Back in the day, any skilled dirt-bike rider could take his or her Yamaha or Husqvarna out into the acres of pristine desert of Maricopa County and peel out, catch air, or tear through the arid wilderness all day long. Now look at this place, with its cookie-cutter homes flanked…
Scampering 13.1 or 26.2 miles is never a breeze, but if you’re choosing to do so for the first time, the P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona Marathon and 1/2 Marathon is the way to go. Much like rocking headphones at the gym to distract your jelly-approaching legs from hours…
In a place where there’s not even a major street dedicated to the late, great civil rights movement leader, a pretty cool MLK Day tradition has developed over the years in downtown: the Martin Luther King Festival & Commemorative March. At 9 a.m. Monday, January 18, join other folks at…
Michael Allen Engstrom probably didn’t sell his soul to the devil in order to create the oil paintings featured in his “CrossRoads BLUES” exhibit at @Central Gallery. However, just in case, we’re going to place him on the dark-side watch, just because the works in this show are so good…
The Milwaukee Bucks currently reside in second place in their division. The Phoenix Suns should be worried when they come to visit US Airways Center, right? Not exactly. You see, the Bucks – led by young ballers Brandon Jennings and Ersan Ilyasova – are in the Eastern Conference’s Central Division,…
Now that our New Year’s resolutions are more than just spots of ink on a page, the folks behind the 26th annual Resolution Run are our new BFFs. Rooted in positive reinforcement, the annual 5k run and walk will make you feel good about yourself, especially to those who want…
Thanks to the just-passed holidays, we’ve been too emo, burned out, fat, and drunk to ditch the piles of work/errands to get some exercise. Layne Gneiting would have something to say about that, which could be along the lines of, “Stop being such a pansy, you sissy boy” (our words,…
We all know folks who are busy. Perhaps you’re one of the busiest of the busy bodies. That’s cool. However, do you often spread yourself thin and compromise quality for quantity? We know we have. Ambur Keryne Gore is indeed a time-crunched gal, but her waking life is wisely occupied,…
It rules when traditionally crap teams suddenly play all awesome, and there have been plenty of them this college-football season. Along with Temple and Idaho, habitual stink-up-the-joint clubs like the Iowa State Cyclones are going bowling, which is a super oddity. That sure means they’ll be super into playing the…
The aggro folks that are talking junk on John Junker for picking the Boise State-Texas Christian match-up for the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl need to do something. Namely, get over it, yo, because it’s going to be an awesome game. Junker, the Fiesta Bowl executive director, could’ve selected a multi-loss team…
Yay, the New Year! Boo, the New Year’s hangover! Sorry for screaming at you with the exclamation points, especially if you’re reading this on New Year’s Day and your head is pounding from exterminating (rather than just celebrating) 2009’s end. But guess what? Solace can to be found with other…
For two weeks every December, the oldest FM radio station in the country, Columbia University’s WKCR, dedicates two continuous weeks to playing the sounds of J.S. Bach. Pretty rad, huh? Well, Phoenix has a live equivalent, the Arizona Bach Festival (formerly called American Bach). Beginning at 4 p.m. Sunday, January…
Most folks move here from snow-dominated climes to escape exactly what artist Eileen Marie Ripsin purposely created for her solo show, which is rust. Lots of it. Though it’s a foreign concept for Phoenicians, rust sucks for folks not from the AZ side. But Ripsin, originally from Minnesota, thinks the…
Ten years strong and these cats are still finding fresh ways to entertain. At 8 p.m. Saturday, December 26, and Sunday, December 27, the Downtown Chamber Series will be keeping its every-so-often program of classical tunes all new and hip at the Icehouse. For one, the DCS have never performed…
You need a beverage. Now. Doesn’t matter that you and the fam are in the middle of eating Christmas dinner or that your niece is being all cute because, basically, what it boils down is that it’s your one freaking day off. Even if your family rules and you generally…
Is it weird that when we go somewhere to listen to music, we actually want to listen to the music? If you share our dilemma, then you’ll most definitely dig Sundays at The Roosevelt featuring Shane Kennedy. The longtime drummer, producer, and Bikini Lounge music provider plays tunes, at a…
Christmas carols are cheeseball-a-rific, but not when a young and hip New York City-based composer of Norwegian descent is rearranging the holiday hits for a Grammy Award-winning group. Beginning Saturday, December 19, the Phoenix Chorale will perform its “Home for the Holidays” program that will feature the group blowing your…
Christmas carols are cheeseball-a-rific, but not when a young and hip New York City-based composer of Norwegian descent is rearranging the holiday hits for a Grammy Award-winning group. Beginning Saturday, December 19, the Phoenix Chorale will perform its “Home for the Holidays” program that will feature the group blowing your…
Winter solstice – commonly known as the shortest day of the year – just can’t be fully appreciated in an urban environment. So despite the chill in the air, celebrate the day in nature during the Winter Solstice Hike at White Tank Mountains Regional Park. The two-hour, ranger-led jaunt will…
If you really want to feel a connection to the mafia, ditch the season whatever of The Sopranos and head to your closest neighborhood payphone. Local artist Aaron Abbott – who spent more than a year capturing every payphone in the grid from 16th to 24th streets and from Thomas…
Unless you’re talking about the Biltmore and Esplanade areas, Phoenix has this reputation of being the pits for more upscale nightlife. Though it’s true that places like downtown like it rough and raw, the distinction is totally bogus. Just check out spots like The Vig, located catawampus to the Arcadia…
We loathe holiday shopping. Not so much because of the consumerism, but due to the music that plays out of department store speakers. Like, really, how much can one stand Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime”? Yucky. That’s why the Phoenix Symphony rocks, bringing the killer jams of Handel’s Messiah masterwork and…
