DOWNTOWN / UNIVERSITY / 4TH AVE

Ambassador of Rock

September 5, 2015 | Derrick Widmark

Hannah Levin, new host of ‘The Home Stretch’ weekdays from 3-6pm on KXCI 91.3 FM, is a long-time music critic and journalist, graduate of Seattle’s legendary KEXP, and the real-life inspiration for Toni Collette’s character in the indie film Lucky Them. Hannah talked to Zócalo about her recent move to Tucson, her thoughts on gentrification and urban renewal, and her hopes and plans for our local independent music scene.

Z: You moved here from Seattle in October of 2014. How did that come about?

HL: I originally considered moving to Tucson for a job with a non-profit foundation that was based in Seattle but had offices here. Then I heard about KXCI and that definitely got my wheels turning. I started listening to it online, found (then Program Director) Cathy Rivers’ contact info, set up a meeting with her and as soon as I walked into the room was like “oh, hello.” She was obviously my kind of woman — an intelligent, strong, tattooed, feminist rocker lady. Then when the non-profit foundation I worked for decided to eliminate that position at the exact same time that Cathy was made General Manager, those things all kinda lined up. I literally texted Cathy the day I found out about my job and she’s like, guess what, I’m Interim General Manager and I totally need your help. It was — not to sound hokey — meant to be. And moving here was the best decision I’ve made in my adult life.
I felt like I stumbled on a big secret when I got here. I just couldn’t believe how amazing the music community was, how amazing the feminist community — the women in this city are particularly impressive to me. And Tucson’s just cool — I don’t think Tucson even knows how cool it is.

Z: Are there similarities between the Seattle you loved and the Tucson you are discovering now?

HL: A really strong, supportive feminist creative community was a huge benchmark of what made Seattle exciting in the early 90s. There are so many things (here in Tucson) that remind me of how I felt about Seattle in the early 90s… Then having my Seattle eroded — and in the last couple of years literally ripped out of the hands of the people who made it happen — if I can help that not happen here, then I can think of nothing better to put my time into.
I lived thru Seattle’s dramatic transformation, and had my heart broken into nine thousand pieces. That was really transformative in a negative way, and I want to take that experience and turn it into a positive and be involved with preventing that here. Because if I came here and saw all of the cool potential, other people are going to figure that out, too. And once that wave of gentrification — on the scale of a San Francisco or an Austin — once it really gets momentum, you can’t stop it. Right now, there’s still some time to think about it, start a dialogue about it, and do whatever we can. That’s hugely important to me.

Z: And what does that look like to you? How can you make a difference?

HL: There’s this unfortunate resigned sense of inevitablity that I see in a lot of my peers. “Gentrification is happening everywhere, it’s just the way it is. The artists come in and make it cool and then it gets taken over.” I’m tired of hearing that. Let’s think about it and find another way. Seattle, because of what happened in the grunge years and the subsequent media invasion and hysteria, and what happened to that community, particularly in the years after Kurt (Cobain)’s death, made a lot of people feel really defeatist. And we have to figure out how not to feel powerless. The best thing I can think to do is be proactive, recognizing opportunities to do something positive, whether it’s protecting something that exists, or nurturing a new business idea that meets a need the community has. Like the idea of locally-owned drugstore downtown; if that’s a real need, as it appears to be, how can we as a community get that going with a local business owner before a Walgreen’s or CVS comes along?
The best way I know how to do that is gather people together that want to talk about it in a way that is focused, and not just bitchin’ at the bar about it, know what I mean? Not letting stuff just happen. Complaining and grief about loss is perfectly acceptable. But not throwing up your hands and saying “I can’t make a difference.” Individuals banding together with common causes, they can make a difference. I really believe that. It might sound wildly optimistic or naïve — but I’m 44 years old so I don’t think I’m naïve.

Z: Was there a particular moment in Seattle, a particular loss, that really sticks with you?

HL: The Crocodile (Café — listed as one of the top 10 music clubs in Rolling Stone, in 2013). The Crocodile closing was a huge, huge, huge thing. The night I heard about that I went home and I told my boyfriend, “we are moving to Austin.” Which is funny because Austin now is just as screwed up as Seattle. You are talking about the place that was the de facto wake place when Kurt died. It’s where so many incredibly important shows (like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Death Cab for Cutie, Sleater-Kinney, Built to Spill, etc.) happened. It was the anchor of the Seattle music community. It was home base.
We also lost a series of rehearsal spaces, which, at the risk of stating the obvious, is extremely important to incubating new bands in a creative community. People need to have an affordable place to rehearse. We saw bands breaking up because they had nowhere to practice. Housing was so expensive that there wasn’t even the cheap punk-rock house with the basement you can practice in. We didn’t even have that and then when rehearsal spaces go away… that’s a tourniquet on creativity.

Z: One of the things that engaged newcomers to a community can provide is the insight that something that clearly ought to be here is glaringly missing. What would you like to see in Tucson that you haven’t discovered yet?

HL: A really sexy BBQ place (laugh). For grown-ups. That’s also a live music venue. I really hope somebody does that. Something that feels like a set-piece from the movie Deathproof. That would be good.
I’m still discovering things, obviously. I keep waiting to stumble on some rad Latino hip-hop collective. Maybe it’s out there somewhere. I hope so. Hip-hop is a storytelling genre, and the hip-hop community in Seattle, even though it was not particularly large, was the kind of nucleus that really impacted the alt-country community, the rock community… it created a good ripple effect for all of the other artists surrounding it.

Z: You’re coming from one of the most influential independent radio stations in the country (Seattle’s KEXP); how does that inform your work now at KXCI?

HL: I hosted a show called “Audio Oasis” on KEXP for a long time, a local music show, and that was all built upon telling the history of Seattle music and breaking the newest talent at the same time. That was my formative experience in radio, to make sure that we were playing the iconic artists who helped build Seattle into what it became, but also then going out to the clubs and finding the new, undiscovered stuff, listening to all of the damned demos… that’s how I found The Head and The Heart. They were a demo in my box. I played it and thirty seconds in I called my producer and was like, “book them — now!” We got them in the studio and two weeks after that, (they blew up). I was the first person to play them on the radio.
Based on what Cathy is envisioning, and what I certainly hope to see, we want to continue to program KXCI in ways that appeal to people who have been with the station for a long time, and honor the things that have made the station what it is. At the same time, and this is tricky, we have to start pulling young people in and getting them involved, making the station a more accurate representation of the contemporary cultural landscape of Tucson.

Z: A lot of DJ’s are former performers. But you make no bones about the fact that performing is not your thing.

HL: Putting things together and showcasing them in a lovely light is something I’ve always wanted to do. The music we are listening to now in the background is a draft of tomorrow’s set. That’s how dorky I am. So I surf around a lot of genres and try and interlink things in a thoughtful manner and not jar the listener. Because if you are trying to push the envelope a little bit — a hip-hop thing, or some of my more metal-oriented songs — you don’t open people’s minds to new songs by giving them sonic whiplash. You do it gracefully. And I want the punk rock kid hanging out down at Che’s to like it just as much as my mom does listening online back in Tacoma.

Z: And you don’t appear to spend a lot of time on your airbreaks…

HL: I will interject if someone is coming to town, or there’s an interestingpiece of history, or if I picked a song because I saw it in a movie recently. But you are never gonna hear me babble on because it’s not about me — it’s about the music and the listener.

Z: Where do you find inspiration?

HL: I have a running note-pad thing on my phone where if I think of a song or an artist I’ll jot down a note about it. Because when you program 15 hours of music a week, you have to constantly be thinking about it or else you are gonna get stale. And I get a great deal out of social media, too, because I’ve been around for a while and know a lot of interesting music journalists, and crate-digging record collectors… Today for instance my friend Peter, who lives in upstate New York and was a DJ for many years and also in a great band called the Chrome Cranks, posted this Led Zeppelin song we’re listening to, ”Wearing and Tearing,” and that he’d heard a story that Robert Plant and Jimmy Page wrote this song late one night

after seeing The Damned. I think that’s really interesting! And so I immediately said thanks, Peter — I’m totally stealing that for my show on Monday!

Z: You’ve mentioned that living in Guatemala was a life-changing experience for you. How so?

HL: It recalibrated my values in the way that travel does. It was humbling to be somewhere there was abject poverty, and violence, (all) amidst great beauty — if I was President, everybody would have to travel in their formative years to somewhere that made them uncomfortable.
I also had a big experience with music there, talking to this kid who really loved Metallica. I of course being an old-school Metallica fan, and being twenty-four and full of myself, I’m lecturing this 11-year old kid on how their old stuff is really where’s it at, and he’s like “I really like ‘Enter Sandman.” And I realize, I’m an asshole, that kid should like whatever he likes. I’m gonna shut up right now because anyone getting joy out of music, I support that. And as a result of that experience I have zero patience for music snobs.

Z: The future of KXCI. What do you see? What do you want to see?

HL: Significantly increasing our live in-studios with touring and local bands of all genres. I got very used to being at a station where when touring bands (came) through (Seattle) they wanted to play at KEXP, and I want KXCI to be the same way. I want to be a good ambassador for Tucson in terms of touring musicians. I want them to have a really good experience, sonically and socially, while they are here. I want artists to want to play KXCI because we have such passionate music fans. And the more exciting and stimulating bands come through, the more they inspire local musicians, the more you grow the scene further. That’s the holistic picture of what a local radio station can do. So I have big dreams.

Z: The author William Gibson (Neuromancer, Pattern Recognition, etc.) has this line that’s been haunting me recently: “The future is already present, it’s just not evenly distributed.” Seattle strikes me as a town where the future is more present than Tucson, while here the past might be much more present than the future… Do you see that distinction?

HL: It reminds me of when I was in Amsterdam last year I saw a graffiti — “our future is already haunting us” — which stuck with me a lot. Finding the middle ground, not being so far mired in the past, nor consumed by a future world where any sense of history is annihilated, that’s the challenge right there.

Z: Or the fact that Tucson today reminds you of Seattle in the 90s… Are we really 20 years behind the times? And might that be a good thing?

HL: Well, if you get time travelers like me who come back to help it is (laughs). Just kidding. There’s a reason I have a typewriter and a turntable tattooed on my body. I like cool old stuff. The sheer volume of dive bars and old-man diners here in Tucson makes my heart sing. They were systematically wiped out in Seattle — there’s only a handful left. And anyone reading this might be like “you have no idea, downtown used to be so different…” I totally get that, and I’m not saying that the losses people have experienced around here don’t matter — they absolutely do. But for me, from where I’m coming from, for where I am in my life — this place is heavenly. To see this much history intact, to see all these mid-century buildings, to see independent businesses making cool things happen, it’s like I got a second chance

Breaking the Silence

August 25, 2015 | Jamie Manser

Cristina Devereaux Ramírez Photo courtesy UA Press

Cristina Devereaux Ramírez’s Feminist Recovery Project

Cristina Devereaux Ramírez speaks with verve and passion when she talks about the Mexican women journalists she covers in her recently-released UA Press book. Her eyes flash with light and fire. This passion is good, and required. It’s important and time-consuming research that Ramírez is conducting, saving and sharing.

“All of these women were doing something absolutely unheard of at that time (late 19th, early 20th century); for women to write, not just write stories or poetry, but to be writing their opinions and putting them out there!”

She enthusiastically continues: “Women were trying to take back the discursive power, to frame themselves and who they are. Not just at that present moment, but historically as well.”

The book is “Occupying Our Space: The Mestiza Rhetorics of Mexican Women Journalists and Activists, 1875-1942.” Its launch at UA’s Confluencenter for Creative Inquiry Show & Tell event on Wednesday, Sept. 2 will feature Ramírez sharing a multimedia presentation on two of the women in her book and sharing her incredible journey of research.

In “Occupying Our Space,” Ramírez asks the reader to “reconsider the traditional voices, languages, and geographical settings of the rhetorical tradition. It challenges and crosses linguistic, cultural, gendered, and political borders. This book project explores Mexican women’s voices that have been lost, forgotten, or buried in archives and sidestepped for too long in the pages of history.”

While the writing style is rooted in academia – it evolved from Ramírez’s Ph.D. dissertation – it is inspiring in its recovery of Mestiza feminist, rhetorical history centered in the women’s intense struggle to gain full Mexican citizenship rights and make their voices heard. Women were not granted national suffrage in Mexico until 1947; it wasn’t until 1953 that women were given the legal right to run for political office.

Ramírez provides historical background that allows readers to comprehend the societal context and conditions in which these women were writing. Without it, we’d miss the importance of their work. We would not fully understand how dire the circumstances were for women and indigenous groups and how dangerous it was for them to speak out. Through this background, we can fully appreciate the women’s vanguard role in trying to establish gender and cultural equality in Mexico. Ramírez’s research gives a solid case for including Mestiza voices in the rhetorical canon.

The women Ramírez includes are Laureana Wright de Kleinhaus, Las Mujeres de Zitácuaro, Juana Belén Gutiérrez de Mendoza, and Hermila Galindo. The chapters are comprised of condensed biographical histories and are capped by examples of their writings, presented in the original Spanish with an ensuing English translation.

As Ramírez scribes, “the histories of these women are divergent, yet parallel. They form a pathway in the history of women’s writing from the early discourse of Wright de Kleinhaus in 1887 to that of Las Mujeres de Zitácuaro in 1900. On this trajectory, the writings of Las Mujeres de Zitácuaro served as a bridge to the more radical voices of Gutiérrez de Mendoza and Galindo, who were writing before and during the Mexican Revolution. Persistent and undaunted, each woman claimed the right to a discursive puesto (space/place) in the Mexican public sphere, which had yet to recognize them.”

In order to further situate the Mestiza rhetors in historical and cultural context Ramírez examines Malintzin in chapter one. She was the Nahua “mother at the center of this racial and national identity.” Malintzin was sold into slavery by her mother after her father died; she was subsequently given to the Spaniards by the Yokot’an after Cortes’ troops defeated the Yokot’an in what is now the Mexican state of Tabasco.

Ramírez writes that “for three years (approximately 1519 to 1521), before she took the role of mother of a new Mestizo race, Malintzin stood and spoke at the center of negotiations and conversations between two empires caught in a contact zone.”

“She was a double threat,” Ramírez states with a confident shrug and smile, “because she was the intellectual, linguistic bridge between these empires, between these two men, Moctezuma and Hernán Cortés. They had to go through a woman. How scary and possibly demeaning is that to them? She was called ‘the traitor’ to put her back in her patriarchal place. And so, that’s why I use her as the theoretical base because these women are reclaiming her historical space. Of speaking, and speaking out, in society.”

“Image of Laureana Wright de Kleinhaus as it appeared in the 1910 publication of her book ‘Mujeres Notables Mexicanas’.” Photo caption from “Occupying Our Space,” page 61.
Image courtesy Cristina Devereaux Ramírez

In chapter two, we learn about Laureana Wright de Kleinhaus, a woman of the elite class and a prolific writer in the late 19^th century who started the journal Las Hijas [Violetas] del Anáhuac. Also and significantly, Wright de Kleinhaus captured the biographies of over 100 “Mexican women for her book ‘Mujeres Notables Mexicanas’.”

“As an intellectual who read and listened to the history of her homeland,” Ramírez writes, “she recognized that the greatest injustice leveled against indigenous women was their systematic erasure from history.”

“Over 100 years ago, Laureana was doing this history,” Ramírez says with spirited energy. “You can hear the same resonance of what she was saying; feminist historians are saying it now! ‘Where are these histories?’ She was very pioneering at that time. She was a scholar, a historian, a philosopher and a poet. She was amazing. I’m really surprised more people don’t know about Laureana.”

The feminist protests of Las Mujeres de Zitácuaro (MZ) are covered in chapter three where Ramírez writes that the “progressive Presbyterian movement” involved “activists at the forefront of Mexican civic philosophies, which would later be adopted as secular educational values centered on individual, modernist and open public education for men and women.” Further, the MZ’s written protests claimed “their agency as political beings through the nation’s sacred calling for women: motherhood. The women did not eschew their maternal role but, rather, embraced it.”

Chapter four features a riveting overview of Juana Belén Gutiérrez de Mendoza. She “appeared on the Mexican journalistic scene to claim her own rhetorical puesto of protest with her dissident newspaper Vesper: Justicia y Libertad,” writes Ramírez.

“Gutiérrez de Mendoza’s mocking, grassroots, and angry tone soared off the page, affecting and arousing the emotions of those who read her newspaper. Her writings gained such a level of attention that they earned her several incarcerations, forced her into exile in the United States, and prompted the seizure of her printing press several times throughout her life. Her writing also garnered the respect of other revolutionary journalists, activists, and generals throughout Mexico. Her writing career spanned forty-five years (1897-1942) and was punctuated by great social upheavals and movements.”

This woman’s life deserves to be covered by a film or a play, says Ramírez. “She’s the bad ass, she’s the revolutionary. You could absolutely do a film on a woman who was thrown in jail, accused of being a lesbian, went into exile, took on presidents, and was a prolific writer. There’s a story!”

“Masthead of Hermila Galindo’s women’s magazine ‘La Mujer Moderna,’ dedicated to women and women’s issues.” Photo caption from “Occupying Our Space,” page 166. Image courtesy Cristina Devereaux Ramírez

Hermila Galindo, who Ramírez covers in chapter five, is notable for her role in politics as the presidential spokeswoman for Venustiano Carranza between 1914 and 1920. Galindo was afforded the opportunity to bring “the concept of feminism to a much larger audience in Mexico and Latin America.”

“She was given the podium, literally, by Carranza,” Ramírez explains. “He sponsored her, he sponsored La Mujer Moderna, she was able to publish that and he sent her all over Mexico speaking; she went to Cuba. She’s amazing.

“Carranza had Hermila Galindo on his roll, and we see – right after his assassination – (that) she becomes quiet. That’s how it goes in Mexico. If you’re on the side of president that gets assassinated, your gig is up. So she stopped writing, she disappeared.”

Ramírez is intimately knowledgeable about these women; it has been ten years of researching, traveling and writing to get to the publishing of “Occupying Our Space.” This book is a powerful liberation of buried Mestiza feminist, rhetorical history which could have easily been further entombed by the years. Reading these women’s words and chewing on the revolutionary language is extremely satisfying.

If you are riveted by protest voices speaking out for social justice to break the bonds of oppression, this book is for you.

Cristina Devereaux Ramírez celebrates the release of “Occupying Our Space” with a multimedia presentation for the UA’s Confluencenter for Creative Inquiry’s free Show & Tell event on Wednesday, Sept. 2. It happens Downtown at Playground Bar & Lounge, 278 E. Congress St. and starts at 6 p.m. Event details are at Confluencenter.arizona.edu. Information about the book is available at UAPress.arizona.edu. Ramírez’s website is CristinaDRamirez.com.

Tapping the Collective Unconscious

July 8, 2015 | Jamie Manser

Carlos Arzate and The Kind Souls
© Puspa Lohmeyer Photographer

“He was laying there (in the hospital) and he told me, ‘All the songs are written, we don’t write the songs. We listen and we communicate the songs,’ which is something I’ve always believed.” Singer/songwriter/guitarist Carlos Arzate is speaking with depth and sincerity while relating a conversation he had with dearly departed Tucson musician Cyril Barrett last year, before cancer whisked Barrett’s life from his body.

“I’ve always believed that the melody that came into me or that I thought I was inspired by was already existing, whether it was decades ago or centuries ago,” Arzate shares. “The voice is the first instrument – some would argue the drum – but I think the voice is the first soul instrument that connects, so I was beside myself when he said that.”

It all makes sense. Listening to Got Me Wrong, the first full-length by Carlos Arzate and The Kind Souls, it feels evident that Arzate is culling from the collective unconscious. While several of his songs are deeply personal, they touch emotions we all experience; these cuts connect us to the frustration, sadness and anger of social injustice, the pain of losing a love one and the resoluteness of changing one’s outlook on life.

The 11 tracks are a powerful convergence of soul, rock, blues and folk, featuring an absolutely stellar line-up of Tucson’s finest musicians. Carlos is measured, but clearly beyond the moon when talking about the talent on this disk. While we listen to the album and discuss the nuances of each piece, he points out who is doing what and where and is touched by the creative efforts of The Kind Souls.

photo: Taylor Noel Photography

“What’s been great about this is being able to work with the musicians I’ve wanted to work with in Tucson – I asked them (to collaborate) and they said yes.” It is easy to get behind a project that spears the dominant paradigm, humanizes political footballs and reminds us that we aren’t alone in our struggles.

Carlos’ friend and consistent musical colleague Keli Carpenter contributes her honeyed vox to six of the cuts, Katherine Byrnes sings on three tracks and Crystal Stark vocally joins those two on one tune. The other amazing performers include: Nadim Shehab (drums), Aaron Hultstrand (electric guitar), Collin Shook (piano, organ, vibraphone), Brian Lopez (guitar, vocals), Gabriel Sullivan (guitar, vocals), Salvador Duran (vocals), Efren Cruz Chavez (congas, guiro), Thoger Lund (cello), Ryan Green (acoustic guitar), and Ryan Alfred (bass, synthesizers, guitars, plus production and mixing.)

“Ryan Alfred was instrumental in encouraging the development of my songwriting and growth as a performer,” Arzate elucidates. “His talents and direction are stamped on the record as a performer and a producer. He has a knack of knowing exactly what my song calls for and is all ears when it comes to allowing me to flesh out my ideas against his gifted musical mind. His professionalism and attention to detail is a great counter balance to my raw inspired musical creations.”

There’s something to be said for finessing rough edges. The clean, yet authentic production values lure the listener into these literary sketches. Tales of life and death, the financial meltdown, the migrant trail, loved ones speaking from beyond the grave, lovers leaving us, the evolution of personal narratives, songs of escapism that know the truth but don’t want to deal anymore. Straightforward, deep messages without being heavy handed. Songs that viscerally touch and connect us, heart-wrenching and gut punching at times – but in a good way. Hopefully in a way that will inspire and mobilize social change.

An absolutely gorgeous album well worth adding to one’s collection.

“Got Me Wrong” is set for release on Sept. 1 on iTunes. The band is playing on July 31 at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. Fall tour dates include: Sept. 3, Hermosillo; Sept. 4, Phoenix; Sept. 5, Bisbee; Sept. 6, Tucson; Sept. 18, Prescott; Sept. 19, Flagstaff; Sept. 20, Tucson. Oct. 17, Flycatcher Tucson, $10. Times, cover charges, locations and more will be available at CarlosArzate.com.

Mesquite Milling Time

June 10, 2015 | Zocalo Staff

Plant, Harvest, Mill, and Celebrate Wild Abundance Before the Rains

Desert Harvesters is co-organizing events to plant, harvest, mill, and celebrate local wild foods in the month of June—the peak of our native bean trees’ harvest season. These events will give you the opportunity to taste and enjoy delicious desert wild foods; learn how to significantly elevate the quality and flavor of your harvests; and enable you to align more closely with the Sonoran Desert’s seasonal cycles in a way that enhances our shared home and biome. Toward that aim, Desert Harvesters is teaming up with local culinary businesses to increase both the offerings of native wild foods in their cuisine, and the growing of some of these native food plants within water-harvesting earthworks next to their buildings and streets.

But why is Desert Harvesters doing this during the hottest, driest time of summer? In June, many of our essential native wild food plants will be in the process of pumping out incredible fruit, seed, and bounty in preparation for the first summer rains, which typically begin sometime between June 24—Día de San Juan—and July 4. This way, when the rains come, they will enable the seeds to germinate and grow abundantly—especially where the rain is planted, or harvested, with the seed.

The events include:

Celebration of Place: A Desert Harvesters Evening of Story, Food, Drink, and Music Tuesday, June 9, 2015 5–10pm. Hosted at La Cocina 201 N. Court Ave, 5–10 pm: Live music along with drinks and dinner featuring locally grown and harvested native wild food ingredients. Come try a margarita made with locally harvested prickly pear juice! 7:30 to 8:15 pm: Desert Harvesters: Planting & Harvesting Rain, Wild Foods, and Place-Based Celebration, presented by Brad Lancaster. This entertaining story tells how Desert Harvesters and other individuals and organizations have cultivated stronger ties to wild food production, habitat, and health to regenerate ourselves, our community, and our shared watershed and ecosystem—and how you too can be a dynamic part of it all. As part of La Cocina’s Tuesdays for Tucson tradition, 10% of all proceeds from the evening’s food and drink sales will be donated to Desert Harvesters.

Desert Harvesters Guided Native Food-Tree Harvest Tours Thursday, June 18, 2015 Hosted at the Santa Cruz River Farmers’ Market in partnership with the Community Food Bank 100 S. Avenida del Convento West of I-10 at Congress and Grande, 4:30 pm: Required sign up for walking harvest (tour begins at 5 pm) 5:30 pm: Required sign up for biking harvest (tour begins at 6 pm) Led by Desert Harvesters including Amy Valdés Schwemm and Brad Lancaster $5 to $10 per person (sliding scale). These short, easy-paced hands-on harvest tours show you how to:

– Identify and sample from the mesquite trees with the best-tasting pods. Every tree is different, but some varieties are consistently much better than others. Taste the difference, and you’ll settle for only the best. They will also likely harvest from desert ironwood, canyon hackberry, and palo verde.

– Harvest safely, ethically, and responsibly. Harvesting pre-rains is the best practice to avoid invisible toxic mold; harvesting from the tree avoids fecal contamination of ground harvests, etc.

– Use cool tools such as the harvest hoe.

– Plant seeds at the best time for the best bean trees (and other native perennial food plants), and how to plant water in a way that ensures the growth of a vibrant, multi-beneficial tree with tasty and prolific harvests irrigated passively with only free on-site waters. These trees can be the basis for edible forest guilds. Everyone is strongly encouraged to bring sun protection (hat, sunscreen, sunglasses), and a reusable water bottle.

In addition, Barbara Rose of Bean Tree Farm will be offering Bean Tree Processing Demonstrations from 4–7 pm. These demonstrations by a desert-foods farmer/fermenter/cook will show you how to process milled or whole desert ironwood seeds, palo verde seeds, and mesquite pods into numerous tasty dishes ranging from sprouts to edamame to desert peanuts to atole to sauces and beyond. (These demonstrations are part of the Santa Cruz River Farmers’ Market’s ongoing Desert Harvest series to teach the public how to identify, process, and use native foods.)

Other tasty & useful features of the event include: The official launch of Exo Roast Company’s new Exo Mesquite Cold Brew coffee drink, made with locally sourced mesquite pods, as well as Exo Chiltepin Cold Brew which features Sonoran-grown chiltepin peppers, dark chocolate, and cream—both will be available for sample and sale Demonstration of cargo bicycles for harvesting set up by Transit Cycles Hand-made harvest bags by Iskashitaa for sale Native wild foods for sale such as mesquite flour; cactus fruit, drinks, syrup, and popsicles; ocotillo blossom kombucha; and cholla buds. Look throughout the Santa Cruz River Farmers Market for San Xavier Farm Co-op, Desert Tortoise Botanicals, Aravaipa Heirlooms, Black Mountain Spring Kombucha, and other vendors.

13th Annual Desert Harvesters Mesquite Milling & Wild Foods Fiesta Thursday, June 25, 2015 (in the unlikely event of heavy rain the milling may be postponed to the following Thursday, July 2) 4–7 pm Hosted at the Santa Cruz River Farmers’ Market in partnership with the Community Food Bank 100 S. Avenida del Convento West of I-10 at Congress and Grande, Mesquite (and carob) pods will be milled BEFORE THE SUMMER RAINS to encourage harvesting before the rains (as recommended by the Mesquite Harvest Working Group) for a higher-quality harvest, with less insect predation, and far less potential for invisible molds than are more common in post-rain harvests.

Pods for milling must be clean; dry; and free of mold/fungus, stones, leaves, and other debris. Cost: $3/gallon of whole pods, with a minimum of $10. 1 gallon of whole mesquite pods mills into one pound of flour, so the price averages $3 per pound of flour—this is a bargain considering that the flour usually sells for $14 to $20 per pound. After pod inspection and prepayment, you may leave your pods in sealed food-grade containers (preferably 5-gallon plastic buckets with lids) with owner’s name and phone number written clearly on each container. Flour will be ready within a week and must be picked up.

Mesquite flour is a naturally sweet, nutritious, and delicious addition to recipes for cakes, cookies, pizza, bread, tortillas, granola, dog biscuits—you name it! And like many other native foods, gluten-free mesquite is great for people with hypoglycemia and diabetes as it regulates blood glucose levels.

Desert Harvesters Happy Hour Friday, June 26, 2015 5–8 pm Tap & Bottle 403 N 6th Ave #135. Celebrate the harvest and coming rains with cool local brews. Tap & Bottle will have great regional brews on-hand, some infused with locally sourced native wild ingredients. A percentage of all happy-hour sales will be donated to Desert Harvesters. Plus, a local food truck will be on site with delicious offerings, some including native wild ingredients.

For more info visit: www.DesertHarvesters.org or to find out how you can volunteer, email volunteer@DesertHarvesters.org

Agave Fest

May 1, 2015 | Zocalo Staff

agave by Cristina Manos

Mezcal is tequila’s cousin, made from the heart of the maguey plant, a type of agave native to Mexico. The spirit is called the “elixir of the gods” and Hotel Congress is getting ready to celebrate this Earthly gift starting at 6pm on Saturday, May 2 for the seventh year in a row. Agave Fest is fast becoming a popular cultural event in Southern Arizona.

“I feel that we are growing the event into something special. This year, as we partner with Visit Tucson and the Mexican Consulate to add more interesting programming, I feel we are offering a more substantive cultural experience, rather than simply a fun agave cocktail party. Albeit, it will be that too, for sure!” Dave Slutes of Hotel Congress says.

Agave Fest has much to offer, especially for those who are interested in the history and culture behind agave-based spirits and for adventurous tasters who want to try mescal that is not normally available in the United States. Downtown Tucson does it right. There are several events in addition to Agave Fest, making the whole weekend an opportunity for regional education and local fun.

This is the first year Chef Janos Wilder of Downtown Kitchen & Cocktails is getting involved with Agave Fest, adding to the expertise of native ingredients and cultural traditions.

“Mezcal is a small, fun piece of it,” Chef Janos says, “I’ve been working with local products in every form for over 30 years. The menu [at Downtown Kitchen & Cocktails] is saturated with different elements from the region that go back thousands of years.”

Chef Janos is tapped into the bigger picture, and his contribution to the weekend includes regional cuisine, native culture and history, and local agricultural conservation. He is the wizard of his gardens, one of which is located at the Tucson Children’s Museum, and many guests who dine at his restaurant may not realize they’re eating fresh vegetables and herbs grown right across the street. Chef Janos has been involved with Native Seeds Search for 20 years, and this year, his benefit dinner joins powers with Agave Fest for this year’s cultural celebration of regional food and spirits.

Agave Dinner Benefit: Friday May, 1, 7pm at Maynards Market & Kitchen. Proceeds benefit Native Seeds Search, a local nonprofit that focuses on the conservation of our traditional agricultural community and native resources. Tickets are $95, with 32 available seats. Hotel Congress and Chef Janos Wilder of Downtown Kitchen & Cocktails are hosting the event, and world-renowned mescal expert, Sergio Inurrigaro will be present to meet and greet guests at 6:30p.m. prior to the Agave Dinner.

The Agave Fest: Saturday May 2, 6pm at Hotel Congress. Tickets $35 in advance. Includes 10 tasting tickets, a commemorative shot glass, a cascarone, Cup Café specialty taco & salsa bar, live entertainment by Vox Urbana, and a vote for the Best Cocktail by the historic East Bartenders sponsored by Yelp.

Hotel Congress will also offer hotel packages to tasters who want to spend the night. The package includes two tickets to Agave Fest, a hangover recovery kit, and Agave Fest memorabilia. This event is likely to sell out.

Prior to Agave Fest at Hotel Congress: Saturday May 2, at 5pm, the Agave 101 lecture by President and Founder of the Pro Mezcal Culture Association and Director of Master Mezcalier Program, Sergio Inurrigaro. This your chance to meet the Mezcal-Man himself. Inurrigaro has been all over the world and back. He’s led more than 1,750 tastings across the world. His knowledge and stories will set the tone for your mezcal tasting adventures.

Agave Fest will feature over 50 spirits to choose from. Tequila lovers are in for a real treat, so don’t wait another year to taste rare mezcal spirits, as many of them won’t be in town again until the next celebration. Hotel Congress will offer tequilas by rock star Roger Clyne and movie star George Clooney. They are even offering chapulines, yes grasshoppers, for super-curious tasters who don’t mind a crunchy, traditional treat considered a delicacy to some.

For more information and for tickets to the Agave Dinner or Agave Fest go to www.hotelcongress.com. Article courtesy of Downtown Tucson Partnership.

Mercado San Agustin Spring Bazaar

May 1, 2015 | Zocalo Staff

Spring-Zocalo-2015-01.eps

Sat and Sun May 2nd and 3rd

The Annual Mercado San Agustin Spring Bazaar returns in May getting shoppers into the spirit of celebrating family and friends, and having some fun finding gifts for Graduates and Mother’s Day.

In conjunction with Spring Bazaar, there will be a special ‘Farm to Table Brunch’ event with covered outdoor seating in the beautiful old world courtyard for patrons to enjoy. Sample food, coffee and artisan cocktails while you shop.

The mercado has handpicked 50+ local shops, makers and artisans to offer shoppers an event where they can buy a variety of unique and one-of-a-kind gifts during this weekend-long event. The Mercado San Agustin Spring Bazaar is dedicated to sharing bright and emerging entrepreneurs and businesses from within the region. Included in this juried pool of very talented makers who will be onsite during Spring Bazaar will be a group of high school students from the Western Institute of Learning Development, a local public school, who have created and developed a line of bags that they have made in their journey to discover the power of entrepreneurism and the opportunity it brings.

Some of the Artisans and Shops attending include:

Woolies and Buster and Boo, Lila Clare Jewelry, Val and Vanessa Galloway, Guatemala Acupuncture Project, Razzle Dazzle, Eco Grow, Revolutio, Collected Artifacts, Anita’s Crafters, Elaine Isner, Jacqueline Knits, Linda Cato, W.I.L.D. High School, Creative Kismet, Desert Vintage, Willies Fort, Tu Kaets Pottery Studio, Avenue, Tin & Teak, Becky Zimmerman alongside our permanent stores like MAST, Transit Cycle and Blu.

The Spring Bazaar takes place at Mercado San Agustin, 100 Avenida del Convento, Tucson, on May 2 and 3 (Friday & Saturday 10am-6pm). For more information, vist www.mercadosanagustin.com

Show & Tell: Wed, April 15

April 9, 2015 | Jamie Manser

Marco Macias talks about “Francisco ‘Pancho’ Villa in Collective Memory and Popular Culture”
at Show & Tell on Wednesday, April 15.

Poetry, Pancho Villa and an app to learn an Indigenous Language intersect at this month’s Show & Tell multimedia event!

On Wednesday, April 15, Confluencenter for Creative Inquiry is showcasing three of its Graduate Fellows presenting the projects they created due to Confluencenter funding. The free event happens at Playground Bar & Lounge, 278 E. Congress St., and starts at 6 p.m.
Details are at Confluencenter.arizona.edu.

Researchers and topics include:

Eric Magrane
“Woven Words at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum” – Encounters with poetry: scorpions, water policy and line breaks; how animals interact with Magrane’s poetry installations at Southern Arizona’s favorite wildlife museum.
Magrane is a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Geography and Development and a research assistant with the UA Institute of the Environment. He is also Poet in Residence at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. His research blends creative practice, environmental studies and social theory.

Marco Macias
“Francisco ‘Pancho’ Villa in Collective Memory and Popular Culture” – Reflections on the infamous bandit Revolutionary leader are covered in Macias’ new documentary.
Macias is a Ph.D. candidate in the UA History Department with a concentration in Latin America in general and Mexico in particular. His research interests include social memory and culture as people shape their relationship to history.

Edward Polanco
“Empowering and Revitalizing an Indigenous Language” – Nahuatl Naman App (Nahuatl Today) is a new app designed to help users learn this indigenous Mexican language with memory games, flashcards and pronunciation.
Polanco is a Ph.D. candidate in the UA History Department specializing in colonial Latin America. He is interested in religion, gender and medicine. His work examines the transformation of the status of Nahua (an indigenous group of Mexico) women in religious and political roles, after the arrival of Spaniards.

Show & Tell is presented by UA’s Confluencenter for Creative Inquiry, whose mission is to create boundless possibilities for excellence through innovation, collaboration and community engagement at the University of Arizona and beyond.

The center serves the colleges of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social & Behavioral Sciences. Confluencenter funds Faculty Collaboration Grants and offers Graduate Fellowships for interdisciplinary research.

KXCI Focuses on the Future

April 1, 2015 | Jamie Manser

Cathy Rivers, KXCI’s new general manager, in the station’s music library.
photo: Amy Haskell

It’s mid-morning on a beautiful spring day in late March; I’ve got my car windows down while cruising downtown to KXCI, situated in the historic Armory Park neighborhood. I’m listening to Tucson’s community radio station en route, located on the left end of the dial at 91.3FM. Staff members are in full membership drive mode, pitching away with contagious enthusiasm.

“We’ve come a long way in 31 years,” says Traffic Director Melissa Mauzy through the air waves, and gives a brief overview of the station’s membership growth over the last three decades. “I predict, with the new (transmitter) tower, that we’ll have 4,000 members by 2020!” Currently, KXCI has close to 3,000 members.

Mauzy, who is in the broadcast studio with Membership Director Michelle Boulet-Stephenson, asks what the current drive has brought in so far. “We’re over $26,000,” replies Boulet-Stephenson, adding, “We need to see $28,000 in the rear view mirror!” The goal for this drive is $100,000 in ten days. At day three, on March 25, the station was on track to meet its fundraising mission.

I’m smiling as I look for a place to park, impressed by the ladies’ impassioned, intelligent delivery. As I walk up to the two-story brick building, built in 1904, I recall it was once a hotel/boarding house.

The place is abuzz with activity: phones are ringing, volunteers are answering the calls and donation pledges are being taken. Recently appointed General Manager Cathy Rivers is in the production studio, putting the finishing touches on a couple of station IDs recorded with local music luminaries Brian Lopez and Gabriel Sullivan. It takes a few minutes for us to get situated as Rivers is peppered with questions and updates from staff and volunteers. She handles it all with patient aplomb. While conducting an interview during pledge drive is not ideal, deadlines are what they are and we happily work with it.

After the station’s previous General Manager Randy Peterson stepped down to explore other professional opportunities this past December (he is now the Development Director for the Humane Society of Southern Arizona), KXCI’s Board of Directors – of which I am a member – asked Rivers, the station’s program director and The Home Stretch host, to serve as the interim general manager. Rivers’ performance over the last several months provided the board with the evidence it needed to appoint her as general manager and did so in a unanimous vote on March 19.

Katie Rogerson, KXCI’s board president said, “It was agreed that Cathy is the right person for the job and has the talent, expertise and passion to take KXCI to the next level. Just as important, KXCI is community radio and hiring someone from our own community just makes sense.”

Rivers’ career, primarily in Tucson, spans two decades and includes on air work in both commercial and community radio, along with band management, broadcast and music industry experience. A little known fact is that, in the ‘90s when she worked for Journal Broadcast Group, Rivers was the only female in the country to have a solo morning show on a station that was in the top 20 tier of the market. She’s also been a band tour manager and as a singer/songwriter/guitarist, she’s toured for her own music projects. As a well-known DJ, Rivers has a voice that is equal parts confident, soothing, engaging, inquisitive and sultry, which led her to garnering voice-over gigs.

Rivers’ resume isn’t something she immediately shares, one has to directly ask. Her main focus these days is ensuring the continuation of KXCI’s sound fiscal health, which includes monitoring the progress and completion of the “Amplify KXCI” capital campaign. They are close, and the team’s efforts have enabled the station to thus far raise almost $650,000 toward the $750,000 goal. In conjunction with KXCI’s entire staff, Community Engagement Director Amanda Shauger has been working with Deb Dale of Smith & Dale – the development consulting firm hired by the station – on this campaign.

“KXCI has never done anything of this fundraising magnitude before,” Shauger explains. “It is a symbol of KXCI’s maturation and moving to the next level. With it, we have an opportunity to plan for the future and stay relevant with both legacy media and new media.”

Some of the station’s objectives are to create avenues to advance both technologically and educationally. This all must be balanced with regular daily operations, managing the dedicated volunteers (which includes 70 volunteer DJs and hundreds of off-air volunteers); along with addressing listeners’ concerns and looking to connect with broader audiences and Tucson’s evolving demographics. As Rivers breaks down the listenership data provided by Arbitron-Nielsen, she shares that the majority of those tuning in – 30,000 weekly – are in the age range of 35 to 50.

“This is a really great family station. Not for kids necessarily, but for families; and one of the things that we don’t do at KXCI are family events.” Speaking with colleagues in the industry gave Rivers the idea to hold dances for families, offering “an opportunity for fathers to dance with daughters and moms to dance with sons.”

We get sidetracked when we see lunch being delivered by Culvers. During the drive, several local businesses have kept the staff and volunteers fed – Beyond Bread, Reforma, Diablo Burger, Tucson Tamale Company, 4th Avenue Deli, to name just a few. We stop to grab some food, and continue chatting while eating.

“For 31 years, KXCI has done a really great job of being a solid station; those who have come before me worked really hard to make it financially sound and worked very hard in getting some solid programming and solid programming concepts. The nice thing is I’m able to lead in a situation where we are in really good health. There are a lot of things that KXCI has not moved forward on where other radio stations are really now way ahead of us and the gap is just getting bigger and bigger. Until we acknowledge that gap and dig in and find out what’s really going on with KXCI, we can’t move the station further.”

Rivers explains that the gap lies in the constant evolution of technology; other stations have on-demand content and podcasts. KXCI is working toward doing those same things within the next several months. Digitizing content and looking at syndicating some of the station’s mini-programs, such as: Flicks, Growing Native, Arizona Trails, and The Weekly Green, is also on the to-do list.

The phone rings several times, Rivers answers it, “KXCI, may I take your pledge please? Oh, yes, let me get him.” She puts the caller on hold, grins and says, “It is ‘Wednesday Call Day,’ it’s for Duncan.” Wednesdays are the days when labels contact Music Director Duncan Hudson to ask if the station is playing their artists. A volunteer walks into her office to grab something off of the printer; a DJ pops her head in to say hi. While a bit distracting, the lively energy is uplifting.

Refocusing, Rivers addresses the broadcasting challenges. “We’re still working on the signal for KXCI. We now sound really great in the northwest and centrally, and we’re still having some issues in the south, we’re working on that. That is on the top of my priority list.”

The new tower was just installed last summer, so the process of working the problem continues to evolve. Shauger is working closely with Rivers and several engineers to find solutions.

Other goals include beefing up the station’s educational components by expanding its summer DJ classes to become year round and adding classes such as voice training, making live mixes and engineering. Having a solid education department will help with grants, a revenue stream they are looking to further mine.

As we wind up the interview, Rivers shares with passion how KXCI differs from commercial radio in the fact that KXCI is actually a part of the music business.

“Commercial radio has nothing to do with the music business. KXCI is a part of the music business because every CD that comes into KXCI gets listened to – whether it is from a 15-year-old down the street or it comes from Warner Bros. Records – every piece of music is given a chance.”

The phone rings again, and I take my cue. Rivers apologies, but it is unnecessary. It is a busy day, and her time needs to be focused on the station. As I leave, I say goodbye to Duncan and wave to Melissa and Michelle and say, “Take it easy!”

They wave back, and Melissa says, “We are, and we’re raising money too!”

Learn more about KXCI at KXCI.org, where the volunteer-produced shows are available for streaming. Listen on the FM dial at 91.3. Check out the website to explore volunteer opportunities, to donate online, and stay tuned for information on the upcoming DJ summer camps for youth.

George Mumford in Tucson – Wed, April 8

April 1, 2015 | Jamie Manser

George Mumford

UA’s Confluencenter for Creative Inquiry is bringing George Mumford – sports psychologist with Phil Jackson and meditation teacher/coach renowned for enhancing individual and team performance though mindfulness meditation – to Tucson to deliver several free public lectures on Wednesday, April 8.

At 3 p.m., Mumford speaks on the theme “Learning to Play, Playing to Learn” at El Pueblo Neighborhood Center, 101 W. Irvington Rd. This free talk, geared toward youth but applicable to all, focuses on simple and powerful methods to achieve your aspirations.

At 7 p.m., Mumford presents “Pursuing Excellence with Grace and Ease” at UA’s Gallagher Theater, 1303 E. University Blvd. The free presentation is centered on how to utilize mindfulness meditation as a key to success.

As an athletic trainer, mentor for at-risk youth and motivational speaker, Mumford urges his diverse clients and audiences to practice meditation as a means of developing concentration, focus and mental toughness. Mumford is best known for working with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers during their championship seasons in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Mumford’s proven techniques can transform the performance of anyone with a goal – be they an athlete, student, academic, executive, musician, hacker or artist. Mumford shares his story and strategies in his Tucson talks, topics being covered in his forthcoming book “The Mindful Athlete: Secrets to Pure Performance,” set for release by Parallax Press this May.

By hosting George Mumford, Confluencenter continues its mission to sponsor engaging and free programming that examines humanity’s grand challenges.

“The eclectic nature of Mumford’s talks, which include elements of cognitive science, sports medicine and Eastern philosophy, represents the innovative and interdisciplinary work in which Confluencenter invests,” explains Confluencenter for Creative Inquiry Director Dr. Javier Duran. “We are excited to bring Mr. Mumford to Tucson to speak to both the UA and broader Tucson communities.”

Mumford’s community presentation at El Pueblo Community Center is possible through in-kind support from Ward I Councilor Regina Romero’s office. Mayor Jonathan Rothschild is also offering his support by being a part of the El Pueblo Community Center talk. Call 621-4587 or visit Confluencenter.arizona.edu for more information.

HUB Ice Cream Factory to Open in Spring

March 19, 2015 | Zocalo Staff

HUB Ice Cream Factory to Open in Spring at 245 E. Congress

News directly from HUB….

“Just in time for Tucson’s summer heat, HUB is proud to announce the opening of HUB Ice Cream Factory this May at 245 E Congress. HUB Ice Cream Factory will serve the same rich ice cream Tucsonans have come to love from HUB. The Factory will have an extended menu of flavors and added ice cream novelties such as milk shakes, floats, ice cream cakes and ice cream sandwiches made with fresh-baked cookies.

‘We are proud to be a member of the downtown community and we’re excited to expand just across the street. We’re really looking forward to introducing all of our new sweet treats,” said Sandy Ford, Director of Operations, HUB Ice Cream Factory. “There can never be enough ice cream.’

Each batch of ice cream is made in-house and churned into flavors such as HUB’s signature Salted Caramel, Oatmeal Cookie Dough and Birthday Party. Pastry Chef Irene Cohen has developed an extended list of flavors that will rotate seasonally and complement HUB’s case of flavors, which will continue to be served inside the restaurant. The Factory will also offer vegan and gluten-free recipes of cool treats.”