Few of the things we remember fondly from our youth actually hold up well. Voltron was horribly repetitive, pogs were stupid, and Hypercolor shirts just made you look like a really sloppy eater. Jim Henson’s Labryinth is one of those rare staples of 80’s nostalgia that manages to not be…
After a forgettable 2012 campaign, the Arizona Cardinals – understandably — made some serious roster modifications during the off-season. Some were controversial, some imperative. One move that had Cards fans’ undies in a bundle was allowing defensive coordinator Ray Horton to jettison the Valley and take up shop in Cleveland…
The undead can be so unfit. Take the zombies: stiff upper body, slow on the feet, and in desperate need of a good back-bend stretch. Fortunately Sutra Midtown is offering undead locals the chance to better their brains and their bodies with its annual Halloween event, ZombieVin.Enjoy a seasonal selection…
It’s not every day the James Beard Foundation comes to town to gather the region’s culinary elite for an evening of food, fun and drink. But that’s exactly what’s going down the foundation’s 10-city Taste America tour comes to Phoenix this week.On Friday, October 18, the foundation presents the “Best…
Phoenix Design Week 2013 is an eight-day celebration of design featuring events, panels, parties, and plenty of opportunities for designers and design lovers to geek out.Things get rolling on Friday, October 18, when PDW opens with a Creative Mornings lecture and continues with the Method + Madness Conference. But the…
From shopping to sightseeing, our tastes tend to veer toward vintage. Hence, Best of Phoenix 2013’s Vintage Phoenix theme. Because of our love of oldish stuff and said theme, New Times and R. Pela Contemporary Art co-present “Hot Plate!”It’s an exhibition of Phoenix-inspired plates, reminiscent of commemorative dishes you’d find…
It’s hard to find anyone tackling taboo topics as smartly & sickeningly funny as Anthony Jeselnik. The stand-up comic and host of Comedy Central’s The Jeselnik Offensive goes for the jugular live October 19.Jeselnik has been on a roll since his no-holds-barred performance in the 2011 Comedy Central Roast of…
Mark your calendars for the 5th Annual Grand Avenue Festival. The once-forgotten thoroughfare hosts a vibrant street fair featuring food trucks, performance art and exhibits from its surrounding businesses.Expect yearly staples like the Coffee, Cookies and Crafts fair, held outside Bragg’s Pie Factory from noon until 5 p.m., and the…
Reach for the sky, Arizona. One of the “best buckin’” events in the West is wending its way to North Scottsdale for an evening of cowboys, country music, and championship bull riding. The Scottsdale Showdown, presented by the Ak-Chin Community, is a nationally televised showcase of some of the best…
We like wacky behind-the-scenes stories. Among other things, the drama going on offstage (whether literally or figuratively) helps one appreciate all the hard work that goes into what people are supposed to see. And the backstory is often funnier than the official, on-purpose part of life. That’s the nature of…
The Phoenix Pride Festival is a blast, both for the LGBTQ community and its straight allies. Downtown Phoenix turns into a joyous display of rainbows and acceptance for one fun filled weekend — but the fun doesn’t stop there. In addition to Pride, there’s the Rainbows Festival, Arizona’s second largest…
Here in the Southwest, our love of tacos is serious — festival serious. The Arizona Taco Festival is back and bigger than ever with taco tastings from more than 30 competing restaurants, a tequila expo, cooking classes from local chefs, themed photo booths, pop up bars, and live music from…
Ah, William Shakespeare, master of the tricky, ambiguous title (Much Ado About Nothing? Tell that to the characters — oh, okay, right. The Taming of the Shrew? As if. The Two Gentlemen of Verona, one of whom is not so gentlemanly, but maybe that’s because the real second gentleman here?…
Phoenix’s newest club scene contender comes from an unlikely source — a midweek disco night at a downtown dance club.It’s Rebel Disco’s Push Push!, a Wednesday night party from the five-deep DJ gang. The destination disco has featured the likes of duo Cosmic Kids and New York-based “Beats in Space”…
Hakuna Matata in Kiswahili means “no worries.” This is the ongoing theme — and theme song — of Disney’s The Lion King, a classic coming-of-age tale set on the plains of East Africa amongst a pride of lions and resident wildlife. A visual and musical extravaganza, Lion King tells the…
Does Taylor Swift rock? That’s the consensus, as several items from the pop star, from clothing to handwritten lyrics, are part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s “Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power” exhibit at the Musical Instrument Museum. More to the “rock” point are the White Stripes’…
Writer, bon-vivant, window dresser, fashion commentator — Simon Doonan is kind of everything we aspire to be. The stylish scribe also serves as creative ambassador-at-large for Barneys New York. On Saturday, October 19, we and fellow fans of the witty, well-dressed Englishman have a chance to rub elbows with Doonan,…
Instagram is turning 3 years old this month, but we haven’t seen any signs that the popular social networking site is slowing down. These days, more and more people are using the app to take photos of things other than their breakfast (thank God). And if you love art as…
Some theater experiences leave you overwhelmed by somber themes and dense dialogue. However, Arizona Theatre Company’s production of The Importance of Being Earnest can pretty much erase all that darkness in the course of two and a half hours with its extravagant costumes and sets, playful blend of modern and…
Comedian Doug Stanhope makes his living going into dark places and making people laugh. Even a cursory glance at his act — which has included a lengthy reflection on helping his ailing mother commit suicide — demonstrates that the man has little time for fear and that he can wring…
Big news, road-trippers and rush-hour commuters. Commercial flying cars are apparently landing in the not-too distant future. And while our inner child is thrilled to be one step closer to living like The Jetsons, it only takes one entitled jackass cutting us off through four lanes of traffic to remind…
Even if you don’t know it by heart, you certainly know Tovrea Castle — the wedding cake-shaped building perched above Loop 202. Besides being a compelling visual landmark, Tovrea Castle is an eclectic piece of Arizona history. Alessio Carraro, the castle’s builder, was an Italian immigrant from San Francisco with…
