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Songs Stuck on Repeat

September 29, 2015 | Jamie Manser

It’s a nearly universal human phenomenon, an experience that can be a blessing or a curse; educational or irritating; crazy-cool or enough to drive someone crazy. It happens to over 90 percent of us and scientists still don’t really know why.

This occurrence is the ubiquitous ear worm – a tune that gets stuck in your head. It spins around ad nauseam, and maybe fades away when more complicated, cerebral tasks come along only to pop up again later when your brain isn’t otherwise occupied. Or perhaps when it is otherwise occupied. It really depends on you. One thing The Arizona Ear Worm Project investigators have found is that the ear worm experience is highly personal.

Last month, in an office at the Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences building on the University of Arizona campus, these researchers discussed their project “Musical Cognition, Emotion and Imagery: Understanding the Brain, One Catchy Song at a Time.” The project was funded through the UA’s Confluencenter for Creative Inquiry Faculty Collaboration Grant program.

What was discovered and what remains to be uncovered surprised the interdisciplinary team. They will present their findings in a presentation called “Can’t Get You Out of My Head!” for Confluencenter’s Show & Tell event on Wednesday, Oct. 7.

“One of the main things that happened – (which was) exciting from a scientist’s perspective – is that we got rid of all the easy answers,” said Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences Associate Professor Andrew Lotto. “All the easy answers are not true: that ‘all ear worms look like this, everyone who has an ear worm looks like this.’ One of the things about scientists that oftentimes people don’t understand (is that) easy answers are not that exciting to a scientist. So, as this has gotten more and more complex, it becomes more and more interesting.”

The Arizona Ear Worm Project includes Dan Kruse, an ethnomusicologist and AZPM radio announcer, UA Associate Professor of Music Theory Don Traut, and Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences Professor Andrew Lotto.
photo: Jamie Manser/Confluencenter for Creative Inquiry

Dan Kruse, a radio announcer at Arizona Public Media and an ethnomusicologist, was inspired several years ago to investigate why songs get stuck in people’s heads after hearing a National Public Radio story on music psychologist Victoria Williamson, “who, of all things, was doing research into what starts ear worms,” said Kruse. “And I thought, ‘that’s so interesting, that somebody would actually study such a thing because I’ve experienced this my whole life.’”

Kruse recruited Lotto and Associate Professor of Music Theory Don Traut to join the team. “Don had done some really interesting research about hooks in pop music that lined up so beautifully with this,” Kruse shared.

When Lotto, Kruse and Traut – all music lovers – initially began batting around ideas and hypotheses, they collectively realized that their combined knowledge and perspectives would work together perfectly. Kruse was responsible for the interviews and the human touch, Traut approached it from a music theory perspective, and Lotto from the hearing sciences angle.

Once they started drilling into the meat of the matter, ideas about common harmonic patterns leading to ear worms and common songs recurring among the research subjects were tossed out due to lack of evidence. “Out of 150 to 200 ear worms (we studied), there were less than half a dozen that were repeat songs. It’s not like everybody has the same four to five songs stuck in their head,” Traut said. “It’s really a very personal thing. I thought that was significant. I thought there would be more uniformity.”

While the individuality of the ear worm occurrence was notable, Kruse said there were also cases when the song-stuck-on-repeat became a collective experience among partners, friends or coworkers. “Sometimes unspoken, they just notice they will hum something out loud and notice later that someone has the same thing going on,” Kruse said.

Kruse proposed that future research could “go ethnomusicologically – what are the qualities of music that people listen to? Are there certain things in music that people attach to? Are there music universals?”

“Again, the ear worm itself is a way of getting into the questions that we care about,” said Lotto. “The ear worm is one of these experiences that nearly everyone has related to music and it lets us start getting at why this sound (music) is so important across cultures for every single person, because it is a complex sound – it’s like a speech sound, an animal call – these are all complex structures.

“Why music and why not these other sounds?” Lotto queried. “There’s nothing really special (from a hearing science perspective) about the sound of music, yet our experience of it is very special.”

Find more information on The Arizona Ear Worm Project at AZEarWorm.org. The presentation “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” is on Wednesday, Oct. 7 for Show & Tell at Playground, 278 E. Congress St. The free event starts at 6 p.m. Visit Confluencenter.org for details or call 621-0599.

Bennuval!

September 12, 2015 | Zocalo Staff

Dante Lauretta, UA professor of Planetary Science & Cosmochemistry & Principal Investigator on NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Mission

Celebrate an Asteroid that Might Collide with Earth

Hurtling through space at 62,120 mph is a rather large rock. It’s 500 meters—or about one-third of a mile—in diameter, and even though that’s on the small-to-medium range as far as asteroids are concerned, it’s one that University of Arizona Professor of Planetary Sciences Dante Lauretta has his eye on. Partly because there’s a decent chance that it will one day collide with the earth.

Congress has mandated that NASA identify and monitor all of the celestial bodies over one kilometer in diameter that could eventually present a problem for our planet—those are the ones big enough to wipe out an entire city, or worse. Lauretta, though, thinks that we should be looking for anything larger than fifteen meters.

For reference, the impact on the Yucatan Peninsula that took out all the dinosaurs was about 10 kilometers in diameter; the asteroid that exploded in air over Chelyabinsk, Russia in February of 2013 was only about 14 meters in diameter. Still, Lauretta says that the resulting kaboom from the Chelyabinsk event was equivalent to a roughly 400 kiloton explosion; enough to knock down buildings, shatter windows, and injure a whole lot of people in the city below—the bomb the United States government dropped on Hiroshima in 1945 was closer to 15 kilotons. And, should that 500-meter rock named 101955 Bennu, find its way through our atmosphere, that explosion would be somewhere on the order of 3,000 megatons (emphasis on the ‘mega’).

When Bennu was discovered in 1999, it was about twice as far away from earth as we are from our own moon—that’s pretty close in astronomical terms. And, though you probably didn’t know it, our home planet has a similar cosmic close-call with this particular asteroid about once every six years. But, says Lauretta, in exactly 120 years, Bennu will come so close to earth that it will actually pass between the earth and the moon. And here’s the scary part—after that sub-lunar flyby, there is about a 1/2700 chance that Bennu’s orbit will bring it right back around to earth another forty years or so later; that’s about the same chance you have of dying from a fall down the stairs. Says Lauretta, “You’d probably cross the street with those odds,” but when it comes to asteroids that could wipe out huge swaths of humanity, it’s probably best not to roll the dice.

Lauretta, who is also the Principal Investigator on the University of Arizona’s NASA-funded OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission—a mission that intends to make actual contact with Bennu and return with a piece of it—is hoping that the data he’s collected for the project proposal (an effort that was seven years, five drafts, and a few thousand pages in the making), as well as whatever he learns from the sampling process will prove to be valuable to those scientists about 150 years from now, who will no doubt be looking into Bennu again, perhaps even more closely than Lauretta himself.

Where he is open to talking about Bennu’s potential for impact, Lauretta’s real interest in the asteroid is in the rocks, themselves. Well, not so much the rocks, but what he might find on them. “When we study asteroids,” Lauretta says, “we’re studying the geological remnants from the very beginning of our solar system. So,” he explains, “we’re looking at the processes that led to the formation of the planet earth and to the origin of life itself.” That’s right—Lauretta thinks that those rocks might contain evidence of extraterrestrial life.

Essentially, Lauretta says that there is a certain type of asteroid called a ‘carbonaceous’ asteroid “which seems to have a lot of organic material on it.” By organic material, he mean things like amino and nucleic acids, which he says are the “precursors to important biomolecules” like proteins, DNA, and RNA; what Lauretta calls “the seeds of life.” Bennu is one such asteroid.

The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is currently being assembled by partners at Lockheed Martin in a clean room facility near Denver, Colo. and is scheduled to launch on Sept. 3, 2016. The spacecraft will then travel for two years en route to the asteroid before flying alongside it for a period of about ten months to “survey and map” the surface of Bennu before they pick an extraction site. The sample collection will be accomplished using a sort-of mechanical-vacuum-arm device that will touch the surface of the asteroid for about five seconds without ever actually landing on it, and then turn around to begin its two-year return cruise.

Lauretta says that this “touch-and-go” method of sample collection is unique to the OSIRIS-REx project. The only previous attempt to collect a sample from an asteroid in space was the partially-successful Japanese project, Hayabusa. After the craft and its collection mechanisms were damaged in a fall, Hayabusa returned to earth with only the particulates that got caught in the machinery as it tumbled over the surface of its target. Coincidently, Lauretta says that Hayabusa II, which launched in Dec. of last year, is expecting to make contact with its own target asteroid within months of when OSIRIS-REx plans to begin their own survey phase. And, since both teams “share the same science goals,” Lauretta says that they have agreed to perform an asteroid sample swap in which each team will get a sample of the other’s rock, if successful. “That way,” he explains, “if either mission is successful, both teams get asteroid sample for their laboratories.” Call it scientific insurance.

Since Professor Lauretta has been entrusted with about $1 billion in federal tax monies for his project, he says he feels “obligated” to engage the community and educate them about OSIRIS-REx. Plus, he’s just really excited about it, and he thinks the rest of Tucson could be, too. “We want Tucson to think of OSIRIS-REx as sort-of the ‘Hometown Kid’,” says Lauretta, pointing out that the spacecraft’s journey is itself a classic treasure-quest story.

In that spirit of education and engagement, Lauretta and the OSIRIS-REx team are hosting an event at the Fox Theatre this month which they hope will serve as the community introduction they’ve been waiting for. Bennuval!, billed as “An Evening of Space, Art, and Music,” will feature music by ChamberLab, performances by Flam Chen and the Tucson Improve Movement, and an “Art of Planetary Science” exhibition. The event will be hosted by Geoff Notkin, former star of the Science Channel series Meteorite Men and owner of the local meteorite collection and distribution company, Aerolite Meteorites, LLC.

Lauretta says that, though people often think of the arts and sciences as at odds, “they’re really complementary”. Artists, musicians, acrobats, comedians, and scientists “are all working toward the same celebration of the human experience,” says Lauretta. And as such, you can expect the Bennuval! show to offer a few surprises. “I don’t want it to be a stovepipe show,” he says. At a recent performers’ meeting, Lauretta told the cast he wanted them to “get on stage with each other and just see what happens.” He then went on to say that he thought “something really interesting and exciting is going to come out of that,” and I wasn’t sure anymore if he was talking about the spacecraft or the upcoming show. Really, he’s probably right on both counts.

Bennuval! takes place on Sat. Sept. 12 at 7pm at the Fox Theatre; tickets start at $18. More information and tickets are available at FoxTucsonTheatre.com. More info on the OSIRIS-REx mission can be found online at
AsteroidMission.org

Q&A with Debi Chess Mabie

September 5, 2015 | Zocalo Staff

Debi Chees Mabie, photo by Cait NiSiomon

Last month, the Tucson Pima Arts Council (TPAC) announced a restructuring, creating a new leadership position by hiring Debi Chess Mabie as Chief Executive Officer. Zócalo reached out to Mabie to learn a little more about the changes and to find out what’s in store for TPAC’s future.

Zócalo: Congratulations on your new position. It’s clear that the leadership structure at TPAC has been transformed. Can you tell us about your new role, what you will be charged with and how other staff positions at TPAC may have changed?

DCM: Thank you! TPAC’s staffing re-design is the result of an organizational reality check. While the City and County did not reduce our base allocation in this last budget go-round, the trajectory of our funding over the past 8-10 years has lead us to understand that we needed to be more entrepreneurial and proactive in developing additional sustainable funding mechanisms for the arts. The board took a long deep look at the assets of the organization and how we could put those assets to highest and best use, and at the same time strategize about the cultivation of additional resources.
As CEO, I will focus on operational issues, continue our relationships with city and county interest, and engage the efforts of private philanthropy locally while continuing to cultivate the national support Roberto has brought to our community. The same is true of Roberto Bedoya, who has moved from executive director to Director of Civic Engagement. In this new staffing structure, Roberto will focus on further development of the PLACE Initiative, expanding on the premise that the arts and civic engagement practices have the power to transform communities. The PLACE Initiative was developed under Roberto’s leadership and has become a national model for these projects and programs while bringing in over $600,000 in national funding over the last eight years.

Zócalo: Assuming that you will be drawing from your previous work in the arts community, tell us a bit more about your background in Tucson.

DCM: I moved to Tucson with my family from Chicago five years ago. We came for my husband’s job at the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona, and I quickly discovered The Loft Cinema. With my background in arts-based community development (I was the Executive Director of a cultural arts center prior to leaving Chicago), I found an opportunity to be employed there. I started off in sort of a community outreach position and then moved into Development Director and was there for a little over two years. Working at The Loft was an amazing opportunity to indulge my “film-lust” and learn about the arts funding and support landscape in Tucson. People are passionate about the arts here in Tucson. And people are not silo-ed in their appreciation for the cultural offerings here. Scratch a film lover, and you will find a music lover, a theater lover, a visual artist.

Zócalo: TPAC has seen its budget cut dramatically in recent years. Can you give us some hard numbers? What’s TPAC’s current budget as compared to maybe 6 years ago? What’s it going to take to keep TPAC’s core services and programming going?

DCM: In 2008, TPAC’s budget was at $1.2 million. Today, our budget sits at $782,000. We can’t keep the same level of core services and programming. That just doesn’t make sense. We have had to adapt, we have kept our public art programming, grantmaking and professional development services. We will look at ways we can use technology to connect artists and arts organizations to opportunities for funding and information. This year, we made a decision to cut the Open Studio Tour from our programs because of the lack of staff and core funding we needed to do a quality tour. However, private philanthropy stepped in and saved the tour. This is one example of private support filling the gap left by reduced public funding. With more strategic efforts we can continue down this path of public/private partnerships in support of the arts.

Zócalo: Some of your funding is pass through, correct? Whereas funds pass through TPAC from other sources to be redistributed as grants to the arts community?

DCM: Yes, a portion of our funds are redistributed as grants. We currently have four grant opportunities: General Operating Support, PLACE Initiative, New Works, and the Pima Community College Youth Arts Awards. Funds are also used to facilitate programs such as public art, professional development opportunities and workshops for artists and arts organizations, production of the Lumies Arts and Business Awards (coming up on September 18), advocacy and research projects, and exhibition opportunities for artists through the Pioneer Building Gallery, the Mayor’s Gallery, and the University of Arizona Downtown Gallery. Our plan is to leverage our public funds and cultivate private philanthropy in support of arts funding. Our goal is to get more money and resources out into the community.

Zócalo: To someone who might not see the value in a regional arts support or grant organization, how would you describe TPAC’s importance to the community?

DCM: I would challenge that person to go through their day and NOT have an arts experience!
Public art is all around us, and I challenge people to pay closer attention to the public art, architecture, textiles, music, and movement of this city. It’s an expression of who we are and a reflection of our community’s values. The quality of life and sense of place that art provides needs a support system to ensure that creators are able to continue their work and organizations are able to provide quality programming. That’s what TPAC does. We support the creators and programmers that make Tucson, Pima County, and Southern Arizona a beautiful place to live and work.

Zócalo: What are some of your short terms goals while at TPAC? What are some of your longer term goals?

DCM: In the short term, you will see a cleaner more accessible website. One that accurately reflects TPAC’s mission and invites engagement with TPAC on many levels.

In the long term, I see TPAC as THE leader in arts grantmaking, advocacy and public art management in the region. When you experience all things arts and culture in Southern Arizona, you will know TPAC had a hand in making it happen.

Zócalo: What other changes are on the horizon for TPAC?

DCM: A stronger focus on sustainable funding for the arts and creation of a civic engagement platform, plus an adjustment of day-to-day operational issues for TPAC for more effective procedures—like contract compliance and reporting—will keep me plenty busy this year.

Zócalo: Anything else you would like to add?

DCM: If you want to truly understand the level of support and passion for the arts that exists in Tucson, come to the Lumies Arts and Business Awards, Friday, September 18th, 6PM at the Tucson Museum of Art Plaza. Celebrate the nominees, congratulate the winners and enjoy food, drinks and entertainment from KXCI’s Cathy Rivers as emcee and stylings of DJ Dirtyverbs.

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

Horticultural Notes from an Urban Epicurean

September 5, 2015 | Jared McKinley

Urban Epicurean Grab a beer and a trowel and get into the garden! The summer is technically over this month and even though some days it feels like the autumnal equinox is a big lie, the garden is gearing up for the shorter days, cooler temperatures, and is getting ready to provide you with a season of fresh vegetables. It’s time to plant.

The left over warm season plants will still produce. Some may, in fact, be reinvigorated by the cooler weather. Peppers, eggplant, basil…many will still be giving you lots of of return for keeping them watered and cared-for through the hot summer months. But maybe that tomato plant isn’t really producing much, sprawling all over and taking up precious space. Maybe you cannot eat another Armenian cucumber even if you were forced at gunpoint. Many people, despite knowing better, will keep these plants going, watering them, letting them take up room instead of planting new fall crops. Practice discernment and pull those plants up. Make some room for the new season.

Plant Now

Suggested below are cool-season crops you can plant now and throughout the cool season. Common and maybe less familiar crops are listed here; if you aren’t familiar with one, google it or start reading seed catalogs and expand your horizons.

Greens

Lettuce, arugula, leaf chicories (escarole, endive, puntarelle, frisée, radicchio), asian greens (bok choi, tatsoi, napa cabbage, mizuna, mibuna, garland greens), sorrel, nasturtium, mache, cress, miner’s lettuce, spinach and celery can all be planted now. Most prefer well-amended garden soil and be sure your beds are in at least a half day of direct sun–in my opinion full sun is optimal. Some greens may prematurely bolt (go to seed). This early in the season you can look for “bolt resistant” and “heat tolerant” varieties (listed on seed packets or in catalogs). You can continue to plant greens throughout the winter until about late April or May (some crops and varieties last longer into the season). You can find these plants at your local plant nursery (please support local) in 6-packs or single 4” pots, normally. But you can find a lot more variety if you order seed packets (seed sources listed at end of article). Plant directly into the garden as per instructions on the packet. The rule of thumb is to plant about as deep as the size of the seed; as seedlings emerge, thin them to accommodate the mature size of each plant (add the seedlings you thin to your salad as microgreens).

Root Vegetables

Carrots, radishes, beets, turnips, burdock, parsley root, celeriac, chicory, salsify, scorzonera, and rutabaga can all be planted. Plant and seed as described above. The primary difference with root crops is that you want to ensure that you don’t have soil that is too rich–you will end up with lots of green tops but root development will be weak. Garden beds that are on the sandy side are great for these crops.

Cole Crops

Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, rapini, kale, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, and collards are all related, in fact they are all the same species (Brassica oleraceae). Treat them as you would greens by providing nutrient-rich garden soil.

Alliums

These are the plants in the onion family: the various bunching and bulb-producing onions, garlic, elephant garlic, Egyptian walking onion, shallots, leeks, chives, Chinese chives can be found in nurseries and catalogs this time of year as sets (dried bulbs), starts (green bulbs sold in bunches) or as plants in containers. The multiplyer types are best planted in a permanent location as they will keep growing year after year, whereas the single bulb-type alliums will be harvested next late spring/early summer when the tops dry back.

Legumes

While many plants in the bean family are grown in the summer, some prefer the cool season. Garbanzos, favas, lentils and peas are perfect to plant right now. Make sure you don’t plant them close to the root vegetables (they are associated with microorganisms that increase nitrogen in the soil which make root crops grow more leaves than roots), and generally they also prefer soil that is not as enriched as the greens and cole crops.

Cool-Season Herbs

These are grown just like greens and in fact, in my opinion, many of these herbs are just greens with more aroma. Best from seed, plant parsley, cilantro, chervil, dill, lovage, anise, caraway, fennel, borage and salad burnet.

Other Vegetables and Herbs

Most of these are perennials (plants that live more than one season) so give them a permanent location and room to grow. Asparagus can be planted this time of year but make sure you give them lots of room, far away from the other plants. They are normally found in catalogs and nurseries as crowns (bulblike structures with roots). Artichoke and Cardoon can be planted from seed or plant. You can also plant any perennial herbs like thyme, oregano, marjoram, rosemary, sage, savory, rue, santolina or mint.

A few favorite seed sources: Native Seeds/SEARCH, Baker’s Creek, Kitazawa Seed Company, Seeds from Italy, Southern Exposure, The Cook’s Garden, Seed Savers Exchange, Territorial Seed Company. Find plants locally at Mesquite Valley Growers, Civano Nursery, Rillito Nursery and Harlow’s.

Jared McKinley is a food and plant fanatic in downtown Tucson. Follow him on Instagram @KittyKattMcKinley n

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.

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

FC Tucson Is Picking up Steam

June 1, 2015 | Craig Baker

Courtesy Pima County

Midfield forward David Clemens left FC Tucson last year to try his hand in the professional soccer circuit with a USL Pro development team called the Dayton Dutch Lions. But when their local soccer community failed to show them the support they needed, the team folded down to the PDL level—the level at which FC Tucson competes—and so his contract was released. And even though Clemens could have probably chosen to play for any one of the 68 PDL teams across the nation given his USL experience, thankfully, he decided to return to Tucson.

“After being in the professional division,” says Clemens, “I saw that this club was run better than some of the pro teams in terms of the facilities that they have and how professional the environment is here, so I know that if I want to continue pursuing my professional career that (Tucson) is the best place to be.” And, since he was with FC Tucson in 2013 during their impressive run in the Desert Diamond Cup that earned the team an opportunity to play against the MLS Houston Dynamo, Clemens understands the power of a well-developed PDL program probably about as well as anyone.

Now in its fourth season with the PDL following a single year as an independent soccer club, FC Tucson has built a name for itself, as well as a healthy regular fan base with the self-applied title of ‘The Cactus Pricks.’ FC Tucson’s Head Coach and Founding Partner Rick Schantz says that their 2013 season helped to “open the eyes of the sports community at large” in Tucson and that, as a result, the local soccer club is starting to feel “like another one of Tucson’s teams…It’s not just the Wildcats anymore, and it feels good,” Schantz adds, smiling. Last year, FC Tucson managed to keep the attention of the local community with a record of 11-2-1, which was the fourth best of any team in the PDL. The Desert Diamond Cup Tournament that followed saw a record 3600 fans in attendance at Kino North Stadium for the second round of play.

Hoping to catch that wave of community support, FC Tucson has also decided to incorporate a women’s team under their banner for the first time. The women’s club, which formed in 2013 as Tucson Soccer Academy FC, has actually used the facilities at Kino Sports Complex alongside the FC Tucson men’s squad from the beginning, so the change in title doesn’t come with a requirement of relocation. In that respect, FC Tucson Women’s Head Coach Amy Garelick says that “it just made sense” for the two programs to merge. The increased funding and sponsorships available under the FC umbrella also offers some very simple benefits that were previously unavailable to the women’s team, such as the ability to travel to away games the day before a match rather than the day of.

The FC Tucson Women’s Club debuted in late March at Kino North against the MLS-affiliated Portland Thorns—a team which features a number of National-level players who Garelick says will likely appear in the upcoming 2015 Women’s World Cup in Canada. FC Tucson Women’s Veteran Defender Kelly Pierce-Kearns says the crowd of more than 1100 at the Thorns’ game was the biggest the local women’s club has ever seen. “It’s really encouraging when you hear people cheering for you, or you score a goal and you get to celebrate and everyone in the stands is yelling with you—it’s a good feeling,” says Pierce-Kearns.

Pierce-Kearns, who is in her early-thirties, has been with the program since its inception, but before the team formed in 2013, she had no outlet to compete in the sport. Though a spot on an FC Tucson squad is technically an amateur position, Pierce-Kearns says she is just grateful “to get to play at such a high level and to be coached again”—a feeling no doubt shared by the majority of her peers.

Surely the Women’s World Cup this year will help shine a spotlight on women’s soccer in general, and that will likely mean at least a slight bump for the newly-incorporated FC program. Not only could that translate to more revenue for the often-idle sports complex, but it most definitely means more opportunities for soccer fans to catch high-level games here in town; between the men’s and women’s teams, Garelick points out that there will be a soccer game at Kino Park every weekend through mid-July. And, to the Cactus Pricks and all of the other soccer fans around Tucson, when it gets down to it, isn’t that the goal?

For more information, a complete schedule of games, and/or to get tickets to an FC Tucson match, check out FCTucson.com.

Tucson Summer Nights

June 1, 2015 | Craig Baker

When the temperature rises to the point that the plastic cups in your car begin melting into their cup holders, some Sonoran Desert dwellers experience a buildup of unfathomable rage. If you’ve lived here long enough, you may have been there yourself—at that point where you feel like you could lift and toss a small car, or at least a motorcycle, just to snag the only shady spot in the parking lot. We get it.

But there are a few other ways that we as Tucsonans can choose to deal with these feelings which fall comfortably short of literal or metaphorical combustion: 1) we can complain about it, making the lives of everyone else around us just a little more miserable; 2) we can lock ourselves indoors in the protection of those ever-sacred climate modification devices that keeps us from losing all motivation to live; or 3) we can find a way to shift our schedules ever-so-slightly so as to enjoy more of the cooler, more palatable moonlit hours of the day. Here are a few ideas for those of you who are looking to go nocturnal this summer…

Catch an outdoor flick

When: Every Thursday evening at 7:30pm through the end of August at La Placita, or 5:30 pm at Reid Park June 5 and 19, as well as alternating Fridays through August 14.

Where: La Placita Village downtown, 110 S. Church Ave; Reid Park, 900 S. Randolph Way.

What: The outdoor family-friendly film series, Cinema La Placita, has been running every summer since May 2000. Bring the kids, your (good) dogs, and $3 for admission, but popcorn is included for free! Check the Cinema La Placita Website for upcoming titles or to make movie suggestions at CinemaLaPlacita.com. Reid Park also runs a similar series for free every second Friday with a number of vendors and entertainers on site starting at 5:30, and shows starting at dusk. More info at SAACA.org/Cox_Movies_in_the_Park.html.

Wander the Desert Loop Trail

When: Every Saturday night from June 6-Sept 5 from 5pm-10pm.

Where: Arizona Sonora Desert Museum; 2021 N. Kinney Rd.

What: Each uniquely themed Saturday evening in the 14th Annual “Cool Summer Nights” series at ASDM will feature three live music venues (including one specifically for children), live animal demonstrations, activity stations run by the museum’s Junior Docents, and educational and entertaining programming related to each theme. Covering everything from the oceans, to astronomy, to comedy, ASDM promises something for everyone this summer, and at no additional charge on top of regular admission. ASDM’s Director of Marketing, Rosemary Prawdzik, says that the kids are especially fond of “Insect Insanity!” (July 18) and can even buy black lights at the gift shop to help in the hunt for scorpions. “Coming to the Desert Museum at night is a very different experience than during the day time,” says Prawdzik, pointing out that the low lighting on the grounds allows for easy stargazing, and that the animals on site tend to be more active after the sun goes down. No wonder this annual event has become a tradition for many local families. Watch in coming months for “Full Moon Festivals” which will shine a spotlight on the arts.

Celebrate the Solstice

When: Saturday, June 20 from 7pm-1am.

Where: Sky Bar; 536 N. 4th Ave.

What: What’s better than, pizza, beer, and fire spinning—at a safe distance, of course. Drop by Sky Bar to celebrate the summer solstice—the longest day of the year—with live music and an always-thrilling performance by the Cirque Roots crew.

23rd Annual Summer Art Cruise, image: Naoto Hattori, Recollection 029, 3.8 x 5.8, acrylic on board, 2015, at Baker + Hesseldenz Fine Art, June 6.

Gallery hop

When: Saturday, June 6 from 6pm-9pm.

Where: Central Tucson Gallery Association (CTGA) Galleries downtown and on University Blvd.

What: What: The 23rd Annual Summer Art Cruise is the biggest night of the year for the seven member galleries (Baker+Hesseldenz, Conrad Wilde, Contreras, Davis Dominguez, Moen Mason, Philabaum, and Raices Taller 222) that extend their hours for this single evening of connecting art fans, collectors, and artists—and the best part is, it’s free to you. Each gallery curates its own events (of course) and co-owner of Davis Dominguez Gallery, Mike Dominguez, says that many offer hors d’oeuvres and live music. Dominguez says that, for their part, the Davis Dominguez Gallery will be holding a reception for the 80+ artists featured in the Small Works show that will close the following week. “There will be plenty of people out,” says Dominguez, “and a lot of the artists will come together to fill the streets here.” The question is will you be there with them?

Take a flashlight hike

When: Saturday, June 6 from 6:30pm-9:30pm.

Where: Catalina State Park; 11570 N. Oracle Rd.

What: Take a moonlit hike in Catalina State Park with the Town of Oro Valley Parks and Recreation Department to celebrate National Trails Day. Snacks will be provided and an expert guide will be on hand, but be sure and bring plenty of water and your own flashlight. More info available at OroValleyAZ.gov.

Take your clothes off

When: Night of Saturday, June 13 until 2am.

Where: Club Congress; 311 E. Congress St.

What: The annual Underwear Party at Club Congress has been known to draw more than 1200 nearly-naked alcohol-consuming individuals of both sexes for an evening of good-natured debauchery unlike any other. Any questions? If so, check out HotelCongress.com… I wash my hands of this one.

Check out Second Saturdays

When: Saturday, June 13 from 6:30pm-10pm .

Where: Congress St., Downtown Tucson.

What: If you haven’t been to a Second Saturdays Downtown event yet, take advantage of the quiet, cool summer evenings to do so this month. As always, there promises to be plenty of entertainment, music, street performances, vendors, and all of that fair food nobody can seem to get enough of. Grab a bite to eat and a drink or just make a free night of it by catching a live show or two—you’ve got nothing to lose with this regular crowd-pleaser.

Have a “Brew at the Zoo”

When: “Brew at the Zoo” is on Saturday, June 20 from 6pm-9:30pm; Summer Safari Nights run every Friday through July 10 from 6pm-8pm.

Where: Reid Park Zoo; 3400 Zoo Court.

What: The third annual iteration of this highly-anticipated event combines two of everyone’s favorite things—alcohol and animals. Craft Tucson provides plenty of sudsy drink for the event, the admission cost of which covers the beer. Tucsonans come out in droves, so make sure to get your tickets in advance. This year’s Brew event, themed “Healthy and Hoppy”, will help support the construction of a new medical facility on the zoo’s grounds, so drinking to excess here is actually for a good cause. You’ll have to leave the little ones at home for this night of frivolity, though, as it is strictly 21+. For a more family friendly atmosphere, check out the zoo’s Summer Safari Nights program, in which the zoo reopens between 6pm and 8pm every Friday for a cooler trip down the Tanzania Trail. Tickets to the Brew event are $40 general admission, $35 for zoo members, and $20 for designated drivers if purchased in advance. Admission to Summer Safari Nights is $9 for adults, $7 for seniors, and $5 for kids ages 2-14—zoo members get $2 off. More info available at ReidParkZoo.org.

Catch a soccer game at Kino Sports Complex

When: Every weekend in June (various dates).

Where: Kino North Stadium; 3400 S. Country Club Rd.

What: With the addition of a women’s team to the FC Tucson family, there will be a lot more competitive soccer in Tucson this summer, and you can bet the Cactus Pricks are ready for the action. For a full schedule for both the men’s and women’s teams, tickets, or more information, visit FCTucson.com. Also, check out the article on FC Tucson in this issue.

Learn some history and celebrate freedom

When: Saturday, June 20 from 10am-9pm

Where: The Donna Liggins Center/Mansfield Park; 2160 N. 6th Ave.

What: Did you know that it took a full two-and-a-half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation for all of the slaves in the United States to finally obtain their freedom? June 19th—or Juneteenth—of this year marks 150 years since the last slaves were set free in Galveston, Texas. It also marks the 45th anniversary of Tucson’s own annual Juneteenth Festival. Indoor educational activities end at three and give way to the evening celebration, which will feature guest speakers, free hotdogs for the kids at 5:30pm, historical exhibits, as well as live entertainment. More info available on the “Tucson Juneteenth Celebration” Facebook page.

Do some stargazing

When: Every night through July 14.

Where: Kitt Peak National Observatory.

What: This stargazing program is so popular in the winter months that Visitor Center Manager Bill Buckingham says that Kitt Peak has to turn away more than 1000 people each day during high season. And it’s easy to see why the nightly observation program is such a hot ticket (wrong phrasing?)—Kitt Peak can be a full 25 degrees cooler than Tucson in the evenings. Reservations are $49 per person, but there’s actually a good chance of landing one during the slower summers. Also, be on the lookout for the Kitt Peak-sponsored binocular stargazing program to return to Saguaro National Park West for an out-of-this-world experience that’s a little bit closer to home.

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.