Waiting to Exhale

Oppressed smokers of the Valley, cheer up: Dave Attell feels your pain. Whether surviving a smoking ban or forking over a fiver to satisfy a nic fit, the 43-year-old comedian, who lights up the Tempe Improv this weekend, is familiar with the trials and tribulations of tobacco use. “In New…

Lang time coming

On last winter’s intriguing Watershed, k.d Lang’s first disc of original material in eight years, the Canadian-born singer-songwriter seemed to have picked up a few things from the legendary Tony Bennett, with whom she has repeatedly collaborated over the years since singing together during his MTV Unplugged special in 1993…

Bill Konigsberg

The former ESPN.com sportswriter reads from and discusses Out of the Pocket, a story about a high school football hero who’s secretly gay. North Auditorium. Mon., Nov. 10, 6:30 p.m., 2008…

p.a.v.e. Inaugural Symposium on Entrepreneurship and the Arts: Rick Cleveland

Producer/writer Cleveland has played significant roles in the success of TV sensations Six Feet Under, The West Wing, and Mad Men and movies such as Runaway Jury and Jerry and Tom. He speaks as part of the symposium sponsored by the ASU Herberger School of Theatre and Film. Registration is…

Roy Yamaguchi 20th Anniversary Celebration

It takes five chefs (one per course) to salute the Big Kahuna at this delectable celebration of Roy’s 20th year in the biz. In addition to hula dancers and flame throwers, there’ll be a Pacific Rim smorgasbord including Tuna Sashimi Tempura Roll with Yuzu Rose Sauce, Sea Scallop Salad with…

North Scottsdale Polo Club Opening Weekend

“Oh, Charles, will you bring my steed around?” “Indeed. And after, shall we sup?” Actually, though the group meets in North Snotsdale, it’s not, well, like that. These desert strikers wield some mean mallets, and it’s a blast to watch ’em tearin’ up the sod ‘neath the westward-facing brow of…

Iron Pour

SCC sculpture students and contemporaries from ASU, NAU, and New Mexico Highland University create molten art by pouring superheated liquid metal into pre-cast molds. It’s pretty, er, hot stuff. The fourth annual event, which kicks off with the furnace lighting, takes place behind the Art Building. Sat., Nov. 8, 3:30-8…

“CHAIRity”

One-of-a-kind chairs designed by ASU interior-design students. Proceeds from the sale of the chairs at the “CHAIRity” Benefit Dinner and Display on November 19 will go to the Family Advocacy Center. Mondays-Fridays. Starts: Nov. 3. Continues through Nov. 19, 2008…

999 Eyes Authentic Vaudevillian Freakshow

The gang, including the 27-Inch Woman, Lobster Boy, Human Tripod Girl, and Lady Diabla, is on its “I (Heart) Freaks” Tour. Wed., Nov. 12, 8 & 10 p.m., 2008…

“The Fiber of the Matter (la fibra del asunto)” Open Viewing

The exhibit features works by artists Barri Chase, Petra Groen, Ana B. Hernandez, Mona Higuchi, Karrie Hovey, Saskia Jorda, Christy Puetz, Ingrid Restemayer, and Denise Yaghmourian, who used fibers to address “issues of mimicry, process and repetition.” Sat., Nov. 8, 12-3 p.m., 2008…

“The Fiber of the Matter (la fibra del asunto)” Opening Reception

The exhibit features works by artists Barri Chase, Petra Groen, Ana B. Hernandez, Mona Higuchi, Karrie Hovey, Saskia Jorda, Christy Puetz, Ingrid Restemayer, and Denise Yaghmourian, who used fibers to address “issues of mimicry, process and repetition.” Fri., Nov. 7, 6-10 p.m., 2008…

Cheuvront Wine and Cheese Festival

Yummy! The fest at the ab-fab Cheuvront features various artisan and handcrafted cheeses and more than 30 wines from around the globe. Sat., Nov. 8, 12-4 p.m., 2008…

The Arizona Project

ASU’s F.A.R. (Future Arts Research) organization presents this event, featuring playwright Anna Deavere Smith’s “stories of Justice [Sandra Day] O’Connor, as well those of more than 30 women with relationships to the American judicial system.” (The playwright is pictured.) Wed., Nov. 5, 7:30 p.m.; Fri., Nov. 7, 7:30 p.m.; Sat.,…

Susan Page and Carl Leubsdorf

The Washington bureau chiefs for USA Today and The Dallas Morning News, respectively, provide retrospective analysis of presidential-election media coverage. Wed., Nov. 12, 7 p.m., 2008…

“The Polaroid Revolution”

Valley photog Jon White presents his “nostalgic” salute to photography’s dying breed, the Polaroid, which has been effectively bulldozed by digital imaging. Fri., Oct. 17, 6-10 p.m.; Sat., Oct. 18, 12-5 p.m.; Fri., Nov. 7, 6-10 p.m.; Sat., Nov. 8, 12-5 p.m., 2008…

“Nature’s Second Course”

New York artist France Scully Osterman shows off new wet-plate-collodion, salted-paper, and albumen works. Sat., Oct. 11, 1-5 p.m.; Fri., Oct. 17, 6-10 p.m.; Sat., Oct. 18, 1-5 p.m.; Sat., Oct. 25, 1-5 p.m.; Sat., Nov. 1, 1-5 p.m.; Fri., Nov. 7, 6-10 p.m.; Sat., Nov. 8, 1-5 p.m.; Sat.,…

Outrun the FBI 5K Run/Walk

Many try, but few outdistance the boys and girls from Quantico. See how you stack up against real-life special agents at this family-oriented fundraiser for various FBI community-outreach programs. Sat., Nov. 8, 8 a.m., 2008…

Phoenix 10K

This year’s race features the biggie, the Mollen Clinic 10K, as well as the Albertson’s 5K, Phoenix New Times 5K Walk, a 5K Stroller Stroll, and more. Sun., Nov. 9, 7:45 a.m., 2008…

Phoenix Suns vs. Houston Rockets

It rarely works out this way, but adding bully-boy Ron Artest to the lineup of the perennially underachieving Rockets would seem to indicate that Houston management actually wants to do something strange — like, win — come the postseason. Wed., Nov. 12, 8:30 p.m.; Wed., April 1, 7 p.m., 2008…

Bad News Bears

We like many things about Memphis. We like the blues. We like the ribs. We like that the joint was named after the ancient capital of Egypt. We like that it’s not Nashville. We loathe the Memphis Grizzlies. We’d rather see the Spurs win the friggin’ title – again –…

Tales from the Cryptic

Still waiting to get your art-walking feet wet? This is your week. Not only is the weather pretty much perfect, but we’ve found an exhibition where you can say, “Geez, what’s that? I totally don’t get it,” and the artists will probably be thrilled. “Mysterious: simultaneously arousing wonder and inquisitiveness”…