JAN.• • • Your• • • •monthly • • • • • •guide • • • • •to • •community • • • • • • • • • • entertainment, recreation & culture The goofy, the bad & the weird El Paso Scene’s 8th annual Gecko Awards highlight the lowlights of 2014 — See Page 23 Roundabout Art Margarita Cabrera is sculpting “Uplift” for Upper Valley project. — See Page 35 Best CDs of 2014 Liner Notes columnist Brian Chozick lists the top albums of the past year. — See Page 39 On the cover: “Loteria El Paso” by Candy Mayer JANUARY 2 0 1 5 www.epscene.com Page 2 El Paso Scene January 2015 2210 Trawood. Check-in 7:30 to 8:45 a.m. Martin Luther King Jr. Food Drive — Open to all golfers. Cost: per person; includes The 15th annual citywide effort to restock area January 2015 green fee, cart, range balls, prizes, goodie bag, food pantries runs Jan. 5-19, with several breakfast burrito bar and luncheon. organizations participating. Canned and other Information: Bill Greenawald, 443-5589; Vista nonperishable food items can be dropped off at JANUARY Hills Country Club, 592-6565 or various locations throughout town. The food ROUNDUP vistahillscc.com. will then be collected, sorted and distributed INDEX • Rotary Sun Bowl Football Team Luncheon is among agencies serving the less fortunate Roundup 3-10, 19 11:30 a.m. Friday, Dec. 26, at the El Paso including the Salvation Army, the Opportunity Convention Center. Doors open at 11 a.m. Center for the Homeless, El Paso Rescue Behind the Scene 4 The starting lineups from both teams are intro- Mission and others. Information: 543-5468. Scene Spotlight 6 duced at 11:30 a.m. and the head coaches are Collection bins will be located at Big 8 food Here’s the Ticket 11-14 highlighted as well. Tickets: $50; tables for stores, City Hall One Stop Shop (300 N. Viva Juárez 14 eight $450 (eight guests, or six guests plus two Campbell), County Courthouse, El Paso football player from each team). Information: Juvenile Justice Center, Public Libraries, Wal- Program Notes 15 533-4416, ext. 200 or 504-9013. mart Stores and Neighborhood Markets. Music, Comedy 16 Dance 17 Mount Cristo Rey Hike Through Time El Paso Psychic Fair — The fair is 11 a.m. — A guided hike is at noon Sunday, Dec. 28, to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 17-18, at Taking a Look Back 18 at Mount Cristo Rey, Sunland Park, N.M. Hawthorn Inn, 1700 Airway, at Boeing. El Paso FishNet 19 Length: 5 miles round trip (2-3 hours). Cost: $5 Admission: $5 for both days (private readings Sports 20-22 ($2 for children) donation requested for the not included with admission). Free admission Feature: Mt. Cristo Restoration Committee. with active duty military I.D. Information: 345- Hyundai Sun Bowl — The 81st annual 8th annual Gecko Awards 23-25 Information: 541-1422. No reservation is 6245 or elpasopsychicfair.com. football classic begins at noon, Saturday, Dec. Nature 26-28 27, with the Arizona State Sun Devils from the required. The fair features aura photos, handmade New Pac 12 and Duke Blue Devils from the ACC A presentation on the history of the monu- Age crystal and gemstone jewelry, spirit writ- At the Museum 29-31 both bringing 9-3 records to the game. ment will be given at the summit. ing, Feng Shui products, and readings by 12 Southwest Art Scene 32-34 Country superstar band Lonestar will provide The four-story-tall statue of Christ on the professional psychic readers and mediums from Gallery Talk 35 cross was built in 1938-40 by sculptor Urbici the halftime entertainment. across Texas and New Mexico. Readings Keep on Bookin' 36 Tickets: $22, $32, $42, $52 and $62 Soler. The mountaintop is 4,576 feet above sea offered in English and Spanish. On Stage 37-38 (Ticketmaster). Captain’s Club tickets: $652. level, in Sunland Park, N.M., near the junction Sun City on Tap — Townsquare Media Information: 533-4416, 1-800-915-BOWL or of Mexico, Texas and New Mexico. Stage Talk 37 hosts the beer festival and tasting event featur- sunbowl.org. The hike is sponsored by Destination El Paso ing more than 100 beers from more than 50 History Lessons 38 The 3rd annual Sun Bowl Sky Party is 9 to and El Paso Scene. Security is provided along craft breweries from throughout the world 1 to Liner Notes 39 11:30 a.m. that day at UTEP’s South Stadium the trail and in the parking lot. 4 p.m. and 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17, at the Film Scene 40,42 Parking Garage with food and drinks, live The 5-mile hike is easy to moderate, and is Venue at Southwest University. Admission: music, games, giveaways and both university suitable for all ages. February preview 41 $20; cost includes eight beer sample tickets; bands. Admission is free. Meet at the large parking lot at the trailhead souvenir sampling glass and live music. El Paso Scene User’s Guide 35 Other Sun Bowl events: to Mt. Cristo Rey off McNutt Road (NM 273). Additional samples available for purchase. Advertiser Index 42 • The Sun Bowl Golf Challenge is 9:30 a.m. Take the Racetrack exit off Paisano and cross the Rio Grande. Subscription Form 42 Friday, Dec. 26, at Vista Hills Country Club, Please see Page 5 January 2015 El Paso Scene Page 3 ne of the most fascinating exam- ples of new media this past year was the podcast titled “Serial,” created and hosted by Sarah Koenig. OMany of you may not be familiar with “Serial,” and a few may still be confused about what a podcast actually is. So here’s the basic explanation: A pod- cast is a show that people can download from the internet for listening or watch- ing on their computer or digital media devices, such as iPods, smartphones and tablets. “Serial” is a 12-part podcast that launched in early October 2014, and new episode were released weekly until the advanced at a lightning pace. Old media final podcast in December. It was an struggle to survive, while new media are investigation into a 1999 Baltimore mur- patchworking their economic support. der case in which a high school student But “Serial” also shows what doesn’t was accused and eventually convicted of change: The power of story. Koenig is a killing an ex-girlfriend. The in-depth master storyteller, so good in fact that she reporting by Koenig takes more twists was able to hook listeners for a dozen and turns than a steep mountain road, but episodes without ever giving them any there’s no real destination. At the end, promise of a clear ending. both Koenig and nearly all the podcast’s This past month I listened — in person listeners still aren’t sure who did it. — to Joe Hayes tell stories on behalf of a The show was an overnight success, at local nonprofit group, Books Are Gems. least by podcast standards. It was the No. Joe, based in Santa Fe, is the best-known 1 download on iTunes for weeks. A sure storyteller in the Southwest and is author sign of its popularity: Saturday Night of many children’s books (“The Day It Live did a parody of it. Snowed Tortillas,” “El Cucuy” and two The initial funding came from one main dozen others, many of them published by sponsor, a local public radio station and El Paso’s own Cinco Puntos Press). “This American Life,” a popular public With just his voice and animated expres- radio show (and podcast) produced by Ira sions, Joe can keep a roomful of kids and Glass. The success of the show led to a adults entranced. Watching him mesmer- fundraising campaign that resulted in ize his audience reminded me that good enough listener donations to ensure a sec- storytelling doesn’t need technology, and ond season. it’s never outdated. I wanted to call attention to “Serial” * * * because it is one of the success stories of Thanks go to Candy Mayer, for sharing this new age of internet-driven journal- her new work, “Loteria El Paso” with El ism. But it also shows how the new forms Paso Scene for the first cover of 2015. of journalism are changing so quickly, Candy not only is one of El Paso’s most and how difficult it is to predict what prolific artists, but also one of the most may come next. often featured artists on the Scene cover. When radio and television came along * * * in the 20th century, they changed journal- If you grabbed a copy of the Scene ism but did so slowly. Newspapers early, there’s still time to join us at noon, remained successful for many decades in Sunday, Dec. 28, for our hike up Cristo spite of growing broadcast news audi- Rey. See Page 3 for details. ences. But with the internet, change has Randy Limbird January 2015 Editor and Publisher El Paso Scene is published by Cristo Rey (915) 542-1422 Communications as a monthly guide to entertainment, recreation and culture in the Albert Martinez El Paso area. Copies are provided free at Advertising & selected locations. Subscriptions are Circulation Director $10 a year, sent by 3rd class mail. (915) 920-7244 Circulation: 41,000 copies. Lisa Kay Tate Associate Editor Deadline for news for the (915) 542-1422 ext. 4 February issue is Jan. 19 The February issue comes out Jan. 28 Editorial Associates: Yvonne T. Herrera, Will Summers El Paso Scene Adverting Associate: Roman Martinez P. O. Box 13615 El Paso, Texas 79913 Circulation Associates: Randy Friedman, Gil Garza PH: 542-1422 FAX: 542-4292 Office: 316 Arboles, El Paso TX 79932 Contributing Writers: E-mail: [email protected] Carol Viescas, Brian Chozick, Myrna Zanetell, John McVey Middagh Walter Schaefer, Jay Duncan Subscription Form is on Page 42 Visit El Paso Scene Online at www.epscene.com © 2015 Cristo Rey Communications sponsored by Phidev, Inc.