Arts & Culture

Freaks are apparently in high demand these days. Just look at the 999 Eyes Freakshow, a roving band of human oddities and their beloved cohorts that returns for a show at Trunk Space. Says Samantha X, the odd squad’s co-founder and freak mama, “Since the last time we visited Phoenix,…

Because we’re pea-brained individuals at times, we write about things solely because they have weird or effed-up names. A perfect example: Aubrey Debauchery and the Puke Boots. The alt-ish/country-ish band from Chico, California — Chico! — plays simple-enough-sounding tunes with some jacked-up lyrics, like, “I’m gonna tie you to the…

The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust, the newest, Internet-only album by Saul Williams, may not be what fans expect from the accomplished writer, star of the 1998 movie Slam, and poet/musician. It’s more gritty, electronic-based, and, at times, even more pissed-off. For that, we can thank Trent Reznor of…

3/20 vs. White Sox, 7:05 p.m.; 3/22 vs. Angels, 1:05 p.m. Thu., March 20, 7:05 p.m.; Sat., March 22, 1:05 p.m., 2008…

All games start at 1:05 p.m. unless otherwise noted; (ss) = split squad. Schedule: 3/1 vs. Rangers; 3/3 vs. White Sox; 3/6 vs. Diamondbacks; 3/7 vs. Rockies; 3/9 vs. Cubs; 3/10 vs. Giants; 3/13 vs. Angels; 3/14 vs. Rangers; 3/16 vs. Giants (ss); 3/20 vs. Brewers; 3/22 vs. Padres; 3/24…

The HorrorPops have been called psychobilly for years, but these genre-hopping Danish rockers don’t like boxes. We chatted with a few of the bands’ members about their rebellious streak, their homeland, and their new album, Kiss Kiss Kill Kill. New Times: Your music has always been defined by an anti-status…

If you know of him at all, you know singer/songwriter Steve Poltz by his association with Jewel, with whom he wrote the No. 1 hit “You Were Meant for Me.” It’s hard to imagine a more unlikely pair to pen a No. 1 song. Jewel’s a slacker megastar who’s can’t,…

The stage, during a performance of 9 Parts of Desire, is crowded with Heather Raffo. She’s alone up there, but the American/Iraqi actress is surrounded by the many women she’s created in this one-woman show. Raffo’s characters, all Iraqi women whose lives have been impacted in different ways by the…

Those who believe in signs – or like to pull the wings off of flies – saw a golden opportunity for the Phoenix Suns to hurdle another playoffs roadblock when Houston Rockets center Yao Ming went down with a season-ending injury. Well, suck it up, boys, ’cause the Ming-free Rockets…

Oh, Oprah, just when we were becoming annoyed with your television empire, that book club, and your political backslapping, we love you all over again. Your steady hand in guiding Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Color Purple onto Broadway in 2005, and finally toward the stage at Gammage Auditorium,…

Police blotter: 1:18 a.m. January 16, 2008. A stabbing took place outside of Uncle Monkeys in Mesa. Suspect fled the scene in a teal Geo Storm. Word is that dude sucked ass in the bar’s Tuesday-night Guitar Hero Tournament and went apeshit (okay, we made up that last part). So…

A drummer for a Southern-rock band — let’s go whole hog and say the Southern-rock band, Lynyrd Skynyrd — painting prissed-out carousel ponies? That and Michael Cartellone’s highly suspect list of former running buddies (Eddie Jobson of Roxy Music, Tommy Shaw of Styx, Peter Frampton, Damn Yankees! Freddie Mercury!! Cher!!!)…

One of our favorite things to do on a Sunday afternoon is hit up Phoenix Art Museum’s repertory-film series. For one thing, it’s free. Second, it’s free. Three, the movies are projected on a real screen as opposed to a wobbly reject from your old grade-school history class. Four, the…

During Radical Mod, L.A.’s “punk-mariachi-hip-pop” party band Los Super Elegantes perform a rare concert. Thu., March 20, 5-9 p.m., 2008…

Dude who led the largest global warming demonstration in American history discusses and signs Fight Global Warming Now as well as the national bestseller Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future. Tue., March 25, 7 p.m., 2008…

We once noted that The Lost Leaf hosts killing New York City-style jazz every Sunday night courtesy of Jiggle. Now y’all can add Monday evenings for the benefit of your jazz-loving eardrums. A quartet made up of some burning Tempe-based players (Jeff Libman on guitar, bassist John Chapman, percussionist Shaun…

Back in the day, we had Life, Clue, Stay Alive, Connect Four, and, if feeling adventurous, Monopoly. We sure didn’t know of any competitive arena for our board-game time-killers. Today, Yu-Gi-Oh! — a trading-card meta-game based on a fictional competition that drives the plot of the popular Japanese anime series…

Many of you probably ventured forth to Austin for SXSW this weekend. On the off chance you chose to stick a little closer to home rather than rocking out on Sixth Street, you may have attended… 2nd Annual AZ Salsa Festival at The Venue of Scottsdale. Classes and demonstrations rocked…

Decked out in skinny jeans and giant shoes, skaters from across the city and beyond made their way to The Wedge Skate Park in Scottsdale to compete in its annual competition on Saturday. Kids as young as 10 rolled their way onto the park’s concrete waves, all hoping to grind, jump and flip their way into the top stop.

. . . And Justice for All: Special Edition (Sony) Appleseed Ex Machina (Warner Bros.) August Rush (Warner Bros.) Bee Movie (DreamWorks) Black Widow (Fox) Dan in Real Life (Buena Vista) Def Comedy Jam: D.L. Hughley (HBO) Fantastic Four: World’s Greatest Heroes Volume 3 (Fox) Hitman (Fox) Housewife, 49 (Acorn)…

The word on the street is that Phoenix is gonna be going green, but it’s got nothing to do with Al Gore. It’s because the groovy Gaelic get-down known as St. Patrick’s Day is about to strike the PHX, with everyone in Apache Junction to Avondale getting their Irish on…