Unless you happen to be some hermit living by yourself in a Hoarders house, chances are good that you'll be hanging out with your friends and family sometime during the next few days.
But instead of sipping and supping with dear Aunt Mary or crazy Uncle Bob over the Thanksgiving weekend, consider this proposition: drinking and dancing with a pulchritudinous porn star. More specifically, Indo-Pakistani adult film star Priya Rai, who will the guest of honor at tonight's Pre-Thanksgiving Safe-Sex Bash at Club Silver.
Rai, a native of India and one-time ASU student, will be lighting up the downtown Phoenix nightspot while the DJs of Surge Nights Entertainment will fill the joint with Top 40 hits.
For some of you cats, it might just be the closest you'll get to hanging out with a porn star without clutching a fistful of hundies. No that's truly something to be thankful for.
If mixing and mingling with a bodacious Bollywood babe isn't what you're looking for this Thanksgiving weekend, we've got the lowdown on nine other low-cost/no-cost events over the next five nights worth checking out. Read on for full details.
BANNED in Tempe at Stray Cat (Wednesday):
Sometimes you can go home again. To wit: über-punks Tyler King and DJ Johnny Volume are reviving their old BANNED in Tempe night for one evening only at its original location at the Stray Cat. King will resume his role slinging drinks alongside Joe Furbah, while Volume will spins up a variety of punk, ska, hardcore, and garage rock tracks. DJ LaRue and DJ Ally Cat will also perform. Old school drink specials like $1 PBRs and $3 Jägers will also be served. 9 p.m., free. (2433 E. University Dr., Tempe)
Pre-Thanksgiving Safe-Sex Bash at Club Silver (Wednesday):
DJ Dario, DJ Myth, and DJ Louie will be rocking the one's and two's all evening on the hip-hop and Latin tip, enabling y'all to get your groove on while trying to talk with Priya Rai. The $1 Budweisers and vodka drinks that will be served until 11 p.m. might provide some liquid courage. Promoters will also be handing out thousands of condoms, just in case you get a little lucky. 9 p.m., $10. (136 E. Washington St.)
Red Monkey's Work That Turkey at Chasers (Thursday):
"You won't find the DJ duo of Pete "SuperMix" Salaz and Sean Badger (a.k.a. Senbad) sleeping off a food coma or schlepping leftovers into the fridge during the evening of Thursday, November 25. Instead, these "godfathers of house music" will be spending their time blasting beats at Chasers in Scottsdale, during Red Monkey's Work That Turkey..." (read more)
Escape from Black Friday at Trunk Space (Friday):
"If holiday shopping this weekend is the last thing you want to do, check out this show at the Trunk Space on Friday. Besides loads of local indie music in the form of Dogbreath, Catbreath and Wigglepuppy (plus the Baby Aviators), there will be a pumpkin pie-eating contest in case you didn't get enough of the sweet stuff at Thanksgiving..." (read more) 7 p.m., $5. (1506 Grand Ave.)
Dream Fridays at Myst (Friday):
Speaking of Black Friday, Myst in Scottsdale will also be the place to be if all the scrambling about for shopping deals leaves you with a shortage of scrilla. Almost everything at the weekly hip-hop night will bargain-priced, including the $5 cover charge and $5 drink specials all night. As always, DJs will be spinning a variety of Top 40, R&B, and reggae. 9 p.m. (7340 E. Shoeman Ln., Scottsdale)
Born Loser and the Hangers On at 910 Live (Friday):
"If you're the type who lusts after hot musicians but are sick of all the dudes taking up stage space in the Valley, get excited: Born Loser and the Hangers On has four, count 'em, four lovely ladies heating up stages with their brand of alternative rock (and a couple guys, too.) The band brings their sound to the 910 Live stage in Tempe this Friday along with Chicken Feathers, Shag, The Broken Rhodes and Electro Media..." (read more) 9 p.m., $5.
Mr. Miranda at Stray Cat Bar (Friday):
"Dave Miranda might've been born 15 years too late. Ask the Phoenix rapper, who performs as Mr. Miranda, about his influences, and he speaks reverently about old-school hip-hop artists like Run-DMC, Gang Starr, Masta Ace, and Ice Cube. Even though Miranda was in grade school when those acts were at the height of their fame, their influence is all over Miranda's work..." (read more) 9 p.m., $5. (2433 E. University Dr., Tempe)
Tobie Milford at Encanto Park (Saturday):
"It's impossible not to hear the emotion in Tobie Milford's voice when he's performing. The violinist and singer-songwriter sings from the heart, and he promises his upcoming album will be even more personal than current album, 'Alyosha,' which he released this year. Milford is currently working on new music and promises a lot of arrangement work and help from other local musicians on the record, including Henri Benard from another local group, Dry River Yacht Club. On Saturday, he plays with The Whisperlights and Dry River Yacht Club for the park's 75th Anniversary..." (read more) 4 p.m., free. (2745 N. 15th Ave.)
Punk Rock Karaoke feat. The Relics at Rips (Saturday):
Do you happen to know the lyrics to the The Clash's "Brand New Cadillac" by heart? How about "Story Of My Life" by Social Distortion or "Blitzkrieg Bop" by the Ramones? Sounds like you'll be in great shape to take a shot at playing frontman while the members of The Relics provide the tunes. The P-Town band will be spending the evening turning Rips into a PBR and punk paradise. Family Secret, Unemplyment Party, and Vadoom will also perform special sets. 9 p.m., $4. (3045 N. 16th St.)
Jason and the Punknecks at Yucca Tap Room (Sunday):
"The rock-country hybrid is nothing new. Employed by everyone from Garth Brooks to Country Western Troubadour of the Dead Unknown Hinson, subgenres have popped up ad nauseam since the 1950s. See, for example, rockabilly, punkabilly, and even gothabilly. But when a band does it right, the ability to transcend the cliches of either genre it's incorporating creates a dynamic for that rare ass-kicking show fit for a rock venue, punk tour, or country fair. One such band that does, in fact, get it right is the L.A.-based duo Jason and the Punknecks..." (read more) 9 p.m., free. (29 W. Southern Ave., Tempe)
