This weekend marks the 24th annual Zuni Festival of Arts and Culture, a celebration of traditional Zuni people and culture, many of whom return to northern Arizona from their namesake pueblo in New Mexico.The event, part open-air market and part live entertainment, draws upward of 2,500 people annually. Educational presentations,…
Modern comedians don’t get much darker than Christopher Titus. The writer, actor, comedian who grew up with a murderous schizophrenic mother, abusive alcoholic father, and had a cheating, check-forging ex-wife has managed to spawn a fair amount of material he defines as “hard funny.” Some of Titus’s most notable comedy…
There aren’t a lot of sports institutions whose rulebooks explicitly state, “speedos only.” Thank God. Sure, the Cards’ linemen are athletes, but “Speedo only” athletes they are not. Mixed Martial Arts athletes, however, embrace a workout regimen grueling enough to terrify even the most ardent of gym rats. Thus their…
The past several years have been quite the whirlwind for Lindsey Stirling. Since reaching the quarterfinals of America’s Got Talent in 2010 by fusing classical and dubstep music together, the world-renowned violinist has released an EP (2010’s Lindsey Stomp), a self-titled full-length album, and created more than a dozen YouTube…
Stories about writers aren’t always fun — the pitfalls include conceited, oblivious, and incestuous points of view. But tales about stage folk are often entertaining, because those people are nuts. The current Herberger Lunch Time show, Life in the Theatre, comprises three tiny plays presented by Theatre Artists Studio. John…
Working on building muscle while building up a tolerance to alcohol? Phoenix-based fitness network Flip N’ Fit can help with that. The local Seed Spot startup has partnered with fitness studios throughout the metro Phoenix area to deliver a diverse set of classes in its free fitness series, Work Out…
Ballet Arizona’s founding a new tradition this year. Instead of having artistic director Ib Andersen present another work of his own, Andersen is putting the spotlight on emerging choreographers among the company’s dancers. Under Andersen’s direction, dancers Tzu Chia-Huang, Nayon Iovino, Myles Lavalee, and Astrit Zejnati will present new, original…
Things we didn’t know about Mel Brooks’ 1974 film Young Frankenstein: • Brooks and Gene Wilder came up with the idea during a coffee break on the set of Blazing Saddles. • Most of the lab equipment props are from the 1931 original. • Aerosmith generated the lyrics for “Walk…
If a play opens at Gilbert’s Hale Centre Theatre and one of the characters can’t see or hear it, is it Tommy or The Miracle Worker? This summer, it’s the latter — William Gibson’s award-gobbling 1959 teleplay/script/screenplay based on Helen Keller’s autobiography, which also catapulted Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke…
The stillness and serenity of summer’s nearly upon us. Before you start munching on ice cubes and renouncing sleeves, know that the seasonal slow-down hasn’t rendered your calendar empty. In fact, a new exhibition at Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art embodies the type of summery static the coming months hold.Bill…
Forget the tall tales and tall orders. Cartwright’s is serving up meals that make it happen and stories that actually did happen with its fourth annual Arizona History Dinner series. Speakers in this year’s series include Marshall Trimble, Bob “Boze” Bell, Wyatt Earp, Dolan Ellis, Robin Sewell, and Lance Polingyouma…
When 21-year-old Bridget Lang and her boyfriend walk around Phoenix, sometimes they get weird looks. Lang, who has moved all around Arizona, says the couple just dresses a little differently. “I know people look at us funny,” she says. “But if we’re comfortable and happy about what we’re wearing, it’s…
As you’re reading this, Joe Wennerlund is currently kicking it Veracruz, Mexico. At this particular moment, the 27-year-old Valley resident might be either sipping some cerveza, feasting on some tacos, or maybe just checking out the city. However, he isn’t just another gringo soaking up some south of the border…
On this week’s Voice Film Club podcast, the Village Voice’s Alan Schestuhl and L.A. Weekly’s Amy Nicholson are joined by special guest Chris Klimek to discuss the strange career of Tom Cruise, the new X-Men movie, and why Han Solo should die. We close the show with a special phone…
Fortune Feimster is on the rise. Despite her name, it’s not just luck that’s landed her at the forefront of up-and-coming comics in Hollywood. Just ask late night host Chelsea Handler, who snatched up the North Carolina comedian as a full-time writer and roundtable contributor for her hit E! Network…
Phoenix is brimming with creativity. And every other year, we put the spotlight on 100 of the city’s creative forces. Leading up to the release of this year’s Best of Phoenix issue, we’re profiling 100 more. Welcome to the 2014 edition of 100 Creatives. Up today: 90. Chris Reed. Chris…
Okay, Arizonans, the jig is up. We’ve been looking at the history of your Internet searches, and the results are good blend of surprising, disappointing, and downright embarrassing. To thank, we have the national real estate site Estately, which compiled a list of the most searched for terms on the…
The spooky, fashionable drag queen Sharon Needles has been busy since she won season four of RuPaul’s Drag Race. She’s kept up with her mantra of “when in doubt, freak them out,” releasing a record full of catchy songs about Ouija boards and Halloween and recently starring as Dr. Frank-N-Furter…
Although the Mad Men storyline isn’t dependent on shock value as much as other popular TV shows, this season has been kicking it up with amputated nipples and drunken meltdowns. All of this madness seems to be building up to a full-blown breakdown, and we think Don Draper’s going to…
Phoenix is brimming with creativity. And every other year, we put the spotlight on 100 of the city’s creative forces. Leading up to the release of this year’s Best of Phoenix issue, we’re profiling 100 more. Welcome to the 2014 edition of 100 Creatives. Up today: 91. Casandra Hernandez. “If…
Real estate is a hot topic in the Valley of the Sun. From talking about the most expensive neighborhoods to the most up-and-coming, it seems people can’t say enough about the best places to buy a home in metro Phoenix. Which is why it should come as no surprise that…
Saving up for that summer vacation? You’re not alone. Fortunately there’s plenty of free events that make it easy to save away for your getaway. From bookstore comedy shows to rooftop pool parties to mingling with culture contemporaries at summer exhibitions, here are Jackalope Ranch’s top three picks of no-cost…
