Did you make any New Year's resolutions this year? We did.
Over at SPM, we've resolved to get out more. We want to embrace our surroundings, see the sights, meet new people and actually attend the events we're invited to on Facebook. (Okay, maybe not all of them... "Neon Trash Bag '80s Party!")
More importantly, we want to take you with us. Every week, we'll share four neat things happening in the Phoenix metro area — from the palms of Tempe, to the skyscrapers of Phoenix, to the, um, water towers of the East Valley. So take a break from soaking up the sun to soak in some culture.
Through Thursday, Jan. 27: "26 Blocks" at the Burton Barr Central Library
This week is your last chance to check out local touring exhibition "26 Blocks" at Phoenix's Burton Barr Central Library. Whether you're a reluctant Phoenician or a full-blown Phoenofile, "26 Blocks" will inspire a sense of community in your desert-dwelling heart. The project brings 26 of the Valley's best writers together with 26 of its best photographers to explore, well, 26 blocks of central Phoenix. The exhibition's participants include current faculty and alumni from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, inspiring a little ASU pride, too.
Burton Barr Central Library, 1221 N. Central Ave., Phoenix 26blocks.com Hours: Monday, Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday, 1-5 p.m.
Through Jan. 31: Sweets and Beats closes its doors.
Everyone loves candy. Everyone loves music. But that couldn't keep Sweets and Beats, our favorite candy/record store in Phoenix alive. Visit one last time before the shop closes its doors on Jan. 31. It'll be a serious loss to the local arts and music scene, but there is a silver lining: The store is having a 20-50 percent off sale on all candy, records, clothes, books and fixtures.
Sweets and Beats, 1504 Grand Ave., Phoenix 602-253-9258, facebook.com/sweetandbeats Hours: Monday through Friday, 6-10 p.m. Saturday, noon-10 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 25: Farmer's Market on the ASU Tempe campus
Presented by the Global Institute of Sustainability, the farmer's market will once again take over Orange Mall with fresh fruit and veggies from local producers, as well as healthful snacks and on-the-go lunch fare. Skip the Trader Joe's run and get all your goodies on campus — we hear there will be handmade pastas, vegan dark chocolate and organic apple cider. Yum. (Both cash and cards are accepted.)
Orange Mall, next to the Memorial Union fountain, ASU Tempe campus asu.edu/farmersmarket Hours: 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 25: The Get Up Kids, with Steel Train and River City Extension
Tuesday will be a big day for '90s alt-rockers (and guilty pleasure band) the Get Up Kids. It's the day their first full-length album in six years, "These are the Rules," drops. It's also the day the band plays Tempe, headlining for one of our (non-guilty) favorites, Steel Train. It's bound to be an awesome show, so long as you can handle the clash of aging Radiohead-era hipsters with toddler "Twilight"-era hipsters.
Clubhouse Music Venue, 1320 East Broadway Road, Tempe statesidepresents.com 7:30 p.m. doors, 8 p.m. showtime $16.50 (all ages)
