Zรณcalo TUCSON ARTS, CULTURE, AND DESERT LIVING / MARCH 2018 / NO. 94
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inside
March 2018
07. Community 11. Sustainability 15. Events 21. Food 24. Art Galleries & Exhibits 27. Arts 33. Performances 35. Film 41. Folklore 45. Tunes 52. Scene in Tucson 54. Poetry On the Cover:
Detail of the public artwork “Joining Hands” by Chris Tanz as part of the 131-mile Loop project. On March 17, Pima County celebrates the completion of The Loop. See page 7 for more information.
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PUBLISHER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR David Olsen CONTRIBUTORS Craig Baker, Jefferson Carter, Abraham Cooper, Jeff Gardner, Jim Lipson, Jamie Manser, Troy Martin, Gregory McNamee, Janelle Montenegro, Amanda Reed, Laura Reese. LISTINGS Amanda Reed, amanda@zocalotucson.com PRODUCTION ARTISTS Troy Martin, David Olsen AD SALES: frontdesk@zocalotucson.com CONTACT US:
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March 2018 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 5
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community Z
Creating A Loop by Laura Reese IN MARCH, Pima County celebrates the completion of The Loop, a decades-long project and collaboration between municipalities, public works departments, and artists from across the region. For her first-ever work of public art, Chris Tanz collaborated with the late Paul T. Edwards and Susan Holman to create Sun Circle. The team used sandstone, concrete block, bronze and sunlight to create it. “I’ve always been dazzled by the way we live with the sun here,” said Tanz who moved to Tucson from the cloud-covered Chicago over 40 years ago. The circular structure near River and La Cholla on The Loop, draws from the archaeoastronomy tradition of cultures worldwide who have built structures that orient to the annual positions of the sun. Local examples include Picture Rocks, Signal Hill, and Tumamac, where Tucson’s own inhabitants have recorded for us their knowledge of the sun and its patterns. Tanz likes to join the bikers, runners and families who gather at Sun Circle for a place to sit and enjoy the natural views along the Loop route. Sometimes she brings coffee and cookies to share with the people she meets there. “One of the great things about public art—what I love most—is its connectedness with people,” said Tanz. “It’s not inside a museum. It’s out there where people live their lives.” Sun Circle is one of over 30 works of public art created for and exhibited along The Loop, a multi-use 131-mile path that extends through unincorporated Pima County, Tucson, Marana, South Tucson, and Oro Valley. Thirty years in the making, Pima County celebrates the completion of The Loop on March 17 with two celebrations at Kino Sports Complex and Brandi Fenton Park. The Loop is primarily recognized for its recreational amenities to enjoy on foot, bike, skates and horses. But at its core, The Loop is a piece of flood control infrastructure that rose from the ashes of the 1983 floods that devastated our region’s core. Pima County Administrator, Chuck Huckelberry, remembers the 6 days of rain that swept away nearly 6,000 Pima County homes, washed out 19 bridges, took the lives of 4 Pima County residents, and caused $58M in damage to public facilities in Tucson and Pima County. Over 11,000 Pima County residents received some sort of public assistance as a result of the flood. The Loop was built to reinforce river banks and protect the community from future floods, but it became clear the possibilities for the space far exceeded flood protection. With interconnected paths used by runners and bikers, as well as the development of parks and recreation, Huckelberry feels The Loop contributes
to Pima County as a place for health and wellness. He thinks public art is an important element of its function as a public good. “The art plays a significant role in celebrating the culture and heritage of the region,” said Huckelberry, who mentioned his favorite public artwork on The Loop is Batty Biker. Batty Biker is a series of works at three spots along The Loop that mark the site where people can come to see where the bats fly out a dusk and return at dawn. The works are fabricated of welded steel pipe, rod, and perforated metal. “Public art enhances the natural environment and visual experiences on The Loop,” said Huckelberry. The Loop physically connects the city while also offering a place for connection. “Traveling the 131 miles of the loop is one of the best ways of exploring public art,” said Jeff DaCosta, Manager of Public Art for the Arts Foundation for Tucson and Pima County.” The Arts Foundation facilitates the artist selection and construction of public art in the region. “With works located in multiple wards and districts, residents and visitors alike can see a variety of pieces unique to this region,” said DaCosta. Artist Chris Tanz broke her ankle when she started working on Joining Hands, a steel and Coronado brown granite arch near the Julian Wash Greenway. “There was no path [constructed] at the time, and I had to shuffle in on a knee scooter to visit the site,” she laughs. In an artist statement, Tanz describes the piece: An arch made of rock and steel rises over the path of the Julian Wash Greenway and provides a focal point in the wide-open landscape. It draws walkers and bikers through it, and frames the view of Spud Rock, a prominent peak in the Rincon Mountains. The row of figures along the top of the arch encircled a large Hohokam pot that was used in communal ceremonies about one thousand years ago. Now these figures, in laser-cut steel, span the path of the park, which is part of a network of parks that will one day encircle the city. Their hands joined together, they create an emblem of community. The public is encouraged to explore over the 30 works of public art on the 131-miles of The Loop during the celebration festivities on March 17. To view a map of these works, visit ArtsFoundTucson.org. This public arts information was provided by the Arts Foundation of Southern Arizona in partnership with Zócalo Magazine. Photo above: Artwork “Joining Hands” 2011 by Chris Tanz, photo by David Olsen. n March 2018 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 7
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photo: Bill Steen
sustainability Z
Building for the Future By Jeff Gardner EXPANSION IS, by its very definition, progress. But what if that expansion relies on unsustainable practices and only exists to benefit the present, not the future? With the rapid expansion of downtown Tucson and recent news of a seven-story apartment building being constructed right on Fourth Avenue, it might seem little effort is made to ensure that construction projects in Tucson are based on sustainable practices. However, many green building groups call The Old Pueblo their home. One such local changemaker is David Eisenberg, co-founder of the Development Center for Appropriate Technology, columnist for the International Conference of Building Officials journal, and writer for the EPA. Eisenberg started fighting to rezone and recode sections of Tucson for green buildings in ‘91. However, it wasn’t until some years later that he managed to halt the internecine struggle between his environmental mindset and building companies. “I had a breakthrough around ‘97 when I realized I wanted everything the builders wanted,” Eisenberg says. “I just had a different field of view. Building hazards aren’t just the impacts to people in the building. There are also hazards over time, almost all of which are invisible.” In September 1997, he gave a talk at the annual business meeting of the International Code Council and asked them an important question, a question he extends to all building officials. “I asked them ‘what’s your job as a building official, when someone says
to you they want to live off the grid, or collect rainwater, or build their walls out of adobe?’,” Eisenberg says. “The vast majority of people who come in wanting to do these things have made a crucial discovery. They’ve realized that their lifestyle choices have many negative consequences. Not negative for them, though. Negative for their children… and your children. So what is your job as a building official? Is it to keep those people from pursuing that goal of taking responsibility for what they do? Or is it to help them find the way to do it well and safely?” One such Tucson change is the allowance of straw bale houses, approved by the Pima County Board of Supervisors in 1996. Since then, up-to-code straw houses have been built in Pima County, some of which even work with the Living Building Challenge. This is a goal for green buildings to generate more energy than they consume, via diverting waste, being energy independent, treat all required water, etc. Not only is this a beneficial fight against future pollution, but water independence is huge for a desert state, especially in a city that has an uncertain water outlook. Codes do well with the risks they address, however many building risks are hidden in plain view and building codes will always need to be updated. Sure, the death toll from structure fires has plummeted since the 1800s, but deaths from cancer are rising, and the risks posed by climate change--though still a matter of political discourse--are very real. continues on page 13
March 2018 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 11
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Cimarron Foothills Estate MLS: 21801438
phone 520.241.3123 / email tim@timhagyard.com / web www.timhagyard.com
photos: Bill Steen
sustainability Z
“Codes simply enable us to build buildings that don’t hurt people,” Eisenberg said. “When I first started it, it amazed me how much harder it was to get permits for less environmentally damaging buildings. Now, things are getting somewhat better, but we need to keep on it.” Back in 1994, Eisenberg co-wrote a book with Athena and Bill Steen of the Canelo Project, titled The Straw Bale House. The Canelo Project is a local nonprofit organization dedicated to connecting people, culture, and nature with an environmentally-sound mindset. Since its creation in 1989, Bill Steen estimates he’s built or helped build some 50 houses out of adobe and straw bales. “Straw is one of the most environmentally-friendly materials,” Steen says. “It takes a hell of a lot of energy to manufacture styrofoam and similar materials, whereas straw bales come right out of a field and into a house.” In addition to straw bales, Steen is just as interested in earthen buildings. One of his biggest goals for the Canelo Project is to build an awareness for sustainable buildings; an “adobe vernacular”. “Buildings as a whole are near the top of the causes of global warming,” Steen says. “Not only construction, but operations and the transportation of materials. The more efficient you can make a building, the better. Some buildings, we’re finding, can even pull carbon from the atmosphere and hold it.”
Although the the momentum behind the energy independence movement is greater in Europe, it is building here as well, especially with Millennials. “Every estimate for climate change is a window that keeps collapsing,” Steen says. “There’s an incredible sense of urgency to do something, and greener buildings are right up there at the top of the list, next to getting off fossil fuels.The more we think about it, the more we act on it, the more we can change it. Instead of sitting around and bemoaning the facts, we can actually do something.” Eisenberg adheres closely to a quote by Dr. Jonas Salk that reads: “Our greatest responsibility is to be good ancestors.” “The work,” Eisenberg says, “is simply too important not to do.” Download a report by the International Living Future Institute on code and regulatory barriers affecting green building projects at bit.ly/2ohG4ec. Read more on the Canelo Project at caneloproject.com. Read more about the Development Center for Appropriate Technology at dcat.net. n
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events Z
Tucson Tango Festival, March 8-11
march Wild Wild West Steampunk Convention, March 2-4
THURS 1 & SAT 3 WILDERNESS SURVIVAL WORKSHOP Join longtime Wilderness Survival Instructor, Vincent Pinto for a fun innovative class and/or field experience that will introduce you to a myriad of wilderness survival basics. Attendees have the option of attending just the class or the field experience, or both. Admission: In class presentation: $35 members, $45 non-members. Field Experience: $65 members, $75 non-members. Registration required. Class hours: Thursday, March 1 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at the Tucson Audubon Mason Center, 3835 W. Hardy Rd. The Field Experience is Saturday, March 3 at the Ravens Nest Sanctuary in Patagonia, AZ. 520-488-2868. TucsonAudubon.org
FRI 2 - SUN 4 FOURTH AVENUE SPRING STREET FAIR
Over 400 arts and craft vendors, food vendors, live entertainment stages, street performers, a kids’ art area, and more. Hours: 10am to Dusk each day. Free shuttle service is provided from the Pennington Street Garage and the Tyndal Avenue Garage or use the Sun Link streetcar. 520-624-5004. FourthAvenue.org
MEXICAN CRAFTS SALE Featuring colorful Oaxacan wood carvings, Mata Ortiz pottery, and handwoven Zapotec wool rugs. Free admission during the sale. 10am to 4pm each day. Lomaki House, Tohono Chul Park, 7366 N. Paseo Del Norte. 520-742-6455. TohonoChulPark.org
WILD WILD WEST STEAMPUNK CONVENTION
A weekend of steampunk fun with a theme of Robots vs. Dinosaurs. Over 80 panels and make & take workshops such as Steampunk Fascinator, Leather Roses, Goggle Making 101, and Fusing Fabrics with Gears. Throughout the weekend, attendees will enjoy entertainment, rides, a fashion show, artists and authors, kids zone, a Saturday night concert, an exhibition of steampunk vehicles, and more. Old Tucson Studios, 201 S. Kinney Rd. 520883-0100. WildWestCon.com
THURS 8 - SUN 11 TUCSON TANGO FESTIVAL
International tango instruction, workshops for all levels, social dances, and live music. Casino Del Sol, 5655 W. Valencia Rd. 855-7657829. TucsonTangoFestival.com
SAT 10 2ND SATURDAYS DOWNTOWN
A free, family friendly urban block party with local food and shopping specials. Winter hours: 2pm to 9pm street vendors and 5pm to 9pm stage performances. Performances, vendors, food trucks, and more. Free family friendly movie at the Southern Arizona Transportation Museum. Downtown Tucson. 2ndSaturdaysDowntown.com
FESTIVAL OF BOOKS The 10th annual festival celebrating literacy brings more than 350 authors to the University of Arizona Mall. Workshops, panel discussions, a large kids programming area, exhibitor booths, and food. Free admission and parking on campus. 9:30 am to 5:30 pm. 520-621-0302. TucsonFestivalofBooks.org
SUN 11 ARIZONA DISTANCE CLASSIC
Wind through the scenic Santa Catalina Mountain foothills in half marathon, quarter marathon, and 5K distances with aid stations and cheer groups lining the course and a finisher’s medal for all participants. Event benefits the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Races begin at Ventana Medical Systems, 1910 Innovation Park Dr. Oro Valley. 520-469-7084. Visit website for fees and to register: ArizonaDistanceClassic.com.
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living streets alliance presents:
FREE PUBLIC TALK
APRIL 5, 2018 7PM-8PM • THE RIALTO THEATRE
From Complete Streets to Thriving Communities: An Evening with
GIL PEÑALOSA VIP RECEPTION 5:30-7:00PM $40 TICKET includes drinks, hors d’oeuvres, and conversation with Gil Details & tickets available at: livingstreetsalliance.org
Experience an energetic and inspiring evening with Gil Peñalosa, world renowned urban planner and founder of the international ciclovía/open streets movement. His philosophy is simple, yet powerful: if we create a great city for an 8 year old and an 80 year old, we will create a great city for all people. Join him in Tucson to explore sustainable mobility as a force for health, wealth, and happiness.
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events Z
Silver Spike Festival, March 17. The pure silver spike was mined in Bisbee to commemorate the arrival of the railroad in Tucson. Courtesy of Southern Arizona History Museum.
march THURS 15 HEAD OVER HEELS
The annual Southern Arizona Women’s Business Conference, designed to empower women to grow their businesses. Key features include talks by leading businesswomen, a luncheon with a keynote speaker, business expo, and meaningful networking opportunities with 200 attendees from Southern Arizona. 9am to 2pm. Desert Diamond Casino, 7350 S. Nogales Hwy. 520-294-7777. TucsonHispanicChamber.org
ST. PATRICK’S DAY AT MONTEREY COURT A stompin’ swillin’ good time with Nancy McCallion and Heather Hardy plus the Wee Band and Gary Mackender and Steve Grams. Corned beef and cabbage with all the trimmings. $10 admission. 505 W. Miracle Mile. 520-207-2429. MontereyCourtAZ.com
ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE A day full of Irish tradition with live Irish music, dancers, a children’s game area, food and vendors. Festivities begin at 10am, parade begins at 11am. Armory Park, 220 S. 5th Ave. TucsonStPatricksDay.com
SAT 17
WA:K POW WOW Traditional hoop dancing, drum contest, owl dance, inter tribal
THE LOOP COMPLETION CELEBRATION A celebration of the completion
dances, arts, crafts, and food at the largest celebration of Native American culture in the Tucson area. Gates open at 10am. Admission: Adults $7, children $5, kids 6 and under are free. Parking is $3 per vehicle. Mission San Xavier del Bac, 1950 W. San Xavier Rd. 520-573-4014. More information at: Facebook.com/WakPowWow
of The Loop, a 131-mile multi-use trail spanning the metropolitan Tucson area! Free activities for all ages such as a dog costume contest, St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, giant Jenga games, free pet microchipping (while supplies last), farmer’s market, raffles, prizes and vendor booths. Three locations: Brandi Fenton Memorial Park, Kino Sports Complex North, and the Steam Pump Ranch. 520-724-7352. See website for more information: Webcms.Pima.gov
SILVER SPIKE FESTIVAL
The 138th anniversary of the railroad to Tucson begins with music at 9:30am, followed by a live performance by the 4th U.S. Calvalry Regiment Band, a Mayoral Proclamation, a reenactment by the descendants of 1880, and the original silver spike on display, all held in front of Locomotive 1673. Craft show and vintage vehicles too. Historic Train Depot, 414 N. Toole Ave. 520-623-2223. TucsonHistoricDepot.org
SUN 18 WALK A MILE IN A REFUGEE’S SHOES
The International Rescue Committee in Tucson invites you to participate in this event designed to provide insight into the hardships and pain refugees endure. 10am to 2pm. Suggested donation of $10 at the door. Tucson Jewish Community Center - Sculpture Garden, 3800 E. River Rd. 520-319-2128. Rescue.org
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SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2018
SHOP LOCAL & MEET TUCSON’S DESIGNERS, MAKERS & SHOPS AT OUR MILESTONE 5TH MARKET PERCENTAGE OF PROCEEDS TO LOCAL NONPROFITS, FEATURING TUCSON YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
W W W. C U LT I VAT E T U C S O N . C O M
food Z
The Estimable Doughnut by Gregory McNamee IN THE SOUTH, when I was growing up, a proper breakfast consisted of a cup of coffee, a cigarette, and a doughnut. The cigarette was a killer, of course, and the coffee, well, it was miserable, as weak and watery as tree frog pee. But the doughnut—well, there was a thing of beauty, inarguably good for you, or at least a source of some happiness in this travail of a world. Anglo Tucson was once very southern, and so doughnut shops abounded. Robert Vint, now a renowned architect and preservation activist, remembers one southern-tinged place called Dondee’s over on Broadway and Kolb, little developed in those days. He’d ride his bike by on the way home from church on Sundays, taking doughnuts home to his younger brothers. “They were always a hit,” he recalls, “and they were just great—chocolate, sprinkle, glazed, all excellent. And best of all, it was locally owned.” Dondee’s, alas, is long gone, and now Tucson feels more midwestern than southern, and though we have not been reduced to eating loosemeat sandwiches and Jell-o isn’t mandatory at every meal, we’ve lost our doughnutcentricity: We have fewer doughnut shops than we might well ought to have, that is to say, though we’ve been seeing an uptick in the last couple of years, with such places like the yuppielicious Amy’s Donuts arriving in the Tucson marketplace. I’m not talking about the chains, mind you, and for good reason, since eating at Dunkin Donuts is like dining at a BASF plant, a fine thing if you like chemicals but otherwise not, while the once-glorious Krispy Kreme is a shadow of its former self and seems to be using oil drained from the crankcase of a World War I surplus biplane rather than anything a person ought to introduce into his or her bloodstream.
The best doughnuts in town these days, by my lights, are still southern—but far southern, south of the border southern, south of the wall of Trumpian dreams southern. The chocolate doughnut at La Estrella Bakery, in the Mercado de San Agustín, is dangerously addictive, to name my prime exhibit. You may try to resist it, but the siren call of the thing will not be gainsaid, and the plain sugar doughnut is pretty wonderful, too. Over at Le Caves, that venerable bake shop just across from the Santa Cruz Church on 6th Avenue and 22nd Street, they make a good doughnut, too, and have overcome some mighty travails of late. At panaderías throughout South Tucson and the vicinity, you’ll find fine examples of the doughnut-maker’s art, and it’s worth a transect to find them. Bob Vint recalls working in Boston as a novice architect, by the way, and discovering that doughnuts there were called crullers, pronounced krull–ah. That’s just the sort of thing you’d expect from a Yankee, I suppose, since technically a doughnut uses yeast and a cruller is made of denser cake flour. The Olympian gods themselves know that the yeast doughnut is superior in every respect, but if you’re a fan of the cake doughnut—beg pardon, the krullah—then have at it. It’s a free country, even for the misguided. Especially for the misguided, it would seem. And as for Batch, the downtown venue that improbably mixes doughnuts and whiskey? Well, whiskey is southern, too. Stay away from the cigarettes and bad coffee, and may the two in combination stand you in the best of health. n
March 2018 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 21
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photo: Gregory McNamee
food Z
Tucson’s Orange Heritage by Gregory McNamee OUR CITY is full of hidden treasures, little out-of-the-way places that escape the guidebooks and that often even old-timers don’t know about. It’s also full of ghosts, of memories of those hidden treasures that we’ve allowed to escape between our fingers. One of them has been gone for decades now: an orangejuice factory, tucked away alongside the railroad tracks a few hundred feet from the Stone Avenue underpass. In season, truckloads of freshly picked oranges would arrive there each morning from the groves that once ringed the city and from south in Sonora, most to be shipped out whole to supermarkets far away, but some to be squeezed on the spot for local stores. If you wandered into the factory, as I often did back in the early ’90s, you could buy a gallon of fresh juice for two dollars, an unheard-of bargain. But even with the scent of oranges hanging in the air as thick as a storm cloud, few people braved the streets to find the factory. The owners relocated to Florida, and the fresh orange juice they offered became but a memory. So it is everywhere in Arizona. Orange Grove Road has its name for a reason, but that reason is pretty well gone, even though there are a few orange trees here and there among the condos. Once the citrus orchards it housed stretched from east of Oracle Road all the way out to where the Interstate now runs. So it is throughout the Valley of the Sun: the up-and-coming Arcadia neighborhood, the vast stretches of farmland in East Mesa and Gilbert, Chandler along Highway 87, Avondale and Buckeye, all abounded in orange groves. Almost all are gone now, though small stands and individual trees grow in parks, backyards, and odd corners of commercial gardens. Our ghostly Tucson factory completed a historical circle within which the orange has traveled from desert to desert across the globe. The orange, Citrus chinensis, probably evolved twenty million years ago in the tropics of
southern China, but it first came into heavy cultivation along the desert rivers of northern India 4,000-odd years ago. From there it traveled with Greek and Roman traders to the Mediterranean and was planted in groves throughout North Africa, Spain, and southern Italy. Christopher Columbus introduced the orange into the Americas, and Spanish missionaries were soon planting them as they traveled, including, eventually, desert missions throughout Mexico and the Southwest. Their choice of the orange was a fitting one. Unlike most fruits, it loves strong sunlight and needs relatively little water. For that reason, Arizona was an early center for a thriving citrus industry that eventually concentrated—beg pardon—to the west in California. For more than a century, the growers of southern California, united in the Sunkist concern, have been giving every other orange-producing region a run for the money, though sometimes you’ll find that the oranges in the market come from as far away as Brazil, South Africa, and China, following the money. Forty or so natural compounds combine to produce the characteristic smell of orange juice, some of them quite stinky. These compounds disappear when orange juice is concentrated for long-term storage and long-distance transportation, so juice companies perk concentrated juice up with “flavor packs” that reintroduce those smelly volatiles. It’s better by far to have it fresh, if only to avoid the need for chemical alchemy. We were lucky to have fresh orange juice here in Tucson once upon a time. Perhaps we will again. We are also fortunate to have, throughout the city at this time of year, the heady scent of orange blossoms to remind us that time is fleeting—and that the world is a beautiful place. n March 2018 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 23
Z art galleries & exhibits ARIZONA HISTORY MUSEUM
Currently on view: History Lab, The Silverbell Artifacts, Geronimo Exhibit, Arizona Historical Society 150 Exhibit. Hours: Mon & Fri 9am-6pm; Tues-Thurs 9am-4pm; Sat & Sun 11am-4pm. 949 E. 2nd Street. 520-628-5774. ArizonaHistoricalSociety.org
ARIZONA
STATE MUSEUM Long term exhibitions include, Life Along the River: Ancestral Hopi at Homol’ovi and Paths of Life. Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-5pm. 520-621-6302. 1013 E. University Blvd. StateMuseum. Arizona.Edu CACTUS WREN GALLERY
Art Festival, 9am2pm, March 4. Gallery hours: Everyday from 9am to 4pm. 2740 S. Kinney Rd. 520-437-9103. CactusWrenArtisans.net
CENTER FOR CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY Ansel Adams: Performing the Print is on view to May 20; The Logic of the Copy: Four Decades of Photography in Print is on view to April 15 and Courting Failure, Embracing Risk: Mark Klett and Collaboration is on view to May 20. Hours: Tue-Fri 9am-4pm; Sat 1-4pm. 1030 N. Olive Rd. 520-621-7968. CreativePhotography.org
Colors of Cabo Pulmo is on view to Apr 8. Hours: Daily 10am-4pm. 2021 N. Kinney Rd. 520-883-3024. DesertMuseum.org
JOSEPH GROSS GALLERY Elsewhere: A Group Exhibition Co-curated with Martina Shenal is on view to Mar 23. Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-4pm. 1031 N. Olive Rd. 520-626-4215. CFA.arizona.edu/galleries
LOUIS CARLOS BERNAL GALLERY TransAtlantic Fusion closes Mar 9. Hours: Mon-Thurs 10am5pm, Fri 10am-3pm. PCC 2202 W. Anklam Rd. 520-2066942. Pima.Edu/CFA
MADARAS GALLERY All Artist Show opens Mar 4 with a reception from 11am to 2pm. Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 11am-5pm. 3035 N. Swan Rd. 520615-3001. Madaras.com
MEDICINE MAN GALLERY Josh Elliott - Desert Time Travels opens Mar 9 with a reception from 5 to 7pm and is on view to Apr 27. Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 1-4pm. 6872 E. Sunrise Dr., Suite 130. 520-7227798. MedicineManGallery.com
CONRAD WILDE GALLERY High Fiber closes
MINI TIME MACHINE On Point: Sculptures on
Mar 3 with a closing reception from 6-9pm. Hours: TuesSat 11am-4pm. 101 W. 6th St. #121. 520-622-8997. ConradWildeGallery.com
the Tips of Lead is on view to Apr 15 and David Fischer: Model Builder Extraordinaire is on view to Apr 29. Hours: Tues-Sat 9am-4pm and Sun 12-4pm. 4455 E. Camp Lowell Dr. 520-881-0606. TheMiniTimeMachine.org
CONTRERAS GALLERY
Frank & Owen Rose opens Mar 3 with a reception from 6-9pm and is on view to Mar 31. Hours: Tues-Sat 10am-3:30pm. 110 E. 6th St. 520-398-6557. ContrerasHouseFineArt.com
DAVIS DOMINGUEZ GALLERY
Charlotte Bender, Albert Kogel and Joy Fox opens Mar 2 and is on view to Apr 21. Hours: Tues-Fri 11am-5pm; Sat 11am4pm. 154 E. 6th St. 520-629-9759. DavisDominguez.com
DEGRAZIA GALLERY IN THE SUN
The Way of the Cross and DeGrazia’s Hot Wax - Encaustic Paintings from the 1950’s are on display through Sep 5. In the Little Gallery, Wonder of Color Group closes Mar 9 and Joe Sassy, Jewelry is on view from Mar 11 to Mar 23. Hours: Daily 10am-4pm. 6300 N. Swan Rd. 520-2999191. DeGrazia.org
DESERT ARTISANS GALLERY
Happy 30th Anniversary and Desert Secrets Miniatures is on view through May 5. Trunk Show: Wanita Christensen & Clydean Troner is Mar 3 from 10am-1pm. Hours: MonSat 10am-5pm; Sun 10am-1:30pm. 6536 E. Tanque Verde Rd. 520-722-4412. DesertArtisansGallery.com
ETHERTON GALLERY
In the main gallery, In Their Nature: Robert D. Cocke, Craig Cully, Jim Waid and Pop-Up: Andy Burgess opens Mar 6 with a reception on Mar 10 from 7-10pm and closes Jun 2. Mementos: Rodrigo Moya, Graciela Iturbide, Masao Yamamoto closes Mar 3. Tue-Sat 11am-5pm or by appointment. 135 S. 6th Ave. 520-624-7370. EthertonGallery.com
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IRONWOOD GALLERY
MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART Current exhibitions on view to Mar 25 include: Rosson Crow | Westification; Rose Even | In Residence; Victoria Fu | Out of the Pale; Robert Melee’s Town and Country; Brian Zanisnik | Carl Jung’s Assault Rifles The Game. Hours: Weds-Sun 12-5pm. 265 S. Church Ave. 520-6245019. MOCA-Tucson.org
PHILABAUM GLASS STUDIO The Flame: Tom
GALLERY
&
Philabaum celebrating nearly five decades of work is currently on view. Tues-Sat 11am-4pm. Call for glassblowing viewing. 711 S. 6th Ave. 520-884-7404. PhilabaumGlass.com
PORTER HALL GALLERY Manabu Saito is on view to April 2018. Hours: Daily 8:30am-4:30pm. 2150 N. Alvernon Way. 520-326-9686. TucsonBotanical.org
SOUTHERN ARIZONA TRANSPORTATION MUSEUM Dinner in the Diner is currently on display featuring original china and silver service from the named first class Pullman trains. 414 N. Toole Ave. 520-6232223. TucsonHistoricDepot.org
SOUTHERN ARIZONA WATERCOLOR GUILD Fiesta Sonora opens Mar 6 with a reception Mar 15 from 5 to 7pm and closes Apr 1. All Members’ 2018 closes Mar 4. Hours: Tues-Sun 11am-4pm. Williams Centre 5420 East Broadway Blvd #240. 520-299-7294. SouthernAzWatercolorGuild.com
art galleries & exhibits Z TOHONO CHUL PARK
In the Main Gallery, Sonoran Seasons is on view through Apr 18 with a reception on Mar 2 from 5:30-8pm and Featured Artist: Janet Windsor is on view in the Welcome Gallery until Apr 18. In the Garden Bistro, Art du Jour | Dee Cox is on view through March. Hours: Daily 9am-5pm. 7366 N. Paseo del Norte. 520-742-6455. TohonoChulPark.org
TUCSON DESERT ART MUSEUM Vaquero and Charro: An Enduring Legacy is on view through June 30. Ongoing exhibitions include: Colors to Dye For, The Dawn of American Landscape, and Arizona Women Uncovered. Hours: Weds-Sun 10am-4pm. 7000 E Tanque Verde Rd. 520-202-3888. TucsonDArt.Org
TUCSON MUSEUM OF ART
Mid-Century Perspectives: Paintings by Andy Burgess & Objects of Modern Design is on view through Apr 22. Ongoing exhibits include the J. Knox Corbett House and the La Casa Cordova. Hours: Tues-Wed & Fri-Sat 10am-5pm; Thurs 10am-8pm; Sun 12-5pm. 140 N. Main Ave. 520624-2333. TucsonMuseumofArt.org
UA MUSEUM OF ART
Current exhibitions include, Best Wishes on view to Jun 3; The Myth and the Mirror: Artwork of the American West on view to Apr 1; You Are Here: Mediated Understanding Of Our World on view to Apr 1; Our Stories: Mapping Q on view until April 22; In Transit / En Transito is on view until Mar 11 and X, Y, Z: Art In Three Dimensions on view to Jun 24. Ongoing exhibitions include, The Altarpiece From Ciudad Rodrigo. Hours: Tues-Fri 9am-5pm; Sat-Sun 12-4pm. 1031 N. Olive Rd. 520-621-7567. ArtMuseum.Arizona.Edu
UA POETRY CENTER Correspondences: morning star 1991-2018 is on view to Apr 21. Hours: Mon & Thurs 9am-8pm; Tues, Weds, Fri 9am-5pm. 1508 E. Helen St. 520-626-3765. Poetry.Arizona.Edu
WILDE MEYER GALLERY
Group Show is on view Mar 8 with a reception from 4-7pm and closes Mar 28. Hours: Mon-Fri 10am-5:30pm; Thurs 10am-7pm; Sat 10am-6pm; Sun 12-5pm. 2890 E. Skyline Dr. Ste. 170. 520-615-5222, WildeMeyer.com
WOMANKRAFT ART GALLERY
Out of This World is on view to Mar 31 with a reception on Mar 3 from 7-10pm. Hours: Weds-Sat 1-5pm. 388 S. Stone Ave. 520-629-9976. WomanKraft.org n
In Their Nature: Recent paintings by Jim Waid, Robert Cocke, Craig Cully at Etherton Gallery, March 6 - June 2. Opening Reception: 7-10pm, Saturday, March 10. Top right: The Howl and The Master, 2016, oil on canvas, 72 x 72 inches, ©️Craig Cully, Courtesy Etherton Gallery. Right: Bon Voyage, 2017, oil on canvas, 48 x 48 inches ©️Robert Cocke, Courtesy Etherton Gallery. March 2018 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 25
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arts Z
Redwall by William Lesch
City of Ghosts A Profile of Photographer William Lesch by Gregory McNamee
I
f you’ve been in Tucson for any length of time, you know that it is a place of ghosts: not just the wispy remains of the people who once lived here, but also the residue of whole decades, looking a touch bewildered as another minidorm springs up or another tony restaurant opens its doors, burying a little piece of the past, sometimes for better but usually not. We’re here for a moment, and then we’re gone, and the world continues to turn. Bill Lesch, a photographer who has lived in Tucson since the mid-1970s, has a keen sense of that transitoriness. By his lights, you gain the best sense of it not on a downtown street, though it is certainly there, but in the wild places where the entire history of humankind is just the blink of an eye: the Grand Canyon, say, where billions of years of Earth’s history can be read in the rocks, and where generations of humans have come and gone without leaving much of themselves behind.
Consider Lesch’s photograph of Redwall Cavern, a deep recess carved into the limestone wall over millions of years of rising and falling water from the Colorado River. John Wesley Powell, the first American to describe the place almost 150 years ago, estimated that it could hold 50,000 people, and while it’s considerably smaller than that, you could easily fit just about everyone you’ve ever met in its depths. Lesch’s photograph—really a series of dozens of layers of images and adjustments stitched together painstakingly with hundreds of hours of effort—captures its vastness and somewhat foreboding nature. More, it records hundreds of footprints that the wind and water will soon smooth away, while here and there stand the evanescent figures of Lesch’s fellow river travelers, specters who will be here and gone within a few hours’ time. “When I made that image,” Lesch says, “I first thought, ‘Oh, man, look at all those footprints. There’s no way around them.’ But when I transferred the continues...
March 2018 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 27
Z arts
photographs to black and white, I thought differently—the photograph just wouldn’t be the same without them.” “To the Canyon,” Lesch has written in an artist’s statement, “all of human history is dust on the wind, a thin layer somewhere between the Pleistocene and whatever age will come next. We are ghosts in that landscape of time, and we honor and preserve the Grand Canyon to remind ourselves of our place, to preserve our humility.” Those ghost images, he says, fit exactly with what he is trying to convey about a place that countless millions of people have visited, but that still figures in greedhead dreams of oil and uranium exploitation: We’re here in a flash, and it is the artist’s duty to remind us of that truth in the hope that we can develop a better connection to the natural world that will in turn inspire us to protect it against countless enemies, ghosts who are hungrier than most. Lesch’s second home is the Canyon, and he is fierce about protecting, using his images to speak for the places in much the same way that Ansel Adams, Eliot Porter, and Edward Weston did. His first home, Tucson, at the southern reaches of the Colorado River’s drainage, is another favorite inspiration for
28 ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com | March 2018
photographs. He is well known, for instance, for his lightning studies, painterly captures of the sky’s drama; his photograph Lightstorm, like Redwall, is a composite of dozens of individual parts, some of them taken far apart in time from many images and then woven into a powerful whole that rings undeniably true to anyone who’s seen a desert lightning storm: There is much art in that multifaceted image, made of nearly four dozen layers, but it’s also an exact record of what it feels like to witness fire in the sky. Like so many in the day, Bill Lesch arrived in Tucson in a Volkswagen bug, originally bound for southern California. He had grown up in Indiana, a place of deep woods, low hills, and scattered small lakes. He had been an adept student of science and mathematics and might have been an engineer had not, in high school, he discovered the camera, which made for a perfect fit with his interests; “I was always good at the science part of things,” he says, “but now I had to figure out the art.” Using Edward Weston’s daybooks and the photographs of masters like Ansel Adams, Eliot Porter, Imogen Cunningham, and Frederick Sommer as his guides, he found himself drawn to the West that they had celebrated in their work—and though he did get out to California,
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Gateswest by William Lesch
Lesch found Tucson more appealing to his growing aesthetic. He returned to the desert, lived in a tin shed out in Sabino Canyon for a time, and eventually found a beat-up old adobe house in Tucson’s oldest barrio, where over the decades he has modified, added, subtracted, repurposed, and moved to build a hobbity palace that any fan of handmade houses would envy. Lesch took courses at the University and spent long hours at the Center for Creative Photography, building his understand and his craft. At first, he worked with large format cameras, then used a 4 × 5 camera as a mainstay until fairly recently, when sufficiently powerful digital cameras came along. “I used a 4 × 5 in the Canyon for many trips,” he says, “until I realized how little time I had to get everything set up for a shot. Redwall is shot with a couple of cameras, for instance, with multiple exposures that I stitched together. On a river trip, you get only two hours in the cavern, and so every time I go, depending on the light, I try to get something new to add to the collection. Next time I go back, for instance, I’m going to try to take an inflatable so that I can record the entire sequence of an empty beach, then a camp, then an empty beach again— another ghosty image that will involve three or so cameras set up in different
places. When I’m down in the Canyon I’m up all night running back and forth between tripods. I don’t get much sleep.” But sleeplessness, we might think, is an appropriate way to honor what Lesch calls the “vernacular cathedral” of the Grand Canyon. An image set closer to home is Gateswest, a composite of many timeexposed images featuring the ghost of a car climbing up the long, winding road that snakes up from the desert floor into the Tucson Mountains. Like many of his images, Lesch says, the composition would not have been possible in the pre-digital day. “Now,” he says, “I can take a contrasty sky with strong afternoon light, blend it with softer, cloudless light from different times of the day. Shooting things like that on transparencies and then trying to blend them and get them to register was next to impossible, though believe me I tried when I was shooting in the 1990s. Even now it’s not easy, and it takes lots of time, but at least the technology is there to allow us to do it.” Like most photographers of his generation—he is coming up on his 67th birthday—Lesch resisted the digital revolution all the same. “I remember, back in the ’80s, taking a class with Todd Walker, a pioneer, who said that we’d all continues...
March 2018 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 29
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Lightstorm by William Lesch
be shooting digitally before too long. I thought, ‘Oh, no, I’ll never go along with that.’ All of us who grew up with film thought it was cheating. And yet here I am.” Here he is indeed, now that the digital technology affords sufficient resolution that he can make 50-inch, tack-sharp prints. His 8 × 10 camera sits in a hidden corner of his studio, not often used these days in favor of a suite of high-tech Nikons. “I may figure out some way to work with it again,” Lesch says, “but for the time being I’m pretty content with what I’m doing.” What he’s doing is of a piece with a long career of capturing light, using images to take viewers into places that are at once familiar and very removed from ordinary reality, and thereby to emphasize their sacred, vulnerable hearts. “Pictures, sculptures, poetry, song,” he observes: “These can go where words cannot, and it is through these that change can happen.” Two of Bill Lesch’s images will be on display in the omnibus exhibit Sonoran Seasons at Tohono Chul Park, 7366 Paseo del Norte. A reception with the artists, open to the public, will be held on March 2 from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. n
William Lesch March 2018 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 31
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performances Z
UA Presents Herbie Hancock, March 6
march ARIZONA FRIENDS OF CHAMBER MUSIC 25th Tucson Winter Chamber
INVISIBLE THEATRE Remembering Mr. Sinatra, March 10 & 11, 1400 N. First
Music Festival, March 4 - 11. See website for times. Wu Han / Philip Setzer / David Finckel on March 28 & 29 at 7:30pm. Leo Rich Theater, 260 S. Church Ave. 520-5773769. ArizonaChamberMusic.org
Ave. 520-882-9721. InvisibleTheatre.com
ARIZONA OPERA The Barber of Seville, March 3 & 4. Tucson Music Hall, 260 S. Church Ave. 293-4336 AZOpera.org
ARIZONA REPERTORY THEATRE The Merchant of Venice, March 12 - April
LAFFS COMEDY CAFFE Dustin
Nickerson and Travis Thurman, March 2 & 3; Spencer James, March 9; Marc Trenton Davis, March 16 & 17; Gabriel Rutledge, February 23 & 24; 2900 E. Broadway. 520-32-Funny. LaffsTucson.com
LIVE THEATRE WORKSHOP The Best Brothers, through March 24; RAPunzel
1. Marroney Theatre, 1025 N. Olive Rd. 520-621-1162. Theatre.Arizona.edu
through March 18 in the Family Theatre. 5317 E. Speedway Blvd. 520-327-4242. LiveTheatreWorkshop.org
ARIZONA THEATRE COMPANY
ODYSSEY STORYTELLING SERIES Sidekicks, March 1, doors at 6:30pm,
Low Down Dirty Blues, March 10 - 31. Temple of Music and Art, 330 S. Scott Ave. 520-884-8210. ArizonaTheatre.org
ARTIFACT DANCE PROJECT
Frida, March 22 - 25. See website for more information. Stevie Eller Dance Theatre, 1737 East University Blvd. 520-235-7638. ArtifactDanceProject.org
BALLET TUCSON Spring Concert - Dance & Dessert, March 16 - 18. See website for more information. Steve Eller Dance Theater, 1737 E. University Blvd. 520-901-3194. BalletTucson.org
BROADWAY IN TUCSON The King and I, March 13 - 18; Centennial Hall, 1020 E. University Blvd. 520-903-2929. BroadwayInTucson.com
CARNIVAL OF ILLUSION March 17, 4:30pm and 7:30pm at the Scottish Rite Cathedral Grand Parlor, 160 S. Scott Ave. 520-615-5299. CarnivalOfIllusion.com
FOX THEATRE Country Rock Legends Pure Prairie League and Firefall, March 1 at 7:30pm; Suicide Girls: Blackheart Burlesque, March 5 at 9:00pm; Chris Botti, March 7 at 7:30pm; Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy Emerson, Lake & Palmer Lives On!, March 8 at 7:30pm; An Evening of Music & Comedy with Mark Lowry, March 9 at 7:00pm; Leslie Jordan: Exposed, March 10 at 7:30pm; Classic Albums Live: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, March 14 at 7:30pm; Decades Rewind, March 17 at 7:30pm; NPC Natural Outlaw 2018, March 24 at 10:00am; Arlo Guthrie’s Re: Generation Tour, March 28 at 7:30pm; Dionne Warwick, March 31 at 7:30pm. 17 W. Congress St. 520-6241515. FoxTucsonTheatre.org
THE GASLIGHT THEATRE The Lone Stranger, through March 25; Rock-A-Billy
show at 7:00pm, The Sea of Glass Center for the Arts, 330 E. 7th St. 520-7304112. OdysseyStorytelling.com
PIMA COMMUNITY COLLEGE Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, through March 4. PCC West Campus, Center for the Arts, Proscenium Theatre, 2202 W. Anklam Rd. 520-206-6986. Pima.edu
TUCSON CONVENTION CENTER Cirque Du Soleil Crystal - A Breakthrough Ice Experience, March 14 - 18, Tucson Arena, 260 S. Church Ave. See website for more information. TucsonConventionCenter.com
TUCSON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Schubert & Brahms: Second Symphonies, March 2 - 4; Women Rock, March 10 & 11; Pictures At An Exhibition, March 16 & 17; TSO Just for Kids: Percussive Upload!, March 17 at 10:00am; Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone In Concert, March 23 & 24 at 7:30pm; See website for locations and performance times. 520-882-8585. TucsonSymphony.org
UA PRESENTS Yamato the Drummers of Japan, March 4; Herbie Hancock, March 6; The King and I, presented in collaboration with Broadway in Tucson, March 13 - 18; Audra McDonald, March 20. 520-621-3364. UAPresents.org
UNSCREWED THEATER Family friendly shows every Friday and Saturday night at 7:30 pm. 3244 E. Speedway Blvd. 520-289-8076. UnscrewedTheater.org
ZUZI! DANCE No Frills’ - A Dance Happening, March 3, 7:30 - 9:00pm. 738 N 5th Ave in the Historic Y. ZuziMoveIt.org n
Raceway opens March 29 and runs through June 3. 7010 E. Broadway Blvd. 520-8869428. TheGaslightTheatre.com
March 2018 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 33
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film Z
Marking the centennial of the birth of El Santo, Tucson Cine Mexico presents the brand new digital restoration of Santo contra cerebro del mal / Santo Versus the Evil Brain, and celebrates El Santo’s return to the big screen with a pre-show set by DJ Dirtyverbs and Adam Cooper-Terán of Verbo•bala. The most iconic of all Mexican luchadores stomps into town Thursday, March 22 at 6:30pm, pre-show at 5:45pm, Fox Tucson Theatre.
Tucson Cine Mexico
A Noted Film Festival Celebrates Its Quinceanera by Gregory McNamee ROWDY RODDY PIPER battled malevolent space aliens in John Carpenter’s great film They Live, released 30 years ago and now a minor classic at the intersection of professional wrestling and science fiction. They lived. Roddy didn’t. But a full quarter-century and more before the good Piper girded his loins to take on the ETs, El Santo—Rodolfo Guzmán Huerta, that is—donned his lucha libre mask down in Mexico and, in film after film, fought zombies, aliens, secret agents, mad scientists, and all manner of evildoers over a series of 52 films that, back in the day, were the standard fare of moviegoers throughout Mexico, until, one by one, they disappeared from the scene. Enter the granddaughter, Vivian García Besné, of original producer Jorge García Besné, who found the long-forgotten reels of the 1961 release Santo contra Cerebro del Mal—Santo vs. the Evil Brain, that is—and put them into the hands of California-based film restorer Peter Canheim. “The films hadn’t been stored well, but they weren’t all vinegary and terrible,” says Canheim. “We’re still tweaking them a little, but they’re now marvelous looking.” That Santo contra Cerebro del Mal survived at all is a story in itself, since director Joselito Rodríguez happened to shoot it and another Santo film
concurrently in Cuba just as the revolution was breaking out. The films, says Canheim, had to be smuggled back to Mexico in a coffin under the pretense that one of the film crew had died. They went on to be hits—and now the time has come to see them again, having been unveiled in the Berlin but now being shown for the first time at the Fox Tucson Theatre at 6:30 p.m. on March 22, with Vivian García Besné on hand for the premiere. That film is just one of the highlights at the Tucson Cine Mexico, a film festival that is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. Says cofounder Victoria Westover, “Santo contra Cerebro del Mal is a perfect illustration of one of our goals, which is to take some of the arthouse exclusivity out of our film festival and include films from Mexican popular culture, ones that we think will resonate with audiences here. To judge by our experience, we’ll have a wonderful mix in the audience of younger and older viewers, about two-thirds from the local Latino community, along with film buffs from the university and community, all enjoying a film that some of them may have seen a long time ago but that most will come to for the first time.” continues... March 2018 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 35
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Cristina Herrera Bórquez’s documentary Etiqueta no rigurosa / No Dress Code Required follows an unassuming same-sex couple Víctor and Fernando as they fight for the right to be married in their hometown of Mexicali, Baja California. Opening Night Film at Tucson Cine Mexico (Wednesday, March 21 at 6:15pm, Center for Creative Photography).
film Z
Tucson Cine Mexico schedule
In this Mexican box office hit, Me gusta pero me asusta / I Like It But It Scares Me features an unlikely romance between the heir to a Sinaloa family and a spoiled millennial. Hipster culture and narco aesthetics collide in this deliciously subversive romantic comedy, making its U.S. premiere at Tucson Cine Mexico (Saturday, March 24 at 4:00pm, Harkins Tucson Spectrum 18). Other films in this year’s edition of the festival reflect Westover’s programming tenets. “We always try to have a film addressing LGBT concerns,” she says—and the festival indeed opens with Etiqueta no rigurosa (No Dress Code Required), a documentary about the travails of a same-sex couple trying to marry in their hometown of Mexicali. The opening reception for Tucson Cine Mexico will be held on Wednesday, March 21, from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Center for Creative Photography, followed by a showing of Etiqueta no rigurosa at the Center, with director Christina Herrera Bórquez in attendance. Another film of which Westover is particularly enthusiastic is a socially conscious film set in Sinaloa, the Mexican state south of our border state of Sonora and a hub for the drug trade. Me gusta pero me asusta (It Scares Me, but I Like It) takes a sidelong view of not just narcotraficantes but also the class structure of contemporary Mexico, and it’s good fun at the same time. Director Beto Gómez will be on hand for the U.S. premiere, which will take place at 4:00 p.m. at the Harkins Tucson Spectrum 18 on Saturday, March 24. Other directors and filmmakers will be on hand throughout the Tucson Cine Mexico festival, which runs through March 25. All films and the talk are free, but ticket holders are seated first. Free tickets and information at tucsoncinemexico.org. Tickets available starting Thursday March 1. Tickets do not guarantee a seat and ticket holders will be seated on a first-come, firstserved basis until the theatre is full. n March 2018 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 37
Support Local with a From-Scratch Menu Daily! Perfect Rosé weather & pet friendly patio!
Brunch all day Tues-Sun
Dinner menu! Fri & Sat!
Dinner hours 3-9pm Happy Hour 4-6pm
Give the gift of our great food with a gift certificate!
French Caffe & Bistro 1803 E. Prince at Campbell | 326.9095 www.ghiniscafe.com 38 ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com | March 2018
March 2018 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 39
Spring Studio Tours Come Experience the Artist’s Process in Oracle and Midtown Tucson during their Area Tours
Scott Leger
Suzie Daigneault
These tours are artist-organized and artist-run. Funding comes solely from the registration fees, donations and grants.
OPEN TUES - SAT
DOWNTOWN 711 South 6th Avenue 520-884-7404
Oracle Artists
CJ Shane
Lynne East-Itkin
Saturday, April 7 & Sunday, April 8 10 am - 5 pm Follow the purple signs from our Welcome Center, OracleStudioTour.com
Maxine Krasnow
philabaumglass.com
Linda Tabler
HOURS 10AM-5PM
Midtown Artists
Saturday, April 14 & Sunday, April 15 10 am - 4 pm For maps & locations: HeartOfTucsonArt.org
Stop by to support your local artists! This advertisement is partially sponsored by ZĂłcalo Magazine. 40 ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com | March 2018
photo: Joseph Scott Photography
folklore Z
Pata de Cabra, Pata de Gallo By Abraham Cooper
In 1886, Leopoldo Carrillo—a Tucson pioneer and at one time its wealthiest resident—opened a beautiful pleasure garden near the corner of Main St. and Simpson Ave. This resort was free to the public and featured the finest outdoor amusements of the time. Famed for its fragrant rosebushes, and spring-fed baths, Carrillo’s Garden was considered a relaxing escape for Tucsonans, particularly during the miserable summer months. In 1886, The Arizona Weekly Citizen described Carrillo’s property in detail: “Excavations were made along the base of the sloping hill, which filled with water and formed little lakes, some of which are large enough for boat riding and are used for that purpose. The numerous shade trees form a cool and delightful promenade, while the profusion of fragrant flowers in the large gardens maintain a delightful perfume throughout the premises. A large pavilion has been erected for dancing parties, and a restaurant and sample room, with several cool private rooms, afford a variety of sources of necessity, luxury and amusement.” It was this pavilion where, according to local Mexican lore, the devil is said to have made an appearance during the park’s halcyon days. The legend has been retold for generations; the components of its narrative rearranged in countless configurations, tailored for each audience’s pleasure. The story goes something like this: There was a beautiful Mexican girl named Mariposa who wanted nothing more than to attend a dance which was being held at the pavilion in Carrillo’s Garden. In the weeks leading up to the event, Mariposa would stand in front of a mirror rehearsing her entrance into the dance hall while imagining all the heads turning to admire her. She fantasized about the dress she would wear and what boy she would meet and (no doubt) fall in love with. For Mariposa, the dance could not come sooner. However, when the long-awaited day of the baile finally arrived, her parents refused to let her go, fearing she was too young to be socializing with shameless young men who might try to take advantage of her. Mariposa begged her parent’s to compromise but they would not give in. She sobbed uncontrollably despite their assurances that their decision was for her own good. Yet she was inconsolable. It did not help Mariposa’s plea, that a man had recently been shot to death over a gambling squabble, right in the middle of a fiesta being hosted at the Garden. Refusing to comply with her parent’s wishes, Mariposa waited until they fell asleep, quickly changed into her dress and slipped out of her bedroom window, undetected. As she approached the Garden, the aroma of flowers
became more and more fragrant, as though the closer she got to her destination, the more palpable her dream became. As she entered Carrillo’s pavilion, all the attendees turned in unison, marveling at the señorita, just as she imagined it. She quickly convened with some friends who awaited her arrival. Mariposa was approached by many boys throughout the night but none managed to impress her. One after the other, she glibly denied their requests to dance, each walking away insulted. Eventually Mariposa’s attention was drawn to an elegant young man from across the room who no one had ever met before. He had ink-black hair and wore a fine dark suit. He possessed a confident demeanor which magnetized Mariposa, even if his style seemed rather peculiar, resembling the fashion from a century ago. Mariposa’s friends whispered to each other as the young man approached their table. In a low, soothing voice, the caballero asked Mariposa if she would dance with him. Nervously, she accepted and the two headed toward the dance floor as the orchestra began to play El Balada del Diablo, which was very popular throughout the pueblos. The caballero gently held Mariposa as she sank into his hypnotic eyes. The two seemed to drift across the floor as the man drew Mariposa closer into his arms. His hands comforted her, as he held her securely. Then, as the song reached its chorus, his grip around her waist began to make Mariposa uncomfortable. He gripped her more and more tightly until the frightened dame began to pull away. As she tried to escape, the man grabbed her by the wrists refusing to let her go. At that moment, Mariposa looked down in horror as she noticed that his feet had transformed into a chicken leg and a goat hoof. Mariposa screamed, as the other partygoers became aware of what was happening. Everyone panicked and began running out of the building as a steam started to fill the dance hall. Meanwhile, an unbearable sulphur odor entered the room causing the crowd to nearly pass out. Mariposa, still being seized by the monster, went into shock before finally fainting. The authorities rushed to the scene but found no trace of the strange man, apart from the lingering stench. Mariposa was returned to her home, never to be seen out in public again. Eventually the pavilion fell into disrepair as fewer and fewer people visited Carrillo’s Gardens. The water in the lakes dried up over time and the large willow trees began to die or be cut down to make space for new buildings. Some attributed these changes to progress while others insisted that a curse fell over the park from which it never recovered. n March 2018 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 41
events Z
march
Crush Gala at the Tucson Musuem of Art, March 24
WEDS 21 - SUN 25
MONDAYS
TUCSON CINE MEXICO The longest running festival of contemporary Mexican
MEET ME AT MAYNARDS Southern Arizona Roadrunners’ Monday evening,
cinema with directors, producers, editors, actors, and cinematographers. Presented in partnership with the Hanson Film Institute and New York’s Cinema Tropical. Free admission. See website for more information. 520-626-1405. TucsonCineMexico.org
non-competitive, social 3-mile run/walk, that begins and ends downtown at Hotel Congress, rain/shine/holidays included! Free. 5:15pm. 311 E. Congress St. 520-9910733, MeetMeAtMaynards.com
SAT 24
THURSDAYS
CRUSH GALA The 11th annual gala event features a social hour with cocktails and
SANTA CRUZ RIVER FARMERS MARKET
hors d’oeuvres, a live and silent auction, a presentation of special honorees and dinner catered by Carte Blanche Catering. Event begins at 4:30 pm. See website for tickets and more information. Tucson Museum of Art, 140 N. Main Avenue. 520-624-2333. TucsonMuseumofArt.org
FREE FIRST THURSDAYS On the first Thursday of every month the museum
EGGSTRAVAGANZA A free community event held by the City of Tucson Parks and Recreation. Carnival games, prizes, egg hunts, and the Easter Bunny, with a variety of food for purchase. 10am to 1pm. Mansfield Park, 2000 N. 4th Ave. 520-791-4873. TucsonAZ.gov
Locally grown foods and goods with live music. 4-7pm. Mercado San Agustin, 100 S. Avenida Del Convento. MercadoSanAgustin.com
is open late with free admission from 5-8pm, featuring special performances, live music, lectures, cash bar, and food trucks. For more information see website. Tucson Museum of Art, 140 N. Main Avenue. 520-624-2333. TucsonMuseumofArt.org
SUNDAYS RILLITO PARK FARMERS MARKET
EASTER EVENT An egg hunt at 11am and special easter activities. 10am to 2pm.
Find veggies, citrus, fresh eggs, pasta, coffee, locally made soaps and a variety of goods at this open-air market. Open every Sunday from 9am to 1pm (Oct. – Mar.) and 8am to Noon (Apr. – Sep.) at the Rillito
Children’s Museum Tucson, 200 S. 6th Ave. 520-792-9985. ChildrensMuseumTucson.org
Park Race Track, 4502 N. 1st Ave. HeirloomFM.org n
SAT 31
March 2018 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 43
tunes Z
What’s Live
Sweet Ghosts and Amor Deluxe, March 8 at Club Congress.
The Kids are All Right by Jim Lipson
BURNING THE MIDNIGHT oil with a deadline fast approaching, I am desperately trying to make sense of the recent events of the day and how to turn that into some kind of coherent and mildly entertaining prose. Another senseless school shooting followed by the typical/predictable Republican/NRA response dismissing common sense gun control regarding the AR-15 killing machine and its so-called affront to the 2nd Amendment; to our President who apparently needs a cheat sheet at a discussion forum to say profound things like “I hear you,” to the amazing kids from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High who have effectively taken the spirit (if not the line) from Paddy Chayefsky’s script from the movie Network, with their uncompromising sense of “We’re mad as hell and we’re not going to take it anymore!” How great is it going to be when some of these kids begin running for elective office? And amidst all of this we have Sean Miller, the face of Arizona basketball, famous for his no BS straight talk, allegedly caught on an FBI wiretap arranging for an alleged payout to bring in five-star recruit Deondre Ayton. Burning up massive amounts of column inches in the press and on-line along with unending hours of sports radio/TV airtime…how is that for the ultimate distraction from what’s really important? Fortunately, in a town as culturally rich as ours, there are more enjoyable ways of distancing ourselves from the relentless 24-hour
news cycle that never seems to give us a break. Sort of… The Very Big Show (of Support for Planned Parenthood) – March 3, Rialto Theatre - There’s nothing like the threat of the government trying to defund something down that does so much good, like supporting financially challenged women’s access to good and affordable health care, to bring people together to raise money, spirits and awareness. Michael P and the Gullywashers, Flam Chen, the Apocalypso Steel Drum Band, Odaiko Sonora Drummers and David Fitzsimmons, to name but a few, all coming together for an evening that will not disappoint. General Tchefary-Reggae from the Ivory Coast – March 3, Monterey Court – Back in the day you didn’t have to look too hard to find a good reggae show in Tucson, be it local talent or otherwise. Not so these days which is why it’s always a treat to find one that unexpectedly lands right in your lap. Known more for its leanings towards folkish and Americana, the Monty’s dance floor should get a good workout from this west African import. Black Jacket Symphony – March 4, Rialto Theatre – Years ago, the jam band Phish used to do an annual Halloween extravaganza where they would take a classic album, like the Beatles White Album or the Who’s Tommy or Quadrophenia, and perform it in its entirety. BJS has taken this idea and continues...
March 2018 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 45
46 ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com | March 2018
photo: Nick Woodward-Shaw
tunes Z
Phoenix Afrobeat Orchestra, March 23 at Club Congress.
created a name and indeed a franchise around this idea, by fielding any number of different bands (all with the BJS moniker) while taking on any number of different classic albums and presenting them, note for note, be it Tom Petty, AC/DC or the Beatles. This night we get Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon in the first set, followed by an additional set of Floyd classics. As a rule, I am not a fan of note for note tributes, but when the notes are this good… Herbie Hancock, March 6, UA Centennial Hall – There are some jazz purists who would have you believe when Hancock began his forays into electronica in the latter part of the last century, he sold out to the commercial interests of the day and turning his back on his Blue Note jazz days with Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter and Ron Carter. Nothing could be further from the truth. His musical bio shows the story of a true renaissance musician, unafraid to explore new directions and collaborations. Legend is not a word that should be thrown about lightly, but in this case it makes for a nice fit. Sweet Ghosts and Amor Deluxe – March 8, Club Congress - Sweet Ghosts (the duo of Katherine Byrnes and Ryan Alfred) is playing their first full band show in two years with brand new music off of their upcoming record An Endless Blue. The full band lineup features Ben Nisbet (Katie Haverly & the Aviary) and Gabriel Sullivan (XIXA, Giant Sand), and Winston Watson (Giant Sand, XIXA and Bob Dylan way back in the day). On top of that, Amor Deluxe, Gabriel Naim Amor’s new band, will be playing material from his upcoming all original instrumental album Moments Before. Carl Palmers ELP Legacy - March 8, Fox Theatre – What do you do when your more famous bandmates from the 1970s have passed on? You put a band together, cashing in on their name and legacy and hit the road. Wow, that’s incredibly cynical (even for me). Truth is however, keyboard phenom Keith Emerson and guitar wizard Greg Lake deserve to be showcased in this way. While some might say the so-called art rock bands like ELP and King Crimson (Lake’s former band) were directly responsible for the advent of new wave and punk, they were still extraordinary artists. And Carl Palmer, was arguably one of the best drummers of his day. Truth is, when I hear “Lucky Man” I still get chills to go along with a flashback to my freshman year in the dorm and my DJ days in upstate New York, where my so-called career in the media began. March Mayhem featuring Broken – March 9, Rialto Theatre – With 7 bands on the bill, Broken is the one getting most of the buzz. A compilation of excellent, young, alternative rock musicians fronted by lead vocalist and American Idol standout, Dani Morelos, the members all play multiple instruments, sing and bring a unique, high energy show to the stage. Vince Staples – March 14, Rialto Theatre – Looking for a reason to believe that rap music and hip hop can evolve to a place where it can be more than
a caricature of itself? This young man’s latest LP delves into the confusion of sudden fame while acclimating to a lifestyle antithetical to the one he’d known in Long Beach, CA – one wrought with gang violence and poverty. In another era his experience might have been great grist for the mill for the introspective singer/songwriter. Nancy McCallion & the Wee Band w/Heather Hardy - March 17, Monterey Court – Since the demise of the Mollys, now so many years ago, hardly a St. Patty’s Day goes by without Nancy putting together a kickass Irish show for the occasion. Molly’s drummer Gary Mackender teams with the great Steve Grams on bass for a killer rhythm section. With Heather Hardy tearing it up on violin, look for other special gusts to join in on the fun. Zepparella – March 17, 191 Toole – Looking for the anti-St. Patricks Day thing to do? This quartet from the Bay area is proudly billed as the All-Female Zeppelin Powerhouse. How cool is that? Don Armstrong and Earl Edmonson in a Tribute to Travis Edmonson – March 22, Monterey Court – Since the death of his beloved Victoria, a few years back now, Don Armstrong has emerged as an artist continuing to come in to his own while still honoring his late partner is music and life. This show, with Titan Valley Warheads guitarist and singer, Earl Edmonson, is the reprise of a tribute they put together last fall in honor of Earl’s Uncle Travis, one of Arizona’s greatest musical treasures. Phoenix Afrobeat Orchestra – March 23, Club Congress – African highlife, Yoruba, Juju and Afropop…whatever you want to call it, the music is infectious when it comes to dancing. This is my sleeper pick for the month. Arlo Guthrie – March 28, Fox Theatre – Billed as the Re-Generation Tour, we find Arlo joined by his children Sara Lee Guthrie and Abe Guthrie for an intimate family affair of story and song as only Arlo can spin it. John Primer and Bob Corritore – March 30, House of Bards – This Chicago style blues show is another in a series of collaborations between the Southern Arizona Blues and Heritage Foundation and Community Radio station KXCI. A veteran of bands with Willie Dixon and Muddy Waters, Primer is the real deal. Corritore, who runs the Rhythm Room in Phoenix, has made it a mission of finding and teaming up with legendary blues players and we are fortunate when he brings them to town. They will be part of a five piece band for this show. Key Ingredients of African Soul – March 31, Monterey Court - Complete with Marimba, guitar, bass, drums and lots of percussion, this band will be celebrating the release of its latest recording Spirits, Rise Up! concluding a better than average month for world music in Tucson. (See CD review in Sound Alternatives). n March 2018 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 47
LIVE MUSIC & MORE AT THE CROWN JEWEL OF DOWNTOWN!
UPCOMING SPRING HIGHLIGHTS! Live Music & More at The Crown Jewel of Downtown
2017-18 SEASON SPONSOR
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS
COUNTRY ROCK LEGENDS PERFORM FAVORITES LIKE “AMIE,” “LET ME LOVE YOU TONIGHT” & MORE!
PURE PRAIRIE LEAGUE & FIREFALL MAR 1 • 7:30 PM
THE LEGENDARY ARTIST SHARES TIMELESS STORIES AND UNFORGETTABLE CLASSIC HITS!
ARLO GUTHRIE
MAR 28 • 7:30 PM
BAND FOUNDER & RENOWNED DRUMMER CELEBRATES THE MUSIC & HITS OF EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER
CARL PALMER’S ELP LEGACY MAR 8 • 7:30 PM
CELEBRATED FEMALE VOCALIST PERFORMS HITS LIKE “I’LL NEVER LOVE THIS WAY AGAIN” & MORE!
DIONNE WARWICK
MAR 31 • 7:30 PM
TICKETS AT FOXTUCSON.COM 48 ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com | March 2018
PRESENTED BY REVEILLE MEN’S CHORUS!
A REGULAR ON WILL & GRACE, THIS COMEDIAN WILL HAVE YOU ROLLING IN THE AISLES!
LESLIE JORDAN: EXPOSED MAR 10 • 7:30 PM
ROBERT SHAW IS ELVIS! HIS FAVORITE HYMNS WITH FULL BAND & GOSPEL QUARTET
HOW GREAT THOU ART APR 7 • 7:30 PM
CLASSIC ALBUMS LIVE PERFORMS THE ICONIC ALBUM SONG BY SONG, NOTE BY NOTE!
SGT. PEPPER’S
LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND
DISCO, FUNK, ROCK, MOTOWN & MORE - FAVORITE HITS FROM THE 60’S, 70’S & 80’S
DECADES REWIND
MAR 14 • 7:30 PM
MAR 17 • 7:30 PM
GARY LEWIS & THE PLAYBOYS (“THIS DIAMOND RING”) IS JOINED BY OTHER TOP ARTISTS FOR A NIGHT OF HITS!
HIGH ENERGY ACTION SHOWCASING THE ART OF JAPANESE DRUMMING
APR 14 • 7:30 PM
APR 24 • 6:30 PM
STARS OF THE 60’S
TAO: DRUM HEART
BOX OFFICE: 17 W. CONGRESS • 520-547-3040
Sound Alternatives
tunes Z
by Jim Lipson
Dick Arnold Jackalope Utopia DICK ARNOLD has been making music with Jim Klingenfus for as long as just about anyone can remember. But their group the Arnold Klingenfus Ensemble (AKE) gigs infrequently at best and records even less. As a result, at least once every decade or so, when he summons up a critical mass of energy and material, he’ll book some studio time, thus allowing him to musically wax poetic about the mythology and lore of his beloved Sonoran Desert. This is his third in the series. With all that in mind Arnold still manages to bookend these nine tunes with one AKE chestnut, “Fly In,” which opens the collection, and its instrumental counterpart, “Fly Out,” to close. With Klingenfus on backing vocals and AKE’s Bob Benedon on bass, this has to be musical comfort food, allowing the builtin quirks of this Klingenfus composition and arrangement, to go down both smooth and easy. Up next is the title cut which continues to not only explore some additional jazz like rhythms, but also the rhythms of the desert itself. And Arnold’s voice, so well suited for these songs, begins to assert itself as the dominant instrument
within a mix of instruments and players coming together as a band, but also leaving lots of spaces for introspection, both lyrical and musical. In “River Toad,” Arnold’s perspective is universal to this environ when he sings, “I don’t remember the last time it rained,” while “Swamp Cooler,” a blues featuring Buzz Busse on blues harp, pokes fun at his own experience as a property manager. “Cowgirl With a Jazz Cigarette” and “Cactus Heart” work especially well as ensemble pieces while the group’s cover of Travis Edmonson’s I’m a Drifter, with Busse’s especially poignant harmonica playing, is an especially soulful glimpse into what Arizona was like before it was discovered by everyone else. As a southwestern mosaic, these tunes all fit well together like pieces of a desert landscape jigsaw puzzle and with everyone’s expert musicianship contributing to a wide palate of muted hues. Especially affecting is the work of Jamie Miller whose electro ambient drumscapes feel surprisingly organic. Perhaps Arnold and his Jackalopes won’t make us wait quite so long for their next presentation, be it in the studio or on stage. n
Doc Twang and the Key Ingredients of African Soul Spirits, Rise Up! MIKE OLSON, aka Doc Twang, has been making world music and derivatives thereof, locally, for more than 30 years. In that time, he’s travelled the world, specifically hanging out with indigenous peoples in west Africa, studying their music, their culture, their lives. Throughout it all he’s led bands with multiple lineups, international special guests and idiosyncratic personalities. This album, almost four years in the making, and the third for KIAS, appears to be the successful culmination of a journey of all he has been searching for, and now, finally, bearing the sweetest of fruits. This project, a full 76-minutes plus, features Olson on guitars, marimba, digital keys and percussion, alongside the two remaining original members of KIAS, Praise Zenenga on vocals and Joe Whitley, congas and percussion. Together they are surrounded by an abundance of talent, specifically Kimberly Madison on marimba, Joe Townend on bass, Rodney Zinyemba, vocals and Austin Reeve on drums, all making up the core of this album. Opening with the title cut, there is a certain majesty in the way each of the instruments are individually introduced in a layered effect that is so focused on the groove you’re almost blindsided by the vocals, first, chanting in the language of Shona, the most common native language of Zimbabwe, before giving way to Olson’s plea for personal and global unity. Eventually, settling back into its killer groove, this tune, more than seven minutes long, never gets old. Following the call to action in “Spirits, Rise Up!” The band takes a sharp right turn with “Push Pull People” with Olson’s well-worn cynicism (You can
take the same old shit/put it in a brand new bag/and it’s still the same old shit) winning out with a tune that sports both a hard rhythmic edge as well as a legitimate hook defined by the digi-horns which, remarkably, never sound cheesy. Along with the percussion, it’s the horn chart which drives this tune. This album is rife with dance grooves while Olson also offers songs that strive for a lyrical articulation he hopes will make the dancing all the more meaningful. In Lost Treasures/Svoto he sings…Guess what I’m saying but I don’t know just why/there are not many things more precious than time/to spend it is easy time cannot be saved/so best spend it wisely from birth to your grave. These words, sung in clear English, along with all of the lyrics in Shona and sung so well by all involved, make for an album that transcends all of its individual parts. Like a gourmet chef adding the most extra special seasonings, Olson has also brought in additional guitars by Chris Screvin and saxophone with Michael Moynahan. They are very present along with others who dropped in for a vocal here and some additional percussion there. And speaking of percussion, the layers of it, so clean and clear, are mixed in a way that clearly shows how Olson, always a percussionist at heart, has a deep understanding as to how these instruments don’t just support, but in fact can really drive and/or define this presentation. Produced in Olson’s rather small home studio, this album sounds as good as anything produced locally within the last several years. Doc Twang and the Key Ingredients of African Soul will play their CD release show at Monterey Court on Saturday, March 31, from 7-10 pm. n March 2018 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 49
Schedules accurate as of press time. Visit the web sites or call for current/detailed information.
191 TOOLE 191 E. Toole Ave. rialtotheatre.com Fri 2: Tinsley Ellis Sat 3: Frank Hannon Band, Scare Card Fri 9: Buckethead Sat 10: Thunderosa, Big Mean, Eyes Go Black, Musk Hog Mon 12: The Frights, Playboy Manbaby Tue 13: Denzel Curry Sat 17: Zepparella, Sugar Stains Sun 18: Grindmother, Inferi Tue 20: La Luz, The Marias Fri 23: Tucson Libertine League Sat 24: Bob Spasm Ain’t Gonna Comeback Special, Al Foul and the Shakes, Al Perry and Hank Topless, FUCT, Sing Along With Blood Spasm, Fang Sun 25: Ybn Nahmir Thu 29: Martin Sexton, Chris Trapper Fri 30: Bleep Bloop, Woolymammoth
BORDERLANDS BREWING 119 E. Toole Ave. 261-8773, BorderlandsBrewing.com Fri 2: Mustang Corners Sat 3: Savannah King Sun 4: Kevin Pakulis Sat 10: Tortolita Gutpluckers Sun 11, 18, 25: Kevin Pakulis
CLUB CONGRESS 311 E. Congress St. 622-8848, HotelCongress.com/club Fri 2: Uniiqu3 & Dai Burger, Mother
Photo courtesy facebook.com/offthegroundmusic.
Photo courtesy ex-girlfriendsbk.bandcamp.com.
LIVE MUSIC
Off The Ground performs at Monterey Court on Friday, March 23.
Ex-Girlfriends perform at Flycatcher on Wednesday, March 21.
Tierra, Street Blues Family Sat 3: Soft Kill, Choir Boy, The Shift Sun 4: Trunkweed, The Desert Beats, The Rifle Mon 5: Ian Moore, Whitney Rose Tue 6: Protomartyr, Shame Wed 7: Candace, Mute Swan, Cool Funeral, TWGS Thu 8: Sweet Ghosts, Amor Deluxe Sat 10: Blank Range, The Donkey Tonk Band, Lana Rebel Band Sun 11: Palm, Spirit of the Beehive, Darto, Hikkikomori Wed 14: Street Blues Family Thu 15: Shoreline Mafia Sat 17: St. Patrick’s Day Party, Frank Powers, Bastard Sons of Patrick Tue 20: Lucy Dacus, And The Kids And Adult Mom Wed 21: Pearl Charles, Psychotic Reaction Thu 22: Acid Dad, No Parents, Jeff Lownsbury Fri 23: Phoenix Afrobeat Orchestra, Santa Pachita, Sonido El Tambó Sat 24: Foxx Bodies, Lucille Petty Wed 28: High Up, Whispertown Fri 30: Injury Reserve
LA COCINA 201 N. Court Ave. 622-0351, LaCocinaTucson.com Thu 1: Freddy Parish Fri 2: Greg Morton & Friends, Natalie Pohanic Sat 3: Nathaniel Burnside Sun 4: Mik and the Funky Brunch Wed 7: Miss Lana Rebel & Kevin Michael Mayfield Thu 8: Louise Le Hir Fri 9: Greg Morton & Friends Sun 11: Mik and the Funky Brunch Wed 14: Miss Lana Rebel & Kevin Michael Mayfield
50 ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com | March 2018
Thu 15: Mitzi Cowell Fri 16: Greg Morton & Friends Sun 18: Mik and the Funky Brunch Wed 21: Miss Lana Rebel & Kevin Michael Mayfield Fri 23: Greg Morton & Friends Sun 25: Mik and the Funky Brunch Wed 28: Miss Lana Rebel & Kevin Michael Mayfield Fri 30: Greg Morton & Friends
CUSHING STREET BAR & RESTAURANT 198 W. Cushing St. 622-7984, CushingStreet.com Fridays: Pete Swan Trio featuring Matt Mitchell & Scott Black Saturdays: Jeff Lewis Trio
FLYCATCHER 340 E. 6th St. 798-1298, FlycatcherTucson.com Fri 2: Dead Meadow Sat 3: Introducing Mesquite Mon 5: Flood’s Birthday Bash Fri 9: Michael Elys Birthday, Cool Funeral, Strange Lot Sat 10: Sego, Fenster Sun 11: Jaime J. Soto, Born2Death, Azfarat, Creative Needles Wed 14: Scott Yoder, Exbats, Telephone Lovers Sat 17: The Urban Renewal Project Wed 21: Ex Girlfriends, Gustaf, Weekend Lovers, Fever Few
FOX TUCSON THEATRE 17 W. Congress St. 624-1515, FoxTucsonTheatre.org Thu 1: Pure Prairie League, Firefall Wed 7: Chris Botti Thu 8: Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy Fri 9: Mark Lowry Wed 14: Classic Albums Live—Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band Sat 17: Decades Rewind
Wed 28: Arlo Guthrie’s Re:Generation Tour Sat 31: Dionne Warwick
HACIENDA DEL SOL 5501 N. Hacienda Del Sol. 2991501, HaciendaDelSol.com Nightly: Live Music on the Patio Fri 9: George Howard, Missy Anderson Sun 18: Zin, Blues & BBQ
THE HUT 305 N. 4th Ave., 623-3200 huttucson.com Sundays: Acoustic Open Mic, with Cadillac Mountain Thursdays: Mockingbirds Saturdays: Mike & Randy’s 420 Show with Top Dead Center
THE LOUDHOUSE 915 W. Prince Rd., 393-3598 loudhousetucson.com Thu 1: The Beast of Bailey Downs, Back Alley Pep Rally, Ocean Harvest Fri 2: Free Kittens & Bread, Toso, Cheep Cheep Sat 3: The Schisms, The Distortionists, A Capital Affair Wed 7: Noise Resort, Method To The Madness, Habitual Resonance Thu 8: Balls of Steel, Snout Fri 9: The Whining Pussys, Sucker For The Sour, Cement Shoes Sat 10: Max Fite, Stealing Your Kill, Douglas Beat Market Wed 14: Tzamani, Amoras Bane, The Mindless Thu, Fri, Sat 15, 16, 17: Three Day Bender Fri 23: Toxin, X-Method, Napalm Strike, The Sindicate, Broken Fri 30: Swarm Of Serpents,
Photo courtesy rialtotheatre.com.
Photo courtesy hotelcongress.com.
Lucy Dacus performs at Club Congress on Tuesday, March 20.
Zepparella performs at Rialto Theatre on Saturday, March 17.
Capricorn Tenebrarum, Shadows Of Algol, Cerulean Sat 31: 2nd Annual Battle of the Beats Drum Tournament
MONTEREY COURT 505 W. Miracle Mile, MontereyCourtAZ.com Thu 1: Nick & Luke- Baltimore touring duo w/Don Armstrong Fri 2: Tommy Tucker—12 string guitar/vocals, E2W Sat 3: General Tchefary—Reggae from Ivory Coast Sun 4: Nancy Elliott & Friends Sunday Brunch Performances, Frank’nSteel Tue 6: Nancy McCallion & Danny Krieger w/ Special Guests Wed 7: Nick McBlaine & Log Train Thu 8: Touch of Gray Fri 9: Shari Puorto Blues Band Sat 10: Heather Hardy Band with Special Guest Christine Santelli Sun 11: Nancy Elliott & Friends Sunday Brunch Performances, Wally Lawder & Acoustic Sky Tue 13: Amber Ikeman—Touring Spirited Folk Songstress w/Christian Cuff in Concert Wed 14: Gypsy Stew Thu 15: Virginia Cannon Presents Fri 16: The Rhythm Jax Featuring Angel Diamond Sat 17: St. Paddy’s Day—Nancy McCallion with Heather Hardy plus the Wee Band Sun 18: Nancy Elliott & Friends Sunday Brunch Performances Tue 20: The Tucsonics Wed 21: Eric Schaffer & the Other Troublemakers Thu 22: Don Armstrong & Earl Edmonson Fri 23: Off the Ground
Sat 24: The Coolers Sun 25: Nancy Elliott & Friends Sunday Brunch Performances, Petie Ronstadt & Friends Thu 29: The Titan Valley Warheads Fri 30: Heartbeat Sat 31: Key Ingredients of African Soul
PLAZA PALOMINO 2990 N. Swan Rd., 907-7325 plazapalomino.com Sat 17: Sonoran Dogs St. Patrick’s Day Party
RIALTO THEATRE 318 E. Congress St. 740-1000, RialtoTheatre.com Fri 2: Pop Evil, Black Map, Palaye Royale Sat 3: The Very Big Show Sun 4: The Black Jacket Symphony presents Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon Mon 5: Jake Shimabukuro Tue 6: Little Dragon Wed 7: Steve Aioki, Desiigner Thu 8: Celebrating David Bowie, Mr. Hudson, Joe Sumner Fri 9: Local Love Presents March Mayhem, Broken, ElyZian, Mt. Meru, Stands With Fists, Throw Logic, Gila Byte, Lift’DD Sat 10: Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band Sun 11: PVRIS, Flint Eastwood, Mon 12: Cuco, August Eve, Jasper Bones Wed 14: Vince Staples Thu 15: Overload by Kayzo, 48 Fri 16: The Jack Fri 23: Los Lonely Boys, Lisa Morales Sat 24: Dreza, No Mana Fri 30: Poncho Sanchez
Sat 31: Lady 80s Dance Night, Tiffany
THE ROCK 136 N. Park Ave. rocktucson.com Fri 9: Doyle Wed 14: Hirie Fri 16: St. Patty’s Throwdown Tue 27: J BOOG Fri 30: Decayer
ROYAL SUN LOUNGE 1003 N Stone Ave (520) 622-8872 BWRoyalSun.com Sun-Tue: Happy Hour Live Music Tue 6: Swingset Reunion Tue 27: Swingset Reunion
SAINT CHARLES TAVERN 1632 S. 4th Ave (520) 888-5925 Fri 16: Infinite Beauties Visit Facebook page for events
SAND-RECKONER TASTING ROOM 510 N. 7th Ave., #170, 833-0121 sand-reckoner.com/tasting-room Fri 2: Eugene Boronow Sat 3: Keila Womack & Charles Lolmaugh Fri 9: Heather Hardy with Christine Santelli direct from New York Fri 16: Austin Counts. Fri 23: Brian Berggoetz Fri 30: Stephen Budd
SEA OF GLASS—CENTER FOR THE ARTS 330 E. 7th St., 398-2542 TheSeaOfGlass.org Sat 10: DeGrazia Spanish Guitar Sat 24: Gabriel Ayala Wed 28: Javelina Chamber Music Ensemble
SKY BAR TUCSON 536 N. 4th Ave, 622-4300. SkyBarTucson.com Thu 1: Eric Schaffer & The Other Trouble Fri 2: Touch, Jahmar Intl., L3XX, Phox Sat 3: In Lessons, JT Rivers, The Moxytones, Cement Shoes Tue 6: Tom Walbank, Steff Koeppen Wed 7: Open Mic Fri 9: Cirque Roots, Touch, Jahmar Intl., L3XX, Phox Tue 13: Tom Walbank, Dos Muñoz Wed 14: Open Mic Thu 15: Eric Schaffer and The Other Troublemakers Fri 16: The Bennu Tue 20: Tom Walbank, Steff Koeppen Wed 21: Open Mic Thu 22: Mission Creeps, The Strawberry Moons, The Rifle Fri 23: Cirque Roots Sat 24: Diluvio Tue 27: Tom Walbank, Dos Muñoz Wed 28: Open Mic Thu 29: Eric Schaffer & The Other Troublemakers
SOLAR CULTURE 31 E. Toole Ave. 884-0874, SolarCulture.org See web site for information
TAP & BOTTLE 403 N. 6th Ave. 344-8999 TheTapandBottle.com Thu 1: The Muffulettas Fri 9: Mighty Joel Ford & Michael P Thu 15: Leila Lopez Thu 22: The Carnivaleros Thu 29: Freddy Parish
March 2018 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 51
Z sceneintucson
by Janelle Montenegro instagram / @JMontenegroPhotography
Kassie Guglielmino rides Eighteencharacters to the win at the Rillito Race Grounds.
Cirque Roots and Wildcat Jazz at the GUT Carnival event at the Rialto.
2 girls and a boy skating on University.
Dancers at the Rodeo Parade. 52 ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com | March 2018
Boy on bike.
Sunset at Tucson Mountain area.
Michael at the Rillito Race Grounds.
Young Boy watching the Rodeo Parade.
Dancers waiting to join the parade.
Justin Bartending at Iron Johns for the Sour Tap Takeover. March 2018 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 53
Z poetry Dictation From The Dead, Sept.23: Rules of Writing The tattooed pages must be corrected. Every mark you make will remain. Try
to erase with water:
pages drown but graphite swims. If it fits in the square it fits in the square. Rub your eyes until letters, f, l, b, and h
fall out. Look
at the time: All gone. Your body will be read for the freak show it is. Look down, the words are singing, swarm over your breasts, throat,
tiny hands fold
into symbols, signs, the permanence of music. Time to gather pomegranates but not that one! Yellow is not for eating. Remember this. Remember everything. Yours, until stones sing. – Charlotte Lowe
Charlotte Lowe, author of Stealing The Dog’s Prozac, lives in Tucson, was raised in South Tucson as well as on ranches in Elgin and Canelo. She has been receiving dictations from the dead and doesn’t know why.
Zócalo invites poets with Tucson connections to submit up to three original, previously unpublished (including online) poems, any style, 40 line limit per poem. Our only criterion is excellence. Simultaneous submissions ok if you notify ASAP of acceptance elsewhere. Email your submission to poetry@zocalotucson.com. Please include contact information: phone number and email address. Notification of acceptance or rejection by email. Zócalo has first North American rights; author may re-publish with acknowledgment to Zócalo. Payment is a one year subscription. The poetry editor is Jefferson Carter, jeffersoncarterverse.com.
54 ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com | March 2018
Letter to a Partner in a Loose Alliance When you set out in your canoe on an expedition to rescue the blinded cyclops selling pencils on a far away shore, you were following mythological threads to those loose ends where everyone's weaving begins. And that's where you were, too, trying to sew the snowflakes of a blizzard into a pure white handkerchief. But now you're waving goodbye to the person you were, the non-linear ballerina on a highwire without a net, the Amelia Earhart of exuberance ready to risk everything on a whim, on the scent of something sweet and dangerous, someplace where desire's lions no longer shiver in the cold. So, if we're tourists now, shooting photos in the game preserve, it just means we took our safari to the wild interior and it returned us almost tamed. It means we no longer throw our food at each other. We no longer bite and scratch. We talk, we write letters, little by little, we give up what we wanted to be to each other, everything we could have been on that abandoned, alternative world, that smoldering cinder still orbiting the heart as it cools. --Gibb Windahl
Gibb Windahl taught writing at Pima College for many years. Before that, he worked as a professional musician. He earned an MFA from the University of Arizona. He published a chapbook from Kirin Press in Iowa City. He lives in Tucson.
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