On That Note

By Dale Shepard

This month’s music report is on the annual Glendale Jazz & Blues Festival held on April 14^th & 15^th in downtown Glendale.  This event has been going on for 29 years and brings many national and local artists to the stage.  This event has always been free and brings out thousands of music lovers.

One of the artists that took the stage on Saturday was saxophonist Dominic Amato and his band.  Dominic is one of the premier, up and coming artists in the country and has toured with Kool and the Gang, Sister Sledge and others in his young career.  Dominic comes from a talented family of musicians and singers.  Dom’s brother, Giovanni, handles the vocals for the band with his smooth R&B style.  The band surrounding Dominic is very talented as well.  A personal highlight of the evening was drummer, Ira King laying out a solo that impressed all in attendance.

Dominic’s style is free-flowing and interactive with his audience.  His talents are only equaled by his humbleness and desire for his audience to have a great time.  Dominic has two cd’s out, “Fresh From the Groove” and his newest, “Illuminate”.  Dominic’s music never lacks for drive.  He also teams up with his brother in the band STATIC, which has played halftime at many Suns games.

Jazz lovers would be doing themselves a favor by checking out Dominic’s music at his website, dominicamato.com. The Glendale Jazz & Blues Festival is a great venue for local artists to showcase their talents. Stay tuned for additional music venues I will be highlighting going on around the Valley of the Sun!

Roller Derby Basic Training Camp

Arizona Roller Derby takes on Tucson

Arizona Roller Derby (AZRD) is bringing in their 9^th season with a blast.  Join AZRD’s Bad News Beaters as they take on the Furious Truck Stop Waitresses (FTW) of Tucson Roller Derby this Saturday night, October 8^th.

This interleague bout is sure to turn some heads, as both of these WFTDA (Women’s Flat Track Derby Association) leagues battle it out in the second game of the season.

Want more derby?  Good, because this double-header event will also feature AZRD’s own Brawlarinas, who will be taking on the Beaters, also of Arizona Roller Derby.  With technique and strategy, not to mention some good old fashion hip checks, AZRD will have Castle Sports Club packed with derby fans and skaters rooting for their favorite teams.

As one of the top 20 WFTDA leagues in the country, AZRD always hits the track full force.  WFTDA bouts feature a very athletic atmosphere and as the only WTFDA league in Phoenix, AZRD is sure to rock the derby socks off everyone in the house.

Doors open at 6pm with the first bout starting at 6:30pm.  Adult Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 at the door and children’s rates are discounted to $5.

For more information or to get tickets, visit: http://arizonaderbygirls.com.

Castle Sports Club

11420 North 19th Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85029

Your best bet in Phoenix movie theaters this weekend is “50/50,” a comedy starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a young man who, diagnosed with malignant tumors up and down his spine, vows to beat his illness. Aside from being seriously funny, the film is also respectably realistic, powerfully poignant and uniquely uplifting.

However, “Machine Gun Preacher,” a drama starring Gerard Butler as a former drug-dealing biker who finds God and becomes a crusader for hundreds of Sudanese children, is also worth a look. Playing exclusively at Harkins Camelview 5, the movie – which, by the way, is based on a true story –  powerfully portrays the heart of the ultimate spiritual struggle.

If both of those new releases are a bit too serious for your cinematic palette, try “Tucker & Dale vs. Evil,” a dark comedy starring Tyler Labine and Alan Tudyk as two scruffy pals whose backwoods vacation takes a bloody turn when ignorant college students mistake them for a pair of murderous hillbillies. Playing exclusively at Harkins Valley Art, it an extraordinarily unique motion picture with one wicked sense of humor.

Meanwhile, arthouse connoisseurs will want to check out “Love Crime,” a keenly crafted women-of-the-workplace thriller starring Kristen Scott Thomas and Ludivine Sagnier. Playing exclusively at UltraStar Scottsdale Pavilions, the French flick brings a savoir faire to the fine art of retaliation, giving moviegoers an opportunity to stretch not only their emotions but also their intelligence around every titillating twist and turn.

Regardless which of this weekend’s new releases you choose to see, it is bound to be better than “What’s Your Number?” The romantic comedy, in which Anna Faris plays an unmarried woman who revisits her numerous ex-boyfriends to find out if one of them could be her true love, shows potential but lets cold feet scare it right back into the same old genre formula.

Joseph J. Airdo

Joseph J. Airdo, 27, is a Walter Cronkite School of Journalism graduate with a bachelor’s degree in media analysis and criticism. In addition to Phoenix.org, Joseph is a film columnist for several outlets throughout the Valley, including Examiner.com/Phoenix and AZ Weekly Entertainment Magazine. Listen to Joseph’s “Movie Maverick” radio segment, every Friday morning at 8:30 a.m. during “The Daily Blender with Jeffry O’Brien” on KBSZ – NBC 1260 AM and 96.1 FM.

Schnepf Farms Peach Festival May 2011

The Schnepf Farms Peach festival participants may enjoy countless peach centered activities. Some of the activities include peach centered games, peach pie spitting contest. A peach pie eating contest. There will also be demonstrations by well known local chefs at 10am on each day of the festival. The festival occurs on May 14^th, 15^th, 21^st, 22^nd.

Make sure to bring your kids as well. Attendance is free but there are many activities to participate in that do require a small fee such as a ride through the orchard on a train that is $3 per person. There is also a small roller coaster, a honeybee adventure, and giant slide and more. Unlimited ride wristbands can be purchased for only $10.

For more information contact Schnepf Farms at 480-987-3100 or visit their website at http://www.schnepffarms.com/.

Additional Information:

Dates: May 14,15,21,22

Hours: 7:30am-4:00pm

Admission: Free

Phone: 480-987-3100

Location:

Schnepf Farms

24810 S. Rittenhouse Road

Queen Creek, AZ. 85242

While planning the trip for our family camping excursion at the Grand Canyon, I finally convinced my spouse to spend a couple of days in Phoenix. We reside in Houston and my husband used to be in the Phoenix plumbing business years ago, and wasn’t too thrilled at the idea of going back for a vacation, you know, sometimes it’s hard to vacation in a place that you previously lived. However, I am usually able to get my way with him!

Knowing that tent camping for several days was in our future, we splurged and got a room at Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort. Again, my spouse was resistant, as we typically go for B&Bs, but the North Mountain Recreation Area neighboring the hotel sold him. Our teenaged son was wild about the pool area with forty-foot waterfalls and a 130-foot water slide. The Tocaloma Spa at the resort is spectacular and I spent an afternoon there being pampered while the guys hiked and swam.

We are a scouting family and enjoy nature and educational activities, and the Desert Botanical Garden was a treat. Exhibits contained informative plaques that explained the properties and habitats of desert plants and discussed the ways that indigenous people around the world utilize these plants as medicinal treatments. The staff was knowledgeable and they were eager to answer our questions about the herbs and peoples of the area.

In Echo Canyon Recreation Area, my husband (who recently hiked Pikes Peak), was ecstatic about the easy access to Camelback Mountain, and insisted that we conquer Phoenix’s highest peak. The Summit Trail that leads to the top is only 1.2 miles and ascends only 1200 feet, but don’t be fooled: this is one tough hike. The trek is strenuous and extremely steep in most places. I was amazed by the views but more amazed by the number of people easily running up this mountain. Some of these extremely athletic people had babies in tow while others had dogs (or both). Do this activity early, as it gets beyond hot in summer. Make certain to use sunscreen, bring water, and wear shades or a hat.

The Heard Museum was, by far, my personal favorite highlight of Phoenix. They have the most extensive Native American collection I could imagine would exist in one place. Each Arizona tribe has its own section dedicated to displaying their arts, artifacts, and preserving their cultural traditions. This setup allowed for in-depth learning while offering the visual benefits of the extensive collections of art and clothing to enhance the experience.

Our final favorite experience was a grand slam final activity before departing Phoenix. The guys were more than obliged to spend the afternoon at the Castles & Coasters amusement park after purchasing one of their day passes. They were impressed with the double loop roller coaster and swore that there were “a thousand games in there”. Both of them came out of the park looking and laughing like ten year olds loaded on cotton candy. I took my day pass of sorts across the parking lot to the Metrocenter and bargain hunted while they played.

Needless to say, we’ll be coming back to Phoenix very soon!

Author: Lucy C. from Houston, TX