Your
Weekly guide to keeping busy in the Old Pueblo.
Magic Michael Carbonaro at the Diamond Center. You might know this guy best from his hidden camera prank TV show, The Carbonaro Effect, which combines comedy with the kind of magic tricks that have you saying, “But wait, seriously, how did he do that? I need to know how he did that.” (Or maybe that’s just us?) Anyway, he’s so busy with his TV show that he doesn’t have much time for theatrical appearances, which makes this show even more exciting. Abraca-grab ya tickets now! Doors open at 7 p.m., show starts at 8 p.m. Saturday, June 16. Desert Diamond Casinos and Entertainment Sahuarita, 1100 W. Pima Mine Road. $15 to $47.50.
Tyler and the Very Very Very Big Magic Book. At the end of a theater show, the actors take their bows, and sometimes they give flowers to the director, thank the stagehands and the live band, and even thank the audience. But you never seem to hear them thanking the janitor. Live Theatre Workshop has a new janitor named Tyler, who, in lieu of thanks, has just discovered a book full of magical stories that lets him be a character in classics like Jack & the Beanstalk, King Arthur and The Princess and the Frog. This show mixes physical comedy, mime, sound effects and projections for a show that will have you laughing out loud and remembering to thank your janitor. 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 16 and 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 17. Live Theatre Workshop, 5317 E. Speedway Blvd. $7 to $10.
Free Magic Show for Kids. Local illusionist Michael Howell is putting on this free show at Mildred and Dildred, purely to bring little kids joy. If you aren’t already thinking, “This guy sounds so wholesome,” then note that he’s a teacher, an instructor at a Christian youth theater, and a private magic instructor. He also rescues animals and founded a nonprofit called Rose Ranch Animal Rescue to help them. Sometimes he uses animals in his performances, and the proceeds go to toward the cost of their care. Go for the magic, certainly. But also go for the small chance that maybe some of this guy’s pure goodness will rub off on you. 10 a.m. Saturday, June 16. Mildred & Dildred, 2905 E. Skyline Drive, suite 186.
Art
The UA Art Museum. The UA’s art museum has several exhibitions up right now, including one on the evolution of women printmakers, one filled with art created by local high schoolers, an exploration of light and photography by multidisciplinary artist Richard Slechta and
The Altarpiece of Ciudad Rodrigo, one of the most important works to come out of 15th-century Spain. Check them all out, by do try to see the exhibit "X, Y, Z: Art in Three Dimensions," which features art that’s been formed, molded, carved, cast or otherwise arranged. As you take in the art, you can reflect on what it means to take up space, cast a shadow and have texture. "X, Y, Z" is on display through Sunday, June 24. Museum is open 9a.m. to 4p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday and closed Monday. UA Museum of Art, 1031 N. Olive Road. $8 GA, $6.50 seniors and groups of 10 or more. Free for members, students with ID, faculty, staff, military personnel, AAM members, visitors with a SNAP card or tribal ID and children.
DeGrazia’s Birthday. As if there weren’t enough of a reason to visit the DeGrazia Gallery and stroll through the gorgeous grounds, they’re giving out free cake and ice cream in honor of Ted DeGrazia’s birthday. He would have been 109 this year, and the weather gods are celebrating his birthday by setting the temperature to just about the same number. Admission to the museum, where you can check out DeGrazia’s art and architecture, is free as well. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, June 14. DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun, 6300 N. Swan. Free.
Make it Mondays at the Children’s Museum. There’s a reason people say something rocks when it’s really cool: because rocks are really cool. Kids have the opportunity to see how cool they are firsthand this week when the Tucson Gem and Mineral Society Inc. comes to the Children’s Museum as part of their community outreach program. As part of the museum’s summer program, there will also be extended hours and $3 admission. And that truly rocks. Gem and Mineral Society will be at the museum from 3 to 6 p.m., and museum will be open until 7 p.m. on Monday, June 18. Tucson Children’s Museum., 200 S. Sixth Ave. Free.
Meet the Artists: Miniatures by Members of SAME. If you’re ever feeling small, there may be no better remedy than to head over to the Mini Time Museum of Miniatures to feel big for the day. If you check out the museum’s Community Corner, where work by members of the Southern Arizona Miniature Enthusiasts’ club is on display, you may end up feeling a little lousy and untalented, just knowing what sorts of incredible and tiny art your neighbors are capable of. Once a week, a SAME member is at the museum demonstrating their work and taking questions from the public. This week, it’s Kathy Grissom! 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, June 14. Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures, 4455 E. Camp Lowell Drive. $9 GA, $8 military, $6 students and youth 4 to 17, free for kids 3 and under.
Summer Nights
Summer Safari Nights. Come one, come all, especially dads! Because this week at the Reid Park Zoo’s summer program, all dads get in free with paid child admission, in honor of Father’s Day. It’s a great week for the kids too, and maybe even a way to get them interested in a future STEM career, as this week’s theme is “Earth’s Eco-Engineers.” It’s all about the incredibly unique structures like armadillos, anteaters, elephants and alligators build. The Manhattan Dolls are providing the live music. 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, June 15. Reid Park Zoo, 3400 Zoo Court. $10.50 adults, $8.50 seniors, $6.50 kids 2 to 14. Half off for zoo members!
Sizzling Summer Saturday Nights. As the heat of the day starts to melt away and you get tired of complaining about how hot it is, summer evenings in Tucson really do turn into the perfect opportunity to kick back and reflect on how much you love this beautiful city in spite of it all (and to feel a little bit superior to the snowbirds who were clogging up Speedway traffic until they decided they couldn’t handle the heat). The Jane Hamilton Fine Art Gallery is changing its hours for the summer to 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. But they’re also holding these fun Saturday nights with local Tucson artists, music, food and wine. The next one is 4 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, June 16. Jane Hamilton Fine Art, 2890 E. Skyline Drive, suite 180. Free.
Cool Summer Nights. As the sun sets, make your way over to the Desert Museum, to learn about the creatures that are just getting their days started as ours are ending. That’s right. We’re talking creatures of the night: Bats, owls and kangaroo rats, kissing bugs, scorpions and more! The stingray touch exhibit, the Packrat Playhouse and the knowledgeable docents will be available as usual, and there will also be a photo class introduction to Lightroom, a fine art exhibit called “Becoming Animal” about the artificial divide between humans and the natural world, plenty of crafts and a live animal presentation with venomous reptiles. 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, June 16. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, 2021 N. Kinney Road. $22 GA, $20 seniors 65 and up, $9 kids 2 to 12, $18 military, $17 Arizona/Sonora resident.
Fathers’ Day
Dash for Dad 5K. Some dads want ties for Fathers’ Day. Some dads want a good, strong drink. Some dads just want possession of the remote for one, whole interrupted day. And some want you to run a 5K race to prove you love them. If you have one of those dads, or if you have a dad who likes running, or if you just like running yourself, don’t miss this early morning race along the Rillito River Path. The first 100 finishers and the first place man and woman all get awards, and there’s also a special category for fastest dads. Registration begins at 5:30 a.m., race starts at 6:30 on Saturday, June 16. Brandi Fenton Memorial Park, 3482 E. River Road. $10 to $25.
Free Admission for Men and Boys at Old Tucson. In honor of Fathers’ Day, Old Tucson isn’t just letting all the dads in free all weekend—they’re letting all males in for free too. After all, what guy is going to want to miss a car show at Old Tucson on Fathers’ Day, or the chance to enter their vehicle into the car show for free? Plus, car show participants get free admission for themselves and one guest, so the guys can share some of the free entry love. Enjoy the live stunt and comedy shows, history presentations, antique cars and vintage carousel all weekend. Just prepare to hear a lot of dad jokes flying around, like “Better get that pony some water—he looks a little horse!” 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 16 and Sunday, June 17. Old Tucson, 201 S. Kinney Road. $19.95 GA, $10.95 kids 4 to 11, with discounts for seniors, military, Pima County residents and—of course—guys.
Animal Amusement
Keeping Backyard Chickens. OK, be honest, you’d like to think of yourself as the kind of person who would love the fresh eggs and the sense of fulfillment that come with raising chickens. And hey, maybe you actually are that kind of person, but you could never figure out how to keep chickens in an urban setting. Well, now’s your chance to learn the basics: Everything from how to take care of chickens to what type of chicken is the best for your family and your set up. Nervous to get started? C’mon. Don’t be a chicken. 11 a.m. to noon. Saturday, June 16. Joel D. Valdez Main Library, 101 N. Stone Ave. Free.
Monsoon Duck Party. Local waterfowl conservation group Tucson Ducks Unlimited is keeping it casual at this event. (Maybe you can even get them to put together a game of “Duck, Duck Goose.”) For 25 bucks, you’ll get a craft beer, wine or soda and plenty to munch on. You’ll also have the chance to get involved with raffles, games and an auction, all in support of their conservation mission. Duck, duck, brews! 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, June 15. Barrio Brewing Co., 800 E. 16th St. $25.
Kitten Shower! We had April showers, we had May flowers, and now we’re back to showers again. But a kitten shower! Which is the best kind. The Hermitage No-Kill Cat Shelter & Sanctuary is hosting this celebration of kitten season, complete with adoption specials on kittens ($40), adults ages 1 to 7 ($20), adults over 7 ($10) and a mommy & me special ($45). Please bring treats including paper towels, cat scratchers, litter boxes, cat food, baby wipes, actual kitten treats and Amazon gift cards for the kitties. There’ll be food, plenty of fun and more furry cuteness than your heart may be able to handle. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 16. Hermitage No-Kill Cat Shelter & Sanctuary, 5278 E. 21st St.
Fun in General
Classic Car Show at Little Anthony’s Diner. What’s the best thing about Little Anthony’s Diner? That it’s a part of the Gaslight Family? That they have car shows twice a month through half the year? Maybe it’s just that you think of Little Anthony as being a really nice guy, nothing like that kid from the Twilight Zone who sent people he was upset with “to the cornfield.” Another specialty of the diner to note is that during the summer, when the temperature is 106 or above, you can walk in and get a free junior sundae. Even if it doesn’t hit 106 this week (which, even if it means no sundae, is probably a good thing), you can still enjoy the music, food and classic cars. 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, June 16. Little Anthony’s Diner, 7010 E. Broadway Blvd. Free.
Laser Stranger Things. So you think the Stranger Things soundtrack made you nostalgic? Wait ’till you hear the theme song and the glorious array of ’80s music playing along with the sight of a totally gnarly laser show. It will be like watching the show for the first time all over again, except with way more lasers. And who doesn’t want to experience something beautiful for the first time all over again, but with way more lasers? 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Fridays and at 5 p.m. on Saturdays through Sept. 2. Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium, 1601 E. University Blvd. Tickets can’t be purchased in advance, but call 621-4516 to be placed on the ticket reservation list. Arrive 15 to 20 minutes early. $8 adults, $6 for those 17 and under.
How Things Fly. This event at the Pima Air & Space Museum is supposed to be for kids 8 and older with an adult guardian, but the adult guardians might find themselves bringing their kids along just so they can learn about all the cool science discussed at this event: air pressure, aircraft stability, the four forces of flight (what are they?!) and a chance to build, test and take home a series of experiments. Everyone there is probably going to walk out of there knowing way more about how things fly than they did before, and if that’s not a successful night, what is? The event is free with admission to the museum, so even if it sells out, you still get a day at the museum! 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 16. Pima Air & Space Museum, 6000 E. Valencia Road. $10 to $16.50, or free for kids 4 and under.
Bisbee Pride. It’s a little bit cooler over in Bisbee, and it’s about to be a whole lot prouder. From a cocktail lounge in pride village to a lingerie pub crawl to a street dance to live music, you’ll have plenty to do. Especially since all of that stuff is happening on just the first day. There’s a parade, there’s a Drag Day Stage, there’s bingo and there’s plenty of merch, so you can make your friends who can’t make it jealous for years and years to come. Performers include comedian Anthony Desamito, musician Namoli Brennet, performance artist Venus DeMars with her group All The Pretty Horses, and rocker Melissa Reaves. The fun starts at noon on Friday, June 15 and goes until the afternoon of Sunday, June 17. Downtown Bisbee, Arizona. Tickets for individual events range from $16 to $36.
Red, White and Tuna. Live Theatre Workshop is presenting the third in a series of plays that take place in Tuna, the (fictional) “third-smallest” town in Texas. Hey, every town deserves to have some sort of claim to fame. Tuna’s just happens to be more of a claim to lame… Anyway, Keith Wick and Stephen Frankenfield play a cast of more than 20 wacky characters, both male and female, both young and old, Portlandia-style. In this chapter of Tuna’s tale, new town residents crash Tuna’s Fourth of July High School class reunion, and fireworks and funny stuff ensues. Thursday, June 14 to Saturday, July 21. Shows are usually at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 3 p.m. on Sundays. Live Theatre Workshop, 5317 E. Speedway Blvd. $15 to $20
Nightcrawler
Shakey Graves is the comfy soundtrack to a long, solitary road trip on two-lane highways through beat, half-boarded-up western towns. See, Graves’ songs are atmospheric and narrative at once. He pens and performs them like the one-man band he once was, with driving, straightforward rhythm—oh, the suitcase kick drum and rigged tambourine. The jangle guitar pairs with endless possibilities of passing scenery, and his voice, well-worn and multi-harmonic, is good as a worry stone in hand. The lyrics are understated and literary: “Well I’m tired of losing/I used to win every night of the week/Back when sex and amphetamine were the staples of our childhood physique.” Jesus. Hailing from Austin, there’s no trace of hipster cred to Mr. Graves, too much musical integrity. Comparable to Shovels & Rope in consistency and candor, Graves deals primarily with the existential versus romantic realm, somehow calling up nostalgia and unpretentious intellect at once. With Lauren Ruth Ward on Wednesday, June 20. Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress St. Doors at 7 p.m. $20-25, All ages.—B.S. Eliot
Sun June. Think of Sun June’s Laura Colwell as a kind of female Nick Drake, with her gentle descending half-steps and minor turns, her blend of self-conscious assurance and quiet charm. A classically trained pianist, Colwell’s songwriting betrays a complex understanding of the relationship between melody and rhythm. Well-versed in mid-period Paul Simon, she makes allusion to “Kodachrome” and evokes his winsome sense of loss. Hailing from Austin but well-versed in the film industry, Colwell writes of the 405 quietly, personally, never over-reaching or broadcasting. These are songs that reward slowed down, close listens, not just because of where they transport the listener, but how they steer us there every step of the way. “I tried to love you right/I was on your side.” The bass is warm and cradling, the cymbals heavy and shimmering. A jazzy, melancholic guitar fills out the sound, like Yo La Tengo at their most tender. This is lonesome summer nights, this is slow builds, gentle melodies and more than a little discomfort. Sunday, June 17, Owls Club, 236 S. Scott. 21+. Tickets at door. —B.S. Eliot
Treepeople. Built to Spill’s Doug Martsch has long been hailed one of indie greatest live guitar heroes—his ability to harnessing crowd energy and volley notes with every other onstage instrument makes for an ear-bending orchestra of noise, what some have called epic sonics. Treepeople is the band where Martsch cut his teeth. In the late ’80/early ’90s, Treepeople were the Pac Northwest’s hottest ticket. After losing Martsch to Built to Spill, the guitar-based Treepeople fizzled, but two and a half decades later, he put together this reunion tour and the response is unequivocal. Described as “organized chaos,” (much like the Velvets of yore by the Brits), the band play tracks off their first three albums alongside classic covers including The Smith’s and Dylan, each complete with raging, throat-choke guitar wallops, scratchy (pre-grunge) vocals and some sweet restrained, jangle. With Tucson’s mighty mighty Lenguas Largas, and Prism Bitch. Wednesday, June 20, 191 Toole. Doors at 7 p.m. $20-25, 21+. —B.S. Eliot
The Fifty Percenter with Rich Hopkins and William Sedlmayr. Billy Sedlmayr’s words and vocals ache—they’re sincere, painful and put forth because they had to be. It’s pure hard-won experience, each syllable and breathe summoning ghosts of the Sonoran Desert and the barrio shadows of past mistakes. Rich Hopkins’ guitar playing hums and sparks evoking the boundless liberation and melancholy of lives unraveling beneath open Arizona skies. In 2001, these two Southwestern music legends (Giant Sandworms and The Sidewinder/Sand Rubies respectively, at least) teamed up to create a much-lauded single album,
The Fifty Percenter, but they never once played it live—until now. On tunes like “Apology,” Hopkins’ guitar rises on stark, warm gestures, upholding Sedlmayr’s voice, ever-tinged with street-corner regrets and a bizarre resilience: “And over by that tall tree, they’ll bury me with thieves/The snap, the sleep, the rope which sings one last apology.” The characters rise, stumble and swagger throughout, and hooks soar, and the whole thing now feels desert mythic all these years later. Friday, June 15, The Owls Club, 236 South Scott Ave. 8 p.m. 21+.—B.S. Eliot