Java.Feb-web.2016

243 • FEB 2016 

Brea 

Burns 

CASKWERKS DISTILLERY • BLACK CAT VINTAGE • BEAR GHOST

MICHELANGELO: 

SACRED AND PROFANE 

MASTERPIECE DRAWINGS 

FROM THE CASA BUONARROTI 

January 17, 2016 – March 27, 2016 

Before his death in 1564, Michelangelo burned 

many of his own drawings and sketches. 

See twenty-six that survived. 

Michelangelo is one of the most recognizable names in the global history of art. Best 

known for his expansive paintings, this intimate, personal exhibition sheds light on 

the man behind the mystique, through these rarely seen drawings. 

Title Sponsor 

MEN’S ARTS COUNCIL 

Presenting Sponsors 

J.W. KIECKHEFER FOUNDATION 

SHARRON AND DELBERT R. LEWIS 

EXHIBITION ENDOWMENT FUND 

VIRGINIA G. PIPER CHARITABLE TRUST 

EXHIBITION ENDOWMENT FUND 

THE KEMPER AND ETHEL 

MARLEY FOUNDATION 

THE VIRGINIA M. 

ULLMAN FOUNDATION 

Major Sponsors 

Promotional Support 

Michelangelo, Madonna and 

Child (detail), c. 1524. Black 

chalk, red chalk, red wash, white 

heightening and ink. Florence, 

Casa Buonarroti, inv. 71F.

March 11-13, 2016 

Hance Park, Phoenix, AZ • mmmf.com 

BECK 

KID CUDI 

THE 

AVETT 

BROTHERS 

PORTER 

ROBINSON 

ANIMAL 

COLLECTIVE 

GARY CLARK JR. • GRIZ • BLOC PARTY • ST. LUCIA 

GOLDFISH • BIG WILD • THE MAIN SQUEEZE • KALEO • BIRD DOG 

FIREKID • M!NT • CAPTAIN SQUEEGEE • THE HAYMARKET SQUARES • THE SENATORS 

LUNA AURA • GUS CAMPBELL • HARPER & THE MOTHS • COOBEE COO • HUCKLEBERRY • FAIRY BONES • RUCA • TAYLOR UPSAHL 

LIVE 

Bradley Hart, American Gothic 

Interpreted (Injection) - detail, 2014. 

Acrylic, bubble wrap, 72¾ x 60¾”. 

37th ANNUAL 

CONTEMPORARY CRAFTS 

FREE OPENING RECEPTION: 

FRI, FEB 12, 2016 (7-10PM) 

J. Paul Fennell, Emei 

Lattice (detail), 2012, 

Wood, 10 x 12 x 12”. 

*FREE 

Admission! 

EcoSystem 

Bradley Hart 

Continues through Mar 27! 

One East Main Street • Mesa, Arizona 85201 • 480-644-6567 • MesaArtsCenter.com

CONTENTS 

8 

12 

22 

32 

34 

FEATURES 

BREA BURNS 

Country Gold 

By Tom Reardon 

Cover: Brea Burns 

Photo by: Dana Armstrong 

4 JAVA 

MAGAZINE 

8 12 22 

34 

RICK BURCH 

Notes from CaskWerks Distillery 

By Demetrius Burns 

WANDERLUST 

Photography: Zachery Radel 

Styling: Mitch Phillips 

BEAR GHOST 

Blasterpiece 

By Mitchell L. Hillman 

CLAUDINE VILLARDITO 

Black Cat Vintage 

By Jenna Duncan 

COLUMNS 

7 

16 

20 

30 

38 

40 

BUZZ 

Country Gold 

By Robert Sentinery 

ARTS 

Purring Tiger at Canal Convergence 

The New Age of Interactive Art 


Chris Maker 

10-year Retrospective 


Superflex 

The Parley at ASU Art Musuem 

By Amy L. Young 

William LeGoullon at Modified Arts 


FOOD FETISH 

La Piñata Party 

By Sloane Burwell 

SOUNDS AROUND TOWN 

By Mitchell L. Hillman 

GIRL ON FARMER 

Bags and Burgers 

By Celia Beresford 

NIGHT GALLERY 

Photos by Robert Sentinery 

JAVA MAGAZINE 

EDITOR & PUBLISHER 

Robert Sentinery 

ART DIRECTOR 

Victor Vasquez 

ARTS EDITOR 

Amy L. Young 

FOOD EDITOR 

Sloane Burwell 

MUSIC EDITOR 

Mitchell L. Hillman 

ASSOCIATE EDITOR 

Jenna Duncan 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 

Rhett Baruch 

Celia Beresford 

Demetrius Burns 

Tom Reardon 

PROOFREADER 

Patricia Sanders 

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS 

Dana Armstrong 

Enrique Garcia 

Zachery Radel 

SurrealSister Photography 

ADVERTISING 

(602) 574-6364 

Java Magazine 

Copyright © 2016 

All rights reserved. 

Reproduction in whole or in part of any text, photograph 

or illustration is strictly prohibited without the written 

permission of the publisher. The publisher does not 

assume responsibility for unsolicited submissions. 

Publisher assumes no liability for the information 

contained herein; all statements are the sole opinions 

of the contributors and/or advertisers. 

JAVA MAGAZINE 

PO Box 45448 Phoenix, AZ 85064 

email: javamag@cox.net 

tel: (480) 966-6352 

www.javamagaz.com

Feb 5 th 

The Gallery 

Shapes of Humanity 

Jon Wassom 

FIRST FRIDAYS 

AT THE HEARD 

Focused 

A Group Photography Exhibition 

Co-Curated by Niba DelCastillo 

Feb 19 th 

Mar 4 th 

Fire Sky 

Lauren Lee 

Apr 1 st 

A Better View 

A group show Featuring 

Joseph Sentrock Perez and Bird City Saints 

PsychoPomp 

Dean Reynolds / Constance McBride 

An Artelshow/ {9} Production 

A Cut Above 

Dani Godreau 

Mar 18 th 

Apr 15 th 

CONFLUENCE IN THE DESERT 

FASHION SHOW – OXDX CLOTHING AND THE 

HOUSE OF DARYLENE + POET TANAYA WINDER 

DJ ELEMENT + MUSICIAN KEITH SECOLA 

HOOP DANCER KEVIN DAKOTA DUNCAN 

CARVER RYON POLEQUAPTEWA 

May 6 th 

NSFW 

An Exploration of Nudes / Group Show 

An Artelshow/ {9} Production 

Gods & Monsters 

An Artelshow/ {9} Production with 

Performance Dance Series Choreographed by 

Cavallero/Gomez /Olson 

1229 Grand Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85007 

Visit 9thegallery.com call 602.349.9557 

May 20 th - 

June 14 th 

Also Please Visit Our Satellite Galleries at Urban Beans / Public Image / Street Coffee 

SPECIAL SNEAK PEEK OF THE EXHIBIT 

Confluence: Inter-generational Collaborations 

FEB. 5 | 6 TO 10 P.M. | FREE* 

Encanto/Heard Museum Light Rail Stop 

2301 N. Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85004 

heard.org/firstfridays 

* Museum admission and some events are free.

COUNTRY GOLD 

By Robert Sentinery 

BUZZ 

Anyone who grew up in Phoenix knows that this place has always been a bit 

of a country town. Heck, back in the ’70s, Phoenix was the stomping ground of 

Waylon Jennings, the poster child of outlaw country. If this place was country 

enough for Waylon, that’s saying a lot. 

Enter Brea Burns, a tall, pretty crooner perhaps best known for her fiery red 

tresses. To say that Burns has big hair might even be an understatement. But 

that’s part of her persona. 

Born in SoCal and raised in the music industry (her mom was a performer and 

her dad became a record label CEO), Burns landed in Nashville, which makes 

sense for someone trying to break into country music. Her stint in the music 

city didn’t lead to that rhinestone status so many go in search of. So about 

seven years ago, she packed her suitcase and moved to the Valley of the 

Sun, which is good for us. Brea and her boys are currently playing under the 

moniker Trailer Queen, but that’s all about to change, and there are other big 

announcements in the pipe for 2016, so stay tuned (see “Brea Burns: Country 

Gold,” p. 8). 

Country music and fine whiskey go hand in hand. But you could say that about 

rock ’n’ roll, as well. Rick Burch is the bass player of the local outfit Jimmy Eat 

World, whose 2001 opus Bleed American went platinum (not many AZ bands 

have that claim to fame). Burch is also an aficionado of whiskey, to the point 

where he became fascinated with the process of how it’s made. That inspired 

him to start his own distillery called CaskWerks, based in Tempe, next to Four 

Peaks brewery. 

Burch sat on the committee that helped make micro distilleries legal back 

in 2014, and he has been carefully building a facility where his handcrafted 

spirits can come to life. As Jimmy Eat World prepares to release its ninth 

studio album, CaskWerks is also very close to releasing its first batch of 

Sonoran white wheat whiskey. An un-aged version will be available at local 

watering holes in the next two months, joining Burch’s citrus-inspired gin 

and apple pie liqueur to round out the product line. Their first batch of aged 

whiskey will require another two years in the barrel (see “Rick Burch: Notes 

from CaskWerks,” p. 12). 

Last month, we did a story about D. J. Fernandes, one of the guys behind the 

renaissance of the Monroe Building, which is garnering much local interest. 

This month, we interview one of the new tenants, Claudine Villardito, owner 

of Black Cat Vintage, who has relocated from Tucson to downtown Phoenix. 

Villardito is a master craftsperson and restorer of rare vintage clothing. Many 

of the pieces in her collection are museum quality and are kept in a vault at 

the new location. Black Cat Vintage will be open by appointment only, but 

Villardito has a website for it, along with a site for her more affordable line 

of vintage called Mrs. Robinson’s Affairs (see “Claudine Villardito: Black Cat 

Vintage,” p. 34).

Brea Burns 

By Tom Reardon 

Photo: Dana Armstrong 

8 JAVA 

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How did you end up in Phoenix? 

I moved to Phoenix about nine years ago from 

Nashville, Tennessee. I came here with a boyfriend 

at the time. We were both looking for a change. I 

was feeling very suffocated by the South (laughs). 

I grew up in Southern California, so the idea of 

moving back out West sounded good to me. 

Nashville by way of Southern California, 

and nine years here in the Valley—nice. Are 

you and the boyfriend you moved with still 

together? Married? Single? Children? 

Oh no, that boyfriend is long gone! (Laughs) I am not 

married and no kids. 

How did you get involved with playing music? 

Music was always around me. My mom (Dacia 

Burns) was a musician, and my dad (John Burns) has 

been in the music business my whole life, so it kind 

of just happened. 

There is always a bit of reluctance when you 

have to speak to someone who is attractive, 

talented and confident. Will they be nice? 

Will they tell it like it is? Will they open 

up and share a fascinating story, or has everything 

been handed to them because of their looks, brains 

or talent? Luckily, if you have a chance to sit down 

and talk with Brea Burns—the tall, sultry, ubertalented 

singer/songwriter with great red hair 

who currently fronts the phenomenal band Trailer 

Queen—you’ll get everything you could hope for. 

And she’s incredibly nice, as well. 

Burns, who is old enough to know better but 

young enough to still get carded, has been living 

in Phoenix for about nine years, since moving 

here from Nashville, Tennessee. She was born in 

Southern California and grew up with both of her 

parents working in the music industry, so music 

comes naturally. But she’s also a gifted hair 

stylist who works at Salon PhD and is regularly 

featured on Channel 12 in a segment titled 

“Monday Makeover.” 

A fan of all things retro, Burns is devoted to her 

cat, her guitar and making music locally, nationally 

and internationally for her growing fan base. Trailer 

Photo: SurrealSister Photog. 

Queen’s sound works well because Burns possesses 

a classic country voice, reminiscent of the greats but 

still uniquely her own. It also helps that she is a heck 

of a songwriter and her bandmates can really play. 

2016 has a lot of great things in store for the band, 

including the release of a full-length album and— 

hold the phone—a name change that Burns is very 

excited about yet not quite ready to disclose. While 

they are still Trailer Queen, Burns and the boys will 

be making two Valley appearances, on February 5 

at Rooster’s Country in Mesa and February 12 at the 

American Italian Club in Phoenix. Down the road 

a bit, on April 28, the band will be opening for the 

inimitable Dale Watson at the Rhythm Room, so keep 

your eye out and dust off your boots for that one. 

We spent some time conversing with Burns over the 

past few weeks as she prepped for upcoming gigs 

and recordings. 

How many cats do you have? 

I have one amazing cat named Thor! He was given 

to me by (awesome) DJ Johnny Volume when he 

and his wife had a baby. So Thor became my child. 

Tell me a bit more about your parents. Did your 

mom play in a group? 

My parents met in the ’70s when they were both 

working for MCA Records in Los Angeles. My mom 

was in the art department, designing album covers 

for bands (the old school way, with X-ACTO knives 

and hand drawing things!) and my dad was working 

his way up as a record executive. 

He went on to do very well, and was the CEO of 

Giant Records among other things. So they met 

there. My mom wasn’t a famous musician, but she 

was a great piano player and played keyboard in 

bands in LA and stuff. She died when I was 15. I like to 

think I am carrying a part of her on with my music. 

Have you ever written a song about your mom 

or played one of her songs? 

As far as songs about my mom, I have not written 

one yet. I’ve started a few but couldn’t really finish 

them. Maybe one day—that would be cool. I’ll have 

to ask my dad if he has any recordings of my mom’s 

music. That would also be really cool. 

What’s the best advice your dad has given you 

about the music business? 

Hmm, probably that a lot of people are full of shit 

when it comes to business stuff (laughs). It doesn’t 

hurt to be skeptical. 

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He’s always there for me when I have questions 

about stuff. But his music world is pretty different 

than mine, so at this point he hasn’t helped beyond 

just being kind and supportive about what I’m doing. 

I got my first guitar when I was in 6th grade. I 

played in my bedroom for years before finally 

getting the courage to jam with other people and 

try to put projects together. And it wasn’t until I 

focused on classic country music that I really found 

the right people and things began to flow. It kind of 

just clicked after that. 

Who are your biggest musical influences? 

I’d say Loretta Lynn is way up there, as well as 

Wanda Jackson and Kitty Wells. I also love George 

Jones, Dolly Parton, Ray Price and Tammy Wynette. 

That answer could go on awhile. 

Tell us about the band. 

I have had my current project for about four years 

now, with Pat Roberts on lead guitar, Tommy Collins 

on bass, Mike Lopez on drums, and I sing and play 

rhythm guitar and write the songs. I also use other 

backing bands when I have to, usually when playing 

in other places that are too far or expensive to bring 

my guys to. 

What is the hardest part about being a 

musician in Phoenix? 

I think it is sometimes challenging to get people 

out of the house to come to events. We don’t have 

as much of a culture for going out and hearing live 

music as some places do. But it is nice to be a part 

of that changing, with Phoenix being more on the 

map as a music town. 

Favorite Valley bands/musicians? 

Phoenix has some great bands. Junction 10 are 

amazing. My guitar player fronts an awesome 

band called Pat Roberts and The Heymakers. Tony 

Martinez puts on a killer show. John Rickard is my 

favorite pedal steel player. Jacob Woodside is a 

fantastic up-and-coming guitar player. Tommy Ash 

Band are super talented. 

Favorite places to play in town? 

I love Rhythm Room. I used to work there as a 

cocktail waitress, so it was really fun coming full 

circle and being on the other side of the stage. 

10 JAVA 

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We played at Valley Bar for the first time recently 

and that was cool. It’s a very unique, refreshing 

environment. Crescent Ballroom is also great. 

What would be your desert island discs, if 

you could have three albums with you while 

waiting to be rescued? 

This is so hard. I guess I’d want a well-rounded mix, 

so I’m gonna say Hawkwind’s Warrior on the Edge 

of Time. I love some psychedelic stuff from time to 

time. Radiohead’s Kid A because I never get sick of 

that album, and George Jones Salutes Hank Williams 

because how can you go wrong with The Possum 

singing Hank songs? 

What’s the hardest part about being in a band 

for you? The easiest? 

The hardest part of being in a band is doing all the 

other stuff that goes into making a band run. Like 

website/Facebook, promoting/booking, scheduling 

things when all my players are in multiple 

projects—just trying to balance all that with life 

and having a day job and still finding time to be 

creative and write new songs. I envy people that 

are married to other band members and can work as 

a team (laughs). Of course, not having that has its 

perks too—less drama (smiles). 

The easiest part is having a total blast on stage and 

getting paid for it. As much work as it takes, it’s 

always worth it in the end. Music has pulled me out 

of moods and depression more times than I could 

ever count, which is worth more than the money 

side of it. 

What are your three biggest goals for 2016? 

A huge goal right now is to do more touring, 

especially in Europe. I got to play a show in Belgium 

in October and that was totally amazing, so I am in 

the process of trying to work out a short northern 

Europe tour for this summer. 

I also want to finish recording a few more songs 

so we can officially release our full-length. We 

have an EP out now, but are long overdue for 

a full LP. It’s been a challenge finding the right 

person to record with.

How did the show in Belgium come about? 

I played a show here at Rhythm Room with a band 

from Belgium called Crystal and Running Wild. They 

were great and we hit it off and stayed in touch. I 

had a Europe trip already planned and they set up a 

show just for us and backed me on some songs in 

Ghent, Belgium, where I was already gonna be! It 

was so awesome of them, such a blast. 

Who would you most like to share a stage with? 

We’ve been lucky and have opened for some of my 

favorite musicians (Dale Watson, Wayne Hancock, 

Junior Brown), but it would be really cool to open 

for Dwight Yoakam one of these days and also 

Reverend Horton Heat. I tried to get on that show at 

Crescent last time they came but they didn’t have 

room for local openers. 

What do you do to prepare for a show? Any 

rituals? 

I try to eat light and healthy the day of a show, 

especially, and I take my time with my hair and 

makeup for sure. Ya gotta have big hair in country 

music! At least I do (smiles). I used to get terrified 

before gigs. It was awful. I was too scared to even 

talk between songs. But now, I am pretty comfortable 

on stage and it is usually fun. I still get a little nervous 

if other musicians I respect are in the crowd, or if we 

are opening for someone awesome. 

Do you ever just know a show is going to be 

great? If so, how? 

It’s funny. There are times when I’ve went in 

thinking a show will be amazing, and it’s been a 

disaster (at least in my mind) and vice versa— 

thinking it won’t be super great and then our energy 

just lines up and it’s awesome. But there are other 

times, too, when the venue, crowd, lineup and band 

dynamic all flow together and create a magical 

night. Those are the best. 

How often do you play outside of Phoenix now? 

We play pretty regularly within Arizona—Flagstaff, 

Jerome and Prescott, and I play in Nashville about 

once a year when I am back home visiting friends 

and family, and the Europe thing was a first and 

hopefully not last. 

What part of town do you live in? 

I’ve lived in the Coronado Historic District for about 

six years. 

Favorite things to do around town? 

Well, I go to a lot of live shows at various places. 

Other than that, I like playing bingo at the American 

Italian Club, having drinks at Rokerij, and thrift store 

and vintage shopping. 

Tell us about the draw of retro things for you. 

I love how much more detailed and beautiful things 

used to be, even everyday things. There was so 

much thought and craftsmanship put into them. I 

feel more alive and comfortable when I surround 

myself with vintage things. I also love wondering 

where those pieces have been, what kind of people 

owned them. Beyond that, I can’t put my finger on 

why. I have always been instinctually drawn to 

vintage stuff. 

What are your favorite places in town to shop 

for retro stuff? 

Aside from thrift stores in random places, Antique 

Sugar and Retro Ranch! Both those shops have 

great stuff, reasonable prices and the owners are 

awesome. 

What would your fans be surprised to know 

about you? 

They might be surprised to know that I collect 

creepy vintage baby dolls, and also that I was 

Amish in a past life 

Amish in a past life? 

(Laughs) So obviously I don’t know this for sure, but 

I have always felt strangely drawn to the Amish 

lifestyle. Not as a permanent thing, but I’ve always 

been fascinated and wanted to go live with an 

Amish family for a month to see what it would be 

like. Then recently, a friend of mine who is a medium 

and highly psychic looked me straight in the eyes and 

said, “You were Amish in a past life.” I had never 

discussed any of my feelings about the Amish to 

her before, and the comment was literally out of 

nowhere. So, that kind of sealed the deal for me. 

www.trailerqueenaz.com 

JAVA 11 

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12 JAVA 

MAGAZINE 

By Demetrius Burns • Photos: Enrique Garcia

Drinking is all about sharing. Whether one is imbibing spirits, coffee or tea, there is a 

communal dimension at the soul of the process. For thousands of years, people have 

shared drinks as a way of connecting. In that way, drinking is a lot like music—something 

that can be done individually, but has its origins and highest potential for exuberance 

in the midst of a group setting. People may listen and drink alone, but they connect to the higher 

properties of both when among others. 

Fittingly, then, the bassist for Jimmy Eat World, Rick Burch, has decided to extend what he shares 

with Arizona, and the world at large, by opening CaskWerks distillery. For Burch, crafting liquor is a 

very similar process to making music. “The notes are all there, and they have been there for a long 

time, but you can arrange them differently and 

create something that has a life of its own,” 

Burch said. 

Burch was raised in Mesa, where his first 

musical notes were played in the fourth grade 

on a tuba that was as big as he was. He 

originally wanted to play trumpet or saxophone, 

but those sections were full. His music teacher 

at the time, Byron Lipkins, pulled him aside 

and asked if he would play the tuba, since 

they didn’t have any bass brass. The big, bulky 

instrument intrigued Burch so he said yes. 

After playing in the school band, Burch 

gravitated towards bass guitar as he entered 

high school. He took lessons, refined his craft 

and began playing in various bands. This is 

around the time he met Tom Linton, who would 

later invite him to join a band called Jimmy Eat 

World, after they lost their bassist. 

When Burch joined the group there was already 

interest from Capitol Records, an imminent tour 

and an album to record. Flash forward 20 years: 

the band has achieved living-legend status in 

Arizona, and their most famous record, Bleed 

American, went platinum. They have toured 

the world and Burch has been able to meet 

and share with a lot of different people. He is 

always humbled by the impact his music has. 

“Music is a huge part of human life,” he said. 

“One thing that distinguishes humans from 

animals is that we make music. It really ties 

into moments and experiences and can become 

the soundtrack of what you’re going through at 

any given time. It’s an honor to be included in 

people’s lives.” 

Jimmy Eat World is working on its ninth studio 

album, due out in the fall. The process of 

coming up with ideas is fun for Burch. The band 

often works with old ideas, making them new, 

or tries out entirely new approaches. There’s a 

lot of give and take in the process that always 

challenges him as an artist. “We made the 

conscious decision to try and get out of our 

comfort zone with this album,” Burch said. 

“Everybody has this unconscious thing that they 

do. We are definitely consciously trying to push 

ourselves closer to the edge of the cliff.” 

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14 JAVA 

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Burch doesn’t get sick of touring, either. The 

connection to the crowd and the enthusiasm 

of fans win him over every time. For him, it’s 

instant feedback and gratification regardless 

of the touring hassles. The road wins him over 

every time. 

Early in the band’s existence they used to ask 

at the end of shows if anyone was willing 

to let five smelly guys sleep on their floor. 

This led to a lot of fun experiences, and one 

in particular where the band was able to 

tour the Jack Daniel’s facility. A seed was 

planted in Burch that would later blossom 

when he visited a distillery in Scotland. “I like 

the Scottish approach in that it’s a two-step 

process. It’s all single malt, with only one grain 

involved, malted barley. The way they dry the 

grain influences the final flavor. The barley is 

smoked, then milled and steeped to extract the 

sugar, but the smoke is carried through in the 

fermentation,” said Burch. Seeing this process 

firsthand entranced Burch, and he wanted to 

bring that back to Arizona in some way. 

Whiskey is a staple in the liquor world. 

Originating in either Scotland or Ireland (it’s 

hotly debated), farmers would take their extra 

barley, after supplying the baker and brewer, 

and distill it. In those days, it wasn’t just an 

alcohol; it was a medicine. In Scotland they call 

whiskey “the water of life,” and in that sense, 

Burch is bringing water to the desert. Burch 

personally enjoys drinking his whiskey neat 

at room temperature, but sometimes adds a 

splash of water. Adding water to the whiskey 

helps open up the flavor. He says it’s a bit of a 

rollercoaster when you add water, as the flavor 

really comes alive. 

CaskWerks has been a dream of Rick’s for 

over six years now. There have been a lot of 

obstacles to overcome; the main one being that 

you couldn’t even get a craft distiller license 

in Arizona until about a year and a half ago. 

Burch was on the committee that drafted the 

Arizona Craft Distiller legislation, and that 

statute allowed him to move CaskWerks into 

an industrial building in Tempe and establish a 

distillery and a soon-to-come tasting room and 

retail outlet. “The more (distillers) the merrier 

because there’s just more creativity and people 

to bounce ideas off of,” said Burch. “I hope 

the Arizona craft-distilling scene develops into 

a collaborative group because so much good 

could come from that and there’s plenty of room 

in the market for all of us.” He’s excited about 

the ability to sell directly to customers on-site. 

He plans to open the tasting room at the facility 

later this year, which is now possible thanks to 

the work he did with the licensing board. 

CaskWerks has been distilling liquor for ten 

months now and their citrus-inspired gin 

and apple pie liqueur are featured at local 

favorite spots, such as Valley Bar and Four 

Peaks Brewery. The company’s approach is 

very human-driven, as many of the decisions 

in the distilling process are made using the 

five senses. “The way we distill at CaskWerks 

is very sensory based,” said Burch, “which 

helps us determine when to collect the product 

and when to stop collecting it. It’s like an art 

form where human sensory components drive 

decision-making. You could base everything off 

of mathematics, but I prefer the more hands-on 

approach. You can put sensors all over, but it’s 

not as fun. I like to be right next to it. I like to 

smell it—that’s what makes it fun.” 

Burch is especially excited about their whiskey, 

which is still being perfected. One of the main 

ingredients will be Sonoran white wheat, which 

has grown in the Southwest for hundreds of 

years. “It gives a really soft flavor and is very 

interesting on its own,” said Burch. The whiskey 

won’t be completely ready for about two years; 

however, CaskWerks will begin selling an 

un-aged version in a couple of months, and it 

should be available around town at local spots. 

But it always comes back to the human 

element, the idea of sharing. From a kid with a 

tuba that was too big for him, to a big-hearted 

man who has shared his music around the 

world: Now Burch is ready to connect to people 

beyond the music—with the spirited notes of 

whiskey and fine liquor. 

www.caskwerks.com 

JAVA 15 

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ARTS 

PURRING TIGER AT CANAL 

CONVERGENCE 

The New Age of Interactive Art 


Canal Convergence, presented by Scottsdale Public 

Art, invites innovators of installation-style artworks 

to erect temporary art pieces, or happenings, along 

the Arizona Canal, just west of Scottsdale Road in 

the heart of Scottsdale. 

It maybe isn’t so surprising that one of the most 

technologically innovative pieces for 2016 has 

some roots in Burning Man, the pop-up art, ecology, 

technology and innovation gathering that takes place 

each year at Black Rock City, Nevada (the mantra of 

Burning Man is “leave no trace”—all structures, art 

works and amenities are temporary). 

Purring Tiger is the artist duo of Aaron Sherwood and 

Kiori Kawai from Kingston, New York. They shared 

their interactive piece “MICRO” at Burning Man 

2014. They built a stage structure with many hanging 

globes that would light up in various colors and make 

sounds. Dancers performed and interacted with the 

globes, setting off the sound and light features. 

“We are calling [the Canal Convergence piece] 

‘MICRO-Double Helix.’ The spheres will be laid out in 

two waves,” Sherwood says. “[The globes] will each 

have a different sound in them. As you go through, you 

activate all the lights and sounds,” Sherwood says. 

Every globe is built with an amplifier, a small speaker 

and a light source. When the globes are touched, 

the sphere reacts by making a sound and lighting up 

and/or changing color. The intensity of the reaction 

depends on the degree of movement or touch coming 

from the participant. “Each little sphere has its own 

micro-controller inside it,” Sherwood says. 

Sherwood uses a programming language called 

Cinder and C++ to bring it all together. “For ‘MICRO- 

Double Helix,’ the actual computer code that goes 

into it is not so complicated. The complexity is more 

structural and engineering-based. Especially when 

you have 200-plus spheres that all need different 

amounts of electricity.” 

Kawai and Sherwood are travelling to Arizona 10 

days before the Canal Convergence unveiling in order 

to get everything in place. It’s called “Double Helix,” 

Sherwood explains, because the layout is almost like 

a three-dimensional DNA map. But active human 

participants are necessary for the helix to form—the 

people moving through the installation will form the 

bridges or links between elements. 

Sherwood is a musician and Kawai a professional 

dancer and they formed Purring Tiger as a way to 

collaborate. “We really wanted to do something 

we hadn’t seen before,” Sherwood says of their 

explorations in collaboration. 

“Aaron developed a system so that my movement 

would create a sound and also a visual projection. 

And then he could improvise music to the sounds that 

my movements created,” Kawai explains. “That’s how 

we made our first performance.” 

For the next few live performances, they hired more 

dancers to create more of a spectacle. “And then 

we started to let the audience come up on stage 

afterward to experience the interaction,” Kawai says. 

“The first time we brought our installation to Burning 

Man was 2013. I saw that people moved their bodies 

from the wonder and curiosity—or even fear—of 

touching some part of the installation,” she says. 

Sherwood studied interactive telecommunications 

at New York University. Kawai studied dance at the 

Osaka University of Arts in Japan. She moved to New 

York as a professional dancer and has performed with 

Elaine Summers Dance and Film, Skymusic Inc., at 

Lincoln Center and the Brooklyn Museum. She also 

teaches yoga and Pilates. 

“MICRO-Double Helix” at Canal Convergence 

February 25 through 28 

Scottsdale Waterfront near the Soleri Bridge 

www.scottsdalepublicart.org 

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MAGAZINE

CHRIS MAKER’S 10-YEAR 

RETROSPECTIVE 

At Shade Gallery 


There couldn’t be a better time for a critical 

conversation about community, humanity and the 

way we fit into the spaces we occupy. Artist Chris 

Maker opens a show called People, Place and State 

at the Shade Gallery at monOrchid on Feb. 5. This 

retrospective covers Maker’s paintings and sketches 

produced between 2005 and 2015. 

For the first few years after Maker completed his 

master’s degree in architecture (he studied at Taliesin 

West), not much was happening. Because the field 

is so project driven, a downturn in the economy can 

make it difficult to assemble a portfolio. “It’s one 

of those things where I have yet to see one of my 

architectural projects fully realized,” Maker says. 

But the downtime allowed him to create and explore 

other art forms, namely painting. 

Maker seems to envision spaces where people 

move freely and really get the most out of their 

experience. This is an ideal that stems from the 

New Urbanism movement, a way of thinking 

in urban planning that is meant to maximize 

walkability and the use of public space. 

“What I am concerned with, in architecture, is all of 

the big points: improving people’s built environment, 

quality of life, elevating daily perceptions, and 

bringing value out of the environmental context. 

Further than that, I’m interested in ideas about 

the creative manifestations of space. I think most 

people’s idea of architecture is that it is very static, 

and I am very much into maintaining openness, an 

open dialogue.” 

A response from his own reflection and analysis 

came when Maker was working professionally as 

civil servant shortly after completing his first master’s 

degree, in urban planning, in 2004. “This series of 

works is called Plan’dscapes, which I began after 

graduating from the University of Cincinnati and 

moving to Florida to take a job as a planner,” Maker 

says. Art can be used for examination, observation 

and analysis, Maker notes. “It’s the first series in 

which I began to critically examine my own activities 

as an urban planner.” 

In his next series, Maker seems to challenge the 

very question of what a painting can be. He says 

everything that went into the first series was 

very intentional. But in newer works, he allowed 

himself more openness. Some paintings take threedimensional 

renderings—images produced for his 

work as an architect—and turn them into something 

new. For example, in one painting, a 3-D rendering 

of a row of shops on a regular commuter street is 

straddled by a very polygonal Godzilla who is facing 

a gigantic Mr. Pac Man. These items don’t actually 

exist in the real world, yet within this one frame—on 

this imaginary plane—they can. 

Maker says he has been spending time thinking 

about the concept of a picture plane—an ancient 

idea. It’s a problem that goes back to perhaps the 

beginning of all art: How does an artist take a twodimensional 

space and use it to best represent the 

subject? The difference in Maker’s new work is that 

it’s a lot more additive and loose. He might have an 

idea to start, but isn’t locked into how it will end, or 

what elements might end up on the canvas. Maker’s 

retrospective will also feature a selection of his 

sketches and process drawings. 

Chris Maker: People, Place and State 2005–2015 

Shade Gallery at monOrchid 

February 5 through 28 

Closing reception February 19 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. 

www.monorchid.com 

Untitled, 48”x72”, Oil on Canvas, 2014 

Cloud Walk, 60”x60”, Oil on Canvas, 2015 

JAVA 17 

MAGAZINE

SUPERFLEX 

The Parley at ASU Art Museum 


Superflex is a Danish artists collective that was founded 

in 1993 by members Jakob Fenger, Rasmus Nielsen 

and Bjornstjerne Christiansen. The trio refers to their 

intensive projects as “tools,” and many of the Superflex 

tools have been economics-focused endeavors, looking 

at the social science that factors into the creation, 

production and distribution of goods and services, 

and in turn, the results of those processes. Their work 

keenly examines past and current methods and events 

to promote the type of thought that inspires productive 

thinking and beneficial change. 

Currently, you can see one of their intriguing projects, 

Superflex: Superfake/The Parley, at the ASU Art 

Museum, which examines the value of art on multiple 

levels, as well as the cultural ideas and misconceptions 

that are derived from, or shaped by, depictions of 

historical events. The exhibition is built around an 

1898 piece titled “The Parley,” by Frederic Remington, 

whose fame comes predominately from his depictions 

of the American West. These storytelling images have 

served as a historical guide, with a perceived accuracy, 

for many throughout the years. In the early 1990s, 

the painting started undergoing processes to test its 

authenticity; Superflex eventually became a part of 

the process. The piece was ultimately revealed to be a 

replica. 

When you reach the second floor at the ASU Art 

Museum and enter into Superflex: Superfake/The Parley, 

it’s impossible not to feel an unusual mix of anxiety 

and curiosity, buttressed by a weight in the room’s air. 

It is immediately haunting. Large portions of the walls 

are empty, but if they were simply untouched, that 

would be one thing. However, in this case, the walls 

are adorned with the outlines of previously hanging 

works that have been taken down. In some cases, the 

descriptive tags are still in place. That initial greeting in 

a museum setting instantly implies chaos, and given the 

circumstances surrounding the Remington piece, feeling 

unsettled is more than appropriate. 

“The Parley” greets you from across the room. The piece 

is in your face, not just forcing you to ask questions 

but reinforcing the “what now?” sentiment that comes 

with a veil being lifted, crumpled and thrown away. The 

Superflex team has been in the Museum’s residency 

program, making visits over the last couple of years 

to help answer that question and create the elements 

needed for this exhibition. 

ASU Art Museum Director Gordon Knox says, “Superflex 

operates methodically and with the long-term in mind; 

ASU Art Museum’s artist residency in downtown 

Phoenix allowed us to invite Superflex to the region to 

develop a project that emerged from the local conditions 

and looked at larger issues of value, authenticity, 

regional identity and the intersection of art and science. 

We felt that providing the Phoenix region with access 

to the work and thinking of Superflex was an important 

gesture, as this region has the potential to emerge as 

a leading self-directed, alternative urban reality, but 

simply needs more examples of how collective agency 

and challenges to the status quo can in fact open 

pathways to a rejuvenated future.” 

Especially brilliant is the crew’s video reenactment of 

“The Parley,” which uses slow motion to bring together 

the painting’s central figures, a Native American 

on horseback and a frontiersman. The intentionally 

slow pace is a driving factor in considering historical 

accuracies, as you watch the two figures come together. 

You’ll also see other scientific data and documentation 

utilized to distinguish the painting in view from the 

original. 

Superflex: Superfake/The Parley 

ASU Art Museum 

Through April 30 

www.asuartmuseum.asu.edu 

Infrared photograph showing underlines, which supports evidence of the forgery, 

now called “The Pioneer and the Indian.” 

Video still from Superfake/The Parley, courtesy of the artist and 1301PE Gallery 

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MAGAZINE

WILLIAM LEGOULLON AT 

MODIFIED ARTS 


It has been the better part of a decade since Modified 

Arts hosted an exhibition of William LeGoullon’s 

artwork. Those seven years don’t reflect the artist 

having downtime. In fact, he has been busy showing 

his photography nationally in places like Los Angeles 

and Philadelphia, and internationally in spots like 

Belgrade, Serbia. 

LeGoullon’s work is investigative in nature. For 

instance, the last exhibition he had at Modified, Dust, 

offered a look at hidden and less-traveled areas in 

central Arizona, highlighting their history, evolution 

and inherent, accompanying ruin and decay. 

This current show, (Un)Intended Objects, shines a 

light on found objects that have been left behind, 

often on National Forest land, after being used 

for legal and illegal target practice. Much like 

anything that commands further investigation, 

this exhibition is instantly intriguing. Your eyes 

travel, trying to determine the best place to begin 

a more up-close journey. As you move in, even if 

you’re aware of the show’s purpose, there’s a bit of 

cognitive dissonance still present, as the colors imply 

a more joyous overtone. 

“Skull,” an archival pigment print, for instance, with 

its purple-y glitter façade, is reminiscent of Damien 

Hirst’s diamond-bedazzled skull from 2007, its bling-y 

nature easily causing that reference. Hirst’s skull 

definitely forces a look at wealth culture and societal 

values. As you reach the intimate viewing arena for 

LeGoullon’s piece and see the tiny bullet holes that 

surround the cracks in the glitter, its own set of the 

issues become apparent, and those initial feelings of 

jubilance are effortlessly washed away. 

The impact of “Untitled (Mannequin Head)” might 

be obvious, but nonetheless it is intense. It certainly 

should provoke a response, or at least some thought. 

Sure, people have been using the human form for 

target practice for plenty of years. For some viewers, 

this piece magnifies that impact, as they gaze at 

a decimated replicate of the human head riddled 

with bullet holes. For others, the prevalence of fake 

body parts being used as recipients for gunfire may 

desensitize the whole experience. In either case, it 

serves as an impetus for pondering the complexities 

of firearms, especially their use in sporting contexts. 

Also of extreme importance in this show’s profound 

expanse is how these left-behind objects exemplify 

these sport-shooters’ disregard of the environment. 

You can’t help but wonder if littering the landscape 

with these items is an extension of the more 

destructive aspect of the sport, or if the quiet spans 

of these less-inhabited desert areas carry little value 

for those who freely disrespect them—and if so, 

why? Seeing LeGoullon’s photographs, such as the 

images of both a petroglyph and a prickly pear cactus 

filled with holes from being blasted, drives home 

the apparent apathy of some individuals toward the 

natural world. 

Modified’s director, Kimber Lanning, appreciates the 

depth in LeGoullon’s work, along with the value of the 

exhibit’s message. “What’s amazing to me,” she says, 

“is that from across the room, the work looks colorful 

and cheery, but as you get closer and begin to 

perceive the content, you realize how dark they are.” 

She continues, “These works document the careless 

destruction of the desert, elicit a really gloomy 

feeling and remind me how far we still need to go to 

educate people about respecting the environment.” 

(Un)Intended Objects is a part of PhotoTapas, 

an event that celebrates photography in Arizona 

throughout the month of February. 

William LeGoullon 

(Un)Intended Objects 

Modified Arts 

Through February 13, featuring 

Q&A with the artist February 13, noon – 4 p.m. 

www.modifiedarts.org 

.45 Colt, Archival pigment print back-mounted to plexiglass, 2015 

Skull, Archival pigment print back-mounted to plexiglass, 2016 

Mannequin Head, Archival pigment print, 2014 

JAVA 19 

MAGAZINE

La 

Piñata Party 

By Sloane Burwell 

For 45 years, La Piñata ruled its little corner on 19th Avenue and Osborn. 

According to local legend, the family invented the deep-fried piece of heaven 

known as the Chimichanga. On any visit, you’d be likely to run into families 

bringing in second and third generations to enjoy Sonoran-style home-cooked 

Mexican food—warm and inviting, like you’d find at your Nana’s. Although 

impeccably clean (I’ve seen hospitals that weren’t this immaculate), it wasn’t hard to 

notice that the building and parking lot were showing signs of middle age. 

My heart broke a little when they closed, because there are so few parts of 

our history left in town and, let’s be honest, not every restaurant survives a 

relocation. I hoped they’d survive the shift to their new home in the former Mary 

Coyle’s location near 7th Avenue and Missouri. I watched as construction kicked 

in to overdrive, and my heart sank a tiny bit when they installed their new sign, 

a more modern version of the vintage neon one, albeit with the same font. How 

much can you change and still survive, I thought. 

I am happy to report my fears were unfounded. While there is nothing the same 

about the decor (except for the cleanliness—seriously, whoever manages this 

should start a side gig as a tidiness consultant), their upgrade is certainly that, 

and the food is every bit as comforting and soul soothing as it’s always been. 

One thing that hasn’t changed, though, is the parking. Their former home was 

notorious for lack of space, and their new spot folds cars, origami style, into 

its parking lot. Carpool, friends, you’ll thank me later. It turns out that the lack 

of parking may be due to the influx of new business. According to our servers, 

they’ve kept the old favorite staff (cooks, servers, etc.) but nearly doubled the 

number of positions. I shouldn’t have been worried about their move. 

The space is great—gone is the homage to a’70s version of a family Mexican 

restaurant. It’s more modern, open and airy. There isn’t a single square inch of 

the place that hasn’t been redone, including a completely reconfigured dining 

room with a great bar, a stylish community table, charming entry area and toasty 

patio, replete with working fireplace and enough space heaters to render coats 

unnecessary. New tables and chairs, of course, and barware. I shudder to think 

of the expense involved, however gorgeous the outcome. 

But what hasn’t changed is the food. Start out with the cheese crisp, ordered 

crispy style ($6.95), and the perfect Socratic form of this dish will appear. I 

confess—it took me a couple of years to enjoy the simple tasty beauty that is 

this regional favorite. It’s not an open-faced quesadilla; it’s more than the sum 

of its parts—sturdy enough to scoop up the tasty house-made salsa that comes 

with the never-ending chips. Pro tip: ask for the spicy salsa. 

I enjoyed their Piñata Appetizers ($13.95), a veritable who’s-who of the menu. The 

tiny chicken tacos are as adorable as they are tasty, and the mini-chimis make the 

case in taste that, yes, La Piñata invented them. But my personal favorite is their 

corn tamales with chiles. These are more akin to a spoonable corn bread in texture 

and flavor. Soft, tender, slightly sweet—I would happily order an entire tray of 

these. 

My favorite entree at their former location was the Salad Carbon ($12) with steak. 

A gargantuan mound of chopped lettuce (nary a leaf of iceberg to be found, thank 

god) comes topped with an entire tomato, a whole chopped cucumber, handfuls 

of Monterey jack cheese and what appears to be an entire flank steak, grilled to 

perfection and chopped into rather large chunks. It hasn’t changed one iota, thank 

god—from the old-school whole black olives on top, to the ample cup of housemade 

jalapeno ranch dressing. I’d like to shake the hand of the person who can 

finish this, since for me it’s easily two more meals at home. 

The Pollo Azteca ($13.95) is a cheesy mass of chicken, chiles and ranchero sauce. 

Succulent grilled chicken comes surrounded in kicky sauce and cheese, with a hint 

of heat that barely creeps up on you. Use the chips to invent your own nachos with 

the cheesy, saucy goodness, as well as the rice and beans that come alongside. 

The table favorite on one visit was the Mexican Short Stack ($13.95). Go for the 

machaca version, which is wedged between layers of tostada shells, kicky sauce 

and more cheese. Unlike other places, their machaca is more like Mexican pot roast, 

in that the shredded beef is more substantial and less chopped. Something about 

the mix of meat and sauce made this dish disappear first, probably due to the fact 

that none of us could keep our forks out of it. 

The Carne Machaca Dinner ($13.95) has more of the excellent machaca, at least 

two cups of it on this plate. Use the grilled tortillas that come alongside to create 

your own little masterpiece. At La Piñata, the rice and beans that come alongside 

are no mere afterthought or carb filler—they are well made and tasty. A little bit of 

rice, a bit of beans and a mound of machaca make a fantastic bite. 

I had only one bump in the road during any of my visits. The Pork Carnitas ($13.95) 

were a titch dry. Not Sahara Desert dry, mind you, but enough to be noticed by 

everyone on our visit. Was it a deal breaker on the dish? Not really—a dollop of the 

tasty house salsa took care of it, but we did notice. However well made it was (and 

it was), it could have benefitted from some extra liquid. 

La Piñata’s new location is great. It’s in an easily accessible part of town, and they 

spared no expense in kicking up the decor a notch. The favorites are still there, and 

that includes the charming and attentive staff as well as the food. At this rate, they 

will have no problem surviving another 45 years. 

La Piñata 

5521 N. 7th Ave., Phoenix 

lapinatarestaurantaz.com 

Thursday through Sunday, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. 

Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. 

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Stylist/Art direction: Mitch Phillips 

Photography: Zachary Radel / Zar Photography 

Hair: Sydney Bottomley / Andrea Noel Hair Studio 

Makeup: Denese Lovvorn 

Models: Naty Z / Muse NYC / XY Management 

Lorenzo Cipollo, Kylie Robinson 

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Photo: Jim Fury Hesterman 

Bear Ghost 

Blasterpiece 

by Mitchell L. Hillman 

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MAGAZINE

In the last couple years, Bear Ghost have 

emerged as one of the top bands to catch 

live in the Valley. Since they released their 

debut EP, Your Parents Are Only Marginally 

Disappointed in Your Musical Taste! in 2014, they 

have been blowing minds at venues all over 

town. I only caught up to them last year, but 

it appears I was just in time to catch some 

of the most entertaining live shows around 

locally. An electrifying set that includes not 

only their originals, but also covers of classic 

Queen and a handful of Disney songs (that’s 

right, Disney songs). These shows sold me on 

Bear Ghost, while making their new full-length 

Blasterpiece one of my most anticipated albums 

of the year. And after listening to it for days, I 

have to say that it doesn’t disappoint and lives 

up to the hype that’s been mounting in my mind 

for months. 

Bear Ghost is Ryan Abel on guitar and vocals, 

Andrew Heath on bass and vocals, Myke 

ButtonZ on drums and Thomas Knight on 

guitar, keyboard and vocals. Together they have 

created one of the most unusual indie rock 

sounds around, not just in Arizona—anywhere. 

They combine elements of prog rock, indie rock, 

a little bit of punk, a touch of hip hop, some 

electronica and mash it all together to produce 

a consistent sound that is wholly their own. 

They make music that is decidedly fun. It’s fun 

to listen to and fun to watch. This energy goes 

a long way. When they put on a show, they 

actually put on a show. 

There is a self-referencing introductory track 

called “Introduction to Blasterpiece” that kicks 

things off. It begins with bombastic drums 

and pounding bass, before launching into all 

of its theatrical splendor, with group vocals, 

archaic percussion and a brilliant guitar line 

that is larger than life. It sets the pace for 

all that is about to come and establishes 

their enigmatic sound from the start. Then 

it fades off into a harpsichord synth before 

they kick into the two album singles, back to 

back. The first is “Necromancin’ Dancin’,” which 

starts with a fantastic drum roll and a frenetic 

guitar, hinting at a touch of Primus. By the time 

the vocals come around, it feels almost emo, 

evoking early Panic at the Disco. With nearly 

four minutes of non-stop action, it’s easy to 

see why this was picked as the first single and 

also why it received such heavy airplay by local 

station KWSS. 

“Funkle Phil” was the second single released 

prior to Blasterpiece, and it’s a fantastic rocker 

that propels you even further into the album. 

Synth strings kick it off, before the bass takes 

over. The vocals are totally reminiscent of 

Freddie Mercury in his most “vicious” moments. 

There’s even a bit of a rap that swings in around 

the one-minute mark before it breaks into 

some jump blues reminiscent of Brian Setzer 

Orchestra. It’s a fantastic ride. 

Bear Ghost returns to more overt theatrics with 

the music-hall pop of “Gypsy.” They’re the only 

band I’ve ever known to mention the obscure 

group Tally Hall in their influences, and it 

shows in this particular song. This works in the 

same way that Queen could pull off a number 

like “Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy.” It will 

immediately bring a smile to your face and put a 

bit of swing to your hips. 

“Starkiller” returns to the realm of rock ’n’ roll 

with frantic guitar work and an awesome chant 

to start things moving. The manic vocals have a 

hint of Danny Elfman at his best in early Oingo 

Boingo. The start of “Sickness for Nothing” 

slows things down with its subdued synths, 

gentle vocals and tender guitar line, while the 

rhythm section is appropriately low key. It, of 

course, explodes at the two-minute mark in the 

way that Muse creates audio hurricanes out of 

nowhere. Just as it hits its crescendo it moves 

seamlessly into the wry and pointed “She- 

Wrecks,” which is probably the most clever title 

here (get it?). The lyrics are very nearly vicious: 

“I wasn’t scared of your mean demeanor, yeah 

your skin’s a little dry and you’re much bigger 

than I, but you were mine.” While the guitars 

rage, the vocals, especially on the chorus, recall 

Black Parade-era MCR. There’s even a bit of 

video game synth tones injected in the mix. It 

finishes with a wild scream of catharsis. 

“Hola Adriana” is one of the more 

straightforward songs on the album. It almost 

seems out of place in terms of how much it 

sounds like typical alternative rock. It’s amazing 

how a song can stand out for its sheer normalcy 

alone. They own it completely and eventually 

bring it into the quirky Bear Ghost realm by the 

end. There is a Southwestern-flavored coda that 

acts like a link track to set you up for the next 

song. “Paradise” begins like a show tune and 

has a barbershop feel with vocals and snapping. 

Despite its unusual arrangement, it’s catchy 

as hell, with a piano line that stands out and, 

dare I say, there are moments where the vocals 

sound a bit like early Maroon 5, if Adam Levine 

actually made pocket symphonies rather than 

feeding the hit machine. 

Once the band kicks in, “All At Once” gets 

pretty dark and ominous, with slightly creepy 

theatrics in the vocals. At this late point in the 

album, it’s easy to marvel at the construction of 

Bear Ghost songs—especially here, with the 

strikingly different movements, telling as much 

of a story with the music as with the lyrics. It’s 

something of a classical approach to indie rock. 

Blasterpiece finishes with “Prelude,” because 

why wouldn’t you end an album with a prelude? 

From what I understand, it’s actually a prequel 

to the opening track of their EP from two 

years ago. It’s a fairly gentle end to what has 

otherwise been an uproarious album, and 

begins with some of the most beautiful vocals 

and a lush gypsy rock feel. Yes, of course 

it explodes into a maelstrom of guitars and 

vocals by the end, but in an almost shoegazing, 

atmospheric way. 

Bear Ghost has released an amazing 

album—a combination of sheer genre-bending 

musicianship, complex arrangements and vocal 

perfection. Sure, they have a lot of influences 

but they wear them proudly on their sleeves. 

It’s all about how they put these elements 

together into an aural adventure—sort of 

like Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride becomes a rock 

album. Blasterpiece is indeed one of the most 

exhilarating albums I’ve heard in a while. Keep 

your eyes and ears on the band this year. If they 

are shopping for a record label, this will be the 

album to get them signed. 

Bear Ghost will release Blasterpiece on February 20th 

at Last Exit Live, joined by Fairy Bones, Twin Ponies 

and DeadFoxx. 

www.bearghost.com 

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SNAILMATE 

Dine + Dash EP 

REDEMPTIONS 

Broken Hearts & Shattered Glass EP 

RUCA 

This Garden 

Quick on the heels of their debut EP, Snailmate has 

somehow found time between tours to release a 

sophomore effort of heavy synth-hop fusion. Dine 

+Dash is a six-song EP that further establishes the 

unique sound and vision of the duo Kalen Lander 

(TKLB?) and Ariel Monet (formerly of Sister Lip). 

The record begins with the first single, “Jumper/ 

Cable,” which is probably their most excitable 

song to date. To be fair, this is the soundtrack to 

videogame nightmares, but in a good way. Just listen 

to Monet screaming “Jump!” and wait for that to 

turn up in your dreams. It’s disturbing and catchy, but 

that’s how most of this EP is. “Worry Wort” follows 

and seem to be cut from the same mold—clever 

lyrics, screams and all. The light synth-hop brilliance 

of “Virtuous Reality” is a highlight, and Lander’s rap 

almost comes across as spoken-word poetry. 

“Both” is one of their most interesting ventures 

musically and would make a great follow-up 

single. Meanwhile, the drum track and synth work 

on “Doctor’s Blues” blow my mind, and this lyric 

by Lander, “I swear there’s no god but I can’t prove 

it” followed by Monet’s shout of “It’s true!” is 

brilliant. “Boogie Man” finishes this installment 

with some aggressive and infinite weirdness, both 

lyrically and musically. 

One great thing about Snailmate is that they cram so 

much into a song that you hear something different 

every time—whether it’s a strange sound effect or 

a lyric you never noticed, usually one that makes 

you laugh. These are the sounds of a couple of crazy 

musicians in love, and their music is some of the 

most unusual and unmistakable in the scene right 

now. Be sure to catch Snailmate at Time Out Lounge 

on February 12 for the release of their EP. 

Years ago Anthony Fama was the frontman for one 

of my favorite local groups of all time, Doctor Bones. 

After his departure, he laid low for a while before 

emerging with his new project, The Redemptions, 

about two years ago. With Danger Paul Balazs (The 

Psychedelephants), Spencer Ferrarin (Something 

Went Awry), and Kostantin Bosch and Solo Lounsbury 

(both of The Woodworks), this collective has come 

together with Fama as frontman to produce the long 

overdue debut EP, Broken Hearts & Shattered Glass. 

They had well over an album’s worth of songs, but 

clearly picked their five best as a calling card to the 

world. “Stay” is an absolute stunner of an opener 

and a favorite from their live set, catchy as hell and 

something that’s been hanging in my mind since it 

was released as a preview single. This is followed 

by the dark and brooding “There with You,” which 

sounds like it was pounded out of the desert heat. 

It’s a beautiful, complex number, and Fama has never 

sounded better, with a near Elvis croon happening. 

“Walls” was another preview single, and it has a 

loping rockabilly feel, with Fama evoking vocals from 

a cache of ’50s records that he must have stashed 

somewhere. The live ambience on “Seventeen” 

distracted me when I first heard it, but on further 

listens it became a favorite track. The interplay 

between Bosch’s drumming and Balazs’ bass pulls the 

whole thing together. The record ends with “Secret.” 

After repeated listens, I realize why this may end up 

as one of my favorites of the year. 

It’s taken five years for Ruca to follow up their debut 

album, Flow, but just take a listen to This Garden and 

tell me it wasn’t worth it. Since their debut, Ruca 

has played hundreds of gigs and that kind of stage 

time really shows in the confidence, groove and flow 

that their new album has going for it. Ruca is the 

lead singer, backed by Jack Howell on lead guitar, 

Jake Johnston on bass and Josh Montag on drums. 

You may note that Ruca overlaps completely with 

Scattered Melodies, which may explain why this 

album has taken a while to arrive. 

In another era, I would have called singer Ruca a 

hippie chanteuse or an Earth goddess, which is what 

her seductive voice evokes. This is absolutely an 

album to get high to if that’s your thing. Even when 

Ruca sings of sadness and loss there’s something 

positively radiant about her energy. Plus the genres 

she explores from classic rock, soul, blues and reggae 

would just go well with “a swig and a toke,” as she 

says in “Pierpoint.” 

This is one of the most feel-good records I’ve heard 

in a while, with no filler across all twelve tracks. The 

entire album is a delight. There’s no picking favorites, 

but the horns on “Get It Back” are brilliant. Then 

there’s the combination of keys and horns on “You 

Crossed Me.” Seductive “Sirens” has persuasive 

percussion, and there are harmonies and unexpected 

rap on “Sunshine.” Then there’s the calypso groove 

of “We Are All One Love” and the sheer magic of the 

title track. The brave finale is Nancy Sinatra’s “Bang 

Bang” with a stunning, original arrangement. Pure 

listening pleasure for forty-four minutes straight. 

32 JAVA 

MAGAZINE 

Sounds Around Town By Mitchell L. Hillman

CAIT BRENNAN 

Debutante 

JOSHUA HILL 

Hill Never Sing Again 

HOSTILE WORK ENVIRONMENT 

Suave Labor EP 

I’ve been following Cait Brennan for years and have 

always been frustrated by not having anything other 

than live performances to hang on to—usually 

through crowd-shot YouTube videos or demos she’s 

posted. Well, I am very happy to report that’s no 

longer the case, with her cleverly titled full-length 

debut, Debutante. Across the album it becomes clear 

that Brennan is well schooled in the sound of 1970s 

rock and power pop. 

The album opens with the declarative “Good Morning 

and Goodnight,” which recalls the pop of the Hudson 

Brothers. “Underworld” borrows a lot from Big Star, 

and though it doesn’t directly lift from “September 

Gurls” it sure does leave you thinking about it. 

The sleepy Southwestern vibe to “Dear Arthur” 

explores some serious Americana territory, while the 

fuzzy guitar dresses up that same sound nicely on 

“Lines,” which has an early Ronstadt vibe about it, 

right up until the insane guitar solo. “Once Upon a 

Nevermind” is just pure country folk rock found best 

around a campfire, while “I Want You Back” has all 

the fury and pace of “I Fought the Law,” but it’s a 

fight for love and it rocks like all hell. 

There is a strange, lounge-singer nostalgia to the 

piano piece “Showman.” Then “Father McKenzie” 

is the upbeat other side of the story told in “Eleanor 

Rigby” and every bit as Beatles-esque. “Meet Your 

Remaker” is a saucy, soulful tune with the chorus, 

and verses that evoke Harry Nilsson. It moves 

seamlessly into the bouncing, McCartney-laden 

“Harmony Lies.” Slowing for a few moments, 

the mid-’70s country rock vibe returns for the 

introspective “All in Love Is Fair.” The stunning 

“Madame Pompadour” picks the pace up with a fair 

amount of Wilsonesque flourishes, inside a powerpop 

raver. The entire affair ends with the soft and 

reflective “Black Diamond.” 

Joshua Hill is known for making some of the most 

eclectic music in town with his band The Hill in 

Mind. Now he’s made a solo departure with the 

new album Hill Never Sing Again. It’s a low-key 

affair that features his gentle voice, beautiful 

strumming on an acoustic guitar and the sounds 

of downtown Mesa coming through an open door 

at Flying Blanket Studios. This is what I call a perfect 

Sunday morning record. 

“Little Boy Liar” opens it up and has the feel of 

Nick Drake—anachronistic to say the least, but 

easy on the soul. “Failed Music” is a spoken-word 

poem over some delightfully classic guitar that 

continues to keep things mellow. “Return to Sender” 

is a sentimental tale of an old man, his dog and 

letters being returned as the recipient has passed 

away. The obvious single is “Little Sparrow,” with a 

catchy guitar groove that you won’t shake for days. 

“Switch Roller” is a melancholy tale of the complex 

relationship between a parent and son, with a wistful 

sweetness in both the music and the lyrics. 

Both “G Maj Thing” and “Relax” are minute-long 

near instrumentals. The former features the song of 

nearby birds, while the latter is almost a meditation 

reminding you to relax and breathe. There is a 

European folk song quality to “On Your Side,” 

about being left at the altar, which is touching to 

say the least. “Like an End” is a slow Americana 

number as Hill waxes nostalgic about spiritual 

thoughts he had as a child. The album completes 

with a wonderful song about a dialogue between 

a shoe shop visitor and the cobbler. It’s a tale of 

happiness with a rewarding philosophical perspective 

that warms the heart. 

Sounds Around Town By Mitchell L. Hillman 

Hostile Work Environment was one of my favorite 

new bands of 2015, and now they are ready to 

release their debut EP, Suave Labor. Jake Paxton 

(Companeros), Spencer Ferrarin (The Redemptions) 

and Josh MacFarland rock out while pondering 

aliens, Bob Ross, drinking, smoking and women 

across four songs that capture the quintessence of 

the band. Paxton comes across as a bit of a madman 

on stage, which is conveyed perfectly on the EP. 

Suave Labor opens with the hilariously titled “Bob 

Ross Loses His Shit,” which begins with Paxton 

rambling about stabbing before the song explodes. 

It’s a rocker to be sure, and everyone comes together 

perfectly as Paxton sounds like a younger, more fun 

Jim Morrison. “Extraterrestrial Lover” was the only 

single released last year, and it’s definitely a crowd 

favorite at their live shows. What’s not to love about 

a song about an affair with a hard-drinking, cigarettesmoking 

alien? It almost borders on glam rock in the 

best way possible. 

The laid-back groove of “A Few Too Many” is nearly 

intoxicating, which makes sense for a song about 

drinking. It feels like a ’70s-era lounge with carpet 

on the walls, dim lights, haze and all. The EP finishes 

with “5ths and 8ths,” which is about exactly that, 

another funky number from a far different decade, 

celebrating women, weed and whiskey. It’s a great 

bluesy tune that caps off their first record perfectly 

and leaves you wanting more, a lot more. Join 

Hostile Work Environment for their EP release show 

at Pho Cao in Scottsdale on February 13. 

For more on these events and other highlights of 

the Phoenix music scene, check out Mitchell’s blog 

at http://soundsaroundtown.net. For submissions 

or suggestions contact him at mitchell@ 

soundsaroundtown.net 

JAVA 33 

MAGAZINE

Black Cat Vintage 

By Jenna Duncan • Photos: Carrie Evans 

34 JAVA 

MAGAZINE

Jeanne Lanvin. Edie Sedgwick. Gloria 

Vanderbilt. Elsa Shiaparelli. Valentina. Mary 

Quant. Coco Chanel. They weren’t just It 

Girls—they were women whose obsession 

with fashion shaped and inspired generations to 

come. Say what you will about addiction, it isn’t 

always a bad thing. 

Claudine Villardito, owner of Black Cat Vintage and 

Mrs. Robinson’s Affairs, can’t hide and certainly 

doesn’t apologize for her addiction to relics from 

times past. “I have a problem with old things,” 

Villardito says. “It’s a surprise I’m not having an affair 

with an 80-year-old man!” 

Villardito has been collecting vintage clothing (mostly 

women’s wear, but select men’s items, too) for more 

than 20 years. Formerly based in Tucson, she took 

over the Black Cat Vintage business in 2005. With 

her new space in downtown Phoenix and her online 

business launched, she now devotes 100 percent of 

her time to vintage restoration and sales. 

Villardito grew up in Tucson and was constantly 

inspired by her entrepreneurial mother, Gale Maly, 

who she says is her hero. Maly and Associates has 

been a wildly successful property management and 

real estate company for decades. Maly began as 

an entrepreneur in Chicago. She ran a photography 

business that she took over from her father after his 

death, in order to keep the family afloat. At 21 years 

old, Maly found herself a divorcee and single mother. 

She decided to move to Tucson and start over. 

“I started collecting very, very humbly, with very 

little money,” Villardito says. Somehow special 

vintage objects just seemed to find her. “Because 

I’m such a sucker, I usually take all of it,” she says 

of the estate sales and lots of women’s clothing she 

used to come across. 

Over time, she amassed such a collection that she 

filled up all of the closets of the 1939 home she 

shared with her husband. “But back then, people 

didn’t need big closets. The clothes were so well 

made and they were meant to last, you didn’t have as 

many,” she says. 

Villardito got to the point where she simply could not 

stop collecting. At some point she ran out of space 

and had to make a new rule: get rid of some before 

you acquire more. At first it was difficult. “I was like: I 

can’t see my babies!” she says. But she made a mission 

of it—to find the right people to acquire her precious 

treasures, and that’s how her business was born. 

Villardito believes that quality vintage clothing is a 

finite resource—something that can’t be replaced. 

“These pieces are just as valid as any form of 

art—as a painting, a piece of music or a work of 

architecture.” That is what makes her restoration 

work a true mission. 

When Villardito gets in the zone on a restoration 

project, she could spend days, weeks or even months 

to bring a garment back to its original glory. She 

holds out her hands and explains that sometimes her 

fingers get swollen because of the delicacy of the 

work. Sometimes she’s replacing a button or zipper 

and sometimes she is sewing on fine beading. Some 

pieces are not restorable, so she mines them for 

parts, kind of like an auto yard where you might find a 

replacement fender or spare hubcap. 

“I’m like a Native American; I use everything and 

throw nothing away,” she says. Villardito describes 

saving zippers, hooks, eyes and snaps—all the way 

down to the very thread a garment was sewn with. 

She makes it a point not to alter the garments in any 

way and avoids adding her own artistry or personal 

touches. What this means is that each of her restored 

pieces rings with authenticity. 

She holds up a 1920s beaded silk flapper dress, 

which had been hanging in the vault with her bestquality 

garments. This item had been stored in an oily 

box for years. Unfortunately, the oil seeped into the 

skirt of the garment, rending it unsalvageable. But 

Villardito was able to match the vintage fabric, gently 

take the garment apart, and bring in her master 

seamstress, Debbie Ryan from Tucson, to cut a new 

skirt. Then Villardito went to work beading—sewing 

the literally hundreds of beads back onto the blouse. 

The result is a stunning restoration, indeed. 

JAVA 35 

MAGAZINE

“Restoration is hand and eye work, and everything I 

do requires my hands to be in water, dye, steam, 

freezing temperatures (for decontamination) or 

cleaning solutions. These are the conditions that 

turn my hands into baseball mitts by the end 

of a project.” She has unfortunately started to 

experience some arthritis in her hands and has 

noticed changes in her eyesight. 

Ironically, it was during a period of physical 

recuperation that Villardito got into restoration in 

the first place. In the early 2000s, she was going to 

college for a degree in international business. But 

after few years, she determined that this was not 

her passion. She then decided, since she loved 

animals so deeply, to study veterinary medicine. 

Villardito says she enjoys research and learning 

(she speaks five languages), and science has never 

been too difficult for her, so she figured she would 

fare well in the coursework required to obtain a 

degree in animal medicine. 

But the universe seemed to have other plans for 

Villardito. In 2004, only about one year into her 

veterinary studies, she was involved in a serious car 

accident with a drunk driver and essentially ended up 

in a body cast. Her right wrist was crushed. It took six 

surgeries to repair her wrist and other bodily injuries, 

and she was bedridden for 18 months. 

Fueled by an inexhaustible inner energy, Villardito 

was frustrated by the fact that she couldn’t get up 

and get things done. “One day my husband came 

home and found me vacuuming [in my body cast],” 

she says. Immediately he and her physician ordered 

her back to bed. Villardito asked her husband to bring 

her some of her vintage items that needed repair, 

and finally she was able to occupy her mind with 

something useful. 

Though Villardito had done some studies in fashion, 

she had not learned restoration, nor had she much 

experience in sewing (although she had previously 

taught herself how to knit and do beading). From her 

bedroom-turned-studio, she delicately deconstructed 

and reassembled items, made repairs and did 

research. She taught herself how to professionally 

tailor and repair vintage items, and the process was 

fairly rehabilitative for her wrist, she says. 

In Villardito’s collection are items decommissioned 

from art houses and major museums. She has 

obtained pieces that were once in the collections of 

FIT, FIDM and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Some 

of the garments have even appeared in films, such as 

a dress from My Week with Marilyn, she says. 

She hunts down the original owners of items and 

collects many pieces of ephemera: receipts, letters, 

photographs and magazine clippings to confirm the 

provenance for each. Her goal, she says, is to build 

proper archival records to fulfill National Archives 

standards. She also records oral histories whenever 

possible for those items that come with a story. 

There are only three pieces in Villardito’s collection 

that are too delicate to be worn, and one is a corset 

from the 1700s. “Twenty years ago when I started 

collecting, I had this nightmare that there was an 

item out there, some important item from history, that 

was just being thrown away.” 

One day she received a call from a friend in Las 

Vegas—something incredible was happening, almost 

like the culmination of that nightmare. A serious 

clothing collector had died and her husband had 

rented a dumpster and a backhoe and was throwing 

it all away. The woman’s name was Irene Dunne. She 

and her husband had been like Las Vegas royalty. 

Villardito says, “They entertained the entertainers 

in their palatial home.” Villardito contacted Dunne’s 

husband and told him: “If you’re just going to throw it 

out, I’ll take it. I will take it all!” 

She struck a deal with Dunne’s husband. A week later, 

three massive trucks arrived at her home in Tucson. It 

took months to go through everything, Villardito says. 

“She had a taste for the same things I do,” Villardito 

says. And this is where she happened upon the corset. 

Villardito knew right away it was something very old 

and possibly of great value. But it had no provenance. 

So she began researching in the archives of the 

Metropolitan Museum of Art, and then moved on to 

those of the Société des Arts Decoratifs. Finally she 

was able to match the style of the corset to those of 

the 1700s—something akin to Marie Antoinette’s 

undergarments. 

Black Cat Vintage is constantly being contacted by 

people who want to send in their vintage items. But 

because of the crunch for storage space, Villardito is 

highly selective. “A lot of people have vintage, but 

not all of it is museum-worthy or archival quality.” 

All of the most priceless “watershed” pieces in 

Villardito’s collection are part of the Black Cat 

Vintage collection. 

Villardito has also assembled a collection of more 

price point-friendly daily wear called Mrs. Robinson’s 

Affairs. These items may not have designer labels, 

but they are certainly the fanciful and elaborate 

dress clothes of everyday women from the 1930s, 

’40s and ’50s. Women would get dressed with many 

accessories to do regular tasks, she explains, even 

housework, gardening, laundry and shopping for 

groceries. Back then, one did not leave the house 

without gloves, a hat, jewelry and matching handbag. 

Villardito’s love of all things retro guided her to her 

current spot in downtown Phoenix. The historic midcentury 

Monroe Building (111 W. Monroe) was built 

in 1969. She moved her business in April 2015. Her 

husband, Andrew Papanikolas, runs a high-end audio 

retail store out of the space facing Monroe Street. 

Black Cat Vintage maintains a well-designed window 

(Monroe and First Avenue) that Villardito plans to 

change seasonally. Her business is not a walk-in style 

shop, but rather mostly conducts business online and 

occasionally by appointment. 

Villardito says she is energized by the sort of 

renaissance downtown Phoenix is experiencing, and 

she is quite glad to be situated where she is. “I’m so 

proud of what is happening downtown,” she says. 

“It is reassuring and moralizing to see young people 

taking the higher road.” 

Villardito will be a featured lecturer at a presentation 

by Arizona Costume Institute at Phoenix Art Museum, 

May 11. She is presenting on fashion preservation, 

conservation and the history of vintage. 

www.blackcatvintage.com 

36 JAVA 

MAGAZINE

GIRL ON FARMER 

By Celia Beresford 

It has been cold for us Valley people this winter. I do 

not like having to wear coats and cover plants and all 

the other things people in cold places have to do. So 

I was really happy the other day when I could drive 

with the car windows down. Then, the worst thing 

happened. I was driving along, enjoying the sweet 

breezes and I saw a plastic bag in the middle of 

the road with remnants of who knows what on it. It 

danced in the air, and kept on dancing, right into my 

window and landed in my lap. 

Okay, the truth is, it didn’t really get inside—a swift 

wind saved me at the last second. BUT, I watched it 

lift off the road, sway and then come straight toward 

me. It was like a monster coming my way, and I 

couldn’t move from my seat because I was driving. 

It came right to my door and the thought of the 

grossness almost caused an accident. It was like an 

inch from coming into my window, this bag possibly 

fi lled with leftover grease or smudges of dog poop. 

The contamination factor was pretty overwhelming. 

It was a near miss, so it was like it actually did come 

in. I think I may have mild PTSD from it. 

Here’s the thing, I was such a baby pants over 

this bag trying to be my friend like a lap dog, but I 

shouldn’t have. I honestly acted like a freak for about 

an hour afterward, thinking about all of the potential 

grossness instead of the fact that nothing actually 

happened. Such is our privileged life; it’s kind of 

pathetic. I happen to have been driving to yoga, so 

I fi gured I would sort these issues out while getting 

deep as hell into some poses. 

I got there and started getting changed. Everyone 

definitely has fancy yoga clothes that look like they 

came out of the magazine displayed in the bathroom— 

except me. I have some old-ass pants, which is fine 

that they’re old, but not fine that when I take them 

out of my bag, I think they smell like a hamburger. 

Now I am wondering, “Do I smell like a hamburger? 

Does everyone think I smell like a hamburger? Am 

I known as someone to stay away from for my 

hamburger-ness?” Gross. This would make no sense 

because I don’t make or eat meat and definitely have 

not been spending time at Burger King. 

38 JAVA 

MAGAZINE

It came right to my door and the thought of the 

grossness almost caused an accident. It was like 

an inch from coming into my window, this bag 

possibly filled with leftover grease or smudges of 

dog poop. 

On my way home from work I always pass a Burger King but the smell doesn’t 

seem strong enough to permeate my clothes. On the corner, there is a man with a 

sign that says “Just hungry. Anything will help.” I see him every single day on the 

way home. It makes me sad. And every day I’m like, today’s the day I’m going to 

give him the apple or orange that I didn’t eat for lunch. But every day I get all shy 

and nervous and don’t give it to him. 

Am I supposed to call him over and say “here’s some fruit”? I can’t help but 

think he’d be disappointed. I know he says anything will help, but I think that 

he’s looking for something more like a Fry’s gift card or like a half-sandwich or 

something. I’m thinking, maybe I can just gently toss the fruit from the car, but 

that just seems rude, even with my best intentions. He makes me nervous—not 

in a scary way—but nervous that I’m going to let him down with whatever I give. 

There are a lot of sign holders now. Back in the day, it seemed like they were 

only on Mill Avenue. Now they’re everywhere—a sign-holder epidemic. When I 

first graduated college, I had a job at a woman’s DV shelter. Some of the ladies 

who came in told us the way they generated income was from “flying a sign,” 

and most times there was a pimp-ish person who would assign them different 

spots and then collect the money. Ever since, I’ve been hip to the lingo. When I 

see someone flying a sign, I feel like I know the backstory. But this guy at Burger 

King, and all these people on corners, definitely do not seem pimp-connected. 

I know the good thing would be to give the man a sandwich or some cash. When 

I thought I might win the billion-dollar Powerball, he was an important part of 

how I planned to spend my winnings. I was like, okay, the Burger King guy is 

going to get a nice chunk and he can do whatever he wants. He seems like he 

might have a little mental stuff going on, so I worried about him squandering the 

cash. Still, I decided it was his to do with whatever he decided. Then I imagined 

him getting some mental health services, we become friends and maybe one of 

us writes a book about our unlikely friendship. Maybe there is a kitten involved. 

That would be a very nice ending to everything: The bag never makes it inside, 

and the Burger King man gets a cute apartment. Unfortunately, I didn’t win the 

lottery, so I can’t give him an apartment. Next week, when I drive home I am 

definitely going to give him something. It won’t be a hamburger or a kitten, but it 

also won’t be a scary plastic bag. 

MIRROR MIRROR 

RARE PHOTOGRAPHS OF FRIDA KAHLO 

By 12 Notable Photographers of the 20th Century 

Opening Reception Friday, February 5, 6-9pm 

The exhibition runs through February 27 

Bentley Gallery is open Tues-Sat from 9:30am to 5:30pm, 

and now for First Fridays, from 6-9pm. 

BENTLEY GALLERY 

215 E Grant Street, Phoenix 

480-946-6060 bentleygallery.com 

Photo Courtesy of the Nickolas Muray Archives

NIGHT 

GALLERY 

Photos By 

Robert Sentinery 

1 

2 

3 4 

5 

6 

7 

8 9 

10 11 

1. Bubblegum fun with Audrey from Altamira Fine Art 

2. Celebrating NYE with this pretty posse 

3. Shimeon looks striking at Lisa Sette Gallery 

4. Breadfruit’s Dwayne and Danielle at the Provisioner release party 

5. Jorge and Priscilla at the Palabra grand reopening 

6. Vanessa has a sweet tooth—Robert Townsend opening at 

Altamira 

7. Look who showed up for Rachel Bess’ opening at Lisa Sette 

8. Beth, Laura and Monica, triple the fun 

9. One the runway at Jen Deveroux’s Zsa Zsa Ganesh 

10. These guys totally f*cking rock 

11. In the VIP at the Provisioner release party

12 13 14 15 16 

17 18 19 20 21 

22 23 24 25 26 

27 28 29 

12. Some of Rachel Bess’ models showed up for her opening 

13. Gotta love the above the knee boots 

14. One of the highlights from Zsa Zsa Ganesh 

15. Ping-ponging with Justin and Chris 

16. It’s Rachel Bess in the flesh 

17. Kelly and Sara enjoy some Provisioner wine 

18. Posing with his earth-power painting 

19. Eric and Gayle, the folks behind Provisioner wine 

20. All together now ladies 

21. Snapped these peeps at monOrchid 

22. Ride ’em cowgirl 

23. “We Are the Living Moment” (WALM) attendees 

24. These guys poured their hearts out for us 

25. Lisa Sette and Co. 

26. Catherine transformed into a bronze sculpture at WALM 

27. Shared a toast with this friendly couple 

28. Met this sleek and chic babe and Rachel Bess’ opening 

29. Sitting and sipping

CUSTOM QUALITY SCREEN PRINTING 

PLASTISOL • WATERBASE • PROCESS COLOR 

DISCHARGE • POSTERS • EMBROIDERY 

602-752-1599

30 31 

32 33 34 

35 36 

37 38 

39 

40 41 

42 43 44 

45 46 

47 

30. Hanging with the Bauer/Potter crew 

31. Friendly femmes at Altamira Fine Art 

32. The incomparable Charles Phoenix at Robert Townsend’s opening 

33. It’s wine time at the Provisioner release party 

34. Live at The Hive 

35. Stylish duo at Altamira Fine Art 

36. Amanda and Nicole at Treeo 

37. Jon Nelson show at Eye Lounge 

38. My leather jacket’s cooler than yours 

39. Josh has the first art show at the new Palabra 

40. It’s a chef Stephen sandwich 

41. Blonde on blonde at Palabra 

42. Josh Rose and Robert Townsend at Altamira Fine Art 

43. Snapped this trio outside 1Spot Gallery 

44. Yin / Yang 

45. PhICA emerging curator Amelia Miholca and artist Malena Barnhart 

46. Jelena and Christian at the Palabra grand opening 

47. Bob Adams opening at phICA container gallery

48 49 

50 51 52 

53 54 

55 56 

57 

58 59 

60 

61 

62 

63 

64 65 

48. Palabra party was kickin’ 

49. NYE fun with Marc and Jackie 

50. Cassandra looked stunning on the Zsa Zsa Ganesh runway 

51. Sean and Aubrie at the Sam Pillsbury dinner at Breadfruit 

52. Exit…stage left 

53. House from Furious Styles Crew with pretty Kelly 

54. Behind the espresso bar at Palabra 

55. @looksgoodanyafashion on the runway at Zsa Zsa Ganesh 

56. Blue dress belle and friend 

57. Pretty posse at Palabra 

58. Debbie and Heather at the Sam Pillsbury dinner 

59. Damian Jim at 1Spot Gallery 

60. Sam Pillsbury and friends at Breadfruit 

61. These guys showed up for Maya’s birthday 

62. Taking the BYOB thing seriously 

63. Faces in the crowd at Zsa Zsa Ganesh 

64. Charlotte Potter shows at Lisa Sette Gallery 

65. Shot these guys in a phICA container gallery

66 67 68 

69 

70 

71 

72 73 

74 75 

76 77 78 

79 80 

81 82 

83 

66. Taking her friend out for a little walk 

67. Omyda and Vanessa showed up for Jen Deveroux’s fashion show 

68. Mark and Audrey from Altamira Fine Art 

69. Priscilla and pal at Palabra 

70. Modifiedminds fashion at Jen Deveroux’s Zsa Zsa Ganesh 

71. David and Yuji at Lisa Sette Gallery 

72. Third Friday fun in Phoenix 

73. Professional wine drinkers at the Provisioner launch event 

74. A happy birthday toast to Maya 

75. Dance performance a Zsa Zsa 

76. Purple hair, don’t care 

77. Love this pretty runway walker long time 

78. Tattoo you! 

79. Coat weather in Phoenix 

80. Funky funk fun at Zsa Zsa 

81. Cute couple at Lisa Sette Gallery 

82. End of the night at Palabra 

83. Watching you watching me

February 25–28, 2016 

12 interactive art installations at the Scottsdale Waterfront: 

Bruce Munro | Aphidoidea | Light Origami sponsored by Lumenpulse | Purring Tiger | Christopher Jagmin 

Amy Sansbury Manning | Edina “Mosstika” Tokodi | Perry Allen | Lindsay Kinkade | Joshua Dopp 

Community Workshops with Pilobolus Dance Collective 

Beer + Wine Garden | Live Music and a performance by RIOULT Dance NY 

CanalConvergence.com 

Follow us on Facebook.com/CanalConvergence

tickin’@smoca 

Betye Saar: Still Tickin’ 

January 30 – May 1, 2016 

Celebrate Betye Saar: Still Tickin’, the long- awaited 

retrospective of legendary African- American artist 

Betye Saar. The Los Angeles Times called her art timely. 

We call it amazing! What will you think? 

Betye Saar: Still Tickin’ is organized by the Museum Het Domein, Sittard, 

The Netherlands; and the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. 

Left image: Betye Saar, Still Ticking, 2005. Courtesy of the artist and 

Roberts & Tilton, Culver City, California. © Betye Saar 

Top, right image: Betye Saar, Mudra, 1980. Courtesy of the artist and 

Roberts & Tilton, Culver City, California. © Betye Saar 

SMoCA.org I 7374 E Second St, Scottsdale, AZ 85251 I 480.874.4666

Java.Feb-web.2016

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