​Downtown's Third Friday (Nov. 18) 

​Dia De Los Muertos at Desert Botanical Garden ​SMoCA's Fall Exhibitions and Lounge Opening 

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​Kitten Paws, Glass Blowers and Vacant Lots at First Friday
September's First Friday hit Downtown Phoenix last night. This month's edition included the usual collection of overdressed teenagers, sweltering galleries and overwhelmingly outdated requests for free hugs. Fortunately it also included the Kitten Paws Vintage Pop Up Shop at New City Studio, the opening of the Circle 6 glass studio and the A.R.T.S. transformation of a vacant lot on Roosevelt...see photos.

​Toxic & Tasty at Red Hot Robot
Do you like monsters? Hell yeah, you do. Well so do artists Paperdaniel and Blurble. They love monsters so much that they created an entire show of their creations currently on display at Red Hot Robot...see photos.



​Last SPLASH Pool Party
Pool party season is coming to and end and with it the SPLASH pool party series. The last SPLASH of the summer soaked the Lexington Hotel on Saturday night. The hipster set danced and splashed the night away to performances by local bands such as Minibosses, Sweetbleeders and Hot Birds & The Chili Sauce. Special guest DJ Mizl supplied additional beats...see photos.

​Sade at US Airways Center
Sade (the woman, not the band) doesn't seem like she has to work very hard live. If there's ever an audience willing to plunk down $149 for the good seats, load up on $25 glossy programs, posters, t-shirts, and memorabilia -- it's Sade's...full story

See: Sade in photos.

​Hell City Tattoo Festival 2011
The Arizona Biltmore became Hell City this weekend. The internationally renown Tattoo Expo featured over 200 artists showcasing their inking abilities. The three devilish days included tattoo contests, live painting, workshops and seminars, live entertainment, film screenings, and a hot rod show. Check out some of the hellish highlights...see photos

​Back to ASU Pool Party at Block 1949
Block 1949 got rocked by a wet and wild flock of Arizona State University students on Saturday. The Back to ASU Pool Party extended Summer into the new school year with a barrage of beers, bros and bikinis...see photos

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​Toga Party at The Sail Inn
Back to school season took the idea of going Greek to another level for Saturday's Toga Party. The Animal House style shindig romanized The Sail Inn as local favorites Conjugal Visit, Freezer, Mergence, Black Carl and Dry River Yacht Club performed. Cash prizes were awarded to those with the best togas...see photos

​Phoenix Fashion 4 a Cause 2011
Dynasty Inkorporated's Fashion 4 a Cause hair and fashion show took over the Wyndham Hotel's grand ballroom on Saturday night. The Athletes 4 Awareness foundation, local designers and hair stylists brought out as much hair product, creativity and sex appeal as one evening could handle. The local talent on display included Black Russian Label, Style Noel, Dulce by Tiffanie, Mesa's Knots Barbershop, Posse's Styling Emporium, Humble Clothing, Passion Fashion, 2 Cute Shoes, Nap's Barbershop, etc...see photos

​Venue 104 Opening in Photos
Tempe's got a new music venue. The grand opening of Venue 104 went down on Friday night. If you were there, you saw bands like Riot For Romance, Instructions and Dear Speak play the inaugural show. If you weren't, we've got you covered...see photos.

Photo by Kholood Eid

Sasha Sinclair welcomes a Family Feud contestant during the game at BS West in Scottsdale on Sunday night.

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Walking into BS West while the sun was still up was a shock to the system; what's usually a 20-minute walk in the dark (all while waiting for David Bowie to leap from around the corner) ended up being a discovery of Scottsdale's quaint Stetson Plaza.More >>

​All-Star Jam at The Mint
Tampa Bay Rays infielder Evan Longoria hosted his annual All-Star Jam charity event at new Scottsdale nightspot The Mint on Sunday, July 10, in honor of Major League Baseball's midsummer classic. The swanky soiree offered Valley nightcrawlers a chance to party like an all-star and featured hot spins from D-JR, celebrity appearances, and raffles for Nike products and other killer schwag...see photos

​Zombie Bikini Contest in Downtown Mesa
There was a surprise turnout for this past Friday night's Zombie Bikini Contest at Evermore Nevermore -- not because zombies aren't popular, but because a day prior to the event only a couple of brave girls were signed up to compete...full story

​Cowboy Mouth Break in New Venue, The Foundry on First
Despite pesky city inspectors delaying the doors opening and Mother Nature battering concertgoers with gusts of wind and blasts of dust, The Foundry on First opened her doors for the first time last night. The work-in-progress venue dealt with its fair share of opening night jitters, but ultimately pulled through. Doors were originally scheduled to open at 8 p.m., then were pushed back to 9...full story

​ETHOS at Icehouse
DJs Kill the Alex and Dark Mark launched a new industrial dance night, ETHOS, on Friday at Icehouse. The historic building was decorated with the fetish photography of Martin Hazine and the sci-fi inspired paintings of Aleta Welling. However, Shocklick, a temporary bar built on-site, was the center of attention for most of the evening...see photos

​Reel Big Fish & Streetlight Manifesto at Marquee Theatre
Quiz time! How many ska punk bands does it take to screw in a light bulb? Answer: one to screw in the light bulb and one more to pick-it-up-pick-it-up-pick-it-up. That's exactly what the audience got from the Reel Big Fish / Streetlight Manifesto show last night at Tempe's Marquee Theatre. Missed the performance? We've got you covered with tons of photos from the show...see photos

​All-Star Celebrities & Legends Softball Game and Batting Practice
MLB All-Star Game festivities officially kicked off over the weekend, bringing a swarm of fans, media, and celebrities to Phoenix. Here's a look at the 2011 Taco Bell All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game, as well as the batting practice at FanFest...see photos

​2011 Millennium Pool Party Series
The Millennium Pool Party Series continued on Saturday. The party featured bottle service, reserved cabanas and plenty of resort vibes. Check out these pics of people looking to make a splash...see photos.

​SMOCA Summer Opening Celebration
The Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art kicked off the Summer Art season with its Summer Opening Celebration on Friday. The event gave people a chance to get their schmooze and booze on, all while checking out some of the Museum's newest exhibitions...see photos

​Critical Mass Gets in Gear
Critical Mass, the monthly meeting of Phoenician cyclists on each month's final Friday, got in gear at Steele Indian School Park. Hundreds of pedal-pumping bicycle enthusiasts met up to say "hello" and scope out each other's wheels before taking to the streets of Phoenix like a parade sponsored by Peugeot...see photos

​Peter Case at The Rhythm Room
As much as he's a songwriter, Peter Case is a storyteller. All throughout his solo acoustic set at The Rhythm Room last night, Case peppered the space between songs with stories from his rock 'n' roll past: Scoring free records from Elektra when his band The Plimsouls was signed to the label in the '80s; opening for The Ramones and getting kicked out of "every label office" with his '70s band The Nerves; catching a set by his hero Honeyboy Edwards...full story

​Just Another Desert Party: Photos From the Thunder Dome
Scantily-clad gladiators, foam jousting sticks, and a penchant for pyromania ruled the roost at Just Another Desert Party. This annual bash held in the middle of nowhere attracts a crowd that doesn't mind dancing with fire or wearing leather chaps. See the madness for yourself in the photos above...see photos.

​2011 Spring Bling Pool Party
The 8th annual Sweet's Spring Bling Pool Party came to the Clarion Hotel this Saturday. The hot bods and cool beverages were out in full effect. Check out these pics of this wet and wild charity event...see photos.

​Cake and Calexico at Mesa Amphitheatre
Calexico and Cake on the same ticket...seems a little unexpected, right? The bands have more in common than meets the eye. Both bands use horns, and Calexico's connection to Artists for Action makes them a forerunner for political change. What does Cake have to do with all of that? They're also involved with the organization...full story

​Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Qualifier at Arizona Mills
On July 4, the world's best competitive eaters will throw down in an epic hot dog eating contest live from Coney Island. To make it to Coney Island, you've got to do well in a qualifier; such as the one held in Arizona Mills Mall last Saturday. First place went to Erik "The Red" Denmark who ate 29 hot dogs and buns in ten minutes...see photos.

​First Friday June 2011
An increase in temperatures couldn't keep Phoenicians and other Valley folks from treading 5th street near Roosevelt during June's First Friday. Dogs anxiously awaited the inevitable food court slip. Fire breathers proved their mettle. Artists observed the people looking at their work and tried not to give the meaning away...see photos.

​The Millennium Pool Series of Scottsdale
The Millennium Pool Series claimed to be a "Vegas Invasion", but things were decidedly more Scottsdale on Saturday. The party featured bottle service, reserved cabanas and plenty of resort vibes. Check out these pics of people looking to make a splash...see photos.

​Block 1949 Summer Pool Party Series
The second installment of the Block 1949 Summer Pool Party Series went down on Saturday in Tempe. The trendy University Drive apartment complex welcomed in DJs from 101.5 jamz who helped keep things cool with hip hop hits and free giveaways. Check out the bikini bonanza...see photos.

​Givers and Family of the Year at Trunk Space
It's not hard to tell when you've just watched a young, buzzworthy band perform. They usually thank the crowd for coming out -- regardless of how big it is -- while perhaps mentioning that it is the band's first time in a particular town. Such was the case for Lafayette, Louisiana indie pop quartet Givers last night...full story

See: Givers and Family of the Year in photos.

​The Bled at the Underground
There's something to be said for metal bands who can make the most of being buried underneath a booming rave. That's what happened on Friday, as the three local bands who tore up the stage at The Underground -- The Author, The Fair and Debonair, and The Bled -- had to deal with the sound of a massive rave upstairs in the Nile Theater...full story

See: The Bled in photos.