Zac Reynolds, Director of National Advertising zac@timeslocalmedia.com
‘SINGLE MIND -
ED’ MAKES WORLD PREMIERE MONDAY
By Karen Schaffner Tucson Weekly Staff
The Screening Room is rolling out the red carpet on Monday, June 26, for the world premiere of “Single Minded,” a feature-length film that answers the question if life truly begins at 70.
The film stars Diano Donato, a Tucson local, who also wrote the screenplay. The title is apropos.
“It is about a woman in her 70s who decides that she is tired of being alone, she went through a couple of divorces and lost her husband,” producer Mark Headley said.
“She’s been single for a while, but she decides to get back into the dating scene in her 70s, so of course, what
PRODUCER MARK HEADLEY, CENTER WITH CAMERA, WORKS ON ONE OF HIS WESTERNS. HE WILL PREMIERE HIS FEATURE FILM, “SINGLE MINDED,” ON MONDAY, JUNE 26 AT THE SCREENING ROOM. (MARK HEADLEY/SUBMITTED)
does she do? She goes on the internet and scrolls up internet dating. She has three very humorous encounters with three individual males that don’t quite work out… It’s about relationships. Why not somebody in their 70s?”
Directed by Tony Eckstatt, the movie is produced by Headley, a Tucson native. Headley, who has produced 75 other feature films in his five-decade career, said this is a Tucson production. The cast also features Elizabeth von Isser, Ramses Gaona and David Updegraff.
It has taken more than a year for “Single Minded” to premiere, as there was a tight budget. The team had to be mindful of continuity, ensuring the cast was wearing the right clothes and everything meshed. Headley had everything under control.
“We had, actually, six full days of shooting over a year and a half period,” he said. “Before we would go in to shoot, I would review with
the director all the footage. It’s a bit of a challenge. That’s why we took our time and were very careful. We had a good story, and we just wanted to make sure we did justice when we actually filmed it.”
Headley has been making movies for decades. When he was 14, in 1962, he met a young Black actor on the set of “Lilies of the Field,” which was being filmed in Tucson at the time.
“(Sidney Poitier) took me around the set, introduced me to everybody, and I got friendly with Sidney and kept in touch with him when he went back to Hollywood,” Headley said.
“Then Bob Shelton and I formed the very first (Tucson) Film Commission back in the 1970s.”
The purpose: to tempt Hollywood into making movies here and add to the city’s economy. It must have worked; Poitier made his directorial debut here with “Stir Crazy,” starring Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor.
These days, Headley is looking forward to Monday.
“Premieres are always a lot of fun, no matter what,” he said.
More importantly, however, is because there is a new tax incentive to make movies in Arizona, moviemaking is returning to Tucson.
“This is a film renaissance for Southern Arizona,” he said. “There are so many great filmmakers that are happening now, and I’m proud to be part of the movement.”
“Single Minded”
WHEN: 6 p.m. Monday, June 26
WHERE: The Screening Room, 127 E. Congress Street, Tucson
COST: $10
INFO: Email Mark Headley for tickets at markheadley12@yahoo.com
SUMMERTIME
MOVIE FUN IN TUCSON’S
SING-ALONG MOVIES
WEST SIDE STORY 6/24
ANNIE 7/22
THE GREATEST SHOWMAN 8/26
picture palace
AIR CONDITIONED COMFORT RAIN OR SHINE!
MUSIC & MOVIES
2ND SATURDAYS DOWNTOWN
SUNDAY FAMILY
MATINEES
MARY POPPINS 7/9
BABE 7/16
FANTASTIC MR. FOX 7/23
THE MUPPET MOVIE 7/30
Music: BACK TO BACHARACH
Movie: BUTCH CASSIDY & THE SUNDANCE KID 7/8
CURRENTS REPUBLICANS WERE ONCE SOLID, FAMILY-ORIENTED FOLKS
By Tom Danehy Tucson Weekly Columnist
If you’re able to remember the 1950s, bless your still-beating heart. The Republicans back then were solid, family-oriented folks. The dad on “Leave It to Beaver” was probably a Republican. They cared about fiscal issues and defense, but they weren’t obsessive about things and there weren’t any firebrands.
The leader of their party was the grandfatherly Dwight Eisenhower, who basically fell into politics after having led Allied forces to victory in Europe in World War II. It was pretty much guaranteed that he would win the election in 1952, but it was a coin toss as to whether he would do so as a Republican or a Democrat.
It should be noted that it was the Republicans in Congress who provided the votes for the Civil Rights Act of 1957, the first civil rights legislation passed by Congress since 1875. There were two factions of the Democratic Party back then — the northern liberal bloc that still exists today, in one form or another, and the Dixiecrat racist bloc made up of people who called themselves Democrats simply because Abraham Lincoln had been a Republican. Yes, those “Lost Cause” knuckleheads were still holding onto that grudge (that the “right” to own other human beings had been taken away from their ancestors) after nearly a century.
Then-Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson ushered the watered-down legislation through Congress. (If you ever want a quick laugh, google a photo of the “Johnson treatment,” a tactic that LBJ used to garner votes.) The bill passed the Senate with Democrats voting 29-18 in favor, while Republicans voted 46-0 in favor of passage.
Try to imagine even one current Republican senator who would vote in fa-
vor of a civil rights bill were it to come up for a vote. And while you’re at it, try to imagine Abraham Lincoln winning a Republican primary for any office, anywhere. There’s no damn way.
If you’re old enough to remember the 1960s, that most tumultuous decade of the entire 20th century, you will recall that two of the more positive things that happened were the passage of the Civil Rights Bill of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Pushed through by then-President Lyndon Johnson, they are probably two of the three most-important pieces of legislation (along with the 19th Amendment) of the past 100 years.
Johnson used every arrow in his quiver, but he still needed Republicans to get the bills across the finish line. Twenty-one Democrats in the Senate voted against the Civil Rights Bill, but Republicans voted 27-6 in favor. (Arizona’s Barry Goldwater voted against it. His apologists tried to concoct excuses around states’ rights, but it will forever be a black mark on his record.)
Last year, every single Republican in the Senate voted against renewing the Voting Rights Act.
(In the past, I have somewhat regrettably argued that the passage of those two pieces of legislation puts Johnson in the running for the greatest president of my lifetime. However, to make that claim, one would have to completely ignore Vietnam. That would be the ultimate example of “Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you like the play?”)
If you’re old enough to remember the 1970s, then certainly Watergate will dominate your political memory. The president back then was a scoundrel, but he didn’t sexually assault women, he didn’t cheat everyone with
HAVING TROUBLE SEEING A VET?
HERE’S
WHY
By Ti any Kjos Tucson Weekly Sta
You can’t get your cat in to see the vet. No one answers the phone.
This is not your imagination.
“It’s dire right now. If anyone has tried to get an appointment with their veterinarian, they’ve likely discovered it’s several weeks before you can get in,” Julie Funk, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Arizona, said.
The veterinary crisis preceded COVID-19 but it is hard to deny the pandemic’s e ects. The ASPCA reports that
around 23 million households adopted a pet during the pandemic.
“The number of animals that people own right now will surpass the number of veterinarians by 2025. That’s alarming,” said Karla Lombana, program director for veterinary technology at Pima Community College. She had a practice in Tucson before joining PCC.
People stayed home and took on pets that may have had health challenges (which most animal-adoption agencies divulge immediately). Pet owners saw previously unnoticed medical problems in pets.
The UA College of Veterinary Medicine will in late August graduate its first class of 105 students with doctor of veterinary medicine degrees. Around the same time 110 students will enter their first semester in the college’s yearround accelerated program in which they attain degrees in three years rather than the usual
OF VETERINARY
A
four.
Pima Community College has a long-established program training veterinary nurses (formerly known as vet techs). It’s one of the most cost-feasible options for anyone wanting to enter the field. Pima Medical Institute also o ers courses, but at a far higher cost.
The Humane Society of Southern Arizona helped put in place a state tuition-reimbursement law that aims to encourage people in the veterinary profession to stay here.
The humane society’s CEO, Steve Farley, “felt strongly about having a huge incentive for all vet graduates to stay and practice in Arizona to help fill a lot of these gaps that are currently in place … it has been hard to fill any position after COVID. There have not been a lot of
THE
people looking for work,” according to Christian Gonzalez, chief programs officer at the Humane Society.
That is endemic in virtually every industry.
“Between the tight labor market, low unemployment and fewer numbers of individuals in the 16-to-24 demographic as compared to previous generations, employers are facing considerable challenges finding qualified workers,” said Michael Guymon, president and CEO of the Tucson Metro Chamber.
This has had a considerable impact. Also, it’s already di cult caring for animals — many in the industry experience “compassion fatigue:” Dealing with sick pets and their worried owners
CHRISTIAN GONZALEZ, CHIEF PROGRAMS OFFICER AT THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF SOUTHERN ARIZONA, SAYS THE ORGANIZATION WORKS HARD TO RECRUIT PEOPLE. (HUMANE SOCIETY OF SOUTHERN ARIZONA/SUBMITTED)
THE COLLEGE
MEDICINE HAS BEEN
LONG-TERM DREAM FOR
STATE OF ARIZONA AND THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA,” SAYS THE COLLEGE’S INAUGURAL DEAN, JULIE FUNK. IN AUGUST THE COLLEGE WILL GRADUATE ITS FIRST CLASS OF STUDENTS WITH DOCTOR OF VETERINARY MEDICINE DEGREES. (UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA/SUBMITTED)
PETS AVICULTURAL SOCIETY ISN’T JUST FOR THE BIRDS
By Karen Scha ner Tucson Weekly Sta
Roseanne Lee has 26 birds, and guests to her place might want to watch their step.
“The birds come out every day,” Lee said. “They’re hardly ever in the cage. We also find seeds, feathers, poop; we’re always cleaning.”
The first bird Joyce Lekawa befriended was a baby parakeet, only a couple of months old, with a preference for water.
“It loved water,” Lekawa said. “It would do anything to get in the water. You’re doing dishes and it would jump in. We had a fishbowl, and we had to put wire over it because it would jump in.”
Lekawa and Lee are members of the Avicultural Society of Tucson, comprised of 30 bird lovers. This is not a club for birdwatchers, though that could be a side hobby. The group loves birds and has them as pets and family members. The club meets on the second Sunday of each month, except May, when they meet the first Sunday. The meetings host guest speakers, who may discuss the dangers of plants or household cleaners. They have ra es where a member might win a toy or a swing for their birds. Sometimes there are even birds on the ra e table.
Lekawa is the longest-tenured member, having joined the club in 1977. Bird lovers pet and cuddle their avian friends just as much as those with cats and dogs. They are careful about what they feed their birds and they talk to them like children.
“Come here, Poppy,” Lee said, while trying to coax the cockatiel to perform. “Do your trick. Aren’t you going to do your trick? Where are you going, sweetheart? Can you say ‘Hello?’”
The club’s treasurer and secretary,
Lee had birds as a child, but in deference to others in her own household, chose not to have them.
During the pandemic, she got a cockatiel named Poppy. Then she got Mali, a parakeet. Twenty-six birds later, cages line two walls in her spacious family room.
A birdsong chorus greets guests to the room. It’s not a cacophony; but a lovely natural sound. Still, it’s constant — and it can get loud.
Lee favors smaller birds so, besides the many parakeets and cockatiels who often fly around, she also has a collection of zebra finches. They’re not as social as their larger roommates. They are more feral, unless they are hand raised from the shell.
Lekawa, who has an African gray parrot and two Gouldian finches, was raised on a farm so she knew ducks and geese. It wasn’t until she acquired the parakeet, however, that she started to really enjoy feathered company.
Her first parakeet lived for years,
which leads to an important point. Some species live up to 50, 70 or even 100 years, according to Lekawa.
“You have to put them in your will or find someone who will take them that has a love of birds and knows what they’re doing,” she said.
Because birds are smart and can imitate just about any sound, she knows what her husband has been watching when she gets home simply by what her birds tell her.
“You were watching ‘Star Wars,’” she said.
How did she know? They were saying, “Pew, pew.”
One thing is certain:
Grooming is not just about making dogs look good. It also plays a crucial role in their overall health and well-being. Regular grooming can help prevent skin infections, detect fleas and ticks, and maintain a health coat and skin.
Different breeds of dogs require different grooming techniques. For example: long haired breeds like the Maltese or Shih Tzu require daily brushing and regular haircuts, while short haired breeds like the Boxer or Doberman Pinscher require less frequent grooming.
Grooming should start at an early age. Puppies should be introduced to grooming gradually, to make the experience positive and prevent fear or anxiety later in life. This includes handling, brushing and bathing.
SEE BIRDS PAGE 14
Dogs Available for Matching Program
PETS
NEW EL JEFE CAFÉ IS THE CAT’S MEOW
By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Tucson Weekly Sta
The road to Ti any Lee’s El Jefe Cat Café was an exercise in patience.
After months of hitting dead ends with spaces, the entrepreneur found the perfect spot for a cat lounge at 3025 N. Campbell Avenue, Suite 141, Tucson. The lounge, which opened on Halloween 2019, didn’t have beverage service, instead the sta encouraged guests to hang out with cats.
what they wanted to stay during COVID.
“They supported us. They went out of their way. People in grocery lines would ask each other where they bought their masks, and they could give them our Facebook links.
“They kept us afloat.”
“It’s a blessing because it’s absolutely the best space we could have chosen,” she said. “Unfortunately, it was bad timing. It was Halloween of 2019. We had four and a half months before we had to close due to the pandemic because we’re a place of gathering. We closed for five months.”
She could not get PPP loans because she wasn’t taking payroll. Turning to her entrepreneurial skills, Lee started sewing animal- and Tucson-themed face masks.
“Literally, we were sewing 50 face masks a day,” she said.
“Even when we were allowed to open and people were allowed to go out, we still received the online orders for face masks. Somehow, someway, we made it through COVID.”
On May 11, she and her daughter, Victoria Brown, unveiled the El Jefe Cat Café, complete with espresso drinks, co ee, tea, hot chocolate and Italian sodas to enjoy while mingling with the cats.
Lee said she feels blessed to be part of the Tucson community. Friends and neighbors supported her e orts through the pandemic — financially and through word of mouth.
“I don’t know any other community or city like this,” she said. “Tucson residents just get ‘local’ and they decided
Various stories tell the tales of cat cafés. Some say they started in Vienna in 1912, while others cite the first one opening in Taipei, Taiwan, in 1998. In the United States, most cafés focus on adoptions.
El Jefe Cat Café is no di erent. Its resident felines come from Finally My Forever Home Rescue in Tucson. All the furry friends are healthy and available for adoption, which isn’t required. Guests can just come in and play with the cats. Lee is quick to add that El Jefe Cat Café is not a shelter or rescue.
“They started out in Asia for a purpose,” Lee said.
“It was probably eight years before it hit America. It started in Denver and Seattle and the concept changed. In Asia, their living quarters were getting smaller and smaller and couldn’t have pets.
“So, they have high-end cats in cafés with co ee. They were like zoo animals, permanent cats. That doesn’t translate well with the United States. When the model came over to the United States, everybody started working with rescues. The cats are all adoptable. They have fun, they don’t feel guilty. They play with them.
During the grand opening celebration/ribbon-cutting ceremony on
TIFFANY LEE AND HER DAUGHTER, VICTORIA BROWN, OWN EL JEFE CAT CAFÉ. (NOELLE HARO-GOMEZ/CONTRIBUTOR)
is wearing.
“The animal welfare field in general, due to its high emotionally driven environment, can make for high turnover in sta ,” said Gonzalez of the Humane Society.
Some people, such as Rachel Levinsohn, a veterinary hospital administrator in Tucson, have been at the front for years, yet soldier on. And she has good ideas about how you can help your pets and your vet, probably the most important of which is this: Take your pet for an annual checkup. Sounds simple, doesn’t happen often enough, and can prevent unscheduled visits to your already overwhelmed veterinarian and give them a history of your cat, or dog, or bird, or iguana, so they don’t have to die of an undiagnosed illness such as kidney failure, which can be tracked annually via a simple blood test.
“Establish care with the veterinarian. Create that relationship. That is the easiest way to keep your pet’s health on track,” Levinsohn said. “You would catch something before it’s an issue.”
BERG’S
By Anya Lotun Tucson Weekly Sta
At Howling Success, Kristine Berg just wants dogs to be happy.
Armed with extensive knowledge about dogs, Berg founded the cage-free facility to board canines older than 10 months. Berg makes the dogs feel at home with a spacious house, 50-foot pool, agility equipment, balance balls and an obstacle course.
“I try to keep them busy all the time,” Berg said.
“We have a schedule that we follow every day. Just like kindergarten, we have an afternoon nap time. I just try to keep them happy. That’s the big thing.”
Berg has been working with dogs since 1977. When she was 16, she went
ended up running his whole business.
A mentor at LA-based Animal Behavior College, she is a nationally certified animal cruelty investigator. Berg is confident in her abilities, but she encourages dog owners to visit the day care in advance by appointment only. All dogs are required to be spayed/neutered. Berg recommends that the best dogs for boarding and day care are social, outgoing and unaggressive.
When pet parents drop o their dogs, food should be in a labeled, airtight container, and they can bring a dog bed, if desired. In addition, there is no extra charge for administering medication to the pets.
to Munich, Germany, for six months to visit her sister. Upon her return, she found her parents had given away her Doberman.
“I tracked down the trainer and he had already placed the dog,” she said. “He was impressed with what I had done. I lived with him and his wife. I
The boarding rates are based on a 24-hour day; $60 per day for one dog. The facility is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Furthermore, a dog day care, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. is available for a $35 fee.
Berg said cage-free facilities are beneficial to the dog’s well-being, as it provides for a calmer environment and happier dogs.
KITTIES LOUNGE IN THE EL JEFE CAT CAFÉ. (NOELLE HARO-GOMEZ/CONTRIBUTOR)
June 10, Lee was in tears.
“As a female-owned business — and somebody who’s been funding everything out of her own pocket or credit card — it was a very, very hard endeavor,” she said.
“It was uphill the entire time. I believed in Tucson the entire time, though. They’ve really come through. Now, I’d say 80% of my customers are completely new people or tourists. They’re usually in big cities and people want to visit a cat café.”
An Arkansas native, Lee said she hopes she makes Tucsonans proud.
“I wanted to represent a lot of Tucson in our space,” she said. “That’s why we’ve incorporated the décor and murals. We’re trying to share local businesses in our space as well. We want it to be a tourist destination on top of something that local Tucsonans are proud of.”
And the cats as well.
“I’m just an entrepreneur and I was looking for a business that had more purpose than chasing a carrot,” she said.
“I like that this helped people destress, have fun and create memories.”
EL JEFE CAT CAFÉ CELEBRATED ITS GRAND OPENING ON JUNE 10. (NOELLE HARO-GOMEZ/CONTRIBUTOR)
El Jefe Cat Café
3025 N. Campbell Avenue, Suite 141, Tucson
520-849-8856, eljefecatlounge.com
Hours:
10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mon. to Thurs., and Sun.
10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fri. and Sat.
EL JEFE FROM PAGE 10
POPPY THE COCKATIEL
FROM PAGE 9
the birds recognize their family members. Let a stranger try to hand feed them and forget it. That bird takes o .
Lekawa and Lee said newbies should start with one of the smaller species, such as a parakeet or lovebirds. Pet store parakeets come in at around $50, plus, they need a cage, food and toys. Larger birds, such as the African grays, begin at about $1,500. If their feathers are unusually colored, they can run $15,000 or more.
They suggest bird owners visit club meetings to learn how to take care of them.
The pair encourage everyone to consider getting a bird.
“They are a delight,” Lee said of her own avian crew.
Aviculture Society of Tucson astbirdclub.org facebook.com/groups/ASTbirdclub
“There’s less stress, socialization, happier dogs, and it’s overall better for the dog’s psyche,” she added.
Howling Success is located at Berg’s home, which she bought specifically for her business. There are many doors for dogs to use, as well as beds and couches. She reassured that safety is her priority. She even sends photos, videos and updates of the pets to the owners.
“I don’t let any dogs get picked on, I make sure everything is always fair. Sometimes you’ll get a shy dog who doesn’t want other dogs around them and I make sure they get left alone. I respect each dog for their personality, and I try to keep them comfortable and not stressed.”
Berg’s philosophy is to help the dogs in any way she can.
“I’ve always gone by this, I try to make the dog somehow better when they go home than they were when they came,” she said.
She said her business is picking up, especially from word-of-mouth referrals.
Foster - we receive many kittens (and cats) that need a home environment to thrive. Bottle babies can be labor intensive but most cats just need a quiet, loving place to recuperate
Volunteer - with over 200 cats you know there's always something needing to be done! From cleaning, to maintenance and everything in between, we need your help
Adopt - we have over 200 cats and kittens ready for adoption There's sure to be the purr-fect feline friend for you at the Hermitage. Ask about our July adoption specials! Mention this ad and get a free bumper sticker!
Donate - our adoption fees don't begin to cover the costs of housing, feeding and caring for our cat residents Any amount helps!
“I know what it feels like to leave your dogs… I take group photos of the dogs and send them to the owners,” she said. “To me, that’s the most important thing for me when I go away, is to know my dog is safe”.
The yard is secured so snakes and other critters cannot get in. She keeps anti-anxiety dog beds for those who are nervous.
“They’re really flu y dog beds made to soothe the dog,” she said.
To make sure dogs feel welcome, Berg considers their well—being and ensures the transition into her home is as smooth as possible.
“I monitor the dogs too,” she explained.
“The buzz is starting to get out there, which I’m really thrilled about,” she said. “I have one guy who flies his dog in from Reno to swim in my pool. Others come from Phoenix, or the other side of Tucson. It’s really nice to know that the word’s getting out.”
W. Calle Madero, Tucson 520-448-1510 howlingsuccess.com
BIRDS
By Linda Ray Tucson Weekly Columnist
SNAKES!
Arizona boasts almost five dozen species of snakes. They’re not all dangerous, but their sheer numbers and variety make it important to be able to recognize when we or those nearby are in danger. Those not dangerous can be even more fascinating. Environmental educator Jeff Babson talks about diversity among snakes, from tiny wormlike creatures to garter snakes, boas and rattlesnakes. He’ll also cover ways to avoid a venomous snake bite and what to do if they bite you first. 10 a.m. to noon, Zoom only, Tucson Botanical Gardens, tucsonbotanical. org, $30, register online to get the link.
DRAG QUEEN SPELLING BEE
Allonna Dee became enchanted by drag the first time she saw Diva, Janee Starr and China Collins in a show at IBT’s. She jumped at a chance to work behind the scenes as a dresser, but with Diva and her friends as mentors, she eventually started winning competition titles, including Miss Gay Tucson. Now she may be Tucson’s most glamorous spelling champ. She debuts her Spelling Bee at Hotel Congress to benefit Tucson Pride.
7 p.m. doors, Thursday, June 22, Hotel Congress, 311 E. Congress Street, hotelcongress.com/family/club-congress, $10, ages 18 and over.
EL DIA DE SAN JUAN FIESTA
Faithful Tucsonans have long believed that on June 24, 1520, when the explorer Francisco Vasquez de Coronado stood on the banks of the Santa Cruz River and prayed for rain, his response was a summer monsoon rain, resplendent with sky drama. Coincidence? Since the fifth century, June 24 has been celebrated all over the world as the saint’s day of John the Baptist. The Menlo Park Neighborhood Association invites us to join in their longstanding annual celebration with festive music, dancing and popular West Tucson cuisine, as well as traditional
THE LOFT’S “KIDS FEST” RETURNS WITH FREE MOVIES SATURDAY AND SUNDAY MORNINGS. (THE LOFT/SUBMITTED)
LOFT KIDS FEST!
Our favorite post-pandemic comeback, the Loft Kids Fest, kicks off with a fun-filled evening party in Himmel Park, then continues over eight weekend mornings of free kids’ movies at The Loft Cinema. The open-air Friday event features games, activities, giveaways and prizes leading up to a screening of “Looney Tunes.” Morning shows feature the same amenities at 10 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays through mid-July. Titles include “Toy Story,” “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” “Sing 2,” “The Sandlot,” “Minions,” Matilda,” “My Neighbor Totoro” and “Encanto.” All screenings are free and first come, first served. Doors open at 9:15 a.m. for weekend shows.
6 p.m. Friday, June 23, Himmel Park, 1000 N. Tucson Boulevard, loftcinema.org; 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday Saturday, June 24, to Sunday, July 16, The Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway Boulevard, free.
“SUMMER
ROCK REVIVAL” AT HOTEL CONGRESS
What a lineup! This party will pack the patio with three fun flavors of Arizona rock ‘n’ roll. Mason brings the ’60s blues-rock side, shaded with Robert Johnson vibe. Tucson favorites Birds & Arrows slicken the hard edge of indie rock with dazzling, powerful vocals. Phoenix band Daphne and the Glitches adds the weird we crave, a taste of frenzy and psychedelia.
5:30 p.m. Saturday, June 17, Kiva Ballroom, Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, 7000 N. Resort Drive, saaca.thundertix.com/events, $75, over age 21 only.
EMPATHY FINDS COMMON GROUND IN “WALTER CRONKITE IS DEAD.” (LIVE THEATRE WORKSHOP/SUBMITTED)
LIVE THEATER WORKSHOP: “WALTER CRONKITE IS DEAD”
Stuck in an airport in a chaos of delayed flights, opposite strangers start up a chat in a random, featureless cocktail lounge. One a boisterous southerner, the other a liberal from Washington, the pair clash on every level. Or so it seems, until the bond of shared humanity turns their anger to empathy. Joe Calarco’s play couldn’t be a timelier guide to our way through the divisiveness now consuming our cultural climate.
Various days and times through Saturday, July 8, Live Theatre Workshop, 3322 E. Fort Lowell Road, livetheatreworkshop.org, tickets start at $17.
tenderness and unique lyricism, plus all that jazz.
7:30 p.m., Saturday, June 24, Sea of Glass, 330 E. Seventh Street, eventbrite.com, tickets start at $7.
SKATE COUNTRY LATE SKATE
Let’s change it up for a date night, or for any other occasion when you’d like to feel the rhythm even if the motion is a little awkward. Go roller skating! Be fearless about looking foolish among friends. You’re in it together to hold each other up. Best of all, it’s affordable. Late Skate is for grownups only. Expect music for dancing.
10:30 p.m. Saturday, June 24, to 12:30 p.m. Sunday, June 25, Skate Country, 7980 E. 22nd Street, skatecountry.com, $15 includes skate rental, ages 18 and older.
“PIONEER WOMEN OF MAIN AVENUE” TOUR
The Presidio San Agustin has added a new tour to its collection of walks through Tucson history. A modified version of its Main Avenue Mansion tour focuses on the role of pioneer-era women in shaping Tucson’s history. Over the span of just a quarter-mile walk, we can hear the stories of Gladys Franklin, Atanacia Hughes, Bettina Steinfeld, Annie Neal Cheyney, Edith Kitt and Sarah Sorin, the first female attorney to appear before the U.S. Supreme Court unassisted.
8 to 10 a.m. Sunday, June 25, Café a la C’art, 150 N. Main Avenue, tucsonpresidio.com/walking-tours, $25.
FLANDRAU PLANETARIUM: “UNDERSEA DISCOVERY”
blessings and activities for all ages. Maybe take an umbrella.
6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, June 24, Mission Garden, 948 W. Mission Lane, missiongarden.org/events, donations encouraged.
way, one that highlighted its previously much-underrated versatility. The banjo had become popular in the pioneer-era when its main asset was portability. It could also support the fiddle with rhythm and percussion. Allison Brown has earned an international reputation for introducing us to even more of the instrument’s potential, including lilting romance, empathetic
As far as it sends us up into the sky, the Flandrau Planetarium now takes us down under the sea. “Undersea Discovery,” includes among its exhibits, some squirmy live kelp and squid, hands-on activities, an ocean sounds game and a “Touch Tank.” The planetarium already has exhibits revealing the lifestyles of such fascinating dry-land creatures as insects and snakes, and we can still watch Pink Floyd light shows in the theater dome.
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Sunday, Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium, 1601 E. University Boulevard, flandrau.org, $12.95, several discounts available.
BIRDS & ARROWS FEATURE IN HOTEL CONGRESS’ “SUMMER ROCK REVIVAL.” (BIRDS & ARROWS/ SUBMITTED)
SEA OF GLASS: ALLISON BROWN
Bela Fleck’s banjo jazz made people look at the instrument in a whole new
LAUGHING STOCK
BLACK IS THE ‘PSYCHEDELIC CIRCUS’ RINGLEADER
By Linda Ray Tucson Weekly Columnist
Apsychedelic circus” is how Steven Black describes his vision for “Burnout Turnout,” his new variety stage show series at The Screening Room.
The show has it all — three live music acts, three standup comedians and tech support that shares his vision. The standup talent for his Friday, June 23, show includes Stephanie Farrington, Brady Evans and Roxy Merrari.
“All guests will be interviewed on stage and there will be fun segments, music videos and prank call videos between acts,” Black said.
“It’s sort of like a circus-style psychedelic talk show featuring the most talented and bizarre. Everything’s re-
corded and turned into a YouTube show.”
“Burnout Turnout: The Steven Black Show,” The Screening Room, 127 E. Congress Street, 8 p.m. Friday, June 23, screeningroomdowntown.com, $10
“BURNOUT TURNOUT: THE STEVEN BLACK SHOW” IS A NEW COMEDY VARIETY SHOW. (STEVEN BLACK/SUBMITTED)
Friday, June 23, and 7 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday, June 24, $15, $20 preferred seating, Chris Storin mines hilarity from his bicultural background. laffstucson.com
MORE COMEDY THIS WEEK
Corbett Brewery, 309 E. Seventh Street, 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 23, free, “Off the Deep End Comedy,” Chris Quinn, Connor Hanna and Clint Lapsansky support featured comic Phyllis Voren and headliner and nationally
comedian Bruce Purcell. Cory Lytle hosts.
Hotel McCoy, 720 W. Silverlake Road, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 24, Comedy at “Chris Haughton & Friends,” Mo Urban, Rich Gary and Amber Frame, Rory Monserat headlines, Chris Haughton hosts. hotelmccoy.com
Laff’s Comedy Caffe, 2900 E. Broadway Boulevard. 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.
Tucson Improv Movement/TIM Comedy Theatre, 414 E. Ninth Street, $7 each show, $10 for both shows, same night, free jam and open mic; 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 22, “Cage Match”; 8:30 p.m. Open Mic, Jen Blanco Thomas hosts; 6:30 p.m. Friday, June 23, Improv Jam; 7:30 p.m. “The Soapbox” with Antares Hagman; 9 p.m. Stand Up Headliner Showcase; 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 24, debut of TIM’s new Unnamed Sketch Team; 9 p.m. “The Dating Scene.” tucsonimprov.com
Unscrewed Theater, 4500 E. Speedway Boulevard, $8, live or remote, $5 kids. 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 23, Family-Friendly Improv with Not Burnt Out Just Unscrewed (NBOJU); 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 24, NBOJU, 9 p.m. “Laugh with Pride.” unscrewedtheatre.org.
INDOOR VENDOR MARKET
Join us on July 29th 6:00pm-l0pm for an exciting shopping extravaganza! Explore 100 local vendors offering unique products and services. Discover handcrafted items, fashion trends, artisanal food, and more in one convenient location. Immerse yourself in a vibrant atmosphere, connecting with passionate vendors and local talent.
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
TUCSON CONVENTION
touring
MUSIC
DECKER’S NEW ALBUM WAS COLLABORATIVE EFFORT
By Laura Latzko Tucson Weekly Staff
With his eighth album “Ouroboros,” singer-songwriter Brandon Decker of the psychedelic desert folk group decker. wanted to bring artists into one room to record.
Over two days in June 2022, 16 musicians came together at EastWest Studios in LA, a space where Frank Sinatra, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley, Barbra Streisand, Green Day, Weezer, the Mamas and the Papas, Metallica and Kendrick Lamar have recorded.
Decker. released the album on Friday, June 9, through the Kingston, New York, label Royal Potato Family. He’ll celebrate it with a release party on Friday, June 23, at Club Congress in Tucson.
At Club Congress, the folk/rock/soul/R&B group Carlos Arzate and the Kind Souls and the eclectic folk group, The Senators, will also perform.
flects.
“I guess you could call me a spiritual guy, very flawed, but I’m very focused on finding harmony with existence, whether that’s in my relationship to others, my relationship to the land, my relationship to myself,” Decker says.
The album features a range of styles, including doowop, hard rockers and ballads.
is just find yourself in a position to receive. For me, that means a lot of hiking and a lot sitting down with the guitar daily, spending that time nursing it,” Decker says.
He has always felt a connection with the Arizona desert, especially Sedona.
creation of the record turned into how can this piece of art reach and impact other people dealing with grief? How can we find joy in a life that has so much sadness?” Decker says.
“Every song sits in its own little place on this record,” Decker says. “I guess that’s different from a lot of the decker. albums, which would stick to one musical theme. This one jumps around in the different styles but keeps a wonderful continuity and shape to the whole thing.”
“For me, songwriting is part and parcel with my experience of life. My experience in life is being in the land of Arizona. I have written very little music outside of Arizona,” Decker says.
The album features the singles such as the vibey groove “Supernovae,” the soft ballad “Sea Change” and the hard-hitting tune “Mojave,” which decker. put out prior to the release.
The band’s album is “a haunting fusion of poetry and chaos.” The Sedona-based Decker says it explores life, death, grief, struggle, new beginnings, transcendence, joy and hope.
Decker wrote the album after losing his dad to terminal cancer. Prior to that, he and his son had moved in with his parents, to help and spend time with his family.
“The objective somewhere in the
Decker has found that as he has progressed in his career, his music has gone from personal to exploring universal topics. His personal journey does inspire his music, though.
“As I’m learning to be a happier, kinder person, how can I be an instrument to help inspire other people? That’s really what the focus of the record was,” Decker says.
Decker says the album delves into spiritual topics, on which he often re-
He will often find inspiration while outdoors in nature. He enjoys activities such as hiking, kayaking, backpacking and camping, along with doing taekwondo, yoga and meditation.
“The songs reveal what they are going to be as you write them… Your job as the writer is to just be a conduit. Can you receive the transmission and try to capture it?… All you can do
The title of the album, “Ouroboros,” was inspired by the ancient Egyptian symbol of a serpent eating its own tail.
“It’s the continuity of all things, the never-ending nature, that all things are eternal. I guess ultimately that all things are one. It comes from one thing and goes back to one thing…It was a lot about death and how do we find transcendence over the many deaths we face?” Decker says.
“Ouroboros” was recorded live with no overdubs, meaning there was no piecemealing parts.
The recording featured the core group of six members who make up decker. along with other musicians and singers.
“I just hit up people I had worked with or that I really admired. For instance, Holly Pyle is a singer. She has a band House of Stairs. She’s an incredibly active songwriter and vocalist who goes between LA and Phoenix. I contacted her, and I told her I would like you to be in this choir, write the choir arrangements and refer me to other choir members,” Decker says.
The album has the signature decker. sound but features horn and string
MUSIC
METAL SOCIETY HOSTING BENEFIT FOR ‘MOSH PIT MOM’
By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski Tucson Weekly Staff
The Tucson Metal Society, Dedwin and other local bands have come together to help Kam Bueno — dubbed the “mosh pit mom” — after her trailer burned down on Mother’s Day.
They are hosting a fundraising concert, also featuring Manhandle, Havoc, Fractured Earth, The Sindicate, Parasite and Dedwin at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 24, at House of Bards, 4915 E. Speedway, Tucson.
“Kam has been a supporter in this community since 1994,” said Brad Phipps, Tucson Metal Society founder.
“She’s been in the front row supporting all the bands locally and the national bands coming through. When her trailer burned on Mother’s Day, it was a no brainer to support her and help her into a new place. She lost everything pretty much. The night is about com-
munity and the power of what we can do when we come together to help.”
Bueno said she left her trailer at 8 a.m. Mother’s Day to visit the graves of her mother and friend. She returned at 2 p.m. via Uber and her charred trailer was enclosed by a fence.
“My whole trailer burned to the ground,” she said. “The cops couldn’t get in touch with me. They finally found out I was not dead in my trailer. My dog escaped the fire.”
Kam Bueno Benefit
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 24
Bueno, 53, moved to Tucson on July 4, 1994, from Downtown Los Angeles on a Greyhound.
“I’ve known some of these bands since way before they were into heavy metal,” Bueno said. “I’ve known Brad since 1994. I’ve known some of these kids since they were 13 years old.”
The event is also sponsored by Stellar Smoke Shop and Kanibus Kulture. Additionally, a GoFundMe campaign was established for further donations. Those interested in contributing can visit the campaign page at https://bit.ly/ KamBueno.
WHERE: House of Bards, 4915 E. Speedway, Tucson
COST: $10 cover; all age
INFO: houseofbards.com
sections and a choir.
“It took what would be the ordinary decker. sound and made it more climatic and cinematic… They are all just really epic… Every song has a purpose and goes somewhere. Every song hits a point that is powerful,” Decker says.
Decker says the album is his most robust sounding music.
“I just had this idea that I really wanted to do something magnificent. That was part of the healing process honestly. I wanted to bring people together for us to do something amazing that could inspire other people,” Decker says.
From demoing to mastering, the album went through seven studios. Around 30 people helped to create it.
Leading up to the recording, the musicians rehearsed for six months. They would often get together in smaller groups to practice.
“We were just playing the album over and over again so that we could just go in and just play the record,” Decker says.
Decker says this helped them to be ready when they went into the studio.
“We would do three to four takes of a song, and once we felt like we hit it, we would move on to the next song. They were incredibly long days, like 14-hour days,” Decker says.
Decker says recording in EastWest Studios made the process feel even more monumental.
“Everyone was extra amped to be there. You could feel the history… It was like being in a museum, like being in hallowed grounds,” Decker says.
decker. “Ouroboros” Album Release Party
WHEN: 8 p.m. Friday, June 23
WHERE: Club Congress, 311 E. Congress Street, Tucson
COST: $12 in advance, $15 day of show; 21 and older
INFO: 520-622-8848; deckermusic.org
MUSIC
PROTOMARTYR SHOWS ‘GROWTH’ ON NEW RECORD
By Jack Miessner Tucson Weekly Staff
In the desert I was humbled, seeing what a thousand years of ice did.”
Those are the first lines from “Elimination Dances,” the third track on Protomartyr’s 2023 LP “Formal Growth in the Desert.” The record, like its titular Maxfield Parrish painting, has a thematic home in Arizona.
“I was visiting my girlfriend at the time, now my wife,” said Joe Casey, frontman of the Detroit post-punk outfit. “She’s from Phoenix, and we’d gone out to Sedona. Just being out there in the desert and seeing the giant rock formations, you start to feel very insignificant in the world, at least for a Midwest boy, with your worries and things compared to these million-year-old rock formations that will be here long after you’re gone.”
Protomartyr will return to Arizona on Wednesday, June 28, at 191 Toole, where they will show fans all of the growth they’ve seen through the creative desert that has been the past years.
“Coming out of COVID, we didn’t know if we were going to be a band anymore. It was a period that, when it started, they didn’t know when concerts were going to come back. Some people thought it would never come
back.
“So, us getting back as a band, we actually had to really want it. We weren’t very creative in that period when everything was locked down, so it took us a while to learn how to be a band again. And when I was writing lyrics for the music, I wanted to talk about that period of time, but also what was happening in my life, falling in love and all that.”
The band has certainly evolved since 2020’s “Ultimate Success Today.” The biggest change, according to Casey, was the band’s decision for guitarist Greg Ahee to co-produce the record.
“He’s always been the one who’s kind of the engine room of the song,” Casey said. “He comes up with the ideas a lot of the time, musically.
“We have this great producer, Jake Aron, and we were like, ‘Why don’t you guys work together, you usually have the best ideas, or you communicate what the band wants.’ Instead of having the whole band talk to a producer, it’s good to just have one voice. And Greg’s got a lot of great ideas.”
Ahee is responsible for some of the record’s biggest sonic innovations, namely, the introduction of pedal steel guitar to the band’s eclectic repertoire. Throughout the album, the pedal steel’s resounding, weepy presence adds an often-disquieting Western backdrop to Protomartyr’s distinct moody sound (listen to “Polacrilex kid”).
“We thought this might be a step forward or a different kind of sound than maybe you’d be used to if you
followed Protomartyr.
“We always like to try to do some different things even if they’re minute or hard to explain to somebody, just to keep it interesting for ourselves. Maybe I’ll try to write a song with fewer words than I have before or try to sing in a different way.”
It’s all about experimentation for Casey, who, growing up in the ’80s, would steal his brothers’ cassette tapes based on how obscure the covers were. It was through this judgea-book-by-its-cover process that he found Public Image Ltd. and Wire, and a generation of other punk artists departing from the genre’s rigid guidelines.
“By the time I was in high school, punk had very strict rules,” Casey said.
MUSIC TRAVELER FOLLOWS ‘THAT
FEELING’
By Jack Miessner Tucson Weekly Staff
World-fusion musician and globetrotter Scott Jeffers likes to play it by ear, literally.
“It’s generally the music that guides me to a place.” Jeffers said. “The music will lead me somewhere, and there I’ll be inspired by different melodies and different sounds.”
On Friday, June 23, the music will guide the Arizona musician and his band, Traveler, to the Sea of Glass Center for the Arts, where he will bring with him a bricolage of multicultural sounds.
“It’s definitely like taking a trip,” Jeffers said. “Our music is kind of like if you went on a vacation through Europe and Turkey, through the Middle East, Ireland, Scotland, and down to Morocco. That’s kind of what it would be, like a musical journey.”
Jeffers does his homework. In the last handful of years, he’s explored Ecuador, India, Hawaii, the United Kingdom, Jordan and Egypt, all of which he e-scrapbooks on his travel blog. In one busy June, he checks in from the cliffs of Ireland’s Seven Sisters mountains and the inside of the Egyptian pyramids.
It sounds like a lot of tedious planning, but not for the composer, who usually picks a destination mere weeks before jetting off, and almost always touches down without a hotel booked.
“I tend to follow my nose,” Jeffers said. “I find that’s the best way.
“I just get there, and I start looking. I end up getting places that I would never get unless I was actually there talking to people.”
Be it by ear or by nose, the musician prefers to improvise. His last album, 2021’s “Kings of India,” was heavily inspired by an elephant festival he would
TRAVELER BRINGS WORLD-FUSION MUSIC TO ARIZONA. (TRAVELER/SUBMITTED)
have missed if not for a stranger’s spurof-the-moment invitation.
“I went to the festival and there were 50,000 people that were all Indian except for maybe four people that I saw the entire day.” Jeffers said. “And there were a hundred elephants all painted and dressed up in jewels as they marched down the streets. It was just incredible, and I would have never found that just by looking in a book.
“I know this sounds kind of ‘floating’, but as an artist you want to follow whatever guides you. You don’t want to think too book-like or regimented. You want to follow that feeling, that spirit.”
The same philosophy leads Jeffers to his compositions, which find him as spontaneously as his travel plans do.
The musician doesn’t sit behind a desk to write, but instead composes in the moment, pulling influence from somatic experience and consulting his senses for musical direction.
“If you’re standing on a cliff somewhere, and you can smell the vineyards below, those smells and sights and feelings are all captured within the melody that you created there,” Jeffers said.
“I’d bought a wooden flute while I was in India. I was kind of playing around with it at the elephant festival, and this little melody kept coming to me. It just worked with my fingers, and I said ‘whoa, this is a cool melody’.
I kept playing that, and it just became the song.”
Jeffers’ on-the-run style of composition allows him to fuse together the music of each place as he travels. In 2019’s “Out of the Dust,” he incorporates sounds from Egypt, Jordan and Scotland. He even stirs Mongolian throat singing into the mix, an experiment born out of a rented wood cabin in Pitlochry.
The reason? He didn’t have a didgeridoo.
“I thought, ‘Ooh, Mongolian throat singing,’” he said. “I started making that sound while stomping on the floor and playing the fiddle, and that was the magic moment that it all came together, and I said, ‘Wow, this is a combination of different sounds that just seems to work.’
“I would say that’s what my talent as an artist is, having a vision of how to fit these different styles and sounds together and make them palatable for a Western audience. I think that deeply rooted ethnic music tends to all sound like the same song to a foreigner. So you fuse different things into it, and you still keep the deeply rooted part, but now you’re bringing different colors forward.”
The musician inherits his instinct for this sort of synthesis from his own cultural fusion. Jeffers’ father is Scot-
tish American, his mother Lebanese, and growing up in Arizona, there was always music in the house. His family’s cultural identity was formative, according to the artist.
“I think my mind developed to hear those sounds.” Said Jeffers. “So, they came naturally to me.”
“When I was playing guitar in my high school band, we did a song called ‘Perfect Strangers’ by Deep Purple, which has an exotic scale pattern in the middle. When I would solo over it, I felt how much easier playing in the exotic scale worked for my brain than just playing straightforward rock.
“That was kind of a clue that this was the sound that just works for me. I started writing more exotic music, and that developed into even more exotic sounds until, eventually, the calling became too clear, that this was my road.”
Traveler
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 23
WHERE: Sea of Glass Center for the Arts, 330 E. Seventh Street, Tucson
COST: Tickets start at $7
INFO: 520-210-4448, theseaofglass.org
“Punk is this, pop punk is this, ska punk is this. It’s very codified, what is and isn’t something. Whereas postpunk is very amorphous and can be whatever you want it to be.
“I hope that when we get called post punk it’s because we’re trying to experiment with the form, not because I sing with a low voice, and we sound like Joy Division sometimes.”
Casey refuses to be put in a box. Though he points to punk legends of yore (Shane MacGowan of The Pogues, Mark E. Smith of The Fall) as influences, his esoteric and deeply figurative style of songwriting is inspired by everything from 20th century literature to daytime television.
“I read a bunch of books,” Casey said. “I have two older brothers, and they definitely read way more books than I did. But as the younger brother, I was like, ‘I’m going to read as many books as my brothers.’ So, I tried to keep up, and then I ended up going to college for English.
“I take from what I’ve read, but I also take lyrics from what I watch on TV, and that can be an infomercial, or a game show. I just try to take things from wherever I get it. That’s the best way to do it, to take stuff from both high and low culture and mix them up. Because that’s what you consume on a daily basis.”
But the songs themselves tend to be one of the frontman’s biggest muses, as he usually writes his lyrics after the
rest of the band establishes a track’s instrumental foundation.
“I always kind of go off of the basic form of the song. And that helps me because it forms the writing, like how long a line is going to be or what I’m going to write about, because I’m being influenced by what the music is making me feel,” Casey said.
“It helps a lot. I don’t think I’m good at writing things freely without some sort of a guardrail. The song is the guardrail that allows me to be creative.”
Protomartyr’s cross-disciplinary influences shine out in its creative multimedia projects.
For “Formal Growth in the Desert,” the band released three music videos, each as inventive as the songs they accompany, along with the Marty Singer Telethon, a public access event which aired on Highland Park TV.
The telethon featured performances from “Formal Growth in the Desert,” appearances from an array of characters like Nikki the Nicotine, a cigarette who advertises the revolutionary “Nico-Crate,” and two charismatic hosts, Marty Singer and Sarah Mc-
Mahon, who just can’t seem to remember the band’s name.
“That was our idea to try and do something different” Casey said. “We worked with all the people that directed the three videos, so it gave us the opportunity to work with our friends again. That’s always an aspect that we love, and I think that in the future we’re probably going to do more of it.
“Maybe we can direct something, because one thing we all agree on in the band is we all love movies. We always have ideas for things, and Greg wants to score movies. Filmmakers with a lot of money, please let Protomartyr write your score. We’d love to do it.”
Protomartyr w/Immortal Nightbody
WHEN: 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 28
WHERE: 191 Toole, 191 E. Toole Avenue, Tucson
COST: Tickets start at $18; 21 and older
INFO: 191toole.com, protomartyrband.com
THE (CASUAL) SCIENCE BEHIND THE EDIBLE
By Eva Halvax Tucson Weekly Columnist
What’s better? Smoking or eating an edible?
While the answer to that question can be deeply personal, there are a variety of factors that can contribute to the overall experiences that THC consumption provides. Edibles do not interact with the lungs and, in the process, can deliver a high that differs in intensity and longevity from smoking THC.
Cannabinoids, such as THC and CBD, bind with cannabinoid re-
ceptors in many ways, the effects of which are mainly dictated by the consumption method. When THC is smoked or vaped, cannabinoids are absorbed through the lungs and into the bloodstream, quickly entering the blood-brain barrier. As these cannabinoids travel to the brain, they bind with the endocannabinoid system (ECS), resulting in the feeling of being high. This means that THC’s effects are practically instant, which is attractive to many.
With an edible, however, the body
must process the cannabinoids via the digestive tract and liver, where they are eventually absorbed into the bloodstream. This process results in a longer activation time, but it can be more potent and intense. The high from an edible is different from smoking THC, possibly because the liver converts THC into 11-hydroxy-THC. This compound is thought to be two to three times more potent than THC. Research regarding 11-hydroxy-THC is still relatively new, and there is much to still discover.
11-hydroxy-THC is integral to why edibles can deliver a longer and more extreme high. Because of this, proceed with caution. Similarly, a longer activation time means the high can creep in, which is why knowing an edible’s dose is key. The edible’s effects kick in between 30 minutes to two hours, but can linger up to 24 hours.
In Arizona, edibles sold recreationally cannot exceed 10 mg per piece, and 100 mg per package. So, if you’re new to edibles, it’s always best to begin with a low dose, 5 mg or lower. This can be achieved by cutting a 10 mg edible into pieces. Typically, an edible from a dispensary should have an even dosage of THC throughout the whole product to ensure consistent dosing.
On the flip side, some people may require a higher dose of edibles to feel medicated. Having a medical card opens the door to higher-dosed edible products, with packages going up to 1000 mg.
Did you get too high from an edible? CBD can be helpful in quelling it, and it can be taken to counteract the negative effects one may be experiencing from the THC.
CANNABIS: KNOW YOUR SOURCE, RESTORE BALANCE
By Aari Ruben Tucson Weekly Columnist
Cannabis seems to be everywhere these days, lots of it, but it’s not all the same.
Canada’s state-run market reports an inventory of 3 million pounds. When it sits, oxidation and loss of moisture degrade its quality and even change its chemical composition.
In the United States, many state markets have seen the green rush and it has created oversupply that drives down prices. After all, supply and demand is a law of economics. This appears at first glance to be a good turn of events for consumers, but it depends on what people are seeking from their cannabis.
We have learned that the most common cannabinoids are THC and CBD. THC is psychoactive while CBD is not. There are also 80 to 100 other minor nonpsychoactive cannabinoids, some of which have profound health effects. CBG is one of my favorites lately. It can help with a wide range of stomach and gut issues by reducing inflammation and restoring balance.
Many of the other minor cannabinoids have not been well researched but we do know from thousands of years of anecdotal experience that they are safe and nontoxic.
As someone who has helped thousands of people to treat themselves with cannabis. I encourage broad-spectrum cannabis therapy. I would want to get as many different healing compounds into a person as possible. Remember, THC is the only one causing intoxication and this effect can be minimized in many ways if it’s not desired. As a population, prohibition created a cannabinoid deficiency and restoring this takes all the powers of the plant.
Commercially grown cannabis will certainly have plenty of the primary cannabinoids. However, due to a variety of factor, it may be lacking in the minor cannabinoids. If what you are after is an intoxicating couple hits of really strong weed, then perhaps this will suffice. If you are a novice cannabis user
or a lightweight, perhaps you won’t notice or mind the use of synthetic fertilizers, growth regulators and pesticides that are common.
If you want to optimize health and well-being or if you are a cannabis connoisseur and appreciate the nuances of different cannabis strains, you will want something more. Cannabis that is organically grown and the result of proper breeding will have a broader spectrum cannabinoid and terpene profile.
The fertilizers used are organic and pest management practices are natural. Similar to eating organic food, the experience of consuming such organic cannabis products will be different. The variety of cannabinoids present will present more health benefits by balancing more systems and biological processes. The high is different. It’s somewhat rounder having been modulated by the minor cannabinoids that compete with the THC for the same receptors in the brain.
It's easy to be price sensitive these days, as the price of good is increasing. In the cannabis world, prices are falling in most markets. It’s also easy to get caught up in the wave of race to the bottom as retailers slash prices and seek to maintain market share.
Cannabis consumers should get to know the people involved in the production of their medicine and its processing. Be curious about their backgrounds and what methods they employ and why. We may pay taxes now but at its core, it’s still a drug deal, take time to research what you are putting in your body and the ethics of those involved. Incidentally, there is a time and a place for hydroponic cultivation, cloning, many of these techniques.
If I were on a spaceship, for example, I would love to have these means available to have a steady supply of cannabis to pass the time. Here on Earth, we have the luxury of sunshine and rich soil
and all kinds of rich natural fertilizers. We have the space to do proper plant breeding and reproduce from seed. Instead of aiming to meet the minimum requirements of the plant, we can try to optimize its conditions and input variables. This gives the plant an opportunity to express its full potential usefulness if the cultivation and production of consumer products are managed intelligently, ethically and responsibly.
DEALER’S CHOICE
THIS WEEK'S INDICA: Ice cream cake was born by crossing wedding cake and gelato No. 33. Complete with sweet and nutty notes of vanilla, ice cream cake is the perfect nightcap. If you’re looking for a delectable strain to unwind to, ice cream cake is perfect.
THIS WEEK'S HYBRID: MAC, otherwise known as Miracle Alien Cookies, is a rare and even balanced hybrid strain. Complete with dense and aromatic buds, MAC is a great strain for stimulating a creative and upbeat mood. Limonene is the dominant terpene in this strain, resulting in a citrusy, relaxing delight.
THIS WEEK'S SATIVA: Jet Fuel is a cerebral and energetic sativa hybrid strain, fantastic for clawing out of a creative rut. As the name suggests, Jet Fuel can jumpstart you into an upbeat and energetic kind of state. If you are prone to anxiety or paranoia, it is best to avoid this strain.
COMICS
ARIES
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
TAURUS
(MARCH 21-APRIL 19)
When I was still an up-and-coming horoscope columnist, before I got widely syndicated, I supplemented my income with many other jobs. During one stretch, I wrote fortunes for a line of designer fortune cookies that were covered with gourmet chocolate and sold at the luxury department store Bloomingdale’s. The salary I got paid was meager. Part of my compensation came in the form of hundreds of delicious but non-nutritious cookies. If you are offered a comparable deal in the coming weeks and months, Aries, my advice is to do what I didn’t do but should have done: Ask for what’s truly valuable to you instead of accepting a substitute of marginal worth.
(APRIL 20-MAY 20)
My mentor Ann Davies said that of all the signs of the zodiac, you Tauruses are most likely to develop finely honed intuition. At least potentially, you can tune in to the inner teacher better than the rest of us. The still, small voice rises up out of the silence and speaks to you clearly and crisply. Here’s even better news: I believe you are entering a phase when your relationship with this stellar faculty may ripen dramatically. Please take advantage of this subtly fabulous opportunity! Each day for the next 14 days, do a relaxing ritual in which you eagerly invite and welcome the guidance of your deepest inner source.
GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20)
New College in Oxford, United Kingdom, has educated students since 1379. Among its old buildings is a dining hall that features beams made of thick oak trees. Unfortunately, most oak wood eventually attracts beetles that eat it and weaken it. Fortunately, the 14th-century founders of New College foresaw that problem. They planted an oak grove whose trees were specifically meant to be used to replace the oak beams at New College. Which they are to this day. I would love you to derive inspiration from this story, Gemini. What practical long-term plans might you be wise to formulate in the coming months?
CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22)
In the Northern Hemisphere, the astrological month of Cancer begins with the sun in its greatest glory. Our home star is at its highest altitude, shining with maximum brightness. So then why is the sign of the Crab ruled by the moon? Why do the longest days of the year coincide with the ascendancy of the mistress of the night? Ahhh. These are esoteric mysteries beyond the scope of this horoscope. But here's a hint about what they signify for you personally. One of your assets can also be a liability: your innocent openness to the wonders of life. This quality is at the heart of your beauty but can also, on occasion, make you vulnerable to being overwhelmed. That's why it's so important that you master the art of setting boundaries, of honing your focus, of quaffing deeply from a few cups instead of sipping from many cups.
LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22)
The coming weeks will be a delicate time for your spiritual unfoldment. You are primed to recover lost powers, rediscover key truths you have forgotten, and reunite with parts of your soul you got cut off from. Will these good possibilities come to pass in their fullness? Maybe, maybe not. It depends on how brave you are in seeking your healing. You must ask for what’s hard to ask for. You’ve got to find a way to feel deserving of the beauty and blessings that are available. PS: You are deserving. I will be cheering you on, dear Leo.
VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22)
Whether or not you have been enrolled in a learning institution during the past 12 months, I suspect you have been getting a rigorous education. Among the courses you have almost completed are lessons in intimacy, cooperation, collaboration, symbiosis, and togetherness. Have you mastered all the teachings? Probably not. There were too many of them, and they were too voluminous to grasp perfectly and completely. But that’s OK. You have done well. Now you’re ready to graduate,
By Rob Brezsny. Go to RealAstrology.com to check out Rob Brezsny’s EXPANDED WEEKLY HOROSCOPE
minute.
and over. Touchtone phone required.
collect your diploma, and apply what you have learned.
LIBRA
(SEPT. 23-OCT. 22)
History has provided contradictory reports about Isabeau of Bavaria, who served as Queen of France from 1385 to 1422. Was she a corrupt, greedy, and indecisive fool who harmed France’s fortunes? Or was she a talented diplomat with great skill in court politics and an effective leader during the many times her husband, King Charles VI, was incapacitated by illness? I bring these facts to your attention, Libra, hoping they will inspire you to refine, adjust, and firm up your own reputation. You can’t totally control how people perceive you, but you do have some power to shape their perceptions — especially these days.
SCORPIO
(OCT. 23-NOV. 21)
The next four weeks will be an excellent time to create and celebrate your own holidays. I recommend you dream up at least four new festivals, jubilees, anniversaries, and other excuses to party. Eight or more would be even better. They could be quirky and modest, like Do No Housework Day, Take Your Houseplants for a Walk Day, or Write Bad Poetry Day. They could be more profound and impactful, like Forgive Your Parents for Everything Day, Walk on the Wild Side Day, or Stay Home from Work Because You’re Feeling So Good Day. In my astrological opinion, Scorpio, you should regard playful fun as a top priority. For more ideas, go here: tinyurl.com/CreateHolidays . . . tinyurl.com/NouveauHolidays . . . tinyurl.com/InventHolidays
SAGITTARIUS
(NOV. 22-DEC. 21)
In Greek mythology, Prometheus was a god who stole fire from his fellow gods and gave it to humans to help them build civilization. His divine colleagues were not pleased. Why? Maybe they feared that with the power of fire, people would become like gods themselves and have no further need for gods. Anyway, Sagittarius, I hope you’re in a fire-stealing mood. It’s a good time to raise your whole world up to a higher level—to track down and acquire prizes that will lead to major enhance-
ments. And unlike what happened to Prometheus (the other gods punished him), I think you will get away with your gambits.
CAPRICORN
(DEC. 22-JAN. 19)
Let’s discuss magical doorways. Each time you sleep, you slip through magical doorways called dreams. Whether or not you recall those adventures, they offer you interesting mysteries utterly unlike the events of your daily life. Here’s another example: A magical doorway opens when an ally or loved one shares intimate knowledge of their inner realms. Becoming absorbed in books, movies, or songs is also a way to glide through a magical doorway. Another is when you discover an aspect of yourself, a corner of your being, that you didn't know was there. I bring these thoughts to your attention, Capricorn, because I suspect the coming weeks will present an extra inviting array of magical doorways.
AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18)
Psychiatrist Myron Hofer specializes in the mother-infant relationship. Among his findings: The first emotion that a newborn experiences is anxiety. Struggling to get out of the womb can be taxing, and it’s shocking to be separated from the warm, nourishing realm that has been home for months. The bad news is that most of us still carry the imprint of this original unease. The good news, Aquarius, is that the coming months will be one of the best times ever for you to heal. For optimal results, place a high priority on getting an abundance of love, support, comfort, and physical touch.
PISCES
(FEB. 19-MARCH 20)
Curious blends and intriguing juxtapositions are in the works — or at least they should be. Improbable alliances might be desirable because they’re curative. Formulas with seemingly mismatched ingredients might fix a glitch, even if they never succeeded before and won’t again. I encourage you to synergize work and play. Negotiate serious business in casual settings and make yourself at home in a wild frontier.
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Will Shortz
ACROSS
1 The N.C.A.A.’s Crimson Tide, to fans
5 Obsolescent devices with Rewind bu ons
9 Lincoln ___ (toy set)
13 Cry from a congregation
14 Scroll through a few books?
Mac
15 Proctored event
16 Zero, zippo, zilch
18 Hamilton’s notes
Rhode Island, with “the”
19 Couple’s 60th anniversary [Spanish]
21 Fi ing
22 A panda’s is almost entirely bamboo
23 Saunter
Furniture giant whose name is an acronym
26 “Aw, rats!” [Dutch, Swedish]
“You win”
31 ___ a soul (no one)
32 Contraction in “Deck the Halls”
33 Votes into o ice
34 Pie ___ mode
Prep school about an hour by train from London
35 Whom one might go see at “tooth hurty,” per a classic joke [Czech]
37 Cartoon collectible
38 Cubans, for example
40 Professional connections
Lifetime, for the U.S. Supreme Cour t
41 Show the merits of, say
42 Goes with someone else [German]
44 Center
45 Substance in a petri dish
You might give something up for this
46 Bud
47 “I think we’re done here” … or a hint to translating each of the four shaded words in this puzzle
