Matthew Reveles reveres the ’60s, and his affinity for retro harmonies and stripped-down traditional folk is apparent on every track of his newest CD We’ll Meet Halfway, even if the album does open with the bluesy instrumental “Give It a Try.” The following track, “Danny Boy,” is back porch folk,…
It’s a shame in a way – but then again, not at all – that most people first come to Dashiell Hammett via Tinseltown translations of his hardboiled prose. The Glass Key. The Thin Man. The Maltese Falcon. The latter book, adapted in letter-perfect fashion for the big screen by…
Legendary L.A. Dodger Steve Garvey signs autographs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. ($20 per item) while ex-Green Bay Packer halfback Paul Hornung signs stuff from 1 to 3 p.m. ($40 per item). Arizona Diamondbacks players Max Scherzer and Adam Dunn will also be autographing memorabilia. Sat., Sept. 20, 10…
Whether name-checked by Kimya Dawson or cited by Alternative Press as the greatest folk singer of the 21st century, Paul Baribeau’s passion for spinning songs from joy and heartbreak is unmatched. A case in point is his “Ten Things,” in which the Michigan native earnestly implores listeners to make a…
So you’re a musician, the commercially nonviable kind. You have friends in high places who could grease palms and open doors if you wanted, but enlisting their support damns you to suckdom-by-affiliation. New Mickey Mouse Club alum Tony Lucca made his choice, as his promo materials blithely pass over the…
The sticky cherry juice trickles over Jenni’s open mouth. She visibly arches her back when the Republican, lesbian bartender whispers Rachael Maddow’s MSNBC political analysis of the nominees’ VP choices. Jenni flutters her eyes and moans her approval rating. That’s bipartisan porn for pundits, but for news, booze, left-leaning social…
For the generation-spanning neighborhood that starts with Sesame Street and includes Avenue Q, puppets have always been a part of our lives. For Josh Cohen and Tamra Malaga, puppets aren’t only their neighbors but also their co-workers. The couple has performed all over North America and is currently moving from…
Did you ever want to bring your laptop to a concert and blog about it? How about sitting next to bona fide musicians while they chronicle the evening’s performance like a sportscaster? Golly gee, kill us now. Thus is the challenge with opera. Though the artform speaks for itself, mention…
Forest Whitaker, Virginia Madsen, and Minnie Driver star in this A-list Hollywood look at bad karma and spiritual awakening. Fri., Sept. 19, 7 p.m.; Sat., Sept. 20, 7 p.m.; Sun., Sept. 21, 2:30 p.m., 2008…
There’s a reason Mel Brooks’ The Producers has been a movie and a musical and a movie musical: “You can’t see it all the first time you see it. You can’t hear it all,” says Michael Barnard, producing artistic director at Phoenix Theatre. “I must have seen the original movie…
It’s 1988. We’re 10 years old and Grandmother Ethel is visiting from Florida. The recall effort of Arizona Governor Evan Mecham is in full effect. Arizona hates him. Our folks hate him. Shut, even our grandma, who had no idea who this guy was until now, hates him. So we…
Hard-hitting, fast-paced women’s roller derby doubleheader will feature The Brutal Beauties versus The Schoolyard Scrappers, and the The Runaway Brides against The Coffin Draggers to determine the championship matchup. Sat., Sept. 20, 8 p.m., 2008…
The second annual show features 10-minutes-or-less works by Valley playwrights, as well as the world première of a new 10-minute play by Urinetown author Greg Kotis (pictured). Fri., Sept. 19, 8 p.m.; Sat., Sept. 20, 8 p.m.; Fri., Sept. 26, 8 p.m.; Sat., Sept. 27, 8 p.m., 2008…
An alcoholic paranormal investigative reporter named Victor, in the midst of an ugly divorce and custody battle, is following the story lead of his career. Yes, his career . . . as a paranormal investigative reporter . . . and his name is Victor. Sigh. His cop friend convinces him…
By Lilia Menconi A Katrina pool photo. People person or not, interaction with undesirable personalities is inevitable during the course of a life. Thankfully, we get to pick our friends. And now that I’m pushing 30, I’ve finally perfected my craft of surrounding myself with truly phenomenal folks. I prefer…
Stephen Strange and Mike Red look kinda tired. It’s only natural, given that the two have been working around the clock since May on Television Noir, their beyond-bizarre late-night TV series that’s debuting this weekend on local station KAZT. But despite his fatigued state, Red’s able to summarize the frenetic…
Masters of the carefully crafted cheap shot, Joel and Ethan Coen have built a career on flippancy. Given their refusal to take anything seriously — least of all the enthusiasm of their fans — the brothers surely got a chuckle from an upcoming academic tome, The Philosophy of the Coen…
“What do you think this is?” cries a lady who lunches in Diane English’s remake of George Cukor’s The Women. “Some kind of ’30s movie?” Even without the 14-year struggle to get the Murphy Brown writer’s pet project past studio doubters, it would be a tall order to remake George…
Well . . . I wish I could say I was surprised. Too Human, simply put, pretty much blows — probably not a great shock to anyone who follows gaming with even a passing interest. For years now, everything seen and heard about the beleaguered title seemed to reinforce the…
I had a subscription to TV Guide when I was a kid, and I remember looking forward each September to the magazine’s annual Fall Preview issue, in which the editors devoted a page to each of the new season’s network shows. Shows like Mr. T and Tina always sounded better…
“Emperors of Japan” sounds like something somebody would name their band while under the influence of psychedelic drugs. The Phoenix band sounds like it’s on a fabulous trip, too. Their latest album, Activator, opens with a song called “The Jesus Bee,” which is all woozy surf guitar with indecipherable, upper-register…
Tried watching prime time lately? Olympians. Democrats. Tennis pros. Republicans. It’s enough to drive us into the arms of a Great American Novelist – just in time for the release of Philip Roth’s Indignation, which Esquire calls the author’s “latest novel about Ohio, Newark, sex, war, and guilt. Always guilt.”…
