Page 56 December 2 0 1 4 2014 goes out with a bang By Craig Goossen The live music landscape in Phoenix won’t go quietly as 2014 nears an end. Our yearly visit from Los Angeles legends X & The Blasters, the great Fleetwood Mac and the one, the only, Willie Nelson, all will hit stages in Phoenix this month. Looking back on this great year makes you take special notice of how lucky we are to live in a city where top-notch artists take the time to play for us, not to mention the local scene we have brewing that, according to many, is terribly underrated. Each month I select songs for a monthly music mix. The process for this month’s music mix was great fun, but difficult, as these artists have incredible catalogs and selecting one track is never easy. When the mixes are complete, they go on heavy rotation in the house, the car and the office through the entirety of the month. The songs I selected this month help spark anticipation, stirring intense excitement to see these artists live on stage. To prep for this month’s picks, you may want to do the same. Break out your music collections or get on the Internet and get the music juices flowing. X SEE HOW WE ARE (1987) This is really a double bill seeing that the mighty X brings their buddies The Blasters along to open the gig. If you made it to last year’s show, you know how amazing it was and there’s no doubt this year will be as good, if not better. These two bands are true American classics and missing their visit is not advised. X will perform on Sunday, December 7 at Crescent Ballroom, 308 N. 2nd Ave. in downtown Phoenix. Tickets are $36 and the show is 21 and older. FLEETWOOD MAC STORMS (1979) Fleetwood Mac’s mid-70s to early ’80s recorded output is nothing short of amazing. Perfect songs heavily drenched in love, hate and everything in between. This selection from the misunderstood double album Tusk showcases the class and craft of guitarist Lindsey Buckingham and the expressive beauty of vocalist Stevie Nicks. Fleetwood Mac will perform on Wednesday, December 10 at U.S. Airways Arena, 201 E. Jefferson St. in downtown Phoenix. Tickets start at $44.75. RYAN ADAMS GIMME SOMETHING GOOD (2014) Ryan Adams has crafted a catalog that’s exciting, diverse and loaded with the highest level of song craft that you could ask of a musician. He’s got the goods and thankfully he likes to hang in his very own studio in Los Angeles and jam, record and hit the road. This show is an early Christmas present. Ryan Adams will perform on Wednesday, December 10 at ASU Gammage Hall, 1200 S. Forest Ave. in Tempe. Tickets start at $30. SPOON I TURN MY CAMERA ON (2005) Spoon will surely have the crowd bopping their heads to their groovy goods. This track, an oldie but a goodie from the Austin, Texas band, should be a good indication of what you’re in store for if you’re adventurous enough to take an easy drive to the Marquee on a Monday. Spoon performs on Monday, December 15 at the Marquee Theatre, 730 N. Mill Ave. in Tempe. Tickets are $28. WILLIE NELSON AND FAMILY TWILIGHT TIME (2013) I know, this is not technically a December show, but this is Willie Nelson and if you don’t purchase early you’ll blow the chance to see this legendary voice in a choice setting. What an exceptional stocking stuffer this ticket would make for the music lovers in your life. Willie Nelson and Family will perform on Sunday, January 4 at the Celebrity Theatre, 440 N. 32nd St. in Phoenix. Tickets start at $60. All acts are subject to change. Check with the venue prior to attending. To have events considered for the Calendar, submit information to calendar@arcadianews.com by the 15th of the month prior to publication. Calendar listings may be edited and published by Arcadia News as space allows and at the discretion of the editorial team. Scottsdale Fifth Ave. Arts Festival Scottsdale Waterfront 7155 E. Fifth Ave. Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 5-7 Scottsdale’s Arts Festival will include live music, a wine garden and many boutiques from which you can shop. artisanmarketsaz.com Carnival of Illusion: An Evening of Old-World Magic Phoenix Parlour at the Arizona Biltmore Resort 2400 E. Missouri Ave. 5:30-8 p.m., Dec. 6, 13 and 20 The Carnival of Illusion is a roadshow that will have magic, mystery and intrigue. It is described as an evening of Old-World magic, with a top-rated attraction. Tickets range from $41 to $60. carnivalofillusion.com Ultimate Santa Run Wesley Bolin Plaza 1700 W. Washington St. 6:30-10:30 a.m., Dec. 6 The Santa Run is a 5K run/walk to celebrate the Christmas spirit in downtown Phoenix. Runners dress up in Santa costumes and celebrate the end of the run with milk and cookies. They will also hold a toy donation drive to provide children in need with Christmas gifts. Early-bird tickets are $25 and full-price entry is $60. ultimatesantarun.com Phoesitvus 2014 14 E. Pierce St. 4-9 p.m., Dec. 10 There will be over 100 local vendors at the Public Market to provide shopping for the holiday season. There will also be a beer garden and carolers. All proceeds will benefit the Phoenix Public Market. phxpublicmarket.com Fantasy of Lights Boat Parade Tempe Town Lake 620 N. Mill Ave. 5 p.m., Dec. 13 The Tempe Town Lake Boat Parade will feature over 50 boats that have been decorated in honor of the Christmas spirit. millavenue.com Sixth Annual Festival of Trees Arizona Center 400 E. Van Buren St. 6-9 p.m., Dec. 12 The Annual Festival of Trees will be a night of entertainment with food, drinks, an art auction and DJ. There will also be a runway show with designers from around the Valley. All proceeds will benefit arts for youth and adults with behavioral health illnesses. Tickets range from $15 to $75. festivaloftreesphoenix.org Third Annual Waterfront Fine Art & Wine Festival Scottsdale Waterfront 7135 E. Camelback Rd., #155 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Dec. 5-7 The Scottsdale Waterfront will hold a festival for Thunderbird Artists, including wine, chocolate and arts. There will be jewelry, live entertainment and sculptures at the festival. Admission is $3. thunderbirdartists.com Arcadia Holiday Festival The Vault Wine Storage (behind Pete’s Fish) 4117 N. 44th St. 1-5 p.m., Dec. 7 Arcadian residences and local businesses gather to get to know the neighbors and the neighborhood businesses. The Vault Wine Storage plans to make this an annual event. Children from the School of Rock will be performing and there will be games, raffles and free tastings of the local cuisine. Walking or biking is recommended as there is limited parking. thevaultwinestorage.com Cowboy Christmas Old Town Indian School Rd. to Second St. and Scottsdale Rd. to Brown Ave. 12-4 p.m., Dec. 13-21 The Cowboy Christmas will celebrate Western culture. There will be wagon rides, reenactments and visits with Santa. There will also be opportunities to purchase Western gifts for the holidays. historicoldtownscottsdale.com Mannheim Steamroller Christmas ASU Gammage 1200 S. Forest Ave. 8 p.m., Dec. 26 The 30th anniversary celebration of the Mannheim Steamroller Christmas will celebrate Chip Davis’s tradition of the group’s annual tour. asugammage.com What’s Happening, Arcadia? D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4 E V E N T S

Page 57 December 2 0 1 4 Festive films to inspire a very merry celebratory season By Julie Demetros The holidays are just around the corner – time for shopping sprees and preparations to begin! However, be sure to take a break once in a while and enjoy a good movie or two between all the chaos. Here are some of our picks that will keep everyone in the holiday spirit. The Santa Clause (PG) Another better-known Christmas film, The Santa Clause features Scott Calvin (Tim Allen), a divorced dad who accidentally scares Santa off the roof one Christmas night. When the legendary figure disappears after he hits the ground, Scott finds himself being forcefully recruited as the new Santa Claus, and told to take over the delivery of presents across the world each year. Though he resists his new responsibilities, they begin seeping into the rest of his life anyway and he is grudgingly dragged back to do his new, annual job whether he likes it or not. His young son, on the other hand, is thrilled that his father is the new Santa. However, Scott’s ex-wife and her boyfriend are worried about what they believe are lies that Scott is feeding the impressionable kid. This movie is a good one for the whole family to watch, especially when accompanied with lots of hot chocolate. The Hebrew Hammer (R) If Christmas isn’t really your cup of tea, but humor and Hanukkah is, then maybe The Hebrew Hammer is the right holiday movie for you. Doubling as the eponymous superhero, the Jewish stud Mordechai Jefferson Carver has to save Hanukkah from Santa Claus’ evil son, Damian. When Damian has had enough of doing things his father’s way, he takes over the role of Santa Claus and tries to do away with Hanukkah for good. The Hebrew Hammer and his allies, Esther Bloomenbergensteinenthal, and the head of the Kwanzaa Liberation Front, Mohammed Ali Paula Abdul Rahim, are ready to face the threat Damian poses and save Hanukkah. Elf (PG) This is probably one of the most well- known holiday films. In Elf, Will Ferrell plays a grown-up man-child. This is only distinguishable from his other movies by the fact that it’s Christmas themed. One day in the North Pole, Buddy the elf learns that he isn’t actually an elf but a human adopted and raised by one of Santa’s elves. Distraught and full of a feeling of not belonging, Buddy sets off on a quest to find his biological father, Walter Hobbs. Buddy travels to New York City, where his birth dad works and lives with his wife and son. However, Walter seems to prioritize work over everything else in his life, including Buddy, when the human-elf approaches claiming to be his long-lost son. However, Buddy is persistent and quickly makes friends with the rest of Walter’s family and a nice lady working in a large department store in New York City. Together, this patchwork group of people has to help save Santa and essentially all of Christmas by finding the holiday spirit within themselves. The Nightmare Before Christmas (PG) This animated film is perfect for the whole family to enjoy. In this world, each holiday has a corresponding town full of colorful characters who make their day possible. In Halloween Town, the Pumpkin King Jack Skellington decides this latest Halloween wasn’t enough and it was time to try something new. On a walk through the woods he discovers the door to Christmas Town, and finds the joyous place of snow, lights and music to be just what he needed. So he convinces the citizens of his beloved town to help him create a Christmas of their own this year to give the world instead of their usual one. However, things don’t go according to Jack’s plan and he finds the world isn’t as appreciative of his hard work as he expected. Full of fun and music, one of the best parts of this movie is that it can be watched in both October and December for two different holidays. STI Physical Therapy | 4840 E. Indian School Suite 103 | Phone 602.956.2850 | Fax 602.956.2877 SERVICES PROVIDED BY STI Pre & Post Operative Care Post Motor Vehicle Accident Rehabilitation Work Related Injuries ASTYM Soft Tissue Technique Kinesiotaping