AZ Vibe – The Ultimate Phoenix Entertainment Resource

Well, we are in the middle of a major overhaul of the main AZ Vibe website at the moment and that includes this weekly article. As you can see we are transitioning to a new format and eventually will be moving the events and concerts off on the horizon to their own dedicate page. If you look at the Concerts format at the bottom of this page, each event has a link to either the ticket purchasing page or to an article with expanded coverage and information. This is the format we are going to be transferring to when the overhaul is done.

1) Conan O’Brien’s ‘Legally prohibited from being funny on Television’ tour – April 30th at the Dodge Theater

2) Phoenix Suns Playoff tickets – Individual tickets for the second round are on sale now!!!!

Phoenix Coyotes Second Round Playoff tickets are sale now (see below)!

Check out the link below for more information on how you can secure your tickets for the Suns post season!

http://ticketsus.at/azvibe?CTY=85&DURL=http://www.ticketmaster.com/Phoenix-Suns-tickets/artist/806004

3) Viva Las Vegas Casino Night and Silent Auction – CityCenter of City North – May 1st – 7 to 11:30 PM – Viva Las Vegas is an amazing fundraiser that benefits such a worthwhile cause.

4)

Sugarland’s ‘Incredible Machine’ Tour – Friday, May 2 at 7:30 PM at the Cricket Wireless Pavilion

5) Arizona Cardinals Fan Fest – Saturday May 1st – 9 AM to 12:15 PM – Arizona Cardinals Training Facility (8701 S. Hardy Drive) – Come see the 2010 Arizona Cardinals up close and personal at their annual fan fest. Cards fans will get to see the team practice and get an up close look at the new black uniforms.

Movies in the Park – Biltmore Fashion Park – FREE – The popular event is back for another year at the Biltmore Fashion Park. This free event is a great way to just kick back and watch some great movies on the big screen outside!

THIS WEEK’S MOVIE: Planet of the Apes

For more information and a list of movies in the coming weeks, check this link out: http://bit.ly/dmrnJO

6)
2010 ASU Undie Run – May 4th – 8 PM to 10 PM – Tempe SRC Fields (ASU Campus) – The Annual event held on the last day of classes for the ASU academic year. Show up in an outfit that you want to donate to charity, strip down to your underwear (donating the outfit to those in need) and go on the run in your underwear

For you Facebook types:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=10150116334790332&ref=mf

7) Adult Swim 2010: The Launch Party – Daze Inn – Central Phoenix - Starting a little earlier this year is now a summertime tradition. Adult Swim is back for another summer of fun, swimming, music and tunes. Expect a diverse lineup of the best of what the local Phoenix Music Scene has to offer.

More info and the Musical Lineup is in the link below:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=116986441646423&index=1

8) Bone Thugs-n-Harmony – Sunday May 2nd – Celebrity Theatre

9) Patti LaBelle – Friday May 7th – Celebrity Theatre

10) Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood – Saturday May 1st – Celebrity Theatre

11) Charlie Hunter – Rythm Room – Thursday May 6th 2010 8:00 PM – The amazing Jazz Bassist brings his show to a great venue. If you love Jazz, this is a MUST see show!

12) ASU Baseball Versus Arizona – May 4th – 6:30 PM (AZ Time) – Packard Stadium – The Battle of Arizona comes to Packard Stadium for one game! Don’t miss ASU Baseballs best ever season!!

13) Fuse Fridays – Bar Smith – Downtown Phoenix – Fun starts at 9:00 PM – Check out one of the best reasons to head to Downtown Phoenix on a Friday Night. Fuse Fridays is a great night of beats and is also a great place to see and be seen!

This week featuring:

FABIAN ARCHE // TURNER & HEIT // NIGHTLIFE TV pilot Filming

 

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=114375958593975&index=1

 

14)
Arizona Diamondbacks 2010 Season – Another season of Diamondbacks baseball begins on April 5th with an afternoon game against the San Diego Padres. New manager AJ Hinch has the Diamondbacks ready to take on Major League Baseball’s best! Don’t miss the action this season as they challenge for the AL West title!Ticketmaster has your individual tickets for all game this season (including the Cubs and Yankees):

http://ticketsus.at/azvibe?CTY=85&DURL=http://www.ticketmaster.com/Arizona-Diamondbacks-tickets/artist/805895

15)
Marcus Roberts Trio- Friday April 30th, 2010 at 8:00 PM – In the Virginia G. Piper Theater at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts – Pianist Marcus Roberts’ highly innovative and original piano style reflects his passion for great music of every genre, from the masters of jazz and classical music to his mother’s gospel singing. Blind since the age of 5, the self-taught prodigy studied classical piano and later toured and recorded with Wynton Marsalis. Now leading his own ensemble, he performs with drummer Jason Marsalis and bassist Roland Guerin.

16) The Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art has free admission every Thursday

17) Upcoming Events

Phoenix Comicon 10 – May 27th-30th – Phoenix Convention Center – Stan Lee will be on hand to sign autographs on Sunday (must pre-register for the autograph session)

Fashion Week 2010 – September 30th, October 1st and 2nd – Schedule and site TBD

18) Lavy Smith and her Red Hot Skillet Lickers – Saturday May 1st at 7:30 PM – Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Ampitheater – $25 – The San Francisco based Lavy Smith brings an all star Big Band to Scottsdale for a night of wonderful blues, swing, salsa and many more musical styles.

19) Walk in Wednesdays (Open Mic Night) Tempe Center for the Arts – Every Wednesday night – 6:30-11PM – The Lounge at the Tempe Center for the Arts – Check out some of the area’s up and coming artists in a spectacular setting.

20) Scottsdale Old Town Farmer’s Market – Every Saturday from 8:30 AM to 1 PM – On the Corner of Brown and 1st Street in Old Town (Across the Street from ‘The Mission’ and ‘The Carriage House’.

21) Market on Mill – Every Thursday outside of the MADCAP theaters in Tempe, is a local public market that has been quickly gaining in popularity. Check out some great local farmers and craftspeople (among others) that sell their fare to the masses.

22) Chandler Farmer’s Market is every Thursday from 3 to 7 p.m. at Dr. A. J. Chandler Park (downtown Chandler)

23) Yoga in the Park – Biltmore Fashion Park – Every Sunday in the Center Lawn at 10:30 AM is a free 60 minute Yoga session.

24) Scottsdale Art Walk – Every Thursday evening from 7 to 9 PM – FREE – Dubbed ‘America’s Original Art Walk’ art fans get the opportunity to browse through all

25) Don’t forget the Downtown Phoenix Public Market – Weekly on Wednesdays from 4 to 8 PM and Saturday from 8 AM to Noon.

26) Black Pearl Poetry – Tempe – Thursdays – MADCAP Theaters – $5 Adults $3 Students (no matter what age) – 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM – A poetry open mic night right in downtown Tempe!

27) Roka Akor Farmers Market – Every Sunday from 10 AM to 2 PM (Beginning January 31st)

28) Thursday Night Market – The return of local farmers (and other) markets on Mill avenue starts up again on Feb 18th.

21.5) Concerts

New to the Concert/Event Calendar this week (Info and Ticket Purchasing in the links for each event):

Tickets on sale Today

Rockstar Mayhem Festival – Featuring Korn and Rob Zombie – Friday July 16th at Cricket Wireless Pavilion – Doors will open at 1:30 PM – Lamb of God and Five Finger Death Punch will also share the mainstage with Korn and Rob Zombie. Reserved tickets priced at $59.85, $49.02 and $31, a limited amount of General Admission Pit tickets priced at $75 . Lawn Tickets will be priced at $31 (plus fees). 4 pack of lawn tickets are also available for $98 (not including fees). Also on the bill is Hatebreed, Chimaira, Shadows Fall, Winds of Plague, Atreyu, Norma Jean, In

This Moment and 3 inches of Blood.

Tickets can be purchased here: http://ticketsus.at/azvibe?CTY=85&DURL=http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/1900447EE02D10E1?artistid=1423692&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=60

Tickets on sale Monday May 3rd at 10:00 AM

Barenaked Ladies – Dodge Theater – Sunday July 25th at 7:30 PM – Every ticket for this show that is purchased online will include a digital cop of the Barenaked Ladies new album ‘All Tn Good Time’. Tickets will be priced at $48.00 and $38.00 with a limited number of $78.00 Golden Circle tickets also available. 4 Pack tickets are also available for this show.

Tickets can be purchased via Ticketmaster by clicking this link.

Benise – The Spanish Guitar – Chandler Center for the Arts – Sunday October 3rd at 7:00 PM – According to the Chandler Center for the Arts website: BENISE, and his Emmy Award Winning Nights of Fire Cast, returns with a new World Music & Dance production “THE SPANISH GUITAR”.In this new show Benise’s guitar becomes the keeper of stories of glory and tragedy through times and worlds gone by, a treasure chest of inspiration. His masterful and passionate playing, brilliantly choreographed dance numbers and orchestral pieces make this show a truly magical journey.

The Password for the pre-sale is ‘Benise’ (without the quotes)

Here’s a sample of what you can expect from the show:

Tickets on sale Now

Rocky Mountain High – A Tribute to John Denver – June 4th and 5th at 7:00 PM – Symphony Hall – The Phoenix Symphony closes out its 2009-2010 Pop season with a great tribute to a Folk/Pop legend. “Rocky Mountain High – A Tribute to John Denver” is a stirring tribute to a musical master with acompanyment by the Phoenix Symphony. ‘ According to the Phoenix Symphony’s website: Singer-songwriter John Denver’s run of signature hits made him the most beloved country-folk musician of our time. Following his untimely death, singer Jim Curry has kept his memory alive and joins three of Denver’s former band-mates and The Phoenix Symphony for a cool evening of Denver’s greatest hits. From Rocky Mountain High and Sunshine on My Shoulders, to Thank God I’m a Country Boy, this concert will take you to a time of simple pleasures and bittersweet country sentiment.

Tickets to Friday June 4th’s performance:

http://www.phoenixsymphony.org/buytickets/calendar/view.aspx?id=3761

Tickets to Saturday June 5th’s performance:

http://www.phoenixsymphony.org/buytickets/calendar/view.aspx?id=3763

Shows off on the horizon:

Beatles and Friends: Sounds of the 60′s – May 7th, 8th, 9th – Phoenix Symphony – Symphony Hall – Guest conductor Michael Krajewski and Tenor Ron Evan brings many of the Beatles classic hits along with other 60′s hits from artists like the Beach Boys and the Mama’s and the Papa’s.

Tickets for May 7th performance | Tickets for May 8th Performance | Tickets for May 9th Matinee

Heart – Celebrity Theater – May 8 – 8:00 PM

Solas and Bearfoot – Saturday May 8th at 7:30 PM – Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Amphitheater – $25 – Solas has a reputation for being the top Celtic band from the United States. Their influences reached across the world. Opening the show will be Alaskan Bluegrass band Bearfoot.

Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angels Philharmonic – Wednesday May 12th at 7:30 PM – Symphony Hall – One of the most exciting conductors of our era will be bringing the Los Angeles Philharmonic (the Phoenix Symphony will not be performing at this event) and a program that includes ‘Mahler’s massive Symphony No. 1′. Don’t miss this chance to see an amazing night of music.

Tan Dun: Crouching Tiger Concerto – May 13th at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts – May 15th at Symphony Hall – The Phoenix Symphony is bringing a touch of world music to the current Season by showcasing Tan Dun’s Oscar Winning Soundtrack to ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’. Performing this masterpiece will be guest conductor En Shao who is currently the Chief Conductor of the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, the Principal Guest Conductor of the China National Symphony Orchestra and the Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Taipei Chinese Orchestra. The concert will also feature erhu player Betti Ziang who is renown for her mastery of this instrument.

Click here for tickets to the May 13th Performance at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts

Click here for tickets to the May 15th performance at Symphony Hall

Pato Banton – May 16th – Club Red – (Tickets can be purchased via ticketweb.com) – One of the greatest Reggae artists of all time is playing an intimate show at Club Red. This is a perfect venue to see Pato Banton in.h

Tom Petty and the Hearbreakers – May 18th – US Airways Center

Carole King and James Taylor ‘Intimate and in the Round’ Trubadour Reunion Tour – Jobing.com Arena – May 19th at 7:30 PM – Tickets available at all Live Nation outlets and at Live Nations’s website:

Styx, Foreigner and Kansas – Friday May 21st at 7:30 PM at the Dodge Theater

Brooks and Dunn – May 21st – Cricket Wireless Pavillion

Crosby, Stills and Nash – Saturday May 29th – Dodge Theater

Tim McGraw – June 3rd – 7 PM – Cricket Wireless Pavilion – Tickets on sale today!!!

Tony Bennett – Sunday June 6th at 8:00 PM – Dodge Theater – The legendary crooner brings his timeless music to the Dodge Theater for a memorable evening.

Chicago with the Doobie Brothers – June 15th – Dodge Theater – Two of the biggest pop/rock acts of all time will be starting a co-headlining tour in Phoenix

Iron Maiden and Dream Theater – June 17th at the Cricket Wireless Pavilion

Country Throwdown Tour – June 18th – 1PM – Cricket Wireless Pavilion – Featuring Montgomery Gentry, Jamey Johnson, Jack Ingram, Little Big Town, The Eli Young Band, Eric Church, The Lost Trailers, Ryan Bingham and the Dead Horses, Jonathan Singleton 7 the Grove, Heidi Newfield

Vans Warped Tour – June 29th – Cricket Wireless Pavilion – Doors open at 11:00 AM – Tickets only $34.95 – For fifteen years, the Vans Warped Tour brings the best collection of Punk, not ready for the main stream, or new bands for everyone to check out. This year is no different as there’s a tremendously diverse lineup of artists to check out.

Lineup: THE ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS, MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK, ALKALINE TRIO, THE BOUNCING SOULS ANDREW W.K., BRING ME THE HORIZON, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, FACE TO FACE, WE THE KINGS, SUICIDE SILENCE, BREATHE CAROLINA, I CAN MAKE A MESS LIKE NOBODY’S BUSINESS, EMMURE, HEY MONDAY, PARKWAY DRIVE, PIERCE THE VEIL, SET YOUR GOALS, WHITE CHAPEL, YOU ME AT SIX, FOUR YEAR STRONG, ANARBOR, FAKE PROBLEMS, NEVER SHOUT NEVER, MIKE POSNER, THE CAB, THE CASUALTIES, THE REVEREND PEYTON’S BIG DAMN BAND, THE ROCKET SUMMER, POLAR BEAR CLUB,THE PRETTY RECKLESS, ARTIST VS POET, ALESANA, THE SUMMER SET, VERSAEMERGE, ENTER SHIKARI, I SEE STARS, SPARKS THE RESCUE, ATTACK ATTACK!, SUM 41, AM TAXI, BREATHE ELECTRIC, FIGHT FAIR, IN FEAR AND FAITH, OF MICE AND MEN, WE ARE THE IN CROWD, EMAROSA, CALL THE COPS, CONFIDE, AFTER MIDNIGHT PROJECT, FAR FROM FINISHED, MAYDAY PARADE, RIVERBOAT GAMBLERS, THE SWELLERS, CLOSURE IN MOSCOW, EYES SET TO KILL

Kings of Leon – Saturday July 10th – Cricket Wireless Pavilion

Leann Rimes – Celebrity Theater – July 17th – 8:00 PM

Robert Plant and the Band of Joy – July 20th – Dodge Theater 7:30PM – Tickets on sale April 5th at 10 AM – The legendary Led Zepplin Singer brings one of his solo bands for a one night only show at the Dodge Theater

Rihanna with special guest Ke$ha – Thursday July 22nd – Cricket Wireless Pavilion – The Multi platinum and Grammy winning R & B Superstar is bringing her ‘Last Girl on Earth’ World Tour to Phoenix. Expect a HUGE production from Rihanna during this tour. “We’ve never done a tour to this capacity. The production is unbelievable and the costumes, we just took it to a whole new level. Visually and sonically it’s going to be a big step up from the last time. We just keep growing and this time it is a massive production that I cannot wait for,” said Rihanna in a recent interview with AOL.

Reserved tickets will be priced at $95.75, $65.75 and $35.75 with a limited number of Golden Circle tickets also available. Lawn tickets will be priced at $25.75.

REO Speedwagon and Pat Benatar – Saturday July 24th at 7:00 PM – Dodge Theater – Two of the biggest bands of the 80′s will share the stage and treat fans with a large catalog of classics. Edwin McCain will open the show.

 

Scorpions Farewell World Tour with very special guest Tesla – Tuesday July 27th at 7:30 PM – Dodge Theater – You read that right, this is the farewell tour for one of the greatest heavy metal acts of all time. The Scorpions will be bringing their ‘Get your sting and blackout’ road show to the Dodge Theater. This will be the absolute last chance to hear your favorite Scorpions classics before they retire for good. Tickets will be priced at $69.00, $59.00, $45.00, $29.00 with a limited number of $89 Golden Circle tickets also available. A Special Four Pack Ticket Offer will also be available while supplies last.

 

Monster Ball Tour Featuring Lady Gaga – Saturday July 31st – US Airways Center – Quickly becoming one of the best known and best selling pop artists of the modern era, Lady Gaga brings a brand new vision of her songs to the US Airways Center. Her shows have been selling out across North America and this show is sure to sell out. Semi Precious Weapons will open the show.

American Carnage Tour: Megadeth, Slayer, and Testament - August 17th – Dodge Theater (This is the new and rescheduled date)

John Mayer – August 18th at 7:30 PM – Cricket Wireless Pavilion – John Mayer brings the Summer leg of his Battle Studies World Tour to Phoenix for a show at the Cricket Wireless Pavilion. Mayer has been selling out out across the country since his ‘Battle Studies’ album debuted in November of 2009. Reserved tickets will be priced at $69.50 and $49.50. Lawn tickets will be priced at $36.00. A Special $117 Four Pack Lawn Ticket Package is also available while supplies last. Owl City will open the show.

Green Day with AFI - August 30th – Cricket Wireless Pavilion – Tickets on Sale April 3rd at 10 AM – Green Day returns to Phoenix almost a year to the day after their last Phoenix show. One of the better acts to see live, Green Day never fails to deliver.

Michael Bolton – September 10th – 8PM – Tickets on Sale now! More details in the link.

Paramore with Tegan and Sara – Dodge Theater – September 15th – Tickets on sale March 26th at 10 AM

Howie Mandel – Chandler Center for the Arts – Friday September 24th at 8 PM – While Howie has remained a constant force in show business for over 30 years, he has been thrust back in the spotlight as the host of what has become a national phenomenon "Deal or No Deal." The show has become an instant hit. Howie Mandel’s versatile career has encompassed virtually all aspects of the entertainment spectrum, including television, film and stage. From his work on the Emmy-Award winning "St. Elsewhere," to the international (and also Emmy nominated) "Bobby’s World," Howie has become a mainstay of the American comedy scene.

Carrie Underwood – October 3rd at 7:30 PM – Jobing.com Arena – Multi Platinum Recording Artist Carrie Underwood is bringing her highly successful ‘Play on Tour’ tour to the Jobing.com Arena in October. Ms. Underwood will be donating 36 cents from every ticket sold for this show to ‘Save the Children’s United States Program’. Billy Currington and Sons of Syliva will open the show.

Jack Johnson: To the Sea Tour 2010 – Sunday October 10th at 7:00 PM – Cricket Wireless Pavilion – Constantly working on perfecting his already great live show, Jack Johnson is returning to Phoenix to support his new album ‘To the Sea’. The really cool aspect about this show is that 100% of the proceeds from the tour will go to charity! Your ticket will not just allow you to see a great live act but you will also be helping out Johnson’s All At Once Community. G. Love and Special Sauce along with Zee Avi will open the show.

Kenny Rogers – October 14th at 7:30 PM at the Dodge Theater

Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band – MGM Grand Hotel – Las Vegas, NV – Saturday October 23rd – 7:00 PM – We don’t normally post out of town information like this but since Mr. Buffett will be in close proximity to Phoenix, we had to post this. Also, if you have never seen him perform in Las Vegas, you must go. He throws one HELL of a party not only at his show but with his after parties at his bars on the Las Vegas Strip.

*NOTE* THE JIMMY BUFFETT SHOW IS IN LAS VEGAS!!

Andre Rieu – November 29th at 7:30 PM – Jobing.com Arena – Andre Rieu along with his 55 piece Johann Strauss Orchestra will be performing in Glendale as part of his ‘Celebration of Music Tour’. Mr. Rieu had this to say about his upcoming tour: “Next year will be the ‘Celebration of Music Tour’. I always say that music is the most wonderful thing in the world. Music triggers emotions. I want to bring an ode to waltzes and polkas that bring joy, to romantic ballads and to many more beautiful melodies. It will be a very special night”.

Popularity: 9% [?]

Tickets on sale Today

Rockstar Mayhem Festival – Featuring Korn and Rob Zombie – Friday July 16th at Cricket Wireless Pavilion – Doors will open at 1:30 PM – Lamb of God and Five Finger Death Punch will also share the mainstage with Korn and Rob Zombie. Reserved tickets priced at $59.85, $49.02 and $31, a limited amount of General Admission Pit tickets priced at $75 . Lawn Tickets will be priced at $31 (plus fees). 4 pack of lawn tickets are also available for $98 (not including fees). Also on the bill is Hatebreed, Chimaira, Shadows Fall, Winds of Plague, Atreyu, Norma Jean, In This Moment and 3 inches of Blood.

Tickets can be purchased here:

http://ticketsus.at/azvibe?CTY=85&DURL=http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/1900447EE02D10E1?artistid=1423692&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=60

Tickets on sale Monday May 3rd at 10:00 AM

Barenaked Ladies – Dodge Theater – Sunday July 25th at 7:30 PM – Every ticket for this show that is purchased online will include a digital cop of the Barenaked Ladies new album ‘All Tn Good Time’. Tickets will be priced at $48.00 and $38.00 with a limited number of $78.00 Golden Circle tickets also available. 4 Pack tickets are also available for this show. Tickets can be purchased via Ticketmaster by clicking this link.

Benise – The Spanish Guitar – Chandler Center for the Arts – Sunday October 3rd at 7:00 PM – According to the Chandler Center for the Arts website: BENISE, and his Emmy Award Winning Nights of Fire Cast, returns with a new World Music & Dance production “THE SPANISH GUITAR”.In this new show Benise’s guitar becomes the keeper of stories of glory and tragedy through times and worlds gone by, a treasure chest of inspiration. His masterful and passionate playing, brilliantly choreographed dance numbers and orchestral pieces make this show a truly magical journey.

The Password for the pre-sale is ‘Benise’ (without the quotes)

Here’s a sample of what you can expect from the show:

Tickets on sale Now

Rocky Mountain High – A Tribute to John Denver – June 4th and 5th at 7:00 PM – Symphony Hall – The Phoenix Symphony closes out its 2009-2010 Pop season with a great tribute to a Folk/Pop legend. “Rocky Mountain High – A Tribute to John Denver” is a stirring tribute to a musical master with acompanyment by the Phoenix Symphony. ‘ According to the Phoenix Symphony’s website: Singer-songwriter John Denver’s run of signature hits made him the most beloved country-folk musician of our time. Following his untimely death, singer Jim Curry has kept his memory alive and joins three of Denver’s former band-mates and The Phoenix Symphony for a cool evening of Denver’s greatest hits. From Rocky Mountain High and Sunshine on My Shoulders, to Thank God I’m a Country Boy, this concert will take you to a time of simple pleasures and bittersweet country sentiment.

Tickets to Friday June 4th’s performance:

http://www.phoenixsymphony.org/buytickets/calendar/view.aspx?id=3761

Tickets to Saturday June 5th’s performance:

http://www.phoenixsymphony.org/buytickets/calendar/view.aspx?id=3763

Popularity: 10% [?]

Well, we are in the middle of a major overhaul of the main AZ Vibe website at the moment and that includes this weekly article. As you can see we are transitioning to a new format and eventually will be moving the events and concerts off on the horizon to their own dedicate page. If you look at the Concerts format at the bottom of this page, each event has a link to either the ticket purchasing page or to an article with expanded coverage and information. This is the format we are going to be transferring to when the overhaul is done.

 

1) ASU Football Spring Game – Sun Devil Stadium – Saturday April 24th – 2 PM – Free

2) Phoenix Coyotes and Phoenix Suns Playoff tickets – Individual tickets for the first round are on sale now!!!!

Phoenix Coyotes Second Round Playoff tickets go on sale today (see below)!

Check out the link below for more information on how you can secure your tickets for the post season!

http://www.azvibe.com/phoenix-entertainment/2010/03/26/phoenix-coyotes-and-phoenix-suns-playoff-tickets-go-on-sale-this-weekend/

3) McDowell Mountain Music Festival – April 23-25th – Scottsdale 101 Shopping Center – One of the great music festivals in the Phoenix Area is back for another year. The great thing about this festival is that 100% of the proceeds go to area charities. This year, all the proceeds will go to Ear Candy Charities and the Phoenix Day Family and Learning Center.

4)

Sip, Shop, Socialize – April 23rd – 5PM to 9PM – Devil’s Martini North – Free – According to Raven Events website the event is described as: "The Sip, Shop & Socialize™ event was created by Raven Events, LLC for the purpose of bringing guests together to mix and mingle for social and professional reasons, and presenting them with opportunity to discover and support unique local businesses that offer gifts, products and services. By combining business networking, happy hour specials, delicious food, and convenient shopping, there is sure to be something for everyone who attends this popular event. Everyone is welcome to attend, including GUYS! This is a free event."

5) Movies in the Park – Biltmore Fashion Park – FREE – The popular event is back for another year at the Biltmore Fashion Park. This free event is a great way to just kick back and watch some great movies on the big screen outside!

THIS WEEK’S MOVIE: Planet of the Apes

For more information and a list of movies in the coming weeks, check this link out: http://bit.ly/dmrnJO

6)

Arizona Derby Dames Double Header Banked Track Roller Derby – Saturday April 24th – Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum – 7:00PM – 10:30 PM

7) Cheech and Chong - Get It Legal – Saturday – April 24th – 8:00 PM Dodge Theatre

Tickets:

8) Men’s Pac-10 Golf Tournament – April 26-28 – Karsten Golf Course – Tempe

9) D13: Ultimatum – This is something I’ve been seeing trailers about for quite some time but have never seen advertised in a movie theater or on DVD. D13 is a 2009 French action film that is a blend of Action and Parkour (a type of urban gymnastics)

There will be a parkour demonstration at the screenings.

10) The Grand Opening of the Musical Instrument Museum – What’s being billed as the ‘World’s first global musical instrument museum’ opens on April 24th in Scottsdale

11) Rock the Zoo featuring Vertical horizon and Marcy Playground – April 23rd – Phoenix Zoo – The Phoenix Zoo’s biggest fundraiser of the year features two great acts. I personally have seen the types of Parties the Phoenix Zoo throws. I’m here to say that they know how to put on one hell of a party!

12) Leslie’s Lucky Ducky Derby – Saturday April 24th – Scottsdale Waterfront

13) UFest – April 24th – Fear Farm – Tickets only $39 – A killer festival featuring Three Days Grace, Danzig, Powerman 5000, Helmet and many more.

14)
Arizona Diamondbacks 2010 Season – Another season of Diamondbacks baseball begins on April 5th with an afternoon game against the San Diego Padres. New manager AJ Hinch has the Diamondbacks ready to take on Major League Baseball’s best! Don’t miss the action this season as they challenge for the AL West title!Ticketmaster has your individual tickets for all game this season (including the Cubs and Yankees):

http://ticketsus.at/azvibe?CTY=85&DURL=http://www.ticketmaster.com/Arizona-Diamondbacks-tickets/artist/805895

15)

2010 My Nana’s Salsa Challenge Benefitting the Hemophilia Association – Saturday April 24th – Tempe Beach Park

16) The Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art has free admission every Thursday

17) Upcoming Events

Viva Las Vegas Casino Night and Silent Auction – CityCenter of City North – May 1st – 7 to 11:30 PM

2010 ASU Undie Run – May 4th – 8 PM to 10 PM – Tempe SRC Fields (ASU Campus) – The Annual event held on the last day of classes for the ASU academic year. Show up in an outfit that you want to donate to charity, strip down to your underwear (donating the outfit to those in need) and go on the run in your underwear

For you Facebook types:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=10150116334790332&ref=mf

Phoenix Comicon 10 – May 27th-30th – Phoenix Convention Center – Stan Lee will be on hand to sign autographs on Sunday (must pre-register for the autograph session)

Fashion Week 2010 – September 30th, October 1st and 2nd – Schedule and site TBD

18) RAIN: A Tribute to the Beatles – April 22-25th Orpheum Theater

Tickets to the Orpheum Theater Shows:

http://ticketsus.at/azvibe?CTY=33&LID=&DURL=http://www.ticketmaster.com/Rain-a-Tribute-To-the-Beatles-tickets/artist/1242978?camefrom=CFC_BUYAT&brand=[=BRAND=]

19) Walk in Wednesdays (Open Mic Night) Tempe Center for the Arts – Every Wednesday night – 6:30-11PM – The Lounge at the Tempe Center for the Arts – Check out some of the area’s up and coming artists in a spectacular setting.

20) Scottsdale Old Town Farmer’s Market – Every Saturday from 8:30 AM to 1 PM – On the Corner of Brown and 1st Street in Old Town (Across the Street from ‘The Mission’ and ‘The Carriage House’.

21) Market on Mill – Every Thursday outside of the MADCAP theaters in Tempe, is a local public market that has been quickly gaining in popularity. Check out some great local farmers and craftspeople (among others) that sell their fare to the masses.

22) Chandler Farmer’s Market is every Thursday from 3 to 7 p.m. at Dr. A. J. Chandler Park (downtown Chandler)

23) Yoga in the Park – Biltmore Fashion Park – Every Sunday in the Center Lawn at 10:30 AM is a free 60 minute Yoga session.

24) Scottsdale Art Walk – Every Thursday evening from 7 to 9 PM – FREE – Dubbed ‘America’s Original Art Walk’ art fans get the opportunity to browse through all

25) Don’t forget the Downtown Phoenix Public Market – Weekly on Wednesdays from 4 to 8 PM and Saturday from 8 AM to Noon.

26) Black Pearl Poetry – Tempe – Thursdays – MADCAP Theaters – $5 Adults $3 Students (no matter what age) – 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM – A poetry open mic night right in downtown Tempe!

27) Roka Akor Farmers Market – Every Sunday from 10 AM to 2 PM (Beginning January 31st)

28) Thursday Night Market – The return of local farmers (and other) markets on Mill avenue starts up again on Feb 18th.

21.5) Concerts

New to the Concert/Event Calendar this week (Info and Ticket Purchasing in the links for each event):

Tickets on sale Friday April 23rd at 10:00 AM

Phoenix Coyotes Individual Round 2 Playoff Tickets – Tickets for the Phoenix Coyotes 2010 Stanley Cup Playoff Second Round Games go on sale Friday. Please note that these are for individual tickets only.

Tickets on sale Saturday April 24th at 10:00 AM

Scorpions Farewell World Tour with very special guest Tesla – Tuesday July 27th at 7:30 PM – Dodge Theater – You read that right, this is the farewell tour for one of the greatest heavy metal acts of all time. The Scorpions will be bringing their ‘Get your sting and blackout’ road show to the Dodge Theater. This will be the absolute last chance to hear your favorite Scorpions classics before they retire for good. Tickets will be priced at $69.00, $59.00, $45.00, $29.00 with a limited number of $89 Golden Circle tickets also available. A Special Four Pack Ticket Offer will also be available while supplies last.

Carrie Underwood – October 3rd at 7:30 PM – Jobing.com Arena – Multi Platinum Recording Artist Carrie Underwood is bringing her highly successful ‘Play on Tour’ tour to the Jobing.com Arena in October. Ms. Underwood will be donating 36 cents from every ticket sold for this show to ‘Save the Children’s United States Program’. Billy Currington and Sons of Syliva will open the show.

Tickets on sale Monday April 26th at 10:00 AM

Tony Bennett – Sunday June 6th at 8:00 PM – Dodge Theater – The legendary crooner brings his timeless music to the Dodge Theater for a memorable evening.

Tickets on sale Saturday May 1st at 10:00 AM

Andre Rieu – November 29th at 7:30 PM – Jobing.com Arena – Andre Rieu along with his 55 piece Johann Strauss Orchestra will be performing in Glendale as part of his ‘Celebration of Music Tour’. Mr. Rieu had this to say about his upcoming tour: “Next year will be the ‘Celebration of Music Tour’. I always say that music is the most wonderful thing in the world. Music triggers emotions. I want to bring an ode to waltzes and polkas that bring joy, to romantic ballads and to many more beautiful melodies. It will be a very special night”.

Tickets going on sale Monday April 26th at 10 AM in Las Vegas, Nevada

Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band – MGM Grand Hotel – Las Vegas, NV – Saturday October 23rd – 7:00 PM – We don’t normally post out of town information like this but since Mr. Buffett will be in close proximity to Phoenix, we had to post this. Also, if you have never seen him perform in Las Vegas, you must go. He throws one HELL of a party not only at his show but with his after parties at his bars on the Las Vegas Strip.

Shows off on the horizon:

Conan O’Brien’s ‘Legally prohibited from being funny on Television’ tour – April 30th at the Dodge Theater – Tickets on Sale now

Marcus Roberts Trio- Friday April 30th, 2010 at 8:00 PM – In the Virginia G. Piper Theater at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts – Pianist Marcus Roberts’ highly innovative and original piano style reflects his passion for great music of every genre, from the masters of jazz and classical music to his mother’s gospel singing. Blind since the age of 5, the self-taught prodigy studied classical piano and later toured and recorded with Wynton Marsalis. Now leading his own ensemble, he performs with drummer Jason Marsalis and bassist Roland Guerin.

Lavy Smith and her Red Hot Skillet Lickers – Saturday May 1st at 7:30 PM – Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Ampitheater – $25 – The San Francisco based Lavy Smith brings an all star Big Band to Scottsdale for a night of wonderful blues, swing, salsa and many more musical styles.

Sugarland’s ‘Incredible Machine’ Tour – Friday, May 2 at 7:30 PM at the Cricket Wireless Pavilion

Beatles and Friends: Sounds of the 60′s – May 7th, 8th, 9th – Phoenix Symphony – Symphony Hall – Guest conductor Michael Krajewski and Tenor Ron Evan brings many of the Beatles classic hits along with other 60′s hits from artists like the Beach Boys and the Mama’s and the Papa’s.

Tickets for May 7th performance | Tickets for May 8th Performance | Tickets for May 9th Matinee

Heart – Celebrity Theater – May 8 – 8:00 PM

Solas and Bearfoot – Saturday May 8th at 7:30 PM – Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Amphitheater – $25 – Solas has a reputation for being the top Celtic band from the United States. Their influences reached across the world. Opening the show will be Alaskan Bluegrass band Bearfoot.

Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angels Philharmonic – Wednesday May 12th at 7:30 PM – Symphony Hall – One of the most exciting conductors of our era will be bringing the Los Angeles Philharmonic (the Phoenix Symphony will not be performing at this event) and a program that includes ‘Mahler’s massive Symphony No. 1′. Don’t miss this chance to see an amazing night of music.

Tan Dun: Crouching Tiger Concerto – May 13th at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts – May 15th at Symphony Hall – The Phoenix Symphony is bringing a touch of world music to the current Season by showcasing Tan Dun’s Oscar Winning Soundtrack to ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’. Performing this masterpiece will be guest conductor En Shao who is currently the Chief Conductor of the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, the Principal Guest Conductor of the China National Symphony Orchestra and the Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Taipei Chinese Orchestra. The concert will also feature erhu player Betti Ziang who is renown for her mastery of this instrument.

Click here for tickets to the May 13th Performance at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts

Click here for tickets to the May 15th performance at Symphony Hall

Pato Banton – May 16th – Club Red – (Tickets can be purchased via ticketweb.com) – One of the greatest Reggae artists of all time is playing an intimate show at Club Red. This is a perfect venue to see Pato Banton in.h

Tom Petty and the Hearbreakers – May 18th – US Airways Center

Carole King and James Taylor ‘Intimate and in the Round’ Trubadour Reunion Tour – Jobing.com Arena – May 19th at 7:30 PM – Tickets available at all Live Nation outlets and at Live Nations’s website:

Styx, Foreigner and Kansas – Friday May 21st at 7:30 PM at the Dodge Theater

Brooks and Dunn – May 21st – Cricket Wireless Pavillion

Crosby, Stills and Nash – Saturday May 29th – Dodge Theater

Tim McGraw – June 3rd – 7 PM – Cricket Wireless Pavilion – Tickets on sale today!!!

Chicago with the Doobie Brothers – June 15th – Dodge Theater – Two of the biggest pop/rock acts of all time will be starting a co-headlining tour in Phoenix

Iron Maiden and Dream Theater – June 17th at the Cricket Wireless Pavilion

Country Throwdown Tour – June 18th – 1PM – Cricket Wireless Pavilion – Featuring Montgomery Gentry, Jamey Johnson, Jack Ingram, Little Big Town, The Eli Young Band, Eric Church, The Lost Trailers, Ryan Bingham and the Dead Horses, Jonathan Singleton 7 the Grove, Heidi Newfield

Vans Warped Tour – June 29th – Cricket Wireless Pavilion – Doors open at 11:00 AM – Tickets only $34.95 – For fifteen years, the Vans Warped Tour brings the best collection of Punk, not ready for the main stream, or new bands for everyone to check out. This year is no different as there’s a tremendously diverse lineup of artists to check out.

Lineup: THE ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS, MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK, ALKALINE TRIO, THE BOUNCING SOULS ANDREW W.K., BRING ME THE HORIZON, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, FACE TO FACE, WE THE KINGS, SUICIDE SILENCE, BREATHE CAROLINA, I CAN MAKE A MESS LIKE NOBODY’S BUSINESS, EMMURE, HEY MONDAY, PARKWAY DRIVE, PIERCE THE VEIL, SET YOUR GOALS, WHITE CHAPEL, YOU ME AT SIX, FOUR YEAR STRONG, ANARBOR, FAKE PROBLEMS, NEVER SHOUT NEVER, MIKE POSNER, THE CAB, THE CASUALTIES, THE REVEREND PEYTON’S BIG DAMN BAND, THE ROCKET SUMMER, POLAR BEAR CLUB,THE PRETTY RECKLESS, ARTIST VS POET, ALESANA, THE SUMMER SET, VERSAEMERGE, ENTER SHIKARI, I SEE STARS, SPARKS THE RESCUE, ATTACK ATTACK!, SUM 41, AM TAXI, BREATHE ELECTRIC, FIGHT FAIR, IN FEAR AND FAITH, OF MICE AND MEN, WE ARE THE IN CROWD, EMAROSA, CALL THE COPS, CONFIDE, AFTER MIDNIGHT PROJECT, FAR FROM FINISHED, MAYDAY PARADE, RIVERBOAT GAMBLERS, THE SWELLERS, CLOSURE IN MOSCOW, EYES SET TO KILL

Kings of Leon – Saturday July 10th – Cricket Wireless Pavilion

Leann Rimes – Celebrity Theater – July 17th – 8:00 PM

Robert Plant and the Band of Joy – July 20th – Dodge Theater 7:30PM – Tickets on sale April 5th at 10 AM – The legendary Led Zepplin Singer brings one of his solo bands for a one night only show at the Dodge Theater

Rihanna with special guest Ke$ha – Thursday July 22nd – Cricket Wireless Pavilion – The Multi platinum and Grammy winning R & B Superstar is bringing her ‘Last Girl on Earth’ World Tour to Phoenix. Expect a HUGE production from Rihanna during this tour. “We’ve never done a tour to this capacity. The production is unbelievable and the costumes, we just took it to a whole new level. Visually and sonically it’s going to be a big step up from the last time. We just keep growing and this time it is a massive production that I cannot wait for,” said Rihanna in a recent interview with AOL.

Reserved tickets will be priced at $95.75, $65.75 and $35.75 with a limited number of Golden Circle tickets also available. Lawn tickets will be priced at $25.75.

REO Speedwagon and Pat Benatar – Saturday July 24th at 7:00 PM – Dodge Theater – Two of the biggest bands of the 80′s will share the stage and treat fans with a large catalog of classics. Edwin McCain will open the show.

 

 

Monster Ball Tour Featuring Lady Gaga – Saturday July 31st – US Airways Center – Quickly becoming one of the best known and best selling pop artists of the modern era, Lady Gaga brings a brand new vision of her songs to the US Airways Center. Her shows have been selling out across North America and this show is sure to sell out. Semi Precious Weapons will open the show.

American Carnage Tour: Megadeth, Slayer, and Testament - August 17th – Dodge Theater (This is the new and rescheduled date)

John Mayer – August 18th at 7:30 PM – Cricket Wireless Pavilion – John Mayer brings the Summer leg of his Battle Studies World Tour to Phoenix for a show at the Cricket Wireless Pavilion. Mayer has been selling out out across the country since his ‘Battle Studies’ album debuted in November of 2009. Reserved tickets will be priced at $69.50 and $49.50. Lawn tickets will be priced at $36.00. A Special $117 Four Pack Lawn Ticket Package is also available while supplies last. Owl City will open the show.

Green Day with AFI - August 30th – Cricket Wireless Pavilion – Tickets on Sale April 3rd at 10 AM – Green Day returns to Phoenix almost a year to the day after their last Phoenix show. One of the better acts to see live, Green Day never fails to deliver.

Michael Bolton – September 10th – 8PM – Tickets on Sale now! More details in the link.

Paramore with Tegan and Sara – Dodge Theater – September 15th – Tickets on sale March 26th at 10 AM

Howie Mandel – Chandler Center for the Arts – Friday September 24th at 8 PM – While Howie has remained a constant force in show business for over 30 years, he has been thrust back in the spotlight as the host of what has become a national phenomenon "Deal or No Deal." The show has become an instant hit. Howie Mandel’s versatile career has encompassed virtually all aspects of the entertainment spectrum, including television, film and stage. From his work on the Emmy-Award winning "St. Elsewhere," to the international (and also Emmy nominated) "Bobby’s World," Howie has become a mainstay of the American comedy scene.

Jack Johnson: To the Sea Tour 2010 – Sunday October 10th at 7:00 PM – Cricket Wireless Pavilion – Constantly working on perfecting his already great live show, Jack Johnson is returning to Phoenix to support his new album ‘To the Sea’. The really cool aspect about this show is that 100% of the proceeds from the tour will go to charity! Your ticket will not just allow you to see a great live act but you will also be helping out Johnson’s All At Once Community. G. Love and Special Sauce along with Zee Avi will open the show.

Kenny Rogers – October 14th at 7:30 PM at the Dodge Theater

Popularity: 9% [?]

Tickets on sale Friday April 23rd at 10:00 AM

Phoenix Coyotes Individual Round 2 Playoff Tickets – Tickets for the Phoenix Coyotes 2010 Stanley Cup Playoff Second Round Games go on sale Friday. Please note that these are for individual tickets only.

Tickets on sale Saturday April 24th at 10:00 AM

Scorpions Farewell World Tour with very special guest Tesla – Tuesday July 27th at 7:30 PM – Dodge Theater – You read that right, this is the farewell tour for one of the greatest heavy metal acts of all time. The Scorpions will be bringing their ‘Get your sting and blackout’ road show to the Dodge Theater. This will be the absolute last chance to hear your favorite Scorpions classics before they retire for good. Tickets will be priced at $69.00, $59.00, $45.00, $29.00 with a limited number of $89 Golden Circle tickets also available. A Special Four Pack Ticket Offer will also be available while supplies last.

Carrie Underwood – October 3rd at 7:30 PM – Jobing.com Arena – Multi Platinum Recording Artist Carrie Underwood is bringing her highly successful ‘Play on Tour’ tour to the Jobing.com Arena in October. Ms. Underwood will be donating 36 cents from every ticket sold for this show to ‘Save the Children’s United States Program’. Billy Currington and Sons of Syliva will open the show.

Tickets on sale Monday April 26th at 10:00 AM

Tony Bennett – Sunday June 6th at 8:00 PM – Dodge Theater – The legendary crooner brings his timeless music to the Dodge Theater for a memorable evening.

Tickets on sale Saturday May 1st at 10:00 AM

Andre Rieu – November 29th at 7:30 PM – Jobing.com Arena – Andre Rieu along with his 55 piece Johann Strauss Orchestra will be performing in Glendale as part of his ‘Celebration of Music Tour’. Mr. Rieu had this to say about his upcoming tour: “Next year will be the ‘Celebration of Music Tour’. I always say that music is the most wonderful thing in the world. Music triggers emotions. I want to bring an ode to waltzes and polkas that bring joy, to romantic ballads and to many more beautiful melodies. It will be a very special night”.

Tickets going on sale Monday April 26th at 10 AM in Las Vegas, Nevada

Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band – MGM Grand Hotel – Las Vegas, NV – Saturday October 23rd – 7:00 PM – We don’t normally post out of town information like this but since Mr. Buffett will be in close proximity to Phoenix, we had to post this. Also, if you have never seen him perform in Las Vegas, you must go. He throws one HELL of a party not only at his show but with his after parties at his bars on the Las Vegas Strip.

Popularity: 12% [?]

Live Nation announced yesterday that due to unforeseen circumstances with their new album ‘Mojo’ Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers have rescheduled their May Phoenix show.

The new date for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Phoenix show (at the US Airways Center) is Sunday September 26th.

Tickets for Tom Petty’s May show will be honored for the new September Date.

One thing you can be sure of is a great show as Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are one of the best acts you can see live today. The Petty has honed his musicianship and stage presence into their 4th decade. Check out the videos below of how he performs live. Tickets may be a bit steep but they’re worth it.

With every Tom Petty ticket purchased online you will get a free MP3 download of their new album, Mojo. Once the ticket is purchased, fans will get two new tracks from Petty’s new album Mojo. Once the album is released, ticket holders will be sent a download to the rest of the album. Furthermore, with every online purchase fans will receive free live tracks from the upcoming tour.

**Update**

Live Nation announced that ZZ Top will be opening the Phoenix show!

Tickets for Tom Petty’s September show can be purchased by clicking this link to Ticketmaster’s website

Refugee – Live:

Breakdown – Live:

Woman in Love – Live:

You got Lucky – Video:

Popularity: 11% [?]

This review stemmed from the debacle that was the Arizona Barbecue Festival, the most unorganized mess that I’ve ever seen in my life.

The moment I left that festival, I wanted Barbecue.  I had been looking forward to spending an afternoon there eating barbecue. After being let down by the Arizona Barbecue Festival, I was not going home until I had barbecue in my stomach.

I remembered a few months back that Dickey’s Barbecue Pit was up in North Scottsdale just east of Scottsdale Road and Shea. I haven’t heard anything about it but I’ve been meaning to stop in for some time now. So I headed up there without any pre-conceived notion about what to expect.

Well, that’s not entirely true.

I spend a lot of time on the Food Network watching tons of Barbecue related shows. I’ve seen places that serve up huge portions of various Barbecue products like they do at Lucille’s in the Tempe Marketplace. In the back of my mind, I was expecting Lucille’s quality and quantity from Dickey’s.

When I arrived at Dickey’s the first thing that caught my eye was their menu. The list of food on their menu was short and to the point (a good indicator of a quality restaurant): Barbecue sandwiches and barbecue meat platters. The Choices of meat was many and varied.  I had many barbecue items to choose from such as pulled pork, beef brisket, turkey breast, and ham.

I ended up getting the $10 – 2 Meat Plate which came with 2 Home-style sides (which was another great list to choose from), pickles, onion, and a roll.  I chose the Barbecue Beans and the Green Beans with Bacon as my two sides along with the chopped beef brisket and their ‘Fall off the bone’ pork ribs for my two meats.

When my plate arrived, it looked like this:

I was a little underwhelmed by the portions of meat provided (two small pork ribs?) mainly because of the exposure to barbecue on the Food Network and partially because I was REALLY hungry. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a negative against Dickey’s. What Dickey’s ’2 Meat plate’ lacked in portion size they MORE than made up for in the overall quality and taste of the entire meal.

The ‘Fall off the Bone’ port ribs did just that….fall off the bone as they were tender and delicious. The sliced beef brisket came without any sauce and was spectacular with and without the regular and spicy barbecue sauces.

Speaking of barbecue sauces, there were multiple Dickey’s barbecue sauces available at their condiment counter. I picked up some of their original and spicy sauces for my meal. For the first time in a long while of eating at barbecue establishments, a spicy barbecue sauce was actually spicy. Normally when I go to other barbecue places in the area and try their spicy barbecue sauces, it’s anything but spicy.

Regarding the side dishes, the barbecue beans were made perfectly and tasted even better after I mixed some spicy barbecue sauce into it. The green beans with bacon were a perfect accompaniment with my meal. The beans were cooked to the perfect point to where the crispness of the bean was still there but wasn’t overcooked and/or mushy. The only thing I didn’t like about the green beans side was that it was served in the water it was boiled in. Not a fan of that.

If there was a negative about Dickey’s (I wouldn’t even call it a negative) it was the size of the portions. Compared to places like Lucille’s, the portions were pretty puny. However, I noted that families were slowly coming in for dinner and then it dawned on me. In this part of town (North Scottsdale), big portions don’t cut the mustard. The portions have to be made according to who your clientele is. That and if I want to pig out on barbecue, I can head to Lucille’s in the Tempe Marketplace.

Dickey’s is a great family restaurant that serves up very high quality barbecue for a great price. If you’re a barbecue fan or want something new to try, you have to check out Dickey’s. You will not be disappointed by the quality and care they put into their food. They even have Drive-through and catering!

Dickey’s website
http://dickeys.com/

[mappress]

Popularity: 5% [?]

Well, we are in the middle of a major overhaul of the main AZ Vibe website at the moment and that includes this weekly article. As you can see we are transitioning to a new format and eventually will be moving the events and concerts off on the horizon to their own dedicate page. If you look at the Concerts format at the bottom of this page, each event has a link to either the ticket purchasing page or to an article with expanded coverage and information. This is the format we are going to be transferring to when the overhaul is done.

 

I don’t need to tell everyone that the biggest event of the weekend is Pat’s Run. If you have the chance to go out and support a cause that is near and dear to the hearts of a huge portion of Phoenix residents, do so!

1)Pat’s Run – Sun Devil Stadium – April 17th – 7AM to 11AM

2) Phoenix Coyotes and Phoenix Suns Playoff tickets – Individual tickets for the first round are on sale now!!!! Check out the link below for more information on how you can secure your tickets for the post season!

http://www.azvibe.com/phoenix-entertainment/2010/03/26/phoenix-coyotes-and-phoenix-suns-playoff-tickets-go-on-sale-this-weekend/

3)
Atomic Punks (a KILLER tribute to early Van Halen) – April 17th – Marquee theater (Call (480) 829-0707 for tickets because the promoter’s website is down)

4)
The Eagles – April 21st – US Airways Center

5) Movies in the Park – Biltmore Fashion Park – FREE – The popular event is back for another year at the Biltmore Fashion Park. This free event is a great way to just kick back and watch some great movies on the big screen outside!

THIS WEEK’S MOVIE: Cabaret (1972) – Starring Liza Minnelli in one of her best movie roles

For more information and a list of movies in the coming weeks, check this link out: http://bit.ly/dmrnJO

6) Maricopa County Fair – April 14th-18th – Arizona State Fairgrounds

7) Scottsdale Culinary Festival – April 13th-18th

8) Mark Knopfler: SUNDAY, APRIL 18, 2010 at Dodge Theater

For you Facebook Types: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=119749753741

9) Record Store Day – Stinkweeds

10) Tempe Symphony Orchestra – Monday April, 19th 7:30 PM – Free show – Tempe Center for the Arts – Doors open at 6:30 – First come, first served for tickets

11) ASU Baseball Weekend Series with USC

12) Arizona Polish Festival - April 17th – 10AM – 9 PM

For you facebook types:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=391087553568&index=1

13) Baaba Maal – Thursday April 22, 2010 at 7:30 PM – In the Virginia G. Piper Theater at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts – One of the brightest stars on the African continent, Senegalese master musician Baaba Maal is renowned for his fiery performances fusing funk, rock and blues with traditional West African beats and melodies. For more than two decades, he has traveled the world sharing his uplifting message of empowerment, enlightenment and peace.

14)
Arizona Diamondbacks 2010 Season – Another season of Diamondbacks baseball begins on April 5th with an afternoon game against the San Diego Padres. New manager AJ Hinch has the Diamondbacks ready to take on Major League Baseball’s best! Don’t miss the action this season as they challenge for the AL West title!Ticketmaster has your individual tickets for all game this season (including the Cubs and Yankees):

http://ticketsus.at/azvibe?CTY=85&DURL=http://www.ticketmaster.com/Arizona-Diamondbacks-tickets/artist/805895

15)

Phoenix Improv Festival – April 15th, 16th, and 17th – Herberger Theater

16) Country Thunder – Arizona – April 14th – April 17th – Florence Arizona

17) Upcoming Events

Rock the Zoo featuring Vertical horizon and Marcy Playground – April 23rd – Phoenix Zoo – The Phoenix Zoo’s biggest fundraiser of the year features two great acts. I personally have seen the types of Parties the Phoenix Zoo throws. I’m here to say that they know how to put on one hell of a party!

Leslie’s Lucky Ducky Derby – Saturday April 24th – Scottsdale Waterfront

Viva Las Vegas Casino Night and Silent Auction – CityCenter of City North – May 1st – 7 to 11:30 PM

2010 ASU Undie Run – May 4th – 8 PM to 10 PM – Tempe SRC Fields (ASU Campus) – The Annual event held on the last day of classes for the ASU academic year. Show up in an outfit that you want to donate to charity, strip down to your underwear (donating the outfit to those in need) and go on the run in your underwear

For you Facebook types:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=10150116334790332&ref=mf

Phoenix Comicon 10 – May 27th-30th – Phoenix Convention Center – Stan Lee will be on hand to sign autographs on Sunday (must pre-register for the autograph session)

Fashion Week 2010 – September 30th, October 1st and 2nd – Schedule and site TBD

18) RAIN: A Tribute to the Beatles – April 20-21 Mesa Arts Center – April 22-25th Orpheum Theater

Tickets to the Mesa Arts Center Shows:

http://www.mesaartscenter.com/index.php/performances/broadway/rain

Tickets to the Orpheum Theater Shows:

http://ticketsus.at/azvibe?CTY=33&LID=&DURL=http://www.ticketmaster.com/Rain-a-Tribute-To-the-Beatles-tickets/artist/1242978?camefrom=CFC_BUYAT&brand=[=BRAND=]

19) Walk in Wednesdays (Open Mic Night) Tempe Center for the Arts – Every Wednesday night – 6:30-11PM – The Lounge at the Tempe Center for the Arts – Check out some of the area’s up and coming artists in a spectacular setting.

20) Scottsdale Old Town Farmer’s Market – Every Saturday from 8:30 AM to 1 PM – On the Corner of Brown and 1st Street in Old Town (Across the Street from ‘The Mission’ and ‘The Carriage House’.

21) Market on Mill – Every Thursday outside of the MADCAP theaters in Tempe, is a local public market that has been quickly gaining in popularity. Check out some great local farmers and craftspeople (among others) that sell their fare to the masses.

22) Chandler Farmer’s Market is every Thursday from 3 to 7 p.m. at Dr. A. J. Chandler Park (downtown Chandler)

23) Yoga in the Park – Biltmore Fashion Park – Every Sunday in the Center Lawn at 10:30 AM is a free 60 minute Yoga session.

24) Scottsdale Art Walk – Every Thursday evening from 7 to 9 PM – FREE – Dubbed ‘America’s Original Art Walk’ art fans get the opportunity to browse through all

25) Don’t forget the Downtown Phoenix Public Market – Weekly on Wednesdays from 4 to 8 PM and Saturday from 8 AM to Noon.

26) Black Pearl Poetry – Tempe – Thursdays – MADCAP Theaters – $5 Adults $3 Students (no matter what age) – 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM – A poetry open mic night right in downtown Tempe!

27) Roka Akor Farmers Market – Every Sunday from 10 AM to 2 PM (Beginning January 31st)

28) Thursday Night Market – The return of local farmers (and other) markets on Mill avenue starts up again on Feb 18th.

29) The Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art has free admission every Thursday

21.5) Concerts

New to the Concert/Event Calendar this week (Info and Ticket Purchasing in the links for each event):

Tickets on sale Saturday April 17th at 10:00 AM

John Mayer – August 18th at 7:30 PM – Cricket Wireless Pavilion – John Mayer brings the Summer leg of his Battle Studies World Tour to Phoenix for a show at the Cricket Wireless Pavilion. Mayer has been selling out out across the country since his ‘Battle Studies’ album debuted in November of 2009. Reserved tickets will be priced at $69.50 and $49.50. Lawn tickets will be priced at $36.00. A Special $117 Four Pack Lawn Ticket Package is also available while supplies last. Owl City will open the show.

Rihanna with special guest Ke$ha – Thursday July 22nd – Cricket Wireless Pavilion – The Multi platinum and Grammy winning R & B Superstar is bringing her ‘Last Girl on Earth’ World Tour to Phoenix. Expect a HUGE production from Rihanna during this tour. “We’ve never done a tour to this capacity. The production is unbelievable and the costumes, we just took it to a whole new level. Visually and sonically it’s going to be a big step up from the last time. We just keep growing and this time it is a massive production that I cannot wait for,” said Rihanna in a recent interview with AOL.

Reserved tickets will be priced at $95.75, $65.75 and $35.75 with a limited number of Golden Circle tickets also available. Lawn tickets will be priced at $25.75.

Tickets on sale Monday April 19th at 10:00 AM

Howie Mandel – Chandler Center for the Arts – Friday September 24th at 8 PM – While Howie has remained a constant force in show business for over 30 years, he has been thrust back in the spotlight as the host of what has become a national phenomenon “Deal or No Deal.” The show has become an instant hit. Howie Mandel’s versatile career has encompassed virtually all aspects of the entertainment spectrum, including television, film and stage. From his work on the Emmy-Award winning “St. Elsewhere,” to the international (and also Emmy nominated) “Bobby’s World,” Howie has become a mainstay of the American comedy scene.

Tickets on sale Saturday April 24th at 10:00 AM

Scorpions Farewell World Tour with very special guest Tesla – Tuesday July 27th at 7:30 PM – Dodge Theater – You read that right, this is the farewell tour for one of the greatest heavy metal acts of all time. The Scorpions will be bringing their ‘Get your sting and blackout’ road show to the Dodge Theater. This will be the absolute last chance to hear your favorite Scorpions classics before they retire for good. Tickets will be priced at $69.00, $59.00, $45.00, $29.00 with a limited number of $89 Golden Circle tickets also available. A Special Four Pack Ticket Offer will also be available while supplies last.

Tickets on sale now

Lavy Smith and her Red Hot Skillet Lickers – Saturday May 1st at 7:30 PM – Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Ampitheater – $25 – The San Francisco based Lavy Smith brings an all star Big Band to Scottsdale for a night of wonderful blues, swing, salsa and many more musical styles.

Solas and Bearfoot – Saturday May 8th at 7:30 PM – Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Amphitheater – $25 – Solas has a reputation for being the top Celtic band from the United States. Their influences reached across the world. Opening the show will be Alaskan Bluegrass band Bearfoot.

Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angels Philharmonic – Wednesday May 12th at 7:30 PM – Symphony Hall – One of the most exciting conductors of our era will be bringing the Los Angeles Philharmonic (the Phoenix Symphony will not be performing at this event) and a program that includes ‘Mahler’s massive Symphony No. 1′. Don’t miss this chance to see an amazing night of music.

Tan Dun: Crouching Tiger Concerto – May 13th at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts – May 15th at Symphony Hall – The Phoenix Symphony is bringing a touch of world music to the current Season by showcasing Tan Dun’s Oscar Winning Soundtrack to ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’. Performing this masterpiece will be guest conductor En Shao who is currently the Chief Conductor of the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, the Principal Guest Conductor of the China National Symphony Orchestra and the Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Taipei Chinese Orchestra. The concert will also feature erhu player Betti Ziang who is renown for her mastery of this instrument.

Click here for tickets to the May 13th Performance at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts

Click here for tickets to the May 15th performance at Symphony Hall

Shows off on the horizon:

McDowell Mountain Music Festival – April 23-25th – Scottsdale 101 Shopping Center – One of the great music festivals in the Phoenix Area is back for another year. The great thing about this festival is that 100% of the proceeds go to area charities. This year, all the proceeds will go to Ear Candy Charities and the Phoenix Day Family and Learning Center

Cheech and Chong - Get It Legal – Saturday – April 24th – 8:00 PM Dodge Theatre

Tickets:

Conan O’Brien’s ‘Legally prohibited from being funny on Television’ tour – April 30th at the Dodge Theater – Tickets on Sale now

Marcus Roberts Trio- Friday April 30th, 2010 at 8:00 PM – In the Virginia G. Piper Theater at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts – Pianist Marcus Roberts’ highly innovative and original piano style reflects his passion for great music of every genre, from the masters of jazz and classical music to his mother’s gospel singing. Blind since the age of 5, the self-taught prodigy studied classical piano and later toured and recorded with Wynton Marsalis. Now leading his own ensemble, he performs with drummer Jason Marsalis and bassist Roland Guerin.

Sugarland’s ‘Incredible Machine’ Tour – Friday, May 2 at 7:30 PM at the Cricket Wireless Pavilion

Beatles and Friends: Sounds of the 60′s – May 7th, 8th, 9th – Phoenix Symphony – Symphony Hall – Guest conductor Michael Krajewski and Tenor Ron Evan brings many of the Beatles classic hits along with other 60′s hits from artists like the Beach Boys and the Mama’s and the Papa’s.

Tickets for May 7th performance | Tickets for May 8th Performance | Tickets for May 9th Matinee

Heart – Celebrity Theater – May 8 – 8:00 PM

Pato Banton – May 16th – Club Red – (Tickets can be purchased via ticketweb.com) – One of the greatest Reggae artists of all time is playing an intimate show at Club Red. This is a perfect venue to see Pato Banton in.h

Tom Petty and the Hearbreakers – May 18th – US Airways Center

Carole King and James Taylor ‘Intimate and in the Round’ Trubadour Reunion Tour – Jobing.com Arena – May 19th at 7:30 PM – Tickets available at all Live Nation outlets and at Live Nations’s website:

Styx, Foreigner and Kansas – Friday May 21st at 7:30 PM at the Dodge Theater

Brooks and Dunn – May 21st – Cricket Wireless Pavillion

Crosby, Stills and Nash – Saturday May 29th – Dodge Theater

Tim McGraw – June 3rd – 7 PM – Cricket Wireless Pavilion – Tickets on sale today!!!

Chicago with the Doobie Brothers – June 15th – Dodge Theater – Two of the biggest pop/rock acts of all time will be starting a co-headlining tour in Phoenix

Iron Maiden and Dream Theater – June 17th at the Cricket Wireless Pavilion

Country Throwdown Tour – June 18th – 1PM – Cricket Wireless Pavilion – Featuring Montgomery Gentry, Jamey Johnson, Jack Ingram, Little Big Town, The Eli Young Band, Eric Church, The Lost Trailers, Ryan Bingham and the Dead Horses, Jonathan Singleton 7 the Grove, Heidi Newfield

Vans Warped Tour – June 29th – Cricket Wireless Pavilion – Doors open at 11:00 AM – Tickets only $34.95 – For fifteen years, the Vans Warped Tour brings the best collection of Punk, not ready for the main stream, or new bands for everyone to check out. This year is no different as there’s a tremendously diverse lineup of artists to check out.

Lineup: THE ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS, MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK, ALKALINE TRIO, THE BOUNCING SOULS ANDREW W.K., BRING ME THE HORIZON, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, FACE TO FACE, WE THE KINGS, SUICIDE SILENCE, BREATHE CAROLINA, I CAN MAKE A MESS LIKE NOBODY’S BUSINESS, EMMURE, HEY MONDAY, PARKWAY DRIVE, PIERCE THE VEIL, SET YOUR GOALS, WHITE CHAPEL, YOU ME AT SIX, FOUR YEAR STRONG, ANARBOR, FAKE PROBLEMS, NEVER SHOUT NEVER, MIKE POSNER, THE CAB, THE CASUALTIES, THE REVEREND PEYTON’S BIG DAMN BAND, THE ROCKET SUMMER, POLAR BEAR CLUB,THE PRETTY RECKLESS, ARTIST VS POET, ALESANA, THE SUMMER SET, VERSAEMERGE, ENTER SHIKARI, I SEE STARS, SPARKS THE RESCUE, ATTACK ATTACK!, SUM 41, AM TAXI, BREATHE ELECTRIC, FIGHT FAIR, IN FEAR AND FAITH, OF MICE AND MEN, WE ARE THE IN CROWD, EMAROSA, CALL THE COPS, CONFIDE, AFTER MIDNIGHT PROJECT, FAR FROM FINISHED, MAYDAY PARADE, RIVERBOAT GAMBLERS, THE SWELLERS, CLOSURE IN MOSCOW, EYES SET TO KILL

Kings of Leon – Saturday July 10th – Cricket Wireless Pavilion

Leann Rimes – Celebrity Theater – July 17th – 8:00 PM

Robert Plant and the Band of Joy – July 20th – Dodge Theater 7:30PM – Tickets on sale April 5th at 10 AM – The legendary Led Zepplin Singer brings one of his solo bands for a one night only show at the Dodge Theater

REO Speedwagon and Pat Benatar – Saturday July 24th at 7:00 PM – Dodge Theater – Two of the biggest bands of the 80′s will share the stage and treat fans with a large catalog of classics. Edwin McCain will open the show.

 

 

Monster Ball Tour Featuring Lady Gaga – Saturday July 31st – US Airways Center – Quickly becoming one of the best known and best selling pop artists of the modern era, Lady Gaga brings a brand new vision of her songs to the US Airways Center. Her shows have been selling out across North America and this show is sure to sell out. Semi Precious Weapons will open the show.

American Carnage Tour: Megadeth, Slayer, and Testament - August 17th – Dodge Theater (This is the new and rescheduled date)

Green Day with AFI - August 30th – Cricket Wireless Pavilion – Tickets on Sale April 3rd at 10 AM – Green Day returns to Phoenix almost a year to the day after their last Phoenix show. One of the better acts to see live, Green Day never fails to deliver.

Michael Bolton – September 10th – 8PM – Tickets on Sale now! More details in the link.

Paramore with Tegan and Sara – Dodge Theater – September 15th – Tickets on sale March 26th at 10 AM

Jack Johnson: To the Sea Tour 2010 – Sunday October 10th at 7:00 PM – Cricket Wireless Pavilion – Constantly working on perfecting his already great live show, Jack Johnson is returning to Phoenix to support his new album ‘To the Sea’. The really cool aspect about this show is that 100% of the proceeds from the tour will go to charity! Your ticket will not just allow you to see a great live act but you will also be helping out Johnson’s All At Once Community. G. Love and Special Sauce along with Zee Avi will open the show.

Kenny Rogers – October 14th at 7:30 PM at the Dodge Theater

Popularity: 9% [?]

Tickets on sale Saturday April 17th at 10:00 AM

John Mayer – August 18th at 7:30 PM – Cricket Wireless Pavilion – John Mayer brings the Summer leg of his Battle Studies World Tour to Phoenix for a show at the Cricket Wireless Pavilion. Mayer has been selling out out across the country since his ‘Battle Studies’ album debuted in November of 2009. Reserved tickets will be priced at $69.50 and $49.50. Lawn tickets will be priced at $36.00. A Special $117 Four Pack Lawn Ticket Package is also available while supplies last. Owl City will open the show.

Rihanna with special guest Ke$ha – Thursday July 22nd – Cricket Wireless Pavilion – The Multi platinum and Grammy winning R & B Superstar is bringing her ‘Last Girl on Earth’ World Tour to Phoenix. Expect a HUGE production from Rihanna during this tour. “We’ve never done a tour to this capacity. The production is unbelievable and the costumes, we just took it to a whole new level. Visually and sonically it’s going to be a big step up from the last time. We just keep growing and this time it is a massive production that I cannot wait for,” said Rihanna in a recent interview with AOL.

Reserved tickets will be priced at $95.75, $65.75 and $35.75 with a limited number of Golden Circle tickets also available. Lawn tickets will be priced at $25.75.

Tickets on sale Monday April 19th at 10:00 AM

Howie Mandel – Chandler Center for the Arts – Friday September 24th at 8 PM – While Howie has remained a constant force in show business for over 30 years, he has been thrust back in the spotlight as the host of what has become a national phenomenon “Deal or No Deal.” The show has become an instant hit. Howie Mandel’s versatile career has encompassed virtually all aspects of the entertainment spectrum, including television, film and stage. From his work on the Emmy-Award winning “St. Elsewhere,” to the international (and also Emmy nominated) “Bobby’s World,” Howie has become a mainstay of the American comedy scene.

Tickets on sale Saturday April 24th at 10:00 AM

Scorpions Farewell World Tour with very special guest Tesla – Tuesday July 27th at 7:30 PM – Dodge Theater – You read that right, this is the farewell tour for one of the greatest heavy metal acts of all time. The Scorpions will be bringing their ‘Get your sting and blackout’ road show to the Dodge Theater. This will be the absolute last chance to hear your favorite Scorpions classics before they retire for good. Tickets will be priced at $69.00, $59.00, $45.00, $29.00 with a limited number of $89 Golden Circle tickets also available. A Special Four Pack Ticket Offer will also be available while supplies last.

Tickets on sale now

Lavy Smith and her Red Hot Skillet Lickers – Saturday May 1st at 7:30 PM – Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Ampitheater – $25 – The San Francisco based Lavy Smith brings an all star Big Band to Scottsdale for a night of wonderful blues, swing, salsa and many more musical styles.

Solas and Bearfoot – Saturday May 8th at 7:30 PM – Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts Amphitheater – $25 – Solas has a reputation for being the top Celtic band from the United States. Their influences reached across the world. Opening the show will be Alaskan Bluegrass band Bearfoot.

Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angels Philharmonic Wednesday May 12th at 7:30 PM – Symphony Hall – One of the most exciting conductors of our era will be bringing the Los Angeles Philharmonic (the Phoenix Symphony will not be performing at this event) and a program that includes ‘Mahler’s massive Symphony No. 1′. Don’t miss this chance to see an amazing night of music.

Tan Dun: Crouching Tiger Concerto – May 13th at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts – May 15th at Symphony Hall – The Phoenix Symphony is bringing a touch of world music to the current Season by showcasing Tan Dun’s Oscar Winning Soundtrack to ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’. Performing this masterpiece will be guest conductor En Shao who is currently the Chief Conductor of the RTV Slovenia Symphony Orchestra, the Principal Guest Conductor of the China National Symphony Orchestra and the Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Taipei Chinese Orchestra. The concert will also feature erhu player Betti Ziang who is renown for her mastery of this instrument.

Click here for tickets to the May 13th Performance at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts

Click here for tickets to the May 15th performance at Symphony Hall

Popularity: 24% [?]

Thursday evening the Arizona Hotel and Lodging Association along with the Arizona Restaurant Association hosted ‘Forks and Corks’. The evening served a dual purpose to raise money for Arizona Hotel and Restaurant Education foundation and to treat local foodies to some great culinary samplings of what Arizona had to offer.  The combination of the perfect weather and the amazing selection of food made ‘Forks and Corks’ a memorable night for all.

The moment I entered the venue I was handed the following platter:

As I’ve said before, the food events that know what they are doing offer these platters for everyone while they mill around tasting food and wine. As you can see from the picture, not only was there a spot on on the platter for a wine glass (right above) but there were spots for silverwear and any other food item that you needed to leverage this platter for.

After receiving the platter, I was offered what looked like a push-up ice cream. However, we were told by the person handing the push-up treats out that they were to be used for cleaning my palate after each sample. In my years of being immersed in the foodie culture I have never seen anything like this before. However, after eating a few samples from the booths around the venue, I found that this push up treat really helped in being able to experience all the flavors of each booth.  The push up was the perfect solution to not having to worry about my palate being all muddled up with residual flavors of previous samples around the venue.

There were many great booths that had amazing samples (the best are noted below) that really made an impression on me.  However, many of the booths at ‘Forks and Corks’ were just average and didn’t really offer anything that could be considered the best that Arizona had to offer.  For example, there was one booth, who shall remain nameless, that had a shredded pork taco that was soaking in a very watery pan.  The meat was then taken from the pan and put on uncooked or extremely undercooked corn tortillas.  The liquid the meat was soaking in then wasn’t fully drained when transferred to the undercooked tortilla so the final presentation included a puddle of water.

For an event that is billed as some of the best that Arizona has to offer, that’s just rank amateur food presentation.  Not even Applebee’s would allow food like that to be consumed by the public.

Anyways, here’s some of the best of what Forks and Corks had to offer:

Different Pointe of View – Pan Seared Day Boat Halibut Cheeks atop Morel & Brie Risotto and topped with Apple Basil Olive Oil Emulsion. – This is definitely a mouthful to say.  However, this was one of the better dishes I had as the combination of the Halibut cheeks with the Emulsion was just a new and fresh experience brought to a classic seafood dish.

Bluwater Bistro – Oyster Shooters, Shrimp Cocktail, and Smoked Salmon – All were Atlantic seafood and were presented in a straight forward, classic fashion.  I love Oyster Shooters when they’re done right.  Still in the shell but not attached to the shell, in a tiny bit of water and ready for shooting.

Double Tree Paradise Valley Resort. – Braised Short Rib with Butternut Squash on a Risotto cake – Just a simply amazing dish with flavors that complimented each other perfectly.

Blanco Tacos and Tequila - Shrimp Ceviche (Below) – This sample was something I had to come back for again and again.  The taste of the Ceviche was perfectly balanced in that neither the vegetables or seafood overpowered each other.  Just a perfect appetizer for such a warm evening.

Capital Grille – Fillet Mignon with shallot butter – Tender and a wonderful compliment to the warm day on Thursday.

Ruth Chris – Cajun Lamb Lolly pop – Yes, you read that right.  A Lamb Lolly Pop.  It actually was extremely tender lamb still on the bone that just melted in your mouth.  Just amazing presentation.

La Hacienda – Pipian de Puerco – Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder with Pipian sauce, roasted corn puree, pumpkin seed, and pickled red onion.  One of the best dishes I had this evening.  The combination of all the individual parts to the Pipian de Puerco were essential in being able to fully enjoy this sample.  This was one of these dishes that you had to have a little of each part of the sample to be able to full appreciate how it crossed your palate.

Best Desserts – These two desserts deserved to be mentioned for their amazing taste and originality.

Most Original – Frank and Albert’s at the Arizona Biltmore – Liquid Nitrogen Frozen strawberries coated in hot chocolate and topped with chocolate covered pop rocks – served with champagne. This was simply an amazing take on the classic Strawberries and Champagne dessert.  The addition of the sinful chocolate sauce and the chocolate covered pop rocks took two classic tastes and sent them into the stratosphere.  The first bite of the enormous strawberry coated in chocolate was a culinary delight unto itself.  However, after taking a sip of the Champagne the chain reaction of the Champagne on the chocolate coated pop rocks started a sustained popping in the back of my mouth.  The Pop rocks were still popping a good five minutes after the last bite.   This was simply an extremely original and well done dish.  In addition, the fact that the complexity of serving this dish for hundreds of people while maintaining the overall quality and excellence of the sample was an amazing feat.

Best tasting – La Hacienda – Coconut Flan – I’m normally not a fan of flan.  However, when I took a bite of La Hacienda’s Flan I was treated to a taste that was as fresh tasting as it was sweet.  The coconut didn’t overpower the typical flan taste but there was enough to make it a perfect warm spring/summer time dessert dish.

Popularity: 4% [?]

This article was meant to be a review of the Arizona Barbecue Festival. However, instead of a Barbecue festival I witnessed one of the most unorganized messes I’ve ever witnessed.

The Arizona Barbecue festival seemed to be a cooking festival for cash prizes but their website was so poorly constructed and unorganized that it was hard to tell what exactly was going on.

When I arrived at the festival site mid afternoon the entrance was unorganized chaos. There wasn’t a media contact to talk to, there wasn’t any guide, program or map to tell me what was going on and where. I didn’t discover that tickets needed to be purchased to buy food until I visited the first Barbecue booth. As I was walking back through the festival site to purchase tickets, which was located in a dirt field, there people were riding bicycles around people with kids and strollers. How do you allow bicycles into a family festival?!?!

I could go on but I think the point was made as to how poorly run this festival was.

Once I discovered that I needed to buy tickets at the entrance (the ticket purchasing area was buried by the unorganized mass of people clogging the entrance/exit to the festival. The only ATM on site was a portable on located out side the festival gates. Transactions per person took about five minutes each.

By this point I had enough. This was just a horrible experience.

I was hot, dirty, and I wanted Barbecue.

Fortunately I found some after I left this mess of a festival. That will be in my next review.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Well, we are in the middle of a major overhaul of the main AZ Vibe website at the moment and that includes this weekly article. As you can see we are transitioning to a new format and eventually will be moving the events and concerts off on the horizon to their own dedicate page. If you look at the Concerts format at the bottom of this page, each event has a link to either the ticket purchasing page or to an article with expanded coverage and information. This is the format we are going to be transferring to when the overhaul is done.

Man, this week’s edition of the ‘often copied (by other publications around town), but never repeated’ things to do around town is PACKED with some great options. From food festivals, to Muse, Bad Brains, Elvis Costello, to NASCAR action. There’s literally something for everyone this week. Check it out!

 

 

1) Muse – April 9th, 2010 – US Airlines Arena At long last Muse is coming to Phoenix! Don’t miss this opportunity to see one of the best rock acts today!

2) Phoenix Coyotes and Phoenix Suns Playoff tickets – Individual tickets for the first round are on sale now!!!! Check out the link below for more information on how you can secure your tickets for the post season!

http://www.azvibe.com/phoenix-entertainment/2010/03/26/phoenix-coyotes-and-phoenix-suns-playoff-tickets-go-on-sale-this-weekend/

3)

Elvis Costello Solo show – April 9th – Desert Sky Series at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets on sale now.

4)

Phoenix International Raceway – SUBWAY Fresh Fit 600 Weekend – April 8-10th – The Action of NASCAR comes to one of the tracks that drivers love! Come see why it’s such a fun weekend if you are a race fan or not.

Tickets: http://secure.racetickets.com//PhoenixIntlRaceway/ft/TicketSales/index.cfm?event=tixList&display=tixList&EstablishmentKey=9&EstablishmentType=T&TixEventID=2325&showCart=no&HeadlineStoryID=18266&GatewayPass=y

5) Movies in the Park – Biltmore Fashion Park – FREE – The popular event is back for another year at the Biltmore Fashion Park. This free event is a great way to just kick back and watch some great movies on the big screen outside!

THIS WEEK’S MOVIE: DR. No (1962) – Starring Sean Connery in his first 007 role

For more information and a list of movies in the coming weeks, check this link out: http://bit.ly/dmrnJO

6) Maricopa County Fair – April 14th-18th – Arizona State Fairgrounds

7) Scottsdale Culinary Festival – April 13th-18th

8) An Evening with Kevin Smith – April 10th – 7:00 PM Orpheum Theater

9) Arizona Barbecue Festival – Scottsdale Waterfront – April 10th – 10 AM – $10

10) Phoenix Fringe Festival – April 2nd through April 11th – The Fringe festival is back for another year of experimental artists showcasing their talents. This festival is one of the reasons why Phoenix is rich in Arts and Culture.

11) Star Wars: The Clone Wars night at the Phoenix Suns game – April 11th versus the Houston Rockets – If you’re a Star Wars fan, you MUST go to this game!!

12) The Glass Menagerie – Arizona Theater Company – Through April 11th

13)

Taste 2010 – Sunday April 11th – 6 to 9 PM – Kierland Commons – For 36 years, the Taste events have been a showcase of the best of what Phoenix has to offer in food and wine. This year promises to showcase the best of the best while benefitting The Boys and Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Phoenix.

14)
Arizona Diamondbacks 2010 Season – Another season of Diamondbacks baseball begins on April 5th with an afternoon game against the San Diego Padres. New manager AJ Hinch has the Diamondbacks ready to take on Major League Baseball’s best! Don’t miss the action this season as they challenge for the AL West title!

Ticketmaster has your individual tickets for all game this season (including the Cubs and Yankees):

http://ticketsus.at/azvibe?CTY=85&DURL=http://www.ticketmaster.com/Arizona-Diamondbacks-tickets/artist/805895

15) Jesus Christ Superstar – ASU Gammage – Through April 11th – The Classic Broadway musical is a show not to be missed!

16) Bad Brains – April 10th – 8PM – Tickets only $13

17) Upcoming Events

Phoenix Improv Festival – April 15th, 16th, and 17th – Herberger Theater

 

Pat’s Run – Sun Devil Stadium – April 17th – 7AM to 11AM

Rock the Zoo featuring Vertical horizon and Marcy Playground – April 23rd – Phoenix Zoo – The Phoenix Zoo’s biggest fundraiser of the year features two great acts. I personally have seen the types of Parties the Phoenix Zoo throws. I’m here to say that they know how to put on one hell of a party!

Leslie’s Lucky Ducky Derby – Saturday April 24th – Scottsdale Waterfront

Viva Las Vegas Casino Night and Silent Auction – CityCenter of City North – May 1st – 7 to 11:30 PM

2010 ASU Undie Run – May 4th – 8 PM to 10 PM – Tempe SRC Fields (ASU Campus) – The Annual event held on the last day of classes for the ASU academic year. Show up in an outfit that you want to donate to charity, strip down to your underwear (donating the outfit to those in need) and go on the run in your underwear

For you Facebook types:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=10150116334790332&ref=mf

Phoenix Comicon 10 – May 27th-30th – Phoenix Convention Center – Stan Lee will be on hand to sign autographs on Sunday (must pre-register for the autograph session)

Fashion Week 2010 – September 30th, October 1st and 2nd – Schedule and site TBD

18) Vampire Weekend – Marquee Theater – April, 13th 2010 – 7:00 PM – All Ages Show – Marquee theater (Call (480) 829-0707 for tickets because the promoter’s website was down at press time)

19) Raven Events Red Light District Costume Ball – Saturday April 4th – 8 PM – The infamous costume party is back for its annual tongue-in-cheek, fun and mayhem! You’ve heard about it. You’ve thought about it. Now it’s time to attend…It’s a Saints & Sinners, Pimp ‘n Ho, Drag Queen and Fetish Party all in one! This year the Red Light District Costume Ball promises to be better than ever with hundreds of guests in wild, crazy outrageous costumes. We’re making sure that this will be one of the most tantalizing and memorable charity events of the year!

For you Facebook types:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=106086649419156&index=1

20) Scottsdale Old Town Farmer’s Market – Every Saturday from 8:30 AM to 1 PM – On the Corner of Brown and 1st Street in Old Town (Across the Street from ‘The Mission’ and ‘The Carriage House’.

21) Market on Mill – Every Thursday outside of the MADCAP theaters in Tempe, is a local public market that has been quickly gaining in popularity. Check out some great local farmers and craftspeople (among others) that sell their fare to the masses.

22) Chandler Farmer’s Market is every Thursday from 3 to 7 p.m. at Dr. A. J. Chandler Park (downtown Chandler)

23) Yoga in the Park – Biltmore Fashion Park – Every Sunday in the Center Lawn at 10:30 AM is a free 60 minute Yoga session.

24) Scottsdale Art Walk – Every Thursday evening from 7 to 9 PM – FREE – Dubbed ‘America’s Original Art Walk’ art fans get the opportunity to browse through all

25) Don’t forget the Downtown Phoenix Public Market – Weekly on Wednesdays from 4 to 8 PM and Saturday from 8 AM to Noon.

26) Black Pearl Poetry – Tempe – Thursdays – MADCAP Theaters – $5 Adults $3 Students (no matter what age) – 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM – A poetry open mic night right in downtown Tempe!

27) Roka Akor Farmers Market – Every Sunday from 10 AM to 2 PM (Beginning January 31st)

28) Thursday Night Market – The return of local farmers (and other) markets on Mill avenue starts up again on Feb 18th.

29) Country Thunder – Arizona – April 14th – April 17th – Florence Arizona

30) Walk in Wednesdays (Open Mic Night) Tempe Center for the Arts – Every Wednesday night – 6:30-11PM – The Lounge at the Tempe Center for the Arts – Check out some of the area’s up and coming artists in a spectacular setting.

31) The Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art has free admission every Thursday

32) Phoenix Suns – The new season is in full swing and they are out to do one thing. Win it all! Catch all the action courtside!

Tickets:

http://ticketsus.at/azvibe?CTY=85&DURL=http://www.ticketmaster.com/Phoenix-Suns-tickets/artist/806004

21.5) Concerts

New to the Concert/Event Calendar this week (Info and Ticket Purchasing in the links for each event):

Tickets on sale Saturday April 10th at 10:00 AM

Monster Ball Tour Featuring Lady Gaga – Saturday July 31st – US Airways Center – Quickly becoming one of the best known and best selling pop artists of the modern era, Lady Gaga brings a brand new vision of her songs to the US Airways Center. Her shows have been selling out across North America and this show is sure to sell out. Semi Precious Weapons will open the show.

Jack Johnson: To the Sea Tour 2010 – Sunday October 10th at 7:00 PM – Cricket Wireless Pavilion – Constantly working on perfecting his already great live show, Jack Johnson is returning to Phoenix to support his new album ‘To the Sea’. The really cool aspect about this show is that 100% of the proceeds from the tour will go to charity! Your ticket will not just allow you to see a great live act but you will also be helping out Johnson’s All At Once Community. G. Love and Special Sauce along with Zee Avi will open the show.

Tickets on sale Monday April 12th at 10:00 AM

REO Speedwagon and Pat Benatar – Saturday July 24th at 7:00 PM – Dodge Theater – Two of the biggest bands of the 80′s will share the stage and treat fans with a large catalog of classics. Edwin McCain will open the show.

Tickets on sale now

Vans Warped Tour – June 29th – Cricket Wireless Pavilion – Doors open at 11:00 AM – Tickets only $34.95 – For fifteen years, the Vans Warped Tour brings the best collection of Punk, not ready for the main stream, or new bands for everyone to check out. This year is no different as there’s a tremendously diverse lineup of artists to check out.

Lineup: THE ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS, MOTION CITY SOUNDTRACK, ALKALINE TRIO, THE BOUNCING SOULS ANDREW W.K., BRING ME THE HORIZON, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, FACE TO FACE, WE THE KINGS, SUICIDE SILENCE, BREATHE CAROLINA, I CAN MAKE A MESS LIKE NOBODY’S BUSINESS, EMMURE, HEY MONDAY, PARKWAY DRIVE, PIERCE THE VEIL, SET YOUR GOALS, WHITE CHAPEL, YOU ME AT SIX, FOUR YEAR STRONG, ANARBOR, FAKE PROBLEMS, NEVER SHOUT NEVER, MIKE POSNER, THE CAB, THE CASUALTIES, THE REVEREND PEYTON’S BIG DAMN BAND, THE ROCKET SUMMER, POLAR BEAR CLUB,THE PRETTY RECKLESS, ARTIST VS POET, ALESANA, THE SUMMER SET, VERSAEMERGE, ENTER SHIKARI, I SEE STARS, SPARKS THE RESCUE, ATTACK ATTACK!, SUM 41, AM TAXI, BREATHE ELECTRIC, FIGHT FAIR, IN FEAR AND FAITH, OF MICE AND MEN, WE ARE THE IN CROWD, EMAROSA, CALL THE COPS, CONFIDE, AFTER MIDNIGHT PROJECT, FAR FROM FINISHED, MAYDAY PARADE, RIVERBOAT GAMBLERS, THE SWELLERS, CLOSURE IN MOSCOW, EYES SET TO KILL

 

Baaba Maal – Thursday April 22, 2010 at 7:30 PM – In the Virginia G. Piper Theater at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts – One of the brightest stars on the African continent, Senegalese master musician Baaba Maal is renowned for his fiery performances fusing funk, rock and blues with traditional West African beats and melodies. For more than two decades, he has traveled the world sharing his uplifting message of empowerment, enlightenment and peace.

Marcus Roberts Trio- Friday April 30th, 2010 at 8:00 PM – In the Virginia G. Piper Theater at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts – Pianist Marcus Roberts’ highly innovative and original piano style reflects his passion for great music of every genre, from the masters of jazz and classical music to his mother’s gospel singing. Blind since the age of 5, the self-taught prodigy studied classical piano and later toured and recorded with Wynton Marsalis. Now leading his own ensemble, he performs with drummer Jason Marsalis and bassist Roland Guerin.

Beatles and Friends: Sounds of the 60′s – May 7th, 8th, 9th – Phoenix Symphony – Symphony Hall – Guest conductor Michael Krajewski and Tenor Ron Evan brings many of the Beatles classic hits along with other 60′s hits from artists like the Beach Boys and the Mama’s and the Papa’s.

Tickets for May 7th performance | Tickets for May 8th Performance | Tickets for May 9th Matinee

Shows off on the horizon:

Atomic Punks (a KILLER tribute to early Van Halen) – April 17th – Marquee theater (Call (480) 829-0707 for tickets because the promoter’s website is down)

 

Mark Knopfler: SUNDAY, APRIL 18, 2010 at Dodge Theater

For you Facebook Types: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=119749753741

RAIN: A Tribute to the Beatles – April 20-21 Mesa Arts Center – April 22-25th Orpheum Theater

Tickets to the Mesa Arts Center Shows:

http://www.mesaartscenter.com/index.php/performances/broadway/rain

Tickets to the Orpheum Theater Shows:

http://ticketsus.at/azvibe?CTY=33&LID=&DURL=http://www.ticketmaster.com/Rain-a-Tribute-To-the-Beatles-tickets/artist/1242978?camefrom=CFC_BUYAT&brand=[=BRAND=]

The Eagles – April 21st – US Airways Center

McDowell Mountain Music Festival – April 23-25th – Scottsdale 101 Shopping Center – One of the great music festivals in the Phoenix Area is back for another year. The great thing about this festival is that 100% of the proceeds go to area charities. This year, all the proceeds will go to Ear Candy Charities and the Phoenix Day Family and Learning Center

Cheech and Chong - Get It Legal – Saturday – April 24th – 8:00 PM Dodge Theatre

Tickets:

Conan O’Brien’s ‘Legally prohibited from being funny on Television’ tour – April 30th at the Dodge Theater – Tickets on Sale now

Sugarland’s ‘Incredible Machine’ Tour – Friday, May 2 at 7:30 PM at the Cricket Wireless Pavilion

Heart – Celebrity Theater – May 8 – 8:00 PM

Pato Banton – May 16th – Club Red – (Tickets can be purchased via ticketweb.com) – One of the greatest Reggae artists of all time is playing an intimate show at Club Red. This is a perfect venue to see Pato Banton in.h

Tom Petty and the Hearbreakers – May 18th – US Airways Center

Carole King and James Taylor ‘Intimate and in the Round’ Trubadour Reunion Tour – Jobing.com Arena – May 19th at 7:30 PM – Tickets available at all Live Nation outlets and at Live Nations’s website:

Styx, Foreigner and Kansas – Friday May 21st at 7:30 PM at the Dodge Theater

Brooks and Dunn – May 21st – Cricket Wireless Pavillion

Crosby, Stills and Nash – Saturday May 29th – Dodge Theater

Tim McGraw – June 3rd – 7 PM – Cricket Wireless Pavilion – Tickets on sale today!!!

Chicago with the Doobie Brothers – June 15th – Dodge Theater – Two of the biggest pop/rock acts of all time will be starting a co-headlining tour in Phoenix

Iron Maiden and Dream Theater – June 17th at the Cricket Wireless Pavilion

Country Throwdown Tour – June 18th – 1PM – Cricket Wireless Pavilion – Featuring Montgomery Gentry, Jamey Johnson, Jack Ingram, Little Big Town, The Eli Young Band, Eric Church, The Lost Trailers, Ryan Bingham and the Dead Horses, Jonathan Singleton 7 the Grove, Heidi Newfield

Kings of Leon – Saturday July 10th – Cricket Wireless Pavilion

Leann Rimes – Celebrity Theater – July 17th – 8:00 PM

Robert Plant and the Band of Joy – July 20th – Dodge Theater 7:30PM – Tickets on sale April 5th at 10 AM – The legendary Led Zepplin Singer brings one of his solo bands for a one night only show at the Dodge Theater

American Carnage Tour: Megadeth, Slayer, and Testament - August 17th – Dodge Theater (This is the new and rescheduled date)

Green Day with AFI - August 30th – Cricket Wireless Pavilion – Tickets on Sale April 3rd at 10 AM – Green Day returns to Phoenix almost a year to the day after their last Phoenix show. One of the better acts to see live, Green Day never fails to deliver.

Michael Bolton – September 10th – 8PM – Tickets on Sale now! More details in the link.

Paramore with Tegan and Sara – Dodge Theater – September 15th – Tickets on sale March 26th at 10 AM

Kenny Rogers – October 14th at 7:30 PM at the Dodge Theater

Popularity: 11% [?]

Tickets on sale Saturday April 10th at 10:00 AM

Monster Ball Tour Featuring Lady Gaga – Saturday July 31st – US Airways Center – Quickly becoming one of the best known and best selling pop artists of the modern era, Lady Gaga brings a brand new vision of her songs to the US Airways Center. Her shows have been selling out across North America and this show is sure to sell out. Semi Precious Weapons will open the show.

Jack Johnson: To the Sea Tour 2010 – Sunday October 10th at 7:00 PM – Cricket Wireless Pavilion – Constantly working on perfecting his already great live show, Jack Johnson is returning to Phoenix to support his new album ‘To the Sea’. The really cool aspect about this show is that 100% of the proceeds from the tour will go to charity! Your ticket will not just allow you to see a great live act but you will also be helping out Johnson’s All At Once Community. G. Love and Special Sauce along with Zee Avi will open the show.

Tickets on sale Monday April 12th at 10:00 AM

REO Speedwagon and Pat Benatar – Saturday July 24th at 7:00 PM – Dodge Theater – Two of the biggest bands of the 80′s will share the stage and treat fans with a large catalog of classics. Edwin McCain will open the show.

Tickets on sale now

Baaba Maal – Thursday April 22, 2010 at 7:30 PM – In the Virginia G. Piper Theater at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts – One of the brightest stars on the African continent, Senegalese master musician Baaba Maal is renowned for his fiery performances fusing funk, rock and blues with traditional West African beats and melodies. For more than two decades, he has traveled the world sharing his uplifting message of empowerment, enlightenment and peace.

Marcus Roberts Trio- Friday April 30th, 2010 at 8:00 PM – In the Virginia G. Piper Theater at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts – Pianist Marcus Roberts’ highly innovative and original piano style reflects his passion for great music of every genre, from the masters of jazz and classical music to his mother’s gospel singing. Blind since the age of 5, the self-taught prodigy studied classical piano and later toured and recorded with Wynton Marsalis. Now leading his own ensemble, he performs with drummer Jason Marsalis and bassist Roland Guerin.

Beatles and Friends: Sounds of the 60′s – May 7th, 8th, 9th – Phoenix Symphony – Symphony Hall – Guest conductor Michael Krajewski and Tenor Ron Evan brings many of the Beatles classic hits along with other 60′s hits from artists like the Beach Boys and the Mama’s and the Papa’s.

Tickets for May 7th performance | Tickets for May 8th Performance | Tickets for May 9th Matinee

Popularity: 8% [?]

With spring in full swing, we are at the start of food festival season in the greater Phoenix area. This Thursday April 8th is one of the premiere food events as ‘Forks and Corks’ returns for their seventh year at the Camelback Esplanade. The fun starts at 5:30 PM!

Twenty of the top chefs from top restaurants and resorts in Arizona will present one to two samples of food that will showcase why this area is considered a top culinary destination for travelers and local residents alike.

For the ‘Corks’ part of the event will be many wineries represented providing samples of their wine for all in attendance. At press time, a list of wineries were not available.

In addition, all who attend will be able to participate in a silent auction with many prizes donated by restaurants, resorts, and many other local Arizona businesses.

All proceeds from ‘Forks and Corks’ will benefit the Arizona Hotel and Restaurant Education Foundations to provide scholarships for various culinary educations.

For more information and to purchase tickets, please refer to the ‘Forks and Corks’ website:

http://www.forksandcorks.org/

Popularity: 4% [?]

Well, we are in the middle of a major overhaul of the main AZ Vibe website at the moment and that includes this weekly article. As you can see we are transistioning to a new format and eventually will be moving the events and concerts off on the horizion to their own dedicate page. If you look at the Concerts format at the bottom of this page, each event has a link to either the ticket purchasing page or to an article with expanded coverage and information. This is the format we are going to be transferring to when the overhaul is done.

The top things to do this week is to catch opening day of Baseball at Chase Field. It’s an afternoon game, and if you can’t come down with a ’9 inning flu’ the Diamondbacks website have notes you can print out and give to your boss (no joke!).

It’s also First Friday tonight. One of the best reasons why Phoenix is such a great city.

Also catch a Phoenix Coyotes game. There’s two home games left in the regular season before the playoffs! Next week is Fan Appreciation day where they will have TONS of cool prizes to giveaway!

1) Arizona Diamondbacks 2010 Season – Another season of Diamondbacks baseball begins on April 5th with an afternoon game against the San Diego Padres. New manager AJ Hinch has the Diamondbacks ready to take on Major League Baseball’s best! Don’t miss the action this season as they challenge for the AL West title!

Ticketmaster has your individual tickets for all game this season (including the Cubs and Yankees):

http://ticketsus.at/azvibe?CTY=85&DURL=http://www.ticketmaster.com/Arizona-Diamondbacks-tickets/artist/805895

2) Phoenix Coyotes and Phoenix Suns Playoff tickets – Individual tickets for the first round are on sale now!!!! Check out the link below for more information on how you can secure your tickets for the post season!

http://www.azvibe.com/phoenix-entertainment/2010/03/26/phoenix-coyotes-and-phoenix-suns-playoff-tickets-go-on-sale-this-weekend/

3) First Friday – Downtown Phoenix — It’s that time of the month where the artists of Phoenix open their doors to the public. Since First Friday is one of the coolest and greatest cultural events that Phoenix has to offer it’s a must see event! Check out the pictures on our Facebook Fan Page for but a small sample of the goings on.

For more information about First Friday, check this link out:

http://www.artlinkphoenix.com/

Here’s some of the places/areas that will be open tonight!

http://www.phxart.org/

http://www.perihelionarts.com/Shows.php?id=1100

http://grandavephoenix.com/

http://www.rooseveltrow.org/

A bake sale is going on at Hidden House as well:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=109949365689519&index=1

…and last but not least our favorite local band, Black Carl, will be playing in the Roosevelt Row section of First Friday:

http://www.myspace.com/iamblackcarl

4) Casting Call for CBS’s ‘Big Brother’ – Ever think you could do better than the people that have been on past seasons of Big Brother? Well, now’s your chance. On April 3rd from 1 to 5 PM at the Sandbar Mexican Grill in Chandler, representatives from CBS will be on hand to see if you have what it takes to be on their show.

…as we’re going to post all the latest deals for tickets and other cool things.

5) Movies in the Park – Biltmore Fashion Park – FREE – The popular event is back for another year at the Biltmore Fashion Park. This free event is a great way to just kick back and watch some great movies on the big screen outside!

THIS WEEK’S MOVIE: ROMAN HOLIDAY (1953) – Starring Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn

For more information and a list of movies in the coming weeks, check this link out: http://bit.ly/dmrnJO

6) Phoenix Suns – The new season is in full swing and out to do one thing. Win it all! Catch all the action courtside!

Tickets:

http://ticketsus.at/azvibe?CTY=85&DURL=http://www.ticketmaster.com/Phoenix-Suns-tickets/artist/806004

7) Drowning Pool and Burnt Halo – Tempe Marketplace – Free Show that starts at 7:00 PM

8) Michelle Shocked – April 2nd at 9 PM – The Compound Grill

9) Forks and Corks – April 8th – 5:30 to 8:00 PM – Camelback Esplanade – One of the are’s best food events that highlights the top tier chefs, restaurants, and wineries takes place in the Biltmore area. Come sample some of the best that Arizona has to offer!

10) Phoenix Fringe Festival – April 2nd through April 11th – The Fringe festival is back for another year of experimental artists showcasing their talents. This festival is one of the reasons why Phoenix is rich in Arts and Culture.

11) Chas Elstner – Comedy Spot Comedy Club April 2nd, 3rd, and 4th – Scottsdale

12) The Glass Menagerie – Arizona Theater Company – Through April 11th

13)
Phoenix Coyotes – The Phoenix Coyotes are on the verge of clinching their first playoff birth for the first time since 2001. There’s only a few regular season home games left so don’t miss your chance to see the hottest team in Phoenix battle for their playoff positions. Ticket’s for this weekend’s Oilers game (as well as playoff tickets) are selling out fast.

Pick up your tickets today!

Keep checking here…

http://coyotes.azvibe.com/20092010-phoenix-coyotes-ticketpromotional-schedule/

14)
Thursday Night Market – The return of local farmers (and other) markets on Mill avenue starts up again on Feb 18th.

http://www.thursdaynightmarket.com/Thursday_NIght_Market/Home.html

http://www.pitchengine.com/free-release.php?id=46302

15) Jesus Christ Superstar – ASU Gammage – Through April 11th – The Classic Broadway musical is a show not to be missed!

16) FUSE – Bar Smith – Friday Nights – $5 – Bar Smith – Downtown Phoenix – 10PM – 2 AM – 18 dj’s, 2 Floors, Hosted Bar option -

Tonight’s Feature is:

DJ DLG & Astrofunk !!!

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=109333332424034&ref=mf

17) Upcoming Events

Phoenix International Raceway – SUBWAY Fresh Fit 600 Weekend – April 8-10th – The Action of NASCAR comes to one of the tracks that drivers love! Come see why it’s such a fun weekend if you are a race fan or not.

Tickets: http://secure.racetickets.com//PhoenixIntlRaceway/ft/TicketSales/index.cfm?event=tixList&display=tixList&EstablishmentKey=9&EstablishmentType=T&TixEventID=2325&showCart=no&HeadlineStoryID=18266&GatewayPass=y

Arizona Barbecue Festival – Scottsdale Waterfront – April 10th – 10 AM – $10

Star Wars: The Clone Wars night at the Phoenix Suns game – April 11th versus the Houston Rockets – If you’re a Star Wars fan, you MUST go to this game!!

Taste 2010 – Sunday April 11th – 6 to 9 PM – Kierland Commons – For 36 years, the Taste events have been a showcase of the best of what Phoenix has to offer in food and wine. This year promises to showcase the best of the best while benefitting The Boys and Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Phoenix.

Scottsdale Culinary Festival – April 13th-18th

Phoenix Improv Festival – April 15th, 16th, and 17th – Herberger Theater

Maricopa County Fair – April 14th-18th – Arizona State Fairgrounds

Pat’s Run – Sun Devil Stadium – April 17th – 7AM to 11AM

Rock the Zoo featuring Vertical horizon and Marcy Playground – April 23rd – Phoenix Zoo – The Phoenix Zoo’s biggest fundraiser of the year features two great acts. I personally have seen the types of Parties the Phoenix Zoo throws. I’m here to say that they know how to put on one hell of a party!

Viva Las Vegas Casino Night and Silent Auction – CityCenter of City North – May 1st – 7 to 11:30 PM

2010 ASU Undie Run – May 4th – 8 PM to 10 PM – Tempe SRC Fields (ASU Campus) – The Annual event held on the last day of classes for the ASU academic year. Show up in an outfit that you want to donate to charity, strip down to your underwear (donating the outfit to those in need) and go on the run in your underwear

For you Facebook types:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=10150116334790332&ref=mf

Phoenix Comicon 10 – May 27th-30th – Phoenix Convention Center – Stan Lee will be on hand to sign autographs on Sunday (must pre-register for the autograph session)

Fashion Week 2010 – September 30th, October 1st and 2nd – Schedule and site TBD

18) Walk in Wednesdays (Open Mic Night) Tempe Center for the Arts – Every Wednesday night – 6:30-11PM – The Lounge at the Tempe Center for the Arts – Check out some of the area’s up and coming artists in a spectacular setting.

19) The Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art has free admission every Thursday

20) Scottsdale Old Town Farmer’s Market – Every Saturday from 8:30 AM to 1 PM – On the Corner of Brown and 1st Street in Old Town (Across the Street from ‘The Mission’ and ‘The Carriage House’.

21) Market on Mill – Every Thursday outside of the MADCAP theaters in Tempe, is a local public market that has been quickly gaining in popularity. Check out some great local farmers and craftspeople (among others) that sell their fare to the masses.

22) Chandler Farmer’s Market is every Thursday from 3 to 7 p.m. at Dr. A. J. Chandler Park (downtown Chandler)

23) Yoga in the Park – Biltmore Fashion Park – Every Sunday in the Center Lawn at 10:30 AM is a free 60 minute Yoga session.

24) Scottsdale Art Walk – Every Thursday evening from 7 to 9 PM – FREE – Dubbed ‘America’s Original Art Walk’ art fans get the opportunity to browse through all

25) Don’t forget the Downtown Phoenix Public Market – Weekly on Wednesdays from 4 to 8 PM and Saturday from 8 AM to Noon.

26) Black Pearl Poetry – Tempe – Thursdays – MADCAP Theaters – $5 Adults $3 Students (no matter what age) – 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM – A poetry open mic night right in downtown Tempe!

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=416588935283&index=1

27)Roka Akor Farmers Market – Every Sunday from 10 AM to 2 PM (Beginning January 31st)

http://twitpic.com/yzya5

21.5) Concerts

New to the Concert/Event Calendar this week (Info and Ticket Purchasing in the links for each event):

Tim McGraw – June 3rd – 7 PM – Cricket Wireless Pavilion – Tickets on sale today!!!

Robert Plant and the Band of Joy – July 20th – Dodge Theater 7:30PM – Tickets on sale April 5th at 10 AM – The legendary Led Zepplin Singer brings one of his solo bands for a one night only show at the Dodge Theater

Green Day with AFI - August 30th – Cricket Wireless Pavilion – Tickets on Sale April 3rd at 10 AM – Green Day returns to Phoenix almost a year to the day after their last Phoenix show. One of the better acts to see live, Green Day never fails to deliver.

Michael Bolton – September 10th – 8PM – Tickets on Sale now! More details in the link.

Shows off on the horizon:

;

Elvis Costello Solo show – April 9th – Desert Sky Series at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts. Tickets on sale now.

Muse – April 9th, 2010 – US Airlines Arena At long last Muse is coming to Phoenix! Don’t miss this opportunity to see one of the best rock acts today!

An Evening with Kevin Smith – April 10th – 7:00 PM Orpheum Theater

Bad Brains – April 10th – 8PM – Tickets only $13

Vampire Weekend – Marquee Theater – April, 13th 2010 – 7:00 PM – All Ages Show – Marquee theater (Call (480) 829-0707 for tickets because the promoter’s website is down)

Country Thunder – Arizona – April 14th – April 17th – Florence Arizona

Atomic Punks (a KILLER tribute to early Van Halen) – April 17th – Marquee theater (Call (480) 829-0707 for tickets because the promoter’s website is down)

 

Mark Knopfler: SUNDAY, APRIL 18, 2010 at Dodge Theater

For you Facebook Types: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=119749753741

RAIN: A Tribute to the Beatles – April 20-21 Mesa Arts Center – April 22-25th Orpheum Theater

Tickets to the Mesa Arts Center Shows:

http://www.mesaartscenter.com/index.php/performances/broadway/rain

Tickets to the Orpheum Theater Shows:

http://ticketsus.at/azvibe?CTY=33&LID=&DURL=http://www.ticketmaster.com/Rain-a-Tribute-To-the-Beatles-tickets/artist/1242978?camefrom=CFC_BUYAT&brand=[=BRAND=]

The Eagles – April 21st – US Airways Center

McDowell Mountain Music Festival – April 23-25th – Scottsdale 101 Shopping Center – One of the great music festivals in the Phoenix Area is back for another year. The great thing about this festival is that 100% of the proceeds go to area charities. This year, all the proceeds will go to Ear Candy Charities and the Phoenix Day Family and Learning Center

Cheech and Chong - Get It Legal – Saturday – April 24th – 8:00 PM Dodge Theatre

Tickets:

Conan O’Brien’s ‘Legally prohibited from being funny on Television’ tour – April 30th at the Dodge Theater – Tickets on Sale now

Sugarland’s ‘Incredible Machine’ Tour – Friday, May 2 at 7:30 PM at the Cricket Wireless Pavilion

Heart – Celebrity Theater – May 8 – 8:00 PM

Pato Banton – May 16th – Club Red – (Tickets can be purchased via ticketweb.com) – One of the greatest Reggae artists of all time is playing an intimate show at Club Red. This is a perfect venue to see Pato Banton in.h

Tom Petty and the Hearbreakers – May 18th – US Airways Center

Carole King and James Taylor ‘Intimate and in the Round’ Trubadour Reunion Tour – Jobing.com Arena – May 19th at 7:30 PM – Tickets available at all Live Nation outlets and at Live Nations’s website:

Styx, Foreigner and Kansas – Friday May 21st at 7:30 PM at the Dodge Theater

Brooks and Dunn – May 21st – Cricket Wireless Pavillion

Crosby, Stills and Nash – Saturday May 29th – Dodge Theater

Chicago with the Doobie Brothers – June 15th – Dodge Theater – Two of the biggest pop/rock acts of all time will be starting a co-headlining tour in Phoenix

Iron Maiden and Dream Theater – June 17th at the Cricket Wireless Pavilion

Country Throwdown Tour – June 18th – 1PM – Cricket Wireless Pavilion – Featuring Montgomery Gentry, Jamey Johnson, Jack Ingram, Little Big Town, The Eli Young Band, Eric Church, The Lost Trailers, Ryan Bingham and the Dead Horses, Jonathan Singleton 7 the Grove, Heidi Newfield

Kings of Leon – Saturday July 10th – Cricket Wireless Pavilion

Leann Rimes – Celebrity Theater – July 17th – 8:00 PM

American Carnage Tour: Megadeth, Slayer, and Testament - August 17th – Dodge Theater (This is the new and rescheduled date)

Paramore with Tegan and Sara – Dodge Theater – September 15th – Tickets on sale March 26th at 10 AM

Kenny Rogers – October 14th at 7:30 PM at the Dodge Theater

Popularity: 10% [?]

Are you tired of looking all over the place for local Jazz happenings around town? Well, look no further than ‘Jazz in AZ’. This is a non-profit arts organization that is devoted to the promotion and appreciation of live local jazz music.

Here’s the link to their concert calendar:

http://jazzinaz.org/index.php?option=com_gigcal&Itemid=61

Make sure you check out the rest of their site and bookmark it for future use!

Popularity: 5% [?]