It’s hard to miss the DJs From Mars whenever they’re performing. Typically clad in matching jumpsuits and hiding their heads with cardboard boxes adorned with smiley faces, the Euopean DJ duo tends to stand out, even amidst all the colorful costumes of a rave. So you’ll have no problem spotting…
Death can be a great career move for a musician. Case in point: The absolutely deification of Michael Jackson in the two years since his untimely passing. Like James Brown and John Lennon before him, The King of Pop’s prior bad acts have been forgotten and he’s become revered and…
Traditionally, haiku are peaceful poems about nature – in other words, a total snooze fest. But at the Pink Slip Haiku Deathmatch, locals will spit sweet 17-syllable poems on topics ranging from the crappy desert weather to Internet porn. “These poems came to us through Japanese books and art. But,…
Rampage, a.k.a. the Lieutenant of Busta Rhymes Flipmode Crew, is surely not the only hip-hop artist to be quoted as saying, “I want to tell the youth that instead of hustling on the block they need to get an education.” But this Flatbush-born, Phoenix-based rapper is putting his money where…
The Arizona Derby Dames are as comfortable with breaking ground as they are with breaking noses. Last year, the local league debuted the first modern banked track in the Valley. This year, they’re following that accomplishment up by hosting Phoenix’s first ever Battle on the Bank. Starting Friday, June 10,…
Every actor knows that a review can make or break a career, regardless of how accurate the critics are. “True or false, that which is said of men often occupies as important a place in their… destinies, as that which they do,” Victor Hugo wrote in his acclaimed novel Les…
The daily grind of the workweek can make you feel like you’re stuck in a machine with no emergency shutoff switch. Forget your technical difficulties and let loose at Release, a trip-hop dance party at Brick. Experience live original beats performed by local group Sound Propagation and deep house music…
Hollywood remakes of foreign films are a mixed bag, to say the least. For instance, The Magnificent Seven was an epic reimagining of Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai, while cinematic abortions like Point of No Return (La Femme Nikita) should’ve stayed in development hell. When Tinsel Town transformed the 1962 French sci-fi…
Few bookworms have been daring enough to actually read the whole of Ulysses, by choice anyway. The James Joyce classic is so well-regarded in literary circles that it earned the esteemed author his own holiday (the annual celebration of Bloomsday, named after protagonist Leopold Bloom). It’s also one of those…
Arizona native Jose Benavidez Jr. is like the fighting equivalent of Beethoven or Bach – a prodigy with the genes and raw talent to ensure a quick rise to success. He holds bragging rights of being the youngest Golden Gloves winner ever at the tender age of 16, and received…
Sir Paul McCartney is no stranger to the world of classical music. The Beatles were among the first rock tinkerers to introduce elements and motifs from classical compositions into their work. At the dawn of the ‘90s, McCartney began releasing bonafide classical suites like Liverpool Oratorio and Standing Stone, and…
If those rumors we keep hearing about Hollywood’s intent to remake the raunchy ‘80s comedy Police Academy ever prove true, we’ve got someone who’d be perfect to star in the flick: Pablo Francisco. The hilarious impressionist and sound effects-spewing comedian would be a natural fit for the onomatopoeia-bending role of…
Unlike modern art where viewers struggle to see anything real in the abstract forms, it’s easy to see the movement in Eric Bowman’s works. The Oregon-based artist’s collection “Off Key, On Point,” inspired by music and dance, features performers literally caught in the act. The impressionistic oil paintings convey action,…
Some Phoenicians are backwards-thinking when it comes to shit like birther bills and illegal immigration, but at least our kids can talk about their sexual orientation in school. Same-sex marriage may not be legal here, but there’s plenty more for the gay (or should we say, Takei?), lesbian, bisexual and…
The Airborne Toxic Event’s pulsing, chilly music — with the moody sweep and swirling keyboards of ’80s dark-wave revivalists such as the Killers and Interpol — moves with majestic aplomb. (Frontman Mikel Jollett even cites the Smiths in “Strange Girl,” off last month’s second album, All At Once.) Once an…
The role of footwear is an oft-debated topic amongst running nuts. Some joggers swear by ol’ fashioned tennies, while others believe those creepy-looking toe shoes are the way to go. According to the cats at RunBare, mankind is meant to bomb around sans shoes, much like cavemen did back in…
The day that renowned ballet star Maria Tallchief met future husband (and legendary choreographer George Balanchine) was a watershed moment in her life. Ditto for the day when she became the first prima ballerina of the New York Ballet in 1947. Both events, as well as other remarkable moments from…
What a difference a year makes. Last season, the San Francisco Giants were the top team in the National League West, racking up victories en route to winning their first World Series in more than 50 years. Meanwhile, the Arizona Diamondbacks were dwelling in the cellar as one of the…
Sung to the tune of “Jack and Diane”: A little ditty about Matt and Kim/Two American kids making music in Brooklyn/Matt plays keys, sings snotty and cute/Kim bashes out drumbeats and sings a bit too/Oh yeah, life goes on/Long after the hype of their debut is gone/Oh, yeah, life goes…
Unlike modern art where viewers struggle to see anything real in the abstract forms, it’s easy to see the movement in Eric Bowman’s works. The Oregon-based artist’s collection “Off Key, On Point,” inspired by music and dance, features performers literally caught in the act. The impressionistic oil paintings convey action,…
A good play will keep you entertained long enough to put aside your troubles for an hour or two. A bad play, on the other hand, will leave you squirming in an uncomfortable, rickety, squeaky theater chair for what feels like a lifetime. That’s why we’re thankful for Theatre Artists…
A bouncy brew, chock full of sensational songs and poultrylicious patter with a little Broadway stirred in, mixed in with some toe-tappin’ pop. Performed by 16 Bars theatre troupe. Tuesdays-Fridays, 12:10 p.m. Starts: June 7. Continues through June 16, 2011…
