Thursday, July 13, 2017
The Weekly List: 11 Things To Do In Tucson In The Next 10 Days
Your Weekly guide to keeping busy in the Old Pueblo.
Food & Booze
Tucson World Music & Culture Showcase. Enjoy a little culture from all over the world The University Of Arizona Africana Studies Department and the Community Food Bank are coming together for a day of music, dancing, poetry and, of course, food. 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday, July 14. CeeDee Jamaican Kitchen, 5305 E. Speedway Blvd. Free.
Summertime Speakeasy & Del Bac Showdown. Hamilton Distillers is partnering with Scott & Co. for the distillery’s first-ever hosted cocktail competition. For one evening, 47 Scott/Scott & Co will close its doors and reopen for a summertime speakeasy complete with candlelit live music, delicious food samples, and Whiskey Del Bac cocktails. Guests can sample cocktails from six local bartenders from across the city as they compete for Judges Pick. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Living Streets Alliance. Tickets Includes food and 6 cocktail samples. 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, July 15. 47 N. Scott Ave. $40.
Movies
Cactus Drive-In Theatre. Indulge in the iconic drive-in experience at the Tanque Verde Swap Meet on Thursday night in July. On Thursday, July 13, you can catch a screening of La La Land, 2016's award-winning musical starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. Follow the lives and love of two L.A. dreamers as they await their big break. On Thursday, July 20, The Princess Bride will pay homage to (and skewer a little bit) all your favorite fairy tales. Movies start at 8 p.m. Suggested donation per carload is $15. More info at cactusdriveintheatre.com.
Cinema La Placita Summer Series. Take a trip downtown and enjoy the Cinema La Placita's continuing outdoor summer film series. This Thursday, July 13, enjoy a legendary piece of resistance cinema. Do the Right Thing, is a groundbreaking examination of race relations in America. Directed by the iconic Spike Lee, this movie spans the length of a day and examines the whole spectrum of life and culture in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. By the end of the movie, Lee challenges audiences to decide whether anyone truly does the "right thing" when it comes to race. On Thursday, July 20, you can see the classic Inherit the Wind (1960), which dramatizes a 1925 courtroom battle over the teaching of evolution. (We’re kind of hoping that this is a settled matter, but could see it back on the Supreme Court’s docket sometime in 2019.) Movies start at 7:30 p.m. in the Tucson Museum of Art plaza. In addition to the screenings, audiences are invited to enjoy the cash bar and food truck on site. More info at cinemalaplacita.com
Music
Kolezanka. Don't let the drum machine chump you—everyone in Kolezanka (Polish for friend) has soul. In fact, this dreamy postmodern pop trio from Phoenix has the unearthly quality of Vespertine-era Bjork and the tight-fist chemistry of Yo La Tengo. Their delicate minor harmonics move like how seaweed catches you and gently claws. The bass echoes of nimble-fingered Marcus Miller (Miles Davis, yo) in his most sexual playing groove. Keys shimmer and pool around female vocalists, strong as sirens, vulnerable as people. In “Pageant,” one voice sings, "Anytime they ask, you know that I lie. It's easier to just pretend that I'm fine," while her breathy backup counters, "I always wanted a sis-ter." It’s an utterly grounded and relatable emotion, backed by haunting and transcendent musicality. It rises to something good as beauty. Songs feel like they're organically poured from the musicians at once—arrangements wind around one another, creating an underwater spiral, pretty and circular and always rising toward the surface without ever quite breaking into the light. With Karimer Walker and Lowlife on Friday, July 14. Club Congress, 311 E. Congress. 8 p.m. 21+. Free.
Justus Proffit. “I'm down, I'm dead, imagination is such a stupid place.” One gets the feeling that it ain’t laziness or shortage of skill that has Justus Proffit burying the lead vocals below the cymbals, guitars and hand-claps in song mixes. Nah, that’s just self-effacing frontmanship at its aural finest. “I'm back in my room, thinking of you. I'd like to fly.” Even at their their most upbeat, Proffit’s songs acknowledge a detachment from everyone, a triumph at having his own bedroom yet an impossible wish to reach a corner of his longed-for lover’s mind. The vocals are openhearted and devastating, like Matthew Sweet with zero hope of any love-interest ever listening, or the bastard kid of Elliot Smith and Ani DeFranco. The yearning. You want to show up and sing the words back just to prove this tender soul wrong, and then watch him go home by himself. It'll be a beautiful night of three-minute heartbreaks. With So Many Wizards and Jess Matsen on Sunday, July 16. Club Congress, 311 E. Congress. 8 p.m. 21+. Free.
R5. They’ve more than 2.5 million hits on their latest YouTube vid. They've toured the world multiple times and debuted on Radio Disney. Now, just like Britney and Miley and Justin before them, they’re huntin’ for hardcore props. Hence 2017's New Addictions tour. From the band who penned, “Heart Made Up on You,” comes a new record claiming that "all my days run together like whiskey and coke.” What's actually the most shocking thing in the latest video, which implies hangovers and casual sex with the previously PG-13 Riker Lynch, is the sight of him shaving. The new single "If" could be Entourage's Vinnie Chase singing the celeb white-boy blues, mugging in the video because this is tunage designed to be seen not heard. If you've ever walked around Vegas wondering who all the adolescent girls are airbrushing themselves to impress, R5 offers solid insight. This fascinating glimpse into "what the kids think they want" marketing makes the New Kids seem like Bing Crosby-caliber triple threats. Friday, July 15 with Hailey Knox, and New Beat Fund. Rialto Theater, 318 E. Congress. 7:30 p.m. $36-$43. All ages.
Journey in Concert. What hasn't Journey done? Multi-platinum albums? Check. Sold out, gazillion-dollar tours? Check. Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame? Been there, done that. It's all in a career for one of the ’80s most iconic bands. Catch them playing all the hits, from “Don't Stop Believing” to “Lights.” 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 18. Casino Del Sol, AVA Amphitheater, 5655 W. Valencia Road. $55- $175.
Los Guapos. Imagine Dick Dale riffing atop cinematic desertscapes of Calexico, peppered with Spanish-language Hold Steady spokenword and the occasional outburst of Ray Manzarek keys. Yes, the sweetly strange Los Guapos have killed it again. With their latest album, Guapeando, these sunbaked Tucsonans have proven themselves masters at creating the spaghetti-western-meets-surf chestnut, the kind at perfectly home on any gloriously battered Old Pueblo bar juke. With enough poise to dare instrumentals, enough command to sing tunes in both dominant tongues of our town, and enough heart to authentically represent their Mexican and American rock ’n’ roll lineage, it feels like Los Guapos is on the verge of musical heroism, and that’s saying something. In the English-language weeper “I Won't Let You Down,” the bluesy vocals strain to the breaking point on each note, matching the effort put into reassuring his lover he’ll keep every promise he makes. You will rock, baila and feel righteous when you come out to celebrate the newest musica de Los Guapos. Record release party, Saturday, July 15, at Sky Bar, 536 N. Fourth Ave. 9 p.m. 21+. Free.
Food & Booze
Tucson World Music & Culture Showcase. Enjoy a little culture from all over the world The University Of Arizona Africana Studies Department and the Community Food Bank are coming together for a day of music, dancing, poetry and, of course, food. 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday, July 14. CeeDee Jamaican Kitchen, 5305 E. Speedway Blvd. Free.
Summertime Speakeasy & Del Bac Showdown. Hamilton Distillers is partnering with Scott & Co. for the distillery’s first-ever hosted cocktail competition. For one evening, 47 Scott/Scott & Co will close its doors and reopen for a summertime speakeasy complete with candlelit live music, delicious food samples, and Whiskey Del Bac cocktails. Guests can sample cocktails from six local bartenders from across the city as they compete for Judges Pick. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Living Streets Alliance. Tickets Includes food and 6 cocktail samples. 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, July 15. 47 N. Scott Ave. $40.
Outdoors
Cool Summer Nights. Beat the Arizona heat and enjoy an night out at the Desert Museum. The desert comes alive as the sun sets. Skies become speckled with stars and animals rise from their daytime naps. Bring your flashlight and explore, experience a live animal encounter, or participate in special nightly activities. 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, July 15. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, 2021 N. Kinney Road. $16.Sports
FC Tucson vs. Colorado Rapids U23. Come out and watch Tucson's only professional soccer team take on division rival (and MLS Development team) Colorado Rapids U23. With FC Tucson currently sitting atop the Western Conference Standings, the game serves as a finale before the playoffs for both teams. Enjoy a hot dog and a beer and help cheer the team on to victory! Gates open 6 p.m., kickoff at 7 p.m. Saturday, July 15. Kino Sports Complex, North Stadium, 2801 E. Ajo Way. Adults $12, Children (5-12) $8.Movies
Cactus Drive-In Theatre. Indulge in the iconic drive-in experience at the Tanque Verde Swap Meet on Thursday night in July. On Thursday, July 13, you can catch a screening of La La Land, 2016's award-winning musical starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling. Follow the lives and love of two L.A. dreamers as they await their big break. On Thursday, July 20, The Princess Bride will pay homage to (and skewer a little bit) all your favorite fairy tales. Movies start at 8 p.m. Suggested donation per carload is $15. More info at cactusdriveintheatre.com.
Cinema La Placita Summer Series. Take a trip downtown and enjoy the Cinema La Placita's continuing outdoor summer film series. This Thursday, July 13, enjoy a legendary piece of resistance cinema. Do the Right Thing, is a groundbreaking examination of race relations in America. Directed by the iconic Spike Lee, this movie spans the length of a day and examines the whole spectrum of life and culture in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. By the end of the movie, Lee challenges audiences to decide whether anyone truly does the "right thing" when it comes to race. On Thursday, July 20, you can see the classic Inherit the Wind (1960), which dramatizes a 1925 courtroom battle over the teaching of evolution. (We’re kind of hoping that this is a settled matter, but could see it back on the Supreme Court’s docket sometime in 2019.) Movies start at 7:30 p.m. in the Tucson Museum of Art plaza. In addition to the screenings, audiences are invited to enjoy the cash bar and food truck on site. More info at cinemalaplacita.com
Music
Kolezanka. Don't let the drum machine chump you—everyone in Kolezanka (Polish for friend) has soul. In fact, this dreamy postmodern pop trio from Phoenix has the unearthly quality of Vespertine-era Bjork and the tight-fist chemistry of Yo La Tengo. Their delicate minor harmonics move like how seaweed catches you and gently claws. The bass echoes of nimble-fingered Marcus Miller (Miles Davis, yo) in his most sexual playing groove. Keys shimmer and pool around female vocalists, strong as sirens, vulnerable as people. In “Pageant,” one voice sings, "Anytime they ask, you know that I lie. It's easier to just pretend that I'm fine," while her breathy backup counters, "I always wanted a sis-ter." It’s an utterly grounded and relatable emotion, backed by haunting and transcendent musicality. It rises to something good as beauty. Songs feel like they're organically poured from the musicians at once—arrangements wind around one another, creating an underwater spiral, pretty and circular and always rising toward the surface without ever quite breaking into the light. With Karimer Walker and Lowlife on Friday, July 14. Club Congress, 311 E. Congress. 8 p.m. 21+. Free.
Justus Proffit. “I'm down, I'm dead, imagination is such a stupid place.” One gets the feeling that it ain’t laziness or shortage of skill that has Justus Proffit burying the lead vocals below the cymbals, guitars and hand-claps in song mixes. Nah, that’s just self-effacing frontmanship at its aural finest. “I'm back in my room, thinking of you. I'd like to fly.” Even at their their most upbeat, Proffit’s songs acknowledge a detachment from everyone, a triumph at having his own bedroom yet an impossible wish to reach a corner of his longed-for lover’s mind. The vocals are openhearted and devastating, like Matthew Sweet with zero hope of any love-interest ever listening, or the bastard kid of Elliot Smith and Ani DeFranco. The yearning. You want to show up and sing the words back just to prove this tender soul wrong, and then watch him go home by himself. It'll be a beautiful night of three-minute heartbreaks. With So Many Wizards and Jess Matsen on Sunday, July 16. Club Congress, 311 E. Congress. 8 p.m. 21+. Free.
R5. They’ve more than 2.5 million hits on their latest YouTube vid. They've toured the world multiple times and debuted on Radio Disney. Now, just like Britney and Miley and Justin before them, they’re huntin’ for hardcore props. Hence 2017's New Addictions tour. From the band who penned, “Heart Made Up on You,” comes a new record claiming that "all my days run together like whiskey and coke.” What's actually the most shocking thing in the latest video, which implies hangovers and casual sex with the previously PG-13 Riker Lynch, is the sight of him shaving. The new single "If" could be Entourage's Vinnie Chase singing the celeb white-boy blues, mugging in the video because this is tunage designed to be seen not heard. If you've ever walked around Vegas wondering who all the adolescent girls are airbrushing themselves to impress, R5 offers solid insight. This fascinating glimpse into "what the kids think they want" marketing makes the New Kids seem like Bing Crosby-caliber triple threats. Friday, July 15 with Hailey Knox, and New Beat Fund. Rialto Theater, 318 E. Congress. 7:30 p.m. $36-$43. All ages.
Journey in Concert. What hasn't Journey done? Multi-platinum albums? Check. Sold out, gazillion-dollar tours? Check. Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame? Been there, done that. It's all in a career for one of the ’80s most iconic bands. Catch them playing all the hits, from “Don't Stop Believing” to “Lights.” 7 p.m. Tuesday, July 18. Casino Del Sol, AVA Amphitheater, 5655 W. Valencia Road. $55- $175.
Los Guapos. Imagine Dick Dale riffing atop cinematic desertscapes of Calexico, peppered with Spanish-language Hold Steady spokenword and the occasional outburst of Ray Manzarek keys. Yes, the sweetly strange Los Guapos have killed it again. With their latest album, Guapeando, these sunbaked Tucsonans have proven themselves masters at creating the spaghetti-western-meets-surf chestnut, the kind at perfectly home on any gloriously battered Old Pueblo bar juke. With enough poise to dare instrumentals, enough command to sing tunes in both dominant tongues of our town, and enough heart to authentically represent their Mexican and American rock ’n’ roll lineage, it feels like Los Guapos is on the verge of musical heroism, and that’s saying something. In the English-language weeper “I Won't Let You Down,” the bluesy vocals strain to the breaking point on each note, matching the effort put into reassuring his lover he’ll keep every promise he makes. You will rock, baila and feel righteous when you come out to celebrate the newest musica de Los Guapos. Record release party, Saturday, July 15, at Sky Bar, 536 N. Fourth Ave. 9 p.m. 21+. Free.
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