Tucson Weekly: City Week (May 7

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Thursday 7

DEATH WATCH. Tucson can be a scary town, with endless drive-by shootings, car-jackings, robberies and other random acts of violence. Uncovering the roots of such malaise would probably employ a small army of shrinks and sociologists. But to the rest of us, there is just something terribly wrong with this picture, plain and simple.
City Week Local photographer Amy Zuckerman chronicled the lives of 15 families wounded by the murder of a father, mother, son, daughter, brother or sister. The result is Point of Fracture: Voices of Heinous Crime Survivors, a powerful exhibit on display in the TMA through June 21. Zuckerman has also published a book by the same name, edited by Karen Nystedt.
In conjunction with Zuckerman's project, Borders Books & Music will host Reducing Tucson's Homicide Rate, a panel discussion focusing on real solutions concerning Tucson's violent crime. Panel members will include Lt. Tom McNally of TPD; Sgt. Michael O'Connor of the Pima County Sheriff's Department; Sixto Molina, chief of the South Tucson Police Department; County Attorney Barbara LaWall; and UA criminologist Dr. Michael Polakowski.
Event is free and begins at 7 p.m. in Borders, 4235 N. Oracle Road. For details, call 740-5729.
EPIDERMAL DRAMA. They've spent the last year pondering the role of race in society, along with our often bizarre notions of beauty. The result is Only Skin Deep, Bloodhut Productions' latest provocative take on modern American culture.
According to Bloodhut insiders, Only Skin Deep is a "fun, profound theatre piece that reveals stories of fear, loss, family, beauty rituals (and tortures), and the politics of hair."
Performance is at 8 p.m. in the PCC Center for the Arts, 2202 W. Anklam Road. Production continues at 8 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday through May 23, with a 2 o'clock Sunday matinee on May 24. Tickets are $10, $8 for students, available at Antigone Books, Fit to Be Tried, the PCC Center for the Arts, and at the door. For information, call 795-0010.

Friday 8

MENTAL TREK. Several top Tucson musicians will aim their talents towards helping Sam Hughes Elementary School kids take mental flight this summer. Charged with bringing an inanimate object to life in an eight-minute skit, Hughes' "Create and Animate Team" not only succeeded, but also swept its division at the Odyssey of the Mind state competition in Tucson last month. Now they have their sights set on the World Competition, held in Florida in late May.
Funds from this event will help team members Sara Button, Dylan Calmos, Gabe Edmunds-Hostetler, Luke Gebremariam, Blair Lane, Emily Seaman and Coach Cindy Gebremariam reach that goal.
The action will include auctions and team demonstrations, and music by Catacoustic Groove, The Determined Luddites, Elise Greco and Ned Sutton.
Event runs from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Sam Hughes Elementary School courtyard, 700 N. Wilson Ave. Tickets are $5 per person, $10 per family, and are available at the door. For details, call 882-8486.
CACTUS COMMERCE. If the business of America is business, then that national vocation comes to Tucson this weekend with the Business Expo '98. Learn how to expand your existing company, boost sales and raise profits with a slew of workshops, displays and technology showcases at the biggest expo of its kind in southern Arizona.
Free event runs from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. today, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. tomorrow in the TCC, 260 S. Church Ave. Call 321-0889 for details.

Saturday 9

PEACEFUL DREAMS. After starting Tucson's La Indita restaurant, Maria Garcia had another dream: opening a cultural center where folks could swap community information and enjoy cheap coffee; a spot where poets, writers and singers could gather to share their talents.
The result is Café Cultural. Today the center celebrates its grand opening, coinciding with the end of the Uprising for Peace undertaken in Mexico by the National Indigenous Congress. The uprising called for a peaceful solution to conflicts between indigenous people and the state government in Chiapas.
The gathering will include videos and a discussion concerning the women of Chiapas, piñatas for the kids, a flower-making workshop, and a ceremony honoring victims of the massacre in the village of Acteal. There will also be Yaqui deer dancers, music, literary readings and plenty of good food.
This free exchange begins at 11 a.m. in Cafe Cultural at La Indita II, 2332 S. Sixth Ave. For information, call 206-9391.
CLEAR VISIONS. Award-winning glass master Tom Philabaum joins The Glass Artists of Tucson to present Esprit de Corps, featuring a small army of top local talents and their new, unique works. Among the artists represented are Linda Allyn, Roger Dale, David Hall, Marsha Jacquay, Janet Miller, Alfredo Rivera, Louis Via and Bernice Ferman.
Exhibit runs through August 15, with an opening reception today from noon to 9 p.m. at Philabaum Contemporary Art Glass, 711 S. Sixth Ave. Regular gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. For information, call 884-7404.
SONORAN SHUFFLE. Put on your good duds and head out to the Santa Catalina foothills for the Desert Dance Party and Barbecue. This cactus-fest will feature a smorgasbord of great live music, plenty of hot dancing across a wooden floor, dance lessons, and more good grilled grub and cold beer than you can shake a rattler at.
Music will include Cajun and zydeco by Black Leather Zydeco, western swing and bluegrass with the Titan Valley Warheads, and norteño with Los Diamontes. There will also be volleyball, horseshoe pits, and plenty of action for the kids, with overnight camping and a pancake breakfast available.
Event runs from 3 to 9 p.m. at 6450 E. Edwin Road. Advance tickets are $12, $11 for KXCI and TFTM members, $20 for couples, and free for children under age 16. Advance tickets are available at Hear's Music and Beaver's Bandbox. Tickets at the gate are $14, $24 for couples. Space is limited to 300. Food is not included in ticket price. For detailed directions and ticket information, call 575-4656.

Sunday 10

MOTHER EARTH. Celebrate mom in down-to-earth style with Mother's Day in the Gardens at the Tucson Botanical Gardens. TBG's pathways will be in full bloom, and so will the herb, cactus, sensory and historical gardens. Morning tea or a light lunch will be provided by Carte Blanche Catering, and from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. kids can make herbal sachets for that someone they love--and we don't mean Barney.
Event is 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Botanical Gardens, 2150 N. Alvernon Way. Admission is free for moms, $4 for adults, $3 for seniors, and free for children under age 12. Food is not included in admission price. For information, call 326-9686.
POPS AND PLEIDES. The Tucson Pops Orchestra fires up its Music Under the Stars spring concert series with a kick-off performance in Reid Park. The eclectic musical menu will include the Zampa Overture, Britten's Soirees Musicales, selections from Showboat, and a big-band showcase.
Performance is free and runs from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Reid Park DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center, located on Country Club Road between Broadway and 22nd Street. Call 722-5853 for details.
BIG FAMILY. The A Mountain Community House is headquarters for Recapture Our Youth, a grassroots prevention project where kids and adults work together in mentoring and counseling programs, community gardens, and helping the food bank.
Today, a mother and daughter fashion show and family dinner helps to simultaneously raise funds and celebrate Mother's Day for a worthy cause. Featuring models from ages 5 to 80, the party culminates with the prize of a diamond pendant.
Event runs from 5 to 8 p.m. in the Archer Center, 1665 S. La Cholla Blvd. Requested donations are $10 for adults, $5 for children. For families with more than three children, additional children are admitted free of charge. Tickets are available by calling 623-5670.

Monday 11

SECOND FLIGHT FILMS. The Upstairs Theatre Company continues altering its course with Multi-Media Mondays, featuring short films and live music in the Hotel Congress.
This week's celluloid offerings include Gastrointestinal Blues, Michael Hartigan's comedy about a corporate suit posing as a coffeehouse/ writer type; Kerouac Kafe, by Kathleen Haley and David Gil; Way Too Freaky, an animated film by Ira Hirsh; and Pyro, a film by Reginald Spangler and John Wintering. The music line-up includes national talents John Wesley Harding and The Steve Wynn Quartet. (See this week's music feature for details.)
Event begins at 8 p.m. in the Hotel Congress, 311 E. Congress St. Admission is $5 at the door. For details, call 622-1751.
RAISING THE ROOF. Tucson raises the rafters tonight with An Evening of Great Gospel Music. This spiritual extravaganza will feature The Kingsmen, The Florida Boys, The Tucson Messengers and The Hoppers, with proceeds benefiting the Salvation Army.
Event is 6:30 p.m. in the Christ Community Church, 7801 Kenyon Dr. Advance tickets are $10, and available at the Salvation Army, Trinity Bookstore, JMJ Bookstore, Revelation Christian Bookstore, Agape Christian Bookstore, and Gospel Supplies. Tickets are $12 at the door. For information, call 327-6807.

Tuesday 12

TIMELESS MOVES. The Tucson-Pima Public Library takes a step back in history--and provides exotic dancing of a timeless sort--when it hosts Nahui-Ollin Grupo Azteca de Tucson.
The all-age dance group will perform ancient indigenous dances from southern Mexico on the library patio under lovely spring skies. Bring a blanket or folding chairs for this stunning show.
Free performance is 6:30 p.m. at the Himmel Park Branch Library, 1035 N. Treat Ave. For information, call 791-4397.
POLITICAL POKES. Political satirist Mark Russell, described by TV Guide as "the funniest man on TV," has been entertaining PBS viewers for more than 20 years. Still, he disagrees with the Guide's assessment, claiming to "have 535 writers--100 in the Senate and 435 in the House of Representatives." And there are no sacred cows for Russell, who performs stand-up comedy while accompanying himself on piano. Now he brings his poignant beltway material to Tucson for one show in Centennial Hall, with proceeds benefiting KUAT-TV, Channel 6, and the United Way's Children's Endowment.
Show time is 7:30 p.m. at UA Centennial Hall, located inside the main gate east of Park Avenue. Tickets are $26 and $30, available at the Dillard's or Centennial Hall box offices, or by calling 621-3341.

Wednesday 13

RAINSONG. "In this desert land live the People who know/How to sing down the rain that makes the crops grow," writes Judi Moreillon in Sing Down the Rain. "A sacred tradition, the elders explain, How wind brings the clouds and clouds bring the rain."
Every year for centuries, the Tohono O'odham have harvested the fruit of tall saguaros, making wine from the fruit for ceremonies to bring rain. For two nights they dance, while singers beckon the wind, clouds and rain.
Moreillon's book, illustrated by O'odham artist Michael Chiago, richly describes that tradition. And now a new exhibit, Sing Down the Rain, does likewise, to powerful effect.
Featuring Chiago's original paintings and companion verses by Moreillon, the display reflects the intricacies of the rain ceremony, from the fruit harvest to the painstaking preparation of the syrup and sacred wine, to the dancing outside the "Rain House," where singers provide music with gourd rattles, and the medicine man "catches the wind."
Display runs through June 14 in the Exhibit Hall at Tohono Chul Park, 7366 N. Paseo del Norte. Regular gallery hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. A $2 donation is suggested. For information, call 742-6455.

City Week includes events selected by Calendar Editor Tim Vanderpool. Event information is accurate as of press time. The Weekly recommends calling event organizers to check for last-minute changes in location, time, price, etc. To have material considered, please send complete information at least 11 days prior to the Thursday issue date to: Tucson Weekly, P.O. Box 2429, Tucson, Arizona 85702, or fax information to 792-2096, or email us at listings@tucsonweekly.com.

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