2nd Saturdays Downtown schedule for November 13

Entertainment Schedule for 2nd Saturdays Downtown, www.http://www.2ndsaturdaysdowntown.com/ on Saturday, November 13, 2010 (mostly between Hotel Congress and the Fox Theater on Congress Street). Parking is on the street or in the Pennington Street Garage.

Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W. Congress St.
7pm-9pm: Nils Lofgren, guitarist with Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band
Acoustic show. $15 – $75. “Prior to Springsteen, Nils recorded with Steven Stills, Neil Young, Rod Stewart, Ringo Starr, Grin, Dr. John, Los Lobos, Kathy Mattea, and has also released twelve solo albums.”

Scott Avenue Main Stage @ Broadway Blvd. —
6:00pm-7:00pm: Silverbell

7:15pm-8:30pm: the RAiLBiRDz (funky, soulful blues, R&B)

8:45pm-10:00pm: Michael P’s Big Band (soul, funk, honkey-tonk and rock)

Street Performances along Congress St.:
6pm-10pm: Living Statues, presented by Parasol Project

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Ronstadt Transit Center @ 6th Ave & Congress St
6pm-6:15pm: Preview performance of “An evening with Shel Silverstein”
6:15-8pm: The Bike-A-Stra
8pm-10pm: Five Way Street – Classic rock and expert harmonies

7pm-9pm: Magician John Coppin

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Indian Village Lot – Kid’s Corner! Between Stone & Scott on Congress

West wall: Cinema La Placita – “Alice In Wonderland” (animated version).
East Wall: Ultimate Electronics hosts Rock Band video competitions. Plus art activities for the kids, and more!

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Old Pueblo Garage, 27 E. Congress St.
6pm-8pm: (-J.)™ (ukelele, guitar, folk)
8pm-10pm: Cruz Billy – Delta blues

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NW Corner Congress St/Stone Ave
6pm-8pm: The Fourth Street Stringband – (Americana/folk/bluegrass)

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SW Corner Congress St/Stone Ave
7:30pm-10pm: Les Avenge – beat boy acrobatics
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Chicago Store, 130 E. Congress St.
6pm-10pm: Toby Chivers with Deceptively Innocent
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Flanagan’s Celtic Corner, 222 E. Congress St.
7pm-9pm: Tucson Fire Department Pipes and Drums
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Plus an art opening reception of “Small Wonders” at the Drawing Studio, 33 S. 6th Avenue –their annual holiday fundraiser featuring a large variety of “small works priced for holiday giving”, 6 to 9 p.m.

I’ve only missed one 2nd Saturdays Downtown since their inaugural event on May 8, 2010. Come on downtown & enjoy the musical performances and all the fun! Bring the kids.

December 11 is the next 2nd Saturdays Downtown.

Teenager Toby Chivers opening at the Fox for 2nd Saturdays Downtown

13 year old Toby Chivers (rock guitarist) will be the opening performer at the historic Fox Tucson Theatre, before Latin jazz musical group “Descarga”, on Saturday October 9 for the monthly 2nd Saturdays Downtown urban street fest. Concert is free, from 7 to 9 p.m., 17 W. Congress Street. Chivers plays with a teen band called “Deceptively Innocent.”

Toby Chivers

Event schedule to date from website, www.2ndsaturdaysdowntown.org.

Scott Avenue Stage (between Congress St. and Broadway Blvd.):

6:00pm-7:00pm: A Son y Sol (Latin American music with a twist)
7:15pm-8:30pm: Banana Gun (upbeat acoustic)
8:45pm-10:00pm: Jumper (power-pop)

Along Congress Street:

Art Car Exhibit: 10+ vehicles presented by Automorphosis
Odyssey Storytelling: Look for the StoryArts Cart on the topic – “Masks: Hidden Identities”
5:30 pm-6:15pm: 7 Pipers Band – bagpipers
7pm-9pm: Critical Stilts – Stilt walking & dancing
6pm-10pm: Living Statues, presented by Parasol Project (see photo below courtesy of Donovan Durband)

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Ronstadt Transit Center @ 6th Ave & Congress Street:
5:30pm-7pm: Les Avenge – beat boy acrobatics
7:00pm-8:00pm: Desert Melodies
8:00pm-9:00pm: The Technophobes – candy folk music
9:00pm-10:00pm: Honey Pistol – folk rock/indie/acoustic
7pm-9pm: Magician John Coppin
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Indian Village Lot – Kid’s Corner! Between Stone & Scott on Congress:
West wall: Cinema La Placita screens “Alice in Wonderland” & an encore presentation of a compilation of music videos from the Tucson Film & Music Festival.
East Wall: Ultimate Electronics hosts Rock Band video competitions.

Plus art activities for the kids, an anti-gravity jumping device and more!
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Old Pueblo Garage, 27 E. Congress Street:
6pm-8pm: Blanco Cliff & John White – blues

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NW Corner – Congress St./Stone Ave:
6pm-8pm: The Missing Parts – Folk music from an undiscovered country

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SW Corner – Congress St./Stone Ave:
7:30pm-10pm: Les Avenge – Beat boy acrobatics
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Chicago Store, 130 E. Congress Street:
6pm-10pm: One Phat DJ
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June’s Corner Store, 10 E. Broadway Blvd.
6:30pm-8pm: TBA
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Flanagan’s Celtic Corner, 222 E. Congress Street:
Annual Celtic Pumpkin and Gourd Carving Contest. Gift Certificates to Flanagan’s Celtic Corner will be awarded.

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And over at El Presidio Park and the Jacome Library Plaza of the Joel D. Valdez Main library is Tucson Meet Yourself, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., also on Saturday! Read my blog on that annual event (click here).

Upcoming 2nd Saturdays Downtown: Saturday, November 13, 2010 and Saturday, December 11, 2010.

First “Second Saturdays Downtown” a huge success

Droves and droves of people were there enjoying themselves on E. Congress Street tonight for the very first 2nd Saturdays Downtown event. It was wonderful to see the lighted marquees of the Rialto, Screening Room, and Fox beaconing to all the revelers. I got there early and listened to several performers…

Jamie O’Brien was playing his uplifting Irish music at One North Fifth (with Sharon Goldwasser on violin & mandolin), then I rambled over to the lovely Fox Tucson Theatre to hear the renowned Portland Cello Project (five cello musicians) on stage with a drummer. They played a haunting “Godfather Theme” in the first hour and even a rousing singalong “Hey ya”, followed by several lively songs with Weinland (a vocal guitarist).

Then I ran into fellow TC.com blogger Charles Spillar (“Artistic Tucson”) and we set off to explore two fabulous L.A. themed bars– Sapphire Lounge (rooftop bar, with several floors of ultra elegant dance/lounge areas) at 61 E. Congress, then Zen Rock, an equally elegant dance/lounge with a basement at 121 E. Congress. Wow, neither of us could believe these two high scale bars existed on Congress Street.

Then we checked out “Catacoustic Groove” a men’s cappella rock/soul/R & B group of six fellows including Dr. Bruce Bayly, an old friend of mine. They were drawing a large crowd at the Ronstadt Transit Center.

Also happening: a rock sound stage on Scott Avenue with The Modeens, The Mission Creeps, and Greyhound Soul, and nearby the Tucson Circus Arts with people on stilts, who teach juggling, clowning & taiko drumming. A local pie maker (Big Skye) sold me a delicious strawberry/rhubard pie. It seems street musicians were everywhere, along with mimes/human statues with grey faces & costumes, and a good mix of food and craft vendors. Most of the restaurants on E. Congress were open and doing good business as well. Stefan George was performing over at the Hotel Congress for free.

Cinema La Placita showed Beatles’ movies on a large screen projected on the wall of the large empty lot on E. Congress between Scott and Stone, and Ultimate Electronics encouraged youth to participate in karaoke/musical instrument participatory singalongs, also Beatles’ music. I loved hearing “I Want to Hold Your Hand” again. Cinema La Placita organizer Erika O’Dowd was passing out flyers for their upcoming Beatles movie on May 13, “A Hard Day’s Night.”

Need I say more? It was a fantastic “Urban Street Fest.” Kudos to former TC.com blogger Donovan Durband and his new boss Ward 6 Councilmember Steve Kozachik who apparently had a big hand in pulling this event together. Both men were present as well, enjoying themselves.

And as Everett, the guy with a humorous “Free advice for 5 cents” stand on the corner of Congress/6th Avenue said “my advice is to come back” for another 2nd Saturday. I recommend we all take his advice.

The second 2nd Saturdays Downtown is slated for June 12. Don’t miss it.

5/9/10 UPDATE: Photo gallery of shots taken by Donovan click here.