Page 40 - the NOISE October 2014

ABOVe: Jen Juniper & Tres ikner of indie pop duo Dutch Holly. frOM LefT: The sculpture of Corey W. Collins at ian russell’s. COUrTeSy
PHOTO By CHAD CASTiGLiAnO
Cason Murphy at Prescott Center for the Arts. PHOTO By DAViD COTTLe
Harvest season is in full swing and Prescott’s arts ‘n culture scene is picking up steam as locals prepare for the mad rush to Halloween and Day of the Dead celebra- tions. Throw in cooler weather, hot drinks and a full event calendar and that’s the per- fect recipe for fantastic fall fun.
Before diving into the spooky goodness of the season, there are a few non-ghostly events that are well worth a looksee. First up, the ‘Tis Art Center and Gallery has two shows running this month. In the Main Floor gallery, the SWAA is offering up a “Best of Both Worlds” show. Meanwhile, in the Mez- zanine gallery, “Change it Up: An Artisan’s Closet” is showcasing wearable art and cre- ative up-cycling from artists Joan Knight, Carol Hunter Geboy and Carol Scott. Both shows have artist receptions during the Fri- day ArtWalk on October 24, or just drop by the ‘Tis at 105 S. Cortez Street during regular gallery hours.
Speaking of fab up-cycled art, metal sculptor Corey W. Collins is the featured artist at ian russell Gallery of fine Art in October. Utilizing scrap metal reclaimed from junkyards and thrift shops, Mr. Collins crafts intricate sculptures that have gained international acclaim. The artist is debuting some new pieces for this month’s “Fall Colors” show, which is great news for both old fans and new. Drop by 130 S. Montezuma and check it out.
Dutch Holly is playing a rare local gig this month at the raven Café, which is great news for fans of this indie pop duo. Dutch Holly has been busy playing a lot of venues in Phoenix and Tucson, so this is a fantastic opportunity to hear their “road-tested tunes” at one of the best local music venues in town. Vocalist Jen Juniper is stoked to be playing in Prescott, noting that, “No matter how much fun we have on the road, there’s no place like home.” Ms. Juniper and multi-instrumentalist Tres ikner make some serious musical mis- chief, so circle Thursday, October 16 on the calendar in bright red crayon and dust off those dancing shoes. Trust me, you’re gonna need ‘em. Oh, and when you’ve worked up a serious thirst from the dancing and toe-tap-
ping, the Ra- ven’s extensive beer and wine list will give you plenty of hydration op- tions.
For the grown-ups who are looking to have some fun on All Hallow’s Eve, the Raven Café is hosting their annual Halloween Dance Party, featuring Word Thieves. Frankly, it can be a challenge to find some decent adult Halloween goodness in Prescott, but this is the perfect remedy for getting your ghostly groove on. Head over to 142 N. Cortez and check it out in person, or hit up their website for a full listing of their October musical offer- ings at RavenCafe.com.
Also on the musical front, the good people over at the Folk Sessions are bringing back UK singer Sarah McQuaid to the stage at the Prescott Center for the Arts (PCA). Born in Spain, raised in Chicago and currently liv- ing in rural England, Ms. McQuaid’s musical pedigree is just as diverse and difficult to cat- egorize. The singer/songwriter and guitarist has a reputation for smooth, smoky vocals and a lively stage presence. Opening is i Hear Music! Hailing from Tucson, this vocal quartet also garnered quite a bit of acclaim and played in Prescott last year. Both Ms. Mc- Quaid and I Hear Music! were well received. If you missed them the first time around, don’t make that mistake again. The performance is set for Sunday, October 12 and tickets are $18, available online at FolkSessions.com or by calling (928) 445-3286.
Tomorrow ’s Theater Tonight ( T T T ) is hosting a reading of a play-in-progress, Mi- chelle Lambeau’s Lady Susan, at the Prescott Public Library. Hardcore fans of Jane Austen will recognize the play’s title as Austen’s un- published novel of the same title. The unique thing about TTT is the workshop approach and the group’s focus on Arizona playwrites. Constructive criticism of the play by audi- ence members is welcomed after the read- ing. If this sounds like your cuppa literary/ theatrical fun, then mark your calendar and plan on showing up at the Founder’s Room on Thursday, October 23 at 7PM. For more
info on TTT or on this particular read- ing, contact Paula Shulak at (480) 924- 9713.
Getting down to the nitty gritty of Halloween spooky good-
ness, there are two movie events that are definitely all about the grown-up fun. Just in time to get you fully stoked and ready for Halloween is fright night iV at the elks The- atre and Performing Arts Center on Thurs- day, October 30. This Triple Feature event starts off with Mile High Comedy Theater doing a homegrown version of Mystery Sci- ence Theater style wisecracking commen- tary on an excerpt of the super cheesy 1960s Italian horror flick, Bloody Pit of Terror.
Also showing is a special cut of the com- plete first season of Diary of a Mad Scientist’s Assistant. The web series follows the online dating experiences of Shirley Graves as she looks for love on a website that specializes in mad scien...er, “fringe research pioneers.” Brought to you by the creators of Dead Votes Society, this sci-fi comedy was shot entirely in Prescott with an all Arizona cast and crew.
Headlining the triple feature bill is the Bela Legosi classic, White Zombie. This underrated gem is believed to be the very first movie to feature zombies. Besides, Bela Lugosi – ‘nuff said. If all that movie goodness isn’t enough, there’s also going to be a whole lotta danc- ers taking the stage to perform “Time Warp” from cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Not to mention a costume contest with awesome prizes. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased online at PrescottElksThe- ater.com at the door, or by calling the Elks’ box office at 928-777-1370.
Next up is the Prescott film festival’s October 31st showing of Lon Chaney in The Hunchback of Notre Dame at the Yavapai Per- forming Arts Center (YPAC) What makes this silent classic film more of an event than just a screening is the live music accompaniment by the always fab Jonathan Best. Tickets are $12 or $6 for students and doors open at 6:30PM. Get your tickets at the door, online
at PrescottFilmFestival.com, or by calling (928) 458-7209.
Maybe the most comprehensive seasonal event this year is Prescott’s Week of the Dead. The Prescott Center for the Arts (PCA) is teaming up again with the Smoki Museum for a whole lot of Halloween and Day of the Dead goodness. This year’s events include PCA’s massively popular Ghost Talk, a Sugar Skull Workshop at the PCA Art Gallery on October 26, and a Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration at the Smoki Museum on Sunday, November 2.
The Ghost Talk event is a favorite tradi- tion with locals, offering a great chance to both catch up on regional spooky lore and to get seriously in the mood for the holiday. Besides offering a theatrical presentation of ghost stories, Ghost Talk is also encouraging folks to show up in costume and to partici- pate in a raffle for some nifty prizes.
Ghost talk has multiple performances scheduled during October 23-24, with PCA bringing a whole mess o’ ghosts to life, or at least to the stage. While they rotate ghost stories from year to year, 2014 marks the very first performance of Legend of the Red Ghost, along with two other newbies, The Spirit of Arizona’s Wilderness Capitol and The Court- house Square Creepers’ Killer. Some of the more familiar stories scheduled include The Skinwalkers of the Prescott Forest and one of Prescott’s most famous haunted hotel tales, The Hotel Vendome Apparition.
Ghost Talk regularly sells out, so make sure to mark your calendar and order tickets early. Be forewarned, some of these spooky tales are pretty dang intense and this show is not recommended for kids under 12 years old. As PCA puts it, “No cry babies, whiners, or yellow-bellied scaredy-cats are allowed.” For more information on show times or to order tickets, visit their website at pca-az.net or call the box office at (928) 445-3286.
| Angie Johnson-schmit has her costume all ready. slackerwriter@gmail.com
40 • OCTOBER 2014 • the NOISE arts & news • thenoise.us