Serene DominicArizona Republic; Phoenix, Ariz.
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Tucson" event today at the Sail Inn in Tempe is pushing the music angle with live performances from such Tempe mainstays as the Lawrence Zubia-fronted supergroup the Persuaders (kicking things off at 6 p.m.), Ghetto Cowgirl, Zen Lunatics and Los Guys, with screenings of both documentaries falling somewhere between 8 and 10 p.m. "When I first came to Tempe," Holthaus said, "I realized all the bands were friendly. [...] the whole Tempe vs.
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Nico Holthaus, executive producer of "Mill Ave, Inc." and "The Avenue," wants you to know that he's frustrated.
"No one understands what I'm trying to do," he said.
In 2008, he produced "Mill Ave, Inc.," a documentary chronicling the corporate invasion of Tempe that forced such mom-and-pop stores as Changing Hands Bookstore to move and beloved stomping grounds like Long Wong's to close because of skyrocketing rent.
Now, Holthaus has "The Avenue," directed by Tucson's Alan Williams, the second of a planned documentary series of David vs. Goliath battles between communities and supercorporations. This one chronicles how Tucson's Fourth Avenue residents stood their ground and kept the box stores off their main drag.
Rather than do one catch-all documentary about big business gutting the cool parts of town in search of "opportunity" -- the corporate buzzword for giant cash bonanza -- Holthaus is doing something more personal, creating a documentary for each city in danger of being what he sees as "Starbucked" or "Olive-Gardened" to death (Austin and Nashville are next in line to be profiled).
But Holthaus, of Tempe, is facing the same problem securing publicity he had with the last installment.
Is it a political story, a business story, an arts and music story or a film?
Answer: It's all of them.
The "Tempe vs. Tucson" event today at the Sail Inn in Tempe is pushing the music angle with live performances from such Tempe mainstays as the Lawrence Zubia-fronted supergroup the Persuaders (kicking things off at 6 p.m.), Ghetto Cowgirl, Zen Lunatics and Los Guys, with screenings of both documentaries falling somewhere between 8 and 10 p.m.
"When I first came to Tempe," Holthaus said, "I realized all the bands were friendly. It was an insular scene but it was not an exclusive one. Everyone got along with everybody else.
"All these great bands -- Gin Blossoms, Dead Hot Workshop, Meat Puppets -- all national bands. In other cities, bands were a little more hands off."
Although Tucson bands were approached to play the premiere, none could do the gig on short notice, leaving this imaginary battle of the bands a tad one-sided. In fact, the whole Tempe vs. Tucson theme is just a catchy conceit. There is no grudge match between the two providences planned for this event.
"I wanted to show the difference between Fourth Avenue and Mill Avenue," Holthaus says. "Mill Avenue gave up its identity and economy to corporations, where the Fourth Avenue area of Tucson has always been more watchful of that.
"It's ironic that we've got the bookends of the series done -- the worst-case scenario, Mill, and the best-case scenario, Fourth -- and all the other cities we have planned for it will fall somewhere between."
Chris Valentine, who edited and shot a chunk of both films, feels it's important for cities like Tempe and Tucson to hold on to "independent businesses and other unique facets that separate your city from every other city."
"Bottom line," Valentine said, "Arizona, like everywhere, is losing its uniqueness. Let's try to hold on to what is left ... and move forward at the same time. The two ideas are not mutually exclusive."
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Tempe vs. Tucson
When: 6 p.m. today.
Where: The Sail Inn, 26 S. Farmer Ave., Tempe.
Admission: $8; $6 with a college ID.
Details: 480-966-9565, thesailinn.com.
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