The Entertainer! Magazine - August 2021

PHX METRO » AUGUST 2021

GIVING THEIR ALL Rise Against tackles the tough topics

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CONTENTS

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26 ON THE COVER

WWE brings the heat to Phoenix and Vegas

SURVIVAL GUIDE HELP, HACKS & ADVICE FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS

Inside

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college survival guide 2021

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JAZZ POETRY

A MUSICAL JOURNEY

Z-Trip and Cypress Hit ready to light up the Mesa Amphitheatre

FILE UNDER ‘MUSIC’

David Duchovny says singing was a pleasant surprise to him on the cover: Dolph Ziggler Cover photo courtesy WWE

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THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE AUGUST 2021

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Times Media Group 1620 W. Fountainhead Parkway Suite 219, Tempe, AZ 85282 Phone 480.348.0343 Fax 480.348.2109 entertainermag.com

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HONORING A GREAT SACRIFICE

Veteran-owned cidery announces statewide expansion

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6

Top 25 • Anthony Solimini • Z-Trip • Cypress Hill

CITY

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David Duchovny • “CODA”

16

Eat Up Drive In • Firebirds • Dining Calendar

BEER AND WINE

20

Mad Mixologist • Cider Corps

CASINOS

24

3 Doors Down • Theory of a Deadman

SPORTS

26

WWE • Josh Reddick/WWE • Josh Rawitch

FAMILY

RECALLING A DEBUT

33

L.O.L. Surprise! Live

31

Music Calendar • Rise Against • Lindsey Stirling • Morris Day • Matt Sorum • Hot Crazy

IN CLOSING Numbers

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38

contributing writers

Allison Brown, Alex Gallagher, Jordan Houston, Joe McHugh, Annika Tomlin

Staff Photographer Pablo Robles

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Brad Arnold shares the stress of ‘Kryptonite’

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MUSIC

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Arizona Diamondbacks, Jimmy Fontaine, Kelsey Grant, Brooke Martinez, Mark Maryanovich, Eitan Miskevich, F. Scott Schafer, Tim Sealy, Dove Shore, Sydney Takeshta, Wyatt Troll

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ARTS

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CONTENTS UPFRONT

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GIVING IT THEIR ALL

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TOP25

UPFRONT

PHX » CITY » LOCAL » PRIDE » DO » SEE

By Connor Dziawura

Arizona Cardinals Training Camp

THROUGH AUGUST 15 The Cardinals training camp kicked off in July, but there’s still time to see your favorite players as they prepare for the season ahead. In the weeks leading up to a midmonth preseason debut (check for those details further on in our Top 25), stop by State Farm Stadium for free admission and parking whenever the training camp is underway.Admission is free, but tickets are required.

State Farm Stadium, 1 Cardinals Drive, Glendale, 602.379.0101, azcardinals.com, various dates and times, free

“Annette”

OPENS AUGUST 6 French writer-director Leos Carax returns with his first film since 2012’s “Holy Motors.” Also Carax’s English-language debut, the musical drama “Annette” stars Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard as a stand-up comedian and opera singer, respectively, who find their lives changed after the birth of their daughter, a “mysterious little girl with an exceptional destiny,” according to the synopsis. To make matters more interesting, the script was co-written by Ron and Russel Mael of the eccentric art pop duo Sparks, who also came up with the story and penned original music for it (they even make appearances in the film).

Rated R for sexual content including some nudity, and for language.

In theaters (August 6) and on Amazon Prime Video (August 20)

“The Suicide Squad”

OPENS AUGUST 6 Director James Gunn takes the helm for the Suicide Squad’s latest outing. Sort of a reboot, but also a standalone sequel that canonizes the previous effort, this latest film sees the return of several actors and characters from the 2016 film — Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Viola Davis and Jai Courtney — along

with the addition of some new faces, like Idris Elba, John Cena and Pete Davidson (Sylvester Stallone can be heard as King Shark, too).

It looks as if Gunn will bring a new approach to the series, but the foundation of the plot remains the same — the government tasks some bad guys to carry out missions, with bombs implanted in their heads as a form of collateral. Rated R for strong violence and gore, language throughout, some sexual references, drug use and brief graphic nudity.

In theaters and on HBO Max

UBU Expo and Europa Games

AUGUST 6 AND AUGUST 7 Don’t miss out on this massive direct-to-consumer trade expo.

Open to the general public, there will be more than 300 exhibitors this year, from energy drink, vitamin and supplement sellers to apparel companies, not to mention loads of live events, seminars, contests, a fitness and bodybuilding show, games and, well, there’s too much to cover here. First responders, including military, veterans, hospital staff and those who served on 9/11, get in free the first day, while cosplayers can attend free either day.

WestWorld of Scottsdale, 16601 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale, 480.312.6815, westworldaz.com, ubuexpo.com/cities/phoenix, 1 to 10 p.m. August 6, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. August 7, $10-$40, or free for children 5 and younger

Park After Dark

SATURDAYS Get back to mixing and mingling with the community Saturday nights as the Downtown Tempe Authority is continuing its weekly Park After Dark celebration through September 11 — and it’s exactly as it sounds.

Head to the Sixth Street Park as the sun begins to set and listen to local music while consuming local food and drink from the likes of Pedal Haus Brewery and nearby restaurants. Live entertainment varies, so check out the event’s web

"Free Guy"

page for all the weekly details.

Sixth Street Park, 24 E. Sixth Street, Tempe, 480.355.6060, downtowntempe.com/events/ park-after-dark, 7 to 10 p.m., free

Marc Maron

AUGUST 12 At this stage of his career, Marc Maron should need no introduction.

From a major role in Netflix’s “GLOW” to his own show “Maron” on IFC, not to mention his massively popular interview podcast “WTF with Marc Maron” or his long history with writing and stand-up comedy, Maron’s career has been manifold.

The latter is where this listing comes into play, as Maron will perform a gig at Downtown’s Stand Up Live.

This show is for ages 18 and older.

Stand Up Live, 50 W. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, 480.719.6100, phoenix. standuplive.com, 7 p.m., $35

Arizona Cardinals vs.

Dallas Cowboys

AUGUST 13 Celebrate the start of the football preseason with this matchup, which pits the home team Cardinals against the Dallas Cowboys. In addition to tickets available for in-person viewing at State Farm Stadium, this preseason opener can be viewed on KPNX (Channel 12). See the Cardinals’ website for their full schedule.

State Farm Stadium, 1 Cardinals Drive, Glendale, 602.379.0101, azcardinals.com, 7 p.m., $25-$117

Arizona Diamondbacks vs.

San Diego Padres

AUGUST 13 TO AUGUST 15 The D-backs face off against Fernando Tatis, Manny Machado and rest of the San Diego Padres numerous times in August. This three-day weekend is noteworthy, though, as Friday night will feature a “Star Wars”-themed postgame

fireworks show, presented by Gila River Hotels & Casinos. On Saturday and Sunday, partner Cox Communications will give away “Star Wars”-themed Christian Sky-walker bobbleheads to the first 10,000 fans. See the D-backs’ website for their full schedule.

Chase Field, 401 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, 602.462.6500, mlb.com/dbacks, 6:40 p.m.

August 13, 5:10 p.m. August 14, 1:10 p.m. August 15, $19-$290

“Free Guy”

OPENS AUGUST 13 Ryan Reynolds is back in this meta sci-fi action/adventure comedy, which sees Reynolds’ bank teller protagonist realize he is simply a background character in an openworld video game. Co-starring Jodie Comer, Joe Keery, Lil Rel Howery, Utkarsh Ambudkar and Taika Waititi, this one should fill the comedic film void for August, as audiences continue to flock back to theaters after a long absence.

Rated PG-13 for strong fantasy violence throughout, language and crude/suggestive references.

In theaters

“Respect”

OPENS AUGUST 13 Jennifer Hudson stars as Aretha Franklin in this biopic, which chronicles the legendary singer’s life and career. “Chain of Fools,” the title song “Respect” and so many more — you know the tunes; now learn Franklin’s story. Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans, Audra McDonald, Mary J. Blige, Marc Maron, Tituss Burgess, Saycon Sengbloh, Hailey Kilgor and Tate Donovan also add to the stacked cast. Rated PG-13 for mature thematic content, strong language including racial epithets, violence, suggestive material and smoking.

In theaters

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UPFRONT | CITY | ARTS | DINING | BEER AND WINE | CASINOS | SPORTS | FAMILY | MUSIC | IN CLOSING

Sonoran Sippin’

AUGUST 13 There’s still time to spend a night out at the Desert Botanical Garden, sipping on drinks while local DJs and musicians set the mood. The vibes are sure to be laidback at this monthly event, which happens once more in September. Miscellaneous arrival times are available, but tickets are limited, so be sure to head to the garden’s website to snag yours before they’re all gone.

Desert Botanical Garden, 1201 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix, 480.941.1225, dbg.org, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., $7.95-$14.95

Los Chicos del 512: The Selena Experience

AUGUST 14 Celebrate the life and music of famed singer Selena, who died much too young, with these performances from Los Chicos del 512, which has been paying tribute to the “queen of Tejano music” for seven years.

The night show is already sold out, prompting the addition of a matinee performance that same day.

Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Avenue, Chandler, 480.782.2680, chandlercenter. org, 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., $20-$40

Phoenix Rising vs.

Orange County

AUGUST 14 See the Phoenix Rising Football Club take on the Orange County SC at this home game, the first of three in August for Phoenix Rising. The team’s full schedule can be found on its website.

Phoenix Rising Stadium at Wild Horse Pass, 19593 S. 48th Street, Chandler, 623.594.9606, phxrisingfc. com, 7:30 p.m., $20.63-$41.96

Cypress Hill and Atmosphere w/DJ Z-Trip

AUGUST 15 Legendary stoner rap group Cypress Hill — behind hip-hop classics such as “Insane in the Brain,” “How I Could Just Kill a Man” and “Hits from the Bong” — unites with prolific Rhymesayers duo Atmosphere for this tour. Special guest DJ Z-Trip opens. See related stories in Upfront.

Mesa Amphitheatre, 263 N. Center Street, Mesa, 480.644.2560, mesaamp.com, 6 p.m., $49.50-$250

Phoenix Mercury vs.

Atlanta Dream

AUGUST 15 The Phoenix Mercury will take on the Atlanta Dream at home during this August 15 break from the Summer Olympic Games. The matchup will be available on CBS Sports Network. See the Mercury’s website for other home games this month.

Footprint Center, formerly ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

known as Phoenix Suns Arena, 201 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, 602.252.9622, mercury.wnba. com, 3 p.m., tickets TBA

Phoenix Mercury vs.

Indiana Fever

AUGUST 17 As part of its second game during a break from the Summer Olympic Games, the Mercury will duke it out against the Indiana Fever on the home court. The game will be available on Facebook, Bally Sports AZ+ and fever. wnba.com. See the Mercury’s website for other home games this month.

Footprint Center, formerly known as Phoenix Suns Arena, 201 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, 602.252.9622, mercury.wnba. com, 7 p.m., tickets TBA

“Steel Magnolias”

OPENS AUGUST 18 Directed by Karla Koskinen, this is “a story of friendships as strong as steel,” according to the Phoenix Theatre Company. You may know the famed stage play — or the ’80s classic starring Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis and Julia Roberts — but you can re-experience the women of Truvy’s Beauty Salon when it comes to the Hormel Theatre through September 12.

Phoenix Theatre Company, 1825 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix, 602.254.2151, phoenixtheatre. com, various dates and times, see website for prices

Reception for “Pictures Tell Stories: Children’s Book Illustrations”

AUGUST 20 This Civic Center Public Gallery open house reception celebrates the new exhibition “Pictures Tell Stories: Children’s Book Illustrations,” which will be on view near the reading area inside the Scottsdale Civic Center Library through September 20. At the exhibit, see original children’s book illustrations that retired librarians Cathy Bonnell and Mary J. Wong have collected over the years.

Scottsdale Civic Center Library, 3839 N. Drinkwater Boulevard, Scottsdale, 480.874.4645, scottsdalepublicart.org, 10 a.m. to noon, free

The Flaming Lips

AUGUST 23 Neopsychedelic band the Flaming Lips has been at it for nearly four decades. In that time, the Wayne Coyne-fronted act has remained prolific, steadily dropping albums, EPs, other collections and collaborations with the likes of Miley Cyrus. See the band behind the infamous plastic bubbles when it returns to the Valley

The Flaming Lips

in support of last year’s acclaimed “American Head” album, with support from opening act Greer.

Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Avenue, Tempe, 480.829.0607, marqueetheatreaz.com, 8 p.m., $45-$75

Michael Rapaport

AUGUST 26 TO AUGUST 28 Comedian and actor Michael Rapaport is coming to North Phoenix’s High Street for a three-day residency at Rick Bronson’s House of Comedy, with each show billed as a “special presentation.” Rapaport’s credits are many, having acted in films from Tony Scott’s “True Romance” to Spike Lee’s “Bamboozled” to series like Netflix’s “Atypical.” He’s also a podcast host and a well-known hip-hop fan, having directed the documentary “Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest.” See him on stage and in the flesh this August.

Rick Bronson’s House of Comedy, 5350 E. High Street, Suite 105, Phoenix, 480.420.3553, az.houseofcomedy.net, 7:30 p.m.

August 26, 7:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. August 27, 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. August 28, $30-$65.40

“Candyman”

OPENS AUGUST 27 This one has been highly anticipated since it was announced several years back, and with the pandemic having delayed its release further, fans are clamoring at a chance to see the latest film in the “Candyman” series, directed and written by Nia DaCosta, with a co-writing/co-production credit for Jordan Peele. This installment, however, is a direct sequel to the original 1992 film of the same name — and as such, it sees actor Tony Todd returning as the titular character created by horror maestro Clive Barker.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Teyonah Parris, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett and Colman Domingo also star. Rated R for bloody horror violence and language including some sexual references.

In theaters

Dierks Bentley

AUGUST 27 Beers are on Dierks Bentley at this show — figuratively, that is. Bentley’s “Beers on Me Tour” stops by Ak-Chin

Pavilion this summer, with support from Riley Green and Parker McCollum.

Going strong for two decades, Bentley has plenty of tunes to draw from at this outdoor country showcase.

Ak-Chin Pavilion, 2121 N. 83rd Avenue, Phoenix, 602.254.7200, ak-chinpavilion. com, 7 p.m., $41-$434

Arizona Toy Con

AUGUST 28 Arizona’s premier toy and pop culture collector event returns just before the month ends to rope in tons of vendors. Whether you’re a comic book obsessive or someone who loves playing games, if you simply play cards or line your shelves with toys — it’s all here.

Glendale Civic Center, 5750 W. Glenn Drive, Glendale, aztoycon@gmail.com, aztoycon. com, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., $10, or free for kids 10 and younger

Megadeth and Lamb of God

AUGUST 29 One of the legendary groups in the “big four” of thrash metal — Megadeth ranks alongside Metallica, Anthrax and Slayer — links up with Lamb of God, one of metal’s most notable heavy-hitters of the past two decades, for this tour. Megadeth’s career is vast, with a new album apparently on the way, while Lamb of God dropped its self-titled eighth album last year. To top it off, famed metalcore group Hatebreed — also on the heels of a new record — opens.

Arizona Federal Theatre, 400 W. Washington Street, Phoenix, 602.379.2800, arizonafederaltheatre.com, 6 p.m., $99.50-$202.50

Guns N’ Roses

AUGUST 30 Guns N’ Roses may have had a tumultuous career, with no new recorded output since 2008’s longawaited “Chinese Democracy,” but as a touring act the Axl Rose-fronted metal band is going strong. Mammoth WVH, Wolfgang Van Halen’s band, opens.

Footprint Center, formerly known as Phoenix Suns Arena, 201 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, 602.379.7800, phoenixsunsarena. com, 7 p.m., $34.50-$1,075

COMEDY IS HIS DRUG

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE AUGUST 2021

9

Anthony Solimini brings laughs to ‘Tukee

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

A

nthony Solimini saw a comedic void in Ahwatukee, so he took matters into his own hands.

He is hosting HaHa ‘Tukee Comedy with six other comedians on Thursdays August 19, September 16 and October 14 at Cactus Jack’s in Ahwatukee.

“It’s going to be more than an open mike,” Solimini says. “I’m calling it a featured show, rather than an open mike.

I’m actually paying comedians and, potentially, a piece of the door. It’ll be better quality comedians and I’m giving them a little money.”

Prospective comedians send their tapes to Solimini for consideration. The goal is to have “really good comedians.”

Born in Boston, Solimini says he’s been “making people laugh since 1962.”

Being the youngest of four, with three older sisters and an Italian grandmother, Solimini adds he had no choice but to enter comedy.

This, along with his travels overseas, have provided plenty of material.

A new Ahwatukee resident, the banker by trade lived overseas for 30 years in London, Singapore, Thailand and Hong Kong. His resume includes stints at Groupon, Deutsche Bank, JP Morgan and Societe General.

On the comic side, he’s been featured on Comedy Central, Asia, and in the movie “I Need You to Kill” with Tom Segura, Chad Daniels and Pete Lee. “Right before I left the States in 1989, there was a resurgence of comedy in the 1980s in Boston — and even more in New York,” he says.

“I used to go to shows every night during the days of Steve Martin. I’m a huge comedy buff. I used to do

community theater.”

When he moved to Asia, he performed at venues like TakeOut Comedy Club Hong Kong, which was founded in 2007

by Jami Gong, a Chinese American standup comedian. It’s the first full-time comedy club in Asia and it fosters local English- and Cantonese-speaking talent.

“I performed at the Comedy Store in London,” he says. “I’ve also performed in China, Singapore, Philippines, Australia, Hong Kong, here at the House of Comedy in Minnesota and Off the Hook in Naples, Florida.”

Back here in Ahwatukee, part of HaHa ‘Tukee is the “Same Topic Challenge.” A week before a show, comedians are given a topic to push them out of their comfort zone.

“They have to do their set based on that topic,” he says. “It’s a fun way to see who’s really creative and gets their juices flowing. There’s a first prize of $100 every other month. The audience meter fixes the winner.”

Solimini is also behind Stand Up and Deliver, a creative course for wannabe jokesters.

“I’m extremely positive about this, not only about the venue, but the monthly show as well,” he says. “This has been a drug for me. It gives me energy to get on stage. This is a good market for HaHa ‘Tukee.”

HaHa Tukee with Anthony Solimini WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Thursdays August 19, September 16 and October 14 WHERE: Cactus Jack’s, 4747 E. Elliot Road, Ahwatukee COST: $6 in advance; $8 at the door INFO: standupbanker.com

ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

A MUSICAL JOURNEY

10

UPFRONT | CITY | ARTS | DINING | BEER AND WINE | CASINOS | SPORTS | FAMILY | MUSIC | IN CLOSING

Z-Trip helms the turntables, mixes genres

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

F

or Zach Sciacca, touring with Atmosphere and Cypress Hill is like a family reunion.

“We’re all friends,” says Sciacca, a DJ known as Z-Trip. “We’ve been on tour four or five times. We’re all family. To be the first hip-hop tour out the gate with those squads, it’s like the best possible music scenario for me to be a part of. I think we’re all super excited to get back out on the road.”

The trio perform at the Mesa Amphitheater at 6 p.m. Sunday, August 15. Hailing from New River, Sciacca finds hometown shows fun.

“It’s great to come back to Arizona any time,” he says.

“There are people who still think of me playing at Nita’s Hideaway, the Green Room or Bobby McGee’s — all the weird places I’ve played over the years.

Some people still know me as that. If you’ve followed my career, I’ve opened for the Rolling Stones, played Coachella four times and Lollapalooza three. I feel like it’s good for the people who have me in their memory, but it’s nice for people to see the growth and the fact that I’ve never stopped.”

Sciacca admits he does enjoy playing a small room when he’s in the Valley.

“I enjoy playing for friends of mine and connecting those dots,” he says.

“Playing a small little something is always fun. It’s nice to be able to do a big event as well. To play with Linkin Park and LL Cool J is cool, but it’s nice to be able to come back and balance it

ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

out with a small club in Scottsdale. I love that versatility.”

For the last year, however, his gigs “dissolved and postponed” due to the pandemic. It was the first time Sciacca took a break for more than two weeks during his 30-year career.

“Maybe a month, max,” he recalls.

“When I broke my collarbone, I was out for about a month. To be home for that long on the front end of this was really a complete mind scramble for me. I needed a little time to process it.

“In doing that, I felt I really needed to do something musically. It’s like having a train stop on a dime. All the cars are backing up. It just keeps hitting. There was a moment where I needed to get out of that headspace. I started streaming on Twitch for fans and my own sanity. That turned into such a huge thing for me.”

Not only was there a pandemic, but social issues reigned — the George Floyd protests and Trump controversies.

“With all this tension, people were having a hard time finding a way to release,” he says. “These streams became huge. I did my first show in Tampa in June. There were people who flew out to see me from North Carolina and Maine.

“I didn’t set out to gain more fans or to up my visibility. I was looking for a place to get some music off my chest and have a feeling of normal. All these people received it really well.”

On the livestreams, he wasn’t locked into playing popular club tracks. He could dig into his musical bag of house, drum and bass, reggae and chill.

“I was able to take people on this musical journey,” he says. “I revisited

some of my old mixes.”

The “old mixes” hearken back to his early days in the Valley, where his mother and sister still reside.

The entertainer was born in New York but spent his teenage years in Arizona attending Barry Goldwater and Deer Valley high schools. He lived in New River before part of it became Anthem, and moved around the Valley, residing in North Phoenix, Tempe, Scottsdale and Mesa. He is now based in San Diego.

His career has been fruitful. Besides releasing his own albums, Z-Trip has remixed songs by Bob Marley, Daft Punk, Missy Elliott, Beastie Boys, Jackson 5 and Rush, and served as producer for tracks by LL Cool J, Beck and Meat Beat Manifesto.

He’s been dubbed the “pioneer of the mash-up movement,” a moniker Z-Trip is iffy about. The mash-up scene, as it were, goes back to Afrika Bambaataa and Grandmaster Flash, who chopped songs and put them through their filters.

“I’m happy to wear the badge, but I actually drew inspiration from the people who were dabbling in that stuff before me,” he says.

“I think I was the guy who made it palatable and got branded as the ‘pioneer.’ My whole thing is it’s about how hip-hop is in general. I’m a cog in a much bigger wheel or machine.

“If you really boil it down, mashing up is really mixing things. Isn’t that what DJs are supposed to be doing anyway?

Mixing? If you say you’re a mash-up DJ, it’s a bit of a redundancy. I think I identify with extreme remixing. That’s a better term for it.”

His last Phoenix gig was part of a Phoenix Suns halftime show.

“Being a guy who started out DJing in bars to 100 people, to the coliseum downtown and the Mesa Amphitheatre, it gives me the ability to play a big event and the small event.

“If I come out there for Christmas or Thanksgiving, someone will inevitably find out I’m in town and want me to play their party. It’s nice to keep one foot deeply rooted in where it started and one foot spreading out to conquer new territory. It’s nice to have that stance — especially in Arizona.”

Cypress Hill and Atmosphere with special guest Z-Trip WHEN: 6 p.m. Sunday, August 15 WHERE: Mesa Amphitheater, 263 N. Center Street, Mesa COST: $49.50 in advance; $55 at the door INFO: 480.644.2560, mesaamp.com

FROM NOTHING TO SOMETHING THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE AUGUST 2021

Cypress Hill celebrates 30 years of music

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

C

ypress Hill is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its self-titled debut album.

When vocalist Sen Dog reminisces about it, he thinks about the groundbreaking act’s humble beginnings.

“There was a lot of McDonald’s and everybody sleeping in one hotel room,” he says with a laugh. “It was a period when we had to work really hard to make something happen. It seemed like nothing was happening for a long time.”

Cypress Hill traveled the nation in a minivan and couldn’t afford a tour manager to drive it. The musicians took turns driving to and from college shows and were afraid of being dropped from their label.

“We showed up at a university and rapped on top of a lunch table, in the kitchen where they were having lunch,” recalls Sen Dog, born Senen Reyes.

Released on August 13, 1991, “Cypress Hill” — despite little traction — was included on a number of best of lists from the likes of Source Magazine, Rolling Stone and Spin.

However, the tide turned and the success of “How Can You Just Kill a

Man” enabled Cypress Hill to tour on a bus and “go to Sizzler” for a nice steak.

“Cypress Hill” went multiplatinum.

“There were a lot of hard times in the beginnings of that record before it took off,” Sen Dog says. “I was self-doubting, wondering why the record wasn’t happening. We were waiting for our turn, and it happened. I remember being very happy that one of our songs had made it and fans were responding to it at concerts.”

Times have changed and Cypress Hill is headlining the Mesa Amphitheater on August 15 with Atmosphere and New River native Z-Trip (see accompanying story).

At the show, fans can expect to hear classic Cypress Hill hits, as well as the band’s latest single, “Champion Sound,” which was released earlier this spring.

The Black Milk produced/mixed track is Cypress Hill’s first bit of new music since 2018’s “Elephants on Acid.”

The song was featured on the soundtrack of the recently released R.B.I. Baseball 21, the eighth installment of the R.B.I. franchise developed by Major League Baseball and is also the featured track for their partnership with Montejo Cerveza.

Cypress Hill recently partnered with Z2 Comics for a graphic novel, “Cypress Hill: Tres Equis!”

According to Sen Dog, Cypress Hill’s setlist will include “a good four or five songs” from its self-titled debut as well as tracks from the band’s 10 other albums.

“These songs have always been special to us,” he says. “Fans will recognize these four — ‘How I Could Just Kill a Man,’

‘Real Estate,’ ‘Latin Lingo’ and ‘Hand on the Pump.’

“Those songs are meaningful because we had no idea the world would recognize those songs and sing along with them.

That’s a special feeling the first time it happens to you. It makes you feel like more of an accomplished musician.”

Sen Dog says the cliché about debut albums is true: musicians have their whole life to write their first record.

In Cypress Hill’s case, the album was written in three years.

“It was really personal,” he says. “We were really living the street life, although not as hard as before. We were no stranger to it. That was the whole vibe and mentality we had back then.”

Cypress Hill features a multiethnic lineup of musicians — which includes vocalist B-Real and arranger DJ Muggs — who helped bolster the band’s success.

“We have everything in our band —

11

an Italian, a Cuban, a Puerto Rican and a Mexican dude,” says Sen Dog, who lives in Nevada. “I think people didn’t know that at first. They’re like, ‘What are these guys?’ They had heard us, but they hadn’t seen us.

“Our sound is different. It goes beyond colors. Our message is for the world. It’s a world that has no color to it. No matter what you think of us, we definitely paid our dues.”

Cypress Hill and Atmosphere with special guest Z-Trip WHEN: 6 p.m. Sunday, August 15 WHERE: Mesa Amphitheater, 263 N. Center Street, Mesa COST: $49.50 in advance; $55 at the door INFO: 480.644.2560, mesaamp.com

ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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CITY

STYLE » ENVY » PASSION » FASHION » BEAUTY » DESIGN

JAZZING UP GLENDALE

Couple revives the Westside nightclub

By Allison Brown

S

tepping past the velvet curtain and into Westside Blues and Jazz is like stepping back in time to visit an authentic toe-tapping, head nodding, speakeasy-style nightclub from the roaring ’20s.

With its live music, plush couches, moody lighting, antique fixtures, swivel stools, fully stocked bar and even a LED sign buzzing above the stage, Westside Blues and Jazz is an escape from the normal day-to-day and an experience unlike anywhere else in the Valley.

A TOUGH START “It’s been on my bucket list for 25 years,” says Paul Vincent Perez, owner of the nightclub. “So, when I retired in 2019, I was just driving around with nothing to do and I thought, ‘You know what, I’m going to open up a little blues and jazz club.’”

And he did. Having dreamt about the club for 25 years, Perez already had a clear vision of what he wanted. With his partner and co-founder Cindi Jackson at his side, Perez says he thought, “Well, we’ll figure it out,” even though this was the first time either of them had opened a nightclub. Once he decided to go for it, Perez rented and renovated a building and was ready to open less than a year later, in April 2020.

Of course, when the club was ready to open, the world was shutting down due to the pandemic. At first, they, like many, just pushed the dates back, but it soon became apparent that this would last longer.

Westside Blues and Jazz was temporarily shuttered. Worse, because the club had not officially opened, did not have employees yet and had no previous proof of income since his retirement, “we got zilch,” Perez said.

They paid rent for an empty building for a year with zero income or relief money.

Their break came April 9, when they opened with limited seating, plastic shields, temperature checks and masks.

It wasn’t what they expected, but it was a start. Music fans were eager to see bands perform again. The club opened at full capacity July 1, after state restrictions were lifted, and finally had its official grand opening July 8.

“It’s been great, just about every night we’re sold out,” Perez says. “We’re just getting at the point on a nightly basis of breaking even. We’re just starting to make a few bucks. But to make up for the year? No, that will take awhile.

That’s kind of where we’re at right now.

But I’d be happy if I break even for the rest of my life in this business. I’m a happy guy, I’m not really in it for the money. I’m in it for the music and this is my retirement.”

PRIORITIZING THE MUSIC While it was Perez’s idea to open the club, Jackson is just as much of a jazz lover; even a bit of an expert. She grew up immersed in jazz and wanted others

to fall in love with it, too.

“Jazz is in my blood,” Jackson says.

“As the niece of Arizona saxophonist Lou Garno, I was empowered to open a jazz club that celebrates and honors the history of blues and jazz. We also opened Westside Blues and Jazz out of necessity; we knew there weren’t any full-service blues and jazz clubs in the Valley that offered live music in a traditional lounge setting. We wanted to change that.”

Westside Blues and Jazz is the first live music lounge to open in the West Valley.

True to the duo’s goal, the space looks like an authentic, basement speakeasy lounge. The servers even wear flapper dresses to tie together the vintage theme.

While the style may have a throwback look, the club has a professional, updated sound and lighting system to give the audience the best experience possible.

Quality is important to the couple. It’s what sets them apart.

“I could get local bands (for cheaper) where I could be making money right now, but I didn’t open it up just to sit in the corner and have a beer and listen to music. I can go to any local bar and do that,” Perez says. “The success to this

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE AUGUST 2021

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type of business is the quality of music.

You keep the quality, they will come.

I will not sacrifice that for money or anything. I’ll close before I turn it into (an average bar) or I’ll get up there and sing karaoke.”

The couple says it’s important to stick with jazz and blues. Perez says part of their mission is to revive jazz and bring it back into the community, as clubs like the former Westside have fizzled out over the years. More than just a creative sound, jazz often has a deeper meaning, Jackson added, and many songs deal with issues still prevalent.

For now, all the club’s bands are local artists, many of whom have not had a space to perform live in over a year.

The gigs at Westside Blues and Jazz are critical to some of these artists, while just plain fun for others. As the club draws in more revenue, Perez says they will be hiring quality musicians from all over.

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE The club’s crowd is a mix of ages, races and personalities, with something for everyone.

“We’re finding jazz is more of the older crowd, it seems like, but our jazz that we have here, it’s not like people conceive,” Perez says.

“If they haven’t heard jazz, they think of that elevator music and stuff like that, but our bands are top of the line rhythm and blues mix.

“Blues is a little younger crowd, under forties, I would say. Then you’ve got the over 65 crowd who were around from my generation, who remember all those great blues bars (that used to be) here. There’s a mix. That’s why we try and diversify a little on the music, like throwing in a little R&B, but we don’t want to get away from the foundation of the blues and jazz.”

For those really feeling the music, Perez emphasizes that it’s a nightclub, so guests are free to celebrate the music.

“Certain nights, they’ll be screaming and shouting. It’s a rowdy nightclub,” Perez says. “People chit chat and socialize. It’s not a concert hall. People can get up and dance in any open spots they want. We encourage that.”

And not everyone has to come for the music. Westside Blues and Jazz has an outdoor seating area for those who want to hear the music in the background while they enjoy a beverage from a myriad of signature cocktails, wines and beer, along with classic bar food like a soft pretzel, fries and even a grilled cheese. There is also bar seating, where patrons get more of the music than outside, but can still sit back and chat.

Perez says he wanted the space to be comfortable for everyone.

“We have people dress up, like couples who come in on a date,” Perez says.

“But no one feels uncomfortable sitting next to a guy in shorts and sneakers. If they wanted to dress up, they could go to Scottsdale, but we want you to be comfortable. We want you to enjoy your time here, sit back, relax, have some drinks, dance, whatever.”

Westside Blues and Jazz WHEN: 5 p.m. to midnight Thursdays; 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays; and noon to 8 p.m. on Sundays WHERE: 17045 N. 59th Avenue, Suite 104, Glendale COST: $15 to $20 cover for adults, depending on the day, children and youth free. Reservations are recommended INFO: westsideblues.com ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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ARTS

CULTURE » THEATER » DANCE » GALLERY » DRAMA » VISION

FILE UNDER ‘ROCK’ Singing is a surprise to David Duchovny

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

M

ultihyphenate entertainer David Duchovny calls his latest single, “Nights are Harder These Days,” a “rocker.” He even sneaks in a few listens while driving.

“I don’t want to be caught playing it in my own car, though, so I have the windows up,” he says with a smile. “It works in the car and that’s important.

It’s a rocker.”

“Nights are Harder These Days” appears on his third full-length album “Gestureland,” which will be available on August 20. The follow-up to 2018’s “Every Third Thought,” “Gestureland” represents three years of songwriting that strengthened the band’s relationship.

“At first, we were thrown together to make the first album,” he says. “They are a good bit younger than me, and they were very conscious of trying to do what they thought I wanted to do. When, in fact, I really didn’t know what the hell I was doing.

“By the second album, I said there were no hands off. I want to collaborate; make me better, please. By the third album, it was less me writing a song on Garage Band and then sending it to them.”

The band he’s referring to is keyboardist Colin Lee, guitarist/synths Pat McCusker, bassist Mitchell Stewart, guitarist Keenan O’Meara and drummer Davis Rowan.

“They’re really great musicians,” he says. “I feel like I’m fairly limited in what I can do and what I can come up with. In the first album, I made, what you call, ‘musical mistakes.’

“The guy I started making any kind of music with was Keaton Simons, a terrific singer-songwriter. I gave him my first, probably, three songs, maybe two. We were just recording them in his garage. He said, ‘I love working with you because you remind me of me, with the way you play and write.”

Duchovny is best known as an award-winning actor, director and novelist starring in shows like “The X-Files” and “Californication,” winning a Golden Globe for both. His first novel, “Holy Cow,” was released

by Farrar Straus and Giroux in February 2015 and hit the New York Times Bestsellers list.

With several books behind him, Duchovny just wrapped shooting “The Bubble,” a new Judd Apatow film and will appear in the upcoming Netflix series “The Chair” on August 27.

On the music front, Duchovny is eager to take the show on the road but is hesitant because of the Delta variant.

“I always get such a kick playing live,” Duchovny says.

“We make our show into a whole evening and take people on a journey. I can’t wait to do a version of this album for a tour” Duchovny says he recorded his albums the way he grew up listening to music he bought.

“If I bought an album, that was a commitment,” he says.

“Once I had that album, I played that album, I looked at the lyrics and I just enjoyed it. I want listeners to have a relationship with the album.”

Singing wasn’t always Duchovny’s goal.

“That’s an understatement,” he says with a laugh. “Literally I was told to mouth the words to Christmas carols.

I did not have a natural voice. Nobody would have thought I would be a singer.

“It’s been a journey of discovery for me, really discovering my voice. I knew I sounded terrible and, if you know you’re off, you can get there with practice. I’m never going to have one of those voices like Lady Gaga. I can sing in tune pretty much. I’ve worked at it and I hope other people enjoy it.”

David Duchovny davidduchovnymusic.com

HOMETOWN PRIDE THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE AUGUST 2021

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Mesa actor excited movie is opening Phoenix Film Festival

By Annika Tomlin

W

hen deaf Mesa actor Troy Kotsur received the script for Apple Original Film’s “CODA,” he immediately saw himself in the role.

“I thought this is most definitely a role for me,” Kotsur says. “Thinking about all of the experiences that I have had in the theater and the opportunities I’ve had and the challenges that I’ve had, for this thing to come was fantastic and a great opportunity.”

In “CODA,” which stands for child of deaf adults, 17-year-old Ruby (Emilia Jones) spends her time as an interpreter for her parents, who are played by Kotsur and Academy Award-winning actress Marlee Matlin. While working early mornings on the family’s struggling fishing boat, Ruby joins her school choir and finds her voice and a potential new life.

“CODA” will open the Phoenix Film Festival on Thursday, August 12, followed by its theatrical and Apple TV+ release on August 13.

Kotsur was thrilled to work with Matlin, saying it is a “tiny, tiny, tiny world where I finally get to work with her, but it was a blessing.

“I remember when I was in high school, I saw her win an Academy Award, which was incredibly inspiring seeing a deaf person win an Academy Award,” he says. “It gave me motivations in thinking maybe this is something that I can do at least something that I can pursue.”

Still, parts of the movie were challenging. For example, the family’s fishing business is central to the film. He has no experience with that.

“I like water sports. I like waterskiing but fishing? No, and I don’t eat fish

either,” he says. “So, I figured if I am not going to eat them, why am I going to catch them? I rather leave that for other people.”

Kotsur, Jones and Daniel Durant, the latter of whom plays the older brother, had to learn to chop the heads off fish, sort them and other fishing boat tasks.

“We had to get up at 2 a.m. to do this,” Kotsur says. “We went out with real fishermen on their boat and watched how they did what they did. It is a filthy, filthy place.”

Also troubling were the birds who swarmed overhead.

“You have to hose the place down when you are done and when you get out (the smell) never quite gets off of you,” Kotsur says. “It’s amazing and you know you are covered in bird droppings from them flying overhead so that was a new experience for me.”

Despite the setbacks, Kotsur says the

boat was one of his favorite parts of filming “CODA,” but he gives credit to the “great director, great writer and amazing story.”

“We saw whales,” Kotsur says. “I had never seen whales out in the ocean and certainly not in Arizona. (Another favorite) is the moment where I am watching my daughter sing and really trying to understand what this means for her. He’s really trying to connect with his daughter in a really important way.”

On the flip side, the most difficult scene was easy for Kotsur to answer.

“I would say the love scene with Marlee Matlin,” Kotsur says. “I mean no, seriously, it is challenging.

“You know you do what is best for the movie I guess, though. We just have to be professional, but it’s not like on stage.

When you have a love scene on stage it’s very small and it’s very quick. In film, it has to look like you know what you’re doing.”

During the filming, the cast ensured the sign language was in context.

“We were there with our sign masters, Ann Tomasetti and Alexandria Wailes, who were helping us develop the sign language as we were training to go out on the boat, watching us making sure that we were doing what we were supposed to do,” Kotsur says.

“We had all of these tools that we had to learn how to use this hammer with almost like a nail coming off of its head. We had to kind of develop signs for those tools and ask what would be sort of a natural sign language gesture so that they would see that and go OK that is the sign we are going to use for that.

We were literally developing a language along the way.”

Kotsur sees it as a “blessing” to have his film opening the Phoenix Film Festival and hopes people within his hometown and old friends come out to see it.

“It’s just great to have this here, my little piece show up in this festival,” Kotsur says. “It’s wonderful and it’s an honor.”

ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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DINING

EAT » EXPERIENCE » INDULGE » SAVOR » DEVOUR » NOSH

NEW NEIGHBORS

Arcadia eatery Eat Up Drive In is ‘home away from home’

By Annika Tomlin

A

rcadia’s Eat Up Drive In, the latest venture by the Jocque Concepts, is considered a “home away from home” to manager

Alison Salazar.

“We do homestyle cooking for families and everyone around in Arcadia to come in and just have that home-cooked meal that they don’t have to prepare,” Salazar says.

Located off 40th Street and Indian School next to The Porch, Eat Up serves individualized and family-sized meals with a dine-in and drive-thru services, as well as a no-contact delivery option.

“We handpicked everything to be healthy in a quick service restaurant feel,” Salazar says about Eat Up’s mission.

“We have options from gluten free, vegan, vegetarian and something for our meat lovers as well.”

Eat Up supports the community by working with local farms and vendors, including Maya’s Farm and Passport Coffee & Tea, Blue Sky Organic Farms and Sarah Farms City Bakery.

“Our staff is just that neighbor next door,” Salazar says. “That nice neighbor who you want to talk to is how we portray our employees. They want to be your friend. They want to get to know

you.”

The restaurant is only open at nights, but Salazar is eager to open for lunch in the coming weeks as she hopes the “lull in getting employees” subsides.

“I think with COVID it actually sparked that curbside drive-thru likeness of everything,” Salazar says.

“People during COVID had to do curbside everything, so now people are used to it. They don’t want to get out of their cars. We come to you.”

One of Salazar’s “absolute favorites” is the pulled chicken grinder ($11.50) made with tomato, pepperoncini, salami, Havarti cheese and vinaigrette on top of

a baguette served with either a Caesar salad or French fries.

“A house favorite would be the hot chick sandwich ($12.50) because it is Nashville style and it’s a pretty big chicken breast and it’s breaded. It’s fantastic,” Salazar says.

Among the individual and familysized meals, some of the main dish options include wood-grilled flat iron steak ($14/$44), charred chili shrimp ($14.50/$46), braised barbecue short ribs ($14.50/$46), short rib ragu served over mac and cheese ($14/$44) and woodgrilled citrus chicken (breast $12.50/half $16.50/whole $26).

Each meal comes with two sides, with the choice of cauliflower potato-less salad, French fries, roasted broccoli and potato gratin.

Another staple on the menu is the six styles of potatoes from a turkey chili potato ($8) topped with sour cream, cheddar and chives, to vegan chili ($8) topped with chives and the basic plain potato ($4) with a side of butter.

“My favorite potato is the classic loaded potato ($6) with bacon and sour cream and it’s huge,” Salazar says. “I could eat it for two or three meals if I wanted.”

Salads, soup and chili are included in the menu options along with additional sandwiches and wraps.

Eat Up also offers kid-friendly meals ($6) like cheeseburgers, crispy or grilled chicken strips and a choice of side and drink along with a gluten-free chocolate chip cookie.

“We want people to come in and try us out,” Salazar says.

“With our family meals we just ask that they order ahead because they take a little longer, but other than that, we are your next door neighbors. We’re here for you and we want people to come and try it out.”

Eat Up Drive In 4001 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix 602.441.4750, eatupdrivein.com

ROAD TRIPPIN’ WITH MY FRIEND Find 5 Great Day Trips From the Valley

18

UPFRONT | CITY | ARTS | DINING | BEER AND WINE | CASINOS | SPORTS | FAMILY | MUSIC | IN CLOSING

Summer Sparkler

Blackberry Margarita

STAYING TRUE TO ITS ROOTS

Scratch kitchen the key to Firebirds’ success

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

B

efore the pandemic, business was strong for Firebirds Wood Fired Grill’s Arizona locations in Peoria, Gilbert, Chandler and Tucson.

Then COVID-19 hit, and the casual eatery was forced to pivot to takeout, but the foodies have since returned to the dining rooms to show their support.

“True to our roots, we’re cooking over an open flame to give it that smoky flavor,” says Stephen Loftis, vice president of marketing. “A lot of folks don’t know we are a scratch kitchen.

Everything is made that day from scratch — including the sauces. If you want a 32-ounce cut of prime rib or salmon that’s filleted a particular way, we can do that.”

Founded in Charlotte, North Carolina, Firebirds Wood Fired Grill serves classic American cuisine infused with a proprietary blend of bold flavors, fresh herbs and spices. Complementing hand-cut steaks, seafood and signature specialty dishes, Firebirds offers daily scratch-made soups, entrée salads, fire-grilled burgers and desserts. Pricing ranges from $15 to $18 for lunch, and ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

$28 to $32 for dinner per person.

“We feel like we have some of the best burgers out there,” Loftis says. “They come with different toppings. There is a total of eight burgers on the menu. We also have salads, sides, beverages and dessert offerings.

“We’ve become a neighborhood favorite. It’s the lunch spot everyone agrees on and a dinner invitation no one passes up.”

The rollercoaster pandemic has caused supply chain challenges, primarily for wings and seafood,” Loftis says.

“From a labor standpoint, we’re getting folks to work, but it’s been a real, real struggle,” Loftis says. “As a business, there’s a balance in trimming the business to accommodate the lack of labor.”

Along with entrées, charity is important to Firebirds.

Each location supports Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation by donating $1.25 from the sale of every Firebirds fresh-squeezed lemonade to fund the fight against childhood cancer. To date, Firebirds has donated more than $1 million to Alex’s Lemonade Stand.

“Everybody loves the concept,” Loftis says. “Everybody’s been very, very receptive.”

WITH A TWIST: COCKTAIL PROGRAM CHANGES SEASONALLY Firebirds is known for its steaks and chicken, but it has an extensive bar with creative mixologists. For the summer, it has a slate of refreshing drinks to help us

cool down in the summer.

The restaurant shared the secrets behind its blackberry margarita and summer sparkler.

SUMMER SPARKLER Ingredients: 1 1/2 ounces Bedlam Vodka 1 ounce Cointreau 1/2 ounce fresh lime juice 1 ounce cranberry juice 2 ounces La Marca prosecco Ice Orange peel as a garnish

Directions: Measure and pour all ingredients into a mixing glass, except for the prosecco. Fill glass half full of ice, cap with a mixing tin and shake 25 times. Strain into a champagne flute, top with 2 ounces LaMarca prosecco.

Garnish with orange peel twist.

BLACKBERRY MARGARITA Ingredients: 1 ounce Blackberry Puree Syrup 4 ounces sour mix (Firebirds makes its own fresh in house, but sour mix is available at local grocery stores) 1/2 ounce nonalcoholic triple sec 1 1/2 ounces Espolon Blanco tequila Lime for garnish Ice

Directions: Measure all ingredients into a cocktail shaker and add a generous scoop of ice.

Cover and shake 25 times. Fill a frosted mixing glass with fresh ice. Using a strainer, strain the shaken mix over the fresh ice. Garnish with a lime wheel.

Cheers!

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE AUGUST 2021

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DINING

CALENDAR

By Annika Tomlin

Summer Supper

ALL MONTH Marcellino Ristorante is serving its “Summer Supper” three-course meal. The menu is a variety of sought-after decadent creations, including the cozze appetizer, showcasing mussels sauteed with white wine, olive oil and garlic or spicy marinara, along with Chef Marcellino’s award-winning handcrafted gnocchi sorrentina, light and sumptuous, potatopasta-parmigiano orbs topped with fresh tomato sauce and dotted with melted mozzarella.

Marcellino Ristorante 7114 E. Stetson Drive, Scottsdale, marcellinoristorante.com, starting at 4 p.m., $44

Beer, Spirit + Pie Pairing

AUGUST 11 SanTan Brewing Company is teaming with Pie Snob to bring guests a sweet night filled with pie, spirits and beer tastings.

The pairings include blueberry lime crumb pie with LimeLight Summer Ale; caramel apple pie with CaraMellow Whiskey Cream Soda; peach cobbler with SweetPeach Bourbon old fashioned; and single malt pecan

pie with barrel-aged SanTan beer.

SanTan Gardens at SanTan Brewery and Distillery, 495 E. Warner Road, Chandler, santanbrewing.com, 7 p.m., $35

Passport Series

AUGUST 14 FOUND:RE hosts a monthly Passport Series showcasing cuisines and cocktail specials commonly found in the area the series is featuring. For the month of August, FOUND:RE will bring Finland to Phoenix.

FOUND:RE Phoenix Hotel, 1100 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix, eventbrite.com, 6 to 10 p.m., $15

Green Chili Roast

AUGUST 14 AND AUGUST 15 Pick some of the best green chilies in the southwest at Apple Annie’s.

Get up to a 50-pound burlap bag full of fresh picked chilies and have them roasted for free before leaving.

Try samples of each flavor of chilies including mild, medium and hot.

Apple Annie’s, 6405 W. Williams Road, Willcox, appleannies. com, various hours and pricing Marcellino Ristorante Summer Supper

Flight Night Cocktail Dinner

AUGUST 18 The Maple & Ash team of executive chef Sean Currid and bar manager Christina Demas will feature a

custom pairing menu that includes seasonal dishes and an exclusive preview of the new whiskey and mezcal flights. The four-course menu includes a special whiskey or mezcal for each dish.

Maple & Ash, 7135 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale, bit. ly/3xeWntI, 6 to 9 p.m., $250

Chef + Co Series

Daily Jam Tempe Foodie Stroll

AUGUST 19 ZUZU at Hotel Valley Ho is hosting a new Chef + Co Series featuring executive chef Russell LaCasce collaborating with James Beardnominated chef Cassie Shortino.

Everyone’s palate is in for a surprise with inventive menus served for each course. Start out in The Rosie Room with small bites and mingle with the chefs before heading off to the dining room for appetizers and the main course. Finish with the chef station serving dessert bites and conversation. Seating is limited to 16 guests per timeframe.

Hotel Valley Ho, 6850 E. Main Street, Scottsdale, hotelvalleyho. com, 5:30 p.m., 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., $199 per person

Mastro’s Plumpjack Wine Dinner

AUGUST 24 Enjoy three sophisticated wineries paired with Mastro’s five-course dinner. The evening will be guided by an experienced wine ambassador educating guests on the characteristics of the wines and vineyards.

Mastro’s Steakhouse, 8852 E. Pinnacle Peak Road, Scottsdale, eventbrite.com, 7 to 10 p.m., $350

Downtown Tempe Foodie Stroll

AUGUST 28 Foodies can indulge in small bites and drinks from exclusive event menus from signature Downtown Tempe restaurants.

Daily Jam will dish a choice of two breakfast tacos or one petite chipotle burrito with two mini mimosas while Pedal Haus Brewer will serve a choice of a either a classic cheeseburger slider or Baja shrimp ceviche. Menu items range from $8 to $10.

Southwest corner of Mill Avenue and Fifth Street, downtowntempe. com, 1 to 5 p.m., $5 access pass ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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BEER AND WINE

SIP » BREW » RELAX » EXPERIMENT » REFRESH » TOAST

MAD MIXOLOGIST C

By Annika Tomlin

rust’s speakeasy, Ostrich Bar, is sort of like the bird.

It’s hidden, but it does take flight — with its creative cocktail menu.

At the helm is general manager Andrew Pybon. He started his career busing tables at Olive Garden, and now solely creates Ostrich Bar’s drink menu. He had a slew of bartending jobs that paved his way to Ostrich Bar, so Entertainment Magazine took the time to learn about his journey and what he concocted for the Ostrich Bar.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR CAREER AS A BARTENDER. Actually, I started bartending randomly as hell. I worked at Olive Garden in Casa Grande. We’re talking like in 2012, a long time ago. I was a busser at the time and the nighttime bartender called off. They said, ‘Hey, do you want to bartend?’ I wasn’t sure.

Someone showed me how to use all of the equipment. There was a Rolodex that had all the recipes. Then I just did my thing. It was like a Wednesday night

super slow night. I liked it. It was fun.

I liked interacting with the guests. I liked making the drinks. I felt like I was in my element already, even though I was definitely out of my element. They noticed I liked it and that I did a good job. They offered to train me into the bartending position. I took it upon myself to absorb as much knowledge as I possibly could. After that, I went into dive bars and I worked there for a long time and I learned

the speed aspect of bartending and just like slamming out drinks and shots and drinks and shots all day long.

After that, one of my buddies was opening a higher-end Mexican restaurant and was looking for someone to run that bar, so I took that over. His brother got me into the craft scene by showing me a few random syrups and then, from there, I did my own due diligence of learning a bunch of classics and learning how to make random stuff from scratch, different syrups and cordials and stuff.

BONE APPLE TEA 1 ounce rye whiskey 1 ounce Boulard Calvados apple-flavored brandy 3/4 ounce lemon juice 3/4 ounce cinnamon syrup 1/2 ounce Gran Gala orange-flavored brandy Orange bitters Start with lighting a cinnamon stick on fire and smoke a short glass. Combine ingredients in shaker and shake together with ice. Take the glass off of the smoking cinnamon stick. Double strain into the glass. Add ice.

Garnish with smoking cinnamon stick and orange bitters.

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Then I started working at Caffe Boa on Mill Avenue. I was its head bartender for five years and that’s where I really cut my teeth in the craft scene. Then I was looking for a different place to do the same thing that was more of a bar and less of a restaurant and I ended up here.

I applied to just be a bartender and they were looking for a bar manager, so I took on that role.

I took over this bar as the general manager immediately after COVID. We did our quarantine thing and we shut down briefly. We did to-go cocktails for a little while and I was in charge of that.

Then, when we reopened, I took over and it has been a year and some change now of just running the show. It’s been fun. It’s been hard, but it’s been worth it 100%.

WHAT IS THE ODDEST INGREDIENT YOU’VE EVER USED IN A COCKTAIL? I don’t know. There are so many odd ingredients. Anything from Calabrian chili oil to making a shrub out of pickles and rosemary. Honestly, anything we use is weird because I use random stuff.

We make a lot of our own syrups from

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE AUGUST 2021

scratch. You’ll see me use ingredients like all spice berries or almond milk. We make our own mango jalapeno syrup.

The list of ingredients is only getting longer. The weirdness is getting less weird as I go. It was weird at first but now it’s not weird at all.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE MEMORY WORKING BEHIND THE BAR? Oh man! There have been so many.

Honestly, my favorite memory is any time I get a really cool connection with a guest beyond your basic ‘Hi, how are you? What do you want to drink?’

That happens more frequently than you would think. It’s so strange because I’ll run into people I haven’t seen in decades.

It’s crazy, but it’s the best feeling ever. I love it.

WHAT IS YOUR GO-TO DRINK WHEN YOU ARE AT A BAR OTHER THAN YOUR OWN? If I’m out drinking with friends and we are at a regular bar, I’m an IPA shot of tequila kind of guy. But if we are going to like a cocktail place, the first drink I will order every time is a daiquiri, like a classic daiquiri is just rum, lime juice and syrup. That’s where I gauge the credibility of the bartender, I guess. If they can’t make a daiquiri, then I don’t want to order anything else from them.

I’ll just order beer or something else.

BEST PIECE OF ADVICE FOR SOMEONE LOOKING TO GET INTO THIS INDUSTRY. First off, don’t do it. This industry is so hard. Nah, I’m just kidding. The best piece of advice for someone trying to get into the industry is go out a lot. Go out and have drinks with your friends at a lot of different places and do different things to get a feel of what you like out of cocktails or bars in general. Then you’ll get a better feel of where you want to work.

From there just be annoying. Go in all the time and ask for a job. Show not only that you are determined, but that you are stubborn as hell and really want to work there because all of us bartenders are the most stubborn people in the world.

Anytime I have given someone advice about getting into the bar industry, I say start out as a host or a busser or a bar back. It’s a lot of knowledge. I spent a number of years studying because I didn’t have a mentor. Many notable

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bartenders have some kind of a mentor.

I mentored myself by just doing my own research.

WHAT DOES ORDERING A VODKA TONIC SAY ABOUT A PERSON? It makes me feel like they are probably old, because usually people who drink tonic are people that have cramps in their muscles so they need to drink that stuff. Tonic is so gross. I hate tonic so much. However, if someone comes into my bar and orders a vodka tonic, I won’t even bat an eye. I’ll just make is and serve it with a smile.

I’m not the kind of person who is going to talk you out of whatever drink you like because, at the end of the day, your happiness is how I make money.

If I am going to try and talk you into something that you don’t like and you are unhappy, I’m not going to get an as enjoyable experience out of you and you’re not going to pay me as much money. I would much rather make you a vodka soda, vodka tonic or whatever the heck you make at home. I’ll make it better than you and you’ll love it.

TELL US ABOUT THE BEVERAGE PROGRAM AT THE OSTRICH BAR. We’re a speakeasy bar. We definitely emulate the 1920s as much as we can, so our bread and butter is classics. About 80% of our cocktail menu are classic cocktails either from the Prohibition Era or before. The originals are my own invention. This is my first full-blown menu that I have made from scratch by myself.

WHAT DRINK WOULD YOU LIKE US TO FEATURE? Bone Apple Tea ($12).

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT THE DRINK? This drink is whiskey-based but it’s not super strong. It’s pretty palatable for anybody who loves drinks or doesn’t love drinks.

The Ostrich: Speakeasy Lounge In the basement of Crust Chandler 10 N. San Marcos Place, Chandler 480.917.4913, crustrestaurants. com/the-ostrich

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UPFRONT | CITY | ARTS | DINING | BEER AND WINE | CASINOS | SPORTS | FAMILY | MUSIC | IN CLOSING

HONORING GREAT SACRIFICE

Veteran-owned cidery announces statewide expansion

By Jordan Houston

M

esa veteran Jason Duren knew at an early age he was destined to help people. When two traumatic brain injuries prematurely ended his active Marine career, the father of two felt lost – but he refused to give up.

Duren has now recommitted to his purpose by cultivating one of Arizona’s largest cideries with his brother, Josh.

Cider Corps embodies Duren’s love for cidermaking and his desire to uplift veterans. Over the years, it has built a reputation as a space for community members to gather, connect and support local veterans through awareness – and it is only continuing to grow.

Cider Corps, which sits at 31 S. Robson Drive, recently announced the statewide expansion of its awardwinning hard cider Mango Foxtrot. The beverage, a blend of mango and rose hip with an apple cider base, is now available at most of Arizona’s Sprouts Fresh Markets, according to Duren.

“This entire team believes in this story

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and community,” Duren says. “The cider is just a catalyst for healing that can happen in the community over a drink.”

As the company’s first statewide distribution, Mango Foxtrot is sold in four-packs throughout Phoenix, Flagstaff, Tucson, Oro Valley and Prescott Valley.

The style, which has a 7% ABV, won a gold medal at the 2019 U.S. Open Cider Championships. It is also one of the most favored flavors at the cidery. In addition to Sprouts, Cider Corps’ canned ciders are available at Phoenix-area Whole Foods, AJ’s Fine Foods, Total Wine and a handful of independent package and bottle shops.

Founded in 2017, the Cider Corps taproom is in a 1900s-era building that was once the Mesa police station. Cider Corps features 12 to 15 alternating cider styles and three cider slushie flavors available in the taproom by the glass. It is open for dine in and take away and features online ordering.

It’s partnered with Myke’s Pizza for an independent fast-casual restaurant concept, Duren shares. It also offers Pair Coffee & Tea, adding a full coffee bar, espresso drinks, coffee pour overs and

artisan teas.

Duren, a judge advocate for the Military Order of the Purple Heart, seeks to utilize his operation to give back to the veteran community.

With a mission statement of “Drink Great Ciders. Honor Great Sacrifice,” Cider Corps serves as a platform for veterans to be honored through awareness, Duren continues.

Cider Corps frequently features an “Honor Series” of ciders, highlighting different army units by featuring their logos on the can.

“Josh does the graphics around it,

and we base the cider off it [the unit,]” Duren says. “So, when you’re drinking it, the hope is that you look up some of the information about the cause on the key in.”

The organization consistently partners with veteran-oriented nonprofits in Arizona and California, according Duren. The company has raised funds to help veterans pair up and put service animals through training, as well as aid a California-based nonprofit organization to build adaptive athlete surfboards.

The goal is to partner with veterangeared nonprofits that are “a making a change in their community,” Duren says.

“I knew I wanted to do something for-profit and then support some of these guys that are doing real things in veterans lives and just be a small part of that.”

Raised in Kansas, Duren joined the marine corps in 2009 after moving to Arizona. A natural-born athlete and college-recruited pole vaulter, Duren says he wanted to join the force to give back to his community.

While deployed in Afghanistan in 2013, Duren suffered two traumatic brain injuries from multiple IED blasts, leading to a long road to recovery.

“During that time, I wanted to spend a lot of time by myself,” he says. “I was in the garage a lot and Josh started coming over quite a bit. We decided to find a hobby we could do together that requires (mental) processing.

“They (doctors) would say that we have to process information, recognize something that you want to change and

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE AUGUST 2021

then change it. That is part of the brain mapping.”

During the retirement process, Jason and Josh experimented with cider making as a hobby and as therapeutic outlet for Jason.

Out of this hobby has come a unique technique for cider making.

“What is probably the most unique aspect of how we make our ciders at Cider Corps comes at the final stages of fermentation called malolactic fermentation,” Duren says. “This technique converts the malic acid in apples to lactic acid – essentially creating a ‘softer’ mouthfeel and reducing the sour, or ‘sharper,’ flavor profiles most people associate with hard apple ciders.

The end product is a perfectly balanced cider unlike anything you have tasted.”

The flavor comes directly from apples and other fruits, so it doesn’t need additional extracts or sugars.

Cider Corps released its first two ciders in September 2017 and continued to make more styles while building out

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their taproom. They opened the taproom doors to the public on Veterans Day, November 11, 2017, and sold 2,600 pints on that first day.

Since then, they have seen the taproom become the gathering spot they hoped for: a space where community members can honor the sacrifice of its veterans while raising awareness for the obstacles they face upon returning home.

Due to an increase in demand, Cider Corps recently expanded its production to Gilbert, according to Duren.

Duren says he hopes to move all cider production to a 14,000-square-foot facility in Gilbert next year, he adds.

The Mesa location will remain open as a taproom.

Cider Corps 31 S. Robson Drive, Mesa cidercorpsaz.com 3 to 10 p.m. Wednesday to Fridays Noon to 10 p.m. Saturdays Noon to 6 p.m. Sundays

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CASINOS

PLAY » SPIN » LAUGH » GROOVE » UNWIND » WIN

RECALLING A DEBUT

Brad Arnold shares the stress of ‘Kryptonite’

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

B

rad Arnold admits he became a bit emotional when 3 Doors Down returned to the stage at the Greeley Stampede in Colorado after a pandemic-induced break.

“I had to hold back a little bit,” Arnold says during a Zoom call. “I think we had had to hold back a little bit, especially our drummer. His drums come to my microphone a lot and I was like, ‘Come on, man.’”

Arnold and 3 Doors Down is on tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of its debut album, “The Better Life,” which includes the omnipresent “Kryptonite.”

The act will perform “The Better Life” in its entirety, from front to back on Saturday, August 28, when it plays Harrah’s Ak-Chin with Theory of a Deadman.

Earlier this year, 3 Doors Down

released a remastered, 20th anniversary edition of “The Better Life,” along with the 10-song “Escatawpa Sessions” as a box set on high-quality three-LP vinyl.

Recorded in 1996 in the band’s hometown, the “Escatawpa Sessions” features seven demo versions from “The Better Life,” as well as three previously unreleased tracks.

The box set features a custom lithograph, a six-page booklet with previously unreleased photos and extensive liner notes and interviews with the band and executives from its label and talent agency.

A two CD and an expanded digital album of “The Better Life” are also available, and each feature four new bonus tracks including, “The Better Life (XX mix),” a new mix by Grammy Award-winning Chris Lord-Alge, “Kryptonite (2000 acoustic),” “Be Like That (2000 acoustic)” and “Wasted Me (with Harp Version).”

“The Better Life” songs have evolved over time, says Arnold, who recognizes the nuances that have arisen. When Arnold looks back at the recording process, he doesn’t, honestly, see much.

“It’s so blurry,” he says with a laugh.

“Back in those days, we used to like to have fun and I think that might have helped me not remember so good, either.

But, I remember more of the last five years.”

He does recall the stress that came along with fame, especially after the release of “Kryptonite.”

“Before that record, I’d never left my hometown very much,” says Arnold, who was born 42 years ago in Escatawpa, Mississippi.

“I’m from south Mississippi. It meant a lot for me to go to Memphis to make that record. When we started touring a lot, I don’t know how many countries we went to that first couple of years.”

Arnold estimates 3 Doors Down played 300 shows a year, and radio station apperances in conjunction with those gigs.

“It was a lot for a 21 year old,” he says.

“I was incredibly thankful for a really good family. I’m the youngest of seven kids and my family is great.

“I thank God for my mommy and daddy and all my brothers and sisters because to my brothers and sisters, still, to this day, I’m just their little brother.”

3 Doors Down w/Theory of a Deadman WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, August 28 WHERE: Harrah’s Ak-Chin, 15406 N. Maricopa Road, Maricopa COST: Tickets start at $49.50 INFO: caesars.com/harrahs-akchin/shows

MEANT TO BE THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE AUGUST 2021

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Nothing comes between Theory and its music

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

T

heory of a Deadman singer Tyler Connolly curses the Rocky Mountains.

Canadian bands of Theory of a Deadman’s caliber rarely perform on the West Coast, as border states’ shows mean larger audiences and profits.

“We rarely ever play New Mexico and Arizona,” Connolly says. “We don’t really hit it enough. We just turn around and go back.”

Theory of a Deadman — the musical minds behind hits like “Angel,” “Bad Girlfriend” and “All or Nothing” — will perform with 3 Doors Down at Harrah’s Ak-Chin on Saturday, August 28. He already has his stage banter down.

“I’m going to say, ‘Oh my God. We’re so excited to see you,’” he says during a recent Zoom interview. “We’ll probably be just as excited as everyone in the audience.”

Playing shows again have posed a challenge for Connolly, as it relates to the lack of CD booklets and album liner notes.

“It was fun to put in our thanks — thanks to the family, the people you know, all the endorsers. We would see all of that stuff and we’d love it.

“Now it’s just a faceless thing. I loved reading all the lyrics. Now that I don’t remember some of my lyrics, I Google them—for real. Then I’ll see some fan has written the lyrics and they’re wrong.

I say, ‘That’s not what I said.’ That’s how I get my lyrics now.”

The pandemic closed the door on concerts and, subsequently, Theory of a Deadman’s living. In January 2020, the band released its seventh studio album, “Say Nothing.” This one-off gig in Maricopa and Theory of a Deadman’s upcoming headlining tour allow the band to breathe new life into the record.

“We’re actually going to try to maybe play a couple songs from our new record,” Connolly says about what fans can expect. “We came out and then nothing happened because it came out on January 31. The whole world shut down in March. We never were able to tour at all.

“I was chatting with the band yesterday and said, ‘Let’s get together so I can start practicing some of this crap,’” he says with a laugh.

“Dean (Back) our bass player said, ‘What about playing something off our new record?’ Honestly, for us, we try to play the hits, the stuff people want to

hear. We’ll also play a lot of older stuff, like stuff from ‘Scars and Souvenirs.’”

“Say Nothing” is a departure for Theory of a Deadman, as it addresses societal issues. The single “History of Violence” addresses domestic violence, while “Strangers” shares the polarizing effect of politics on society. Connolly says he didn’t worry a bit about what fans would think about the new music.

“I always try to tell people, ‘Look, when you started in a band you had no fans,’” Connolly says. “‘So where did the inspiration come from? Were you nervous about it then?’ You don’t know any better. You just make songs and hope people like them.

“We try to approach every record like that and try not to have this pressure about what would the fans like. If you do that, you’ll just repeat yourself over and over and it’ll become redundant.”

Instead, Theory of a Deadman lets the pen go and “whatever comes out, comes out.” Connolly says he and bandmates guitarist Dave Brenner, bassist Dean Back and drummer Joey Dandeneau enjoyed trying new things.

“With this next record, I don’t think we’ll continue going in some crazy direction,” Connolly says. “I think you’re going to hear some older sounds and guitar-driven rock. So, once again, I’m excited to get out and do that.”

Theory of a Deadman kept busy during the pandemic-induced break.

Connolly and Brenner spent the pandemic working on “other business opportunities” that will be revealed in the fall.

“We were bored, and the band is doing other ventures, which everybody will find out about soon enough,” Connolly says. “That’s what happens when you have a lot of time on your hands. You just sit around going, ‘What could I do?’”

Connolly and Brenner also passed time with Band Meeting, their podcast that is available on all streaming platforms. Guests have included Mark Tremonti of Alter Bridge as well as athletes, musicians and songwriters.

“It’s been a lot of fun,” Connolly says.

“We put something on every couple weeks. We’ve had rock or country artists, hockey players like Matt Duchene from the Nashville Predators and ‘Noodles,’ Jamie McLennan. He’s retired now, but he was a goalie for a bunch of teams like the Florida Panthers.”

Founded in 1999 in North Delta, British Columbia, Canada, Theory of a Deadman has evolved since it was the

first band signed to Chad Kroeger’s 604 Records in 2001.

“I always think, personally, every band has to evolve — unless you’re an AC/ DC,” he says. “Actually, I would love to be an AC/DC. I used to love the older U2 stuff like ‘The Unforgettable Fire.’

It was this thrashy rock band. Then they got into ‘Achtung Baby’ and some of that pop stuff, and ‘Zooropa.’ It got weird, but I accepted it because that’s the evolution that bands do.”

Connolly says Theory of a Deadman’s evolution equates to stronger relationships within the band.

“When we make records, everyone just has their parts,” he says. “ “I almost feel like we’re a four piece puzzle in which everyone just puts in their perspective, what they hear on the song.”

Besides internal affairs, Theory of a Deadman and Connolly have watched the music industry change as well.

It’s become more of a singles-driven business.

“I feel the music industry is such a

machine,” he says. “They just try to squeeze out so many hits. I was thinking that the other day. Time has changed now where we’ve gone back to a singles market.

“I miss the days when I was listening to ‘Synchronicity’ from the Police yesterday. They have a couple tracks on that record that are just like the weirdest songs. I thought, ‘This isn’t even a song.

It’s just a crazy acid trip.’ You can’t do stuff like that anymore. Some A&R (artist and repertoire) guy would say, ‘This isn’t a single. What are you doing?’

My answer? ‘We’re being a band. This is what we do.’”

3 Doors Down w/Theory of a Deadman WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, August 28 WHERE: Harrah’s Ak-Chin, 15406 N. Maricopa Road, Maricopa COST: Tickets start at $49.50 INFO: caesars.com/harrahs-akchin/shows ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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SPORTS

CHEER » HIT » HIKE » LEAD » ROOT » COMPETE

BANKING ON FANS’ ENERGY

WWE brings the heat to Phoenix and Vegas

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

W

WE Superstars Dolph Ziggler and Natalya Neidhart feel rejuvenated since fans have been able to return to live events.

“It’s fricking great,” says Ziggler, who lives in Phoenix. “Finally having fans back after 15 months is amazing. I don’t take it for granted. I was kind of becoming complacent when the fans weren’t there.”

Fans are returning indeed. Formerly known as Phoenix Suns Arena, the Footprint Center is hosting “Friday Night SmackDown” on Friday, August 20. “SummerSlam” follows on Saturday, August 21, at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium.

“It’s been surreal,” Neidhart says. “For the last year and a half, the WWE has been making it work. We’ve been doing whatever it takes. We’ve been doing shows at the Thunderdome to keep everyone safe.

“Last week (mid-July) we performed in Houston and Dallas to a sold-out crowd every night. The rush of the audience was amazing. To have the audience

yelling and engaging with a live crowd was such a rush.”

Ziggler is excited for the WWE and its fans to see Allegiant Stadium, which hosted the Raiders last year without fans.

“Leave it up to us to deliver the show,” he says. “We haven’t been performing for them for some time. The table is set for them to be hot, no matter what. It’s pretty fricking exciting to perform at a new stadium in Vegas. Raiders fans haven’t even been there.

“We’re going to beat them to it. I love it for so many reasons. One is Vegas is cool. Two, we have to do it big, so we have to come out and deliver. We’re going to give them an action-packed freaking show.”

That energy is what drew Ziggler to wrestling. At age 5, his father took him to a show in his hometown of Cleveland.

He was so into it that his father signed him up for amateur wrestling. That love continued through high school and college. Ziggler, 40, jokes that he’ll wrestle another 20 years.

“My whole dream was to do this,” says Ziggler, who loves the restaurant Oregano’s.

“I’ve been very lucky career wise. I

haven’t been forced to stop. I’m a key person who can be put into any role at any time. I am constantly doing something with the company.”

When he’s not with the WWE, he’s working as a stand-up comedian under his real name, Nick Nemeth. He said comedy pales in comparison to wrestling.

“With wrestling, someone else is out there. You’re fighting someone else.

Someone else is punching you back. The nerve-wracking thing is walking on the stage. You have 300 sets of eyes on you.

Your hands are shaking. There’s no one else to punch. It is on you to deliver.

“If you don’t get them in the first minute, they’ll say, ‘Eh, I’ll wait for the next one.’ That part is nerve wracking. I performed in front of 70,000 people at a WWE event. Two weeks later was my first-ever stand-up show in a back room of a coffee shop in LA. The stage was two apple carts.”

He ran through his set all day. Ziggler tried to cancel but didn’t.

“I got one laugh from someone who wasn’t paying attention,” he says with a laugh himself.

He hopes to garner more laughs than that after “SummerSlam” when he and a slate of special guests bring comedy to The Space in Las Vegas for “DZ & Friends Slamtacular” at 10:30 p.m.

Saturday, August 21.

NATALYA NEIDHART CELEBRATES WOMEN Neidhart calls August 20 and August 21 one of the WWE’s most important weekends.

“It’s a huge weekend for us,” says Neidhart, whose father was professional wrestler Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart. “‘SummerSlam’ is one of our biggest events of the year, if not as big as WrestleMania.”

Equally as exciting, she says, is performing in Phoenix at the newly christened Footprint Center, formerly known as Phoenix Suns Arena.

“Phoenix is one of my favorite places to perform,” she says. “It could be because I’m a Canadian girl who’s looking for a hot summer day.”

The 39-year-old Superstar is a longtime favorite among men and women alike. She and Tamina Snuka— whose family is also wrestling royalty— are the Women’s Tag Team champions.

She enjoys working with new women wrestlers.

“I love working with new women,” says Neidhart, who was recently injured, leaving her appearance TBD. “I’m going for different goals. I’m one half of the tag team champion. It’s the first time I’ve been in a tag team. I’m rediscovering the WWE Universe in this role. (Welsh wrestler) Tegan Nox, (‘Raw’ wrestler) Nia Jax and I, we’re

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE GAME THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE AUGUST 2021

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Josh Reddick unveils his ‘Mount Rushmore of wrestling’

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

A

rizona Diamondbacks outfielder Josh Reddick calls himself a WWE “superfan” — and rightly so. His at-bat song for a bit was “Cult of Personality” by Living Colour, which was also CM Punk’s entrance music.

In honor of “WWE Smackdown” coming to Phoenix’s Footprint Center on Friday, August 20, and “SummerSlam” debuting at the new Allegiant Stadium in Vegas on Saturday, August 21, Reddick named his top five favorite wrestlers.

I can get before a workout or an at bat, before anything I needed to get locked in on. He was my very favorite very early on. I was lucky enough to meet him later on in life, get to connect with him and talk to him backstage.

STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN He’s easily on the Mount Rushmore of wrestling, not only for his character but for what he’s done for the sport. He’s a generational wrestler. What a better guy to go against the authority than a beer-drinking redneck, who I can relate to a whole lot. During the ‘Attitude Era,’ he did things his way and he loves to do that.

TRIPLE H

THE UNDERTAKER

Triple H has always been my favorite, simply based on his entrance music. His intro song gets me the most pumped up

When you mention The Undertaker, you mention the best in the business, about wins and pops and celebrity status

in the fame area. Everybody came to see him. Everybody waited for his intro, the 30-minute intro. Everybody seemed to get all fired up about it. He was just pure entertainment to see a big man doing the things he could. It was very impressive watching on TV and watching live.

RIC FLAIR Some people will be surprised he’s this far down on my list. For Ric and I, we’ve become really good friends over the last few years, since my Houston days and the ‘Woo’ movement. He was a guy I always liked because of his ‘flair,’ pun intended. The way he went about living the high life and we all know about the limousine-riding and jet-flying lifestyle he put on. He ran with it. That was his lifestyle. That wasn’t just an act. He was living the dream, doing the thing he loved. He wasn’t going to let it go to waste. He was going to live life to its fullest in and out of the ring. willing to take on any challenges that come our way.

“Being in a tag team is a passport to every single corner of the WWE, NXT, NXT UK. At ‘SummerSlam,’ we’re defending our championship.”

Neidhart says she was well prepared to tackle a tag team assignment.

“I think, in the WWE, you have to be ready for every single opportunity, every single competition, whether it’s ‘Raw’ or ‘SmackDown,’” she says.

“Being a part of a tag team is a different pace. You can’t be as selfish. I like the opportunity it presents. Tamina Snuka and I are excited about all the different opportunities we have.”

Neidhart is just excited to still wrestle in the WWE, given the circumstances of

the last 15 months.

“After the last year and a half, we are all more motivated than ever,” she explains. “I’m doing something I love, something I appreciate. One of the best parts of the job is engaging and being around people. I love introducing new women to the WWE. Toni Storm is debuting tonight (July 23). I’ve been here for so many people’s debuts, like Charlotte Flair for example.”

Neidhart is looking forward to performing in Phoenix and Las Vegas — both of which house her guilty pleasure.

“I love myself a good In-N-Out Burger,” she says with a laugh. “And a good Starbucks. Whenever I’m in a state with an In-N-Out, I’m definitely there.”

“Friday Night Smackdown” WHEN: 4:45 p.m. Friday, August 20 WHERE: Footprint Center, formerly known as Phoenix Suns Arena, 201 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix COST: Tickets start at $20 INFO: 602.379.2000, footprintcenter.com

“SummerSlam”

WHEN: 4:30 p.m.

Saturday, August 21 WHERE: Allegiant Stadium, 3333 Al Davis Way, Las Vegas COST: Tickets start at $25 INFO: 725.780.2000, allegiantstadium.com

DANIEL BRYAN AND CM PUNK (TIE) No. 5 is a toss up between Daniel Bryan and CM Punk. Daniel Bryan for what he’s done being the little guy, being told ‘no,’ he couldn’t do it. I love to see stories like that: the little guy who can’t do anything. Possibly one of the best matches in WrestleMania history was the Triple Threat with Bautista and Randy Orton that he won. The loud ovation he got after winning that title belt was something pretty special to see as a wrestling fan. As for CM Punk, he is known for being good, but he didn’t get the shots he deserved. He’s a big guy, too.

He left on his own terms and was doing things his way again. Going against the mold, he challenged Vince McMahon to say, ‘I’m the best in the world, in everything I do.’ He’ll prove it to you, whether I like it or not. All those guys I’ve listed were a pleasure to meet and most of them are pretty decent friends.

WWE “SummerSlam” at Harkins WHEN: 5 p.m. Saturday, August 21 WHERE: Valley and Tucson Harkins locations COST: $20 INFO: harkins.com

DZ & Friends Slamtacular

WHEN: 10:30 p.m. Saturday, August 21 WHERE: The Space, 3460 Cavaretta Court, Las Vegas COST: Tickets start at $25 INFO: thespacelv.com

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FOR THE LOVE OF THE GAME 28

UPFRONT | CITY | ARTS | DINING | BEER AND WINE | CASINOS | SPORTS | FAMILY | MUSIC | IN CLOSING

D-backs exec Josh Rawitch is headed to the hall of fame

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

J

osh Rawitch is in his last week as an executive with the Arizona Diamondbacks. It’s the All-Star week and he’s just leaving a meeting about the Suns Road Game Rally at Chase Field.

Rawitch sounds confident but sentimental about the decade he has spent with the D-backs, most recently as senior vice president, content and communications.

On September 9, the 44-year-old Scottsdale resident will begin his tenure as the eighth president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York. He, his wife, Erin, and their children, Emily and Braden, will move east on August 6.

His last day with the D-backs was July 16 — nearly 10 years to the day when he joined the team.

“It’s hard to put into words how

ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

cool of a position this is,” Rawitch says about the presidency. “We’ve gone through the process and were able to visit Cooperstown several more times.

We’re really, really excited. We loved our decade here, though, and so did the family.”

Jane Forbes Clark, chair of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, is looking forward to working with Rawitch as well.

“On behalf of our board of directors, I am delighted to welcome Josh as the Hall of Fame’s next president, and to welcome him and his family to Cooperstown,” Clark says in a statement.

“Josh brings to the Hall of Fame a wealth of expertise from his many years representing the game as a respected baseball executive. We are very much looking forward to his presidency at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.”

A DAILY IMPACT A graduate of Indiana University, Rawitch has spent 27 seasons working in baseball. In his most recent role with the D-backs, Rawitch helmed player and media relations, corporate communications, broadcasting, content production, social media, creative services, in-game entertainment, Spring Training business operations, team archives, alumni relations, publications and photography.

So few businesses, he explains, have an

outcome almost daily that can impact an office — happy or sad — at the end of the day.

“Derrick (Hall, CEO) has created such a special place to come to work every day, to the extent is I’m going to share that with Cooperstown,” Rawitch says.

“From the first day, Ken Kendrick has blown me away with the way he genuinely cares about the organization and this city and to see what this franchise has become.”

The D-backs’ managing general partner, Kendrick, is on the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Board of Directors. Rawitch has been grateful for this time with Kendrick, Hall and Cullen Maxey, executive vice president, business operations and chief revenue officer.

He joined the Diamondbacks after 15 years with the Los Angeles Dodgers’ front office.

A native of Los Angeles, Rawitch joined the Dodgers’ staff in 1995 and spent parts of five seasons in the team’s marketing department before shifting to public relations. He left the organization to serve as a beat reporter for Major League Baseball Advanced Media from 2001-02, after which he returned to the Dodgers, eventually rising to the position of vice president of communications.

With decades in baseball, Rawitch is clearly passionate about the sport. It’s a longtime love, as he scored an internship with the Dodgers after his freshman year of college.

“The world was very different,” he says.

“The field was not nearly as competitive.

After my internship, I returned for three summers. I was hired full time the week

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE AUGUST 2021

after I graduated. I was there for 15 years.”

He left for two years, spending one year covering the Dodgers and another for the San Francisco Giants for MLB. com.

“There’s just something about this sport,” Rawitch says. “It’s intoxicating.

With the daily grind of it, you have to love the sport to work in the sport. I grew up loving it as a kid.”

He almost transferred to baseball operations with the Dodgers because he’s such a student of the game. Rawitch loves the atmosphere, the game and the business of it. He enjoys creating content, social media and sharing story ideas with editors.

“Everything about it is so much fun for me,” Rawitch says. “To get the chance to work in the mecca of the baseball world is so unreal.”

MAKING THE MOVE Rawitch heard about the open position from Hall of Fame Interim President Jeff Idelson.

“He thought I’d be a really good fit for this,” Rawitch says. “It’s such an interesting position. It had to be someone within the baseball community, given the relationships you had to have. There was a list of people who might be a good fit. I’m very grateful that I came out on the top.”

That’s not to say he hasn’t had a series of highlights with the D-backs.

“The 2017 Wild Card and that entire season is unmatched,” Rawitch says. “It

was so much fun. That’s at the top of the list.

“Several of the trips we took to Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and the Dominican Republic were highlights.

For someone who loves to travel, it was a highlight to travel while doing my job and raising the international profile of the organization.”

His coworkers, players and executives made an impact on Rawitch — and will continue to do so.

“My wife and kids feel the same way,” Rawitch says. “Arizona is a second home for us. Living life in Arizona was so fantastic for a decade. The people, the trips and the 2017 Wild Card were the highlights. I actually watched much of that game from the stands with my family. To experience the game like a fan, even though I was working, and to see so much joy in the city was great.

We’re seeing it again with the Suns and this watch party.

“All the cool community programs we’ve done really stand out. Seeing my kids wear D-backs uniforms and feel the pride is amazing. I feel very, very lucky.”

Rawitch is also impressed with the strong and dedicated fans who have stuck with the D-backs during its rough 2021 season.

“That’s a true sports town,” he says. “I think it’s because this organization is so engrained in the community. People do realize it’s more than just a baseball team on the field. It’s a civic entity trying to help fans.”

29

SPORTS

CALENDAR

By Joe McHugh

Arizona Cardinals vs.

Dallas Cowboys

AUGUST 13 Football season is back, and what better way to get things rolling than watching the Cardinals face off against the likes of Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliot and the rest of “America’s Team.” Make your way to State Farm Stadium to see the start of what could be a great year for the Cardinals.

University of Phoenix Stadium, 1 Cardinals Drive, Glendale, 602.379.0101, azcardinals.com, 7 p.m., tickets start at $25

Arizona Diamondbacks vs.

San Diego Padres

AUGUST 14 TO AUGUST 15 The famous Star Wars quote goes, “Christian, I am your father!” or something like that. The Diamondbacks are giving out Christian Sky-Walker bobbleheads as they play host to the Padres.

Arrive early, as only the first 10,000 fans will receive one.

Chase Field, 401 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, 602.514.8400, mlb.com/dbacks, 5:10 p.m.

August 14, 1:10 p.m. August 15, tickets start at $29

Phoenix Mercury vs.

Washington Mystics

AUGUST 19 If you have spent more than $50 at any participating Fry’s Food

Stores, that purchase comes with two complimentary Mercury tickets!

Bring your receipt to the door two hours before tip-off to get your tickets to see the Mercury play host to the Washington Mystics.

Footprint Center, formerly known as Phoenix Suns Arena, 201 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, 602.379.2000, mercury.wnba. com, 7 p.m., tickets TBA

Arizona Cardinals vs.

Kansas City Chiefs

AUGUST 20 Although it is a preseason game, seeing Kyler Murray and Patrick Mahomes square off is always a good time. Visit State Farm Stadium to see the runners-up from last year’s Super Bowl come to Arizona to face off against one of the league’s brightest teams.

University of Phoenix Stadium, 1 Cardinals Drive, Glendale, 602.379.0101, azcardinals.com, 5 p.m., tickets start at $25

Phoenix Rising vs.

New Mexico United

AUGUST 28 Wild Horse Pass will see top competition late in the season, with the New Mexico United squad coming to the Valley. Come see New Mexico try its hand in Phoenix as it faces off against the defending Conference Champion Rising.

19593 S. 48th Street, Chandler, 623.594.9606, phxrisingfc.com, 7:30p.m., tickets start at $20.63 ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

30

FAMILY

FROLIC » DISCOVER » IMAGINE » FAMILY » FUN » CONNECT

SURPRISE!

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

L

ady Diva, Royal Bee, Neonlicious and Swag will sashay across the Arizona Federal Theatre stage on October 3, but there’s nothing traditional about this family show.

“L.O.L. Surprise! Live — Calling All B.B.’s” is redefining family entertainment by presenting the flamboyant dolls’ characters via hologram.

“We were pondering how to render the characters in a live stage environment,” says producer Jonathan Shank.

“We were going through our options in recreating these characters. We could have presented them as actors who were dressed up, but that’s not really realistic for families and kids. L.O.L. is a bit more sophisticated of a brand, and by utilizing costumes, characters would

be missing a portion for the audience.

L.O.L. has always been known for pushing the boundaries and doing things outside the box and so have I, as a producer.”

This is the first touring stage show for “L.O.L. Surprise!” The production will also feature songs, fashion, choreography with an eight-person dance crew, and a DJ to get things started.

“They’ll perform the L.O.L. greatest hits that people have come to love over the years,” Shank says.

The girls will introduce music from a forthcoming film and soundtrack, too.

“It’s really exciting, and the most exciting part is we’re bringing the characters to life in this really amazing hologram format. It’s the first time it’s been used in a family entertainment show.”

L.O.L. videos have been viewed on YouTube over 15 billion times, making it

L.O.L.’s four divas preparing to debut their stage show one of the world’s most popular brands.

“It’s such a fun brand and it’s exciting to bring these characters to life,” he says. “It’s such an exciting job and really a fun production. It’s quite the spectacle.”

Shank says kids — and their adult guests — will enjoy the wardrobes, the visuals, content and favorite L.O.L. environments.

“For most of these kids, it’s their first concert experience,” he adds.

“It’s multisensory and it will really be the most amazing thing they’ve ever experienced to date.”

Because of the brand’s exponential growth, Shank says this was the perfect time to bring L.O.L. to the stage.

“These dolls have taken the world by storm,” adds Shank, who was in discussions about L.O.L. since 2018.

“The popularity has risen throughout the last couple of years. I think it’s really

fun to be able to have the ability to bring these characters to life.

“I think there is an element of surprise, no pun intended, to the brand that all children and kids are attracted to. Also, the distinct characters and characterizations and traits each has is unique and appealing. I think kids can have imagination to bring these characters to life in their own homes. They’re already so animated in their doll form, that this was the next step.”

“L.O.L. Surprise! Live — Calling All B.B.’s” WHEN: 4 p.m. Sunday, October 3 WHERE: Arizona Federal Theatre, 400 W. Washington Street, Phoenix COST: Tickets start at $34 INFO: arizonafederaltheatre.com

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE AUGUST 2021

MUSIC

31

LISTEN » JAM » INNOVATE » EVOLVE » ROCK » SING

LIVE MUSIC

CALENDAR

By Connor Dziawura

Gasolina Reggaeton Party

AUGUST 1

Kim Weston Jazz Quartet

The Charles Lewis Quintet + 1, featuring Lewis Nash

Marquee Theatre, 9:30 p.m., $10 Chandler Center for the Arts, 7:30 p.m., free

Jam Session: Stan Sorenson

Mouse Powell w/The Kaleidoscope Kid, bluthecolor

Maya Jane Coles

Protohype w/Wreckno, Super Future

The Nash, 3 p.m., $29-$39

The Nash, 6 p.m., $5-$10, or free for instrumentalists and vocalists who sit in

The Rebel Lounge, 8:30 p.m., $12

Congress Cookout w/Bad News Blues Band

AUGUST 14

In the Whale

Talking Stick Resort’s Salt River Grand Ballroom, 8 p.m., $59-$79

Club Congress Plaza, 6 p.m., $10 Yucca Tap Room, 8 p,m., free

Jaleo

Musical Instrument Museum, 7 p.m., $28.50

Jam Session: Raul Yañez

The Nash, 6 p.m., $5-$10, or free for instrumentalists and vocalists who sit in

AUGUST 9 NO SHOWS SCHEDULED

AUGUST 10 National Park Radio

Sunbar Tempe, 9 p.m., $25

Aura, 9 p.m., $25-$35

Club Congress Plaza, 7:30 p.m., $10

Olivia Ellen Lloyd w/Katie Mae & the Lubrication, Taylor Gasheen

AUGUST 7

AUGUST 11

Bossa Brazil

Movements

Cheap Trick

Hi I’m Ghost and JPhelpz Aura, 9 p.m., $20-$30

Lord Buffalo

Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., $10

Los Chicos Del 512: The Selena Experience

Chandler Center for the Arts, 3 p.m., $20-$40

Miss Olivia & the Interlopers 191 Toole, 8 p.m., free

Shine On Floyd (Pink Floyd tribute band)

Marquee Theatre, 6:30 p.m., $10-$30

Stevie Stone

Pub Rock Live, 8 p.m., $15

Wyves and Harper and the Moths w/Paper Foxes, Chrome Rhino

Musical Instrument Museum, 7 p.m., $23.50

Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $25 Club Congress Plaza, 7:30 p.m., $10

NO SHOWS SCHEDULED

Chrome Rhino w/Radio Blonde, Daphne, The Glitches

AUGUST 3

Cray

Gentle Ben’s, 9 p.m., $23

AUGUST 12

Electric Feels: Indie Rock + Indie Dance Party

Bad Cop/Bad Cop

Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., $15-$18

Gasolina Reggaeton Party

The Rebel Lounge, 8 p.m., $18

JessFest: A Benefit Event

Club Congress, 7:30 p.m., $5

The Nash, 6 p.m., $5-$10, or free for instrumentalists and vocalists who sit in

AUGUST 13

Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free

The Rebel Lounge, 7:30 p.m., $10

AUGUST 2 HVNTED

Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free

Ramirez

Last Exit Live, 9 p.m., $8-$10

191 Toole, 8 p.m., $18-$20

Marquee Theatre, 9:30 p.m., $10

AUGUST 4

Rialto Theatre, 9:30 p.m., $10-$15

Lucki

Aura, 8 p.m., $25-$130

Ramirez

The Rebel Lounge, 10 p.m., $28.50

AUGUST 5 805 Day featuring Jason DeVore Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., $10

Old Man Saxon

The Rebel Lounge, 8:30 p.m., $15-$40

Rabbithole Handbook

Last Exit Live, 8:30 p.m., $10-$15

AUGUST 6 3 Bad Jacks

Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., $10-$13

Electric Feels: Indie Rock + Indie Dance Party

Rialto Theatre, 9:30 p.m., $10-$15

Gary Allan

Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino, 8 p.m., $59-$628

Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free

King Crimson

Nocturnal Theory Pinc Louds

Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free

Cash’d Out

Congress House Show

The Rebel Lounge, 8 p.m., $13

AUGUST 15 The Charles Lewis Quintet + 1, featuring Lewis Nash The Nash, 3 p.m., $29-$39

Cypress Hill and Atmosphere w/DJ Z-Trip Mesa Amphitheatre, 6 p.m., $49.50-$250

Jam Session: Dave Henning Snailmate

Al Ross and Yakz

AUGUST 16

Lane 8

B-Side Players

NO SHOWS SCHEDULED

Louis Prima Jr. & the Witnesses

The Dead Rabbits

Club Congress Plaza, 8 p.m., $20

The Rebel Lounge, 8 p.m., $15

Sherry Roberson celebrates Billie Holiday

Deicide

The Nile, 6 p.m., $25

Your Money’s Worth

Yucca Tap Room, 9 p.m., free

Yotto

The Nash, 7:30 p.m., $26-$30

AUGUST 8

Marquee Theatre, 6 p.m., $20-$40

Talking Stick Resort’s Salt River Grand Ballroom, 6 p.m., $35-$95 The Van Buren, 9 p.m., sold out

The Nash, 7:30 p.m., $29-$39 191 Toole, 8 p.m., free

Sunbar Tempe, 9 p.m., $25.75

All Time Low

The Van Buren, 8 p.m., $35-$39

The Charles Lewis Quintet + 1, featuring Lewis Nash The Nash, 3 p.m., $29-$39

Aura, 9 p.m., $25-$500 Club Congress, 7 p.m., $12

Desert of Talking Shadows Jude Poorten Trio

Red Not Chili Peppers (Red Hot Chili Peppers tribute) Sandra Bassett Motown Revue Chandler Center for the Arts, 7:30 p.m., free

AUGUST 17 Grams and Krieger

Club Congress Plaza, 7:30 p.m., $8

Rise Against

Arizona Federal Theatre, 7:30 p.m., $35-$198.50

tUnE-yArDs

Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $26-$36

AUGUST 18 Micah Bentley

Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free

Rebelution

Arizona Federal Theatre, 6 p.m., $34-$99

Sophia Rankin and the Sound

Club Congress Plaza, 7:30 p.m., $10 ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

32

UPFRONT | CITY | ARTS | DINING | BEER AND WINE | CASINOS | SPORTS | FAMILY | MUSIC | IN CLOSING

MUSIC CONT. Strawberry Girls w/Andres, Amarionette, Thomas Erak The Rebel Lounge, 7:30 p.m., $16

AUGUST 19 Gordon City

Sunbar Tempe, 9 p.m., $38.50

The Hangmen

Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free

Limberlost

Pub Rock Live, 8 p.m., $10

Lost Dog Street Band

Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears Valley Bar, 8 p.m., $15

Fayuca

The Rock, 7 p.m., $15

Jerry’s Middle Finger

Last Exit Live, 9 p.m., $20-$25

Los Jones

Yucca Tap Room, 2 p.m., free

MargaritaWorld: A Tribute to Jimmy Buffet

Neko Case

Rialto Theatre, 8 p.m., $34-$44

AUGUST 24 The Flaming Lips

Rialto Theatre, 8 p.m., $50-$65

NateWantsToBattle

Crescent Ballroom, 7 p.m., $15

Ruthcrest

Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free

AUGUST 25 Crafting the Conspiracy

Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free

AUGUST 26

Club Congress, 8 p.m., $16

DesertView Performing Arts Center, 7:30 p.m., $30

Ekoh

The Mavericks

Melvin Seals & JGB

The Slackers

Fox Tucson Theatre, 7:30 p.m., $42.50-$72.50

The Nash Vocal Jazz Ensemble: Sizzlin’ Summer Soirée The Nash, 7:30 p.m., $10-$25

Paul Cauthen

The Nile, 8 p.m., $35-$120

AUGUST 20 Amigo the Devil

Rialto Theatre, 8 p.m., $18-$20

Big Pete Pearson

Chandler Center for the Arts, 7:30 p.m., free

Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears 191 Toole, 8 p.m., $18-$20

Dead at Midnite

Yucca Tap Room, 9 p.m., $8

Fayuca

Marquee Theatre, 7:15 p.m., $17-$37

Marquee Theatre, 8 p.m., $30-$60

Mt. Joy w/Trampled by Turtles The Van Buren, 8 p.m., $40-$43

Paradise Winds

Musical Instrument Museum, 7 p.m., $23.50

Saintbreaker

Yucca Tap Room, 9 p.m., free

Talking Stick Resort’s Showroom, 8 p.m., $25-$50

The Wrecks

Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $20

AUGUST 22 Afton Showcase featuring Lil Turk, Flame Kizzle, Jimmy TK, Trip OD, Andrew Black Yucca Tap Room, 7 p.m., $12-$15

Club Congress, 8 p.m., $8

The Nash, 6 p.m., $5-$10, or free for instrumentalists and vocalists who sit in

Jerry’s Middle Finger

The Knocks (DJ set)

The Mavericks and Los Lobos

The Nash, 3 p.m., $42-$50

Māyā Day + Nightclub, noon, $10$25

Lil Lotus w/fats’e, Magnolia Park

Caifanes

Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino, 8 p.m., $49.50-$388

Flotsam and Jetsam

The Nile, 7 p.m., $20-$25

Katie Haverly (“Matter” album release) Club Congress, 7:30 p.m., $10

Drop Diezel, The Jack (AC/ DC tribute), Wild Side (Mötley Crüe tribute), Mean Streets (Van Halen tribute), Mary After Dark Rialto Theatre, 7 p.m., $5-$8

Milk Carton Kids and Haley Heynderickx

Musical Instrument Museum, 7 p.m., $44.50-$64.50

Punk Rock Karaoke w/ The Venomous Pinks, The Linecutters

The Rebel Lounge, 8:30 p.m., $16

Show Me God

Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free

Wifisfuneral

Aura, 6 p.m., $25-$80

AUGUST 29 Jam Session: Stan Sorenson

Carly Bates & Friends

The Nash, 6 p.m., $5-$10, or free for instrumentalists and vocalists who sit in

Dierks Bentley

Mammoth WVH

The Fabulous Yachtsmen

Megadeth and Lamb of God

Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone

Molly Hatchet

The Nash, 7:30 p.m., $26-$30 Ak-Chin Pavilion, 7 p.m., $41-$434 Club Congress, 7:30 p.m., $15

Talking Stick Resort’s Showroom, 8 p.m., $45-$90

Manuel Mijares

Orpheum Theater - Phoenix, 8:30 p.m., $72-$216

Rialto Theatre, 8 p.m., $22.50 Arizona Federal Theatre, 6 p.m., $99.50-$202.50

Marquee Theatre, 7:30 p.m., $25-$65

St. Pop

Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free

AUGUST 30

John Pizzarelli Trio

William Elliot Whitmore

Club Congress, 7 p.m., $10

Surfer Blood

AUGUST 23 The Brevet

Amigo the Devil

Valley Bar, 7:30 p.m., $14

Arsen Nalbandian Trio plays Oscar Peterson

Marquee Theatre, 8 p.m., $45-$75

ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

Yucca Tap Room, 9 p.m., free

The Rhythm Room, 8 p.m., $18

Milk Carton Kids and Haley Heynderickx

Valley Bar, 7:30 p.m., $17

The Nash, 7:30 p.m., $26-$30

Big Finish

The Fabulous Yachtsmen

Small Black

Wax

The Nile, 7 p.m., $17.50

The Rhythm Room, 8 p.m., $15

Mesa Amphitheatre, 6 p.m., $49.50

Neko Case

The Van Buren, 8 p.m., $35-$55

AUGUST 21

191 Toole, 8 p.m., $25

Coheed and Cambria and The Used

Chandler Center for the Arts, 7:30 p.m., free

Sonrisa

The Rebel Lounge, 8 p.m., $15

Xavier Wulf

The Nash, 7:30 p.m., $29-$39

Guns N’ Roses

Talking Stick Resort’s Salt River Grand Ballroom, 8 p.m., $30-$55

Pub Rock Live, 9 p.m., $15-$40

Valley Bar, 8 p.m., $17

Bob Daniels: The Cool Bridge to Chet Baker

Marmalade Skies

The Rebel Lounge, 8 p.m., $18

The Nash, 7:30 p.m., $29-$39

Wheelwright

The Atomic 44’s (reopening night and CD release party)

Jam Session: Pam Morita

Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $16

Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free

The Tubes

191 Toole, 9 p.m., $10

The Hangmen w/Chick n’ Kid, Speedbuggy

Lost Dog Street Band

Twin Void

AUGUST 27

Francine Reed

Last Exit Live, 9 p.m., $20-$25

Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $20-$30

Sian

Gordon City

Sunbar Tempe, 9 p.m., sold out

The Rebel Lounge, 8:30 p.m., $15-$40

$49.50-$453

Musical Instrument Museum, 7 p.m., $44.50-$64.50

Nanpa Báisco

191 Toole, 8 p.m., $18-$20

Will Clarke

Sunbar Tempe, 9 p.m., $21

The Flaming Lips

AUGUST 28

Hippie Death Cult

3 Doors Down and Theory of a Deadman

Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free

Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino, 7:30 p.m.,

Footprint Center, formerly known as Phoenix Suns Arena, 7 p.m., $34.50-$1,075 Musical Instrument Museum, 7 p.m., $49.50-$54.50

Jordy Searcy

Valley Bar, 8 p.m., $15

AUGUST 31 22GZ

The Rebel Lounge, 8 p.m., $18

Alan Parsons Live Project Celebrity Theatre, 7:30 p.m., $40-$130

33

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE AUGUST 2021

GIVING IT THEIR ALL

Rise Against tackles the tough subjects in lyrics

By Alex Gallagher

R

ise Against lead singer and rhythm guitarist Tim McIlrath says a lot has happened in the three years it’s been off the road.

“If you were a 14-year-old getting into Rise Against the last time we toured, you’ve had to wait until you were 16 or 17 years old to see us live. This may be the first time you hear some of these songs.”

Rise Against will bring its blaring sound to Arizona Federal Theater on Tuesday, August 17, as part of its tour in support of its latest album, “Nowhere Generation.”

McIlrath is looking forward to giving new fans a taste of “Nowhere Generation” with songs like “Sudden Urge,” “Broken Dreams” and “Forfeit.”

He’s also anticipating playing the title track live.

“I definitely want to hear ‘Nowhere Generation’ sung back to me,” McIlrath says. “That song was meant to be sung back and I look forward to the anthemic quality of that song.”

Rise Against creates its setlist with its varied fanbase in mind.

“I always try to keep the new fans in mind that the new music may be their introduction to Rise Against and then they’ll go back and listen to some of the older stuff,” McIlrath says.

The new material has been well received, according to McIlrath.

“We’ve been a band for a long time,” he says.

“This is our ninth record, and I always underestimate the reception of our new albums. It’s been really cool to see this rising class of Rise Against fans coming

up with our new albums.”

Rise Against is just as excited about the older material. McIlrath says it’s cool to “dust off everything”— including the “big singles.”

Rise Against plans to break out hardhitting hits like “Savior,” “Ready to Fall” and “Prayer of the Refugee,” as well as acoustic hits like “Hero of War” and “Swing Life Away.”

Rise Against doesn’t shy away from tough topics like depression, PTSD and crises in its lyrics. McIlrath hopes their songs enlighten audiences.

“I always hope at a Rise Against show there is always some sort of catharsis for our listeners and there is a moment for the fans to be in some sort of community,” he says.

“I hope that by singing these songs at the top of your lungs, it helps you be able to go to work the next day or to school

The Insider’s Guide to Arizona Entertainment

the next day.”

Beyond the show, he wants to give fans a new lease on life.

“I hope that our fans see that music and art can be about more than entertainment,” he says.

“I hope that we can make people feel a little less alone and inspire them to find their place in the world,”

Rise Against w/ with Descendents and The Menzingers WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, August 17 WHERE: Arizona Federal Theater, 400 W. Washington Street, Phoenix COST: Tickets start at $35 INFO: arizonafederaltheatre.com, ticketmaster.com PHX METRO » JANUARY 2020

PHX METRO

2019 » AUGUST PHX METRO

PHX METRO

2019 » MAY

» FEBRUA RY

2020

PHX METRO

Harlem rs Globetrotte e bounc into town

entertainermag.com

Summer

nce Let's Da . Ç gh goes Derek Hou tour solo on new

MERRILL KELLY

SPOOKY’S SWIRLS

Handcrafted e for meats mak treats delectable

BIG DREAMS

‘Americano!’ is the show of the year

» MARC H

2020

A Inside

Supermod Erin Naas el can't live without her Arabians

D-BACKS FAN FEST

slides into Chase Field

Dave Kindig is selling his ‘bitchin’ rides’ at Barrett-Jackson JULIANA HATFIELD

‘BONAFIDE

Star ’

Jammin’ Lee runs for Perreira charity SPRING TRAIN NOTHING ING BUT SCHEDULES GOOD NEW S The Black Moods crack the chart s

LA DOL CE

VITA The Italia n comes to Festival Phoenix

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FROM GILBERT TO THE STAGE UPFRONT | CITY | ARTS | DINING | BEER AND WINE | CASINOS | SPORTS | FAMILY | MUSIC | IN CLOSING

Lindsey Stirling brings her ‘Artemis’ tour to her home state

By Alex Gallagher

L

indsey Stirling has just about done it all in her young career.

She began her career as a contestant on “America’s Got Talent” and subsequently saw her albums go gold and platinum.

Recently, she authored and illustrated a comic book.

However, she attributes the origins of her creativity to growing up in Gilbert.

“My parents also always encouraged creativity in our home, which is what made me not afraid to be a dancing violinist,” she says.

Stirling has nothing but fond memories of growing up in the oncerural town.

“I am so grateful for my childhood,” Stirling says. “When I was growing up, I was surrounded by dairy farms and alfalfa fields. I’d spend my summer playing in ditches with my friends in our ripped jeans. It was so fun.”

She also fondly recalls working at a young age.

“I was taught to work hard as a kid,” the Mesquite High School graduate says.

“My parents didn’t have a lot of money. My friend, Johnny, and I would find ways to make money by doing chores for people.”

Stirling saved up to buy fabric, so she could make creative clothing, add

Beanie Babies to her collection and purchase a Nintendo 64 console.

“The creativity of finding ways to work allowed me to discover my selfmotivation.” Stirling says.

Her creativity and self-motivation are best shown by her latest album and most daring concept titled “Artemis.”

“I got really excited when I came up with the concept of basing the album on Artemis, the goddess of the moon,” Stirling says. “Then I came up with more of a story and the characters had depth to me, so that inspired the comic book.”

The accompanying comic book will have six issues out by the time she hits the road and will offer fans a visual experience.

“I really wanted people to have the album, the comic book and everything else to be out by the time I hit the road so that people could have the whole story by the time the tour begins,” she says.

The “Artemis” began July 23 and will make the rounds of the country. Its stop at the Arizona Federal Theater on September 1 has Stirling most excited.

“It’s been really fun to grow in a place that is my home and play at venues that I used to see bands at,” she says.

“It’s always really fun to play in my hometown.”

More than anything, she is excited to be able to play shows for the first time since “Artemis” hit shelves.

“Since I’ve had time to re-evaluate the shows we played on the ‘Artemis’ tour in Europe, I’ve looked at the audience reaction to the album and have switched up the show based on what people were gravitating toward,” Stirling says. “It’s been cool to have seen how the fans have reacted to the album and the videos now that it’s been out for over a year.”

She plans to curate a setlist of newer songs, many of which she will perform for the first time ever.

“I will be playing some new songs that I have not played live before,” Stirling says. “It’s always fun to play a song live for the first time because it gives you a new relationship with the song once you see people react to it as you play it.”

The thing Stirling cites as being the most exciting part of a show is the roar she hears from the audience when she queues up a fan favorite song.

“It’s always fun when an intro to a song starts and you hear the audience react because they know what’s coming, and that’s kind of impossible to achieve when you’re touring an album that’s just come out,” she says. “I do think that ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

there will be a different reaction now that people have had time to fall in love with these songs.”

Stirling also plans to give fans the ultimate visual experience of her latest work.

“For me, ‘Artemis’ wasn’t about music, it was about characters and the story,” she says.

While she is anxious to get back on stage, her mind is always working. She hopes to continue writing after the tour, but in a completely different style.

“I really enjoyed the comic book, it opened up a whole new world for my mind and I have other stories I want to write,” she says.

Lindsey Stirling WHEN: 7 p.m. Wednesday, September 1 WHERE: Arizona Federal Theater 400 W. Washington Street, Phoenix Cost: Tickets start at $29.50 INFO: lindseystirling.com/tour or ticketmaster.com

IT’S ‘TIME’

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE AUGUST 2021

35

Morris Day is breathing new life into his music

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

L

egendary singer-singer Morris Day decided during the pandemic it was time for new music.

The latest single is “Headrush,” featuring Trinidad James.

“We got excited and put that out,” says Day, whose band The Time is best known for its song “Jungle Love.”

“We have a lot of collaborations with performers like Trinidad James and Flo Rida. People are still coming in to do features with us. We recorded a lot of songs. We’re putting a project together that’s coming out soon. It’s not on any release schedule yet. We’re taking our time, so we know it’s right.”

Day says the music has refreshed his career and his motivation.

“I was just in the mode of doing shows and that was pretty consistent,” says Day, who recently released “Babylove” with Jerome and The Roots from “Jam and Lewis Vol. One.” “I was comfortable doing that. I wasn’t working on my creative side. Then COVID comes along. That shook me up and kicked me into a creative mode.”

Day and The Time will perform the new song when they hit the revolving stage at the Celebrity Theatre on Saturday, September 4. Morris Day and The Time celebrated their 40th anniversary on July 31.

“The show is going to be the same,” Day says. “It’s going to be energetic. I’m going to be up there looking good and cool and doing what we do.”

Day says many artists have come forward to collaborate with him. He finds that flattering, as well as the label “legendary.”

“I feel like somehow I paved the way,” he says. “I can see where certain people like Bruno Mars have been watching us.

It’s definitely flattering.”

Music has been in Day’s blood since a child, but he didn’t necessarily want to be a bandleader.

“I was just born to do it,” he says. “I know that because I’ve been lovin’ music from the day I entered in the world.

I wasn’t originally going to be a lead singer. I always wanted to be a drummer.

“Somehow, I ended up in front and that’s destiny. When I was a drummer, our percussionist would play the drums while I sang a song or two. Then I’d go back behind my security blanket.”

The “security blanket” could have been quickly removed. At one of its first show in Flint, Michigan, there was an overwhelming response.

“I started the show with my back to the crowd back then,” he recalls. “I was directing the band. The curtain opened and we started. I heard this screaming.

I had never heard that before. I turned, came out of character, and looked at the crowd. That was the first time for that.

That was cool.”

Morris Day and The Time WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday, September 4 WHERE: Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd Street, Phoenix COST: Tickets start at $40 INFO: celebritytheatre.com

ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

FAMILY MAN

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UPFRONT | CITY | ARTS | DINING | BEER AND WINE | CASINOS | SPORTS | FAMILY | MUSIC | IN CLOSING

Matt Sorum is marching to the beat of a different drum

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

M

att Sorum is getting acclimated to his new life.

His wife, Ace Harper, gave birth to their first child, Lou Ellington Sorum, in June. The former Guns N’ Roses drummer also wrapped up his book, “Double Talkin’ Jive: True Rock ‘n’ Roll Stories from the Drummer of Guns N’ Roses, The Cult and Velvet Revolver,” which hits stores on September 7 via Rare Bird Books.

“It’s been interesting through this pandemic,” Sorum says. “We’ve been staying really busy. We made a baby. We got this book to drop, finally, and did a vinyl record of a sampler that’s coming with the book.

“It’s a soundtrack and a voiceover of 10 chapters.”

In “Double Talkin’ Jive,” Sorum recounts his childhood years idolizing Ringo Starr and surviving an abusive stepfather. After leaving high school, Sorum sold marijuana to get by.

Over time, his drug dealing escalated to smuggling large quantities of cocaine, a career that came to a halt following a dramatic shoot out.

Sorum fled his old life and settled in Hollywood, where he caught his big break drumming for the Cult. A year later, he was invited to join Guns N’ Roses, with whom he’d record “Use Your Illusion 1 and 2.”

Sorum, who replaced Steven Adler in Guns N’ Roses, supported the band on

the “Use Your Illusion” tour. Sorum was inducted as a Guns N’ Roses member at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April 2012.

“The one thing about me is I’ve always been pretty open about my feelings — sometimes to my detriment,” he says.

“I’m an off-the-cuff kind of guy. Some people hold things in and don’t really express themselves.

“My feeling is I’m a bit of a storyteller.

I’ve had such a colorful life — especially in rock ‘n’ roll. I’m not going to be this narcissistic guy telling my rock ‘n’ roll adventure.”

He shared his stories with Swedish writers Leif Eriksson and Martin Svensson as they sat around a table.

“We ran down the list of everything from my childhood to now, moving to Palm Springs in the desert,” Sorum recalls. “It’s the ups and downs of the rock ‘n’ roll business, and the trials and tribulations of everything everybody else deals with. It’s just kind of a life story — don’t give up. Keep moving and rocking.”

The foreword is by ZZ Top’s Billy F. Gibbons, for whom he produced the bearded one’s third solo record.

“The Billy Gibbons record, the whole process was fun. It was just us making a record in the desert. There was really no management; no pressure to do whatever they wanted.”

In between music projects, Sorum is a successful entrepreneur. He’s the founder of six companies and sits on the Global Blockchain Business Council at UCLA. He also gathers each year with top global

leaders in business, government and academia at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

“I’m really into my entrepreneurial phase,” he says. “I’m trying new ideas and being creative that way. On my music side of things, I don’t force myself

into the business. It just organically comes to me.

“I like challenging myself as an entrepreneur. It’s no different than being in a band and trying to make a great record that’s going to be successful.”

The move to Palm Springs marked the first time in 40 years that Sorum lived outside of LA. He calls it a “pretty big move.”

“I’m always going to be connected to a lot of people there,” he says. “This is a different phase of my life. I have a kid now. I’m 60 years old. That’s a big one— probably the biggest. I look over at her (Lou) and I can’t believe this. This is my little human.

“I waited all this time to have a kid.

The timing is good for me. I couldn’t imagine being in the throes of it (music) and trying to navigate a family. I wouldn’t want that.”

Matt Sorum “Double Talkin’ Jive: True Rock ‘n’ Roll Stories from the Drummer of Guns N’ Roses, The Cult and Velvet Revolver” Out September 7 via Rare Bird Books mattsorum.com ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

HOT CRAZY Veteran musicians bring

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37

flamboyancy to the stage

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

R

ock stars are few and far between these days, but the Valley’s Hot Crazy hopes to change that with its silver lamé outfits and a Queen-

esque sound.

Fans can check out Hot Crazy for themselves when it plays its first hometown show at Wasted Grain in Old Town Scottsdale on Saturday, August 28. Besides general admission tickets, a VIP package with a “catered, intimate dinner” and meet and greet is available as well.

“It’s a really great, amazing rock concert,” says guitarist Jordan Ziff, a former Scottsdale resident who lives in Burbank. “It’s the type of show that people have been itching for. It’s very flamboyant.”

Bassist Robby Creasey elaborated.

“The shows have some theatrics to it,” he adds. “We like to treat every show like it’s an arena-style show. It’s larger than life. We want everybody to be in the mindset of having a great time. It’s an escape.”

Hot Crazy is influenced by more than Queen, however. Elton John and The Beatles are woven throughout the tunes,

and even a little punk. With new music coming in November, Hot Crazy is set to release a cover of the Spice Girls’ “Wannabe.”

“I love the Knack, too,” says Ziff, who plays with Ratt. “There’s a little punk element to it in a way. It’s a conglomerate of the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s all meshed together.”

“With an extra sparkle of modern pop,” adds Creasey, formerly of Farewell, My Love.

Hot Crazy came about thanks to the quarantine, as Creasey, who lives in Brentwood, California, returned to the Valley and solely hung out with Ziff.

“I didn’t want to be around people,” Ziff says.

“We just came up with the idea and started writing music together. He introduced me to Carl (Biehn), the singer. They used to work together in Santa Monica. It was serendipitous.”

Creasey and Ziff have been friends for 15 years, since they attended Horizon High School. However, they rarely wrote music together. The pandemic was a great opportunity to start full-fledged.

“We both had the same vision,” Creasey says. “We had the same idea of what we wanted to do. It was the perfect

time and the perfect place.”

Hot Crazy is rounded out by Jake Dick, who responded to an online post for a drummer.

“He messaged me, and he was the first person to message me,” Creasey says. “He was the perfect person for this band.”

Although the concept of the band is slightly humorous, Ziff says, they take the music “really seriously.”

“When we make videos and all that stuff, it’s definitely on the comedic side,” he says. “We have a sense of humor. We don’t take ourselves seriously. We just want everyone to have fun and enjoy the music.”

Hot Crazy hopes its new fans will come along for the ride.

“We’re still in the beginning phase,” Creasey says. “Every week something new, different and exciting is happening.

Everyone will find out soon what we’re up to.”

Hot Crazy WHEN: 6 p.m. (VIP) and 7 p.m. doors open Saturday, August 28 WHERE: Wasted Grain, 7295 E. Stetson Drive, Scottsdale COST: $10 at the door; $70 VIP in advance INFO: wastedgrain.com

A TABLE FOR TWO? Phind it

ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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IN CLOSING

FUN » FACTS » LEARN » SHARE » PLAY

NUMBERS

By Annika Tomlin

A single ounce of pure gold can be drawn out into a thread 50 miles long without breaking.

Memory foam was developed in 1966 under a contract by NASA’s Ames Research Center.

85 million jobs will be replaced by machines with artificial intelligence by 2025.

Our skin sheds 30,000 to 40,000 cells daily.

Croatian Budimir Šobat holds the record for holding his breath voluntarily for the longest time: 24 minutes and 37.36 seconds.

Without a space suit, astronauts would lose consciousness after 15 seconds, die after 90 seconds and freeze solid after 12 to 26 hours.

Swimming up to 35 mph, sea turtles are the fastest reptiles.

In a study, scientists found that a razor blade will dissolve in stomach acid after two hours.

Eating 10 million bananas at once could lead to radiation poisoning.

Toto in “The Wizard of Oz” was paid $125/week while the Munchkin actors were paid $50/week.

A STORY OF FRIENDSHIPS AS STRONG AS STEEL All the ladies who are “anybody” come to have their hair done at Truvy’s Beauty Salon, where outspoken Truvy dispenses shampoos and free advice to a coterie of eccentric characters.

By turns hilarious, poignant and acerbic, six women weather triumphs, tragedies and challenges to their beliefs about family, culture and community. This wisecracking group of women form friendships as strong as steel, which they are forced to lean on when tragedy strikes.

AUGUST 18 – SEPTEMBER 12

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