Arts & Entertainment

A Sentient Roomba’s Guide to Music: Little Simz and Solange drop the first great albums of 2019
Arts & Entertainment, Opinion

A Sentient Roomba’s Guide to Music: Little Simz and Solange drop the first great albums of 2019

By KYLE KERSEY The Beat Report is a bi-weekly music report on some of my favorite new stuff music has to offer, as well as some great albums celebrating anniversaries.   Little Simz – GREY Area (Hip-Hop) “I’m Jay Z on a bad day, Shakespeare on my worst days” is a bold statement for anyone to open their album with, no less an underground rapper.  Boldness is a running theme on the London rapper’s third album, and Little Simz makes good on her braggadocious opener “Offence,” delivering the rare album that’s directly inspired by classics – she cites “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” and “Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City” as examples – without sacrificing its voice.  On an aesthetic level, one might miss the presence of such influences. It’s hardly a West Coast gangster story album with Dr. Dre ...
A Sentient Roomba’s Guide to Music: How I learned to stop worrying and love The Roots
Arts & Entertainment, Opinion

A Sentient Roomba’s Guide to Music: How I learned to stop worrying and love The Roots

By KYLE KERSEY In case you didn’t know by now (or haven’t been paying attention, which, I mean, fair enough), The Beat Report is a bi-weekly music report on some of my favorite new stuff music has to offer. It will also will feature retrospectives on great albums celebrating anniversaries this year. No genre is off limits. Everything written about is recommended and encouraged. And if you don’t know, now you know. Something New: Ariana Grande – “Thank U, Next” (Pop) Let’s talk about the chart-topping elephant in the room: It’s similar to last year’s “Sweetner,”, an incredibly clean pop album that checks all the boxes: it’s catchy, it’s energetic, it’s … catchy. Oh, and it’s vulnerable. Very vulnerable. “Ghostin’” stands alone as the zenith of vulnerable pop, a ballad that runs over a ...
Vagina Monologues
Arts & Entertainment

Vagina Monologues

By MONTY GANTTSpring2019VaginaMonologuesV1 On March 28th  at the Proscenium Theater at 7 PM, Pima Community College students, staff and alumni will come together to put on a performance of Eve Ensler’s “The Vagina Monologues.” Upon first glance at the title of the show, it may seem like an open discussion forum of anatomy for women. But despite its shock and awe title, this show is far from that. “The show is based on a series of interviews that Ensler conducted with various women of all races, ages and ethnicities,” said Jennifer Wellborn, West Campus Student Life coordinator. The interviews Ensler conducted were then transcribed into different segments based on the respective experiences from the lives of the interviewed women. Since then, many arts programs have adapted “The Vagin...
The sound of the woodwinds comes to Pima
Arts & Entertainment

The sound of the woodwinds comes to Pima

By KYLE KERSEY Mark Nelson isn’t just the acting dean of Arts at Pima Community College, he’s also an accomplished tuba player, teacher, band director and musical historian. Nelson’s office, located near the entrance of the Center for the Arts building at West Campus, is adorned with stacks of CDs, old recording equipment and assorted instrument artifacts.  On his wall, posters hang from every musical for which Nelson has conducted live music with a group of student performers. It’s a tradition that will continue this year, when Nelson conducts a student group for the theater production of “Mamma Mia!” which runs from Feb. 21 to March 3. Five days later, Nelson will be conducting the PCC Wind Ensemble. The ensemble includes an assortment of flute, oboe, piccolo, saxophone, trumpet, Fre...
Five great albums snubbed at the Grammys
Arts & Entertainment, Opinion

Five great albums snubbed at the Grammys

By KYLE KERSEY February’s no fun. Football season is over. Arizona has yet to reach peak surfing weather. There isn’t much new music. Oh, and the Grammys happened. That’s bad, too.  1. Pusha T – “Daytona” (Hip-hop) Boomers will deride it as everything that’s wrong with hip-hop culture. I’ll praise it as a pugnacious poem to sinning that’s no different than the excess of ’80s hair metal except it’s actually good.  Pusha’s latest record isn’t going to blow anyone away with an ambitious concept or deep themes. It’s as straightforward as it gets.  “Hello,” he says. “My name is Pusha T.  I deal drugs and hate Drake.  Here’s some songs about me dealing drugs and hating Drake.” Simple, yet effective. Kanye provides some of his grittiest production to date to back the pugnacious Pusha T. It’...
5 great albums you probably missed from 2018
Arts & Entertainment, Opinion

5 great albums you probably missed from 2018

By KYLE KERSEY Car Seat Headrest – “Twin Fantasy” Will Toledo’s reimagined masterwork on romantic teenage angst is stunning in its sheer scope. To think that Toledo crafted this hour-long indie-rock behemoth at only 19 is absurd, let alone that he had this vision all along – simply without the tools to make it a reality. Seven years after its original run, Toledo, now 25, has finally done it properly. At times overwhelmingly dense – as is the case of 10-minute-long tracks like “Beach Life-In-Death” and “High to Death” – and at times short and sweet – as is the case of “Stop Smoking (We Love You)” – Twin Fantasy is exciting and then it’s funny and then it’s breathtaking and then it’s heartbreaking – sometimes all at the same time – and then it’s over. Just like a failed relationship. A...
Arts & Entertainment

Mother-daughter duo take center stage in ‘Mamma Mia!’

By AMARIS ENCINAS Originally written by Catherine Johnson and recreated as a light-hearted and romantic work, “Mamma Mia!” will be presented by Pima Theatre. The shows will begin Feb. 21 and run through March 3. American Sign Language interpreters will be at the Feb. 28 show.  Musical numbers will include “The familiar ABBA songs including ‘Dancing Queen,’ ‘The Winner Takes It All,’ ‘SOS, ‘Knowing Me Knowing You,’ ‘Take A Chance On Me,’ ‘I Do I Do I Do I Do I Do,’ ‘The Name Of The Game,’ ‘Money Money Money,’ ‘Super Trouper’ And ‘Gimme Gimme Gimme’; explosive dance numbers, live music and talented cast” (according to the press release).  Director Todd Poelstra described the show.   “It is two hours of non-stop fun,” he said. “(It’s) music almost everyone has grown up with. “What you ...
Bernal Gallery illustrates life on and beyond the border
Arts & Entertainment, Bernal Gallery, Pima Arts, Pima News

Bernal Gallery illustrates life on and beyond the border

BY PARKER BROCK  The Pima Community College Bernal Gallery is presenting SEPARADOS POR FRONTERA - SEPARATED BY BORDERS, an art gallery featuring works from Sonoran artists. The Bernal gallery is located at PCC West Campus and will displaying the exhibit from February fourth through March eighth. The gallery is open Monday through Thursday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., and Friday from, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. On display are works from artists Francisco Larios Osuna, Miriam Salado, Carlos Iván Hernández and Nahatan Navarro, all of which have their work tied to the the state of Sonora. “They all have origin from Hermosillo, Mexico, one was born in wiamus, one was born, Carlos was born in Mexico city. They all went to school at the university of hermacio and now they're dispersing.” said David Andres, d...
Pima students join local theater for shows
Arts & Entertainment

Pima students join local theater for shows

By AMARIS ENCINAS Live Theatre Workshop is a local theater organization nestled in the heart of Tucson and comes bearing gifts to the community. Live Theatre Workshop offers five programs: ETCETERA, The Family Theatre program, The Mainstage, LTW’s late-night program and Onstage Education program. The Mainstage produces nine shows each season, while ETCETERA and LTW’S late-night program puts on six shows each season.  The Onstage Education program offers four 10-week terms and summer camps.  The program covers theater, musical theater, acting and technical classes starting from ages 6 and up.  The Family Theatre program does five original musical performances each season for families, schools and community organizations.  Performances on the LTW stage for schools and various organiz...
Auditions for ‘Mamma Mia!’
Arts & Entertainment

Auditions for ‘Mamma Mia!’

By ERIK MEDINA “Mamma Mia!” is a musical about a mother, a daughter, three possible dads and a trip down the aisle.  Pima Community College Center for the Arts will perform “Mamma Mia!” in the Proscenium Theatre in the spring, with tickets already on sale. The cast still needs to be determined, however. The Center for the Arts will hold auditions for the musical at 6 p.m. on Nov. 26, 27 and 28 at West Campus.      All Pima students are encouraged to audition. You must be a registered student and be present at all three auditions to be considered for a part. “I am hoping that they can be the best that they can be,” said Mickey Nugent, choreographer of “Mamma Mia!”, about what he expects from students. “I want them to be well prepared and look as confident and professional as possible.”...