We’re on the prowl for art cars around Phoenix, like this vintage Cadillac which was spotted on McKellips Rd. in North Tempe. This Caddy has it all. Pin-striping. Airbrushed swirls. And an eye-searing electric blue paint job that sparkles like a vampire in the sun (thanks, Stephenie Meyer, for that paradoxical analogy). Basically, it’s a Lisa…
As the artsy sibling of our fellow Phoenix New Times blogs, we run into some of the coolest and most talented folks in town. Jackalope Ranch proudly presents “100 Creatives” in honor of Best of Phoenix, which is just a summer away. Expect it on newsstands and computer screens near…
What’s the best strategy for chowing the most chicken wings in 11 minutes? According to Kevin Byrnes, General Manager of the Native New Yorker on Guadalupe Road and host of the restaurant’s two previous Battle of the Bone wing-eating contests, it’s simple: Breathe. “A lot of people go all gangbusters…
Thunk, thunk, thunk. That’s you on the treadmill. Going nowhere, listening to the same songs on your ipod, and mentally comparing the butt sizes of everyone who crosses your line of stationary vision. Don’t you think your commitment to physical health could be a little more meaningful? Apply all that…
We love to ride bikes. But Susan B. Anthony totally has us beat. Just check out this famous quote by the dollar-coin suffragist: “I think [bicycling] has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance.” Interesting. The Coalition…
Some call him the first rockabilly guy in Phoenix, but Marco Polo (born Marco Saldana) is more than just a pompadour-wearing, stand-up bass-playing pioneer in the Latin rockabilly scene. He’s also a do-it-yourself filmmaker, crafting films in what he calls “The International Crime Jazz Film Collection,” a series of spy…
Hot weather is a convenient excuse for Phoenicians to park their lazy butts on the couch and not do a lick of exercise during the summer months. Well, the bad news is that the excuse doesn’t work anymore. The good news, however, is that you don’t have to deal with…
When Showgirls hit theaters in 1995, Elizabeth Berkley suffered the same harsh treatment from film critics as her character, Nomi Malone, took from high rollin’ pimps, dance instructors, and Vegas bosses. Written by Joe Eszterhas and directed by Paul Verhoeven, the NC-17 rated flick collected eight Razzie’s and became a…
“I knew Westgate was the perfect venue for Bike Night since I walked the property four years ago, when the streets were still dirt,” says Barry Caraway, owner of cyclerides.com, a site promoting motorcycle events in the Valley. His premonition paid off. In its second season, the weekly Westgate Bike…
Domo is quite possibly the most underrated in band in Phoenix. They earn this title through several distinct and important qualities that they, though very few other bands, possess. First off, they sadly don’t play around town as much as one may like. Therefore when you see them, it’s a…
Remember your high school prom? You know, the night you drank spiked punch, stumbled your way through “Stairway to Heaven,” and landed ass-up in the backseat of your date’s rusty Trans Am? Ah, special memories. Get a prom night do-over at the Fetish Prom 2010 hosted by Horns & Halos…
Life would be more difficult if you had an old hi-fi, a Polaroid Swinger, or a twelve-inch color television for a head. You’d probably bump into things a lot. And people would stare. But, if you were lucky enough to be depicted in a groovy acrylic, wood, and resin photo…
Memorial Day is a 24-hour period, designated by our federal government, in which American citizens are obligated to take a day off from work and reflect on our great nation and the proud souls who died for it while serving the military. And, if you’re at the Annual Memorial Day…
Critics who’ve seen Peter I. Chang’s newest film, Tokyo is Dreaming, are calling it a love letter to Japan’s “Eastern Capital.” Like Chang’s earlier films, this one uses the camera as an invisible eye, observing the ways in which the quiet solitude of the city intersects with its bustling business…
It’s understandable if fans are a little apprehensive about seeing a live George Clinton performance in the year 2010. After all, the man is turning 69 years old this summer, and there’s a point where the line between “playful eccentricity” and “rampant senility” start to blur. Reports of fellow funk…
Before October 6, 1998, Judy Shepard was an average woman. Then her average 21-year-old son was savagely attacked, tied to a fence post, and beaten into a coma. Matthew Shepard died October 12. Judy became not just a bereaved mom but co-founder of the Matthew Shepard Foundation and one of…
You see a minimalist painting that is 5 feet by 4 feet of blank, white canvas and you decide to blow bank on it. Yeah, your friends are gonna have an opinion. Such is the case in ART, a play about three good pals who engage in heated debates about…
The Phoenix Mercury won two titles in three years. Diana Taurasi is the league’s premier player, and the Mercury beefed up their roster when they signed Candice Dupree. Nonetheless, this year’s team is still an unknown. The Mercury has to prove that it can win a title without Cappie Pondexter…
We try to live our lives believing in the good of the world; we really do. Then playwright Neil Labute comes along with his shocking work Bash, and just hearing about the storyline tells us that we are living in a world of denial. It’s a sad but necessary exercise…
It seems like most bands from Arizona couldn’t escape their desert roots if they wanted to. While Job for a Cowboy is a death metal outfit of the hardcore variety, their name surely reflects their Glendalian roots. The west side band has received huge amounts of national attention, including from…
What makes these proto-grunge mainstays stand out from the crowd? Is it their low-and-slow sludge musicianship? Their glory days as the elder statesmen of the Northwest music scene? Lead singer/guitarist Buzz Osborne’s irrepressible Robin Lopez hairdo? Naw. It’s their dang Protestant work ethic. In the two-plus decades since their debut…
Boxing is a brutal sport. Holyfield lost a chunk of ear, Sugar Ray Leonard suffered brain damage, and, on average, five boxers die each year in the ring. It’s no wonder artist Vincent Valdez chose to liken a boxing match to the Passion of the Christ in his show, “Stations.”…
