ION Arizona #271

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Come OUT, be OUT, get OUT and VOTE!

WION JUST JACK

hile the nation celebrates National Pride Month in June, Arizona celebrates Phoenix Pride October 19th-20th, one week after National Coming OUT Day October 11. There’s no better time to come OUT and celebrate your freedom and your community than during Phoenix Pride weekend. The two day festival and a parade offer great entertainment including the talented American Idol contestant, David Archuleta, who we interviewed on page 22. Multiple stages, dance areas, vendors, bars, delicious food trucks and the ultimate VIP Experience make our Pride special, thanks to the volunteers and Pride Board and Committee. Stop by the ION Arizona booth, say, “Hi” and grab some brand new, limited edition ION merchandise. Go to PhoenixPride.org for more info and buy your tickets early to avoid the lines.

After Phoenix Pride weekend, we enter the unofficial holiday of the LGBTQ+ community: Halloween! There are parties everywhere including Camp Charlie’s Carnival. Check out the preview of what you can expect on page 40.

You’ll also want to check out our interview with the hilarious, super talented actor/writer, pop culture, comic-anime convention fan favorite and YouTube “weblebrity” Brandon Rogers. He’s unapologetically OUT and we love him!

While we don’t cover politics here at ION Arizona, we all need to get OUT and VOTE November 5th or earlier with absentee ballet. This election is not only crucial for our community, but for our nation as well. Make a difference and be a part of our fragile democracy’s future.

As the weather cools down (one can dream), this is the time to get OUT and have fun. Play safe, get tested, celebrate freedom and most importantly GET OUT and vote!

FREE!

ION MILKSHAKE

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Pride Idol

David Archuleta competed in American Idol, season 7 in 2008 when he was 16-years-old, astonishing many viewers when he came in second place in an upset decision. He’s pursued his singing career, performing around the world. He came out as queer in 2021, leaving the Mormon Church the next year and reinvented himself. Now 30, David is an advocate of addressing and pursuing mental health, and is an “idol” for living his truth. ION caught up with him about his career and more.

Idol

Photo Credit: Shaun Vadella

ION: You’re a hard man to track down. You’ve been touring.

David Archuleta: I was in Asia. It’s always great. It’s a very different experience over there.

ION: You’ve also been touring with Pentatonix.

DA: I’m good friends with them, and it’s really fun to do shows with friends and I admire their talent. They put a great show, and it’s really fun because it’s not too loud since it’s all just vocal. A completely different concert experience. It’s nice to be able to cheer other people on and not have the whole evening being about you. It’s kind of nice to share the load.

ION: David, if you had your Holy Grail of recording opportunities, who would you like to record with?

DA: It’d be fun to record with Sabrina Carpenter. She’s just killing it right now. She’s a vocalist, but still very pop-y. I love her new album; I’ve been listening to it a lot.

ION: Fans and followers always wonder who who their favorite singers are listening to.

DA: I’ve listened to all of the summer girlies like Chaperone, Charli XCX, Billie Eilish, Sabrina. I’ve listened to Tems as well. I love Tems! She’s amazing! She’s from Nigeria.

ION: Since you left the Mormon (LDS) Church that you’ve expanded your horizons and business. You’ve discovered and raves.

DA: It’s been great! I’ve really loved it! It’s a whole new experience, and it’s been very liberating. I guess that before I just didn’t think it was okay for me to go to raves. I always thought, “Oh, it’s bad, I don’t want to be there.”

ION: You have a book deal coming up with HarperCollins for a memoir. You’re only 30, you’re very young, still. It must be interesting to mine from your experience and put it in book form.

DA: It’s been really a great. I’ve written my first full draft of the book, and I’m just waiting back on the publishers to give their notes. I spent the last year working on it, and I have been working with my editor, but I wanted to make sure that I wrote it myself, of course with help from my editor afterwards. I’ve gotten a really positive reaction so far.

Photo Credit: Ryan Welch

ION: After gathering your thoughts about your experiences, putting them in a linear format, was there anything that jumped out at you that you learned about yourself that you had forgotten and re-examined?

DA: I feel like it was kind of like opening up a can of worms; of a lot of childhood wounds and family drama and career drama. Just a lot of things you try to move on from, but when you’re going back and seeing the chronological order of your history, it’s like, “Okay, I have to address these things in order to realize, understand why I got from point A to point B.” It’s definitely been an interesting look back on everything. Sometimes I’ve had to take a little breaks because it’s a little too much. But overall it’s, it’s still been positive to see where I’ve been, and I hope that there’s more to reach, too. I think it’ll be a story that a lot of people can relate to in different ways.

ION: You’ve been a big advocate for mental help and your 2020 album Therapy Sessions concerned your struggles with anxiety in your music. How are you feeling now?

DA: I’m still getting acquainted with my anxiety. I’ve changed a lot. Therapy has been really helpful. It’s really important to have grace with yourself and realize that just because you’re feeling a certain way it doesn’t necessarily always guide you the way you’re supposed to go. It’s important to give yourself some grace for why you’re feeling the way you are. Sometimes your feelings have been programmed a certain way to protect you; it doesn’t work in every situation, and you have to be aware of that, make some adjustments and seek better ways of handling situations where you may feel uncomfortable or unsafe. The way that your body’s handled it in the past doesn’t work for every situation, especially if you’re triggered or traumatized. It can’t react in an extreme way in every situation that makes you nervous or anxious. Cognitive behavioral therapy helps you to think through things a different way and to have better control over your life and your emotions and your thoughts.

Photo Credit: Shaun Vadella

ION: We watched you on American Idol, you were tremendous. Was it difficult … I want to phrase this the right way, you were a singing prodigy – a bit of a child star. Was it difficult progressing, growing up to let people know, “Hey, I’m not just a teenager who has a good singing voice! I’ve got more in me”?

DA: I didn’t really feel like a teenager even when I was a teenager. I wasn’t really singing pop music until I got signed to a record label, so that was pretty interesting. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned how to enjoy being in my youth, and so I’m trying to take advantage of it while I’m still not too old and still have the energy to have fun, and that’s why I’ve enjoyed going to raves and such.

There’s a really good song by Olivia Rodrigo called “Teenage Dream,” and it kind of addresses that. And I was, like, “Wow! That reminds me of how it felt suddenly being a teenage star!” She talks about how people say, “Oh, you’re so good for your age!” But what if I am just good for my age? What if I’ve already given everything I have to offer? People have so many expectations. She sings, “You’re bound for great things! But what if I’ve already accomplished everything?” It’s a really interesting song that she’s sings, “Maybe I’m more.” It’s on her latest album.

ION: You were – I’ll say an ambassador, along with actor David Arquette – for World Kindness Day in 2022. You spoke about kindness to the community, including the importance of finding a sense of belonging and being accepted for who you are.

DA: It’s really wonderful to promote things that will hopefully bring out positive movement forward and change to people’s lives, gain better access to those resources that may not always be available to everybody and not easily obtainable to everybody. It was fun working with David Arquette.

Photo Credit: Shaun Vadella

ION: It’s also nice that there’s no scandal associated with you. You haven’t ended up in the tabloids for doing something horrible. It’s great to see someone who has such a positive influence inspiring others.

DA: So far I’ve been without scandal. (Laughs) I guess, we’ll see what happens in the future; you never know. Hopefully I’ve left a good impression. I just try to be myself; I’m learning as I go. I still, regardless, will try to be real with people.

ION: Let’s get into the nitty-gritty. David, what is your worst habit?

DA: My worst habit? Oh my gosh! Probably singing without even realizing it. People will go, “There you are – singing again!” I didn’t even realize I was singing!

ION: What is a guilty pleasure you have that might surprise people.?

DA: A guilty pleasure? I do love to go out dancing, shake a chancla. What else? I mean, I don’t watch TV. Guilty pleasure? Oh! Yes! Phone games! I love my phone games! Bloons in particular. And Monkey Tower Defense.

ION: Tell us a secret, something about yourself that might surprise your fans and our readers.

DA: I’m always going out dancing. When I’m traveling and stuff I’m like, “Where’s somewhere I can go dance?” Going to the gym and dancing are usually my “go-to” things.

ION: What can we expect when we see you performing on the Main Stage of Phoenix Pride?

DA: People can expect a lot of energy, and some good dancing. I mean, maybe not good dancing, (laughs) but dancing and good times. I really hope that people leave feeling inspired. I’m getting to the point where I can just have fun in the shows, but I’m still kind of sharing this journey I’ve been on, and I think it comes across in the show –this progression of learning how to accept myself and embrace it and then have fun with who I am and letting everyone else partake in that.

Catch David Archuleta on the Main Stage closing out the 2024 Phoenix Pride Festival on Sunday, October 20 at 8 p.m. at Steele Indian School Park.

Photo Credit: Shaun Vadella

PHX ATTRACTIONS

A Night of Radical Inclusion!

Celebrating Stories of Triumph and Thriving. Join in for a very special Coming Out Day event with stories about courage, resilience, and celebration. We’re here! We’re queer! Get used to it! That’s for damn sure! It all happens at Scottsdale Center for Performing Arts, 7380 E. 2nd St. in Scottsdale.

Friday, October 11. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

The Life & Music of George Michael

“If you’re gonna do it, do it right!” This tribute performance chronicles the journey of the entertainer. TheLifeAndMusicOfGM.com for more info. Tickets at ChandlerCenter.org or call 480-782-2680. Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Ave. in Chandler.

Sunday, October 13 at 7 p.m.

BRAT Summer

Charli XCX Dance Night

You gotta break the rules once in a while according to Charli. Say “Goodbye” to your BRAT Summer and put the boogie in your butt. Be mindful, demure, and cutesy at the Thundercat Lounge, 747 W. Van Buren in Phoenix.

Sunday, October 13 at 10 p.m.

Rockin’ Pride Skate

Are you up with your roller skate moves? Your bubbles? Your two-foot slalom? How about a toe-stop pivot hop? This is a great time to practice! Get your wheels in motion for this all-ages event benefiting PhxPRIDE Community Foundation, skates included. $15 at Skateland, 1101 W. Ray Rd. in Chandler

Thursday, October 17, 6-8:30 p.m.

ION SPLASH BASH WEEKEND

Ah! Camping! The great outdoors! It’s a perfect time for hiking, roasting weenies (pick your own favorite weenie), making S’mores, and exploring. But what happens when when you stumble across an abandoned summer campground that’s haunted by a circus sideshow? The mad gypsy Fortune Teller, the sinister Ring Leader, and a clown that ain’t there to make you laugh. The Freak Show at Camp Charlie’s gives you a ghost story you’ll be telling around the campfire for years. If you’re not afraid …

Photography by: LeakedGlass
Models: Kimberly Ka’Oir, Lady Wood and Adriana Galliano

Sunday Funday (W)

Studios Weekend Brunch (W)

Stacy’s @ Melrose Karaoke (W)

Karaoke (W) 8pm

Sunday Funday (W)

Sazerac Karaoke (W) 8pm

Stacy’s @ Melrose Karaoke (W)

Charlie’s Undie Mundies (W)

Sunday Funday (W)

Sazerac Karaoke (W)

Sazerac
Charlie’s Blackout Bingo / Karaoke (W)
Stacy’s @ Melrose Rising Star Drag Show (W)
Stacy’s @ Melrose Rising Star Drag Show (W)
Charlie’s Bingo / Karaoke (W)

Charlie’s WTF! Wednesdays (W)

Sazerac Whiskey Flights / Cigars (W)

THURSDAY

Stacy’s @ Melrose Communion Goth Night (W)

10

Stacy’s @ Melrose Milkshake Fetish Ball (M)

Sazerac / Roosevelt Row First Friday (M)

@ Melrose Dance Party (W)

Sazerac Whiskey Flights / Cigars (W)

WEDNESDAY 2 16 9 23 30

Stacy’s @ Melrose Communion Goth Night (W)

Thunderbird Lounge Loteria (W)

Flex Spa’s Phoenix Blackout Night (W)

Charlie’s PRIDE WEEKEND

Flex Spa’s Phoenix Blackout Night (W)

Sazerac Throwback Thursdays (W)

Charlie’s Pipin’ Hot Friday’s (W)

Sazerac/Roosevelt Row First Friday (M)

Stacy’s @ Melrose Dance Party (W)

Indian School Park Phoenix Pride

Stacy’s @ Melrose Dance Party (W)

Walter Studios Weekend Brunch (W)

Stacy’s
Steel

ION STREAMING

English Teacher

The quirky Brian Jordan Alvarez is the creator and stars as Evan Marquez, a gay high school teacher in Texas, who often finds himself at the intersection of the personal, professional and political aspects of working at a high school. Alvarez launched the YouTube series, “The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo.”

Studio One Forever

West Hollywood claimed its own nightlife disco hotspot on LaPeer Drive from 1974-1993, attracting celebrities (in and out of the closet) and the gay community for wild nights of dancing, drinking and debauchery. A fascinating documentary with revealing narration, interviews, and footage of a legendary place. DVD available on Amazon.

October 8

Fanatical

The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara

Tegan and Sara Quin, lesbian twin sisters, formed an indie rock band in 1998. In 2011 their world turned upside down when Tegan’s identity was stolen. A complex catfishing scheme ensnared many of their followers who were terrorized and stalked for over 15 years. A thriller, a caper, and bizarre whodunnit cutting to the heart of fame and fandom.

October 18

ENGLISH TEACHER

QUEER

Starring: Daniel Craig & Drew Starkey

Jason Schwartzman, Drew Droege, Lesley Manville Directed by Luca Guadagnino

Don’t miss this surrealistic romance drama film directed by Luca Guadagnino (director of Challengers and Call Me By Your Name) from a screenplay by Justin Kuritzkes is an adaptation of Beat generation’s William S. Burroughs’ of the 1985 novel of the same name.

Daniel Craig stars as William Lee, a queer American man living in 1950s Mexico City, who spends his days drinking, drugging, and having random sexual encounters. This is Lee’s daily routine, drinking his way in a cycle of sexually graphic rendezvous.

The arrival of Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey, The Outer Banks), a young student, inspires William into establishing a meaningful connection with someone he connects with. Lee confesses to Eugene “I want to talk to you without speaking,” a lost man who desperately wants to be loved. Lee’s drinking and his heroin addictions escalate as he grows more attached to Allerton, but it’s clear that Lee’s affection isn’t reciprocated, turning him into an often sloppy mess who Allerton doesn’t want to associate with. Lee searches to find a drug known as “yage,” which he read grants the user telepathic gifts. we discover that Lee is interested in yage because he believes it will allow him to read the thoughts of the man he’s falling in love with, but will never be fulfilled in this twisted relationship.

Craig gives a transformative portrayal of an emotionally damaged man who is cursed to eternally cruise for sex and drugs, escalating toward an emotional disaster in this heartbreaking antiromance between two ex-pats in this unsettling, pathetic tale.

Look for Jason Schwartzman (Rushmore) as Lee’s gregarious friend Joe, who seems completely fueled by his own wild libido. Lesley Manville who usually plays prim, proper characters (Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris) gives an unrecognizable performance as Dr. Cotter. Drew Droege (“It has recently come to my attention” as YouTube’s ersatz Chloë Sevigny) is campy barfly.

Critically acclaimed at its premier Venice International Film Festival last month, Queer is on the prowl for a blowie at the Oscars.

Look for the theatrical release of Queer this fall.

Defying Gravity

The songs of the Grammy and Oscar-winning songwriter Stephen Schwarz are performed by world-class vocalists, featuring hits from classics like Godspell, Pippin, and Wicked, including “Colors of the Wind,” “Day by Day,” “When You Believe,” “Defying Gravity” and more. Phoenix Symphony Hall, 75 N. 2nd St. Tickets: PhoenixSymphony.org or call 602-495-1999

Fri. October 11 at 7:30 p.m. & Sun. October 13 at 2 p.m.

ION ARTS

Charli XCX and Troye Sivan

Say, “Farewell” to a Brat Summer! Put on your ugliest lime green outfit and catch the main brat joined by former goody-two shoes turned ’ho, eternal twink Troye Sivan on their Sweat tour at the Footprint Center, 201 E. Jefferson St. in Phoenix. Rush to TicketMaster.com or call 800-653-3000

October 13 at 7:30 p.m.

Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue

Miami’s sassiest seniors have returned! The old gals are wild, wacky … and all played by men! Sex, drugs, and cheesecake for everyone! A little bit of 6151 Richmond Street comes to the Herberger Theater, 222 E. Monroe. For info and tickets visit GoldenGirlsTour.com or HerbergerTheater.org or call 602-252-8497. October 17-27

CHARLI XCX & TROYE SIVAN
“I’m sure … I’m

sure you’ve heard of me I’m gay.”

Brandon Rogers proclaims,

“I’m charge

of everything.”

And he is.

It’s impossible to ignore actor and YouTube viral sensation, pop culture convention darling, and actor-writer-comedian Brandon Rogers. ION couldn’t. You can’t either.

ION: So, you describe yourself as a quality half-assed comic? Care to elaborate? Brandon Rogers: I don’t take myself too seriously, but I don’t skimp out on quality, either. I take my work seriously. Things are shot on an iPhone and characters wear clothes bought from Goodwill.

ION: I was sorry I missed you when you came to the Valley for the Phoenix Fan Fusion. I saw your Reel walking around by Whataburger saying that, “I’m here in Phoenix, smoking pot and sucking dick!’

BR: That’s just me existing! (Laughs)

ION: You started your YouTube channel in 2006.

BR: Yep. In my high school library. YouTube had just became a thing. I spent my entire time in high school making videos; I would record them on tape and premiere them at lunchtime. YouTube was a way for me to take those videos and share them with my family who lived out of town or anyone else around the world. At that point I didn’t know anyone outside of my family around the world.

I was raised with the false truth that you have to live a life of suffering to live well, or that doing what you love is something that you have to find time through the cracks of your schedule to do. There was never the idea that you could enjoy work. I don’t remember the last time I thought, “It’s almost Friday!”

ION: Your show Theater Class had two seasons on YouTube, and it’s expanded to the sequel, Class Acts, which, 12 years later with you as Alex Rimmer teaching a group of wannabe actors in Los Angeles. How much of this is true to your own experience in Hollywood?

BR: Theater Class was a love letter to everything I was living and learning, taking place at a college campus classroom with students who didn’t necessarily want to be there. Class Acts takes place 13 years later, reflecting where my life is currently, and it’s the same love letter to what I’m living and learning now. The show deals a lot with fame, what fame means to someone, and what the other side of fame looks like.

Alex Rimmer is a character who largely is defined by my own struggle and longing to be famous. He’s an acting teacher who never really made it himself, and wishes he got there. A big part of Class Acts is what happens after you get there. What does it look like when a character who’s defined by his dreams finally gets them?

It’s like seeing the Hollywood sign up close: it’s grander and bigger than it looks down below, but it’s also dirtier and darker than it looks from down there. That felt very from the heart for me to write this arc for him and to end it after he achieves his dreams.

ION: I understand that the last episode is rather emotional.

BR: Yes. The show is a display of what I think can hold comedy and tragedy simultaneously. If you have the ability to feel and understand comedy, you have the equal and opposite ability to feel and understand tragedy and grief. Theater Class and Acts have both walked down the middle. It’s a comedy, but the situations that the characters go through are just as heavy and thought-provoking as any drama. Characters shouldn’t just be one or the other; I fully believe in a clown’s ability to have their heart broken.

ION: Do you feel famous?

Brandon: Life is a full-time job, and that’s an illusion that I had moving to Hollywood is that once you’re a celebrity, your life entirely changes. Part of that’s true. You could get stopped going to the convenience store at three in the morning, or really personal places. Hopefully they’re a nice person. Heaven forbid, someone who’s deranged sees you and says, “Oh my God! Can I get a selfie?” I was at the airport and someone came up with a phone in my face asking if I’m a believer in Jesus. In one way, yes, that feels like I’m famous, but that’s a side of it that I didn’t anticipate when I had the dream of moving to L.A.

ION: The video of you that blew up as Dorian Ditsen, the Head of Marketing in Angry Office who screams, “You! Move! Get out of my way! I’m making copies! I’m gay!”

BR: Sometimes you have a feeling that something’s going to go viral even before it does. I was working in an office at the time and I wasn’t famous. I just remember thinking, “This one’s going to do it.” And sure enough, it did! I filmed that in the office that I worked in – and that copier is still there to this day, by the way.

ION: Dorian Ditsen says, “Being gay has its perks. You’re just simply a better person.”

BR: Maybe it’s still true. At the time there was sort of this unspoken, “Yes, I’m the office gay, so you better watch the fuck out!”

ION: Out of all of your many characters – and this is just a brief list – Bryce Tankthrust, Hall Monitor Helen, Sam, Kathy the Mother, Darlene and Kathleen –the Delicate Lesbians, Blah, Blah. Do you have a favorite who resonates with you?

BR: Not really. The characters all represent a different part of me, but there are some that I like more than others. The one that I relate to the most isn’t even my own character: it’s Blitzo from Helluva Boss. I didn’t create him, and maybe that’s why I relate to him since he was created in my image. He’s a version of myself that someone else saw.

ION: Do you enjoy the live-action acting more or voice work for the animated features?

BR: I like them both. The animated ones are just versions of me that can do things that I don’t have the budget to do. Now, the live-action though, that’s always going to be my baby. I just love the drag of it all. I love the costumes, I love physically acting, I love doing stunts.

But I’ve learned that my voice is far more distinctive than my face. I never thought my voice was distinct. Now here I am going to a laryngologist and taking vocal lessons, realizing that I have this voice. I’ve seen people try to do Blitzo (pictured left) impressions. I got into this to be a face actor, but I’m learning that I have something very special as a voice actor.

ION: You’re monster big at all of these fan fair pop culture conventions. The crowds you bring in are astonishing.

BR: It’s definitely mind-blowing. It shows that there’s a disconnect though, because I think most people who are my age or older who work in the industry don’t know who I am. The people who are younger than me generally know who I am, even if my humor isn’t their thing. If it’s my first time at a convention they seem to underestimate how big of a crowd I’m going to have. They’ll put me at the bottom of the rosters because I’m a YouTuber, and everyone else is an accredited celebrity or actor. There’s a large percentage of people older than me who run things who don’t know who I am; I’m trying to break through that ceiling.

The conventions definitely do help. It’s money directly from the fans. It’s been helping bring the productions to a higher quality. Class Acts is the way it is because of how well

the Cons have been going. We’re able to film on these magnificent stages, to have this really amazing cast, this huge crew. I want the people who work in the industry to see that this has value, so I recently put up a series of billboards strategically right across the street from some big networks in L.A. and I’m trying to force it down their throats. (Laughs)

ION: You’re like the new Angelyne!

BR: She inspired me to do it! I had lunch with her because I wanted to pick her brain. I wanted to know how she got the billboards and the effect that it had. She convinced someone to put billboards with her image and a phone number. If you put your phone number and your image, people will call and you’ll get business. And it worked!

I found out who runs most of the billboards in Los Angeles, he drove me all around Hollywood and showed me where my billboards could go. The next day he had paperwork to my finance guy, and it was a done deal.

Roger’s with L.A. billboard

ION: This sounds like a downer, but one of your characters said, “No one can hate you more than the pieces of yourself.”

BR: Truly, no one can hate you more than yourself because no one knows the worst parts of you other than you. And here’s the thing: it’s true. There are people who are just shitty people and have zero awareness of it. I think – just from the people I have met in my life – people are very aware of how shitty they are. Very rarely are people truly a fan of themselves. We all have horrible inner voices and there’s a truth to that. My characters would probably hate me more than anyone else because they know the worst parts of me – a few of them are derived from those worst parts. Luckily, the majority of my work I’m behind a mask, so it’s not like what I’m putting on display is me. I’m not giving people as much of a target as if I was to put my whole life out there. They’re only seeing a part of myself that I want them to see, which are the characters.

ION: Let’s discuss something together, Brandon, shall we? You have an entry in wikiFeet Men, “The most comprehensive celebrity feet database to ever have existed.” How does that make you feel to know that the male foot fetishists of the world have discovered you?

BR: There are very few parts of my body that I think have no flaws, and my feet are one of them. When I saw the wikiFeet entry and I saw all the times people screenshot my feet, I’m like, “Okay, yeah, they look good!” It would be one thing if I didn’t like my feet –but honestly, they can fetishize whatever the fuck they want. (Laughs) You’re a different person to everyone. You can’t control how ugly or hot you are to people. If they’re enjoying what I’m putting out there, then let ‘em enjoy it however they want to.

Roger’s series Theater Class (2009-2012) and Class Acts (2024) are available on YouTube along with his short subjects. His voice talent in Helluva Boss (2022 - present) is on YouTube. Hazbin Hotel (2024) is available on Amazon Prime. Follow Rogers on Facebook and Instagram @BrandonBored

ION SHREK PARTY

Chandler Center for the Arts

NAVIGATION

Use the ION ARIZONA APP for Google Maps turn-by-turn directions with links to UBER & LYFT! DON’T DRINK & DRIVE!

fezoncentral.com

flexspas.com

ftrooftop.com

hulasmoderntiki.com

karambanightclub.com

kingpingrill.com

kobaltbarphoenix.com

mipatioaz.com

nutownebar.com

ozbarphx.com

rewinedphx.square therockdmphoenix

sazeracphoenix.com

stacysatmelrose.com thunderbirdloungephx

walterstudios.com walterwherehouse.com

ION FABULANCE

Ready for your Horrorscope? We all have a few skeletons in our caskets. Purge your karmic past, discover your true, spooky intentions driving your desires. C’mon, the life of the living dead ain’t all it’s cracked up to be. ¶ Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS will be closest on October 12. Look west after sunset. Comets are messengers saying change is on the way. ¶ The Scorpio Moon on Halloween gives us wild energy. Passion, sensuality, impulsiveness, but it also adds dispute and vindictiveness. ¶ We want to experience something new, but sometimes you gotta deal with spiritual changes.

ION HORRORSCOPES

ARIES Mar. 21 - Apr. 20

Optimism abounds! Expect “new blood” to enter your life (but not your veins.) Conflicts are sorted out, but you have to meet the angry villagers halfway.

TAURUS April. 21 - May 20

Open-hearted exchanges resolve conflict – but make sure it’s still beating. Con’t overindulge in excessive pleasure, including feasting on the blood of virgins – if you know any.

GEMINI May 21 - June 21

You’ll experience a change in your surroundings. This could include a new home, coffin, or haunted castle. You’ll get things done despite pesky poltergeists moving everything around.

CANCER June 22 - July 22

Expect good news at work! It may be a promotion at the funeral parlor or digging graves. Earn the recognition you deserve. Open your tomb, get some fresh air and exercise.

LEO July 23 - Aug. 22

Your instinct is to stay put in your casket, but your comfort zone is evolving. A shift from Pluto finds you returning to past versions of yourself. (Which “self” is that?)

VIRGO Aug. 23 - Sep. 22

You are not the same spirit you were a month ago. Or even a century ago. Free yourself from the fear of monsters chasing you in your dreams. Your moment is “now.” Harness that energy.

LIBRA Sep. 23 - Oct. 22

You stand out in a crowd–and not just because of the bolts in your neck and stitches. If it’s your birthday, you’ll discover you’re a natural in social settings–not just funerals and wakes, but at parties, too.

SCORPIO Oct. 23 - Nov.23

The Comet Atlas gives you the courage to be authentic. If you’re a monster, stand up and be proud! Birthday Scorps gain clarity on a situation you thought was spooky, but will reanimate your life. Figuratively.

SAGITTARIUS Nov. 23 - Dec. 23

Prioritize the hobbies and interests that align with what truly inspires you. Bringing the dead back to life? Well, it’s unconventional. Let’s start with kickball, or stamp collecting first.

CAPRICORN Dec. 23 - Jan. 20

This is a golden opportunity for mad experiments. You’ll find yourself turning from a caterpillar into a butterfly, or from a vampire into a bat. You get the general idea.

AQUARIUS Jan. 21 - Feb. 19

You’re the weird alien of the zodiac–an oddball, thinking and acting outside the casket. Sew up any loose ends by the New Moon. Don’t fight with zombies.

PISCES Feb. 20 - Mar. 20

It’s a good time to heal from past pain, like that stake driven through your heart. Keep company with ghouls and goblins who think like you. You see someone in a new light – just make sure it’s not daylight.

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