Since Arizona seems to get more transplants than strippers get implants, why not reward out-of-staters for coming to our broiling desert metropolis with some cold, cheap drinks? Every Thursday, Daisy Dukes, 222 East University Drive in Tempe, plays host to "Transplant" -- a drinking game that epitomizes random Valley hospitality. The game utilizes a wheel with five to six different states on it. The bartenders spin the wheel every half-hour, and when the wheel stops, anybody with an ID from the selected state gets a discount on drinks: $1 kamikaze shots, $2 beers, or $3 mixed drinks. It's perfect for American migrants who are on a budget or people who can make halfway convincing fake IDs. The wheel spins from 11 a.m. until close. Call 480-967-7744 or visit www.daisydukesaz.com.
FRI 12
Nobody really goes to his or her high school reunion out of nostalgia (well, except for that football player turned janitor who still talks about winning the 1982 state championship). Most people go out of morbid curiosity to see how much people have morphed. In Snap, the last installment of Phoenix Theatre's New Works Festival, four former classmates find themselves working together at a local birdhouse factory, and little has changed between them. Seven years after graduation, they continue to live out their high school roles. Dave, the bully jock, relentlessly torments Charlie, the computer nerd, until Charlie eventually snaps, "forcing all four to confront each other to discover themselves." The play, written by Valley resident Richard Warren, opens at 7:30 p.m. Friday, August 12, in the Little Theatre at Phoenix Theatre, 100 East McDowell Road, and runs through August 20. An audience discussion follows each performance. Tickets for the showcase production cost $12. Call 602-254-2151 or visit www.phoenixtheatre.net.
SAT 13
While high school reunions may be low on nostalgia (see above), '80s parties are totally tubular and packed with radical reminiscing -- probably because when you look back on it, we all looked ridiculous in the '80s. Whether you were a "New Waver," with that Flock of Seagulls dippy-do and a sleeve of plastic neon bracelets up your arm, or a "Nerd" in a Star Wars ringer tee with its own pocket protector, you can still Wang Chung tonight at the "Punks vs. Preppies (New Wavers vs. Nerds) '80s Costume Party" at Apollo's, 5749 North Seventh Street. The popular gay bar is celebrating the '80s all month, so expect Max Headroom. There will be a costume contest during karaoke, with $100 each going to the best individual costume and the best group costume. So bust out the Aquanet and your best pair of parachute pants or stone-washed jeans, and party like it's 1985. Apollo's whips it good at 9 p.m. Saturday, August 13. Call 602-277-9373 or visit www.apollos.com.
SUN 14
Find familia faces in a crowd at Chandler Historical Society's "Finding Family/Buscando a la Familia" event, taking place Sunday, August 14, at the Chandler Museum, 178 East Commonwealth Avenue. The museum has a large photo collection of unidentified Hispanic subjects, and it's reaching out to the community to help identify them. The collection includes hundreds of photos, dating from as far back as the early 1900s. Spanish translators will also be on hand at the free event, which lasts from noon 'til 2 p.m. Call 480-782-2717 or visit www.chandlermuseum.org.
MON 15
Now that Gabriel Fortoul's just opened The Fort gallery, 723 West Polk Street, with five other artists, they're trying to draw in some new friends with Monday Night Movie Night, held every week from 8:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. "We try not to be so commercial," says Fortoul. "We try to show something people haven't seen before, or haven't seen for a while." That's why he's showing Raging Bull, the Martin Scorsese classic starring Robert De Niro, on Monday, August 15. "It's a powerful movie. It's black-and-white, but you watch it and it could have come out this year," says Fortoul. After the movie, patrons can hang out and chat with the artists before grooving to tunes from local DJs. "It's just a laid-back night," says Fortoul. Admission costs $2. E-mail [email protected] for more information.
TUE 16
Somebody broke Nick Luca's heart, big time. The front man of the eclectic Tucson trio Luca, which plays at Modified Arts on Tuesday, August 16, has penned the ultimate soundtrack to a bad breakup with the band's latest CD, You Win Again. In the album's first track, "Crumbling Inside," Luca sings, "You won't win this game." He woos his muse in smooth Americana style for the next couple of tracks, but she loses interest by the song "I'm Still Here." She warms up to him again in a spacy pop ballad called "Au Naturel," but two songs later, he's pissed again, evidenced by the song "I'll Get You Back." The heartbreaker wins by the end of the album, leaving only Luca with his melancholy piano and haunting harmonies, softly singing, "Looks like you win again." Hear the unofficial indie rock opera/song cycle and then some at 8 p.m. "Garage-country" band Launching Brenda, and funky jazz instrumentalists Del Rey open the show. Admission costs $5. Modified is located at 407 East Roosevelt Street. Call 602-462-5516 or visit www.modified.org.
WED 17
So it's the middle of the week, "Hump Day," and you're praying that the ass-end of the week won't be as stressful as the first half was. Instead of sitting in front of the TV with an aching back, trying to distract yourself with reality shows, why not head to the beautiful, spacious Desert Botanical Garden for &"Yoga Pura at the Garden: Chill Out" on Wednesday, August 17? Yoga instructors will show you how certain postures help to alleviate stress in the body, and how breathing techniques can help you relax and clear your mind. The class runs from 7 to 9 p.m., so you won't have to stress the sun; a walk through the Garden follows the session. All levels are welcome, and yoga mats will be provided. Required registration costs $12 for members, $15 for nonmembers. Call 480-941-1225 or visit www.dbg.org.
