RUMORS TO REST: With the last notes of Lafayette's Buckwheat Zydeco still lingering in the air, some 600 revelers at the June 14 dance party paid their respects to the downtown Rialto Theater. In fitting style with both the venue and its visionaries, a triumphant brass band descended the stage, marched up the aisles and out with the crowd, spilling onto Congress Street well after midnight. It was a night to remember. All the more so as the old theater's doors have remained closed ever since. In the aftermath, there've been more rumors than actual information working their way through the grapevine; and in fact, many of the questions regarding the venerable theater's future remain unanswered. But one rumor can be laid to rest: The Rialto is not dead...not yet, anyway. And if Paul Bear and Jeb Schoonover, the right and left hands of the non-profit Rialto Foundation, have anything to say about it, those doors will swing open mid-October with a series of fundraising shows that'll be well worth the four-month wait. It's true the theater and its neighboring structure--the old Trailways Bus Depot, which was also to reopen in October as a for-profit venture called the Rialto Cabaret--have been mired in lawsuits. But according to Schoonover, the immediate order that sealed the Rialto's short-term fate was not a court order, but a Tucson Fire Department "cease-and-desist order for public assembly activities," issued because the building was not equipped with sprinklers. Also, it needed minor upgrades to bring the plumbing, electrical and handicap accessibility up to code. With the heat of summer behind us, some sort of confidential settlement reached on the legal front, and the promised renovation projects reportedly off to a good start, optimism reigns for the Queen of Theaters. "When we closed and we knew we needed to upgrade, we needed to raise money," says Schoonover. "We came up with the idea to start a fundraising organization called the Friends of The Rialto." Modeled after a membership organization (like KXCI community radio), the Friends have established contribution levels, with attendant promotional incentives, ranging from $25 to $1,000. Their goal is to raise $30,000 by the end of October to comply with building codes, giving them two months to fix up the theater for their predicted grand re-opening by year's end. The Rialto folks stand firm that things are looking up, and await approval for a Heritage Fund acquisition grant applied for early this summer. If awarded, the grant will front $218,000 toward buying the property, putting them well on their way toward meeting their October 31 deadline to buy out their lease. The situation may recall that line from "Roadhouse Blues": "The future's uncertain and the end is always near." But these guys just won't give up: They'll get by with a little help from their Friends, and fundraising shows in the works--permits permitting--will kick-off October 12 with America's best roots-rock band, The Paladins. The unsinkable queen of burlesque swing, Ms. Candye Kane, returns on October 19; and modern-day Chicago bluesman Lonnie Brooks rounds out the fall harvest on October 26 with some scintillating electric guitar and bluesy, robust vocals straight from the backyard smokehouse. All concerts, early birds, will be free to members. For information on the Friends of the Rialto, call 740-0126; or write 318 E. Congress St., Tucson, AZ 85701. LAST NOTES: From the tender age of five, when his father, an accomplished Mariachi violinist, introduced him to traditional music, Carlos Santana's gone on to master rock and roll, blues and jazz with unrivaled passion and ability. The long-time Tucson favorite once again stirs up the dust at the Pima County Fairgrounds on Friday, September 27. Ottmar Liebert opens the show at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 and $31 in advance from Dillard's, and $3 more the day of show. Fresh from her national tour with Joan Baez and the release of her CD Mortal City, singer-songwriter Dar Williams lights up the Southwest Center for Music, 2175 N. Sixth Ave., at 8 p.m. Friday, September 27. Special guest Richard Shindell opens. For tickets and information, call 881-3947. On Saturday, September 28, you won't find a smoother landing than the Airport Lounge, 20 E. Pennington St., where San Diego's Sasabe Giants, joined by Bell from Seattle, turn up some good-time turbulence. Doors open at 7 p.m. Call 882-0400 for more information. The Gluey Brothers migrate from New Mexico to Berky's On Fourth, 424 N. Fourth Ave., at 9 p.m. Sunday, September 29, with props, costumes, and elaborate theatrical sketches in tow. Call 622-0376 for more information. And adrenal-injected Stuck Mojo rockets into the Paragon, 144 W. Lester St., on Tuesday, October 1, for an all-ages show beginning at 7 p.m. Oil and Grudgeholder open the show. Tickets are $10, available in advance at Dillard's and Strictly CDs, $12 day of show. Call 622-5560 for more information. --Jennifer Murphy

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