As you may have gleaned from perusing this space previously, I take a dim view of conventional wisdom and the morons who spout it. Al Pacino's character Ricky Roma in the screen version of Glenglarry Glen Ross sums up my P.O.V. when he states that he subscribes to the law...
Charles Banaszewski -- Chuck B., for the phonetically challenged -- is about to embark on his grandest theatrical production yet. But for now, on a Tuesday night at Casey Moore's pub in Tempe, Banaszewski is preparing for his role as empathetic bartender. Banaszewski, a buff and bespectacled 32-year-old upstate New...
He has been, for the past 10 years, the mayor of Tempe -- a man who, like the best politicians, has been both respected and reviled. Neil Giuliano is a man who built a town lake, a man who helped revitalize a sagging downtown, a man who was reelected three...
5/21-5/22 Think "sand drags" mean a keg at the river bottom and a coupla converted Beetles? Meet Richard Holmes, a man who hasn't forgotten his raisin' -- or his racin'. The boy who launched his buggy over the dunes now kicks up a desert storm this Friday, May 21, and...
We've even found a great Fourth of July party. Read on . . . First Friday Reacting to the touristification of downtown Phoenix, artists have long begged people to get downtown and support the art scene there. They need beg no more, as thousands of people flock downtown every first...
CLUBS ACME Roadhouse: In its original Scottsdale location, ACME catered to Harley-Davidson weekend warriors. In its new Tempe incarnation, it entertains the college set with dancing and, on Sundays, local rock bands. Dance space is at a minimum, but there's plenty of room for other social rites. Sun: Live music...
From rappelling to resort pooling to ice blocking, here's a guide to finding the key ingredient for summer survival: water. Slip Sliding Away: Ice blocking is a cheap thrill. All you need is a few friends, a towel, an ice block (available at most Circle Ks) and a hilly park...
THU 2 We have a right to be crabby. We were born on the last day of Cancer, as was David Spade, and he got all the looks, all the talent and all the good scripts. Thank the heavens we hold no responsibility for our own success. So says "professional...
5/27-5/28 The standard fare, when exhibiting the horrors of war, includes photos of the dead, pierced helmets, and blood-splattered letters from weary soldiers. But what about the women left behind, whose work is never done -- especially in times of war? ASU's Museum of Anthropology and School of Art explore...
Thu 20 As music director for the Phoenix Symphony for the past seven years, Hermann Michael is revered as the company's artistic savior. After more than 225 performances at the helm, Michael achieves immortality and bids farewell to the symphony with a most apropos conclusion to his career -- he...
Arguably one of the most vital and prolific live music venues in Arizona is closing for good. On Saturday, April 3, Long Wong's on Mill Avenue showcases twelve of the notable local bands that have gotten it attention over the years, including signature Tempe acts such as Dead Hot Workshop,...
Slim Golba cuts a unique figure even walking along freaky Mill Avenue, where his bouncing, loping gait and long graying hair, braided in classic cigar-store-Indian style and falling in front of his button-down shirt, create the image of a mellowed ancient soul much older than his 43 years. On this...
Nobody ever said you'll get Tempe fans handed to you on a silver platter. That's what Emily Haines, the keyboard-playing front woman for the indie pop band Metric, found out when her group headlined the annual New Times Music Showcase on Sunday, April 18. Metric's catchy CD came out last...
From a pop-culture standpoint, it's always an interesting sign when quality reissues trump current releases. Thing is, that's pretty much all the time. Marvin Gaye deluxe editions soar miles above 99.9 percent of contemporary R&B material. Roots-reggae reissue specialists like Blood + Fire and Moll-Selekta have consistently outgunned any label...
Mon 5/10 In the grand tradition of twosomes taming the open road (Thelma and Louise, Bill and Ted, Kermit and Fozzie), Rosella North and Eva Duvall are bound for the big screen. In 1941, the friends hopped a Harley and rode from Detroit to Venezuela, a ballsy move even by...
I ventured up to Flagstaff the other day. Just to walk around and enjoy its wonderful downtown at the base of Arizona's most impressive mountains, the San Francisco Peaks. Rain, wind, sleet, snow flurries and occasional sunshine had left the air clear and crisp. The dramatic landscape and tumultuous weather...
Sat 8/7 When Jim Seagrave, along with his wife Karen, bought Fat Cats -- a rough and tumble bar home to hot-rodders, hot chicks and hotheads -- two and a half years ago, he didn't exactly see eye-to-eye with the clientele. "There were some pretty thick rednecks when I first...
4/23-4/25 Mad hops and beer hops join forces when the AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour serves up the Tempe Open from Friday, April 23, through Sunday, April 25, at Tempe Beach Park. Think the Town Lake is a sorry substitute for Manhattan Beach? Not so, according to two-time Olympian Holly...
Lock Him Up Profile in courage: I take my hat off to Father Joe Ladensack, who had the moral courage to refuse Bishop O'Brien's outrageous demands to make a family rescind its charges of pedophilia in the Catholic church ("The Divine Sociopath," Michael Lacey, April 15). What courage Father Ladensack...
THU 29 Do the South Beach Diet, Scottsdale-style -- martinis and menthol cigarettes (low-carb, low-fat, high-maintenance) -- as Sonik magazine and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society present "South Beach," Thursday, July 29, at Devil's Martini North Scottsdale, 10825 North Scottsdale Road. Giveaways, gift bags, charity raffles and a balloon pop...
The Chill Is Gone Austin power: Great story ("Death of Cool," John Dougherty, April 8). What you didn't mention was the best coffee house on Mill -- Java Road -- replaced by a Bank of America, and then a yuppie-hell Internet cafe. And 6 East -- the best place to...
Someone tagged the plywood where the mirror used to hang in the men's room at Long Wong's: "Where do we go now? Tempe dies April 3, 2004." Last Saturday was, in fact, the Tempe desert-rock institution's last day open. But the tagger had it all wrong. Tempe died a long...
