36 minute read
LOVIN’ EVERY LITTLE TING
One love, one heart, one man
Texas Talent With A Pint
Advertisement
14 • THE PULSE • FEBRUARY 13, 2020 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM DAY ONE, FEB.4TH
We land in Montego Bay Airport minutes ahead of a storm that spends the next 12 hours waffling between gentle summer rain and “Hurricane Lite.” It is an unusual occurrence for this time of year when the rain generally appears daily from 3:00 to 3:15 p.m. with Swiss accuracy.
In the community of West Negril where the world’s greatest jerk chicken can be found nightly in makeshift roadside stands, it makes for a soggy supper. Rum helps. DAY TWO, FEB. 5TH
The rain has ended, and we are blessed with the finest picturepostcard tropical weather this side of a Corona commercial.
Our driver for the week, a wizened local with a penchant for random maniacal laughter known only as “Mister Taylor”, takes us deep in to the heart of the West End where tourists generally fear to tread (for no good reason at all) in search of information about the upcoming celebrations.
Bob Marley is something of a local hero, a favorite son of Negril, I N HONOR OF THE BIRTHDAY OF BOB MARLEY, The Pulse sent Music Editor Marc Michael to Jamaica to report on the observation of what is virtually a national holiday. Having to miss all the rain and snow this past week is just one of the many burdens a music writer has to bear for his chosen profession. By Marc T. Michael Pulse Music Editor Hoping for something a little more unique than dinner and a movie this Valentine’s Day? Or maybe looking for a fun way to celebrate Singles Awareness Day with your friends? For a truly stellar performance this Friday, go see Amber Carrington at Chattanooga’s own OddStory Brewing Co. at 7 p.m.
You may have seen the Texas native as a semi-finalist on the award-winning competition show The Voice in 2013 where she stunned judges and audiences with her powerhouse vocals.
Since then, she has shared the stage with the likes of David Foster and Vince Gill as she continues to hone her skills as a vocalist and a performer.
Carrington’s musical influences include Dolly Parton, Beyoncé, and Adele—a surprisingly diverse mix of vocal and music styles but with a voice as versatile as hers, why choose just one genre?
Although her roots are in country music, Carrington has performed everything from country ballads to punk rock jams, and she nails it every time.
While you listen, grab some of OddStory’s limited edition Coffee and Donuts Pastry stout. Made with a blend of Julie Darling’s donuts and Mean Mug cold brew, it’s like drinking a pint of home. — Halley Andrews it being one of the 42 places in Jamaica he was born (in addition to Nine Mile, where he was actually born.) Mr. Taylor suggests we stop for tea, a holdover (I assume) from the British Colonial days. When in Rome. The tea has a peculiar musty flavor, as though it has been stored in a damp basement for too long.
Later that afternoon…“I had one grunch, but the eggplant over there.” I cannot remember where I first heard this phrase, but I do know that for the last hour I’ve been hearing it in my head, over and over and over.
It feels deeply profound for reasons I cannot reasonably explain. Does it relate somehow to my assignment? Marley. Bob Marley. Bob Marley and Me. Wasn’t that a movie? It seems familiar and yet, I had one grunch, but the eggplant over there.
Later still…the TV only seems to
display one program about a tubby, middle-aged man with a melty face. Clearly, this is some high-brow artsy fartsy nonsense, shifting between Dadaism and Surrealism without effort. Probably the Simpsons did it.
DAY THREE, FEB. 6TH (BOB MARLEY’S BIRTHDAY)
The sun rose this morning with a magnificent “florp.” May have spent too much time in the tropical heat yesterday, feeling…well, not *bad* but perhaps a bit disconnected.
The excitement today is palpable. Street vendors are displaying ten thousand images of Tuff Gong creatively plastered to a wide array of products. There is nearly as wide a variety of bongs, pipes, chillums, clips, papers, bats, vaporizers, oil rigs, and whisker biscuits as can be found on a typical two block stretch of Pigeon Forge.
Cannabis, for personal use, is legal now, and people aren’t shy about celebrating that fact. I am offered a handful of gummi bears. Safe, harmless, familiar gummi bears, a childhood favorite.
Later that afternoon…tongue fuzzy. Fuzzy tongue. Fuzzy fuzzy fuzzy tongue. Shave tongue? No, shave tongue bad. A friendly stranger, apparently a shaman of some sort, offers me a refreshing beverage. “Overproof,” he calls it. Feeling a little cottony in the mouthal region, I throw it back. There is something familiar about it. I remember siphoning gas from mom’s car as a young man and accidentally swallowing half a mouth full. This is a lot like that, albeit not quite as mellow.
There is a TV behind the bar showing a cricket match. Five minutes pass as the Overproof and my stomach come to an accord that will hopefully pave the way to a full-blown peace treaty down the road. Time will tell, time which seems to be passing much more slowly when measured by the tense action of a cricket match.
I am starting to think I prefer the show I was watching back in the room. Heading back, I am mildly surprised to discover that our room has no TV. It does have a large mirror where I think a TV should be. Curiouser and curiouser.
It seems as if every musician on the island is playing tonight. There are stages all up and down the beach and in the few places where they aren’t, makeshift ones are being rapidly assembled. Soon I realize that the music is mainly for after dark, but today is the day for the Great Negril Donkey race. They may not be the majestic thoroughbreds of my home state, but they are stout little fellows with plenty of heart, maybe not so much brains. There is much excitement over today’s race, the “slowest fifteen minutes” in the sporting world is somehow stretched out into an eight-hour event.
Thousands of people are flooding the area but food and drink will be no issue as the current ratio of people to roadside chicken barrels seems to be about six to one.
Red Stripe is the drink of the day, ice-cold and refreshing. I wonder if perhaps it is brewed differently here as it seems to contain virtually no alcohol at all. It couldn’t, or else the case of it I’ve had in the last two hours would be having a far more profound effect. All is well, however.
The sun shines brightly, three little birds are singing sweetly, and a gentle breeze blows in from the placid sea in which the entire island of Jamaica seems to be gently bobbing and driftAway from the gaudy trinkets, cheap tourist crap, and the stereotypes perpetuated back home by bro-culture, there is love at the heart of the island and its music.” “
ing along.
Night falls and a hundred bass guitars rattle the soul with a throbbing downbeat. Fires are lit, people dance and sing and move as one amorphous sea of humanity. Locals and tourists mingle freely, no one is having a bad time, and the familiar strains of Bob Marley’s tunes fill the air along with more contemporary island music and, surprisingly, a fair number of American pop tunes performed in Reggae style.
There comes a moment under the full moon, on the snowy beaches of the West End, when a few thousand people are simultaneously chanting “One love, one heart, let’s get together and feel all right,” and it feels as though, just for tonight, there is one love, and one heart.
Far from the 24-hour news cycles and vicious politricks back home, in this tiny oasis in the Caribbean, it feels like every little ting gonna be all right. Away from the gaudy trinkets, cheap tourist crap, and the stereotypes perpetuated back home by bro-culture, there is love at the heart of the island and its music. A genuine love and appreciation for love and living that transcends all boundaries, real or imagined.
I hope that feeling is still there when the sun comes up. I hope I can bring some of it home with me, because lord knows it’s something we could all use right about now.
THU2.13
Space Jesus Exploring the electronic auditory universe in search of lower frequencies, future feels, and fire beats. 8 p.m. The Signal 1810 Chestnut St. thesignaltn.com
FRI2.14
Luke Simmons & The Lovestruck Luke desires nothing more than to spread an uplifting message through his words and music. 9 p.m. HiFi Clyde’s 122 W. Main St. hificlydeschattanooga.com
SAT2.15
Monomath, Trembles, & The Pearloids Rock out the day after Valentine's with a trio of bands guaranteed to get you moving. 9 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com
THURSDAY2.13
16 • THE PULSE • FEBRUARY 13, 2020 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM Rowing In Eden: Three Dickinson Songs 5:45 p.m. The Hunter Museum of Art 10 Bluff View Ave. huntermuseum.org Danimal & Friends 6 p.m. WanderLinger Brewing Co. 1208 King St. wanderlinger.com David Anthony & Paul Stone 6 p.m. The Palms at Hamilton 6925 Shallowford Rd. thepalmsathamilton.com Toby Hewitt 7 p.m. Backstage Bar 29 Station St. backstagechattanooga.com Anthony Quails and Mike Crowder 7 p.m. Pax Breu Ruim 516 E. Main St. (423) 648-4677 Jesse Dayton Duo 7 p.m. Songbirds North 35 Station St. songbirds.rocks Gino Fanelli 7:30 p.m. Westin Alchemy Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Owen & Em 7:30 p.m. The FEED Co. Table and Tavern 201 W. Main St. feedtableandtavern.com The Wood Brothers with Kat Wright 8 p.m. Walker Theater 399 McCallie Ave. tivolichattanooga.com Space Jesus 8 p.m. The Signal 1810 Chestnut St. thesignaltn.com Ariel 8 p.m. The Social 1110 Market St. publichousechattanooga.com Open Mic Night with Jonathan Wimpee 9 p.m. The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com AfterParty with Sound System Cultures 9 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com
FRIDAY2.14
The Beaters 7 p.m. Songbirds North 35 Station St. songbirds.rocks Amber Carrington 7 p.m. OddStory Brewing Co. 336 E. MLK Blvd. oddstorybrewing.co Heather Holt 7 p.m. Chattanooga Brewing Company 1804 Chestnut St. chattabrew.com Ryan Oyer 7:30 p.m. Gate 11 Distillery 1400 Market St. gate11distillery.com Nick Williams 7:30 p.m. Westin Alchemy Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Jason Lee Wilson & James County 8 p.m. Puckett’s Restaurant 2 W. Aquarium Way puckettsgro.com Raul Enrique 8 p.m. Las Morelianas 5622 Hwy 153 (423) 877-7115 “Ladies You’re Welcome” Album Release Party 9:30 p.m. The OM Room 3230 Brainerd Rd. (423) 622-0822 Six Shooter 9:30 p.m. Charlie’s Restaurant & Lounge 8504 Dayton Pk. charliessoddydaisy.com Marty Manus 9 p.m. Big River Grille 222 Broad St. bigrivergrille.com Jordan Hallquist 9 p.m. The Feed Co. Table & Tavern 201 W. Main St. feedtableandtavern.com Good Noise: Celebration of Life 9 p.m. Stone Cup Café 208 Frazier Ave. stonecupcafe.com Luke Simmons & The Lovestruck 9 p.m. HiFi Clyde’s 122 W. Main St. hificlydeschattanooga.com Bay Faction, Superbody, & Kindora 9 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com David Ingle & Tim Starnes 9 p.m. The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com Dance Party with Mystery Box & DJ Kyng 9 p.m. WanderLinger Brewing Co. 1208 King St. wanderlinger.com The Kentucky Headhunters w/ The Georgia Thunderbolts 9 p.m. Songbirds South 41 Station St. songbirds.rocks Darren Johnson 10 p.m. Tremont Tavern 1203 Hixson Pike tremonttavern.com Double Night Rock Out 10 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar 5751 Brainerd Rd. budssportsbar.com
SATURDAY2.15
Danimal 10:30 a.m. Flying Squirrel Bar 55 Johnson St. flyingsquirrelbar.com Priscilla & Little RicKee 2 p.m. Scottie’s on the River 491 Riverfront Pkwy. scottiesontheriver.net Chattanooga Girls Choir: Hearts on Fire 6:30 p.m. Northside Presbyterian Church 923 Mississippi Ave. northsidepresbyterian.org Mike Farris 7 p.m. Songbirds North 35 Station St. songbirds.rocks Brantley Gilbert 7 p.m. UTC McKenzie Arena 720 E. 4th St. utc.edu/mckenzie-arena School of Music Pops Concert 7:30 p.m. Ackerman Auditorium 4881 Taylor Cir. southern.edu Amber Fults 7:30 p.m. Westin Alchemy Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Tyson Leamon 8 p.m. Puckett’s Grocery & Restaurant 2 Aquarium Way puckettsgro.com Paul Smith & Sky High Band 8 p.m. Eagles Club 6128 Airways Blvd. foe.com The Black Feathers 8 p.m. Charles & Myrtle’s Coffeehouse 105 McBrien Rd. christunity.org 9th Street Stompers 8 p.m. Bode 730 Chestnut St. bode.co Tyson Leamon 8 p.m. Puckett’s Restaurant 2 W. Aquarium Way puckettsgro.com Wishing Well 8:30 p.m. Fireside Grille
3018 Cummings Hwy. firesidechattanooga.com Casey Smith 9 p.m. Big River Grille 222 Broad St. bigrivergrille.com Sexy Beast 9 p.m. HiFi Clyde’s 122 W. Main St. hificlydeschattanooga.com Monomath, Trembles, & The Pearloids 9 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com Jonathan Wimpee 9 p.m. The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com Sleazy Sleazy & Holly Street Band 9 p.m. WanderLinger Brewing Co. 1208 King St. wanderlinger.com Dookie: A Tribute to Green Day 9 p.m. Songbirds South 41 Station St. songbirds.rocks Six Shooter 9:30 Charlie’s Restaurant & Lounge 8504 Dayton Pk. charliessoddydaisy.com Double Night Rock Outs 10 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar 5751 Brainerd Rd. budssportsbar.com
SUNDAY2.16
Nalani & Josh 11 a.m. Flying Squirrel Bar 55 Johnson St. flyingsquirrelbar.com Carl Pemberton 11 a.m. Westin Chattanooga 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com 9th Street Stompers 11 a.m. STIR 1444 Market St. stirchattanooga.com My Name Is Preston Noon Southside Social 1818 Chestnut St. thesouthsidesocial.com Grace & Billy 1:30 p.m. Flying Squirrel Bar 55 Johnson St. flyingsquirrelbar.com E.T. 3 p.m. Wanderlinger Brewing Co. 1208 King St. wanderlinger.com With Malice Toward None: A Musical Tribute to Abraham Lincoln 4 p.m. First Cumberland Presbyterian Church 1505 N. Moore Rd. firstcumberland.com BHM 2020: To China With Love 4 p.m. RISE Chattanooga 401 E. MLK Blvd. jazzanooga.org Bea Troxel + Betsy Phillips 6 p.m. The Woodshop 5500 St. Elmo Ave. thewoodshop.space The Hullenders 6 p.m. New Haven Baptist Church 1058 Graysville Rd. (423) 855-4910 Open Mic with Robin Baker 6:30 p.m. River Drifters 1925 Suck Creek Rd. riverdrifterschatt.com Mother Legacy 8 p.m. The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com The Shivas, Glass Caps, & Psychic Dungeon 9 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com Six Shooter 9:30 p.m. Charlie’s Restaurant & Lounge 8504 Dayton Pk. charliessoddydaisy.com
MONDAY2.17
Open Air with Jessica Nunn 6 p.m. Granfalloon 400 E. Main St. granfalloonchattanooga.com Below The Salt 7 p.m. Ugly Tree Cafe 3950 Brainerd Rd. uglytree.cafe Monday Nite Big Band 7 p.m. The Coconut Room 6925 Shallowford Rd. thepalmsathamilton.com Blues Night Open Jam 7 p.m. Songbirds South 41 Station St. songbirds.rocks Blue Man Group: Speechless 7:30 p.m. Tivoli Theatre 709 Broad St. tivolichattanooga.com The Kernal w/ Rye Baby & Alex Volz 9 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com
TUESDAY2.18
Tyler Martelli & Maria Jordania 5 p.m. WanderLinger Brewing Co. 1208 King St. wanderlinger.com Acoustic Bohemian Night 6:30 p.m. Mexi-Wing IX 6925 Shallowford Rd. mexiwingix.business.site A Special Evening with George Meyer and Edgar Meyer 6:30 p.m. The Hunter Museum of American Art 10 Bluff View Ave. huntermuseum.org Danimal 7 p.m. Backstage Bar 29 Station St. backstagechattanooga.com An Evening Of Chamber Music 7:30 p.m. Chattanooga State Humanities Theatre 4501 Amnicola Hwy. chattanoogastate.edu Preston Ruffing 7:30 p.m. Westin Alchemy Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Blue Man Group: Speechless 7:30 p.m. Tivoli Theatre 709 Broad St. tivolichattanooga.com Live Jam Session with Freddy Mc & Friends 8 p.m. Granfalloon 400 E. Main St. granfalloonchattanooga.com Open Mic with Mike McDade 8 p.m. Tremont Tavern 1203 Hixson Pike tremonttavern.com Ran Adams 8 p.m. The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com
WEDNESDAY2.19
Jesse James Jungkurth 7 p.m. Backstage Bar 29 Station St. backstagechattanooga.com Dexter Bell and Friends 7 p.m. Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. barkinglegs.org Megan Howard 7:30 p.m. Westin Alchemy Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Zech & David 9 p.m. The Palms at Hamilton 6925 Shallowford Rd. thepalmsathamilton.com
Map these locations on chattanoogapulse.com. Send event listings at least 10 days in advance to: calendar@chattanoogapulse.com
Arbor Labor Union, Michael Potter
Arbor Labor Union New Petal Instants (Arrowhawk Records)
Michael Potter Winter Music (michaelpotter.bandcamp.com)
Arbor Labor Union last checked in circa 2016. The Atlanta-based indie rock foursome had just released its Sub Pop Records debut, I Hear You, an album that reconciled a love of bashing away at hippie-ish Americana imagery, albeit abstract, steeped in postgrunge tempos.
Since then, singer and guitarist Bo Orr, guitar player Brian Adams, bass player Ryan Evers, and drummer Bryan Scherer have communed with a more celebratory muse. With the arrival of New Petal Instants, the group parts ways with Sub Pop and settles in with Athens, GA’s burgeoning indie label Arrowhawk Records.
With the change in scenery comes a newly-found comfort in allowing the music to follow its own freewheeling drift—to a degree. Songs like “Flowerhead”, “Big Face In the Sky”, and “Crushed By Fear Destroyer” take a cue from the Minutemen or the Meat Puppets’ affinities for a psychedelic twang sprouting up in the shadow of hardcore’s penchant for getting straight to the point.
Each song revolves around themes of going walkabout in an urban set
18 • THE PULSE • FEBRUARY 13, 2020 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM ting and the insight gained along the way. Orr’s neighborly voice matches the raga-like guitar melodies of “Under The Tree” while speaking-singing lyrics such as, “Listen to the between of things to hear the all,” putting into words the transcendental subtlety the group brings into focus here.
It is in the spaces between where everything from the sounds of unidentified wildlife in the woods to occasional banjo flourishes add depth. These elements, though, can be easily overlooked as the group thrashes, churns, and grows increasingly comfortable fleshing out a more unified sound around the barreling rhythms in “Give Us The Light” and “Pipers Play’d”. As such, New Petal Instants is most effectively taken in as a colorful whole experience that’s as pleasurable—and profound—as a mid-summer trek into the woods.
Winter Music is one of the more overtly experimental albums in Michael Potter’s body of solo guitar work. It’s also one of the most fascinatingly beautiful releases to bear his name yet. What is essentially a compilation of improvised recordings from split cassettes with other artists comes together as a conceptually snow-covered inward journey.
Three songs hang in a long, sustained round of heavy reverb, steel strings, a floor tom, and keys, giving rise to both traditional picking and massive swells of dreamlike drone music.
“Winter Jam” first appeared on the Living Room Visions Winter 2014 compilation (Sunup). A slow kerrang reveals a desolate folk-blues dirge of minimalism pushed to the max, sinking into a groove with each rhythmic pass. “Winter Clouds” is a previously unreleased number from 2008, offering a snapshot of a time when Potter was learning to record using a computer. It’s also the first time he felt comfortable using his own voice. Here, all of the ghostly sung-spoken parts and the chorus of ‘ooohhs’ and ‘aaaahhhs’ add layers of texture to the song. Since then, Potter has grown increasingly confident using vocals on his own and under the Electric Nature moniker.
Here, the process reveals as much depth and character in his voice as his later, more realized offerings. “Ode To CM” comes from a 2017 split tape with cosmic-nomadic troubadour Frank Hurricane. A wintery wash of drones sets a tone of Zenlike bliss before Potter reaches an ecstatic state with a minimal psych rock jam and blistering noise that morphs into a fully formed song—kind of. Although Winter Music is a series of unrelated one-offs, there are enough intriguing and stylistic moments that tie each one together as a compelling point of entry into Potter’s ever-growing and ever-elusive catalog of tapes, ever-growing collection of Bandcamp files, and in-the-moment meditations on the elements.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Aquarian author Derek Walcott had a perspective on love that I suspect might come in handy for you during this Valentine season. “Break a vase,” he wrote, “and the love that reassembles the fragments is stronger than that love which took its symmetry for granted when it was whole.” I urge you to meditate on how you could apply his counsel to your own love story, Aquarius. How might you remake your closest alliances into even better and brighter versions of themselves? PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Piscean poet Saul Williams wrote a meditation I hope you’ll consider experimenting with this Valentine season. It involves transforming mere kisses into SUBLIME KISSES. If you choose to be inspired by his thoughts, you’ll explore new sensations and meanings available through the act of joining your mouth to another’s. Ready? Here’s Saul: “Have you ever lost yourself in a kiss? I mean pure psychedelic inebriation. Not just lustful petting but transcendental metamorphosis, when you became aware that the greatness of this other being is breathing into you. Licking your mouth, like sealing a thousand fleshy envelopes filled with the essence of your passionate being, and then opened by the same mouth and delivered back to you, over and over again—the first kiss of the rest of your life.” ARIES (March 21-April 19): Now that she’s in her late forties, Aries comedian and actress Tig Notaro is wiser about love. Her increased capacity for romantic happiness has developed in part because she’s been willing to change her attitudes. She says, “Instead of being someone who expects people to have all the strengths I think I need them to have, I resolved to try to become someone who focuses on the strengths they do have.” In accordance with this Valentine’s season’s astrological omens, Aries, I invite you to meditate on how you might cultivate more of that aptitude yourself. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Taurus artist Joan Miró loved to daub colored paint on canvases. He said he approached his work in the same way he made love: “a total embrace, without caution, prudence thrown to the winds, nothing held back.” In accordance with astrological omens, I invite you to invoke a similar attitude with all the important things you do in the coming weeks. Summon the ardor and artistry of a creative lover for all-purpose use. Happy Valentine Daze, Taurus! GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In 1910, Gemini businessman Irving Seery was 20 years old. One evening he traveled to the Metropolitan Opera in New York City to see an opera starring the gorgeous and electrifying soprano singer Maria Jeritza. He fell in love instantly. For the next thirty-eight years he remained a bachelor as he nursed his desire to marry her. His devotion finally paid off. Jeritza married Seery in 1948. Dear Gemini, in 2020, I think you will be capable of a heroic feat of love that resembles Seery’s. Which of your yearnings might evoke such intensely passionate dedication? Happy Valentine Daze! CANCER (June 21-July 22): I’ve been married twice, both times to the same woman. Our first time around, we were less than perfectly wise in the arts of relationship. After our divorce and during the few years we weren’t together, we each ripened into more graceful versions of ourselves; we developed greater intimacy skills. Our second marriage has been far more successful. Is there a comparable possibility in your life, Cancerian? A chance to enhance your ability to build satisfying togetherness? An opening to learn practical lessons from past romantic mistakes? Now is a favorable time to capitalize. Happy Valentine Daze! LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In 1911, the famous Russian poet Anna Akhmatova and the famous Italian painter Amedeo Modigliani were in love with each other. Both were quite poor, though. They didn’t have much to spend on luxuries. In her memoir, Akhmatova recalled the time they went on a date in the rain at the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris. Barely protected under a rickety umbrella, they amused each other by reciting the verse of Paul Verlaine, a poet they both loved. Isn’t that romantic? In the coming weeks, I recommend you experiment with comparable approaches to cultivating love. Get back to raw basics. Happy Valentine Daze! VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): [Warning: Poetry alert! If you prefer your horoscopes to be exclusively composed of practical, hyper-rational advice, stop reading now!] Happy Valentine Daze, Virgo! I hope there’s someone in your life to whom you can give a note like the one I’ll offer at the end of this oracle. If there’s not, I trust you will locate that person in the next six months. Feel free to alter the note as you see fit. Here it is. “When you and I are together, it’s as if we have been reborn into luckier lives; as if we can breathe deeper breaths that fill our bodies with richer sunlight; as if we see all of the world’s beauty that alone we were blind to; as if the secrets of our souls’ codes are no longer secret.” LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In the course of your life, how many people and animals have truly loved you? Three? Seven? More? I invite you to try this Valentine experiment: Write down their names on a piece of paper. Spend a few minutes visualizing the specific qualities in you that they cherished, and how they expressed their love, and how you felt as you received their caring attention. Then send out a beam of gratitude to each of them. Honor them with sublime appreciation for having treasured your unique beauty. Amazingly enough, Libra, doing this exercise will magnetize you to further outpourings of love in the coming weeks.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): [Warning: Poetry alert! If you prefer your horoscopes to be exclusively composed of practical, hyper-rational advice, stop reading now!] Happy Valentine Daze, Scorpio! I invite you to copy the following passage and offer it to a person who is receptive to deepening their connection with you. “Your healing eyes bless the winter jasmine flowers that the breeze blew into the misty creek. Your welcoming prayers celebrate the rhythmic light of the mud-loving cypress trees. Your fresh dreams replenish the eternal salt that nourishes our beloved song of songs. With your melodic breath, you pour all these not-yet-remembered joys into my body.” (This lyrical message is a blend of my words with those of Scorpio poet Odysseus Elytis.) SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The poet Virgil, a renowned author in ancient Rome, wrote three epic poems that are still in print today. His second was a masterpiece called the Georgics. It took him seven years to write, even though it was only 2,740 lines long. So on average he wrote a little over one line per day. I hope you’ll use him as inspiration as you toil over your own labors of love in the coming weeks and months. There’ll be no need to rush. In fact, the final outcomes will be better if you do them slowly. Be especially diligent and deliberate in all matters involving intimacy and collaboration and togetherness. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): [Warning: Poetry alert! If you prefer your horoscopes to be exclusively composed of practical, hyper-rational advice, stop reading now!] Happy Valentine Daze, Capricorn! I invite you to copy the following passage and offer it to a person who is ready to explore a more deeply lyrical connection with you. “I yearn to earn the right to your whispered laugh, your confident caress, your inscrutable dance. Amused and curious, I wander where moon meets dawn, inhaling the sweet mist in quest of your questions. I study the joy that my imagination of you has awakened. All the maps are useless, and I like them that way. I’m guided by my nervous excitement to know you deeper. Onward toward the ever-fresh truth of your mysterious rhythms!”
“Decade in Review, Part 5”—fun stuff from 2018 & 2019. ACROSS 1 Lip enhancer 6 Go through flour 10 Pale 13 Blue ___ (butterfly species) 15 ___ Shamrock McFlurry (McDonald’s debut of 2020) 16 Ingested 17 Company that launched Falcon Heavy in 2018 18 Game that generated more digital revenue in 2018 than any game in history, per the Hollywood Reporter 20 “Nashville” director Robert 22 Word before eye or twin 23 “The ___ Squad” 26 Air traffic org. 27 Like some soft coats 29 Blue, in Barcelona 31 “So the theory goes ...” 34 Host who retired from “Inside the Actors Studio” in 2018 36 On the nose 39 What goes around? 40 “That’s mildly funny,” online 41 Aquiline bird 43 “King Kong” and “Citizen Kane” studio 44 Song that topped the Billboard Hot 100 for a record 19 weeks in 2019 47 Detroit-born fashion designer 48 Crossword puzzle, without the clues 49 Part of some pirate costumes 52 Fighting a bug, perhaps 54 Indefinite quantity 55 “___ y Ahora” (Univision newsmagazine) 56 Amy’s “Parks and Recreation” role 59 It held up a banana in Maurizio Cattelan’s 2019 artwork “Comedian” 62 ESPN personality who retired in 2019 after being with the network since its inception in 1979 66 Little ___ (protagonist of Punch-Out!!) 67 Omen 68 Make angry 69 2001 Will Smith role (or a princely 2019 role opposite Will Smith) 70 Oil of ___ 71 “Well, you’re not looking ___ yourself ...” DOWN 1 Sports execs, for short 2 Cut off, as branches 3 Pop singer and “The Masked Singer” (U.K.) panelist Rita 4 Animal advocacy org. 5 Knickknack perch 6 Den furniture 7 Monopoly token replaced by a cat in 2013 8 Two-___ (buy one, get one deal) 9 “Paw Patrol” watcher 10 Forfeit voluntarily 11 Lofty storage area 12 Hockey Hall of Famer Cam 14 Jamaican stew ingredient 19 It may be pressing 21 Broadway hit based on a Roald Dahl book 23 Senior’s focus 24 Jason Bateman Netflix drama 25 Flying Disney character 27 ___ Schwarz (toy store that reopened in 2018) 28 Bedding purchase 30 Luau wear 32 Parking units 33 Gateway Arch site 35 Thing in a ring 36 Ancient Greek market 37 Type of M&Ms renamed “Milk Chocolate” 38 Partner of Abe, Thomas, and George 42 Buenos Aires loc. 45 Highly volatile fuel, for short 46 Words repeated after “Whatever” in a Doris Day song 47 Landed 49 “Top Chef” host Lakshmi 50 = 51 Big name in bags 53 Pride participants? 56 Org. for Madelene Sagström and Park Hee-Young 57 “___, meeny, miney, mo” 58 Spain’s longest river 60 Chinese menu name 61 Be off 63 ___-di-dah 64 Anton ___ (“Ratatouille” restaurant critic) 65 Nevertheless
Let Your Eyes Chew On This Not So Fairy Tale
Imagining a reawakening of the hunger of evil
Serenading For A Penny
The Backlot Film Series at The Heritage House continues their classic film series with a rare dramatic film from Cary Grant and Irene Dunne. 1941's classic Penny Serenade depicts the struggles of a loving couple who must overcome numerous obstacles to keep their marriage together and raise a child in the process.
As Julie (Dunne) prepares to leave her husband Roger (Grant), she begins to play through a stack of recordings, each of which reminds her of events in their lives together.
One of them is the song that was playing when she and Roger first met in a music store. Other songs remind her of their courtship, their marriage, their desire for a child, and the joys and sorrows that they have shared.
A flood of memories comes back to her as she ponders their present problems and how they arose.
Dunne often said that this was her favorite film because it reminded her of her own adopted daughter.
Grant, one of the cinema's greatest comedic actors, was only ever nominated twice for an Academy Award for Best Actor, in both instances for lesser-known dramatic roles. This was one of them.
The film screens on Monday at 7 p.m. at the Heritage House Arts & Civic Center on Jenkins Road. — Michael Thomas By John DeVore Pulse Film Editor When it comes to films based “
When it comes to films based on folklore, audiences are often looking for a reimagining of their childhood. They don’t necessarily want the same story, told with fidelity from Grimm’s fairy tales. Instead, they want something familiar, but different enough to justify spending their time watching it.
“Hansel and Gretel” has over a dozen different film adaptations over the years, from musical operas to action comedy, each one with their own spin on the classic tale. For a story by the Brothers Grimm, it’s relatively tame. Two abandoned children find a house made of candy, are trapped by a witch, fattened up to be eaten, until they escape by pushing the witch into an oven. No one dies, saving the evil witch, and everyone lives happily ever after.
This isn’t to say there aren’t dark elements—children left alone in the wilderness to starve, child-eating witches, death by burning are all F OLK TALES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN POPULAR FODDER for movie making. It’s the familiarity. We know the stories, we know the characters, we know the themes. Audiences love stories they recognize—it’s why sequels and franchise are so popular.
ripe topics for a horror film. Perhaps the story was too sanitized by Bugs Bunny.
Gretel and Hansel is a slow burning, atmospheric horror film directed by Oz Perkins that will not be everyone’s cup of tea. The film does not stray far from the path of the original story. It changes the ages of the children, making Gretel older and Hansel younger, but there is the same blight as the folk tale with the same sense of dread and hunger. Gone is the father of the original. The children now live with their mother, who is living at the edge of her sanity. There is no food. There is no money. She cannot keep the children alive any longer. They are forced to leave their home and seek their fortunes alone.
After a frightening experience their first night, the pair encounter a friendly huntsman, who directs them through the woods to a logging camp two days away. But the pair is starving and ultimately gets lost along the way. As in the original tale, they find a house that is overflowing with food.
The house isn’t made of food but the inhabitant appears friendly enough. Each day, the table is laden with fresh foods
of every kind. Each night, Gretel has terrible nightmares. It seems their host is grooming Gretel for something but Hansel is being prepared as well.
It’s not the story that makes Gretel and Hansel worth seeing. The writing is simplistic at best. But the film is a visual feast. The art direction, set design, the entire look of the film is beautiful and stark and tragic. This is not today’s horror with its jump scares, loud noises and gore. Gretel and Hansel is far more interested in unsettling visuals.
Most modern horror is the equivalent of a roller coaster featuring a short build up followed by heart pounding twists and turns. Gretel and Hansel is the feeling of standing on the edge of a cliff alone, hearing that small but insistent voice in your mind that’s urging a final step toward infinity. For those that prefer the safety of the former, Gretel and Hansel will seem trite and boring. For those that understand the call of the latter, the creeping dread is all they need.
The cast of the film is small and dedicated, but it’s the performance of Alice Krige as the witch that really drives the film home. Krige plays the witch as wise, long lived and generous, within reason. She doesn’t hate but doesn’t pity either. She’s terrifying in her matter-of-fact attitude.
Villains in film are so often overdone. They scream and shout and bully the audience into fear. Gretel and Hansel has a villain that simply exists within a world created by themselves. The witch chose her fate, chose the consequences, and has no remorse for them. She sees Gretel as someone to pass on her wisdom.
That’s where the real fear comes from. It’s the person who cannot see their evil. It’s the person who wants to spread their evil as seeds of good for the world. It’s the kind of evil we see every day. Gretel and Hansel shows it to us in all its stark bitterness.
✴ NEW IN THEATERS ✴
Sonic the Hedgehog After discovering a small, blue, fast hedgehog, a small-town police officer must help it defeat an evil genius who wants to do experiments on it. Director: Jeff Fowler Stars: Jim Carrey, Ben Schwartz, James Marsden, Adam Pally
Fantasy Island A horror adaptation of the popular '70s TV show about a magical island resort. Yes, this is what we get in the theaters in February these days. How exciting. Director: Jeff Wadlow Stars: Lucy Hale, Maggie Q, Portia Doubleday, Charlotte McKinney
Brutality, Beauty...And Blood
Blasphemous brings a unique atmosphere and creative spirit
Brandon Watson Pulse columnist
When not vaporizing zombies or leading space marines as a mousepad Mattis, Brandon Watson is making gourmet pancakes and promoting local artists.
CREEPY MAZES, MACABRE IMagery, arresting artwork, and rich poetic narratives driven by a classic Metroidvania combat mechanic. Blasphemous, from Spanish indie developer The Game Kitchen, goes outside of the box to deliver a rich and cerebral adventure through what I can roughly describe as Dante’s “Inferno” read aloud by drunk and sadistic cherubs.
Awaking atop a heap of bodies, The Penitent One (the player) removes a dark and thorn twisted blade named The Mea Culpa from a statue frozen in torment. This silent hero with a goofy hat is on a journey to rid the land of Cvstodia from a curse called The Miracle. An omnipotent entity that manifests both torment and grace at its own mysterious whims.
For what and for why is revealed bit by bit (if you survive) through strange cutscenes and fantastic narratives. For a side-scroller Blasphemous has a lot of depth and overwhelming combat that almost serves as self-flagellation in pixelated form.
Blasphemous delivers a grueling and unforgiving slog through some of the most intriguing set pieces I’ve ever seen in the genre. Each room becomes a puzzle of quick reflexes with perfectly timed moves just to get to the other side. There are secret areas reminiscent of the Castlevania; sadly, there’s no hidden wall turkeys.
The Mea Culpa also has upgrades collected through careful exploration and steady kill grinding for Tears of Atonement; currency earned by slaying monsters. These upgrades are skill unlocks that become more necessary the further you explore Cvstodia. There are Rosary Beads that imbue The Penitent One with abilities that come with buffs and trade-offs that may help in some areas but hinder you in others. Unlocking and combining the entire Rosary is
22 • THE PULSE • FEBRUARY 13, 2020 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM almost essential to surviving some of the most grotesque monsters ever found in a pixelated action game.
The enemies from the lesser hack fodder to the hulking abominations are all things ripped straight out of the nightmares of the Spanish Inquisition (that no one expected). A giant blind baby with thorns on its head that will tear you to pieces, decaying altar boys who beat you to death with candelabras, and a bell ringing hobo that explodes in your face are just a few things you’ll encounter. For a game that spews the concepts of salvation and mercy it has very little of either, but this is what adds to Blasphemous’ charm. It has that classic throwback appeal to a time when games were challenging as hell but fun at the same time.
The Game Kitchen is a new kid in the indie developer arena with just one other game on the books: The Last Door, an episodic point-and-click horror adventure. It’s clear with both The Last Door and Blasphemous that the Spanish developer has a knack for delivering unsettling content with an old school approach to videogames.
The clean pixel art throughout the game brings this dark age Catholic fever dream to life. There’s a haunting beauty to the religious imagery that will arrest the senses and inspire the brain to delve further into the unique universe of Cvstodia. For a 2D sides roller, there’s a lot to look at in the foreground and even the background with a few “oohs” and “ahhs” and more often than not a few “WTFs!”.
The art style is so good that The Game Kitchen will be releasing a game art book featuring fantasy artist Nekro. If you’re a fan of macabre and gothic art then this book will be essential to the collection whether or not you even play the game.
Complementing the visuals is a fantastic original soundtrack that blends dark metal, swelling violins, and Flamenco guitar. Indie composer Carlos Viola has created a soundscape that breathes soul into Blasphemous. There’s heavy influence of Ennio Morricone that brings a Hollywood feel to the setting throughout the game. Crypts have a celestial dark tone with a sweet somber melody and the dusty villages roll with a blood pumping Spanish guitar reminiscent of a Spaghetti Western. The OST could stand alone as a masterpiece in videogame music composition. Blasphemous may not be a cup of Sangria for everyone but, for a Kickstarter funded game, the developer really put time and love into the final product. This game really nails down the brutally grim atmosphere with combination of music and art style. It may stand alone as a cult sleeper hit with a surreal approach to the genre but I hope and pray that we’ve only seen the beginning of this slick gorefest.
