Night Ranger
Saturday, July 8 In The Showroom
Tower of Power
Donny & Marie
Saturday, July 22 In The Ballroom
Cheech and Chong with Special Guest Shelby Chong
Friday, July 21 In The Ballroom
Demetri Martin
Saturday, July 15 In The Showroom Don McLean
Saturday, July 29 In The Showroom
Saturday, August 5 In The Showroom
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Paul Pacult, Editor, Spirit Journal
EXPERIENCE THE DARKER SIDE OF SAPPORO
Ready to roar into University of Phoenix Stadium, Metallica is back and more metal than ever.
18
NOW
With newfound love Patrick Carney, Sedona’s Michelle Branch found her way back to music.
29 FROM PAGE TO STAGE
From the mind of James Garcia, 1070 explores controversial senate bill.
Ocean of Light: Submergence TO SEPTEMBER 24
The U.K.-based artist collective Squidsoup is known for creating spaces using sound and light to build digitally mediated experiences. Ocean of Light: Submergence is an LED structure that envelops viewers in light and allows them to interact. The live data ecosystem demonstrates how placement of artworks next to each other influences viewers’ perceptions of them, helping to build a narrative for the exhibition. Squidsoup is Anthony Rowe, Gaz Bushell, Liam Birtles, Chris Bennewith and Ollie Bown. Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, 7374 E. Second Street, Scottsdale, 480.874.4666, smoca.org, smoca@scottsdalearts.org, noon
to 5 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, noon to 9 p.m. Thursday to Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, $10 adults, $7 students, free for members and children younger than 15, on Thursdays and after 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
SOS: Summer of Sharks THROUGHOUT JULY
To celebrate Shark Week, OdySea Aquarium is offering a variety of special programs, activities and educational opportunities. Throughout the aquarium, patrons can see an array of sharks, from the exotic-looking scalloped hammerheads to the 300-pound lemon sharks. The 10-minute film
Underwater Giants, features one of the largest species of sharks, the whale shark.
OdySea Aquarium, 9500 E. Via de Ventura, Scottsdale, 480.291.8000, odyseaaquarium. com, various times, $34.95 for adults, $24.95 children.
JULY 3
The guys behind All Time Low have hit anything but low after touring the world and topping the alternative rock charts. While you might recognize their emo haircuts and songs like “Weightless” and “Dear Maria, Count Me In,” they are touring to promote their new album, Last Young Renegade. Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Avenue, Tempe, 480.829,0607, luckymanonline.com, 5:30 p.m., $29.50-$49.50.
WWE Monday Night Raw and WWE SmackDown Live!
JULY 3 AND JULY 4
Nothing says freedom like watching WWE Superstars live in action. No big name is spared in these events that feature the likes of Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins. According to the WWE, you’ll be able to see John Cena after an extended break!
Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, 602.379.2000, talkingstickresortarena.com, 4:30 p.m. July 3 for WWE Raw and 4;45 p.m. July 4 for SmackDown, $35-$105.
WEDNESDAYS THROUGH
AUGUST 30
Lustre Rooftop Bar and Sutra Studios are teaming up for a free yoga series. As part of the “100 Days of Summer” events at Lustre, a DJ will deep house in July and “music through the decades” in August. Guests are encouraged to bring a mat, towel and water. Lustre Rooftop Bar, Hotel Palomar, 2 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, 480.478.1765, lustrerooftopbar. com, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., free.
JULY 6
Slippery Pig Bike Shop teams up with Crescent Ballroom every Thursday for this community bike ride around Phoenix. The ride, open to all levels of bicyclists, runs about one hour and drops back off at Crescent for discount brews and burritos. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Avenue, Phoenix, 602.716.2222, crescentphx.com, 8 p.m., free.
JULY 7
Pitcher Taijuan Walker is reportedly a fan of Game of Thrones and now he’ll be immortalized as a GOT
bobblehead! Buy a special package and receive a Taijuan Walker Night King Bobblehead and a baseline reserve game ticket. Use the offer code: GOT. On this night, the D-backs will take on the Cincinnati Reds. Chase Field, 401 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, 602.462.6500, arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com, 6:40 p.m., $19-$275.
JULY 7
The Heard Museum is celebrating the 110th birthday of Frida Kahlo with the aptly named Fiesta de Frida. First Friday goers will enjoy music by Rose Wax Vinyl Club, a poetry presentation by Divin Valentin about Kahlo’s spirit and more. Guests will also have the chance to participate in La Marcha de las Fridas at 8 p.m., with a birthday celebration complete with cake to follow. The event is being held in conjunction with the museum’s exhibition Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera The Heard Museum Campus, 2301 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix, 602.252.8840, heard.org, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., free.
JULY 7 TO JULY 16
If you still can’t get “Be Our Guest” out of your head after seeing it in movie theaters, you’re probably ready to revisit this “tale as old as time.” The story of Belle, a young woman from a provincial town, falling for the Beast is magical when it comes to life on the stage, presented by Arizona Broadway Theatre. Herberger Theater Center, 222 E. Monroe Street, Phoenix, 602.254.7399, herbergertheater. org, times vary, $37.50-$77.50.
JULY 12
With seven Grammy Awards on his mantle, Kendrick Lamar is still as real and down to earth as his most recent single “Humble” suggests. The 29-year-old rapper is known for his beats as much as his socially aware lyrics. He visits town with Travis Scott and D.R.A.M. Gila River Arena, 9400 W. Maryland Avenue, Glendale, 623.772.3800, gilariverarena. com, 7:30 p.m., $87-$671.
JULY 13 TO JULY 16
Everyone’s got a little bit of Ariel in them, just try not to sing out loud when “Part of Your World” comes on. Dream City Church, known for its large musical productions, brings this charming Disney production to the stage as its summer show. Catch the mermaids while you can at their matinee or evening shows.
Dream City Church, 13613 N. Cave Creek Road, Phoenix, 888.224.2122, summermusical. org, times vary, $10-$32.50.
JULY 14 TO JULY 16
The largest home show in the Southwest is here to fuel your summer DIY list. From the decor marketplace, make your own bath bomb class and DIY seminars to the free consultations and dog demonstrations, you’re sure to find what you’re looking for.
University of Phoenix Stadium, 1 Cardinals Drive, Glendale, 602.485.1691, mchomeshows.com, 10 a.m., $8 adults and $3 kids.
Shawn Mendes
JULY 15
Shawn Mendes started on Vine and is only 18, but he’s proven he’s a force to be reckoned with. The Canuck has scored hits with “Stitches,” “Treat You Better” and “Mercy,” and he brings those tracks to Glendale with Charlie Puth. They’re sure to elicit screams from the teen crowd.
Gila River Arena, 9400 W. Maryland Avenue, Glendale, 623.772.3800, gilariverarena. com, 7:30 p.m., $14.75-$62.75.
Daryl Hall & John Oates and Tears for Fears
JULY 17
Singer Daryl Hall says Tears for Fears’ music has the same kind of timeless quality as his songs with John Oates. The two throwback bands unite for an evening of hits like “Maneater,” “You Make My Dreams” and “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.”
Gila River Arena, 9400 W. Maryland Avenue, Glendale, 623.772.3800, gilariverarena. com, 7 p.m., $30.25-$399.
Tim McGraw and Faith Hill: Soul2Soul
JULY 21
Country’s cutest couple took a break to focus on their family, but the two are back with another tour celebrating their impressive careers. Hill and McGraw will share the mic
on duets like “I Need You” and “It’s Your Love,” but also touch upon their solo hits like “This Kiss” and “I Like It, I Love It.”
Gila River Arena, 9400 W. Maryland Avenue, Glendale, 623.772.3800, gilariverarena. com, 7:30 p.m., $64.75-$449.
Cheech & Chong
JULY 21
Richard “Cheech” Marin and Tommy Chong are in their 70s but their counterculture, drugrelated comedy routine has barely changed. The Grammy Awardwinning duo are still as real as ever and bring their larger-than-life hysterics to Talking Stick Resort for one night only.
Talking Stick Resort, 9800 E. Talking Stick Way, Scottsdale, 480.850.7777, talkingstickresort. com, 8 p.m., $45-$90.
JULY 22
Get your ’90s fix with one quick serving! Favorite throwback artists like TLC, Biz Markie, Sugar Ray’s Mark McGrath and Naughty by Nature provide the fun for this show. Audiences can expect to hear hits like “Creep,” “Waterfalls,” “No Scrubs” and “Just a Friend” during this nightlong dance party.
Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, 602.379.7800, ilovethe90stour. com, 7 p.m., $45-$326.
JULY 22
The illusionist has made a name for himself across the globe. He
was buried alive in New York for a week and spent 44 days inside a transparent box in London—with nothing but water. His one-man show mixes his stunts and magic with the element of surprise as Blaine promises no two shows will be the same.
Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W. Congress Street, Tucson, 520.547.3040, foxtucsontheatre. com, 8 p.m., $49.50-$344.
JULY 22
Elayne Boosler headlines the 20th and final Dry Heat All-Star Comedy Review, hosted by comedians Michael Finney and Mark Cordes. Proceeds benefit Hope for the Warriors. Cited by Rolling Stone as one of the Top 50 Comics of All Time, Boosler is known for her thoughtful and feisty political humor, along with her love of baseball and animals. She will share the stage with the likes of Bruce Baum, Jackie Flynn, Denny Johnston, Scott Land, Scott Record and Ritch Shydner.
Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd Street, Phoenix, 602.267.1600, celebritytheatre.com, 5:30 p.m., $20 and $30.
JULY 23
He’s already gone platinum with his first single, “Location,” but there’s a lot more to come from 19-year-old Khalid. The up-andcoming Texas singer’s album, American Teen , is full of good vibes and R&B with lyrics reflective of heartbreak and longing.
Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd Street, Phoenix, 602.267.1600, celebritytheatre.com, 8 p.m., $30$53.
JULY 26
Whether you’re a fan of Michelle Branch’s country, pop or alternative music, you must admit the Sedonaborn songwriter can write a good lyric. With a pocketful of tunes like “Everywhere,” “Are You Happy Now” and “Leave the Pieces,” Branch is
sure to get your emotions—and your heart—running.
Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Avenue, Phoenix, 602.716.2222, crescentballroom.com, 8 p.m., $30-$125.
JULY 28
Cool down as the sun sets with special family movie screenings presented by Wet ’n’ Wild. Some attractions close for the night, but
the lights on the screen come up Fridays in July. The films include Finding Dory on July 7, The Secret Life of Pets on July 14, The Jungle Book on July 21, and everyone’s favorite new Disney singalong, Moana, on July 28.
Wet ‘n’ Wild, 4243 W. Pinnacle Peak Road, Glendale, 623.201.2000, wetnwildphoenix. com, 8 p.m., $31.99-$39.99.
JULY 28 TO JULY 30
While you may not be able to catch a hummingbird, you can catch this festival celebrating everything
there is to know about the special creatures. With birdwatching trips, presentations, garden tours, food and exhibits, this festival proves Sedona is the most beautiful place in America to see hummingbirds. Sedona Performing Arts Center, 995 Upper Red Rock Loop Road, Sedona, 800.529.3699, hummingbirdsociety.org/ hummingbird-festival, times vary, $35-$90.
JULY 29
You might recognize comedian Demetri Martin from his Comedy Central show Important Things with Demetri Martin, as well as Taking Woodstock and House of Lies. This funny guy has a history of comedy and a wide portfolio behind him, including his recent movie Dean. He was also a staff writer for Conan O’Brien and Jon Stewart. His stand-up show promises to be funny and awkward. Talking Stick Resort, 9800 Talking Stick Way, Scottsdale, 480.850.7777, talkingstickresort. com, 8 p.m., $20-$85.
Valley resident Jessi Colter recalls spiritual journey in her new book
Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!
Jessi Colter feels she has a task: to maintain the vision and music of her late husband, Waylon Jennings.
“I’m so happy that he left me in a position of trying to keep the flame alive,” says Colter, during an interview at Handlebar-J in North Scottsdale. “The flame is alive in people’s hearts.”
The 74-year-old Scottsdale-area resident is a visionary in her own right. She was the first woman to receive Album of the Year from the Country Music Association. Colter also played an important role in the “outlaw” country movement with Jennings, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson, among others.
She is now recalling her spiritual journey in the recently released book An Outlaw and a Lady: A Memoir of Music,
Life with Waylon and the Faith that Brought Me Home
An Outlaw and a Lady covers Colter’s musical career, from singing in church to performing with Jennings, Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash. An Outlaw and a Lady also traces Jennings’ struggle with addiction and the effect it had on the couple’s marriage.
Written with David Ritz, the book chronicles Colter’s return to faith, and how Jennings shared that faith with her in the latter stages of his life.
“The whole thing was so out of my control in the sense of the way it came about with David Ritz,” Colter says.
“It was almost supernatural intervention. I had no intention of writing after Waylon’s book, which was such a beautiful book about the business.
“I had been approached several times, but I said the only way I would be interested was if it followed my spiritual journey and my heritage. My heritage is Arizona. The book is a homegrown organic book. I guess that’s what I am.”
JULY 29
If you really want to cool down, get to business and head over to the Salt River. For $17, you get a tube rental and shuttle to the river. Don’t forget the sunscreen, brews and your cape! July 29 marks the river’s Super Hero Showdown costume day and the perfect time to debut your favorite Batman or Spider-Man swag.
Salt River Tubing, 9200 N. Bush Highway, Mesa, 480.984.3305, saltrivertubing.com, 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., $17.
She calls the process of going through every step of her life and losses “agonizing.” However, she is at peace when she recalls “one of the most incredibly supernatural experiences.”
Fronting a band in Santa Monica early in her career, she knelt to show grace to God and calm her nerves.
“I know what athletes talk about,” she says. “It wasn’t that. It was supernatural.
“I was afraid of coming out, so to speak, and being out front like that. What happened then was so incredible. It was a feeling I’ll never forget. I didn’t feel like I was afraid or shaking. It didn’t make me bold or arrogant. It was the most secure feeling and I knew that’s how it would be in our next world.”
That feeling kept her connected to her performance and her late parents; the same with Jennings and her children, including country singer Shooter Jennings.
“Now God has led me and kept me,” she adds. “The things he does are
so natural. It’s hard to describe. With this book, I was just so willing and happy to show how other philosophies didn’t work. I shared what does work and what did work for me.”
Colter recently released the album
The Psalms and is planning another record for Sony, she says. She’s considering a Bob Dylan covers album or a collection with Shooter Jennings.
“I will definitely do follow-up work,” she says. “But lately, I’ve been a little lame on writing. Waylon liked to pick a song as if it would be a single—with everything he did. He put it that way and he was serious—a serious card player, a serious musician and a serious gambler. But I think about him often.”
Israel Gonzalez » The Entertainer!
As a champion eSports player of “Super Smash Bros. Melee,” the West Valley’s Jeffrey “Axe” Williamson loves the game and embodies the state in which he grew up.
“I always wear the flag and represent Arizona because it means a lot to me,” Williamson says. “It’s where I spent pretty much my whole life. So that’s why I wear the flag. I always remember that I’m playing and I’m trying to win for all the people who helped me get this far.”
Born in Germany to U.S. military parents, Williamson moved to Arizona as a youngster and was raised in Sierra Vista. Relocating to Phoenix in 2009, Williamson juggled work, school and competitive gaming, especially with Nintendo products.
has done well. Since attending his first state tournament in early 2007, Williamson has been regarded as the No. 1 “Super Smash Bros. Melee” player in Arizona. SSBMRank, a panelist of the game’s figureheads and experts, ranked Williamson No. 9 in the world in January. But being the best was never Williamson’s inspiration.
“It wasn’t necessarily my goal to become the best in Arizona, or the best in the world, or top 10 or anything like that,” Williamson says. “I just continued because it was really fun. It’s funny how that worked out.”
In 2013, the “Super Smash Bros. Melee” competitive scene blew up after its exposure in the Evolution Championship Series (EVO) tournament and a documentary. Two years ago, Williamson became serious about his talents. He signed a sponsorship deal with Mortality eSports in July 2014 and spent six months with it. He moved on to Tempo/Storm in July 2015. Williamson quit his job in late 2014 to be a full-time pro gamer.
“It was a risk at the time because I wasn’t sure if I would make enough money,” he says. “Luckily, things worked out very well.”
Williamson competes as Pikachu, a Pokémon character that is rarely seen as having a viable choice to win games by those who play competitively.
“I thought it would be cool to be known as one of the best players who uses a character that’s not even that great,” he says.
One series got Williamson’s attention: Nintendo’s “Super Smash Bros.” Its second installment, 2001’s “Super Smash Bros. Melee,” features a cast of iconic Nintendo characters with whom players can fight. He played the game casually, but he had a fateful encounter in 2006.
“In 2006 there was an advertisement at my high school for a ‘Super Smash. Bros. Melee’ tournament,” says Williamson, who also briefly studied at University of Arizona in Tucson and DeVry University. “I entered the tournament and did really bad.”
He was determined to up his game, so Williamson entered in other tournaments with a friend.
“I just got sucked into it,” Williamson says. “I started practicing and wanted to enter a lot of tournaments, try to get better and make a name for myself.”
It’s fair to say that Williamson
Williamson is hoping to score big again this month, as he attends EVO 2017 July 14 to July 16 in Las Vegas (http://evo.shoryuken.com), and Dreamhack Atlanta from July 21 to July 23 in Atlanta (https://atlanta.dreamhack.com/17/). First, he participates in Boss Rush on Saturday, July 8, at SAK Gaming Lounge, 1849 E. Baseline Road, Tempe. Williamson occasionally attends “Super Smash Bros. Melee” events there on Tuesdays.
With all his success, Williamson has never forgotten his roots. Like other Arizona competitors, Williams rocks state gear and flags for big tournaments. His signature garb is fashioning a cape out of an Arizona flag.
“We’re all kind of like a big family,” he says. “We’ve all been together for a long time. All of my best friends have been from Arizona. It’s where I started and developed as a smasher and competitor.”
For more information about Jeffrey “Axe” Williamson, visit twitch.tv/ AZ_Axe or twitter.com/TempoAxe.
Jordan Blitz » The Entertainer!
When Melissa Pruitt traveled to Japan, little did she know it would change her life. While in the Far East, she stumbled across a cat café and fell in love with the concept that started in Taiwan. Upon returning to the Valley, she opened La Gattara Cat Café and Wine Bar in Tempe where, for $10 an hour, guests can get a dose of “real-life Prozac” by playing with free-roaming cats.
But there’s more to it than just making clients feel relaxed. She wants the cats to be adopted, but first, potential parents must see the animals’ true personality. Pruitt wants to eliminate shelters.
“My hope is to educate people about cats,” Pruitt says.
The café is decked out in all things cats—beanbags, carpets and furniture
from places like Ikea and Target. La Gattara Cat Café serves bottled drinks and pre-packaged food. The venue, which has a wall between the free-roaming cat areas and the food service area, can shortly make fresh coffee, tea and pastries. Alcohol service is in the offing.
La Gattara Cat Café and Wine Bar 1301 E. University Drive, Suite 136, Tempe, 480.659.0150, lagattaracatcafe.com, $10 per hour.
Kickstart your spring cleaning by donating your used clothing and housewares at the North Phoenix Savers Community Donation Center. Your donated items become funding for our nonprofit partner Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona and helped protect planet Earth!
Donations Benefit:
Niki J. Crawford’s and her band bring the
with a
and Military members save 30% every Tuesday! Plus get extra savings with your Super Savers Club Card!
- Sat: 9:00am - 9:00pm Sun: 10:00am - 8:00pm
Jessica Fichot Band
Friday, August 25, 2017 7:30 p.m.
Fusing styles and languages, taking the listener on a twisting journey out of the French chanson tradition. Sure Fire Soul Ensemble
Saturday, September 9, 2017 · 7:30 p.m.
If you are a fan of the organ (and we know you are), gritty funk, and beautiful original soundtracks, these guys are for you.
Metallica took a break and returned stronger than ever
Alan Sculley » The Entertainer!
It’s said absence makes the heart grow fonder. That seems to have been the case for Metallica.
Despite going eight years between studio albums and not doing a full-fledged tour for more than six years, Metallica has returned more popular than at any time in the past two and a half decades with its latest album, Hardwired…to Self Destruct
The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart and has sold more than 3 million copies worldwide so far, an impressive—perhaps downright astonishing—showing at a time when rock artists have struggled to sell albums.
Now, Metallica didn’t totally drop out of sight over the half dozen years between the end of its tour supporting the 2008 album, Death Magnetic, and the release last November of Hardwired…To Self Destruct. There was a collaborative album with the late Lou Reed, Lulu, that was released to polarized reviews in 2011, an innovative 2013 concert film/drama, Metallica: Through the Never, a mini-tour in 2014, and since then, a few high-profile television appearances and occasional concerts, such a Lollapalooza in Chicago in 2015 and a performance prior to Super Bowl 50 in 2016.
But clearly a lot of acts would have lost some momentum by staying off the music world grid to that extent for the better part of six years.
Guitarist Kirk Hammett, though, has some thoughts about why Metallica returned so emphatically with Hardwired…to Self Destruct
“I think, for right now, there’s a little bit of a vacuum in us and bands that sound like us,” he says. “There are a lot of great new bands out there, but I think people yearn for something that they know is made in a real sense. I think there’s a bit of authenticity that comes with us that might not be attached to some of the more contemporary bands. I think that resonates with people. Whenever we put out an album, they know that we’ve gotten to this point in a really authentic way.
“We can be counted on to deliver in some form or another something that’s real and authentic and something that has integrity. I think that really means a lot to some people these days when a lot of music is just kind of like made by pressing a button, or you have these shows where someone shows up
with a computer and presses a button. That’s supposed to be some sort of like live performance or something? And it’s not really. It’s not real live performance. It’s crazy. People can count on us showing up with our instruments and actually making music right there in the moment. And we deliver. Whatever you hear on our album, we can play live. I will not even like try to count how many bands are incapable of that. I think that’s part of it.”
The idea that Metallica stands apart in the music scene is a theme that echoed through this interview with Hammett. He noted that there has always been an outsider mentality to Metallica, and this existed from the moment in 1983 when he joined guitarist/singer James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich and late bassist Cliff Burton (he died in a 1986 bus accident on tour) in the group.
“I think, at the beginning, it was an attractive thing for the three of us and for Cliff, too,” Hammett says. “That’s something we saw in each other, and when we made music, we always kind of saw ourselves as a band that was on the outside looking in at all the other bands. We felt that way, and to a certain extent we still feel that way. That feeling has never, ever left us, ever.
“I don’t think that’s ever going to go away, even though we’re probably one of the most successful bands in the world, definitely one of the most successful heavy metal bands. You just can’t shake that outsider feeling, man. I can’t. Maybe that’s part of what drives us. That outsiderness shapes our musical thinking. I’m not going to dive into that too deeply, but I think it plays a big part in our overall attitudes and perspective.”
Certainly, Metallica had legitimate reason to feel untethered to any scene or genre when the group emerged with the 1983 debut album “Kill ‘Em All.” Their thrashy, fast-paced sound was different from anything else in heavy metal, and Metallica, along with Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax, came to be known as one of the “Big 4” bands that ushered in a harder and heavier strain of metal that contrasted notably from the more melodic metal of groups like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. The early Metallica albums, 1986’s Master of Puppets and 1988’s …And Justice for All, are considered by many to be two of the most definitive thrash metal albums of all time.
But it was the next album, 1991’s self-titled effort that is commonly
known as Metallica’s Black Album, that turned the band into superstars. Led by the blockbuster single “Enter Sandman,” the album found Metallica tightening up its heretofore lengthy song arrangements and bringing in a bigger dose of melody, without softening its sound. Widely acclaimed as one of metal’s greatest albums, it had sold 16 million copies in the United States alone.
The next two albums, 1996’s Load, 1997’s Reload (a collection of leftover Load session tracks) and 2003’s St. Anger had some musical ups and downs as Metallica explored some different pockets within its signature sound. Within the band, there were also issues, especially during the at-times contentious St. Anger sessions.
The 2004 film, Some Kind of Monster, documented the period during which Metallica nearly imploded and went to a therapist to help resolve the issues that took the band to the brink. It even temporarily became a trio with the 2001 departure of bassist Jason Newsted.
Metallica, though, rebounded after Robert Trujillo joined on bass in 2003, and the 2008 album, Death Magnetic was hailed as a return to form.
Now Hardwired…to Self Destruct is being seen by many as Metallica’s best work since the Black Album Stylistically, some see the hard-hitting double album as recalling the band’s …And Justice for All period, as songs like “Hardwired,” “Spit Out the Bone” and “Confusion” blast away behind jackhammer beats and rapid-fire riffing. Even songs that slightly downshift the tempos (“Now That We’re Dead,” “Dream No More” and “Atlas, Rise!”) are plenty hard and heavy.
Hammett agrees there is a returnto-roots element to Hardwired…to Self Destruct, and says the band has naturally gravitated to this place musically.
“Certainly with Death Magnetic we learned that it was OK to embrace our past with sort of a revisionist approach to our musical past,” he says. “That’s what Death Magnetic kind of like started. To an extent, it’s continued with this album, too. We like to play music from all of the different eras, and at this particular point in our lives, playing the heavier stuff just is appealing to us. It feels right to me and it feels right to the other guys in the band. I mean, it just does. It’s not something that we sat down and took a vote on. We’re just kind of always in together and moving along together. So, when something
feels right and feels fun and comfortable and exciting again, we tend to all kind of feel that together. That’s the case with this direction.”
The new songs are getting integrated into Metallica’s live sets on a run of outdoor stadiums in the states, including a Friday, August 4, show at the University of Phoenix stadium. The production for the shows figures to fit the massive scale of the stadiums.
“We have a different stage now that we haven’t really brought out on tour in the states yet,” Hammett says. “It’s a stage that’s amazingly clean and there’s not a whole lot of extraneous equipment or stuff. We’re going for a really open look. This is probably the biggest Metallica stage we’ve ever taken out… We’re really, really excited about it and it’s something we’ve been honing for like the last six to eight months to get it right. So yeah, hopefully by the time we make it to your neighborhood, we’ll have it finely tuned.”
Hammett says playing stadiums is a different experience than even large arenas, and the band has had to learn some skills to connect with audiences in this setting.
“What happens is you kind of like, your movements get a little bit more grander,” Hammett explains. “You try to communicate with wider, sweeping gestures. You try to make as much eye contact as possible, which is super important in a big stadium because if you just sit there and you’re not making eye contact, you might as well be in a room somewhere looking down. And it’s really easy to get into that situation in a stadium because the stage, you’re a little more isolated from the crowd. You’re 15, 20 feet back (from the crowd), sometimes even more.”
That’s a lot more work, the guitarist acknowledges.
“You have to cover the stage. The stage is about 75 yards, 100 yards, which is as long as a football field. And it’s just more work. But we’ve been doing it for a long, long time. We’re accustomed to going into stadium mode.”
Metallica w/Avenged Sevenfold and Gojira University of Phoenix Stadium, 1 Cardinals Drive, Glendale, 623.433.7101, universityofphoenixstadium. com, 6 p.m. Friday, August 4, $62.50-$162.50.
C.A. Haire » The Entertainer!
Potential buyers shopping for a European luxury sedan are probably familiar with the usual German and British offerings. Many are not aware that thanks to a large influx of foreign investment cash, Swedish automaker Volvo is still in the game, too. In fact, after spending a week in this model, I think the company is at the top of its game.
The S-90 T6 is Volvo’s flagship car, which is reflected in the price. Starting price of admission is $53K. With options like leather trim, alloy wheels, 360-degree view cameras, heated seats (as well as heated water nozzles to wash the front headlights!), Bowers and Wilkins stereo, and power everything, the final tab was $66,105. That included $560 for that nice blue
metallic exterior paint. This puts it in the same class as other Euro cars such as Audi A6, BMW 5-series, Jaguar XF, and Mercedes E-class.
At this price level, we might expect a large V-8 or V-6 engine. Nope. Many onlookers were surprised to find a tiny 2.0 liter four cylinder under the hood. But with supercharged induction for bottom-end power and turbocharged induction for top-end power, (that’s not a misprint, it has both) peak horsepower is 316 with a healthy 295 lb-ft of torque. This is hooked to an excellent 8-speed automatic, and an all-wheel drive unit providing 4-wheel traction. 0-60 mph time was brisk at about 6 seconds, an impressive task for a 2-ton vehicle. Volvo issues this small engine to provide less mass on the front end. This results in more precise handling in tight corners. It also gives excellent fuel economy rated at 22/31 mpg. In 500
miles of driving, I got 25 mpg overall. On a highway trip from Scottsdale to an upstate ski lodge we observed 29 mpg. As a bonus, that AWD system gave plenty of traction in the snow.
For car buffs tired of cheap plastic interiors, the Volvo S-90 will please. The cabin was a sea of high-grade leather, fancy wood, and real aluminum. No drinks or food allowed in this ride! That Bowers and Wilkins stereo was the best sound system I have ever had in a vehicle, and well worth the $2,650 fee. The only gripe I had was with the steering wheel which was covered in white leather. It looks nice but is bound to get dirty over time, even if grabbed with the cleanest of hands.
For those who prefer a lower price tag, there is the S-90 T5. It has a less potent 250 horsepower engine, 2-wheel drive, fewer luxury goodies, and starts at about $46K.
Michelle Branch finds solace in new album and relationship with Patrick Carney
Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
» The Entertainer!
Northern Arizona-raised Michelle Branch needed to release an album.
After a tempestuous relationship with her label, Warner Bros., and the end of her marriage, it was time to get back in the studio and spill her feelings.
It may not have come to fruition if it wasn’t for The Black Keys’ drummer Patrick Carney.
“I met Pat at a Grammy party,” Branch says. “The Black Keys were nominated so they were having a Grammy party. He flagged me over and asked if I was Michelle and said, ‘Why haven’t you had an album out? What’s going on?’
“I told him I was stuck on Warner Bros. and they wouldn’t let me out of my contract. I finally got off the label and I was trying to figure out what to do next. He asked me to send him my demos because he’d love to help out. That was the beginning.”
She innocently thought that it was the start of a new project. But it turned out to be much more. The two fell in
love and continue to be a couple.
“I didn’t realize what I was emotionally going through until being on the other side of it,” Branch says. “We started this record as colleagues and friends, and halfway through the album we realized we were falling for each other.
“I remember telling my sister that I felt like I just met someone really important in my life. We were going to start a band or be collaborators or he would be a mentor. There was something different about him.”
What came out of the relationship was Hopeless Romantic, Branch’s first solo project since her 2003 Grammynominated album Hotel Paper.
“Now that the album is out, I can look back at it,” Branch says. “I was fresh out of a 10-year marriage. I parted with my label and started dating for the first time since I was a teenager. It follows this arc of losing love and finding it again. My solace was writing during that period.”
Branch calls herself an “oversharer by nature,” so she didn’t feel uncomfortable sharing this journey with her fans. Friends and fans asked about the consequences of her ex-husband hearing
Romantic
“I don’t think he’s going to listen,” she says with a laugh. “I don’t think he has Michelle Branch albums playing at his house.”
Branch is on tour and will stop by the Crescent Ballroom on Wednesday, July 26. It’s a full-band gig, with Carney on drums.
“Those Black Keys fans who aren’t crazy about my music can at least come to the show and see Pat play drums on songs like ‘Everywhere’ and ‘Are You Happy Now?’” she jokes.
Hometown shows are important to Branch, who lived in Flagstaff until she was 11 and then moved to Sedona.
“In hindsight, I would love to live in Sedona now,” says Branch, the mother of a daughter, Owen. “As a teenager, it was so boring. We didn’t have a mall. Every weekend we’d ask my mom to drive down to Phoenix so we could go to the mall.
“Everything was geared toward tourists—new age shops, turquoise jewelry. We didn’t have a Hot Topic. We didn’t have a record store.”
She was turned on to music
through her parents’ record collection. Her mom is a Mesa native, while her father was raised in Phoenix. They were at many of the same concerts together but didn’t meet until each of them relocated to Flagstaff. Branch visits them at least once a year—especially during Thanksgiving (“My mom is an amazing cook,” she says) or Spring Training.
“Usually, too, when I go home to Sedona, we end up going on hikes, cooking a lot and getting my Mexican food fix,” Branch says. “Mexican food in Nashville is atrocious. They put queso on everything. It’s this white cream cheese sauce.
“My first stop usually is the Tee Pee restaurant in Phoenix. If there’s a marriage or a birth or a death in my family, we usually all end up at the Tee Pee drinking margaritas afterward.”
Branch and family may just end up there after her show, which she described as a triumph.
“It’s been years since I’ve done a proper tour,” she says. “I’ve done acoustic set ups here and there. But to be back on the road and do a proper tour is something I’ve been begging to do and wanting to do for years.
“The band is amazing. I have two incredible female musicians in the band, my guitarist and keyboardist. I’m excited to have more women in the band than men.”
The album, her new relationship and the tour are making Branch happy now.
“I had to make the album for myself,” she says. “If people listened to it, then that was the icing on the cake. It was such a huge hurdle for me. I’m just relieved that people like it and excited for people to come to the show.”
Michelle Branch Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Avenue, Phoenix, 602.716.2222, crescentphx. com, 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 26, $30-$125. The show is 21 and older.
Kenneth LaFave » The Entertainer!
How to be Tony Bennett: Have an innate gift for singing, nurture it with intensive training, select only the songs that suit your voice and temperament, and then work like a maniac to get your stuff into the culture.
And, oh yeah, start out with your first hit record at age 25 and keep going strong at age 90.
Bennett, whose career has spanned the sweep of American popular music for over six decades, will perform in concert Tuesday, July 11, at Phoenix’s Celebrity Theatre. Born Anthony Dominick Benedetto in Queens, New York, in 1926, the singer got his stage name from Bob Hope, who suggested it after hearing him in a New York nightclub in 1949. We asked the fabled
singer how he’s kept the music going.
“When I started out, my premise was to create a hit catalog, and avoid going for a (single) hit song that would get attention and then fade away,”
Bennett recalls.
The plan worked, producing dozens of Top 40 records since Bennett’s first bona fide No. 1 seller, “Because of You,” in 1951. In addition to his iconic megahit, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” those have included “The Good Life,” “Rags to Riches” and “Who Can I Turn To?” While he started out in the autumn years of the older popular style, Bennett has stretched his musical profile over the last 25 years to include collaborations with major contemporary artists such as k.d. lang, Amy Winehouse, Bono, Lady Gaga, Michael Buble and Aretha Franklin.
As expansive as his taste has become, Bennett’s love of music remains rooted in the tradition of the Great
American Songbook.
“I got hooked on jazz in the ’40s, and it has remained my favorite musical genre ever since,” he says. “I consider it America’s classical music, as it was created here but loved all over the world.”
It was the era of the classic songwriters, “a host of master craftsman,” as Bennett puts it, “like the Gershwins, Irving Berlin, Duke Ellington, Cole Porter.
“I think in any musical genre there are compositions that are timeless and will last, and then some that are novelty pieces that may hit it big for a few weeks and then be easily forgotten.”
How does Bennett go about selecting the songs that fit his musical personality?
“I have to give a lot of credit to Ralph Sharon, my musical director and pianist who was with me for many years, as he always had a great ear for picking songs. He was the one who found my signature song, ‘I Left My Heart in San Francisco.’”
About that biggest hit of all his hits: Bennett has never resented having to sing it on demand for the last 50 years. Asked if he is tired of it, his perfect stock answer is: “Do you get tired of making love?”
For a song to make it into his repertoire, it has to be more than just novel: It has to have something to say.
“I like to sing songs where the melody and the lyrics speak to me and I know that I can convey the song to an audience, and they will feel what I feel,” Bennett says.
Song choice is a vital part of a singer’s life, but it’s the style that makes the singer, and Bennett’s style wraps a large, warm sound around a phrase like a grandfatherly hug around a child. His way of bringing nuance to the most obvious melody or lyric means that even as hackneyed a song as “Fly Me to the Moon” feels fresh when Bennett brings it to life.
Bennett has never rested on any laurels, but always sought out the best musicians of every genre. His first love, jazz, was greatly enriched by two albums he recorded with one of jazz’s greatest masters of the piano, Bill Evans. The singer recalls their legendary collaboration:
“Bill was a genius and I am so grateful we got to work together. Funny enough, we made two albums when I had left a major label and those albums are the ones that most music critics and
jazz lovers say are their favorites.
“Bill had a terrible addiction to drugs that took him away from us too early. A few weeks before he passed away we spoke on the phone and he told me, ‘Tony, just stay with truth and beauty,’ and I have used that as my artistic inspiration ever since.”
If the Evans albums were Bennett’s highest jazz profile, his pop profile was raised to its pinnacle when h recorded a series of astonishing jazz duets with Lady Gaga.
“I just love her,” Bennett says of Lady Gaga. “We get along so well and we understand each other. We are both Italian-American and our families also get along.
“I met her at a benefit gala in NYC that we were both performing to raise money for the homeless. I remember hearing her perform ‘Orange Colored Sky’ and I was so impressed with her voice and the way she played the piano that I met her backstage and asked her to sing on my Duets II album which we were recording at the time. She immediately said yes and it just kept going from there. She is an authentic artist and everything she does has been thought out and perfected to the smallest detail. I know she will have a long career.”
In the middle of a career devoted to musical excellence, Bennett has somehow also managed to paint. It’s more than just a hobby.
“I paint or draw every day. When I am on the road I bring a portable easel and watercolor paints and when I am home I have an art studio where I can use oils. Nature never disappoints so I love landscapes, but I like all subjects. One of the greatest thrills of my life is to have three of my original paintings in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution.”
There will probably never be a musician whose career enjoys the breadth and depth of Bennett’s but there will be new musicians. What is Bennett’s advice for them?
“I think with any artform, the key is to be yourself and love what you are doing. Don’t listen to anyone who is pushing you to go in a direction that betrays your own talents and artistic identity.”
Welcome to “The Tourist,” a section for the more than 40 million visitors to our state, as well as the locals. But we’re not stopping at the border. Whether it be nightlife, natural wonders, golf, resort diversions, amazing cuisine or one-ofa-kind attractions, let us point out the best of the mileposts. Enjoy!
The entire family will be entertained at CrackerJax! Experience a variety of attractions including go-karts, 18hole miniature golf course, 300-yard golf driving range with two levels and 66 bays, bumper boats, batting cages, the Bungee Dome, Alien Invasion Laser Tag, volleyball courts, Water Wars arcade, restaurant and more. Ideal for birthday parties and corporate events of all sizes. Open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; and 10 a.m. to midnight. Friday and Saturday. Driving range is open at 8 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, and 8:30 a.m. Monday through Friday. 1601 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, 480.998.2800, CrackerJax.com
Dillon’s KC BBQ Bayou is ready to serve its great food to diners in its new location—13 miles closer than its previous spot. Spend the day, choose a camp site or dine with us at this wonderfully huge venue that only Dillon’s Bayou and its award-winning barbecue can offer. Check out the general store, where you’re sure to find something necessary or unique. Our guests and employees are our greatest asset and we’re grateful for their loyalty. Visit one of our destination locations: Dillon’s Bayou at Pleasant Harbor and Dillon’s at The Wildlife World Zoo and Aquarium.
Four Valley locations, dillonsrestaurant.com
Visit the actual site of Tombstone, Arizona’s legendary Gunfight at the O.K. Corral and see Wyatt Earp and “Doc” Holliday in daily reenactments. There are life-sized animatronic figures of the eight gun fighters, too. Experience the Corral as it was in the 1880s, with working blacksmiths, antique cowboy gear, Western buggies and four museum displays. Ticket includes admission to multimedia Tombstone history show and a copy of the October 26, 1881 Tombstone Epitaph newspaper with original reports of the gunfight. 326 E. Allen Street, Tombstone 520.457.3456, okcorral.com
Alison
Bailin Batz
» The Entertainer!
Tourists travel to Sedona, Oak Creek, Page Springs and Cottonwood when the weather is more tolerable. But in the summer, we have those locales all to ourselves.
Here are some of the many places to enjoy in the Verde Valley.
Hilton Sedona Resort at Bell Rock
Nestled along the Red Rock Scenic Byway, the Hilton Sedona Resort at Bell Rock offers an upscale retreat where guests can continue their essential journey toward wellness, renewal and outdoor adventures. Following a multimillion-dollar renovation, Hilton Sedona Resort at Bell Rock continues to perfect the guest experience through new partnerships, programming and interactive elements focused on Sedona.
As part of recent renovations, the upscale 219-room resort redesigned guest rooms, lobby and social spaces that reflect the natural elements of Sedona. Plugging back into the outside world is easy with VorTech Den, a space hidden within the lobby that captures the essece of Sedona’s vortexes. Charged with energy and purpose, the den is outfitted with plush leather chairs, cool workstations, comfortable seating areas, TVs and more. The creative space features sculptures, abstract paintings and ceramic vessels created by Arizona and Sedona artists. The resort’s redesigned guest rooms and suites provide a cool and calming place to recharge and recover from the day’s adventures. The spacious accommodations offer refined comfort, private fireplaces and impressive views over the iconic red rock
formations and golf course.
Hilton Sedona’s recent partnerships with The Hike House Sedona and Pink Adventure Group offer travelers a wealth of outdoor adventures, recommendations, education and gear in the lobby. From Pink Jeep Tours and guided hikes to evening socials and inventive programing, Hilton Sedona celebrates the red rock spirit of adventure.
In recent months, the resort completed its newest fitness facility, the Outdoor Warrior Pit. The one-of-a-kind boot camp playground is equipped with tires, ropes, sledge hammers and anchors. Resort guests can exercise at their leisure or attend one of the weekly classes led by seasoned instructors.
Hilton Sedona Resort at Bell Rock, 90 Ridge Trail Drive, Sedona, 928.284.4040, hiltonsedonaresort.com.
Page
Sedona is often credited for being the home to Northern Arizona’s rich vineyard. However, that honor belongs to Sedona’s southern sister communities of Cornville and Page Springs. Many of the wineries in the area—including Javalina Leap, Alcanterra and Oak Creek Winery—are delightful, Page Springs Cellars shines as the crowning jewel in the region.
A family-owned winery and vineyard tucked into the volcanic landscape overlooking pristine Oak Creek Canyon, Page Springs Cellars produces Rhone-style wines, working primarily with Syrah, Petite Sirah, Grenache and Mourvedre. Like other wineries, the tasting room offers tours and several wine flights for tastings, as well as varietals by the bottle and glass. Where it excels is in its picnics and “PINTXO” options. In the Basque region of Spain, bar snacks
are called pintxo rather than tapas or hors d’oeuvres, and in the tradition of Spain, Page Springs offers eye-popping pintxos for every palate, including more traditional cheese board, salads, dips and flatbread options and unique mason jar rillettes. Sprea mason jars that are perfect for sharing. They’re served with warm fresh bread, pickles, dried apricot mustard and Page Springs homemade jams.
In addition to the impressive on-site sipping and dining options, guests looking for something a little different are in luck at Page Springs. Thanks to a partnership with local massage therapists, the tasting room offers a variety of daily massages, including Thai, hot stone, therapeutic and aromatherapy options, amid its estate vines beside beautiful Oak Creek.
Page Spring Cellars, 1500 N. Page Springs Road, Cornville, 928.639.3004, pagespringscellars.com.
One of Arizona’s best-kept culinary secrets is nestled along Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon, thanks to award-winning chef and restaurateur Lisa Dahl. There isn’t just one “secret,” though. There are four.
Dahl & DiLuca Ristorante Italiano. Opened in 1995, Dahl & DiLuca delivers the beloved traditional Italian dining experience that rarely exists, serving classic Italian dishes in a romantic dining room draped in silk and adorned with gold and crystal chandeliers.
Dahl & DiLuca Ristorante, 2321 AZ-89A, Sedona, 928.282.5219, dahlanddiluca.com.
Pizzas are wood fired in an eclectic setting that pays homage to Dahl’s love for rock ‘n’ roll, which is at the heart of
the casual stop for organic salads, tapas, pizzas and handmade gelato. Pisa Lisa, 2245 AZ-89A, Sedona, 928.282.5472, pisalisa.com.
Mariposa Latin-Inspired Grill
Perched atop a scenic bluff, floor-toceiling windows and an expansive outdoor patio deliver panoramic views of Sedona’s majestic red rocks from every table. Dahl uses a wood-fired grill and wood-burning oven to create handmade delicacies inspired by her travels to Argentina, Uruguay and Chile.
Mariposa Latin-Inspired Grill, 700 AZ-89, Sedona, 928.862.4444 mariposasedona.com.
Cucina Rustica
Rustic, Italian-Mediterranean cuisine in a relaxed, fine-dining setting reminiscent of an Old World villa in Tuscany. With multiple dining rooms and a garden-style patio for al fresco dining, signature dishes range from antipasti tapas plates to delicate pastas and hearty meat dishes made with locally sourced ingredients.
Cucina Rustica, 7000 AZ-179, Suite 126A, Sedona, 928.284.3010, cucinarustica.com.
Old Town Cottonwood boasts Arizona Stronghold, Pillsbury Wine Company, Burning Tree Cellars, Merkin Vineyards Tasting Room & Osteria, Small Batch Wine & Spirits and Fire Mountain Wines all littered along Main Street. It is one of the most convenient ways to sample the best the region offers. Tastings range from $10 to $15, and some even offer chocolates, games and other treats to enjoy during the visit.
For directions and a list of entertainment, visit oldtown.org.
Alison Bailin Batz » The Entertainer!
America is celebrating its birthday this month, but the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess is feting its 30th birthday all summer long, with innovative attractions and activities through Labor Day. Here’s a sneak peek.
Summer Splash Birthday Bash Activities
Cool pools are front and center and this AAA Five Diamond resort has six, from it largest and newest pool, Sunset Beach, with 830 tons of white sand, to the 200-foot twisting waterslides at Sonoran Splash. The Princess was the first Valley resort to debut dive-in movies and 30 years later, this family-favorite tradition continues. Over on Sunset Beach, Mermaid University splashes up fin-tastic fun for kids ages 7 to 12 with resident mermaid, Moon, and her sea sister, Misty Mermaid. Grown-ups can join the fun at the new Mermaids & Mai Tais class, offered the first Saturday of every month at Well & Being Spa’s rooftop pool. The new Funergy Team entertains with high-energy poolside games and music from the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. Other adult pools are more relaxing. At the concierge, kids can choose their favorite pair of sunglasses as a birthday
Adults looking to relax and unwind can find sanctuary at Well & Being Spa with many rejuvenating treatments. Guests can also try the Float Fit paddleboard yoga at the rooftop pool. Golfers can play like a pro at the nearby TPC Scottsdale. Curated wine and spirit tastings are unique with resort experts such as the Tequila Goddess at La Hacienda, Rum Princesa at Toro Latin Restaurant & Rum Bar or the wine sommelier at Bourbon Steak, with pairings to fresh summer menus by renowned chefs.
The Summer Splash Birthday Bash Package starts from $169 per night with a $50 daily credit through September. Overnight stays with the resort fee of $30 also includes complimentary halfday admission to the Trailblazers Kids Club for up to three children ages 5-12.
gift from the giant birthday box at children’s check-in.
The Princess is blasting fun into the future with Techno Glo pool parties with fog, lasers, LED hula hoops and DJ Splash. New this year are the interactive Techno-Bot siblings, Beta and Blast. Trailblazers Kids Club and Recreation Center is featuring a new BEAM interactive floor playground and virtual reality adventures. Guests can ride on a rollercoaster or glide above the clouds in an immersive, virtual reality 3-D simulator, which are complimentary at the Kids Club. Classic games, billiards, ping-pong, shuffle board and arts and crafts are also available in this family-friendly fun zone from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturdays.
Besides Beta and Blast, guests are greeted upon arrival by Bixby and Gibbs, the Princess’ adoring canine ambassadors. Another favorite friend is Cecil, the resort’s desert tortoise in his habitat near Canyon Lawn/La Hacienda. At the lagoons, nature walks and fishing derbies are fun with Ranger Rick, who introduces families to the flora and fauna of the Southwest. At the Feathered Friends of Fairmont Hawk Talk, guests can meet and learn about the resort’s resident hawks and falcons from expert handlers of Sonoran Desert Falconry.
Fireworks light up Saturday nights in the summer with extended displays on holiday weekends. Fourth of July Freedom Fest celebrates America, through July 4, with concerts on the Lagoon Lawn by the Spazmatics playing music of the 1980s (July 2); Drive, a contemporary country band, (July 3); and MJ Live, a Michael Jackson tribute band (July 4), along with parachutists and vintage air show (July 4). Then, as summer sails into the sunset, Fairmont Scottsdale’s Labor Day Dreamcation weekend (September 1 to September 4) waves bon voyage with a cruise ship theme, this year with Cuban flair including tastes of Havana poolside, cigar rolling and vintage cars on display.
What would a birthday party be without gifts? Guests can take advantage of additional birthday offers such as discounted $30 upgrades per room category and signature experiences for only $30 at resort restaurants and Well & Being Spa to make their stay unforgettable and affordable. The celebratory specials include two Bloody Marys and Brazilian French Toast for brunch at Toro, a signature cocktail and watermelon guacamole at La Hacienda, a wagyu cheeseburger and beer at Bourbon Steak, Sundown Saturdays at The Plaza Bar with music and cocktail samplings or a shampoo/blow dry or express manicure at the spa. The TPC Scottsdale is offering a $30 weekday special for unlimited play all day on the Champions Course, Monday through Thursday until August (plus $2 basin fee and tax).
FEDERSPIEL
Sunday, July 9 | 7:00 p.m.
This seven-piece ensemble redefines brass-band music. Incredible skills meet youthful and charming freshness in arrangements that weave through mariachi, mazurka, Germanic folk tunes, and more.
Monday, July 10 | 7:00 p.m.
Influenced by past gospel musicians as well as current bands such as the Black Keys, Wilco, and Calexico, they create a unique style drawing from rhythm and blues, alt-country, indie rock, and folk.
CATHERINE RUSSELL
Thursday, July 13 | 7:30 p.m.
“There is no happier music than early jazz performed with spirit, understanding and a sense of fun. Ms. Russell and her crew brought them all.”
—New York Times
Fri. & Sat., July 14 & 15 | 7:30 p.m.
“A Judy Collins concert is a seamless flow of music and storytelling. . . .”
—New York Times
DELTA RAE
Opening Act: Liz Longley
Monday, July 24 | 7:00 p.m.
“If Fleetwood Mac came up in North Carolina, they might resemble Delta Rae.”
—Rolling Stone
Wednesday, July 26 | 7:00 p.m.
“The Austin-based band were American before there really was such a term.”
A Taste of Country
Friday, July 28 | 7:00 & 9:00 p.m.
The legendary jazz saxophonist is from the spiritual elite of 1960s jazz, the last living member of John Coltrane’s last band, and is a master of styles ranging from free to mainstream.
Monday, July 31 | 7:00 p.m.
“Amadou & Mariam have, in the last few years, become the most popular sonic export from Mali.”
New York Daily News
Thursday, July 20 | 7:30 p.m.
Feufollet is Americana at its finest. The band takes Cajun, honky-tonk, and stringband music as their starting point, and keeps an open mind about where their song craft will lead them.
Tue. & Wed., August 1 & 2 | 7:00 p.m.
“Souther did more than sketch out the emotional landscape for the introspective West Coast country-rock sound of the 1970s. He set the template.”
—No Depression
Anthony Hamilton’s passion for music is so strong it’s nearly palpable.
The R&B star was bitten by the music bug as a teen, performing in his church’s choir in Charlotte, North Carolina. Fast-forward and he’s netted numerous Grammy nominations, a 2003 platinum debut with Comin’ from Where I’m From, a 2009 Grammy for his collaboration on Al Green’s “You Got the Love I Need,” and a soul-stirring Babyface-produced track from his fourth studio album, Back to Love
His latest collection, What I’m Feelin’, is what he’s really feeling. For the album, he reunited with longtime collaborator Mark Batson, the man responsible for the 2005 song “Charlene.” The HamilTones, the singer’s background vocalists, appear as well, ahead of their debut album.
What I’m Feelin’ was inspired by the recording locale: Nashville.
“Doing it in Nashville was incredible,” says Hamilton, who returns to the Celebrity Theatre on Friday, July 14. “I did the whole thing there, except two songs, which I did with Salaam Remi in Miami. To be around Nashville music and to create down there among so much greatness was amazing.”
Batson has had a longtime effect on Hamilton. The two cowrote “Charlene” for Comin’ from Where I’m From
“When I first heard it in the studio, it was a different thing,” Hamilton says, pausing before sharing his answer.
“I thought, ‘This sounds like a real record.’ It wasn’t a song. It was a record. A true record. When I heard it on the radio, that’s when it really sunk in. It had that feeling around it; sort of like Motown records I’ve heard before. It
came on, the music played, the claps, I thought I had something there.”
Feb. 24, 2016, was a career-defining day for Hamilton, however. He performed at the last “In Performance at the White House” hosted by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama as part of a tribute to Ray Charles.
“Oh man, it was a big moment,” says Hamilton, a cameo actor on Fox Television’s Empire
“It was a big moment in history for our president, as he was the first AfricanAmerican president. It was bigger than just performing in the White House. I’m connected to that history.”
He and one of his six sons, who range in age from 5 to 28, returned to the White House for Obama’s birthday.
“That was really huge,” he says. “I brought my son to celebrate with me. Obama came over and talked to him. He talked to my son and shook hands. He’ll never forget that.”
Hamilton’s youngest sons are grasping their father’s impact on music. At first, they found the constant attention daunting, but as they’re getting into music, they understand.
“The kids are like, ‘Wow. They really love you,’” Hamilton says. “The little ones love Michael Jackson— Off the Wall and the Thriller albums. They have to hear it a couple times a week. They watch videos and see people screaming for Michael Jackson. Then they see people screaming for me. They looked at me and said, ‘Dad, you’re famous.’”
Anthony Hamilton
Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd Street, 602.276.1600, celebritytheatre.com, 8:30 p.m. Friday, July 14, $41-$61.
Arizona Senate Bill 1070 put Arizona at the forefront of the immigration debate. This timely play by New Carpa Theater focuses on one family and how they fought to survive the social and political upheaval. While the bill topped the news several years ago, the immigration debate is a driving force in today’s political discussion. Herberger Theater Center, 222 E. Monroe Street, Phoenix, 602.258.9481, herbergertheater. org, times vary, $15-$40.
The 3 Redneck Tenors offer downhome laughs with big city music. The trio returns to Phoenix Theatre with its brand of sidesplitting comedy and music that ranges from gospel to country, Broadway to pop. Phoenix Theatre, 100 E. McDowell Road, Phoenix. 602.254.2151, phoenixtheatre.com, times vary, $35-$65.
JULY 5
Emmy-nominated filmmaker Bernardo Ruiz looks at the hard choices and destructive consequences of the U.S.-Mexico drug war. This free PBS Point of View
screening series at the Chandler Downtown Library features stories that are meant to spark dialogue and inspire action.
Chandler Downtown Public Library, 22 S. Delaware Street, Chandler, 480.782.2800, chandlerlibrary.org, 6:30 p.m., free.
JULY 7 TO JULY 16
After finishing a successful run at its Peoria-based home, Arizona Broadway Theater heads to downtown Phoenix to present one of Disney’s most celebrated fairytales. Now that the family has seen “the tale as old as time” on the big screen, see it on stage. Your favorite characters will be there. Expect impressive sets, brilliant costumes and a talented cast of performers. Herberger Theater Center, 222 E. Monroe Street, Phoenix, 602.258.9481, herbergertheater. org, times vary, $37.50-$77.50.
Discount Tire Free Weekend
JULY 8 AND JULY 9
School may be out, but the art history lessons can continue. Grab the family and head to the Phoenix Art Museum for a free day of exploring the galleries and special interactive activities. With more than 18,000 objects of art from around the globe, ranging
from classic works to photography and fashion, there is something for everyone at the largest art museum in the Southwest.
Phoenix Art Museum, 1625 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix, 602.257.8800, phxart.org, times vary, free.
JULY 9
The “Goddess of Cumbia” has been performing for 30 years and has recorded more than 35 albums with too many hits to count. The Colombian-born singer moved to Mexico early in her career and has since sold over 50 million albums. Her latest release, celebrating three decades of music, went platinum after just two months.
Orpheum Theatre, 203 W. Adams Street, Phoenix, 602.262.6225, phoenixconventioncenter. com/orpheum-theatre, 7 p.m., $37-$85.50.
JULY 10 TO JULY 20
Enjoy a short theater presentation, while having lunch in the middle of the work day! During this Lunch Time Theater performance features, “Two know-it-all broads who’ve lived long enough to tell everybody
else what to do, what to think, where to go.” Enjoy a live performance and be back in time to send that Excel report to your boss.
Herberger Theater Center, 222 E. Monroe Street, Phoenix, 602.258.9481, herbergertheater. org, times vary, $6.
JULY 12
Slated for broadcast on PBS in August, this documentary follows two Native American judges whose actions of reaching back to traditional concepts of justice are improving safety in their communities, reducing incarceration rates and creating positive futures for youth. Be the first to see this fascinating feature.
Chandler Downtown Public Library, 22 S. Delaware Street, Chandler, 480.782.2800, chandlerlibrary.org, 6:30 p.m., free.
JULY 14 TO JULY 30
Grab the entire family for this special summertime production which features all of your favorite characters from Dr. Seuss stories. Audiences will be transported from the Jungle of Nool to the Circus McGurkus and see The Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant, Gertrude McFuzz and many others. A special
“family pack” of tickets is available for a discounted rate. Presented by TheaterWorks.
Peoria Center for the Performing Arts, 10580 N. 83rd Drive, Peoria, 623.815.7930, theaterworks.org, times vary, $14-$36.
Live! Eegah!
JULY 20
Expect wise-cracking robots, silly sketches and audience participation when the critically acclaimed TV show takes the stage in a first live tour. The cheesy B-movie experience features the show’s new host Jonah Heston (Jonah Ray), along with a host of popular others. Orpheum Theatre, 203 W. Adams Street, Phoenix, 602.262.6225, phoenixconventioncenter. com/orpheum-theatre, 8 p.m., $39.50-$299.
Jonny Lang
JULY 21
Sixteen years ago, Jonny Lang released his debut album on a major label. His career has since spanned genres of blues, gospel and rock. Along with being a recording artist, Lang is a songwriter, guitarist and co-wrote Eric Clapton’s Grammywinning “Change the World.” Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Avenue, Chandler, 480.782.2680, chandlercenter. org, 7:30 p.m., $38-$68.
JULY 21 TO AUGUST 20
Humble paint store clerk by day, stallion dance king by night, Tony Manero lives for Saturday night at the disco. Based on the 1977 film starring John Travolta, this musical features the songs “If I Can’t Have You” and “Disco Inferno.” Arizona Broadway Theatre, 7701 W. Paradise Lane, Peoria, 623.776.8400, azbroadway.org, various times and prices.
Billy Cobham and the Spectrum 40 Band
JULY 22
Billy Cobham is a founding member of the Mahavishnu Orchestra and has had a strong influence on jazz and jazz fusion. Cobham will take the stage along with the Spectrum 40 Band for an electrifying and memorable evening. Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main Street, Mesa, 480.644.6500, mesaartscenter.com, 7:30 p.m., $33-$48.
JULY
The Heard Museum is dedicated to the sensitive and accurate portrayal of Native arts and cultures and is recognized internationally for the quality of its collections, educational programming and festivals. There is no better time than during the summer to escape the heat and enjoy the museum. The galleries are free for this special day. Add the Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera exhibit for a nominal fee. Heard Museum, 2301 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix, 602.252.8840, heard.org, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., free-$7.
JULY 28
This “cool” event allows audiences to chill out to the sounds of your favorite Arizona entertainers, and is a part of the “Live & Local” Fridays series, which offers summer happenings—for locals, by locals. House of Stairs is a jazz quartet that mixes pop and progressive soul, with the use of electronic instruments. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7380 E. Second Street, Scottsdale, 480.499.TKTS (8587), scottsdaleperformingarts. org, 8:30 p.m., $12-15
The most incredible migration of Earth is that of the Monarch butterfly. Track the remarkable journey as you are immersed in state-ofthe-art sound, seating and picture within the 280-seat Irene P. Flynn Theater. Discover where the butterflies mysteriously disappear to during the winter.
Arizona Science Center, 600 E. Washington Street, Phoenix, 602.716.2000, azscience.org, times vary, $3.95-$7.95.
Kenneth LaFave » The Entertainer!
How many ways can you tell a story? James Garcia has been telling the same story for 30 years in at least four different ways: as a journalist, as a media representative, as a teacher, and most recently and compellingly, as a playwright.
To be sure, it’s a big story, involving a whole people, a sprawling geographic area and a span of history, with countless variations in the telling.
“I’ve had this as the background of my career my entire life,” says Garcia, whose play, 1070 , will be produced at the Herberger Theater Center’s Stage West from Friday, July 7, to Sunday, July 9.
The story Garcia has been telling is that of Hispanic immigration and struggle in the face of antagonizing political opposition.
“I’ve done a swarm of work related to that. I covered immigration stories since starting out as a reporter in Laredo, Texas, in the 1980s,” Garcia says.
For newspapers in San Antonio and Austin, Garcia continued to examine the implications of immigration laws and to relate the stories of people affected by them. After moving to Phoenix in 1999, he made that area his specialty in a range of high-profile media positions, including feature reporter for KJZZFM. He also worked as a spokesman for nonprofits (he is today the director of communications and strategic public policy for the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce), and taught Latino politics at ASU.
But along the way, Garcia also discovered the power of theater, and knew that it was yet another venue for making people aware of this pervasive issue. His early efforts were “not very good,” by his own admission. As with
anything else, Garcia needed to learn the specifics of the craft of playwriting.
Once he did, though, he dove in feetfirst, founding his own company, New Carpa Theater Co., in 2002. Since then, he has written and produced some 30 plays at New Carpa, including a piece about Arizona’s only Hispanic governor, Raul Castro, and a Hispanic adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet substituting border politics for the original’s background of Danish royalty.
With 1070, Garcia relates events in the life of Dulce Avila and her family as they face life after the passage of Arizona Senate Bill 1070. Avila is a character drawn from thousands of immigrants who have dealt with immigration issues and pressures, but the bill was a real and very controversial piece of legislation. Passed in 2010, SB 1070 made it a misdemeanor for an immigrant to fail to carry papers at all times, and imposed penalties on those sheltering, hiring and transporting unregistered aliens.
The bill was so draconian that the National Council of La Raza, the nation’s largest Hispanic advocacy group, led a nationwide boycott of Arizona that considerably crippled the economy for some time.
“It was one of the most significant events in Arizona history and a monumental event regarding conversation about immigration throughout the country,” Garcia says.
As a journalist and as a media spokesman for the Hispanic community, Garcia addressed 1070, but the power of the theater to go beyond facts and dig at root truths beckoned. He waited, and his timing paid off.
“I saw that the National Council of La Raza was returning to Phoenix for its 2017 convention and I knew the timing was right,” he says.
That’s the same group that led the boycott in 2010.
“They were actually founded in Phoenix 49 years ago. Their return to
Phoenix has all kinds of symbolism to it. They led the boycott, but they have been very vocal recently that things have actually improved enough that they can spend their dollars here.”
Garcia decided to produce 1070 in a small theater throughout June, and then take it to the much larger (and more expensive) Herberger Theater Stage West for a weekend in July— exactly when the La Raza convention will be taking place, just a few yards away. Garcia is hoping that many of the 4,000 convention attendees will want to see a dramatic production addressing the very thing the council has fought so hard to change.
In writing the play, Garcia says he “fell back on old journalism skills.”
“In a newsroom, when you’re doing as article about, say a health care bill, the editors will tell you, ‘Find a family affected by the bill and tell their story.’
That’s what I’ve done with 1070.”
The family in 1070 is “mixed status”—some with documents, others without. It’s a very common thing in the world of immigration, Garcia says, and one that has split up families.
“These are people who wake up one morning and find their world has been turned upside down.”
The play features Anna Flores as Dulce Avila. Flores is an ASU student and a graduate of Carl Hayden High School in Phoenix. Flores confirms the realism of Garcia’s script.
“I’m so grateful to be a part of this production,” she said in a press release, “not only because I think it’s a great part and a great play, but because as Dulce Avila, my character, I find myself experiencing on stage many of the same experiences my own family and friends have gone through.”
The ultimate, uplifting truth about SB 1070, Garcia says, is that “good people in Arizona and around the country, many with very different backgrounds, have been willing over the years to fight back.”
That, too, is part of the story.
1070 Herberger Theater Stage West, 222 E. Monroe Street, Phoenix, 602.254.7399, herbergertheater.org, various times Friday, July 7, to Sunday, July 9, $15 and $25.
Austin Found NR - 95 MINUTES
Linda Cardellini plays a woman who, fed up with her mundane lifestyle, hatches a scheme to make her family instant celebrities. But not everything goes as planned as her wild tempered ex-boyfriend starts to lose it. Skeet Ulrich, Kristen Schaal and Craig Robinson also star. Opens July 7.
Spider-Man: Homecoming
PG-13 - 100 MINUTES
Tom Holland plays a young man who begins to navigate his newfound identity as the web-slinging superhero. He tries to fall back into his normal daily routine—distracted by thoughts of proving himself to be more than just your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man—but when the Vulture (Michael Keaton) emerges as a new villain, everything he holds most important will be threatened. Opens July 7.
PG-13 - 120 MINUTES
Andy Serkis returns as ape Caesar who this time is forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless colonel (Woody Harrelson). After the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind. As the journey finally brings them face to face, Caesar and the colonel are pitted against each other in an epic battle that will determine the fate of both their species and the future of the planet. Opens July 14.
PG-13100 MINUTES
Joey King plays a young woman who is bullied in high school, embarrassed by her manic, hoarder father (Ryan Phillippe) and ignored by her longtime crush. All that changes when her father comes home with an old music box with an inscription that promises to grant its owner seven wishes. She finally has the life she’s always wanted and everything seems perfect—until the people closest to her begin dying in violent and elaborate ways after each wish. Opens July 14.
Dunkirk
PG-13 - 120 MINUTES
Allied soldiers from Belgium, the British Empire, Canada and France are surrounded by the German army and evacuated during a fierce battle in World War II. Stars include Tom Hardy, Kenneth Branagh, Harry Styles and Mark Rylance with Christopher Nolan directing. Opens July 21.
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
PG-13 - 137 MINUTES
Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne play special operatives who embark on a mission to the astonishing city of Alpha—an ever-expanding metropolis where species from all over the universe have converged over centuries to share knowledge, intelligence and cultures with each other. When a dark force threatens the peaceful existence of the City of a Thousand Planets, the duo must race to identify the marauding menace and safeguard the future of the universe. Opens July 21.
Atomic Blonde R - 115 MINUTES
Charlize Theron plays a top-level spy for MI6, who is dispatched to Berlin to take down a ruthless espionage ring that has just killed an undercover agent for reasons unknown. She is ordered to cooperate with the Berlin station chief (James McAvoy) and the two form an uneasy alliance, unleashing their full arsenal of skills in pursuing a threat that jeopardizes the West’s entire intelligence operation. Opens July 28.
PG - 90 MINUTES
T.J. Miller voices an emoji who, ashamed that he has multiple facial expressions while his colleagues only have one each, embarks on a quest to be like everyone else. Other voice talents include James Corden, Ilana Glazer, Jennifer Coolidge, Patrick Stewart and Maya Rudolph. Opens July 28.
For more movie reviews, in-depth celebrity interviews and behind-the-scenes insights, tune in to breakthrough entertainment 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturdays on KPHX 1480 AM and BreakRadioShow.com.
Email film writer Joseph J. Airdo at joseph.airdo@gmail.com.
JOSEPH’S MOVIE OF THE MONTH:
Although not as groundbreakingly entertaining than its preceding volume, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is one high-flying out-of-this-world cinematic adventure that makes excellent use of a smart-yet-silly sense of humor, strong character development, visceral visual effects and—best of all—one groovy playlist of musical hits from the ’70s and ’80s. The characters are more spread out on their own excursions and that bogs down the flick’s fun. Baby Groot, however, makes this movie memorable and among this summer’s absolute best.
RANDY’S MOVIE OF THE MONTH:
Trey Edward Shults’ debut family drama last year was an impressive first feature. Now he tackles psychological horror with a family living guarded lives during a deadly viral outbreak. The result is a film that left me out of breath, in tears, with blood racing. Shults plays with your every emotion, fear and facet of the human psyche. While it may disappoint those expecting a generic, off-the-shelf horror film, it is deeper than that. I’m not sure I will ever be mentally the same after this.
M.V.’S MOVIE OF THE
DC’s pioneering superheroine finally takes the lead in a feature film with this lavish origin story, set during World War I. It’s a nonfacetious superhero flick that’s wholeheartedly enjoyable, almost from beginning to end. The movie is colorful and playful, even sunny, and there’s an openhearted, unembarrassed sense of decency and heroism to it that’s highly gratifying after years of self-consciously “dark” comic-book sagas. This tone is reflected in the warmth and emotional directness of star Gal Gadot’s performance. She has a quick throwaway scene involving an ice cream cone that made me fall in love with her.
JOSEPH J. AIRDO is a film critic, producer and onair personality for Breakthrough Entertainment, a talk radio show airing 11 a.m. to Noon Saturdays on KPHX 1480 AM and BreakRadioShow.com that shines a spotlight on the practical perspectives of the topics and themes explored in movies. He has a pet duck named Frozen who is as opinionated about movies as he is. Email him at joseph.airdo@gmail.com.
Five areas in the southeast United States were visited to research the history of stock-car racing for Cars 3: Charlotte, North Carolina; the shuttered North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Carolina; Occoneechee State Park and Speedway in Clarksville Virginia; Daytona; and the Sonoma Speedway in California.
RANDY MONTGOMERY is a Los Angeles-based film critic who lived in, and still loves, Arizona. Living within walking distance of multiple major studios is a dream come true for this long-time movie buff. While not sitting in the dark and munching on popcorn with extra butter, you can find him riding roller coasters and enjoying the arts. Email him at randymwriter@yahoo.com.
“Ninety percent of this shoot has been absolutely pleasant and really fun down there and then 10 percent is either exhausting or really cold. But I think it just adds to the performance when you’re shivering and just want to get out of there because that’s what the film is about.”
- Claire Holt, 47 Meters Down
M.V. MOORHEAD has won five first-place Arizona Press Club awards for criticism. His reviews and other writings appear in Wrangler News (wranglernews. com), Phoenix Magazine and on his own blog, Less Hat, Moorhead (mvmoorhead.blogspot. com). A native of Pennsylvania, he lives in Phoenix with his wife, kid and three Chihuahuas with five eyeballs between them. Email him at mvmoorhead@cox.net.
Organ Stop Pizza’s July Food Drive Challenge
JULY 1 TO JULY 31
Guests are invited to bring at least two approved nonperishable food items between July 1 and July 31 to receive 10 percent off their kitchen bill that evening. Patrons can help the United Food Bank while enjoying The Mighty Wurlitzer Organ and pizzas, pastas and salad. Organ Stop Pizza, 1149 E. Southern Avenue, Mesa, 480.813.5700, organstoppizza. com, various hours, prices depend on meals ordered.
JULY 4
Guests are invited to Salty Sow and Roaring Fork in Scottsdale to celebrate Independence Day with a special “Dinner on Us” (buy one entree, get one free) treat. The Salty
Sow will offer crisp chicken thighs, petite bone-in filets, slow-cooked beef shoulder and milk-braised pork butt. Roaring Fork’s menu will feature spit-roasted half chicken, slow-roasted pork shoulder carnitas, cedar-planked salmon and blackened redfish.
Salty Sow, 4801 E. Cactus Road, Phoenix, 602.795.9463, saltysow. com, 4 p.m., prices vary; Roaring Fork, 4800 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, 480.947.0795, roaringfork.com, 4 p.m., prices vary.
JULY 13 TO JULY 24
Chef Jim Murphy takes diners on a special trip to the Great Plains for an inspiring meal. Murphy, along with fellow chef/owner Jeff Azersky and executive chef Fred Harris, draw each season to see who will be responsible for the menus for each region throughout the summer. Road Trip menus feature a complete range of appetizers, entrees, desserts, cocktails and regional beverages.
Kingfisher Bar & Grill, 2564 E. Grant Road, Tucson, 520.323.7739, kingfishertucson.com, see website for times and prices.
Dinner in the Vines
JULY 15
This four-course meal is paired
with wines. The dishes include Genoa salami coronets with Boursin cheese; first course of roasted red bell pepper and tomato bisque with fried leek baked parmesan cheese straw; second course of mixed green salad with apple, jicama and citrus vinaigrette; main course of cabernet-braised short ribs, twice-baked poblano potatoes, French green beans with lemon thyme butter; and the sweet course of crème brulee in crisp phyllo shells and fresh berries. Kief-Joshua Vineyards, 370 Elgin Road, Elgin, 520.455.5582, kj-vineyards.com, kjvineyards@ gmail.com, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., $75.
JULY 19 AND JULY 26
The Grown-Ups Table returns to Beckett’s Table, which features a three-course meal and drinks by Chef Justin Beckett enjoyed around the community table. Each week, Beckett will release the night’s themed menu on social media.
Previous Grown-Ups Table menus have included Spanish tapas, Baja peninsula and Asian wok. Beckett’s Table, 3717 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix, 602.954.1700, beckettstable.com, 6 p.m., $45 plus gratuity.
Chef’s Secret Garden Dinners
Summer Series: National Scotch Day
JULY 27
This four-course, prix fixe dinner
features a Scotch maker and menu to be announced soon; email for details. Limited to just 24 guests, Chef’s Secret Garden Dinners bring an interactive kitchen space to life with a multicourse dinner featuring guest wine, beer and spirit makers. Omni Montelucia’s executive chef Marcos Seville leads the charge in the indoor/outdoor space that has a grotto-style indoor kitchen with custom millwork, hammered brass finishes, Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances, as well as a 2,500-square-foot, outdoor herb garden with an array of citrus, herbs and exotic mints. Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Montelucia, 4949 E. Lincoln Drive, Scottsdale, 480.627.3161, sam. barraza@omnihotels.com, 6 p.m., dinners start at $110.
JULY 31
The “Arizona Seven” reunite for the 7 Chef Fund Up, a communal dining event hosted in support of fellow chef Kelly Fletcher (formerly of House of Trick and Zen Culinary) who suffered a life-threatening infection, rendering him bedridden in the ICU for weeks. This is a benefit to help ease the burden of his medical bills.
Crudo, 3603 E. Indian School Road Phoenix, 602.358.8666, crudoaz. com, http://7cheffundup.bpt.me/, 6 p.m., $150.
Brat Haus
3622 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale
Monday through Friday, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
$2 off all drafts, $1 off bottles, cans, liquor and wine and food specials
Buck & Rider
4225 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix
Weekdays 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Thursday through Saturday 9:30 p.m. to close
$6 signature cocktails, house pours and featured glasses of wine
Cold Beer & Cheeseburgers
4222 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale
20831 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 117, Scottsdale
Monday through Friday, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
$3 domestic pints, $4 local pints, domestic aluminum bottles and premium well drinks, $5 house wines
Craft 64
6922 E. Main Street, Scottsdale
Daily 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
$1 off all beers and $2 off all wines
Dirty Dogg Saloon
10409 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale
Monday through Friday, 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
$1 off domestic beers, well drinks and call
Duke’s Sports Bar & Grill
7607 E. McDowell, Scottsdale
Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Hard Rock Café
3 S. Second Street, Phoenix Monday through Friday, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
$3.50 domestic bottle and draft, $4.50 select craft beer, $5 premium well, house wine and double shot of Fireball
Hungry Monk
1760 W. Chandler Boulevard, Chandler
Daily 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
$1 off all alcohol, but ask about daily specials! For example, Wednesday is $3 pints of craft beer all day!
Lucky Strike Bowling
50 W. Jefferson Street, #240, Phoenix
Daily 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
$2 domestic drafts, $3 craft/import drafts and well drinks, $4 premium cocktails, house wine and food specials
Luxe Lounge
16000 N. Maricopa Road, Maricopa Monday through Friday 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday
11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and all day Sunday
$3 well drinks, house wines and 16 oz. domestic drafts
Old Town Tavern
7320 E. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale
Daily 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Bucket of beers (five beers for two people): $12 domestic, $16 Mexican imports, $20 premium
Park Place Bar & Grill
7373 E. Scottsdale Mall, #6, Scottsdale
Pure Sushi Colony
Rehab Burger Therapy
E. 2nd Street, Scottsdale
11 a.m. to 6
Scottsdale Beer Company
8608 E. Shea Boulevard, Scottsdale
through Friday, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.;
and Sunday, 10 a.m. to
p.m. $1 off all Scottsdale Beer Company beers, well drinks, wines by the glass and food specials
Stockyards Steakhouse 5009 E.
Snacks, $3 domestic bottles, $5 well drinks and $5 house wine with complimentary tenderloin sliders
SunUp Brewing Co. 322 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix
3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
$5 select appetizers and $1 off beers
$3.50 domestic drafts and bottles, $5.25 house wines and $8.99 domestic pitchers TapHouse Kitchen
Tuesday through Sunday, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. See a full list of specials at www.peterscuisineaz.com.
Village, 6137 N Scottsdale Rd #108, Scottsdale, AZ 85250
7 Days! 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
$2 off all draft beer, spirits and wine on tap. $2 off all beer flights, house wine. $2 off all Tap House Kitchen custom cocktails,
“House" Margaritas and $1 off all well drinks. And more! El Chorro
5550 E. Lincoln Drive, Paradise Valley Monday through Saturday 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
$3 glass of house wine and domestic bottled beer and $5 El Chorro
EVO
4175 N. Goldwater Boulevard, Scottsdale
Daily 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
$3 beers, $4 well drinks, $5 wines and $6 cocktails
Gallagher’s Sports Grill
Five locations across the Valley
3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. to midnight
$2.75 well drinks, $3.25 domestic drafts, $3.50 house wine and several food specials
Philly’s Sports Grill
UFC, Boxing, ASU events) 11 p.m. to 2 a.m.
$4.50 Select appetizers, $3 Domestic Drafts, $3.50 Premium Drafts, $5 Guinness 20oz., $3.50 Coastal Vines Wines
& Pickle
2922 N Hayden Road, Scottsdale
Tuesday through Sunday, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
$5 select small dishes, select cocktail and select wine and beer
Sushi Bar & Dining
20567 N. Hayden Road, Suite 100, Scottsdale
Mon-Fri, 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sat/Sun 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
$3 off regular-priced cocktails, wines by the glass and sake. $2 off regular-priced bottles of beer. Wide selection of sushi, appetizers and signature cocktails and Japanese beers & bombers.
Tutti Santi
6339 E. Greenway Road, Suite 108, Scottsdale Monday through Friday, 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Select beers $3, well drinks $3 and select glasses of wine $5
Uncle Bear’s Grill & Tap
9053 E. Baseline Road, Mesa, 2115 E. Rittenhouse Road, Queen Creek; Brewery: 4921 E. Ray Road, Phoenix
Monday through Friday,
Wasted Grain
7295 E. Stetson Drive, Scottsdale
Wednesday through Sunday, 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Scottsdale’s Longest Happy Hour
$5 shared plates, $5 drink specials
Valley chefs and restaurateurs are uniting for an event that celebrates the most important meal of the day: breakfast. The third annual Arizona Breakfast Weekend, sponsored by Hickman’s Family Farms, hits eateries July 27 to July 30.
Diners will enjoy special dishes at breakfast and brunch spots around the Valley. Breakfast Weekend will feature three dining price points ($7, $10 or $15). Breakfast is such a popular meal that some restaurants are offering “breakfast for dinner” option on July 28 and July 29; check website, ArizonaBreakfastWeek.com, for details.
At deadline, confirmed restaurants included The Original Breakfast House, Paul Martin’s, Ticoz, Perk, The Market by Jennifer’s, and Hash Kitchen in Scottsdale and Arcadia.
The brainchild of and produced by Arizona Restaurant Association, Arizona Breakfast Weekend gives chefs the chance to curate new recipes and to wow breakfast lovers by elevating and celebrating the morning meal.
“For two years now, Arizona Breakfast Weekend has been wowing diners around the state,” says ARA president and CEO, Steve Chucri. “We look forward to its continued success, and growth, for years to come.”
Nearly 50 restaurants participated in 2016, and it is anticipated that number will increase this year.
“We like to think that Arizona Breakfast Weekend presents restaurants with new opportunities—whether to offer diners a totally new menu or to tweak and expand their existing breakfast and brunch menus,” Chucri adds. “Arizona Breakfast Weekend brings the same level of culinary excellence, creativity and diversity as diners have come to expect from Arizona Restaurant Week—but with the added benefit of starting off your day with us.”
Connor Dziawura » The Entertainer!
When Bill Jachimek’s friend suggested he try Rosati’s pizza 20 years ago, he was skeptical.
“I always thought, ‘Well, it’s not going to be any good’ because most things they call Chicago pizza aren’t Chicago pizzas,” Jachimek says. “It was very good.”
Jachimek is now part of the Rosati’s family as the franchise owner of Rosati’s Old Town Pizza & Sports Pub.
The company, founded in 1964 as pizzerias, has since added full sports pubs to its roster. Old Town Rosati’s is one of those.
The 6,000-square-foot restaurant can seat up to 300 guests and features two patios, as well as a bar that hosts 80 patrons. Full pizzas start at $10.99, but slices can be purchased, too.
“We’re probably one of the larger ones in the country,” Jachimek says. “I think we’re one of the largest and probably the nicest one.”
Rosati’s Old Town Pizza & Sports Pub boasts 60 large television sets and a four-piece full-wall television. The sports pub hosts a variety of activities throughout the week: trivia at 7 p.m. Wednesdays; live local entertainment
at 9 p.m. Fridays; and karaoke at 9 p.m. Saturdays. The public is invited to participate in any of those activities. Jachimek is quick to say the events are never the focus of the Rosati’s experience.
“We’re mainly a sports bar, so we never want any of our other entertainment to interfere with sports because that’s why people come here,” he says.
Also gracing the interior is Rosati’s Old Town’s extensive—and impressive—Chicago memorabilia collection that takes Illinois guests back to where it all started.
“We have Chicago photographs,” he says. “We probably have close to 150. We have signed team jerseys from all the Chicago sports teams. We have football helmets, footballs, basketballs— all signed—and we have a lot of other memorabilia. We have Chicago fireman hats; Chicago policeman hats; Chicago street signs. If you’re from Chicago, you’ll feel like you’re at home.”
Rosati’s Old Town Pizza & Sports Pub
7570 E. Sixth Avenue, Scottsdale, 480.999.5400. It offers an online rewards program, as well as beer and wine delivery. For a full menu, visit myrosatis.com.
Connor Dziawura
» The Entertainer!
The Valley is filled with unique and affordable restaurants. Whether you crave takeout, delivery or a full, sitdown experience, you’re sure to find something to your liking.
But money is tight and it’s not always easy to dine on a dime. Here are some top Valley restaurants—ranging from Mediterranean to vegan alternatives to American classics—where you can eat well and save money.
825 N. Seventh Street, Phoenix, 602.281.6689
Other Valley locations: chebahut.com
With décor and sandwiches themed after cannabis, Cheba Hut is going on 20 years strong after opening in Tempe. Its favorites include White Widow, Chronic and Dank in a variety of sizes like nug, pinner and blunt. You’ll spend about $5 to $10 on them. Founder Scott Jennings says the key to Cheba Hut’s success is keeping the prices in check. “We love our customers,” he says. “We’ve been trying not to gouge them.” Cheba Hut will celebrate two decades of serving up munchies in January with a smokin’ concert to be announced soon.
717 W. Union Hills Drive, Suite 1, Phoenix, 602.978.4976
Other Valley locations: chicagogyros.biz/
This Mediterranean restaurant features many classic Greek and Chicago favorites, such as pita dishes, patty melts and fish and chips. Most combos, which come with fries and a drink, average at $10. Located at Seventh Avenue and Union Hills for more than 10 years, this busy restaurant helps maintain the popularity of Mediterranean food in the city.
15414 N. 19th Avenue, Phoenix, 602.375.3639, chinobandido.com
Serving a fusion of Asian, Mexican and Caribbean dishes, Chino Bandido was founded by the husband-and-wife duo of Frank and Eve Collins in 1990. The 5,000-square-foot restaurant, which was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives, offers bowls in the $7 to $8 range, depending on the number of items. Options include carnitas, jerk chicken and teriyaki chicken.
Green New American Vegetarian
2022 N. Seventh Street, 602.258.1870
Other Valley locations: greenvegetarian.com
Who says vegan food can’t be affordable? This 100-percent vegan restaurant has many dishes priced around $4 to $10. From rice bowls like Karma Curry to the big WAC burger, Green serves up healthy and animal-free alternatives to common favorites. And when you’re finished, you can head over to the neighboring Nami, a partnering vegan establishment, for treats.
2121 E. Highland Avenue, Phoenix, 602.977.2700
Other Valley locations: halfmoonsportsgrill.com
This Chicago-turned-Arizona “Windy City Sports Grill” features a great sporty Chicago atmosphere paired with a humorous theme. Whether you want their wings ($5.99 for six) or a classic chili cheese dog ($4.99), Half Moon is a great sit-down restaurant that doesn’t tread too far into expensive territory. And if you’re feeling especially adventurous, you can even try their nuclear sauce wings that are dubbed “stupid hot.”
114 W. Adams Street, Suite C-103, 480.462.7059, noodlebarphx.com
Noodle Bar is one of the most popular Japanese restaurants in Phoenix—and for good reason. The downtown location is walking distance from Valley Bar and the Orpheum Theatre, and makes for the perfect preshow snack. Noodle Bar has a great ramen and pasta menu, spearheaded by Chef Marco Di Santo. While many dishes fall around $10, the Izakaya menu, which consists of small plates, is slightly more affordable. Options like the Karaage Fried Chicken come with crispy marinated chicken, yakiniku, yuzu aioli and scallions for only $7.50, while Gyoza is minced pork, garlic chives, cabbage and ponzu for $5.50.
1001 N. Third Avenue, Suite 4, Phoenix, 602.258.7482
Other Valley locations: pitajungle.com
Founded in 1994, Pita Jungle delivers a healthy alternative to traditional fast food, like wood-fired pizzas, shawarma and burgers. Pita Jungle specializes in Mediterranean dishes, most of which are priced at less than $10.
Sandbar
21001 N. Tatum Boulevard, Phoenix, 480.585.5900
Other Valley locations, visit sandbaraz.com
Located at Desert Ridge, Sandbar may seem like your typical Mexican grill and bar, but it is far from it. With its energetic and popular outdoor seating/ bar, as well as its standard indoor restaurant, Sandbar is a great hotspot. But the real kicker is its Taco Tuesdays. While most meals generally cost around $13, prices drop drastically on Tuesdays. Tacos are mostly $2, with margaritas and Dos Equis priced at $4 and $2, respectively.
802 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix, 602.489.7373, magicmushroomburger.com
This burger shop, which opened in 2008, is likely one of the most affordable joints you’ll find in the Valley. A burger, fries and drink will cost you a five-spot. Two Hippies is a throwback to the ’60s, from the décor and atmosphere to the back-to-basics burger pricing.
3336 W. Bell Road, Phoenix, 602.993.3108
Other Valley locations: valleluna.com
Founded in 1983 by Tia Rita, Valle Luna has built a reputation as one of the best Mexican restaurants in Phoenix. Although Valle Luna is slightly higher priced than many of the other restaurants on this list, its large portions give you more bang for your buck. For $12.95, Valle Luna offers many “combinaciones,” but if you’re looking to spend even less, you can order from the a la carte menu, on which its classic highvalue tacos are $4.25 each.
Zipps Sports Grill
1515 Bethany Home Road, Phoenix, 602.266.1600
Other Valley locations: zippssportsgrill.com
This sports grill makes its mark throughout the Valley, with locations in Scottsdale, Glendale, Tempe or Phoenix. Sports fans can grab a bite to eat, admire the atmosphere and catch a game while munching on the likes of a chicken breast sandwich ($6.75) or a Buffalo focaccia sandwich ($7.95). Looking for a classic grilled burger? Look no further than Zipps, where it is priced at $8.49.
Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
»
The Entertainer!
Donovan’s Steak and Chop House management wants the Biltmore-area restaurant to be known for more than its pricey dishes.
The mahogany-laden, stylish dining establishment is pushing its expanded happy hour menu, which is served from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday.
“We want people to remember that we have a bar and to give that a shot before they come in and dine with us,” says general manager Kaity Alverson.
With steaks that range from a filet ($52) to ribeye chop ($74), Donovan’s is striving to change its reputation as just a special occasion restaurant, she adds.
“We want guests to come in and do the full experience, to give themselves enough time to go into the bar, and then do the full three- or four-course experience,” she says.
“We can definitely be made affordable. If they come in and experience the bar and the happy hour, that’s definitely another side of Donovan’s, besides the super high-end side.”
Specials abound at Donovan’s. Recently, the establishment participated in restaurant week, during which diners could purchase prix fixe meals for $33 or $44. The regular menu boasts a chef’s prix fixe with a choice of starter, entrée and dessert for $52. Groupon deals are occasionally available.
“I always recommend the chef’s prix fixe the first time,” she says. “If they try that option, they can test all the courses and get the experience. It’s more limited as far as options go, but at least we give you an affordable option.”
The menu at Donovan’s features USDA Prime steaks, fresh seafood, and a depth of wine variety that has earned the prestigious Best of Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator
“We serve USDA prime cuts 100 percent, but we keep it as cost driven as we can,” Alverson says. “It’s the best value with what you’re paying for. We’re very unlike any other steakhouse. We know our prices are a little bit higher. Our quality of meat is a little bit higher. We do a side—the vegetable and potato, instead of doing it family-style where you pay for the meat and everything else is a la carte.”
Diners can dress up their meat with béarnaise, peppercorn sauce, crumbled bleu cheese or Cajun seasoning, for an additional $3.
“Instead of doing the fancy-dancy 25 different herbs and seasonings on your steak, we offer a classic piece of meat that tastes like it should,” Alverson says. “Different restaurants have their own recipes and seasonings. We’ll get feedback that says the meat didn’t have much flavor, that it tasted like meat.
“Well, thank you. We do like to offer those accoutrements and additional offerings.”
Diners are waited on by a team of servers, all of whom are very knowledgeable—and some with a dry sense of humor.
“Nowadays, we’re overrun with restaurants,” Alverson says. “We have so many choices and options. What sets us apart is our service. It’s not just customer service, but our staff is knowledgeable. This shows that they all want to be here. They care about the high level of service and giving all diners the
full experience, whether it’s through Arizona Restaurant Week, Groupon, happy hour or prix fixe.
Alverson has been working in the area for 10-plus years. She sees many regulars at Donovan’s, which also has locations in San Diego and La Jolla. Those who have been to Donovan’s 10 or more times, are honored with nameplates above booths. Inside the door, near the bar, is a wine locker façade. The true wine lockers are $250 per year and it gives members the opportunity to purchase wine at a 20-percent discount.
That family feel extends beyond the customers.
“I was here when Donovan’s opened,” she says. “There are members of the staff who were here when we opened and still are today. There’s definitely a family feel, not just with guests, but with staff.
“No other steakhouse or restaurant has as much of a family feel as we have. Our staff truly cares about each other and the guests. It definitely speaks through.”
Carson Mlnarik
» The Entertainer!
It’s been 26 years since the Gebran family moved to Arizona from Iowa, bringing love and passion to the most important meal of the day.
U.S. Egg started as one restaurant in Tempe, but has since expanded to six locations across the Valley, with spots also in Phoenix, Chandler and Scottsdale.
With its full lunch and breakfast menu, featuring burgers ($9.89-$15.89), pancakes (to $10.99) and, of course, omelets ($10.89$11.99), U.S. Egg has become a favorite for locals and visitors.
“It’s what we know, it’s what we breathe and it’s something that we really enjoy and look forward to coming to work to do,” says Gebran
Gebran, sitting in a booth at his North Scottsdale location.
A job in the restaurant business wasn’t a stretch for Gebran and his brothers, Michael, Mario and George. They literally grew up in the Iowa restaurant owned by their father, Oscar.
Gebran inspired his dad’s move to Arizona after discovering the original U.S. Egg while attending ASU. The family was entrenched in Iowa, but the older brothers’ desire to move out of state helped Oscar realize Iowa wasn’t quite metropolitan enough to hold the family together.
“So here we are, 26 years later, and his plan worked,” says younger brother, George, with a laugh. “We’re all here in Arizona, none of us are in a different state and we’re working together.”
Even with expansions across the Valley, the brothers and father are still on their feet everyday, checking in or working at the restaurants. On a recent weekday afternoon, Oscar smiled and greeted customers as Gebran looked on.
“We take pride in what we do,” Gebran says. “We’re a family restaurant, which is something that’s becoming a thing of the past.”
Working with family may not suit everyone, but for the brothers, who
know their roles and positions within the restaurant, it fits perfectly.
“We’ve always gotten along, we’ve always had a good rapport,” Gebran says. “We don’t take each other too seriously outside of work.”
At work, however, the brothers are busy connecting with the community and improving the business. In Arizona, a game changer was the protein pancake, an idea that came to fitness buffs Gebran and his brother, Michael, in the ’90s.
“The key is the flavor,” George says. “It crunches because of the granola and then the blueberries give you the right flavor.”
Food isn’t the only thing for which the restaurant is known. U.S. Egg works with many Arizona charities, including the 100 Club, AASK, MANA House and Packages from Home. In July, they are working with Packages from Home on a letter-writing campaign that gives diners the chance to write letters to soldiers.
The hustle and bustle of successful restaurants doesn’t afford the brothers weekends off. However, the breakfast and lunch model allows them time in the evening to unwind and relax. The Gebran family flocks to mom’s house for
“mandatory” Sunday dinners.
“It’s something that keeps our family together,” George says. “Sunday dinners, the kids, the grandkids all get together.”
With almost 30 years under their belt, the brothers say it’s fulfilling to see their customers leave happy.
“It’s a blessing that we’re able to work with each other and have such a good relationship,” Gebran says.
“Serving the community and watching people come in and leave with the satisfaction from a good meal—what’s better than that?”
MONDAYS
Every Monday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., The Brass Tap hosts trivia night with a different brewery. This month enjoy Mission Brewery (July 10), The Shop Brewery (July 17), St. Archer (July 24) and Ironfire Brewery (July 31).
The Brass Tap, 1033 N. Dobson Road, Suite 104, Mesa, 480.610.2337, brasstapbeerbar.com/mesa/ events, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., free admission.
THURSDAYS
Join the Crescent Ballroom for a weekly community bike ride around downtown Phoenix. The group meets at 7 p.m. on the Crescent balcony and leaves at 8 p.m. for a 45- to 60-minute ride. Upon return, the Crescent Ballroom offers discounts on drinks and burritos. Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Avenue, Phoenix, 602.716.2222, crescentphx.com, 8 p.m. Thursdays, free.
JULY 7
The Phoenix Ale Brewery Central Kitchen hosts Firkin Friday the
first Friday of every month, with July 7 featuring Goldwater Brewing Sublime Rose. The beer is smooth and crimson red, although not too sweet, and made with 100 percent certified organic Arizona cactus fruit, lime and other indigenous botanicals. Phoenix Ale Brewery Central Kitchen, Crown on 7th, 5813 N. Seventh Street, Phoenix, 602.313.8713, centralkitchenaz.com, 5 p.m., free admission.
JULY 20
Flanny’s will feature Tombstone, Dragon and Ballast Point beers at its Tap Takeover. Each beer will be priced between $5.50 and $12. Tombstone Beers will include IPA, Dank Fruit DIPA, German Pils, Imperial Stout with Piloncillo aged in bourbon barrels, Brett Saison aged in Chardonnay barrels and Sour Wheat with mango and toasted oak. Dragon Beers will offer IPA, Witt, Stronghold, lager and DIPA. The Ballast Point beers will serve up Sculpin, Bonito Blonde, Tart Peach, Sea Monster and Barmy.
Flanny’s, 1805 E. Elliot Rd., Suite 104, Tempe, 480.659-0870, flannys.com, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., $5.50-$12 per beer.
JULY 22
SanTan Brewing Company puts a new spin on Christmas in July with kegs of Winter Warmer and RailSlide and a visit from Santa. Christmas music will fill the air all day. Patrons can pick up 32-ounce Canzillas and growlers while supplies last.
SanTan Brewing Company, 8 S. San Marcos Place, Chandler, 480.917.8700, santanbrewing. com, 8 a.m. to 1 a.m., prices vary.
JULY 22
Come try their beer and even pick up a free growler!
Fry’s Food Stores, 2800 W. Dove Valley Road, Phoenix, 480.994.6320, noon to 3 p.m., free.
JULY
This indoor craft beer festival features more than 350 craft beers. Expect a variety of cask ales, barrelaged beers and unique blends that will satisfy any taste buds. The afternoon rounds out with live acoustic music and interactive experiences. All $57 tickets include 20 craft beer samples and unlimited food pairings. Designated driver tickets are available as well. Phoenix Convention Center, South Building, 33 S. Third Street, Phoenix, 602.262.7272, realwildandwoody.com, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., $57, designated driver tickets are $25.
Craft 64
6922 E. Main Street, Scottsdale
Craft 64 is proud to offer 36 local Arizona beers on tap in the heart of Scottsdale. Arizona beers only!
Mellow Mushroom Pizza
2490 W. Happy Valley Road, 5350 E. High Street, 740 S. Mill Avenue
Locations throughout the Valley
Incredible Pizza and amazing beer make Mellow the place to go for a craft beer experience.
Papago Brewing Company
7107 E. McDowell Road, Scottsdale
The granddaddy of Arizona beer bars, there is something for every beer lover at Papago.
Boulders on Broadway
530 W. Broadway Road, Tempe
Boulders has the appeal of a neighborhood bar with a beer list that’ll make your eyes pop.
Hungry Monk
1760 W. Chandler Boulevard, Chandler
Whether you want great wings or great beer, Hungry Monk’s selection is tough to beat.
Harvey American Public House
1524 E. Williamsfield Road, Gilbert
First class food and first class beer, all set away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Goldwater Brewing Co.
3608 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale
This new brewery is already making waves with their desert inspired brews--and names. Check out their Scotch’Dale Scottish style ale.
Spokes on Southern
1470 E. Southern Avenue, Tempe
A comfortable bike-themed grill with 24 draft handles and food made from scratch.
Culinary Dropout
5640 N. Seventh Street, 7135 E. Camelback Road
Locations in Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe
Located at The Yard, Culinary Dropout has everything you look for in a great restaurant experience, especially great beer.
Scottsdale Beer Company
8608 E. Shea Boulevard, Scottsdale
Quality craft beer made right here in Scottsdale.
Happy hour from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday with $1 off all Scottsdale Beer Company beers, well drinks, wines by the glass and all small bites and starters!
4420 N. Saddlebag Trail
Scottsdale
Dierks Bentley has been known to kick back with a craft beer or two, and so can you at his digs.
Garage Wine and Tap
1534 E. Bethany Home Road, Phoenix
With a small selection of great beers and a reputation for outstanding food, Garage should be on your list.
Thirsty Lion
2000 E. Rio Salado Parkway
Tempe
Plenty of great taps and plenty of room to hang out, let someone else do the shopping at Tempe Marketplace.
50 W. Jefferson Street, Phoenix
Have a beer and a meal at Copper Blues before the stand-up show. You won’t even worry if it’s sold out.
Brat Haus
3622 N. Scottsdale Road
Scottsdale
The name says it all--brats, pretzels, Belgian fries and plenty of craft “bier” to make everyone happy.
Cold
4222 N. Scottsdale Road, 20831 N. Scottsdale Road
Scottsdale
Do we need to say more? The name spells out everything you need to know.
Fox Cigar Bar
1464 E. Williams Field Road
Gilbert
Cigar fans, this should be your stop for cigars and great craft beer. Enjoy a walk in the humidor, the dark wood bar and a patio that is perfect for a cigar and a beer.
1826 N. Scottsdale Rd, Scottsdale, 1402 S. Priest Dr., Tempe, 4855 E. Warner Rd., Phoenix
Over 20 beers on draft, 15 craft beers on tap plus more selection in cans/bottles. Happy Hour: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Daily and Reverse 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. Sun-Thurs (excludes UFC, Boxing, ASU events).
1805 E. Elliot Road
Tempe
Home of the Third Thursday Tap Takevoer. The rest of the month is pretty good, too.
Phoenix Public Market Café
14 E. Pierce Street
Phoenix
The Phoenix Public Market Café is a casual urban hangout offering breakfast, lunch, dinner and great beer.
2337 N. Seventh Street
Phoenix
A charming old home is the location for this Coronado neighborhood hangout spot.
2922 N. Hayden Road
Scottsdale
A restaurant that focuses on balance and quality, Pig & Pickle doesn’t skimp when it comes to their craft beer selection, either.
825 S. Cooper Road
Gilbert
Is it a sports bar or a craft beer bar? It’s both!
The PERCH Pub & Brewery
232 S. Wall Street, Chandler
Located in historic Downtown Chandler, this brewery and pub not only has delicious craft brews, but is also home to a collection of beautiful, brightly colored rescue birds!
Hilton Village, 6137 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 108, Scottsdale
Taphouse kitchen has 20 handles of the most sought after craft beers, mostly local brew and 2 THK selection rotating handles that change with the season and taste of what we are craving at the time.
4860 N. Litchfield Road
Litchfield Park
Fresh roasted coffee and an ever-changing selection of good beer, including a fantastic import selection, make this one of the top spots in the West Valley.
1033 N. Dobson Road, Suite 104
Mesa
Over 60 Taps of great craft beers and over 300 total craft beers from around the globe available! Casually upscale atmosphere, open-air patio that is cigar-friendly, nice menu, daily specials and knowledgeable staff. What more could you ask for!
4921 E. Ray Road, Phoenix
Stop by to enjoy some local craft beer including Uncle Bear’s and other guest taps as well as delicious bites and a great happy hour!
Experimenting with the fine art of brewing and fermenting no longer requires a ton of time and money. FastBrewing and WineMaking launched a product for all brewers and beer lovers— the 14 Gallon FastFerment.
“We’ve eliminated approximately 80 percent of the work involved in making beer and wine at home,” says founder Mitchell Lesbirel. “There’s no racking, no transferring, and only one vessel to clean.”
The FastFerment works in one stage that allows brewers and winemakers to perform primary and secondary fermentation in the same unit. It contains a proprietary collection ball that gives users the chance to siphon off yeast and sediment or harvest it for later.
The FastFerment won gold at HomebrewCon 2016, and has earned three more gold medals at various beer-making competitions.
The 14G FastFerment is available for presale on its own or with additional accessories at fastbrewing.com.
Alison Bailin Batz
» The Entertainer!
TapHouse Kitchen offers modern American cuisine, in addition to a respectable selection of craft beers. The tap lineup includes local options from Grand Canyon, Four Peaks and Papago Brewery. At the helm is chef Patrick Karvis, whose resume includes Wright’s at the Arizona Biltmore and Lon’s at the Hermosa Inn.
Michele Dryden, head bartender and manager, helped Karvis open TapHouse in 2014. Previously, she worked with him at the Hilton just down the street. She’s a bar veteran, however, it wasn’t until she moved to TapHouse that her eyes were opened to the world of craft beer. She hasn’t closed them since.
Dryden sat down with The Entertainer! to talk about her passion for beer, and how TapHouse is always true to the brew.
There certainly isn’t just one thing. I think that absolutely the camaraderie between brewers and venues like ours is something special, as is the relationship that craft beer brands have with their customers. A great example of this in action: Earlier this summer, we headed up to Flagstaff for a craft beer festival. To see brewers—who would technically be considered “in competition with each other” in the traditional business world—working together and sharing with each other was very cool. I also think the way craft beer pairs with food, and how the trend of craft beer is really only coming into its own in recent years (and will continue to do so, I believe) also makes it more than special, but a movement.
HOW DID YOU GET YOUR START IN CRAFT BEER?
When my husband and I moved to Phoenix from Chicago 10 years ago, I had experience in dive bars, so for something a little more elevated, I
went to work at the Hilton Scottsdale Resort, often working the pool bar. There, I met chef Patrick Karvis—and was instantly a fan. When he made the decision to come start TapHouse, I knew I wanted to be a part of it. That decision changed my life. Since then, the daily education from brewers and tastings and partners has been a whirlwind, and a happily hoppy one at that.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT THE BEER CULTURE IN ARIZONA?
First and foremost, we have fun. We have fun with each other, with our guests and with the beer itself, especially the brewmasters. We really are a community; a family. Also, there is no shortage of creativity in this town when it comes to beer. People right in your own backyard are innovating every single day.
WHY IS TAPHOUSE KITCHEN THE PERFECT PLACE FOR CRAFT BEER?
Every single thing on our menu is made to pair with beer—or beers. Chef Karvis has created a modern American menu with innovative dishes, as well as something a little extra for guests. For every single item, there’s a beer and wine pairing listed right there to pair with it. And whether guests get the pairing or not, it opens such great conversation about beer, the craft beer community and more with every single guest. We are very proud to have 20 craft beers on tap at TapHouse Kitchen, with just under half coming from local breweries. There are an additional 10 brews available by the bottle, including Lumberyard Brewing Co.’s Knotty Pine and Oak Creek Brewery’s Nut Brown Ale. The restaurant also offers four different beer flights, each of which feature four 4-ounce pours of beers. They include the Arizona Hwy flight that lets you taste four local beers. You can also create your
own four-beer flight or bartender’s choice. TapHouse Kitchen has happy hour seven days a week from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Specials include $2 off all taps (beer and wine), $2 off all house wine, $1 off well drinks, and $1 off all TapHouse cocktails. On the food side, there’s a selection of $6 small plates.
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE BEERS AT THE MOMENT?
I have several, including:
• Uncle Bear’s Head to Tale Amber Ale from Phoenix
• Avery Brewing’s White Rascal from Boulder
• Lumberyard Red Ale from Flagstaff
• Sonoran Smooth Rebel Double IPA from Phoenix
TapHouse Kitchen 6137 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, 480.656.0012, taphousekitchen.com.
“The beer that we offer at CRUjiente Tacos is just as important as the tacos we craft, and we similarly found balance and flavor depth in the Pedal Haus German Pilsner. This style of beer is straightforward and clean-tasting and balances spicy, more complex food. The hops and carbonation in a pilsner is a palate cleanser that will turn that next bite of the crunchy taco just as good as the first.”
—cofounder and chef Richard Hinojosa
Brewery: Pedal Haus Brewery, downtown Tempe Style: Pilsner
Name: Pedal Haus German Pilsner
This crisp, refreshing pilsner brewed by “in-haus” brewmaster and certified cicerone, Derek “Doc” Osborne has traditional German roots with a modern twist. The entire hop was used and coarsely filtered to create its delicate floral aroma. The golden reflective tones of the brew give it the true “pilsner” look and feel while pairing exceptionally well with savory food selections.
Dish: Crunchy Green Chili Pork
Taco
A collaboration between Chef Richard Hinojosa and Jason Morris, CRUjiente Tacos creates exceptional crunchy tacos and daring street-style tacos with global influences. Hinojosa is the master of
Sour beers, also known as sours, tend to be greatly beloved or avoided like the plague. The sour beer category is as wide ranging as the imagination of the beers’ creators. Knowing more about what they are and how they are made will help a person truly enjoy beers from this exciting and fast-growing category.
Belgian brewers are credited with creating many sour styles, many of which can be attributed to specific breweries. The Flanders red style was made famous by the Rodenbach brewery, while the Flanders brown style is showcased in beers brewed by Liefman’s, especially its classic Goudenband. The red, like Rodenbach Grand Cru, is beer aged in oak barrels, which provides a substantial tart, winelike character.
The Flanders brown style is aged in stainless steel vessels, creating a less
sour, more malty beer. The farmhouse saison was perfected by Brasserie du Pont with Saison du Pont. This beer is crafted in the French-speaking Belgian region of Wallonia, producing flavors of citrus, black pepper and the area’s signature “farmhouse funk,” an unofficial term for the tart, Earthy essence found in the beer.
The Gueuze style was perfected by Cantillon and this style is an extreme example of a sour with flavors and aromas of horse blanket and aged cheese—certainly an acquired taste.
Each of these breweries mentioned are Belgian breweries.
German brewers also contribute importantly to the sour world with their low alcohol and highly sour Berliner Weiss and their salty, citrusy Gose beer styles.
What’s important to remember is that sour beers range from slightly tart to wildly sour to mouth puckering.
It is truly difficult to group them all under one heading. The location of the beer’s production is also key, due to the naturally occurring microflora, giving a regional identity to each of these classic beers.
Beers can become sour many different ways, and the outcome can be substantially different. Yeasts and bacteria, many times in combination, are what make a beer sour. Yeasts, such as brettanomyces or bacteria such as lactobacillus and pediococcus are the most popular organisms found in sour brewing. Some brewers employ a shortcut known as “kettle souring,” during which lactobacillus is added to the boil kettle, souring the wort, before the beer is boiled and finished.
Russian River, Jolly Pumpkin, Cascade and Almanac are examples of American breweries that excel in sour beer brewing.
In the beer market, there is huge
crunchy tacos and has three variations on the modern taqueria’s menu including the crunchy green chili pork taco ($6). The fresh, made-to-order hard corn shells are crisp and heaping with juicy and tender green chili pork that is braised for several hours to obtain depths of flavor. The sharp pepper jack cheese, cabbage, and pico verde add flavor intensity with spice, salt and citrus in every bite. The impressive beer selection is carefully chosen at CRUjiente Tacos and among the list is a Pedal Haus German Pilsner which is a smart match for the crunchy green chili pork taco as it slices through the fattiness of the succulent braised pork, does not overpower the spice in the pico verde, and balances the citrus flavors of the taco.
CRUjiente
3961 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix, 602.687.7777, crutacos.com.
rise in popularity in sour and fruit beers. Many brewers are creating tart works that incorporate both. Certain sour styles such as Berliner Weiss are brewed with fruit, probably to the chagrin of the German originators of the style. Even traditional Belgian brewer Rodenbach has jumped on the bandwagon by producing Fruitage, a pleasantly tart but not sour beer made with fresh fruit juice of cherries and elderberries, that drinks very refreshingly at just 4.2 percent ABV. Arizona Wilderness is the area’s leading producers of sour ales. Its Blood Orange Gose is a slightly salty, fresh citrus refresher, while Bear Wallow Berliner Weiss, is kettle soured, creating a palate cleansing bite.
Dave Clark is a Certified Cicerone, nationally ranked BJCP Judge and former professional brewer who lives in Gilbert.
Dave Clark » The Entertainer!
In 1996, craft beer wasn’t even a thing. Some people referred to this trendy beverage as “microbrew;” others weren’t sure exactly what to call it.
That year, though, Andy Ingram experienced the English beer culture while studying abroad and returned with a vision. The result was a modest brewery in Tempe, later known as Four Peaks. It changed the beer landscape in the nation’s 48th state.
“I was a 26-year-old moron doing what I loved to do,” Ingram jokes.
He may have been flying by the seat of his pants back then, but Ingram and his partners made many great business decisions that would eventually turn this small, neighborhood brewery into a powerhouse.
Recently, Four Peaks celebrated its 20th anniversary with an all-day celebration that featured a performance by Blues Traveler, as well as throwback beers brewed during the past two decades. Revelers flocked to Four Peaks’ Wilson Road property, packing the taproom to capacity.
Naturally, there was a time not that long ago when Four Peaks wasn’t on every store shelf and in many Valley bars. The beer that Arizonans have adopted as their own had a very modest start, and like many breweries, trials and tribulations almost doomed the project before it got off the ground.
Ingram started as an assistant brewer at Coyote Springs Brewery in Phoenix, under the tutelage of Clark Nelson.
They shared their ideas and dreams of opening their own place. Around the same time, another group of more seasoned businessmen, led by Jim Scussel, were hatching a plan to open a brewery. The two parties crossed paths and eventually decided to work together.
The first major challenge was when they found an old dairy building on Eighth Street in Tempe, then a rundown part of the city. In a leap of faith, they signed a lease before they had secured the financing, determined to find a way to get it done. They quickly discovered they needed a “plan b.”
“There was a lien on the property and the bank would not secure the loan,” Ingram explains.
Undeterred, Ingram and his group sold Grundy tanks, small, stainless steel tanks used for fermenting beer. At that time, fledgling breweries were aplenty, and these classic tanks were exactly what they needed.
With Grundy tank proceeds and financing from friends and family in hand, things were a go on Eighth Street.
There was also the issue of what to call this new venture. The original working name of Cactus Creek Brewing Company didn’t excite the partners. After discussing hundreds of monikers, they voted secretly on paper.
“Though no one had Four Peaks as their No. 1 choice, the name was the only one to appear on all the ballots,” Ingram recalls.
And with that a new brewery was born.
Though the business plan called for a full-service restaurant and bar,
finances limited that idea to a production brewery. A few years later, an angel investor’s funding provided the green light to the bar and restaurant.
The ownership group was then set in stone: Ingram oversees the brewing operations and Scussel is the financial guy. Randy Schultz is the front-of-house manager while Arthur Craft is the master of the kitchen.
In a bit of serendipity, Ingram crossed paths with brewing industry rogue Dr. Paul Farnsworth, who was about to close Tucson’s River Road Brewing. Farnsworth wanted to see his house yeast live on. This was the type of English yeast Ingram was looking for, so he gladly accepted the gift that would later become the Four Peaks’ house yeast.
With the help of former Young’s Brewery veteran-turned-consultant, Barry John, recipes were devised for Impale Ale (the precursor to Eighth Street Pale Ale), Oatmeal Stout, Peach Ale and Leroy Brown Ale.
“Barry stressed the importance of balance in all beers, even the ones that are traditionally unbalanced such as IPAs or barley wines,” Ingram says.
They considered distributing their beer locally and approached a local Tempe watering hole known as Casey Moore’s.
“They said they’d give us a shot for a week,” Ingram explains. “If the beer sold, we’d get a chance to stay on. Thankfully our beer has been on at Casey Moore’s ever since.”
After establishing itself with beers distributed into the marketplace via bars and stores, the focus shifted toward turning the production facility into a
full-blown brewpub. Headed by Arthur Craft, the Eighth Street brewpub quickly became the place to be and the place to be seen. The success of the Eighth Street restaurant spawned a second full-service restaurant in Scottsdale and later a third at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The Wilson Road production facility, necessitated by the ever-increasing demand for its beer statewide, appeared four years ago, equipped with a spacious tasting room.
Four Peaks was acquired in late 2015 by Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABI). Despite initial backlash within the brewing community, Four Peaks weathered the storm and remains strong, thanks to the original ownership group’s day-to-day operations. The owners saw their hard work pay off and now Four Peaks beers can be enjoyed beyond the borders of Arizona.
Trying to get a brewer to choose his favorite beer is a lot like asking him to pick a favorite child. Eventually, Ingram could single one out.
“My favorite beer is Eighth Street Pale Ale because it’s the most balanced,” Ingram says.
Though Ingram believed in himself and his brewery, he never expected to be where he is today.
“It’s been an amazing wild ride,” Ingram says.
Four Peaks
Eighth Street Brewery 1340 E. Eighth Street, Tempe, 480.303.9967.
Four Peaks Wilson Tasting Room 2401 S. Wilson Street, Tempe, 480.634.2976.
Four Peaks Scottsdale Grill & Tap
15745 N. Hayden Road, Scottsdale, 480.991.1795.
Four Peaks Sky Harbor Pub Terminal 4, Gate A20, 3400 E. Sky Harbor Boulevard, Phoenix. fourpeaks.com.
Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
» The Entertainer!
Tears for Fears cofounder Roland Orzabal is thinking about his future. Now middle-aged, the musician behind “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” wants to be sure that 2017 is a year to remember.
“I’m 55 and I don’t know how long I’ll be able to keep doing this,” says Orzabal, who is joined in Tears for Fears by Curt Smith. “So, I just want to make
sure this year is a good year.”
Part of 2017 will be spent coheadlining a tour with Hall & Oates, a jaunt that comes to Gila River Arena in Glendale on Monday, July 17. The band travels south to headline Casino del Sol on Thursday, July 20. The run includes many days off in between gigs, something that Orzabal isn’t used to.
“I couldn’t believe it when our manager called us and told us about the
days off,” he says with a laugh. “We’re used to zigzagging across America, creating this whole circle and ending up in the same place we were a week ago. Fingers crossed, in such words, it should be a walk in the park.”
Tears for Fears is slated to release its seventh full-length album in the fall on Warner Bros. Records. Orzabal calls it a “top-secret project,” one that collaborators like the English pop band Bastille haven’t even heard. He’s not sure that fans will experience the songs on tour, either.
“This is in discussion,” he says. “The first thing I said was, ‘For god’s sake guys, we have to put out something (an album) so we can play something.’ I know the album’s not due to be released until October, but it would be nice, in my opinion—and I’ve expressed my opinion on Twitter—if we played at least one songs off the new album and release it to the public in some form so they don’t just have it on their phones.”
According to Tears for Fears’ spokeswoman, the tour will feature the hits.
Orzabal says he has played the album, whose title cannot yet be revealed, for a few people in the industry in England. They described the release as “clubby.”
“Do you know what that means? Most of it is very danceable,” he says. “Most of it is uptempo. There are a few emotional songs, but most of all they have crazy electronics. It’s very modern.
“I was quite surprised myself during the playback. I thought, ‘I think we may have accidentally made a great record.’”
Tears for Fears has been working on the album, its first in 13 years, for five years. Last year, the band had to delay
its work when Orzabal’s wife was treated for an undisclosed illness.
“That held everything up,” he says. “So, we had to cancel a tour. We stopped working on the record, and we started again at the end of last year.”
Now that the project is “in the can,” Orzabal is focusing on the tour, which features songs like “Shout,” “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” “Sowing the Seeds of Love,” “Mad World” and, in some cities, a cover of Radiohead’s “Creep.”
“I count myself very lucky that our songs have resonated and held on,” Orzabal says. “I’m also very lucky that artists have chosen to reinvent the songs as well. It makes it more interesting for me, I must say. I feel very privileged in many ways.”
To keep current, Orzabal relies on the musical tastes of his 22-year-old son, who introduced him to Metronomy, Frank Ocean and “countless others”
“I do listen to an awful lot of new stuff, but vicariously,” he says. “That’s how I keep it fresh.”
Hall & Oates, Tears for Fears and Allen Stone
Gila River Arena, 9400 W. Maryland Avenue, Glendale, 623.772.3800, gilariverarena. com, 7 p.m. Monday, July 17, tickets start at $30.25. Tears for Fears
AVA Amphitheater at Casino del Sol Resort, 5655 W. Valencia Road, Tucson, casinodelsol.com/ events/tears-for-fears, 8 p.m. Thursday, July 20, $30-$65.
Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!
JULY 1
Deorro
The Pool at Talking Stick Resort, releasevip.com
War/Tierra/Malo with Special Guests Felipe Esparza and Paul Rodriguez
Casino del Sol’s AVA Amphitheater, casinodelsol.com
Hot August Night: A Tribute to Neil Diamond
Casino Arizona, casinoarizona.com/ entertainment/
Thaddeus Rose Band
Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino, harrahsakchin.com
JULY 2
Str8Up Band
Casino Arizona, casinoarizona.com/ entertainment
Fortunate Son
Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino, harrahsakchin.com
JULY 4
He Said She Said Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino, harrahsakchin.com
JULY 5
Route 66
Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino, harrahsakchin.com
Stanley Serrano Trio Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino, harrahsakchin.com
JULY 6
Chuck E Duo
Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino, harrahsakchin.com
JULY 7
Western Fusion
Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino, harrahsakchin.com
JULY 8
Boney James
Desert Diamond Casinos and Entertainment’s Diamond Center, ddcaz.com/sahuarita/ entertainment/
Joe Costello Syndicate
Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino, harrahsakchin.com
Night Ranger
Talking Stick Resort, talkingstickresort.com
JULY 9
Nick Swardson
Casino del Sol’s Conference Center, casinodelsol.com
JULY 11
He Said She Said Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino, harrahsakchin.com
JULY 12
Jukebox 6
Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino, harrahsakchin.com
Stanley Serrano Trio
Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino, harrahsakchin.com
JULY 13
Lynyrd Skynyrd Casino del Sol’s AVA Amphitheater, casinodelsol.com
Uncorked Band
Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino, harrahsakchin.com
Karen and Marcus Duo
Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino, harrahsakchin.com
JULY 15
Craig Morgan
Desert Diamond Casinos and Entertainment’s Diamond Center, ddcaz.com/sahuarita/entertainment/
Basketball Jones
Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino, harrahsakchin.com
Tower of Power
Talking Stick Resort, talkingstickresort.com
JULY 18
Journey
Casino del Sol’s AVA Amphitheater, casinodelsol.com
He Said She Said Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino, harrahsakchin.com
JULY 19
Silhouette
Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino, harrahsakchin.com
Stanley Serrano Trio Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino, harrahsakchin.com
JULY 20
Tears for Fears Casino del Sol’s Ava Amphitheater, casinodelsol.com
AZ Blacktop Duo Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino, harrahsakchin.com
JULY 21
Cheech and Chong Talking Stick Resort, talkingstickresort.com
Mogollon Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino, harrahsakchin.com
Paradise Kitty Casino Arizona, casinoarizona.com/ entertainment/
JULY 22
Los Angeles Azules Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino, wingilariver.com
Donny and Marie Talking Stick Resort, talkingstickresort.com
Walkens Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino, harrahsakchin.com
Paradise Kitty Casino Arizona, casinoarizona.com/ entertainment/
JULY 23
Dirty South
The Pool at Talking Stick Resort, releasevip.com
I Love the ’90s: The Party Continues with TLC, Biz Markie, Coolio, C&C Music Factory featuring Freedom Williams, and Snap Casino del Sol’s AVA Amphitheatre, casinodelsol.com
JULY 25
He Said She Said Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino, harrahsakchin.com
JULY 26
Thaddeus Rose Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino, harrahsakchin.com
Walkens Trio Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino, harrahsakchin.com
JULY 27
Dwight Yoakam with Brandy Clark and King Leg Casino del Sol’s AVA Amphitheatre, casinodelsol.com
AZ Blacktop Duo
Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino, harrahsakchin.com
JULY 28
DJ
Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino, harrahsakchin.com
Badfinger
Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino, harrahsakchin.com
DSB—An American Journey Casino Arizona, casinoarizona.com/ entertainment/
JULY 29
Soundwave
Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino, harrahsakchin.com
Demetri Martin
Talking Stick Resort, talkingstickresort.com
DSB—An American Journey Casino Arizona, casinoarizona.com/ entertainment/
» The Entertainer!
Prescott Frontier Days and World’s Oldest Rodeo TO JULY 4
The 130th annual event features seven days of rich western culture and history. The parade on July 1 honors rodeo legend Monty Henson, otherwise known as Hawkeye Henson, a three-time Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association worldchampion saddle bronc rider. A rodeo dance will be held Thursday, July 28, to Saturday, July 1, in the BMO Harris bank parking lot. Throughout Prescott, 928.445.4320, worldsoldestrodeo. com, various times and prices.
WWE Monday Night Raw and WWE SmackDown
JULY 3 AND JULY 4
WWE will treat the WWE Universe to back-to-back events featuring Superstars from Monday Night Raw and WWE SmackDown Live. Among those scheduled to appear are John Cena, Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, AJ Styles, Bray Wyatt, Randy Orton, Becky Lynch, Bayley, The Miz, The New Day, Sasha Banks, Dolph Ziggler, Kevin Owens, Charlotte, Finn Balor, Shinsuke Nakamura, Natalya, Baron Corbin and The USOs. Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, 800.745.3000, talkingstickresortarena.com, Monday Night Raw, 4:30 p.m. July 3, and SmackDown, 4:45 p.m. July 4, tickets start at $20. Combo packages are sold out.
ARR Summer Series Race No. 3
JULY 4
Throw on your stars and stripes and join fellow runners for this July 4th tradition. The 4-mile loop starts and finishes at Rio Vista Park, running along the wash. After the race, stay and enjoy a free barbecue with hamburgers, veggie burgers and hot dogs. Bib pick-up and race-day registration is open from 5:15 a.m. to 6:15 a.m.
Rio Vista Park, 8866 W. Thunderbird Road, Peoria, 602.9548341, arizonaroadracers. com, 6:30 a.m., $40 at the race only.
Fourth of July 5K Freedom Run/Walk
JULY 4
This year, the Fourth of July 5K Freedom Run/Walk continues its partnership with That Others May Live Foundation, a nonprofit that provides critical support, scholarships and immediate tragedy assistance for the families of U.S. Air Force Rescue Heroes who are killed or severely wounded in operational or training missions.
Golf Links Sports Complex
Ramada No. 3, 2400 S. Craycroft Road, Tucson, 520.820.6447, taggrun.com, 6 a.m., $20-$30.
Phoenix Mercury vs. Washington Mystics
JULY 5
The three-time WNBA champions, led by Olympic gold medalists Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner, take on the Washington Mystics in an evening game.
Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, 602.252.9622, talkingstickresortarena.com, 7 p.m., tickets start at $11.
JULY 7
The Arizona Diamondbacks have a Star Wars Night, so why not Game of Thrones? Purchase an exclusive D-backs Game of Thrones ticket package and receive a Taijuan Walker Night King Bobblehead and a baseline reserve game ticket. Use the offer code: GOT. On this night, the D-backs will take on the Cincinnati Reds.
Chase Field, 401 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, 602.462.6500, arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com, 6:40 p.m., $19-$275.
JULY 9
Compete in the 33rd event surrounded by beautiful views of the San Francisco Peaks, Lake Mary and Mormon Lake. This is the fifth oldest triathlon west of the Mississippi River. The competition starts at the boat docks, about 10 miles south of Flagstaff, on Lake Mary Road at mile post 333. Lake Mary Road (register for complete address), mountainmanevents.com, start time TBD, $100-$195 for sprint, $115-$215 for Olympic.
JULY 15 AND JULY 16
AZGO Expo is an outdoors-lover’s dream. It features products and services from all outdoor activities, ranging from yoga to fishing. Guests will experience the latest hunting, fishing and camping gear and technologies, outdoor education and safety clinics, Paul Bunyan Lumberjack Shows, a catch-andrelease fishing pond and exhibitors from across the industry.
WestWorld of Scottsdale, 16601 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale, westworldaz.com, azgetoutdoors. com, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 15, and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 16, tickets start at $8 online.
JULY
Pitcher Robbie Ray has been on a tear the first half of the season. Celebrate his success by being one of the first 20,000 through the gates and grabbing a Robbie Ray Strikeout Counter Bobblehead. As a bonus, ticketholders will be able to see Bryce Harper and the Washington Nationals play. Chase Field, 401 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, 602.462.6500, arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com, 5:10 p.m., $19-$275.
JULY 28 TO JULY 30
Jam on It hosts large youth sporting events “Under One Roof” throughout the United States. In this case, 16 basketball courts will create a maze through WestWorld. WestWorld of Scottsdale, 16601 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale, westworldaz.com, jamonittournaments.com, check website for times, $10-$30.
vs. San Antonio Football Club
JULY 29
Phoenix Rising FC is the highestlevel professional soccer franchise in Arizona’s history. Established in 2013, the club enters is in its fourth year in the United Soccer League, which has been awarded Division 2 status by the U.S. Soccer Federation. Tickets sell out quickly, which is one of the reasons why Major League Soccer (MLS) recently announced Phoenix Rising FC is among 12 applicants being considered for a MLS Expansion Franchise.
Phoenix Rising Soccer Complex, 751 N. McClintock Drive, Scottsdale, 623.594.9606, 800.745.3000, ticketmaster.com, phxrisingfc.com, 7:30 p.m., $10-$35.
Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
» The Entertainer!
Trinity Fatu answers the phone enthusiastically.
As WWE Superstar Naomi, Fatu was still the SmackDown Women’s Champion and very proud of it.
After all, it was the culmination of a years-long effort to climb the WWE ladder.
“It’s been a long journey for me, but I think that’s what makes this moment and where I am now so much more meaningful for me and the fans,” says Fatu, a star of E!’s reality show Total Divas and wife of fellow Superstar Jimmy Uso, born Jonathan Fatu.
The first African-American woman to win the WWE SmackDown Women’s Championship, Fatu is among the Superstars who are slated to appear as part of SmackDown Live! on Tuesday, July 4, at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Monday Night Raw comes to the venue the day prior.
Professional wrestling wasn’t even in the cards when Fatu attended her first live event.
“When I was 21, I went to my first live show and I instantly knew it was something I wanted to do—or at least try,” Fatu says. “At the time, I was cheerleading for the Orlando Magic. I was looking for the next chapter in my life. I went to a wrestling show and I’ve been wrestling ever since.”
What impressed Fatu was the beauty, athleticism and talent of female wrestlers like Alicia Fox and Kelly Kelly.
“I was blown away—especially at the six-Diva tag team match,” she says. “It was a swimsuit match; we don’t do those matches anymore. I thought, ‘I want to do that. I can do that. How do I get into it?’”
During her research, she discovered the independent company Florida Championship Wrestling. She tried out and was accepted in 2009.
In January 2012, she made her WWE main roster debut as a member
of The Funkadactyls, backup dancers to Brodus Clay and Tensai. Before heading solo, she teamed with Tamina and Sasha Banks.
“It took me almost eight years to get from Florida Championship Wrestling to champion,” she says. “There were many times in my career when I wasn’t sure if I would get there. People said I wouldn’t get there. It just fueled my fire and made me go further.”
The positivity of fans and family helped get her through the tough times.
“We love what we do,” says Fatu, who maintained her title against Lana during the June 18 pay-per-view Money in the Bank. “We’re passionate about it. We’re sensitive about our craft and our work. We’re constantly getting bashed about it. It sucks. Nobody wants to hear bad things or be criticized. It’s all a part of growing and getting better, though.”
Fatu describes her role as Naomi as a full-time gig. Her “days off” aren’t such. She constantly trains, does interviews and watches film.
“It’s so competitive,” she says. “Things change every day, every week. We can never have an off day or break. We don’t have an off season, either. This is year-round.”
The last 12 months have been a whirlwind for Fatu. She starred in The Marine 5: Battleground with fellow wrestlers Mike “The Miz” Mizanin and his wife, Maryse Ouellet; Curtis Axel; Heath Slater and Bo Dallas.
Fatu recently debuted a new entrance, complete with electronic music and neon clothing. The journey was documented on Total Divas
“The whole process of finding the costumes, the lighting and the makeup was hard,” she says. “It took two years to persuade the WWE to try this new look. I was relentless. I knew it defined me as a performer and the division. That’s why I didn’t give up on the idea.
“If you really set your mind to do something, it’ll happen for you. Sometimes you just have to be patient.”
SmackDown Live!
Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, 800.745.3000, talkingstickresortarena.com, 4:45 p.m. Tuesday, July 4, tickets start at $20.
Monday Night Raw
Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, 800.745.3000, talkingstickresortarena.com, 4:30 p.m. Monday, July 3, tickets start at $20. Combo packages are sold out.
Painted Mountain Golf Resort
The Painted Mountain 18-hole championship golf course offers great conditions, amazing amenities and excellent value. It features a complete golf resort experience that’s open to the public, and annual memberships are available. Our par-70, championship golf course and complete short game practice facility offers tournament and league play.
Come and enjoy exceptional dining for breakfast, lunch and dinner, served daily, with live entertainment at the Painted Mountain Restaurant, Patio & Lounge. Shop
6210 E. McKellips Road, Mesa, 480.832.0156 (tee times), 480.832.0158 (dining reservations), paintedmountaingolf.com.
UFC 213 Saturday, July 8th
At all 3 locations.
UFC 214 Saturday, July 29th
HAPPY HOUR from 3pm-7pm
Discounts on all domestic bottles, draft, wine, appetizers and select cocktails (excludes PPV and special events)
REVERSE HAPPY HOUR Sun.-Thurs. 11pm-2am Baseball, Hockey, Basketball, NFL & NCAA satellite packages
Exceptional golf is a tradition at the Arizona Golf Resort. Well known for some of the most picturesque and challenging par three holes, the Arizona Golf Resort offers 18 holes of PGA-rated championship golf. The lush fairways are lined with massive cottonwood and eucalyptus trees, serene lake settings, mature vegetation, expansive fairways and gently sloping, well-manicured greens. The 6,542-yard, par-71 course boasts a slope of 120, a rating of 70.8 and offers an excellent test for all skill levels.
Full practice facilities include driving range, putting and chipping green area and greenside sand bunker facility. Arizona Golf Resort also offers certified club fitting, PGA staff and instructors, individual/junior lessons, and golf schools and clinics. Its retail shop features all brand-name men’s and ladies’ apparel, accessories and merchandise. Multiple popular dining options from snacks to fine dining are available. 425 S. Powr Road, Mesa, 480.832.1661 (tee times), arizonagolfresort.com.
Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
» The Entertainer!
Greg Schulte vividly remembers the first time he sat behind the microphone: age 20 in Rock Island, Illinois. The red light illuminated and he thought one thing.
“I have to talk,” he says with a laugh. “So, I started reading the news. I was really nervous then. I really was.”
Schulte nailed it and, decades later, he celebrated calling his 3,000th game as the radio voice of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
“I loved baseball ever since I was a little kid,” Schulte says in a Chase Field conference room. “To me, it is the best sport.”
Schulte was hired by Jerry Colangelo and the D-backs in 1995, three years before the team hit the field for its inaugural game.
“It was a lifelong dream,” Schulte says. “I had done minor league baseball, college baseball, NBA basketball, the first four years of Cardinals football, and ASU football, basketball and baseball. My one true passion, though, was to get to the MLB.”
LIFELONG DREAM
The son of a John Deere employee, Schulte grew up in the Quad Cities
area of Illinois, just north of St. Louis. He became obsessed with listening to St. Louis Cardinals games called by the team’s radio voices, Harry Caray and Jack Buck.
“We had television, but I would listen to the transistor radio at night,” he says. “We didn’t get a lot of baseball on the television. Maybe one game on a Saturday. Now you can pick up a phone and watch a game, or watch it on television. Back in those days, it was all about radio.”
Schulte loved baseball, but knew the odds of making it to the majors as a player were stacked against him. He turned to radio.
“I could picture in my eyes nightly what they were talking about,” Schulte says. “There was a porch in right field that had a screen in front of it. They would say a ball hit the screen. I could envision that.
“In my mind, as I was playing games or watching games, I was calling the games at a very young age. I would imagine how I would call them. That’s how I grew into a passion for radio.”
Schulte attended a six-month broadcast school in Milwaukee before attending St. Ambrose College in Davenport, Iowa. He then married his wife, Nancy, and started his broadcast career of 45 years and counting.
He moved to Arizona in the 1970s, following his parents’ relocation to Sun City. At the time, he was broadcasting University of Iowa basketball. When he
Jose Jimenez on June 25, 1999; and Anibal Sanchez on Sept. 6, 2006, vs. the D-backs. He fondly recalls Aaron Hill’s cycles on June 18 and June 29 in 2012.
“I enjoy my work,” he says. “I have a terrific boss here in (D-backs President and CEO) Derrick Hall. He’s the absolute best. He’s so uplifting. You just want to do anything you can for him.”
The feeling is mutual.
“There is one voice that is truly synonymous with D-backs baseball and that’s Greg Schulte, who has been here since the beginning,” Hall says. “He not only does an incredible job each night of describing the action for our fans, but he has always represented the organization with class away from the ballpark and he’s become an invaluable part of our history.”
Fans frequently approach Schulte to share their highlights. But those aside, one group of folks makes Schulte particularly proud of his job.
“I’m the eyes for people who can’t see the ballgame,” he says. “I think the best compliments I get yearly—whether it’s phone calls, letters or emails—are from people who are blind. They tell me I’m their eyes and they really appreciate the color that I bring into their lives.
“They love the description of each and every play they imagine. I can’t imagine being blind or even sight-impaired. That’s about as good a compliment as you can get.”
arrived in the Grand Canyon State, he applied at KTAR and was hired.
He spent 14 years at KTAR prior to joining the D-backs. His resume also includes a 15-season run with the Phoenix Suns, working alongside Hall of Famer Al McCoy, first as a producer, then as a color commentator for the last two seasons.
The move to Arizona gave him the opportunity to listen to and meet Vin Scully, who was calling Dodgers games carried on KTAR. Upon his hiring by the D-backs, Schulte was further mentored by Thom Brennaman, who anointed him “the Gubnuh,” and Bob Brenly.
“It was a name bestowed on me by Thom Brennaman,” he explains. “We were at dinner in Atlanta. I had a sport coat on. I was dressed up. Thom said I looked like ‘a Southern Gubnuh,’ as he called me using a Southern drawl. He used the ‘Gubnuh’ part on-air the following night, and the nickname stuck.”
Schulte is now in his 19th season, and his 11th season with radio partner Tom Candiotti. He delivered the call of Luis Gonzalez’s walk-off, ninth-inning single to win game seven of the 2001 World Series over the New York Yankees. He was behind the mic for Randy Johnson’s historic achievements, including his perfect game on May 18, 2004.
In addition, Schulte called several no-hitters such as D-backs’ Edwin Jackson on June 25, 2010; the Cardinals’
Schulte makes it sound easy. He sits in his broadcast chair and speaks with Candiotti about “something we have a passion for”—baseball.
“He played the game for 16 years in the major leagues,” Schulte says. “We also know the history of the game, having grown up about the same time.
“We grew up loving the sport.”
Schulte and Nancy, with whom he has two children, Scott and Stephanie, live in the Valley and are preparing to celebrate their 44th wedding anniversary.
“Nancy and I have a lot in common,” he says. “We love sports. We love to travel. We’re best friends. It just kind of works.
“We married very young, but we waited almost seven years to have children. We didn’t rush into a family. I think we were better equipped to manage children and a family that way. We will celebrate anniversary No. 44 in November.”
Those are his keys to a successful marriage. So how did he succeed behind the mic?
“I’m prepared nightly,” he says. “I think my upbringing listening to a lot of baseball and the Hall of Famers really allowed me to put as good of a broadcast on the air nightly as I possibly could.
“I try and call a game as it should be called. I don’t try to bring a lot of craziness into it. I understand how hard it is to play the game. I want fans to understand that. When a player strikes out, I’ll credit the pitcher trying to get him out. I want to give the fans as much entertainment as we possibly can.”
Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
» The Entertainer!
The State Forty Eight’s Stephen Polando, Michael Spangenberg and Nicholas Polando consider themselves the Arizona Diamondbacks’ good luck charms.
After all, since the Chandler High School graduates’ apparel line aligned with D-backs, the baseball team has made a run for the playoffs. The snakes and State Forty Eight are preparing for an Independence Day-themed giveaway on July 1. The first 20,000 fans will receive a State Forty Eight T-shirt emblazoned with an American flag fashioned out of a bat, an Arizona state map and stripes. More projects are in the works.
“For me, I’m a total sports fan— Arizona no matter what,” Spangenberg says. “The Diamondbacks have been struggling for a bit of years. We saw the potential. Even if they didn’t do well again, there are a lot of people who come to the ballpark. That’s happened for 19 years.
“We’re stoked about their success, though. We know how winning in sports can really ignite a community. The Cardinals during their Super Bowl run brought everyone together. It’s an awesome time.”
Founded as a simple T-shirt line honoring Arizona, State Forty Eight took the business to the next level after it was chosen as one of the “Emerging Designers” at Phoenix Fashion Week in 2014. Since then, the line has expanded and can be found online at statefortyeight.com and in local businesses across the Valley including Sibley’s West in downtown Chandler and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
“We didn’t want to make the
clothing too busy,” Spangenberg says about the clothing’s simple design. “We did want something that was simple that people would recognize right away. We wanted to stress that Arizona is a really cool place to live.”
And Chandler is “cool” for State Forty Eight’s headquarters, a 1,099-square-foot multiuse space that functions as its office, workshop and showroom. Previously, the trio was working out of its home.
“It was a good problem to have, growing out of our home office,” Spangenberg says. “We wanted to take it to the next level. We’ve always been smart about putting profits back into the business. We really felt comfortable. It was time to take that leap of faith. It’s so much more motivating to have an office. When you have employees and meetings, it makes the business a lot more official, in my opinion.”
The collaboration with the D-backs has been a year in the making, thanks to friendships forged between the two entities.
“There was never any type of pressure,” he says. “They blew us away with their presentation. They had State Forty Eight logos throughout the ballpark. All the employees were wearing State Forty Eight that day. They showed us a lot of love. It’s our biggest financial commitment to date, being in business for four years. It’s really paying off.”
Spangenberg is impressed with the D-backs’ follow through promotion of the giveaway. Advertisements abound with Paul Goldschmidt wearing the T-shirt. His teammate, Chris Owings, donned the shirt during a national interview. The apparel has been featured in the television broadcasts of the games leading up to the July 1 event.
“Advertising has been
everywhere—on billboards around Phoenix, TV and even a couple people out of state told me they heard Pandora commercials about it. It’s been awesome and we’re pumped.”
This isn’t State Forty Eight’s first foray into sports. In 2016, it was behind a Bruce Arians shirt.
“We wanted to demonstrate our appreciation for Bruce Arians and the Cardinals with this design,” Spangenberg says. “The goal was to provide Cardinals fans with another option to support the home team that was different than the traditional sports team apparel.”
And Arians—with his colorful personality and signature look of thickframed glasses and a Stetson cap—was the obvious inspiration. Taking it a step further, State Forty Eight partnered with the Arians Family Foundation, which supports the development of programs that strive to prevent and reform the abuse and neglect of children.
“We are grateful to partner up with
the Arians Family Foundation and give back,” Spangenberg says. “This collaboration is rewarding because it allows us to work with the coolest coach in the NFL and do something good for a cause that is near and dear to our hearts.”
Spangenberg is thrilled that State Forty Eight has been so successful.
“You have to pinch yourselves sometimes and ask, ‘Is this really happening?’” he says. “We have a vision and it wasn’t necessarily to be sports heavy, but where else can you get in front of so many people who love Arizona besides sports?”
State Forty Eight is also working on projects with the Phoenix Suns and Arizona Coyotes.
“It all starts with hard work,” he adds. “It’s humbling to be wanted, but we can’t do too much at once. Otherwise, you’re going to drown. We want to focus on the Diamondbacks deal, hit a home run and get the appropriate ROI on it.”
Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!
Laurie McCartney stepped out of her office at UltraStar Multi-tainment Center at Ak-Chin Circle one spring morning and was surprised to see the lobby flooded with children.
At first, she thought it was a field trip. Then she realized that the entertainment venue’s philosophy is working.
“We hope to bring excitement, consistency to the brand and, bottom line, let everyone who doesn’t know about UltraStar know we’re here,” says McCartney, UltraStar Multitainment Center at Ak-Chin Circle’s marketing director.
“This is the place to enjoy movies,
discounts, specials, birthday parties or corporate events. There’s something for everybody to do here.”
This summer, the focus is on kids and their families, with UltraStar offering three special packages.
The UltraStar Cinemas’ Summer Series runs through August 4, during which time, kids’ movies will be shown at 9:30 a.m. Monday through Friday. The 2-D films amount to 50 cents per movie, with a 10-movie package for $5.
Individual films are available for $1, too.
The scheduled movies are The Lego Batman Movie from July 3 to July 7; The Neverending Story from July 10 to July 14; Storks from July 17 to July 21; Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs from July 27 to July 28; and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 from July 31 to August 4.
“It’s an awesome deal,” McCartney says. “It’s nice and cool in here. We want people to have fun and enjoy their summer.”
UltraStar’s bowling alley, Tin Pins Down, is serving up the Family Fun Deal from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. For $49.95, families are given 90 minutes of bowling, five pairs of shoes, five $5 game cards and a large cheese pizza. It’s an $88 value.
For those who enjoy laser tag, it’s included in the $59.95 version of the same package.
Specials are offered during the week as well, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday until August 4. The Summer Fun Pass is $10.95 per person for unlimited bowling with shoes, or $15.95 per person for unlimited
bowling and laser tag, shoes included. Officials at UltraStar, which will be connected to Harrah’s via skybridge this fall, hope to give families a taste of fun this summer without breaking the bank.
“We’re trying to offer an affordable option for families, so they don’t feel pinched in the summer heat,” McCartney says.
Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!
My Favorite Monster Exhibit THROUGH SEPTEMBER 10
Experience the whimsical side of monsters at the i.d.e.a. Museum. My Favorite Monster, through fun art and hands-on activities, looks at the popularity of these imaginative creatures in media and their role in storytelling.
The i.d.e.a. Museum, 150 W. Pepper Place, Mesa, 480.644.5552, ideamuseum.org, various times, $9 for those 1 and older, free for members and children younger than 1.
Fest SATURDAYS
Kids are invited to Rocket Fizz for its Fidget Fest, during which there will be spinning games, contests and prizes. Children and adults can also enjoy free soda and candy tastings. Sugar-free, gluten-free and kosher candy is available.
Rocket Fizz, 13802 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 132, Scottsdale, 480.306.8144, facebook.com/ rocketfizzscottsdaleaz/, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., free admission.
Summer Splash
WEEKLY IN JULY
Kids can meet their favorite characters, win prizes, dance and
play games during Summer Splash at Tempe Marketplace and Desert Ridge Marketplace. The schedule is: “Under the Sea Soiree” on July 6 in Tempe, July 4 at Desert Ridge with Ariel and Moana; “Superhero Sensation” on July 13 in Tempe and July 11 at Desert Ridge with Spiderman and Iron Man; “Royal Fiesta” on July 20 in Tempe and July 18 at Desert Ridge with Elena of Avalor; and “Frozen Fiesta” on July 27 in Tempe and July 25 in Desert Ridge with Anna and Elsa. Tempe Marketplace, The District near Barnes & Noble, 2000 E. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe, tempemarketplace.com/, 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., free.
Desert Ridge Marketplace, The District near AMC Fountain, 21001 N. Tatum Boulevard, Phoenix, shopdesertridge.com, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., free.
The Little Mermaid
JULY 7 TO AUGUST 19
The Hale Centre Theatre will be transformed into a magical underwater kingdom when The Little Mermaid swims into the Gilbert venue.
The Hale Centre Theatre, 50 W. Page Avenue, Gilbert, 480.497.1181, haletheatrearizona. com, various times, $20-$30.
Kids’ Night Out
JULY 8 AND JULY 22
Kids can enjoy special events for them at Arizona Sunrays Gymnastics and Dance Center. The theme on July 8 is “Party in the USA” and there will be a luauthemed event on July 22. Ages 3 to 14 may enjoy an evening of gymnastics, dance, organized
games, sports, jumping in a bounce house and on trampolines and obstacle courses. They wind down by watching a movie and having pizza and refreshments.
Arizona Sunrays Gymnastics and Dance Center, 3110 E. Thunderbird Road, Phoenix, 602.992.5790, arizonasunrays.com, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., $30.
JULY 10 AND JULY 11
Kids and their parents and grandparents are invited to two Teddy Bear Picnic Days in the Valley. Meet author Paula Goldsmith, who will read from her baby bear book, The Adventures of Baby Cuz: A Trip to Arizona Children will learn to read, spell and bring out their creativity as they personalize their books. Goldsmith will sign book purchases for $10 each or $25 for three books; cash only.
Red Mountain Library, 635 N. Power Road, Mesa, 480.644.3860, mesalibrary.org, paulasstories.com, 11 a.m. July 10, free admission.
The i.d.e.a. Museum, 150 W. Pepper Place, Mesa, 480.644.5552, ideamuseum.org, paulasstories.com, 11 a.m. July 11, free admission.
JULY 12 TO JULY 15, AND JULY 18 TO JULY 21
Certified etiquette instructor SueAnn Brown, owner of It’s All About Etiquette, will offer fourday summer etiquette camps for children ages 6 to 8 and 9 to 12. Kids will learn dining skills, how to set a table, proper introductions, how to
write thank-you notes, eye contact, shaking hands and phone etiquette. Camp dates for ages 6 to 8 are July 12 to July 15, and ages 9 to 12 attend July 18 to July 21.
St. Bernard of Clairvaux Church, 10755 N. 124th Street, Scottsdale, 480.510.6346, itsallaboutetiquette.com, 10 a.m. to noon, registration required, $225.
JULY 15
Bring blankets and lawn chairs, and watch Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark under the stars at The Crown on 7th, a Central Phoenix infill project on Seventh Street, just south of Bethany Home Road. Okra Cookhouse & Cocktails will feature Southern-inspired eats like pork rinds, nachos with jalapeños and cheese sauce, two-piece fried chicken with hush puppies and a soul burger with fries.
Movies Under the Stars, Crown on 7th, 5813 N. Seventh Street, Phoenix, crownon7.com, 7:30 p.m., free.
JULY 28
Grab lawn chairs and blankets, and don your favorite jammies to watch Angry Birds under the stars at Goodyear Ballpark. In this animated tale, an island inhabited by flightless birds is visited by green pigs. Find out what the pigs are up to and why the birds are so angry. Parking and admission are free.
Goodyear Ballpark, 1933
S. Ballpark Way, Goodyear, 623.882.3120, goodyearbp.com, 7 p.m., free.
Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
» The Entertainer!
Ricky Garcia knows how to entertain.
The 18-year-old multihyphenate performer starred in the Disney Channel’s Best Friends Whenever, and is one-third of the pop-rock band Forever in Your Mind, who was discovered by Simon Cowell on X-Factor
Garcia has nearly 900,000 followers on Instagram and Forever in Your Mind recently released a new single titled, “Smooth,” which has garnered 400,000 views on YouTube.
Still, the teen has to find time for himself.
“I’m going to the beach today,” he says proudly. “The beach is one of my favorite places. I like to stay active. I don’t like to sit in my place. That’s fun and relaxing, but I just try to stay active.”
He also prefers to stay in touch with fans, as he will do from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, August 5, at the Outlets at Anthem. While the meet and greet is open to the public, one winner will be chosen to be the shopping center’s social media reporter for the day. Entrants are asked to submit a 1-minute MP4 video or YouTube link showcasing their social media reporting skills along with a completed application to MeetRickyGarcia@OutletsAnthem. com. For an application, visit outletsanthem.com.
VIP passes are available as well via a contest held July 1 to August 1. Forty winners will be chosen for a private meet and greet with Garcia and 50 more winners will receive front-of-the-line
passes. To win one of these VIP passes, fans must visit Outlets at Anthem between July 1 and Aug. 1 and take a selfie with one of the Ricky Garcia photo displays located throughout the center. Selfies are submitted via Instagram with the hashtag #MeetRickyAtAnthem. Winners will be chosen randomly from all properly submitted selfies.
“Meeting fans means the world to me,” Garcia says. “It’s amazing to know that I have people who support me no matter what I do. They’re following every step of my journey.
“It makes me really emotional, really. I hear about depression and bullying. I’m hoping that the little 2- or 3-minute pop song, listening to me and the guys, takes some of the pain away. I don’t want anyone to feel they’re not wanted. It’ a horrible feeling and that’s what’s happening in schools today. I was bullied. I understand. I’m always here for them.”
Now that Best Friends Whenever is no longer on the air, Garcia is chasing other pursuits, but focusing on Forever in Your Mind, who is in the studio working on new material. The band was signed to Hollywood Records, a subsidiary of Disney.
“In a sense, music is like acting,” he says. “I think you have to be trained. You can’t be afraid of experimenting and trying new things. It’s all about creating.”
The new singles “Missing” and “Smooth” are part of that evolution. Both songs head in a new direction for the group, marking a more “mature” sound, says Garcia, who recently starred in the movie Bigger Fatter Liar
“The music is still in the genre of young pop—rootsy and vibey,” he says. “It’s like Justin Timberlake—older R&B sounding. Before we were a little more rock. We still have the rock, though. For the most part, fans have been reacting great to it. I’m really happy with it.”
He will continue to act, sing and entertain as long as he’s having fun.
“It’s rewarding in entertainment,” he says. “I know I’m doing what I love and I’m having a great time doing it.”
Ricky Garcia Outlets at Anthem, 4250 W. Anthem Way, Phoenix, 623.465.9500, outletsanthem. com, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, August 5, free.
There’s no toying with the Goo Goo Dolls’
Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!
Robby Takac can’t believe he is still making music after 31 years as the bassist/vocalist in the Goo Goo Dolls. Spending summers hitting the road with frontman John Rzeznik and drummer/Phoenix native Craig Macintyre is fulfilling.
“It’s just amazing to me that people are still excited about it, too,” he says.
“We’re having great summers still. John and I both have babies now. We’re grown-up Goo Goo Dolls now, but we’re having fun.”
Goo Goo Dolls and American Idol winner Phillip Phillips are set to spend this season touring. The jaunt, in support of the Goo Goo Dolls’ new
EP You Should Be Happy, comes to the Comerica Theatre on Sunday, July 16.
The EP was recorded at EastWest studios in Los Angeles and produced by Drew Pearson, who first collaborated with the Goo Goo Dolls on its previous release, Boxes. The first single, “Use Me,” was written by Rzeznik and Pearson.
“We decided on an EP for a couple of reasons,” Takac says.
“When you release a full album, you put these 12 to 14 songs out. A couple of them are pushed by the record company and some get noticed by the press. The human attention span has gotten very short. It felt like, to us, that releasing less songs was more advantageous.”
Takac does eye a return to complete collections, though, that allow fans to get a 360-view of the Goo Goo Dolls.
“For me, I write and sing a couple songs on every record,” he says. “The depth of a full album allows you to do a lot of different things. Making a body of work that functions for 40 straight minutes is a whole different skill than writing one pop song.
“I miss it. I think that full albums really allow people to get into the band a little bit more. Hey man, it’s too bad, but it’s just the way it is.”
Despite regularly releasing new material, the Goo Goo Dolls still feel required to play certain hits at each show.
“We refer to it as the ‘Dirty Dozen,’” Takac says with a laugh. “There are 12 songs that we’re pretty sure we have to play every night. That leaves us with another eight songs.
“We like to do a lot of the new songs. They’re fresh to us and they keep
the show exciting for us. We like to put in new songs for people, too. It’s difficult for us to make a setlist, but that’s probably the easiest problem you can have as a rock band.”
That problem lies on Rzeznik, who has been honored with the Songwriters Hall of Fame Hal David Starlight Award. Since 1986, the Goo Goo Dolls have scored 14 Top 10 radio hits, including “Name,” “Slide” and “Iris,” the latter of which spent 12 months on the Billboard charts.
“John knows how to write a great song,” Takac says. “Those songs ruminate on a big level—a lot. I think our fans have just been awesome and stuck with us. I was trying to figure out how we turned into those dudes who have been in a band for a few decades and still make records we like to play and listen to. I think it’s a combination of the fans and our work ethic that makes it still work.”
Musicians have certain dynamics, Takac adds.
“The interesting thing about a band is that there are no real social norms to conform to,” he explains. “You can become whatever you want. As long as the people who are involved really feel like they’re doing the right thing together, you can stick it out.
“It takes a certain amount of ego and a certain amount of emotional and public dysfunction to get into this to begin with.”
The rest of the year is looking more like functional than dysfunctional, though. Takac’s daughter is starting kindergarten in September, and Rzeznik and his wife are celebrating their daughter’s first birthday later this year.
“We’re going to try to keep the schedule pretty light after this summer for a while,” he says. “We’re going to write music and record a bit, and figure out when to release new music, and move on from there.”
Connor Dziawura
» The Entertainer!
JULY 1
Avenue of the Arts 18 Year
Anniversary
Last Exit Live, 9 p.m., $10-$15
BroLoaf’s Eighth Annual Patriotic Meltdown
Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free
Chris Chapman
Yucca Tap Room, 2 p.m., free
Dear Lemon Trees
Rhythm Room, 6 p.m., $10-$12
Deorro Rialto Theatre, 8 p.m., $30-$55
Iron Maidens
Marquee Theatre, 6:30 p.m., $15
Las Cafeteras
Musical Instrument Museum, 7:30 p.m., $32-$37
Music of the Grateful Dead by The Noodles
Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $10-$12
Nineball
Copper Blues, 9 p.m., free
Punk White and Blue Joe’s Grotto, 7 p.m., $8-$10
The Purge 2
Club Red – East, 5 p.m., $10-$15
The Rocket 88s
Rhythm Room, 9 p.m., $8
Steel Panther
Livewire, 8 p.m., $22
Bruce Vaught
The Listening Room, 7 p.m., $20
donation
2
Carvin Jones Band
Rhythm Room, 6 p.m., $5
Kathy Mattea
Musical Instrument Museum, 6 and 8 p.m., $35-$45
Numenorean w/ Wormwitch
Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free
Oscar Rock
Yucca Tap Room, 2 p.m., free
Roselit Bone
Valley Bar, 8 p.m., $10-$12
Stan Sorenson
The Nash, 6 p.m., $5-$8
Taide
Copper Blues, 5 p.m., free
JULY 3
All Time Low
Marquee Theatre, 6:30 p.m., $29.50-$49.50
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony
Livewire, 7:30 p.m., $25-$35
Coach Taylor
Copper Blues, 7 p.m., free
Diana
Valley Bar, 8 p.m., $10-$12
Hans Olson Band
Rhythm Room, 7 p.m., $15
Necrot w/ Undergang, Of Feather and Bone
Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., $12
The News Can Wait w/ Naturalist
Rebel Lounge, 8 p.m., $8-$10
SK8
Pub Rock Live, 8 p.m., $17-$21
JULY 4
Borgeous
Maya Day + Nightclub, 12 p.m., $15
The Steady 45s
Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free
JULY 5
Enjoy
Rebel Lounge, 8 p.m., $10-$12
Katchafire
Marquee Theatre, 5:15 p.m., $22-$42
Otep
Club Red, 6 p.m., $20-$25
Pat Roberts & The Heymakers Rhythm Room, 8 p.m., $8
The Selfies Copper Blues, 7:30 p.m., free
JULY 6
The American Indie Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free
Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers
Celebrity Theatre, 7:30 p.m., $40-$70
J. Cole
Talking Stick Resort Arena, $44.75$350
Pat Martino Trio
Musical Instrument Museum, 7:30 p.m., $35-$40
Promise of Redemption w/ Best Ex Rebel Lounge, 7:30 p.m., $10-$12
7
Banana Gun
Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free
George Bowman & Bluesmen
Rhythm Room, 9 p.m., $8
Guitar Wolf Rebel Lounge, 8 p.m., $13-$15
John Ettinger
The Nash, 7:30 p.m., free
Lucy Kaplansky
Musical Instrument Museum, 7:30 p.m., $25-$35
The Midnite Vibe
The Listening Room, 7 p.m., $20 donation
One OK Rock Marquee Theatre, 7 p.m., $25-$75
Paquita La Del Barrio Y Diego Verdaguer
Celebrity Theatre, 8:30 p.m., $61-$121
Paranova
Club Red – West, 6:30 p.m., $10-$12
Sam O.B.
Valley Bar, 7:30 p.m., $10-$12
Surf Broads at Día De Las Luchas Rialto Theatre, 8 p.m., $5-$12
The Technicolors
Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $12
Throw Logic
Pub Rock Live, 7:30 p.m., $6-$12
Yard Art
FiftyOne West, 7 p.m., $7
8
Alfredo Olivas Celebrity Theatre, 8:30 p.m., $41-$101
Missy and Heine Anderson
The Listening Room, 7 p.m., $20 donation
The Dukes w/ We Were Stereo Last Exit Live, 8 p.m., $5-$10
Goya
Yucca Tap Room, 7 p.m., $10
Joe Vito & The Calamari Kids w/ The Ricky Fitts, Daisy, Sunday at Noon
Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $5
Paris Chansons
Musical Instrument Museum, 7:30 p.m., $35-$45
Prince Royce w/Luis Coronel Comerica Theatre, 8 p.m., $49.50$849.50
Stanley Serrano Band Copper Blues, 9 p.m., free
w/
JULY 12
Gila River Arena, 7:30 p.m., $99-$570.25
While internet rumors of a secret album titled NATION. never came to fruition, DAMN. did. Now Kendrick Lamar is gearing up to bring the touring production of his fourth studio album to Glendale. Judging by performances like his massive production at Coachella, Lamar is sure to bring the spectacle, performing favorites from throughout his career at this arena show.
SOB x RBE
Pub Rock Live, 7 p.m., $15-$18
Song Behind the Story Rialto Theatre, 8 p.m., $15-$25
Soul Power Band Rhythm Room, 9 p.m., $8
JULY 9
Adrenaline Mob
Pub Rock Live, 8 p.m., $15-$18
Afton Showcase
Rhythm Room, 6:30 p.m., $11-$14
Deftones w/ Rise Against Ak-Chin Pavilion, 6:30 p.m., $30-$125
Dragonforce
Club Red, 7:30 p.m., $18-$20
Federspiel
Musical Instrument Museum, 7 p.m., $30-$40
Taide Copper Blues, 5 p.m., free
JULY 10
Architect Valley Bar, 8 p.m., $15-$18
Coach Taylor Copper Blues, 7 p.m., free
Eagle Rock Gospel Singers
Musical Instrument Museum, 7 p.m., $20-$25
Joe King Carrosco Rhythm Room, 7:30 p.m., $8-$10
Sports Rebel Lounge, 8 p.m., $10-$12
JULY 11
B.o.B Club Red, 7 p.m., $25-$30
Tony Bennett Celebrity Theatre, 7:30 p.m., $78-$138
Kyle Phelan Copper Blues, 7:30 p.m., free
JULY 12
Black Bottom Lighters Copper Blues, 7:30 p.m., free Coast 2 Coast Interactive Showcase
Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., $15
Harrison Fjord Valley Bar, 8 p.m., $5-$7
Kendrick Lamar w/ Travis Scott, D.R.A.M.
Gila River Arena, 7:30 p.m., $99$570.25
The Legendary Guitar Master Duke Robillard Rhythm Room, 8 p.m., $12-$16
T-Rextasy Rebel Lounge, 8 p.m., $7-$10
JULY 13
Catherine Russell
Musical Instrument Museum, 7:30 p.m., $32-$42
CloZee
Last Exit Live, 9 p.m., $12-$15
Laurie Morvan Band
Rhythm Room, 8 p.m., $10
Mr. Mudd & Mr. Gold
Valley Bar, 8 p.m., $8-$10
Mutoid Man
Rebel Lounge, 9:30 p.m., $15-$18
Salem’s Bend w/ White Light
Cemetery
Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free
JULY 14
Anthony Hamilton
Celebrity Theatre, 8:30 p.m., $41-$61
Erik Nakamoto
The Nash, 7:30 p.m., $5-$15
First or Last
Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free
Joshua Radin & Rachael
Yamagata
Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $30-$44
Judy Collins
Musical Instrument Museum, 7:30 p.m., $60-$70
Love on the Brain
The Listening Room, 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., $20
Luxxe
Valley Bar, 7:30 p.m., $15
Naughty Professor
Last Exit Live, 9 p.m., $7-$10
People Who Could Fly
Rebel Lounge, 7:30 p.m., $10-$12
Post Nothing
FiftyOne West, 7 p.m., $10
R5
Rialto Theatre, 8 p.m., $26-$38
Rich Berra Band
Copper Blues, 5 p.m., free
Rock Lobster
Copper Blues, 9:30 p.m., free
Ryan Caraveo
Pub Rock Live, 8 p.m., $15-$20
JULY 15
Azizi Gibson
Club Red, 7 p.m., $20-$23
Big Business
Valley Bar, 7:30 p.m., $12-$14
Judy Collins
Musical Instrument Museum, 7:30 p.m., $60-$70
Furious George
Copper Blues, 9 p.m., free
JULY 15
191 Toole, 9 p.m., $10-$12
Phoenix’s own Ned Flanders-themed metalcore band Okilly Dokilly will be stopping by 191 Toole in Tucson for what is sure to be a raucous performance. Yes, you heard that right: The “Nedal band” mimics the nerdy Simpsons character, complete with the iconic mustache and green sweater.
Okilly Dokilly
191 Toole, 9 p.m., $10-$12 PopTop
Yucca Tap Room, 2 p.m., free
Shawn Mendes w/Charlie Puth Gila River Arena, 7:30 p.m., $14.75-$227
Jeff Senour and Dylan Elliott of CTS
The Listening Room, 7 p.m., $20 donation
Silence the Voice FiftyOne West, 5:30 p.m., $10
The Sugar Thieves Rhythm Room, 9 p.m., $8 Tower of Power
The Showroom at Talking Stick Resort, 8 p.m., $40-$55
Trapfest Phoenix 2017 Pressroom, 8 p.m., $45-$250
Westfield Massacre RockBar, 6 p.m., $12-$15
JULY 16
Beth Lederman
The Nash, 6 p.m., $5-$8
Dirty Heads
Mesa Amphitheatre, 5:45 p.m., $30
Goo Goo Dolls w/Phillip Phillips Comerica Theatre, 8 p.m., $48.50$500
Honest Mollusk
Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free
JJ Thames Rhythm Room, 8 p.m., $10-$12
Naughty Professor
191 Toole, 8 p.m., $10-$12 <PIG> w/ Julien-K, Ghostfeeder
Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $25
P.O.D. w/Alien Ant Farm Marquee Theatre, 6:15 p.m., $25
Sherry and LeBohn
The Listening Room, 7 p.m., $20
Simply Presents: Healthy & Hydrated Valley Bar, 7 p.m., $3-$5
Tana Mongeau
Club Red – East, 6 p.m., $30-$190
Trey Odum
Yucca Tap Room, 1 p.m., free
JULY 17
As We Are
Rebel Lounge, 8 p.m., $8-$10
Coach Taylor
Copper Blues, 7 p.m., free
Daryl Hall & John Oates w/ Tears For Fears
Gila River Arena, 7 p.m., $30.25-$399
Palm Valley Bar, 8 p.m., $12
The Sword
Crescent Ballroom, 8:30 p.m., $20-$23
Whiskerman
Rhythm Room, 8 p.m., $8-$10
JULY 18
Arsonists Get All the Girls w/ I Set My Friends on Fire, Kingdom of Giants
Pub Rock Live, 7 p.m., $12-$14
Earth, Wind & Fire w/Chic featuring Nile Rodgers
Talking Stick Resort Arena, 7:30 p.m., $64.75-$520.25
The Flusters
Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free
Gina Sicilia
Rhythm Room, 8 p.m., $10-$12
Logic w/ Joey Bada$$ Mesa Amphitheatre, 6:30 p.m., $49.50
Sun Dried Vibes Valley Bar, 8 p.m., $10-$12
Third Eye Blind Comerica Theatre, 7 p.m., $49.95$1,500
Thou w/ Cloud Rat Rebel Lounge, 8 p.m., $13-$15
JULY 19
Beach Fossils Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $16-$18
Chris Isaak Celebrity Theatre, 8 p.m., $60-$90
Digitour: Goodtimes
Marquee Theatre, 6:30 p.m., $25
DJ Shadow Rialto Theatre, 8 p.m., $25-$28
Jimmy Thackery Rhythm Room, 8 p.m., $15
JULY 20
Afton Showcase Rhythm Room, 6:30 p.m., $11-$14
Blackberry Smoke
Marquee Theatre, 8 p.m., $30-$50
Feufollet
Musical Instrument Museum, 7:30 p.m., $25-$32
Jonny Lang Rialto Theatre, 8 p.m., $37-$48
New Heart FiftyOne West, 6:30 p.m., $10
Shakewell w/ Ramirez, Germ Club Red, 7 p.m., $20-$40
Third Thursday Songwriter Showcase
The Listening Room, 7 p.m., $12
JULY 21
Jonny Lang Chandler Center for the Arts, 7:30 p.m., $38-$68
Blackberry Smoke
Rialto Theatre, 8 p.m., $27-$30
Cheech & Chong
Salt River Grand Ballroom at Talking Stick Resort, 8 p.m., $45
Flotsam and Jetsam Club Red, 6 p.m., $18-$20
Guitar Shorty Rhythm Room, 8:30 p.m., $12-$15
Playboi Carti Marquee Theatre, 8 p.m., $35
The Sink or Swim Rebel Lounge, 7:30 p.m., $10-$12
Tim McGraw & Faith Hill
Gila River Arena, 7:30 p.m., $64.75$528
The Turtles Celebrity Theatre, 8 p.m., $43-$75
Zealyn w/ Amy Guess
Valley Bar, 7:30 p.m., $10
22
Birdtalker
Valley Bar, 8 p.m., $12-$15
The Bonafide Band
Yucca Tap Room, 2 p.m., free
I Love the ’90s
Talking Stick Resort Arena, 7:30 p.m., $45-$325.25
The JJ’s Band
Copper Blues, 9 p.m., free
Loser’s Way Home
The Listening Room, 7 p.m., $20 donation
Mad Dog & The 20/20’s
Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free
Puscie Jones Revue
Rhythm Room, 9 p.m., $10
Rozwell Kid
Rebel Lounge, 7:30 p.m., $12-$14
Sabrina Carpenter
Comerica Theatre, 7 p.m., $119-$225
Wyves w/ Vista Kicks, Banana Gun, Bear Ghost, Mind Upside
Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $10-$15
The Yellow Payges
Rhythm Room, 6 p.m., $8
JULY 23
Dave Henning
The Nash, 6 p.m., $5-$8
Divided Heaven
Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free
Dom Dolla
Maya Day + Nightclub, 12 p.m., $0-$10
Jim Bachmann and the Day
Drinkers
Yucca Tap Room, 2 p.m., free
Khalid
Celebrity Theatre, 8 p.m., sold out
Nicolas Jaar
Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $25-$30
Playboi Carti
Rialto Theatre, 8 p.m., $35-$45
Post Animal
Valley Bar, 8 p.m., $10-$12
Valley Queen
Rebel Lounge, 8 p.m., $8-$10
JULY 24
Coach Taylor
Copper Blues, 7 p.m., free
Delta Rae
Musical Instrument Museum, 7 p.m.,
$32-$38
Levi Platero
Rhythm Room, 7 p.m., $12-$15
JULY 25
Lindsey Buckingham & Christine McVie
Comerica Theatre, 7:30 p.m.,
$49.50-$245
Cassidy Jayde
Copper Blues, 7:30 p.m., free
Little River Band
Rialto Theatre, 8 p.m., $36-$72
Sydney Sprague
Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free
True Flavor Blues
Rhythm Room, 8 p.m., $7
UB40 Legends Ali, Astro & Mickey Marquee Theatre, 7:30 p.m., $40-$60
JULY 26
AJR
Pub Rock Live, 7 p.m., $16-$64
Leopold and His Fiction
Last Exit Live, 8:30 p.m., $10-$12
Lucky Devils Rhythm Room, 8 p.m., free
Michelle Branch Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $30-$125
The New Schematics
Rebel Lounge, 8 p.m., $10-$12
Quantum Split Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free
Reckless Kelly
Musical Instrument Museum, 7 p.m., $35-$40
Taking Back Sunday
Rialto Theatre, 7:30 p.m., $30
JULY 27
All Get Out
Rebel Lounge, 7:30 p.m., $10-$12
Armand and Angelina
The Listening Room, 7 p.m., $20 donation
The Ghoulies
Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free
Reik
Rialto Theatre, 7:45 p.m., $56-$89
RJ
Pub Rock Live, 9 p.m., $15-$20
Wes Williams Band
Rhythm Room, 8 p.m., $10-$12
JULY 28
Cold Shott & The Hurricane Horns Rhythm Room, 9 p.m., $8
Croatia Squad
Maya Day + Nightclub, 10 p.m., $0-$10
Dry River Yacht Club
Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free
Dwight Yoakam
Celebrity Theatre, 7:30 p.m., $46-$195
The Geibral Elisha Movement
The Listening Room, 7 p.m., $20 donation
The Life and Times Valley Bar, 7:30 p.m., $12
Los Lonely Boys
Rialto Theatre, 8 p.m., $34-$47
Mason
191 Toole, 8 p.m., $10-$12
Pharoah Sanders Quartet
Musical Instrument Museum, 7 and 9 p.m., $30-$45
The Selfies
Copper Blues, 5 p.m., free
JULY 29
Arise Roots w/ Dubbest Last Exit Live, 9 p.m., $10-$12
The Bonafide Band Yucca Tap Room, 2 p.m., free
Emery
Nile Theater, 7 p.m., $10-$30
Froth Valley Bar, 7:30 p.m., $12-$14
Darrin Kobetich with Paul Barton The Listening Room, 7 p.m., $20 donation
Jeff Rosenstock Rebel Lounge, 8:30 p.m., $15
Paralysis w/ Xenophile Yucca Tap Room, 6 p.m., free
Sugaray Rayford Band Rhythm Room, 9 p.m., $12-$15
The Walkens
Copper Blues, 9 p.m., free
JULY 30
The Bonafide Band Yucca Tap Room, 2 p.m., free
Ioannis Goudelis
The Nash, 6 p.m., $5-$8
Mason Valley Bar, 8 p.m., $10-$12
Matoma
Maya Day + Nightclub, 12 p.m., $15
The Whistles & The Bells Rhythm Room, 8 p.m., $8-$10
JULY 31
Amadou and Mariam
Musical Instrument Museum, 7 p.m., $45-$60
Coach Taylor Copper Blues, 7 p.m., free
Unsane Rebel Lounge, 8 p.m., $12-$15
Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
» The Entertainer!
Reggae legends UB40 are witnessing a renaissance. With singer Ali Campbell’s return after a nine-year break, the band has seen its massive greatest hits tour succeed.
“When people ask us about our longevity, love, I tell them that when I started UB40 in 1979, reggae was 11 years old,” Campbell says via telephone from England.
“Before that, it was rock steady and before that it was ska. It was a baby genre. That’s why, 30 years later, people still like it. It’s the youngest form of music.”
It’s still influential, he adds, with the release of reggae-tinged songs by Ariana Grande, Katy Perry, Rihanna, Beyoncé and Justin Bieber.
“Reggae’s having a massive influence and long may it continue,”
Campbell says.
The timing is perfect, as Campbell returned to the group in 2013. After he left in 2008, the group carried on and replaced Campbell with his brother, Duncan. That didn’t pan out, so the departures of founders Mickey and Astros followed.
In 2013, Ali Campbell, Astro and Mickey came together to play a couple U.K gigs. They parlayed that into a fullblown reunion with an 11-piece band and world tours.
“We’re back together again,” Campbell says proudly. “When I left my own band, nine years ago now, the other guys—the ‘dark side’ as I call them—split the fanbase. They didn’t need to split the fanbase. I don’t know why they did.
“When me and Mickey came back to the fold, we told Astro, ‘We’re waiting for you now.’ We have 11,000 people at some of our shows now. We played arenas last year where there were
15,000 people. We’re winning the war, as it were.”
UB40, who plays the Marquee on Tuesday, July 25, is continuing the battle by recording a new album due on February 14, 2018. Campbell wouldn’t spill too much about the collection, other than to say it’s the band’s best effort.
“It’s all a secret, but everyone who’s heard it is going crazy for it,” Campbell says. “It’s going to be a biggie. It’s a return to form—not that I’ve been out of form.”
The Marquee date is part of UB40’s fourth American tour in two years. Campbell relents that it’s great to be back on the road again.
“I know I sound like a Willie Nelson song, but it is good to be back on the bus, with my peers, seeing Arizona and them places there.
“I didn’t think I would miss touring. I was at a stage where I was sick of touring. I wanted to stay home. But
you don’t miss your water until your well runs dry.”
Now, the focus is on having fun and spreading the message of UB40 with songs like “Rat in Mi Kitchen,” “Red Red Wine” and “The Way You Do the Things You Do.”
“We’re just concentrating on being in really lovely places and situations, drinking lots of good wine, smoking and singing songs for our very happy public.”
UB40 Legends Ali, Astro and Mickey, w/ Matisyahu and Raging Fyah Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Avenue, Tempe, 480.829.0607, luckymanonline.com, 7:30
Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
» The Entertainer!
Grammy Award-winning blues guitarist Jonny Lang is amazed that he can dedicate his life to playing music.
He doesn’t know why he’s been successful, but, he says with a laugh, it’s pretty clear it’s not due to his “good planning.” It’s been hard for him and his wife, former Kids Incorporated cast member Haylie Johnson, to juggle their schedules with those of their five children—all of whom are younger than 9. For four years, he squeezed in time to work on a new album, Signs, which is set for release September 8 in North America. He’ll preview tracks during a concert at the Chandler Center for the Arts on Friday, July 21. Fans can immediately download the song “Make It Move” via jonnylang.com.
“Between touring and taking care of my little ones at home, I don’t have
too much time to make a record,” Lang says. “Trying to find the spots in the schedule to get it done and finish it have been challenging. Since I had kids, it tends to be a little bit longer of a process.”
Lang was a kid himself, 15, when he earned his first platinum record. Inspired by Albert Collins, B.B. King and Buddy Guy, Lang has evolved into an adept showman whose style has aligned with Stevie Wonder and contemporary gospel music. With Signs , he has reaffirmed his commitment to the blues.
“A lot of my earlier influences have been coming to the surface, like Robert Johnson, and Howlin’ Wolf,” he explains. “I have been appreciating how raw and unrefined that stuff is. I had an itch to emulate some of that and I think it shows in the songs. Still, I let the writing be what it was and that was sometimes not necessarily the blues.”
Each time Lang steps into the studio, it’s an eye-opening experience.
Whether it’s exploring new techniques and genres, or maybe collaborating with a longtime friend for the first time, the studio has become a school for Lang.
“Being in the studio is a great thing,” he says. “It forces you to look at yourself under the microscope. When you do that for a long time, it’s pretty hard not to improve. I learn something new every time I go in and make a record.”
Lang is quick to add that he didn’t discover anything he “needed” to improve.
“I wanted to become a better songwriter,” he says. “I wanted to try to refine the things that are important to me so my songs can relate to other folks.”
Signs was produced by Lang, Drew Ramsey and Shannon Sanders. He also recruited the help of Josh Kelley, with whom he has been friends for “years.”
“I haven’t gotten the chance to work with him until recently,” he says. “He’s awesome. He’s an amazing singer and artist in his own right. He’s
a great producer and a great person to cowrite with.”
Kelley helmed “Bring Me Back Home,” one of seven songs that Lang and the singer-songwriter cut together.
“I’m saving the other ones for who knows what, but I definitely wanted that one to be on this record,” Lang says.
He admits that Signs is a personal album, but it isn’t literally autobiographical.
“The main goal is for folks to be able to relate to what I went through,” he says. “If I can’t make it work using just my personal experience, I use my imagination to fill in blanks.”
Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Avenue, Chandler, 480.782.2680, chandlercenter.org, 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 21, $38-$68.
Americana storytellers Delta Rae are thriving after release of new EP
Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
» The Entertainer!
Delta Rae bassist Grant Emerson is taking a break from a long van ride to his eclectic band’s next tour stop. The traveling may wear on the six-piece act, but, Emerson reports, everyone is on cloud 11.
“We played last night at the Minnesota Zoo,” he says. “It was incredible. We got five standing ovations during the show.”
Thanks to the backing of Big Machine Label Group, the company behind Taylor Swift’s success, Delta Rae is finding its way. Executives Julian Raymond and Scott Borchetta helped perfect the sound of the band, who scored a hit with the 2013 collaboration with Lindsey Buckingham, “If I Loved You.” It was released via its former label, Sire Records.
The result of the Big Machine signing is the EP A Long and Happy Life, a collection that features four songs highlighting tight-knit harmonies of the Hölljes siblings Brittany (lead vocals), Eric (vocals, piano) and Ian (vocals, guitar) alongside Liz Hopkins (lead vocals, tambourine, auxiliary percussion) with Mike McKee (drums) and Grant Emerson (bass).
The Durham, North Carolinabased band melds country and Americana storytelling, over gospel and rock vocal stylings. The first single, the title track, was crafted by Eric and Ian, who weaved four book titles from authors they admire into the song. Delta Rae wrote nearly 70 songs for the EP, which is centered around the vocals of Brittany Hölljes and Hopkins.
“Our A&R guys, Julian
Raymond and Scott Borchetta, pushed us to write our best music,” says Emerson, whose band returns to the Musical Instrument Museum on Monday, July 24.
“They helped us craft a focused song. Luckily, we landed on a country label to make country music. They were pushing us to be more focused and to write a lot of songs to find out which ones would make the final cut. It’s really great to have all of the others in our back pockets to play live or to include on another record.”
Previously earning a slot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, Delta Rae is mindful of its fans. Hopkins, Emerson and McKee are former teachers and they understand the sacrifices that educators make. During its tour, Delta Rae is offering free tickets to and an on-stage acknowledgment of educators via the Tickets for Teachers program. For additional details and to nominate someone, visit deltarae.com.
“We’ve met some incredible teachers who are spirited and inspiring,” Emerson says. “We know that they work sun up and sun down and don’t know when to quit.
“We’re doing this to show our appreciation for them and all that they do. I hear so many stories: Teachers love their classes and they’re investing their own money for notebooks, craft projects and special trips. They don’t make a lot of money. We think this is the least we can do— give them a free night out.”
Delta Rae w/Liz Longley Musical Instrument Museum, 4725 E. Mayo Boulevard, Phoenix, 480.478.6000, mimmusictheater.themim.org, 7 p.m. Monday, July 24, $32-$38.
Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!
Frank Iero knows he’s a nerd. Best known as the rhythm guitarist/backup singer for My Chemical Romance, Iero now fronts Frank Iero and the Patience. It was a move that didn’t come easily.
“I never wanted to do that,” Iero says. “That wasn’t on my bucket list. I considered writing the songs and getting someone else to sing them. However, it felt weird to do that, like I was faking or hiding. With the songs I had been writing, I was trying to be as honest and forthright as possible.
“To hide at the end of the cycle of creation felt wrong.”
To keep being honest, Iero fought his demons and stepped behind the mic after discussions with his wife, friends and family.
“I had to give it a try or regret it,” he says. “I found out I was able to do it on my own terms.”
That dictated that Iero be himself.
“I had this image of a frontman as almost like a caricature,” he says. “They get up on stage (and swear). That’s not me. With some people, it works. But to get up on stage in a room full of people, it was scary.”
Iero has since found comfort in it as he celebrates the release of his second album, Parachutes. The band performs with Deftones, Rise Against and Thrice at Ak-Chin Pavilion at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, July 9.
“When that tour came down the pipeline, I think everybody just started to salivate,” says Iero, who had to initially cancel plans to promote Parachute after a bus crashed into him and his bandmates while unloading for a gig in Sydney, Australia.
“It’s amazing and super flattering that they wanted us to be on the tour. It’s really rad to be on a tour that I would have bought tickets for.”
Fans can expect to hear Parachute’s songs, most of which have “grown a lot since we recorded them.”
“That’s one of my favorite things about music and creating things: You get to have this initial release when you write the songs,” Iero says. “Then they change and evolve by the time you record them.”
Parachute was recorded with the help of legendary producers Ross
Robinson and Steve Evetts in California. Iero says he loved getting Robinson’s advice, the particulars of which he wouldn’t share.
“He was an incredible partner,” he adds. “He finds a way to ask the right questions—so much so that you find out things about yourself as a person and as an artist.
“It’s too personal to share. It really is. I’ve never been pushed like that or questioned like that. I thought I knew what certain songs were about and where they came from. But by working with Ross, I learned that a lot of these songs and feeling stemmed from even further back. They were from something else that happened earlier on. The songs are about something totally different. That kind of insight opened the doors for me lyrically.”
Like singing in front of thousands of people, the transformation in the studio was scary.
“You’d think that being yourself is a little bit scary, but I find comfort in being awkward,” he adds. “It’s more uncomfortable when I pretend not to be awkward.”
Deftones, Rise Against, Thrice and Frank Iero and the Patience Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Avenue, Phoenix, 602.254.7200, 800.745.3000, ticketmaster. com, 6:30 p.m. Sunday, July 9, tickets start at $22.
Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!
Deorro
JULY 1
Los Angeles native Deorro has become one of the most sought after young producer/DJs in the business in the last two years. The young house prodigy has amassed an inspiring discography, including a cache of original productions, collaborations/remixes with Steve Aoki, Chuckie, Axwell, Cazzette, Krewella, Laidback Luke, Carnage, Diplo, MakJ, Tommie Sunshine and R3hab. He has amassed more than 140,000 followers and over 20 million plays.
The Pool at Talking Stick Resort, 9800 E. Talking Stick Way, Scottsdale, relentlessbeats.com, 11 a.m., $20.
Prok and Fitch
JULY 1
Hailing from the U.K.’s south coast, Ben Prok and James Fitch shared a mutual love of house music, leading to their debut release “Outro Lugar.” In the last couple years, Prok and Fitch have become one of the most respected and successful DJ outfits in electronic music. Their 2016 Green Velvet collaboration, “Sheeple,” remained at No. 1 for 10 weeks.
Monarch Theatre, 122 E. Washington Street, Phoenix, relentlessbeats.com, 10 p.m., $15$20.
JULY 4
John Borger, known by his stage name, Borgeous, has had three No. 1 tracks on the Beatport chart, including “Tsunami,” which was produced with DVBBS. It was regarded by Billboard Magazine
in 2013 as “the most played tune at Tomorrowland.” His single, “Invincible” became the No. 2 song of 2014 on SiriusXM’s BPM Radio, with the follow-up track, “Wildfire,” reaching No. 14. Recently, he released “Feel So Good,” which received thousands of streams. Māyā Day + Nightclub, 7333 E. Indian Plaza, Scottsdale, mayaclubaz.com, noon, $15.
JULY 7
Sharam Jey kickstarted his career in the early ’80s and has since released two albums, various mix/ compilations and more than 100 releases. He’s behind remixes for Moby, Gossip, Faith No More, Faithless, Diplo & Don Diablo, Mason & Roisin Murphy to name just a few. His latest record label, Bunny Tiger, instantly spread five No. 1 and 20 Top 10 tracks on the Beatport Nudisco chart. Sean Watson, Klu, Benni Beatnik and Cormac open. Bar Smith, 130 E. Washington Street, Phoenix, relentlessbeats. com, 9 p.m., $10.
Technoboy ‘n’ Tuneboy
JULY 13
Known for their individual production skills, Technoboy and Tuneboy decided to try collaborating in 2002 and it’s been democratic to the core since then.
They frequently argue, they confess, but each new track has found its way to fans. Technoboy’s sound is “more melodic with a strong ’80s influence,” while Tuneboy finds his work to be more “dub and instrumental.”
Monarch Theatre, 122 E. Washington Street, Phoenix, relentlessbeats.com, 9 p.m., $15 and $30.
JULY 14
Trapfest Tucson drops at Club XS with the impressive lineup of Party Favor, who is a remix favorite for dance music elite; his rapid-fire beat prodigy, Loudpvck; the bicoastal production duo who recently released the monster track, “Bones,” Hard Trap pioneer, SayMyName; and quasi hip hop/electronic producer, JSTJR.
Club XS, 5851 E. Speedway Boulevard, Tucson, relentlessbeats.com, p.m. Friday, July 14, $25 and $45.
JULY 15
Celebrating its fifth year, Trapfest Phoenix 2017 will feature Montreal-based, bombastic bass-drop designer Snails as the headliner with main stage support from Party Favor, who is a remix favorite for dance music elite. Rapid-fire beat prodigy 4B, hiphop/electronic producer, JSTJR and hard-hitting bass duo Two Owls round out the main stage lineup. The venue’s outdoor patio will feature ATLiens, Bailo, Havok Roth and Woolymammoth, for a deeper look into the more experimental side of Trap.
The Pressroom, 441 W. Madison Street, Phoenix, relentlessbeats. com, 8 p.m., $50-$375.
JULY 23
With an ear for melodic and emotive song writing, Dirty South (also known as Dragan Raganovic) was a natural fit for the Anjunafamily with his label debut “I Swear,” featuring Anima. Taking the record into the contemporary deep house world, Dirty South’s “I Swear” reflects the soulful music found on his Drift radio show.
The Pool at Talking Stick Resort, 9800 E. Talking Stick Way, Scottsdale, relentlessbeats.com, 11 a.m., free for women, $10 for men.
JULY 29
After many years of involvement in the musical community through his labels Emerald City and Hot Creations, and his collaborative projects Hot Natured and Pleasure State, Lee Foss has released his full-length solo debut album Alchemy Alchemy has been a long time coming for Foss, who relied heavily on analog synths and vintage drum machines with some occasional guitar and live bass for the collection. Hear the tracks when he comes to the Monarch Theatre. Monarch Theatre, 122 E. Washington Street, Phoenix, relentlessbeatss.com, 10 p.m., $15.
Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!
Since the Lynch family founded R5, the group has been saddled with the “pop” label and heralded as Teen Choice or Radio Disney favorites.
But with the May release of its fifth EP, New Addictions, it’s time to welcome the four siblings and drummer as a certified rock band.
“A lot of people are hearing this EP and saying, ‘Yo, this sounds so much older and new and from the heart,’” says guitarist/producer Rocky Lynch.
“It’s because it is from the heart. This is the first EP in which we wrote and produced and engineered entirely on our own. That hasn’t happened in R5’s lifespan. That’s one of the big factors why it seems like that. We’re still just trying to find our groove.”
The five-song EP is different for R5, with “Lay Your Head Down” being a slick departure. R5 is vocalist/rhythm guitarist Ross Lynch, bassist/lead vocalist Riker Lynch, keyboardist/percussionist Rydel Lynch and family friend/drummer Ellington Ratliff. R5 fans can hear the difference during a 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 14, show at The Rialto Theatre in Tucson.
“‘Lay Your Head Down’ is definitely the most different from any other song live because I sing and play keyboards on that one,” Lynch says. “Every other song I play guitar.”
The EP features a cover of INXS’ “Need You Tonight,” an idea that’ll make any Generation Xer cringe.
However, this version is a sweet cover mashed with EDM sounds.
“My dad would play INXS a lot,” he says. “I got hooked on a lot of their songs—not just their hits, but their albums.
“We recently went to Australia and played ‘New Sensation.’ One of the guys in INXS tweeted about how he loved it. So, we tried it again.”
Although R5 fans speculate that the group has found its niche on New Addictions, the musicians say otherwise.
“What we’re writing now is already on to a new sound of what R5 could be
in the future,” he says. “We’re constantly changing, the vibes, sonically, the songs we’re choosing. It’s always moving. I personally like that. I don’t think R5 has a genre. This next thing we release may have a lot more electronic funk. Then after that, we may do a straight-up rock record. It depends on what I’m feeling at the time.”
Besides working on new music, R5 has earmarked 2017 for a continuing world tour. This summer, Ross Lynch will star as a teenage Jeffrey Dahmer in the critically acclaimed My Friend Dahmer, a film based on the 2012 graphic novel of the same name.
Szenda » The Entertainer!
Hard-hitting bass mixed with the right amount of hip hop and a touch of dubstep is like no other.
The genre is called trap music and it has been captivating listeners since the early 2000s, thanks to acts like Brillz and Bro Safari.
To celebrate the music, the country’s premier trap and bass event is returning to Arizona.
CrowdSurf Concerts and Relentless Beats are presenting the fifth annual Trapfest on Saturday, July 15, at Phoenix’s The Pressroom.
“This year’s lineup includes some of the hottest acts in the trap and bass world and will make for a scorching fest,” says Relentless Beats founder Thomas Turner.
It features Montreal-based Snails with support from Party Favor, explosive, rapid-fire beat prodigy 4B, hip-hop
“Hopefully, we’re going to South America,” he says. “We’ll be going back to Europe. As we’re doing that, we’re just trying to make more music. We’re just hopefully going to have a lot more music by the end of the year.”
R5 w/Hailey Knox and New Beat Fund
The Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress Street, Tucson, 520.740.1000, rialtotheatre. com, 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 14, $26-$38.
and electronic producer JSTJR and the massive bass duo Two Owls. Outside, the party explores the experimental side of trap with ATLiens, Bailo, Havok Roth and Woolymammoth.
Trapfest isn’t just taking over the Valley, however. Tucson also gets a healthy serving of trap on Friday, July 14, as Party Favor, Loudpvck, SayMyName, JSTJR take over Club XS.
Trapfest
The Pressroom, 441 W. Madison Street, Phoenix, relentlessbeats. com, 8 p.m. Saturday, July 15, $50-$250.
Trapfest Tucson Club XS, 5851 E. Speedway Boulevard, Suite 141, Tucson, relentlessbeats.com, 8 p.m. Friday, July 14, $25-$50.
Alison Bailin Batz
» The Entertainer!
Nestled atop a mountain 1,800 feet above the city, Different Pointe of View (DPOV) is known for its views, fine modern American cuisine and internationally acclaimed wine cellar. But those who haven’t tried its cocktail program are missing out. It uses fresh herbs from the mountainside chef’s garden, as well as house-made syrups and its own bottled cocktails.
Emmy Young, one of the stars behind the bar, chats about her rise in the industry and approach to mixology as well as what’s in store at DPOV.
Young thought about getting into bartending while working as a cocktail server in Texas.
“I was itching at a young age to make up my own recipes and dream up my own takes on mixes and syrups,”
says Young, who eventually got her first shot at a sports bar in Austin.
A sports bar is not often top of mind when it comes to sinking one’s teeth into the world of cocktail couture. But, it gave Young the confidence to make one very bold move when she moved to Arizona in 2013 to attend nursing school.
“I would always pass this gorgeous building on a mountain on my way to school, so finally one day I just drove up the hill to see what it was,” says Young, who would visit DPOV for the first time that day in 2014. “In just looking at the menu—and then seeing the garden—I knew I found something special. It’s not the longest-tenured AAA Four Diamond Restaurant in Arizona for nothing!”
Young found it so special, in fact, that she went through a full orientation at the Hilton, which manages DPOV, and worked in different areas of food and beverage before earning herself a position on the DPOV team. For the
past three years, Young has worked with the chefs and fellow bartenders to create an ever-evolving, seasonal cocktail menu that boasts everything from rosemary gin lemonades to cinnamon spiced sangrias and strawberry jalapeno margaritas.
Tell me about the oddest drink request you’ve gotten?
Oh, that is easy. It was a Jack and Coke. But—wait for it—with a beer on the side. Once the gentleman had both in hand, he mixed them together and drank it like it was the fanciest cocktail ever made. I had to ask him about it. It turned out he’d seem some gorgeous woman drinking it one night and tried it (most likely to impress her) and got himself hooked on the odd combination of flavors.
What is your No. 1 pet peeve when working?
We are very lucky here are DPOV that we get to host weddings—often for 300 to 400 people—onsite nearly weekly. That often means we also get 300 or 400 drink orders from the guests at the exact same time (cocktail hour!), and while nothing beats the electricity and energy of our team at times like that, it also often means our tidy stations end up a little wet, a little sticky and out of order after an hour or two. After the wedding festivities as we are all cleaning up, I always tell myself that next time we are all going to be perfectly organized and neat no matter what. It is, however, impossible. Even for our all-star team.
What is your go-to drink when you’re at a bar other than your own?
I absolutely love ginger beer, so I most often sample Mules when I am out and about. In recent years, because Mules have become all the rage, sampling them has become an adventure. I had one with pineapple and mint just a few weeks ago, and they are even starting to sub out the vodka for tequila at some venues. And yes, it is delicious.
What does ordering a Jack and Coke say about a person?
Given the first question above, as long as the guest doesn’t order it with a beer then mix it together and drink it, then I am
happy! But, in all seriousness, it usually means the guest is a male, who either doesn’t know what else to order or doesn’t feel like drinking beer. I’m in nursing school, so I sometimes take on a guest like this as my “patient,” and ask them lots of questions so I can “prescribe” them something a little more exciting.
What is one cocktail you would love for us to feature in the magazine this month?
Seasonal Buck ($12.50)
What do you like about this drink? We freshly muddle seasonal berries in this cocktail, which gives the drink such a summery flavor, perfect as it gets hotter out. And, because we use quality vodka (Hangar), the berries really shine through. This cocktail also has a little love from our award-winning chef in it too, as he makes us fresh ginger syrup for it each night.
1.5
Muddle
Build all ingredients in mixing glass with ice and shake.
Strain in to rocks glass.
Top with soda water.
Garnish with berries and fresh lime wedge.
Bizarro facts that will stretch your noggin Daisy Finch » The Entertainer!
Hot dogs, or frankfurters, were invented in 1484 in Frankfurt, Germany. Nice name choice.
According to the National Hot Dog and Sausage Council (yes, it’s a thing), LOS ANGELES is the top dog when it comes to consuming the barbecue staple, at over 36 million pounds last year! Phoenix came in fifth.
6.9 HOT DOGS IN 1 MINUTE?
Joey Chestnut can, and he holds a world record for it.
On the Fourth of July,
150 million hot dogs are eaten. That’s enough to reach D.C. from L.A. and back more than five times.
was rushed to the hospital for severe indigestion after he ate 12 hot dogs and downed eight sodas between doubleheader games.
19.4
MILLION hot dogs were chowed during MLB games in 2016. Play ball!
94% of homes in the United States serve hot dogs. What’s for lunch at your place?
Scarface’s favorite food was Nathan’s Coney Island hot dogs.
550 HOT DOGS are eaten EVERY SECOND in the Unites States. Ketchup, anyone?
The world record for hot dog eating was set by Matt Stonie last year, when he ate 69 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes.
Body only
$749.99, body with 18-35mm EF-S IS USM is $1299.00, body with 18-55mm EF-S IS USM lens is $899.99.
Body
Body only $749.99, body with 18-35mm EF-S IS USM is $1299.00, body with 18-55mm EF-S IS USM lens is $899.99.
Body
