New Times picks the best art and culture events in metro Phoenix from December 11 to 13. See more on our curated calendar of events. Herakles We’d say that each performance of Orange Theatre’s Herakles is limited to 25 seats, but that isn’t quite right. More like 25 people, who…
Suns vs. Lakers There have always been rumblings that legendary Laker Kobe Bryant might at times be more of a liability than a luminary to his teammates. Well, in what may be Bryan’ts final season, no one is rumbling anymore. It’s obvious. On a roster chockfull of young talent, Bryant’s…
Up in Smoke At great personal risk of donning a sort-of seasonal hipster guide, a lot of non-hipster guys are at present stashing their razors for Movember. And in honor of the charitably unshorn, FlimBar is hosting the November Film Series, which celebrates the silver screen’s most memorable cookie dusters…
“New Graduate Student Exhibition” Class is in session, and the graduate students at ASU’s Art School are busy as ever. How else could they present a gallery show a mere month after their first day? Working in media including paint, metal, fibers, and ceramics, 16 artists share their work in…
Aerial Silks Class When it comes to extracurricular activity, we figure that if Real Housewives in multiple cities can do it, the general public can, too. Which is just as good an excuse as any to try out Scorpius Dance Theatre’s aerial silks class. The company’s master of aerial arts,…
“Bummer Summer” There are countless movies, songs, and poems about the romanticism of summer — the warm sun, the peaceful beach, the budding romance. But, honestly, sometimes the summer can suck. Artist and graphic designer Lauren Bailey has put her minimalistic spin on this darker side of summer in “Bummer…
New Times’ guide to five artsy things to do this week is here. Emerging Arts Leaders Happy Hour Tired of yelling into the void? Want to discuss your opinions of the art scene freely and with people who actually give a crap about what you have to say? You just…
Slow Roll In the not-so distant past, Phoenix has been decried as one of the nation’s least bicycle friendly cities. But, as one freewheelin’ poet observed, the times they are a changin’. With a Grid Bike Share system now in place, Phoenicians can expect to see more events like Slow…
“One-of-a-Kind” In a world of Dubsmash videos, #nomakeup selfies, and misattributed inspirational quotes pinned and re-pinned to infinity, originality isn’t so easily encountered. But the photographic works by artists including David Emitt Adams and Betty Hahn found in Phoenix Art Museum’s “One-of-a-Kind” are not so easily duplicated. By virtue of…
If you’re an NFL fan living the Valley, you’re in hog heaven right now. Well, pigskin heave anyway. Aside from forgoing costly airfare to catch the big game, 2015 also marks only the third time that the Pro Bowl is being played in the same city as the Super Bowl…
Aside from being an official day of recovery for Valley hipsters nursing their First Friday hangovers, the first Saturday of the month is also the recurring date for one of Phoenix’s hippest dance parties. For two years now, DJs Roya and Funkfinger have made Tongue Tied the place to go…
Marketing gurus have long been hip to the power of alliteration, particularly when tied to a weekday. Heck, what would America be without Taco Tuesdays? Well, the folks at Phoenix’s Bar Smith, 130 East Washington Street, also like alliteration a lot. Aside from Big Fun Fridays and Solstice Saturdays, the…
It’s been said that jazz is the greatest American art form, but when it comes to uniquely American musical exports, it probably isn’t the most beloved. That honor belongs to a genre that was born in the mind of Detroit’s Berry Gordy. With a mere $800, the songwriter formed Motown…
In an age when most of our music consumption comes via a tailor-made, streaming feed, it’s dangerously easy to forget about the joy of the hunt; the scouring, the discovering, the nod of approval from the all-knowing record store clerk, and the joyful anticipation of putting the needle to the…
Two decades ago, a brazenly hirsute singer named Paula Cole lamented, “Where have all the cowboys gone?” Hard to say, Paula, but judging by the prose that permeates today’s popular culture, a more salient question for the braless divas of 2015 to pose might be, “Where have all the poets…
There’s no easy way to say this, Arizona Diamondbacks fans, but barring any monumental surprises, it’s going to be a rough season for the boys of summer. New general manager Dave Stewart enters the season juggling a roster full of question marks and maybes, while secretly envying the offseason successes…
One could argue that the piano is the backbone of jazz music, or the saxophone, for that matter. Names such as Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane have certainly achieved household status. But have either of the two instruments bridged the great noun-to-verb divide the way the trumpet was? Has anyone…
For five burly days at the end of this month, Arizonans will celebrate all things motorcycle. And let’s face it, the Grand Canyon State is as iconic a place as any for bikers. Route 66, Easy Rider, the Law Tigers, we’re like the Sturgis of the West. Arizona Bike Week…
If you’re the type who takes an outlandish approach to the car-buying experience, taking trivialities such as fuel efficiency, resale value, and reliability into consideration, then read no further. It’s doubtful that you’ll see the raw practicality inherent in the cars on display at The Lowrider Arizona Super Show on…
Artist Daniel Lopatin, better known as Oneohtrix Point Never, is truly a 21st century creative. While his palette isn’t particularly original, his vision is strikingly so. Rather than hiding behind subterfuge masquerading as originality like so many of today’s songwriters, Lopatin opts for a clever aural melange, leaning heavily on…
Sure, it’s just a Spring Training game, but the San Francisco Giants and the Cincinnati Reds will bring a whole lot of history — nearly 150 years worth — to the diamond at Goodyear Ballpark, 1933 South Ballpark Way, on Monday, March 16, for their Cactus League duel. The Reds…
If going green is the hip thing to do nowadays, then the Irish are way ahead of the game. Like, centuries ahead. But that’s not the only thing that the North Atlantic Island can hang its collective hat on. For a relatively small place, the Island has produced some pretty…
