may 29
Stomp: The wildly popular, London-born, New York-based percussive/movement troupe gives new meaning to the term "found art." The Doc Martens-wearing crew brings the metaphorical kitchen sink and literally boots it around the stage at the Orpheum Theatre, 203 West Adams, along with a bunch of other unlikely noisemakers like plastic bags, brooms and cardboard boxes. Final performances are at 8 p.m. Thursday, May 29; 8 p.m. Friday, May 30; 5 and 9 p.m. Saturday, May 31; and 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday, June 1. Tickets range from $26 to $34, available at Scottsdale Center for the Arts and Ticketmaster; call 994-2787 or 784-4444.
John Mellencamp: The Hoosier rocker has historically put on an outstanding live show. Touring in support of his latest album, Mr. Happy Go Lucky, Mellencamp performs Thursday, May 29, at Desert Sky Pavilion, 2121 North 83rd Avenue. Amanda Marshall shares the stage. Showtime is 8 p.m. Tickets range from $19.25 to $45.75, available at Ticketmaster. For details call 254-7599 or 784-4444.
Dave Walker: The former New Times staffer, who's now breaking metaphorical rocks in the hot sun at the Arizona Republic as the monolithic daily's television critic, applies his extra-dry humor to presentations titled "From Elvis and Ed to MTV." The free programs are scheduled at 12:15 and 7 p.m. Thursday, May 29, at Phoenix Art Museum, 1625 North Central, in conjunction with PAM's "It's Only Rock and Roll: Rock and Roll Currents in Contemporary Art" installation (see the Art Exhibits listing). For details call 257-1880 or 257-1222.
A Chorus Line: Original cast member Baayork Lee directed and choreographed the touring production of the let's-put-on-a-show show, conceived by Michael Bennett and written by Marvin Hamlisch, Edward Kleban, James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante. Final performances are at 8 p.m. Thursday, May 29; 8 p.m. Friday, May 30; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, May 31; and 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday, June 1, at Gammage Auditorium, Mill and Apache in Tempe. Tickets range from $28 to $42, available at Gammage and Dillard's; call 965-3434 or 503-5555.
"Dis/Functional": Arizona State University Art Museum's John Spiak organized this exhibit of works by antisocialists Jenny Holzer, Vernon Fisher, Francesc Torres, Barbara Penn, Dan Collins, Herb Stratford and Joyan Saunders (the latter, from Tucson, contributed arguably the show's best piece, a skewering of the romantic ideal titled "Athlete Heart" and comprising a king-size bed covered with 300 pounds of feathers). "What connects these seven artists is that they all question aspects of today's society," says Spiak. The installation continues through Sunday, October 19, at ASU Art Museum at Nelson Fine Arts Center, 10th Street and Mill in Tempe. Viewing is free; hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays, 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays. For details call 965-2787.
Dogstar featuring Keanu Reeves, Bret Domrose and Rob Mailhouse: Movie star Reeves (Speed, Feeling Minnesota) plays bass and chick magnet while vocalist/guitarist Domrose and drummer Mailhouse do the real work in this alt.-pop act (pre-Dogstar band names: Small Fecal Matter, Big Fucking Shit). Stagger shares the bill. Showtime is 8 p.m. Thursday, May 29, at Electric Ballroom, 1216 East Apache in Tempe. Tickets are $18, available at the club and Ticketmaster; call 894-0707 or 784-4444.
"Our Future in the Desert: Architectural Explorations": The Arizona VisionWeavers organization, which seeks to "harmonize commercial and private development with the Sonoran Desert environment by encouraging innovative architectural visions," sponsors this exhibit of conceptual works about desert habitation and conservation by architects from around the state, including Marlene Imirzian, Todd Bogatay, Don Grieb, Anne Marie Nequette, William Harold Kurtz and Terry Sewell. The show continues through Sunday, August 31, in the Mezzanine and Lower galleries at Scottsdale Center for the Arts, 7380 East Second Street. A related lecture titled "Desert House" by Desert Botanical Garden's Mary Irish is scheduled at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 29, in the center's Cinema. Admission and viewing are free; hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, noon to 5 p.m. Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Wednesdays. Call 994-2787 or 949-5860.
friday
may 30
Los Straitjackets: The Nashville band comes off a mite silly on the surface, thanks to its onstage get-up (Mexican wrestling masks) and calculatedly odd influences (Link Wray, Ray Coniff). Still, some serious talent underlies the happy-surfer facade; reference the band's latest platter, the Ben Vaughn-produced AViva! Los Straitjackets, whose strong musical undertow sucks one in like a tasty tidal wave. Los 'jackets are scheduled Friday, May 30, at Nita's Hideaway, 1816 East Rio Salado Parkway in Tempe. Showtime is 10 p.m. The cover is $6. For details call 967-9531.
"Cesar Chavez Tribute Exhibit": The installation at Alwun House commemorates the late United Farm Workers of America founder, a native Arizonan, via photos, artwork and memorabilia. It opens with a reception at 8 p.m. Friday, May 30, and continues through Friday, June 27, at the gallery, 1204 East Roosevelt. Admission and viewing are free; regular hours are noon to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays. For details call 253-7887.
Edmond: Zenith Group Gallery Theatre tackles one of the lesser-known works by one of America's better-known playwrights, David Mamet (Speed-the-Plow, Sexual Perversity in Chicago). This week's performances are at 8 p.m. Friday, May 30; and the same time Saturday, May 31, at the theater, 118 South Central, in Luhrs Office Center. The run continues through Saturday, June 7. Tickets are $10. For details call 420-9318.
A Chorus Line: See Thursday.
"Dis/Functional": See Thursday.
"Our Future in the Desert: Architectural Explorations": See Thursday.
Stomp: See Thursday.
saturday
may 31
Bush: Britain's "Everything Zen" men headline a big bill on Saturday, May 31, in support of their most recent disc, Razorblade Suitcase. The openers are Chicago's Veruca Salt and Sweden's Souls. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. at America West Arena, First Street and Jefferson. Tickets are $25, available at the arena and Dillard's; call 379-7800 or 503-5555.
Mainly Mozart Festival: Jeffrey Siegel, noted for his "Keyboard Conversations" series, is artistic director of the 12th annual tribute to Wolfgang and friends. The two-week fest kicks off with orchestra concerts titled "Mozart and Schubert" at 8 p.m. Saturday, May 31, at Paul V. Galvin Playhouse at Arizona State University's Nelson Fine Arts Center, 10th Street and Mill in Tempe; and 3 p.m. Sunday, June 1, at La Sala, located in the University Center Building on the Arizona State University West campus, 4701 West Thunderbird in Glendale. The fest resumes at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 3, with a screening of the video Life of Mozart and a related lecture by Siegel; the scene is Kiva Hall, also at ASU West. A chamber concert is slated for 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 4, at La Sala. Events continue through Saturday, June 14. Tickets are $20 and $23 for orchestra performances, $18 and $21 for chamber concerts, $5 for screenings and lectures, available at Dillard's; call 503-5555. For general information, call 543-6057.
A Chorus Line: See Thursday.
"Dis/Functional": See Thursday.
Edmond: See Friday.
"Our Future in the Desert: Architectural Explorations": See Thursday.
Stomp: See Thursday.
sunday
june 1
Charlie Hunter Quintet: Bay Area guitarist Hunter is a visionary purveyor of Gen X-informed new jazz (or, as Hunter calls it, "antacid jazz"). He's also a musician who seems to revel in taking chances, and he and his group take another with a salute to reggae master Bob Marley on Sunday, June 1, in the Fender Showcase Room at Electric Ballroom, 1216 East Apache in Tempe. Peter Storn Project shares the all-ages bill. Showtime is 8 p.m. Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 the day of the show, available at Ticketmaster. For details call 894-0707 or 784-4444.
Larry Coryell: You can blame Larry for the birth of that hybrid of jazz and rock named fusion (Coryell helped to define/refine the form, along with John McLaughlin, Chick Corea and Billy Cobham, on the 1970 album Spaces), but you can't hold him accountable for what became of his baby at the dishwatery hands of Spyro Gyra, et. al. Guitarist Coryell played fusion before fusion was uncool--i.e., before it devolved into "cool jazz"--and he recently returned to his co-creation for the new disc Spaces Revisited, featuring contributions by Cobham and fellow ax man Bireli Lagrene. Coryell performs a solo set on Sunday, June 1, at the Rhythm Room, 1019 East Indian School. Larry Reed and Sherry Roberson open at 8 p.m. The cover is $12. For details call 265-4842.
A Chorus Line: See Thursday.
"Dis/Functional": See Thursday.
Mainly Mozart Festival: See Saturday.
"Our Future in the Desert: Architectural Explorations": See Thursday.
Stomp: See Thursday.
monday
june 2
Take 6: One can't rightly term the sweetly soulful jazz/contemporary Christian sextet "a cappella" anymore (though we note that some pubs have opted for "a cappella-oriented"). Take 6's new album, Brothers, marks the group's full-scale entry into the land of instrumentation, and what better way to unveil a fresh start than with a faithful reprise of Earth, Wind and Fire's funky "Sing a Song"? (Heck, Claude McKnight and the rest of these vocal wizards even worked some rhythmic alchemy on hippie-popster-for-Jesus Paul Davis' sappy old chestnut "Do Right.") Take 6 is scheduled Monday, June 2, at Red River Opry, Mill and Washington in Tempe. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available at the scene and Dillard's; call 829-6779 or 503-5555.
"Our Future in the Desert: Architectural Explorations": See Thursday.
tuesday
june 3
Jeff Shaara: The son of Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Shaara (The Killer Angels) proved himself a proficient writer in his own right with his first novel, Gods and Generals, a decent prequel to his late dad's tale about the Battle of Gettysburg, though certainly not in Angels' league. Jeff reads from and signs copies of Generals at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 3, at Tempe's Changing Hands Bookstore, 414 South Mill, Suite 109. For details call 966-0203.
Mem Shannon: The former New Orleans taxi driver, who made national waves a couple of years ago thanks to his irresistible hook of penning tunes about the fares he ferried through the mean streets of the Big Easy, has sold the cab and opted for a full-time career as a bluesman. Now he's out on the big road in support of his new disc, Mem Shannon's 2nd Blues Album, which opens with one of Shannon's trademark working-stiff anthems, "Wrong People in Charge." The guitarist/vocalist and band return for a gig on Tuesday, June 3, at the Rhythm Room, 1019 East Indian School. Showtime is 9 p.m. The cover is $5. For details call 265-4842.
"Cesar Chavez Tribute Exhibit": See Friday.
"Dis/Functional": See Thursday.
Mainly Mozart Festival: See Saturday.
"Our Future in the Desert: Architectural Explorations": See Thursday.
wednesday
june 4
Marky Ramone and the Intruders: Ramone "brother" Marky, the original drummer for punk forefathers the Ramones, is still rocking at age 43 with his post-'mones band, the Intruders. Kongo Shock shares the bill on Wednesday, June 4, at Boston's, 910 North McClintock in Tempe. Showtime is 9 p.m. For details call 921-7343.
Andrew "Jr. Boy" Jones: Beefy blues from the former sideman for Freddie King and Charlie Musselwhite. Touring behind his solo debut, I Need Time, Jones performs at 9 p.m. Wednesday, June 4, at the Rhythm Room, 1019 East Indian School. For details call 265-4842.
"Cesar Chavez Tribute Exhibit": See Friday.
"Dis/Functional": See Thursday.
Mainly Mozart Festival: See Saturday.
"Our Future in the Desert: Architectural Explorations": See Thursday.