5 Best Things to Do in Metro Phoenix This Weekend

"Bummer Summer"
There are countless movies, songs, and poems about the romanticism of summer — the warm sun, the peaceful beach, the budding romance. But, honestly, sometimes the summer can suck. Artist and graphic designer Lauren Bailey has put her minimalistic spin on this darker side of summer in “Bummer Summer: An Art Event and Total Downer.” Bailey’s simple yet affecting pieces poke fun at the peskier parts of summer with a rainbow sherbet color palette and tongue-in-cheek subject matter. The exhibit’s opening night is Friday, August 7, from 6 to 9 p.m. at The Trunk Space at 1506 Grand Avenue. The event is free, and prints of the pieces will be available for purchase. Get all the details on the event’s Facebook page. Evie Carpenter

Bully Mammoth
Like your comedy on the sketchy side? Not a problem.

Local comedy troupe Bully Mammoth is back in action with its first show in eight months. Mammoth member Ryan Gaumont likens breaking the dry spell to the 1992 Pauly Shore flick, Encino Man, where two friends discover a frozen caveman: “They thaw him out and he becomes the coolest dude in school. This show is exactly like that." Scenes include employees fighting boredom while their time-traveling boss leaves them behind to indulge in thrilling adventures, and learning how to order at an authentic Italian restaurant. The scenario-driven hilarity happens at 7:30 p.m. on August 8 at Stand Up Scottsdale, 6820 East Fifth Avenue. Admission is $5. Call 480-882-0730 or visit www.standupscottsdale.com. Amy Young

Randy Johnson's Jersey Retirement
The late ‘90s and early aughts were not great times to be an MLB pitcher. This was the height of baseball’s steroid era, when juiced-up beefcakes were blasting balls outside the park with uncanny regularity. But even through this, Randy Johnson remained indomitable. After joining the Arizona Diamondbacks in 1999, the 6-foot-10 lefty won four consecutive Cy Young awards and led the team to a World Series win in 2001. Now that the Big Unit’s finally in the Baseball Hall of Fame, having become the franchise’s first inductee July 26, his jersey’s being immortalized in Diamondback history.

Johnson’s number retirement ceremony begins 5:10 p.m. Saturday, August 8 at Chase Field, 401 East Jefferson Street. Tickets start at $22, and the first 50,000 fans get a commemorative T-shirt honoring number 51. Oh, and the Diamondbacks are playing the Cincinnati Reds that evening, too. Visit dbacks.com for more. Zachary Fowle

Illusions Drag Show
What do Liza Minnelli and Nicki Minaj have in common? Virtually nothing. That is, unless you’re planning on attending the Illusions Drag Show at Tempe Improv, 930 East University Drive, on Sunday, August 9, when each of them will be performing — sort of. Sure, the iconic performer and bootylicious hip-hop diva will be impersonated by drag performers, but let’s face it, Liza is getting up there and Nicki’s pretty tough to pin down. This might be an instance in which the illusion trumps the real thing. Nicki and Liza will be joined by a delightfully gaudy cadre of drag performers for an evening of romp and circumstance. Doors open at 7 p.m., and the show begins at 8. Tickets to the 18-and-over performance are $10 with a two-drink minimum. Visit www.tempeimprov.com or call 480-921-9877. Rob Kroehler

Señorita Extraviada, Missing Young Woman
Since 1993, hundreds of young women in Ciudad Juárez, a border town across the river from El Paso, Texas, have been abducted, raped, and murdered. Despite the rising voices of the victims’ families, Mexican authorities have been slow to thoroughly investigate and find those responsible. Señorita Extraviada, Missing Young Woman is the haunting exploration of femicide by Oscar-nominated documentarian Lourdes Portillo. The 2001 film garnered many awards, including a Special Jury Prize from the Sundance Film Festival, while amplifying the call for justice.

Señorita Extraviada, Missing Young Woman is being screened at Whiteman Hall in the Phoenix Art Museum, 1625 North Central Avenue, on Sunday, August 9, at 2 p.m. General admission is $10, and museum members pay $5. For more information, visit www.phxart.org. Jose Gonzalez