The Entertainer! - May 2018

PHX METRO » MAY 2018

sugarland

MAKES ‘BIG’ RETURN

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SIMPLY

MARVEL-OUS Michael Rooker heads to Phoenix Comic Fest

READY TO JOIN THE JOURNEY?

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L O C A T E D O N T H E N O R T H W E S T C O R N E R O F C H A N D L E R B LV D A N D 5 6 T H S T T E R R I T O R Y D I S P E N S A R Y. C O M

7 2 0 0 W C H A N D L E R B LV D S T E 7

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M is National

Burger Month!

YOUR NEW FAVORITE BURGERS ALL MONTH LONG

MAY b n 1- 6 kobe beef / ba d smoked baco o o w le p p a / s onion

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MAY 7-13

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14-20

MAY THE TUSCA N s e rv e d o p e n 21-31 roasted tomaface on sourdYough / thyme to / fresh mozzare lla / fresh basil / e xtra virgin oliv e oil

All featured burgers are accompanied with house made chips. Sub a side of fries or tots for $2. $1 of every featured burger during the month of May each goes towards the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

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* These items may contain raw or undercooked ingredients. Consuming raw or undercooked meat, poultry, seafood, or egg may increase your risk for a food borne illness. Please consult your physician or public health official for further information.*

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A LWAY S O N Thunder From Down Under

Jimmie Vaughan

Kansas

Friday, May 18

Sunday, June 3

Kathleen Madigan

Michael Carbonaro

The Showroom

The Showroom

Happy Together Tour

The Showroom

Thurs-Sat, May 10-12

The Ballroom

The Showroom

Fri & Sat, June 15 & 16

Friday, June 29

Friday, July 13 The Ballroom

P L A Y

I N

S T Y L E

For tickets call the box office at 480.850.7734 or visit ticketmaster.com 1 01 & TA L K I N G S T I C K W A Y

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SCOTTSDALE

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TA L K I N G S T I C K R E S O R T. C O M

Locally owned and caringly operated by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2018

CONTENTS

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25 ON THE COVER

DRAMATIC CHAMELEON

Michael Rooker brings Yondu and Merle Dixon to Phoenix Comic Fest

22

AN AUTHENTIC TASTE

Taco Chelo perfects the art of tacos

54 IN THE BIGS

Ahwatukee native Scott Kingery’s coaches recall young talent

on the cover: Michael Rooker photo Courtesy of Michael Rooker

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THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2018

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

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executive editor Niki D’Andrea

ndandrea@timespublications.com

editor

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski

christina@timespublications.com

art director Erin Loukili

erin@entertainermag.com

SUGAR KISSES Sugarland returns in a ‘big’ way

CONTENTS THE METROPOLITAN

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Top 25 • English Rose Tea Room • iPic Scottsdale • David Blaine

THE EXTRAORDINAIRE 17 BMW X4 M40i • Echosmith • Devon Allman and Duane Betts

THE DOWNTOWNER

21

designer

Jaclyn Threadgill

production manager Courtney Oldham

66 AMAZING

production@timespublications.com

circulation director Aaron Kolodny

aaron@entertainermag.com

contributing writers

Joseph J. Airdo, Alison Bailin Batz, Brian Benesch, Lynette Carrington, Connor Dziawura, Daisy Finch, Samantha Fuoco, C.A. Haire, Catherine Hathaway, Nicole Hehn, Sherry Jackson, Laura Latzko, Megan Marples, Carson Mlnarik, Randy Montgomery, M.V. Moorhead, Allison Neri

DRINKS

Jake’s Unlimited shows off its new drinks

DTPHX Ambassadors • Taco Chelo • Peter Hook & the Light • X Ambassadors • Michael Rooker • Top 10

THE TOURIST

contributing photographers

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Kimberly Carrillo, Getty Images, Celisse Jones, Shervin Lainez, Catie Laffoon, Philadelphia Phillies Ball Club, Rene Radka, Hristo Shindov, Washington Nationals Ball Club

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ONE COPY PER READER

Tour du Jour

THE ARTIST Apocalyptica • Arts Calendar • The Monkees

THE CRITIC

34

Coming Attractions • Ask Our Experts! • The Report Card • Film Facts • Soundbite Spotlight

THE DINER

37

Best Food Events in May • Happy Hour Guide • Tacos Tequila Whiskey • Mother’s Day • Shaanxi Garden

THE CRAFTMASTER

50

Casino Entertainment Calendar • Kansas

THE GLADIATOR

Sons of Apollo’s Jeff Scott Soto wants to be a household name

47

Beer Over Here • BeerFinder Directory • Oak & Fork

THE HIGHROLLER

BIRTHDAY SURPRISE

52

THE YOUNGSTER

56

Best Family Events in May

THE SHOWMAN

59

Sugarland • Live Music Calendar • Shabazz Palaces • Ghost

67

THE NIGHTOWL

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Best Nightlife Events for May • Mad Mixologist • Sons of Apollo • Trashcan Sinatras

THE THINKER

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The Entertainer! is circulated throughout the Phoenix Metro area, especially concentrated in entertainment districts. ©2018 Affluent Publishing, LLC. A free online subscription is available to all readers simply by going to entertainermag.com/subscribe.

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.

DISTRIBUTION SERVICES PROVIDED BY:

You’re Not Gonna Believe This

Stars on Ice • Best Sports Events in May • Scott Kingery • Sammy Solis

WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

480.348.0343

35 years

memories MAKING

RAINBOWRYDERS.COM

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2013

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2015

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FAME

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BUCKET LIST

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5.5.18

HOWIE

MANDEL

5.18.18 GIPSY

KINGS 5.19.18

AT WILD HORSE PASS

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THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2018

THE METROPOLITAN

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PHX » CITY » LOCAL » PRIDE » DO » SEE

’Street Magic‘ 15 Dining in The Dark 14 Pomp and Circumstance 12

TOP25 Carson Mlnarik » The Entertainer!

Park, where the force is strong with “choo.” Star Wars Day activities include themed concessions, character photo ops and intergalactic activities like lightsaber creation. Come dressed in your best space getup to compete in a costume contest and enter for a chance to win tickets to this summer’s Solo: A Star Wars Story.

McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park, 7301 E. Indian Bend Road, Scottsdale, 480.312.8575, therailroadpark.com, 4 to 8 p.m., train tickets $2.

Motorcycles on Main Cinco de Moio

Roars and Pours

MAY 3 This happy hour’s got a bit of a wild side. Guests 21 and older can sip and stroll through select zoo trails with craft brews, wine and food. As the zoo animals start to go to sleep, the party animals will come alive with animal encounters, yard games and live music.

Phoenix Zoo, 455 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix, 602.286.3800, phoenixzoo.org, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., $10.

MAY 4 This Cinco de Mayo celebration will be a treat for any local jazz enthusiast, who’s probably already familiar with the work of the Latininfused jazz group Cinco de Moio.

With drums, guitar, electric bass and Latin percussion, expect their jazz standards to find its own way to mambo, cha cha and samba. This 21-and-up outdoor concert also features dining options like mahi mahi tacos and green salad.

MAY 4 The first Friday of the month, downtown Mesa honors the wild hogs. Whether you’ve got a ride to show off or usually opt for copilot, you can take advantage of Main Street and the friendly faces that line it. The evening includes live music, beer gardens, food and vendors.

Downtown Mesa, Main Street, downtownmesa.com/ motorcyclesonmain, 6 to 10 p.m., free.

Desert Botanical Garden, 1201 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix, 480.941.1225, dbg.org, 7 to 9:30 p.m., $25 members and $30 general public.

May the 4th Be With ‘Choo’ MAY 4 Celebrate the Jedi within at McCormick-Stillman Railroad

Cinepark May Movies

MAY 4 TO MAY 18 Spend the last few Friday nights of spring with Chandler’s outdoor park

movie series. The park will feature a different family film each week, including Coco, Despicable Me 3 and Hotel Transylvania 2. Arrive early for photo ops, games and food and drink from local vendors.

Tumbleweed Park, 745 E. Germann Road, Chandler, 480.782.2665, chandleraz.gov, 6:30 to 10 p.m., free.

Silence! The Musical

MAY 4 TO MAY 19 You probably recognize the story of The Silence of the Lambs: a rookie FBI agent matches wits with an insane cannibal to catch a serial killer known as Buffalo Bill… but you probably never imagined you’d see it as a musical. Fueled by a huge cult following, this raunchy, vulgar and smart musical parody has drawn comparisons to off-thewall Broadway hits like The Book of Mormon.

Tempe Center for the Arts, 700 W. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe, 480.350.2822, tempecenterforthearts.com, 8 p.m., $30-$40.

Cinco de Mario

MAY 5 Celebrate Cinco de Mayo in true Scottsdale fashion with this street-side celebration hosted

by Mario Lopez. Entertainment includes the Saved by the Bell star himself, alongside actor, taco and donut extraordinaire Danny Trejo, comedian Frankie Quiones and the legendary Sugarhill Gang.

Attendees can shop for Mexican WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE DOWNTOWNER | THE TOURIST | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

gourmet goods at the mercado, snag Mexican cuisine or head over to the margarita bar, hosted by El Hefe.

MERT & MARCUS

Scottsdale Civic Center Plaza, 7375 E. Second Street, Scottsdale, 480.874.4607, cincodemario.com, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., $15-$100.

Taylor Swift

MAY 8 Look what you made her do! This pop performer has chosen Arizona to kick off her world stadium tour for her latest album, Reputation.

Expect Swift to touch on hits like “Shake It Off” and “Blank Space” alongside theatrics, costume changes and a huge set. There will be plenty of girl power moments, too, as former Fifth Harmony singer Camilla Cabello and Charli XCX will open the show.

University of Phoenix Stadium, 1 Cardinals Drive, Glendale, 623.433.7101, universityofphoenixstadium. com, 7:30 p.m., $42-$1,492.

and songwriter recently turned 20.

With hits like “Location” and recent collaborations with Calvin Harris and Marshmello, the R&B star will have plenty hits from which to choose. Named after his Pitbull mix, the Roxy Tour will donate $1 from every ticket sold to local animal shelters.

Rawhide Event Center, 5700 W. North Loop Road, Chandler, 480.502.5600, rawhide.com, 8 p.m., $50.50.

Fly By Night

MAY 11 TO JUNE 2 It’s the stuff of legends: A melancholy sandwich maker’s mundane life is transformed by two out-of-this-world sisters. This darkly comedic musical takes place during the northeast blackout of 1965, as a few lovable characters learn to find hope in a world beset by darkness. Expect a romantic adventure like no other, as critics are calling this show the “Broadway answer to The Fault in Our Stars.”

Brelby Playhouse, 7154 N. 58th Drive, Glendale, 623.282.2781, brelby.com, times vary, tickets TBA.

George Ezra

MAY 12 This English singer-songwriter is only 24, but his deep voice and folk rock vibe show wisdom beyond his years. His first big alternative hit, “Budapest” was certified platinum in the United States and topped charts around the world. He tours his latest album Staying at Tamara’s, alongside opener Noah Kahan.

Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Avenue, Tempe, 480.829.0607, luckymanonline.com, 8 p.m., $25-$45.

Free Movies in the Desert: The Little Mermaid

Khalid

MAY 11 While his latest hit boasts that he’s a “Young, Dumb & Broke” high school kid, this El Paso-born singer WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

MAY 12 This free family event takes places on the outdoor patio at OdySea Aquarium. Attendees can revisit this Disney classic about a mermaid princess who dreams of a love — and a world — that’s something more. Arrive early for themed photo ops, dance performances and giveaways. The movie starts at

6:30 p.m. and seating is first-come, first-serve.

OdySea in the Desert, 9500 E. Via de Ventura, Scottsdale, odyseainthedesert.com, 5 p.m., free.

Scottsdale Bacon and Beer Classic

MAY 12 Nothing pairs quite as well with a good beer than a hearty helping of bacon. This Scottsdale festival is back with lawn games, music and loads of bacon and beer. Eaters can choose from 30-plus bacon dishes crafted by local chefs, and then top it off with their choice of 100-plus beers. Test your brew expertise with a blind beer taste test or show off your appetite with the bacon-eating contest.

Scottsdale Stadium, 7408 E. Osborn Road, Scottsdale, 480.312.2586, baconandbeerclassic.com, noon, $55.55-$96.75.

Les Misérables

MAY 15 TO MAY 20 This musical spectacular follows Jean Valjean and his quest for redemption during a revolutionary period in France.

From heartbreaking moments like “I Dreamed a Dream,” to powerful anthems like “Do You Hear the People Sing,” there’s a reason why this Tony Award-winning show keeps audiences coming back for more emotional purges.

all. Performed by the Yen-Li Chen Ballet School, expect to see unique costumes and arrangements.

Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Avenue, Chandler, 480.782.2680, chandlercenter.org, 6:30 p.m., $10-$40.

Willcox Wine Country Spring Festival

MAY 19 TO MAY 20 Take a day trip down to Arizona wine country, where 15-plus Willcox wineries will pour their awardwinning wines amid food, live music and shopping. The Tucson eatery Dante’s Fire will host a pop-up street bistro, and top musicians from Phoenix and Tucson will perform alongside booths from more than 45 local artists. Tickets include a wine glass and six to 10 tasting tickets.

Railroad Park, 157 N. Railroad Avenue, Wilcox, 800.200.2272, willcoxwinecountry.org, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., $15-$20 and free for non-drinkers.

ASU Gammage, 1200 S. Forest Avenue, Tempe, 480.965.3434, asugammage.com, times vary, $109-$346.

Rock of Ages

MAY 18 TO MAY 31 Rock ‘n’ roll fans rejoice — finally, showtunes you can shred to. This jukebox musical features classic rock selections from artists like Pat Benatar, Poison, Bon Jovi and Journey. Young love, nightclubs and the search for stardom guide this story’s characters as they make their way through Hollywood in the ’80s.

Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main Street, Mesa, 480.644.6500, mesaartscenter.com, times vary, $28-32.

Yen-Li Chen Ballet School’s Sleeping Beauty

MAY 19 This enchanting ballet follows Princess Aurora, who’s cursed upon birth by the evil Carabosse.

When it puts her in a deep sleep, it’s up to Prince Desire to save his princess and defeat evil once and for

Falcon Warbirds’ Fly-In Pancake Breakfast

MAY 19 Fans of the sky and road will be satisfied with this show of shiny machines made for the air and land, hosted by the Falcon Warbirds.

Pilots and car owners will visit, share stories and show off their rides, alongside a hearty breakfast of pancakes, eggs, bacon and coffee!

Proceeds benefit EAA Warbird Squadron 50.

Falcon Warbirds’ Hangar, 4626 E. Fighter Aces Drive, Mesa, 602.705.4413, mesaaz.gov, 7:30 to 11 a.m., $8.

Yoga in the Rainforest

MAY 22 AND MAY 24 This all-levels yoga class is taught

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THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2018

by professional teachers from India Bee Yoga. Yogis will find their inner peace inside the 10,000-square-foot conservatory, surrounded by lush vegetation, flowering plants and 3,000 tropical butterflies. Attendees just need to bring a mat and get ready to fly — only spiritually, of course.

guard presentation, a flyover by the Deer Valley Composite Squadron and glowing hot air balloons. The night concludes with live music from Western Fusion and a patriotic fireworks show.

Rancho Mañana Golf Club, 5724 E. Rancho Manana Boulevard, Cave Creek, 480.488.0398, cavecreekfestivals.com, 5:30 to 10 p.m., $15-$75.

Butterfly Wonderland, 9500 E. Via de Ventura, Scottsdale, 480.800.3000, butterflywonderland.com, 5:15 p.m., $20.

Desert Botanical Garden, 1201 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix, 480.941.1225, dbg.org, 7 to 9:30 p.m., $12.95-$24.95 and free for members.

they’ve been spent a week buried alive in New York City, stood atop a 100-foot tall pillar and continuously shocked themselves for 72 hours? Well, David Blaine can. He brings an interactive, shocking and awesome experience to Mesa for one night.

Phoenix Pet Expo

MAY 26 TO MAY 27 This exposition’s gone to the dogs!

Featuring exhibitors, adoptions, discounted vaccinations and pet care seminars, this convention has something for every pet owner.

Bring your favorite four-legged friend along and enjoy a day of live entertainment, author readings and giveaways.

Belen Maya and Juan Siddi Flamenco

Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main Street, Mesa, 480.644.6500, mesaartscenter.com, 8 p.m. $50-$126.

The Humans

MAY 29 TO JUNE 3 This hopeful, uproarious and heartbreaking play takes place at one of the world’s most intense locations: the Thanksgiving dinner table. A Pennsylvanian family breaks tradition to visit the youngest daughter’s Manhattan apartment for the holiday and finds their fears and follies laid bare throughout the evening.

WestWorld of Scottsdale, 16601 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale, 1.800.977.3609, phoenixpetexpo.com, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, $5-$9.

MAY 25 This authentic flamenco experience features contemporary performers from Spain. Expect performances from avant-garde icon Belen Maya, guitarist Jose Luis de la Paz and jazz pianist Alex Conde. Artistic director Juan Siddi, whose work has been seen across the globe, will also be showcased.

Tempe Center for the Arts, 700 W. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe, 480.350.2822, tempecenterforthearts.com, 8 p.m., $25-$55.

ASU Gammage, 1200 S. Forest ROC R Avenue, Tempe, 480.965.3434, asugammage.com, times vary, MAY $20-$150.

Flashlight Tours Brighten Summer Nights

9:00 A

MAY 26 See the garden at night with this self-paced flashlight tour through the trails. Nocturnal garden explorers will see how nightblooming plants transform and get to track the chirps, whirrs and flutters of creatures in the dark.

Kids can also participate in different games and activities.

Cave Creek Balloon Festival

MAY 26 This Memorial Day weekend celebration is the biggest annual single-day event in Cave Creek. The festival has something for everyone, including a Civil Air Patrol color

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE DOWNTOWNER | THE TOURIST | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

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POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE English Rose Tea Room celebrating the royal wedding Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

W

hen Jo Gemmill moved from England to the United States, she wanted to share her heritage with Americans to ease her homesickness.

Sixteen years ago, she founded the English Rose Tea Room in Carefree, serving scones and crumpets, cottage pie, Ploughman’s lunches and more than 50 loose-leaf teas.

“I lived in Seattle for three years, before we moved to Arizona,” Gemmill says about she and her husband. “My grandfather was a Coldstream Guard at Buckingham Palace. I wanted to replicate some of the things I missed to get over this homesickness. Plus, I couldn’t find a cup of tea. Arizona Ice Tea isn’t my thing.”

Instead, she serves formal afternoon tea, cucumber sandwiches, smoked salmon, scones, and cream imported from Devon, England. An in-house chef creates the pastries, like macarons and Victoria sponge cake.

“If you’ve been to England and love the pubs, we do good home cooking-style pub food like cottage pie and beans on toast,” she says.

Open seven days a week, English Rose Tea Room is Gemmill’s way of spreading news about her home country as well.

“I wanted to keep in touch with what’s going on with the royal family,” she says. “American TV just shows everything political and everything going on with America. I have to read BBC world news on my iPhone.

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“I figured if I was going to make this an English tea room, there was definitely going to have a connection to the royal family. I have a cardboard cutout of the queen that has been photographed thousands of times.”

So, naturally, Gemmill will celebrate Prince Harry and Megan Markle’s Saturday, May 9, wedding with a party from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The $60 ticket price comes with wedding cake, a formal afternoon tea, souvenirs, and British pop and pageantry. Guests should dress as if they were attending the wedding.

“We record the royal wedding and we play it throughout the day,” Gemmill says. “It’s on at 2 a.m. or 3 a.m. Arizona time. They’re getting married early because the football finals are on in the afternoon. Brits are going to want to watch football.

“We want people to get dressed up.

We’ll have souvenirs people can buy.

It’s one of those moments in history where we’ll remember where we were. I want people to feel like they were at the wedding.”

Gemmill feels she made the right decision in opening English Rose Tea Room.

“It’s so appreciated,” Gemmill says.

“I’d like to say it’s reciprocal, and the Brits feel the same way about America.

Some do, some don’t. We were allies through a couple wars. We’re like kissing cousins.”

English Rose Tea Room 201 Easy Street, Suite 103, Carefree, 480.488.4812, carefreetea.com, carefreetea@aol.com.

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2018

13

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE DOWNTOWNER | THE TOURIST | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

DINING IN THE

DARK iPic brings food and film together thanks to Tanzy’s chef

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

S

herry Yard is passionate about two things: food and film.

Six years ago, she saw an opportunity in iPic Theaters and jumped in headfirst.

With a recently renovated location in the Scottsdale Quarter, iPic is now the nation’s fastest-growing, affordable luxury “movie-going experience.”

“I’m an avid moviegoer. My friends are as well,” Yard says. “We would have Monday night movie nights. There was always the conundrum of do we eat first? Do we watch the movie first?

What do we do?

“When I found out about iPic, I was converted.”

Yard isn’t just a foodie. iPic’s chief operating officer, Yard is a Brooklyn-born chef who collected three James Beard Awards and a lifetime induction into its Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America.

She honed and expanded her skills at the Rainbow Room, followed by an appointment as executive partner within Wolfgang Puck’s company for nearly 20 years. Her fresh-from-the-farm desserts became staples at events such as the Academy Awards Governor’s Ball, and the Grammy and Emmy awards.

“I thought I was going to go into retirement working with Wolfgang,” she says.

She came on as vice president of culinary to change the “Dining in the Dark” menu, she says. iPic sits next to her eatery, Tanzy Restaurant, which was WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

also recently refreshed.

Through June, iPic will feature guest chef menu features and special cocktails of the month. Cooking with Sherry and Friends airs before the featured films and showcases the monthly special menu items.

Chef Lior Lev Sercarz created May’s chicken shawarma flatbread with Greek yogurt, cilantro, spicy chickpeas and zhatar.

Chef Miro Uskokovic is the mastermind behind June’s Balkan burger, stuffed with cheese and served on warm pita with roasted red pepper ajvar sauce, pickles, arugula and spicy French fries.

Drinks are considered as well. iPic’s executive bartender/corporate sommelier Adam Seger stars in the on-screen mixology segment, Drinking with Spirit, to showcase cocktails to pair with “Dine in the Dark” menu items.

May showcases El Mas Curioso Astral Wild Yeast blanco tequila, Singani 63 muscat brandy, yuzu, mint, za’atar and La Boite Mishmish rim; while June stirs Gin Spritz Beefeater Gin, Balsam sweet vermouth, soda, lemon and rose water. iPic is more than movies and food.

There’s the “experience,” as Yard likes to call it.

Founded by Hamid Hashemi, iPic features pod and chaise lounge seating with courtesy personal pillows and blankets, along with push-button “Ninja Butler” service. They are equipped with swivel tables and a cubby in the corner for small items.

“The new iPic Scottsdale was designed to deliver our members and

guests a differentiated, elevated entertainment experience,” Hashemi says.

“Our guests will be able to enjoy the newest releases in an intimate setting with their friends or loved ones in a shared environment. Scottsdale’s new auditorium seating will offer a glimpse into our next generation of auditoriums and seat design which will be rolling out worldwide.”

Yard is proud of her company.

“All of us work really hard with iPic,” she says. “When you get off work, you want an escape. You want to get away. We say, ‘Come for the food; stay for the movie.’

“You can sit at home and watch a movie there. You can’t have that same experience, though. It’s all about taking care of you and hospitality—the creating and curating of a memorable experience.”

Next door to iPic Scottsdale, Tanzy offers Yard’s garden-fresh Italian dishes, most notably her handmade pasta dishes like spinach-ricotta gnudi with roasted mushrooms, basil pesto, gorgonzola cream and grana Padano; beet agnolotti with mascarpone-potato filling, poppy seed, black winter truffle and parmesan; and pappardelle with slow-cooked Bolognese, plum tomato, fresh ricotta and basil.

“I love the beet pasta,” Yard says.

“It’s so good. It’s all about the beet. It takes me back to California.”

Showcasing Prime USDA beef, Tanzy’s new steak section features a 21-day wet-aged cuts: petite filet mignon, New York strip loin, Wagyu

flat skirt steak and “cowboy cut” bone-in ribeye for two.

Yard is known for her desserts. So, be prepared to save room.

“I have a dessert cart that’s coming,” she says. “I’m going to have cakes you can’t get anywhere else. I have a flourless chocolate mousse cake. I love chocolate mousse—everyone does. I want to bring it back in a more modern way. I have a raspberry infinity cake. It’s a luscious version of red velvet cake. We have cookies for days and ice creams.”

Tanzy’s new culinary menu will be complemented by Seger’s diverse beer, wine and craft cocktail list.

There are five flavors of spiked Italian ice (limon, passion-ginger, strawberry mojito, blood orange-pomegranate and chocolate-espresso-maldon) or finish a meal with housemade Italian liqueurs including chocolatecello, citruscello and cherrycello.

“Our guests are foodies at the restaurant and at the theater,” Yard says.

“It’s all about the experiences.”

Tanzy Restaurant and iPic Scottsdale

Scottsdale Quarter 15257 N. Scottsdale Road Scottsdale 480.483.3255, tanzyrestaurant.com (Tanzy) 480.483.3232, ipictheaters.com (iPic)

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2018

‘STREET MAGIC’ For David Blaine, it’s all about the reaction Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

F

ans of renowned magician David Blaine may think he would look up to Harry Houdini or Doug Henning, but he looked elsewhere.

“My mother was my No. 1 inspiration,” Blaine says sweetly of Patricia White.

“She taught me to read really good books, and to go to the library and read and research. Incredible writers—those were my inspiration, too. She was a teacher. She did a lot for people. When she passed away, everybody was devastated. She was amazing.”

Blaine is promoting his forthcoming tour, which includes a Sunday,

May 27, stop at the Mesa Arts Center.

In late April, he appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

He performed a card trick after sewing his mouth shut in front of the host, members of The Roots, and actress Priyanka Chopra.

“What you saw on Fallon is just a small dose of the show,” Blaine says.

“The real stuff I do has to be seen live.”

He melds feats of endurance with straight magic. Blaine has been working out four hours a day, and barely eating, to prepare for his tour. He can’t have any food in his stomach when he does a Hadji Aliinspired trick with kerosene, a gallon of water and a lighter. A vaudeville magician known for his controlled regurgitation, Ali died after a bout of pneumonitis. He doesn’t want the same thing to happen to him.

“I’m getting fit and preparing for the tour,” he says.

Described by Howard Stern as the greatest, Blaine redefined magic after producing and direction his TV special Street Magic, when he was 23.

Blaine’s primetime specials have shown him being buried alive in New York City for a week, encased inside a 6-ton block of ice for three days, surviving standing atop a 100-foot-tall pillar in Bryant Park for 36 hours without a safety net, enduring 44 days inside a transparent box in London on nothing

15

but water, and living within 1 million volts discharged at him continuously for 72 hours from seven Tesla coils.

The magic behind his career?

Blaine’s mom. Blaine was intrigued by the magicians he saw on street corners or on Coney Island in New York. White encouraged a 4-year-old Blaine to pursue his desired career.

“I was lucky in the sense she let me pursue my passions,” he says.

Blaine describes his success simply. He does the opposite of other magicians.

“I am a performer of the street. I’m the complete opposite of The World’s Greatest Magic,” he says of the TV show.

“I love watching people’s reaction.

That only happens with a certain kind of magic. There’s that suspension of disbelief.”

There’s no disbelief on Blaine’s side, however. He has nerves of steel.

“I don’t just jump into things,” he says. “I practice. I rehearse. I meet with different people. If I just jumped in and created, I would have that nervous feeling, I’m sure.

“Step by step I get all the failures out of the way before I start to approach the concept. When I see something, I do something. I don’t get nervous. It’s more of the excitement of trying to achieve it. For me, it’s not about the actual results. It’s the work that goes into it. That’s the driving force.”

David Blaine

Mesa Arts Center’s Ikeda Theater, 1 E. Main Street, Mesa, 480.644.6500, mesaartscenter. com, 8 p.m. Sunday, May 27, $50-$126.

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THE EXTRAORDINAIRE

17

STYLE » ENVY » PASSION » FASHION » BEAUTY » DESIGN

EXTRAORDINARY RIDES BMW X4 M40i

C.A. Haire » The Entertainer!

B

MW has a good choice of sport utility vehicles in the dealers’ portfolio. With high ground clearance, available all-wheel drive, and square-shaped body to provide plenty of room for hauling cargo, these are practical for everyday chores, on or off the pavement. Then there is the X4 model, which is marketed as an SAV, or sport activity vehicle. It has the same ground clearance and AWD of the other BMW SUVs, but given a coupe shape passenger car body, with sloped rear, cramped cabin space, and limited cargo area. This arrangement isn’t very practical, but it looks cool,

and status sells.

The base engine is a 248 horsepower 4-cylinder, but this M40i upgrade provides a potent 6-cylinder cranking 355 horsepower, with maximum torque at a low 1350 rpm thanks to its turbocharger. It is hooked to an 8-speed automatic gearbox and AWD system for excellent traction. BMW claims a 0-60 mph time of 4.7 seconds, which I easily obtained. The vehicle also obtained the EPA claimed fuel economy of 19/26 mpg on premium blend. In spite of the high ride height of this platform, cornering on tight mountain roads was very good, and the brakes never faded in spite of constant use on brisk downhill runs.

We did take this SAV off pavement, but there are some disadvantages to doing so. First, BMW doesn’t provide a spare tire. Calling for roadside assistance in the middle of the desert doesn’t work well, so pray you don’t get a flat.

Secondly, even without a spare, there is only 18 cubic feet of cargo area, so a picnic basket and bedroll is about all you will be capable of carrying for that next camping trip. Remember, this isn’t about being practical, it’s about image.

This X4 certainly got plenty of positive looks from bystanders on the street.

The base price starts about $45K. The M40i version seen here begins about $57K. With options like metallic paint, cold weather equipment, light package, driver assist program, heated

seats, navigation, and upgraded alloy wheels, the total tab on this test vehicle soared to $67,495. This is cheap when compared to the flagship X6 model, with its 567 horsepower V-8, starting at $106,500.

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE DOWNTOWNER | THE TOURIST | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

STILL W COOL

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

PHOTO BY RENE RADKA

Echosmith ready to make triumphant return with new music

hen Sydney Sierota stepped into the recording studio for the first time to sing with her siblings in the pop band Echosmith, she was in her early teens.

Now 21, Sierota—who performs with her brothers Noah (vocals/bass) and Graham (drums)—has more to say. It will be revealed when Echosmith releases a new full-length album later this year.

“I was 14 or 15 when we wrote and recorded the first record,” she says about 2013 album Talking Dreams, which spawned the hits “Cool Kids” and “Bright.” “Fourteen or 15 is very different than 21. Most of your development happens then. I feel like a different person, in a way.

“I have a lot of the same qualities.

I haven’t changed. I’m older and more mature, but I know what’s important.

We have more to talk about now. We don’t have to sing about what we hope happens in the future—we want to be in love, we want to have a relationship.

It’s real and tangible now and deeper.

Lyrically, it’s changed a lot because, as people, we’ve changed a lot.”

To tide fans over, Echosmith released the Inside a Dream EP in September and now they’re on the road, coming to the Marquee Theatre on May 9.

“I feel like it’s been forever since we’ve been on the road,” she says enthusiastically. “We’re so excited to be back.

We love playing live so much.”

One look at their social media accounts and it’s easy to feel the excitement. They’re filled with photos of the group huddling before shows, meeting fans and having fun backstage.

“We use a lot of capital letters and exclamation points to show our excitement,” she says with a giggle.

The set, lighting, props and keyboardist are new, but there’s another difference fans will see with the live show. Her guitarist/brother Jamie is no longer in Echosmith.

“When he found out his wife was pregnant, he decided to take a break

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from touring,” she says.

“Once the baby was born, he decided to leave the band and stay at home and focus on family. The baby is 2 now. We were super sad about him leaving, but we supported him through it. We love him and we love the baby so much. It’s hard to leave that little guy.

I’m really close to my nephew.”

Jamie’s departure, Sierota admits, changed the songwriting dynamic.

“He led a lot of the charge, especially musically,” she says. “There are so many guitar lines in the first record.

There are still a lot; almost every song is guitar driven.

“The process has been interesting, challenging and frustrating. What do you replace him with? But any challenge is going to help you grow. It tested us, but I think it’s a good test.”

Sierota describes the first show with a fill-in guitarist as “weird.” She had to get used to seeing someone else on stage.

“It’s an interesting dynamic when that person isn’t your brother,” she adds.

“It’s not as comfortable. You literally don’t know them yet. With family, it was comfortable.

“I could say, ‘Your hair looks crazy,’ or ‘Maybe trying playing that a different way.’ I can say that to someone else, but it’s different. It’s not as comfortable, but you have to adjust, obviously. What else are we going to do? Not have a guitar player?”

Nevertheless, she’s having fun on the tour.

“The keyboardist takes a little weight off me,” says Sierota, whose grandfather lives in the Valley. “I don’t have to play keyboard for every single song. We’re going to have confetti, which we’ve never had before, and a full light show. It just feels more exciting and dynamic. I love all the other tours we’ve done, but this one is more creative.”

Echosmith w/The Score and Jena Rose

Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Avenue, Tempe, 480.829.0607, luckymanonline.com, 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, May 9, $24-$50.

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2018

19

PRESERVING HISTORY Longtime friends Devon Allman and Duane Betts hit the MIM stage

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

A

s the son of Gregg Allman, Devon Allman understands the fans’ desire to hear his father’s music.

But when he and longtime friend Duane Betts play two shows at the Musical Instrument Museum on Sunday, May 27, don’t expect an evening full of hits.

“There’s a fine line between preserving something and capitalizing on something,” Allman says.

“It would be in bad taste to come out and do two hours of Allman Brothers. We’re the sons. I think it’s appropriate to continue to do our thing and thrive and grow our careers.”

The set will mostly include their own material. Allman formed a six-piece ensemble, The Devon Allman Project; while guitarist Betts, the son of Allman Brothers Band’s cofounding guitarist Dickey Betts, is pursuing his own career.

Betts will play a 35-minute set, while Allman will hit the stage for 80 to 90 minutes. The two will unite for a 40-minute encore.

Betts and Allman have wanted to tour together for many years, but the two found this was the right time.

“We’ve been friends for years,” said Allman, who played the MIM in 2016.

“We wanted to join forces for a while, but it just never seemed to be the right time. Now was the right time.

“I’ve been out there touring for 15-plus years, and he’s been a sideman for 10 years. He’s been wanting to do

his own record and front his own band.

It seemed like a good time to put the two together. The world has not seen an Allman and a Betts on stage together for a long time.”

The two will tour for most of the year. At the end of the summer, Allman is going to work on a new record and launch a record label in the fall.

“I just always want to work,” Allman says. “I want to bring music to the people, make people feel good, and continue to make records.

“The more you do it, and the more you stay out there, the more people pick up on it.”

Allman signed his first artist, his guitarist Jackson Stokes, who will release his album in the fall. Allman has his eye on a few other acts. His goal is to do something that major labels doing have

the time to do: nurture young artists.

“It’s a shame,” he says. “They used to. Major labels used to give artists until their third or fourth record. They would stick with you. It’s not the case anymore. I want a place where people can start a career and I can leave this planet knowing I launched 10 careers or so. That would make me happy.”

The Devon Allman Project w/ Duane Betts Musical Instrument Museum, 4725 E. Mayo Boulevard, Phoenix, 480.478.6000, mim. org, 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. Sunday, May 27, $43.50 to $53.50.

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21

HIP » AMBASSADORS » MUSEUMS » PRO SPORTS » HIGHRISES

URBAN HOTSHOT Ambassador Qadeer Muhammad brings an artistic twist to DTPHX

Laura Latzko » The Entertainer!

F

or Qadeer Muhammad, Downtown Phoenix is his home and workplace.

Born in California, the Downtown Phoenix ambassador has developed an extensive knowledge of the area, having lived there since he was a toddler. Through the years, Muhammad has watched downtown progress into an urban hotspot filled with restaurants, sports and concert venues, and interactive public spaces.

“Sometimes, when I have time, I like to take walks and just look around to check out the progress,” Muhammad says.

Muhammad, 22, has been working

as an ambassador for four months. He also is employed as a venue host at the Phoenix Convention Center, through which he became aware of the ambassador program.

The Downtown Phoenix ambassadors assist visitors and locals 365 days a year, providing advice on restaurants and things to do, directions, maps, business directories, What’s Happening newsletters and homeless outreach services.

Muhammad’s jobs at the convention center and as a driver for a sandwich shop prepared him for his work with the ambassadors.

“It helped me as far as directions, not only how to get there but what’s the easiest way to get there,” he says. “I know how to point someone there if they are driving, if they are walking or if

they are riding a bike.”

As an ambassador, Muhammad most often fields questions about where to eat or what to do downtown.

Sometimes, he gets more specific questions about where to take children for a day out, what types of menu items offered at certain restaurants or what establishments are open on holidays.

Muhammad said as an ambassador, it is important to not only be personable but be curious.

“Sometimes, if they ask you a question, you would answer with a question right back, ‘Oh, what do you have a taste for or how much time do you have?’” Muhammad says.

Part of his job involves going into businesses to drop off newsletters and gather information. He gets to know employees and owners by name.

Sometimes, Downtown PHX will set up group outings for the ambassadors to visit and sample food at local restaurants.

“We get to try out different stuff so we have a deeper understanding.

We can tell people a little bit more about what a certain place has to offer,” Muhammad says.

The smells from local restaurants and the cardio workout involved in his job often cause Muhammad to feel hungry throughout the day. His favorite spot to eat and hang out is the Arizona Center, an area in the middle of downtown with restaurants, courtyard shops and galleries.

“Every 10 minutes, my stomach is growling. That’s definitely the biggest challenge I have is my appetite,” Muhammad says.

Downtown PHX not only allows the ambassadors the chance to share their passions, but to stretch their wings and showcase their talents.

An artist who has been drawing since age 6 and is apprenticing at a local tattoo shop, Muhammad loves conversing about the arts. He often recommends First Fridays to visitors.

Muhammad’s mother encouraged his love of art from a young age.

“My mom has always pushed me to continue to draw, and I’m very grateful for that,” Muhammad says.

Recently, Muhammad decorated one of the city’s Lending Library boxes as part of his work with the ambassadors.

“I really appreciate the opportunities I’ve had,” he says. “That’s one thing I definitely enjoy the most.”

Easy to spot in their orange shirts with an “Ask Me” logo, the ambassadors are stationed in different parts of the downtown area from Third Avenue to Seventh Street and from Fillmore Street to the railroad tracks south of Jackson Street. Their headquarters is inside CityScape Phoenix, located at Central Avenue and Washington Street.

The ambassadors can be reached at 602.495.1500 and ambassadors@dtphx. org. For more information, visit dtphx. org/about/field-services.

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TACO CHELO

THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE DOWNTOWNER | THE TOURIST | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

A farm fresh experience with traditional mexican food

Catherine Hathaway » The Entertainer!

S

ony Santana has a passion for traditional food made right. His eyes light up as he recalls detailed instructions for cooking meats at his restaurant, some taking 24 hours to prepare. He can name exactly what local farm or shop he purchased every single ingredient he uses in each dish.

The head chef at Taco Chelo is one third of the dream team that opened one of the newest restaurants on Roosevelt Row in March. Restaurateur Aaron Chamberlin and artist Gennaro Garcia collaborated with the passionate chef to mesh the traditional Mexican food with an urban and trendy experience Named after the chef ’s mother, Taco Chelo was inspired by a trip the three men took to San Diego to help another restaurant with a Taco Tuesday.

The men discussed the idea of owning their own shop, and they couldn’t let the prospect slip their mind after the trip.

They decided to funnel their unique talents into a trendy and tasty new restaurant in Downtown Phoenix.

“With the menu, it’s very simple, TLR046_ENTERTAINER_AD_9.25x1.5_FINAL.qxp_Layout 1 4/4/18 AM Page 1 and a lot of people ask9:02 me what’s different

on your menu that we can’t find at other places,” Santana says. “In taquerias in Mexico, and even here in Arizona, you’re always going to find carne asada, carnitas, el pescado. What I wanted to do was use nice ingredients and do it the right way.”

Santana’s menu features four appetizers or snacks, five different types of tacos, two salads and a flan. He values quality of ingredients above all else.

“We have a very good relationship with the farmers,” Santana says. “It helps both of us. We are representing their product, but for us, it shows we’re supporting local businesses, which I think is very important. Like we always say, we’re building community through food.”

Not only is supporting local resources good for the economy and the community, but it works for the menu.

He has built trusting relationships with his suppliers. They guide him when choosing the best fish for his tacos and the very freshest ingredients.

“If you get some really nice stuff and fresh stuff, you really don’t have to do anything to it,” Santana explains.

“A little oil, a little lime for acidity, and then you let the vegetables shine or the meats. As a chef, I take that very serious.

I have a lot of pride. I respect every single product in the kitchen.”

Santana put meticulous work into developing the menu. He creates classic taqueria dishes to be the best they can. To achieve this, he spent months making and remaking menu items to find the perfect recipe. Barbarcoba is one of Santana’s favorite dishes.

“That type of meat, you usually cook it for 24 hours,” Santana says.

“You have to be very gentle with it.

Gentle cooking it. Low flame. Wait for it. Don’t rush it. Again, you have a very juicy and tender meat.”

Since the opening, Santana says feedback has been mostly positive, but he always monitors guests’ suggestions for improvement.

“To us as chefs, it’s cool when they compliment you on food or whatever you do,” Santana says. “It feels great, but we also want to hear the negative stuff that makes us better as chefs. When I go and read the reviews, I look for the negative stuff, so that’s something I can fix.

If we have some negative reviews about, for example, the chips. The portion was too small. It’s an instant fix.”

Tacos range from $2.75 to $3.75 each. The restaurant is reasonably priced. They also have a bar for cocktails, beer and wine.

Santana admits the menu is small, but it is all done right. He is planning on implementing specials, so guests who come to Taco Chelo often have something different to try.

In addition to the food, guests will be able to experience the urban and spicy ambiance of the restaurant that Garcia designed. He is hoping to breathe more artistic life into the restaurant, where he says they can “collaborate with other artists that we admire, like for an art installation. That was the idea from the beginning.”

The restaurant is integrating its Mexican base with popular Roosevelt Point culture.

“From the beginning, we agreed it was going to be something very simple,” Santana says. “But the decor was going to be done by Gennaro, and the food was going to be done by me, and Aaron obviously as a businessman, he was going to help us out in whatever he needed.

That’s how everything started. Everything started going on a trip to San Diego.”

Taco Chelo

501 E. Roosevelt Street, Phoenix, 602.368.5316, tacochelo.com.

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23

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2018

SHEDDING

‘LIGHT’

Peter Hook recalls New Order and Joy Division in new show Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

P

eter Hook, the bassist behind the grooves of New Order and Joy Division, immediately brightens when he hears the word “Phoenix.”

“Phoenix is one of my favorite places on Earth and it’s so nice getting back there,” Hook says.

Peter Hook & The Light will perform at The Van Buren on Thursday, May 17, to celebrate Joy Division and New Order’s Factory Records compilation albums, Substance, live, sequentially and in their entireties.

“New Order, in our early career, played there quite a few times,” he adds.

“We would start our tours in Phoenix, and had many wonderful times there— being driven to the mountains and swimming in the lakes, being among the tarantulas and the snakes. We’re looking forward to coming back.

“It was a wonderful place to start a tour. Tempe is such a huge university town when we were there in 1981 to 1986. You were always guaranteed a great, young audience. They’re very connected musically, very hip.”

Released in August 1987, New Order’s Substance was conceived as a way for Factory Records’ boss, Tony Wilson, to play the New Order singles on the CD player of his new Jaguar car. Substance became the best-selling New Order album, the double LP going on to sell 2 million copies in America alone. The collection includes the hits “True Faith,” “Temptation,” “Thieves Like Us,” “The Perfect Kiss” and “Bizarre Love Triangle.”

Released the following year in July 1988, Joy Division’s Substance features the singles that did not appear on the albums, such as “Transmission,” “Komakino,” “Love Will Tear Us Apart” and “Atmosphere.”

“I must admit I didn’t realize what we were doing at the time,” Hook says about the naivety behind New Order and Joy Division’s music.

“We didn’t realize how or why we did it. We just did it. That’s the best way of writing music—when you don’t know what you’re doing or achieving.

If you listen to The Doors or Velvet Underground, they were very young when they made their LPs. Great music has this ability to transcend age, judging by the number of young people we get at concerts.”

After Joy Division singer Ian Curtis died and New Order was founded by the surviving members, the former band’s music was ignored completely for 30 years, he adds. But it put him in a good position to do this tour. New Order deserves its due as well.

“Whilst New Order still exists in a different form, it’s a completely different role to the one I do,” he says. “I think the fans get very nice bite of the cherry.

We’re covering all the bases, shall we say.”

In September, New Order settled with Hook on his use of New Order and Joy Division assets on merchandising and the promotion of shows, and the amount of the money he received from the use of the name New Order by his former bandmates in 2011. New Order is Bernard Sumner, Stephen Morris and Gillian Gilbert.

In Peter Hook & The Light, Hook is joined by his bassist/son, Jack. He says it’s been inspirational to perform with him.

“He has the youth and the stamina, while I have the patience but not the stamina, to try and sort things out,” Hook says with a laugh.

“He helps me a great deal in figuring out the songs. As you start to figure them out, it brings back memories of when we did them the first time. It’s quite interesting to go through the

process again. I don’t have the use of the New Order tapes or anything. We have to recreate everything, but all the equipment is still available. The old analog equipment has that richness and warmth. That’s been refreshing.”

His son started playing bass at age 10, while Hook didn’t pick up the instrument until he was about 20.

“He has an ear for music,” Hook says. “He can listen to a song and start playing along with it. That’s something I can’t do. I’m a bit tone deaf. I can write, but I can’t play other people’s music. He can. THE It’sLEGENDARY been nice to watch him.” ® BURGER It’s fun watching the crowd as well.

“New Order was immensely popular in America,” Hook explains.

“One thing I learned while writing the New Order book was from 1980 to 1990, we spent most of our time in America. We were playing to 30,000 to 35,000 people. That’s bigger than Oasis, bigger than Spice Girls. It’s nice to have that accolade.”

Peter Hook & The Light

The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren Street, Phoenix, thevanburenphx.com, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 17, $26-$41.

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24

THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE DOWNTOWNER | THE TOURIST | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

STEADY SUCCESS

These are ‘joyful’ times for X Ambassadors

C

“

razy” is a word that X Ambassadors keyboardist Casey Harris likes to use—and rightly so.

It aptly describes X Ambassadors’ career since Harris and his singer/brother Sam founded the band in 2009 in Ithaca, New York.

The duo, along with drummer Adam Levin, has released a slew of singles, including the notable tracks “Unsteady,” “Renegades,” “Jungle” and WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

“Ahead of Myself,” and the 2015 album, VHS. X Ambassadors has gone from playing clubs to headlining festivals. It performs at The Van Buren on Tuesday, May 15.

“It’s been a crazy ride,” Harris says with a laugh. “The craziest thing is it feels like we’re just scratching the surface.”

Harris hopes to further X Ambassadors’ success this spring when it releases its sophomore album, Joyful.

“We had written an entire album, which included a few of the songs that we have on the album we’re getting ready to release now. We just wrote a million

songs,” says Harris, who has been blind since birth. Harris recently married his girlfriend of five years, Olivia.

Joyful is a relevant addition to X Ambassadors’ catalog, he adds.

“It’s more of a statement about our current musical direction and our current ethos and aesthetic, as far as the sound goes.”

The X Ambassadors’ set on its new tour will include songs from Joyful.

“As much as I’ve loved, loved, loved playing the set we’ve had for the last couple years, I love playing the new songs for people,” Harris says.

X Ambassadors w/Shaed and Jacob Banks

The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren Street, Phoenix, thevanburenphx.com, 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, May 17, $33-$139.

PHOTOS BY CATIE LAFFOON

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

“Once you’ve played the same songs for long enough, you can anticipate people’s reaction to them. I’m back in the unknown. I don’t know how people are going to react—if they’re going to sing along or dance to them.

I’m stoked to get this new material out there and gauge people’s reactions.”

X Ambassadors is known for its poignant and emotional lyrics, so Harris has received plenty of fan comments.

“One of the greatest things about music is songs can be interpreted in many ways,” Harris says. “The stories we’ve heard from some fans about relating to our music, their lives and things they’ve gone through are incredible. I’ve had some of the most powerful fan experiences. It’s really magical, honestly.”

Harris has had powerful memories, himself. One of his favorites is Cayuga Sound, a festival headlined and presented by X Ambassadors, in Ithaca. The Roots also performed at the first event in September. It returns this fall, expanded to two days, with X Ambassadors, Young the Giant, Matt & Kim, Sofi Tukker, Talib Kweli, Buddy, Morgxn and others.

“This past September, we put on our own festival to cap the whole VHS cycle,” Harris says. “We went back to Ithaca and The Roots agreed to co-headline the festival. It turned out to be a crazy success.

“Ithaca is a small town. There were maybe 5,000 people at the festival. It was a day of amazing music and amazing vibes, right by the lake. It was a beautiful day. I was hanging out with all my old friends who I hadn’t seen in years. Not only did I get to play for everyone, I sat back side stage and watched The Roots put on an incredible concert as well. It was one of the best days of my life.”

“Joyful” is an apt description of Harris’ state, and he’s looking forward to fans hearing the new songs.

“After the amount of writing and time we put into this next album, I’m really proud of the results. It’s a long time coming and I’m so excited for it to be out there and for people to be able to hear it.”

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2018

25

Michael Rooker discusses his ‘awesome mix’ of roles

HE’S

MARVELOUS

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

M

ichael Rooker didn’t get into show business to entertain at comic festivals— but he sure loves being part of them.

The star of Guardians of the Galaxy and The Walking Dead, Rooker says appearing at events like May’s Phoenix Comic Fest are worth it.

“It’s about having a good time and meeting the fans,” he says.

Set for Thursday, May 24, to Sunday, May 27, Phoenix Comic Fest will also include appearances by the likes of Tim Curry, Ming-Na Wen, Sean Gunn, Greg Grunberg, Val Kilmer and William Shatner at the Phoenix Convention Center.

Rooker has several personal appearances this year, but he also takes in comic fests as a fan.

“When I started as an actor, I went to them just for the experience, just to see what it was like,” Rooker says. “I would mainly go now to see my friends. I’m sure if Stan Lee was there, I would be there. I would go see my pals. Actually, I would wait in line and be a regular fan—and then surprise them at the table.”

KEEPING IT FRESH Rooker is known for his complex portrayals of dark characters, ranging from the blue-skinned, loveable rogue, Yondu, in Guardians of the Galaxy, to the outlaw-turned-lawman Sherman McMasters in 1983’s Tombstone.

He made his film debut in 1986 playing the title role in Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer. He has since appeared in numerous films including Mississippi Burning, Sea of Love, Days of Thunder, JFK, Cliffhanger, Tombstone, Mallrats, Rosewood, The 6th Day and Jumper.

Rooker also has a prolific relationship with writer/director James Gunn, appearing in his Slither, Super, The Belko Experiment and, of course, Guardians.

“I keep it fresh and as honest as possible, and have fun at the same time,” Rooker says. “Every day is different. Every day is new. Every film is new. Every scene is new. Even though you have a basic ‘through lines,’ it’s still fresh, man, because you don’t know what the actors were going to do part of the time.

“We rehearse, but we don’t know who’s going to happen day of.”

Rooker says most actors will change lines a bit, but the Guardians of the Galaxy script was a gem.

“When you have a great script like the script James wrote for Guardians of the Galaxy and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,

you don’t need to think of any other lines or words. They’re already there.

“We just need to make those lines as normal and natural for yourself as you can. That’s what it’s all about— making them feel natural and fresh.”

While he found success with Guardians of the Galaxy, Rooker cites a different film as his “dream job.” It’s Tombstone.

“It’s really beautiful,” he says. “I got to ride a horse, shoot guns and wear spurs. If you don’t walk up and down the stairs right, you look like an idiot when you fall on your face.”

Rooker has learned a few unexpected skills on the movie set beyond walking with spurs. In one film, he had to smoke cigars, which he called “gross.”

He mastered the art of racing cars as Rowdy Burns in the 1990 Tom Cruise flick Days of Thunder.

“The driving in Days of Thunder was very, very important,” he says. “I had to learn as much as I possibly could. This isn’t just acting. This isn’t just a game. I was dealing with a 3,000-pound machine.

It’s going fast. I had to get up to speed.

That’s literally where the term comes from.

I was going 205. It’s a whole different ballgame when you’re going that fast.”

In late April, he was the honorary pace car driver for the Toyota Owners 400 in Richmond, Virginia. He led the field to green in the Official Toyota

Camry Pace Car for the spring Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race “under the lights.”

“I drove a Toyota Camry, which, by the way, is an awesome car,” he says.

“It’s brand new and redesigned. I’m all into cars and that was a beautiful piece of machinery. That was fun. I’ve never driven a pace car before. I learn from everything I do.”

He even learns about himself and others at comic festivals, where he’s become a fan favorite.

“God forbid you choose your projects because you want to do conventions,” he says. “That’s the dumbest way to choose projects. It just so happens a lot of my choices and projects and characters really caught on to fans. They like what I’m doing, especially in Guardians of the Galaxy and The Walking Dead.

“For a lot of fans, they’re a vacation.

Instead of going to Disneyland or an amusement park, they meet their heroes and villains and fellow actors. It’s fun and it was amazing to learn.”

Phoenix Comic Fest

Phoenix Convention Center, 100 N. Third Street, Phoenix, phoenixcomicfest.com, Thursday, May 24, to Sunday, May 27. For times and ticket information, visit the website.

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE DOWNTOWNER | THE TOURIST | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

Carson Mlnarik » The Entertainer!

Mexican food, dance and games. This year, Ozomatli, El Chicano and Latin Breed bring the music.

Downtown Phoenix near 200 W. Washington Street, 602.279.4669, cincophx.com, noon, $11.54-$64.29.

Phoenix ’90s Block Party

MAY 12 Grab your best friends, a boombox and an ice-cold Crystal Pepsi—does anyone else remember that?—and head to Downtown Phoenix to revisit the ’90s. This jammed-packed concert features performances by Guy, Teddy Riley, Jagged Edge, 112 and Ginuwine.

“Let’s Chill,” anybody?

Comerica Theatre, 400 W. Washington Street, 602.379.2800, comericatheatre. com, 7:30 p.m., $59-$89.

Ladies Gone Mild

to deliver a fresh set, always full of the unexpected.

StandUp Live, 50 W. Jefferson Street, 480.719.6100, phoenix. standuplive.com, times vary, $22.

American Movie: Cult Film in Review

MAY 18 The film geeks behind local podcast Cult Film in Review host this screening of American Movie, a humorous and heartwarming documentary about an aspiring filmmaker from a working-class town in Wisconsin. Featuring an eccentric cast of characters, the doc took home the Sundance Grand Jury Prize for Documentary and evokes just as many tears as it does chuckles.

FilmBar, 815 N. Second Street, 602.595.9187, thefilmbarphx. com, 10 p.m., $9.95.

MAY 12 Who says a hotel can’t be a performance venue? Who says a scavenger hunt can’t be a performance?

Who says two moms can’t let loose on their staycation? This immersive dance comedy theater piece lets audiences walk through the hotel on a scavenger hunt, seeking performance vignettes from a variety of local artists.

Justin Timberlake

MAY 2 Justin Timberlake is hitting the road to back his country-tinged album Man of the Woods. With the 2018 Super Bowl halftime show under his belt, JT is known for his dance and showmanship, making this a concert you don’t want to miss. Arrive early for pop group The Shadowboxers, who open the evening.

Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E. Jefferson Street, 602.379.2000, talkingstickresortarena.com, 7:30 p.m., $54-$326.

City Lights Movie Nights: Spaceballs MAY 4 “May the fourth be with you,” during this special screening of Mel Brooks’ cult Star Wars parody classic. Bring your picnic blankets, chairs and gather around as heroic Lone Starr and his half-man, half-dog sidekick, Barf, set out to rescue Princess Vespa from the evil Spaceballs — yes, it’s as ridiculously goofy as it sounds.

CityScape Phoenix, 1 E. Washington

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Street, 602.772.3900, cityscapephoenix.com, 6 p.m., free.

The Clarendon Hotel, 401 W. Clarendon Avenue, 602.252.7363, goclarendon. com, 7:30 p.m., suggested donation $10.

The NeverEnding Story: Live & Legless

Phoenix International Folk Dancing

MAY 3 TO MAY 5 Try to resist the nostalgia with this puppet-performed adaptation of ’80s flick The NeverEnding Story.

Performed by the All Puppet Players, expect pop-culture references galore, pure puppet anarchy and a dark homage to the children’s movie that was too creepy for kids in the first place.

Playhouse on the Park, 1850 N. Central Avenue, 602.254.2151, allpuppetplayers.com, 8 p.m., $26-$55.

MAY 15 Do they do the “Soulja Boy” in Turkey? What about the “Cha Cha Slide”? Find out at the Phoenix International Folk Dancers’ weekly dance night! All ages and experience levels are welcome to this three-hour dance party, which features a lesson for beginners, a free dance and a program of folk dance from nations across the world, including Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey and Romania.

Irish Cultural Center, 1106 N. Central Avenue, 623.428.9666, phxfolkdancers.org, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., $3-$5.

Harland Williams

Cinco Phoenix Festival

MAY 6 For 25 years, this Cinco de Mayo celebration has been the one to attend, with lucha libre fighting, authentic

MAY 17 TO MAY 19 You’ll recognize this funny guy from some of the biggest comedies, including There’s Something About Mary, Dumb and Dumber and Half Baked. Williams is known for combining his skills as a character actor and his improv expertise

Bleachers

MAY 22 The brainchild of Fun. band member and record producer Jack Antonoff, this indie pop act mixes elements of the ’80s, ’90s and new wave to create its own kind of sound. With singalong anthems like “I Wanna Get Better” and “Wild Heart,” which was recently featured in the film Love, Simon, its good vibes and live show are sure to get even the most stubborn alt-music fan tapping their feet.

The Van Buren, 401 W. Van Buren Street, 480.659.1641, thevanburenphx.com, 8 p.m., $27.50.

EX UN T R CO AO M RD M I ON NA R GR Y OU SK N IES D. .

SIERRA VISTA SIPS & SKIES MAY 26 & 27, 2018 Feed your passion during Sierra Vista Sips & Skies, a sampler platter of adventure and flavor. Enjoy Arizona’s best wine, beer and spirits; compete in the Sky Islands Summit Challenge; and relax to music under the stars.

Let your soul soar. VisitSierraVistaAZ.com | 800-288-3861

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2018

THE TOURIST

29

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

TOUR DU JOUR Welcome to “The Tourist,” a section for the more than 40 million visitors to our state, as well as the locals. But we’re not stopping at the border. Whether it be nightlife, natural wonders, golf, resort diversions, amazing cuisine or one-ofa-kind attractions, let us point out the best of the mileposts.

Enjoy!

Dillon’s KC BBQ Bayou CrackerJax Family Fun and Sports Park The entire family will be entertained at CrackerJax! Experience a variety of attractions including go-karts, 18hole miniature golf course, 300-yard golf driving range with two levels and 66 bays, bumper boats, batting cages, the Bungee Dome, Alien Invasion Laser Tag, volleyball courts, Water Wars arcade, restaurant and more. Ideal for birthday parties and corporate events of all sizes. Open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; and 10 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday. Driving range is open at 8 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, and 8:30 a.m. Monday through Friday.

1601 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, 480.998.2800, CrackerJax.com

Dillon’s KC BBQ Bayou is ready to serve its great food to diners in its new location—13 miles closer than its previous spot. Spend the day, choose a camp site or dine with us at this wonderfully huge venue that only Dillon’s Bayou and its award-winning barbecue can offer. Check out the general store, where you’re sure to find something necessary or unique. Our guests and employees are our greatest asset and we’re grateful for their loyalty. Visit one of our destination locations: Dillon’s Bayou at Pleasant Harbor and Dillon’s at The Wildlife World Zoo and Aquarium.

Four Valley locations, dillonsrestaurant.com

O.K. Corral Visit the actual site of Tombstone, Arizona’s legendary Gunfight at the O.K. Corral and see Wyatt Earp and “Doc” Holliday in daily reenactments.

There are life-sized animatronic figures of the eight gun fighters, too.

Experience the Corral as it was in the 1880s, with working blacksmiths, antique cowboy gear, Western buggies and four museum displays. Ticket includes admission to multimedia Tombstone history show and a copy of the October 26, 1881, Tombstone Epitaph newspaper with original reports of the gunfight.

326 E. Allen Street, Tombstone, 520.457.3456, okcorral.com

EXCLUSIVE BENEFITS JUST FOR YOU. JOIN TODAY. See the Rewards Center for details.

9431 W. NORTHERN AVE., GLENDALE, AZ 85305 39594 DDWV Feb Entertainer Strip Ad APPROVED.indd 1

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MAY CONCERTS AT THE MIM MUSIC THEATER ALAM KHAN Featuring Tabla Accompaniment

by Javad Butah

BILL FRISELL TRIO Featuring Tony Scherr and Kenny Wollesen

Sunday, May 6 | 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, May 20 | 7 p.m.

Alam Khan is the face of a new generation of sarod players that has touched the hearts of audiences worldwide.

Frisell’s most nimble ensemble plays music from his entire, prolific repertoire spontaneously without a set list.

MADELEINE PEYROUX

MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO

Friday, May 25 | 7 & 9 p.m.

Thursday, May 10 | 7:30 p.m.

“The world needs more musicians like her: creatively restless and ambitious.”

—NPR

ANN AND LIZ CALLAWAY: SIBLING REVELRY Wednesday, May 16 | 7 & 9 p.m.

“The sisters lift these songs to expressive heights rarely attained by any singer.”

—New York Times

TRACY NELSON AND THE BEL AIRS

“Listen to Peyroux, and you’ll hear echoes of some of the greatest singers of all stripes: Patsy Cline, Bessie Smith, Bob Dylan, Edith Piaf.”

—CBS News

CHANO DOMÍNGUEZ: FLAMENCO SKETCHES Saturday, May 26 | 7:30 p.m.

Latin jazz pianist makes post-bop, fusion, and flamenco-influenced music that often references his Andalusian roots.

Supported by

Friday, May 18 | 7:30 p.m.

THE DEVON ALLMAN PROJECT WITH DUANE BETTS

“Tracy Nelson proves that the human voice is the most expressive instrument in creation.”

—Rolling Stone

“Reminding you why the blues can be, quite simply, the best thing in the world” —Blues Magazine

MARILYN SCOTT AND THE WEST COAST ALL STARS

MAKING MOVIES Opening Act: Alex Cuba

Saturday, May 19 | 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, May 30 | 7 p.m.

Contemporary jazz musician joined by Jimmy Haslip of the Yellowjackets, Gary Novak, Mike Miller, and Otmaro Ruiz

Entrancing audiences with the pulse of their Afro-Latino rhythms, psychedelic jams, and rock ’n’ roll riffing.

Sunday, May 27 | 7 & 9 p.m.

FOR TICKETS AND LINEUP, CALL 480.478.6000 OR VISIT MIM.ORG.

2018 Concert Series sponsored by

MIM.org | 480.478.6000 | 4725 E. Mayo Blvd., Phoenix, AZ

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2018

THE ARTIST

31

CULTURE » THEATER » DANCE » GALLERY » DRAMA » VISION

SEEKING AND DESTROYING

METALLICA

Apocalyptica celebrates 20 years of Metallica magic

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

C

lassically trained cellist Eicca Toppinen of Apocalyptica considers his band’s first album, Plays Metallica by Four Cellos, a classic.

The Finnish band of cellists is preparing to head out to celebrate the album’s 20th anniversary. Looking back, Toppinen says he would change many things, however, if he could go back, he wouldn’t adjust the collection.

“I thought about doing a remix of the whole album, but then I thought, in a way, it’s a classic album,” he says.

“It’s a classic album and you don’t touch classic albums.”

Apocalyptica morphed from a Metallica classical tribute band to performing original music in neoclassical metal style without the use of conventional guitars. They have sold more than 4 million albums.

Apocalyptica performs its first album in its entirety at 7 p.m. Sunday, May 13, at the Chandler Center for the Arts.

“This is called the 20th anniversary show to celebrate our first album, but it started two years ago,” he says with a laugh. “The tour just exploded.

This is very, very different from our previous tours.”

The show is in two parts, with an intermission. The quartet performs Metallica songs the way Apocalyptica recorded them. After the break, a drummer joins the band to play more updated songs.

“We haven’t done these Metallica versions for 15 years, probably,” he adds.

“It’s pretty interesting. It is so fun to play these songs again.”

Toppinen says he and his bandmates call Plays Metallica by Four Cellos their first album, but essentially the musicians were unfamiliar with the inner workings of a studio.

“We had no experience at all,” he says. “It was a nice experience for us.

When we went to the studio, we hadn’t played a lot of shows—just a couple of small parties.

“We didn’t research microphones well. When we started to play more shows, we realized it was a horrible sound. We had to make a second album.”

Songs like “Creeping Death” were too slow. Soon, however, this hobby turned into “something amazing.”

“Everything started to go in different countries,” he says. “Something we did as a hobby turned out to be an interesting journey.”

This excursion has included the invitations of guest singers like Bush’s Gavin Rossdale, Shinedown’s Brent Smith, Phoenix’s Max Cavalera of Soulfly, Nina Hagen, Lacuna Coil’s Cristina Scabbia, and Slipknot’s Corey Taylor.

“It’s been an honor to work with so many cool people,” Toppinen says. “They all have a different approach on how to do things. There’s a lot to learn. The collaborations started with the third album.

We wrote our songs and they were interesting metal songs. It’s amazing how the whole feel of the songs changed.”

Toppinen’s list is varied, thanks to the quartet’s musical open minds.

“It’s been interesting to have singers who are not metal or rock singers,” he says.

As for Toppinen, he has listened metal since he was a child, around the same time he began studying classical music.

“Listen, I think one of the secrets of why it works so well is how we play metal music,” he says. “It’s crossover music. Classical is the heartbeat of rock music. Sometimes it can sound cheesy, but we love metal.”

Apocalyptica

Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Avenue, Chandler, 480.782.2680, chandlercenter.org, 7 p.m.

Sunday, May 13, $34-$54.

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE DOWNTOWNER | THE TOURIST | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

Randy Montgomery » The Entertainer!

We Will Rock You

ARTS

CALENDAR

TO MAY 6 Fountain Hills Theatre Company will “rock you” with the popular futuristic musical based on the songs from British rock band Queen. Set in a time where everyone dresses the same, instruments are forbidden, and rock music has long been forgotten, a group of Bohemians hope to restore a better time.

Fountain Hills Theatre Company 11445 N. Saguaro Boulevard, Fountain Hills, 480.837.9661, fhtaz.org, times vary, $28-$35.

TO MAY 6

I Never Sang for My Father TO MAY 13 The dynamics of a dutiful son, an alienated daughter, and their detached father are examined at the funeral of their mother/wife.

Gene Hackman starred in the 1970s film adaptation of the play, which has captivated and resonated with American audiences for decades.

Theatre Artists Studio, 12406 N. Paradise Village Parkway East, Phoenix, 602.765.0120, thestudiophx.org, times vary, $15-$25.

Guys and Dolls PACIFICO DANCE COMPANY, MEXICO DE TIERRA A MAR WITH SPECIAL GUEST, MARIACHI LOS TOROS MAY 4 MAY 11 - MAY 20

TO MAY 26 With such accolades as winning Tony Award for Best Musical, and nominated for the 1951 Pulitzer Prize for drama, this Broadway favorite is making a return engagement to Arizona Broadway Theatre. Join Nathan Detroit as he tries to establish the biggest craps game in town, deal with his long-time girlfriend’s desire for marriage, and persuade fellow gambler Sky Masterson to finance his venture.

Arizona Broadway Theatre, 7701 W. Paradise Lane, Peoria, 623.776.8400, azbroadway.org, times vary, tickets TBD.

Plaza Suite TO JUNE 3 A hilarious tale from Neil Simon, widely regarded as one of the most successful, prolific and performed playwrights in the world focuses on three very different couples who occupy a suite at the Plaza Hotel.

Scottsdale Desert Stages, 7014 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale, 480.483.1664, desertstages. org, times vary, $22-$28.

HELIOS AND THE MILL AVE CHAMBER PLAYERS MAY 9

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Cinco de Mojo

MAY 4 Enjoy an evening under the stars at

the Desert Botanical Garden, while listening to jazz and enjoying dining options such as mahi mahi tacos.

Music provided by Dom Mojo, Bill Mojo, Todd Johnson and Joe Garcia, otherwise known as Cinco de Mojo, a local ensemble that mixes jazz with mambo, cha cha samba, and more.

Desert Botanical Garden, 1201 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix, 480.481.8188, dbg.org, 5:30 p.m., $25-$30.

Pacifico Dance Company, Mexico de Tierra A Mar with special guest Mariachi Los Toros

MAY 4 Celebrate Cinco de Mayo a day early while exploring elements of Mexico’s ancestry. The Pacifico Dance Company blends traditional and contemporary dance movements, while treating audiences to myths, legends and folktales. Joining Pacifico on stage will be Mariachi Los Toros.

Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Avenue, Chandler, 480.782.2680, chandlercenter.org, 7:30 p.m., $28-$44.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat MAY 4 TO MAY 20 The story Joseph and the “coat of many colors” from the Bible’s Book of Genesis is brought to life by the incredible duo of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber. The family-friendly Broadway musical incorporates numerous musical styles and has entertained millions since it debuted in 1968.

Peoria Center for the Performing Arts, 10580 N. 83rd Drive, Peoria, 623.815.7930, theaterworks.org, times vary, $16.

Helios and the Mill Ave Chamber Players

MAY 9 Helios, a musical group that celebrates history’s greatest composers, and The Mill Avenue Chamber Players, a Phoenix-based professional chamber music ensemble, come together for a performance of music from the Republic of Venice.

Peoria Center for the Performing Arts, 10580 N. 83rd Drive, Peoria, 623.815.7930, theaterworks.org, 7:30 p.m., $15-$20.

Shrek the Musical MAY 11 TO MAY 20 From animated theatrical blockbuster to Tony Award-winning fairy tale adventure, Shrek, Princess

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2018

Fiona, and Donkey have entertained audiences of all ages on the big screen and on stages around the world. Under the direction of Meribeth Reeves, audiences can join in on the adventure with an unlikely, yet likeable hero. Presented by Desert Foothills Theater.

Cactus Shadows Fine Arts Center Main Stage, 33606 N. 60th Street, Scottsdale, 480.488.1981, dftheater.org, times vary, $15-$23.

Fly by Night MAY 11 TO JUNE 2 Join Glendale’s Brelby Theatre Company as it presents a darkly comic rock-fable that debuted in Palo Alto in 2011. The story follows a sandwichmaker whose humdrum life is changed when meeting two entrancing sisters. Set in 1965 during the great blackout in the northeast, the story is an ode to young love.

Brelby Theatre Company, 7154 N. 58th Drive, Glendale, 623.282.2781, brelby.com, times vary, tickets TBD.

The Diary of Anne Frank MAY 17 TO JUNE 3 Arizona Theatre Company brings to the stage the dramatic and emotional true story of a young girl and her family who hid in an attic in Amsterdam during World War II. The writings from Anne’s diary were published in 1947, yet the story is still just as powerful and important. Pre-

sented by Arizona Theatre Company.

Herberger Theater Center, 222 E. Monroe Street, 602.256.6995, arizonatheatre. org, times vary, $25-$85.

Rock of Ages MAY 18 TO JUNE 3 Rock and glam fans rejoice! Mesa Encore Theatre is about to transport you back to the 1980s with a musical featuring the music of Styx, Journey, Bon Jovi, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, Steve Perry, Poison and more. This musical comedy-drama follows a small-town girl and a city boy who meet on the Sunset Strip, while pursuing their Hollywood dreams.

Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main Street, Mesa, 480.644.6500, mesaartscenter.com, times vary, $28-$32.

David Blaine

MAY 27 David Blaine is known for his death-defying magic and stunts.

Be prepared to be shocked and left in awe during his one-man show when his tour stops in Mesa.

Known for his prime-time specials, Blaine has been encased in a 6-ton block of ice, experienced 1 million volts of Tesla coils, and has held his breath for 17 minutes.

Mesa Arts Center, 1 E. Main Street, Mesa, 480.644.6500, mesaartscenter.com, 8 p.m., $50-$126.

MAY 18 - JUNE 3

MAY 11 - JUNE 2

DAVID BLAINE LIVE MAY 27

33

THE MONKEES’

MIKE AND MICKY SHOW

Legendary performers stop at Chandler Center for the Arts June 1 Lynette Carrington » The Entertainer!

T

he Monkees’ Mike Nesmith and Micky Dolenz will touch on all aspects of the legendary band’s 50year career when they kick off their tour Friday, June 1, at Chandler Center for the Arts.

“This is the first time Mike and I have done a show together—just the two of us,” Dolenz says.

Over the years, Nesmith has sporadically joined original members of The Monkees on tours as he keeps busy with his business, Videoranch.

Previously, Dolenz toured with Davy Jones, who died in 2012.

“A few years ago, Peter (Tork) and I went on the road, just the two of us, because Nes couldn’t make it that year,” Dolenz explains. “Somebody brought up the topic of Nes and I touring together, and we met and chatted about it a couple of times and we thought, ‘Why not?’”

Nesmith and Dolenz, along with a backing band, will celebrate The Monkees’ career, from their 1966 debut hit “Last Train to Clarksville,” to their 2016 album, Good Times. The Mike and Micky Show will incorporate all the classic songs including

“I’m a Believer,” “Daydream Believer,” “Pleasant Valley Sunday,” and “Listen to the Band.” Songs from Nesmith’s band, First National Band, will be included as well.

“We always do the big Monkees hits in their entirety—no medleys or anything—so that doesn’t change a whole lot,” Dolenz says.

Choosing the touring musicians was a collaborative effort for Dolenz and Nesmith. “For me, the musicians obviously have to be able to play the music and have the sensibility for that kind of music,” he says. “The Monkees’ music is pop rock.

“I have tended to surround myself with people who enjoy the music. You can hire a musician who plays really well, but isn’t crazy about the music. But it’s also important to have people who travel well. On tour, we have a joke. ‘They pay us to travel.

We sing for free.’ Any musician would probably agree with that.’”

The Monkees Present the Mike and Micky Show Chandler Center for the Arts, 250 N. Arizona Avenue, Chandler, 480.782.2680, chandlercenter.org, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, June 1, $48-$88.

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34

THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE DOWNTOWNER | THE TOURIST | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

COMING

ATTRACTIONS

Overboard

Eugenio Derbez plays a selfish playboy who unjustly fires and refuses to pay a working-class single mom who had been hired to clean his luxury yacht. When he falls overboard after partying too hard and wakes up with amnesia, his former employee shows up at the hospital, convinces him that he is her husband, and puts him to work - for the first time in his life. PG-13. Opens May 4.

Life of the Party

Melissa McCarthy plays a housewife who, when her husband suddenly dumps her, goes back to college and lands in the same class as her daughter (Debby Ryan). Plunging headlong into the campus experience, the increasingly outspoken woman embraces freedom, fun and frat boys on her own terms. PG-13. Opens May 11.

Deadpool 2 Breaking In

Gabrielle Union plays a woman who will stop at nothing to rescue her two children being held hostage in a house designed with impenetrable security.

No trap, no trick and especially no man inside can match a mother with a mission. PG-13. Opens May 11.

Ryan Reynolds plays a disfigured cafeteria chef who, after surviving a near-fatal bovine attack, must battle ninjas, the yakuza, and a pack of sexually aggressive canines, as he journeys around the world, finding a new taste for adventure and earning the coveted coffee mug title of World’s Best Lover.

Rating unavailable. Opens May 18.

Email film writer Joseph J. Airdo at joseph.airdo@gmail.com.

WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

Duck Duck Goose

Jim Gaffigan voices a goose who is grounded by an injury and saddled with two wide-eyed orphan ducklings (Zendaya and Lance Lim). He must learn to care for them, despite his independent attitude, all the while evading hungry and relentless predators. PG. Opens May 18.

On Chesil Beach

Saoirse Ronan and Billy Howle play a young couple of drastically different backgrounds in the summer of 1962. Following the pair through their idyllic courtship, the drama explores sex and the societal pressure that can accompany physical intimacy, leading to an awkward and fateful wedding night. Rating unavailable. Opens May 18.

Show Dogs

Will Arnett plays a police detective who, with his canine partner (voiced

by Chris “Ludacris” Bridges), must go undercover at the world’s most exclusive dog show to solve their biggest case yet. Stanley Tucci, Alan Cumming and Natasha Lyonne also lend their voices to canine characters. PG. Opens May 18.

Solo: A Star Wars Story

Alden Ehrenreich plays a young Han Solo who, through a series of daring escapades deep within a dark and dangerous criminal underworld, meets his mighty future co-pilot Chewbacca and encounters the notorious gambler Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover). Rating unavailable.

Opens May 25.

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THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2018

THE CRITIC

LIGHTS » CAMERA » ACTION » SCREEN » ENCHANT » TRANSPORT

What movie should you see this month?

The Report Card

Our film writers grade what’s in theaters Movie

Ask our experts!

JOSEPH’S MOVIE OF THE MONTH:

Irreplaceable You

Irreplaceable You is guaranteed to make you cry.

The new drama stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw as a young woman who, diagnosed with a potentially fatal illness, attempts to map out the romantic future of her fiance (Michiel Huisman) - a man who has been her best friend since childhood. Sure, its sentimentality is somewhat strong, but it’s also incredibly effective in encouraging you to forget about grieving the future and instead appreciate the present - especially when it comes to true love, something some people are never fortunate enough to experience even briefly. So, settle in with your soulmate and prepare to be moved to tears.

RANDY’S MOVIE OF THE MONTH:

The Strangers: Prey at Night

While this low-budget horror sequel is not without its flaws, there are enough scary and tense moments that allow the toughest of critics to overlook its shortcomings. Some of the acting is marginal at best, and the cinematography style tends to change from time to time, but you will undoubtedly be on the edge of your seat for most of the ride. While much gorier than its previous installment almost a decade ago, the realness of the terror inflicted is enough to keep you awake at night and praying no one knocks on your front door.

Joseph

Acrimony

This stop-motion animated caveman travesty, directed

by Nick Park (Wallace and Gromit), is really a sports movie - specifically, a soccer movie. Set “near Manchester” (hence its very title is a pun) it’s about a tribe of Stone Agers who challenge technically advanced Bronze Agers to a match for the right to reclaim their homeland. I’d guess there are lots of soccer-related jokes here that are lost on us Yanks, but at another level, it’s a parody of old-school caveman flicks like One Million Years B.C. and When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth. Watch out for the giant duck!

ABOUT THE FILM WRITERS JOSEPH J. AIRDO spent nearly five years producing and co-hosting an entertainment-themed talk radio show. In his free time, he loves to explore Arizona’s natural wonders (including the majestic Havasu Falls), cook some of the most Instagrammable meals in the galaxy, and relax with his pet duck Frozen—who is as opinionated about movies as he is. Email him at joseph.airdo@gmail.com.

M.V.

C

C

Blockers

B

C

Finding Your Feet

B

B

I Can Only Imagine

C

B

Pacific Rim: Uprising

D

C

A Quiet Place

B

B

Rampage

B

C

B

Ready Player One

B

B

B

Sherlock Gnomes

C

C

Truth or Dare

B

C

D

C

FILM FACTS SOUNDBITE SPOTLIGHT

M.V.’S MOVIE OF THE MONTH:

Early Man

Randy

Broken Lizard launched an Indiegogo campaign in March 2015 in an attempt to raise $2 million to produce Super Troopers 2.

The campaign surpassed its goal in less than 24 hours and within one month had raised more than $4.6 million. The original Super Troopers earned more than $23 million worldwide in 2002.

RANDY MONTGOMERY is a Los Angeles-based film critic who lived in, and still loves, Arizona. Living within walking distance of multiple major studios is a dream come true for this long-time movie buff. While not sitting in the dark and munching on popcorn with extra butter, you can find him riding roller coasters and enjoying the arts. Email him at randymwriter@yahoo.com.

“These people going to a dance class isn’t just funny; it’s also quite moving.

It’s not how good their dancing is. It’s about people not being isolated. Being part of a group is really important. We are living longer. These people are feisty.

They have got fight and they have got hope and I find all those things rather appealing. The dancing in this film is a metaphor for all our inner feelings.”

– Imelda Staunton, Finding Your Feet

M.V. MOORHEAD has won five first-place Arizona Press Club awards for criticism. His reviews and other writings appear in Wrangler News (wranglernews.com), Phoenix Magazine and on his own blog, Less Hat, Moorhead (mvmoorhead.blogspot.com). A native of Pennsylvania, he lives in Phoenix with his wife, kid and three Chihuahuas with five eyeballs between them. Email him at mvmoorhead@cox.net.

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THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2018

THE DINER

37

EAT » EXPERIENCE » INDULGE » SAVOR » DEVOUR » NOSH

MAY FOOD EVENTS Megan Marples » The Entertainer!

Cinco de Mario

MAY 5 The Mario Lopez-curated event features Mario-achis, bands, DJs, a Saved by the Bell look-alike contest, kids zone and rides. Don’t forget the tacos and the margaritas.

Scottsdale Civic Center Plaza, 3939 N. Drinkwater Boulevard, Scottsdale, cincodemario.com, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., $15-$200.

Cinco de Mayo Festival

MAY 6 Try award-winning tacos from across the Valley and celebrate Cinco de Mayo in downtown Phoenix.

Throughout the event, performers will play Latin-themed music, from El Chicano to Tierra. There will also be giveaways during the day such as vacations and electronics.

200 W. Washington Street, Phoenix, 602.279.4669, cincophx.com, noon to 10 p.m., $10 to $60.

Mother’s Day Luncheon

MAY 8 Learn from chef Melissa Stockmar on how to create a feast of snacks for Mother’s Day. This cooking class focuses afternoon tea time food like sandwiches and scones. After making the food, participants can enjoy hot tea with their treats.

Sweet Basil Cooking School, 10749 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 101, Scottsdale, 480.596.5628, sweetbasilgourmet.com, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., $60.

Peach Festival

MAY 11 TO MAY 13 Visit Schnepf Farms and sample peaches. Included in the admission are tickets that are good for six samples of different peach concoctions, like peach syrups and salsas. For an additional cost, guests can enjoy a peach pancake breakfast that includes sausage and a drink.

Schnepf Farms, 24610 S. Rittenhouse Road, Queen Creek, 480.987.3100, schepffarms. com, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. $5.

Verde Valley Wine Festival

MAY 12 Sample wines from 16 Arizona wineries along with food and distilleries. Some of the participating wineries are Garage East, Passion Cellars and Rune Wines. The main festival is Saturday, but platinum ticketholders can attend a VIP experience on Friday. On Saturday, those folks will have access to an air-conditioned lounge.

Clarksdale Town Complex, 39 N. Ninth Street, Clarksdale, 928.649.2007, verdevalleywinefestival.com, noon to 5 p.m., $35 to $190.

Bacon and Beer Classic

MAY 12 Try more than 30 bacon dishes and wash them down with a choice of 100 regional beers. Bacon lovers can compete in a bacon-eating contest, while beer lovers can participate in a blind beer taste test. The American Poutine, Even Stevens and Trapp Haus BBQ are among the food selections.

VER 1 BILLI N S LD! SINCE 1910

KOSHER BAKERY INSIDE! WE CATER! nybbaz.com

Scottsdale Stadium, 7408 E. Osborn Road, Scottsdale, baconandbeerclassic.com, noon to 9 p.m., $49 to $89.

rants include Fleming’s Steakhouse, Carlsbad Tavern and Paul Martin’s American Grill.

Birds n’ Beer

MAY 17 Learn about Cuban birds and enjoy a beer from AZ Wilderness Brewing.

Dr. David L. Pearson from the ASU School of Life Sciences and Tice Supplee of Audubon Arizona will share information on the biodiversity and conservation while guests snack on complimentary hors d’oeuvres.

Audubon Arizona, 3131 S. Central Avenue, Phoenix, 602.468.6470 ext. 103, az.audubon.org, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., free admission.

Halter Ranch Vineyard

MAY 24 Sample wine from Halter Ranch Vineyard, located in the Paso Robles’ Westside Adelaide District in California. Special guest and winemaker Kevin Sass will mingle among guests to answer any questions. After the reception, there will be a four-course dinner paired with featured wines. Guests can purchase the wine at a discount after the event.

Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Gainey Ranch, 7500 E. Doubletree Ranch Road, Scottsdale, 480.444.1234, scottsdale.regency.hyatt.com, 6:30 p.m., $105.

T. Cook’s Cellar Series

MAY 17 Join Executive Chef Todd Allison for his last Cellar Series event of the spring. Along with a fourcourse meal and hors d’oeuvres, guests can indulge in a variety of alcoholic beverages. The Moet Hennessey Portfolio for the evening consists of Moet, Ruinart and Veuve Clicquot.

Learn & Lunch with Chef Marcellino at the Chef’s Island

T. Cook’s, 5200 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix, 602.808.0766, tcooksphoenix.com, 6 p.m., $120.

Arizona Restaurant Week

MAY 18 TO MAY 27 Get a taste of Arizona food during spring restaurant week. Different eating establishments will offer a special three-course, prix-fixe menu made specifically for the festival.

Some of the participating restau-

BREAKFAST!

Restaurants throughout Arizona, 602.307.9134, arizonarestaurantweek.com, times vary, $33 to $44.

MAY 26 Learn some of Chef Marcellino’s secrets to whipping up a classic Italian meal. This month, guests will make pollo involtino, chicken breast rolled with asparagus and gorgonzola and then sautéed in brown butter sauce. A dessert will accompany the meal.

Marcellino Ristorante, 7114 E. Stetson Drive, Scottsdale, 480.990.9500, marcellinoristorante.com, 1 to 3 p.m., $40.

LUNCH! Secret Menu Item!

10320 N. Scottsdale Rd. | (480) 483-NYBB | 1455 N. Scottsdale Rd. (@ SkySong) | (480) 664-4200 | Every Day 6:30am – 3pm

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE DOWNTOWNER | THE TOURIST | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

HAPPY HOUR GUIDE Brat Haus

Nestled in the heart of Old Town Scottsdale, this Euro-inspired eatery and beer garden just launched its happy hour program from 3 to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday. Food and drink specials include $1 off all draft beers, $5 glasses of wine, $7 Haus cocktails, $4 fried pickles, $6 brat burgers, $15 giant pretzels, and a free brat for dogs. For late-night visitors, reverse happy hour is 9 to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, when there is $2 off all draft beers, $5 glasses of wine, and $5 well drinks. As a new twist on “Sunday Funday,” guests can enjoy Stein Sundays with bottomless steins and mimosas for $20 from noon to 3 p.m.

3622 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale; 480.947.4006, brauthausaz.com.

Buck & Rider

Happy hour is through 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday, when patrons can enjoy $6 signature cocktails, house pours and featured glasses of wine and draft beer. Reverse happy hour is from 9:30 p.m. to close Thursday to Saturday.

4225 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix, 602.346.0110, buckandrider.com.

Cold Beer & Cheeseburgers

Cold Beer & Cheeseburgers lives up to its name, but offers more that. Check out the menu and see. Happy hour is from 3 to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday, and includes domestic pints for $3, domestic alum bottles and Four Peaks pints for $4, and premium wells and house wines at $5.

Valleywide locations, coldbeers.com.

Copper Blues

At Copper Blues, headliners don’t just occupy the stage, they surround it in the form of tap handles and inviting service.

Happy hour is offered from 3 to 6 p.m. Monday to Sunday.

50 W. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, 480.719.5005, copperblueslive.com.

Craft 64

Craft 64 specializes in local craft beer and artisan woodfired pizza. Happy hour is 4 to 7 p.m. daily, when there is $1 off all local beers, five wines for $6, and small plates for $8.

6922 E. Main Street, Scottsdale, 480.946.0542, craft64.com.

CRUjiente Tacos

CRUjiente Tacos offers taco therapy with deals on globally influenced tacos and cocktails. Happy hour is 3 to 6 p.m.

Monday to Thursday, and the modern taqueria recently launched reverse happy hour from 9 to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Specials include $3 for the Korean fried chicken, $3 short rib tacos, $3 pork belly tacos, $7 Tex-Mex-style queso, $7 chips and salsa, $5 on any of the tacos CRUjientes (beef, pork or lamb), $5 Premier CRU margaritas, $1 off all draft and bottled beer and $2 off wine by the glass.

3961 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix, 602.687.7777, crutacos.com.

Dirty Dogg Saloon

Dirty Dogg Saloon has built a reputation as a local watering hole. Happy hour is 3 to 8 p.m., with live music on Thursdays. Daily drink specials are also offered.

10409 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, 480.368.8095, dirtydoggsaloon.com.

El Chorro

Paradise Valley’s historic El Chorro offers an authentic Arizona dining experience with stunning views of the Valley’s most prominent landmark, Camelback Mountain.

Happy Hour is 5 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays to Saturdays.

5550 E. Lincoln Drive, Paradise Valley, 480.948.5170, elchorro.com.

EVO

EVO features recipes true to the Central and Northern regions of Italy, including risotto, alfredo, ragu and carbonara, Chef Steven Fowler strives to perfect a balance of simple yet robust flavors. Happy hour is 4 to 7 p.m. daily.

4175 N. Goldwater Boulevard, Scottsdale, 480.265.9814, evoscottsdale.com.

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Freezer’s Ice House

Freezer’s Ice House is the valley’s premiere Billiard Sports Bar establishment with 24 icy cold beers on draught.

Come see us! Happy Hour is Monday through Friday 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. ASU students (with Student ID) play pool free Monday through Friday from noon to 5 p.m. $2 Tuesday’s (open to close): $2 Domestic Drafts, $2 Tacos, $2 per hour person pool time. ASU Night Thursdays (6 p.m. to close): free pool for the ladies and $2 drink specials. UFC Fight Night Saturdays: UFC pay per view is offered as scheduled with only a $5 cover charge to attend. $10 Pool Pass Sundays: Play pool all day for only $10.

83 E. Broadway Road, Tempe, AZ 85282 “At the corner of Mill & Broadway”

Gallagher’s Sports Grill

Gallagher’s Sports Grill loves sports as much as it loves food, so it brings the two together. There are dozens of TVs and inspired dishes. Happy hour is 3 to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday, and 9 p.m. to close Friday and Saturday.

Valleywide locations, visit gallaghersaz.com.

Hard Rock Café

Take a break from the heat and stroll into the musical oasis that is Hard Rock Cafe Phoenix. With the Flying V over the door, the Hard Rock Café features a fully loaded bar, food, memorabilia and music. Happy hour is 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday to Sunday.

3 S. Second Street, Suite 117, Phoenix, 602.261.7625, hardrock.com.

Hungry Monk

Chandler’s The Hungry Monk pours 27 craft beers, with daily happy hour from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Food specials run from 3 to 7 p.m.

1760 W. Chandler Boulevard, Chandler, 480.963.8000, hungrymonkaz.com.

Lucky Strike Bowling

Happy hour is offered from 3 to 7 p.m. daily, and includes $5 food specials, $2 domestic drafts, $3 craft/import drafts and well drinks, $4 premium cocktails and select wine.

50 W. Jefferson Street, suite 240, Phoenix, 602.732.5490, bowlluckystrike.com.

Luxe Lounge

Experience UltraStar’s 21-and-older sports bar, restaurant and lounge that boasts 14 HD flat-screen TVs, four pool tables, Golden Tee Golf, soft tip darts and foosball. Happy hour is 4 to 7 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays, and all day Sundays. Specials include $3 well drinks, $3 house wines and $3 domestic draft beers. Appetizers are $3 to $6, including cheese crisp, fried pickles, cheese curds, spicy Cajun fries, hoagie bread, cheese pizza and garlic cheese bread.

16000 N. Maricopa Road, Maricopa, 520.233.2426, ultrastarakchin.com.

Pedal Haus Brewery

Mill Avenue’s resident brewpub and beer garden, Pedal Haus Brewery offers beer enthusiasts the opportunity to enjoy happy hour from 3 to 6:30 p.m. Monday to Saturday.

It features $2 off Pedal Haus beers and, spirits and $5 select wines while receiving $2 off all appetizers on the menu. “Sunday Funday” specials run all day and include $3 Pedal Haus beers, $3 mimosas, $4 Bloody Marys and $5 margaritas.

730 S. Mill Avenue, Tempe, 480.314.2337, pedalhausbrewery.com.

Philly’s Sports Grill

Happy hour is 3 to 7 p.m. daily, and 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday to Thursday and specials include appetizer discounts.

1826 N. Scottsdale Road, Tempe; 1402 S. Priest Drive Tempe; 4855 E. Warner Road, Phoenix, phillyssportsgrill.com.

Pig & Pickle

Pig & Pickle handcrafts cocktails, bakes its own bread, makes its own aioli and grows its own herbs. Happy hour is 3 to 6 p.m. daily.

2922 N. Hayden Road, Scottsdale, 480.990.1407, pigandpickle.com.

Rack Scottsdale | Old Town Scottsdale

Rack Scottsdale offers fine spirits in a laid-back environment. Happy hour runs from 3 to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday and features half-priced appetizers, such as mozzarella sticks and bacon cheese fries, $1 off beer and $2 off cocktails. It’s more than drinks, though. Pool is half price ($5) for the table.

3636 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, 480.476.1035, rackscottsdale.com.

Rehab Burger Therapy

Rehab Burger Therapy was founded on the idea that everyone deserves a break from the daily grind. Happy hour is offered from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, and 11 a.m. to close Thursdays. This includes $1 off “party starters,” wines by the glass and “rapid relief.”

7210 E. Second Street, Scottsdale; 480.621.5358, rehabburgertherapy.com.

Social Tap Eatery | Downtown Scottsdale

Downtown Scottsdale’s Social Tap Eatery offers happy hour specials from 3 to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday that include $4 Social Tap drafts, $5 select wines and discounted fan favorites like the double royale with cheese ($9), pulled pork sliders ($6) and social hour taco of choice ($3). Guests can enjoy an alfresco dining experience on the patio that overlooks Drinkwater Boulevard and Brown Avenue, or sit inside and watch the game or music videos on Social Tap’s two 90-inch TVs and 27 65-inch TVs in the restaurant and bar.

4312 N. Brown Avenue, Scottsdale, 602.432.6719, socialtapscottsdale.com.

The Stockyards

In 1947, The Stockyards, Arizona’s Original Steakhouse, opened its doors with a menu focused on its historical past: beef. Staying true to its heritage, The Stockyards’ menu continues to feature only the finest corn-fed, aged steaks and prime rib. Happy hour is 4 tto 7 p.m. Monday to Friday, when house wine, draft beer, saloon snacks, domestic beer and well drinks are discounted. Complimentary tenderloin sliders are also offered.

5009 E. Washington Street, suite 115, Phoenix, 602.273.7378, stockyardssteakhouse.com.

SunUp Brewing Co.

SunUp offers beer brewed on site, with happy hour from 3 to 6 p.m. daily.

322 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix, 602.279.8909, sunup.beer.

TapHouse Kitchen

TapHouse Kitchen of Scottsdale offers a menu by Chef Patrick Karvis centered around modern American cuisine, in addition to a respectable selection of craft beers. Happy hour is from 3 to 6 p.m. daily. Special are plenty, with $2 off all draft beer, spirits and wine on tap, and $2 off all beer flights.

Hilton Village, 6137 N. Scottsdale Road, suite 108, 480.656.0012, taphousekitchen.com.

Tutti Santi

Tutti Santi’s menu offers Nina’s original recipes for Italian classics, from antipasti freddi to mozzarella caprese.

Happy hour is 4:30 to 6 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 9 to 11 p.m. Fridays. The late-night specials include live music.

6339 E. Greenway Road, Suite 108, Scottsdale, 480.951.3775, tuttisantiristorante.com.

Uncle Bear’s Grill & Tap

Uncle Bear’s Grill & Tap’s extensive menu includes favorites like garlic parm fries, fried mozzarella, beer cheese soup, Cajun-spiced chicken salad, black and bleu burger, guacamole and prime rib. Happy hour is 3 to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday, and 10 p.m. to close Sunday to Thursday. The kitchen closes at midnight Friday and Saturday at midnight, and at 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday.

9053 E. Baseline Road, Mesa; 2115 E. Rittenhouse Road, Queen Creek; 4921 E. Ray Road, Phoenix, unclebearsbarandgrill.com.

Wasted Grain

Happy Hour is offered 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday and 4 to 9 p.m.

Friday.

7295 E. Stetson Drive, Scottsdale, 480.970.0500, wastedgrainscottsdale.com.

BEST SPORTS BAR! 60 TV’S + 30 BEERS ON TAP

Come Celebrate Mother’s Day at

480.999.5400

7570 E. 6th Ave, Old Town Scottsdale

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE DOWNTOWNER | THE TOURIST | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

TACOS TEQUILA AND WHISKEY

Chef Kevin Morrison brings three important ingredients to the Valley

K

evin Morrison learned quickly that Valley residents love their tacos.

He brought his Denver-born concept, Tacos Tequila Whiskey, to Arcadia last year, and since then it has emerged as a fan favorite.

“We’re not a 99-cent or $2 taco,” Morrison says. “Everything is made from scratch. We use higher-end ingredients. Our lobster taco, which won best seafood taco at the 2017 Arizona Taco Festival, is an $8 taco, but it’s an amazing combination of flavor.”

The menu is based on what Morrison deems to be three important ingredients, and his success in Colorado.

Tacos Tequila Whiskey street tacos deliver on variety, with options of carnitas, asada, pescado, pork belly, barbacoa, vegan and pollo agave. Tacos feature quality meat, fresh veggies, cheeses and salsas piled atop a double layer soft taco shell. They start at around $3.

The difference between the Denver and Arcadia eateries is one small tweak on the menu. Morrison added salads here.

“We took one of our heavier dishes of braised chicken in a chipotle cream sauce off the menu and added the chicken molcajete salad with grilled chicken and kale,” he says. “We added three salads to this menu, but believe or not, the salads are not a huge hit. It’s all about the tacos.”

The menu will evolve through the spring.

“Coming into the warmer months, we’ll be playing a lot more with ceviche and agua chile, which is more of a crudo-style seafood dish,” Morrison says.

“It’s similar to ceviche. With ceviche, the seafood will generally sit in the marinade for 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the seafood used. Agua chile is dressed and made to order.

We’ve had great success with it in Denver during summer.”

Also coming soon are dishes with Sonoran meats.

“We’ve teamed up with Arcadia Meat Market, which opened three doors

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down from us,” Morrison says. “We’ll be featuring a lot of different cuts of meat.

“We’ll be doing lamb neck barbacoa tacos wrapped in banana leaves and then smoked and roasted. We have a great kitchen manager in Phoenix, E.J. Martin. We brought him out to Denver for three months before we opened so he could train with us. He and I work closely in developing these new dishes and flavors and we’ll start introducing them soon.”

As for the adult beverages portion of the menu, Tacos Tequila Whiskey includes local beer from places like Huss Brewing, Belching Beaver Brewery, and Grand Canyon Brewing Co. Stand-out cocktails include mules, the older-fashioned with Redemption rye, Plantation five-year rum or Hornitos black barrel añejo, house grapefruit bitters, cane sugar and fresh grapefruit zest, and seasonal sangria with Hanson’s boysenberry vodka, Citronge mango, pineapple juice, fresh orange juice, lime and white wine.

EVOLUTION OF TTW Tacos Tequila Whiskey’s journey to Arizona is an interesting one.

Prior to opening in 2010, Morrison founded Red Tomato Specialty Produce, which served the independent upscale restaurant industry in Denver from 1995 to 2000, when he sold the company to his operations manager.

Morrison co-founded the Spicy Pickle Sub Shop in 1999 and Spicy Pickle Franchising in 2003. In 2006 the concept won Nation’s Restaurant News “Hot Concept” award and went public in 2007.

Later that year, he formed Crumb Rustic Bakery, a wholesale bakery that serviced all of Colorado’s Spicy Pickle restaurants.

Morrison wanted to take the concept further.

“I pitched the idea of a food truck and our CEO laughed it off,” Morrison says.

“But, I opened the food truck in May 2010 and did farmers markets and went to lower Denver to nightclubs and bars and tried making it there. We did the best with farmers markets. Working late night with drunks is not fun.”

After the food truck’s second year, Denver Westword gave the enterprise its first best food truck prize. That snowballed into more business.

“I thought, ‘This thing is doable,’” he says. “We raised capital. I put a bunch of money in. My wife at the time put a bunch of money in and we had three investors. That’s how we opened the first brick and mortar.”

COLORADO ACCOLADES, ARIZONA EXPECTATIONS Tacos Tequila Whiskey was born out of the food truck concept—quality Mexican street food—but in a brickand-mortar location.

Again, accolades are nothing new to Morrison. In 2012, Bon Appetit named the restaurant among the top 50 best new eateries and it landed in Huffington Post’s list of the Top 10 best taco spots in the United States.

After proving the concept, Morrison expanded beyond Denver.

“We didn’t want to be looked at as a chain,” Morrison says.

“We were looking at growth. We had the staff and resources. I love this concept and it has legs. I met with my real estate broker and we started looking at demographics and analytics.”

Morrison was interested in 20 cities, narrowed it down to 10 contenders, and then visited three cities.

Phoenix was chosen.

“I’m a big fan of just going with your gut,” Morrison says, no pun intended. “Something about Phoenix spoke to me. The main thing I loved was the restaurant scene and there are some really great chefs.”

“I knew there was a lot of competition and a lot of great taquerias in Phoenix. I did my research, came out here quite a bit and ate at a majority of them. We’re not for everybody, but there’s a big enough market that people appreciate what we’re doing.”

SEASONAL SANGRIA AND AN OLD FASHION WITH ANEJO TEQUILA KEVIN MORRISON - OWNER

CEVICHE WITH SEA BASS

Tacos Tequila Whiskey

3950 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix, 602.603.9411, tacostequilawhiskey.com.

EJ MARTIN - KITCHEN MANAGER

PHOTOS BY KIMBERLY CARRILLO

Lynette Carrington » The Entertainer!

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2018

41

Happy Hour 11-6 Daily

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1534 E. BETHANY HOME RD. PHOENIX, AZ 85014 (602) 368-8832

HUNGRY? BEST HIDDEN GEM COME DINE AT SCOTTSDALE’S

• Southwestern Cuisine with a Mexican Twist • Serving 140 premium tequilas • Complimentary homemade flavored tortillas • Misted and heated patio • Locally owned and operated

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TREAT MOM ON MOTHER’S DAY

THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE DOWNTOWNER | THE TOURIST | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

Leave the cooking and cleaning behind at these eateries

The Farm at South Mountain

Sweet and savory flavors await brunch lovers and mothers at The Farm at South Mountain. Enjoy its “Mom”elet station, chilled shrimp, coconut cupcakes, pecan French toast, and braised beef short ribs under the pecan trees’ shade.

The Farm at South Mountain, 6106 S. 32nd Street, Phoenix, 480.990.9500, thefarmatsouthmountain.com, 8:30 to 11:30 a.m., $59.95 for adults, $29.95 for children, free for ages 4 and under.

Daisy Finch » The Entertainer!

Mother’s Day is just around the corner. Each mom has her own style and taste, so one—or many—of these deals across the Valley will appeal to her.

Ling & Louie’s Asian Bar and Grill

MAY 11 TO MAY 13 Ling & Louie’s is offering a special twocourse surf and turf menu.

Ling & Louie’s Asian Bar and Grill, 9397 E. Shea Boulevard, Suite 125, Scottsdale, 480.767.5464, lingandlouies.com, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, $19.95.

Marcellino Ristorante

MAY 12 AND MAY 13 Marcellino Ristorante is celebrating Mother’s Day weekend with a cooking class on Saturday, when moms can join Chef Marcellino Verzino in the kitchen.

On Sunday, Tagiolini Mare e Monte pasta and complimentary tiramisu are being served for hungry guests and mothers.

Marcellino Ristorante, 7114 E. Stetson Drive, Scottsdale, 480.990.9500, marcellinoristorante.com, 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, noon to 3 p.m.

Sunday, $45 for cooking class, $23.95 for Mother’s Day special, reservations required.

ALL ON MAY 13 24 Carrots Natural Café and Urban Juicery

The café will offer vegan and gluten-free specials like veggie quiche and loaded chilaquiles.

24 Carrots Natural Café and Urban Juicery, 1701 E. Guadalupe Road, Tempe, 480.753.4411, 24carrotsjuice.com, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., various pricing.

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Desert Rose Steakhouse

The steakhouse is set up a limitless Mother’s Day brunch, with jumbo shrimp, prime rib, ham, waffles, and omelets. Get a complimentary first glass of mimosa and enjoy 25-cent refills.

Desert Rose Steakhouse, 6729 N. 57th Drive, Glendale, 623.937.3004, desertrosesteakhouse.com, 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., $24.95, $12.95 ages 12 and under.

Dominick’s Steakhouse and Steak 44

Some of the special brunch items added to the menu for Mother’s Day include a bone-in filet mignon and fried egg; cheese blintzes; thick-cut semolina flour toast; thick-cut Colorado bacon lightly smoked with pecan wood; fresh seasonal berries; heirloom tomatoes and chilled shrimp salad with champagne vinaigrette, and Alaskan king crab legs “whole cluster.”

Dominick’s Steakhouse, Scottsdale Quarter, 15169 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, 480.272.7271, domickssteakhouse.com, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., various pricing.

Steak 44, 5101 N. 44th Street, Phoenix, 602.271.4400, steak44. com, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., various pricing.

Fat Ox

Handcrafted by chef Matt Carter and executive chef Rochelle Daniel, Fox Ox’s first Mother’s Day brunch tempts with a classic antipasto buffet brimming with imported cheeses, meats and veggies, paired with fresh-baked Tammie Coe breakfast breads. Then choose from entrees like Italian breakfast. Finish it off with a dessert and pastry bar.

Fat Ox, 6316 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, Scottsdale, 480.307.6900, ilovefatox.com, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., starts at $75, which includes a glass of Italian sangria, and $25 for children ages 7 to 12.

J&G Steakhouse

Moms really want a gourmet, chefcrafted steak dinner, instead of finger sandwiches. The evening features a three-course feast featuring steamed shrimp salad or tender carrot soup; crispy Arctic char or grilled beef prime hanger steak; and warm chocolate cake or strawberry pavlova. J&G Steakhouse will also offer a full a la carte menu for Mother’s Day. J&G Steakhouse at The Phoenician, 6000 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix, 480.214.8000, jgteakhousescottsdale.com, 5 to 10 p.m., starts at $55.

The Market Restaurant + Bar

by Jennifer’s

The Market Restaurant has a multicourse

meal offering smoked salmon pizza or heirloom tomato salad; entrees like seafood risotto or eggs Benedict quiche; and for dessert raspberry custard tart.

The Market Restaurant + Bay by Jennifer’s, 3603 E. Indian School Road, Suite A, Phoenix, 602.626.5050, marketbyjennifer.com, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., various pricing.

Market Street Kitchen

Market Street Kitchen is offering exclusive menu items and special pricing on menu favorites on Mother’s Day. Breakfast features smoked salmon benny with Scottish salmon and tater tots; fresh berry parfait; compressed Arugula salad; or fresh berry salad. For dinner, moms can choose from two hearty specials, lobster tails or 24-ounce petite adobo tenderloins with Southwestern orzo and grilled tricolored cauliflower.

Market Street Kitchen, 20825 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale, 480.278.7044, marketstreetkitchen.com, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (brunch), 5 to 9 p.m. (dinner), $10-$39.

Match Restaurant and Lounge

Match Restaurant and Lounge reveals a special brunch menu available only on Mother’s Day. In addition to its regular brunch items, offerings will include lobster Benedict featuring softpoached eggs and Maine lobster with tarragon; oven-baked eggs Shakura with tomato sauce, fennel sausage, and toasted country bread; spinach, leek and Gruyere quiche with seasonal mixed lettuces and marinated tomatoes; herb-crusted lamb rack with honey-stewed peppers, chickpea crepe and basil-orange chutney; wood-grilled filet of beef with red wine gratin potatoes, horseradish, asparagus and parmigiano; grilled swordfish with red pepper sauce, caponata and crispy potatoes.

Match Restaurant and Lounge, 1100 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix, 602.875.8080, matchphx.com, 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., various pricing.

Midici, Neapolitan Pizza Company

Midici is treating these special ladies to a free Margherita pizza with any other pizza purchase. Beyond pizza, at Midici, guests can choose from a variety of authentic Italian antipasto, meat and cheese boards and housemade meatballs, and salads like The Italian, purple kale and ricotta and walnut and gorgonzola.

Midici, Neapolitan Pizza Company, 21001 Tatum Boulevard, Suite 1010, Phoenix, 480.247.7377, mymidici.com, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. various pricing.

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2018

Nook

The mid-morning meal offerings dedicated to mom have fun names like the Pick Up This Mess Omelet featuring three eggs, sausage, potatoes, caramelized onion, mushrooms and roasted peppers; and the Peace and Quiet Berry Crepe with fresh berries and citrus mascarpone wrapped in warm crepes with vanilla whipped cream. Other menu items include I Love You Italian Benny, Naptime Egg Sandwich, Lil’ Nuggles Apple Crumble Flapjacks, Go to Your Room Panzanella Salad, and Thanks Mom Grilled Salmon Quinoa Salad.

Nook Downtown, Hilton Garden Inn, 15 E. Monroe Street, Phoenix, 602.258.1037, nookkitchen.com, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., various pricing.

The Oak Room

Join The Oak Room on Mother’s Day for the chef ’s buffet. Enjoy chicken and waffles, bacon, sausage, eggs, chicken piccata, beef bourguignon, fish, roasted pork loin, salads and desserts.

The Oak Room, 61 E. University Drive, Mesa, 480.844.7437, mesaoakroom.com, 4 p.m. to midnight, $26, $13 for ages 5 to 12.

Omni Scottsdale at Montelucia, 4949 E. Lincoln Drive, Scottsdale, 480.627.3200, omnihotels.com/ montelucia, call for times, $95 for adults, $39 for children.

Ocean Prime offers specialty items this Mother’s Day. Diners can start with an “eye-opener” such as a blood orange mimosa, or Ocean Prime’s signature bloody Mary. Meal specialties include smoked salmon, blackened salmon salad, French toast, quiche, crab and eggs, or braised short rib surf and turf.

Ocean Prime, 5455 E. High Street, Phoenix, 480.347.1313, oceanprime.com, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., various pricing.

Omni Scottsdale at Montelucia

Omni Scottsdale is offering a slew of specials at the resort. Breakfast classics, and a selection of small bites and woodfired meats will be available along with breakfast classics.

Because you’ve been such an angel.

Organ Stop Pizza

Enjoy a relaxing and family-friendly lunch and concert with the Mighty Wurlitzer.

Organ Stop Pizza, 1149 E Southern Avenue, Mesa, 480.813.5700, ext. 945, organstoppizza.com, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., $12 for adults, $10 for children 9 and younger.

Alcoholic beverages and ice cream available for additional charge.

Advance ticket required.

Perk Eatery

Perk Eatery is highlighting specialty menu items in recognition of moms.

Diner favorites for the morning meal include huevos rancheros, corned beef country-style hash and wine country French toast. For those who prefer mid-day munchies, the choices are Mucho Smoocho, The Palo, Napa Valley salad. Guests can choose from an array of cocktails, too, like Little Miss Sunshine and Wake-Up Call.

Perk Eatery, 6501 E. Greenway Parkway, Suite 159, Scottsdale, 480.998.6026, perkeatery. com, 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., various pricing.

Press Coffee Ocean Prime

WINGS!

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Let the local barista know you’re a mom on May 13 and Press Coffee will deliver. Mothers will receive a free hotdrip coffee of any size, or 50 percent off any latte.

Press Coffee, any location, presscoffee.com, hours vary by location.

15WearFLAVORS a dress shirt and commit a white-collar crime!

We Forgive You.

Preston’s Steakhouse

Preston’s Steakhouse is creating a special prix fixe holiday menu. See website for details.

Preston’s Steakhouse, 8700 E. Pinnacle Peak Road, Suite 115, Scottsdale, 480.629.5087, prestonsscottsdale.com, noon to 9 p.m., $54.99 per guest, $27.50 for children under 10.

(480) 963-8000 1760 W. Chandler Blvd., Chandler AZ 85224 HungryMonkAZ.com

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE DOWNTOWNER | THE TOURIST | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

Rusconi’s American Kitchen

Rusconi’s American Kitchen honors moms with a special brunch that includes an array of starters like chilled tomato gazpacho and braised beef short ribs; main courses such as steak and eggs and blackberry-glazed pork tenderloin; and desserts ranging from lemon biscotti-crusted strawberry cheesecake and dark chocolate budino.

Rusconi’s American Kitchen, 10637 N. Tatum Boulevard, Phoenix, 480.483.0009, rusconiskitchen.com, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., $58.

Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa

Elements will serve a Mother’s Day three-course prix fixe menu prepared by executive chef Beau MacMillan.

With dishes like Korean barbecue short ribs and grilled Atlantic swordfish with buckwheat noodles, the menu is original. The Views Ballroom, touting a wrap-around terrace and panoramic views of Mummy Mountain, will have action/carving stations and seasonal favorites.

Elements and The View Ballroom at Sanctuary, 5700 E. McDonald Drive, Paradise Valley, 866.411.7155, sanctuaryoncamelback.com, call for times, $85 for adults and $30 for children ages 6 to 12 (Elements), $75 for adults

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and $25 for children ages 6 to 12, children ages 5 and younger dine free.

SanTan Brewing Co.

SanTan Brewing is breaking out a brunch buffet that includes smoked turkey and tri-tip carving station, as well as other options.

SanTan Brewing Co., 8 S. San Marcos Place, Chandler, 480.917.8700, santanbrewing. com, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., $25, $15 for kids 6 to 12.

Sapporo

A thrilling teppanyaki dinner awaits all who visit Sapporo for Mother’s Day. Bottomless mimosas and a 50-percent discount on bottles of wine will be offered all day.

Sapporo, 14344 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, 480.607.1114, sapporoscottsdale.com, 3 to 10:30 p.m., various pricing.

Sorso Wine Room

Sorso Wine Room is dishing salad, sandwiches and flatbreads. In celebration of Mother’s Day, all three of these menu items will be 50 percent off.

Sorso Wine Room, 15323 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 150, Scottsdale, 480.951.4344, sorsowineroom.com, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., various pricing.

T. Cook’s at Royal Palms Resort and Spa

Chef Todd at the renowned T. Cook’s is creating a flavorful brunch menu for Mother’s Day. But families can expect dessert and harvest buffets, and a variety of entrees.

T. Cook’s, 5200 E. Camelback Road, Suite 100, Phoenix, 602.808.0766, tcooksphoenix. com, 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., $89 per guest.

Talavera

Talavera’s brunch buffet will feature a seafood bar, multiple carving stations, custom omelets, fresh fruit and salads, and Chef Lance’s desserts. Adults will receive a complimentary welcome beverage.

Talavera, 10600 E. Crescent Moon Drive, Scottsdale, 480.515.5700, talaverarestaurant.com, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., $110, $48 for ages 5-12.

Tavern Americana

Tavern Americana is hosting a special brunch of housemade lemon scones and grilled artichoke for appetizers; crab cake eggs Benedicts; Belgium waffles; egg white frittata and BLTE sandwich.

Regular brunch items will be available as well.

Tavern Americana, 20469 N. Hayden Road, Scottdale, 480.502.6740, tavernamericana. com, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., various pricing.

Thai Chili 2 Go

Thai Chili 2 Go’s various locations are offering a free meal (with additional entrée purchase) all day.

Thai Chili 2 Go, various locations, tc2go.com, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., various pricing.

Zappone’s Italian Bistro

Zappone’s is preparing a menu dedicated to giving mom the day off from cooking. For breakfast, the choices are mascarpone French toast, breakfast calzone, crab cake scramble or Italian or Green chopped salad. Other starters and entrees available any time of the day include bruschetta trio; truffle chips; garlic bread; cheesy bread; fried calamari; crab cakes; chicken parmesan, marsala or piccata; veal parmesan, marsala or piccata; eggplant parmesan or rollatini; lasagna; or chianti-braised beef rigatoni. Guests can round out their meals with a variety of beverage options like bottomless Bellinis, mimosas and bloody Marys.

Zappone’s Italian Bistro, 1652 N. Higley Road, Suite 103, Gilbert, 480.218.2338, zapponnesbistro. com, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., various pricing.

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2018

THE SHAANXI

45

EXPERIENCE

Chinese cuisine and music bring Far East dining to a new level

Lynette Carrington » The Entertainer!

T

here’s nothing better than finding a restaurant that truly has authentic recipes reflecting a geographic region from faraway lands.

Shaanxi Garden immerses its guests in the recipes, flavors, art, furniture and culture of the Shaanxi region of China. The restaurant is a collaborative effort between owners Noel Cheng and Changhai Huang, along with Huang’s girlfriend Pingping Xiao and the restaurant’s chef, Jiang Niu. Huang, Xiao and Cheng were international students at ASU and settled in the Valley after graduation. They opened a smaller Chinese restaurant in Chandler, but perfected their concept, dreamed bigger and opened Shaanxi Garden, now their sole restaurant, in November 2017.

Cheng, Huang and Niu all hail from Shaanxi, China, making it a proud endeavor in bringing this regional cuisine to the Valley.

“We are one of the most unique restaurants serving this kind of food because we haven’t changed any of the

recipes,” Cheng explains.

“It’s very authentic food and not Americanized. These noodles and these dishes are what we grew up eating.”

The details are striking at Shaanxi Garden. The gorgeous floor tiles depict the stories of the celebrated terracotta warriors. The chairs and tables feature ornate Chinese designs and border accents. The restaurant’s interior sign replicates shops in Shaanxi, China.

The eight Chinese wall paintings describe the “odd customs,” as they are called by those in Shaanxi, that are educational and downright intriguing.

The co-owners shipped from China every bowl, every dish and the life-size terracotta warriors at the front entrance.

In fact, guests may feel like they were transported to China for their meal.

Take the noodles, for example.

“The noodles need to be wide as a belt,” Cheng says. “Those noodles are handmade here in the restaurant every day from different types of flour. When the noodle is being made, it is formed and slapped on the counter. The sound it makes is ‘biang,’ which is how the biang biang noodle gets its name.”

Various noodle dishes are Shaanxi

pan-fried, house biang biang and Shaanxistyle handmade noodles. There are several spicy dishes and vegetarian options.

“It’s a brave thing to try authentic food,” Cheng says. “I tell people, ‘Don’t use old concepts to judge food that is new to you.’ Once people try our noodles they love them.”

Shaanxi Garden does feature other dishes. Honey spare ribs and a combination dish—the four bowls of happiness—are popular. The entrée has four different foods, including stir fry beef with Sichuan peppers, tender pork meatballs in broth, tender pork belly with fermented black beans and sweet soy sauce and slices of marinated tofu.

The differences extend beyond the food. Musicians will play a traditional Chinese instrument called a guzheng—a descendent of an ancient zither-like instrument believed to have been invented during the Qin Dynasty in 897-221 BC. “In the first century AD, the guzheng is described as a plucked half-tube wood zither with movable bridges, over which a number of strings are stretched, and in the second century BC, the guzheng was described as having 12 silken strings and high narrow jade bridges,” Cheng says.

“The guzheng has played an important role in Chinese history and folk music. It is also the parent instrument of the Asian long zither family.”

The modern-day guzhengs, including the Japanese koto, Korean gayageum and Mongolian yatga, are developed from the traditional Chinese guzheng. This makes the instrument an extremely important piece of Asian musical culture. The guzheng artist at Shaanxi Garden performs 6 to 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and the performer will dress in Qin, Song or Han Dynasty clothing. Besides the Chinese instrument performances, Shaanxi Garden also has events like Chinese calligraphy writing during Chinese New Year.

“I enjoy seeing our customers, and their positive reviews make my day,” Cheng says. “It’s a tough business, but no matter how hard the day is, I can eat anything on the menu. It’s my hometown food and exactly what my grandma cooked for me.”

Shaanxi Garden

67 N. Dobson Road, Mesa, 480.733.8888, shaanxibiangbiang.com.

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THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2018

THE CRAFTMASTER

47

SIP » BREW » RELAX » EXPERIMENT » REFRESH » TOAST

Beer Over Here

Drink up at any of these Valley beer events this month Samantha Fuoco » The Entertainer!

Roars and Pours

MAY 3 This happy hour has a bit of a wild side. Guests 21 and older can sip and stroll through select zoo trails with craft brews, wine and food. As the zoo animals start to go to sleep, the party animals will come alive with animal encounters, yard games and live music.

Phoenix Zoo, 455 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix, 602.286.3800, phoenixzoo.org, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., $10.

Cinco De Mario

MAY 5 Join Mario Lopez in celebrating this new Cinco de Mayo festival hosted by the Saved by the Bell alum and the city of Scottsdale. The traditional Mexican elements that come with Cinco de Mayo are mixed with Saved by the Bell contests and other games. Food and beverages are sold separately from the general admission tickets.

Scottsdale Civic Center Plaza, 3939 N. Drinkwater Boulevard, Scottsdale, 480.874.4607, cincodemario.com, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., $15 online or $20 at the gate.

Cinco de Mayo Celebration at Tlaquepaque

MAY 5 Enjoy the rich culture of Mexican history in Sedona with the Cinco de Mayo Celebration at Tlaquepaque.

Dance along with the music of the mariachi bands and experience the savory flavors of Mexican food.

There is free trolley service to get you to the fiesta.

336 State Route 179, Sedona, 928.282.4838, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m., free admission.

Cinco de Mayo Phoenix Festival MAY 6 Celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Cinco de Mayo Phoenix Festival with games, traditional food and drinks. There will be live entertainment from El Chicano, Latin Breed and Tierra. Enjoy the largest multicultural event in Arizona.

Downtown Phoenix, 200 W. Washington Street, Downtown Phoenix, 602.279.4669, cincophx.com, noon to 10 p.m., $10.

The Brewery Comedy Tour

MAY 12 The best U.S. comedians are traveling to Peoria Artisan Brewery for a night of laughs. Promising to hit more than 300 breweries in America and having comedy standups, Herron Entertainment wants patrons to have the best night on the town.

Cheers to Future Years Fundraiser

MAY 17 Valley residents can enjoy craft beers and food while supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Live music and outdoor games will be provided, while guests can sip on brews to keep the evening going. The newest addition to the fundraiser - Cortney’s Beer Garden - will have outdoor seating with two drink tickets included.

Scottsdale Beer Company, 8608 E. Shea Boulevard, Scottsdale, 480.219.1844, scottsdalebeercompany.com, 5 to 10 p.m., $40.

Pub N Grub Block Party

MAY 19 This “old school”-themed block party is a day filled with music, food, and everything that involves fun in the sun.

Activities such as cornhole, volleyball and water games will have guests forgetting about the heat. The 42-foottall Blue Crush Water Slide is another way of staying as cool as the brews.

Mesa Riverview Park, 202 W. Rio Salado Parkway, Mesa, 480.644.2352, azeventsgroup. com/, 2 to 10 p.m., $7.

Tails and Ales Fundraising Event MAY 20 Go mutts at Monastery Bar & Grill Mesa and grab a couple of beers to support Valley Dogs Rescue. Mill among the silent auction items, or play volleyball or horseshoes in the grassy backyard. The canines from Valley Dogs Rescue will have a booth of their own. Enjoy live music from Boomer and have a pawesome time.

Monastery Bar & Grill, 4810 E. McKellips Road, Mesa, 480.474.4477, themonasterybar. com/, 1 to 5 p.m., free.

Peoria Artisan Brewery & Gastropub, 10144 N. Lake Pleasant Parkway, Peoria, 623.572.2816, 8 to 10 p.m., $15.

Scottsdale Bacon and Beer Classic

MAY 12 Guests older than 21 can enjoy more than 100 beers from regional breweries and over 30 different bacon dishes by local chefs. Sample regional ciders and craft beers while indulging on the best bacon dishes out there. Have fun with a blind beer tasting and a Hormel bacon eating contest.

Scottsdale Stadium, 7408 E. Osborn Road, Scottsdale, 480.312.2586, baconandbeerclassic.com, noon to 4 p.m., $49.

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE DOWNTOWNER | THE TOURIST | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

BeerFinder DIRECTORY Where to find the best craft beer bars in town

Craft 64

Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row

6922 E. Main Street, Scottsdale Craft 64 is proud to offer 36 local Arizona beers on tap in the heart of Scottsdale. Arizona beers only!

4420 N. Saddlebag Trail Scottsdale Dierks Bentley has been known to kick back with a craft beer or two, and so can you at his digs.

Mellow Mushroom Pizza

2490 W. Happy Valley Road, 5350 E. High Street, 740 S. Mill Avenue Locations throughout the Valley Incredible Pizza and amazing beer make Mellow the place to go for a craft beer experience.

Freezer’s Ice House

83 E. Broadway Road, Tempe (At the corner of Mill & Broadway) Freezer’s Ice House is the valley’s premiere Billiard Sports Bar establishment with 24 icy cold beers on draught. Come see us! Happy Hour is Monday through Friday 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. ASU students (with Student ID) play pool free Monday through Friday from noon to 5 p.m. Specials throughout the week including: $2 Tuesday’s, ASU Night Thursdays, UFC Fight Night Saturdays, Pool Pass Sundays.

Papago Brewing Company

7107 E. McDowell Road, Scottsdale The granddaddy of Arizona beer bars, there is something for every beer lover at Papago.

Boulders on Broadway

The Casual Pint Central Phoenix

530 W. Broadway Road, Tempe Boulders has the appeal of a neighborhood bar with a beer list that’ll make your eyes pop.

1760 W. Chandler Boulevard, Chandler Whether you want great wings or great beer, Hungry Monk’s selection is tough to beat.

Copper Blues/Stand Up Live

Harvey American Public House

50 W. Jefferson Street, Phoenix Have a beer and a meal at Copper Blues before the stand-up show. You won’t even worry if it’s sold out.

1524 E. Williamsfield Road, Gilbert First class food and first class beer, all set away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Brat Haus

3622 N. Scottsdale Road Scottsdale The name says it all--brats, pretzels, Belgian fries and plenty of craft “bier” to make everyone happy.

Goldwater Brewing Co.

3608 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale This new brewery is already making waves with their desert inspired brews--and names. Check out their Scotch’Dale Scottish style ale.

Cold Beer and Cheeseburgers 4222 N. Scottsdale Road, 20831 N. Scottsdale Road Scottsdale Do we need to say more? The name spells out everything you need to know.

Spokes on Southern

1470 E. Southern Avenue, Tempe A comfortable bike-themed grill with 24 draft handles and food made from scratch.

Philly’s Sports Grill

Culinary Dropout

5640 N. Seventh Street, 7135 E. Camelback Road Locations in Phoenix and Scottsdale Located at The Yard, Culinary Dropout has everything you look for in a great restaurant experience, especially great beer.

Scottsdale Beer Company

8608 E. Shea Boulevard, Scottsdale Quality craft beer made right here in Scottsdale.

Happy hour from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday with $1 off all Scottsdale Beer Company beers, well drinks, wines by the glass and all small bites and starters!

Main Ingredient Ale House 2337 N. Seventh Street Phoenix A charming old home is the location for this Coronado neighborhood hangout spot.

Pig & Pickle

2922 N. Hayden Road Scottsdale A restaurant that focuses on balance and quality, Pig & Pickle doesn’t skimp when it comes to their craft beer selection, either.

825 S. Cooper Road Gilbert Is it a sports bar or a craft beer bar? It’s both!

The PERCH Pub & Brewery

232 S. Wall Street, Chandler Located in historic Downtown Chandler, this brewery and pub not only has delicious craft brews, but is also home to a collection of beautiful, brightly colored rescue birds!

TapHouse Kitchen

Hilton Village, 6137 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 108, Scottsdale Taphouse kitchen has 20 handles of the most sought after craft beers, mostly local brew and 2 THK selection rotating handles that change with the season and taste of what we are craving at the time.

Ground Control

4860 N. Litchfield Road Litchfield Park Fresh roasted coffee and an ever-changing selection of good beer, including a fantastic import selection, make this one of the top spots in the West Valley.

The Brass Tap

1826 N. Scottsdale Rd, Scottsdale, 1402 S. Priest Dr., Tempe, 4855 E. Warner Rd., Phoenix Over 20 beers on draft, 15 craft beers on tap plus more selection in cans/bottles. Happy Hour: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Daily and Reverse 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. Sun-Thurs (excludes UFC, Boxing, ASU events).

1033 N. Dobson Road, Suite 104 Mesa Over 60 Taps of great craft beers and over 300 total craft beers from around the globe available! Casually upscale atmosphere, open-air patio that is cigar-friendly, nice menu, daily specials and knowledgeable staff. What more could you ask for!

Flanny’s Bar and Grill

Uncle Bear’s Brewery

1805 E. Elliot Road Tempe Home of the Third Thursday Tap Takevoer. The rest of the month is pretty good, too.

4921 E. Ray Road, Phoenix Stop by to enjoy some local craft beer including Uncle Bear’s and other guest taps as well as delicious bites and a great happy hour!

is just one part of what we do...

K IN e& 

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14 E. Pierce Street Phoenix The Phoenix Public Market Café is a casual urban hangout offering breakfast, lunch, dinner and great beer.

House of Brews Sports Bar

4626 N. 16th Street, Unit 102, Phoenix The Casual Pint Central Phoenix is a fun spot with an upscale yet casual atmosphere. Our expert “beertenders” can serve up craft beer by the pint from our tap wall, but the can or by the bottle to enjoy in our store.

Hungry Monk

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Phoenix Public Market Café

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THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2018

GREAT BEER PAIRINGS:

49

OAK AND FORK

“Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino is in the midst of a multimillion-dollar expansion, which includes adding a new ballroom, hotel tower and new restaurants – the first being this, Oak & Fork – to the casino.

When you’re craving small plates to please any palate, come see us.

Open just a few months as a new concept to our casino and hotel, our aim is to pair craveable, sharable items with hand-picked wines, beers and cocktails. Our goal is to be unpretentious and inviting while still helping guide our guests to great pairing options that keep them coming back again and again. Our executive chef Colin Ribble is doing so many new and innovative things with this food, and it’s very special to have the bar taking note of each of his ingredients to ensure we are putting thought into every element top to bottom.”

- Harrah’s Beverage Operations Manager Nathan Kinstlinger

BEER

Brewery: San Tan Brewery Style: American Pale Ale Name: San Tan Devil’s Ale An American Pale Ale that offers a sinfully crisp taste. Cascade, Centennial and Simcoe hops provide fiendishly aromatic pine and citrus flavors. Just a sampling of recent awards the beer has won first place for Pale Ale at Canfest; bronze medal at U.S. Open Championship; and gold medal at The Great Arizona Beer Festival.

DISH

Dish: BLT Flatbread Cost: $15 San Tan Devil’s Ale goes best with various

types of smoky and fatty flavors, so Oak & Fork’s BLT flatbread is a must. The aromatic pine and citrus flavors from the ale, pair perfectly with the with the Nueske’s Applewood smoked pork belly. The combinations of wild arugula, roasted yellow tomatoes and house aioli along with the freshness of Devil’s Ale will take your taste buds to new heights. This pairing is a must try, but feel free to enjoy even more.

If you have a chance, there are many choices available from the charcuterie favorites that also pair well with the Devil’s Ale. We recommend the house head cheese, a personal recipe of chef Ribble; Nueske’s pork belly; Italian Taleggio cheese; English Red Dragon cheese; and Irish Fiddler’s Green cheese.

Oak & Fork at Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino 15406 Maricopa Road, Maricopa, 480.802.5000, harrahsakchin.com.

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THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2018

THE HIGHROLLER

51

PLAY » SPIN » LAUGH » GROOVE » UNWIND » WIN

KANSAS CARRIES ON From the streets of Chicago, Ronnie Platt is ‘living the dream’

Sherry Jackson » The Entertainer!

F

rom truck driver to lead vocalist, Ronnie Platt knows what it’s like to be on the road.

Platt spent 25 years as a truck driver cruising the streets of Chicago, until four years ago when he was “presented with the opportunity to be in his favorite band.” He says he’s now “living the dream” providing lead vocals and occasionally keyboard in the iconic rock band Kansas.

Platt was hired on to replace former vocalist Steve Walsh and brings “his energy” to the band. The years spent as a truck driver were “good conditioning” for being on tour.

“My entire (driving) career, I never had a designated route where I went to the same place every day. My entire career I was someplace new every day and it’s funny how it’s transitioned itself to this touring world of the music business.”

But make no mistake, Platt is a seasoned musician with a consistent music career. Even while working his full-time job, he juggled playing nights, weekends and vacations—never giving up on his musical ambitions. He can’t quite remember his first “paid gig” but says it was probably a backyard party with his high school band when he was 14 or 15. There might have been beer involved as payment.

Platt spent time with cover band

Arra and was lead singer and toured with Shooting Star. But it was the call from Kansas that got him excited.

“I’m coming up on my fourth anniversary (with the band) very soon. It’s still very surreal for me. It’s funny the perspective I have now. When you’re doing 100 shows a year, time goes by really fast. In some respects, it’s all still very new but in other respects it’s like I’ve always been here.”

Kansas is one of those rare bands that has staying power, selling more than 30 million albums since its inception in 1974.

The band—comprised of original drummer Phil Ehart; bassist/vocalist Billy Greer; keyboardist David Manion; violinist/guitarist David Ragsdale; guitarist Zak Rizvi; and original guitarist Richard Williams—boasts a catalog that includes 15 studio albums and five live albums, eight gold albums, three sextuple-platinum albums (Leftoverture, Point of No Return, Best of Kansas), one platinum live album (Two for the Show), and two 1 million-selling gold singles, “Carry on Wayward Son” and “Dust in the Wind.”

Kansas appeared on the Billboard charts for more than 200 weeks throughout the ’70s and ’80s and played to sold-out arenas and stadiums throughout North America, Europe and Japan.

“Carry on Wayward Son” continues to be one of the top five most-played songs on classic rock radio, and “Dust in the Wind” has been played on the radio

more than 3 million times.

More and more younger people embrace Kansas’ music, says Platt. In July 2017, the band made a surprise appearance at Comic-Con in San Diego, to start off the panel for the hit TV show Supernatural.

“It introduced a much younger audience to Kansas. The first six months I was in the band I saw a more mature audience, but now the average age of our audience gets younger and younger.”

A younger audience could also be attributed to the 2016 release of The Prelude Implicit. It is the band’s 15th studio album, but the first one in 16 years. It is also Platt’s first studio album recorded with the band.

“It exceeded our expectations,” he says. “Every song on the album is just incredible. When I got this job, I never thought we’d do another studio album and that I’d be singing on it and be a contributing writer to it. It’s like I woke up and won the lottery three times in a row. It was a lot of fun, but it was also the hardest I’ve ever worked in my life, and that’s coming from a guy who drove an 18 wheeler in 20-below weather. It was very intense. We were sequestered in the studio for a month and a half. We were working 16-hour days, every day and there was nothing else. No outside interruptions.”

Kansas wrapped up its Leftoverture 40th anniversary tour at the end of April and is now touring for its Kansas Radio Classics & Fan Favorites tour

until September when it switches it up yet again to its Point of No Return tour.

“The Leftoverture show we opened with an acoustic set that was really intimate and really grabbed our audience’s attention,” Platt says. “Then we went into this wide variety of Kansas music and played Leftoverture in its entirety in the sequence on the album. From that, we’re now doing a fan favorite show where we play more of our hits and more of the songs that were popular and were played on MTV—back when MTV played music.”

So, what’s next for Kansas? The band has a heavy tour schedule through the end of 2018 and Platt says they’re already working on another studio album. “For Phil and Rich to still have that desire and be productive, is a testament to how much they love what they do and want to keep it rolling for as long as they can.”

“For me,” Platt says, “I’m living the dream. I just want to keep playing shows and keep playing with this kind of intensity and touring. I feel this music needs to be heard. It’s very in-depth, it’s very rich, it’s very inspirational on many levels. It would be nice to see this train not stop or slow down for a long time.”

Kansas

Talking Stick Resort, 9800 E. Talking Stick Way, Scottsdale, 480.850.7777, talkingstickresort. com, 8 p.m. Sunday, June 3, Tickets start at $45.

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE DOWNTOWNER | THE TOURIST | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

FIGURE SKATING

FANTASIA

PHOTOT BY GETTY IMAGES

Olympic champions shine in ‘Stars on Ice’

Nicole Hehl » The Entertainer!

M

ost of us can’t imagine the intensity it takes to compete in the Olympic Games: the years of aggressive training, the sacrifice and the immense pressure to put on near-perfect performances.

After that kind of relentless dedication, a long break seems well-deserved, but Ann Arbor, Michigan-based sibling ice dancing team Maia and Alex Shibutani are continuing the momentum of their Olympic wins on a two-month tour with Stars on Ice. “We work really hard, and the Olympics are a great opportunity, as is Stars on Ice, to show our sport and what we’re able to do,” Alex says.

Maia, 24, and Alex, 27, have been skating for 20 years and as partners for WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

14 years. They found having a teammate to be more fun and consider their shared history and naturally close relationship an advantage over their competition.

“When there are those natural riffs, we can depend on the fact that we really do care about each other, and we have a strong relationship and bond,” Maia explains.

The siblings spend a lot of time together, even residing in the same apartment building. Alex shares that being around each other so much adds to their cohesiveness on the ice and their ability to improve and build momentum.

“Going into the Olympics, we were working around the clock, but it did help that we were OK spending that much time together,” he adds.

The 2018 Olympic Winter Games was the second Olympics for the ice dancing duo. After placing ninth in the 2014 Sochi Olympics, the pair was

elated to bring home two bronze medals this year, one in ice dance and one in the figure skating team event.

“Our Olympic experience was really incredible,” Maia shares. “The amount of pressure that you experience at the Olympics is kind of like no other competition, but I’m so proud of the way we performed.”

According to Alex, life since the games has been exciting and crazy. “It’s been awesome to get recognized and for people to just be very, very nice and say how proud they were and that they enjoyed what we were doing,” he says.

And the craziness continues as the pair is in the middle of the 22-city Stars on Ice tour, which visits Glendale Friday, May 11, at Gila River Arena.

The show, founded and produced by Olympic gold medalist Scott Hamilton, is a breathtaking musical and visual experience showcasing extraordinary feats of strength and grace from the world’s most elite figure skaters.

Fans can relive the Olympic excitement as the ice dance bronze medalists glide, twirl and leap across the ice alongside a talented cast of championship skaters, including fellow Olympic bronze medal team members Nathan Chen, Adam Rippon, Bradie Tennell and Mirai Nagasu.

“We maybe compete six or seven times a year, so knowing that we’re going to be performing in front of 22 different audiences over the next two months, that’s so exciting,” Maia says.

“It’s awesome to be able to not only skate for but meet fans,” Alex says.

The duo, known for their inventive song choices, will be performing adaptations of their popular Olympic performances to Coldplay and a Sinatra/ Jay-Z remix as well as new routines.

“The choices that we make,

whether it’s music, costuming, or choreography, it really is very tailored toward us,” Alex explains.

When asked how performing for fun feels different than competing, Alex corrects, “Competing is performing for fun. The approach doesn’t really change.

You have varying levels of nerves, but we know that we also skate our best when we’re loose, relaxed and able to skate freely.”

If the siblings get any downtime on their nationwide tour, Maia describes her ideal day off as, “Probably starting by not waking up too early. Just catching up on some sleep. Then just exploring where we’re at and definitely having some good food.”

As for any plans for post-tour downtime, Alex laughs. “We don’t really know what that means. We haven’t taken a vacation for over, I want to say, seven years. We’re always working in some capacity.”

The siblings shy away from sounding overconfident when asked if they’ll make another Olympic run but agree that it’s a possibility.

“No one really knows what they’re going to be doing in four years, but we’re fortunate to be at an age and a point in our career where we’re not being kicked out the door because of health or a decline in our abilities,” Alex says. “It’s such a huge honor to be able to represent the United States and to compete at the Olympics. It’s brought so much to our lives. So, yes is the simple answer.”

Stars on Ice

Gila River Arena, 9400 W. Maryland Avenue, Glendale, 623.772.3800, starsonice.com, 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 11, $25-$140.

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THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2018

THE GLADIATOR

CHEER » HIT » HIKE » LEAD » ROOT » COMPETE

MAY’S BEST

SPORTS EVENTS

Brian Benesch » The Entertainer!

Phoenix Rising FC vs.

Los Angeles Galaxy II

MAY 4 In addition to the home fans being treated to nonstop USL action, it is also $1 beer night. The Rising will look to beat the Galaxy II for the second time in 2018 in this Friday night duel.

Phoenix Rising FC Soccer Complex, 751 N. McClintock Drive, Tempe, 623.594.9606, phxrisingfc.com, 7:30 p.m., $17-$103.

Stella Artois Derby DayClub

MAY 5 Arizona’s only Kentucky Derby Party with live horse racing, betting and polo party-style outdoor tents features a VIP area, a taco bar, champagne tastings and, naturally, mint juleps.

Turf Paradise, 1501 W. Bell Road, Phoenix, http://thepoloparty. com/derby/, 10:30 a.m., tickets start at $30 in advance.

Arizona Diamondbacks vs.

Houston Astros

MAY 5 Sure, the baseball game is fun, but it’s even more exciting when there’s a giveaway involved. The first 20,000 fans through the gates receive a sugar skull T-shirt.

is limited to 150 runners. Medals will be given to the first-place runner in male and female categories by 10-year age groups. The top three overall age-graded winners will receive plaques.

Pine Trailhead in the Tonto National Forest, just off Highway 260 about a quarter mile south of Pine, pinetrailrun. com, 6:45 a.m. (required briefing before race), $65.

Whiskey Row Marathon

MAY 5 As an Arizona running tradition for 98 years, the Whiskey Row Marathon is among the toughest races in the country. Featuring rugged terrain, an altitude in excess of 1 mile above sea level and, on occasion, severe weather, it’s challenging, fun and offers a number of running routes for runners of all skill and fitness levels, including a half marathon, a 10k and a 2-mile run/walk.

Downtown Prescott, 928.445.7221, whiskeyrowmarathon.com, 6 a.m., $25-$100.

Celebrity Poker Tournament

MAY 12 Former Coyotes player Shane Doan will host Care Fund’s fourth annual Celebrity Poker Tournament and

Casino Night. Care Fund provides financial assistance for families caring for seriously ill or injured children. Joe Cada, the youngest winner of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) main event, and Tom Schneider, a four-time WSOP bracelet winner will host coaching sessions and play against some tables. The winning prize is a new Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

Harley-Davidson of Scottsdale, 15656 N. Hayden Road, Scottsdale, www.thecarefund. org/poker/, 4:30 p.m. Saturday, May 12, tickets start at $75.

Arizona Diamondbacks vs.

Washington Nationals

MAY 13 The Nationals’ Bryce Harper and Co. take on the D-backs, but moms around the Valley have a different reason to attend the game. The first 10,000 mothers receive a Mother’s Day tote bag courtesy of Bubly Sparkling Water.

Chase Field, 401 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, 602.514.8400, mlb.com/dbacks, 5:08 p.m., $16$175.

Phoenix Mercury vs. Dallas Wings

MAY 18 WNBA all-time leading scorer Diana Taurasi and company open the 2018 regular season at home. The Wings are the first opponent that stands in the Mercury’s way of a fourth championship.

Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, 602.379.2000, mercury.wnba. com, 7 p.m., tickets start at $27.26.

Arizona Rattlers vs. Iowa Barnstormers

MAY 20 Head to Talking Stick Resort Arena as the defending United Bowl champions host the Iowa Barnstormers. These two teams met back in March, with the Rattlers losing their only game to date. They will look for revenge in front of the home crowd.

Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, 602.379.2000, azrattlers.com, 3:05 p.m., $13-$145.

Yoga in the Rainforest

MAY 22 AND MAY 24 This all-levels yoga class is taught by professional teachers from India Bee Yoga. Yogis will find their inner peace inside the 10,000-squarefoot conservatory, surrounded by lush vegetation, flowering plants and 3,000 tropical butterflies.

Attendees just need to bring a mat and get ready to fly — only spiritually, of course.

Butterfly Wonderland, 9500 E. Via de Ventura, Scottsdale, 480.800.3000, butterflywonderland.com, 5:15 p.m., $20.

Phoenix Mercury vs.

Seattle Storm

MAY 23 WNBA Superstars Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner will provide entertainment on a Wednesday evening in downtown Phoenix.

The Mercury meets the Storm in a heated 2017 postseason rematch.

Talking Stick Resort Arena, 201 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, 602.379.2000, mercury.wnba. com, 7 p.m., tickets start at $27.26.

Chase Field, 401 E. Jefferson Street, Phoenix, 602.514.8400, mlb.com/ dbacks, 5:10 p.m., $16-$175.

Pine Trail Run

MAY 5 Pine Trail Run offers chance to step up conditioning in the clean air and 6,000-foot elevation of PineStrawberry. The 8.8-mile trail race

PINE TRAIL RUN MAY 5

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE DOWNTOWNER | THE TOURIST | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

AN HISTORIC MOVE

PHOTO COURTESY PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

Ahwatukee’s Scott Kingery hits a home run with Phillies contract

WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

Brian Benesch » The Entertainer!!

I

n the span of five short years, former Mountain Pointe High School baseball star Scott Kingery went from unheralded college prospect to the talk of the MLB. Kingery has inked a six-year contract with the Philadelphia Phillies.

The deal is worth $24 million, but has a maximum value of $65 million if the club picks up his options through the 2026 season.

With the deal, the 23-year-old Ahwatukee native becomes just the second drafted player in league history to sign a multi-year contract before ever stepping foot in the majors. Houston’s Jon Singleton is the only other player who has signed such a contract without any big-league experience.

Count former Mountain Pointe head coach Brandon Buck among those impressed with Kingery’s new contract.

“It’s amazing. He’s the second player to ever do it and it’s the largest (contract). I think that lets you know how big of a deal that is,” says Buck, who coached Kingery during his time with the Pride. “I’ve been on cloud nine.

I’m just so happy for him.”

While the coach was impressed with Kingery’s deal, he was certainly not surprised to see the gritty infielder rewarded. Buck says he knew the 5-foot10, 180 pounder was special from a young age.

The former coach recalled a specific story about Kingery’s situational awareness in Ahwatukee Little League. He then remarked to his wife that he couldn’t wait to coach that player one day.

Buck got that chance during Kingery’s time at Mountain Pointe, which culminated with a state title in 2011.

But after a storied high school career, Kingery surprisingly received zero offers from Division-I schools. He had to settle for a walk-on opportunity with the University of Arizona. That single opportunity from the Wildcats was all the Phoenix native needed.

“I remember talking to several schools about him and almost all of them just says he wasn’t big enough. My staff and I were dumbfounded,” Buck says.

“And in the opening game of his freshman year at Arizona, he was their leadoff hitter. That night we got a text message from a college coach saying, well, I guess we screwed up on that one,” he chuckled in satisfaction.

To classify Kingery’s rise to the

major league level as rapid would be an understatement. From 2015-2016, he floated between single-A and double-A ball, putting up respectable, but far from eye-popping numbers at the plate.

Kingery then played in the Arizona Fall League less than two years ago as he continued to develop. While he didn’t light the league on fire by any means, his time in Scottsdale could be seen as a catalyst for his incredible 2017 season in the minors.

The natural second basemen started the year with double-A Reading before he got the call to join triple-A Lehigh Valley in June. Kingery responded by posting a .294 batting average, with 8 home runs and 21 RBIs. His instant success at the high level certainly caught the attention of the Phillies’ front office.

In 55 plate appearances, Kingery hit .418 during Philly’s spring training schedule. It was enough for general manager Matt Klentak to reward the prospect with an unprecedented contract.

The news of Kingery’s deal delighted Buck, who now works as a leadership coach at Initiative One in Boise, Idaho.

“He started for three years for me at shortstop and was a stud,” he says.

“He had so much potential and so much ability. He’s one of those rare athletes who took advantage of that. The fact that a lot of people would always say he’s small really fed him to work even harder.”

That motivation has propelled Kingery all the way to the Major Leagues. And with a young and talented roster already in place for the Phillies, the tentative plan calls for Kingery to play multiple positions in the field.

Judging by his swift climb up baseball’s ranks, it would be foolish to think Kingery couldn’t handle this role.

So far this season with the Phillies, Kingery has been under control in the batter’s box; he’s currently hitting .255 at the dish. What’s most impressive though, is the fact that the utility man has already played six different positions in the field. He is proving his worth in the MLB with each passing day.

“He truly believed he was good enough to play baseball at the collegiate level and beyond,” Buck maintains. “He just focused on the things he could control.”

Buck reminisced about his time coaching the humble and driven Kingery, adamantly saying, “Regardless if it was baseball or not, he was going to be successful.”

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2018

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

A

gua Fria High School graduate Sammy Solis has faced his share of adversity, but the Washington Nationals’ relief pitcher is feeling healthy and ready to help turn around his team’s season.

“We are off to a slower start than we had hoped,” says the lefty, who grew up in Litchfield Park. “We had a few big injuries that slowed us down a bit. But it’s the beginning of the season. It was way colder than we expected, too. That was a little factor in us losing a few ballgames. We were freezing our butts off.”

Solis, 29, is returning to town— and a warmer climate—Thursday, May 10, to Sunday, May 13, when the Nationals play the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.

Playing in Arizona to special to Solis, who honed his baseball skills in recreational leagues and Litchfield Park Little League, as well as at Agua Fria with coach Ed Wolfe.

“I was always on a really good team,” he says. “My best buddies and I went to Agua Fria together. Coach Wolfe allowed me to feel comfortable about playing baseball around my best buddies.”

Solis was drafted out of Agua Fria by the D-backs in 2007, but he and his parents decided he would attend the University of San Diego instead.

“I was just not ready for the majors,”

55

BIG LEAGUE DREAMS Nationals pitcher calls his time in the West Valley inspirational

he says. “I thank my parents every day because they told me it would be best to go to college. They left it up to me to decide. I was an 18-year-old, taken late in the draft. The signing bonus was not where I wanted it to be, either.”

He would have been sent to the minors, which he called “a grind.” He accepted the full-ride scholarship to the University of San Diego, where he was

named All-West Coast Conference.

The Nationals selected Solis in the second round in 2010, and he reportedly received a $1 million signing bonus. He played for the Scottsdale Scorpions in the Arizona Fall League after the 2010 regular season. He won the championship, and returned after the 2011 season, only to injure his elbow and undergo Tommy John

surgery. Solis has also suffered from knee and shoulder issues.

“I feel great,” he says. “The biggest thing right now is my command of all my pitches. I have 15 strikeouts and five walks. I’d like to change that.

“Health is the biggest thing in my career. I need to stay healthy to compete with some of the best, and I feel I can do that.”

WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

The museum is going

Come visit the Arizona Museum of Natural History and see its latest addition: A life-size sculpture of a dinosaur breaking out of the wall of the museum. The creature is Acrocanthosaurus, a 38-foot long hunter who lived 110 million years ago and was most certainly the scariest dinosaur on the landscape.

DINO CRAZY this summer with 3 different camps: • Prehistoric preschool for ages 4 and 5 years • Dino discovery camp for 6 to 10 years • And Paleo boot camp for 11 to 14 years

FOR MORE DETAILS GO TO OUR WEBSITE AZMNH.ORG OR FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA.

ARIZONA MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY • 53 NORTH MACDONALD, MESA, AZ 85201 480 644 2230 • AZMNH.INFO@MESAAZ.GOV

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2018

THE YOUNGSTER

57

FROLIC » DISCOVER » IMAGINE » FAMILY » FUN » CONNECT

THE BEST FAMILY EVENTS IN MAY

Daisy Finch » The Entertainer!

as they bound onto the stage for Greasepaint’s Madagascar – A Musical Adventure Jr.

Flora and Ulysses TO MAY 20 Kate DiCamillo’s Newbery Award-winning story, Flora and Ulysses, is presented by Childsplay at the TCA. Audiences will fall in love with 10-year-old Flora and her rescued squirrel, Ulysses.

Tempe Center for the Arts Theater, 700 W. Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe, 480.350.2822, childsplay.org, 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Saturdays, and 1 p.m. Sundays, $12-$30.

Sonoran Safari

TO MAY 27 Embark on a “Sonoran Safari” at the i.d.e.a. Museum, where adventurers can explore the 11th largest desert in the world through art’s eyes. Learn about Saguaro cactus, native desert animals, Arizona plant life and more with hands-on activities and various art mediums.

i.d.e.a. Museum, 150 W. Pepper Place, Mesa, 480.644.2468, ideamuseum.org, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., $9, free for babies younger than 1.

The Historic Stagebrush Theatre, 7020 E. Second Street, Scottsdale, 480.949.7529, greasepaint.org, 7 p.m. May 4, May 5, May 11 and May 12; 2 p.m.

May 5, May 6, May 12 and May 13, $17.

Avondale Fiesta

MAY 5 It’s time to celebrate with a Cinco de Mayo-inspired street festival. Bring the family and enjoy arts and crafts, Hispanic foods, and entertainment that includes a mariachi band and Ballet Folklorico Esperanza.

Historic Western Avenue, from Dysart Road to Third Avenue, Avondale, 623.333.2400, avondaleaz.gov, 6 to 10 p.m., free admission.

AASK Family Fun Walk

MAY 5 The fifth annual Family Fun Walk is a 1.5-mile celebration of families who are caring for foster children.

Friends and families can take this mile track at any pace.

to Fly (May 20).

McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park, 7301 E. Indian Bend Road, Scottsdale, therailroadpark.com, 7:30 to 9 p.m. Sundays, free; train and carousel tickets are $2, with kids younger than 2 riding free.

Desert Night Cinema: E.T.

MAY 10 Bring chairs and the kids and secure yourself a seat for the Desert Night Cinema underneath a starry sky. The evening features the 1982 classic E.T., entertainment by JesterZ Improv Comedy, and food by Left Coast Burritos and Cactus Corn Kettle Corn.

Madagascar Jr. MAY 4 TO MAY 13 Join Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe, Gloria the hip hip Hippo and the plotting penguins

MAY 6, MAY 13 AND MAY 20 Some of the best local bands come together to play weekly. Upcoming performances are: Rubicon (May 6); Rock Lobster (May 13) and Learning

i.d.e.a. Museum, 150 W. Pepper Place, Mesa, 480.644.2468, ideamuseum.org, noon to 5 p.m., free.

Desert Botanical Garden, 1201 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix, 480.941.1225, dbg.org, 6:30 to 10 p.m., $10-$16.

Flagstaff Train Day

MAY 19 All aboard! Flagstaff invites everyone to experience a piece of history along the train tracks. Live music, local artists, tours, and more will accompany a day full of all things trains.

Flagstaff Visitor Center, 1 Historic Route 66, Flagstaff, 928.213.2951, flagstaffarizona.org, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., free admission.

Butterfly Wonderland Birthday Bash

Steele Indian School Park, 300 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix, 602.930.4452, familyfunwalk.org, 7:30 to 10:30 a.m., free admission.

McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park Concert Series

Sonoran Safari exhibition, which features art and activities highlighting the landscape and wildlife of the Sonoran Desert. The HUB Gallery and ArtVille allow guests to design a dream machine in Robot Corner, create artwork electronically in iArt, and play with soft blocks in ArtVille.

Free Sunday at the i.d.e.a. Museum

MAY 20 Visitors during the upcoming Free Sunday will be able to enjoy the

MAY 26 TO MAY 28 Visitors are invited to celebrate Butterfly Wonderland’s birthday, with a Memorial Day weekend celebration.

Guests will enjoy complimentary face painting, life-sized reptile and butterfly characters onsite, a caricature artist and musical entertainment.

Butterfly Wonderland, 9500 E. Via de Ventura, Scottsdale, 480.800.3000, butterflywonderland.com, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., various pricing.

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CHASE FIELD TICKETMASTER.COM

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2018

THE SHOWMAN

59

LISTEN » JAM » INNOVATE » EVOLVE » ROCK » SING

PHOTO BY SHERVIN LAINEZ

SWEET RETURN

Sugarland reunites in a ‘big’ way Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

A

fter Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush announced Sugarland’s hiatus, they were sure the country band was going to return.

Fans: Not so much.

But with the political climate the way it is, the duo felt it was time for a comeback. Nettles and Bush had something to say.

“The timing is right in the world to do what Sugarland specifically does,” Nettles says. “We are a band who likes to transform pain into hope.

“We like to facilitate healing, encourage people and empower people through music. We offer conversation starters and encourage dialogue. The world and our country are really ripe right now for that encouragement and healing.”

The fruits of Sugarland’s labor will be found June 8 on the album Bigger, which includes the Taylor Swift collaboration “Babe.” Nettles is pleased with the album’s outcome.

“It’s our best. It’s bigger—no pun intended,” Nettles says with a laugh. “I feel like it has depth and gravity and it’s

heartbreaking, beautiful and anthemic. It’s encouraging as well.

I’m excited by that. Our coming together, more so than our time apart, really filled our cups. We had a lot to say and it poured out of us.”

During her break from Bush, Nettles learned plenty, but mostly that fans should have realized Sugarland would return.

“We just wanted to come back when the time was right,” she says.

“Nobody knew. They’ve watched too much VH1: Behind the Music. They thought it was some dramatic breakup.

It was really a hiatus. I hope the fans and the music community like what we do on our own and as an ensemble. I think that’s the most important thing.”

Sugarland w/Brandy Clark and Clare Bowen Gila River Arena, 9400 W. Maryland Avenue, Glendale, 623.772.3800, gilariverarena. com, 7 p.m. Thursday, May 31, tickets start at $27.

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE DOWNTOWNER | THE TOURIST | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

LIVE MUSIC

CALENDAR

Connor Dziawura » The Entertainer!

MAY 4

MAY 1

Orpheum Theatre – Flagstaff, 7:30 p.m., $11-$15

Cigarettes After Sex

The Van Buren, 8 p.m., $19.99

Fu Manchu

The Rebel Lounge, 8 p.m., $15-$16

No Joy

Club Congress, 8 p.m., free

Sure Sure

Valley Bar, 8 p.m., $13-$15

Tyler Childers

Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $16-$28

MAY 2 Baths

Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $16-$18

Destroyer of Light

Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free

The Garden

The Rebel Lounge, 8 p.m., $16-$18

Justin Timberlake

Talking Stick Resort Arena, 7:30 p.m., $90-$1,250

Los Kung Fu Monkeys

Valley Bar, 8 p.m., $12-$14

Tesseract

Club Red, 8 p.m., $22.50-$26

Tyson Motsenbocker

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

MAY 3 Dreamdecay

Club Congress, 7 p.m., free

Gordon Lightfoot

Hemlock

King Tuff

Valley Bar, 7:30 p.m., $16-$18

Pink Floyd Laser Spectacular Marquee Theatre, 8 p.m., $29.50$47

Echosmith

Marquee Theatre, 7:30 p.m., $25$55

Stateline

Club Red – East, 8 p.m., $10

Virulent

Club Red, 7 p.m., $10

MAY 6 Deva Premal & Miten with Manose

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 7:30 p.m., $40$108

Ghost

Hazardous for Humans

Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $18-$30

Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free

Shabazz Palaces

Kamelot

Valley Bar, 8 p.m., $10-$12 Marquee Theatre, 7:30 p.m., $24$79

Pink Mexico

Club Congress, 8 p.m., free

Sunny Sweeney w/Ward Davis Last Exit Live, 8:30 p.m., $20-$100

Tyrone Wells

Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $17-$33

MAY 10 Hot Snakes

Crescent Ballroom, 8:30 p.m., $25$29

Meshell Ndegeocello

Musical Instrument Museum, 7:30 p.m., $45-$55

Sparta

The Rebel Lounge, 8 p.m., $16-$19

Heard Museum, Steele Auditorium, 6 p.m., $10-$25

Marquee Theatre, 7:30 p.m., $15$60

MAY 11

Terence Blanchard featuring the E-Collective

Maluma

The Atomic Punks w/Mötley Inc., Pyrosteria

Comerica Theatre, 7 p.m., $64-$154

Musical Instrument Museum, 7 and 9 p.m., $25-$40

of Montreal

The World is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die w/Pianos Become the Teeth

Tribute to Brad Singer

The Rebel Lounge, 7:30 p.m., $15$18

MAY 5

Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $23-$25 The Rhythm Room, 12 p.m., free

MAY 7 Wild Child

Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $12-$15

Acid Mothers Temple

MAY 8

Adrianna Marie & Her Groovecutters

Brent Cobb

Valley Bar, 8 p.m., $13-$15

Valley Bar, 8 p.m., $12-$15

Carter Winter

Built to Spill w/The Afghan Whigs

Desert Daze Caravan II w/Ariel Pink, DIIV

Michael Monroe Goodman

The Rhythm Room, 9 p.m., $10-$12 191 Toole, 8 p.m., $12

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

Hogjaw

Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $22 The Rebel Lounge, 8 p.m., $10

Mariachi Vargas

Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino, 8 p.m., $50-$90

MaSkaRade Ball – Half-Way to Halloween Party Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free

OverTime

The Underground, 8 p.m., $10-$15 WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

Musical Instrument Museum, 7 p.m., $35-$40

Sons of Apollo

Rogue Wave

The Lawrence Arms w/Red City Radio

Musical Instrument Museum, 7 and 9 p.m., $40-$70

Adrian Legg and David Lindley Animal Years

Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free

The Fratellis

Los Lobos

MAY 9

Rillito Park Racetrack, 1 p.m., $29.50-$199.50

Tucson Music Hall, 8 p.m., $37.50$291

Rawhide

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 8 p.m., $85-$95

Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $18-$20

Sabroso Craft Beer, Taco & Music Festival w/The Offspring, Pennywise, The Vandals, Lit, Unwritten Law, Los Kung Fu Monkeys

The Van Buren, 7:30 p.m., $29.50$135 Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free

Taylor Swift w/Camila Cabello, Charli XCX University of Phoenix Stadium, 7 p.m., $42.50-$892

The Weepies

Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $25-$40

“Weird Al” Yankovic

Mesa Arts Center, 8 p.m., $39.50$69.50

Marquee Theatre, 6 p.m., $20-$35

Erika Wennerstrom

Club Congress, 8 p.m., $13-$15

Eva Ayllon en Concierto

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, 8 p.m., $59-$99

Franz Ferdinand

The Van Buren, 8 p.m., $31

Juanes with Mon Laferte

Comerica Theatre, 8 p.m., $49.95$457.28

Khalid

Rawhide Event Center, 6:30 p.m., $50.50-$299.95

Morbid Angel

The Rebel Lounge, 7 p.m., $35

Solstice

Club Red, 6 p.m., $10-$13

Tribal Theory

Pub Rock Live, 7 p.m., $12-$15

YFN Lucci

Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $23.50$25

MAY 12 American Pleasure Club

The Rebel Lounge, 7:30 p.m., $13$15

Amor Eterno Mariachi Sol Azteca Mesa Arts Center, 7 p.m., $45

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2018

Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness

Steven Wilson

The Wonder Years

Apocalyptica Plays Metallica

by Four Cellos

MAY 15

MAY 19

Mushroomhead

Condemned Till Dawn

Urban Pioneers

Cullen Omori w/The Gloomies Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., $10-$12

MAY 21

X Ambassadors

The Gipsy Kings

Geographer

MAY 16

Horse Feathers

Celebrity Theatre, 7:30 p.m., $50-$90

Marquee Theatre, 7 p.m., $25-$37

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

Rialto Theatre, 8 p.m., $26-$41.50

The Big News

Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free

Cough w/Grime

Club Red, 7 p.m., $12-$15

George Ezra

Marquee Theatre, 8 p.m., $25-$55

Hemlock

Club Red, 6 p.m., $13-$15

John Raymond & Real Feels The Nash, 7:30 p.m., $15-$25

MEGA 104.3 Funk Fest w/ Cameo, Zapp Band, Rose Royce, Lakeside Celebrity Theatre, 7 p.m., $49-$100

Phoenix ’90s Block Party w/ Guy with Teddy Riley, Jagged Edge, 112, Next, Ginuwine Comerica Theatre, 7:30 p.m., $59.50-$195.50

School of Rock

The Rebel Lounge, noon, $10

Soul Power Band

The Rhythm Room, 9 p.m., $8

MAY 13 Frenship

Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $16-$50

Hovvdy

The Rebel Lounge, 8 p.m., $10-$12

Club Red, 6 p.m., $25-$30 Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., $8-$10 The Van Buren, 7:30 p.m., $33-$139

Celtic Woman

COUNTERFEIT.

The Van Buren, 8 p.m., $42

Voice of Addiction

Valley Bar, 7:30 p.m., $13-$15

Mesa Arts Center, 7 p.m., $50-$115 The Rebel Lounge, 8 p.m., $13-$65 Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free

MAY 17 The Lighthouse and the Whaler The Rebel Lounge, 8 p.m., $12-$15

Mac Lethal w/WAX

Pub Rock Live, 8:30 p.m., $18-$22

Mestis

Club Red, 6 p.m., $15

Peter Hook & The Light

The Van Buren, 8 p.m., $26-$41

Todrick Hall

Mesa Arts Center, 7:30 p.m., $30$199

Red Wanting Blue

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

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

School of Rock

Dirtwire

The Rebel Lounge, 11:30 a.m., $10

Shady Park, 9 p.m., $10

Tech N9ne

Jimmie Vaughan

The Van Buren, 8 p.m., $45

The Showroom at Talking Stick Resort, 8 p.m., $25-$35

MAY 14

Lynyrd Skynyrd w/Bad Company, The Outlaws

Kendrick Lamar w/SZA, ScHoolboy Q, Jay Rock, AbSoul, SiR, Lance Skiiiwalker

Ak-Chin Pavilion, 7:30 p.m., $35$595

Leeway w/Rhythm of Fear, Broloaf

The Underground, 7 p.m., $13-$15

Rainbow Kitten Surprise The Van Buren, 8 p.m., $22

Sofi Tukker

Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $17-$20

Preoccupations Soulfly w/Nile

Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $13-$15

Smokepurpp

The Van Buren, 8 p.m., $24-$50

Volac

Shady Park, 2 p.m., $15

Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $14-$16

Primitive Man

Club Red, 7 p.m., $14-$16

MAY 22 Bleachers

The Van Buren, 8 p.m., $27.50

The Brevet

Valley Bar, 8 p.m., $12-$14

Marquee Theatre, 6:15 p.m., $12.50$55

Froggy Fresh

MAY 20

The Green

Benni

Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free

Carvin Jones Band

The Rhythm Room, 6 p.m., $5

Life of Agony

Club Red, 6 p.m., $23-$25

MGMT

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

191 Toole, 7:30 p.m., $15-$40 The Rock, 7:30 p.m., $20-$80

Machine

Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free

MC Chris

The Rebel Lounge, 8 p.m., $16-$18

MAY 23 Phantogram w/Tycho

The Van Buren, 8 p.m., $41

Club Congress, 7 p.m., $22-$25

Chico Chism Memorial Birthday Celebration w/The Rocket 88s

Valley Bar, 8 p.m., $15-$18

Natalia LaFourcade

Mike Love

Trashcan Sinatras

MAY 18

Born Ruffians

Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino, 8 p.m., $55-$150 191 Toole, 8 p.m., $15

The Native Howl

Yucca Tap Room, 7 p.m., $10

Club Red, 6 p.m., $10-$13

61

Ak-Chin Pavilion, 6 p.m., $29.50$425

Marisela

Celebrity Theatre, 8:30 p.m., $50$95

Pedro the Lion

Crescent Ballroom, 8:30 p.m., $20$33

Pond

Valley Bar, 7:30 p.m., $14-$16

Silent Scream w/Madrost Yucca Tap Room, 8 p.m., free

Spanish Love Songs

The Rebel Lounge, 7:30 p.m., $10-$12

Godspeed You! Black Emperor MAY 21

The Van Buren, 8 p.m., $25-$29.50 Legendary Canadian post-rock titans Godspeed You! Black Emperor are returning to downtown Phoenix for their first performance at The Van Buren. The group last came to the Valley in 2016 to support its fifth album, Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress. Now, Godspeed is touring yet again—this time for its latest project, Luciferian Towers, which was released in September. If previous 2018 performances are any indication, fans can expect to hear plenty of the new material, as well as older fan favorites.

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE DOWNTOWNER | THE TOURIST | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

MAY 24 Days N’ Daze

The Sugar Thieves

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

Club Red, 6 p.m., $15-$17

MAY 26

MAY 25

Bob Log III

Bhad Bhabie

Club Red, 7 p.m., $20-$25 Body Count Marquee Theatre, 6:15 p.m., $22$52

The Devon Allman Project w/ Duane Betts

Fox Tucson Theatre, 7:30 p.m., $24$49

Kimbra w/Son Lux

The Rhythm Room, 9 p.m., $12-$15

Chon

Club Red, 7:30 p.m., $20-$25

Jacob Acosta

Club Congress, 7 p.m., free

Smallpools w/GGFO

Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $20$59.99

Timbiriche

Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $20-$22

Ak-Chin Pavilion, 8 p.m., $29.50$217.75

One More Time: A Tribute to Daft Punk

MAY 27

The Van Buren, 8 p.m., $15

Peter Bradley Adams

Valley Bar, 7:30 p.m., $15-$18

Dave Vito & The Volunteers Yucca Tap Room, 6 p.m., free

Against Me!

Orpheum Theatre – Flagstaff, 7:30 p.m., $20-$22

Obituary

Club Red, 6 p.m., $23-$25

Phoenix Blues Society Fundraiser

The Rhythm Room, 2 p.m., $10

Subhumans

The Rebel Lounge, 8 p.m., $15-$18

MAY 28 Gatecreeper w/Full of Hell

Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $11-$13

Hawthorne Heights

James Taylor & His All-Star Band Talking Stick Resort Arena, 7:30 p.m., $70.75-$1,250

Okkervil River

Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $20-$32

MAY 30 Texas Hippie Coalition

Marquee Theatre, 6:15 p.m., $23$38

MAY 31 Calexico

Rialto Theatre, 8 p.m., $25-$36

Greg Laswell

Musical Instrument Museum, 7:30 p.m., $30-$40

The Rebel Lounge, 8 p.m., $20-$22

Melvins

Valley Bar, 8 p.m., $12-$15

MAY 29

Sugarland

Caloncho

Brian Culbertson

Amber Mark

Crescent Ballroom, 8:30 p.m., $21$31

Mesa Arts Center, 7:30 p.m., $42.50-$49.50

Crescent Ballroom, 8 p.m., $20 Gila River Arena, 7 p.m., $47$770.25

SPRING CLEANING

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

G

host frontman Tobias Forge has never been in a better place.

His Grammy Award-winning band is preparing to release its fourth album, Prequelle, on June 1 and—although may sound a bit cliché—he says this is the act’s best music.

“It feels like I’ve produced something creative and positive,” he says.

“It’s a great achievement. The record isn’t coming out for a month, but there’s a bit of a fuss about it. I couldn’t be happier about it.”

That says a lot, considering his last year. The Swedish heavy metal act formed in 2008, with the band members’ identities hidden behind costumes. Forge, known then as Papa Emeritus, donned a dark prosthetic mask. His musicians, the Nameless Ghouls, wore identical face-concealing costumes. In April, Ghost revealed its “new leader,” Cardinal Copia.

In 2017, the Nameless Ghouls revealed their identities—and Forge’s name—when they sued the singer. The four musicians accused Forge of cheating them out of profits from the group’s album releases and world tours. Forge says there was never a legal partnership.

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“In some stage of your life, there has to be a spring cleaning,” he says.

“You have to change something in your life. You get a partner, you get a divorce, you move, you change your job, you do something to change your life in a new direction.

“That comes with baggage. It’s not super fun, but it’s also quite necessary.

That’s basically what I’ve been going through. I think I’ve managed to steer a lot of that into positive energy.”

Prequelle breathes new life into Ghost, taking on topics like the plague, the apocalypse and the dark ages. The collection shows the Forge’s songwriting evolution.

“The writing process and its playfulness really feel like I’m back in (Ghost’s first album) Opus Eponymous, although it doesn’t sound like it. It’s honest and playful. I’m not neglecting the fact that I have a lot to lose. We’re not a heritage band yet. I’m still drafting the catalog that is needed in order to be able to do that. It just feels like one of those records that are needed to have a career like that.”

Ghost

Tucson Music Hall, 260 S. Church Avenue, Tucson, tucsonmusichall.org, 9 p.m.

Sunday, May 6, $40-$60.

Tobias Forge breathes new life into Ghost

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2018

63

‘BORN ON A

’ GANGSTER STAR

Shabazz Palaces offers otherworldly music to First Friday Connor Dziawura » The Entertainer!

S

habazz Palaces’ Ishmael Butler, known within the group as Palaceer Lazaro, doesn’t consider his experimental hiphop duo a pop group.

Eschewing such a tag, he and multi-instrumentalist Tendai “Baba” Maraire aren’t limited to traditional constraints when releasing their music.

“It’s not about the singles, so we don’t have to really approach marketing and stuff that way,” Butler says.

He is speaking of the release strategy behind the group’s pair of 2017 albums— Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Star and Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines.

The latter was complete and ready to be released when Butler and Maraire returned to the studio to work on a couple songs with friends, he says. The sessions yielded more than they expected—a full conceptual companion project.

“We just got stuff that we had finished out there,” he adds of concurrently releasing the albums. “We tour a lot, and so it’s not like we kind of have to adhere to the standard marketing and rollout of records. So, we did things in the way that we thought was cool for us.”

Over the past near decade, the Seattle duo has received acclaim for its futuristic blend of hip-hop with out-there rhymes and world instrumentation. Butler and Maraire debuted as a group with two EPs in 2009. Their first full-length album, Black Up, was named the No. 1 album of 2011 in both The Seattle Times’ local and national/international lists. Its 2014 follow-up, Lese Majesty, was also acclaimed.

For their 2017 duology, Butler and Maraire birthed the concept of the titular Quazarz, or “a sentient being from somewhere else, an observer sent here to Amurderca to chronicle and explore as a musical emissary,” according to Sub Pop’s press release announcing Quazarz: Born on a Gangster Star.

Though various influences such as jazz have at times been apparent in the group’s music, Shabazz Palaces’ sound serves as a departure from Butler’s days as Butterfly in the Grammy Awardwinning ’90s jazz rap outfit Digable Planets. That trio’s final album, Blowout

Comb, was released nearly 25 years ago.

“I just think life experiences, lessons learned, different techniques learned, recording methods changing, and just time, maturity, all of those things sort of combine to affect changes in style and motivation over the years,” Butler says of his musical evolution.

Shabazz Palaces isn’t necessarily as “mapped out” or “mathematic,” he says.

“I’m not really cerebral in terms of my approach to making music,” he continues. “I’m more instinctive. So, I think that it’s more an issue of instinct and how that has been shaped and changed over the years rather than a decided direction.”

Being instinctive, though, is the group’s direction, he says.

“I think that pursuing your instinct is a direction,” he says. “You practice a lot, perform a lot, learn as much as possible and then in the recording process try to capture the spontaneity and the improvisation, the first thing that comes to mind, the instinct, try to capture that.”

Perhaps Shabazz Palaces occupies its own space in hip hop. Butler, though, doesn’t view his partnership with Maraire as an outlier. He still enjoys much of what is going on in the genre—and others as well.

“All music reflects whatever country is producing it; it’s kind of what’s going on in that place,” he explains. “So, yeah, it’s going to be materialistic, it’s going to be self-centered, it’s going to be somewhat self-interested, and whether that’s good or bad can be argued and debated, but as a reality, that being the climate, there’s still cool (expletive) that is made, good stuff that’s made, thoughtful stuff that’s made, and even some of the stuff that doesn’t fit into those descriptive categories can still be fun. A lot of times the richness that’s contained in something isn’t just in the thing itself, but in the person who’s observing and what you can try to get out of it.”

Shabazz Palaces will perform at Heard Museum’s Not a Block Party on Friday, May 4. The First Friday event serves as a launch for Dear Listener: Works by Nicholas Galanin. The exhibit will run at the Heard Museum May 4 through September 3. Galanin’s band, Indian Agent, will also perform.

Shabazz Palaces and Galanin are members of Black Constellation,

a collective of visual artists, fashion designers and musicians. Toronto artist Nep Sidhu, who is one of many collaborators on the exhibit; Seattle artist Maikoiyo Alley-Barnes; Seattle rapper and visual artist OCnotes; and the now-defunct Seattle alt-R&B/hip-hop duo THEESatisfaction have also been involved in the collective.

“We like to have the surprise elements, so that we’re not just recreating what you heard on the album,” Butler says of Shabazz Palaces’ live shows. “It’s not an exact rendition of anything that we’ve already done. We’ve never done the same show twice. We don’t have setlists. We do a lot of improvisation, feeling out the situation, the crowd and the venue and how it sounds in there to make up songs on the spot and take songs that we’ve already recorded into different directions.”

OCnotes does the group’s visuals, and his involvement is just as unpredictable, Butler says.

“It’s all happening live and we’re vibing off the feeling in the room, so I think you can expect to have a visceral experience, an energetic experience, a passionate experience and a unique one,” he continues. “Being in a different environment like a museum and having all our brothers and sisters there and their exhibitions going up, that kind of exciting energy is poured into what happens in a performance like that.

So, it’s going to be exciting to see what happens and how everything turns out in that environment.”

Not a Block Party w/ Shabazz Palaces

Indian Agent, Heebie Jeebies, DJ Byron Fenix, Heard Museum’s Steele Auditorium, 2301 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix, 602.252.8840, dearlistener. org/events, 6 to 10 p.m. Friday, May 4, $10-$25.

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THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2018

THE NIGHTOWL

65

SIP » UNLEASH » MIX » MINGLE » PULSE » SHAKE

THE BEST NIGHTLIFE EVENTS FOR MAY Connor Dziawura » The Entertainer!

house beats to go around. This event is 21 and over.

Maya Day + Nightclub, 7333 E. Indian Plaza, Scottsdale, 480.625.0528, mayaclubaz.com, 10 p.m., $10.

to get moving at the Phoenix venue when he brings his bouncing, steady beats through the Valley. This event is 21 and over.

Dada Life

Warp Drive ‘18

The Pressroom, 441 W. Madison Street, Phoenix, relentlessbeats. com, 9 p.m., $25, $40 and VIP tickets available.

BFF at Bar Smith, 130 E. Washington Street, Phoenix, 480.625.0528, relentlessbeats. com, 9 p.m., $10.

MAY 12

Dirt Monkey and Subtronics head up the Warp Drive ’18 tour, along with Blunts & Blondes. Get ready for massive songs and club-ready beats courtesy of these DJs and producers. This event is 18 and over.

Hyper Future

Monarch Theatre, 122 E. Washington Street, Phoenix, 602.456.1991, relentlessbeats. com, 9 p.m., $20-$35.

TJR

MAY 4

This American DJ is most notably known for his platinum party anthem with Pitbull, “Don’t Stop the Party.” In addition, he has achieved recognition with his Beatport No. 1 hits “Funky Vodka,” “What’s Up Suckaz” and “Bounce Generation.”

Maya Day + Nightclub, 7333 E. Indian Plaza, Scottsdale, 480.625.0528, mayaclubaz.com, 10 p.m., $15.

BROHUG MAY 11

Hailing from Stockholm, Sweden, this trio – Christopher Lunde, John Dahlbäck and Niklas Lunde – will bring its brand of “brohouse” to Scottsdale. Their songs are massive, with plenty of wubs and steady

Dada Life doesn’t take genres too seriously. They just want to make fans jump up and down with smiles on their faces. Try for yourself when the duo plays music from its recently released album, Our Nation, at The Pressroom.

Monarch Theatre, 122 E. Washington Street, Phoenix, 602.456.1991, relentlessbeats. com, 9 p.m., $15-$30.

MAY 3

One of the earlier events of the month, Never Say Die Records’ Hyper Future North American Tour 2018—featuring Must Die, LAXX and Dr. Ozi—will stop by Monarch Theatre. This event is 18 and over.

MAY 27

TOKiMONSTA MAY 11

DJ and producer TOKiMONSTA is gearing up for a return to the Valley. She last passed through with a set at Decadence at the tail end of last year. Her last album, Lune Rouge, boasts collaborations with Isaiah Rashad and Joey Purp, but her discography shows even more variety. She worked with Anderson .Paak (even producing a track on his album Venice) and Yuna, and has remixed Lupe Fiasco and Beck, among others. This event is 21 and over.

Shady Park, 26 E. University Drive, Tempe, 480.474.4222, relentlessbeats.com, 9 p.m., $20.

Wongo MAY 11

Australian techno and house DJ/ producer Wongo is making an appearance at BFF at Bar Smith.

With just under 20,000 Facebook followers, Wongo is a name to give attention. Fans and guests are sure

Megalodon w/Tisoki MAY 31

Sango

MAY 19

The Seattle DJ and producer known as Sango is known for his chill, R&B-infused beats. While this won’t be a show to go crazy or dance on the club floor, fans are sure to be immersed when Sango drops his tracks at Crescent Ballroom come May 19. This event is 16 and over.

Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. Second Street, Phoenix, 602.716.2222, relentlessbeats. com, 8 p.m., $18.

More wubs, more beats and just all-around massive tracks will close out the month when Megalodon headlines a show at Marquee Theatre with Tisoki. Just check out the former’s SoundCloud. With songs like “Drunken Master,” a remix of Excision’s “Death Wish,” and hundreds of thousands of streams, Megalodon will likely put on a show not to miss. Fans can expect an equal amount of heat from U.K. producer Tisoki. This event is 18 and over.

Monarch Theatre, 122 E. Washington Street, Phoenix, 602.456.1991, relentlessbeats. com, 9 p.m., $15-$30.

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THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE DOWNTOWNER | THE TOURIST | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

MAD MIXOLOGIST

PHOTOS BY CELISSE JONES

Getting down and dirty with the Valley’s hottest shot slingers

Allison Neri » The Entertainer!

A

rizona native Ryan Cockerham is shaking things up at Jake’s Unlimited with its new adults-only evenings, Jake’s After Dark.

The lead mixologist and bar manager, Cockerham has been with the company since he was 16. When Amazing Jake’s was transitioning into Jake’s Unlimited, Cockerham was asked to oversee the upgrade to two full bars.

Cockerham was interested in fire science and even earned his EMT certification. He sees a future in the medical field, but for now he’s loving his Jake’s Unlimited position and wants to “ride with it” for as long as he can.

Tell us about the evolution to Jake’s Unlimited and the adults’ Jake’s After Dark.

With the remodeling, they were trying to stay with the “Jake’s” brand. To show people that, “Yes, we can still do birthday parties and are a great place for kids and family entertainment, but at the same time, we can still do adults as well.” We upgraded to two full bars and, starting at 8 p.m., we no longer have an admission fee. So, if people want to WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

come in for date night or grab a drink and go bowling, it’s something for the adults to do.

Tell us about the oddest drink request you’ve received With me being fairly new to this, anything with a weird name. I remember the first time that somebody came up and said, “Can I get a salty dog?” and I’m thinking, “What the heck?” But honestly, anything with a weird name that doesn’t tell you what’s in the drink.

What is your No. 1 pet peeve when working?

If it’s a Saturday and you are running around the bar and people can tell that you are busy doing something but there is that one person saying, “Excuse me, excuse me” and just kind of repeat it.

What is your go-to drink when you’re at a bar other than your own?

When I turned 21 and was able to go out with friends, I liked a drink called Liquid Marijuana, which we have on our cocktail menu. We changed it to Fuel Cell, going with our gamer theme.

I would probably do a vodka press with lemon and lime, something super simple, nothing too sugary.

What does ordering a vodka tonic say about a person?

They know what they want. It’s something plain and simple. They are easy to impress, in a way. They aren’t too high maintenance.

Tell us about the cocktail program at Jake’s When we were doing the renovation, the manager and I were working together to come up with names for new drinks.

Adults are bringing their children there and it’s for the children to have fun, but the adults can have something and it can have a theme. So with us, we do birthday parties so we will have a pineapple upside down cake shot. We try and make it tie into each other as much as we can.

What is one cocktail would love for us to feature in the magazine this month?

The Cotton Candy Martini What do you like about this drink?

We make all of our cotton candy in house, so it’s made fresh every day. In fact, it’s more of a presentation drink. You prepare the martini glass with a generous amount of cotton candy and mix all of the ingredients in a shaker and when you pour it over it, it melts the cotton candy.

It’s a really cool idea.

COTTON CANDY MARTINI 2 ounces Three Olive’s vanilla vodka 1 ounce cranberry juice 1 ounce pineapple juice cotton candy

Jake’s Unlimited

1830 E. Baseline Road, Mesa, 480.926.7499, jakesunlimited.com.

THE ENTERTAINER! MAGAZINE MAY 2018

67

Jeff Scott Soto hopes Sons of Apollo makes him a household name

A SPECIAL BIRTHDAY GIFT

Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

J

eff Scott Soto was celebrating his birthday, when he received a celebratory email from drummer Mike Portnoy.

“He wished me happy birthday and said, ‘I’m going to call you in a couple days to tell you what your present is,’” Soto recalls.

His “present” was an invitation to sing with Sons of Apollo, which also features Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, formerly of Guns N’ Roses, Billy Sheehan, and Derek Sherinian, who was in Dream Theater with Portnoy.

“It sounds kind of cocky that he

said, ‘You’re invited to join a new band with Derek Sherinian and I,’ but it truly was a gift. Playing with Mike and playing with Billy was on my bucket list. To do an album together, with those two in the same band, was a dream come true.”

The band recently released a six-song EP, Alive/Tengo Vida, which includes three versions of the single “Alive,” from the band’s No. 1 debut album, Psychotic Symphony, as well as three versions of the song in Spanish, “Tengo Vida.”

Soto dove in without knowing if he would like the songs or how the chemistry would shake out. When Thal arrived, Soto understood that Sherinian

and Portnoy wanted the sound to meld rock and soul.

“I’ve done so many bands, so many albums and so many projects, but I’m still climbing up that ladder to make something of myself. I’m not a household name. I’d like to be known by more than just my peers.

“I have something to add to this equation. I’ve explored so many different avenues. It’s not been to my detriment at all.”

Soto’s credits include performing with Trans Siberian Orchestra annually; singing background for a slew of acts; providing the voice for the original Steel Dragon singer in the film Rock Star; and fronting the local band Boogie Knights.

“I traveled to Tempe every weekend from L.A. to sing in Boogie Knights at Gibson’s, then over to the Cajun House in Scottsdale,” he recalls.

“I have massive memories of being in Tempe and Scottsdale, of being there for five years every weekend. Now, adding to that the experience of coming back and doing something that’s an original thing, I can’t wait.”

Sons of Apollo w/ Felix Martin

Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Avenue, Tempe, 480.829.0607, luckymanonline.com, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 5, $25-$55.

A PIECE OF ‘CAKE’

Trashcan Sinatras bring ‘Two Albums’ tour to Arizona Christina Fuoco-Karasinski » The Entertainer!

L

ast year, the Scottish band Trashcan Sinatras wanted to perform every song it had written. They played long sets—sometimes up to three hours.

That was daunting, according to singer Frank Reader. But it made this year’s tour much easier. Trashcan Sinatras will come to Tucson on Thursday, May 17, as part of its North American acoustic club tour “One Night, Two

Albums.” The jaunt finds Reader, John Douglas and Paul Livingston playing their 1990 debut album Cake, and their 1993 follow-up, I’ve Seen Everything in their entirety. Trashcan Sinatras will also include a selection of other songs from their catalog.

“We didn’t really know how they were going to sound,” Reader says.

“They were written with the three of us sitting around in the circle. It was a long time ago, wasn’t it? Some of them we hadn’t played for, maybe, 20-odd years.

Some of them we never played at that time. We were pleasantly surprised.”

Trashcan Sinatras formed in Irvine, Scotland, in 1986, with songs filled with pop harmonies and wordplay lyrics. Their debut album, Cake, featured the hits “Obscurity Knocks,” “Only Tongue Can Tell” and “Circling the Circumference.”

In July, Trashcan Sinatras will head overseas to tour with their peers, Del Amitri, who recently reunited.

“We don’t usually do full-band shows, but one of the gigs is at Edinburgh Castle,” says Reader, who has lived in the States for 11 years. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance for us. The others are old British traditional rock

‘n’ roll venues, as opposed to conference centers and the likes you tend to come up against a lot these days.

“We felt this would be a blast. You never know how many of these opportunities to play will come along.”

Trashcan Sinatras

Club Congress, 311 E. Congress Street, Tucson, 520.622.8848, hotelcongress.com, 7 p.m.

Thursday, May 17, $22-$25.

WWW.ENTERTAINERMAG.COM

68

THE METROPOLITAN | THE EXTRAORDINAIRE | THE DOWNTOWNER | THE TOURIST | THE ARTIST | THE CRITIC | THE DINER | THE CRAFTMASTER | THE HIGHROLLER | THE GLADIATOR | THE YOUNGSTER | THE SHOWMAN | THE NIGHTOWL | THE THINKER

YOU’RE NOT GONNA BELIEVE THIS

Bizarro facts that will stretch your noggin

Can you hear me now? About

122 million phone calls are made on Mother’s Day in the United States.

Daisy Finch » The Entertainer!

Children would tie up their mothers on Mother’s Day in what was formerly Yugoslavia. To gain freedom, she would have to give her children treats!

There are I hope you’ve been saving up!

An estimated 85.4 million mothers in the United is spent on Mother’s Day annually.

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Almost 50 countries in various parts of the world celebrate

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The second Sunday of May is always dedicated to mothers.

Mother’s Day accounts for about

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