Call off the Christmas competition. The heck with mistletoe and holly. Kyle Jarrow’s impertinent, improbable A Very Merry Unauthorized Children’s Scientology Pageant is coming to a theater stage near you. The folks at Stray Cat Theatre (who else?) corralled a cast of children to portray figures from the controversial Church…
Too bad the cinema won’t let you flick your Bic, ’cause this primo, 90-minute concert film catches the classic-rock crew on the cusp of superstardom. The flick is showing across the country tonight in its U.S. theatrical premiere. This is the only screening in Arizona. Thu., Dec. 4, 8 p.m.,…
Seriously, exactly where did Chelsea Handler come from? One day she was a virtual unknown, then suddenly there she was, all blond and tall and likable, turning the tired late-night talk-show circuit on its ear with her E! sarcasm-fest, Chelsea Lately. It’s like she never even paid her dues on…
Eyebrow piercings and poor facial hair choices aside, you gotta give Godsmack credit for turning what could have been a trendy, one-hit wonder into a legitimate rock band with an incredibly loyal fan base. When the seminal group first hit the national scene in 1998, it fit easily into the…
Certainly the best-known Van Halen cover band in its home state of California (and possibly the nation), Atomic Punks are the Heidi Fleiss of tribute bands. They’re glam-trash pretty (how could they not be, doing only Roth-era Van Halen?), and they’ve got a list of exclusive “clientele” that includes Roth…
The grand-opening party for the new store features a living fashion display, beats by Mr. P Body, a mode circle and cigar lounge, silent auctions, and hosted cocktails and “lite bites.” Proceeds benefit HALO Animal Rescue and The House of Performing Arts. Thu., Dec. 4, 7-9 p.m., 2008…
The humongous fine-arts-and-crafts fest opens at 10 a.m. daily and runs through dusk. Fri., Dec. 5; Sat., Dec. 6; Sun., Dec. 7, 2008…
Find out why all those folks who live in old homes in downtown Phoenix are so dang house-proud at this weekend’s 24th annual F.Q. Story Historic Home Tour. The event takes place up and down Story’s Lynwood Street, where historic bungalows, Spanish Revival, Tudor, and Transitional Ranch homes will throw…
You gotta admit, the holidays in Phoenix are kind of lame. No snow except for snowbirds, few brisk days, no outdoor ice-skating rinks . . . you picking up what we’re putting down? However, Golfland SunSplash makes up for it a wee bit by putting it down (get it?) with…
As founding members of Procrastination Nation, we were just fine with the notion of leaving our unfinished artsy-craftsy projects unfinished – until we read the tag line for Modified Arts’ December Art Night event: “Felipe is bringing the soy milk and cookies.” Okay, well, now that you mention it, that…
The kickass class is chock-full of wit and wisdom concerning the lovely Maggie, as well as insider’s tips on how to make the so-called perfect one. The price includes appetizers and a private margarita/tequila sampling. Wed., Dec. 10, 6:30-8:30 p.m., 2008…
What separates nude art from porn? The observer? The intent? Or, in the words of Family Guy’s Peter Griffin, “a government grant”? ASU assistant professor and controversial photographer Betsy Schneider kicked up a virtual shit storm last summer when New Times published artistic photos of her kids in the buff…
What separates nude art from porn? The observer? The intent? Or, in the words of Family Guy’s Peter Griffin, “a government grant”? ASU assistant professor and controversial photographer Betsy Schneider kicked up a virtual shit storm last summer when New Times published artistic photos of her kids in the buff…
In the age of Obama, an art exhibit featuring depictions of people in blackface is bound to strike some as, well, inflammatory. But what if the paintings are by a man who identifies himself as black but society pegs as white? In 2005, biracial artist Michael Dixon created quite a…
The commercialization of December 25 has steadily risen since a bald kid named Charlie Brown lamented killing a tree. It’s an annoying trend that some downtown Phoenix performance artists have taken as an opportunity to flip off ol’ St. Nick for the past 23 years. But with the almighty dollar…
We love the Christmas season here at New Times. Every winter we go for strolls along the snowy downtown streets, singing merry carols. We always visit with Christ, who lives beneath the underpass on 15th Avenue. He tells us all about loving thy neighbor and the breaking of bread and…
There’s something about country music that inherently cries out to be mocked. KMLE Country morning man Dave Pratt – despite the fact that we once heard three songs in a row on his radio station that dwelled intimately on the anatomy of the pickup truck – is not one of…
A few things you might not know about Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life, the quintessential “Christmas film”: 1) the name Bedford Falls was combined from two New York towns, Bedford Hills and Seneca Falls; 2) the snowy scenes were shot on a Hollywood backlot during a heat wave; 3)…
Whiny feminists swayed at Lilith Fair, angsty teens flocked to Lollapalooza, and metalheads banged their brains out at Ozzfest. The latest in a long liine of quirky music festivals, KISS FM’s Phooson 2008 features Rihanna, Fall Out Boy, Katy Perry, Jesse McCartney, Varsity Fanclub, Tokio Hotel, and the (vocally) well-endowed…
Save the shucking corn jokes. It’s all about b-ball when the Nebraska Cornhuskers take on the ASU Sun Devils in a Pac-10/Big 12 showdown. Sun., Dec. 7, noon, 2008…
James Harden, Jeff Pendergraph, and company host the Tigers. Thu., Dec. 4, 7 p.m., 2008…
When there’s a weekly night at your favorite bar, it’s tough to avoid. But one weekday weekly leads to another and another and before you know it, you’ve got a mad case of the shakes. Then comes the time when you’re begging for forgiveness from a higher power and swearing…
