University of Arizona and former St. Mary’s High School star Jerryd Bayless is one of the featured hoopsters in Beastie Boy Adam “MCA” Yauch’s new film, Gunnin’ for That #1 Spot. The documentary about 24 of the best high school players in the country coming together on a basketball court…
Unless you consider Nickelback rock ’n’ roll, you probably don’t rely on the radio to find the hottest new rock music, so why settle for FM-radio-filtered hip-hop? As with most music genres today, if you want to hear the best, you need to go underground. One of the best is…
It’s rather tiresome how people (journalists, especially) try to pigeonhole music into one distinct flavor of the month, like, “Ya know, it’s electronic shoegazer grape rockabilly.” That’s why Phoenix’s Courtney Marie Andrews and her sweet strains are such a breath of fresh air. Andrews’ acoustic alt-folk and clear, endearing vocals…
Island BBQ. Tropical drinks. Pseudo-Tahitian dancers. Hey, we’re all for commodifying Polynesian culture in exchange for a night of gluttony and drunken depravity. That’s why we’re chomping at the bit for the second annual Tiki Lounge Party. We can already hear the glorious song of inebriety echoing in the vomitoriums…
Man, say it ain’t so. One of our favorite dance clubs is closing? Yep, the rumors are true. So let’s cry and our beers and shake our booties off during the Glam Closing Party. Club regulars Bigie, Kevin the Makeout Bandit, Epidemic, and BC/AD will spin at the party. Sat.,…
Most standup comedians seem to follow the same career path. First, they spend up to a decade traveling to every college town in the country, honing their skills, and waiting for the big break. Once they get it, they’re off to Hollywood for small parts in successful movies. Then there’s…
Let’s face it: What most of us know about transgender people could fit into a Barbie shoe. And what we think we know about them — that they are men in dresses or confused, closeted lesbians — is just plain wrong. Lori Girshick, a sociologist and activist who teaches at…
The new iPhone drops and has the Internet going nuts like Paul Wall. Like the bling-mouthed Southern spitter, you feel compelled to stunt and cop the two-year AT&T contract just to keep up with Twitter. In a world thirsty for attention and applause, Jason Koster seeks the Zen of one…
No one can question Mike Ness’ punk rock badge, with him being the sole remaining original member of seminal rockabilly punks Social Distortion and having survived an addiction to heroin. And while some may question the authenticity of Ness’ solo work — which is markedly less “punk” and more straight-ahead…
Bust out your capes and fangs. It’s vampire time, baby. No, we’re not talking about Halloween or some teenage goth event. We’re speaking of the transformation every Phoenician goes through during the summer months. We avoid the sun, socialize in the evening hours, and sleep during the day whenever possible…
One day last year, Michael Sweet — frontman of the Christian metal band Stryper — was sitting down with a bowl of Cheetos to watch a Law & Order marathon when his cell phone rang. Michael Sweet: Hello? God: Hey Michael, it’s me, God. Sweet: No fuc — I mean,…
Finally. The road show known as the Arizona Diamondbacks returns to Chase Field to play only the eighth home game of the month. With little success and lots of struggles of late, that Wizard of Oz moment’s gotta feel good, but not nearly as good as it feels to play…
I solemnly swear not to mention Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story during the writing of this piece. Starting . . . now. When describing an adult-dodgeball affair, it’s de rigueur to reference the 2004 flick. I mean, come on. But if AZ Dodgeball founder Sam Pewitt wants to play coy…
Sci-fi/fantasy convention features various special guests, including artist Todd Lockwood, author Alan Dean Foster, editor Stanley Schmidt, and sci-fi superfans Jim and Doreen Webbert. An artwork by Lockwood is pictured. Wed., July 2; Thu., July 3; Fri., July 4; Sat., July 5, 2008…
Better work on that Pete Townshend-style windmill, ’cause the promoters of this nationally touring event promise “even fewer guitars” this time around. The finals are in San Francisco on August 8. Sat., June 28, 8 p.m., 2008…
The TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer ran for seven seasons and totaled 144 episodes. I double-sourced and tripled-checked, ’cause we’re dealing with the Buffyverse, a subset of the Whedonverse, hallowed home to Joss Whedon fanatics, who have lives outside of their obsession, but not really. I know a Buffy…
Modern celebs are always milking the goodwill angle, whether they’re adopting African babies, playing charity concerts for tsunami relief, or making documentary videos about Darfur. But it wasn’t always about good press. In the late ’60s, WWII hero and International Rescue Committee rep Varian Fry assembled a collection of flight-themed…
When you think of a ukulele, do you think of Joan Rivers and Cheech & Chong? You will once you get a load of Ukulele Ray & The KokoNutz, a tropical/classic rock/comedy act from Tempe. Leader Ray, an ex-Chippendales dancer, is a conjugation of hot and hilarious. The self-hailed pop…
Your auto-obsessed husband takes better care of his ride than of the kids. He gives the four-wheeled beast quality time, regularly bathes his “baby,” and whips out pictures of the ride to show his friends. Meanwhile, the kids miss their daddy, run around with dirty hair, and aren’t allowed to…
Last April, former Phoenix cop George Contreras resigned from the force and opened a guitar shop in South Phoenix. Why give up a cushy city gig? “It’s cooler in here and I’m not getting shot at. At least, not yet,” he quips. These days, Contreras sports a cool Corvette, a…
In the U.S., the psycho/slasher movie has usually been a sordid, depressing affair. Leave it to the Italians to make it an exercise in high style. A fine example is Dario Argento’s lyrically titled, blood-splattered The Bird With the Crystal Plumage (1970), a must-see specimen of the so-called giallo genre…
There are a few things you won’t see at a Heaven & Hell Wrestling event: blockbuster pyrotechnics, thousands of fans, and such superstars as John Cena and Randy Orton. What you will witness at the backyard-wrestling group’s extreme extravaganzas is plenty of skull-crunching action, weapons such as garbage cans and…
