The Entertainer! Magazine - May 2022

PHX METRO » MAY 2022

Inside

SUMMER of

MUSIC HALL OF FLAME

Bastille brings the ‘future’ to Mesa

CONTENTS

Times Media Group 1900 W. Broadway Rd. Tempe, AZ 85282 Phone 480.348.0343 Fax 480.348.2109 entertainermag.com

publisher

Steve T. Strickbine

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Vice President

Michael Hiatt mhiatt@timespublications.com

ExecutiveEditor

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

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Assistant Editor Connor Dziawura

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ON THE COVER

THE ‘FUTURE’ OF MUSIC

Bastille turns negativity into sprightly pop songs

17

designer

Shannon Mead

production manager Courtney Oldham

production@timespublications.com

circulation director Aaron Kolodny

aaron@entertainermag.com

30

writers

Summer Aguirre, Zakkary Brog, Allison Brown, Alex Gallagher, Laura Latzko, Bridgette M. Redman, Jordan Rogers, Dave Gil de Rubio, Alan Sculley, Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer, Annika Tomlin, Joshua Weisbly

Photographers

Clara Balzary, Sara Louise Bennett, Jacob Blickenstaff, Laura Carbone, Arizona Diamondbacks, Rob Gonzalez, Justin Hardiman, Matt Hiinshaw, Dean Martindale, Frank Ockenfels, Orlando Pelagio, Mads Perch, Drew Powell, Andrea Ramirez, Bobbi Rich, Angela RoseRed, Priscilla Scott, John Swannell ONE COPY PER READER

SHAKESPEAREAN GIANT

Debra Ann Byrd brings experience to the Valley

CONTENTS

UPFRONT

4

SUMMER OF MUSIC

Venues heat up with the industry’s top acts

DINING

18

Top 25 • Bastille • Phoenix Fan Fusion • Leanne Morgan • Christone “Kingfish” Ingram

Spring Arizona Restaurant Week • Dining Calendar

CITY

BREWS & SPIRITS

12

Royal Blood • Fantastic Negrito • Dawes • St. Paul and the Broken Bones • Salt River Tubing • Hall of Flame

ARTS

17

Debra Ann Byrd/Southwest Shakespeare Company

The Entertainer! is circulated throughout the Phoenix Metro area, especially concentrated in entertainment districts. ©2022 Affluent Publishing, LLC. A free online subscription is available to all readers simply by going to entertainermag.com/subscribe.

20

BARCOA Agaveria • Brews & Spirits Calendar

CASINOS

22

SPORTS

24

Arizona Rattlers • Stars on Ice • Kyle Petty • Zach Davies • Benavidez vs. Lemieux • Sports Calendar

MUSIC

30

Summer Concert Roundup • Tears for Fears • Nekrogoblikon • Outsiders • The Venomous Pinks • Failure • The Church

For calendar and news items, the deadline for submission is the 15th of the month prior to publication. Submissions are included based on available space and are used at the discretion of the editor. Unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or illustrations will not be returned unless it is specifically requested and submission is accompanied by a properly addressed envelope and sufficient postage. The Entertainer! makes every effort to authenticate claims and accurate times and event locations. We encourage readers to verify information prior to attending events or purchasing tickets.

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Sublime with Rome • Casino Calendar on the cover: Bastille Cover photo courtesy Sarah Louise Bennett

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4

TOP25

By Connor Dziawura

“Schoolhouse Rock! Live”

TO MAY 22 The pop culture phenomenon is bringing classics like “Conjunction Junction,” “Just a Bill,” “Interplanet Janet” and “Three is a Magic Number” back to the stage. The program is approximately 60 minutes with a 10-minute actor talkback and is recommended for ages 6 and older. There will be backstage tours after the 4 p.m. performances on Saturdays May 7 and May 21.

Herberger Theater Center’s Stage West, 222 E. Monroe Street, Phoenix, 602.252.8497, herbergertheater.org, 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Saturdays, 1 p.m. Sundays, $15-$35

The Summer Cornhole Series SUNDAYS IN MAY AND JUNE It’s “the ultimate cornhole tournament!” This two-month series from The Hot Chick and Timeless returns each week, allowing teams to face off in the beloved lawn game phenomenon.

Buy-ins are $20 per team, winners take all. Winners will also get free Timeless samples and merch.

The Hot Chick, 4363 N. 75th Street, Scottsdale, 480.550.7507, thehotchickaz. com, 1 p.m., $20 per team

“Juan Gabriel”

MAY 5 TO MAY 8 With choreography by Ib Andersen and costume design by Carla Fernández, Ballet Arizona will celebrate the legacy of famed Mexican singer-songwriter Juan Gabriel by dancing to a recorded production of his performance at Palacio de Bellas Artes.

Symphony Hall, 75 N. Second Street, Phoenix, 602.381.1096, balletaz.org, various dates and times, $35-$169

Cinco de Mayo Festival

MAY 5 TO MAY 7 Chef Joey Maggiore’s The Mexicano

is gearing up for three days of Cinco de Mayo festivities in the parking lot, featuring lucha libre wrestling, yard and carnival games, DJ and live musical entertainment, elevated street-style food, and beer and margarita gardens. The $35 general admission tickets will only be available at the door, and include five food and drink tickets. Packages and VIP seating opportunities will also be available. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to child abuse and neglect support organization Childhelp. The Mexicano will also be open for normal dining hours.

The Mexicano, 4801 E. Cactus Road, Phoenix, themexicano. com, 3 to 11 p.m. each day, $20-$5,000, or free for kids ages 12 and younger

“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”

OPENS MAY 6 The latest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is described as “a thrilling ride through the multiverse with Doctor Strange, his trusted friend Wong and Wanda Maximoff, aka Scarlet Witch.”

Notably, it’s the first MCU film from director Sam Raimi, beloved for his original “Evil Dead” trilogy and the 2000s “Spider-Man” films, among other works. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong, Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Xochitl Gomez.

Rated PG-13 for some violence, bloody images, and language.

In theaters, marvel.com

“State of Mind” First Friday Reception

MAY 6 As part of First Fridays, which fills Downtown with things to see and do on the first Friday of every month, Olney Gallery is hosting this special reception for “State of Mind” from Carlos Cordova, Sandra Luehrsen and Ellen Nemetz, three artists who utilize various mediums. The exhibit is also on display during normal

UPFRONT

PHX » CITY » LOCAL » PRIDE » DO » SEE business hours, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Tuesday to Friday, through May 25.

Olney Gallery at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, 100 W. Roosevelt Street, Phoenix, 623.826.9912, trinitycathedral.com/olneygallery, 6 to 9 p.m., free admission

Phoenix Mercury vs.

Las Vegas Aces

MAY 6 Usher in the summer WNBA season on Fry’s Food Stores Opening Night, when the Phoenix Mercury will face off against the Las Vegas Aces. The game will also be broadcast on NBA TV. Footprint Center, 201 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, 602.252.

WNBA (9622), mercury. wnba.com, 7 p.m., $22-$76

Clean Culture Arizona Stadium Showcase

MAY 7 As part of its 2022 schedule, Clean Culture is coming to Surprise for its Arizona season opener.

Check out the car show, browse the vendors, listen to some good music, grab a bite to eat, and try your hand in the contests.

Surprise Stadium, 15930 N. Bullard Avenue, Surprise, cleancultureevents.com, 5 to 10 p.m., $25

Phoenix Rising vs.

San Antonio

MAY 7 The soccer season continues with this game pitting Phoenix Rising FC against San Antonio FC, which is the former’s first home game of the month.

Phoenix Rising Stadium at Wild Horse Pass, 19593 S. 48th Street, Chandler, 623.594.9606, phxrisingfc.com, 7:30 p.m., see website for tickets

UFC 274: Charles Oliveira vs.

Justin Gaethje MAY 7 It’s been a while, but the UFC is coming back to Phoenix for the first time in three years. UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas looks for a second chance with No. 2-ranked Carla Esparza. Also, No. 5 contender Michael Chandler will face off against No. 7 Tony Ferguson. But the main show comes in the form of lightweight champion Charles Oliveira, who will defend his title against No. 1-ranked contender Justin Gaethje. Pay-per-view and simulcast info is available online.

Footprint Center, 201 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, 602.379.7800, footprintcenter. com, 4 p.m., $300-$9,500

Yotam Ottolenghi

Pamper Your Mom Festival

MAY 7 What better way to celebrate Mother’s Day than to pamper your mom? The day before, check out this festival at Singh Meadows for a cafe, boutiques, a farmers market, face painting, balloon twisting, craft activities, massages, photos and raffles. Surprise gift baskets can be preordered for $30. Parking is free.

Singh Meadows, 1490 E. Weber Drive, Tempe, https:// bit.ly/3KNARDO, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., $10, or free for kids under 12 months

MAY 11 The Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts is putting its “Gourmet Eats Spotlight” on award-winning chef, writer and restaurateur Yotam Ottolenghi, who will visit the Virginia G. Piper Theater for a 50- to 60-minute conversation with Lauren Gilger, host of KJZZ’s “The Show.” Then, the audience will have 20 to 30 minutes to ask its own questions.

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts’ Virginia G. Piper Theater, 7380 E. Second Street, Phoenix, 480.499.TKTS (8587), scottsdaleperformingarts. org/event/yotam-ottolenghi, 7:30 p.m., $29-$49

Arizona Rattlers vs.

Massachusetts Pirates

MAY 14 Arizona’s own IFL team is looking to set the record straight with the Massachusetts Pirates at this matchup, the Rattlers’ first home

Chandler Center & Mesa Arts Center present at Mesa Arts Center

Solo Acoustic

Tickets at: MESAARTSCENTER.COM | MAY 22

LIVE. IN-PERSON. TOGETHER.

La Santa Cecilia

Corinne Bailey Rae

MAY 15

JUL 10

Ben Folds ~ In Actual Person Live For Real Tour | JUN 19

Get The Led Out

The Australian Pink Floyd Show: All That’s To Come | AUG 21

Los Chicos del 512:

The Selena Experience | AUG 27

chandlercenter.org

SEP 24

One Night of Queen performed

by Gary Mullen & The Works | JUL 29

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game of the month. The team is on a two-game losing streak against the Pirates, so here’s hoping they can turn things around this time.

Footprint Center, 201 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, 602.514.8383, azrattlers.com, 6:05 p.m., $11-$95

East Valley Women’s Day Out Expo

MAY 14 Now in its 22nd year, the Women’s Day Out Expo is back with door prizes, free seminars and more. A touring show with locations around the state and beyond, the expo is a meeting place for all-things fashion, health and wellness, home remodeling, wine tasting, travel and vacation planning, cosmetics and skin care, and shopping.

Mesa Convention Center Building B, 263 N. Center Street, Mesa, 602.625.3000, womensdayoutexpo.com, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., free admission

Great Arizona Puppet Theater Open House MAY 14 The Great Arizona Puppet Theater wants families to swing by for an open house to see all the great things happening at the venue. It’s the perfect place for kids to check out fun, family-friendly stories told by puppets. And on this Saturday, the theater is offering several hourlong slots that can be booked online or by phone. Tax-deductible donations are accepted, too.

Great Arizona Puppet Theater, 302 W. Latham Street, Phoenix, 602.262.2050, azpuppets.org, hourlong slots available for reservation, free admission

Music in the Desert

MAY 14 Desert Sky Mall wants to be a hub for the community to come shop, eat and simply get together.

That’s why the Phoenix shopping center has been bringing out local entertainment as part of the monthly Music in the Desert series. May’s talent has yet to be announced, but you can catch them

from the Center Court Stage.

Desert Sky Mall, 7611 W. Thomas Road, Phoenix, 623.245.1400, desertskymall.com, 2 to 4 p.m., free admission

Olivia Rodrigo

MAY 17 It seems like Olivia Rodrigo became an overnight sensation with the release of her debut album, “Sour,” and the hit singles that preceded it.

So, it’s no surprise that the former Disney Channel star’s first show in the Valley, not to mention the rest of the tour it’s part of, is already sold out. Singer-songwriter Holly Humberstone will open the show.

Arizona Federal Theatre, 400 W. Washington Street, Phoenix, 602.379.2800, arizonafederaltheatre. com, 8 p.m., sold out

“Men”

OPENS MAY 20 After a foray into television with 2020’s “Devs,” Alex Garland, the filmmaker behind “Ex Machina” and “Annihilation,” is back with this “feverish, shape-shifting new horror film,” according to distributor A24.

The film stars Jessie Buckley as Harper, a woman who goes to the English countryside alone to heal after a personal tragedy, only to find someone or something in the woods stalking her. Its synopsis describes its evolution from “simmering dread” to a “fully formed nightmare, inhabited by her darkest memories and fears.” Rated R for disturbing and violent content, graphic nudity, grisly images, and language.

In theaters, a24films.com

Phoenix Cannabis Awards Music Festival

MAY 20 This West Valley festival features live entertainment across three stages. Lil Xan, Mike Jones, Luniz, E.N Young, Kurupt, Loomis, SmokeDeville, Chopah, OG Rome & the Rowdoggs, and Irie Nationz are just some of the acts set to perform, providing a combination of hip-hop and roots reggae

for Valley fans. There will also be drinks and giveaways. This event is for ages 21 and older.

Legends Event Center, 4240 W. Camelback Road, Phoenix, https://bit.ly/3KLVLU0, 4 p.m. to midnight, $42-$250

“Top Gun: Maverick” Stars on Ice

MAY 20 Starring Nathan Chen and Olympic medal contenders, Stars on Ice is a showcase of the best the U.S. Figure Skating team has to offer.

Alysa Liu, Vincent Zhou, Karen Chen, Mariah Bell, Madison Hubbell, Zachary Donohue, Madison Chock, Evan Bates, Alexa Knierim, Brandon Frazier and Mirai Nagasu are the other medalists and champions in the star-studded cast.

Gila River Arena, 9400 W. Maryland Avenue, Glendale, starsonice.com, 7:30 p.m., $25-$140

Premier Boxing Champions: David Benavidez vs. David Lemieux

OPENS MAY 27 Maverick is back, and so is Iceman.

More than 35 years after Tony Scott’s original “Top Gun,” fans can rejoice at seeing Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer back on screen together in this Joseph Kosinskidirected sequel. In addition to the two returning leads, “Top Gun: Maverick” features newcomers like Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm and Ed Harris. The cast also includes Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, Charles Parnell, Bashir Salahuddin, Monica Barbaro, Jay Ellis, Danny Ramirez, Greg Tarzan Davis — and don’t forget the planes. Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense action, and some strong language.

In theaters, topgunmovie.com

MAY 21 Why stay home to watch pro boxers David Benavidez and David Lemieux face off on Showtime when you can see the fight in person? Premier Boxing Champions is bringing the two right here to Glendale.

Gila River Arena, 9400 W. Maryland Avenue, Glendale, gilariverarena. com, 4 p.m., $75-$300

Phoenix Fan Fusion

MAY 27 TO MAY 29 Don a costume of your favorite character, head to Downtown Phoenix, peruse the vendor hall, check out some programming, meet with celebrity guests, and stay for the after-parties. Phoenix Fan Fusion is back, representing all the best in comic, superhero, anime and more fandoms across three days and a multitude of possible directions you can take your weekend.

Phoenix Convention Center, 100 N. Third Street, Phoenix, phoenixfanfusion.com, 9 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, $15$295, or free for kids ages 0-2

Tears for Fears

MAY 27 One of the most revered new wave ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

acts of the ’80s and ’90s is back with its first new album in 18 years, “The Tipping Point.” Come to see founding members Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith perform an array of new songs and classics alike, with cuts like “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” “Sowing the Seeds of Love” and “Mad World” all possibilities for the set list.

Garbage will open the show.

Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Avenue, Phoenix, 602.254.7200, livenation. com, 7:30 p.m., $29.50-$435

Jack White

MAY 28 Four years after his experimental rock album “Boarding House Reach,” Jack White — known not just as a solo act but for the White Stripes, the Raconteurs and the Dead Weather — is back with not one but two new projects. The first, “Fear of the Dawn,” released last month, with “Entering Heaven Alive” set for a July release.

Catch him at Arizona Federal Theatre in between as part of The Supply Chain Issues Tour.

Arizona Federal Theatre, 400 W. Washington Street, Phoenix, 602.379.2800, arizonafederaltheatre.com, 8 p.m., $65-$399.50

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THE ‘FUTURE’ OF MUSIC

Bastille turns negativity into sprightly pop songs

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

T

he English band Bastille has a way of writing dark songs wrapped in buoyant, joyous pop songs.

Keyboardist Kyle Simmons says that’s the charm behind Bastille.

“There are elements of hope in there, which is a bit of a Bastille standard,” Simmons says.

“There’s the negative and the pessimism, but there’s always a bit of hope somewhere. You just have to dig around for it.”

Case in point: “Happier,” which, vocalist Dan Smith sings to sprightly music, “I wanna raise your spirits/ I want to see you smile but / Know that means I’ll have to leave.”

Much like its music, Bastille’s live show will share that upbeat feeling. The band is playing the Mesa Amphitheatre on Tuesday, May 17.

“It’s been a while since we’ve been out and touring around the States because of ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

all the obvious reasons,” Simmons says.

“We love all those amphitheaters. We love the vibe. They’re always great.”

The tour is a promotional run for its latest album, “Give Me the Future,” which debuted at No. 1 on the U.K. official charts, the band’s third No. 1 album. Songs like “Thelma + Louise” and “Shut Off the Lights” will be accompanied by “amazing video content.”

“It’s a lot more of a show than it is a gig,” Simmons says. “There are a lot of interludes that help fans navigate inside of that space and then back out. It’s quite difficult to explain. It’s hugely visual.

We’re so proud of it. We’re really happy with how it’s been received.

“It just meanders its way through.”

Simmons has a hard time narrowing down what makes Bastille successful.

The reasons are many, according to critics and fans. He calls it “luck and hard work.”

“Our lyrics are sort of selfdeprecating,” he says. “We deal with a lot of negative issues, but we frame them in

quite happy, poppy music.

“I think the content that we sing about, too, is very interesting. It touches on different films and programs that we like, and history. That’s the kind of content we enjoy writing about and singing about. It’s a less-treaded path.”

Bastille — which also includes vocalist Dan Smith, bassist/guitarist Will Farquarson and drummer Chris “Woody” Wood — is filled with perfectionists. So, they’re proud of the music that is released.

“If I told you the number of choruses that Dan has thrown away and rewritten,” he says with a laugh. “I’ll tell him it’s one of the best things I’ve ever heard. He’ll say it’s not good enough.

Again, it’s just hugely negative content but wrapped in a nice happy package.

That is almost every Bastille song.”

Smith stretched his lyrical and musical wings on “Give Me the Future.” He cowrote songs with others for the first time. Simmons says now was the time because the first three albums were a trilogy.

“As soon as we finished that third album, we wanted to be different,” he adds. “It was the first time we could kind of build up the catalog of music and put it completely in its own space.

“The album is a lot more collaborative, and I think we’re definitely moving more into that space."

“Give Me the Future” blurs genre lines but Smith’s vocals are so distinct that any music fits in well with Bastille’s catalog.

“We can happily jump around and change our sound as much as we want,” he says. “I’ve been listening to him for 12 years. The fact that he has that voice is just incredible. We’re really lucky all of that is paired inside that one person.”

Bastille w/Alice Merton WHEN: 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 17 WHERE: Mesa Amphitheatre, 263 N. Center Street, Mesa COST: Tickets start at $40 INFO: 480.644.2560, mesaamp.com

‘DISNEYLAND FOR GEEKS’ THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2022

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Phoenix Fan Fusion prepares for its long-awaited return

By Annika Tomlin

P

hoenix Fan Fusion convention director Matt Solberg likens his upcoming event to a legendary tourist destination.

“It’s really like Disneyland for geeks to come to our show,” he says.

After a multiple-year pandemicdictated break, Phoenix Fan Fusion will make its return to the Phoenix Convention Center Friday, May 27, to Sunday, May 29.

Solberg assures that only minor changes were made to the 20-year event.

It’s still a one-stop shop for actors, comic book creators, authors, cosplayers, costume groups, vendors, artists, creators, dealers and publishers.

“We are bringing badges back, which has been a long-standing attendee request, given their collectible nature,” Solberg adds.

“We are expanding gaming that we do into its own hall within the convention center. We are also really focusing our efforts within the exhibitor hall. I’m creating great energy within the hall by having the actors, the costuming groups, the exhibitors, authors, artists, creators all in one space on the lower level of our exhibitor hall.”

Anticipated guests include actors Doug Jones (“Hellboy,” “Star Trek: Discovery”) and Felicia Day (“Supernatural,” “The Magicians”),

along with authors Erin Jade Lange (“Mere Mortals”) and Lisa McMann (“The Unwanteds”), comic book creators Fabian Nicieza (co-creator of “Deadpool”) and Tony Parker (cocreator of “Mayday”) along with various cosplayers and costume groups.

“We’re bringing three full days of the exhibitor hall, panels of events, a full lineup of celebrities, comic creators, authors, costume groups, after dark parties, theatrical events,” Solberg says.

“For our attendees, it should be no different than when they’ve attended our shows in the past. We’re bringing back everything they have come to love and expect.”

RETURN VISIT Author Lisa McMann and her husband, Matt, will moderate panels at the event.

The Tempe-based couple debuted at Fan Fusion in 2011 with their daughter, actress Kennedy McMann, with Lisa presenting her book “Cryers Cross.” The story was inspired by Kennedy’s OCD and her acting.

“She (Kennedy) came along with me to Phoenix Fan Fusion, and we did a little panel with the two of us,” Lisa says.

“She spoke about her mental illnesses, with her OCD, and I spoke about the plot of the story and how Kennedy influenced it.”

Kennedy shared her local theater

experiences and how that helped calm her. Appearing as Nancy Drew in the CW show of the same name, Kennedy followed her dreams and controls her OCD. Lisa and Matt have been asked to return to talk about her series “The Unwanteds,” which recently ended its 14-book series with “The Unwanteds Quests: Dragon Fury,” among other books. The event generally falls around their wedding anniversary in May. “What a better place to hang out with a bunch of people dressed up like fantasy characters,” Lisa says.

Matt adds, “I think it’s such a blast and love seeing all the cosplay and meeting all the Lisa McMann authors. It’s exciting for me to return this year to serve as a moderator on some of the author toilets, the kids are left with a flaming panels.” map to Estero, their parents’ city of At the event, Lisa will speak about residence. Via the map, the children are “Map of Flames,” the first of the “The tasked with finding one of their mothers.

Forgotten Five” series.

Consequently, they are trust into a new “It’s about five supernatural kids environment where their powers are who were born and raised in a deserted criminal. hideout, a secret criminal hideout. Now The next book in the series is set for a they’re between the ages of 10 to 13 and November release. their parents have disappeared and the Among the other attendees is comic last one who stayed with them passed book, graphic novel creator and storyteller away,” Lisa says.

Tony Parker who has attended Fan Fusion Devoid of modern amenities since 2008, when it was held in Mesa. He like electricity and flushing will appear all days of the convention.

Formerly of Phoenix, Parker is looking forward to returning and seeing everyone. “It’s not just the fans and friends I get to see year in and year out,” he says.

“There are new people who come by and talk to me. It’s such a ‘people’ show and is a great family show as well.

You can see people of all ages enjoying themselves and enjoying what they see around them.”

Solberg agrees.

“There is really something for everybody at the show, given our interests,” Solberg says.

“It’s a great chance just to people watch. We always have attendees who come out in amazing costumes, and everybody is just in a good mood.”

Phoenix Fan Fusion WHEN: 9 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Friday, May 27, and Saturday, May 28; and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, May 29 WHERE: Phoenix Convention Center, 100 N. Third Street, Phoenix COST: $15-$540 INFO: phoenixfanfusion.com ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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Comedian Leanne Morgan is relatable

By Laura Latzko

S

ince Leanne Morgan started her comedy career 22 years ago, women have applauded her for her honesty.

Hailing from Knoxville, Tennessee, Morgan shares her experiences with her husband and three children. She’ll do the same when she comes to the Celebrity Theatre on Saturday, May 21, as part of her Big Panty Tour.

Morgan didn’t take the traditional path to comedy, as she began touring after her children were grown. Instead, she performed at corporate and church events, as well as private gatherings so she could be there for her kids.

“My husband had a big position — still does — with a big company,” she says.

“He works all the time and is a workaholic. So, I knew that I couldn’t work clubs and be gone all week long.

Somebody was going to raise these children, and I wanted it to be me. So, I had to find another way.”

Initially, some audiences were responsive to her comedy while others thought she was “different.”

“I had somebody tell me in LA a long time ago, ‘We thought you were a Southern comedian, but really, you’re universal because you raise a bunch of kids and are a woman. You just happen to have a thick Southern accent telling it,’” Morgan says.

Morgan’s style is clean, although she has touched on topics such as menopause, martial relations and

puberty. Her children inspired her to stay away from raunchy comedy.

“I didn’t want to say anything that I didn’t want them to say,” she says.

“I knew that they were looking at me.

I’m their mama, and I didn’t want to do anything that would embarrass them.

I’m not a prude. I watch a lot of different comedians that are blue, and I think they are hilarious. It’s just not what I do.”

When her children were teenagers, they didn’t appreciate being the topic of her comedy. As they have aged, her children accept it and suggest ideas.

“They’ve all got a really good sense of humor, all of my kids,” Morgan says.

Through her comedy, audiences have gotten to know Morgan and her family, including her “old soul” son, “mean” oldest daughter and “spoiled” youngest daughter. She now has a grandchild, with whom she spends a lot of time.

“Things are so different but being with my grandchild also brings back a lot of memories of what I went through,” Morgan says.

Morgan is relatable and that led to success.

The comedian has 1.5 million social media followers and has appeared on “The View,” “Dr. Phil” and Nick at Nite’s “Funniest Mom” competition.

She’s inked development deals with ABC, Warner Bros., TV Land and Sony Television. Fans adore her.

“It’s just like we’re best friends, and they know my family,” she says about her fans.

“I’m an open book, and they have listened. They are precious about it.

During COVID, I had people sending my grandbaby things, my mama recipes of things she could eat. It was really sweet.

“After a show, I feel like I need to go home with every person, clean their house for them or make a casserole for

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them because they are so good to me.”

During the pandemic, she binged on macaroni and cheese, chicken casserole and pasta, but didn’t write much. She tends to draw inspiration from her own experiences.

“For me, the best way to write is to do, go to a CrossFit class, go to a cheer competition, go to a Def Leppard and Journey concert,” Morgan says.

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Leanne Morgan WHEN: 7 p.m. Saturday, May 21 WHERE: Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd Street, Phoenix COST: Tickets start at $34.75 INFO: 602.267.1600, celebritytheatre.com

ODE TO HIS ROOTS THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2022

11

Christone Ingram brings the ‘juke joint’ to Phoenix

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

B

lues prodigy Christone “Kingfish” Ingram has been hailed by the media and fans as the next big thing.

His sophomore album, “662,” took home the best contemporary blues album prize at the 64th Grammy Awards.

The 23-year-old musician takes it all in stride.

“Any musician would love any type of recognition,” Ingram says. “I know some musicians may scoff and that it’s just a little piece of their career. I think it’s great.

“To be honest, I expected it at a later age. I didn’t think people would take a liking to what I was putting down. I’ve always expected it — not saying I was going to be the best. But I knew I would be playing on stage in front of people in some form.”

Ingram will share his wins with Phoenix fans when the “662 Juke Joint Live” tour visits the Orpheum on Tuesday, May 17. He will be joined by Baltimore native Brittney Spencer.

Her recent single, “Sober & Skinny,” has garnered media praise and she’s set to release new music soon.

“I’m so excited to join Kingfish for the west coast leg of his ‘Juke Joint’ tour,” she says.

“Our shared love for music and performing has caused our not-sodistant musical worlds to collide in the

best way. I suspect it’ll be a magical time.”

A partnership with Nashville’s Outback Presents, the tour hits venues around the country, including the Apollo Theater in New York City, ACL Live at Moody Theater in Austin,

Symphony Hall in Atlanta, and the Ace Theater in Los Angeles.

“We are so honored to work with these incredible artists,” says Andrew Farwell, vice president, Outback Presents.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to reach new audiences, bringing unbridled talent and musicianship to the masses.

Combining these points of view with Christone’s virtuosic tenacity will make for an unforgettable live concert experience.”

Ingram’s album “662” was recorded in Nashville and co-written and produced

by Grammy winner Tom Hambridge.

“662 is an ode to my roots, a nod to the area where I was born and raised,” he says about the Clarksdale, Mississippi, area code.

“The title track, ‘662,’ encompasses how a small corner of the earth influenced my view of life and music.

It also points to the growth I have had since my debut album.

“As much as I have been fortunate to get ‘Outside of This Town,’ I do want people to know that the ‘662’ will always be a major part of who I am.”

“Outside of This Town” is the title of his breakout single from his 2019 Grammy-nominated debut album, “Kingfish.”

Since the release of “Kingfish,” he has headlined two national tours and

performed with friends including Vampire Weekend, Jason Isbell and Buddy Guy. He was interviewed by Sir Elton John on his Apple Music podcast, “Rocket Hour,” and recently released a duet with Bootsy Collins. He’s also covered Guitar World and DownBeat magazines.

Ingram’s reason for playing music is simple.

“It’s a healer for me,” he says. “I live in a blues city. In the blues world, it’s about singing, and lyrics are a big part of it.”

He is just thankful for the support he has received from fans and his team.

“I’m just so pleased with everybody who has gone out and bought the record, the brilliant people I have behind the scenes and my manager,” he says.

“They all keep me going. I just want to create more music and fill up the vault and tour.”

Christone “Kingfish” Ingram: 662 Juke Joint Live WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 17 WHERE: Orpheum Theatre Phoenix, 203 W. Adams Street, Phoenix COST: Tickets start at $27 INFO: phoenixconventioncenter. com ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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CITY

STYLE » ENVY » PASSION » FASHION » BEAUTY » DESIGN

TIDAL WAVE OF SOUND

Royal Blood’s ‘Typhoons’ explores new territory

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

T

here’s nothing simple about the English duo of vocalist/ bassist Mike Kerr and drummer Ben Thatcher, who create a whirlwind of sound as Royal Blood.

But Kerr shared the basics of Royal Blood’s show that comes to the Rialto Theatre on Monday, May 9.

“If you’ve been to a rock ‘n’ roll show, you know half of it,” Kerr said with a laugh.

“Seriously, our new record, ‘Typhoons,’ is nearly a year old but we haven’t really toured it. It’s been a long time since we played in the States.

There’s a lot of new music and it’s an exciting setlist. There’s no time to go and use the restroom at our shows.”

The shows are as commanding as the record. The 38-minute “Typhoons” kicks off with the wave of synthetic fuzz tone in “Trouble’s Coming.”

“I think that track was the first song

we had written that had that sound to it,” Kerr said.

“It was a good segue because it’s bold as well. We’re not pussy footing around.

We’re fully committed to the sound of the record.”

That said, “Typhoons” fits perfectly in Royal Blood’s catalog, according to Kerr.

He contends fans and musicians are sometimes concerned about how old and new material will mesh.

“I think those concerns might have some validity,” he added. “But once we started playing, we realized these songs were really heavy and have a raw energy that we bring to them when we play them live. It all works together. In fact, it gives our set real variety as well, which, perhaps was missing before.

“When we started piecing the set together, having the luxury of three albums, you get to have a stronger setlist by default. You end up playing the best songs.”

Thatcher and Kerr formed Royal Blood in Brighton, England, and

released their self-titled debut album in 2014. Playing the bass like a lead guitar, Kerr couples his visceral sound with Thatcher’s thunderous drums.

The success followed with 2017’s “How Did We Get So Dark?”

Each of Royal Blood’s three studio albums has topped the U.K. charts, selling more than 3 million copies worldwide. Their accolades include a BRIT award for Best British Group, and awards from NME and Kerrang, and a Mercury Prize nomination.

Sharing stages with the Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age, Royal Blood performed “Trouble’s Coming” on “The Late Late Show with James Corden.”

“Typhoons” was created primarily during the U.K.’s pandemic lockdown, which proved to be creative for Kerr and Thatcher.

“It was a process to get to that sound,” Kerr said. “I think we’ve always been very clear that we wanted to evolve and make something that felt like a

progression and try something new.

It took a lot of attempts to get to that point.

“By the time we go to ‘Trouble’s Coming,’ it felt like we had something we knew that was out that we were really excited about. It anything bores us while we’re playing it, it’s an indication that we shouldn’t pursue it.”

With “Typhoons,” Royal Blood stretched its sound as it was a route to pursue.

“Records are ultimately something to play live,” he said. “We used production and extra layers that people have never heard us use before. At its core, it’s all about live energy.”

Royal Blood w/Cleopatrick WHEN: 8 p.m. Monday, May 9 WHERE: Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress Street, Tucson COST: Tickets start at $30 INFO: rialtotheatre.com

COLLAGE OF SOUNDS THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2022

13

Dawes plans to delight fans at Pure Imagination

By Alex Gallagher

T

aylor Goldsmith has always had an ear for the obscure.

The singing guitarist of the alt-rock band Dawes — who is set to play Pure Imagination Fest on May 21 — describes the band’s “questionable” era as joyful.

“I look at bands who are very much in the zeitgeist and very much in the ‘cool kids club’ that speaks to and for a generation and part of me thinks that’s so cool,” Goldsmith says.

“So much of what I’ve always responded to as a fan for myself has always been a little more eclectic.”

Because of this, Goldsmith takes a relaxed approach to Dawes, which also includes his brother, drummer Griffin Goldsmith, bassist Wylie Gelber and keyboardist Lee Pardini.

“I don’t see a version of our story going where all of the sudden we’re an ‘it’ band,” Goldsmith says. “In a way, that’s exciting because when you don’t have to play that game you can do whatever you

want and playing a festival like this feels indicative of that.”

He enjoys the creative freedom that a festival like Pure Imagination can provide.

“I love all of the environments that a festival has, and there’s never a festival environment in which we’re disappointed,” Goldsmith says. “That whole world is its own culture and the people who go to festivals seem to go to a lot of them.”

Goldsmith oftentimes maximizes that freedom by feeding off of the audience’s energy and playing longer iterations of Dawes’ signature tunes.

“It’s weird that this is not common anymore, but what’s happening on our stage is totally live and in the moment,” he says. “Sometimes songs can be 4 minutes and sometimes that same song can be 9 minutes and we don’t know why or how it’s going to end up that way.”

Notably, Dawes will jam “Feed the Fire” from 2018’s album “Password.”

“We like to spread out where we’ll play a song like ‘Feed the Fire’ and instead of the 5-minute version you’ll hear on

the record, it may be more like a 10- or 12-minute version. Festivals tend to be the space where things like that are appreciated and people want to stay in a song and a mood,” Goldsmith said.

Dawes fans can expect to hear their favorite songs, however, elongated or not.

“Being very aware that a lot of people may not know who we are and if they do, it’s very tangentially or peripherally where they’ll only know ‘Things Happen,’” Goldsmith says. “So, we do

make it a point to get to those more obvious songs of ours where there’s a chance for the audience to look up and realize that they know this band.”

Pure Imagination Festival WHEN: 9 a.m. Saturday, May 21 WHERE: Watson Lake Park, 3101 Watson Lake Park Road, Prescott COST: Tickets start at $71.50 INFO: pureimaginationfest.com

CROSSING GENERATIONS

Fantastic Negrito shares his family history on new album

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

L

ike many musicians, singersongwriter Fantastic Negrito used the pandemic lockdown to write music.

The subject, however, was deeply personal.

“During the pandemic, I discovered my deep family secrets that were hidden from me,” says Negrito, born Xavier Dphrepaulezz. “I made an album and a movie about it.”

Due June 3, “White Jesus Black Problems” is based on the true story of Negrito’s seventh-generation white Scottish grandmother, an indentured servant, living in a common-law marriage with his seventh-generation African American enslaved grandfather, in open defiance of the racist, separatist, laws of 1750s colonial Virginia.

Negrito will play selections from “White Jesus Black Problems” at Pure Imagination Festival on Saturday, May 21, at Watson Lake Park in Prescott.

“It was super, super inspiring

to me,” he says about his family’s lineage. “This is my most ambitious work thus far. Who knew I was 27% European?”

Negrito researched his family the oldfashioned way: online.

“I just started digging online,” he says. “You have these websites that have all of our family information these days.”

The first single from “White Jesus Black Problems” is “Highest Bidder,” a track tackling themes of racism, capitalism and the meaning of freedom itself via African rhythms and Delta blues.

Another track, “Oh Betty,” was “very emotional.”

“It’s the story of my grandfather, of his humanity,” he says.

“He’s toiling in captivity and the only light at the end of this dark hallway is his love, Betty Gallimore, and he won’t give up on her. So that’s Grandpa Courage reaching out and singing that ballad.

“In the movie, there’s a scene where she meets him in the forest and gives him cornbread from the house. When you

think about the garbage that enslaved people were fed back then, the taste of that sweet cornbread must have been the taste of love. And for grandma, sneaking that food to him was an act of true love, as well. So it’s a song of love and longing, but also doubt and fear.”

Pure Imagination Festival WHEN: 9 a.m. Saturday, May 21 WHERE: Watson Lake Park, 3101 Watson Lake Park Road, Prescott COST: Tickets start at $71.50 INFO: pureimaginationfest.com ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

OUT OF THIS WORLD St. Paul & the Broken Bones explore ‘The Alien Coast’ 14

UPFRONT | CITY | TRAVEL | ARTS | DINING | BREWS & SPIRITS | CASINOS | SPORTS | FAMILY | MUSIC | NIGHTLIFE | IN CLOSING

By Dave Gil de Rubio

I

n the decade since St. Paul & the Broken Bones came out of Birmingham, Alabama, the eightpiece outfit has made a name for itself as a horn-driven neo-soul act fronted by frontman and namesake Paul Janeway.

And while the pandemic kept Janeway and company from touring, the creative juices continued to flow.

The result is “The Alien Coast,” the group’s fourth studio album and its debut on ATO Records. And while prior efforts like 2014’s “Half the City” and the 2016 follow-up “Sea of Noise” were more straightforward with its R&B and soul-fueled nuances, the band’s new outing features songs wrapped up in psychedelia and surrealism, with the title being cribbed from a history book about the Gulf Coast Janeway was reading, having just made that area of the country his family’s new home.

He discovered how early settlers were puzzled by their new environs and dubbed it the Alien Coast. It was this kind of thinking that influenced the direction of this new set of songs.

“I really feel like what we did here was along the lines of having a musical fever dream,” Janeway says. “And while I was busy during the pandemic welcoming my first child into the family, I had lots of time to dig into subjects like 17th century Italian sculpture, Greek mythology and dystopian science fiction.”

Adding to the new approach to the band’s sound were another couple of firsts — the decision to record in the collective’s Birmingham hometown for the first time and team up with Mountain Goats/Margo Price producer Matt Ross-Spang.

“It was a nice change to come home and try something different, especially when we were going down such a different path,” Janeway says. “And what was also great was how everyone in the band came to the session and were able to throw in all these different kinds of ideas that made for some really interesting outcomes.”

Helping lead the charge was bassist/ founding member Jesse Phillips, whose efforts found him rafting a beat and bassline he drew out of a newly bought Korg minilogue analog synth for “The Last Dance,” a chugging anthem driven by a hypnotic groove.

Art loomed large as an inspiration for Janeway, who found himself being inspired by 15th century Spanish painter Bartolomé Bermejo and fellow ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

Iberian Pablo Picasso. “Bermejo and the Devil,” a simmering gem paced by a sturm-and-dirge beat and spooky whispered harmonies, came out of the vocalist viewing the former’s “Saint Michael Triumphs over the Devil” at The National Gallery in London. Picasso provided the spark for “Minotaur,” a jam soaked in Janeway’s falsetto vocal that undulates over a loop conjured up by guitarist Browan Lollar and inspired by the late Cubist’s habit of using the fictional monster as an alter-ego in his work.

“Man, I got the chills looking at that (Bermejo) painting,” Janeway admitted.

“It was terrifying how clearly you could see the devil in this painting. And with ‘Minotaur,’ it’s all about recognizing inner fear, trying to avoid it and how lonely that can be.”

And while “The Alien Coast” may come off as marking quite an abrupt musical shift for the band to make, Janeway points to the group’s roots playing in Birmingham clubs as being a prime incubator for what was spawned on “The Alien Coast.”

“The music scene is pretty diverse,” he explains. “You have hip-hop, indie rock, metal and all sorts of genres of music.

So, for us, it kind of shaped us because there really wasn’t a certain way to go because there are not a lot of bands out of Birmingham that tour. It’s not a place for that. We were one of the first ones in a while to do that. For me, there was a club in Birmingham called the Bottle Free Café that’s unfortunately not there anymore. It was the place where we really cut our teeth and where I played in the first band that’d I’d ever been in outside of church. It’s where I met Jesse and the whole idea was for me and Jesse to make a record and be good friends and then go our separate ways.”

What was supposed to be a musical lark instead found St. Paul and the Broken Bones expanding beyond their humble beginnings and getting a huge break in opening for the Rolling Stones, something Janeway still shakes his head over when asked to recount that experience.

“It’s one of those things that will be written on our tombstones,” he said with a laugh. “You don’t understand the gravity of it until it actually happens.

For me, I didn’t grow up listening to the Rolling Stones because I grew up only listening to religious music. To the guys, that was it. It’s a legacy builder. It was

one of those things that no matter what happens to us, nobody can take that away from us. You look at the legacy of people that opened up for the Stones and it’s pretty amazing. Prince opened up for the Stones.”

Fast forward to the present day and St. Paul & the Broken Bones are preparing to hit the road, first on a headlining jaunt that extends into mid-May, followed by a summer co-headlining tour with fellow R&B outliers Fitz and the Tantrums. With the world hopefully coming out of the pandemic, Janeway and his crew are ready to unleash “The Alien Coast” on music-starved concertgoers.

“It’s going to be really interesting sharing all the cool stuff we’ve been doing in the studio,” he says. “I can’t wait to see the reactions of all our fans to our brand of boundary-breaking beauty.”

St. Paul and the Broken Bones w/Danielle Ponder WHEN: 8 p.m. Thursday, May 12 WHERE: The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren Street, Phoenix COST: Tickets start at $30 INFO: thevanburenphx.com

15

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2022

OPENING DAY APRIL 30 - SATURDAY!

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LAZY DAYS

Salt River Tubing returns for the summer

By Summer Aguirre

W

ith summer fast approaching, Salt River Tubing & Recreation has returned to take floaters on adventures throughout the season.

Since 1981, the family-owned company has provided tube rental and shuttle bus transportation to Salt River adventurers.

“We are celebrating our 42nd anniversary this summer,” says Lynda Breault, vice president of Salt River Tubing.

“We’re so excited. We think it’s going to be a phenomenal summer. We have hired almost our maximum number of employees needed so we are very, very blessed. Our buses are ready to roll, and our tubes are ready to rock on the Salt River rapids.”

Open since April 30, Salt River Tubing offers a lazy way to spend a weekend — along the river’s cool waters with views of wildlife. Breault says her company’s mission is to present the public with safe recreational opportunities like these.

Each weekend is themed. Upcoming events include The Rocking Rodeo Roundup, 42nd Anniversary Celebration on Saturday, May 14; Bag It for Bucks: Take Pride in America from Saturday, July 2, to Monday, July 4; and 22nd annual Mardi Gras Magic on Saturday, August 20.

The company operates in the Lower Salt River Recreational Area of Tonto National Forest, 7 minutes from the Loop 202 East on North Power Road.

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Dubbed the national forest’s “mini– Grand Canyon,” the area is home to wild horses and blue herons that frequent the river.

Salt River Tubing was launched by owner and CEO Henri Breault, whose family founded the first U.S. tubing company in Wisconsin in 1941.

He was vacationing in Arizona in 1980 when he was inspired to start a Salt River tour company. He sought to obtain a permit to operate under the USDA Forest Service in Tonto National Forest. The following summer, Salt River Tubing was up and running for the public.

Today, the company maintains a fleet of more than 30 buses and thousands of tubes, helping floaters venture out on “floating beach blasts” during Arizona’s hottest months and promoting the protection and conservation of the forest’s natural resources.

“We just want our public to come back. There is a recreational paradise out there,” Breault says.

“Help us keep it clean and beautiful, have a great time, but do it responsibly.

If you all come out and enjoy us with happy faces, we are certainly going to enhance that joy on the river.”

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Salt River Tubing 9200 N. Bush Highway, Mesa Open through Sunday, September 25 $21 per person, plus tax, includes tube rental, shuttle bus ride and parking 480.984.3305, saltrivertubing. com

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SMOKIN’ GOOD TIME

16

UPFRONT | CITY | TRAVEL | ARTS | DINING | BREWS & SPIRITS | CASINOS | SPORTS | FAMILY | MUSIC | NIGHTLIFE | IN CLOSING

Hall of Flame runs on passion for fire history

By Zakkary Brog

W

hen COVID-19 shut the world down in 2020, mere months into Chuck Montgomery’s tenure as executive director of the Hall of Flame Museum of Firefighting, he didn’t panic. In fact, he viewed it as a chance to do something special.

“It ended up being an awesome opportunity,” Montgomery said.

“In the three months I evaluated this place before my arrival, I really felt like there was a need for a number of things to be addressed. Those items, by incorporating the employees and volunteers, we did everything possible to essentially gut the museum and start all over from the A/C down to the plumbing to the flooring. We just decided to rebuild this place entirely. We spent 90 days making it a better version of itself.”

Montgomery’s passion for firefighting fueled his dedication to shine a light on the occupation at the museum.

“For me, it’s meaningful on two fronts,” said Montgomery, who retired as Glendale Fire Department’s deputy chief.

“It’s meaningful for me to see fire history preserved, having done it for most of my life. On a second note, the opportunity for us to educate the public—and I’m talking about youth— about fire safety is really paramount. It’s now difficult for fire departments and cities to deliver because of COVID.” The museum gives the staff the chance to bring that information to kids, added Montgomery, who was a firefighter for 37 years.

Recently, Montgomery and his staff

ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

trained 1,600 second-grade students from the Cartwright School District. He said it was rewarding.

The museum’s education curator, Mark Moorhead, never worked as a firefighter. His resume includes stints as a journalist and stage actor.

“I never really knew much about it or had all that keen of an interest on it,” Moorhead said.

“I grew up in my small town, three doors down from the fire hall. Friends of mine from high school became firefighters. I never even really thought about it. I came to work here, because a friend of mine that’d I’d worked with in the theater had this job before I did.

He hooked me up to get the job. I had

no museum experience and no firefighting experience. They gave me the job anyway.”

In his 16 years with the museum, Moorehead has turned into a selfproclaimed “fire buff.”

“I’m really fascinated by this history, and it just turns out to be like the history of a hundred other things you never thought about,” he said.

“It’s more complex and more interesting than you realize. Without organized firefighting, you really don’t have civilization. But, it’s something that most people, including me before I came here, never thought about.”

Moorhead relishes the chance to share his love of fire history — especially with children. He takes them on Hall of Flame tours and teaches them about fire safety.

“Really, in a way, that’s the most important part of this mission, of course,” Moorhead said.

“I always think to myself that I would do these story times for kindergarten, and first- and second-grade kids and try to teach basic fire safety.

“You never know — at least not in this life — what kid didn’t set fire to his house because you taught him. But even if you just entertained that kid, just gave them a chuckle, and gave them a really lasting memory, that’s better than most

people get to do with their day.”

Hall of Flame features antique fire trucks and artifacts. Among the items is a Ford F-750 transport buggy from Prescott used to carry the Granite Mountain Hotshots who died in the Yarnell Hill Fire.

The museum places a premium on not only providing an informative experience, but a fun one as well.

“We are a real historical museum.

You actually can learn something here,” Moorhead said. “We’re an archive, and we preserve these artifacts and this history. But, we also don’t take ourselves too seriously. You know our corny name.

We try to have fun here too. It’s really for a kid at heart.”

Hall of Flame 6101 E. Van Buren Street, Phoenix 602.275.3473 hallofflame.org 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2022

ARTS

17

CULTURE » THEATER » DANCE » GALLERY » DRAMA » VISION

SHAKESPEAREAN GIANT

Debra Ann Byrd brings experience to the Valley

By Bridgette M. Redman

D

ebra Ann Byrd didn’t come to Phoenix to be reborn.

However, that’s what happened when she joined the Mesa-based Southwest Shakespeare Company as its artistic director.

“I’m a Christian girl, a Bible girl and I was living in the Valley with the mountains surrounding me,” Byrd says.

“I was feeling so much closer to God, and I found myself being refreshed and rejuvenated and more alive. I lost 60 pounds. The environment was very good to me. It causes me to relax, to calm down, to breathe deeper and to smile more from the inside.”

Byrd brings a wealth of Shakespeare experience to the Valley. The founder of Harlem Shakespeare Festival and Take Wing and Soar Productions, Byrd is well known in the classical world. Last year, the Shakespeare Theatre Association honored her with the prestigious Sidney Berger Award thanks to her Shakespearean work.

“I fell in love with Shakespeare because I saw a troupe of Black actors performing it at Harlem,” Byrd says.

“Their performances were amazing and magical, beautiful. I said to myself, ‘Wow.’ I had been looking for a challenge in my theatrical career and when I saw them — that was the challenge I was looking for.”

She studied classical theater at a conservatory. Upon graduation, she was told she’d only find success with modern Black playwrights.

Unsatisfied with this, she founded the Harlem Shakespeare Festival. Coming up on its 20-year anniversary, the festival will celebrate with her, despite her current position.

“We’ll do it around summer, and I’ll have the opportunity to go there,” Byrd says.

“You can’t do summer in Arizona, so it kind of works out. My team in Harlem will do as much as they can, and I’ll do as much as I can and, together, we’ll make a beautiful 20th anniversary.”

Byrd’s work is well known. She produced an all-female version of “Othello” and recently staged “Becoming Othello: A Black Girl’s Journey” at the Lincoln Center. She is a writer-in-residence at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, artist-in-residence fellow at the Folger Institute and an A’Lelia Bundles Community Scholar at Columbia University.

Although she has worked primarily in New York, she is a perfect fit for Arizona in many ways.

“My mother is an African American from New York,” Byrd says.

“My father is from Puerto Rico. My dual culture has influenced how I view the world and how I make theater. I am an Afro-Latina who is fluent in Black theater, gospel theater and classical theater with a special emphasis on Shakespeare, all of which has helped shape who I am as a producer, actor and director.

“Over the years I have become a Shakespeare woman, producing Shakespeare and the classics for 20 years and I’ve spent the last 32 years as an actor. I look forward to working with the Southwest Shakespeare team as we strive to make great theater for Arizona and the Southwest.”

The position came about at an apt time as she felt she needed a change.

“I needed to grow,” Byrd says. “I needed to see for myself if I could do this career challenge.”

Southwest Shakespeare and Byrd were already familiar with each other. She performed here in 2019 and was an artist in residence for three years.

“I thought that they were a great organization,” Byrd says. “I thought that their work ethic was great, their shows were great and what I was seeing was all good.”

She was impressed with Mary Way, the executive director.

“She is kind, loving, giving and has a beautiful heart and a beautiful spirit,” Byrd says. “It was not really difficult to say let me go that way.”

Th feeling is mutual.

“She brings a skill set and advanced industry experience having founded and

run the Harlem Shakespeare Festival,” Way says.

“She is critically acclaimed and was the Phoenix Actress of the Year in 2019 for her role as Othello. She is thoroughly decorated and it’s an attribute to our education mission to have an artist share both the Latin and African American experience with our community.”

Byrd arrived in January, in the middle of the season assembled by Way. Since then, she has learned about the organization and the Valley.

Byrd is organizing the next season and promises at least three Shakespearean plays, maybe even five. Southwest Shakespeare Company wraps its season with “Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles” on May 8 at Taliesin West.

“I think the best way to seduce someone to Shakespeare is to perform it for them and show them your heart and your soul,” Byrd says.

“When you perform Shakespeare and share your heart and soul, people cannot help but to be seduced if you honestly share.”

“Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles” WHEN: Various times through May 8 WHERE: Taliesin West, 12345 N. Taliesin West, Scottsdale COST: Tickets start at $35 INFO: swshakespeare.org ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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DINING

EAT » EXPERIENCE » INDULGE » SAVOR » DEVOUR » NOSH

FEEDING FRENZY

Arizona Restaurant Week returns for spring 2022

By Summer Aguirre

S

pring Arizona Restaurant Week continues this month to bring foodies on a culinary trip around the state.

From Friday, May 20, to Sunday, May 29, the Arizona Restaurant Association’s semiannual event features a slew of restaurants offering threecourse price-fixed menus. These dining establishments showcase Arizona’s culinary scope, while allowing diners to support their local businesses and explore new cuisine at discounted prices.

“As our industry continues to navigate labor shortages, cost increases and limited supplies, we still aim to present our state’s dining community with the most delicious way to explore our culinary scene,” says Steve Chucri, Arizona Restaurant Association chief executive officer.

“With dine-in and take-out options and a variety of dining choices, including high-end and independently owned best-kept secrets, we encourage diners to use Arizona Restaurant Week as an opportunity to support the industry while enjoying an incredible meal.”

Returning restaurants include Blue Agave Mexican Cantina, Buck & Rider, Charleston’s Restaurant, Chelsea’s Kitchen, Match Market & Bar, Paul Martin’s American Grill, The Canal Club, The House Brasserie, Thirsty Lion Gastropub and the University Club of Phoenix.

On May 1, Arizona Restaurant Week will unveil the full list of participants and their menus at arizonarestaurantweek.com.

Arizona Restaurant Week’s goal is to establish the state as one of the nation’s top culinary destinations. During the 10 days, it encourages spending and promotes the 8,500 eateries.

The Stockyards Steakhouse, a 75-yearold Old Western-style restaurant in Phoenix, has participated in Arizona Restaurant Week since the event began approximately 15 years ago.

Owner Gary Lasko says the program has helped Stockyards Steakhouse’s bottom line and yielded a positive response from the public — before and after the pandemic.

Agave Mexican Cantina

“It boosts business for us,” Lasko says.

“It exposes a bunch of people to the restaurant, and maybe you get those people back over the summer if they really like it and think it’s a cool place.”

During the 10 days, the three-course menus were presented at participating restaurants for $33, $44 or $55 per person, or per couple in some instances.

For an additional cost, eateries offer wine pairings. Takeout is also available.

Menus often have off-the-menu entrees, which encourage chefs to cook creatively and take advantage of seasonal items.

“We always focus on our signatures, like a filet and prime rib as entrees, instead of trying to put some lesser things out there,” Lasko says.

“We want to showcase our best items.

So, I think that’s the opportunity for people, to go to some restaurants they wouldn’t necessarily go to and check them out at a better price and a slower time of year.”

Arizona Restaurant Week Friday, May 20, to Sunday, May 29 arizonarestaurantweek.com

Chelsea’s Kitchen

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2022

DINING

CALENDAR

By Annika Tomlin

course options include Szechwan sea bass; blazing salmon; Ling’s seafood hot pot; and surf and turf.

Ling’s Wok Shop, 20511 N. Hayden Road, Suite 100, Scottsdale, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., $26, lingswok.shop

prepared by Chef Marc Lupino, while also indulging in specialty cocktails and the opportunity to bid on one-of-a-kind items in the live and silent auctions.

Dominick’s Steakhouse, 15169 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, 5:30 p.m. red carpet, 7 p.m. dinner, tickets start at $850 per person, Jennifer Moser at 602-524-8557, jmoser@jmoserandco.com,

Match Market Dog Mother’s Day

MAY 8 Match Market & Bar is celebrating all dog mommies with a brunch featuring fun activities for them and their four-legged babies. Brunch menu options include huevos rancheros skillet, Belgian waffle and masala chai French toast ($13 each). A specialty cocktail will be available with a portion of the proceeds going to #LovePup rescue foundation. Dog meals include woof bowls with organic brown rice, sweet potato and chicken or beef ($10); and Doggie Dessert, a housemade banana and peanut butter ice cream with whipped cream and a pup cookie ($6).

Match Market & Bar, 1100 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., pricing varies, matchphx.com

Ling’s Wok Shop Mother’s Day MAY 8 In honor of moms, Ling’s Wok Shop will serve a special two-course meal. Small bites or first-course options include sake-poached shrimp; Vietnamese noodle salad; and steamed dumplings. Main

House Brasserie

Spring Arizona Restaurant Week

Olive & Ivy Mother’s Day

MAY 8 Select dishes from the standard menu, plus three featured items will be offered special for Mother’s Day. The featured items include maple glazed short rib ($20), stuffed French toast ($16) and sea scallops ($31). Reservations are highly recommended.

Olive & Ivy, 7135 E. Camelback Road, STE 195, Scottsdale, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., 480-751-2200, oliveandivyrestaurant.com

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Miracle Mile Deli Day

MAY 10 Founded in 1949, Miracle Mile Deli will celebrate its 73 years with a $19.49 special. Enjoy a pastrami, brisket or corned beef sandwich with a draft beer or slice of pie. The deli will give away a $100 gift card every hour between noon and 7 p.m.

Miracle Mile Deli, 4433 N. 16th Street, Phoenix, times TBA, $19.49, miraclemiledeli.com

MAY 20 TO MAY 29 During this 10-day culinary event, participating restaurants offer threecourse prix-fixe menus for $33, $44 or $55 per person or, in some instances, per couple. Chefs explore their creativity as select restaurants offer dishes specific to restaurant week. Returning participants include The Stockyards, Buck & Rider, The Canal Club, The House Brasserie and University Club of Phoenix.

Various locations, various times, $33-$55, azrestaurant.org/arw

The Henry Mother’s Day

MAY 8 On top of The Henry’s regular breakfast and brunch menus, two specialty items will be available for Mother’s Day. Those featured dishes include a giant cinnamon roll to share ($12) and Maryland crab cakes ($33) with tarragon remoulade and roasted corn salad.

Reservations are recommended.

The Henry, 4455 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., 602-429-8020, thehenryrestaurant.com

Fitz’s Supper Club

MAY 10 Created by former Arizona Cardinal, Larry Fitzgerald, Fitz’s Supper Club is a premier social, philanthropic and entertainment event that benefits the Larry Fitzgerald Foundation. Attendees will enjoy an array of Fitzgerald’s favorite foods

Learn & Lunch Cooking Class

Yotam Ottolenghi

MAY 11 For award-winning chef, writer and restaurateur Yotam Ottolenghi, food is about more than consumption. It is joyful, pleasurable and surprising.

Ottolenghi will discuss this concept and his cookbooks, including his latest “Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love,” co-written with Noor Murad. Masks are required.

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Virginia G. Piper Theater, 7380 E. Second Street, Scottsdale, 7:30 p.m., $29-$49, scottsdaleperformingarts.org

MAY 21 Chef Marcellino shares his secrets at his Learn & Lunch Cooking Class.

Guests surround the Chef’s Island at Marcellino Restaurant, where he demonstrates the preparation of his signature dish, and tells stories of his childhood on a farm in Italy.

Following the class, patrons enjoy lunch of the featured dish plus an organic green salad and a sweet treat of handmade biscotti. This month’s featured dish is chef’s jumbo ravioli filled with a “surprise.”

Marcellino Ristorante, 7114 E. Stetson Drive, Scottsdale, 1 to 3 p.m., $70, marcellinoristorante.com

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20

BREWS & SPIRITS

SIP » BREW » RELAX » EXPERIMENT » REFRESH » TOAST

HONORING MEXICAN CULTURE

Enjoy spirits surrounded by music and color

By Allison Brown

A

t Barcoa Agaveria, the tequila is strong, the mezcal is smoky, bright colors pop and Mexicanstyle music thumps through the speakers. But for co-founders Dave Tyda and Ryan Oberholtzer, all of that came secondary to creating a space that honors and celebrates Mexican heritage.

“Barcoa is inspired by and honors Mexican-style bars,” Oberholtzer says.

“We have two floors, one of them is a cantina, very casual and very comfortable style, then one (downstairs) is more of an upgraded, Big City Mexico, craft cocktail style. But almost everything that we have uses spirits that are from agave, which is a spirit that you only get in Mexico, so, tequilas, mezcals, all those fun things.”

Only using spirits from agave certainly doesn’t limit them, though, as Barcoa has 250 different spirits. Tyda says they have about 30 to 35 brands of

ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

tequila and each brand has three to four expressions, and the same with the mezcal. Then there is what Tyda called the “funky stuff,” adding more options.

The upstairs cantina has classic Mexican cocktails like margaritas, palomas and a mezcal mule. Downstairs, however, “those are our inventions,” Tyda says. Customers can find flavor combinations they have likely never seen before, like in the leche de pistachio ($15), with mezcal, pistachio milk, coconut cream and lime. Tyda says another one of their interesting basement cocktails is the espresso con cordones ($16), with tequila, espresso and Mexican chocolate coconut cream.

What guests won’t find at Barcoa are celebrity tequilas that are improperly harvested. The reason for this goes back to the whole reason they created the bar in the first place, to honor true Mexican culture.

That wasn’t just a business strategy for them, it was the founding idea that made everything come together.

Oberholtzer says he and his family lived in Guadalajara and had an “incredible experience” with the culture, people and music. When they returned to the states, he says he wanted to share that culture somehow, which is when a mutual friend introduced him to Tyda.

“Most people who open a bar or restaurant start with a business plan…We didn’t do that. It’s almost like this place found us, it all happened simultaneously and serendipitously,” Tyda says about opening Barcoa. “When I said I wanted to open a tequila bar, I was kind of joking. And Ryan just said, ‘I have this taco shop and I love Mexico,’ so what’s the next logical step? But neither one of us really thought through that process, and then it just happened. It’s literally

just listening to the universe, pushing us in that direction.”

Tyda says once he and Oberholtzer spoke, they realized they had a similar passion and vision. They say it was very important to them not to just mimic a Mexican bar and put a sugar skull decal on the wall. They wanted people to really experience a Mexican bar and culture in their space.

“One of our big concerns was, ‘How do we do this correctly and in the right way?’ So, we hired a friend who lives in Guadalajara, she’s an interior designer and architect,” Oberholtzer says. “We told her the kind of vision we saw and from there, she designed everything. Her whole purpose was to make this real and make this the way that you would see it in Mexico.”

Everything in the upstairs Cochina is from Mexico — the tables, tiles, cups, decorations, light fixtures. Even the music is a playlist assembled by friends from Mexico so it would sound authentic. And, not entirely planned, Barcoa is located directly behind XICO, a Latino and Indigenous art gallery and working artist studio.

“David and I both have such a love and affinity for Mexico that we knew we couldn’t do it halfway, we had to really do it all,” Oberholtzer says.

Barcoa is a “come as you are” space.

The cantina doesn’t take reservations, but they are strongly recommended for The Basement, which offers a higher-end menu and has limited seating. The bar also hosts private parties.

“It’s important to note that we don’t want to feel like we’re representing Mexican culture. We just have a passion for it. We wanted to create a place for us to express that passion for the culture,” Tyda says. “I tend to shy away from the word ‘authentic,’ even though we wanted the place to feel authentic, I don’t think it’s our place to say what is authentic. It’s so important to us when somebody from the Hispanic or Mexican community comes in and says, ‘Thank you for how you created this place.’ It means the world to us. It gives me chills.”

Barcoa 829 N. First Avenue, Phoenix barcoaphx.com

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2022

BREWS & SPIRITS

21

THIS MONTH AT

CALENDAR CHASE FIELD MOTHER’S DAY WEEKEND

ROSE GOLD CAP

CLEAR CROSSBODY BAG

MAY 7

Ling & Louise Asian Bar and Grill

By Annika Tomlin

Taco & Tequila Crawl

MAY 7 What could possibly make a bar crawl better? How about a taco buffet? Dance and sing to party jams with tequila in one hand and a taco in the other. Tickets include admission to all participating bars, a free taco buffet and two 1-cent drink vouchers to use along the crawl.

Wasted Grain, 7295 E. Stetson Drive, Scottsdale, noon to 6 p.m., eventbrite.com, $20-$30

Uncorked: AZ Wine Festival

MAY 7 Uncorked returns to the Valley pouring more than 100 wines from across the globe. The event also features local food trucks, a live DJ and other activities. Tickets include all wine tasting with food sold

separately. This event benefits local nonprofit AZ Small Dog Rescue.

Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, 7555N. Pima Road, Scottsdale, 6 to 10 p.m., eventbrite.com, $60-$75

Mother’s Day at Drink Me!

MAY 8 Drink Me! has more than 30 tea flavors to choose from including Pineapple Darjeeling, a Harvest Blend of pumpkin, vanilla and maple, Tarlee Whiskey and Saipan Hibiscus. Enjoy one of the most popular tea experiences, the Wonderland Tea, which includes plant-based and gluten-free savories, scones and sweets with a pot of tea, or make it iced.

Reservations are required.

Drink Me! Tea Room, 1730 E. Warner Road, Tempe, drinkmetearoom.com, $21-$54

Drink Me! Tea Room

MAY 8

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Mother’s Day Brunch & Bubbles

MAY 7 AND MAY 8 This special menu pairs a prosecco-based beverage with a selection of Ling and Louie’s popular brunch and lunch menu offerings. Choose from a mimosa, glass of prosecco or the signature Bangkok Spritz and it enjoy it with favorites from char siu pork benedict, very berry French toast or cashew stir fry.

Ling & Louie’s Asian Bar and Grill, 9397 E. Shea Boulevard, Scottsdale, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., linganglouies.com, $20

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22

CASINOS

PLAY » SPIN » LAUGH » GROOVE » UNWIND » WIN

COUNTING THEIR ‘BLESSINGS’

Sublime has the chance to tour the new album

By Alan Sculley

F

or the third time in three albums, Sublime with Rome went to Sonic Ranch near El Paso, Texas, a studio vocalist/ guitarist Rome Ramirez, bassist Eric Wilson and drummer Carlos Verdugo like because it’s isolated enough to allow bands to concentrate on the business at hand instead of getting distracted during recording by nightlife and other recreational opportunities.

“I think Eric really likes that kind of rhythm out there, like no distractions. I’ve grown to love it as well,” Ramirez says.

But being at Sonic Ranch was about the only thing the making of the group’s new album, “Blessings,” had in common with the previous pair of albums.

The group’s first two albums were done in a rush. “Yours Truly,” released in 2013, had to be finished in about six weeks. The 2017 sophomore album, “Sirens,” came under a time crunch when the band got off to a slow start with songwriting and had to make up time during recording.

The experience in making 2019’s “Blessings,” was a 180-degree change.

“It was so different. It wasn’t like ‘You need to make an album.’ Then ‘You guys need to make an album right now,’” Ramirez says. “It was like ‘We want to make an album (now).’ And all of the songs were written beforehand.”

What’s more, the group was hearing positive things from management, the record label and radio promotional people about the songs that were in play for album number three.

“That creates such a less stressful environment,” Ramirez says.

In all, Sublime with Rome spent a year and a half making “Blessings,” which tested the band’s patience, but ultimately had a major benefit.

“You’re able to put out a thought-out piece of material,” Ramirez says.

Making an album the group can stand behind is important for a group like Sublime with Rome, which has a considerable legacy to live up to that goes back three decades.

That’s when original Sublime, with singer/guitarist Bradley Nowell, Wilson and drummer Bud Gaugh, formed.

That group’s run was cut short in May

1996 when Nowell died from a heroin overdose — just as a self-titled third album was ready for release.

Nowell’s death brought a wave of attention to Sublime. Propelled by the chart-topping alternative rock single, “What I Got,” the self-titled album went five times platinum and helped cement Sublime’s place as one of the pioneers of what is now a thriving reggae-rock genre.

The Sublime story could have ended there. But in 2009, Ramirez crossed paths with Wilson while they were both working in the same studio. The two began jamming together and became friends over time.

One day, Wilson asked Rome if he’d want to sing in a new edition of Sublime should Gaugh sign on for the project.

Ramirez jumped at the chance, and with Gaugh on board, Sublime (soon renamed Sublime with Rome after Nowell’s family objected to the band using only the Sublime name) was in the studio working on “Yours Truly.”

The debut album was a significant success, spawning a top five alternative rock hit with the song “Panic” and giving Sublime with Rome a strong measure of legitimacy.

Gaugh left the band in 2011, and Verdugo, formerly of Tribal Seeds, now

holds down the drummer slot.

“Sirens” didn’t generate a hit song on the level of “Panic,” but the album debuted at No. 2 on “Billboard” magazine’s Alternative Albums chart, and Sublime With Rome saw its audience continue to expand to the point where the group could consistently headline amphitheaters.

Now comes “Blessings,” which was preceded by a trio of reggae-centric singles, “Wicked Heart,” (which cracked the top 35 on “Billboard” magazine’s Alternative Songs chart), “Spiderweb” and “Light On.” The album found Sublime With Rome making one other major change, bringing on Rob Cavallo (known for his work with Green Day and the Goo Goo Dolls, among others) to produce after working with Paul Leary on the previous albums.

Ramirez says Cavallo and his engineer, Doug McKean, lived up to their reputation for creating exceptionalsounding recordings.

“With what Rob has in his head and the way he can communicate with Doug, they are a deadly dynamic duo,” Ramirez says, noting that “Blessings” represents a significant step up sonically over the first two Sublime With Rome

albums.

Ramirez also says “Blessings” might be a bit more reggae oriented than the first two albums, but there’s also plenty of musical variety.

With touring resuming as the country opens again, the band faces a new challenge — crafting set lists that retain the back-catalog songs fans want to hear while figuring out which new songs are connecting best with audiences.

One thing the group won’t do to make room for new material is stop playing the key songs by the original Sublime lineup.

“You know, we’re entertainers. We’re not out there to prove an agenda or shove anything down peoples’ throats. People come out to have a really good time and hear some of their favorite music,” Ramirez says. “You put on a really great show and play songs that everybody loves…That’s kind of always been the M.O. from the start.”

Sublime with Rome w/ Julian Marley WHEN: 8 p.m. Friday, May 27 WHERE: Casino Del Sol, 5655 W. Valencia Road, Tucson COST: Tickets start at $30 INFO: casinodelsol.com

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2022

CASINO ENTERTAINMENT

CALENDAR

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

Soul Persuasion

8 P.M. THURSDAY, MAY 5 WKP Sports & Entertainment, 10438 Wekopa Way, Fort McDowell, free, 480.789.4957, wekopacasinoresort.com

Puddle of Mudd

8 P.M. FRIDAY, MAY 6 Wild Horse Pass Boulevard, 5040 Wild Horse Pass Boulevard, Chandler, 1.800.946.4452, playatgila.com

Painted Cave

8 P.M. FRIDAY, MAY 6 WKP Sports & Entertainment, 10438 Wekopa Way, Fort McDowell, free, 480.789.4957, wekopacasinoresort.com

Showtek & Gattuso

5 P.M. SATURDAY, MAY 7 Talking Stick Resort, 9800 E. Talking Stick Way, Scottsdale, tickets start at $30, 480.850.7777, talkingstickresort.com

¡Vive! Selena, A tribute to Selena Quintanilla 7:30 P.M. FRIDAY, MAY 6, AND SATURDAY, MAY 7 Casino Arizona, 524 N. 92nd Street,

Scottsdale, tickets start at $15, 480.850.7777, casinoarizona.com

Celebrating the Music of Jerry Riopelle

8 P.M. FRIDAY, MAY 6 Talking Stick Resort, 9800 E. Talking Stick Way, Scottsdale, tickets start at $35, 480.850.7777, talkingstickresort.com

Juanes

8 P.M. FRIDAY, MAY 6 Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino, 15406 N. Maricopa Road, Maricopa, tickets start at $64.50, 480.802.5000, caesars.com/harrahs-ak-chin

Superhero

8 P.M. FRIDAY, MAY 13 WKP Sports & Entertainment, 10438 Wekopa Way, Fort McDowell, free, 480.789.4957, wekopacasinoresort.com

Boombox Cartel

5 P.M. SATURDAY, MAY 14 The Pool at Talking Stick Resort, 9800 E. Talking Stick Way, Scottsdale, tickets start at $30, 480.850.7777, talkingstickresort.com

AZ-Z Top

9 P.M. SATURDAY, MAY 14

WKP Sports & Entertainment, 10438 Wekopa Way, Fort McDowell, $20, 480.789.4957, wekopacasinoresort.com

Smokey Robinson: Music and Memories

8 P.M. SATURDAY, MAY 14 Cliff Castle Casino, 555 Middle Verde Road, Camp Verde, tickets start at $50, 1.800.381.7568, cliffcastlecasinohotel.com

The Police Experience

7:30 P.M. FRIDAY, MAY 20, AND SATURDAY, MAY 21 Casino Arizona, 524 N. 92nd Street, Scottsdale, tickets start at $15, 480.850.7777, casinoarizona.com

The Walkens

8 P.M. FRIDAY, MAY 20 WKP Sports & Entertainment, 10438 Wekopa Way, Fort McDowell, free, 480.789.4957, wekopacasinoresort.com

Nick Swardson

8 P.M. FRIDAY, MAY 20 Talking Stick Resort, 9800 E. Talking Stick Way, Scottsdale, tickets start at $35, 480.850.7777, talkingstickresort.com

Britain’s Finest Beatles Tribute

9 P.M. SATURDAY, MAY 21 WKP Sports & Entertainment, 10438 Wekopa Way, Fort McDowell, $20, 480.789.4957, wekopacasinoresort.com

23

The Pool at Talking Stick Resort, 9800 E. Talking Stick Way, Scottsdale, tickets start at $35, 480.850.7777, talkingstickresort.com

Appetite 4 Destruction

7:30 P.M. FRIDAY, MAY 27, AND SATURDAY, MAY 28 Casino Arizona, 524 N. 92nd Street, Scottsdale, tickets start at $15, 480.850.7777, casinoarizona.com

Matt Farris

8 P.M. FRIDAY, MAY 27 WKP Sports & Entertainment, 10438 Wekopa Way, Fort McDowell, free, 480.789.4957, wekopacasinoresort.com

Pitbull

8 P.M. FRIDAY, MAY 27 Talking Stick Resort, 9800 E. Talking Stick Way, Scottsdale, tickets start at $35, 480.850.7777, talkingstickresort.com

3LAU: Summer Oasis Pool Party Series

2 TO 6 P.M. SATURDAY, MAY 28 Talking Stick Resort, 9800 E. Talking Stick Way, Scottsdale, tickets start at $40, 480.850.7777, talkingstickresort.com

Str8Up Band

8 P.M. SATURDAY, MAY 28 WKP Sports & Entertainment, 10438 Wekopa Way, Fort McDowell, free, 480.789.4957, wekopacasinoresort.com

Oliver Heldens

5 P.M. SATURDAY, MAY 21

A TABLE FOR TWO?

Phind it ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

24

SPORTS

CHEER » HIT » HIKE » LEAD » ROOT » COMPETE

CHAMPIONSHIP MENTALITY

Rattlers MVP Drew Powell looks to cement his legacy

By Joshua Weisbly

A

rizona Rattlers quarterback Drew Powell has two MVP awards under his belt and now he’s looking to add to his list of

accolades.

“When you say ‘Drew Powell,’ I want ‘championship’ to be the first thing you think about,” he says.

The Rattlers continue their winning ways against the Tucson Sugar Skulls in Tucson on Saturday, May 7. Their next home game is Saturday, May 14, when they take on the Massachusetts Pirates.

Powell instantly connected with the game at a young age.

“My dad, my uncles, they all played football growing up,” Powell says. “They introduced me to it, I was pretty much born with a football in my hand.”

He played football throughout his schooling, and carried that passion through Livingstone College, where the 6-foot-3 star was the quarterback. Upon graduation, he longed to continue that.

“I didn’t want to play, you know, semipro or anything like that,” Powell says.

“I wanted to show I could really be a professional quarterback, lead a team, be the face of the franchise. So, when that didn’t come with the NFL, I still had to figure it out. That was still my dream and aspiration.”

The path wasn’t that easy.

“That road, that road was rocky, man,” he says. “It took a lot of perseverance, a lot of determination, and just me wanting to prove to myself that I could do it.”

Powell planned to play overseas, but the league folded. From there, he moved on to Canadian Football League workouts and camps, but nothing stuck.

He found himself in the IFL after sending a message on Twitter to the Sioux Falls Storm.

“They watched my film and they were like, ‘Hey, come to camp.’ I went to camp and did what I was supposed to do. That’s how I got into the league — through the back door.”

As a new Sioux Falls player, he wore several hats, ranging from special teams to receiver, just to make the team. His next stop was with the Iowa Barnstormers.

“I went to Iowa, and I made plays and just showed the league and myself my talents,”

he says. “After that, it was pretty smooth.

“It feels like the IFL and I have been growing together. Before I came into the league, they played on a subscription channel. Then, when I came into the league, that was the first year it was on YouTube and we had new teams — bigcity teams like Vegas and California.”

Powell says he and the league are also garnering attention together. He’s excited to be a league ambassador and the face of the game.

Switching from NFL-style play to IFL rules was a little challenging, he says.

“That was a little weird. I had to get used to the motions and the speed of the game,” Powell says.

Even with career stability, Powell found his path to the Rattlers filled with twists and turns.

During his final season with the Barnstormers, Powell tried out for the CFL’s Saskatchewan Roughriders. The Roughriders wanted to convert Powell to a defensive back when he arrived.

After finishing minicamp, Powell returned to Iowa and wrapped up the season as the title-winning quarterback. After the championship, the Roughriders asked Powell to return — this time as the quarterback.

Unfortunately, however, the team’s head coach left for an assistant coaching job in the NFL. “He was the guy that was really cheering for me,” Powell says. “He was the guy who brought me. It wasn’t like a position coach who I could lean on. So, when he was gone, it was kind of tough.”

After having his opportunity to make the CFL it was hard to consider the IFL. “I didn’t want to come back to the IFL,” Powell says.

“Honestly, the whole goal was to go to the CFL or NFL. So, I felt like I did that.”

He waited for CFL teams to recruit him. He spent a short time playing in the now-folded Arena Football Leagues’ Atlantic City Blackjacks. His next move: the Arizona Rattlers.

“I just feel like that’s how it was supposed to happen,” Powell says.

“I get to actually play football. I get to run the ball, throw the ball and show my complete skillset.”

The now two-time MVP is in elite company. He’s only one of two players in the league to win the award on two

separate teams. The other is Rattlers quarterback coach Chris Dixon, ironically.

Powell is taking advantage of the opportunity to be mentored by Dixon.

“To be in that company is major,” he says. “Then the craziest part is that the only other person to do it is my coach.”

“It’s a blessing. I’m humbled, honestly.

I’m just soaking everything up.”

Powell is concerned about his legacy, but he’s also focused on correcting the last two championship games.

“We went to the championship and I’m just trying to get back on track and win,” Powell says.

“If we win the next two or the next three,

they’ll forget about the two that we lost.”

The Rattlers have always been hungry to win, and the staff expects greatness from its players. That attitude and those expectations encourage Powell to stay with the Rattlers.

“I told them when I got here, I felt I could make my career here,” Powell says.

“It’s somewhere I want to be. It feels like football. It doesn’t feel like a side job or just a joke or a little arena football team. No, this is the real deal.”

Arizona Rattlers azrattlers.com

A HOMETOWN ‘STAR’ THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2022

25

Brandon Frazier is ready to perform at Gila River

By Annika Tomlin

F

igure skater Alexa Knierim treasures her time on the U.S. Olympic team. After all, it took a lifetime of hard work and dedication.

“I think for both Brandon and I it is an honor and a privilege to be part of the Olympic team,” she says referring to her Phoenix-born partner, Brandon Frazier. “We know how few people have this opportunity. We know that we’re a community of Olympians that is small and rare.”

Knierim and Frazier will be among the cast of “Stars on Ice” when it skates into Gila River Arena on Friday, May 20.

Founded in 1986 by skating icon Scott Hamilton, “Stars on Ice” offers fans an up-close look at the sports’ superstars, performing solo and ensemble routines.

The cast includes 2022 Olympic gold and silver medalist and reigning U.S. champion Nathan Chen, along with Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue. Additional skaters are expected to be announced soon.

Frazier says it was challenging to make the Olympic team.

“It was a lot of contributing factors to actually be named to the Olympic team because the Olympics come every four years,” Frazier says.

“The timing — on top of having to do everything mentally and physically — has to be right, too. It’s a lifelong journey to be named to that team.”

Frazier says the 2022 Winter Olympics — his first foray at the games — were exciting even before he and Knierim hit the ice.

“It was just a moment where all of your hard work and dedication pays off,” he says.

“She and I worked so hard and in all the right ways. We never took our foot off the gas. You have that moment of realization that everything that you did has led you here and now you can enjoy it.”

Knierim explains they started the Olympics “with a bang” and were proud of their finish. They received their personal best score first at the short program team event (75.00 points) then surpassed it at the free skate pair event (138.45 points) toward the end of the

uide The Insider’s G

Olympics. Not to mention, they achieved their best total score (212.68 points) following their final pair event. They achieved the highest scores by a U.S. pair under the international judging system.

“It’s always a dream to get to skate very well at the Olympics,” she says.

“When you are actually able to get to do that, it sits a little bit differently than any other competition.”

The duo’s performances for pairs and individuals were two weeks apart. It was challenging to keep up their A games.

“You’re trying to sustain your peak for multiple beats and that’s not normal,” Frazier admits. “You are really only doing that for a few days at all of the other events.

“Then entering the final few days of our short program and the individual, you really felt the longevity of the Olympics

to Arizona Enter

.com

entertainermag

tainment

kicking in. It took a lot of mental toughness to stay exactly where you need to be mentally to get back out there.”

Winning a silver medal in the figure skating team event “was a surreal dream” to Knierim who previously won a bronze medal with her former skating partner and husband, Chris Knierim.

“It obviously means a lot when you can medal at any event, but to share that platform with some of our best teammates and really good friends was a memorable moment for us,” Knierim says.

The duo will perform twice during the “Stars on Ice” U.S. tour. Preparing for them was completely different than readying for the Olympics, Frazier says.

“We just prepare our show numbers and it’s actually nice,” he says. “It’s just a whole different process where you get to put in what you want.

“You don’t really have to worry about rules or required technical elements.

It’s a lot more fun and laid back when you get to put together these programs versus putting together your competition programs.”

Knierim adds, “I think that we are looking forward to reaching a live audience in 24 different cities and

allowing the different communities and families to see skating live again.

“Because of the pandemic, there have been a lot of missed opportunities.

Sharing that passion on the ice with the cast and the audience will be probably something we are most excited about,” she says.

Frazier says it means a lot to perform in a hometown show, as he lived in Sun City prior to moving to Colorado Springs.

“It’s going to be so sentimental to me to perform a show that I’ve always dreamed about being a part of, within a state and city that I was born in,” Frazier says. “I still have a lot of family in Arizona, and I know that they are already planning and excited to attend.

“It’s going to be all the better to experience that and I’m looking forward to performing in front of my family.”

“Stars on Ice” WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 20 WHERE: Gila River Arena, 9400 W. Maryland Avenue, Glendale COST: Tickets start at $12.50 INFO: starsonice.com ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

CRUISING FOR A CAUSE

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UPFRONT | CITY | TRAVEL | ARTS | DINING | BREWS & SPIRITS | CASINOS | SPORTS | FAMILY | MUSIC | NIGHTLIFE | IN CLOSING

Kyle Petty charity ride thunders through Arizona

By Zakkary Brog

W

hen NASCAR driver Kyle Petty and his friends organized a motorcycle ride in 1995, they had one goal: ride from California to North Carolina.

“Everybody we mentioned it to said that it was the dumbest idea in the world,” Petty says. “We just kept talking about it, and eventually it was like ‘Hey, man. Let’s do it for charity.’ So, we told everybody again. They said it was the greatest idea that they’d ever heard.”

The idea evolved into the Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America.

“That first year, every city we stopped in, we gave someone in need a check for $4,000 to $5,000,” Petty says.

“It blossomed through the years.

We started going to children’s hospitals. In 2000, when my oldest son was killed in a racing accident, we decided to build Victory Junction.”

In Randleman, North Carolina, Victory Junction helps raise the morale of children ages 6 to 16 who are seriously ill or suffer from chronic medical conditions. Petty says it’s been an honor to remember his son, Adam, this way.

“It’s very humbling and puts life in perspective,” Petty says.

“There were selfish reasons behind starting the ride. With all that the ride has been through and that our family has been through with the loss of Adam, to see a camp come up out of the ground, to see the money from the ride to help build and maintain that camp, and to have touched almost 98,000 kids since 2004, it’s an incredibly humbling thought.”

All riders will be required to take part in a “safety first” program on the day before the ride begins. A valid motorcycle endorsement on each participant’s driver’s license is also required. All motorcycles will be allowed, but a five-gallon tank is required. Riders who are unregistered will not be permitted to temporarily join the route. Riders may register to join the ride temporarily as “leg riders,” but these spots will only be utilized if all of the full ride spots are not filled. However, all motorists are encouraged to follow the riders, as long as they are behind the last support vehicle.

The 2022 ride marks its return after a COVID-19-dictated break. In 2019, participants chose Arizona and Utah as the route for the 2020 ride. The following year, Petty still didn’t feel comfortable with the potential risks.

“We watched how COVID had affected the Native American population,” Petty says.

“So many of the places that we were riding through were Navajo land. We didn’t want to be the cause of anything.

So, we sat out another year. This year, things began to open. We said, ‘Let’s look at it again.’ We called all the hotels.

We called all the gas stations. We went out and did a site inspection, and everybody said, ‘We’re ready for you guys to do it.’ With the blessings of the

Native American people and the local municipalities that we’re going through, we decided that this was the year we’d come back.”

Petty says he can finally write a new chapter, adding to his inspirational story.

“It means so much to me, because it means the continuation of something that we started almost 27 years ago,” he says.

“It means the continuation of sending kids to camp. It means the continuation of what I refer to as the ride family. We have people that have been on this ride every year. We have a group who’s been on this ride for 20 years. We have a group who’s been on this ride over 15 years. There are a lot of people who, year after year, come back to be a part of this ride and send kids to camp.”

He adds he hates to see the momentum stop.

“So, for me, to see the support of those people to come back after years off and say, ‘Hey, we’re still in. We’re here with you.’ has meant a lot. I know it means a lot to the kids and the families to know that when camp opens this summer, the gates will be open wide.”

Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America WHEN: Saturday, April 30, to Friday, May 6 WHERE: Sunday, May 1: Lake Havasu City to Flagstaff Monday, May 2: Flagstaff to Bryce Canyon City, Utah Tuesday, May 3: Bryce Canyon City, Utah (off day) Wednesday, May 4: Bryce Canyon City, Utah, to Monument Valley, Utah Thursday, May 5: Monument Valley, Utah, to Sedona Friday, May 6: Sedona to Phoenix COST: At the stops, fans can also purchase T-shirts for $10 and hats for $15 or simply donate to support the “Small Change. Big Impact.”

INFO: kylepettycharityride.com ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

COMING HOME

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2022

Davies: Playing at Chase Field is a dream

By Jordan Rogers

S

tarting pitcher Zach Davies is entering his eighth season in Major League Baseball.

Throughout his career, he has always played with National League clubs, so he regularly got the opportunity to return to the Valley.

But this season, Davies plays for the team he learned to support while growing up in Gilbert.

On March 24, the Diamondbacks and Davies agreed on a one-year, $1.75 million deal.

“I’ve been in the National League for my entire Major League career, so I’ve gotten to play against the Diamondbacks every year,” Davies said.

“I’ve gotten to come home pretty much every year, but extended time and playing with ‘Diamondbacks’ on my chest is special to me. I grew up here so I’m happy to be home and get at least one year here.”

He was born in Puyallup, Washington, but moved to Gilbert in elementary school.

Davies attended Mesquite High School where he was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the 26th round of the 2011 MLB Draft.

Because he was born in the Seattle area, he grew up a Seattle Mariners fan, but found himself rooting for the Snakes as he grew up.

“As time went on and I got to watch Diamondbacks games and go to games here in Phoenix, I started to like the team and watch them consistently,” Davies said.

The contract he signed in the offseason is laden with incentives, meaning he can earn more money depending upon his play this season.

If all goes well, he could earn up to $4.5 million.

Coming off a down year in 2021 with the Chicago Cubs, Davies is more concerned with returning to form than he is earning the extra money.

“Just coming off of a down year last year, that’s more of what I go out with is something to prove and get back to the old me and just be consistent and start games and give the team a chance to win,” he said.

During the winter, Davies stayed ready to play during the offseason lockout.

After taking his normal offseason break, he worked hard to get back into baseball shape and show that he would be ready to go the second a club came calling.

When the D-backs called, he only had time to make two starts during Spring Training. He didn’t skip a beat because he stayed in shape during the offseason.

“Everybody was on short time this spring,” Davies said.

“I got a couple of games in and was on the mound prior to (Spring Training). I felt that I was ready to start the season; I was ready to play. Everybody had a short spring so there are no excuses for me.

“I was working out and doing my thing until I signed. I prepared myself so when I got into camp, I was ready to throw to hitters and start my

progression.”

Though baseball is focusing on high spin rate and throwing in the upper 90s, Davies is a pitcher who focuses on movement and command.

He uses his baseball IQ on the mound to gain an advantage over hitters. He reads hitters’ swings and their approach to figure out how to pitch to them.

“I’m more of a command and change of speeds guy,” Davies said.

27

“I’m not a big stuff guy; never have been. I think what has helped me stay in this game for as long as I have is just the command and the baseball smarts of trying to think as the hitter and know what their approach is. I try to add stuff to the repertoire, but I know what got me here. I know what I’m successful at and those are my adjustments.”

Davies plans to visit Mesquite High School every offseason to visit his former coaches who are still there. He throws on the field and works out where it all started.

“It’s cool to go back there and workout with my old coaches that are still there,” he said.

Entering the 2022 season for the Diamondbacks, Davies knew his role.

“I’m here to be consistent and in the rotation every five days and compete to give the team a chance to win,” he said. “Just to bridge that gap between starting the game and closing the game with this bullpen.”

For Davies, the walk-off home run on opening day was fun. He said believes this team is going to be competitive this season and he is looking forward to helping the team win games.

“This team is young, but there’s a lot of talent on it,” Davies said. “There are a lot of competitive guys here and it just feels like everyone is trying to change the culture here and try and compete for a long time. There’s definitely a drive there and that is what starts winning baseball.

ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

A KNOCKOUT MATCHUP

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UPFRONT | CITY | TRAVEL | ARTS | DINING | BREWS & SPIRITS | CASINOS | SPORTS | FAMILY | MUSIC | NIGHTLIFE | IN CLOSING

Benavídez, Lemieux are ready for Gila River Arena

By Zakkary Brog

T

he Interim World Boxing Council Super Middleweight Title clash between David Benavídez and David Lemieux on May 21 is set to last 12 rounds.

However, both men will enter the ring at Gila River Arena in Glendale hoping to end the fight before it goes the distance. Across both fighters’ 68 career wins, 58 of the contests ended in a knockout victory.

Because of that, neither fighter underestimates their opponent’s skills.

Benavídez has a professional record of 25-0-0. He knows he’ll have to perform at his absolute best to stay undefeated and continue his rise in the sport.

“I see flaws in David’s game and I’m sure he sees flaws in me,” Benavídez says.

“I know he wants to stop me, and I want to stop him. This is going to be a great fight for the fans. This could be the fight of the year because of what’s at stake and because of the type of fighters we are. We’re two bulls going in there to see who has the most heart.”

Lemieux will enter the matchup with a professional record of 43-4-0. The experienced French Canadian has the edge in experience. He has 22 more fights under his belt than Benavídez, and he’s also 8 years Benavídez’s elder.

He knows that many are predicting Benavídez to continue his march to the top levels of the sport, but Lemieux is

confident that he will put a stop to it.

“Anything can be done, you just have to go out and do it,” Lemieux says.

“David Benavídez is a very good fighter, but everybody is beatable. Nobody is invincible. That’s what we have to prove.

There’s no cheating boxing. You train hard for a fight. You don’t underestimate your opponent and surprises can happen.

I’m planning on bringing that title back home to Montreal.”

A Phoenix native, David Lemieux Benavídez will undoubtedly have the “home advantage” on fight night in Glendale.

His last fight, which ended in a TKO victory against Kyrone Davis, was at the Footprint Center in Downtown Phoenix last November.

The atmosphere was electric that night, and it should be no different at Gila River Arena.

“I wanted to fight back in Arizona again because we had a great event in November,” Benavídez says.

“This is my first title fight back at home and it’s a dream come true for me. Everything has fallen into place for me.

I’ve had an amazing camp and I’m preparing

for a great opponent. This has all the makings for a great fight. The energy is right. This is one of the biggest fights of my life and that’s how seriously I’m taking it.”

Many are touting Lemieux as the clear underdog due to his age, facing a fighter the caliber of Benavídez, and the fight location. Lemieux, who cites his experience, is embracing it.

“Regardless of your age, it’s really now

David Benavídez

or never in every fight in the boxing ring,” Lemieux says. “You don’t get many chances to leave a good mark in the game, so every fight needs to be taken very seriously, especially a fight of this magnitude. There’s a lot at stake for me. I know I’m the underdog, but I don’t care. I’m just going in there to fight, underdog or not. I’ve been the underdog in the past and I’ve won the fights. It doesn’t really bother me.”

Although Benavídez is focused on this matchup, he thinks about the potential reward for winning the interim title: challenging Canelo Alvarez for the WBC Super Middleweight Championship.

“If you win the interim title that means the next fight has to be for the title,” Benavídez says. I don’t think it should be any difference in this case. If Canelo Alvarez wants to fight at light heavyweight, then he’s going to have to ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

vacate. It’s only fair.”

Lemieux knows he could claim that opportunity as well. But, like Benavídez, he is focused on this fight first and foremost.

“I’m not looking past this fight,” Lemieux says. “I’m just concentrated on Benavídez. This is a big fight ahead of me. Canelo chooses a lot of his fights but there are rules in boxing that you have to respect. The winner of the interim belt has to fight the champion so if he follows the rules, the rules are the rules. That’s it.”

The men are confident they will walk out of Gila River Arena as Interim WBC Super Middleweight Champion.

That result will be determined not just by the fight, but the preparation that the men have put in for weeks.

A theme in both camps has been motivation. For Benavídez, it’s the motivation to prove that he belongs with the best.

“I feel like I deserve the biggest fights,” Benavídez says. “I’ve paid my dues and I’ve been here for a long time.

But I have plenty of fuel in the gym solely because of how big this fight is. I think the other top guys are making a mistake not giving me the fight now, because the more I’m in the ring, the more I’m learning. It’s going to turn around and bite them when it’s time to get in the ring with me. Everything is going to be through the roof.”

For Lemieux, it’s the chance to shake up the landscape in the super middleweight division.

“It’s definitely a big task in front of me,” Lemieux says. “When I sat down with my team and Benavídez’s name came up, we knew it was a tough fight.

He’s a tough fighter and a big guy, but we’re preparing and getting ready for him. It’s all in the preparation. Styles make fights. I have the style to hurt Benavídez and I’m training hard to beat this guy.”

Premier Box Champions: David Benavídez vs. David Lemieux WHEN: 4 p.m. Saturday, May 21 WHERE: Gila River Arena, 9400 W. Maryland Avenue, Glendale COST: Tickets start at $50 INFO: gilariverarena.com

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2022

SPORTS

CALENDAR

By Zakkary Brog

Phoenix Mercury vs.

Las Vegas Aces

MAY 6 WNBA all-time leading scorer Diana Taurasi leads the Mercury into competition against the visiting Las Vegas Aces on opening night of the 2022 season. This will be a rematch of the 2021 Western Conference Finals, when Phoenix eliminated Las Vegas 3-2 in a five-game series.

Footprint Center, 201 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, 7 p.m., tickets start at $22, footprintcenter.com

Arizona Diamondbacks vs.

Colorado Rockies

MAY 6 TO MAY 8 Celebrate Mother’s Day at the park, as the Diamondbacks play a fellow NL West club in the Colorado Rockies. The first 5,000 moms to attend the game on May 7 will be given a rose gold cap. The first 5,000 moms to attend on May 8 get a clear crossbody bag.

Chase Field, 401 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, 6:40 p.m. May 6, 5:10 p.m. May 7, 1:10 p.m. May 8, tickets start at $19, dbacks.com

Phoenix Rising FC vs.

San Antonio FC

MAY 7 Phoenix Rising FC plays San Antonio FC for the second time this season, this time at home.

In their last meeting on April 2, Phoenix claimed a 2-0 victory over San Antonio. The club will also celebrate Teacher Appreciation Night as part of the festivities.

Phoenix Rising Stadium, 19593 S. 48th Street, Chandler, 7:30 p.m., tickets start at $22, phxrisingfc.com

UFC 274: Oliveira vs.

Gaethje

MAY 7 UFC Lightweight Champion Charles Oliveira (32-8-0, 1 NC) defends his title against No. 1-ranked contender Justin Gaethje (24-30) in the main event of a packed night of mixed martial arts action.

Also on the card is a contest for the UFC Women’s Strawweight Championship, in which Rose Namajunas (12-4-0) will defend her title against Carla Esparza (19-6-0).

Footprint Center, 201 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, 4 p.m., tickets start at $250, footprintcenter.com

Arizona Diamondbacks vs.

Miami Marlins

MAY 9 TO MAY 11 The Marlins travel to Arizona a week after facing the Diamondbacks in Miami. Notable players who are likely to appear for Miami include second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr., right fielder Jorge Soler, and right fielder Avisaíl García.

Chase Field, 401 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, 6:40 p.m. May 9, 6:40 p.m. May 10, 12:40 p.m. May 11, tickets start at $15, dbacks.com

Arizona Diamondbacks vs.

Chicago Cubs

MAY 13-15 The Chicago Cubs come to town to face the Diamondbacks. Notable players who are likely to take the field for Chicago are outfielder Seiya Suzuki, catcher Willson Contreras, and center fielder Ian Happ. Fans in attendance for the May 13 ballgame will be treated to a post-game fireworks show.

Chase Field, 401 E. Jefferson

Street, Phoenix, 6:40 p.m. May 13, 5:10 p.m. May 14, 1:10 p.m. May 15, tickets start at $25, dbacks.com

Carson Kelly

Arizona Rattlers vs.

Massachusetts Pirates, Frisco Fighters and Bay Area Panthers MAY 14, MAY 21, MAY 29 The Arizona Rattlers continue their 2022 campaign in the Indoor Football League as they defend the Snake Pit against the Massachusetts Pirates on May 14, Frisco Fighters on May 21, and Bay Area Panthers on May 29.

Footprint Center, 201 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, 6:05 p.m. May 14, 6:05 p.m. May 21, 3:05 p.m. May 29, tickets start at $11, footprintcenter.com

Phoenix Rising vs.

Tampa Bay Rowdies

MAY 15 The Tampa Bay Rowdies visit Phoenix Rising Stadium for an interconference meeting with Phoenix Rising FC. It is the only matchup that Phoenix is scheduled to have against Tampa this season. It will also be Mental Health Awareness night at Phoenix Rising Stadium.

Phoenix Rising Stadium, 19593 S. 48th Street, Chandler, 5 p.m., tickets start at $22, phxrisingfc.com

Premier Boxing Champions: Benavidez vs. Lemieux

MAY 21 David Benavidez (25-0-0) battles David Lemieux (43-4-0) for the WBC Super Middleweight Interim Title in a battle of knockout artists. Also on the card is a super welterweight clash between Yoelvis Gomez (5-00) and Jorge Cota (30-5-0).

Gila River Arena, 9400 W. Maryland Avenue, Glendale, 4 p.m., tickets start at $50, gilariverarena.com

Arizona Diamondbacks vs.

Kansas City Royals

MAY 23 TO MAY 24 The Diamondbacks welcome the Kansas City Royals to Chase Field for a duo of interleague contests. Catcher Salvador Perez, second baseman Whit Merrifield and shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. will likely appear for Kansas City.

Chase Field, 401 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, 6:40 p.m. May 23, 6:40 p.m. May 24, tickets start at $15, dbacks.com

Arizona Diamondbacks vs.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Noe Ramirez

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MAY 26 TO MAY 29 In an NL West division showdown, the Diamondbacks will take on their rivals to the west: the Los Angeles

Dodgers. The May 27 event will feature post game fireworks. On May 29, the Diamondbacks will celebrate their 24th annual Native American Recognition Day. The afternoon will include performances from Native Americans in various forms, as well as displays and exhibits around Chase Field.

Chase Field, 401 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, 6:40 p.m. May 26, 6:40 p.m. May 27, 4:15 p.m.

May 28, 1:10 p.m. May 29, tickets start at $19, dbacks.com

Arizona Diamondbacks vs.

Atlanta Braves

MAY 30 TO JUNE 1 The defending World Series champions, the Atlanta Braves, visit the Valley for a Memorial Day showdown with the Diamondbacks.

Players who fans can expect to see on gameday include second baseman Ozzie Albies, first baseman Matt Olson, and third baseman Austin Riley. The first 10,000 fans on May 30 receive a Diamondbacks bucket hat.

Chase Field, 401 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, 5:10 p.m. May 30, 6:40 p.m. May 31, 12:40 p.m. June 1, tickets start at $25, dbacks.com

MexTour Somos Locales: Mexico vs. Uruguay

JUN 2 The Mexican men’s national soccer team will make a Glendale stop on the road to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. As part of the MexTour, the team will face Uruguay, who also qualified for the World Cup. Mexico leads the all-time series between the two nations with eight wins, seven draws and six losses.

State Farm Stadium, 1 Cardinals Drive, Glendale, 6 p.m., tickets TBA, statefarmstadium.com ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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MUSIC

LISTEN » JAM » INNOVATE » EVOLVE » ROCK » SING

SUMMER OF MUSIC

Venues heat up with the industry’s top acts

By Entertainer!

Magazine Staff

I

f there’s anything we learned from the pandemic, it’s that musicians are passionate. They continued to perform for us, albeit in a new realm: livestreaming.

Now that the pandemic is calming, singers like Justin Bieber, Barenaked Ladies, AJR, Calum Scott and Bastille have returned to stages.

Welcome to The Entertainer! Magazine’s summer music guide. Have a look here and buy tickets to support the musicians who lifted our spirits during the pandemic.

AK-CHIN PAVILION 2121 N. 83rd Avenue, Phoenix livenation.com • May 27: Tears for Fears w/Garbage • May 31: Steely Dan w/Snarky Puppy • June 7: Chicago & Brian Wilson w/Al Jardine & Blondie Chaplin • June 9: Backstreet Boys • June 21: AJR w/BoyWithUke • June 26: Halsey w/The Marias and Abby Roberts • July 20: REO Speedwagon and Styx w/ Loverboy • July 23: “Encanto: The Sing Along Film Concert” • July 24: Train w/Jewel, Blues Traveler and Thunderstorm Artis • July 28: Maverick City Music + Kirk Franklin w/Jon McReynolds and Housefires • July 30: Wiz Khalifa and Logic • August 17: Odesza • August 20: Chris Brown and Lil Baby • August 21: OneRepublic w/ Needtobreathe • August 22: Incubus w/Sublime with Rome and The Aquadolls • August 26: Five Finger Death Punch • September 7: Sammy Hagar & the Circle w/ George Thorogood & The Destroyers • September 10: Alice in Chains and Breaking Benjamin w/Bush • September 14: Dave Matthews Band • September 18: Pitbull

ARIZONA FEDERAL THEATRE 400 W. Washington Street, Phoenix livenation.com • May 3: Blippi the Musical • May 8: Ray LaMontagne w/Sierra Ferrell • May 17: Olivia Rodrigo w/Holly Humberstone • May 18: Alejandra Guzman and Paulina Rubio • May 20: Rainbow Kitten Surprise w/99NBRS • May 28: Jack White w/Chicano Batman • June 8: Monsta X • June 9: Barenaked Ladies w/Gin Blossoms and Toad the Wet Sprocket • June 10: Franco Escamilla • June 11: Puscifer w/Moodie Black

Duran Duran

• June 17: Brit Floyd - The World’s Greatest Pink Floyd Show • June 18: Bronco and Ramon Ayala • June 20: 5 Seconds of Summer • July 5: Fleet Foxes • July 12: Coin w/Blackstarkids • July 22: Darius Rucker • August 4: Third Eye Blind w/Taking Back Sunday and Hockey Dad • August 5: Halestorm and The Pretty Reckless • August 7: Celeste Barber • August 13: Big Time Rush • August 18: Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats w/Cory Wong • August 28: Chris Rock • September 2: Sebastian Yatra • September 3: Gloria Trevi • September 7: Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness and Dashboard Confessional • September 9: The Kid Laroi

CHANDLER CENTER FOR THE ARTS 250 N. Arizona Avenue, Chandler chandlercenter.org • May 1: Chandler Symphony Orchestra: Springtime Rhapsody • May 15: La Santa Cecilia • June 19: Ben Folds: In Actual Person Live for Real Tour • July 10: Corinne Bailey Rae w/Jensen

McRae • July 29: One Night of Queen • August 21: The Australian Pink Floyd Show • August 27: Los Chicos Del 512: The Selena Experience • September 10: Martina McBride • September 11: Weird Al Yankovic: The Unfortunate Return of the Ridiculously Self-Indulgent Ill-Advised Vanity Tour

CRESCENT BALLROOM 308 N. Second Avenue, Phoenix crescentphx.com • May 3: The Mountain Goats w/Cardioid • May 4: Homeshake w/Salami Rose Joe Louis • May 6: Kevin Devine w/Kississippi and Kayleigh Goldsworthy • May 7: The Music of Cowboy Bebop featuring 8-Bit Mammoth • May 10: Penny and Sparrow w/Lera Lynn • May 11: The Evening with The Church • May 13: Fruit Bats w/Scott Hirsch • May 14: Gatecreeper • May 15: Emmit Fenn w/ayokay and Ruby Red • May 17: The Antlers w/Wild Pink (solo) • May 18: Son Lux w/Nappy Nina • May 19: Destroyer w/Rosali

ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2022

• May 20: Anthony Green, Laura Jane Grace & Tim Kasher w/Oceanator • May 21: Gang of Youths w/Quinn Christopherson • May 22: Big K.R.I.T. w/Elhae and Price • May 23: Lauren Sanderson w/Jordy and Miki Ratsula • May 24: Raveena w/Fana Hues • May 25: The Pineapple Thief featuring Gavin Harrison • May 26: Golden Boots • May 27: Pedro the Lion w/Charlotte Cornfield • May 28: The Slackers 30th Anniversary Tour w/We Are the Union and Kill Lincoln • May 31: Terror w/Sanguisugabogg, Pain of Truth and Army Reac • June 1: Hayden James w/Cassian • June 2: 070 Shake • June 3: RX Bandits w/Nova Charisma • June 4: Slenderbodies w/Mokita • June 5: Failure • June 7: Midlake • June 8: Avi Kaplan w/Andrea von Kampen • June 9: Kishi Bashi • June 10: UMI • June 11: Emo Nite LA • June 12: Prof w/Mac Turner, Tae Supreme and Willie Wonka • June 13: MC Chris • June 14: Broncho • June 15: Del Water Gap w/Raffaella • June 17: Archetypes Collide w/After the Calm, Never Us and Echoes • June 18: Haarper w/Sinizter • June 22: Reality Gays Live w/ Mattie and Poodle • June 23: Aldous Harding w/H Hawkline • June 25: Mansionair w/May-A • June 30: Adekunle Gold • July 2: Heartless Bastards • July 8: The Blue Stones w/Des Rocs • July 10: The Summer Set • July 15: Polica w/Wilsen • July 17: Marian Hill w/Leyla Blue • July 18: Iya Terra w/Cydeways • July 20: Billy Howerdel • July 23: Traitrs w/Haunt Me • August 1: The Dear Hunter • August 2: Camilo Septimo & Francisca Valenzuela • August 9: Calum Scott • August 10: American Aquarium • August 11: Danielle Nicole • August 24: Health • September 9: Cults

FOOTPRINT CENTER 201 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix footprintcenter.com • May 25: New Kids on the Block w/Salt N Pepa, Rick Astley and En Vogue • June 24: Rod Stewart w/Cheap Trick • July 11: Machine Gun Kelly w/Avril Lavigne and Willow • July 26: An Evening with James Taylor and His All-Star Band

ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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• July 31: Daddy Yankee • August 30: Swedish House Mafia • September 7: Duran Duran w/Nile Rodgers and Chic • September 8: Keith Urban

GILA RIVER ARENA 9400 W. Maryland Avenue, Glendale gilariverarena.com • May 9: Pearl Jam w/Pluralone • May 14: Eric Church • June 5: Arijit Singh • June 30: Justin Bieber • July 26: The Lumineers • August 28: The Killers w/Johnny Marr • September 7: Shawn Mendes

MARQUEE 730 N. Mill Avenue, Tempe luckymanonline.com • May 1: Quiet Riot • May 2: Citizen Cope • May 3: Biffy Clyro • May 6: The Story So Far • May 7: Zdravko Colic • May 10: Violent Femmes • May 13: Robby Krieger • May 14: Shine on Floyd • May 21: Emo Night Brooklyn • May 24: Yngwie Malmsteen • May 26: Jessie James Decker • May 25: Aly & AJ • May 27: Bauhaus • May 29: GWAR • May 30: The Band Camino • May 31: Crown the Empire • June 8: Starset w/Red • June 11: Strangelove • June 12: Dean Lewis • June 25: Max and Iggor Cavalera • June 26: Eli Young Band • July 2: Paul Oakenfold • July 8: Bone Thugs-N-Harmony • July 10: Atmosphere and Iration • July 11: Streetlight Manifesto • July 15: Stephen Marley • August 6: New Found Glory • August 19: Three Days Grace • September 9: Flo Rida

MESA AMPHITHEATRE 263 N. Center Street, Mesa mesaamp.com • May 6: Russ • May 8: Danzig w/Tiger Army • May 17: Bastille • May 28: Rex Orange County • July 15: Dispatch and O.A.R. w/G. Love • July 16: Slightly Stoopid w/Pepper • July 22: Dirty Heads w/Soja and Tribal Seeds • August 11: George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic

MESA ARTS CENTER 1 E. Main Street, Mesa mesaartscenter.com • May 4: Randy Rainbow

Pitbull

• May 22: Travis Tritt: Solo Acoustic • June 2: Flor de Toloache • June 4: Andy Grammer • June 5: Amos Lee w/Neal Francis • June 16: Lyle Lovett and his Large Band • June 25: MSMS: Dom Flemons • July 2: MSMS: XIXA • July 9: MSMS: Jeff Parker and William Tyler • July 23: MSMSM: Qais Essar • July 26: MSMS: Arouna and Zara Diarra • July 30: MSMS: Rising Sun Daughter • August 6: MSMS: Califone • August 13: MSMS: Raquel Denis • August 20: MSMS: Carly Bates

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT MUSEUM (MIM) 4725 E. Mayo Boulevard, Phoenix mim.org • May 1: Judith Hill • May 4: Curtis Stigers • May 5: Mariachi Reyna de Los Angeles • May 11: Stephen Kellogg • May 12: Bruce Cockburn • May 13: Bruce Cockburn • May 15: Makana • May 16: Dee Dee Bridgewater and Bill Charlap • May 17: Vieux Farka Toure • May 18: Heart of Afghanistan • May 19: Villalobos Brothers • May 20: Roberto Fonseca • May 21: Janiva Magness

• May 22: Lisa Hightower • May 26: Stanley Clarke • May 28: Lisa Morales • May 29: The Small Glories • June 2: Alex Cuba • June 3: Herb Alpert and Lani Hall • June 4: Herb Alpert and Lani Hall • June 5: David Bromberg • June 6: David Bromberg • June 8: Emily Wells • June 10: The Sweet Remains • June 11: Keyon Harrold • June 12: Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Aymee Nuviola • June 16: Brennen Leigh Trio w/The Lowest Pair • June 21: Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio • June 22: Joe Purdy • June 25: Marcia Ball • July 10: Sierra Hull • July 19: Cowboy Junkies • July 20: Cowboy Junkies • July 26: Monsieur Perine • August 8: Ladysmith Black Mambazo • August 9: Ladysmith Black Mambazo • August 10: Kathy Mattea • August 11: Kathy Mattea • August 14: John Moreland w/S.G. Goodman • August 20: Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt and Pandit Subhen Chatterjee

continued on pg. 32

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UPFRONT | CITY | TRAVEL | ARTS | DINING | BREWS & SPIRITS | CASINOS | SPORTS | FAMILY | MUSIC | NIGHTLIFE | IN CLOSING 32 continued from pg. 30 • May 18: Palo Brea w/Inkblot and Dos

• August 26: Gerald Albright • August 29: River Whyless • September 7: Robbie Fulks Bluegrass Trio • September 14: Tinariwen • September 25: Yamma Ensemble

THE ORPHEUM 203 W. Adams Street, Phoenix ticketmaster.com • May 4: Celtic Woman • May 10: Morrissey • May 17: Christone Ingram • June 11: Nikki Glaser • June 12: Tori Amos • July 9: Don McLean • August 2: David Gray

REBEL LOUNGE 2303 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix therebellounge.com • May 1: Hey Violet • May 2: King Pari w/Harrison Fjord and Prime Society • May 3: Adult. w/Kontravoid, Spike Hellis and DJ Gila Man • May 4: Magic Sword and Dance with the Dead w/Tarot Blood • May 5: Poorstacy w/handsxfeet and Deadicate • May 6: Actors w/Hexmaschine • May 8: The Body w/Midwife and Rotting Yellow • May 11: Weed w/Tambourinen • May 12: Wild Earth w/John Owen and Levi Murray • May 13: The Color 8 w/Crooked Teeth and Rozotadi • May 15: King of Heck w/ Gemm, Neighbor Kids and Slug Bug • May 16: Stitched Up Heart • May 17: Stand Atlantic w/ Confidence and Cemetery Sun

Besos • May 20: Sydney Sprague w/Buddy Culture, Veronica Everheart and Celebration Guns • May 21: JT Woodruff of Hawthorne Heights • May 22: Joshua Ray Walker w/Ben Chapman and Brea Burns • May 23: Keagan: Into the Garden • May 25: Strand of Oaks w/Pat Finnerty • May 26: Neck of the Woods and The Beast of Nod • May 27: The Warning w/Devora • May 28: Mystery Skulls • May 30: Still Corners • June 1: Thousand Below • June 2: Hovvdy • June 3: RA w/September Mourning • June 4: Police State w/Rosemonte • June 6: Teenage Wrist • June 7: Lunar Vacation • June 8: Infected Rain • June 9: Thank You Scientist • June 14: Kingdom Collapse • June 15: The Strike and Sub-Radio • June 16: Bay Ledges • June 17: GAYC/DC • June 20: Noahfinnce • June 21: A Wilhelm Scream • June 22: Destroy Boys • June 23: De’Wayne • June 24: 22 & Good 4 U • June 25: Jay Aston’s Gene Loves Jezebel • June 29: Anvil • July 5: Cola • July 7: ESA/Ivardensphere • July 8: Doobie • July 13: Primitive Man • July 15: Icon for Hire • July 16: Fire by Night • July 18: Horse Jumper of Love • July 19: Subhumans • July 23: Mariah the Scientist • August 9: Foxing • August 10: Somo • August 13: Max Bemis • August 17: Elder • August 24: Wavves • September 7: Agnostic Front and Sick of It All

STATE FARM STADIUM 1 Cardinals Drive, Glendale statefarmstadium.com • May 12: Coldplay w/H.E.R. • August 25: Def Leppard and Motley Crue w/Poison and Joan Jett & the Blackhearts • August 30: The Weeknd w/Doja Cat

VALLEY BAR 130 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix valleybarphx.com • May 4: Matt Costa + Sea Wolf • May 8: Sondre Lerche • May 9: Amber Mark • May 10: Clinton Kane

ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

Jack White

• May 11: Erin Rae • May 13: Bad Bad Hats • May 14: Tora • May 18: Peter McPoland w/Ella Jane • May 20: Ricky Montgomery • May 21: Rob Riccardo • May 22: Giant Rook • May 24: Elder Island • June 2: Tomberlin • June 4: iamnotshane • June 7: Born Ruffians w/Sham Family @ Valley Bar • June 21: Crawlers • June 23: Sara Kays • June 24: Windhand • July 2: Through the Roots • July 9: Adia Victoria • August 4: Cobra Man • August 8: Laura Marano • August 14: Ian Sweet

THE VAN BUREN 401 W. Van Buren Street, Phoenix thevanburenphx.com • May 1: Car Seat Headrest • May 4: EarthGang w/Mike Dimes, Pigeons & Planes • May 5: Snow Tha Product • May 6: Welcome to Night Vale • May 9: Kurt Vile and The Violators w/ Chastity Belt • May 12: St Paul & the Broken Bones w/ Danielle Ponder • May 13: T-Pain • May 14: Vic Dibitetto • May 16: Carla Morrison • May 18: LP w/Nick Leng • May 19: Todd Snider w/Daniel Rodriguez • May 20: Honne • May 21: Mat Kearney w/The National Parks • May 25: mxmtoon w/Chloe Moriondo

• May 26: Durand Jones & The Indications w/La Doña • May 27: JXDN w/Jasiah, Meet Me at the Altar • June 4: Spoon w/Geese • June 7: Belle & Sebastian w/Thee Sacred Souls • June 9: Alyssa Edwards • June 12: Andrew Bird and Iron & Wine w/Allison Russell • June 15: LÉON w/Catie Turner • June 16: Nothing More and Asking Alexandria w/Atreyu and Eva Under Fire • June 18: Calexico • June 19: Keshi w/Rei Brown • June 24: Circle Jerks w/The Adolescents and Negative Approach • June 25: Bright Eyes w/Christian Lee Hutson • July 1: Denzel Curry w/Kenny Mason, Redveil and Playthatboizay • July 2: Gera Mx • July 5: Motion City Soundtrack w/All Get Out and Neil Rubenstein • July 13: Enanitos Verdes • July 15: The Skeptics Guide to the Universe • July 19: King Princess w/Dora Jar • July 20: Purity Ring w/Dawn Richard • July 28: Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls w/Amigo the Devil, The Bronx and Pet Needs • July 29: Kaleo • August 2: Mount Joy w/Wilderado • August 3: Simple Plan and Sum 41 w/ Magnolia Park • August 4: Strfkr w/UnderCover Dream Lovers and Das Kope • August 7: Yacht Rock Revue • August 17: Shakey Graves w/Jade Bird • August 29: Peter Hook & the Light • August 30: Idles • September 4: Hanson

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THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2022

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THE TIPPING POINT Tears for Fears hopes fans relate to its music

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

T

ears for Fears felt the need to refresh its live show when it planned its first tour since 2017. A single here, a single there, would

have sufficed.

But when Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith started writing, it snowballed — but only on their terms. The result was Tears for Fears’ first album since 2007, “The Tipping Point.”

“It was a little tedious playing the same material,” Smith says.

“At the behest of the industry, record company and management, we went on this speed dating course of writing with modern hit songwriters. While it was an interesting experiment, it failed abysmally.”

During the songwriting process, Orzabal’s first wife, Caroline, died, which Smith calls, “a major upheaval.”

Smith and Caroline were friends since they were 13. He’s hoping the album helps others who are grieving. Her death impacted the songwriting, as did the COVID-19 pandemic and world conflicts.

“There was a lot more upheaval in the world with the rise of the right wing, politically, worldwide; the climate crisis

and the pandemic” he adds.

“There was so much turmoil, it seemed, two, two-and-a-half years ago. The songwriting was getting more intense because of all these things.”

“The Tipping Point” is a highly personal album that was cathartic for the duo.

“Once the songs got into their final form, they had meaning and feeling behind them,” he says. “Coincidentally, we had bought ourselves off the record company. It was just myself and Roland to forge a path forward. We went back to writing like we did when we were 18.”

The two sat down at Smith’s home in Los Angeles with two acoustic guitars.

That was the catalyst that brought the duo closer. They communicated— just the two of them, without record companies or management. Smith calls the process “very freeing.”

Input from outside sources can make musicians/songwriters uncertain about their feelings.

“I think we were getting into moments of self-doubt,” Smith adds about the collaborations.

“We were encouraged to work with these people. We’re songwriters at heart.

It was literally four months we were done.”

In October, the duo released the first

single and title Track “The Tipping Point,” which captures the grief of watching a loved one lose their longstanding battle with disease.

Their second single “No Small Thing” was a meeting of the minds as the pair went back to the drawing board and found the heart and soul that would complete the album. The accompanying video was made using solely found footage showing the conflict between individual freedoms and collective responsibility.

Tears for Fears’ latest single “Break the Man” is an empowering-yet-groovy track that calls for a better balance between men and women. Inspired by the song’s lyrics, the music video encompasses a world that illustrates the constructed reality of the patriarchy. From the inside, the world appears infinite, but from the outside it’s a mere plaything in the hand of Mother Universe.

Smith says the songs they write must have meaning or they go into the proverbial trash.

“I find it far harder to write about superficial things,” he says.

“Our music tends to be very personal, sometimes political. We don’t have any intention of preaching to anyone.

It’s a personal preference. If it has deep meaning to us, it seems to have deep

meaning to our audience.

“That’s why our audience relates to us.

People are going through the same thing.

The most gratifying times are when we meet people who come to our shows. We get a lot of young people now. Anyway, people who are our age say ‘The Hurting’ helped them through their college years.

They had the same teenage angst at the time. If you can have that affect and help other people, it’s worth it.”

Now Tears for Fears will head out on tour with Garbage. The jaunt kicks off in Cincinnati on Friday, May 20, and visits Ak-Chin Pavilion on Friday, May 27. As of the end of April, Tears for Fears hadn’t started rehearsals, but Smith was looking forward to it and the tour.

“We’ve done three of the new songs when we played on TV shows,” he recalls. “The band sounds fantastic.

The new songs fit in beautifully with the old material. It’s as strong and as good. I hope people will like the new material.”

Tears for Fears w/Garbage WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 27 WHERE: Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Avenue, Phoenix COST: Tickets start at $29.50 INFO: livenation.com ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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UPFRONT | CITY | TRAVEL | ARTS | DINING | BREWS & SPIRITS | CASINOS | SPORTS | FAMILY | MUSIC | NIGHTLIFE | IN CLOSING

THE ANATOMY OF A GOBLIN

Nekrogoblikon balances humor and metal in live show

By Alex Gallagher

M

uch like the name suggests, the shock-metal outfit Nekrogoblikon mixes theatrics and humor.

For its forthcoming tour, guitarist Alex Alereza says it’s pairing with a similar act, GWAR. “In terms of how we fit in with GWAR, we have the theatrics, but we offer it in a different direction and avoid being redundant to GWAR,” Alereza says.

Nekrogoblikon is touring behind its latest album, “The Fundamental Slimes and Humors.” Alereza is excited to break out the tracks he and his bandmates spent the pandemic recording.

“We had a lot of songs, a lot of ideas and we pruned the best in our opinion,” he says. “We recorded the album throughout the pandemic, and we recorded it piece by piece as we decided ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

we wanted each song on the album. It wasn’t recorded in one go like most of our recordings are.”

While Alereza is smitten with the music he aided in arranging, no one is more emphatic about their love of “The Fundamental Slimes and Humors” than “hype goblin” John Goblikon.

“This album is the greatest album of all time,” Goblikon says ecstatically. “When I heard this album, I had a full head of hair and it melted right off. All the cares and stresses from the pandemic are going to instantly go away when you hear this album. This album is next level.”

Nekrogoblikon takes its craft to the next level by building on the metal elements it debuted on its 2013 EP titled “Power.”

“This album continues what was started over the course of our last few albums, especially ‘Power’ where we had a pivotal change of direction where we maintained every aspect of the sound and dialed it in further,” Alereza says.

Because of this, Alereza is curious about the songs fans will gravitate toward. However, the band only has a 30-minute set, which makes it tough to assemble a retrospective show. There also has to be enough time in between songs for vocalist Nicky Calonne to generate laughs from the crowd.

“The music is very rehearsed and composed meticulously but on the other hand, Nicky’s stage banter is completely unrehearsed and different every show based on whatever funny ideas strike him at the moment,” Alereza says.

No matter what songs snake into the setlist when the band stops at the Marquee Theatre on Sunday, May 29, Goblikon has one piece of advice for Nekrogoblikon newbies.

“If you’re going to see Nekrogoblikon and you’ve never seen us, you should go in thinking, ‘I’m not fond of this face’ because when you enter, it shall be melted off. When you leave you will never be the same internally and

externally, I promise,” Goblikon says.

Goblikon also hopes that his love of Nekrogoblikon rubs off on the crowd.

“To be honest, I get to be on stage with my favorite band in the whole wide world so I’m never thinking about whether the crowd is enjoying the show or not,” he says.

“I know that they’re enjoying the show. I’m just trying to have my best life on stage and it seems like the crowd sees that and thinks ‘let’s just do what that goblin’s doing.’”

“It’s like Simon Says with a goblin,” Alereza adds.

GWAR w/Goatwhore, Nekrogoblikon and The Native Howl WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Sunday, May 29 WHERE: The Marquee Theatre 730 N. Mill Avenue, Tempe COST: $29.50 INFO: luckymanonline.com

NO LONGER LOOKING IN THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2022

The Outsiders return to their ‘family’

By Alex Gallagher

T

o return to stage, the Outsiders have traveled a tumultuous road.

The Mesa-based metalcore outfit was riding high in early 2020 after playing an opening set for Gilbert’s Scary Kids Scaring Kids and guitarist Besart Sezairi was plotting a headlining gig when the world shut down.

“It was interesting because we had a lot of momentum and that came to a stop,” Sezairi says.

Drummer Jacob Coleman was devastated.

“When shows began to get canceled, it felt like a part of me had died,” he says.

“One of my favorite things to do is play shows.”

They spent the beginning of the pandemic soul searching and bonding by playing hours of video games. Still, they couldn’t shake the urge to put their instruments back in their hands.

“After a year, we started going crazy and we wondered what we could do,” says Sezairi, an alum of Willow Canyon High School in Surprise. “It was the first time where we’ve had to practice patience.”

The band faced a conundrum of how to release tracks while the future of live music was uncertain.

“We then had to ask ourselves if we should put songs out with the risk of

35

them being old by the time we were able to play them live again,” Sezairi says.

The Outsiders became proactive.

“We’ve been using this year to show everything we’ve been working on during the two years we couldn’t play shows,” says Coleman, a graduate of Glendale’s Mountain Ridge High School.

DEEP DIVE During the pandemic, the Outsiders honed their skills outside of music.

Bassist Don Harris took up photography, and Coleman learned to edit videos.

Sezairi and producer Ryan Daminson continued to run their studio, StudioGoest in Mesa. Sezairi utilized Twitch to create content for himself and gauge if the band would benefit from it.

Then came the moment the band had been waiting for: its first show in over two years, supporting the Californiabased metal outfit Thousand Below on June 1 at The Rebel Lounge.

“It’s not as taboo anymore to go to a show,” Coleman says. “The fear behind that is beginning to relax and we were all aligned in that we would know when it would be the right time to play a show.”

However, June seemed like a ways off. So, they booked an April 9 show at Tempe Marketplace supporting The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. With that show behind them, the Outsiders are looking forward to continuing the momentum it had early 2020.

“We discussed, in coming back, making the music we want,” Sezairi says.

“Everyone in this band is so versatile in what they can play so it’s like, ‘Why just do one thing?’”

The setlist will be evidence of that by, for example, pairing the band’s staples

“Escape” and “Griever” with new and unreleased material.

“There’s not a single moment of downplay in our setlist, it’s 22 minutes of straight killer, no filler,” he says.

“I do think that there’s a little bit of everything for everybody in these songs and I just want to show everybody everything we’ve worked on,” Coleman adds with a grin.

Sezairi says there’s a sweet spot in opening for a headline act.

“As direct support, you have to get people amped up and get them loose and ready for the headliner,” Sezairi says.

“I think people have this negative connotation about opening a show.

But, in my opinion, if you can’t be a good opener, you can never be a good headliner. If you can’t start the show off right, how can you finish it?”

Besides energizing the crowd, Sezairi

is excited to step on stage with his best friends and play to an audience he considers family.

“People can expect to see four dudes smiling and having fun,” he says. “We’re very inclusive to people who hang out and watch us. There is a family of people who come to our shows who we’ve grown really close to. I’m excited to start doing that again.”

Thousand Below with Outsiders, Foreign Bodies and Constellations WHEN: 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 1 WHERE: The Rebel Lounge, 2303 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix COST: $16 INFO: outsidersband.com, therebellounge.com

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VITA MORS

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UPFRONT | CITY | TRAVEL | ARTS | DINING | BREWS & SPIRITS | CASINOS | SPORTS | FAMILY | MUSIC | NIGHTLIFE | IN CLOSING

The Venomous Pinks explore life and death

By Alex Gallagher

F

or Drea Doll the pandemic was stifling. The Venomous Pinks singer couldn’t use her guitar and microphone to demand social justice, so she began to write.

“Writing this album through a pandemic where people lost family members or friends, it was just a crazy, stressful and heartbreaking year — not just for us — for a lot of people,” Doll says. “We couldn’t play shows, so we had time to think about what was happening in the world and around us. This forced me personally to dig deeper.”

The ink on her pages eventually spilled over into her guitar riffs and onto her bandmates, bassist Gaby Kaos and drummer Cassie Jalilie.

The trio had enough for its first full-length album. They reached out to Grammy Award-winning producer Cameron Webb (Mӧtorhead, Social Distortion, NOFX).

Although Doll and Kaos admit they were shocked by Webb’s agreement to produce the record in October 2021, the trio did not know they would be pushed out of their comfort zone.

“Cameron pushed us in everything — how we write, how we perform, how we record and even how we talk to each other,” says Kaos, a Scottsdale Community College alum.

However, Doll was pushed the hardest. She likens working with Webb

to “punk rock boot camp.”

“When we got into the studio with Cameron Webb, one of the things he really pushed for was better lyrics,” Doll says.

Although the band captured its buoyant personality on tracks like “Pizza Slice,” Webb pushed them to write more sophisticated lyrics.

While laughing, Kaos describes the band’s previous works as being pepperoni pizza and the work with Webb as being supreme pizza.

The band recruited the likes of Efrem Martinez Shulz (Death by Stereo, Voodoo Glow Skulls), Brenna Red (The Last Gang), Dan Palmer (Zebrahead) and Linh Le (Bad Cop/ Bad Cop) to contribute to tracks on the album.

“It was super humbling to know that these people we look up to and love their bands were willing to help out a small punk band from Mesa,” Doll says.

“They’re all musicians that we each look up to and seeing them work in the studio was amazing to watch.”

“They all bring something unique and different to each song that they’re on,” Kaos adds.

Half of the album shows Doll’s dark lyrics, while the flipside covers loss, sexism and social change.

“With this new record it’s 50/50 with being dark but still having fun,” says Doll, an alum of Mesa Community College.

“There are a couple of songs on the record where there is some realism in the

spoken word format that’s a little dark but the album still has the true Pinks sound.”

Doll hopes the contrasting songs will attract a variety of listeners.

“The album is very eclectic in that each song is different from the next,” she says. “My hope is that whoever listens to it can find something that they really like about it.”

The variety of songs made it difficult to choose a single, but one stood out.

“With ‘No Rules,’ there was an

agreement between the band, the label and even Cameron that there was something special about the song and how it’s a little catchy but sounds like a grown-up version of us,” Doll says.

When “No Rules” was released on March 24, The Venomous Pinks unveiled the album’s name: “Vita Mors.”

“Vita Mors roughly translates in Latin to life and death, which is exactly the theme of this album,” Doll says. “We’re born then we die but what we choose to do in between with our life is what’s explored on the album.”

Kaos adds, “It also makes people google it to find the meaning.”

The band also unveiled the single “Apothecary Ailment” on April 13, and “Broken Hearts Club” will go out before the album’s June 3 release.

The Venomous Pinks will offer the album on vinyl with multiple solidcolored variants and will schedule a show once vinyl is available.

In the meantime, The Venomous Pinks will head out on the road with T.S.O.L. and the Voodoo Glow Skulls.

Coupled with those are European and Canadian festivals. Hopefully, Kaos says, fans will enjoy the music and the live shows.

“We’ve never done anything like this, and it blows my mind with what we created. Hopefully, people’s minds are blown too,” Kaos says.

The Venomous Pinks thevenomouspinks.com ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2022

37

GETTING ‘WILD’

Failure will dig deep for its upcoming tour

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

F

ailure multi-instrumentalist Greg Edwards appreciates fans for their patience.

That trait will be especially helpful when Failure dives deep into its catalog and its new album, “Wild Type Droid,” for its upcoming tour. Failure takes the Crescent Ballroom stage at 8 p.m. Sunday, June 5.

“The great thing is our audience is so responsive and reactive to the older material,” he says.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’ve never felt bored with older songs. It’s just always a new experience when you get to energy back. I’m definitely looking forward to playing the new songs.”

Edwards says the setlist will be songs from “Wild Type Droid,” Failure’s sixth album, and others.

“One of the ideas is to play a number of songs that we haven’t played in the

past, sort of deeper cuts or songs that our fanbase had a deep love for that have never been a part of our set,” he says.

“We want to focus on the first three records. We’ll also play songs that we would love to play and we think people want to hear like ‘Moth’ from ‘Magnifie.’

We haven’t played that much live, or ‘Empty Friend’ or ‘Small Crimes.’”

Writing “Wild Type Droid” was easy for Failure, which also includes Ken Andrews and Kellii Scott. They set aside a month on a large sound stage. Failure’s musicians set up and started recording for about five hours each day.

“In a way, there wasn’t a lot of pressure,” Edwards says. “We’d put on an instrument and start playing. The vast majority of it was not worth music. We set so much time aside that there were incredible moments where everything just came together.”

Edwards says the difficult part of the album was choosing the moments and

vetting recordings. They all listened to the recordings and decided on 10 or 12 ideas that they could work on.

“We have such a well-oiled way of working,” he says. “The way Ken and I write and go back and forth is great.

“It’s just about being in the moment and being present. It’s really the key to a healthy creative process and not getting bogged down.

‘Long Division’ was based on a very organic jam that happened when we were recording on the sound stage. It went through quite a few permutations.

That seemed to be the most difficult song, but it turned out really great.”

Edwards is looking forward to playing the song live. As a bonus, fans will get a preview of the forthcoming Failure documentary.

Andrews is just as fond of the music and the documentary.

“To me, it captures a lot of the new musical approaches and techniques

we were going for on this album, but somehow is still quintessential Failure,” Andrews says.

“We’ve been together long enough to know that some of our best ideas come directly from these experimental sessions. For this album, we simply cultivated that methodology for a much longer time than we have in the past. It brought out the trio aspect of the band.

There was a feeling we could really push the individual parts further away from each other and let the more interesting and challenging combinations take center stage.”

Failure WHEN: 8 p.m. Sunday, June 5 WHERE: Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Avenue, Phoenix COST: $25 INFO: 602.716.2222, crescentphx.com

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ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

THE CHURCH OF KILBEY

38

UPFRONT | CITY | TRAVEL | ARTS | DINING | BREWS & SPIRITS | CASINOS | SPORTS | FAMILY | MUSIC | NIGHTLIFE | IN CLOSING

Singer talks music, fame and festivals

Kilbey is anything but ambiguous about his love for the creative process.

In a career that spans more than four decades, he has recorded dozens of albums — with the Church and other bands, solo and as a collaborator.

As a songwriter, he as over 1,000 original compositions registered with the Australasian Performing Right Association, and in 2011 was inducted into the Australian Songwriter’s Hall of Fame.

Beyond music, Kilbey has published several books of poetry and a 2014 autobiography. His current project is a graphic novel about Carthaginian general Hannibal. And his pastel artwork was used to create the tarot card deck “Tarot of the Time Being.”

“I’ll have a go at anything having to do with the arts,” Kilbey says.

By Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer

W

hen Australian indie rockers The Church first came to mainstream attention in the late 1980s, it was a time of splendid musical chaos.

Whitney Houston and Madonna shared the charts with Bon Jovi and Guns N’ Roses, George Michael had shed his Wham!-era teen idol persona, and the Smiths had broken up.

Grunge hadn’t quite left the garages of Seattle, but Sonic Youth, Jane’s Addiction and the Pixies were on the rise.

The Church fit right in with this wild and diverse soundscape. 1988’s “Starfish,” which spawned the hits “Under the Milky Way” and “Reptile,” was praised by fans and critics for its lush melodies, mystical overtones and introspective lyrics.

The Church today looks very little like the Church of 1988, but it abides, thanks to singer/songwriter and bassist Steve Kilbey.

“It’s a bit like the Cure, I guess — just Robert Smith now, isn’t it?” says Kilbey, speaking by phone on April 13 from his home on Australia’s Gold Coast.

“That happens. Mark E. Smith, he once said, ‘if it’s me and your granny playing bongos, that’s The Fall.’ And I’ve sort of reached that stage now.”

BEATLES, BOLAN AND BOWIE Born in England in 1957, Kilbey moved to Australia as a child. But it was an American singer who taught him to love music.

“This record by Frank Sinatra, called ‘Only the Lonely,’ had all these torch ballads of unrequited love, written by the best songwriters in the world at the time.”

The 5-year-old Kilbey loved all those “beautiful, sad songs” and their thoughtful lyrics. But by the time he was 9, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones were rocking the musical landscape into a new era, and Kilbey was as enamored as “every other kid in the world.”

“I was influenced by all of that,” he recalls. “And then at age 16 to 18 I took to Marc Bolan and David Bowie — who were more than influences. They were more like obsessions . . . With Bolan and ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

RENEWED APPRECIATION FOR MUSIC

Bowie, it wasn’t just their music — it was everything about them.”

GOING TO CHURCH The Church came together as a trio in 1980 in Sydney, with Kilbey on bass, Peter Koppes on guitar and keyboards and Nick Ward on drums.

They were joined by guitarist Marty Willson-Piper and recorded the band’s first album, 1980’s “Of Skins and Heart.” Shortly thereafter, Richard Ploog replaced Ward on drums, and it was this lineup that would first see commercial success.

“Of Skins and Heart” was re-released as “The Church” in 1982 and made a big splash in New Zealand and Sweden.

Three more albums followed, garnering the band more fans and critical acclaim. Then came 1988’s “Starfish,” international mainstream success . . . and internal squabbling.

“It should have been a wonderful experience,” recalls Kilbey. “However, I mainly remember all the jostling for position in the band. As soon as we had success, everyone in the band was a superstar. We were all arguing and fighting with each other.”

By 1990, Ploog had left the band, while Koppes departed in 1992 (he would return in 1997) and WillsonPiper in 2013.

“I’m glad none of those people are in my life anymore, I’ll tell you that,” Kilbey says with perfect frankness.

“I like the band I play with now a lot more.”

CRUEL WORLD Today’s Church includes three guitarists — Jeffrey Cain (Remy Zero),

Ian Haug (Powderfinger) and Ashley Naylor — plus Kilbey (vocals, guitar, bass and keyboards) and Tim Powles (drums). Most of this lineup will tour the United States in May, including a show at the Crescent Ballroom in Phoenix on May 11. (Nick Meredith will stand in for drummer Powles, who is dealing with medical issues.)

The tour ends in Pasadena with an appearance at Cruel World, taking place at the Rose Bowl May 14 and May 15 and featuring Morrissey, Bauhaus, Echo and the Bunnymen, Violent Femmes and several other luminaries of the 1980s alt-rock and synth-pop scenes. For Kilbey, however, the music festival won’t be a highlight.

“They’ve got almost every . . . altrock band from the 1980s that they could get, and we’re just fortunately and unfortunately lumped in with all of that,” he says. “When I play there, I will be doing my best. But I’m looking forward more to the gigs where we play to our own audience who know and understand us rather than a bunch of people who probably are waiting for (expletive) Morrissey or something to come on.”

ARTSY OUTSIDER The Church may have been “lumped into” the ’80s indie sound, but Kilbey says that he has always been “battling the zeitgeist.”

“In the ’80s when people were trying to make me sound like the ’80s, I fought against that. Just like I don’t feel like I’m an Australian or an Englishman . . . I like the feeling of not really belonging here. I think that’s a good thing, to have that ambiguity.”

Unsurprisingly, the multitalented artist had no trouble filling his time during the pandemic shutdowns. He played a lot of acoustic guitar, wrote songs and did shows on Instagram — one of the first musicians to do so.

“I found music to be a great solace during lockdown for almost two years,” he recalls. “I think a lot of people found that music was getting them through those hard times much better than anything else.”

He’s playing live once again with renewed vigor.

“The first time, when it was all over, playing to audiences, I was really happy to have an audience,” he explains. “And the audience was really happy to be able to be in an audience. The artists and the audiences have discovered how important it all is.”

Music festivals aside, Kilbey is very much looking forward to his upcoming tour.

“Of all the places in the world to play, America is the best. I’m not just saying that. Australian audiences are very skeptical. When [the Church] first got to America and people loved what we did, I was addicted to that — the audience willing you to succeed. I’m really looking forward to getting there, strapping on my bass and making some noise.”

An Evening with The Church WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 11 WHERE: Crescent Ballrooom, 308 N. Second Avenuem Phoenix COST: Tickets start at $37.50 for the 21 and older show INFO: thechurchband.net/shows

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