Page 40 - the NOISE July 2014

The legendary Charles McPherson is headlining the Prescott Starcloud with Forest by Dana Cohn, among the
Jazz Society’s Juneteenth Festival at Arcosanti June 7 & 8.
works featured at A Small Art Gallery.
It’s going to be a long, hot summer in Prescott. Fortunately, there are a ton of su- per cool arts ‘n culture events this month to take your mind off the heat. Prescott really kicks it into high gear in June, leaving arts afi- cionados with more options than time.
While not technically an arts and cul- ture event, it should be noted that Monday, June 30 will mark the one year anniversary of the Yarnell fire tragedy that claimed 19 of Prescott’s Granite Mountain Hotshots. The city will mark the occasion by closing city services early, making an anniversary proclamation, a memorial and a ceremony at the Courthouse Square. Perhaps the most fitting and participatory tribute of the day is an organized hike up Thumb Butte Trail #33, a favorite of the Granite Mountain Hotshots. The Prescott Center for the Arts (PCA) typically mounts its largest and most ambi- tious show of the year during May/June, and this year is no exception. Les Miserables de- buted on the main stage last month and has been getting fantastic reviews. This epic mu- sical is a favorite with theater fans and PCA is pulling out all the stops for this production. Demand is high, so order your tickets early or you may well find yourself missing out. For a full listing of evening and matinee shows, and to order tickets, go to pfaa.net or call the PCA box office at 928-445-3286.
It’s pretty much a give-in that every music venue in town will be jumping to the beats of everything from jazz to metal. Prescott is developing a decent metal and punk scene with venues like The Drunken Lass bringing in bands that are most definitely outside of the more easy going norm for the town. To keep up with their shenanigans and their rapidly changing roster of local and touring bands, look up Plenty O’Toole on Facebook page and follow ‘em there.
For the folk/Americana hipsters out there, the June 14th installment of the Folk Sessions “Under the Stars” concert series at Highland
Center is a must see/hear. This show has per- formances by Tucson’s eclectic vocal quartet I Hear Music! This group features Bobby Kimmel, Kathy Harris, Bobby Ronstadt and
Suzy Ronstadt.
And yes, Bob-
by Ronstadt’s
granddaughter
is, in fact, Linda
Ronstadt. Practically everyone in the whole Ronstadt family are musicians, and dang fine ones at that.
Joining I Hear Music! is one of the best multi-instrumentalist string bands around, Three-Legged Dog. This band never fails to amaze and frankly the vast array of instru- ments played by all three members is like a mini-music history lesson in the best possi- ble way. For tickets and more info, visit folk- sessions.com or call 928-830-0607.
If you like your music on the smooth, cool end, then Prescott Jazz Society’s (PJS) 16th Annual Juneteenth Jazz Splash Festival is exactly what the doctor ordered. On June 7th and 8th, head over to Arcosanti and soak up the some of the best live jazz, gospel and blues music around. Legendary pianist Charles Lewis will be making the trip up from Phoenix to join saxophonist Charles McPerson, drummer Dowell Davis and bassist Howard Bankhead on the stage. The same weekend, PJS is hosting a 2-day stu- dent jazz clinic on harmonic conceptions for musicians and vocalists. For tickets and more info on the event, visit pjazz.org or call PJS founder and über jazz saxophonist Milt Can- non at 928-237-7908.
If opera and authentic Italian food in a gor- geous al fresco setting are more your thing, then Arcosanti’s Italian Night is just the ticket. The annual event began in honor of Arcosanti’s visionary Italian architect, Paolo Soleri’s birthday and has developed into quite a night. The shindig kicks off with an after hours tour of Arcosanti, followed by dinner under the airy vaults, where diners can expect mischievous interruptions be a commedie dell’ arte troupe of performers. After dinner, guests will move to the amphi- theater to enjoy a live opera performance by Arlecchino & Co., featuring soprano Jayne Casselman and tenor Michael McCall. It
promises to be a truly marvelous way to mark the summer solstice. This event sells out
quickly, so RSVP to make sure you don’t miss out. Tickets for the event are $50 and include dinner. For more information, visit arcosanti. org, or call 928-632-7135 to reserve your place.
The visual arts scene is equally packed with fantastic events this month. One of the best gallery offerings for June is found at the aptly named A Small Art Gallery. Two of Prescott’s finest local artists, Paul Abbott and Dana Cohn, will be featured. Mr. Ab- bott’s paintings are characterized by thick, juicy, muscular strokes of oil paint that must be viewed in person to be fully appreciated. Ms. Cohn’s paintings manage to blend ce- rebral, spiritual and surrealistic elements into a wholly unique style. Both artists are exceptional, and the opportunity to view their work in a single, intimate setting is ab- solutely not to be missed. Visit their website at asmallartgallery.com or visit the gallery Thursday through Saturday from 10-5PM, at
115 E. Goodwin St., Suite D.
There is another interesting show over
at the ‘Tis Art Center Mezzanine Gallery worth checking out, opening on June 15. “A Nightmare in the Garden: Two Sides of an Artist” features an interesting dichotomy of what artist Leslee Oaks calls “L.T.D” (less than desirable) art and welded garden sculp- tures. The “L.T.D” pieces are essentially found art constructions made of objects found at garage sales and thrift stores. There is a strong vein of play and whimsy that runs through Oaks’ work, although the garden sculpture pieces are definitely lighter in the- matic tone. A fun show, for sure. Visit the ‘Tis at tisartgallery.com or stop by in person at
105 S. Cortez St.
On a completely different note, Northern
Arizona Roller Derby now has not one, but two roller derby teams burning up the flat track in Prescott. Joining the Whiskey Row- llers are new kids on the block, The Boot-
leggers. This is great news for derby fans, mainly because it means that every elbow- throwing, sit-blocking, whip-tastic event is now a double-header. These ladies skate hard, love what they do and adore their fans. On June 28, head over to the Pioneer Park Rink at 1185 Commerce Drive and watch the Whiskey Row-llers take on the Furious Truck Stop Waitresses at 4PM. Stick around to see the brand new Bootleggers go head to head with the Bandoleras. Tickets are only $5 and can be purchased online at northernarizo- narollerderby.com or at the rink the day of the event.
This brings us to the absolute top event of the month, the Prescott Bluegrass Festival. Now in its 33rd year, this festival is a huge fave with both locals and visitors for good reason. In some ways, the Bluegrass Festival epito- mizes the best of Prescott. There is nothing quite like hauling your lawn chair or blanket to Prescott’s historic Courthouse Square and relaxing in the shade with friends and fam- ily while listening to some of the finest blue- grass musicians in the world play live music.
This year’s line-up features a range of highly regarded bluegrass musicians from across the southwest. Included on the slate are The Sonoran Dogs with special guest Lee McLaughlin, The Bost Family Tradi- tions, Mars Hillbillies, Marty Warburton and Home Girls, and Prescott’s own Thumb Brutes. All in all, a very fine line-up that is guaranteed to satisfy bluegrass fans.
The event is free to the public and there’s really no need to wander too far. In addi- tion to plenty of food vendors at the festival, there are multiple restaurants within steps of the Square. So bring your lawn chair and sunscreen, but mostly bring your love of bluegrass and community. No matter what flavor of bluegrass music you love the most, chances are good you’ll find yourself danc- ing barefoot in the grass right in the heart of this little mountain town.
| Angie Johnson-Schmit does tend to burn the candle from more than one end. slackerwriter@gmail.com
40 • JUNE 2014 • the NOISE arts & news • thenoise.us