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 SUPER BLAST! Sure, the Fourth of July inspires rampant partying, and every self-respecting Amer'kin citizen has been stockpiling fireworks (and ammo) for months in anticipation of once again burning A Mountain (and possibly their neighbor's house) to the dusty ground. Pyrotechnics aside, July Fourth really is the only holiday we all have in common as Americans, and a celebration of what we share, as opposed to our unavailing and inadvertent differences, couldn't be a better idea. An official day to, as a society, agree to disagree and celebrate our freedom to do so. The big question is how, and where, to get festive. Since parties held under the auspices of the Fourth of July will be ongoing all weekend, some careful planning is required. Wondering where to start? At the beginning...and downtown. The Club Congress, 311 E. Congress St., has the corner on carousal and conviviality for the Fourth and the Fifth, and here's why. Ten Reasons why the Hotel Congress is the place for Independence Day--and the day after:
2. Richard Buckner 3. Tenderloin 4. Sludge Nation's farewell performance on July 4. 5. SHOEBOMB! 6. It's indoors and outdoors! 7. The Zsa Zsas, the Napkins and Helldriver. 8. All the cool people will be there. 9. RICHARD BUCKNER! 10. THE SUPERSUCKERS, MAN! Every time the Supersuckers come home to play the Nekkid Pueblo it's an event of grandiose proportions. Not being from around these parts myself, I can't say as I remember when--you know, back in the day before their big move to Seattle--but I can remember catching them the few times they've played Tucson since I've lived here, and let it be said, they sure do give it their all for the hometown crowd.
Lately, it seems the dimensions of the umbrella that covers what's tagged "country" have increased to include a diversity of unlikely compatriots. That Richard Buckner and the Supersuckers would ever share the same bin in a record store, for reasons other than their Tucson affiliations, stretches the limits: If the Supersuckers are seeking the heart of country with Must've Been High, Richard Buckner's music much more poignantly speaks from its soul. Recorded primarily here in Tucson with Craig Schumacker at his Wavelab Studios, Buckner's phenomenal devotion + doubt boasts its own host of singularly talented hired hands: John Convertino, Joey Burns, Howe Gelb, Rich Brotherton, Champ Hood, Lloyd Maines and Marc Ribot. The result is nothing short of brilliant and has met with raves in all the glossy industry mags. Buckner will be joined on-stage Saturday, July 5, by several of the aforementioned, and if his stage show at all resembles the starkly emotive atmosphere of the album, it should prove to be the most personal and inspired performance of the weekend. The Saturday spectacular also features Cindy Lee Berryhill, captivating chanteuse Tammy Allen accompanied by cello and piano, and exuberant, sublime Tucson pop sensation Shoebomb-- who, I am told, kicked serious ass at the Save Ferris show--are we surprised? Hardly! On the inside, for your dancing pleasure, KFMA's Spider Rhodes spins Techno 2000 all night. Cover for Saturday's performances is $5 at the door. Call 622-8848 for more information about these fabulous events. OH MY, FIONA: Oh, to have the troubled soul of an artist. Fiona Apple, who in a recent article waxed about her forays into depression and how she ultimately anticipated being institutionalized, seems at least on the surface of life to have precious little to worry about. Her career has sped into overdrive in the year since her July 1996 debut release, Tidal, and there's little doubt she's the darling of the hour, at least until Alanis releases a new record. "Shadowboxer" has been in pretty heavy rotation on KFMA for several weeks, priming the proverbial pump for her Tuesday, July 8, performance at the Cage Nightclub, 5851 E. Speedway. For a mere $18, all ages can bask in her waifish glow and vocal confabulations, and add an epic recounting of the experience to their list of "What I did during summer vacation." Call 885-3030 for more information. LAST NOTES: Local musicians all seem to agree that local music deserves a bit more stroking that it gets. Big surprise there. However, which musicians deserve the, ah, extra strokes is another, much more contentious, matter. The two following shows feature some often overlooked, albeit very fine, local talent: Widely acclaimed local impresarios and national tour road warriors Spacefish appear with Funky Bonz, fresh from Allusion Studios where they just finished recording their first CD, Nightmare on Groove Street, at 9 p.m. Thursday, July 3, at O'Malley's, 247 N. Fourth Ave. Call 623-8600 for more information.
Skrappy's, 3710 N. Oracle Road, has picked up the gauntlet
where local music is concerned, as well as importing interesting
bands, booking impressive line-ups with admirable consistency.
All ages can gather at 7 p.m. Saturday, July 5, for Tucson's best
punk-rock band, the Weird Lovemakers, with guests the Gamera
Crowns, the Prima Donnas, Kiss Off from Albuquerque,
and Emily Sassy Lime, hailing from San Francisco. Cover
is $5 at the door. Call 408-9644 for more information.
--Lisa Weeks
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One listen to their latest release, Must've Been High,
proves you can take the band out of desert, but you can't take
the desert out of the band. All that cavorting around with Willie
Nelson at Farm Aid has had a very desirable effect--although High
is a departure from what we've come to expect, even the most poky,
laid-back country tracks bristle with potential energy. With the
help of a few friends and heavy hitters, namely 