No plans this weekend? Don't worry — we've got you covered. Take a walk in the Desert Botanical Garden with your furry BFF, eat your heart out at Pie Social, or head to Mesa for the Main Street Prototyping Festival. You can't go wrong. For more things to do, visit Phoenix New Times' curated calendar.
1984! New Wave Fridays
Whether you grew up in the ’80s, lived through the decade, or are just now discovering its pop culture touchstones, there’s plenty of music to appreciate — and dance to. During the Rebel Lounge’s 1984! New Wave Fridays underground dance party, you can hear some of your favorites like Depeche Mode, The Pet Shop Boys, or The Cure, as well as deeper cuts from The Danse Society, Fad Gadget, or Book of Love.
On Friday, November 17, DJ Xam Renn will spin a variety of alternate, New Wave, EBM, and dark wave music. The 21-and-over dance party is free and starts at 11 p.m. at 2303 East Indian School Road. For more information, call 602-296-7013 or go to the Rebel Lounge. Laura Latzko
Main Street Prototyping Festival
Springy pool noodles offer endless bendy, summertime fun. But that’s not all they’re good for.
The colorful, spongy toys are repurposed into an interactive installation called Noodle at the Main Street Prototyping Festival. It’s one of the event’s 20 temporary prototypes designed by a variety of creators, including artists, designers, architects, students, and urban planners. The pieces will activate public spaces in Mesa, bringing people together to enhance the vibrancy of the community.
Take a look at the innovations from 5 to 10 p.m. on Friday, November 17, at Mesa Arts Center, 1 East Main Street. Admission is free, and the event continues through Saturday, November 18. Call 480-644-6500 or visit the Mesa Arts Center website. Amy Young
“NOT”
Phoenix artist Ann Morton has done the math. If he serves a full term, Donald Trump will be president for 1,460 days. It’s inspired a new piece of fiber art, made with strips torn from “Make America Great Again” T-shirts.
Morton has used the strips to create ropes and knots, and netting in the image of the American flag.
They’re all part of Morton’s “NOT” exhibition for Phoenix Institute of Contemporary Art. The free show is on view from 6 to 10 p.m. on Third Friday, November 17, in a shipping container gallery at 425 East Roosevelt Street.
For Morton, the work is an act of resistance. It highlights the personal and collective turmoil wrought by Trump’s torrent of inadequacies. Visit the Phoenix Institute of Contemporary Art website. Lynn Trimble
The River Bride
You’ve probably attended weddings where a couple of attendants smash. Or worse. We can’t disclose, even though half the folks are now dead or transitioned. But how about the one where a man emerges from the river to perturb the bride and her sister? That’s the setup of The River Bride.
Marisela Treviño Orta’s play, which won the 2013 Arizona Theatre Company National Latino Playwriting Award, takes place in Brazil.
ATC’s production continues through Sunday, December 3. Showtime for the final preview is 8 p.m. on Friday, November 17, at Herberger Theater Center, 222 East Monroe Street. Tickets start at $25, with discounts available for students, seniors, and military, at the Arizona Theatre website or 602-256-6995. Julie Peterson
Historic Roosevelt Neighborhood Home Tour
Amid all the strides that downtown Phoenix has made in the last decade — including the rapid proliferation of restaurants and hangouts, and the emergence of Roosevelt Row as the epicenter of the Valley’s artistic identity — it’s easy to focus on the city’s promising future.
But the truth is, no developer, investment group, or Valley-loving visionary can top the allure of the past. Which is why Phoenix’s most prized partitions of residential history customarily host neighborhood tours. The Roosevelt Action Association invites you to the Historic Roosevelt Neighborhood Home Tour, a family-friendly tour of one of the Valley’s oldest neighborhoods, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, November 18. Ticket prices start at $13. Visit the Roosevelt website for details. Rob Kroehler
David Sedaris
David Sedaris writes spittingly funny essays. They’re even funnier when he reads them aloud. It’s hard to say which ingredient in the Sedaris breakfast burrito is more choice. You’ll also find palatable insight into issues of family, marriage, and identity within that tortilla. And something we call mordant pissiness, fortunately served on the side.
His depictions of his neighbors, parents, and siblings are not universally flattering, but they’re absolutely interesting and memorable, and maybe that’s the best they can hope for from a writer from the neighborhood. Sedaris himself admits to some non-exemplary behavior, which somehow warms our feelings about him. Though the world he observes is often bizarre (go figure), it’s an oddly cozy, relatable one.
Tickets are $29 to $69 for a reading, Q&A, and book-signing with Sedaris on Saturday, November 18, at 8 p.m. at the Orpheum Theatre, 203 West Adams Street. Visit the Phoenix Ticketforce website or call 602-262-6225. Julie Peterson
Analogy/Ambrose: The Emigrant
Choreographers Bill T. Jones and Janet Wong spent four years exploring memory, storytelling, and form to create a series of dance works called the Analogy Trilogy. See the final piece in the trilogy at 7 p.m. on Saturday, November 18, when Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company performs Analogy/Ambrose: The Emigrant at ASU Gammage, 1200 South Forest Avenue.
It’s inspired in part by the work of W. G. Sebald, whose 1992 novel The Emigrants shares the stories of four German immigrants in the context of memory, trauma, and forgiveness. Company materials liken Analogy/Ambrose: The Emigrant to origami that’s being repeatedly folded and opened.
Here, reflections on history aren’t linear. And movement is a meaningful way to explore its many interconnections. Tickets are $20. Visit the ASU Gammage website. Lynn Trimble
Dogs’ Day in the Garden
Maybe your dog needs a day off. Yeah, she sleeps a lot, poops outdoors, runs in the park, but those things are her job. Why not try something different for both of you? Hit Dogs’ Day in the Garden Saturday, November 18, at Desert Botanical Garden.
The event’s free to humans who pay garden admission, while the $4-per-dog fee benefits the Arizona Humane Society. Besides the thrill of unaccustomed trails and dogs, pupsters can enjoy doga (which is what it sounds like), live music, and a merch pavilion (of course!) called the Barketplace (of course).
Frolic at both ends of the leash from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 1201 North Galvin Parkway. Call 480-941-1225 or visit the Desert Botanical Garden website for more info. Julie Peterson
Crocheting Class
A handmade crocheted scarf can make a meaningful gift or a great accessory for your own wardrobe. To learn the basics, Galeana 38 will host a beginning-level crocheting class at 1736-A East McDowell Road on Saturday, November 18. Attendees will learn how to use a single-loop pattern to create a simple scarf.
Taught by Geraldine, one of the artists featured at the store, the session will run from noon to 3 p.m., and will include all supplies for $40 per person. To find out more, call 602-559-7791 or visit the Eventbrite website to register. Laura Latzko
Navajo Weavers Marketplace
If marveling at the union of craftsmanship and beauty is something that puts a smile on your face, take a Saturday stroll through the Navajo Weavers Marketplace.
Navajo weavers from around the state will converge at the Heard Museum on November 18 to exhibit and sell intricate handmade creations, many of which tell stories from their lives and culture. Artists include Barbara Teller Ornelas, a fifth-generation master weaver, and her son Michael Ornelas. Sixth-generation Navajo weaver Lola Cody and her daughter Melissa Cody are another family representing multiple generations at this event. Jane Hyden is a master weaver who grew up in Tuba City that will also be in attendance. Her work often showcases scenes from Navajo life.
Get an up-close view of these traditional, handwoven textiles from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 2301 North Central Avenue. Admission is free. Call 602-252- 8840 or visit the Heard Museum website. Amy Young
Walker Lukens
Look up musician Walker Lukens, and you’ll find a mild-mannered bespectacled gentleman posing like a young Elvis Costello. Lukens has the bespectacled appearance and irreverent attitude of the man behind “Alison,” along with an eclecticism that shows reverence for his influences Prince and Bruce Springsteen, among others. His second album, the moody and experimental Tell It To The Judge, was produced by Spoon drummer Jim Eno after the two met in a bar, which says something about the Austin-based singer-songwriter’s talent and gumption.
Discover Lukens at 8:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 18, at Valley Bar, 130 North Central Avenue. Admission is $10 to $12. For more information, visit the Valley Bar website. Jason Keil
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Pie Social
Is there anything more perfect than pie? We don’t think so. If you’re feeling extra hungry (and can’t wait for the doughy windfall that is Thanksgiving), then mark your calendar for the eighth annual Pie Social.
Sixteen Phoenix chefs — including Crystal Kass from Phoenix Public Market Café and Dean Thomas from Cornish Pasty Co. — will put their pastry skills to the test for a pie competition at Margaret T. Hance Park on Sunday, November 19. The event also will feature live music, collaging, live poetry, and a raffle.
Admission is free, and five tasting tickets cost $15, or you can bring two pies in exchange for five tickets. Visit the Roosevelt Row website for more info. Lindsay Roberts
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