Sun 11/30 Keeping up appearances is a must in the sports world, a universe where a franchise is nothing without a shiny new building to call home. Naming rights, signage and concessions represent the pot of gold waiting for owners at the end of the sports rainbow, but in the…
11/20-12/22 In both form and function, the human body has always been a nearly perfect work of art. Even so, its perfection hasn’t stopped ambitious artists from using it as a canvas upon which to express their own artistic endeavors. In the Valley, exhibit A of this phenomenon would be…
11/21-11/22 A new beat generation gets its message across loud and clear when Taikoproject presents the world première of (re)generation at Gammage Auditorium this weekend. For their debut creative work, a multimedia stage show combining dynamic taiko drumming, spoken word and hip-hop dance, the young performers of Taikoproject give their…
The halls of higher learning hold something different for everyone, but in a perfect world, every college education would hold true to the virtue of exposing students to the value of pluralism and the beauty of different cultures. In light of the rampant jingoism and unilateral tendencies in the current…
Sat 11/8 At last, a car show that’s so not Scottsdale. This Saturday, November 8, cruise to Fast Eddie’s Diner, 3422 West Glendale Avenue in Phoenix, after 11 a.m. for “Bad Guys III,” a car show featuring “pre-1968 hot rods, customs and motorcycles.” Presented by the Invaders Car Club, the…
11/6-12/7 On the video screen and in the toy stores, technological advances have created a sea change in what passes for children’s entertainment. In the midst of it all, the Great Arizona Puppet Theater has remained true to a 20-year-old aesthetic, proving that, when it comes to delivering the goods,…
11/8-11/9 Of all the ironies to emerge from our current “country at war” mindset, perhaps the greatest involves the startling number of would-be patriots who have emerged from the woodwork to embrace all things military. Safe to say that, once CNN tunes out from the latest conflict to end all…
For the uninitiated, a trip into the land of NASCAR can be quite the eye-opening experience. Within this world, drivers, pit crews and fans pay homage to the God-given right to test the limits of both man and machine, and do so with a passion that borders on — and…
Sat 10/25 If your closet looks like the wardrobe vault from The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, we recommend flaunting it at Halloween Bash 2. Hosted by the Greater Phoenix Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, the bash is open to all — gay, straight, even Republican. “Halloween…
Sat 10/25 For all of you Peeping and would-be Peeping Toms, The Roosevelt Historic District is offering the perfect way to peep without getting slapped with jail time. TourFest, a guided tour of more than 20 houses, lofts and businesses, allows a rare view into buildings that date back to…
10/16-10/19 Don’t feel bad if you’ve never heard of Arizona Opera’s opener — except for the duet Au Fond Du Temple Saint, Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers is relatively unknown. The story, set in Sri Lanka, is full of twists, as estranged friends Zurga and Nadir must decide what to do…
10/10-10/12 Joe Rogan thinks he’s funny, though you may not know it from his poker-faced persona as host of NBC’s Fear Factor. Rogan, who formerly appeared in the sitcom NewsRadio alongside Phil Hartman and Andy Dick, and is now a rookie host of The Man Show on Comedy Central, professes…
10/10-10/12 When you bring the entire Titanic onto the Herberger stage and sink it to music, people start suspecting you are more than the average children’s theater — which is fine with Bobb Cooper, artistic director of Valley Youth Theatre and director of its latest offering, Charlotte’s Web. “We look…
Thu 10/9 Between numerous guerrilla film projects, microcinema events and the Phoenix Film Festival (devoted to low-budget features and short films), Phoenix is becoming a haven for indie filmmaking. So this city has the perfect readership for the latest book by cult filmmaker Lloyd Kaufman, Make Your Own Damn Movie:…
10/6-10/12 Its drunken 16th hole notwithstanding, the Phoenix Open has little, if anything, on the Valley’s other great PGA event, the Gila River Golf Classic, Monday, October 6, through October 12 at Whirlwind Golf Club in Chandler. Securing the game’s greatest players is feat enough, but throw in a week’s…
Tue 10/7 While percussion plays a supporting role in almost all of Western music, it is an art form and musical genre all its own in other parts of the world. Nowhere is this truer than in West Africa, where drum ensembles are revered for the spirituality and tribal force…
Fri 10/3 Downtown’s First Friday art tour gets another stop this weekend, which showcases the work of local photographer Marilyn Szabo. Sponsored by Szabo’s regular gallery, Victoria Boyce Gallery of Scottsdale’s Main Street, Szabo’s latest will be shown in her personal studio space. Szabo, known for her stunning work in…
Fri 9/26 The lure of wheel-to-wheel racing is reserved for a special kind of person, one for whom life truly begins when the rubber meets the road. Arizona has always been a fertile breeding ground for racing aficionados, a group about to be indoctrinated into the world of European-style kart…
For all their amazing traits, there is a single-mindedness to dogs that is especially enviable. Their owners may lurch from one obsession to another in search of happiness and fulfillment, but something as simple as food, a toy or a morning walk can take members of the canine set to…
Fri 9/12 During its heyday in the late ’60s and early ’70s, the sport of women’s roller derby proved that ladies with skating skills and a penchant for foul play made for great entertainment. Some 30 years later, the derby keeps a lower profile, a condition that a group of…
Sat 9/13 The name you’re given at birth can go a long way toward charting your course in life. Take the case of “Grapple Girl,” a young woman whose handle instantly ruled out any career involving ladylike comportment. Who needs manners, however, when the trilogy of martial arts, a fenced-in…
9/13-1/4 For as long as civilizations have existed, artists have shined a telling light on the social and political issues at play in their homelands. In Mexico, the folk artist has long filled the role of social commentator, documenting the struggle of a resilient people in overcoming adversity and achieving…
