March 2014 Murfreesboro Pulse

 ELECTION APRIL 15 

MURFREESBORO ONLINE AT: BOROPULSE.COM

MEET YOUR CANDIDATES FOR MAYOR

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

PAGE 10

Vol. 9, Issue 3 March 2014

FREE Take One!

Murfreesboro’s music hall changes hands. What will the future hold?

DOWN ON MAIN ST MUSIC

ART

Pocket Vinyl, Metal Fest, Jim Boggia, Haunted Device, The Lost River Cavemen

Diane Stockard’s Musical Art,  “Celebrate Diversity” at City Hall, Professor Pens Book on Mel Casas

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DEAR READERS:

CONTENTS

36 20 COVER STORY

24 EVENTS

4

ART

March Community Events Bald in the Boro, Backstage Bash, Barrel Racing, Gatsby Party, Wine at the Wetlands, Teddy Bear Tea.

MOVIES

6

54 Film Fest Local teams compete in 54-hour short film competition, screenings set for March 18 at Premiere 6.

REVIEWS

8 Movies The Monuments Men, RoboCop Living Room Cinema Demons and Dependencies.

Game 9 Video Batman: Arkham Origins LIVING

0 w t

Meet Your Candidates for Mayor, Murfreesboro Discussions with Ron Washington and Shane McFarland.

The Importance of Shiny Shoes and Caring People The Shoe Fixer.

Spring Thaw Motorcycle Show Annual event comes back to Murfreesboro April 5.

FOOD Tabouli y Gyro Old Fort parkway eatery offers lots for vegans and carnivoes alike: hummus, falafel and gyro!

Cheese! i Say Local cheese vendor deals only in all-natural.

CREW

PULSE

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Recipe Corner Bean and quinoa veggie burgers.

Publisher/Editor in Chief: Bracken Mayo Art Director: Sarah L. Mayo Advertising Rep: Don Clark Copy Editor: Steve Morley

Music Editor: Jessica Pace Writers: Gloria Christy, Philip A. Foster, Nader Hobballah, Tony Lehew, Zach Maxfield, Michelle Palmer, Cameron Parrish, Christy Simmons, Jay Spight, Andrea Stockard, Justin Stokes, Norbert Thiemann, Phil Valentine, Scotty Wright

This Month p Exhibits Diane Stockard; “Celebrate Diversity�

SOUNDS Painting: Pocket Vinyl to Hit Liquid Smoke s Sound Connecticut husband-and-wife art duo makes 'Boro stop. on Main Street f Down New 527 Main St. owner looks to early days for inspiration.

Notes h Music Metal Fest at Hippie Hill; The Music Stop relocates.

Bennett Visits TPAC k Tony A conversation with the legendary voice of cool.

Reviews l Album The Lost River Cavemen, Haunted Device Through the Decades ; Music Songs of the Frontier (1818-1849), Regaled by Excellence.

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c

MARCH CONCERTS Karaoke, Trivia, DJ & Bingo Nights Places to go for fun with friends

SPORTS Talk with Z-Train v Sports Who will have the billion-dollar bracket?

Much Madness will MTSU See in March? b How It's tourney time on the hardcourt.

OPINIONS Palabra n La Crop circles: not debunked!

Valentine m Phil Dissolve the U.S. Department of Education.

More Employees , No Full-time employment figures are going down.

To carry the Pulse at your business, or submit letters, stories and photography: bracken@boropulse.com 116-E North Walnut St., Murfreesboro, TN 37130 (615) 796-6248

Copyright Š 2014, The Murfreesboro Pulse, 116-E N. Walnut St., Murfreesboro, TN 37130.

Proudly owned, operated and published the first Thursday of each month by the Mayo family; printed

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THIS COMMON CORE STUFF SOUNDS A LITTLE STRANGE. Our educational institutions have seemed a little strange to me for a while anyway. The educational message in the U.S. seems to be “you need money.�

You need to go to college . . . so you can make more money. You don’t want to major in literature . . . think of the job opportunities and the salaries of those with finance degrees. Nursing is great to go into; there will always be nice-paying jobs there. You want to study art? No, no, lawyers make great money. You need to know math . . . so you can count your change.

If I were ever the secretary of education or a school principal—(which I don’t really see happening, but it’s good to be prepared, right?)—I would take a little different approach.

I would replace money with music.

Really, we could teach every subject as an extension of music education. Geography, easy.

Watch Bela Fleck go to Africa; talk about the sitar a little. History? Did you know Beethoven originally dedicated his Third Symphony to Napoleon, but then changed his mind when he discovered the tyranny he was up to? (Oh, getting into ethics a little now.) Poetry and language, certainly. Electrical engineering, build an amp.

Which course will lead to a more fulfilling life for the next generation, the study of interest rates or the study of music? There’s lots of math in music: so, a tone that vibrates 440 times in one second may indeed sound harmonious with another that vibrates 220 times per second. How many quarter coins make a dollar? How about how many quarter notes make a measure? What about an eighth, dotted quarter, four sixteenths and a quarter? Now you’re calculating! Keep the change.

We can memorize the state capitals, or we can listen to every Grateful Dead song, as they reference every city in America, while teaching exploration, skill, collaboration and imagination.

Should I want my child to know how to tune a guitar, or why the mortgage-backed security is a useful instrument?

I think Gloria and the Macon Music bunch are a step ahead of me on this. They are demonstrating some live music styles in local schools at least, if not plotting a massive overhaul of the establishment. Thanks for everyone going out of their way to teach music to our kids!

At any rate, we have a packed issue for you, Murfreesboro; there’s something for everyone in March. Go on and turn the page; there’s some motorcycle show news, metal up on Hippie Hill, piano and painting atº Liquid Smoke, the Center for the Arts’ annual spring gala, and some Gatsby-themed partying. Check out celebratory, in-store performances at the Music Stop and Media Rerun, the hard work and entrepreneurship of the Shoe Fixer and Mr. Harris, the creativity and short deadline of the 54 Film Fest, tabouli talk, MTSU basketball . . . and more words about music than about money.

Peace, Bracken Mayo Editor in Chief BOROPULSE.COM

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EVENTS compiled by ANDREA STOCKARD

Send event information to murfreesboropulse@yahoo.com

MARCH 6

MARCH 15

FAITH AND FINANCE CONFERENCE Community leaders, pastors, faith leaders, social service providers, educators and anyone in the position of offering counsel and advice to those in financial crisis who can come together with community partners and speakers with Rutherford County Extension (315 John R. Rice Blvd.) in teaching appropriate and respectful ways to help people return to self-sufficiency. Cost is $10 for snacks, lunch and educational materials. Resources, contacts and plenty of free materials will be available. For more information, call (615) 898-7710 or visit rutherford.tennessee.edu.

PARTY LIKE IT’S 1922 On Saturday, March 15, the Stones River Country Club will host the Gatsby Party benefiting the Alzheimer’s Association. The Gatsby Party, beginning at 7 p.m., is a night for everyone in the Murfreesboro area to put on their tuxedoes, flapper-girl dresses, spats and those wide-pleated trousers and join the Alzheimer’s Association in a night to end Alzheimer’s disease. It’s hors

MARCH 7 WINE AT THE WETLANDS Enjoy a mix of delicious food, wine and nature at Discovery Center’s (502 S.E. Broad St.) first Wine at the Wetlands.

Guests can sample a large selection of wines provided by Stones River Total Beverage plus delectable hors d’oeuvres catered by Five Senses. Tickets are $30 per person. Designated Driver tickets are $15 per person. For more information, visit explorethedc.org/wine.

MARCH 8 MIDDLE TENNESSEE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL’S 3RD ANNUAL TRIVIA NIGHT Support the MTCS Band & Chorus Programs on March 8 at 6 p.m. with trivia event team tables of 6 people: a student team is $75, adult teams are $140. Spectators welcome. Enjoy dinner, door prizes, a silent auction, baked goods, winning team prizes, concessions and more. For more information, email mtcsbandparents@gmail.com.

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BALD IN THE BORO Help raise money for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, which gives money supporting the best possible childhood cancer research, at Lanes, Trains and Automobiles Entertainment Depot (450 Butler Dr.) from 4-8 p.m. March 14 Dye your hair green, shave your head or join a team to help raise money for a cure. For more information, call (615) 708-1542 or (615) 542-1531.

beautiful people and classic cars. Stones River Country Club is located at 1830 N.W. Broad St., Murfreesboro. For tickets and more information, call Michelle Lynn Thomas at (615) 315-5880.

MARCH 6 MSO: BRAVO BROADWAY PRESENTS WICKED DIVAS New York comes to Murfreesboro as Broadway stars Julie Rieber and Alli Mauzey join the Murfreesboro Symphony to perform popular Broadway works from Wicked, Phantom of the Opera, Chicago and more at First United Methodist Church (265 W. Thompson Ln.). For more information, call (615) 898-1862 or visit murfreesborosymphony.com.

MARCH 14

MARCH 15

d’oeuvres and cocktails, wine and jazz, a step back in time to the 1920s, a time to remember, and a time to fight a disease that steals memories. The sultry, smooth vocals of Tina Soloman will be there, along with her jazz band and swinging jazz standards. Tickets are $75 per person for a night that will include roaring ’20s Jazz-Era attire, a silent auction,

ST. PATRICK’S PARTY & SCAVENGER HUNT FUNDRAISER Rooster’s Lone Star BBQ and Steakhouse (223 W. Main St.) holds the non-profit organization FriendSupport fundraiser, which raises funds for individuals with overwhelming medical bills due to illness and tragedy, from 6 p.m.–midnight beginning with a scavenger hunt (participation is not required).

Tickets are $25 per person and include a full dinner buffet, T-shirt and live music by the Gravel Road Gypsies. This event is open to the public. Tickets can be purchased at friendsupport.org. For more

MARCH 5–8 TSSAA STATE HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS State championships in girls high school basketball will be held at MTSU’s Murphy Center (Greenland Dr.) For more information, call (615) 889-6740 or visit tssaa.org.

MARCH 12–15 TSSAA STATE HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS State championships in boys high school basketball will be held at MTSU’s Murphy Center (Greenland Dr.) For more information, please call (615) 889-6740 or visit tssaa.org.

information, contact (615) 274-6178 or info@friendsupport.org.

MARCH 15 & 22 TEDDY BEAR TEA Dress in your Sunday best and bring along your favorite teddy bear (or stuffed animal or doll) for Teddy Bear Tea at the Sam Davis Home (1399 Sam Davis Rd.) from 10 a.m.-noon and 2-4 p.m. This tea party is the perfect way for young ladies ages 4-10 to spend a few hours with their favorite bear (Awww . . .) and special lady, whether she is her mother, grandmother, aunt, older sister or another. Enjoy delectable treats and savory teas while creating a fun craft for your teddy bear friend.

Take a tour of the Sam Davis Home with Sam’s sister, Fannie Davis, as she shows you where the young ladies of the house once played and sipped tea. Then, cozy up for story time in the museum theatre.

Reservations are required with prepaid admission of $15 per guest; contact (615) 459-2341, admin@samdavishome.org, or visit samdavishome.org.

MARCH 22 SPECIAL KIDS RACE Register for the 3rd annual Special Kids race and make a difference for children receiving rehabilitation and skilled nursing services at Special Kids. The funds raised from the Special Kids race will help the organization grow into the new space and fill in the gap for children and families where insurance often falls short. Choose your distance to run or walk. The 15K begins at 7 a.m., 5K at

7:20 a.m. and 1 mile at 7:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. at Murfreesboro Medical Clinic (1272 Garrison Dr.). Each race participant will receive a sport T-shirt, race goodie bag and medal. Visit specialkidsrace.org to register.

MARCH 22 MTSU SCIENCE SPRING PREVIEW DAY Preview Day is MTSU’s signature open house for prospective students and their families. This visit includes department presentations, opportunities to meet with faculty and staff and campus tours. All students are welcome; high school seniors, underclassmen and transfer students are highly encouraged to attend. All university colleges and disciplines will be participat-

ing, but in anticipation of the opening of the new Science Building in early 2015, a special emphasis is being placed in the science areas that day. Prospective students and their families can visit mtsu.edu/ admissn/ online to learn more and register. Departments in the College of Basic and Applied Sciences include aerospace, biology, chemistry, computer science, concrete industry, engineering technology, math, physics and astronomy, military science and the School of Agribusiness and Agriscience. For more information, call the admissions office at (615) 898-2111.

to be registered. Interested parties may visit nashvillesounds.com to download the registration form to bring with them.

Call (615) 690-HITS ext. 124 for further information.

MARCH 22–23 PAINT HORSE SPRING FLING HORSE SHOW Come out to the Tennessee Miller Coliseum (304-B W. Thompson Ln.) at 9 a.m. for the Paint Horse Spring Fling Horse Show. All disciplines of riding are encouraged including showing, trail riding, racing, etc. Admission is free. For more information, call (615) 494-8961, or visit mtsu.edu/tmc.

MARCH 24 BOMBSHELLS 4TH ANNUAL CHARITY FASHION SHOW Raise money for MSA (multiple system atrophy) at Bombshells Hair Studio and Spa (803 N. Thompson Ln.) at the MSA fashion show from 6–9 p.m. with the help of local Susan Summers whom suffers from MSA. Take part with hors d’oeuvres and a silent auction. Altar’d State will provide the wardrobe for all of the models. For more information, call (615) 907-8004.

MARCH 29 THE DAVIS WOMEN AND THEIR CHANGING ROLES As the second part in a new series, the Curator Talk and Tour will be based on the featured exhibit Lessons for Ladies (1399 Sam Davis Rd.). Learn what went into creating the exhibit, dig into the

history that the exhibit does not explore, and take a topic-specific guided tour of the historic house and grounds with the curator. This tour explores how the role of the Davis women changed after the Civil War, and will include a lesson on 1800s etiquette as well as a tea time where guests learn dining etiquette and customs of the time at 1 p.m. for 90 minutes. Admission is $15 per person with reservations requested in advance by contacting education@samdavishome. org or (615) 4592341.

MARCH 29 CENTER FOR THE ARTS HOSTS ANNUAL BACKSTAGE BASH This year’s annual Center for the Arts fundraiser takes on a fresh, smart and funky feel with a Saturday Night Live theme.

The fifth annual Bash will be held Saturday, March 29, kicking off in front of the Center for the Arts at 6 p.m. Co-chairing the event this year are Britton and Will Fraley along with Heather and Mark Kent.

“Everyone’s familiar with SNL, and the theme is perfect for showcasing local tal-

ent,” said Kent. “This theme will allow actors from local productions to put on skits for all to enjoy. After all, the Backstage Bash is one of the year’s most popular events because it’s always a good party with great food and music for dancing. But,” adds Kent, “people also want to support the Center for the Arts and the wonderful work that goes on there.”

Partygoers will be able to look through silent auction items up for bid or buy $50 raffle tickets for a chance to win a trip to New York City.

Maple Street Grill will supply the food for the evening, and popular dance band The Pilots will have everyone boogieing in the street.

Proceeds from the event help support the mission and upkeep of the Center for the Arts, which, in addition to providing a stage for local theater, showcases the work of local artists in its gallery and holds summer theater camps and production opportunities for children.

Tickets for the Bash are $100 each and are available, along with raffle tickets, at the Center for the Arts, 110 W. College St., Murfreesboro; by calling (615) 904-ARTS or online at backstagebash.org.

MARCH 22 NATIONAL ANTHEM AUDITIONS The Nashville Sounds have tryouts for national anthem singers from 9 a.m.–2 p.m. at Greer Stadium (534 Chestnut St., Nashville). All individuals and groups who are interested in singing “The Star Spangled Banner” prior to a 2014 home game must audition on this date, including all parties who have sung prior to a game in previous years. Anthem tryouts are available on a first-come, first-served basis. All interested parties will be required to sing a live, a cappella version of the national anthem during the tryout. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. and auditions will begin at 9 a.m. All tryout participants must appear in person at Greer Stadium by 12:30 p.m.

MARCH 28–30 DYNAMITE BARREL RACE The Dynamite Barrel Race will be held at Tennessee Miller Coliseum (304-B West Thompson Ln.) beginning at 9 a.m. Admission is free. For more information, call (615) 494-8961 or visit mtsu.edu/tmc.

BOROPULSE.COM

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MOVIES Local Teams Compete in 54-Hour Film Competition Fifty-four Film Fest, in conjunction with the Premiere 6, Positiffitea and Creative DCP, is hosting its second annual Murfreesboro film event this month.

The 54 Film Fest, launched with a weekend-long film competition (Feb. 28–March 2), expects over 200 filmmakers, family members and independent film enthusiasts to attend this year’s screening and award ceremony at Murfreesboro’s Premiere 6 on Tuesday, March 18.

Festival founder and CEO James Thayer said that after competing for years as a freelancer, he wanted to create a better environment in which filmmakers could stretch their creative muscles.

“The 54 Film Fest was born out of the culmination of my experiences with similar film competitions,” Thayer said. “We ditched the bad, kept the good and put a little spin on things.”

That spin includes unique genres, such as Live Action Video Game and Super Villain,

VIEW THE FILMS MARCH 18

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additional time to compensate for computer issues, and feedback from judges.

Fifty-four Film Fest is built around a shootout format. Teams have 54 hours to write, film, edit, produce, and submit their short films.

On the Friday of the event, the city producer assigns a genre, prop, line of dialogue and an action for each team to include in their films.

The challenge presents an unforgettable weekend of education, excitement and exploration as teams work to create movies from story inception to finished product.

In addition, teams can attempt to complete the Curveball Challenge, in which an additional element must be incorporated into a film 24 hours into the project.

“The Curveball Challenge is meant to reflect the strains of real-life filmmaking,” Thayer said. “Your investor or producer may decide to change things around on short notice, halfway into production. It’s rough, but the winner receives a unique prize.”

The 54 Film Fest began in 2012 in Knox-

ville, with 170 independent filmmakers producing 23 short films within 54 hours. Two weeks later, the festival sold out its inaugural screening. The competition has expanded development across 11 cities in the southeastern United States, many of which are only in the beginning stages. Murfreesboro and Knoxville are set to hold festivals in March of 2014, and Wilmington plans to kick off its inaugural festival this year. Through an exciting new partnership, selected films from this year’s

competitions will screen at the Nashville Film Festival in late April, with another screening at The Avenue in Murfreesboro.

Tickets to the March 18 screening are $8.

Premiere 6 is located at 810 N.W. Broad St. For more information about 54 Film Fest, including how to enter or attend the festival, visit facebook.com/54filmfestmurfreesboro or 54filmfest.com, or contact Ben Jones, city producer for Fifty-four Film Fest Murfreesboro, at ben@54filmfest.com or (615) 478-5512.

LIVING ROOM CINEMA

REVIEWS MOVIES

column by NORBERT THIEMANN

facebook.com/livingroomcinema

THE MONUMENTS MEN

vincing as a French art curatorturned-spy. Likely bolstered by the presence of such talent, the lesser-known faces provide the more memorable characters (though no less one-dimensional).

Jean Dujardin, Dimitri Leonidas and Downton Abbey’s Hugh Bonneville all outshine their more established counterparts, but the

overabundance of characters and ever-changing locales wind up giving short shrift to all involved.

This overabundance could be due to Clooney’s and co-writer Grant Heslov’s refusal to trim any big players and big moments out of respect for the book on which the film was based.

Replete with tell-don’t-show voiceover narration, The Monuments Men is less a cohesive story than a mission statement on the Importance of Art, and a love letter to those involved in saving so much of it from failed art student Adolf Hitler, who this film might have you believe started the Holocaust as a cover for his true agenda of amassing the world’s great art for his own private collection. The kid-gloved handling of the other atrocities of the Holocaust could have made for a Raiders of the Lost Ark-styled romp, but Clooney’s authorial heavy-handedness detracts from any potential fun and the overall importance of his message.

I may be coming off as glib, but so too, however unintentionally, does The Monuments Men. — JAY SPIGHT

cybernetically enhanced Murphy as the poster child for their robotic fighting forces. Caught in the middle of his own quest to reclaim his humanity, Murphy must fight the corruption that has claimed the city of Detroit.

So, the question on everyone’s

mind: Does it hold up to the original? I think so. In the same way that the Dredd movie was entertaining without being too serious. Granted, this movie had a lot to say, but oddly maintained its silence. We don’t really get a scope of the futurism here.

Rather, we get a quick glimpse of what could be.

And I think that’s the best way to approach this film. It’s not the ultimate RoboCop movie. It’s simply a quick glance into that world, trading violence for empathy. Perhaps for die-hard fans of the original, it could be considered disappointing. Personally, I enjoyed the film, but I also can’t fault others for not liking it.

The verdict? It’s worth a stream on Netflix.

— JUSTIN STOKES

2

Starring George Clooney, Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett, John Goodman Directed by George Clooney

Rated PG-13

The Monuments Men is George Clooney’s fifth go-round directing himself to be handsome and charming, proving for the fifth time that he is the least qualified man for the job. (See the Coen brothers, Soderbergh, et al.)

This film tells the embellished true story of the quest to reclaim Europe’s stolen art from the Nazis during WWII by assembling a crew of museum curators, architects and art historians in what is basically advertised as Ocean’s 1944. What’s onscreen instead is a mishmash of scenes hovering around a central premise punctuated by misplaced jokes and maudlin sentimentalism, all generously heaped with a layer of rosy, warm nostalgia for a time that could arguably be called the darkest in the twentieth century.

What pushes this film beyond

just another ho-hum flick to true disappointment status, however, is the level of underutilized talent involved. John Goodman, Bill Murray, Bob Balaban, Clooney himself, Matt Damon and Cate Blanchett all turn in serviceable performances playing slight variations on themselves save for Blanchett, who is the most con-

ROBOCOP 3

Starring Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, Samuel L. Jackson, Abbie Cornish Directed by Jose Padilha

Rated PG-13 The 1980s was a time for awe in cinema. Things still felt very fresh, but had enough of a modern touch that movies were in sort of a twilight period of creativity, retaining the potential of man but embracing the future of technology. The original RoboCop embodies this by blending man and machine into a oneman army.

Now, in 2014, that concept has been revisited for the age of public scrutiny of police, endless digital information, and roamRATINGS:

ing drones on U.S. soil. Set in the not-too-distant future, honest cop Alex Murphy finds himself the horrific recipient of an attempt on his life. Stripped of his humanity, Murphy’s only hope is the all-too-generous efforts of OmniCorp, who wants to use the A CLASSIC

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OUTSTANDING

AVERAGE

BELOW AVERAGE

Demons and Dependencies T his subject weighs heavy on my heart. The general idea and selected films in last month’s column had already been conceived and submitted, leaving no chance to change a Valentines Day issue into a heartfelt dedication to the late Philip Seymour Hoffman. He very well may have been the finest living actor of his time.

It is easy to deny the effects of addiction, and it’s actually commonplace to simply romanticize it. Aside from untimely deaths, there are torn lives, tormented relationships, run-of-the-mill abuse, dishonesty and neglect. We all know people who are good otherwise, but who suffer and often become desperately unhinged. So this is also dedicated to them, with sincere hopes for their renewed well-being.

Idiots and Angels (2008) is animated and directed by Bill Plympton. The characters exemplify what is often referred to as “the day crowd” at local bars. They are brilliantly recognizable. In some meaningful ways, Idiots and Angels is a realist portrayal, but with the full use and licenses that animation provides. Plympton wields wonderful cinematic devices throughout, without the necessity of dialogue.

Leaving Las Vegas (1995) is directed by Mike Figgis. Nicholas Cage plays a man hellbent on creating his own demise by drinking himself to death. His portrayal is grotesquely believable, and is surely one of his finest performances. Elisabeth Shue plays the love interest who must accept the reality that he will carry out this morose deed. Leaving Las Vegas is on the tragic end of the spectrum.

AVOID AT ALL COSTS

DEAD

GAME

BATMAN ARKHAM ORIGINS 4½

Available on PC, Xbox 360, and PS3 I do not like prequels. Most of the time, they fall flat on their face. It is hard to build tension when you already know the outcome. Plus, they often ruin the mystery or story details of their future counterparts. Arkham Origins is not one of those times.

Picking up five years before Arkham Asylum, on Christmas Eve, we find a less refined and more stubborn Batman cleaning up the streets of Gotham, which is on the verge of all-out anarchy as its police force, already corrupt, is put under more pressure when a bounty is put on Batman’s head and eight super-villain assassins arrive to collect it.

Coming off the almost universally praised Arkham City, Arkham Origins has some big shoes to fill, and it fills them admirably well. While I believe Arkham Asylum is still the best of the three, Arkham Origins manages to surprise with a plot that, in some ways, is better than Arkham City. Where Arkham City threatened to go off the rails with a narrative that was all over the place, Origins’ structure feels tighter and has a more natural and progressive flow to it, despite its open-world nature. Even the side missions, and there are a lot of them, feel more part of a whole. While Origins does not have the gravitas of what Arkham City accomplished, the story is nonetheless engrossing and full of its own twists and turns that help alleviate the prequel-itis syndrome.

Some new mechanics help freshen up Origins.

For one, the detective vision has been expanded to become a full-on crime investigation function.

Whenever the mission calls for it, you can tap into your detective vision and reconstruct the crime scene, finding clues by rewinding and forwarding the events in order to solve the situation. I found this incredibly intriguing and always felt giddy when the time came to turn it on.

The level design is also to be commended. Some of the best set pieces in the Arkham games are found here. From a creepy Joker funhouse to the overly elaborate machinations of the Mad Hatter, there is no shortage of new sights to see. Gotham itself has been expanded, retaining a good portion of what was in Arkham City, but with additional territory to explore. To reduce downtime, a smartly implemented fast point system has been added whereby you can

travel instantly between locations. There is actually a Far Cry 3 feel to the whole design, which pleased me greatly.

In terms of the gameplay, the Batman has a few new tricks up his sleeve. The now famous and still most enjoyable part of the game, the invisible predator mode, is still a blast to play through. Now you have access to more ways of taking down your opponents with a remote bat claw that adds another dimension to taking down your foes, be it tightrope takedowns or hooking them up against objects that can disable them all together.

In combat, all the stuff that Arkham City expanded on is there and more. The new animations are great, and the level of satisfaction you get from executing a flawless combo attack is still intact. However, this is also where Arkham Origins begins to stumble.

While reducing some of the overwhelming frustration from City, Origins can still be quite a pain to play in combat. Batman is oftentimes up against way too many enemies with too much equipment on their side, and the counter button, still broken from Arkham City, struggles to keep up.

Adding to the frustration are some bugs I encountered. When Arkham Origins first launched, it was infamous for having game-breaking glitches.

Luckily, having given the game some months for bugs to be addressed, it was mostly smooth and I barely ran into any glitches that a restart could not fix. None of this seriously affected my time in the campaign, fortunately.

One thing that really stood out, though, and bugged me was the insistence on Quick Time Events (QTEs) in the middle of cinematics. Some of them worked, but in other instances their transition was faulty and inconsistent. After playing DMC, which knew when to be cinematics and when to be gameplay, I found myself quite annoyed at this.

The one truly new mode Arkham Origins offers is multiplayer. The basics boil down to three playable sides, the Joker Gang, the Bane Gang and Batman and Robin. Playing as either gang puts you in a thirdperson shooter design whereby your goal is to take down the other team’s reinforcements to zero. Using guns, grenades, drones and your own set of gadgets, you and your teammates work to whittle down the opposing team while avoiding getting taken down

by Batman and Robin. The latter two’s job is to take down as many of the gangsters till an intimidation bar is filled, but must avoid getting taken out lest the bar goes down.

This really should sound fun, but my playtime has been mixed at best. There are not enough players and the lobbies suffer from long wait times and frequent, and I mean frequent, dropouts both in lobby and in game. The heroes have a much lower learning curve on account of your playtime in the campaign, but the individual soldiers can take a while to figure out. To top it off, the game does suffer from lag and host issues. When it does work, it is enjoyable, but the whole thing comes off as having needed more time to cook.

In the end, Arkham Origins stands toe-to-toe with the likes of Arkham Asylum and City. A surprisingly engrossing narrative and strong level design make Batman’s third time a wonderful charm. Despite its issues, it is a great game worthy of your time.

— NADER HOBALLAH BOROPULSE.COM

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LIVING

MEET YOUR CANDIDATES FOR MAYOR, MURFREESBORO

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urfreesboro municipal elections will be held on April 15, with the early voting period beginning March 26. In addition to contests for three city council seats and three school board seats, Murfreesboro will choose a new mayor, as current office holder Tommy Bragg will not be running for re-election.

One of two gentlemen interviewed here— Ron Washington and Shane McFarland—will serve as the next mayor of Murfreesboro. Get to know their perspectives on the future of the town below, and contact them and other elected officials and candidates with your questions.

Get involved. Remember, your government officials represent you.

Visit rutherfordcountytn.gov/election for election schedules, polling locations and more information about local elections.

 our public safety [officials] to perform at high levels all help to make Murfreesboro attractive. We consistently rank among the best places to live.

As mayor I will use my over 20 years of governmental experience and my over 30 years’ utility experience to ensure that long-range planning is not only continued but enhanced.

 How will you make Murfreesboro

RON WASHINGTON

RonWashingtonforMayor.com

 MURFREESBORO PULSE: What

is the biggest challenge facing Murfreesboro over the next 4 years and what is your plan to overcome it?

RON WASHINGTON: The challenge will be continuing to manage our finances while still providing optimum service in a growing community. This includes continuing to update and implement our Major Thoroughfare Plan projects and following our Comprehensive Improvement Plan projects.

The city of Murfreesboro is in the process of getting a consultant to do a citywide land use study that will provide a blueprint for future growth. The northern sector is finally beginning to see more commercial growth while the western sector is prime for more residential growth with the construction of Veterans Parkway.

We must also not forget the older sections of our town, which are areas where I have a proven track record of interest in public safety and investments in the enhancement of residential housing, and working to establish neighborhood associations.

Creating good-paying jobs, providing quality of life amenities such as our parks and recreational opportunities, and properly training 10 * MARCH 2014 * BOROPULSE.COM

an attractive place to do business for large and small operations?

I will continue to work with our economic development engines like the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce and MTSU to recruit jobs that provide adequate wages and benefits for our families while still promoting the establishment of the most cherished and important business sector: small businesses.

To do that, we must be investment friendly.

I have been talking with our Planning and Codes departments for years about establishing something like an empowerment zone or something similar where some zoning and design requirements can be relaxed, especially targeting the older parts of our community.

There is still the Board of Zoning Appeals process, but something less expensive, less time consuming and less regulatory could be an incentive for small businesses and entrepreneurs to create new jobs.

We have a solid base of large, diverse and successful operations in the city and county, such as General Mills and Nissan, that provide strong examples for the city’s recruitment efforts. As mayor, I will insist on strong city support for initiatives such as the chamber’s Destination Rutherford that do an outstanding job of bringing in new jobs and providing the proper atmosphere for the expansion of existing businesses.

Quality of life is a key factor in attracting

new businesses. Projects such as the proposed west side park, which I support, are important investments that the city can make to strengthen our economic development efforts.

 How do you plan to accommodate

the rapid growth Murfreesboro is experiencing?

By continuing to emphasize the long-range planning process for infrastructure and support services, along with working with both school systems to properly plan for future needs.

Many citizens may not realize that most of the major roads in our town are state routes and thus state controlled. Many of the state projects have been in the planning stages for over 20 years. The Broad and Memorial bridge project is one of them, as are widenings of Thompson Lane and Bradyville Pike.

Those projects are prioritized and funded when available, but it takes a lot of behindthe-scenes effort from the mayor and council members, staff and our state legislators to assist the state with these projects.

Growth brings not only opportunities but also challenges such as more traffic. But the opportunities far outweigh the other challenges. We must continue to listen to citizens so that we truly understand their concerns and ideas, then work collectively to decide what action needs to be taken—or put on hold—based on the tax dollars available.

 How do you feel about the city of Murfreesboro’s $250-plus-million debt and the way it is structured?

Would you like to see the amount of city debt rise or fall in the next four years?

We already anticipate the debt to fall some over the next few years. Murfreesboro, for years, has received awards for its financial standing among government operations.

City Manager Rob Lyons and his staff know the expectations of the mayor and city council.

We just had our audit review, and it was excellent for a growing city like Murfreesboro. Our debt is manageable. Through my involvement in the Tennessee Municipal League, I’ve heard from other city officials who marvel at our success in managing debt for a city our size.

Governments that have growth are going to have to borrow, but that borrowing needs to be looked at as an investment. Most citizens want optimum services without additional taxation, and we’ve been fortunate to avoid tax increases during my time on the council. Some residents want additional or enhanced services, but gov-

ernment can only do so much while remaining a good steward. I understand that and can see the bigger picture because of my state and national training through the Tennessee Municipal League and National League of Cities.

 How would you handle situations where residents don’t want to sell their property to accommodate city plans?

If you are referring to annexations, typically the city does annexations by request. If you are referring to condemnations, that’s another issue. One of the unfortunate pieces of government business is condemnations. In these cases, some infrastructure, utility installations/improvements, road expansions and the like could not happen without this process.

Being in the utility sector for many years, I know this well. It’s painful, but I would hope that any project would be designed to do all it could to avoid condemnation.

On the flip side, there have been other city/ county residents, for whatever reason, who understand and embrace the new roads or whatever facilities are needed for future growth.  What areas of town or city facili-

ties do you feel are in the most need of repair and renovation?

I travel all over this town every day and I honestly don’t hear many complaints regarding city infrastructure and amenities. Our street department, for example, provides high-quality service with maintenance and repair of streets.

However, there are some roads such as Bradyville Pike and Thompson Lane that are in need of reconstruction. Both of these projects are scheduled to be reconstructed soon by the state, as they are state-controlled roads.

I will also continue to work with our Community Development Block Grant program and Habitat for Humanity to address blight and disrepair of homes. During my tenure on the City Council I have been instrumental in addressing blight and the upgrade of streets and infrastructure in the older parts of town.

I plan to ensure that our Transportation and Planning departments look into a long-range plan to address the construction of sidewalks and other enhancements aimed at our increasing pedestrian and non-vehicle traffic. One of my major accomplishments other than the Patterson Park/Center expansion is the investment upgrades made in street landscaping, utilities, water and sewer, street lamps and sidewalks constructed during Phase I of the Maney Avenue project.

The migration of people to Murfreesboro is something that is not new. I came to Murfreesboro in 1992 to attend MTSU, and never left. I made the choice to live and raise my family here. Murfreesboro is such an attractive place to relocate because of our quality of life. We have livable and safe neighborhoods, and under my leadership I want that to continue.

We have to look beyond right now; we must look at the future.

A big part of that is the start of our comprehensive strategic plan. It will give us a road map of where our city will head in the next 25 years. We will look at roads, schools, recreation, police, fire and many other areas.

I will make sure Murfreesboro has a strategy that will ensure it continues to be a leader in quality of life.

SHANE McFARLAND McFarlandforMayor.com

 MURFREESBORO PULSE: What is

the biggest challenge facing Murfreesboro over the next four years, and what is your plan to overcome it?

SHANE McFARLAND: Part of being mayor is being able to focus on several things at once. As mayor, I will take a global look at our city and make sure every item is getting attention. I see several areas on which we need to focus over the next several years. I will work to keep our neighborhoods safe and livable, focus on excellence in our schools, grow our economy and help create better jobs, and strive to improve the quality of life for every family.

 How will you make Murfreesboro

an attractive place to do business, for large and small operations?

I am a small business owner and deal with municipalities on a daily basis. I think the way we make Murfreesboro an attractive place to do business is simple: customer service. In my line of work, I have to provide excellent customer service. If I don’t, I lose my customer.

City government should be no different.

When someone deals with City Hall they should come away with a feeling that we want their business to succeed and that we are there to do anything possible to help. This philosophy has to come from the top down, and I will lead with a customer service focus.

Our city staff and employees are second to none, and I want to provide them with the proper training to make their jobs easier. I will make sure that all businesses and citizens have the opportunity to get the best that the city of Murfreesboro has to offer.

 How do you plan to accommodate the rapid growth Murfreesboro is experiencing?

 How do you feel about the city of

Murfreesboro’s $250-plus-million debt, and the way it is structured?

Would you like to see the amount of city debt rise or fall in the next four years?

I graduated from MTSU in 1997 with an accounting degree. In my mind all things must balance. Our first thing is to continue working with a balanced budget. A recent look at our city audit shows that Murfreesboro is very well managed.

This past year we spent $4 million less than we did the year before. We have worked the last 15 years without a tax increase.

When looking at our debt, I think that we must put it into perspective. The city of Murfreesboro currently has $1 billion in assets, with debt of $250 million, which leaves us with a 25% debt ratio. I want our debt to stay at a conservative percentage of our assets. We borrow money for roads, parks, fire trucks, schools etc. We pay our money back in a 10-15 year time frame and this allows us to have paid assets that are worth much more over time and save money on interest.

 How would you handle situations where residents don’t want to sell their property to accommodate city plans?

In all cases I think condemnation should be a last resort. As mayor, I will work with every property owner to try to avoid condemnation.  What areas of town or city facilities do you feel are in the most need of repair and renovation?

I believe the mayor should represent every area and section of Murfreesboro. Each area of town has opportunities for improvement.

It is the mayor’s responsibility to make sure older and newer neighborhoods receive attention when there is an issue.

We need to remember that what makes Murfreesboro special is its unique character and we should help promote and maintain that character and uniqueness.

BOROPULSE.COM

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LIVING THE IMPORTANCE OF SHINY SHOES AND CARING PEOPLE

THE SHOE FIXER

I

have been a lifelong resident of the fair city of Murfreesboro and I know it pretty intimately.

But every so often I find something that has existed for a long time but is new to me— for example, The Shoe Fixer at 1004 Memorial Blvd.

This small business is nestled in the strip mall beside O’Charley’s and across from Jones Car Wash. Now, I had seen it a blue million times and was fully aware that it was there, but up until just recently, I had never been in need of their services. As it happens, I sometimes get attached to my old shoes and hate to part ways with them. I wasn’t like that in my youth, and I have always been rough on shoes: wear ’em out, get another pair.

As I have matured, comfortable shoes have exponentially increased in importance to this intrepid writer. So, after discovering a pair of old work boots in the back of the closet, wiping away the closet dust and taking a trip down memory lane, I went to unceremoniously dispose of these longtime faithful foot companions; I just couldn’t do it. For too many years they had lovingly protected my feet from mud, the cold, the pyramids that my 160-pound Tibetan Mastiff left in the back yard for me to step in and any other assault which Mother Nature might launch upon old lefty and righty. So, whilst pondering my predicament, it dawned upon me to take them to The Shoe Fixer, and so I did.

Upon entering The Shoe Fixer, I was immediately impressed by the lack of pretense about the place. It reminded me of the businesses that my parents and grandparents would have frequented. There were no slick cardboard advertisements, various televisions on different channels or other gadgets to get in the way of human interaction. And although I had never been in a shoe repair shop before, I knew immediately that the smell of leather mixed with shoe polish was 12 * MARCH 2014 * BOROPULSE.COM

story by TONY LEHEW

exactly how this business should smell. So, I took in the ambiance, smiled to myself and approached the counter, where I was met by a smiling Misty Batey. Misty seemed to know almost instantly that I needed surgery on a couple of old friends, and when I asked if there was anything that could be done for my faithful foot companions she responded with the comforting tones of a Southern mother comforting a sick child. I don’t remember her exact words, but they can be paraphrased to something like, “Yes, honey, I’m sure we can fix it.” She made me feel like a relieved kid who just heard that his beloved broken toy could be fixed.

As Misty rambled off to the back to get a diagnosis on my ailing shoes, I took in the rest of the place. Now, this is a small place with just a counter, several machines behind said counter (and I can’t begin to tell you what their purpose was), several chairs and a big glass front. And then, as I glanced about, I made the big discovery. In my singular focus to get proper care for my old shoes, I had not noticed that there was a shoeshine chair in

“I never really

this place! Not only was there a shoeshine chair, but there was a guy there who shined shoes! This may be small potatoes to you, but this was big news to me. Since I was a kid, I remember watching old movies from the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s where you would see those magnificent shoeshine stands in train stations or on street corners in big cities. They always seemed so cool to pre-adolescent eyes. To be important enough to sit and get my shoes shined before a big meeting or catching a train for parts unknown smacked of adventures a small-town kid would never know. In those days, due to my rough treatment of all shoes (other than the sacred Sunday shoes, which I hated to wear because they were so uncomfortable) I was mostly relegated to Converse high tops, five bucks a pair at Kent’s Department Store in those days. So, finally seeing a shoeshine throne in my hometown, within my reach, put me in a nostalgic mood for a shiny pair of shoes.

After inquiring the price for this extravagance, which was a very affordable six bucks, I gleefully hopped up into this everyday man’s throne and felt like I was a king. Being the inquisitive sort, I began asking questions about the shoe biz. Mr. Willie Harris is the man who owns and operates the shoeshine chair.

He is instantly likable, a friendly man with a gentle nature. You get the feeling that Willie has never had any trouble making friends. So naturally I wanted to know how Willie got into the shoeshine game, and he regaled me with his story.

“I’m from Chicago, moved to Murfreesboro in 1978 to work at the hospital. But that didn’t work out, so I went back to Chicago

counted how many customers I have; long as I am busy, I am happy. I just take an interest in what I’m doing and if the customer is happy, so am I.” — Mr. Willie Harris in 1982. In 1990 my wife and I came back, because our kids were here. I worked as a materials handler at Hewlett-Packard for years. I retired from there after a knee injury and worked for Dollar General for a while. I just walked into The Shoe Fixer one day and thought, this would be a good opportunity to work at something that does not have a limited income. So I asked, ‘Hey, can I shine shoes here?’ They said okay. I took the job and it bloomed from there. I was 72 then, 74 now. I got the chair from a guy at a nail salon who had it custom-made. But he couldn’t find anyone to shine shoes, so he asked me if I wanted to buy it, so I did.”

I asked Willie to explain shoe shining to me.

“The art of a shoe shine starts with noticing the difference in the leather. I learned the difference from Matthew Oliver and Roger Burnett, who own The Shoe Fixer. You have to put down a base polish and then buff it out. Different leathers require different kinds of polish. There are paste polishes and cream

polishes; a boot requires paste. If it is scuffed or does not have a brilliant shine, I put a liquid polish on first, then paste and then buff it,” Willie said.

“How exactly would you spit-shine a shoe?” I asked.

Willie responded, “A spit shine was considered water, wax polish and patience.

That shine was just for the toe, not the rest of the shoe. A spit shine would look like a patent leather shoe. So the term spit shine just means a really shiny shoe.”

The corkboard beside Willie’s chair is covered with customers’ business cards.

Willie told me that they all come back regularly. I asked him how many customers he had.

“I never really counted how many customers I have; long as I am busy, I am happy. I just take an interest in what I’m doing and if the customer is happy, so am I.” As Matt worked away in the back, I asked Roger if they were the only shoe shop in town and he responded, “Yes, we are the only shoe shop in town. I Googled it once, and it showed only two shoe repair shops, one here and one in Peru.”

I asked if there was a Peru, Tennessee, or was he referring to Peru, Indiana?

“No, Peru, South America.”

Now, I don’t think we can say for certain that there isn’t a shoe repair business between here and South America, but it does illustrate the fact that this is a rare business. It’s a throwaway world we live in. Like I said earlier, I almost threw my faithful old shoes away. But we haven’t reached the point where everything is thrown away. If we had, The Shoe Fixer wouldn’t be here. Roger explained to me that The Shoe Fixer has been in business for 20 years.

Matt comes out of the back area, where he had been working on a large piece of canvas, and adds to our conversation.

“We do more than shoes; we repair horse blankets, saddles, gun and knife holsters, anything leather or canvas. We also put patches on leather,” Matt said as he holds up a biker jacket covered in patches from all the places this particular customer has visited. Since he is a rider himself, Matt enjoys doing the patches.

Even before they said it, you could tell that this was a family environment.

“We all have the same philosophy around here—we all love each other,” Misty said. Willie said it this way, “In this shop, these people are more like family, real close friends.”

So if you have an old pair of comfortable shoes that have seen better days or any leather or canvas that needs some TLC, go by and see Matt, Roger, Misty and Willie. While being bombarded on a daily basis with all the new growth in Murfreesboro, it’s nice to find a place like The Shoe Fixer, to remind you where we came from.

BOROPULSE.COM

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14 * MARCH 2014 * BOROPULSE.COM

LIVING

Murfreesboro motorcycle enthusiasts ready for Spring Thaw. story by BRACKEN MAYO WINTER IS ALMOST OVER. FINALLY. Motorcycle enthusiasts know this better than anyone. As the days get longer and the sun gets a little stronger, look for the packs of twowheeled iron horses to travel the Tennessee roads en masse.

Also, to celebrate the “Spring Thaw,” Middle Tennessee Expo Center will host a celebration of all things motorcycle, complete with various competitions and killer prizes on Saturday, April 5.

The Pulse caught up with event organizer Tommy “Scooter” Williams of Both Barrels Promotions to get the lowdown on this year’s show, which had been put together in Shelbyville for the past eight years.

MURFREESBORO PULSE: Why did you decide to bring the show back to the ’Boro?

SCOOTER: We decided to bring the show back to Murfreesboro because this is our home. We actually started the show in Smyrna 12 years ago at the TN Expo center in the old Walmart. When it closed pretty much without notice we had to scramble to find a new venue, but there was nothing available in Murfreesboro so we ended up in Shelbyville at the Calsonic arena. We were in Smyrna four years and have been in Shelbyville since. The Calsonic is a great venue and the folks are super, but we felt it was time to bring the show home, and with the opening of the Swanson’s Mid-TN Expo Center at 1209 Park Avenue we saw the opportunity to make the move and get the show more centrally located again. We have been doing our Tennessee Motorama at the facility for the past three years and the building is perfect for what we do.

What are the judges looking for as they judge the contests?

Judging a show is tough; the judges have to leave what they like in a bike out of the equation and focus on things like craftmanship and the fine details. Such as is basically stock classes where things are pretty much similar in the bikes, it’s little things that add points—did the owner clean behind the battery, did they not overdo on accessories but still make the bike their own? The original bikes and custom-built bikes are way tougher to judge and are two separate beasts. Custom motorcycles are rolling works of art, and art is so interpretive, but this art has to perform.

On the custom bikes we generally look for some main points, and our No. 1 in any class is functionality: is the bike ride-able? Doesn’t mean it’s comfortable, but is it capable of going down the road on its own power? We had a guy one year get upset because his bike took 3rd out of three—the bike didn’t have a chain so it wasn’t functional, even though it was a killer job and he just ran out of time to get it to the show; it didn’t function. Restored bikes are tricky, but we take a little more time on those to check for originality. The whole thing is, if you’re not having fun and are getting too wrapped up in whether you are getting a trophy, we think you’re doing something wrong!

We want folks to have fun with it, enjoy the camaraderie and RIDE your bike.

Have you seen a pretty diverse crowd of motorcycle enthusiasts at past shows?

I have been around bikes all my life, and I have always said that the bike community is the best of any group there is. At our show

you will see outlaw bikers mingling with Christian motorcycle groups; they genuinely care for each other and look forward to spending time talking about motorcycles and what rides they have been going on. I know doctors, lawyers, school teachers and mechanics that ride. Two wheels are a big bond to folks who may not otherwise interact.

Is there one bike after all of the years that sticks out in your mind?

For me personally it’s almost always a handbuilt custom that catches my eye. I really like the creativity and hard work and soul people put into them, and I especially admire the ones that build them, then thrash the hell out of ’em riding them. I get a kick out of seeing awesome paint jobs with rock chips in them; build them and use ’em. We’ve had so many awesome bikes at the show, I’d hate to pick one in particular. The antiques really get me too. We’ve had bikes that were built on those TV shows, bikes that were featured in tons of magazines, some before and some after appearing at our show . . . so no, I can’t pick just one, there’s always several every show that I would take home if I could!

What are some of the activities and entertainment offered at the show?

Best of Show bike wins $1,000. We will be giving away a 1974 Honda CB350 Cafe Bike as the Grand Door Prize—it will be given away at 4:30 p.m. and you must be present to win-we will draw until we have a winner. In addition to checking out all the cool bikes, we have a great swap meet with everything you can imagine. New and used parts, clothing and riding accessories, novelties,

vintage motorcycle memorabilia, stuff like old signs, you name it, it’s here. We’ve gathered enough stuff in the swap meet before to build a complete bike. In addition to the show bikes, we have some select rat rod cars and trucks for folks to check out. Bumpus Harley-Davidson is a sponsor and is always on hand selling their merchandise at great prices, and they always have a ride from the dealership to the show that morning. Sloan’s Motorcycle and ATV will be on hand, and right now the Grand Door Prize Honda is in their showroom for you to preview.

All ages?

Yes, this is a all-age show.

Is advance registration required for bikes?

It is not required, but all who register by March 24 will get a free Spring Thaw Tshirt. We have classes for alltypes of bikes: Harley, Metric, Custom, Antique, Competition and more. Rat rod classes are limited to pre-1968 vehicles. The entry form is on our website at bothbarrels.us.

What else would you like to tell the good people of Murfreesboro about the Spring Thaw Motorcycle Show?

If you would like to see some of the best bikes around, or need to find that perfect part to finish your ride, come on out.

Middle Tennessee Expo Center is located at 1209 Park Ave., Murfreesboro.

For more information on the Spring Thaw and other Both Barrels events, visit bothbarrels.us.

BOROPULSE.COM

* MARCH 2014 * 15

Ash and Andrew Mikhail serve up healthy, filling meals at Gyro Tabouli each day.

FOOD

THE DISH NAME: Gyro Tabouli LOCATION: 2706 Old Fort Pkwy.

Suite B PHONE: (615) 895-1276 HOURS: Mon.–Sat.: 10:30 a.m.–9 p.m.; Sun.: 11 a.m.–8 p.m.

PRICES: Mixed Grill Plate: $6.99; Grape Leaves Platter: $6.79; Baklava: $1.79

Holy Gyro!

story and photos by BRACKEN MAYO

Gyro Tabouli: offering satisfying meals for vegans and carnivores alike

N

aturally, Gyro Tabouli, as its name implies, offers gyro meat (the increasingly popular beef and lamb mixture now found at many diners across the U.S), and tabouli (a salad of Middle Eastern origin).

But restaurant owner Ash Mikhail wants the people of Murfreesboro to know that his establishment offers much more beyond that, many of the dishes and platters being totally vegetarian.

Murfreesboro vegetarians can sometimes complain of the scarcity of local eateries that offer quick but filling meals.

They should try Gyro Tabouli, then, and perhaps the falafel.

“Falafel is a veggie burger,” Mikhail explained, as he patted out some of the chickpeabased burgers in preparation for cooking.

The result is a delicious, flavorful, crabcake-like patty, made primarily out of bean paste and seasoned with cilantro, onion, garlic, pepper and parsley.

Try them with some rice and tabouli, perhaps.

“Our tabouli salad, nobody else knows how to do it like we do,” Mikhail said, hinting that mint is often included in the salad,

16 * MARCH 2014 * BOROPULSE.COM

also heavy on parsley and onion.

The grape leaves are another veggie dish offered at Gyro Tabouli, as part of its quest to bring a Greek/Middle Eastern fusion to the ’Boro.

The grape leaves platter is an all-veggie affair served with tabouli, rice, bread and other veggies if you so choose. Flavor up and color this or other plates with olives, tomatoes, pepper varieties and other veggies of choice.

The grape leaves, stuffed with rice and seasonings, have a distinct pickled-vinegar twang to them, if you are into that sort of thing.

Of course, Gyro Tabouli offers hummus as well. As with falafel, the primary ingredient in hummus is the chickpea (or garbanzo bean), and this is perfectly seasoned with garlic, lemon, olive oil and tahini. As Mikhail points out, it is gluten free.

“Some vegetarian people come once a week, or more,” the restaurateur continued.

“We create the hummus and falafel from scratch,” Mikhail explained. The whole process, starting with hard beans, is time consuming, but the professional quality result is worth it, he added.

If you’d like to add another item to a hummus plate, the restaurant offers various hum-

(Top left) Gyro platter.

(Above) Grape leaves.

(Below) Falafel with hummus and tabouli.

mus platters; one can get a hummus platter with gyro meat or chicken for $7.20.

Ash’s son Andrew touts the health benefits of the high-quality, protein-packed garbanzo, as well as the chicken and gyro. Father and son point out that some bodybuilders, along with those who are even casually concerned with health and fitness, regularly patronize Gyro Tabouli, hungry for its lean protein and veggies.

Can’t decide on one of the many platters on the Gyro Tabouli menu? Ash will make a customized plate for a customer with

samples of various dishes.

So whether you are a vegan or a carnivore, looking for an affordable lunch for one (grab a sandwich and a side for $5.59), something quick to bring home for dinner (one pound of gyro meat is available for $7.99, and rice, hummus and more are available in various quantities), or catering for a large party or group (“We have two weddings coming up,” noted Ash), check out Gyro Tabouli, 2706 Old Fort Parkway.

And remember, every now and then, it’s OK to splurge a little and polish off a meal with a heavenly, sticky-sweet and flaky baklava.

BOROPULSE.COM

* MARCH 2014 * 17

FOOD (Left) Cheryl Myers of Farm Country Cheese House gives out lots of samples at her McMinnville shop and at the Nashville Flea Market.

(Above) The cheesemaking process.

story by BRACKEN MAYO photos by SARAH MAYO

SAY CHEESE!

Farm Country Cheese House offers dozens of all-natural varieties.

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A MIDDLE TENNESSEE VENDOR is making sure the area has access to all-natural, hormone-free cheeses.

Farm Country Cheese House is located in McMinnville, and store operator Cheryl Myers also supplies those at the Nashville Flea Market with the variety of natural cheeses each month, as well as at other area shows and events.

Although the cheese is produced in Michigan, it has become an important part of many Tennesseans’ diets, and many consumers with concerns about mysterious hormones, chemicals, antibiotics and genetically modified ingredients appreciate the company’s dedication to a clean product.

“From the beginning, the Amish communities in and around Lakeview, Michigan, have supplied all of the milk and most of the labor to process the wide variety of cheeses we sell,” according to the Farm Country website. “Our Amish farmers’ average herd size is up to 20 cows. The cows are naturally raised, grass fed and antibiotic free, with absolutely no artificial hormones introduced in their diet. The farmers milk the cows twice daily, by hand, for delivery to the Cheese House.”

The Farm Country label offers dozens of different varieties, nearly all of them based on either a cheddar or a jack cheese.

Some of the jack-based varieties include olive, bacon, truffle, horseradish, vegetable, hot pepper, dill and more.

The ingredients added to the jack cheese give each variety a distinct taste, and offer an abundance of recipe opportunities.

Try some horseradish in your mashed potatoes; slice olive or vegetable cheese for a uniquely-flavored cheese tray for snacking; top your soup with hot pepper.

“My little granddaughter loves the habañero,” Myers said.

This variety is even hotter than hot pepper-style jack, which packs some spicy punch in its own right.

“Some like to make pimento cheese out of hot pepper,” Myers added.

The Farm Country cheddars are offered in a variety of sharpness levels: regular, medium, sharp and extra sharp.

Colby is an unaged yellow cheddar, while the marble is a delicious swirled blend of the white jack cheese, and yellow colby, suitable for seemingly any job requiring cheese.

Meyers offers her customers the chance to sample quite a few of the varieties before making their selections.

Customers find the flavors, and combinations, that they like for customizing grilled cheese sandwiches, soups, grits or tacos to their taste. But many young and old enjoy a simple sliced square of all-natural cheese just to eat by itself.

Farm Country cheese is available in 8-oz. bars or 5-pound deli blocks.

Check them out each month at the Nashville Flea Market in the Exhibitors Building, or visit the Farm Country Cheese House at 1100 Smithville Hwy, McMinnville, open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. For more information, find Farm Country Cheese House on Facebook or call (931) 474-2440.

RECIPE CORNER recipe and photo by CHRISTY SIMMONS

Bean and Quinoa Veggie Burgers INGREDIENTS:

2 cups cooked quinoa Two 15-oz. cans beans (any bean you like—I used a three-bean blend) ½ red bell pepper, finely chopped 1 cup of crimini (baby bella) mushrooms, chopped ½ small red onion, minced 1 small zucchini, chopped 4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce (vegan option: Bragg Liquid Aminos) 2 tbsp. of veggie bouillon paste 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 tbsp. kosher salt 1 tbsp. black pepper ½ cup of panko breadcrumbs

DIRECTIONS: COMBINE all ingredients in large bowl and use clean hands to mash the beans into a paste. This will help your burger bind. Let mixture sit for 15 minutes.

FORM patties out of the mixture (If it is too loose, add more panko crumbs until mixture can hold a shape).

HEAT a few teaspoons of oil in a pan and fry patties until crispy on both sides.

SERVE on a bun with your favorite accompaniments and sides.

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* MARCH 2014 * 19

ART

Black and white photograph by Robert Gerhardt; paintings

by Steve Matthews.

Mel Casas’ art is the subject of a new book

by MTSU professor Nancy L. Kelker.

 City Hall Hosts “Celebrate Diversity”

 MTSU Professor Pens Books on Artist Mel Casas MEL CASAS’ ART HAS BEEN DESCRIBED AS SUBTLE, outrageous, witty, confrontational, controversial, innovative, provocative, erotic and even X-rated. As art historian Nancy Kelker explains in an important new book, Mel Casas: Artist As Cultural Adjuster, Casas’ paintings are all of that, and more.

The book traces Casas’ career from his early flirtations with Abstract Expressionism through the inception and ongoing development of his signature Pop Art “Humanscape” series. Inspired by American mainstream culture: Hollywood movies, the Vietnam War, Watergate, civil rights and women’s issues, Casas’ Humanscapes were designed as impact pieces—immediately comprehensible images—featuring visual conundrums and witty tag line puns intended to challenge the viewer’s cultural and social complacency.

Nancy L. Kelker is a professor of art history at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. She first became acquainted with Mel Casas in the 1970s when he hired her as an adjunct instructor at San Antonio College.

In the 1980s Kelker worked at the San Antonio Museum of Art as the curator of Latin American art. She is the author of several articles and exhibition catalogues and the co-author with Dr. Karen Olsen Bruhns of Faking Ancient Mesoamerica and Faking the Ancient Andes (2010).

Mel Casas: Artist As Cultural Adjuster is available through amazon. com and other fine book sellers. A digital edition will be available March 15.

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THE MURFREESBORO CITY HALL ART COMMITTEE, along with the Murfreesboro Peace and Justice Art Project, announced an exhibition celebrating diversity during Black History Month, showing photographs by Robert Gerhardt of New York City and paintings by Steve Matthews of Murfreesboro.

The artwork is on display until March 14. City Hall is open Monday–Friday, from 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Matthews, a Murfreesboro resident and owner of Steve’s Fine Art Gallery, 415 S. Academy St. in Murfreesboro, is a self-taught artist. He paints with oils in a photorealism style. His portfolio consists of a variety of portraits, landscapes, murals and animals.

“It is my desire to preserve a portion of (African) American culture on canvas. This will enable future generations to view who we are: past, present and future,” Matthews says. “I want the younger generation to be inspired by my struggles and ambitions, to know that they too can follow their dreams.”

Gerhardt's work is shown internationally and the photographs included in the city hall exhibition are part of his series “Muslim/American, American/Muslim,” on display at Tennessee Tech University.

“I desire to look into the stories, people and places that others simply glance at, or overlook completely,” Gerhardt says. “For me, it is not a matter of visiting a place, making photographs and leaving.

It is about getting to know the people and places I photograph, which can only be accomplished over extended periods of time. It is about trying to step out of my world and into theirs. To sometimes stop being a photographer and know when to put down the camera, and listen and talk instead.”

View Steve Matthews’ work at stevesfineart.com. View Robert Gerhardt’s photography at robertgerhardt.com. For more information on the exhibit, visit facebook.com/murfreesboropeace.

 Stockard’s Musical Moments Hung at Center for the Arts THE MURFREESBORO CENTER FOR THE ARTS GALLERY will host the paintings of Diane Stockard throughout the month of March.

Stockard’s vibrant works explode with color, and often depict blues, rock and jazz artists as they perform their art.

An opening reception will be held at 6 p.m. on Friday, March 7, at the Center for the Arts, 110 W. College St. For more information on the Center for the Arts, call (615) 904-ARTS or visit boroarts.org.

To view more art by Diane Stockard, visit dstockard.fineartstudioonline.com.

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* MARCH 2014 * 21

SOUNDS

SOUND PAINTING Interview With Pocket Vinyl

story by JESSICA PACE THIS MARRIED DOUBLE ACT from Connecticut known as Pocket Vinyl incorporates live art into their performances–Eric Stevenson hammers the piano keys and sings while Elizabeth Jancewicz paints a painting to be auctioned after the show to an audience member. The Murfreesboro Pulse was interested and wanted to hear about the duo’s creative process before they make a stop at Liquid Smoke on Wednesday, March 19.

MURFREESBORO PULSE: How did you two meet and start playing music together?

ELIZABETH: We met while I was in college, and Eric had graduated but still lived in the area. He came and modeled for some figure drawing I was doing. Long story short, we began dating right as he started to book his first tour. I wanted to come along, and since I’m a painter and not a musician we decided to give live art a try, and it worked out much better than expected.

Eric, how did your playing style with the piano develop?

ERIC: I hated playing the piano for the most part until 10th grade, when I started jamming with friends. The piano is kind of a quiet instrument when compared to an electric guitar or drums or something, and when playing with friends, we couldn’t hook up a piano to a PA really, so I just learned to try and play as loud as I could so the others could hear. Plus, some of the bands I loved (Radiohead, Ben Folds Five, Beck) would use the piano in traditionally “unpretty” ways. The piano is kind of an uncool instrument as is, and I enjoyed slamming it.

It somehow gave it more credit in my mind.

Over time I guess I just learned how to slam it methodically, and now people tell me I have a style, but I still just hit it in my mind.

Is songwriting a collaborative effort?

ERIC: Yes and no. Not directly. We both influence each other with conversations, experiences we share, jokes, etc., and those things make their way into paintings and songs. I almost always run lyrics by her, and she’ll tell me if they suck or not (same with the music).

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Pocket Vinyl (top left) has toured all over the east coast. Stops include, (above clockwise) Buffalo, NY (bear); Newark, DE (duck); New Haven, CT (llama); Lancaster, PA (polar bear)

What is that process like?

ERIC: Usually I come up with the music first. Sometimes I’m trying to rip someone off, sometimes I’m trying to learn another song and come up with something during that. Sometimes I just make my fingers move nonsensically on the piano to get warmed up, and a riff or chord progression comes through. A lot of songs of mine take a year or two (or more) until I feel like I’ve figured them out completely. Other songs come much faster for reasons I don’t know. This one song called “Potential” took me a few weeks to write, from conception to completion, which is very quick for me, yet many have told me it’s their favorite on the new album. It’s flattering and frustrating; another song called “Salem Witch Trials” on the same album took about three or four years to write!

Does being a couple create a challenge or make the working process easier?

ELIZABETH: I think it makes things easier. We both care about the other person and the other person’s respective art forms and want to see each other succeed. We can bring thoughts and ideas to each other and

know that we’ll not only receive support, but also an honest opinion about whether or not to continue in any given direction. Plus, when we’re on the road experiencing stressful and exhaustive situations, it’s really wonderful to have emotional support.

ERIC: I can’t imagine touring half the year with anyone else. I can see why a lot of bands break up after tours at this level.

Elizabeth, do you have an idea of what you want to paint prior to a show or do you decide that on the spot?

ELIZABETH: For the first two years of performing, I would purposefully not think about what I’d paint and go up on stage with a completely blank slate and see what happened. It was an interesting and abstract approach, but I began to discover that I would continually fall back to similar themes over and over again. I was painting what I knew I could accomplish, so I wasn’t challenging myself on stage. I started getting really bored with my paintings. So about a year ago I decided to begin doing some sketching before each show. I brainstorm ideas onto paper, and that way if I have an idea that might be more challenging to execute, I can figure out

the difficulties before stepping onto the stage.

I’ve found sketching beforehand really frees me up while I’m working on the actual painting and allows me to make more bold and interesting (at least to myself ) choices. It’s all about keeping myself engaged.

Ever not finish a painting in time?

ELIZABETH: Once I did ask Eric to perform an extra song so I could tighten a few things up. But typically I know the exact length of each song and I know what I can physically accomplish with that time.

Does the music inspire the painting, or are the two separate?

ELIZABETH: We get asked this all the time, and the answer is yes and no. The paintings are not directly inspired by the exact song or songs that are being performed during any single show, but rather are inspired from touring together, listening to Eric practice and figure through pieces at home, events on the road and people we encounter.

Catch Pocket Vinyl at Liquid Smoke, 2 N. Public Square, Murfreesboro, on Wednesday, March 19. For more information on the group, visit pocketvinyl.com.

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* MARCH 2014 * 23

SOUNDS A very eclectic range of musical artists have come to Murfreesboro to perform in the 527 W. Main St. building over the past decades.

OVER THE PAST EIGHT YEARS, Main Street Live’s operation has been handled by Josh Qualls along with his family and friends. Some of the biggest electronic music shows to hit the music hall over the past year include EOTO, Bro Safari and Wick-It the Instigator.

Qualls’s production company, Bass Warp Presents, has also begun to throw shows in Nashville with acts such as Diesel Boy, and the company predicts via Facebook to host Brillz, Marty Party, Infected Mushroom and other EDM shows at a new location to be called Tempt.

DOWN ON MAIN STREET 527 W. Main St. sells, new owner looks to early days for inspiration.

W

e have all seen the music hall at 527 W. Main St. change names over the past few decades, from the original Main Street Music Emporium and 527 Main Street on to Main Street Live, Gilligan’s, Bongo Johnny’s, Sweetwater, Inferno Bar and more.

There have been many different music genres featured within its walls in that time, from rock ’n’ roll to electronic music to country.

Some favorite acts that locals have seen here include Faith No More, Firehouse, Hocus Pocus, Hank III, Great White, The Codetalkers, Bad Brains, Doc Watson, Vanilla Ice, EOTO, Saliva, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Rev. Horton Heat, Candlebox and many, many more. As it is one of the only large music halls in Murfreesboro, it is highly unusual for a concert-attending local resident to have not been to a show at the 527 W. Main St. venue at least once.

Phillip Austin, owner of Austin Audio Visual Design, opened a music venue at 527 W. Main St. in 1980, then known as Main Street Music Emporium. He eventually purchased the building from Joe Swanson after a devastating fire, and hosted acts including Widespread Panic, Blue Oyster Cult and Faith No More during his time there, which lasted through 1998.

“I was a musician and I was tired of having no place to really play in Murfreesboro,” Austin said. “During that whole decade (the 1980s), it was actually the biggest club in Nashville. We’d draw touring bands, and people from Nashville.”

Ownership of the longstanding Main Street venue (which is currently unnamed) now be24 * MARCH 2014 * BOROPULSE.COM

longs to Murfreesboro native Chris Highers, who purchased the property at auction this past December.

“Chris Highers has the concept of bringing back a live-sound venue,” Austin explained. “He wants to bring it back to the way it was when I had it.”

The new place, as of this writing, will not be a five-night-a-week bar, but rather a place where bigname acts are presented a few times a month or so, Highers says.

Highers plans to have a large beer selection with a possible “bring your own liquor” policy, as the venue is planned to cater to a 21-andolder clientele. The upstairs stage will most likely be used for band openers, VIP opportunities and private events.

The opening for the new music hall is predicted for late spring. The likely first show will be Cold Truth’s album release party. The new Main Street will have a full kitchen, lots of open room for guests to mingle, couches downstairs, pool tables upstairs, audio by Austin Audio Visual Design and an outdoor patio. Local bands with a large following and national bands are likely to play at Main Street. For the first few months of operation, Highers plans to have many giveaways

Bass Warp to Now Present Shows at 211 W. Main St.

Luminox

featuring prizes such as guitars and other fun things to keep people coming back.

“I want a place where people can come hear good-quality music with a good sound system and plenty of room to move,” said Highers. “I have always liked music, and I have been coming to this place since Austin was running the place. I am really excited to see how it turns out.”

It’s safe to say that Murfreesboro is growing in the realm of live music, no matter what type of music you like. As Murfreesboro grows, so will the range of musical acts coming to the area. The gap between great music in Nashville and Murfreesboro continues to get smaller, and that is something we can all be excited about.

Stay tuned to the Pulse for more information on Murfreesboro venues and concerts.

That venue will occupy the former On the Rocks location (211 W. Main St.) and will have a similar atmosphere to the EDM shows Qualls promoted during his time at 527.

Tempt will host Skism, Victor Niglio and Crnkn on March 12 and Luminox on March 14. Qualls will also make the club available for shows brought in by outside music production companies, and mentioned the possibility of songwriter nights and DJ nights.

“We will have a very open, usable space with a really great opportunity for something new at this venue,” Qualls said. “We are happy to be bringing big-name acts to a city that at the moment does not have a lot of large live shows.”

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* MARCH 2014 * 25

MUSIC NOTES Performers at the 2014 Metal Fest on Hippie Hill include (right) Cold Truth, (below left) Lethal Chaos and Doom Factor.

 METAL IN MARCH AT HIPPIE HILL  MUSIC STOP MOVES TO ROBERT ROSE AFTER ESTABLISHING HIS STORE AS A DOWNTOWN MURFREESBORO fixture, Music Stop owner Allen Haynes made the tough decision to relocate the shop. The Music Stop celebrated a grand opening at 215 Robert Rose Dr. on March 1, and now there’s no looking back.

“This is more than just an relocation of the store. I have spent several months talking with musicians in the area, both customers and non-customers, to help me better understand what we need to focus on, and have gotten a great amount of feedback,” Haynes said.

The Music Stop will continue the festivities with a March 8 in-store performance by Jim Boggia. “Jim is an amazing songwriter,” Haynes said of the performer, who hails from Philly. “All of his albums are eclectic in nature.” The music begins on that Saturday evening at 7 p.m. with Ryan Crowley, Jordan Bennett, Mike Mason and John Salaway, with Boggia to follow.

The Music Stop is now occupying the space formerly housing Digital Planet. Don’t worry, Digital Planet is still in action in a smaller unit on the other end of the 215 Robert Rose building.

(Standing from left) Troy Guinn, Rob Campbell, Franko Hashiguchi, Linda Gale; (seated) Don Clark

 TSC CELEBRATES 21 YEARS AT THE BORO FOR TWO DECADES NOW, local Celtic players The Secret Commonwealth have played their annual St. Patrick’s Day show at The Boro. Catch them Monday, March 17, as they celebrate year 21 of the Commonwealth with a party and performance at The Boro. The current lineup consists of Rob Campbell, Uncle Don Clark, Linda Gale, Troy Guinn and Franko Hashiguchi, and TSC albums will be available on CD and vinyl at the show.

26 * MARCH 2014 * BOROPULSE.COM

EACH YEAR, HIPPIE HILL’S MUSIC AND FESTIVAL SEASON kicks off with Metal Fest, which will be seeing its third year on March 28 and 29.

The roster this year includes 21 bands and musicians from seven states, including Oklahoma, Texas, Michigan, Florida, Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee.

Among the performing bands are Even the Dogs, This City Awaits, HIPPIE HILL Sound Arsenal, Unarmed for Victory METAL FEST and Hellbent. Some of the top local metal acts include Doom Factor and LINEUP Unclean Us. FRIDAY, MARCH 28 It has become one of the premiere metal events for the Mid-TN area, and 5 P.M. nowhere else will you see this amount Monsters on Television 8 P.M. Horava of talent, from so wide an area, for this 9 P.M. Lethal Chaos cheap of a price.

10 P.M. Cold Truth Headliners on Friday, March 28, 11:30 P.M. Even the Dogs are locals Cold Truth, and Saturday’s 12:30 A.M. Hellforged top-billed act will be Atlanta’s newly signed band BONZ, featuring the SATURDAY, MARCH 29 same-named frontman who formerly 12 P.M. sang with cult-metal group Stuck Mojo One Nation Under Control and former Primer 55 guitarist Curt 1 P.M. Armed Ideas Taylor. The group recently signed with 2 P.M. Heretics Fork Eternal Sound Records.

3 P.M. This City Awaits “Hippie Hill has gone through 4 P.M. some very positive changes, and the Unarmed for Victory monthly musical camping weekends 5 P.M. Murder/Suicide have upgraded for safety and quality,” 6 P.M. Sound Arsenal promoter Richard Thornton said. “The 7 P.M. Ten Ton Gun amount of talent that will be coming to 8 P.M. Wolf Among Sheep the Hill will be phenomenal and sets 9 P.M. Doom Factor up for some can’t-miss weekends for 10 P.M. BONZ the music enthusiast.”

11:30 P.M. Unclean Us Weekend admission is $25, which 12:30 A.M. includes camping. Festival posters will Sometimes Saturday be available at the event.

Metal Head Radio will also be involved again this year, with Host KBar Newman of the Bearded Clam Show and Unclean Us guesting.

Hippie Hill is located at 8627 Burks Hollow Road, Christiana. For more information on Hippie Hill and the March Metal Fest, call (615) 8013433, like Hippie Hill TN on Facebook or visit hippiehilltn.org.

 MTSU WIND ENSEMBLE RELEASES ALBUM ON NAXOS LABEL MTSU’S WIND ENSEMBLE continues to stand alone among Tennessee university bands with the recent release of its second CD, Earthrise, a collaboration with three international composers, on one of the world’s most prestigious classical labels.

“We’re the only school in Tennessee that has one CD with Naxos, let alone two,” said Dr. Reed Thomas, director of bands and a professor of music and conducting in MTSU’s renowned School of Music.

Thomas conducted the Wind Ensemble for Earthrise as well as the 2011 release Angels in the Architecture.

“It’s such a great opportunity and a great experience for our students.”

Dr. Michael Parkinson, the school’s new director, said working with Naxos of America, the Franklin, Tenn., U.S. headquarters for the Hong Kong-based Naxos classical music group, gives the student musicians a chance that many musicians never get.

“It brings them into that world of recording that many musicians, let alone student musicians, never experience,” Parkinson said.

“Of course, preparing and performing a piece is a given in music education, but to have the opportunity to schedule several days for working with an internationally recognized recording company is very rare. It’s a wonderful opportunity to provide documentation of their work for years and years to come.”

The 12-song collection, which is available for MP3 and CD purchase, is part of the Naxos Classical—Wind Band Classics Series.

You can listen to previews of the CD on iTunes and learn more about it at naxos.com.

You also can hear the MTSU Wind Ensemble live in a special free concert set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 20, at Murfreesboro’s First United Methodist Church on W. Thompson Lane.

The featured composers’ backgrounds range from military bands to rock and jazz music. Nigel Clarke’s title piece “Earthrise,” for example, represents the drama of the entire NASA Apollo 8 flight. That work contrasts with the CD’s “Heritage Suite,” a representation of the day-to-day life of the historic market town of West Malling in Kent, England.

And Clarke’s “Their Finest Hour,” celebrating the Battle of Britain in 1940, uses the actual alarm bell that called the Royal Air Force fighter pilots to their planes.

Clarke, a former MTSU composer-inresidence, recorded the pieces with the Wind Ensemble in spring 2012 after the “Earthrise” U.S. premiere performance in Hinton Music Hall inside MTSU’s Wright Music Building.

You can watch the ensemble, conducted

by Clarke, perform “Samurai,” a song not in-

cluded on the CD, during the 2013 Wind Band Conference at MTSU at boropulse.com.

Composer Kit Turnbull, a friend of Clarke’s, provided “Griot,” allowing a trombone to assume the role of the griot, a poet, storyteller and musician who chronicles West African tribal stories through words, mime and movement.

“This trombone concerto was written especially for our soloist, professor David Loucky,” Thomas said. “It’s a very different piece than you normally expect from a trombone concerto, and I think people will really enjoy it.”

Jesús Santandreu’s “Sortes Diabolorum” evokes the violence of the Inquisition and the ultimate triumph of common sense over superstition.

“I love all these pieces, but I have to admit that my favorite is ‘Sortes Diabolorum,’” Thomas said. “Santandreu and I met in Chicago at a conference, and he gave me a copy of his work and said, ‘I’ve heard a lot about you at MTSU, please play this and enjoy it,’ just like that. We did!

“He spent a week with us and recorded it . . . and then I saw him again and asked him if he’d ever conducted his own music. He said no, and long story short, he came to MTSU to study conducting with me, and he’s now a second-year graduate teaching assistant here.”

Thomas said the MTSU ensemble members hope to work again with all three composers. Clarke is already making plans to work with the group next year for a potential gala premiere, and the ensemble certainly would be proud to continue its work for Naxos.

“Naxos titles are distributed internationally, via hard copy and streaming audio, so this is a wonderful thing for our students,” School of Music director Parkinson said. “With this partnership, we’re essentially dropping a very large rock in the musical waters right now, and it will have an impact for years to come.

“For our students, the school and the university to have the opportunity to record a second CD with Naxos speaks very well as to the esteem with which they hold us,” Parkinson continued. “International composers are getting outstanding performances of their works from us that others will be striving to attain. It’s a winning situation all around.”

Learn more about the MTSU School of Music and its ensembles at mtsumusic.com.

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SOUNDS

PHOTO BY KATI BAIRD

Bennett records with Carrie Underwood and other Nashville artists on his album, Duets II.

TONY BENNETT STOPS BY TPAC

T

story by SCOTTY WRIGHT

he evening of Feb. 20, while many were in tornado shelters, Tony and Antonia Bennett performed to a crowded theater at TPAC’s Jackson Hall in Nashville. On tour together to promote his new album, Classics II, they breezed through a dizzying selection from his timeless catalog and more.

Gracing the stage first, Antonia Bennett perfectly set the tone for the whole evening with a handful of standards ranging from “Teach Me Tonight” to the Noel Coward classic “Sail Away.” Inspired by Brenda Lee, who was a special a guest in the audience, Ms. Bennett performed “Always on My Mind” (better known in the Willie Nelson version, though Lee was the first to record the now-classic song). Had the next act not been Tony Bennett, I would have been disappointed that her act was so short.

However, I need not have worried, for she 28 * MARCH 2014 * BOROPULSE.COM

came out to duet with him, further proof to support that old adage about apples and trees.

Introduced via a recording by the one and only Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett took the stage to a standing ovation. Performing Gershwin’s “They All Laughed,” he laughed and danced around the stage, showing that at 87 years old he’s still got it. Backed by a quartet of veterans, including “Count Basie’s favorite drummer” Harold Jones, Bennett let them take the spotlight many times, proving he was not the only accomplished performer onstage.

The quartet setup allowed for the music and the mood to fill the room naturally, transforming TPAC’s Jackson Hall into a swanky downtown jazz club. Throughout the show, Mr. Bennett stayed cool in his crisp suit and tie—not the Justin Timberlake-type—dancing and snapping his fingers with a constant smile on his face. After receiving a standing ovation for “For Once in My Life,” Mr. Bennett joked with the audience, asking, “You want to go on?” The answer, of course, was

an enthusiastic “yes.” He followed that with “I’m Old Fashioned” and “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” for which he received another standing ovation, this one even louder than before. One of several highlights of the night was an intro he gave to a classic recording.

Recalling a letter he received from Switzerland many years ago, he was touched to be thanked for “saving his song” by the original composer, Charlie Chaplin. Mr. Bennett performed Chaplin’s “Smile” to rapturous applause to close out the night, but the crowd refused to let him end on such a high note.

He returned twice for the applause, surely teasing us, and then closed out the night with guitar-backed version of “Fly Me to the Moon.” Without the aid of a microphone, he showcased his incredible voice as well the Jackson Hall, about which he remarked, saying, “The acoustics are just perfect.” A oneof-a-kind singer, Tony Bennett is and always will be beyond compare. His warm presence convinces you he’s an old friend, and the timeless words that he so effortlessly sings make it so. With an ease on stage that only a naturally gifted performer could muster, Tony Bennett crooned and shuffled his way into our open hearts.

Before his encore, Mr. Bennett thanked the Nashville crowd, congratulating the city on being the “Music City of the world.” With that being said, it is we who should thank him for gracing our stage with his oncein-a-generation talent.

Before the show, I was able to steal a precious moment of the legend’s time, asking him a few questions about his show in Nashville.

Welcome to Nashville. While it is not the Big Apple, what is it like to perform in Music City, a town built upon a tradition of performing, not unlike New York City?

TONY BENNETT: Nashville is a mu-

sic town, so it’s the best possible place to perform, and I have loved being here over the years, especially because it is a city that loves and appreciates live performance, which is what I love most. Even when I record, I try to keep things as “live” as possible, with all the musicians in the room with me. We had a terrific time in Nashville when we recorded Duets II, and we had Carrie Underwood, Willie Nelson and Faith Hill

in the studio with us. Everyone we encountered was warm and welcoming, so it was a highlight of making that record.

What is it about these songs, these standards, that continually inspire you?

There was an era of songwriting mastery in the ’20s, ’30s and ’40s when you had the Gershwins, Cole Porter, Duke Ellington, all creating the finest popular standards. If you stick with quality then it always renews itself so that it never stops being inspirational.

When I started out, my premise was to establish a hit catalog, not just hit songs, as I wanted to avoid doing novelty songs that might hit it big for three weeks and then be instantly forgotten.

The music of the day constantly changes, and yet you have remained a consistent presence. What at do you think are essential elements to creating something timeless?

It’s all about quality—if it’s quality, it will last.

As a storyteller, how do you find that special way to communicate to an audience?

Singing is your method, but more than that, how do you craft your performances to create pure moments?

I strive to choose songs that connect with me and that I can say to myself “I understand that—I know what the songwriter was trying to communicate.” And then it’s my task to explain that to the audience, so it’s a matter of phrasing and tempo and emphasis to get the message across. It’s also why I love working with jazz musicians because they are so skilled that you can be completely spontaneous on stage and you don’t have to keep to what you rehearsed. That’s the best way to connect with an audience.

Aside from your lengthy career as a singer, you also indulge a passion for painting. Where did that artistic urge come from?

I have been singing and painting all my life, and I when I was growing up, my family was very encouraging to me and they would compliment me on my sketches, so they really told me who I am and gave me the desire to keep with singing and painting.

I have been very fortunate, as I truly feel I have never worked a day in my life—I spend every day doing what I love most.

ALBUM REVIEWS by JESSICA PACE

THE LOST RIVER CAVEMEN The Lost River Cavemen

HAUNTED DEVICE Haunted Device

3.5 4

3.5

Formed nine years ago in Bowling Green, Ky., The Lost River Cavemen are a quartet with a hybrid of slipshod backwater jazz and rusty string-driven folk that has landed them gigs alongside J.D. Wilkes and The Dirt Daubers, The Delta Saints and Keller Williams. They are Michael McMillian on guitar and vocals, Geno Wilson on stand-up bass, Steven Stewart on fiddle and Joshua Riddle on drums. With one full-length record under the belt, The Lost River Cavemen came forth with an eponymously titled sophomore LP last year.

“Warm Again” and “On the Road” are driven by tart, tactile strings that set a precedent for the record as a foothills sort of musical endeavor upset by the campy, horn-laden and percussive Spanishinfluenced “Spidery Bite,” with trumpet blasts amidst McMillian’s humor-ridden and simultaneously forbidding tone. “Crow Hollers Never” reverts back to the style of the album’s openers with a skipping acoustic rhythm with a melody crafted by strings patterned frantically across it.

“Ace’s Doowop” is a shoddy shot at the style the title indicates, “Dish Towel” is sort of early twentieth-century show music on which the horn reappears. “Dig the Mystery” is bookended with some cloudy call-and-response, and “Her Ghost Remains” is a beautiful sad drag (I’m in the sun, she’s in the shade . . .).

“South Kentucky Blues” is the album’s personalized pinnacle, the song that brings the new listener closer to the band’s home, time and place, even if it is a tall tale. As McMillian admonishes in a tone not unlike Colonel J.D. Wilkes: It ain’t no fun in cuffs and shackles, son Locked up with some assholes that you don’t know . . .

Life’s hard enough without jerks and such So won’t you all come down and join the family Hear the album at thelostrivercavemen.bandcamp.com and keep your ears to the ground for another Middle Tennessee appearance.

RATINGS: AVERAGE

Haunted Device’s indie-pop EP Haunted Device floated through the Pulse office more than a year after its Halloween 2012 release, but we’re glad it did. The band’s history goes nearly 10 years back through a handful of names, starting when vocalist/guitarist Chad McWherter and bassist/multi-instrumentalist Cory Johnson (of the Nashville band Calvin) began playing together as My Relationship With Gravity, lasting until 2007. Rollum Haas of The Features introduced them to drummer Chris Husak (affiliated with The Dead Towns and Screen Door Records), at which point MRG became Sleep Study, with the trio eventually going on hiatus to pursue solo projects.

Reforming in 2012 as Haunted Device, their debut is defined by rhythmic melodies and elegant feedback through bleary guitars that are the sonic equivalent of smoke machines and heavy fog.

It opens with “Haunted Device,” a limber, lithe number reminiscent of the somber, arty alternative ’80s stuff, possibly a little bit of Bowie. It’s a sweet melody with blustery distortion that brings to mind dancing through a smog haze.

“Part of Your Mind” is a minimal, bare pop melody with a pristine and glowing resonance, followed by the declaration time will take a bitter toll on you in “You Need Me,” reminiscent of World Party in its rhythmic structure and the sound of the vocals, which are not unlike Karl Wallinger’s. Crooning backup vocals top it off with—and this may be because the album’s title implanted the idea—a vibe that’s almost ghostly.

There is talk of stars in the following tracks “Orange Marmalade Kitten” and “Street Walker,” which seems appropriate in the reverb-y atmosphere, and the album comes to a close. Haunted Device is pretty much a one-trick pony, as is apparent after going two songs deep into the EP, but the trio’s brand of danceable sleeper pop is definitely a decent trick.

Find Haunted Device on Bandcamp.

A CLASSIC BELOW AVERAGE

OUTSTANDING AVOID AT ALL COSTS

DEAD BOROPULSE.COM

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Murfreesboro’s Music Through the Decades

Songs of the Frontier (1818-1849), Regaled by Excellence

T

he people of Murfreesboro had sent the invitation to the Hermitage, and Andrew Jackson had accepted. The memory of the great victory at the Battle of New Orleans in 1814 was fresh. At dawn, the Murfreesboro Sentinels, the community military company, had fired their muskets as the band played. Again and again, they marched and paraded in order around the Courthouse until finally arriving at the chamber reception hall inside. A patriotic song had been written for the occasion: Old Hickory was there, the poet sung The people of this pretty town, Dispatched a deputation down . . .

At the reception, many of the aging warriors—heroes from the Revolution filled with patriotic sentiments—raised their glasses to toast and salute their champion, Andrew Jackson. All present were regaled by the excellent music, including “Yankee Doodle” and “The Star Spangled Banner” and various lively marches that celebrated Jackson’s achievements. The festivities concluded with a ball, with many dancing reels resonating around the hall to “violins discoursing sweet string sounds giving life and spirit to all present.” The 12-hour social gathering finally ended with all in consensus, both young and old, who would support the idea of Jackson’s candidacy for President.

Murfreesboro played an important role in the political climate of Tennessee. As the state capital was transferred from Knoxville to Murfreesboro between 1819 and 1826, many important meetings convened with identifiable names who would later gain prominence on the national scene: Davy Crockett, James K. Polk, Sam Houston and, of course, Andrew Jackson. At the time, the slogan was popularized, “As Goes Rutherford So Goes Tennessee.” With the influence that our community had on the political climate of the nation, it could also be said, “As Goes Rutherford/ Murfreesboro So Goes the Nation.”

By 1815 in Rutherford County, elegant brick houses and beautiful country homes were replacing log structures. Murfreesboro was becoming a formidable economic center dotted with cotton plantations. Many of the wealthier, more refined families, with recognizable names like Lytle, Ready, Childress,

30 * MARCH 2014 * BOROPULSE.COM

Rucker, Maney and Murfree, had large, spacious homes and many slaves. These families entertained in a typical Southern grace and style, hosting parties and dances filled with popular music of the day.

Sarah Childress Polk was the third child of Joel and Elizabeth Childress, born when Rutherford County was formed in 1803. Joel Childress was one of those wealthy merchants and landowners who valued education.

When Sarah was 13 years old, she

the two piano pieces in the songbook was meant to be played in the parlors by amateur musicians: “Lord McDonald’s Reel” and “General Jackson’s March.” The melody for “Lord McDonald’s Reel” became an old-time Southern fiddle tune.

The romance between James K. Polk and Sarah Childress blossomed in Murfreesboro. Sarah was intelligent, charming amd simply radiant, with long black ringlets that loosely framed her lovely face. James not only

The John Childress Home on the corner of Lytle and Academy (Built about 1847 by John Childress, brother of Sarah); Portrait of Sarah Childress Polk; Piano belonging to Sarah Childress Polk in the parlor at the Polk home in Columbia

and her sister, Susanna, attended the Moravian Female Academy in North Carolina. In addition to her other studies, Sarah developed a love for music and compiled some of her favorite songs in a music book.

In 1942, that music book was lifted from some rubbish and has become one of the few preserved artifacts to have survived this period, a visible record of the popular songs of the day. The songs, mostly sentimental and patriotic, are not characteristically American. In addition, the book contains chivalric love and courtship, pieces for musical theater and instrumental works for the piano.

Her notations indicate that she obviously played these tunes as a musical pastime with her friends and family.

The songs were very familiar and typical of a young woman of Sarah’s economic and social position. One of

found Sarah fashionable but a fascinating conversationalist confidently discussing the issues of the day, along with poetry and history. Sarah would sing and play from her songbook for hours as they enjoyed each other’s company. Eventually, they married on Jan. 1, 1824, at the Childress home. Around Murfreesboro with celebrating bands, their nuptials were enjoyed with a weeklong round of house parities. However, Sarah’s strict Presbyterian beliefs would not allow dancing at these parties.

When James assumed the duties of Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives in 1825, Sarah spent the next 14 years supporting her husband’s political career, even acting as his personal secretary and keeping him informed of events relating to the political agenda of the moment.

Her reputation as a popular hostess,

along with her polished insight, was soon to advance her husband’s political career entertaining politicians and Washington socialites.

In 1844, James K. Polk, graduate of Bradley Academy here in Murfreesboro, became the 11th president of the United States. Sarah was notable for changing the public image of the White House. While she continued her devotion to her religious convictions, Sarah banned all dancing and hard liquor in the White House, a complaint of many who could not dance in the newly decorated ballrooms. Even so, with her formidable management skills, she enjoyed considerable respect and popularity as a First Lady.

One of the inclusions in Sarah’s songbook is “Hail to the Chief ” by songwriter James Sanderson. For this addition to appear in her songbook years before as a young girl is surprisingly prescient. As First Lady, she is often credited for ritualizing its use for future presidents’ arrival.

It is now considered the Presidential Anthem of the United States. To this day, its playing accompanies and signals the entrance of the President.

At the end of Polk’s term, James and Sarah returned to Nashville to retire; however, Polk became ill with cholera-induced fever and died 53 days later. Devastated and griefstricken, Sarah spent the remainder of her life preserving her husband’s legacy. For the most part, she became a recluse, only appearing to go to church or to visit her mother in Murfreesboro. She continued to wear full mourning clothes for 42 years until her own death in 1891.

What do you do when life throws you a curve, blindsiding you with an unexpected tragedy or event? Are you or someone you know going through a tough time—a death of a loved one, sudden loss of a job, or something that has happened that does not make sense? In your mind, audaciously, you are asking the sticky question, “Why, God why?”

You can choose to stay in the dark places in life wondering why, or move beyond the pain and confusion of your circumstances. We can press into God and trust Him even when we do not understand. Unlike Sarah Childress, don’t let the trauma of an event be a defining factor in your life. You can choose to stay in the valley of the shadow of death or rise above to be strong and renewed.

God is faithful no matter what!

(Visit boropulse.com for video performances of “Lord McDonald’s Reel” and “Hail to the Chief.”)

BOROPULSE.COM

* MARCH 2014 * 31

IF YOU GO:

SOUNDS MARCH CONCERTS

Send your show listings to listings@boropulse.com

THURS, 3/6 3 BROTHERS

WILLIE’S WET SPOT

VDJ Mikey Mike

A Trip Through the Forrest

THURS, 3/13

Alicia Smith Band

BUNGANUT PIG

BUNGANUT PIG

WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG.

MTSU Symphonic Band

FRI, 3/7

3 BROTHERS

MAYDAY BREWERY

BUNGANUT PIG

WILLIE’S WET SPOT

FANATICS

Island Wren Backlit

WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG.

Orpheus Vocal Competition

SAT, 3/8 3 BROTHERS

Rik Gracia, Blue Matches, Trigger Digit, Aye Mammoth, SkeetZo N’ Krysis

BUNGANUT PIG

Zone Status

FANATICS

Electric Albatross Project

MAYDAY BREWERY

Black Market Research

Joe Harvey Band

John Cochran Quartet

THE BORO

Megajoos, Dismantle, Sovereign

WED, 3/12 3 BROTHERS

Ryan Coleman’s Writers Night

BUNGANUT PIG

Third Coast Blues

NACHO’S

LaFever

SOCIAL

Real Wednesdays Rap Battle

TEMPT

Skism, Victor Niglio, Crnkn

THE BORO

Boro Blues Night

Pocket Vinyl LaFever

MAYDAY BREWERY

Sugar Lime Blue

TEMPT

Real Wednesdays Rap Battle

THE BORO

Boro Blues Night

BUNGANUT PIG

Atomic Trunk Monkeys Carpe Artista. Vagabond Songwriter & Friends Jonny Gowwow

Copper Into Steel, Daphne & JK, Anthony Adams and the Nite Owls, The Ponce Brothers, Lance Allen

READYVILLE MILL

Johnny B & the Balladeers

ROOSTER’S LONE STAR BBQ

Gravel Road Gypsies

THE BORO

WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG.

Shannon Moore

Jordan Patterson, Colin Chadwick,

BUNGANUT PIG

Josephine and the Wildfront

SUN, 3/23

WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG.

Willies Wonkers

3 BROTHERS

Look for a fun mix of classic rock favorites at the Pour House on Saturday, March 15, as the Sugar Daddys observe the Winter Can Kiss My Ass Party/pre-St. Patty’s Day Bash/Shannon’s birthday.

MON, 3/24

THURS, 3/20

SAT, 3/15

SAT. MARCH 15 @ THE POUR HOUSE

VDJ Mikey Mike

Luminox

WILLIE’S WET SPOT

THE SUGAR DADDYS

PULSE PICK

SOCIAL

WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG.

MAYDAY BREWERY

BUNGANUT PIG

Martin Rodriguez & the Rectifiers

Junkbox

WILLIE’S WET SPOT

TUES, 3/11

Ryan Coleman’s Writers Night

WILLIE’S WET SPOT

THE MUSIC STOP

Greez Monkeez, Black Market Research

3 BROTHERS

Backlit

FANATICS

Jim Boggia

WED, 3/19

NACHO’S

FANATICS

Miranda Louise

MTSU Jazz Combo

Shane & Lenny

FRI, 3/14

Corbitt Brothers

WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG.

LIQUID SMOKE

BUNGANUT PIG

Chais Music Hall 101 Spring St., Wartrace (931) 389-7050

CJ Vaughn Trio

Skinny B

WILLIE’S WET SPOT

Mojo Rose

BUNGANUT PIG

The Fabulous Hudson Hornets

3 BROTHERS

Bunganut Pig 1602 W. Northfield Blvd.

893-7860

TUES, 3/18

BUNGANUT PIG

SOCIAL

3 Brothers 114 N. Church St. 410-3096

Scattered Pieces

FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

MTSU Wind Ensemble

SOCIAL

Jazz faculty recital; Rebecca Easley

Live Jazz w/ John Cochran Quartet

WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG.

MTSU Salsa Band

Ryan Coleman’s Writers Night

BUNGANUT PIG

Franklin & Farris

My July

NACHO’S

Dennis & the Menace

SOCIAL

FANATICS

Zone Status

LaFever

Real Wednesdays Rap Battle

MAYDAY BREWERY

THE BORO

WILLIE’S WET SPOT

WILLIE’S WET SPOT

The Harmaleighs Evil Twin

WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG.

MTSU Saxophone Studio concert, Traci Myatt

Casual Exchange

FANATICS

Eight O’ Five Jive Band

MAYDAY BREWERY

3 BROTHERS

BUNGANUT PIG

BUNGANUT PIG

BUNGANUT PIG

Shane & Lenny

3 BROTHERS

SAT, 3/29

TUES, 3/25

WED, 3/26

FRI, 3/21

Mid-South Flute Festival

HIPPIE HILL

Skinny B

WILLIE’S WET SPOT

Gypsy Rose

WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG.

Boro Blues Night VDJ Mikey Mike

THURS, 3/27 BUNGANUT PIG

Charleyhorse Band

Metal Fest

The Smoking Flowers

READYVILLE MILL

Johnny B & the Balladeers

THE BORO

Iraconji

WILLIE’S WET SPOT

WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG.

Sarah Upchurch, vocal recital; William Duke, vocal recital; MTSU Trombone Studio Recital

MON, 3/31 WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG.

Christine Poythress, soprano and Joseph Walker, piano faculty recital; Scott Rife, junior clarinet recital

The Sugar Daddys

WILLIE’S WET SPOT

FANATICS

WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG.

Shane & Lenny

TUES, 4/1

Paula Van Goes

BUNGANUT PIG

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH

FRI, 3/28

WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG.

Junkyard Funk

MON, 3/17 BUNGANUT PIG

Zone Status

THE BORO

Markey Blues Band Amelia Honea, senior horn

MAYDAY BREWERY

Main St. Live 527 W. Main St. 439-6135 Mayday Brewery 521 Old Salem Hwy. 479-9722

CJ Vaughn Trio

Gerard Gobert, guitar; Heather Conner, piano

Readyville Mill 5418 Murfreesboro Rd. Readyville 563-MILL Rooster's Lonestar BBQ 223 W. Main St. 867-1836 St. Mark's United Methodist Church 1267 N Rutherford Blvd.

893-3455 Tempt 211 West Main St. 225-7757 The Boro Bar & Grill 1211 Greenland Dr. 895-4800

Joseph Allred

WED, 4/2

FANATICS

3 BROTHERS

The Pour House 2404 Halls Hill Pike 603-7978

Johnny B & the Balladeers

HIPPIE HILL

Metal Fest

NACHO’S

Wall Street 121 N. Maple St. 867-9090

Year of October

SOCIAL

Easy Roscoe

WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG.

Chris Lowry, senior percussion recital

READYVILLE MILL THE BORO

32 * MARCH 2014 * BOROPULSE.COM

Liquid Smoke #2 Public Square 217-7822

BUNGANUT PIG

MEDIA RERUN

View Concert Listings Online:

Stephen Simmons

JoZoara 536 N. Thompson Ln. 962-7175

The Aquaducks

The Secret Commonwealth

WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG.

3 BROTHERS

Ignite 810 NW Broad St. 962-8352

SUN, 3/30

BUNGANUT PIG

Reckless

Hippie Hill 8627 Burks Hollow Rd. (615) 796-3697

Nacho's 2962 S. Rutherford Blvd.

907-2700

Mid-South Flute Festival; John David Welch

SAT, 3/22

WILLIE’S WET SPOT

First United Methodist Church 265 W. Thompson Ln. 898-1862

WRIGHT MUSIC BLDG.

Snow Black Sunday

Skinny B

Fanatics 1850 Old Fort Pkwy.

494-3995

MTSU Wright Music Building 1439 Faulkinberry Dr. 898-2469

Atomic Trunk Monkeys

SOCIAL

THE POUR HOUSE

Cumberland Caverns 1437 Cumberland Caverns Road, McMinnville (931) 668-4396

The Jacks, Heyday and The Blood, Henry Daggs

WILLIE’S WET SPOT

Tennessee Union Band

Liberty Valance John Salaway

MAYDAY BREWERY THE BORO

WILLIE’S WET SPOT

Ryan Coleman’s Writers Night LaFever

Rap Battle

Elliott Wittstruck, Laura Maas

Willie’s Wet Spot 1208 S. Lowry St., Smyrna 355-0010

KARAOKE, TRIVIA, BINGO & DJ NIGHTS IN MURFREESBORO  MONDAYS

 WEDNESDAYS

BREW U Live Trivia, 7 p.m.

CAMPUS PUB Karaoke, 10 p.m.–2:30 a.m.

BUNGANUT PIG Live Trivia, 7 p.m.

MELLOW MUSHROOM Live Trivia, 8 p.m.

THE POUR HOUSE DJ, 7–11 p.m.

NOBODY’S Live Trivia, 7 and 9:30 p.m.

ROOSTER’S LONE STAR BBQ AND STEAK HOUSE Live Trivia, 7 and 8 p.m.

SAM’S Live Trivia, 8 p.m.

 TUESDAYS IGNITE Karaoke, 8 p.m.–12 a.m.

3 BROTHERS Live Trivia, 7 p.m.

OLD CHICAGO Live Trivia, 9 p.m.

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

THE POUR HOUSE Karaoke, 9 p.m.–1 a.m.

CAMPUS PUB Live Trivia, 8:15 p.m.

COCONUT BAY CAFÉ Live Trivia, 7:30 p.m.

WALL STREET Live Trivia, 8 p.m.

THE POUR HOUSE DJ, 7–11 p.m.

 FRIDAYS

NOBODY’S Bingo, 7 p.m.

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

MT BOTTLE Karaoke, 9 p.m.–3 a.m.

BREW U Karaoke, 7 p.m.-10 p.m.

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

CAMPUS PUB Karaoke, 10 p.m.–2:30 a.m.

 SUNDAYS O’POSSUMS Live Trivia, 8 p.m.

WALL STREET Team Bingo, 5–7 p.m.

THE POUR HOUSE DJ, 7–11 p.m.

To be included in the listings, or for information on setting up your own Karaoke night, contact zek@tnkaraoke.com

SPORTS

WHO HAS THE BILLION-DOLLAR BRACKET?

T

he Train Daddy is back with the more than the NFL post-season; anyone who knows me, well, I live and breathe football. pain, daddy, and ready to hit I am just saying college basketball you square in the mouth with has it figured out and the proof some sports knowledge in a is in the pudding. Most people sexy way; the Madness of could care less about college March is here and I am feeling basketball during the regular funky! So, what do I have for season; come March the you this issue? Obviously entire country is down with we will talk a little college the bracket and possible Cinbasketball, a Sochi breakderella stories. Obviously, the down on the Olympics, and NFL is still America’s favorite then the good stuff. sport. I guess what I am I wonder what Vladimir column by Z-TRAIN saying here is that football is Putin thought about the titanman1984@ yahoo.com the Holy Grail of sports, but double luge event. Is it a the Madness of March would gay sport in the mind of win the Oscar for best playoff system. the Russian Maniac? It is just two men, one So, the brackets have yet to be set; the retaking the top, the other taking the bottom, gions have yet to be set, but the Train Daddy flying down the ice at 90 mph. I can tell you is set and ready for some ball. Selection one truth about Putin: he knows as well Sunday takes place March 16 at 6 p.m., and as many others Obama is a punk, an awful after that we will all have the info we need to leader who talks big but does little. He knows fill out those brackets. Opening round games Obama is soft. No doubt Putin sucks also, but will begin March 18 and will last all the way he at least strikes fear into his enemies. until April 7, when the championship game Can you imagine Obama and Putin towill be played in Texas. gether as a team, flying down the ice in the I have always been a Kansas Jayhawks fan, double luge event? We all know that Putin and they have always had a strong team year would be on top and Obama on the bottom! in and year out. That’s my squad. Florida and As I said, the Madness of March is here, Wichita State look very strong; Wichita is the and there is not a better playoff system than first team in a decade to finish their season the bracket. The entire country is ready to fill undefeated. Last time was in 2004, when out those brackets; put some money in the St. Joseph’s went undefeated. Watch out for pool, and then the marks on the bracket begin, Virginia basketball, that’s my pick as of now hopefully kept to a minimum. You may agree and they look strong. This is what is so great or disagree with me on my statement that the about the tournament: we talk about all these NCAA playoff bracket is the best format in powerhouses and then the tournament begins, the world . . . but it is a fact! There is no other and always there is a Cinderella story. Everyone major sport that brings that much excitement always roots for the underdog to beat the big, in that sort of fashion. I never said I enjoyed it

SPORTS TALK

Warren Buffett

bad powerhouse team. Also, Warren Buffett has offered a billion dollars to anyone who can fill out a perfect bracket. It’s free to sign up and fill out online. Granted, the odds are 1 in 4,294,967,296, so good luck!

SO LONG, WINTER OLYMPICS

So let’s do some Sochi Sochi talk, the Olympic breakdown. Let’s start with the gold medal count, because it’s always about competition.

Russia finished first, followed by Norway, Canada and then the United States, holding the fourth spot. The U.S. was second in medal count with 28 total medals, and also the leader in bronze medals with 12.

There were many stories in these Olympics, and American hockey is at the top of my list.

The women imploded in the gold medal game vs. Canada, blowing a 2-0 lead late in the game, ultimately losing in overtime. In the world of women’s hockey, the Olympics is all you get: tough loss, and four years until you get another shot. The men’s hockey team failed to medal, being outscored 6-0 in medal rounds; at least they have a thriving sport to go back to, those poor American women have to wait.

This is the first time the host country swept both medal counts, gold and total, since Norway in 1952. The Dutch did the most with the least; 24 medals coming from only 41 athletes.

In comparison, Russia had 232 athletes and America has 230. My last memory of Sochi would have to be the Russian judge robbing the South Korean skater of gold and favoring the Russian teenager. Moments after the results came in, there was a hug exchanged between the judge and skater. Come on, man!

So, the Olympics are over, and we have the World Cup coming soon and then the Summer Olympics in two years. I don’t know about you, but I much more enjoy the Summer Olympics.

THE ‘N’ WORD

A few weeks ago ESPN aired an Outside the Lines special on the subject of the ‘N’ word, and the NFL’s proposed plan to penalize play34 * MARCH 2014 * BOROPULSE.COM

ers who use the word. Watching this hourlong special made it clear there were many perspectives on the word between the older generation and the younger generation. I found myself glued to the television almost in awe over some of the comments made. The NFL competition committee is reportedly expected to enact an official rule banning the use of the word, resulting in yardage penalties on field.

Imagine the ref having to explain that penalty over the loudspeaker: “Number 69 offense called number 58 defense a racial slur, 15-yard penalty,” and then the crowd riots. That might be a touchy subject for some players, especially after watching this series on ESPN. After watching this special it was obvious the older African American generation despised the word, for good reason. The majority of the younger African American generation confessed they use this word quite regularly, on and off the field, nigga with an “a” rather than ending in “er.” It’s like saying, “What’s up, my brother?” Many times people being interviewed in this series stated it is OK for black people, but never for white people or any other race to use the word in a casual manner. Charles Barkley even chimed in last year, stating that he uses the word and white critics can’t stop him. “I’m going to continue using it with my black friends, with my white friends, they are my friends.” Barkley then stated that black people should be allowed to do their own thing—why? I hate the word personally, it is from a generation where the word was used with complete hate, to downgrade a race, and it was a very troubling time. Just watch 12 Years a Slave, recently winning best picture at the Oscars, a powerful movie that shows the demeaning use of the ‘N’ word. I believe Barkley’s comments are about as ignorant as they can be. The word is used in hip-hop constantly, while in high schools all over the country many consider it cool to talk that way. A word that has so much history and can ruffle so many feathers, in my opinion, shouldn’t be used by anyone. Many will disagree with me, and this conversation can go on and on and on, but we live in a new age and it’s ignorant to think anyone has the right to the word and others don’t.

Just don’t say it, that’s my opinion.

Alrighty then, it’s time to wrap this thing up (always a good idea, gentlemen). Enjoy the madness of March, and don’t worry, the year is moving along fast and football will be back soon . . . can’t wait! Peyton has been cleared by doctors and the Broncos have their man at least another year. Enjoy the outdoors, plant a garden, do some work, get off your butt and enjoy life. Spring is upon us. Remember the finer things in life—like I always say, the 5 F’s: Faith, Family, Football, Food and Friends. The Train is out the station. Choo-choo!

MTSU SPORTS QUICK-CAP Shawn Jones has become a force on defense and offense.

BLUE RAIDER MARCH MADNESS How far into the postseason can MTSU basketball squads make it this month?

BY BRACKEN MAYO IN EARLY MARCH, with only one game left to go in the regular season, the MTSU men’s basketball team sits at 22-8 (and an impressive 12-3 in Conference USA play) for the season.

The regular season closes with a March

6 trip to Alabama to face UAB. El Paso, Texas, will then host the C-USA Championship tourney, beginning March 11. And then, of course, onto the big dance.

NCAA Tournament Selection Sunday is March 16, with the first tournament game set to tip off on Tuesday, March 18.

MTSU recently honored its outgoing seniors on the team prior to a Saturday game against Rice in the Murphy Center.

Seniors Kerry Hammonds II, Tweety Knight, Shawn Jones, Neiko Hunter, Zane Gibson, Torin Walker and Tavarres Jefferson have been part of a special era of MTSU basketball; the Blue Raiders have been particularly dominant at home over the past few seasons. After wrapping up a victory against Rice and the home slate of games for the season, the Raiders improved their stats to a 45-4 record inside the Murphy Center over the last three seasons, with 25-1 in home conference games during that span.

baseball team will return to Murfreesboro to take on UT on March 11. They will go on to host a packed slate of baseball action in Murfreesboro over the coming weeks, facing Charlotte, Lipscomb, Rice and Memphis at Reese Smith Jr. Field on the MTSU campus.

The first 100 fans at the Conference USA home opener against Charlotte will receive a special commemorative coin. That game is slated for a 6 p.m. start on Friday, March 14.

The athletics department is otherwise rolling out a variety of season promotions to keep things fun for the whole family, including free admission for kids wearing little league jerseys at Sunday games, and offering $2 tickets, $2 hot dogs and $2 drinks for games held on Tuesdays.

The softball team is even further into its season schedule. Despite a rough 5-17 start, there is plenty of ball remaining to be played this spring, including a couple of in-conference home doubleheaders later in March.

At the recent Conference USA Indoor Track & Field Championships held in Birmingham, a couple of Blue Raiders posted individual first-place performances.

Eliud Rutto won the 800-meter race with a time of 1:51.00, and Emmanuel Tugumisirize placed first in the 400-meter, running the race in 46.80.

Go Blue Raiders!

For more on MTSU athletics, visit goblueraiders.com.

Jared Allen

MTSU BASEBALL/SOFTBALL UPCOMING HOME GAMES MEN Mar. 11 – Tennessee, 6 p.m.

Mar. 14 – Charlotte, 6 p.m.

Mar. 15 – Charlotte, 4 p.m.

Mar. 16 – Charlotte, 1 p.m.

Mar. 25 – Lipscomb, 6 p.m.

Mar. 28 – Rice, 6 p.m.

Mar. 29 – Rice, 4 p.m.

Mar. 30 – Rice, 12 p.m.

Apr. 1 – Memphis, 6 p.m.

Apr. 2 – Memphis, 6 p.m.

WOMEN Mar. 8 – (DH) North Texas, 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Mar. 9 – North Texas, 12 p.m.

Mar. 22 – (DH) LA Tech, 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Mar. 23 – LA Tech, 12 p.m.

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL The women, also on the national radar, have one out of town contest remaining as well, at Tulane. They begin the month of March with a 25-4 record for the season, and they will also appear in action in the Conference USA Championships in El Paso.

The women’s big dance will commence on March 22, and this year’s Women’s Final Four will be held in Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.

Ebony Rowe

BASEBALL/SOFTBALL Baseball and softball action is cranking up this spring as well.

The baseball team begins the month at 4-6. After its own trip to UAB, the MTSU BOROPULSE.COM

* MARCH 2014 * 35

OPINIONS

La PALABRA Una columna del idioma español por

CAMERON PARRISH

Crop Circles: Not Debunked!

Círculos de Cosechas: No Desacreditados IN ENGLISH: Everything you have heard about crop circles for the past 20 years is wrong. Most of you have been led to believe that this phenomenon was first perpetrated by two elderly drinking buddies using some string and a board. You were subsequently led to believe this hoax was being copycatted by others as some type of secret pastime or art form. The creation of crop circles has even been demonstrated by Discovery Channel and A&E documentaries that seem to debunk the mystery. Elaborate fakes have also been employed as part of elaborate ad campaigns. Staged footage, expert opinion and clever editing made it all look like an open-and-shut case. Taking the bait, the public has now chunked this phenomenon into the dustbin of solved enigmas.

People of Earth: you’ve been lied to. Here is the truth.

Despite many counterfeits, no man-made formation has ever produced the most striking characteristics associated with the genuine phenomenon: plants whose stems are bent, not broken. Secondly, alterations in the crystalline structure of the plants themselves are always present. Changes in the local electromagnetic field are also detected within the formations.

Finally, there is the ability of the plants to grow after being laid, indicating they are alive and haven’t been trampled as they have with counterfeit circles. These aspects of the mystery are well-documented but often withheld from the public.

I’ll also mention that with few exceptions, when one of these groups attempts to replicate a formation, it’s accomplished over several days or with a large, well-funded team using equipment such as halogen lights and cranes, allowing them to work overnight. Such efforts typically attract crowds of onlookers and local authorities, with full knowledge of the landowner.

The truth of the matter is that these agroglyphs (fancy word for crop circle) are increasing in frequency and complexity. They are also occurring illegally, resulting in damage to valuable crops.

Most appear overnight and, according to many eyewitnesses, they form within seconds, often accompanied by flying orbs of light and other unexplained aerial phenomena.

But it seems someone wants to keep the public in the dark.

Many farmers say that they’ve been offered money by certain authorities to cut down crop formations shortly after they appear. Military helicopters flying at low altitude are also frequently witnessed after a new formation appears.

So who is behind the cover-up, and what’s the motive?

Many of my fellow researchers claim that U.S., British and German intelligence communities are involved with discrediting crop circle research behind the scenes. I personally believe they are responsible for the organization of crop circle enthusiast clubs such as circlemakers.org that are responsible for numerous formations to distract from the real ones. Nice website, seriously. But you aren’t fooling everyone.

Alas, a mere 600 words won’t permit me to present all the available evidence of the cover-up or fully introduce you to Robert Irving and Jim Schnabel, two individuals involved in dis36 * MARCH 2014 * BOROPULSE.COM

crediting crop circle researchers. But if you have doubts, please take the information I’ve provided and follow the trail.

The reason for the cover-up remains a mystery. Could it be that formations are communication from an otherworldly intelligence of a superior order? If it’s true that intelligence services of multiple countries share an interest in concealing the phenomenon, then what supranational organization or power structure does it threaten? Some believe that crop circles are messages meant for mankind that might awaken our consciousness to the reality that we’re not alone. At the very least, it can be acknowledged that some unknown force is responsible and that certain powerful entities are working to conceal this fact.

Semper Explorandum~

EN ESPANOL: Todo lo que ha oído acerca de círculos en los cultivos durante los últimos 20 años está mal. La mayoría de ustedes ha sido llevado a creer que este fenómeno fue primero perpetrado por dos ancianos del pub que utilizando una cuerda y un tablero.

Posteriormente hicieron creer que este engaño estaba siendo imitado por otros como una especie de forma secreta el tiempo o el arte. La creación de los círculos en las cosechas incluso ha sido demostrado por Discovery Channel y A&E documentales que parecen a desenmascarar el misterio. Falsificaciones grandes también se han utilizado como parte de campañas publicitarias. Grabaciones escenificadas, la opinión de “los expertos” y la edición de presentar una imagen de un caso claro como un engaño. Tomando la carnada, el público echa este fenómeno en el cubo de la basura de enigmas desacreditados.

Gente del mundo: A usted le han mentido. Aquí está la verdad. A pesar de los muchos falsos, en ninguna formación hecha por el hombre se han producido las características mas llamativas asociada con el verdadero fenómeno: las plantas con tallos doblados sin llegar a romperse. En segundo lugar, las alteracio-

nes en la estructura cristalina de las plantas son siempre presente. Los cambios en el campo electromagnético local también se detectan en las formaciones. Por último, no hay que olvidar la capacidad de las plantas a crecer después de ser mutilada, lo que indica que están vivas y no han sido pisoteadas como lo han hecho con los círculos falsos. Estos aspectos del misterio son bien documentados, pero frecuentemente ocultado al publico.

También hay que mencionar que con muy pocas excepciones, cuando uno de estos grupos tratan de replicar una formación grande, que se realiza a través de varios días, financiados y mediante un equipo con luces halógenas y grúas que les permitan trabajar un día para el otro. Estos esfuerzos normalmente atraen multitudes de espectadores, las autoridades locales, con pleno conocimiento de los terrenos.

La verdad del asunto es que estos agroglíficos (palabra cursi para crop circle) están aumentando en frecuencia y complejidad. Ellos también están ocurriendo ilegalmente, lo que produjo daños en cultivos valiosos. La mayoría aparecen en la noche y según muchos testigos , se forman en unos segundos, a menudo acompañado de orbes de luz y otros inexplicable fenómeno aéreo.

Pero parece que hay alguien que quiere mantener al público en la oscuridad. Muchos agricultores dicen que, tras aparecer estas formaciones en sus cultivos, inmediatamente algunas autoridades les ofrecían dinero para hacerlas desaparecer. Además helicópteros militares llegan frecuentemente después de aparecer una nueva formación. ¿Pues quién está detrás de la cubierta y cual es el motivo?

Muchos de mis colegas investigadores sostienen que EE.UU., Gran Bretaña y Alemania cuentan con la participación de las comunidades Inteligente para desprestigiar las investigaciones bajo cuerda. Personalmente, creo que son las responsables de la organización de circlemakers.org y otros clubes que son responsables de numerosas formaciones para distraer la atención de los verdaderos. Pero no están engañando a todos.

Por desgracia una mera 600 palabras no me permite presentar todas las pruebas de la existencia de la cubierta o de los hechos de Robert Irving y Jim Schnabel que son personas que participan endesacreditar a los investigadores. Pero si usted tiene alguna duda, por favor, tomar la información que he proporcionado y siga el camino.

El motivo de la operación de encubrimiento sigue siendo un misterio. ¿Podría ser que las formaciones son la comunicación de una extraterrestre inteligencia de orden superior? Si bien es cierto que los servicios de inteligencia de varios países comparten el interés en ocultar el fenómeno, entonces, ¿qué organización supranacional o estructura de poder se amenaza?

Algunos creen que los mensajes son destinados a la humanidad y que podrían despertar nuestra conciencia de la realidad de que no estamos solos. Por lo menos, puede reconocerse que una fuerza desconocida es responsable y que algunas entidades poderosas están trabajando para ocultar este hecho.

Semper Explorandum~

Give States Their Education Rights Back

M

ichelle and Barack Obama have issued an edict to public schools to ban ads for junk food and soft drinks in schools. Now, I think it’s probably a bad idea to be pushing junk food in schools, but this is not the Obamas’ call.

In fact, it’s not the call of anybody in the federal government.

however, has made it too tempting.

So, there’s only one solution to this. We need to dissolve the Department of Education. I can hear a collective gasp from many of you reading this. Just so you’ll know, the Department of Education has only been around since 1979. Yeah, I was able to make it all the way through school without one.

It started out innocently enough. It was supposed to be a clearinghouse for great ideas. In other words, they were supposed to monitor what was working in one state and share it with the others. Eventually, Schools are run by the states and the counties or cities. They have school boards though, it did what any government agency does. It took on a life of its own. Now it that are elected and accountable to the is a huge behemoth that grows each day people. If anyone is going to ban ads of in its audacity. To put it another way, and any kind in schools it’ll be them. But the a way Michelle Obama might understand, Obamas think it’s their place to do this. it’s a bully. The DepartI’m waiting for a governor somewhere to stand VIEWS OF A ment of Education is bullying states and local up and put these federal districts. It’s telling them officials in their place. So column by too often what to teach far, I haven’t seen one.

PHIL VALENTINE philvalentine.com and it’s telling them what But this didn’t start to feed their kids. with the Obamas. I’m not Pretty soon, candy sales for the school sure where it started. George W. Bush had band will be outlawed. The local ice his No Child Left Behind program that cream store won’t be allowed to by an ad dictated standards to schools. Like the in the school yearbook. Then the school Obama initiative, it was well-meaning but newspaper won’t be allowed to publish it was wrong. The federal government has pictures of kids at a fast-food restaurant. no business getting involved.

The reason they do is because of money. Where will it end?

The short answer is it won’t. Not as They give money to the states, or more long as nobody is willing to stand up to accurately, they give the money back to these bullies. And what’s this obsession the states, and there are strings attached. with our health and our weight anyway?

States need to learn this lesson and start I mean, did anybody on the right tell weaning themselves from the federal Michelle not to get her hair cut like Moe government. The federal government, Howard? (Boy, I’m glad she dropped that hairstyle) No! It’s her hair. Why do they care if people are fat or not exercising or eating donuts or drinking too much or smoking too much?

Why? Because they’re liberals and that’s what liberals do. It’s not about live and let live. It’s about live and tell everyone else how to live. Think about it. Whether it’s the environment or gays or anything else, they feel compelled to tell you how to live your life.

It’s time states start pushing back. The reason the federal government has gotten away with this intrusion for so long is because the states have allowed them to.

That has to stop.

CONSERVATIVE

“We need to dissolve the Department of Education. I can hear a collective gasp from many of you reading this. Just so you’ll know, the Department of Education has only been around since 1979. Yeah, I was able to make it all the way through school without one.”

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

* MARCH 2014 * 37

OPINION

No More Employees

by DR. PHILLIP FOSTER IT WOULD SEEM STRANGE to concern ourselves with the labor participation rate 20 years from now.

However, as a practitioner of strategic foresight, it is just as important to examine the here and now as it is to explore the trends for the future.

This creates a textured picture of what the future may hold and it helps organizations navigate potential disruptions in their future. These disruptions could have an adverse effect on whether an organization is able to reach their preferred future.

There is more to an examination of labor than how the projections may or may not affect industry. The flip side to these discussions is in how they may or may not affect labor itself. I’ve written several blogs on the subject of the manager-less organization of the future. In doing so, I’ve had to consider the complete texture of a potential future.

Asking “what if ” to explore the potentials of the future, we are able to imagine disruptions with depth and certain context.

What if there were fewer employees in the future? What would that look like? What would that mean to industry, education and

38 * MARCH 2014 * BOROPULSE.COM

the economy? These are serious questions worth the exploration. In my previous writings I’ve explored the trends that may create pressure on a future workforce. One particular trend that caught my eye is the result of a prediction I read.

In 1989 it was predicted that by the year 2000 there would be less than 50% of the workforce (anyone who is actively working) in fulltime employment. In 2011, I read a Gallup poll that indicated this number was actually closer to 45% in full-time employment.

Playing these trends out another 20 years, we can begin to imagine the year 2034 as it relates to labor. Assuming a trend in which full-time employment is 35%, we will find slightly over 128 million individuals employed full-time.

Considering a near 366 million population in 2034, that leaves over 192 million individuals working part-time, less than full-time or not in the workforce at all.

This is a lot of meat to consume.

The bottom line, we will have a whopping 65% of individuals employed part-time or less than part-time, or unemployed. What does this mean for industry and what does it mean for labor itself?

For industry, it means that they are going to have to do more with less. Technology will play a key role in the organization of the future.

From the Internet and its limitless information to automated processes, we are going to see technology

continue to grow and influence our future. This will likely mean that the geographic footprint of corporate offices will decrease. In the technology field alone, developers are creating artificial intelligence that can write mundane coding assignments. Software automation is already developing so that it can anticipate how to respond to social media posts. We are looking at a future in which calling a company and expecting to speak to a human will be diminished. We will have more automated attendants and processes to interact with artificial intelligence. The manufacturing sector will likely continue to see an increase in automation of mundane tasks as they also drop to a justin-time manufacturing approach within a smaller factory footprint.

The advent and improvement of three-dimensional printing will bring manufacturing of day-today objects into the home, making consumers into producers.

How will this play out for labor itself? A larger number of individuals will enter into contract/parttime work and self-employment.

Individuals will begin to form powerful alliances with complementary products and services. Individuals will no longer be required to travel to a central office to work. Cloudbased connections and remote working with be the norm in 20 years. These changes will require more skilled labor than ever before.

The future can be viewed as that of a cerebral economy in which labor is more educated and skilled than in previous decades. The workforce will be seen as knowledge workers.

Geographical boundaries of work related to country of origin will collapse, giving rise to a new understanding of the global economy.

While governments remain intact, workers will know no boundaries.

A labor shift of this magnitude has many implications. Individuals will need generalist skills in a given industry as well as a deep understanding of technology. This will require access to high-speed Internet and other technologies.

While there is no guarantee that any of this will come to be, we do know that the trends are moving toward such realities. The question: how will society and organizations deal with a future much different than the one we have today?