Zรณcalo TUCSON ARTS, CULTURE, AND DESERT LIVING / MAY 2018 / NO. 96
DogLix Designs Studio K
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inside
May 2018
07. Architecture 08. Sustainability 11. Community News 12. Arts 15. Art Galleries & Exhibits 21. Garden 23. Desert 27. Food&Drink 29. Mother’s Day 33. Events 35. Performances 36. Desert Voices 38. Scene in Tucson 40. Tunes
Zócalo Magazine is an independent, locally owned and locally printed publication that reflects the heart and soul of Tucson. PUBLISHER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR David Olsen CONTRIBUTORS Craig Baker, Abraham Cooper, Jeff Gardner, Carl Hanni, Jim Lipson, Jamie Manser, Troy Martin, Gregory McNamee, Janelle Montenegro, Nicole Paulus, Amanda Reed, Laura Reese. LISTINGS Amanda Reed, amanda@zocalomagazine.com PRODUCTION ARTISTS Troy Martin, David Olsen AD SALES: frontdesk@zocalotucson.com CONTACT US:
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May 2018 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 5
Representing Lots for Sale at the Mercado District of Menlo Park Explore the residential lot options and meet with experienced Mercado builders, to design your custom home in Tucson’s community just west of Downtown. At the modern streetcar’s westside stop is the bustling Mercado San Agustin and the Annex: shops, cafes, coffee roaster, and community. Residential lots range in size and price. Call or email me for a tour and to see options. You will love what you see and experience at the Mercado District of Menlo Park!
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architecture Z
may SAT 12
Downtown Tucson 2050 Exhibit An exhibition by students from the University of Arizona, School of Architecture Cost: FREE. Location: Chicago Store, 130 East Congress Street, Saturday, May 12, 6-9pm. What will our city look like in the year 2050? This exhibit offers a vision for Downtown Tucson as a growing, thriving, livable community in 2050 – one that is also carbon and water neutral. This semester-long project was led by one professor and eleven University of Arizona Bachelor of Architecture students, sponsored by GLHN Architects and Engineers, and supported by six community mentors. The public is invited to view the exhibit and share their thoughts on this vision of a future downtown Tucson.
Included in the exhibit is case-study research, spatial mapping, quantitative analysis, and design inquiry, all used to create the three components of the exhibit: 1) Sustainable “building-block” prototypes to answer five essential questions for the 2050 city posed by community mentors; 2) District energy, transportation water, and living infrastructure for 2050 downtown, and; 3) three sub-district (Congress, TCC, + Mercado) rendered visions.
A few of the Tucson 2050 Exhibit renderings by UA School of Architecture students: Danny Badillo, Tycien Chaney, Jeremy Goodman, Nan Liang, Madison Neperud, Zach Peters, Eric Reynaert, Evan Robledo, Jason Sciarrotta, Ben Stewart, and Thomas Yazzie. Faculty/Project Manager: Courtney Crosson (Assistant Professor, School of Architecture, UA.) Sponsored by GLHN Architects+Engineers.
May 2018 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 7
Z sustainability
City in the Sun Is Tucson making the most of its solar power? By Jeff Gardner
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sustainability Z
TUCSON IS the fifth sunniest city in the United States, with 85 percent annual sunshine. It should come as no real surprise that Arizona’s sunlight has the highest level of solar irradiation in the nation. This means our sunlight creates about 180 percent more energy than it does in places like New England. Tucson is one of only 25 designated solar cities in the country by the U.S. Department of Energy. The city earned this title by proficiently using solar panels on many government buildings. Since 1999, the Tucson government has installed 25 solar arrays on city buildings, parking garages, police stations, etc. These panels garner roughly 4.7 megawatts of power. In addition, the city of Tucson has leased land for solar farms in Avra Valley, installed solar street lights throughout the Barrio Centro neighborhood, and operates solar-powered bus stops and water pumps across the city. “All-in-all, I’d say we have a good solar community here in Tucson.” says Louis Woofenden, engineering director for Net Zero Solar and a technical lead at Engineers Without Borders USA. The Pima County board of supervisors is still increasing sustainability measures. New government sustainability plans include: annually purchasing 20 new electric cars for its vehicle fleet, updating and improving less efficient government buildings, installing additional “green infrastructure” such as rainwater capture and planting native flora, and continuing their solar focus. These environmental improvements come from Pima County’s efforts to cut greenhouse-gas emissions in accordance with the US’s role in the Paris Climate Agreement. The goal is to reduce US emissions by 26 percent below 2005 levels by 2025. These decisions by the Pima County board of supervisors come despite the fact the President announced the nation would withdraw from the Paris Agreement. “Not only is solar good for the environment, but it saves us money,” says Vinnie Hunt, administrator of the city of Tucson’s architecture and engineering division. “The city has been doing a lot, environment-wise, it’s been a pretty high priority. Even right now, we’re making a lot of solar installations.” While Tucson still has some community hurdles such as poverty and crime, it ranks highly in the area of sustainability, at least according to the 2017 “Sustainable Urban America” report by a UN-affiliate group. Tucson fared well in the environmental categories of the report, such as ranking third in the nation for “responsible consumption and production” and ranking fifth in the nation for “sustainable cities and communities.” “Our mindset has always been ‘if it’s good for the environment, it’s good for
the community,” Hunt said. “And of course, if it’s cost-effect it helps.” Outside of the government, the corporate and residential solar industries in Tucson are expanding as well. For instance, Amphitheater Public Schools district recently finished installing solar energy systems at all 20 of its school sites. These new installations will provide an estimated 23 million dollars in cost-savings, with many school sites offsetting upwards of 80 percents of their annual electricity needs. Woofenden says the benefits of solar ultimately come from how much people want to use their panels, and that upfront costs are one of the main hindrances for new users. “There are costs at the beginning and a lot of fine print that might not work with everyone,” Woofenden says. “But ultimately it’s a solid product. There are not too many in-house appliances that can get you a positive cash flow, so solar is pretty cool in that way.” While individual cases vary, solar installation in a personal residence generally ranges from 15 to 30,000 dollars. However, a federal tax credit for solar allows residents to deduct 30 percent of the cost of installing a solar energy system from their federal taxes. This lowers the price of installation to around 10 to 25,000 dollars. In Tucson, with our powerful and near-ceaseless sun, it takes around eight to 10 years for solar panels to pay for themselves. But this means one needs to own a home, deal with a fair amount of paperwork, and pay upfront costs (or get a loan or payment plan). Not to mention power company rates and reimbursement. “There’s a lot of solar going on right now,” Woofenden says. “It’s definitely an industry in flux, costs are coming down and the technology is increasing. People choose solar for a lot of different reasons: supporting the environment or sustainability, for financial reasons, or they’re just excited about the technology.” In total, the national number of solar jobs fell 3.8 percent last year, for the first time since 2010. Despite this, Arizona’s numbers continue to rise, with a 15 percent annual increase to over to 8,000 positions. National solar employment may be uncertain, however, considering the solar import tariffs recently instituted by the President. The full effects are yet to be seen, but many industry professionals believe the solar market is particularly resilient, here in the sunniest state. n May 2018 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 9
Historic Menlo Park / $237,000
Catalina Vista / $395,000
TIM HAGYARD (520) 241-3123 tim@timhagyard.com timhagyard.com
Dunbar Spring / $315,000
Dunbar Spring / $1,200,000
Dunbar Spring / $265,000
Historic Blenman Elm / $415,000
photo by Rachael Pace Photography. Courtesy of Antigone Books.
communitynews Z
Morgan Miller, Kate Stern, Melissa and Negelspach, the new owners of Antigone Books on 4th Avenue.
Kate Randall and Trudy Mills in 1993, outside the store’s previous location at 4th Ave and 5th St.
The Next Chapter at Antigone Books THIS MONTH, three staff members are poised to become the next owners of Antigone Books. Almost two years ago, current owners Kate Randall and Trudy Mills put the bookstore up for sale, promising their customers that they would hold out for the perfect match. That “perfect match” has been found. Morgan Miller, Kate Stern and Melissa Negelspach have worked tirelessly for over a year to find a way to buy Antigone Books and have recently obtained a Small Business Administration loan. In addition, they have launched a crowd-funding campaign to raise enough money to cover operating capital and to ensure that they have a solid start. Given Tucson’s history of support for Antigone and for local businesses in general, their campaign was successful after just 4 days and they will continue to raise funds through the middle of May. Mills and Randall have been extremely enthusiastic about transfer. “These three women are smart, passionate and hardworking. They have what it takes. They’re also community minded, and they really care about independent bookstores and local businesses,” says Randall.
Antigone has been a part of the 4th Avenue community since 1973, and was purchased by Randall and Mills in 1990. Despite many challenges (big box chain stores, Amazon, e-books), Antigone has consistently grown and prospered in Tucson in large part due to an incredibly supportive community. “Tucson has been the perfect home for this very independent bookstore,” says Randall, “probably because of its very independently-minded residents.” Mills and Randall feel confident that these three young women are the ones to continue this success and take Antigone into the future. “To pass the business on to three young women who will maintain the spirit of Antigone Books, even as they bring new ideas and youthful energy to the running of the store, is a dream come true,” says Mills. For more information visit antigonebooks.com To donate, visit igg.me/at/ antigonebooks n
May 2018 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 11
Z arts
Art As a Tool For Preservation by Laura Reese
As communities grow, they often have to look two ways at the same time: how do we look forward while also preserving the past? What is our posture toward growth and change? And if a community is growing because more people are attracted to live in and visit that place, how do we protect the cultural and artistic heritage that drew people to it in the first place? Answers are often found in art. The Broadway Boulevard Corridor widening project will widen Broadway from Euclid to County Club, and part of that plan includes the removal of some buildings, several of which are architectural midcentury and deco styles. As a capital improvement project, 1% of the budget for the widening is earmarked for pubic art, and local artist Dirk Arnold has been selected for the task. A public art panel of 11 community members—including neighborhood representatives and artists, among others—are working with Arnold to imagine new public art for Broadway, the details of which are being published for the first time here in Zócalo Magazine. With a background in architecture and graphic design, Dirk Arnold has been creating art in-spired by Tucson’s streetscapes for years. “For the past decade I’ve worked on and off on a project called Endangered Architecture, where I build miniature building facades of historic Tucson buildings,” said Arnold. Arnold has also been involved with the Tucson Preservation Foundation. He is the artist behind Gateway Saguaro, the 30-foot-tall saguaro, illuminated in neon, located on Oracle Road just north of Drachman. Installed in 2009, images of the iconic sign have been featured in numerous articles about Tucson, including a New York Times article from 2015 that celebrated Tucson as an “unsung architectural oasis.” Gateway Saguaro pays homage to the historic Miracle Mile stretch of road and, now, Arnold hopes to pay homage to the stretch of road along Broadway Blvd. “During my very first visit to Tucson I had dinner at El Torero,” said Dirk Arnold who moved here from Michigan in the 1990s. “We drove down Broadway and I remember the art deco bungalow houses.” While coming up with inspiration for the art along Broadway, Arnold studied the business buildings and residential buildings that line the boulevard. He photographed details, taking note of the lines, materials, and shapes of the structures. When looking for design elements consistent with both residences and business buildings, he was drawn to breeze blocks. Popular with midcentury design, breeze blocks are cinder blocks that have been cut out in such a way that when stacked together they make an eyecatching graphic pattern. “I found that breeze blocks were used in both the business buildings on 12 ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com | May 2018
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20 ft
10 ft
Sunshine Mile
Aerial Theme
Jumbo Block
Leanwall
Big Block
Sitwall
Screen
Gateway Monument
Dirk Arnold’s public art concepts for the Broadway Blvd corridor widening project.
the east end, as well as the residential buildings on the west end,” said Arnold. “It’s a rather iconic architectural element, and I thought it might be a good way to unify the road.” The breeze blocks honor the mid-century design that permeates Broadway Boulevard, and he wanted to modernize it by playing with scale. Arnold eventually came to the community panel with renderings of a public art installation along Broadway from Euclid to Country Club. It includes a series of 6 foot tall breeze blocks, sitting areas, and breeze block-inspired sun icons to be hung on the 80+ new street lights that will line the boulevard. “I hope this project gives the public a chance to engage with the art in a few different ways,” said Arnold. “In moving through the street, they’ll pass under the ‘Breezeblock Sun’ icons, and while walking along the street or waiting for a
bus, the ground installations offer a place to sit, perhaps observing the unique desert light as it filters through the giant breeze block cutouts.” Currently, there are plans to salvage a collection of breeze blocks from a building at 1501 E. Broadway. Arnold hopes to incorporate them into part of the final ground installation. Plans to install the piece will commence once construction on Broadway is complete. For more information about the Broadway Boulevard Corridor widening project, visit http://broadwayboule-vard.info/home. This community information on public art is provided by the Arts Foundation of Southern Arizona in partnership with Zócalo Magazine. Artwork by Dirk Arnold. n May 2018 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 13
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LEARN MORE AT WWW.GOODWILLSOUTHERNAZ.ORG 14 ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com | May 2018
MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND
MAY 25-27
GHOST TOWN BLUES BAND THE PETERSON BROTHERS AMANDA FISH CW AYON DONATE TO GOODWILL. BRODY BUSTER TODD TIJERINA TRIO THE BUS TAPES TONY HOLIDAY & THE VELVETONES BRANDON PERRAULT & FRIENDS plus GILA GLASS CLASSIC FLAME OFF PAINT OUT! SILVER VIRUS THEATER STEAMROLLER PRINTING CHALK ART KNEELING NUN BIKE RUN www.silvercitybluesfestival.org
may
art galleries & exhibits Z
Conrad Wilde Gallery - Jessica Drenk: In Aggregate; a sculptural exhibition with a reception at Conrad Wilde Gallery on Saturday, May 5th from 6-9 pm. The exhibition runs through May 26th.
ARIZONA HISTORY MUSEUM Currently on view: History Lab, The Silverbell
DEGRAZIA GALLERY IN THE SUN The Way of the Cross and DeGrazia’s Hot
Artifacts, Geronimo Exhibit, Arizona Historical Society 150 Exhibit. Hours: Mon & Fri 9am-6pm; Tues-Thurs 9am-4pm; Sat & Sun 11am-4pm. 949 E. 2nd Street. 520-6285774. ArizonaHistoricalSociety.org
Wax - Encaustic Paintings from the 1950’s are on display through September 5. Hours: Daily 10am-4pm. 6300 N. Swan Rd. 520-299-9191. DeGrazia.org
ARIZONA STATE MUSEUM Long term exhibitions include, Life Along the River:
May 8 with a reception on May 11 from 5-7pm. Trunk Show: Judith Probst is May 5 from 10am-1pm. Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-5pm; Sun 10am-1:30pm. 6536 E. Tanque Verde Rd. 520-722-4412. DesertArtisansGallery.com
Ancestral Hopi at Homol’ovi; Hopi Katsina Dolls; Woven Through Time; The Pottery Project; Paths of Life. Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-5pm. 520-621-6302. 1013 E. University Blvd. StateMuseum.Arizona.Edu
CACTUS WREN GALLERY May Blooms Art, 9am-2pm, May 12. Gallery hours: Everyday from 9am to 4pm. 2740 S. Kinney Rd. 520-437-9103. CactusWrenArtisans.net
CENTER FOR CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY Courting Failure, Embracing Risk: Mark Klett and Collaboration and Ansel Adams: Performing the Print are on view to May 20. Hours: Tue-Fri 9am-4pm; Sat 1-4pm. 1030 N. Olive Rd. 520-621-7968. CreativePhotography.org
CONRAD WILDE GALLERY Julia Drenk: In Aggregate is on view to May 26 with a reception on May 5 from 6-9pm. Hours: Tues-Sat 11am-4pm. 101 W. 6th St. #121. 520-622-8997. ConradWildeGallery.com
DESERT ARTISANS GALLERY Sonoran Scenery and Monsoon Mirage opens
DRAWING STUDIO Nature Within - Jennifer Clarke is on view through May 25. 2760 N. Tucson Blvd. 520-620-0947. TheDrawingStudiotds.org ETHERTON GALLERY In the main gallery, In Their Nature: Robert D. Cocke, Craig Cully, Jim Waid and Pop-Up: Andy Burgess is on view through June 2. Tue-Sat 11am-5pm or by appointment. 135 S. 6th Ave. 520-624-7370. EthertonGallery.com
EVERYBODY Maya Hawk opens in May. Drawings, ratings, maybe a sculpture 2 is on view through May 5. Hours by appointment. 101 W. 6th St. Studio Q. Everybody.Gallery
IRONWOOD GALLERY Art and the Animal is on view through June 3. Hours: Daily 10am-4pm. 2021 N. Kinney Rd. 520-883-3024. DesertMuseum.org
is on view to May 26. Hours: Tues-Sat 10am-3:30pm. 110 E. 6th St. 520-398-6557. ContrerasHouseFineArt.com
JOSEPH GROSS GALLERY 2018 Master of Fine Arts Thesis is on view to May 11. Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-4pm. 1031 N. Olive Rd. 520-626-4215. CFA.arizona.edu/galleries
DAVIS DOMINGUEZ GALLERY Small Things Considered - 26th Small Works
LIONEL ROMBACH GALLERY
CONTRERAS GALLERY Tucson opens May 5 with a reception from 6-9pm and
Invitational is on view through June 23. Hours: Tues-Fri 11am-5pm; Sat 11am-4pm. 154 E. 6th St. 520-629-9759. DavisDominguez.com
A reception for if-then is on May 3 from 3-4:30pm, with the exhibition on view from May 1 to 10. Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-4pm. 1031 N. Olive Rd. 520-624-4215. CFA.arizona.edu/galleries
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art galleries & exhibits Z
LOUIS CARLOS BERNAL GALLERY Annual Student Juried Art Exhibition is on view to May 4. Hours: Mon-Thurs 10am-5pm, Fri 10am-3pm. PCC 2202 W. Anklam Rd. 520-206-6942. Pima.Edu/CFA
MADARAS GALLERY May Flowers is on view throughout May. Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 11am-5pm. 3035 N. Swan Rd. 520-615-3001. Madaras.com
MINI TIME MACHINE Miniatures by Members of SAME is on view to May 1 to Aug 26. Hours: Tues-Sat 9am-4pm and Sun 12-4pm. 4455 E. Camp Lowell Dr. 520-8810606. TheMiniTimeMachine.org
MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART Folkert De Jong | Last Nation is on view to June 30. Hours: Weds-Sun 12-5pm. 265 S. Church Ave. 520-624-5019. MOCATucson.org
PHILABAUM GLASS GALLERY & STUDIO
The Flame: Tom Philabaum celebrating nearly five decades of work is currently on view. Hours: Tues-Sat 11am-4pm. Call for glassblowing viewing. 711 S. 6th Ave. 520-884-7404. PhilabaumGlass.com
SOUTHERN ARIZONA TRANSPORTATION MUSEUM Dinner in the Diner is currently on display featuring original china and silver service from the named first class Pullman trains. 414 N. Toole Ave. 520-623-2223. TucsonHistoricDepot.org
SOUTHERN ARIZONA WATERCOLOR GUILD Fiesta Sonora “WEST” is on view to June 30. Hours: Tues-Sun 11am-4pm. Williams Centre 5420 East Broadway Blvd #240. 520-299-7294. SouthernAzWatercolorGuild.com
TOHONO CHUL PARK Arizona Otherworldly continues through August 12. Permanent Collection | New Perspectives IV is on view to Aug 12 in the Welcome Gallery. Hours: Daily 9am-5pm. 7366 N. Paseo del Norte. 520-742-6455. TohonoChulPark.org
TUCSON DESERT ART MUSEUM
Exhibitions on view through June 30 include Vaquero and Charro: An Enduring Legacy, Desert Hollywood, and Colors to Dye For. Ongoing exhibitions include: The Dawn of American Landscape, Arizona Women Uncovered and True Grit. Hours: Weds-Sun 10am-4pm. 7000 E Tanque Verde Rd. 520202-3888. TucsonDArt.Org
TUCSON MUSEUM OF ART The West Observed: The Art of Howard Post is on view through June 24. Ongoing exhibits include the J. Knox Corbett House and the La Casa Cordova. Hours: Tues-Wed & Fri-Sat 10am-5pm; Thurs 10am-8pm; Sun 12-5pm. 140 N. Main Ave. 520-624-2333. TucsonMuseumofArt.org
UA MUSEUM OF ART
Current exhibitions include: Subject to Change: An Evolution of Women Printmakers on view through Aug 26; School of Art Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition on view through May 11; Best Wishes on view through June 3; and X, Y, Z: Art In Three Dimensions on view to June 24. Ongoing exhibitions include, The Altarpiece From Ciudad Rodrigo. Hours: Tues-Fri 9am-5pm; Sat-Sun 12-4pm. 1031 N. Olive Rd. 520-621-7567. ArtMuseum.Arizona.Edu
UA POETRY CENTER UA Student Contests Broadside Exhibition is on view to May 25. Hours: Mon & Thurs 9am-8pm; Tues, Weds, Fri 9am-5pm. 1508 E. Helen St. 520-626-3765. Poetry.Arizona.Edu
WILDE MEYER GALLERY
Group Show opens May 1 with a reception May 10 from 4-7pm and closes May 31. Hours: Mon-Fri 10am-5:30pm; Thurs 10am-7pm; Sat 10am-6pm; Sun 12-5pm. 2890 E. Skyline Dr. Ste. 170. 520-615-5222, WildeMeyer.com
WOMANKRAFT ART GALLERY Drawing Down the Muse is on view to May 5, with a closing reception from 7-10pm. Hours: Weds-Sat 1-5pm. 388 S. Stone Ave. 520629-9976. WomanKraft.org n
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PROSPERITY ON THE HORIZON
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Rosie Hits the Big Time
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A Zócalo Magazine Q&A
UNLESS YOU’VE BEEN recently dormant, you probably didn’t miss the big news about “Rosie’s” bloom at the Tucson Botanical Gardens in April. The Amorphophallus titanum, better known as the corpse flower (or titan arum), is one of the world’s largest and rarest flowering plants. The corpse flower blooming process can take up to 7-10 years or even decades, and the bloom only lasts for 24-36 hours. It’s known as the corpse flower because it emits a strong odor often described as a decaying corpse. These plants are threatened by habitat loss and are usually found in Indonesia, more specifically Sumatra. The Tucson Botanical Gardens has their own corpse flower named “Rosie,” and it’s part of their Cox Butterfly and Orchid Pavilion exhibit.
As the news spread that Rosie was getting ready to bloom, thousands of people descended upon the botanical gardens while many hundreds of thousands more watched the bloom live online. After the bloom, it is hoped that she will produce small reddish fruit, which will take six months to ripen. Once the fruit ripens, they will take the seeds out and sow them to attempt to grow some smaller Amorphophallus titanums or share the seeds with other botanical gardens. We reached out to TBG to learn about some of the behind the scenes work that went into Rosie’s big debut and Rob Elias, Director of Marketing & Communications, provided some insight.
You are just finishing up a whirlwind of a week at Tucson Botanical Gardens. Rosie’s flower came and went, but behind the scenes TBG had a lot going on. What was this experience like for the staff at TBG?
10,000 guests come through to see Rosie from all over. We had guests from New Jersey, Oregon, many from Wisconsin, Florida, Iowa and more. One couple from Australia, was vacationing in San Diego when they learned about the bloom and drove to Tucson just to see Rosie. It was a special time for us.
The experience has been incredible for the staff. Rosie, in a way, put us (Tucson) on the map for a short period of time. The entire staff worked extremely long hours preparing for Rosie’s bloom in what was really about a week of notice. We had to think of a tremendous amount of details in a very short period of time. It tested our capabilities, our processes, our logistics and our teamwork to put together a special experience for the thousands of guests that visited. What do you think it is about the flower that attracts so much attention? It’s pretty stinky, after all. I believe the rarity of the plant is what contributed to the amount of attention we received. After all, there have only been a little more than 100 Corpse Plants that have bloomed in cultivation in the world and we believe this was Arizona’s only bloom, which made it even more special. The smell certainly helped us for those that visited, but the thousands of people that viewed online from all over the world couldn’t experience Rosie’s scent. How did TBG acquire Rosie and how long have you been planning for this bloom? TBG was given the Corpse Plant in 2014 from a gentleman named Edward Read from the University of California Fullerton. To our knowledge, they had this plant for 4 years prior to sending it to us. We weren’t expecting to have a bloom for another 2-3 years though. So we were really surprised when it started showing signs that it would bloom this year. We really only had about a week to plan for Rosie’s bloom. It wasn’t much time at all. Did you have any help from other botanical gardens? We had some support from a couple other botanic gardens that have experienced blooms in the past. Chicago Botanic Gardens sent us some pollen from a couple of their Corpse Plants (named Sumatra & Sunshine) so we could pollinate Rosie and the New York Botanical Garden sent us a couple of files from the first recorded bloom in the United States in 1937. We had them converted into posters and had them on display so our guests could better understand how historic this event in Tucson was.
It was fun to watch the flower blooming live on Yurview.com. How many viewers tuned in to the live feed? Just over 500,000 people watched Rosie on the livestream. What surprised you and your fellow staff members the most about the bloom experience at the gardens? We weren’t really sure what to expect with Rosie and the attention she, and TBG would receive. We knew how special this event is in the industry and were hopeful others would feel the same way. We were pleasantly surprised that so many people, including those that don’t consider themselves “plant people”, came out to experience such a cool thing. Rosie’s size is on the smaller side in terms of how big titan arums can get. Will she have to be relocated to another greenhouse to accommodate her expected height? Rosie will more than likely stay right where she is. She seems to really enjoy the greenhouse! We understand that Rosie was pollinated from another titan arum. Does that mean she will eventually produce fruit and seeds? And if so, what happens to the seeds? Our hope is that Rosie will produce fruit, but only time will tell. If Rosie produces seeds, we will most likely cultivate our relationships with other botanic gardens and share the seeds with them in hopes of continuing the legacy of these vulnerable plants. What’s next for Rosie and what’s coming up at the Tucson Botanical Gardens?
How many people visited the gardens during this time? Any travelers from afar?
Rosie will go dormant for a bit and, if we’re lucky, hope to get Rosie to bloom again in the next 5 years. As for TBG, we’ll continue to stick to our mission of connecting people with plants, nature through art, science, history and culture. It’s something we care deeply about and want to share this with as many people as possible. We’re extremely thankful to have something as special as Rosie at TBG. This experience, we hope, sparked something within people to appreciate nature and the beauty that surrounds us every day. n
Needless to say, TBG experienced record attendance every day during Rosie’s bloom and even leading up to Rosie’s bloom. TBG had just under
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The Gila Monster A Feared Lizard That Deserves Our Admiration—and Protection by Gregory McNamee
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very formally trained life scientist in the world is a master of a language of the trade: the Linnean binomial system of classification, by which living things are assigned their place in the universe by the identification of genus and species. (Thus humans, genus Homo, species sapiens; thus blue palo verdes, genus Parkinsonia, species florida.) The system is named for Carl von Linné (1707–1778), or Linnaeus, an odd man committed to not only the rigor of science and of exact classification but also the slipperiness of numerology, famed for his cranky mystical pronouncements just as much as he was for his undisputed advances in biology. In his own time, Linneaus was challenged by other scientists who did not fully accept his insistence on rigid classification. One of his foremost opponents was Georges Louis Buffon (1707–1783), who favored a view of life that concentrated on the individual, then the species; it was Buffon who insisted that species be defined in part as a “succession of individuals that can successfully reproduce with each other,” a benchmark still in use today even as scientists have found other ways to classify life forms. Neither Linnaeus nor Buffon knew the Americas. Buffon’s student and follower Corneille de Pauw, one of whose descendants endowed an American university, did. He did not like the place much. De Pauw wrote in his Recherches Philosophiques sur les Américains (1768) that the lands of the Americas were all deserts, swamps, or mountains, filled with poisonous fogs and death-dealing sun; in that country “monstrous insects grew to prodigious size and multiplied beyond imagining,” and the serpents and reptiles were horrendous beyond credulity. Thanks in part to his influence, many of those herps bear terrifying names—like that of the Gila monster, Heloderma suspectum, the “suspiciously warty-skinned one.” Ignaz Pfefferkorn (1725–1793) spent seven years in Sonora, a province of New Spain that included southern Arizona, as a Jesuit priest among the Eudeve, Opata, and Tohono O’odham peoples. (The ruins of the church built for him by the last group may still be seen near present-day Nogales.) Expelled from New Spain with the Jesuit order in 1767, Pfefferkorn returned to his native Germany, where he wrote his book Beschreibung der Landschaft Sonora (A Description of the Province of Sonora). Pfefferkorn found the desert surpassingly strange, and especially the animals that populated it. One of the strangest was the Gila monster, the beaded, venomous lizard that unfortunately has many of the characteristics of the basilisk, that fantastic creature of the medieval bestiary “which frequents desert places and before people can get to the river it gives them hydrophobia and makes them mad. . . . It can kill with its noise and burn people up, as it were, before it decides to bite them.” So it is in William Shakespeare’s play Cymbeline, Posthumus says of the ring given to him as evidence that his wife has been unfaithful, 24 ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com | May 2018
It is a basilisk unto mine eye, Kills me to look on’t.
Basilisk from a medieval bestiary. But Gila monsters are timid, small-jawed creatures, with unfatal eyes. A human has to work to get one to land a bite. Still, plenty of the reptiles ended up skewered on Spanish lances in an effort to purify the Crown’s holdings. (The lancers evidently did not share the belief, which Pliny records, that “once a basilisk was killed with a spear by a man on horseback, the venom passing up through the spear killed not only the rider but the horse as well.”) The same fate befell rattlesnakes, “the most villainous kind of beast”; mountain lions, whose “only enemy is the dragon”; tarantulas, wolves, and bears; and innumerable other creatures. The Gila monster, a living fossil far better adapted to the Southwest’s temperate past than to its arid present, is still wantonly killed for sport or for its neurotoxic venom, or captured for commercial roadside zoos. More often, it is simply run over on sight. An object of fear since Spanish times, the unfortunate creature had developed a great body of folklore by the time Anglos came to the region. A traveling reporter overheard a drunken cowboy bragging of his exploits with the Gila monster: “I’ve seed a lizzard what could out-pizen any frog or toad in the world. . . . [My pistol] shot blew the body clean in two, and then I hope to die if the fore-legs didn’t get that pistol clean away from me, jump into the [Gila] river and swim away with it.” Responding to such stories, one Phoenix doctor remarked, “A man who is foolish enough to get bitten by a Gila monster ought to die.” In Arizona, it was long illegal for an individual to own a reticulated Gila monster, but not in California, where the reticulated variety is not resident. Arizona reptile collectors thus took reticulated Gila monsters across the state
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line, sold them, and then immediately bought them back, so that the creature came with a California bill of sale. This king-hell mess was becoming a big business a couple of decades ago, and, as herpetologist Robert McCord of the Arizona Museum of Natural History observed at the time, “The game laws are almost useless.” The Arizona legislature has not helped much. One lawmaker, a selfdescribed antienvironmentalist named Jeff Groscost, even proposed a bill in 1994 that would allow Gila monster farming. “The rumor right now is that wholesalers are paying up to $900 apiece for them,” Groscost argued. “If someone could breed them and raise them in captivity, then you could sell them and not take them out of the wild.” The suspiciously warty logic aside, he also suggested that the lizards be injected with computer microchips to distinguish them from wild lizards, as if they were housepets. It is now legal to keep a Gila monster with a license, so long as the use is for educational purposes or the animal is being rehabilitated after injury or orphange. My friend Robert Villa holds one such license, and he has been caring for a Gila monster he calls Sheila (or sometimes Pancho Gila) for the last 11 years. Given that Gila monsters can live 35 years or more, the partnership is likely to be a longtime one, with a few challenges; as Robert says, one of them is simply finding someone to housesit who knows how to feed a Gila monster, which eats only a couple of times a year, and then, in captivity, mostly a diet of quail eggs and thawed out frozen baby rats. “They can eat a lot at one sitting,”
Robert Villa and Sheila, aka Pancho Gila.
he says. “The question is, when.” Rehabilitators are in demand, for injuries are common around humans—as is death. A couple of years ago, a Tucson woman bragged on Facebook of having killed a poor Gila monster that wandered into her garage, using a screwdriver to do the dastardly deed. She even posted pictures of what turned out to be a crime, though she protested that she had no idea killing a Gila monster was illegal. “If I knew, I wouldn’t have posted anything or done anything,” she said. A few months later, a wildlife court sentenced her to a year’s probation and a $400 fine, which for a Gila monster fan seems a mere slap on the wrist. Gila monsters being already as rare in the desert as rich people deserving of entry into heaven, any increase in their number should be thought a good thing—but not if the end is simply to fill a collector’s cage or a spotter’s life list. A wild animal that does not live in the wild is effectively nonexistent, dead to the population to which it should belong. “People imagine that they can manage reptile populations like mammals,” says Robert Villa, who is now serving his first term as president of the Tucson Herpetological Society. “But reptiles live in a completely different time frame. A Gila monster generation comes every 10 years, which is a long time. If you remove a Gila monster from the wild, you make a dent.” You’ll have to keep your eyes open to see one in the wild. In all the years I’ve lived in southern Arizona, I’ve caught only the quickest flash of a few of them, one of them a fellow I surprised basking on a rock on the trail up Baboquivari Peak, others on the paths up to Finger Rock and Seven Falls in the Catalinas. A few years back I read a nature memoir whose author, a Pacific Northwest– based academic, claimed to have seen five beaded lizards within the city limits of Phoenix just moments after she deplaned at Sky Harbor. Charitably, it may be that she mistook a mural for the real thing. Uncharitably, it may be that she’s lying for poetic effect, an argument we’ll have to have elsewhere. Still, I hear, there are a few places in which your odds of getting a good look at Heloderma suspectum are a little better: a few scattered rock tanks along the Camino del Diablo, a palm canyon in the Kofa Mountains, the back side of the Aquarius Mountains, all far from the places where humans normally tread. If you know of a better place still, keep it to yourself. The Gila monsters will thank you for your ability to harbor a secret. And if you really want to see a Gila monster, then head up into the trails leading through the front range of the Santa Catalina Mountains in the protected territory of a national forest, or visit the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum outside Tucson or the Phoenix Zoo, which house a few torpid specimens that would probably prefer to be somewhere else but that meanwhile put up with being gawked at. Keep your hands to yourself, send a bow of respect in Carl von Linné’s direction, and marvel at this ancient, admirable reptile. n May 2018 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 25
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The Tomatillo
A “Little Tomato” with a Sunny, Subtle Flavor by Gregory McNamee The tomatillo is, despite its Spanish name, not a little tomato, itself a word inside of which is tucked away the Aztec name jitomatl. Instead, it’s something of an outlier in the nightshade family, the Solanaceae, which includes tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, and other staple foods in world cuisine—but that itself hasn’t traveled far outside the culinary traditions of Latin America. You know the tomatillo. Its subtle taste, which I think of as falling somewhere between a green tomato and a kiwi fruit, with hints of lime to boot, figures prominently in the green sauces that go on enchiladas and other such concoctions. Lately chefs with a fusiony sense of things have been making broader use of tomatillos, putting slices of the raw thing in ordinary green salads and mixing them with avocados for a particularly tangy guacamole. I like a little mashed-up tomatillo with a few chiltepin flakes atop scrambled eggs, both of which go a long way to pepping up a dish that can be otherwise bland. If you’re a carnivore, tomatillo, a native of Mesoamerica, pairs particularly well with pork, a native of Mesopotamia. You can buy tomatillos in markets such as Food City, but they’re easy enough to grow, and this is the time to get tomatillos in the ground, along with their tomato cousins. Unlike the tomato, the tomatillo grows inside a papery husk that must be peeled away before the thing that be eaten. That doesn’t take much work, fortunately, though you’ll want to keep an eye out for aphids and hornworms. Otherwise, tomatillos grow much like tomatoes, growing well in full sun. They’re ready to harvest when the husk, called the calyx, is brown and a touch curled and the tomatillo has filled the little cup—the chalice of the Latin name—with its fruit. Peel the husk, wash the fruit, which is a little sticky,
and you’re ready to roll. Unlike many food plants, by the way, smaller is better with tomatillos; the bigger ones can be on the bitter side. Tomatillos turn up in many Latin American cuisines under different names: in Guatemala, for instance, you can find them in markets as miltomate, and in Argentina as farolito or tomate verde. I’ve seen them called “husk tomatoes” in upscale Chicago markets, though “tomatillo” is now widely used far inland. They’re even being growncommercially in Australia and East Africa now, though I have no idea what they’re called in some faraway places. Try it in posole, though the season for that bone-warming winter dash has past for another year. Take some cubed pork and brown it in canola or olive oil—a modest concession to health. Add it to some chopped tomatillos, hominy, pinto beans (though purists might frown on that addition), and chopped roasted green chile and let it cook slowly for a few hours, ideally over the embers of a cookfire. Serve it with some fresh corn tortillas, a scattering of chopped onion, and some sour cream, and you’ve got yourself a feast. Even though posole disappears from most menus in summertime, no one will mind, I suppose, if you eat it now instead of waiting for the cold weather to arrive. Tomatillo salsa, a staple of Mexican restaurants, is also easy to make. Take a pound of husked, rinsed, and roasted tomatillos, blend them with a couple of chopped roasted green chiles and a small chopped onion. Add water or chicken stock to thin it out and purée it in a blender or food processor. If you wish, you can throw in a couple of garlic cloves and some chopped cilantro or basil, and season with a little salt to adjust once you’ve tasted the result. n May 2018 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 27
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Mother’s Day 2018 by Amanda Reed
On May 13, honor the special mothers in your life with a relaxed morning filled with savory treats! We found 17 tasty spots offering special brunch items sure to delight, and make the occasion memorable. Most places fill up quickly, so be sure to make a reservation as soon as possible. Not feeling like going out? Stop by one of Tucson’s many farmers markets (listed below) and pick up a gift or some local ingredients to make brunch at home!
BRUNCH AGUSTIN KITCHEN
CAFE A LA C’ART
A special brunch menu will be offered featuring oysters, fried chicken, spring spaghetti, and a braised brisket Benedict. Prices vary with menu choices. 10am to 3pm. 100 South Avenida del Convento. 520-398-5382. AgustinKitchen.com
A delicious buffet will include a build your own omelet, carving station, rosemary potatoes, pancakes, waffles, chilled shrimp, salmon cakes, frittatas and quiche, assorted salads and deserts. $40 adults, $18 kids under 13, kids 5 and under are free. 9am to 3pm. 150 North Main Avenue (inside the Tucson Museum of Art courtyard). 520-628-8533. CafeaLaCartTucson.com
ARIZONA INN A three course champagne brunch will be offered with choices such as, Brussels sprouts with goat cheese panna cotta, chilled vichyssoise, lobster bisque, smoked salmon Benedict, short rib Benedict, beef bourguignon, lamb t-bones, seared branzino, roasted corn and butternut squash cannelloni, and a selection of desert. $65 per adult (includes a glass of champagne or sparkling cider), $35 kids under age 12. 11am to 9pm. 2200 E. Elm Street. 520-3251541. ArizonaInn.com
BLUE WILLOW Details not announced as of press time, be sure to contact them for more information. 8am to 9pm. 2616 N. Campbell Avenue. 520-327-7577. BlueWillowTucson.com
CAFE BOTANICA Set outside in the tranquil gardens, the Cafe will offer a special menu to honor your mom. 9am to 3pm. Tucson Botanical Gardens, 2150 N Alvernon Way. 520-326-9686. TucsonBotanical.org
THE CARRIAGE HOUSE A spring inspired brunch with roast prime rib or beef carving stations, roast pork loin, griddled flatbread with smoked salmon, chilaquiles, quiche, buttermilk biscuits, salads and deserts such as a pink macaroon with salted caramel ganache. $45 adults, $25 kids ages 7-13, 6 and under free. 10am to 2pm. 125 S. Arizona Avenue. 520-615-6100. CarriageHouseTucson.com May 2018 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 29
COCKTAIL BAR OF THE YEAR 139 S. EASTBOURNE, ACROSS FROM BARRIO BREAD OPEN DAILY TILL LATE, HAPPY HOURS TILL SIX
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BRUNCH CONT. CIELOS Celebrate mom with a delicious brunch indoors or on the patio. Savory sections such as prime rib, grilled Sonoran chicken, eggs Benedict, Belgian waffles, wild mushroom farfalle pasta, salmon lox, Sonoran ceviche, a selection of deserts and breakfast pastries, and more. $42 for adults, $17 for kids. 11am to 4pm. Lodge on the Desert, 306 N. Alvernon Way. 520-320-2000. LodgeontheDesert.com
FEAST Along with their regular brunch and dinner menus, special Mother’s day treats will be offered such as tempura fried soft-shell crab with double cream brie, bouillabaisse, grilled rack of lamb, warm spinach custard with morel mushrooms, and Japanese style cheesecake with strawberry lychee relish. Prices vary. 10am to 9pm. 3719 E. Speedway Blvd. 520-326-9363. EatatFeast.com
HACIENDA DEL SOL Scenic views and decadent options make this brunch memorable. Eggs Benedict, omelet and waffle bar, cheese blitz, carving and seafood stations, salad selections, lobster frittata, jambalaya, and a range of desert options. $75 per adult, $38 children ages 7-14; kids 6 and under are complimentary. 9am to 2:30pm. 5501 N. Hacienda Del Sol Rd. 520-529-3500. HaciendaDelSol.com
HILTON TUCSON EL CONQUISTADOR Treat the special women in your life to an unforgettable brunch. Fresh market salads, tapas, carving, grill, and omelet stations, breakfast fare, chilled seafood, and deserts. Held in the Turquoise Ballroom with music by harpist, Christine Vivian. Price: $59 per adult, $20 kids ages 6-12, kids 5 and under are free, plus tax and gratuity. 10:30am to 2:30pm. 10000 North Oracle Road. 520-5441244. HiltonElConquistador.com
JW MARRIOTT STARR PASS Treat your mom to a delightful culinary experience with breakfast favorites, a raw seafood bar, omelet and carving stations, handcrafted desserts, and a kids buffet. $69 per adult, $27 for kids ages 6-12, kids 5 and under are free. 9am to 3pm. 3800 W. Starr Pass Blvd. 520-791-6064. Marriott.com
MAYNARDS KITCHEN
PENCA Celebrating Dia de Las Madres on Thursday May 10 (starts at 11am) and Mother’s Day on Sunday May 13 (starts 10am). Special dishes and drinks, as well as their regular menu. 50 E. Broadway Blvd. 520-203-7681. PencaRestaurante.com
TOHONO CHUL Celebrate the special women in your life in the charming gardens of Tohono Chul. The buffet menu offers a chef attended omelet and carving station, crepes, cinnamon roll French toast, chilled rainbow farfalle, crab stuffed wontons, corned beef, herb chicken, and a selection of fresh juices, coffees, teas, and dessert. $47.50 per adult, $15.50 per child age 11 & under, plus tax and gratuity. 9am to 2:30pm. 7366 North Paseo del Norte. 520-742-6455 x 501. TohonoChulPark.org.
VILLA PERU Celebrate the special mother in your life with a Peruvian buffet. Featuring authentic carapulcra, ahi de gallina, cau cau, olluquito, ceviches and more. $65 per person with a complimentary Pisco sour. Live music. 11am to 4pm. 1745 E. River Rd. Suite 165. 520-900-7310. VillaPeruTucson.com
WESTWARD LOOK Executive Chef Antonio Rodriguez has created a scrumptious brunch for the whole family. Served in the Sonoran Ballroom with a backdrop of the Catalina Mountains. 11am to 3pm. 245 East Ina Rd. 520-917-2930. WestwardLook
FARMERS MARKETS 5 POINTS FARMERS MARKET Cesar Chavez Park 765 S. Stone Ave. 10am to 2pm Sundays
DOWNTOWN WELLNESS MARKET Presidio Park, 160 W. Alameda St. 10am to 2pm every second Thursday
ORO VALLEY AT STEAM PUMP RANCH 10901 N. Oracle Rd. 8am to Noon Saturdays
A three course brunch with your choice of ahi tuna salad, Sonoran soup, local toast with squash blossom, entrees such as Scottish salmon, Maynards Milanese, reuben Benedict or vegetable quiche, and a selection of deserts. $55 prix fixe menu, $15 children’s special with three kid friendly options available. 10am to 3pm. 400 N. Toole Avenue. 520-545-0577. MaynardsTucson.com
SANTA CRUZ RIVER FARMERS MARKET
THE PARISH
RILLITO PARK FARMERS MARKET
Serving southern fusion specials. Prices vary. 9:30am to 3pm. 6453 N. Oracle Rd. 520-797-1233. TheParishTucson.com
4502 N. 1st Ave. 8am to Noon Sundays
100 S. Avenida del Convento at Mercado San Agustín. 4 to 7pm Thursdays
ST. PHILIP’S FARMERS MARKET St. Philips Plaza. 8am to Noon Saturdays and Sundays
TRAIL DUST TOWN AT PINNACLE PEAK 6541 E. Tanque Verde Rd.8am to Noon Fridays
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Experience Southern Arizona’s Premiere Wineries
Join us on an elegant and enjoyable wine tour
520-338-9302
SonoranTastingTours.com
TUCSON’S NEIGHBORHOOD BAR & BOTTLE SHOP(S) OPEN 7 DAYS • THETAPANDBOTTLE.COM
NORTH LOCATION 7254 N. ORACLE (CORNER OF INA & ORACLE)
32 ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com | May 2018
CRAFT BEERS & WINES ON TAP OVER 600 BOTTLES TO ENJOY IN-HOUSE OR TO-GO!
DOWNTOWN LOCATION
403 N. 6TH AVE (6TH AVE. & 7TH ST.)
may THROUGH MAY 6 AGAVE HERITAGE FESTIVAL Celebrating the
events Z FRI 11 NATIONAL PUBLIC GARDENS DAY
cultural, commercial, and culinary significance of the agave plant through educational experiences, garden tours, diners, and exhibits. Presented by The Hotel Congress. See website for more information. 520-622-8848. AgaveHeritageFestival.com
Enjoy free admission to public gardens at this annual national event. Participating gardens in Tucson include the Desert Museum, Tohono Chul, Tucson Botanical Gardens, and the University of Arizona Campus Arboretum. See website for more information. PublicGardens.org
THURSDAYS IN MAY
SAT 12
CINEMA LA PLACITA MOVIES AT TMA
2ND SATURDAYS DOWNTOWN A free, family
Beginning May 3, Cinema La Placita will host a movie night at TMA every Thursday through August. $3 admission includes popcorn. Beer, wine, and food available to purchase. 7:30 pm. May movies: Dirty Dancing, May 3, Dr. Strangelove, May 10, The Stranger, May 17, Inherit the Wind, May 24, Crimes and Misdemeanors, May 31, Tucson Museum of Art, 140 N. Main Ave. 520-326-5282. CinemaLaPlacita.com
friendly urban block party! Winter Hours: 2pm to 9pm street vendors, 5-9pm stage performances. Art After Dark at the Children’s Museum from 5:30-8pm. Free family friendly movie at the Southern Arizona Transportation Museum. Downtown Tucson. 2ndSaturdaysDowntown.com
FRI 4 MT. LEMMON HILL CLIMB Right up there with the famous passes in Europe and considered to be one of the most challenging hill climbs in the States, this hill climb offers the chance to join other cycling enthusiasts in this cycling event sponsored by the Greater Arizona Bicycling Association. Fluids, snacks, and vehicle support if needed, will be offered along the way. Register online. 6am - 3pm. 4100 N. Harrison Rd. 520-241-5556. BikeGaba.org
FRI 4 – SUN 6 BLOCK PARTY & SPRING BAZAAR The 7th anniversary of the opening of the Mercado San Agustin brings a block party celebration with the Spring Bazaar and the opening of Tucson’s newest shopping center, the MSA Annex. Free live entertainment and performances all weekend. 520-461-1107. MercadoSanAgustin.com
SAT 5 - SUN 6 FOLK FESTIVAL
Spend the weekend in Historic Downtown Tucson enjoying national headliner, Pokey LaFarge and local headliner, Greg & Randall Morton Band along with many others. In addition to live music there are workshops, a children’s program, open mic, beer garden, and food vendors on site. Free admission. See website for lineup and times. Historic Downtown Tucson. Free. Saturday: Noon to 10pm, Sunday: 11am to 9pm. TKMA.org
SAT 5 MUSIC IN THE MOUNTAINS
Join vocalist Rene Taylor for an outdoor concert at Catalina State Park. 5:30 pm. 11570 N. Oracle Rd. AZStateParks.com
TRAIN DAY Southern Arizona Transportation Museum presents a celebration with choo-choo rides, crafts, diesel simulator, model trains, a lecture on Amtrak History by Tony Haswell and live music with the Old Pueblo Bluegrass & Jazz Trio. 10am - 4pm. 520-623-2223. 414 N. Toole Ave. TucsonHistoricDepot.org
SUN 13 TUCSON 5000 & MOTHER’S DAY MILE Compete in Tucson’s fastest 5k event or the one mile race for families, where women, men and kids can race together, with finisher prizes for all women that your children can give to you. Kids 10 and under are free. 5k start time: 7am; Mother’s Day mile: 8:15am. 7-10am. Gene C. Reid Park. Meet in the southwest corner of the park along Country Club and 22nd Street. AZRoadRunners.org
SAT 19 – SUN 20 WILCOX WINE COUNTRY FESTIVAL
A weekend long celebration of wines from the Wilcox region, with live music, food from Dante’s Fire, and over 45 local artists and vendors. Ranked in the top 10 wine festivals in North America by Fodor’s Travel. Saturday evening, enjoy a special wine dinner and reception. Tickets: $15-$50. Railroad Avenue Park, 157 N. Railroad Ave, Wilcox, AZ. 11am - 5pm. 1-800-200-2272. WilcoxWineCountry.org
SAT 26 COOL SUMMER NIGHTS
Beat the heat and enjoy a science filled evening under the stars. Weekly themes, check website for details. Bring a flashlight. Starting May 26 through September 1. 5-10pm. Regular admission rates apply. DesertMuseum.org
SAT 26 – MON 28 WYATT EARP DAYS See the Old West come alive with Tombstone’s annual celebration of the notable lawman. Action packed street entertainment and a chili cookoff on Sunday with cup sales starting at 10am. All proceeds benefit Youth Activities and Programs. 10am-4pm each day. Hostoric Allen Street, Tombstone. WyattEarpDays.com
ONGOING PLANETARIUM SHOWS
Explore the stars and beyond every Thu-Sun with a laser light show on Fridays and Saturdays. $5-$7, kids under 3 are free. See website for program times. Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium, 1601 E. University. 520-621-7827. Flandrau.org
MONDAYS
THURS 17 EXOPLANET SERIES Discover the world of exoplanets in the last two lectures of the series, focusing on current groundbreaking UA research. 6pm. Tickets: $10 per lecture, available at the Flandrau front desk, includes showing of the new Planetarium Show “Undiscovered Worlds”. Flandrau Science Center, 1601 E university Blvd. 520-621-4516. Flandrau.org
FRI 18 SUMMER SAFARI NIGHTS
Cool off with live music, animal encounters, themed nights, animal biofacts, carousel rides, face painting, and more, beginning May 18 and continuing every Friday night until August 3. Tickets: $10.50 adults, $8.50 seniors, $6.50 kids ages 2-14. Zoo member admission is half off. 6-8pm. Reid Park Zoo, 3400 Zoo Court. 520-791-3204. ReidParkZoo.org.
SAT 19 SAN YSIDRO FESTIVAL
A dedication of the new Chinese & Mexican Gardens and celebration of the White Sonora Wheat harvest. See the wheat harvested, threshed, winnowed and milled all with traditional tools and methods. 9-11:30am. Mission Garden. 946 W. Mission Lane. TucsonsBirthPlace.org
MEET ME AT MAYNARDS
Southern Arizona Roadrunners’ Monday evening, non-competitive, social 3-mile run/walk, that begins and ends downtown at Hotel Congress, rain/shine/holidays included! Free. 5:15pm. Maynards Market, 400 E. Toole. 520-991-0733. MeetMeAtMaynards.com
SUNDAYS GUIDED BIRD WALKS
An experienced birder will help you spot and identify various birds as you walk through the foothills of the Catalina Mountains. Bring binoculars if you have them. The walk lasts several hours. Meet at the Picnic Area Ramada. Every Sunday at 7am. Catalina State Park, 11570 N. Oracle Rd. AZStateParks. com
SECOND SUNDAZE Every second Sunday, enjoy free admission and free family programming from 125pm. Tucson Museum of Art, 140 N. Main Ave. TucsonMuseumorArt.org n
May 2018 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 33
LIVE MUSIC & MORE AT THE CROWN JEWEL OF DOWNTOWN!
UPCOMING SPRING HIGHLIGHTS! Live Music & More at The Crown Jewel of Downtown
“Mr. Chow” & “Dr. Ken!” Hilarious Comedian KEN JEONG MAY 3 • 7:30 PM
2017-18 SEASON SPONSOR
Rocker American Grammy winners play Original stories told The next generation! Idol’s Chris Daughtry a blend of traditional with music & dance! THE DEVON & chart-topping band flamenco, salsa & pop! ALLMAN PROJECT MAGIC BOX DAUGHTRY GIPSY KINGS WITH DUANE BETTS AT THE FOX MAY 16 • 7:30 PM MAY 18 • 7:30 PM MAY 25 • 7:30 PM MAY 19 • 3:00 PM
Legendary music Chicago jazz great icon & sonic master with hits like “Hang of progressive rock on Sloopy,” “Wade in ALAN PARSONS the Water” & more! EYE IN THE SKY RAMSEY LEWIS JUNE 7 • 7:30 PM JUNE 8 • 7:30 PM
Best American Roots & Best Folk Album Duo sing with pure, unique harmony MILK CARTON KIDS JUNE 22 • 7:30 PM
TICKETS AT FOXTUCSON.COM 34 ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com | May 2018
Oscar-Winning actor World’s biggest and most popular tribute BILLY BOB ARRIVAL FROM THORNTON & THE SWEDEN - THE BOXMASTERS MUSIC OF ABBA SPECK TOUR JULY 18 • 7:30 PM JULY 17 • 7:30 PM
BOX OFFICE: 17 W. CONGRESS • 520-547-3040
photo: Tim Fuller. Courtesy of Ballet Tucson 2
performances Z Ballet Tucson 2 (youth) end of season concertn, pictured Swan Lake – Act II.
FUTURE HEIRLOOMS MADE IN TUCSON
HANDBAGS • JEWELRY • HOME GOODS • TEXTILES A P P A R E L • B E A U T Y & G R O O M I N G • L E AT H E R • I L O V E M A S T. C O M
ARIZONA THEATRE COMPANY The Diary of Anne Frank, through May 12. Temple of Music and Art, 330 S. Scott Ave. 520-884-8210. ArizonaTheatre.org
ARTIFACT DANCE PROJECT New Moves, May 3 - 6. Artifact Dance Project Studios. 17 E. Toole Ave. 520-235-7638. ArtifactDanceProject.org
BALLET TUCSON BT2 end of season concert, May 20. Steve Eller Dance Theater, 1737 E. University Blvd. 520-901-3194. BalletTucson.org
FLAM CHEN Cannibal Cabaret (night 1), May 11; Cannibal Cabaret (night 2), May 12. Mercado Annex, 267 Avenida Del Convento. FlamChen.com
FOX THEATRE Gordon Lightfoot in Concert, May 1 at 7:30pm; Comedian Ken Jeong, May 3 at 7:30 pm; PCC Fashionarte 2018, May 4 at 7:00 pm; Weird Al Yankovic, May 5 at 8:00 pm; Tucson Girls Chorus Sounds of Spring Concert, May 6 at 3:30 pm; Australia’s Thunder From Down Under, May 8 at 7:30 pm; Second Chance Tucson Community Forum, May 9 at 2:00 pm; Las Arpias, May 12 at 7:30 pm; The Tucson Starlight Awards, May 13 at 7:00 pm; Daughtry, May 16 at 7:30 pm; Gipsy Kings, May 18 at 7:30 pm; Stories That Soar!, May 19 at 3:00 pm; The Devon Allman Project with special guest Duane Betts, May 25 at 7:30 pm. 17 W. Congress St. 520-624-1515. FoxTucsonTheatre.org
THE GASLIGHT THEATRE
Rock-A-Billy Raceway, through June 3. 7010 E. Broadway Blvd. 520-886-9428. TheGaslightTheatre.com
INVISIBLE THEATRE Mr. Goldberg’s Prodigal Son, through May 6, 1400 N. First Ave. 520-882-9721. InvisibleTheatre.com
LAFFS COMEDY CAFFE Greg Wilson, May 4 & 5; Co-headliners Todd Larson and Jason Resler, May 11 & 12; Flip Schultz, May 18 & 19; Jon Stringer, May 25, 26 & 27. 2900 E. Broadway. 520-32-Funny. LaffsTucson.com
LIVE THEATRE WORKSHOP Women in Jeopardy! through May 5; Spaceman Zero through June 3 in the Family Theatre. 5317 E. Speedway Blvd. 520-327-4242. LiveTheatreWorkshop.org
ODYSSEY STORYTELLING SERIES
Fake, May 3, doors at 6:30pm, show at 7:00pm, The Sea of Glass Center for the Arts, 330 E. 7th St. 520-730-4112. OdysseyStorytelling.com
TUCSON GIRLS CHORUS
Sounds of Spring, May 6 at 3:30 pm. Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W. Congress St. TucsonGirlsChorus.org
TUCSON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Young Composers Festival, May 17 -
OPEN TUES - SAT
20. Free. 520-882-8585. TucsonSymphony.org
HOURS 10AM-5PM
UNSCREWED THEATER Family friendly shows every Friday and Saturday night at 7:30 pm. 3244 E. Speedway Blvd. 520-289-8076. UnscrewedTheater.org
ZUZI! DANCE Bluesy ZUZI!, May 12 at 7:00 pm. The Scoundrel & Scamp Theater, 738 N. 5th Ave in the Historic Y. 520-629-0237. ZuziMoveIt.org n
philabaumglass.com
DOWNTOWN 711 South 6th Avenue 520-884-7404 May 2018 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 35
Z desertvoices
Saguaro Sisters by Nicole Paulus
I’M NOT exaggerating when I say that I return from every one of my trips changed. The same holds true for my most recent trip to Arizona. As soon as my plane touched down, I was flooded with emotions, my bones beckoning to be once again baptised by the desert sun. Though I love Berlin tremendously, there is no denying my Southwestern roots and my insatiable craving for burros, creamy pinto beans layered with chunks of avocado snugly wrapped in a warm, handmade tortilla. I was only there for 2 weeks but it was a visit that shook me to my core. I spooked old haunts, reconnected with old friends, and binged at familiar places (I’m looking at you, Güero Canelo.) Not much had changed to the surroundings that I called home for many years, but internally I felt a world apart. It’s unbelievable how much I’d changed in such a short time. Though it had only been three years since I too had lived amongst the lizards and the coyotes, I felt much more settled now, more at peace, and probably most importantly, happier. • For now I could truly appreciate the desert and all its splendor. • For now I could empathise with my family and friends who chose to stay instead of taking the more drastic approach to life that I did of selling all my belongings and starting completely over in a foreign land. • For now I could take pride in the native heritage that continues to influence anyone who has ever considered themselves a desert rat. It’s not that I didn’t feel those things before, I did. But it wasn’t until I had lived in a completely different world, an ocean away, that I could fully comprehend the desert’s magnificence with every inch of my soul. Once I drove to a rave in the desert on Halloween night, well past Gates Pass. I was dressed as Richard Simmons, afro and all. Because I had planned on imbibing in several potions that evening, I decided that sleeping in my classic Buick Century would be a smarter move than trying to make the trek home after the music faded. The party was subpar and though I had several people pass out in my comfy car (including my crush), sleep never came for me. It wasn’t long before the sun was beating down on my face, converting my car from an ice box into a rotisserie oven 36 ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com | May 2018
almost instantaneously. I hadn’t slept the night before, but I wasn’t drunk anymore and felt fit enough to navigate my way back up the desert mountain (though my gray skin said otherwise.) On the drive home there was a forest of long and lean Saguaro cactuses waving goodbye to the gringa who thought she could survive a frigid cold desert night. “Until we meet again, friend,” they cackled. At the time, I was more focused on not careening off the winding mountain than the Saguaros dancing around me. After all, I had precious cargo with me (yes, I kidnapped my crush. No, he was not harmed in the process -- though a bit discombobulated once he woke up and realized what I’d done.) A few weeks ago, I visited this same scenic area with my father. My priorities had certainly changed in the decade or so that spanned, but my insurmountable love for the desert had certainly not. If anything, it had grown much fonder in the meantime, the way a couple settles more comfortably into one other with each passing anniversary. At the time, the desert had just been a backdrop for my shenanigans, a playground for my adolescence. While I’d been busy dancing freely under the blanket of stars, the creosote laced air, dry heat, lightning storms, towering Saguaros, brutal sun, howls of the coyotes, and monsoons flooding my streets had all along been shaping me into the wild woman I am today. You can always tell when a woman is from the desert. There is something in her eyes that says that she knows more than she’s letting on. Though she’s polite, she keeps her distance before letting you into her sacred place. You might be intimidated by that spark in her eye, the spark that suggests she is not from this world. That’s because she’s not. Instead, she’s a wild woman, sprung from the same hardened earth that her spiny Saguaro sisters had once emerged from decades before. Though Nicole Paulus is currently a Berlin-based writer, she’s a UA grad with desert roots. When she’s not running her own digital marketing company Nico New Media, she’s empowering other women writers on her blog, ReproJustice.com. n
photo: Karl Magnuson
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May 2018 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 37
Z sceneintucson by Janelle Montenegro
38 ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com | May 2018
sceneintucson Z instagram / @JMontenegroPhotography
Opposite page: Corpse Plant ‘Rosie’ blooming at Tucson Botanical Gardens; Plant Mama at Cultivate Tucson; Ruby at Cultivate Tucson; City High School’s 7th annual Block Party; Javon at City High School.
This page: Pima County Fair; Games at the Pima County Fair; Pima County Fair; Man at Bus stop; Street Sunset; Rainbow on 4th Ave.
May 2018 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 39
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Tucson Americana The 33rd Year of the Tucson Folk Festival by Carl Hanni
Celebrating over 35 colorful years of serving Tucson’s local publishing community. Contact us for a competitive quote on your magazine, newsletter, program or other short-run publication.
520.622.5233
When it comes to longevity, the annual Tucson Folk Festival doesn’t have many peers here in Tucson. Now in its 33rd year, the two-day, multi-stage festival in downtown Tucson has proven to be remarkably resilient, and has managed to stay relevant over several decades, a notable feat for any audience-based event that is only as successful as the crowd it draws. And draw it does, year after year, and decade after decade. But the keys to their success are hardly mysterious. ‘Folk’ music is a wide net that can include everything from solo acoustic and singer/songwriter acts to bluegrass, country & western, old timey, blues, country swing, norteña, zydeco, Tex-Mex, all sorts of Native American musics, ‘ethnic folk’ and even some rock & roll: all the many musical flavors that make up true ‘Americana’ and then some. It is, in other words, largely impervious to trends in popular music, and its staying power is solid as long as there’s an audience that craves music that values storytelling, lived in human experience and music that embraces the head and the heart (and sometimes the feet) in equal measure. And of course booking both locals and national acts certainly helps, as well as the fact that the entire event is still free. This year’s national headliner is the terrifically entertaining Pokey LaFarge, whose star has been steadily rising for the last decade. The poker-faced LaFarge and his band updates all sorts of vintage American music - western swing, country blues, ragtime, jump jazz and more - with some modern sardonic humor and keen showmanship; he manages to bypass retro straight on the way to classic. He plays Saturday at 9 pm, on the Plaza Stage. The Local Headliner is the Greg and Randall Morton Band, long time locals who have racked up a slew of awards and happy audiences over several decades, playing the final headliner slot at 8 pm on Sunday night. The Children’s Shows headliner is the prolific, well-travelled Peter Alsop, playing both Saturday and Sunday on the new Wildflower Stage in El Presidio Park. Zócalo recently spoke to Diane Perry, President of the Tucson Kitchen Musicians Association, who produces the Festival. Can you tell us about some of the highlights of this year’s Festival? “This year, we have over 120 acts, 5 stages and ongoing music from Saturday at noon till Sunday at 9 pm. There’s literally a buzz of musical excitement in the air all weekend long. We love the historic section of Downtown Tucson where the festival is held, where everything is within walking distance! We’re proud to state we’re one of the oldest free Americana/Folk music festivals in the country! Keeping our festival accessible for all to enjoy is something we strive for every year. This is the festival’s 33rd year.” The Festival has a new layout this year, yes? “Yes, we’re very excited about this new layout. We are closing several streets around the Old Town Artisans block to accommodate our new Telles Street Stage (1 of our 5 stages). Food trucks will also be located along Court Ave. between Alameda & Telles St. We’re happy to offer stage venues at the Tucson Presidio Museum and La Cocina again this year; the main hub of the festival is in El Presidio Park, where the Plaza and Wildflower stages are located. This year we have relocated our Official Beer Garden to El Presidio Park, around the large fountain area, which will also house our food court with many longstanding and new food vendors. We’ve also relocated our interactive music workshops to one area within the breezeways between the Pima County Buildings just south of El Presidio Park.
40 ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com | May 2018
Pokey LaFarge
Also located in El Presidio Park is our festival shop called the Kitchen Store, our raffle booth, and you’ll also find arts & crafts vendors sprinkled throughout the Park.” Can you talk a little bit about the children’s events at the Festival? “We’re very excited about increasing our young/family participation by offering our Young Artist Showcase (18 years and younger) on both days of the festival on the Wildflower Stage. The festival Songwriting Competition will also be held on this stage. The Wildflower Stage will be located in our new Kids Zone in El Presidio Park, that will also offer our Children’s Show with National Headliner Peter Alsop, storytelling by Monique, the Community Quilt Project by Felicia, and Bookman’s Instrument Petting Zoo, along with other fun activities such as face painting, mimes, and balloons.” Has the parameters of what/who the Festival books changed over the years? Has the term ‘folk’ evolved? “Yes and no. We are still very focused on maintaining the traditional aspect of the folk genre, what one might refer to as the ‘Peter, Paul and Mary or Woody Guthrie sound,’ but we are always seeking to enhance what acoustic music
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looks and sounds like. We continually strive to be inclusive in our selections of performers to represent the broad diversity of our human family. This year, we created the New Folk Outreach & Development Committee, consisting of young Tucson professionals interested in supporting folk music and the Tucson Folk Festival. We are also encouraging, and aware of, a new interpretation of what ‘folk’ means to new generations. For example, we have put on our radar headline performers to appeal to younger generations. Even though the original folk generation is alive and well, still performing and appreciating the acoustic folk sound, it is the generations after us who are the future of the festival. It’s important to keep an ear open to expressions of the “new folk sound” in today’s music community for this reason. But, also just as important, we will always be mindful to include and honor folk music performers who represent original folk music.” The Tucson Folk Festival is Saturday May 5 and Sunday May 6 at El Presidio Park, 160 Alameda St., and around La Cocina, 201 N. Court St., in downtown Tucson. All events are free. More information at tucsonfolkfest.org. n
May 2018 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 41
LET YOUR
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LA ORIGINAL BANDA EL LIMON WITH BANDA MACHOS
SATURDAY, MAY 5 Doors at 7PM | Show at 8PM
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TERRY FATOR SATURDAY, MAY 26 Doors at 7PM | Show at 8PM
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Where jackpots hit close to home. Must be 21 to enter bars and gaming areas. Please play responsibly. An Enterprise of the Tohono O’odham Nation.
What’s Live
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Still Making Sense by Jim Lipson
AS A MUSIC COLUMNIST—local and otherwise, it’s shocking and slightly embarrassing as to how infrequently I actually get out to see live music. Not to make excuses, but there are reasons for this. First and foremost is my extremely active four-and-a-half-year-old with whom I am mostly delighted to have occupy big chunks of my time. This, more than anything, has cut into my ability to be even semi-spontaneous. Nights out to see and hear live music require much careful and advanced planning. Big name shows are also far less appealing than they once were. Large crowds, and performers who are often mixed too loud and with too much bass, no longer hold the kind of magic they once did. Shows are also more expensive than I remember while more often than not, I find myself wondering if the product was worth the effort and expense. Having said all that, I cannot stop thinking about the recent David Byrne concert at Centennial Hall. With pre-publicity billing this as Byrne’s most elaborate, theatrical and complex production since the Talking Heads Stop Making Sense shows in late 1983, well documented by director Jonathan Demme, in perhaps the greatest rock and roll movie ever, not even that level of hyperbole could do this show justice. Imagine a stage supporting a 12-piece band providing more (well mixed) sound than you can possibly imagine, that is completely barren and totally bereft of any equipment. No amps, no exotic pedal and special effects boxes, no guitar stands, banks of keyboards and no drums. Nothing. All of that, sans keys and drums, tucked away and completely out of sight. And then out comes the band in matching grey suits with darker grey vests; almost everyone in bare feet, and with all manner of instruments strapped snugly onto their bodies. With everything mic’d to perfection, vocals included, they are not just free to be roaming the stage at will, but are actually moving with both purpose and grace to elaborately choreographed routines that were every bit as engaging as the music itself. While there are certainly a few quiet and less frenetic moments in the show, the fact that this near constant sense of movement and music goes on unabated for a full hour and forty minutes, was nothing less than remarkable With no fewer than six percussionists who were continually changing their drum set ups from one tune to the next, they more than simulated a drummer’s traditional trap set while also adding bongos, congas, African drums, woodblocks and cowbells as well as any number of other exotic rhythm toys. While most of the music was featuring Byrne’s latest recording, American Utopia, it was absolutely thrilling to hear this ensemble also revisit some of Byrne’s most seminal and recognizable work from the Talking Heads including “Burning Down the House,” “Once in a Lifetime,” “Girlfriend,” and “This Must Be the Place.” Between the music, movement and Byrne’s still bigger than life on-stage persona (he actually stopped a song when the lighting technician was a little slow), there was never a moment when Byrne was not in complete control of all that was going on, which was considerable. And while he did not play much guitar, when he did, it was with purpose and just the right touch in just the right place. While I wouldn’t expect any one of these shows on this tour is any different from the next, I would see it all again in a heartbeat. The one other show last month that completely captivated me was the first ever TKMA Acoustic Lottery. This is where 17 musicians were randomly put together to form four bands one week before the event. When I arrived at the gig a little before 10pm, Flycatcher was packed and with a genuine buzz in the room. There on stage was Jacob Acosta, Freddy Parish, Matt Rolland (of Run Boy Run) and Chris Black (of Chamberlab), sounding as if they had been playing together for, well, certainly longer than one week. The synergy
of musicians being as excited as the audience was palpable with Flycatcher serving as the perfect venue to support this. Kudos to Rolland who was the driving force in putting this effort together. Here’s some of what’s up for May… Chip Curry y el conjunto – May 3, Monterey Court – In town for the Folk Festival, Curry’s latest endeavor is a throwback to his days with Summerdog. He’s joined by bad hombres Marc Rennard, John Ross and Ed Davenport. Los Lobos – May 4, Rialto Theatre – The Rialto’s promo for this show features a lengthy narrative on the history of this band. All you need to know is they are still really good. Fusing Tex-Mex, Americana, traditional corridas and even some occasional takes on classic rock, this band is one of our most enduring treasures. Weird Al Yankovick – May 5, Fox Theatre – Here’s what people should know about Weird Al…he’s an exceptionally talented musician. While his schtick may seem over the top, his sense of the absurd is always supported by tight and creative musicianship. 33rd Annual Tucson Folk Festival – May 5/6, El Presidio Park and surrounding neighborhood – Tucson’s largest and most diverse free music festival. See Carl Hanni’s profile in this edition of the magazine. Monterey Court 6th Annual Birthday Bash – May 11, Monterey Court With a plan to renovate one of the seedy motels on the Miracle Mile Strip into a restaurant/bar and covered outdoor music venue, not many would have given this pace a chance to succeed. Six years later, here we are celebrating the Monty as one of Tucson’s premier acoustic venues for local and smaller touring acts. The Amosphere, with all of its New Orleans style funk and soul holds court. Rebekah Rolland – May 12, 191 Toole - Selected as an artist-in-residence for the National Park Service Centennial, Tucson local Rolland spent several weeks at Homestead National Monument in Nebraska working on her debut record, Seed & Silo. The record is in many ways an extension of her work as vocalist, fiddler, and a primary songwriter of the nationally-acclaimed group, Run Boy Run. Expect husband Matt Rolland and opener Petie Ronstadt to join in as well. Hipster Daddy-O and the Handgrenades – May 12, Club Congress – Remember the hip swing craze that ran from the mid to late 1990s into the new millennium? Well, it’s back but for one night stand as Hipster Daddy-O and the Handgrenades return to the stage after a 10-year absence for a freebie on the indoor stage at Club Congress. Bad News Blues Band – May 12, Hotel Congress – This free show on the Congress outdoor patio is a CD release for their new album, Live at Hot Licks, for this long time Tucson blues institution. Tom Walbank opens. Southbound Pilot – May 12, Monterey Court – This busiest night of the month concludes with a CD release for an album recorded live at the Monty back in January. Tower of Power – May 23, Enselmo AVA Amphitheater – Just in case you were wondering, both the venue and the band are still capable of great things. Devon Allman Project w/Duane Betts -May 25, Fox Theatre – When Dickie Betts was fired from the Allmans some years ago, it was thought we’d never be treated to a show with an Allman and a Betts sharing the same stage again. Fortunately, their kin have better sense. Too much good DNA in the gene pool for this to be anything but great. Calexico – May 31, Rialto Theatre – Hometown kids still making good. Promoting their new Cd The Thread That Keeps Us (reviewed in April edition of Zócalo), don’t take this band for granted as they don’t play here that often. n May 2018 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 43
Photo courtesy casadecalexico.com.
Photo curtesy rksband.com.
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Rainbow Kitten Surprise performs at 191 Toole on Tuesday, May 15. Calexico performs at The Rialto Theatre on Thursday, May 31.
LIVE MUSIC Schedules accurate as of press time. Visit the web sites or call for current/detailed information.
191 TOOLE 191 E. Toole Ave. rialtotheatre.com Fri 4: Tucson Lit Sat 5: KRS-One Thu 10: RUSKO Sat 12: Rebekah Rolland, Peter Dalton Ronstadt y Los Tucsonenses Tue 15: Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Brent Cowles Wed 16: Mac Lethal & Wax Thu 17: Cullen Omori, The Gloomies, Mute Swan Fri 18: Billy Bacon & The Forbidden Pigs, Mike Hebert Prison Band, Mark Insley Sat 19: Horse Feathers, Jillian and the Giants Mon 21: MC Chris, Bitforce Tue 22: Froggy Fresh Wed 30: Sur Block, Citrus Clouds, Cool Funeral Thu 31: Creed Bratton
2ND SATURDAYS DOWNTOWN Congress Street, 2ndSaturdaysDowntown.com Sat 12: See web site for more information
BORDERLANDS BREWING 119 E. Toole Ave. 261-8773, BorderlandsBrewing.com Sun 6: Kevin Pakulis Fri 11: Jaime Michaels Sat 12: Tortolita Gutpluckers Sun 13: Kevin Pakulis Fri 18: Birds & Arrows Sat 10: French Quarter Sun 20: Kevin Pakulis Fri 25: Bryan Thomas Parker Sun 28: Kevin Pakulis
Sun 13: Stuyedyed Tue 15: Open Mic Wed 16: Street Blues Family Thu 17: Trashcan Sinatras Sun 20: Jared & The Mill Thu 24: Cults Sat 26: Jacob Acosta’s Desert Sounds Album Release, Jillian and the Giants, Leila Lopez Band Tue 29: Richard Bruckner Thu 31: Peach Kelli Pop, Nanami Ozone
CHE’S LOUNGE
LA COCINA
350 N. 4th Ave. 623-2088, ChesLounge.com See web site for information
CLUB CONGRESS 311 E. Congress St. 622-8848, HotelCongress.com/club Tue 1: No Joy, Mute Swan, Weekend Lovers Wed 2: Mesquite, J-Calvin, Katie Haverly Thu 3: Dreamdecay, Hikikomori, Soft Shoulder Fri 4: El Tambo Fest, Night Two Sat 5: Armando Moreno & The Southern Revival Sun 6: Dave Ross & Chris Charpentier, Chris Thayer, Kristine Levine, Pauly Casillas. Tue 8: Bali Baby Wed 9: Pink Mexico Fri 11: Erika Wennerstrom, Crystal Radio Sat 12: Bad News Blues Band, Hipster Daddy-O and the Handgrenades, The Endless Pursuit
44 ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com | May 2018
201 N. Court Ave. 622-0351, LaCocinaTucson.com Wed 2: Miss Lana Rebel & Kevin Michael Mayfield Thu 3: Freddy Parish Fri 4: Greg Morton & Friends Sat 5-Sun 6: Tucson Folk Festival Sat 5: Nathaniel Burnside Wed 9: Miss Lana Rebel & Kevin Michael Mayfield Thu 10: Louise Le Hir Fri 11: Greg Morton & Friends Sat 12: Billy Sedlmayr Sun 13: Mik and the Funky Brunch Wed 16: Miss Lana Rebel & Kevin Michael Mayfield Thu 17: Mitzi Cowell Fri 18: Greg Morton & Friends Sat 19: Mik and the Funky Brunch Sun 20: Mik and the Funky Brunch Wed 23: Miss Lana Rebel & Kevin Michael Mayfield Fri 25: Greg Morton & Friends Sat 26: French Quarter String Band Sun 27: Mik and the Funky Brunch
Wed 30: Miss Lana Rebel & Kevin Michael Mayfield
CUSHING STREET BAR & RESTAURANT 198 W. Cushing St. 622-7984, CushingStreet.com Fridays: Pete Swan Trio featuring Matt Mitchell & Scott Black Saturdays: Jeff Lewis Trio
FLYCATCHER 340 E. 6th St. 798-1298, FlycatcherTucson.com Wed 2: Piano Lover’s Lounge with DJPJ & Sara Mohr Sat 5: Carter Winter, Billy Shaw Jr, Drew Cooper Sat 12: TV Girl + Wished Bone
FOX TUCSON THEATRE 17 W. Congress St. 624-1515, FoxTucsonTheatre.org Tue 1: Gordon Lightfoot Sat 5: Weird Al Yankovic, Emo Phillips Sun 6: Tucson Girls Chorus Sounds of Spring Concert Sat 12: Las Arpias Sun 13: Tucson Starlight Awards Wed 16: Daughtry Fri 18: Gipsy Kings Fri 25: The Devon Allman Project, Duane Betts
HACIENDA DEL SOL 5501 N. Hacienda Del Sol. 2991501, HaciendaDelSol.com Nightly: Live Music on the Patio
Photo courtesy gipsykings.com.
Photo courtesy trashcansinatras.com.
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Trashcan Sinatras perform two albums acoustically live at Club Congress on Thursday, May 17. Gipsy Kings perform at Fox Theatre on Friday, May 18.
THE HUT
PLAZA PALOMINO
SAINT CHARLES TAVERN
305 N. 4th Ave., 623-3200 huttucson.com Sundays: Acoustic Open Mic, with Cadillac Mountain Thursdays: Mockingbirds Saturdays: Mike & Randy’s 420 Show with Top Dead Center
2990 N. Swan Rd., 907-7325 plazapalomino.com Sat 19: The Degrazia Band
1632 S. 4th Ave (520) 888-5925 Fri 4: Lucky Lenny, Amber Ikeman, Rudy Cortese Visit Facebook page for more events
THE LOUDHOUSE 915 W. Prince Rd., 393-3598 loudhousetucson.com Sat 5: Stereoglass, Manhigh, Ovesic Sat 19: Tetrarch, Somewhere to Call Home, End of Eras, Amora’s Bane Wed 30: Sunday At Noon, Bitter Suns
MONTEREY COURT 505 W. Miracle Mile, MontereyCourtAZ.com Tue 1: Earl Edmonson Wed 2: Nick McBlaine & LogTrain Thu 3: Chip Curry y el Conjunto Fri 4: Roadhouse Sat 5: Johnnie & the Rumblers Sun 6: Nancy Elliott & Friends, Adrian Legg Tue 8: Kate Tucker Wed 9: Don Armstrong Thu 10: Touch of Gray Fri 11: Amosphere – Monterey Court Cafe’s 6th birthday bash!! Sat 12: Southbound Pilot – CD Release Show Sun 13: Nancy Elliott & Friends Sun 20: Nancy Elliott & Friends Sun 27: Nancy Elliott & Friends
RIALTO THEATRE 318 E. Congress St. 740-1000, RialtoTheatre.com Thu 3: Pink Floyd Laser Spectacular Fri 4: Los Lobos, Greyhound Soul Sat 5: Deorro Fri 11: Beatles vs. Stones Sat 12: Apocalyptica Mon 14: Tech N9ne, Kriz Kaliko, Just Juice, Joey Cool Wed 16: Todrick Hall American Fri 18: Día De Las Luchas, Los Torta Sat 19: Rumours—The Ultimate Fleetwood Mac Tribute Show Sun 20: Natalia Lafourcade, August Bracho Tue 22: Tory Lanez Sat 26: One More Time Sun 27: Brian Culbertson Thu 31: Calexico, Julia Jacklin
THE ROCK 136 N. Park Ave. rocktucson.com Sat 5: The Dangerous Summer Fri 11: Hemlock Sat 12: Goatwhore Tue 22: The Green Sun 27: Reilly’s Beach Club, Pouya
ROYAL SUN LOUNGE 1003 N Stone Ave (520) 622-8872 BWRoyalSun.com Sun-Tue: Happy Hour Live Music
SAND-RECKONER TASTING ROOM 510 N. 7th Ave., #170, 833-0121 sand-reckoner.com/tasting-room Fri 4: Oscar Fuentes & Mark Anthony Febbo Sat 5: Stephen Budd Fri 11: Amber Norgaard Fr 18: Leila Lopez Sat 19: Austin Counts Fri 25: Heather Hardy
Intl., L3XX, Phox Sat 12: Belinda Esquer Tue 15: Tom Walbank, Dos Muñoz Wed 16: Open Mic Thu 17: Funky Bonz Tue 22: Tom Walbank, Steff Koeppen Wed 23: Open Mic Thu 24: Southwest Soul Circuit Fri 25: Cirque Roots Tue 29: Tom Walbank Wed 30: Open Mic Thu 31: Mik & Scott
SOLAR CULTURE 31 E. Toole Ave. 884-0874, SolarCulture.org See web site for information
TAP & BOTTLE DOWNTOWN
SEA OF GLASS—CENTER FOR THE ARTS 330 E. 7th St., 398-2542 TheSeaOfGlass.org Wed 16: Chirgilchin—Tuvan Throat Singers Sat 19: Black Forest Society
SKY BAR TUCSON 536 N. 4th Ave, 622-4300. SkyBarTucson.com Tue 1: Tom Walbank, Dos Muñoz Wed 2: Open Mic Thu 3: Eric Schaffer & The Other Troublemakers Fri 4: Touch, Jahmar Intl., L3XX, Phox Tue 8: Tom Walbank, Steff Koeppen Wed 9: Open Mic Thu 10: Jenna DuMay Presents: Nail Polish Fri 11: Cirque Roots, Touch, Jahmar
403 N. 6th Ave. 344-8999 TheTapandBottle.com Thu 3: The Jits Thu 10: Oscar Fuentes and Mark Febbo Thu 17: Natalie Pohanic Thu 24: Infinite Mercies Sun 27: Last Sunday Revival Thu 31: Donky Tonk
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May 2018 | ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com 45
Z tunes
Sound Alternatives
by Jim Lipson
Jacob Acosta Desert Sounds
While it’s probably a bit too early to be throwing the R word around (R for Renaissance), let us at least consider this artist’s resume over the last year and a half. He releases the debut CD for his band Mason, a hard edged rock trio playing Hendrix inspired originals; he releases HYTS, a full CD of electronica/ house music; he makes his debut performance at last year’s Tucson Folk Festival with a dynamic acoustic band; and over Thanksgiving, 2016, he is a featured vocalist in the Tucson/Fox Theatre’s 40-year anniversary production of The Last Waltz. More importantly, throughout much of this time period, he is working on Desert Sounds, a 63-minute opus filled with imagery, stories, melodies and indigenous sounds of the Southwest, his newly adopted home these past 8 years. While rock opera may be a term that is outdated and somewhat overblown, operetta, a word more closely associated with musical theatre and the likes of Gilbert & Sullivan, is much more apropos for this expansive production. Blending traditional rock and folk instrumentation with mariachi style trumpets, violins, flute and Acosta’s own whistling, which makes several prominent appearances throughout the recording, Acosta is absolutely fearless in pushing the boundaries in bringing all these motifs to the fore. And while these tunes retain their own personality and may have been independently composed, one after another they fit together the way a complex sonic jigsaw might work. As for the tunes themselves, there are several wow moments, especially when the trumpets come full-on doing their mariachi thing. “Down in Mexico,”
for those who remember, is also reminiscent of the kind of inspired dance tunes Stefan George was writing in the late 1980s (huge compliment). And as long as we’re name dropping, there are several moments here where you could justifiably substitute the word Calexico for Acosta, and no one would be the wiser (ultimate compliment). There are also moments where Acosta’s pop sensibilities rule, especially on tunes like “Rain,” and “Kitchen Table and Our Living Room.” While these songs are all defined by some strong acoustic guitar licks, it is the supporting cast— Courtney Pinski and Dale Clark on violins, Mike Ankomeus, Adam Guenthner and Jeanne Mayer on all manner of trumpets (with Ankomeus also on flute), which drive so much of this work. Together they are joined by Jason Allen on bass and Andre Gressieux on drums and percussion providing a formidable rhythm section holding it all together. Throughout it all is Acosta’s big resonant voice, your constant guide and companion for this sonic excursion into Sonora. Were Desert Sounds released in an earlier time it would have worked well on vinyl as a double LP. With so much here to absorb, there would be great opportunity to embrace one full side at a time, each one taking on its own personality in a way the modern CD no longer allows us to do. In the meantime, we have this, so imaginatively conceived while executed with much precision and heart. Jacob Acosta and his band play a free CD release show at Hotel Congress on Saturday, May 26. n
Billy Bacon
High, Wide & Handsome As a reviewer I’m going to break with convention in two significant ways. The first is coming out in the first person. The second is I’m choosing to lead this review with someone else’s words. Trying to cobble a few coherent graphs together, I have stumbled upon the liner notes to this CD written by Mojo Nixon, a man who wears the prefix infamous like few others. As an intro, these are words I cannot improve upon. Billy Bacon is great. Been great since the early ‘80s when we were both kicked outta the “Outriders.” Billy Bacon is the sound of San Diego, the border, the surf, the drunk hillbilly mo-reens. Did you like Doug Sahm, Los Lobos, Joe King Currasco? Do you know who Chris Gaffney is? Then you’re in the right place! I might add Dave Gonzales and his band the Paladins, to this esteemed list, all of whom were integral parts of the old KXCI/El Casino Ballroom Houserockin’ concert series of the mid to late 1980s. As leader and front man for his band the Forbidden Pigs (which also played the El Casino), it would be easy to assume this collection would mirror that experience, with “Dos Lunas,” “Driving Rain” and “Texas Two Step” all filling that bill. But Bacon, in a mere 33 minutes of action packed tunage, also shows off a more fully developed side of his chops as a songwriter. “Toe to Toe” which begins the set has an opening guitar lick and rhythm approach that is eerily reflective of John Lennon’s “Rain.” The lick is so expressive and reminiscent of that song and yet Bacon takes in a completely different direction when he begins to sing. Then there are the two songs that sound as if they could be different period 46 ZOCALOMAGAZINE.com | May 2018
versions of, (wait for it)…the Kinks! Seriously. Granted this may reflect my own musical bias and sensibilities, but “Bucket” sounds like vintage Ray Davies, circa 1970-73, somewhere between Everybody’s in Show Biz and Preservation Acts I and II. Between the melody line, Bacon’s phrasing and his clever way with the lyric, it’s hard not to hear these similarities once you start thinking about it. “Tie One On” with its harder edged guitar and attack sounds like something straight out of the Kinks late 1970s Low Budget period. Finally, “I’ve Had Enough,” with its acoustic guitars, sweetly mixed vocals and feel good melody, has the sound and feel of the late ‘60s/early ‘70s folk revival. In short, this is not your grandfathers standard Billy Bacon & the Forbidden Pigs collection, but the work of a seasoned pro who well understands the nuances and magic of melody and rhythm with just the right amount of pizazz. Billy Bacon & the Forbidden Pigs play a reunion show at 191 Toole on May 18. n
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