“And this old porch is like a steaming, greasy plate of enchiladas/With lots of cheese and onions/And a guacamole salad/You can get ’em down at the LaSalle Hotel/In old downtown/With iced tea and a waitress/She will smile every time.” The still life captured in “This Old Porch,” a song penned by acclaimed songwriters Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen, embodies the spirit of the evening. A night of storytelling awaits at the historic Fox Theatre… Drawing influence from Steel Pulse and Aswad, Tribal Seeds add a twist of “The Devil’s Music” to their Rastafarian roots reggae. At The Rialto Theatre… Black Ginger—like the medicinal qualities found in the plant—will invigorate at The Flycatcher. With TWGS and Sweaty Palm Trees… “Garage-a-billy” rockers Johnny Hootrock teeter on the verge of a psychotic break at The Loudhouse… Like street preachers fulfilling a command to an unseen entity, Al Perry and Loren Dircks spin yarns at Tap & Bottle… Man of many faces Jacob Acosta hosts a soirée at Bar Passé… Offering solace to the lovelorn, MOCA Tucson offers post-Valentine’s respite for all ages. Featuring noisy new-wavers Aerico and post-hardcore shoegazers Hikikomori. DJs, food truck, artmaking activities, interactive light drawings and more…

Delivering an apocalyptic Valentine, Sweethearts of The Rodeo lasso together a winning group of ladies—Lana Rebel, Amy Rude, Lonna Kelly, Lisa O'Neill, June West, Karima Walker, Cristina Williams, Marina Cornelius, Tulip Sweet—for a romantic night of harmony, singing the sweetest of country duets. Guaranteed to soften even the leathern heart of the lovelorn. In the listening room at Exo Bar… Armed with a few cassette tapes of songs she had written and already into her 40s, she quit her day job to pursue her life’s passion. Almost immediately her fear transformed into success. Celebrate Jazz singer René Marie’s triumph at The Fox Theatre… Wearing their hearts on their sleeves. Gabrielle Pietrangelo, Ben Degain and Thøger Lund perform ardent love songs from the ’20s, ’30s and ’40s. At The Coronet…

Dawson Rutledge. If Harry Connick Jr. was funnier, if Beck was Canadian, if Wes Anderson was a pop-folkster born in the late 1990s, you'd have something approximating the blinky yet sincere ponderings of Dawson Rutledge. He's an old-souled and wonder-filled 20-year-old. His music trips senses. Like a silent movie. Like physical comedy. Like he sees thought bubbles and captions above murals. It's clean and universal and destined to get better. Rutledge can sometimes be precious, but what the hell, he's 20. More than that, he's unafraid to play the fool in order to make overlooked wallflowers grin. His songcraft is kind and playful, like a sweet Valentine to your lonely self. Monday, Feb. 12. The Flycatcher, 340 E. Sixth St. 9 p.m. Free. 21+.

When it comes to metal band names, you generally want to pick the biggest and/or baddest names possible to compete with competition. So what’s bigger than a mammoth? And what’s badder than grinding that titanic monster down into a fine dust? Mammoth Grinder fuse the particularly chaotic styles of American death metal and hardcore punk into relentless sonic fury. They take the groovy brutality of old school metal (they really do keep a grip with the past, just look at their fantastical album covers) and combine it with the aggression of contemporary hardcore. Mammoth Grinder is playing at Club Congress on Feb. 13. Doors open at 7. Be sure to bring your steel-studded leather jacket.

Koro - 700 Club EP
This is the record that got me into hardcore punk. I was constantly searching for heavier and faster music but never had someone steer me in the right direction until I made friends with this kid in my high school physics class. He asked me what I listened to, told me all of it sucked, and sent me this record along with Poison Idea - Pick Your King and a few others.

Insect Warfare/Hatred Surge Split 7”
That same friend in high school dragged me to see these two bands playing a tour kickoff down the street from where we lived in Houston. I was totally blown away and had never seen drumming like that before. From there I discovered a lot of other grind bands from Houston that were a huge influence on me when we started this band.


Discharge - Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing
This is straight up the best and baddest and if you can’t feel me on this then you can go suck a lemon.

Master - S/T
Master was one of the first US death metal bands and also an immediate favorite of mine. Their songwriting is similar to Discharge and other hardcore punk bands from the time, but their style is totally death metal - an idea that I stole and turned into this band, thanks Master.

ZZ Top - Eliminator
What came first, cruising in a dirty van down the highway, or Eliminator? No one will ever know.

Beer Week: Trivia at Crooked Tooth. Sure, while drinking you might better remember the horrific blunders you made 10 years ago, but are you better at trivia? Well, time to test your wits with a night of beer trivia and history. It's free to enter and the winner gets a $40 gift card to drink more beer! 7:45 to 10 p.m. Friday, Feb. 9.

Beer Week: Tap and Bottle. Party down on a Friday with T&B and Dragoon Brewing, with a salsa cook-off! There will be eight dragoon brewing taps and celebrity judges. Bring a salsa for a chance to win prizes and bragging rights. 5 to 11 p.m. Friday, Feb. 9.

Minutes to Midnight. Blistering instrumentals, dynamic operatic stomps and a name lifted from a Linkin Park LP? You bet! Indeed, here are four adolescents dead serious about kicking ass with gloss-free riffs and melodies, not tired jock jams. With the precision of a marching band cadet and the reckless abandon of a tweaked metal-head standing in line overnight to score Judas Priest reunion tickets, these Tucsonans embody the spirit of old nu metal, older prog and their namesake’s arena howl and crunch. They channel metal’s energetic release more than its rage, and rock with the youthful effortlessness of a Guitar Hero sofa king. While their cover tunes reveal a few holes, their lack of self-consciousness inspires—in that way that meltdown rock ’n’ roll music made by kids is supposed to. With Sorrows Ruin, Evasion, A Fall to Break, Like a Villain, and Sigils of Summoning. Friday, Feb. 9 at the Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress. Doors at 6:30. $1. All ages.

Lookas. It takes less than two minutes for Lookas to manifest a sense of zero gravity in song. It’s like that. This is the magic of Miami’s finest, who spins visual soundscapes based on intellectual ideas like some stoner cartoonist of the mind. But at its core, this is still shoulder-shrugging, open-palmed, feel-good dance and trap, whose heady throb works its way below the belt and under the skirt. Yet subtly layered even on straight-up party tunes like “Can’t Get Enough,” there’s an aural topography to keep the mind stimulated while the body’s aches and moves, pharm-grade toxins or no. It’s easy to understand why LooKas’ tracks get millions of spins—each unlocks a Fantasia of the head, even in the comfort of your crappy headphone jack. It’s heavy shit. Friday, Feb. 9 at 191 Toole. 9 p.m. $8-$20. 18+.

Steve Roach. He tunes in to the subtle play of atomic particles, which then create everything else. His music makes some yearn for nothing short of pre-verbal life in the womb. With concept albums that dare to embrace “The Magnificent Void,” these compositions soothe on a primal level that prevents loneliness from ever creeping in. This is the ambient soundscape we too might derive after hours in a sensory deprivation tank. And this particular show is furthered by swirling cosmic light. In other words, The Galactic Center will be transformed. For the last 36 years, Roach has been making “quiet music,” often beatless, using drone and didgeridoo. He is the Steve Reich of ambient, a composer and sonic performance artist who somehow sidesteps pretension with his unapologetic leaps into true psych. While based out of Tucson, this is a rare chance to see him in such an intimate setting. If John Lilly were alive, he and his dolphin friends would be here for sure. Know that. 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 9, and Saturday, Feb. 10. Galactic Center, 35 E. Toole Ave. 8 p.m. $30 advance; $35 at door. All ages.

Valentine’s Wine Glass Painting. Get together with your lover to paint and bond over the only thing that’s keeping you together. Wine is fun, but who says it can’t be creative and cute as well? Creative Juice Art Bar has all the supplies and artistic guidance you need, and wouldn’t you know it, they even have some drinks available. 6:30-8:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 9. 6530 E Tanque Verde Road, suite 160.

FOMP! Friends of Make Pretends. Tired of navigating the minefield of which comedy specials are okay for your kids to listen to? Realizing that, depending on household rules, it’s rare you’re going to be able to find one that’s kid-appropriate? Why not treat the kids to a live improv comedy show just for them instead? Kids can suggest topics for the improvisers to act out and just delight in the power of imagination. For less than the cost of a movie! 2 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10. Tucson Improv Movement, 414 E. Ninth St. $5 per person or $20 for a family of six or fewer.

Flashlight Night. Honestly, using a flashlight to find your way around in the dark at your own house is fun. But using a flashlight to wander around the International Wildlife Museum is even more fun. Check out the live reptiles and insects, watch a movie, listen to (only sort of scary) ghost stories, and, if you’re over 9 years old, try out some archery. Challenge’s Mexican and MJ’s Hotdogs food trucks will be on deck to make sure you’re well-fed for your flashlight adventure. Lights go out at 6 p.m., but come earlier to see the museum with the lights on, if you want. Museum is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Flashlight Night is from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10. International Wildlife Museum, 4800 W. Gates Pass Road. $10 adults, $7 seniors/military, $5 kids 4 to 12, free for kids 3 and under. Archery is $2 a person.

Family SCIFest. Round up the kids, and any adults you know who love learning about robotics, astronomy, biology, engineering, environmental sciences, mathematics and physics, for a STEM-ulating day at Children’s Museum Tucson. Part of the Arizona SciTech Festival, the day features hands-on demonstrations and experiments for kids; PBS kids characters and R2-D2 on hand for photos; and plenty of special guests, including reps from The OSIRIX-REx mission, the Tucson Reptile Museum and the Society of Women Engineers Tucson. Hooray for Science! 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10. Children’s Museum Tucson, 200 S. Sixth Ave. FREE admission all day, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Civil War Days. Feeling nostalgic for the good ol’ days, hearkening back to when our country was wracked by civil war? Old Tucson has got you covered, with a weekend full of encampments, battles and demonstrations about what life in the Arizona Territory was like during the U.S. Civil War’s years. You can even relive the battle of Picacho Peak! With two reenactments each day, marches through town, and plenty of ladies and gentlemen alike in period dress, the weekend is packed with enough to get even the biggest Civil War enthusiast their fix. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10 and Sunday, Feb. 11. Old Tucson, 201 S. Kinney Road. Included with admission, which is $19.95 for adults and $10.95 for kids ages 4 to 11.

Chinese New Year at the Tucson Mall. It’s Year of the Dog! And how could 12 months that are all about canines be bad? It’s good to have hope, anyways. Fourteen-year-old Bobby Fischer won the United States Chess Championship in a Year of the Dog! Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino was born in a Year of the Dog! It was a Year of the Dog that brought us blu-rays and the first Wii! It’s sure to hold great things for you. Kick it off at the Tucson Mall with Asian performances all day long, Asian gifts to buy for your loved ones/to give to your dogs/to treat yourself with. 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 10. Tucson Mall, 4500 N. Oracle. Free.

Fort Lowell Day/La Reunión de El Fuerte. There’s much to love about living in Arizona: the intersection of so many cultures, the rich history, the huge variety of wildlife. And a visit to the Old Fort Lowell Neighborhood is like taking a miniature tour of the whole state. Check out the ancient Hohokam buildings and artifacts in Fort Lowell Park, the historic Mormon aqueducts that are home to both water and wildlife, ruins of the Fort Lowell Military camp and the adobe homes built by Mexican settlers in the village of El Fuerte, where their descendants still live today. At Fort Lowell Day, watch presentations by doctors on 19th century medicine, take a tour of the neighborhood, see a game of vintage baseball, listen to the 4th Cavalry Regimental Band play 19th-century music and enjoy a variety of exhibits and games—including one where you can make your own adobe bricks! Noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb 10. Fort Lowell Park, 2998 N. Craycroft Road. Free.

Let’s Dance! If you like Dancing With the Stars, you’ll love “Dancing with Professional Dancers,” which is what this show is. Aside from the pro dancers waltzing, swinging, tangoing and cha cha-ing, there’ll be two vocalists and a full orchestra led by conductor Stuart Chafetz. If you watch closely and take notes, you could be well on your way to being both a dancer and a star by the end of the night! 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 10 and 2 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 11. Tucson Music Hall, 260 S. Church Ave. $15 to $77+.

Beauty and the Beast Dinner Show. Be our guest! Well, actually be the Elks Lodge’s guest at this show put on by the Arizona Arts Conservatory and Collective. As if the rose and the pretty princess and the dancing teapots weren’t charming enough, this is actually a Beauty and the Beast ballet, so you get all of the extra magic of a troupe of children dancing. Money from ticket sales will go toward costumes for The Little Mermaid spring ballet. Cocktails are served at 5 p.m. and dinner is served at 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10. Elks Lodge, 615 S. Pantano Road. $25 each, $40/couple, $15 kids 12 and under.

2nd Saturdays Downtown. It’s hard to believe we’re in the second month of 2018, but take comfort in the fact that at least it’s about to be the second Saturday of the second month of 2018. Downtown Kitchen and Cocktails will have Happy Hour from 4 to 6 p.m., Borderlands Brewing will have the Blacktop Grill Food Truck starting at 5 p.m., Maynards will have extended happy hour from 4 to 8 p.m. and Penca will have happy hour from 3 to 5 p.m. Local Band Miss Olivia and the Interlopers will be playing outside on the Scott Street Stage on Congress as well! There’s really nothing like walking the streets of downtown in the city you call home on a Saturday night.

2018 Arizona Military/Veteran Women’s Expo. Calling all women—and families of women—who have served or are currently serving in the military! The Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services is hosting a day of education and relaxing to honor your service. Enjoy raffle prizes, breakout sessions, exhibitors and free breakfast AND lunch. It’s safe to say you definitely earned it. 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10. Southern Arizona VA Health Care System, 3601 S. Sixth St, Building 4 Auditorium. Free, but do try to pre-register.

Beer Week: Playground Bar and Lounge. Rooftop dance party, local Latin bands, no cover charge. If that doesn’t get your excited, maybe some great beer will. Catch local all-star Latin collective Zona Libre Band on top of the Playground Bar and Lounge for a radical weekend evening. 5 to 8 p.m.

Beer Week: Pueblo Vida. We get it, sometimes all you’ve ever wanted to do is finally beat someone at Monopoly. Why not chase the victory with a cold glass beer? The taproom will be full of friendly tension with Board Game Night. You can bring your vintage board game that only you know how to play or use one of Pueblo Vida’s. Good luck drinking and remembering how to play Monopoly at the same time.

Exhibition on Screen: Rembrandt. If you like your classical portraits of tired vagabonds in the streetlight, it’s hard to do better than Rembrandt. The Hanson Film Institute and UA Museum of Art celebrate the Dutch master with an inside look his paintings, life and long-lasting influence. The film also documents landmark exhibitions of his works. 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10. 1030 N. Olive Road.

Cool Runnings. When I say Jamaica, what’s the first thing you think of? That’s right, the exhilarating and wonderful world of bobsledding! It’s a classic film, part of “Loft Jr.,” a free monthly series showing great new and classic family-friendly films from around the world. I mean, who wouldn’t to see John Candy coach Jamaicans in the Winter Olympics? The Loft Cinema. 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 10. Free.

The Buzz Behind Bone Broth and Collagen. You might be asking yourself, what the hell are these words? Do they actually do anything for your health? Well, Natural Grocers has you covered. They’re offering a health class and food tasting presentation on the history and use of these products. Presented by April King. 11 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Feb. 10. 5600 E River Road.

Beer Week: Hazed & Infused IPA Day. According to some brewer’s mythology, the taste of IPA beer was originally viewed negatively, and the strong hoppiness was cause for additional distilling. Whether or not that’s completely true, IPAs are certainly in fashion now, and I can admit to enjoying their floral fabulousness myself. Come celebrate IPAs at Tab & Bottle, where they’ll have a wealth of various brands and brews for you to enjoy. Noon to 11:55 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10. 403 N. Sixth Ave, suite 135.

The Estrogen Hour with Lisa Landry. We’re all affected by estrogen, so it’s good for all of us to take some time to laugh about it. With Lisa Landry—host of the Womenace to Society podcast and featured on Comedy Central—headlining, Nancy Stanley hosting and a fantastic line up of other LOL-inducing ladies, you’ll be laughing all night long. Funds from the seats and raffle tickets all go toward the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Laugh loud, feel good. 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 11. Laffs Comedy Caffe, 2900 E. Broadway Blvd., suite 154. $15 in advance, $20 cash at door if there’s any seats left. 21+.

Artists’ Alchemy. Jane Stern, who uses mixed-media forms to create pieces she calls “healing angels” and Ira Wiesenfeld, a veterinarian-turned-blacksmith who uses iron to create botanical, aquatic and landscape dioramas, have an exhibit at the DeGrazia Little Gallery. At the opening reception, Wisenfeld will be doing a blacksmithing demo, and Stern will be there to share stories about her creative process. Support local artists, learn about blacksmithing and see some gorgeous art? Yes, please. Exhibit runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily from Sunday, Feb. 11 to Friday, Feb. 23. Opening reception Sunday, Feb. 11 from noon to 4 p.m. DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun, 6300 N. Swan Road. $8 adults, $5 ages 12 to 18, free for kids 12 and under.

Lauri Kaye’s Tour of Tucson. It’s always wonderful to see art that highlights some of the sights and spectacles that make Tucson so special. And now that we mention it, isn’t part of what makes Tucson so special all of the artists who live here and the ways they see the world? Check out this reception in honor of Lauri Kaye’s “Tucson Portrait Stories,” a series of mixed media paintings done on brushed metal. While you’re there, you can also enjoy breakfast with Diana herself, and have some colorful food and drinks to complement Kaye’s gorgeous work. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 11. Madras Gallery, 3035 N. Swan Road.

Fine Valentine Relay. A lot of us have pretty much accepted that we really… fill out during the holiday season. We make jokes about how much we eat on the Fourth of July, and on our birthdays. But Valentine’s Day, a day of Italian meals and bottles of wine and big ol’ boxes of chocolates, sometimes gets overlooked for its plump-ing potential. Make up for it by going on this 2- or 4-mile run a few days before. Not into running? Do it for the costume and PDA contest. For the soft race T-shirts, for the group challenge to win a keg from Gentle Ben’s Brewing Co., for the free post-race breakfast, and to benefit Ben’s Bells! There’s also a two-person relay option for the 4-miler. Gun goes off at 8:30 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 11. Main Gate Square outside of Gentle Ben’s, 865 E. University Ave.; start line in from of UA’s Centennial Hall. $50 per team for relay, $25 per person for either 2- or 4-mile race.

I Love Zoo. Zoo love me, we’re a happy zoo-visiting family. The Reid Park Zoo doesn’t have any big, friendly purple dinosaurs, but it does have lots of other lovable animals, and in honor of Valentine’s Day, take your chance to offer them a little bit of extra love. The zoo keepers will be feeding the animals special Heart Day-themed treats, you can make your own furry, feathery or scaly valentine at a craft table, visit vendors and activity booths to pick up some last-minute gifts, and even get a glittery animal tattoo! Kids with memberships also get four Valentines to share with their friends. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 11. Reid Park Zoo, 3400 Zoo Court. Free with admission ($10.50 adults ages 15 to 61, $8.50 seniors ages 62+, $6.50 children ages 2 to 14, free for kids 0 to 1).

Beer Week: Pueblo Vida: We get that your New Year’s resolution was to adopt a healthy lifestyle, but don’t dismiss this because you think one bear will ruin your diet. During Pints and Poses with Nychole Reilly, relax your mind with an hour of yoga, then reward yourself with beer after. The class is $5 and beer is covered. Don’t forget to bring your ID, since this is a 21+ event, and to get there 20 minutes early for a spot. Beer can be healthy, see? 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Beer Week: Public Brewhouse: This brewery is perfect for local musicians, and Eugene Boronow is perfect for the Public Brewhouse; it’s a match made in heaven. If you like Fleet Foxes, the Beatles, or beer, be sure to check this out. 5 to 7 p.m.

Transforming Agave. Exploded View “micro-cinema” presents the premier of local filmmaker Bryan Nelson’s short film. It is a film about a local craftsman, making didgeridoos out of agave. All filmed around the Tucson area, it’s about as local and homegrown as you can get. Kyle Bert and Ryan Chavira, the film’s subject and soundtrack composer, respectively, will be on site to perform music and discuss the film. 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 11. 197 E Toole Ave. $6

Smoke Signals & More Than Frybread. A double-feature of two great Native American movies, co-presented by the UA American Indian Alumni Club. One is the first feature film entirely written, directed and acted by Native Americans, and the other is a culinary competition between all 22 federally recognized tribes in Arizona. And of course, fry bread will be for sale. The Loft Cinema. Noon Sunday, Feb. 11. $15

Beer Week: Beer Dinner at Anello Pizzeria. You might want to fast for a few days before this one, because Anello Pizzeria is pairing up four courses with four of their beers, and you get to try them all. It’s simple: beer is great, pizza is great. You really can’t go wrong here. Menu and pairing to be announced online soon. 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 11. 222 E. Sixth St. $60. Reserve your seat online.

Events compiled by Emily Dieckman, Jeff Gardner and B.S. Eliot.

“Fetty means money,” explains rapper Fetty Wap. Something he apparently is quite good at making. “Trap Queen”—the third song he ever recorded—soared to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. After his self-titled debut album blew up—certified platinum—Wap said, “My mission isn’t to become more famous.” Instead, he wanted to use his fortunes to help his community rise above hardships. Solid. Known for mashing up trap with R&B, Wap has humbly referred to his music as "ignorant R&B." One could beg to differ. At downtown's Rialto Theater… During the 1980s, Californian Chuck Prophet became an adopted son in the hearts of many Tucsonans as a member of first-wave of desert rockers Green on Red. On his latest, Bobby Fuller Died For Your Sins (Yep Roc Records), Prophet explores lingering mysteries and the tension between romance and cynicism. At Club Congress… Now imagine Ronald McDonald, the Hamburglar and Mayor McCheese rockin’ “the absolute fuck” out while covering Black Sabbath tunes. Bear witness to this bizarre spectacle when Mac Sabbath take you into the void at 191 Toole… Then, put your bibs on and come feast upon Krab Legz at The Flycatcher. With San Francisco’s Bear Call and Jeff Lownsbury’s JL6… This is not a musical event. Nonetheless, its sheer awesomeness cannot go unrecognized. A fantastical evening of epic myth and legend awaits when the Drunk Drag Queen Storytellers take over the party room at Welcome Diner… According to mythology, Andras was Grand Marquis of Hell with the head of a raven and winged body. OK, not that guy. Rather, the Australian music producer/DJ. Andras spins deep house/ambient at Club Congress…

From our XOXO.. column...

Friday, Feb. 2: Not everyone can claim to have worked with "The Godmother of Punk Rock" Patti Smith. Guitarist Oliver Ray can. C'mon, is that not enough street cred to get your tired carcass off the couch? Ray—accompanied by Clay Koweek, Thøger Teetens Lund and Anna Jo Phipps—will be previewing songs and poems from his upcoming self-titled solo album. At Exo Bar... People standing up to help others is love supreme. Recently Clay Desmond, guitarist for Black Medicine, lost his nephew Giovanni from rejection of his donor heart at 21 months. Black Medicine, Street Blues Family and The Rifle are putting on an event to raise money for pediatric heart transplant research at Phoenix Children's Hospital. Hearts & Guitars Benefit takes place at The Flycatcher... Ukraine by way of Canada, DJ/producer REZZ (née Isabelle Rezazadeh) took to DJing young. Before long drawing the attention of Skrillex and Deadmau5 with her dark minimalist electronic sound. Her 2017 debut, Mass Manipulation (mau5trap), peaked at No. 15 on Billboard's dance/electronic chart; REZZ was barely old enough to drink legally in most U.S. states. At The Rialto Theater... Over the years, The Octopus Project have gained a reputation as an extremely loud, extremely fun live band. Their performances have evolved into elaborate multimedia experiences. In the process becoming festival favorites at Coachella, Lollapalooza and the once fabulous now erstwhile All Tomorrow's Parties. Memory Mirror (Robot High School), the band's sixth studio album, marks The Octopus Project's evolution from purveyors in raw, thrift-store electronica to cutting edge provocateurs. With New Fumes at 191 Toole... Laura and the Killed Men tie their dusty, twangy country to a creosote hitching post anchored in the desert of the American Southwest. While singer/guitarist Laura Kepner-Adney's voice fires off bullets that reverberate off canyon walls. Celebrating guitarist Sam Golden's return to town, Laura and the Killed Men are gonna party down at Che's Lounge... Propelled by brass, percussion and electric guitar, Santa Pachita's fusion of salsa, cumbia and ska will have your hips shakin' on the rooftop at Playground Bar & Lounge... Über talented songstress Katie Haverly is celebrating the release of her fifth studio album, Pluto, with a soirée at Club Congress. With Jillian and the Giants and Phoenix's House of Stairs...

Saturday, Feb. 3: Originating in the UK, Stomp is a percussion group that uses found objects—push brooms, hubcaps, hammer handles, garbage cans, Zippo lighters and yes, even the kitchen sink—to create magnificent rhythms and an explosive theatrical performance incorporating pantomime and acrobatics. At Centennial Hall... She is native to Brooklyn. Yet, amidst the Joshua trees and austerity of the California desert Christina LaRocca discovers, in her latest music video, that she is a "Child of the Sun." LaRocca brings her soulful blend of Americana and rock to Nancy's Boondocks... They have traveled the great expanses playing jump, swing and West Coast blues since 2002. Now, catch The Kings of Pleasure jump, jive and wail at Playground Bar & Lounge... "When you throw one Southerner and two Northeasterners into a blender and then pour them out in Los Angeles you get Ned and the Dirt." With Dirt Friends and Half-Broke Town at Club Congress... Known for his Chicago house, acid jazz and downtempo work. He's received props from URB, Muzik and BPM magazines recognized as one of the world's best DJs. Mark Farina's 2016 album, Mushroom Jazz Eight, hit No. 1 on Billboard's Top dance/electronic chart. Watch Farina cut at 191 Toole...

Sunday, Feb. 4: Her story is compelling. A life that includes being trampled by a horse and a car accident that paralyzed her right vocal cord. As a child, Mary James (aka Mean Mary) practiced guitar, banjo and fiddle five hours a day. A wunderkind, she started performing on a daily Alabama TV show while in the second grade. Now, she hosts Nashville reality TV show The Never-Ending Street. Not busy enough? James is out touring in support of her latest book Hell Is Naked (co-authored with Jean James). Which has spun into an album: Blazing: Hell Is Naked Soundtrack (Woodrock Records, 2017). Americana/bluegrass/folk artist Mean Mary stops to catch her breath at Monterey Court... Playground Bar & Lounge have put together a winning combination: Trumpets & Tequila. With Mariachi Luz De Luna up on the rooftop... DJ Brad Moontribe believes in the transformative power of music and collective dance. He sees the role of DJ not simply as selector and technician but that of artist and shaman. With Elliot Tierney and NoodleBox at Galactic Center...

Former Tucson filmmaker Alex Italics, who is now seeking fortune in Los Angeles, has directed a new music video for They Might Be Giants, featuring comedian Nick Offerman. It's quite peculiar and creepy, which is pretty much what we'd expect from Italics, who was profiled by the Weekly in 2015.

Calexico's new album, The Thread That Keeps Us, drops next Friday, Jan. 26. I can tell you I've had an advance listen and it is, as usual, great. (Granted, I'm a Calexico superfan, but I'm sure you'll agree once you hear it.) Ahead of the release date, there's a new single, "Under the Wheels." Give it a listen!

It’s been seven years since Donnie Cianciotto first made mayhem of Broadway’s greatest hits with a cast of actors and improvisers in Phoenix, Arizona. In 2012, he moved the project to Tucson, where his artistic vision, Musical Mayhem, grew such strong roots it survived its founder’s success. The company continued to thrive even after Cianciotto left to seek his fortune in New York City.

The prodigal returns to celebrate Seven Years of Mayhem at 6 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 14, at Unscrewed Theatre. Tickets are $7 via squareup.com/store/musical-mayhem-cabaret; $10 at the door.
As director, Cianciotto brings fresh perspective to the anniversary show, based on his recent experience directing and acting in off-Broadway productions. Among other projects, he produces the popular Trans Voices Cabaret at the legendary Duplex Piano Bar and Cabaret Theater in Greenwich Village. That show spotlights transgender, non-binary, and genderqueer musical theater performers.

Returning former members will bulk up the current Mayhem cast for the anniversary special. They’ll appear in person and via video, both live and recorded. Alumni featured include Jillian Mitchell, China Young, Morgan Smith and other audience favorites. The full cast includes Veronica Conran, Kirsten Cummins, Abigail Dunscomb, Cinder Elliot, Lety Gonzalez, David Gunther, Melanie Kersey, Tristan Kluge, Melanie Kondziolka, Katie Popiel, Alyson Precie, Jessica Pryde, Cameron Rau, Nathalie Rodriguez, Mandy Ressler, Nicolette Shaffer, Morgan Smith, Brin Wassenberg, Lani Villanueva, Deborah Witchey.

The company creates new musical skits for every show. For the anniversary, they’ve re-imagined songs from Rent, Wicked, Reefer Madness, My Fair Lady, Side Show, Book of Mormon, Les Misérables, Oklahoma and animated favorites Hercules, The Little Mermaid, Frozen and others. Expect classic tunes to show up onstage as puns, send-ups, dress-ups and even new story lines, under-rehearsed and over-dramatic in the Musical Mayhem tradition.

Mayhem found its permanent home at Unscrewed Theatre after spending its formative years at the former Colors Food & Spirits, New Moon and Fluxx Theatres. The last time Cianciotto performed with Mayhem at Unscrewed Theater was in their five-year anniversary show, just before he returned to his New York City hometown to star in a critically acclaimed musical and New York Times Critic’s Pick, Southern Comfort.

“It was quite the jump to go from under rehearsed and over dramatic to adequately rehearsed and appropriately dramatic,” says Cianciotto, “but performing at the world-renowned Public Theater (A Chorus Line, Hamilton) was a dream come true for me.” Cianciotto now lives in the Bronx with his wife, former Mayhem cast member Rebecca Cianciotto.