Cubs vs. Angels
Now that America’s most lovable losers, the Chicago Cubs, are bona fide winners, having shaken a 108-year-old monkey off their backs last season, they face a new question: What will they do for an encore? Make up for lost time, of course.
Barring any major injuries, the Cubs enter 2017 as formidable as they were last year, with a championship pedigree to boot. The team’s core is young, and many of their stars are under contract for years to come. So if you want to see the best baseball team on earth take the field before they migrate back to Chicago, consider stopping by Tempe Diablo Stadium, 2200 West Alameda Drive, on Monday, March 6, when the Anaheim Angels host the defending champs starting at 1:05 p.m. Tickets are $25 and up. Visit the Cactus League website or call 480-350-5265 for details. Rob Kroehler
"Reimagined Trash"
If you found the Derelicte fashion line featured in Zoolander not only funny but kind of an interesting idea (we’re not excusing John Galliano), attend the “Reimagined Trash” Celebration and Reception.
Artists are tasked with “forging new ideas, objects, and purposes from old expectations, methods, and materials.” The repurposed work of resident artists Ann Morton and Christine Lee will be showcased from 5 to 8 p.m. on Monday, March 6. See artwork in the Gallery @ City Hall, 200 Washington Street, from 5 to 6 p.m., followed by large-scale installations and light refreshments at the Arizona Science Center, 600 East Washington Street. The Friends of Phoenix Public Art will provide trolley transport between showings.
Each event is free to attend. See Facebook for details. Lauren Cusimano
Mark Pomilio surely decided he needed to “Go big or go home” with this abstract artwork.
Lynn Trimble
If you’re ready to exercise your brain, get to Bentley Gallery, 215 East Grant Street. That’s where Grant Vetter has curated an exhibition called “Abstraction in the Singular: Part I.” It’s a survey of works by Arizona and West Coast artists that hints at the intriguing variations within contemporary abstract art. Never fear if you’re an art novice. You don’t need an art degree to appreciate these works.
Several featured artists are well-known on the local gallery scene, including Bill Dambrova, Rachel Goodwin, Mark Pomilio, and Travis Rice, to name a few. Whatever your stereotypes about abstract art, their work likely will challenge them.
See the free exhibition, which continues through Saturday, April 15, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 7. Visit Bentley Gallery's website. Lynn Trimble
"GOVT 101"
In addition to crowd-heavy dance parties, raucous basement shows, and ultra-competitive nights of Seinfeld Trivia, Valley Bar, 130 North Central Avenue, also hosts discussion groups that could influence the future of our city.
“GOVT 101: How to Make a Downtown — Density, Arts, GPLETs, and More” is a gathering of city officials, business types, and political operatives who are ready to hear and discuss questions like, “What is the best way to foster the growth of downtown Phoenix?” and “Why is density so important?” The panel features Downtown Phoenix Partnership executive director Dan Klocke, Michael Levine of Levine Machine, Jeff Sherman from Downtown Voices Coalition, and more.
“GOVT 101” is free, and runs from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 2. Call 602-368-3121 or see Valley Bar's website. Lauren Cusimano
Bullets Over Broadway
Filmmaker Woody Allen told reporters that he initially opposed transforming Bullets Over Broadway, the 1994 Academy Award-nominated backstage screwball comedy Allen co-wrote with Douglas McGrath, into a musical. The director changed his mind when he paired the story of a young playwright getting his first play on the Great White Way financed by a wealthy mobster with the jazz standards of the 1920s. Phoenix Theatre actors Toby Yatso and Sally Jo Bannow keep the high jinks ensuing as Michael Barnard directs this hilarious love letter to the stage.
Bullets Over Broadway runs through Sunday, April 2, at Phoenix Theatre, 100 East McDowell Road. Tickets start at $30. Showtime on Wednesday, March 8, is 7:30 pm. Visit Phoenix Theatre's website or call 602-254-8129. Jason Keil
What's it like to work in fashion? Hear all about it at PAM.
University of the Fraser Valley/Flickr Creative Commons
What’s it really like to have a career in fashion? A trio of heavy hitters will let you in on their experiences during Phoenix Fashion Industry, an 11:30 a.m. luncheon presented by Arizona Costume Institute at Phoenix Art Museum, 1625 North Central Avenue, on Wednesday, March 8.
Arizona-born model Kelly Mittendorf, best known for her work with Prada, will sit down with public relations pro Margaret Merritt and Agency Arizona director Terri Camberlango at 12:30 p.m. to discuss their journeys in the fashion industry. The luncheon is $30 for Costume Institute members and $33 for nonmembers. The lecture, sans lunch, is free with museum admission, which is $18 for adults. For details, see Phoenix Art Museum's website or call 602-257-2138. Becky Bartkowski
This Week Sucks Tonight!
By Thursday, we’re ready to drop the façade. No more smiling, no more pretending all’s well, no more falling asleep sober at a decent hour. Come what may on Friday, it’s time to cut loose and make mischief.
Or at least watch other people make it, as they might at the new late-night comedy event This Week Sucks Tonight! in the lounge of Crescent Ballroom, 308 North Second Avenue. Host Anwar Newton is also known for Valley Bar’s Literally the Worst Show Ever, which has, despite the finality suggested by its name, recurred for several months.
www.crescentphx.comTWST is “a roundup show,” according to Newton. “The goings-on of entertainment, politics, music, my week — personally ridiculous and also sucky things.” (And apparently, per our notes, “slocila,” always a crowd-pleaser.) Bring your 21-or-over self to the free show on Thursday, March 9, at 11 p.m. Call 602-716-2222 or visit Crescent Ballroom's website. Tip your server. Julie Peterson
V.E. Schwab
Before heading down to Tuscon for the Annual Festival of Books, best-selling fantasy author V.E. Schwab returns to the Valley to sign copies of her latest, A Conjuring of Light. She visits Changing Hands, 300 West Camelback Road, at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 9.
The finale of her “Shades of Magic” trilogy, A Conjuring of Light picks up in the immediate aftermath of last year’s A Gathering of Shadows. It features universe-hopping magician Kell through parallel Londons as he confronts evil bent on draining the magic from each London. Joining Kell is the cross-dressing pirate queen Lila, who is coming into her own magical powers — threatening Kell’s place as the last Traveler between worlds.
Hardcover copies of A Conjuring of Light are available now for $25.99. The price includes admission for two to her talk and signing. Call 602-274-0067 or visit the Changing Hands website for more information. Michael Senft
Phoenix Suns vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Just seven years ago, the Phoenix Suns played the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference finals. The Lakers emerged victorious — on a Kobe Bryant airball, no less — thereby laying claim to the Western Conference crown. They would go on to defeat the Celtics in the NBA Finals that year.
What a difference seven seasons can make. When the Suns and Lakers face off on Thursday, March 9, at Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 East Jefferson Street, both teams will battle to avoid the dubious distinction of being the worst in the West. Aside from a few mid-level veterans, both teams are in the throes of a youth movement, and with nothing but their pride on the line, expect both teams to throw down for this nationally televised game, starting at 8:30 pm. Tickets are $20 and up. Visit the Suns' website or call 602-379-7800 for details. Rob Kroehler
Need plans? Read on for Bar Flies, a must-see art show, and St. Patrick's Day-related events.
Bar Flies
They say that what doesn’t kill you only serves to make you stronger. True or not, there’s a group of folks who are probably glad some of their life situations resulted in some solid life lessons, rather than leaving them six feet under.
These writers and performers are ready to share their real-life experiences at this month’s edition of New Times’ Bar Flies storytelling series. Dawn Klecka, Genevieve Rice, Emily Roberts, Joseph Schmidt, and Robbie Sherwood have reached into their respective memory banks to craft enthralling stories from their personal undertakings. Find out if what hasn’t killed them will entertain you at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 9, at Valley Bar, 130 North Central Avenue. Admission is $5 for the 21-and-over event. Visit Valley Bar's website. Amy Young
Public Hour
So the office stifles your creativity, coffee shops are too noisy, and when you’re at home there’s zero motivation to tackle projects that aren’t related to bingeing Riverdale. How are you supposed to get any work done around here? Hit up Mod, of course. It’s a coworking space at 2828 North Central Avenue that you can try for free on Fridays from noon to 5 p.m. during Public Hour. Bring a friend, a project, and a few bucks for $4 beers or $6 glasses of wine. The afternoon session is open to both Mod members and nonmembers on March 10. For more information, visit Mod on Facebook. Becky Bartkowski
Iron Boy MMA 5
Apparently mixed-martial-arts events can happen away from Joe Rogan’s watchful eye and big mouth. Case in point: Tecate and Iron Boy Promotions present Iron Boy MMA 5.
See Arizona-based fighters go head to head, or toe to toe, or whatever body part it is at Celebrity Theatre, 440 North 32nd Street. Club and theater doors open at 5 p.m., and the show goes from 6 to 10 p.m. on Friday, March 10. Ticket prices range from $29 to $54. Get yours at Celebrity Theatre's website. All seating is in the round. Lauren Cusimano
Enrique Chagoya's Mindful Alien’s Guide to Reverse Anthropology (detail), acrylic and water based oil paint on de-acidified vintage paper, 11.25” x 93”, unique.
Courtesy of Lisa Sette Gallery
Conflict abounds in contemporary America, where it’s tough to navigate the rhetorical landscape. So gallerist Lisa Sette poses a question: What do we do when the news makes us cry?
Viewing art as “a source of solace, explanation, and surprise,” Sette presents an exhibition that explores the present moment in American life. The exhibition features work by 12 artists “addressing narratives of difference and resentment as well as hope and beauty.” It’s titled “Tell Me Why, Tell Me Why, Tell Me Why (Can’t We Live Together?).”
Featured artists include Enrique Cagoya, Angela Ellsworth, Mark Klett, Carrie Marill, and Ann Morton. Explore their work during the free opening reception for “Tell Me Why,” which happens from 7 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, March 11, at Lisa Sette Gallery, 210 East Catalina Drive. “Tell Me Why” continues through Saturday, April 29. Visit Lisa Sette Gallery online. Lynn Trimble
St. Patrick's Day Parade & Faire
Did you know that one reason we throw down the brews with such dedication each March 17 is it’s generally an official day off from Lent? Did you know Phoenix’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Faire is Arizona’s second-largest parade? You people don’t even know what you don’t know.
At 10 a.m. Saturday, March 11, a flotilla of vehicles, pipers, floats, bands, and dignitaries will start down Third Street from Sheridan to Willetta streets, embodying this year’s theme: “Salute to Irish Music and Dance.” Admission’s free, and leashed pets are welcome.
Meanwhile, the Faire gets going from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Irish Cultural Center, 1106 North Central Avenue, featuring food and drink, beaucoup music and stepdancing, crafts, children’s activities, and an exhibit centering on 1916’s Easter Rising. Admission is $8 to $10 (free for kids 12 and younger), available at the St. Patrick's Day Phoenix website, along with info on parking and whatnot. Julie Peterson
Grand Opening Art Expo
Get ready, West Valley. There’s a new comic shop in town. But honestly, it’s not even fair to call Dreadnought Comics just a comic book store. This culture haven also boasts a collection of toys and figurines, Magic the Gathering accoutrements, and an indoor airsoft shooting range. And you can take part in all of the above during Dreadnought Comics’ Grand Opening Art Expo on Saturday, March 11, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 2734 West Bell Road, #1346. In addition to more than 20 artists exhibiting their work, you’ll also get the chance to compete against ’68 Zombie co-creator, Jay Fotos, in an airsoft shoot-off, you know, to prove your supreme zombie-hunting skills. For all the information to this free-to-attend event, visit Facebook. Evie Carpenter
Brides of March
It’s wedding season, and while some are tanking their 401Ks for the special day, the 2017 Brides of March will be doing things different.
To participate, meet at Charlie’s, 727 West Camelback Road, at noon on Saturday, March 11. It is “absolutely mandatory” that women and men wear a white wedding gown. What follows is a day of drinking, challenges like the High Heel Race (you must wear at least 3-inch heels, and no, wedges are not allowed), and assumedly trashing that dress.
Some tips for the big day: Get an all-day light rail pass, have cash and canned food for St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance donations, keep your ID handy for this 21-and-over event, and bring comfortable shoes to wear after the race. Call 602-265-0224, and see Facebook for details. Lauren Cusimano
Southwest Maker Fest
Creativity comes in a variety of forms, from visual art to engineering. On Saturday, March 11, all those forms will be celebrated, and a fair amount of them will be exhibited during the Southwest Maker Fest. In its fourth year, this one-day festival will aim “to celebrate, engage, and inspire the maker in each of us,” as the Fest’s mission states. Check out Stax3D’s exhibit to get hands-on 3D printing experience, chat with the team at Tripoli Phoenix to learn everything about high-power rockets, and get the details on the larger-than-life wings that Lady Gaga used at the Super Bowl from Alexis Noriega at the Crooked Feather. Plus, this year introduces the N-Compass Village, a concept meant to mix hands-on creativity with every subject area taught in the education system. It’ll all happen from noon to 7 p.m. at MacDonald and Main Street in downtown Mesa. For more details, visit the Southwest Maker Fest website. Evie Carpenter
The Yellow Boat
In 1987, an 8-year-old boy with hemophilia died of AIDS-related complications. In 1992, Childsplay founder David Saar’s play The Yellow Boat shared that boy’s life, love, and imagination. The award-winning script has now been produced around the globe, and is back on stage at Childsplay, with the closing performance of the run beginning at 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 12, at Tempe Center for the Arts, 700 West Rio Salado Parkway.
Our hero, Benjamin, is a talented artist who processes some of his painful and confusing experiences through drawings that are part of the show. Art can pull you into an artist’s world. And Benjamin’s yellow boat will transport you as far as you can go with him.
The Yellow Boat is meant for audiences 7 and older. Tickets are $12 to $26 at the Childsplay website or 480-350-2822. Julie Peterson
Spring Plant Sale
Wild about wildflowers? A sucker for succulents? Ready to just read about this event? Fine. The 2017 Spring Plant Sale offers all kinds of plants, trees, flowers, cactus, and herbs for sale, and more than a few good snapshots for the ’gram game.
You’ll also find landscaping advice from arboretum staff, lectures, guided tours, and weekend wildflower walks from March 10 to 26 at the 320-acre Boyce Thompson Arboretum, 37615 East US Highway 60 in Superior.
From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 12, the Spring Plant Sale hosts the Walk-In Terrarium Workshop for $15, which includes a glass fishbowl for DlY decorating. Adult entry to this Arizona State Park is $12.50 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 520-689-2723 or visit Arizona State Parks' website. Lauren Cusimano
