From artsy endeavors to theater and sporting events, here are your plans this week.
"Luster Kaboom's FunHouse" @ Scottsdale Civic Center Library Whenever Dave Quan comes back to town, we know he's up to something creative. The artist (who goes by Luster Kaboom) moved to New York last year, but he comes back to his hometown every once in a while to paint a new mural or collaborate with old friends.
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But this return trip is special for Luster Kaboom, as he's spent three weeks creating a floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall installation inside Scottsdale's Civic Center Library. In partnership with Scottsdale Public Art, "Luster Kaboom's FunHouse" is a massive interactive exhibition for all ages, with a few of the artist's signature characters and some big surprises.
The installation will be on view through Tuesday, July 30, so take the killer excuse to check out some cool art over the summer (in an air-conditioned environment -- with books!). -- Claire Lawton
Five Stages @ Herberger Theater "Think outside the lunchbox." That's the mantra behind the Herberger Theater's Lunch Time Theater series, which opens Friendly People Productions' Five Stages this week.
The 45-minute one-act is set at a fun-yet-therapeutic evening where five female friends gather to drink wine and swap stories. Each story covers the topic of loss -- playing off the widely known five stages of grief. While some are personal narratives, each sparks a universal, "oh, me too!" feeling, director Kathryn James says.
Playgoers are encouraged to bring their own lunch or order one through the box office. Whole and half sandwiches or salads (ranging from $6 to $8) are offered from Put a Fork in It Catering, with options for meat lovers and vegetarians alike.
The curtain goes up at 12:10 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, July 9 to 18, on The Kax Stage at the Herberger Theater Center, 222 East Monroe Street. Tickets are $6. Call 602-252-8497 or visit www.herbergertheater.org. (Disclosure: New Times contributor Julie Peterson will perform in and produce this show.) -- Janessa Hilliard
Phoenix Mercury vs. San Antonio Silver Stars With their beloved Spurs coming up painfully short in the NBA finals against the Miami Heat, San Antonio finds that its hoop dreams now fall to the WNBA's Silver Stars, who come to town hoping their title run continues by defeating Western Conference rival Phoenix Mercury. However, knocking off the 2007 and 2009 WNBA Champions will be no easy task. Led by league scoring leader Diana Taurasi, Australian Penny Taylor, and touted Baylor rookie Brittney Griner, the Mercury bring to the floor a Big 3 capable of dominating any game. Yet the Silver Stars also pack a punch, ranking near the top of several league statistical categories, including points per game. Still, if Candice Dupree can add another double-double like the one she had against Washington Mystics, the Mercury should soar.
Tip-off is 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 10 at the US Airways Center, 201 East Jefferson Street. Tickets are $11 and up. Visit www.wnba.com/mercury. -- Glenn BurnSilver
Jim Gaffigan @ Talking Stick Resort It seems rather befitting that comedian Jim Gaffigan's last name sounds like "gaffe again," since the 46-year-old makes a living off of making light of one gaffe after another. Not that the self-deprecating, awkward brand of comedy is anything new; it's Gaffigan's circumstances that set him apart from his peers. Often referred to as a "family-friendly" comic (much to Gaffigan's chagrin), the Indiana native derives much of his material from the turbulent experiences he's gathered while rearing five kids with his wife Jeannie, occasionally allowing his love for bacon and cake to slip into the act.
Amidst Gaffigan's immense success as a comedian and actor, he recently managed to add author to his resume with Dad Is Fat, a collection of essays about "the joys and terrors" of parenthood. The pasty purveyor of Hot Pocket humor will perform live at 8 p.m. Thursday, July 11, at Scottsdale's Talking Stick Resort, 9800 East Indian Bend Road. Tickets to the 21-and-over show are $45 to $150 via www.ticketmaster.com. Call 480-850-7777. -- Rob Kroehler Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Milwaukee Brewers @ Chase Field America loves home runs. Our cultural fascination with dingers is why the Steroid Era was so popular, why Luis Gonzalez got his own milk flavor, and why Denny's ultimately decided to rename the dreadfully unpopular "RBI Single Breakfast."
It's also why Arizona Diamondbacks first-baseman Paul Goldschmidt is one of the most popular athletes in the Valley at the moment. Goldschmidt is on pace to hit more four-baggers than any D-Backs slugger since Gonzalez retired. There's a decent chance Goldschmidt will win the NL home run crown in the process.
Goldschmidt's power numbers figure to take a big step up this week when the D-Backs host the Milwaukee Brewers at Chase Field, 401 East Jefferson Street, on Friday, July 12. The hapless Brewers have served up substantially more homers than any other team in the league, so there figure to be plenty of base-clearers. First pitch is at 6:40 p.m, tickets start at $5 via www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 602-462-6500. -- Ed Kummerer
