AZ Vibe – The Ultimate Phoenix Entertainment Resource

1) The Phoenix Coyotes vs. Edmonton Oilers – March 26 – 7 PM – Jobing.com Arena – One of last appearances of the season for the Canadian teams in the league, the Edmonton Oilers, make their final appearance of the season in the Valley of the Sun. 

http://www.ticketmaster.com/venueartist/246515/806002?brand=phxcoyotes&camefrom=CFC_COYOTES

2) Spring Training – Various Ballparks around the Greater Phoenix Area – Spring Training is just about over so don’t miss the opportunity to catch a ball game in this amazing weather!

http://www.cactusleague.com/

3) Norm McDonald -  Tempe Improv – $25 – March 26-29 – That’s right the former Saturday Night Live Cast member is making a special appearance in the Valley of the Sun. For more information, tickets and show times please refer to the following link:

http://www.symfonee.com/improv/tempe/comedians/Bio.aspx?Uid=bd190c8d-acc6-4b0d-ab76-70432b51c4cf

4) Star Trek Exhibition at the Arizona Science Center – How cool is it when you get to not only sit in Captain Kirk’s chair but check out the bridge from the Enterprise D? Open Daily. Please refer to the link below for hours and ticket information.

http://www.azscience.org/star_trek.php

5) Eric Lindell – Wed April 1, 2009 – 8:00 PM – Rhythm Room – $10 – $12 – Tickets can be purchased via the Ticketmaster widget in the upper right hand side of the screen.

6) Billy Joel and Elton John March 26, 2009 – 7:30 PM – US Airways Center – $49.50 – $175 – Tickets can be purchased via the Ticketmaster widget in the upper right hand side of the screen.

7) Shake! – Every Saturday Night – Rogue Bar – Scottsdale – $5 (approx) If you are a frequent reader of this site you know that one of the best places to go on a Saturday night is Shake!.  Great Music and fun for a great price!

http://www.azvibe.com/phoenix-entertainment/2008/10/27/review-shake-the-rogue-saturday-october-25th/

8) Charlie Daniels Band – Chester’s Harley Davidson – Mesa – $20-$25 – 2PM to 10 PM (Charlie Daniels Band takes the stage at 8 PM)

For more information and to purchase tickets please refer to the following page:

http://chestershd.com/custompage2.asp?pg=bikerbash

9) Arizona Renaissance Festival – $5-$20 – 2/7/09 – 3/29/09
– ENDS THIS WEEKEND!!!!

10) The Phoenix Coyotes vs. Dallas Stars – March 26 – 8 PM – Jobing.com Arena – Come see the Coyotes do battle with

http://www.ticketmaster.com/venueartist/246515/806002?brand=phxcoyotes&camefrom=CFC_COYOTES

11) BBQ – This yet another absolute perfect weekend to host or attend a BBQ at a friends house or your neighborhood park.

12) Go Hiking or Biking! The perfect weather is not going to be here for much longer. Get out and enjoy it while you can!

Popularity: 13% [?]

Editor’s Note: Today marks our first article from Karyn Wyatt.  Karyn is our new contributing writer and will be writing about a whole array of topics.

By Karyn Wyatt

I have always joked about the odd location of this restaurant since it is tucked behind a veterinarian’s office. Because of this, I have always steered clear of eating there. However, on Sunday, March 15th I happened to locate a BOGO (Buy One Get One) coupon and figured I had nothing to lose.

When entering you just can’t help but feel like you walked in off the beach. The decor is very basic with a sea side feel. There are a handful of tables straight ahead. To your right and up a couple of steps there are some booths alongside the windows, which lookout to the parking lot and a gas station. To your left is a window with a cash register which is attached to the kitchen area.

The staff, although friendly was limited and very slow to recognizing that there were patrons waiting to be seated. On a busy day I could understand this and let it slide but there was only one table of four people in the whole place. We stood by the front door looking clueless (there is no sign asking that you wait to be seated) and then we finally sat ourselves at a booth.

After sitting at the booth for ten minutes we finally went up to the window to ask if we were supposed to order there. The girl seemed surprised that we were there and informed us that we were supposed to wait to be seated. She did apologize for not seating us, stating she was busy making more chips.

Anyway, we finally got our menus and ordered. The menu has a combination of the usual Mexican dishes and hamburgers, which I thought was odd. I ordered the Taco Salad with ground beef. My friend ordered enchiladas.

The waitress gave us chips and salsa to nibble on while waiting for our food. They were basic.

Finally, we got our food. And the drum roll please……my taco salad was in a crisp tortilla shell with lettuce and cheese and presumably nothing else. I couldn’t see past all the lettuce and had to dig to find the beans and beef. I think there were tomatoes and some sour cream in there too. The beef was not seasoned and it actually tasted like they had grilled up a burger and then broke it into pieces and tossed it into my taco salad.

I asked for salsa and the waitress asked if I wanted mild or hot. I said hot and she said, “Ok, but it’s not very hot I don’t think.” She was right. It was fairly flavorless.

I ate about half of my meal and asked for a box…which is what I usually do because I’m a tightwad and don’t waste anything.

My friend’s enchiladas were nothing spectacular and again flavorless. He ate about half of them and pushed the plate away. No box for him.

I have read reviews that say, “Rio Rico offers diners warm hospitality and mouth-watering cuisine that will not easily be forgotten” and “Thought the food was great!” Where are these people eating??? They must not know how to cook because I am Asian and can make better Mexican food than what I tasted at Rio Rico.

With the BOGO coupon the total for two drinks, chips, salsa and two meals was around $10.00. Not a bad price for good food, but it was a bad price for bad food.

Needless to say, I will not be returning to Rio Rico. And, since I decided I wasn’t getting my money’s worth either way, I threw away my leftovers when I got home.

If you decide to judge for yourself, Rio Rico is located at 747 N. Val Vista Drive, Suite 110 in Gilbert.  When I called for hours I was told they are open from 11:00 am – 9:00 pm everyday….actually, I was corrected, it is not everyday but Monday through Sunday.  You do the math.

Popularity: 6% [?]

Now that the technical challenges with AZ Vibe have been resolved here’s the list of things to do for the coming week.  Lots of fun stuff to do!

1) The Phoenix Coyotes vs. Vancouver Canucks – March 21 – 7 PM – Jobing.com Arena – One of the top teams in the league, the Vancouver Canucks, make their final appearance of the season in the Valley of the Sun.  It’s also 80’s night at the Coyotes Game and prizes will be given out to the best costume.

http://coyotes.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=414140

2) Spring Training – Various Ballparks around the Greater Phoenix Area – Spring Training is just about over so don’t miss the opportunity to catch a ball game in this amazing weather!

http://www.cactusleague.com/

3) Charlie Murphy -  Tempe Improv – March 21 @ 8 and 10 PM – March 22 @ 8 PM – If you don’t know who Charlie Murphy is, here’s a refresher… http://www.pp2g.tv/vYnt6YXQ_.aspx

http://www.tempeimprov.com/

4) The 39th Annual Scottsdale Arts Festival – March 21 from 10 AM to 6 PM and March 22 from 10 AM to 5 PM – Scottsdale Civic Center Mall – One of the top Arts Festivals in the Nation is back again for artists to display their many and various works to the public.

http://www.scottsdaleartsfestival.org/

5) New Found Glory – Wed March 25th – 6:00 PM – Marquee Theater – $18.50 – $22.00 – Tempe

6) Bikini contest – Sunday’s Through April 5 – American Junkie – Scottsdale – Free – Not too much is know about this as it is a Facebook event which means we’re probably going to have to check it out.  Shoot.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=52834859196

7) Shake! – Every Saturday Night – Rogue Bar – Scottsdale – $5 (approx) If you are a frequent reader of this site you know that one of the best places to go on a Saturday night is Shake!.  Great Music and fun for a great price!

http://www.azvibe.com/phoenix-entertainment/2008/10/27/review-shake-the-rogue-saturday-october-25th/

8) Saw Film Festival (Saw 2, 3, and 4) – Chandler Cinemas – $15 – This is a fundraiser for the wonderful and hard working people that make up the many events that take place at the Chandler Cinemas.  There is SO much going on this weekend that it would be impossible to list.  Instead, refer to the Chandler Cinema’s website for the complete list of what’s going on.  If you get bored here, you probably don’t have a pulse:

http://www.chandlercinemas.com/news.html

9) Arizona Renaissance Festival – $5-$20 – 2/7/09 – 3/29/09

10) BBQ – This is the absolute perfect weekend to host or attend a BBQ at a friends house or your neighborhood park.

Popularity: 17% [?]

One of the best fundraising events of the season is coming in May to the City Center of City North.  The Valley of the Sun Active 20-30 club is hosting this amazing fundraiser for their philanthropic arm, the Valley Kids Foundation.  All of the proceeds raised for this event will go to the Valley Kids Foundation.

The night will feature Casino grade games like craps, and blackjack will be available all during the event.  There will also be entertainment, an open bar, a silent raffle and much much more!

In addition, attendees will be able to sample some amazing cuisine from many of the top restaurants around the valley.

So come on out to one of the best social events of the season that is all for an amazing cause!

For more information on Viva Las Vegas night and to purchase tickets, please refer to the following website:

http://www.vivalasvegasaz.com

For more information on the Valley of the Sun Active 20-30 club, please refer to their website:

http://www.vos2030az.org

Popularity: 3% [?]

That’s right, U2 one of the world’s most popular bands is coming to The University of Phoenix Stadium on October 20.  Tickets tentatively will go on sale

U2.com accidently let slip their North American Tour schedule yesterday before they were ready to officially release the dates.

In the meantime check out the groundbreaking stage setup U2 has cooked up for the U2 360 Tour:

http://360.u2.com

Please refer to this site for more information:

http://www.u2gigs.com/article407.html

Popularity: 5% [?]

1) First Friday! – Downtown Phoenix – How can you miss this?!?!?

http://www.artlinkphoenix.com/

2) FUSE – Bar Smith – Friday Night – $5 – Bar Smith – Downtown Phoenix – 10PM – 2 AM

3) Spring Training Baseball

4) The 8th Annual Melrose on 7th Avenue Street Fair – Saturday March 7th – 11AM to 5 PM – 7th Avenue between Indian School and Campbell -  A cultural festival that is not to be missed!!

http://www.pocketnotes.typepad.com/m7streetfair/

5) Chandler Police Department Open House – Saturday March 7th – 10 AM – 2 PM – Fun for everyone!

Chandler Police Department
250 E Chicago St
Chandler, AZ 85225

6 ) Charlie Hunter – March 7th – 6 PM – Rhythm Room -  One of the greatest Jazz musicians of our time comes to the Valley of the Sun for what is to definitely be a great show

Tickets can be purchased through the Ticketmaster widget in the right hand column.

7) Kenny Loggins – Sunday March 8th – 8:00 PM – Celebrity Theater – The Man who brought you great hits such as ‘Footloose’ comes to the Celebrity Theater for an intimate show that fans are sure to love!

For more information and to purchase Tickets, please refer to the following site:

http://www.celebritytheatre.com/upcoming.php?viewevent=716

8) Rascal Flats with Jessica Simpson – Thursday March 12th at 8:00 PM – Cricket Wireless Pavillion

http://www.livenation.com/edp/eventId/402882/

P.S.  No, I didn’t forget the Jimmy Eat World show.  It’s sold out.  That’s why it’s not listed.

Popularity: 11% [?]

We have just updated the calender with the remaining shows of the season for the Chandler Center for the Arts.  Come out and see one of the most acoustically perfect auditoriums in the Greater Phoenix Area.  As you can see from the list below, there’s something for everyone!  Don’t miss this chance to see some of the best shows in the area….right in your back yard!

Stay tuned as we will be reviewing a show and what to do in the area soon.

Cherryholmes
Sunday, March 8, 2009 3pm
$24, $28 & $32
Half Price For Kids 12 & Under

Lorie Line
Saturday, March 14, 2009 7:30pm
$39, For groups of 10 tickets or more: $29.00
The Intimate Evening Series 2009

Salt River Brass: Oscar & Tony
Sun, Mar 15, 2009 03:00 PM

AROUND THE WORLD IN A BAD MOOD
Confessions of a Flight Attendant

Showtimes:

Thursday -March 19 -7:30pm

Friday – March 20 – 7:30pm

Saturday – March 21 – 2:30pm

Saturday – March 21 – 7:30pm

Sunday – March 22 – 2:30pm

$28, $32 & $36
Please Note: Airline Employees Receive A $5 Discount

Ririe-Woodbury Dance
presents “Interiors”
Friday, March 27, 2009 8pm
$28, $32 & $36

Glenn Miller Orchestra
Saturday, March 28, 2009 8pm
$28, $34 & $38

Sophie Milman
Thursday, April 2, 2009 7:30pm
$22, $26 & $32

“Mind Meets Music”
Benefit Concert
A revolutionary benefit concert with
LAURIE ANDERSON
and LOU REED
for the Yongey Peace Prevails Center
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Concert Only: $48, $58 & $68
Benefit Concert 3:00 p.m

Gaelic Storm
Saturday, April 18, 2009 8pm
$24, $28 & $32

Jungle Jack Hanna
Sunday, April 19, 2009 3pm
$28, $34 & $38
Half Price For Kids 12 & Under

KC and the Sunshine Band
Saturday, April 25, 2009 8PM
$46, $56, & $64

Ballet Folklorico “Quetzalli”
Sunday, April 26, 2009 3pm
$26, $30 & $36
Half Price For Kids 12 & Under

Popularity: 3% [?]