After a week’s hiatus for spring break, DevilPass is back with a vengeance! This week, get ready to push the envelope. Take in experimental percussion ensembles and jazz experimentation at the Trunk Space; hear horror stories of the past with “hipstorian” Marshall Shore; view postmodern fashion from local favorites UN3EK SY5STEM; think through unconventional lunch-time theater from Improbable Theater Company; and absorb a re-telling of the ever-shocking classic, The Great Gatsby. Downtown Phoenix is no place for those looking for the same old shtick.
Tatsuya Nakatani and Nakatani Gong Orchestra
- Friday, March 30
- 7:30 p.m. Doors
- The Trunk Space: 1506 NW Grand Ave.
- Getting there: Bike—15th and Grand avenues
- Price: $8 in advance at brownpapertickets.com; $10 at the door
Recommended if You Like: John Cage, experimentation, Japanese folk
Taking the serenity of his native Japan and matching it with the brash discord of John Cage, Tatsuya Nakatani has created an entirely new beast. Over the past ten years, the acclaimed percussionist has gone on dozens of tours, recorded more than 50 albums and performed at dozens of art museums and institutions all over the world, including the Smithsonian Institute and Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. For his solo works, Nakatani utilizes a variety of traditional and found objects, paired with various bows, sticks and other tools, combining free jazz, avant-garde classical and traditional Japanese folk music. Nakatani Gong Orchestra arrives as Nakatani’s latest project, focusing on his favorite percussion instrument the gong. At performances, the small ensemble uses five different gongs, allowing their tones to ebb and flow over a long-form performance conducted by Nakatani.
- Sunday, April 1
- 3-6 p.m.
- Tour begins and ends at MacAlpine’s Soda Fountain: 2303 N. Seventh St.
- Getting there: Bike—Seventh and Oak streets, just south of Thomas Road
- Price: $37.92 in advance at wrjtour1.eventbrite.com
Recommended if You Like: macabre history, Retro Spectacular, unusual tours
In 1931, Arizona socialite Winnie Ruth Judd is alleged to have carried out two grisly murders of her roommates at the time, thereafter shoving them into a large suitcase and attempting to board a train to Los Angeles. It was on that train that the bodies were discovered, shaking the entire U.S. at the time. But the story was necessarily more complicated than that, Judd was involved in a series of love affairs and illicit groups, with the tale continually developing to this day. Here arrives Marshall Shore, Phoenix’s designated “hipstorian.” Known for his thorough, kitschy and unexpected history lessons, Shore is the perfect guide for a tour devoted to the many locales supposed to have housed Judd at one time or another during the murders. Beginning at the legendary MacAlpine’s, Shore is leading yet another bus tour in honor of the anniversary of the murders. Through the three-hour tour, Shore will guide the group through several locales, painting a picture both of Phoenix at the time, and the world inhabited by Judd.
- Tuesday, April 3
- 7:30 p.m. Doors
- The Trunk Space: 1506 NW Grand Ave.
- Getting there: Bike—15th and Grand avenues
- Price: $6 at the door
Recommended if You Like: John Zorn, free jazz, progressive rock
Avant-jazz legend John Zorn has been known for decades for pushing the boundaries of music and sound. However, for his composition “Cobra,” he took an entirely different approach, creating a musical “game” of sorts for the performers. Rather than creating a score, Zorn wrote out a series of cue cards featuring a system and a detailed set of rules and cues to guide the improvisation of the performers. The piece itself changes every time, with no set rules or true directions written down or saved. An ensemble of Scottsdale Community College students has in turn made this dream of the avant-garde a reality. These members will then guide the piece based on a whim, allowing the sound to go wherever it takes them. Opening the show will be long-running prog-rock local boys Captain Squeegee, who will woo the audience with mind-altering songs to prepare for the mind-altering work of the performers later on.
- Saturday, March 31
- 7:00 p.m.
- Por Vida Gallery: 2800 N. 16th St.
- Getting there: Bike—16th Street and Edgemont Avenue, just south of Thomas Road
- Price: FREE
Recommended if You Like: Native fashion, fresh culture, hip-hop style
Since 2005, UN3EK SY5STEM has rocked the world of Phoenix fashion. The local clothing company specializes in t-shirts and hoodies, creating a variety of unique designs, each with its own distinct meaning. The two designers behind the company sought to embody their Native American heritage and meld it with their passions for graffiti and hip-hop music. This Saturday, the crew will debut their newest clothing line at the just-opened Por Vida Gallery, next door to the famed Barrio Café. The event will feature three DJs and bands, including UN3EK SY5STEM’s own The Analog Sweat, alongside three fashion shows, ending with the debut of UN3EK’s never-before-seen designs.
- Tuesday and Wednesday, April 3 and 4
- 12:10 p.m.
- Herberger Theater Center: 222 E. Monroe St.
- Getting there: Walk—Second and Monroe streets
- Price: $6 + fees in advance at herbergertheater.org or at the door
Recommended if You Like: empowering theater, confrontation, boundary-pushing
Arizona Bridge to Independent Living is an organization dedicated to bridging the gap for physically and mentally disabled individuals living in the state. As part of its mission, the nonprofit founded Improbable Theater Company in 1999, a troupe filled with many of those served by ABIL, aiming to get the disabled out into the community and involved in the arts. The group specializes in short-form plays and sketches, emphasizing the power of arts-centric healing and integration. For their latest Lunch Time Theater production at the Herberger, ITC is debuting yet another new work, called We Need to Talk. The play urges people to directly address the issues of disability in their communities, rather than sweeping them under the rug. Utilizing humor, pain, drama and joy, the play looks to get people talking.
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby
- Wednesday, March 28-Sunday, April 1
- Various times
- Herberger Theater Center: 222 E. Monroe St.
- Getting there: Walk—Second and Monroe Streets
- Price: $32-$62 in advance at herbergertheater.org
Recommended if You Like: classic literature, modernism, the Roaring ‘20s
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s legendary jazz age novel returns to the stage, presented by Arizona Theater Company. The raw and unflinching portrait painted by Fitzgerald of ‘20s-era excess perfectly encapsulates the era, and rings ever-truer in these current divided days. The story follows Nick Carraway, and Tom and Daisy Buchanan, part of the new rich of the day, following their many social escapades. Eventually, Carraway happens upon a party thrown by the legendary Jay Gatsby, an elusive millionaire known for his lavish events, yet generally only an observer of the chaos that ensues. Things devolve quickly as an old love reignites, and ideals clash. This production presents the first and only official stage adaptation of the book, first written in 2006, and commencing its worldwide spread this year.
Events compiled by Connor Descheemaker
