In the tradition of our anonymous flight attendant, book buyer, yoga instructor, and house cleaner — a head shop employee shares his stories of dealing with glassy-eyed customers and Why Your Head Shop Employee Hates You, as told to this writer. This head shop employee has worked at an independently-owned…
We’ve been to many marches for the legalization of marijuana. Usually, these marches have no higher purpose than to advocate for the use of marijuana, but there’s a rally set for Saturday at Heritage Square Park with a very specific purpose: to advocate for and educate people on the merits…
A couple weeks ago, while visiting Cosanti in Scottsdale to view Italian architect Paolo Soleri’s wind bells, we picked up a flier titled “Modeling for Paolo Soleri.”The flier announced that Soleri, 91, is looking for women ages 21 to 41 to sit 80 minutes for him. In return, they get…
Photos by E. GrovesMost of the Sunnyslope Rock Garden is visible from the street.Sunnyslope hasn’t changed much over the years. Aside from the expansion of John C. Lincoln Hospital (which caused the destruction of a few strip malls and the old Brookshires Restaurant), everything’s pretty much as it was in…
This past Saturday night, we had the pleasure of meeting comedian Margaret Cho after her hilarious show at Dodge Theatre. Cho was also meeting with several fans, so we only had a few minutes with her, but it was time well spent because she talked about her numerous tattoos.Cho, 41,…
Photos by Niki D’AndreaMargaret Cho at Dodge Theatre on Saturday nightPoop jokes will never get old, and they will never die. But they may never be more explosive and fresh than they were in the hands of comedian Margaret Cho, during her performance at Dodge Theatre on Saturday night. But…
Urban Beans is one of those hip hangouts where it’s worth nursing a coffee for two hours. The walls are covered in local art (everything from abstract butterflies to realistic portraits), and there are tons of windows for people-watching. There’s also a shaded patio outside, but who wants to sit…
Austin YoungThe seriously funny Margaret ChoWhen tickets for comedian Margaret Cho’s show at Dodge Theatre this Saturday first went on sale, we were stoked. Because in addition to her raunchy stand-up comedy (including but not limited to dick jokes, gay jokes, riffs on race, and impersonations of her Korean mother),…
Stephenie Meyer is probably the most well-known “Mormon author” of our times, and much has been made of her Twilight book series about young, seductive vampires. But if anybody in the Mormon Church finds Meyer’s books a little too racy, they’d absolutely crap themselves if they ever read Mormon Underwear…
Growing up in the 1990s in conservative east Mesa, Matt knew he wasn’t like most other boys. He didn’t know how to express it, and he wasn’t sure what it was, but he knew he felt bad about it. He was popular, attractive, and athletic. He did well in school…
Forget “back porch music.” Mofro is more like whiskey-drenched “pontoon deck music,” boogieing down murky swamp waters. Main Mofro-man JJ Grey grew up in Florida, which helps explain the backwoods beats and woozy harmonica that swagger through many of the songs like a drunken uncle at a dysfunctional family reunion…
Photos by E. GrovesSoleri’s Wind Bells adorn the interior of a giant dome at Cosanti.Cosanti is a Zen arts and nature compound in the middle of our hectic desert metropolis. This historic site in Paradise Valley features several eco-friendly buildings, artist studios, garden walkways, and most famously, countless Soleri Wind…
Photos by E. GrovesThe Instant Classics back up bar patrons at Blue Martini Lounge.Blue Martini Lounge is the coolest place I’ve been to in Scottsdale’s CityNorth, which says a lot, considering the Arizona Pop Culture Museum is also there. But after a long day at work, the relaxed atmosphere and…
Photos by E. GrovesCasablanca’s hookah: It may be thin, but it hits hard.On weekends, east Valley hookah lounges are usually swamped with college kids from Arizona State University. Hookah lounges on the west side are crowded with coeds, too, but in this case, they’re usually students from Glendale Community College…
The taste of Euphoric Energy’s watermelon/kiwi energy drink could be described as similar to sucking on watermelon Jolly Ranchers. It could also be described as similar to blending some kiwi flavored Kool-Aid, carbonated water, watermelon chunks, and a ton of sugar, then sipping it.It’s not an altogether bad taste; it’s…
Wikimedia CommonsOld people may look harmless, but beware…Although elderly people in films are usually portrayed as benign and lovable, sometimes an old character comes along that’s way too creepy, like the Reverend Henry Kane in Poltergeist II, the decaying lady in the bath tub from The Shining, and the terrible…
Wikimedia CommonsThirsty? How about a wet T-shirt contest?Usually, the party is at the bar, but at The Dirty Dogg Saloon in Scottsdale, the party’s on the bar — especially on “Wild & Wet Wednesday,” when the club holds its weekly wet T-shirt contests. When we walked in around 11:30 last…
Six American White pelicans were released into their new habitat at the Phoenix Zoo this week, and are sticking close together for now, according to Dan Subaitis, the zoo’s director of animal management.The pelicans arrived at the Phoenix Zoo last month from the Jackson Zoo in Jackson, Mississippi. They had…
Up until a few years ago, Van Buren Street in central Phoenix was a booming strip for prostitutes. The street used to be the main thoroughfare through Phoenix, and over the decades, the stretch of Van Buren from 24th to 32nd street in particular became well-known for countless prostitutes hawking…
The Tillman Story, director Amir Bar-Lev’s documentary about Pat Tillman’s family’s search for the truth about his death, opens in theaters nationwide today. We recently caught up with Bar-Lev to ask a few questions about the film. What compelled you to make The Tillman Story? [Tillman’s death] was a story…
Independent filmmaker Tommy Wiseau is as enigmatic as his movies. Several times during our 20-minute phone interview, he says, “I don’t like to talk about myself.” But one thing Wiseau will discuss at length is his movie The Room, which screens at MADCAP Theaters Friday and Saturday, September 3 and…
The Hotel San Carlos in downtown Phoenix has a long and storied history. In operation since 1928, the hotel hosted numerous Hollywood stars in its heyday, including Mae West, Marilyn Monroe, Ingrid Bergman, and Gary Cooper. In 1993, the owners of the Hotel San Carlos, the Melikian family, installed the…
