“Will It Blend?” is the ongoing series of online videos by personal kitchen appliance manufacturer Blendtec in which CEO Tom Dickson gleefully wields their marquee products to chew up basically anything from an iPhone to a Justin Bieber doll. Phoenix Art Museum gets in on the act with its own…
Performance poet Jason Bayani and visual artist Casebeer couldn’t be more different in their exploration of words. Their works come together at bibliophile paradise Lawn Gnome Publishing on the evening of Saturday, July 6.An accomplished veteran of the slam poetry circuit, Bayani’s first book Amulet, a powerful collection of poems…
Anderson “Spider” Silva is the most dominant champion in Ultimate Fighting Championship history. The 38-year-old Brazilian middleweight has defended his championship a record 10 straight times — part of a record 16-fight winning streak — and none of the calls has been particularly close. It’s always tough to separate reality…
Nathaniel Martin Stroman received the nickname Earthquake because of the violent, shaking laughter his audiences experience. Okay, this may not be true in terms of how he got the name, but the results are the same — Stroman’s quick wit and explosive comedy about everyday life and his time in…
The last year or so has been quite the tossup for Valley sports fans. The Suns brought back ol’ Horny to run next year’s squad, and the Cardinals, also under new leadership, wrangled up quasi-legitimate quarterback Carson Palmer. The Yotes hanged their skates up after a disappointing season, and the…
For a team that looks like a prohibitive favorite to win its division, the Arizona Diamondbacks sure have looked weak when battling their division rivals. Despite being at or near the top of the NL West table all year, the snakes have a losing divisional record. Only one team in…
Most people commemorate road trips with photos, kitschy T-shirts, and good stories, but how about a tattoo? Day trips are one of the best ways to beat the grueling summer months in Phoenix, and the Northern Arizona Tattoo Festival is a solid reason to head up to Prescott for the…
When it comes to upscale Japanese cuisine in right here in the Valley of the Sun, no one does it better than James Beard Award-winning chef Nobuo Fukada, of Nobuo at Teeter House. When a chef’s got that much street cred, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he specializes…
With their beloved Spurs coming up painfully short in the NBA finals against the Miami Heat, San Antonio finds that its hoop dreams now fall to the WNBA’s Silver Stars, who come to town hoping their title run continues by defeating Western Conference rival Phoenix Mercury. However, knocking off the…
“Think outside the lunchbox.” That’s the mantra behind the Herberger Theater’s Lunch Time Theater series, which opens Friendly People Productions’ Five Stages this week.The 45-minute one-act is set at a fun-yet-therapeutic evening where five female friends gather to drink wine and swap stories. Each story covers the topic of loss…
July in Phoenix creates a sort of common denominator. It’s a bonding agent for those who have lived here for at least a year. It also bonds our backs to car seats, our bodies to water and air conditioning, and our underwear to its butt cracks. Even most outdoor enthusiasts…
Here Comes Honey Boo Boo is going from obnoxious to odoriferous. Last summer, the infamous TLC reality show chronicling the misadventures of the, um, salt-of-the-earth Thompson clan was all up in everyone’s grill. When the so-bad-it’s-good program returns for its new season later this month, however, it’s gonna be all…
“RIP Vine.” That was the proclamation across social media last month when everyone’s favorite photo app, Instagram, unleashed its new, fancy video feature. Loaded with fifteen seconds to fill, thirteen filters, and editing capabilities, what’s not to love? Why would anyone want to keep Vine, the hipster-friendly, no-filter, six-second video…
Cool it, Phoenix. There are plenty of ways to chill this summer, and moviegoing happens to be one of the most relaxing and cost-effective — not to mention entertaining. Here are five flicks worth the hot car ride to an icy cold local theater. A Band Called Death As the…
Artist Kevin Bates admits he was never much of a skate trickster. He may have ridden a board around during his high school days and hung out with grinders, but didn’t pull off much in the way of epic kickflips or pole jams. Truth be told, he was more into…
Let’s all just take a moment right now to accept the futility of our best-laid plans for an unplugged vacation this holiday weekend. If you’re anything like us, then you and your smart phone could probably qualify as conjoined twins. And you know what? It’s okay, because they are gonna…
Elijah Wood is a Maniac. By Cory Casciato The original Maniac hit theaters in 1980 and quickly became a slasher classic by heralding a new era in on-screen depravity. The grimy, gritty film about a serial killer who scalps women and collects mannequins famously depicted a close-up of a shotgun…
If ever there was a time to wear that nifty U.S. flag bikini or bathing suit you picked up at American Apparel, it’d be over the next few days. Given that the Fourth of July is less than 24 hours hence, such star spangled swimwear would be appropriate ensemble if…
It’s now illegal not to visit or send a message to your old Chinese parents on a routine basis. Some people think the new law is ridiculous. Really? If you’re going to protest a Chinese law, get your priorities straightened out. A culture that traditionally respects, honors, and cares for…
Experimental-film lovers and indie-flick buffs are sure to get their kooky film fix from Ninja Blend’s Video Blender event at the Phoenix Art Museum. The special one-time Phoenix showing on July’s First Friday will feature shorts from directors Spike Jonze, Jim Jarmusch, and Michel Gondry, along with weird clips, trailers,…
School might be out for summer, but dusting off your haboob-ified pencil and notepad will do you some good this July. Phoenix is rife with educational opportunities (and lots are free). Here are three mind-expanding events you need to check out. “Pyromaniacs Anonymous: How Fireworks…Work” @ Arizona Science Center After…
Since 1994, Flam Chen has been perfecting the art of circus fire performance in Arizona and around the Southwest. It’s one of the country’s premier circus arts and fire performance troupes, best known for its participation in the Tucson All Souls Procession, the city’s annual public ceremony for which a…
