Tucson, AZ

I am not known for being the biggest fan of live theatre. But if I can be talked into it, it is usually performances with local cast and crew that can keep my attention. Recently, my friend Nikki insisted I go with her to see a late night performance of “Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead” at the Live Theatre Workshop, located in a shopping plaza at 5317 E. Speedway (between Rosemont & Broadway). Since she had seen the performance the week before, which is based loosely on the characters in the Peanuts gang, and was raving about the cast and script, I decided to accompany her to play on a Friday night.

The nights are getting cool in the Old Pueblo and as a result, I can be more easily coaxed out of my house even before sunset these days. I heard that merchants and artists would be participating in a free event on 4th Avenue from on a Saturday evening from 4:00-9:00 p.m., an event called Rendezvous on the Avenue, and it would be featuring live music, vendors, and a fashion show. To start things off, I met my friend Carol around 6:00 p.m. for a yummy slice of Magpies pizza. Since the Avenue was full of hustle and bustle and parking was at a premium, I parked in the lot nearly Brooklyn Pizza. The weather was nice enough to enjoy the sunset and live music on the patio outside Magpies. We snacked on our slices and listened to the band, Nobody Et. Al., play as tables filled with couples and families ate their dinner and indulged in a little dancing

After a long week at work, my friend Nikki coaxed me into joining her for some live music and dancing at Plush on a Friday night. It is true, we hadn’t been out dancing in a while and when she mentioned that local bands Latino Solido and The Jons would be playing for just a $6 cover at the downtown venue on 4th Avenue, I put my dancing shoes on.

Upon the suggestion of my friend Carol, some girlfriends and I met at Cushing Street Bar and Restaurant in Barrio Viejo on a Saturday evening for some scrumptious fare and live jazz. Cushing Street is one of my all-time favorite haunts for atmosphere alone, so I was curious to check out the ambiance with live music thrown in the mix. This downtown establishment is located in a restored building dating back to the late 1800’s and is nestled in the barrio just south of the Tucson Convention Center, amidst other historic structures.

When the temperature soars to the triple digits in Tucson, I am rarely convinced that life exists in the Old Pueblo. I, like many desert inhabitants, was in the throes of my reverse seasonal hibernation when my friend Susan invited me see her friend’s band play at Frog and Firkin. I hadn’t been out much due to the heat, so I agreed to meet her and some of her friends at the University-area bar and restaurant for some live music and lounging on the patio. Now that the college students have filtered out of town for the summer, I can be more easily talked into hanging out on the University Main Gate area. Parking also was no problem as the parking garage on Tyndall and 4th Street was free after normal business hours and had ample spaces just a short jaunt away

We were all saddened to hear that after 10 years of hosting the “Locals Only” segment featuring local music from the Tucson community, Don Jennings was ending his tenure at KXCI radio. To give him a proper send off, his final show, a free Chango Malo performance, was to be recorded live at Club Congress. Friends and I converged for this early show on a Sunday evening.

Dressing up in Tucson isn’t exactly like dressing up in other places; the heat almost requires being much more laid back, making what might be ‘formal’ in other regions comfortable and casual, especially with the humidity of the monsoon. That doesn’t mean that looking good is out of style, though, as we found in [...]

Some friends and I congregated at The Loft Cinema, located at 3233 E. Speedway, for the opening of the “Girls Rock!” documentary. My friend Nikki and I had been anticipating the release of this movie in our town for months and were overjoyed when we found out that The Loft, a non-profit, community supported cinema, would be screening this film. The venue is our independent film mainstay, where we frequently attend everything from local film festivals to 80’s music sing-alongs. If it wasn’t for The Loft, I wouldn’t have seen The Rocky Horror Picture Show in my teens as it is meant to be seen, crowd participation, tossed-toast, and all.

I had wanted to check out Barrio Brewing Co. for some time now, since they opened in Tucson’s Warehouse District. I am always up for exploring a new hotspot in town, especially one that has live music and food. So my best friend, Jules, and I met there for our monthly quaff and nosh. I had heard that the 17th Street Band plays there from 7-9pm on Thursdays. Fortunately, I showed up a bit early because seating was at a premium! The patio, inside tables, and bar seating were full. They were even seating folks on plastic tables and chairs in the back next to the brewery itself, kettles and all!

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