7 Fingers: PSY

Friday, May 18, 2012, 8 p.m.

Saturday, May 19, 2012, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts will present the mind-blowing, cutting-edge Montreal-based circus 7 Fingers on Friday and Saturday, May 18–19, in the Virginia G. Piper Theater.

Following the success of its awe-inspiring hit performance Traces, 7 Fingers moves into the surreal underworld of the human mind in its latest production, PSY. The company’s extraordinary acrobats and dancers take audiences on a humorous and dream-like journey through the psyche while showcasing breathtaking acrobatics, aerial stunts, juggling and more. Their daring juxtaposition of dark and complex themes with the joyful and celebratory language of the circus arts makes for a rich artistic experience.

The Boston Globe called PSY a “mind-bending journey” and TimeOut raved, “You’ll be totally bowled over and never want it to end … totally transporting.”

Known as “Les 7 doigts de la main” in their hometown of Montreal, 7 Fingers was founded in 2002 with a mission to bring circus to a human scale. The company’s unique name is a twist on the French expression “the five fingers of the hand,” which describes distinct parts united and moving in coordination towards one common goal. In much the same way, the seven founding directors of the company combined their distinct talents and experiences to work towards their shared artistic aims.

Tickets are available for $39 and $49 online at www.ScottsdalePerformingArts.org or through the Patron Services Box Office at (480) 499-TKTS (8587).

Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts
7380 E. Second St.
Scottsdale, AZ 85251
(480) 499-TKTS (8587)
www.ScottsdalePerformingArts.org

That’s art and it’s a lot easier to appreciate in a setting that allows you to carry a glass filled with tasty beverage around as you admire it. It takes balls to expose your mental expressions to the world and those who have the courage deserve to have an audience. RAW is a nationwide organization that allows local artists to showcase their works in a setting that’s fun for even those who would rather be playing beer pong on a door in someone’s garage. This Thursday, Scottsdale RAW will be hosting, The Blend, a showcase of varying forms of creativity including visual art, music, and fashion all from the local underground art world.

Also performing is recording artist, Guinevere, on her national tour. Her pop-rock songs and daring style will have you intrigued (maybe). Either way, the energy is bound to be brilliant and attending means opening your eyes to someone else’s interpretation of the world. Thursday, May 10th. 7:30 pm. $10 in advance, $15 at the door.www.RAWartists.org. Martini Ranch @ 7295 East Stetson Drive, Scottsdale.

This windowless bar with retro sign on 16th street, hosts their Obscura Dance Parties on the second Saturday of every month making it a paradise for Phoenicians who value an array of dance music aside from mainstream electro and top 40. The place is retro and they take pride in throwing you back. I think last time I was there, they were playing Trouble in Little China on the tubes above the bar. I love(ed) that movie. The crowd there is passionate about their dancing and when passionate people come together, the vibe becomes exceptional.

And when you get tired of dancing, heading out to the patio for some air becomes a refreshing hiatus; a terrace occupied by specimens who will actually carry an entertaining conversation with you because not only are they tipsy from the cheap drinks, they’re in fact interesting people when sober. Or you can be a creeper and stare at people from the sidelines because that’s fun too-especially there. Saturday, May 12th. 9:27pm-ish. 3045 N. 16th St. $5. Ages 21+

George Lopez has risen to become one of the premier comedic talents in the entertainment industry. He has been praised by audiences and critics alike for his work in television, film and standup, as well as his extensive charity work with various foundations.

For two seasons, he hosted Lopez Tonight, a late-night television talk show on TBS, which represented Lopez’s return to series television after co-creating, writing, producing and starring in Warner Bros. Television’s groundbreaking hit sitcom, George Lopez, which ran for six seasons on ABC. Lopez remains a hit with viewers in syndication on both broadcast stations and cable’s Nick at Nite, ranking as one of the top-rated shows on the network and among the top five comedies and top 20 weekly programs in syndication.

Lopez recently voiced the character Rafael in the animated blockbuster Rio along with Jamie Foxx, Anne Hathaway and Jesse Eisenberg and was “Grouchy Smurf” in The Smurfs. His other recent film credits include the box-office hit Valentine’s Day, directed by Garry Marshall; Beverly Hills Chihuahua; Swing Vote; Henry Poole Is Here; and Balls of Fury.

Tickets ($50, $68.50, $95) on sale now at the Celebrity Theatre box office, online at www.celebritytheatre.com or to charge by phone, call 602-267-1600 ext.1. All tickets are subject to a surcharge. For mature audiences 18+ years.  Doors open at 7 p.m. for both shows. Celebrity Theatre is located at 440 N. 32nd St., in Phoenix.

Regular happenings at The Duce include old school fitness with a three-prong approach … Punch, Crunch, Brunch. Classes include groups, personal training and boxing for all levels. Tuesday nights are big with the swing dancing crowd as they gather for South Central Swing from 7:30pm – midnight with live music or DJ and free swing lessons, no partner required. Wednesday nights offer supper on the patio with $6 slider baskets,$2 old school beers like Schlitz and PBR, and a duce off all vintage cocktails. Thursday through Saturday are big Karaoke nights and Sunday locals gather for brunch on the patio. You can’t go wrong with $5 fresh squeezed screwdrivers and grapefruit mimosas all day.

Visit www.LocalLily.com for more of the best local places to Eat, Shop and Things to Do. Follow me on Facebook/locallily and @locallily on Twitter

Releasing Memoir, Launching Storytellers-Style Tour, Performing

Emerson, Lake & Palmer frontman Greg Lake, who performs at Mesa Arts Center’s Piper Theater on Wednesday, May 16, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. as part of his Songs of a Lifetime 2012 tour, is writing his autobiography and will release the first part of the memoir as an audio book in conjunction with the tour.

The trek, dubbed Songs of a Lifetime 2012, gets underway Tuesday, April 11 in Québec City and wraps May 26 in La Quinta, California. The legendary bassist, guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and producer will be performing many of the classic songs he sang with ELP, as well as with King Crimson, on the tour.  The performances will also feature the veteran prog-rocker sharing anecdotes about his long career and participating in Q&A sessions with audiences.

“The concept of performing an intimate and autobiographical show presents a huge challenge,” Lake maintains. “My experience of this format last tour [his 2010 outing with ELP keyboardist Keith Emerson] was so invigorating it still gives me a thrill every time I think about it.”

Lake also intends to sell updated editions of his solo albums and concert DVDs during the tour.  The audio book is the first of three installments of the memoir that Lake is planning to make available in that format. A bound version of the autobiography is expected to be published near the end of 2012.

Tickets for Lake’s concert at the Mesa Arts Center are on sale now ($37.00, $57.00) and can be purchased at www.dannyzeliskopresents.com or by phone (480-644-6500). For more information:  www.dannyzeliskopresents.com | www.greglake.com

Dennis Minchella, Kokopelli Winery & Bistro’s owner and winemaker, introduced Arizona’s original BBQ & Blues Event in 2004. Minchella stated, “We love the Blues almost as much as we love the food that surrounds this style of music.” While cranking out the Blues is the focus of the event there will be plenty of chilled wine and beer to taste, Kokopelli frozen wine drinks, plus great food. The menu for the weekend will include: “Roasted Roadkill” (Beef Brisket), BBQ Chicken Pasta, Seafood Skewers, BBQ Glazed Fresh Pacific Salmon, and Banana Split Cake. Frozen drinks like Strawberry Surf and Memphis Blues are a fun feature to cool you off from all the hot music. The Blues will be belted out by Shri Blues Band, Krimson Kord and a “surprise band”.

Kokopelli Winery is a local family owned winery and restaurant. Don and Carol Minchella founded the winery in 1994. Kokopelli Winery is celebrating their seventeenth year in operation producing over 45 wines, which collectively have won over 85 medals to date. Kokopelli wine is distributed in over 500 retail accounts, in addition to their Bistro in Chandler. Dennis Minchella, Chief Wine-O, has furthered his father’s legacy by creating themed festivals, like the Kokopelli Krush, to show guests that wine can be easily paired with all cuisines.

A stellar GPA could get pole position

Octane Raceway knows the value of a good brain – so much so that they’ll reward young people who use it. On Thursdays throughout the months of May and June, students with good grades can bring in their report cards for a discounted or free race. Earn bragging rights in school and get a chance to follow it with top honors on the track!

Got straight A’s? Show it and get a free race. Those with a B average or better will earn a half-price race. Any local student, age 10 and up is eligible to participate. Simply bring in a qualifying report card, it’ll be verified and stamped (sorry kids, only one free race per person) and the race is on. Eight and nine year old drivers are also eligible if the prerequisite Raceology 101 course at Octane Raceway has been completed.

It’s true, hard work in school does pay off… and all that time hitting the books certainly deserves to be rewarded with a few hairpin turns and a high-speed adrenaline rush!

Octane Raceway has been Arizona’s indoor kart racing and event destination since 2003. As the largest indoor kart facility in America, Octane Raceway features eco-friendly karts that reach up to 45 MPH on two quarter mile tracks. In addition to the tracks, Octane Raceway’s 113,000 square-foot facility also houses expansive corporate and group meeting spaces, a billiards room, Victory Lounge Sports Bar, arcade, rock wall, the Segway Performance Course and Trackside Bar and Grill. The world-class karting facility has been home to the Indoor Kart World Championship since 2005.

To learn more about Octane Raceway or to schedule a corporate meeting or event, please call (602) 302.7223. More information about Octane Raceway is also available online at www.OctaneRaceway.com.

“There are 900 ways to do breakfast, and they do them well!”

THE GOOD EGG LUNCH
For our HSSS, this week, we saved a little extra room for the Good Egg and all its delights.  As we entered, we were greeted by the owner himself who escorted us back where the beautiful Victorian windows were and then…deliciousness ensued. After a wonderful breakfast (featured on the breakfast page) we said, let’s stay for lunch!  With a wide array of both breakfast and lunch, it was easy to get our food just the way we liked it; substitute for avocado, no problem.  Need your strawberry lemonade blended? You got it!  Point and case…The Good Egg is for young and old, and it’s the place to be for breakfast and lunch.  Oh and a great place to take Mom this Mother’s Day!

By sopranoWarrior

Lalah Hathaway was born into music royalty being the daughter of the late Donny Hathaway, who was best known for his vocals and being an extremely accomplished piano player in R&B music.  Lalah in her own rights is an accomplished pianist with a degree from the infamous, if not legendary Berkelee College of Music located in Boston.   As I have come to learn recently Berklee seems to be grooming more smooth jazz musicians than any other school in the country as you may have noticed in many of my recent reviews.  Lalah has evolved into a jazz diva by channeling her fathers’ essence into her own signature style, which now includes over five solo albums.  By being able to combine the elements of R&B, Jazz, and Pop, Hathaway’s music has become popular across many genres.

Born in Chicago, Illinois this princess of soul started writing music while in the 10^th grade and released her first song “Inside the Beat.”  Since then she has continued to write and perform with artists such as Mary J. Blige and Marcus Miller.  When listening to Lalah you can’t help but notice when she hits that low note, you really reflect on her father, and yet she makes it sound so new and refreshing.  Lalah Hathaway is the real deal and has a unique sound that continues to get better and better with time.  This diva is one to see if you really love smooth jazz vocals.  Lalah has a heritage, but has seemingly made her own with her signature voice.  She will surely leave a legacy for artists of the future to admire.