Your Weekly guide to keeping busy in the Old Pueblo.

Art

Free First Thursday: Sonoran Oktoberfest. Celebrate TMA’s sculpture garden, TMALearn, and then exit through the gift shop. No, really, it’s also the grand opening of the new museum shop in the Historic Fish House on Main Avenue and it’s going to be cool. This event will feature a reception for artist Roxanne Rossi and her series of mixed media paintings, in which women’s dresses are used to represent the complicated nature of love. Some dresses have lovely patterns, but uneven hems. Some are delicate colors with rough, uneven textures and some are voluminous but look torn apart. Besides, there will be live music, local beers and opportunities to make art! 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5. Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block 140 N. Main Ave. Free.

The Big Picture. The Central Tucson Gallery Association is kicking off the downtown art season with exhibits at galleries all along Sixth Ave. and on local college campuses, including an “Enjoy Yourself” exhibit at the Joseph Gross Gallery at UA. Check out the "Surrealistic Stew" exhibit at Contreras Gallery and Jewelry, featuring art by Gary Aagaard, Neda Contrefas and E.M. Contreras, or the glassworks exhibit by Wes and Wesley Hunting at the Philabaum Glass Gallery. Most galleries are holding their reception from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 7. Gallery hours vary. Free.

Art in the Park Sierra Vista. There's something for everyone! The 46th annual Art in the Park Sierra Vista is an art show is the spot for artists to show and sell their original work. This year the event will bring over 200 vendors, both returning and new! It's the spot to browse or shop for a variety of art pieces. 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 7 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 8. Veteran’s Memorial Park, 3105 E. Fry Blvd, Sierra Vista. Free.

MOCA Fall Exhibitions Opening. The three new exhibits at MOCA this season all examine the intense realities of living and working along the U.S.-Mexico border. Here, the border wall is examined as a metaphor: a simple line that could have the power to shape identities, lives and the future. See Paul Turounet’s examine the migrant experience in Estamos Buscando A. Examine the historic struggles of the border region in the multi-disciplinary Nothing to Declare: Transnational Narratives, curated by Ginger Shulick Porcella. In ByNowWeAreThere, see the art created by artist David Taylor and ten students during a road trip from Tucson to Tijuana. Saturday, Oct. 7. Members preview 7 to 8 p.m., public reception 8 to 9 p.m. Exhibit runs through Dec. 31, 2017. MOCA Tucson, 265 S. Church Ave. Free.

Barrio Hollywood Art Show. Artistas del Barrio Hollywood, the second annual art show hosted by the Barrio Hollywood Neighborhood Association, features the work of 15 visual artists, as well as several performance artists. Enjoy a blessing from the Tohono O’odham Nation’s 4 Winds Drum Group, intimate concerts with musicians and a living statue routine performed by Pia Sojourner. Celebrate the local artisans who make Barrio Hollywood one of the Old Pueblo’s most culturally rich neighborhoods. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7. El Rio Neighborhood Center, 1390 W. Speedway Blvd. Free. Art.

Where Art & History Meet. Tubac is believed to have been inhabited for a solid 11,000 years, and the Jesuits are known to have rolled up into the area by 1691. So that’s a heck of a lot of history and time to make art. Explore the original Tubac town site with historian Philip Halpenny, and take a tour of the Los Santos Angeles de Guevavi, a mission established in 1691. At the Historic Lowe House, watch local artists create Van Gogh-esque sunflower paintings, and then bid for one of them in a silent auction. Keep the Van Gogh-ing with sunflower cookies, a sunflower quilt and even sunflower wine glasses. And all this is just stuff for the first day. Saturday, Oct. 7 to Sunday, Oct. 8 at varying times, places and prices. The archaeological tours are 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Oct. 7, beginning at Tubac Presidio State Historic Park, 1 Burruel St., Tubac. $15. The Sunflower Paint out is from 3:30 to 6 p.m. on Oct. 7 at the Lowe House Project, 14 Calle Iglesia, Old Town Tubac. Free.

Performances

Detour Traveling Show: Beauty and the Beast. Be. Our. Guest! Be our guest! Put the Detour Company Theatre to the test! Just show up to the theater and then they’ll provide the rest. And “the rest” includes not only the performance of a tale as old as time at Arts for All, but the opportunity to meet the cast and enjoy some food and drink at a post-show reception. The show takes place at Arts For All, a local nonprofit that brings art into the lives of children with and without disabilities, as well as adults with disabilities. 4 to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7. Arts for All, Inc. 2520 N. Oracle Road. Free.

Tucson for Mexico. Santa Pachita, a nine-piece band that includes congas, flute and trumpet, brings together a variety of musical styles and, for this event, an even bigger variety of people determined to make a difference. Oscar Fuentes, Diluvio and Mono Sound are also performing at this concert, the proceeds of which go to victims of the earthquake in Mexico. 6 to 11 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5. 191 Toole. $10.

Heart and Soul Queen of New Orleans. Irma Thomas’ first single hit the Billboard R&B charts in 1960, and she’s been blessing the world with her sultry, soulful voice ever since, even being inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2008. Now, she’s coming to Tucson, along with the six-time Grammy winners The Blind Boys of Alabama and the Preservation Hall Legacy Quintet, which represents almost 60 years of tradition since Preservation of Hall first opened in the French Quarter. Sunday, Oct. 8. 7 p.m. The Fox Theatre, 17. W. Congress St. $24 to $78, with $2 increase on day of show.

Ballet Tucson Opening Night Gala. If you’ve ever taken a ballet class, then you know that it’s one of the most physically and spiritually demanding things a person can do. If you haven’t, take it from a calendar writer who learned the hard way that even a simple plié (done correctly) is sweaty, shaky, agonizingly focused exercise that can push a civilian body to the brink. So the stuff that these dancers are doing in the Ballet Tucson premiere of the Walpurgisnacht Ballet, the Phantom of the Opera Ballet and Laquita-Grand Pas Classique? They’re madddd impressive. Enjoy the intersection of artistry and athleticism, along with a pre-performance wine and buffet reception, a silent auction and a post-performance champagne and dessert reception with company artists. 6:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6. Stevie Eller Dance Theatre, 1737 E. University Blvd. $100.

TSO MasterWorks Series. Watch TSO Concertmaster Lauren Roth stun as she solos in a concerto that was created to showcase the virtuosity of Mozart himself. Also on the agenda is Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 3, “Scottish” and the TSO premiere of Arriaga’s Overture Pastourelle. As a child prodigy who shared a birthday with Mozart (just 50 years later), Arriaga is sometimes called “The Spanish Mozart.” Friday, Oct. 6 at 7:30 p.m. St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 7650 N. Paseo De Norte. 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 7. and 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 8 at Catalina Foothills High School, 4300 E. Sunrise Drive. $22 to $55.

Dusk Music Festival. You might not think it could get better than seeing DJ Jazzy Jeff live, but it turns out that the Dusk Music Festival is offering it to you, along with so much more. Milky Chance, Louis the Child, Vince Staples, Lando Chill, Polica and Big Sean are just some of the other artists who will be performing at this music festival that’s sure to be full of nonstop bangers. And don’t worry—there will be food from places like Union Public House and eegees, and even a special edition “Double Dusk IPA” from Barrio Brewing Co. to keep you feeling energized and loose through all of the screaming. Visit the After Market to see interactive installations celebrating music and art. 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6 and Saturday, Oct. 7. 4502 N. First Ave. $49 for 1-day GA pass, $79 for two-day GA pass, $89 for one-day VIP pass and $139 for two-day VIP pass.

Readings

Best of FST! Female StoryTellers is celebrating five years of monthly events that celebrate the kick ass women, trans and gender non-conforming individuals of our community, giving them a chance to stand up and let their voices and stories be hard. The Best of FST! Female StoryTellers Anthology features 37 stories from local authors like Mel Blumenthal, Bethany Evans, Noël Hennessey and Penelope Starr. All four individuals will be at this event to to share their works from the collection. 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6. Antigone Books, 411 N. Fourth Ave. Free.

Meg Kearney Dusenberry-River Library Reading. Author Meg Kearney shares the connection between her young adult novels and her own personal journey. Adopted as a foundling when she was very young, Kearney went looking for her birth mother as an adult. In the meantime, her mother was going through her own journey; entering a convent, leaving it and ending up in Tucson. 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5. Dusenberry-River Library, 5605 E. River Road, suite 105. Free.

Learn Something New

Rainbow Salsa. Learn a set of basic salsa steps and partner moves in this class for LGBTQ+ couples with Floor Polish instructor Olivia Avanzato and her partner Nadia. Bend your legs, bend your arms, and bend archaic gender norms with this celebration of dance and inclusivity. Beginners are welcome, and the class isn’t limited to just same-sex couples: anyone who identifies on the LGBTQ+ spectrum is invited to come and get their dance on. 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7. Floor Polish, 215 N. Hoff Ave. #107. $15, no pre-registration necessary.

Feature Writing. Looking to get some tips on writing and publish nonfiction? Aside from learning by example from some of the fine pieces here in the Weekly, try taking a class at the Kirk-Bear Canyon Library. Look at the steps to researching ideas, developing a draft and finishing and polishing your masterpiece to submit to a publisher. Open to teens and adults. 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7. Kirk-Bear Canyon Library 8959 E. Tanque Verde Road. Free.

Martha Cooper Library Crochet and Knit Club. Love to create? Love to chat? Join the Martha Cooper Library Crochet and Knit club for their second Monday of the month meeting! Enjoy some chit chat with other knitters and crocheters and work on your creative projects. 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 9. Martha Cooper Library, 1377 N. Catalina Ave. Free.

Fun in General

GLOW: Fantasy Night. Triangle L Ranch’s luminescence fest continues with this night, where guests are invited to dress up as their favorite mythical beings: fairies, witches, warlocks, wizards, elves, hobbits, centaurs, one-eyed one-horned flying purple people eaters, unicorns, mad hatters, dragons, you name it. Let your imagination run wild. The Oracle Ridge Band, the Shrine Garden Boulders and Realm of Rocks (laying down some hypnopad electromagnet drumscapes) will all be playing, and food and drinks from Nonna Maria’s, Arizona Zipline and The Oracle Pie Lady will be available for purchase. Come one, come all, and get your glow on. 7 to 11 p.m. Friday, Oct. 6. Triangle L. Ranch 2805 N. Triangle L. Ranch Road, Oracle. $20 adults, $10 13 and under, free for kids 3 and under. Four tickets for $70 (advance tickets only). Print out your confirmation email and receipt, and bring along a photo ID for entry.

Jewish History Museum Annual Block Party. Celebrate Sukkot, the feast of tabernacles, by heading over to this food truck-packed party, featuring Los Tacos Locos, Don Pedro’s Peruvian Bistro, The Hungry Kepuha Foof from Guam, Sonoran Snoballs, Nhu Lan Vietnamese Food and several other offerings. 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7. Jewish History Museum, 564 S. Stone Ave. Free entry.

SAHBA Home Show. You’ve watched hours and hours of HGTV, you’ve agonized over color swatches in deciding what paint to go with for your living room accent wall and you ask for Home Depot gift cards every year for your birthday. And it’s all been leading up to the Southern Arizona Home Builders Association’s annual home show, featuring home improvement seminars, DIY project tutorials and dozens of other classes and seminars on remodeling trends, outdoor living and how to make your house look like it should have its own Instagram account called “House_of_Harmony” or “CozyCastle73” This year, the new SAHBA Home Show app will help you find exhibitors and special events, and Karen Laine and Mina Starsiak (aka “Two Chicks and a Hammer”), hosts of HGTV’s Good Bones series, will talk about fun stuff like quirky home renovation techniques and less fun, but equally important stuff like budgeting and having realistic expectations. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 6 and Saturday, Oct. 7. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 8. Tucson Convention Center, 260 S. Church Ave. $8 adults, free for children 12 and under, half-price for military and those 55 and up. $2 off coupons are on SahbaHomeShow.org.

Tucson Reptile & Amphibian Show & Sale. Are your petting zoos not scaly enough? Do you find yourself bored by the boringly non-reptilian nature of your pets, your coworkers, your family? Spend a day with some of the coolest tortoises, snakes, lizards, frogs, turtles, alligators and crocodiles around town at the 16th year of this annual event. Some animals will be for sale, while some of the more dangerous ones, like cobras, mambas and crocodiles, will just be on display. There will, however, be a petting zoo, where you can exfoliate your hands on giant tortoises, lizards (giant and regular), snakes and ALLIGATORS. You can PET an ALLIGATOR. Saturday, Oct. 7, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 8, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tucson Expo Center, 3750 E. Irvington Road. Adults $10, Kids 6-12 $5, Kids five and under free.

Tucson Modernism Week. Get ready for some clean lines, paint splatters and a relentless sense of irony at this weeklong celebration of all things modernism, where you can enjoy lectures, expos, tours and classes all week. Mary Ann Brehm presents and demonstrates some of the work of Barbara Mettler, a local icon of modern dance at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 8. Design professional Don Ryden offers a lecture about the history of downtown Tucson’s architecture at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 13. Check out a mobile vintage trailers show from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 14 and Sunday, Oct. 15. Tucson Modernism Week is from Saturday, Oct. 7 to Sunday, Oct. 15, and the times, places and prices of programs and events vary. A Lecture Series Pass which provides access to all of the lectures throughout the week is $45, or a VIP all-access pass, which includes access to every lecture, party, reception and event of the week, is $150.

Nightcrawler

Fat Tony. “I’m at the hood party/Even white people know that it’s a good party/Look around the hood and maybe rent a few copies … It ain’t a hobby, it’s a way of life.” Witty and wicked smart, Fat Tony is DIY real deal, hailing from Ward 3, Houston, Texas. He captures a meta-irony that allows him to fuck with traditional rap fare (like hood parties) and still drop bangers. In “MacGregor Park,” his funny and terrible singsong recalls Big’s classic “Player Hater,” sans menace. After all, Fat Tony takes his name from The Simpsons’ cartoon Dom; instead of robbing a fool, he’s nut-punching a cop. The rare playfulness, coupled with you-can’t-fake-it charisma, is tonally reminiscent of Beck’s Midnight Vultures. Maybe it’s his Nigerian-American perspective that helps Fat Tony keep one kick in the culture stream, while maintaining an outsider perspective to comment on it. Either way, this high-quality underground hip-hop deepens the lexicon and ensures that our love for H.E.R. never slips into past tense. With F L A C O on Sunday, Oct. 8. 191 Toole. Doors: 7 p.m. $10-12, 21+.

Caustic Casanova. Imagine the musical intensity of Rated R paired with the girl-boy harmonies of Surfer Rosa. Neil Peart-inspired drum fills (but in a good way, yo!), driving fuzz bass and lilting vocal melodies rumble-tumble forward, like a barreling freight train verging on derailment. Yes, Caustic Casanova play proper rock ’n’ roll, then. And it’s hard to believe only three people (and that delay peddle) can create such ruckus. Hailing from DC's mighty post-punk scene, and with songs like "I Hate Everyone I Want to Like" and "Short Commute, Live Forever," Pavement and The Dismemberment Plan are reference points. And just like them, CC's lyrics betray a sharp, sardonic wit, sometimes to their detriment. Does the truth of, "Everyone I know dreams of middle age/A steady job and live-in partner's all the rage," make it any less obnoxious? Fortunately, the sheer, balls-out rock of a Flying V and super-skilled female drummer rescues the band from cringe-worthy moments. At least they know how to drown out their ugly neighbor, Hair Fuhrer. With Dayak and Carbon Canyon on Monday, Oct. 9. Club Congress, 311 E. Congress. Doors: 7 p.m. Free. 21+.

Obituary. The most successful, influential death-metal band ever is blowing back into this impoverished dusty hole, so go ahead and thank any god you ever heard of. See, Obituary summons the tensions and torments that exist behind out most inner freakshows and fears, and then offers up catharsis like epiphanies. In fact, this genre-birthing Florida (?!) combo is every bit as powerful as they were 10 albums and 30 years ago, and downright spiritual for any hardnosed headbanger who finds little comfort in the burbs, reservations and barrios. Too, the band’s unrelenting head-slams and frenzied forward momentums can drive listeners headlong into walls, and the rot-gut vocal growls can still frighten! Best of all, they’ve long-sustained a sense of darkened humor. (Dig the animated film version of “Ways To Die.”) While remaining a constant and consistent recording and touring force, they’ve managed to avoid the grotesque microscopic lens of fame, allowing the music, free of personal dramas, to speak for itself. With Exodus, Power Trip and Dust Bolt on Tuesday, Oct. 10. The Rock, 136 N. Park. Doors: 6 p.m. $23-25. All ages.