Greater Phoenix is obsessed with cars. Need proof? Take a look at that big, nasty brown cloud we suck through our collective nostrils on a daily basis. Last year, the Phoenix Art Museum caught on with “Curves of Steel,” which displayed rare and historic models (see “Nice Ride,” May 17,…
“Mike Medow: The Second Life of Wood” at the West Valley Art Museum: Remember when you were a kid and you used to do gross stuff just to be funny, like sculpting mud to look like dog poop and eating it to freak out your little sister? Man, that was…
Ever since we loitered at the Scottsdale Civic Center as 14-year-olds, we’ve been dying to drink at AZ88. Its banana-boat lighting and pink bathrooms were so enticing that we couldn’t wait until our 21st birthday. Now that we’re well past that milestone, AZ88 has endured as one of our favorite…
Some of the hottest parties hit this place during Super Bowl weekend, so by the time Sunday rolled around, we had a mean case of social anxiety disorder. We figured all the other photographers in town would snap their fair share of glitz and glamour shots over the weekend, so…
“The Art of David Borders: A Forty Year Survey of Painting, Collage and Assemblage” at The Chandler Center for the Arts: David Borders doesn’t offer anything new, but that’s never been his intent. For the past 40 years, this painter has looked to popular art as inspiration for his own…
Ask around downtown Phoenix, and just about everyone seems to have a story about Michael Little. He’s a painter by trade, but better known as a character — formerly homeless, now living in a house with a Tim Burton-esque striped tree in front. The guy once swapped a painting for…
Whether you’re a Bible-thumper, enlightened Buddhist, or totally faithless, you can’t deny that spirituality has birthed some great art. The cave drawings of Lascaux weren’t the caveman’s version of a movie theater; they were visual prayers to promote plentiful hunting and survival. Aztec temples didn’t feed any architect’s ego; they…
Back in the ’80s, by the time he pulled on his spandex in the morning, David Lee Roth had already received five offers of a BJ. But now, hair plugs and failed reunion tours equal total burnout. David Lee should talk to artist Kenneth Richardson, who reinvents Roth in a…
We don’t want to hate on downtown Phoenix. Sure, it has its problems, but bagging on this city is as played out as skinny jeans. We’re over it. So when a new bar opens up, we get super-stoked. Such was the case when we hopped into The Rose & Crown…
Attention, ladies. Next time you’re getting guff from your man about an expensive salon visit, hand him a copy of Deborah Rodriguez’s Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil, a story that chronicles the author’s relief work in Afghanistan shortly after the fall of the Taliban. He’ll…
Considering the stiff penalties for drinking and driving, it’s not often we make our way to the outskirts of town for a cocktail. But on Friday, January 18, we were feeling particularly sober and decided to check out a brand-new joint in north Scottsdale called Vocé Ristoranté & Lounge. Being…
“Jim Waid Recent Paintings” at Riva Yares Gallery: It’s easy to make the argument that we’re overstimulated. With TV, movies, and Wii, paintings really have to go the extra mile to stand out. Jim Waid’s nature-inspired paintings, while static, offer an escape into a whimsical world of fantastic landscapes and…
So it’s Martin Luther King Day and you’re required to work. That’s a toughie. You want to honor one of the most important figures of the 20th century, but you don’t want to imply that your boss is racist by making a big stink. We recommend playing a quiet game…
Ecch, California. They’ve got beautiful weather and miles of coastline for their fancy boats. We want some of that. But we like a challenge, and we’ve got grit enough to make it happen in the middle of the desert. Beat that, you lazy effing bastards! At the 48th Arizona Yacht…
There’s been a lot of talk about hip-hop at the New Times office, so by midweek, we were geared up for Raising Arizona at The Bar, a.k.a. The Lucky Devil in Tempe. (Click here for more photos.) This weekly DJ night may not have the frantic buzz of Hollywood Alley’s…
Hello? Oh, hi! I’m okay . . . considering. Nope, he’s still staying at the hotel. He says he doesn’t know if he can love me anymore. You’re right, he’s an asshole. Anyway, let’s talk about something else. How did it go last night? Mmm hmm. Oh, that’s a nice…
Living knee-deep in this postmodern world means a constant flux of meaning and connectivity. What was rigidly defined for previous generations is now a junk drawer of ideas, overlapping and blurring traditional boundaries. Just think of your baby boomer mother’s definition of “family” versus your own. She sees family as…
People go to the Heard Museum to see woven blankets, turquoise jewelry, and ancient pots. Joe Baker tried to change that. Although he left late last year (part of the near-constant game of musical chairs the local art world likes to play), Baker may just have a lasting impact on…
It’s about time they did something with that great big dirt lot on First Street and Roosevelt. For months, this prime location on the main drag of First Friday art walks was just another sidewalk stop filled with art and music booths. But on Friday, January 4, the area turned…
Lindsay Palmer, Aaron Abbot and Don Kauss at eye lounge: eye lounge kicks off 2008 with two photographers and a sculptor, with varying degrees of success. Lindsay Palmer explores the properties of light through very pretty up-close shots of liquid-filled glasses perched on mirrored tables against a natural landscape. Each…
We were super-nervous about Chez Nous’ big move from Seventh Avenue to Grand Avenue. Change is scary, especially when it revolves around a Valley staple of nightlife. So when we heard they pulled it off and that they were having a kickass New Year’s party, we decided to check it…
The Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art dug into its permanent collection for the sculpture show “Not Really So Simple.” At first glance, the pieces really are simple. But as I shared space with each one, I found myself wanting to fondle some of them to explore their properties. It was…
