Your plans have arrived. This week, you can enjoy a cocktail and film at Phoenix Film Festival, have some fun in the sun at Soundwave, or experience that terrifying Craigslist sale all over again at Bar Flies. For more things to do, visit
Phoenix Film Festival
Ted Bundy’s longtime girlfriend had a hard time believing he was a serial killer. Her perspective drives a film called Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile, which stars Zac Efron as the notorious killer. It’s being screened during the opening night for this year’s Phoenix Film Festival on Thursday, April 4, at Harkins Scottsdale 101, 7000 East Mayo Boulevard. Show up at 6 p.m. to enjoy a cocktail party before the 7:30 p.m. screening, and stay after for a Q&A with director Joe Berlinger. Expect live music and a silent auction, too. Tickets are $60. The festival continues through Sunday, April 14. Visit phoenixfilmfestival.com. Lynn Trimble
Won't You Be My Neighbor?
For three decades, Fred Rogers used
Neil Patrick Harris
If ever there was a modern-day Renaissance man, it’s Neil Patrick Harris. The dude’s done it all — acting, singing, dancing, award-show hosting, parenting — and has done it with aplomb. If that weren’t enough, he’s also a New York Times best-selling author, too.
In recent years, Harris has penned the “Magic Misfits” series of YA-oriented novels, which center on the adventures of a group of teenage illusionists banding together and fighting evil using their clever wits and prestidigitation skills. The latest title in the series, The Magic Misfits: The Second Story, was released last fall and Harris will visit Mesa Arts Center, 1 East Main Street, on Thursday, April 4, to discuss the book and series with fans.
According to the folks at Changing Hands Bookstore, which is putting on the event, NPH will also conduct a Q&A session and might have a surprise or two up his sleeve. We’re certain it will be
Arizona Diamondbacks
Opening Day (for Phoenix, anyway) is finally here. Baseball fans can see the new lineup, including outfielder Adam Jones, in action. While there
The first pitch is thrown at 4:10 p.m. on Friday, April 5, at 401 East Jefferson Street. Tickets are $39 to $375. For more information, visit dbacks.com. Jason Keil
The Soul Shabang
Need some rhythm in your life? Head down to Crescent Ballroom for The Soul Shabang. The venue is closing down Second Avenue for two nights so you can move to the beat. The B-Side Players will pay tribute to the legendary Curtis Mayfield, while Louisiana’s own Rebirth Brass Band will blow their horns. The Phoenix Afrobeat Orchestra headline Saturday night’s festivities along with Seattle’s own The Dip and Son Led from Havana, Cuba. A traditional New Orleans crawfish boil will feed your feet on Friday.
Get down at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 5, and Saturday, April 6, at 308 North Second Avenue. Tickets are $15 to 30 each night. For more information, visit crescentphx.com. Jason Keil
As You Like It
Are you intimidated by Shakespeare? The Bard did write his fair share of lengthy head-scratchers, but he was equally adept at crafting crowd-pleasing comedies. If the title didn’t give it away, As You Like It falls into the latter category. Harassed by her uncle, Rosalind and her cousin escape to the Forest of Arden, where they encounter memorable characters who help them understand themselves. This evening of laughter is presented by the West Valley’s Brelby Theatre Company.
All the park is a stage at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 5, through Sunday, April 7, at Murphy Park at the E. Lowell Rogers Amphitheater, 5850 West Glendale Avenue in Glendale. This is a free event. For more information, visit brelby.com. Jason Keil
DanceFest
Dancers are bringing their best moves to Phoenix Art Museum, 1625 North Central Avenue, during First Friday in April. Museum admission is by voluntary donation starting at 6 p.m. on April 5, and the dance performances that kick off at 6:30 p.m. are free. Six professional artists or arts groups will be performing as part of DanceFest that night, including Rashawn Hart, Jasmine Nunn, and Marcus White. But the lineup also includes students from several local high
Practical Art
Practical Art, 5070 North Central Avenue, is celebrating its 11th anniversary with an exhibit featuring prints by more than two dozen artists based in Arizona, from Annie Lopez to Brent Bond. The free artist reception happens from 7 to 9 p.m. on Friday, April 5. You’ve likely seen murals by several of these artists — including Carrie Marill, Jake Early, and the Fortoul Brothers — around town. Expect prints by longtime staples of the metro Phoenix
Phoenix Pride
It’s been a long and winding road for Phoenix Pride. Back in 1981, the annual LGBTQ event started out as a march by gay and lesbian activists through downtown Phoenix before becoming a festival-like event a decade or so later. Fast forward to today and Phoenix Pride has become a
This year’s edition takes place on Saturday, April 6, and Sunday, April 7, at Steele Indian School Park, 300 East Indian School Road, and will offer an
Hours are from noon to 9 p.m. Daily general admission is $25 to $30 per day and $40 for the entire weekend. VIP tickets are $50 per day, $90 for both days, and include a variety of perks and amenities. See phoenixpride.org for full details and a complete schedule. Benjamin Leatherman
Music Business Summit 2019
The music industry is changing all the time. Fervor Records are adept at helping artists get music heard in a variety of ways, including television and film. The Sunnyslope-based label is presenting the Music Business Summit 2019 with a panel of industry experts from Phoenix, New York, and Los Angeles, including tour managers, music supervisors, and entertainment attorneys. If you’re a musician looking for great advice on how to market your work, bring your questions to this informative event.
Listen in from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 6, at Glendale Public Library Main Library, 5959 West Brown Street in Glendale. This is a free event. For more information, visit fervormusicbizsummit.com. Jason Keil
Tartan Day
If you are of Scottish descent, you’re probably strapping on your bagpipes to celebrate Tartan Day. If you don’t have the folk instrument around your house, then lace up your shoes and lose your breath at The Kilt Chaser 5K. Runners are encouraged to don their finest knee-length skirt (thigh burn be damned) and stride along the trails at scenic Papago Park. Like the Skirt Chaser Run that preceded this race, women will get a three-minute head start. The only thing the men will be pursuing is fun.
The starting gun goes off at 8 a.m. on Saturday, April 6, at 625 North Galvin Parkway. Registration is $40. For more information, visit fourpeaks.com. Jason Keil
Tibetan Singing Bowl Class
All that relaxation that comes from being one with nature is about to get bumped up a
LUST
In case you haven’t heard, The Rogue Bar is closing its doors this month, taking with it the popular recurring fetish night, LUST. If you have ever seen one of our lurid slideshows and wondered what the fuss was about, this will be your final chance to experience it for yourself. Piercings and performance art will be on display along with industrial sounds from the Los Angeles goth band Dead Girls Corp.
Pull on your kinky boots at 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 6, at 423 North Scottsdale Road in Scottsdale. Admission is $10. For more information, visit theroguebar.com. Jason Keil
Soundwave
If there’s one constant to summertime in the Valley — other than all the soul-crushing, brain-melting, and skin-searing heat — it’s pool parties. They’re typically in abundance at local hotels, resorts, and any other venue with a pool over the next several months, much to the delight of any party monsters looking to enjoy some fun in the sun. That includes Maya Day & Nightclub, 7333 East Indian Plaza in Scottsdale, which boasts an enormous pool and hosts a variety of stylish swim soirees during the summer season.
Maya’s annual Soundwave pool party series kicks off this weekend and will feature a mix of drinks, dancing, poolside shenanigans, and guests DJ in the mix. The first event of the season takes place on Sunday, April 7, and will feature at set by European-born electronic dance music producer Cedric Gervais.
Gates open at noon. Admission is $10 per person. Call 480-625-0528 or see mayaclubaz.com. Benjamin Leatherman
Empire Records
Ah, the ’90s. A simpler time, when the things that keep us up at night — global warming, white supremacy, the neo-feudalism enacted by an out-of-control billionaire class — seemed so distant. Also, you had to go to a physical store to buy music. How quaint!
Empire Records is a perfect distillation of those halcyon
2001: A Space Odyssey
This odd fact may not motivate moviegoers who haven’t seen 2001: A Space Odyssey to check out the 35mm film screening at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Tempe, but it is important to note that there is no dialogue for nearly half of the movie. The original screenplay for Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece is only 65 pages long (a typical script is twice that size). But over 50 years later, the film is still a visual marvel that changed cinema forever. Part of Alamo’s ASU Film School series, Professor Philip Klucsarits will lead a 30-minute lecture before the show.
The journey begins at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 9, at 1140 East Baseline Road. Tickets are $11.25. For more information, visit drafthouse.com. Jason Keil
Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour
Born in Santiago, Chile, tenor saxophone player Melissa Aldana became the first female and South American to win the Thelonious Monk Competition for jazz musicians. Now, you can hear her perform with the Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour at Mesa Arts Center, 1 East Main Street. The tour stops in Mesa at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 9. It’s all about celebrating the joy of jazz, and the festival’s 60th anniversary, according to artistic director Tim Jackson. Expect jazz classics, plus music created by the performers, who play trumpet, saxophone, piano, bass, and drums. Naturally, jazz vocals are also in the mix. Tickets start at $36. Visit mesaartscenter.com. Lynn Trimble
Bar Flies
We all have a tale about that time we bartered with someone at a resale shop or on Craigslist. If you want to hear some of Phoenix’s best storytellers spin tales of their outrageous, scary, or even tender experiences with unloading the things that didn’t (or did) spark joy, stop by Valley Bar for this month’s edition of Bar Flies. This month’s theme is “Buy, Sell, Trade.” DJ Deborah Sussman will spin the tunes while Michael Anderson, Rachel Egboro, Jessica Hill, Sarah Ventre, and Jason P. Woodbury pour their hearts out onstage.
This event begins at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10, at 130 North Central Avenue. Tickets are $10. For more information, visit valleybarphx.com. Jason Keil
