Boise Weekly Vol. 18 Issue 13

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INDEPENDENT NEWS, OPINION ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT WE PICKED ISSUE VOLUME 18, ISSUE 13 SEPTEMBER 23–29, 2009

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THIS WEEK: BW SMACKS YOU ON THE ASS WITH OUR TAKE ON THE BEST OF BOISE.


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S U B M I T Boise Weekly pays $150 as well as a $25 gift certificate to Boise Blue Art Supply for published covers. One stipulation of publication is that the piece must be donated to BW’s annual charity art auction in November. Proceeds from the auction are reinvested in the local arts community through a series of private grants for which all artists are eligible to apply. To submit your artwork for BW’s cover, bring it to BWHQ at 523 Broad St. Square formats are preferred and all mediums are accepted. Thirty days from your submission date, your work will be ready for pick up if it’s not chosen to be featured on the cover. Work not picked up within six weeks of submission will be discarded.

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TOC BILL COPE . . . . . . . . 4 TED RALL . . . . . . . . . 6 NEWS . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 TRUE CRIME/

News Editor Nathaniel Hoffman Nathaniel@ boiseweekly.com Staff Writer Tara Morgan Tara@boiseweekly.com Calendar Guru Elaine Lacaillade Elaine@boiseweekly.com 8 Days Out Calendar calendar@ boiseweekly.com Proofreaders Jay Vail Annabel Armstrong Interns Andrew Crisp Kelly McDonald Contributing Writers Nick Collias, Bill Cope, Jennifer Hernandez, Mathias Morache, Ted Rall, Jay Vail

Public Eye . . . . . . 12 A&E . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Spor ts & Rec . . . . 25 Goods & Services . 30 Bars & Nightlife . . 38 Food & Dining . . . . 44 8 DAYS OUT . . . . . . 54 MUSIC GUIDE . . . . . 60 CLASSIFIEDS . . . . . 62 WWW.BOISEWEEKLY.COM

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BILLCOPE MORE BOB Substitute columnist 2 Attention: Bill Cope continues his hiatus, secure in the knowledge that the column is in the able hands of Badger Bob Berserquierre. Should you so greatly prefer Cope’s approach to opinionizing to that of Mr. Badger, then we suggest you go the Boise Weekly Web site and browse through his old columns instead of reading today’s submission. We particularly recommend one called “TwoHeaded Teenager” (BW, Opinion, April 27, 2005). It is one of our favorites and could not possibly offend anyone—something that can never be safely said about whatever Mr. Badger may write. —“The Editor”

“C

ope, you shouldn’t o’ fired Red.” “Oooooh, I know that now, Bob. I’ve regretted it ever since Red walked out the door. I was blind, I tell you. Blind!” “Yeah. He’d been with you for a long time. Can’t say much for your sense of loyalty, either.” “Oooooh, you’re totally, totally right, Bob! What have I done? I was a Judas, I tell you. A Judas!” As I reported last week, Cope was holed up in his bedroom with one of those body-length pillows and a week’s supply of kettle corn. His wife was desperate to get him out of there because the whole house was starting to smell like fried catfish. I managed to talk him into brushing his teeth, and once he was up, he stayed that way—at least for the duration of this conversation. “So what are you going to do, Cope? Are you just going to let it eat away at you?” “Ooooh, I don’t know what to do about it, Bob. I can’t think. I’m so confused. I’m an idiot, I tell you. An idiot!” I couldn’t argue with him on that point, so I changed the subject. “Look, if you’re serious about me doing your column until you get over this … uh … whatever the hell it is that’s wrong with you, we need to come up with a few subjects I might write about. What say? Can you pull your head out of your ass long enough to give me some suggestions here?” “Golly, Bob. I trust you. Whatever you want to write about, you just go right ahead. Except … uh … you know that idea of yours about how Republicans are hurting Americans more than the terrorists ever even thought about? And how they are the root cause of most of our problems instead of being any sort of solution? Well, maybe you shouldn’t say that, Bob. I mean, it’s probably true and all, but … gee … you know how pissy Republicans can get whenever someone calls them ignorant, verminous, yahoo rabble.” “Whatever you say, Cope. I had a column in mind about how Republicans are like a Biblical plague on the land. A punishment that God has inflicted upon us because we once had the horrible judgment to make Ronald Reagan our leader. But if you think that’s too strong, I won’t write it. So how about I do something on Walt Minnick? You know, something along the lines of: ‘For crying out loud! If we Idahoans are forever cursed with having conservative tight-asses represent us in Congress, at least bring back Bill Sali so’s we’ll have someone to laugh at.” “Huh? What? Jeepers no, Bob! You can’t say that about Walt. Please,

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puh-leeeeze don’t say that! I know Walt. I voted for Walt. I donated money to Walt. Shoot, I think I even endorsed him. How would I ever face him again if you said that about him? No, no, no, for Gawd’s sake, think of something else!” “Alrighty then, I’ll do a psychological profile of the sort of under-evolved barbarian goober that would consider shooting wolves a good time. I want to start off with a paragraph or two on how there should be a law that says they have to eat whatever they kill. Right down to the last gristle.” “Well ... uh ... jeez, are you sure you want to get all those hunters mad at you? I mean, they have guns. Jiminy, I can imagine a bunch of ’em getting all drunked up some night when there’s nothing else to shoot and deciding that you need a lesson in kick-ass. Or worse yet, they forget it was you who wrote that opinion and come for me instead. Think about that, Bob. Golly, I have a wife and a kid.” “OK, Cope. Sure wouldn’t want to upset your barbarian goober readership, would we? So what if I do a column about how that university down by the river didn’t even make it onto the ranking of schools that Washington Monthly put out this month. There’s almost 250 universities and colleges on the list … both the other Idaho universities made it … but not that one that’s always bragging about their football team. I think people ought to know what they’re getting for their money, don’t you?” “Holy cow, Bob! You can’t write about that! Crap, I’d rather have drunk, pissed-off wolf hunters after me than a herd of those Bronco Nation weenies.” “Sheee-it! You’re making this damn hard, Cope. You want an opinion or not? Why’d you ask me to fill in for you if you don’t want me to say anything?” “Gosh, Bob. You don’t have to yell at me. Here’s what I was thinking. You have an old dog, right? So I was thinking you could write a column about your old dog. Something like Marley and Me ... only the dog lives. Another idea I had is how embarrassing it would be to sit through one of those Cialis or Viagra commercials with your granddaughter. That’d be funny, huh? “Any erection lasting more than four hours blah blah blah ...? That might even win you a Pulitzer or something.” “I don’t have a TV or a granddaughter, Cope. And anymore, all my old dog does is sleep and fart.” “Oh.” All glum like, he hunched over a bowl of dry Froot Loops, picking the pink ones out with his fingers and chewing them one at a time with his mouth open. I’d say Cope is as irritating as a human being can get, if I didn’t know skin-crawly creeps like Glen Beck and Sean Hannity were walking the Earth. “Listen, I think you should get Red back. I know he’s inarticulate, dumb and nuts, but he always did something for you that I can’t.” “What’s that, Bob?” “He could always make you feel better about yourself, Cope. I don’t believe I could ever do that. Not in good conscience.” “You’re right, Bob. Somehow, he always made me feel smarter. I should never o’ fired him! I was a fool, I tell you! A fool!” “Yup.” WWW.BOISEWEEKLY.COM


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TEDRALL THE IMPOTENT DICTATOR How many more must die for Karzai?

imagine what George W. Bush and his “pet Afghan” Zalmay Khalilzad were thinking when they appointed Karzai as the U.S. puppet “interim president” of occupied Afghanistan in late 2001. Granted, all three NEW YORK—“For five years, Mr. Karzai There were at least 800 fake polling were oilmen—Karzai and Khalilzad had both was my president,” Ashraf Ghani, an opposi- sites on Afghanistan’s election day—places worked as consultants for the energy corpotion candidate, bemoaned after widespread that “existed only on paper,” reported The ration Unocal, which tried to build an oil-gas reports that incumbent Hamid Karzai had New York Times. “We think that about 15 pipeline across Afghanistan in the ’90s. used fraud on a massive scale to steal the percent of the polling sites never opened on But Karzai lacked both integrity—as a election. “Now how many Afghans will Election Day,” the paper quoted a “senior Taliban official in 1997, Karzai was caught consider him their president?” Western diplomat.” embezzling government funds and forced to Not many. In a country where civil war “But they still managed to report flee the country—and support. is a national pastime, this is not good. But thousands of ballots for Karzai,” the Times Karzai’s drive to consolidate power since Ghani is asking the wrong question. The story stated. “Mr. Karzai’s supporters also 2001 has been marked by trickery, intimidareal question is how many Americans will took over approximately 800 [additional] tion, ballot stuffing and systemic corruption. continue to see Karzai as viable and be will- legitimate polling centers and used them to One “election” has followed another. But ing to pay the price of propping him up? fraudulently report tens of thousands of adnone have been conducted legitimately. California Sen. Diane Feinstein used to ditional ballots for Mr. Karzai.” Perhaps democracy was too much to hope support Karzai. “Afghanistan is our beachActually, make that hundreds of thoufor in a nation whose infrastructure had been head on our war on terror. We cannot lose sands. In “Kandahar ... preliminary results degraded to the 14th century. There was no it, or we lose our war on terror,” she said in indicate that more than 350,000 ballots have census, no house addresses, no mail service. 2002. What a difference seven years makes. been turned in to be counted. But Western How could a fair election be held? “I do not believe we can build a democratic officials estimated that only about 25,000 Karzai didn’t even try. At a June 2002 state in Afghanistan,” she said last week. people actually voted there,” the story states. loya jirga (grand assembly) to choose the Americans are finally waking up. Afghani- “Pro-Karzai ballots may exceed the people new head of state, Karzai got his U.S. masstan, most people finally understand, is not who actually voted by a factor of 10.” ters to lean on his main rival, former king “the good war” but the stupid one. We can’t The truth is, there’s nothing new here. Mohammed Zahir Shah. Zahir Shah withwin. Even worse, there’s nothing to win. The Ashraf Ghani may have been the only drew, as did 70 of his delegates. They did the historical parallels aren’t perfect—they never Afghan to have ever considered Karzai legiti- same to ex-president Burhanuddin Rabbani. are—but it’s hard not to think of the cost of mate. To most Afghans, Karzai has always “Voting for the loya jirga has been propping up the corrupt Diem regime and been a curious “impotent dictator,” propped plagued by violence and vote-buying,” said its successors in South Vietnam when you up by U.S. military force but with insufficient U.N. envoy to Afghanistan Lakhdar Brahimi see Hamid Karzai prancing around in Kabul, funding to exert his power outside the capital at the time. “There were attempts at manipunever an arm’s length away from U.S. Special of Kabul. In the provinces, tribal warlords lation, violence, unfortunately. Money was Forces commandos. You see, Karzai’s own fight the Taliban for control. used, threats were used.” troops can’t be trusted not to kill him. Looking at Karzai’s resume, it’s hard to On Oct. 9, 2004, Karzai “won” his first “democratic election.” As before, Karzai’s goons stacked the deck. Unsympathetic elections officials were kidnapped. The United Nations concluded that “fraud had occurred, particularly ballot-box stuffing” in the 2004 election. The United Nations “noted that some estimates have said that 10 percent to 15 percent of the 11.5 million registered voters, in Afghanistan and among Afghan refugees abroad, may be registered more than once,” reported the Times at the time. The three-member committee that counted the ballots were all appointed by Karzai. Those who can’t win, cheat. Without the United States, Karzai would never have won power. He certainly wouldn’t have kept it. Meanwhile, the Times reported May 18, 2009, that Khalilzad “could assume a powerful, unelected position inside the Afghan government under a plan he is discussing with Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, according to senior American and Afghan officials.” Bush’s corrupt oilmen are still looting Afghanistan. The question for Americans is: why should anyone die to help them? Ted Rall is author of the books To Afghanistan and Back and Silk Road to Ruin.

BOBEXTRA COME AGAIN? It’s a bit of a tradition for us to highlight some of our favorite (read: funny, odd, weird) answers from you, our creative and opinionated readers who took the time to vote in the annual Best of Boise survey. And, as usual, you didn’t disappoint us. Voters managed to turn simple questions into excuses for head-scratching, thought-provoking and laugh-out-loud answers. Thanks for making the ballotcounting process so much more enjoyable for us. Here’s a sample of some of our favorite responses from this year. To find out who really won, check the Sept. 30 issue of BW.

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BEST LOCAL SMOKESHOP Smoky Davis

BEST LOCAL GROCERY STORE Albert ... oh wait. Local.

BEST LOCAL TV STATION The Feds killed my TV. Does 2.2 retro TV count? Cuz that’s the best TV ever. Knight Rider? R U kidding me?!?

BEST LOCAL SKI AREA WITHIN A HALF-DAY DRIVE OF BOISE Tamarack—oh, wait :(

BEST PUBLIC ART Steaming crack on the side of the Grove Hotel. BEST PLACE TO SEE AND BE SEEN adasheriff.org BEST LOCAL YOGA INSTRUCTOR Hot yoga chick.

BEST LOCAL MEAT That’s What She Said! In my pants. Meats Royale (“Nobody Beats Our Meat.”) BEST LOCAL KARAOKE BAR You’re kidding, right? BEST LOCAL APPLIANCE STORE Pleasure Boutique

BEST LOCAL STRIP CLUB I’m married. No such thing due to lack of nipples. BEST LOCAL TWITTERER Huh? Is that a cereal? Best local bird? BEST PLACE TO TAKE A NONIDAHOAN To a parking meter with a blue button. BEST LOCAL VEGETARIAN FOOD Aliens seem to like North Enders. —Deanna Darr

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The Boise City Council—with a tie-breaking vote from Mayor Dave Bieter—passed a resolution on Sept. 15 calling for health care reform. Council members Maryanne Jordan, David Eberle and Elaine Clegg supported the measure, and Jim Tibbs, Alan Shealy and Vern Bisterfeldt voted against it. Bieter broke the tie, saying that health insurance costs for city workers continue to rise. Thirty-four people testified on the resolution, mostly against, according to city spokesman Adam Park. Each was given two minutes to state their piece. Park said that health-care expenses for city workers will reach $13.9 million this year and are estimated to cost $16.8 million by 2012. City health coverage costs have risen as much as 15 percent a year recently, robbing cash from other city functions, he said. Many of the candidates for the City Council election in November spoke against the resolution. Candidate Dan Dunham, who is running in a three-way race against council member Bisterfeldt and David Honey, sent this quote to the Guardian blog: “As a city council candidate, I want to remind Mr. Mayor that your job deals with our city. You should be concerned with the local economy, local housing issues, the city budget, and ways that you can actually affect the quality of life for city residents.” And according to the White House, the number of uninsured people in Idaho increased from 204,000 in 2001 to 236,000 in 2008. The percent of non-elderly adults without insurance increased from 20.3 percent to 21.9 percent. The percentage of people with employer-based coverage decreased from 71.3 percent of the population in 2001 to 71.1 percent in 2008. More than one in five workers in Idaho lack insurance. The mayor’s resolution calls for insurance market reforms to help keep costs down, specifically for public employers like the city. But it also calls for expansion of public-sector health-care programs and a new public health plan option.

BOISE SCHOOL BOARD SELECTS NEW SUPER The Boise School Board has named longtime district administrator Don Coberly as the new superintendent. Coberly takes over at the end of this school year, when current Super Stan Olson retires. Coberly is now executive director of curriculum and instruction for the district. A Borah grad himself, he has worked at the district since 1985. “I am extremely pleased with the selection of Dr. Don Coberly to succeed me as Superintendent of the Boise School District,” Olson said in a district press release. “He has a true love for our school system and community along with having the technical, conceptual and human skills necessary to continue the quality work needed to keep our students and school district moving forward.”

OTTER ROLLS OUT INNOVATION FORUM Gov. C. L. “Butch” Otter is hosting a full-day innovation forum at Boise State on Thursday, Sept. 24, pushing research in technology, agriculture, small business and at the state’s universities and colleges. The event is free and open to the public. It starts at 7:30 a.m. in the airy Stueckle Sky Center at Boise State. In February, Otter named a state innovation panel that includes Jefferson Jewell, managing director of Blackfin Technologies; Robin Woods, president of Alturas Analytics; Douglas Sayer, founder of Premier Technology; Steve Hodges, president of M2M Communications; Jason Stolworthy, commercialization manager for Battelle Energy Alliance; Mark Warbis, Otter’s director of communications; Donald A. Dietrich, commerce director; and Milford Terrell, a member of the State Board of Education. —Nathaniel Hoffman Because of early deadlines this week, Iraq casualty reports are not in this edition. They will return Oct. 7.

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NEWS

Got a hot news tip? E-mail news@boiseweekly.com

B Y SADIE BABITS

MILK OF THE GODS Idaho Refugees find new lives in an

Guterbock, the farm’s livestock manager. About two years ago, the farm started checking Social Security numbers of new employees. “The problem we had was we’d interview people and say out of 10, we’d like five, and only one or two would have their [Social Security] numbers check out,” he said. Guterbock went looking elsewhere for workers. He heard very eight minutes, 80 cows riding on metal carouabout unemployed refugees in Idaho and got in touch with the sels pass through this commercial milking parlor at International Rescue Committee. The IRC and other refugee Threemile Canyon Farms in Oregon. Ram Luitel has agencies in Boise have struggled to find work for refugees since had a lot to learn about this 24/7 operation, including a new the economy turned sour. way of looking at cows, which to him, are holy. The recession has made it tough to find entry-level work, Luitel is one of more than 30 Boiseans who found jobs at the types of jobs that new arrivals often land. But that kind the dairy this year, many of them refugees from Bhutan. He of work has been in short supply and the competition fierce. helps supervise the workers as they clean udders and attach Threemile Canyon Farms offered an unusual solution. “Some of these people would end up in homeless shelters if they don’t have a job,” said Guterbock, who is himself a child of refugees from Germany. “So I think we’ve saved some of them from that fate.” Guterbock said refugees make up a sixth of the farm’s workforce. The majority of workers are Hispanic. Guterbock expected tension and problems to arise between Hispanic employees and refugees. The opposite, he said, has happened. “The employees who are already here have been extremely kind in bringing people furniture and supplies, making them feel welcome and giving them rides to work,” he said. He credits the farm’s diversity training for what he calls a “smooth transition.” Earlier in the year, Threemile Canyon Farms hired an outside trainer to hold 10 workshops on diversity. He said most of their employees came to the sessions to learn about different cultural practices and beliefs. “It was simple things,” he said, Ram Luitel checks the quality of milk being pumped. The 21-year-old is a refugee from Bhutan “like what people eat or what they and recently found work at Threemile Canyon Farms. consider polite or impolite that people have to adjust to.” Guterbock is among those who milking machines. Luitel works 50 to 60 hours a week and want long-term immigration reform, but he said hiring refudoesn’t get paid overtime. But he says he doesn’t mind. gees has helped fill a labor gap. “I am Hindu, so to Hindu, cow is a god. So we say that we “That is not the solution to the agricultural labor issue facare serving god,” he said. ing the U.S. In other words, we need to address the undocuLuitel is originally from Bhutan, but he spent most of his mented people who are already here working,” he said. life in a refugee camp in Nepal. About a year ago, his family Threemile Canyon Farms is Oregon’s largest commercial resettled in Boise. farm, although you wouldn’t know it exists. The sprawling Luitel speaks nearly perfect English, and he was a college 93,000-acre operation is tucked off I-84, hidden among rolling student in Nepal before coming to the United States. The sagebrush-covered hills. 21-year-old found work right away at Micron Technology as a The farm’s payroll comes to $10 million every year, with computer operator. The rest of his family wasn’t so lucky, and 300 full-time workers and 400 seasonal jobs. The starting their federal assistance nearly dried up. Then they found out wage at the farm is $9.45 an hour. Workers and their families that Threemile Canyon Farms, some five hours away in Board- get full benefits after six months, more than these refugees man, Ore., was hiring. Luitel quit his job at Micron and seven could have hoped for back in Boise. Guterbock admits “nomonths ago, went to work with his dad and uncle at the dairy. body is going to get rich milking cows. Let’s face it. But it’s a Luitel walks past rotating cows and stops to check to make good start.” sure the milk being pumped is good. “I need to first test the Refugees like Luitel face long drives to see their families teat of the cow and figure out which teat has bad milk, and if back in Boise. One car-load of refugees this year had a headthis is bad milk, I need to tie a ribbon on the leg,” he exon collision, killing one. Still, Luitel sees working at the dairy plained while pulling a metal suction cup off the cow’s teat. as a way to start over and get his financial feet firmly planted. The milk is good. For now, he’s learning to navigate the dairy world and to inte“This is my first experience in my life working at a farm grate into a new community. Lately he’s been learning Spanish. because I have never touched a cow by my own hand before,” Refugee resettlement agencies in Boise are scaling back the he said. number of new arrivals next year and trying to find new jobs Cows are revered as a symbol of life in Hinduism and are in health care, such as providing in-home care. There’s also an protected. Rural Indian families usually have a dairy cow that effort under way to create a health-care training program for is treated like a family member. Luitel smiled as he explained refugees through St. Alphonsus hospital and the newly opened how celebrated cows are in Hinduism. Here at the farm, he College of Western Idaho. considers himself to be serving god. Luitel wants to take advantage of new opportunities. He It turns out the farm has had a hard time filling jobs, even said working at the dairy is only temporary, something Guterin a recession. Big farms like Threemile Canyon, which has bock understands. Luitel wants to become a U.S. citizen and 16,000 Holstein and Jersey milk cows and 25,000 replacement one day work in a medical field. calves and heifers, rely heavily on workers from Mexico. It’s He said with the experience he’s getting working with dairy been harder to tap into that applicant pool, explained Walt cows, he might even become a veterinarian.

unlikely place—an Oregon dairy

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S ADI E BA BITS

CITYDESK CITY TAKES HEALTH-CARE STANCE

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TRUECRIME BY JAY VAIL This is the place, Boise, Idaho. We live here ... we’re Boiseans. The stories you are about to read are true.

make sure the items you’re pawning actually belong to you. A 27-year-old Boise woman allegedly failed to NAMPA COPS TO DRAW make that distinction and BLOOD IN DUI STOPS recently landed behind bars as a result. If anybody out there needs another reason Boise Police Department reports say that not to drink and drive, how about needleacquaintances of the woman reported a numwielding cops? ber of personal items—including jewelry—had That’s right. Nampa Police Department been stolen, beginning back in June. And some patrol officers are undergoing phlebotomy of the alleged loot had turned up at local pawn training. That’s a class in which they learn to shops. The victims named names. draw blood. After a detailed investigation, officers It’s part of a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration program to test whether drawing recovered several of the stolen items, including the jewelry, and forwarded the information to the blood of allegedly impaired drivers who prosecutors. They issued a felony grand-theft refuse breath tests will help cut the number arrest warrant in the case. The knock at the of DUI cases that make their way to court. A door came shortly thereafter. second test is being conducted in Texas. If successful, the program may go nationwide. It’s already the law of the land in Arizona, ATTENTION SHOPPERS: where they’ve been tapping suspects’ veins for PORN ON AISLE 69 more than 13 years. “They thought they were just pulling You see, the first thing most defense attor- a prank.” neys will advise is to refuse to take the breath So says Sgt. Levi Risley of the Fort Smith test if suspected of driving under the influence. Police Department in Arkansas of two 20-yearAnd refuseniks’ cases often wind up in court, old dudes who thought it would be funny to where the charges are much more difficult— swap out the promotional DVD playing on and a lot more expensive—to prove. display televisions at the local Wal-Mart. Under the program, cops will draw blood at The problem was, according to the Times the scene of the DUI stop if the suspect refus- Record newspaper in Fort Smith, their choice es to blow. That preserves evidence through of viewing material failed to meet community a timely collection of blood because alcohol standards. By a pornographic long shot. dissipates in the bloodstream relatively rapidly The DVD player into which the merry compared to some other illegal substances. pranksters slipped their XXX-rated fare was It also cuts the cost of paying a local hospart of a furniture department display and was pital for extracting the blood. To say nothing of connected to six other TVs. The sex acts were court costs associated with prosecutions. And visible to the general public as they shopped. Nampa police claim it will help them maintain a Eventually, an eagle-eyed shopper— better “chain of custody” with evidence in their presumably not a teenaged male—managed possession from start to finish. to pull themselves away from the boob tube. That means impaired drivers within reach of A manager was notified. The eject button was that burg’s police are no longer free to refuse pushed. And police were called. evidentiary tests. They can try, but cops will be Authorities released store surveillance empowered to draw the blood regardless. Even video to the local TV station to air on the 10 if it means hogtying the suspect on the hood p.m. newscast’s Crime Stoppers segment. of their car. Within six minutes of the broadcast, the two And in case you’re wondering, doing so is suspects were fingered. Turns out, one of them perfectly legal. The U.S. Supreme Court gave a works—or used to, anyway—at the store. go-ahead for the practice back in 1966. The next day, the two suspects were We can see the video now. booked into the county lockup on a felony obscenity complaint. And our pranksters weren’t so merry anymore. PAWN-SHOP VISITS NET

GRAND-THEFT CHARGE Pawn shops are a convenient way to score some quick cash during lean times. Just

Tell BW your true crime stories. E-mail editor@boiseweekly.com.

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Best of Boise: Part One Something is very, very different in this, the 15th year of Boise Weekly’s Best of Boise. Yes, something was very different last year and the year before, but this year, it’s a radical change. In 2007, we introduced the all-online Best of Boise voting system and completely eliminated the existence of paper ballots from what we call reality. In 2008, we went all local. No chains, no franchises. We asked that while voting, BW readers choose only those businesses that were locally owned and independent because we’re interested in what’s truly unique about Boise. This year, in addition to keeping it all online and all local, we dug out a few sharp objects and cleaved ol’ BOB right in two, editors’ picks on one side, readers’ picks on the other. After that, we confined them to two different weeks on the print schedule. So what exactly does all that mean? Every year, Best of Boise is Boise Weekly’s behemoth issue of the year and in it, in addition to the results of the readers’ poll, we published the sometimes tongue-in-cheek editors’ picks. This year, we decided to publish two Best of Boise issues: first the editors’ picks, which you hold in your hot little hands, and next week, readers’ picks. Go ahead, flip through this edition, you’ll only see editors’ picks. Go ahead, I’ll wait … Want to know what BW readers had to say about the best restaurant or best band? Check back next week, when we’ll publish an entire issue dedicated to those people who know Boise best: you, our readers. For now, we hope the editors’ picks get your appetite worked up for the big enchilada next week. The results are already in, and we’ve seen some very interesting winners this year. —Rachael Daigle

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S U S AN VALIQU ETTE

BEST SHORT TIMER Boisean Reuben Murray brought home the bronze medal for 200 meter snowshoe race.

BEST HIGH FIVES

Special Olympics World Winter Games When organizers announced they were bringing the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games to Idaho with only a few years to prepare, they got more than a few raised eyebrows. But come last February, thousands of athletes, support teams, families and fans from around the world arrived in Idaho for a weeklong celebration of far more than athletics. The streets of Boise, Sun Valley and McCall were filled with a multitude of languages while cultures came together to share and celebrate. One of the most noticeable features of all the athletes and visitors was their smiles. Everyone seemed so happy, it was hard not to get wrapped up in the celebration. Special Olympics organizers in Idaho managed to pull off not only a successful world games, but the tourism goal of all time: showing the world the beauty of Idaho, both in landscape and its people. Besides, it was a much needed mid-winter mood booster for all of us.

BEST MEDIA HYPE

Treasure Valley Weekly World Post The phones at BWHQ started ringing early on the morning of April 1. Panicked callers asked if it was true that Boise Weekly owner/publisher Sally Freeman had sold out to media juggernaut Rupert Murdoch, who was changing the paper into a weekly bastion of conservative opinion and Hollywood gossip. Comments on Facebook and Twitter flew at a record pace as readers decried the loss of BW (though a few celebrated it). Funny how no one seemed to look at the date on the paper. Now, months later, and despite a steady flow of the tried-andtrue Boise Weekly, we’re still fielding questions about the buyout. Seriously, folks, we’re still here. But you have to admit, we got you good.

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Boise Hole

In the game of Who’s in the Hole on the Hole, Tahoe, Calif.-based real estate developer Robert Capps is the latest loser. Capps, who already had a stake in the rebar jungle at the corner of Eighth and Main, won it outright when no one else bid on it at auction in April. By June, he had it up for sale, with nary a sign that he had even visited the property. Who’s next in line for a dip in the hole? Only time will tell in this endless Boise saga.

BEST ON AGAIN AND OFF AGAIN

Wolves and the Endangered Species List They’re on the list. Nope, now they’re off. Whoops, wait a second, they’re back on ... we think. Gray wolves have been on and off the Endangered Species List more times than an anorexic Hollywood A-lister on the bestdressed list. After being taken off the federal list and turned over to state control, a lawsuit brought by several environmental groups put the kibosh on that plan while a federal judge took another look at the state’s protection plans. Earlier this year, the judge ruled in favor of the government, and the states of Idaho and Montana are now in charge of the wolves in their states, although Wyoming wolves are still considered endangered. While a federal judge OK’d the Idaho’s first wolf-hunting season, we’re sure it isn’t the end of the legal tango.

BEST TEMPER TANTRUM

Butch Otter’s Veto Party Some lead by example. Some speak softly and carry a big stick. Some negotiate quietly at a European retreat then make big pronouncements. Some even lead by threat of veto. But not in Idaho. Here, we lead by pointless veto. Upon vetoing eight budget bills, Idaho Gov. C. L. “Butch” Otter said: “I have no problem with these bills. At some point, they will merit positive consideration.” Well, nothing happened. So then he vetoed 25 more bills that everyone knew he would eventually sign. Nothing happened. So he declared victory and sent them all home. A side of pie in the face with your veto, sir?

BEST “THEY’RE OUT TO GET US”

Bad Drivers Taking Out BW Staffers’ Cars We’ve noticed a disturbing trend here at BW: Not one, not two, but three staffers’ cars have been taken out by hit and run (or try-to-run in some cases) drivers as the cars were innocently parked. The first was in the middle of the day. The car’s owner emerged from inside the office, to find the side of her car had been smashed. Not long after, another staffer awoke to discover that not one, but two of her cars had been badly damaged after a drunk driver careened into one of them, pushing it into the other. The driver in this case made it as far as the neighbor’s lawn before crashing one more time. Finally, a third staffer was awoken by the sound of crashing metal when a drunk driver hit her parked car so hard, it pushed it up and over a curb. But, with chunks of the damaged car still imbedded in the other driver’s tire, that driver wasn’t hard to track down. We’re trying not to take it personally, but please, call a cab.

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B EN W ILS ON

BEST REPUBLICAN IN DEMOCRAT CLOTHING BEST NEW LOVE AFFAIR

Rep. Walt Minnick

He had all the trappings of a Democrat. Walt Minnick sat on the boards of several environmental groups, earned support from pro-choice groups and has a wife who worked as a journalist. But there was always that CEO thing hanging around his neck. Now nine months into his term, we can count on one hand the number of times Minnick has diverged from Idaho’s other, Republican congressional representatives. But hey, at least he’s no Bill Sali.

Boise and The New York Times

We have a few theories on the volumes of Boise mentions in The New York Times stories in the past year. 1) Boise finally popped up on the list of stereotypical Western backwaters that New Yorkers keep handy. 2) Mayor Dave hired some well-connected PR firm to grease somebody’s palm in Manhattan. 3) Boise really is the best place to live/ work/play/have sex/bowl in the entire world.

BEST NEW WILDERNESS

Owyhee Canyonlands After decades of fighting and lawsuits and eight years of planning and negotiations, the Owyhee Canyonlands in far southern Idaho became the first official wilderness area in the state in almost 30 years. It was a victor y for conser vationists, recreationists and ranchers alike, thanks to an unusual partnership that brought all interested parties to the table. While no one got ever ything they wanted, ever yone got something, and in the process 500,000 acres of wilderness, as well as more than 300 miles of Wild and Scenic rivers, were permanently protected while preser ving grazing rights and recreational access. And beyond protecting a strikingly beautiful and unique place, we have to say we’re impressed by the cooperation that brought the effort to fruition. Just imagine: putting your biases aside and compromising to actually get something done. What a ver y grownup way of solving a problem.

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BEST RU4-PHARMACISTBROW-BEATING BILL 86’ER

Patti Anne Lodge

Some called it the pharmacist conscience bill. Others called it the Taliban Medicine Act of 2009. Either way, Sen. Patti Anne Lodge, a Republican from the hamlet of Huston, south of Nampa, 86’d this latest attempt to legislate morality by putting the bill in her drawer. Usually we’d cry for a hearing, but the bill, which would have permitted pharmacists to refuse to fill prescriptions of things like birth control on personal moral grounds, did have a hearing in the House and passed that lower body. So here’s a BOB to Lodge for using the chairman’s drawer for its intended purpose.

BEST WASTE NOT, WANT PLENTY

Small Trash Cans MIA from Curb It After months of announcements, ad campaigns and assorted hype, the City of Boise rolled out its new trash and no-sort recycling program. Many residents were actually kind of excited to get their new containers—especially the big blue can in to which they could dump all their recyclables. But for those who had pre-ordered special sizes smaller than the standard 96-gallon behemoths, the wait was a little longer. Response to the smaller options was so strong that Allied Waste was a little overwhelmed, and delivery of the nonstandard containers quickly fell weeks behind. It was a bit of a buzz kill for those of us who wanted to keep our trash in check. We’ll get over it. Eventually.

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BEST GOP ON GOP VIOLENCE

BEST COP NAME

It could be the ongoing ďŹ ght to close Republican primar y elections, the ouster of GOP Chairman J. Kirk Sullivan, the Ron-Paul-turned-Tea-Bagging phenomenon. Hell, it could always be Larr y Craig. But we’ll give this year’s BOB for schism in the one-party potato state to the Republican-dominated House of Representatives and Republican Gov. C. L. “Butchâ€? Otter for their pissing match over road funding. At last count, the battle has been going on for years, and no one seems close to winning.

There was a day when the cop on the beat would stroll down the street, absentmindedly spinning his baton. Sgt. Walker, they might have called him then. But not anymore. Sgt. Clair Walker is the leader of Boise Police Department’s Bike Patrol Unit. With the number of cyclist deaths and injuries spiking, Walker has been a ver y vocal biker this year. His message: Keep riding but be safe and follow the laws. Nice shorts, Sgt. Walker. Glad you don’t have to walk anymore.

Republican Party Split Sgt. Clair Walker

BEST NEW RISKY RISQUE ENTRY

Torch II

Some people love to hate the strip club next door. The Torch II is technically too close to homes to operate as an adult venue, but, hey, it was there ďŹ rst. But when Torch II owner Mans Montgomery went ahead and expanded his entry vestibule, the city slapped him with a cease and desist—since he’s grandfathered in, alterations to the facility put his license at risk. The case is on appeal. We say, let the Torch have a new front door.

BEST JUST READ THE BLOG

Sharon Ullman

Sharon Ullman has come around, but when she ďŹ rst announced that she would run for Ada County Commission, Ullman refused to give inter views, referring reporters to her blog instead and even ďŹ elding inter view questions in the comments. The daily paper thought it was some novel high-tech reporting technique. We thought it was annoying and kept calling her until she relented. But, hey, we still read the blog: sharonu.com/blog.

BEST LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD STORY

Sen. Jim Risch Idaho Sen. Jim Risch set off through the woods for his mother-in-law’s house on Myrtle. But, oops, it looks like it’s been burnt, ransacked, squatted in and now condemned. Risch’s family house—an eyesore by any standard—has stood gutted on one of Boise’s main thoroughfares for more than two years. A family spokesman said they are waiting for an insurance settlement. One nearby salon worker/political activist has his own issue: Risch is one of the most wealthy men in the Senate; why not pretty up the lot for his campaign signs?

BEST NO MEANS YES

Idaho Politicians on Stimulus Spending When the $700 billion stimulus package passed Congress, right around the time the Idaho Legislature was starting to think about starting to do some legislating, Idaho lawmakers got a new idea. Let’s study this enormous porkbarrel, deďŹ cit-jarring monstrosity for a few

“Just Ask Your Neighbor�

weeks before we do anything else. The governor said he’d hold his nose and take the money. Idaho Democrat Rep. Walt Minnick even voted against the stimulus bill. But within months, Otter, Minnick and most of the Legislature were clamoring over who would get to spend the money ďŹ rst, and tr ying to get Idaho “its fair share.â€? That’s ďŹ scal conser vatism for ya: We don’t like it, but we’ll take it.

BEST DON’T LET THE DOOR HIT YOU ON THE WAY OUT

Bryan Fischer

Bye Br yan Fischer. When the man BW dubbed Boise’s own theocrat took a job in Mississippi, many breathed a sigh of relief. Despite some comments on BW’s Web site, we do not begrudge Fischer his paid gig. No, our beef is that he tried to tell us how to act and inserted his beliefs into our political system for way too long. But it’s not just us: Fischer’s former colleague, Dennis MansďŹ eld, announced in the Idaho Statesman that with Fischer’s departure, the religious right in Idaho is leaderless. MansďŹ eld obser ved that the house the religious right built in Idaho is empty and offered to turn off the lights.

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| SEPTEMBER 23–29, 2009 | 15


ER IN R U IZ

BEST POTATO MAFIA STORY

Idaho Potato Commission vs. Idaho Fry Company BEST NEW PLACE TO GET YOUR NEWS

BW Web Site

And we mean mafia as in the lowercase version: “any small powerful or influential group in an organization or field; clique,” according to the good book of words. In the potato biz, the Idaho Potato Commission is about as powerful and influential as it gets, and that’s exactly what one small business found out earlier this year. Idaho Fry Company, a locally owned french fry house dishing up potatoes of all varieties, was informed days before opening that its name may be an infringement on a certification mark held by the Idaho Potato Commission. Long story short: The commission took some flak for being overbearing; the store owners didn’t have the dough to engage in a legal battle; the two parties came to a friendly agreement in which the restaurant has been renamed Boise Fry Company; and the commission will help out with some of the costs associated with the change. Way to play nice, kids.

What? Did you think we’d pimp the Huffington Post here? Of course we’re talking about the new boiseweekly. com. Remember that old Web site we had and how static and boring it was? Yeah, we said it. It was boring. After our extreme makeover, though, things are a lot less … stale. Breaking news? Yep. World news? Yep. Latest A&E and music updates? Yep. Blogging, recent comments, top stories, brand spanking new content every day and photos? Of course. What are you waiting for? Put down the paper and get online.

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BEST DUELING TOURNIQUETS

Ada County Paramedics vs. Boise Fire Department We never knew so many people wanted to help us. Between the paramedics and BFD arguing over who gets to provide ambulance service, we kind of feel like a child being fought over by divorcing parents.

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BEST NO-BRAINER

Unanimity on Equal Pay Day Idaho House Concurrent Resolution 23 was one of those votes that really was a no-brainer. The resolution established Equal Pay Day on April 28, the day that represents how far into the year the average woman has to work in a new year in order to catch up to what her male counterparts earned the previous calendar year. Lost? In other words, ladies, on average, you work for free until April 28 every year. Here in Best of Boise, we applaud the national recognition that women deserve to make as much as their XY chromosomal counterparts. And we applaud the fact that not one member of Idaho’s Legislature disagrees. At least not on record.

BEST SIGN TO TOTALLY DISREGARD

Yuppie Hotwheel Parking Only It’s hard to hate on a library. Especially so when said bookbarn is bringing its exclamation point to the retail ghost town at the intersection of Cole and Ustick. But eyes were a-rolling when patrons puttered up to the new library’s grand opening and found four of the premier parking spots in the lot marked with signs reading “Fuel Efficient Parking Only,” and bearing cute little stencils of Priuses. Forget the long-view justification for a moment. For this to happen at a library, one of the last come-as-you-are joints left in the non-virtual world, is inexcusable. It may just as easily have said “Folks with Ample Disposable Income Parking Only.” But take comfort in reports from visitors to the library that big fat Caddys have been as common as Toyotas in the spots. Is this an elderly uprising? Probably not. The blue decals hanging from the cars’ rearview mirrors make it more likely that someone was just mistaking the spots for those reserved for the disabled.

BEST HUB IN SEARCH OF A BUB

Boise Transit Center

Buses in Boise currently park on a big horseshoe of city blocks surrounding the Boise Hole. Valley Regional Transit wants to build a shiny new downtown “transit hub” on 11th Street in cahoots with the city. At one point, they wanted it on 10th Street, until businesses complained. Then Mayor Dave Bieter said, it’s just a bus station because there is no transit. He wanted it to be located at City Hall. Despite the hub hubbub, the application for federal money to build on 11th Street continues. We have another question: Can we start running the buses at night and on Sundays at this new hub? Or the old one?

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BEST BLAST WALL

Airport Phone Zone

Those of us who spend time at the Boise Airport know the post9/11 protocols in place outside are (searching for a description other than “a joke”) friendly. An eternally vacant cop car sits down at the end of the arrivals area, and a line of stern signs command you not to park and wait for your passengers, but if you do, good luck finding a minion of The Man who cares enough to hassle you. But those who simply can’t bear the thought of (gasp!) disobeying a sign, there’s finally an alternative to the endless circling. Going by the confusing moniker of “Cell Phone Waiting Area”—are we waiting for Blackberries to fall out of the sky?—this small line of parking spots is hidden away from the facade of the airport proper by a 10-foot brick wall, on the off chance that someone decides to make blammo in their Hummer.

BEST EYE-ROLLING LOCAL COMMERCIAL

College of Western Idaho This just in: Education is nice. And while we’re feeling all generous, Ned Evett is nice, too. He’s that local guy who plays a fretless guitar and occasionally wins big global guitar tournaments. But when ed met Ned recently, in the form of a rockin’ video commercial for the nascent CWI, the results were titter-worthy to say the least. If an aerial pan of a sensitive musician wanking his fretboard on a tiny piece of mud in the middle of the Snake River and shouting “Shine like a diamond on me!” doesn’t make you want to get your nursing certification, then, honey, you are officially a discouraged worker.

BEST SHAMELESS PERSONAL REQUEST FOR A BEST OF BOISE BLURB THAT WE ARE HAPPY TO OBLIGE WITH A WINK, A NOD AND A TIP OF OUR HAT

KTVB’s Alyson Outen and Ysabel Bilbao We know readers love Dee Sarton and Carolyn Holly because both float to the top of the Best TV Anchor pool year after year in BW’s readers’ poll. Some of us behind the BW scenes, however, like to spread our love like butter, and we were especially happy to hand out this here special award on request. Outen and Bilbao kick ass and take names, and for that, they deser ve a little BW favoritism. As for future special requests for BOB awards, a word of advice: Booze is always ver y persuasive.

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LAU R IE PEAR M AN

Idaho Botanical Garden offers a green escape in the shadows of the Old Idaho Penitentiary.

BEST GREEN BREAK

Idaho Botanical Garden 2355 N. Old Penitentiary Road, 208-343-8649, idahobotanicalgarden.org It’s not everywhere that a desolate landscape below the walls of an imposing historic prison can be turned into a verdant patch filled with manicured flora and groomed walking paths. But that’s part of the charm of the botanical garden, where staff and volunteers have transformed the area into a showcase of plant life and where visitors can lose themselves in greenery. Maybe the former prisoners could have been better reformed if the garden had been there when the penitentiary was still in use.

BEST PLACE TO GET DOWN(LOADS)

Record Exchange

1105 W. Idaho St., 208-344-8010, therecordexchange.com Sometimes solving an economic crisis isn’t done by throwing money at the problem, but rather by changing a current business model. The Record Exchange has stayed in business for more than 30 years because of a plethora of reasons but one that has surely contributed to its continued success is its understanding of the need for change. ThinkIndie.com, an independent music download ser vice, joined forces with the Coalition of Independent Music Stores—of which Record Exchange owner Mike Bunnell is executive director—to offer downloads in line with the kinds of music independent stores like RX carr y. You want the Mariah Carey box set? Go to Wal-Mar t. You want music by a Texan alt-countr y group, a Bangladeshi guitar player or an Iranian rock band? Shop digitally at thinkIndie.com or visit one of the last independent brick-and-mor tar record stores left.

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BEST PLACE TO GET SMOOCHED BY AN OLD COWBOY

Famous Motel Cowboys Reunion

When the Famous Motel Cowboys get together every year, they put on a show that makes you wish your own family reunions were like theirs. The show is a masterful music and booze fest, and this year, they raised the roof on the Bouquet. The central figure in the whole shebang, Pinto Bennett, was in rare form, and a strangely stern word followed by a big, fat unexpected smooch on the cheek early in the evening indicated we were in for a hell of a rock ’n’ roll ride.

BEST PROJECT SUPER RUNWAY

Superheroes/Supervillains Fashion Show at Flying M Coffeegarage 1314 Second St. S., Nampa, 208-467-5533 When the Flying M does fashion, they cut out the egos and stitch together a funky event full of recycled trash and ridiculous stage antics. For the third annual Reconstructed Fashion Show, contestants created superhero and supervillain costumes made from cut-up milk cartons, melted vinyl and willowy trashbags. One of the afternoon’s highlights involved a showdown between an evil record executive and a defenseless indie rocker. Sorry Project Runway, but this is how it’s done.

BEST CREATIVE CLASS JUGGERNAUT

Ignite Boise igniteboise.com

We just keep gushing about Ignite Boise but damnit, we like to. As of press time, we’re two Ignite Boise’s in and the next event is Nov. 12. Don’t know what it is? Then you’re behind the ever-lovin’ times, friend. Promoted solely on the Web, Ignite Boise’s official mission is to get a bunch of thinkers in a room and spur more thinking (and hopefully some action somewhere along the way). Presenters get five minutes and 20 slides to talk about (almost) anything they want, from the locavore movement to the histor y of city planning to a fantastical bedtime stor y about the rock band The Eagles. We dig it because we learn something new with ever y slide. We dig it because it’s free. We dig it because it encourages community and dialogue in a ver y avant-garde sort of way. We dig it because it’s a force to be reckoned with.

BEST PLACE TO SEE A BIG, BLUE HEAD

Boise Art Museum

670 E. Julia Davis Dr., 208-345-8330, boiseartmuseum.org Earlier this year, Boise Art Museum exhibited several works by renowned artist Jun Kaneko. Museum Executive Director Melanie Fales invited members of the press to come for a behind-the-scenes look at how the museum readies an exhibit. We watched as museum personnel uncrated a giant blue head. Kaneko includes precise instructions on how to show his work when he sends it to a museum and, even though the BAM folks followed them to the letter, we held our collective breaths as they used a rope and pulley system to move the extra-heavy sculpture onto a platform, planning the preciseness of the placement to a micron. If we ever need our house moved, we’re calling BAM.

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BEST ONLINE LIT BROWSING

Boise State Library Western Writers Series library.boisestate.edu/ westernwriters You never know what you are going to find in the stacks at Albertsons Librar y. And we’re not just talking books here. But from the comfort of your laptop, you can peruse an amazing collection of writings by Western American scribes. They’ve got original criticisms and biographies on Gar y Snyder, Jack Kerouac, Ken Kesey, Richard Brautigan and some two dozen more Western writers. Here’s a quiz: Which Western writer worked at the Seattle Times while taking part in the Sandoz LSD experiments at the University of Washington and then called in “well” to work and started his first book. Need a hint? Think cowgirls and talking spoons.

BEST SUBTERRANEAN ART COLLECTIVE

Gallery Alexa Rose 280 N. Eighth St., Ste. 118, 208-761-9678 The Idaho Building ordered a tall glass of awesome last fall when it welcomed in a new basement tenant— the Alexa Rose art gallery. Since then, the subterranean space has hosted a handful of mixed media shows curated by members of the local art collective Apples and Oranges. With exhibits incorporating everything from traditional oil paintings to performance art to cupcakes, the gallery has positioned itself as one of Boise’s best new venues showcasing emerging contemporary artists.

BEST SUPPORTER OF THE ARTS

8th Street Marketplace Artists in Residence Program

For struggling visual and performance artists, free studio space is the equivalent of the Publishers Clearing House people ringing your doorbell. In a stroke of philanthropic genius, the owner of the 8th Street Marketplace in BoDo decided to put the Mercantile Building’s empty office space to use by offering it up to local artists for free. In three-month intervals, visual artists, dancers, poets and even a theater company were invited to fill the space with their supplies and get down to business. It’s only a few short blocks from BWHQ, and we are always psyched to peek in and observe these artists in their element on our way to grab some much needed caffeine.

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BEST “IS HE HIGH?”

Paolo Nutini at Knitting Factory Concert House

416 S. Ninth St., 208-367-1212, knittingfactory.com When the skinny Scot with the big Italian name hit Boise for the first time, the audience was left with one lingering question: Was he high, drunk or was that just par t of the act? While he and his band cranked out one great song after another to the adulation of an adoring crowd, Nutini staggered around the stage looking a bit like Grandpa Joe from Charley and the Chocolate Factor y when he first got out of bed. Onlookers cringed when he made a staggering step over a water bottle rolling around near the edge of the stage and when he left the mic stand lying across the stage, which he continually crossed over. Still, the audience should have been reassured by two simple facts: No. 1, he never dropped a beat, and No. 2, he never spilled a drop of his beer.

BEST PLACE TO ACTUALLY LOOK FORWARD TO A SHOW WITH 26 ACTS ON THE BILL

Visual Arts Collective, Rotating Tongues

3638 Osage St., 208-424-8297, visualartscollective.com Though we yapped endlessly about this festival last spring, we never could have guessed just what a tasty mouthful Rotating Tongues 2 would turn out to be. While coordinating 26 local bands and musicians sounds like a logistical nightmare, recording two new songs from each of these acts in front of a live audience is an entirely different beast. But VAC was up to the challenge, hosting both a kickass festival and releasing a rad commemorative album that immor talizes Boise’s current music scene in the same way the original Rotating Tongues did 15 years ago.

BEST PLACE TO GET ESCUELA’D ON THE DANCE FLOOR

Idaho Salsa Congress Only a few times a year do folks get all dressed up and go to Knitting Factor y. The Idaho Salsa Congress is one of those times. The concer t house is turned into a sparkling bright Latin palace complete with a 30-piece band, professional and semi-pro dancers and ever yone in town who knows how to shake it. You think you got salsa? The Idaho Salsa Congress is the place to show it.

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Have art, will exhibit: The Vague Collaborative (from left) Laura Ritzer, Jay Nelson, Chad Ritzer, David D. Colcord aka Rail V. and Bryan A. Moore

BEST REASON TO GET EXPLICIT

Vague III

At an old ďŹ rehouse/B&B in the East End, members of Boise’s Vague Collaborative threw this year’s most rocking art show, live music dance party and tattoo-fest. With art from BW favs like Tomas Montano and Ben Wilson, music from Hillfolk Noir and a short ďŹ lm by A.J. Eaton, the event raged on late into the evening. Though their structure might be vague, the event brought together some of Boise’s most awesome artists. We’re already preparing to have our minds blown by Vague IV.

BEST WORST GOODBYE

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Modern Art at Modern Hotel

Midline

1314 W. Grove St., 208-424-8244, themodernhotel.com

Saying goodbye to local band Midline this year was difďŹ cult. The foursome spent the last two decades rocking hard and reminding people outside of Idaho that our state can produce more than just spuds. Though they could craft a helluva rock tune, 20 years of missed—or stolen— opportunities, jobs, careers, marriages and divorces always kept them a hair’s breadth from the brass ring, until they ďŹ nally decided to call it quits.

This year’s Modern Hotel-hosted Modern Ar t event brought roughly 5,000 people out to see nearly 200 exhibits in as many rooms. Some of Boise’s newest ar tists stood adjacent to some who have been around for years, and whose work has stood the test of time. We saw paintings, drawings, photos, sculptures, theater, dance and multimedia. We even saw a room covered in white fur. As we left that night, our feet tired from walking the equivalent of miles (we visited some rooms more than once), we went away already wondering what next year’s event would bring.

BEST BACK TO THE FUTURE

Sonic Youth at Knitting Factory

416 S. Ninth St., 208-367-1212, knittingfactory.com If you look through bands’ Myspace bios, you’re going to see several of them who list Sonic Youth as an inuence. To those of us who saw them live at the Knitting Factory in July, it was obvious why. After 30 years of playing together, Sonic Youth are as strong, as powerful and as musical as they were when they dragged screwdrivers and dowels across their guitar strings and started using alternate tunings and became an integral part of the art scene in New York City. One BW staffer refers to their music as an aural equivalent of the way she has lived her life, a kind of controlled chaos. We feel that kind of describes the whole atmosphere at BW. Now turn the volume up. We still have work to do.

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Dead Confederate acoustic in-store @ Record Exchange 9/24 @ 5:30p!

BEST TIME TO SEE LOCAL ARTISTS DO THEIR OWN KIND OF INTERPRETIVE DANCE

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treymcintyre.com Trey McIntyre Project’s ar tistic director—Trey McIntyre—always has ideas swirling around in his brain. One par ticularly cogent thought led to the implementation of “9+1,� an exhibit in which he asked a number of local ar tists to interpret his company, his dancers, his dances, himself, or all of them. What they produced was smar t, quirky, involved, serene, disturbing, delightful and overall, an incredible representation of the dance company.

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Aimee Mann/ Fountains of Wayne

October 11 @ The Egyptian Theatre

The Swell Season

November 27 @ The Egyptian Theatre

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Until TRICA moves to its home, the groove will go on in borrowed space.

BEST WORST BLOW TO BOISE’S ART SCENE

The Closing of J Crist Gallery

BEST REASON TO GET YOUR KIDS OUT OF THE HOUSE

TRICA

208-344-2220, trica.org Boise’s best big kid, Jon Swarthout, aka Mr. Jon, has some moves, but he knows how to translate them in a way that kids who are just learning how to swing their arms in time with their legs can copy and have a great time doing it. If Mr. Jon can teach breakdancing and crazy dancing in rented space around town, imagine what kind of moving and grooving will go down if he ever moves in TRICA’s proposed 14 Street location.

The contemporar y, building on 17th and Fair view was one of our favorite destinations. The exhibit openings and events held there were always at the top of our to-do list. We saw some of the finest ar t we have seen and knew what an impor tant par t J Crist Galler y was to our ar t community. When it closed, it left a space in our hear ts and our cultural melting pot as big as one of the architecturally designed holes in the side of the building. We still haven’t completely recovered.

BEST OTHER WORST LOSS TO BOISE’S ART SCENE

Amy Pence-Brown Leaving Boise Art Museum

When we got word that Amy Pence-Brown was no longer at Boise Art Museum, we were crushed. Her work at BAM, most notably the 2007 Triennial, was fresh and contemporary and something both traditionalists and modernists could connect with. Fortunately, she’s still around town, so we expect to keep hearing from her.

BEST HAIRY-CHESTED ISRAELI BAND STANDING ON THE BAR

Monotonix

“Who wants to hear some free jazz?” The lead singer of Tel Aviv’s Monotonix, Ami Shalev, taunted a stunned Neurolux crowd, hanging from a pipe above the bar. Wearing

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1970s track shor ts and striped knee socks, the three members of this rowdy rock/metal band blazed a path of destruction from the stage, across the tops of bar tables to their final destination on top of the long, skinny bar. While the Neurolux bar staff does a commendable job dealing with drunk crazies on a regular basis, we commend their for titude on this par ticular evening. No one should ever have to be that close to sweaty upper-thigh hair.

BEST OPPORTUNITY TO ROCK OUT WHILE TAKING A SNOOZER

The Death Cab For Cutie Show at the Morrison Center

The initiated may picket in front of the BW offices after this one—“We love Death Cab! Down with BW!”—but a DCFC show can get a wee bit napinducing. If fans are being honest with themselves, they’ll agree. After an hour of music by the fey Washingtonbased foursome, it starts to sound the same. Even though we think it was one of the best lineups to hit Boise this year (brilliant appearances by Ra Ra Riot and Cold War Kids opened the show) and frontman Ben Gibbard delivered a high-energy per formance and the audience stood on their feet for most of their set, the monotony that sometimes flows through DCFC’s hands is like magic fingers lulling us to sleep. We would, of course, see them if they came again, but we just might drink a pot of coffee before we go.

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BEST LOCAL NON-CLUB

Fisherphiles There (probably) isn’t actually a local club dedicated to the works of Idaho author Vardis Fisher. But those of us who love him—despite his many flaws, his misanthropic personality, his penchant for overwriting emotion and creating 12-novel conceptual cycles—well, we stick together. When we find each other in a crowded room, drawn like dogs to the mention of his first name, we tend the torch in quiet conversation aided by stiff drinks. What’s your pick? Early or late? Did you tackle the Testament of Man? How many volumes did you make it? Have you been to the ruins of his house? It’s not literar y pretension, it’s a genuine affection for a genuinely forgotten regional talent whose work always deser ved more attention than it got. Ask a Fisherphile which of his books to read, and they’ll tell you which one to “star t with”—and almost all will give you a different answer. For the purposes of this blurb, one lonely Fisherphile sayeth that like a classic rock band, Fisher is best digested chronologically. Star t with the early works, Toilers of the Hills and Dark Bridwell. They are as bleak, overburdened by detail, and depressingly triumphant as, well, life, and if you can still get up for your lame office job after finishing them, then you’re a stronger person than Fisher.

BEST MUZAK

Go Listen Boise’s Hold It! Local! golistenboise.org Government bureaucracy just got a teeny bit more tolerable. Next time you’re on hold waiting to complain to zoning enforcement about your neighbor’s noisy roosters, you can calm your ner ves with the sweet sounds of local music instead of Celine Dion’s intolerable squawk. Thanks Go Listen Boise, for making the little things a lot better.

BEST TIME TO WITNESS AN INCREDIBLE SENSE OF COMMUNITY AND SOLIDARITY AND FIND THAT YOU BELONG NO MATTER YOUR ETHNICITY, COLOR, GENDER, NATIONALITY, RACE OR SEXUAL ORIENTATION

Boise Pride Week

When your cell phone batter y dies in the middle of a conversation, or a field of goatheads attacks your bike tires and you star t to feel sorr y for yourself, think about the hundreds of Boise men and women—your family, friends and neighbors—who suffer discrimination, ostracism or physical retribution because of their sexual orientation. Then hang out with them during Pride Week and see how truly proud they are to be who they are. Then throw your damn self-pity out the window.

BEST ART AMONG THE STACKS

The Museum and Farm of Ideas by Stephanie Bacon

4724 W. State St., 208-562-4995, boisepubliclibrary.org In 2007, mixed-media ar tist Stephanie Bacon was commissioned to jazz up the Librar y! at Collister with her massive collages constructed from old magazine clippings, maps and pictures of lemurs in dresses. Her seven gigantic, rectangular pieces are meant to add some histor y and Carnegie-like prestige to the relatively new strip mall space. So the next time your eyes get tired from scanning the latest Mar y Higgins Clark paperback or watching YouTube on one of the librar y’s computers, let them feast on Bacon’s color ful and mind-blowingly intricate collages. They’ll thank you.

BEST BITING THE HAND THAT CLAPS FOR YOU

Mirah at Neurolux

113 N. 11th St., 208-343-0886, neurolux.com

BEST “ARE YOU SURE WE ARE NOT IN SAN FRANCISCO, HONEY?”

Once upon a time, there was a popular Nor thwest indie singersongwriter who decided to play a show at Neurolux. But upon arriving in town, the lady was not impressed On one beautiful Saturday summer by the venue’s smoky rowdiness. morning, standing on the Grove Plaza, So, she decided she’d put an end to this delinquent behavior. “Smoking one could be par ty to an amazing be damned!” she decreed. And the cultural mashup. More than 10,000 Lux abided. “Is anyone listening?” people browsed the farmers market, she huffed in between songs, and a stage in the corner featured music the audience responded “Yeah!” But and poetr y from Boise’s refugee community, and a block west, Boise’s they kept chatting. Finally, she had reached the end of her wits, “Shhhh!” Gay Pride parade marched by, a serpentine line of rainbow celebrants. she hissed. But the audience, tired of being verbally spanked, had already If you don’t think Boise is a global organic queer town at least once in a retreated to the patio for a smoke. while, you may have to think again.

June 14, 2009

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Boise State professor and author Brady Udall is a quiet celebrity.

BEST LOCAL AUTHOR WE WERE EXCITED TO FIND OUT WAS A LOCAL AUTHOR

welcome to sing, dance, joke, eat ďŹ re, juggle, After we read The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint, it quickly found yo-yo, mime, a permanent place in our Top 10 list of favorite novels. We etc ... The shared it, we re-read it, we talked about it, we bought copies public was of it for our friends. When we discovered the book’s author then invited lived here in town, our hearts swelled with a sense of pride in to come down knowing that one of our own could produce such work. Udall and watch. A has a new novel due out later this year, and we can’t wait to get metal trophy our hands on it. We just hope we can maintain our composure if dubbed the we run into him around town. Curb Cup was to be awarded to the act with the most BEST PLACE TO BE WHEN wooden tokens awarded by the viewing YOU’RE ON DEADLINE AND public. The numbers are varied, but DON’T FEEL LIKE WRITING. between 120 and 130 acts performed BEST PLACE TO BE WHEN YOU and 15,000 to 30,000 attended. HAVE NOTHING ELSE TO DO. Regardless of the exact counts, it’s BEST PLACE TO CATCH DINNER, fair to say the event was a huge success. WINE AND A MOVIE. BEST

Brady Udall

PLACE TO COOL OFF IN THE BEST FUNNY BOISE SUMMER WHEN YOUR AIR TV APPEARANCE CONDITIONING GOES OUT. BEST PLACE TO RENT A MOVIE. BEST Travel Channel’s PLACE TO GET YOUR FIX OF A Ghost Adventures FOREIGN TONGUE. BEST PLACE TO REALIGN YOUR WORLDVIEW, vs. the Snakes Boise has made appearances on GET REACQUAINTED WITH THE many television shows lately, but IDEA OF TRUE LOVE, OR LOSE none had us rolling with laughter ALL HOPE FOR HUMANITY AND like Ghost Adventures. The trio of THE FUTURE OF THE WORLD. paranormal investigators came to the City of Trees to check out reports of BEST PLACE TO SPEND A haunting at the Old Idaho Penitentiary, COUPLE OF HOURS SITTING.

The Flicks

646 W. Fulton St., 208-342-4222, theicksboise.com Need a place to sit and avoid the world for a couple of hours, get lost in a foreign ďŹ lm and gorge yourself on beer and popcorn sprinkled with nutritional yeast? Yeah, you do.

BEST PLACE TO SEE LOCALS PERFORM WITH IMPUNITY

Boise Curb Cup

We hope this one will become an annual event. Organizer Mark Rivers asked local performers to apply for a strip of sidewalk where they were

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but were midway up Table Rock when host Zak Bagans realized there just might be snakes in the hills. Duh. He proceeded to spend the next several minutes ignoring the fact that a trail leads to the top, and instead, jumped around screaming like a child on a sugar high, yelling “Dude� at regular intervals. Bagans then decided to face his fear and actually pick up a good-sized snake, then wondered if it was a rattlesnake (here’s a clue, rattlesnakes usually rattle). He was then perplexed when the snake turned in toward him, proclaiming that the experience is just like Indiana Jones. We highly recommend searching for the clip on YouTube, it’s worth the belly laugh.

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The Fourth of July means beer, bikes and more beer with the annual Bars and Stripes alley cat race.

BEST WAY TO SPEND FOURTH OF JULY

Main Street Mile

Registering Bars and Stripes Racers Bikers beat wheels to the front door of BWHQ on the Fourth of July this year to sign up for the annual Bars and Stripes alley cat race put on by BW and Northstar Cycle Courier Inc. (and several boozeries around town). BW staffers sat coolly indoors while bikers of all shapes and sizes leaned against their 10-speeds, fixies and cruisers in the heat waiting to get in. When we did open the door, we made them fill out forms, took their money, checked their IDs (even if they looked 60) and then made them wait some more. When we finally shouted, “Ready? Set. Go!” they took off so damn fast, we almost had to climb the trees to avoid being run over by two-wheel-wielding maniacs. We thought they were in a hurry to be the first to cross the finish line, but now that we look back on it, maybe they were in a hurry to get the hell away from us.

BEST REASON TO STAY OFF THE WATER

High-Water Rescues

We know that when temperatures warm up, the Boise River star ts to look mighty inviting. But when the river is running at near flood stage, don’t float the river. Seriously. When the water is at near-freezing temperatures, don’t float the river. When maintenance crews haven’t been able to clear the river of downed logs and branches, don’t float the river. When all three of these things happen at once, stay the hell off the water. Of course, all the warnings in the world won’t stop those few people each year who think they are the exceptions, as witnessed by the handful of rescues the Boise Fire Depar tment had to do early this summer, plucking shivering boaters off islands. Thankfully, we have a highly trained swift-water rescue crew in Boise, but seriously people, common sense isn’t a bad thing.

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BEST REASON TO WEAR FAKE FUR AND RUN THROUGH THE STREETS mainstreetmile.org

On most days, donning an animal costume and running down the middle of the street is something that gets you carried off in a special kind of jacket to a very white, very padded room. But once a year, the Main Street Mile makes it OK. The event is dedicated to raising awareness of prostate cancer by raising money to fund free screenings in the community. Once those screenings are done, supporters take to the streets to run, walk or stumble for a cause. Whether it’s the mascot run kicking things off or the first responders race bringing up the rear, it’s a parade onlookers won’t soon forget.

BEST TWO-WHEELED PHILANTHROPISTS

Boise Bicycle Project boisebicycleproject.org

In the few years of its existence, the Boise Bicycle Project has become a landmark nonprofit in the area. Organizers take donated bikes, fix them up and then turn around and donate them to those in need, including children from low-income families and refugees. BBP has even worked with sister organizations like Village Bicycle Project to send bikes to Africa, where they can make a big difference in someone’s quality of life. BBP moved into a new home this year, with more space and a better workshop area. We can’t wait to see what they do next.

BEST CAMPING IN BOISE, ALL OF IDAHO, THE WHOLE COUNTRY THAT’S NEAR BOISE

It’s a Mystery

To you, that is. Send a self-addressed stamped envelope to 523 Broad St., Boise, ID 83702. Include a check for $1 million. Once it clears and we have the payola safely in our grubby mitts, then we’ll tell you. Until then, you’ll have to stick with your over-crowded state campground and smelly outhouse.

BEST REASON TO HAVE FAST INTERNET

Race to Robie robiecreek.com

Each year, when online registration for the landmark half-marathon opens, you can actually hear Internet ser vers across the Treasure Valley groaning under the weight of sudden activity as racers from across the countr y vie to be one of the few who get to run straight up hill, then straight downhill, sometimes in the snow. In a brief few hours, the roster fills up, but we’re betting about halfway into the race, there are at least a few who wish they only had dial-up ser vice.

BEST WAY TO SCARE YOUR FRIENDS

Krav Maga

Once upon a time, ever ybody was kung fu fighting, but now, you’re nothing if you can’t mix it up. And nothing is as throw-down, kick-butt and don’t-botherto-take-names as krav maga. Developed for use by the Israeli special forces, it’s a mix of nearly ever y fighting style with the basic tenant that you use whatever works. Around here, it’s also a killer workout and a great way to impress upon your friends not to mess with you. Just take them to a class with you. They’ll get the hint.

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. d e v l o get Inv Scottish athletes really know how to throw their weight around.

BEST REASON TO WEAR A UNITARD

Ballet Lessons at Ballet Idaho balletidaho. org

BEST REASON TO HUG A TREE

Scottish Highland Games Why hug a tree? Why, to chuck it across a field, of course. And nobody throws a tree better than a Scottish Highlands athlete. Around here, that means the Scottish American Athletic Association Idaho Chapter—a bunch of strapping lads and lasses who like to don a kilt and throw heavy things around a field. Whether it’s hurling a weight attached to a chain for distance, hefting a weighted bag over a bar with a pitchfork or lifting a 150-pound log and throwing it end-to-end, Scottish athletes take their sports as seriously as they take having fun. The group has been getting attention for their weekly practices along Eagle Road—you’d think drivers had never seen a bunch of guys in kilts carrying pitchforks.

If the term “barre exercises” conjures up images of waving your arms furiously to get a cocktail waitress’ attention, then Ballet Idaho has something to tell you: “Suck in that gut and squeeze into a unitard; it’s about time your beer-swilling butt got some exercise.” For $15 a class, you can join other ballet beginners for a two-hour workout led by one of Ballet Idaho’s professional dancers. A few BW staffers have become big fans, though they could do without constantly being one-upped by 80-yearold ladies doing the splits.

BEST MOST INTERESTING FORM OF ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION

Longboards

Though the origin of the first longboard may be disputed, that they have always had a place in skateboard culture is not. For years, the occasional longboard has clack-clackclacked down Boise sidewalks (only where it’s legal, of course) alongside its shorter brethren, but during the last year or so, it seems like even more of them are out on the concrete. Soft wheels, a longer wheelbase and more comfortable riding lend themselves to the love of the longboard, and with last summer’s gas crunch, the economical, fairly easy-to-learn longboard leapt from counterculture kid’s toy to a viable form of gas-free transportation.

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BEST BIKE PIRATING

Boise Velocache boisevelocache.blogspot.com Boise Velocache stumbled upon a basic human truth: Everyone loves searching for hidden treasure. Every day, velocachers from around the city post pictures on boisevelocache. blogspot.com showing where they’ve hidden various goodies ranging from rum to mystery novels. Though you don’t need a parrot or a peg leg to play, you do need a bike, a camera and Internet access.

BEST WAY TO KICK THOSE DAMNED WHIPPERSNAPPERS’ ASSES

Idaho Senior Games idahoseniorgames.org What better way to show that age is just a number than to run laps around people far younger than you? That’s just what competitors in the annual Idaho Senior Games do. Athletes are all age 50 and older and compete in everything from tennis, bowling and racquetball to basketball, softball and track and field. They’re out there breaking records while some of their grandchildren are sitting on their butts playing video games. Looks like they’ve still got a few important lessons to teach. And if you don’t listen, watch out. They can catch you.

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Two wheels rule the streets during the Tour de Fat bike parade.

BEST VEHICULAR SACRIFICE

BEST PARKING

Tour de Fat

The gods demand a sacrifice. Like in days of yore, each year a sacrificial victim is rolled into public, where it is briefly mourned before it meets its end in front of a rowdy crowd. But rather than being terribly un-PC and rounding up a virgin, we sacrifice a car. For eight years running, Boise has been one of 11 cities to host New Belgium Brewing’s Tour de Fat, a traveling celebration of everything bike. And each year, the bike gods demand the sacrifice of a car. The rest of us get to enjoy a day full of fun and bicycle-oriented frolicking with local biking groups taking home the proceeds, which in turn, are put back into area bike trails and projects. Not a bad trade-off for one little car.

BEST TWO-WHEEL PLAYGROUND

Idaho Velodrome and Cycling Park Old State Highway 66 Horseshoe Bend Road, Eagle, idahovelopark.org The tangle of trails at the park deserve more than this little nod. They deserve a round of applause, a big fat gold star and a couple of helping hands if you got ’em. The all-volunteer trail-building effort is one of those projects that so many of us get the benefit of (for free, we might add) thanks to the hard work of a few. Thanks, trail builders, for giving us a new reason to pack up the bike and head west. Thanks especially for Junkyard. The jumps are good times and dodging the trees is always a good challenge. Thanks also for the beginner, moderate and expert downhill. You know how some of us are on that downhill—chicken shit.

BEST ACCIDENTAL EXERCISE

Missing the Bus

With infrequent bus service, missing the bus can ruin an evening. Especially if it’s the last bus at 6:45 p.m. From the Grove, it is possible to catch up to the No. 14 at State Street, but it means a jog at a decent clip, ignoring all lights and oncoming cars and making sure the driver sees you sprinting. It would be much easier if the buses ran more often instead.

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New Art Bike Racks

Boise officials are reclaiming parking spots for bikes and providing places to rack up on nearly every corner. In the past few months, dozens of new racks popped up downtown, including an instreet rack at the corner of Eighth and Bannock streets, right across from the governor’s office. Just one more reason to ride.

BEST FORM OF EXERCISE THAT YOU REALLY CAN BE TOO OLD TO LEARN

Break Dancing

During an interview with break dancing battle organizer Rhetoric Style of MTTheory, we asked if calling break dancers “breakers” made us sound if we were stuck in the ’80s. They played it cool and didn’t call us out, but something tells us we need to catch up. MTTheory is a clothing, skate and snowboard company that hosts break dancing at different venues around Boise. The competitions bring in dancers from different parts of the country to take on local groups like the B-Boys of Boise led by Kevin Chapton. Break dancing might have started with popping, “the robot” and freezing in positions that would make any Pilates teacher proud, but it has evolved into a cool urban expression that sets it apart from other dance crazes. Be warned, though, not just anyone can pull off the required moves. So if you associate breakin’ with parachute pants, neon colors and a comb in your back pocket, it might be best to stick with a simpler form of dance if you don’t want to break a hip.

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Tai Chi practitioners get their chi moving.

BEST ’80S FLASHBACK

U.S. Bobsled Team Tryouts

BEST WAY TO CONFUSE THE NEIGHBORS

Tai Chi

For those who practice tai chi, it’s a calming meditation mixed with a low-impact physical workout. But for the uninitiated, it can apparently be a little scary. Here’s a lesson from Boise-based tai chi instructor Jeffrey Vik: When practicing tai chi in the back yard while visiting your mother, beware of elderly neighbors calling the police and claiming you have murdered your mother and are doing some sort of ritualistic celebration dance. Never underestimate the intimidation power of slow motion movements.

When the U.S. Men’s Bobsled team held open tryouts at several locations across the country, including Timberline High School in Boise, local athletes had their chance to prove they had what it takes to sled with the best of them. But for the rest of us, it was a chance to reminisce about a simpler time, when a ragtag group of Olympic bobsledders from Jamaica slid down the icy track into our hearts. Ah, for the days when it was more about catchy theme songs and less about illegal substances.

BEST HOLE AT A PUBLIC GOLF COURSE

creek running across the fairway, a 90-degree dogleg right to the green, and bunkers all over the damn place. It’s possible to take a nine and feel OK with it because you need to gather your wits as you prepare for the next hole, a 476-yard par four, and the 600yard par five after that. You could have played golf for the last 50 years and never seen anything like this.

BEST PLACE TO WATCH BMXERS DO TAILWHIPS WHILE EATING A STEAK

Peregrine No. 5 at Falconcrest’s Steakhouse 751 W. Fourth St., Kuna, Freedom Course 208-922-5465 11102 S. Cloverdale Road, Kuna, 208-362-8897, falconcrestgolf.com

A few years back, BW gave this award to No. 17 at Falconcrest because of the unparalleled “imaginative cruelty” of its design. But 17 has nothing on the fifth hole at the valley’s newest course, the Freedom Course at Falconcrest. And while it’s tempting to try to translate why the new winner is such a terrifying, unearthly punishment to golfers into a language that non-golfers would understand, it’s easier just to give the stats. The par five is an unimaginable 714 yards from the tips, and an equally insane 676 from the next tees up. That’s four-tenths of a mile, for those of you counting at home, and about 100 yards longer than any other hole in the valley. From the tee, we find: out of bounds left, OB and fairway bunker right. Up a quarter-mile or so: more OB left and right, lake right, a

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It’s not every day you can sit on the patio, eating steaks and sipping cocktails while BMX racers carve tight corners around a dirt track. But then, Kuna has always been unique.

BEST GUY TO HAVE BY YOUR SIDE IF YOU’RE STRANDED IN THE MOUNTAINS

Edible Plant and Survival Expert Ray Vizgirdas

Can you spot an edible berry or construct a snow shelter? Survivalist and professor Ray Vizgirdas can. And it’s nothing like on Survivor—those folks got nothin’ on Vizgirdas’ students. Want a real immunity challenge? Try surviving a few days without a camera crew or food drops.

WWW.BOISEWEEKLY.COM


LAU R IE PEAR M AN

Boisean Ryan Neptune knows how to turn an opening into a business.

BEST IDAHO GONE GLOBAL

Neptune Industries neptuneindustries.com Snowboarders and skaters sometimes get stereotyped as slackers, but that label has never fit Boise native Ryan Neptune, who turned a passion for sports into an international business. Neptune Industries has become a world leader in snowboard terrain park design and construction, as well as skatepark design and now resort consultation. Besides, how bad is a job that requires you to spend the day on the slopes?

BEST EXCUSE FOR BIKING IN AN ’80S PROM DRESS

Heads up, single dudes who dig the strong, sweaty ladies: The Dirty and Pink afterparty has some pretty sweet odds.

BEST REASON TO HIKE UPHILL

Tamarack Resort

When the lifts come to a halt and are nearly repo’d just as the snow is getting springlike, there is only one thing to do: hike. Tamarack may have shut down prematurely last winter, Hooray for ladycats. Far too many sweaty dudes ride fixies in the average but that didn’t stop anybody. Where there is snow and elevation, there alley cat race. Though Dirty and Pink, in its fourth year, is an all-chick, dress- are people willing to hoof it. Added bonus: Ver y few other people are up bike race, it’s most definitely not actually willing to walk uphill on skis, for any pedaling princesses. Divided so you get all the turns to yourself. into road bike and cruiser divisions, Besides, it looks like that will be this year’s alley cat took hordes of the only option at the still-shuttered ’80s-fashion-clad racers all across resor t this winter. Boise before finally ending up at the Visual Arts Collective in Garden City.

Dirty and Pink Alleycat

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BEST USE OF MAC Got an owie? Ladd Pharmacy will help make it all better.

MacLife

421 S. Eighth St., 208-323-6721, maclifeboise.com

BEST LOCAL PAIN RELIEVER

Ladd Pharmacy

When MacLife opened in Boise, we were a Every family should have a doctor, a lawyer, a mechanic and a pharmacist—if not as bit intimidated. Apple a relative, then as a close personal friend. Ladd takes care of the pharmacist part, and computers, apparently, by being locally owned and operated, they can technically count as family, too. And, of only attract geniuses, and course, they have more than just pills, unguents and antibiotics; they carry everything chances are, if we have you go to a pharmacy for. Plus, they deliver. How many of the people in your family can to talk to one of them, it’s you say that about? because we don’t know something and, ergo, are not geniuses ourselves. They totally redeemed BEST BOUND VACATION themselves, however, when we wandered in, shoulders hunched, fully prepared to feel like village idiots during their grand opening and discovered two piping-hot 906 W. Main St., 208-344-8088, chafing dishes: one full of meatballs and the other anoveladventure.com full of mac and cheese. The Mac-and-cheese play on Ever y year, the BW staff places an unspoken words wasn’t much of a stretch, and we had to assume moratorium on a couple of words that wear out their the meatballs were ser ved because they begin with welcome during the course of the year. The word an M (and are standard chafing-dish fare). Geniuses? for 2009 cannot be used to describe the downtown Maybe not linguistically, but ser ve us a bowl of mac and bookstore (but here’s a hint: it starts with a “stay” cheese and you have customers for life. and ends with a “cation”) but if you can’t afford to leave town on a vacation, consider staying around and BEST WHAT THE HECK?! browsing through the selection. The locale is more than a place to settle in with a book and a beverage. Customers can listen to poetr y readings, gaze at art on 295 N. Orchard, 208-375-5050, greatgargoyles.com the walls and read about where in the world they want to In the 2008 Best of Boise Editors’ Picks, we visit next. The space, which has ser ved as a bookstore pondered the existence of a store that features for more than 130 years, has been reworked in its own special picture-frame-style arrangement, and now caters computer parts, gargoyles, body jewelr y and adult sex toys. We’re still pondering it. We like, but it kind of hurts to a literar y niche demographic, including travelers, art our heads. lovers and those who aren’t afraid to keep it black and white while researching their next adventure until they can afford to actually go.

1109 S. Broadway Ave., 208-947-0877, laddfamilyrx.com

A Novel Adventure

Great Gargoyles

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BEST PLACE TO BUY CAMPING ACCESSORIES FOR THE CAMPER WHO CAMPS TO PARTY (AND WHO WILL NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES BE BACKPACKING IN TO HIS/HER CAMPSITE BECAUSE ALL THIS EXTRA GEAR REQUIRES FOUR GAS- OR DIESEL-POWERED WHEELS)

Boise Army/Navy

4924 Chinden Blvd., 208-322-0660 The Garden City surplus and outdoor goods retailer can make your weekend bar in the woods a reality with its selection of bar accoutrements. Wine, margarita, champagne and martini glasses come in virtually indestructible stainless steel so, should you get the urge to huck your glass into the woods, it’ll still be intact for round two when you sober up. What’s that? How do you make a margarita in the woods without a blender? You’re in luck. Boise Army/Navy also sells a handcrank blender that you can clamp onto your picnic table for better cranking stability. Any other dumb questions?

BEST PLACE TO GIVE THE GIFT OF CHICKEN CHUCKING

Dragonfly

414 W. Main St., 208-338-9234 What better way to tell someone special how you feel about him or her than to give them a hand-held launcher and a bunch of small plastic chickens? Well, maybe the nun chuck (gotta love a flying nun) or the cattle-pult. Whatever small plastic object you choose to chuck at someone, Dragonfly has a full line of silly, fun and completely ridiculous novelty products to let someone know he or she is special. We’re putting the Flying Monkey Catapult on our Christmas list, and don’t even get us starting about the “What Would Bacon Do” decision-making wheel.

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Smelly pooch be gone! The smell, not the pooch.

BEST PLACE TO BUY TEST TUBES

Idaho Book and School Supply

5286 Chinden Blvd., 208375-5250, idahobook. com

BEST MULTI-DOG BATH HOUSE

Do-it-Yourself Doggie Detail 6703 W. Ustick Road, 208-378-1380 Whether your beloved pooch is the adventurous type that cares more about what makes its smell inviting to other dogs, or you own a fluffy type that demands all the ribbons, bells and whistles, this dog wash is for you. Pull up and settle in to a selfservice dog wash station, and for a nominal fee, the dog owner has at their disposal all the tools of the trade necessary to buff out their dog including shampoos, clippers and towels. The mess of dog washing is kept to a dull roar, and both dog and owner come away smelling better than whatever Fido rolled in.

Where else would you buy test tubes? We couldn’t figure it out. Besides, walking into the store is like walking back into childhood to a time when long chains of paper leaves, chalkboard erasers, days-of-the-week guides, workbooks and everything your teacher kept in that mysterious cabinet was magical. They’ve been outfitting Treasure Valley teachers for decades, but teaching degrees aren’t required to shop there.

BEST PLACE TO GET YOUR ASS KICKED BY A JAPANESE BODY BUILDER

A2O Fitness

511 S. Americana Blvd., 208-3445377, a2ofitness.com Karin Kimura, co-owner of A2O Fitness, is built like a brick house. When you meet her, you want her to whip you into the same shape. To introduce themselves to Boise, A20 held a media weight-loss competition. BW and Fox 12 went head to head, and BW came out on top. But we didn’t even care about winning. After eight intense weeks, our clothes were looser, we had more energy and, since we couldn’t bear to leave her at the end of the competition, we decided to hang out with her for another year. She still tries to destroy us two days a week, but with all the strength we’re gaining by working out with her, we might be ready to take her on. Someday. Maybe.

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BEST WAY TO SAVE ON US

BW Card

As newspapers look for “new revenue models” and “ways to capitalize on the Internet economy,” Boise Weekly thought long and hard about what our readers want. The answer was sitting right in front of our faces the whole time: Y’all love to eat and drink. So we came up with the Boise Weekly Card, another piece of plastic for your wallet that easily earns you 40 percent off at a growing number of Treasure Valley eateries. Did we mention the discounts on tattoos and spa treatments, too? How’s that for multimedia?

BEST PLACE TO PICK UP AN HERB GARDEN AFTER CHOWING DOWN ON HERBED POTATOES

36th Street Garden Center

3823 N. 36th St., 208-433-5100, 36streetgardencenter.com Hill Road’s newest development, the 36th Street Garden Center, is a place for lingerers. After polishing off a crisp bottle of vinho verde on the bistro’s European plaza-meets-construction-sitepatio, you can peruse the various items for sale in the garden center. With an assortment of plants, patio furniture and quirky decorations, the 36th Street Garden Center is kind of like a Sky Mall for garden enthusiasts.

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LAU R IE PEAR M AN

One day older and a lot cheaper, day-olds mean a big score at Big City.

BEST DAY-OLDS

Big City Coffee and Cafe 5517 W. State St., 208-853-9161; 1416 W. Grove St., 208345-3145 No, the best day-olds are not found in the birthing chambers at either of the saints. But you can find a sweet little baby of equivalent weight and nearly equivalent size at your local Big City coffee shop for just $1. And with names like Cinnamon Roll and Blueberry Scone and Bear Claw, your baby is guaranteed to grow up to become a rock star. Best if shared with a partner.

Need to Bead

BEST GUERILLA DELIVERY SERVICE

Northstar Cycle Courier Inc.

208-331-5056, northstarcourier.com We love our UPS and FedEx delivery people, but when we need important documents delivered across town in a hurry, we call Northstar Cycle Courier. Owners/messengers Patrick Sweeney and Warren O’Dell keep our packages safe, our environment healthy and, with their cheap rates, they keep our wallets a little more bulky. Plus, they’re a helluva nice couple of guys.

BEST PLACE TO PICK UP CHICKS

Zamzows

Multiple locations, zamzows.com The urban chicken-farming trend sent flocks of customers who might otherwise never have stepped foot in a feed store to the doors of Zamzows. But Zamzows has been a Treasure Valley staple for almost 80 years. For many homeowners, it’s the place to get lawn products that are both petand planet-friendly. But for generations of valley kids, it was where they could check out the baby chickens. Housed beneath heat lamps, the chicks are guaranteed to draw a crowd of curious children who want to do nothing more than pet the chirping balls of fuzz. Alas, henpecking their parents never seems to work, and only the lucky few whose parents pick up a couple will ever actually get to play with the feathered babies. The rest will have to abide by the look, don’t-touch policy.

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BEST PLACE TO BUY CHRISTMAS GIFT SUPPLIES IF YOU’RE INTO MAKING CHRISTMAS GIFTS

1100 N. Orchard St., 208-3840404, needtobeadboise.com “It’s the thought that counts.” That’s exactly what you’ll hear if your thoughtful gift is a box of burned cookies or a crocheted scar f in which you forgot to knit one, purl two. Tr y something a little different and pick up some jewelr y-making supplies at Need to Bead next time. With their help, making a well-crafted pair of earrings, a delicate bracelet or a beautiful bead necklace is easy, it’s cheap, and it makes for a cherished gift. Unless you think your friends and family actually like the wood and velvet framed photos of your dog that you give them each year.

BEST INTERNATIONAL GRAIN

Teff

Teffco.com True stor y: In June, four Boise Weekly staffers enjoyed a fantastic Ethiopian meal in Tucson, Ariz. While chatting up the proprietor, we mentioned we were from Idaho. Turns out Zemam’s Ethiopian Cuisine in Tucson gets the teff for its injera— the spongy bread that’s a substitute for Americans’ beloved silver ware— from a grower in Idaho. And it turns out that grower—the Teff Company, based in Canyon County—is among the largest producers of the stuff in the countr y. And you thought Idaho potatoes were the state’s most international crop.

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Don’t throw it away. Fix it and look fabulous.

BEST RIGHTEOUS CLEAN

The Greener Cleaner 208-8592987

BEST NIP AND TUCK

Alterations Excellence 404 S. Eighth St., Ste. B130, 208-343-4709 Deep in the bowels of the Eighth Street Marketplace Building is where you’ll find them. A pair of clothing miracle makers. You know that favorite pair of jeans that you wore until a giant hole in backside forced you to retire them? Alterations Excellence can fix them. Your dress a size too big, your pants a scooch too long, your jacket a little too tight? They can fix that, too. Rip a hole in your coat lining? Yep, they can do that. Go in armed with cash, an understanding that communication may be laborious and a pile of all your damaged and ill-fitting clothing, and they’ll fix you right up. And if they can’t? Believe you us, they’re pretty honest about telling you that dress you want taken from a size four to an eight is going to have to stay a four.

Have you quit scrubbing your toilet bowl because of that lingering chemical smell? Are you sick of the powdery scum on your countertop after wiping it down? Well, Jenn Siegel at the Greener Cleaner has the solution. The G.C. uses nontoxic and often homemade cleansers to leave your bowl smelling pepperminty and your counters fresh and natural enough to lick, although we don’t necessarily recommend going around licking surfaces in your home.

if you chomp down on a packaged organic cracker one month after the manufacturer-designated “best by” date, your organs aren’t going to dissolve from the inside out. In fact, they are probably going to grumble a “thanks” for the delicious snack and go on their merry digestive way.

BEST PLACE TO WAGE A BATTLE FOR TOTAL BEST PLACE TO FILL YOUR CART GLOBAL DOMINATION WITH COMPLETELY RANDOM All About Games CAN’T-LIVE-WITHOUTS 7009 Overland Road,

Boise Bargain Basket 2141 Broadway Ave., 208-3315092, boisebargainbasket.com The Boise Bargain Basket is trying to change our wasteful mindset one good deal at a time. By stocking the shelves with an array of overstock goods, manufacturers’ discontinued items and other “special deals,” they provide budget-conscious shoppers with awesome bargains and also help keep perfectly good grub from going to waste. The triple B’s continually rotating array of healthy, inexpensive items—like bite-sized vegan quinoa cookies, baked rice cheese snacks, maple and brown sugar oat milk, giant bags of Swedish Fish or super-duper cheap Idaho wines—is enough to draw us down Broadway every couple of weeks to fill our baskets with random treasures. And hey, we all know that

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208-343-5653 It’s the same old story: Your army is marching across the marshy fields of battle when suddenly your enemy appears out of nowhere with a secret weapon, obliterating your forces. Quite irritating. Still, you might just get some tips from the warlord at the next table for the next time. And there’s plenty of would-be dictators at any of the weekly game nights at All About Games, which specializes in games that don’t require electricity. Besides providing space for gamers to gather to play an insane assortment of interactive games, the store is also the go-to place for more board games from all around the world than you knew existed. Warning: The games can be highly addictive and force the use of interpersonal social skills, so it might not be the place for anyone who has ever had a game controller-induced injury.

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What have you got hiding under your hood?

BEST PLACE TO GET MORE MPG

Boise Muffler

6100 W. Fairview Ave., 208-376-8541, boisemufershop.com We’re always looking for ways to save money, conser ve resources and do better by ourselves and the environment. We learned that by dropping our sedan off at Boise Mufer for a tuneup, the old girl can get as much as four miles more per gallon. The nice guys at Boise Mufer probably didn’t even know they were helping the environment, but it makes us feel good about ourselves, and we love it when we feel better.

BEST PLACE TO PICK UP COCONUT MILK WITHOUT LEAVING THE HOOD

Roosevelt Market 311 N. Elm Ave., 208-384-9780, rooseveltmarket.com Though the Roosevelt Market might not carry big sticks, they do have quite an eclectic assortment of pantry items for a small neighborhood convenience store. While the presence of goodies like rice wine vinegar, coconut milk and water chestnuts seem like an obvious nod to the epicurean tastes of their East End customers, the glistening homemade cupcakes are just plain awesome.

BEST PLACE TO FIND A RANDOM YARD TO FARM

Craigslist.org

Grass is so 20th centur y. In this day and age, front yards and back yards are becoming much more productive. Say you’re looking for a place to stick your tomato plants—or to be more accurate, you’re looking for someone who will do the actual hard work part for you—you can offer up some space to an urban farmer. Look no farther than the ye old Internet and wander over to craigslist. org. Former BW editor and Urbane Farms farmer Bingo Barnes scored a bunch of yards to farm this summer through craigslist.org. The key here is to remember you still get the fresh veggies, you just don’t have to wear those ugly garden clogs.

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BEST PLACE TO PICK UP AWESOME CURRY IN A HURRY

India Food Market

602 N. Orchard St., 208-3870000

Orchard is becoming a one-street shop for sweet deals on ethnic foods. From Bosnian to Argentinean to Asian to Middle Eastern, you can get it all. But if you’re after the best pre-mixed curr y blend in town, then India Food Market is where it’s at. Trust us.

BEST MAKEOVER

The Costume Shop 3777 W. Chinden Blvd., 208-3439399, thecostumeshopboise.com Ever y now and then, we all want to be someone else, but the cost of major reconstructive surger y is prohibitive, and then there’s the whole runaround of tr ying to hide your true identity. Rather than dealing with the stress that comes with the fear of being discovered, may we recommend a less drastic solution? Tr y either renting or buying a costume. Have a love for the sea and are soothed by the gentle squawking of parrots? Why not be a pirate for a day? Enjoy scaring the bejesus out of both children and adults? There’s a clown costume with your name on it. Feel like a fair y-tale princess? You can look the part. Whether it’s a simple set of fangs or a wig, or you go the distance with a new wardrobe, there’s an answer for ever y look. We’ve found a temporar y adjustment in physical appearance can be just what you need. Seriously, we hardly recognize each other from day to day. We like the mystique of going incognito.

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Swan Lake, Idaho! How often can you buy a pair of shoes and say it’s for a good cause?

October 2, 3, 4 at the BSU Special Events Center Tickets at Select-A-Seat or by calling 426-1110 www.balletidaho.org

Peter Anastos, Artistic Director

BEST FACELIFT FOR YOUR CAR

Capitol Auto Body 5373 W. Emerald St., 208-3760141

BEST PLACE TO SCORE A PAIR OF TOMS AND AN ORGANIC COTTON HOODIE

The White Pine Boutique 115 13th Ave. S., Nampa, 208-466-9083, thewhitepineboutique.com

White Pine is Nampa’s sleaze-free answer to American Apparel. With a selection of locally crafted items, organic-cotton basics and vintage finds, White Pine allows us to shop for our plain-color v-necks without wall-sized photos of gold lame-clad hipster butt cheek staring us down. Sadly, the unitard selection could use a little beefing up.

Say your car was parked on the side of the road minding its own business when some crazy drunk takes it out and pushes it hundreds of feet, quite possibly totaling the paid-off hunk of metal. Or perhaps you made a complete stop at the sign and proceeded when some inattentive driver smashes into the side of your ride? Where do you go? Tr y Capitol Auto Body. The sympathetic staff has seen it all. They take care of the bumps, dents and smashed metal. Whether it’s a brand new car or a cherished vintage model, they fix it fast so you can get back out on the road. They work wonders with the exterior of vehicles, but could they do something about the duct tape that’s holding up the interior lining of a 1984 Camaro?

BEST WAY TO GET YOUR CHI FLOWING

The Wellspring School for Healing Arts 725 N. 15th St., 208-388-0206, thewellspring.org More than once, we’ve been accused of being just a little off. But thanks to Wellspring, we’re at least figuring out how to get our yin and yang in balance. The school focuses on Chinese Ama massage, which attempts to help patients get their energies flowing just right. But better than a little ancient Eastern wisdom is the fact that you can get it on the

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cheap. Since the school’s students need time spent with actual patients, Wellspring runs student clinics on the occasional Saturday morning or Tuesday night. It’s not fancy, but students have more than a year of training, the teachers stop by for a consultation and best yet, it’s only $25 for an hour. Patients leave with customized information on diet and exercise, and with a little more inner peace. We’re still a little off, but it has nothing to do with our yang.

BEST PLACE TO PLACE A BETA

Fish Aquariums and Stuff 6112 W. Fairview Ave., Boise, 208-377-1119 Forego spending time fishing through Craigslist for used tanks, equipment and unwanted aquatic species, and instead go straight to Fish Aquariums and Stuff. For those with a thing for the fishies, it’s a lifesaver in a sea of confusion for both freshwater and saltwater aquariums. The new location on Fair view—housed in an old auto garage—has plenty of room for its new and used aquatic gear. The back of the store is where the fish swim— one side for freshwater and the other side holds the saltwater species. It’s a fun place to just go look in case you can’t make a trip to snorkel in a tropical under water paradise to look for starfish, crabs and puffer fish. And this way, you don’t even have to hold your breath.

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Minerva Jayne knows how to handle her balls. Bingo balls, that is.

BEST REASON TO YELL MASTURBATE

A 6-Foot-Tall Blonde Bombshell Named Minerva Jayne

BEST PLACE TO SEE A PUNK

Liquid

405 S. Eighth St., Ste. 110, 208-287-5379, liquidboise.com

150 N. Eighth St., Ste. 226, 208-336-1313, thebalconyclub.com

When Liquid took over the long-empty space in Tuesday nights at the Balcony, a devoted group of gamers gathers for a friendly and the Ninth Street alley, we free game of bingo. It’s quite the scene: Infamous drag queen Minerva Jayne calls the thought, “Another bar. Big numbers while huddles of players gingerly mark their cards and suck on Tootsie Roll pops deal.” Now when someone they won as prizes in prior games. Sometimes, you’ll spot a state senator in the crowd posits the question, where or a gaggle of Minerva fans in homemade “Team Minerva” T-shirts. Sit a few minutes should we go for cocktails, a among the crowd and it’s obvious this ain’t a kids’ game. Minerva, the ever-gracious and slew of local musicians, the hilarious host, is just not content simply calling out numbers. At a traditional bingo hall, occasional touring band, an number calling is like a sacred rite. Minerva’s style is decidedly more irreverent. Nearly open mic comedy night, an every number has its own joke, song or crowd call. Like B-8. “B-8,” she calls. The crowd owner/bartender who knows quickly follows with “master!” And then Minerva: “bate, that’s B-8.” The crowd: “master!” how to sling a drink and Minerva: “bate.” Want to know what happens on O-69? Tuesday. The Balcony. regular Monday night punk/ hard-core gigs hosted by local label 1332 Records? BEST PLACE TO WORK YOUR ABS The answer is much simpler: “Liquid.”

WITHOUT GOING TO THE GYM

Hijinx Comedy Club

800 W. Idaho St., 208-947-7100, hijinxcomedyclub.com When the Funny Bone closed up shop, our heads were filled with grave images of Boise workaday citizens turning into humorless zombies ambling down the streets mumbling, “Where’s the funny? Where’s the funny?” Hijinx Comedy Club opened just in time to prevent a comedy-ggedon. A great view overlooking Eighth Street from the club’s second-story location, super servers and stiff drinks are reason enough to visit, but if you feel like the undead and need a good guffaw to remind you why it’s good to be alive, stay for the comedy. It’s either that or start eating brains. Your call.

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BEST REASON TO HAVE SOME JUNK IN YOUR TRUNK

Pengilly’s Saloon Booths 513 W. Main St., 208-345-6344 Sometimes comfortable seating does not an enchanting evening make. One magic formula for a night that becomes an “Oh my God, you will not believe what I did last night” story is: a double whiskey + live Americana music + dim light from an old-fashioned sconce + a small space that necessitates squeezing close together + the privacy afforded by a hard, dark high-backed wooden booth. It’s more comfortable than it sounds. We should know, we’re regulars.

BEST DELAYED DOCTOR VISIT

Martini Mix-off at Red Feather Lounge 246 N. Eighth St., 208-343-3119, redfeatherlounge.com The speared-ginger drink garnish that came with Red Feather’s martini mix-off entr y, Tolerance Juice, had the same unfortunate flaw as the mini cocktail sword: It combined strong booze with sharp objects. Each sip was a Russian roulette gamble with fate. Would the precariously placed wooden spears jab your eyeball when you took a sip? Or somehow find the safe-place crevice on the side of your nose? It was thrilling. And highly intoxicating.

BEST USE OF YOUR LAUNDRY MONEY

The Lift Holy Oly Night

4091 W. State St., 208-342-3250, theliftboise.com Though The Lift might not top the hip-hop charts, its 50-cent Olympia night is more hard-core than the thuggiest rapper. For $3—not quite enough to cover one measly beer at most bars—you get a full six-pack of icecold Olys chilling in a personal mini bucket. Tack on a $2 fish taco loaded with pineapple salsa and you’ll regret all those times you drank at home alone on a Tuesday night.

BEST REASON TO MIGRATE WEST

The Dutch Goose

3515 W. State St., 208-342-8887, dutchgoose.com After a few squirts of vinegar on our halibut fish and chips, and a few slugs off a cold, dark brew at this State Street haunt, we’re well on our way to lunchtime euphoria. Throw in a few strenuous games of horseshoes and it might be time for a finger steak break.

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BEST BIKINI-CLAD ATTENTION GETTER

Bianca at The Torch

BEST USE OF A TIKI IN A DESIGN THEME

Reef

1826 Main St., 208-344-0218, thetorchlounge.com

105 S. Sixth St., 208-287-9200, reefboise.com

Listen, we’re not tr ying to get anyone’s panties in a bunch on this one, but this girl deser ves some column inches for being good at what she does. First, a disclaimer: We didn’t watch ever y dancer at ever y club in town to declare Bianca the best. Frankly, we didn’t need to. Here’s how it went down. BW teamed up with Fame15 for a night out on the town, whooping it up at a handful (if a handful is more than a dozen) stops on Bar Bar’s ScaBARger Hunt. The original Torch was one of our stops, and being a group of women and two gay men, we were all ver y obviously tr ying to find the right balance between not looking at the dancers and not being obvious about not looking. As we sucked down the last of our drinks and prepared to split, Bianca took the stage looking like a voluptuous Texas beauty queen, and suddenly we were all watching. Even the former Las Vegan among us remarked, “I’ve seen a lot of strippers in my time, but she’s amazing.” She danced, she spun (and spun and spun), she did a winking trick with her backside. We were so impressed that we handed the two men some bills and ordered them to the stage to tip for us.

Time and again, we find ourselves wondering how we can make more use of a car ved tiki head in our interior design. Sometimes, it seems so hard to get the little angr y-looking face to work with our neoclassical living room, or even our Louis XVI bedroom. But look no further than Boise’s own island-themed bar/ restaurant, Reef, for inspiration. It’s brought a little Polynesian flare to the high desert, letting diners relax beneath thatched umbrellas on a rooftop patio while they guzzle brightly colored group drinks from straws. Maybe that’s the secret to tiki decor: a little alcohol makes all styles work together. Now, if only we could can find the right place for our shrunken head collection.

BEST SURPRISE VISIT

Village Pub

9936 W. Fairview Ave. A huge component of a successful career in journalism is research. Sometimes it’s on something as mundane as a politician’s tax return or, when you work for a place like Boise Weekly, sometimes it’s doing something as refreshing as personally checking out ever y establishment in town that sells adult refreshments. A recon mission for the Bar Guide led a couple of BW staffers to the not-oft-visited Village Pub on Fair view. War y of us at first, the bartender soon warmed up, and we found a friendly little joint with a fireplace that reminded us why we love our jobs.

BEST OFFICE MEETING. EVER.

BW Vodka Tasting

“Thisss wun is good.” “I like (hup) thisss one.” “This one tastes like rubbin’ alkuhol.” “Wri tha down ... illed mine. Is it gross if I lick it up (slurp)?” “I declare this one the winner. No, I think it was this one. Oh, damn, I don’ remember which one it was. Line ’em up. I have to try them all again.” “I’d kill for a bleu cheese-stuffed olive right now.” “Do you hear the phone?” “I ca’ drin’ anymore (snore).”

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BEST RURAL BAR CRAWL

Kuna

Kuna’s bar scene gets a gold star, A-plus-plus. Five stops. All within walking distance. All with a completely different feel. Start at 4-E’s, where you’ll find the coldest beer in Ada County and quarter pool all day, ever y day. Make your way down to the Red Eye Saloon, where you might stumble into a Hawaiianthemed party and if not that, then you can at least get your Guinness surged. Get slightly more chichi at Creekside Lounge, where you’ll want to trade the Guinness for a martini. Then put on your hoofin’-it-on-thebar dancing shoes and hit Cowgirls. Save enough time to swing into the Longhorn Lounge for a stiff cocktail and some late-night grub while you wait for your taxi (or your best friend) to drive out from Boise to get your drunk ass home.

BEST BW HQ II

Jumpin’ Janet’s 572 S. Vista Ave., 208-342-7620 Over the years, many quaint downtown locations have been de facto BWHQ. Mosaic was once the Wednesday lunch spot for clam chowder and La Crema chardonnay. Gernika has always been a favorite for sangria and croquettas. But sometimes the business is so stressful, we need a drink-drink, and sometimes the business is so sensitive, we need a drink-drink in a place where no one knows our names. Janet (love her) provides us food, drink and a smoke and tells no one what we’re up to. Shoot, now we’ve gone and spoiled our secret.

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Two-wheeled transport forms a second line of defense at Neurolux.

BEST BREAST BOAST

Gelato Cafe 2053 E. Fairview Ave., Ste. 101, Meridian, 208-8468410

BEST BIKE PILE UP

Neurolux

113 N. 11th St., 208-343-0886, neurolux.com Should some warring tribe lay siege to Neurolux around lastcall o’clock on a weekend night, the building might just have the armor necessary to fend off the attackers. With a fortified wall of fixed-gears, cruisers, mountain bikes and road bikes stacked up around the front perimeter, the swiftest of arrows couldn’t penetrate this aluminum-framed fortress. And even if the battle waged on for days, those trapped inside would have all the sustenance necessary to continue on with life as usual: beer, cigarettes and rock ’n’ roll.

Pour a stiff vodka-andItalian-custard cocktail and pair it with a perky little pizza or a side of sushi, and we’re willing to overlook a joke about our jumblies. During a visit to Gelato in Meridian, a demure damsel and her puzzled parents were regaled with a bomb about blouse bunnies. “Why is a gelato martini like a woman’s breasts? One is not enough and three is too many.” Harrumph. We’d appreciate if you kept our casabas out of the conversation. At least until after we’ve had a gelato-tini or two.

BEST LATE NIGHT CRACK-UP

Leon at the Stinker in Hyde Park 1620 N. 13th St., 208-387-0430 Said Leon to BW one late night: “What do you call 50 lesbians and 50 politicians in a room? A hundred people who don’t do dick.” At the Stinker Station in Hyde Park in Boise’s North End is an employee named Leon who has the unenviable job of dealing with the endless parade of North End color on the night shift. We’ve watched many times as he moves a long line of half-drunk, half-stoned, half-asleep customers out the door and back into the streets from which they crawled. Only the smart ones know to ask him for a joke. Just recently, we asked for a kid-friendly joke. He obliged: “Why did the blonde name her dogs Rolex and Timex? Because someone told her they were watchdogs.”

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BEST PLACE NOT TO BE TOO GRINGO

Limelight

3575 E. Copper Point Way, Meridian, 208-898-9425, limelightboise.com The Limelight in Meridian seems gringo enough by day. Suburban office park. Ballet studio. Meridian. But on Friday nights, this place transforms into the hottest Mexican dance club between Denver and San Francisco, when hundreds of party people show up to dance, drink Coronas and show off their belt buckles and hats. We’re working on our Spanish pickup lines before we go back. Como se dice, “You come here often?”

BEST PLACE FOR THE REAL IRISH TO PARTY

O’Michael’s Pub and Grill

2433 N. Bogus Basin Road, 208-342-8948, omichaelspub.com When the Irish National Special Olympics team volunteers were looking for a place to party, they had to look no farther than the base of Bogus Basin Road. Tucked into a nondescript office plaza, O’Michael’s is Boise’s most special Irish pub—in so many ways. What makes it special? How about the stiff drinks, Thursday night corned beef special, giant fireplace and seriously regular regulars (who prefer to be called “barflies,” wink, wink).

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Dallas skipped sixth period to let it all hang out at Bad Irish.

BEST IMITATION OF A CATHOLIC SCHOOLGIRL BEST SAYING WHAT EVERY BARTENDER IS ACTUALLY THINKING

Parrilla Grill Wall Signs

Bad Irish

199 N. Eighth St., 208-338-8939, badirish.com Over the years, a couple of bars have had the dubious distinction of being top dog in a category related to the duds employees wear. Bad Irish’s micro-mini plaid skirts are an easy target but not the worst we’ve seen. But given the price of the beer and the great patio seating, we don’t care what they wear.

1512 N. 13th St., 208-323-4688 Though you might have been too sauced to notice the last time you were at Parrilla, there are some fairly strict rules. According to the ever-growing number of signs tacked to the wall, Parrilla customers are most definitely not always right. In fact, they can often be annoying, pretentious, drunk and, worst of all, University of Montana fans. One of the best wall truisms— something bartenders across the globe have surely muttered—reads: “Yes, there IS alcohol in it. If you can’t taste it, you’ve drank too much and I should cut you off.” We promise to be on our best behavior, Parrilla bartenders, just pretty please don’t cut us off.

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BEST PLACE TO DRINK AWAY THE BLUES

Chandlers Steakhouse

981 W. Grove St., 208-383-4300, chandlersboise.com You cannot out blues the blue bar. Nope, not “blues” bar, but “blue” bar. Big diff. Although house musicians Kevin Kirk and the various members of Onomatopoeia who play with him deliver up blues among the jazz, Chandlers is not a blues bar. But blue it is. Almost eerily so, like an alien ship landed on the roof of Chandlers and an effervescent blue billows out of the ship’s open bomb bay doors. Really, it’s just simple math: All that blue times your blue equals a positive. With a little help from a martini.

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Plan ahead for a ride home before too many Hopzillas.

BEST “PHUCK IT” IN A GLASS

in your wallet: two. Both fivers. How do you 705 W. Fulton St., 208-342-0944, tablerockbrewpub.com get the most With most beers, you can have one or two or three and booze for your still mow the lawn. Not with Tablerock’s Hopzilla, however. money in the With something like double the alcohol content of other beers short amount of (we’d check, but hey, we just had a Hopzilla) we’re calling it happy-hour time the Phuck It in a Glass because down a glass and you’re not you may or may doing much else for the rest of the evening. Except maybe not have left? downing another. Drumroll please ... Cocktail Compass. That’s right, you whip out your iPhone, you pull BEST IDENTITY CRISIS up your Cocktail Compass app and the app uses GPS navigation to find the bar closest to you with happy 1108 W. Front St. hour still available. Then you get an Though the little hole-in-the-wall dive approximate distance, a description on Front and 11th streets has been of the bar, and details on just how through many incarnations, one thing sweet the happy hour deal is. It’s true: has remained constant: cheap beer. There’s an app for everything. Even As in $1 drafts and $5 pitchers cheap. happy hours in Boise, Idaho. All the time. Though the frequently changing name might cause confusion BEST ANIMALISTIC BEER when you call a cabbie to pick your DESCRIPTION drunk ass up, some hardships can be endured in the name of bargain booze.

Tablerock’s Hopzilla

Pitchers and Pints

BEST TINY TIDBITS AND CHICHI ’TINIS

Pair

601 W. Main St., 208-343-7034, eatdrinkshare.com Even if you’re not the type to match your Maltese with your manicure, you should strap on a pair of pumps, suck up your pride and indulge in one of Pair’s ridiculously delicious fancy martinis and tiny tapas. Options like the Glamaretto (amaretto, fresh sour, champagne and a cherry) or Jen’s Snickerdoodle (Stoli Vanil, Goldschlager, half-and-half and freshly ground cinnamon) won’t put hair on your chest, but they will get you dangerliciously tipsy.

BEST YOU’RE GONNA LOVE US FOR THIS

Cocktail Compass

It’s 5:23 p.m., you’ve had a hellacious day at work and you need a cocktail. Stat. You count the bills

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“Nice Belgian Barnyard Funk on the Nose”

We love our beer-guzzling guru David Kirkpatrick. But the dude sure comes up with some wacky ways to say, “Drink this. It’s good.” While we’d usually keep from ingesting anything that provokes comparisons to musty barnyard animals, we can never refuse Kirkpatrick’s drunken double dares. Thank you, sir, may we have another?

BEST ALCOHOLIC DRINKS FOR PEOPLE WHO DON’T LIKE ALCOHOL

Berryhill and Co. 121 N. Ninth St., Ste. 102, 208387-3553, berryhillandco.com Love to get your drink on but can’t stand the burn of the booze? No worries. Any of the fruity, yet tempting concoctions at Berryhill will get the job done and leave a sweet taste in your mouth. Now, time for a shot.

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Just try to tear yourself away from the pastry case at Pamela’s. Go ahead, we dare you.

BEST PAVLOVIAN E-MAIL

Pamela’s Bakery, Cafe, Espresso 360 S. Eagle Road, Eagle, 208-938-6585, pamelasbakery.com Each week, the crew at Pamela’s in Eagle puts us through torture. On the surface, it looks like simple marketing, but they must not know the effect their weekly e-mail has on us. As soon as it pops into our in-boxes, the drooling starts. We don’t even know what the weekly lunch special is yet, but already we’re picturing beautiful plates full of spectacular, made-fromscratch food. Then, we open said e-mail, even though we should know better by now. Inside, described in painful detail, is a list of delectable sandwiches, salads and, of course, dessert. By this point, we’re nearly weeping, trapped in our downtown Boise office, plotting the next time we can make it out to Eagle, where we will no doubt deposit even more drool on the pastry case full of the most beautiful cakes, cookies and assorted goodies imaginable. There may have to be an addendum to the Geneva Convention to include Pamela’s weekly e-mails.

BEST PLACE TO GET YOUR DOG ON

Stan’s Char-Broiled Hot Dogs 818 S. Vista Ave., 208-342-1199 Stan’s know how fix up a foot-long. The Sahlen’s Smokehouse hot dogs are impor ted from the East Coast weekly and a comfor t-food meal can be topped off by a delicious dollop of frozen vanilla or chocolate custard. Stan’s is one of those have-it-your-way kind of joints. Order your meat. Watch it cook. Choose your own adventure when it comes to toppings. Go traditional with onions, relish, mustard and ketchup or walk on the wild side with pickles, jalapenos and gooey cheese sauce. Owner Stan Linkowski also offers a secret Bronco sauce, which took years to per fect. But if the man is a dedicated-enough fan to name his concoction after the Broncos, we’d recommend leaving your Ducks hat at home if you want a squir t of Linkowski’s special sauce.

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BEST SIDE OF TWIGS

Willowcreek Grill

2273 S. Vista Ave., Ste. 150, 208-343-5544; 1065 E. Winding Creek Dr., Eagle, 208-938-3010, willowcreekgrill.com

Willowcreek Grill lovingly refers to its fries as twigs. But not because they taste like bark or even resemble branches. Maybe it has something to do with the decor, which makes use of the aforementioned twigs like welcoming arms beckoning to customers. Diners have the choice of regular twigs, sweet potato twigs or a mix of yellow and orange crispy fried twigs. And Willowcreek is so accommodating, we bet they’d even ser ve fresh sushi from the adjacent RAW with a side of twigs. Can you say sur f and tur f?

BEST REASON TO DRIVE TO NAMPA

Brick 29 Bistro

320 11th Ave. S., Ste. 100, Nampa, 208-468-0029, brick29.com OK, maybe there are a few other reasons to drive to Nampa, but none this savory or locally sourced. With menu options like local lamb shanks with smoked mushroom risotto, and shrimp cakes with vanilla butter, we’re all about making the trek out to this old brick Masonic temple. That is, when we can find parking. Damn Boise foodies clogging the parking lot with their Subarus.

BEST MAC SALAD YOUR AUNTIE DIDN’T MAKE

Ono Hawaiian Cafe

2170 S. Broadway Ave., 208-429-6800, onocafe.net And best spam musubi, and best coconut rice, and best plate lunch and best place for an addict to get an IV of Hawaiian Sun juice. But back to that mac salad. It’s Hawaiian style, just like auntie used to make.

BEST PLACE TO FEEL LIKE YOU’RE PART OF THE FAMILY

Epi’s Basque Restaurant 1115 N. Main St., Meridian, 208-884-0142 Some places say they treat you like family, but at this Meridian institution, they really and truly do. From the warm greeting at the front door of the small, remodeled house on Main Street through the hearty meal accented by laughter in a room that feels distinctly like a living room, you’ll never feel more comfortable in a fine restaurant. And just like Mom’s house, you won’t leave without a pile of leftovers—but in this case, you’ll be hoarding them like precious Basque jewels. You may feel tempted to pop the top button on your pants, but remember, while you may be that comfortable, you’re still in public.

BEST SEARED SEA SCALLOP WITH SPICY CILANTRO PESTO LOUNGING ON A BED OF SWEET POTATO PUREE

Cafe Vicino

808 W. Fort St., 208-472-1463, cafevicino.com If you’re not en route to Cafe Vicino right now, we’ve lost all respect for your taste buds. We might even scrawl dirty rumors about them in the girls’ bathroom.

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Need a coconut milk fix? Try the Tom Kha Gai at Chiang Mai Thai.

BEST TOM KHA GAI

Chiang Mai Thai 4898 W. Emerald St., 208-342-4051, chiangmaithairestaurant.com The combination of coconut milk, lemongrass, galangal root, fish sauce, kaffir lime leaves, green onions and cilantro sounds like a noxious elixir that would burn a hole through your lower intestine. But Chiang Mai Thai’s version of this pungent stew somehow strikes a delicate balance between all of these overpowering flavors. It’s less like a punch in the gut and more like a hug from your cashmere sweater-clad grandma.

BEST SAFARI

Angell’s Bar and Grill 999 W. Main St., 208-342-4900, angellsbarandgrill.com You might not have the cash to go on a real African safari, but with the reopening of Angell’s, you can get the essence of it without the nasty malaria. After a top-to-bottom remodel, the restaurant boasts a metropolitan African theme (if there is such a thing), and could get a nod for inventive use of animal prints. In some ways, Angell’s might be better than the real thing. We doubt you could get such great martinis while bushwacking.

BEST THE MORE THINGS CHANGE THE MORE THEY STAY THE SAME

Sono Bana

303 N. Orchard St., 208-323-8822, sonobanasushi.com For years, Tsuru Japanese restaurant on Orchard was the only place in town to get seaweed salad and sushi. Even after the sushi craze hit and a billion sushi restaurants joined the ranks, Tsuru quietly stayed the course. After a name change to Sono Bana, we worried that other changes would follow. Our fears were for naught. Sono Bana still offers some of the best agedashi tofu in town, and the ladies bathroom is still a crazy Pepto-Bismol pink. Phew.

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Empanadas

BEST PLACE TO EAT NAMED AFTER A DANCE EVEN IF YOU HAVE TWO LEFT FEET

Tango’s Subs and

701 N. Orchard St., 208-322-3090, tangos-empanadas.com Back in the day, we had something at Boise Weekly we called the “BW 20.” With all the partying we did, everybody who started working here put on somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 pounds. We’ve matured and aren’t quite the party people we used to be, but we now have another vice: empanadas. A mere, “I’m going to Tango’s” induces a flurry of activity. Orders are scribbled on Post-It notes, and $1 bills flutter in and out of hands amid shouts of, “You get the Gaucho, I’ll get the Rancho Grande and we’ll split a Picosa!” We’ll still have a beer on occasion, but now we like to wash it down with a Del Mar.

BEST PLACE TO FIND FREAKY FABULOUS FOOD IN A CAN

The Basque Market

608 W. Grove St., 208-433-1208, thebasquemarket.com Yes, The Basque Market carries a delicious selection of wines. Yes, they make a potato salad and mushroom bisque to die for. Yes, they carry frozen croquettas you can cook at home. And, yes, they offer classes on how to make incredible Basque specialties at home. But sometimes, you’re in the mood for something, um, well, odd. Canned snails? They have ’em. Canned octopus or squid? Check. Canned salmon-stuffed olives? Check, oh, delicious check.

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JOS HU A R OPER

The counter from Moon’s Bannock Street location survived the move.

BEST MUSICAL CHAIRS: THE RESTAURANT VERSION BEST LAVA BOWLS

El Gallo Giro 482 Main St., Kuna, 208922-5169, elgallogiro kuna.com

Moon’s Kitchen Cafe from Bannock to Idaho, Falcon Tavern from Idaho to Bannock Moon’s: 712 W. Idaho, 208-385-0472, moonskitchen. com. Falcon Tavern: 705 W. Bannock St., 208-947-3111, falcontavern.com When the owners at Moon’s announced they were moving the more than 50-year-old restaurant out of its Bannock Street location, a sigh of nostalgia swept the city. Then we were reassured that, indeed, the soda fountain counter would also be relocated, and another sighed followed—one of relief. Turns out nobody cares where Moon’s is as long as the counter is intact. The move has been, in our opinion, the best thing that could have happened to the restaurant. These days, it’s a constant wait to get a table, and although the former location had some “charm,” the new digs are an extreme makeover done well. Falcon Tavern, on other hand, shuffled a block north to Bannock Street for a little more elbow room. With a giant patio, rather than the sliver it once had on Idaho Street, the pub has been one of the busiest summertime hot spots downtown. What is it they say? Location, location, location? Must be something to that.

We love any food item that arrives at the table so steaming hot that only a fool would disregard the steam and sizzle to dive right in. El Gallo Giro in Kuna is best known for the large volcanic bowls that are the perfect vessels to serve hot food to hungry patrons. The stone bowls called molcajetes were used by the Aztecs to grind condiments, make sauces and

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keep food warm for a long time. By the time you figure out the perfect plan of attack on your plate, the contents remain at the perfect temperature.

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The hearty scones at Merritt’s go with breakfast, lunch and dinner.

BEST REASON TO BE CHEAP

Pollo Rey

BEST BREAKFAST, LUNCH AND DINNER SIDE WE’D LIKE TO PUT IN A PILLOWCASE

Merritt’s Country Cafe Scones 6630 W. State St., 208-853-6165

For breakfast, you can slather the scones at Merritt’s with butter and honey. At lunch, you can fill them with seasoned meat and cheese. At dinner, you can use them to wipe up every last droplet of gravy on your huge plate. Thank jebus they are so soft and pillowy because if you eat all of the food set before you at Merritt’s, you’re going to need to lie down.

222 N. Eighth St., 208-3450323; 7709 W. Overland Road, Ste. 120, 208375-4642, polloreyboise.com

The king of cheap but quality TexMex food in Boise is Pollo Rey. The restaurant known for the rotisserie oven that roasts full chickens over hot flames wears the cheap crown with panache, if not cocked slightly to the side in a coy hint at the variety of affordable options a hungry customer can order. From the fully stocked salsa bar to the gussied-up baked potatoes with bacon bits, cheese and sour cream, it’s all made fresh. A famished regular can order a simple quesadilla, or the plain bean and cheese burrito— the El Cheapo—comes in chico (small) or regular, which takes both hands to tackle the girth. Or venture into fish tacos without spending a fortune. Dining out at Pollo Rey is so affordable, BW staffers have been known to hit it up almost as often as the paper comes out.

BEST WE STILL CAN’T GET OVER THE NAME

Pizzalchik

7330 W. State St., 208-853-7757, pizzalchik.com For years, we’ve poked fun at Pizzalchik’s name. We only get away with it because the food is so incredibly good. The Pizz (pizza), the al (salad) and the chik (chicken) are so damned mouthwatering that even when gas hovered around $4 per gallon, we made the trek as elk, wild mushrooms and kalamata olives beckoned. And those are just the options for the ’za. See? We can get into the spirit of the name game, too.

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BEST TACO LEGISLATION

Chilango’s

Corner of State and Sixth streets Not only is it the taco truck of choice for select Boise politicians, but the Chilango’s behind the Capitol is damned good. Have we mentioned the chile relleno burrito before? It is indeed a stuffed pepper, in turn stuffed into a burrito. This truck also happens to be a key source for information on the Treasure Valley’s underground Latin music scene, as veteran DJ Jesus “Chuy” Hurtado runs the till.

BEST NEW JOINT THAT WE THINK OPENED JUST TO MAKE BW HAPPY

Willi B’s Sandwich Saloon 225 N. Fifth St., 208-331-5666

We are convinced that Willi B’s was opened specifically to ser ve BW employees. And we think we have proof. 1) It has daily specials, which include a sandwich, side and a drink for $4.50. 2) Other choices cost a little more. Like 45 cents or $1 more. 3) They are on the BW card, which helps us stretch our dining dollars. 4) Ser vice is solid. Nice, attentive and fast. Solid. 5) Willi B’s ser ves booze. Beer, wine and booze. And a bacon bloody mar y (insert Homer Simpson drool sound here). 6) The name. The name is what really sold us on the fact that they had us in mind when they opened: Willi B’s, Boise Weekly. WB, BW. See? See?

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208 385-9300 1021 BROADWAY AVE BOISE, ID NEWTANDHAROLDS.com

ARE YOU READY ? The 2010 product is.

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The crew at Campos Market, like Gerardo, will keep you grilling all year.

BEST PLACE TO MARINATE

after a few months, its cover was 413 N. Orchard St., 208-658-0644 blown—ERS was the place Barbecuers are like postal workers: neither rain nor sleet for bonenor dark of night will keep them from their appointed grill time. gnawing, If you’re a diehard ’cuer and need an easy, cheap, delicious finger-suckingway to feed your friends crazy enough to join you regardless of good barbecue the heat or cold of the season, stop by Campos and pick up a food. ERS package of ranchera preparada, their specially marinated skirt became so steak. Whether you cook it with coals or prepare it with propane popular, it and propane accessories, those lucky enough to share it with changed its you will be more than willing to brave any kind of weather to disguise, break meat with you again. becoming Andrew’s Rib Shack in BEST BONES TO GO Meridian. The disguise was too good, though, and its change of address was short-lived. These days, the rib shack 208-938-0008, lurks and cooks, catering to a select andrewsribshack.com few who seek it out. We know where to It sounded like the ugly aftermath find you, rib shack, and now all of our of a housewife gone mad in the readers do, too. kitchen: burnt ends and smashed potatoes. Nothing savor y or sweet was conjured in the imaginations of hungr y BEST DR. SEUSS BREAKFAST barbecue seekers by the combination of the words burnt and smashed, and 246 N. Eighth St., 208-343-3119, that was their brilliance: They were justeatlocal.com decoys. It was the smell of the joint as soon as you walked into Eagle Rib Oatmeal souffle and grapefruit Shack that gave away the secret, and creme brulee.

Campos Market

Rib Shack Catering

Red Feather Lounge

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MONDAY

Kids under 12 eat free from Kids’ Menu! (Limited to a family of 5. Two Entrees must be purchased.) 4:00 p.m.-close

TUESDAY

Buy 1 half lb. chicken, pork or beef fajita, get 1 free! 4:00 p.m.-close

WEDNESDAY

&( ( # % # ( & % % # # ) # ! !

Buy any Margarita, get 1 free! 4:00 p.m.-close

Cantina Only

THURSDAY

Buy any 1, 2 or 3 item combination dinner & get a 2nd one, of equal or lesser value, free! 4:00 p.m.-close

&( ( # % # #

! $

SUNDAY

Buy any entrĂŠe & get a 2nd one, of equal or lesser value, free! 4:00 p.m.-close

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Cantina Only

$ ' "& # * % %# % # %! BOISEweekly

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BEST BOISE POTATOES

Boise Fry Company 111 Broadway Ave., Ste. 111, 208495-3858, boisefrycompany.com Though potatoes and peanuts may not be neighbors in tastetown, they have more in common that you might think. For instance, both grow underground. Both are major staples in the world food system. And, uh, both start with a “p.” Boise Fry Company decided to pair peanuts and potatoes together, and they’ve formed a tasty friendship. All of Boise Fry Co.’s spuds—purple, white, sweet, gold, yam—are fried in peanut oil, which is full of heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Want a bison burger or vegan burger to go with your peanut oil fries? You’ll have to order it on the side.

BEST PLACE TO GET YOUR CHINTZ ON

Miss Tami’s Cottage Expressions and Tea Room 1031 N. Main St., Meridian, 208-888-1770, misstamis.com Can there ever really be too much floral? Hell, no! At least at Tami’s Tea Cottage in Meridian. If you’re going to specialize in high teas and luncheon, own your image! Go ahead, throw four different floral patterns on the walls, chairs and tablecloths, then add stripes on the curtains and lace everywhere in between. Modern decor be damned. Make customers wind their way between delicate floral tea sets, floral greeting cards and assorted curios—they’ll thank you for it. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to serve one kickin’ menu and nearly 100 different types of loose teas. Once everyone gets enough sugar and caffeine in them, they won’t even notice the flowers anymore.

BEST FREE-FOR-ALL

Blue Cow Frozen Yogurt 2333 S. Apple St., 208-338-1000, bluecowfrozenyogurt.com By the power of Blue Cow, we have the power! You might not ride in on a bright-green tiger, but you definitely feel empowered as you create your own concoction. You choose the size, pile on your own toppings, and if you’re feeling daring—gasp—mix and match flavors.

BEST PHOKING PHO IN DOWNTOWN

Pho Nouveau

780 W. Idaho St., 208-367-1111 The phoking jokes are endless: a giant phoking bowl of phoking hot pho.

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BEST PLACE TO GET SOME TONGUE ON TONGUE ACTION

Bar Gernika

202 S. Capitol Blvd., 208-3442175, bargernika.com It’s no secret around B-town that if your tongue likes the taste of tongue then Saturday at Bar Gernika is the place to be. Now the whole tonguelovin’ world knows about it, thanks to the Food Network’s Guy Fieri. When he trekked through Boise on a food frenzy at local restaurants, Fieri was obviously put off by the weekly tongue fest at Bar G. (Face it, Fieri, who’s used to the tamer cuisine of the good ole U.S. of A. is no Anthony Bourdain when it comes to organ meats.) Fieri conceded that the tongue was delicious, but what he really wanted was a spicy lamb grinder. Served sliced and fried in a “tongue marinara,” the dish is a tradition at Gernika. If you ask us, it’s the best place in town to get your tongue on.

BEST PLACE TO MAKE FRIENDS

Tepanyaki Japanese Steak House

2197 N. Garden St., 208-343-3515 Nothing like a flying hot shrimp to the eye to break the ice. Not everyone loves dining at the same table as complete strangers, which is entirely requisite for the tepanyaki experience. Once you’ve introduced yourself to your tablemates/fellow audience members, sit back and enjoy the show. Skilled chefs roll out carts of meat and sharp knives and slice, dice, grill (and then sometimes throw) your food on a hot grill right in front of you. Party tricks like the flaming tower of onions and juggling with knives distract the crowd from the fact that your meat chunks are mingling with your neighbor’s chicken chunks on the grill. Attack of the flying shrimp is no doubt the most popular trick. Trust the chef/shrimp tosser, open wide and close an eye (just in case).

BEST BA-DA-BING

Eli’s Deli

219 N. 10th St., 208-473-7161; 122 12th Ave. S., Nampa, 208-466-8880, elisitalian.com Say “ba-da-bing” in the same sentence as “deli” and your friends might think they’re in an episode of The Sopranos. But don’t worr y, this is still Boise, kids, and in an Idaho deli, they’re actually nice to you. Especially nice at Eli’s. The family owned Nampa deli recently opened a Boise location, and although we’re partial to the meatball sandwiches, we were persuaded recently to tr y the ba-da-bing on the owners’ suggestion. Yeah … you’re going to want to order two. One for now and one for later. Throw in a cannoli for dessert and ba-da-bing is damn right.

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LAU R IE PEAR M AN

Thick, warm and homemade, Imelda’s tortillas are worth the drive.

BEST REASON TO GAS UP THE CAR

A Trip to Imelda’s in Caldwell 2414 Cleveland Blvd., Caldwell, 208-454-8757 Homemade tortillas. ’Nuff said.

BEST INTERNATIONAL CELEBRITY CHEF

Dilli Ram Gautam at Dream Cafe Local refugee chef Dilli Ram Gautam brought the flavors of Bhutan to Bown Crossing for Dream Cafe’s weekly Wednesday night dinners and also whipped up fusion plates inspired by other refugee cultures. Though, sadly, Dream Cafe has recently shut down shop, the push to employ refugees in the food ser vice industr y has caught on at other eateries around town. Ex-Dream Cafe Iraqi refugee employees Masar and Sarmad Jasim are now working downtown at Boise Fr y Company and Pollo Rey.

BEST SLOPPY BOWL OF SMOKED POLENTA

Highlands Hollow Brewhouse 2455 Harrison Hollow Lane, 208343-6820, highlandshollow.com This big-boned dish might as well have gotten the award for Best Nap. Ever y time we airplane heaping bites of smoky, grilled polenta, black beans, cheese, guacamole and sour cream into our mouths, it’s a ticking clock ’til naptime. While polenta on its own might be considered a moderately healthy option, top it with all the fixins, and it becomes a sneaky calorie bomb. Add a hoppy brew into this equation, and there’s a high probability we’ll be passing out at the table. Fairly standard weekend behavior.

WWW.BOISEWEEKLY.COM

LE MEILLEUR ENDROIT POUR OBTENIR UN PLAT D’ESCARGOTS

Le Coq Rouge

1320 S. Maple Grove Road, 208-376-9463 A visit to Le Coq Rouge by two BW staffers netted one shared result: well-prepared escargots are a delicacy and not just something to avoid when walking damp park paths in Oregon or Washington forests. Both diners are intrepid foodies, so it wasn’t surprising they would order the little gastropods—it is a rare find in these parts. But escargot is one of those dishes that can go so horribly wrong, one in which even a single grain of gritty sand can ruin the entire experience. Le Coq Rouge owner/chef Franck Bacquet knows how to do it right—with butter, garlic and fennel. Even the timid might be tempted to tr y a plate of Helix pomatia.

BEST PLACE TO TAKE AN UNSUSPECTING INTERVIEWEE

Quinn’s Restaurant and Lounge

1005 S. Vista Ave., 208-342-9568 We often inter view our sources in downtown coffee shops, but sometimes we want a little more—or a little less. A visit to Quinn’s on the Bench affords us privacy not often found in our favorite coffee joints (we always run into somebody we know) but also a place where we can order an omelet, a sandwich or a big ol’ plate of tater tots. You wouldn’t believe how a side of the deep-fried little gems covered in ketchup can put a person at ease and encourage some really juicy tidbits.

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Juntura supports Zac Gilstrap.

A

LITTLE SOMETHING J U S T F O R N O W. Boise Rock School kids love Jack White.

USES FOR IDAHO POTATOES (BESIDES EATING)

25 FRIDAY 26 SATURDAY PLANETARY COMMOTION

1. stain remover 2. to remove broken light bulbs 3. acne fighter 4. infection remover 5. as decorative stamps 6. to balance flower arrangements 7. odor absorber —Source: idahopotato.com

Furry hats, plaid kilts and bagpipes on parade at the Scottish Highland Games.

It’s all about collaboration at Boise Philharmonic this season. In addition to inviting members of Boise Master Chorale and the Boise State Chorus and Orchestra to perform at its season premiere, the phil has also invited renowned cello soloist Zuill Bailey to be a guest artist. After the orchestra performs Johannes Brahms’ Academic Festival Overture, Bailey will kick off Sir Edward William Elgar’s anguished Cello Concerto on his 1693 Matteo cello with a bittersweet solo. Finishing off the show, the philharmonic will do a performance of Gustav Holst’s The Planets. Based on astrology rather than astronomy, The Planets (which was written before Pluto had been discovered and recently demoted) is divided into seven movements: “Venus,” “Mars,” “Mercury,” “Jupiter,” “Saturn,” “Uranus” and “Neptune.” At the end of the final movement, the chorus will elicit “wordless, disembodied utterances before fading into inky silence.” Friday, Sept. 25, 8 p.m., $17-$36, Swayne Auditorium, Northwest Nazarene University, 707 Fern St., Nampa; and Saturday, Sept. 26, 8 p.m., $21-$65, Morrison Center, 2201 Cesar Chavez Lane, Boise, boisephilharmonic.org.

26 SATURDAY WEAK AT THE BONNIE KNEES Treasure Valley Scots are getting their plaid pressed and their pipes tuned for the upcoming Scottish Highlands Games. Event organizers promise cutthroat piping and athletic competitions, as well as a bonnie knees showdown in which judges rate the exposed knees and calves of dudes with their kilts raised. Yup, that’s for real. Other fun-filled Scottacular goings-on include a dog show, clan tents, tea tents and lots o’ vendors. Accordion-filled jams will be provided by Swagger, Ocean’s Apart, fiddler Christa Walker, the City of Trees Pipe Band and others. If you’ve got a bagpipe and plan on waltzing into the piping competition, you’d be wise to check out the rules on the Scottish American Society of the Treasure Valley’s Web site first. Not only must “appropriate highland dress” be worn during the competition, but also competitors “shall perform their event without the aid of printed music.” Somebody’s got their kilt in a twist. 9 a.m.-5 p.m., $10 adults, $5 kids and seniors, Expo Idaho, 5610 Glenwood St., Garden City. Get tickets at the door or at Wee Bit O’Scotland, 4501 W. Emerald, 208-331-5675, idahoscots.org.

ZAC GILSTRAP BENEFIT

GET

24 THURSDAY IT MIGHT GET LOUD

LI S T E D

WANT IN 8 DAYS OUT? Include: Time, price, location/venue, address, phone number and any other pertinent info. Incomplete entries are a no-no. All listings are on a space available basis. E-mail (preferred): calendar@boiseweekly.com Mail: 523 Broad St., Boise, ID 83702 FAX: 208-342-4733 Your listing must be in our office by noon the Thursday before publication. Questions? Call our Calendar Guru at 208-344-2055 or e-mail calendar@ boiseweekly.com.

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The tykes from Boise Rock School will host a premiere of the new rockumentary It Might Get Loud, featuring the White Stripes’ Jack White, U2’s The Edge and Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page. And, according to Boise Rock School co-founder Ryan Peck, this isn’t just any old movie premiere. “Everyone’s excited about Jack White. Since we’ve started the Rock School, it’s blown my mind how many kids like the White Stripes,” said Peck. “They just love them.” Alongside local musician Ned Evett, a handful of members from Boise Rock School will give a short presentation after the film. “We’re trying to raise money that exclusively goes towards instruments that we can loan out to kids that are on scholarship,” Peck said. “We want to have a bank of instruments where we can say, ‘Here, do you want to play bass? You want to play guitar? What do you want to do?’” Though the movie doesn’t start until 7 p.m., but Peck encourages folks to head out early, grab a cold beverage from the bar and stick around to win some prizes in the raffle. 7 p.m., $12, The Flicks, 646 Fulton St., 208-343-4222, boiserockschool.com.

Local punk and ska guitarist Zac Gilstrap, who played with The PirkQlaters and The Ackbars, is in need of some serious cash to defray mounting medical costs after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Currently undergoing chemotherapy at the University of Utah, Gilstrap’s friends in the local music community have organized a benefit concert to help their pal out. The following bands are busting out their gear to raise money for a friend in serious need: Hummingbird of Death, Ohadi, Strings and Chemicals, The Old One Two, Juntura, Radillac, Demoni, Manville, Fury of the Cyclops, A New Agenda, Trigger Itch, Marshall Zeis (acoustic) and Sleeping Sickness (acoustic). And, as if that weren’t rad enough, the tassel on the proverbial boob will come in the form of some hip-swinging burlesque performances and a raffle for bar tab certificates. For more information, e-mail benefitforzacgilstrap@gmail.com. 6 p.m., $5, Grizzly Rose, 1124 W. Front St., 208-342-3375.

FIESTA FOREVER Boise dancers are casting aside their unitards and throwing on their ruffled dresses and high heels for Fiesta Tropical. The event promises spicy dance performances from Idaho Dance Theater, DROP Dance Collective, Balance Dance Company, the Treasure Valley Institute for Children’s Arts and the Trey McIntyre Project starting at 7 p.m. Hot on the heels of the dance show, beginner Latin dance lessons in salsa, merengue and bachata start at 8 p.m. In true Latin style, the party continues on until the wee hours with DJ Giovanni on the tables and plenty of space to dip and twirl on the dance floor among members of the dance troupes that performed earlier. 6 p.m.-midnight, $10 adults, $5 kids, Knitting Factory, 416 S. Ninth St., 208-367-1212, bo.knittingfactory.com.

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| SEPTEMBER 23–29, 2009 | 55


8 DAYS OUT WORKSHOPS & CLASSES

23 24

wednesday thursday FESTIVALS & EVENTS FESTIVALS & EVENTS

OVER 40S DANCE—The dances feature a different country music band each week. 7:30 p.m., $5 members, $6 nonmembers. Eagles Lodge Boise, 7025 Overland Road, Boise, 208-376-0115.

ON STAGE A TUNA CHRISTMAS—The Fool Squad—Joe and Tom—take on the roles of more than 20 different characters for this play set in a small Texas town called Tuna. With only 24 hours to go before Christmas, the townspeople attempt to deal with all the seasonal traumas that come along with the holidays. 7:30 p.m., $23-$30, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, 5657 Warm Springs Ave., Boise, 208-429-9908, box office 208-336-9221, www. idahoshakespeare.org.

GREEN BUGS FARM STAND— Pick up some produce grown by the children of Boise Urban Garden School. 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 4-6 p.m., BUGS Garden, 4821 W. Franklin Road, Boise, 208-424-6665, www. boiseurbangardenschool.org.

ODDS & ENDS 9TH STREET TOASTMASTERS—Visitors and guests are welcome to attend the 9th Street Toastmasters meeting. Noon, every Wednesday. FREE, 208-388-6484, www.9thstreettm.org. BOISE UKULELE GROUP—6:30 p.m., FREE, www.boiseukulelegroup.com. Idaho Pizza Company, 3053 S. Cole Road, Boise, 208-362-7702. VINYL PRESERVATION SOCIETY OF IDAHO— Monthly meetings include guest speakers and DJs, opportunities to buy, sell and trade vinyl and, of course, a chance to share the group’s favorite albums. Keep it spinning. 7-10 p.m., FREE, www.vpsidaho.org. Modern Hotel and Bar, 1314 W. Grove St., Boise, 208-424-8244.

THURSDAY FARMERS MARKET—Stock up on locally produced fruits and vegetables, flowers and plants. 4-8 p.m., Capital City Public Market, Eighth Street between Main and Bannock streets, Boise, 208-345-9287, www.capitalcitypublicmarket. com.

ON STAGE A TUNA CHRISTMAS—See Wednesday. 7:30 p.m., $23-$30, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, 5657 Warm Springs Ave., Boise, 208-429-9908, box office 208-336-9221, www.idahoshakespeare.org.

FOOD & DRINK BOISE GREEN DRINKS—Eat, drink and be eco-friendly during a social gathering for anyone interested in environmental issues. Last Thursday of every month, 5:30 p.m., FREE. Bittercreek Ale House, 246 N. Eighth St., Boise, 208-3451813, www.bittercreekalehouse.com. CIDER HOUSE DINNER EVENT—Call to make a reservation for an all-inclusive dinner experience served Basque style, with family-size plates passed around the table. Enjoy a traditional cider house dinner with caramelized onion tortilla, cod with fried onions, giant steaks, cheese, membrillo and walnuts, and wash it all down with cider and wine. 6 p.m. $40 per person. The Basque Market, 608 W. Grove St., Boise, 208-433-1208, www. thebasquemarket.com.

SCREEN BOISE ROCK SCHOOL SPECIAL SCREENING— The film fundraiser is to purchase tools of the trade for those little rockers who can’t afford to get their hands on instruments otherwise. Get tickets in advance at The Flicks box office or Old Boise Guitar. See Picks on Page 54. 7 p.m., $12, 208-830-2829, www.boiserockschool.com. The Flicks, 646 Fulton St., Boise.

ARGENTINE TANGO PRACTICA—Join the Boise Tango Society for a free introduction to tango lesson from 7:30-8 p.m. followed by dance practice. Beginners are welcome; no partner is necessary. 8-10 p.m., $5 admission or $3 students/seniors, www. boisetango.com. Boise Cafe/ Cafe Bellisima, 219 N. 10th St., Boise, 208-343-3397.

ART ART BREAK—Take a quick halfhour tour of the museum’s current exhibit and feed your soul with a different kind of lunch break. Take a guided tour of “Corrugated: Sculptures by Ann Weber.” 12:15 p.m., FREE with admission. Boise Art Museum, 670 Julia Davis Dr., Boise, 208-345-8330, www. boiseartmuseum.org.

RELIGIOUS/ SPIRITUAL IDAHO KABBALAH STUDY GROUP MEETING—Meet with the group to see how Kabbalah can transform lives and the world by offering true fulfillment. Open to all. 7:30 p.m., 208-870-6580, www. kabbalah.com. Hotel 43, 981 Grove St., Boise.

25 friday

FESTIVALS & EVENTS MAYOR’S AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN ARTS AND HISTORY—Boise city Mayor David Bieter honors individuals and business who have demonstrated distinguished service, creative accomplishment, a record of publication and presentation or research that enhances the artistic, historic, cultural life of Boise. The event features booths set up by the Department of Art and History and others, appetizer and dessert buffets, an awards presentation, videos and a silent auction. Local musicians the Jeremiah James Gang, Ken Harris, Carmel Crock, Richard Soliz, SFM-Steve Fulton Music perform. Tickets are available at www.brownpapertickets. com. 5:30-11 p.m., $35, Powerhouse Event Center, 621 S. 17th St., Boise, 208-4330197, www.powerhouseevent. com. PUCCINI MARTINI BLAST—The Opera Idaho event is more than a fancy cocktail party with conversation. The Puccini Martini Blast features the voices of Opera Idaho paired with award-winning martinis, elegant appetizers and stunning bits and pieces of opera. 6:30 p.m., $49, 208-345-3531, www.operaidaho.org. Arid Club, 1137 W. River St., Boise. SECOND ANNUAL OKTOBERFEST—The Edelweiss Club (Treasure Valley German Club) presents the second annual Oktoberfest with music by authentic German band, Salzburger Echo, plus two stages of entertainment, dancing, food and contests. Bring a beer stein for competitive play and don’t forget to dress up in German clothes for the chance to win a prize for best dressed. 5-10 p.m., $6 adult, $4 youth 12 and younger. Nampa Civic Center, 311 Third St. S., Nampa, 208-468-5555, www. nampaciviccenter.com.

LOOK FOR THE BW PICK ICON THROUGHOUT THE LISTINGS FOR OTHER EVENTS WE THINK ARE WORTHY OF YOUR TIME.

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8 DAYS OUT SIXTH ANNUAL CHANGE YOUR WORLD CELEBRATION—The Idaho Human Rights Education Center hosts the event with food, live and silent auctions, inspirational messages and live music that will have guests dancing late into the night. The Boise-based reggae, hip-hop and rap band, Rizing Rezistance, performs. Raffle items include everything from flowers and dessert delivered to your door for one year, to men’s watches and staycation packages. Learn about the center’s local, statewide and international work in human rights. 7-11 p.m., $50-$100, 208-345-0304, www.idaho-humanrights.org. The Linen Building, 1402 W. Grove St., Boise.

ON STAGE A TUNA CHRISTMAS—See Wednesday. 7:30 p.m., $29$39, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, 5657 Warm Springs Ave., Boise, 208-429-9908, box office 208-336-9221, www. idahoshakespeare.org.

CONCERTS BOISE CHORDSMEN— Join the Boise Chordsmen for an evening full of the rich and ringing chords of barbershop-style singing during their annual concert, Love ’N Harmony: A Tribute to Broadway. The award-winning barbershop quartet will be joined by members of the Boise Valley

EYESPY

REAL DIALOGUE FROM THE NAKED CITY

Chordsmen and a special guest quartet, The Crush, from Orange County, Calif. 7:30 p.m., $15 or $50 for a family pack of 5, 208-369-0868, www. boisechordsmen.com, Caldwell High School, 3401 S. Indiana, Caldwell. THE PLANETS—Boise Philharmonic Orchestra with conductor Robert Franz is joined by cellist Zuill Bailey and the women of the Boise Master Chorale. See Picks on Page 54. 8 p.m., $16-$36, 208-344-7849, www. boisephilharmonic.org. Northwest Nazarene University, 623 Holly St., Nampa.

SCREEN SEVENTH ANNUAL IDAHO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL—Check out the work of local and regional film, video and documentary makers during Idaho’s premier homegrown film festival. Screenings are held all over downtown Boise at the historic Egyptian Theatre, The Flicks and the Edwards Downtown Stadium 9. Throughout the festival, free seminars and workshops help participants hone their crafts. Chat with filmmakers during event-sponsored parties. Sept. 25-28. www.idahofilmfestival. org.

GREEN GARDEN COFFEE HOUR—Friends, neighbors and the green of thumb meet in the Garden Cottage to talk to a gardener and learn what is being planned for the garden. 8:30-9:30 a.m., FREE garden admission. Idaho Botanical Garden, 2355 N. Penitentiary Road, Boise, 208-343-8649, www. idahobotanicalgarden.org.

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26

saturday FESTIVALS & EVENTS 12TH ANNUAL TREASURE VALLEY CELTIC FESTIVAL AND HIGHLAND GAMES—The clans are preparing for the festivities that include athletic competitions, field events and piping contests. See Picks on Page 54. 9 a.m.-5 p.m., $10 adults, $5 seniors (60 and older), $5 ages 5-15, children 5 and younger FREE, www.idahoscots. org. Expo Idaho, 5610 Glenwood St., Garden City, 208-287-5650. 17TH ANNUAL ST. LUKE’S WOMEN’S FITNESS CELEBRATION—The route winds up Capitol Boulevard, by the Boise Depot and through a line of men in tuxedos offering high fives to all the walkers. Everyone ends up at a big old celebration in Ann Morrison Park for the 17th annual celebration of women’s fitness and health. Register to participate and/or volunteer by calling 208-381-2221 or visit celebrateall.org to see 5K details and a full listing of volunteer opportunities. 8 a.m.-noon. CAPITAL CITY PUBLIC MARKET—9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., www.capitalcitypublicmarket.com. Capital City Public Market, Eighth Street between Main and Bannock streets, Boise, 208-345-9287. EAGLE SATURDAY MARKET—8:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Heritage Park, 185 E. State St., Eagle.

FIESTA TROPICALE—The Latin-inspired dance event celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month and the change of seasons. See Picks on Page 54. 6 p.m., $10 (13 and older), $5 (12 and younger). Knitting Factory Concert House, 416 S. Ninth St., Boise, 208-367-1212, www.knittingfactory.com. MERIDIAN FARMERS MARKET—9 a.m.-1 p.m., www. meridianfarmersmarket.com. Ustick Marketplace II, 3630 N. Eagle Road, Meridian. MUSEUM COMES TO LIFE—Important pieces of Idaho's vibrant past are on display during the annual living history celebration. Vendor booths, 40 live demonstrations and historical skills and crafts spill out from the museum and into Julia Davis Park along with reenactments of medieval dance and jousting. Check out the 60-foot-long NASA Exploration Experience Trailer full of interactive displays and information about future space exploration. While you’re there, take a simulated visit to the moon. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., FREE, Idaho State Historical Museum, 610 N. Julia Davis Dr., Boise, 208-334-2120, www idahohistory.net. OKTOBERFEST IN OLD BOISE—A cluster of clubs around Sixth and Main streets are closing down the block for a classic German festival. The establishments including Reef, China Blue, Tom Grainey’s, Pair, Dirty Little Roddy’s and the Front Door Taphouse are hosting an Oktoberfest celebration with five live bands, Oktoberfest brews and German cuisine. Don the lederhosen or dirndl and bring a hearty appetite because food and drink specials continue into the night at after-party celebrations at the host clubs. 2-10 p.m., FREE admission.

THOUSAND SPRINGS FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS—The 17th annual festival sets up in the canyon of the Thousand Springs Preserve. Local artists and vendors sell their wares along with live music and wine tasting. Saturday, Sept. 26, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 27, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 208-432-5527, www.thousandspringsfestival. org. Thousand Springs Preserve, 1205 Thousand Springs Grade, Wendell. WHOLISTIC LIVING EXPO—The festival includes ideas, products and alternative therapies to increase wellness, plus entertainment by belly dancers. Visit with more than 60 exhibitors who are offering holistic remedies, sustainable ideas and solutions for mind, body, spirit and Earth. 10 a.m.-6 p.m., $5 general, $4 seniors, www.wholisticlivingexpo.com. Expo Idaho, 5610 Glenwood St., Garden City, 208-287-5650.

ON STAGE A TUNA CHRISTMAS—See Wednesday. 7:30 p.m., $29$39, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, 5657 Warm Springs Ave., Boise, 208-429-9908, box office 208-336-9221, www. idahoshakespeare.org.

CONCERTS BOISE CHORDSMEN— See Friday. 7:30 p.m., $15 or $50 for a family pack of 5, 208-369-0868, www. boisechordsmen.com, Timberline High School, 701 E. Boise Ave., Boise, 208-8546230. THE PLANETS—See Friday. 8 p.m., $20-$65, 208-344-7849, www. boisephilharmonic.org. Morrison Center for the Performing Arts, 2201 Cesar Chavez Lane, Boise.

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8 DAYS OUT SUN VALLEY MUSIC FESTIVAL—Brazilian music legend Sergio Mendes headlines. The music begins with Treasure Valley favorite, the Paul Tillotson Love Trio, featuring world-class jazz trumpet player Lew Soloff. Soloff is a Grammy Award recipient and a founding member of the band Blood Sweat & Tears. The next act is jazz guitarist Gene Bertoncini, and then the headliner. Tickets are available through the Sun Valley Recreation Center by calling 208-622-2135. 5 p.m., $25, $40, $67, Sun Valley Pavilion, Sun Valley Resort, seats.sunvalley.com.

WORKSHOPS & CLASSES CHICKEN COOP DESIGN BASICS—Sign up for the workshop to learn about the basic components of a coop, informational materials and a coop building demonstration. Model coops will be on display. Registration is suggested to secure a spot, but not required. To register call 360-393-8443 or 208-908-2551. 1-3 p.m., FREE, donations appreciated. BUGS Garden, 4821 W. Franklin Road, Boise, 208-4246665, www.boiseurbangardenschool.org. RAISED BED GARDENING— Idaho Botanical Garden education director Elizabeth Dickey instructs a class on the benefits of a raised bed garden that allow gardeners to regulate soil composition and can make weeds easier to control. Preregistration is required. 10 a.m., $10 Idaho Botanical Garden members; $15 nonmembers, Idaho Botanical Garden, 2355 N. Penitentiary Road, Boise, 208-343-8649, www.idahobotanicalgarden.org.

GREEN BOISE URBAN GARDENING WORKSHOPS—Preservation II is on using solar dehydrators to store up more of the harvest including drying techniques for winter nutrition and great taste. For more information, e-mail Susan Medlin at ssmedlin@peoplepc.com. 9-11:30 a.m., $40; $5 for each additional family member per workshop. BUGS Garden, 4821 W. Franklin Road, Boise, 208-424-6665, www.boiseurbangardenschool.org.

RELIGIOUS/SPIRITUAL

and sampling Idaho wines. Enjoy live music by Matt Hopper and Lowfi. Noon-5 p.m., FREE. Boise Co-op, 888 W. Fort St., Boise, 208-4724500, www.boisecoop.com. OKTOBERFEST—The Plank starts the celebration of Oktoberfest. FREE. The Plank, 650 S. Vista, Boise, 208-336-1790.

ON STAGE A TUNA CHRISTMAS—See Wednesday. 7 p.m., $23-$30, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, 5657 Warm Springs Ave., Boise, 208-429-9908, box office 208-336-9221, www. idahoshakespeare.org.

AUDITIONS A CHRISTMAS STORY—Calling all thespians for a cold reading during the auditions for A Christmas Story. The popular comedy runs Nov. 27Dec. 19. Needed are two men and two women ages 30-55, five boys and two girls ages 8-13. Sept. 2728, 2 p.m. Boise Little Theater, 100 E. Fort St., Boise, 208-342-5104, www.boiselittletheater.org.

CONCERTS PIANIST RUDOLF BUDGINAS—Community Concert presents the Lithuanian-born concert pianist who is known for his interactive concerts that incorporate classical training, original arrangement and the artist’s wide knowledge of music. The repertoire includes “Rhapsody in Blue” along with humorous stories about his childhood and growing up with a family of musicians. Budginas explains musical lines from Liszt’s “Hungarian Rhapsody” to Johnny Cash’s “Walk the Line.” 7:30 p.m., $25 general, $10 student, www. rudolfpiano.com, Boise High School, 1010 Washington St., Boise, 208-854-4270, www.boisecc.org.

CITIZEN IDAHO CAMPAIGN TO END ISRAELI APARTHEID—The group meets every Sunday at Papa Joe’s, 1301 S. Capitol Blvd., Boise, and is continually working to educate and lobby for a just and truthful U.S. policy that works to end apartheid. For more information, e-mail lamalucynasser@yahoo.com. 6 p.m., FREE, idahocampaign.wordpress.com.

RELIGIOUS/SPIRITUAL

HEALING FAIR—Boise Valley’s readers and healers charge $1 a minute for their services. Experience bliss, insight and the talents of a variety of light workers. 11 a.m.-5 p.m., FREE admission. Spirit at Work Books & Beyond, 710 N. Orchard, Boise, 208-388-3884, www.spiritatworkbooks.com.

AZRAEL ONDI-AHMAN—Azrael OndiAhman presents an explanation of physical and metaphysical evolution focusing on a new book called The Song of God in connection to the mortal life theory behind human existence. 5 p.m., FREE, 208-4074590, www.truegnosticchurch.org. Municipal Park, 500 S. Walnut St., Boise.

27

28

FESTIVALS & EVENTS

WORKSHOPS & CLASSES

sunday

BOISE CO-OP HARVEST FESTIVAL— Harvest time means feasting on local food, visiting with local vendors

monday DANCE WITH CAIRO FUSION— Boise’s only progressive fusion

belly dance company is accepting new students monthly. Classes are on Mondays from 6-7:30 p.m. Visit www.cairofusiondance.com or e-mail samirailnaia@hotmail.com for more information. EXPLORING GODDESS—For women who are interested in exploring themselves as the energies of the goddess. RSVP is required. Fourth Monday of every month, 6:30 p.m., $25. Facets of Healing Wellness Emporium, 717 Vista Ave., Boise, 208-429-9999, www.facetsofhealing.com. INTERMEDIATE NIGHT CLUB TWO STEP CLASS—The class explores the difference between smooth and rhythmical night club two step and how to reside in both genres. For more information, contact Jennifer at 208-860-2132 or e-mail Jennifer@lessonsindance.com. 8:30-9:30 p.m., $20 per person for three-week series. Meridian Senior Center, 133 W. Broadway Ave., Meridian.

TALKS & LECTURES RIGHTSIZE YOUR LIFE—The workshop presented by Lori Davies with Perfect Order is about how to get start downsizing or rightsizing your life. Learn to pare down and organize your physical possessions and treasures, paper, your to-do list, activities, etc. 7-8:30 p.m., FREE. Jefferson Street Counseling & Consulting, 1517 W. Jefferson St., Boise, 208-385-0888, www. jeffersonstreetcounseling.com.

29

tuesday FESTIVALS & EVENTS BALLET IDAHO FAMILY SERIES—Ballet Idaho hosts a one-hour interactive introduction to the upcoming show meant to build an appreciation of dance and heighten the understanding of future ballet fans. The audience gets inside information on the story behind the ballet, behind-the-scenes secrets and a chance to meet the characters. Interact with professional dancers and participate in creative movement. 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., $10, Esther Simplot Center for the Performing Arts, Ballet Idaho Annex, 501 S. Eighth St., Boise, 208-343-0556, www.balletidaho. org. MCFADDEN MARKET CO-OP FARMERS MARKET—5-8 p.m., www.mcfaddenmarketcoop.com. Meridian City Hall, 33 E. Idaho St., Meridian.

WORKSHOPS & CLASSES FREE DANCE LESSONS—Dance lessons are followed by social dancing from 8-9:30 p.m. 7-8 p.m., FREE, www.lessonsindance.com. The Bull’s Head Pub, 1441 N. Eagle Road, Meridian, 208-855-5858. TANGO FUNDAMENTALS— Instructor Marge Dobie leads a class designed for both beginners and experienced dancers.

Call 208-761-3954 to register. 7:30-8:30 p.m., $10 per class or $25 for 3 class sessions. Broadway Dance Center, 893 E. Boise Ave., Boise, 208-794-6843.

LITERATURE POETRY READING—Host Scott Berge invites poets to share their own work or favorite poems during a fun night of poetry readings. Sign up at 6:30 p.m. For more information, e-mail ScottBerge@live.com. 6:30 p.m., FREE. Alia’s Coffeehouse, 908 W. Main St., Boise, 208-3381299. READINGS AND CONVERSATIONS 2009-2010—The Cabin’s 2009-2010 lineup of literary guests for Readings and Conversations welcomes Frank Deford, commentator on National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition.” Deford has been voted Sportswriter of the Year 10 times by Sports Illustrated, shares correspondent duties on HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, and is a member of the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame. Deford is the author of 15 books, including his most recent release The Entitled. 7:30 p.m., $22-$28 general, $12 students, www. thecabinidaho.org. Egyptian Theatre, 700 W. Main St., Boise, 208-3450454.

GREEN EVENINGS AT EDWARDS— The greenhouse stays open late and features live music by Elizabeth Blin. 5 p.m., FREE, Edwards Greenhouse, 4106 Sand Creek St., Boise, 208-342-7548, www.edwardsgreenhouse.com.

30

wednesday ON STAGE A TUNA CHRISTMAS—See Wednesday. 7:30 p.m., $23-$30, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, 5657 Warm Springs Ave., Boise, 208-429-9908, box office 208-336-9221, www. idahoshakespeare.org.

SCREEN LATIN AMERICAN FILM SERIES—The fall 2009 season of the Latin American Film Series sponsored by the Cultural Center and Latin American Studies Committee presents El Norte (1984), directed by Gregory Nava and presented by Nicanor Dominguez of the Boise State History Department. 6 p.m., FREE, Student Union Brink Room, Boise State.

GREEN BUGS FARM STAND—This is the last day to purchase produce grown by the Boise Urban Garden School. 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 4-6 p.m., BUGS Garden, 4821 W. Franklin Road, Boise, 208-424-6665, www. boiseurbangardenschool.org.

The Sockratic Method by Jacob Good and Daria Kanevski was the 1st place winner in the 7th Annual Boise Weekly Bad Cartoon Contest.

WWW.BOISEWEEKLY.COM

BOISEweekly

| SEPTEMBER 23–29, 2009 | 59


MUSICGUIDE wednesday 23

thursday 24 A SEASONAL DISGUISE, THE MURDERS, SOUL SERENE—9 p.m., FREE, Liquid

ACOUSTIC SHOWCASE—9 p.m., hosted by Brock Ross and Kelly Lynae FREE, Terrapin Station ALIVE AFTER FIVE—5-8 p.m., The Very Most, These United States, FREE, The Grove Plaza

DAN COSTELLO—4:30-7:30 p.m., FREE, Lock, Stock & Barrel

COSMIC FAMILY BAND—9 p.m., FREE, The Bouquet

DEAD CONFEDERATE—5:30 p.m., FREE, The Record Exchange

DOUGLAS CAMERON—7-10 p.m., FREE, Bungalow HANS YORK—7:30 p.m., FREE, Music of the Vine

THE FRIM FRAM 4—8:45 p.m., FREE, Pengilly’s

HILL COUNTRY REVUE—9 p.m., $10 adv., $12 door, Bouquet

GAYLE CHAPMAN—6-8:30 p.m., FREE, Woodriver Cellars

JEREMIAH JAMES GANG—9:30 p.m., FREE, Pengilly’s

E3PO—9:30 p.m., $5, Reef

HIGH DESERT BAND—6:30 p.m., FREE, Whitewater Pizza

THE KILLERS—8 p.m., $30-$39.50, Qwest Arena, 233 Capitol Blvd.

NIKKI HUSTON—6-9 p.m., FREE, Gelato Cafe

JOHNNY SHOES—6-9 p.m., FREE, Tablerock Brewpub

MATT HOPPER AND THE ROMAN CANDLES, THE DEVIL WHALE, NIGHT GENES, HANNAH THOMAS—8 p.m., $5, Visual Arts Collective

POP CULT KIDS—10 p.m., FREE, Tom Grainey’s

THE MEAT PUPPETS, DEAD CONFEDERATE, UME—8 p.m., $18, Grizzly Rose (see Listen Here this page)

REBECCA SCOTT—7-10 p.m., FREE, The Gamekeeper SEA CAVES, THE INVASION—8 p.m., $3, Flying M Coffeegarage

NIGHT GENES CD RELEASE—8 p.m., with Thomas Paul, Chad Cooke, $5, Visual Arts Collective

THE SHOOK TWINS—7 p.m., FREE, Crusty’s TOO MUCH DISTORTION SKATE NIIGHT—8 p.m., Holley 750, Trigger Itch, Radillac, Demoni, Ohadi, $3, Gusto Bar

OPEN MIC NIGHT—7-10 p.m., FREE, O’Michael’s POCONO BILL—6 p.m., FREE, Donnie Mac’s SHAMAN’S HARVEST, 16 SECOND STARE, INNOCENCE LOST—8 p.m., FREE, Knitting Factory

SARAH LAW

DJ REVOLVE—11 p.m., $3, Neurolux

MIKE QUINN—6-8:30 p.m., FREE, Woodriver Cellars MISS DERRINGER, ZEN ZERO—8 p.m., $5, Neurolux NUDE OIL, A THOUSAND EFFIGIES, BACKHANDED COMPLIMENTS—9 p.m., $4, Terrapin Station POKE—8:45 p.m., FREE, Pengilly’s POLYPHONIC POMEGRANATE—9 p.m., $1, Liquid

SHOOK TWINS—8 p.m., FREE, Reef

REBECCA SCOTT—9 p.m., FREE, Piper Pub

SOLAR ROLLER, BUKKIT—9 p.m., $3, Terrapin Station

ROCCI JOHNSON BAND—9:30 p.m., $5, Humpin’ Hannah’s

SPINDLEBOMB—10 p.m., FREE, Tom Grainey’s

SHOOK TWINS—8 p.m., FREE, Sockeye

TRAVIS WARD, HILLFOLK NOIR—6-9 p.m., FREE, Modern Hotel SHOOK TWINS

VOODOO ORGANIST

JOHN CAZAN—5-9 p.m., FREE, Lock, Stock & Barrel

SIR REALIST—midnight, $1, Liquid SMOKIN’ LOCALS—7:30 p.m., 3rd to Last, The Lost Signal, Underscore, When the Legends Die, Obscure Beauty, $8, The Venue

LISTINGS ARE RUN ON A SPACE AVAILABLE BASIS.

K ALEE P ETER S

Please send your live music listings to music@boiseweekly.com or fax to 342-4733. Include venue, band names, start times and cover charge. Photos are great, too. For dancing, symphony, opera or orchestral music, please see our 8 DAYS OUT listings. THE DEADLINE FOR LISTINGS IS THE THURSDAY THE WEEK PRIOR TO PUBLICATION.

ROCCI JOHNSON BAND

LISTENHERE

981 West Grove Street, Boise

SLIM CESSNA’S AUTO CLUB, SEPT. 30, NEUROLUX

MEAT PUPPETS, DEAD CONFEDERATE, SEPT. 24, GRIZZLY ROSE For a band that has survived addiction, prison, gunshots and other calamities during almost three decades, the Meat Puppets continue to put out captivating material. Brothers Curt and Cris DEAD CONFEDERATE Kirkwood have established an eclectic sound that has evolved from punk rock foundations to incorporate elements of country and folk along with a strong dose of psychedelia. Now co-headlining a tour with Dead Confederate, Meat Puppets are on the road supporting their new album Sewn Together. In a punknews.org interview, Curt said, “I don’t like putting a lot of time into it. We cut a track and if we’ve played it halfway right, we’re done with it.” While that approach might prove disastrous for a less talented band, Meat Puppets performing halfway right still sounds like genius in action. Georgia-based Dead Confederate, who formed in 2006, have their own take on psychedelic rock, sculpting it around Southern rock motifs for dark and compelling songwriting. With crunchy guitars and driving drums, Dead Confederate makes music with a savage energy that has no problem venturing through spaced-out guitar lines but can build and rise with a vengeance sounding like the frontlines of Gettysburg. Dead Confederate released their debut album Wrecking Ball last year, a strong and brooding journey through the South that is establishing them as a band to keep an eye on. —Mathias Morache

ChandlersBoise.com BOISEweekly

Thursday, Sept. 24, 8 p.m., $15 advance, $18 door. Grizzly Rose, 1124 W. Front St., 208-342-3375.

JO N KI LLOUGH

Steve Eaton, Justin Nielsen Band Phil Garonzik, Kevin Kirk, Jon Hyneman, Sally Tibbs, John Jones, & Mike Seifrit, just to name a few!

| SEPTEMBER 23–29, 2009 |

BROOKE WHITE, MICHAEL JOHNS—7:30 p.m., with Benton Paul, $22, Knitting Factory

NATHAN J MOODY AND THE QUARTERTONS—9 p.m., FREE, Neurolux

including

60

AUDIO MOONSHINE, SPINDLEBOMB—9 p.m., FREE, Tom Grainey’s

LOS PINGUOS ARGENTINA—9 p.m., $2, Reef

featuring Boise’s finest jazz musicians

383.4300

ALLRED, ALL WE ARE—8 p.m., $5, Flying M Coffeegarage

HIGH FLAVOR—7:30 p.m., High Street plus The Flavors, FREE, Music of the Vine

JIMMY BIVENS BAND—7:45 p.m., FREE, Piper Pub

7 nights a week!

B-3 SIDE—8-11 p.m., FREE, Gamekeeper

GREAT GARDEN ESCAPE—6-9 p.m., Rebecca Scott Band, $10 nonmembers; $8 IBG members, Idaho Botanical Garden

JIM FISHWILD—6-9 p.m., FREE, Highlands Hollow

Live jazz

friday 25

The cool thing about seeing Denver-based Slim Cessna’s Auto Club live is watching the music speak to the band members as strongly as it does to the audience. Slide guitar, accordion, yodeling and piano carry the tall tales of Cessna and co-frontman Munly Munly (Nosferatu with a mustache) through SCAC’s cow-punk goth-country American sound. Watching them is like being at a tent revival—a common comparison used when Slim Cessna and the Auto Club come up—and Cessna’s 6-foot-plus stature certainly adds to the preacher-spreadingthe-word-to-his-flock visage. Seeing the band play—especially the intimate interaction between Cessna and Munly—evokes a fundamentalist Christian meeting where a shaman is postulating the import of voodoo tradition. It’s strange, it’s unsettling, it’s intriguing and it’s enticing. You want to belong. You want to be let in on the secret. You want to know why songs off their 2008 release Cipher (Alternative Tentacle) are titled “That Fierce Cow Is Common Sense In A Country Dress,” and “Jesus Is In My Body—My Body Has Let Me Down.” The answers are there, in a live SCAC show. Go. But be prepared to renounce any half-assed alliances you may have; you’ll want to join the Church of SCAC. —Amy Atkins Wednesday, Sept. 30, with Poke, 8 p.m., $8 advance, $10 door. Neurolux, 111 N. 11th St., 208-343-0886.

WWW.BOISEWEEKLY.COM


MUSICGUIDE saturday 26 B-3 SIDE—8-11 p.m., FREE, The Gamekeeper

JUNKYARD BANDSTAND—8:45 p.m., FREE, Pengilly’s

CAMDEN HUGHES—6:30 MOONDANCE—7 p.m., p.m., FREE, Berryhill FREE, Kodiak Grill DIMINISHED MEN, THE POCONO BILL—8 p.m., UNIVERSAL—8 p.m., FREE, Groove Coffee $2, Flying M Coffeegarage POKE—9 p.m., FREE, The Plank DJ PAT BENOLKIN—11 p.m., $3, Neurolux ROCCI JOHNSON DOOBSTOCK 2009—9:30 BAND—9:30 p.m., $5 after 10 p.m., Hannah’s p.m., $3, Terrapin SHERPA JAM—8 p.m., GO ENGINE NOW, FREE, O’Michael’s SURREALIZED—8 p.m., $3, Neurolux SOUL HONEY—9 p.m., FREE, Piper Pub JASON MRAZ, G. LOVE AND SPECIAL SAUCE, SWAGGER, SPINDLEBUSHWALLA—6:30 BOMB—9 p.m., FREE, p.m., $35-$39.50, Idaho Tom Grainey’s Center TALK DEMONIC, JOHN WAYNE AND THE CHURCH, FINN RIGPAIN—9:30 p.m., $5, GINS—8 p.m., $5 adv., Reef

Venues BAD IRISH—199 N. 8th St., 338-8939 BARBACOA—276 Bob White Court, 338-5000 BARDENAY-EAGLE—155 E. Riverside Dr., Eagle, 938-5093 BERRYHILL AND COMPANY—MSa: 7-11 p.m., 121 N. 9th St., 387-3553

$8 door, Visual Arts Collective TERRI EBERLEIN—7-10 p.m., FREE, Bungalow TOTALLY ’80S PARTY WITH DJ SIR REALIST—9 p.m., $1, Liquid WAYNE WHITE—7:30 p.m., FREE, Music of the Vine ZAC GILSTRAP BENEFIT—6 p.m., Hummingbird of Death, Ohadi, Strings & Chemicals, The Old One Two, Juntura, Radillac, Demoni, Manville, Fury of the Cyclops, A New Agenda, Trigger Itch, Marshall Zeis (accoustic) and Sleeping Sickness, $5, The Grizzly Rose, (See Page 54)

p.m., 981 Grove St., 383-4300 CORKSCREWS—729 N. Main St., Meridian, 888-4049 CRUSTY’S—214 Lenora St., McCall, 208-634-5005 DAWSON’S DOWNTOWN—219 N. 8th St., 336-5633

BODO BROTHERS—8 p.m., FREE, Sockeye

ALIVE AFTER FIVE—5-8 p.m., Record Exchange Party with Thomas Paul, FREE, The Grove Plaza

BERNARD REILLY—4:30-6:30 p.m., FREE, Tablerock Brewpub

KATHY O’S SWEET AND SALTY MIX—10 p.m.-2 a.m., FREE, Neurolux

FUEGOGO!—9:30 p.m., FREE, Terrapin Station

ANNA SALI—7-10 p.m., FREE, Bungalow

GAYLE CHAPMAN, SANDY SANFORD—6-9 p.m., FREE, Kodiak Grill

MONDAY MADNESS KARAOKE—9 p.m., FREE, The Buffalo Club

GIZZARD STONE—8 p.m., FREE, Liquid

JIM LEWIS—11 a.m.-1 p.m., FREE, Focaccia’s

OPEN MIC MONDAY—9 p.m., FREE, Terrapin

JIMMY BIVENS—7 p.m., FREE, Crusty’s

OPEN MIC NIGHT—7-9 p.m., FREE, Library Coffeehouse

JOHNNY SHOES, BILL COFFEY—8 p.m., FREE, Pengilly’s

NOCTURNUM WITH DJ BONES—9 p.m., FREE, Terrapin Station PETEY PABLO, NAPPY ROOTS, PUPPETMASTER Y LA GREEN EYEZ, LIL O—8 p.m., $20 adv., $23 door, Knitting Factory

GRAPE ESCAPE—800 W. Idaho St., 368-0200 THE GRIZZLY ROSE—1124 W. Front St., 342-3375 GROOVE COFFEE—1800 N. Locust Grove, Meridian, 890-6128 GUSTO BAR—509 W. Main St.

FOCACCIA’S—404 E. Parkcenter Blvd., 322-2838 GAMEKEEPER—1109 Main St., 343-4611 GELATO CAFE— 2053 E. Fairview Ave., Meridian

WWW.BOISEWEEKLY.COM

HIJINX COMEDY CLUB—800 W. Idaho St., 947-7100 HUMPIN’ HANNAH’S—W-Sa: Rocci Johnson Band, 621 Main St., 345-7557

tues. 29 wednesday 30

REBECCA SCOTT AND ROB HILL OPEN MIC— 8:45 p.m., FREE, Pengilly’s

POCONO BILL—6-9 p.m., FREE, Sun Ray Cafe

HIGHLANDS HOLLOW BREWHOUSE—2455 Harrison Hollow, 343-6820

FLYING M COFFEEGARAGE—1314 2nd St. S., Nampa, 467-5533

CHANDLERS STEAKHOUSE—MSa: Kevin Kirk, 7 p.m.; acts at 8

BOISE BLUES SOCIETY JAM SESSION—8 p.m., FREE, Rodeway Inn

EMERALD CLUB—415 S. 9th St., 342-5446

BOUQUET—1010 W. Main St. 345-6605

BUZZ CAFE—2999 N. Lakeharbor Ln., 344-4321

BEN BURDICK, BILL LILES—Noon-3 p.m., FREE, Grape Escape

HA’PENNY—855 Broad St., 343-5568

FALCON TAVERN—705 W. Bannock St., 947-3111

BUNGALOW—1520 N. 13th St., 331-9855

mon. 28

DONNIE MAC’S—1515 W. Grove St., 338-7813

BITTERCREEK ALE HOUSE—246 N. 8th St., 345-1813

BUFFALO CLUB—10206 Fairview Ave., 321-1811

sun. 27

LARRY CONKLIN—11 a.m., FREE, Moon’s OPEN MIC WITH CHAD SUMMERVILL—8 p.m., Bad Irish REBECCA SCOTT—7 p.m., FREE, O’Michael’s

Center Blvd., Nampa, 468-1000

KODIAK GRILL—12342 E. Hwy. 21, 338-8859

MUSIC OF THE VINE—2805 Blaine St., Caldwell, 454-1228 NEUROLUX—F-Sa: DJs, $3, 11 p.m., 111 N. 11th, 343-0886 NEW FRONTIER—116 E. Broadway, Meridian, 888-9034

LIBRARY COFFEEHOUSE—141 E. Carlton Ave,. Meridian, 288-1898

O’MICHAELS—2433 Bogus Basin Rd., 342-8948

THE LINEN BUILDING—1402 W. Grove St., 385-0111

OLD CHICAGO—730 W. Idaho, 363-0037

LIQUID—405 S. 8th St.

OPA—213. N. 8th St., 342-6555

LOCK, STOCK & BARREL—1100 W. Jefferson, 336-4266

PAIR—601 Main St., 343-7034

LULU’S FINE PIZZA—2594 Bogus Basin Road, 387-4992

PENGILLY’S—513 W. Main St., 345-6344

LUSH—760 Main St., 342-5874

PIPER PUB—150 N. 8th St., 343-2444

HYDE PARK PUB—1501 N. 13th St., 336-9260

MODERN HOTEL—1314 W. Grove St., 424-8244

THE PLANK—650 S. Vista Ave., 336-1790

IDAHO BOTANICAL GARDEN—2355 N. Penitentiary Rd., 343-8649

MONKEY BIZNESS—724 First St. S., Nampa

THE RECORD EXCHANGE (RX)—1105 W. Idaho St., 344-8010

IDAHO CENTER—16200 Idaho

POP CULT KIDS—10 p.m., FREE, Tom Grainey’s ROCCI JOHNSON—9:30 p.m., FREE, Humpin’ Hannah’s SLIM CESSNA’S AUTO CLUB, POKE—8 p.m., $8 adv., $10 door, Neurolux, (see Listen Here, Page 60) THE SOUL HONEY—8 p.m., FREE, Bad Irish TOES ON THE NOSE TOUR: SASHAMON—9 p.m., $7-$10, Reef UNDERSCORE—6 p.m., FREE, Gelato Cafe

REBECCA SCOTT

KNITTING FACTORY (KFCH)— 416 S. 9th St., 367-1212

MOON’S KITCHEN CAFE—712 W. Idaho St., 385-0472

BETTER THAN EZRA, BRANDON STANLEY, JOSIAH LEMING—8 p.m., $18.50 adv., $20 door, Knitting Factory

RED FEATHER LOUNGE—246 N.

8th St., 429-6340 REDFISH LAKE LODGE—Hwy. 75, Stanley, 208-774-3536 REEF—105 S. 6th St., 287-9200 REMBRANDT’S—93 S. Eagle Rd., Eagle, 938-1564 RIVER ROCK ALEHOUSE—228 E. Plaza Road, 938-4788 RODEWAY INN—1115 N. Curtis Rd., 376-2700 SEASONS BISTRO—1117 E. Winding Creek Road, Eagle, 939-6680 SHORTY’S SALOON—5467 Glenwood, 672-9090 SOCKEYE—3019 Cole Rd., 658-1533 STE. CHAPPELLE WINERY— 19348 Lowell Road, Caldwell, 453-7843 SUN RAY CAFE—1602 N. 13th St., 343-2887

BOISEweekly

TABLEROCK BREWPUB—705 Fulton St., 342-0944 TERRAPIN STATION—1519 W. Main St., 342-1776 TOM GRAINEY’S—109 S. 6th St., 345-2505 TULLY’S—794 W. Broad, 3432953 THE VENUE—521 Broad St., 919-0011 VISUAL ARTS COLLECTIVE (VAC)—3638 Osage St., Garden City, 424-8297 WHITEWATER PIZZA—1510 N. Eagle Rd., Meridian, 888-6611 WILLI B’S— 225 N. 5th St., 331-5666 WILLOWCREEK GRILL—1065 E. Winding Creek Dr., Eagle WOODRIVER CELLARS—3705 Hwy. 16, Eagle, 286-WINE

| SEPTEMBER 23–29, 2009 | 61


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BW FOR RENT 412 O’Farrell. 2BD, 1BA. Cute! W/D, frig, big fenced yard. Pets OK. Close to Hyde Park, foothills, downtown. Avail. 10/01. $795/mo. 208-628-3021. ALL AREAS - HOUSES FOR RENT. Browse thousands of rental listings with photos and maps. Advertise your rental home for FREE! Visit: http://www.RealRentals.com C:MI ID ;DDI=>AAH 1-2BD Apts. $620-$740/mo. W/D, cable. Shaw Mtn. Heights. 3431242. shawmountain.com

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L6CI -%%% ;G::4 CD G:CI>C< Stop paying your landlord’s mortgage! You have just a couple months to get approved to buy your home AND get $8000 back from the Government for being a “1st time home buyer”. No money down loans still available! Awesome home prices. Many of my clients are getting house payments that are lower than their current rent AND they are getting their $8000 just for owning! Do you know if you qualify? There is no cost or obligation to find out and you need to hurry and call as time is running out!! Call Heidi, Realtor w/Market Pro at 208-440-5997 HeidiJC@cableone.net www. ChallengerBoiseHomes.com By the way.... there is no charge for my services when you purchase a home with me. I will help you find the home, negotiate, and see it all the way through to closing for you to ensure a smooth purchase and you pay me nothing! Call today for excellent service! 208-440-5997.

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This Crescent Rim home offers a pool with a view.

NEED HOME, WANT POOL Think ahead to next year’s hot summer. Think pool. It’s not the time of year to be thinking about a dip in the pool, we know. But take a moment to remember July, when the thermometer hovered around 100 degrees. And as nice as a swim in one of the city’s pools may have been, for some, it’s hard to deal with someone else’s screaming kids. If you’re in the market for a house, it doesn’t have to be that way next summer. Although Boise houses with pools are few and far between, it is possible to find them. We dug through the current listings to find a selection of pads with personal puddles where you can sit with a margarita in hand and listen to only the sound of the music you want to crank up. The least expensive house on the list, at $179,000, is a three-bedroom, three-bath house built in 1978. At $93 per square foot, this tri-level in Indian Lakes looks like it could use a little TLC, but if you’re on a budget and willing to put in a little work or live with its imperfection, 5305 S. Dakota Ave., with a hot tub and a pool, might be your new party pad. MLS #98397965 If Southeast Boise is your favored ‘hood, pads with pools are hard to come by. This one at 2801 S. Raindrop Drive is within blocks of Ivywild Park, where one of the city’s busiest pools is located. Price at $299,000, this four-bedroom, 2.5-bath home has been updated indoors and offers a cozy backyard pool and patio combo. MLS #98409460 And for those of you who cannot leave your beloved North End but think a pool of your own would be nice, check out 2301 Hillway. Three bedrooms, three bathrooms, priced at $134 per square foot for a total of $350,000, this home has a lap pool shoehorned into the hillside. MLS #98408117 The most expensive listing with a pool in Boise is a house that’s been on the market a while. Home Sweet Home first profiled this house in February 2008, and it’s still priced at a not-so-modest $3.5 million. Located at 3316 Crescent Rim overlooking Ann Morrison Park, this four bedroom, 5.5 bath clocks in at $527 per square foot with an infinity pool, adjacent hot tub and outdoor wet bar. MLS # 98364150 —Rachael Daigle

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BW FOR SALE

7D>H: 76C@ G:ED Looking for a deal? I can provide you a list of all the Boise bankowned properties at no charge! As low as $49,500. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to pick up a great investment property or home to live in that is well under market in town! Visit www.ChallengerBoiseHomes.com to get your free list! No Obligation! Heidi Challenger, Market Pro Realtor 208-440-5997. HeidIJC@cablone.net

CAREERS BW HELP WANTED 2 styling stations & 1 massage rm. for lease. Some clientele pref. Busy strip mall on Boise Ave. Debbie 859-1125. $$$HELP WANTED$$$ Extra Income! Assembling CD cases from Home! No Experience Necessary! Call our Live Operators Now! 1-800-405-7619 EXT 2450 http:// www.easywork-greatpay.com

TRANSPORTATION BW 2 WHEELS '%%, =6GA:N 96K>9HDC Fatboy. Softtail. Adult Owned. Perfect condition, crisis low price $4300. Call 208-621-2728. Email: bb731t@gmail.com

9 Piece King Sleigh Bed Set Brand new. All wood, dovetail drawers. List $3750. Sacrifice $895. 8881464. A BED-QUEEN PILLOWTOP MATTRESS SET. Brand new-still in plastic. Warranty. MUST SELL $109. Can deliver. 921-6643. Bed, Queen Tempurpedic Style Memory Foam Mattress Set. Brand new, in box, w/warranty, list $1599, sacrifice $379. 921-6643. BEDROOM SET 7 pc. Cherry set. Brand new, still boxed. Retail $2250, Sacrifice $450. 888-1464. Couch & Loveseat - Microfiber. Stain Resistant. Lifetime Warranty. Brand new in boxes. List $1395. Must Sell $450! 888-1464. KING SIZE PILLOW TOP MATTRESS SET. New - in bag, w/warranty. List $750, MUST SELL $199. Call 921-6643. Leather Sofa plus Loveseat. Brand new in crate w/Lifetime warranty. Retail $2450. Sell $699! 8881464.

Herbs & More specializes in iris readings to find the root cause of health problems. A Nature’s Sunshine distributor. Stop by for an iris reading $40 value, 1/2 price special. 2613 W. Camas, off Vista. 336-3023.

BW HEALTH & FITNESS

BW MASSAGE THERAPY

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MIND, BODY, SPIRIT

By Alex/RUSSIA. With outstanding knowledge of the man’s body. Full service stress relief. 4092192. http://myweb.cableone.net/ russianman. Hotel/Studio. CMMT 6B6I:JG B6HH6<: 7N :G>8 1/2 hr. $15. FULL BODY. Hot oil, spa/showers, 24/7. I travel. 8805772. massagebyeric.com. Male Only. Boise & Nampa studios.

BW BEAUTY

BOISE’S BEST! With Bodywork by Rose. 794-4789. www.roseshands.com 7G6C9 C:L >C 7D>H: Magic Spa. Massage & full body shampoo. 4322 Overland Rd, across from Pine Crest. Open 9am-10pm. Stop by! Deep Therapeutic Massage by Muscular Guy. 869-2766. Full body massage by experienced therapist. Out call or private studio. 863-1577. Thomas. =DJ HE6 Steam sauna & massage. Corner Overland & S. Orchard. Open 7 days a week, 9-10pm. 345-2430.

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| MIND, BODY, SPIRIT | PETS | SERVICES | | NOTICES | MUSIC | COMMUNITY POSTINGS | CONNECTION SECTION B6HH6<: Bali Spa. 401 N. Orchard St. 3751332. Open 9am-10pm. Mention you saw it in the Boise Weekly for $20 Off! Massage Boise Hotels 869-8128. ULM 340-8377. 8DB: :ME:G>:C8: B6HH6<: 7N H6B Hot tub available, heated table, hot oil full-body Swedish massage. Total seclusion. Days/ Eves/Wknds.Visa/Master Card accepted, Male only. 866-2759.

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These pets can be adopted at the Idaho Humane Society. www.idahohumanesociety.com 4775 W. Dorman St. Boise, Idaho 83705

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208-342-3508 Yeager is a wonderful, well-mannered 8-year-old Labrador/German shepherd mix dog who is house- and crate-trained, knows several obedience commands and gets along well with children of all ages. Yeager doesn’t like cats very much, but he enjoys the company of other dogs. He is easy to work with and train, and could be a great companion for a senior who likes to walk or a family with loving, caring children. (#8036242)

MIND, BODY, SPIRIT

This adorable terrier-mix dog (probably mixed with Australian shepherd or border collie) is happy, affectionate and quite charming. He is a conďŹ dent young dog that appears to be quite intelligent and easy to work with. He is fun, energetic and ready for owner who will train and exercise him on a regular basis. (#8483830)

BW PSYCHIC

This little kitten is one of many that need homes and that will frequently get overlooked simply because of his solid black color. He is friendly, loving and playful. He uses his litterbox, and he loves to be held and petted. This little guy has a lovely temperament and should grow up to be a handsome, solid black cat with gorgeous gold/green eyes. (#8396084)

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Psychic Medium: Available for large events, small gatherings & private readings. Call 208-323-2323.

BW COUNSELING

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Shadow is a 4-year-old purebred female black Lab who is crate- and obedience-trained and good with children of all ages. Her owner went away to college. Shadow is friendly, affectionate and energetic. She enjoys playing fetch with balls and likes to play with other dogs. Shadow needs a home where she can be part of the family and live inside with them. (#8497770)

Women join in a 13 mo. series of Learning, Healing and Sharing themselves. We will touch the way of The Shaman, Wise Woman and The Healer. Visit sacred sites, create ceremony, learn women’s magic tools, lodge, and heal. Meet each 2nd Saturday of the month. When desire arises in your heart, call us for a consultation. Jacqueline 353-0604.

This beautiful, solid gray female cat has a short, thick coat and large green eyes. She looks a lot like a Russian Blue, but she came to the shelter as a stray from the Warm Springs and Mobley Street area in Boise. She is approximately 8 years old and is sweet, loving and litterbox-trained. (#8484870)

PETS BW PETS @>IIN ;:AA DJI D; 6 K6C Saw a small gray kitten fall out of a van on Ustick. Little kitty then ran towards Linda Vista St. I was not able to catch it but, if you have questions call 939-6805.

These pets can be adopted at Simply Cats www.simplycats.org 2833 S. Victory View Way, Boise, ID 83709

SERVICES

208-343-7177

BW HOME

BW SPIRITUAL

My name is Samsara Skye, but everyone calls me Beeper. I make the cutest little “beepâ€? sounds in the world. I’ve been declawed, so I don’t have much in the way of pointy bits. I’m a cheerful and optimistic kitty. I’m sure to ďŹ nd a wonderful adopter and have a great life. Beep-beep!

>CI:G>DG :MI:G>DG E6>CI>C< Very reasonable prices! Help with colors, inside wall repair & texture, outside trim, siding & stucco repair. Attn. to detail, 25 yrs. combined exp., dependable, ref. aval. Call Joe-Bohemia Painting for a free written estimate! 208345-8558 or 208-392-2094. Place your FREE on-line classiďŹ eds at www.boiseweekly.com. Just click on “Post Your FREE Ad.â€? No phone calls please.

NOTICES BW NOTICES Post what you have, ďŹ nd what you need free at www.boiseweekly.com.

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My mom wandered onto someone’s porch during a snowstorm. She later had six happy babies, one of which was me. I would probably do best in a quiet home. We tabbies are the best; our owners think we have the coolest personalities out there. Who would want to argue with that?

GAIN NATIONAL EXPOSURE. Reach over 5 million young, active, educated readers for only $995 by advertising in 110 weekly newspapers like this one. Call Jason at 202-289-8484. Post your notice here. Always free at www.boiseweekly.com.

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PLACE AN AD | REAL ESTATE | CAREERS | TRANSPORTATION | FOR SALE | MIND, BODY, SPIRIT | PETS

BW LEGAL NOTICES CDI>8: D; =:6G>C< 86H: CD# 8KC8 %.&++(A petition to change the name of Jessica Alexandra Agee born 01/23/2000 in Boise Idaho residing at 4222 N. Blue Wing has been filed in Ada County Disctrict Court, Idaho. The name will change to Jessica Alexandra Scuri because she would like the same family name as siblings. The child’s father has died and the names and addresses of his closest blood relatives are: Lance and Olga Agee 19294 DeHavilland Dr. Saratoga CA 9522. The Child’s Mother is living. A hearing on the petition is scheduled for

1:30 pm October 15, 2009 at the County Courthouse. Objections may be filed by any person who can show the court a good reason against the name change. Pub. Sept. 16, 23, 30 & Oct. 7.

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| SERVICES | NOTICES | MUSIC | COMMUNITY POSTINGS | CONNECTION SECTION |

BW INSTRUMENTS

Boise, Idaho back on TV! Thank you for your support — The Wells Family. @>AGDN @D;;:: @A6I8= Warhawk Air Museum is excited to announce the monthly “Kilroy was Here” coffee klatch. 1st Tuesday of every month. 1011:30am. Warhawk Air Museum, 201 Municipal Dr, Nampa.

BW MUSICAL SERVICES/OTHER

8:AAD ;DG H6A: Half-size student cello in great condition. Hard stand-up travel case included. Call to check it out. 367-1289.

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BW MUSICAL INSTRUCTION

BW GARAGE/ ESTATE SALES

Looking for barter? Post what you have, find what you need. Always free at www.boiseweekly.com.

Looking for barter? Post what you have, find what you need. Always free at www.boiseweekly.com.

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COMMUNITY - ANNOUNCEMENT

BW ANNOUNCEMENTS 678¼H L>;: HL6E My family and I are on the last stage of the selection process for ABC’s reality show, “Wife Swap”. Please show your support for the Treasure Valley and resident family by sending ABC/ Wife Swap an email - families@ rdfusa.com Subject Line: Wife Swap Message: Choose the Wells Family - Boise, ID. You can also help out by reposting or starting a new post - Posting on MySpace or Facebook, etc. Let’s all get involved and get

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6th Annual Yard & Bake Sale. Sept. 19th. 8-2pm. 1809 N. 16th St betwn. Hazel & Bella. Expect: sporting goods (esp. ski gear), outer wear, toys, bike gear, art, appliances & treasures galore. Benefits a nonprofit organization - BBNT athletes. HI# B>8=6:A¼H ?JB7A: H6A: Jumble Sale: 518 N. 8th St. (Corner Of 8th & State) Sat., Sept 19 from 8-2 & Sun. 9-1. Huge Sale: Books, Camping and Sports Equipment, Toys, Kitchen, Artwork, Furniture, Lamps, Jewelry, Accessories, Tools and Much More! ;G:: DC"A>C: 8A6HH>;>:9 69H Place your FREE on-line classifieds at www.boiseweekly.com. It’s easy! Just click on “Post Your FREE Ad.” No phone calls please.

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45 Classic Disney film that includes “The Nutcracker Suite” 47 Gravy holder 50 Hulu, e.g. 52 Enter 56 Pair 59 The Equality State: Abbr. 60 Mark your card! 61 See 54-Down 63 Parking lot mishap 64 Lose luster 65 State with the least populous capital 70 Raison d’___ 72 Thrown off course 73 Mark your card! 77 Genetic stuff 78 Tailors 79 What “prn” on a prescription means 80 Muscular Charles 82 Any trump 83 Worry words 89 The “it” in the 1990s slogan “Gotta have it” 93 Writer Zora ___ Hurston 97 Opposite of charge 98 Exposed sandbar, maybe 99 Prodded 101 Pigs 102 Golfer Michelle 104 Org. headquartered in Detroit 105 Cover girl Carol 106 Placed 108 Vaughn’s co-star in “The Break-Up,” 2006 110 “This round’s ___” 111 Mark your card! 114 Deuce, e.g. 115 Paris couturier Pierre 117 Occasional 1960s protest 118 Prefix with directional 119 What an aurilave cleans

120 Affirm, with “to” 121 Elates 122 Horse of a different color? 123 Genetic stuff 124 Mark your card!

DOWN 1 Mark your card! 2 “Me too” 3 Writing’s opposite 4 Depraved 5 Chemical suffix 6 Singer Jones 7 Jay who once hosted “Last Comic Standing” 8 Better, as an offer 9 Mock 10 Places of worship 11 “___ Wiedersehen” 12 Monopoly token 13 Statement of selfconfidence 14 “Who wants to go next?” 15 With 49-Down, order at a Chinese restaurant 16 Mark your card! 17 “Walk Away ___” (1966 hit by the Left Banke) 18 Combine that makes combines 26 Second-most common Vietnamese family name, after Nguyen 29 Mark your card! 30 Novelist Janowitz 34 Hollywood crosser 36 Prefix with center 38 Circuit 40 Bone attachment 42 World Economic Forum host city 46 Base’s opposite 48 Put away 49 See 15-Down 51 Sick 53 Mark your card!

54 With 61-Across, prospectors’ targets 55 The 13th item in a baker’s dozen 56 Banned insecticide 57 Vote for 58 Mo. when the Civil War started 62 Number of wonders of el mundo antiguo 66 Department store department 67 Roar for a toreador 68 Untested 69 Football stat. 71 Within: Prefix 72 Soap opera, e.g. 73 Undergrad degs. 74 The A.C.C.’s Seminoles 75 Mark your card! 76 Celebrated in style 81 “… blackbirds baked in ___” 84 Baseball stat. 85 Skin colorer 86 School near Windsor Castle 87 Went around 88 German mercenary L A S T

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90 Spoils 91 Sailor’s vision obstructer 92 Mark your card! 94 Popular 1940s radio show “___ Alley” 95 Get ready to fall, maybe 96 Star employee 99 Does perfectly 100 ___ Janis, star of Broadway’s “Puzzles of 1925” 103 Like some pyramids 107 Try it out 109 Trillion: Prefix 110 “___ put it another way …” 112 YouTube clip, for short 113 Bambi’s aunt 116 Agcy. regulating guns Go to www.boiseweekly. com and look under odds and ends for the answers to this week’s puzzle. And don’t think of it as cheating. Think of it more as simply double-checking your answers.

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BW CLASSES

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Looking for all designers! Runway show Monday, October 12th. Visit caledoniafabrics.com for information. Call for details 3380895. Caledonia Fine Fabrics, 605 Americana Blvd.

HE>CC>C< I:8=C>FJ: 8A6HH:H Starting Sept. 12th, 2 hr. sessions.

Has All Your Adult Desires, Open 7 Days A Week. 384-5760. SEEKING SEXY SINGLES. Listen & Reply to Ads FREE! Straight 208-345-8855. Gay/Bi 208-4722200. Use FREE Code 7343. Visit MegaMates.com, 18+. WHERE SINGLES MEET Browse & Respond FREE! Straight 208-3458855. Gay/Bi 208-472-2200. Use FREE Code 7261, 18+. WILD LOCAL DATELINE Listen & Respond FREE! 208-345-8855 Code 7262. 888.MegaMates. com 18+.

Call FUZZ for details, 605 Americana Blvd., 343-3899.

| COMMUNITY POSTINGS | CONNECTION SECTION |

BW I AM HERE RH this is AC. Looking for my ‘66 F100. Please contact me Allen Criswell 377-9760.

BW KISSES 8###=DB:8DB>C<444 Sugar, Please drop the restraining order and go to Homecoming with me. J. =Zn 8dajbW^V K^aaV\Z Get a Boise Weekly Card-www. boiseweekly.com-& eat some great pizza from Atza Pizza next to Albertson’s!

BW LOST BY THE MEPHAM GROUP ADHI 86EI6>C 6B:G>86 =:AB:I I lost my Dad’s Captain America Bell Motorcycle helmet on Saturday August 22nd at Tour De Fat in Ann Morrison. I set it down so I could be a part of the slow ride race. Please return it. Feel free to call me with any information. 406-529-3323. ADHI 9D< Lost Monday evening- Fairview and Five Mile- miniature English bulldog- looks similar to a pug. Fawn in color- one white leg. Her name is Frankie. She is very friendly. Call 914-0182.

CONNECTION SECTION BW ADULT ENTERTAINMENT BUYER BEWARE Whenever doing business by telephone or email proceed with caution when cash or credit is required in advance of services. Come Where Single Play. FREE w/code 5500 Call 208-287-0343. HOT GUYS! HOT CHAT! HOT FUN! Call 208-489-2162 or 800777-8000. FREE w/ code 2982. MEET HOT LOCAL GUYS Browse & Respond FREE! 208-472-2200, Code 5724. Visit MegaMates. com, 18+.

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MEDIUM | HARD | PROFESSIONAL |

Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit 1 to 9. For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit www.sudoku.org.uk. Go to www.boiseweekly.com and look under odds and ends for the answers to this week’s puzzle. And don’t think of it as cheating. Think of it more as simply doublechecking your answers. Š 2009 Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Media Services. All rights reserved.

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FREEW I L L ASTROLOGY BY ROB BREZSNY ARIES (March 21-April 19): Jonathan Lee Riches is renowned for filing numerous lawsuits in United States courts. Some of his targets are actual living people, like Martha Stewart, George W. Bush and Steve Jobs. But he has also gone after defendants like Nostradamus, Che Guevara, the Eiffel Tower, the ex-planet Pluto, the Holy Grail, the Appalachian Trail and the Garden of Eden. This would be a good time for you to draw inspiration from his example. I don’t mean that you should become a litigious fanatic, but rather that you should seek redress and vindication from those people, places and things that have not had your highest interests in mind. This could take the form of a humorous message, a compassionate prank or an odd gift. Remember, too, that old saying: Success is the best revenge. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): This would be an excellent time for you to learn how to brew your own beer (tinyurl.com/zteca) or build your own telescope (tinyurl.com/2yert5) or teach yourself how to operate a forklift (tinyurl.com/lgoyk5). Your ability to master practical new skills is at a peak, and your need to develop more selfreliance is more pressing than usual. Once you raise your confidence levels, you might even move on to more challenging tasks, like concocting your own home-made flu shot (tinyurl. com/kmchwx) or reconfiguring the way your brain works (tinyurl.com/lxhuap or tinyurl.com/ ns5vhv). GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Novelist James Patterson has signed a deal with a publisher to churn out 17 new books between now and the end of 2012. (By comparison, it took me six years to write my first book, nine years to write my second and five years for my third.) According to my reading of the astrological omens, you Geminis will have James Pattersonlike levels of fecundity for at least the next four weeks. I suggest you employ that good mojo to create a masterpiece or two. CANCER (June 21-July 22): As I gaze out the window of my home office, I see a vast wetland crossed by a creek that originates in the bay. At high tide, the creek is as wide as a river. At low tide, it’s as narrow as a village street. Sometimes it flows north vigorously, while at other times it surges south with equal force. Now and then it’s per fectly still. Its hues are a constantly mutating blend of gray, green, blue and brown, and at sundown and sunrise they’re joined by tinges of pink, purple and orange. As a Cancerian, I find this intimate spectacle to be both comforting and invigorating. It’s a reflection of my own ever-shifting moods, a reminder that I’m a water y creature whose fluidic changeability is natural and healthy. What I wish for you, my fellow Crab, is that in the coming week, you will also surround yourself with prompts that help you to be at peace with who you really are. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): What exactly is a “wild goose chase,” anyway? Does it refer to a frenetic and futile hunt for an elusive prey that’s never caught? Or might it also mean the meandering pursuit of a tricky quarr y that after many convoluted twists and turns results in success and generates a lot of educational fun along the way? Either definition could apply to your wild goose chase in the next three weeks, Leo. Which one will ultimately win out will probably depend on two things: 1. how well you detect the false leads you get; 2. how determined you are to be amused rather than frustrated by all the twists and turns. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Your time is up, Virgo. No further stalling will be allowed. We need your answer now: Will you or will you not take advantage of the messy but useful offer that is on the table? Don’t ask for an extension, because you ain’t getting one. Please take advantage of this chance to prove that you love yourself too much to get hoodwinked and abused by per fectionism. Be brave enough to declare your allegiance to the perspective articulated by the mathematician Henri Poincare: “There are no solved problems. There are only more-or-less solved problems.”

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): This is an excellent time to celebrate the pleasures of emptiness ... to extol the virtues of the blank slate ... to be open to endless possibilities but committed to none ... to bask in the freedom of not having to be anything, anyone or anywhere. Are you smart enough to need no motto to live by? Are you resourceful enough to rely on nothing but the raw truth of the present moment? If so, you will thrive in the coming days. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): During the dialogue about health care in the United States, certain highly relevant facts are never discussed. For example, it’s ludicrous for right-wingers to fear that a government-run health system would freshly infect our capitalist system with the stain of socialism. The truth is, America has long had the biggest socialist enterprise in the world: its sprawling military establishment, which is completely paid for by taxpayer dollars and run by the government. Another unacknowledged fact is this: The single smartest strategy for financing universal health care (as well as dramatically improving the economy) would be to reduce military expenditures. Americans don’t seem to realize that their monstrously huge military empire is a case of supreme overkill: It girdles the globe in ways that are unprecedented in the history of civilization. I bring this to your attention, Scorpio, to illustrate the way that a seemingly serious discussion can be thrown off course and rendered unproductive when it ignores critical information. Please make sure nothing like that happens in your personal sphere in the coming weeks. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In the coming weeks, your medicinal effect and your power to incite change will be peaking simultaneously. You may heal people by shaking their certainties or you may scare people as you motivate them to shed their lazy approaches. You could be a stringently benevolent force or a disruptive fixer of broken things. My only advice for you is to work hard to stay humble. The potency of your influence might tempt you to get full of yourself, and that would undermine the beauty of your impact. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): I’m embarrassed to confess that when I’m shopping for an herbal supplement I’ve never bought before, my choice is unduly influenced by how much I like the packaging. For example, I might opt for the brassy orange and white bottle with bold black lettering over the brand with the washedout blue-green color scheme and delicate purple font. I hope you won’t fall victim to any version of my folly, Capricorn. It’s especially important that you make your decisions based on a piercing analysis of the inner contents, not a super ficial sur vey of the outer display. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Study the following facts to derive oracular clues about your upcoming destiny. 1) Some bacteria are inimical to human beings, but others are friendly, like the creatures that inhabit your intestine and help you digest the food you eat. 2) There are snakes whose venom is poisonous in large doses but healing in small amounts. 3) The term “demon” is derived from the ancient Greek term “daimon,” which referred not to an evil supernatural being but to a benevolent guardian spirit that conferred blessings on a person. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): On the Web site Yahoo! Answers, readers pose questions that are answered by other readers who have expertise on the subject. In a recent entr y, a young woman asked, “Is there a spell to become a mermaid that actually works?” Of the more than 50 replies, most are snarky and mean, ridiculing the asker of the question and not a single one gives useful information. I encourage you to offer your own insight on the subject sometime soon. (Go to tinyurl.com/mdclt4.) You are now at the peak of your ability to act, think, feel, love and dream like a mythical sea creature. Homework: Take a guess about what your closest ally most needs to learn in order to be happier. Testify by going to freewillastrology.com and clicking on “E-mail Rob.”

IN ADDITION TO THIS COLUMN, ROB BREZSNY OFFERS EXPANDED WEEKLY AUDIO HOROSCOPES AND DAILY TEXT MESSAGE HOROSCOPES. TO BUY ACCESS, GO TO REALASTROLOGY.COM. THE AUDIO HOROSCOPES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE BY PHONE AT 1-877-873-4888 OR 1-900-950-7700.

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