Droban is a longtime chronicler of biker gangs, and her new book, The Last Chicago Boss: My Life With the Chicago Outlaws Motorcycle Club is an exposé following Peter “Big Pete” James, a real-life revered member of the Outlaw Nation who speaks out about the inner workings of the motorcycle club after receiving a terminal medical diagnosis. This expose provides insight on the world of extortion, contract murders, drugs and arms trafficking, and money laundering that exists in gangs.

Droban will discuss and sign the book at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, September 19, at Changing Hands, 6428 South McClintock Drive in Tempe. Admission is free, and the book costs $27.99. For more information, visit the Changing Hands website. Lindsay Roberts

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See work by David Dauncey and 19 additional artists in a new Frankenstein-inspired exhibit.

David Dauncey/Courtesy of Scottsdale Arts

“Frankenstein in the 21st Century: The Waking Dream, 200 Years Later”
Creation stories abound in world cultures, and they’ve long captured the imaginations of diverse creative types. It’s been a couple of centuries since Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley penned Frankenstein; or the Modern Prometheus. Now 20 Arizona artists are showing work inspired by the iconic gothic novel, in an exhibition titled “Frankenstein in the 21st Century: The Waking Dream, 200 Years Later.”

Be the first to see it on Wednesday, September 20, between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. in The Gallery at Scottsdale Civic Center Library, 3839 North Drinkwater Boulevard. The free exhibition, which continues through Saturday, December 30, includes works by Josh Brizuela, Luster Kaboom, Ashley Macias, Molten Brothers (Mike Goodwin and Ken Richardson), Katharine Leigh Simpson, Yai Vila, and Yuko Yabuki. Visit the Scottsdale Arts website for more information. Lynn Trimble

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Shannon Ludington, Shuttle, Digital Photograph, 2017.

Courtesy of ASU

“Mechanization, Material, and the Matrix”
Artists have always relied on diverse materials to bring their creative visions to life. But today’s technology affords new ways of formulating ideas — and creating and sharing work.

Explore how creatives mesh technology with more traditional approaches in the new “Mechanization, Material, and the Matrix” exhibition at ASU’s Harry Wood Gallery, 900 South Forest Mall in Tempe.

Participating artists include Sydney Allendorf, Kimberly Callas, Madison Creech, Miranda Clark, and Stephanie Gonzales.

Collectively, these artists’ work reveals how technology is used and addressed by contemporary artists, and it explores the infinite possibilities for dialogue between technology and material. The exhibition is on view through September 29. Hours on Thursday, September 21, are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit the ASU Events page. Lynn Trimble

Way better than the L.A. Melrose district.

Michelle Sasanov

Melrose Third Thursday
The Melrose shopping district along Seventh Avenue shares its name with a popular Los Angeles retail destination. But theirs doesn’t have Charlie’s Phoenix or Wag ’n’ Wash.

That gay country bar and pet goods store are just a couple of the interesting local businesses on this strip. For a closer look at what the area has to offer, the monthly Melrose Third Thursday event offers extended hours at many of its shops and restaurants, as well as some added live music, family-fun events, outdoor vendors, and food trucks.

Kick off your weekend a day early at this neighborhood party from noon to 8 p.m. on September 21 in the Melrose District, which runs along Seventh Avenue between Indian School and Camelback roads. Admission is free. Visit the Melrose Third Thursday website. Amy Young

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So many ways to be wicked.

Domenique Pennacchio

Wicked Faire
Fall home decor typically falls somewhere between two extremes: the decked-out Halloween home with spiderwebs, jack-o-lanterns, and skeletons; or the quaint autumn look featuring orange leaves, scarecrows, and everything pumpkin spice.

Wherever your taste falls on that spectrum, you can find all things fall at the Wicked Faire. Visit Sweet Salvage, 4648 North Seventh Avenue, on Friday, September 22, to see what’s in store. But don’t delay: The themed vintage sale is only open through Sunday, September 24.

The shop opens at 10 a.m. and closes at 6 p.m. For more information on the free-to-attend marketplace, visit the Sweet Salvage website. Lindsay Roberts

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See work by Phil Freedom, and other Coronado artists, at the Hive Gallery.

Courtesy of The Hive

Coronado Art Show
Visiting The Hive Gallery will put you smack in the middle of the Calle 16 mural scene — and a neighborhood that’s filled with creative types.

That’ll be especially true when the Hive presents the 2017 edition of its annual Coronado Art Show. It’s designed to showcase work by artists who’ve lived or worked in the Coronado neighborhood, located north of McDowell Road between Seventh and 16th streets. This year’s lineup features 30 artists working in diverse media, including Christine Cassano, Phil Freedom, Janel Garza, Maggie Keane, Ed Taylor, and Mykil Zep.

Check it out on Friday, September 22, during the free opening reception from 7 to 10 p.m. The show continues through Sunday, October 15, at 2222 North 16th Street. Visit the Facebook event page. Lynn Trimble

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Moth-swallowing is discouraged at Ballet Under the Stars.

Rosalie O’Connor Photography

Ballet Under the Stars
“Free ballet” is not a rallying cry to spring the dancers from their brutal captivity, appealing as that proposition may be. It’s an annual treat from your friends at Ballet Arizona, which presents Ballet Under the Stars at Valley parks through Monday, September 30, free of charge. This year’s fully staged program includes two George Balanchine-choreographed works from the 1950s: Western Symphony (featuring cowboys, horses, and saloon girls, oh my) and Square Dance.

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On Saturday, September 23, the tutus will shake at Steele Indian School Park, 300 East Indian School Road, beginning at 7 p.m. The family-friendly event may be under the stars, but it’s over nothing but lawn, so bring a blanket or a chair. Visit the Ballet Arizona website or call 602-381-0184. Julie Peterson

World’s Biggest Eye Contact Experiment
Most of us are already plenty awkward, but if you’re hoping to welcome even more awkwardness into the mix, look no further than the World’s Biggest Eye Contact Experiment.

In an effort “to rebuild our sense of shared humanity,” the event’s organizers — The Liberators International — have put together a worldwide event in which strangers gather to stare unflinchingly into one another’s eyes for a minute at a time.

Perhaps it will serve its purpose of instilling peace and unity. It could also reinforce precisely why we go to great lengths to avoid eye contact with complete strangers in the first place. You be the judge starting at 10 a.m. at Encanto Park, 2605 North 15th Avenue, on Saturday, September 23. Visit the Eye Contact Experiment website for details on this free event. Rob Kroehler