▼ Culture Great Geek-mas Traditions Five nerdy things to do this month in Phoenix. BY BENJAMIN LEATHERMAN W ith all due respect to the rest of the calen- dar, December is the geekiest month of the year. As a kid, it’s when you got amazing Christmas gifts that fu- eled your nerdom for years. As an adult, it’s the month when you can get crafty, dress up the tree with geeky decorations, or shop for nerdy items. Some of these same activities make up the following list of geek activities and events in the Valley this month. Highlights include Mystery Science Theatre 3000’s latest live tour snarking its way into town, a Santa-themed bar crawl, and a furry con- vention. Read on, geek out, and have a happy holiday season. Die Hard: A Christmas Story Some things are inescapable during the holidays, such as Christmas music and bad Lifetime made-for-TV movies about city slickers falling in love while visiting quaint mountain towns. In recent years, it’s also become increasingly hard to avoid the pointless social media debate over whether Die Hard is or isn’t a holiday movie. While the All Puppet Players’ staging of Die Hard: A Christmas Story, a cloth-and-felt reimag- ining of the 1988 action flick, probably won’t sway you to either side, it’ll definitely entertain. It’s the same epic plot you re- member (everyman cop versus European terrorists inside a high-tech high-rise), al- Benjamin Leatherman Costumed Kris Kringles will be welcome at the Santa-Pede bar crawl. beit with puppets. Performances run every Thursday to Sunday evenings until December 26. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. and are only open to those 17 and older. Tickets are $29 to $81. Visit allpuppetplayers.com UZA MysCreation’s Christmas Haunted Attraction Like your holidays to be more scary than merry? This two-story display and haunt created by UZA MysCreation, 2935 West Libby Street, will offer a ho-ho-horrific mix of festive revelry and bone-chilling scares from Friday, December 10, to Sunday, December 12. It will boast a Krampus theme with multiple versions of the mythical Christmas demon lurking about on both floors. Expect both thrills and chills. Hours are from 7 to 9 p.m. each night. Tickets are $10 online, $12 at the door. Visit myscreation.com. Santa-Pede Bar Crawl One of the hallmarks of the holidays in the Valley prior to the pandemic was the annual Arizona Cacophony Society’s annual Sant- archy bar crawl, a one-night invasion of local drinking establishments by hordes of people dressed as Kris Kringle or other Christmas- related costumes. Since it appears the event will be on hiatus this year, the first-ever Santa-Pede bar crawl on Saturday, Decem- ber 11, in Tempe seems like a worthy substi- tute. It’s not affiliated with the Cacophony Society in any way but will offer a similar setup and shtick to Santarchy. Participants are encouraged to dress like Santa or other festive characters and drink their way through bars like The Golden Pineapple, Monkey Pants, and Time Out Lounge before winding up at Yucca Tap Room, 29 West Southern Avenue. A collection of art cars, DJs, and bands will be awaiting them. The crawl starts at 6 p.m. and it’s free to partici- pate (you have to pay for your own drinks, though). You can find more information on Santa-Pede’s Facebook page: https://face- book.com/events/s/santa-pede- tempe/707219364019194/. Or Google it. Mystery Science Theatre 3000 Live: The Time Bubble Tour It’s a great time to be a fan of Mystery Science Theater 3000. The folks behind the iconic movie-riffing show recently an- nounced the lineup of craptastic flicks they’ll be skewering when MST3K re- launches on its Gizmoplex streaming ser- vice in March. If you need some cinematic snark to tide you over, the Mystery Science Theatre 3000 Live: Time Bubble Tour comes to Mesa Arts Center, 1 East Main Street, on Wednesday, December 29. The show will see the Satellite of Love captives (including current host Emily Connor and old favorites Tom Servo, Crow T. Robot, and GPC) doing a live riffing of the 1985 horror- fantasy film Making Contact. Robot roll-call is at 7:30 p.m. General admission is $37.50 to $78, VIP packages are $125, and a special meet-and-greet package is $199. Tickets and details are at mesaartscenter.com. Painted Desert Fur Con Furry fandom is more than just bad jokes, half-truths, and half-baked portrayals seen in pop culture. (For instance, it has abso- lutely nothing to do with sex, fetishism, or deviancy, despite what TV shows like En- tourage would lead you to believe.) Just ask any of the people in attendance at the latest Painted Desert Fur Con, the three-day event at Sheraton Phoenix Downtown, 340 North Third Street. The annual event is for dedi- cated followers of the geek subculture or those who might want to get involved with it. According to PDFC’s website, activities at the con will include panels, costuming events, workshops, a dealer’s den and art- ist’s alley, dance competitions, and special guests. Event hours vary and admission starts at $60. Visit painteddesertfc.com. 25 phoenixnewtimes.com | CONTENTS | FEEDBACK | OPINION | NEWS | FEATURE | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | PHOENIX NEW TIMES DEC 9TH– DEC 15TH, 2021
