Big parties can be total blasts. Until the riff-raff that no one knows starts acting up, that is. In the Great Arizona Puppet Theater’s The Princess, The Unicorn, and The Smelly Foot Troll, the royal daughter’s open invite birthday celebration attracts a certain unwanted guest on Thursday, August 15.The shindig…
While we don’t particularly dig when folks chop up books and make them into “art,” we do enjoy the craftsmanship of Julie Chen. She doesn’t bother with the chopping, instead creating books that are readable tomes that double as works of art. Chen produces limited editions of books (usually in…
The Scottsdale Cultural Council announced today the resignation of its president and CEO, William H. Banchs, effective August 31…
Pool parties are largely a pursuit of the daytime, right? Yeah, to a certain degree, but that doesn’t mean that summertime swim scene — especially in and around Scottsdale — ceases once the oppressive sun sinks below the horizon. To the contrary, things seem to get a bit livelier when…
In 1956, Scottsdale was a small city of 7,000 residents. The one-square-mile agricultural town was considered a long drive from Phoenix. Scottsdale started gaining popularity with winter visitors. Tourism and high-end shopping began to boom — and the Hotel Valley Ho was born. Jackalope Ranch took a tour of the…
If you are a videogame player on a budget, a casual game player who likes to sample, or a supporter of independent game developers, then you should look into the wonderful world of indie bundles. They’re a recent Internet phenomenon; as the name implies, an indie bundle is a set…
Apparently, Phoenicians are all about rising above this month. We couldn’t tell you exactly why the Valley is suddenly flush with aerial photography shows, but the change in perspective is a welcome breath of fresh air all the same. Don’t get overwhelmed. We’re here to help you navigate these exhibitions…
Get your smarty pants on; it’s time for some lectures. Take note: Here are three educational events you’ve gotta check out in the Phoenix area this month. Stephen Fried @ Heard Museum Author and journalist Stephen Fried explores the life and career of Fred Harvey, the entrepreneur who established a…
This is your brain. This is your brain on sex. A recent study on human pleasure by Rutgers researchers Barry Komisaruk and Nan Wise has discovered what may be the best news since science discovered that pot smokers are skinnier…
On the field, the Arizona Rattlers are the Copper State’s most successful sports franchise. Last season they finished with a 13-5 record and won a third Arena Bowl, and this season the Rattlers have dominated Western Conference, claiming the number one seed in this year’s playoffs. Despite all their achievements…
Most everybody loves an excuse to attend a good party. But these days, there seems to be more and more invites to the self-absorbed and self-indulgent kind, which lack the aforementioned “good” part. Before you make it to your girlfriend’s wedding you will have most likely attended her engagement party,…
Joystick Jedi and old-school gamers of Arizona, rejoice: ZapCon, the classic arcade and pinball convention, will return to downtown Phoenix for a second round next year. Better start practicing your moves…
As the country’s largest urban park, the 16,000-acre South Mountain Park and Preserve has many trails for a hiker to explore its variable and unique terrain. We enjoy taking an easy-going day hike on the north edge of the park that provides an exciting and scenic climb through the granite…
If you’ve ever seen the Tumblr Rich Kids of Instagram, you know what it is to feel simultaneously enthralled and enraged. The spoiled spawn of the one percent post pictures of themselves sipping champagne on private jets, being chauffeured in Bentleys , and posing on yachts in the Mediterranean. Now,…
No sad faces are allowed this Monday, Phoenix. Here’s something to do every day this week. Dr. Gladys T. McGarey @ Changing Hands Kelly Osbourne and Kate Moss can dye their hair gray all they want. Doesn’t change the fact that it looks better on a lady who’s earned her…
If you’ve ever visited Practical Art, chances are you’ve noticed the repurposed wine bottle tumblers by local artist Ray Delmuro of Refresh Glass. This week, Delmuro and Practical Art team up to teach you how to recycle your own red wine remnants with a free demo on wine bottle vase-making…
Picture us furiously refreshing our browser Sunday morning in a tizzy of anticipation and nerves awaiting the BBC’s announcement for who will replace Matt Smith as the time- and space- (and dimension-) traveling doctor on the cult sci-fi series Doctor Who. Then, finally, after 30 minutes of waiting through the…
It’s no secret around these parts that my guilty pleasure — okay fine, one of my guilty pleasures — is watching ABC’s The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. Religiously. So when I say that this season, starring Desiree Hartsock, is so bad that you couldn’t even pay me to watch the…
We’ve seen our fair share of bizarre beauty treatments — snake venom creams, flaming alcohol-soaked towel masks, and who could forget the flesh-eating “spa fish.” Nevertheless we are cringing at the latest spa treatment to come out of New York. Introducing the bird poop facial…
If Bob Ross were alive today, he’d be painting happy little trees all over the place in ecstatic fervor for all the arts and culture happenings in Phoenix. To help you see the forest for the trees, here’s a recap of the top arts and culture stories of the week…
Need weekend plans? Voilà. The Amazing Johnathan @ Stand Up Live When the Las Vegas hotel and casino of his then-residency seemingly stopped promoting his shows, The Amazing Johnathan channeled his inner Peter Gibbons from Office Space last December and simply stopped going. After 13 years of headlining in Sin…
Arizona Theatre Company, the state’s largest producer of professional live stage work, ended its fiscal year June 30 with a $1 million deficit. In the wake of other Valley not-for-profit theaters having gone on hiatus or closed outright due to the recession, largely because of steep dropoffs in corporate giving,…
