Events – Arizona Arts Live

Upcoming Events

May 7, 2025

Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr.

2025 Black Faculty Speaker Series
Join Arizona Arts Live and the Office of the Provost for a lecture exploring community building as a collective practice with Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Presented live in Centennial Hall. Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker, literary scholar, and journalist Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is an acclaimed cultural critic and institution builder. He is the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor and Director of the Hutchins Center for African & African American Research at Harvard University. Among his dozens of books are recent New York Times bestsellers Stony the Road: Reconstruction, White Supremacy, and the Rise of Jim Crow and The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song. He has also produced and hosted an array of documentary films. The Black Church (PBS) and Frederick Douglass: In Five Speeches (HBO), which he executive produced, received Emmy nominations. Finding Your Roots, Gates’s groundbreaking genealogy and genetics series is now in its tenth season on PBS. Professor Gates has received countless awards and honors, including a George Polk Award for his social commentary in The New York Times, a MacArthur Fellowship, the Chicago Tribune Literary Award for lifetime achievement, and the prestigious Gold Medal from the National Institute of Social Sciences, among many others. His filmmaking has received Emmy, Peabody, and NAACP Image Awards and an Alfred I. duPont Columbia University Award. Recently, he received the coveted Spingarn Medal from the NAACP. Professor Gates serves on the boards of many notable institutions, including the New York Public Library, the Aspen Institute, and the Brookings Institution, and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

May 11, 2025

Son Rompe Pera

Straight from the streets of Mexico City, Son Rompe Pera smashes old-school marimba with wild punk energy. Join Arizona Arts Live, Best Life Presents, and Hotel Congress for a rebellious, punked-out show that will blow your mind. Born and raised in the deep outskirts of Mexico City, the Gama brothers are keeping alive the rich legacy of marimba music running through their family with their latest project, Son Rompe Pera. While firmly rooted in the tradition of this historic instrument, their fresh take on this folk icon challenges its limits as never before, moving it into the garage/punk world of urban misfits and firmly planting it in the 21st century. Originally performing alongside their father at local events since they were kids, they now find themselves at the forefront of the contemporary international cumbia scene with their sonic explorations of the classic marimba. Their unique blend comes from typical youthful rebellion when, as teenagers, they left behind their upbringing on the marimba and began to play in various punk, rockabilly, and ska bands. Now they’ve gone full circle with the marimba leading the way, mixing all of their influences with their energetic take on the popular instrument, giving it a new twist never before seen in Mexican folk music.

July 25, 2025

Christone “Kingfish” Ingram

The Hard Road World Tour
Get ready for an electric, jaw-dropping night of blues with Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, “one of the most exciting young guitarists in years, with a sound that encompasses B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix and Prince” (Rolling Stone). Don’t miss this blues sensation presented live by Arizona Arts Live and the Rialto Theatre. In just six years since his GRAMMY-nominated debut album Kingfish, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram has become a global blues sensation. Born and raised in Clarksdale, Mississippi — a town steeped in blues history — Ingram grew up just 10 miles from the legendary crossroads of Highways 61 and 49. Surrounded by a family of singers and musicians, his passion for music ignited at a young age. Starting with drums and bass, he soon found his true voice on the guitar. Kingfish’s rise to fame was fueled by his electrifying live performances and viral videos, which amassed millions of views even before his debut album. After his debut album Kingfish topped the Billboard Blues Chart for 91 weeks and earned a GRAMMY nomination, Ingram followed up with his 2021 release 662, which also debuted at #1. The album earned him his first GRAMMY for Best Contemporary Blues Album and was hailed by NPR as “astounding.” With his jaw-dropping guitar prowess and captivating vocals, he delivers contemporary blues that resonate with audiences worldwide. Whether headlining his own tours or sharing stages with legends like Buddy Guy, Jason Isbell, and The Rolling Stones, Kingfish remains a dynamic force in modern blues — a young artist who respects the past while blazing his own trail.

May 2025

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Jon Nakamatsu

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Jon Nakamatsu Experience an evening of virtuosic brilliance with American pianist Jon Nakamatsu whose electrifying performances have captivated audiences worldwide for over three decades Presented and fully seated on stage for an up-close...
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Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr.

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Dr Henry Louis Gates Jr Join Arizona Arts Live and the Office of the Provost for a lecture exploring community building as a collective practice with Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Dr Henry Louis Gates Jr Presented live in...

Son Rompe Pera

Learn More
Son Rompe Pera Straight from the streets of Mexico City Son Rompe Pera smashes old-school marimba with wild punk energy Join Arizona Arts Live Best Life Presents and Hotel Congress for a rebellious punked-out show that will blow your...
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Son Rompe Pera

Learn More
Son Rompe Pera Straight from the streets of Mexico City Son Rompe Pera smashes old-school marimba with wild punk energy Join Arizona Arts Live Best Life Presents and Hotel Congress for a rebellious punked-out show that will blow your...
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