Jam band audiences pay to see musicians experiment with instruments live. They stand and listen for hours as chords get pushed to the outer boundaries of consciousness.

Sometimes the music works, sometimes it doesn't, but the goal is that no one song is ever played the same way twice. This gives the feeling that the person is witnessing an event that will never be duplicated.

Some might argue that any concert a band plays is unique. Maybe so, but most bands do not build their reputation around the individuality of every live show. [Read article]

Colorado brewers use Arizona as test market for microbrew in a can

There are certain perceptions that have become the norm when it comes to drinking beer. One major perception is that beer in a can doesn't taste as good as beer in a bottle. However, Oskar Blues is trying to change that notion with the release of Dale's Pale Ale ÷ the first microbrew in a can.

The brewery, located in Lyons, Colorado, has used Arizona as its test market for the new beer. According to Dale Katechis, owner of the company, Arizona was a logical location. [Read article]

Sexy, sassy and sweet: These words describe both the late Hollywood siren Mae West and the Arizona Theatre Company's new play, crosscut with moments from her life and illustrious career.

"Dirty Blonde" is the show's title, and, like the play, it's full of innuendo. Written by Claudia Shear, "Dirty Blonde" is about Mae West and two young obsessed fans who find love through their mutual admiration of the legendary screen goddess. Charlie, played by Peter Brown, is a film librarian who met West in his teens and was given one of her beautiful gowns. Jo is a struggling actress who meets Charlie at West's gravesite. What follows for the two New Yorkers is a twisted, sexy take on a sweet love story that's full of Mae West songs and scenes from her life. [Read article]

Tucson doesn't get compared to New York or London very often. But when it comes to the Chamber Music Festival at the Tucson Convention Center, the cities become undeniably similar. Presented by the Arizona Friends of Chamber Music, the festival is a weeklong instrumental celebration from the most applauded composers and musicians.

"This is our 10th Chamber Music Festival. We want to present five concerts in one week of the highest quality, by top-notch performers all over the U.S., along with five musicians from Prague," said Jean-Paul Bierny, the production manager for the festival. [Read article]

Peter Sanderson (Steve Martin) is an uptight tax attorney: divorced, stressed and unhappy · but jeez, what more does this guy need? He's got a brand new Mercedes and a stunning house in some really green suburb, so what the hell is he complaining about?

Wealth means nothing (right?) when you've forgotten how to enjoy the things money can't buy · like loving your children. This is what Peter needs to learn, but thank God "Bringing Down the House" isn't about all that sentimental crap. What this man needs is to be bitch-slapped and kicked in the groin a couple times. [Read article]

When it comes to neo-Nazi drama, "American History X" is a hard act to follow. That film's cinematic style, its conscience and its impeccable acting make it one of the quintessential studies of the racist mind. What "The Believer" brings to the table, though, is a relatively fresh perspective.

"The Believer," coming out on DVD, is the story of Danny Balint, a young neo-Nazi activist who, unfortunately for him, is Jewish. This is revealed relatively early on, and first-time writer/director Henry Bean spends the rest of the film exploring this deep contradiction in Danny's life and psyche. Such explorations include a scene during which Danny and his skinhead cronies are rigging a bomb inside a synagogue when Danny suddenly insists that his troglodyte mates not touch the sacred Hebrew scriptures they are about to blow up. [Read article]

Some of the best contemporary prose out there is by acclaimed poets. W.S. Merwin has short essays published. Even Rainer Maria Rilke was known for his literary non-fiction. When reading Mark Doty's "Still Life With Oysters and Lemons," poetry is under the sheets of prose. "Rumpled sheets in the afterthought of a good night's sleep," is an overlap of the genres that is beautiful and worth experiencing. [Read article]