Aasif Mandvi
The title of Aasif Mandvi’s latest Phoenix appearance makes his intentions clear: The audience will be witness to the comedian’s creative process as he refines his routine. Dubbed Come See How The Sausage Is Made, the actor, author, and former Daily Show correspondent will share how he gets his material to the award-winning level audiences have laughed at for years. See the comedian run his material through the meat grinder at 7:30 and 10 p.m. on Friday, August 3, at Stand Up Live, 50 West Jefferson Street with additional shows on Saturday, August 4. Tickets are $25 with a two-drink minimum. For more information, visit the Stand Up Live website. Jason Keil
Friday Night Live
It might be called “Historic” Grand Avenue, but that doesn’t mean the diagonal strip near downtown Phoenix is living in the past. See what we mean, as ThirdSpace, 1028 Grand Avenue, presents its latest Friday Night Live lineup, starting at 9 p.m. on Friday, August 3, and running until 2 a.m. on Saturday. It’s all about hip-hop, including a steady stream of free live performance, along with
The MF Doom dedication set kicks off at 11:25 p.m. Visit the ThirdSpace website. Lynn Trimble
Mark-Making Robots
Vacuums have been around since 1901, but you don’t have to be a neat freak to enjoy one. Turns out, the roving Roomba Robot version can do a lot more than comb your carpets for pet hair. It’s a pretty good painter, too. Artist Bobby Zokaites will show you how it’s done during a free workshop called Mark-Making Robots, happening from noon to 2 p.m. on Saturday, August 4, at The Gallery at Tempe Center for the Arts, 700 West Rio Salado Parkway. While you’re there, you can whip up your own mark-making machine and check out Zokaites’ robot-assisted artworks in an art show called “Draw: The Art of Curiosity and Innovation.” Visit the Tempe Center for the Arts website. Lynn Trimble
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. San Francisco Giants
Imagine instead of costumed characters, the Diamondbacks Legends Race was run with the team’s flesh-and-blood legends: Randy Johnson, Luis Gonzalez, Matt Williams, and Mark Grace. There might be a lot of flesh and blood left on the ground, but it might be possible to run such a race on Saturday, August 4, when the Arizona Diamondbacks honor their
Johnson, Gonzalez, and Williams are all part of the honor squad, and Grace works for the team’s broadcast network, but don’t expect them to put on their track shoes anytime soon. There
Stateside Sweet 16 Birthday Bash
The company that brought us Valley Bar, Crescent
Admission for the 21-and-up event is $10 in advance and $15 on the day of the show. To purchase tickets, head to the Ticketweb website. Lindsay Roberts
Kingdom Hearts Orchestra World Tour
Even if you are nerdy enough to own every iteration of the Kingdom Hearts video game and its soundtrack, you may want to buy your tickets for the Kingdom Hearts Orchestra World Tour, like, right now. Original soundtrack composer Yoko Shimomura will be headed to Symphony Hall, 75 North Second Street, at 8 p.m. on Saturday, August 4. A full orchestra will be playing fan favorites such as “Dearly Beloved” and “Simple and Clean.”
Tickets start at $49 via the Phoenix Ticketforce website. For more information or to invite friends, visit the Facebook event page. Lindsay Roberts
“Stripped Cabaret: Un-Censored, Un-Hinged,
As the cliche goes, if public speaking makes you nervous, you should imagine the audience naked. “Stripped Cabaret: Un-Censored, Un-Hinged,
For more information, visit the Stripped Cabaret website. Jason Keil
Prowl and Play: Magical Midsummer Dream
Most of the Phoenix Zoo’s magic comes from the variety of creatures that call the place home. At Prowl and Play: Magical Midsummer Dream, it’s the humans who will be providing the weirdness and wizardry. This mythical, mystical after-hours party is your chance to frolic with fairies as you get your mind twisted by a magician and illusionist. There’s also games, live music,
The esoteric soiree takes place from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 4, at the Phoenix Zoo, 455 North Galvin Parkway. Admission is $10, and free for kids 2 and younger. Call 602-286-3800 or visit phoenixzoo.org. Amy Young
Led Zeppelin Evening
Sure, Led Zeppelin may have broken up decades ago after the death of its legendary drummer, John Bonham. But their legacy remains, scratched into the desks of high school stoners everywhere, and in Jason Bonham, son of John. He’s bringing his Led Zeppelin Evening to the Valley this week, featuring epic covers of the band’s biggest hits, with all the lights, sounds, and atmospheric visual effects that ’70s audiences never would’ve dreamed of. And as the pièce de résistance, Jason performs the epic drum solo from “Moby Dick” (off Led Zeppelin II) side-by-side with a video of his dad. Who needs a hologram?
It all starts at 8 p.m. on Saturday, August 4, at the Talking Stick Resort Ballroom, 9800 East Talking Stick Way, Scottsdale. Tickets are $30 to $50 via Ticketmaster. For more info, visit the Talking Stick Resort website. Douglas Markowitz
“Sympathetic Vibrations”
There were good vibes aplenty as Eye Lounge, 419 East Roosevelt Street, opened its newest art show during Third Friday in July. But no worries if you didn’t make it to the gallery that night, because the “Sympathetic Vibrations” exhibit is still open, and you can take a good look from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, August 5. It’s a two-person show featuring mixed-media works by Tess Mosko Scherer and sculptures by David L. Bradley.
Mosko Scherer was inspired by Jungian
Goof Bawlz
Promoter Bobby Johnson loves stand-up comedy. One problem to him, though? Lots of local comics don’t get to stand up long enough. He created the Goof Bawlz comedy show to “give current AZ comics who are funny and have a reasonable following a solid 7 to 10 minutes on the mic.” Former Arizona residents qualify, too, like this month’s headliner, Billy O’Connor. An NYC firefighter and 9/11 first responder prior to his move to Phoenix, he’s recently adopted a California address. He returns for a visit to inspire yuks along with eight other funny folks at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, August 5, at Stand Up Live, 50 West Jefferson Street. Admission is $15 for 18 and older.
Attendance requires a two-drink minimum. Call 480-719-6100 or check out the Stand Up Live website. Amy Young