Calendar for the week

thursday
june 12
Love! Valour! Compassion! Benefit Screening: The recently released film version of playwright Terrence McNally's dish-heavy dramedy about a summer of love and affection among a group of gay friends was directed by Joe Mantello, who helmed the original, Tony-winning off-Broadway production (and who, incidentally, received his own Tony nomination for his acting role in Tony Kushner's Angels in America). Love! Valour!, the movie, stars many of the stage show's original cast members, including John Glover, Stephen Bogardus and Randy Becker. A special fund-raising screening of the R-rated film, sponsored by Echo magazine, is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, June 12, at Valley Art Theatre, 509 South Mill in Tempe. Admission is $5; proceeds benefit the Valley of the Sun Lesbian and Gay Community Center. For details call 266-0550 or 829-6668.

Fluffy: The English femme-punkers walk a thin line between low style and purposeful vile. While the all-woman group's image is calculated to arouse prurient interest, media attention and album sales (the band's press kit refers to lead singer/guitarist Amanda Rootes as "the Sharon Stone of punk," though she looks more like a Dickensian Drew Barrymore), Fluffy's members seem genuinely to subscribe to the hard-living punk ethic, and they can, more or less, play their instruments; think Hole lite. The Beat Angels, and Caroline's Spine share the stage on Thursday, June 12, at Gibson's, 410 South Mill in Tempe. The all-ages show starts at 8 p.m. Admission is $6, free for Arizona State University students with IDs. For details call 967-1234.

"Fiestas de la Vida: Devotion and Ritual in Mexican Folk Art": The exhibition includes ceremonial, decorative and political/historical objects related to the liturgical calendar of Mexican holy days: los Dias de los Muertos (the Days of the Dead), the Feast Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe, Carnival, Christmas and Easter/Holy Week; the pieces were drawn from the permanent collection of the Arizona State University Art Museum and from various private holdings. The show continues through Sunday, September 7, at the ASU Art Museum at Nelson Fine Arts Center, 10th Street and Mill in Tempe. Viewing is free; hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays. For details call 965-2787.

Grease!: Tommy Tune's touring production of the '50s musical is back. This incarnation stars Adrian Zmed of the '82 movie Grease 2, former One Day at a Time co-star Mackenzie Phillips and All in the Family's Sally Struthers. Final performances are at 8 p.m. Thursday, June 12; 8 p.m. Friday, June 13; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, June 14; and 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday, June 15, at Symphony Hall, 225 East Adams. Tickets range from $29.50 to $43.50, available at Phoenix Civic Plaza and Dillard's box offices; call 262-7272 or 503-5555.

Yxta Maya Murray: Murray is an instructor at L.A.'s Loyola Law School, a contributor to Glamour and Buzz magazines and the author of the acclaimed new work Locas, a fictional portrait of two female gang-bangers. She reads from and signs copies of the book at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 12, at Borders Books & Music at 1361 South Alma School in Mesa. Call 833-2244.

JGB: The former Jerry Garcia Band features many longtime backers of the late Grateful Dead man, including Melvin and Elgin Seals, Gloria Jones and Jackie LaBranch. The all-ages show starts at 8 p.m. Thursday, June 12, at the Electric Ballroom, 1216 East Apache in Tempe. Tickets are $20, available at the club and Ticketmaster; call 894-0707 or 784-4444.

Phoenix Firebirds: The Triple A/Pacific Coast League affiliate of baseball's San Francisco Giants continues its 34th--and final--season in the Valley with games against the Albuquerque Dukes at 7:05 p.m. Thursday, June 12; and the same time Friday, June 13, at Scottsdale Stadium, 7408 East Osborn. Tickets range from $4 to $8, available at the scene and Dillard's; call 275-0500 or 503-5555.

friday
june 13
Megadeth: Dave Mustaine's long-lived metal crew hosts a sort of national release party for its eighth disc, Cryptic Writings, on Friday, June 13, at Mesa Amphitheatre, Center and University. The concert's sold out, but if you can't find a way in, catch the show on the radio: It's scheduled to be broadcast live across the country by various rock radio stations (locally, it airs on KUPD-FM 97.9). Showtime is 7 p.m. Call 644-2560.

The Skeletones: The new-ska big band from Riverside, California, also mixes in healthy doses of jazz, reggae and rock. Station, and Jimmy Rig share the bill. Showtime is 8:30 p.m. Friday, June 13, at Boston's, 910 North McClintock in Tempe. Tickets are $6 in advance, $8 the day of the show. For details call 921-7343.

"Fiestas de la Vida: Devotion and Ritual in Mexican Folk Art": See Thursday.
Grease!: See Thursday.
Phoenix Firebirds: See Thursday.

saturday
june 14
Juneteenth Celebrations: Juneteenth, also known as "Black Independence Day," honors June 19, 1865, the day slaves in some Southern states found out they'd been legally freed on January 1, 1863, by President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. This year's major Valley commemorations are scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 14, at Eastlake Park, 16th Street and Jefferson (call 249-6168); and from 5 to 11 p.m. Saturday at Chandler's Folley Park, 601 East Frye (call 899-3022). For details about a related basketball tourney at Eastlake Park, see the Sports listing.