Green Day Insomniac (Sire) I admit it: I was a punk rocker in the early ’80s. I had my shoulder dislocated in the pit at a Dead Kennedys concert; I sipped out of the same longneck Bud as Exene Cervenka in the sweaty aftermath of an X show; and I…
I always wanted one. A little guy on my shoulder with the wings and sheet outfit, whispering in my ear, giving me tips on positive options, pointing out the stupid moves, keeping the devil and his seductive bag o’ tricks at bay. Heavyweight brainiacs through the ages–Goethe, Milton, Dante and…
Janet Spears will spend Thanksgiving Day alone, but she is not particularly upset about it. It is true that her two teenage daughters will spend the holiday with her ex-husband, and that her house, a modest but modern two-story duplex in Mesa, will seem empty without them. But Janet, a…
A ttorney General Grant Woods failed to force Governor J. Fife Symington III’s 1994 reelection campaign committee to refund excess contributions from a lobbyist, state records show. Marvin Homer Cronberg, executive director of the Arizona Automobile Dealers Association, contributed at least $1,640 to Symington’s 1994 reelection committee, far above the…
Threatened with legal action for telling a handicapped Valley woman that she couldn’t get inexpensive wheelchair-accessible seats to an upcoming musical, Arizona State University’s Gammage Auditorium officials have changed their tune. Sherrie Petersen, a local musician, called Gammage several weeks ago to ask about tickets to The Phantom of the…
The chilly winter season is almost here, and thigh-high leather boots are on the shelves again for any exotic dancer thinking about adding a pair to her collection. On the way, too, is Super Bowl XXX and its attendant business, which should pump the Valley’s thriving exotic dance industry full…
Last year, sculptor Randy Schmidt created trophies for Downtown Phoenix Partnership’s new community service award, known by the acronym DREAMR. But for Schmidt, the “dream” has turned into a nightmare. He says Downtown Phoenix Partnership has bootlegged his original work. And he’s thinking of sending the nonprofit group, composed largely…
Over Here, Over There Lost in the hoopla over last week’s groundbreaking for the Bank One Ballpark was the steady rise in the cost of the domed stadium. A November 1 budget report puts the stadium’s price tag at $292 million, up from a $279million estimate in June 1994. Revisions…
She had all the outward signs of a dame in trouble–the trembling hands, the trembling lips–and something else, a palpable vibe that screamed “Danger–High Voltage.” You didn’t have to look in her direction to know she was there. She stood framed in the doorway of my office, blond and leggy…
An investigative audit of the Office of the Court Monitor–an agency created in 1991 to assure that court orders handed down in the Arnold v. Sarn lawsuit are implemented–has been completed. Audit results are expected to be made public by the end of the year. Dennis Metrick, program manager at…
State Senator Mark Spitzer strode to the podium at a Prescott hotel and got to the point. The subject of the State Bar seminar in late September was mental health care, a hot topic in Arizona. The Phoenix Republican’s expertise lies in the areas of business and taxes, not social…
Wrigley Mansion Club, 2501 East Telawa Trail, Phoenix, 955-4079. Sunday brunch: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. A deluxe European vacation? Private schools for the kids? Fancy digs in a pricey community? Unless you’re a bankrupt governor, you probably can’t afford these things. But working stiffs who pay their debts can…
An overloaded camper stumbled off Interstate 40. Furniture and other items were piled inside and on top, along with five kids and their parents and their dogs and grandma and gramps besides. The vehicle coughed its way onto historic Route 66 in Kingman after a journey that had begun in…
As the early morning sun creeps across the desert horizon on little cat feet, the mayor of Meow City steps out of his travel trailer and reports to work. “You guys ready for breakfast?” asks Greg LaTraille, the only human resident of his “retirement community for senior cats.” With low,…
at the opry Tom Chapin’s Kids Koncert: The family-oriented singer-songwriter, brother of the late Harry Chapin, performs his third annual Koncert, sponsored by Camp Fire Boys and Girls, at 11 a.m. Saturday at Red River Opry, Mill and Washington in Tempe. Tickets are $8, available at the scene and Dillard’s;…
thursday november 16 Salome: Arizona Opera presents Richard Strauss’ lusty drama about evil doings in the court of King Herod, climaxing with the deadly dance of the seven veils. Performances, in German with English subtitles, are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at Symphony Hall, 225…
“It’s a simple battle between good and evil.” So says Lon Mabon, chairman of the Oregon Citizens Alliance, of the struggle to pass the title initiative in Heather MacDonald’s documentary Ballot Measure 9. He’s right. There are fewer shades of gray between good and evil in MacDonald’s movie than in…
In Jim Carrey’s first star vehicle, the hit Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, the comedian was “on” every second. He worked himself into a demented frenzy on every line, and in the pauses between the lines. A number of bright people I know assured me that it was a riot, and…
Cafe Patou, Papago Plaza, 7049 East McDowell, Scottsdale, 423-1700. Hours: Lunch, Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Dinner, Monday through Saturday, 5:30 to 10 p.m. Next Thursday, Thanksgiving kicks off the holiday season. It’s the time of year to count our blessings and remember those who are less…
The American Heritage Dictionary defines “creation” as “an original product of human invention or artistic imagination.” One of the things that makes creation in art so exciting is that you never know quite where the experience will take you. The Arizona State University theatre department’s current presentation of two one-acts–Angel…
The question of the hour is a two-parter: Who the hell is Mr. Mirainga, and what was he doing besting Alanis Morissette and Smashing Pumpkins in last week’s list of most-added alternative-rock radio singles in the country? MCA Records media reps in New York will tell you that Mr. Mirainga…
This is a story about a rock ‘n’ roll tour. There will be no Lear jets and limo rides, however, no five-star suites, cock-crazed groupies, six-figure cocaine binges or cadres of bodyguards. No TVs will be thrown from windows, no furniture will be splintered. This is a story about five…
