Christmas with the average American family involves a tree, too many sweets, and a squabble or two. Toss in some Charlie Brown and a festive carol, and you’re set until next winter. Awww. You know how all that sounds? Tear-jerkingly boring. We’re fairly sure that kitschy, cult filmmaker John Waters…
The number of socially acceptable vices is dwindling, and the next one to fall is obvious. We’re already seeing laws restricting our ability to buy sugar water and smoke cigs, but that was just the camel’s nose. The writing’s been on the wall ever since they took Cathy out of…
The Orlando Magic and the Phoenix Suns have more in common than the fact that they’re both sub-par teams: They’re also both in a season of new eras. In other words, they’re hobbling through the season and eking out an occasional win, while their bygone saviors, Steve Nash and Dwight…
Grab some cash and get ready for a display of serious creative talent. Phoenix Center for the Arts will host the first Phoenix Festival of the Arts, a three-day celebration that aims to unite local artists and arts organizations with a public arty party. “The Phoenix Festival of the Arts…
The photo on the web site promoting the Mesa Arts Festival makes the event appear more biker rally than art festival. But behind those rows of parked Harleys lurk the colorful canopies covering the sprawling aisles filled with original art and gift items from 38 local, regional and national artists…
If you’re accustomed to adaptations of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairytales, you might not be aware how dark and frightening the originals can be — but they also drip with remote, exotic beauty, from the Little Mermaid’s underwaterscape to the glittery, lifeless domain of the Snow Queen. The latter tale has…
For a show that’s only a couple of years old, ‘S Wonderful boasts beaucoup familiar songs, courtesy of George and Ira Gershwin, who jazzed up Broadway and pop starting in the 1920s. If you can’t hear Rhapsody in Blue, “The Man I Love,” “I’ve Got Rhythm,” and “Our Love Is…
English writer and poet Martin Farquhar Tupper once wrote, “Well-timed silence hath more eloquence than speech.” At times the beauty of the unspoken word can overshadow the power of speech as a means of expression and medium for art. “The Language of Silence,” a primarily mixed media exhibition, will explore…
Steve Wiley is Jackalope Ranch’s Parent Hood. He’s a slightly unorthodox father of five who will weigh in weekly with his mildly-rebellious views and observations. Wiley has spent the past 25 years managing and owning Valley record stores, including the past 14 at his beloved Hoodlums Music. If you’d like…
Nerds of the Valley who’ve been waiting with baited breath to learn who’s headlining next year’s Phoenix Comicon finally got their answer this morning. Organizers of the annual four-day event, which goes down around Memorial Day, began announcing some of the special guests for the 2013 version of the ‘con…
It’s that time of year again … Time to raid your local thrift store or grandmother’s closet in search of something completely hideous and wonderful to wear to your annual ugly Christmas sweater party. But if your Christmas sweater is all laid out and you’re at a loss for where…
Gem features one standout piece from a local shop. Whether it’s a jacket, necklace, or handbag, it’s on our have-to-have list. What: BB Dakota’s belted wrap coat makes it all too easy to forget about this season’s billowing cocoons and oversize blazers. In a Southwestern-style black, white, and brown print,…
This past summer, Bicycling Magazine named the Black Canyon Trail as Arizona’s best bike ride. While the Cycle editorial board (of one) took some issue with that designation, we did so having never ridden the fabled BCT. Over the next three weeks, Cycle will explore 34 miles of the BCT…
Go-Kat-Go is about to do just that. The ultra-kitschy vintage boutique — which specializes in mid-century modern antiques, hotrod ephemera, and other relics and throwbacks from a more swanky, hepcat era — is preparing to move to a new home on Grand Avenue in February. And, according to co-owner Brandi…
In 2010, Danny Mills become the one-man blogging machine behind Phoenix Taco. The local blog is an extension of LA Taco, an arts/taco blog Mills admired and contacted with hopes of covering the Phoenix arts/taco scene in a similar fashion. With a green light from LA Taco, a camera (and…
A year ago you might have noticed a pop of color in downtown Phoenix near Roosevelt Row. The infusion of golden yellow came from the transformation of a vacant, two-acre lot into The Valley of the Sunflowers, a community supported partnership meant to beautify, educate and support sustainability. After the…
Still holiday shopping? So are we — and we’ve been taking notes. Introducing our series of gift guides for your “easy to figure out, but hard to shop for” friends. Today, Jackalope Ranch’s Gift Guide for the Culture Geek. Gift giving for the nerd in your life is a near…
Everybody loves a flaming holiday ham and a botched batch of cookies — if nothing else, they usually make for great stories and they’re a great reason to kick back a good helping of dangerously strong eggnog. Holiday tales are some of our favorites — and as luck would have…
When we last spoke with James Waldron and Nicole Whittington, the creative forces behind Handmade Riot, the two were just getting things rolling with their independent business creating toys, postcards, and home accessories. The couple promised to have new and exciting things before year’s end. Make no mistake, they delivered…
Still holiday shopping? So are we — and we’ve been taking notes. Introducing our series of gift guides for your “easy to figure out, but hard to shop for” friends. Today, Jackalope Ranch’s Gift Guide for the End of the World Prepper. While we’re not convinced that the world is…
Hair Wars World Finals at W Scottsdale, 12/2/12 Coifs towered high in exotic, futuristic fashions for the hair raising Hair Wars World Finals at W Scottsdale on Sunday, December 2. Locals JSalon took first prize with its international flair, while Salon Christian’s funky designs and Horrorific’s macabre styles rounded out…
If your idea of the holiday season in Phoenix means giving, being able to drink coffee that isn’t iced, and eating way too many sweets, then you’ll want to pay attention to Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art ‘s big plans for December. Good ‘N Plenty is making its second go-around…
