Is there any music lover in Tucson who doesn’t know the work of longtime local Peter McLaughlin and frequent visitor/sometime resident Chris Brashear? Whether you do or don’t, if you’re a fan of the roots/Americana/old-time music that you’ll hear in the better quarters of Nashville, you need to betake yourself to the Old Pueblo’s answer, courtesy of those two: Tucson Opry, that is, the debut edition of which will take place at 7:00 pm on May 30 at the Hotel Congress (311 E. Congress). Tickets are going fast, so grab yours at the front desk or online.
Our correspondent Kathleen Williamson talks with Peter and Chris about their work and this auspicious occasion. Enjoy!
Americana pioneer and country legend Jim Lauderdale is coming to town to play songs from his catalogue and his new album Hope. Our correspondent Kathleen Williamson is here to greet him with a wide-ranging interview in partnership with KXCI-FM and Zócalo. Enjoy—and get to the show, which, to judge by past performances, promises to be one of the best of the year.
Jim Lauderdale. Photo by Scott Simontacchi.
Jim Lauderdale and His Band will play at the Hotel Congress Plaza (311 E. Congress) on Saturday, May 14, at 7:30pm. Tickets $28 in advance at www.hotelcongress.com.
This piece is supposed to be about the upcoming appearance by legendary 70’s progressive rock act Wishbone Ash and their 50 year anniversary/celebration of their epic LP, Argus. As such, there will be thoughts on their signature twin lead guitar sound; what is it that defines progressive rock; and what it was like to be immersed in that very British primordial ooze that spawned bands of similar sensibilities, like early Genesis with Peter Gabriel, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Yes, Jethro Tull, etc.
But mostly, after two phone conversations while he was driving between gigs (he assured me he was on Bluetooth), I find myself fascinated with Andy Powell, guitarist, singer, composer and keeper of the flame (and the brand) for Wishbone Ash since its inception in 1969.
At first, I thought his quiet, thoughtful demeanor to be in such contrast to the sound and power that can drive the music. And then I thought more about the music. And while it’s been a long time since I’ve had me some Wishbone Ash on the turntable, when I did get around to serving up Argus, I was moved by its artistry and the melding of quiet and soft with those brilliant guitar driven melodies. Having heard parts of it twice in two days, I still cannot get “Time Was” out of my head. But I digress . . .
These are but some of the things we touched upon.
Wishbone Ash—the current lineup.
Progressive Rock. When I asked Andy to define the term, he said with a wry chuckle, “It was really just bands playing with more than three chords. We were trying to flex our creative muscles, and really, just trying to be clever.” This led into his thoughts and reflections on the evolution of British music from the mid-1960s on citing bands like Small Faces and the Move and how the British fascination with American blues somehow fused with the psychedelia music of that time.
Argus. “It’s a vintage sound if you listen to the late ’60s 16-track analog. And while you always love every project you’re involved with, yes, we did know this one was special.”
50 Years of Wishbone Ash. In our first conversation I asked him if there was ever a time when he wasn’t doing Wishbone Ash, wasn’t playing or recording under that name. I know it’s not unusual for a classic rock band to reconstitute 15–30 years after its heyday. Or perhaps there was an extended hiatus or two—also not unusual for the genre. When I asked him about this again, he alluded to 1991–94, when he went off the grid, so to speak, working at what’s known as a teaching farm. Buteven then, he was still doing business and playing the occasional gig. Wishbone Ash sports a discography that includes at least 27 albums spanning more than 50 years, including 2020’s Coat of Arms.
Down on the Farm.In 1991, Andy joined his wife, who was a teacher, in a new job she had where she would be teaching kids on a farm. During this time, Powell deeply reflected on his life and his music career. “I decided I had had it with agents and managers and I’m only going to work with good people.” And so his time and energy would be split between doing chores on the farm and working on rebuilding the name and the brand of Wishbone Ash. “I needed to get real with it; strip it down to the basics and then rebuild. And I loved getting me hands in the dirt and seeing exactly what you’re made of. It doesn’t get any worse than pig shit!” he laughed. This time marked a significant turning point in his life and career. And Wishbone Ash? It was then and there Powell understood how much he needed to reach out and connect to the community of fans that was still out there.
Ahead of Its Time. Powell believes the funding for Illuminations, released in 1996 and paid for by asking the band’s extremely supportive fan base for money, was perhaps the first recording project to be funded in this way. While now quite commonplace, in the mid-1990s, crowdsourcing (Go fund Me, Indie Go-Go, etc.) was virtually unheard of. “I believe we were ahead of the curve when it came to finding new ways in reaching out to our fans. We also had one of the first websites up.” Since the advent of the internet in the mid-1990s, Powell has made excellent use of the social media tools available. In another example of being ahead of its time, Powell says it was the early 2000s that Wishbone Ash, teaming up with the band Yes, headlined a musical cruise, again quite commonplace now, but 20 years ago, not so much.
Favorite Albums in the Post-Argus Era. Post Argus simply means anything after 1980. “I’m very proud of Illuminations. I feel we were very successful in making a slick, American style rock album.” He also cites Elegant Stealth (2011), Blue Horizon (2014), and the most recent Coat of Arms. I would love to have heard him expand on his takes on what made each project so memorable.
I finally asked Andy if anyone had ever approached him about writing a book as his stories so well blended the precision of detail with the richness of the times. “Oh yeah, I’ve done that! My autobiography is called Eyes Wide Open.”
Not one who is generally a fan of older, iconic bands with multiple personnel changes, I am excited for this show.
Wishbone Ash plays the Rialto Theatre, Tuesday, May 10 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets range from $30 to 42.
Chateau Chateau’s new album Grow Up is a perfect example of pairing pain with pleasure. The indie pop group hails from Tucson, which has seen an explosion of fun and quirky music these last few years. Chateau Chateau is led by Bleu and Alex, the power duo that bring darkness and humor to their tracks. The band formed in 2018, with Bleu joining in 2019, and it has since released a steady stream of empowering and exciting songs that remind people that it’s completely acceptable to be themselves and be comfortable in doing so.
As with most musicians, the COVID-19 pandemic was tough on the group, but that didn’t dampen their spirits. They not only released a wonderful “Chateau Chateau” cooking video and a full band Q&A, both of which can be found on their YouTube channel, but they also released the album Princess during the height of the pandemic. Since the restrictions lifted and live music returned, the band has gotten back into touring and recently made an appearance at South by Southwest, bringing tracks from Grow Up to the festival’s stage.
Bleu. Photograph by Alex Hamby.
Grow Up is set to release on May 6. The album is gritty and real and will leave anyone who has experienced similar stories feeling overwhelmed, but in the best possible way. Each song is about an experience frontwoman Bleu has had during her dating years. As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, Bleu wanted to highlight her experiences with relationships from romantic to familial and to bring a voice to those who might not normally feel heard. In “Converted,” Bleu brings anger—with a dash of humor—to the table as she discusses her experience being the token “converted homosexual” for a man she dated. Grow Up also highlights her experiences growing up in a religious, abusive household. The lyrics are raw, but the upbeat guitars and synthesizers bring a bubbly feeling to the track that will make the most cynical person start dancing.
As the album progresses, it keeps the funky, fast-paced pop sounds throughout. Grow Up’s penultimate track is a cover of ‘Til Tuesday’s “Voices Carry,” and Bleu knocks it out of the park. The song’s 80’s funk meshes perfectly with Bleu’s raw vocals, and it will make any fan of the original smile.
Chateau Chateau is a force to be reckoned with. Its album release party is slated for 8:00pm on Friday, June 17, at 191 Toole. Tickets and information can be found at https://chateauchateaumusic.com/shows or on the band’s socials @ChateauChateau_.
Rosie Flores, cowpunk pioneer and self-proclaimed “rockabilly filly,” is coming to town in a show that’s not to be missed. Our correspondent Kathleen Williamson talks with Rosie in a joint project for Zócalo and KXCI-FM, our city’s community radio station. Please have a listen—and then get your tickets to the show while they’re still available. —Editor
Rosie Flores and The Talismen will appear at the Hotel Congress Plaza at 7pm on April 22. Tickets are on sale here.
Legendary folk singer/songwriter Janis Ian, a recording artist since the mid-1960s, is now on her farewell tour, with an early stop in Tucson. Tucson musician Kathleen Williamson enjoyed this illuminating conversation with her shortly before Ms. Ian arrived in town.
Janis Ian performs solo at the Rialto Theatre (311 E. Congress) at 8:00pm on March 3, 2022. See here for tickets and conditions.
It’s almost impossible to write about Lisa Morales and her upcoming show on the Hotel Congress patio without writing/talking about her sister and lifelong singing partner, Roberta, who succumbed to a three-year battle with cancer a scant three months ago. “It’s still hard,” she said in a recent phone interview as she prepares for her first tour since the advent of Covid.
“I was with her in the hospital every day for three months, after the initial diagnosis,” she said. Following chemo and radiation, “she fought, and she won, for a while. We were hoping she might sing on the [new] album. Obviously, it’s still pretty raw.”
Native Tucsonans and members of the extended Ronstadt clan, Lisa says, “we knew we had something special since we were little girls when our father used to take us to sing at La Fuente [on Oracle Road] with the mariachis.” In time, as their individual musical personas developed, Roberta eventually joined Lisa’s already established band, and their new group, Sisters Morales, was born. Relocating to San Antonio, where they set up shop, they recorded six albums and toured the world. Their unique blend of homegrown Arizona/Tex-Mex, fueled by their original compositions and stellar harmonies, melded roots steeped in traditional Mexican music with a contemporary flair for Americana and blues. This original brand of Southwest gumbo, so hard to define but so easy to love, made them a must-see act on the road and festival circuit throughout the country and abroad.
While their visits to Tucson were too few and far between, they did play a memorable show the El Casino Ballroom in the early 2000s while also headlining the Tucson Folk Festival in 2005. Following the death of their mother in 2011, the sisters decided it was time to part ways musically, although, “of course, we were still very close.”
Since then, Lisa has produced two solo albums and is on the cusp of releasing a third, She Ought to be King, due out next spring. In its first single, “Freedom,” Morales sings about the power of loving each other as a mother does and speaking up when we see injustices. “It’s a very simple message,” she says. “Love one another, be kind, do the right thing, be honorable and help one another.”
Musically, “Freedom” retains a percussive Latin feel, although it’s not like anything one would associate with the sisters. Clearly her growth as an artist continues to be reflected in her solo work. It’s a ride that has allowed her to rub elbows with everyone from Los Lobos and Los Lonely Boys to Rodney Crowell. “Freedom” also boasts the services of original Santana and Journey alum Gregg Rolie on keyboards and backing vocals.
When she takes the stage at Hotel Congress, it will be the second show of a tour that follows a hiatus dating back to early 2020 and a welcome reprieve from a series of Zoom and other online offerings. In dedicating this show to Roberta, Lisa will be fronting a four- or five-piece band in a homecoming that no doubt will be as comforting as it may be bittersweet.
The Lisa Morales Band plays the Hotel Congress outdoor patio on Saturday, November 13, at 8:00 pm. Doors open at 7:30. Tickets are $20 general admission, $25 reserved.
Bruce McGrew painting on the California coast. Photograph by William Pitt Root.
Bruce McGrew had an immersive approach to teaching art—many of his students felt a vigorously personal pull toward him, an orbit that closely cemented relationships. In interviews in 2006 and 2007, Rick DeMont recalled the power the “McGrew effect” had on him. “I got to U of A as a junior, majoring in art, and one of my first classes was with Bruce—I found him fascinating—he spoke in parables and riddles, like a poet, and in his speech, there was always something between the lines, and it just tuned me in. I was very curious to learn more about this guy—I knew I wanted to know what he knew—there’d never before been a person like that for me, in art or out of art. I had no idea what his art was like. I just knew I wanted to know what he knew, because he knew, and I knew he knew. As abstract as that may sound, that was how it hit me, and from that point on, moments with him were in many ways magic—that’s what he was all about—magic. I don’t know what he thought of me as a student—but that was the beginning of a pretty long relationship.”
“I was already very much of a landscape person when I got there, and I was more into oils at that time, too, but he got me painting outside, and it wasn’t long until I was painting with him outside—I don’t know exactly for how many months. I was also taking classes with [Doug] Denniston, who was also a plein air guy. This was the spring of 1977. When I saw Bruce’s paintings, I was like, ‘Okay, here’s something that adds up to way more than its pieces.’ It still gives me goosebumps to talk about it, because I was so profoundly affected by it visually, and I couldn’t get his paintings out of my head probably for ten or fifteen years. It was just to the point where, ‘Let me exorcise these images, so I can move on with life.’”
Bruce McGrew, “Irish Coast.” Photograph by Rebecca Hamilton
“Bruce was really tactical about his approach and where he wanted you to go and what he thought maybe you should be open to. He was pretty delicate—it was the velvet hammer. As soon as I graduated, I moved to the ranch. That was 1979, and so what happened next—I sold this big oil painting at the Gekas Nicholas Gallery. It gave me more money than I thought I deserved, and I took that money and went out to the ranch to live and try to paint, and my life kind of developed from there. I was there for eight years. I loved living out there, but … I realized I would come out with nothing but a great place to live—I needed a little bit more than that, so that was why I left. I came into town, bought a house and started my own thing.”
DeMont’s affection and admiration for McGrew reflect the nearly infectious charisma he had with seemingly everyone he engaged. “Any day with Bruce was just a fantastic day, watching the time pass. He could bring magic into eating food or just walking down the road. He’d just break things down to its core essence, and he lived his life that way, day in and day out, walking around in the core essence. He could find beauty in anything, in any place. And time—he was very connected to that spirit, whatever you wanna call it—the core essence are good words. Maybe some guys would call it bones. I’ve never met a person who was more real than Bruce McGrew—it’s the opposite of hokey. It’s the other direction, floored as far as the road goes.
Excerpted from Paul Gold, Bend in the Wash: The Rancho Linda Vista Artist Community (Tubecat LLC). The book is available for sale at http://interstice.us/paul-gold/index.htm. It is also available at Deadwood Framing and the Tucson Museum of Art.
For the last 10 years, performances by the Zoppé Family Circus have been a much-loved and much-anticipated treat. Playing to packed houses and wowing kids and adults alike, the artists of Zoppé work with traditions that date back to the Circus’s founding in Italy in 1842.
This year’s run, however, reflects the new and current reality of 2020/21, and so the extravaganza has been reborn at the Zoppé Family Circus Drive-In. Instead of sitting under the big-top tent, the 2021 circus will allow audiences to enjoy the circus from the safety of their own vehicles, while the performers can be seen on an elevated stage and circus ring, as well as displayed live on large LED screens. Sound will be broadcast through car stereos, just like a traditional drive-in movie theater on FM radio, with minimal sound coming from the stage. The circus family will be welcoming cars for half an hour before each show, including an old-fashioned circus parade through the cars. Performers and acts for this year’s Circus include high-flying gymnastics, acrobatics, and feats of strength, all under the watchful eye of ringmaster Mace Perlman. Shows will run between January 15 and January 31. For tickets and showtimes, please visit the Mercado’s website.
It doesn’t take more than a glance at the news—and at the streets—to know that our country is suffering a crisis in racial and ethnic relations, especially with regard to the African American community. Recent incidents have pressed the point, and have opened the door to a long-overdue discussion that, we hope, will defang racism and bring about a new, better day.
Meanwhile, African Americans are suffering unduly from the many-pronged crisis that marks our time, with disproportionate casualties to the COVID–19 pandemic and disproportionate losses in what now appears to be a profound economic recession, perhaps the worst in nearly a century.
It’s against that backdrop that Tucson entrepreneur, event planner, and networker Ashley La Russa has assembled a database of Black-owned businesses here in Tucson. Working with artists, businesspeople, and activists Seanloui Dumas (Black Renaissance), Khailill Knight (KPMADMAN/BLAX), Shannoah Green (Curated Colour), Terrell Henry (Creative Collabs), and Cruiz (Cruiz Photos), she has developed an online directory to highlight those businesses, one that will be updated regularly.
The directory project is just a beginning. Says La Russa, “We’re working on having businesspeople develop a one-minute pitch about what they do and why people should seek them out.” On Friday, June 26, an inaugural event will be staged online at the BlaxFriday website. The website, launched today, will stream these presentations, and will be followed by regular events to encourage Tucsonans to buy local and support Black-owned businesses and venues, from the Downtown Clifton Hotel to Smokey Mo restaurant to Zo Carroll’s health-coaching enterprise, Dr. Sharon Lister-Green’s dental practice, and Barbea Williams’s legendary dance company.
To follow #BlaxFriday as these events unfold, find the group at Instagram (@blaxfriday). Visit the website of Black-owned businesses at BlaxFriday.com
“I hope we’ll help the Tucson community to realize that these businesses deserve our support,” says La Russa. We here at Zócalo share that hope.
The print edition of Zócalo Magazine has momentarily paused, but we’ll be back when more of our marvelous advertisers and distribution outlets are fully serving the community. In the meantime, please continue to support your local Tucson businesses!
TUCSON ARTS AND CULTURE – Zocalo is a hyper-local monthly magazine reflecting the heart and soul of Tucson through its arts, culture, entertainment, food, and events. Look for us at over 350 locations city-wide, read our digital magazine, or have Zocalo delivered to your home or office.
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