It was Charles Bukowski who said, “Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must lead.” If you count yourself among that lucky-unlucky crowd, here’s your chance — in a new take on live theater.Asylum, a production from ASU’s Herberger Institute, transforms a Downtown event space into a…

Marshall Shore, the Valley’s Hip Historian, has a penchant for history, specializing in the unknown, the weird, and, come Friday night, the queer. The Fruit Loop Run, a brainchild of Shore and Roosevelt Row, is a walking tour of once-open gay clubs along Roosevelt Street, a thoroughfare steeped in vibrant…

Understandably, Arizona’s own stories are woven with not only those of its indigenous people but also contemporary and traditional folklore of a vast, eclectic population.“Latino Folk Tales: Cuentos Populares,” the month-old exhibition at the Heard Museum, is the marriage of modern and the long-established through 60 visually diverse, animated paintings…

This year, the 2013 Western Eye Photography Competition received submissions across each of the Maricopa County Community Colleges. Of those entries, 35 were selected for a black-and-white-heavy show featuring drag queens and desolate swimming pools.The winner, Rebellion by Amy Hanen, stands out not only for its use of color, but…

He’s back. World-famous glass artist Dale Chihuly returns to the Valley with a new exhibition, “Chihuly in the Garden” at Desert Botanical Garden.Whether you’ve seen these intricate, vibrant pieces on display in London, Paris or Seattle — or caught his last stop in town, “Chihuly: The Nature of Glass” in…

Fear not, no one is going to encourage a resounding chorus of “five golden rings.” This version of The Twelve Dates of Christmas is a different tale: one of dating disasters and unexpected compassion, providing a refreshing option during a season steeped in tradition.Presented by Class 6 Theatre, this one-woman…

Arguably the Southwest’s most far-reaching modern and contemporary art gallery, and certainly one of the largest, the LewAllen Galleries have a history of displaying everything from abstract to pop art, minimalism to expressionism. Falling under the latter is “Visual Paradox and Perceptual Art,” a collection of solo work spanning the…

Hair is fluid in Hollywood. It’s cut, dyed, fried, extended, shaved, colored as roles and directors see fit. Few hairstyles are sacred. Clark Gable’s moustache in Gone with the Wind. Julia Roberts’ red, cascading curls in Pretty Woman. Jason Alexander’s bald head as George Costanza in Seinfeld. That is, until…

This time last year, Bryan Harding was getting a new tattoo. On a Saturday evening before Halloween, the local bicyclist, who works for State Bicycle Co., raced (literally) to Electric Haven Tattoo shop in Tempe. There he waited, perhaps not-so patiently or painlessly, as his left side became the canvas…

Ignite Phoenix 15, the latest installment in the biannual lecture series, took to the stage at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts on Friday night, as 18 Valley residents shared stories in front of what has come to be an expectedly packed house. The two-hour production allots speakers five…

Phoenix’s newest club scene contender comes from an unlikely source — a midweek disco night at a downtown dance club.It’s Rebel Disco’s Push Push!, a Wednesday night party from the five-deep DJ gang. The destination disco has featured the likes of duo Cosmic Kids and New York-based “Beats in Space”…

Mark your calendars for the 5th Annual Grand Avenue Festival. The once-forgotten thoroughfare hosts a vibrant street fair featuring food trucks, performance art and exhibits from its surrounding businesses.Expect yearly staples like the Coffee, Cookies and Crafts fair, held outside Bragg’s Pie Factory from noon until 5 p.m., and the…

Every year as the weather cools, Phoenicians take to the streets across the city. After a sweltering and seemingly endless summer, the city rustles itself awake with the promise of art walks, food trucks, vendors, live music, performance art, people-watching, and festival shenanigans. The Grand Avenue Festival is no exception…

For five years running the city of Chandler has brought Native American culture to the forefront of its fall events lineup. This weekend’s Indian Art Market features three days of food, jewelry, and art native to tribes throughout the Southwest. Each day also hosts traditional tribal song and dance. Alex…

The rapture returns to the Valley this year — just in time for Halloween. The second annual Rapture Horror Expo descends on Tempe at the Double Tree Resort at 10 a.m. Saturday, October 5 and Sunday, October 6, for a spook-tacular weekend of workshops, film screenings, and all things indie…

It’s a horror show you’ll want to see. The Rapture Horror Expo returns for a spook-tacular weekend. Just in time for Halloween, the convention presents workshops about the paranormal, surviving zombies, make-up tutorials, and costume and couture fashion shows. United Blood Services will be on hand to take your blood…

Considering its namesake comes from a 17th-century Zen Buddhist linked verse, upcoming exhibition “Narrow Road to the Interior,” is designed to take museumgoers on a journey through the immaterial.Galleries host work from contemporary Japanese artists, including more than 100 photographs and instillations using raw materials like light, wood and stone…

It may sound like an episode of Orange is the New Black, but for one week a Colombian jail transformed itself, complete with evening dresses and makeup, to host the Miss Penitentiary Crown.Captive Beauty, playing at the Phoenix Art Museum for a one-time-only showing this Sunday, chronicles the lives of…