The Entertainer! Magazine - September 2020

PHX METRO » SEPTEMBER 2020

TWICE AS NICE

Michael Waltrip launches beer brand

ADDRESSING

RACIAL

INEQUALITY SKU is Arizona’s largest rap project

DAVID PERALTA

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2020

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CONTENTS

ON THE COVER

3

ADDRESSING

RACIAL

INEQUALITY SKU: Stop Killing Us is Arizona’s largest rap project

7 LIVE FROM HOME

Chris Daughtry combats boredom by playing venue benefits

10 ‘EXTREMELY AMBITIOUS’ Haley Lu Richardson took a chance with her new film ‘Unpregnant’

on the cover: Ashton Vaughn Charles, also known as The Dapper Rapper Cover photo by Pablo Robles.

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THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2020

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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

publisher

Steve T. Strickbine

steve@entertainermag.com

Vice President

Michael Hiatt mhiatt@timespublications.com

Executive Editor

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

christina@timespublications.com

Assistant Editor Connor Dziawura

cdziawura@timespublications.com

designer

Shannon Mead

‘IT IS NOT JUST A TREND’ Artists paint their support for Black Lives Matter

CONTENTS UPFRONT

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SKU • Daughtry • Musically Fed • Kane Brown • “Unpregnant”

CITY

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16 18

BLM Murals • Black Theatre Troupe’s Anniversary

DINING

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Stratta Kitchen • AZ Restaurant Week • The Green Room

BEER AND WINE

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Headbanger Winery and Distillery • Ultimate Picnic Basket • Great Beer Pairing • Seven Apart • Michael Waltrip Brewing Company

SPORTS

TWICE AS NICE

Michael Waltrip launches ‘Two-Time’ beer brand

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David Peralta • 9/11 Tower Challenge

MUSIC

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Tanya Donelly • Tommy Gibbons • Sugar Thieves • Dierdre • Brian McKnight

NIGHTLIFE Mad Mixologist

ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

circulation director Aaron Kolodny

aaron@entertainermag.com

contributing writers

Nicholas Barker, Alison Bailin Batz, Brandie Bosworth, Kristine Cannon, Alex Gallagher, Elsa Hortareas, Laura Latzko, Bridgette Redman, Ron Wade

Staff Photographer Contributing Photographers

Jackson Hole

ARTS

Courtney Oldham

production@timespublications.com

Pablo Robles

The Black Moods • Shannon Gunz • Semisonic • Alex Aiono

TRAVEL

production manager

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BACK AT ONE

Matthew Berinato, Steven Cohen, Kelly Davidson, Chadwick Fowler, HBO, Taylor Jackson/Arizona Diamondbacks, Jim Louvau, Dylan March, Visit Jackson Hole, Debby Wolvos ONE COPY PER READER

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Brian McKnight to hit the stage solo in Scottsdale 480.348.0343

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UPFRONT

PHX » CITY » LOCAL » PRIDE » DO » SEE

ADDRESSING RACIAL INEQUALITY SKU: Stop Killing Us is Arizona’s largest rap project

By Alex Gallagher

A

shton Vaughn Charles had to speak up after police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on George Floyd’s neck. He took part in peaceful protests, but that wasn’t enough.

The Avondale resident then reached out to 19 local rappers and artists to collaborate on a 22-minute song titled “SKU: Stop Killing Us.” The three-part track features Charles (The Dapper Rapper), KNova, Eddie Wellz, Sahar The Star, Pk Tha POET, Lauriel, Fransisco Phoenics, Kye Russoul, Lewis Santana, Leewater, Ronnie Dijon, Qosmic Qadence, Jay Tatum, Chari’ Joy, Dom Root, Theresa Lovely, Stone on Sax, Cofey and Stefani Monet.

“This is 19 people giving you 19 individual lifetimes’ worth of pain on one track,” Charles says.

Filmed my Martez Cornelius and Iryna Glavnyk and produced by Tru Barz, the videos for each part have been posted to Charles’ personal YouTube page.

The song is fueled by a somber but melodic undertone that complements the hasty lyrics and light lyricism. The song not only focuses on current events but details the United States’ history of oppression, a goal Charles wanted to achieve.

Although it was recorded by Black rappers, the song is meant for anyone.

“If you were raised and you’re part of any obviously and overtly minority group, then you grew up knowing that what’s happening out there, that’s being publicized now, was always a possibility,” Charles says.

“Anybody who even appears anything that’s not cis-hetero, you’re discriminated against, if you appear that way.”

Charles first reached out to artist K-Nova and, after recording their lyrics in Charles’ home studio, they spread the word about the project. Eddie Wellz, a member of the trap-metal group Dropout Kings, was the first to respond to the open invitation.

With Wellz on board, Charles forwarded the beat to Wellz so he could work his lyrical magic.

“I know, obviously recently, there’s been a lot of tension about systematic oppression, racist people and police brutality,” Wellz says.

“To me, as an indigenous person and an African American, I feel like I’ve been aware of this for a long time.”

The 22-minute project was split into three parts because, Charles says, it’s a large chunk of music to digest.

“I chose to make it into three parts because, when I was in band in middle and high school, oftentimes there’s a march, a ballad and then a third part,” Charles says.

“Split into three parts, it makes it digestible. It makes it to where you’re not just looking at a cypher of 19 people; even if it’s passionate and real, it makes it very easy to get bored.”

Wellz is hopeful the song will bring about societal changes.

“Just being a member of the community, I want to see those things change,” Charles says.

“I think art, especially music, is a great way to initiate and spread that information and knowledge to get people who are concerned and want to help to listen to it.”

The song has two underlying messages.

“If you’re really someone who believes all lives matter, then you shouldn’t have to have Black lives matter explained to you,” Wellz says. “The song is really about classism. People who run businesses and corporations control a lot of the different social spectrums we engage in here.”

Charles stresses, however, that Black lives do matter no less than anybody else.

“That is the statement that is the most important takeaway when it comes to those who compare us or label us with that,” Charles says. “If you’re going to label us, make sure you label us by what we have told you. Our lives do matter, we are here as well and we’re not trying fight to convince anyone that we matter any more.”

Ashton Vaughn Charles: “SKU: Stop Killing Us” https://bit.ly/2XL1brU

LIVE FROM HOME

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2020

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Chris Daughtry combats boredom by playing venue benefits

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

C

hris Daughtry is sitting in a purple-lit room in his home with a wide smile on his face. A character, however, is towering over

his shoulder.

“That’s Deadpool,” he says with a laugh. “It was a gift from Chad Kroeger from Nickelback on our last tour together. He wheeled it out while we were doing ‘Home’ and it had rainbow and unicorn balloons all over him.”

Daughtry fondly recalls other tour shenanigans, and he desperately misses it. However, he wants to ensure there will be theaters, summer sheds and clubs in which to play. To help the cause, he’s going on a “virtual tour.” Throughout August and September, he has hosted 19 acoustic performances, streamed live from Nashville and broadcast to fans across the United States.

Each show will provide localized support through a percentage of ticket sales and tips that go directly to the partnering venue, and feature unique setlists, Q&A sessions, song requests and surprises specific to the city being highlighted.

On Thursday, September 24, he’ll support the Marquee Theatre in Tempe.

“I’m doing it strictly out of boredom,” he says with a laugh via Zoom. “Well, that’s part of it. I’m just missing the road, missing performing and missing the fans and wanting them to feel connected and engaged.

“I wanted to come up with a way to partner with these venues that are struggling right now. They’re so important to the community and artists, like myself, who have had the opportunity to play the Marquee many times. The Marquee has always been great to us, and they jumped at the chance to partner with us. It was exciting to be able to do this.”

Daughtry says he wants to see venues thrive.

“It’s so awful for so many small businesses right now—especially familyowned businesses. It’s sad to see the current state of everything right now.

This just felt like one little thing we could do to help.”

For the shows, Daughtry will be accompanied by his longtime guitarist, Brian Craddock. He says the two are bringing back songs that they haven’t played in a while and reviving deeper cuts that fans have requested over the years.

“Some of these songs we didn’t think would go over well with the majority of

the crowd,” he adds.

“This is certainly catered toward the fans. We hear them loud and clear on certain songs. We wanted to feel loose and engaging—not so sterile. It’s always daunting to perform when you don’t see the crowd or feel the energy. You don’t realize how much you rely on that.

So that ought to be interesting. We’re determined to have fun, regardless.”

He admits he had to refresh his memory with some of the songs.

“Oh yeah,” he says with a laugh.

“Mostly, I had to remember the words, but they came back just like riding a bike after I sat down with it a couple times.”

He wouldn’t reveal those songs, though.

“If I say them, that’s giving it away,” he says. “I want to keep it a bit of a surprise.

There were a couple, though, where I thought, ‘I might have to pull up my own lyrics on that.’”

When the virtual tour wraps on Tuesday, September 29, with a benefit for the Cannery Ballroom in Nashville, Daughtry may start pushing new material. He wouldn’t reveal much about the new songs, other than some of it in the proverbial “can.”

“We were really deep into making the record right before everything shut down,” he says. “The first few singles were done and recorded. The guys were able to record their parts at home. I already had my stuff done.

“We do have stuff coming soon. That’s all I’ll say about that. We’re really excited

about it. I’ve used this time, instead, being a husband and a father. I haven’t been home this long in 14 years. The first two weeks were the most difficult for me.

I didn’t realize how much of my identity was wrapped up into touring.”

Daughtry 6 p.m. Thursday, September 24 $10 to $75 daughtryofficial.com/ events/450437

ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

‘RELATIONSHIPS ARE EVERYTHING’

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UPFRONT | CITY | TRAVEL | ARTS | DINING | BEER AND WINE | SPORTS | MUSIC | NIGHTLIFE

Musically Fed looks to community to feed struggling music industry

By Connor Dziawura

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or the past five years, Maria Brunner has, through her organization Musically Fed, made it her mission to feed the homeless and food insecure locally—and even across the nation.

By teaming up with the likes of artists, management, promoters, venues and caterers, Musically Fed traditionally helps donate leftover backstage food to other organizations—with a focus on helping veterans.

A longtime music industry professional and owner of Insight Management, she started Musically Fed to help veterans in memory of her late husband, a Vietnam veteran.

Then came COVID-19, and the need changed. So, the Scottsdale nonprofit’s mission evolved.

“I received three (anonymous) phone calls from three people saying they had seen us backstage, they knew that we moved food around and they were in need of food,” Brunner recalls.

So, she reached out to production director Jake Berry, whom Brunner describes as “a friend and a good contact,” and was connected with labor staffing company Rhino Staging & Events Solutions, which noted concerns about workers being unable to get unemployment with shows halted.

When Brunner realized individuals such as venue and events staff and security were in trouble, Musically Fed began holding meal and grocery distribution drives to help people in the entertainment/music industry—not just veterans.

ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

“What happened from that is I started reaching out to restaurants that I knew were doing decent at carry-out. I reached out to a couple of food suppliers to see if we could do a car drive-thru, and we’ve been doing one every other week,” Brunner explains.

Throughout events, starting in the spring months and continuing through the summer, donations have included everything from fresh foods and produce to nonperishables, with hundreds of meals provided at some of the events.

In addition to Berry and Rhino, Musically Fed has worked with the likes of Resurrection Street Ministry, Handlebar J BBQ Restaurant & Bar, Chestnut Fine Foods & Provisions, The Duce, El Pollo Loco and Tom Bihn, the latter of which has provided masks. The Van Buren and Gila River Arena hosted some of the distribution drives, too.

Other organizations assisted out of state as well. After the distribution drives started, the efforts spiraled—all the way to San Diego, Denver and Nashville.

Atlanta is in discussion, Brunner says.

More than 22,000 meals and several thousand pounds of dry goods were donated to families in Nashville at a July event. Nonprofits received donations, too.

“I did research in Nashville and, jeez … between the tornado, the pandemic and then a horrific storm that came through that we never heard about because God only knows we can only talk about our politicians—they had a storm come through the first week in June that leveled 200 houses—they have no food. And the coronavirus there is an epidemic,” Brunner says.

After many Valley donation drives, Brunner says she is running out of contacts and figuring out how to move forward.

“We’ve been traveling around the Valley in different restaurants that will host us,” she says. “I think I’m done. I don’t know anybody else where I can get the food, but we’re going to try to continue to get produce boxes from the farms. Resurrection Ministry is trying to help us do what we call protein boxes.”

Musically Fed shows—and Brunner emphasizes—that “relationships are everything.”

That can be seen in Musically Fed’s track record since its founding, which includes support provided to MANA (Marines, Army, Navy, Air Force) House, Ryan House, Phoenix Rescue Mission, Catholic Charities, Hospice of the Valley, Los Angeles Mission, The Midnight Mission and Resurrection Street Ministry.

And, over the past five years, Musically Fed has partnered with the likes of Elton John, Fleetwood Mac, Kenny Chesney, Brantley Gilbert, the Lumineers, Shawn Mendes, Zac Brown Band, the Grammys and CMA Fest and has been supported by Florida Georgia Line, Heart, Iron Maiden, Journey and Rascal Flatts, among numerous others, in securing excess tour catering to donate.

Terry Burke of Live Nation has also been one of Musically Fed’s biggest supporters, Brunner notes.

“I think once they hear how simple

it is and the fact that they are actually contributing to that sustainability footprint, it’s a win-win,” Brunner says.

“There’s just no downside to it.”

However, due to COVID-19, the organization needs help—monetary donations; large bags of dry goods, like oatmeal, cereal, flour, rice, beans, etc.; packaging, such as Ziploc bags in quart or gallon sizes; and connections that can provide goods at wholesale prices or less.

“Here in Phoenix we need food,” Brunner says. “Everywhere else, we honestly need dollar donations, because what we’re capable of buying with the dollar, no one could really buy on their own and do as much as we could. So, we just, honestly, I hate to use this word, but we kind of live hand to mouth.”

Musically Fed also needs volunteers.

“My hope is, as we go through these dark times, those that ‘have’ will realize there’s a lot of people that ‘don’t have’—and it’s not because they asked for this and it’s not because they don’t want to work and it’s not because they’re uneducated and it’s not because they want a handout. It’s not,” Brunner says.

“I just hope people understand that this is the time we need to give.”

For more information visit musicallyfed.org; follow @MusicallyFed on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; email info@musicallyfed.org or call 480-951-1882.

SUPPORTING THE CAUSE Kane Brown’s ‘Homesick’ is reimagined as veterans ballad THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2020

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By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

S

inger Kane Brown has felt homesick while touring the world in support of hits like “Used to Love You Sober,” “Heaven” and “What Ifs.” There’s another group of men and women who frequently miss home—the military fighting for our freedom abroad.

So, Brown took his hit “Homesick,” and remixed it, reimagined it as a ballad and renamed it “Homesick (Veterans Version)” with the addition of vocals from three soldiers—Generald Wilson, retired Navy 1st Class petty officer; J.W. Cortes, retired Marine Corps gunnery sergeant; and Sal Gonzales, retired Marine Corps lance corporal.

“I was so surprised when I first heard them sing,” Brown says. “I didn’t know what to expect, but they made the song beautiful.”

Cortes adds, “As a veteran, it means so much to work with a brand that has a long history of supporting service men and women. I want this remix to serve as an anthem for all American heroes as we continue to work together for a better tomorrow.”

For every stream of “Homesick (Veterans Version),” The Crown Royal Purple Bag Project will pack one bag to be donated as a care package to Glendale nonprofit Packages from Home as part of the brand’s goal of 1 million bags by December 2020.

“To partner with Crown for a song that means so much to me when it comes to the military was great,” Brown says. “It was so special to have them hop on it.”

They will also donate $1 to community-based nonprofit Minority Veterans of America, up to $100,000.

“It’s extremely awesome,” says Jamie Johnson, Packages from Home development associate. “We’re super thankful for the partnership with Kane Brown and Crown Royal. We’ve been partnering with Crown Royal for 10 years now. We were actually featured with them last year at various events, like the CMAs. ‘Homesick (Veterans Version)’ really sat well with a lot of veterans.”

Packages from Home’s mission is to serve active-duty U.S. military members stationed or deployed overseas as well as homeless, transitioning and at-risk veterans by providing them with requested food, hygiene and entertainment items to boost morale and quality of life.

Crown Royal’s commitment to packing 1 million bags by the end of 2020 will further advance Packages from Home’s mission, which began in

2004 when founder Kathleen Lewis started sending care packages to her son, Christian Lewis, when he enlisted after watching the Twin Towers fall on 9/11.

Kathleen began sending packages to Christian, but unfortunately, he was the only one in his unit receiving care packages, Johnson says.

“Kathleen rallied her friends to send packages to the entire squad and Packages from Home was born,” Johnson adds.

Last year, Packages from Home sent more than 10,000 care packages and impacted over 20,000 active-duty service members.

Additionally, the organization provided over 45,000 pounds of food and 6,000 pounds of hygiene items, impacting over 17,000 veterans.

PERSONAL CAUSE For Brown, supporting the military is personal.

“I’ve had family in the military, and I tried to join the military, but they wanted to make me remove my tattoos. I wasn’t going to do that,” he says.

“Soldiers are always away from their families. I was awful in school, but I love war movies. That’s where I get all my knowledge. It’s insane what they have to go through, how long they have to be away from their families, and it’s super,

super dangerous. I’m just trying to give them a little support.”

Brown also found it important to support Minority Veterans of America.

“I recognize the incredible importance of acknowledging the service our minority veterans have made for this country,” Brown says. “My hope is this remix shines a light of hope and generosity to uplift our heroes during this time.”

With his No. 1 Billboard 200 release “Experiment,” Brown became the only male country artist in more than 24 years to debut at the top of the Billboard 200, and only one of three country artists to top the Billboard 200 chart all year (2018).

The AMA, ACM, Billboard and People’s Choice Award winning and nominated artist is one of only five country acts with multiple five-time platinum hits (joining Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, Sam Hunt and Taylor Swift). Brown first topped the Billboard Top Country Albums chart with the release of his self-titled debut album (2016) and again with the release of “Kane Brown (Deluxe Edition)” in 2017, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums and Top 5 on Billboard 200.

These days, Brown is missing the stage due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Instead, he’s writing new music and hoping to release an album this year.

“It’s driving me insane,” he says. “I’m ready to get back out there on tour. I was cool for the first couple months. Now I don’t know what to do.”

He recently celebrated the release of his third EP, “Mixtape, Vol. 1,” which includes “Cool Again” with Nelly, “Be Like That” with Khalid and Swae Lee and “Worldwide Beautiful,” the latter of which benefits the Boys and Girls Clubs of America.

He calls the “Cool Again” and “Be Like That” videos “probably the best videos I’ve ever made.”

“Nelly was just fun. It’s like we’d been friends forever,” he says. “Khalid, I’ve known for a little bit. I introduced them to a new drink they had never had. It’s a cheap college drink, Rumple Minze. It’s 100 proof, and it literally tastes like you put mouthwash in your mouth. It’s super dangerous, but we had fun.”

Info: Packages from Home: packagesfromhome.org Crown Royal’s Purple Bag: crownroyal.com/purple-bagproject Kane Brown: kanebrownmusic.com ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

‘EXTREMELY AMBITIOUS’ Haley Lu Richardson took a chance with her new film ‘Unpregnant’ 10

UPFRONT | CITY | TRAVEL | ARTS | DINING | BEER AND WINE | SPORTS | MUSIC | NIGHTLIFE

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

P

hoenix native Haley Lu Richardson is known for taking chances with her films.

The actress starred in the coming-of-age film “The Edge of Seventeen” and quickly followed that with M. Night Shyamalan’s “Split.” But she particularly relishes the bravery it took her director Rachel Lee Goldenberg to go forth with her new film, HBO Max’s “Unpregnant.”

In it, Richardson plays 17-year-old Veronica, whose decision to get an abortion leads her on a 1,000-mile road trip to New Mexico with her former best friend, Bailey (Barbie Ferreira).

Melding the topics of abortion, teen pregnancy, friendship and selfrealization was “extremely ambitious,” she says.

“I honestly didn’t know it was going to work until I saw the cut together movie and took a breath,” Richardson says about the film, which debuts September 10. “We accomplished what we set out to do.”

The former Horizon High School student calls the film important because it’s bound to generate conversation. She admits the role was a tad bit scary.

“The thing that scared me about it was the same thing that excited me—doing justice to this in the tone of a comedy,” Richardson says. “I thought this was something we could do for the world, and the impact was the main draw.”

Although it’s labeled a “comedy,” “Unpregnant” is gutsy in that it outlines the stages of relief, grief and sadness when a woman has an abortion.

“It’s something that was really important for Rachel, who directed it, just showing what it actually looks like

in the clinic,” Richardson says.

“When Veronica’s in the clinic, we wanted it to be as real and just this is what it is. She wanted to show it as clearly as possible.”

Richardson, 25, is excited for her family, many of whom still live in the Valley, to see “Unpregnant.” The film will celebrate its opening at a drive-in theater in California, so her parents are driving from Phoenix to watch it.

Richardson lived near the Biltmore until she was 16, when she and her mom “went crazy and decided to move to LA.” “I’m not complaining,” she says. “It was pretty crazy of us. I don’t know how my parents agreed to let me do all of this

stuff. I’m definitely glad.”

She’s been quarantining with fiance, actor Brett Dier, playing videogames and watching movies. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Richardson hasn’t lined up another film yet, but “After Yang”—directed by her “best friend,” Kogonada—is due out next year.

The film follows a father and daughter as they try to save the life of their robotic

uide The Insider ’s G

family member.

“I miss working, acting, being on a set, being around people and the collaboration of it all,” she says. “I hear things are starting up. Shows are starting, and everyone’s taking precautions. I hope to work soon and feel that fulfillment.”

She hopes to visit Arizona soon, too, and “relax.”

“The vibe of Arizona is such a different experience,” she says. “I feel like the weight’s lifted off my shoulders. My fiance and I love Sedona. We love to hike, go swimming. I love swimming because even the pool is literally a hot tub. I love drinking wine, hiking and drinking more wine. That sounds pretty nice right now.

“It’s just magical. The desert in general is where I feel like I belong. I feel like, in another life, I was a Martian from Mars and the desert on Earth is the closest thing to that.”

Besides Sedona, she enjoys the restaurant Flower Child and the au gratin potatoes at Durant’s.

“They put freaking nutmeg in their cheese potatoes, and it changes everything,” she says. “As good as cheese and potatoes are together, add nutmeg and the possibilities are endless.”

“Unpregnant” hbomax.com/coming-soon/ unpregnant

rtainment

to Arizona Ente

.com

entertainermag ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2020

CITY

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STYLE » ENVY » PASSION » FASHION » BEAUTY » DESIGN

TOP 10

Talking Arizona music with Tempe’s The Black Moods

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

T

empe-based The Black Moods have seen their fair share of success these days with the hit “Sunshine” from the album of the

same name.

Lead singer Josh Kennedy is proud to be an honorary Arizonan, having grown up in the Ozarks of Missouri. Arizona’s music—specifically the Gin Blossoms— is what drew him to the Valley.

“This one day I was in my room playing and my dad says, ‘Hey, bub’—he calls me ‘bub’—‘come check out this band,’” recalls Kennedy, who’s joined in the band by drummer Chico Diaz and bassist Jordan Hoffman.

“It was the Gin Blossoms playing ‘Hey Jealousy’ on an awards show. I decided when I was 13 that I was going to play guitar for the Gin Blossoms. On my 21st birthday, I was on tour with the Gin Blossoms. They invited me onstage and I got to play guitar.”

With that stored away in his mind, Kennedy shared his top 10 Arizona albums with The Entertainer! Magazine.

1. “New Miserable Experience” is the record that led me here. Gin Blossoms were my gateway drug to the music of the Southwest.

2. Linda Ronstadt’s “Heart Like

a Wheel” is amazing. Peter Asher produced it and just hit it out of the park. Also, I had the biggest crush on Linda. She’s on my list. The ultimate “Tucson girl.”

3. Alice Cooper “Billion Dollar Babies” is such a good record. Raw. Listening to this record makes me want to be in the ’70s.

4. Gin Blossoms’ second record, “Congratulations I’m Sorry.” I was eagerly awaiting the release of this. I wasn’t disappointed. From the opening track, “Day Job,” to “Not Only Numb” then “Memphis Time.” Love it.

5. The Format’s “Interventions and Lullabies” is one of my favorite pop records. It also came out around the time I had moved to Tempe, so there’s a lot of nostalgia in that album for me.

6. Roger Clyne and The Peacemakers’ “Native Heart.” Their latest release, but a rocker. Songs like “Shady Side” and “Every Kind of Lucky” are fantastic. We wouldn’t have the success and amazing fan support if it wasn’t for these guys taking us under their wing.

7. Pistoleros’ “Silver.” It’s their latest record and a great collection of songs. A really dynamic record and amazing guys.

8. Jimmy Eat World’s “Futures.” The title track hooked me. This record really turned me into a fan.

9. Dead Hot Workshop’s “Heavy

Meadow.” I didn’t know they were the forefront of the Tempe scene until I moved here. After hearing this record, I completely understand why.

10. Chalmers Green’s “Remedy for Everything.” It’s the first record Chico and I did ourselves before The Black Moods. We made that record with Kevin

Prier from the Real Fakes. We were just kids, but if you can find that album, it’s actually really good. We recorded it at the Gin Blossoms’ studio, which is now Four Peaks Brewery’s newest space. You can buy merch and have a beer there. We did some pretty sketchy stuff where you can now sit.

Just be sure and wash your hands.

A TABLE FOR TWO? Phind it

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UPFRONT | CITY | TRAVEL | ARTS | DINING | BEER AND WINE | SPORTS | MUSIC | NIGHTLIFE

STRAIGHT SHOOTER

SiriusXM’s Shannon Gunz recalls her Arizona roots

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

S

hannon Gunz was preparing to enter ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication in 2006 when she told her father, “I want to be famous.”

To achieve that, she needed to have the best internship. She gambled and applied at the then-singularly monikered Sirius for her required internship—and won.

She hasn’t left since.

Gunz has become one of the most popular on-air personalities at SiriusXM, helming Ozzy’s Boneyard from 3 to 9 a.m. Monday to Friday; Turbo from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Friday, and noon to 6 p.m. Saturday; and Octane from 3 to 9 p.m. weekends.

Fans recognize her on the street and at shows—when there were concerts— making her one of the faces of SiriusXM. “I’m so lucky to be able to do what I do and getting to play the music that I grew up listening to,” she says.

ARIZONA NATIVE Gunz was born Shannon Turner in Prescott and grew up in Chino Valley.

Her mom’s side of the family has a long history in Arizona, while her father— ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

Lon Turner of Chino Valley’s Turner Pump—moved to the Grand Canyon State in the mid-1970s.

Gunz spent her childhood listening to music and working on trucks and motorcycles with Lon in their garage.

She attended Mesa Community College for a couple years before transferring to ASU. “I was actually on the verge of getting into the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication and they required me to have an internship,” she says. “That’s when I looked at my dad and I said, ‘I want a big internship.’

“Originally, the plan was for me to get my internship at Sirius and return to Arizona. But then I decided, after being there, this was the company I wanted to work for forever and I didn’t want to leave. I switched schools (to Seton Hall) and stayed in New York.”

She interned for radio personalities Covino and Rich, who subsequently hired her because she stood out, she says she believes.

“After spending time as their intern, there was an element of me being different with those two,” she says. “They were from New York and New Jersey and I was from Arizona, where I was

dirt biking and riding horses as a kid. I went to rodeos. I worked on Harleys and trucks with my dad.

“I remember when Covino or Rich were buying a new car and said, ‘Why would you want a stick shift?’ I said I don’t want to downshift when I’m going up the hill with a trailer.’”

Back then, her rural traits appealed to the satellite radio demographic, which was those who lived in the rural United States and those on long road trips, she says.

MUSIC SAVES Gunz says she enjoys that her job allows her to go to concerts, but most important to her are SiriusXM listeners.

“SiriusXM has some of the coolest fans and listeners ever,” she says. “So many SiriusXM listeners are on ShipRocked, which is basically a concert on a boat.

My fiance is in a band, and I go on tour with him. I can walk through the crowd and people recognize me from online.

They don’t know me as the lead singer’s wife. They know me and they love me.

They listen. Getting to hear that what I do gets people through their day is awesome. Getting to help bands promote their music and saving lives through music is great. It literally does save lives.”

Gunz’s fiance is Mudvayne and Hellyeah’s Chad Gray, who lived in San Tan Valley for more than 10 years. The couple lives in Las Vegas, within a few hours’ drive from the Colorado River, which she calls her “happy place.” It’s important to her, too, to be within three hours from her parents’ house.

The couple was slated to marry April 4, but, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, they changed it to October 31. At the wedding, they’ll imbibe on their wine—Gray Gunz Cabernet Sauvignon, created by Desert Rock Winery in the Scottsdale Airpark.

“We decided—no matter where the pandemic is at that point—we want everybody to be safe,” she says. “We don’t want to postpone the wedding again, though. We’re going to get married at our place on October 31, but we may postpone the party.

“My favorite place in the world is the Colorado River and the lakes that are on it between Arizona, Nevada and California. My grandfather’s ashes are in the river. That’s my happy place. We’re getting married on the river.”

She adores Arizona just as much as she did when she lived here.

“Arizona is such a beautiful place,” says Gunz, who picked up a 1993 Chevy

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2020

Blazer on her last visit. “You can be up north, up in the high desert by the Grand Canyon, where all the junipers are, where the elevation is higher.

“You can go down to the Phoenix desert. It’s just incredible. People say to me, ‘You’re from Arizona? It’s hot there.’

Not everywhere. Arizona is very much like California when it comes to being so many different elevations and stuff to do. Sedona is stunning. Camp Verde and the Verde Valley is beautiful. I grew up going to Skull Valley and riding my horse on my grandma’s ranch. It’s amazing.”

She has had plenty of pinch-me moments during her career, but one in particular stands out. Gunz was working in the Sirius studios, which rented space from a recording studio. Next door, Steven Tyler and Aerosmith were recording their last album.

“It was Sunday night and it was late, and someone was knocking on the door,” Gunz says. “It was Steven Tyler. He was trying to get up in my studio. He chatted with me and asked me if I wanted to listen to the album.”

She agreed and, after a studio tour, he

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sat her in the producer’s chair—right in front of the speakers—and played the album.

“As someone who listened to Aerosmith growing up and later in high school, they were still cool. They weren’t considered an old band. It was incredible,” she recalls.

“Months later, I was in New York City visiting and he was in New York promoting the album. He was in the middle of the interview and he walked out to say hi to me. My dog had passed away during that time and he remembered my dog and came out to talk to me about that. To have Steven Tyler come and talk to me on his own was super cool. That, my fans and the music make my career worthwhile.”

Shannon Gunz Ozzy’s Boneyard from 3 to 9 a.m.

Monday to Friday Turbo from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Monday to Friday, and noon to 6 p.m. Saturday Octane from 3 to 9 p.m. weekends.

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UPFRONT | CITY | TRAVEL | ARTS | DINING | BEER AND WINE | SPORTS | MUSIC | NIGHTLIFE

NOT QUITE CLOSING TIME

Dan Wilson feels strangely fine about Semisonic’s new music

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

W

hen Semisonic scored a hit with the 1998 last-call anthem “Closing Time,” the Grammy-nominated song became bigger than the trio.

The Minnesota band couldn’t quite find that sort of success again with “Closing Time’s” album, “Feeling Strangely Fine,” or its stellar follow-up album “All About Chemistry.”

“You can only be lucky in so many different ways,” says singer Dan Wilson, who is joined by bassist John Munson and drummer Jacob Slichter. “If you have a hit, you have to be lucky in a bunch of different ways with your hit.

It’s inconvenient to have a hit that’s bigger than the artist.

“We had this song that turned into an evergreen song, that means more to people than the band did. It’s so ubiquitous, so widely known and enjoyed. That’s a huge stroke of luck, but it’s inconvenient for the band as an entity to be overshadowed by our own song.”

That’s not to say Semisonic didn’t have other hit-ready material. The song “Never You Mind” from “Feeling Strangely Fine” is a bouncy, relentlessly hooky song with the line, “Shaking my ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

mind/like an Etch-a-Sketch erasin’.” “All About Chemistry’s” “One True Love” featured Wilson duetting with Carole King, making for a magical ballad.

Wilson says although Semisonic didn’t match “Closing Time’s” success, he has been very fortunate in the rest of his endeavors. He became the go-to songwriter for hitmakers like Adele and the then-known Dixie Chicks with “Someone Like You” and “Not Ready to Make Nice.”

“I don’t feel like ‘Closing Time’ is the only good thing I’ve ever done,” he says.

The 2001 album “All About Chemistry” was Semisonic’s last album until the trio officially reunited in 2017.

Wilson recently found the right songs for a Semisonic EP he called “You’re Not Alone,” which is due out September 18 on Pleasuresonic Recordings/Megaforce Records. The five-song collection includes the first single, the title track— the group’s first new song in nearly 20 years.

“In 2017, I found the key again,” he says. “I found the vibe to write a good Semisonic song again. We recorded it the next year and wrapped it up the end of last year. We had our plan to release the music and the world changed a lot.”

Wilson admits he was hesitant about releasing the EP when the world is plagued by COVID-19.

“There were elements of not wanting to create any mistaken connections between the world as it is and the songs themselves,” he says. “We just decided to throw that caution to the wind and put the record out and let people enjoy it as they would. I said we were going to put it out now and tour when we could and if we could, someday, and make a better batch of music the next time around.”

The video for “You’re Not Alone” was directed by Minneapolis-based filmmaker Phil Harder, whose resume includes videos for Prince, Foo Fighters, Liz Phair and Nada Surf.

“For the video, we began with memories of childhood in the woods,” Wilson says.

“Filmmaker Phil Harder creates a fable of the woods, the city, a distant beach, and a young boy who places a message in a bottle and sends it on a long journey. Inspired partly by Richard Powers’ devastatingly beautiful novel ‘The Overstory,’ partly by the paintings of Tomas Sanchez (one of which is featured on the sleeve of the single) and partly by the profound isolation we are experiencing during the pandemic, the video reflects the hopeful message of the song.”

For those wanting to be reacquainted with Semisonic, Wilson says “You’re Not Alone” is a good starting point and then the track “Basement Tapes.”

“‘Basement Tapes’ would be the overture that tells you the story before the story, traveling in vans, being in a van in the Midwest and driving to Kansas City for the next gig,” Wilson says. “It sets the scene for people in a way. That’s my loose response.”

Wilson says his standards are always high, odd for one of the top songwriters out there. However, it took a fan’s message on Instagram to make him feel a bit more relaxed.

“They love the Semisonic song ‘She’s Got My Number’ on ‘All About Chemistry,’” he recalls about the pianodriven ballad. “This fan was saying he always wondered if we felt that ‘Closing Time’ was a hard pair of shoes to fill, a hard thing to follow up on.

“We definitely felt that. Trying to write new Semisonic songs over the last many years was difficult. I wanted them to be as good as our best stuff. I felt those shoes I had to fill. It took a while to find my groove. We rose to the occasion and we’re proud of it. We put our artistic training to the test and did well.”

Semisonic “You’re Not Alone” September 18 Watch the single’s video at https://youtu.be/SPUj68fUsNc

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THE GOSPEL OF ALEX AIONO THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2020

The vocalist/YouTuber sings the praises of Arizona

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

A

lex Aiono moved from Northeast Mesa to Los Angeles to pursue a career in entertainment when he was 15. However, the singer/YouTuber will always carry a bit of Phoenix with him.

“I love doing interviews with Arizonabased reporters,” says Aiono, who last lived at Val Vista and McKellips roads.

“I think of lot of other people might not understand how Arizona I am. I grew up in Arizona. I have very specific details about Arizona, like my favorite restaurant. I will always love the Suns.

I will always love the Cardinals. I love flexing my Arizona side a bit more.”

Aiono, who has a following of more than 11.6 million, recently released his debut album, “The Gospel at 23.” The eight-song album blends narrative lyrics with urban/hip-hop melodies with a single kick drum, a piano and a West Philadelphia gospel choir.

Now 24, Aiono was inspired by life to record this minimalist record.

“I’ve been in this music industry now since I was 15, when I met my manager and started working,” he says. “Through the years, I’ve lived the life of a teenager turning into a young man under unique circumstances.

“I think being an adult and recognizing the difference between the artist who does whatever’s popular at the time versus people who just speak about their art and do what feels natural to them even if it’s not the most popular thing at the time.”

Instead, he identifies with what connects with him and his fans. He isn’t afraid to share his beliefs and his heart, he adds.

“It wasn’t difficult,” he says. “I’ve been thinking about lyrics throughout the years. They’re not difficult to come up with when they’re just the truth. They’re sometimes easier than coming up with a creative lyric that has nothing to do with who you are.

“I’m committed to my lyrics—where I stand with my mental health, all of my struggles and things I may have not necessarily kept secret but never addressed before. I don’t mean that in an ‘I’m awesome’ way. I’ve just had the courage instilled in me from the amazing team around me.”

For “The Gospel at 23,” Aiono worked with Chris Soper and Jesse Singer of the multiplatinum, Grammy-nominated duo LikeMinds. Aiono has known them since his teen years on Interscope Records, a label, he says, wasn’t ready for him.

“A lot of the writers and producers

are writers and producers I’ve known since I was 15,” he says. “Shout out to LikeMinds, Jesse and Chris. We had a longer-term relationship. A lot of the people I collaborated with on this album weren’t the big names, but they were great.”

ARIZONA LOVE Since 2012, Aiono has been steadily expanding a global fanbase. After nearly 1 billion views, 500 million streams, Top 10 hits of his own, sold-out world tours, starring movie roles and crafting songs for other platinum artists, he embraced his calling as a multihyphenate creator on his 23rd birthday.

While living in Arizona, Aiono was hoping to create a career like his.

He skipped so many rehearsals for a school musical at Heritage Academy in Downtown Mesa that he was kicked out of it, he says with a laugh. Instead, he was in LA for meetings and traveling to Utah for “mini performances.”

“I found out while I was on the road that I was nixed from it,” says Aiono, who also lived in Chandler and Gilbert.

A foodie at heart, he frequented Joe’s Barbecue in Downtown Gilbert during his time there.

After Interscope, he went independent, like Donald Glover and Chance the Rapper. Dedicated to pushing “The Gospel at 23,” Aiono has stopped looking at numbers.

“I really am passionate about this music,” he says. “I don’t care how it performs. The level that I have with the music now, I’ve never had with any of the music I did before. Previously, I wanted the music to do well. If it didn’t, I started thinking maybe it’s not a good song.

“I’m so proud of the people I worked with. It’s a fun, free feeling that I don’t have to worry about. I just want whoever listens to it to feel something.”

In his next chapter, Aiono will star in Netflix’s “Finding Ohana,” produced

by Ian Bryce (“Saving Private Ryan,” “Almost Famous”). He launched the debut episode of his first podcast series, titled “Alex Aiono: Let’s Get Into It,” earlier in July on iHeartRadio. On this highly bingeable podcast, Aiono is joined by friends, sexperts, therapists, influencers, actors and comedians to discuss a variety of topics, like love, lust, addiction, heartbreak, grief and fears. New episodes are available each Tuesday.

Now he’s looking for a new house in California, where he formerly lived in Santa Monica and West LA. “If you know a good Realtor, let me know,” he says with a laugh.

Alex Aiono alexaiono.com https://bit.ly/2Xgzd7c ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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TRAVEL

VACATION » SIGHTS » DAY TRIPS » ADVENTURE » EXPLORE » TRAVEL

HOLE-Y MOLEY! S

Jackson Hole offers adventures for outdoorsmen, animal lovers

By Alison Bailin Batz

pacious skies? Check.

Amber waves of grain?

Check.

Purple mountain majesty?

Check.

Jackson Hole, a mountain-lined paradise in the heart of Wyoming and near the Teton Mountain Range, is America at is most beautiful. The region has earned national attention as a chic refuge for the likes of Kim Kardashian, Sandra Bullock, Demi Moore and Harrison Ford in recent years. Beyond being a mecca for celebrities looking to escape from it all, it is the perfect place for adventure buffs, culinary connoisseurs and nature lovers of every shape and size. It also happens to be one place you need not worry about social distancing, as there is space as far as the eye can see—and then some.

Most who visit do so in the thick of the winter given the tremendous skiing at Jackson Hole Resort, but also consider a trip in the fall or even plan for a spring or summer visit, because it is heaven on earth.

STAY Surrounded by 3.4 million pristine acres of the Bridger-Teton National Forest and encompassed by the iconic, jagged peaks of the Teton Range and Grand Teton National Park, Snow King Resort is one of Jackson’s most-celebrated resorts. It provides an authentic Western lodging experience with 203 comfortably appointed guest accommodations

and 60 luxury and classic vacation condominium rentals.

The resort’s signature restaurant, Hayden’s Post, features traditional American favorites with a local-centric twist and an expansive outdoor patio with panoramic views. The property also features a seasonal outdoor heated pool and hot tub and executive fitness center that is open 24 hours a day. Recreational activities abound all season, including mountain biking, water sports, skiing and snowboarding, as well as all of the outdoor experiences offered on Snow King Mountain. Most notably, Snow King Resort is the gateway to Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks, which make for easy day trips.

Another amazing option: Four Seasons Resort and Residences Jackson Hole.

The Five Diamond AAA resort is just a mile from the entrance of Grand Teton National Park, among the top mountaineering, hiking, backcountry and fishing locales in the United States and home to thousands of species of animals, notably moose, bald eagles, elk, deer, bears and bison.

There are just over 100 rooms, 18 suites and 34 residences on property, and each standard room boasts its own private balcony. The spectacular suites—ranging from 750 to 2,200 square feet—have similarly stunning balconies as well as spacious living areas, expansive master bedrooms and marble bathrooms. The prettier-thana-postcard resort has a heated outdoor pool, multiple hot spring-style jetted tubs, three award-winning restaurants,

a small-bite mixology bar, access to a nearby ropes course and hiking trails.

There is also a dedicated team of onsite naturalists who lead adventures ranging from wildlife safaris and fly fishing to stargazing daily, given the greatest of the great outdoors awaits at every turn.

PLAY Beyond what the hotels offer, adventure awaits at every turn here.

For those looking to see it from a bird’s-eye view, Fly Jackson Hole offers four scenic flight packages daily that start at $295 and range from 60 to 90 minutes. During the tours, expect to soar over the Tetons, Snake River, several

waterfalls, alpine lakes and canyons. For the daredevil, Teton Hang Gliding’s experienced FAA flight instructors lead multiple hang-gliding expeditions daily using a powered buggy with an open cockpit.

Less high in the sky and more wet and wild, Barker Ewing White Water offers whitewater rafting and scenic float trips along Jackson Hole’s Snake River.

The tours, available separately and able to be combined together into package, many with meals included, range from 7 to 15 miles and start at $60. The whitewater rafting section of the Snake River is Class III, perfect for people of all ages and experience, while the scenic float is an unhurried, relaxing jaunt

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2020

down the river best for photographers and nature lovers. Or if a power boat is more your speed, there are four main marinas for boating in Grand Teton National Park that offer rentals, services and other amenities for adventures on the Snake River and numerous lakes.

Signal Mountain Lodge is a best bet, as it has deck cruisers, pontoon boats and motorboats.

Also a must for nature lovers is the Jackson Hole Grand Teton Wildlife Safari, an eight-hour exploration of the wildlife, geology and natural history of Grand Teton National Park. The tour— which starts at $275 and includes meals, water, binoculars and spotting scopes— features hiking, wildlife viewing, an

optional boat ride, light mountain climbing and ample photo opportunities along Jenny Lake, the base of the Tetons, Signal Mountain, Jackson Lake and Snake River.

SIP, SAVOR AND SHOP Because one cannot live on adventure alone, Jackson Hole has a vibrant culinary, art and shopping scene.

Jackson Hole Winery, which sits along a serene creek and makes exceptional chardonnays, pinot noirs and red blends, and Jackson Hole Still Works, which makes vodka, gin and double cask gin using water from the nearby mountains, are both open daily for tastings. If just one wine tasting option won’t cut it, Bin

22, which is inspired by the owner’s visits to European tasting rooms and bistros, features an eclectic wine shop, gourmet groceries and a tapas bar. West Bank Grill, a modern American steakhouse, offers dishes inspired by indigenous flavors and local tradition. Snake River Grill, in the heart of the town square, has become known nationwide for its rustic fine dining. Similarly, Granary Restaurant at Spring Creek Ranch offers refined dining with floor-to-ceiling views of the Tetons. There is also The Blue Lion Restaurant, which is located in charming historic house that owner Ned Brown purchased in 1978. There, expect dishes such as rack of lamb, elk tenderloin and fresh Idaho rainbow trout.

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Among the dozens of art galleries in the region, Gallery Wild, which showcases fine art inspired by wildlife, wild open spaces and conservation, and Wilcox Gallery, home of renowned landscape painter Jim Wilcox and several others, both stand out.

And finally, for the travelers who like to stop and shop a bit, Wyoming Outfitters, a locally owned boutique that dates back to 1910 and features men’s and women’s casual apparel, jewelry, gifts, home decor and children’s items, and Altitude, a designer boutique, are musts.

Jackson Hole jacksonholechamber.com

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ARTS

CULTURE » THEATER » DANCE » GALLERY » DRAMA » VISION

‘IT IS NOT JUST A TREND’

Artists paint their support for Black Lives Matter

By Laura Latzko

F

ollowing the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Dion Johnson and Ahmaud Arbery, people around the state and country have been protesting for justice, equal treatment, restructuring and retraining within police departments and redistribution of funds into community programs.

Those who support the Black Lives Matter movement, which started in 2013, have relied on different platforms to spread their message.

In Phoenix, artists have lent their artistic talents and voices to public murals. Some artists have created murals on their own, while others have collaborated on pieces.

The artists come from different backgrounds, but through their pieces, they hope to inspire change and create discussion.

She also wanted to create conversation around the idea of how funding for the police and the National Guard could be directed instead into communities.

“The money they have spent on the police and the guard should have been used for sports facilities, libraries, public parks, pools, educational programs, job retraining, so much more,” Franko says.

Originally from New York, Franko has lived in London and Los Angeles and traveled to different parts of the world.

She moved to the Valley in 2008.

Along with being a realism-based muralist, she is also a musician, poet, hip-hop dancer and rockabilly DJ. She was centered around the topic of school shootings.

Franko does public art as well as commissioned work. She says that with public art, she often tries to create greater community discussion.

“With public art, you have an opportunity to make a statement,” she says. “That is a time when you can say something and have a conversation because you are out there painting live.”

JEREMIE ‘BACPAC’ FRANKO For Jeremie “Bacpac” Franko, it was important to create discussion with her George Floyd mural at 15th and Oak streets, in which he is depicted on a $20 bill.

Floyd was killed in May by a police officer in Minnesota following an accusation of using a counterfeit $20 bill.

Through the mural, Franko hoped to bring attention to economic imbalances that impact Black and Latino communities.

PHOENIX GROUP MURAL

also has studied architecture and worked in the movie industry as a scenic artist.

Franko, whose grandfather was a scrap metal dealer, got started in the arts at age 13, when she would spray numbers on demolition derby cars for a body shop in Emerson, New Jersey.

“When I was a kid, my fascination was rust and chrome, growing up around cars and bikes,” Franko says.

At age 14, she learned airbrushing techniques while working at another bike shop in New Jersey, where she prepped and airbrushed bikes for the Hells Angel biker club.

Locally, Franko has done other murals exploring larger issues impacting society.

A piece she created at the 2018 Oak Street Alley Mural Festival, for example,

For one Black Lives mural in Downtown Phoenix, artists from different backgrounds came together to create one work at a vacant lot between Lacuna Kava Bar and the Songbird Coffee and Tea House.

The artists involved included Giovannie “Just Dixon,” Nyla Lee, Amir “Muta” Santiago, John “MDMN” Moody, Clyde and Ashley Macias.

Dixon also created a mural of Dion Johnson, a Phoenix man killed by a state trooper in May, on the wall of the Nami vegan restaurant.

Prints of the mural were available for a short time, and the $1,600 raised benefited Black Lives Matter Phoenix Metro and Trans Queer Pueblo.

The artists used a range of colors in their work and represented their own individual styles. The connecting threads in the piece are flowers.

Dixon’s contribution to the group mural is slightly different than the others, as it is a black-and-white representation of a woman with tears

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2020

running down her face with the words “Black Lives Matter” beside her.

Santiago depicted a boy holding a bunch of flowers on his way to a funeral; Macias, a fist raised in protest; Lee, a couple standing together in solidarity; Clyde, a woman surrounded by flowers; and Moody, a superhero-like figure with a flower in his hand.

Lee used two models as her inspiration. She hoped to show the strength of their connection in her piece.

“I wanted to emphasize Black love matters and having that couple signify that, putting them in a vibrant, beautiful light to show the beautiful nature of who they are,” Lee says.

Like others in the country, Santiago grieved and mourned. He says he feels a personal connection with the issues around police brutality, which he brought into the piece.

“I was seeing myself within the piece and really relating to my past history with police brutality and what my neighborhood and my community has fought for and been in fear of,” Santiago says.

Moody says that for him it is important to create a piece that is larger than life and will speak to others.

“This is why I paint—to empower everybody, and I mean everybody,” Moody says.

The artists brought different backgrounds and levels of experience.

Santiago has been a practicing artist for the last 10 years. He started doing street art in Miami and moved to Arizona less than a year ago.

In Miami, the artist created a piece for Art Basel featuring an Embera native

indigenous to Panama. The artist, who often represents nature in his work, hoped to convey the importance of preserving our planet.

Moody was raised in Arizona, lived in Los Angeles for 11 years and recently moved back to Arizona two years ago.

He had a background in graphic design before getting into street art in Los Angeles and then Phoenix.

The artist has created a number of murals for schools with similar largerthan-life qualities as his Black Lives Matter piece.

Macias is originally from Laguna Nigel, California, but has lived in Tucson and Phoenix for most of her life.

She has pursued surrealistic painting on and off for the last 10 years.

Lee started creating artwork at a young

age, but her interest lies in colorful, vibrant portraits and branding and package design. The artist, who has been

doing murals for the last three years, grew up in Las Vegas and has lived in Phoenix on and off since 2013.

In her paintings, she often represents women’s issues, such as the policing of their bodies and clothing.

For the Black Lives Matter group mural, the artists started working together over the same weekend and finished within the next week. They all had to balance time working on their murals with their day jobs.

Dixon flew out from Denver and painted two murals over one weekend.

The artist was born and raised in Los Angeles and started doing murals about two and a half years ago while living in Phoenix. He recently moved to Denver this January.

In Denver, he also collaborated on mural of Breonna Taylor, an EMT in Kentucky killed in her home by the police.

Dixon says it was important for him

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to participate in the Phoenix project because African American artists like himself need to be part of the conversation.

“I’m trying to bring that awareness, plant some seeds for the future generation of Black men and women. I definitely want to put more Black art out there so we can see ourselves on walls,” Dixon says.

Although the artists worked separately on different sections of the mural, they collaborated as they worked. They found that their individual pieces came together well in sending a cohesive message.

“It really was a supernatural collaborative effort,” Santiago says. “We all came together in how we were feeling and approached the one statement of Black Lives Matter. Some of us came very clearly and straight to the point with that, and some of us came at a different angle,” Santiago says.

The artists all found it important to use their voices and platform to speak out against injustice.

“Our walls are our protests. That’s how we make a difference, and that’s how we create change,” Dixon says.

Most people supported the murals, but there were others who questioned their use of public space, larger agenda and overall message.

As they were painting, a group of protesters stood next to them, giving them a sense of encouragement.

Lee says it was important for others see the mural and start conversations around the Black Lives Matter movement.

“It is not just a trend or a fad to say that. It is something that is happening.

It is something that is wrong with our country,” Lee says.

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50 years of activism keeps Black Theatre Troupe inspiring its community

By Bridgette M. Redman

A

s the Black Theatre Troupe readies its 50th anniversary celebration, its leader, David Hemphill, is disconcerted because, he feels, he’s back where they started.

Fifty years ago, in 1970, the country was wracked by racial unrest and injustice. Riots had broken out in many major cities after clashes between communities of color and law enforcement at all levels.

In Phoenix, Helen Katherine Mason wanted to give a voice to the Valley’s Black residents. Mason was the Phoenix Parks and Recreation supervisor, and she arranged for open-air community forums where people could come and share poetry and improvisations. From those readings, the Black Theatre Troupe was born.

Now, 50 years later, Executive Director Hemphill sees the country once again roiled by personal and systemic racism, injustice and a community simmering with violence.

“The thing that stands out the most in this whole thing is that we are right back where we started in terms of society,” Hemphill says.

“The Black Theatre Troupe was started in 1970 in response to the racial unrest and protest in the country. It was founded to help Phoenix heal and to prevent the racial unrest from flaring up badly here in Phoenix.

“The fact that we are back at this point again—it’s a bit disconcerting that we haven’t advanced more as a country.”

It’s been challenging because the Black Theatre Troupe hasn’t been able to respond to current events in the same

way it might have—and in the way it had planned for the anniversary— because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite those challenges, it strives to reach new audiences that are struggling with societal issues and how to make their voices heard. Black Theatre Troupe is pairing that outreach with an effort to connect with its long-term supporters to let them know they are still alive and still need their backing.

“The most important thing that we can do is to continue to make new people in the community aware of who we are and what we can do and how the African American community is an important, integral part of the fabric of the city,” Hemphill says.

He says it’s difficult to engage one’s audiences right now, especially if an organization doesn’t have a lot of money or a technological wizard to help it figure out the ins and outs of digital streaming.

The troupe’s official birthday is September 14, and Hemphill hopes COVID guidelines will be relaxed enough so people will see outdoor activities at Eastlake Park.

“It will be a good while before we get butts in the seats again,” Hemphill says. “I hope the critical nature of the pandemic will have eased enough for people to be more receptive and more open and pay more attention to whatever way we try to engage them, whether it be through emails or virtual performances.”

Hemphill hopes to open the Black Theatre Troupe’s 50th anniversary season in January. A complete season will then run straight through, including the summer.

NEW HOME In the past five decades, the company has moved from its original home in the park to a synagogue to the Herberger to its current home at the Helen K. Mason Performing Arts Center, a facility it built with the help of a $2.5 million Phoenix bond election in 2006. It has a 35-year agreement with the city to make its home there.

“We’re very proud that we have survived the first recession, then we survived 9/11, then we survived the economic downturn of 2008,” Hemphill says. “Now we’re into this one, so we’re hoping we’ve learned a lot in terms of survival and in terms of making it through circumstances some companies would find insurmountable.”

Even more so than the buildings it has occupied, the Black Theatre Troupe takes pride in its artistic accomplishments.

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THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2020

Hemphill says it is one of only three companies around the country that has completed August Wilson’s 10-play Pittsburgh cycle that chronicles the African American experience in the United States. It started with “Piano Lessons” in 1993, Hemphill’s first season with the company, and last season completed the cycle with “Seven Guitars.”

“That’s a big accomplishment for a company,” Hemphill says. “We’re very proud of that.”

Each Pittsburgh Cycle play is set in a different decade of the 1900s, and Wilson received two Pulitzer Prizes for drama for plays in the series. They include such well-known plays as “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and “Fences.”

Hemphill says the troupe is also proud of its programs.

“Our children’s program is one of very few opportunities for children of color to have theater workshops and productions that speak to them,” Hemphill says.

“So, we are very proud of that artistically.”

The troupe is working on a series of monologues and songs that can be experienced virtually. Hemphill says he is working with a company that has been helping theaters with their online content and finding a way to monetize that.

He hopes to perform an annual

Christmas production at the park if public health concerns allow it.

Once indoor shows resume, Hemphill has identified shows that do not have intermissions so audience members can

were being done in the late ’60s and ’70s, those plays were rooted in activism,” Hemphill says.

“They drew from the situations that were going on in society. (These plays)

go directly from their car to their seats and out again with no one congregating in the lobby.

The troupe is planning an outdoor performance of play readings from its first five decades.

“The plays that were written and that

prompted and started the Black theater movement around the country. That will be very exciting to people and enlightening—just what those plays were designed and written to accomplish back then.”

The plays, Hemphill points out, were

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designed to explore the situations of people of color, what they were facing and the discrimination they were fighting. They gave people of color a platform from which to show how they felt, who they were, and make the case for equality.

“The plays said this is how we are as good as you, this is why we deserve recognition,” Hemphill says. “Most importantly, those plays showed that our stories are universal.

What we feel, you feel. Some of the same things that we’re feeling and going through, you may be going through them on a different level, but basically, our story is a universal story.”

Hemphill says the troupe is ready for its next chapter. He hopes that his successor will keep the theater’s basic tenets in place—its activism and the exploration and illumination of the Black experience.

“We are hoping that people will never forget and people will always appreciate activism,” Hemphill says. “How Black theaters around the country started, the root mission of those organizations, we’re hoping that will remain relevant in our next chapter.”

The Black Theatre Troupe http://new-wp. blacktheatretroupe.org

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DINING

EAT » EXPERIENCE » INDULGE » SAVOR » DEVOUR » NOSH

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

Stratta Kitchen caters to the takeout set

By Kristine Cannon

A

fter a four-month delay, James Beard Awardwinning chef Alex Stratta’s new Mediterranean restaurant finally opened its doors in August.

Located in McCormick Ranch and originally slated to open mid-April, Stratta Kitchen serves the Michelinstarred chef’s approachable twist on flavorful Mediterranean fare.

In addition to having a renowned chef at the helm, what sets Stratta Kitchen apart from other Mediterranean restaurants are three things: “We’re accessible, we’re healthy and we’re fast,” Stratta says.

Stratta Lifestyle Kitchen is described as a “fast-casual healthy whole food dining” spot with a vibrant menu boasting natural and fresh ingredients.

Stratta Kitchen’s menu boasts dairyfree, gluten-free and vegetarian options.

Broken down into four sections—To Share or Not to Share, Greens, Grains and the Goods—the customizable menu allows guests to mix and match the proteins and sauces in their grain- or greens-based dishes to best fit their diet and preferred tastes.

“The Mediterranean approach to cooking is sunny, inherently healthy,

light and full of flavor focusing on fresh, seasonal and optimum-quality ingredients,” Stratta explains.

For example, starters include vegetable and potato fritatta; whipped ricotta cheese and walnut romesco; and baked artichoke, spinach and goat cheese dip.

Other signature dishes include mistral with Moroccan-spiced eggplant, Tuscan kale, Turkish apricots, Marcona almonds, spicy chickpeas and pickled red onion; and the Cali Coast featuring toasted quinoa, rainbow cauliflower, avocado, and medjool dates; among others.

The menu very much so reflects the very diet Stratta follows—one that helped him not only lose more than 100 pounds but also overcome colon cancer.

“I feel better than I ever have at 55 years old. I feel healthier than when I was 35,” Stratta says. “I take care of myself, and I think a lot of people my generation are looking for that.”

Considered his most personal feat to date, Stratta isn’t nervous one bit to open Stratta Kitchen amid a pandemic.

“Maybe I’m delusional,” he says with a laugh, “but I’m super excited. I’m hopeful.”

Since conception, Stratta Kitchen has embraced a concept that’s thriving amid the COVID-19 crisis: to-go meals.

“I wouldn’t say I had a crystal ball or anything,” Stratta says, “but I was planning on this being substantially to go—this new normal where you see a lot of people doing Uber Eats and Grubhub. So, I said, ‘Let’s design a restaurant that caters to that.’”

The restaurant—which is two-thirds kitchen and one-third dining room— boasts a counter-service atmosphere within a vibrant, art-filled space.

Most dishes are priced at less than $12.

While Stratta didn’t have to make any major adjustments to the restaurant in response to the pandemic—though, he wishes he had the forethought of adding a

drive-up window—he is faced with one major challenge: marketing.

“That’s been a big question: How are you going to get exposure? Our business is going to be determined on how we get in front of people,” Stratta explained.

Third-party delivery apps, like Postmates and the aforementioned Uber Eats and Grubhub, are effective ways for restaurants to gain exposure—but at a cost.

As the middleman, the apps “usually take about 27%,” Stratta says. “You’re lucky to make a little bit of money.”

“It looks good and it keeps people employed, but the business itself is just dishing out the money to these third parties,” he continues.

In the end, though, Stratta is happy to introduce his healthy, fast, well-priced Mediterranean concept to the Scottsdale area.

So is Stratta’s partner Genuine Concepts, the neighborhood-focused restaurant group behind The Vig, The

Little Woody, The Womack, Ladera Taverna y Cocina and The McMillan.

“We’re beyond excited and proud to work with a world-class chef like Alex Stratta, and Stratta Kitchen is the perfect fit for our family of hyper-local, community-driven restaurants and bars,” Genuine Concepts co-founder Tucker Woodbury says.

“We’re getting great feedback from the people that are either peering in the window or calling me or texting me or (messaging me) on Instagram,” Stratta adds, saying his new restaurant “couldn’t be more relevant.”

Located near Hayden Road and Via de Ventura, Stratta Kitchen replaces the Melting Pot’s Scottsdale location, which closed after 22 years last September.

Stratta Kitchen 8260 N. Hayden Road, Scottsdale, 480.597.9195, strattakitchen.com

‘BEST TIME OF THE YEAR’ Arizona Restaurant Week offers takeout options this fall THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2020

By Elsa Hortareas

A

rizona Restaurant Week is returning this fall, armed with to-go options for those uncomfortable with the dine-in experience due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Set for September 18 to September 27, the week features 80 restaurants offering three-course meals for $33 or $44.

The Arizona Restaurant Association founded the event 12 years ago under the guidance of Chief Executive Officer Steve Chucri. The Spring Restaurant Week followed.

“Fall Restaurant Week has its own special place, because that is what we led off with,” Chucri says. “It’s the two best times of the year where restaurants are on sale.”

Some restaurants also offer a cocktail event or wine pairing at an additional cost.

“Fall Restaurant Week has all types of shapes and sizes as it relates to whatever the diner may or may not want,” Chucri says.

The association’s website has a full list of restaurants and their associated specials. Visit arizonarestaurantweek. com.

Gary Lasko’s Stockyard Steakhouse has participating since the beginning.

At 9,000 square feet, the legendary restaurant is the perfect place to socially distance. The staff wears masks and the food runners don gloves, too. “Captain COVID” is a busser whose only job is to disinfect the restaurant.

“We were in masks before the mask mandate,” Lasko says.

Stockyard Steakhouse is offering a soup (soup, tenderloin chili or steak soup), salad, entree (8-ounce filet

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mignon, a 12-ounce prime rib of beef or a skillet salmon) and one side for $44.

For dessert, Stockyards offers pecan pie, chocolate mousse or a sour cream cheesecake.

The pandemic makes the restaurant business tough, but Lasko’s spirits are high.

“This is not going to take us down.

We are committed to preserving this institution,” Lasko says.

John Banquil owns Ling and Louie’s Asian Bar and Grill. The restaurant has been participating for five years.

Its special is $44 for two people: an appetizer (like crispy calamari, cream sweet tacos or chicken lettuce wraps), soup or Caesar salad, and an entree (new wave pad thai, sizzling platters or Ling’s signature meatloaf with red wine mushroom gravy, wasabi mashed potatoes and Szechuan green beans).

Banquil describes the restaurant as modern Asian cuisine with an American flare. Traditional Asian ingredients and techniques are used in nontraditional ways.

Banquil’s goal is to have fun with the guests. After all, “we don’t really take ourselves too seriously.”

Mark Smith’s Honey Bears BBQ will offer a wide selection of barbecue items for $33. He founded Honey Bears BBQ in college. First as a catering business in his apartment and then a brick-andmortar store.

“Barbecue is good if you sit in and eat it, but it’s also good if you take it home.

It’s also good the next day. So, I’m in a win-win situation,” Smith says.

Arizona Restaurant Week Friday, September 18, to Sunday, September 27 arizonarestaurantweek.com

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PHAVORITE!

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‘WE CAN’T FORGET’

24

UPFRONT | CITY | TRAVEL | ARTS | DINING | BEER AND WINE | SPORTS | MUSIC | NIGHTLIFE

Amped Coffee Co. pledges to remember 9/11 with memorial

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

K

eith and Jeanine Walashek remember the 9/11 terrorist attacks vividly. They recall exactly where they were and the pain and fear that overcame their bodies.

So when Keith heard that at one point New York was considering canceling the 9/11 Tribute in Light due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he was angry.

“I promised to never forget,” he says.

“Well, this is how you start forgetting.

You start canceling things. You start forgetting things. There’s a whole generation right now who doesn’t even know about 9/11. We need to keep that going.

“When I heard New York canceled their lights, it was like a kick in the gut.

So we thought, ‘OK, let’s do something.’

So I thought we’d do lights.”

It was easier said than done, because lights that bright and that illuminate that high aren’t readily available. One company in Arizona offers them. The town of Gilbert was going to use them, but when it canceled its memorial, the Walasheks grabbed the lights.

“It will be the brightest lights in Arizona,” Jeanine says. “We want the first responders to know this matters to us because it really affected them.

When she thinks of 9/11, Jeanine recalls the sounds of the television and the feelings she felt that day. She kept her kids home from school.

“They were little, and I was scared,” she says. “I remember feeling bonded with my neighbor over this because they felt the same way I did. I think we’re losing that feeling. We’re all in this country together, and we need to support each other.”

The event will take place in the

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parking lot of The Green Room and its sister coffeeshop, Amped Coffee Co., at 6:30 p.m. September 11.

INTRODUCING THE GREEN ROOM Housed in the former Pizza Hut, The Green Room is a relatively new venture for the Walasheks. The couple received the keys to the building in January, but, of course, the contractors started working two weeks before COVID hit.

“We were out of the country when COVID hit,” Keith says about a trip to Israel. “It was the worst time ever to commit to a build. On the other side, we were shut down, so it was the best time to do it.

“We took advantage of that. We moved everything out of this space (Amped) and did a super deep clean to keep everyone safe. We took that

opportunity to rearrange how we function, too.”

The Green Room did open in July. The salad restaurant—not a walk-up salad

bar—was the result of the Walasheks’ studies. They monitored what the community was saying, and most

wanted to see a healthy restaurant or salad restaurant go into that space.

“It’s full service, like Chipotle,” Jeanine says. “We serve you. I think that’s the hardest part about opening it right now, is really getting the word out that this is full service. We even made our sneeze guard extra tall—like, taller than what the health board requires.”

The Green Room—a further play on music, like the Amped Coffee Co. name—boasts five salads. One is the Amptastic, a Southwestern-style salad with black beans, crunchy jalapeno, corn, cheese, red peppers and fire-roasted red peppers and served with a Chipotle ranch dressing.

The Superhero salad is vegan, with spinach and three types of kale, with shredded carrot, quinoa, broccoli, edamame, butternut squash, pumpkin seeds, dried cherries and a citrus poppyseed vinaigrette.

For the protein powerhouse cobb,

bacon, eggs, chicken, tomatoes and shredded cheddar cheese sit on a bed of crisp romaine lettuce.

Spinach is topped with quinoa, chicken, mandarin oranges, edamame, pumpkin seeds, dried cherries and shredded white cheddar is the Thai citrus salad.

Last, the Fruitopia is a spring mix lettuce with quinoa, shredded carrots, peaches, chicken, dried cranberries, white cheddar and walnuts with a raspberry vinaigrette.

Guests are welcome to design their own salad as well.

Amped opened in June 2018, and in mid-August 2019 a customer arrived who wanted to purchase treats for first responders. She paid for a $100 gift card and left it behind the counter. Since then, the Amped employees and customers have kept the card topped up so first responders’ tabs will always be paid.

“The card hasn’t hit zero since we started,” Jeanine says. “It’s been really cool. It’s not like they make a whole lot of money. So, they just come in and they eat. It’s a great way to show them that the community is behind them.”

The Walasheks opened Amped as a way for their son, Austin, and other musicians to have a place to showcase their talents.

“We thought it would be great to have a stage here in Anthem for the community,” Jeanine says. “We’re a platform for up-and-coming musicians.

That’s where the name ‘Amped’ comes from.”

IT’S PERSONAL The Walasheks say the 9/11 memorial and the first responders’ gift card are personal missions as well. Their oldest son, Dylan, is a medically retired police officer. His partner was Clayton Townsend, a Salt River police officer who was killed by a distracted driver.

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25

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

Dylan named his son Clayton.

The 9/11 event will benefit Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which has a local chapter. Siller, who was assigned to Brooklyn’s Squad 1, had just finished his shift and was on his way to play golf with his brothers when he got word over his scanner of a plane hitting the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Upon hearing the news, Siller called his wife, Sally, and asked her to tell his brothers he would catch up with them later. He returned to Squad 1 to get his gear.

Siller drove his truck to the entrance of the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, but it had already been closed for security purposes. Determined to carry out his duty, he strapped 60 pounds of gear to his back and raced on foot through the tunnel to the Twin Towers, where he gave up his life while saving others.

“It turns out they’re the reason New York is doing the 9/11 lights again,” Keith says. “The Tunnel to Towers Foundation just pressured them.”

Amped Coffee Co.’s memorial will feature bagpipers; a testimonial

from 9/11 survivors; and then Austin Walashek’s band, Wild Giants, will perform the Jimi Hendrix version of the “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

“It’s going to be kind of cool,” Keith says. “We’ll be led into prayer and then we’ll go into a moment of silence, and the silence is going to be broken by Wild Giants playing the ‘The Star-Spangled Banner,’ Jimi Hendrix style.

“When they hit the part ‘bombs bursting in air,’ that’s when the lights will go on. It should be cool. It’ll be bright.”

Jeanine hopes this event makes Americans remember the importance of community.

“We’re not missing 9/11,” she says.

“We’re missing 9/12. Do you remember how we felt, as a nation, on 9/12? It doesn’t matter how you voted. We’re just all in it together.

“The 9/12 feeling is slipping away. We can’t let it slip away. Even though we’re just a little coffee shop here in Anthem, we want to do a little something and make a little difference to those who aren’t forgetting.”

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BEER AND WINE

SIP » BREW » RELAX » EXPERIMENT » REFRESH » TOAST

ROCKIN’ IN THE DESERT

Paul Hoffman blends his favorite wines with music

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

T

he walls at Paul Hoffman’s Desert Rock Winery & Distillery are peppered with photos of visitors to his Scottsdale Airpark-area

facility.

There’s Hoffman with Arizona-bred SiriusXM DJ Shannon Gunz and her fiance, Mudvayne’s Chad Gray.

Rockers Adelitas Way stopped by. The pop band Lifehouse is well represented, as drummer Rick Woolstenhulme Jr. lives in Gilbert. Then there are photos of Hoffman with 3 Pill Morning lead guitarist Jon Stephenson, who is a Desert Rock Winery partner.

Meeting and greeting rock’s top acts is all in a day’s work for Hoffman.

Hoffman parlayed his lifelong love of rock music into Desert Rock Winery & Distillery, which personalizes wine for musicians around the world. There are specialized drinks as well.

In the Desert Rock tasting room, visitors can sample 20-plus varieties, many of them award winning.

Hoffman’s Headbanger’s hard cider—a huge chunk of his business—is made with 99% natural fermented apple juice and 1% Headbanger American Gold whiskey, aged in French oak for a month. With no added sugar, the

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original finishes like a dry prosecco, but new flavors have cropped up, like Cherry Boom (apple, black cherry, Meyer lemon) and Cinn-delicious (aged with cinnamon sticks).

Oenophiles bond with his wines that are collaborations between Hoffman and musicians. The Bull God XR Red Blend, Lodi was inspired by Kid Rock’s song “I Am the Bullgod.” Notorious Zinfandel ($25) honors Adelitas Way. The Butcher Babies’ red wine is $25 per bottle, and the Gray Gunz cabernet sauvignon was created specifically for their wedding, which was postponed to Halloween from the spring due to COVID-19.

“Both of them are super nice,” Hoffman says about Gunz and Gray.

“We did a launch for that. When their tour ended (in Phoenix), they stayed for an extra day and came up and did a bottle signing for the launch.”

Recently, he expanded his Headbanger brand to include cider-based seltzer.

“It’s just another extension of the Headbanger brand,” he says. “We’re really trying to build that brand across wine, spirits, ciders, seltzers and vodka sodas.

“Unlike most of the commercial ones that add flavoring to it, we actually started out by fermenting the flavors.

It is completely natural. For the cranapple lime, we use fermented apple juice,

fermented cranberry and then we add the key lime.

“It’s a lighter version our ciders and we’ve had that in Total Wine for almost a year now, but it’s been in bottles in a seltzer market. Now, everyone wants cans. That’s when we started looking into the canning line.”

Hoffman is moving the entire cider and seltzer line over to cans because it’s easier and more profitable.

To celebrate the fall, Hoffman recently acquired a permit for a deck, which he says will be well utilized when the weather cools.

Hoffman feels fortunate in that Desert Rock Winery didn’t take too big of a hit because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He was able to keep his business open because Desert Rock Winery is licensed winery and federal licensed distillery.

A party to celebrate the opening of the distillery will be held in September.

Check out his Facebook, facebook. com/DesertRockWinery, for more information.

“The new laws allow us to stack a winery license and a distillery license on top of it. This is considered a tasting room for retail sale,” he says.

He knows that others aren’t as fortunate. He wanted to lend a hand to fellow small businesses, so he reached out to food-truck partners to bring them to Desert Rock Winery. He publicizes the appearances through social media to bolster the economic impact.

“I said, ‘Hey, I know you guys got kneecapped by COVID. Spring training, it’s gone. Festivals are gone.

You can’t just pull up on the street and have a food truck. Come utilize us every weekend,’” he recalls.

Hoffman grew up in Red Bank, New Jersey, with Jon Bon Jovi as a neighbor and his uncle is the head of security for the state’s favorite son, Bruce Springsteen.

“I was immersed in that whole thing,” Hoffman says.

In 2006, he founded Desert Rock Winery. Hoffman has a long history of exceling when presented with an industry challenge. He went from a bar back to managing hotels. At the age of 20 he was thrown into a beverage supervisor position, and by 21 he was writing wine lists for a four-diamond resort. After running a distribution company in the Virgin Islands for six years, he went on to work for Mondavi.

“The learning process of understanding wine—that no one is an expert, and that there’s always something to learn—has always been super intriguing to me,” Hoffman explains.

Desert Rock Winery & Distillery 7302 E. Helm Drive, Suite 1002, Scottsdale 480.400.9955, desertrockin.com

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THE ULTIMATE PICNIC BASKET THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2020

Merkin Vineyards offers sips of its products

By Elsa Hortareas

W

ith fall approaching, Merkin Vineyards is offering the quintessential picnic in a prepacked cooler for the perfect social distancing activity.

The coolers have three options, all with wine and food.

The first option retails at $99.99 and can be bought at caduceus.org or Caduceus Cellars and Merkin Vineyards Tasting Room, in Jerome and Old Town Scottsdale. It includes a four pack of Puscifer Queen B cans (two Queen Bee Malvasia and two Queen Bee rose). In addition, it has one Merkin Vineyards handmade prickly pear campanella pasta, one 8-ounce jar of Merkin Vineyards tomato sauce, two Puscifer travel tumblers, two Puscifer can lids, one Caduceus sticker and one Merkin Vineyards sticker.

The second pack retails for $74.99 and is available at Merkin Osteria in Cottonwood and Merkin Vineyards Old

Town Scottsdale for takeout. It includes a 7-quart Caduceus/Merkin cooler bag, two Puscifer Queen B cans (Malvasia or rose), two Puscifer travel tumblers, two Puscifer can lids, two salads and two small deli sandwiches.

The last pack also retails at $74.99 and is available at Merkin Osteria in Cottonwood and Merkin Vineyards Old Town Scottsdale for takeout. It has 7-quart Caduceus/Merkin cooler bag, two Puscifer Queen B cans (Malvasia or rose), two Puscifer travel tumblers, two Puscifer can lids, two salads and two lasagna cupcakes, an individual portion of lasagna either vegetable, meat and cheese or a seasonal option.

Merkin Vineyards is locally owned and operated and on a mission to deliver a 100% Arizona experience to the community. The farm-to-table, vineto-glass restaurants only serve and pour what can be grown and produced in the state, primarily by Merkin Vineyards owner and head winemaker Maynard James Keenan and his team in the Verde Valley. Everything is made in house from scratch.

Merkin Vineyards and Caduceus Cellars make high-elevation wines out of predominantly Italian and Spanish

varieties, producing roughly 7,000 cases a year off of 110 acres of vineyards.

Caduceus Cellars

Merkin Vineyards

caduceus.org

merkinoldtownscottsdale.com

GREAT BEER PAIRINGS

LOVECRAFT // ALE HOUSE. BOTTLE SHOP. SMOKE KITCHEN.

By Alison Bailin Batz

BEER

BREWERY: WREN HOUSE STYLE: LAGER—AMERICAN TYPE: LAGER NAME: VALLEY BEER A real American lager. Brewed with flaked corn, American lager yeast and a touch of Saaz hops, this unfiltered American lager is incredibly sessionable yet equally memorable.

“Lovecraft has transformed its concept since it opened just over a year ago. Starting as a craft beer bar offering over 130 rotating beers, we realized quickly that our DISH New Mexican menu was a NAME OF DISH: CARNE hit and changed our small ADOVADA tapas-style menu into a full COST OF DISH: $13 Carne adovada, a traditional dish of dinner menu. We combine New Mexico is made with New Mexican our spicy, authentic New hot red chile and its 12-hour pulled Mexico cuisine with smoked smoked pork. Once the pork is smoked, meats including prime rib, the cooks combine their homemade red sauce along with a number of different brisket, pork, chicken, and spices and lots of garlic and allow it to mushrooms for vegans. stew for hours. Served with fresh flour From carne adovada, green tortillas and homemade frijoles. Cool chile burrito, chimichangas the spice off with a nice local American lager, Valley Beer from Wren House. to enchiladas, our menu pairs perfectly with a Lovecraft // Ale House. number of local brews, Bottle Shop. depending on the season Smoke Kitchen. and heat of the chiles.”

3128 E. Cactus Road, Phoenix, —Rebecca Golden, owner and chef

602.237.5046, lovecraftphx.com

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‘THE STARS ALIGNED’ 28

UPFRONT | CITY | TRAVEL | ARTS | DINING | BEER AND WINE | SPORTS | MUSIC | NIGHTLIFE

Partnership brings to life Seven Apart winery

By Brandie Bosworth

S

cottsdale businessman Don Dady grew up in the Sonoma Valley and spent his childhood passing the vineyards, hoping to one day call one his own.

Fast forward to Dady as an adult, when he and his business partner Jason Kyle, a Tempe native and former 2009 NFL Super Bowl long snapper, were looking to enter the wine business.

The pair were touring the Beau Vigne vineyard in Napa Valley, just over the hill from Sonoma, when Dady says they began identifying unique aspects of the vineyard.

A Paradise Valley resident, Dady recalled one of his favorite professors’ teachings on how to research and evaluate investments. The professor told his students to find seven things that set the investment apart, and if they

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could identify seven items, it was a good opportunity.

Fulfilling his lifelong dream, Dady says the stars aligned when they acquired the vineyard and their winery Seven Apart came to fruition. The pair teamed up with winemaker Andy Erickson and are launching their first wine, the 2018

Expedition cabernet sauvignon, this September.

As for the seven reasons Dady found to purchase the vineyard, one was the location—the top of Atlas Peak.

The soil is volcanic and rocky, which Dady describes almost like walking on cobblestone—another reason to invest. The next was the fog line, where the vineyard rested 1,400 feet above.

Additionally, its placement would catch cool San Francisco breezes. Other deciding factors were the equipment and the established permit to make wine.

Lastly, when Erickson agreed to take on the project, his first in four years, the deal was sealed.

A former ASU student, Kyle is a coowner of Press Coffee, so Dady says the duo had his beverage industry experience heading into their wine venture. “(Kyle) has a lot of insight into the retail beverage world,” Dady says. “I thought it would be great to leverage those contacts.”

It was through a mutual friend that Kyle and Dady got a breakfast meeting on the calendar with Erickson. Dady, a self-proclaimed fan of Erickson, says the meeting took place just two weeks before harvest.

“Pretty soon, this brunch coffee meeting we had with Andy turned into an all-day meeting,” Dady says.

It began with a discussion over coffee before Erickson had to leave for another commitment. However, he asked to return later in the afternoon to tour the vineyard. The three men spent the rest of the day walking the vineyard and sharing their visions, Dady says. The next day, Erickson said he would love to be involved with Seven Apart.

“He’s really taken on a lot of personal

pride in what’s going on out there,” Dady says. “We are extremely excited to have Andy on our team.”

Erickson turned the winery organic and took a hands-on approach with the farming. He cares about the environment and made changes on how they were watering the land to make it better.

The location was best known for its cabernet sauvignon, so Dady says the businessmen took an already amazing vineyard and built their winery on top for production control using state-of-theart machinery.

“We bought automated pumps, optical sorters, all the best equipment we could find,” Dady says.

As a detail-oriented person, he says every aspect of their wine matters to him. From the growing process to the flavor, the bottle design and even the cork.

Seven Apart’s cabernet is characterized by a black-purple color with a toffee, graphite and black cherry aroma. Cacao, cedar and star anise layers lay in the drinker’s glass with flavors of black plum, blackberry cobbler and hints of vanilla left on their palate.

Those who sign up for Seven Apart’s allocation list can purchase a bottle of cabernet.

“There’s a thousand decisions that have to be made throughout the growing season and ultimately before that bottle of wine ends up in your glass,” Dady says. “Making a great wine is about making a thousand good decisions.”

Seven Apart 4057 Silverado Trail, Napa, California, 707.287.1347, sevenapart.com

TWICE AS NICE

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2020

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Michael Waltrip launches ‘Two-Time’ beer brand

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

M

ichael Waltrip is about having fun and enjoying life. The two-time Daytona 500 champion is serious about his beer, though.

He, Bryan Sperber (former Phoenix Raceway president) and J. Glynn Gross founded Phoenix-based Michael Waltrip Brewing Company after a conversation weighing beer versus wine.

“I said, ‘Why don’t we drink more beer?

We just drink wine,’” Waltrip recalls. “I like beer, so we came up with the idea to make our own beer—to make better beer.

If that’s not your goal, then you probably shouldn’t be making beer.

“I’m just so proud of our liquids.

The beers are just fabulous, and I’m really thankful for all the collaborations going into making our Two-Time brand.”

The Michael Waltrip Brewing Company unofficially launched a portfolio of great tasting beers in late March. The

beers will officially be available in several states starting in September under the brand name “Two-Time” lagers and ales.

“I have some friends who made fancy beers,” he says.

“I’m not a hoppy, healthy guy. I like cold Bud Light and Miller Light. That’s why we got to where we are.

I wanted to have it taste like a basic beer but make it better.

The new Two-Time beer brand initially features a lineup of a “Blonde” ale; “Checkered Past,” a coconut India Pale Ale; and “Vamanos,” a Mexicanstyle lager, with new year-round and seasonal selections being added. Each of the beers has a special story behind it and some clever and subtle references to racing.

“The Mexicanstyle lager is just a great drinking beer,” Waltrip says. “I’m happy with

the feedback and how much people are enjoying it. I can’t wait to walk in a bar in Phoenix and see the TwoTime handle there, with our beers being served to the world.”

The company will be based in Phoenix. Waltrip says crews are building out a North Valley brewpub, which is slated to open later this year. (Look for an announcement soon.) The company has introduced beers in other states.

“Phoenix is probably where I want to live when I get old,” he says with a laugh.

“I see myself out there a lot, playing some golf, hopefully drinking TwoTime with all my friends. Again, I’m just a normal, beer-drinking guy. I know people like to drink when they golf. I want to give you a beer that you really like to drink when you golf.”

Michael Waltrip Brewing Company michaelwaltripbrewing.com

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SPORTS

CHEER » HIT » HIKE » LEAD » ROOT » COMPETE

f o d l e Fi s m a Dre

David Peralta honored with Wickenburg ballpark

By Nicholas Barker

S

even years ago, David Peralta made his Major League debut with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Fast forward to present day, and he officially becomes the 43rd player to have a field named after him in Arizona.

A little over 60 miles from Chase Field, home of the Diamondbacks, Little Leaguers will have the chance to play at a newly renovated David Peralta Field in Wickenburg.

He recently visited it with his wife, Jordan, and one of his daughters, Sofia.

“It means a lot to me and my family,” Peralta says. “It looks really nice, and I was really excited, and I was like, ‘I got my own field.’”

Obviously, Peralta was ecstatic that a field was named after him, but he said he couldn’t have done it without the help of The Diamondbacks Foundation, the team and his teammates.

“I’m just a humble person, a guy who comes every day to play the game hard,” Peralta says. “(My goal is) to put on a good show for the fans and do the best that we can to try and help out the community.”

For many years, Peralta was making his way through the minor league system, and he was just waiting for his chance to become an essential piece to an improving baseball team. He never pictured himself having a ballfield named after him.

“It felt like it was something that was never going to happen,” Peralta says. “It happens, and it is a dream come true.”

His goal is for younger baseball players to play on the field and one day become a member of the Diamondbacks organization. He sees it as a steppingstone to the big leagues.

Peralta spent the early portion of his baseball career playing independent baseball. He says the Wickenburg field is much nicer than some of the

fields he was playing on while playing independent ball.

COVID-19 shut down the sports world in early March, nearly six months ago. Not only did it affect every major professional sport, but it also affected youth sports. Many younger kids did not get the chance to complete their seasons or start their seasons, so now that sports have returned, Peralta finds it special that kids will be able to return playing

the sports they love, on a field named after himself.

“Baseball is my life,” Peralta says.

“When all this situation started happening, I was like, ‘Wow, I want to start getting back to playing baseball.’

Now, knowing that kids are coming back and being safe, it is special and really good. I think everything is going the right way, and I think everything is going to go back to normal.”

‘NEVER FORGET’ THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2020

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9/11 Tower Challenge goes virtual to keep benefit running

By Connor Dziawura

T

o commemorate those who lost their lives at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, an annual benefit challenge

is returning.

Only this time it’s going virtual.

Concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic are still high, but the 9/11 Tower Challenge Foundation is vowing to “never forget” what happened on that tragic day—and to continue to honor first responders and military.

The idea behind its yearly 9/11 Tower Challenge is simple: First responders and civilians alike are asked to climb the number of stairs in each of the Twin Towers—which had 110 f loors and 2,071 steps. As an alternative, organizers suggest walkers can trek an estimated 1.25 miles or runner complete a 5K. Opening ceremonies will be streamed at 6 a.m. MST September 11, but beyond that, it’s up to the participants—virtual attendees can choose their own time and location to complete the challenge.

Registration starts at $40 and, for the first 1,000 participants to sign up, includes a T-shirt, coin, badge and swag bag. Proceeds are then used to support community organizations.

“We believe in honoring those lives that have been lost and basically creating that legacy in perpetuity, and I think that’s important,” explains Angela Harrolle, CEO of 100 Club of Arizona, one of the beneficiaries.

“9/11 had such a huge impact on our nation in many different capacities, but obviously a significant effect on law enforcement and firefighters nationwide, and (the challenge is) the least that we can do here in the Valley to commemorate those that really, really, truly were affected, either because they had family involved, friends involved or they’re working in a different capacity here in the Valley.”

The 100 Club of Arizona—which has been involved in the annual event since its inception—is one of several beneficiaries of the 911 Tower Challenge Foundation this year, alongside Boulder Crest Foundation and the NAU Army and Air Force ROTC. “(Boulder Crest) is a facility located down in Southern Arizona that helps provide mental health

and wellness support to those that have experienced traumas—not only military but also in public safety,” Harrolle describes.

“In Flagstaff, the ROTC program up there through the college and the community, they are in great need.

We’re still going to incorporate that so that they can push those funds back into their program up there— and specifically in Flagstaff.”

The 100 Club of Arizona provides financial assistance as well as other resources, such as wellness support and scholarships, to families of first responders killed or injured in the line of duty.

“The money that is raised from this event helps go back to support those that are on the ground every day protecting us and responding on our worst days, and that’s the beauty of it,” Harrolle says.

“We’re just making sure that it continues to fund our programs and we can do even more for the community together by the support of this event.”

The shift from an in-person event in Phoenix, Tucson and Flagstaff— previously held at venues like ASU and, more recently, Gila River Arena during Valley iterations—to a virtual format makes for some changes in presentation. When held on location, photos of people who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, are placed in the venues.

Still, the goal is the same this year.

“It’s unfortunate with many events, they’ve kind of gone by the wayside,” Harrolle observes, acknowledging that Tower Challenge organizers didn’t want to sacrifice the yearly memorial and benefit altogether.

“We’re in Arizona—the great hiking state, so to speak—and people can do this on their own time or on their own terms,” she continues.

“They can still hike their same number of stairs that were climbed in the towers on 9/11—and they can do it whether they’re in Flagstaff on Humphreys Peak; or they can go to Sedona to Bear Mountain; or if they’re in San Diego, like a lot of the Arizonans … they can do it there, again, on their own terms but taking a moment to just appreciate those that served and lost their lives.”

9/11 Tower Challenge 911TowerChallengeFoundation. org ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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MUSIC

LISTEN » JAM » INNOVATE » EVOLVE » ROCK » SING

TANYA DONELLY AND THE PARKINGTON SISTERS

Album is a ray of musical sunshine to brighten a dark year

By Ron Wade

O

ne of the great things about music is the perfect song always seems to appear to us when we need it most. Anyone who’s fallen in love, gone through a breakup or dealt with teen angst remembers the songs that soundtracked those days.

“Tanya Donelly and the Parkington Sisters,” an album of covers, was recorded before COVID-19 devastated 2020, but it’s come to us now when we need it most.

A founding member of Throwing Muses, the Breeders and Belly, Donelly lends her vocals to the Parkington Sisters’ arrangements of nine songs originally recorded by the likes of Linda Ronstadt, Wings, Leonard Cohen and the Pretenders.

The album could be seen as a way to comfort listeners.

“I feel like, maybe, it’s a compilation of lullabies, in a way,” she says. “A weird one, but it could be viewed that way.”

The partnership between the Parkington Sisters—Rose, Sarah and Ariel Parkington—and Donelly originated at a Boston-area charity event.

“Gail (Belly’s bassist Gail Greenwood) and I are part of an annual fundraiser here, brought together by (former Boston Red Sox GM and current Chicago Cubs President) Theo Epstein and (baseball writer) Peter Gammons called Hot Stove, Cool Music,” Donelly says.

“I met Nora Parkington, who is actually the only sister who does not play on the album. She was playing that night and we just kind of hit it off, and I was immediately enamored with her playing.

I started listening to their music on the heels of having met her, and I fell in love with the whole band and then with the whole family. So, when (American Laundromat Records founder) Joe Spadaro asked me if I wanted to make a dedicated covers album, they came to mind very quickly.”

Recording a covers album can be fun

for an artist, but it also comes with the burden of the songs having already been established in the minds of the listener.

Donelly didn’t feel that pressure.

“With Belly, we did many covers for B-sides and I was never as concerned about living up to the standard of the songwriter and the song,” she says.

“I think it’s because this handful of songs I chose myself and for very personal reasons, each of them, so that brings a weight with it. And all of my energy went into singing. Not just singing well, but singing thoughtfully, so that makes this a very different sort of covers thing, especially (because) I’m covering some of my favorite lyricists and artists of all time.”

For example, the second track is the Cohen song “Dance Me to the End of Love.” The women decided to change it up.

“That was a conversation where we decided we wanted it to sound more torchy,” Donelly says.

“It has kind of a French bar room vibe, the original, and we wanted to take it into a more ‘jazz torch’ direction. That was a very conscious decision to move it away from the original a little bit.

It’s such a beautiful love song—just an incredible love song— the scope of what he covers lyrically. We just wanted to slow it down and make every word count, every moment count.”

Perhaps the album’s most recognizable song is “Different Drum,” the Michael Nesmith-penned classic made famous by the Stone Poneys and their up-andcoming lead singer Ronstadt. Donelly says there was no added pressure to put her own stamp on the song.

“I’m too subjective to know what that stamp is, so I don’t know that I could

contemplate that,” she says.

Some of the songs proved to be more challenging than others.

“There were some, and ‘Different Drum’ was one of them, and ‘Days’ (a 1989 Kirsty MacColl song), which I thought there’d be some ease to doing that one, was the hardest. Kirsty MacColl—obviously an incredible

singer, but there’s just such fluidity and an ease to the way she sings, and that song is hard to sing.”

Donelly says she’s looking forward to performing the songs live, while acknowledging it won’t be anytime soon.

“Oh, we’ll definitely do it live at some point,” she says. “I’m not sure what that will look like, and we did have shows booked (before COVID-19 lockdowns).

We had a winery show. We had a festival on the North Shore. We had D.C. We had New York. We were talking about all of these things for this summer, and so we’re definitely going to come back to that. I’m not going to say, ‘Hopefully.’

I’m going to say we’re definitely going to come back to that.”

Tanya Donelly and the Parkington Sisters alr-music.com facebook.com/tanyadonellymusic twitter.com/tanyadonelly instagram.com/tanya_donelly

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2020

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MONSTER OF ROCK

Guitarist Tommy Gibbons is all about the WWE and Godzilla

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

T

ommy Gibbons has wanted to be a musician since his father took him, as an elementary school student, to see the G3 tour, featuring Joe Satriani, John Petrucci and Steve Vai, at the Celebrity Theatre.

“Right there I said, ‘I have to do whatever the heck he’s (Satriani) doing,’” recalls Gibbons, the father of 8-year-old Oliver. “I didn’t really start playing until I was 11 or 12. I didn’t get serious until 14 or 15.”

His first go on the guitar wasn’t successful. It was with an acoustic guitar and he hated it, he admits.

“I wanted loud distortion,” Gibbons says. “I got my first electric amp and started learning Metallica tunes.”

It paid off for the Litchfield Park resident and Agua Fria High School graduate. He’s performed with Flaw, Tantric and, most recently, the Wade Cota Band, and Farewell to Fear, which

played Fozzy frontman Chris Jericho’s Rock and Wrestlin’ Rager at Sea Cruise.

Shortly after the Sea Cruise, COVID-19 closed down the world. As a result, the New Orleans band released the song “I Won’t Be Your Tragedy” in May and hit 68,000 streams within six weeks on Spotify.

“You hear about the ins and about,” says Gibbons, who endorses Schecter guitars. “It’s really humbling. This isn’t what people think it is. I wouldn’t trade this life for anything, though. I get paid to tour and go to new places. I love what I’m doing. I just want to support my son, Oliver, and make sure he’s taken care of.

I want to ensure my parents don’t have to work anymore. That’s what I want.”

Gibbons is pushing his own music as well. He recently posted a stop-motion video to accompany his cover of Blue Oyster Cult’s “Godzilla,” along with a tribute to his favorite WWE Superstar, the Undertaker.

“He’s the greatest of all time,” Gibbons

says. “He’s dedicated to his character. He has that Wrestlemania winning streak.

I saw him for the first time when I was a little kid and most of my friends were afraid of him. I thought, ‘Oh my god, this guy is so cool.’

“As weird as it sounds, he’s one of the only consistencies in my life—probably along with my Godzilla obsession.”

His next project is a metal-rap song called “Tonight,” which is slated for release in October.

“Most people wouldn’t expect this from me,” he says. “It’s heavier metal with rap. I’ve always been a huge rap fan.

Crossing over genres is not a rare thing anymore.”

The subject matter of “Tonight” is a touchy subject, he says.

“It’s about being a cheater and admitting to it and living with that guilt,” he adds. “No one wants to write from the perspective of one. It’s something different.

“I’ve done my fair share of bad

things in the past. Anyone with a good conscience would feel guilty or bad about it and say, ‘I probably shouldn’t have done that.’ It’s the ones who don’t have a conscience at all who scare the crap out of me.”

Gibbons says he’s testing the water with the new projects to see if he can revive his music career, from which he recently took a break.

“A solo project is one of those things I’ve always wanted to do,” he says. “I’ve always been everybody’s go-to guy. I’ve done everything for everybody else. I have no problem with that. The people I work with are amazing. I just want to give myself a chance to see how it goes.”

Tommy Gibbons facebook.com/ tommygibbonsprojectrocks “Godzilla” youtube.com/ watch?v=ZRo0CY0KhaQ

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UPFRONT | CITY | TRAVEL | ARTS | DINING | BEER AND WINE | SPORTS | FAMILY | MUSIC | NIGHTLIFE

A HAT TRICK

Phoenix’s Sugar Thieves drop three albums mid-pandemic

By Kristine Cannon

F

our years and four studios later, Phoenix’s Sugar Thieves have released three new albums—and in the midst of a pandemic, no less.

Since 2006, the Sugar Thieves have injected Arizona’s music scene with a healthy dose of American roots music.

And this summer, they released two different yet complementing albums, titled “Dreamin’” and “Anytown USA,” as well as a vinyl record, “Driftin’ Away,” which includes songs from both LPs along with an unreleased single.

“It feels fantastic,” vocalist Meridith Moore says. “It has been a long time coming. We’ve been working on those albums for years.”

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“Dreamin’” is a 10-track album that takes listeners on an electric ride, one that boasts a touch of gospel with hits of gritty rock ’n’ roll.

“Anytown USA,” on the other hand, reflects a softer, more country-folk acoustic side of the band.

“We’ve had a lot of really, really positive feedback,” Moore says.

“There’s a little something for everybody there to fit your mood,” the vocalist continues. “If you’re feeling front porch-picking kind of acoustic stuff, then we have that to offer. And if you’re wanting to reminisce about Rhythm Room days, then we have that, too.”

Title track “Dreamin’” may be a favorite among fans, but Moore’s favorite?

“I love the song ‘Fat and Happy,’”

she says, explaining that, as an Arizona transplant from the Midwest, the song resonates with her on “a lot of different levels.”

“The lyrics are beautiful,” she says.

“It truly takes you to the place where Mikel’s (guitarist Mikel Lander) writing about: this family, multigenerations of working-class people, punch in the time clock every day. Mom got cancer and passed away, but they still punch on.

They still get up every morning at the crack of dawn go to work.”

It’s a song, she says, many essential workers may relate to.

“A lot of the essential workers are now not just punching a time clock and not making a lot of money to support their family, but (they are) also risking their lives and their health to go to work.

That really resonates with me in this current climate, too, with this pandemic happening,” Moore explains.

Listen closely to the lyrics on all three albums, and you’ll hear stories that address everything from opioid addiction and environmental issues to the aforementioned plight of workingclass factory workers in small-town America.

And they’re all told through Moore and Lander’s very different songwriting approaches. The two are husband and wife. “(Lander) is a very much a storyteller,” Moore says. “He really takes you to those places with his lyrics.”

Moore, on the other hand, describes her approach as more internal, capturing feeling over imagery.

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2020

“I’m not necessarily painting the picture of a family or a Midwest farmer or a place necessarily, but you go within.

Like with drifting away or dreaming, it takes you inside of yourself and gives you a feeling you can bring into your own mind and your own heart,” Moore explains.

As a whole, these new albums are the band’s most diverse and eclectic body of work yet—which just so happens to be a reflection of the band’s fanbase.

“They represent two aspects of the band. We have this country-folk acoustic side, and we also have a swingin’ electric, big-band thing. So, we thought, ‘Let’s give them both,’” Moore says.

The duo is rounded out with multiinstrumentalist Shea Marshall, Todd Chuba on drums, and newest member Michael King on bass.

“They have all of these fantastic ideas about how to really form the song, grow the song,” Moore says of the band members. “It’s amazing because a lot of times, Michael and I will write a tune and be performing it live as a duo, but after a year of performing it live with the band, it changes and becomes a completely different tune.”

The Sugar Thieves recorded the new albums in bits and pieces over the past four years across four different studios: Blue Door with Noah Guttell in Phoenix, where they recorded many “Anytown USA” tracks; Mesa Community College with Andy Seagle;

Tempest Recording with Clark Rigsby in Tempe for one track; and—their last stop—Mia Studio with Otto D’Agnolo in Scottsdale.

It was here at Mia Studio, a small studio space in Scottsdale, that D’Agnolo put the finishing touches on all 21 songs and mastered the albums.

“I love that they included recordings from over the years and all around town, putting them all together in this double release. It takes a lot of work,” D’Agnolo adds.

“The design concept was as unique as their songs and their style, (and) I think they should be very proud of both of these records.”

Mia Studio is D’Agnolo’s personal project studio, built primarily for trios, overdubs and video post-production.

And while he knew, at some point, he’d take on a client who would need more space, D’Agnolo never imagined that the first record he’d cut in the new studio would be the Sugar Thieves: a band that wanted to track everyone all at once.

“Normally, I might have just taken the project to another studio, but it was Mikel and Meridith and Todd and Shea and Mike. So, you do what you have to do,” D’Agnolo says.

That included placing a Leslie speaker cabinet in the shower and transforming the kitchen into an isolation booth for the upright bass.

“I had already installed a window

between the kitchen and control room, so it worked out wonderfully,” D’Agnolo says.

While it may have been a tight fit for the six-piece band and their nearly dozen instruments, D’Agnolo made it work.

“He’s such a great guy to work with,” Moore says.

“The thing about the Sugar Thieves’ recordings is that we’re not a group that goes in and isolates everything,” she continues. “We want to be in the studio at the same time.

“We want to make eye contact with one another. We want to feel each other, feel each other’s energy while we’re recording.”

This approach to recording assures listeners that what you hear on the album is what you’ll get—live.

“We’ve traveled to Europe and Mexico and all over the United States. We have a lot of fans that can’t come to the Rhythm Room and see us or can’t come to a great local venue here in Arizona to enjoy the band live. So, when we put out an album, we want to give them a taste of that live experience,” Moore says.

That said, it comes as no surprise that the band sorely misses performing live for their fans.

But, Moore admits, they don’t see themselves returning to an indoor stage anytime soon.

“The idea of packing 300 people into a crowded Rhythm Room on a hot summer night—I don’t see that

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happening for many years,” Moore says.

While Moore does not feel comfortable performing at restaurants, bars or clubs anytime soon—“I don’t want to sway anybody from going out to support live music, but my dad is vulnerable,” she explains.

“Absolutely,” she says. “I think modifications will have to be made so that everybody stays safe and healthy, but absolutely. I think about the musicians, gig workers, the venue owners—we’re in the same boat. We’re all in this together.”

The Rhythm Room, in particular, is a venue that Moore calls the Sugar Thieves’ “home away from home.”

“We’ve had a long-standing residency there,” she says. “Prior to COVID, we performed there once a month for many, many years.”

And every month, they pack the venue with moving, grooving, shaking bodies.

“We’re not going to stop writing and being creative, and we’re also not going to stop reaching out to our audience.

We will be back, and when this pandemic is under control, hopefully there’s a vaccine by the end of the year, numbers can get stabilized, and we can come back and we’ll take ’em to church,” Moore says.

Sugar Thieves sugarthieves.bandcamp.com

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‘SHE HAS A VISION’

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UPFRONT | CITY | TRAVEL | ARTS | DINING | BEER AND WINE | SPORTS | FAMILY | MUSIC | NIGHTLIFE

Dierdre Evans keeps her band laser focused on rock

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

D

ierdre Evans had long played covers, when five years ago, she needed a little more.

She wanted to be like the fierce women she emulated— Lzzy Hale of Halestorm, Amy Lee of Evanescence, and the Pretty Reckless’ Taylor Momsen.

“Female-fronted rock bands are not only inspiring, I find it intriguing,” Evans says. “I like to see what they do, see how they interact with the crowd and move around on stage—or how much they don’t move around on stage.”

Evans created her own rock band, Dierdre, blending compelling vocals and an amalgamation of soul, alternative rock and hard rock music.

“I knew I wanted my project to be original music and rock,” she says.

“My producer, Mike Bolenbach, and I started writing together and working on music about five years ago. Once I had some content, some songs written, I put together the live band.”

Evans, who has her own wine created

by Desert Rock Winery in the Scottsdale Airpark area, released her first fulllength album in June 2017, “I’ve Come to Life.” Recorded at Full Well Studios in Phoenix, “I’ve Come to Life” was mastered by Grammy winner Emily Lazar at The Lodge Mastering in New York.

She returned to Full Well Studios to record her second album, “Siren,” but is releasing singles throughout the COVID-19-stricken year.

“I’m releasing the songs as singles so there’s new music out there for everybody every couple months,” Evans says. “When I decide the album’s complete, I will release them all together as one work of art, one album.”

Recently she released “Channels,” a song Evans wrote about her struggles with anxiety and depression.

I’m the quintessential, emotional, dramatic artist,” Evans says with a laugh.

“I deal with depression and anxiety fairly regularly. I’ve been wanting to write about that for a while.

“I wrote about the struggles of not letting your anxiety consume you and persevering through them and pushing on. The music lent itself to that, with ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

the different pieces, different rhythm changes and different moods. It’s reflective of anxiety’s ups and downs.”

Evans was born in Texas and moved to the Valley at age 5. Music has been a big part of her life, as her immediate and extended families are musicians.

“My parents were in bands together back in the day, before I was alive,” Evans says. “Music was always being played in the house. My dad played guitar and my mom played bass.”

In grade school, Evans became “obsessed” with ’90s rock. When the former ballerina entered Horizon High School, she auditioned for choir and explored singing. She took private singing lessons to learn proper technique.

Her freshman year of college, she studied opera at NAU, singing in Italian, French and German. Evans decided it wasn’t for her, so she transferred to ASU, where she took “regular classes” and private jazz lessons.

“I started writing my own music and dabbling in all different genres of music,” Evans says. “I do love most genres out there. I started in cover bands because it seemed less scary to perform other people’s music.

“I fronted a band and became comfortable doing that.”

She dabbled in a variety of genres, including top 40, country and R&B. “Ultimately, I decided, at the end of the day, my home is rock,” she says. “I hate to have to pigeonhole myself. Some of my songs are alt rock and others are a little more hard rock, but definitely not metal or softer indie rock.”

Evans is joined in her band by bassist James Kulon, drummer Dwain Miller, guitarist Jimmy Caterine and guitarist Deej Asterikk. Besides Bolenbach, Evans’ studio team includes Kolby Peoples and Byron Carrick.

Bolenbach remembers being impressed the first time he saw Evans in the studio.

“She has always been the bomb. When she had a cover band, I thought she was incredible then. She has a vision for herself. She knows instantly if she likes something or not. It’s easy enough.”

Dierdre dierdremusic.com

Back at One

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Brian McKnight to hit the stage solo in Scottsdale

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

I

t’s undeniable that Brian McKnight has a knack for writing love songs. Before he met his wife, Leilani Malia Mendoza, eight years ago, however, the R&B balladeer had never known love.

“All the songs before her, they were never about anyone,” he says.

“I’ve never written about anyone before. Nobody ever did it for me.

Having a muse now, for the last eight years, I don’t have to think about writing. The words just materialize. She is my heart.”

Released June 26, his latest album “Exodus” is an ode to his love of Mendoza, most notably the song “Nobody.” The video features footage of their wedding three years ago.

The couple met at a fitness convention in Los Angeles in 2012. McKnight invested in a fitness product and she was a Hawaiian Tropic model signing autographs.

“We met and it was love at first sight,” says McKnight, best known for the song “Back at One.” “She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen in my life—the most beautiful woman anyone’s seen in anyone’s life.

“To make her want to like me or talk to me. … I must have done something right.”

McKnight will bring those songs to town when he plays two drive-in shows at WestWorld of Scottsdale Polo Fields on Friday, September 18.

“I’m absolutely looking forward to it,” he says. “Six months is the longest time in my career I’ve gone without doing a show. I have new music that I haven’t been able to play since this all happened.

It will be amazing.”

The show will feature only McKnight on keyboards and guitar. (The multiinstrumentalist also plays bass, drums, percussion, trombone, tuba, flugelhorn and trumpet.)

“The cool thing is it’s just me,” he says. “It’s a solo show—no band, no real pomp and circumstance. It’s very in your face and personal. It’ll be interesting.

We’ll see how far away the cars are going to be. It’s just going to be great to play these songs and sing for this audience.

None of us could have foreseen how this all plays out.”

Born in Buffalo, McKnight began his musical career in childhood when he became a member of his church choir and a bandleader for his high school, Sweet Home High School.

By the age of 19, he signed his first recording deal with Mercury Records. In 1992, his self-titled album was released followed by “I Remember You” (1995) and “Anytime” (1997). “Anytime” sold more than 2 million copies and was nominated for a Grammy. In 1999, McKnight released “Back at One” on Motown Records, which sold over 3 million copies. Along with several Grammy nominations, McKnight has been the recipient of American Music Awards, Soul Train Awards, NAACP Image and Blockbuster Awards, and Billboard Songwriter of The Year.

“Exodus” just may follow suit. Eleven of its songs are about Mendoza. The 12th song, “Can’t Say Goodbye,” was written for Kobe Bryant, while song 13, a cover of Sting’s “Fragile,” is an ode to social injustice.

“Historically, when people are being oppressed, great civilizations fall,” he says. “Everything is so fragile right now.

I have hope for America. It has been

resilient in the past. This is a reminder about as far as we’ve gone, we have quite a way to go. It took these events to remind us of that.”

“Exodus” is McKnight’s final album, but that doesn’t mean it’s the final chapter in his music career, as has been frequently published.

“In this day and age, when everything is singles driven, it’s not even a thing to put out an entire record. There are other ways—EPs and singles. As for putting out an entire album of new material,

I’m not doing it again. In no way am I retiring, though.”

Brian McKnight 7 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Friday, September 18 WestWorld of Scottsdale Polo Fields, 16601 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale $160 to $300 per carload https://rec.ticketforce.com/ BrianMcKnight

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38

NIGHTLIFE

SIP » UNLEASH » MIX » MINGLE » PULSE » SHAKE

MAD MIXOLOGIST T

By Alison Bailin Batz

he Southwest’s first Canopy by Hilton is open in the heart of Downtown Tempe, ushering in a contemporary, full-service hotel offering guests a local experience with a boutique feel.

With the hotel’s debut comes two distinct dining venues helmed by seasoned Valley chef Ken Arneson. Alter Ego, the hotel’s signature restaurant located on the ground floor, serves elevated fusion cuisine made with fresh locally and regionally sourced ingredients and an inventive craft cocktail program that aims to set the bar for elevated cocktail culture in Downtown Tempe. Alibi, the East Valley’s only full-service rooftop pool and bar set atop the hotel’s 14th floor, is a scenic retreat for weekenders and locals looking to relax, cut loose and cool down while lounging by the pool with music in ear and a cocktail in hand.

We recently sat down with Claudia Sojo, who is the hotel’s lead food and drink enthusiast (also known as director of food and beverage) to learn more about Canopy by Hilton’s evolving cocktail programs.

HOW DID YOU GET INTO THIS CAREER? My first job was a shooter girl on the beach on Margarita Island off the coast of Venezuela. After leaving my home and family in Venezuela at a young

age, I pursued my passion in food and beverage and was able to work for amazing properties like The W South Beach, then transitioning to the opening team of The W Scottsdale and then on to positions with Kimpton. Now with Hilton, I have had this amazing opportunity to launch an incredible new boutique brand within the Lifestyle Hilton Collection.

WHAT’S THE ODDEST DRINK ORDER YOU’VE EVER GOTTEN? While working at a bar on Margarita Island, a guest ordered a drink called “Cucaracha,” translating to cockroach. This drink consists of a shot of vodka, Kahlua and brandy, which you then light on fire and drink up. That was pretty crazy!

ODDEST INGREDIENT YOU’VE USED IN A COCKTAIL? The oddest ingredients I have used in a cocktail were date preserves. It is an ingredient in one of our Alter Ego cocktails called “Left on Read” featuring Copper City Bourbon.

WHAT DOES ORDERING A RUM AND COKE SAY ABOUT A PERSON? What first comes to my mind is the Caribbean Islands, the beach and simplicity with familiar flavors. Rum is the drink of choice where I come from. It says this person likes simple ingredients that have a good taste!

FAVORITE MEMORY WORKING BEHIND THE BAR? I had the most fun when I worked behind the bar at a club in Margarita. At my bar was this bell hanging

CHOSEN COCKTAIL RECIPE 1 1/2-ounce habanero-infused Blanco tequila 1/4-ounce Aquavit 1/4-ounce Grand Marnier 3/4-ounce carrot juice 3/4-ounce lime juice It is shaken and served in a double old-fashioned glass over ice, with a salted rim and fresh lime.

from the ceiling that all the surrounding bars had as well. When the party was at its peak, all the bartenders would ring our bells and it would be loud and energizing for the crowd. Everyone would cheer and dance with the music, having tons of fun.

BEST PIECE OF ADVICE FOR SOMEONE LOOKING TO GET INTO THE INDUSTRY? My advice to someone looking to get into the cocktail industry would be to become an expert on classic cocktails and techniques, then apply your knowledge and skills to develop more crafty and innovative recipes. Always stay up to date with trends and have fun being creative, too.

TELL US ABOUT THE COCKTAIL PROGRAM AT THE HOTEL. The cocktail program at Canopy Tempe follows our brand pillars of “simply enabling, thoughtfully local and surprisingly comfortable.” We have partnered with Proprietors LLC to aid the creation of an exciting, exclusive and successful bar program for Alter Ego. They have created a menu of cocktails that are inspired by the diverse stories and trends in our local area. We also loved the process of finding our Local Partners and are proud to serve delicious spirits and craft beers from AZ Distilling Co, Pedal Haus Brewery, The Shop Beer Co., Huss Brewing and Four Peaks Brewing.

HOW IS THE HOTEL HANDLING COVID-19 TO ENSURE GUEST SAFETY? Given the state of the world, beyond the

amenities and accommodations, it should also be noted that Canopy Tempe and Alter Ego are proudly part of the Hilton CleanStay program. Hilton CleanStay, created in collaboration with the Mayo Clinic, includes new procedures to help Hilton guests enjoy an even cleaner and safer stay. In addition, Alter Ego closely adheres to all social distancing policies recommended by the CDC as well as local and national regulations. All guests and employees are required to wear face masks or coverings until they are properly seated at their tables. Guests dining indoors will be sat at tables spaced 6 feet apart, with all tables and chairs in between marked as “reserved” so as to note that no party can be sat there. Guests can also opt for outdoor patio seating if that makes them more comfortable, and tables are appropriately distanced in that instance as well.

WHAT IS ONE DRINK YOU WANT US TO FEATURE THIS MONTH? The drink we will be featuring this month is Pirate Jenny ($14).

WHY DO YOU LIKE THE COCKTAIL? This cocktail has hints of spiciness and is a little sweet and really fresh.

The drink is quite colorful, and its ingredients create a tasteful experience.

Canopy by Hilton Tempe Downtown 108 E. University Drive, Tempe, 480.968.6800, tempedowntown. canopybyhilton.com

WE’VE REOPENED!

Open Daily 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

Welcoming our community back safely to enjoy the world’s music | Details at MIM.org

Extended to September 2021!

New in the galleries Discover legendary singer Roberta Flack’s Steinway piano, a stunning pipe organ made in 1859 by Thomas Robjohn, and more!

Make some music at home Join an online Mini Music Makers class and explore music through song, dance, and play with your little ones ages 0 to 5.

Thank you for your ongoing support of MIM! MIM.org | 4725 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix, AZ

Follow @MIMphx to enjoy a bit of the MIM experience from home.