Art Detour 30
Art Detour 30 launches on Thursday, March 15, with the Art d’Core gala that runs from 6 to 9 p.m.
It’s a semi-swanky gathering of creative types and community members that’s hosted by Artlink at Warehouse215 at Bentley Projects, 215 East Grant Street. Creative cocktail attire is encouraged, and tickets are $20 to $30.
The event kicks off a five-day celebration of art in Phoenix that spotlights different areas, including Roosevelt Row, Grand Avenue, and the warehouse district, and includes various programming. Expect exhibitions and studio tours, capped off with a symposium on the intersection of art and architecture.
Art Detour continues through Tuesday, March 20. See details at the Art Detour website. Lynn Trimble
John Witherspoon
You may have heard that John Witherspoon suffered a stroke on stage in January. But the actor and comedian, best known for portraying Ice Cube’s father in Friday and Pops on the sitcom The Wayans Brothers, issued a statement on Twitter explaining that he actually had a reaction to some cold medicine. Phew.
The living legend, who has worked with everyone from Richard Pryor to Eddie Murphy, is coming to Stand Up Live from March 15 through 17. As Witherspoon would say, “you got to coordinate” at 7 and 9:30 p.m. on Saturday at 50 West Jefferson Street. Admission is $25, and there’s a two-drink minimum. For more information, visit the Phoenix Standup Live website. Jason Keil
Bar Flies
Being labeled “guilty” could earn you some time in the Fourth Avenue Jail, the doghouse, or the therapist’s office. Hear how culpability runs the gamut at this month’s Bar Flies.
Phoenix New Times’ monthly reading event is back at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 15. And the theme is “guilty.” Curated by Katie Johnson, the lineup features Marisol Chavez, Trejon Dunkley, Brad Snyder, Daniel Thomson, and Mimi Tompkins.
Hear their stories at 130 North Central Avenue. Admission for this 21-and-over event is $5 at Ticketfly. See details at the Valley Bar website. Lindsay Roberts
“The Pathology of Patriarchy: Challenging Male Dominance in a Pornographic World”
Turn your keyboard upside down and smack it gently. All sorts of grody things fall out — things no one will miss — and everything works a little better. This is what Robert W. Jensen would have you do with the world. Toward that end, he teaches journalism at the University of Texas, writes inspiring books with very long titles, and visits ASU West on Thursday, March 15, to present “The Pathology of Patriarchy: Challenging Male Dominance in a Pornographic World.” (Don’t worry — we suspect there’ll always be erotica.)
Once again: upside down, gentle smacking. If it sounds like birth, there’s a reason. Jensen’s free lecture commences at 7:30 p.m. in the Kiva Lecture Hall at 4701 West Thunderbird Road in Glendale. Visit the New College website. Julie Peterson
6 RMS RIV VU
In Manhattan, finding a suitable apartment can be more challenging than finding a soulmate. (That’s why many of our favorite sitcom characters stalk the dying in hopes of scoring their digs.) The plot of 6 RMS RIV VU springs from a classified ad for a desirable rental property on Riverside Drive (six rooms, river view) that attracts Anne and Paul, who attract each other. They’re happily married to other people, so awkwardness ensues, especially when they’re accidentally locked in together for the night. The 1974 TV-movie version starred Carol Burnett and Alan Alda, leading millions of parents to assume it was wholesome enough for us to watch.
Bob Randall’s comedy runs through Sunday, April 8, at Desert Stages Theatre in Scottsdale Fashion Square, 7014 East Camelback Road. (Behind the Jamba Juice!) Showtime on Friday, March 16, is 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $22 to $28 at the Desert Stages website or 480-483-1664. Julie Peterson
Join author Elena Passerello for a free reading at Piper Writers House.
Photo courtesy of Piper Writers House
Medieval books filled with images and tales of real and imagined creatures prompted actor and writer Elena Passarello to create the compendium Animals Strike Curious Poses. It’s a collection of essays about “16 famous animals named and immortalized by humans.”
See how Passarello blends history, culture, myth, art, and science, when she reads from the book on the back patio at Piper Writers House, 450 East Tyler Mall in Tempe, on Friday, March 16. The free event runs from 7 to 8:30 p.m. and includes an informal Q&A and book signing. Visit the Piper Writers House website. Lynn Trimble
Convert your druids at the St. Patrick’s Day Parade & Faire.
Courtesy of St. Patrick's Day Parade and Faire
On the same day your “Kiss Me, I’m Irish” shirt might actually nab you some smooches, you can also get festive at the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Faire.
Loaded with decorative floats, the parade is a moving party featuring live music and dancers. Hit the park for the Faire, where the fun continues. Three stages will feature traditional music, step dancing, and bagpipe players. Food vendors will sell Irish fare. Irish clubs and a genealogy tent get you informed.
Drape yourself in green and party from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on March 17 at the Irish Cultural Center at Margaret T. Hance Park, 67 West Culver Street. Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for those 55 and older and military, and free for kids 12 and younger. Get in the VIP Pub for $20, which includes general admission. Visit the St. Patrick’s Day Phoenix website for more. Amy Young
Spark! Mesa’s Festival of Creativity
Expect to bump into a lot of art car fans at the annual Spark! Mesa’s Festival of Creativity. The event will feature “Art Car World,” an exhibition of 16 such vehicles ranging from hot rods to lowriders, with names like Bohemian Rhapsody, Owl Car, and the California Fantasy Van. There will also be the community art car build and an interactive chalkboard car.
Some non-car attractions will include kinetic sculptures, a night garden, [nueBOX] performances, and Light Rail Plays by Rising Youth Theatre. The free event runs from noon to 11 p.m. on Saturday, March 17, at Mesa Arts Center, 1 East Main Street. See more information at the Mesa Arts Center website. Lauren Cusimano
Jorge Pardo, Untitled, 2014. Seven hand-painted ceramic light fixtures, dimensions variable.
Courtesy of the artist and Ceramica Suro
There’s no shortage of talking heads when it comes to immigration issues. But creatives bring new dimension to the debate, with art that prompts deeper consideration of shared humanity and cultural connections. That’s certainly the case at ASU Art Museum, 51 East 10th Street in Tempe, where you can see three new exhibitions during its Spring Opening from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, March 16.
“A Dream on a Dream: Encounter with Claudio Dicochea” explores what the American dream means today. “Bajo Presión/Under Pressure” reveals the powerful intersection of politics and art. And “Saber Acomodor” highlights the marriage of traditional techniques with contemporary ideas.
Several “Saber Acomodor” artists will be at the opening, along with guest curator Patrick Charpenel, the new executive director for New York’s El Museo del Barrio. Expect a great lineup of performances, as well. Museum admission is free. Visit the ASU Art Museum website. Lynn Trimble
Spiny house: Dress up your indoors and outdoors at Desert Botanical Garden.
Courtesy of Desert Botanical Garden
The vernal equinox is just around the corner. Equinoxes get short shrift compared to sexy solstices, but if you don’t pay attention, you’ll wind up saying to yourself, “Here it’s the vernal equinox, and I haven’t done anything.” Beat the crowd at Desert Botanical Garden’s annual Spring Plant Sale through Sunday, March 18. Buy plants, plant them, and you’ll have spring in the bag.
Broaden your concept of desert vegetation beyond cactuses and succulents: The sale includes herbs and vegetables, trees, flowers, and other green stuff with leaves. Baby plants, big plants, 30,000 freakin’ plants — and expert horticultural advice. Hours on Saturday, March 17, are from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 1201 North Galvin Parkway. Call 480-481-8188 or visit the Desert Botanical Garden website for more info. Julie Peterson
Phoenix Suns vs. Golden State Warriors
While it’s great to celebrate the glory days and near-championship seasons the Phoenix Suns have had, the fact of the matter is your home team needs you now. During this sluggish season, they haven’t cracked 20 victories. They have, however, racked up nearly 50 losses. A chance for some redemption comes this week, when the home team gets a visit from California’s Golden State Warriors.
Be a diligent athletic supporter and help rock them out of the slump at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 17, at Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 East Jefferson Street. Tickets start at $85. Visit the Ticketmaster website. Amy Young
TRL ’90s House Party
MTV’s Total Request Live embraced hip hop, grunge, boy bands, and bubblegum pop. Rebel Lounge’s TRL ’90s House Party pays homage to the show with songs Carson Daly probably knows by heart.
On Saturday, March 17, DJ A Claire Slattery will spin tunes by popular artists and bands like Nirvana, NSYNC, Mariah Carey, the Backstreet Boys, Coolio, and Destiny’s Child.
Attendees are encouraged to dress in their favorite ’90s attire (ahem, overalls and scrunchies) for the free, 21-and-over party at 2303 East Indian School Road. Doors open at 10 p.m., and the fun starts at 10:30. For more information, see the Rebel Lounge website. Laura Latzko
Arizona Rattlers vs. Green Bay Blizzard
The Arizona Rattlers are easily the most dominant franchise in the world of indoor football. After splitting from the unstable Arena Football League in 2016, the team won the whole shebang in their inaugural Indoor Football League season last year. Pretty impressive, considering the IFL presents much stiffer competition along with some minor differences in play. None of that fazed Arizona, obviously, and the defending champs are already off to a winning start in 2018.
Check out the Valley’s only sports dynasty when they host Green Bay at Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 East Jefferson Street, at 3:05 p.m. on Sunday, March 18. Tickets are $10 and up. Visit the Arizona Rattlers website or call 602-379-2000 for details. Rob Kroehler
The Irish will fiddle with ya if you don’t watch out, at the Musical Instrument Museum.
Courtesy of MIM
Irishness is featured in enough festivals, businesses, museums, and — oh, that’s right, bars — this week that you can’t avoid some marination in celebration of the island nation. A tribute to St. Patrick is well-paid at the Musical Instrument Museum’s Experience Ireland event Saturday and Sunday, March 17 and 18.
Enjoy musical and dance performances by people who are good at it. Or you, yourself, can assay the Celtic harp or perhaps a bit of free-form céilí-style dancing on a floor piano, which sounds nightmarish but is probably good fun. Crafts, face-painting, a photo booth, and high-class Irish grub from the Museum’s café make for a full day of festivities.
Museum hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 4725 East Mayo Boulevard. Admission to the Experience Ireland event is free with museum admission, $10 to $20, and children younger than 4 get in free. Call 480-478-6000 or visit the MIM website. Julie Peterson
Musical Thrones: A Parody of Ice and Fire
Game of Thrones is a serious drama, filled with murder, power struggles, and trash talk. But it does have its tongue-in-cheek moments. Jon and Al Kaplan’s Musical Thrones: A Parody of Ice and Fire amplifies the comedic aspects of the show while staying true to the plot and characters. Fans will get their fix of their favorite characters to love and hate, along with three dragons.
The musical parody show comes to Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 North Arizona Avenue, at 7 p.m. on Sunday, March 18. Tickets range from $38 to $48. For more information, call 480-782-2680 or visit the Chandler Center for Arts website. Laura Latzko
Keep an eye our for local artists like Aztec Smurf during the Oak Street Alley Mural Festival.
Courtesy of Oak Street Alley Mural Festival
If you’re a big fan of mural art, there’s an event that’s right up your alley. The Oak Street Alley Mural Festival will take place at 1450 East Oak Street between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Sunday, March 18. More than a dozen artists will gather to paint murals and share their skills.
The free event will include a stencil and wheat paste workshop, a community mural workshop, an open mic, and live music. Bring cash for food and drinks. Participating artists include Isaac Caruso, Maggie Keane, Aztec Smurf, Lucretia Torva, and Volar. For more information, visit the Facebook event page. Lynn Trimble
“The Art of Healing: Therapeutic Poetry”
Learn about the restorative effects of poetry and workshop your verse during “The Art of Healing: Therapeutic Poetry.” Phoenix Poetry Series co-founder Rosemarie Dombrowski leads the class, which starts at 6 p.m. on Monday, March 19, at Changing Hands Bookstore, 6428 South McClintock Drive in Tempe.
The cost is $35 for the two-part series, with the second class on Monday, March 26. For more information, visit the Changing Hands website. Jason Keil
Colorado Rockies vs. Milwaukee Brewers
Baseball pundits love to make “bold” predictions regarding the upcoming season’s winners, losers, and dark horses. But baseball, like the NFL and NBA, has its perennial major market contenders: New York, Boston, and Los Angeles. Where things get interesting is between teams with fewer resources.
Take, for instance, the Colorado Rockies. No one is expecting mediocrity from Colorado in 2018, but nobody’s expecting a playoff run either. Something has to give. And considering the team’s aggressive offseason moves, we wouldn’t be surprised if the Rockies made life difficult for other teams in their division, which includes the Arizona Diamondbacks.
See what they’re working with when Colorado hosts the Brewers at Scottsdale’s Salt River Fields, 7555 North Pima Road, at 2:10 p.m. on Tuesday, March 20. Tickets are $21 and up. Visit the Salt River Fields website or call 480-270-5100 for details. Rob Kroehler
Café Tarot
Even if you’ve never had or performed a tarot reading, it’s hard to argue against the intrigue of the cards themselves. Each deck used in this divination process has its own artwork, numerology, and symbols that converge to provide insights into the unknown. At Café Tarot, you can gather with interested parties from the card-curious to the tarot-savvy to learn more about this practice.
Hosted by the Ordo Helicali, the event gives attendees a chance to talk about other esoteric and occult practices — and engage spirited and challenging conversation. The group also accepts unwanted tarot decks to add to its growing library.
Unlock mystical mysteries from 6 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, March 20, at ThirdSpace, 1028 Grand Avenue. Admission is free. Visit the Facebook event page. Amy Young
Big Gay Sing-A-Long: Little Shop of Horrors
“Feed me, Seymour!” is the famous catchphrase spoken by an alien plant named Audrey II that feeds on human flesh in the hilarious rock musical Little Shop of Horrors.
In the film version, Seymour is played by Rick Moranis, who has to battle the mean green mother from outer space and a sadistic dentist (Steve Martin) to win the affections of a girl and save the world.
FilmBar hosts a screening as part of its Big Gay Sing-A-Long series. So come dressed in costume, grab some liquid courage, and be ready to belt out the catchy tunes.
Water your plants and get to the movie theater, 815 North Second Street, at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 21. Admission is $14. For more information, visit the FilmBar website. Jason Keil
