All right, kids, since we haven't had much of a winter here in the 'Nix (not that we ever do), I've got a cold blast of reality for you. Your rock star aspirations, the getting signed to a major label or even a cool indie, the touring with My Chemical...
It's not uncommon to see art galleries doing double duty as live music venues around town, but music and art museums still don't seem to mix. Not unless you count the unsung jazz and chamber music ensembles that give ambiance to events where guests are more into the cheese platter...
Phoenix has scored another national ranking, and The Bird doesn't mean Mr. Blackwell's "Best Dressed" list, either. According to a list compiled by the National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, Phoenix is number 17 among the 20 "meanest" cities in the nation...
Finding parking in Tempe is hard, driving down Mill Avenue is frustrating, and we’re pretty sure that Arizona State University is building something to create more roadblocks. City officials encourage Tempeans to “bus, bike or walk,” and at least one group is taking them to heart. Critical Mass, a bicycling...
Saturday night is overrated. More often than not, I find myself having the most fun on a school night. After all these years, there's still a naughty thrill to going out in the middle of the week. Maybe it's because there are lower expectations and people loosen up. Maybe folks...
It's safe to say that St. Patrick's Day is a big-time bash in the Valley. For those of Irish descent, it's a time for taking pride in your heritage and honoring the patron saint of the Emerald Isle. For everyone else, though, it's yet another day for getting soused and...
It's safe to say that St. Patrick's Day is a big-time bash in the Valley. For those of Irish descent, it's a time for taking pride in your heritage and honoring the patron saint of the Emerald Isle. For everyone else, though, it's yet another day for getting soused and...
SAT 12/10If you want to act a fool this holiday season after consuming one too many eggnogs, feel free. Just don't expect to rock the boat and poop on somebody's parade during the APS Fantasy of Lights Holiday Boat Parade on Saturday, December 10. A fleet of more than 40...
Restaurants Bars and Clubs Canyon Raceway 9777 West Carefree Highway, Peoria Droppin' the Ball rave and massive DJ event with five stages hosting more than 25 different turntablists spinning such genres as breakbeats, drum 'n' bass, trance, and more. The lineup includes Harmonius, Atomic Mage, Spy vs. Spy, Defcon 4,...
FRI 12/2The giant squid may have eluded scientists for decades, but Phoenix artist Pete Deise has been capturing them for years -- in metal, that is. Deise creates steel sculptures (including one at the airport and another in front of My Florist Cafe) with characteristic tentacles. His latest exhibition, "Ascension,"...
THU 1It's high time the Hooters girls did a little ogling of their own, and they'll get an eyeful of topless man meat at the Arizona Bad Boys Single Elimination Boxing Tournament, which crowns Arizona's toughest lightweight, middleweight and heavyweight hunks. The tourney features amateurs with no previous pro boxing...
Dan Collins, 51, a pioneer in digital sculpture, bumps art up against science and lands on the cutting edge. As both fine artist and computer crackerjack, Collins co-directs Arizona State University's PRISM, a state-of-the-art laboratory that gathers 3-D digital data and builds objects with a rapid prototyping machine -- a...
THU 24 While driving through the city to see citizens' holiday light displays can be entertaining, it isn't much fun when you're stuck in traffic or prowling the block for a parking space. See a celebrated holiday display (minus the traffic hassles) at ZooLights, opening Thursday, November 24, at the...
Special Events Restaurants Ain't Nobody's Bizness 3031 East Indian School Road www.aintnobodysbizness-az.com New Year's Eve bash featuring drink specials, giveaways, champagne toast at midnight, and DJ Tsunami spinning hip-hop and dance hits. 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. No cover. Call 602-224-9977. Amsterdam 718 North Central Avenue www.amsterdambar.com New Year's Eve...
Borders Books & Music TempeIt’s kind of sad to admit that we really researched this, but indeed, we did — that’s how hooked we are on magazines. The god of glossies still hasn’t answered our prayer for an independent, can’t-miss newsstand downtown, so for now, we schlep to the crown jewel of Mill Avenue’s chain-store lineup for our fix. […]
Restaurant MexicoWe all like a sure thing. Like a rerun of Seinfeld, a steak dinner at Durant’s, or the latest White Stripes CD. And in Tempe, when it comes to “neighborhood Mexican,” Restaurant Mexico is a no-lose proposition. Tucked into a brown block of businesses just east of Mill Avenue, Restaurant Mexico has got it going […]
Marquee TheatreThere’s nary a place to rest your weary feet except for a few concrete stools on the smokers’ patio, and you’ll probably have to find parking on the other side of the Mill Avenue Bridge, but if you want to see the bands with the biggest buzz, you’ll be coming to the Marquee Theatre. Many […]
Wet PaintWhile downtown Phoenix First Fridays have turned into a gallery-hopping parade of thousands, Tempe’s Final Fridays are still relatively intimate. It has a lot to do with the lay of the land — the area around Mill Avenue is more about bohemian hangouts (with cool art on the walls, of course) than full-on art spaces. […]
THU 10If spoken-wordsmith Adam Gnade was a gunfighter, you wouldn't want to engage him in a stare-down at high noon. Though the slim wordslinger looks like he'd blow away in a gentle breeze, he's made of pretty stern stuff. Gnade (pronounced "Gaw-na-dee") speaks softly but packs a literary wallop with...
E-Joy CafeIt’s three days until that thesis is due, and a virus from a pop-up promoting Lonely Housewives Begging for More has just eaten up the hard drive of an outdated computer you found on Craigslist. Access to the magic of the information superhighway has been lost, but luckily all the hours of work were saved […]
Wal-Mart Supercenter Store #2768Sometimes college students need to just let loose, get a little crazy and occasionally get escorted out of a building after a bit of debauchery. Spending your nights on Mill Avenue can get old. The real place to catch raucous 18- to 22-year-olds mid-shenanigans is at Wal-Mart. By midnight, at least 10 people will be […]
Domenic's CyclingWouldn’t you know it? Turn your back for one minute, and some mysterious bicycle bandit has snatched the phat beach cruiser you use to get around town. Looks like you’re gonna have to beat feet down to Domenic Malvestuto’s Mill Avenue bike business to score a new ride. Willing to drop a couple Gs? The […]
