Zac Reynolds, Director of National Advertising zac@timeslocalmedia.com
Story by Brian Smith
BAND OF BROTHERS: GENTLEMEN AFTERDARK MAKE ITS RETURN
We gather backstage and The Sweet’s glitter-pop anthem “Little Willy” blares inside the venue: “Dancing, glancing…drives them silly with his star shoe-shimmy shuffle down....” My children’s screeches and laughter bounce off the dark walls and Anvil road cases as they tear about, hair blurring together like a lemon-slushie flung into the air. This ain’t rock ’n’ roll, more like some kind of holy ablution infused on domestic tenderness; watching out for daughter Rickie’s already scraped knees, hoping our eldest Reece corrals little Zuzu’s unbalanced trot a few moments after she pulls off my pregnant wife’s boob to join the absconding action of her siblings.
Such reality surpasses my imagination. It is sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll, without the sex and drugs. This show, a reunion of my old band Gentlemen Afterdark, could have been an embarrassing mess if not for some embers still glowing in our guts and the eternal bond of unfulfilled dreams and euphoric remembrances. As our old mutual buddy Doug Hopkins once wrote, “The last horizons I could see are now resigned to memories, I never thought I’d still be here today.”
The old band got new life after Fervor Records took control of our dusty shoe-box catalog and our songs began appearing in TV and film. Notably, the Alice Cooper-produced tune “Open the Door” landed in its entirety on Netflix’s “Stranger Things,” reaching more than 100 million people. In the 1980s, Gentlemen Afterdark filled clubs and did dates with everyone from Culture Club and New Order to The Go-Go’s and Los Lobos. Here we are, three decades after expiration, in
a proper 1,800-seat venue, VIP amenities, inside the Gila River Casino outside Phoenix, on a bill with Modern English.
Finally, the full-throttle notes of our extended entrance song “Promises” roar through. The children nestle into mom’s arms.
Us six band members huddle side stage, dedicate the show to the fall-
“Renfield” Nelson (suicide). But not guitar tech Arlo, tonight he’s tireless and resplendent in a Fu Manchu and the eternal wrenched élan of Keith Richards, like some flower-print pincushion pulled from the bottom of a dusty sewing box. And that is meant in an entirely beautiful way.
All that’s left is the memory, the music, one-third of the equation. A hop and a hip swivel into my old life, one I’d begun to believe had never existed, so solid the feeling of disassociation, of unlearning and then relearning how to live, stone-cold sober and without the music. But none of it was pointless, none of it without near-death experiences, losses of innocence and loved ones, my personal addictions, the joys, the yarns and wisdoms gleamed. Eleven years in that band and we could’ve all earned sociology doctorates, but, alas, there were no assignments to document our failures.
Thinking back, the band was a process; based on something that felt like a social misinterpretation. Personally, I was absolutely demoralized in the face of anyone with confidence and eaten alive by inhibition, overly self-conscious of my being. In a weird way, I guess, it is why I became a frontman, an easy, reductive persona based on romantic ideas of Jagger and Bowie. It was a new, mad absorption, beyond the point of nervousness and into a free, permissive state. I dedicated myself 24 hours a day, seven days a week to being a rock ’n’ roll frontman for two decades in long-term bands, Gentlemen Afterdark and later Beat Angels. It crippled at the same time because I never really had to approach anybody in any real way. It is also amped-up despair and self-hatred and led me to drink and drugs. When it all fizzled out, real life, replete with pure human interactions, came on in a cavalcade of sucker-punches.
Unbeknownst to me, through the entryway of music and therefore “art,” I was beginning a ride that would eventually lead me, however terrified, on some kind of creative writer’s life. It nearly killed me, but it also saved, leading me to my wife and our children. Always loved the Budd Schulberg bit from his novel “The Disenchanted” about how a writer or artist “should build slowly through his 20s, start maturing in his 30s and reach his peak in his 50s or 60s.”
en ones: bassists Fred Cross, Kevin Pate and Paul Cardone, drummer Jon Norwood. In the moment I think of our old road crew, mostly all dead now, soured livers or too much hard road, Nino Notaro, Greg Cox, Jon Suskin, our first manager Brian
The stage and the audience thrums with newfound energy, the hips swing, the arms lift; works like the unconscious, a rhythmic act of breathing.
The men of Gentlemen Afterdark were all from middle- or lower-class backgrounds, and all steadfast and pugnacious in our antipathy to real life. We aped styles of our heroes and, in my mind, it was a means of escape; the Clash, Bowie and Alice, Roxy Music, early Japan, Stones, Dolls, The Slits and the Pistols were all stylish motherfuckers, glam in a truer street/ performance sense, and dressing how we dressed was a deterrent, gender-bending and subversive as hell, especially in Arizona all through the ’80s and ’90s. The ’80s were a terrible decade to play through. We were laughed at and had our lives threated anywhere we went. Affirming our personality crises in the face of ab-
GENTLEMEN AFTERDARK. FROM LEFT: BARRY SMITH, STUART SMITH, WINSTON A. WATSON JR., BRIAN SMITH, HARRY MCCALEB AND ROBIN JOHNSON. (CLIFF GREEN/CONTRIBUTOR)
By Laura Latzko Tucson Weekly Staff
University High School student North Zhang, a high achiever with varied interests, won’t have to worry about massive debt when she graduates from college.
This spring, she was among 20 students awarded the Flinn Scholarship, a merit-based scholarship that provides a full-ride to a public Arizona university.
Zhang plans to attend the UA in the
The Flinn Scholarship, which is valued at more than $130,000, covers the costs of tuition, housing, meals and at least two study abroad experiences.
Zhang said she is honored to be one of the scholarship recipients, but she is still processing it all.
“I’m still in shock, to be honest. It still hasn’t quite set in. It’s quite a big thing. It pays four years of college,” Zhang said.
The scholarship also includes mentorship and networking opportunities, social and cultural activities, membership to the school of choice’s honors college and participation in the Flinn Scholars community.
More than 1,000 applications were received last October for the scholarships. Students went through multiple interviews after submitting applications and essays.
Zhang said during the interview process, she was asked questions designed to get to know her better.
“I think it’s just as much about personality as it is about on-paper
achievement,” Zhang said.
The scholarship recipients had the choice of attending ASU, NAU and UA.
“Flinn is all about improving life in Arizona. We are an investment because they are going to give young people money so they can go and make the world better, specifically in Arizona,” Zhang said.
Zhang said UA appealed to her as she wanted to stay close to her four guinea pigs. The oldest of two siblings, she plans to double major in nursing and English.
For two months before senior year, she shadowed at a dermatology clinic. She was introduced to bandaging and surgery.
Zhang is also interested in public policy and computer science, which she would like to explore more in college through classes and clubs.
Her parents encouraged her to pursue math. Ironically, she was interested in every other subject. However, they taught her the importance of
LEARN TUCSON’S UNVARNISHED HISTORY ON THESE TOURS
By Karen Schaffner Tucson Weekly Staff
Mauro Trejo is down to give the dirty truth on his walking tours. Don’t expect any whitewashed history here.
“I’m not afraid to offend anyone,” Trejo said.
Take, for example, well-heeled Barrio Viejo, once called Barrio Libre.
“This was Libre and they called it Libre because they say it was a free zone where no police would come,” Trejo said. “Basically, this was a crime-ridden place where you could expect to be stabbed at any point.”
Maybe “they” had a point.
“In 1870, a rancher by the name of Juan Oliveros gets involved in a love triangle, and he’s killed,” Trejo said. “They bury him in unconsecrated ground. The (Catholic) church wants nothing to do with him, so the people in the neighborhood start coming out and placing candles for him, making prayers for his soul, and eventually it just became a place for people to come out and worship.”
It’s El Tiradito, a “shrine” next door to El Minuto Cafe on South Main Street, Downtown.
Hear the rest of the story — and it’s juicy — on Trejo’s walking tour of Barrio Viejo. The jaunts, which run even in the summer, also feature the Santa Cruz River Walking Tour and Tucson History Walking Tour. Custom tours are available, too. Cost varies.
Learn the unvarnished history of the Old Pueblo with Trejo, who is a proud seventh-generation Tucsonan.
The histories of Trejo’s family and Tucson are intertwined, and he loves it. Out of that love came Trejo’s Walking Tours, the Real History of Tucson.
Trejo became interested in Tucson’s history in large part because of his grandfather, who had plenty of his
own tales to tell.
On his Barrio Viejo tour, Trejo describes “the background of the city, the history, the significance of the neighborhood and why it means what it means.”
For example, people have been inhabiting the Tucson area for about 4,000 years, Trejo said. At that time, it was an agricultural community. Why? “We had perennial water here; the Santa Cruz River used to flow year-round.”
These were not the first people here. Trejo said there is evidence of a population of Paleo-Indians from 13,000 years ago.
To understand Barrio Viejo, though, is to understand Tucson’s history. This is the neighborhood where Trejo’s grandfather was born; the house still stands and is occupied.
Lalo Guerrero, who strongly influenced Latin-American musicians, was also born here. Linda Ronstadt’s grandmother performed at Teatro Carmen, another Barrio Viejo landmark; it’s being restored.
“Really, if there’s anything that represents the birthplace of the culture of modern Tucson, what is good about us, it is this neighborhood,” Trejo said. “Maybe not today, but it was born out of this place. This was a multicultural estuary where people came together from different cultures and races.”
In the 1880s through the 1920s, Barrio Viejo was about 80% Mexican, the other 20% included Chinese, African American, German, French, Basque and even one lone person from Puerto Rico, Trejo said.
“All these different races come together here whereas Anglo Tucson developed north and east, and this division becomes a little clearer after the arrival of the railroads in the
1880s,” Trejo added.
Trejo does not have children and isn’t likely to, so it was suggested that this important Tucson legacy will die with him.
“Well, not if I can pass it on in the tours and talks and sharing the history of Tucson,” he said.
Trejo’s Walking Tours, the Real History of Tucson
trejostucson.com
mauro@trejostucson.com 520-329-2639
TREJO’S WALKING TOUR OF BARRIO VIEJO BEGINS AT EL TIRADITO, THE ALLEGED BURIAL PLACE OF JUAN OLIVERAS, WHO WAS MURDERED AFTER BEING DISCOVERED IN A LOVER’S TRIANGLE. (KAREN SCHAFFNER/STAFF)
CURRENTS LOCAL GOLD STAR FAMILIES HONORED WITH MEMORIAL, PARK
By Karen Schaffner Tucson Weekly Staff
Agifted athlete, Christopher Moon was an active kid who rode BMX bikes.
Christopher was an artist and a good student. By all reports he was a bright light, a natural leader. One thing about him, he always wanted to be a soldier.
Christopher graduated from Tucson High School and attended one semester at the UA. Then he enlisted in the Army. He served with the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division and was a sniper with the 2508 Parachute Infantry Regiment.
His mother, Marsha Moon, knew he would enlist. She also knew she wouldn’t have her son for long. It wasn’t easy to admit, but it was always there.
“I don’t know if moms have this connection with their kids, (but) even when he was a child and growing up, I always had this sense, and I didn’t like it, but I had a sense,” she said. “It’s like, why do I feel like I’m not going to have him that long? It was something that I didn’t like thinking about. Well, you worry about your children, but for some reason, more so him than anything.”
She was right; she didn’t have him long. He deployed to Afghanistan, where he was shot at daily. The enemy knew he was a sniper.
On July 5, 2010, just days before he turned 20, Christopher was severely injured. He stepped on a remote-detonated IED, the Army said, that went off beneath him. He fought for a week but on July 13, 2010, Christopher died and Marsha’s
family — husband, Brian, sister, Sunday Lewis, and niece Semira Moon — became a Gold Star family.
On the corner of South Richey Boulevard and South Palo Verde Road sits Veterans Gold Star Family Park where May 30, under a brilliant sun, a memorial to Tucson’s own Gold Star families was dedicated. Marsha served on the committee
are honorary board members of the Gold Star Family Memorial Monument and a co-chair of the seven-person committee that brought the memorial to Tucson.
At least one committee member must belong to a Gold Star family. For this committee the duty fell to Marsha.
The park promises to be a meaningful place not just for Tucson residents but for the families who have given all.
“(It’s) a place where we Gold Star families can hold events, a place to go to have a solemn place to remember our loved one,” Marsha said in her public acceptance of the memorial. “We will never get to hold our loved ones but we can gather together and hold each other, shed tears, laugh and share stories.”
The memorial and park came about with the help of the Pima County Board
responsible for completing the park and black granite memorial monument.
“A Gold Star family is a family who has lost a son, a daughter, a spouse, a sister, an uncle, aunt either killed in the war or died of injuries sustained in war,” said Barbara Brownlie, who along with Dave Faulkner
of Supervisors and the Woody Williams Foundation of Louisville, Kentucky, its mission to build a Gold Star Memorial every 50 miles, according to Brownlie. Pima County provided the park and a matching grant of $125,000.
“(Pima County) had a two-phase proj-
ect there,” Brownlie said. “They finished phase one and they ran out of money for phase two. When our project came on board two years ago, they were partnering with us, and they would do a matching grant, so they gave us the land and they did all the vendors and the basic concrete work for us. We just came in with the memorial and put it on their property.”
Other donations came from private citizens and several Tucson businesses.
Vietnam veteran Robert Ortiz came to the dedication to remember his brother, Antonio Ortiz, a lieutenant junior grade helicopter pilot in the U.S. Navy. He was shot down over southern Vietnam.
Antonio Ortiz grew up in Douglas. According to Robert, his brother worked very hard and it paid off when he became a pilot.
“He studied hard to get to where he got to be, and unfortunately, everything came to an end on Dec. 19, 1970,” Robert said, “but he had a big dream on his mind, and he accomplished his dream. He wanted to be a Navy pilot and he worked hard for it, and he got to be one.”
The dedication included a flyover by the Arizona Air National Guard, a presentation of colors by the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base Honor Guard and a rendition of “Taps” by Dan Pinda of Bugles Across America.
Gold Star families hope the community will avail themselves of the park and its memorial monument.
“Our community came together to donate and build a memorial for Gold Star families; our country has not forgotten them,” Brownlie said.
“We hope you, too, will spend time here, bring others and family members and share what a Gold Star family is and to honor our fallen heroes,” Marsha said.
“It would be worth the time to come and see (the memorial), look at it, think about it; it can speak to you,” Robert said.
THE DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE HONOR GUARD PRESENTED THE COLORS.
(KAREN SCHAFFNER/STAFF)
TUCSON MUSEUM SHOWCASES THE STATE’S BEST ARTISTS
By Veronica Kuffel Tucson Weekly Staff
For Julie Sasse, chief curator at the Tucson Museum of Art, summer is the time to highlight some of the best artists in Arizona. It’s this focus on local art that has helped establish the museum as a southwestern cultural mecca.
“(Museums) seemed to feel they had to go outside the region to show New York or Chicago artists because that was the important stuff,” Sasse said. “That idea is over, people are saying the art right in front of us is valid, it’s important.”
The Tucson Museum of Art showcases emerging Arizona artists through Oct. 1 as part of its renowned Biennial Exhibition. The gallery not only allows artists
to exhibit their work within the museum but for many, it’s their public debut.
“The Biennial Exhibition is a chance for these artists to get noticed,” Sasse explained, “instead of waiting years to maybe have somebody discover them.”
In this year’s 37th exhibition, more than 400 artists submitted their work and the museum narrowed its final selection to 56. Of the chosen applicants, 68 pieces were put on display in the James and Louise Glasser Gallery and the Chann Gallery.
Sasse noted this year’s works reflect the search for a sense of place.
“There’s a real self-awareness that we live in a really unique environment and
a unique place positioned at the border,” Sasse said. “They’re maybe not so much seeing themselves solely as an artist in the world… but they are attuned to what’s affecting them directly. I find that very interesting.”
Would you honor someone special? You can be a Guardian Angel for your loved one or another selfless hero who is important in your life. We broke ground in March 2023. Every donation makes a di erence. The Arizona Heroes Memorial is seeking your support to act as a Guardian Angel to complete this project. Thank you for considering our request for support.
THIS YEAR’S BIENNIAL EXHIBITION DISPLAYS OVER 50 EMERGING ARTISTS ACROSS ARIZONA. (VERONICA KUFFEL/STAFF)
CURRENTS
LOW-COST VET PRACTICE TO OPEN LOCATION
By Tucson Weekly Staff
After finding success with its mobile practice, Dr. Kelly’s Surgical Unit, will open its first brick-and-mortar location in Tucson in July.
The new facility at 8860 E. Broadway Boulevard will have the capacity to complete 60 to 80 surgeries per day, focusing on low-cost operations such as dental work, spays and neuters, mass and tumor removals and bladder stones.
DR. KELLY’S SURGICAL UNIT WAS FOUNDED IN 2016 BY DR. KELLY PATRIQUIN AND DOUG PATRIQUIN, WHO SOUGHT TO ESTABLISH A VETERINARY CLINIC THAT COULD SERVE MORE PETS. (DR. KELLY’S SURGICAL UNIT/SUBMITTED)
“Our business strategy was created to provide worried parents with a reliable location for their pets’ care,” said Douglas Patriquin, co-owner and chief executive officer of Dr. Kelly’s Surgical Unit.
vides an extensive surgical prep area, large surgical areas that accommodate two doctors and a recovery area for post-operative care. Each doctor can perform more than 18 surgeries per day.
Dr. Kelly’s Surgical Unit was founded in 2016 by Dr. Kelly Patriquin and Doug Patriquin, who sought to establish a veterinary clinic that could serve more pets. Since its inception, the clinic has performed more than 100,000 pet surgeries, assisted over 150,000 clients, and served at least 80 pet rescue organizations. The clinic expanded by 60% in 2022, 50% in 2021, and 160% in the previous three years. In 2023, they will see another 50% increase while adding two to three more locations, including the Broadway Boulevard practice.
Dr. Kelly’s Surgical Unit
Opening in July 8860 E. Broadway Boulevard at Camino Seco, Tucson drkellysvet.com
Dr. Kelly’s Surgical Unit has six doctors, five in Arizona. The practice pro-
“We take great pride in offering treatments and procedures at just a third of the typical price so that more pets can receive the high-quality care that they deserve.”
INDOOR VENDOR MARKET
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Find high-quality, one-of-a-kind items, and support your community while shopping sustainably. Mark your calendars and prepare for a dazzling shopping experience. Don't miss this opportunity to connect, support local businesses, and find something special. See you there!
SANDS CLUB
solute intolerance and blind compliance.
We had five rehearsals in the days leading up to the reunion, inside Tucson’s fetching, vintage-tinged Dust and Stone recording studio. Our drummer Winston and his band XIXA, graciously allowed us in. The sessions were basically awful. Barry’s car broke down in Phoenix driving down from his isolated highway-side place in Northern Arizona, missing rehearsal time. It didn’t matter. On electric violin and other instruments, my brother is close to genius. All he does is play, sometimes busking streets for coin.
I hadn’t really sung in years, hard time remembering lyrics, the naïve stabs at sadnesses as most were, and had zero control over my voice. My wife, who rises with our young children at sunup, had trouble waiting up for me to return at night. How rock ‘n’ roll. Also, gear snafus, shrugging apologies following a near-fistfight or two, a childhood trauma coming out to play, logistics shrouded in shitty
SCHOLARSHIP FROM PAGE 5
being financially responsible.
“I’m pretty money-conscious because my parents were immigrants,” says Zhang, whose parents are from China.
“I grew up pretty poor because my dad was still in college and couldn’t work yet because he didn’t have a permit. When I got of age to go to college, I was like what can we do so that I don’t have to pay a cent?”
She has been involved in a variety of extracurricular activities. Since eighth grade, she has participated in Science Olympiad, serving as vice president of her school’s club this year. Her areas of focus were anatomy, forestry and bridge building. The club taught her how to work with a team.
“It’s really nice to be able to work together with so many people,” she said. “In each event, you have a different partner and then you compete collectively as a team. I’ve learned a lot from being able to collaborate with
communication, and so on. Hey, just like the early days.
The skinny, intelligent Winston A. Watson Jr., is as he always was, a comic fill with a bat’s ear for drama, regaling us with stories as drummer for Dylan, MC5, and others, a rational inflection with a gifted raconteur’s command of the language, all upheld absurdly by his strange left-brain expertise as a studio designer and electrician. Winston rolled in from Los Angeles, where he divides his time with Tucson when not touring.
My calm, better-looking younger brother Stuart, who lives in Brighton, U.K., flew in from Mexico City. Stuart creates real-time onstage graphics for arena and stadium shows on world tours, and works with everyone from Enrique Iglesias to Ed Sheeran to Green Day. After Gentleman Afterdark split up, his band Super J. Lounge signed to U.K. indie giant Creation Records, made a brilliant album. I always felt safe with Stuart and Barry as siblings, and when Stu stands to my right, low-slung guitar, legs akimbo, we are back in our family living room, having our heads
people.”
Zhang also served as secretary for her school’s paper, The UHS Perspective. She has always loved writing, which has led to other interests.
“The thing about writing is you can’t just like writing because what are you going to write about?” Zhang said. “You have to get into so many different things, meet so many different people and learn so many things. Inspiration just exists in everything.”
She has received many awards for writing. This includes a national silver medal from the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards for a piece of flash fiction she wrote.
She also plays badminton and piano and draws in her spare time. Many of her drawings are for her stories.
Greek mythology is another point of interest. This year, she and her friend started a podcast called “Sober Mythology,” which is dedicated to the topic.
With the Flinn Scholarship, she is excited about traveling abroad. Greece is at the top of her list.
blown off by Ramones and Sex Pistols.
Fill-in bassist Harry McCaleb, a guitarist first, picked up the bass for this show, learned the parts and held down the role with aplomb. We knew Harry from Phoenix, decades ago, he played in Algebra Ranch, Undertow, Crushed. He is quiet, and funny when he opens his mouth. He is one of those guys who seems to see all, know all, and say little.
Robin Johnson, who lives in Tucson, is so precise he is the band’s de facto musical director, born to be a rock ‘n’ roll guitar hero, appears tired at rehearsal from his day job, and whatever kneecapping variables life is tossing his way.
Despite years apart, even away from my two brothers, it shocks how little we’ve become strangers. As kids in the band, we cried, promised, forgave and carried one another in our pockets. So we put together 40 minutes of old songs. ***
Folks arrived from all over to see us, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, even
“I love meeting people, making new connections and learning new things. I think one of the best ways to do that is to take that opportunity, see the world and meet people in different countries,” Zhang said.
She helped her classmates through the APUSH club, which was designed specifically to help students with AP U.S. history, one of the hardest subjects at her school.
For a time, she was part of the school’s musical theater appreciation club. She took theater class as well, but she eventually didn’t have room for it in her schedule.
She continues to enjoy musical theater, like “Wicked,” “Hamilton,” “Six,” “Mean Girls” and “Frankenstein: The Musical.”
Academically, Zhang has taken most of the advanced placement (AP) courses in high school.
Two of her favorite subjects have been English and science, especially classes such as biology.
University High School is a National Blue Ribbon School and was
Ireland. Countless beautiful faces from the past crammed to the front of the stage. The years suddenly bottleneck and spout forth like one of the million free long-neck Buds we downed years ago in the bars, this one shaken and aimed. Yet, it felt larger, I suppose, beyond nostalgia. Corny as it sounds, it was as if we connected to some complex emotional or psychological energy that could only pass through us. No, the stage is not absolutely trashed when we finish the set. I am not broken and bleeding. We are miraculously able to pull this off as aging men mostly in suits, so a natural human restraint played favor.
Dated as it is, rock ‘n’ roll was meant as a kid’s game. So, indeed, with my children and pregnant wife at the side of the stage, watching, laughing, pointing out their uncles, a kind of life-affirming alchemy arose in the moments.
The band will perform its last reunion Labor Day weekend in Tucson, HOCO Fest at Club Congress. Date and time TBA.
ranked as one of the top 20 schools nationwide by U.S. News and World Report.
To get into the school, students need to apply, achieve certain test and grade point criteria. They take the Cognitive Abilities Test, a timed aptitude test measuring verbal, quantitative and nonverbal skills.
Zhang said with all of the academically gifted students at her school, she’s thrilled to be chosen as a Flinn Scholar.
“We have so many brilliant people. It’s honestly astounding. I love interacting with them all. It’s really surprising I got as far as I did with the Flinn Scholarship. I’m really grateful to have this opportunity,” Zhang said. Zhang said as a member of the Flinn Scholars community, she can interact and network with other higher achievers.
“One of the best parts is getting to meet the other scholars. They are all so motivated, so talented and so skilled,” Zhang said.
Many pieces comment on the physical, emotional and spiritual impacts of the southwestern landscape, with two recurring topics: the U.S.-Mexico borderland and human interactions with the environment. Other themes include the impact of the Covid pandemic, migration, labor automation and political polarization.
All work is depicted through a variety of media and materials, including painting, fiber works, sculptures and electronics. Many artworks feature distinctly Sonoran creativity; a presidential speech is portrayed as a mound of individually cut-out letters.
“They put their hearts into these works,” Sasse said of this year’s artists. “They’re thinking, they’re observing and distilling it into something that’s beautiful or into something you can’t take your mind off of. That’s to me where the good artists rise above because they do stop you in your tracks.”
Every year, the museum chooses a juror from outside of Arizona to judge hundreds of artist entries. Staff organ-
ized every work into a presentation, and the selection process took a whole day to complete.
This year’s juror is Taína Caragol, curator of painting, sculpture and Latinx art and history at the National Portrait Gallery. She works to uplift Latinx and Latin American art into the public sphere and recover stories and history suppressed through colonialism.
“I thought she would be perfect, especially with our strong representation of Latinx artists,” Sasse explained. “These curators are highly trained. For the most part, they’ve seen so much art they know what is going to make an impact.”
Along with the exhibition, the Tucson Museum of Art hosts a lecture series for artists to discuss their work. The final lecture is 5:30 p.m. Sept. 7 in the Stonewall Community Foundation Room.
The museum is open Thursday-Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The first Thursday of every month will have free entry from 5-8 p.m.
Sasse is excited to feature so many emerging artists in this year’s Biennial Exhibition. She noted the work of Arizo-
na creatives, from local to international origins, will continue to awe the world for some time to come.
“It’s been so gratifying to help share with people that people from the Southwest aren’t just ‘cowboys and indigenous’ but it’s people from Vietnam, from Guinea, from all over and they’re doing very interesting work,” Sasse said. “It keeps the art vital, to have that diversity of all kinds.”
WHEN: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Oct. 1
WHERE: 140 N. Main Avenue, Tucson
COST: $7 to $12 (free every first Thursday)
INFO: tucsonmuseumofart.org
M-F 11:30am to 2:30pm & 5pm to 10pm Sat 12pm to 10pm Sun 12pm to 9pm shoguntucson.com
THIS YEAR’S BIENNIAL EXHIBITION DISPLAYS OVER 50 EMERGING ARTISTS ACROSS ARIZONA. (VERONICA KUFFEL/STAFF)
By Linda Ray Tucson Weekly Columnist
TUCSON SAGUAROS BASEBALL
The Tucson Saguaros play their first home games of 2023 over the next three weekends, giving fans nine opportunities to have fun. June 8 to June 10, they play the Roswell Invaders. June 9 to June 11 they host the Alpine Cowboys and June 16 to June 18 they compete against the Austin Weirdos, both of Texas. The Tucson Saguaros play in the Pecos League Mountain Division, which includes teams in New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma. Their 2022 season record was 348, following a 32-23 season in 2021.
7 p.m. Thursday, June 8, Friday, June 9, and Saturday, June 10, Kino Sports Complex, 2500 E. Ajo Way, Tucson, saguarosbaseball.com, $10
LOS NUEVOS REYES DEL REGGAETON
Reggae music was born when Jamaican workers on the Panama Canal connected their “mento” mash up of African and European sounds with those of the Spanish-speaking culture of their new surroundings. They underscored the mélange with distinctively characteristic syncopation. From Panama, the new sound made its way to Puerto Rico and, all these generations later, it continues to find new fans.
9 p.m. Friday, June 9, Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress Street, Tucson, rialtotheatre.com, $18
FC TUCSON SOCCER CAMP
FC Tucson and FC Tucson Youth will host a two-day soccer camp this weekend for players ages 4 to 14. The event promises memorable mentoring by soccer pros to help young players’ take their games to the next level. All registered kids also will receive a free official FC Tucson T-shirt and a ticket voucher for any upcoming FC Tucson home match.
9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 10 and Sunday, June 11, Kino North Stadium, 2817 E. Ajo Way, Tucson, fctucson.com, tickets start at $75
BIOSPHERE 2
BIOSPHERE II WALKS US THROUGH BIOMES AROUND THE WORLD. (BIOSPHERE/SUBMITTED)
We may have experienced an earlier iteration of the Biosphere as something like a passive “zoo” of biomes, but now the focus is on climate change and sustainability research. Interdisciplinary scientists from all over are there, exploring ways to “increase resilience and sustainability of Earth systems and human quality of life.” Biosphere 2’s ecosystems under glass include the world’s largest controlled tropical rain forest, desert, savanna, mangrove, and ocean biomes. Eye-popping facts: 7.2 million cubic feet are sealed within 6,500 windows. Those systems have now seen 30 years of evolution. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, Biosphere 2, 32540 S. Biosphere Road, Tucson, biosphere2.org/visit/visit-biosphere-2, $25, reservation recommended, find a virtual tour on the site
JUNIOR BROWN
Cottonwood native Junior Brown was a guitar prodigy, sitting in with Bo Diddley in his teens. Next to Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page, he may be the best-known double-neck player in the world today, but it must be noted that Cheap Trick’s Rick Nielsen has played a six-neck. Do necks matter? When it comes to driving the rockabilly sound, there is no contest. Brown’s guitar sound is a Cadillac Coup de Ville. Monterey Court regulars Mark Insley and the Broken Angels open.
7:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 14, Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W. Congress Street, foxtucson.com, tickets start at $20
ARIZONA THEATRE COMPANY: “THE LEGEND OF GEORGIA MCBRIDE”
day, June 12, to Friday, June 16, Tucson Village Farm, 4210 N. Campbell Avenue, Tucson, tucsonvillagefarm.arizona.edu/camps, $275
FST: “MOTHER OF ALL SHOWS”
When FST (Female Storytellers) invited submissions for their May storytelling event around Mother’s Day, they inspired more entries than any other in the organization’s history. The topic? “Mothers and Others.” Their invitation suggested stories about anything the theme inspired, including, besides the obvious, “maybe you just like that MILF song from that guy on TikTok.” When judges winnowed down the entries, they determined they needed a “Part Two” at their next event. We will hear the best of the rest in their June show. Proceeds benefit “Reach for the Stars.” The organization promotes using astronomy for mental health.
7 p.m. Tuesday, June 13, FST, The Rock, 136 N. Park Avenue, Tucson, fstorytellers.com, $10
“STARTUP 101”
Big hearted and hilarious, this broad and flashy musical comedy sees its protagonist through a series of calamities, including losing his gig, and nearly losing his home, when his wife has a baby on the way. What to do? The play follows his evolution from a cocky, spangled Elvis impersonator to an endearing, show-stopping drag queen. “The Legend of Georgia McBride” is racy, cheeky and sparkly as can be with inspired song and dance numbers and a story that dissolves assumptions with good humor and brassy charm. Various days and times through Saturday, June 24, Temple of Music and Art, 330 S. Scott Avenue, Tucson, atc.org, tickets start at $25
ART ON THE FARM CAMP
In this first-time offering by Tucson Village Farm, kids ages 8 to 10 get to make art with food, just like we taught them not to do in their highchairs. They’ll create a flower focaccia, paint watercolors inspired by the Children’s Garden, learn a West African harvest
“THE LEGEND OF GEORGIA MCBRIDE” IS THE HERO STORY OF AN ELVIS IMPERSONATOR TURNED DRAG QUEEN. (ARIZONA THEATRE COMPANY/SUBMITTED)
This virtual event is for anyone thinking of taking their first steps toward starting that business. Startup Tucson, a Tucson nonprofit, introduces simple, best practices for starting a business, building a foundation for success and streamlining all the planning and paperwork. Importantly, the organization also offers the ongoing support and companionship of others on the same path through workshops and social events, both in person and online. 3 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, June 13, online, register at startuptucson.com/calendar, free
CAFÉ AT THE KATIE
dance, carve an ice sculpture and more. Healthy snacks are included. Tucson Village Farm is a “seed-to-table” program working to reconnect youngsters to a healthy food system. It’s a program of the Pima County Cooperative Extension and the University of Arizona. Session 1, 8 a.m. to noon daily, Mon-
Pima Council on Aging offers a safe and welcoming opportunity for people living with memory loss to socialize. Friends, family and caregivers all are welcome at these events, which feature a relaxed environment and activities designed to engage guests’ interests and abilities. Register in advance. 10 to 11 a.m. Wednesday, June 14, and every other Wednesday, PCOA Katie Dusenberry Healthy Aging Center 600 S. Country Club Road, pcoa.org/calendar, free
JUNIOR BROWN IS A HONKY-TONK VIRTUOSO OF THE DOUBLE-NECK GUITAR. (JUNIOR BROWN/SUBMITTED)
LAUGHING STOCK
‘THE SWITCH’ IS BACK WITH COMEDIAN MATT ZIEMAK
By Linda Ray Tucson Weekly Columnist
One of Tucson’s longest-running comedy shows will be back in the mix starting Monday, June 19, at Hotel Congress, home of “Retro Game Show” and “Lady Ha Ha.” Tucson comedy veteran Matt Ziemak will host the return of “The Switch” — the first comedy show he was invited to perform on more than a decade ago.
The source of “The Switch’s” enduring popularity is audience participation. Audience members submit prompts via text to the show’s phone number. Hosts pick the best and the toughest ones and guest comedians must make up jokes about them on the spot.
The energy and spontaneity tend to trip up the featured comedians in hilarious ways. Standup comedians are forced to work in the moment, and improvisers must channel their humor without the support of an ensemble.
In an updated twist from earlier iterations of the show, Ziemak said that audience members who want to try the game can drop their names in a bucket for a chance to take the stage themselves.
Ziemak isn’t exactly sure when “The Switch” began or who started it. An early organizer, Pauly Casillas, handed the project over to him before the pandemic. The Facebook page that Ziemak inherited with the job started in 2012.
three-minute set. He wasn’t allowed anywhere that people were drinking.
“I loved comedy since I was a kid, and eventually, I worked up the courage to do it,” Ziemak said. At the time, he worked at a yogurt shop where a coworker said that he, too, wanted to try standup. The co-worker dropped out after a couple of shows, but Ziemak pressed on as a regular.
Reflecting on his early years in comedy, he said, “I think when you start comedy, you think you know it all, but there’s a lot of good info if you’re willing to accept it.”
“In the beginning, you’re kind of doing an impression of what you think standup comedy is,” Ziemak said. “Then eventually you start delving into topics that are more specific to your interests. That’s how you find your voice and who you are. I think over the years you just kind of figure it out.”
LAUGHINGSTOC
In a new development since Ziemak started, some now enter the scene with stage-ready sets they created in standup classes at Tucson Improv Movement. But Ziemak stressed the importance of welcoming feedback from more experienced comics. “The scene has just continued to grow,” he said, “Which is good, because you get a good perspective from a lot of people.”
club owners, and they’ll bring in people who aren’t even necessarily standups. They’re the video makers of Instagram and TikTok, and these people sell out the club instantly because they just have a crazy following.”
It would be another year before Ziemak stepped onto a comedy stage. He was just two months shy of 21 when he mustered the nerve to go to his first open mic at Laff’s Comedy Caffe. That night, and almost every Thursday night for two months, he sat in the green room before and after his
Even as the local scene has grown, Ziemak noted that the environment for comedy has changed radically. “I think comedy’s a little different now,” he said. “You don’t necessarily have to live in other places to have the opportunity to have a strong connection with folks you met online.
“There are a million comics, but there’s no shortage of audience online,” he said. “I’ve talked to a bunch of
Meanwhile, new comics are turning up at a dozen independent local open mics, and in record numbers at the Thursday open mic at Laff’s Comedy Caffe. Similarly, although “The Switch” was once one of only two or three independent shows where a new comic could perform, now there’s at least one show nearly every week.
Asked to describe how he felt about his onstage debut at “The Switch,” Ziemak couldn’t have been more candid. “I was pretty bad, I think,” he said. And now he owns it.
The lineup for the June 19 show includes Jacob Breckenridge, Joe Tullar, Jesus Otamendi, Zo, Chris Quinn and Anthony Jenkins, plus an audience member or two drawn from the bucket. Sharing the hosting will be Autumn Horvat, host of the open mic at Mr. Heads on the last Wednesday of every month.
MORE VENUE SWITCHES IN TUCSON’S COMEDY SCENE
Rich Gary reboots his popular “Comedy Roast Battle” at 8 p.m. Saturday, June 10, at The Rock, 136 N. Park Avenue. The show pits comedians against each other in a bracket.
MATT ZIEMAK HOSTS “THE SWITCH” AT HOTEL CONGRESS. (MATT ZIEMAK/SUBMITTED)
The audience decides who slammed the others the hardest, and Paul Fox will defend his crown. Tickets are $10 in advance via therealrichgarycomedy. ticketleap.com. Look for “Battle at the Rock: A Comedy Roast Battle.” Rebecca Tingley will host a new, 7 p.m. Tuesday mic at Bumsted’s, 1003 N. Stone Avenue. Comedians will get 5-minute sets. She and Paul Fox previously hosted the “Blazed and Amused” open mic at Arte Bella.
OTHER SHOWS THIS WEEK
Coyote Trail Stage, 8000 N. Silver-
bell Road, 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 9, maranalaughs.com/shop, Marana Laughs Clean Comedy, tickets start at $10, Ron Morey, Hollywood improviser and Las Vegas regular, known for anecdotes, characters, impressions and physicality.
Laff’s Comedy Caffe, 2900 E. Broadway Boulevard. 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Friday, June 9, and 7 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday, June 10, laffstucson.com, $15, $20 preferred seating. Patrick Garrity, “The Never-Ending Tour.”
Tucson Improv Movement/TIM Comedy Theatre, 414 E. Ninth Street, tucsonimprov.com, $7 each show,
$10 for both shows, same night, free jam and open mic.7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 8, “Harold Eta” and “Shatfan;” 8:30 p.m. open mic; 6:30 p.m. Friday, June 9, improv jam; 7:30 p.m. “The Soapbox”; 9 p.m. Improv vs. Stand Up; 7:30 p.m. fan;” 8:30 p.m. open mic; 6:30 p.m. Friday, June 9, improv jam; 7:30 p.m. “The Soapbox”; 9 p.m. Improv vs. Stand Up; 7:30 p.m.
REBECCA TINGLEY HOSTS A NEW OPEN MIC AT BUMSTED’S. (JAMES STANLEY/CONTRIBUTOR)
BUDTENDER DIARIES: A POCKET DICTIONARY OF CANNABINOIDS
By Eva Halvax Tucson Weekly Columnist
Cannabinoids are a beautifully fundamental aspect when it comes to consuming cannabis.
There are more than 100 known cannabinoids — naturally occurring compounds within the cannabis plant. A handful of major players are found in commercial cannabis products.
In the human body, cannabinoids interact with cannabinoid receptors, also referred to as the endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS is a complex and important network that works to help regulate pain, appetite and even inflammation. When cannabinoids are used in conjunc-
tion with each other, instead of independently, you can achieve what is known as the entourage effect, a synergistic blend of the psychoactive and physical effects of cannabinoids.
It’s important to note that research regarding cannabinoids is still relatively new. The information below is a generalized summary of commonly reported effects associated with each respective cannabinoid. Always keep in mind that everyone reacts to substances differently!
THC (TETRAHYDROCANNAB-
INOL):
Arguably one of the most wellknown cannabinoids, THC is the only cannabinoid to deliver the psy-
choactive sensation of being high. THC is responsible for a myriad of effects, ranging from euphoria and relaxation to paranoia and anxiety. While the medical benefits of THC are not definitive, consumers have said it helped problems like nausea, insomnia, appetite loss, depression, anxiety, PTSD and gastrointestinal issues. While THC can alleviate pain on its own, research continues to suggest that using it with other cannabinoids may offer optimal relief. (Re: the entourage effect.)
CBD (CANNABIDIOL):
CBD is a nonpsychoactive cannabinoid that has a wide scope of med-
TUCSON AREA DISPENSARIES
BLOOM TUCSON
4695 N. Oracle Road, Suite 117
520-293-3315; bloomdispensary.com
Open: 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily
BOTANICA
6205 N. Travel Center Drive
520-395-0230; botanica.us
Open: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily
DESERT BLOOM
RE-LEAF CENTER
8060 E. 22nd Street, Suite 108 520-886-1760; dbloomtucson.com
Open: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily Offering delivery
DOWNTOWN DISPENSARY
221 E. Sixth Street, Suite 105
520-838-0492; thedowntowndispensary.com
Open: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday
D2 DISPENSARY
7139 E. 22nd Street
520-214-3232; d2dispensary.com
Open: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday
EARTH’S HEALING
Two locations: North: 78 W. River Road
520-253-7198
South: 2075 E. Benson Highway 520-373-5779 earthshealing.org
Open: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays; Offering delivery
GREEN MED
WELLNESS CENTER
6464 E. Tanque Verde Road
520-886-2484, greenmedwellness.com
Open: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday; 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday
HALO CANNABIS
7710 S. Wilmot Road
520-664-2251; thegreenhalo.org
Open: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily
HANA GREEN VALLEY
1732 W. Duval Commerce Point Place
520-289-8030
Open: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Open: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sundays
TUCSON SAINTS
112 S. Kolb Road
520-886-1003; medicalmarijuanaoftucson.com
Open: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily
ical benefits, particularly with pain, inflammation, anxiety and even seizures. Although CBD is nonintoxicating, it can target a variety of medical issues. A study from Harvard Medical School found CBD treated epilepsy syndromes, including Dravet and Lennox Gastaut syndromes, which usually are unresponsive to antiseizure medications. CBD, on the other hand, was successful in reducing the number of seizures, stopping them altogether in other cases. As mentioned above, CBD can be beneficial on its own, but its benefits can be amplified when ratioed with THC, or other cannabinoids.
CBG (CANNABIGEROL):
When cannabis plants mature, enzymes and compounds blend to form CBGA, the precursor to CBG. As the plant reaches the end of its cycle, light absorption allows for CBGA to convert into THCA and CBDA, the early-phase cannabinoids of THC and CBD. Through this process, CBG
has become the “mother of all cannabinoids.” Without CBG, there would be no THC or CBD. Like CBD, CBG is not psychoactive, but it still interacts with the ECS in beneficial ways. For example, CBG has anti-inflammatory properties, and may relieve stomach issues, anxiety and depression. Consumers of CBG have also reported that the cannabinoid has helped stimulate appetite, focus and alertness. As quoted from cannadips.com, “CBG shows signs of supporting a healthy inflammation function and possibly neurogenesis (growth of new brain cells), which explains the reputed focus and attention effects. In one study, the researchers found CBG increased the appetites of well-satiated rats without any dangerous side effects.”
CBC (CANNABICHROMENE):
CBC is another nonintoxicating cannabinoid, but activates with other receptors in the human body that are linked to pain perception. As research continues, some suggest that
CBC may relieve pain and inflammation. It may also have mood-boosting properties because it binds with the transient receptor potential channels, those of which regulate pain perception and anandamide and dopamine. When these channels are activated, one’s mood can be elevated without feeling high. But, at the risk of sounding redundant, CBC shines brightest when paired with other cannabinoids. As research on CBC continues to grow, as do the cannabis products that contain this.
CBN (CANNABINOL):
CBN has become a game changer within the cannabis market within
recent years, due to its sedative properties when paired with THC or other cannabinoids. CBN is found in older cannabis, as it forms when THC ages. Similar to CBD, CBN is nonintoxicating, but, according to a study from the National Library of Medicine, CBN can amplify THC’s euphoric effects. It’s crucial to note that there is little research to prove that CBN is a sedative on its own. THC sedating nature is amplified when coupled with CBN. Many cannabis companies have paired CBN with THC to create products that may support getting a good night’s rest. Research has also suggested that CBN may contain anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and neuroprotectant properties, too.
DEALER’S CHOICE
THIS WEEK'S INDICA: RS11 is an indica-dominant hybrid that is a cross between Pink Guava and OZK. RS11 slams into you with a beautifully giggly high that slips into blissful relaxation. Complete with a sweet and fruity flavor profile, RS11 delivers a heavy and happy kind of high, perfect for putting a bad day behind you.
THIS WEEK'S HYBRID: Apple fritter is a rare and evenly balanced hybrid strain that boasts a beautifully relaxing kind of high. The name of the strain is fitting here, as apple fritter has a distinct fruity flavor, followed by a light, cheesy undertone. Apple fritter is a great choice in treating pain and stress, as it is rich in caryophyllene, limonene and pinene.
THIS WEEK'S SATIVA: Durban Poison is the perfect strain for running errands or when you’re looking for upbeat creative stimulation. Durban Poison traditionally produces chunky buds, sugared in trichomes, making it an optimal strain to turn into concentrates. Durban Poison tends to be rich in terpinolene, a rare-but-delightful terpene, believed to have uplifting effects. One in 10 strains is dominant in terpinolene.
COMICS
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL
19)
“Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves,” said psychologist Carl Jung. What was he implying? That we may sometimes engage in the same behavior that bothers us about others? And we should examine whether we are similarly annoying? That’s one possible explanation, and I encourage you to meditate on it. Here’s a second theory: When people irritate us, it may signify that we are at risk of being hurt or violated by them — and we should take measures to protect ourselves. Maybe there are other theories you could come up with, as well, Aries. Now here's your assignment: Identify two people who irritate you. What lessons or blessings could you garner from your relationships with them?
TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20)
In 1886, a wealthy woman named Sarah Winchester moved into a two-story, eight-room farmhouse in San Jose, California. She was an amateur architect. During the next 20 years, she oversaw continuous reconstruction of her property, adding new elements and revising existing structures. At one point, the house had 500 rooms. Her workers built and then tore down a seven-story tower on 16 occasions. When she died at age 83, her beloved domicile had 2,000 doors, 10,000 windows, 47 stairways, and six kitchens. While Sarah Winchester was extreme in her devotion to endless transformation, I do recommend a more measured version of her strategy for you — especially in the coming months. Continual creative growth and rearrangement will be healthy and fun!
GEMINI (MAY
21-JUNE 20)
“All the things I wanted to do and didn’t do took so long. It was years of not doing.” So writes Gemini poet Lee Upton in her book “Undid in the Land of Undone.” Most of us could make a similar statement. But I have good news for you, Gemini. I suspect that during the rest of 2023, you will find the willpower and the means to finally accomplish inten-
tions that have been long postponed or unfeasible. I’m excited for you! To prepare the way, decide which two undone things you would most love to dive into and complete.
CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22)
Cancerian author Denis Johnson had a rough life in his twenties. He was addicted to drugs and alcohol. Years later, he wrote a poem expressing gratitude to the people who didn't abandon him. “You saw me when I was invisible,” he wrote, “You spoke to me when I was deaf, you thanked me when I was a secret.” Now would be an excellent time for you to deliver similar appreciation to those who have steadfastly beheld and supported your beauty when you were going through hard times.
LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22)
Don’t make a wish upon a star. Instead, make a wish upon a scar. By that I mean, visualize in vivid detail how you might summon dormant reserves of ingenuity to heal one of your wounds. Come up with a brilliant plan to at least partially heal the wound. And then use that same creative energy to launch a new dream or relaunch a stalled old dream. In other words, Leo, figure out how to turn a liability into an asset. Capitalize on a loss to engender a gain. Convert sadness into power and disappointment into joy.
VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22)
At age 9, I was distraught when my parents told me we were moving away from the small town in Michigan where I had grown up. I felt devastated to lose the wonderful friends I had made and leave the land I loved. But in retrospect, I am glad I got uprooted. It was the beginning of a new destiny that taught me how to thrive on change. It was my introduction to the pleasures of knowing a wide variety of people from many different backgrounds. I bring this to your attention, Virgo, because I think the next 12 months will be full of comparable opportunities for you. You don't
have to relocate to take advantage, of course. There are numerous ways to expand and diversify your world. Your homework right now is to identify three.
LIBRA
(SEPT. 23-OCT. 22)
Most of us continuously absorb information that is of little or questionable value. We are awash in an endless tsunami of trivia and babble. But in accordance with current astrological omens, I invite you to remove yourself from this blather as much as possible during the next three weeks. Focus on exposing yourself to fine thinkers, deep feelers, and exquisite art and music. Nurture yourself with the wit and wisdom of compassionate geniuses and brilliant servants of the greater good. Treat yourself to a break from the blah, blah, blah and immerse yourself in the smartest joie de vivre you can find.
SCORPIO
(OCT. 23-NOV. 21)
Over 25 countries have created coats of arms that feature an eagle. Why is that? Maybe it’s because the Roman Empire, the foundation of so much culture in the Western world, regarded the eagle as the ruler of the skies. It’s a symbol of courage, strength, and alertness. When associated with people, it also denotes high spirits, ingenuity, and sharp wits. In astrology, the eagle is the emblem of the ripe Scorpio: someone who bravely transmutes suffering and strives to develop a sublimely soulful perspective. With these thoughts in mind, and in accordance with current astrological omens, I invite you Scorpios to draw extra intense influence from your eagle-like aspects in the coming weeks.
SAGITTARIUS
(NOV. 22-DEC. 21
“When I paint, my goal is to show what I found, not what I was looking for.” So said artist Pablo Picasso. I recommend you adopt some version of that as your motto in the coming weeks. Yours could be, “When I make love, my goal is to rejoice in what I find, not what I am looking for.” Or perhaps, “When I do the
work I care about, my goal is to celebrate what I find, not what I am looking for.”
Or maybe, “When I decide to transform myself, my goal is to be alert for what I find, not what I am looking for.”
CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19)
Vincent van Gogh painted “Wheatfield with a Reaper,” showing a man harvesting lush yellow grain under a glowing sun. Van Gogh said the figure was “fighting like the devil in the midst of the heat to get to the end of his task.” And yet, this was also true: “The sun was flooding everything with a light of pure gold.”
I see your life in the coming weeks as resonating with this scene, Capricorn. Though you may grapple with challenging tasks, you will be surrounded by beauty and vitality.
AQUARIUS (JAN.
20-FEB. 18)
I suspect that your homing signals will be extra strong and clear during the next 12 months. Everywhere you go, in everything you do, you will receive clues about where you truly belong and how to fully inhabit the situations where you truly belong. From all directions, life will offer you revelations about how to love yourself for who you are and be at peace with your destiny. Start tuning in immediately, dear Aquarius. The hints are already trickling in.
PISCES
(FEB.
19-MARCH 20)
The renowned Mexican painter Diego Rivera (1886–1957) told this story about himself: When he was born, he was so frail and ill that the midwife gave up on him, casting him into a bucket of dung. Rivera's grandmother would not accept the situation so easily, however. She caught and killed some pigeons and wrapped her newborn grandson in the birds’ guts. The seemingly crazy fix worked. Rivera survived and lived for many decades, creating an epic body of artistic work. I bring this wild tale to your attention, Pisces, with the hope that it will inspire you to keep going and be persistent in the face of a problematic beginning or challenging birth pang. Don’t give up!
HEAT CAN KILL!
Summer is upon us and temps are rising. Bring your pets indoors and provide plenty of water!
