The Reggaeton Festival 2005 is like a yummy mixed drink: two parts reggae, one part hip-hop, one part Latin dance, with just a splash of techno and dancehall. The Puerto Rican brew of Caribbean music and rap (mostly in Spanglish) will shake up the Venue of Scottsdale, 7117 East Third Avenue, on Thursday, December 1. "Reggaeton is exploding right now," says festival promoter DJ Big Latin, who'll also spin at the event. "Anybody can get into it." The jam includes performances by Latino hip-hop artist Brillante (Wu-Tang Records), merengue mamacita Virggi, Fragment Crew, LDM featuring Boy Wonder, DJ Napoles, and DJ Hostile of Chosen Few -- "the crème de la crème of reggaeton," says Big Latin. The event also features "Freaknrican," a fashion show by Puerto Rican designer Christian Pinnilla. Doors for the 18-and-over show open at 8 p.m. Tickets cost $20. Call 602-305-7000. -- Niki D'Andrea
Hunk Space
Something for the ladies
FRI 12/2
For some people, the words "Chippendale dancer" conjure up the image of a spastic Chris Farley ripping off his shirt and shaking his protruding belly fat on Saturday Night Live. But in real life, there are no hairy chests; instead, you've got bronzed six-packs and bulging biceps. See for yourself at 8 p.m. Friday, December 2, as the Chippendales perform their sensual dance routines for screaming females as part of Celebrity Theatre's Ultimate Girl's Night. Doors open at 8 p.m. at the Celeb, 440 North 32nd Street. Tickets range from $15 to $50. Call 602-267-1600, extension 1, or visit www.celebritytheatre.com. -- Kristi Eaton
Bionic Mensch
Robots invade Rhythm Room
THU 12/1
If Bill O'Reilly ever needed a good reason to declare war on San Francisco, SF's splattercore band Captured! By Robots would probably be it. Hell-bent on enslaving the human race, C!BR performs a routine with more morbid appeal than a 20-car pileup. Bondage-masked singer Jason Vance, a.k.a. JBOT, is the lone human in the robotic band that churns out campy tunes like "Speed Food Pyramid." The robots actually play their instruments while torturing JBOT and spreading their gospel of an imminent robot Armageddon. C!BR plays the Rhythm Room, 1019 East Indian School, on Thursday, December 1. Doors open at 8 p.m., and admission is $10. Call 602-265-4842 or visit www.rhythmroom.com. -- Casey Lynch
