5 Things to Do in Metro Phoenix This Week

From theatrical awards and gardening workshops to mind-bending cinema, your guide to this week’s arts and culture haps is here. AriZoni Awards Considering that the Phoenix area is the 13th largest metropolitan center in the United States (based on the 2010 census), it’s not at all surprising we have a…

Casting Martin Scorsese’s New Ramones Movie

By Jesse Sendejas Jr. A couple weekends ago, word got out that an upcoming Ramones biopic would be helmed by one of America’s greatest living filmmakers, Martin Scorsese. The movie would be one of several band-related projects slated for 2016, the 40th anniversary of the bruddas’ debut album, Ramones. Scorsese…

Best Concerts to See in Phoenix This Week

It’s rainy. Near-record-setting rainfalls smacked Phoenix in the lip last night, as you no doubt heard via the bomb-like thunder circa 4 a.m. today. Highways have flooded, schools have closed, and offices have turned into wastelands. One dramatic consequence of flooding is that people tend to cocoon themselves into their…

5 Things to Do in Metro Phoenix This Week

Polo Preview Party You don’t need to be a huge fan or an expert to enjoy polo. The people-watching opportunities are endless, thanks to fancy outfits and a steady supply of frou-frou drinks. Plus, most polo players are pretty hot. Just look at Facundo Pieres, Nacho Figueras, and Louise Sanberg…

10 Best Waffles in Metro Phoenix

Breakfast, the best and most important meal of the day, has an all-star confection in its ranks so good that even savory food lovers have to admit a craving every once and a while. No, we’re not talking about pancakes. We’re talking about the groovy, segmented, fluffy, and delicious waffle…

5 Things to Do in Metro Phoenix This Weekend

Equivocation Injustice and unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, temporarily brought out the forces of the Internet collective Anonymous and the masks of Guy Fawkes. Remember, remember the 5th of September — this Friday — for that’s when Southwest Shakespeare Company’s AriZoni-nominated production of Equivocation returns to the stage…

The 30 Best Concerts in September

Your patience is about to be rewarded. Now that we’re quickly approaching the moment when all the you-know-what begins to fade, life will start getting back to normal in the Valley. And by normal, we mean must-see music events and gigs out the ying-yang. Over the coming weeks, show both…

5 Things to Do in Metro Phoenix This Week

“These Are Some of My Favorite Things” If you have a box full of Pez dispensers buried in the back of your closet or a book of state quarters discretely hidden between copies of the latest bestsellers, then we have something in common. Peter Held has us thinking about these…

5 Best Concerts to See in Phoenix This Week

Remember when labor unions actually added workers to their rolls? When it wasn’t considered “class warfare” for poor people to demand the government enact policies in their economic interests? Yeah, we don’t either. Our plans for Labor Day include a healthy dose of pool and beer, and here are some…

Pop Music Plagiarism’s Worst Offenses: A History

By Luke Winkie Nobody has written an original rock song since 1953, and the entire music industry is founded on exchanging blurry photocopies of other people’s work. Sure, some art is outright plagiarism, but even when it’s in a gray area, it’s an opportunity for cash. Case in point: Australian…

5 Best Concerts to See in Phoenix This Weekend

We’ve checked out the calendar, and musically, it seems like summer is coming to end. Musically, at least. From here on out, there are a steady diet of great shows coming to town. Check out our picks below, and browse our comprehensive concert listings if you’d like more options…

In Defense of Liking Music for No Good Reason

By Luke Winkie Why did you like Yeezus? Did you find it anarchic? Did you like how it challenged racial norms in a confrontational, blacked-out way? Did you like its minimalism? Or its maximalism? Did you find the songs to speak to a larger narrative of where Kanye West is…

Podcast: Why Did So Few People See Sin City 2?

Why did so few people see Sin City: A Dame to Kill For over the weekend? That and other topics are discussed in this week’s edition of the Voice Film Club podcast with the Village Voice’s Alan Scherstuhl and Stephanie Zacharek, joined as always by Amy Nicholson of the L.A…

Let’s Be Real: Burning Man Is Bad for the Environment

By Keith Plocek This week, 68,000 revelers will descend on Nevada’s remote Black Rock Desert. (That is, assuming the rain lets up.) They will travel from Los Angeles, London, Melbourne, Mexico City, and places you’ve never heard of. They will take part in the temporary city that is Burning Man…

5 Things to Do in Metro Phoenix This Week

Free National Parks Day It’s a nationwide birthday celebration, and you’re invited. The National Parks Service marks its 98th birthday with a free entrance day for visitors of its parks and recreational areas across the country. Our Grand Canyon State is home to three, including its namesake. The Petrified Forest…