y speaking
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
vents cal.
entertainment reel2real
z box
mom section
Mesa offering free workshops, demonstrations mom cents
hearsay
looking back
Five-time world champion hoop dancer Tony Duncan will host a variety of workshops in Mesa this month. (Photo courtesy Mesa Arts Center)
pasta vixen
September brings change, new schedules and back-to-school events. Amid the seasonal shift, city of Mesa departments will offer a series of free artmaking workshops and demonstrations as part of the Water=Life project, a collaborative public art process focused around the history and future of water in the Valley of the Sun. The series of workshops will be led by artists collaborating to create a nine-day temporary art installation in Mesa’s Riverview Park November 16 to November 24. Participants in the workshops are invited and will have the opportunity to contribute through ideas, personal reflection or artmaking to the creation of the culminating installation. Workshops include a variety of mediphoto page
talk
By Casey Blake
events calendar
meet your neighbor
expensive homes
ums in performing and visual arts and are led by renowned artists on a local and national scale, including five-time world champion hoop dancer Tony Duncan. Each workshop is free and open to people of all ages. Dates and descriptions are included below. Registration is available at mesaartscenter.com/waterlife or by calling 480-644-6500.
Artmaking Workshop and Demonstration with Tony Duncan
6 to 8 p.m. Monday, September 2, Mesa’s Artspace Lofts Duncan will demonstrate and teach hoop dancing techniques and share Na-
Mesa...continues on page 22
YouTubers Gonzalez, Gooden expanding reach with live shows By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski “‘Troom Troom’” are two words fans of Danny Gonzalez know well. Fellow YouTuber Drew Gooden is known for his humorous takes on society. One thing fans don’t know is what to expect when the two visit the Nile Theatre on Wednesday, September 25, as part of the “We are Not the Same Person” tour. “We want the show to incorporate the sense of humor we have in our YouTube videos with other things—music, sketches and jokes,” Gonzalez said. “We just want a bunch of stuff we don’t have in our YouTube videos. It’s a good opportunity for us to experiment with each other.” Gonzalez rose to popularity following his start on Vine and has since transitioned to garner almost 3 million YouTube followers. He has amassed almost 300 million YouTube views on all his videos. Gooden is best known for his humorous social commentary on fellow YouTubers, mainstream media, current events amassing over 130 million views on all his YouTube videos. He also took im20
prov classes before hitting the internet. Gooden’s fanbase is known as the “Little Stinkers,” after a commentary about viewers who don’t brush their tongues. Gooden is looking forward to the Nile Theatre show because his wife, photographer Amanda Murphy, is from Gilbert. The two “met” after she commented on one of his Vine videos. They got to know one another through messaging. “It’s a modern-day love story,” he said with a laugh. The two occasionally collaborate on each others’ channels, in videos like 2019’s “The World’s Hardest Flexer” (with Gonzalez) and “Exploring Facebook Marketplace” with Gonzalez (2018) on Gooden’s channel. The two agree that their success is shocking. They look back on the numbers and it’s a hard concept to grasp. “When you upload a video and there are 1 million views, that’s just a number on the screen,” Gonzalez said. “When people watch our videos, there’s no time or money commitment to do that. “For a live show, it’s an experience that people have to set aside time and money
for. It’s really flattering.” Gooden said he feels his experience with improv will help with the performances. “Before I started doing anything online, I took improv classes and was doing shows like that,” he said. “That was my first experience with anything comedic. Now I’ve come full circle, focusing again on the live theatrical thing.” Gonzalez is equally as skilled. In middle and high school, he did theater—musicals and plays. “I think we both share a love for theatrical productions,” Gonzalez said. “Making the show in this way—in an all-scripted, narrative format—is different than our videos. I’ve always loved both.” Together, the two are relatable and that’s exactly what Gonzalez and Gooden hope come across. “It’s a conscious thing,” Gooden said. “I tend to make sure I’m not complaining about things people can’t relate to. We are just average people. I’m glad that comes off. It’s weird to see YouTubers who are rich and successful just show-
Nearby News • For News Around Our Neighborhood
ing off the things they have. It’s hard to connect with them that way.” Gooden and Gonzalez aren’t sure what they’re going to do after the tour, as they’ve focused all their energies on this. “I like to look forward and think of where we can go with it,” Gooden said. “The live show’s coming together and I want to keep going. We’re hoping the live shows are successful as we think they will be. If so, we’ll be able to do more things and play biggest venues. That’s the real goal.”
MORE INFO
What: “We are Two Different People Tour,” starring Danny Gonzalez and Drew Gooden w/ Kurtis Conner When: 7:30 to 11 p.m. Wednesday, September 25 Where: Nile Theater, 105 W. Main Street, Mesa Cost: $155 for Danny Gonzalez and Drew Gooden meet and greet (includes ticket) $105 for Kurtis Conner meet and greet (includes ticket) $95 for ticket/merchandise package Info: ticketweb.com
September 2019