Yes, Phoenix is the sixth largest city in the country. But that doesn’t mean it’s lost touch with its Wild West heritage, horse ranches, ghost towns, and saloons. We’ve traveled to every corner of the Valley and found iconic places to experience the Old West across town – from the…
Picture a tiny ballerina, with hair bun and tutu, methodically turning inside an old-fashioned jewelry box. For some, it’s the quintessential image of a dancer. Everything is evenly-paced and predictable. But that’s not the sort of ballet featured in Today’s Masters, a two-hour program being performed by Ballet Arizona through…
Each week, we’re re-capping the first season of Fuller House, episode by episode. Grab your She-Wolf Pack and let’s go. Remember when we said that some of the parallels between Fuller House and its parent show were genius? While we still stand by that in regards to the gender reversal…
Garry Shandling has died at the age of 66, according to TMZ. The cause of his death has not been made public at this time. The comedian, writer, and actor, who grew up in Tucson and attended the University of Arizona, wrote for television shows including Welcome Back, Kotter before starring…
Congrats are in order, Arizona. On the evening of March 23, the 2016 Arizona Governor’s Arts Award winners were announced in a ceremony at the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel. Since 1981, the awards have recognized creatives and organizations who have made a positive impact on the state’s arts and culture…
New Times picks the best things to do in metro Phoenix from Friday, March 25, through Sunday, March 27. Comedy on Fire For the better part of three years, comedian Matt Micheletti has hosted Comedy on Fire, a monthly stand-up show made up almost entirely of local comics. The nights have…
What’s Negan’s deal anyway?
Whether you’re an avid hiker, cyclist, trail runner, or climber, or a novice to the outdoorsy scene, proper gear is important. The terrain is especially diverse here in Arizona, meaning you might need different gear depending on where, how far, and what time of the year you are hiking. Preparation…
Ask weary WWE viewers to identify why the professional-wrestling titan’s creative direction has gone so stagnant and you’ll hear one answer time and again: lack of competition. It’s no coincidence that the company’s late-‘90s heyday ran concurrent with the rise of Ted Turner’s World Championship Wrestling, which at one point…
Walk into Jarrod’s Coffee, Tea & Gallery in downtown Mesa on any given day, and you’re likely to find an eclectic crew of patrons sipping lattes and perusing the art. Tattooed bikers sprawl on couches near mothers minding fussy toddlers. A woman wearing a hijab pops in for a coffee…
If Stray Cat Theatre’s new production of Stupid Fucking Bird wasn’t so thrilling to behold, one might entertain oneself trying to figure out where Aaron Posner’s story ends, and where Chekhov’s The Seagull, to which it (sort of) pays homage, begins. Or perhaps to figure out how many plays-within-a-play this…
Remember when you could only name, like, two reality TV shows? One was Survivor. And the other was MTV’s The Real World. Good news: Real World is still on TV (amid about a zillion other reality programs that have followed in its emotional and kinda trashy footsteps) airing on Thursday nights as…
Thunderous, ponderous and occasionally exciting, Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice opens with one of those grim proclamations that the creators of modern superhero movies are so fond of: “There was a time above, a time before,” intones the voice of Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck), over a by-now…
Have you ever considered the fact that, in 1951, Hank Williams actually wrote “Hey Good Lookin'”? That, for the first 175 years years of American history, those words and that melody weren’t already part of our shared heritage? Williams didn’t just pluck it out of the air, of course. Cole…
The joke was on me when I first saw My Big Fat Greek Wedding back in 2002: I watched the film at a press screening that also happened to be attended by a large group of older female tourists. While I grimaced through the movie’s obvious gags and not-ready-for-prime-time direction,…
Last year, Mesa Arts Center put out a call for artists interested in painting pianos as part of a public art project, offering $500 honorariums for selected artists. Today, 24 pianos painted by chosen artists dot various spaces in Mesa, serving as reminders of what can happen when creative types…
Hey Phoenix, you ready for more stories? We suggest you get your tickets (just $5!) early for the Thursday, April 7, installment of Bar Flies at Valley Bar. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the event is at 7. R. Bradley Snyder is curating, and the theme is Fathers. The…
Capes. Powers. Brawls. Everyone has a favorite superhero, maybe even more than one. And while it’s fun when they take down the latest Big Bad, there’s something both hair-raising and sometimes heartbreaking about seeing iconic good guys face off against each other. Movie studios are making the fans pick a…
The Chet Baker portrayed by Ethan Hawke in Robert Budreau’s misty biopic Born to Be Blue is midway between beauty and ruin. Behind him are the 1950s, when his easy virtuosity and matinee-idol looks swiftly took Baker from Charlie Parker’s sideman to major player on Dick Bock’s Pacific Jazz label…
Prestige cable flatters us about the past. It lets us vacation in the backwardness of previous generations, usually while throwing some empathetic side-eye. Gape at Mad Men’s blithe white dudes, each convinced he earned every bit of authority he commands over women and minorities. Or thank Jezebel that we’ve evolved…
New Times picks the best things to do in metro Phoenix from March 21 through 24. Les Visiteurs Calling all people who shudder at the blasphemy of “freedom fries,” do a reasonable Amelie impression, and can’t help but click on the latest list of how to look as effortlessly stylish as…
The Phoenix arts scene is humming along. Creative types are opening new venues, artists are collaborating across disciplines, and First Friday art walks are bustling. Art is popping up in all sorts of unconventional places – including bars, churches, and hair salons. And public art, from murals to light rail…
