april 11
Dinofest International: Billed as "the biggest dinosaur event ever," this saurian showcase includes dinosaur skeletons and fossils from all seven continents. Highlights include numerous pieces from the "Great Dinosaurs of China" collections of the Beijing and Inner Mongolia museums of natural history, including the largest touring dino skeleton in existence: an 85-foot-long, 35-foot-tall Neurosaurus chaganensis specimen nicknamed "Nancy"; the remains of a 25-foot-long duckbill from the Los Angeles County Museum; and eight robotic replicas by Dinamation International Corporation. The exhibit continues daily, through Sunday, April 21, at Arizona State University Activity Center in Tempe. Public hours are 6 to 10 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekends. Admission is $5, $3 for kids age 12 and under, available at ASU Public Events and Dillard's box offices; call 965-3434 or 678-2222. On Saturday, April 13, ASU geology professor Edmund Stump leads a special tour of the exhibit. The event begins at 8:30 a.m. with breakfast in the press box at Sun Devil Stadium, and tickets are $15; for reservations call 965-1441.
Tailgators: Those who rave about guitarist Don Leady's contemporary 'gators--the Austin, Texas, trio even got a recent thumbs up from the Salt Lake City Surf Music Appreciation Society--should seek out the group's 1985 debut, Swamp Rock. The Wrestler platter, which featured the ex-battery of Keith Ferguson and Gary "Mudcat" Smith, included the unsurpassed rave-ups "They Call Me Rockin'" and "Rock & Roll Till the Cows Come Home," and, in the minds of some Texans, qualified the crew for instant membership in rock's pantheon of the gods, roots division. Eleven years later, Leady can still whip a wild groove around a room, and he receives solid support from the current rhythm section of bassist Jean-Jacques Barrera and drummer Chico Oropeza. Touring behind the Upstart disc It's a Hog Groove!, the Tailgators perform Thursday, April 11, at the Rhythm Room, 1019 East Indian School. The Suicide Kings share the bill. Showtime is 9 p.m. The cover is $5. For details call 265-4842.
Ballet Arizona's Romeo & Juliet: The troupe closes its season with artistic director Michael Uthoff's reading of the romantic standard, set to music by Prokofiev. Final performances are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 11; 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 12; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 13; and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 14, in Center Stage at Herberger Theater Center, 222 East Monroe. Tickets are $17.25, $22.25 and $27.25, available at the ballet box office and Herberger. For details call 381-1096 or 252-8497.
Great Arizona Rib Round-Up: "Ribateurs" from the Southwest, the Midwest and Australia compete in the second annual meat market. Also on the agenda: rib-eating and hog-calling contests, daily heats by Robinson's Racing Pigs and music by Rhett Akins, Beatles tribute band 1964 and other acts. Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Thursday, April 11; 10:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Friday, April 12; 10:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Saturday, April 13; and 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, April 14, at Symphony Hall Terrace, Second Street and Adams. Admission is free before 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday; it's $4 after that and all day Saturday and Sunday. Kids under 12 are admitted free any time with a nonperishable food item for donation to Arizona Food Bank. For details call 1-602-507-1060.
Phoenix Symphony: Conductor James Sedares leads the orchestra and the Arizona State University Choral Union, directed by George Umberson, in an all-Mozart program that includes Symphony No. 41 in C major, K. 551 ("Jupiter"); and Requiem, K. 626. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 11; and 8 p.m. Friday, April 12, at Symphony Hall, 225 East Adams. Tickets range from $12 to $36, available at the symphony box office and Dillard's; call 264-6363 or 678-2222. The symphony performs its popular "People's Pops Concert" at 7 p.m. Sunday, April 14, at the hall. Tickets are free, but must be picked up in advance at any Phoenix public library; call 262-4627.
friday
april 12
Fiesta Bowl 3-on-3 State Championships: The playground-style street-ball tournament features more than 800 amateur hoops teams shooting for local b-ball bragging rights. The eighth annual event kicks off with various competitions at the Friday Night Fan Jam, scheduled for 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, April 12. The double-elimination tourney is set for 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 13; and the same hours Sunday, April 14. All events take place in the parking lots at Arizona Center, Third Street and Van Buren. Call 350-0900.
Ballet Arizona's Romeo & Juliet: See Thursday.
Dinofest International: See Thursday.
Great Arizona Rib Round-Up: See Thursday.
Phoenix Symphony: See Thursday.
saturday
april 13
"Freedom of Expression and the Arts": The timely colloquium, held in conjunction with Phoenix Art Museum's installation "Old Glory: The American Flag in Contemporary Art" (see the Art Exhibits listing) and billed as a "public forum on the legal, philosophical and historical interpretations of the First Amendment and restrictions to freedom of expression in the arts and humanities," is slated for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 13, at Phoenix Theatre, Central and McDowell. Former National Endowment for the Arts head John Frohnmayer and "Old Glory" contributing artist Faith Ringgold are scheduled to speak. Admission is $25, $20 for students and PAM members, which includes lunch. Preregistration is required; call 257-1880.
ASU Maroon and Gold Football Game: Bruce Snyder's Arizona State University squad plays its annual spring match at 4 p.m. Saturday, April 13, at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe. Pregame festivities begin at 2. Admission is $3, free with a canned good for donation to the Salvation Army; lunch and a complimentary ticket to Saturday night's baseball game between the Sun Devils and the University of California at Berkeley (see the Sports listing) are included. Call 965-2381.
Mariachi Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez, and Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles: Jose Hernandez is the kingpin of the American mariachi movement, and his U.S.-based Sol de Mexico is one of the tightest groups you're likely to encounter, with a repertoire ranging from traditional corridos to hot jazz and swing. Hernandez also had a hand in the creation of Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles, America's first all-woman mariachi. The groups join forces for a concert at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 13, at Gammage Auditorium, Mill and Apache in Tempe. Tickets are $12, $15 and $18, available at Gammage and Dillard's. For details call 965-3434 or 678-2222.
Phoenix Firebirds: The Triple A affiliate of baseball's San Francisco Giants continues its 33rd Pacific Coast League season with a series against the Edmonton Trappers. Games are scheduled at 7:05 p.m. Saturday, April 13; 1:05 p.m. Sunday, April 14; 7:05 p.m. Monday, April 15; and 7:05 p.m. Tuesday, April 16, at Scottsdale Stadium, 7408 East Osborn. Tickets range from $3 to $7, available at the stadium and Dillard's. Call 275-0500 or 678-2222.
Ballet Arizona's Romeo & Juliet: See Thursday.
Dinofest International: See Thursday.
Fiesta Bowl 3-on-3 State Championships: See Friday.
Great Arizona Rib Round-Up: See Thursday.
sunday
april 14
Sunday on Central: Highlights of the annual bash on Central Avenue between Palm Lane and Osborn include music by Bo Diddley, Hamilton Loomis and others; the second annual Phoenix Mini-Indy, starring Arie Luyendyk, Tom Sneva and grand marshal Rose Mofford; and a pet parade, featuring Bill Watters and his high-jumping pup Air Major. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 14. Admission is free. Call 262-7111 or 262-4627.
Ballet Arizona's Romeo & Juliet: See Thursday.
Dinofest International: See Thursday.
Fiesta Bowl 3-on-3 State Championships: See Friday.
Great Arizona Rib Round-Up: See Thursday.
Phoenix Firebirds: See Saturday.
Phoenix Symphony: See Thursday.
monday
april 15
Combustible Edison: Reformed punks Michael "The Millionaire" Cudahy and Liz Cox--a.k.a. "Miss Lily Banquette"--lead this Sub Pop act, which is on the cutting edge of what Cudahy terms the "Cocktail Revolution." Actually, it should be called the "Cocktail Devolution." Like Love Jones, the Coctails, Black Velvet Flag and other acts riding this old wave, Combustible Edison lovingly lampoons the classic lounge heyday of the '50s and early '60s. But while winks and nudges predominate--two of the band's self-penned "Seven Golden Sins" are "In all things, be fabulous" and "Rock, shmock"--there's a core of seriousness here that would be sort of scary if the sounds weren't so swingin'. The all-ages show starts at 8 p.m. Monday, April 15, at Hollywood Alley, 2610 West Baseline in Mesa. The cover is $7. Call 820-7117.
David Guterson: The author of the breakthrough best seller Snow Falling on Cedars reads from and signs copies of the novel at 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 15, in the auditorium at Phoenix College, 1202 West Thomas. Admission is $5, $3 for students and seniors. For details call 285-7378 or 285-7347.
Green Tea Party: From noon to 1:30 p.m. on Tax Day--Monday, April 15--member groups of the Flagstaff-based Southwest Forest Alliance, including the Sierra Club, Arizona Audubon Council and Southwest Center for Biological Diversity, converge on the old Phoenix post office at 522 North Central to protest "the way tax dollars are being used to help corporations exploit public lands for public gains." Call 279-2685 or 1-520-774-6514.
Dinofest International: See Thursday.
Phoenix Firebirds: See Saturday.
tuesday
april 16
Oasis: The great, white, rude hope of British rock 'n' roll, arguably the isle's best export since the Smiths--whom Oasis is nothing like--is in the colonies supporting its Epic smash (What's the Story) Morning Glory?; see the story on page 93. The Spinanes share the bill. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 16, at Mesa Amphitheatre, Center and University. Tickets are $17, available at the scene and Dillard's. Call 644-2560 or 678-2222.
k.d. lang: Back in the '80s, lang wore big ol' stompers, crooned mean ol' country and dived off stages to cut rugs with her then-sparse followers. Sadly, that lang has given way to a made-over adult-contemporary diva who probably has more Grammys now than she had fans then. But she still owns that huge voice, as big as her Canadian homeland. Showtime is 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 16, at Symphony Hall, 225 East Adams. Tickets range from $29.45 to $45.50 in advance, $32 to $48 the day of the show, available at the scene and Dillard's. Call 262-7272 or 678-2222.
Bruce Hornsby: Hornsby, like k.d. lang, has metamorphosed into an adult-contemporary staple after beginning his promising career with the twin peaks The Way It Is (1986) and Scenes From the Southside (1988). After dumping his band the Range, Hornsby has watched his career momentum slide in the '90s, but he remains an in-demand sideman and one of pop's fine pianists, with a right hand to die for. Aquarium Rescue Unit shares the bill on Tuesday, April 16, at Electric Ballroom, 1216 East Apache in Tempe. Showtime is 8 p.m. Tickets are $20.70 in advance, $22.25 the day of the show, available at the club and Ticketmaster. Call 894-0707 or 784-4444.
Phoenix Suns: The Suns host the Houston Rockets at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 16, at America West Arena, First Street and Jefferson. If tickets are available, they're at the arena and Dillard's. Call 379-7867 or 678-2222.
Dinofest International: See Thursday.
Phoenix Firebirds: See Saturday.
wednesday
april 17
Desert Classic Tournament: One of the top pre-NBA draft showcases for college seniors, the classic starts at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 17, and continues at the same time Thursday, April 18; and Saturday, April 20, at America West Arena, First Street and Jefferson. Tickets are $10, $24 for a three-day pass, available at the arena and Dillard's. Call 379-7800.
Dinofest International: See Thursday.
