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FOOD FEST '97: The Bangkok Cab Company Restaurant
and Toxic Shock's Daniel McGuire, along with the magnanimous
support of co-sponsors including KFMA Radio, Golden Eagle Distributors,
the Tucson Arts District Partnership and the Food Conspiracy Co-op,
will be hosting Food Fest '97, a fundraiser benefiting
the Tucson Community Food Bank. The goal is to collect
at least 1,000 pounds of canned goods for the Food Bank, and to
expand community awareness of the persistent hunger problem in
Tucson--particularly the need to increase regular donations to
the Food Bank. The event takes place from 2 to 9 p.m. Saturday,
September 27, at the Bangkok Cab Company, 411 N. Fifth Ave. Two
open air stages--which translates into constant music without
the usual breakdown/set-up lulls--will showcase nine fabulous
local bands running the gamut from punk rock and jazz core to
rockabilly, Cajun-inflected brass jazz and straight-up alternative
rock. The following groups will be donating their time to aid
the cause: Mysterio, ATM, The Weird Lovemakers,
Bass Culture, Nervous Duane Norman, Al Foul and
the Shakes, Crawdaddy-O, Cortex Bomb and Greyhound
Soul. Cover charge for this community-minded, charitable event
is two cans of food per person over 12 years age, and all ages
are welcome. There will be a food court, beer stalls and fun to
be had by all while benefiting an important cause. For more information,
call 620-6144.
HOT IMPROV: As a prelude to its first full season devoted to improvisational jazz, Zeitgeist presents Tony Malaby and Joey Sellers' Quartet at the Mat Bevel Institute, formerly the D.P.C., at 530 N. Stone Ave. Performance artist Mat Bevel enhances the intimate experience with his sculptural creations and interpretive lighting. The quartet, founded by tenor saxophonist Malaby and trombonist Sellers, includes drummer Billy Minzt and bassist Trey Henry, both from Los Angeles. Recently relocated to New York, former Arizonans Malaby and Sellers met in the early '80s at the UA Jazz Studies program, and have maintained the quartet, despite the 3,000 miles separating the members, as a means of improvisational exploration on a small-group scale. The performance is scheduled for 8 p.m. on Monday, September 29. Tickets are $8, $7 in advance, with a dollar off for TJS and KXCI members. Advance tickets are available at Last Wax Records, 402 N. Fourth Ave. Call 621-7355 for more information.
LAST NOTES: The Airport Lounge, 20 E. Pennington St., has two noteworthy headliners this week: The Makers rock the lounge underground on Thursday, September 25; and the Hillbilly Soul Surfers return triumphant on Friday, September 26. Call 882-0400 for more information. Congratulations go out to Shoebomb, whose members are celebrating the long-awaited release of their full-length debut, Pop Quiz, with a CD release party on Friday, September 26, at Club Congress, 311 E. Congress St. The disc is available in all your favorite record stores, and will be sold along with other groovy merchandise the night of the release party. Panic Over Train Wreck will open the show, with Shoebomb featured in the middle slot (for all you crazy kids with early bedtimes), with Al Perry wrapping it up late-night. Then on Sunday, September 28, the Congress hosts a belly-slappin' triple bill with one of Tucson's perennial favorites, raunchy headliners Tenderloin, preceded by former Replacements guitarist Slim Dunlap, who'll be playing material from his two solo releases (I have my fingers crossed for "Little Shiva's Song"), and one the most interesting bands lately on the local scene, the duo Twine. Cover for Sunday's show is $5 at the door. Call 622-8848 for more information. Local classical guitar soloist David Leisner performs Bach, Mertz, Ginastera and Schubert, along with original material, at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, October 1, at Grace St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 2331 E. Adams St. Admission is $10 in advance, $7 for members of the Tucson Guitar Society. LAST WORDS: We've hardly had a moment's peace from one of the summer's most pervasive ad campaigns, the "Miller Genuine Draft Blind Date," wherein music fans were tempted by various means to compete for a trip to see an unannounced big-name band in a small club in a big city. To be honest, I didn't feel any great sense of expectation or loss by missing out on the Foo Fighters or Bush, but the announcement of the third and final showcased performer has me twisting with ambivalence: Friday, September 19, David Bowie performed the MGD Blind Date with guests the Chemical Brothers at the Vic Theater in Chicago. Missing an opportunity, however farfetched or ill-gotten, to witness the Thin White Duke in a club with a capacity only slightly greater than that of the Club Congress is a bitter regret indeed. Even more bitter, though, is the thought that Bowie--himself a master of media manipulation--would stoop to participation in such an obvious and cheesy hype-fest sponsored by a mediocre American beer.
I have but one question: Who owed whom a favor? The idea of seeing
Bowie in such an intimate setting is every staunch fan's wet dream,
yet my mind reels with hateful imaginings filled with scores of
young, perplexed contest winners hoping for Oasis or No
Doubt and disappointed with an artist they probably knew little
about or thought of as a has-been bent on renewed hippness. With
respect to the other Blind Date bands, Bowie is a sage among neophytes,
making his performance all the more perplexing. At the very least,
Bowie seemed aware of the peculiar and exceptional circumstance
of his participation, as evidenced by his initial comments to
the audience: "Do you have a few minutes? I'm going to play
a few songs for you--some old, some new, some you'll like and
some you won't." Space Oddity indeed.
--Lisa Weeks
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ACOUSTIC BLUES: The Tucson Blues Society and co-sponsors
Tucson Kitchen Musicians Association host the Eighth
Annual Acoustic Blues Showcase from 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday, September
28, at The Heidelberg, 4606 E. Pima St. Headlining this
year's event is traditional acoustic blues star Steve James.
He's internationally heralded as one of the best by virtue of
his stylistic versatility (traditional country, hillbilly, roots,
boogie, ragtime) and the emotive power and resonance of his live
performances. Local featured talent includes boogie woogie with
the Blues Katz featuring Arthur Migliazza, contemporary
acoustic blues by Tony & The Torpedoes, and Mitzi
Cowell & Friends performing traditional and original blues.
Tickets for the Blues Showcase, which is a smoke-free event, are
$6 at the door, $5 for TBS, TKMA and 
