Page 26 - the NOISE August 2012

Prescott Jazz Summit Brass & Sax, CW from left: Tony Vacca; student trombonists; Rusty Higgins; & Scott Whitfield.
PHOTOS BY JIM HAAS During the weekend of August 17-18, Linda
Miller and Marty Berk will be performing a combination of singing, comedy & celebrity impersonations. Out of the box, it could be a fun way to enjoy a little gallery time. Head over to 212 W. Gurley Street and check it out. bensfineartgallery.com
The number one super fab arts event in Prescott in August has got to be the Prescott Film Festival (PFF). This festival is a cine- phile’s dream, offering a huge variety of mov- ie genres, including several low budget and independent movies and the pre-requisite of film festivals everywhere, documentaries. From August 1 through the 8th, Yavapai Col- lege will be host to multiple showings in mul- tiple venues on the Yavapai College campus.
PFF’s big event this year is the Arizona Wine Tasting & Screening on August 4. Fea- turing AZ wines and a screening of Dances with Wolves, attendees will have a chance to rub elbows with Academy Award® winning screenwriter, Michael Blake. This event is definitely more on the pricey end, but should be worth it for fans of the flick. Plus, y’know, lots of great wine and appetizers!
In addition to the plethora of films, there is a whole series of workshops of interest to aspiring filmmakers. Topics range from 10 Things Not to Do While Making an In- dependent Film to Joe Pronto’s account of life as a stunt man. These workshops run throughout the entire festival week and are a great way for wannabe filmmakers to get some first-hand info.
Tickets are pretty dang reasonable at $7 per screening with seniors/students getting in for $5. And really, this is pretty much the only chance for Prescott peeps to see most of these movies at a local venue. For a full listing of show times and ticket packages, check out their website at prescottfilmfestival.com.
| Angie Johnson-Schmit en- joys soft drinks and cool nights. slackerwriter@gmail.com
Fall is just around the corner, but there’s still time to squeeze in a little more summer arts and culture goodness. It’s a music heavy month in Prescott, although there’s plenty on tap for folks looking to take in some festivals or check out some great visual art.
The Courthouse Square is pretty much booked through the month, including the ongoing Downtown Summer Concert Se- ries. This series features free live music, usu- ally from Tuesday through Thursday or Friday, depending on what other events are sched- uled for the weekends. The musical genres range pretty wildly, so the best bet to choose a concert that fits your musical taste is to check out the calendar at cityofprescott.net .
Also happening on the Courthouse Square is the Acker on the Plaza event. Scheduled for Saturday, August 18, tons of local musi- cians from a variety of musical traditions will perform from 10AM until 10PM. While this won’t be a patch on the epic Acker Musical Showcase in December, it’s still a pretty dang cool event. The J.S. Acker Music Park Asso- ciation has a long history of providing music scholarships and this event is one of two ma- jor fundraisers for the organization. There’s no admission fee, but Acker will be accept- ing donations. So show up, have some fun and donate a few bucks to help local kids get some much-needed musical scholarship as- sistance. For more information on the organi- zation and the Acker on the Plaza event, visit their website at ackershowcase.com.
Another major music event in August is the Prescott Jazz Summit. Spearheaded by local jazz trumpet player and arts educator Mike Vax, the Jazz Summit brings together a fab mix of jazz musicians from Prescott, the state, and across the United States. The festi- val is held at a variety of venues around town, so it’s really up to individual jazz fans to de- cide whether they want a big venue experi- ence like the Elks Opera House concert, or a more intimate one like the Jazz Brunch at the Hassayampa Inn. To get a taste of what
to expect
from the PJS,
head over to
the Square
on Tuesday,
August 21. There will be a free performance with many of both local and visiting musi- cians between 6 and 10PM For a full listing of Prescott Jazz Summit performances and ven- ues, check out prescottjazz.com for details and ticket info.
Fans of Coatimundi will be happy to hear that the local band will be performing Au- gust 16 at Coyote Joe’s. Can’t make it on a Thursday? No worries, they are also booked into The Raven Café the next night at 8PM. This band manages to be both positive and highly danceable without overloading on the sugar-sweet. Plus, they just generally put on a super fun show.
Speaking of the Raven, stop by on Thurs- day, August 30 to check out The Blank Tapes. This Cali-based indie band will be making a quick stop in Prescott as part of their Sum- mer Southern tour. Not to get all smarmy, but this band has a truly sweet sound that is evocative of warm summer nights and beach romance. Between the venue and the tunes, it’s a great way to mark the transition from summer to autumn.
A ton of local fave bands are slated for August, including The Prescott Playboys scheduled to play on Tuesday, August 7. This western swing band never fails to get folks out on the dance floor and pretty much guar- antee a good time. They have played around town for years and are well worth making a trip to hear. Hit up the Raven Café’s calendar for a full listing of bands and show times at ravencafe.com.
Over at the Elks Opera House, August is mostly a trip down memory lane. First up is the Prescott Opry on August 9, with a vari- ety of folk and Grand Ole Opry style music. On August 11, it’s time to break out the poo- dle skirts for the Rock ‘n Roll Revisited show.
Besides the 50s and early 60s era music, there will be danc- ing and a costume contest. Topping off
the retro fever is Remembering the King: Celebrating the Music of Elvis Presley on August 12. Lonely Street Productions (LSP) is putting on this tribute show, and have made a decent reputation for their productions. There hasn’t been a LSP show yet that has failed to get people dancing in the aisles. For a full listing of shows and ticket prices at the Elks, visit their website at elksoperahouse. com.
For visual arts fans, there are a lot of shows happening around town. The Arts Prescott Co-op Gallery has a really interesting show,
“Timeless Expressions of a Father and his Boys,” running through August 22. The story behind the show is almost as cool as the jewelry piec- es created by Thomas Robbins and his sons Asa and Jesse. Check it out yourself, head to
134 S. Montezuma Street.
The other show that looks to be straight up
awesome is happening over at the Ian Rus- sell Gallery of Fine Art. “Into the Deep” will feature work by artists Dolores Chiappone and Paul Abbott. Chiappone’s paintings typically feature an über cool mix of classical painting styles juxtaposed with whimsical, surrealistic imagery. Abbott, this year’s Buck- ey Award winner for Outstanding Visual Artist, is well known for his figurative work. Abbott’s muscular brushwork is so compelling, it can be difficult to resist the urge to reach out and touch the paintings. Don’t believe me? The show is running through September 15, so go check it out for yourself at 130 S. Monte- zuma Street. Visit the gallery website for store hours and more info at ianrussellart.com.
Ben’s Fine Art Gallery is one of Prescott’s newest art galleries, featuring a mix of visual artists. While the gallery has a lot of won- derful art on display, the space is planning something a little different from the norm.
26 • AUGUST 2012 • the NOISE arts & news magazine • thenoise.us