5 Best Things to Do in Metro Phoenix This Weekend

South of Gold Mountain When H.T. Chen & Dancers take to the stage at Tempe Center for the Arts on March 27 and 28 to perform South of Gold Mountain, they’ll bring with them a multitude of stories. Through a series of interviews, compiled oral histories, historic photographs and footage,…

Madewell to Open at Kierland Commons in Scottsdale

Good jeans? They’re on the way. Purveyor of tomboyish wearables and choice denim Madewell is coming to Kierland Commons outdoor shopping center in Scottsdale. It will be the J. Crew subsidiary’s second location in Arizona. The first is located inside Scottsdale Fashion Square…

Postcommodity Retools Mechanisms of Western Culture to Critique Itself at SMoCA

Indigenous art collective Postcommodity’s two installations currently on display at Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art as part of its “southwestNET” series until April 26, 2015 transform idyllic imagery into a subversive spectacle, utilizing Western culture to critique itself. The Southwest-based interdisciplinary collective currently consists of Raven Chacon, Cristóbal Martínez, Kade…

Lesbian Dating App Her Launches in Phoenix

Looks like every night is now ladies night, thanks to a new dating app by London-based entrepreneur Robyn Exton. Formerly known as Dattch (a slightly clever but not so catchy blend of the words “date” and catch”), Her is a dating platform designed specifically for lesbians and bisexual women. Although…

“Minimally Speaking” Plays With Art History at Bentley Gallery in Phoenix

Plenty of ink has been spilled on the topic of minimalism, a particular type of art process and product popularized during the 1960s. John Reyes, director for Bentley Gallery, describes it as art meant to be “totally objective, unexpressive, and non-referential.” It followed something called abstract expressionism, a style prevalent…

Can Generation X Grow Up Already?

Noah Baumbach has always had a dash of hypochondria, but in the past few years, his doctor’s visits have changed. “If you’re a worrier like I am, or Ben,” he says, referring to Ben Stiller, the star of his 2010 movie Greenberg, “you’re used to going, ‘Is this something that…

Convergent Arts Slam

On Thursday, March 26, downtown Phoenix will host an epic, poetic battle. But we’re not talking about Trojan War status here. We mean an epic battle of poets, the Convergent Arts Slam hosted by Truth B. Told. Witness the competitors of this biweekly event turn their words into swords as…

Peter Rabbit

Cuteness and fuzziness abound in Great Arizona Puppet Theater’s Peter Rabbit. Based on Beatrix Potter’s original charming story and illustrations, the production features a watercolor-y palette and instrumental accompaniment – with no dialogue, so it’s perfect for small children and non-English speakers, along with the rest of you. And no…

Oneohtrix Point Never

Artist Daniel Lopatin, better known as Oneohtrix Point Never, is truly a 21st century creative. While his palette isn’t particularly original, his vision is strikingly so. Rather than hiding behind subterfuge masquerading as originality like so many of today’s songwriters, Lopatin opts for a clever aural melange, leaning heavily on…

UHF

After 32 years of recording music, Weird Al Yankovic finally nabbed a number-one hit album with 2014’s Mandatory Fun. The only way the accordion-playing parodist could be more on top of the world would be if he were given full control of his own television station to let loose with…

Chicago

Some theater never gets old — especially when bawdy singing, sultry dancing and a bygone era are in the mix. Such is Chicago, marking it’s 40th anniversary. The play’s setting takes it back 50 years further to prohibition-era Chicago, a time when jazz was swinging and, according to the press,…

Agave on the Rocks

Though it’s only just begun, spring already feels like summer. Desert Botanical Garden is helping to ease that transition with its annual Agave on the Rocks event. Cool off by strolling the garden after sunset, salted rim in hand.Noted tequileria, Azunia Tequila, of the Jalisco region of Mexico, will host…

Out the Box

Late night events have that frisky, spontaneous, verboten feeling: Who will be there? What’s gonna happen? Will someone show up with doughnuts? And so it’s even more fun to anticipate a relatively new happening, as the unpredictability quotient climbs satisfyingly. The latest late show at Space 55 is Out the…

Too Hot To Handle

This weekend, head to Maricopa for the city’s 11th annual Salsa Festival, during which salsa chefs compete for prizes including a grand prize of $1,000. The event will be held at Copper Sky Regional Park from 3 to 7 p.m. and will feature live entertainment from groups including Havana Soul,…

The Lowrider Arizona Super Show

If you’re the type who takes an outlandish approach to the car-buying experience, taking trivialities such as fuel efficiency, resale value, and reliability into consideration, then read no further. It’s doubtful that you’ll see the raw practicality inherent in the cars on display at The Lowrider Arizona Super Show on…

Tweed Ride

Imagine biking through Tempe: Lights sparkling off the lake, wind rushing through your hair, and coarse, wooly fabric rubbing against your skin. If this sounds desirable to you, then we must tip our bowler hats, raise our pipes, and suggest you participate in the annual Tweed Ride. Tempe Bicycle Action…

South of Gold Mountain

When H.T. Chen and Dancers take to the stage at Tempe Center for the Arts on March 27 and 28 to perform South of Gold Mountain, they’ll bring with them a multitude of stories. Through a series of interviews, compiled oral histories, historic photographs and footage, and traditional southern music,…

“Nosotr@s Somos”

Chicano, Latino, and indigenous American artists are bringing their own cultural and social issues to the forefront of the canvas with the collaborative exhibition “Nosotr@s Somos.” Hosted by Entre Nosotr@s, this show will feature the works of Native and Latin American artists including Denise Amaya, Gloria Casillas, and Monica-Gisel. “Nosotr@s…

Encanto-Palmcroft Home Tour and Street Fair

Mosey south of Thomas Road and west of Seventh Avenue you may notice something unusual happens: The houses suddenly become breathtakingly beautiful. That’s because you’ve entered the Encanto-Palmcroft historic neighborhood. But there’s more to this area than just being really, really, ridiculously good looking. And you can plan on finding…

Dave Chappelle

What? Yeah! Okay! That pretty much sums up our reaction when we heard that the one and only Dave Chappelle was coming to the Valley for a one-night-only show. The reclusive comedian, who is best known for Chappelle’s Show, a Comedy Central sketch series that’s loss is mourned more than…