need someone to watch the kids while you're fighting over discounted television sets? Register the kiddos for a day at Heart and Soul Kids Activity Center. Just need a drink? Casa Video's Film Bar is pouring black beers all day long.
But wait, more options await you throughout the weekend!
Holiday Arts and Crafts Fair: Holiday shopping is quickly approaching! Check out the Holiday Arts and Crafts Fair to find unique items from more than 100 vendors from all over the Southwest ranging from artists, crafters, photographers, painters, potters, jewelers and more at one of Tucson's most popular craft shows. Be sure to stop for food and refreshments from local vendors along the way. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov. 26 - 27. Reid Park, 3400 E. Zoo Court. Free.
Native American Month Social & Indian Craft Market: Learn about the heritage, culture and art of different Native American tribal nations at this special event held every year on Thanksgiving weekend. There will be works by artisans, demonstrations of dance and song, and activities for children. There will also be a cultural presentation from award-winning hoop dancer Cecil Manuel, Tohono O'odham and Apache nations. Noon to 5p.m. Nov. 26-Nov. 28. Sheraton Hotel & Suites, 5151 E. Grant Road. Free admission & parking.
Cinema
The Big Lebowski at the Fox: Watch the Dude get into all kinds of shenanigans in this Coen brothers' 1998 dramatic comedy featuring Jeff Bridges, Julianne Moore, Steve Buscemi more of Hollywood's finest. You can catch this flick at the Fox for one days only. 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 27 Fox TucsonTheatre, 17 W. Congress. General Admission: $7, Students, military and kids under 12: $5 movies.John Hughes Movie Night: Watch your favorite stories of high school angst and longing at Casa Video and Casa Film Bar. The new hang out at the old move stop will play a loop of John Hughes classics all Black Friday night long. 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 25 Casa Video and Casa Film Bar, 2905 E. Speedway Blvd. Free, bring money for food and drinks.
Breaking Away: Chosen by the staff members of Tucson's movie theater gem, this Academy Award-winning comedy covers the frightening transition into real life from high school, chronicling the lives of teen recently-graduated teens. 7:30 - 9:15 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 20. The Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway Blvd. General Admission: $6, Members: $5.
Friends Trivia: Friends has been on Netflix for about two years now, which means you’ve had ample time to memorize every moment from the television show that dictated our hair cuts and helped us name our kids in the late ’90s. Stop singing to your neighborhood smelly cat and leave your ugly, naked neighbor alone on Tuesday, Nov. 29 a 7 p.m. and show off your Central Perk knowledge. Make sure you know who “Ms. Chenandler Bong” is. The fun takes place at Casa Video’s Film Bar (2905 E. Speedway Blvd).
Performance
The Sound of Music comes to Tucson: This musical classic will take to the UA's Centennial Hall for six days only presented by Broadway in Tucson in conjunction with UA Presents. The musical is under the direction of Tony Award winner Jack O'Brien with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. times vary Nov. 29 - Dec. 4 Centennial Hall, 1020 E. University Blvd. $19 - $100.Caffinated Comedy: Enjoy a night of stand-up comedy at Cafe Passe's back patio hosted by Mo Urban and guest host Rory Monserat. Grab a cup of coffee, a pastry or some alcohol at the patio bar and make sure to get some laughs in at this open mic night. Sign-up: 6 p.m., Starts at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30 Cafe Passe, 415 N. Fourth Ave. Free, bring money for food and drinks.
Lightwire Theatre, A Very Electric Christmas: "Brighten up your holidays" with Lightwire Theaters A Very Electric Christmas, a magical tale of family, friendship and hope set to timeless holiday hits including Nat King Cole, Mariah Carey and Tchai. This show is open to people of all ages and will be a night to remember for the whole family! 6pm, doors 5pm Friday, November 25 Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W. Congress Street $17 - $32.
An Evening with Garrison Keillor: Spend an evening with Garrison Keillor, one of Americas most renowned radio hosts and humorists, and learn about his life and success along the way. He is the host of the daily program The Writer’s Almanac and the editor of several anthologies of poetry. Keillor has also been awarded with a Grammy, ACE, and George Foster Peabody awards, the National Humanities Medal, and election to the American Academy of Arts and Letters. 7:30-9:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 29. Fox Tuscon Theatre, 17 W. Congress Street. $37-$84.
23rd Waila Festival at Old Tucson: Old Tucson is hosting their annual celebration of southern Arizona heritage and culture, with O'odham dancers and performances by the Waila Festival Band. In addition, there will be polkas, schottisches, and mazurkas as well as booths serving native desert food dishes and a barbeque. 6-10 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 26. Old Tucson, 201 S. Kinney Road. $10 per person.
Holiday Special, Home Alone in Concert: Are we in the part of the year where it is socially acceptable to start watching holiday movies yet? The Tucson Symphony Orchestra is featuring the famous Christmas comedy classic Home Alone on the big screen. But wait, there’s more: The screening will feature composer John Williams’ charming score performed by the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Vinay Parameswaran. Add some hot cocoa and it sounds like the perfect start to holiday madness. Saturday, Nov. 26 at 4 p.m., Sunday Nov. 27 at 6 p.m. Tucson Music Hall, 260 S. Church Ave.
Music
Bubba Sparxx: This son of a school bus driver has overcome lots of things to become Bubba Sparxx the rapper. For one thing, he was a high school football star, and he’s white, tubby, and he grew up in impoverished rural Georgia along a dirt road and his closest neighbor was a half mile away. Not exactly prerequisites to rap stardom. As a kid he discovered 2 Live Crew and then West Coast gangsta, and that, ultimately, connected him to world that was far more exciting than his own. It saved him, you could say. His 2001 debut album came out from absolutely nowhere, with Timbaland at the helm, went gold, and he became the go-to slinger of the white poor south, which made him a star. He’s also a master at country rap too. A real American story. With Yelawolf and Jelly Roll on Sunday, Nov. 27 at 7 p.m. Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress. $26-$29. All ages.Tele Novella: Hurl a Timothy Leary tome in any direction and you’ll knock an indie psych band in the head. Yeah, we’d wager there are more so-called “psych” bands today than at any time in the mid to late 1960s. Many of them are just detached and self-indulgent, retro-vaudvillians who forget that part of their job is to entertain an audience while mistaking droning sounds for actual songwriting. Worse, many have never ingested hallucinogenics! But this Austin-based band, led by the ferociously skilled guitarist/singer Natalie Ribbons, has the show, the songwriting—the thought and the passion—that allows them to use the “psych” label without embarrassment. And the band is so much more than that too. The hook-filled songs move in welcome unpredictable ways, can flip from sunny to melancholy in an instant (sometimes with eerie Lynchian sonic turns). It’s the same sort of literate, song-y mindset that possessed everyone from Sky Saxon to Burt Bacharach to Jackie DeShannon to Ruthann Friedmann to ’60s-era Paul Williams … so it’s beautifully baroque, filled with sculpted twang and singsong choruses. But never does it sound like they’re lifting wholesale from the greats. Ribbons has a glorious lilt in her voice too, kinda like Mama Cass, and you can imagine her one day singing standards. No shit. We can’t recommend this band highly enough. With Tucson’s mighty nihilistic bubblegummers The Resonars at 8 p.m., Wednesday Nov. 30, Club Congress, 311 E. Congress. Free. 21+
Capitán Koala: Straight out of Hermosillo, Sonora, this monster power-chording, Spanish-singing, roust-the-dead rock ’n’ roll outfit play as if their lives depend on it. They back up songs about eternal indifference and pawnshops with a kind of fist-pumping verve we’ve not heard out of a so-called “rock band” in ages. (It’s only more kickass that they’re Mexican.) Cross our hearts, this young quartet (one EP out, the punchy “Luciana”) make contemporary combos like the Foo Fighters sound even more bland and mediocre than they already are. They’re huge in Tijuana too. See them twice in Tucson: Saturday, Dec. 3 at Brodies Tavern, 2449 N. Stone. 7 p.m. 21+, and Sunday, Dec. 4 with Snailmate, at The Loudhouse, 915 W Prince Rd., 7 p.m. 21+.
Too $hort: Raised in South-Central L.A., Too $hort was an original West Coast gangsta rapper, slinging rhymes of porno-like schtupps and murderous suckerpunches that millions of white kids in middle America were eating up by 1990. $hort is infamous for many other things too, like collaborating with both The Notorious B.I.G. and 2Pac when they were huge. Now he’s one of the rare rappers who’s entered an age of his own nostalgia, where his fanbase is still strong but aging. And that says a lot about how his words and mad rapping skills have evolved with audience. He’s can be considered classic rap now, sort of like the Paul Simon of hip-hop. With Mistah F.A.B. on Saturday, Dec. 3 at The Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress. $25-$30. 7 p.m. All ages.
Seu Jorge: This badass-haired singer/songwriter helped to popularize samba beyond South American borders. You may have seen him too: He was Knockout Ned in 2002’s Oscar-nominated City of God, and he co-starred in Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic with Steven Zissou, in which he beautifully covered David Bowie songs in Portuguese. (Bowie himself was moved by Seu Jorge’s versions). Over the years he has also covered the likes of Leiber & Stoller, Tim Maia, Serge Gainsbourg and others to incredible effect. As evidenced on his many albums, the madly charismatic Jorge is blessed with one of those voices that can seemingly tackle anything—he’s equally at home lilting over dancefloor-slamming South American rhythms as he is crooning over beds of soul or funk. It’s no surprise that his tours do great business—his sets move effortlessly between somber acoustic-guitar strummed beauties and sweat-soaked, horn-drenched sambas. And he’s doing the David Bowie stuff on this tour. Thursday, Dec. 1 at the Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress. 7 p.m. $38-$59. All ages.
House of Stairs: This quartet’s comely and effortless-seeming blend of fusion jazz, pop and soul mixes well with J. Dilla-inspired beats, varied electronics and loops. It doesn’t hurt that singer Holly Pyle has a graceful, liquid-like voice, sort of like Rickie Lee Jones, or that band member Shea Marshall plays a multitude of instruments, including bass clarinet, saxophone, harmonica, accordion and synth. Their song “Zoloft”—a blend of fusion, horns and unpredictable time signatures—manages to sound like how you feel when you actually “want to feel again,” but in the best possible way. With Katie Haverly on Friday, Dec. 2, at the Flycatcher, 340 E. 6th St. 9 p.m. 21+
Henry Rollins: The author, actor, columnist, book publisher, songwriter, podcast host, political activist, radio voice, forever punk rocker, and one-time Black Flag frontman is still kicking ass and taking names, despite the gray hair. (And no, we still would never go anywhere near his protein drink.) This protean wonder, whose finely wrought opinions are as sculpted as his gym-assisted torso, is bringing his angry/funny/enlightened spoken-word riot to these parts, and from what we understand the show is one sidesplitting anecdote to another. It’s also filled with charged screeds directed at mouthbreathing practitioners of sexism, racism and homophobia. He’s a man of the people, a poet of the proletariat, and if you don’t believe us, just go up and try telling him he’s not. Then see what happens. Friday, Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress. $27-$36 All ages.
Thursday, November 17, 2016
Your Weekly guide to keeping busy in the Old Pueblo.
Pick of the Week: Slut Walk
Slut Walk: Fight rape culture, victim blaming and street harassment at the annual Slut Walk! Curious about the name? As organizers put it on their Facebook event, "In using the word 'slut,' we are not dehumanizing ourselves, but rather humanizing a label, showing the wide variety of people slut pertains to, whether embraced or prescribed to by the outside world." SlutWalk is a movement that fights sexism, classism, racism, ableism, fatphobia, homophobia and transphobia, and is sex worker inclusive. What more could we ask for out of a community event? It all goes down this Saturday, Nov. 19. The fun starts with a resource fair at the UA Women's Plaza of Honor. At 5 p.m., march down University Boulevard and down Fourth Avenue, ending at Cafe Passé (415 N. 4th Ave.) for some speakers and free food.
Food & Booze
Wobble Gobble Bar Crawl: Ever feel as though you don't have enough time to celebrate November's turkey themed festivities. Join the Tucson Holiday Bar Crawl for a fun night out on the town in celebration of Thanksgiving. Don't forget to dress up in your favorite holiday-themed costumes to participate in the holiday costume contest. 9 p.m.-midnight. Saturday, Nov. 19. Hotel Congress, 311 E. Congress St. Bring money for booze.
Sweet Charity Dessert and Cocktail Challenge: Enjoy more than 40 desserts representing Tucson's creative culinary arts from local chefs. There will be cocktails, beer and wine samplings, a silent auction, merchant specials and entertainment and all proceeds go to support arts education. 6:30 PM Friday, Nov. 18. Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, 7000 N. Resort Drive. $45.
Tuesday Tastings: Celebrate Thanksgiving in the booziest way possible! Tap and Bottle's Tuesday Tasting will feature Thanksgiving inspired beers. The event is open to the general public ages 21 and up. 5 - 9 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 22. Tap and Bottle, 403 N. Sixth Ave. Bring money for booze.
Thanksgiving at Cup Cafe: Enjoy holiday specials for three days in a row leading up to the nation's favorite turkey day. The downtown restaurant will feature special menu items like Virginia eggs benedict, coffee cured Virginia ham and even a turkey dinner. Don't forget to satisfy your sweet tooth with the cafe's by-the-slice holiday pies. Nov. 24-25 Cup Cafe, 311 E. Congress St.
Performance
Ballet Tucson Opening Night Gala: Enjoy a night of fine dance from Tucson's own professional ballet company. Ballet Tucson will old it's annual opening day gala. The gala will feature a pre-performance wine and buffet reception, silent auction and a post-performance champagne reception with the cast. The company will premiere two new ballets: Spirit Garden and Perseus and Andromeda at this one-night-only event. Gala Reception at 6:30 p.m., Performance at 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 18. Temple of Music and Art, 330 S. Scott Ave. $100 per person.
Estampas Porteñas: Deseos: This Argentinian tango company will take to the UA's Cenntenial Hall to present their new dance production, Deseos: Stories of Longing and Desire told through Argentine Tango and Music. The set will include 25 dancers moving to show the "heart and soul" of Argentina. The performance will also include on-stage 3D projections to take to audience across Argentina. 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 18. Centennial Hall, 1020 E. University Blvd. $20-$55.
UA Presents-Vocalocity: Experience Pitch Perfect in real life, join UA Presents as they host the a cappella group, Vocalocity. The production is brought to you by the creative mind of Deke Sharon who not only arranges and coaches on the singing show the Sing Off, but also is the music director of the cult film Pitch Perfect. Vocoalocity will bring you arrangements from every genre of music and will keep you on your toes the entire show. Don't miss out on this aca-exciting event! 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 20. Centennial Hall, 1020 E. University Blvd. $15-$40. music, entertainment
The Sound of Music comes to Tucson: This musical classic will take to the UA's Centennial Hall for six days only presented by Broadway in Tucson in conjunction with UA Presents. The musical is under the direction of Tony Award winner Jack O'Brien with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. times vary Nov. 29-Dec. 4 Centennial Hall, 1020 E. University Blvd. $19 - $100.
Pick of the Week: Slut Walk
Slut Walk: Fight rape culture, victim blaming and street harassment at the annual Slut Walk! Curious about the name? As organizers put it on their Facebook event, "In using the word 'slut,' we are not dehumanizing ourselves, but rather humanizing a label, showing the wide variety of people slut pertains to, whether embraced or prescribed to by the outside world." SlutWalk is a movement that fights sexism, classism, racism, ableism, fatphobia, homophobia and transphobia, and is sex worker inclusive. What more could we ask for out of a community event? It all goes down this Saturday, Nov. 19. The fun starts with a resource fair at the UA Women's Plaza of Honor. At 5 p.m., march down University Boulevard and down Fourth Avenue, ending at Cafe Passé (415 N. 4th Ave.) for some speakers and free food. Food & Booze
Wobble Gobble Bar Crawl: Ever feel as though you don't have enough time to celebrate November's turkey themed festivities. Join the Tucson Holiday Bar Crawl for a fun night out on the town in celebration of Thanksgiving. Don't forget to dress up in your favorite holiday-themed costumes to participate in the holiday costume contest. 9 p.m.-midnight. Saturday, Nov. 19. Hotel Congress, 311 E. Congress St. Bring money for booze. Sweet Charity Dessert and Cocktail Challenge: Enjoy more than 40 desserts representing Tucson's creative culinary arts from local chefs. There will be cocktails, beer and wine samplings, a silent auction, merchant specials and entertainment and all proceeds go to support arts education. 6:30 PM Friday, Nov. 18. Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, 7000 N. Resort Drive. $45.
Tuesday Tastings: Celebrate Thanksgiving in the booziest way possible! Tap and Bottle's Tuesday Tasting will feature Thanksgiving inspired beers. The event is open to the general public ages 21 and up. 5 - 9 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 22. Tap and Bottle, 403 N. Sixth Ave. Bring money for booze.
Thanksgiving at Cup Cafe: Enjoy holiday specials for three days in a row leading up to the nation's favorite turkey day. The downtown restaurant will feature special menu items like Virginia eggs benedict, coffee cured Virginia ham and even a turkey dinner. Don't forget to satisfy your sweet tooth with the cafe's by-the-slice holiday pies. Nov. 24-25 Cup Cafe, 311 E. Congress St.
Performance
Ballet Tucson Opening Night Gala: Enjoy a night of fine dance from Tucson's own professional ballet company. Ballet Tucson will old it's annual opening day gala. The gala will feature a pre-performance wine and buffet reception, silent auction and a post-performance champagne reception with the cast. The company will premiere two new ballets: Spirit Garden and Perseus and Andromeda at this one-night-only event. Gala Reception at 6:30 p.m., Performance at 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 18. Temple of Music and Art, 330 S. Scott Ave. $100 per person. Estampas Porteñas: Deseos: This Argentinian tango company will take to the UA's Cenntenial Hall to present their new dance production, Deseos: Stories of Longing and Desire told through Argentine Tango and Music. The set will include 25 dancers moving to show the "heart and soul" of Argentina. The performance will also include on-stage 3D projections to take to audience across Argentina. 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 18. Centennial Hall, 1020 E. University Blvd. $20-$55.
UA Presents-Vocalocity: Experience Pitch Perfect in real life, join UA Presents as they host the a cappella group, Vocalocity. The production is brought to you by the creative mind of Deke Sharon who not only arranges and coaches on the singing show the Sing Off, but also is the music director of the cult film Pitch Perfect. Vocoalocity will bring you arrangements from every genre of music and will keep you on your toes the entire show. Don't miss out on this aca-exciting event! 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 20. Centennial Hall, 1020 E. University Blvd. $15-$40. music, entertainment
The Sound of Music comes to Tucson: This musical classic will take to the UA's Centennial Hall for six days only presented by Broadway in Tucson in conjunction with UA Presents. The musical is under the direction of Tony Award winner Jack O'Brien with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. times vary Nov. 29-Dec. 4 Centennial Hall, 1020 E. University Blvd. $19 - $100.
Monday, November 14, 2016
THE SWITCH, REBOOTED
The Switch, our Best of Tucson™ Staff Pick for “Unique Comedy Show Format,” returns on Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 8:30 p.m., after a brief hiatus to change venues and regroup accordingly. Fans will benefit from “the switch” to the Screening Room. Now they can enjoy comfy theater seating, great acoustics and direct-to-your-seat delivery of Empire Pizza from two doors down. Local comedians in this month’s game include hosts Pauly Casillas and Alex Kack, Stephany Green, Mo Urban, Bethany Evans, Bridgitte Thum, Monte Benjamin, Richard Aguirre and yours truly. The Screening Room also serves lots of beers and movie snacks at 127 E. Congress St., tsrdowntown.com.
LAUGHING LIBERALLY, RESCHEDULED
Usually held on the last Sunday of the month, this political comedy romp changes it up to Nov. 20 to avoid messing with your Thanksgiving weekend. The good news? The evening may supply you with enough bon mots to get you through that annual sit down with your family’s misogynist, racist, anti-immigrant, trenchantly gender-binary and exhaustingly religious/vegan/local-source/your-pet-peeve-here zealots, and those who love them. Laughing Liberally is at 8 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 20, at The Flycatcher, 340 E 6th St., flycatchertucson.com.
STOCK
Love Kathleen Madigan? To know her is to follow her anywhere. Now we can revisit her on Netflix. Our Friends at the Rialto Theatre and ticketfly have tipped us off that she’s just released an hour-long Netflix special featuring new material and some you’ll remember from her last Tucson concert. The special is called “Bothering Jesus.” Find a sample, “The Villages,” at youtube.com
THIS WEEKEND AT LAFFS
This weekend at Laffs Comedy Caffé two headliners, Justin Berkman and Leif Skyving, trade sets for shows at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday. Both have appeared on many popular TV comedy shows. Skyving, born in Sweden, is also frequently heard on XM Radio.
Laffs is at 2900 E. Broadway Blvd. Admission is $10 to $15 with a two-item minimum. Visit laffstucson.com for reservations and artist information.
ALL ABOUT YOU
Got a great joke? If it’s under 50 words, send it along. I’ll try to find room for it in a column sometime and pay you in street cred! And if I can use a good tip you send me about someone coming to town or releasing new product, a great new podcast you’ve discovered, or a new comedy venue and open mic, you might find your name in print.
Have fun!
The Switch, our Best of Tucson™ Staff Pick for “Unique Comedy Show Format,” returns on Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 8:30 p.m., after a brief hiatus to change venues and regroup accordingly. Fans will benefit from “the switch” to the Screening Room. Now they can enjoy comfy theater seating, great acoustics and direct-to-your-seat delivery of Empire Pizza from two doors down. Local comedians in this month’s game include hosts Pauly Casillas and Alex Kack, Stephany Green, Mo Urban, Bethany Evans, Bridgitte Thum, Monte Benjamin, Richard Aguirre and yours truly. The Screening Room also serves lots of beers and movie snacks at 127 E. Congress St., tsrdowntown.com.
LAUGHING LIBERALLY, RESCHEDULED
Usually held on the last Sunday of the month, this political comedy romp changes it up to Nov. 20 to avoid messing with your Thanksgiving weekend. The good news? The evening may supply you with enough bon mots to get you through that annual sit down with your family’s misogynist, racist, anti-immigrant, trenchantly gender-binary and exhaustingly religious/vegan/local-source/your-pet-peeve-here zealots, and those who love them. Laughing Liberally is at 8 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 20, at The Flycatcher, 340 E 6th St., flycatchertucson.com.
STOCK
Love Kathleen Madigan? To know her is to follow her anywhere. Now we can revisit her on Netflix. Our Friends at the Rialto Theatre and ticketfly have tipped us off that she’s just released an hour-long Netflix special featuring new material and some you’ll remember from her last Tucson concert. The special is called “Bothering Jesus.” Find a sample, “The Villages,” at youtube.com
THIS WEEKEND AT LAFFS
This weekend at Laffs Comedy Caffé two headliners, Justin Berkman and Leif Skyving, trade sets for shows at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday. Both have appeared on many popular TV comedy shows. Skyving, born in Sweden, is also frequently heard on XM Radio.
Laffs is at 2900 E. Broadway Blvd. Admission is $10 to $15 with a two-item minimum. Visit laffstucson.com for reservations and artist information.
ALL ABOUT YOU
Got a great joke? If it’s under 50 words, send it along. I’ll try to find room for it in a column sometime and pay you in street cred! And if I can use a good tip you send me about someone coming to town or releasing new product, a great new podcast you’ve discovered, or a new comedy venue and open mic, you might find your name in print.
Have fun!
Tags: Kathleen Madigan , Linda Ray , The Screening Room , The Flycatcher , The Switch , Laughing Liberally
Thursday, November 10, 2016
Your Weekly guide to keeping busy in the Old Pueblo.
Pick of the Week: The Loft Film Fest
The Loft Film Fest continues! Whether you're in the mood for watching an anxious papa hire an “industrial-grade exorcist” or you’re fascinated the eventful and unorthodox life of Pablo Neruda, there’s something worth seeing at the Loft Cinema’s (3233 E. Speedway Blvd.) continuing movie fiesta. Make sure you catch at least one show before the festival’s curtain call on Sunday, Nov. 13. Individual tickets are $10 (or $8 for Loft members).
Some highlights:
Ghostbusters on film: If you're feeling a little nostalgic and are still in the mood for some post-Halloween spooks, of if the female led Ghostbusters has you itching to see the original then check out The Loft Cinema's special screening of the cult classic Ghostbusters on 77 mm film. This event is part of The Loft's 2016 film festival and will feature the real-life Arizona Ghostbusters. This is an all-ages event. 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10.
The Jazz Loft According to W. Eugene Smith is a film that details the photographs and tapes by photojournalist W. Eugene Smith of the jazz late night jazz peformances and recordings in his Sixth Avenue loft, so much so that it was renamed the “Jazz Loft”. This is first film to make use of Smith’s vast collection of 4,000 hours of audiotape and 40,000 photographs from the Jazz Loft. The directors Sara Fishko will be at the Loft Cinema so come on down and ask her a question, after watching her film of course! 5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10.
Watch The Martian with Mark Kelly: Close out the Loft Film Fest with a screening of The Martian, the fictional account of Mark Watney (Matt Damon) surviving on Mars after bening presumed dead and abandoned by his crew. Enjoy a bonus film intro and post-movie discussion with Tucson's favorite spaceman, Mark Kelly. When the discussion wraps up, stick around and eat some cake to celebrate the Loft's 44th birthday.
Pick of the Week: The Loft Film Fest
The Loft Film Fest continues! Whether you're in the mood for watching an anxious papa hire an “industrial-grade exorcist” or you’re fascinated the eventful and unorthodox life of Pablo Neruda, there’s something worth seeing at the Loft Cinema’s (3233 E. Speedway Blvd.) continuing movie fiesta. Make sure you catch at least one show before the festival’s curtain call on Sunday, Nov. 13. Individual tickets are $10 (or $8 for Loft members).
Some highlights:
Ghostbusters on film: If you're feeling a little nostalgic and are still in the mood for some post-Halloween spooks, of if the female led Ghostbusters has you itching to see the original then check out The Loft Cinema's special screening of the cult classic Ghostbusters on 77 mm film. This event is part of The Loft's 2016 film festival and will feature the real-life Arizona Ghostbusters. This is an all-ages event. 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10.
The Jazz Loft According to W. Eugene Smith is a film that details the photographs and tapes by photojournalist W. Eugene Smith of the jazz late night jazz peformances and recordings in his Sixth Avenue loft, so much so that it was renamed the “Jazz Loft”. This is first film to make use of Smith’s vast collection of 4,000 hours of audiotape and 40,000 photographs from the Jazz Loft. The directors Sara Fishko will be at the Loft Cinema so come on down and ask her a question, after watching her film of course! 5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 10.
Watch The Martian with Mark Kelly: Close out the Loft Film Fest with a screening of The Martian, the fictional account of Mark Watney (Matt Damon) surviving on Mars after bening presumed dead and abandoned by his crew. Enjoy a bonus film intro and post-movie discussion with Tucson's favorite spaceman, Mark Kelly. When the discussion wraps up, stick around and eat some cake to celebrate the Loft's 44th birthday.
Wednesday, November 9, 2016
Post-Election Laffs
“It keeps me out of therapy,” Auggie Smith says of his emotionally energetic performance style. “I spent the first 10 years of my career where they wouldn’t turn off the pool tables and nobody paid a cover. I learned I had to be really, really loud, then really soft for no reason. And stop in the middle of sentences so they’d wonder what I was talking about. Then I started writing that way and enjoying it a lot more.”
Smith makes his much-anticipated annual appearance at Laffs Comedy Caffé, this weekend, with shows at 7 and 9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday, Nov. 11 and 12.
Fans know not to take their eyes off Smith or they risk missing a set highlight. His just-post-election day show could be a house afire with his trademark rants and visceral laugh lines. He won’t be taking sides, though. “The key to political comedy, I think, is you have to find the universal truth everyone can believe.”
Eli Nicolas opens with his unique comic outlook, born of growing up Thai in polyglot L.A.
Laff’s is at 2900 E. Broadway Blvd. Admission is $10 to $15 with a two-item minimum. Make reservations at laffstucson.com. Artist information is at auggiesmith.com and elinicolas.com.
Comedy Fest
The Tucson Comedy Arts Festival 2016 runs from Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 10 through 12 with multiple comedy showcases and workshops. Los Angeles rap and hip-hop improv group 808 leads two workshops and hosts a rap battle after their Saturday night set. A special show for kids, FOMP, Friends of Make Pretend, engages kids in improve and other delights of the imagination at 1 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 12.
Most events take place at Tucson Improv Movement, 329 E. 7th Street. Shows are $5 each; workshops, $50. Show details and workshop registration are at tucsoncomedyarts.com.
Comedy Fest Storytelling
Tucson’s crazy-popular story-telling event FST! (fstorytellers.com), happens next on Wednesday, Nov. 16, at The Flycatcher, 340 E 6th St., flycatchertucson.com. This month’s topic is “It’s Political,” wherein women will tell stories they wrote before the Nov.8 apocalypse. Get there early; the good seats go fast.
Tucson’s crazy-popular story-telling event FST! (fstorytellers.com), meets on Wednesday, Nov. 16, at The Flycatcher, 340 E 6th St., flycatchertucson.com. In a temporary change of format, FST invites the community to come together and share anecdotes and thoughts in the aftermath of the election.
Laughing Stock is a new column by Linda Ray highlighting local comedy and storytelling events in Tucson.
“It keeps me out of therapy,” Auggie Smith says of his emotionally energetic performance style. “I spent the first 10 years of my career where they wouldn’t turn off the pool tables and nobody paid a cover. I learned I had to be really, really loud, then really soft for no reason. And stop in the middle of sentences so they’d wonder what I was talking about. Then I started writing that way and enjoying it a lot more.”
Smith makes his much-anticipated annual appearance at Laffs Comedy Caffé, this weekend, with shows at 7 and 9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday, Nov. 11 and 12.
Fans know not to take their eyes off Smith or they risk missing a set highlight. His just-post-election day show could be a house afire with his trademark rants and visceral laugh lines. He won’t be taking sides, though. “The key to political comedy, I think, is you have to find the universal truth everyone can believe.”
Eli Nicolas opens with his unique comic outlook, born of growing up Thai in polyglot L.A.
Laff’s is at 2900 E. Broadway Blvd. Admission is $10 to $15 with a two-item minimum. Make reservations at laffstucson.com. Artist information is at auggiesmith.com and elinicolas.com.
Comedy Fest
The Tucson Comedy Arts Festival 2016 runs from Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 10 through 12 with multiple comedy showcases and workshops. Los Angeles rap and hip-hop improv group 808 leads two workshops and hosts a rap battle after their Saturday night set. A special show for kids, FOMP, Friends of Make Pretend, engages kids in improve and other delights of the imagination at 1 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 12.
Most events take place at Tucson Improv Movement, 329 E. 7th Street. Shows are $5 each; workshops, $50. Show details and workshop registration are at tucsoncomedyarts.com.
Comedy Fest Storytelling
Laughing Stock is a new column by Linda Ray highlighting local comedy and storytelling events in Tucson.
Thursday, November 3, 2016
The AC Hotel in Tucson by Marriott is in its final stages and will host a "topping out" party to celebrate the placing of the final beam on the building. Everyone in the community is invited to come to this free event on Nov. 5 from 1-5 p.m. at the site, 151 E. Broadway Blvd.
Guests are invited to enjoy free ice cream from HUB, tacos from Charro Steak, coffee from Cafe Lucé live music and refreshments for sale. Some of the proceeds from drink purchases will benefit the Sister Jose Women's Center for Tucson's homeless women.
At 2:30 p.m., Mayor Jonathan Rothschild will take the stage to say few words about the new hotel in downtown. Other speakers include: council member Steve Kozachik, developer Scott Stiteler, and Rio Nuevo board member Mark Irvin.
If you want to take home a few memories from the event, guests can also enjoy a photo booth at the site. Bring your friends, your dog and your mom for this afternoon block party. For more information click here.
Guests are invited to enjoy free ice cream from HUB, tacos from Charro Steak, coffee from Cafe Lucé live music and refreshments for sale. Some of the proceeds from drink purchases will benefit the Sister Jose Women's Center for Tucson's homeless women.
At 2:30 p.m., Mayor Jonathan Rothschild will take the stage to say few words about the new hotel in downtown. Other speakers include: council member Steve Kozachik, developer Scott Stiteler, and Rio Nuevo board member Mark Irvin.
If you want to take home a few memories from the event, guests can also enjoy a photo booth at the site. Bring your friends, your dog and your mom for this afternoon block party. For more information click here.
Tags: community , deals , sleep , beds , window , balcony , food , water , drinks
There has never been a better time to be into nerd culture. Superheroes dominate the movie theaters and TV lineups. Sci-fi novels are being mined for Netflix and Amazon streaming services. And Comic Cons are drawing huge crowds in cities around the world.
Here in Tucson, Mike Olivares is prepping for the ninth annual Tucson Comic-Con this Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 4-6.
The founder and director of the con, Olivares was born in Tucson and grew up in the southwest side. The youngest of three, he didn’t find it that easy to find comic books when he was growing up.
His first introduction to fantasy culture was the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons.
“My cousins would come down from California every summer and we would play Dungeons & Dragons,” Olivares said. "Maybe that left a little spark in me when it came to things like fantasy.”
But in middle school, he discovered comic books.
“I was really into art when I started going to Mansfeld,” he said. “Then I started getting into comic book art.”
His first comic book was given to him by his older brother.
“It was an Amazing Spider-Man,” he remembers. “I wanna say it’s either (issue) 38 or 48. I can’t remember the dang number.”
He was hooked. He started collecting comics and, eventually, decided to launch a Tucson Comic-Con.
"My whole thing was, why don't we have one?” he said. “Maybe I'll start one."
At the time, regional conventions got much less attention than the big cons, such as the ones in San Diego and New York. In 2007, the first Tucson Comic-Con was held for one day at a Four Point Sheraton.
"It was in this small meeting room in the back, maybe about 500 people showed up to the first one," he remembered.
That year they had a couple of guest artists and writers, but Olivares was always focused on Tucson.
“Besides Image and Marvel, you don’t think that there’s people creating comics books on an indie platform,” he said. “I was just as excited to know that we had indie companies here in Tucson.”
This year, the Tucson Comic-Con is a weekend-long affair at the Tucson Convention Center with various celebrities and artist and an expected 10,000 attendees.
Olivares describes the con being a yearlong job now, without pay: “A labor of love for sure.”
He has taken on Francesca and Brian Pulido as partners and directors of the Con. The Pulidos have been working in the comic book industry for the last 25 years, with their own property Lady Death, which was relaunched on Coffin Comics also owned and operated by the Pulidos.
Your Weekly guide to keeping busy in the Old Pueblo.
Pick of the Week: All Souls Procession
All Souls Procession: Come together and celebrate the dearly departed at one of Tucson’s most well loved traditions: The All Souls Procession. This two-mile walk gathers on Sixth Ave. and Seventh St. at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 6, and the walk will start at 6 p.m.— Sugar skull face paint is highly encouraged. Once the procession reaches the Mercado San Augustin, and offering will be burnt to symbolize gifts to the dead. Saturday, Nov. 6 Sixth Avenue and Seventh Street (832 W. Congress St.) Free, but bring money for food. Need more All Souls in your life? The Procession of Little Angles takes place the afternoon before the main event, inviting kids and their families to come together to paint wings, paint faces, and look at death and grief from a kid's perspective. Saturday, Nov. 5. 3-7 p.m. Armory Park, 221 S. Sixth Ave. Free to attend, but donations are appreciated.
Election Night
Is the Election Apocalypse of 2016 really almost over? If you haven't sent in you your mail-in yet, save it for hand delivery this Tuesday. Then boogie on down to Club Congress, the Rialto Theatre, Public Brewhouse, Ermanos Craft Beer & Wine Bar, the Women's Resource Center, IBT's or Brodie's Tavern. You can also hang out with the Pima County Dems at the Marriott (880 E. Second St.) or the GOP at the Sheraton (5151 E. Grant Road). Need help filling out your ballot? We published a recap of our endorsements in this week's Weekly.
Cinema
The Loft Film Fest: Sure, every weekend can be a film festival if you spend enough time at the Loft. But then the annual Loft Film Fest rolls around and the reels really start rolling. The Loft will be showing 40 films between Wednesday, Nov. 9, and Sunday, Nov. 13, when retired NASA astronaut Mark Kelly will be on hand to close out the festival with the screening and discussion of The Martian. Nov. 8-13. The Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway Blvd. Passes: $125 ($100 for Loft members). Individual Tickets $10 ($8 for Loft members). Read more in this week's Weekly.
Pick of the Week: All Souls Procession
All Souls Procession: Come together and celebrate the dearly departed at one of Tucson’s most well loved traditions: The All Souls Procession. This two-mile walk gathers on Sixth Ave. and Seventh St. at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 6, and the walk will start at 6 p.m.— Sugar skull face paint is highly encouraged. Once the procession reaches the Mercado San Augustin, and offering will be burnt to symbolize gifts to the dead. Saturday, Nov. 6 Sixth Avenue and Seventh Street (832 W. Congress St.) Free, but bring money for food. Need more All Souls in your life? The Procession of Little Angles takes place the afternoon before the main event, inviting kids and their families to come together to paint wings, paint faces, and look at death and grief from a kid's perspective. Saturday, Nov. 5. 3-7 p.m. Armory Park, 221 S. Sixth Ave. Free to attend, but donations are appreciated. Election Night
Is the Election Apocalypse of 2016 really almost over? If you haven't sent in you your mail-in yet, save it for hand delivery this Tuesday. Then boogie on down to Club Congress, the Rialto Theatre, Public Brewhouse, Ermanos Craft Beer & Wine Bar, the Women's Resource Center, IBT's or Brodie's Tavern. You can also hang out with the Pima County Dems at the Marriott (880 E. Second St.) or the GOP at the Sheraton (5151 E. Grant Road). Need help filling out your ballot? We published a recap of our endorsements in this week's Weekly. Cinema
The Loft Film Fest: Sure, every weekend can be a film festival if you spend enough time at the Loft. But then the annual Loft Film Fest rolls around and the reels really start rolling. The Loft will be showing 40 films between Wednesday, Nov. 9, and Sunday, Nov. 13, when retired NASA astronaut Mark Kelly will be on hand to close out the festival with the screening and discussion of The Martian. Nov. 8-13. The Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway Blvd. Passes: $125 ($100 for Loft members). Individual Tickets $10 ($8 for Loft members). Read more in this week's Weekly. Take a look around the city and you’re sure to find that Tucson is an immense melting pot that highlights cultures from all over the world. Whether you find that in food, religion or cultural events there’s one day of the year that displays the colorful palette of Tucson’s residents right in the heart of downtown.
While many see the All Souls Procession as a local Dia de los Muertos, the two-decade-long tradition is meant to be inclusive of all cultures in the community rather than a spin-off of the Mexican holiday, according to Melanie Cooley, a long-time participant and volunteer coordinator for the procession.
“The procession doesn’t endorse a culture,” Cooley said. “Every culture has its own traditions of honoring the dead and some cultures have healthier traditions than others. One of the reasons that the procession exists is because Anglo, Euro-American culture doesn’t have healthy traditions for remembering the dead.”
The first procession started back in 1990 by local artist Susan Johnson. At the time, Johnson was grieving the loss of her father and wanted to find a unique way to celebrate his life. The procession started out small, with just a few local artists, but soon blossomed into a large parade when participants joined by the hundreds and now thousands.
With more than 100,000 people attending the procession over the last couple of years, Cooley said volunteers have been able to make the experience bigger than ever while staying true to the main cause: celebrating life and death.
Every year, procession director Nadia Hagen chooses a central theme for the evening. This year’s theme revolves around predator and prey in a way to identify the crucial relationship between the two and how they both rely on one another.
“Our theme this year is the hunter and the hunted, and finding the relationship of humans in that cycle, that vital relationship because we are both predator and prey,” Cooley said. “Death feeds life. We who live are dependent on death. The death of other beings literally feeds the food we eat.”
The volunteers mingling throughout the crowd will dress as various types of predator and prey, ranging from cattle to wolves. Every year, urn bearer is presented with a custom-made sculpted mask that reflects the theme procession. This year, the bearer will wear a jaguar mask to reflect a Central American myth that portrays the animal as guardian of the underworld.
Wednesday, November 2, 2016
Formerly known as the Arizona Human Rights Fund, Equality Arizona has helped our state become a better place by making it more welcoming for everyone, but especially our LGBT community.
Help celebrate the organization's work and it's 25-year anniversary at the Arizona Inn on Friday, Nov. 4, 6 to 8 p.m. Tickets are $45/65 (purchased at bit.ly/tucsonsilver).
Besides celebrating equality and acknowledging the work that remains, Equality Arizona will also recognize some amazing Tucson people and organizations:
Long-time LGBT organizer and volunteer Miki Odawa will receive the William S. MacDonald Lifetime Achievement Award
St. Francis in the Foothills United Methodist Church will receive the Human Rights Local Corporate Award
Raytheon will receive the LGBT2 Rights National Corporate Award
For more information, go to the event's Facebook page.
Help celebrate the organization's work and it's 25-year anniversary at the Arizona Inn on Friday, Nov. 4, 6 to 8 p.m. Tickets are $45/65 (purchased at bit.ly/tucsonsilver).
Besides celebrating equality and acknowledging the work that remains, Equality Arizona will also recognize some amazing Tucson people and organizations:
Long-time LGBT organizer and volunteer Miki Odawa will receive the William S. MacDonald Lifetime Achievement Award
St. Francis in the Foothills United Methodist Church will receive the Human Rights Local Corporate Award
Raytheon will receive the LGBT2 Rights National Corporate Award
For more information, go to the event's Facebook page.
