All-out geekery, trivia, and a pop-up art gallery round out Jackalope Ranch's top picks for things to do in (and around) Phoenix this week.
We can't prove it, but we're pretty sure beer makes you smarter. Why else would a bar add a staple trivia contest to its weekly line-up? And while the metro area is home to plenty, Phoenix's SunUp Brewery plays host to a Monday night showdown that helps you get over the start-of-the-workweek blues.
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Hosted by Pub Trivia Nerds, a Berkeley-based company, the quiz tends to draw upward of 30 to 50 people and features questions like, "How many presidents have died while in office?" (answer: eight) and "What football team's fans set the Guinness World Record for being the loudest stadium?" (answer: Seattle Seahawks). Prizes include brewery gift certificates for the top contenders, while the kitchen features an all-day special of a pint and a chili dog for $5.
Show off your smarts at 7 p.m. Monday, June 2, at SunUp Brewing Co., 322 East Camelback Road. Admission is free. Visit www.sunupbrewing.com or call 602-279-8909. -- Janessa Hilliard
Sweat Your Asana Off Rooftop Yoga
In case you hadn't noticed, it's bathing suit season. That's right, insert angry expletive here. Fortunately, your favorite form of fitness is finding its way back to the Hotel Palomar. The Sweat Your Asana Off Rooftop Yoga Series is a weekly roundup of roughly 150 yogis who take their practice poolside at the Lustre Rooftop Garden. Strengthen your mind and body with an hour of bending, stretching, and mediation. Following flow there will be special yogi happy hour featuring drink specials and skyline views of downtown Phoenix.
The Sweat Your Asana Off Rooftop Yoga series happens every Tuesday from May 27 through September 2 at Hotel Palomar's Lustre Rooftop Garden, 2 East Jefferson Street. Classes run from 6 to 7 p.m. Admission is $10 with a $5 food and beverage credit. For details and to book your spot in advance, visit eventbrite.com and use the keywords "Lustre Yoga" or call 480-478-1765. -- Katie Johnson
"Boundless: The Book Transformed in Contemporary Art"
In Fahrenheit 451, books get a bad rap as items capable of corrupting the mind and stirring unrest. In reality, many books are capable of doing this. But beyond that, adept storytelling and creative flare can also spark the boundless imagination inside ourselves. As modernity removes the pages in place of tablets, computers and phones, some say our literary sense of being suffers. So what of all those soon-to-be-unneeded tomes? "Boundless: The Book Transformed in Contemporary Art" rethinks the magic of books by morphing them into three-dimensional art pieces. Clearly inspired by the readings themselves, many of these works seem to come to life before our eyes. Exactly as a good book should!
Reading glasses are not needed to view the sculptures presented in "Boundless," which is on view through Sunday, August 10, in the South Gallery at Mesa Contemporay Arts, One East Main Street. Admission is free. Visit www.mesaartscenter.com or call 480-644-6500. -- Glenn BurnSilver
Gear up in your best Sherlock cosplay and prepare to bask in the geeky glory of Phoenix's premier nerd culture event: Phoenix Comicon. Each year, the event grows bigger and bigger with informative panels, nerdgasm-inducing meet-and-greets, and tons of local exhibitors selling everything from independently made comic books to the essential accouterments for Brony living.
This year, special guests include such heavyweights from film and TV as Nathan Fillion, Bruce Campbell, Cary Elwes, Adam West, John Rhys-Davies, and many more. Whether you're an anime junkie, a costuming guru, or a high-ranking Whovian, there's definitely going to be something exciting to see at Comicon this year. Plus, after parties like the signature Masquerade Costume Contest and Zombie Beauty Pageant are sure to keep the fun going all night.
Phoenix Comicon kicks off at 4 p.m. Thursday, June 5, at Phoenix Convention Center and keeps the love of all things nerdy, geeky, and dorky rolling until 6 p.m. Sunday, June 8.Tickets, which are $70 in advance for the entire weekend, and more information on all Comicon-related events are available at www.phoenixcomicon.com. -- Heather Hoch
UNION, the Biltmore's hyper-local boutique haven, has seen its fair share of turnover during the past few months, giving rise to a new collective of temporary tenants: the pop-up shop. Casual eatery Short Leash Hot Dogs debuted Short Leash, Short Lease in March, slated to stay through the summer. Up next on the list: Palabra Hair. Art. Collective. with its newest mini-gallery.
Owned by stylist and curator Jorge Ignacio Torres, the salon and art house is in the beginning stages of expanding its current location on the northwest corner of Seventh and Pierce streets. The new short-term space will double as an offshoot of the showroom. Its premiere exhibition, entitled "Girl," features works from Denver-based illustrator and painter Rebecca Green and downtown Phoenix's own oil painter and sketch artist Mikey Jackson.
Check out the opening reception the evening of Friday, June 6, (exact timing to be determined) at the Palabra Pop-Up at UNION at the Biltmore, 2502 East Camelback Road. The event is free and open to the public. Visit www.palabraphx.com or www.shopbiltmore.com/union for details. -- Janessa Hilliard
