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Posts Tagged ‘Dodge Theatre’

Be Our Valentine

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

If you’re looking for anti-Valentine’s Day sentiment–you know, like those hater parties where lonely, angry people sit in a circle and drink heavily while pretending they’re totally at peace with being single and loveless–Downtown Phoenix isn’t the place for you. Try Old Town.

Downtown Phoenix is all about embracing Valentine’s Day and here’s what we’re doing as Cupid’s Accomplices. Seriously, if you don’t have a Valentine just hang out with us for awhile and you’re bound to find one.

Design a Date Contest: Visit the blog post or our Facebook page and submit your idea of a perfect Valentine’s Day date Downtown. We want to know where you’d go, what you’d eat, and what you’d see. The greater the detail, the better. Two winners will receive a $25 gift card to Kincaid’s.

candy_heartsFestive Friday: From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, the Ambassadors will be stationed outside the Information Center [US Bank Building, 101 N. First Ave., Ste. 190] sharing sweet treats courtesy of Downtown businesses. You can also pick up coupons for FREE food items from participating restaurants to be used throughout the month. Plus, music by FATIGO!

Heart Grab & Dash Contest: Approach five (5) different Ambassadors Friday morning before 1 p.m. and ask each one for his or her heart. The first five people to collect five hearts and deliver the lot of them to the Information Center will receive an awe-tacular Valentine’s Day gift bag filled with gift cards and goodies from generous Downtown businesses. We won’t tell you exactly what’s in the gift bags but suffice it to say the street value is well over $40. Now go get those hearts!

 

14 Downtown Loves

We polled our thousands upon thousands of Facebook and Twitter followers and concocted this essential list of things you love about Downtown Phoenix.

Phoenix Public Market – When you care enough to send the best, make sure it’s grown locally.

The Ambassadors  — Your significant other might leave you, but the Ambassadors never will.

The Herberger Theater — Some of you got more specific and referenced the “naked dudes” out front. Go check out “13″ playing now and “[title of show]“ coming soon!

The Phoenix Suns — Steve Nash, in particular, got mad love.

Majerle’s — You said if you couldn’t watch the Suns play at US Airways Center in person, then the next-best option was cheering the team on from Thunder Dan’s joint. Beer might also be involved.

The Light Rail — Can you believe we’ve had light rail for a year? For more light rail love, check out ace Light Rail Blogger and Downtown Phoenix contributor Tony Arranaga.

First Fridays — If you ever need a good first date idea, take him or her to First Fridays.

Chase Field — Roof open when possible, please.

Coffee — Conspire, Daily Grind, Cartel, Lola and Fair Trade all received votes.

Matt’s Big Breakfast — You heart Matt’s pancakes. Proof that good things come to those who wait.

Dodge Theatre — Three of you mentioned the recent comedy acts to hit Dodge–Joel McHale, Gabriel Iglesias and, soon, Chelsea Handler.

The District – Their music and drinks tested very high in this market.

Civic Space Park — From acoustic lunches to yoga, Civic Space Park offers a little something for everyone.

The People — Yes, you’re what really make Downtown Phoenix a special place to work, live, and play.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Super Sunday (and Saturday) Downtown

Thursday, February 4th, 2010

You don’t have to be a fan of the Colts or the Saints to get geeked for Super Bowl Weekend. Whether you’re the hardest of hardcore football fan who watches all 43 hours of pregame coverage, or simply someone who favors party dips and expensive commercials featuring primates, the Super Bowl is a global event that blurs the lines between football and holiday.

sbxlivWhile it won’t be quite as busy as Miami’s South Beach, site of Super Bowl XLIV (or, 44 for the layperson), Downtown Phoenix is offering its own super mix of activities this weekend.

SATURDAY

Saturday Market at Phoenix Public Market

From 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., enjoy cool temps and beautiful Arizona sunshine while experiencing the best in local produce, cheese, jewelry, fish, breads, sweets, salsas and sauces. Grab a coffee from Royal at the Market, enjoy the music of Ron Bowen, and get your hands on some special Valentine’s Day offerings from the vast array of Arizona vendors.

yoga2Community Yoga Project at Civic Space Park

This is the perfect gathering for first-timers or those who want to practice yoga outdoors in front of a truly urban backdrop. It starts at 10 a.m. and is totally free.

Heritage & Science Park

At 10 a.m., you can see some of the Valley’s most beautifully restored antique and classic autos at Motoring Thru Time. The event is free, and after you’re done coveting the shiny cars, you can head over to Rosson House at noon for Hertage Craft Saturdays, a free historical crafts program for the whole family.

Herberger Theater

If you prefer the stage over turf, the Herberger Theater is putting on multiple performance of Valley Youth Theatre’s “13″ The Musical and Actors Theatre’s Shipwrecked! all weekend long. For more on ”13,” watch VYT’s Web series

Sonoma Casual Dining

Want to combine dinner and a show? Head over to Sonoma Casual Dining for its crowd-pleasing Mystery Mansion Dinner Theater, with two shows (including a three-course meal) every Friday and Saturday.

iglesiasDodge Theatre

Comedian Gabriel Iglesias brings his Fluffy Shop Tour to the Dodge for a 8 p.m. performance. If you haven’t seen Iglesias on ”Last Comic Standing” or on one of his many specials on Comedy Central, you’re missing out on one of the most gifted young storytellers on the comedy circuit.

SUNDAY

Need a place to watch the Big Game? Downtown Phoenix has you covered.

Coach & Willie’s

cwlogo_blkThe 9th Annual Super Bowl Bash features a complimentary buffet during the game and unbeatable drink specials, not to mention a football crazy crowd.

Hooters

Nothing goes better with football than chicken wings and beer and Hooters is offering Big Daddy Budweisers for $4 and Big Daddy Sam Adams for $5. Plus, at halftime, Hooters will give away a 40-inch HDTV!

Majerle’s

Majerle’s will be giving away hats, T-shirts and gift cards throughout the game, plus offering 1/2-off well drinks, drafts, wine and margaritas on the rocks. Get your grub on with $5 boneless wings and $7 gorilla wings and celebrate touchdowns with special Super Bowl Bombers for both the Saints and Colts.

Friday’s Front Row

Friday’s will be offering $3 and $4 drink specials and $4 appetizers from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Pizzeria Uno

Drink and food specials starting at $2.99, plus 1/2 domestics and house wine.

Chance of Rain but No Chance of Boredom

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

I’ve  had a great time splashing though the puddles over the last week. I find the rain fun, but what I really enjoy is being in a community where the rain can’t stop me from doing the things I love. One of the main reasons for my move to Downtown Phoenix 10 years ago was the easy access to my favorite social and entertainment interests. My first night in my new apartment I looked over my balcony railing and read, “MOBY, TONIGHT” on the marquee of the Web Theater. At that very moment I knew I had made the right decision. If my friends thought I was crazy, well they could go right ahead a think that because I will be in Downtown Phoenix at a MOBY concert. 

Alabama Symphony Led Zeppelin #4.jpgDowntown Phoenix has so many different ways to entertain yourself and satisfies so many different interests, that at this moment I couldn’t imagine myself living anywhere else in the Valley. I would not be able to experience the crowds of the World Series or the annual Mexico vs. (fill in blank) soccer game from my patio.

The Orpheum Theater is one of the most beautiful historic theaters in the country, with the original Wurlitzer Organ still intact and in use, and host to a wide variety of performances like Defending  the Caveman or Riverdance and other Broadway performances. Not to mention all the local artists who perform there because it is so accessible and affordable. The Dodge Theater brings in countless great acts like Alicia Keys, Kathy Griffin and The Blue Collar Tour. Alice in Chains and  the Pink Floyd Laser Light Spectacular play in February and this week I can enjoy the music of Queen and Led Zeppelin with a rock band and full orchestra.  Moreover, I can walk there! 

monsterjamThe Herberger Theater and Symphony Hall are home to many of my favorite theater companies. The Arizona Opera who performs La Boheme’ this week, Ballet Arizona with Sleeping Beauty coming up in a few weeks, Arizona Theater Co. who just brought in Ain’t Misbehaven’ and will bring in Second City at the end of the season. How about Actors Theater, who brings in great comedy like Triple Esspresso and Pulitzer Prize winning shows like Shipwrecked, which plays through the end of this week.

I am not super huge on sports, but being in the middle of a high energy crowd at the Suns games or our two-time world champions, the Mercury, can give you a great feeling of intensity that I love. Supercross and, this weekend, Monster Truck Jam, are seen every year at Chase Field, and the Diamondbacks bring in millions during the summer, giving you a year-round experience.

 There are so many great things to do that it isn’t humanly possible to attend everything. But I challenge anyone to try, for even if you fail you win.

Gabriel Iglesias: Bringing Fluffy Back to Phoenix

Tuesday, January 26th, 2010

Gabriel Iglesias has quickly become one of comedy’s most powerful brands. His live comedy DVDs are best-sellers, his Web site stocks more T-Shirts than Fruit of the Loom, and he’s currently embarking on a 50-stop bus tour that stops in Phoenix Feb. 6.

Iglesias stole a moment away from his PlayStation 3 to chat with us about the tour and his ascending career.  

Q: Your Wikipedia entry (which of course is infallable) lists Robin Williams and Paul Rodriguez as your major influences. Who else fuels your passion for comedy?

“Guys who are killing it now like Dane Cook and Jeff Dunham set the bar for me and make me strive to play to packed arenas. I always stay hungry. No pun intended.”

iglesiasQ: Was there a defining moment in your childhood that made you decide to go into comedy?

“When I was 10 years old I saw Eddie Murphy: Raw and knew right then that it was what I wanted to do. My show is very clean by comparison but the interaction Eddie had with the crowd was so cool and really stuck with me.”

Q: Your “I’m not fat, I’m fluffy” bit has taken on a life of its own, with hundreds of thousands of DVDs sold, a 50-stop bus tour, and an online store. With your increased fame, do you consider yourself a role model for plus-size men?

“I don’t really consider myself a role model but I do try to make it very cool and very sexy to be a plus-size man. It’s all about staying postitive and not all ‘woe is me.’ I would love to drop some pounds but it’s not easy. I struggle with diabetes and a lot of my fans deal with weight issues, too, but while we’re dealing with it we can still have fun.”

Q: Speaking of plus-size, fluffyguy.com sells T-shirts in size 6XL. Where does 6XL fit on your “6 Levels of Fatness”?

“We actually did a custom order for 10XL once. I didn’t believe the guy so I made him send me a photo of himself and the 10XL tag on his shirt. The story checked out so we had the shirts printed up. That’s real big though.”

Q: What are some of the pros and cons of tour bus life?

“Believe it or not it’s easier to manage my diet on the bus because I have people planning out my meals ahead of time and stocking the bus with the right foods. I also have my own video game setup in the back which is cool.”

Q: What about the cons?

“The biggest con is Month No. 3 when the bus smells like butt and feet. It’s pretty snug with 12 of us so there’s no privacy. Good thing we’re all friends.”

Q: You used to own a house here in Phoenix so you must have a strong connection to the city. What do you like most about the crowds here?

“I’ve been coming to Phoenix for 10 years now and I love playing there because the crowds treat it like a rock concert. This show is going to be very exciting for me because never played a venue as big as Dodge Theatre. Just let the fans know that nothing has changed; I’m still going to hang out after the show to meet everyone.”

Led Zeppelin Getting Symphonic Rock Treatment at Dodge

Monday, January 25th, 2010

Given the orchestral nature of many of Led Zeppelin’s classic rock songs, it makes perfect sense that the band’s beloved catalog would get a symphonic treatment at Dodge Theatre Jan. 29 when Windbourne Music presents The Music of Led Zeppelin & Queen.

Zebra front man Randy Jackson, who takes the vocal reins for The Music of Led Zeppelin, talked to Downtown Phoenix about how the project started and what fans can expect at the show.

Alabama Symphony Led Zeppelin #4.jpgQ: How did you end up joining the Music of Led Zeppelin tour?

“1996 is when I came on board. [Windbourne] started it in ‘95 in Virginia Beach, VA. They had put the show together as a concept of playing the music of one rock band and had chosen Led Zeppelin to start. After the first show they wanted to go a different direction vocally. One of the partners had seen my band Zebra years before when we came through Virgina Beach and knew we played some Zeppelin so they called me. If this was a Zeppelin tribute band sort of thing I would have paused but the orchestral aspect made it very enticing to me. So I did a couple of shows and have been touring with them ever since.”

 
Q: So did you grow up a fan of Led Zeppelin and that brand of early hard rock?

“Yeah I’m a huge fan. I saw Zeppelin in New Orleans in 1973. [Led Zeppelin lead singer Robert] Plant was very influential on me growing up and getting into music, as were The Beatles and the Moody Blues. And all the way through high school and college I played baritone horn so I’m very familiar with the music from a classical standpoint. But the last thing I ever thought I’d be doing is singing Zeppelin songs in front of a full orchestra.”

Q: When the band and orchestra begin the first song of the Led Zeppelin, how would you describe the average crowd’s reaction?

“The people who come to the show are way into Led Zeppelin and the people who haven’t seen the show before get into it very quickly. We just played in Clearwater, Fla., last week and they were into from song one. The lights are right the sound is right and it goes over very well because we’ve done it a long time. People who are expecting a Muzak version of Zeppelin’s music learn quickly that that’s not what this is.”

Randy_jackson Q: What were your favorite Led Zeppelin songs pre-Music of Led Zeppelin and what are your favorite tracks now?

“The Zeppelin songs we did in Zebra were ‘The Rain Song’ and ‘The Song Remains the Same.’ We do both of those now but we also do ‘Since I’ve Been Loving You’ and that’s probably become my favorite because it really allows me to stretch my vocals.”


Q: What are the strengths of the symphonic rock hybrid in terms of bringing out the most in Led Zeppelin’s catalog? 

The way [conductor] Brent [Havens] has gone about scoring the show, if the song had already been orchestrated–like ‘The Rain Song’ or ‘Kashmir’–he sticks to what [Led Zeppelin] did. It’s the songs that weren’t previously orchestrated, like ‘Ramble On’ and ‘Since I’ve Been Loving You’ where the orchestra really adds a whole new level to the music.”

Q: What kind of feedback to you get from die-hard Led Zeppelin fans?

“They genuinely enjoy the show. A lot of people never got to see Zeppelin and appreciate seeing the music live. If you want to see the music now you have go to some bar and see a tribute band. This tour allows fans to see the music played live in a true concert venue.”


Q: Your hair is very Robert Plant-esque. How much rock power do you get from your mane?

“I’ve kept it this way since ‘75. I just like it. I tried shorter hair in the 80s but went back to wearing it long right away. It’s just me. I’ve had it for so long I don’t know what it would be like without it. Robert Plant went back to wearing his hair long too so he must feel the same way.”

Kathy Griffin Coming to the Dodge

Thursday, January 14th, 2010

Kathy_GriffinThis Saturday, Kathy Griffin will arrive to slice and dice a few celebrities, and I’m guessing there’s some Tiger on the menu. If you’d like to see one of the funniest women in America, jump online now and reserve your tickets for the 8 p.m. show at the Dodge Theatre.

If you’ve watched Kathy’s comedy specials or her Bravo reality show, “My Life on the D-List,” you know how fearless she is. So far, Kathy says she’s been banned from “The View,” “The Tonight Show,” “Late Night with David Letterman,” then re-banned from “The View” after making a joke about Barbara Walters. She’s in hot water again after dropping the F-bomb while hosting the New Year’s Eve Show on CNN with Anderson Cooper.

Some Kathy trivia: she won “Celebrity Mole” on ABC; hosted an NBC reality series, “Average Joe” and has won a Grammy and two Emmys. Oh, and she dated Steve Wozniak, Apple’s cheery co-founder, who had a truly terrible debut on “Dancing with the Stars.” Steve, we’re begging you, no more dancing.

If you’ve never seen any of Kathy’s stand-up routines – and I’m betting you have – you can check out her newly released DVD, “Kathy Griffin: She’ll Cut a Bitch.”

Right there, you know it’s not Disney on Ice, so leave any kids at home. Then go and laugh till it hurts. You’ll actually be glad you’re not Tom Cruise or Rihanna.

Joel McHale Rings In 2010 at Dodge Theatre

Thursday, December 24th, 2009

Joel McHale had a very good 2009. His pop culture/reality TV recap show, “The Soup” is the E! Network’s most popular show that doesn’t star a Kardashian sister, he stars in NBC’s hit comedy ”Community,” and even landed a role in The Informant! opposite A-lister Matt Damon.  

McHale took a timeout from his holiday in hometown Seattle to talk about his upcoming New Year’s Eve show at Dodge Theatre.

McHaleYou’re helping Phoenix usher in 2010 but a part of you must be sad to see 2009 end. What’s your personal highlight of the year and how have you kept the rush of success from going to your head?

“I think both those questions can be answered with one answer: Enjoying time with my 4-year-old [son Edward] and 1-year-old [son Isaac]. Professionally, I’d say doing the film with Matt [Damon] and bringing my whole family to New York for the premiere was very cool. Getting to go on [David] Letterman was huge for me. That guy was my TV dad! Everyone talks about Johnny Carson being their guy but I grew up with Letterman so to sit two feet away from him was absolutely crazy.”

Other than the emergence of “Jersey Shore,” which 2009 pop culture development had the most profound impact on you and your material?

 “When [talk show host] Wendy Williams lit up a Slim Jim on the air, that was solid gold.”

There seems to be little discernable difference between [your character on "Community"] Jeff Winger and Joel McHale, host of “The Soup.” Did [“Community” creator] Dan Harmon write the part with you specifically in mind? And who did you beat out for the part?

“I’d never met Dan until I read the pilot, which was the funniest script I’d read in years. What drew me to the character was that Jeff isn’t the moral center of the show. Britta is. People can’t rely on my character to always have the right answer and I like that. As for who I beat out for the part, well, I’m just glad Tom Cruise and Will Smith had had other things to do.”

Any good Chevy Chase stories? And do you ever find yourself following him around the “Community” set quoting lines from Fletch and Caddyshack?

“Chevy doesn’t have email. He always says, ‘My email is back in New York,’ which I’ve always found strange. I have quoted a lot of Fletch back to him. He found it endearing at first but now it’s just creepy.”

People who are seeing you live for the first time will be surprised by your freakish size. What other surprises are your fans in for during your set?

“That I’m a woman. And the show is a very tight 7 ½ hours long. And I’ll be almost entirely naked, except for the pasties.”

 Will there be any Ryan Seacrest jokes?

“There’s a good chance.”

Finally, how does your tour bus differ from [Poison singer, “Rock of Love” star, and frequent "The Soup" target] Bret Michaels’?

“It’s 90 percent less skanky.”**

 

**McHale doesn’t have a tour bus.