Lovin Life After 50: Tucson September 2020 by Times Media Group

September 2020

Brick-by-Brick Success Bricks and Minifigs owners have successful opening

Murals for Change

Artists paint their support for Black Lives Matter

DESIGNS

Lauren Valenzuela’s earrings are inspired by the desert

Not Quite Closing Time Dan Wilson feels strangely fine about Semisonic’s new music

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Inside This Issue Upfront

Brick-by-Brick Success

Walking for a Cause

Tucson couple has successful opening with Bricks and Minifigs

Autism Society’s event goes virtual this year

Whimsical Designs

Lauren Valenzuela’s earrings are inspired by the desert

Artists paint their support for Black Lives Matter

Murals for Change

Arts The Community as One

Tucson pulls together to save the Screening Room

Dining 12 Woops! Here It Is

Get a sugar fix at this delectable dessert store

Music Not Quite Closing Time

Dan Wilson feels strangely fine about Semisonic’s new music

‘Remain in Love’

Chris Frantz talks Tom Tom Club, Talking Heads and the future

Columns 18

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Upfront Brick-by-Brick Success Tucson couple has successful opening with Bricks and Minifigs BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Owners of the new Bricks and Minifigs store in Tucson, JL and Becky Burnett quickly learned the power of Lego. A line of brick lovers slithered around the building before the store even opened on its first day. “We had the biggest grand opening the franchise has seen,” Becky says about the resale Lego chain. “We had a few fans who wanted to be first in line, and they were here at 4 a.m. lining up for a 10 a.m. opening. We had people drive up from Sierra Vista and people visiting from Yuma and Phoenix. For some, it was the first time they brought their kids out of quarantine. It was a really big deal.” Bricks and Minifigs offers a wide selection of minifigures for sale from all themes, including the collectible series. Recently, they sold a German soccer team minifigure set that was difficult to find in the United States. The store offers a wide selection of certified used sets in boxes as well as used sets with instructions, which decorate the backdrop of the main counter. New sets and accessories like stuffed animal versions of the “Star Wars” minifigures, keyBricks and Minifigs oﬀers a wide selection of certified used Lego sets in boxes as well as sets with instructions.

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JL and Becky Burnett own the new Bricks and Minifigs store in Tucson. The shop oﬀers a wide selection of Lego minifigures for sale from all themes, including the collectible series. (Photos by Dave Karasinski)

chains, pens and minifigure flashlights line the walls. Guests can help themselves to a free Bricks and Minifigs bracelet. Suspended from the ceiling is a train that will eventually circle the whole of the store. In the middle of the store are bulk Lego tables, where guests can fill different-sized containers that range in price from $8 to $70. At the Build-a-Mini-

figure station, shoppers can choose a head, torso, legs, hairpiece or hat/ helmet and one accessory for $4, or three for $10. The stock is always changing because Bricks and Minifigs buys and trades parts and bricks. “Because it’s a buyand-sell-and-trade situation, what you see up there might not even last a day or two,” she says. “It’s going to constantly be revolving.” At the back of the store is a touching display called Julian’s case that will house My Own Creations (MOC) competition winners. The case is named after a local boy who passed away. The five-member staff is taking precautions to avoid exposure to or the spread of COVID-19. They’re wiping down surfaces; cleaning parts; and offering masks, gloves and hand sanitizer. “We extended our grand opening to be two days instead of one to allow for maximum possible social distancing,” she says. “JL was at the door reminding people to social distance. Everyone worked with us. They just flooded in and they wanted to grab what they wanted and jump in line ASAP.”

The couple decided to open a Bricks and Minifigs after being reintroduced to Lego at a party. The experience snowballed into memberships to mail-order Lego clubs and then an encounter with the Bricks and Minifigs chain, which also has a store in Avondale. The ultimate draw to the store was the availability of a party room. “We needed something more of a creative outlet or that parents could enjoy, too,” says JL, who considered a video game truck. “In Tucson there’s a fair amount of birthday party locations. If you really look, a majority of them are pizza and arcade places or bounce houses, where you’re risking your neck. People are looking for something more.” The party room won’t just be for kids. The couple plans to have bagels and bricks events, or date nights. Sensory hours for autistic children are also in the works. “I’m just really about working with the community,” Becky says. “We had a Cub Scout leader ask if we could work out something with them. The ability in this sort of industry to reach out to the community is astronomical. “We’d love to sponsor Little League teams or have school parties with mascots. We’ve had people flooding in, trying to give us applications because it’s everyone’s teenage dream job.”

Bricks and Miniﬁgs

6145 E. Broadway Boulevard, 372-7733, bricksandminifigs.com/tucson-az 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily SEPTEMBER 2020

Walking for a Cause Autism Society’s event goes virtual this year

The Autism Society of Southern Arizona’s 14th annual Autism Walk and Resource Fair will be available virtually on September 26. (Photos courtesy Autism Society of Southern Arizona)

BY ANNIKA TOMLIN For 14 years, the Autism Society of Southern Arizona has hosted a community walk with local exhibitors to provide a fun, interactive event for the whole family. The event was scheduled for April but, due to COVID-19, it was pushed to a virtual walk on September 26. “We are really reimagining this walk in a new way,” says Brie Seward, Autism Society of Southern Arizona’s executive director. “It was scheduled for April and we were three weeks away and we had to slow our plans. We rescheduled but really revisioned and reevaluated how we are going to do this, and we’ve been able to pivot and make it in an online space.” Seward joined the team five years ago in the marketing committee. She became associate director in 2017 and executive director this year. “I’ve seen this organization grow so much,” Seward says. “We have done a lot of great work for Southern Arizona and it

keeps building.” For the virtual walk, the organization created a dedicated website that includes an online resource fair, live panel discussions and an opening ceremony. “We have live discussion panels going on from 9 to 5 from experts across the country, and in our state that will help families navigate autism and inform them and educate them,” Seward says. “That is something we couldn’t do in person, so this is really a great bonus to doing a virtual event.” Once on the website, a schedule lists the events and will take visitors to the homepage. Live panel presenters include Absolute HCBS and Banner University Health Plans; Children’s Clinics and Helping Hands Behavioral Therapy; and Southern Arizona Neuropsychology and FABAS. In addition to the live panel discussion, the organization created an online resource fair that includes exhibitors that help with autism so families wouldn’t

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miss out on it. To register, visit as-az.org. After purchasing a $5 ticket for children ages 4 to 17 and $20 for adults, the recipient will be given a password to log into the event website, 2020autismwalk.as-az.org, to access the live presentations and virtual walk.

Labor of love Seward says she wanted the event to continue because it’s their labor of love. “We always strive to bring them the resources that they need because, really, resources can change your child’s life,” Seward says. “If you know the doctor to go to or the therapist who will give your child the diagnosis or provide speech services that can help them talk one day, that’s access to a different outcome than if you didn’t have that information.” Seward says it’s sad that the event is live, because it brings in people from around the world. “They gather like their entire family from nanas and tatas and cousins and family and friends into these huge groups who represent their teams in signature T-shirts and T-shirts dedicated to

who they are walking for. We wanted to still bring the same level of excitement to that. We didn’t want to let them down.” Autism Society of Southern Arizona continues to provide resources for families and referrals during this pandemic and has expanded its virtual programs to include swimming, youth activity meetups and adult social club meetups. The company hired Maxine Matthews as an information and referral specialist who is available to families throughout the day. “We want to keep our families engaged, active, committed and connected with each other,” Seward says.

The Autism Society of Southern Arizona continues to oﬀer virtual programs for families in the autism community, such as swimming, youth activity meetups and adult social club meetups.

www.LovinLife.com

Whimsical Designs Lauren Valenzuela’s earrings are inspired by the desert BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Lauren Valenzuela is in her happy place. Tucked in her Tucson studio, the jewelry designer makes fun and whimsical pieces that are as uplifting as they are lightweight to wear. The earring-focused collection is a little bit desert, a little bit retro and a whole lot of rock ‘n’ roll. More importantly, Sigfús Designs is an all-inclusive brand, meaning every ethnicity, size and shape can truly rock these trendy pieces. “My background is in restaurants and marketing,” says the effervescent Valenzuela, as her husband, Hector, packages earrings for shipment nearby. “I managed or did whatever they needed me to do. They knew I was creative, so they gave me jobs where I could be creative.” Two and a half years ago, she founded Sigfús Designs after making jewelry for friends and family. Sigfús is an Icelandic family name. “It was my great-grandfather and my dad’s middle name,” she says. “It came to me one day. I wanted it to be different so it wouldn’t be confused with anybody else. If you look up ‘Sigfús,’ you’ll see an Icelandic dude or you’re going to see my website and that’s it.” She makes each piece of clay into a unique accessory and even mixes her own colors using spices such as turmeric and alcohol ink. Some earrings also incorporate resin, wood, Lucite, wire and other elements. “I play with shapes a lot,” says Valenzuela, whose left arm is adorned with a saguaro tattoo. “I like geometric stuff. Sometimes the designs are accidental, or I’m just playing with clay and cutting things out and then rearranging them and making asymmetrical styles. “I’m definitely inspired by the desert. I’m not really a neon girl. I like muted, desert tones, but I still like a pop of color.”

She admits it took her awhile to fully appreciate Arizona. “When you’re from Tucson or Phoenix, we just think, ‘Oh, it’s the desert. It’s hot.’ We’re not really appreciating the beauty. I’m proud of this place. I love it. Yeah, it’s hot, but there’s so much beauty. There’s so much life and there’s so much to be grateful for here. I feel like I have a strong bond with the desert.” Valenzuela grew up in an artistic family. Her mother was a silversmith who painted, and her father supported her efforts. “I grew up seeing art and being around it a lot,” she says. “I’m really inspired by anybody who can pretty much do something and just take a risk. The definition of being an entrepreneur isn’t just owning a business. It’s about taking calculated risks, a financial risk and it’s freaking scary. “Hector is a tattoo artist, and he only quit his firefighting job a year ago. We’re both in a new place. His studio is across the hall. He owns his business. I own my

Sigfús Designs sigfusdesigns.com

Lauren Valenzuela’s earrings oﬀer muted desert tones with a pop of color. (Photos courtesy Lauren Valenzuela)

business. We have no idea what we’re doing, and we’re constantly just figuring it out as we go. There are so many young people doing amazing things and making cool art. Why not me?” She learned her craft by Googling and watching YouTube. She just put her heart and mind to it and found success. Valenzuela’s pieces are available in 100 stores worldwide. In Tucson, they’re

available at Batea Boutique, Vida Moulin, BodyQuest Pilates, Creative Kind, El Be Goods and the Tucson Museum of Art. Valenzuela’s earrings are available at Local Nomad and Urbana in Phoenix, Omni Scottsdale Resort and Spa in Scottsdale, and Neue Bride in Downtown Mesa. “It’s so fun to connect with people all over the world through this little thing,” she says with a wide smile.

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SEPTEMBER 2020

Murals for Change

Robbie Lee Harris painted his Black Lives Matter mural at the Rialto Theatre. (Photo courtesy Robbie Lee Harris)

Artists paint their support for Black Lives Matter BY LAURA LATZKO Following the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Dion Johnson and Ahmaud Arbery, people around the world are protesting for justice, equal treatment, and restructuring and retraining of police departments and redistribution of funding into communities. Those who support the Black Lives Matter movement, which officially started in 2013, have found different ways to express themselves. In Tucson, artists have used public murals to protest. Some artists have created individual murals, while others have participated in group projects. Through their pieces, they hope to inspire change and spark multifaceted discussions.

Camila Ibarra Camila Ibarra wanted to make a statement about the COVID-19 pandemic and

the Black Lives Matter movement with her Black Lives Matter mural on Hotel Congress. Her work depicts a woman in a mask with the words “Black Lives Matter” painted into her hair and fists raised in protests behind her. Ibarra completed the mural in two days. She brought her own painting supplies, and the Hotel Congress provided her with a wall space. Ibarra says the woman in her mural represents the fortitude and perseverance of those protesting during the COVID-19 pandemic. The mural felt personal to her as a supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement. “When I was painting it, it meant a lot to me, so I was really emotional when I was painting it. I was hoping that I would be able to portray that emotion through my mural,” Ibarra says. She was inspired by a picture of a powerful-looking woman she saw on the internet, but she added her own interpretation. Ibarra says the response has surprised her. “It’s crazy how many different perspectives I’ve gotten to hear about that mural,” Ibarra says. “I didn’t expect it to impact people the way that it did.” Ibarra sold T-shirts and prints of her work to raise money for bailout funds for individuals arrested during protests and for scholarships for people of color. She was able to raise thousands of dollars toward the local causes. This is Ibarra’s first public mural, but she painted several for Sahuaro High School as a teen and a sports-themed one at a Tempe boxing gym. She developed an interest in art during her freshman year in high school and later took an Advanced Placement art class her senior year. She has experience in drawing, Camila Ibarra painted her Black Lives Matter mural on a wall at Hotel Congress. (Photo by Marianna Ibarra)

SEPTEMBER 2020

painting and doing portraits. Ibarra has been able to pursue multiple passions in her life at the same time, as she is studying engineering at ASU while doing art commissions as a side job. Ibarra is part of the American Society of Civil Engineers’ ASU chapter, where she is able to use her engineering and artistic knowledge. “They rely on me a lot to do art because they know I’m the artist in the group,” Ibarra says. “I definitely get to be very hands-on there and take on a leadership position.”

Downtown Mural Project A number of artists painted murals in Downtown Tucson as part of a project organized by Joe Pagac, a local muralist. Although Pagac doesn’t usually do politically driven or controversial projects, he felt it was important to get involved. Pagac was originally going to do the murals himself but decided it was important to include an African American artist in the project. “What was originally going to be me going out and painting these walls very quickly evolved into trying to get some

of the Black artists in town who haven’t had as many opportunities to get walls or haven’t had any opportunities to paint murals to paint these walls,” Pagac says. He put out a call for artists and supplies on Facebook. The muralists painted on walls in various Downtown Tucson spaces. The muralists come from different backgrounds and levels of experience. They were given the freedom to be creative, with the only connecting thread being the words “Black Lives Matter.” Participating artists included Nolan Patterson, Adia Jamille, Robbie Lee Harris and To-Ree-Nee Wolf. For the artists involved, it was important to lend their abilities, voices and platforms to the cause. “It was a way that I could offer something to the moment. It was something that I could be a part of in a larger way. I could offer my creativity and my skills to witness this profound moment,” Wolf says. For a mural at the Rialto Theatre, Harris represented a young woman who is crying, blowing on a dandelion and wishing for equality. Around her, he painted the words “Justice,” “Love,” “Peace,” “Freedom,” “Equality” and “Liberty.” “Just from being born, those six words should automatically apply to you. We unfortunately live in a society where those scales are not even,” Harris says. Harris was inspired by the women in his life—his aunts, mother and sister, and his two daughters. Murals...continues on page 7

Adia Jamille created her Black Lives Matter mural on a wall at the MSA Annex. (Photo courtesy Adia Jamille)

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To-Ree-Nee Wolf’s Black Lives Matter mural adorns the MSA Annex. (Photo courtesy To-Ree-Nee Wolf)

Murals...continued from page 6 “To have her up there and for my daughters to be able to see it, my mother to be able to see her, that resonated most with me,” Harris says. Harris works as an EMT and pursues art as a hobby/side job. He started drawing around age 5 and later got into other art forms, such as woodburning and glass etching. In two years, the Black Lives Matter mural has been one of his largest murals. Others were at elementary schools, a church and friends’ homes. After installing the Black Lives Matter mural, Harris received many positive messages from people touched by his work, including people visiting Tucson from places such as New York. “It’s an honor and humbling. I still don’t have the words. I still can’t express how cool that is having that image up there, and the impact that it has had,” Harris says. “People have been messaging me, saying they appreciate it. Seeing mothers with their daughters out there, people with tears. It hasn’t just been African American people that have had a positive or emotional response. … That was the impact that I wanted to have. I just wanted people to feel something from seeing it.” Jamille and Wolf both painted at the MSA Annex. In her piece, Jamille represented Black Lives Matter when they are pursuing different activities, including playing basketball, sleeping, making movies and music, watching birds, running and creating art. She also touched on the importance of the lives of LGBTQ and transgender people of color. Her mural ends with the word “alive,” sending the message is that Black lives have value when they are allowed to live. This was the first time that Jamille, a fiber artist, has created a mural. She used a www.LovinLife.com

similar style as her embroidery within her public art piece. While she was painting her mural, her 11-year-old son and husband were there to assist. She says it was important to emphasize the value of Black lives. “Some people say it as a buzz word, but for me, our lives matter. The lives we are living matter. That is where I ended up going with it, is focusing on the living part and thinking about what was happening to people who were assaulted or killed by the police or who have been threatened to have the police called on them,” Jamille says. Jamille says for her, it was important to ultimately send a positive, uplifting message with her mural. “Black life is colorful. It’s vibrant. It’s full of joy and happiness. I just wanted to translate that into the mural.” She has presented her work locally at the Black Renaissance Festival, a space that highlights African American artists. Her family’s background is in the arts, specifically her mothers who quilted. Jamille, who often does screen printing and hand painting in her work, says her love of fiber arts stems from being able to continually try something new. “Every time I dye something, it’s going to be different. Every time I print something, it’s going to be different. When I embroider, it’s going to be different. It’s always an experiment,” Jamille says. Wolf worked on two sections as part of one piece, which represents African American people of different ages. One section features the words “Remember My” and “Name.” The other incorporates the American symbols of stars and stripes as well as ravens. A guitarist, singer and actress, Wolf has been creating murals for almost 30 years. She studied illustration and painting at

the Philadelphia College of Art and also does tile mosaic pieces. She was interested in art from a young age and grew up in an artistic household where her mother encouraged her to explore art. In 2016, she created a piece called “Creation Story, Chaos Theory and Quantum Memory,” which touched on the topic of inclusivity. She did this piece around the same time as the protests over the Dakota Access Pipeline and the Dallas police officer shooting. Wolf says although her public art projects often address larger community issues, the Black Lives Matter piece felt different because of the state of the world. “There’s always been a huge witnessing community component to what I do. This felt even larger than that because of this alchemical place that we are in, not only in our country but globally as well. I was very glad to be a part of this moment,” Wolf says. She says this mural, in particular, had a very personal meaning to her. “I know what it’s like to be an African American in America because I’ve dealt with that all of my life. I know what it’s like to have my life saved by the police, and I know what it’s like to have my life threatened by the police,” Wolf says. “I know what it’s like to be terrorized by white America. I’ve had two houses burned down on me. I also know what it’s like to be cherished by people of all ethnicities, to see my value, love me and allow me the great gift of loving them back. All I had to

do was get in touch with my own feelings, my own history in this country and my own experiences in this country.” Patterson created his mural, which was the last to be finished in the series, on a wall at Sixth and Toole avenues. In his piece, he represented individuals of different races coming together in protest, carrying signs such as “BLM” and “End Racism.” The mural fits with Patterson’s abstract art style. He has been creating artwork since age 5 and has worked in different mediums, including drawing, painting and mixed media. His artwork was recently on display at Hotel McCoy and Gallery. Creating murals is new for Patterson. The artist has worked with Pagac in the past on murals, but the Black Lives Matter piece is the first he’s done on his own. He was helped by his girlfriend, who is a crochet and textile artist. He says completing the mural gave him an immense sense of accomplishment. “There were lots of great emotions standing back and looking at it done for the first time,” Patterson says. His mural has been interactive in a way he didn’t expect. One woman, for example, took a photo with the mural so it looked like she was holding one of the protest signs. “That’s the idea behind the different characters in the mural. It represents everybody that connects with this movement,” Patterson says.

Nolan Patterson painted his Black Lives Matter mural at the corner of Sixth and Toole avenues. (Photo courtesy Nolan Patterson)

SEPTEMBER 2020

Arts The Community as One Tucson pulls together to save the Screening Room BY LAURA LATZKO Since it opened in 1989, the Screening Room has offered a space for filmmakers, especially those local to Arizona, to show their work. The Tucson venue hosts a number of different film festivals, including the Arizona International and Arizona Underground film festivals and Tucson Terrorfest. Over the years, the space has become even more wide ranging, as different community groups have begun to put on shows in the venue. Similarly to other performance spaces, the Screening Room has been hit financially by the COVID-19 pandemic because of having to close in March. The extended closure prompted operator and manager David Pike, along with local organizations and performers, to pull together to try to raise money to keep the space open. Through a GoFundMe account, the Screening Room been trying to raise $10,000 to help cover bills. Keep Tucson Sketchy, a local sketch company group, and Miss Nature, a Tucson drag queen, have also organized shows to raise money for the Screening Room. “By having this fundraiser, this will make us OK into next year,” Pike says. “We are asking for enough to get us by.” The shutdown has been an uncertain

The Screening Room’s purpose is wide ranging, over the years playing host to different community groups. (Submitted photos)

SEPTEMBER 2020

time for businesses such as the Screening Room, which aren’t allowed to reopen under social distancing guidelines. The venue has had to cancel major events, including premieres and film festivals, after having a strong year last year. This year, the Arizona Underground Film Festival has gone online from September 11 to September 19, and proceeds will go to the Screening Room. Pike says the closure has especially been impactful for filmmakers who were going to show their work at the venue this year. “We were set to do a lot of things when we were closing. A lot of local filmmakers premiere their films at the theater,” Pike says. “We have so many filmmakers— local, international and national—that come through and show their movies. It’s really centered in the film community.” Pike initially thought the venue would be closed for two to three months. In the last few months, the Screening Room has held online events, but the amount of money raised has not been enough to sustain operating costs. “Just being open the public, showing movies, serving popcorn and beers, that’s what pays the bills. We are trying everything we can online to bridge the gap and build, but the fundraiser is definitely needed,” Pike says. Pike has a long history with the theater.

The Screening Room has offered a space for filmmakers to show their work since it opened in 1989.

He worked as a programmer at Screening Room from 2010 to 2013 and is the founder and festival director for the Arizona Underground Film Festival and Tucson Terrorfest. He says it has been tough not working because of how much he enjoys interaction with other film aficionados. “I miss popping popcorn, serving customers and meeting them. I really miss playing movies for people,” Pike says. The Screening Room was founded by Giulio Scalinger, who continues serve as the Arizona International Film Festival director. From the beginning, the space was meant to serve as an incubator for local filmmakers. When he came in March 2018, Pike wanted to continue to offer a place for filmmakers. He has also expanded on the venue’s offerings by opening it up to other types of entertainment, including comedy and drag shows. “I’m a movie guy. I’ve always been a movie person. I’ve studied film. I’ve written and directed movies. … Film is very important to me, but all the other events that we have in there, it’s good to have that stuff because it makes it more of a community theater,” Pike says. Community members have also rented the venue for weddings, birthday parties, office or holiday parties, and engagement celebrations. Pike has found that expanding on programming has helped to bring in different crowds. “There are so many diverse people in town who support many different things. A lot of events we have, we get really good crowds for,” Pike says. Keep Tucson Sketchy has operated out of the Screening Room since March 2019. The troupe does a bi-monthly sketch comedy show similar to “Saturday Night

Live” with musical performers and guest hosts. Joel Foster, one of the founding members of Keep Tucson Sketchy, says the Screening Room allows groups such as his to experiment and have creative freedom. “That’s a testament to David. If you have an idea for a show and you want to start something up, he’s all about it. … It’s this core group of weirdos that are trying stuff out, but it’s cool to see that happening. It’s an incubator,” Foster says. Foster says the venue is set up well for a sketch comedy show that combines in-person skits and video because of the stage and screen setup. “Just the interaction with the video to the live show, it’s so important to how the show flows. … It’s been integral to the success of our show,” Foster says. The space can accommodate the 20-person crew, which recently had to be reduced to eight to 10 during the pandemic. Foster says working with the Screening Room has been a positive experience because Pike has always been accommodating, especially in letting his group come in during off hours to work out sound issues and lighting cues. “He works with us in making sure it is a great experience for us and everyone else,” Foster says. Starting in March, the group started hosting virtual shows. A portion of proceeds from its August 22 show went to the Screening Room. Foster says it is important to save the space because without it, his group would not be able to continue to exist. With its virtual shows, Keep Tucson Sketchy has incorporated recurring characters, such as a doctor who is unsure about everything and a homicidal, drunken cooking show host. The sketches have delved into life www.LovinLife.com

during quarantine, focusing on topics such as puttering championships and COVID-19 fashions. The group often touches upon local topics, such as the Tucson City Council and Gov. Doug Ducey’s press conferences, in its sketches. Foster says the troupe tries to keep the shows light and irreverent. “We just want people to laugh and see things for as ridiculous as they are sometimes,” Foster says. In recent years, the Screening Room has offered a space for different types of niche communities, including drag performers. Miss Nature has been putting on charity drag shows at the Screening Room since 2018. The shows have raised over $15,000 for organizations such as Wings for Women, the NAACP, the Southern Arizona Network for Down Syndrome, Marshall Home for Men, Drag Story Hour-Arizona and the American Cancer Society. The “Save the Screening Room” drag show on September 12 will be a combination limited-capacity, in-person and virtual show. It will feature more than a dozen entertainers from Casa Grande, Tucson and Phoenix. At the Screening Room, Miss Nature offers a more intimate experience for audiences and performers. The entertainers are introduced to audience members through slideshow presentations with their names and pictures. Teddy Michael, Grand Duke of the Imperial Court of Arizona, says that the Screening Room offers an open and affirming environment for audience members, volunteers and performers of different backgrounds. He has always felt welcome in the space as a Black, transgender, queer performer. “This is a place that has made a conscious decision to be open and available to the whole community. That is something really important, in my opinion, to highlight and applaud them for because not every business is that way,” Michael says. “I feel that it is my duty and responsibility to be a part of an event that will help them to keep their doors open for many years to continue to keep giving back to their Tucson community.” Justin Deeper-Love, Mister Tucson Pride and a former Arizona Entertainer of the Year King, has performed in almost every charity drag show hosted by Miss Nature. The performer, who has been in Tucson www.LovinLife.com

charity drag shows for the last two years. He says being part of these events at the Screening Room helped him to get through a dark period in his life. From the first time he went back to the Screening Room, he felt like he is part of a tight-knit community. “Losing the Screening Room, I think all of us who have helped or performed would be losing a part of ourselves. It’s one of those things where you walk in the door and you feel that you’re home,” Potter says. To donate to the GoFundMe, visit gofundme.com/f/save-the-screening-room.

Keep Tucson Sketchy has operated out of the Screening Room since March 2019. (Submitted photo)

since 2010, says the Screening Room offers a place to perform for different generations of audience members. “It’s out of a bar scene, which is awesome because it gives the opportunity to perform for the youth of all ages that come out,” Deeper-Love says. The shows often attract diverse audiences ranging from children as young as 3 to seniors in their 70s and 80s. Maggie Maloney, an audience member who regularly attends the drag shows, has gone to the performances with her aunt and mom and plans to bring her daughter to an upcoming show. “The great thing about the Screening Room is it is all inclusive. There are a lot of people who come that are older. … I have friends that are under the age of 21 that want to attend events like this. It opens the door for all kinds of arts for all ages and really brings communities together,” Maloney says. She says the social movement, of giving back to local organizations and connecting LGBTQ and straight communities, drew her in when she started attending shows about a year ago. “The performers, they share a lot, not only their performances but why they are doing this, how they are trying to bring communities together and bridge the gaps,” Maloney says. Haze Hollywood, Mister Imperial Court 2020, says that having a larger space allows him to do more elaborate performances. “I think the stage itself is amazing. You can two cartwheels, a split and a shablam. … I can jump freely, do a toe touch and not have to worry about kicking someone in the face,” Hollywood says. Hollywood says the setup of the venue allows for more interaction between performers and audience members than other performance spaces.

“You actually get to interact with the performers. It’s not just a show. You get to talk to us. You get to know us after the show,” Hollywood says. For some individuals, such as volunteer Tyrell Potter, the Screening Room has been more than a venue. He had gone to the venue when he was younger to see movies, but the space took on a new meaning for him when he started attending and later volunteering for drag shows there. He has run lights and sound, DJed and helped to coordinate volunteers for the

MORE INFO

What: Save the Screening Room When: 7 p.m. Saturday, September 12 Cost: Donations go toward the Screening Room Info: facebook.com/ events/981026632358808 What: Arizona Underground Film Festival When: Friday, September 11, to Saturday, September 19 Info: azuff.org

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Dining Woops! Here It Is Get a sugar fix at this delectable dessert store BY VALERIE VINYARD Ellie Lippel is always looking for ways to sweeten the pot. Sweeten her customers’ pots, that is. As the owner of Woops!, a bakery and dessert spot on University Boulevard next to Pei Wei, she caters to sweet teeth in Tucson. Especially in these trying times, sometimes dessert is all we’ve got. Guests walking into the compact space, they’ll notice the all-white interior, with exposed brick on one side and lots of flowers. The atmosphere is playful and welcoming. “You can’t help but walk into the shop and smile,” she says. “It’s a feast for the senses.” Her smiling eyes are often working behind the counter. Woops! was started by her friends in New York, for whom she did marketing. “As they were expanding, it was the perfect opportunity to bring it to Tucson,” she says. “It certainly was a new chapter for

both of us. It was as an opportunity on a lot of different levels.” So, Ellie and her sister, Naomi Lippel, opened a Tucson Woops! in August 2016. Ellie, who grew up in Tucson, lived in Israel and New York City for 15 years before returning to Tucson. “We always wantEllie and Naomi Lippel opened a ed to do something Tucson Woops! in August 2016. (Submitted photos) together,” Ellie says. Choosing a location close to the University of Arizona has macarons a month. “The community is so helped, too. Ellie notes her shop gives a lot generous and kind. It’s been a joy.” of European students a sense of home. The 741-square-foot shop has an im“Opening a business in Tucson is a gift,” pressive display case of colorful macarons. says Ellie, who noted that before the pan- The 16 flavors are created in a New York demic, the shop sold about 9,500 to 10,000 bakery, as macarons are “very finicky” to make. Tables are available outside for people who want to linger or enjoy one of the shop’s featured sandwiches. Plenty of baking takes place in the Tucson shop, though. An array of pastries, including cookies and croissants, is created in house. Make sure to try the incredible pasteis de nata ($3), a Portuguese golden custard tart. Joshua Manis, owner of Brain Stem, a company that provides enrichment programs to schools, is a fan of the Woops! almond croissant. Woops... continues on page 13

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Woops...continued from page 12 “They are delicious,” Manis says. “I’m glad I discovered them.” Woops! macarons are about 2 inches in diameter and look like decadent sandwich cookies. A box of six costs $15, while other pastries range from $2.50 to $4. Ellie counts the espresso macchiato as one of her favorite macaron flavors, with its real espresso-infused ganache topped with premium coffee beans, and the lemon tart, with its tangy tart flavor. Students love the Nutella, a rich filling made with the hazelnut spread and dark chocolate ganache; and red velvet, with a bright red shell dusted with chocolate powder and a cream cheese-flavored ganache. Imported treats include chocolate-covered marshmallows from Germany. Woops! also features its own brand of espresso that goes with pastries. Ellie works with local bakers to introduce vegan treats, such as raspberry turnovers, blueberry sage scones and cookies. For those on special diets, Ellie notes that macarons are naturally gluten free, as they are made with almond flour. Before Woops!, Ellie didn’t realize macarons could be so delicate or soft. She says her macarons will last five to seven days in

the refrigerator, or they can be frozen for two months. Macarons are best served at room temperature but should be stored in the refrigerator. Ellie says the Woops! macaron might seem different to first-timers, as many versions in the States are filled with butter cream. Woops! macarons have a delicate crunchiness and are more uniform in their consistency. It’s also important to distinguish between macarons and macaroons, which contain shredded coconut and tend to be squishier. Lippel enjoys being a part of people’s celebrations and will construct grand towers of macarons. Especially nowadays, Ellie is convinced that people need to reward themselves. “(Woops!) is a very special place,” she says. “It’s got more of a European flair to it. I knew Tucson needed it.”

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SEPTEMBER 2020

Music

Not Quite Closing Time Dan Wilson feels strangely ﬁne about Semisonic’s new music BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI When Semisonic scored a hit with the 1998 last-call anthem “Closing Time,” the Grammy-nominated song became bigger than the trio. The Minnesota band couldn’t quite find that sort of success again with “Closing Time’s” album, “Feeling Strangely Fine,” or its stellar follow-up album, “All About Chemistry.” “You can only be lucky in so many different ways,” says singer Dan Wilson, who is joined by bassist John Munson and drummer Jacob Slichter. “If you have a hit, you have to be lucky in a bunch of different ways with your hit. It’s inconvenient to have a hit that’s bigger than the artist. “We had this song that turned into an evergreen song that means more to people than the band did. It’s so ubiquitous, so widely known and enjoyed. That’s a huge stroke of luck, but it’s inconvenient for the band, as an entity, to be overshadowed by our own song.” That’s not to say Semisonic didn’t have

other hit-ready material. The song “Never You Mind” from “Feeling Strangely Fine” is a bouncy, relentlessly hooky song with the line, “Shaking my mind/like an Etcha-Sketch erasin’.” “All About Chemistry’s” “One True Love” featured Wilson duetting with Carole King, making for a magical ballad. Wilson says although Semisonic didn’t match “Closing Time’s” success, he has been very fortunate in the rest of his endeavors. He became the go-to songwriter for hitmakers like Adele and the thenknown Dixie Chicks with “Someone Like You” and “Not Ready to Make Nice.” “I don’t feel like ‘Closing Time’ is the only good thing I’ve ever done,” he says. The 2001 album “All About Chemistry” was Semisonic’s last album until the trio oﬃcially reunited in 2017. Wilson recently found the right songs for a Semisonic EP he called “You’re Not Alone,” which is due out September 18 on Pleasuresonic Recordings/Megaforce Records. The fivesong collection includes the first single,

the title track—the group’s first new song in nearly 20 years. “In 2017, I found the key again,” he says. “I found the vibe to write a good Semisonic song again. We recorded it the next year and wrapped it up the end of last year. We had our plan to release the music and the world changed a lot.” Wilson admits he was hesitant about releasing the EP when the world is plagued by COVID-19. “There were elements of not wanting to create any mistaken connections between the world as it is and the songs themselves,” he says. “We just decided to throw that caution to the wind and put the record out and let people enjoy it as they would. I said we were going to put it out now and tour when we could and if we could, someday, and make a better batch of music the next time around.” The video for “You’re Not Alone” was directed by Minneapolis-based filmmaker Phil Harder, whose resume includes videos for Prince, Foo Fighters, Liz Phair

and Nada Surf. “For the video, we began with memories of childhood in the woods,” Wilson says. “Filmmaker Phil Harder creates a fable of the woods, the city, a distant beach, and a young boy who places a message in a bottle and sends it on a long journey. Inspired partly by Richard Powers’ devastatingly beautiful novel ‘The Overstory,’ partly by the paintings of Tomas Sanchez (one of which is featured on the sleeve of the single) and partly by the profound isolation we are experiencing during the pandemic, the video reflects the hopeful message of the song.” For those wanting to be reacquainted with Semisonic, Wilson says “You’re Not Alone” is a good starting point and then the track “Basement Tapes.” “‘Basement Tapes’ would be the overture that tells you the story before the story, traveling in vans, being in a van in the Midwest and driving to Kansas City for the next gig,” Wilson says. “It sets the scene for people in a way. That’s my loose response.” Wilson says his standards are always high, odd for one of the top songwriters out there. However, it took a fan’s message on Instagram to make him feel a bit more relaxed. “They love the Semisonic song ‘She’s Got My Number’ on ‘All About Chemistry,’” he recalls about the piano-driven ballad. “This fan was saying he always wondered if we felt that ‘Closing Time’ was a hard pair of shoes to fill, a hard thing to follow up on. “We definitely felt that. Trying to write new Semisonic songs over the last many years was diﬃcult. I wanted them to be as good as our best stuff. I felt those shoes I had to fill. It took a while to find my groove. We rose to the occasion and we’re proud of it. We put our artistic training to the test and did well.”

Semisonic

“You’re Not Alone” September 18 Watch the single’s video at https://youtu.be/SPUj68fUsNc

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SEPTEMBER 2020

‘Remain in Love’ Chris Frantz talks Tom Tom Club, Talking Heads and the future BY BILL FORMAN Context is everything. In 1979, when “Air Can Hurt You Too” appeared on Talking Heads’ “Fear of Music” album, its lyrics felt more paranoia than prophecy. But today, in a time of global warming and airborne disease, lyrics like “Some people say not to worry about the air/ Some people never had experience with air” sounds eerily prescient By this point, the band’s debut album, “Talking Heads ’77,” and its unsettling single “Psycho Killer” had already established it as one of most quirky bands to come out of New York City’s punk scene. Formed by Rhode Island School of Design graduates singer/guitarist David Byrne, bassist Tina Weymouth and drummer Chris Frantz, as well as former Modern Lovers keyboardist/guitarist Jerry Harrison, the band would go on to find unexpected success in the coming years, reaching their artistic pinnacle in 1980 with the epic, Brian Eno-produced “Remain in Light.” Once the album was finished, the four musicians took a break to pursue individual side projects. Byrne collaborated with Eno. Harrison worked on a solo album. And future husband and wife Frantz and Weymouth took off to the Bahamas to record as Tom Tom Club, whose laid-back singles “The Genius of Love” and “Wordy Rappinghood” would propel them to success on a par with Talking Heads. Recently, Faber & Faber published Frantz’s “Remain in Love: Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club, Tina,” an engaging memoir that recounts his experiences in both bands, as well as his 40-year relationship with Weymouth. I caught up with Frantz recently to talk about all of that, as well as Talking Heads’ cursed visits to San Francisco, family tragedy during quarantine, and the duo’s idea for their next musical project. Tom Tom Club’s debut came out a year after “Remain in Light,” which I’ve always thought of as Talking Heads’ densest-sounding album. By contrast, you and Tina went for a very breezy, kind of island vibe, which left a lot of space in both the arrangements and the production. Was there a sense of relief that came with that?

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Yeah, although I was very on edge when we began the Tom Tom Club project because, just like with “Remain in Light,” we hadn’t written anything. It was all being composed in the studio as we recorded it. So, you know, we were flying by the seat of our pants, you might say. But even before we entered the studio with Tom Tom Club, Tina and I knew we wanted to do something completely different sounding from Talking Heads. We didn’t want to appear to be riding on the coattails of our other band. We loved reggae, soca and calypso. And we also loved this new thing we were hearing on the radio called rap. So that’s why we sound different. I’m pretty sure that a lot of people didn’t have any idea that Tom Tom Club was in any way connected to Talking Heads. You both grew up listening to your parents’ calypso records, which is pretty unusual for kids from Southern California and Kentucky. So after you met at the Rhode Island School of Design, it must not have taken long to recognize each other as kindred spirits. Correct. Before we even got into the music thing, we were studying art together and we really liked each other’s paintings. We also liked a lot of the same painters throughout history. I guess Tina knew more about classical painting and I knew more about contemporary painting. And so we exchanged ideas and thoughts. What was it like moving from Rhode Island to New York City? There had to be some degree of culture shock. Tina, David and I all lived in this loft together at 195 Chrystie Street on the Lower East Side. And so, yeah, we all got to go through culture shock at the exact same time. I think it was a shock to our systems, but we all handled it very well. When you started going to venues like CBGB, who were some of your favorite bands to go see? I remember going to a show at CBGB for the first time and seeing the Ramones. I had actually thought the Ramones would be a Mexican band, but instead they were these four guys my age from Forest Hills,

Queens. Back in those days, sometimes they would stop in the middle of the song and start yelling at each other; it was kind of like a conceptual art project. And I thought, this is fantastic! And the next weekend, the headlining band was Television with Richard Hell on bass. And then I saw Patti Smith. And then I saw Blondie, who weren’t even called Blondie yet. I knew something really cool was happening and that we wanted to be part of that. So I have a question that relates to the song “Psycho Killer.” During the “Talking Heads ’77” tour, you played an afternoon show at UC-Berkeley’s Sproul Plaza. As it turned out, that was just hours after (politician/activist) Harvey Milk had been shot. Did you know about it before you went onstage, or did you only find out afterward? No, we found out after—at least I did. You know, it seemed like every time we went to San Francisco, something happened. The next time we went, the Jonestown Massacre happened, and a lot of those people were from San Francisco. And then another time, we were actually there with Tom Tom Club and were just leaving town when the earthquake happened—the big one that closed everything down for weeks. I started to feel like, wow, we should probably just not go to San Francisco. So what’s next for you two? Well, Tina has started working on a book of her own, and we’ve been thinking we might do something electronic together. Like, you know, we’re of a certain age, but we’re still kind of hip. And this is something she and I could do togeth-

er. We love Tom Tom Club and Talking Heads, but this is something we could record low budget, keep the costs down, and just have some fun with it. You could do a cover Suicide’s “Dream Baby Dream.” I’d love to cover that song. We’ll call it “Stream, Baby, Stream.” So earlier this month, right after your Rolling Stone magazine interview came out, blogs started posting headlines like “Chris Frantz Talks About the Possibility of a Talking Heads Reunion.” But what you’d actually talked about in that interview was the impossibility of a Talking Heads reunion. Have the prospects for a reunion really gone that far past the “never say never” stage? Well, if David woke up one day and said, “I’m going to call Chris and Tina and Jerry and see if they’d like to do some shows or make a new album, we would be crazy to say no. You know, it might work or it might not work, but when we started the band, it (was like it) might work or it might not work too, right? It’s like, when you’re an artist, you have to take some Frantz...continues on page 17 www.LovinLife.com

Frantz...continued from page 16 chances. I think it would be fun, but I don’t think it’s going to happen, because David has said so many times he doesn’t want to. But who knows? Maybe one day he might get the fear of God put into him. (Laughs.) Stranger things have happened. Peter Gabriel talked about how his father, who was a lifelong atheist, let his nursing home’s Catholic priest administer last rites. He said his father wanted to hedge his bets. You know, my mother passed away on April 11 from COVID virus. She wasn’t Catholic, but she was Episcopalian, and they also have last rites. And she was administered last rites over the telephone while the rest of us listened in, because we weren’t allowed to visit her. And it was so—how shall I put this?—beautifully surreal. I don’t think it could have been more surreal than hearing your mother get her last rites over the telephone, where various members of the family are connected long distance. That was something wild, but that’s the kind of year we’ve been having.

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3 types of skin cancer and how to protect yourself BY TUCSON MEDICAL CENTER Did you know skin cancer is the most common type of cancer? That’s especially true in Arizona, where its close proximity to the equator and the sun creates warm weather for most of the year, leading people to spend more time outside with less clothing protecting their skin from the sun. “Skin cancer most often develops on skin exposed to the sun, but it can show up on other areas as well,” says Dr. Jeffrey Lambert, TMCOne. “Knowing the risks and what to look for is critical to prevention or early detection.”

Types of skin cancer The three major types of skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. “Although nonmelanoma skin cancer spreads slowly, if left untreated, it can lead to disfigurement,” says Dr. Christine Moussa, Pima Dermatology. “Melanoma, although much less common, is the most deadly form of skin cancer. Nearly 20 Americans die from melanoma every day. Skin cancers of all types can present in a variety of ways, and the evaluation by your primary care physician or a dermatologist is useful in determining the next step of treating a new or concerning skin lesion.”

Basal cell carcinoma This type of skin cancer usually occurs on areas of the body that are exposed to the sun, such as the neck or face. Look for a pearly or waxy bump; a flat, flesh-colored brown scar-like lesion; or a bleeding or scabbing sore that heals and returns.

Squamous cell carcinoma This kind type of skin cancer often appears on areas such as the face, ears and hands. People with darker skin are more likely to see squamous cell carcinoma on areas that aren’t often exposed to the sun. Look for a firm, red nodule or a flat lesion with a scaly, crusted surface.

Melanoma The most serious form of skin cancer is melanoma. It can develop anywhere on your body on normal skin or in an existing mole that becomes cancerous. It usually appears on the face or the trunk of men and on the lower legs in women. In men and women, melanoma can

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show up on areas that haven’t been exposed to the sun. Melanoma can affect people of any skin tone. Those with darker skin tend to see melanoma form on the palms or soles or under the fingernails or toenails. Signs of melanoma include: • A large brownish spot with darker specks. • A mole that changes in color, size or feel or that bleeds. • A small lesion with an irregular border and portions that appear red, pink, white, blue or blue-black. • A painful lesion that itches or burns. • Dark lesions on the palms, soles, fingertips, toes or on mucous membranes lining the mouth, nose, vagina or anus. “If you notice any of these signs and symptoms, bring them to your doctor’s attention right away,” Lambert says. “The earlier you treat skin cancer, the better.”

Reduce your risk “You can reduce your risk of skin cancer by limiting or avoiding exposure to ultraviolet radiation, aka UV rays,” Lambert says. Here are some ways you can do that: • Avoid the sun during the middle of the day, when its rays are the strongest. • Wear sunscreen year-round. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30, even on cloudy days. Reapply every two hours—or more often while swimming or sweating. • Keep in mind that some medications can make skin more sensitive to sunlight. If they do, take extra precautions, such as staying out of the sun. “Check your skin for suspicious changes to detect skin cancer early,” Moussa says. “You have a huge role in this, as you may notice a new or changing skin lesion before anyone else, in yourself or in your family members. I recommend a monthly skin examination, and for new, changing or skin lesions, seek a dermatologist’s evaluation.” The Tucson Medical Center Wound Care Center, managed by Healogics, provides specialized treatment for chronic or nonhealing wounds, which are defined as sores or wounds that have not significantly improved from conventional treatments. Associated with inadequate circulation, poorly functioning veins and immobility, nonhealing wounds lead to lower quality of life and may lead to amputations. When wounds persist, a specialized approach is required for healing. Typically, a wound that does not respond to normal medical care within 30 days is considered a problem or chronic wound. Talk to your doctor about a referral to our Wound Care Center or contact us directly for an assessment. Call 324-4220 for more information. Learn more tmcaz.com.

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Lovin Life After 50: Tucson September 2020

Articles inside

Arts

Whimsical Designs

Tucson couple has successful opening with Bricks and Minifigs

Brick-by-Brick Success

Remain in Love

Dining

Lauren Valenzuela’s earrings are inspired by the desert