Few coffee shops have attracted the attention that Hob Nobs has, after gentrifying and occupying the former Willow House space. First, there was the public outcry over the proposed “Willo House” name. Then there was the mixed reviews and, recently, an unfavorable health inspection involving blowing in plastic gloves. The…
This geek blog all started with a trip to the movies to see A Haunting in Connecticut (which incidentally is a pretty decent paranormal flick, but “based on a true story” is really, really a stretch). I won’t bore you with all the details, but let’s just say that the…
This past Saturday, Chef James Porter of Tapino Kitchen & Wine Bar took his popular series of Locavore Dinners one step further by moving from the restaurant kitchen into the great outdoors — specifically, Superstition Farm in East Mesa. When Chef Porter said he wanted to show Phoenix diners where…
Jerry Stahl, author of the narcotic memoir Permanent Midnight and CSI episodes including one in which someone dies after an acid-laced enema, has a sardonic, witty voice that leaves the reader torn between laughter and tears (much like that acid-laced enema would). In Stahl’s latest novel, Pain Killers, pill-popping ex-cop…
Artist Frida Kahlo had serious body issues. No, we don’t mean the Sasquatch eyebrows and pencil ’stache — though if her self-portraits are any indication, Frida definitely could’ve used some Nair. We’re talking deformed legs, a crooked spine, and dozens of broken bones from a bus accident. Ouch. Frida’s grandniece,…
Boys like guns and robots. Girls prefer E-Z Bake Ovens and Barbie dolls. Right? Guess Sarah Palin and the Queer Eye boys missed that memo. Ceramicists Rebekah Bogard, Cynthia Consentino, Jason Huff, and Max Lehman examine sexuality, femininity, and gender issues via whimsical cartoon sculptures in “The Trouble With Boys…
Jerry Stahl, author of the narcotic memoir Permanent Midnight and CSI episodes including one in which someone dies after an acid-laced enema, has a sardonic, witty voice that leaves the reader torn between laughter and tears (much like that acid-laced enema would). In Stahl’s latest novel, Pain Killers, pill-popping ex-cop…
Infants and toddlers use every method of communication available, from burbles and cries to exaggerated gestures. But as a child learns to speak, the methods lose importance in favor of their newfound knowledge of ABCs. Artist Brian Boner became interested in human communication after his father passed away from a…
There’s nothing scarier for a die-hard meat eater than a vegan restaurant. Just mentioning the lack of animal by-product may cause him or her to sweat, or at least go into a lengthy rant about “those damned veg-heads” with hippie dreadlocks and unshaven pits. How they had a boyfriend/girlfriends they…
Artist Frida Kahlo had serious body issues. No, we don’t mean the Sasquatch eyebrows and pencil ’stache — though if her self-portraits are any indication, Frida definitely could’ve used some Nair. We’re talking deformed legs, a crooked spine, and dozens of broken bones from a bus accident. Ouch. Frida’s grandniece,…
The Coffee Buzz, a friendly neighborhood joint on Chandler Blvd. in Ahwatukee/Phoenix, definitely caters to the average Joe or Jane. In fact, everything about the place — from the bland white walls to the standard breakfast sandwiches and ok coffee — is perfectly average. Surprising, considering the shop was voted “Best…
Friday night, crazy devoted Twilight fans lined up outside of Hot Topic at the Tempe Marketplace for the exclusive Midnight Release Party, open only to those who pre-ordered a copy of the special 2-Disc Hot Topic edition of the movie. It was packed inside the tiny store as a hundred…
Ballet is for rich white folks. Interpretive dance is for freaky hippie types. Those are the myths that visual artist Lee Berger, professional choreographer Candy Jimenez, and composer Jimmy Cerracchio want to dispel with their modern-dance performance Pensive Beauty. The nine-movement ballet includes music by electronic-acoustic rock band Azul and…
Some pairings were destined to be. Beer and pizza. Brad and Angelina. Chris Brown and a restraining order. And artist Betsy Bret Harte and sociologist Mary Kay Zeeb, who knew each other for years before realizing how much their work overlapped. Their first official collaborative exhibit, titled “WORD,” visually depicts…
It didn’t take Forbes magazine’s list of most boring big cities to convince us that Mesa is one sleepy little ‘burb when it comes to arts and culture. Sure, there’s the state-of-the-art Mesa Arts Center, but outside of that, the town’s pretty much a chain store infested, super kid-friendly wonderland…
Woo-hoo! Today is St. Patrick’s Day — one of the best excuses to wear green, go out and drink lots of (green) beer, get hammered (and feel green). Or, if you’re a geek, stay home and feed your current WOW: Wrath of the Lich King addiction while noshing a green…
Artist Bob Ross once said, “We don’t make mistakes, we just have happy accidents.” Then again, Ross wasn’t around for Dubya’s second term, Madoff’s rip-offs, or Meet the Spartans. Perhaps he got the idea from renowned early 20th-century painter Ernest Blumenschein, whose influential art career came about via a series…
No one likes waiting in line for a table. While standing around aimlessly, guzzling pre-dinner drinks and staring intently at your personal homing device (a.k.a. the annoying beeper thingy they give you at certain mid-grade eateries), you can’t help but ponder the question, “why, oh why, didn’t I make reservations?” Wasteland…
Shh… Today, dear readers, I’m going to let you in on a little geek secret: We self-proclaimed nerds, geeks and dorks have an internal rating system. Think of it as a 1-10 scale of geekdom, with 1 being the girl who wears a bowl cut and plastic glasses in an urban-chic way and 10 being this guy: Whether you…
Turning 21 is an important rite of passage in America. It often involves heavy boozing, crazy stunts, and waking up next to total strangers, but it’s significant nonetheless. On that note, Artlink’s Art Detour 21 promises to be one hell of a party. The free, self-guided tour of Phoenix’s downtown…
When it comes to restaurant decor, there’s nothing worse than walls that never change. If you’re only popping by once or twice for a meal, no big deal. But if you enjoy the grub enough to make repeated visits, it would be nice to see something new. ‘Cause it sucks when,…
So, a friend of mine and I have a geeky debate raging over the entertainment at the Arizona Renaissance Festival. Personally, I think it’s annoying to see the same performers doing the same shticks every year. I mean, how many times can you see Ded Bob “bobmotize” some hot chick…
