The recent 10th anniversary party for The Blunt Club saw plenty of old favorites making a return to the long-running hip-hop night. That includes former host Emerg McVay (who’s been busy shooting music videos these days) and onetime resident John Hyder. While the 30something hip-hop selecta left both the Blunt…
Around a decade ago, you could regularly spy the artwork of Jim Mahfood all around the Valley. The stark drawings created by the onetime Tempe resident (who’s also known as Food One) were seen on fliers for hip-hop shows, in advertisements, in his comic books like Grrl Scouts, and the…
Local geek guru Jeff Moriarty can sum up what Phoenix Comicon is all about in one single word: Passion. “It’s a chance for geeks to really let loose about things they’re passionate about,” he says. “Most of the time, if they geek out hard about Star Wars, Serenity, cosplay, or…
After months of renovation, the Hayden Flour Mill in Tempe is now more eye candy than eyesore. The iconic Mill Avenue building reopened on Tuesday as an events venue, public space, and museum (of sorts). The $350,000 makeover, which was funded by the Rio Salado Foundation, upgraded the surrounding property…
William Shatner is an intergalactic badass of the highest order. Despite all the flak that the iconic actor has gotten over his toupee and melodramatic acting style, The Shat is, quite simply, cooler than you’ll ever be. As the legendary Captain James Tiberius Kirk, he’s bedded babes, fought Klingons, and…
When the owners of the Monarch Theatre stated they wanted the downtown Phoenix venue to become one of the premier forums for electronic dance music in the Valley, they weren’t screwing around. In the four weeks since the joint debuted, it’s featured such top-shelf EDM tastemakers as New York trance…
Officially, the exhibition hall at Phoenix Comicon this weekend only stays open until around 7 o’clock on Friday and Saturday evening. But that doesn’t mean that geeks have to call it a night. A slew of after-parties, nightlife events, and costume balls (both official and unofficial) are scheduled to take…
Admit it geeks: You’d probably give anything to be like William Shatner. The Canadian actor is world famous for playing as Captain Kirk on the original Star Trek. Outside of his most-famous role, the 81-year-old is equally renowned for his campy acting and even campier music career. And for his…
Millions who witnessed yesterday’s annual solar eclipse raised their cameras skyward and snapped plenty of pics of the celestial event as the moon’s shadow obscured the setting sun. That includes the thousands of Arizona residents who watched the eclipse take place and used their cameras or cell phones to grab…
There’s a little over 146 hours left to go until this year’s much-anticipated Phoenix Comicon officially opens its doors to geeks across Arizona on Thursday night, which means there’s little time to dilly dally. Costumes need to be finished, hotel arrangements need to be made, and – most importantly -…
Most comedians might just enter into a deep depression or go on a serious drinking binge after getting canned from the biggest gig of their entire career. Not so with George Lopez. The 51-year-old comic, whose late-night TBS talk show Lopez Tonight was cancelled last summer after only two seasons,…
Clayton “The Klaw” Kershaw is a force to be reckoned with on the baseball diamond. The 24-year-old ace pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers has a chip on his shoulder, a Cy Young Award in his back pocket, and — to paraphrase Eastbound and Down’s Kenny Powers — an arm…
Public Enemy’s Chuck D. and Flavor Flav caused jaws to drop when they made an unannounced visit in 2006 and gave an amazing performance. Afrika Bambaataa was just as impressive when he provided an “awesome” electronica and dancehall set two years ago. And rap icon Jeru the Damaga was in…
Cosmic forces and heavenly bodies will align to create something quite spectacular in the Arizona sky this weekend. An annular solar eclipse will take place late Sunday afternoon just before sunset and will cause the sun to darken considerably. Since this particular solar eclipse’s “path of totality” will cross through…
If you’ve ever wanted to witness the diversity of the Valley’s hip-hop crowd, check out a rap gig at the Big Fish Pub on any given weekend. You’re likely to see a varied assortment of both dudes and dames checking out cyphers spitting fresh rhymes on the microphone, whether its…
If you were hoping to get Patrick Stewart’s autograph on your mint-in-package Captain Picard action figure at Phoenix Comicon this year, hold your breath. The Shakespearean actor and star of Star Trek: The Next Generation has canceled his scheduled appearance at this year’s edition of Comicon…
Turns out local concert promoter Jeremiah Gratza has more on his plate than just putting on shows, passing out flyers, helping run Crescent Ballroom, and hanging out at hip dance nights. The 29-year-old, who’s a promoter with Stateside Presents, occasionally has performed as DJ President Gator over the past four…
You may know Bobcat Goldthwait from his recent films, the cult sensation World’s Greatest Dad and this year’s God Bless America. Or his rather infamous role as the squeaky-voiced gang leader Zed from the Police Academy movies. But Goldthwait was a standup comic first and foremost. He began performing when…
The First Amendment has no greater champions than some of the most notorious comedians of our time. There’s the infamous 1960s obscenity trial of Lenny Bruce, the debate that George Carlin spawned with the “seven dirty words,” and the censorship of Bill Hicks. Besides sparking some side-splitting laughter, each of…
Although it usually takes an hourlong drive to drag your ass all the way up to the Cowtown Event Venue in the Northwest Valley, EDM fans from across PHX will want to make the lengthy trek this weekend. That’s only because DJ Sam Groove and the members of Hades Entertainment…
The owners of the Tempe Improv announced Tuesday that they’re packing their gags and closing the doors of the venerable Valley comedy club on June 1. And here’s the punchline: They’re alleging that comedy competitor Stand Up Live, which opened last summer at CityScape, had a part in the Improv’s…
Steven Wright likes to keep his comedy short but sweet. And plenty weird. Throughout his 30-year career In the early 1980s, the legendary comedian has condensed his quips into curt absurdist punchline, uttered in his trademark low-key and deadpan style, typically without setup or lengthy embellishment. (For example: “It’s a…
