Ten cool things to do in Tucson this weekend (April 13-April 16)
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This is something you won’t see every day at a concert billed as “classical”: a DJ working the turntables.
Or a drummer banging out a solo in classic rock ‘n’ roll fashion, set against the backdrop of two classically trained violinists putting their own hip-hop stamp on Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony.
On Thursday, April 13, the classical music-crossover duo Black Violin will share the Fox Tucson Theater stage with Florida’s DJ SPS and drummer Nat Stokes.
“It’s a rock concert from a violinist’s perspective,” violist Wilner Baptiste — who goes by the stage name Wil B — explained in a phone call last week from Texas. “You’ve never seen a violin in that way, in that light. It’s high-energy, basically hard-hitting beats with beautiful violin on top.”
For more than a dozen years, Baptiste and violinist and lifelong friend Kevin Sylvester — aka Kev Marcus — have been bridging divides by marrying classical music and hip-hop in what turns out to be an eye-opener for everyone: Hip-hop fans get a taste of classical music and classical fans discover that hip-hop can comfortably share a stage with Bach and Brahms.
“We convey a clear message that everyone, no matter what you listen to or what you like, you can understand,” Baptiste said. “We’re bridging gaps between those worlds and we’re bridging the gap between different cultures and people.”
Thursday’s concert is part of Black Violin’s 2017 Unity Tour, which includes stops in dozens of college towns across the country. The duo, which took its name from the title of jazz violin great Stuff Smith’s final album, is touring on its latest album “StereoTypes.” The classically trained pair’s goal is to shatter racial and musical stereotypes at every stop.
“When you come to the concert and without (seeing) the violin, you’re walking by and your assumption of us is not that we play the violin at all,” explained Baptiste, who has been performing with Sylvester for more than a dozen years. “Whatever that is is probably shattered when you come to the concert and see us on stage. We’re breaking stereotypes one stage at a time, and hopefully what that does is allow the people in the audience to go outside the venue and really try to see people for who they are and not necessarily look at them and assume … they can’t do this or do that.”
Sylvester and Baptiste have known each other since grade school when both started taking music lessons in a summer program. Sylvester landed the violin; his mom wanted to keep him out of trouble. Baptiste had his heart set on saxophone but was given the viola, presumably by accident. In 2012, he learned the real story: The band and orchestra teachers, both encouraged by Baptiste’s enthusiasm, hatched a bet over a golf game. The winner — the orchestra teacher — got Baptiste.
The pair’s initial plans with Black Violin were to produce and create pop music using the violin, but once they saw the audience reaction to their music they decided, “Let’s do the artist thing,” Baptiste recalled. “Let’s bring this violin and viola to the forefront.”
That was pre-YouTube and social media. Black Violin built a following one show at a time.
These days, the duo sells out in nearly every city. There are only a couple dozen tickets remaining for Thursday’s concert.
“If you love music and you love all types of music and you want to experience something different, this is definitely the show to check out,” Baptiste said.
- Cathalena E. Burch
What: Black Violin Unity Tour 2017.
Presented by: UA Presents.
Where: Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W. Congress St.
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 13.
Tickets: $20 to $65 through uapresents.org
- Updated
Fans of anime should swing by Otaku Nation, 3919 E. Pima St., this Friday for the shop's grand opening from 5 p.m. to midnight.
The storefront not only plans on specializing in anime-related products, it also wants to hold regular events for Tucson's anime community, including weekly gaming tournaments, anime screenings and how-to workshops for costuming, prop building and model kit hobbies, according to Jeremy Daniel, the owner.
"We plan on being a very events-driven business, basically a Japanese pop culture 'convention on demand,' Daniel said via Facebook. "People wishing to run events relating to Japanese games, pop culture, language, etc can contact us and get on the calendar for both monetized and free events."
The grand opening will include refreshments, games, a live drawing contest and a cosplay contest, according to the Facebook event page.
- Updated
If you grew up in the 1990s, you should already be well-schooled in Blues Traveler and the kind of music it produces.
Led by blues harp player and vocalist John Popper, the band is celebrating 30 years in 2017 and is still touring under its 2015 release, "Blow Up the Moon," a collaboration release with the likes of The Dirty Heads, Rome Ramirez, Hanson and Plain White T's
Blues Traveler will perform at the Rialto Theatre at 8 p.m. on Friday.
- Updated
Sure, this is maybe the billionth film in the "Fast & the Furious" franchise, but recent positive reviews show that we are not ready to quit them just yet.
"The Fate of the Furious" finds Dom (Vin Diesel) dragging his gang of globetrotting, reluctant heroes into yet another caper, which will take them around the world, from Cuba to Russia to Berlin.
The sequel has all the usual suspects: Ludacris, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, etc.
It will be in theaters starting on Friday.
- Updated
The newly transformed Bar Passe is hosting a Nerd Swap this weekend at 417 N. Fourth Avenue.
The bar's Facebook page cordially invites patrons to bring in albums, toys, instruments and oddities to trade with or sell to others.
The event runs from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
- Updated
The Pinnacle Peak Pistoleros Wild West Stunt Show will celebrate 20 years of gunslinging and blowing things up this Saturday at Trail Dust Town, 6541 E. Tanque Verde Road.
The Old West re-enactors will bring back their very first production, called "Killer Miller" for three shows, at 7 p.m., 8 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Rope twirling dynamo Loop Rawlins will appear before each showing.
Gates open 10 minutes prior to show. Show admission is $5.00 (3 & under free but not recommended). Wristbands are $12.00 and include unlimited admission to all attractions!
- Updated
East Speedway will be alive with the sound of singing this Saturday, as The Loft presents a "Sound of Music" sing-a-long, to be held at noon and 6 p.m. on Saturday.
The Loft website does a smashing job of talking up the event:
"Calling all Nuns, Goat Herders, Hills, Alps, Baronesses, Brown Paper Packages Tied up with String or any of your favorite things … the hills are alive with the sound of the Sing-A-Long Sound of Music! Cheer on the plucky Maria (Julie Andrews) as she moves to Austria, becomes the governess for the von Trapp family, teaches the children music, battles the bad guys and even falls in love with the dashing Captain von Trapp (Christopher Plummer)!
Sing-a-long with such classic tunes as ‘Do-Re-Mi,’ ‘Sixteen Going on Seventeen’ and ‘The Sound of Music,’ all with on-screen lyrics! Wave your Edelweiss! Dance in the gazebo with Liesl! Bark at Rolf! Snuggle up with Gretel and join in earnest choruses of ‘My Favorite Things!’ Come in costume and dazzle your fellow audience members with your amazing tailoring skills!
This is glorious, music-filled fun for the whole family, so whether you’re an adult, a child, or sixteen going on seventeen, break out that lederhosen, climb every mountain and make your way to the Sing-A-Long Sound of Music for a magical movie experience you won’t soon forget! (Dir. by Robert Wise, 1965, USA, 174 mins., Rated G)
- Updated
John Coinman is a fine representation of Tucson's musical talents, both in front of the mic and behind the scenes.
Coinman has toured the world with his old pal Kevin Costner and Costner's band Modern West. But it is always a blast seeing him centerstage in his hometown, singing really good songs from his own repertoire.
Coinman will play the Hotel Congress plaza at 7 p.m. The Rebekah Rolland Trio will open. $10.
- Updated
The Oro Valley Archery Range, 810 W. Naranja Drive, is inviting families to swing by for an Easter egg-themed archery shoot this Saturday, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Easter egg images will serve as targets. Particpants must be 8 or older. A $5 donation per person will go toward the Oro Valley Junior Olympic Archery Development Club.
RSVP is strongly suggested, according to the Facebook event page. Please email Joel Woppert or Meaghan Bunge at Jwoppert@orovalleyaz.gov or Mbunge@orovalleyaz.gov to reserve your spot.
- Updated
D&D Pinball isn't going to let Easter get in the way of their regular pinball tournaments.
Managers have one set for Sunday, according to their Facebook page.
Here are the details from the page:
It's a 4-player match play 3-strike knockout tournament. Bottom two players receive a strike in a four player group, bottom one receives strike in 3 player group.
No entry fee, only pay coin drop for the games you play.
Arrive at D&D Pinball at 1pm to register and warm up. Tournament will start at 1:30pm.
Get yer pin on!
This is something you won’t see every day at a concert billed as “classical”: a DJ working the turntables.
Or a drummer banging out a solo in classic rock ‘n’ roll fashion, set against the backdrop of two classically trained violinists putting their own hip-hop stamp on Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony.
On Thursday, April 13, the classical music-crossover duo Black Violin will share the Fox Tucson Theater stage with Florida’s DJ SPS and drummer Nat Stokes.
“It’s a rock concert from a violinist’s perspective,” violist Wilner Baptiste — who goes by the stage name Wil B — explained in a phone call last week from Texas. “You’ve never seen a violin in that way, in that light. It’s high-energy, basically hard-hitting beats with beautiful violin on top.”
For more than a dozen years, Baptiste and violinist and lifelong friend Kevin Sylvester — aka Kev Marcus — have been bridging divides by marrying classical music and hip-hop in what turns out to be an eye-opener for everyone: Hip-hop fans get a taste of classical music and classical fans discover that hip-hop can comfortably share a stage with Bach and Brahms.
“We convey a clear message that everyone, no matter what you listen to or what you like, you can understand,” Baptiste said. “We’re bridging gaps between those worlds and we’re bridging the gap between different cultures and people.”
Thursday’s concert is part of Black Violin’s 2017 Unity Tour, which includes stops in dozens of college towns across the country. The duo, which took its name from the title of jazz violin great Stuff Smith’s final album, is touring on its latest album “StereoTypes.” The classically trained pair’s goal is to shatter racial and musical stereotypes at every stop.
“When you come to the concert and without (seeing) the violin, you’re walking by and your assumption of us is not that we play the violin at all,” explained Baptiste, who has been performing with Sylvester for more than a dozen years. “Whatever that is is probably shattered when you come to the concert and see us on stage. We’re breaking stereotypes one stage at a time, and hopefully what that does is allow the people in the audience to go outside the venue and really try to see people for who they are and not necessarily look at them and assume … they can’t do this or do that.”
Sylvester and Baptiste have known each other since grade school when both started taking music lessons in a summer program. Sylvester landed the violin; his mom wanted to keep him out of trouble. Baptiste had his heart set on saxophone but was given the viola, presumably by accident. In 2012, he learned the real story: The band and orchestra teachers, both encouraged by Baptiste’s enthusiasm, hatched a bet over a golf game. The winner — the orchestra teacher — got Baptiste.
The pair’s initial plans with Black Violin were to produce and create pop music using the violin, but once they saw the audience reaction to their music they decided, “Let’s do the artist thing,” Baptiste recalled. “Let’s bring this violin and viola to the forefront.”
That was pre-YouTube and social media. Black Violin built a following one show at a time.
These days, the duo sells out in nearly every city. There are only a couple dozen tickets remaining for Thursday’s concert.
“If you love music and you love all types of music and you want to experience something different, this is definitely the show to check out,” Baptiste said.
- Cathalena E. Burch
What: Black Violin Unity Tour 2017.
Presented by: UA Presents.
Where: Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W. Congress St.
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 13.
Tickets: $20 to $65 through uapresents.org
Fans of anime should swing by Otaku Nation, 3919 E. Pima St., this Friday for the shop's grand opening from 5 p.m. to midnight.
The storefront not only plans on specializing in anime-related products, it also wants to hold regular events for Tucson's anime community, including weekly gaming tournaments, anime screenings and how-to workshops for costuming, prop building and model kit hobbies, according to Jeremy Daniel, the owner.
"We plan on being a very events-driven business, basically a Japanese pop culture 'convention on demand,' Daniel said via Facebook. "People wishing to run events relating to Japanese games, pop culture, language, etc can contact us and get on the calendar for both monetized and free events."
The grand opening will include refreshments, games, a live drawing contest and a cosplay contest, according to the Facebook event page.
If you grew up in the 1990s, you should already be well-schooled in Blues Traveler and the kind of music it produces.
Led by blues harp player and vocalist John Popper, the band is celebrating 30 years in 2017 and is still touring under its 2015 release, "Blow Up the Moon," a collaboration release with the likes of The Dirty Heads, Rome Ramirez, Hanson and Plain White T's
Blues Traveler will perform at the Rialto Theatre at 8 p.m. on Friday.
Sure, this is maybe the billionth film in the "Fast & the Furious" franchise, but recent positive reviews show that we are not ready to quit them just yet.
"The Fate of the Furious" finds Dom (Vin Diesel) dragging his gang of globetrotting, reluctant heroes into yet another caper, which will take them around the world, from Cuba to Russia to Berlin.
The sequel has all the usual suspects: Ludacris, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, etc.
It will be in theaters starting on Friday.
The newly transformed Bar Passe is hosting a Nerd Swap this weekend at 417 N. Fourth Avenue.
The bar's Facebook page cordially invites patrons to bring in albums, toys, instruments and oddities to trade with or sell to others.
The event runs from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The Pinnacle Peak Pistoleros Wild West Stunt Show will celebrate 20 years of gunslinging and blowing things up this Saturday at Trail Dust Town, 6541 E. Tanque Verde Road.
The Old West re-enactors will bring back their very first production, called "Killer Miller" for three shows, at 7 p.m., 8 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Rope twirling dynamo Loop Rawlins will appear before each showing.
Gates open 10 minutes prior to show. Show admission is $5.00 (3 & under free but not recommended). Wristbands are $12.00 and include unlimited admission to all attractions!
East Speedway will be alive with the sound of singing this Saturday, as The Loft presents a "Sound of Music" sing-a-long, to be held at noon and 6 p.m. on Saturday.
The Loft website does a smashing job of talking up the event:
"Calling all Nuns, Goat Herders, Hills, Alps, Baronesses, Brown Paper Packages Tied up with String or any of your favorite things … the hills are alive with the sound of the Sing-A-Long Sound of Music! Cheer on the plucky Maria (Julie Andrews) as she moves to Austria, becomes the governess for the von Trapp family, teaches the children music, battles the bad guys and even falls in love with the dashing Captain von Trapp (Christopher Plummer)!
Sing-a-long with such classic tunes as ‘Do-Re-Mi,’ ‘Sixteen Going on Seventeen’ and ‘The Sound of Music,’ all with on-screen lyrics! Wave your Edelweiss! Dance in the gazebo with Liesl! Bark at Rolf! Snuggle up with Gretel and join in earnest choruses of ‘My Favorite Things!’ Come in costume and dazzle your fellow audience members with your amazing tailoring skills!
This is glorious, music-filled fun for the whole family, so whether you’re an adult, a child, or sixteen going on seventeen, break out that lederhosen, climb every mountain and make your way to the Sing-A-Long Sound of Music for a magical movie experience you won’t soon forget! (Dir. by Robert Wise, 1965, USA, 174 mins., Rated G)
John Coinman is a fine representation of Tucson's musical talents, both in front of the mic and behind the scenes.
Coinman has toured the world with his old pal Kevin Costner and Costner's band Modern West. But it is always a blast seeing him centerstage in his hometown, singing really good songs from his own repertoire.
Coinman will play the Hotel Congress plaza at 7 p.m. The Rebekah Rolland Trio will open. $10.
The Oro Valley Archery Range, 810 W. Naranja Drive, is inviting families to swing by for an Easter egg-themed archery shoot this Saturday, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Easter egg images will serve as targets. Particpants must be 8 or older. A $5 donation per person will go toward the Oro Valley Junior Olympic Archery Development Club.
RSVP is strongly suggested, according to the Facebook event page. Please email Joel Woppert or Meaghan Bunge at Jwoppert@orovalleyaz.gov or Mbunge@orovalleyaz.gov to reserve your spot.
D&D Pinball isn't going to let Easter get in the way of their regular pinball tournaments.
Managers have one set for Sunday, according to their Facebook page.
Here are the details from the page:
It's a 4-player match play 3-strike knockout tournament. Bottom two players receive a strike in a four player group, bottom one receives strike in 3 player group.
No entry fee, only pay coin drop for the games you play.
Arrive at D&D Pinball at 1pm to register and warm up. Tournament will start at 1:30pm.
Get yer pin on!
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