Arts & Culture

This country has witnessed some pretty intense debates over the years. Which party – Republicans or Democrats – is right? Does the east coast or west coast have better hip hop? Which creature – vampire or werewolf – is sexier? Though the discourse rages on, these opposing parties may never…

Artist Michael Marlowe brings new meaning to the term “ballsy.” Though his work won’t leave you feeling testy, you will end up seeing several testes. That is, if you mosey on down to the After Hours Gallery sometime between now and March 30, when the locally based installation artist has…

Yann Martel wrote the award-winning Life of Pi in 2002. He hasn’t published a novel since, so it’s no wonder there’s hubbub over the release of his new book, Beatrice and Virgil. While Pi was a survival story about a man trapped on a lifeboat with a zebra, hyena, orangutan,…

You don’t have to travel to New Orleans to see drag queens, colorful costumes, and freely bared breasts. Just visit the Downtown Phoenix Mardi Gras Parade, kicking off at 7 p.m. at 1st Street between Jefferson and Madison streets. Afterwards, head over to CityScape for a free Mardi Gras festival…

The stats say that the Phoenix Coyotes are average; they have an unimpressive goal differential and their performance on power plays has been mediocre. What’s put the Valley’s pro hockey team near the top of the standings is their uncanny ability to scratch out close wins. The Detroit Red Wings…

Quick PHX contents: • “Collections” by Robrt L. Pela • “Art” by Wynter Holden • “Food” by Michele Laudig • “Shopping” by Carrie Wheeler • “Nightlife” by Benjamin Leatherman • Sebastien Millon: The Artist Speaks…

At the risk of being redundant, the Phoenix Psychic Fair will be coming to the Crowne Plaza on Sunday, March 6. How is this redundant? If you’re asking, then you might not be psychic; in which case, the Phoenix Psychic Fair is coming to town on Sunday, March 6, so…

Needless to say, Rafael Márquez will be the center of attention during the Red Bull Reto del Sol football (aka soccer) match. The international “Challenge of the Sun” friendly will pit the New York Red Bulls against Club Atlas de Guadalajara (Mexico). Márquez – along with French footballer Thierry Henry…

Quick. What do you get when you cross a translation of Shakespeare’s King Lear with Japan’s 16th century civil wars? Legendary Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa’s 27th film and must-see masterpiece, Ran. Literally meaning chaos or revolt, Ran, originally released in 1985 and amassing major awards worldwide, tells the tale of…

Isn’t it nice, Arizona Diamondbacks’ fans, that you don’t have to drive to Tucson to see the snakes play in Arizona Cactus League Baseball? C’mon, fess up. You know it rules. Before, you could only catch them in the Valley on a random Monday or something, but now that Salt…

Americans will do anything to avoid getting older or fatter. Stomach stapling is on the rise, Botox is in like high-waisted jeans, and older celebs such as Joan Rivers and Cher have more fillers than an Oscar Meyer wiener. Local artist Benjamin Phillips makes physical imperfections hard to ignore in…

Comic musical in the same vein as Sex in the City features five women singing hits such as “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” “It’s Raining Men,” and “I Will Survive.” Tuesdays-Sundays. Starts: March 1. Continues through March 13, 2011…

Josh Kornbluth’s Andy Warhol: Good for the Jews? is less about the famous pop artist – or about Jews – than it is about love and art. Somewhere in there, Kornbluth wedges a little history of Warhol, but his monologue, which he wrote and has been performing all over the…

Making new images look like old relics that just came out of a crumbling leather billfold is a slippery slope – we’ve seen some baaaad attempts at pseudo nostalgia – but Terry Pisel’s “Chicago” wonderfully pulls it off. The masters’ degree holder in architecture from Arizona State University and Try…

Artist Michael Marlowe brings new meaning to the term “ballsy.” Though his work won’t leave you feeling testy, you will end up seeing several testes. That is, if you mosey on down to the After Hours Gallery sometime between now and March 30, when the locally based installation artist has…

Every popular trend comes back around at some point — bell bottoms (now disguised as “flare” pants), the HCG diet, and vinyl records, as well as geometric design, as evidenced by the “4SQUARE” exhibit on display through March 24 at Squeeze Gallery. The show features bold, colorful geometric prints from…

Nowadays, we’re lucky when we go to a show and the musicians are the only performers in the room. Between people texting, tweeting, and making (and taking!) calls, almost every electronic device in the vicinity is putting on a show of its own. That’s one reason why we find the…

Brent Pitts at Merc Bar may not have an Angelina or a bunch of randomly adopted babies BUT he does have a Nikki at his bar to name this randomly concocted shot after. Name: The Peppermint Nikki Ingredients: vodka, Kahlua, Creme De Menthe, cream and Hershey syrup. Flavor: Tastes like…

As of last week, downtown Scottsdale has one more reason to kick back a few vintage cocktails; The New-York based Sydell Group (behind the Ace Hotel New York and the Ace Hotel and Swim Club in Palm Spring) purchased Hotel Theodore with plans for a rename and big-time renovation. According…

Ten years ago, merchants from Seventh Avenue created a street fair to commemorate some safety changes to the area and to prove to the public that Seventh Avenue was a clean, safe place to live, work and play. Back then, the fair consisted of a few booths, a few classic…