The Trunk Space's new exhibition "Old/New/Traditional/Radical" showcases "artists with classic training and a modern aesthetic," says the gallery's JRC. Alan Jones, Susan G. White, and Marc Liao -- all from Arizona -- take well-trod styles (ceramics, quilts, vessels) and mod 'em up for the new millennium. Jones, well-known for his functional ceramics, has taken a sharp detour into wall-mounted painted landscapes that he then executes on glazed tiles. Quilter White straddles the tightrope between traditional and cutting-edge work, combining old-world weaving with what she calls "quilt improv" by combining "quilt geometry" with wildly dyed cloths (an example of White's work is pictured). Liao, a recent graduate of Arizona's Ceramic Department, typically specializes in Asian-inspired minimalism and figural representations of animals such as penguins, octopi, etc., but for this show he's put a Mediterranean-style spin on a series of Greek-inspired vessels ranging in size from two to four feet tall. "Old/New/Traditional/Radical" opens Friday, August 19, and continues through September 14. Viewing hours are 5 to 10 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and by appointment. The Trunk Space is located at 1506 Grand Avenue. Call 602-256-6006 or visit www.thetrunkspace.com. -- Clay McNear
Bulging Celluloid
Show is a near myth
TUE 8/23
Theatre in My Basement presents a "hyper-cyber version of Orpheus and Eurydice" on Tuesday, August 23, with a new multimedia performance by Chris Danowski and Natalia Jaeger titled Certadote/PigPriest. The play features local actors and "investigates love in the time of war, and cultural amnesia in post-consumer virtual reality." Escape Big Brother at 8 p.m. at Modified Arts, 407 East Roosevelt. Admission costs $5. Call 602-462-5516. -- Niki D'Andrea
Cher and Cher Alike
Dick's got you, babe
SAT 8/20
Chad Michaels, the world's "#1 Cher impersonator," looks so much like Cher that one wonders if he had plastic surgery to make him look more like the vaunted diva (he hasn't). But Michaels' dead-on impersonation -- complete with Cher's trademark pucker-face -- is sure to make a few jaws drop at the "Cher the Dick Party" at Dick's Cabaret, 3613 East Van Buren, on Saturday, August 20. While Michaels turns back time and performs numbers spanning Cher's 41-year career, the dancers of Dick's will turn heads with their sexy stripteases. The no-cover party starts at 7 p.m., with free table dances until 10 p.m. and giveaways throughout the night. Call 602-274-3425 or visit www.dickscabaret.com. -- Niki D'Andrea
Modest Rock
A new spin on music journalism
SAT 8/20
If you want to know what music was playing when your favorite rockers lost their virginity, check out ModestProposalMusic.com, a new e-zine founded by Ron Babcock and Ryan McKee of the humor mag Modest Proposal. The duo packs its interviews with off-the-wall questions, and plans to unveil the new cyber-venture after the "Famouser Than God" launch party on Saturday, August 20, at the Paper Heart, 750 Grand Avenue. "We're just trying to make it different," says McKee. "It seems like every music publication asks the same questions, and it's really like reading the same interview twice." McKee tosses out the oddball queries in upcoming interviews with national acts like Iron & Wine, Jennifer Gentle, and Hard n' Phirm, as well as local acts the Dietrichs, Andrew Jackson Jihad, the Minibosses, and Fatigo. The latter will also play the launch party, along with "comedy/folk" band Don't Swim, and singer-songwriter Brodie Hubbard. The soiree starts at 9:30 p.m., with a $5 cover. Call 602-262-2020 or visit www.thepaperheart.com. -- Niki D'Andrea
Key of Z
Whole lotta covers goin' on
FRI 8/19
While the rock gods of Led Zeppelin lounge languidly in the Valhalla Hall of Fame, lesser beings are still trying to catch their fire. First there was Dread Zeppelin -- that '90s crew that mashed Zep, Elvis and Rasta into a knee-slapping stew -- and now there's Led ZepAgain. Don't expect any Lisa Marie refs or reggae from these thundercats; the Z-men are deadly serious about channeling Page, Plant, Bonzo and Jones, so prepare for a bone-crunching barrage of metal shrapnel and note-for-note riffs on "Communication Breakdown," "Dazed and Confused," etc. Alas, the songs remain the same, but these players are mere mortals, and -- however sadly -- tribute bands like ZepAgain are as close as new-millennials will ever get to The Real Thing. Showtime is 9 p.m. Friday, August 19, at Alice Cooper'stown, 101 East Jackson. Advance tickets are $7, $10 day-of-show. Call 602-253-7337 or visit www.ietickets.com. -- Clay McNear
Micro Burst
No Festival Required chills out
SUN 8/21
"Independent Exposure Volume One: A 10-Year Retrospective" is a showcase of thought-provoking "microcinema" works presented locally by No Festival Required. The show includes 11 short and wildly diverse films, and starts at 2 p.m. Sunday, August 21, at the Phoenix Art Museum, 1625 North Central. "I would say it's PG," says NFR's Steve Weiss. "I don't feel as though an 8-year-old should be watching. There's no sex, violence or nudity, but some of the imagery is a little strange." The Independent Exposure screening program has presented more than 1,300 short films and videos all over the world, including Antarctica. Speaking of which, Weiss says to "bring a sweater," because the museum's art-preserving temperature is chilly if you're sitting still. Call 602-257-1222 or visit www.nofestivalrequired.com. -- Julie Peterson
