Top 5 Things to Do in Metro Phoenix This Weekend

Take a chill pill this pre-holiday weekend. Here are Jackalope Ranch’s top five picks for things to do in metro Phoenix. A Christmas Carol @ Theater Works Give it up to the 170 years of the greatest holiday grump we’ve known. Ebenezer Scrooge gets down in the West Valley with…

Voice Film Club Podcast: Her and Anchorman 2

Joaquin Phoenix in Her.On this week’s Voice Film Club podcast, this paper’s film critics talk about Spike Jonze’s Her and Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, in addition to the wave of films all coming out before the year’s over. Listen to it on iTunes or below on Soundcloud…

Take This Kanye West Quiz. It Has Funny Illustrated Clues!

All illustrations by me. I’m Shea. [Editor’s Note: In his column Serrano Time, award-winning writer and goofball Shea Serrano writes about his life and times.] This game is very simple: Look at the pictures and guess what Kanye West song each one represents. Boom. That’s it. That’s all. You’re done…

The People of True Music Festival 2013

It happened. Whatever else you can say about this year’s inaugural True Music Festival in Scottsdale, the ambitious one-day festival went off mostly hitch-free, bringing The Flaming Lips, Wiz Khalifa, and Bassnectar, among others, to town for a very appreciative audience. This is that audience–sweatshirted, in large groups, and, if…

Top 5 Things to Do in Metro Phoenix This Week

Once you’ve wrapped up your seasonal shopping (for help, consult Jackalope Ranch’s ultimate gift guide), here’s how to fill in the gaps in this week’s schedule. Clint Hill and Lisa McCubbin Book-Signing @ Changing Hands Bookstore The assassination of JFK was one of the most devastating events in American history,…

10 Best Pork Belly Dishes in Metro Phoenix

By Heather Hoch and Lauren Saria During our quest to find Phoenix’s best offal dishes, we noticed a great deal of pork belly popping up on the menus around town. While pork belly didn’t quite make the weirdness cut for our offal specifications, we thought the delicious, luxurious cut of…

Yes, America: Mexican Music Is Violent. Get Over It.

From Movimiento Alterado’s “Sanguinarios del M1″BuKnas de Culiacán singer doing what he does best–vamping!By Gustavo Arellano America’s liberal class and MSMers are abuzz right now over Narco Cultura, a documentary about Mexico’s horrific drug war and the musical movement that has risen around it. These libs (and more than a…

21 Movie Romances That We Loved in 2013

In 2013, love came in many forms: girl on zombie, boy on smartphone, and James Franco on — count ’em — two hot bikini babes at the same damn time. Sure, romantic comedies are as extinct as Oprah Winfrey’s chances of winning Best Supporting Actress at the Golden Globes, but…

Top 5 Things to Do in Metro Phoenix This Weekend

Just ’cause it’s cold doesn’t mean you should chill at home. Here are Jackalope Ranch’s top five picks for things to do in and around Phoenix this weekend. Phoenix Festival of the Arts @ Margaret T. Hance Park Downtown becomes a destination art haven for the second annual Phoenix Festival…

Backyard Jamboree’s Pop-Up Dinner Sunday Night in Arcadia

By Jennifer Woods “We won’t be swimming tonight,” joked Colleen Frisbie, co-host of Sunday night’s Backyard Jamboree dinner in Arcadia. She explained that this home has had a history of blow-out parties with guests including the band Korn and porn actress Jenna Jameson. Frisbie and chef Sacha Levine have turned…

13 Best Ethnic Restaurants in Metro Phoenix

Looking for something a little different to eat? Well, Chow Bella is here to help. We spent the past year scouring the Valley to find the best ethnic restaurants. Here’s a list worth saving for when you’re looking for some great ethnic cuisine, no matter where you are in metro…

Eminem and Rihanna’s “The Monster”: Why This Song Sucks

[Editor’s Note: In his column Serrano Time, award-winning writer and goofball Shea Serrano writes about his life and times.] Song: Eminem’s “The Monster,” featuring Rihanna History: Eminem did a freestyle battle. He went up against Papa Doc and choked. It was pretty sad. Then some more sad stuff happened to…

9 Best Vintage Shops in Metro Phoenix

Looking for vintage Mexican home goods? How about industrial furniture for your loft? Maybe some vintage denim to round out your wardrobe? Whatever it is you’re looking for in the vintage realm, we’ve spent the past year scouring Phoenix to find it. So grab a pen, bookmark this story, or…

Top 5 Things to Do in Metro Phoenix This Week

Art, theater, and luminarias light up the Valley this week. Here’s your guide to all of the above. Las Noches de las Luminarias @ Desert Botanical Garden The concept of luminarias, which are brown paper bags partially filled with sand and then illuminated from the inside by a candle to…

Top 5 Must-See Phoenix Shows This Week

Last week Phoenicians had a chance to celebrate a not-exactly routine Christmas with Alice Cooper. This week you’ve got Korn. I can’t promise any metal Christmases at all next week, so make of that what you will. (View our complete concert calendar here.)…

First Friday in Phoenix: 5 Things to Do December 6

Whether you’re heading out for the people-watching, partying, or (surprise!) to check out fresh works of art this First Friday, here are Jackalope Ranch’s top picks for shows and events not to miss this evening. Halt Gallery’s “Roaming with Abandon” @ Modified Arts Becky Nahom and Julia Bruck have big…

Top 5 Things to Do in Metro Phoenix This Weekend

In case our roundup of 41 spectacular holiday events and 11 holiday light attractions don’t have you sufficiently busy, here are five things to add to your to-do list this weekend. Crafeteria @ Medlock Plaza Year after year we promise we’ll make our own gifts, trying our hand at the…

50 Awesome Gifts for the Food and Drink Lover

What? Not done with your holiday shopping? Yeah, neither are we. But we’ve been making lists — and checking them twice — and we’ve got some suggestions for the nice people on your lists — no matter who they are. Here (divided by category for your convenience) are our 50…

Top 5 Things to Do in Metro Phoenix This Week

Calendar ready? Good. Here’s what to pencil in this week. “Women Who Rock” @ Musical Instrument Museum Does Taylor Swift rock? That’s the consensus, as several items from the pop star, from clothing to handwritten lyrics, are part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s “Women Who Rock: Vision,…