Depth of Winter
The Netflix western series Longmire may be over, but there are still more stories to tell of rural county sheriff Walt Longmire. Celebrate the release of the latest Longmire mystery, Depth of Winter, with series creator Craig Johnson. The Poisoned Pen is hosting the bestselling author at the Arizona State University Kerr Cultural Center, 6110 North Scottsdale Road, at 7 p.m. on Thursday, September 6.
The Wyoming sheriff goes international in his 17th adventure. After his daughter is kidnapped by international drug lords, Longmire heads to Mexico to rescue her from the cartel. Tickets, $30 for one person or $35 for two, are required and include a copy of Depth of Winter. Limit three personal books. For more information, call 480-947-2974 or visit The Poisoned Pen website. Michael Senft
American Hate: Survivors Speak Out
Hear the stories of those who’ve survived hate in the age of Trump as a trio of panelists discuss hate in America at Changing Hands Bookstore, 6428 South McClintock Drive in Tempe. The panel kicks off at 7 p.m. on Thursday, September 6. It features Washington, D.C.-based community activist and civil rights lawyer Arjun Singh Sethi, who edited a new book titled American Hate: Survivors Speak Out. The panel also includes Tempe-based legislator Athena Salman and Imraan Siddiqi, who heads the Mesa-based Council on Islamic Relations in Arizona. They’ll address hate on the national and local level, including recent incidents at the Tempe mosque, as well as hate crime law in Arizona. The free event also includes a Q&A and book signing. Visit the Changing Hands website. Lynn Trimble
“Hop Art: The Graphic Design of SanTan Brewery”
You’ll never take those beer bottle labels for granted again once you’ve explored what it takes to create them. Leave it to Vision Gallery, 10 East Chicago Street, Chandler, to make that happen. This month, they’re opening an exhibit filled with graphic designs featured on bottles for various brews from the city’s own SanTan Brewery. Be the first to see it during a free opening reception at the gallery from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, September 6. “Hop Art: The Graphic Design of SanTan Brewery” includes current and historical designs, plus some designs that never made it to the bottle. Visit the Vision Gallery website. Lynn Trimble
Live and Local Fridays
Maybe you’ve seen big-name artists play the fancier venues around town, and wished more Phoenix-based bands got that same opportunity. It’s happening over at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 East Second Street, where there’s a series called Live and Local Fridays. Head over at 8 p.m. on Friday, September 7, to hear Phoenix Afrobeat Orchestra perform their unique blend of jazz, funk, soul, and African rhythms created with trumpet, trombone, saxophone, guitar, bass, keyboards, congas, shakers, and more. Think West African sounds, chanted vocals, and sophisticated percussion, all from this vibrant 16-member ensemble. Tickets start at $12. Visit Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts website. Lynn Trimble
The First Annual Bookburners Convention
Working in a bookstore, whiling away the hours blabbing about pop culture sounds like a righteous employment scenario. Any job, though, can become monotonous. In the play The First Annual Bookburners Convention, the Opera Street Bookstore staff is feeling the grind. Excitement happens via a strange customer who sells them a bizarre book. Turns out, the tome is in demand: A sinister, non-human contingent wants it badly. This show was written and directed by the
It's Jack Johnson, Party Hard's reigning champion of the multiverse. The eye patch means he's evil.
Benjamin Leatherman
Party Hard Wrestling is unlike any other indie wrestling league in the Valley. For starters, there’s the name, which references the music and ethos of rocker Andrew W.K. Then there’s the fact that PHW dubs its titleholders “champions of the multiverse.” They emphasize humor and currently feature a character called the Party Ranger as the main hero and champ.
This weekend, PHW will get even more unique when they kick off their third season on Friday, September 7, at the Nile Theater, 105 West Main Street in Mesa, during
Party on starting at 7:30 p.m. General admission is $15 and kids 12 and under are $8. See the Party Hard Wrestling website. Benjamin Leatherman
Phreekn First Fridaze
At most dance nights, DJs use tunes to get bodies moving on the dance floor. However, at this weekend’s Phreekn First Fridaze affair at the Yucca Tap Room, 29 West Southern Avenue in Tempe, local selector DJ KNS Bigandbad uses music videos to drive the party.
A nonstop stream of music vids will play over the monitors inside the Yucca’s side lounge during the monthly event, which takes place on Friday, September 7, offering a mix of “flix and
The Phreekn fun starts at 10 p.m. and goes until 2 a.m. Admission is free. Call 480-967-4777. Benjamin Leatherman
Free Weekend
Visit the Arizona Science Center on the dime of your local grocery store on the weekend of September 8 and 9. General admission is free of charge at the multistory science center located in downtown Phoenix, so take advantage of the free weekend — ordinarily, nonmembers have to pay $18 for adults and $13 for kids. The center is offering reduced prices for the planetarium and giant screen theater, where viewers can marvel at shows about the solar system and volcanoes. And if you flash your Fry’s membership card, you can also get special offers at the science center’s gift shop and cafe. The science center is located at 600 East Washington Street and hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit the Arizona Science Center website. Joe Flaherty
Artisan-dyed Silk Scarves Class
Soon it’ll be time to transition to your fall wardrobe, which means you can sling a scarf over that tank top. Instead of grabbing something from your closet, or heading to the nearest department store, try making your own at Southwest Gardener, 300 West Camelback Road. That’s where artist Alice Sweeney will be teaching her artisan-dyed silk scarves class from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 8. The $65 class includes materials for making two scarves, including one made with dye paper, and another created with dye from Sharpie markers. For $13, you can add lunch. Visit the Southwest Gardener website. Lynn Trimble
Second Saturday Arts Market
There’s a new place for local artists to show and sell their work. Once each month, the Open Air Market adjacent to Phoenix Public Market, 14 East Pierce Street, will include a Second Saturday Arts Market. It’s a new twist on the farmers market presented every Saturday, from 8 a.m. to noon, by a nonprofit called Community Food Connections. The first
Turtle power.
Courtesy of the '90s Bar Crawl
Growing up, did you wear ripped jeans, baggy pants, a bucket hat, a tube top, a long chain, a flannel shirt, or dungarees? Maybe you listened to alternative rock bands like Nirvana or Pearl Jam or hip-hop groups like the Wu-Tang Clan. At the ’90s Bar Crawl on Saturday, September 8, you can sport your favorite old school fashions as you party with other ’90s kids in downtown Phoenix. You will receive a commemorative cup, koozie, and slap bracelet. Participating bars will offer drink specials of $3 to $5 on beers, cocktails
Legally Blonde
Lead character Elle Woods dons a suit and briefcase when she heads to Harvard University, hoping to win back the ex-boyfriend who left her behind for law school. That’s the premise for the musical Legally Blonde, based on an Amanda Brown novel that also inspired a 2001 film. Woods charms her way into law school, then relies on brains rather than beauty to defy expectations along the way. See Mesa Encore Theatre’s take on Woods’ transformation at Mesa Arts Center, 1 East Main Street. Showtime is 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, September 9. Tickets start at $32 for adults. Visit the Mesa Arts Center website. Lynn Trimble
It's okay to drink and draw.
cdaltonrowe/Flickr Creative Commons
Drawing and drinking come together at Changing Hands Bookstore, 300 West Camelback Road, where the next Drink and Draw event runs from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Monday, September 10. It’s a casual gathering for folks at all skill levels, which means you’ll be welcome even if the best you can do with a pencil and drawing pad is trace the label for your favorite wine or beer. Changing Hands will provide a live model, for those of you who take your sketching more seriously. Drinks aren’t included in the $8 cost, but you can buy them at the First Draft Book Bar. Bring your own supplies, and remember it’s located near the light rail in case you don’t like to draw and drive. Visit the Changing Hands website. Lynn Trimble
Wild At Heart
Wild At Heart is David Lynch’s violent, twisted take on The Wizard Of Oz. Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern play star-crossed lovers Sailor and Lula who are on the run from Lula’s wicked witch of a mother, portrayed with raw emotion by Dern’s real-life parent Diane Ladd. The controversial film won the Palme d’Or at Cannes, shocking moviegoers with its racy and graphic imagery and Willem Dafoe’s insane portrayal of the stump-toothed Bobby Peru.
The screen will get hotter than Georgia asphalt at 7 p.m. on Monday, September 10, at FilmBar, 815 North Second Street. Tickets are $9.95 with discounted tickets at the door or Zia Records for Zia Z-Card holders. For more information, visit the FilmBar website. Jason Keil
Hall of Flame Museum of Firefighting
Firefighting has come a long way, baby. It’s fascinating to take a look back at how it’s evolved, which is just what happens when you step inside the Hall of Flame Museum of Firefighting, 6101 East Van Buren Street. Visit between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Tuesday, September 11, to see the museum’s 9/11 tribute, as well as several exhibit halls filled with fire trucks dating back to the 18th century — including some hailing from Europe or Japan. While you’re there, check out historic firefighting tools and other artifacts, plus the museum’s wildland firefighting gallery. Admission is $10. Visit Hall of Flame website. Lynn Trimble
It's storytime.
Mellissa Fossum
Ever fallen off the horse of life and then feared
Ballet Arizona is back with Ballet Under the Stars.
Rosalie O'Connor
Performance art is taking over the Tempe Sports Complex, 8401 South Hardy Drive, as Ballet Arizona presents the first of four free performances for this year’s Ballet Under the Stars. It’s happening at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, September 12. Dancers will take to a stage under the stars, performing excerpts of various works from the Ballet Arizona repertoire with costumes, lighting, and music. Bring a lawn chair or picnic blanket, so you can enjoy a casual evening of contemporary and classical ballet. But leave your pink tutus at home. Only the little ones get to twirl in front of the stage. Visit the Ballet Arizona website. Lynn Trimble
Paganism 101: Earth-Based Spirituality for Today’s World
Pagans get a bad rap, despite the fact that most people have never tapped into the depth or breadth of pagan beliefs or practices. Beth Rodriguez wants to change that, by sharing information about historic and modern pagan traditions, plus common misconceptions and basic pagan terminology. She’s presenting Paganism 101: Earth-Based Spirituality for Today’s World from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 12, at Fantasia Crystals, 5108 North Seventh Street. It’s a chance to explore a different way of looking at the
