If you’ve never heard of Ken Shamrock, the mixed martial arts master, ex-pro wrestler, and cage fighter, be prepared to take a shooto strike in the jugular, followed by a front kick in the package. Okay, kidding. But seriously, Shamrock is the shit (of course we’re going to say that…
Now the games really count. The third-ranked Arizona State University baseball team will host a four-team regional beginning Friday. Other teams coming to Tempe are nationally-ranked Vanderbilt, Oklahoma, and Stony Brook. For game matchups, visit www.thesundevils.com. Fri., May 30, 2 & 7 p.m.; Sat., May 31, 2 & 7 p.m.;…
It’s 4:30 on a windy Friday afternoon, and I’ve driven nearly 400 miles across the desert to see a musician no one I know has ever heard of. Norwegian artist Hanne Hukkelberg is performing the final gig on her first-ever U.S. tour at Hollywood’s Hotel Café, and I’m doing my…
We’ve heard the “opera with a twist” and “rock opera” distinctions before from various classical-music organizations. However, each time we’ve checked out these so-called hip concerts, the music’s turned out to be too, well, operatic for our tastes. In the case of the Phoenix Symphony-presented Ainadamar: Fountain of Tears, the…
Sixty-four to 35. 84 to 59. 63 to 28. These are all losing tallies that the Arena Football League’s Grand Rapids Rampage has suffered so far this season (some Arena teams rack up 28 points in one quarter). If these scores still don’t mean anything to you, let’s put it…
The Valley’s infamous urban sprawl, which continually pisses off groups such as desert preservationists, is also causing a fit for them rednecks. You heard us right. The encroachment of homes in the West Valley has bumped up Manzanita Speedway’s curfew, meaning there can’t be anymore high-octane dirt-track racing past 10:30…
Unlike corn or that long-overdue Scott Baio retrospective on The Biography Channel, the world is not running low on Metallica cover bands. After performing a quick Internet search, we found some with predictable names (Holland-based The Unforgiven, the online-only Sad But True), other generic outfits (The Greedy Bastards are German,…
Hey, Pat Murphy. It’s time to stop worrying. Really, man. Unless your ASU Baseball squad drops its remaining seven games (which ain’t gonna happen), your team is officially, yet again, one of the elite teams in college baseball this season. If you listen to the Sun Devils’ never-satisfied head coach…
“Conversations in the Garden,” an exhibit featuring the stellar work of creative duo Carol Panaro-Smith and James Hajicek, has been on our radar since we viewed the press release. Why? Because, every art piece we’ve ever seen the two make both individually and together is beautiful and original. For “Conversations,”…
You know that old adage “you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone”? Well, in the case of Phoenix and its creative types who run off for other happening places, it’s true. In the case of Camilla Taylor – a work-her-ass-off textile artist, printmaker, and curator – it’s triply…
Unlike corn or that long-overdue Scott Baio retrospective on The Biography Channel, the world is not running low on Metallica cover bands. After performing a quick Internet search, we found some with predictable names (Holland-based The Unforgiven, the online-only Sad But True), other generic outfits (The Greedy Bastards are German,…
In this hell-ride of a season, the ASU Baseball team is looking to play somebody (anybody!) that isn’t a powerhouse program. You’d think that Loyola Marymount would provide said relief. Not so, as the 2008 Lions have chalked up impressive wins against Oregon State, USC, and Cal. Sat., May 10,…
You knew this day was coming. Ever since America’s favorite acronym hit the mainstream in America’s quintessential get drunk/get laid flick American Pie, you knew your perv fantasies would leap from the big screen and into real life. Be a real-life Stifler during the Hot Mom Contest. Fridays. Starts: April…
We recently discovered that we’ve been taking Dennis Rowland for granted, especially after the most prominent straight-ahead jazz vocalist in town schooled us last month during an effing amazing rendition of “Lush Life.” Since that night, we’ve been scouring the Internet looking for upcoming performances. The place he, and we,…
The Phoenix Mercury were 2007 WNBA champions. Remember? Of course you don’t, dammit, because they don’t get much love in our Suns-obsessed city. Well, we’re not going to let you forget that our hometown gals will be looking to defend their title this season. The road begins with their home…
If you didn’t attend March’s Downtown Chamber Series concert . . . oh, man. That Crumb piece with the pitched wine glasses, intense violin and cello sections, and growling chants in French? Seriously, one of the best live-music events we’ve ever witnessed. The DCS folks have lined up another eyebrow-raising…
The press release for Pink Martini’s upcoming performance in Scottsdale has this to say about the 12-piece ensemble from (where else?) Portland, Oregon: “a cross between a 1930s Cuban dance orchestra, a classical chamber music ensemble, a Brazilian marching street band, and Japanese film noir.” Well, that just about covers…
By Steve Jansen Nidaa Aboulhosn dabbles in many things. She’s a fine art photographer whose work has been featured at various downtown art spaces, a freelance commercial shutterbug, a professional photographic retoucher, and she also works a day gig at a metal fabrication shop. She’s also a Lebanese woman who…
Forget for a minute that Marcus Miller – who was one of Miles Davis’ last collaborators – is one of the best bass players in the entire world. The “Superman of Soul” is also totally schooled in clarinet, bass clarinet, saxophone, and keyboard, and he’s produced works by Luther Vandross,…
It’s oft-times impossible to marinate our ears to all of the talented bands out there. That’s why the “Influences” section on MySpace is so important, and the first column of text that we tend to look at before checking out the downloadable tunes. When we visited the music page for…
It’s First Friday time again. Yay! Right? Actually, boo (well, kind of). Ever since the monthly shebang caught on with the mainstream (example no. 1: emo kids from Mesa’s Dobson High School; example no. 2: Mercedes Benz-driving Scottsdale folks of all ages), it’s been nearly impossible to scope out the…
On a recent First Friday, I dispensed with the art early to take in some music. But instead of the folk singers, experimental rock acts, and hip-hop I usually catch on Roosevelt Row during one of these chaotic art-walk nights, I was headed to hear the Grammy Award-winning Phoenix Bach…
