Phoenix, get out. There's too much to do and see this weekend, between Phoenix Comicon at the Convention Center, Paul Rodriguez at Stand Up Live, and a sure-to-be cool downtown mural tour. But you've gotta choose. Here are a few of our top picks for things to do in (and around) the city this weekend. For more, check out the New Times calendar.
Caribbean/International Flag Party @ Brick We know very few people who get excited about flag day (and even fewer who know when it is), but throw out the words "flag party," and suddenly people start listening.
See also: Seven Must-Attend Nightlife Events and After-Parties During Phoenix Comicon 2013 Seven Must-Attend Memorial Day Weekend Parties and Events in Metro Phoenix
The Caribbean American Phoenix Carnival Cultural Association of Arizona, also known as CAPAZ, is bringing back its Caribbean-style carnival this month with a weekend of parades, masquerades, and over-the-top costumes.
Of course, since every festival deserves a good warmup, CAPAZ will kick off the caribbean celebration with a good old-fashioned Flag Party. The party goes down at 9 p.m. Friday, May 24, at Brick and features live soca artists and DJs, including 4Play, DArk Vader, Ziah, Skilzz, Illmatic, and more.
Wear, wave, or wrap yourself in the country of your origin (or simply the one you find most appealing) and get ready to party in a way the United Nations has only imagined. -- Katie Johnson
T Bone N' Weasel @ Herberger Theater Center The two recently paroled heroes of Jon Klein's play T Bone N Weasel hit the roads of rural South Carolina in pursuit of their future -- gainful employment or whatever else presents itself -- and confront discrimination, people who take advantage of them, bizarre temptations, and picaresque mayhem aplenty. What could be tragic is brisk if thought-provoking comedy in a script that remains popular at regional theaters from Baltimore to Sacramento to Dallas to Minneapolis.
It was also a 1992 TV-movie starring Christopher Lloyd and the late Gregory Hines, but you're sure to have more fun at iTheatre Collaborative's live production of T Bone N Weasel, the company's 2012-13 season closer, continuing through Saturday, June 8, on the Kax Stage at Herberger Theater Center. Curtain is 8 p.m. Friday, May 25. Tickets are $16 to $20. -- Julie PetersonMidnite Movie Mamacita: Ms. Behaving Presents Sister Street Fighter @ FilmBar Quentin Tarantino has received flack for stealing scenes from other movies. Take the show-down in Kill Bill -- it looks an awful lot like the fight scene in Noribumi Suzuki's Sex and Fury. Sure, everything's been done before but that's why we love him (or hate him).
No doubt Quinten gets inspiration from other vintage martial arts films, and Sister Street Fighter is no exception. The tagline of this over-the-top 1974 sequel to the Sonny Chiba franchise "A ladykiller meets a lady killer." Protagonist Koryu Lee uses her karate skills to fight her way through the Yokohama underworld in search of her brother, who was forced into the drug trade. She's a no-nonsense gal who's the focus of the May 25 installment of Ms. Behaving cinema, a series focused on badass women in film.
The screening starts at 10 p.m. Saturday at FilmBar. -- Melissa Fossum
"Where Cantilever Meets Coyote" @ Burton Barr Central Library If you find yourself perusing Seventh Avenue vintage stores dreaming of owning an Eames chair, then you've probably heard of Alison King, founder of the website Modern Phoenix.
King presents "Where Cantilever Meets Coyote," a sort-of Midcentury 101 that aims to give audience members a better snapshot of this city's rich history. She'll highlight architectural frontrunners including starkly modern Al Beadle, popular and accessible Ralph Haver, and Fred Guirey, purveyor of the custom home.
The Midcentury trend isn't just for Baby Boomers keen on remembering the Phoenix they grew up in. The Valley is a decade deep into a resurgence of the movement among homeowners, says King, who sees herself as an "underground railroad of architecture connection," linking a new generation of homeowners with perfectly chic and scaled homes.
The free hourlong lecture takes place at Burton Barr Central Library at 3 p.m. Saturay, May 25. -- Janessa Hilliard
Sunshine Underground @ Lustre Bar It's official: Pool party season is upon us. And that means some of the Valley's top DJs will be seen poolside once again. This summer, Sean Watson, William Reed, and Stateside Presents team up for their latest venture, Sunshine Underground, a weekly rooftop pool party at The Hotel Palomar's Lustre Bar.
The kick-off party from 2 to 9 p.m. on Sunday, May 26, includes a guest appearance from Los Angeles recording artist, Oliver, as well as local support from Deux Yeux, Watson, and Reed's Blaque Panther Disco. Sunshine Underground will continue throughout the summer with such guest DJs as The Juan MacLean and Parallels. Cover is $10. -- Melissa Fossum
