June 2015 Murfreesboro Pulse by The Murfreesboro Pulse

2006–2015: Celebrating 10 Years Vol. 10, Issue 6 JUNE 2015

MURFREESBORO

FREE For You!

An Artisan Affair sells high quality vintage and artisan items for a cause page 18

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

TAXI TO BONNAROO Nashville-bred MOON TAXI returns for Bonnaroo 2015 page 12

LIVING

FOOD

Annual FolkFest brings song and dance from other cultures

Sal's Pizzeria reopens its N.Y.-style pizza buffet in a shiny new location

page 16

page 24

DEAR READERS:

CONTENTS

20 ON THE COVER

12 EVENTS

4 6

June Community Events Superhero Strides, Taste of AKA, Camp Invention, Boat Day, Creative Collective and more! Entertainment Calendar Karaoke, Bingo, DJs and Live Trivia

SOUNDS

8 9 0 w e r

JUNE CONCERTS Wartrace Music Festival Midnight Riders join festivities in Wartrace. Album Reviews Don Coyote, The Lund McVey Group Stunt Tha Boss Murfreesboro hip-hop artist runs Rich & Arrogant label, set to release collaboration with Chris Brown. Taxi to Bonnaroo Middle Tennessee jammers Moon Taxi return to Bonnaroo on Friday, June 12. Readying for ’Roo A look at the setup, new fountain design in Manchester as 2015 festival approaches. Nick Kane Guitarist joins Afteroo celebration on Hippie Hill.

ART

FolkFest y International Annual dance event brings groups from Mexico, Latvia

and France to Middle Tennessee this year. Artisan Affair June 12–13 event celebrates artisans, supports charities.

LIVING

CREW

PULSE

Farmers’ Market Education Series Score some free rainwater for your garden. Homeless in the ’Boro Todd’s journey from the streets to employment.

Publisher/Editor in Chief: Contributors: Dylan Aycock, Bracken Mayo Gloria Christy, Sarah H. Clark, Art Director: Sarah L. Mayo Spencer Douglas, Zach Maxfield, Darcy Payne, MC Radford, Edwina Advertising Reps: Shannon, Christy Simmons, Don Clark, Carrie Richards, Cecilia Sinkala, Jay Spight, Jeff Brown, Jamie Jennings Andrea Stockard, Sam Stockard, Copy Editor: Steve Morley Norbert Thiemann, Phil Valentine

FOOD

Is Back f Sal’s N.Y.-style pizzeria reopens near JoZoara. on Short Mountain g Stillhouse New eatery keeps it local.

REVIEWS

h j k

Movies Avengers; Mad Max Living Room Cinema Sanctuary Book 616 Video Game Dragon Age: Inquisition.

ONLINE AT:

BOROPULSE.COM

THEATER Mel O’drama Returns to Big Bang l June brings Hatfield–McCoy Wedding Reception to the Murfreesboro Square.

OPINIONS The Stockard Report ; The plot thickens: FBI raids sheriff’s home and office. Bryan Terry x Rep. Freshman legislator takes a look at his first session,

v b n

including finding a new dog on the Hill. What Is Your Fuel? What drives you? Are you a giver or a taker? Phil Valentine: Views of a Conservative Unlikely that climate change causes more poverty, fire. Music Through the Decades The minstrelsy traditions of the 1800s

SPORTS Talk with Z-Train , Sports The legend of the Me-Ma

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 © 2015, 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

AS USUAL, THERE’S A LOT HAPPENING around the Murfreesboro area this month. The annual International FolkFest brings dance troupes from around the globe to Middle Tennessee for song and dance each year, with 2015’s groups hailing from Mexico, Latvia and France. Up on Short Mountain near Woodbury, the Stillhouse restaurant has opened its doors, and will focus on creating gourmet meals from locally-sourced items. In pizza news, Sal’s Pizza is back in action, now located on Thompson Lane, across town from its former buffet location. If the kids need something to do this summer, the Murfreesboro Fire Department will host a couple of afternoons in local parks allowing folks to splash around in water from the engines; additionally, the Movies under the Stars program shows movies in different city parks at nightfall all summer long; and for some live music, the free and family-friendly First Friday concert series will take place on the Square. Otherwise, the artistic heroes keep the music playing, from EDM to songwriters nights, Matt Mahaffey to K Theory, Hoo Doo Men to Meth Dad. Bonnaroo gets turned up the second weekend in June. Each year, many festival patrons will critique the lineup, compare it to past years and other festivals, and wish their particular favorite performer were coming, but I have to give it to the Bonnaroo organizers. They always bring some legends to the farm for the first time, and there is always a good variety of musical styles. Come on, you can take in Mumford and Sons, Slayer and Bassnectar within a couple of hours this year. Then, the next day, chill a little with The Punch Brothers, The Bluegrass Situation and Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn. Good stuff. Happy ’Roo! The following week, Afteroo at Hippie Hill will continue the good musical vibes for anyone who needs some more camping and live outdoor jams. Get outside. Schedule a canoe or kayak ride with Float-A-Boat (hurry to reserve your boat and ﬂoat time this summer!), take advantage of Murfreeboro’s parks and pools, ride the bike, watch the sunrise, play a game with your friends and family. Some of Murfreesboro’s parks contain great scenes in the summertime: local people from all walks of life will be throwing various balls, grilling and having picnics, and the kids and dogs will go full-throttle, leaving all their energy at the park. I hope your garden is doing well. If you need a supplementary source for veggies, check out producefreshfromthefarm.com to find Happy Harvest (the official cabbage, bok choy and turnip-green provider of the Murfreesboro Pulse), or you can find the Colwell’s at the Murfreesboro Saturday Market on the Square, now open every Saturday morning! Murfreesboro remains a healthy place to do business, with more people coming into the area each month, and new businesses opening their doors all the time. We greatly appreciate our readers and hope you'll keep on reading the Pulse. I’m sure you will find something of interest to you. Well, enjoy your summer, do not worry about tomorrow, and party on, dudes! Peace, Bracken Mayo Editor in Chief BOROPULSE.COM

* JUNE 2015 * 3

EVENTS COMPILED BY ANDREA STOCKARD

Send event information to murfreesboropulse@yahoo.com

TUESDAYS & FRIDAYS Purchase fresh, local, organic food grown in more than 20 Middle Tennessee counties. Available fare includes fruits and vegetables, meats, eggs, baked and canned goods, flowers, plants and more, from 7 a.m.–noon at Lane Agri-Park (315 John R. Rice Blvd.). For more information, call (615) 898-7710 or visit extension.tennessee.edu/rutherford.

E. Main St.). Registration begins at 7 a.m. for the 5K Run/Walk, scheduled for 8 a.m., and the Super Kids Fun Run, starting at 9:15 a.m. The 5K will take you down Main Street through the historic downtown square, and the Super Kids Fun Run takes place at Central Magnet School. All proceeds benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (cff.org). For information on registration, contact superherostrides@yahoo.com or find Superhero Strides 5K on eventbrite.com.

SATURDAYS

JUNE 6

SATURDAY MARKET

FISH FRY TO BENEFIT THE SMYRNA LIBRARY

RUTHERFORD COUNTY FARMERS’ MARKET

Purchase locally grown fruits, vegetables, breads, meats, flowers and more from over 60 vendors from across Tennessee at the historic Rutherford County Courthouse in downtown Murfreesboro from 8 a.m.–noon each Saturday through October. For more information, call (615) 895-1887 or visit downtownmurfreesboro.com.

SATURDAYS SMYRNA DEPOT FARMERS’ MARKET Purchase locally grown fresh produce, dairy, and meat at the historic Smyrna train depot (98 Front St.) from 8 a.m.–noon each Saturday. For more information, contact vendors@ carpeartista.com or (615) 330-0516.

JUNE 5 BOOTS AND BOW TIES GALA BENEFITING AUTISM SPEAKS The 4th annual Boots and Bow Ties Gala benefiting Autism Speaks will be at the Hutton Hotel (1808 West End Ave., Nashville) from 7 p.m.–midnight Friday, June 5, with cocktails, dinner, entertainment and a silent auction raising awareness for autism. For more, visit events.autismspeaks.org.

JUNE 5 MUSIC AT THE MILL Get down with the band Top Tier along with food vendors and inflatables for children at Gregory Mill Park (390 Enon Springs Rd.) at 6:30 p.m. Friday, June 5. Admission is free. For more information, call (615) 4599773 or visit townofsmyrna.org.

JUNE 6 3RD ANNUAL SUPERHERO STRIDES FOR CF 5K Wear your Hulk costume, Green Lantern shirt, your mask and cape or just run like the Flash for the 3rd Annual Superhero Strides for CF 5K at Central Magnet School (701 4 * JUNE 2015 * BOROPULSE.COM

Sam Davis Masonic Lodge No. 661 will host a fish fry from 11 a.m.–2 p.m. on Saturday, June 6. Proceeds will benefit Friends of the Smyrna Library and will be donated in the memory of Walter K. Hoover, a past master of Sam Davis Masonic Lodge, community leader and noted historian. The cost is $10 per person for a meal including fish, white beans, hush puppies and desserts. The Sam Davis Chapter, Order of the Eastern Star, will also hold a bake sale. The lodge is located at 101 Mary Law Drive, just off Nissan Drive across from CVS Pharmacy in Smyrna. For more information call (615) 459-4576 or email samdavislodge@comcast.net.

JUNE 6 & 20 HALLOWED GROUND: A LANTERN TOUR OF THE STONES RIVER NATIONAL CEMETERY Spend an hour walking by lantern light through the cemetery of the Stones River National Battlefield (1563 N.

JUNE 6 23RD ANNUAL SECRET GARDEN TOUR Tour some of Murfreesboro’s most beautiful gardens from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Saturday, June 6, benefiting the Discovery Center. The S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) Bus, a custom-built mobile classroom, will be on display. For tickets and more information, call (615) 890-2300 or visit explorethedc.org.

THROUGH JULY MOVIES UNDER THE STARS Enjoy family-friendly movies outdoors all summer with Movies Under the Stars, presented by the Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Department. Bring your blankets, lawn chairs or truck bed. Concessions are available for purchase. Movies begin at 8:30 p.m. Locations are as follows: Mondays, Cason Lane Trailhead Tuesdays, Cannonsburgh Village Thursdays, Richard Siegel Neighborhood Park Fridays Mitchell-Neilson Primary Saturdays, Hobgood Elementary Movies showing include: June 1–6 – Big Hero 6 June 8–13 – Bedknobs & Broomsticks June 15–20 – Earth to Echo June 22–27 – Arthur & the Invisibles June 29–July 3 – Monkey Trouble July 6–11 – The Boxtrolls July 13–18 – Free Willy July 20–25 – Wreck-it Ralph For more information, contact (615) 893-2141 or recreation@murfrees borotn.gov. Thompson Ln.) at 7:45 p.m. and hearing stories of soldiers and civilians recounting the terrible cost of the Civil War. Admission is free. For more information, call (615) 893-9501 or visit nps.gov/stri.

JUNE 8–12 CAMP INVENTION Camp Invention, a national summer program fostering creativity and problem-solving skills, is coming to Barfield Elementary School, Lascassas Elementary School and McFadden School of Excellence June 8–12. The weeklong day camp for students entering grades one through six emphasizes innovation and creativity while also build-

Arthur & the Invisibles

Monkey Trouble

ing self-esteem, teamwork, persistence and goal-setting skills. This year’s curriculum was inspired by some of our nation’s most brilliant minds. Camp Invention serves more than 87,000 students every year at more than 1,300 camps across the nation. For more information, call (330) 645-8012, email amiller@invent.org or visit campinvention.org.

JUNE 9 SHARE THE LIGHT Share the Light is a Community Group meeting the second Tuesday of every month at Yoga on the Square (423 Lytle St.) from 7:30–9:30 p.m. for practitioners in the healing, wellness and consciousnesscreating arts, and those interested in holistic and integrated healing modalities. Participate in a social hour for sharing and networking, followed by a presentation from a featured healer. For more information, call (615) 295-8739 or visit everestenergetics.com/share-the-light.

JUNE 9 ART CLASSES FOR KIDS This summer, kids can enjoy classes in animation, clay, painting, drawing, collage and more at Moxie Art Supply (302 W. Vine St.) with June’s featured workshop, “Fun with Cyanotype,” beginning at noon on Tuesday, June 9. Kids will go home with multiple photographic prints that are exposed by the summer sun. Classes are taught by some of Murfreesboro’s most notable and talented artists and teachers as graduates of MTSU in art education and

photography. For more information, contact meagan@moxieartsupply.com or (615) 849.1131, or visit moxieartsupply.com.

May and October For more information, contact (615) 396-7404 or (615) 459-9773.

JUNE 22–26

JUNE 11 & 25

ANTEBELLUM ACADEMY

SPLASH OUT!

Young ladies ages 12 and older can explore a variety of 19th-century skills and customs at Oaklands Historic House Museum (900 N. Maney Ave.) with lessons on needlework, etiquette, parlor games and dance. Space is limited and reservations are required. For more information, contact (615) 893-0022 or mb@oaklandsmuseum.org, or visit oaklandsmuseum.org.

Get hosed down to cool off this summer with the Murfreesboro Fire and Rescue Department June 11 at Richard Siegel Neighborhood Park (515 Cherry Ln.) and June 25 at Barfield Crescent Park, pavilions No. 5, 6, and 7 (697 Veterans Pkwy.) from 1:30–3:30 p.m. Wear clothes and shoes suitable for getting wet in, and bring your sunscreen and a towel. Admission is free. Children up to 12 years must be accompanied by a parent or grandparent. For more information, call (615) 893-2141.

JUNE 22–26 SCHOOL OF THE SOLDIER SUMMER CAMP

JUNE 13 EAGLEVILLE TRUCK AND TRACTOR PULL Come out for the Eagleville Truck and Tractor Pull with modified and stock pulling classes at Eagleville Tractor Show Grounds (747 Chapel Hill Pk.). For more information, call (615) 708-7086 or visit eaglevilletvppa.com.

JUNE 13 SIMPLY SMYRNA CELEBRATION The Simply Smyrna Celebration will be held at the Smyrna Train Depot (115 Front St.) from 5–10 p.m. on Saturday, June 13, to officially kick off the Town of Smyrna’s revitalization project, the opening of the revitalized historic train depot and refurbished Assembly Hall. Enjoy live music featuring local acts, artists, local dignitaries, food, craft and business vendors. For more information, call (615) 459-9742 ext 2612 or email vendors@carpeartista.com.

JUNE 13 15TH ANNUAL TASTE OF AKA Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, Pi Nu Omega Chapter, presents its 15th Annual Taste of AKA “A Southern Delicacy” at Patterson Park Community Center (521 Mercury Blvd.) from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. on Saturday, June 13. All proceeds benefit the Ivy Enrichment Fund and provide valuable scholarships to many local Rutherford County youth. “A Southern Delicacy” includes samples of a variety of delicious dishes, homemade desserts and refreshing drinks, live music, health booths, vendors, door prizes and fun for the entire family. Tickets are $10. For more information, contact nika1908@yahoo.com.

JUNE 15–19 STEM FACTOR The BEP Foundation’s STEM Factor is a summer conference from 9 a.m.–3:30 p.m. connecting teachers with area businesses in STEM fields. STEM Factor 2015 features a partnership with Discovery Center and includes: Learning to Code, Microproces-

JUNE 13 SMALL FRY TRI–A TRIATHLON FOR PRESCHOOLERS Take part in Murfreesboro’s smallest triathlon inspiring children to run, bike and “swim” (run through sprinklers) to the finish line at Old Fort Park Trailhead (916 Golf Ln.). Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, June 13, with races starting at 10 a.m. and held every 10 minutes. Parents, older siblings and personal trainers are welcome to help. Bring a bicycle or tricycle and a helmet. Pre-register at Sports*Com, Patterson Park Community Center or the Wilderness Station June 1–11. Open to ages 2–6 years. For more information, call (615) 893-2141. sors/Raspberry Pi Workshop, Hands-on Robotics workshop, Medical Applications of 3-D printing and more. Open to K–12 STEM teachers who work in the Murfreesboro City or Rutherford County School Systems. For more information, visit rutherfordbepf. wordpress.com.

JUNE 18 WINE NIGHT AT THE SKIN AND ALLERGY CENTER Come out for a night of wine, hors d’oeuvres and door prizes from 6–9 p.m. Thursday, June 18, with the Skin and Allergy Center (1970 Medical Center Pkwy. Suite K) featuring a fun, informational showcase of the cosmetic side of the dermatology practice. Improve your skin, especially against the sun. Photo facial, laser resurfacing, skin tightening, Botox, fillers and vein therapy are offered. For more information, call (615) 624-5050 or visit skinallergycenter.com.

JUNE 18 MURFREESBORO CREATIVE COLLECTIVE Murfreesboro Creative Collective is a group of unique, creative spirits in Murfreesboro meeting at Cultivate Coworking (107 W. Lytle St.) from 5–7 p.m. on Thursday, June 18. Events are free and open to the public. For more information, contact info@cultivatecoworking.com or (615) 203-6084, or visit cultivatecoworking.com.

JUNE 19 3RD FRIDAY NIGHT CONCERT

Bring a lawn chair or blanket and enjoy live music and dancing from 7–9 p.m. at Cannonsburgh Village (312 S. Front St.). Admission is free. For more information, call (615) 890-0355.

JUNE 19 EDUCATION FAIR Further your education at the Education Fair at The Avenue Murfreesboro (2615 Medical Center Pkwy.) from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Friday, June 19, with representatives from Argosy University, Bethel University, DeVry University, King University, Lipscomb University, Troy University, Tennessee State University, Union University, University of Phoenix, Western Governor’s University and Western International University. For more information, call (615) 804-1489.

JUNE 19 COFFEE WITH VETERANS Join Operation Adopt a Hero on the third Friday of each month at Cultivate Coworking (107 West Lytle St.) from 7:30–9:30 a.m. for Coffee With the Veterans, an informal, social networking event designed to foster friendships between local veterans and their community. For more information, call (615) 893-6565 or visit cultivatecoworking.com.

JUNE 20 CRUISE-IN AT THE SMYRNA TRAIN DEPOT Enjoy Cruise-In at the historic Smyrna train depot (100 Front St.) from 6–9:30 p.m. on the third Saturday of every month between

Young men and women aged 5–14 can participate in the School of the Soldier experience, an action-filled summer camp portraying the Civil War era at the Historic Sam Davis Home and Plantation (1399 Sam Davis Rd., Smyrna) from 9 a.m.–3 p.m. on June 22–26 as they spend time outside learning drill and actual Civil War marching. Campers will build tents, make lanterns and discover spies. Members of the Stewart’s Creek Scouts will also be returning to teach campers about 1860s-era baseball. For more information, call (615) 459-2341 or visit samdavishome.org.

JUNE 27 BOAT DAY WITH SRWA Experience different types of canoes and kayaks with help from Stones River Watershed Association volunteers while learning boating basics, paddling strokes and boat safety at Manson Pike Trailhead (1208 Searcy St.) from 9 a.m.–noon on Saturday, June 27. Paddles and personal flotation devices provided. Admission is free. For more information, call (615) 893-2141.

JUNE 27 SIMA’S 2ND ANNUAL DODGEBALL TOURNAMENT Build your team and plan for a fun evening of dodgeball presented by the Smyrna Independent Merchants Association. Games will take place at Sharp Springs Park (1000 Espey Dr., Smyrna) from 6–9 p.m. on Saturday, June 27. All proceeds benefit Bark Springs Dog Park, to be built at Sharp Springs Park. For more information, contact (615) 330-0516 or visit simatn.org.

JUNE 27 SUMMER PARTY Give back to Main Street at The Summer Party, Main Street’s primary fundraiser, at the home of Frank Fly and Suzanne Williams (3600 Manchester Pk.). The event includes a meal prepared by some of Rutherford County’s best chefs, an open bar and music provided by bluegrass ensemble The Back 80. For reservations, call (615) 8951887 or visit downtownmurfreesboro.com. BOROPULSE.COM

* JUNE 2015 * 5

ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR

DJ, Bingo, Trivia & Karaoke NIGHTS IN MURFREESBORO

 MONDAYS BUNGANUT PIG Live Trivia, 7 p.m. THE POUR HOUSE DJ, 7–11 p.m. TGI FRIDAY’S Live Trivia, 7 p.m.

 TUESDAYS OLD CHICAGO Live Trivia, 9 p.m. COCONUT BAY CAFÉ Live Trivia, 7:30 p.m. THE POUR HOUSE DJ, 7–11 p.m. NACHOS Live Trivia, 7 p.m. NOBODY’S Bingo, 7 p.m. THE BOULEVARD Karaoke, 7 p.m.

 WEDNESDAYS CAMPUS PUB Karaoke, 10 p.m.–2:30 a.m. MELLOW MUSHROOM Live Trivia, 8 p.m.

HEAR WHAT MURFREESBORO SOUNDS LIKE 

NOBODY’S Live Trivia, 7 and 9:30 p.m. SAM’S SPORTS GRILL Live Trivia, 8 p.m.

MT BOTTLE Karaoke, 9 p.m.–3 a.m. WHISKEY DIX DJ Cliffy D, 8 p.m.

 THURSDAYS

 SATURDAYS

CAMPUS PUB Live Trivia, 8:15 p.m. COCONUT BAY Karaoke, 8 p.m. LA SIESTA (CHURCH ST.) Karaoke, 6 p.m. NOBODY’S Karaoke, 9:15 p.m.–12:30 a.m. SPORTS SEASONS Live Trivia, 7 p.m. THE POUR HOUSE Karaoke, 9 p.m. WHISKEY DIX DJ Cliffy D, 8 p.m.

CAMPUS PUB Karaoke, 10 p.m.–2:30 a.m. NACHOS Live Trivia, 7 p.m. NOBODY’S Karaoke, 9:15 p.m.–12:30 a.m. WHISKEY DIX DJ Cliffy D, 8 p.m.

 FRIDAYS NOBODY’S Karaoke, 9:15 p.m.–12:30 a.m. LA SIESTA (CHURCH ST.) Karaoke, 6 p.m. LA SIESTA (GREENLAND) Trivia, 7 p.m.

 SUNDAYS O’POSSUMS Live Trivia, 8 p.m. LA SIESTA (CHURCH ST.) Karaoke, 6 p.m. THE POUR HOUSE DJ, 7 p.m. SAM’S SPORTS GRILL Live Trivia, 8 p.m. Send information on weekly entertainment events to murfreesboropulse@yahoo.com

Want your band listed on our QR Classifieds? E-mail murfreesboropulse@yahoo.com

 IF YOU GO:

SOUNDS JUNE CONCERTS

Send your show listings to listings@boropulse.com

THURSDAY, 6/4

TUESDAY, 6/9

BUNGANUT PIG

The O’Donnells

NACHO’S

Hoo Doo Men

Ivan LaFever

WEDNESDAY, 6/10

All-Star Jam with Stuart Montez

BUNGANUT PIG

THE BORO

FRIDAY, 6/5

JD Shelburne Duo

MAIN STREET MUSIC

The Convalescence, Vision of the Seventh Eye

BUNGANUT PIG

Cody Pennington

HIPPIE HILL

Stink Bamboo, Pocket Vinyl, Rachel Lipsky Band, Angel Mary and the Tennessee Were-wolves, Runaway Home

NACHO’S

Ivan LaFever

THE BORO

All-Star Jam with Stuart Montez

FRIDAY, 6/19

WALL STREET

BUNGANUT PIG

THURSDAY, 6/11

CARMEN’S TAQUERIA

BUNGANUT PIG

MAYDAY BREWERY

NACHO’S

CARMEN’S TAQUERIA

Tony Castellanos 11th Hour

Joe West

Stephen Simmons

PUBLIC SQUARE

Kevin Crafton Ivan LaFever

Rockslide

FRIDAY, 6/12

Matt Mahaffey, Joey/Kelly (of Glossary), Stringcaster

ALFONSO’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT

THE BORO

Tony Castellanos

THE GREEN DRAGON

BUNGANUT PIG

WILLIE’S WET SPOT

CARMEN’S TAQUERIA

Uncle Don Clark

Renagade Kanyon

SATURDAY, 6/6 ALFONSO’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT

Tony Castellanos

AUTOGRAPH REHEARSAL STUDIO

Glowstik Ninja, DJ Psytrax, DJ Neuro, Hoodie Figure, Ryan Frame

BUNGANUT PIG

The Time Raiders

CARMEN’S TAQUERIA

Joe West

COCONUT BAY CAFE

Radio Drive Joe West

WALL STREET

Vampire Bleach Bomb

SUNDAY, 6/7 BUNGANUT PIG

Reilly’s Writers Night

THE BORO

Wonderin’ Cowboys

WALL STREET

Marcus Figueroa

MONDAY, 6/8 THE BORO

The Fustics

THE POUR HOUSE

The Al DeLuca Jam with Gabe Laprise

Tony Castellanos Reckless

Joe West

COCONUT BAY CAFE

DJ RDP

HIPPIE HILL

Jacob Green, Husky Burnette, Pocket Vinyl, The Corbitt Brothers, Ghost Gypsy Caravan

TEMPT

MONDAY, 6/22

MAYDAY BREWERY

THE POUR HOUSE

WALL STREET

The Al DeLuca Jam with Gabe Laprise

TUESDAY, 6/23

Shawn Bryne Dirty Cherry

SATURDAY, 6/27

SATURDAY, 6/20

WALL STREET

BUNGANUT PIG

ALFONSO’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT

COCONUT BAY CAFÉ

CARMEN’S TAQUERIA

BUNGANUT PIG

MAYDAY BREWERY

CARMEN’S TAQUERIA

SATURDAY, 6/13 Zone Status Joe West

Matt A. Foster

SUNDAY, 6/14 Reilly’s Writers Night Wonderin’ Cowboys

HIPPIE HILL

WhiskeyHickon Boys, Mustered Courage, Byron Rice’s Tree-o

K Theory

WALL STREET

The Deathless, JNN, Trans

Tony Castellanos My July

Joe West

COCONUT BAY CAFE

Crossroads

HIPPIE HILL

Jacob Green, Pocket Vinyl, Osiella, Sugar Lime Blue, Hooteroll?, Rumpke Mountain Boys, Clinch Mountain Mojo

THE BORO

Twisted Lines

Austin’s Rose

Tony Castellanos

The Mesa Project

Stephen Simmons

Joe West

Madeline Chief

DJ Prez

THURSDAY, 6/25

MAYDAY BREWERY

Tim Turner Band

BUNGANUT PIG

THE BORO

NACHO’S

WALL STREET

Earth By Train

Criss Cheatham

Oh Grandpa

Ivan LaFever

THE BORO

SUNDAY, 6/28

All-Star Jam with Stuart Montez

BUNGANUT PIG

Reilly’s Writers Night

FRIDAY, 6/26 ALFONSO’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT

Tony Castellanos

BUNGANUT PIG

JD Shelburne Band

THE BORO

Wonderin’ Cowboys

MONDAY, 6/29 THE POUR HOUSE

The Al DeLuca Jam with Gabe Laprise

SUNDAY, 6/21

CARMEN’S TAQUERIA

TUESDAY, 6/16

BUNGANUT PIG

COCONUT BAY CAFÉ

TUESDAY, 6/30

BUNGANUT PIG

THE BORO

MAIN STREET MUSIC

BUNGANUT PIG

Hoo Doo Men

HIPPIE HILL

Reilly’s Writers Night Wonderin’ Cowboys

Songwriter Night

Jonny Gowow

FRI. 6/5 @ MURFREESBORO PUBLIC SQUARE

BUNGANUT PIG

Laurel Wright

HIPPIE HILL

Stelle Amor Band, Nick Kane, All or Nothin’

MAYDAY BREWERY

Meth Dad, Mouth Reader, The Hearsays Madeline Chief

Burning Las Vegas

ROCKSLIDE

WED, 6/17

WALL STREET

Joe West

Pimpalicous

PULSKE PIC

Bunganut Pig 1602 W. Northfield Blvd. 893-7860 Carmen’s Taqueria 206 W. Northfield Blvd. 848-9003 Coconut Bay Café 210 Stones River Mall Blvd. 494-0504 First United Methodist Church 265 W. Thompson Ln. 893-1322 Georgia’s Sports Bar and Grill 555 S. Lowry St. Smyrna, 267-0295

View Concert Listings Online:

CARMEN’S TAQUERIA

MONDAY, 6/15

Antiserum, Mayhem, DJ Skinny B, Comatosik, Out Of State

Since his first days in the Murfreesboro music scene in the ’90s as founder of Self and Spongebath Records, Matt Mahaffey has toured as a member of Beck’s band for a stint, produced ending sequence music for the Shrek movies, composed commercial jingles, made national television appearances and has been involved in various musical projects. Joey and Kelly, of Glossary, join this classic night.

BUNGANUT PIG

Battle of the Bands

TEMPT

FRI. 6/5 @ THE BORO

WED. 6/24

Richie Owens and the Farm Bureau

THE BORO

Saint Luke’s Drifters

MATT MAHAFFEY

BUNGANUT PIG

MAYDAY BREWERY

Plow’d, Boom Boom Pow, Riff Rath

MAYDAY BREWERY

PUL SE PICK

ALFONSO’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT

Zone Status

BUNGANUT PIG

MAIN STREET MUSIC

ALFONSO’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT

Bonhoeffer’s 610 Dill Ln., 907-2890

BUNGANUT PIG

COCONUT BAY CAFÉ

Dj TruFx

THE BORO

Autograph Rehearsal Studio 1400 W. College St. 631-2605

THURSDAY, 6/18

ALFONSO’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT

Madeline Chief

Alfonso’s Mexican Restaurant 179 Mall Circle Dr. 439-6155

Bring your lawn chairs and enjoy the band Rockslide at Main Street’s Friday Night Live Concert, its first of the summer season, from 6:30–9:30 p.m. Friday, June 5, at the Murfreesboro Public Square. Admission is free. For more information, call (615) 895-1887 or visit downtownmurfreesboro.com.

Hippie Hill 8627 Burks Hollow Rd. 796-3697 JoZoara 536 N. Thompson Ln. 962-7175 Level III 114 S. Maple St. 900-3754 Liquid Smoke #2 Public Square 217-7822 Main St. Music 527 W. Main St. 440-2425 Mayday Brewery 521 Old Salem Hwy. 479-9722 MTSU Saunders Fine Arts Building 629 Normal Way 898-2469 MTSU Wright Music Building 1439 Faulkinberry Dr. 898-2469 Nacho’s 2962 S. Rutherford Blvd. 907-2700 Tempt 211 W. Main St. 615-225-7757 The Boro Bar & Grill 1211 Greenland Dr. 895-4800 The Green Dragon 714-F W. Main St. 801-7171 Wall Street 121 N. Maple St. 867-9090 Willie’s Wet Spot 1208 S. Lowery St., Smyrna 355-0010 BOROPULSE.COM

* JUNE 2015 * 7

SOUNDS

Wartrace MusicFest Includes Southern Rock, Arts and Crafts, and Fireworks on June 6

outhern rock, a fireworks show, classic cars, and more than 30 arts and crafts dealers will all convene Saturday, June 6, at the 11th annual Wartrace MusicFest in Wartrace, Tenn. The six-piece Allman Brothers tribute band Midnight Riders, from Nashville, will close the show along with a fireworks display beginning at 10 p.m. Threatening weather conditions prevented the Riders from performing at last year’s festival. Other mainstage acts include Bad Monkey, a high-energy crowd favorite playing classic ’70s rock, and The Road Crew, performing ’50s-style rockabilly. Music will start at 1 p.m. with Nashville singer-songwriter Chris Morse, the Low Electric Revival, Dave & Darren, songwriter Everett Brown

and country music favorite Mike Allen and Friends on the Adams & Floyd Contractors Tent Stage. Gates will open at 10 a.m. with arts and crafts booths, a classic car display, and barbeque cooked on the premises. Covered table seating will be available in a cabaret setting near the tent stage. A Kids Zone with an inﬂatable slide, art tables, hula hoops, face painting, cornhole contests and pony rides will be open all day. Admission to Wartrace MusicFest is $5. with children 12 and under admitted free. Parking is free. The event is a nonprofit endeavor produced by the Town of Wartrace and the Wartrace Chamber of Commerce to raise money for civic improvements to the town. For more information, visit wartracemusicfest.org.

THE MIDNIGHT RIDERS

8 * JUNE 2015 * BOROPULSE.COM

ALBUM REVIEWS

BY DYLAN SKYE AYCOCK

DON COYOTE

THE LUND McVEY GROUP

Bless Your Heart

The Lund McVey Group

3.5

Like sweet tea, honeysuckle and home-cooked meals, the phrase “bless your heart” is a truly Southern thing, rarely uttered anywhere north of the Mason-Dixon line. These three words can either calm your nerves or rattle your bones depending on its context, and that’s the vibe Nashville’s own Don Coyote accomplished on its LP with the same name. The 11-track album, released this past April by Delta Dime Records, pays homage to traditional country & western by giving the genre a modernized spin with a dash of satirical humor. Don Coyote captures the essence of real country on this album. The opening number, “Interstate Rag,” begins in full swing with a spirited tale of an unfortunate soul who “Bless Your Heart can’t catch a break. is one of the better Maintaining the travel theme, the harcountry albums released this spring, monica-driven “Great follows, and it is a reﬂection Divide” taking the listener that this band is on a somber journey developing into of love and longing one of the best for “better days” and showcasing all the up-and-coming ingredients necescountry acts in to make a great Middle Tennessee.” sary country record. Later in the album you’ll hear “Canary in a Coalmine,” a song tailor-made for someone special and one that is among the album’s highlights. Bless Your Heart is one of the better country albums released this spring, and it is a reflection that this band is developing into one of the best up-andcoming country acts in Middle Tennessee. This album is a good place to start if you favor traditional country music over modern country radio. For more information on Don Coyote, visit facebook.com/doncoyoteband or check out Bless Your Heart available on Spotify and doncoyote .bandcamp.com.

RATINGS: AVERAGE

Chances are, if you’re a local and love jazz music, you’ve probably seen, or at least heard of, The Lund McVey Group. The Christian jazz/fusion outfit’s self-titled full-length studio album is a robust follow-up to their 2011 release Live at the Walnut House, and features 10 original songs composed by Lund, who also performs on electric guitar. Lund, a Middle Tennessee State University graduate and adjunct professor, is also an ordained pastor and is passionate about connecting the music to the word of God, as heard throughout the album. The rest of the group includes MTSU alumnus Jason McVey (alto saxophone), Adam Bond (electric/upright bass), Shonna Lund (vocals) and Jerry Steinhilber (drums). Together, they give a emblematic spin on the scriptures, with a majority of tracks resembling the same style and structure as ’90s progressive fusion band Tribal Tech, whom the group also credits as an influence. The core of the album lies in “Let’s Get Serious” and “My Daddy From Up Above,” both simple yet moderately funky songs brought to life with a combination of saxophone and jangly guitar chords. And if there’s one track on the album that goes beyond the boundaries of musicality, it’s “Good and Evil,” which at first seems similar to the others but eventually shifts into a grooving showcase of impressive vocals by Shonna and dynamic guitar work from Matt. “Look Up,” leaves a lasting impression on the listener with more than eight minutes of unrelenting groove that ties together the album’s jazz-funk threads perfectly. The Lund McVey Group represents a tremendous combination of compositional and instrumental skills, impressively mixed and mastered to capture an effortlessly conveyed charisma. For more on the Lund McVey Group, check the band’s Facebook page.

A CLASSIC BELOW AVERAGE

OUTSTANDING AVOID AT ALL COSTS

DEAD BOROPULSE.COM

* JUNE 2015 * 9

SOUNDS

urfreesboro isn’t particularly known as a mecca for hip-hop; however, that seems to be changing as of late. Local artist Stunt Tha Boss knows this, and with a new track featuring Chris Brown out on the airwaves, there’s no better time than now for the 26-year-old to make his presence known. He’s currently on a radio tour in support of the aforementioned track, “I Can’t Stay,” which dropped May 28, in advance of a full-length album titled The Black Elvis coming later this year under his independent record label, Rich & Arrogant Material. Recorded in Nashville by producer Kenneth Barnes (who goes by KillaMusiq), the song piqued Brown’s interest upon the first exchange with Stunt Tha Boss. “When (Brown) originally heard the record, he loved it and had an idea for it right away,” Stunt Tha Boss told the Murfreesboro Pulse about the recording process. “So we got everything together, I went back home to doctor the song a little bit and then sent it back his way to add the hook.” Stunt Tha Boss isn’t new to the music scene—he has been releasing projects through platforms such as SoundCloud and mixtape hosting site DatPiff for years. He believes in producing large volumes of quality work in a short amount of time, but said that funding his work became the driving force behind his recent success. “I’ve been influenced by music since I was 6,” he said. “I have my own studio where I learned how to mix and record myself, but realistically I didn’t start taking music seriously until I started putting money behind it. That’s when it all took off.” This is when recording became his primary focus, he explained, but instead of allowing others to control his music, Stunt Tha Boss has chosen to release all projects under Rich & Arrogant Material, the independent label he founded in 2006. This gives him creative control over every aspect of his career, something not all artists have the pleasure of saying. “There’s nothing like having your own . . . it feels better knowing it’s under my control,” he said about his label. “It’s more comfortable to invest in something that’s my own, and without anyone saying what can and can’t be done and where I can or can’t spend money.” Stunt, who knows how vital it is for an up-and-coming artist to stand out, says he does this best by releasing music his listeners can relate to. This, along with his onstage persona (and unique hairstyle), is what sets him apart from his musical peers. “As an artist, you have to separate yourself 10 * JUNE 2015 * BOROPULSE.COM

from the rest,” he said. If everyone is going a certain way in the music industry, he wants to be going a different way. Stunt Tha Boss has accomplished this by crafting a unique brand of music he calls “Monte Carlo Music,” which has a cool, calm and collected vibe. He says the music he makes isn’t what you’d typically hear on the radio because the lyrics hold “substance, not

just filling” and are “not something you’d expect out of a small town.” For now, Stunt Tha Boss is working on his upcoming album, as well as a project to give away to new fans and as a token of appreciation to his faithful followers. He plans to hit the road later this year, and while he isn’t sure of the details, he does promise a hometown show in the future, a

MONTE CARLO MUSIC STORY BY DYLAN SKYE AYCOCK

show he says will be worth the wait. “I plan to venture out first,” he said, hinting at possible international tour dates. “I’ll bring it all back home for the big hoorah . . . I’ve been here my whole life, so it’s time to go out and see other places.” He may be ready to venture out, but he’s also willing to assist young artists who share the same dream. For others hoping to break out into the hip-hop scene, or with anything, Stunt Tha Boss offers his words of advice and encouragement: “I just want people to know that it doesn’t matter where you come from or what your struggles have been . . . put your all into it and believe in yourself,” he said. “Never take no for an answer, and I’ll think you’ll be successful in some shape, form or fashion. Work without having faith in it is dead. You’ve got to have both to be successful.”



“I Can’t Stay” is now available on iTunes. To stay up to date on the latest news from Stunt Tha Boss, visit stuntthabossmusic.com.

Murfreesboro Hip-hop artist Stunt Tha Boss releases a new collaboration with Chris Brown.

BOROPULSE.COM

* JUNE 2015 * 11

SOUNDS [Bonnaroo] before and it did so much for us. We were at the bottom of the lineup before that. We have a reputation to fulfill going back down there that we hope people are going to continue talking about. It’s like “Nashville’s festival,” and that’s a big part of it. We all grew up within 3 or so hours of Bonnaroo, and some of the guys actually went to the first one, and I used to go back in like 2005. It’s the best for sentimental reasons.

TAXI TO BONNAROO

t’s hard not to know who Moon Taxi is, at least not if you live in the Middle Tennessee area or have a love for indie/progressive rock music. I recall seeing the Nashville natives close out Live on the Green’s 2013 season as everyone welcomed autumn and relished in the presence of free, live music; I also caught the Taxi at the Hangout Music and Arts Festival in 2013 as the sun set and the crowd danced and swayed peacefully to the hit track “Running Wild” and a Raconteurs cover, “Level.” Memories of those great shows make the recent news of the band’s upcoming Bonnaroo appearance a cause to celebrate. Formed in 2006 by members Trevor Terndrup (vocals, guitar), Tommy Putnam (bass), Spencer Thomson (guitar, programming), Tyler Ritter (drums), and Wes Bailey (keys) while students at Belmont University, the notorious band has played many shows around the country, including Nashville’s very own Exit/In, Colorado’s breathtaking outdoor venue, Red Rocks, and noted festivals Bonnaroo, Forecastle and Lollapalooza. This year, Moon Taxi returns to several popular festivals: the Wakarusa Music and Arts 12 * JUNE 2015 * BOROPULSE.COM

Festival in Arkansas, Lollapalooza in Chicago, Austin City Limits in Texas, Governors Ball in NYC and Tennessee’s Bonnaroo (on Friday, June 12 at 5:30 p.m. on the Which Stage). The band’s best-known albums are 2012’s Caberet, produced by the band’s Thomson and Bailey with mixing and mastering, respectively, by notable knobsmen Vance Powell (Jack White, The Dead Weather) and Greg Calbi (Talking Heads, Paul Simon, Fleet Foxes), along with 2013’s successful Mountains Cities Beaches, the quintet’s first vinyl release. I spoke with keyboardist Wes Bailey in late May about Moon Taxi’s upcoming festival season, Bonnaroo and their love of hometown Nashville. You guys are still touring a lot this year, does that mean a new album? Yes, we actually just finished it as of last week. It’s mastered and ready to go. We are starting the process of releasing songs. We are not sure about release date, but it should be this

Was there ever a moment at a show or festival when you were really blown away by the amount of fans you all have accumulated? We started to feel some of the impact as we traveled from southern Florida to Seattle, and somebody would say at every show, “Hey, I saw you at Bonnaroo,” and it was an indication to us that we needed to keep going, and we haven’t looked back since . . . we are hoping our festival plays will really reach our fans.

Nashville-bred MOON TAXI returns for Bonnaroo 2015. STORY BY ANDREA STOCKARD summer. We’re really excited about it. We have already gotten people singing along with [the] first listen, and we are hoping to play some this summer. Are there any new sounds or new inspiration that are going into upcoming/future music? It’s pretty in line with what we’ve been doing. We don’t try to make albums too different. [We try to] keep sound intact, and we are influenced by a bunch of things. This [album] is inspired by older music as opposed to newer music and references more classic rock and that stuff in the studio. There’s a little more live feel and it’s recorded in a room. We’ve layered in the past, so this has a more classic approach. It’s mostly live; the vocals, guitars and drums are all live which I think will be good for fans. [We’ve been influenced by] The heavyweights—Tom Petty, Steely Dan . . . and we’re all Radiohead fans, so there are a few moments where we’re tapping into that vibe. There’s something for everyone and for every kind of mood. Our music is kind of all over the place; every track offers something different. You guys are playing a lot of festivals this year. What are you most excited about? We are definitely excited most about Bonnaroo. [We have] an amazing slot there that we couldn’t be more excited about. We’ve played

What would be your dream festival or venue to play at? Madison Square Garden. I know it’s cliché, but that would be sweet and we would love to do that one day. What’s your favorite thing to do in Nashville? We all live in Nashville. There are so many amazing restaurants. I’m kind of a foodie myself, so I try to go to the new spots and check that out. We all like to go out and eat and experience shows. If there’s a band that we like that we want to open for us, we kind of go out and see how we feel about them and ask if they want to open for us. If you were me, what would you want me to ask you? I would just focus on the new records. I would want people to be interested in any way they want. We obviously want our fans to be interested in our new album. We are just trying to get the word out that it’s done. We think it’s our best yet, and we are counting down the days. Are you all coming back to play in Nashville this year? We have one thing we can’t announce that’s coming up, and we will do New Year’s again somewhere. We’ve done that 5 or 6 years now and we love just being home and celebrating. Having our friends and family come is always a special show. For more on Moon Taxi, find them on Jambase, Twitter, Instagram, Spotify and Facebook or visit ridethemoontaxi.com. The new live EP, Acoustic on West 56th, is out now on iTunes.

READYING THE ROO

Clockwise, from left: The What Stage is still standing, but it is piled with picnic tables; a sea of portable toilets; workers prepare to cover a tent with its roof; Queen Andrea shows off this year’s colorful mushroom fountain design.

Still lots of work to be done to the Manchester property three weeks prior to festival’s opening. STORY BY BRACKEN MAYO | PHOTOS BY SCOTT WALKER

n a day in late May, exactly three weeks before Bonnaroo 2015 opens on June 11, the festival’s host property in Manchester remains relatively quiet and empty, with lots of work still to be done to prepare for the upcoming party anticipating the arrival of 80,000-plus guests. A sea of hundreds of portable toilets, clean and pristine, were clustered together, waiting to be placed around the lot; a long row of tall generator lights was also grouped together, soon to be scattered around the property to shed a little light on the campgrounds at night. Surprisingly for one longtime Bonnaroogoer, hardly any of the main Bonnaroo landmarks were anywhere to be seen. The mighty main stage towered above the large concert lot in all of its glory (though the stage was piled with picnic tables) and the famous Bonnaroo arch was standing tall reflecting the sunlight, but there was no fencing, no Ferris wheel, and no Which Stage, This Tent, That Tent or The Other Tent in place. They are all temporary structures. However, the pole signs for the concert tents were standing firm, despite the absence of the tents the signs proclaimed. A crew was setting up the misting tent in the What Stage area, which provides a little shade and relief during the hot Bonnaroo days. A crew member said they would be staying in a Manchester hotel for the weeks leading up to Bonnaroo, building the structures during the day. On this day the workers pulled a covering over the tent, sheathing its bare skeleton, a visually striking image against the clouds above. Of course, the mushroom fountain was there, but it was totally whitewashed, ready for a new look for 2015.

A couple of members of the Murfreesboro media caught Queen Andrea (Andrea von Bujdoss) a graffiti, typography and paint artist out of New York City, as she and an assistant began work on the fountain’s updated look. Queen Andrea won a contest for the right to design and paint the Bonnaroo mushroom, which refreshes sun-baked music fans annually at Bonnaroo with its gushing water. She shared her colorful geometric plans for the fountain’s 2015 design, explaining that it would include some flourescent paint for a little nighttime pop under the black lights contained within the fountain. The finished product, she said, is expected to be “super funky and fun!” (Visit superfreshdesign.com for more of Andrea’s impressive, colorful work.) The day was uncharacteristically cool and most workers wore jackets while setting up for a weekend that traditionally sees temperatures close to 100 degrees. Russ Barrett, a contractor out of Manchester, was checking out the top of the archway, the gateway to What Stage, repairing some of the broken pieces up top. “This is the third year we’ve done stuff out here,” Barrett said, pointing to his crew in the distance, which was building a new structure in the VIP area: a gaming tent. “They’ll have ping pong and other games in there,” he said. Barrett said he enjoys working with the Bonnaroo festival, and his company has also gotten hooked up with the TomorowWorld Festival; Barrett Construction has built a 15,000-square-foot butterfly at that festival’s

Georgia site, he says proudly. Back at Bonnaroo, his crew has also recently built some decks with coverings on them in the VIP campgrounds to be used by visitors this year. While teams of other workers get the fencing, stages and other structures in place, with three weeks remaining the festival is

nowhere near ready to host Mumford and Sons, Bassnectar, Billy Joel, Béla Fleck and Florence + the Machine, but we can expect come June 11, all will be ready and Bonnaroo will be cranking once again. For more information on the festival, visit bonnaroo.com. BOROPULSE.COM

* JUNE 2015 * 13

SOUNDS Clockwise, from far left: Nick Kane will perform on Hippie Hill on Monday, June 15; Kane (far right) with the Mavericks bunch circa 1996; the album art for In the Blue THE MAVERICKS

HERE COMES THE KANE

STORY BY DYLAN SKYE AYCOCK

Former Mavericks member, guitarist Nick Kane, to play Hippie Hill’s Afteroo.

ick

Kane’s résumé is the kind desired by many musicians. The son of an opera singer, Kane grew up in Europe where he played guitar full-time in several bands with styles ranging from German punk to glam-rock in London before returning to the U.S. in the ’80s. While in the States, Kane has performed with countless bands spanning many genres including, but certainly not limited to, blues, punkrock and psychobilly before receiving a Grammy in 1995 for his work as lead guitarist with country-pop group The Mavericks. >>>

14 * JUNE 2015 * BOROPULSE.COM

In 1999, Kane released his instrumental solo effort Songs in the Key of E, and has since come to incorporate vocals into both his 2013 EP Into the Blue and his latest single, “At the End of His Line.” However, before releasing his next album later this year, Kane will take the stage at Hippie Hill’s annual Afteroo on Monday, June 15. MURFREESBORO PULSE:

Now I understand that you grew up in Europe, but you were born in Georgia, correct? NICK KANE: Well, that’s a mistake, actually. There are a couple versions of my bio floating around out there, and I’m partially to blame for that confusion. To set the record straight, I was born in New Jersey. I never actually lived there. . . . My folks were passing through, I popped out, and we kept on going. I lived in the States until I was about 8 and then we moved to Germany. My father was an opera singer and a businessman, and I lived there until about 1978—I was about 25 years old—and that’s when I came back to the U.S.

There must be a few guitarists who’ve inﬂuenced your style in some way. The earliest guitar guys for me were Rory Gallagher and his band Taste. Guys like Ritchie Blackmore. Also Peter Green, with the original Fleetwood Mac, ya know, cats like that.

How did growing up both in a musical environment and outside of the United States mold your career as a musician? It was interesting, because my earliest interest was in folk music, country and blues for some reason. My only contact to the American music scene was through a monthly music magazine called Sing Out! Magazine. I read that when I was about 10 or 11 years old. However, I truly grew up on British rock, blues-rock and prog-rock in the late ’60s and early ’70s. I was right in the middle of it, and it was all around me back in those days. It was the great early stuff. Can you talk a little about some of the bands you listened to during that time? In the earlier days, of course, it was always The Beatles, The Stones, The Kinks . . . I loved The Kinks. Hendrix, also. All of them. I can recall owning Cream’s first record, Fresh Cream. I really loved that one. I also liked the very, very early Deep Purple, but then I eventually got into Zeppelin and a lot of prog-rock. I think I loved prog-rock so much because I grew up in a classical household, and it was something I could really relate to. There were a few bands in particular called Gentle Giant, East of Eden and The Beggar’s Opera. Those were the bands playing music festivals at the time. Honestly, I was pretty much into everything.

You’ve been in many different bands that span a wide variety of genres. Would you say that inﬂuences your style today? Even as a musician I’ve been fearlessly known to play with a band just to get an experience out of it. All of the ’70s were spent playing in what we called “variety bands,” what we now call Top 40 bands. I picked up a lot there, and then during the early ’80s was the same deal. I played in some R&B and soul bands, rock and country acts. However, from the mid-’80s on, I focused more on making original music that began as garage-rock and then I switched heavily into the blues, and that stuck with me for a long time. How does your creative process differ as a solo artist compared to when you were in other groups? It’s a funny thing; for the longest time, and, really, up until a couple years ago, I only wrote instrumental music, and a lot of it. I also put out several instrumental records. That was my thing. I would basically think of a three-piece band as a three-piece chamber orchestra, playing blues, rock or rockabilly—didn’t matter. I always had the musical ideas, but I honestly can’t tell you how it happened; they would just come to me. I’m not ashamed to admit that some of my best inspirations came to me while I was having a spectacular hangover [laughs]. You know, the morning after a crazy night sometimes brings the best inspiration, and I don’t know why that is. More often than not, I used to have more musical ideas than lyrical ideas, but during the past couple years I’ve been focusing on actually writing songs with lyrics. I’ve recently gone through a phase where I’ve three songs in my head with all lyrics and no music. That’s a completely new thing to me. There’s no real process . . . things just

come to me. I will try to make something out of anything. If I have even the smallest idea I’ll try to expound on it. I mainly have fun because I’m not writing for anyone but myself. But, of course, I want the people listening to be entertained, so I take that in account, too. It’s been two years since your EP In the Blue, and you recently released a single called “At the End 0f His Line.” On top of that, you plan to release an album at the end of the summer. What all went into the making of this album? It’s been a piecemeal process. I started recording five tunes last summer, but a few things came up that threw me completely off track. I may actually end up re-recording all of them because I’ve been performing these songs a lot since then. It’s the kind of project where I go into the studio, put down the guitar and vocals to a click track, and then I’ll pick up drums, bass and keyboard along the way. I easily have six or eight tunes I need to get down, and I’m hoping by the end of July to have everything completed. Are you recording these songs in Nashville? Yes, I am. It’s funny, because I have so many friends who each have studios. See,

I never personally made it out of the tape era—I still have a 4-track that I cut demos on. I never got into the digital recording, so I’m really at the mercy of my friends who have recording studios in their home. It’s all very comfortable and down-home. Thankfully I’ve made some great friends in Nashville over the years who are also great musicians, and I’m very happy to work with them. Finally, you’re playing Afteroo this year. That’s right. I’m really looking forward to it. I’m so intrigued by it, and I can’t wait to get out there. I’ve been looking at the other artists, and it looks very diverse. That’s what I like. Back in the ’70s I’d go to music festivals and see bands who were polar opposites of each other one after the other. That’s what it was like back then. There was no scheme, no template. If it was good and original, they’d play. Today everything has to fit a certain mold and everyone is worried about selling tickets and products, but it’s not always as good that way. I’m all about the diversity. Nick Kane will take the stage at Hippie Hill’s Afteroo on Monday, June 15, at 8 p.m. For more information on Hippie Hill and the festival, visit hippiehilltnhhk.org or facebook.com/hippiehilltn.

ART

(Clockwise from left) The Cripple Creek Cloggers performed in England in 2014; A group from France will come to the ’Boro for FolkFest; Traditional dance group Dandari from Latvia.

A Chance to See the World Through

DANCE

Murfreesboro’s 33rd International FolkFest

STORY BY SARAH H. CLARK

nything you do three times becomes a tradition—so the International FolkFest, now in its 33rd year, is practically an institution. Sponsored and organized by longstanding local dance troupe the Cripple Creek Cloggers, the International FolkFest first took place in 1982. The idea, however, was born even earlier than that. The Cripple Creek Cloggers, who were founded in 1967, first went abroad to share their Appalachian-style dancing in 1973. After participating in a festival in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1977 and making their first European appearance in 1979,

16 * JUNE 2015 * BOROPULSE.COM

the group decided to organize a festival here in Murfreesboro. “We couldn’t take our citizens with us around the world, so we decided to bring dancers here,” says Steve Cates, the group’s founder and director. Coordinated by the nonprofit International Folkloric Society, the festival ensures that guest dancers’ needs are provided in full when they arrive, including housing, food and transportation. This year’s festival will run from June 7 to 14. The week will be bookended by full performances by all the groups, including the hosting Cripple Creek Cloggers, with Monday night’s show at the Murfreesboro

Center for the Arts (starting at 7 p.m.) and the grand finale at the Bell Buckle Banquet Hall (beginning at 6 p.m.). Tickets for these two performances are $10, and the respective venues can be contacted to purchase tickets. There will also be free public performances throughout the week by individual troupes, including a full show on Saturday, June 13, on the east side of the Historic Courthouse on the Square. But, cautions Cates, this show is weather-dependent, and he encourages those who want to see the full show not to depend on this event alone. In addition to the host troupe, this year’s FolkFest will feature dancers from Mexico, Latvia and the historic French province of Brittany. Mexico will be represented by the Ballet Folklorico de Los Angeles, supported by Mariachi Garibaldi, a 12-person mariachi band. It’s unusual for a Mexican folk dancing troupe to be able to provide its own live music, says Cates, which is a requirement for participation in the festival, along with traditional dances and costumes, so Murfreesboro is very fortunate to be able to host these groups together. The Latvian contingent is a university troupe called Dandari from the capital city of Riga, while the French dancers are called Cercle Celtique de Lanester. “They have

very unusual dances and costumes,” says Cates, adding that the group notified him it could take the ladies of the troupe up to an hour to put on the elaborate headdresses that make up their traditional garb. In addition to their time spent dancing, all of the guest dancers will have the opportunity to explore and sightsee in Middle Tennessee. Each troupe will be provided with a bus, driver and guide, and after performing at various locations throughout town in the mornings, they will have the afternoons free to see the local sights. MTSU has provided dorm rooms where the troupes will stay this year. “They’ve been very hospitable,” says Cates of the university. Many local churches, civic groups, and individuals are also providing breakfast for the dancers each day, while their performances venues are providing lunch for each group. The festival is sponsored by the Middle Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation, the City of Murfreesboro, the Tennessee Arts Commission, the Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts, and many other generous area businesses, groups and individuals. Visit mboro-international-folkfest.org or cripplecreekcloggers.org to learn more.

BOROPULSE.COM

* JUNE 2015 * 17

ART

No Ordinary Flea Market

An Artisan Affiar sells high quality vintage items and more for a cause.

n Artisan Affair is a handmade and vintage shopping festival and fundraiser for local cancer charities, held June 12–13 at Oaklands Historic House Museum. The event features a boutique market with food, book signings, how-to demonstrations and live music, and is presented by NoBull Vintage. An Artisan Affair 2015 will benefit the YMCA ABC (After Breast Cancer) Program and Wig Bank for a second year. Funds are raised through sponsorships and program book ads. Program books are handed out to each ticket-purchasing patron, and 100 percent of the proceeds from ads and sponsorships sold are donated to the partner charities. NoBull Vintage is a local small business founded by people whose family has been devastated by cancer. Through the struggle of their own family, NoBull Vintage discovered a way to incorporate community, local businesses and artisans far and wide in their philanthropic journey. An Artisan Affair started as a simple fundraising sale in 2010. The giving became so abundant by the community and talented local artisans that it took on a life of its own and in 2014 it became a market event named An Artisan Affair, according to event organizers. Vendors come from all over, selling high-end pieces of original art, local produce, honey, jams, and oils, salvaged architectural pieces of yesteryear, antiques, repurposed vintage furniture, handmade soaps and jewelry, all things knitted, crocheted, and sewn, trendy boho fashions, one-of-a-kind handmade lamps and lighting and more from craftsmen, carpenters, welders and seamstresses. Organizers emphasize that An Artisan Affair is not a typical craft fair, flea market or yard sale; the event puts a high emphasis on the display, and quality, of goods available. Oaklands Historic House Museum is located at 900 N. Maney Ave. An Artisan Affair hours are 9 a.m.–7 p.m. on Friday, June 12 and Saturday, June 13. For tickets or more information, visit anartisanaffair.org or facebook.com/anartisan affair. To learn more about NoBull Vintage visit nobullt.com. 18 * JUNE 2015 * BOROPULSE.COM

An Artisan Affair, held June 12–13, at Oaklands Historic House Museum will feature high quality antiques and artisan works. Proceeds benefit YMCA After Breast Cancer Program and Wig Bank.

BOROPULSE.COM

* JUNE 2015 * 19

LIVING

FARMERS’ MARKET EDUCATION SERIES by EDWINA SHANNON

Use Rain Barrels

Score Free Water for Your Garden

OUR SPRING GARDENS are producing vegetables, our summer plants are growing, and now the heat and humidity really arrive—and with it comes a potential for a water shortage. What is a gardener to do? Rainwater collection is an interest of mine. It is legal in this state and does provide a source of water for outdoor use. Using rainwater does save on your water bill while offsetting a water shortage and helping reduce storm-water runoff. Rainwater should not be considered drinkable, though, as it does collect roof debris and bird droppings on its way to your storage container. If you want to get started now, local stores do offer completed barrels. If you make your own, be sure it is a food-grade barrel that you use. You will need a spigot and an overflow valve, as you will most likely have overflow. A half-inch of rain on a 1,000-square-foot roof will yield 650 gallons of water. A 55-gallon rain barrel will not be large enough to collect it all. You have the option to connect rain barrels together or use a larger container. 20 * JUNE 2015 * BOROPULSE.COM

Position the rain barrel under a downspout, preferably on the north or east side of the building to minimize the solar heating of the water. You want to try to raise the bucket, as the height will assist with water flow. Put a screen on top of the barrel to keep mosquitoes out. I also learned to put a screen in the gutter at the top of the downspout to minimize leaves and twigs from entering the barrel or clogging the downspout. It is recommended to store the rain barrel at the end of the season as freezing temperatures could crack it. You do need to clean out the rain barrel with an organic soap at the end of the season to kill the mold and bacteria growth potential. Some studies recommend that rainwater not to be used directly on the edible part of the plant, but instead used to water the roots. I would be cautious and avoid watering the leaves of vegetables like lettuce and collard greens with rain-barrel water. Just water the roots. I have raised my barrels by building a

cement block base several blocks high. A hose can be attached to the spigot of a rain barrel. The hose can feed directly into the garden or you can use it to fill buckets. The higher the barrel, the greater the distance of water flow. My rainbarrel hose did not have enough pressure for a nozzle, so I just let it run into the ground near the roots. I periodically moved its location to water another area of the garden. When you use the rain barrel hose to fill buckets, the bucket often feeds a driptape system. The driptape system is rolled throughout the garden and the water feeds directly to the roots. Rain barrel and irrigation classes were offered at the Rutherford County Farmers Market Education series last season. I learned much from Master Gardener Reggie Reeves and Justin Stefanski from the WC Extension. I recorded their classes and the videos are on my video channel: dailymotion.com/OurLocalPride. At another class, the Murfreesboro Stormwater program demonstrated how to build your own rain barrel. That class will be offered this year on Aug 21. Another thought that I have for free garden water was learned from Reeves; you can harvest air-conditioner water. The pure distilled water from air conditioners is safe to put on your plants. You need to find the drip pipe of your air conditioner. Package systems will have the white discharge pipe directly leaving the unit. Split systems will have the discharge pipe exiting the wall of your home. You can put a 5-gallon bucket under the pipe so that it drips into the bucket. Expect 5–15 gallons of distilled water a day while the AC unit is running. I hope this gives you a few ideas about alternate ways to water your plants.

Upcoming Farmers Market Classes: JUNE 9: Doug Berny, Farm at Four Springs: Backyard Chickens 101 Raise chickens in your backyard for egg production.

JUNE 12: Mitchell Mote,

Extension Agent: Top 10 Tree and Shrub Problems What’s wrong, what to do about it and when to throw in the towel.

JUNE 16: Catie Beth Thomas: Beginning Weaving on a Cardboard Loom Weave a warm and beautiful wall hanging for your home. JUNE 19: Susan Welchance, Rutherford County Beekeeper Association: Beekeeping 101 Learn about honey bees, what they mean to our environment and the many products from the hive.

JUNE 23: Mitchell Mote, Extension Agent: Organic Pest Control for Landscape Use a different sort of ammunition in the war against pests.

JUNE 26: Belinda Letto, Extension Agent: Tai Chi for Better Health, Integrating Mind and Body Acquire the basics of this ancient practice, renowned for its benefits to both body and mind. All ages and abilities.

JUNE 30: Carla Bush, Extension Agent: Seasonal Eating and Menu Planning Hear the reasons why you should use various temperatures, colors and textures to meet your family’s nutritional needs.

JULY 3: Reggie Reeves, CMG: Organic Gardening I Safe, effective options and methods for your home use are addressed.

JULY 7: Edwina Shannon, CMG: Garden Signs Create your own humorous or practical signs to decorate your garden. Contact Janie Becker at jbecker8@utk.edu or (615) 898-7710 for further information or questions on the farmers’ market or the education series.

BOROPULSE.COM

* JUNE 2015 * 21

LIVING

TIMELINE OF TODD DEC. 12, 2014: THE DAY I MET TODD A young man sinking into an icy cold bench lets out a long sigh. He has an athletic build and is 22 years old. He has a light, handsome structure: buzz cut, blonde hair and eyes so blue they are like tinted winter windows, but scars on his temples and a busted lip mar his gentle facial features. This was the day I met Todd Craigue. His clean-shaven face and dapper fashion sense would suggest he is just another man sitting and enjoying the day, but we are sitting outside The Journey Home in Murfreesboro. The Journey Home is a homeless resource center. Todd has been homeless since he turned 18 and was forced to leave his adoptive parent’s house. After going through the foster care system since he was 4 years old, he found a home when he turned 10. His mother raised him with seven other siblings. He grew up with five sisters and a brother named Torre. His sisters’ names are Starr, Summer, Spring, Sunshine and Sky. Todd looks confused about my arrival at The Journey Home. “What are you doing here?” he asks with one eyebrow arched. He speaks with a Southern drawl as smooth as a song. He knows I’m not homeless. I happen to be chatting with a few friends at The Journey Home keeping my eyes out for a different man, but I stop to meet Todd. 22 * JUNE 2015 * BOROPULSE.COM

“Just hanging out,” I respond. He stands up and walks back inside The Journey Home to get his coat. He didn’t think it would be so cold, apparently. It’s 34 degrees outside today. His short-sleeved American Eagle shirt fitting closely to his body needs some company. For the better part of an hour, Todd tags along to talk with the others and me. Eventually, I make my way to a homeless camp that he was not allowed to visit, so Todd and I part ways. Todd likes to hop from place to place to find computers to use. He starts at The Journey Home, makes his way to the Stones River Mall, and ends up at the Linebaugh Public Library. He enjoys watching YouTube and keeps up with his friends on Facebook. I’m walking towards the library with the others from the Journey Home and I see a blond-headed boy standing in the doorway. It’s Todd. “You busy, Todd?” I ask. He said no and looked around as if implying he’s never truly busy, so I took him out to Starbucks on North Rutherford Boulevard. “You look very pretty, by the way,” Todd says kindly as we walk to my car. “Thanks,” I said. “I normally don’t look homeless.” Todd wears a smile, understanding that my past stories called for ragged attire. Earlier today, when we first met, I was dressed like a homeless woman to get into The Journey Home. When I write stories, I like to fit

HOMELESS IN THE ’BORO STORY AND PHOTOS BY DARCY PAYNE

in with the crowd I write about. Now I have had a shower, put on makeup and brushed my teeth, so he was looking at a completely different woman. “You drive this?!” Todd asks jokingly. He jumped into my 2002 VW Bug with a big smile. He used to hate Volkswagens, but he says he likes them now. He hasn’t been in one for years. As we pull up to the Starbucks, Todd unbuckles his seat belt and leaps out of the car with excitement. He is always conscious of other cars around him, though. Todd worries about hitting other cars with the door. We stayed in the coffee shop until the sun went down. For hours Todd spoke of his past, present and future plans. Todd is autistic. He has Asperger’s, a speech impediment, ADD, ADHD, and other mental disabilities that eventually helped cause him to be homeless. At first glance, there is no evidence of homelessness or mental disabilities. He is estranged from his family, who reside in Manchester. Todd threatened his mother after she abused him in the past, so she kicked him out of the house when he turned 18. He has been living on the streets ever since. He migrates from under bridges to benches, and sometimes he falls asleep in the mall. He started his homeless journey in Smyrna and made his way here to Murfreesboro to be with his cousins. Todd attended school at Coffee County High School. He then attended a trade school called The Tennessee Rehabilitation Center. This is where he first fell in love. Lillian was her name.

Lillian since that day. She had surgery and he never saw Lillian again. Todd did propose to his more recent girlfriend of three years, Rebecca. He got her a $70 ring and knelt down on one knee in front of a gathering of people at the Stones River Mall. The mall was their favorite place to walk and talk. She said yes, but two weeks later she left his life. Todd ended up going to jail for stealing a bike, behavior she was unwilling to accept. But since, Todd says he gave his life to Christ and has been living a healthier life. He tries to stay away from drugs and alcohol, but, sometimes, his friends pull him back into his old lifestyle.

DEC. 13, 2014 GETTING TO KNOW TODD The day after I met Todd, he was volunteering for the first time at Last Call 4 Grace. This organization takes food to three local motels: Regal Inn, Imperial Inn and Murfreesboro Motel. He usually just eats and leaves, but this day was different. While walking to Last Call, Todd asks me all sorts of questions. I told him about my mom, who passed away when I was 16, and how she used to play the song “Für Elise” on the piano for me before bedtime.

FLASHBACK: DAYS WITH LILLIAN Although the school didn’t allow public displays of affection, Todd and Lillian held hands all the time. Todd says they were dating, but the school thought otherwise. Lillian has severe memory loss. Sometimes, she would wake up in the morning not knowing who Todd was. He tried to tell Lillian they were dating. According to Todd, the school told her they were just friends. One night, Todd set up a romantic date for Lillian. He put rose petals on the floor around a fireplace with two wine glasses of grape juice. Her glass had a ring in it. Todd says he wasn’t proposing and it was just a gift. Lillian has severe brain cancer. She didn’t tell Todd until after the romantic night. Todd gave her a big hug and the school knew what was going on, so they let the public display of affection pass. Todd hasn’t seen

“This is my favorite place,” he says excitedly as we walk towards Concert Musical Supply. He runs inside and says hello to the workers. He walks around the music shop, running his hands over all the instruments. Todd is a very talented musician. He taught himself to play guitar and piano by ear. Todd sits on a piano bench and scoots closer to the mini-grand piano in front of him. He starts playing a song. “Do you know what song I’m playing?”

he asks me. He is playing “Für Elise,” my mom’s song. With tears welling up in my eyes, I listen to him play until it’s time to volunteer next door. Surprisingly, many homeless people volunteer with Last Call 4 Grace. After volunteering at the three local motels handing out food, some homeless volunteers take food to go. Todd usually does this.

DEC. 24, 2014: CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS Todd doesn’t have a place to stay for Christmas, considering his family situation. “My family used to have this tradition,” says Todd. “We would get a pizza on Christmas Eve.” “That’s cool!” I say. “My family had a tradition of spaghetti on Christmas Eve . . .” Later, we make our way to a take-andbake pizza joint to pick up a pizza Todd and I can make together. I invite Todd over and he is thrilled by the holiday tradition being resumed. After finishing our pizza while watching TV, Todd starts dozing off. “Well,” says Todd, “I guess I’m goin’ to Church Street.” “Why?” I ask. “I am sleeping on the streets, remember?” Todd asks. Oh yeah . . . the Coldest Nights Shelter that houses homeless individuals in cold weather closes at 9 p.m. It is currently 10 p.m. I let Todd stay and sleep on my couch for the night. No one should be alone under a bridge on Christmas.

APRIL 2015: TODD’S CURRENT LIFE Todd recently found a home. A family of four residing in a trailer has taken him in. After meeting Todd at a poverty alleviation breakfast, the Tidwell family unofficially adopted him. He does lawn care for the family as a daily chore and takes care of their three dogs. Todd has become like family to the Tidwells. Mary, a mother of two girls, runs a small library out of the trailer where Todd now resides. There is a small poster board sign outside the trailer with handwritten sign that says, “MT Library.” I later learned that Mary started her own small business to help children learn how to read.

MAY 2015: LANDING A JOB Lately, Todd and I have been job hunting after church. He wants to find a job so he can pursue his goals of making a better life for himself. As an incentive to work hard, I tell Todd we can hang out afterwards anywhere he wants to go. After I help him make a résumé, cover letter and letterhead, Todd applies for a job with a landscaping company. To our surprise, he gets a call 20 minutes after

DEC. 25, 2014: CHRISTMAS DAY ADVENTURES Todd and I decide to venture to Nashville to see the lights at the Opryland Hotel. He hasn’t ever been there before, so we think it will be a good Christmas activity. My best friend Joanna came to visit from Georgia, so we all go together. Just approaching the hotel, the sight is overwhelmingly beautiful. A giant poinsettia tree fixture is centered in front of Opryland and multiple real trees are lit up around it. The lights are the same every year, yet somehow they are still spectacular and like new every time I visit. On the way home, Todd suggests we do my family tradition of spaghetti for dinner. We make meatballs and cook spaghetti noodles.

he applied. He is offered the job, so we go to the park to celebrate. We crash a prom by accident, which ends up being a great picture opportunity. Later, I teach him how to longboard. He is very talented and learns quickly, even with a new hobby like longboarding. Now, he goes on occasional fishing trips with his new boss, and he always has positive updates about his life. BOROPULSE.COM

* JUNE 2015 * 23

FOOD

Sal’s Pizza is Back N.Y.-style pizzeria reopens buffet.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY CHRISTY SIMMONS

hen I first moved to a location just off of Church Street, someone told me I had to try Sal’s Pizza. They told me it was delicious. They also said not to judge the restaurant by its surroundings. They were right on both points; the food was indeed delicious, but it was housed in a building that had previously been a Burger King and was right beside a motel that, if I’m being honest, looks like it rents rooms by the hour, if you catch my drift. The place looked completely sketchy. As we were leaving the restaurant for the first time, I remember looking at my husband and telling him that despite the great food, this place could not possibly remain open in this location. Sadly, I was right and Sal’s closed its doors a few years ago. But now, lovers of Sal’s Pizza can once again get their fix in Murfreesboro, because they have reopened in a shiny new location and are better than ever! They took over the space a couple of

Sal's buffet includes pizza, strombolis, pasta, salads, wings, desserts and more.

doors down from JoZoara Coffee Shop that used to house Snappy Tomato Pizza and Mr. Nick’s Pizza for brief stints. The place is clean and bright and has a gorgeous buffet that is laden with salads, several different pastas, a myriad of pizzas, strombolis and their famous garlic knots. I went there for lunch recently and was greeted by Sal’s smiling face as soon as I came through the door, which was just as inviting as the aromas coming from the kitchen. I sat down with my plate from the buffet and reacquainted myself with the food: the alfredo sauce was just as good as I remembered it, as were the meatballs with marinara. The pizza, for those of you who haven’t tried Sal’s before, is touted to be New York style: big, foldable slices with drippy cheese, a flavorful sauce and a chewy, homemade crust. Sal’s is not just a buffet, though; they have an extensive menu of pizzas, pastas and more. Do yourself a favor and save room for dessert! The homemade cannoli, cheesecakes and limoncello cake are a must try! Also, I talked to Sal and asked him if they were going to offer delivery like the last location did and he said that while they don’t offer it currently, they are planning on offering it in the future, as soon as they settle in and “work all the kinks out.” I was so preoccupied by the food and my feelings of happiness that I could once again enjoy Sal’s in Murfreesboro that I did not get as many photos as I usually do, but all that means is that you will have to go and see it for yourself. 24 * JUNE 2015 * BOROPULSE.COM

THE DISH NAME: Sal’s Pizzeria LOCATION: 1536 N. Thompson Ln., Suite D HOURS: Mon.–Thurs. 10 a.m.–10 p.m.; Fri.–Sat. 10 a.m.–11 p.m.; Sun. 10 a.m.–9 p.m. PRICE: Lunch buffet: $8.99; 14” Pepperoni Pizza: $13.25; Chicken Parmesan: $13.95 ONLINE: salsmurfreesboro.com

Local Table on the Mountain Celebrates Stillhouse Restaurant Opening

n Saturday, June 6, Local Table magazine will be hosting its first farm-to-table event on the 300-acre farm of Short Mountain Distillery, in celebration of the opening of the Stillhouse Restaurant. Situated in the beautiful rolling hills of Cannon County, the new restaurant boasts sweeping views from the wraparound porch, the best of local ingredients, handcrafted Tennessee spirits and Southern hospitality. “Here at Stillhouse Restaurant we take our food and service seriously,” says Stillhouse owner and operator Todd Hollandsworth. “Every sauce and entrée is made from scratch. We buy as organic and local as we can for the freshest Southern dishes. Our goal is to serve our guests promptly, with respect, and provide a one-of-a-kind dining experience.” Kicking off at 2 p.m., the day will feature live music, farm and distillery tours. A cash bar all-Tennessee cocktail hour precedes the 6:30 p.m. three-course, farm-to-table meal. The special menu will feature the freshest in-season produce from local area farms,

with meats directly from Short Mountain. Stillhouse Restaurant’s Executive Chef, Paulino Solorzano, is a DeKalb County native, formerly a chef at Nashville’s Mad Platter restaurant and a proponent of using the best and freshest of seasonal, local ingredients. “I’m so excited we’re doing our first farm-to-table event with the folks at Short Mountain and the Stillhouse Restaurant,” Lisa Shively, editor of Local Table, said. “Their practices and aesthetics are perfectly aligned with everything Local Table is passionate about—building community and using local producers.” The neighboring Short Mountain Distillery produces award-winning small-batch moonshine and other fine spirits. Using time-honored techniques and generations of experience, Short Mountain’s spirits are distilled right on the property using fresh spring water and local, sustainably grown ingredients. Seating at the June 6 event is limited. For tickets, find Local Table on the Mountain on eventbrite.com.

BOROPULSE.COM

* JUNE 2015 * 25

LIVING ROOM CINEMA

REVIEWS

column by NORBERT THIEMANN

facebook.com/livingroomcinema

films we won’t see for three years. The only Avenger who gets a decent storyline is Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), but even that feels more like addressing an actor’s grievances rather than anything pertinent to the plot. The most compelling characters are the new ones: Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany). They have very different functions in the plot, but each felt like a breath of fresh air compared to the established cast. Age of Ultron also stumbles on its titular character. Marvel has yet to create a convincing villain, and Ultron is no exception. Spader does an admirable job, but Ultron fails to be anything

more than Tony Stark with a chrome paint job. But Age of Ultron’s failure isn’t just in its dearth of engaging characters. It simply doesn’t work as a singular film. So many elements seemed to be included solely to set up future films. They cast Andy Serkis as a major comic-book villain and have a fight sequence in Wakanda not because it’s necessary, but because they’re setting up the Black Panther film. Thor doesn’t go on a vision quest as the logical conclusion to his part of the film’s story line, but because Marvel wants to tease Thor: Ragnarok, due sometime early in the administration of the as-yet-unelected next U.S. president. Even the thrilling ending was only as thrilling at it was because of what it promises for future Avengers films. This makes Age of Ultron feel inconsequential, and it makes me worried that future Marvel films will be teasers of teasers instead of the distinct, winning films they once were. — CECILIA SINKALA

berant joyride, but surely there’s nothing more to it, right? Think again—this linear, extended chase scene of a movie isn’t satisfied with solely being a study in superb stunt driving. Every car in this movie is a functioning piece of tangible, macabre machinery. The hulking tankers with spiked tires and skull adornments, the double-decker monster trucks and hybrid hearse-tanks with harpoon guns and flame-throwers are all

zero percent CGI. The costumes and sets of this movie are covered in a thick layer of apocalyptic dust and imbued with a genius level of heavy metal insanity. It’s hard then to imagine that Mad Max: Fury Road has any room left for narrative heft, let alone gender politics. The stoic Max rides sidecar to the rogue Imperator Furiosa’s (Charlize Theron) real struggle to find salvation, home and redemption. If there’s one complaint to be made, it’s a few awkward lines in a movie with already minimal dialogue, but everything else about this film coalesces into such a perfectly orchestrated chaotic storm that it doesn’t sink in until well after the credits have ended that one viewing simply isn’t enough for what is undoubtedly George Miller’s immaculate masterpiece. — JAY SPIGHT

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON 2.5

DIRECTED BY Joss Whedon STARRING Robert Downey

Jr., Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, James Spader, Samuel L. Jackson

MOVIE

RATED PG-13

Age of Ultron is an enjoyable movie but only on surface level. There are some funny jokes and cool action moments but, as a whole, it doesn’t come together. Usually, the characters are the best part of the Marvel films, but not in this case. Tony Stark and Bruce Banner are both going through the same character arcs they went through in the first Avengers film outing. Captain America (Chris Evans) is reduced to a running gag that got old in the first 10 minutes, Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) is stuck in an unconvincing romance, and Thor (Chris Hemsworth) basically exists to remind the audience of tantalizing Marvel

The biggest success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been that it doesn’t feel unwieldy. Despite being 11 films deep, Marvel has managed to create a series of films that are connected yet still retain their own individuality. But after seeing Avengers: Age of Ultron, I wonder how much longer that individuality can last. There are countless plot threads in Age of Ultron, but the main plot involves Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) accidentally creating an evil robot called Ultron (James Spader), who predictably sets out to destroy the world. The Avengers, equally predictably, are the only ones who can stop him.

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD 5

DIRECTED BY George Miller STARRING Charlize Theron,

Tom Hardy, Nicholas Hoult RATED R

George Miller’s return to the Mad Max series is triumphant, exhilarating, breathtaking and terrifying. It’s all these and more: Mad Max: Fury Road has the best (and most believable) action sequences, the best visual design and the best story and character development of any action movie this year, maybe this decade. The film opens on the titular character (Tom Hardy) alone in a deserted wasteland. Seconds later, he’s being chased and captured by motorcycle bandits and hot-rod hellions. He is taken to the Citadel and used as a human blood-bag for the ailing Nux (Nicholas RATINGS:

Hoult). Nux is a warboy for the menacing overlord of the Citadel: Immortan Joe, a Frank Boothmeets-Darth Vader nightmare creature and one of the most visually striking villains in recent cinema memory. When one of Immortan Joe’s most trusted drivers goes rogue on a supply run to Gas Town and the Bullet Farm, Nux takes his blood-bag with him. That’s the setup for what is an extremely intense, viscerally exuA CLASSIC

26 * JUNE 2015 * BOROPULSE.COM

OUTSTANDING

AVERAGE

BELOW AVERAGE

Sanctuary

or peace of mind, shelters should promote safety and health. Homes protect us from outside forces that might do us harm. These films explore some threatening breaches and the subsequent reactions to them.

Home (2008) is directed by Ursula Meier. A happy family enjoy their seclusion by way of a deserted highway, which lies just outside their home . . . until they don’t. The French director does great work to illustrate the invasion of their sanctuary. Home is a hidden gem that should not be overlooked.

Safe (1995) is directed by Todd Haynes. A woman must find the root of her ailments, and searches for remedies. Methodically immersed in her character, Julianne Moore shows admirable devotion relatively early in her career. Safe is a deceptively understated film that simply won’t leave you after the viewing.

Take Shelter (2011) is directed by Jeff Nichols. Premonitions of impending danger drive a man to construct a storm shelter. His behavior ultimately comes into question by those around him. How much stock should be placed in intuition? AVOID AT ALL COSTS

DEAD

616 by Denise Barrett Caffey and Kim Davenport Denise Barrett Caffey and Kim Davenport open their book, 616, with its setting: the peaceful small town of Woodbury, Tenn.—which happens to be their hometown as well. Though the town receives initial accolades from the authors as “the prettiest and best place on the face of the planet,” 616 soon takes a much darker turn. Beneath the sleepy, idyllic surface of Woodbury, we soon find that all is not well: an old man struck by lightning 40 years earlier is hearing voices and seeing visions of the townsfolk being attacked by supernatural horrors. The mayor, friendly and popular on the surface, is revealed to have a dark and troubled past of abuse and violence—both given and received. In fact, a great many people in Woodbury are not what they at first appear. The exceptions, perhaps, are the book’s three heroines. The trio come from backgrounds as different as three Woodbury girls can have: Blue is the daughter of poor laborers and now a preacher’s wife, Moss is the descendant of generations of moonshiners who has taken up the family trade and Erin is the bank vice president who came from a wealthy family. But despite

these differences, the three have been best friends for years and call each other sisters—with all the traditions and in-jokes that three such friends can have. The plot of 616 moves quickly: Blue, Moss and Erin are introduced and then drawn into the increasingly eerie goingson in their town. First, Moss starts having realistic dreams and hearing voices at her hidden mountain still. Next, Erin’s dog is brutally killed and the police officer who disappears with her report—and the evidence—isn’t a police officer at all. Soon, the angels and demons who inhabit Woodbury just beyond the sight of most of its inhabitants become too real and too present to be denied, and the girls must join the fight to save their town—and the world—from destruction. A popular aphorism says to “write what you know,” and Caffey and Davenport have certainly followed this rule. Many of the colorful places and events in their book are inspired by their own lives and, of course, their town. They weave these earthly happenings in with dramatic supernatural events without losing the sense of a real place in Tennessee, with people not that different from our own neighbors. The tone is breathless at times, and the narration occasionally a bit too much “tell” and not enough “show.” Between the descriptions of domestic abuse that introduce the character of Mayor Joe and the final denouement between the forces of good and evil, this book lands firmly in the R-rated category. But if you’re looking for a thriller with a strong local flair, this is definitely the book to read late into the night—and keep an eye out for the sequel, scheduled to be released this fall. For more information, or to contact the authors, find 616 on Facebook. If you know someone in the area who has published a book recently, let us know! The Pulse wants to continue celebrating local authors and their books. — SARAH H. CLARK

PHOTO BY BOBBI KING/DRAGONFLY PHOTOGRAPHY

BOOK

BOROPULSE.COM

* JUNE 2015 * 27

G AME Dragon Age: Inquisition 4 4½

Dragon Age: Inquisition is an illustration of the best things Bioware can offer to the video game industry. Bioware is the company known for large stories with personal choices that affect the future of the world and characters in it. Dragon Age: Inquisition has multiple layers in all categories: characters, combat and story alike. As you progress through the game, you will begin to meet new characters that can join your group. Some characters are met by playing through the main story, but a great handful of characters are off the beaten path. When you start a game, not only does the choice of your species matter in context to the game, but also your class, and that is all before you even interact with any non-player characters (NPCs). For example, I chose a Qunari (Minotaur-type species) and the class of mage. For choosing the Qunari, I gained different bonuses than selecting humans or elves. Qunari are treated as sub-citizens in the world and I was frequently looked at differently because of my choice in species; because I chose mage, people in the world who did not trust mages would outright not trust me, either. You begin your journey with a default group until you reach a party size of more than four, and then you can begin to customize who is in your party on quests. The party system in Dragon Age: Inquisition can be as simple, or as complicated as you would like. Each time you take characters out on a quest they will speak their minds on any situations that are currently happening in the storyline or just action occurring on screen. Characters in your group also communicate amongst themselves and this can cause infighting. For example, character A does not like character B because that character’s race of people persecuted theirs. The more these opposing characters go out on missions, the more their attitude towards each other changes, and the more you interact with your party members the more they change. The combat in Dragon Age: Inquisition has two modes: a real-time combat sys28 * JUNE 2015 * BOROPULSE.COM

tem and a tactical system. Thankfully, Inquisition does not force you to use either, and I happily ignored the tactical combat system for a large portion of the game. The combat depth is both extreme and rewarding once you understand the best approach to take in different situations. The main storyline is the focal point of the game, and the side missions only play into the impact of the main storyline. Many games tend to break a game down into several different experiences with side missions and minigames that don’t contribute to the main storyline. Dragon Age: Inquisition has side missions like any other RPG, but instead of just moving a horse from A to B for experience points, you also gain someone to train your inquisition and more horses for upcoming war. Every quest, every person and every minor interaction folds into the overarching story, and no two stories/characters are the same. You will build your inquisition, you will acquire the items needed to stop the world from being ripped apart and you will stop the end from occurring. You will move the main story along via the War Room in Skyhold. Dragon Age: Inquisition does a marvelous job making the player feel every mission’s impact. The multiplayer is the only slight, feeling tacked on and not fleshed out in the least. The inclusion of multiplayer seemed like more of an attempt to find a way to include micro-transactions (players can buy gold) than to build upon the wonderful game. Gold can also be earned through playing the dungeons, which change each time they are entered, but in very small quantities. The amount of gold received feels as if it was intended to ease players into buying gold instead, and it feels out of place with the well-intentioned feel of the single player. Otherwise, Dragon Age: Inquisition is truly an excellent game that knows what it wants to do and how to make every task and quest work towards achieving this goal. I recommend it, and even if you have already played it, maybe it is time to try a different race and class to see what differences will unfold for your character. — SPENCER DOUGLAS

THEATER

Cast of The Hatfield-McCoy Wedding Reception, to take place at Big Bang on June 7.

MEL O’DRAMA RETURNS TO THE BIG BANG

IN JUNE

ONSTAGE

MEL O’DRAMA THEATER, which produces dinner theater events at various Middle Tennessee venues, made its Murfreesboro debut in April with Will to Deceive. The production was a success, entertaining patrons at the Big Bang on the Square, and Mel O’Drama will soon return; coming in June to the same location will be The Hatﬁeld-McCoy Wedding Reception. Come join the wedding party; Tammy Mae Wynonna Lynn Patsy Reba Faye Loretta Dolly McCoy (Tammy Mae, for short) is a spunky, fiery, buxom blonde who is a bit too boy crazy for her own good. She is having the wedding of her dreams, but under forced pretense. Being that she is currently 6 months pregnant, her father is instilling his right, and his sawed-off barrel, for a shotgun wedding . . . but what’s a shotgun wedding without a touch of Maury anyway? Right, y’all? Groom No. 1: Troy Hatfield, the ill-fated boyfriend, soon-to-be-husband of Tammy Mae. She is the apple of Troy’s eye, even though the feud between his family and hers have made it quite difficult for them to be together . . . they have ways, but is Troy really the father? Groom No. 2: Budd Hicks, A suave city slicker with a goatee and a cowboy hat (the only items differentiating him from Troy). He met Tammy one night at a bar and the rest is history. Groom No. 3: Leroy Manichevitz, the only known western Hasidic

Jew cowboy. He came out here to be the town’s new (and only) rabbi and, instead, had a tryst with Tammy. The show also features the mother of the bride, Peggy Sue Rae McCoy, a woman who truly believes the bigger the hair, the closer to God. Despite her boozy haze and her wisecracking remarks, she is truly a loving mother and wife, regardless of the bad rap she gets. Father of the bride, Vince McCoy—a takeno-prisoners, my-daughter-is-Daddy’s-little-angel type of man—will weep for his daughter and shoot that can of beer out of your hand all at the same time. He is here to make sure the man who “helped” his daughter to the wedding chapel sooner rather than later makes it all the way through. Trouble is, which man is it? The maid of honor, Amy Lou McCoy, is cousin and best friend of the bride. She does mean well, although her big mouth usually gets her, and those around her, in trouble. She is very beautiful, the winner of several beauty pageants . . . and that’s about it. There isn’t too much under that finely coiffed and Aqua-Netted hair. DJ Archie Scribbles, a.k.a. Archie McCoy, is the nephew of Peggy and Vince. He’s family, but he tries to distance himself from the McCoy name, hence the alternative persona. He tries to be “hood” because that’s what all the good DJs do, but his family is all about country, which isn’t good for his street cred. He does his best with livening up the party, though—not that the party needs to get any livelier than it’s already become! The Hatﬁeld-McCoy Wedding Reception will be staged at the Big Bang, 114 N. Church St., at 4:30 p.m. Sunday, June 7. For tickets or more information on Mel O’Drama, visit melodramatheater.org.

SOUTHERN FRIED MURDER Center for the Arts 110 W. College St. Dinner begins at 6:30 p.m. nightly on Fridays and Saturdays, June 12, 13, 19, 20, 26 and 27, followed by the show boroarts.org

PEACH BLOSSOM Murfreesboro Little Theatre 702 Ewing Blvd. June 5–7 and 12–14. Friday and Saturday productions start at 7 p.m. with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. mltarts.com BOROPULSE.COM

* JUNE 2015 * 29

OPINIONS

INVESTIGATION INTO SHERIFF’S DEALINGS THICKENS

FBI raids Arnold’s home and office.

FIVE YEARS AGO, Republican Party State Executive Committeeman Tim Rudd went to work for Robert Arnold to make sure his name stayed on the election ballot after questions were raised about his high school special education diploma. Amid an FBI-TBI probe of possible public corruption into Arnold’s administration, along with state Comptroller and local investigations, Rudd is sticking with him. “He’s been a very RUDD good sheriff, and I don’t see that he’s done anything wrong,” Rudd says. “I haven’t seen anything that says he broke the law. All I see is a lot of allegations and political propaganda.” Rudd says no evidence presented to him shows Arnold is guilty of any wrongdoing, nor has Arnold been accused of profiting at taxpayers’ expense. He calls Arnold’s situation an attack by his political enemies and a “feeding frenzy” by the press. In 2010, Rudd, the Republican Party, former chairman Rick Womick, now a state representative, and Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey’s office stepped in for Arnold to ensure he was eliWOMICK gible to run for office, according to sheriffrobertarnold.com. Questions were raised about whether Arnold’s 1995 special education diploma from Oakland High School qualified him to be a law enforcement officer or sheriff candidate. A high school diploma or equivalent is required for both. “What the state of Tennessee did and what the POST Commission attempted to carry out was not only a violation of Robert Arnold’s civil rights, it was an attack on every person with a disability . . . this stinks as bad as anything I have ever seen in my 25 years in politics,” Rudd stated. The site states the Tennessee Department of Education and POST Commission changed course and found Arnold’s high school diploma 30 * JUNE 2015 * BOROPULSE.COM

was valid and made him eligible to serve as a law enforcement officer and run for sheriff. The POST Commission notified the Rutherford County Election Commission he should be reinstated to the ballot on April 24, 2010. “I find it very interesting that Truman Jones is the chief law enforcement officer on the POST Commission Board and that he decided to put Mr. Arnold on administrative leave the day before the POST Commission made this politically motivated attempt to remove Mr. Arnold from the ballot. This is a despicable and pathetic attempt to destroy a man’s integrity and deny him his constitutional right to run for office,” Womick states on the website. Reached for comment, former sheriff Jones said the issue came up when he received a call from a relative of Arnold who said he didn’t have a high school diploma. Jones said he contacted Rutherford County Schools officials and the POST Commission about the matter. “I was trying to find out if it was going to affect our certification” at the sheriff ’s office, Jones said. At first, the state Department of Education ruled it wasn’t a diploma and the POST Commission called the Rutherford County Election Commission and notified officials there that Arnold wasn’t eligible to run for sheriff, according to Jones. “Somebody in the Republican Party called the Department of Education and they changed their position on it,” Jones said. He confirmed he was serving on the POST Commission Board at the time but said he never brought up Arnold’s diploma with the board. Records on file with the POST Commission show Education Commissioner Timothy Webb sent a letter to Lt. Gov. Ramsey’s office notifying him the diploma issued to Arnold in 1995 was a valid high school specialized education diploma. Will Canterbury, an executive assistant in Ramsey’s office, contacted Webb to check on the matter in March 2010 and confirmed the diploma was valid. Brian Grisham, executive secretary of the POST Commission, sent former Election Administrator Hooper Penuel a letter stating no changes would be made on Arnold and his name “is still certified to the ballot” as a sheriff candidate. Ultimately, Arnold’s name went on the ballot, and he defeated Jones, a Democrat, when a

The

STOCKARD REPORT BY SAM STOCKARD sstockard44@gmail.com

Republican red tide swept across Tennessee. On his website, Arnold says he has dyslexia, thus the special education diploma, and he discusses at great length how he and other people such as Albert Einstein and Gen. George Patton overcame the learning disability. If Jones was trying to use the special education diploma as a tool to try to remove Arnold from the ballot, the effort might have backfired. Then again, Arnold probably picked up a large number of anti-Obama votes to help him win that year. But no matter how it played out in 2010, five years later Arnold and his buddy, Chief Administrative Deputy Joe Russell, find themselves the subject of an FBI-TBI investigation in which the sheriff ’s office, their homes and the Marietta, Ga., home of John and Judy Vanderveer, Arnold’s uncle and aunt, were searched May 21. Federal agents seized boxes of documents and computers from all locations. No charges have been filed.

WHAT ARE THE ODDS?

It was the first high-profile FBI raid in Murfreesboro since 2007 when federal agents hit the homes of Chad Smotherman and Chris Rowland. Rowland wound up serving a two-year sentence for laundering more than $300,000 in illicit drug money over four years. Ironically, Sheriff Arnold submitted a character letter on behalf of Rowland in federal court. After Rowland was sentenced in 2011, Arnold said that he and Rowland were related and he wrote the letter because “I’ve had people turn their back on me when I was at my lowest, even knowing I was right in what I did at the time. I find it offensive because as Christians we are taught to forgive. He told me he did wrong. He accepted responsibility.” Assistant U.S. Attorney Harold McDonough, who prosecuted Rowland, questioned him about the letter written by Arnold, and questions also were raised about whether

a $1,000 donation to Arnold’s 2010 campaign had prompted it. “I can’t reconcile why the chief law enforcement official would write a letter on behalf of a convicted felon,” McDonough said. Arnold refused to back away from the character letter, saying he didn’t regret it and would do it again. Now he knows how Rowland felt for four years as he went through the federal legal gauntlet.

THE FACTS

Officially joined by the FBI May 21, TBI and the state Comptroller’s Office have been investigating Arnold’s administration for nearly two months following revelations that Arnold, his family and Russell are connected to a Marietta, Ga.,-based company, JailCigs, which was selling e-cigarettes to county jail inmates without a County Commission-approved contract. Arnold, a Republican who won election to a second term last August, lists JailCigs as an investment and source of income on a financial disclosure form filed with the Tennessee Ethics Commission in January. He also lists his wife, Megan, as holding investments in JailCigs on the document, the signing of which was witnessed by Chief Deputy Randy Garrett, second in command at the office. Benefiting from a public position could be a felony offense. JailCigs, which has since been suspended from the county jail, is owned by Arnold’s uncle and aunt, the Vanderveers, and Russell, who was Arnold’s campaign chairman and financial chief at the sheriff ’s office, Georgia state documents show. They also own a company called JailSnacks. Russell was Arnold’s next-door neighbor, but put his Osborne Lane house on the market as an owner/agent the week of the FBI raid. The sheriff, who has declined comment for the most part during the investigation, also signed and amended other contracts without County Commission approval or the knowl-

TBI and FBI confiscated containers of property from the RCSO on May 21.

edge of top county officials, a violation of the county’s purchasing process and a possible misdemeanor. • He inked a contract with Telmate, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company based in San Francisco, for an inmate pilot tablet use and services agreement in December 2014, according to documents. The tablets enable inmates to communicate with family and friends, paying a fee to use them. • Records also show the sheriff made a contract amendment between Keefe Commissary Network and the county jail in December 2012 under which Keefe would be the “sole provider” for inmates to order products through family and friends. Keefe would put 25 percent of adjusted gross sales into a “technology fund” starting Jan. 1, 2013 for the jail to buy computer and other electronic equipment. • Arnold approved a deal with one of the vendor’s subsidiaries to purchase tasers, lasers and holsters, bypassing the county’s purchasing procedures and without the knowledge of top county officials, records show. • John Vanderveer also paid nearly $8,000 for 1,000 prison bags for inmates, according to documents. That order, which was not approved by county commissioners, was to be delivered to the sheriff ’s office June 22.

“FBI agents say they take accusations of corruption by law enforcement officials very seriously, and the agency doesn’t make a habit of swarming down on the sheriff’s office and his house without motivation.” While Rudd might cast these off as an attack by the press and Arnold’s political enemies, everything is based on documents. Most local media played kid gloves with the sheriff until these items were uncovered. Odds are the FBI doesn’t really care what Rudd or any other politicians say or whether anyone from the media sheds Arnold in a poor light. Anyone who fails to take this seriously doesn’t understand the gravity of the situation. FBI agents say they take accusations of corruption by law enforcement officials very seriously, and the agency doesn’t make a habit of swarming down on the sheriff ’s office and his house without motivation. The feds urge people to remember people are considered innocent until proven guilty. But it’s unlikely Russell and Arnold will be able to escape federal charges being filed against them. It’s not going to be pretty. If Arnold does wind up copping a plea, this time he’ll need someone to write him a character letter. If not Rowland, then Rudd could. BOROPULSE.COM

* JUNE 2015 * 31

REP. TERRY'S FIRST-YEAR EXPERIENCE ★ ★

Improving patients’ access to health care, dogs on Capitol Hill part of Rep. Bryan Terry’s first year.

AFTER HIS FIRST session in the Tennessee General Assembly, Dr. Bryan Terry, freshman legislator from the 48th District, took a moment to reflect on his first-term experience serving in the Capitol. In one sentence, describe your experience during the first half of the 109th General Assembly. DR. BRYAN TERRY: It was an incredibly rewarding experience to be able to represent District 48 and know that I have had an impact helping citizens in other ways than I do at the hospital. Is the General Assembly and the legislative process what you envisioned? I ran for office because I am a concerned citizen and I knew there were a lot of other citizens that share the same kind of concerns with what goes on in politics. I often jokingly tell people that being in the General Assembly has confirmed my fears and suspicions that I had prior to running. The reality is, though, that while some of the process gets misreported or distorted, there are a lot of people at the Capitol doing their best for their constituents and for Tennessee. There is, however, some truth to the concerns that I had prior to running, and it drives me to stay above the fray and be an advocate for the district. There were many important bills passed during this year’s legislation session. Name three bills that you feel will have the biggest impact on District 48. (The bill) HB440, which I was fortunate enough to carry, is, perhaps, the most patient friendly bill we passed this year. It improves the insurance entity credentialing process for physicians, which has the effects of improving access while decreasing costs for patients. Other representatives have tried to get that kind of bill passed for 10 years and I was fortunate to get the job done this year. With Rutherford County growing like it is, HB440 is going to mean a lot to our patients. HB1035 was the bill to repeal and replace Common Core. My constituents, including parents and educators, asked me overwhelmingly to do my best to get rid of Common Core. In addition, my educators asked me to provide them with some stability, as well as fight for their pay raise that they had been promised. HB1035, as amended, allowed me to meet those criteria to the best of my ability. I say “as amended” because I was able to successfully fight to amend the bill to have the legislative intent to rescind Common Core, as well as give us legislative confirmation power over the committee appointments. 32 * JUNE 2015 * BOROPULSE.COM

★

The budget will have the most overall impact on the district. It is a balanced budget, but has some positives and negatives. I fought against some of the pork, like the $120 million that went to a state museum, but couldn’t get enough votes to get rid of what I didn’t consider a priority. I preferred that the money go towards veterans, transportation, the rainy-day fund or a decrease in the Hall income tax. Ultimately, though, it has many more positives and provides funding for the teachers’ raises that they had been promised. I told teachers that I would support their raise and I kept my word. Name one of the most surprising occurrences that happened to you this year. Each year, they have Humane Day on the Hill to bring awareness to the humane treatment of animals. Growing up around animals and a farm, I have a soft spot for animals. Several animal rescue facilities brought dogs to the Capitol on Humane Day. Between meetings, I went outside to pet and play with the dogs. I fell I love with a little black and white hound named Trixie from Chattanooga. Our family adopted Trixie and she is now a wonderful addition to our family. What is one piece of advice the “present you” would give to the “past you,” prior to the start of the legislative session? I would tell the “past me” to keep digging, keep asking questions and keep offering amendments. What I learned is that when I started looking into an issue, some people would get defensive and rumors would fly. I even had some people come to me “concerned” that I might be stepping on toes, especially as a freshman. My objective has always been to be an advocate for my district and for Tennessee. Asking questions and finding solutions is the best way to advocate for your district. I think that by the end of session, people realized that I am truly working for the district and doing my best for Tennessee. Instead of me having to dig as much, I had people coming to me for my opinion on how to improve legislation. Name a piece of legislation you plan on pursuing next year. I have several pieces of legislation in mind. Without spilling the beans, I already have some rough drafts of bills dealing with health, education and the Second Amendment. In addition, I am working with some citizens on some issues that they have, as well as working with the treasurer and comptroller on helping counties with their rainy-day funds. This past year, I worked with Central Magnet School and MTSU students to co-sponsor legislation on their behalf. I look forward to working with students again this year. How can people contact you, and how do constituents set up visits to the Capitol? People can call my office at (615) 741-2180 or email me at rep.bryan.terry@capitol.tn.gov. I am always happy to answer any questions or concerns. Jeni Hines, my administrative assistant, will be happy to set up an appointment, even in Rutherford County. You can keep up with any news at facebook.com/dr.bryanterry or bryanterry4tn.com.

BOROPULSE.COM

* JUNE 2015 * 33

To Whom Are You Connected, Financially and Otherwise?

BY DR. JONATHAN Z+

ven the fastest race car, or biggest, baddest monster truck isn’t able to move forward without fuel. On what fuel are you running your life? Is it regular, mediocre, decaffeinated or premium fuel? Just like our vehicles must have fuel to run, the same is true for our minds, bodies and spirits. Perhaps you don’t give this much thought, but the quality and duration of your life will depend on: one, the choices and values you hold dearest; and, two, the actions you take to achieve or surpass your goals. I’ve observed there are three ways to get to know someone. Simply put: how do they spend their (1) money, (2) time and (3) praise. That’s right, praise, which like the first two commodities has both a positive (as measured in joy) and a negative (as measured in criticism and anger) expression. By learning how a person spends and manages their money, time and praise, we learn much about whose, and who, they really are (that is, beneath the surface). This observation applies to getting to know anyone in most cultures and societies. What, then, is the fuel, or force, which motivates you? Is it the need for more money, time or praise? Or is it the need to give others money, time and praise? Knowing what motivates us is a key in learning who we really are, beneath superficial norms, manners or customs. If we do not know our “real self,” it is sometimes because of subconscious forces or blockages that hinder us from being, in a Rogerian sense, authentic, genuine and congruent. Or it may be because of behavioral or attitudinal upbringing that we received in our formative years. This may be why the Old Testament teaches that “to spare the rod (of discipline) is to spoil the child;” or “Bring up a child in the way they are to go (honestly, firmly, trustingly and lovingly) and when they are old they will not depart from it” (the way of honor, hope, faith and love). Either way, it is also why the ancient lore of the Old Testament and other divine texts teaches the wise or the willing the Cardinal Truth for all human learning, motivation and education: “The (reverential) fear (or honor) of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge (and motivation).” Differences aside, keep in mind that long before there were established religions there was truth, or the need for wisdom. Knowing what motivates us, then, is a key to truth, wisdom and knowing both whose and who we are at best (and at worst). As President Harry Truman said so well: “The only things worth learning in life are the things (or lessons) we learn after (we think) we know it all . . . (or after we are teenagers).” (Comments in parentheses are mine). In the same way, none of us can move forward in life to accomplish our God-inspired purpose without moving beyond our fears and 34 * JUNE 2015 * BOROPULSE.COM

doubts, using the divine faith and hope within us. How do we move beyond our greatest fears and doubts? With Jesus by our side and with the right people behind us, accepting, helping and loving us for whose and who we are. How do we assess the level of human motivation at which we are living? Check your motives (why you do what you do, honestly), your values, choices, goals and the actions you’ve taken in recent years with the money, time and praise you’ve spent. Then ask three or four best friends or family members who know you best to see if they agree with your findings. If not, you’re out of alignment with your self-image. Another more objective way is to hire a board-certified medical psychotherapist, logotherapist or Master Life Coach to meet with you in several sessions to assess your MLP (Master Life Priorities) Values, Choices and Goals to determine the variance which exists in your perceived self versus actual MLP scores. Without getting too technical, this process requires the completion of personality and/or lifestyle values assessments to see how well you know yourself and with whom you are most and least compatible. (Be sure whoever helps you with this process holds at least an earned doctorate in psychology, medicine or human behavior and is using assessments which are valid, reliable and effective). There are four types of higher motivations that exist. I will address each (fear, economic, achievement and love motivation) in my next article. Together, they reveal why it is essential to practice honesty, trust and reciprocity in our workplaces. Simply put: without honesty, there is little trust; without trust there is little achievement and no love; and without love there is nothing great or worthwhile. In the highest level of motivation, the person does not do things primarily for their own selfish purpose, but for the altruistic good of serving or helping others. The best example I know of such motivation is that exhibited by a committed mother. Quintessentially, in the highest type of motivation we are taught (as was Peter) that the “greatest of us must be servants of all.” For further information on the importance of psychological, spiritual and physical health in our lives, workplace and families, check out my book, HONOR The Z FORCE for Health, Intimacy & Meaning in Your Life: A Model for Spiritual, Psychological & Emotional Health. Have a safe, healthy, productive and blessed summer in H.I.M. who makes the stars shine and the summer breeze to flow. Dr. Jonathan Z+ is a psychotherapist, poet and author, the CEO and Health, Education and Wellness Medicine commissioner with the American Council on Excellence, and the founder of the American College of Wellness Doctors.

Highly Unlikely that Climate Change is Causing More Asthma, Poverty and Terrorism

he White House is at it again on this climate change hysteria. You see, the data aren’t cooperating so they have to amp up the scare tactics. “White House doom: Climate change causes allergies, asthma, downpours, poverty, terrorism.” That was a recent headline from the Washington Examiner. “Climate change is contributing to extreme weather, wildfires, and drought, and the rising temperatures can lead to more smog and more allergens in the air we breathe, meaning more kids are exposed to the triggers that can cause asthma attacks,” the White House said.

Ah, there we go. Trot out the children and tug at the heartstrings. Tell me this. How on earth can climate change cause a wildfire? Did you know that 90 percent of wildfires are started by humans? Yeah, we’re talking campfires left unattended, the burning of debris, cigarettes VIEWS OF A thrown out the window and intentional acts of arson. The other 10 percent are caused by lightcolumn by ning or lava. That’s from the National Park Service. PHIL VALENTINE philvalentine.com Nowhere do they mention climate change. Common sense would tell you that a changing climate–even if we had something to do with it—would not cause forests to spontaneously combust. The trouble is, the mainstream media lap this stuff up without even the hint of a challenge. All I had to do was one Google search to find the stats I just shared with you, and they’re from the federal government. The same government that uses the EPA like a blunt instrument to beat people over the head until they’re senseless. So, if the wildfires aren’t being caused by climate change, you can bet climate change isn’t responsible for any of the other maladies listed by the White House. Asthma? President Obama said one of his daughters developed asthma and he blamed man-made climate change. I’m sure it could have nothing to do with the fact that her daddy was a smoker. The contradiction I love is that the climate change crowd will claim that manmade climate change is causing droughts, then in the next breath they say it causes downpours. Which is it? And poverty? Climate change causes poverty? Let’s explore that notion for a second. Let’s just assume that man-made global warming is real. That would mean longer growing seasons. Wouldn’t that mean that those who make their living working the soil would be better off ? In other words, if global warming were real it would mean prosperity, not poverty. Obama told the graduates of the Coast Guard Academy that climate change was a national security issue. He said it may exacerbate existing stress factors, which would enable terrorist activity abroad. Yeah, I know when I’m stressed I’m much more susceptible to a terrorist attack. What kind of bovine scatology is that? Obama’s trying to convince you that ISIS is rising because of climate change when it’s because of his own ineptness. There is, indeed, a crisis. It’s a crisis of the inconvenient truth. Temperature data just aren’t cooperating with these people, so they have to try and distract citizens from the fact that nothing they said is coming true. Al Gore said after Hurricane Katrina that hurricanes would be more severe and more frequent. He whiffed that one. We’re in the quietest hurricane period since the Civil War. They said the polar bears were dying off. Heard anything about our furry friends lately? That’s because they’re thriving. They said the sea levels were rising at alarming rates. How come Florida is still above sea level? They said there’d be widespread droughts and famines and death and destruction. At what point does the mainstream media start calling them on all of this?

CONSERVATIVE

“All I had to do was one Google search to find the stats I just shared with you, and they’re from the federal government.”

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

* JUNE 2015 * 35

Murfreesboro’s Music Through the Decades BY GLORIA CHRISTY

Minstrelsy Mania of the 19th Century

 Eliza Jane Wiley was a former local slave.

uring the 19th century, the American population was living in a predominantly rural society, in a manner far more dispersed and remote. Whether their lives were filled with 12-hour days on farms, or activities in the expanding cities, entertainment was a part of their daily lives. The range was wide, from banjo pickin’ on the front porches and barn dances to staged, formal entertainment. But whatever its form, entertainment, as in any other culture across the decades, has always fulfilled an inner desire to break symbolic conventions. In a search for release, we are driven to desire diversion from burdens and responsibilities, pain and suffering. In addition to satisfying social and emotional needs, entertainment provides a secondary function, a carrier of ideas and attitudes. Many times, in the name of entertainment, people simply create parodies of those whom they misunderstand. Such were the days and times in 19th-century America, when minstrelsy became the most important form of mass entertainment. Minstrelsly, which caricatured blacks, tragically demonstrates the relationship between black and white Americans during the 19th century, underscoring the notion that humans have a propensity for making fun of what is not understood! As a quote by historian Alexander Saxton emphasizes, “It was the black American who became the dominant character in American humor through white entertainers impersonating blacks that toured every city, town, and village from the 1830s to the First World War.” The appeal of minstrelsy lay not only in the legitimately entertaining music, rhythm and catchy phraseology of black folk and religious songs, but to distort the image of the black American as a delightfully ignorant and nonthreatening buffoon. In the pursuit of his craft, the white entertainer collected, imitated and conveyed unflattering

36 * JUNE 2015 * BOROPULSE.COM

racial stereotypes to a largely white audience, the effects of which may continue subliminally today. In the 19th century, as it is in the present day, the popular entertainer was a powerful figure, reflecting and having the ability to shape public opinion. During this time, writer and political commentator Walter Lippmann wrote, “The subtlest and most pervasive of all influences are those which create and maintain the repertory of stereotypes. We are told about the world even before we see it. We imagine most things before we experience them.” The prevailing impact of the entertainer on American society can be traced to this moment in our history. This influence demands our reflection and study as we begin to understand our compulsive obsession to be an “American Idol” in the 21st century. In the early days of minstrelsy, the practice of blackface served as a racial marker, suggesting that the performer would be portraying aspects of African-American culture. A closer look through more enlightened eyes, though, reveals that the identifying trait of minstrelsy is its blatant racism. However, the blackened face also served as a type of mask to shield the performers from identification with their roles. The minstrels borrowed from and parodied European musical styles. Most entertainers all traveled together in the same circuits as circuses, opera companies, and other virtuosi, blending musical and performing styles, cross-pollinating them all across America. These parodies were detrimental, creating contradictory beliefs about class, race and gender. In addition, the performances marginalized women, defining their domestic roles in narrow terms typical of the era. On the positive side, minstrelsy developed into a commercially viable entertainment form from the combination of seemingly opposing genres. These continued to

influence and shape American entertainment well into the 20th century. Marking and defining the advent of American popular music, many of these songsters were given an opportunity to work as the business of entertainment evolved. Nevertheless, the stereotype died hard in America, with descendants of blackface performers becoming popular in vaudeville and later in film. They made their way into movies, radio shows and early television programs such as Amos ’n’ Andy and stage appearances of popular entertainer Al Jolson’s blackface character in The Jazz Singer, the first feature-length movie to use a synchronized soundtrack. “Oh! Susanna,” “Dixie,” “The Camptown Races,” “Buffalo Gals” and “Jimmy Crack Corn” were all popular songs of the early minstrel era. Songs such as these provided the musical source for today’s bluegrass, country, old-time, and Americana music. The musical technique was a combination of styles from Celtic and African-American music. Joel Sweeney, the earliest known American banjo player, made the instrument very popular in the 1830s. (In so doing, he helped to obscure the fact that the instrument has its origins in Africa.) In 1843, the first minstrel show was performed with a banjo, fiddle, bones and tambourine. From that point, “minstrel mania” swept the nation. Hundreds of troupes began performing, giving birth to today’s musical styles. American vaudeville grew out of the culture of incorporation that defined American life after the Civil War. The development of vaudeville marked the beginning of popular entertainment as big business, dependent on the organizational efforts of a growing number of white-collar workers and the increased leisure time, spending power and changing tastes of an urban, middle-class audience. Business-savvy showmen utilized improved transportation and communication technologies, creating and controlling vast networks of theater circuits that professionalized and institutionalized American popular entertainment. The banjo, the foundation of the minstrel show, was always played with a fingernail in the stroke. The simplified version is called “frailing” or “clawhammer.” One of the most popular vaudeville acts in the South was Uncle Dave Macon with his clawhammer style of banjo playing. Macon popularized his zany, eccentric performing style in the early 20th century. It seems that such legends are born nonconformists. Such was Uncle Dave Macon. Capturing many of the early minstrelsy styles of the 19th century and bringing them to vaudeville in his clawhammer style, Uncle Dave Macon, “King of the Hillbillies,” helped bring the banjo into modern times. Uncle Dave Macon, the Grand Ole Opry’s first superstar, was born in Smart Station near McMinnville, Tenn. When Macon was a teenager, his parents owned a hotel in Nashville. The hotel catered to many vaudeville, minstrel and circus performers. By his middle teens, when he bought his first banjo, he had grown to love the music and performing traditions of the previous century. Long before he was exposed to the vaudeville traditions, Macon had absorbed another powerful tradition: rural black folk music. Uncle Dave once said about his influences, “I was born on a Warren County farm and I learned the tunes of the darkies.” Uncle Dave’s sizable repertoire consisted of many fragments of tunes from whites and blacks. Uncle Dave’s music really is a case study of traditional 19th-century

music and entertainment. As with many of his pieces, the “core” of the song which he acknowledged was borrowed from black traditions. One song, for example, was one he mixed up and recomposed to suit himself. Called “Rock About My Saro Jane,” it was originally an African-American work song sung on 19th-century steamboats. Before the early 1920s and the birth of the Grand Ole Opry, the flamboyant Macon had enjoyed popularity as a professional entertainer in the Lowe’s vaudeville circuit. Then it happened: The old-time craze was sweeping the nation and Uncle Dave Macon, with his wealth of experience from vaudeville and burlesque, was at the right place at the right time. His wild, showy comedic style of entertainment was something to behold. In those early days of the Opry, Uncle Dave has come to symbolize the spirit of the day. Uncle Dave, as an established entertainer on the circuit, was needed by the Opry more than he needed it. He had made more than 30 recordings and had toured thousands of miles across the mid-South before he first sat in front of a WSM microphone. Uncle Dave had become extraordinarily popular by word of mouth through his stage appearances and records most, of which were recorded in New York City. Early string band artists such as Kirk and Sam McGee, and fiddlers Mazy Todd and Fiddlin’ Sid Harkreader, would tour around the South with an old-fashioned “word of mouth” advertising approach. They would go into a town and put on a sample show, and let the grapevine do the rest. In a raucous frenzy, Macon and his musical magicians created one of the most dynamic string bands ever, sending audiences to their feet, dancing and stomping to the jug-band sounds of Macon and his Fruit Jar Drinkers. Uncle Dave proudly played from town to town, his instrument case denoting his notoriety. Sam McGee, who had once played guitar with Uncle Dave, recalled, “I will never forget what Uncle Dave had on his instrument case—‘Uncle Dave Macon, the World’s Greatest Banjo Player.’” Macon’s musical magic continued until his death on March 22, 1952. This musical heritage is celebrated every year at Uncle Dave Macon Days at Cannonsburgh Village in Murfreesboro. The 38rd annual celebration starts July 10 with the Matilda Macon Folk Arts Village, Dave Macon Artisan’s Court and Marketplace and the old-time musical and dance competitions. Capturing the minstrelsy spirit and antics of Uncle Dave as well as a tribute to Lester Armistead, founder of the Tennessee Mafia Jug Band, is the return of the jug band competition on Friday evening. New this year are three featured sunset concerts, the first of which will commence at 7 p.m. on Friday, July 10 with Russell Moore and III Tyme Out followed by 2015 Heritage Award Winner Dr. Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys. The festival continues July 11 with the famed motorless parade down Historic East Main to Cannonsburgh at 10 a.m. and the national old-time dance and banjo competitions. On Saturday at 7 p.m., the sunset concert series will feature the Hog Slop String Band and the presentation of the 2015 Trail Blazer Award Winners, The Steeldrivers. At noon on July 12, the festival brings the gospel showcase, antique car show and community service fair. The festival concludes with Kristina Craig and Exit 148 and the final sunset concert, featuring Larry Cordle and Lonesome Standard Time. For more information about the festival, visit uncledavemacondays.com.

“The old-time craze was sweeping the nation and Uncle Dave Macon, with his wealth of experience from vaudeville and burlesque, was at the right place at the right time.”

BOROPULSE.COM

* JUNE 2015 * 37

SPORTS

THE LEGEND OF ME-MA T

SPORTS TALK

he Train Daddy is back fan to ever put on a jersey? with the pain, daddy, and How could people believe column by ZACH ready as always to hit you that, at age 12, she hunted and “Z-TRAIN” MAXFIELD titanman1984yahoo.com punks in the mouth with skinned a jackalope? How some serious sports knowledge could people believe that, at and a legendary tale. To all my loyal readers, you age 60, she climbed Mount Everest alone in a know of the great one they call the Me-Ma. To swimsuit? I have listened, researched, studied all you new readers, listen up: this is not your and talked to friends and family of the Me-Ma, typical Train Daddy article. and they all point towards greatness. So, take Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie, then This story starts before there was officially a add the Me-Ma into the equation, and what Me-Ma. Back then, the world called her Carolyn, do you get? Well, number one, you get three but from here on out I will refer to Carolyn as bad asses. Here we have three people with an the Me-Ma. So, at age 8, the Me-Ma was outside inspirational story that has become more than a playing, as kids do. Every Thursday the neighmere tale, a trio of stories that are now legends. borhood kids played some pigskin. The game Greatness quickly takes on a story of its own; was dominated by all the neighborhood boys, take that greatness and consider with it all the and at that age they were mean, spitting insults people whom these legends have touched, and at all the girls. So the Me-Ma watched week in you have stories like Crockett’s, like Bowie’s, like and week out, she learned the game, and a love the Me-Ma’s. Legendary, baby! for football soon blossomed. The Me-Ma made As death sat camped outside the walls of the a promise she would show these boys that she Alamo, I reckon Crockett the bear wrestler and wasn’t to be trifled with. So she ran private drills Bowie the greatest knife fighter in the history of in her backyard, she did 8-year-old pushups, ran knives . . . well, I believe they probably got a few around the swing set, and she got strong. At 9 good laughs recalling tales told about their lives. years old the Me-Ma was a football junkie, and Tales exaggerated, tales completely false, no ready to show these neighborhood boys who ran doubt, but tales that inspired the other men in the block. One rainy Thursday the Me-Ma suited the Alamo. Tales that put fear into every soldier up and headed to the field, it was a mudfest, in Santa Anna’s army, and I have no doubt but she had trained hard. The minute she took these tales, these stories, these legends involvthe field, the oldest, biggest boy, standing tall ing Crockett and Bowie were a major factor in at age 13, told her no girls allowed. The Me-Ma those men holding the Alamo for 13 days when cracked his nose open with a left hook, and he it should have fallen on day 1. ran home crying. The Me-Ma took his spot as a The story of the Me-Ma will soon grow into captain and handpicked her team. With Me-Ma’s legend. How could people believe a woman born knowledge of the game, her team was perfect. in New York could become the greatest Titans They dominated, and she took snaps as the run-

38 * JUNE 2015 * BOROPULSE.COM

Tktktktk

The Me-Ma (center) surrounded by Titans fans (from left) the Z-Train, Jeff (her grandson), Justin and Scott (another grandson)

ning back, pounding the rock. She scored three touchdowns that day, and made three more boys cry. The Me-Ma was truly born that day. It is said that after high school she took to the sea and traveled the world. She went to places where they called soccer football and she told the people in these third-world countries about American football. She spent years visiting various countries, and giving the poor children the gift of a free football. Just as Billy Graham spread the word of the Gospel, the Me-Ma spread the good news of the glory of American football. It is said she joined a crew of pirates in an attempt to give free footballs to a needy child in every country. They were so mystified by her presence they named her captain of the vessel. Me-Ma had the old name stripped off, and they painted a new name on the side of the 95-footlong ship, which she christened The Mighty Titan. The Tennessee Titans were still nearly 50 years from being an actual, existing team. The Me-Ma claims she had wild dreams while at sea, and they all showed signs of a mighty Titan and her love of football co-existing. She sailed many more years as captain of the Mighty Titan, and it is said she handed out over 10,000 free footballs to needy children in various countries. She eventually returned to her homeland, America. Many years later, the Me-Ma having already lived three lives worthy of a tale, had a run-in with a very important child. It is said the MeMa woke one morning with a feeling that was unlike any other. She drove for miles and miles, crossing a few states; three days later, she came across an open field. It was a Thursday, a perfect day for football, and in the field children played a game of touch as she watched and smiled. There was one little boy in particular who had a glow she was certain only she could see, and she watched. Finally she called the boy over and he came timidly. She smiled and he instantly warmed upon seeing the smile of the Me-Ma. She asked this young boy his name and he told her it was Eddie, but then stated his friends called him George. She asked George what he wanted to be when he grew up and he said a mechanic. The Me-Ma smiled and said, “It is not to be, young man.” She told him all about football and the Mighty Titan on which she had sailed, and then told him to keep practicing and always stay determined. When she was done, George hugged her and left with a new goal:

he wanted to be a professional football player, a running back, in fact! The Me-Ma was the original recruiter of the great Eddie George. The Houston Oilers started play in 1960, and it is said the Me-Ma had a hand in the relocation of the organization from Houston to Nashville. While visiting Houston in 1995, she ran into old Bud Adams, one of Me-Ma’s many friends in high places, and told him all about her visions of Mighty Titans, and of a young man named Eddie. Bud Adams was sold; the Me-Ma’s words were pure as gold. In 1996, the then-Houston Oilers drafted Eddie George with the 14th overall pick. Then Bud moved the franchise to Nashville, where they were known as the Tennessee Oilers for two seasons before becoming the Tennessee Titans in 1999. The late Bud Adams and the Me-Ma both had a hand in making sure the new franchise retained the Oilers history and records. As legend has it, the Me-Ma was the one voice that convinced Bud Adams to change the name from Oilers to the Titans. Jan. 30, 2000, is a day Titan fans would like to forget, one yard short of a Super Bowl victory. It’s too bad Steve McNair, George, Wycheck, Mason, Kearse and crew didn’t bring home the bacon. I remember that after the Super Bowl the Me-Ma said it was OK; she didn’t get sad. Instead she smiled. I thought she was rambling, but she stated after that Super Bowl, “The Duck will fly high, The Duck will lead us to the Promised Land.” All those years I pondered that statement until recently at this season’s draft when the Titans selected Marcus Mariota as the new face of the franchise. The Me-Ma predicted Marcus’s arrival. The former Oregon Duck Heisman winner is the future, and Me-Ma’s prophecy is as pure as gold: a Super Bowl victory shall soon be delivered to Nashville. The Me-Ma is currently rocking the young age of 80 and is ready for a Super Bowl victory. A mother of three, a grandmother to five and a great-grandmother to 10, the Me-Ma’s legend will run deep in the blood of her family for generations. There is nothing better than Sunday at Me-Ma’s: homemade spaghetti, fresh bread and a side salad, with a big ol’ glass of sweet tea— paradise! This tale that has become legend, is my gift to you. Remember what it is to love family and friends, and the one who was destined to become the greatest Titans fan the world has ever known. Train’s out the station. Choo-choo!

BOROPULSE.COM

* JUNE 2015 * 39