I love my city. I’ve called Downtown home for 10 years. I’ve seen my share of successes and failures down here. (Monroe’s will always hold a special place in my heart.) When I first joined the Downtown Pioneers, the energy Downtown was like a few sparkling grains of sand. You found a grain at the Web Theater, you picked up another grain or two over at the Bentley Projects or Lodo, and on the right night a golden handful at Modified Arts. If you weren’t careful or if the wrong person breathed on it, the sand would blow away, leaving nothing to show for your dedication and no way to prove to the naysayers that what you found was unique and worth nurturing.
Well, my fellow Downtown Pioneers, we have our victory at long last! The community we’ve cared for and lovingly nurtured with scraped and bleeding hands has finally come to life. Its energy is palpable, heavy in your hand. You can breathe it in like fresh herbs or your favorite corner restaurant. And we can laugh in the faces of the naysayers as they now scramble for a plot in our beautiful urban garden.
If you would like to experience what I have just described then I say, “No more excuses!” You will not find a better example of what Downtown has become than this weekend, which just so happens to be my favorite weekend of the entire year. Want to know why? Here’s the rundown: The P.F. Chang’s Rock N’ Roll Marathon will bring at least 40,000 bodies Downtown. AMA Supercross will bring another 50,000 inside Chase Field, and another 10,o00 taking part in the FanFest all day Saturday before the racing begins. The Herberger is playing host to one of the best musicals ever written, Ain’t Misbehavin’, and will surely bring another few thousand people Downtown for the last shows of the musical’s wildly successful run. Kathy Griffin is in town at Dodge (5,000 people there), Master Peter’s Puppet Show’s Don Quixote will pack 2,400 into Symphony Hall, Disney On Ice has four shows scheduled at US Airways Center with 9,000 attending each one, and the World Music Festival is bringing two acts and 2,400 people to the Orpheum Theater.
That doesn’t include the great family activites at Arizona Science Center, the Saturday market at Phoenix Public Market, Third Fridays Concert at Civic Space Park, or any of the restaurants and bars that will be spilling over with people.
So… remember that Downtown energy I mentioned earlier?
Downtown Goings On Jan. 19-22
Thursday, January 19th, 2012If you’re looking to fill your weekend’s social calendar, Downtown Phoenix offers the perfect blend of urban nightlife, culture, family friendly events, dining, and live music.
Grab a slice of pizza from Downtown’s newest pizza parlor, Downtown Pizza Lounge (144 E. Washington St.). Phoenix Suns assistant coach and former shooting star Dan Majerle opened this lunch spot last week next door to his flagship bar and restaurant, Majerle’s. Chow down on huge $3 pizza slices (popular varieties like pepperoni, sausage, Margherita, etc.) while getting your SportsCenter fix. Downtown Pizza Lounge might stay open late depending on Downtown’s event calendar.
Friday at 5:30 p.m., Coach & Willie’s hosts Super Date for Super Nate, a benefit dinner and poker tournament for Nate Dinoffria and his family. Please read Nate’s story here. A dinner ticket is $25, a spot in the poker tournament is $50, and dinner and poker can be had for the unbeatable price of $65. You may also sponsor a poker table for $250. For more information about Nate and this event contact dmobilia@aol.com
Fans of FX Network’s raunchy fantasy football sit-com “The League,” can see one of the show’s stars, Steve Rannazzisi (you’ll be quizzed on the spelling of that name at the door), perform his “You’re Either In Or You’re Out” routine at Stand Up Live Thursday-Sunday. Tickets are just $15 and parking is free when you validate at the CityScape garage.
Take the kids to see Disney On Ice’s “Toy Story 3″ at US Airways Center Thursday-Sunday. Tickets are $14-$68, which is pretty cheap fare to go to infinity and beyond.
Check out local favorites What Laura Says (pictured, left) at Downtown’s hippest new lounge and music venue Crescent Ballroom, Friday at 8:30. Tickets are $8-$10. While you’re there, try Crescent’s already legendary signature cocktail, the Honey Badger.
Speaking of live music, the Chris Parker Project will be playing its scintillating blend of Motown and 70s funk Friday night at Copper Blues starting around 8:30 pm. No cover!
Herberger Theater Center rolls out a few shows this weekend, including “My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish & I’m In Therapy” Thursday-Sunday ($39.50-$49.50), and psychological thriller “9 Circles” in the Kax Theater Thursday-Saturday ($16-$20).
Irish folksters Trevor Jones and Nick Heyward play at The Turf Pub (705 N. 1st St.) 4 p.m. to 1 a.m.
The Phoenix Symphony presents “Pictures At An Exhibition” Thursday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Symphony Hall. Tickets start at $18.
There’s also Food Truck Friday (11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.) and Saturday Market (8 a.m. to 1 p.m.) at Phoenix Public Market, “Monster Manual, Venom, Busy Bones” at Arizona Science Center, and the kid-friendly Fourth Sunday Jam at Civic Space Park (5 p.m.) featuring DJ DJentrification.
Have a great weekend in Downtown Phoenix!
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Tags: civic space park, Coach & Willie's, Copper Blues, Disney on Ice, downtown phoenix, Downtown Pizza Lounge, kincaid's, majerles, Nate Dinoffria, phoenix public market, Phoenix Symphony, San Tan Brewery, Stand Up Live Steve Rannazzisi, The League, The Turf Irish Pub, What Laura Says
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