Need weekend plans? Voilà.
The Amazing Johnathan @ Stand Up Live When the Las Vegas hotel and casino of his then-residency seemingly stopped promoting his shows, The Amazing Johnathan channeled his inner Peter Gibbons from Office Space last December and simply stopped going. After 13 years of headlining in Sin City, the comic-magician's hustling, and he'll go for tricks and giggles on Friday, August 2.
See also: New Times Calendar of Events
It's been a banner year for the outrageous and hilarious madman with a no-holds-barred video podcast, Burn Unit, and an hour-long special filming in the fall. Recently roasting former Las Vegas mayor Oscar Goodman and fulfilling every magic man's dream of entertaining and enchanting at Los Angeles' legendary Magic Castle, everything's coming up amazing.
The Amazing Johnathan conjures up a weekend full of shows at Stand Up Live, 50 West Jefferson Street in Phoenix. Shows on Friday are at 7:30 and 9:45 p.m. Tickets are $25, and there's a two-drink minimum. More info is available at www.standuplive.com or by calling 480-719-6100. -- Jose Gonzalez
"Vampires of the Bug World" @ Arizona Science Center Maybe The Conjuring scared the pants off you. But we think the movie's creepy dolls and exorcisms pale in comparison to one very real, gross, and awfully tough-to-kill specimen: the bed bug. The creepy crawlers that could inhabit your clothing, your chair, and your hair at this very moment are the subject of the talk "Vampires of the Bug World," a title that has us literally itching with anticipation.
The talk from Rollins-Orkin Pest Control's Dr. Ronald D. Harrison is presented in conjunction with Adults' Night Out, which runs from 5:30 to 9 p.m. The lecture portion of the evening begins at 7 on Friday, August 2, at Arizona Science Center, 600 East Washington Street. Admission is to the talk is free. Viewing the featured exhibit costs $8, and tickets to the screening of Stars of the Pharaohs in the planetarium are $7 apiece. Register for your spot via www.azscience.org or call 602-716-2000 for more info. -- Becky Bartkowski
Miss Native American USA @ Tempe Center for the Arts If the Miss America competition is Barbie, then Miss Native American USA is Skipper, lesser known and smaller in scale, but still very much in production. Its second-ever pageant brings together 10 native women from tribes across the U.S. to compete for a crown that represents how tradition and modernity blend in native life. Contestant Jacquelyn Jesus (Navajo) says that's part of the pageant's charm.
"I think the whole concept is having a beauty pageant, but also incorporating traditional elements," Jesus says. That means looking good is important, but so is respecting elders and judges through her fashion, presentation, and talent choices. She hopes her modest clothing mixed with squash blossom jewelry, presentation on Navajo mythology, and Navajo language adaptation of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star will win the judges' favor.
See who's crowned winner at the competition, which runs from 8 to 11 p.m. Saturday, August 3, at Tempe Center for the Arts, 700 West Rio Salado Parkway. Tickets are $15 and available at TCA's box office, which can be reached at 480-350-2882 or www.tempe.gov/tca. Visit www.missnativeamericanusapageant.com for more. -- Becky Bartkowski
See also: Miss Native American USA Pageant Melds Tradition and Modernity in Tempe
Arizona Rattlers vs. San Jose Sabercats @ US Airways Center The Arizona Rattlers have put together one of the most dominant regular seasons in franchise history. The team outscored its opponents by an average of 18 points per game en route to winning its eighth division title. In spite of this, you can make an argument that the Rattlers shouldn't be considered favorites when they open the playoffs on Sunday, August 4, at US Airways Center, 201 East Jefferson Street. Arizona will be hosting perhaps the only team that has managed to make the Rattlers look truly bad this year: the San Jose Sabercats.
When the two teams met last June, the Sabercats crushed the Rattlers 72-42. On that night, the Rattlers defense quite literally could not stop the Sabercats offense from scoring. Another night like that would, of course, render the Rattlers' dominant regular season meaningless.
The game will kick off at 5 p.m. Tickets start at $8 via www.ticketmaster.com. -- Ed Kummerer
The Jackie & Olive Show @ The Rock Drag queens aren't that different from pageant girls. They're beautiful and glamorous, and at the end of the day, they think the world would be a better place if everyone had a puppy. The world of drag is a bit more authentic, though,, since most queens go beyond saying they want to make positive changes and actually take action. For example, the Rock's quarterly Jackie & Olive Show is as much a fundraiser as it is a fabulous evening of lip-synching, because it benefits a different local cause each time. August 4's show features performances by local renowned queens Savannah Stevens, Lady Christian, TC Taylor, Diva, Pandora DeStrange, Olivia Gardens, Miss Gina, and many more, to benefit barback Ethan Baldwin in his battle against lung cancer.
Get entertained for a good cause on Sunday at The Rock, 4129 North Seventh Avenue. The suggested donation is $20. Call 602-248-8559 or visit www.therockdmphoenix.com. -- Melissa Fossum
