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 FEELING BLUE? The Rialto Cabaret has the cure, as the second annual Wintertime Blues Festival rocks on with two shows over two nights. Rowdy roadhouse blues faves Rod Piazza and The Mighty Flyers, who headlined last fall's Tucson Blues Festival, open the weekend fest on Friday, February 14. If you thought they were fun on the big stage, you ain't seen nothin' yet, so grab your sweetie and boogie until the wee hours. The Kings of Pleasure warm up the stage with a dizzying swing around 9 p.m.
And that's not all, folks. Big bad baritone Sleepy LaBeef brings his booming voice, 40 years in the blues biz, and reported 6,000-song catalogue to the Rialto Cabaret on Wednesday, February 19. Blending blues, country, rockabilly, hillbilly, gospel and boogie woogie, LaBeef's latest Rounder release, I'll Never Lay My Guitar Down, pretty much sums it up. Despite what you've heard about Continental distaste for American beef, Europeans love this American export. The show starts at 8 p.m., and tickets are $5.
Local recording artist Jamie Anderson--singer, songwriter, comic and parking lot attendant--entertains at the Southwest Center for Music, 2175 N. Sixth Ave. Anderson shares the bill with Justina & Joyce, famed for their lush vocal harmonies accompanied by guitar and lap dulcimer. Fans of the local folk scene won't want to miss this cozy evening of acoustic women's music, delivered with plenty of wit and heartfelt musicianship. Sadly, this is the last scheduled show at the Southwest Center, which is in mid-transition as the new home of the Tucson Symphony. Show time is 8 p.m. Saturday, February 15. Tickets are $10 in advance, $9 for KXCI, TKMA and TFTM members, available at Hear's Music, Antigone Books and Girlfriends Café. Call 887-6942 for more information. LAST NOTES: If you're wandering around downtown during your lunch hour on Wednesday, February 19, treat yourself to some afternoon delight at the Dinnerware Gallery, 135 E. Congress St., where folk duo Joe Rush and Todd Hammes dish out acoustic ditties from noon to 1 p.m. Call 881-7314 for more information. Wondering what that pain in your ass is? Cupid's arrow, no doubt. There's no escaping it: Friday, February 14 is St. Valentine's Day, and love is the drug. For those who don't want to spend the night at home watching some sorry Hallmark made-for-TV movie, paint the town red. Bypass the traditional saccharine options--candy, flowers and an expensive meal with a roomful of other lovey-dovey, moon-faced, pie-eyed couples--and opt for the "alternative" alternative: Club Congress, 311 E. Congress St., features a rare, ghostly appearance by The Phantom Limbs, with Shaft. Cover is $5 at the door. Call 622-8848 for more information. Should you crave more intimate environs, Calexico and Phonoroyale host an evening of dancing, door prizes and drink specials at the Airport Lounge, underground at the Plaza Pub, 20 E. Pennington St. And if you have no sweetie to deliver freebies, fear not. The Lounge will provide osculation for small compensation (a kissing booth), with Polaroids to document your adventures in love. Admission is $4 at the door, leaving plenty of pocket change for amorous pursuits. Call 882-0400 for more information. If you survive all that, Saturday, February 15, is a terrific day for free entertainment. Spend an afternoon on Fourth Avenue south of Sixth Street, where the gates of the Winsett Park Stage at long last will once again be unlocked. Thanks to the efforts of local promoter Kini Wadé, creator of last summer's Monsoon Madness series, the Winsett Stage reconvenes with showcases of local talent, free of charge, from 2 to 5 p.m. every first and third Saturday from now through April. One helluva good show is planned for the premier: Al Foul and the Shakes and Super Monkey open for Helldriver.
But we digress. If your band would like to be a part of the Spring Winsett series, drop off a demo tape, care of Kini Wadé, at the Fourth Avenue Merchant's Association, 329 E. Seventh St. After getting your rocks off on Fourth Avenue, drop on down to the Hotel Congress Lobby for a mellower set by Whistlin' Jack Randel and Mary Katherine, performing for free at 7 p.m. Round out the evening back at the Airport Lounge with the return of Al Perry. Home safe and sane from recent performances in Albuquerque and El Paso, Perry will be joined by Tommy Tucker, who softens the room with a solo set around 10 p.m. Cover is $3 at the door.
Perry consistently draws a big crowd at the Lounge, so plan to
get there early if you want a seat on the couch.
--Lisa Weeks
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Be sure to sleep in late to save your energy for the Saturday
night show, which features a blowout performance by Alabama bluesman
James Harman. Nominated for multiple W.C. Handy awards,
including Album of the Year and Artist of the Year, the soulful
vocalist pits searing harp work against a spicy gumbo of musical
styles. Critically acclaimed recording artist Chris Cain,
also a recipient of several W.C. Handy nominations, breaks out
the big, fat Gibson to get things rolling around 9 p.m. The Cabaret
is at 201 E. Broadway. Individual tickets are $10, or pay $15
for the weekend bill, with a $2 discount for members of the Tucson
Blues Society and Friends of the Rialto. Call 742-0126 for more
information. Incidentally, the Rialto's full bar is back in business
for this week's shows.
HOT TICKET$: If you've got some money to spend, check out
the high-profile triple bill at The Cage, 5851 E. Speedway:
The Samples, with Stir and Critters Buggin'.
As often seems the case these days, the opening acts are of more
interest than the headliner. The Samples, who boast 10 years of
grassroots success and a legion of dedicated fans, tour to support
Outpost, their 
