Dec. 2016 Murfreesboro Pulse

MUSIC Chris Young Cherub New Year’s Eve Concert Roundup Bri Murphy

Must See This Month: LOCAL HOLIDAY LIGHT DISPLAYS PAGE 26

ART

DEC. 2016 / VOL. 11, ISSUE 12 / FREE

Middle Tennessee’s Source for Art, Entertainment and Culture News

Boro Art Crawl is back, Dec. 9, featuring works from Mary Miller Veazie and many more!

Merry & Bright

2016 SHOP LOCAL GIFT GUIDE & GIVEAWAY Enter to Win! PAGE 24

Contents

Word from the Editor HERE WE ARE. THE LAST MONTH OF 2016.

ON THE COVER AND BELOW:

Artwork by Mary Miller Veazie

26

20 14

Features

10

CHERUB

Murfreesboro duo brings tour to Marathon Music Works on Dec. 31.

14

20

24

Middle Tennessee shows include Styx, Kacey Musgraves, Moon Taxi, and more.

Venues throughout Downtown Murfreesboro host local work once again on Dec. 9.

Enter to win gifts from local retailers!

NYE CONCERT ROUNDUP

BORO ART CRAWL + MAP

SHOP LOCAL GIFT GUIDE & GIVEAWAY

26

CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

See some notable light displays in Murfreesboro.

In Every Issue

4

MUSIC NOTES

THIS MONTH

16

28

RESTAURANT

MOVIES

Events Santa at the Courthouse; Nutcracker Storytime; Frosty Fun Run; Help Portraits; and more!

Chris Young; Jake Leg Stompers; Itzhak Perlman and more!

Food Pad Thai

RECIPE

8

Sounds LOCAL CONCERTS

Robert Eskew; Plow’d & more!

ALBUM REVIEWS

Bri Murphy; Meat Fight

Red Beans & Rice with Batey’s Sausage

20

THEATER

The Christmas Schooner at Center for the Arts

LIVING ... WELL

A Seasonal Fast

News NAVIGATING THE SYSTEM

Reviews Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them; Arrival LIVING ROOM CINEMA

Art

The gift of knowledge: science in series

EXHIBITS

BOOK

Murfree Art Gallery hosts work from MTSU students.

32

True Stories (and other Lies) Told at City Cafe

Part V—Law enforcement and the first step in.

BUSINESS BUZZ

Woodsviking; Rooms to Go; Fountains at Gateway and more.

TRIBUNE

VIEWS OF A CONSERVATIVE

Trump Taking on TPP and Corrupt Lobbying THE STOCKARD REPORT

What a tangled web

41

Sports

All racism now Trump’s fault

MTSU SPORTS

37

SPORTS TALK

Blue Raider Football finishes season, 8-4.

Merry Christmas to all.

Opinion

VISIT US AT BOROPULSE.COM FOR MORE!

Publisher/ Editor in Chief: Bracken Mayo

Art Director: Sarah Mayo Copy Editor: Steve Morley

Advertising: Jeff Brown Don Clark Leslie Russell Yost

Contributors: Dylan Skye Aycock, Sam Clemens, John Connor Coulston, Greg Crittenden, Jennifer Durand, Bryce Harmon, Joseph Kathmann, Nick McGuire; Zach Maxfield, Elizabeth Scott Sawyer, Jay Spight, Justin Stokes, Andrea Stockard, Sam Stockard, Norbert Thiemann; Phil Valentine

To carry the PULSE at your business, or submit letters, stories and photography: bracken@boropulse.com 10 N. Public Square, Murfreesboro, TN 37130 (615) 796-6248

Copyright © 2016, The Murfreesboro Pulse, 10 N. Public Square, Murfreesboro, TN 37130.

Proudly owned, operated and published the first Thursday of each month by the Mayo family; printed by Franklin Web Printing Co. The Murfreesboro Pulse is a free publication funded by our advertisers. Views expressed in the Pulse do not necessarily reflect the views of the publishers. ISSN: 1940-378X

Sign up to receive our weekly digital newsletter at BoroPulse.com/Newsletter

I hope your Thanksgiving was a positive time of recharging, your November was filled with a strong sense of gratitude and your life is perfect and complete, lacking nothing, just how it is.

Murfreesboro hosts plenty of holiday events in December, from the Bethlehem Marketplace to the Frosty Fun Run. Read about many of them in this edition’s Events section, on page 4.

Attend Junior League’s big Hollyday Marketplace, the Boro Art Crawl and its many locations, and lots of activities with Santa around town this month.

Live music offerings in Murfreesboro this month range from Roscoe Dash to Jake Leg Stompers, Sugar Lime Blue to Robert Eskew, Paige and the Texas Bargoyles, Mixtape, Leonard Brothers and many more. See the full list of December concerts on page 9.

Be sure to schedule some game and story time with your family members and loved ones over the sometimes-hectic holiday season.

And get your exercise!

The Ascent, Murfreesboro Athletic Club and Smoopy’s Vintage Bicycles would be pleased to help you out with that objective.

One in three American kids and teens are overweight or obese, and the prevalence of obesity in children more than tripled from 1971 to 2011, according to the American Heart Association.

Further, time spent in recess and physical education for kids in the public school system is on the decline.

Many young kids get just 20 minutes of recess in their school day.

Let’s please acknowledge the connection between school’s overemphasis on sitting still and desk work, with falling levels of health in our kids, and try and place a high value on the true physical and mental health of the next generation.

Your health is your most important asset, as one financial advisor puts it.

As always: play music, make art! Visit a new place, try a new activity, cook natural foods.

It is a great time in the football world, heading into the final stretch of the season. Exciting games, talent and story lines are abundant, and as the playoff picture is taking shape in the NFL, and the bowl season almost underway in the NCAA, the Titans and Blue Raiders are both in the conversation.

President Trump.

Many never expected to hear that. He says he wants to introduce term limits for all members of Congress.

Sounds like a good idea to me. I wonder what Congress thinks about that?

A sincere thanks goes out to all of the Pulse’s advertisers, contributing writers, readers and supporters for making the little publication that could roll off the press for another fantastic year.

It takes a village.

Every experience in your life has prepared you for the moment you are in right now. We are all capable of great things. Try your best, and treat others how you would like to be treated, and you will make a great and positive impact in someone’s day and life.

Peace, BRACKEN MAYO Publisher/Editor in Chief BOROPULSE.COM

* DECEMBER 2016 * 3

Events COMPILED BY

ANDREA STOCKARD

Send event information to murfreesboropulse@yahoo.com

DEC. 2 AND 10

Nutcracker Storytime

PHOTOS BY TIM BROEKEMA

SEPARATING FINANCIAL MYTHS FROM TRUTHS Join the Paul Winkler, Inc., team at its Murfreesboro office, 1833 Ward Dr., Suite 105, from 6–8 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 1 or Thursday, Dec. 15, for a workshop examining the myths of the world of investing. Begin to explore how to properly design an investment portfolio. Participants will discuss the financial media at large and look at what the last 60 years of academic research says about the prudent management of investments.

To set up a required initial consultation, call (615) 849-9529 or visit paulwinkler.net.

DEC. 2 SPORTS*COM CUSTOMER APPRECIATION DAY Join Sports*Com (2310 Memorial Blvd.) in appreciation for customers from throughout the year. Enjoy music, friends and refreshments welcoming the holiday season. For more information, contact bfite@murfrees borotn.gov.

DEC. 2 CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE AT LET’S MAKE WINE Join Let’s Make Wine (109 E. Main St.) for demonstrations, hourly drawings, treats, 4 * DECEMBER 2016 * BOROPULSE.COM

entertainment and Christmas cheer from 11 a.m.–8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2. Newcomers are welcome as the day makes a great opportunity to meet regulars and learn from the best, and Let’s Make Wine will also offer customer appreciation rewards. For more information, visit letsmakewinetn.com.

Santa’s Courthouse Schedule: Dec. 2, 6–8 p.m. (bring your own camera) Dec. 3, 12–4 p.m. (bring your own camera) Dec. 9, 6–8 p.m.

(Shacklett’s Photography) Dec. 10, 12–4 p.m. (bring your own camera) Dec. 16, 6–8 p.m.

(Shacklett’s Photography) Dec. 17, 12–4 p.m. (bring your own camera) importance of reading together every day.

Get photos with Santa Snaps from 10:30 a.m.–2 p.m. and get creative with Faithful Strokes at Santa’s Workshop from 2–4 p.m. Tickets may be purchased at Eventbrite.com. Get $1 off any general admission ticket purchased on the day of the event by donating a new children’s book to the Murfreesboro Police Department’s Book Patrol. 100 percent of Hollyday Marketplace proceeds benefits local programs and services that nurture and improve the physical, emotional and spiritual health of the Rutherford County community. For more information, visit hollydaymarketplace. weebly.com.

DEC. 3 FROSTY FUN RUN The Stones River Country Club (1830 NW Broad St.) hosts a 2-mile or 4.5mile fun run (no time limit) beginning at 7 a.m. (registration at 6 a.m.) through

ARTWORK BY MM VEAZIE

the golf course, with post-race waffles and coffee provided by Waffle House.

Festivities include a Creative Bib Contest, great raffle items and prizes. All proceeds and gifts go to Court Appointed Special Advocates and Bob Parks Christmas for the Children. For more information, visit fleetfeetmurfreesboro.com.

DEC. 3 LA VERGNE PARADE OF LIGHTS Join La Vergne for its nighttime light parade beginning at Veterans Memorial Park (115 Floyd Mayfield Dr.) at 6 p.m. and ending at La Vergne City Hall. Admission is free. For more information, call (615) 7933224 or visit lavergnetn.gov.

DEC. 3 OAKLANDS CANDLELIGHT TOUR OF HOMES Usher in the holiday season with this en-

DEC. 2–3

DEC. 2

HOLLYDAY MARKETPLACE The Junior League of Murfreesboro invites everyone to the 12th annual Hollyday Marketplace at the Tennessee Miller Coliseum (304-B W. Thompson Ln.) starting with Mistletoe and Martinis on Friday, Dec. 2, from 6–9 p.m., a 21-and-up preview party featuring music, martinis and munchies.

Enjoy complimentary wine from Stones River Total Beverages, cold brews from Mayday Brewery and the signature cocktail the “Moon-tini,” created by Short Mountain Distillery. Also, enjoy more than 100 vendors showcasing décor items, children’s clothing and seasonal gifts. Shopping hours on Saturday, Dec. 3, will be from 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

Activities at the North Pole on Dec. 3 include breakfast with Santa and Mrs. Claus from 9–10:30 a.m. The Book Patrol, a partnership with the Murfreesboro Police Department, will take place from 10–11 a.m. as local officers read to kids and teach them the

Lighting of the Rutherford County Christmas Tree

PHOTO BY CYNTHIA JONES

DEC. 1 & 15

Members of the Nashville Ballet present a Nutcracker storytime at Stones River Mall, at 10 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 2 and at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 10. The event, presented by Linebaugh Library, tells the tale of Clara, a young girl who travels on a fantastic journey with the help of her magical Uncle Drosselmeyer. This special holiday tradition introduces young audiences to Nashville Ballet’s unique version of the traditional story by taking them on a short trip through the Land of the Sweets with a character from the Nashville Ballet’s performance of The Nutcracker, running throughout this month at TPAC.

THROUGOUT DECEMBER

Ring in Christmas with the lighting of the official Rutherford County Christmas Tree on Friday, Dec. 2, beginning at 6 p.m. Join emcee Bree Smith from News Channel 5, as well as MTSU’s Generation of Purpose Gospel Choir, Cason Lane Academy Choir, Central Magnet School Choir and Campus School Choir all performing Christmas songs. Jimmie Lou Tate’s Dancer’s School features their ballet and tap dancers, and the Murfreesboro Center for the Arts presents a preview of their musical The Christmas Schooner. Following the lighting, join Santa at the Courthouse for photographs. For more information, call (615) 895-1887.

chanting tour of historic homes from 4–8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, featuring beautiful and historic private homes and churches as well as the graceful Oaklands Mansion festively adorned and dressed in holly and evergreens. Living history demonstrations are also presented on the lawn of the mansion. For more information, contact info@ oaklandsmansion.org or (615) 893-0022, or visit oaklandsmansion.org.

7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9, to 7 a.m. Saturday.

Admission is $20. For more information, contact (615) 895-5040 or bfite@murfreesborotn.gov.

DEC. 9 BOMBSHELL CHRISTMAS PARTY Bombshells (803 N. Thompson Ln.) welcomes everyone to its Christmas party from 6–8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9, featuring snacks, drinks and contests; don’t forget to wear your tacky Christmas sweater.

Donation items are also welcome (hand sanitizer, lap blankets, gloves, body lotion, etc.) for the domestic violence women’s shelter. For more information, contact (615) 907-8004, or visit facebook.com/ bombshellshairstudioandspa.

DEC. 3 CHRISTMAS AT CANNONSBURGH Enjoy pictures with Santa in the Chapel, hayrides, hot apple cider, craft vendors and holiday music from Emilie Burke in the gazebo at Cannonsburgh Village (312 S. Front St.) from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3. Admission is free. For more information, call (615) 890-0355.

DEC. 3 HELP PORTRAIT Those in need can join The Experience Christian Community (521 Old Salem Rd.) for free individual and family photos by professional photographers and printers on site on Saturday, Dec. 3. Get a free makeover from the Paul Mitchell school, and a small clothing closet is available for outfits.

For more information, visit facebook.com/ helpportraitboro.

DEC. 3 ELF IN TRAINING Santa isn’t the only one who works hard before Christmas; his elves have to be in tip-top shape to help make the toys, load the sleigh and take care of the reindeer.

Join Sports*Com (2310 Memorial Blvd.) in learning how the elves stay fit to help make your Christmas bright. Registration is required; admission is $3 or Premium Pass. Ages 3 to 6 welcome. For more information, contact (615) 895-5040 or adavidson@murfreesborotn.gov.

DEC. 4 SMYRNA CHRISTMAS PARADE The 42nd Annual Smyrna Christmas Parade begins at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4, with this year’s theme “A Classic American Christmas.” All ages are invited to gather along Lowry Street in anticipation of the arrival of floats, bands, classic cars, Clydesdales, riding clubs, dancers and, of course, Santa Claus. For more information, call (615) 267-5003.

DEC. 6 NIGHT OF ENCHANTMENT The Nurture Nook Day Spa hosts a Night of Enchantment the evening of Tuesday, Dec. 6, from 4–8 p.m. The event includes a mini facial, a warm soy foot wrap, a winter hand treatment, lip exfoliating and plumping, a hot stone hand warming massage,

DEC. 11

DEC. 10

Murfreesboro Christmas Parade

EAGLEVILLE CHRISTMAS PARADE

Join Murfreesboro’s annual Christmas Parade on Sunday, Dec. 11, beginning at 2 p.m. as it starts on East Main Street (in front of the MTSU President’s home), continues down East Main, around the square, onto West Main and ending on Walnut Street. For more information, call (615) 893-5373 or visit wgnsradio.com. finger foods, music, wine, a fire pit freedom ceremony, professional health and beauty tips and more. For more information, call (615) 896-7110 or visit nurturenook.com.

DEC. 8 NATURE NUTS Explore and uncover the many mysteries of our Murfree Spring wetland at the Discovery Center (502 SE Broad St.) with Nature Nuts (ages 4 and up) at 4 p.m.

Thursday, Dec. 8. For more information, visit explorethedc.org.

DEC. 9 THE BORO ART CRAWL The Boro Art Crawl aims to expose Murfreesboro to the wealth of artistic talent displayed by people living and working within the Murfreesboro community with art displays in venues throughout downtown Murfreesboro from 6–9 p.m. Friday,

Dec. 9. For more information, contact info@boroartcrawl.com or visit boroartcrawl.com.

DEC. 9

Eagleville invites everyone to its 13th annual Christmas parade beginning at 2 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 10, traveling south on Main Street in Eagleville, turning left onto Old Hwy 99 and ending at Eagleville School, with this year’s theme “My Favorite Christmas Song.” Admission is free. For more information, call (615) 274-2922 or visit eaglevilletn.com.

SANTA SPLASH AND DASH

DEC. 10

Just because it’s cold doesn’t mean you can’t swim. Celebrate the holiday season at Patterson Park’s pool party (521 Mercury Blvd.) from 6–9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9, with an ornament craft, a meal and swimming. Admission is $5 in advance and $7 the day of. For more information, contact (615) 893-7439 or cclemmons@ murfreesborotn.gov.

BREAKFAST WITH SANTA Join Santa for breakfast at DoubleTree Hotel (1850 Old Fort Pkwy.) from 9–11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 10. Admission is $10 for adults (13 and up), $6 for children 4–12 years old, with children under 2 free.

For more information, find a Breakfast with Santa at DoubleTree by Hilton Murfreesboro event page on Facebook.

DEC. 9

DEC. 10 & 11

HOLIDAY LOCK-IN

BETHLEHEM MARKETPLACE

Kids can spend the night at Sports*Com (2310 Memorial Blvd.) and enjoy a night of fun and games like swimming and various sports as parents have a night to shop from

Witness a reenactment of how the village of Bethlehem might have appeared just after the birth of Jesus, as church CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 . . .

DEC. 10 HOTCAKES AND HOLLY Santa and Mrs. Claus are the honored guests at “Breakfast with Santa,” part of the Rotary Club of Murfreesboro’s 14th Annual Hotcakes and Holly fundraising breakfast at Middle Tennessee Christian School (100 MTCS Rd.) from 7–10:30 a.m.

Saturday, Dec. 10. Get a photo with Santa, receive a copy of The Night Before Christmas (thanks to Ingram Content Group), and participate in a craft activity. Enjoy live performances from Johnny B and the Balladeers, Middle Tennessee Christian School choir and actors from Center for the Arts’ Christmas show.

Tickets are $20 per child for breakfast with Santa and are $8 for the regular breakfast (open to children and adults). For more information, call (615) 904-2787 or visit murfreesbororotary.org.

BOROPULSE.COM

* DECEMBER 2016 * 5

PHOTO BY CYNTHIA JONES

DEC. 31

Countdown to Noon Ring in the new year with fun activities at the Discovery Center (502 S.E. Broad St.) from 10 a.m.–noon on New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31, as the Center officially kicks off 2017 with the iconic balloon drop at noon. Regular admission charged, free for members. For more information, call (615) 890-2300 or visit explorethedc.org.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 members present Roman soldiers, live camels and other animals, tentmakers, weavers, carpenters and merchants all in period costumes at Southeast Baptist Church (708 Minverva Dr.) from noon–5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10 and Sunday, Dec. 11. Admission is free. For more information, call (615) 896-0940 or visit sebaptist.org.

DEC. 13 CASON LANE BOOK FAIR Cason Lane Academy invites everyone to its book fair at Barnes and Noble, located at The Avenue Murfreesboro (2615 Medical Center Pkwy.) on Tuesday, Dec. 13. For more information, call (615) 895-8580.

DEC. 15

JOY TO THE ’BORO

MURFREESBORO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA: SOUNDS OF CHRISTMAS

Family Worship Center celebrates the season of joy at the annual “Joy to the ’Boro” Christmas concert at the church (3045 Memorial Blvd.) from 6–8 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 11, with this year’s concert featuring FWC Worship, the Reach Youth Choir and the FWC Kids Choir. Admission is free. An offering will be received for Last Call 4 Grace ministries of Murfreesboro. For more information, call (615) 893-0968 or visit familywc.com.

A Rutherford County holiday tradition features holiday classics including the Hallelujah Chorus, conducted by Dr. Mike Parkinson, Director of the MTSU School of Music, with guest soloists and the Murfreesboro Symphony Chorus directed

by Charlene Parkinson at First United Methodist Church (265 W. Thompson Ln.) at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 15. For more information, call (615) 898-1862 or visit murfreesborosymphony.com

DEC. 11

JAN. 1

New Year’s Day 5K

Pre-registration for the second annual City of Murfreesboro New Year’s Day 5k is open. The 3.1-mile walk/run begins at 2 p.m. on Jan. 1, winds through the paved trails at Barfield Crescent Park (679 Veterans Pkwy.) and ends with warm refreshments and awards.

The 5k is just one event that is part of Mayor Shane McFarland’s “Better Boro Project,” a citywide initiative designed to promote healthy eating, encourage outdoor recreation and provide unique and accessible wellness activities. For more information, visit murfreesborotn.gov/parks or call (615) 893-2141.

6 * DECEMBER 2016 * BOROPULSE.COM

DEC. 19 A NIGHT OF THANKS Join Patterson Park Community Center (521 Mercury Blvd.) in a celebration of the hard work and dedication of the facility’s community partners from 5–7 p.m. Monday, Dec, 19. Admission is free. For more information, call (615) 893-7439.

DEC. 26–JAN. 2 54TH ANNIVERSARY PROGRAMS Join rangers and volunteers for a variety of walks, talks, tours and living history demonstrations that will tell the story of one of the most significant battles of the Civil War, the Battle of Stones River at Stones River National Battlefield (1563 N. Thompson Ln.) Dec. 26–Jan. 2. Admission is free.

For more information, call (615) 8939501 or visit nps.gov/stri.

DEC. 31 SCHOOL OF ROCK Participate in fun projects and learn about different aspects of geology at Earth Experience: The Middle Tennessee Museum of Natural History (816 Old Salem Rd.) from 11 a.m.–4 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 31. Admission is $10.

For more information, call (615) 6051417 or visit theearthexperience.org.

ALL MONTH MAKERSPACE EXHIBIT Invent, design and tinker at the Discovery Center’s Makerspace exhibit (502 SE Broad St.) this month. All ages are invited to get creative with hands-on activities and challenges with this year’s new giant kaleidoscope. Create your own colorful designs while using things such as sewing machines for designing with fabric and other materials. In addition, the mini-maker area has been expanded to include a caterpillar table with activities specifically for the youngest tinkerers. Admission is $8, or free for members. For more information, call (615) 890-2300 or visit explorethedc.org.

ALL MONTH 2ND HARVEST FOOD BANK Throughout December, The Alley on Main (223 W. Main St.) is collecting non-perishable food items to be distributed through Second Harvest Food Bank as a part of the Move for Hunger program. All non-perishable food, and especially holiday-themed food is encouraged. For more information, visit moveforhunger.org.

BOROPULSE.COM

* DECEMBER 2016 * 7

Concerts Send show listings to Listings@BoroPulse.com

IF YOU GO:

PULSE

Autograph Rehearsal Studio 1400 W College St. 624-2954

PICK

View the monthly concert schedule online:

BOROPULSE.COM/CONCERTS THURS, 12/1

AUTOGRAPH REHEARSAL STUDIO

the Two-Dollar Pistols

HANDLEBARS

Junkbox

Abyss Walker, Yugen, Old Man Oblivion, Trigger Digit, Skeetzo n' Krysis, I, Griever, Trigger Digit

MAYDAY BREWERY

Chug Jam Review

SUN, 12/4

LIQUID SMOKE

MTSU WRIGHT MUSIC BUILDING

MTSU Flute Studio; Nadgir Piano Studio; Clark Piano; Strings and friends recital

NACHO’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT

Ivan LaFever

THE BORO

All-Star Jam Hosted

by Stuart Montez

FRI, 12/2

CARMEN’S TAQUERIA

Jake Leg Stompers

THE BORO

Bad Acting, Alamo Black, Aye Mammoth

JAZZMATAZZ

Jazz saxophonist Ernest Newsome

TUES, 12/6

AUTOGRAPH REHEARSAL STUDIO

Vale of Pnath, Aethere, Oubliette, Obelisk

JAZZMATAZZ

Ivan Flemming

WED, 12/7

JAZZMATAZZ

Joe West

Robert Eskew

DJ RDP

THURS, 12/8

COCONUT BAY CAFE HANDLEBARS

LIQUID SMOKE

MAIN STREET MUSIC

NACHO’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT

Crossroads

Classic Rock All Stars

MAYDAY BREWERY

Ashlie and the Family Jewels

NOBODY’S

Ragged Company

TEMPT

RITTZ, Jarren Benton

SAT, 12/3

AUTOGRAPH REHEARSAL STUDIO

Winter Metal Ball

COCONUT BAY CAFE

Missy Garnett and

Bird Song Studio 213 West High St., Woodbury 772-6432

Chug Jam Review Ivan LaFever

FRI, 12/9

AUTOGRAPH REHEARSAL STUDIO

Retro Pinocchio, SixNip, The Verge, Formally Lethargic, Exiled to Earth

CARMEN’S TAQUERIA

Joe West

COCONUT BAY CAFE

Zone Status

HANDLEBARS

Underrated

Carmen’s Taqueria 206 W. Northfield Blvd.

848-9003

PLUSH

FRIDAY, 12/9 @ WALL STREET Stone Temple Pilots tribute act Plush keeps the “Interstate Love Song” playing even after STP frontman Scott Weiland’s death. The Nashville based rock band takes the stage at Wall Street on Dec. 9; Credence Found joins the lineup.

JAZZMATAZZ

Clinton Taylor Band

MAYDAY BREWERY

Travis Dukes

NOBODY’S

Junkbox

TEMPT

Roscoe Dash

WALL STREET

Plush (Stone Temple Pilots tribute), Credence Found

SAT, 12/10

AUTOGRAPH REHEARSAL STUDIO

Order of Leviathan, Deapscufa, While You Were Asleep

HANDLEBARS

SkipperGrace

TUES, 12/13

WED, 12/21

Ivan Flemming

Robert Eskew

JAZZMATAZZ

WED, 12/14

JAZZMATAZZ

Robert Eskew

THURS, 12/15

HANDLEBARS

Ivan LaFever

THE BORO

All-Star Jam Hosted

by Stuart Montez

FRI, 12/16

CARMEN’S TAQUERIA

Sugar Lime Blue

COCONUT BAY CAFE

THE BORO

Lord Nelson

SUN, 12/11

JAZZMATAZZ

Jazz Saxophonist Ernest Newsome

Purity Among Thieves Joe West

Karaoke with Hitman Walker

JAZZMATAZZ

Clinton Taylor Band

MAYDAY BREWERY

Ryan Coleman

NOBODY’S

Reckless

SAT, 12/17

Clinton Taylor Band

NOBODY’S

Zone Status

THE BORO

Radical Arts Presents: A Christmas Cabaret

TUES, 12/27 JAZZMATAZZ

Ivan Flemming

WED, 12/28 JAZZMATAZZ

Robert Eskew

THURS, 12/29

NACHO’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT

Ivan LaFever

HANDLEBARS

Shane and the Moneymakers

JAZZMATAZZ

DJ K Blaze

CARMEN’S TAQUERIA

Joe West

Justice Colt

JAZZMATAZZ

Clinton Taylor Band

SAT, 12/31

MAYDAY BREWERY

COCONUT BAY CAFE

THE BORO

HANDLEBARS

Shannon Labrie

8 * DECEMBER 2016 * BOROPULSE.COM

Evil Twin

JAZZMATAZZ

COCONUT BAY CAFE HANDLEBARS

The Murfreesboro Symphony Orchestra presents its annual Christmas performance on Dec. 15. The program includes plenty of holiday classics and will culminate with the Hallelujah Chorus. Dr. Mike Parkinson, director of the MTSU School of Music, conducts, and the Murfreesboro Symphony Chorus directed by Charlene Parkinson will join the MSO in voice. The music begins at 7:30 p.m.; find tickets at murfreesborosymphony.com.

DJ TruFx

FRI, 12/30

DJ RDP

THURSDAY, 12/15 @ FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

COCONUT BAY CAFE

AUTOGRAPH REHEARSAL STUDIO

Jitsu Gaiden

MURFREESBORO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Ivan LaFever

NACHO’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT

Smile Empty Soul

MAYDAY BREWERY

NACHO’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT

FRI, 12/23

Chug Jam Review

AUTOGRAPH REHEARSAL STUDIO

MAIN STREET MUSIC

THURS, 12/22

LIQUID SMOKE

DJ E-Boogie

JAZZMATAZZ

JAZZMATAZZ

PLOW’D, Holders Cove Revival

SUN,, 12/18

JAZZMATAZZ

Jazz saxophonist Ernest Newsome

TUES, 12/20 JAZZMATAZZ

Ivan Flemming

Graham Anthem Band Phoenix Rising

MAIN STREET MUSIC

The Leonard Brothers

NOBODY’S

Mixtape ’80s Band

THE BORO

Paige & the Texas Bargoyles, Reverend Buzz, Jake Beaver & The Stones River Rundown

Coconut Bay Café 210 Stones River Mall Blvd.

494-0504 Georgia’s Sports Bar 555 S. Lowry St., Smyrna 267-0295 Green Dragon 714 W. Main St. 801-7171 Handlebars 2601 E. Main St. 890-5661 Liquid Smoke #2 Public Square 217-7822 Main Street Music 527 W. Main St. 440-2425 Mayday Brewery 521 Old Salem Hwy. 479-9722 MTSU Wright Music Building 1439 Faulkinberry Dr. 898-2469 Nacho’s 2962 S. Rutherford Blvd.

907-2700 Nobody’s Grille & BBQ 2227 Old Fort Pkwy.

962-8019 Tempt 211 W. Main St. 225-7757 The Alley 223 W. Main St. 203-3498 The Block 123 SE Broad St. 393-9935 The Boro Bar & Grill 1211 Greenland Dr. 895-4800 The Wheel 534 SE Broad St. 295-2862 Wall Street 121 N. Maple St. 867-9090

ENTERTAINMENT

DJ, BINGO, TRIVIA & KARAOKE NIGHTS  MONDAYS

NOBODY’S Trivia, 7 and 9:30 p.m.

MT BOTTLE Karaoke, 9 p.m.–3 a.m.

PHAT BOYZ Karaoke, 7 p.m.

PHAT BOYZ Karaoke, 8 p.m.

LEVEL III Trivia, 7 p.m.

SAM’S SPORTS GRILL Trivia, 8 p.m.

WHISKEY DIX DJ Cliffy D, 8 p.m.

THE BORO Vinyl Spin with KM 9 p.m.

STATION GRILL Trivia, 7 p.m.

 SATURDAYS

 TUESDAYS

THE BORO Game Night, 8 p.m.

AHART’S PIZZA GARDEN Trivia, 6:30 p.m.

HANDLEBARS Karaoke, 7 p.m.

CAMPUS PUB Karaoke, 10 p.m.–2:30 a.m.

 THURSDAYS

LA SIESTA (CHURCH ST.) Karaoke, 6 p.m.

NACHO’S Trivia, 7 p.m.

CAMPUS PUB Trivia, 6:15 and 8:15 p.m.

NACHOS Trivia, 7 p.m.

OLD CHICAGO Trivia, 9 p.m.

COCONUT BAY Karaoke, 8:00 p.m.

NOBODY’S Karaoke, 9:15 p.m.–12:30 a.m.

TGI FRIDAY’S Trivia, 9 p.m.

HANDLEBARS Karaoke, 7 p.m.

WHISKEY DIX DJ Cliffy D, 8 p.m.

 WEDNESDAYS

NOBODY’S Karaoke, 9:15 p.m.–12:30 a.m.

 SUNDAYS

CAMPUS PUB Karaoke, 10 p.m.–2:30 a.m.

HANDLEBARS Karaoke, 7 p.m.

MELLOW MUSHROOM Trivia, 8 p.m.

WHISKEY DIX DJ Cliffy D, 8 p.m.

MAYDAY Trivia, DJ, 7 p.m.

 FRIDAYS

O’POSSUMS Trivia, 8 p.m.

LIQUID SMOKE DJ Night, 10 p.m.

SAM’S SPORTS GRILL Trivia, 8 p.m.

BOROPULSE.COM

* DECEMBER 2016 * 9

Sounds

CHERUB

Read more about local music at

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Gears up for NYE show, reflects on Murfreesboro origins.

OF ALL THE MUSICIANS WHO’VE EMERGED FROM MURFREESBORO

to chase success, none are as fun-loving and wild as the electro-pop duo Cherub. The team of Jordan Kelley and Jason Huber is in the midst of a continuous rise brought on by the pair’s viral hit “Doses & Mimosas,” which currently boasts 46 million streams on Spotify, and continuing on with their new album Bleed Gold, Piss Excellence, out now on Columbia Records.

BY JOHN CONNOR COULSTON But before the two began climbing the charts, Cherub was just two students in Middle Tennessee State University’s recording industry program. Kelley and Huber met during their freshman year at MTSU and formed the band about five years later, with the two of them working in various music projects and jobs around the area in between.

“In Murfreesboro, they had an okay group of guys in a band. Jason was disappointed because they weren’t serious about it,” Huber’s father, Brian, says in a promo for the new album. “I remember when he told me he met Jordan. It was so poignant. [He] said ‘I met the guy I can actually make music with.’”

PARTY PEOPLE

“The real magic in Murfreesboro is the house parties,” Huber says in a phone interview with the Pulse.

This is a statement that many a local music fan would agree with, and one Cherub emphasizes regarding its development. As is customary for a young band in the ’Boro, Cherub cut its teeth in Murfreesboro’s house show scene, using every living room audience and DIYspace headache as a training session.

“We kind of figured ourselves out there,” 10 * DECEMBER 2016 * BOROPULSE.COM

Huber says. “[House shows] really allowed us to be experimental and feel out how we wanted to put this live show together.

“It also gave us an opportunity to deal with a whole bunch of bullshit; playing in less-than-ideal situations, but overcoming any obstacles to throw the best party possible.”

Throwing the best party possible is a bit of a mantra for Cherub. The majority of the tunes are either meant to be party starters or to simply make you wanna dance. And whether they’re popping champagne bottles onstage at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival or dressing up as strippers in the “Doses & Mimosas” music video, the duo just exudes exuberance.

So it’s no real surprise that when they’re off the stage, they’re still bringing a good time wherever they find themselves.

While on the road or during a down period at home, Huber and Kelley look for a way to fit some sort of musical excursion into their days, which sometimes means putting their ’Boro house show experience to use. The duo often spends their nights off hosting secret shows, spontaneous DJ sets (such as one Huber held in Murfreesboro last fall to a packed crowd of partygoers, myself included) or house parties just to keep the music going.

“There isn’t really much other than music that we like to do. When we’re not on tour and when we’re not playing with the band, we’re writing music, or playing music, or thinking about music, or doing something involved with it,” Huber says. “It’s like our lives revolve around that, and it’s what we genuinely love to do. Some people are thrown off by us throwing a house party or something like that on a day off. But nah, man, that’s the best part of our day when we get to get out there and share music with people.”

Bleed Gold, Piss Excellence is the band’s fourth full-length and the followup to its breakthrough album, Year of the Caprese. Musically, it touches on groove-based nostalgic sounds from disco and ’80s pop, all while feeling profoundly youthful. It’s a cohesive, frontto-back party record, but behind the scenes, its recording sessions were far from streamlined.

“This record process was the first time we went into the studio without having a batch of songs that we either had written or partially written and just went into the studio to record them,” Huber says. “This time we went in with a completely blank slate, and did a lot of our writing inside of the studio. The writing and recording process for this record was about two years. . . . It was a disjointed process because we’d be in a studio for a couple weeks or a month or so, then go back out on tour, then settle back in the studio and get back into it.”

One of the most memorable recording sessions for Bleed Gold, Piss Excellence occurred in Atlanta. While performing at a local venue, Huber and Kelley found out they had attracted

a new fan—Southern hip-hop mainstay T.I. “The T.I. collaboration was actually one of the most organic collaborations that we’ve ever done,” Huber recalls. “We look over at the side stage, and T.I. was standing on the side stage jamming out.”

He continues, “[He] came up afterwards, introduced himself and congratulated us on the show and then invited us to make some music with him the next day. The next day he called us and forgot he made plans, so instead of cancelling on us, he invited us out to a pizza dinner with him and his family, T.I., Tiny and all the kids. Then we went bowling for a couple hours, and then went to the studio after that. It was a really organic process where people came together to make music for music’s sake, and it ended up turning into something really cool.”

That collaboration is “Signs,” one of the album’s lead singles and one of the hallmark songs in the band’s discography, which is peppered with memorable collaborations with artists including fellow electronic up-and-comers Griz and Big Gigantic and former MTSU student and acclaimed singer/ songwriter Natalie Prass.

“Musically collaborating in the studio, that’s where a lot of the magic happens,” Huber says.

“As one person or as one band we can only have so many ideas. When we start collaborating with people that’s when the limits get pushed.”

HOMEGROWN ELECTRO

While the band’s list of collaborators is ever growing, Cherub prides itself on keeping its team close and consistent. The band’s support, including its producer, touring guitarist and tour manager, are all longtime friends, many of which were met at MTSU. The band’s success is a homegrown movement, and as Cherub’s profile has heightened, it has kept it that way.

“Our whole creative team on these records hasn’t changed from day one,” Huber says.

“It’s great that we’re all still together and having the opportunity to do this and travel the world, sharing music.”

Cherub will return home this month for a hyped New Year’s Eve performance at Marathon Music Works, its biggest Nashville show since headlining the historic Ryman Auditorium last fall. It’ll be a homecoming of sorts, and the band is ready to pull out all the stops.

“Nashville has been so supportive of us literally since day one,” Huber says. “It’s meant the world to us. We don’t want to come home to Nashville and put on a mediocre show, we want to put on the wildest show of our tour and the most packed-out show of the tour.

“We’re excited about it and want it to be the most magical night ever.”

Cherub plays Marathon Music Works on Dec. 31 at 9 p.m. The band’s latest album Bleed Gold, Piss Excellence is available now.

ALBUMS

BY DYLAN SKYE AYCOCK

BRI MURPHY

MEAT FIGHT

Nashville-based singer-songwriter Bri Murphy formally enters the country arena with her debut solo release, Throw Down My Heart, a six-song EP that addresses heartbreak and rejection and how to let go of it all. Since relocating to Nashville from northwest Wisconsin in 2011, Murphy has shared the stage with Chris Stapleton and Tanya Tucker, but it wasn’t until late 2015 when she set aside time to pursue a solo career and record her EP. In addition to songwriting, Murphy, who was born into a musical family, can be found playing violin, piano, guitar and mandolin as well as French horn and a little banjo. Due to her versatility, Murphy’s music can take the form of alternative country, folkrock and sometimes bluegrass from track to track, and although she lacks a definitive Southern twang, her music is at times similar to fellow country influences Brandy Clark and Kacey Musgraves.

Produced by Eli Beaird, Throw Down My Heart (crowdfunded via PledgeMusic) begins with “Loving You,” a song about coming to terms with loving someone even if the relationship ultimately falters, is slightly reminiscent of early Dixie Chicks. The EP continues with healing and moving past heartbreak on “New Growth” and follows up with “All of the Scars,” an acoustic ballad that tackles learning to love again, lifted up by the presence of violin.

The release comes full circle with its namesake, a slow-moving song about “leaving darkness behind” and embracing the light at the end of a long, dark tunnel.

Murphy says the track came to her as a “full package” during her last night of being cooped up in a Wisconsin cabin, and, despite writing other songs during the trip that may never be heard, Murphy says “Throw Down My Heart” presented itself both lyrically and melodically within about 15 minutes. As with the other tracks, the song’s placement is perfect for an album that begins with heartache and concludes on an optimistic note.

Throw Down My Heart is available on Spotify and iTunes. For more on Bri Murphy, including tour dates, visit brimurphymusic.com.

Terry McClain, the prolific mastermind behind Guiltless Cult, the Realside, the Afterdogs and many other local music projects, is venturing into darker territory with Meat Fight, his new metal/ hard rock outfit. The singer, songwriter and multiinstrumentalist is joined by drummer Elliott Tanner on this new 10-track effort, Conduit, which taps into some of McClain’s heaviest material to date.

Conduit begins and ends with the same sludgy vibe, but McClain’s former musical endeavors haven’t always been so straightforward. In 2014, he set out to record one album per month, switching from genre to genre with each release. Earlier this year, he even took to social media to craft an album entirely out of Facebook suggestions. Having listened to some of McClain’s material in the past that leans toward acoustic pop-rock or blues-rock, it’s refreshing to see what he delivers in a new style.

Although McClain’s latest project aims to melt faces, the album isn’t heavy in the same vein as Megadeth or as thrashing as Gojira. Some riffs recall sludge-metal with faint punk undertones like on “Cosmic Dissonance,” but the album as a whole is too polished and isn’t grimy enough to fall under that label. Instead, Conduit plays like Mastodon or perhaps Iron Maiden, particularly vocally, and it’s not something you’d necessarily feel the need to head-bang to. Standouts include “Downer,” a track with big riffs and dynamic drumming from McClain (and the album’s shortest cut), “Your Eternal Reward” and “Cosmic Dissonance.”

Conduit comes to a carnivorous close on “The Final Conveyor,” which drops all the keywords you’d expect to hear from a band named Meat Fight, with lines like The final exchange hands the destiny unified, dripping on a flame, sizzling into a slobbering mouth / By your deeds a meal by our endless need for flavor of the flesh indeed, the part we play an array of abundance and value. The song comes to an appropriate ending with McClain chanting “meat” over and over. To listen to the release, visit delvinshadepublishing.com.

Throw Down My Heart

A CLASSIC OUTSTANDING

Conduit

AVERAGE BELOW AVERAGE

AVOID AT ALL COSTS DEAD BOROPULSE.COM

* DECEMBER 2016 * 11

Sounds

DECEMBER GUESTS ON THE JUSTIN REED SHOW INCLUDE HICKS, TIM ATWOOD, SWEET HOME SYMPHONY

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MUSIC NOTES

talks new holiday album, It Must Be Christmas.

BY JOHN CONNOR COULSTON

T

he holiday season always brings a fresh batch of Christmas tunes from your favorite artists, with 2016 being no different. This year brings yuletide offerings from Loretta Lynn, Kacey Musgraves, Jimmy Buffett and, most notably, Murfreesboro’s favorite son, Chris Young.

The country star has been riding high this year off of his late 2015 release I’m Comin Over. He scored two big hits in the form of the title track and “Think of You,” a duet with Cassadee Pope. To cap off his stellar year, Young released his first holiday album, It Must Be Christmas, which is stocked full of seasonal classics and originals.

Young tackles standards such as “The Christmas Song,” “Holly Jolly Christmas” and “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” putting just enough of his country flair on them to stand out from the crowd. He also received a little help from some friends in the form of Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley and Boyz II Men, who duet with Young on “There’s a New Kid in Town,” “The First Noel” and “Silent Night,” respectively.

12 * DECEMBER 2016 * BOROPULSE.COM

We corresponded with Young about collaboration, writing Christmas cuts and what’s in store for his 2017: MURFREESBORO PULSE: What made you want to record a Christmas album?

YOUNG: I’m not kidding when I say this record has been in the making for over 10 years since I signed my deal with RCA. Before I got the green light to make the album I was already thinking about what songs I wanted to cut—songs that I’d sung since childhood, songs that bring back memories of Christmas over the years.

In the end, I set out to make a record that someone wants to listen to year after year at Christmas. I think that happened.

Since making it big, have your holidays changed much since growing up in Murfreesboro?

Then and now, Christmas is all about family for me.

est hope that you can spend the holidays this year with all your friends and family. To add icing to the top of that cake, I hope you can tune into the three installments of The Justin Reed Show that are scheduled for December. This month: DEC. 1: At 7:30 a.m., Swedish country musician Hicks will call in to the show and we will talk about his new music and how the world of country music is truly universal. For more information on Hicks, visit hickscountry.com.

At 8 a.m., Donnie Lee Strickland will drop by the studio and play live. Strickland has been singing since he was 5 years old and has performed all over the country for some notable musicians. For more information on Strickland, who has a new album available, visit donnieleestrickland.com. Finally, at 9 a.m., world renowned pianist Tim Atwood will be making his return to the show. Atwood was featured in a phone interview back in August, but he will be appearing live in December.

Atwood spent more than three decades as the house pianist for the Grand Ole Opry. Since working as a solo artist, he has released two albums to critical acclaim, and he will be playing live on The Justin Reed Show! For more information on Atwood, visit timatwood.com.

The Boyz II Men collaboration was an unexpected part of the record; how did it and your other two team-ups come about?

I was floored that Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley and Boyz II Men all wanted to be a part of it. It’s a phrase that people use sometimes at Christmas—“You got everything that you asked for”—and I totally did on this project.

You tackled writing a couple original Christmas songs; what was the songwriting process like for those tracks?

Was it difficult for you to write a song with a holiday focus?

I had tried for a few years to write a Christmas song, and it wasn’t until this year that the two original songs came together, “Under the Weather” and “It Must Be Christmas.” But writing a Christmas song is no different than trying to write a love song or a party song or anything else; you try and set yourself in that space and keep working at it until you get it right. I was just really lucky those songs came to exist when I really needed great Christmas music!

What are some of your favorite songs or album to listen to around the holidays?

Growing up, if I didn’t listen to Alan Jackson’s Honky Tonk Christmas and The Beach Boys’ Christmas Album, it just wasn’t Christmastime yet.

What are your plans for 2017?

I’ll be touring from coast to coast and even over to the U.K. for C2C Festival. I’m also always songwriting and working on new music. I’m getting ready for another busy year and love it!

DEC. 8: At 8 a.m., Sweet Home Symphony

will be making its debut as a group on the show. SHS is composed of Wesley King, Zach Shockley and Erin McLendon (a frequent guest on the show). SHS has a fantastic sound that is unique and fresh. The trio will drop by and share the history of the band and play live for us. They are hosting an event at Douglas Corner in Nashville on Dec. 15 and will shed light on that as well. For more, visit facebook.com/sweethomesymphony.

DEC. 15: On the last show of the season,

CHRIS YOUNG PHOTO BY JEFF JOHNSON

CHRIS YOUNG

HAPPY DECEMBER! It is my sincer-

as per tradition, the lovely and talented Erin McLendon will be back for the 3rd Annual Christmas Co-Host at 8 a.m.! Erin is no stranger to The Justin Reed Show, this being her 12th appearance. She will be bringing her favorite Christmas tunes and I will be doing the same, and the rest remains to be seen!

Each time McLendon drops by to co-host is so much fun and this one will not be one to miss.

For more information, visit erinmclendon.com.

Tune into The Justin Reed Show every Thursday morning on 88.3 FM. A big “thank you” to all of the listeners and supporters of the show. This has been the best year of the show yet and it would not be such without you. I’m looking forward to returning to the show for the start of Season 11 on Jan. 5, 2017. Peace, Love, and Ernest Tubb, — JUSTIN REED

ANNIVERSARY PJ PARTY WITH JAKE LEG STOMPERS TO BENEFIT MOVEMBER In celebration of Mayday Brewery’s fourth anniversary—and founder Ozzy Nelson’s birthday— the local craft brewery will host an inaugural Pajama Jam from 1–9 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3.

Staying true to tradition, Mayday’s anniversary party will benefit Movember, a global initiative aimed at raising awareness about prostate cancer through the growing of moustaches. Attendees can enjoy a performance by Jake Leg Stompers, and small batch Peanut Butter & Jam beer. Local Movember organizer Jonathan Taylor said he’s excited about another year of celebrating the moustache for charity.

“Ozzy and his team excel at putting together fun events that the community can enjoy, having a great time while raising money for a good cause at the same time,” Taylor said.

“Movember encourages men to grow a mustache for the month of November as their ‘awareness ribbon’ to raise money for men’s health and cancer research.”

Admission is free and Mayday’s doors will open at 1 p.m. Nelson will get the crowd warmed up with a one-of-a-kind brewery tour (in his pajamas, of course) at 3, 4 and 5 p.m, and live music kicks off at 6 p.m.

For more information on Mayday, visit maydaybrewery.com; to donate, visit mobro.co/jtaylor.

Even in a city like Nashville, where the level of talent on hand requires a redefinition of musical excellence, there are moments when something of magnificence sails above and beyond even an elevated norm like Nashville’s. The Schermerhorn Symphony Center hosted one of those experiences on Sunday afternoon, Nov. 20, when world-famous violinist Itzhak Perlman appeared in recital with pianist Rohan De Silva.

Perlman and De Silva performed for more than 90 minutes, offering compositions by names both familiar and lesser-known, with many highlights appearing late in the concert, after three programmed selections by Beethoven, Franck and Stravinsky were presented. Perlman, whose fame has spread further than perhaps any other living performer from the classical realm, received a nearly swooning response from the audience when he reprised his recorded performance of John Williams’ “Theme From Schindler’s List” and proceeded to display breathtaking technique in three other short pieces. While it goes without say-

ing that the two musicians played flawlessly, there is more than mere technical perfection to be considered when a master violinist such as Perlman lifts his bow. Perlman’s mastery produced performances with deep and profound expression, augmented by very funny comments that brought to mind the late pianist and humorist Victor Borge. “This is [the composer’s work] number five. That means he wrote other pieces.”

It bears mention that this was a performance done without a microphone. Unless you’re listening to a street musician, it’s a rare opportunity indeed in the 21st century to hear music performed in a strictly acoustic context.

The result was (for this listener, at least) the need to “lean in” and experience the performance with an intention usually not necessary, and Perlman’s gentle good humor and casual attitude in the midst of “serious music” easily traveled to the seats in the rear of the Schermerhorn.

The effect of the world’s finest living violinist, playing one of the world’s most magnificent Stradivarius violins inside one of the world’s most acoustically extraordinary venues is difficult to adequately convey. In a city loaded with “you had to be there” moments, an afternoon of sublime perfection such as this is one to remember. — STEVE MORLEY PHOTO BY LISA MARIE MAZZUCCO

VIOLIN VIRTUOSO ITZHAK PERLMAN VISITS MUSIC CITY

BOROPULSE.COM

* DECEMBER 2016 * 13

Sounds

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Styx, Moon Taxi, Widespread Panic and more to ring in the new year in Middle Tennessee.

BY DYLAN SKYE AYCOCK

IT’S TIME TO SOLIDIFY NEW YEAR’S EVE PLANS, AND, LUCKILY FOR THOSE OF US IN THE Nashville area, there are many options to choose from this year. From rock and country acts to Americana and big band music, Middle Tennessee will boast an array of musical options to bid farewell to 2016 and welcome the upcoming year.

The Pulse has compiled some of the evening’s best shows in Murfreesboro, Nashville and surrounding areas. However, as New Year’s Eve approaches, some events are selling out fast, so plan accordingly if you wish to spend the holiday at one of the concerts below.

JACK DANIEL’S MUSIC CITY MIDNIGHT: NEW YEAR’S EVE IN NASHVILLE WHERE: Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park (600 James Robertson Pkwy., Nashville) WHEN: Dec. 31, site opens at 4 p.m., music begins at 6:15 p.m.

Nashville’s annual New Year’s Eve celebration, formerly known as Bash on Broadway, is moving to Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park this year to accommodate security and the event’s growth in recent years, according to a release.

Despite the new name and change of venue, this year’s lineup is just as stacked, catering to many musical tastes with headliner Keith Urban, rock outfit Styx (“Come Sail Away,” “Mr. Roboto”), indie/progressive rock band Moon Taxi, A Thousand Horses, Charlie Worsham and the Fisk Jubilee Singers. The event’s site

will open at 4 p.m. with a DJ set, followed by the raising of the Music Note by Mayor Megan Barry around 6 p.m.

WIDESPREAD PANIC WHERE: Bridgestone Arena, (Address, Nashville) WHEN: Dec. 30 at 8 p.m.; Dec. 31 at 9 p.m.

American rock band Widespread Panic will head west to Bridgestone Arena this year, following the group’s 2015 New Year’s Eve show at Atlanta’s Fox Theatre. In addition to the Dec. 31 show, John Bell and company will also take the stage Dec. 30 (the band’s Dec. 29 Tunes for Tots gig at the Ryman has long been sold out). The Athens, Ga., jam band will bring with them a different vibe than former electronic headliner Bassnectar, who claimed the venue’s New

JOHN PRINE / KASEY MUSGRAVES

JOHN PRINE, JASON ISBELL AND KACEY MUSGRAVES WHERE: Grand Ole Opry House (2804 Opryland Dr., Nashville) WHEN: Dec. 31 at 8 p.m.

Although Old Crow Medicine Show’s Ryman Auditorium gig is currently sold out, John Prine, Jason Isbell and Kacey Musgraves will ring in the New Year in Americana fashion at the Grand Ole Opry House beginning at 8 p.m. If you’re looking for an alternative to the rock and electro-pop spectacles around town, this trio will provide a rousing show of new and old hits (and without all the traffic surrounding Broadway).

Isbell and Musgraves have noted Prine’s influence on their respective work and have both performed alongside the singer/songwriter legend, with Musgraves appearing on Prine’s 2016 duets album, For Better, or Worse.

Year’s spot from 2011–14 before moving his show to Birmingham last year. If country or indie rock isn’t your style, ring in the New Year with some Southern blues-rock.

THE LEONARD BROTHERS WHERE: Main Street Music (527 W. Main St., Murfreesboro) WHEN: Dec. 31 Of course, you don’t have to travel to Nashville for a night of rock ’n’ roll. Long-time local classic rock staple the Leonard Brothers will welcome 2017 alongside friends and family at Main Street Music. The band—Randy, Mark, Gary, Ricky and lead singer Thane Shearon—began performing during the early ’80s and always bring out classic covers by the likes of Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Allman Brothers and other favorites of the era.

UNDERGROUND COUNTDOWN: NEW YEAR’S EVE EXPERIENCE

THE DEL McCOURY BAND

14 * DECEMBER 2016 * BOROPULSE.COM

WHERE: Cumberland Caverns (1437 Cumberland Caverns Rd., McMinnville) WHEN: Dec. 30–31 If one day of celebration isn’t enough, join bluegrass legends the Del McCoury Band, the Travelin’ McCourys and the Jeff Austin Band for a six-set and multistage excursion presented by Bluegrass Underground.

From Dec. 30 until the wee hours of Jan. 1, bluegrass will come alive once again deep within McMinnville’s Cumberland Caverns. On Friday, the venue will host “The Bluegrass Ball,” featuring two sets by the Del McCoury Band and special guests in the Volcano Room. On Saturday, the Travelin’ McCourys, featuring Del’s sons Ronnie and Rob McCoury, fiddler Jason Carter and bassist Alan Bartram, will infuse traditional bluegrass with jamgrass, in addition to a set by the Jeff Austin Band, fronted by former Yonder Mountain String Band mandolinist. The two bands will return later Saturday night for “The Grateful Ball,” a set of Grateful Dead covers with a bluegrass treatment.

9TH ANNUAL NIGHT WATCH WHERE: First Presbyterian Church (210 N. Spring St., Murfreesboro) WHEN: Dec. 30 from 6–10 p.m.

If you can’t wait until Saturday night to begin celebrating the upcoming year, join fellow neighbors at the annual communitywide New Year’s party at First Presbyterian Church. The theme for this year’s familyfriendly celebration is “Recover Rutherford: A Fresh Start!” Wear some dancing shoes, as the event is slated to host the Music City Swing Band before closing out with ringing chimes and church bells.

MIXTAPE ’80S BAND WHERE: Nobody’s Grille (2227 Old Fort Pkwy., Murfreesboro) WHEN: Dec. 31 at 9 p.m.

The fun-loving guys of the Mixtape ’80s band return to Nobody’s Grille; join them and party like it’s 1989. The band plays a gnarly variety of your favorite rock and pop tunes from the 1980s, such as material from Van Halen, Journey, Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams and many others. Stick around for the midnight champagne toast to greet 2017.

PAIGE & THE TEXAS BARGOYLES WHERE: The Boro Bar and Grill (1211 Greenland Dr., Murfreesboro) WHEN: Dec. 31 at 9 p.m.

Paige & the Texas Bargoyles—bringing you some badass post-classical cowpunk rockin’ country—will perform a NYE show at Boro Bar and Grill, kicking off at 9 p.m.

BOROPULSE.COM

* DECEMBER 2016 * 15

Food

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THAI Me Up LAO Me Down

Murfreesboro diners go wild over Pad Thai’s spicy selections.

STORY BY BRACKEN MAYO PHOTOS BY SARAH MAYO

Clockwise from top: Pad thai with shrimp; jalapeno shrimp and squid; Thai tea; ginger chicken wings

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U

Nathan, a customer from Shelbyville who pon entering Pad Thai Cafe, called Pad Thai “the best Restaurant in a small eatery located in Murfreesboro,” suggests the Thai Fury. a small shopping center “Their food is absolutely amazing,” he on Church Street, a lovely, said. “Their food is so fresh, their portions smoky, spicy, fresh vegetable are generous, their spices are just right, aroma from the wok greets diners. and their staff is on top of things and very The establishment, owned by Nafriendly.” khonkham Chanthabandith—or simply Tommy is particularly proud of his Tommy to his American friends and customginger-encrusted chicken wings. He creers—serves all of the Thai and Lao favorites ated this crispy fried dish while working at like curries, pad Thai, pho and drunken Asian Palace in Memnoodles, along with a phis, and now lots of variety of Chinese dishes. restaurants in that area Tommy’s brother, Nak, have their own versions who has studied Japanese NAME: of the ginger chicken cooking, will soon reopen Pad Thai Cafe wing, according to the Pad Thai’s sushi bar.

LOCATION: 2568 S. Church St., Suite E Pad Thai owner.

“Some customers were He says the Tom Yum, upset [that we had to PHONE: (615) 203-6900 a soup with a nice cococlose the sushi bar temHOURS: nut flavor and containing porarily],” Tommy said, Monday–Saturday perfectly cooked bits of but assured the diners 11 a.m.–9:30 p.m. zucchini and other vegof Murfreesboro that the COST: etables served with either Pad Thai sushi bar will be Jalapeno shrimp and squid: shrimp or chicken, “has a back in December. $12; Ginger salt chicken wings: little of everything.”

Even without the sushi $8.50; Spicy green papaya salad: $6; Chicken pad Thai: “It’s creamy, sweet, rolls, the restaurant offers $8.95; Kung pao chicken: $6.45; sour, spicy,” says Tommy, plenty of reasons to visit: Red, green, yellow or massaman who was born in Laos. for one, the delicious jacurry with shrimp: $12 The Pad Thai staff lapeño fried shrimp and ONLINE: serves its dishes with squid appetizer, laced padthaicafe.webs.com a lovely presentation, with smokiness from the many of the dishes arranged in shiny metal wok and served on a bed of cabbage, carrots bowls with shaved carrot or basil leaf ornaand peppers, with a sriracha dipping sauce. mentation on the top.

“The dynamite chicken might be the best As in many Thai restaurants, the server thing I’ve ever eaten,” Larry Noble said of will ask the customer how spicy they would Pad Thai’s stir-fried dish with bell pepper, like their food on a scale of 1 to 5. Many onion, scallion, carrot, tomato, mushroom diners will warn others that the Pad Thai and pineapple cooked in a sweet, sour and scale seems overall a little spicier than spicy basil sauce. The dynamite stir-fry can some other restaurants in that area. also be had with tuna, or with the diner’s “If you don’t like spicy, order a 1,” Tommy choice of beef, pork, tofu, shrimp or scallop. advises.

Another customer recommended the “Even No. 2 spicy is spicy,” a diner crab rangoon and chicken pad Thai, while agrees.

Tommy said he is always trying to improve, and closely monitors feedback on social media, and from customers.

Some criticism of Pad Thai includes the small size of the restaurant and the occasional difficulty finding a table during peak times, the wait for made-to-order food during these busier times, the food sometimes being too spicy for the diner to handle, and the (temporary) suspension of the sushi bar.

Still, the restaurant

The Dish

has earned many true fans over the past few years.

“I have been to countless Thai restaurants, but this one takes the cake,” Lindsey P. posted to Yelp. “I can’t eat pad Thai anywhere else but here. Lad Nah is fantastic, Pad Se Ew is yum, the Pho is the best we’ve had with all the fresh herbs and extras they bring out on the side, the peanut sauce is made in-house and is a must-have for any dipping you must do.”

Another Yelper stated that after trying at least 30 Thai joints all over the country, he ranks Pad Thai in the top two spots that he has sampled.

Tommy expresses his pride in his customers raving about his place, and said he is glad to see Thai and Lao cooking becoming so popular in Murfreesboro.

“It was hard to get people to try it at first,” he said, thus his reasoning for wanting to offer some Chinese food that Murfreesboro people were more familiar with, like general chicken, that may entice them to come back and try a curry or noodle dish on their next visit.

“In Thai cooking we use a lot of fish sauce, with Chinese cooking we use a lot of

soy sauce,” Tommy said while noting some of the differences in the Thai and Chinese portions of his menu.

One Pad Thai customer complimented the restaurant on its near perfect level of cutting and cooking its vegetables so they are all uniform and cooked just right, leaving just the slightest bit of crunch.

Nak, Tommy’s brother and culinary partner, points out that they cut fresh Tennessee vegetables every day, and he also expresses great pride in serving customers excellent food.

“You have to know your fire,” Nak says regarding the art and science of cooking with a wok.

He also brings up the jasmine rice the restaurant uses rather than a cheaper variety of white rice.

“A lot of people compliment us on our rice. Jasmine rice has a better aroma, it is softer,” Nak said.

He suggests for a pleased customer to try a dynamite dish at Pad Thai on his next visit.

Nak also points out that Pad Thai acquires never-frozen tuna, which is more expensive than frozen fish, but said the staff is glad to deliver this quality to its customers.

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* DECEMBER 2016 * 17

 FOOD  RECIPE

A Tennessee Twist on Creole

BY NICK McGUIRE

Batey Farms is Rutherford County’s local, family-run pork provider, supplying its many customers with bacon, sausage, brats, chorizo, pork chops and more. Some of the area’s restaurants use Batey products in their establishments.

Here, Nick McGuire, of O’Possum’s and The Hoof, shares a recipe for Red Beans and Rice with Batey Farm’s Andouille Sausage:

Red Beans & Rice with Batey Farm’s Andouille Sausage INGREDIENTS: 1 tbsp. Batey bacon grease 1 Spanish onion 3 cloves of garlic, chopped 1 green bell pepper 8 cups chicken broth (light stock is fine, but dark stock is preferred for full flavor) 1 pound dried kidney beans 1 pound Batey Andouille sausage 2 stalks of celery, chopped 2 bay leaves ½ tsp. dried sage 1 tbsp. Creole seasoning to start, add to taste after cooking 1 tbsp. Great 8 Pepper Sauce Creole Seasoning: Mix equal amounts of the following: Paprika Dried oregano Black pepper Kosher salt Dried basil Cayenne pepper Granulated onion Dried Thyme

18 * DECEMBER 2016 * BOROPULSE.COM

DIRECTIONS: THE NIGHT BEFORE— SOAK kidney beans overnight, covered with water.

BOIL Andouille sausage to an internal temperature of 160 degrees, then put in fridge.

THE NEXT DAY— MELT bacon grease in skillet over medium heat COOK onion, garlic, bell pepper and celery until tender and onions are transparent COMBINE chicken stock and rinsed kidney beans in stock pot and bring to a boil STIR in vegetable mixture, bay leaves and other seasonings SIMMER, covered, stirring occasionally for 3–5 hours or until beans are tender After cooking, TASTE-test to see if you want more Creole seasoning REMOVE bay leaves before serving SLICE and sauté sausage in butter until brown and add to beans just before servicing SERVE over cooked white rice

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* DECEMBER 2016 * 19

Art

 EXHIBITS

(Clockwise from right) Peace by Mary Miller Veazie; Portrait by Pam Mack; Fabric by Maggie Sansera

FIND UNIQUE GIFTS DURING DECEMBER BORO ART CRAWL The Boro Art Crawl on Friday, Dec. 9, is the perfect place to find unique gifts for friends and family, as well as wonderful art. The Crawl will take place in and around the Historic Downtown Murfreesboro Square. Organizers encourage art fans to venture beyond the inner ring of the square to take in the many great places just a few blocks away.

One of the perfect places to look for uncommon gifts is dreamingincolor on Maney Street. The art, furniture and gift shop will be featuring the oils and painted furniture of Deneen Glidwell, the architectural watercolors of 84-year-old Joseph Roccamo and pastoral pastels on sandpaper by Justyna Kostkowska. Beth Boudreaux will be live painting onsite during the Crawl. Every nook and cranny of the old home-turned-store on Maney Street offers creative delights for the holidays, beginning on the front porch.

The store will also be featuring youth art from its inaugural student art contest.

Glidwell, owner of dreamingincolor, knows that is it important to support young people

Murfree Art Gallery Hosts Work From Rebecca Stout, Ambre Stewart and Other MTSU Students The Murfree Art Galleries of Rutherford County Property Assessor Rob Mitchell, located on the second floor of the Rutherford Office Building at 319 N. Maple St. in Murfreesboro, hosts an exhibit which a joint effort between the MTSU Departments of Art, Electronic Media Communications and Photography. An opening reception is scheduled from 3–4 p.m., Friday, Dec. 2, and the exhibit will remain on display through March 3.

Murfree’s A Gallery features art students Amy Maggard, Autumn Galloway, Cesar Pita, Hannah McMurry, Iska Frosh, Karlie 20 * DECEMBER 2016 * BOROPULSE.COM

interested in the arts at an early age and hopes to make the contest an annual event.

New Jersey artist Roccomo represents the other end of the spectrum. Once an architect, this senior uses bright colors and architectural details to create abstract studies of form and space.

Boro Art Crawl is happy to have two artists participating who were featured in Incite 4: Relax Restore Renew, Suzanne LeBeau and Dawna Magliacano. This coffee table book from North Light Books features the best in mixed media artists of 2016 from around the world. Magliacano will be show-

ing at Gallery 903, and LeBeau will also be showing her work.

Two-Tone Gallery will be open for the Crawl in spite of the construction on Lytle Street.

Make sure you make your way to the gallery, as the sidewalk is open and the gallery offers many treasures. Owner Todd Wilson has a goal for the gallery: to “[s]how as much art to as many people as possible.” For the December Boro Art Crawl he will be featuring the work of Norbert Thiemann, Beth Moore, Lesley Thomas, Kevin Sweeney, and Kevin Wurm Jr.

“Slipping Away”

by Rebecca Stout

Photo by Ambre Stewart

Tankersley, Lou Agilar and Rebecca Stout.

Collectively this group represents the Studio Art areas of painting, printmaking and sculpture. Art represented includes work from classes in Two-Dimensional Design,

Three-Dimensional Design, Drawing I and Drawing II. One student, Rebecca Stout, will be participating in her concluding exhibit at MTSU in April and she and nine others curate, install, and host Lethologica, the fall 2016 Todd Art Gallery Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) Exhibition in Studio Art. Murfree’s B Gallery features Ambre Stewart, a senior photography student with the MTSU College of Media and Entertainment.

Other participating businesses and organizations include Top of the Block, Earth Experience, Mayday Brewery, Liquid Smoke, Cultivate Coworking, Green Dragon, Let’s Make Wine, Amelia’s Closet, Simply Pure Sweets, The Boutique at Studio C Photography, The Block, Quinn’s Mercantile, Funtiques, L & L Construction, Murfreesboro Art League at Cannonsburgh Village, Center for the Arts, Moxie Art Supply, The Write Impression, Murfreesboro City Hall Rotunda, Studio Artists at the old Henry’s Florist, Vibe Nutrition, VNTG, Bradley Academy and Cultural Center, and Sugaree’s.



View the December Art Crawl Map on page 21. For more information, visit boroartcrawl.com.

Entitled Blue & Grey, the work documents her five-month study of the process and procedures of the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, Murfreesboro Police Department, Murfreesboro K-9 Unit, Murfreesboro Fire Department, Rutherford County Jail and the Citizen’s Police Academy.

Intending to present a nonbiased opinion, Stewart soon discovered that her subjects’ primary goals are keeping the people of Murfreesboro and Rutherford County safe and to return home to their families at the end of each shift.

All Murfree Art Gallery exhibits are free and open to the public. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m., closing only for weekends and federal, state, and county holidays.

For more information, call (615) 8985532.

Boro Art Crawl ­ Google Maps

FRIDAY, DEC. 9, 2016 / EVENT MAP / ART / MUSIC / POETRY / LOCAL

ro Art Crawl

5

4

GREEN: Curated by Art Crawl organizers with art that is appropriate for all ages

1 The Earth Experience

r Vibe Nutrition

RED: 21+ and may display more mature art

2 Murfreesboro Art

League /Rutherford County Blacksmith Association 312 S. Front St.

t Simply Pure Sweets

816 Old Salem Rd.

PURPLE: Self-curated galleries

3 The Green Dragon Public House 714-F W. Main St.

122 S. Maple St.

a The Write Impression

504 N. Maney Ave.

7 Quinn’s Mercantile 301 N. Spring St.

8 Cultivate Coworking 107 W. Lytle St.

9 Two-Tone Art Gallery 113 W. Lytle St.

0 Center for the Arts 110 W. College St.

1

BORO ART CRAWL SPONSORS

s FunTiques

118 S. Maple St.

d L&L Contractors

25 S. Public Square

f Mayday Brewery

521 Old Salem Rd.

g The Block

h Bradley Academy and

2 N. Public Square

Cultural Center 415 S. Academy St.

w Let’s Make Wine

f

120 S. Maple St.

123 SW Broad St.

q Liquid Smoke 109 E. Main St.

11/27/2016

302 W. Vine St.

p Sugaree’s

6 Dreamingincolor

gh

u Moxie Gallery

118 W. Vine St.

314 W. Lokey Ave.

2

118 N. Walnut St.

o Daffodilly

5 Top of the Block

3

y Vntg

111 W. Vine St.

903 Murfree Ave.

7

118 N. Walnut St.

i Rotunda City Hall

4 Studio 903

6

208 W. Main St.

Boro Art Crawl ­ Google Maps

e The Boutique

at StudioC 201 W. Main St., Ste. 206

Boro Art Crawl

HISTORIC MURFREESBORO Map dataSQUARE ©2016 Google

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Map data * DECEMBER 2016 * 21©2016 Go

ďƒ¨ LOCAL ART

PORTRAIT ART

BY GREG LYON Linebaugh Public Library hosted an exhibit of the work of area artist Greg Lyon in November.

Lyon enjoys producing portraits of American presidents, and the exhibit contained multiple works of his featuring Abraham Lincoln, as well as images of other iconic figures like Charlie Chaplin and Pete Townshend.

Lyon also recently drew a couple of caricatures of some individuals in the news lately exclusively for the Pulse: presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, and currently-imprisoned, ex-Rutherford County sheriff Robert Arnold.

22 * DECEMBER 2016 * BOROPULSE.COM

 THEATER

THE CHRISTMAS SCHOONER ONSTAGE THIS MONTH AT CENTER FOR THE ARTS The Christmas Schooner will sail again at Center for the Arts Dec. 2–18, 2016.

One of the most popular holiday shows the Center has presented, The Christmas Schooner is a show the whole family will enjoy. This heartwarming story of the first Christmas tree ship and the family who risked their lives to fill Chicago with the Christmas spirit features a powerful, moving story, an exquisite score of original music and traditional holiday favorites.

The remounting of The Christmas Schooner has been a dream of Cyndie Verbeten, the show’s director. Ever since the popular 2014 production, Verbeten has been wanting to produce another run of the holiday musical. She proposed this to Patience Long, the Center’s executive director, and was excited to receive support to reproduce the show.

“We were receiving the feedback from our audiences that they wanted a traditional Christmas show in our December calendar slot,” explained Long, “so I was thrilled when Cyndie came to me with the information that many of the cast members from the 2014 production were interested in restaging the musical.”

A timely and uplifting tale of love and loss, The Christmas Schooner reminds us of tradition and our responsibility to celebrate the living while honoring our heritage. The shipwreck of the Rouse Simmons, known as “The Christmas Tree Ship,” served as inspiration for the show. Her captain and crew risked the notoriously violent winter lake to bring Christmas trees from

Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to Chicago’s German immigrants. Each year, Captain Herman Schuenemann would sell trees right off of the ship at the Clark Street Docks, and was known to give free trees to the needy. On Nov. 23, 1912, the ship was swept up in a terrible storm. It was not until 59 years later that she was discovered, lying in 170 feet of water. Today the Rouse Simmons and her cargo of 5,500 wellstacked trees remain preserved in the cold, fresh waters of Lake Michigan, and her legend has grown over the years.

The Center’s 2016 production features David West as Peter Stossel, the hardworking captain whose sense of obligation to the other immigrants causes him to undertake the dangerous voyage each year. Center favorite Alexius Frost is portraying his wife, Alma, and Gary Davis is reprising his role as Gustav Stossel. They are joined by young Alex Geraci, who is portraying Karl Stossel as a child—the son of Peter and Alma. Other cast members returning to reprise their roles include Andrew Hosale, Jack Teal, Ted Verbeten, Suzi Richardson, Lydia McLaurin, Victoria Richardson and Jared Taylor.

Tickets can be purchased at boroarts. org, by calling (615) 904-2787, or by stopping by the Center’s box office at 110 W. College St. in downtown Murfreesboro.

Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. on Sundays, Dec. 2–18.

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* DECEMBER 2016 * 23





O CHRISTMAS TREE



Valley Growers, the official plant provider of the Murfreesboro Pulse, doesn’t take the winter off. Rather, they grow thousands of poinsettias in their greenhouse and offer lots of live trees and wreaths. Visit boropulse.com/win for a chance to win a Christmas tree for your family, or a family that could use some holiday greenery.

THE MALL HAS IT ALL

Merry & Bright SHOP LOCAL GIFT GUIDE & GIVEAWAY Enter to Win at

BOROPULSE.COM/WIN restaurant scene, is racking up fans quickly with its burgers, creative pizzas, delicious salads, hot dogs and some of the best fries in town, all served in a comfortable environment and labeled with fun, Murfreesboro-inspired titles.

The friendly neighborhood pub is offering Pulse readers a chance to win a complete dinner for two.

RESTORING BALANCE

 KRISTMAS AT KAM’S

One of Murfreesboro’s newest boutiques, located at 527 N. Thompson Lane, offers stylish dresses, boots, jeans, purses, vests and more clothing and accessories for ladies.

THE CHEMISTRY SET FOR ADULTS

Let’s Make Wine, on East Main Street just off of the Murfreesboro Public Square, sells winemaking kits—grab one for that individual who needs a DIY project with a wine reward at the end of the process. The store stocks kits to make dozens of different varieties of wine, along with supplies for making hard cider and mead. Enter to win a kit for yourself or for a gift for a friend.

DINNER AT THE STATION

Station Grill, though still a relative newcomer to the Murfreesboro 24 * DECEMBER 2016 * BOROPULSE.COM

Balance Anew offers a variety of health services including massage, energy work, neuromuscular therapy, reflexology and oncology massage. Treat a loved one to a little time for themselves, and help them restore balance in their life. Balance Anew also offers ionic foot detox services, a technique that draws toxins from various bodily organs into water. Enter to win a gift certificate for a one-hour massage or a ionic foot detox, at boropulse.com/win.

A TRIP TO THE MOVIES

A trip to the movies can be a magical escape in the winter or any time of year.

Malco’s Smyrna Cinema offers lots of first-run movie fun and a coffee bar, plus they offer gift cards as a holiday surprise for the movie lover.

Whether the good folks on your Christmas list desire a video gaming system, a grill, a diamond, shoes or a shirt, Stones River Mall has it all. Santa will be in the house this month, so there will be plenty of festive Christmas cheer at the mall.

Enter to win a gift card from JeweLL Fashion Obsession or Journeys at boropulse.com/win.

JACK HALL’S PECANS

Tennessee’s source for pecans, Jack Hall’s Pecans, is giving Pulse readers the chance to enter to win three pounds of the fine Southern nuts. That’s more than enough to share.

Or visit jackhallspecans.com for information on having some shipped to you.

LADIES FASHION

Camille’s Department Store Outlet, 402 W. Northfield Blvd., carries high fashions from names like Anne Klein, Michael Kors, Tommy Hilfiger, Jones New York, Ralph Lauren and others, at low, low prices. Grab a sweater, shirt or accessory for the lady on your list, or a gift certificate if you can’t make up your maid. You’ll be amazed at the values you can score at Camille’s, up to 80 percent off retail.

FOOD TO FLIP FOR

Give the carnivore in your life a gift card that delivers pulled pork, beef brisket, wings, catfish and more. Oh yeah, it’s not all about the meats at Nobody’s—the sports bar and grill dishes out some great desserts too.

WINTER’S GRILL

Maple Street Grill closed its downtown

SMOOPY’S VINTAGE BICYCLES

Many remember receiving a bicycle on Christmas morning as a child. Recreate that Christmas magic for a child or adult on your list. Shop at Smoopy’s for new and used bicycles and all sorts of fun bike accessories.

Murfreesboro location earlier this year, but the local restaurant’s fans know that in Eagleville they can still find Mike and Debbie Zelenak’s grilled or country fried steaks, pasta, Cuban sandwiches, burgers and the legendary cookie monster. Enter to win a gift card from Maple Street Grill and you may be headed for an excursion out to Eagleville for dinner.

SPA PARTY FOR 10

Hand & Stone Massage offers the chance to unwind with Swedish, deep tissue, trigger point, prenatal and other massage services, hot stone therapy and facials.

The facility offers Pulse readers the chance to win a spectacular spa party that provides 10 guests with three 10-minute services—choose from a facial, cold stone face massage, hot towel foot treatment or peppermint scalp massage—along with a chair massage and skin analysis (a $399 value)!

 A CRYSTAL OR A QUARTZ

Stonekeepers, at 215 Robert Rose Dr., sells beautiful minerals, crystals and gemstones from around the world, along with jewelry, books and other various treasures. Over the years, the store’s mission evolved to become much more than a stone store; the Adams family aims to run “a place to help empower individuals in their journeys towards inner peace and harmony.” Stop in a check it out for yourself, and you just may come away with a unique holiday gift for a family member or friend.

ROCKIN’ CHRISTMAS 

Thor is a train man, and everyone should stop into his one-of-a-kind shop at 416 Medical Center Pkwy. You may just leave with a beautiful model train to travel around your Christmas tree. In addition to Lionel and other fun train-related products, Thor’s Tennessee Furniture & Lionel Trains also features lots of handmade furniture— shelves, bookcases, porch rockers and more. Enter to win a wooden porch rocker at boropulse.com/win.

Shoppe would make a great stocking stuffer. In addition to spa services, the boutique offers candles, bathrobes, essential oils and other items to help people find their “Ahh . . . ”

MUSIC & MORE MEDIA

For vinyl records, collectible video games, Blu-ray and anime, Media Rerun is your spot. Grab a classic Nintendo game and fill someone’s stocking with nostalgia. Media Rerun always offers some great deals on DVDs and a good

STEAK AND SHRIMP ON THE SQUARE

Grab a gift card to The Alley, Murfreesboro’s steakhouse on the Square, and whether the recipient works on the Square and could use a quick lunch option, or needs a night out with their spouse, they’ll appreciate a meal at one of the ’Boro’s fine independent restaurants.

NATURALLY CLEAN

Alchemy of Sol produces its all-natural soap right here in Middle Tennessee using organic essential oils and natural herbs and grains; “No Synthetic Anything,” according to alchemyofsol.com.

Step up to the goodness and richness of what handcrafted soap is all about, from lemonlyptus to tea tree, and place a few bars of their fantastic blends in someone’s stocking.

Their skin will thank you. Purchase their products at alchemyofsol.com, or find them at the Nashville Flea Market.

RELAX & UNWIND

Most anyone would appreciate a massage, facial or pedicure, and a gift card to the Nurture Nook Day Spa & Gift

MTSU team colors and logo and has many uses. The water-resistant polyester outside shell makes it perfect for picnics.

The warm, soft fleece interior will keep you warm on those cooler nights at the stadium or camping. The 50” x 60” blanket also rolls up into a small, easy-tocarry item with a handle. Go Big Blue!

HAPPY TREES variety of used CDs, and shoppers can also find tapestries, toys and all sorts of treasures. Find the store at 2820 S. Rutherford Blvd. and be on the lookout for great deals all holiday season long.

RIB-TASTIC

Football season is in prime time, with basketball and hockey just underway, and it’s cold. Plus, you know you don’t want to cook before the big game; so, since Sam’s Sports Grill, adjacent to Stones River Mall, has big screens all over the place and a great selection and quality of food and drink, stop in some time, catch a game or happy hour and leave the cooking up to them.

Perhaps that person on your list who has it all might enjoy a session at Faithful Strokes, where instructors guide groups of beginner painters in creating their masterpieces on canvas. The facility provides paints, brushes, canvas, easel and instruction, and even ideas of what to paint. All the painter has to bring is him or herself, and perhaps a beverage of choice. Faithful Strokes is available for private parties, events and group rentals, hosts homeschool camps and other group activities, and has introduced many in the area to the world of art, if only for one evening. Relax, breathe and create colorfully.

BIG BLUE BLANKET

This double-layered blanket, found at Alumni Hall at The Avenue, features

JINGLE BELLS, SHOTGUN SHELLS

Find all of the Yeti products at Murfreesboro Outdoors, from the 10-ounce lowball cup to the larger Tundra and Hopper coolers, and the outdoorsperson (or sales professional) on your list will thank you for keeping their drinks cold, or hot, for days. Murfreesboro Outdoors also carries a wide selection of fishing poles and lures, bows, ammunition and guns, camo gear, hot sauces and more great gift ideas for the outdoor enthusiast in your life.

Consider supporting the arts in Tennessee as you are acquiring gifts for your loved ones this holiday season.

Tennessee Performing Arts Center and the War Memorial Auditorium have a wide variety of entertainment on the schedule, including: Mistletoe Madness featuring Rodney Atkins, Jerrod Niemann, Love & Theft and Dylan Scott at War Memorial Auditorium on Dec. 16 A Night of Symphonic Hip-Hop featuring Nelly at TPAC’s Jackson Hall on Feb. 4 Raisin’ Cane: A Harlem Renaissance Odyssey With Jasmine Guy & the Avery Sharpe Trio at TPAC’s Polk Theater on Feb. 24

belts, shirts and more, Street Tuxedo, located in the shopping center with Sal’s Pizza and Five Guys, has everything for the dapper gentlemen in your life.

PUFFS OF CHEER; BOTTLES OF BEER

For a great selection of tobaccos and beers, these neighboring shops on the historic Murfreesboro Public Square have what you crave. Cigars, tobacco blends, pipes and accessories from the Humidor make great stocking stuffers, and the store next door has one of the best collections of beer in town; enjoy a few in the art-filled Liquid Smoke lounge.

A HOLIDAY SHOW

FOR THE MUSIC STORE LOVER HOLIDAYS AT THE AVENUE

From Dick’s Sporting Goods to e. Allen, The Avenue has dozens of stores for days of holiday shopping and will certainly be one of the most hopping places in the ’Boro this December. Find a full list of Avenue stores, and special holiday deals, at theavenuemurfreesboro.com.

Enter to win a $100 Old Navy gift card at boropulse.com/win.

SHARP-SUIT & TIE-GUY

Street Tuxedo is much more than your go-to tuxedo rental shop. From socks with state pride to luxurious silk bow ties, the shop has specialty gift items in stock for the holiday shopping season. Treat your man to a stylish pair of our new suede dress shoes or update Dad’s closet with a brand new suit. Also carrying

Century 21 carries lots of music on vinyl, CD and cassette, along with turntables, incense, vaporizers, wall hangings, locally made tie-dye, Zippos and all sorts of fun treasures. The store, just off Main Street near MTSU, now stocks Gypsy Rose clothing and Green Tree jewelry, and receives new vinyl every week.

Shop there on Tuesdays for 10 percent off music and on Thursdays for 10 percent off glass.

DAY AT THE BAY

The people of Murfreesboro know Coconut Bay as a great spot for a cool drink, a warm meal, a quick lunch or a weekend night out with friends. The locally owned establishments hosts popular bike nights during the summer, but during the cooler months, head inside for a trip to the tropics.

Wouldn’t anyone, young or old, enjoy a Coconut Bay gift card in their stocking?

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* DECEMBER 2016 * 25

Living WHILE SOME HOMEOWNERS WERE eager to begin stringing Christmas lights prior to Thanksgiving, others could be seen hanging lights and positioning inflatable Santas, snowmen and an occasional reindeer the week after in anticipation of the Christmas holiday.

For some homeowners, boxes of string lights and other decorations will eventually be stored away until this time next year, but Bill Maxwell and Sandra Elgin, who display one of the most popular light shows in Murfreesboro, are celebrating their 10th and final year. The computerized Christmas light show features about 80,000 multi-colored lights choreographed to music at their Hamilton Drive home.

The light show even has a Facebook page, Christmas in the Boro, which is where Maxwell and Elgin share photos of the display’s progress each year and post updates on their schedule. It’s also where they announced the show’s finale. Several people expressed their love for the attraction and shared memories from the past decade: “You’ve been a special memory for our family every year at the holiday,” writes Bonny Clap. “We came to see the lights right before driving to the hospital to have our first baby. Thank you for being a wonderful part of our yearly traditions over this decade!”

Terri Bradford writes that she “can’t pretend this isn’t a little sad, but you guys deserve a rest and to enjoy the season with your family instead of freezing on the side of the road for all our sakes. We’ve been bringing our grandson Hunter since he was 11 months old.”

“This will be our [fourth] year coming!

We love your Christmas light shows,” Melissa Ham adds. “Always something different each time we go around the block to watch again.

We will all miss your shows, but yes it is time for you to start enjoying more family time!”

IF YOU GO: 1918 HAMILTON DR.

SOME LOCAL STANDOUTS However, Hamilton Drive is now in some good company when it comes to Christmas light spectacles around town. In the Barfield Crescent area, Rockin’ Christmas Lights also incorporates music and typically runs through the New Year. According to the event’s Facebook page, the home is located in the Ridgeside neighborhood on ROUND ROCK DRIVE.

The show features computerized lights across the lawn that dance along to Christmas music on 88.5 FM, while a 20-foot tall glowing tree overlooks the yard. Although the synchronized display is free of charge, the 26 * DECEMBER 2016 * BOROPULSE.COM

2135 English Hill Dr.

Light Up the Night

BY DYLAN SKYE AYCOCK

Stand-out Christmas light displays across Murfreesboro. family accepts donations to support The Alzheimer’s Association. For more information visit facebook.com/rockinchristmaslights.

Another well-decorated neighborhood is located in the Huntington Place subdivision off Dejarnette Lane. Upon arrival, colorful wreaths and tiny bright lights adorn doors and shrubbery outside a few homes, but the main attraction is at 2135 ENGLISH HILL DR. The entire yard’s crowded with snowman and Christmas trees outlined with red, green and blue lights, while life-size M&M and SpongeBob cutouts stand guard close to the road. Passengers in passing cars can also peer into the window to see a large clock counting down to Christmas.

Next is the Creasy family home nestled

within north Murfreesboro’s Harvest Grove subdivision at 308 BEVERLY RANDOLPH DR. Red, green and white lights encircle the lawn in a pinwheel-like motion as other lights flash on the roof and throughout the bushes.

The bright red candy canes in the yard offer a splash of color.

A two-story house located off Breckenridge Drive at 1707 WATERFORD RD. is just as charming as the other homes, but it’s not flashy lights that catch the eye. Larger-than-life cutouts of Frosty the Snowman, the Gingerbread Man, toy soldiers and ballerinas span the full length of the house. Enormous candy canes reach from the front step to the roof. Not too far from here is is 1606 Breckenridge Drive, where a a towering lit tree resides in the front yard.

Rockin’ Christmas Lights

MORE TO LOOK FOR A few homes on Lewis Circle off North Thompson Lane are showing some holiday spirit with glistening green LED lights, wreaths and candy canes on shutters, as well as a giant Mickey Mouse countdown clock that can be seen inside a top window toward the end of the street.

The Anatole subdivision, located off Dejarnette Lane, contains about four or five decorated homes so far, with inflatable characters, roof-trimmed lighting and manger scenes on display in various lawns.

There aren’t many homes decorated on Glasgow Drive off Greenland Drive yet, but a lifelike Santa Claus can be seen peering into one of the homes down the street.

Several homes around Cason Lane and Cason Trail are beginning to shape up, as well as a couple on River Rock Boulevard. For any children fascinated with dinosaurs, drive by 2148 CASON TRAIL for a few inflatables scattered throughout the yard, including Santa Claus in a hot air balloon.

Further down Old Fort Parkway is Blackman Farm subdivision, where a few homes on Almar Knot and Blaze Drive boast sparkly lights, candy canes and a few shimmering snowmen.

229 APPLEWOOD DR. near Barfield Crescent, is also a mainstay each year, with animated lights synced up to music.

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* DECEMBER 2016 * 27

Reviews MOVIE

In addition to wonderful set design and great writing from J.K. Rowling herself, you have some of the best acting I’ve seen yet in a film this year. Eddie Redmayne, one of the best actors in Hollywood right now, continues his hot streak with another fantastic performance as Mr. Scamander. This new franchise has its poster child. He was fun, charming, mysterious and quirky. Redmayne also had a strong supporting cast around him, featuring great and equally memorable performances from Katherine Waterston, Alison Sudol and Dan Fogler. (Where did this performance come from? Fogler is the guy who starred in the terrible Balls of Fury back in 2007). I really appreciated that outside of Redmayne, this core supporting cast was composed of relative unknowns, and every one of them will probably be overnight superstars because of this film.

Finally, you have fantastic visual effects.

David Yates directed every Harry Potter movie

starting with Order of the Phoenix, but I kind of got the feeling watching this that only now has CGI technology caught up with what he wanted the Harry Potter universe to look like back in the 2000s. It was already hard enough going back to watch the special effects of Philosopher’s Stone (released in 2001) and it will only get harder with the release of Fantastic Beasts.

But there’s no doubt the special effects, likely the front-runners for the Academy Awards this year, helped build the Harry Potter universe and add to the magic that is Fantastic Beasts.

That said, this film is not perfect. Sadly, Fantastic Beasts suffers from the same problems that many modern-day superhero movies do: it has a lackluster and forgettable villain.

In fact, the main story line involving the villain is nothing more than just a placeholder, and it leads to a laughably unsatisfactory ending that sets up future films. There is one very recognizable actor (or actress, to keep you in

suspense) that shows up right at the end and delivers exactly two lines, and it signified to me a distributor-mandated requirement to “get people excited for the sequel,” as if anything with the Harry Potter name on it isn’t going to make a billion dollars. Fortunately though, this really didn’t take away from the overall film too much because I think this film was more about world building and finding these mystical beasts than it was about having a strong villain. However, if the villain does turn out to be great and have a major role in future installments, it may be hard to watch this film in the future and not feel like it’s doing nothing more than sequel-baiting.

The cinematography was fantastic all throughout this film, delivering the same sweeping shots fans came to know and love from Yates’s previous Harry Potter installments . . . with one major exception. The final sequence was a little hard to follow. There was simply too much going on, and the editing was too harsh and the cinematography too chaotic for me to know where everything was in correlation to everything else, and it left me rather discombobulated. But this is a relatively small complaint regarding an overall great film.

Ultimately, Fantastic Beasts is a strong addition to the Harry Potter franchise. I went into this movie skeptical, but you don’t have to. Set those expectations high, wizards.

Fantastic Beasts will certainly meet them.

— JOSEPH KATHMANN

be described as fantasy through realism. In Prisoners (2013) he turned a revenge/vigilante thriller into a Fincherian world of literal and moral greys. With Sicario (2015) he subverted the action/espionage genre by setting it in the real-life nightmare world of the Mexican drug cartel. In Arrival he explores the sci-fi genre (emphasis on the “sci-”) through a global attempt to communicate with aliens who unexpectedly enter our atmosphere.

Arrival stars Amy Adams as Dr. Louise

Banks, a renowned linguist tapped by the U.S. military to break the language barrier between the Americans and one of the 12 mysterious, vertical black discs hovering merely feet above the earth’s surface. Many worthy comparisons have been drawn to Contact (1997), a heady take on the genre that eschewed explosions for exploration, starring Jodie Foster. Like Contact, this is not actionpacked, War of the Worlds fare. Louise’s decoding of the foreign species’ language, comprised of circular ideograms, is exciting for its measured pacing rather than a random epiphany or hurried montage. Each visit with the two cephalopod-like extraterrestrials, whom astrophysicist Ian Donnelly (Renner) dubs Abbott and Costello, adds clues in the painstakingly patient process of learning to communicate with one another. As international tensions mount, miscommunication and misunderstanding prove bigger threats to humanity than the aliens themselves.

Arrival works on a global level, depicting international relations in the midst of such

a cosmic paradigm shift, but it also works on a personal level. Amy Adams’ portrayal of Dr. Banks, and director Villeneuve’s delicate depiction of the lead character ground the story. Like Contact and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), the film is as much about its main character as it is the extraterrestrials themselves. The film pulls off the neat trick of only showing the audience what the main character sees. This not only enhances and retains the mystery of the strange beings throughout the film, but also filters the global repercussions of their arrival through the eyes of a rational mind dedicated to clear communication above all else. If this sounds boring, it isn’t. It is, however, intentionally slow and methodical, and the ultimate reason for the “arrival,” and its implication about the nature of language, is satisfyingly head-trippy. It is to Villeneuve and company’s credit that Arrival is able to make this fantastic and otherworldly concept so relatable and, dare I say, down to earth.

— JAY SPIGHT

FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM DIRECTED BY David Yates STARRING Eddie Redmayne,

Katherine Waterston, Colin Farrell, Ezra Miller, Dan Fogler

RATED PG-13

I. Love. This. Movie. I’ve honestly been getting a little tired this year with big-budget films.

Almost all of them have been lackluster at best and straight-up awful at worst. However, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is the revitalizing reminder I so desperately needed that big-budget movies do still have the capability to be great. Well done, guys.

This story feels like it belongs in the Harry Potter universe, despite actually taking place in America (and not without controversy surrounding this decision). The dialogue feels like Harry Potter, the creatures feel like Harry Potter, the settings feel like Harry Potter, the imagination feels like Harry Potter. Right from the opening moments of the film, where we are greeted with a wonderfully edited magical newspaper montage, I felt like I was watching a Harry Potter movie. This rigorous and painstaking attention to detail throughout the 133-minute film played a big role in allowing me to get sucked in and carried away.

ARRIVAL DIRECTED BY Denis

Villeneuve Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker STARRING

RATED PG-13

Arrival marks the latest effort from director Denis Villeneuve, whose style can best

A CLASSIC 28 * DECEMBER 2016 * BOROPULSE.COM

OUTSTANDING

AVERAGE

BELOW AVERAGE

AVOID AT ALL COSTS

DEAD

LIVING ROOM CINEMA column by NORBERT THIEMANN

facebook.com/livingroomcinema

The Gift of Knowledge: Science in Series Please take some time to share one of the greatest gifts this holiday season: the opportunity to learn and discover. The presenters in the following films are some of our finest ambassadors of the science community, and these well-conceived series are genuinely inspirational and life-affirming.

Genius by Stephen Hawking (2016) is hosted by Stephen Hawking.

Genius ingeniously takes the position that everyone has the capacity for genius. It follows teams of everyday people as they solve problems, which help them to answer larger questions.

Sex, Death and the Meaning of Life (2012) is hosted by Richard Dawkins. The famous champion for reason and science approaches matters like sin, death and life’s meaning in a non-confrontational quest for answers.

Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey (2014) is hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson. Much of the focus is placed on the historical achievements of scientists, and how they happened upon their discoveries. The smooth voice of Neil deGrasse Tyson is soothingly authoritative. The Cosmos series is very informative and refreshingly engaging.

BOROPULSE.COM

* DECEMBER 2016 * 29

 BOOK

New Book Examines True Stories (and Other Lies) Told at City Cafe

BY ELIZABETH SCOTT SAWYER THE CITY CAFÉ, open since 1900, is the oldest restaurant in Murfreesboro. Drawing people in for more than the food, locals gather at the eatery for camaraderie and the opportunity to recount the stories of their past.

Henry Matthew Ward has been visiting City Cafe on the Square for more than 50 years.

In that time, he’s been exposed to the tales—and tall tales—of locals at the community table.

Ward’s most recent publication, True Stories (and Other Lies) Told at the City Cafe, is a compilation of our community’s finest storytellers and their anecdotes. He began typing the stories out this past spring, but the book’s stories are 50 years in the making.

“I have repeated so many of the stories and jokes to current regulars at the café that someone in my morning kaffeeklatsch said, ‘You ought to write this stuff down and put it in a book,’” Ward told the Pulse. And that’s where the inspiration struck.

Years ago, Ward made a list called the Dearly Departed Regulars of City Cafe.

He sadly added names for a few years as he heard of passings, then recovered it during the writing of this book.

“It helped immensely as I recalled some of these I might have otherwise forgotten about. Once the individual was recalled, remembering stories or jokes told by them was magical,” Ward said.

The City Cafe’s tales are both heartfelt— such as the author’s own silver anniversary tale—and humorous, like the section about Judge J.S. Daniel.

“When he was on the bench as a judge, he had a case before him involving a local bootlegger,” Ward said. “When the whitelightning brewer was brought before the bench, the judge asked him what name he went by. ‘Joshua, suh.’ replied the defendant. Judge Daniel, making a whimsical Biblical reference, asked, ‘Oh, are you the Joshua that made the sun stand still?’ ‘No, suh,’ responded the accused, ‘I’s de Joshua that made the moonshine still.’”

More short stories and quips comprise the finished work, some even from the City Cafe’s past and present owners.

30 * DECEMBER 2016 * BOROPULSE.COM

“I got a whole box full of mementos from Garry and Pat Simpson, who owned it for 22 years,” Ward said.

The box had newspaper clippings, photos, personal notes, letters and a scrapbook put together by their good friends Barbara and Dwight Faircloth. “Barbara had collected so many one-liners and zingers heard in the café that I put an asterisk to credit her in front of each of her many contributions.”

While 90 percent of the book is comprised of stories and banter heard at the eatery over the years, there is a section on the history of City Cafe with photos. Also included is an old menu from years ago and a faux menu titled “Road Kill Cafe” that Garry Simpson, the former restaurant owner, used to jokingly pass out to selected customers. Ward said it had “such delectable entries as Oodles of Poodles, Filet of Shar Pei, Road Toad a la Mode, and The Chicken (that didn’t cross the road).”

True Stories (and Other Lies) Told at City Cafe is currently available at City Café, Palace Barber Shop on the square and Hylabrook Antique Mall on Chaffin Place. It can also be ordered from Ward’s website, parkbenchpub.com.

BOROPULSE.COM

* DECEMBER 2016 * 31

News

NAVIGATING THE SYSTEM SERIES BY BRYCE HARMON

PART V

Law Enforcement and the First Step In MY ENCOUNTERS BEGAN NINE YEARS AGO

as an MTSU student. Around 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, September 9, 2007, a friend and I walked back from the Boro Bar and Grill to a mutual friend’s house on the corner of Eaton Street and Middle Tennessee Boulevard. When returning late from The Boro, we were in our own little world talking until turning the corner onto Eaton Boulevard from Middle Tennessee when she spun around and exclaimed, “Bryce, there are lights!” just as two Murfreesboro Police Department vehicles hastily followed us around the corner, their blue lights surrounding us.

A thunderous “Stop,” from an officer getting out of his vehicle halted me while the second officer pulled in front of us. He was out of his car, and reached towards my friend with his handcuffs in a flash. I got out a “hey!” at him as he handcuffed her before the first officer regained my attention to quickly shut me up with a stern warning.

Her attending officer then dug through the hedgerow to our right to my confusion and pulled his arm from the bush, holding a small glass tobacco pipe.

All of this trouble seemed unnecessary to me and when I vocalized that, that got me quickly handcuffed, too, and placed on the ground. I tried to stand up at one point to regain a role in the conversation. The officer next to me made sure I did not do that as he showed me he had leverage on my shoulder.

So, from the ground, I asked him why they were giving us trouble, to which he replied, “We heard a girl screaming.” And stunned by what I thought was an unbelievable response, I sat there.

I spoke up again as her attending officer placed her in the back of his cruiser while my friend said “it’ll be all right.” I kept talking, though, and that put me right there in the back of that cop car next to her.

She was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia. I was charged with public intoxication. And as we were both handcuffed and very under arrest, I leaned over and kissed that pretty girl for the first time in the back of that Murfreesboro Police cruiser as the only lights around us by then were the street lamps passing by the cruiser’s windows on our way to the jail.

Our arresting officer that evening was the Mufreesboro Police Department’s Bryan Anderson, accompanied by witnessing officers Wood and Brown. There were no field sobriety 32 * DECEMBER 2016 * BOROPULSE.COM

tests administered, nor a breathalyzer test to determine my blood alcohol content. Officer Anderson stated in his report that when he “heard a female scream from the area of Eaton St., I turned my vehicle around and witnessed a male and a female walking down Eaton Street just off Middle Tennessee Boulevard.”

According to the police report, I began to yell at the officer about detaining my friend, and I “had slurred speech and was stumbling in the roadway,” as he got closer, he could smell an odor of intoxicant on my person, and I was “placed under arrest for public intoxication due to being a danger to [myself ] and others.”

Officer Anderson would run into me again while breaking up a couple of parties that friends of mine and I attended. There was never any trouble there so long as the partygoers dispersed and the noise level was lowered.

In April 2016, after checking with the Circuit Court Clerk’s office at the judicial building on the square (as well as the one at the Rutherford County Department of Probation and Recovery Services) to calculate exactly how much money I owed Rutherford County in outstanding court costs and fines from a 2013 charge I was trying to make right, a clerk brought to my attention that I still owed $15 on this public intoxication case supposedly closed almost nine years ago.

Technically, I have never been out of the system since having gotten into it nine years ago.

My second encounter with the local law enforcement occurred on Monday, March 29, 2010, around 11:30 p.m. while parked at Murfreesboro’s equivalent to any small town’s “lover’s lane.” Ours is known as Tiger Hill, and it’s an even better spot for someone wanting to take a break to be alone for a second.

Unfortunately, it’s private property, though.

I had gone up to Tiger Hill that evening after an argument with a girlfriend over nothing major. I didn’t want to be around people, so I backed my truck into Tiger Hill’s narrow gravel drive, rolled the windows down, turned on a Jack Johnson album, and sat on the tailgate in the peaceful elevated sanctuary over and away from any and every one. Nothing was there to tell me I shouldn’t do that until blue lights lit the hilltop after a short while.

“He had some sad music playing loud and an unopened half-pint of whiskey next to him,” stated Sergeant Bill Dunn of the Rutherford County Sheriff ’s Office in his police report of my arrest that evening.

“Mr. Harmon’s appearance and demeanor

led me to believe that he was depressed. He stated that he had things on his mind,” the report continued. “I could smell an odor of an intoxicant about his person. He said that he had ‘a little’ to drink. He passed field sobriety tests and I explained that he was on private property.”

Officer Dunn had two other officers with him when he found me up there.

“Mr. Harmon was somewhat uncooperative and questioned everything I said,” continued the police report. “He said that he had no weapons and did not wish to hurt himself.

Mr. Harmon agreed to leave after asking why he could not stay.”

All three of the cruisers then backed out and left the way they came, so I hopped in the truck, pulled my keys out and noticed one of their cruisers doubling back up the hill in front of me with only its parking lights on. A red flag went up in my mind, so I got back out of the truck, pulled the tailgate back down and sat.

“I parked at another tower for several minutes waiting for Mr. Harmon to leave,” Officer Dunn’s report continued. “When he did not I returned to his location. I told him to leave or be arrested for trespassing. Mr. Harmon said that he believed that I was lying in wait for him to drive and arrest him for DUI.” After I told him that, he let me call my girlfriend, but there was no answer. I then asked him for a ride home just to be safe, a request he denied. I made a comment about the “to serve and protect,” decal on the side of his car, and he told me he’s not a taxi. At that point, we looked at each other in the eyes for a solid ten seconds that seemed like much longer. I knew I looked pretty annoyed and fed up and Sergeant Dunn eventually said something he looked like he didn’t want to say because of that, which was, “Take him in.”

Accompanying officer Deputy Garrett searched my truck as I was handcuffed, charged with criminal trespassing, and placed in the back of Sergeant Dunn’s cruiser to be taken to jail again.

Sergeant Dunn never told me what he was doing up there that evening, but his initial concern for my well-being in a situation that appeared to him as a depressed individual possibly considering self-harm is commendable.

My last arrest is a case that has remained open for more than three years now.

On the night of May 7, 2013, I was pulled over after exiting from 840 onto Highway 41, or Broad Street. There were three unmarked white SUVs sitting in the grass median just before the Murfreesboro city lights begin, and I drove past with no disturbance and resumed dancing while driving shortly after, as some people do when by themselves.

Blue lights seemed to come out of nowhere when I came close to the corner of Northfield

Boulevard and Broad Street, so I pulled over and was told I swerved into the white line as I fumbled with the lightless CD player to turn the volume down.

“I was dancing to some J.T.,” I said, as if he’d say, “Oh, yeah, the new album is pretty catchy.” Officer Michael Rodgers of the Rutherford County Sheriff ’s Office instead responded, “What?” and the situation turned embarrassing for me from there.

He later stated in the police report that he “noticed that [my truck] swayed back and forth between the lines of the lane and rode along the white line to the right. In the distance between Route 840 and Northfield Boulevard, the truck also crossed the white line at least three times.” He continued that my “eyes were watery and that [I] would not look directly at [him].” The report also stated that my motions were erratic and my speech was very quiet and slurred. Additionally, he “could smell a strong scent of an intoxicating beverage” before asking me to exit the vehicle. At the rear of the truck, he asked me if I had anything to drink that night. I stated that I had not. I also stated that I had not taken any medication. He did not believe me “based partly on the very strong smell of an alcoholic beverage.”

From there, after the field sobriety tests, Officer Rodgers asked permission to perform a breathalyzer test but by this time I was remaining silent. He informed me he was arresting me and charging me with driving under the influence, as well as violation of implied consent law, so there was no breathalyzer, nor blood test taken at the nearest hospital that would determine mostly any form of an intoxicant’s presence in my bloodstream, such as alcohol and pills. Denial to participate (remaining silent) during a police detainment included the violation of implied consent charge as Tennessee law states, “if the operator of a motor vehicle who has been placed under arrest for driving under the influence refuses to give consent to a test to determine the alcoholic or drug content of that person’s blood, the test or tests to which the person refused shall not be given” according to Tennessee Code Annotated [section] 55-10-406(a)(4)(A). Anyone refusing to do so will 100 percent be arrested and taken to jail, though (and this refusal option does not apply to aggravated assault with a vehicle or homicide with a vehicle charges).

Officer Rodgers then drove me to the Rutherford County Jail while his backup officer, Deputy Allen, stayed with my truck and waited for the wrecker to move it.

After encounters with our local law enforcement such as these three, the next step is being jailed.

TO BE CONTINUED . . .

BOROPULSE.COM

* DECEMBER 2016 * 33

BY BRACKEN MAYO

AROUND TOWN ’BORO BUSINESS BUZZ

BY BRACKEN MAYO

Development Continues on Medical Center Parkway with Rooms to Go, Fountains and More WOODSVIKING BARBER SHOP, owned

by Shawn Templeton and Aaron Dabney, has taken over the space at 15 S. Public Square, Murfreesboro, the former home of Tip Top Barbershop. Woodsviking manufactures beard balm and oil products, and now has a barbershop of its own. A sign on the door of the shop assures customers that Nancy Hall, long-time Tip Top employee who bought the shop from original owner Eurel Sauls after his retirement, is still cutting hair in the new shop.

According to the Woodsviking crew regarding their beard products “Our oils are high in coconut and argan oil. We also add grape seed and tea tree. All of these oils will soften the beard and skin as well as help with ingrown hairs, irritation and dryness. Next we add biotin and vitamin E to help enrich the hair and promote growth. Lastly in all of our oils we add the essential oils that all individually have a unique smell. Our balms have all the oils mentioned but we include shea butter and beeswax to give your hair a slight hold.” Learn more about the shop and product line at woodsviking.com.

Development continues at a rapid pace in the Medical Center Parkway corridor. The large building next to the McDonald’s on Medical Center Parkway near The Avenue will be a ROOMS TO GO. Rooms to Go, founded in 1990, has become the third-largest furniture company in the U.S., raking in more than $2 billion annually. The store’s concept is to sell furniture in whole-room packages, thus saving consumers who need to furnish an entire room time and money. Rooms to Go carries furniture lines from Cindy Crawford, Sofia Vergara, Eric Church and others.

Across the street, The Capital Corporation is leasing space in a new commercial center. Down the street at the Robert Rose Drive intersection, the company has space available in two additional shopping centers. The first of these to be completed will feature a ZOËS KITCHEN—a fast casual restaurant with pitas, grilled chicken, hummus, pasta salad, salmon kabobs and more—as well as a 34 * DECEMBER 2016 * BOROPULSE.COM

FREEBIRDS WORLD BURRITO

FREEBIRDS WORLD BURRITO, a “fast casual burrito joint” and home of the Super Monster Burrito.

Betwixt the two shopping centers at the Robert Rose Drive and Medical Center Parkway intersection will be VOLUNTEER STATE BANK. FRANKLIN SYNERGY BANK is constructing an office building and

banking center further down Medical Center Parkway, past the hospital.

Meanwhile on Thompson Lane, next to On Target, a hotel is taking shape. This will be a dual concept by Hilton, HOME2 (a petfriendly chain of “stylish suites”) and TRU, a colorful, modern spot for traveling young professionals. Tru says the lobby, called the “Hive,” at each of its locations offers dedicated spaces to work, play, lounge and eat.

On Garrison Drive, across from Murfreesboro Medical Clinic, 250 employees of auto parts manufacturer M-TEK will soon move into their offices in the company’s new corporate headquarters. M-TEK built the facility on 10 acres of prime real estate that the city of Murfreesboro gave the Japanese company in order to lure their headquarters to Middle Tennessee.

WOODSVIKING BARBER SHOP

greenway, seamlessly connecting pedestrians and cyclists.

Fountains at Gateway will include 400,000 square feet of office space, 70,000 square feet of retail space, a 100-unit apartment community and a mid-sized business hotel.

and workwear for men, women and kids.

CHILDREN’S DENTISTRY AND ORTHODONTICS now sees patients at its new

facility on Old Fort Parkway, near Kelton’s Hardware and Pet. The practice has a fun,

BOOT BARN, a chain of over 200 stores

with existing Middle Tennessee locations in Opry Mills, Brentwood and Lebanon, has begun construction on a Murfreesboro store on John R. Rice Boulevard near Tractor Supply Co. and PAWS. The Boot Barn stores stock a wide variety of western boots, equestrian boots, motorcycle boots, casual boots, work boots, caiman skin, ostrich skin, snakeskin and eel skin boots, hats, jeans, belts and other western

colorful, under the sea theme, with a couple of colorful fish and an octopus overlooking Old Fort Parkway from atop the new building.

In other dentistry news, DR. RONALD T. WRIGHT AND DR. ROY THOMPSON, both with decades of dental experience in the area, will merge their practices on Jan. 1, 2017. Wright will close his office, currently located on Dow Street, and move his team to Thompson’s 122 Heritage Park Drive facility.

Near this site, the massive Fountains at Gateway project rises from the earth between Gateway Island Park and Medical Center Parkway. FOUNTAINS AT GATEWAY will be a Class A multi-tenant office campus and retail district, also including residential apartments and a hotel. Buildings will surround a central plaza with multiple fountains and pocket parks. The residential community overlooks Gateway Island Park. All are interconnected by a system of walkways leading to the adjoining FOUNTAINS AT GATEWAY

BOROPULSE.COM

* DECEMBER 2016 * 35

News faux

BY SAM CLEMENS murfreesborotribune@gmail.com

Social Media Genuinely Interested in Your Political Views ACCORDING TO WITNESS statements collected from hundreds of people you know, the entire community, and possibly the entire nation, is deeply interested in your personal political views.

“I love it,” said your Aunt Jane.

“When you get online and rant about a political candidate or decide to tell me I’m an idiot if I don’t agree with you, it is so refreshing!”

Statements mentioned a number of favorite parts of your political ramblings, including news stories, YouTube videos, unproven statistics, and unfounded allegations of racism and sexism.

“I am so proud of you,” said your mother, whom you called racist last week while in the midst of a Twitter meltdown. “You take a stand and refuse to back down, even if it means torching bridges with important people in your life.”

Your employer is also solidly behind you, noting that the company is thrilled to employ someone who shows zero restraint online, as if statements posted online can’t be linked back to your profile, which has your name, picture, city and employer.

“It’s a bold strategy,” said your employer. “But we love to see our employees out there attacking people. It shows tenacity. And a general disregard for their own reputation.”

Keep it up. You are great and the world cares about your political views!

IN OTHER NEWS:

All Racism and Crime Now Trump’s Fault According to a report issued by the Middle Tennessee State University Department of Important Department Titles, the election of Donald J. Trump as President of the United States has created some devastating consequences.

According to the Trump Report, the world is now faced with the sudden advent of violent crime, sexual assault and racism, none of which existed before this election.

“I just can’t believe this,” said Kylee James, a 19-year-old Hillary Clinton supporter who has clearly lived long enough to make a profound statement on race relations.

“The police say that people are being raped and mugged every day, and my friends say that none of this occurred before Trump was elected.”

“I was walking to my car last week, and someone yelled, ‘Go back to Mexico!’” said Julio

Rodriguez, a Central American high school student. “I’m not even Mexican, but my heart still hurts because I know that, before Trump, no one was ever racist.”

Records obtained from the Murfreesboro Police Department showed that, since the election of Donald Trump, there have been several crimes committed, including drug abuse, rape and theft. The Murfreesboro Tribune Investigative Team confirmed that these crimes were committed after Trump was elected president, which means that these crimes were caused by him and his followers.

Many violent and racist activities are being logged by Twitter users in a collection titled “Day One in Trump America.” The collection provides a series of disturbing events that apparently have never happened before, including racial slurs being yelled and kids getting in fights at school over racial taunting.

It is fairly clear to the Murfreesboro Tribune that none of this has ever happened before and that this is all Trump’s fault.

Please go back where you came from, Trump. This world can’t survive if people commit crime or make racist statements. Society, as we know it, will end.

Sam Clemens is the founder and publisher of The Murfreesboro Tribune,“The Paper That Prints (Some) Facts.” According to one unnamed source, the Tribune is “the best newspaper you’ll ever read.”

Contact him at murfreesboro tribune@gmail.com.

36 * DECEMBER 2016 * BOROPULSE.COM

Opinion

Trump Following Through on Campaign Promises

Live Exceptionally ...Well!

BY JENNIFER DURAND

A Seasonal Fast for the Body and Mind WINTER TENDS TO BE A GOOD TIME of year to take personal stock of the shape our lives are in. It’s good to do a mental evaluation of ourselves, our relationships and how we’re living. We always set expectations to do, to achieve or to be at certain points in our year. As a new year approaches we often want to set new boundaries and make promises or changes in hopes of the next year of our lives being the best yet.

Ecclesiastes 3:1 (KJV) – To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.

A few months ago I was encouraged by a friend to try a 10-day fast following “The Master Cleanse” protocol.

I’d thought of fasting over the years but that was all; I never went deeper than that.

I often marveled at those who were able to fast for even a day, let alone 10. At this point in my life, I was inspired to do it. I have always had an on-again, off-again relationship with food and wanted to change my paradigm. I can’t thank my friend enough for the seed she planted to do this. Midway in, I was so excited to not have to think about food and all the choices of what to eat, how much and when. I drank my special water throughout the day, had my favorite green tea and more water. Day by day the mental layers of my perception of food were peeling away. Food was losing control and power. I gained clarity about what I really needed to sustain me.

I felt so good after 10 days that I opted to keep going for another 10 days. All in all, I fasted for 23 days—by far one of the most powerful experiences of my life. I still went to restaurants with my family and friends. I drank my juice and enjoyed the conversation.

I wasn’t temped, even a little, to have food.

I was so enthralled with my commitment to viewing food and eating (or not) in a whole new way that there was no getting off course.

I saw how much excess was always around.

I drove by grocery stores and restaurants thinking how much food was available—and how little we really needed to survive.

The best things I gained from this experience included not just the weight I lost (which felt great, of course), but insights and profound images of the person I wanted to be. One of the biggest is the ability to

“let go.” What is it we really need? And how much? Freeing our minds and bodies of limitations or excesses is a liberating start.

The company we keep, especially around eating food, becomes more vivid. What is revealed in our relationships when food is not the focal point? More time is available when we are not consumed with having to think about the grocery list, what we’re going to eat, when and how much. This free time can be filled with more engagement in our activities.

Physical shifts are not the only ways to fast. Mental fasting can be equally freeing. What excesses are you hanging on to?

What can you let go of at least through the holidays? How you see others? Situations?

Yourself ? A temporary commitment to take a break from “life as usual” can bring about unexpected views.

Mental freedom from the anxiousness that would prohibit you from being fully engaged in the moment of relating to others. When this happens you see a different view of yourself, too. So think about taking a mental fast for 10 days. Before you begin, write down what you want to experience differently this winter season. This will be your backup and point of reference when you are “tempted” to steer off course. The goal is to be a better version of yourself—the best version! You will feel lighter and more vibrant, have more mental clarity and, if nothing else, you will have the discipline of challenging yourself to see life and others differently.

Happy, healthy fasting!

Matthew 6:17–18 (NIV) – But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Jennifer Durand is the owner and operator of The Nurture Nook Day Spa & Gift Shoppe; she is a certified QiGong and Breathe Empowerment instructor, a skin care and makeup specialist, an InterPlay leader and is licensed in massage therapy, body work and somatic integration. Let her help you find your personal “ahh . . .” factor by visiting nurturenook.com or by calling (615) 896-7110.

D

Taking on TPP, Corrupt Lobbying, Excessive Regulation, Obamacare

onald Trump is moving ahead with his bold plan to make America great again, and the left-wing media are stunned. They didn’t think he’d actually follow through on his campaign promises. They’re accustomed to conniving politicians who say what the voters want to hear just to get elected. Rarely do these politicians follow through. Trump is following through big-league.

And what’s more, he’s bypassing the media and going directly to the people via YouTube.

The first thing he plans to do is withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Most Americans have no idea what the TPP is all about, and that’s by design. It was largely negotiated in secret and written by corporate lobbyists and lawyers. That’s not to say that TPP might not have some benefits. It’s very much like Obamacare. We have to pass it find out what’s in it. Trump’s not willing to take that chance, so we’re out.

Upon taking office, Trump will cancel Obama’s executive orders and actions that choke the enVIEWS OF A ergy sector. At long last, we will begin using the vast energy reserves we have, which will COLUMN BY mean millions of jobs and affordable energy PHIL VALENTINE for everyone. That’s not to say that we’re philvalentine.com abandoning so-called green energy. It’s just that green energy will not exist to the exclusion of traditional energy sources. The free market will be reintroduced into the energy sector and all sorts of energy sources will compete on an even playing field.

Trump is also regulating regulations. His new rule means that for every new regulation enacted we must eliminate two old regulations. In other words, government will begin loosening its stranglehold on American businesses. According to the Competitive Enterprise Institute, Obama holds the top four rankings in presidents with the most regulations in a year. This year set a new record with over 81,000 pages of new regulations. These regulations seldom expand our liberties, they contract them. Trump understands that, and he’s adopting rules to start chipping away at them.

CONSERVATIVE

“While the left-wing media portray Trump’s transition team as being in disarray, Trump is diligently going about the difficult task of undoing much of the damage than has been done over the past eight years.”

Trump is tasking the Defense Department with developing a plan to protect our infrastructure from cyber-attacks. We have been hit countless times by Russia, China and other countries who don’t have our best interests at heart. Trump understands that we’re leaking secrets—both from the government and the private sector—to countries that are potentially hostile. This was, ironically, one of the issues that kept Hillary Clinton from the White House.

On immigration, Trump is instructing the Labor Department to investigate all forms of work visa abuse, from fake visas to immigrants overstaying their visas. That’s not to say that the wall is now off the table. It’s simply a first step in putting American workers first.

One of the most interesting items on his list is a ban on executive branch lobbying for five years. In other words, no one in his administration will be able to leap-frog seamlessly to a cushy lobbyist job upon leaving his employ at the White House. Furthermore, no one working for the president will ever be able to lobby for a foreign country.

While the left-wing media portray Trump’s transition team as being in disarray, Trump is diligently going about the difficult task of undoing much of the damage that has been done over the past eight years. And this is just the beginning. I personally can’t wait until they pull Obamacare out by the roots and replace it with a free market system that actually works.

People are either excited or terrified about Trump’s presidency. There’s one thing for sure. The next four years will not be boring.

Phil Valentine is an author and nationally syndicated radio talk show host with Westwood One. For more of his commentary and articles, visit philvalentine.com.

BOROPULSE.COM

* DECEMBER 2016 * 37

Opinion What a Tangled Web: Cope, Arnold and Other Local Prevaricating Officials Have Woven The

STOCKARD REPORT

BY SAM STOCKARD sstockard44@gmail.com

A FEDERAL JUDGE THREW THE OLD monkey wrench into former County Attorney Jim Cope’s plea bargain on insider trading charges when she found he just makes too much money to get off with a $55,000 fine.

In a recent sentencing hearing for Cope, U.S. District Court Judge Aleta Trauger said she was troubled by the initial plea agreement to criminal charges between Cope and the U.S. Attorney’s Office and decided he should pay a $200,000 fine for ill-gotten gains as a board member of Pinnacle Financial Partners.

Nashville attorney Aubrey Harwell, who is representing Cope, successfully pushed off completion of the hearing until the last week of November to see how the Securities and Exchange Commission is planning to come down on Cope in a separate civil complaint. Courtroom discussion between Trauger and Harwell revealed the SEC would fine him $55,000.

Still, the odds are Cope will pay quite a bit more than the original fine, which would be tantamount to paying back the $56,000 he pleaded guilty to netting on insider trading as Pinnacle prepared to acquire Nashville-based Avenue bank in early 2016.

Trauger said in court Cope’s financials show a net worth of $12 million and monthly income of $37,000, not counting former income from legal work. Cope’s law license is suspended as a result of the guilty plea, and

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he’s taking a leave of absence from his firm, which continues to handle county government legal work.

As part of the initial plea agreement, which remains on hold until sentencing is final, Cope will also be on probation for two years and under house arrest the first nine months. Whether Judge Trauger wants to change that is uncertain; she didn’t address it in the sentencing hearing.

Meanwhile, people across Rutherford County are just a tad bit upset about the County Commission continuing to use the firm of Cope, Hudson, Reed and McCreary for government work, with Josh McCreary now serving as county attorney.

Cope, the county attorney for 33 years, apparently did a good job of negotiating an extension of his firm’s county contract in 2014, inserting a sentence making McCreary the county attorney in case he had to vacate the position. More than likely, he was thinking about retiring in a couple of years, not pleading guilty to insider trading and staring at possible disbarment.

A review of the county’s contract with the Cope firm doesn’t turn up any provision for cancellation in case of malfeasance, a sure sign the county should have hired an attorney to negotiate the contract with the county attorney. Even a rookie attorney would have put a clause in there to deal with wrongdoing.

Regardless of the omission, if the County Commission had any guts, at the very least it would take a vote on whether to retain Cope’s firm. He might not be drawing any pay right now, since he’s on suspension (the Board of Professional Responsibility hasn’t held a hearing on his law license yet), but

if he does return to the profession he could reap the reward of county dollars. He’s already in line for a county retirement, as part of the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System, since his conviction wasn’t connected to work as the county attorney.

How well he does on the rest will depend on the job Aubrey Harwell does bailing him out of trouble. And though Harwell is quite adept, smoothing things over with this judge will take some serious lawyering.

ANOTHER CHAPTER

In a case likely to go down as one of the weirdest in Tennessee history, Sheriff Robert Arnold is not only in jail but suspended from office temporarily while an ouster case against him is adjudicated.

Thanks to the ouster lawsuit filed by a group of Rutherford residents ARNOLD (without the help of the county attorney or district attorney general, though by law they’re required to provide assistance), Arnold is no longer working or drawing a check on his $125,000 annual salary.

It’s a steep descent from the position as Rutherford’s top law enforcement officer to inmate in a Kentucky county jail, a cell Arnold described as a “dungeon.”

But this is what happens when you’re charged with 14 felony counts in connection with an illicit scheme to profit from the sale of e-cigarettes to jail inmates, then allegedly tell numerous tall tales about your involvement before getting arrested and having your bond revoked for roughing up your wife in a drunken and drugged stupor, then being suspended from office as part of an ouster lawsuit after fabricating even more stories.

Arnold may be a “tragic” figure in the classical sense of the word because he fell from grace owing to a character flaw. Some might say he has more than one.

But because of his arrogance, forgiveness will be hard to find among most Rutherford County people who are more than a little pissed off that he pulled these shenanigans and then thumbed his nose at the world.

Sure, he still holds an outside shot at being acquitted of the federal criminal charges in a Feb. 7 trial. But Arnold’s biggest problem is himself. He’s a terrible witness.

In a hearing before U.S. District Court Judge Kevin Sharp to review the revocation of his bond and subsequent jailing, a legal question arose early on about a point that went to Arnold’s credibility. Just a couple of hours

into the hearing, Sharp responded, “I’ve got a pretty good idea about his credibility.”

Clearly, the judge had made up his mind about Arnold’s penchant for lying long before the hearing concluded. In fact, in the order upholding Arnold’s revocation and jailing, Sharp wrote, “The breadth of Defendant’s prevarication while on the stand is difficult to capture in written words. Time and again he was confronted with inculpating evidence but, true to form, he offered excuses or explanations that were incredible and oftentimes inconsistent with his other testimony,” Sharp wrote. “Even his plea to the Court to release him and his assertion through tears, real or manufactured, that he would comply with whatever conditions were imposed was not believable.”

Prevarication means deviation from the truth. Asked on the witness stand if he often embellishes things, Arnold said he stretches the truth even when talking to voters on the campaign trail and when going before the County Commission to ask for funds.

So if he is acquitted and somehow returned to his post, he’s going to have a hard time explaining himself to anyone who cares to pay attention.

Arnold also testified he’s been on antidepressant medication for more than a year and a half and started taking sleeping pills about six to eight months ago. Nothing like an upper in the morning and a downer in the evening. What he really needs, though, is to walk the road to Damascus, where he might see the light. Jail isn’t doing the job.

CRONIES CAST OUT

Sheriff ’s Office Chief Administrative Deputy Joe Russell, one of the co-defendants with Arnold in his federal corruption case, skated along counting money RUSSELL and cashing JailCigs checks for e-cigarette sales while Arnold was still in control. He even copped some paid time off while on suspension.

Just a couple of days after Arnold was temporarily suspended in the ouster case, Russell was fired. Chief Deputy Randy Garrett did the honors after Rutherford County Commissioner Robert Stevens sent him a letter asking why Russell still has a job while facing a federal indictment.

The axing was rather unceremonious, and on top of it, Russell will have to start paying his federal court-appointed attorney $1,000 a month starting in December until Judge Sharp says otherwise. Loyal readers might remember Russell’s wife is Nicole Lester Russell, who was fired from her post as Rutherford County

administrator of elections in 2014.

The family went from drawing her salary of about $92,000 plus his of $72,000 down to much less, another steep fall for a couple sitting pretty just two to three years ago.

At this point, they could use a miracle, too.

Also stumbling in the netherworld are indicted Maj. Terry McBurney for allegedly lying about his U.S. citizenship and Sgt. Todd Hammond, who submitted his resignation to the sheriff ’s office recently.

McBurney has been among Arnold’s closest friends after being fired from the office in 2008 and rehired by Arnold after the 2010 election. Early in Arnold’s detention in the Kentucky jail, McBurney told him he would bring him documents every day to sign, a weak attempt to make it look like Arnold was still running the department while being detained. This was all recorded on jail phones.

But to no avail. The Davidson County chancellor hearing the ouster case could see right through the old façade. Chancellor Bill Young even surmised that Arnold is guilty of the indictments against him, a statement that forced Arnold’s attorney to point out no proof had been shown on the matter.

A few days after McBurney’s indictment, Hammond tendered his resignation as well, taking the high road while McBurney filed for medical leave with the county.

Hammond was the sergeant called to Arnold’s home to “mess with Megan” after the sheriff and his wife had a struggle at the bedroom door when Arnold was drunk and drugged. Hammond told TBI investigators he saw no signs of a domestic disturbance. But he didn’t file a report, either, which is a form of concealing what happened.

Concealment, hiding the truth and outright lying: Those are getting to be pretty common in this case. But as Sir Walter Scott said: “What a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.”

Sam Stockard can be reached at sstockard44@gmail.com BOROPULSE.COM

* DECEMBER 2016 * 39

5 Steps to Start Your Business Off Right Financially

BY SARA LIPPERT

UNLESS YOU ARE ALREADY RICH and have thousands in savings, you can’t start your own business without financial planning and preparation. First, you have to find the money, then you have to manage it well enough to support both your personal and your business life. Here are five steps to help create financial stability.

SAVE SIX MONTHS OF EXPENSES:

If you’re just now planning to start a business, you need to consider the amount of money you have in savings. Right now, you should be saving up enough money to survive your first few months in business.

Think of it like a squirrel storing up nuts for winter. Knowing food won’t be available during the winter months, squirrels work hard during the months leading up to winter to gather extra food so they have enough to last them to the next season.

During your first few months in business, you probably won’t be bringing in enough money and will have to survive on what you saved up previously. If you can’t get your business going within six months, you may need to rethink it, or at least get a part-time job to start supporting yourself again.

MAKE A BUDGET: To know how much money you need to save up in order to survive for six months, you need to create a budget. Start by listing out all your personal expenses as well as your estimated business expenses. By having a budget, you will be able to avoid further tapping into your own resources such as your home equity, credit cards or savings. You’ll soon learn that your business’s budget will have a huge impact on your personal budget.

SEPARATE BUSINESS FROM PERSONAL: As you build your business’s

budget, your personal budget will grow tighter. To avoid spending more than you

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should on either you or your business, keep two separate bank accounts for your personal and business expenses. This will help you keep from overspending in either area as well as help you see if your business is making you any money or not.

BOOTSTRAP: The key to bootstrapping your business is getting only what you need and not splurging. You’re not going to be able to start off at the size you prefer or with the niceties you may want. Maybe you think you need new computers and office furniture. If you have something already that can get the job done, use it. Focus on getting your business up and running. As you build, you will eventually be able to afford those things. But starting out, if you don’t need it, don’t get it.

REVISIT YOUR BUDGET: As your business grows and changes, so to will your budget. Make sure to keep a close eye on your expenses and change your budget accordingly. An inaccurate budget can be more dangerous than not having one at all.

Also, as your business grows in years, you can change from a monthly to a quarterly to an annual budget.

Remember, he better you plan and budget, the better chance you’ll have for success. Start planning early to build up enough savings to carry you through the beginning stages of your business. Create a budget to keep your business finances separate from your personal. Spend only as needed and your business should start reaping the financial benefits after several months.

Sara Lippert is part of the team at Titan Web Marketing Solutions, a Murfreesboro agency providing digital marketing solutions that work for your business.

Learn more at titanwms.com.

Sports MTSU RUNS WILDCAT FOR MOST OF SEASON FINALE, SCORES 77 POINTS THE BLUE RAIDERS FINISHED OFF the regular season with a 77–56 victory over FAU to bring their record to 8–4.

Earlier in November, John Urzua took over for Blue Raiders after QB Brent Stockstill went down for the season with a collarbone injury.

In that game, the Blue Raiders were named as 20-point favorites in Vegas odds against Texas-San Antonio, but it seemed the Roadrunners forgot to check those odds before the game. The Roadrunners scored with ease on the opening drive, and the Blue Raider offense responded quickly with a touchdown drive capped off by a Brent Stockstill touchdown pass to Dennis Andrews. However, it turned out to be the best looking drive for the MTSU offense on the day.

The defense’s struggle to stop the run on the first drive was a theme that played out throughout the game. By the end of the first quarter the Roadrunners already had rushed for more than 100 yards and two touchdowns.

Things went from bad to worse at the beginning of the second quarter. On the first possession of the quarter UTSA’s Baylen Baker broke through the MT offensive line and blind-sided Stockstill. Every bit of Baker’s 285-pound frame fell on top of Stockstill as his shoulder was driven into the ground.

While Stockstill did stay in to throw the next two passes, doctors would come to find that his collarbone was broken in two places.

Things got uglier for MT from that point.

UTSA scored on the ensuing possession.

Stockstill’s replacement, redshirt freshman John Urzua, had his second pass attempt intercepted on the wrong side of the 50. The Roadrunners again extended their lead. Urzua turned the ball over on three of MT’s first four possession’s of the third quarter. The Blue Raiders, who were chosen to win by 20 points, lost by a score of 45-25.

To make matters even worse, Stockstill was ruled out for the rest of the regular season after the game.

John Urzua may not have impressed many at Floyd when he was thrown into the fire, but keep in mind how hot that fire was when he was thrown in it. Urzua’s practice reps have been very limited all season long, and he was put into the game when the Blue Raiders were already down 21–7.

The following week, the Blue Raiders took to the field without Brent Stockstill for the first time since 2014. Urzua received his first career start on the road against conference

BLUE RAIDER SPORTS

rival Marshall.

After throwing an interRICHIE JAMES ception on MT’s first possesBY sion, Urzua salvaged the first game for Urzua, however, GREG quarter to complete 10 of 14 as an injury ended his day.

CRITTENDEN With no other quarterbacks for 119 yards and a touchdown available, the MTSU offense was to Dennis Andrews.

I’Tavius Mathers got in for a score forced to run out of the wildcat fulltime, and it was a smashing success. in the second quarter, which put Middle James, who played quarterback in high ahead 17–14 going into halftime. school, received the bulk of the snaps in UrUnfortunately, Urzua was unable to build zua’s absence, and he seized that opportunity. off his strong first quarter performance, and Not only did he receive for 120 yards, but he the Marshall defense bottled up Mathers for also rushed for 207 yards and three touchthe entire game. Mathers was only able to downs. James even added 76 passing yards to muster 45 rushing yards in his 15 attempts. boot on his way to being named co-offensive The Thundering Herd dominated the secplayer of the week by Conference USA. ond half as they scored 28 unanswered points I’Tavius Mathers, who broke the singleon their way to a 42–17 win. season all-purpose yards record a week earThe Blue Raiders managed to get a win on lier, set a new mark for single-season rushing Nov. 19 in Charlotte against the 49ers.

Middle went 75 yards in nine plays on the game’s first possession, a drive that was capped off by a touchdown pass from John Urzua to Ty Lee. The defense then forced a three-and-out to set up another big drive of 76 yards, finished off by another Urzua touchdown pass to Richie James.

Urzua showed marked improvement in the first quarter of that game, finishing 10-for-13 with 97 yards and two touchdowns. However, it was easily the best quarter of the day for the young quarterback.

The 49ers fought back and had a shot to push the game into overtime, but Steven Rhodes came up with his second sack on 3rd and 10 to force a 4th and 20 situation for Charlotte. The 49ers were unable to convert, and MTSU claimed victory.

I’Tavius Mathers was back in form. Though he only saw six touches in the second half due to being a little nicked up, he did gain 144 yards with 101 yards coming on the ground.

An interesting wrinkle was added to the backfield as well. Richie James, Dennis Andrews and Ty Lee were utilized there in a variety of ways, including in the wildcat formation. Lee logged 68 yards out of the backfield while James registered 61.

The sound of breaking records could be heard at Floyd Stadium when the Blue Raiders faced off against Florida Atlantic on Nov. 28.

The first record fell in the first quarter when Richie James broke his own MTSU singleseason receiving yards record with a 49-yard touchdown pass from John Urzua.

It would be the final pass attempt of the

yards. The record was previously held by Vince Hall, who rushed for 1,439 yards in 1984. Mathers also added three rushing touchdowns to his season total. The Blackman product currently sits at 1,504 rushing yards on the season, and will look to add to that total in an upcoming bowl game.

Dennis Andrews rounded out the wildcat backfield. Though Andrews has primarily played wide receiver since transferring from Georgia Tech, he was the A-back in the Yellow Jackets’ triple option attack, which surely helped him in the wildcat. In just eight touches, Andrews ran for 50 yards and three touchdowns. Andrews also completed two of three pass attempts for 73 yards.

The 77 points scored marked an all-time high for the Blue Raiders, as did their 757 yards of total offense.

Despite the incredible offensive production, the Blue Raider defense once again struggled to stop the run. FAU freshman running back Devin Singletary rushed for 235 yards.

If the Blue Raiders hope to win their first bowl game since 2009, they will have to figure out what is going wrong versus the run.

BOROPULSE.COM

* DECEMBER 2016 * 41

SPORTS

TALK

COLUMN BY “Z-TRAIN”

titanman1984@yahoo.com

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL! ON MARCUS, ON MURRAY, ON HENRY, GO TITANS! THE TRAIN DADDY IS BACK, feeling jolly and festive but, as always, bringing sports news, life lessons and politically incorrect talk to you, the loyal reader!

Happy holidays, Mary dropped a yuletide log, season’s greetings, happy Hanukkah, season green smoke, or have a cool yule—there are many ways to wish someone a festive December, but from me to you, merry Christmas! And let me be clear, I choose boiled custard over eggnog!

It’s a great time to be a football fan. The holidays bring a smorgasbord of food, and so many of the match-ups have playoff implications. I have a Christmas recipe; it has helped me over the years and it may help you. I understand the holidays are a happy time for many, but remember, for some people it can be a struggle. So always remember the 5 F’s: Faith, Family, Football, Food and Friends.

I’m telling you, in all seriousness, hold close to as many of the 5 F’s as you can this holiday season.

Also take a moment to realize how lucky you are to live in this country.

Any citizen of this great country, no matter your race or gender, can succeed. As long as you’re willing to work at it and show determination, life will eventually reward you, and that’s not the case around the majority of the globe.

Hard work, determination and compassion will do you more good than whining. That’s right, be grateful you live in such a fabulous country. Maybe you’re upset about the election, maybe you’re outraged

by America’s legal system, maybe you hate cops and maybe you’re obsessed with voicing your opinion no matter how hurtful and ignorant your comments are. I believe everyone should reflect this holiday season, be thankful for what it is you actually have and for the people in blue who protect us.

Remember that hard work, compassion and a little bit of love will go along way toward a successful life. If you don’t feel it’s truly a blessing to be an American, I feel sorry for you!

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Speaking about being thankful, let’s show some sports athletes and famous people some love. Let’s spread a little holiday cheer, drink some beer and wish folks a merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas, Titans QB Marcus Mariota. This kid is only 23 years old! That’s right, experts around the league believe Marcus to be the most talented young quarterback in the league, he is already showing up some veteran signal callers.

He has already set the franchise single-season record for TD passes and has thrown at least two touchdown passes in eight straight games. Heading into December, Marcus has thrown nearly 3,000 yards this season, 25 TD passes and only eight interceptions, completing nearly 65 percent of his passes. Titans fans love you, Marcus. Because of you and your stellar play, the Titans head into December with a real playoff shot and possible division title for the first time in many seasons.

Merry Christmas to the best running back duo in the league, Titans running backs Murray and Henry!

That’s right, DeMarco Murray showed the league, and Philly, that Chip Kelly had no clue what he was doing. The Titans have utilized him nicely. Derrick Henry, a rookie out of Alabama and former Heisman Trophy winner, has played backseat to Murray, but has shined when given opportunities.

Derrick Henry is a beast and an honest every-down back. It will be interesting to see what roles these two backs play in the future as Titans, but every Titan fan should be excited about the prospect of an upand-coming young Derrick Henry.

Merry Christmas, Ryan Lochte, you have been labeled America’s douchebag of 2016. The 12-time Olympic medalist swimmer lied, admitted the truth and then danced with the stars.

Short story, he went to Rio, won a medal for swimming, got really drunk and he broke stuff and urinated on things. Then he claimed he was robbed and held at gunpoint, when really it was just a confrontation with local authorities in Rio. After all that he danced with the stars, hoping to fix his image, I guess.

You embarrassed America, your lies embarrassed the host country of the Olympics and you made a fool of yourself. Come on, man!

Merry Christmas, Colin Kraepernick! I know I have been very critical about your actions these last few months but I still wish you a merry Christmas. But that doesn’t mean I won’t say more bad things about you right now! Colin, you are a moron, utterly stupid, I mean that, I am sorry. I do sincerely wish you a merry Christmas, though.

You decided to use the football field as a stage for your protest, you ridiculously claim bodies are piling up in the streets, and you unfairly demonize the very people who do protect us: the police. You even attempted recently to glamorize Malcolm X, a controversial race hustler, and Fidel Castro, a power-hungry moron who murdered and displaced thousands upon thousands of families. You’re 0–6 since taking the reins in San Francisco—shut-up and play football. Maybe then you would do what NFL quarterbacks are supposed to do, win games!

Merry Christmas, Jason Pierre Paul, a massive

beast and defensive end for the New York Giants.

After blowing off part of his hand in a July 4 fireworks accident and having his right index finger amputated, many feared for his NFL career. In a recent week 12 match-up vs. the Browns, Jason had seven tackles, three sacks, a forced fumble and a 43-yard fumble return for a TD. Jason is at the top of my list for comeback player of the 2016 year.

Merry Christmas, Dwayne Johnson—better known as The Rock—who played football at the University of Miami and was part of the 1991 national championship team as well as being an American actor, producer and pro wrestler.

Those are just a few of his talents! This is the start of me personally campaigning for the Rock Republican ticket 2020. The Rock 4 President! Do you candy-asses smell what the Rock is cooking? The Rock actually has stated he may pursue a political career. If Trump can, why not The Rock? Can you imagine the Rock vs. Trump in 2020?

Speaking of Trump, let’s wish some politicians a happy holiday. Merry Christmas, Donald Trump! Congrats on the victory, buddy! You proved all the pollsters and liberal media wrong; they ultimately had no

clue what they were talking about. I admit, I never truly supported you, nor spoke against you. You were just a tsunami that I watched destroy everything in its path.

It was entertaining at first. I am just thankful that lying wench Hillary Clinton isn’t president. So once again, congrats Donald, I hope you make America Great Again; whatever that actually means, it sounds good to me. I will say that if you don’t actually build a wall during your time as president, that may go down as the biggest lie ever told during a campaign.

Merry Christmas, President Obama, Crooked Hillary and Colonel Sanders!

Let’s start with President Obama: I will admit I disagree with much of (nearly all) of your policy, but that’s okay. I do, however, appreciate your cool-daddy personality; you are a fabulous speaker with witty remarks and a good smile.

Enjoy the golf courses, and good riddance.

Merry Christmas, Hillary Clinton, you’re deplorable!

Merry Christmas, Bernie Sanders.

Everyone loved the Colonel. He wanted so badly to start a revolution, and ultimately he was cheated by the Clinton campaign. Then, in a twist, he sold himself out and supported Hillary! His ideas sounded great to young people: free stuff, “yippie!” Anyone with sense knows socialism doesn’t work. Bernie had an apple pie and wanted everyone to get an equal share. I prefer to work hard so I can cut my own slice of the pie; I would rather not have the government in charge of handing out the slices. People who are too lazy to cut their own slice of the pie don’t deserve an equal share. I understand some people need help getting a slice, and that’s fine, but just handing out equal shares to everyone would ultimately create a lazy America.

Merry Christmas to the entire Titans organization. I wrote this piece as the Titans were 6–6 and enjoying a much needed bye week. The Titans had the latest and last bye week possible, so they get a much deserved break at just the right time. This break bodes well for the Titans heading into a final four-game stretch, facing off

against Denver, Kansas City, the Jaguars and the Texans. That final game vs. the Texans on Jan 1 could very well end up deciding who wins and loses the division.

No matter what happens, the Titans can hold their heads up high. The critics had them marked off and here they stand in December with a shot at the division and a playoff run. The future is bright with Marcus at quarterback. Stay strong and loyal, Titan fans!

Merry Christmas to all the loved ones who have passed on. Remember them.

Grandparents, spouses, friends, siblings, parents—remember them and live for them. My grandfather passed away during the holidays in 2014 and we all miss him much. He was the patriarch, and I respected him; he was larger than life and kinder than kind. It’s when reminiscing about people you’ve lost that you look around and hold close to people still around you. Remember the 5 F’s—Faith, Family, Football, Food and Friends. Live life by that motto. I pray you all have a merry Christmas, do something kind for someone in need, help out a stranger and remember that your body is a temple—keep it healthy.

The Train’s out the station, choo-choo!

BOROPULSE.COM

* DECEMBER 2016 * 43