Coming Wednesday, July 22, to tucsonweekly.com and TAMMIES.com: TAMMIES finalists. Mark your calendars!

On Feb. 22, 1984, the first issue of a brand-new newspaper hit the streets of Tucson. That first, 12-page issue of The Tucson Weekly featured a cover story on Gary Gisselman, then the artistic director of the Arizona Theatre Company.
In the 25 years since then, that little newspaper has grown into one of the most respected alternative newsweeklies in the country.

On Feb. 26, 2009, the Tucson Weekly will celebrate its first quarter-century with the 25th Anniversary Issue. In addition to celebrating the writers, stories and advertisers of the Weekly’s first quarter-century, the special edition will look back on the last 25 years in Tucson—and the city’s prospects for the next 25 years.

Editor Jimmy Boegle said the Weekly plans to go all-out for its silver-anniversary celebration.

"It’s a big deal for any business to survive for 25 years," Boegle said. “But after looking at what the Weekly’s accomplished over 2 ½ decades, I can say this paper didn’t just survive; as far as its content, it’s thrived. There were ups and downs, of course, but we have a 25-year record to be proud of.”

Senior writer Jim Nintzel, the Weekly’s most veteran staffer—he’s been with the paper for 19 years—examined approximately 1,300 issues of the Weekly for a special timeline that will be included in the 25th Anniversary Issue.

“This has been one crazy carnival over the last quarter century, and I’ve been blessed to be a part of it,” Nintzel said. “Looking back at all those issues, I’m amazed at the talent that has appeared on these pages. It’s been a wild ride.”

As the Weekly enters its second quarter-century, many newspapers are struggling due to a combination of factors—especially the current economic downturn. However, Thomas P. Lee, the Weekly’s publisher, said the Weekly has a bright future.

“Seeing daily newspapers collapse all around us is unsettling,” Lee said. “We grew our roots working to be an alternative to bland daily journalism. But Tucson will have the Tucson Weekly to kick around for many years to come. We have our excellent staff, and our loyal readers, to thank for that.”

The 25th Anniversary Issue is the official kickoff of the Weekly’s year-long celebration of the newspaper’s silver anniversary, which will include contests, promotions and special events. In March, the Weekly—which has been on the Internet since 1995—will launch a brand-new Web site. In June, the Tucson Weekly will be bringing the alternative-newsweekly world to Tucson as the host of the 32nd Annual Association of Alternative Newsweeklies convention.

For more information, contact Jimmy Boegle at (520) 295-4221, or jboegle@tucsonweekly.com.

The submission deadline for the Tucson Weekly's Obama Issue is almost here! All submissions need to be in on or before noon on Jan. 7—that's next Wednesday.

To recap what the Obama Issue is all about: In our Jan. 15-21 issue, we're opening our pages to you, our splendid readers, to express yourselves regarding the departure of George W. Bush and the inauguration of Barack Obama. That expression can take pretty much any form: writings, poetry, visual arts—it's up to you.

While we're still eagerly seeking writing submissions, we want to put out a special call to all of you visual artists out there: As of now, we've received only a few drawings/paintings/illustrations.

Again, that deadline is noon on Wednesday, Jan. 7. Send questions and/or submissions—with contact information for verification purposes—to jboegle@tucsonweekly.com. Thanks!

The Obama Issue..:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Unless you're one of those folks who live in a remote cave and/or don't care about anything, chances are, the events of Jan. 20 will matter a great deal to you.

Of course, that's the date when Barack Obama will be sworn in as the 44th president of the United States, and George W. Bush will head back to Texas.

I could discuss how I feel about this presidential transition, but, well, I won't. (Besides, if you read what I write on anything resembling a regular basis, you already know how I feel about Barack Obama and the nitwit who should have been impeached George W. Bush.)

However, I would like you, our readers, to have your say, positive or negative—and in our special Jan. 15-21 issue, we'll open our pages to you.

Feel free to express yourself however you want—with essays, poetry, short stories, drawings … anything that can be printed on newsprint. All we ask is that you keep your word count to 300 words or so, that you include your name and contact information (so we can verify authorship), and that you get your submissions to us via e-mail (jboegle@tucsonweekly.com) by noon on Wednesday, Jan. 7. We can't promise we'll run everything we get, but we'll run as much of it as we can.

Questions? Drop me a line … and thank you in advance for contributing to what promises to be a very special issue.

-- Jimmy Boegle

Schedule subject to change; visit clubcrawl.net for last-minute changes to schedules and maps, and to sign up for free text-message alerts the night of Club Crawl!

Bud Light Lime Music Stage
8 p.m.: Nancy McCallion
9 p.m.: Grams and Krieger
10 p.m.: Mr. Boogie Woogie and Guitar Ray (Holland)
11 p.m.: Al Foul
Midnight: Michael P. Band
Things at this outdoor stage get underway at 8 p.m. with the Celtic 'n' Tex-Mex sounds of former Mollys frontwoman and current Last Call Girls member Nancy McCallion. She'll be followed at 9 p.m. by a dose of acoustic blues courtesy of singer-songwriter duo Grams and Krieger. Next up, the name speaks for itself: Holland's Mr. Boogie Woogie and Guitar Ray hit the stage at 10 p.m. If you don't think you like good-old-fashioned rockabilly, you haven't heard the great Al Foul, who's up at 11 p.m. At midnight, it's the funktastic sounds of the Michael P. Band.

KRQ Stage
8 p.m.: Kool Shades
9 p.m.: Spirit Familia
10 p.m.: Cosmic Slop
11 p.m.: Tongue Dried Sun
Midnight: American Android
Top 40 radio station KRQ's outdoor stage kicks things off with a multi-genre dance party tonight, with the young'uns of Kool Shades providing ska at 8 p.m. for all your skanking needs. At 9 p.m., it's the sprawling, funky ensemble Spirit Familia, who are followed by the George Clinton-style funk of Cosmic Slop at 10 p.m. Things turn alterna-rocky at 11 p.m. when Tongue Dried Sun take the stage. Then, at midnight, it's the heavy politics and heavier sounds of American Android.

Cricket/The Mountain Stage
8 p.m.: Skitn
9 p.m.: Loren Dircks of Gila Bend
10 p.m.: Haley Jane
11 p.m.: Little Sisters of the Poor
Midnight: Greyhound Soul
Things at the Cricket/The Mountain stage tonight remain largely in a roots-rock mode, with the lone exception coming at the beginning of the night: The beach-reggae grooves of Skitn launch the proceedings at 8 p.m. At 9 p.m., it's a set by guitarist extraordinaire Loren Dircks, best known to most as the gunslinger in Gila Bend. At 10 p.m., Haley Jane bring their brand of Americana folk-pop to the stage, followed at 11 p.m. by the rootsy pop of the David Slutes-fronted Little Sisters of the Poor. At midnight it's the grandiose, classic-rock originals of Greyhound Soul (pictured at top), featuring gravel-voiced singer/songwriter Joe Pena.

Tejano/La Preciosa Stage
8 p.m.: Ritmo Tejano
9 p.m.: L.N.O.
10 p.m.: Relente
11 p.m. to 1 a.m.: Se Salen
The Tejano/La Preciosa Stage should be pretty self-explanatory, right? Get there at 8 p.m. to catch a dose of Tejano, Tex-Mex, and cojunto from Ritmo Tejano, who are up just before L.N.O. at 9 p.m. At 10 p.m., check out Relente, a sextet that includes several veterans of much-loved Tejano acts performing cumbias, corridos, rancheras and a little bit of country. Since 1995, Se Salen, who count Radio Tejano DJ Rockin' Rupert among their ranks, have been spreading their love of classic Tejano music all over Arizona. They'll do it here at 11 p.m.

Rialto Theatre
8 p.m.: Marianne Dissard
9 p.m.: Andrew Collberg
10 p.m.: Fell City Shouts
11 p.m.: The Jons
Midnight: Mucca Pazza (Chicago)
The lineup at the Rialto tonight is almost as eclectic as the fare it offers year-round. Fresh off the release of a gorgeous new album, L'entredeux, Marianne Dissard woos you with her lovely French pop at 8 p.m., followed at 9 p.m. by the John Lennon-influenced singer-songwriter Andrew Collberg, who also just released an awfully good new EP. At 10 p.m., it's the relatively new combo the Fell City Shouts, who—wait for it—also just released a fine new EP full of Tom Waits-inspired goodness. They're followed at 11 p.m. by The Jons, aka the Mexican Beatles. At midnight, prepare yourselves for the dazzling, true-blue marching-band sounds of Chicago's Mucca Pazza—complete with cheerleaders!

Club Congress
8 p.m.: Garboski
9 p.m.: Mission Creeps
10 p.m.: Crossing Sarnoff
11 p.m.: Family of Light
Midnight: Blackwood and Co.
Things at the indoor club stage at this downtown anchor get rolling at 8 p.m. with the much-buzzed-about indie rock of Garboski, featuring former members of Lloyd Dobler and Is to Feel, followed at 9 p.m. by the Mission Creeps—what a B-movie horror flick would sound like if it were a band. Expect some spooky props and/or face paint. Crossing Sarnoff, who sound a bit like something you'd hear on an FM rock station circa 1977—in a good way—take over at 10 p.m. Fronted by Dusty Busker Stuart Oliver, Family of Light use an awful lot of instruments to perform lovely, breezy, slightly psychedelic country-rock à la the Flying Burrito Brothers. They're up at 11 p.m., with the second-ever live performance by Blackwood and Co., the collaboration between the Pork Torta's Lucas Mosely and Clif Taylor, aka Chick Cashman, closing the curtain at midnight.

Congress Outdoor Stage
8 p.m.: Feel Good Revolution
9 p.m.: Underwater Getdown (Phoenix)
10 p.m.: RCougar
11 p.m.: The Swim
Midnight: Holy Rolling Empire
Indie rock of many colors is the name of the game at HoCo's outdoor parking-lot stage tonight. Following a much-coveted opening slot for Gogol Bordello a couple of weeks back, Feel Good Revolution merge Modest Mouse-style indie rock, garage rock and a winning goofiness at 8 p.m. At 9 p.m., Phoenix five-piece Underwater Getdown perform earnest, by turns earthy and darkly atmospheric indie pop with co-ed vocals, just before RCougar turn in a set of intricately woven indie rock that'll please fans of Pinback and Built to Spill at 10 p.m. The Swim play straightforward indie-pop with memorable hooks for miles at 11 p.m., followed at midnight by the Holy Rolling Empire, who fuse '60s British Invasion with modern indie rock and a dose of psychedelia.

The District
Church of Rock Revelations hosted by the Rev. Larry
9 p.m.: Hellrancho (Phoenix)
10 p.m.: SuperGiant (Albuquerque)
11 p.m.: Holy Dose
Midnight: Great American Tragedy
1 a.m.: Split Hoof (Austin)
This usually unassuming downtown watering hole tonight becomes your home for heaviosity, as the joint is converted into the Rev. Larry's Church of Rock Revelations. Begin testifying, brothers and sisters, at 9 p.m., when Phoenix's Hellrancho bring their tasty licks down Interstate 10 for your enjoyment. Like Foghat before them, Albuquerque's SuperGiant toss a little boogie into their rock at 10 p.m. Things pick up speed at 11 p.m., when Holy Dose feed you an unholy dose of hardcore; at midnight, it's time to go back to a stoner-punk-metal pace with Great American Tragedy. At 1 a.m., Austin trio Split Hoof close out the night with riff-rock that'll send you off to dream deep purple dreams.

Sharks
8:30 p.m.: Bala Blanca
9:45 p.m.: Los Nawdy Dawgs
11 p.m.: Noid
Midnight: DJ Chucky Chingon
Your downtown home for rock en español and so much more sticks to the tried-and-true tonight, starting at 8:30 p.m. with Spanish-language pop-punk courtesy of Bala Blanca. At 9:45 p.m., it's the Santana-influenced rock of Los Nawdy Dawgs. No need to avoid Noid when they take the stage at 11 p.m., followed by DJ Chucky Chingon, who spins the wheels of steel at midnight.

Sports on Congress
Hosted by Black 1
10 p.m.: Random
10:30 p.m.: Novelty
11 p.m.: Big Meridox with DJ Bonus
11:30 p.m.: People of the Sun
Midnight: "Get Loose" with DJ Bonus and DJ Hometown Herm
Though it plays host to other genres, too, Sports on Congress has recently become the most reliable downtown venue for live local hip-hop, and tonight is no exception. Black 1 is your host for the proceedings, which include brief sets by Random (10 p.m.), Novelty (10:30 p.m.), Big Meridox with DJ Bonus (11 p.m.) and People of the Sun (11:30 p.m.), before DJ Bonus and DJ Hometown Herm grab hold of the turntables for a session dubbed "Get Loose" starting at midnight.

Vaudeville
9 p.m.: Wolf Man and the Nards
10 p.m.: Love Mound
11 p.m.: Midnight Ghost Train (New York)
Midnight: Tom Walbank
1 a.m.: Last Call Brawlers
True to its name, Vaudeville's got a little something for everyone tonight, starting at 9 p.m. with the tasty garage surf-rock of Wolf Man and the Nards. Love Mound bring the heavy-as-bricks blues-rock to the stage at 10 p.m., followed at 11 p.m. by the brooding blues-rock of Buffalo, N.Y.-based Midnight Ghost Train, who may remind some of the late Screaming Trees. Midnight brings the sexually charged, primal Delta blues of Tom Walbank; then, at 1 a.m., the Last Call Brawlers will send you on your way with their raucous brand of punkabilly.

O'Malley's
9 p.m.: Citizen Saint
10 p.m.: AV (Phoenix)
11 p.m.: Abandoned by Heroes
12:30 a.m.: Redlands
This perennial college hangout plays to its loyal base tonight, starting at 9 p.m. with Citizen Saint, whose earnest alternarock will surely have the ladies swooning. Fresh off the release of a new album, BeLIEve Me, Phoenix's AV take over at 10 p.m., with Abandoned by Heroes bringing their tasteful brand of acoustic rock to the masses at 11 p.m. With their lovely take on folk-pop, Redlands stick a fork in the night at 12:30 a.m.

The Hut
8 p.m.: The Right Thing
9 p.m.: Ghost Cow
10 p.m.: The Hounds
11 p.m.: Shrimp Chaperone
12:30 a.m.: Troy's Bucket
The Hut's indoor stage is a genre grab-bag tonight, starting at 8 p.m. with the funky, bluesy, soulful sounds of The Right Thing. At 9 p.m., Ghost Cow mesh '60s garage rock with Arizona desert rock, followed at 10 p.m. by the feel-good vibes of the G. Love- and Sublime-influenced The Hounds (pictured below). Classic surf rock via Shrimp Chaperone takes over at 11 p.m.; then, at midnight, the goonies of ska-punk-metal seven-piece Troy's Bucket will have you dancing your way to exhaustion.

The Hut Outdoor Stage
8 p.m.: Mickey Blues Robinson and The Mighty Joel Ford
9 p.m.: Thee El Camino Royals
10 p.m.: The Dusty Buskers
11 p.m.: Planet Jam
Midnight: Tryst
Mickey Blues Robinson and The Mighty Joel Ford start things off on this Fourth Avenue outdoor stage at 8 p.m., and are followed by Thee El Camino Royals at 9 p.m. The Dusty Buskers, who are up at 10 p.m., play traditional acoustic music—bluegrass and Celtic, mostly—with an energy derived from punk. Planet Jam bring roots reggae and dub to the proceedings at 11 p.m., just before the soothing jazz-funk fusion that is Tryst, at midnight.

Red Room at Grill
10 p.m. to midnight: DJ Sid Da Kid
From 10 p.m. to midnight tonight, DJ Sid Da Kid will be providing the entertainment within the cozy confines of the Red Room, within this venerable downtown diner.

Winsett Park
7 to 9 p.m.: Desert Bluegrass Association
This outdoor stage on Fourth Avenue will play host from 7 to 9 p.m. to the self-explanatory and talented Desert Bluegrass Association.

Delectables
7 to 9 p.m.: Nowhere Man and a Whiskey Girl
An acoustic guitar, a piano and the lovely voice of Amy Ross are all Nowhere Man and a Whiskey Girl need to impress with their stripped-down singer-songwriter fare. They'll perform at this Fourth Avenue eatery from 7 to 9 p.m.

Cushing Street Bar and Grill
7 to 10 p.m.: Jeff Lewis and Friends
A slightly off-the-beaten-path downtown mainstay, Cushing Street will tonight host Jeff Lewis and Friends from 7 to 10 p.m.

Magpies
7 to 9 p.m.: Fourth Street String Band
Winners for the umpteenth time in the Best Pizza category of our Best of Tucson™ poll, the Fourth Avenue pizza joint tonight features the Fourth Street String Band from 7 to 9 p.m.

Martin's
8 to 10 p.m.: Salvador Duran
If you don't speak Spanish, you won't understand what Salvador Duran is singing—but it won't matter, since his lovely voice would please the ears if he was singing the phone book. Order the killer empanadas—or anything else—while he's performing from 8 to 10 p.m.

Chocolate Iguana
7 to 9 p.m.: Phil Borzillo
A pretty sweet way to start off your night: Grab a latte and some chocolate to fuel up while taking in the country blues of Phil Borzillo, He'll be playing from 7 to 9 p.m.

Café Passe
7 to 9 p.m.: Jimmy Carr hosts Jim Cox, Rosano Bros., Tharon Carlson and David Bryant
The Fourth Avenue café hotspot tonight hosts a sort of songwriter's circle with extra accompaniment. Multi-instrumentalist Jimmy Carr hosts Jim Cox (Fourkiller Flats), David Bryant (Loveland), the astounding Rosano Bros. and the genre-hopping Tharon Carlson, from 7 to 9 p.m.

Enoteca
6 to 9 p.m.: Mood Swing
This downtown Italian eatery and wine bar will feature live jazz standards tonight from Mood Swing, from 6 to 9 p.m.

Casa Vicente
7 to 9 p.m.: Flamenco dancing and music
Enjoy delicious tapas while taking in some graceful flamenco dancing and the music of John Banuelos at this downtown restaurant from 7 to 9 p.m. tonight.

 Tucson Weekly's(TM) 2007 Spring Club Crawl (TM) is almost here!!!!

THIS Saturday, April 21 8:00 p.m. to 1:00 am

Downtown Tucson!

Live Local Music. . . .

Don't miss out on all the fun. . . . . . .

 Tucson Weekly's(TM) 2007 Spring Club Crawl (TM) is coming.

Saturday, April 21 8:00 p.m. to 1:00 am

Downtown Tucson!

Live Local Music. . . .

Don't miss out on all the fun. . . . . . .