MUSIC

Tidbits

April 4, 2014 |

Jazz Performances @ Main Gate Square

Whether you are a jazz buff or someone interested in live entertainment, the concerts Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance are hosting this month are sure to inspire. The shows take place at Main Gate Square on April 4 and April 18 at 7 p.m. in Geronimo Plaza, 814 E. University Blvd.

The UA Studio Jazz Ensemble—comprised of the most prestigious student musicians from the university— perform on April 4. The ensemble earned the UA Global Excellence Award in 2013 after showing off their talents in two tours through China. The April 18 concert features soul, jazz and R&B vocalist Crystal Stark. A graduate from the University of Arizona, Stark later made it into the top 44 contestants in the fifth season of American Idol. Parking is free after 5 p.m. in the Tyndall Garage, 880 E. 4th St.

For more information about the concerts, visit SAACA.org, MainGateSquare.com or call (520) 797-3959.

Ethan Bortnick, 13-year-old protégé, Performs in Tucson

World-known musician and humanitarian Ethan Bortnick is performing at Pima Community College’s Proscenium Theatre, 2202 W. Anklam Rd., on Saturday, April 5 at 7 p.m. At only 13-years-old, Bortnick has performed with stars like Elton John and Santana, holds the Guinness World Record for youngest musician to tour solo, and has raised more than $30 million for charity.

During the concert, Bortnick will cover classic pop tunes from artists like Michael Jackson, The Beatles, and Elton John. His performance will also feature songs he composed that are in his newly released movie, Anything is Possible. Bortnick will also engage audience participation with a Q&A and improvisational segments.

Tickets cost $39 each, and may be purchased at EthanBortnick.com/PowerOfMusicTV.

Sam Hughes Garden Tour

Seven private Sam Hughes homes are opening up their gardens for the public to admire on Sunday, April 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.     photo courtesy Sam Hughes Neighborhood Association

Seven private Sam Hughes homes are opening up their gardens to the public on Sunday, April 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
photo courtesy Sam Hughes Neighborhood Association

Seven private Sam Hughes homeowners and two public properties are opening up their gardens for the public to admire on Sunday, April 6 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The two-mile, self-guided tour through the historical neighborhood offers attendees a chance to check out outdoor architectural decorations, sculptures, a certified wildlife habitat garden, a backyard chicken coop, and a hummingbird garden. The neighborhood’s phenology trail, which shows the progression and changes of plant and animal life over time, will also be open to onlookers.

Tickets are $10 for adults, and entry is free for children. Tickets may be purchased between 10 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. the day of the tour at the Inner Courtyard of Sam Hughes Elementary School, 700 N. Wilson Ave. Parking for the tour is free, and can be found around the neighborhood.

Visit SamHughes.org for more information.

Pennington Street Block Party

From April 11-13, Tucson Service Learning Group is hosting the 26th Global Youth Service Days: an international community service event held in over 100 countries that celebrates youth’s contributions to society.

The Pennington Street Block Party, coordinated by City High School and the Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona, will kick off the international campaign for community change from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. on Friday, April 11. The event happens along Downtown’s Pennington Street, between Stone and Scott Avenues.

At 4 p.m., the block party will hold a ceremony where the Ray Davies Student Service Award will be presented to an all-around honorable student. To receive the award, mentors nominate students who have a finely tuned sense of community, while demonstrating leadership and compassion for others. The award was named after the reputable Human Relations Commission member, Ray Davies. Other activities include:  musical performances, teaching demos, interactive booths, street theater, art exhibits, carnival games, and more.

For more information about the event, visit CityHighSchool.org, TucsonSLG.org and GYSD.org.

Sink Your Roots into Sonoran X

Sonoran_X_LOGO-2Plant lovers unite for the Tucson Cactus & Succulent Society’s Sonoran X Conference! This year’s theme is “Plants for the Sonoran Desert Hobbyists,” a showcase of unique cacti and hybrid plants from around the world. The plant conference is on Saturday, April 19 from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m. and Sunday, April 20 from 8 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. at 475 N. Granada Ave.

Registered attendees will get a glimpse of grandeur member collections, participate in workshops, listen to five guest speakers, and enjoy two lunches and a dinner. The $50 registration takes place in the lobby from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturday, and from 8 a.m. until noon on Sunday. Attendants who do not wish to register will still have access to the plant showings, a silent auction and the pottery, book, art and plant sales.

For more information about the conference and how to register, visit TucsonCactus.org or call (520) 256-2447.

Earth Day $1 Sale

Another segment of Buffalo Exchange’s 40th anniversary celebrations include its Earth Day Dollar Sale on Saturday, April 19. All 49 Buffalo Exchanges nationwide will raise proceeds from $1 ticket items and donate the funds directly to Tucson’s Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.

Last year, the event raised a total of $43,000, which was donated to the Humane Society. This year’s funds will go to supporting and preserving the outdoor living museum’s “Pollination Hotspots” program. The program works to conserve, sustain and analyze the variation of seed production levels across the Sonoran Desert.

For more information about the museum and Buffalo Exchange, visit DesertMuseum.org and BuffaloExchange.com.

Tucson’s First Open Water Swim Triathlon

5430 Sports has coordinated Tucson’s first open water triathlon: Welcome, the 5430 TriZona Triathlon, happening on Sunday, April 27. Participants will face a 3.5 mile run, a 14.5 mile bike ride and 750 meter swim in the 10-acre Kennedy Lake. (Turner Labs discovered the water flowing into Kennedy Lake to be safe for not only swimming, but also drinking, according to 5430Sports.com.) Swimmers will begin the initial “wave,” or one lap swim, at the southeast corner of the lake. They will then head clockwise and finish at the southwest corner, where they will strip their wetsuits and start the run.

The first, second and third place winners from each age group will be awarded hand-made trophies. Registration for the triathlon is $90 if purchased by April 25.

For more information about the triathlon and how to enter, visit 5430Sports.com/TriZona.

Tucson’s Local Food Rave

April 3, 2014 |

These days, the world’s rapidly growing population has got a lot of people thinking about resources. Concern about where the food and water will come from to meet our ever-increasing demand has swept across America, and especially Arid-zona, like a sandstorm, and as a result, more and more Arizonans are looking to sustainable local sources for their comestibles.

Maynard James Keenan, owner of Merkin Vineyards and Caduceus Cellars photo courtesy Speak Easy PR

Maynard James Keenan, owner of Merkin Vineyards and Caduceus Cellars
photo courtesy Speak Easy PR

Maynard James Keenan, owner of Merkin Vineyards and Caduceus Cellars, moved to northern Arizona near Jerome in the mid-1990s. He says the small-town environment “kind of set better” than the fast-paced lifestyle of his rock star peers in L.A. and New York, and so he snatched up a plot of land and settled in more-or-less off the grid. After just a few years on the property, Keenan realized that the environment was “not unlike” a lot of areas in the Mediterranean, and so he planted his first crop of grapes. He says of his transition from artist to vintner, “My practical side and my artistic side got together (when) I saw the communities around Europe that are based around vineyards and wine, and it just seemed like they were a tighter knit community—there seemed to be a lot more going on (in those communities) that was kind of ‘weatherproof’.”

As the front man for bands like Tool, A Perfect Circle, and Puscifer, it is no wonder that Keenan rapidly became the best known face among Arizona’s agriculturalists. But, rocker status aside, Keenan’s take on food sourcing is common sense enough. “Just putting stuff in your body to fill a hole is not acceptable behavior,” he says. “The sooner you can wrap your head around that, great. You know, treat yourself to some snacks now and then—who doesn’t?—but, come on; pay attention to what you’re putting in yourself.” As well as the Arizona wine market, Keenan also has his hands in local food as owner of an organic produce market in  Cornville, Arizona.

Here in Southern Arizona, one organization responsible for bringing local growers and vendors together at open-air markets around town is Heirloom Farmers Markets. Most notably, their farmers’ markets at St. Philip’s Plaza sees about 3,000 shoppers every weekend. When Heirloom’s owner Manish Shah found out that St. Philip’s was planning an art fair for the weekend of April 5, he looked at the market’s temporary displacement as an opportunity. “The idea was to throw a big food rave,” says Shah. “It was something that I had been contemplating for a long time.”

So, Heirloom and company is packing everything up for a one day celebration at Rillito Downs called the Viva La Local Food Festival. The festival, says Shah, will feature the biggest farmers’ market in Southern Arizona, with more than eighty independent vendors as well as thirty-plus local restaurants serving up some local delicacies alongside a number of Southern Arizona wineries and breweries. But if it all sounds too lavish for your blood, not to worry. “We’re trying to really keep (Viva) accessible to everybody,” says Shah.

Delectable offerings await at the Viva La Local Food Festival. photo: Michael Moriarty

Delectable offerings await at the Viva La Local Food Festival.
photo: Michael Moriarty

Instead of the hundred-plus-dollar entrance fees charged just to get into similar all-inclusive food events, Shah is offering free admission to his “pay-to-play” festival, where every vendor, vintner, and brewmaster on site has been asked to serve plates at a cost of five dollars or less. How vendors choose to use the real estate on those plates is up to them, Shah says.

In addition to a spectacular array of local food and drink, Viva La Local Food Fest will also be showcasing some of Tucson’s best local music with acts like Sergio Mendoza y La Orkestra, Carlos Arzate, and Naim Amor providing the entertainment.

Shah sums up the party with glittering eyes that telegraph his unbridled excitement: “Amazing food, beer, the farmers’ market, the party… it’s gonna be insane—I don’t think we’ve ever seen anything like it!”

Viva La Local Food Festival is Sunday, April 6 at Rillito Downs, 4502 N. 1st Ave., from 9am-5pm. Parking is free until 10:30am and $5 per vehicle after that. Find more info at VivaLaLocalFoodFest.com.

Sweet Ghosts’ “Certain Truths”

April 2, 2014 |
Sweet Ghosts photo: Taylor Noel Photography

Sweet Ghosts
photo: Taylor Noel Photography

Transcendent and ethereal are not adjectives to be taken lightly, but such descriptions of this gloriously heart-wrenching debut release are more than apropos. The 10-track album features poetic storytelling, presenting evocative slices of life that put the listener into the thick of alternately uncomfortable and uplifting tales.

The lulling songs are reflective, haunting; there’s lightness to the depth, a deft touch that features spaces between the notes and musical interplay that is as compelling as the vocals and lyrics.

While the songs’ settings are not necessarily Tucson-based, they sonically convey the shimmering, mystical quality of a desert mirage. There’s warmth in the heartbreak, an acceptance of what is and what cannot be changed. The emotive humanity within covers the universal themes of love, affairs, changing seasons and broken people who are looking for acceptance, release, recovery from the pain of life’s challenges and society’s ills.

Sung by songwriter Ryan Alfred and Katherine Byrnes, their vocals blend together exquisitely and overlay on their own instrumentations (Byrnes is on piano/keyboards, Alfred plays guitars, synthesizers, bass), along with those by: Aaron Emery (drums, percussion), violin by Ben Nisbet (Tucson Symphony Orchestra), Sam Eagon (bass), vibraphone by Omar Alvarado, Fen Ikner (drums), Dylan DeRobertis (bass) and mandolin by Ryan Green (Ryanhood).

***

During an email Q&A, Ryan provides some background information on the band and its debut release.

How long have you and Katherine been performing as Sweet Ghosts/when was the project formed?
Sweet Ghosts was started about 2-1/2 years ago…we played a few gigs and decided “Yeah, let’s give this a go!” And then the opportunity to play bass with Calexico came up and it kind of went on the backburner. Calexico’s off tour this year so we have time finally to pursue it.

Did you write both the lyrics and the music?
Yes.

What inspired these songs?
Oh, I don’t know…the songs were written over a pretty long period of time, some as old as seven or so years ago. Some are reactions to certain situations that I encountered and felt compelled to write about, as a way of processing them, and some are just pure creation, like Not Quite December (which was written on a very hot day in Tucson) and She (which isn’t particularly about anybody; the lyrics came to me while I was working the takeout counter at a Bertuccis in Boston).

On the first track, “Detroit,” you and Katherine sing: “There’s a crazy, old homeless woman with more fingers than teeth, she’s got headphones but no radio, doing rain dance down this forgotten street.” Did you meet a woman in Detroit with more fingers than teeth?
I really did…she was a homeless old lady kind of dancing around Cass Avenue with these huge headphones on, the cord just dangling down her back not plugged into anything. As a friend of mine passed, she pointed at us and said “I got my good eye on you, and so does God!” She didn’t say hallelujah, though. I’m not sure how that word found its way in. The Old Miami (Missing In Action MI) is also real, and Danny Overstreet is the owner, the most decorated Vietnam vet in Michigan. I used to play his bar with one of my first touring gigs.

Lots of love songs on this, written very poetically. Do you have a background in poetry? What is your background – music education, Tucson, other bands, etc.
What can I say? Relationships are the most basic, simple idea on earth, and yet they are so confounding that they’ll never stop inspiring songs, haha. I don’t have a background in poetry, though I do love it (especially Jack Gilbert, my favorite). As to music background, I started playing the violin in 3rd grade, moved on to the double bass in 7th grade, and studied electronic music and electric bass at Berklee (where I met Ryan Green from Ryanhood). He and I played in bands together for years, and when I left New York in 2009, I stayed at his house before moving to my own place. Somewhere in 2009 I started doing FOH and tour managing Calexico, and started playing bass for them about 2 years ago.

Sweet Ghosts photo: Taylor Noel Photography

Sweet Ghosts
photo: Taylor Noel Photography

When were the tracks recorded?
On and off over the last two years…some were tracked at Waterworks with Jim Waters, some at Wavelab with Chris Schultz, and some at my own studio, which is essentially the B Room at Waterworks.

After the Tucson CD release party on April 19, Sweet Ghosts hit the road for an eight city tour through Texas, Louisiana and New Mexico. What was the motivation to travel through those states?
We really wanted to go to Jazzfest in New Orleans again, and decided to book a tour around it.

Is there significance to the third chair on the album cover being empty?
Hahaha, we’re not telling.

See Sweet Ghosts at Plush, 360 E. Sixth St., on Saturday, April 19. Dry River Yacht Club, Carlos Arzate & The Kind Souls also perform. Check out SweetGhosts.com for information on the band’s April tour and also look for them on Facebook.com.

Marana’s Bluegrass Festival

April 2, 2014 |
Dan Crary, a flat-picking dynamo, is the national headliner at the Marana Bluegrass Festival. photo via DanCrary.com/press-kit

Dan Crary, a flat-picking dynamo, is the national headliner at the Marana Bluegrass Festival.
photo: DanCrary.com

There’s never been a more ideal opportunity for Tucsonans to escape from urban sprawl to the friendly, welcoming arms of the quaint, pastoral satellite of Marana than the Marana Bluegrass Festival, taking place in the center of Marana at the Ora Mae Harn Park (13250 N. Lon Adams Rd.) on Saturday, April 12 and Sunday, April 13. The event will combine some of the best traditional bluegrass in Southern Arizona with a feel-good, family friendly atmosphere. Vendors will be offering a variety of food, beverages, and an array of arts and crafts. Throw in free tent and R.V. camping, with the $12/day or $20/both day pass, and a guitar workshop led by national headliner Dan Crary, and you’ll find the Marana Bluegrass Festival is an event too good to pass up.

Following the success of last year’s festival, the Marana Bluegrass Festival has garnered its place as an annual event. Truly a community effort, the festival would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of its many volunteers, the Town of Marana, the Desert Bluegrass Association (DBA of Tucson) and the Arizona Bluegrass Association (ABA of Phoenix). Marana promotes itself as a town “committed to our future, inspired by our past,” and certainly honors its folksy roots with an impeccable lineup of ten euphonious, “top notch” Arizona bands, including Run Boy Run and the Sonoran Dogs, augmented by National Headliner Dan Crary, a flat-picking dynamo who Guitar Player magazine declares “…must be heard to be believed.”

Dan Crary is a consummate entertainer who transcends the boundaries of style and genre, ranging from Mozart to traditional American fiddle tunes to evocative original compositions. Known for his endearing stage persona, he weaves anecdotes and observations from his 40-year career into his show with tongue in cheek humor. In 1994, Crary released the record Jammed If I Do (Sugar Hill), which features duets and charming spoken introductions with legends Doc Watson, Tony Rice, Norman Blake and Beppe Gambetta. The album was hailed as one of the decade’s great gathering of guitarists and received rave reviews. Festival attendees will have an opportunity to get up-close and personal with Crary at his guitar workshop from 1:45-3:45 p.m. on Saturday in the Marana Community Center, adjacent to the park. He will also give four performances over the course of the weekend: playing solo at 5 p.m. on Saturday, and as part of the “Guitar Summit,” featuring Tucsonans Greg Morton and Peter McLaughlin at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, and 12:15 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Winning the hearts of traditional music fans across the land with their enchanting female vocal harmony, Tucson’s own Run Boy Run was born in 2009, won the Telluride Bluegrass Festival Band Contest in 2011, and was a featured guest on Public Radio’s A Prairie Home Companion in 2013. The evocative pairing of brother and sister Matt and Grace Rolland, combined with sisters Bekah and Jen Sandoval and bassist Jesse Allen, adds subtle expressions of classical, jazz, and folk to a core influence of Appalachian traditional music. Don’t miss this exciting new act, showcasing at 4 p.m. on Saturday and 1:45 p.m. on Sunday.

Other highlights of the festival include the Sonoran Dogs, combining the talents of Peter McLaughlin and other seasoned veterans of the Arizona Bluegrass scene; Crucial County, featuring 2 time Four Corner State Banjo Champion Rudy Cortese; and the Jam Pak Blues ‘N’ Grass Band, a heartwarming ensemble of 2 dozen children from a neighborhood in Chandler, Arizona. If you’re looking for a change of pace and some wholesome inspiration this spring, the Marana Bluegrass Festival awaits you with open arms.

Events run from 9:45 a.m.-5:45 pm. both days. Find more information at MaranaFestival.com.

 

Tesoro’s Resplendent Dazzle

March 10, 2014 |

A new self-released studio album captures the essence of the band’s live performances.

Tesoro Album CoverThe musical palate of this 11-track, self-titled album is beautifully complex while remaining completely accessible. Tesoro melds amazing instrumentation with passionate vocals that are at times bold, other times mellow, but always richly textured.  The sexy, sultry songs cull from a variety of styles with flamenco at the core.

Co-founder/guitarist Justin Fernandez says, “We’ve officially dubbed it as Latin Gypsy Pop—flamenco on steroids if you will. We also incorporate the puro flamenco influences that [lead guitarist] Brian and I have, but also bring in Latin pop and rock sounds, including funk and blues. We did include a couple tunes on the new album that are more traditional than the Tesoro classic sound. We included Malagueña, and a Bulerias (flamenco rhythm) song, named Ángel Caído. They capture the aggressive nature of flamenco guitar and the powerful rhythm that Tesoro loves so much.”

The fans love those powerful rhythms as well, as witnessed during the band’s high energy live shows. The infectious tunes compel fervent dancing by some, others may just rock back and forth in their chairs but all are moved by the music.

Between the band’s tight delivery and Venezuelan-born singer Efisio Giordanelli’s heartfelt vocals, there’s an insistence to listen. The group—which also includes lead guitarist and co-founder Brian Scott, Andrew McClarron (bass, vocals, percussion, cajon, mellotron) and Gabriel Kaiser (drums, percussion, cajon) —is comprised of professional musicians that regularly rehearse. The five bring to the table a wide-range of influences, “combining old school music and the new school that is fresh,” Fernandez explains. “Anything from Zeppelin and Sabbath, to Paco de Lucia and Gipsy Kings, to Cultura Profetica and many more. We encourage each other to constantly broaden our horizons with new music and our original music definitely reflects the broad range of influences we use to write music.”

The songwriting process is a collaborative effort, Fenandez says. “We work together with just guitar and vocals developing new ideas, and will also write new parts and arrangements as a full band. Lyrics are also collaborative, but with Efisio being the only fluent Spanish speaker and lead vocalist, he devotes an extraordinary amount of time working and reworking lyric ideas we many already have to ensure they are the best for the song, and therefore our amazing fans. The songs have been old ideas that we reworked to fit vocals, and also wrote several new songs specifically for the album. It’s been a blast of a process, the hard work and dedication to write and record an all-original album is extremely rewarding. Most of the tunes were written in 2013 as we were recording. Some were ideas from 2012 that were instrumental tunes that we rearranged to add vocals.”

This studio album adeptly captures the resplendent dazzle of Tesoro’s live vibe. The tracks were laid down, produced and mixed at Waterworks Recording by Jim Waters at the helm; Fen Ikner provided the mastering.

“We met with Jim, shared some ideas and next thing you know we were in pre-production and starting our new album,” Fernandez shares. “He’s been able to push each and every member of the band to create the best music in the studio and capture the essence of a high-energy live Tesoro performance. We’re finished and couldn’t be more proud of the outcome. An all-original album to share with the world.”

On March 15, Tesoro performed in Austin, Texas as part of the official showcases of the South by Southwest music festival, at Tap Room at The Market. The CD release party is at Club Congress, 311 E. Congress St., on Friday, March 21 with Foxtail Brigade, 8 p.m., $5. CDs are available at live shows and on the website. Visit TesoroTucson.com for more information.

Tesoro celebrates a CD release party at Club Congress on Fri., March 21.  photo: Serena Rose

Tesoro celebrates a CD release party at Club Congress on Fri., March 21.
photo: Serena Rose

Music March 2014

February 27, 2014 |

Shows listed were available as of press time. See the websites for current info.

The Modeens perform at 2nd Saturdays March 8.

The Modeens perform at 2nd Saturdays March 8.

2ND SATURDAYS DOWNTOWN 
Congress Street, 2ndSaturdaysDowntown.com
Sat 8: Reno Del Mar, Bold As Love, The Modeens

ARMITAGE WINE LOUNGE AND CAFE
2905 E. Skyline Dr #168. 682-9740, ArmitageWine.com
Sun 2: Tommy Tucker
Tue 4: R & P Music Factory
Sun 9: Cameron Hood and Carlie Alderink
Tue 11: Naim Amor
Sun 16: LeeAnne Savage
Tue 18: Paul Cataldo
Sun 23: Spiders Can Fly
Tue 25: Matt Mitchell and the Hot Club of Tucson
Sun 30: Steff Koeppen and the Articles

BORDERLANDS BREWING
119 E. Toole Ave. 261-8773, BorderlandsBrewing.com
See website for March music.

BOONDOCKS LOUNGE 
3306 N. 1st Ave. 690-0991, BoondocksLounge.com
Sundays/ Tuesdays: Lonny’s Lucky Poker
Mondays: The Bryan Dean Trio
Wednesdays: Titan Valley Warheads
Thursdays: Ed Delucia Trio
Sat 1: Equinox
Sun 2: Heather Hardy & Lil’ Mama Band
Fri 7: Live Music with Neon Prophet
Sat 8: Whole Lotta Zep!
Fri 14: Jacques Taylor & The Real Deal
Sat 15: The Coolers with Joe Scibilia
Sun 16: Last Call Girls
Fri 21: Live Music with Neon Prophet
Sat 22: Terri Hendrix with Lloyd Maines
Sun 30: Ned Sutton & Last Dance
Mon 31: Mitzi & The Valiants

Tesoro celebrates a CD release party at Club Congress on Fri., March 21. Visit ZocaloMagazine.com for the CD review. photo: Serena Rose

Tesoro celebrates a CD release party at Club Congress on Fri., March 21.
photo: Serena Rose

CLUB CONGRESS 
311 E. Congress St. 622-8848, HotelCongress.com/club
Mondays: Nineties House Party
Tuesdays: Geeks Who Drink Pub Quiz
Thursdays: Opti Club
Saturdays: Saturdaze Dance Party
Sat 1: Leslie And The Lys
Tue 4: Wawawa 3 Year Anniversary with Helicopter Showdown
Wed 5: Curtiss King
Thu 6: Holychild
Fri 7: The Wild Feathers
Sat 8: Sir Mix Alot, Pinback, Yacht, Murs, Iamsu, The Sonoran Dogs
Sun 9: Raw Geronimo
Tue 11: Ty Seagall
Wed 12: North & Womb Tomb
Thu 13: Springbreakers
Tue 18: INVSN
Fri 21: Tesoro CD Release with Foxtail Brigade
Sat 22: Metalachi
Wed 26: Pompeya
Fri 28: The Slackers

LA COCINA
201 N. Court Ave. 622-0351, LaCocinaTucson.com
Wednesdays: Miss Lana Rebel and Kevin Michael Mayfield
Thursdays: Stefan George (6:30pm), 5,6,7 WAX Night (10pm)
Fridays: Greg Morton Band
Saturdays: DJ Herm
Sundays: Harpist

DELECTABLES RESTAURANT & CATERING
533 N. 4th Ave. 884-9289, Delectables.com
Fridays and Saturdays: Live music

FOX TUCSON THEATRE 
17 W. Congress St. 624-1515, FoxTucsonTheatre.org
Sat 1: A Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald
Tue 4: Danú: Traditional Music and Song from Ireland
Thu 6: Diamond Rio
Fri 14: Ozomatli
Sun 16: The Straits: A Dire Straight Legacy
Mon 17: Ronnie Milsap
Sat 22: Hot Club of San Francisco
Sun 23: Lily Tomlin
Fri 28: TSO Rocks the Fox

HACIENDA DEL SOL
5501 N. Hacienda Del Sol. 299-1501, HaciendaDelSol.com
Sun 2: Zo & The Soul Breakers
Sun 9: Grams & Krieger
Sun 16: Angel Diamon & The Blues Disciples
Sun 23: Heather “Lil Mama” Hardy & Michael P.
Sun 30: Black Skillet Revue

MONTEREY COURT
505 W. Miracle Mile, MontereyCourtAZ.com
Sat 1: ROH
Sun 2: Ry Bradley Band
Thu 6: Peter McLaughling & Alvin Blaine
Sat 8: Rod Annon & The Late Show
Sat 15: TKMA presents Oldies show and fundraiser
Fri 21: Black Skillet Revue
Sun 23: Native American Flute with Mark Holland
Fri 28: Flight 407

Mia Dyson performs at Plush on Thu, March 6.

Mia Dyson performs at Plush on Thu, March 6.

PLUSH 
340 E. 6th St. 798-1298,  PlushTucson.com
Sat 1: Blackstone Rngrs with Secret Meetings
Thu 6: Mia Dyson, The Cordials, Jillian Bassett
Fri 7: Horse Black with Polyan & The Johnson Sisters
Sat 8: The Rising Sun, Mad Alchemy, Powered Wig Machine, The Myrrors
Mon 10: The Parson Red Heads, Andrew Collberg, Mimicking Birds
Tue 11: Mujeres, Dead Ghosts, Hermanitos, Katterwaul
Thu 13: Hello Dollface, Leila Lopez, Copper & Congress
Fri 14: Oddkinn, Ocean Void, Spider Cider
Sat 15: Jivin’ Scientists
Mon 17: Mr. Elevator & The Brain Hotel, Pizza Time, Love Cop, Tom Heavy & The Party Makers, The Electric Blankets
Fri 21: Love Me Nots, The Burning of Rome, Fairy Bones
Thu 27: Spafford, The Bennu

PLAYGROUND TUCSON
278 E. Congress. 396-3691, PlaygroundTucson.com
See website for details

Terri Hendrix

Terri Hendrix

RHYTHM & ROOTS
Plaza Palamino, 2970 N. Swan Rd. 319-9966, RhythmandRoots.org
Sat 22: Terri Hendrix with Lloyd Maines

RIALTO THEATRE
318 E. Congress St. 740-1000, RialtoTheatre.com
Sat 1: Black Cherry Cordial
Wed 5: Robert Randolph & The Family Band
Fri 7: Dom Kennedy Get Home Safely Tour w/ Skeme
Sat 8: Sir Mix-A-Lot, Pinback, Yacht, Murs, Iamsu!
Sun 9: Gary Numan
Tue 11: Ty Seagall , Papadosio
Fri 14: Take Action Tour: The Devil Wears Prada, Ozomatli at Fox
Sat 15: Sepparella
Sun 16: Cultura Profetica
Wed 19: Hopsin’s Knock Madness Tour
Thu 20: Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings
Thu 27: Spafford @ Plush, Rebelution
Sun 30: The Outlaws
Mon 31: Oxymoron World Tour- Schoolboy Q, Isaiah Rashad & Vince Staples

SEA OF GLASS CENTER
330 E. 7th St. 398-2542, TheSeaofGlass.org
Thu 13: The Appleseed Collective

SOLAR CULTURE
31 E. Toole Ave. 884-0874, SolarCulture.org
Tue 4: Free Salamander Exhibit

SURLY WENCH PUB
424 N. 4th Ave., 882-0009, SurlyWenchPub.com 
Sat 1: Swinging Jamboree/ Rattle Rockin’ Boys
Tue 4: Artphag
Fri 7: Black Cherry Burlesque
Sat 8: Fineline Revisited
Sat 15: Fineline Revisited
Sat 22: Spasm!
Fri 28: CandyStrike Fashion Show
Sat 29: Fineline Revisited

TOPAZ TUNDRA
657 W. St. Mary’s Rd. TempleOfCairo.com/Topaz/
Sun 9: The Audacity, Lenguas Largas, Meat Market, Jay Arner, AZ77, Teen Chat, JRM
Mon 10: New Bums, Midday Veil, Night Collectors, Cobra Family Picnic, Ryan Chavira
Mon 17: Julie Byrne, Liila, Labs, Babat Duag, Jess Matsen
Tue 18: FF, Twin Peaks, Prom Body, Man Bites Dog, Womb Tomb

Greyhound Soul’s 20 Years of Rock & Roll

February 25, 2014 |
Greyhound Soul in 1996. photo: Jeff Smith

Greyhound Soul in 1996.
photo: Jeff Smith

Two hours really isn’t enough time to comb through a band’s two decade span. But we’re trying. My back porch has become a portal to the past, with front man Joe Peña and bassist Duane Hollis regaling a couple of their long-term fans with Greyhound Soul stories.

Disclosure/backdrop: Peña and Hollis are at the Manslander abode; Dan Rylander and I met and became friends at Greyhound Soul shows in 2000. We are now married, and the band played at our reception. Dan was an unofficial roadie for years; my photos are on two of their albums. There’s a comfortable camaraderie between the four of us. We’re relaxing in the cool desert evening, and the trip down memory lane starts in Elgin, Texas, 26 miles north and east of Austin.

Peña takes us back to his grandparents’ restaurant and bar, where his dad and his dad’s musician buddies would jam all night long. It’s the late 70s, “I was like 10-11-12-13-14-years-old,” Joe says. While the kid is waiting to go home, he’s hearing the music. Some nights it was Norteño, other nights it was the blues, because “on one side of the street were all the Mexican bars and on the other side of the street were all the black bars. So at the end of the night, where do they all go? To grandpa’s bar, you know, Chicano Mexicans with their music and their accordions showing up and then the blues guys showing up from the other side of the street, they just played at Charlie Brown’s Kung Fu Inn–that was pretty much a staple in our town. Some of the best people, blues guys from back in the day–I can’t remember–but just, everyone played there, everyone was a musician.

“So a lot of people would be down there, they’d also come from Austin. They would party all night long, party like we do now. Did. Used to. We don’t party any more. Right, Duane?” Peña chuckles, Hollis nods with a sly smile, jokingly points to the Stella Artois in his hand and riffs: “I’m going for it, right now!”

The conversation meanders from Joe talking about being a break dancer when he first moved to Tucson in 1983, surprising Duane—“Really, you were a break dancer?”—to figuring out how and when the guys initially met. Joe thinks it was ’85, Duane tells him it was ’94 and everyone laughs.

Alan Anderson and Joe Peña in 2006 on the Rock the Seas cruise. photo: Jamie Manser

Alan Anderson and Joe Peña in 2006 on the Rock the Seas cruise.
photo: Jamie Manser

“I don’t really remember how it happened,” Joe leans back and looks at Duane. “I remember the band was together making the record (Freaks) and things started kind of falling apart and the drummer and the bass player had left and I saw this band,” motions to Duane, “at that place where they sell pottery now, it’s on the corner of Miracle Mile and Oracle. And you guys were playing there and we played that same night. It was a weird thing, but I was blown away. They were in a metal band (Shok Hilary) and Alan had double bass drums. And we were making the record and losing the drummer, and my buddy said, ‘I know a drummer,’ and it turned out to be Alan from Shok Hilary, and I’m like, ‘Wow, OK, let’s try it out.’ And Alan showed up and we went through some tunes with the old bassist, and then we lost him, and then it was like, ‘Hey Al, what’s going on with your band Shok Hilary?’

“All of a sudden, we found ourselves together.” Joe asks Duane, “How did that happen?”

“You called me,” Hollis deadpans.

Peña laughs and says, “So, yeah, I guess I called Duane and said,” Joe feigns a sheepish little boy voice, “‘Duane, will you play with us?’”

On another day via a Facebook chat, drummer Alan Anderson and I talk about his recollections of joining Greyhound. “It was dark out when we first met. Our practice room was converted from an old garage behind a house in Sam Hughes neighborhood. I remember getting out of my truck with my stick bag in hand when I heard someone say, ‘Alan, is that you?’ I responded, ‘Yes.’ The next words that came out of the dark were, ‘What’s up Chief!’ It was Joe. That was the beginning of a 20 year friendship. During the first practice I realized I was in the making of something special. I was hooked from the first practice and wanted to be a part of it. I thought it would be a way of stepping away from speed metal as it was on its way out. I wanted to be a multifaceted drummer. I was not going to be pigeonholed into one style.”

Joe Peña and Jason DeCorse in 2006 on the Rock the Seas cruise. photo: Jamie Manser

Joe Peña and Jason DeCorse in 2006 on the Rock the Seas cruise.
photo: Jamie Manser

There’s an emotional rawness and an intense talent for song craft—not to mention that whiskey-husky, heart wrenching blues voice—that pulls musicians and fans into Peña’s rock and roll orbit.

Guitarist Jason DeCorse was drawn in as a 22-year-old in 1995 when he saw Greyhound at The Rock, saying via phone from San Diego that, “When I saw them playing, I knew he had something I didn’t have, and I was like, ‘He’s got something I can really learn from,’ and I think he felt the same way about me and he guided me into playing and communicating with him more, in his style.” DeCorse picked up axe duty after original guitarist Larry Vance quit the band.

There’s a deep bond between the four, who can play together without set lists or a predetermination about how the songs will start or where the songs will progress and end up. Each show is unique; tempos change, chord progressions shift, even the lyrics might morph. Underneath is an unspoken, visceral communication between the band mates, through the notes, body language, a knowing grin or nod.

About live shows, DeCorse says, “It’s all like, just on the whim, you just gotta make sure you are ready for it. But that’s what’s so crazy; everything is so steeped in our heads. I don’t even have to review the songs, it’s just the way that it is, it is in your blood after awhile; you can’t forget it. That’s what I really like the most, it shows the maturity and the camaraderie, a true movement with the band, I think that’s the best thing when you don’t plan it out and you do it and you deliver. Nothing’s planned, and it happens.”

Back on the porch with Peña and Hollis, the two run through a collection of memorable shows—playing between turtle races in California, touring Europe six times and rocking Bonn’s Rockpalast, a German music television show.

“That might have been the coolest thing we did,” Hollis says. “And they hand pick people to do that thing. So many bands have played that—Led Zeppelin, The Who, Rolling Stones. We also played a festival in Hanover with Motörhead and Rose Tattoo and Steppenwolf and Steppenwolf made us get off the stage early because they wanted to get up and play,” he shrugs. “We also played the Orange Blossom Festival in Germany, it was this three day festival–Glitterhouse Records puts on–it’s like a hip to be there gig and that was a really great show.”

Great shows aside, Joe says the best times were the times spent with each other, between gigs. “We would get done with it and we’d end up with ourselves. And, the fun that we had, and us really being mad at each other or whatever, just the dynamic of being four guys that have no choice but to be together, dealing with each other’s thing. That was beauty. I remember those moments more than playing gigs.

“I don’t remember the gigs at all,” he jokes, laughing.

Through the years, the Tucson line-up would expand, contract, shift. Other players have included keyboardists Glen Corey and Bobby Hepworth, drummers Bruce Halper, Tommy Larkins and Winston Watson and guitarists Robin Johnson and Oliver Ray.

Duane Hollis, Glen Corey and Joe Peña in 2006 on the Rock the Seas cruise. photo: Jamie Manser

Duane Hollis, Glen Corey and Joe Peña in 2006 on the Rock the Seas cruise.
photo: Jamie Manser

Through it all, the core of the band has been Hollis and Peña. When asked about their recent, brief hiatus, Joe pauses for a moment, gathers his thoughts and says, “Uh, you know what? It’s like 20 years, and there’s going to be some things that happen, but always, I gotta say Duane, in the back of my mind, I just always knew and always felt like it was always just a break, it was never ever really done, like done-done. And I don’t think it’ll ever really be done-done until like one of us dies. Quite honestly, I think that, you know, we’re close in a way that, it’s, we’re brotherly or something. I don’t know what it is man.”

Duane agrees, “It’s kind of a brotherly thing, for sure. When you put some much time into it, it becomes a part of your…”

Joe exhales, and completes the sentence succinctly, “Your life.”

Greyhound Soul’s first gig was on March 11, 1994 and it celebrates the 20th Anniversary with a show at Che’s Lounge, 350 N. Fourth Ave., on March 8 with DeCorse coming in from San Diego. The music starts at 9 p.m. with St. Maybe opening. Greyhound Soul also performs on Saturday, March 22 at Sky Bar, 536 N. 4th Ave. In other band news, there are plans to record a new album. Previous releases include “Freaks” (1996), “Alma de Galgo” (2001), “Down” (2002) and “Tonight and Every Night” (2007). Find more information on Greyhound’s Facebook.com page; search YouTube.com for live shows and videos.

Joe Peña, Alan Anderson, Duane Hollis as Greyhound Soul at Dante's Fire, Feb. 21, 2014. photo: Jamie Manser

Joe Peña, Alan Anderson, Duane Hollis at Dante’s Fire, Feb. 21, 2014.
photo: Jamie Manser

Rialto Gala: A Red Letter Event

February 1, 2014 |
The Rialto's fundraiser helps the non-profit to continue to host live music from touring and local bands, along with other community events. Pictured: Devo performing at the Rialto to a packed house last May. photo: Mark Martinez

The Rialto’s fundraiser helps the non-profit to continue to host live music from touring and local bands, along with other community events.
Pictured: Devo performing at the Rialto to a packed house last May.
photo: Mark Martinez

Tucson’s beloved music venue the Rialto Theatre is throwing their second annual fundraiser – the Rialto Gala: A Red Letter Event – on Saturday, Feb. 15. The evening features music from the 1960s era of Motown and pop provided by the Phoenix-based cover band 60s Bandstand Show, food and beverage tastings provided by Downtown restaurants and an auction to raise money for the non-profit music venue.

“There will be great food from a dozen Downtown restaurants, great music that attendees will know and love, wine and beer sampling, some super cool silent auction items, special guest speakers, and quality hosting from Dan Marries of KOLD,” explains Rialto’s Executive Director Curtis McCrary. “I was amazed at all the effort put forth by our entire board and staff for last year’s gala. It was a tremendous success due to this diligence, and because of the robust support we got from the community and our sponsors.”

This year’s auction will feature many exciting items ranging from $20-$800 including a nice pair of tickets to the final University of Arizona men’s basketball game, a variety of Wildcat memorabilia, autographed items, one of a kind sculptures, rooms at Ventana Canyon Resort, Rialto ticket packages (including a pair of tickets to every show for a year), original local art, gift baskets and gift certificates from local Tucson businesses and restaurants and much more.

“Tucson is a fantastic community for many reasons but one of the most important is the incredible array of mostly small, independent organizations and individuals that make up the cultural fabric of our town,” says McCrary. “And those organizations need support and patronage from the greater community to keep doing what they do, and it’s a testament to Tucson that so many entities can be sustained in this way. We like to think we are a meaningful part of that fabric, and of course we’d like to keep bringing great live music and performance to Tucson. The support we receive from patrons, members, donors and sponsors make it all possible.”

The food and beverage tasting begins at 7 p.m. and the music and dancing will continue throughout the evening. Tickets are $75 a person and can be purchased at the Rialto box office, by phone or at any Bookmans location. While 60s themed attire is encouraged it is not required.

The Rialto Theatre is located at 318 E. Congress St. For more information, call (520) 740-1000 or visit RialtoTheatre.com

Music Feb 2014

February 1, 2014 |

Shows listed were available as of press time. See the websites for updates.

2ND SATURDAYS DOWNTOWN
Congress Street, 2ndSaturdaysDowntown.com
Sat 8: The Muffulettas, Little House of Funk, and The Jits.

ARMITAGE WINE LOUNGE AND CAFE
2905 E. Skyline Dr #168. 682-9740, ArmitageWine.com
Sun 2: Steff Koeppen and the Articles
Tue 4: Tommy Tucker
Sun 9: The Bryan Dean Trio
Tue 11: R & P Music Factory
Sun 16: Ian Carstensen
Tue 18: Naim Amor
Sun 23: LeeAnne Savage
Tue 25: Matt Mitchell and the Hot Club of Tucson

BORDERLANDS BREWING
119 E. Toole Ave. 261-8773, BorderlandsBrewing.com
Sat 1: Mustang Corners
Thu 6: Andy See & His Swingin’ Jamboree
Fri 7: Tortolita Gutpluckers
Sat 8: Kyle Bronsdon
Fri 14: Leila Lopez
Sat 15: Stefan George
Thu 20: Hank Topless
Fri 21: The Determined Luddites
Sat 22: Tommy Tucker
Thu 27: Widow’s Hill
Fri 28: Aztral Folk

BOONDOCKS LOUNGE
3306 N. 1st Ave. 690-0991, BoondocksLounge.com
Sundays/ Tuesdays: Lonny’s Lucky Poker
Mondays: The Bryan Dean Trio
Sat 1: Equinox
Sun 2: Heather Hardy & Lil’ Mama Band
Fri 7: Neon Prophet
Sun 16: Last Call Girls
Fri 21: Neon Prophet
Sun 23: Ned Sutton & Last Dance

CAFE PASSE
415 N. 4th Ave. 624-4411, CafePasse.com
See website for details.

CLUB CONGRESS
311 E. Congress St. 622-8848, HotelCongress.com/club
Sundays: Ynot Karaoke
Mondays: Nineties House Party
Tuesdays: Geeks Who Drink Pub Quiz
Thursdays: Opti Club
Saturdays: Saturdaze Dance Party
Sat 1: John Coinman Band, Saturdaze Dance Party
Sun 2: Together Pangea, Mozes & the Firstborn, Hermanitos, Katterwaul
Fri 7: Crooks on Tape, El Hanko Dinero, Mellow Bellow
Wed 12: Jess Williamson & RF Shannon
Sat 15: Fred Eaglesmith’s Travelling Steam Show, Saturdaze Dance Party
Wed 19: Signals Tour Kickoff
Sat 22: Decker, Saturdaze Dance Party
Tue 25: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.
Wed 26: Sun Bones & Black Jackalope Ensemble
Fri 28: Cash’d Out

DELECTABLES RESTAURANT & CATERING
533 N. 4th Ave. 884-9289, Delectables.com
Fridays and Saturdays: Live music

FOX TUCSON THEATRE
17 W. Congress St. 624-1515, FoxTucsonTheatre.org
Sat 1: Four Lads
Fri 7: Gordon Lightfoot
Tue 11: Engelbert Humperdinck
Thu 13: Lonestar
Sat 15: Chris Mann
Tue 18: B.B. King
Sat 22: Paula Poundstone
Fri 28: George Thorogood and The Destroyers

GALACTIC CENTER
35 E. Toole Ave. 884-0874, SolarCulture.org
Fri 14 & Sat 15: Steve Roach

HACIENDA DEL SOL
5501 N. Hacienda Del Sol. 299-1501, HaciendaDelSol.com
Sun 2: The Kings of Pleasure
Sun 9: George Howard & The Roadhouse Hounds
Sun 16: Bad News Blues Band
Sun 23: Hans Olson

MONTEREY COURT
505 W. Miracle Mile, MontereyCourtAZ.com
Sat 1: Tony Corrales Band
Wed 5: Peter McLaughlin & Alvin Blaine
Sat 8: Neil McCallion & The Mighty Maxwells
Wed 12: Tucson Songwriters Showcase and Open Mic

PLUSH
340 E. 6th St. 798-1298,  PlushTucson.com
Sat 1: The Unday
Sun 2: My Body Sings Electric
Sat 8: Igor & The Red Elvises
Sat 15: Kid Congo Powers, Texas Trash and the Trainwrecks, The Besmirchers
Mon 17: Ringo Deathstarr, Burning Palms, Purple, Secret Meetings
Fri 21: The Modeens, Adam Marsland
Sat 22: Logan Greene Electric, Boats, Hip Don’t Dance, Free Machines

PLAYGROUND TUCSON
278 E. Congress. 396-3691, PlaygroundTucson.com
See website for details

RHYTHM & ROOTS
Plaza Palamino, 2970 N. Swan Rd. 319-9966, RhythmandRoots.org
Sat 1: John Coinman Band
Sat 15: Fred Eaglesmith’s Travelling Steam Show

RIALTO THEATRE
318 E. Congress St. 740-1000, RialtoTheatre.com
Mon 10: Bring Me The Horizon
Tue 11: Young The Giant
Sat 15: Rialto Gala: A Red Letter Event
Thu 20: Jake Shimabukuro
Fri 21: 12th Planet Smog City Tour
Sun 23: J Boog
Thu 27: Pentatonix

SURLY WENCH PUB
424 N. 4th Ave., 882-0009, SurlyWenchPub.com
Fri 7: Black Cherry Burlesque
Sat 8: Fineline Revisited
Fri 14: Manly Manlesque
Fri 21: Great Irish Toast
Sat 22: Fineline Revisted
Fri 28: Club Sanctuary

A Festival of Musical Decadence

January 22, 2014 |
Kelley O'Connor is a featured performer at the Tucson Desert Song Festival. photo: Zachary Maxwell Stertz

Kelley O’Connor is a featured performer at the Tucson Desert Song Festival.
photo: Zachary Maxwell Stertz

The second annual Tucson Desert Song Festival returns from Jan. 30 to Feb. 16 and unites Tucson’s exceptional arts groups with world-renowned performers to celebrate the power of song. The 11-day festival takes on the theme of French composition, as the work of beloved composers Debussy, Ravel, Berlioz, Poulenc and others will be performed by the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, Tucson Chamber Artists, Arizona Friends of Chamber Music, Tucson Guitar Society and Ballet Tucson – all being paired with some of the best vocalists in the world.

If you’re tuned into the world of opera, you will easily recognize the names of the singers. If you’re not tuned into the opera world, you’ll experience being in the room with a great voice,” says Tucson Symphony Orchestra’s Music Director and Conductor George Hanson. “You respond to it in a very direct, almost physical way. When someone is a gifted and well-trained vocalist, it can start the air moving in a room in a way that it almost connects directly with everyone’s soul who shares that space with them. There are only a few hundred people in the world that can sing as such and that’s what we’re tapping into.”

Kelley O’Connor, William Burden, Jordan Bisch, Jennifer Johnson Cano, Christine Goerke and Maria Jette are some of the prestigious singers collaborating with the Tucson ensembles, and special accompaniments have been prepared to showcase the virtuosic prowess and the wide range of the vocalists. It is a rare feat for a music community in any city to assemble such a remarkably talented cast, but this festival series stands as a true testament to the uniqueness of Tucson’s art scene.

“We’re honored to be part of this festival, which is quickly gaining national repute. It’s so special to have so many powerful stars coming to Tucson at one time and we’re thrilled to be one of the acts in the lineup,” says Eric Holtan, Tucson Chamber Artists’ music director. “This is a particularly special performance for us because we’re also celebrating the 10th anniversary of TCA. The festival this year has a French theme, so we’re doing an all-French program. We’re calling the event ‘Decadence’ which signifies our decade of excellence, but also there’s no more decadent music than French composition.”

The festival was sparked by the efforts of the event’s president Jack Forsythe, who – along with fellow co-founder Cecile Follansbee – had a vision to bring in the best musical voices in the world to pair them with the talent that resides in our desert city. After a highly successful initial run last season, Forsythe decided to take this year’s festival to a larger scale by bringing in bigger acts, utilizing numerous venues (Tucson Convention Center, Leo Rich Theatre, Temple of Music and Art, Crowder Hall, Holsclaw Hall, Fox Tucson Theatre, Tucson Symphony Center and Catalina Foothills High School Theater) and pairing with Casino Del Sol as the corporate sponsor to bring the cultural music to attendees who aren’t versed or exposed to opera or orchestra.

“I was on the Arizona Opera board for some time, and I had an idea to do something like this for a long while. I met up with George Hanson and we talked about it and decided that to get the funding to bring in major world singers we’d need to have more than a symphony to attract that kind of attention,” explains Forsythe. “We decided on a 10-day period centering around vocal pieces that would be selected through larger themes. There’s such a demand for this type of performance here in town and we’re just happy to be able to supply it.”

The schedule of performances, tickets and more information about the festival are available at TucsonDesertSongFestival.org and by calling 1-888-546-3305.