Editors Note: Photos from the H&M Grand Opening Celebration can be found on our Facebook Page http://www.facebook.com/azvibe
SCOTTSDALE-Thursday at noon marked the opening of the latest store in the international H&M chain. H&M’s latest store was opened in the Scottsdale Fashion Square in the new East Wing with lots of fanfare and a huge gathering.
This gathering brought out many people like Christiana Quast, who was the first person in line to get into the new H&M, lined up at 8:30 PM Wednesday night outside the Scottsdale Fashion square she came simply for the “good deals, good clothes, and for the experience”.
The first 200 people in line were armed with gift cards that were worth anywhere between $10 and $300 to spend as they choose in the store.
The Grand Opening Celebration may be over but there are still good deals to be had at a store that is a popular destination for a wide variety of people with wide varieties of taste.
H&M in the Scottsdale Fashion Square is located at 7014 E Camelback Rd in Scottsdale.
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!
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.
This past weekend was one of the best food events of the spring as ‘Devoured’ took place at the Phoenix Art Museum. The great thing about having events such as Devoured during this time of year is that the weather more than likely agrees with the event. This weekend the weather indeed agreed, save for some wind, and added a great vibe to the overall atmosphere of this great event!
Devoured operates as a non-profit organization to promote not only local businesses but to shine a light on the City of Phoenix as a culinary destination.
After entering the ‘Devoured’ grounds, I had a hard time determining where to begin first. Instead of going to each booth one by one, I decided what any good foodie would do….throw caution to the wind and let their stomach be their guide.
I then dove into a promising world of what exactly the Phoenix Culinary scene has to offer.
From the Bacon Ice Cream by Sweet Republic, to the Meatballs and Butterscotch pudding (two separate dishes) served up by FnB, to the Apple Pie and Irish Cream ice cream served up by Udder Delights, to shrimp tostadas from Ticoz Resto-bar. There was a cavalcade of wonderful food offerings that would satisfy the pickiest of eaters.
The best samples from Devoured that stood out in my mind were:
Sweet Republic’s Bacon Ice Cream – Bacon is so difficult to properly leverage as a dessert item yet Sweet Republic does it with such ease. This recipe allows the bacon flavor to be present without overpowering the rest of the key ingredients while still classifying the concoction as a dessert.
Relish Burger Bistro – The newest addition to the Phoenician Resort offered Kobe Beef Sliders that were an example of perfection in the burger, bun, and the cheese. For the first time in my life, I ate a burger that didn’t need any form of condiments as the Kobe Beef sliders stood on its own as an amazing food offering. For me and my palate, that’s a strong statement as to how amazing this burger tasted.
Ticoz Resto-Bar – They offered a great shrimp tosdada with an amazing tasting guacamole looking sauce. Every bite was a perfect compliment to the sunny day at Devoured.
Hana Japanese Eatery – They served up chicken balls dipped in a Teriyaki Glaze that was out of this world.
Wine
One of the great aspects about Devoured was the selection of wines available. However, many of them did not have any indication of what wineries they represented.
All of the restaurants represented at Devoured had cards in their stalls indicating what establishment they represented. However, not a single winery had an identifying card. There were a handful of wineries that brought their own informational displays, some of which I recognized from other food festivals around the area.
I tried a good sampling of the wines available especially the wines from Arizona Stronghold. If you don’t recognize the Arizona Stronghold winery, the owners were the subject of a recent documentary called ‘Blood into Wine’. Also, one of the owners/winemakers is Maynard James Keenan, the lead singer of ‘Tool’.
Even with the notoriety of ‘Arizona Stronghold’, none of the wines at Devoured really stood out to me as a great or important wine. Furthermore, none of them really complimented the foods available at Devoured.
Chef Demonstrations/Seminars
If there was one aspect of Devoured that really stood out to me, it was the Chef Demonstrations and the Seminars. The Chef Demonstrations were top notch as many of the area’s top chefs just under an hour demonstrating their crafts. The demonstrations were outside so they were well attended. I’m a fan of the Food Network and love to watch just about any food related show so I can soak up recipes, food styles and food theory.
The Seminars, on the other hand, were not so well attended.
I personally didn’t know where the Seminars were until I practically stumbled onto the Tequila demonstration by Agave expert, Tania Oseguera. Had I known where the seminars were located I probably would have attended most, if not all of them. The selection of guest speakers that were available at Devoured would have satisfied any food lover.
Finally, one of the drawbacks to Devoured was not related to the food or the beverages, it was the lack of places for people to stand or sit with their newly acquired food/drink samples. Having to juggle camera equipment with food, napkin, and a wine glass wasn’t easy. I ended up dropping my camera near the end of the day because of the lack of available table/arm space. If there were more tables around that would have helped immensely for all who attended.
One of the best and most useful ideas I have seen to help alleviate the lack of arm space was at ‘Uncorked and Unplugged’ this past October.
Check out this below:
This was one of the most original ideas I’ve ever seen and was EXTREMELY useful while checking out all the food and drinks that were offered at ‘Uncorked and Unplugged’. If the people that put Devoured together can come up with something like this, it would be a great benefit to their cause!
Finally, another thing I would love to see for next year is to expand the selection of restaurants represented here from mostly Central Phoenix establishments to restaurants valley wide. If this festival is truly going to encompass what all of Phoenix has to offer, I would love to see a festival full of all that Phoenix has to offer.
When it comes to Art Festivals in the greater Phoenix area, I’m extremely hesitant to head to any individual art gallery (or cover it on this site for that matter) as the art scene is completely over-saturated. I’m not against art or artists it’s just that there are WAY too many art galleries around the area to the point that it desensitizes me and my desire to promote art on this site. I see a lot of the same things over and over again in the individual art galleries around the area and after a while it just gets…..boring.
Now the exception to this would be events like First Friday in downtown Phoenix. In the Roosevelt district, for example, you can go to the First Friday events and not see the same thing twice. This is what I LOVE about first Friday. You can never get tired of going month in and month out as everything is different every time you go.
Now when it comes to Art Festivals in the greater phoenix area, I’m on the fence in regards to my opinion of the festivals. I don’t hate them but I am skeptical about going. As I’ve said, I’m not really excited about the local art scene. However, I started this site specifically to shine the light on the cultural aspects of the Phoenix area that area residents should know about.
My opinion changed after I checked out the 40th Annual Scottsdale Arts Festival.
The thing that drew me to investigate this festival was that all the artists at the festival were 1) mostly from outside Arizona and 2) were hand picked to appear at the festival. Based on this alone, my desire to check out this festival was pretty high as there would be a great infusion of new artists to investigate.
Once I got to the festival it was like an artistic breath of fresh air. The amount and types of art at the festival more than kept my interest but it also fed my creative appetite to see how different people view the word around them. The types of art available ranged from photography, paintings, metal work, drawings, glass work, wood work and much more (check out the photos for samples). Just being around the artists and the many works they produced made me want to get out a pen an pad and start drawing myself at the festival.
On top of all this, the Scottsdale Arts Festival had music and some great food to choose from. The selection of music to listen to was as varied as the art available to view at the festival. A perfect match on such a sunny day.
Look, if you get the chance to go the Scottsdale Arts Festival next year, do it. The Scottsdale Arts Festival is one of the truly great area cultural events that makes Scottsdale and Phoenix such an amazing city to live in.
If you haven’t noticed, the best way to know what’s going on with the Club scene on Mill Avenue in Tempe and in Old Town Scottsdale is to check out Facebook for events going on around town on any given day.
When it comes to promoting events around the City of Phoenix, not everyone is on the same page on how to correctly promote events on Facebook. Even though AZ Vibe doesn’t promote club events, I personally get event notifications from every major club and event promoter in the area. I know what works and what doesn’t. The following are just some notes for all of you who use Facebook to help you promote your events around the area and get more people to your events.
1) Use a Facebook Fan Page and not a Facebook group or a Facebook user account for your promotions.
Fan Pages are the best option for letting people know about events as Facebook users can only have 5,000 friends. In addition, Facebook will shut you down if they find out you are using a personal account for your business. Also, if you add friends too fast to your personal account, they will flag your account and possibly shut it down.
The main reason that you don’t use a Facebook group to promote your events is that Facebook groups are designed for causes and not for promotions or events. Yes I know you can create events with Facebook groups. However, the Facebook developers did not have club promotions in mind when they programmed the ability for users to create and admin groups in Facebook.
The other reason you use a Facebook Fan Page for your promotions/events is because you can track metrics for your page. Metrics are basically reports on how your fans interact with your page. Facebook groups do not have tracking metrics.
Finally, using your personal Facebook account for your promotions or events just screams that you don’t have any clue what you are doing. If you want to be considered a professional in the promotion of events use a Facebook Fan Page people!!
2) Groups have limits
As partially explained above, Facebook groups have limits on what they can do for both the user and the admin. In addition the Facebook user can have only 300 groups maximum where as the limits on how many fan pages a given Facebook user can have is over 3,000. I personally am at my 300 group limit and have to dump some promoters to bring on new ones.
3) Only one Facebook event for one club promotion/event
I don’t know how many times I get 2, 3, 4 invites from multiple parties for the same event. When people do this it screams that not only are you unorganized but it makes me want to say ‘No’ to attending your events.
You only need one invite for one event from one Facebook fan page.
4) Notifications
The Notifications on Facebook is a touchy subject. How much do you notify someone? For this specific area of promoting your event, you’re going to have to do some trial and error to figure out what works best for you. Why? If there’s one thing I’ve learned in Phoenix since I moved here many moons ago is that there are two types of people when it comes to planning on what to do with their free time:
1) The type of person who plans in advance
2) The type of person who plans at the very last moment
This is what you have to use as a guide for notifications to find what works best for you and your promotions as every event is different.
5) If you’re not on Faceboook, why aren’t you?!?!?!
This one is for all the restaurants, clubs, and other promoters across the greater Phoenix Area who don’t leverage Facebook for your events. I don’t know how much I can emphasize MySpace may be used for the Phoenix Music scene (…and that’s about it) but Facebook is for Club, Cultural and other events that go on around the area.
If you’re not on Facebook promoting events, then get with the program! If you don’t have the time to spend promoting on Facebook, hire someone!
Today at the Scottsdale Fashion Square marked the grand opening of the first ever Microsoft Store in the world. The state of Arizona experienced first hand what it’s like to have Microsoft throw a party…and what a party it was! Customers were treated to free food, products, shirts, and gifts up to the moment when the store opened to the public.
Starting yesterday afternoon, customers were lining up for the first glimpse at what is pretty much the first ever public front for Microsoft (outside developer conferences and things like that) for the average consumer.
Right before the opening, a brief grand opening ceremony started with the General Manager of the new store and Microsoft Chief Operating Officer Kevin Turner. Mr Turner (video of these ceremonies can be found on our YouTube channel -- Link is above) proceeded to lay the ground work for what Microsoft plans to offer the community including value in their products, choice and service.
Before the ribbon cutting, Microsoft proceeded to officially donate over 1 million (US) dollars in products and cash to many local charitable organizations as noted in the following videos:
Once the presentations were over with, it was time to show the world what the store looked like!
As the long line of fans made their way into the brand new store, some went immediately to the back of the store to get a complimentary gift bag (as was advertised on Facebook/Twitter/etc). Other customers browsed around the new store and began to explore all the technologies Microsoft had to offer. For me this was the most fascinating part of the Grand Opening…watching people explore and test new and existing Microsoft technologies.
The main part of the store that people really loved to explored was the Microsoft Surface tables (there’s four of them in the store).
Here’s a sample of what the Microsoft Surface technology is all about:
As stated previously, what fascinated me today was watching all the people who have never used this (and Windows 7) technology by exploring what the given technology can do for them. It was like watching a kid open a present on Christmas day. It was definitely a study in the human condition.
I tested the new Windows 7 (love it!) and then checked out some of the different configurations that customers could use with Windows 7. From the Xbox, to media center PC’s, there was something for everyone to check out at the store. Furthermore, I was told that the Microsoft Store carries Hardware that cannot be purchased anywhere but the Microsoft Store.
Other than the Microsoft Surface demos, I was fascinated by the Xbox section of the store and the many different demos that customers can check out and play Xbox games within the main screen that is on the interior perimeter of the store. Check this out:
As I left the store, mainly because of a camera with a dead battery along with no more memory card room and a nearly dead Blackberry, I still had many questions not only about how the Microsoft store came to be but also how and in what manner customers can leverage the resources at the Microsoft store.
A spokesperson at Microsoft was kind enough to answer the following questions for me:
Q. Why did Microsoft choose Scottsdale to be the location of their first ever retail store? There are many cities in the US that could have been a perfect candidate for the first Microsoft retail store (like New York City, Seattle, San Francisco, etc). What made Scottsdale stand out as the perfect candidate for the first ever Microsoft Retail Store?
A. Scottsdale Fashion Square is world-class shopping center. When the company looked at real estate options, the team evaluated mall traffic patterns in high-performing suburban shopping centers. The local community has been wonderful to work with and Microsoft couldn’t be more excited to begin its retail efforts and learn from area residents.
Q. Was the date to open the Microsoft retail store in Scottsdale chosen to only correspond with the worldwide launch of Windows 7?
A. It’s an exciting day for the company and our customers, and it made sense to align the opening of the first-ever retail store with the release of the newest operating system.
Q. Of the staff chosen for the Store, are they all originally from Arizona or were they brought in from Redmond or other Microsoft campuses around the globe?
A. Microsoft hired retail talent from across the industry, regardless of location, to build the best in-store team possible.
Q. Given that retail stores sometimes need to change with the times, how will Microsoft adapt to changing times/tastes/technologies?
A. The customers are in charge. Their feedback will help shape the strategy, products and services Microsoft offers in the stores and online.
Q. I took a look at the ‘Microsoft Store Services’ booklet that was being handed out at the store Launch this morning. If a customer has a question that is normally handled by the worldwide product support divisions at Microsoft (ex. phone in support), is the staff at the Microsoft Retail Store trained to handle questions about Exchange or other Microsoft business products?
A. Customers can ask store employees anything. These experts will give their best effort on any type of technology, regardless of brand, release date or purchase location.
Q. Is the Microsoft Store only designed for home consumers or are they going to take on Business products (SQL, Exchange Server, Developer Tools, etc)?
A. The store is designed to bring to life the connected experiences people can have with hundreds of products such as laptops running Windows 7, computing accessories, Xbox consoles and accessories, Windows Phones, Zunes, and first- and third-party software titles. In-store technical support and learning services are available for all customers, but the focus is on meeting the needs of general consumers.
Q. Let’s say I wanted to attend one of the free classes in the theater at the back of the store, how can I find out about these classes? From the looks of the Store website, (http://store.microsoft.com/home.aspx and http://store.microsoft.com/Locations) I’m not seeing the list of classes.
A. The best way is to check with the store for the latest class schedule. Customer feedback and requests will guide the focus and selection of sessions.
Q. Does the store have wireless if customers want to bring their Laptops in for classes at the Theater? I know the Mall has Wi-fi but the connection is sometimes spotty at best.
A. Yes
I would strongly suggest all residents of Phoenix, even if you are an Apple fan, to come out and check out what the Microsoft store has to offer. You can spend quite a bit of time on the Microsoft Surface tables alone.
Sunday evening marked the 2009 ‘Uncorked and Unplugged’ fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Scottsdale. You couldn’t ask for a better night as the unseasonable 100 degree-ish weather from earlier in the day set the stage for perfect weather by the time the sun went down.
For those of you who have never been to this event, all of the interior public areas of the Desert Ridge Mall were shutdown for this event (except for the Movie theater and the Barnes and Noble book store).
As we entered the event I paused to look up and the gateway and sky (photo above) just set the tone for a wonderful evening. When we entered we received an extremely well designed sample tray that would hold our wine glass and prevent spillage/breakage of said wine glass. Attendees were also given a gift bag with many great items such as a corkscrew/wine cork set in a wooden box. A very nice touch for all who attended the event.
I started on east end of the event at Bill Johnson’s Big Apple and checked out every table until I got to the Blue Martini table at the far end of the venue. I sampled as much food as possible and a few of the wines. Can’t really comment on the wines because I needed to stay sober (which I did) for the drive home.
Some of the highlights of the sampling…
Bill Johnson’s Big Apple – Great shredded pork and cole slaw
San Felipe’s – Pork Street Tacos were very tasty but a bit dry for other ingredients (like salsa) Also, there was a Don Julio station inside the San Felipe’s area that were distributing your choice of Tequila shots or a Margarita shot.
Arizona Grand Resort – Gazpacho topped with Avocado Gelato. This was my favorite…taste. The Gazpacho was served in a plastic shot glass with a drop of the Avocado Gelato on top. Here’s a picture before tasting so you can see what I mean. The first taste was amazing as the combination of the Gelato and Gazpacho was one of the most original and delicious culinary experiences I’ve had in a long time.
Ling and Louie’s – Wango Mango Chicken – Very tasty!
Orange Sky – Bacon wrapped prawn in scallop bacon coated in jalapeno sauce. This sample was my favorite as it was the perfect combination of sweet and spicy along with amazing way bacon wrapped prawns (or anything for that matter) taste. Having the bacon coated in Jalapeno sauce Here’s a picture of what it looked like before it was eaten.
Rock Bottom’s Prime rib was especially tasty!
Rubio’s Shrimp and Chicken Tacos – I’m biased towards Rubio’s ever since I had their real lobster burrito for the very first time. Rubio’s may be a chain restaurant but the main thing they excel in is taste.
If there were any complaints about the evening there would be only one. The lack of seating for people who got tired while walking around. There seemed to be lots of people who were sitting in places that wasn’t designed to be sitting places. An example would be the amount of people who were sitting in the Children’s playground because all the other main seating areas were all being used.
All in all, this was a wonderful night to remember with culinary treats that challenged every part of my palate. If ever anyone sees this event being advertised next year, do not hesitate as this is one of these events that makes the greater Phoenix area a great place to grow roots and to just have fun.
Pictures from the evening’s festivities have been posted to the AZ Vibe Facebook fan page. The link to the page is:
I for one, was looking forward to this day. When I first moved to the Phoenix area a few years ago the last department store in the old east wing was being closed down for good. I also watched the various stages of demolition of the East Wing over the next few years. I didn’t really understand the need to demolish the entire east wing of the Scottsdale Fashion Square as I thought it was a very functional mall.
That was until I stepped into the grand opening celebration of the new east wing of the Scottsdale Fashion Square.
WOW!
Now I fully understood that not every store would be open at this grand opening. The stores that were open were of a pretty amazing variety. Everyone in attendance was treated with a lovely light breakfast with beverages, a band that was playing very Frank Sinatra-ish music, and an overall festive atmosphere.
As I strolled around the new wing I checked out not only the stores but the interior architecture and the exterior improvements. For example, the expansion leverages the natural light from the sun in all their skylights.
The more I poked around the grand opening, the more I understood why the east wing was demolished and rebuilt. Basically, they’re trying to keep things fresh and to avoid becoming just another mall like many of the others in the Greater Phoenix area.
I explored every one of the new stores that were open during the grand opening celebration and here are some of my thoughts:
Christian Audiger – This is basically the person who took all of famed Tattoo artist Ed Hardy’s designs and put them into one of the most popular fashion lines of the modern era. I used to do marketing for a vendor of some of the Ed Hardy/Christian Audiger line and this store was what exactly I envisioned this clothing line’s retail store would be. This even included the sometimes hard to find Hardy/Audiger perfume line. The only thing I didn’t expect was the store to be so small. For a retail product line that is pretty popular in this area, I expected more from the overall size of the store.
Banana Republic – The opening of the Banana Republic store in the new east wing also marked the grand opening of the clothing retailer’s new retail concept. It’s an amazing architectural and fashion feast for the eyes. Detailed Photos are up on the AZ Vibe Facebook fan page (link below). This store is a perfect marriage for the Scottsdale Fashion Square and Banana Republic.
True Religion – The brand that is synonymous with high end denim and apparel, opened their first store in Arizona with the opening of the east wing. This store is packed to the rafters with a wide variety of clothing to choose from. The best way to describe True Religion to those who aren’t familiar with the brand is from their company website. True Religion is “quality, American-made, authentic, timeless, great fitting, 1970’s inspired jeans, with a trendsetting appeal for today’s consumer.”
Barney’s New York – The department store that is synonymous with the cutting edge of fashion, opened their first store in Arizona. For those of you who are expecting something new and exciting to add to your wardrobe, Barney’s is the destination for all. I was truly impressed with the wide array of designers that were represented at Barney’s.
Now the centerpiece of the Grand Opening was the ‘Where Fashion Becomes Art’ exhibit where many local and national artists were each given a mannequin from there they were allowed to take their mannequins and express what fashion means to them.
I thoroughly enjoyed the wide array of mannequins on display for the east wing grand opening. Mere words couldn’t describe what the artists produced for this art display. Take a look at the photos and video on the AZ Vibe Facebook fan page (link below) to see a sample of the many mannequins that were on display for the grand opening.
Given all the time and effort put into the re-design of the east wing of the Scottsdale Fashion Square the people at Westcor put considerable time and effort into not only the re-design but into the choices of what stores will be opening in the new east wing.
From what I saw today, the Scottsdale Fashion Square are indeed making sure that the Scottsdale Fashion Square stands on its own from their competitors.
I hope everyone gets out to check the new east wing out for yourself to get a sample of the style and class offerings that makes the Scottsdale Fashion Square a truly unique destination for all.
Photos and Video from the Grand Opening Celebration can be found on the AZ Vibe Facebook Fan Page:
One of my greatest concert regrets was not going to see the first Lollapalooza tour with Jane’s Addiction and Nine Inch Nails in the lineup. Now, this is not only the first time that the two bands have toured together since that first Lollapalooza but it’s also the first time that the original Jane’s Addiction lineup have toured since that inaugural Lollapalooza tour.
I could probably spend my time writing up a grandiose review of the NINJA tour of Nine Inch Nails and Jane’s Addiction comparing the times I saw them in other venues and other stuff like that…but I can’t…I won’t.
The truth is this is the first time I’ve seen both bands….ever. After seeing both shows for the first time, all I can say is this….
They both kicked ass.
Sure, I can go into detail about every song of both sets describing the ferocity of both performances in a typical music reviewer fashion. However, instead of boring you to death with words, I’m going to do this….
I’m going to provide you all 100% legal links to the audio, video and photos from the show so you can listen/watch/see for yourself how much this show kicked ass.
Now most of you don’t know that on this tour, Nine Inch Nails and Jane’s Addiction allowed the taping (audio and video) of their shows. As a result, you the reader and fan can listen and view all of the different aspects that make Nine Inch Nails and Jane’s Addiciton still such a powerful force in the music world.
There are simply some GREAT recordings of the Phoenix show floating around out there right now.
In the following thread in the Nine Inch Nails forum there are some great audio recordings you can download for yourself:
Nine Inch Nails set list according to the Nine Inch Nails forum:
home
1,000,000
heresy
march of the pigs (with remix outro)
something i can never have
reptile
last
Survivalism
mr. self destruct
banged and blown through
The Fragile
The Downward Spiral
wish
suck
dead souls
Down in it
head like a hole
hurt
Jane’s Addiction Set list according to xiola.org:
Three Days
Whores
Pigs in Zen
Ain’t No Right
Then She Did…
Mountain Song
1%
Been Caught Stealing
Ted, just admit it…
Ocean Size
Encore:
Summertime Rolls
Stop!
Jane Says
Jane’s Addiction Video (still looking for the Audio of the Phoenix show)
Three Days (recorded in Tampa, FL a few nights earlier) -- The song that opened their set Phoenix
Editor’s note: Pictures from the Red Light District Costume Ball are posted to our Facebook Fan Page
When I first arrived at the Wrigley Mansion for Raven Events “Red Light District Costume Ball”, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The only thing that I knew going into this event was that the fundraiser was for local battered women’s shelter charities and that the beautiful women there would be dressed spectacularly.
When the Valet took my car off, I boarded a bus for the short drive to the top of Wrigley Mansion.
Once the 100 foot summit to the mansion entrance was conquered, I entered through the front door and my first mission was to check out the Mansion itself…the parts that were open to the public. This was the first time I had visited the Wrigley Mansion. However, the review of the mansion will come on another day.
Once my exploring of the mansion was completed, I began to explore the party. I entered right into Geordie’s Restaurant which was offering a special $10 menu for all party goers in their dining room and drinks in the bar area. Just past the bar was the dance floor where the band Nineball were cranking out some great cover jams.
Now I know what you’re probably thinking. “What kind of party was this?”
Given the theme, you’d probably think it was a pretty crazy party. In some parts of the mansion, it was….really crazy. However, since this was a fundraiser, people were there to have fun, let loose, and go crazy all in the name of charity. It was the perfect venue for people to come, have fun and forget about life for a few hours.
The chances that are that if you are reading this, you probably didn’t go. I won’t be going into detail about the crazy parts of the party except that you all missed out!
The rest of the mansion was all decked out with different themes, vendors of many types and even pole dancing lessons for the ladies. There was so much to do and see that if someone got bored, you would have to check to see if they had a pulse. I personally spent quite a bit of time checking out the silent auction as they had so many cool things that were being auctioned off. From autographed framed photos of rock and sports stars to packaged deals from various companies.
The best part of the Red Light District Ball were the costumes. Man oh man were some of them great! Many people got into the full spirit of the event and dressed in attire that was similar to the lady in lingerie in the ad on the Red Light District Ball website and that added to the overall coolness and….let’s say….atmosphere of the party. Everyone there visibly were having a great time!
I had so much fun that I’m definitely going to be going next year. Raven put on a hell of an event and can’t wait for her next big function! If you are ever, in the future, are on the fence about going to one of Raven’s parties, do it. You won’t be disappointed.
Pictures from the show have been posted to the AZ Vibe Facebook fan page. Check em out! There’s some great ones!!!
As I was driving along I-10 to the Cricket Wireless Pavilion I couldn’t help to notice the temperature out.
98 degrees.
Now this was my first concert at the Cricket but not my first Dave Matthews Band show. I’ve been to see the Dave Matthews Band play across the US and Canada. The last Dave Matthews Band shows I went to before tonight’s show in Phoenix were at the Gorge Amphitheater in Washington State. When the Dave Matthews Band plays the Gorge at the end of the summer, the temperatures are very similar to Phoenix at this time of year.
The two reasons why this is relevant is 1) the average temperature when the Dave Matthews Band plays the Gorge at show time was around 98. 2) When the temperature hovers near the century mark, the Dave Matthews Band always put on a great show pulling out many surprises and songs out from their back catalog as well.
Their Phoenix show was no different.
The show started with Dave Matthews coming out by himself singing ‘Rye Whiskey’. A song I’ve never heard before in concert and was performed very well. I also found out this was the first time that Dave came out and sung a song solo to begin a show in sixteen years.
Yet another reason why this show was special.
Once the opening song of the set was completed, the rest of the Dave Matthews Band took their places upon the stage. One of the best surprises from the show was seeing long time Dave Matthews Band contributor Tim Reynolds lace up his guitar with the band. This was also another indicator that this would be a great show.
The band then tore into ‘Tripping Billies’ which not only got the crowd rockin’ but set the tone for the rest of the evening. Since the Dave Matthews Band has a new album coming out (Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King) on June 2, they played four songs in total off the new album (Funny the Way it is, Spaceman, Seven, and Why I Am) which were well received by the crowd.
After ‘Tripping Billies’, the Dave Matthews Band took shallow and deep reaches into their back catalog by not only playing fan favorites such as ‘Crash Into Me’, ‘Warehouse’, and ‘Rapunzel’. The band also dusted off some classics that they don’t play very often on tour such as ‘Dancing Nancies’, ‘The Dreaming Tree’, and #41…songs you would expect to hear when they play their yearly three night stand at the Gorge.
From the opening note of ‘Rye Whiskey’ to the last note of ‘All Along the Watchtower’ the fans were treated to one of the best performances I’ve seen the band put on in YEARS.
Even in this economy, the Dave Matthews Band still can pack the Amphitheaters as they are still, without a doubt, one of the best live acts in rock music today. If you missed them this time around, well you’re just gonna have to wait for another year for them to come back.
The Set List from tonight’s show according to the Dave Matthews Band website:
Rye Whiskey
Tripping Billies
Spaceman
Pantala Naga Pampa
Rapunzel
Crash Into Me
Seven
Dreaming Tree
Funny The Way It Is
So Damn Lucky
Everyday
#41
Why I Am
Dancing Nancies
Warehouse
Crush
Grey Street
We went to check out the ‘Movies in the Park’ showing of ‘From Russia With Love’, the James Bond classic last Friday night as we saw this as one of the perfect examples of why we started this site.
When I arrived at the Biltmore Fashion Plaza the center grounds were already packed with lots of people just hanging out and awaiting the start time of the movie. Some had picnics all laid out and most people had lawn chairs just kicking back and relaxing.
The movie promptly started at 7:30 and thus began a classic roller coaster ride that the old Sean Connery James Bond films tend to be.
All in all the ‘Movies in the Park’ was a great experience and I would highly recommend it for anyone who would like to go see a great movie in a great location.
There’s one more movie this week in the series and it’s the Alfred Hitchcock classic ‘Vertigo’. Don’t miss the chance to see a great movie in a great atmosphere.
Well, we had attempted to get press credentials to this event right after the big announcement was made that Tempe, Arizona was going to host the big X-Men Origins: Wolverine World Premiere. However, as we and other many other local media outlets later found out we were shut out of the event and only a couple of select local media were allowed to cover the event.
That didn’t stop us. LOL
We had called in advance of the event and called again to confirm our media credential request but received no response from the local PR company (who shall remain nameless) who handled the event. Well since they didn’t say ‘No’, we were going anyways.
When I arrived at the media check in for the event I saw many other members of the local media such as Channel 5, Channel 3, even the ASU student news paper were all shut out of covering the event. Nice way to make this local event a memorable one for the local media ‘unnamed PR company’.
I got a quick look at the media invited to the event (hee hee) and noted that the theme of the people who were invited. I noted that the TV/Print/Online outlets that covered the event were all from out of town and had insane amounts of viewers/readers. I mean even ’60 Minutes’ got credentials to the event. What the hell does ’60 Minutes’ need press credentials to a movie premiere for?!?!?!?
Furthermore, I was pretty ticked off at the countless people who got press passes that didn’t even use said passes to cover the event. I lost count at the amount of people that just used the credentials just to see the movie or impress some girl they’re trying to get into bed (trust me, there were a lot of them).
Great job at screening people there ‘unnamed PR company’!!!!
So by this point, we were denied credentials to the event with the following quote from “L”. Keep in mind the statement about the countless people who had press credentials and didn’t cover the event:
L: “We were not able to approve credentials for you guys.”
Me: “Why’s that?”
L: “We just had too many people on the list”
Me: “So local media doesn’t…”
L: “No local media…there’s a lot of local media out there” (There wasn’t) “They just basically told us who was ok and who was not going to be able to do it…”
By this point my Bullshit detector was off the charts.
The translation of the above quotes from “L” is as follows:
“You’re not Entertainment Weekly or the LA Times so you’re not getting credentials.”
However, I wasn’t going to leave, and didn’t. There were some great places to hang out and I found a great spot along the red carpet but not at the main part of the function where the press and the cast were. Regardless, I was staying with all the other local media that were denied credentials and I was getting the story.
As Hugh Jackman made his grand entrance in a Leather Jacket and Harley, the rest of the cast were exiting their limos and making their way to the main stage. After the main event, the Cast made their rounds talking to the media, signing autographs and what not. This went on for a couple of hours. Then…one by one, the Celebrities made their way up the red carpet.
Editor’s Note -- The Pictures we have from the Premiere are posted to our Facebook Page. Check em out!
Then the main members of the Cast made their way up the red carpet…one by one. The video we have below is what happened next…..
Ryan Reynolds:
Taylor Kitsch and Liev Schreiber
Hugh Jackman
You know as great as this event was for the local community and all the parties involved in hosting the event, the organizers of the event made damn sure that the local press were not to be involved at all in this event. But like us media types, we always have to get the story now, don’t we? Personally, I didn’t care if I saw the movie that day. I just wanted a story to report on. Then again, this is a pretty good one now, isn’t it?
Two words of advice for the PR company that sponsored the event:
1) Any good PR agency can recognize the chance to give their clients the opportunity to get free media coverage. This PR company that was involved with organizing this event does not fall under this category.
2) If this PR company ever needs a favor from any of us in the future and they call, don’t be surprised if we are not quick to pick up the phone…..if at all.
Devoured operates as a non-profit organization to promote not only local businesses but to shine a light on the City of Phoenix as a culinary destination.
