The best part of spending a happy hour at Four Peaks Brewing Company in Tempe is that when you’re leaving at 6 p.m., having had a pint of this and a pint of that, you walk past a long line of suckers waiting for tables. They look so thirsty, and…
With her sweet twist on taxidermy, Amanda Williams has turned the idea of a hunting trophy on its head. Instead of a gun, she wields a scary-long six-inch needle soldered to another equally long needle to turn piles of felted wool into a fox, a raccoon, a deer. Williams is…
The Reverend Horton Heat is the undisputed king of psychobilly, but you could make a helluva case for Nekromantix frontman Kim Nekroman as the genre’s crown prince. In many ways, Nekromantix epitomize the psychobilly look and sound even more than the good Reverend himself. With their gravity-defying pompadours and fixation…
Phoenix New Times writers won top honors for column writing and blogging at the Arizona Press Club’s annual awards banquet, held Saturday at Arizona State University’s Cronkite School in downtown Phoenix. In all, New Times brought home seven first-place awards. Sarah Fenske won the Don Schellie Award for feature column…
Ozomatli play the type of music one would expect from a band that takes its name from the Nahuatl word for an Aztec astrological sign. Their mix of Latin, hip-hop, funk, rock, jazz, and reggae comes from a group that stretches from seven to 10 members, playing both traditional rock…
Guitar virtuoso Al Di Meola is quite dazzling when it comes to technique. His blazing riffs exploded in the ’70s as a member of the groundbreaking jazz-fusion group Return to Forever, with his fretwork often defined by dizzying, slashing turns. Over the years, the New Jersey-born Di Meola has ascended…
In just a few short days (December 27, to be exact), the Valley Metro will be running. With those electrified cables comes the chance to drink down Phoenix like never before. Yes, soon you’ll be able to get booze from Mesa to damn near Glendale without forcing a friend to…
With their golden-age comic book costumes, silly supervillains, and absurd song titles, The Aquabats are punk rawk’s answer to GWAR. Only instead of promising the destruction of the known universe through copious bodily fluids, the ‘Bats are out to protect it. The superhero rock brigade got its start in 1994…
Kevin Bacon, move over! Jason Rose — the big-haired, bigger-mouthed, Republican 30-something king of AZ P.R. — is really the one with the connections. He’s represented everyone from Andrew Thomas to Ballet Arizona, and his favorite parlor trick is getting his clients to pimp one another. (Who can forget Joe…
It’s ironic that consistency, longevity, and predictability have come to be the hallmarks of “true punk,” but that’s where we are more than three decades after Johnny Rotten blew his nose all over those things. As Jello Biafra recently sang, there are all these bands singing their “hits from the…
Welcome to Phoenix New Times’ first Green Issue! Not. This week’s paper won’t feature a photo spread of all-organic fashions worn by sinewy models who subsist on raw-food diets, shot lounging on Crate and Barrel’s brand-new line of eco-friendly patio furniture. (Although it does include a profile of a woman…
• Number of Google hits for “eco-chic”: 658,000 Source: Google • Number of Google hits for “reduce, reuse, recycle”: 390,000 Source: Google • Tons of office paper Americans throw away every year: 7.4 million Source: Waste Policy Center, Lessburg, VA • Tons of food Americans throw away every year: 26.2…
Let’s face it, not everybody is going to make it inside University of Phoenix Stadium for the Super Bowl on February 3rd. So if you’re left on the outside, head to Marc’s Sports Grill & Nightlife where the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat can be shared with…
NEW TIMES PRESENTS P. DIDDY AT AXIS/RADIUS SUPER THURSDAY Diddy is slated to perform at the AXIS/Radius Super Thursday presented by New Times and Movin 97.5 on Thursday, January 31st. This will be Diddy’s only Bowl performance and his only Scottsdale appearance. Indian Plaza will be completely shut down from…
It’s tough to find a place that appeals to both out-of-town visitors and year-round residents, but we’ve got one. Not only does Crazy Ed’s lure in tourists by the busload with its kitschy, Disney-like Western Town attraction on its property, the Cave Creek brew pub also attracts a fair amount…
Sure, the Super Bowl happens in the dead of winter, but why let that stop you from enjoying a cold treat? Especially in Phoenix, when it’s likely a balmy 70 degrees outside. We used to think of milkshakes as a summertime treat only, until we moved to the Valley. Now…
A downside of most Mexican restaurants in the Valley is menu fatigue. We love classic Sonoran dishes, but sometimes a break from tradition is just what we’re craving. At times like those, we head to Padre’s, where Mexican food comes with a twist. Padre’s For starters, we’re hooked on the…
What goes better together than football and beer? And have we got a brew bonanza for you. From the outside, Tops looks like an ordinary neighborhood booze purveyor, but as soon as you take a stroll down the narrow aisles — where shelves are stocked high with a jaw-dropping variety…
The City of Phoenix’s ongoing renovation of Tovrea Castle, one of the Valley’s premier oddball landmarks, has given us locals hope that our state’s capital has finally learned to spell “p-r-e-s-e-r-v-a-t-i-o-n.” The East Phoenix estate — which looks like a royal wedding cake defended by a swarm of palace-guard saguaros…
One of the National Football League’s all-time-great brain children, the NFL Experience is like a humongous punt, pass, and kick competition for kids of all ages. This year marks the 17th annual presentation of “pro football’s interactive theme park” and it will feature participatory games, displays, various clinics, free autograph…
When it comes to sightseeing, it’s tough to beat a panoramic view to really give you an appreciation of a place — especially one as spread out as the Valley of the Sun. North Mountain Park has all the usual trappings of a mountain park in our town — hiking…
With all the high rollers in town for the big game, townies and tourists alike will have to step up their personal presentation to compete for attention. Especially, you $30K millionaires. Since there’s absolutely zero chance of you hooking a top-shelf honey in a regular rental car, consider borrowing a…
