Tucson Weekly: City Week (September 10

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Thursday 10

CREATIVE HIKE. Take a stroll into the soul of local art when the Tucson Arts District Partnership fires up its Thursday Night Artwalk series.
City Week These docent-led hikes take you through the studios of downtown's hardworking creative types, and the galleries where they sport their wares.
Free event runs from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Meet at 5:15 p.m. in the Arts District office, 4 E. Congress St. For details, call 624-9977.
BRILLIANT THREADS. He was Israel's favorite son. But you'd hardly know that by the way he was treated. Joseph was sold into slavery by his 11 jealous brothers, after his father gave him a fabulous coat of many colors. From there, the poor chap was resold to the wealthy Potiphar, whose wife tried to seduce him, and then angrily tossed him in the pokey.
But there's divine justice at the end of this torturous path, in the Theater League's touring production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, starring Jodi Benson, David Osmond and The Osmond 2nd Generation.
Showtime is 8 p.m. in the TCC Music Hall, 260 S. Church Ave. Performances continue at 8 p.m. tomorrow, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday. Tickets range from $26.50 to $35.50, and are available at the TCC box office, Dillard's, or by calling 791-4266.

Friday 11

TOP DOGS. They're arriving in the Old Pueblo via San Diego, and packing a century's worth of combined talent into a tight, hopping repertoire of traditional blues, swing and jump. And for Paladins fans, some of the musicians making up The Joint Chiefs might ring familiar: Dave Gonzalez and Chris James on vocals and guitar; Jonny Viau on sax; Alan Ortiz on sax and harmonica; Patrick Rynn on bass; and Brian Fahey on drums.
They work up a spicy stew of steaming vocals, intense guitar and striking, explosive horns to deliver "a house-rockin', soul-stirrin' good time."
Performance is 9 p.m. in the Rialto Theater, 318 E. Congress St. See this weeks Soundbites column for details and ticket information.
PLAYBACK. He's a highly neurotic film buff who just got dumped by his wife. Now he's back in the singles circuit, and taking his cues from none other than Bogey. Did we mention that he's neurotic?
It's all just another nerve-wracking romp in the Live Theatre Workshop's presentation of the romantic Woody Allen comedy Play It Again, Sam. The production stars Ted Neroda, JoDee Kaser, Bruce Bieszki and Christian Armstrong.
Showtime is 7:30 p.m. in the Live Theatre Workshop, 5317 E. Speedway. Performances continue at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday, through October 11. Tickets are $10, $9 for seniors and students, and available by calling 327-4242.
TWANGO BANGO. Calling David Lindley a bit eclectic is like calling the desert warm. Onstage, the former Jackson Brown guitarist effortlessly combines American folk, blues and bluegrass with elements from African, Arabic, Asian, Celtic, Malagasy and Turkish musical traditions, resulting in an odd blend compounded by "Mr. Dave's" twisted sense of humor.
Toss in Ace drummer Wally Ingram, and you have the other eccentric half of "Twango Bango Deluxe," or, as insiders call it, "Mr. Dave Meets the Wally Llama." Ingram has toured with everyone from Sheryl Crow and Blues Traveler to Tracy Chapman.
Now the pair bring their sublime mix to Tucson for one performance. Opening will be those local interlopers of traditional Indian Raga known as Sanjaya. The group includes Pete Fine, Todd Hammes and Stefin Gordon.
Showtime is 8 p.m. in the Berger Performing Arts Center, 1200 W. Speedway. Tickets are $16, and available at Hear's Music, or by calling 529-0356.

Saturday 12

TOUGH ACT. Native Seeds/SEARCH is a Tucson-based storehouse for traditional seeds, crops and farming techniques. Of course such honorable work takes cold, hard cash, and that's where Petey Mesquitey, host of KXCI's "Growing Native," comes in. Tonight, Petey and the Endangered Species Act hit the stage with a little "Sonoran Honkytonk" to raise funds for NS/S.
"In a world that appears to have gone awry," says Petey (a.k.a. Peter Gierlach), "Native Seeds/SEARCH reminds me of good things--indigenous foods, indigenous people, gardening and communities. So this is going to be a fun gig to do. I only hope I can remember the words.
"It's a good thing," he adds, "that the Endangered Species Act is made up of five very talented musicians that make ol' Petey look good."
Showtime is 8 p.m. in the Temple of Music and Art Cabaret Theater, 330 S. Scott St. Advance tickets are $10, and available at the NS/S store on Fourth Avenue. Tickets are $15 at the door. For details, call 622-5561.

Sunday 13

SLOW RIDE. Warm up the old scooter and roar on down to the Sun Riders' Bike Show. Two-wheeled fun will include a poker run, tons of door prizes, a fashion show by Kanella's, and music by that lively little band called The Rowdies in the Wooden Nickel Tavern.
Event begins at 9 a.m. in the Rock-it Bar & Grill, 5001 E. 29th St., and concludes at the Wooden Nickel, 1908 S. Country Club Road. Admission is $7, or $10 for a couple. Call 745-6326 for information.
VIRTUOSO. No less a jazz master than Charlie Haden calls Brad Mehldau "the most original new voice on the piano since Bill Evans." Don Heckman of the Los Angeles Times wrote that "Mehldau's introspective solos were beautifully harmonized, rhythmically compelling, and assembled with compositional intelligence."
Local fans will witness that virtuosity firsthand when the Brad Mehldau Trio performs as part of Tucson Jazz Society's Plaza Suite Fall series.
Concert runs from 6 to 9 p.m. in St. Philip's Plaza, 4380 N. Campbell Ave. Tickets are $10, $5 for TJS members, and available at the door.

Monday 14

WATERWORLD. Birds of southwest Brazil's Pantanal region are on the agenda when the Tucson Audubon Society presents a slide lecture by Brazilian birder and photographer Edson Endrigo.
A vast, seasonally flooded swampland, the Pantanal also occasionally becomes the largest marsh in the world. That makes it ideal for thousands of waterbirds and caimans, along with capybaras (the world's biggest rodent), black howler monkeys, anacondas, and mosquitoes.
Birders might spot a Hyacinth, Macaw, Blaze-winged Parakeet or Rufous-rumped Seedeater among the wetland's endless species. Endrigo has, and will discuss this vast natural array in tonight's free lecture.
Event is 7 p.m. in the UMC DuVal Auditorium, 1501 N. Campbell Ave. Call 629-0510 for information.
MUSICAL PATÉ. Acclaimed UA conductor Gregg Hanson will direct members of the studio faculty in An Evening of 20th Century French Chamber Music. The roster will include Milhaud's "La Création du Monde," "La Bal Masqúe," by Francis Poulenc, and "Chansons Madécasses," by Maurice Ravel.
Soloists will include baritone Charles Roe, director of the UA Opera Theater and a veteran of the New York City Opera, and tenor Grayson Hirst, who has sung with top ensembles from the New York Philharmonic to the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.
Performance is 7:30 p.m. in the UA Crowder Hall, in the Music Building at the south end of the pedestrian underpass at Speedway and Park Avenue. Tickets are $10, $8 for UA staff and faculty, $5 for students and seniors, and available at the UA Fine Arts box office, or by calling 621-1162.

Tuesday 15

RHYTHMIC FORCE. As a percussionist, Leon Parker strikes with global force, integrating enough musical styles and traditions that the Village Voice dubs him a "one-man United Nations of rhythmic."
But the raves don't stop there. Entertainment Weekly describes him as "a daring conceptualist," and "one of the most exciting new percussionists in jazz." According to The New York Times, Parker is "one of the most recognizable and unusual in jazz--light and airy, yet as visceral as the kettle drummers."
Parker taps African, Native American, Caribbean, Latin and funk to create an exotic symphony of sound, which he'll bring to Tucson for one performance tonight.
Showtime is 8 p.m. in the Mat Bevel Institute, 530 N. Stone Ave. Advance tickets are $10, and available at Hear's music. Tickets are $12 at the door, and $8 for students. For information, call 743-3240.
THREE VISIONS. Three top literary talents--Leslie Marmon Silko, Demetria Martinez and Rita Maria Magdaleno--combine forces to help the UA Extended University Writing Works Center kick off its fall semester.
Each author, known for her distinct, resonant style, will read from and discuss her work. Martinez will present a "performance-reading," accompanied by musician Gustavo Lozano. The gathering celebrates the Writing Works Center, which provides a broad selection of non-credit classes and workshops.
Free event runs from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the St. Philip's Church Murphy Gallery. Call 626-4444 for details.
COMING TO LIGHT. Dinnerware Contemporary Art Gallery exposes a different perspective with Invisible/Visible, an exhibit featuring work by developmentally disabled artists, and by guest-artist Suellen Rocca of Chicago.
The ensemble artists come from the ranks of Pima County's Project RAISE, which provides education and independent-living skills to disabled adults. The exhibit is the triumphant result of a collaboration between Dinnerware and Project RAISE, meant to encourage the artists, and help them feel confident about sharing their work with the community.
Rocca is a highly-respected founding member of the Hairy Who, also known as the Chicago Imagists, a contemporary art movement influenced by the work of self-taught artists.
Exhibit runs through September, with a closing reception from 2:30 to 4 p.m. Sunday, October 4, in the Dinnerware Contemporary Art Gallery, 135 E. Congress St. Regular gallery hours are noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 7 p.m. Thursday, and during Downtown Saturday Night. Call 792-4503 for information.

Wednesday 16

COMING CLEAN. Coming To is a new arrival on the Tucson scene, an enthusiastic group using youth theater to increase students' awareness of the peer pressure to use alcohol and other drugs. They tap a three-stroke strategy, emphasizing the long-term consequences and negative impact of drug abuse, dishing up plenty of facts, and teaching skills both for recovery, and for simply saying "no."
Soon, Coming To will reach out through the community with performances in Tucson schools. But tonight they just want to say howdy with a grand opening that will feature skits and dessert.
Free event is 7 p.m. in the Tucson High Magnet School Auditorium, 400 N. Second Ave. For details, call 617-7174.
SEASONAL SOIRÉE. The Tucson Museum of Art rings in the cultural season with the Sights, Sounds and Flavors of the Southwest festival, sponsored by a who's who of local arts organizations--UA Presents, the Arizona Theatre Company, Borderland Theater and the Tucson Symphony Orchestra.
The evening will include music, entertainment and lots of great chow, hosted by the Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and ARTNET.
Event runs from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the TMA, 140 N. Main Ave. Admission is $10, $6 for TMCC members. Call 626-4421 for details.

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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