City Week

Buffy's Back

BUFFY SING-ALONG
9 P.M., FRIDAY, SEPT. 8
LOFT CINEMA 3233 E. SPEEDWAY BLVD.
795-0844; loftcinema.com

Vampires, demons, ghosts, gods and female empowerment: Buffy the Vampire Slayer had it all. The day the last episode aired was a sad day for many: This clever, well-written television show has developed a huge cult following that's still going strong more than three years later.

Nothing proves the show's local popularity quite so much as the big turnout at the Loft Cinema's last Buffy event, a sold-out screening of Joss Whedon's film Serenity in conjunction with a Buffy sing-along. Since about 150 people were turned away, the Loft has decided to offer the sing-along again, this Friday night. It will give fans the chance to see the show's 1996 unaired pilot episode, to sing along with the classical musical episode "Once More With Feeling," and even to dress up as a favorite Buffy character and win one of several fabulous prizes.

"This is a unique show," says Jeff Yanc, the program director at the Loft. "(It) gives you the opportunity to sing in public at the top of your lungs, yell at characters on the screen, dress up in a crazy costume and even grab some beer and pizza from the concession stand while you're doing it. You can participate as much as you want, or just sit back and watch. Whether you're a Buffy fan or not, it's quite a spectacle."

Admission is just $5, and you can get a goodie bag full of props and toys to use during the show for $3. The bags sell out pretty quickly, so you might want to arrive early or reserve one in advance. --A.M.

Little League, Big Ethics

ROUNDING THIRD
7:30 P.M., TUESDAYS-THURSDAYS; 8 P.M., FRIDAYS AND SATURDAYS; 2 P.M., SUNDAYS, THROUGH OCT. 1; PREVIEW PERFORMANCE 7:30 P.M., MONDAY, SEPT. 11
INVISIBLE THEATRE, 1400 N. FIRST AVE.
882-9721

It's not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game. Or is it? Apparently, this age-old question can create quite a conundrum for Little League coaches.

Rounding Third, a funny play by Richard Dresser, provides an excellent illustration. It tells the tale of two mismatched Little League coaches--the "win at all costs" Don, and the "can't we just have fun?" Michael--two dads who just can't get along. Needless to say, hijinks ensue. But on a more serious note, throughout the play, each character also explores what it means to be a man in our culture, what it means to be a father and what it means to succeed.

The play rings true, because its premise comes from Dresser's own personal experience as a Little League coach for his son's team. "Philosophically," he states in a press release, "there was no question where I stood. Little League should be fun, and kids should be encouraged to progress at their own speed. ... And yet, when I found myself actually coaching, I discovered that I wanted to win. I really wanted to win."

What's a coach to do? "By the time I wrote the play," Dresser continues, "I believed passionately in these opposing points of view. We should protect and nurture our children during this brief, precious time in their lives. And we should teach them how to compete and how to win."

So it appears that both Don and Michael are right. How is this possible? I don't know ... I guess you have to see the play to find out. Admission is $22-$25, or $16 for the preview performance on Monday, Sept. 11. --A.M.

Great Scots

OLD BLIND DOGS
8 P.M., SATURDAY, SEPT. 9
BERGER PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, 1200 W. SPEEDWAY BLVD.
981-1475

What's the difference between a bagpipe and a trampoline? Eventually, people get tired of jumping on a trampoline. Why do pipers march while they play? A moving target is hard to hit with a rotten egg.

All joking aside, Scottish music is awesome--especially the bagpipes. And for some reason, the Scots seem to really like Tucson. At least that's the case with Scotland folk band Old Blind Dogs, who've been visiting us and playing sold-out shows since 1993.

Old Blind Dogs have all the traditional instruments, including the fiddle, cistern, mandolin, flute, guitar and (of course) bagpipes. They play jigs, reels and more, and are well known for their phenomenal stage energy. But the band's sound also has a contemporary edge. "What really sets them apart ... from other Scottish bands," says In Concert! director Don Gest, "is that they add percussion to traditional tunes and songs, making the arrangements sound fresh and modern, with some world beat influences." Percussionist Fraser Stone even plays the djembe, a drum from West Africa.

Old Blind Dogs are working on their ninth album, and they'll be stopping in our city this weekend to show off some new and old tunes. The performance will probably draw a lot of people--the band's never played for a Tucson crowd of less than 400--and it's sure to be a lot of fun.

Yes, dancing in the aisles will be permitted. And no, Old Blind Dogs will not be wearing kilts.

Admission is $20 in advance, and $23 at the door. Tickets are available at Antigone Books, CD City,

www.inconcerttucson.com or by calling (800) 595-4849. --A.M.

Watercolor: The Stuff of Life

DOCTRESS NEUTOPIA EXHIBIT
NOON TO 10 P.M., MONDAYS AND WEDNESDAYS-SATURDAYS, THROUGH TUESDAY, OCT. 31
ACCESS TUCSON GALLERY, 124 E. BROADWAY BLVD.
624-9833, EXT. 126

According to Doctress Neutopia (aka Libby Hubbard), watercolor painting is divine. And she means that literally.

"Watercolor paintings are a reflection of who we are, because they're made out of the cosmic substance of life!" Hubbard's artist statement declares. And it's true: Our bodies are composed of mostly of water and minerals, the two substances needed for Hubbard's chosen medium. Makes sense, right?

It gets a little deeper.

"The forms that take shape in my paintings flow from me like waves in the ocean. They are meditations on the core of who I am. The figures that emerge always surprise me, because I'm not sure where they're coming from. After years of wondering about this ... I realized that perhaps the microcosmic world of microorganisms (was) speaking to me via the watercolor paintings."

Doctress Neutopia's ideas emerge mainly from Gaia theory, a holistic model of a self-regulating Earth in which our biosphere is made up of many components, from people and animals to subatomic particles, all working together in harmony. The theory fosters a worldview that unites science, religion and--for Hubbard--art.

If all of this seems kind of eccentric, don't let that put you off--you have to admit Hubbard's concepts are intriguing. And the same can be said about the art itself. Her abstract paintings of complex and vibrantly colorful entities--all of which vaguely resemble frolicking amoebas--are absorbing to ponder as well as fun to look at. With titles like "Friendly Microbe" and "Pink Floater," they welcome the viewer into a world where art and science coexist in a very attractive (and amusing) way.

Doctress Neutopia's works will be on view through the end of October, so check them out for a little peek inside yourself. --A.M.