AVA snags national casino venue award
The AVA at Casino del Sol Resort and Casino snagged the top prize for venue of the year at the 2015 Casino Entertainment Awards.
The honor was announced on Sept. 30 at the Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas, where everyone from comedian Ron White to comic magic act Penn & Teller were honored for their performances in casino settings.
“Hard work, dedication and commitment to entertainment programming helped secure this award for AVA amphitheater,” Casino del Sol’s CEO Kimberly Van Amburg said in a prepared statement.
The Casino Entertainment Awards were established three years ago and are billed as the only industry awards honoring artists, executives and venues in the casino entertainment industry. Past venue winners were the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut and Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
The AVA, a venture of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, has been around 14 years, hosting superstar acts including Alan Jackson, Van Halen, Jeff Dunham and Wiz Khalifa.
The AVA has three more concerts to round out its 2015 season:
- Rocktober Rage featuring Great White, Night Ranger and Loverboy, Oct. 23.
- Roberto Tapia and Ramon Ayala, Oct. 24.
- Santana, Oct. 31.
For tickets and details, visit tickets.solcasinos.com
Tickets for Turner show on sale Saturday
It’s been seven years years since Josh Turner introduced Tucson to his wonderfully rich, gloriously nuanced baritone.
That’s a terribly long time no matter what calendar you’re consulting, but even longer when you consider that when we first saw him, as an opener for superstar Carrie Underwood at the Tucson Arena in 2008, Turner was a veritable newbie. He had just released his third album, following about two years after the release of his breakthrough 2005 sophomore album “Your Man.”
And now he’s an old pro. He’s added two more albums including 2012’s “Punching Bag” to his discography, a role in the Billy Graham biopic “Billy: The Early Years,” a handful of Grammy and Academy of Country Music Award nominations and he has become a father — four times, all boys including the youngest, Samuel, born in 2014.
Thankfully he’s penciled us in for his pre-holiday tour. He’s at Desert Diamond Casino’s Diamond Entertainment Center on Dec. 12. Tickets — starting at $15 — go on sale Saturday, Oct. 17, through startickets.com or at the casino, 1100 W. Pima Mine Road.
Garth Brooks brings 6 shows to Phoenix
Garth Brooks is bringing his world tour with wife/fellow country superstar Trisha Yearwood to Phoenix’s Talking Stick Resort Arena this weekend.
He will perform the first two of six shows that he will play in Arizona in the next two weeks.
When the Phoenix tour stop was initially announced in early September, Brooks was set for two shows on Oct. 23 and 24. But sales were so fast and furious he added two more shows that weekend — 10:30 p.m. both nights — and two more dates: 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16, and Saturday, Oct. 17, all at Talking Stick Arena (formerly US Airways Center), 201 E. Jefferson St.
And here’s the really cool thing: Tickets are not mortgage-your-house expensive. It’s $74.98 with all fees included. And there are good seats up for grabs for most shows, although several have only single tickets on the floor level. Get them at ticketmaster.com/garthbrooks
Also this week
- Sonoran soul rocker Carlos Arzate & The Kind Souls is hosting a CD release show at 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at The Flycatcher, 340 E. Sixth St. Sweet Ghosts duo Ryan Alfred and Katherine Byrnes also are on the lineup, rolling out a new single that night. Details: theflycatchertucson.com
- Busy weekend at Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W. Congress St. First up at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15, is Brit-pop/reggae outfit UB40 featuring vocalist Astro and keyboard player Mickey Virtue. $45 to $99. At 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16, British singer-songwriter Joan Armatrading performs. $22 to $67. A capella outfit Straight No Chaser brings its “The New Old Fashioned Tour” to the Fox at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18. $35 to $55. Buy tickets at foxtucsontheatre.ticketforce.com
