"KICK HIS ASS, DAD!" It was Saturday afternoon in the arena at El Gran Mercado, and the young woman next to me was maniacally snapping photos and cheering on her father, a bald, tattooed, grizzly pro wrestler named Hatchet Jack. He was in the wrestling ring with five other guys, competing with... More >>

Looks like Sundays in Phoenix are getting a little spicier. Local mixologists and favorite cocktail gurus Jason Asher and Casey Wallin are back behind the bar at Mabel's on Main with a weekly event for all lovers of vintage drinks and funky vinyl records. Mabel's kicks off its weekly Sunday... More >>

After a long night of partying with a bottle of Jack and sixteen of your favorite friends, the last thing you need to be doing on Sunday is resting. What you really need is a pool party and an endless supply of champagne. Right? Right. Nurse your summertime hangover poolside Sunday, July 15, at... More >>

If you wanted to put a label on it, Phoenix’s vintage tiki bar Bikini Lounge could be called many things. Some would deem it a hipster paradise, while others might call it a classic dive. Combine both of those labels and one thing you won't get as a result is the descriptor... More >>

Let’s face it, yo. You are no saint when it comes to keeping your cool in the summer. You honk at drivers who make one bad move, just so you can get to your next air conditioned destination quicker. And, naturally, you dress a bit more scantily than you’d ever even imagine if the... More >>

Downtown’s swanky new nightlife spot Gypsy Bar feels like it’s from another time. The pulsating music, carnival theme, plush couches, and overall classy vibe feels like something out of Moulin Rouge. Patrons in contemporary clothing noshing on tapas while DJs spin club bangers may... More >>

If the holiday season means watching bowl games and packing on the pounds via less-than healthy foodstuffs, then a nice bike ride with friends to reinvigorate the system is in order. Or maybe you’ve resolved simply to spend more time on two wheels in the New Year? In either case, stretch... More >>

The phrase “cage match” conjures up images of spurting blood, ripping flesh, and thugs pounding each other inside of a steel trap. Not exactly a gentleman’s sport. At the Torch Theatre’s Cage Match series, however, raging fists are replaced by clever quips and verbal... More >>

It's impossible to deny that Phoenix is an emerging culinary destination for food lovers and aspiring chefs alike. Our hometown heroes may not have taken home any coveted James Beard Awards this year, but this state's chefs have more than enough talent to feed the hordes of foodists for Spring... More >>

There's nothing we need more than a dose of bright colors in the summertime, and lucky us, Scottsdale's LewAllen Galleries has just the exhibition to appease our appetite."New York Color Field" includes the work of four New York School Color Abstractionists: Emily Mason, Ronnie Landfield, Dan... More >>

Movies like The Day After Tomorrow, Twister, and Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs are a testament to mankind’s obsession with extreme weather -- even if the details are a little exaggerated. But, really, who wouldn’t want it to rain pizza? "Weather or Not: Art with Atmosphere"... More >>

Rossitza Todorova describes her work as the "experience of navigating highways and infrastructure." The Tempe-based artist was born in Sofia, Bulgaria, graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from University of Nevada, Reno and earned a master of fine arts degree in drawing from ASU's Herberger... More >>

A quick look at the artwork of Mayme Kratz does little to tell the story of her process. The Phoenix artist made a name for herself by building complex environments and diorama-like sculptures with a collection of natural specimens captured in resin. Kratz has an incredible eye for detail and... More >>

Whenever Dave Quan comes back to town, we know he's up to something creative. The artist (who goes by Luster Kaboom) moved to New York last year, but he comes back to his hometown every once in a while to paint a new mural or collaborate with old friends. But this return trip is special for... More >>

Before Ahmed Alsoudani took the contemporary art world by storm, he grew up in Iraq, lived in Syria as a refugee, and fled to the United States where he was granted asylum. His young life experiences were heavily surrounded by violence and consequences of violence -- themes reflected in his... More >>

If you're the type of person who routinely forgets where you put your car keys but can immediately recall the name of Don Knotts' zany character on Three's Company, or if you moped your way through adolescence hoping to be summoned by your peers for something other than the answers to last... More >>

N. Scott Momaday is an artist of words and pictures. While he's celebrated for his written work "House Made of Dawn," the Native American author is also a playwright, illustrator, and poet, whose work has won a Pulitzer Prize and has been credited with ushering Native American literature into... More >>

There's a long tradition of women dominating the blues scene, from classics like Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald to a new generation of genre-defying acts such as Grace Potter and The Nocturnals and Black Carl. These ladies have helped paved the way for soulful, heavy-hitting singers like... More >>

Much as we wish that the bounty of talented artists who find fame in Arizona would stay in Arizona, we've come to terms with our state's status as a launchpad for up-and-comers. Seems like Mesa Contemporary Arts recognizes it, too, as it presents the multi-media group exhibition "Arizona... More >>

Like many artists, Wayne Higby is inspired by his surrounding landscape. Higby works in ceramics -- sculptural, tile, and vessel forms -- that test the boundaries of the medium as well as space and time.Higby’s inspiration may be common, but his work is unique and celebrated worldwide by... More >>

While we don't care much for the computerized elements invading our superhero movies, when it comes to the runway we don't mind it so much. In contrast to obviously fake CGI backgrounds and characters, digital printing on textiles can have an intense, beautiful effect that couldn't be achieved... More >>

The key to staycation days is going deep, not broad, for that quirky untold story about your own town. One of Tempe History Museum’s current exhibits, “From House Calls to Hospitals,” continuing through Saturday, August 25, is a real conversation-starter.Since the late 19th... More >>

It’s a rare opportunity to have a peek at a world-renowned art collection. Lucky for us ASU Art Museum curators Julio César Morales and Heather Sealy Lineberry are bringing a very special collection to our own backyard.You might know recognize the Jumex name -- it’s a juice... More >>

Learning about the human body is a lot like learning to fix a car: there’s no better way to see how it works than by taking it apart and trying to put all the pieces back in their rightful place. The Arizona Science Center’s Body Depot Workshops give curious folks a chance to play... More >>

Our weekend activities of late have been a bit repetitive. Hit up the local chain restaurant for the seventh week in a row, followed by a dip in the pool that feels more like a hot tub right now. No wonder we feel blah come Monday morning. A mundane plan like this should be kicked to the... More >>