The Entertainer! Magazine - October 2021

PHX METRO » OCTOBER 2021

Inside

COUNTRY THUNDER

FIT FOR AN

EMPEROR JB Smoove welcomes sports betting, Caesars Sportsbook to Arizona

ONLY ONE SPORTSBOOK APP GIVETH CAESARS REWARDS ®

Must be 21 or older to gamble. Know When To Stop Before You Start.® Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP.

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2021

CONTENTS

3

EMPEROR

10

14

16

FIT FOR AN JB Smoove welcomes sports betting, Caesars Sportsbook to Arizona

NO ‘LUNATIC’

Upsahl explores breakup on new album

ON THE COVER

GRAB YOUR BOOTS

Country Thunder scoots into Florence

on the cover: JB Smoove as Caesar Cover photo courtesy Caesars Sportsbook

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THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2021

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

ExecutiveEditor

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

‘NIGHTMARE: DREAMING REALITY’

CaZo Dance Theatre returns with horror-centric show

CONTENTS

UPFRONT

christina@timespublications.com

Assistant Editor Connor Dziawura

cdziawura@timespublications.com

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6

14

TRAVEL

18

The Langham Huntington, Pasadena

ARTS

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Lakeshore Music • CaZo Dance Theater’s “Nightmare: Dreaming Reality”

HOT TIMES

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ONE COPY PER READER

22 The Entertainer! is circulated throughout the Phoenix Metro area, especially concentrated in entertainment districts. ©2020 Affluent Publishing, LLC. A free online subscription is available to all readers simply by going to entertainermag.com/subscribe.

26

Roxx Vodka

28

Midland • RagDolls: A Tribute to Aerosmith • George Michael Reborn

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Coyotes’ Liam Kirk

MUSIC

32

Live Music Calendar • TLC • We Came as Romans • Ivan Harshman • Amelia McLean

NIGHTLIFE Bijou

ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

Illustrator

Antoinette Cauley

RagDolls are getting it while it’s easy

Riot Hospitality Group’s Dustin Cooke • Chef Scott Conant • Dining Calendar

SPORTS

Writers

Antoinette Cauley, Aubree Estrella, Daniel Meigs, Rick Meinecke, Kohl Murdock, Pablo Robles, Harper Smith

Upsahl • Country Thunder • Road to Country Thunder

CASINOS

Courtney Oldham

production@timespublications.com

Photographers

CITY

BEER AND WINE

production manager

Mia Andrea, Alex Gallagher, Sarah Haber, Jordan Houston, Bridgette Redman, Annika Tomlin

Top 25 • JB Smoove and Caesars Sportsbook • Lewis Black • Arizona State Fair • Mykal Kilgore

DINING

designer

Shannon Mead

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ARIZONA’S ‘IDOL’

Beloved singer Amelia McLean debuting original music

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

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TOP25

By Connor Dziawura

“Oscar Muñoz: Invisibilia”

THROUGH JANUARY 16 The first U.S. retrospective of Colombian artist Oscar Muñoz, the traveling exhibition “Invisibilia” is now on display in the Ellen and Howard C. Katz Wing for Modern Art at the Phoenix Art Museum.

A collaboration with the Blanton Museum of Art in Austin, the exhibit features around 50 works spanning five decades, some which have never been seen. The pieces, including drawings, installations, and photographic and video works, explore themes of time, memory, history and knowledge.

Phoenix Art Museum, 1625 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix, 602.257.1880, phxart.org/ exhibition/oscar-munozinvisibilia, see website for museum hours, included with museum admission

JB Smoove

OCTOBER 2 Our cover boy JB Smoove is a man of many talents. Writer. Comedian.

Actor. “Saturday Night Live” alum.

“Curb Your Enthusiasm” regular.

Stand-up performer. The latter is key here, as the well-known funnyman will bring his stand-up routine to The Showroom at Talking Stick Resort.

The Showroom at Talking Stick Resort, 9800 E. Talking Stick Way, Scottsdale, 480.850.7777, talkingstickresort.com, 8 p.m., $30-$65

“The Rocky Horror Show”

OCTOBER 6 TO DECEMBER 5 See the classic rock musical in person and spend a night with protagonist fiancées Brad and Janet as they encounter memorable characters like Rocky, Eddie, Dr. Scott, Columbia, Magenta, Riff Raff and Frank-N-Furter. Though it’s in production through early December, try to get in early, keeping in line with the season. This show will be presented in the Hormel Theatre.

Phoenix Theatre Company, 1825 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix, 602.254.2151, phoenixtheatre.

com, various dates and times, see website for prices

“No Time to Die”

OPENS OCTOBER 8 After a series of delays, the 25th James Bond film is finally here, and it’s sure to be a big one. At nearly three hours runtime, the film will serve as the final Bond outing for star Daniel Craig. Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga (“Beasts of No Nation,” season one of “True Detective”), the film also features cast members Rami Malek, Léa Seydoux, Lashana Lynch, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Jeffrey Wright, Christoph Waltz, Ralph Fiennes, Ana de Armas, Billy Magnussen, Rory Kinnear, David Dencik and Dali Benssalah.

Though it releases October 8, keep an eye out for early access theatrical screenings on October 6. Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence and action, some disturbing images, brief strong language and some suggestive material.

In theaters

“Old MacDonald’s Pumpkin Patch” OCTOBER 8 TO OCTOBER 31 Described by the Great Arizona Puppet Theater as a “high-energy, fun-filled Halloween show,” this singalong performance is told with hand puppets and rod puppets. In it, all the animals on Old MacDonald’s farm must find a costume for Halloween.

Great Arizona Puppet Theater, 302 W. Latham Street, Phoenix, 602.262.2050, azpuppets.org, various dates and times, $8-$12, or free admission for infants if accompanied by a paid child

Sedona Arts Festival

OCTOBER 9 TO OCTOBER 10 Sedona’s annual arts festival is back after a pandemic-induced hiatus, and the event is now celebrating its 30th anniversary. With a focus on the art, there will be more than 100 juried artists, with some creators returning from the 2019 event. Other features of the two-day festival are live music, raffles, food, and a

UPFRONT

PHX » CITY » LOCAL » PRIDE » DO » SEE new beer and wine garden. Funds support the Sedona Arts Festival’s Scholarships and Grants Program.

Sedona Red Rock High School, 995 Upper Red Rock Loop, Sedona, 928.204.9456, sedonaartsfestival.org, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. October 9, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. October 10, $15 weekend admission, or free for children 12 and younger when accompanied by a paid adult

Phoenix Rising FC vs. the Oakland Roots SC

OCTOBER 9 In what is the first of three home games in October, Phoenix Rising will duke it out against the Oakland Roots. See the team’s website for the full schedule.

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

Arizona Cardinals vs.

San Francisco 49ers

OCTOBER 10 For Week 5 of the NFL season, the Cardinals will return to the Valley for their first home game of the month — against the San Francisco 49ers.

The game can also be followed on FOX or 98.7 FM. Check the Cards’ season schedule online for additional home games in October.

State Farm Stadium, 1 Cardinals Drive, Glendale, 602.379.0101, azcardinals. com, 1:25 p.m., $64-$263

“Halloween Kills”

OPENS OCTOBER 15 After David Gordon Green’s 2018 “Halloween” retconned all other sequels to the original 1978 film of the same name, Michael Myers is back again — and so is Jamie Lee Curtis. The second installment in a new trilogy, which chronologically follows the original film, “Halloween Kills” also stars Judy Greer, Andi Matichak, Will Patton, Thomas Mann and Anthony Michael Hall. Rated R for strong bloody violence throughout, grisly images, language and some drug use.

In theaters and streaming on Peacock

“Million Dollar Quartet”

OCTOBER 15 TO OCTOBER 31 December 4, 1956, Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis entered a

recording studio in Memphis with producer Sam Phillips. Somehow, Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash wound up in the studio with them.

Little is known about the session, so this Fountain Hills Theater musical production fills in the blanks. It is produced by Patty Torrilhon and Linda Ferington and directed by Peter J. Hill, with musical direction by Jay Melberg and choreography by Noel Irick.

Fountain Hills Theater, 11445 N. Saguaro Boulevard, Fountain Hills, 480.837.9661, fhtaz.org, various dates and times, $18-$35

Phoenix FearCon

OCTOBER 15 TO OCTOBER 16 This year’s Phoenix FearCon — celebrating 10 years — will premiere more than three dozen independent horror/sci-fi/fantasy films. It will also feature more than 25 guests, including Lloyd Kaufman (co-founder of Troma, the studio behind cult classics like “The Toxic Avenger”) and actors Bill Oberst Jr. and Fred “The Hammer” Williamson, along with performances by the Agents of Lust, Co-Op, RedRum and Torso. There will be all sorts of Q&As, panels and workshops, and the inaugural Reggie Award (named after the “Phantasm” franchise’s Reggie Bannister, who will be in attendance) celebrates “excellence and dedication to the genre” and will go to Kaufman.

Sun Studios of Arizona, 1425 W. 14th Street, Tempe, 602.399.9500, phoenixfearcon. com, 5 p.m. October 15, noon October 16, $35-$250, or free admission for kids 12 and younger who are accompanied by an adult

Plant Swap

OCTOBER 17 Antique store Hawk Salvage is gearing up for its first plant swap.

Plant lovers can trade live, healthy plants or cuttings, and there will be planting stations and soil available for up to $10, depending on plant size. Pots can also be brought, but Hawk Salvage will have pots and glassware available for purchase — not to mention its collection of rare, imported plants. Live music, food trucks and artist demonstrations will round out the event.

Hawk Salvage, 1109 Grand Avenue, Phoenix, hawksalvage.com, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., free admission

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Toast!

OCTOBER 17 Play your part in helping families who lost their homes during the pandemic. Homeward Bound, a local nonprofit that has been helping families get out of poverty for three decades, is reinventing its Old Bags Luncheon with the inaugural Toast! to raise $300,000.

Mix and mingle while participating in wine and spirits tastings, brunch and a live cocktail competition and perusing local vendors. Grand Canyon Brewery, Crook & Marker, Rune Wines and AZ Wine Company will participate in tastings, while UrbAna, Sage Femme, Metalmark Jewelers, Kendra Scott, Redemption Market and Goodness Candles, among others, will be available in the market. For ages 21 and older.

The Clayton House, 3719 N. 75th Street, Scottsdale, 602.263.7654, homewardboundaz.org/events/ toast, 10:30 a.m., $100-$250

Erykah Badu

OCTOBER 20 Famed neo-soul singer Erykah Badu is returning to the Valley for her first show here in a dozen years. Though Badu hasn’t released much music in the time since — only dropping “New Amerykah Part Two” in 2010 and the mixtape “But You Caint Use My Phone” in 2015 — her quality-not-quantity discography stands tall enough to excite with this latest show. Griselda member Westside Gunn opens.

Arizona Federal Theatre, 400 W. Washington Street, Phoenix, 602.379.2800, arizonafederaltheatre.com, 8 p.m., $49.50-$478.50

Glass Pumpkin Patch Fundraiser

OCTOBER 22 TO OCTOBER 24 Get into the Halloween spirit with the return of this annual fundraiser for the nonprofit Holland Center, which supports the Desert Foothills arts, education and community and offers classes, fine art exhibits and performing arts events. Over the fundraiser’s three days, the organization will display and sell more than 1,000 vibrant, handmade glass pumpkins from local artist Gregory Tomb, a former artist-inresidence at the Holland Center.

Holland Center, 34250 N. 60th Street, Scottsdale, 480.488.1090, hollandcenter.org, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, free admission

“Dune”

OPENS OCTOBER 22 One of the most acclaimed science fiction novels, “Dune” is finally returning to the big screen. After other adaptations of the dense book have either failed to be ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

produced or meet fan expectations, director Denis Villeneuve (“Blade Runner 2049,” “Arrival,” “Sicario,” “Prisoners”) has taken the reins for a potential franchise. Reportedly billed as “Part One” during screenings, “Dune” has a massive cast including Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, Chang Chen, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa and Javier Bardem. Rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence, some disturbing images and suggestive material.

In theaters and streaming on HBO Max

“The French Dispatch”

OPENS OCTOBER 22 Beloved and whimsical writerdirector Wes Anderson returns with his 10th feature, a return to live action after 2018’s stop-motion film “Isle of Dogs.” It is a Frenchset anthology about the final issue of a fictional American magazine.

And as with Anderson’s previous works, the cast is stacked, starring Benicio del Toro, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Léa Seydoux, Frances McDormand, Timothée Chalamet, Lyna Khoudri, Jeffrey Wright, Mathieu Amalric, Stephen Park, Bill Murray and Owen Wilson, not to mention Liev Schreiber, Elisabeth Moss, Edward Norton, Willem Dafoe, Lois Smith, Saorsie Ronan, Christoph Waltz and many more.

Rated R for graphic nudity, some sexual references and language.

In theaters

Gilbert Oktoberfest

OCTOBER 23 It’s fall again, and that means it’s time to break out your lederhosen and dirndls to celebrate Oktoberfest with Gilbert’s iteration. Oktoberfest is a means to celebrate German culture with such activities as stein-holding and bratwursteating competitions, themed food and drinks, not to mention polka music from the Oktoburlesques (by way of Top 40 tunes). OHSO Brewery & Distillery, Uncle Bear’s Brewery, 12 West Brewing and Desert Monks Brewing Co. comprise part of the beer roster. A familyfriendly event, it will also have oversized games and a kids zone.

Gilbert Regional Park, 3005 E. Queen Creek Road, Gilbert, gilbertoktoberfest.com, 2 to 9 p.m., $12-$20, or free admission for kids 12 and younger

Mimosa & Monet Mosaic Desert

OCTOBER 23 Led by artist-in-residence Carrie Curran, the owner of Creative Color Art Studio, the Mimosa & Monet Art Class Series begins in October,

running monthly through April.

Those with or without experience will receive guidance with the acrylic on canvas medium. Cost includes instruction, tax and gratuity, all supplies, pastries, coffee and the first mimosa. Guests can also partake in a celebratory brunch at Lon’s and receive a complimentary appetizer or cocktail with the purchase of one brunch entrée.

The Hermosa Inn, 5532 N. Palo Cristi Road, Paradise Valley, 602.955.8614, https://bit.ly/3tY9S0Q, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., $85

Family Halloween Bash

OCTOBER 24 Parents won’t want to miss out on this event, as it’s perfect for the kiddos. A week before All Hallows’ Eve, events company Local Savvy AZ will celebrate its third anniversary by gathering at McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park for all sorts of fun activities, from trick-or-treating stations and pumpkin decorating to a costume contest. There will also be a bounce house, photo booth, character meet and greet, swag bags, raffle items, and food and drinks.

McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park, 7301 E. Indian Bend Road, Scottsdale, https:// bit.ly/3EIEM2m, 3 to 5 p.m., $30 per family of four

“Last Night in Soho”

OPENS OCTOBER 29 After the success of 2017’s “Baby Driver,” acclaimed writer-director Edgar Wright is returning with this psychological thriller. According to the synopsis, “Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie), an aspiring fashion designer, is mysteriously able to enter the 1960s, where she encounters a dazzling wannabe singer, Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy). But the glamour is not all it appears to be and the dreams of the past start to crack and splinter into something far darker.” Wright has reportedly cited Nicolas Roeg’s “Don’t Look Now” and Roman Polanski’s “Repulsion” as influences, and the neon-lit trailer for “Last Night in Soho” recalls the style and colors of classic giallo works (a type of mysterious Italian horrorthriller that encompasses films like 1977’s “Suspiria”). Not yet rated.

In theaters

Halloween Bar Crawl

OCTOBER 30 Want to celebrate Halloween, but don’t want to be bound to any one party? Try this Scottsdale bar crawl. Check-in is at Boondocks, after which patrons will explore venues like Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row, DJ’s Bar and Grill, El Hefe and Riot House. Cover charges will be waived, and there

will be drink specials — plus ticket buyers will get two free drinks or shots. At the end of it all, be sure to stay on-site for the afterparty.

Boondocks Patio & Grill, 4341 N. 75th Street, Scottsdale, https://bit.ly/3CmRpOq, 4 p.m., $12.50-$15

My Little Pumpkin Fall Festival and Halloween Party

OCTOBER 30 Sure to be a fun and affordable event for the whole family, this Tempe party features pumpkin decorating and trick-or-treating, plus activities such as a costume contest, face painting, pony rides and crafts.

There will also be a farmers market and boutique shopping. Prince Charming will be there, and kids can even get mini photos with Cinderella and her pony for $10.

Tickets include bags for trick-ortreating as well as a mini pumpkin for decorating. Parking is $5 per car.

Singh Meadows, 1490 E. Weber Drive, Tempe, https:// bit.ly/3tU5v6O, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., $10, or free admission for adults and for children younger than 12 months

Noche en Blanco

OCTOBER 30 Inspired by a Parisian event from three decades ago, the sixth annual Noche en Blanco encourages guests to arrive at Hance Park’s East Lawn in creative, all-white cocktail attire for a night of food and entertainment. Multicultural partners include the Phoenix Afrobeat Orchestra, Japanese Friendship Garden, Irish Culture Center, Cutler Plotkin Jewish Historical Society, Phoenix Center for the Arts, The Nash, Mariachi Fusíon, the Arizona School for the Arts, and honorary Chair Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego.

Proceeds benefit Hance Park Conservancy. For ages 21 and older.

Hance Park, 116 E. Moreland Street, Phoenix, hanceparkconservancy.org/nocheen-blanco, 5 to 10 p.m., $30-$200

Spooktacular Custom Car Show OCTOBER 30 Celebrate the season with this car show from the Professional Firefighters of Maricopa, which, in addition to the cars, will feature a costume contest and trunk-ortreating. But also, it will play host to vendors, food trucks and a DJ. Also stay tuned for dash plaques, a 50/50 raffle and prizes, and T-shirts round out the firefighterrepresenting nonprofit’s plans.

To top it off, the event will benefit the F.O.R. Maricopa Food Bank.

Copper Sky Park, 44345 W. Bowlin Road, Maricopa, https://bit.ly/3nN46Ow, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., $15-$30

FIT FOR AN EMPEROR

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

JB Smoove welcomes sports betting, Caesars Sportsbook to Arizona

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

T

he Emmy Awards, HBO and sports betting in Arizona have one thing in common. JB Smoove has a hand in them.

Earlier this year, Smoove received his first career Emmy nomination for Best Actor in a Short Form Series for his performance as Chief Billy Bills in the “Mapleworth Murders.” The nomination was a long time coming for the acclaimed showman.

“I got my start in the industry in the 1990s on the comedy circuit in New York and then with Def Jam Comedy, and eventually with a gig on MTV, just like Snookie,” Smoove says with a laugh.

Technically, his MTV break came with a 1999 recurring role on the channel’s “The Lyricist Lounge Show,” not a reality television show.

In 1999, Smoove also landed a guest spot on HBO’s “The Chris Rock Show,” where he would work for the first time with Rock. In fact, Smoove eventually worked on Rock’s “Everybody Hates Chris” TV series in the mid-2000s and then star with Rock in the 2014 feature film “Top Five.”

During the nearly 15 years in between “The Chris Rock Show” and “Top Five,” Smoove worked as a cast member on “Cedric the Entertainer Presents “and earned a writing position on “Saturday Night Live,” which, in 2007, earned Smoove and his fellow writing partners

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a Writers Guild award for Best Comedy/ Variety Series.

He also appeared in “Date Night” with Steve Carell and Tina Fey and the Farrelly Brothers-directed comedy “Hall Pass,” as well as “The Sitter” with Jonah Hill, “We Bought a Zoo” with Matt Damon and “The Dictator” opposite Sacha Baron Cohen.

In 2007, Smoove not only earned the “SNL” honors, but he began his careerdefining role as Leon Black on “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”

“I joined in season six after my fictional sister, Loretta Black (played by Vivica A. Fox), was displaced during Hurricane (Edna) and moved in with Larry David,” Smoove says.

His character also moved into David’s palatial California mansion despite already living in Los Angeles and never experiencing Katrina-like fictional Edna himself. “I moved in and never left.”

Smoove’s masculine, ultra-confident, freeloading character quickly became a fan favorite on the highly improvised series, which follows “Seinfeld” cocreator David as he plays a version of himself living semi-retired and always annoyed in Los Angeles.

“Most people don’t know, but JB actually stands for Jerry Brooks, so I am technically the second Jerry to hilariously terrorize Larry on TV,” Smoove says.

After being derailed by COVID-19, Smoove and David will return to the small screen later this month for the much-anticipated 11th season of the series.

“While I can’t give anything away, this season is a sure bet for viewers,” Smoove says. “And you can trust me, because I am now the grand emperor of the betting world.”

While that may sound like hyperbole, Smoove is only half joking.

On September 9, Smoove rolled into Phoenix on a chariot — a luxury Uber wrapped like a chariot, to be more specific — to serve as Caesars Entertainment’s Caesar to usher in sports betting across Arizona. He joined executives from Caesars Entertainment

as well as Derrick Hall and Luis Gonzalez of the Arizona Diamondbacks for the public celebration.

“The Caesars Sportsbook at Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks, is going to be a state-ofart entertainment destination unlike any other in Arizona,” Smoove says.

During the ceremonial first bet on September 9, Smoove provided a $20,000 donation from Caesars to the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation to fete the partnership and the organization’s commitment to the community. The sportsbook, sports bar and broadcast studio, made possible through Caesars’ exclusive sports betting and daily fantasy partnership, will be located at the former Game 7 Grill space located just outside of Chase Field. It will feature a sports betting experience befit for an emperor and an all-inclusive experience for nonsports bettors alike.

The approximately 20,000-squarefoot, two-story venue will feature indoor and outdoor seating options including two floors of sports betting space, a fullservice bar and VIP lounge, an extensive menu, and wall-to-wall flat screens.

The space will be open year-round, but no wagering is allowed on game days.

The venue will have flexible hours of operation to cater to specific sporting events.

Bet like a Caesar: Two floors of sports betting space provide a next-level atmosphere to bet. Whether it’s with a teller at a kiosk, or on the Caesars Sportsbook app, customers will have many choices to easily place a wager.

Watch like a Caesar: With around

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THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2021

t

na Entertainmen

uide to Arizo The Insider ’s G 1,500 square feet of indoor and outdoor LED screens, Caesars Sportsbook at Chase Field will be a sports environment worthy of any Caesars emperor. With many major sporting events being displayed, customers will never have to worry about asking to change the channel again.

Dine like a Caesar: A sports betting experience befit for an emperor needs a menu to feast like one. Customers can indulge in top-notch food in 10,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor dining space.

Hydrate like a Caesar: Caesar never walks around without his goblet, so customers can make sure to have a drink in hand, too. Emperors can grab their preferred beverage of choice at the inside or outside bar, or even at the private bar in the VIP lounge.

Arrive like a Caesar: Caesar never strolled far to get where he wanted once he stepped off his chariot. That will be the case at Caesars Sportsbook, where the action is easily accessible from parking areas surrounding Chase Field.

“The Caesars Sportsbook at Chase Field will be the premier sports betting and entertainment destination in Downtown Phoenix,” says Hall, the president and chief executive officer of the Arizona D-backs.

“D-backs fans, Arizona residents and out-of-state visitors, whether they are sports bettors or not, should look forward to this state-of-the-art, yearround location that will feature first-

class dining, betting and hospitality experience — all while taking in their favorite sporting event or watching their favorite team. This sportsbook will transform the sports viewing experience in Arizona.”

While the permanent space is being built, according to Smoove, fans can make a bet at Chase Field at ticket windows 21 to 25, marking the first MLB stadium where sports fans can place an in-person wager. Leading up to the grand opening of the retail space, bets can also be placed at five betting kiosks on the north side of the plaza being installed in the interim.

“As Caesar, I would be remiss if I didn’t also note my reign over sports betting through modern technology in Arizona as well,” Smoove says.

Arizonans can download the Caesars Sportsbook app, register and place bets at their fingertips as well.

The easy-to-navigate app integrates mobile sports betting with Caesars’ industry-leading loyalty program, Caesars Rewards, where every bet, win or lose rewards the bettor with Tier Credits and Reward Credits that can be used to unlock unbeatable experiences within the Caesars portfolio of properties and partnerships, including access to VIP experiences with the D-backs at Chase Field for registered app users in Arizona.

“We are all Caesars now! Let the bets begin, Arizona!” Smoove says.

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THE KING OF RANT Lewis Black takes on anti-vaxxers and the nation

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By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

L

ewis Black is angry, but that’s not really a surprise. He’s ticked off at the country, hates the October staple candy corn, and is irritated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

“No country has more and knows how to do less,” he says. “It’s really spectacular.”

That opinion applies to individual states as well as the nation as a whole. He is livid about Texas’ recent legislation that bans abortions at about six weeks from the patient’s last menstrual period.

“In Texas, they passed an abortion law that protects the unborn, and yet we’ll send children — defenseless children — to a school and we don’t want them to wear masks,” he says.

“They don’t go together. The left side of the brain is arguing with the right side of the brain. We’re creating a vigilante culture. There are bounties. They are bounty hunting pregnant women. I don’t talk about abortion on stage. If I found a joke for it, I’d do it. I don’t know if there’s a framework large enough.”

Lewis’ fans can hear his rants when he visits Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino in Maricopa on Friday, October 29. Known as the “king of rant,” Lewis said touring again has been a blessing. The pandemic was hard on Black, as he stopped doing comedy.

“I was just really trying to maintain my sanity and make sure that my anger didn’t boil over,” he says. “I tried to maintain my faith in my fellow man, too.

“But I stopped doing comedy. I don’t work with Zoom or the rest of it. I need to work in front of an audience consistently. I write in front of an audience. I reached the point where my audience knows that’s what I’m doing, and they’ve been really generous to give me the space to do it.”

The podcast “Lewis Black’s Rantcast” kept him busy during the pandemic. To create it, he shares fans’ rants.

“I created, essentially, a podcast, but I’m doing a show that’s written by my audience,” he says. “That’s what kept me going, and that’s what I’ve been doing.

I introduce it and then I talk about whatever’s gone on that week.”

During the interview, he ranted

about anti-vaxxers, who irritate Black.

For a nation that’s “scarfing down” supplements, he doesn’t understand why folks are afraid to have the vaccination. “‘Vaccine? I’m not going to take this one!’” he says, mimicking anti-vaxxers.

“Apparently, 34% of the American people don’t trust their government. I get that, but this is for everyone’s health, schmuck. It’s separate from government.

Government, politics and freedom are

three different things. That’s why they’re spelled differently.”

in light of COVID-19 issues.

“The Arizona State Fair is the largest event here,” says Martinez, who noted that in 2019, the fair saw 1.4 million attendees.

“We’ve been having it for over a century. It’s older than the state has been

a state.”

Started in 1884, the fair has been a roller coaster, with multiple interruptions. However, it has always returned. The long hours and months of planning that go into this event are what truly make it so special.

Lewis Black WHEN: 8 p.m. Friday, October 29 WHERE: Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino, 15406 Maricopa Road, Maricopa COST: Tickets start at $44.50 INFO: 480.802.5000, caesars. com/harrahs-ak-chin

HISTORIC EVENT

Arizona State Fair moves on without concerts

By Sarah Haber

O

ne hundred-plus years.

One hundred-plus years of cotton candy smiles and funnel cakefueled belly laughs.

One hundred-plus years of Ferris wheel journeys and children overcoming their fears. That’s over a century of momentous opening days, live performances and togetherness — all thanks to the Arizona State Fair.

The COVID-19 pandemic took away the sacred tradition of the Arizona State Fair in 2020, but it’s returning this year. After a trying time, it is safe to say that patrons deserve a fried Oreo and an adventurous day on rides. Throughout October, that’s just what Arizonans will do.

Although the world around us has changed, the memories that we continue ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

to make at the fair will never change, Arizona State Fair coordinator Briana Martinez says.

“The fair reminds us to slow down and just enjoy the moment,” Martinez says.

This year, the Arizona State Fair is eschewing concerts, but the energy and excitement are the same. Attendees can expect a safe, COVID-19 protocolenforced environment that will ensure family safety. Hand sanitizer will be available, and masks and social distancing will be recommended.

Enhanced safety features include online ticket sales. To encourage it, organizers dropped service fees.

On October 1, when the fair returns, there will be monster trucks, a rodeo, art exhibits, hypnotists, jugglers, fried olives and fried ice cream. Additionally, this year the fair will run 21 days instead of 18. Concerts will take a pause this year

Arizona State Fair WHEN: Friday, October 1, to Saturday, October 30; closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Hours: 5 p.m. Friday, October 1; noon to 9 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, noon to 10 p.m. Fridays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays WHERE: State Fairgrounds, 1826 W. McDowell Road, Phoenix COST: $10 for children (5-13) or seniors (ages 55 and older); $12 adults (14 to 54); free for children 5 and younger.

INFO: azstatefair.com

DRAWING THE CURTAINS

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2021

13

Mykal Kilgore spills his heart on new single

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

M

ykal Kilgore is affable and cheery. The versatile performer known for stretching across musical genres is giddy about his return to the Chandler Center for the Arts on Sunday, October 10.

“The last time I was there, it was with India Arie,” he says. “I hate to sound corny, but it was magical. I actually cried at the end of the show.

“There was so much love in the room.

At the end of her shows, she brings her support act out and we sing a little something together. The audience was screaming and applauding as I came out.

I wasn’t prepared. I was so overwhelmed.

I just started crying while India was holding my hand.”

Kilgore’s career spans from Broadway to Postmodern Jukebox with a resume filled with appearances in “Motown the Musical,” “The Book of Mormon,” “Hair,” “The Wiz Live!” and the viral video “Reclaiming My Time.” Kilgore was nominated for a Grammy in 2021 for his single “Let Me Go.” “Some of the things I’ve experienced and achieved, my 12-year-old self would be doing cartwheels,” he says.

Kilgore was raised in Orlando and yearned to be in the “Mickey Mouse Club.”

“Orlando has such a storied history of entertainment down to an excellent level,” he says. “Living in LA, I have to be very careful not to go too crazy on my Orlando love.”

The COVID-19 pandemic taught Kilgore one thing: There’s nothing on the Earth like performing. He may do the same show each night, but the new audiences keep it fresh.

In mid-September, Kilgore released the surprise single “The Man in the Barbershop.” It tells the story of Kilgore seeing a beautiful man in the barbershop. Subsequently, he dreams about what their life could be like.

“It’s me being as adorable as Renee Zellweger in ‘Bridget Jones’ Diary,’” he says. “I want to take a swing at romantic lead in a rom-com.

“I want to show people that, even in a man’s soul and heart, there is softness and tenderness and fragility,” he says.

“I want that to be on display. There is a power in your emotions. I want to be really clear that this music is about me.

It’s about my Black life, my queer life, my American life — all those things come together to create it.

“I’m more than a jukebox to people.

I’m a real human being who is allowing everyone in to see what goes on behind my curtain.”

At the Chandler Center for the Arts, Kilgore is performing with Jamison Ross, who blurs the lines between jazz, R&B, soul, gospel and blues. His debut album, “Jamison,” garnered a Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Album.

His sophomore effort, “All for One,” reveals, “We all have the capacity to love with empathy in a deeper way.”

“At the show, fans can expect a lot of great singing,” Kilgore says. “I feel like my theater experience has turned my concert mindset into a cabaret mindset.

I like to give audiences a chance to get to know me better.

“I ask the people, whatever show they want, I will give it to them. I think audiences have to remember their responsibility, too. Come hyped to see the show. Don’t make me have to beg and plead for it.”

An Evening with Mykal Kilgore & Jamison Ross WHEN: 7 p.m. Sunday, October 10 WHERE: Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Avenue, Chandler COST: Tickets start at $36 INFO: 480.782.2680, chandlercenter.org ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

14

CITY

STYLE » ENVY » PASSION » FASHION » BEAUTY » DESIGN

NO ‘LUNATIC’

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

T

aylor Upsahl is living her best life.

She lent her pen to a variety of future hits like Dua Lipa’s Grammy Award-winning “Good in Bed,” and “Happy Endings” by Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park and Iann Dior, which went Top 10 at alt radio.

In addition, Upsahl covered Dominic Fike’s “3 Nights” for Amazon’s “Original” series that’s featured on Amazon Music.

Now, she’s preparing to release her full-length debut album, “Lady Jesus,” on October 8. She and Olivia O’Brien will kick off their tour at the Marquee

in Tempe on November 2. Tickets start at $22.

“I’m so excited,” says Upsahl, a Phoenix native who now lives in LA. “I’ve only played it one other time. It was where I went to be a fan when I was younger. Getting to be on the other side is really, really exciting.

“It’s cool that this hometown show kicks off the entire tour. It’s always very surreal, full circle for me to play in Phoenix. We were playing shows (early in my career) every weekend at Valley Bar, Crescent Ballroom, the Van Buren — all the venues. I get to hang out with people and fans who have been coming to my shows since I was 16.”

Her latest single is “Lunatic,” a pop-

Upsahl explores breakup on new album

driven anthem that channels her anger about an ex.

“I try to always write from personal experience,” she says. “The day we wrote ‘Lunatic,’ I saw something online. I didn’t want to see it. I almost canceled the session. I wanted to lie in bed and be angry at the world.

“Instead, I stormed into the studio with tears running down my face. I said, ‘We’re writing a banger today. I want to scream in the vocal booth.’ We finished writing the song in an hour. My whole day was turned around. The day started with me crying in the car to the session.

It’s the perfect example how music or writing a song can fully turn the day around.”

The song is a reaction to seeing her

ex, whom she did not identify, on social media. They broke up in the beginning of the quarantine. “Lady Jesus” travels with Upsahl on her journey from the breakup (“Douchebag”) to her personal rebirth (“Lady Jesus”). “‘Lunatic’ is very early on in the healing process for me,” she says.

The writing of “Lady Jesus” was cathartic to Upsahl.

“I would have no other way to get my feelings out otherwise,” Upsahl says. “It’s very much autobiographical. Whatever I was going through I would write about in a song.

“I think I just got over being sad.

It was way too long. ‘Lady Jesus’ was a clarity moment. It was such a therapeutic, vulnerable process.”

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16

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

Country Thunder festival is returning on a high note

By Annika Tomlin

A

fter a pandemic-dictated delay, Country Thunder is revving up to welcome headliners Dustin Lynch, Old Dominion, Luke Combs and Eric Church, preceded by noteworthy country artists like Ashley McBryde, Chris Janson, Mitchell Tenpenny and Hardy.

The headliner on Thursday, October 14, Lynch makes a return visit after appearing in 2015 as an opener. This is the first time he’s headlining the Florence mainstay.

“As a band, this is something that we have been manifesting and dreamed about,” Lynch says.

He vividly remembers the “pretty legendary” parties surrounding the 2015 festival, including those in the campgrounds that featured an “oversized giant drinking seesaw.”

“As an opening act, you always get up on that big stage and think maybe one day I can be like so and so that I’m opening for tonight, and here we are,” Lynch says. “You fast forward a few years and look up and we are able to headline and blessed to headline for the first time at Country Thunder. I am so excited.”

McBryde will prepare fans for the arrival of Luke Combs on Saturday, October 16. She calls opening for Combs “a big family event.”

Returning to the stage has been a blessing for Lynch and McBryde after the pandemic hiatus. Both are ready for the high energy that comes from Ashley McBryde

ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

performing for a large audience. “(The band and I) sometimes question if it’s too much because it just runs us into the ground every time we play the set,” says Lynch, whose audience will hear the hit song “Mama’s House.”

McBryde says she will never take her job for granted after the year-and-a-half break.

“If you had asked me in 2019 if I had ever taken any part of this for granted, I would have said ‘Absolutely not, I soak up every second of it,’” McBryde says. “But then you ask me in 2021 and I go, ‘Yep, there were things I took for granted.’

“How much I love catering on tour.

I even missed tour showers, and tour showers are gross. This year everything is set apart because, even though we are always joyful on stage, there is so much more joy shining off of us and hitting the crowd right in the face. It’s tangible and it’s awesome.”

For Lynch, the hardest part about preparing for tour was mentally returning to his “go, go, go” travel schedule and making time to write.

“Physically, I was really working hard in the off season as a singer, and I’m running all over the place for most part of the show,” Lynch says. “In the off season, I was really trying to make myself sing and a lot of physical activity, cardio and stuff to be in the best shape that I can be.”

A former high school and college athlete, Lynch is used to the pressure of keeping fit, but being in “show shape is different than gym shape.”

Dustin Lynch

“There was a lot of cardio and a lot of singing in the house to make sure that my vocals were going to be able to withstand such a long break from the road,” Lynch says.

As for McBryde, “at first it was creepy” seeing the large crowd again. She, too, felt the burn of touring.

“My legs aren’t used to running around on stage for 90 minutes anymore,” McBryde says in retrospect. “My lungs are not used to it anymore, and my throat was not used to it anymore. I started losing my voice every night.

“Those muscles hadn’t been used and abused and conditioned in that way in over a year. It took a minute, and I had to get some new habits.”

She quickly realized she needed to make lifestyle changes so she could finish the Combs tour.

“I used to drink before shows, but those people did not pay to see me drink before my show. They paid to see my show,” McBryde says.

“I just felt that that had been rude and I had taken it for granted. I had to make a lot of changes, and one of which is making sure that I warm my throat up every day just to talk, because if not, it’s going to be even harder to build that endurance back up.”

Outside of Country Thunder, McBryde was recently nominated for three CMA Awards, including female vocalist of the year, and single of the year and song of the year for “One Night Standards.”

When describing what it meant to receive the nominations, she says, “It’s like stepping in a boxing ring and then getting your bell rung real good. Then, right after that, you get your bell rung two more times. Just bang, bang, bang. I was very frickin’ excited.”

She initially thought that “something happened, someone is sick, someone broke a bone” after seeing text messages from various people including her manager.

“Of course, I jumped right out of bed and started screaming, and the dog thought that something was wrong at that point,” McBryde says. “It’s always very exciting getting nominated at all in any category but especially to be on there for three nominations.”

Lynch and McBryde are eager to hit the Country Thunder stage and to get out of the humidity of the south. They say they’ll enjoy being among passionate country fans.

“Those Country Thunder fans are my kind of people,” Lynch says. “It’s who I would hang out with on off days here in Nashville.

“Folks be on the lookout for (me and the band) to come through the campgrounds. Me and the guys are already planning on coming out there and hanging out with everybody. Have a beer ready for us.”

As for McBryde, she says, “I just can’t say in big enough words how much joy comes off on us on stage and how much joy comes off from Luke and his guys.

Even if you don’t like country music, you should go to Country Thunder just to experience the level of joy that’s going to happen.”

Country Thunder WHEN: Various times, Thursday October 14, to Sunday, October 17 WHERE: Country Thunder Arizona, 20585 E. Water Way, Florence COST: $99 to $200 INFO: countrythunder.com/az

ON THE ROAD AGAIN THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2021

17

The trail to Country Thunder is paved with locals

By Annika Tomlin

C

ountry music is a staple in Florence.

Before the likes of Dustin Lynch, Old Dominion, Luke Combs and Eric Church appear at Country Thunder, Downtown Historic Florence will present Road to Country Thunder from 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday, October 9.

Hosted in partnership with Country Thunder and sponsored by KMLE and Hensley Distribution, Road to Country Thunder serves as the kickoff event for the four-day main event.

“We’ll have future Nashville stars as well as inflatables on Main Street,” says Alison Feliz, Florence’s recreation superintendent. “We’ll have a kids zone until 8 p.m., a beer garden during the event, vendors and food trucks.”

Among the food trucks are Chef on the Go, Rory’s Tacos, Chinos Grill and Maui Wowi.

Like previous years, KMLE will give away tickets to Country Thunder to attendees at the free Road to Country Thunder, which was founded in 2015.

Road to Country Thunder is an outdoor event so COVID-19 restrictions will be minimal, Feliz says.

“We will just do a few things to try and space people out and have handwashing stations,” Feliz says. “It’s an outside event, so they are not going to be required to wear a mask, just cooperation with social distancing.”

Keeping their distance on the stage is the list of performers including Shari Rowe, Jaty Edwards of North Phoenix, Ryan and the Renegades, and Tom Wagner.

Rowe grew up in Glendale with country music ingrained in her everyday life.

“I have been singing since I was little,” Rowe says. “I come from a musical family, so I can’t remember a time when we weren’t singing songs, playing music or finding harmonies.

“The backdrop to my life has always been country music. I listened to all of the classics, and I remember hearing Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, classic country, which, in my opinion, was one of the best backdrops growing up in Arizona.”

Rowe splits her time between Arizona and Nashville to meet “the kindest and most encouraging people in the industry” to help her create music that she has been performing for nearly a decade.

She has performed for the main event Country Thunder in Arizona four times, but “this is the first time playing the Road to Country Thunder,” according to Rowe.

“I’ve seen it advertised and I’ve seen the lineups for the past years, and it just seems like a great event,” Rowe says. “I think being in Florence and being in the hometown that hosts Country Thunder is going to be a special event and a chance to really connect with everybody

on a more personal level.”

As live events are returning after a year-and-a-half hiatus, Rowe intends to make sure the crowd is amped up.

“I think this event is going to be really high energy, so we are going to make sure that we bring some of our biggest hits that will get the crowd going and get everybody excited for the following weekend main event,” Rowe says.

“I had a song that I haven’t released yet that I’m going to be releasing in the spring. We’ve actually never played it live.”

That will change when Rowe hits the

stage October 9. Rowe also intends to play “The Heavy,” which she released in the middle of lockdown.

“I didn’t write more about this time that we are facing in the world, but my co-writers and I wrote (‘The Heavy’) with different intentions,” Rowe says.

“It ended up being one of the most appropriate things to release during this crazy time. I feel like that is still such a reality for us, and it’s still such an encouragement. I know I can’t pass up the opportunity to share that again.”

As several performers are gracing the stage for the first time in 18 months, Rowe “can’t even tell you how great it feels” to be singing in front of an audience again.

“I think there is an appreciation on both side for those moments that we took for granted a little bit,” Rowe says.

“So, to see people together and to have the relationship with the crowd again, that is something that has always driven me. I love writing and I love recording, but playing songs for people, making the eye contact and meeting people afterwards at the merch table. Just those moments that you have with the crowd, there is just nothing that comes close to that. My heart is full to be able to do that again.”

Road to Country Thunder WHEN: 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday, October 9 WHERE: 440 N. Main Street, Florence COST: Free INFO: florenceaz.gov ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

18

TRAVEL

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

A Touch of Class The Langham Huntington is Pasadena’s ‘jewel’

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

N

estled at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, the Langham Huntington, Pasadena, is an oasis among lush

landscaping.

Kindness and beauty exude from the Spanish Mission Revival-style resort.

Attendants readily share facts about the resort, which is peppered with Pasadena’s trademark roses.

Wedding parties rush around the Langham Huntington, as brides and grooms are photographed among the gardens.

“We have a lot of brides who like to do their photo shoots here,” says Leslie Marks of the Langham Huntington, Pasadena.

“Even if their wedding is later in the year, they’ll take their engagement photos here.”

Even Marks, a Pasadena native, has fond memories of the resort.

“I remember coming here to have tea when I was little,” Marks says.

Staying at the Langham Huntington is a peek into the history of Pasadena.

LANGHAM HISTORY Afternoon tea is just one of the traditions built into the Langham Huntington.

Constructed by Civil War veteran Gen. Marshall C. Wentworth and designed by Charles Frederick Whittlesey in the Spanish Mission Revival style, the hotel opened in

February 1907 as the Hotel Wentworth.

“The roof was only partially finished and only built up to the fourth floor,” Marks says.

“They had heavy rains that first season, so guests stayed pretty much at other resort areas. They didn’t come to Pasadena. On top of that, we lost a lot of construction workers to the 1906 earthquake who were rebuilding San Francisco.”

As a result, The Wentworth closed in July 1907. Four years later, it was purchased by railroad tycoon and art collector Henry E. Huntington and reopened in 1914 as the Huntington Hotel after a facelift by architect Myron Hunt, who also designed the Huntington Library. He added two floors and the belvedere tower.

“The hotel had great success — so much so that it went from being a winter resort to, in the ’20s, finally opening year-round,” she says.

“Because of that, in 1926, an Olympicsized pool was built. It was the first one in California.”

The 20-acre hotel stayed under his purview until 1918. Within the next eight years, 27 bungalows were built to accommodate long-term guests.

A subsequent owner, Stephen W. Royce, sold the hotel to Sheraton, and it took on a new moniker, the HuntingtonSheraton Hotel, in 1954. Designers covered most of the hotel’s interior detailing and artwork.

“They plastered over all the windows

and stained-glass windows,” she says.

“In the ’50s, I guess, aesthetics wasn’t a thing any longer. They plastered over the gold-gilded ceiling as well. It was a Sheraton for many years in the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s.”

Marks says, in 1986, seismic testing showed the building was not up to code.

“It was like a fourth of what it should be, in terms of ability,” she says.

The neighbors voted on May 19, 1987, to tear down the hotel and build it up again to its original footprint, Marks says. “It was during the construction that a construction worker put his hammer through plaster and 10 stained-glass windows appeared.”

They were covered by Sheraton when the Georgian Ballroom was converted to a dining room.

It reopened on March 18, 1991, with 383 rooms as the Ritz-Carlton, Huntington Hotel, which is similar to the original but with modern facilities, Marks says. The hotel was sold to Great Eagle Holdings for $170 million and renamed the Langham Huntington, Pasadena, on January 8, 2008.

“We’re on 23 acres, but you wouldn’t know it from just driving up,” Marks says.

CELEBRITY GUESTS Equipped with a spa, steakhouse, poolside dining and afternoon tea, the hotel welcomes visitors from around the world, including U.S. presidents and the Dalai Lama. The 27 cottages surrounding the property have been converted to private residents on the loop road.

“We still retain eight of them, one of them being Ford Cottage, which is named after President Ford. It was where he liked to stay when he came here.

“I’ve been told Prince Philip came here at some point.”

The Langham Huntington is the home to the Television Critics Association’s upfronts.

DON’T MISS The Picture Bridge is a must-see at the

Langham Huntington.

In 1932, the hotel hired a local artist, English immigrant Frank Montague Moore, to paint 41 murals for the hotel.

“The painter was paid $10 a painting, and he and his wife were told they could eat at the hotel while he was working on them,” Marks says. “It was during the Depression, so I’m sure he said, ‘OK, done.’

“They were up for decades and weathered,” Marks says. “They were so faded that it’s hard to tell the subject matter. So, in 2013, they were taken down and put in a climate-controlled art facility, where they still are. They’re too delicate to put back on display. We had replicas made that are just brighter, cleaner versions of them.”

The Picture Bridge is the Langham Huntington’s jewel.

“It’s the only covered picture bridge in America, and the only other one that I know of is in Switzerland,” Marks says.

“That inspired it. It’s a nice little stroll.”

With the help of Pasadena Heritage, a historic preservation organization, and architects who specialize in those buildings, the resort reinstalled the artwork and reinforced the bridge.

“They put steel beams and reinforced the wood,” Marks says. “It’s a mix now of the original wood and new, stronger wood. It has descriptions of all the paintings.”

The pool has since been shortened because guests jumped off the Picture Bridge into the pool.

“I think the hotel was like, no, no, no,” she says with a laugh. “I have guests come in and say, ‘My dad used to jump off that bridge.’ I say, ‘I’m glad we don’t have that anymore.’”

The Langham Huntington, Pasadena 1401 S. Oak Knoll Avenue, Pasadena, California 626-568-3900, langhamhotels.com

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2021

ARTS

19

CULTURE » THEATER » DANCE » GALLERY » DRAMA » VISION

ALL THAT JAZZ

Benefactors unveil Lakeshore’s new venue

By Bridgette Redman

T

he dream of two Valley jazz supporters will open its doors this October.

Bob and Gretchen Ravenscroft have built the new 30,000-square-foot performing arts venue bearing their name at 8445 E. Hartford Drive in the Scottsdale Perimeter Complex.

The first resident company to perform there will be Lakeshore Music, which is moving from the Tempe Center for the Arts. The opening show, the Kenny Barron Trio, is sold out.

Woody Wilson, Lakeshore’s founder and artistic director, says advance sales for the season are impressive. Out of the 1,800 available seats for the season, there are only about 500 remaining.

“It’s a beautiful new building,” Wilson says. “It’s 200 seats, which is what we had at TCA, and I’m excited about it.”

BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP Wilson says the Ravenscrofts have supported Lakeshore since he founded it in 2009, and through the pandemic.

“So, when Bob said he was going to build a theater in Scottsdale and asked if we would come with him, I said, ‘Fine,’” Wilson recalls.

“We’ve been at TCA for a long time and saw the ups and downs of the building. I helped pass the arts tax, which supports the building now. My contact with Tempe still remains, but I’ve just changed buildings.”

Wilson says the building is more hightech than others. It has a recording and a listening facility with a sound system he calls second to none.

“It incorporates the Constellations Sound System, which is a leading sound system of buildings and venues throughout the world,” Wilson says.

“No expense has been spared for this room to be a video center and a broadcasting center. There is a sound studio back behind the venue itself.

It’s got everything new. It is exciting in terms of the acoustic and the fidelity.”

BUILT TO HIGH STANDARDS Ravenscroft director David Bauer agreed this venue is the couple’s dream.

“They have had a desire to establish a venue that achieves the highestquality experience of music and artistic excellence,” Bauer says.

“Ravenscroft embodies their heart and their passion for presenting arts and music at the highest level of excellence possible. At the core of who Bob and Gretchen are is that they want music and

arts to be presented in such a way that ultimately brings attention to God or draws people to the creative wonder that God places in artists and musicians.”

Bob Ravenscroft is a longtime arts lover. The couple’s nonprofit foundation, Music Serving the Word, is committed to presenting arts in an enriching way. Bauer says the building helps the Ravenscrofts do that.

“We inherit a series that is already well established, has a good track record and momentum, and we’re able to host something is already readymade,” Bauer says. “It just made sense for us to partner with Woody. (The series) will make a big splash in the community and benefit him with a spectacular venue to bring all of his patrons who have been following him for years.”

Bauer says the venue allows for video and video mapping on the side and back walls.

“What sets us apart from a lot of other venues is that this particular venue has been built with the highest level of commitment to architecture and design as it relates to acoustics,” Bauer added.

“The technology that has been implemented and built into the space is unique. It creates an immersive experience for the audience.”

INTIMACY IN THE JAZZBIRD In addition to the 200-seat concert hall, the venue houses Jazzbird, a lounge which, starting Fridays in October, will host music from popular and up-and-coming local musicians. It will serve light food and a selection of wine and local craft beers.

“The Jazzbird is a hang space on Friday nights when we do our weekly thing,” Bauer says. “Once a month, we have another series called Jazz for the Soul.

It is a casual, performance-driven space where you can come and enjoy some food and beverage; sit in a nice lounge environment; and enjoy a beautiful stage with audio, video and lighting capabilities that will also serve to create an immersive bar experience. It is a full jazz show scene experience, kind of like a New York City jazz club.”

Lakeshore’s opening reception is at the Jazzbird, which seats about 100 patrons.

LAKESHORE RETURNS TO LIVE PERFORMANCES Wilson says their season almost didn’t happen. During the pandemic closure, Wilson’s wife, Carol, died from cancer complications.

She will be honored during the first of nine piano-centric shows. Carol never missed a performance.

“Every one of these shows has a great pianist in it,” Wilson says.

Season tickets went on sale May 24.

They are slightly pricier because it costs more to put the artists in hotels and feed them in Scottsdale.

“We want people to come and see this beautiful facility,” Wilson says. “It is remarkable that people actually have the wherewithal to build a building like this and take a risk on it,” Wilson says.

“The Ravenscrofts have been an integral part of the jazz and music scene in Phoenix for many years. They are one of the leading philanthropists when it comes to jazz music in the United States. To have someone step up and build a building like this with their own private money is pretty remarkable on a national scale.”

Bauer agrees the building is going to be a major boon for jazz lovers.

“If they are looking for something more than a concert with sound, but something that really brings you into the whole performance — this is going to be the place to get that,” Bauer says.

Ravenscroft Hall Scottsdale Perimeter Complex 8445 E. Hartford Drive, Scottsdale lakeshoremusic.org ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

‘NIGHTMARE: DREAMING REALITY’

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

CaZo Dance Theatre returns with horror-centric show

By Jordan Houston

A

fter an anxiety-filled year on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic, a local dance theater is channeling those emotions into a multimedia performance blurring the lines between dreams, nightmares and reality — all while celebrating the return of dance.

The Mesa-based CaZo Dance Theatre is honoring its seventh season by showcasing “Nightmare: Dreaming Reality” at the Phoenix Center for the Arts, located at 1202 N. Third Street, at 8 p.m. Friday, October 22, and 4:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, October 23.

The feature-length production merges “new material with fan-favorite numbers” from previous performances — including elements from CaZo’s horror-centric shows, as well as its “more romantic-themed performances” — to demonstrate how “there are plenty of nightmares that are all too real and are much harder to resolve,” according to CaZo Dance Theatre owner Bridgette Borzillo.

“If you’re afraid of clowns, then I’m sorry,” Borzillo jokes.

Attendees at the repertoire-style display can expect to see nods to the company’s prior sequences, such as “Remember When” and “Tough as Nails,” she says.

However, unlike previous performances, “Nightmare” will incorporate video elements into its act for the first time, Borzillo says.

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Varying digital clips will be broadcasted throughout the show to help viewers determine whether portions of the sequence are “dreams” or “reality,” the theater owner notes.

“The audience will know which ones are dreams and which ones are reality based on the videos that are going on,” she explains.

“Sometimes there will be videos playing simultaneously with the dance pieces going live, or there won’t be video, so you know that’s the difference.”

Although the multimedia production is outside of CaZo’s typical toolbox — tapping into new and creative outlets to express dance and emotion is not, Borzillo says.

CaZo, formed by Borzillo in 2014, is a kinesthetic dance theater company that strives to touch the audience by telling full-length dance stories that are easy to follow and told through raw emotion.

“We don’t use words. We use music, movement and acting in order to portray our stories,” Borzillo explains. “That’s basically what we’re about.

“I’m really proud that we can get people who are not into dance and have them love dance because it’s very

accessible. We’re not abstract. We’re very literal in our movement style. We’re a fusion company. We utilize different dance styles, like ballet, modern jazz, tap and hip-hop.”

Every year, CaZo Dance Theatre produces two full-length productions — one in the spring and one in the fall. Although the group was slated to repeat its 2019 version of “Bloody Mary” last year, the COVID-19 lockdown inspired Borzillo to switch courses.

“I was like, ‘I can’t do “Bloody Mary.” I’ll do a rep show we haven’t done before and try to figure out how to link all of the pieces together,’” Borzillo recalls. “I wanted to try to figure out how to link all of the pieces together, because I want to be able to tell stories — and because it was basically a nightmare, I thought, ‘Why don’t we do a show about nightmares, whether they’re real-life nightmares or dreams?’

“I felt like we were all living in one, so I got the inspiration from that and then we began making it a full, multimedia experience,” she continues.

Although “Nightmare: Dreaming Reality” is a repertoire performance — meaning it draws from the dance group’s prior shows — it leaves room for the debut of a few new pieces as well, Borzillo says.

“For example, I’ve created like a 20-minute section of the show just based on this one story, and it has to deal with the sergeant’s nightmare, which is training the soldiers. It’s a military piece,” she explains.

The audience will be guided through the sergeant’s journey, to name one example, as she loses a soldier during war. The loss subsequently alters the

sergeant’s new reality, as well as that of the fallen soldier’s spouse. The segment gives viewers a peek inside the deceased soldier’s state of consciousness before he passes, in which he believes he is in a coma.

At a time in which community connection and artistic expression are needed, Borzillo says it’s important to continue to support local arts organizations. The dance theater owner is dedicated to giving back to the industry by performing in community events, working within the high school system, and sharing her passion with others.

“I feel like something we’ve lost over this pandemic is the support of the arts, because people are just staying home and they’re not helping out these creative artists,” Borzillo expresses. “I feel like people need that creative outlet for their own mental and physical health.

“I do feel like it’s cathartic. In our company, we do use dance as therapy, because we do a lot of intimacy training, so the emotion is raw that you see on the stage.

“The dancers use it as therapy.”

For those unable to attend in person, CaZo is offering a livestream option online for $20.

Thirty minutes before the doors open, a preshow performance hits the stage “to get you in the mood,” Borzillo shares.

“I’m most excited about feeling the audience’s reactions and seeing the videos and dance happening at the same time, because that’s hard to do in a rehearsal space. They are mindblowing. They have worked so hard and stuck around during all of this. They’re really excited to perform live with the company.”

“Nightmare: Dreaming Reality” WHEN: 8 p.m. Friday, October 22, and 4:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Saturday, October 23 WHERE: Phoenix Center for the Arts, 1202 N. Third Street, Phoenix COST: Tickets start at $20 INFO: cazodance.com

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DINING

EAT » EXPERIENCE » INDULGE » SAVOR » DEVOUR » NOSH

COOKING OUT OF THE BOX

Dustin Cooke has no plans to tame Riot Hospitality Group

By Mia Andrea

D

ustin Cooke has always been immersed in the culinary world. He grew up in the wine country of Temecula, California, worked dishwashing jobs at fast-food chains and later curated sustainable menus for restaurants.

It’s only natural that he’s stepped into the role of Riot Hospitality Group’s new culinary director.

“I was always in kitchens,” Cooke says as he describes his adolescence.

He discovered in his 20s that the longterm college path wasn’t a fit for him, but rather, culinary school was his calling after a conversation with one of his chefs.

Cooke was advised to finish his last semester of culinary school to “soak up all the food knowledge you can from each location you go to” and focus on his passion. His inner circle of chefs urged him to escape the cycle of unreliable and difficult line cook jobs.

“You use those chefs as your inspiration and figure out your culinary path,” Cooke says, recalling his series of “moving around, moving up and moving on” after completing culinary school.

For about a decade, Cooke worked at numerous Scottsdale country clubs and he kept an eye out for open jobs and opportunities to master his techniques.

His experience also includes a stint at The Vig at McDowell Mountain, Glendale’s Gordon Biersch and local restaurant development groups, which gave him management and menu experience.

“I got involved with a restaurant group

that was doing consulting with a lot of different restaurants in the Valley, and they ended up placing me as an executive chef in a restaurant that, at the time, was called 3 Tomatoes and a Mozzarella,” he says. “That was my first management position where I was seriously involved with food development.”

He continued to work in menu development before attempting to open his own restaurant. After COVID-19 put

the brakes on that, he joined Scottsdalebased Riot Hospitality Group.

As a Riot team member, he hopes to continue the company’s reputation of imaginative menu creations. “My culinary vision for Riot is fun, exciting, sustainable food,” he says. “Everybody here is having fun, and there’s no reason we can’t do that with our food.

“I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel with gastronomy, but I want to offer flavors and contrasts that maybe are new to our guests. Our big word in our office is ‘evolution,’ so as the market changes or as the clientele changes, we’re always evolving and we always have something to learn.”

He’s hoping to revamp American classics. So far, he’s brought in sweet chili cauliflower wings and 10-hour braised brisket at Whiskey Row; black truffle cheeseburgers at Hand Cut Chophouse; and refreshing staples at Farm & Craft, such as Thai-inspired honey sesame tofu, harvest avocado toast and a fried farro bowl.

“Our food will continue to just remain

outside the box,” he says.

And these exciting dishes aren’t only found in his restaurants. They’re also served to his most important guests: his wife and four young children.

“My family hates the fact that I never make something twice,” he says. “I treat my house like my restaurant where I research and develop everyday with 12-year-olds.”

Cooke’s adventurous visions for Riot perfectly mirror the brand’s philosophy, and he is eager to continue sharing his ambitions with the Valley as the new culinary director.

“The reason I’m here — and maybe I’m a the-universe-has-a-plan type of guy — is I like food to be fun and delicious, not just delicious,” Cooke said. “Steak and potatoes aren’t exciting, and I want to have places where people are excited to try things.”

Riot Hospitality Group riothg.com

PEACE, LOVE AND PASTA Chef Scott Conant revisits his family’s favorite meals in book 24

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

By Alex Gallagher

C

hef Scott Conant has been delighting diners with his award-winning cuisine for 35 years and has captivated audiences with his tenure as a judge on the Food Network shows “Chopped” and “Chopped Sweets.”

More recently, he has inspired readers with his latest cookbook, “Peace, Love and Pasta: Simple and Elegant Recipes from a Chef’s Home Kitchen.”

As the fourth cookbook to be penned by Conant, he wanted this cookbook to be more personal.

“Peace, Love, and Pasta is genuinely me cooking from my home kitchen while my earlier books were much more restaurant focused,” the Scottsdale resident says.

While he has been cooking in kitchens across the world for over three decades, it was the dishes he procured in his home kitchen that shine in the book.

“It wasn’t until I had children that I started to cook more at home and, frankly, it wasn’t until the pandemic that I was cooking at home every day,” Conant says. “While I was testing these recipes, I was also putting dinner on the table for the girls and having fun doing it. This book is a culmination of that and

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truly about me cooking for my family.”

For the New England and Italian recipes, Conant revisited the recipes that his grandparents made — mostly out of ingredients grown in their garden.

“My grandparents absolutely influenced me to cook Italian food, 100%. The nostalgia of their garden growing up continues to inspire me every day,” he says. “I always say I can’t smell basil without thinking of my grandfather and standing together in his garden.”

Conant credits his grandfather as being one of his first culinary arts teachers.

“Throughout my childhood, my grandfather would constantly point things out to me like, ‘This is fennel. These are borlotti beans. This is basil,’ and so on.” he says. “My decision to cook Italian food stems from them, while the decision to be a chef came from experiencing the camaraderie that I found in the kitchen. I just love that sense of team.”

It was their cooking that made him fall in love with food.

“We used to eat their zucchini flowers like popcorn,” Conant says. “My mother would fry them to perfection, and they were incredible.”

When he wasn’t snacking on zucchini flowers, Conant enjoyed several other

dishes his early idols perfected, including his grandfather’s borlotti bean soup and his mother’s “Sunday sauce.”

“My grandfather used to make this borlotti bean soup, which was brothy with tomatoes, onions, garlic and olive oil, thickened by the starch of the beans; it was basically all boiled together. He would sometimes add fennel to it,” Conant says. “I distinctly recall the flavors of the beans and fennel together, and it was spectacular.”

While borlotti bean soup is a favorite dish, Conant has another go-to recipe — his mother’s “Sunday sauce.”

“The chicken cutlets with melted tomatoes and burrata — I can eat that every day of my life,” he says.

That says a lot, but he has one dish he adores.

“The caramelized onion risotto with braised short ribs is hands down my favorite. I would make it right now if I could,” Conant says. “A very close second to that is the Turkish Manti. When we were shooting the photography for the book, that was my team’s favorite dish.”

Some of these dishes have made their way onto the menu at Conant’s restaurants, and all of them have received rave reviews from the eateries’ guests and his family.

“A few of the dishes are served in the restaurants, some are inspired by the restaurants, and I wouldn’t put anything in a book if it wasn’t overwhelmingly positively received from my family or guests,” Conant says.

While Conant and his family have a love for pasta, he hopes the book can help readers find the same peace he finds when he cooks.

“Besides the reference to cooking

pasta, it’s a nod to my own evolution to a certain extent,” he says. “I feel like I’ve gotten to this point where I’m more settled. With that kind of peace of mind comes a lot of peace and love.”

When Conant is not writing a cookbook, on TV, or cooking for his family, he is kept busy with his restaurants: the Americano in Scottsdale; Mora Italiano, a modern osteria in Phoenix; and Cellaio, an Italian steakhouse at Resorts World Catskills in Monticello, New York.

“Scottsdale is such a great place to do business, to live and spend time with family. It made perfect sense to move here,” he says.

As for his book, he hopes it can help solve the age-old question of “what’s for dinner?”

“I hope that people are inspired to cook these dishes and make these recipes part of their home repertoire,” Conant says. “I remember as a kid, my mom always wondered, ‘What are we going to have for dinner?’ Hopefully, there’s a couple of your new favorites inside this book for your family.”

Celebratory dinners Scott Conant is hosting two dining events to celebrate his book’s release. From 5:30 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, October 19, he’ll lead a dinner at The Americano, 17797 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, $175, bit.ly/ SCxAmericanoOct19; and 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, October 17, Mora Italiano, 5651 N. Seventh Street, Phoenix, $155, bit.ly/ SCxMoraOct27.

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2021

National Pizza & Beer Day

DINING

CALENDAR

By Annika Tomlin

Z’Tejas Goes Pink

ALL MONTH In October, Z’Tejas Southwest Grill is selling pink breast cancer awareness ribbons for $10. Guests who purchase a ribbon will receive a complimentary watermelon strawberry margarita or a nonalcoholic strawberry lemonade (zero proof) cocktail. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to The Singletons, a local nonprofit dedicated to helping singleparent families battling cancer.

Z’Tejas, 8300 N. Road Suite D-101, Scottsdale; 7221 W. Ray Road, Chandler, ztejas.com

National Dessert Month

ALL MONTH Miracle Mile Deli, a New York-style delicatessen that serves awardwinning pastrami sandwiches, brisket or beef sandwiches, corned beef sandwiches and other East Coast delicacies, is adding a dessert special in October. With a sandwich or entrée purchase, guests can add a slice of pie for $3. Pie flavors include apple, cherry, blueberry, coconut meringue, lemon meringue, pumpkin, pecan and Boston cream.

Miracle Mile Deli, 4433 N. 16th Street, Phoenix, miraclemiledeli.com

apple. Participating breweries include PHX Beer Co., SanTan Brewing Company, State 48 Brewery and Four Peaks Brewing Company serving complimentary tastings of German beers.

Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Bungalows-Olive Grove, 6114 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, andazscottsdale.com, 4 to 6 p.m.

National Taco Day

OCTOBER 4 Taco joints are aplenty in the Valley, so there are plenty of choices for National Taco Day. You can’t go wrong with CRUjiente Tacos, which features tacos influenced by countries around the world. Dishes include the vegetarian crunchy potato tacos, which is gold potato, cheddar jack and cabbage topped with house hot sauce and pico de gallo; the Korean fried chicken taco, which is Koreaninspired gochujang coated chicken, compressed cabbage, pickled jalapeno, gochujang and mojo de cebollin; and do not leave out the pork belly taco, a modern twist on al pastor with roasted pineapple, achiote, red onion and jalapeno on organic blue corn tortillas.

CRUjiente Tacos, 3961 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix, crutacos.com, 4 to 10 p.m., various prices

The Hot Chick Ladies Night

THURSDAYS As the saying goes, Saturdays are for the boys, but have no fear, because Thursdays are definitely for the girls. Every Thursday is Ladies Night when The Hot Chick throws down nostalgic tracks while serving $4 High Noons and Mamitas and half off bottles of wine and champagne.

The Hot Chick, 4363 N. 75th Street, Scottsdale, thehotchickaz.com, 3 to 10 p.m.

Desert Brews

FRIDAYS Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Bungalows is celebrating Oktoberfest with Desert Brews on Fridays. The pop-up beer garden will feature live music from a German band and Weft & Warp’s take on biergarten bites, including smoked sausage and cheese board, grilled bratwurst and grilled beer bratwurst served with sauerkraut and

National Noodle Day

OCTOBER 6 The recently opened Ling’s Wok Shop at Hayden Peak Crossing is offering a buy-one, get-one-free special on any of the dishes in the Noodz menu. Noodz includes the new wave pad thai, the spicy crown jewel, the dan dan Noodz and its Shanghai Noodz. Each dish comes with an array of vegetables combined with a meat or seafood choice over noodles.

Ling’s Wok Shop, 20511 N. Hayden Road, Suite 100, Scottsdale, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., lingswok.shop, $12-$20

OCTOBER 9 “Without questions, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza,” author Dave Berry says. On National Pizza and Beer Day, Crust Simply Italian couldn’t agree more. Enjoy a match made in heaven at Crust and order the Rustica Pizza and Beer combo for only $10. Mention National Pizza and Beer Day to the server to get this amazing dish for a great deal.

Crust Simply Italian, 10 N. San Marcos Plaza, Chandler; 8300 N. Hayden Road, Suite F101, Scottsdale, crustrestaurants. com, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., $10

‘Danica’ at Tarbell’s Wine Store

OCTOBER 17 Former professional racecar driver and current host of the “Pretty Intense” podcast, Danica Patrick, will stop by Tarbell’s Wine Store to sign bottles of her eponymous premium rosé. Her wine was created with Les Vins Margnat, a family whose winemaking tradition dates to the French Revolution.

Tarbell’s Wine Store, 3205 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix, tarbellswinestore.com, 2 to 5 p.m., wine purchases start at $20

Toast! by Homeward Bound

OCTOBER 17 Homeward Bound — a Phoenixbased nonprofit dedicated to providing families experiencing homelessness a pathway out of poverty — is hosting its inaugural Toast! event that includes wine and spirit tastings, local vendors, brunch and a live cocktail competition.

Tasting include Grand Canyon Brewery, Crook & Marker, Rune Wine and AZ wineries. Vendors include UrbAna, Sage Femme, Metalmark Jewelers, Kendra Scott and Goodness Candles, who will give a percentage of sales back to the cause. Attendees must be 21 or older.

The Clayton House, 3719 N. 75th Street, Scottsdale, homewardboundaz.org/events/ toast, 10:30 a.m., $100-$250

Harvest Moon Fest

OCTOBER 20 Tarbell’s Hospitality is hosting the seventh Harvest Moon Feast Fundraiser to benefit the nonprofit Careers through Culinary Programs, which provides high school students with culinary dreams the career pathways and scholarships they need to succeed. The experience includes premium cocktails, wine, and

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the chance to mix and mingle with celebrity chef mentor Beau MacMillan and Scott Conant, the latter of whom will sign his new book, “Peace, Love and Pasta,” a complimentary gift for VIP ticket holders.

Tarbell’s, 3213 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix, https://bit.ly/2VZAnXe, 5:30 p.m. (VIP early admission) 6:30 to 9 p.m., $125-$175

Halloween Screamin’ Sundaes OCTOBER 24 TO OCTOBER 31 Cool off with a Halloween-themed Screamin’ Sundae the week leading up to Halloween. For $5, guests can get the Screamin’ Sundae with a large, single scoop of The Screamery’s all-natural, handcrafted ice cream with homemade butter cake, warm cookie, choice of toppings, whipped cream, black and orange sprinkles and, of course, a cherry on top.

The Screamery, 10625 N. Tatum Boulevard, Suite 136, Phoenix; 140 N. Arizona Avenue, Suite 106, Chandler, thescreamery.com

Hocus Pocus Tea Party

OCTOBER 27 TO OCTOBER 31 “It’s just a bit of hocus pocus.” Drink up at the Hocus Pocus Tea Party at Drink Me! Tea Room. Tickets include a pot of tea as well as gluten-free plant-based savories and sweets. Come in teatime attire or dress in a splendidly spooky costume. Decorations and amazing photo backdrops make the event Instagram worthy.

Drink Me! Tea Room, 1730 E. Warner Road, Suite 5, Tempe, drinkmetearoom. com, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., $35

Noche en Blanco

OCTOBER 30 The sixth annual Noche en Blanco dinner benefits Hance Park Conservancy. The Phoenix Afrobeat Orchestra is the featured performer, along with acts from the Japanese Friendship Garden, Irish Culture Center, Mariachi Fusion, The Nash and the Arizona School for the Arts.

Guests can bring their own picnics and nonalcoholic drinks or preorder gourmet picnics provided by Conceptually Social Catering. Don’t forget to wear an all-white outfit!

Margaret T. Hance Park, 116 E. Moreland Street, Phoenix, hanceparkconservancy.org, 5 to 10 p.m., $25-$200 ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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BEER AND WINE

SIP » BREW » RELAX » EXPERIMENT » REFRESH » TOAST

A SPIRITED SPLASH

Arizona-based vodka brand makes waves since relaunch

By Jordan Houston

R

oxx Vodka founder Angela Nielsen couldn’t be prouder of her journey, which included a tumultuous litigation battle with one of America’s largest oil and gas corporations.

Nielsen, who founded the premium craft vodka company roughly 10 years ago, relaunched her product this spring.

The award-winning spirit is imported from Poland and can now be found throughout the Valley at select AJ’s Fine Foods grocery stores, as well as the bars of high-end restaurants like Steak 44, Mastro’s City Hall, Ocean 44 and Roaring Fork.

“Roxx has been at Grammy Awards parties, at the Playboy Mansion; it has been on TV sets and sitcoms — it has been in some really cool things,” says Nielsen of Scottsdale. “But, to now actually see that I can go to a nice restaurant and see it (is rewarding).

“I have realized the strength that I have, but it’s only because Roxx is that exceptional and I believe in the product — and everyone who tries it doesn’t deny that fact.”

While most quality vodkas are distilled only twice, Roxx Vodka is distilled six times using premium highquality grains to create a “smooth and refreshing” product, she says.

The distillation process, which removes unwanted impurities of ethyl acetate, ethyl lactate and fusel oils, seeks to curtail burning sensations or an unpleasant “bite” while drinking. It also works to improve the vodka’s clarity.

It’s the brand’s use of “crystal clean water” from Poland’s “deepest natural springs,” combined with its reverse osmosis filtration system, that really sets itself apart from the rest, though, Nielsen explains.

“In Poland, where the grains come from, it’s pesticide free,” the entrepreneur says. “So, it’s very clean vodka and it’s distilled six times to make sure every little bit of impurity is out of it. What’s left is an award-winning vodka.

“I basically have an organic vodka within the bottle. It’s just not certified organic.”

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The neutral finish, boasting slight elements of white pepper flower, whole grain bread, lemon cream and Brazil nut, has so far earned silver at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and received a 92-point rating from tastings. com.

The bottle is priced at roughly $27, offering an affordable alternative to some of the more expensive premium vodkas.

“I describe it as smooth, female focused, fun, intelligent, sophisticated and responsible,” Nielsen says.

While the taste of Roxx Vodka may be smooth, its journey to fruition was not.

Nielsen developed a knack for entrepreneurial intuition after moving to Phoenix in 1988.

Her resume includes founding Mail America, a successful print marketing company, as well as the nationally recognized Nielsen Publishing company.

Around the time of the Great Recession, Nielsen landed the legal rights to the recipe for what would later become Roxx Vodka as part of a settlement surrounding a bad business deal, she says.

Nielsen recalls having a gut feeling about the recipe, so she ran with it.

“I really didn’t know quite how unique the recipe was until I started interviewing different distilleries,” she recounts. “The original

recipe was made in Poland.

That’s why I was led back there.

I was looking for American distilleries to try and have them reproduce it, but no one could provide the same quality ingredients.”

In 2015, Nielsen launched Roxx Vodka in Phoenix with a business partner and later expanded into California.

However, the partnership was cut short after Nielsen’s counterpart was diagnosed with late-stage cancer and required to step down.

Nielsen refocused back to Phoenix and found success with a brand ambassador.

Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits, one of the largest alcohol distributors worldwide, then reached out to Nielsen with the offer of a lifetime.

“They called and invited me into their offices,” Nielsen recalls. “They tried the product and basically, within that one meeting, they said we wanted this product.”

But the excitement was quickly curtailed by a devastating blow.

“As soon as they (Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits) did that, as soon as they publicly announced it, ExxonMobil sued me,” Nielsen says.

ExxonMobil filed a lawsuit around 2015 against Nielsen’s company, citing a trademark violation, according to a press release from Nielsen Spirits Inc. The gas and oil corporation claimed Roxx Vodka’s logo

featuring two interlocking Xs was too similar to ExxonMobil’s brand.

“They sued me because I used interlocking double Xs,” Nielsen explains. “So now, if you look at the current bottle in the marketplace, the Xs are positioned the same. They’re just not locking together.”

After nearly four years of litigation, Nielsen eventually landed back on her feet. But, like many other small-business owners across the country, she found herself blindsided by the economic hardships brought on by the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.

“I was back in business five months before COVD-19,” Nielsen says. “I had self-funded the business from 2012 through 2018 through the entire Exxon case. I was pretty much wiped out.”

“I was pretty much dead once COVID-19 shut down everything.”

But Nielsen refused to give up.

The entrepreneur once again pivoted, stepping into what is her current and successful partnership with her new business partners.

The team relaunched Roxx Vodka in April, and the brand has flourished.

“I feel like third time’s a charm. We are getting into some pretty amazing Old Town Scottsdale clubs and restaurants,” Nielsen says.

“We’re where the product needs to be positioning as premium vodka. The only person that will always believe in you is yourself. You just can’t be scared to move forward. Obviously, you have to be smart and cautious about it, but it’s 99% attitude within your head.”

Roxx Vodka will soon hit the shelves of select Bashas’ locations, Nielsen says.

The vodka founder hopes to one day see Roxx Vodka all over the map, she adds, with plans to eventually expand outside of Arizona.

“We want to overtake and control the city and then expand to the county.

Then take over Arizona — Tucson, Flagstaff, everywhere in between,” she says. “And then hopefully start branching out strategically to other states and eventually be nationwide.”

Roxx Vodka roxxvodka.com

WILD TONIC 228 Justin Drive, Cottonwood, AZ 86326 (928) 634-5434

WILDTONIC.com

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CASINOS

PLAY » SPIN » LAUGH » GROOVE » UNWIND » WIN

HONKY-TONK MEN Midland promises fans the best night of their lives

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

M

ark Wystrach has high expectations for his Phoenix and Tucson shows. He promises fans one of the best nights of their lives — “without doing anything illegal.”

“As a live act, we’ve built quite a reputation that speaks for itself,” Wystrach says.

“We put on a show that’s not only musical but it’s an amazing interaction between the audience and the band, and within the band itself. We never play the same setlist either. The show itself is completely live. Whatever spirit moves you, moves me in part. It helps guide the show to a different coloring or level. It is joyful. I compare it to a honky-tonk.”

Arizona is special to Wystrach, as he grew up in Sonoita. His family has owned The Steak House, near Highway

82 in Sonoita, since 1977. He graduated from UA. “I’m a Tucson, Southern Arizona guy, through and through,” he says.

This “Arizona guy” is joined in Midland by lead guitarist/vocalist Jess Carson and bass player/vocalist Cameron Duddy. They recently released an EP, “The Last Resort.”

“I’m particularly proud of ‘The Last Resort,’” he says. “The collection shows the band’s maturation. From the theme and subject matter to actual arrangement and sonic production, it’s a nice evolution. I love all five of those songs.

To me, the ultimate indicator is how they play live.

“I got a chance to play all five live and the audiences have loved it, and they’re my five favorite songs to play live. They’re pretty crafty songs.”

The music continues Midland’s legacy; it was named new vocal group of the year and was nominated for group of the year at the 2020 ACM Awards.

“I’m humbled by it,” he says about awards. “It’s just like a video game. You reach a certain level and celebrate it for a few moments, then you get back to work.

“I’m incredibly grateful. It was a long journey getting here. We went through a lot of (expletive) to get here.

It’s something I don’t take for granted.

What I’m impressed by is people know our music. I’m impressed by our fans and how dedicated and supportive they are. They show us a lot of love. They fill up my tank quite a bit. It’s really cool, to be honest with you.”

Fans have supported “The Last Resort,” which blends thick harmonies, sad melodies, tart lyrics and steel guitar.

The lead track is “Sunrise Tells the Story.”

“Getting to make music is one of the greatest joys of my life,” he says.

“We have fans globally — Brazil, Mexico, Canada, Australia, Germany, Amsterdam, you name it.

“Fans have reached out to me from Africa. That is really surreal to think the music is penetrating like that. I hear how integral the music was to lift them up. For me, that’s the ultimate compliment.”

Midland WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, October 7 WHERE: Arizona Federal Theatre, 400 W. Washington Street, Phoenix COST: Tickets start at $39.50 INFO: 602.379.2800, arizonafederaltheatre.com WHEN: 7 p.m. Friday, October 8, and Saturday, October 9 WHERE: AVA Amphitheater at Casino Del Sol, 5655 W. Valencia Road, Tucson COST: Tickets start at $25 INFO: casinodelsol.com

HOT TIMES

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2021

29

RagDolls are ready for the big time

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

W

hen the Aerosmith tribute act RagDolls hits the stage, the six musicians want the audience to focus on the music.

Never mind that RagDolls are an allfemale band.

“We want the audience to feel it and enjoy it,” founder/lead singer Susie Major says. “Let’s get past that. We’re there to rock you and entertain you — not for the audience to say, ‘Oh, look.

There are girlies on stage.’”

RagDolls perform for the first time in Arizona on Friday, October 1, and Saturday, October 2, at Casino Arizona.

The noteworthy RagDolls have played fewer than 10 gigs since forming in 2019, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.

But their musicianship defies that. The chemistry is tangible between Major, lead guitarist Ali Handal, guitarist

Masha McSorley, bassist Lex Wolfe, drummer Marisa Testa and keyboardist Julie Dolan.

“We found what we feel are the best of the best musicians,” Major says about the group’s formation. “Our first gig was at the end of March 2020 at the Whisky, then boom, COVID. Everything was either canceled or was rescheduled. The year 2020 was a complete wash.

“We used it to our advantage. We got down to practicing more and putting more time into details.”

For Major, an Aerosmith tribute band was a logical step. She was told she should cover Heart or Pat Benatar, but Major wanted to challenge herself.

“I want to do things that you wouldn’t feel a woman’s place would be,” she says. “Aerosmith is a lot tougher than it sounds or looks. There’s just so much to do musically. It’s something I respect and get fully behind.”

Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler inspired Major to sing, after going through

Partridge Family and Broadway phases.

She “needed” to be Tyler mixed with guitarist Joe Perry.

“I took a wad of my hair and tried to dye it blond in junior high,” she says with a laugh, referencing Perry’s streak in his hair. “I used bleach that you use on your arms and lost a big chunk of it.”

Major is proud of what RagDolls have accomplished.

“It feels like if this band can do an honorable homage, we can do anything,” she says. “It’s actually freeing to know that these girls play the (expletive) out of Aerosmith songs. It blows my mind every

time we play together. They are so good.

I’ve never known musicians who can play note for note with their own spin.”

RagDolls: A Tribute to Aerosmith WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday, October 1, and Saturday, October 2 WHERE: Casino Arizona’s Showroom, 524 N. 92nd Street, Scottsdale COST: Tickets start at $10 INFO: 480.850.7777, casinoarizona.com

HAVING ‘FAITH’ Robert Bartko keeps George Michael’s vision alive

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

R

obert Bartko says his George Michael Reborn act is not a gimmick. The tribute did not choose him. In fact, it was the

opposite.

“From the time I was in high school, I looked like George Michael when he began to emerge on the scene,” Bartko says. “I could grow a full beard at 17. I was a football jock and sang in the drama club. Usually, those are very polarized worlds in high school.”

But friends and family saw something special — his uncanny vocal resemblance to Michael. Bartko says he felt he found his musical home.

“In 1988, I went to his big show at the Orange Bowl in Miami. I thought I was going to lose my life that night,” Bartko says about the reaction to his look.

He spent the 1990s producing songs for rock acts like Korn (“A.D.I.D.A.S. Level X Mix,” “Wicked” and “All in the Family,” which featured Fred Durst) and

dance artist Stevie B. In 2018, he saw a resurgence of his dance career. When a booking agent called him to perform, however, he said, “Man, you look and sound just like George Michael. If you could put together a George Michael act, we could book it a lot more than we could book you on your own.”

Thus George Michael Reborn was off and running.

Now, he says, fans “lose their minds” at his shows, which includes a Saturday, October 9, gig at Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino. Bartko’s act is a retrospective of Wham and Michael’s careers. He says he “nails” the whole “Faith” era and, at age 51, he “does not look a day over 32.”

“I’ve been really fortunate to be able to pull off a 22-year-old George doing ‘Faith,’” he says. “I touch upon all the hits from the ‘Fantastic’ album, ‘Edge of Heaven,’ ‘Faith’ and beyond that. I concentrate most on the ‘Faith’ era.”

“They love George Michael,” he says.

“They put their claws in and don’t let go for 90 minutes. Their minds go back to high school.”

George Michael Reborn WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday, October 9 WHERE: Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino, 5040 Wild Horse Pass Boulevard, Chandler COST: $25 INFO: playatgila.com ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

30

SPORTS

CHEER » HIT » HIKE » LEAD » ROOT » COMPETE

A SENSE OF FREEDOM

Coyotes’ Liam Kirk loves to get away on the ice

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

L

iam Kirk misses his home country of England, his girlfriend, Nando’s Peri-Peri Chicken and the familiarity of his hometown, but he’s ready to start the season with the Arizona Coyotes.

Drafted 189th overall in 2018 by the Arizona Coyotes, Kirk is the first English-born and -trained player to sign an NHL contract. On June 18, he inked a three-year entry-level contract with the ’Yotes.

Inspired to play hockey by his brother, Jonathan, in Maltby, England, Kirk has been chasing the NHL dream since his debut on the ice with the Sheffield Steelers.

“My brother played,” he says. “He’s five years old than me. My mom and dad used to watch the Steelers. They loved it as fans. My brother is important to me. I did what he did and fell in love with the game.”

From there, he crossed the pond to play for the Peterborough (Canada) Petes, best known for producing Wayne Gretzky.

“The AHL is the league right below it,” says Kirk, referencing the Peterborough Petes’ league. “It’s a feeder system with feeder teams. Since I got drafted, I’ve come over here and adapted my game to more of a North American-type style of hockey.

“It would have been nice to do that last year, but I couldn’t because of COVID. It’s good to get back and be in Arizona.”

The Coyotes start their season away, at Columbus on October 14, and head home for the Gila River Arena’s first game of the season against St. Louis on October 18.

Kirk arrived in Glendale as part of the new wave of Coyotes players. Veterans like Darcy Kuemper, Oliver EkmanLarsson and Conor Garland were traded away for younger players.

Kirk sees the benefit in that.

“It’s definitely nice to know you’re not the only one who’s new to the situation, the league and the team,” Kirk says.

“I can turn to the guys who have been there before for advice. It’s nice to go through it with people who are a similar age.”

On the Coyotes, Kirk has bonded with Mitch Eliot, the son of former LA Kings and Detroit Red Wings star Darren Eliot. The two may live together this season.

Besides watching movies and eating out with friends and his girlfriend,

Alisha, back home, Kirk enjoys the freedom of hockey.

“When you’re out there for one or two hours on the ice, you’re away from everything else that’s going on in the world,” Kirk says. “You’re in your own little hockey environment. The game is so fun, too. There are so many passionate fans.

“It’s especially fun to skate hard in front of a packed arena. There’s no better feeling than playing this game and having success with it.”

The 21-year-old forward admits he still has a lot to learn, but he’s looking up to players like Jakob Chychrun, Christian Fischer, Clayton Keller and Phil Kessel to learn.

“I want to become a regular NHL player,” he says. “I like to produce offense and give great scoring chances not only for myself but my teammates. That’s something I’d like to translate to an NHL level.”

respect the players

respect the game

respect each other

32

MUSIC

LISTEN » JAM » INNOVATE » EVOLVE » ROCK » SING

LIVE MUSIC

CALENDAR Connor Dziawura

Intocable

OCTOBER 1

Knocked Loose

Air Supply

Kyle Smith w/Black Bottom Lighters and Desert Fish

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

AJJ

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

Ally Venable Band

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

Chaka Khan

Celebrity Theatre, 8 p.m., $45-$85

Kawehi

Valley Bar, 7:30 p.m., $16

Kim Weston

Center Stage Bar at Hyatt Gainey Ranch, 6 p.m., free

Level Up

Aura, 9 p.m., $15.50-$30.50

Luicidal

Yucca Tap Room, 7:30 p.m., $12-$15

Maroon 5

Ak-Chin Pavilion, 7 p.m., $39.50-$275

Phoenix Afrobeat Orchestra, Black Carl and The Stakes Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $21

Quinn XCII and Chelsea Cutler Arizona Federal Theatre, 7:30 p.m., $24.50-$127.50

Satinder Sartaaj

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7 p.m., $35-$500

Soul Power Band

Murphy Park, 7 p.m., free

Universe Peoples

Last Exit Live, 9 p.m., $12-$15

Whitney Peyton

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

OCTOBER 2 Aaron Loveless

Center Stage Bar at Hyatt Gainey Ranch, 6 p.m., free

Celebrity Theatre, 8 p.m., $65-$105 The Pressroom, 7 p.m., $25

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

Shannon and the Clams, Wavves and Strange Lot

Matthew Thornton

Center Stage Bar at Hyatt Gainey Ranch, 6 p.m., free

Monophonics

Last Exit Live, 8:30 p.m., $18-$20

P.O.D.

The Pressroom, 8 p.m., $25-$129

OCTOBER 6 Butcher Babies

The Rebel Lounge, 7 p.m., $20

Clint Black

Chandler Center for the Arts, 7 p.m., $48-$58

Le Vent du Nord

Musical Instrument Museum, 7 p.m., $33.50-$44.50

Miguel Melgoza

Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $21

Center Stage Bar at Hyatt Gainey Ranch, 6 p.m., free

Solardo and Ferreck Dawn

TLC and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony

Sunbar Tempe, 9 p.m., $30

Tech N9ne and King Iso

Orpheum Theater - Flagstaff, 8 p.m., $74-$96

Wild Pink and Ratboys

Mesa Amphitheatre, 6:45 p.m., $49.50-$99.75

OCTOBER 7 Sunbar Tempe, 9 p.m., $46.50

Blaine Long

Claptone

Charles Ellsworth

Francine Reed

Corrido Fest 2021: Luis Conriquez and Enigma Norteño

Murphy Park, 7 p.m., free The Rhythm Room, 7:45 p.m., $12-$15

Celebrity Theatre, 8 p.m., $60-$130

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

Delphine Cortez and Joel Robin

Lee Fields and the Expressions, Orkesta Mendoza and Samara Cyn

Dirty Heads and Sublime with Rome

Crescent Ballroom, 7 p.m., $23-$39

Let Alone

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

Marmalade Skies: A Musical Tribute to the Beatles The Rhythm Room, 4 p.m., $18

The Nash, 4:30 p.m., free

Mesa Amphitheatre, 5:30 p.m., $50-$55

Emmylou Harris

Mesa Arts Center, 7:30 p.m., $38-$128

Jane N’ the Jungle

The Rebel Lounge, 7:30 p.m., $13

Midland

Mon Laferte

Arizona Federal Theatre, 7:30 p.m., $39.50-$49.50

Pat Metheny

The Pressroom, 9 p.m., $25-$40

The Van Buren, 8 p.m., $48.50 Mesa Arts Center’s Ikeda Theater, 7:30 p.m., $40-$66

OCTOBER 4 Torres

Riot Ten and Must Die

Spiritual Warfare & the Greasy Shadows

Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free

T2

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

Center Stage Bar at Hyatt Gainey Ranch, 6 p.m., free

Ashley Wineland

OCTOBER 5

OCTOBER 8

Balkan Bump

The Van Buren, 7:30 p.m., $29-$32

Alastair Greene

The Rhythm Room, 8 p.m., $15 Murphy Park, 7 p.m., free Shady Park, 9 p.m., $20

Banana Gun w/Chrome Rhino Last Exit Live, 9 p.m., $10-$15

BLKBOK

Musical Instrument Museum, 7:30 p.m., $23.50-$33.50

Cleopatrick

The Rebel Lounge, 6:30 p.m., $15-$17

Dom, Mike & the Young Guys The Nash, 7:30 p.m., $24-$39

Avatar

Beach Goons

Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $16

Brett Young

Arizona Federal Theatre, 8 p.m., $35-$137.50

Dog Company

Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free

Lake Street Drive

Mesa Arts Center, 7:30 p.m., $34.50-$49.50

Madison Cunningham Valley Bar, 7:30 p.m., $20

Notes from Neptune

Murphy Park, 7 p.m., free

Ruston Kelly

Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $23-$89

Serena Nicolle

Center Stage Bar at Hyatt Gainey Ranch, 6 p.m., free

Soul Power Band

The Rhythm Room, 8 p.m., $10

OCTOBER 9 Asleep at the Wheel

The Showroom at Talking Stick Resort, 8 p.m., $25-$70

Banda MS

Ak-Chin Pavilion, 8 p.m., $39.50-$884

Black Carl, Fairy Bones, Wyves and Adam Bruce

Center Stage Bar at Hyatt Gainey Ranch, 6 p.m., free

Alanis Morissette w/Garbage

Jam Session: Beth Lederman

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

Black Coffee

OCTOBER 3

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

Ike Ramalho Brazilian Project

Crescent Ballroom, 7 p.m., $19

Valley Bar, 8 p.m., $20-$65

Sunbar Tempe, 9 p.m., $31

Mesa Amphitheatre, 5:30 p.m., $49.50

Adam Melchor

Valley Bar, 6:30 p.m., $15

Ak-Chin Pavilion, 7 p.m., $30-$311

Flogging Molly and Violent Femmes

Antennae

Shady Park, 9 p.m., $22

Bonnie X Clyde

Sunbar Tempe, 9 p.m., $20

Brad Paisley w/Jimmie Allen Ak-Chin Pavilion, 7:30 p.m., $30.25-$239

Diane Schuur

Musical Instrument Museum, 7 p.m., $44.50-$59.50

Dirt Monkey

Aura, 9 p.m., $23-$33

Chad Rubin

Champagne Drip

Sunbar Tempe, 9 p.m., $19

Harper & the Moths

Yucca Tap Room, 9 p.m., free

Holy Fawn

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

JD Souther

Musical Instrument Museum, 7:30 p.m., $49.50-$64.60

Judas Priest

Arizona Federal Theatre, 7:30 p.m., $48.50-$78.50

Kompany

Aura, 9 p.m., $20-$30

Larry Fuller Trio

The Nash, 7 p.m. and 9:15 p.m., $49-$65

Matroda

Shady Park, 9 p.m., $23

Ritmo Latino

Murphy Park, 7 p.m., free

Sweeping Promises

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

OCTOBER 10 Bleu Clair

Shady Park, 3 p.m., $16

Brothers Osborne

Arizona Federal Theatre, 7:30 p.m., $39.50-$247.50

The Jack Radavich Trio w/Jerry Weldon The Nash, 3 p.m., $29-$42

Jam Session: Ben Hedquist

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

JPEGMAFIA

Crescent Ballroom, 8:30 p.m., sold out

Mykal Kilgore and Jamison Ross Chandler Center for the Arts, 7 p.m., $36-$150

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2021

Paul McDonald and Anna Rose

Pinkshift

Devil Lies Down hellogoodbye

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

Last Exit Live, 8:30 p.m., $12-$15

The Quebe Sisters

The Van Buren, 8 p.m., $23.89-$125

J. Forte

J. Cole w/21 Savage

Footprint Center, 8 p.m., $84.50

The Rebel Lounge, 8 p.m., $13 Musical Instrument Museum, 7 p.m., $38.50-$49.50

ZZ Top

The Pool at Talking Stick Resort, 8 p.m., $35

OCTOBER 11

The Nile, 6 p.m., $10 The Rebel Lounge, 8 p.m., $20 Center Stage Bar at Hyatt Gainey Ranch, 6 p.m., free

LP and the Vinyl

Jam Session: Dave Henning

Summer of Love: A Tribute to the Music of 1967 The Rhythm Room, 4 p.m., $15

Sofia Niño de Rivera Suit Up, Soldier

The Rebel Lounge, 7:30 p.m., $13

Warish

Valley Bar, 8 p.m., $15

The Asim Nichols Trio

Chandler Center for the Arts’ Hal Bogle Theatre, 7:30 p.m., $24-$28

OCTOBER 18

OCTOBER 22

Bleachers

Outlaw Music Festival

Ak-Chin Pavilion, 4:25 p.m., $25-$89.95

Andy Mineo and SonReal

A Day to Remember

The Psychedelic Furs

Badflower

The Rhythm Room, 7 p.m., $10 The Van Buren, 8 p.m., $37-$40

Combichrist w/King 810, Heartsick and Reign Of Z

Pub Rock Live, 7:30 p.m., $25-$30

The Showroom at Talking Stick Resort, 8 p.m., sold out

Robert Earl Keen

OCTOBER 12

Orpheum Theater - Flagstaff, 8 p.m., $103-$235

Cinders

Shiba San and Tom & Collins

Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free

Dropkick Murphys and Rancid Mesa Amphitheatre, 5:45 p.m., $50

Jay Allan

Sunbar Tempe, 9 p.m., $27

The SunPunchers

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7:30 p.m., $10-$28

Center Stage Bar at Hyatt Gainey Ranch, 6 p.m., free

Tops

Thumpasaurus

Tropidelic

OCTOBER 13

Verry Cherry

311

We Came as Romans

Last Exit Live, 8:30 p.m., $12-$15

Ak-Chin Pavilion, 6:30 p.m., $25-$154.50

The Blue Stones

Valley Bar, 7 p.m., $16 Last Exit Live, 9 p.m., $15-$18 Murphy Park, 7 p.m., free The Pressroom, 7 p.m., $25

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

OCTOBER 16

Chase Atlantic

Barely Alive and Hvdes

Conway the Machine

Cameron Degurski

The Van Buren, 8 p.m., $28-$33

Sunbar Tempe, 9 p.m., $19

Jeremy Pelt Quintet

Center Stage Bar at Hyatt Gainey Ranch, 6 p.m., free

Little Hurt and Chad Tepper

The Van Buren, 8 p.m., $25-$28

Crescent Ballroom, 7 p.m., $25-$55 The Nash, 7 p.m. and 9:15 p.m., $39-$55 Valley Bar, 8 p.m., $15

The Waters

City Morgue

Elizabeth Cook

Valley Bar, 7:30 p.m., $22

Center Stage Bar at Hyatt Gainey Ranch, 6 p.m., free

Geo Bowman

OCTOBER 14

GrooveSession and Rabbithole Handbook

AG Club

Valley Bar, 7:30 p.m., $25

Amelia McLean

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

Brian Chartrand

Center Stage Bar at Hyatt Gainey Ranch, 6 p.m., free

Carol Pacey & the Honey Shakers Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free

Chris Botti

Musical Instrument Museum, 7 p.m., $85.50-$155.50

Delphine Cortez and Joel Robin The Nash, 4:30 p.m., free

Dennis Jones

The Rhythm Room, 8 p.m., $12

Fruit Bats

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

Haley Green Band

Murphy Park, 7 p.m., free

Pimpinela

Celebrity Theatre, 8:30 p.m., $45-$155

The Rhythm Room, 9 p.m., $10

Last Exit Live, 9 p.m., $10-$15

Herb ’N’ Life

Yucca Tap Room, 9 p.m., free

Indigo De Souza

The Rebel Lounge, 6:45 p.m., $15

The Instant Classics

Murphy Park, 7 p.m., free

Nachito Herrera

Musical Instrument Museum, 7:30 p.m., $38.50-$54.50

The Rhythm Room, 9 p.m., $10

Chandler Center for the Arts, 7:30 p.m., $26-$46

Quicksand

Christian French

Spirit Adrift

Christopher Cross

OCTOBER 19

Crizzly

Valley Bar, 7:30 p.m., $30 The Rebel Lounge, 8 p.m., $15

Cold w/New Dilemma and Waiting for Eternity Pub Rock Live, 7:30 p.m., $18

Cory Branan

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

Emotional Oranges

Crescent Ballroom, 6:45 p.m., $25-$120

Formula 400

Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free

Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening

Celebrity Theatre, 7:30 p.m., $50-$100

Joey Gutos

Center Stage Bar at Hyatt Gainey Ranch, 6 p.m., free

Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $18 The Showroom at Talking Stick Resort, 8 p.m., $30 Shady Park, 9 p.m., $23

The Fab Four

Mesa Arts Center’s Ikeda Theater, 8 p.m., $35-$65

The Hourglass Cats

Center Stage Bar at Hyatt Gainey Ranch, 6 p.m., free

MK

The Pressroom, 9 p.m., $35-$55

Phish

Ak-Chin Pavilion, 7:30 p.m., $45-$230

Running from Bears

The Nash, 7:30 p.m., $25-$35

Stephen Day

Valley Bar, 7:30 p.m., $15

The March Divide

Sugar Thieves

SAINt JHN

Tracing Faces

Twiddle

The World is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die

The Rhythm Room, 8 p.m., $10 The Pressroom, 8 p.m., $37 Last Exit Live, 8 p.m., $25

OCTOBER 20 The Cybertronic Spree

The Rhythm Room, 8 p.m., $10 Murphy Park, 7 p.m., free

The Rebel Lounge, 8 p.m., $20

OCTOBER 23

Erykah Badu

The 2021 Kat Riggins Blues Revival Show

Jane Bunnett and Maqueque

Amy Grant

Miguel Melgoza

Chicago Showcase

The Rebel Lounge, 8 p.m., $18-$20 Arizona Federal Theatre, 8 p.m., $49.50-$478.50 Musical Instrument Museum, 7 p.m., $33.50-$49.50 Center Stage Bar at Hyatt Gainey Ranch, 6 p.m., free

Musical Instrument Museum, 7:30 p.m., $28.50-$33.50 Chandler Center for the Arts, 7:30 p.m., $58 The Rhythm Room, 8 p.m., $15

Fayuca

Sandra Bassett

Sleigh Bells

Shady Park, 9 p.m., $18

Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $30-$40

Nation of Language

Shift K3Y and Angelz Shady Park, 9 p.m., $21

OCTOBER 21

Noah Haidu

OCTOBER 17

Murphy Park, 7 p.m., free

Celebrity Theatre, 8:30 p.m., $65-$125 The Nash, 7:30 p.m., $25-$39

Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7:30 p.m., $48-$68

OCTOBER 15 Cold Shott & the Hurricane Horns

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

Murphy Park, 7 p.m., free

Dan + Shay w/The Band Camino and Ingrid Andress

Musical Instrument Museum, 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., $85.50-$155.50

The Heroine

Bruce in the USA

Rogue!

Chloe Moriondo

Chris Botti

The Pressroom, 7 p.m., $20

Arizona Federal Theatre, 7 p.m., $49.50-$280.50

Pancho Barraza

Tinashe

The Van Buren, 8 p.m., $25-$30

The Van Buren, 8 p.m., $25-$150

The Rebel Lounge, 8 p.m., $17-$20

Gila River Arena, 7 p.m., $34.75-$456.50

Eli Brown

Shady Park, 3 p.m., $24

Gladys Knight

Celebrity Theatre, 8 p.m., $45-$130

The Rhythm Room, 8 p.m., $10

The Bayou Bandits

Betty Jo Vachon w/Big Daddy D & the Dynamites The Rhythm Room, 8 p.m., $10

33

Jantsen

Valley Bar, 7:30 p.m., $15 The Nash, 7 p.m. and 9:15 p.m., $39-$55

Pyg

Yucca Tap Room, 9 p.m., free

T2

Bob Domestic

Center Stage Bar at Hyatt Gainey Ranch, 6 p.m., free

Candlebox

Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $20

Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $37

Delphine Cortez and Joel Robin The Nash, 4:30 p.m., free

Hyatt Untapped hosted by The Waters

Center Stage Bar at Hyatt Gainey Ranch, 6 p.m., free

The Technicolors

Tenelle w/Siaosi and Renoe Anoa’i Last Exit Live, 9 p.m., $20-$25

OCTOBER 24 Acne Superstar

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

Alejandro Fernández

Arizona Federal Theatre, 8 p.m., ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

34

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

$25-$853.50

Chicano Batman

The Van Buren, 8 p.m., $25-$28

Jam Session: Pam Morita

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

Jazz Con Alma w/Beth Lederman and Steven Powell The Nash, 3 p.m., $35-$45

John Fogerty

The Pool at Talking Stick Resort, 8 p.m., $30-$300

Latmun and Wheats Shady Park, 3 p.m., $22

Robert Earl Keen

Crescent Ballroom, 7 p.m., $35-$45

Neon Circus (Brooks & Dunn tribute) Murphy Park, 7 p.m., free

Squirrel Nut Zippers

Musical Instrument Museum, 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., $33.50-$44.50

OCTOBER 29 Punk Rock Halloween Bash Yucca Tap Room, 7 p.m., free

Arty

Sunbar Tempe, 9 p.m., $20

The CleveTet

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

Coco Montoya

The Rhythm Room, 8 p.m., $20-$23

House of Stairs

Valley Bar, 8 p.m., $17

Center Stage Bar at Hyatt Gainey Ranch, 6 p.m., free

OCTOBER 25

The Van Buren, 8:30 p.m., $25-$30

Vindata

Jeremy Zucker w/Del Water Gap

Dead & Company

Little Jesus

Hamilton Leithauser and Kevin Morby

Mason Maynard

The Home Team

Max Weinberg’s Jukebox

Ak-Chin Pavilion, 7 p.m., $51.50-$789 Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $30-$40 The Rebel Lounge, 7:30 p.m., $13

Primus

Arizona Federal Theatre, 7 p.m., $30.50-$277.50

Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $20-$30 Shady Park, 9 p.m., $21 Musical Instrument Museum, 7 p.m. and 9 p.m., $44.50-$64.50

Nothing

Valley Bar, 7 p.m., $20

OCTOBER 30

TLC celebrates its phenomenal success in Mesa

Punk Rock Halloween Bash

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

OCTOBER 26

People Who Could Fly

Dante Elephante

Snotty Nose Rez Kids

Valley Bar, 7:30 p.m., $15

Gus Dapperton

The Van Buren, 8 p.m., $22-$99

Jake Greider

Center Stage Bar at Hyatt Gainey Ranch, 6 p.m., free

Jonas Brothers

Ak-Chin Pavilion, 7 p.m., $29.95-$509

Murphy Park, 7 p.m., free

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

Yucca Tap Room, 7 p.m., free

Brandy Clark

Musical Instrument Museum, 7:30 p.m., sold out

L.A. Witch

Chris Stapleton

Lesser Care

Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free

Circle Jerks, The Adolescents and Negative Approach

OCTOBER 27

Coco Montoya

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

Agent Orange

Yucca Tap Room, 7 p.m., $15

Dr. Dog and Tōth

The Van Buren, 8 p.m., sold out

Ollie

Valley Bar, 8 p.m., $15-$35

Shallou

Ak-Chin Pavilion, 7 p.m., $135-$360

The Van Buren, 8 p.m., $29.50-$35 The Rhythm Room, 8 p.m., $20-$23

Good Times Ahead

Shady Park, 9 p.m., $26

Jaleo

Murphy Park, 7 p.m., free

J. Forte

Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $20

Center Stage Bar at Hyatt Gainey Ranch, 6 p.m., free

Tinariwen

Jimmy Nistico & Jazz Express

Musical Instrument Museum, 7 p.m., sold out

Vacation Manor and Night Traveler

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

The Waters

Center Stage Bar at Hyatt Gainey Ranch, 6 p.m., free

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

Karol G

Mesa Amphitheatre, 7 p.m., $69.95-$75

Mayer Hawthorne

Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $28-$99

OCTOBER 31 ABBA the Concert (tribute)

OCTOBER 28

Highlands Church, 7:30 p.m., $39-$76

Delphine Cortez and Joel Robin

Sunbar Tempe, 9 p.m., $35

The Nash, 4:30 p.m., free

Dream Theater

Mesa Arts Center, 7:30 p.m., $42-$128

JW-Jones Band

The Rhythm Room, 8 p.m., $10

Matthew Thornton

Center Stage Bar at Hyatt Gainey Ranch, 6 p.m., free

Ministry w/Helmet, Front Line Assembly

The Van Buren, 7 p.m., $39.50-$42.50 ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

NO SCRUBS HERE

Benny Benassi

Jam Session: Stan Sorenson

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

Mago de Oz

The Van Buren, 8 p.m., $49.50

Matador and Pleasurekraft Shady Park, 3 p.m., $25

Marc Anthony

Footprint Center, 7 p.m., $61-$181

$NOT

Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $25-$125

T

LC’s Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins giggles when she talks about the venue she’s calling from, Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion.

“This venue that we’re at is one of the crew’s favorites,” Watkins says. “Right now, my 6-year-old son, Chance, is riding his Big Wheel as the dancers ride bicycles around the venue.”

Chance is touring around the United States with his mom and her musical partner in crime, Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas, as TLC celebrates its 1994 diamond-certified album “CrazySexyCool.” The ’90s-themed shows will feature fan interaction, ’90s fashion, surprise guests and performances by Bone Thugs N’ Harmony.

Touring with Bone Thugs N’ Harmony is important, Watkins says.

“I love that we, as women and artists, can perform with rappers,” she says. “I think that’s awesome. Some girl groups may not be able to do that. I love that we can get down with the guys.”

On the set list, fans can expect No. 1 singles like “Waterfalls” and “Creep.”

“We’ve wanted to celebrate ‘CrazySexyCool’ for a while,” Thomas says. “Before the pandemic hit, we were supposed to have done it in the fall.

Everything hit, and when everything started to open back up, that window was there.”

The concerts conjure emotions that range from happy to sad tears for TLC and its fans.

“The emotions are so amazing to watch throughout the show,” Watkins says. “It depends on the song that hits people the most.”

As for Watkins and Thomas, they don’t have favorite songs, but they’re excited to play a song that’s rarely on the set list — “Case of the Fake People.”

“It’s refreshing to play it,” Watkins says. “Everybody knows about those fake people.”

With more than 85 million records sold worldwide, TLC is the best-selling American girl group. Under their belt, they have four Grammys, four multiplatinum awards, four No. 1 singles and 10 top 10 singles. In 2017, TLC released a self-titled album, its first in more than 15 years. It hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Independent Album Chart.

A two-hour documentary special, “Biography: TLC,” will premiere on A&E in 2022. In the special, Thomas and Watkins will tell their story for the first time in a feature documentary.

The women’s career came to a screeching halt — as it had for so many others — due to the pandemic. For Thomas, the quarantine was nervewracking and depressing. She’s “happy, grateful and thankful” to be back on the road, playing for fans.

“It means so many things to different people,” she says. “It means a lot to us.

This is the album that said, ‘Hey, these girls are here to say. They’re not just some fad.’”

TLC and Bone Thugs N’ Harmony WHEN: 6:45 p.m. Wednesday, October 6 WHERE: Mesa Amphitheatre, 263 N. Center Street, Mesa COST: Tickets start at $49.50 INFO: mesaamp.com

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2021

35

PLANTING A SEED

We Came As Romans rediscover its first album on tour

By Alex Gallagher

T

he Detroit-based metalcore outfit We Came As Romans is leading fans back to its first album, “To Plant a Seed,” on its twicepostponed tour.

The jaunt was meant to celebrate the album’s 10-year anniversary, but it was abbreviated when the pandemic was declared.

“It was absolutely heartbreaking to have our tour canceled,” says vocalist Dave Stephens. “There were months of work and a lot of money that went into making that tour happen, and we took a huge loss on the cancellation of that tour.”

After the initial tour was postponed, Stephens admits he and his bandmates were inconsolable.

“We were so excited about making the tour happen and we were so distraught when it got shut down,” he says. “I think I was in a rut for a few weeks when I got home, and the uncertainty added to it as well.”

We Came As Romans tried to

reschedule its tour for last spring, but that fizzled out. Now that there is clearer guidance and policies, We Came as Romans is excited to pick up where it left off and give its inaugural album a proper celebration.

“We know it’s a really fragile thing, but it’s something that we really want to do,” Stephens says. “We understand the risks, but we think that the reward outweighs the risk.”

Even though “To Plant a Seed” was released 12 years ago, Stephens is blown away by the continuing adoration of the album.

“It’s crazy how those songs were written so long ago, but fans still care about them,” he says. “When we went out on this tour the last time, I was a little unsure of how it would feel to play these songs again.”

It turned out to be fun, especially the songs “I Will Not Reap Destruction” and “Intentions.”

“The first week of shows we played were so much fun and the fans loved seeing these songs get brought back to life,” Stephens says. “It was almost as refreshing as playing new music by

bringing those songs back. “(I Will Not Reap Destruction) just sits well in my voice, which is funny, because when we wrote the album, we wrote it with the idea of five people singing every song. Now that it’s just me, I feel it suits my vocal style better,” he says.

“Intentions” provides Stephens with one of his favorite memories.

“There’s a moment (in the song) where I will get into the lyrics ‘for nothing we are without,’ then the band will cut and the crowd will yell ‘brotherhood’ and it’s just deafening,” he exclaims.

The total run time for “To Plant a Seed” is about 40 minutes, leaving another 50 minutes for the band to fill with new and classic songs.

While Stephens is excited to revisit We Came As Roman’s first record, he is excited to give the band’s three new singles exposure. That includes “Black Hole,” which features Beartooth frontman Caleb Shomo as a guest vocalist.

“I’m most excited to play some new stuff,” he says. “New songs are always

so refreshing and fun. Plus, I really like how our new music feels live.

“The new songs have been going over super well. ‘Darkbloom’ came out and it took off more than any of the music we’ve released in recent history. I knew that ‘Black Hole’ would be a banger and would do well, but it’s doing even better than I thought.”

Regardless of what he’s playing, Stephens is happy to be back “home.”

“As cliche as it sounds, my favorite part of touring is being on stage,” he says.

“When you get up on stage, it doesn’t matter what kind of day you had or where you are — the moment you get on stage is the beginning of an hour and a half of euphoria.”

We Came As Romans w/The Devil Wears Prada, Dayseeker and Holly Front WHEN: 7 p.m. Friday, October 15 WHERE: The Nile Theater, 105 W. Main Street, Mesa COST: $25 INFO: theniletheater.com ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

‘AN ESCAPE’

36

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

Ivan Harshman continues to deliver as solo artist

By Jordan Houston

M

usic was always an escape for Scottsdale resident Ivan Harshman.

The full-time musician describes it as a therapeutic outlet throughout his childhood — and still stands by that statement.

Growing up in Toledo, Ohio, Harshman says he was “one of those kids forced to mature quickly.” Harshman recalls the first time he was given a handful of records, including tunes by Paul McCartney and the Animals, from his aunt at around 5 years old.

“Music for me at an early age was important,” explains Harshman, a former member of the Elliots. “No. 1, I liked it and it was really special to me in a certain way.

“I would hide in my room and listen to records and play army men. It was a big deal because there was always a lot going on in the house. It was an escape for me.”

Now, the vocalist, writer and instrumentalist is making a name for himself throughout the North Valley as a must-see — or hear — talent. Harshman has shared the stage with a multitude of renowned musicians and acts, including Derek Trucks, Keb Mo, Ian Moore, Gin Blossoms, David Crosby, Charlie Musselwhite, Carl Palmer, Cake, Sugar Ray, the Samples, Lisa Loeb, the Verve

Pipe, Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers, Mark Mikel, Mudjaw’s Cantankerous Jubilee and the Zombies.

A self-described “blues rock dude,” Harshman can be found performing solo in Queen Creek, Cave Creek and Peoria.

With his schedule listed on his website, he can satisfy a variety of requests, including classics like his Beatles medley, David Bowie, “Thirteen” and “Into the Mystic,” as well as perform his own original pieces, like “Avalon” and “The Dailies.”

“It doesn’t really matter what songs you play, as long as you play well,” Harshman says. “If you destroy someone’s favorite song, you’re not doing them or yourself any favors.”

Harshman, whose sound ranges from a blend of bluegrass to “pop-Beatlesesque songs,” says he prefers not to limit himself to any particular category. He considers his songs as “all over the map.”

“I’m an Anglophile. I love the Beatles and that whole scene,” he shares. “But, I’m a blues rock dude, and that’s the type of rock ’n’ roll that is still popular.

People call it different things — blues rock. That’s, like, heavy metal like Black Sabbath. I’m a soulful, powerful singer.”

Harshman attributes his inspiration to first dabble in the music industry to his uncle, a singer and bass player.

At 14, he taught himself how to play the guitar. Harshman then began writing lyrical pieces shortly after, he explains.

“I started writing songs immediately,” Harshman recounts. “I had a lot going on inside of me. There’s two kinds of performers: There’s the ones that are using it as a catharsis and then there’s people that want attention.”

Harshman organized his first threepiece band about a year later, he says, in which he played the bass guitar with several of his classmates. The group covered the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jimi Hendrix, among other artists, at gatherings for fraternities and sororities.

At 16, Harshman played for his uncle’s band at local bars while helping with stage management.

“I would run lights and they would pay me to be a light man,” he says. “And then I would come up and would sing, at first, two or three songs, and then four or five.”

After graduating from high school, Harshman earned his own open stage night at a local bar called Shari’s Place Upstairs.

The stage was furnished with microphones and a drum set, Harshman explains.

“It was a musician’s bar. That’s who hung out there, musicians,” he says. “I would host the night and people would come up and want to play, and they could. All of a sudden, drums would kick in behind me. If you started playing a song somebody liked, they’d just walk up and start playing with you.

“It’s really how I learned. All of those guys were older, seasoned and ridiculously good musicians.”

Harshman arrived in Tempe around the late ’90s. The aspiring musician, who was in his early 20s at the time, initially planned to pursue music in Los Angeles, but his hopes were curtailed following the demise of the record label industry in

the early 2000s.

He then joined what would become the Arizona-based “supergroup” the Elliots shortly after. The trio contained fellow singer-songwriters Blake Thompson on the vocals and guitar and Kate Russo on vocals, the electric violin and keyboards.

“We were three lead singersongwriters, we called ourselves the unofficial super group,” Harshman recounts. “Everybody was a lead singersongwriter from another band. Basically, we started writing and playing and had a great following.”

Harshman left the group around 2004 to pursue his next chapter as primarily a solo artist, he says.

In 2009, he joined the classic rock outfit The Rig with Valley musicians Ronnie Winter, a vocalist and guitarist, and Gary Bruzzese, a vocalist and drummer. To this day, the group performs once a month at local hangouts like Cave Creek’s The Hideaway Grill.

Performing is one of the few times that Harshman feels in the moment, he says.

“When I’m performing, it’s the only time where I’m really concentrating on one thing and I feel relaxed,” Harshman explains. “I feel like I’m where I’m supposed to be. I don’t feel anxious. I don’t feel nervous. I don’t feel like I’m missing something.”

Harshman adds it is an important time to support live and local musicians.

He encourages music lovers to continue to buy records or pay musicians in any capacity that they can.

“Live music is alive and well, as long as people keep showing up,” he shares.

“People love live music. After COVID, people would come from different states and would come and cry. Grown men and women would cry. It’s very important to people.”

Ivan Harshman WHEN: 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, October 8 WHERE: Rosati’s Pizza, 3668 W. Anthem Way, Suite A128, Anthem COST: Free admission INFO: ivanharshman.com WHEN: 2 to 10 p.m. Saturday, October 9 WHERE: Peoria Country Fest at Pleasant Harbor at Lake Pleasant, 8708 W. Harbor Boulevard, Peoria COST: $25 adults; free for children 12 and younger. Parking $7 per vehicle INFO: pleasantharbor.com WHEN: 7 to 11 p.m. Thursday, October 14 WHERE: The Hideaway Grill, 6746 E. Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek COST: Free admission INFO: hideaway-usa.com ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

ARIZONA’S ‘IDOL’ T THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2021

37

Beloved singer Amelia McLean debuting original music

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

he effervescent Amelia McLean comes bounding into North Italia in Gilbert.

“Here I am!” she says enthusiastically.

McLean has plenty of reasons to be excited. She’s headlining her first show of all-original music on Thursday, October 14, at the Rebel Lounge in Phoenix. The day prior, the “American Idol” alum is releasing an EP, “Light I Can Follow.”

“I don’t know if there are any female artists right now in Phoenix who are doing the kind of music I’m doing,” says McLean, who is influenced by 1970s music’s harmonies and “big vocals.”

“We recorded ‘Light I Can Follow’ ’70s style, where the band got together and recorded in one room. Nowadays, everybody’s doing a drum session and then a guitar session, etc. The way we did it, it really captured a magic that you don’t just get with how they’re doing production now. I’m super stoked because I love listening to it. I cried multiple times throughout the recording process.”

McLean moved to the Valley five years ago from Jackson, Michigan, to pursue a career in music. She took piano lessons throughout middle school and high school.

“Growing up in a small town, there weren’t a lot of opportunities for me to stay and try and develop my career,” she says. “I always wanted to live out West. I came out here when I was 19 and chose Arizona because my sister lived here. I was hoping it would be my steppingstone to LA.” Once she arrived in Arizona, she moved to Peoria and performed in coffee shops and at open mic nights. She did not expect the reactions or opportunities that were to come. She slowly evolved into one of the Valley’s most beloved singer-songwriters.

In 2017, she won Alice Cooper’s Proof is in the Pudding, her first competition.

She, in turn, opened for Cooper, Tommy Thayer and Ace Frehley, Rob Halford and Slash.

Her success only grew from there. Two years later, McLean was awarded a golden ticket to Hollywood for season 18 of “American Idol.” She credits her friend, fellow Phoenician Wade Cota, who was in the top six of “American Idol” the previous year, for recommending her to a producer of the show.

“I saw the opportunities that Wade got, and I was like, well, it won’t hurt to

try,” she says.

She traveled to Hawaii to compete in the Top 40 before being eliminated from the competition.

McLean frequents wine bars, private clubs and restaurants performing covers.

She frequents the Cave Creek/Carefree area, which she loves for its small-town feel.

“I grew up listening to artists like James Taylor and Carole King and all that good stuff,” she says. “I love being able to cover those tunes, but every artist wants to play their own music. Now I get the big opportunity to do so.”

She chalks it up to maturity and a “really good circle of people — good musicians, good producers and good people in the industry to work with.”

“I also have the right people who want to work with me,” she says.

“There are a lot of people who just take advantage of you. It’s taken time, but I’m at a place where I have the perfect team. I have a band who’s just completely excited to play music with me, tour and go all the way, which is awesome.”

Her band features acoustic/electric

guitarist David Martinez, who also produced “Light I Can Follow”; drummer Marty Welker; bassist Zorin McGuire and acoustic/electric guitarist Adam Simons.

“They’re stellar musicians,” she says.

“That’s half the battle. It’s great to find people who are reliable and are good and able to commit to wanting to do music with me.”

As a producer, Martinez and McLean clicked right away before she collected her band.

“We were totally aligned in what kind of music we like,” McLean says. “That really helps because you don’t have to spend time explaining, ‘OK, I’m going for this sound.’ We just have a really good flow.”

McLean considers the band, her audiences and venue owners “family.”

“I love them all,” the 25-year-old Chandler resident says with a smile. “We become friends and I get to know them.

I like the people side of performing, too.

“There’s a couple who started coming to my gigs in Chandler and literally, to this day, I call them ‘mom and dad.’ We

went to Hawaii together. They became my family.”

McLean is hoping the Rebel Lounge gig leads to other original music performances.

“Ideally, I’m hoping to get started by going on a tour with a band as its opener,” she says. “I’m thankful because, over the last five years, I’ve made a lot of really good friends and good connections.

“I just haven’t really utilized them, because there hasn’t been a need to.

I’ve never had a product to show. To be able to say, ‘This is the product. What can you do with it?’ That’s been the dream.”

Amelia McLean w/Adam Simons, Matthew Thornton and Shane Travis WHEN: 8 p.m.

Thursday, October 14 WHERE: The Rebel Lounge, 2303 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix COST: $15 INFO: therebellounge.com ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

38

NIGHTLIFE

SIP » UNLEASH » MIX » MINGLE » PULSE » SHAKE

FROM ‘DIAMOND CITY’ TO B-LO

G-house’s Bijou gets personal on new extended play

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

A

rizona-bred G-house producer Bijou is one of the genre’s most prolific artists.

While others were sulking or trying to fill their time during the quarantine, Bijou got down to business. He started an online music academy and brainstormed a clothing line called MTS, which introduced the first T-shirt last month.

Following a year of studio grind, coupled with the release of his album “Diamond City,” the man otherwise known as Ben Dorman created the EP “Street Knowledge.” The collection combines a rhythmic bass with guests like Rick Hyde, Tony Watts, Youngworld, Chase Fetti and ElCamino.

“The lead record and title track is about a year and a half old now,” Dorman says. “We had different release plans for it in the past that fell through.

We thought we would just sit on this and wait until it falls into place naturally.”

With “Code Blue,” “Rockstar” and “Curses” already streaming, the introspective project has already amassed hundreds of thousands of plays on Spotify.

“Street Knowledge” is Bijou’s second EP of the year, following “187 Proof.”

The guests are primarily based in Buffalo. He focused on B-Lo in honor of his father, who grew up an hour outside of the city.

“It’s another piece of me and an extension of me, not only personally but

musically,” says Dorman, who recently moved to Marina Del Rey. “The album came together during COVID. I wasn’t traveling at the time, but I was going around the country meeting rappers, going in the studio, figuring out what works best conceptually for the track listing. If you break down ‘Street Knowledge’ and where it comes from, it’s about someone who has grown up and learned a lot of things that happened in the streets.”

He’s not saying he grew up in the streets, but he has a “strong idea” about it and has experienced the activities in some sense.

“I wanted to work with guys who also come from that type of thing and can understand it. In a lot of ways, I wanted to take it back to my roots. I’ve done the Phoenix thing with ‘Diamond City.’

That’s where I’m really from. ‘Street Knowledge’ is unequivocally every piece of me, what I’ve been through, and where I am now.”

The fun cover art, which shows Dorman and his guest artists sitting in a classroom, was created by Phoenix artist Antoinette Cauley.

“I discovered her a couple years ago,” says Dorman, who’s dating “The Bachelor” alum Sarah Trott. “We’ve become friends over time. We spoke and she wanted to do cover art for me.

We just needed to find the right project.

We went over it, and it took about six to eight weeks from start to finish.

“She’s sending me the actual canvas so I can get it framed. It’s pretty amazing.”

A ‘HIP-HOP HEAD’ The Marcos de Niza High School graduate grew up in Tempe, near ASU. “I was supposed to go to Tempe or McClintock, but my dad was a teacher at the middle school that fed into Marcos de Niza. I was a tad bit of a troublemaker.

He wanted to keep an eye on me.”

A fan of Roberto Clemente, Dorman played baseball growing up. Left handed, Dorman didn’t find many positions he could play. He opted for pitcher and right fielder.

From there, he played ball at community colleges, Northwestern Oklahoma State and Missouri Baptist, the latter of which he says had a “great program and it was a blast.”

After playing indie pro ball in Scottsdale, he hung up his cleats to pursue music.

“The summer of 2013, I was finally like, ‘I don’t love this anymore,’” he recalls. “My last game was my only professional win. I got a job at Jersey Mike’s and basically told myself I would do that as long as I had to.

“A year and a half later, I had the opportunity to produce Kevin Federline, and that was interesting. He’s a super nice guy. It took me to a different realm. I went between Phoenix and LA for eight months.”

Thanks to his talent and his management at Relentless Beats, Dorman has made a name for himself in G-house, which fuses elements of house and rap.

Before the pandemic, he was slated to head out on a major world tour. Instead, he’s promoting “Diamond City” with merchandise and a possible deluxe album. He’s continuing to promote the collabs on the album.

“I’m a huge hip-hop head, and some of my favorite rappers are on here. I’m a massive Denzel Curry fan, and I was fanboying over him. I met him through Instagram. He said, ‘What’s up?’ and I said, ‘Oh (crap). Denzel’s talking to me.’

Chetta, I discovered just very organically through his association with $uicideboy$.

Willie Northpole is an Arizona legend.

He performed with G-Unit and had that hit ‘Body Marked Up.’” And Bijou has more tricks up his sleeve.

“I want to give people something to do to get out of their house,” he says coyly. “It’s not going to conflict with the pandemic restrictions or cause any problems. You have to get creative these days or else things flop. I have faith in my work, though.”

‘Street Knowledge’ track listing “Street Knowledge” “Curses” featuring Rick Hyde “Rockstar” featuring Tony Watts “Code Blue” featuring ElCamino “Hit Boys” featuring Youngworld “Quick Draw” featuring Chase Fetti

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Z 6 24-70mm f/4 S Lens Kit $1,999.95± After $600 Instant Savings**

24-70mm f/4 S Lens Kit

$2,899.95

±

$

NIKKOR® LENSES—UNRIVALED EXCELLENCE.

After

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Instant Savings**

Was

$1,999.95

±

$

After

300

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D780 24-120mm VR Lens Kit $2,499.95± After $300 Instant Savings***

Instant Savings

70*

AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3G ED VR

$

69995

$

62995

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AF-S NIKKOR 24mm f/1.8 G ED

74995

67995

$

AF-S NIKKOR 16-35mm f/4G ED VR

Body Only

Now ±

±

$

1,09995

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INStANt SAVINgS WIth CAmERA pURChASE Purchase the AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6g ED VR lens together with any Nikon DSLR and receive the following Instant Savings on the lens:

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±

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70*

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79995

$

±

$

$299.95 $

±

After

200

Instant Savings*

* Instant Savings valid May 31, 2021 through July 4, 2021. **Instant Savings valid May 31, 2021 through June 20, 2021. ***Instant Savings valid May 31, 2021 through June 13, 2021. ± All prices are suggested retail price. Actual

Richard O’Brien’s We’d like to invite you on a strange journey – if we may Give yourself over to the absolute pleasure of this beautifully twisted rock musical masterpiece. Dynamic tension is on the menu as naive new fiancees Brad and Janet discover a world where nothing is taboo. Awaken your inner creature of the night and explore your most sensational, interplanetary fantasies with Rocky, Eddie, Dr. Scott, Columbia, Magenta, Riff Raff and, of course, FrankN-Furter. Brad and Janet will never be the same again, and with any luck, neither will we!

COME ON UP TO THE LAB AND SEE WHAT’S ON THE SLAB!

OCTOBER 6 – DECEMBER 5 “The Rocky Horror Show” is presented by special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH, INC.

ASL/AUDIO DESCRIBE NIGHT: NOVEMBER 4

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PHOENIXTHEATRE.COM | BOX OFFICE: 602–254 –2151 MON–FRI 10AM–3PM