The Pulse 13.08 » February 25, 2016

FEBRUARY 25, 2016

CHATTANOOGA'S WEEKLY ALTERNATIVE

COVER STORY

LEARN TO LOVE YOURSELF WITH BELLYDANCE

FIND SELF-CONFIDENCE WITH THE HAPPY ART

By Jenn Webster

MUSIC

ARTS

SCREEN

BLAKEY REBORN

AMY ELKINS

CFF GETS READY

JAZZ LOVE

BLACK DAY FESTIVITY

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Contents

CHATTANOOGA'S WEEKLY ALTERNATIVE

EDITORIAL

Managing Editor Gary Poole Editorial Assistant Brooke Dorn

February 25, 2016 Volume 13, Issue 8

Music Editor Marc T. Michael Film Editor John DeVore Contributors David Traver Adolphus Rob Brezsny • Patrick Filbin Matt Jones • Ernie Paik Rick Pimental-Habib • Stephanie Smith Alex Teach • Jenn Webster

Features

Editorial Interns Rebekah Jones • Ja'Lisa Little Cartoonists Max Cannon • Rob Rogers Jen Sorenson • Tom Tomorrow

4 BEGINNINGS: The carnival is coming to town, and they’re looking for you,

Cover Photo Petra Bubníková

5 THE LIST: What we really like to read.

FOUNDED 2003 BY ZACHARY COOPER & MICHAEL KULL

7 AIR BAG: Our car guy mourns the memory of decades worth of ephemera.

ADVERTISING

Director of Sales Mike Baskin Account Executives Chee Chee Brown • Robyn Graves Linda Hisey • Rick Leavell Stacey Tyler • Logan Vandergriff

CONTACT

Offices 1305 Carter St., Chattanooga, TN 37402 Phone 423.265.9494 Website chattanoogapulse.com Email info@chattanoogapulse.com BREWER MEDIA GROUP Publisher & President Jim Brewer II THE FINE PRINT: The Pulse is published weekly by Brewer Media and is distributed throughout the city of Chattanooga and surrounding communities. The Pulse covers a broad range of topics concentrating on music, the arts, entertainment, culture and local news. The Pulse is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader. No person without written permission from the publisher may take more than one copy per weekly issue.

The Pulse may be distributed only by authorized distributors.

Contents Copyright © 2016 by Brewer Media. All rights reserved.

8

Love Yourself through Bellydancing

It’s a dance tradition anyone can take up, at any age. “Though I was never a formally trained dancer, I was drawn to various movement activities growing up, like gymnastics, color guard and dance team,” says Stacey Nolan, M.Ed., Bellydance Director at Movement Arts Collective in Red Bank.

14

Black is the Day, Black is the Night

In 2009, photographer Amy Elkins found a website where death row inmates requested pen pals. Fascinated, she set up a postal box and between 2009 and 2014 carried on correspondence with seven death row inmates in different states.

22

Washing Away The Dust

The late jazz drummer Art Blakey perfectly captured the escapist pleasures of music with his famous quote, “Music washes away the dust of everyday life.” Knoxville trumpeter and bandleader Vance Thompson aims to bring that spirit with his tribute to Art Blakey and his band The Jazz Messengers.

12 SCREEN: CFF will offer many outstanding films from all genres for all ages.

16 ARTS CALENDAR 19 MIXOLOGY: Mixing the morning elixir of life with the spirits of the evening.

21 DIVERSIONS 24 MUSIC CALENDAR 26 REVIEWS: Homebody's sincere new EP leaves us wanting more, MCHF channels local chemistry.

28 FREE WILL ASTROLOGY 29 JONESIN’ CROSSWORD 30 ON THE BEAT: Officer Alex processes the dichotomy of safety vs use of force.

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • FEBRUARY 25, 2016 • THE PULSE • 3

NEWS • VIEWS • RANTS • RAVES

BEGINNINGS

UPDATES » CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM FACEBOOK/CHATTANOOGAPULSE EMAIL LOVE LETTERS, ADVICE & TRASH TALK TO INFO@CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

Op-Ed: Republican Primary Freak Show The carnival is coming to town, and they’re looking for your votes The freak show is coming to town. No, I don’t mean the carnival with their display of deformed people and animals. I mean the Republican presidential primary. This show has to be the most entertaining fantasy production since the discovery of the “Affluenza Defense”.

TERRY The Democrats just can’t compete with these Republican drama queens. These presidential posers promise something for everybody in their “base”. Always taking care of their rich donors first, they promise large tax

cuts for the filthy rich.

For those living in the Republican denial bubble with your denial of global warming and your “trickle down” delusion, you never have to grapple with truth with these clowns.

Politifact, fact checkers for the Tampa Bay Times found that 76 STULCE percent of Trump’s statements were mostly false, completely false, or “pants on fire” lies.

Cruz was right behind at 66 percent. In fact, only one of 84 statements by Trump was true, and only four of 77 were by Cruz.

OPINION

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Photo by Kristen Price

They have a big bonus for the white bigots. It’s open season on Latinos. They want to build a wall at our Southern border, make Mexico build and pay for it, and deport 12 million Mexicans that have been slandered as murders and rapist. In order to keep up with this lynch mob, Jeb Bush may have to send his wife and “anchor baby” back to Mexico.

Moslems have been defamed as terrorist and threatened with deportation and exclusion from the country.

Of course, the most obvious “dog whistle” for white supremacist Republicans is the frequent gratuitous attacks on President Obama. These attacks have no basis in fact and are no more than character assassinations. Marco Rubio has adopted the technique of memorizing a 25-second Obama rant to repeat when he doesn’t have an answer to a question.

The “Arm Chair Commandoes” are beside themselves with glee. All of the Republicans, especially Trump and Cruz, believe the rest of the world are no more than our handmaidens.

We can bully and bomb them into compliance. This is nothing short of delusional overestimation of military power.

“Bombing them into the stone age” has not been effective since Nagasaki. Cruz promises to use nuclear weapons to make the sand “glow” in the Middle East. This sounds very similar to the “final solution” for the Jews in Nazi Germany.

However, if you think these Republicans

have followed a “scorched earth” policy to impress the bigots, white racists, and “cowardly lions” of the Republican base, wait until they descend on gullible evangelicals in Tennessee.

Trump will be reading from “Two Corinthians” and thumping the Bible that has not been opened since his mother gave it to him. Cruz will parade around in his costume of piety babbling about God and Jesus and offering up phony prayers.

Rubio will tell us that he is a Baptist and a Catholic and that being a Baptist makes him a better Catholic and vice versa.

A long time ago, someone said, “Ye shall know them by their fruit”. This fruit is rotten to the core and stinks to high heaven.

Just be sure to vote.

•••• Terry Stulce served two combat tours in Vietnam, one with the 101st Airborne and one with the 69th Border Rangers. He was an LCSW and owner of Cleveland Family Counseling before retirement in 2009.

“All of the Republicans, especially Trump and Cruz, believe the rest of the world are no more than our handmaidens.”

The List

EdiToon

Top Selling Novels In The World

by Rob Rogers

With the passing of "To Kill A Mockingbord" author Harper Lee this past Friday, we decided to dig into the record books to find out which novels have sold the most worldwide.

With the help of our friends at the Statistic Brain Institute, here are the top ten:

Jazzanooga Finds Inspiration From Beyoncé Back on February 6th, Beyoncé released the lyrics, “I like my baby heir with baby hair and afros / I like my Negro nose with Jackson Five nostrils,” and these words echoed the beauty of AfricanAmericans over the nation.

The trending—and some say controversial— conversation Beyoncé’s “Formation” started impacted American culture. It has even inspired an event right here in Chat-

tanooga. Jazzanooga’s “I SLAY” is promoting women of every color and spreading self-love by asking a simple question: How do you SLAY? Hosted by The Red Lipstick Experiment and Natural Beautiful Me, “I SLAY” is about self-improvement, empowering your natural beauty, and valuing your identity. On this night, six brave women will take the mic to share their stories of when their SLAY

IN THIS ISSUE

Jenn Webster Our cover story this week on the ancient— and still quite popular—art of belly dancing is by Jenn Webster, one of the newest members of The Pulse writing family. Webster is a dancer and writer who works in Chattanooga. Now a tech-

factor was at its best.

The event is black and red attire, meaning all black dress but rocking a splash of red lipstick. In case you’re a little inexperienced in the makeup department, Aliya Hayoun’s FACE team will show you how to rock your red at the event’s “Red Lipstick Experiment’s Lip Bar.” In the wise words of Bey, ladies now let’s get in formation, show your coordination, and set your SLAY foundation on Friday, Feb. 26th at 7 p.m. at the Jazzanooga Arts Space, 431 E. MLK Blvd. — Ja’Lisa Little

Stephanie Smith nical writer, she has also written for marketing, educational, and consumer publications. She’s an Army veteran and a member of WEAVE: A Conceptual Dance Company. Jenn is fascinated by hobbyists, fans, aficionados, obsessives, geeks, and fetishists of all kinds. She also has a few hobbies of her own: Dungeons & Dragons, urban hiking, cosplay, and collaborative storytelling.

Over the years, Stephanie Smith has written for The Pulse about nearly everything. She is a Renaissance woman who has written stories, educated children, acted characters, sung songs, danced swing, cooked original culinary creations, and made dozens

of people laugh with her uncanny ability to put her foot in her mouth at exactly the politically incorrect moment. She loves Shakespeare Chattanooga, Lake Winnepesauka, coleslaw, hugs, Summer Stock, Sally Field, and Grace Potter.

Stephanie can relate everything in life to an episode of Friends and connect people to Kevin Bacon in six degrees or less. Oh yes, and she can easily kill your plants and tread water for over an hour.

1. "A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens (1859) 2. "The Lord of the Rings" by J.R.R. Tolkien (1954) 3. "The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkien (1937) 4. "Dream of the Red Chamber" by Cao Xueqin (1759) 5. "On the Three Representations" by Jiang Zemin (2001) 6. "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie (1939) 7. "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" by C. S. Lewis (1950) 8. "She" by H. Rider Haggard (1887) 9. "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1943) 10. "The Da Vinci Code" by Dan Brown (2003) For you number folks, Dickens' classic novel has sold over 200 million copies, more than 50 million ahead of Professor Tolkien's epic fantasy tale.

And in case you're curious, in the non-fiction world, the Christian Bible has around 5 billion copies in print.

Source: statisticbrain.com/bestselling-books-of-all-time/

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COLUMN AIR BAG

Dealing With A Loss of History Our car guy mourns the memory of decades worth of ephemera About 15 years ago, I quit (OK, was fired) from a retail job and decided that with nothing to lose, it was time to see if I could DAVID TRAVER make a go of it writing about ADOLPHUS cars. Amazingly, it turned out I could. It also turned out that compared to the professionals, I knew nothing, and I began turning my little hobbyist collection of literature into a reference library.

On February 14, it all went away.

By the beginning of this year, I had thousands of books, magazines and other ephemera. Compared to some of my peers, it was special, but still the result of endless hours tracking down obscure books, making trades and Craigslist deals all over the country, scrimping and saving.

Over the weekend of the 14th, however, a pipe burst upstairs from my office. The other tenants in the building had moved out and no one discovered it until about noon on Tuesday. For at least 36 hours, I had the equiva-

lent of steady rain over my desk and bookcases, at least four inches of water (enough to fill up a glass Coke bottle to the top).

It got so wet that on most of my shelves things have swelled up so much they’re either wedged in like cement, or have just broken the shelves apart. Enough water fell to drill holes through things that were out flat, covering much of the space in a sort of papier mâché made of 100-year-old advertisements and brochures.

The past week before writing this has been a blur; in fact, this is the first thing I’ve even tried to write since it happened. I’m trying to tell myself it didn’t happen at home, no one was hurt, and it’s true that it’s only stuff.

But it’s also the core of my life and my profession, and it’s set me adrift.

Insurance says they’ll cover it, so now I have to do a complete inventory and accounting, which is a lot like sifting through a cremated relative’s ashes. I have no idea what it’s all going to add up to, and how depressingly much they’ll depreciate, but I started with my camera and lenses (did I mention I had my good camera and all my lenses in there), and with 13 items on the list,

“Enough water fell to just drill holes through things that were out flat, covering much of the space in a sort of papier mâché made of 100-yearold advertisements and brochures.” it’s into five figures. Two thousand more entries to go.

Of course, I managed not to have my recalcitrant old laptop in there, just things I like. I have no idea how long it’s going to take to document the loss, just that it’s time I won’t be working.

And then there’s replacing everything.

Cameras, hard drives, furniture, I can order with a click. Out of curiosity last week, I started browsing for replacements collector car auction catalogs, often a vital source of information when researching ownership of

a specific car. What I learned was, no one sells them. Oh, there are a few random ones out there on eBay, but to get complete runs, like I had, it’s going to be one at a time, at an average of about $55 each.

And where in the world am I going to find issues of The Marmon News from 1968? How am I going to replace the Mazda Cosmo “Supercar” brochure given to me by a friend who worked for Mazda in South Africa in the 1960s?

In 1992, a movie called Brother’s Keeper was released (it’s on Netflix, watch it right now if you haven’t).

At the end, filmmaker Bruce Sinofsky asks one of the brothers (Lyman, I think) if his life is different now.

“Ayup,” he says, “I’m going to start it all over new again.”

That’s pretty damn good advice from an illiterate dirt farmer. I guess I have to do at least as well as that.

David Traver Adolphus is a freelance automotive researcher who recently quit his full time job writing about old cars to pursue his lifelong dream of writing about old AND new cars. He welcomes the inevitable and probably richly deserved kvetching about Air Bag and anything else on Twitter as @proscriptus.

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COVER STORY

Learn To Love Yourself Through Bellydancing Connect with self-confidence at Movement Arts Collective

by Jenn Webster, Pulse contributor

I

t’s a dance tradition anyone can take up, at any age.

“Though I was never a formally trained dancer, I was drawn to various movement activities growing up, like gymnastics, color guard and dance team,” says Stacey Nolan, M.Ed., Bellydance Director at Movement Arts Collective in Red Bank. “I saw a bellydance performance at a cultural festival and was absolutely mesmerized. The heavy drums in the music, the grace, strength and control with which the dancers moved, the colorful costuming, it was all so intoxicating!”

Stacey Nolan, Movement Arts Collective

Stacey has been working with bellydance in the Chattanooga area since 2005. Her studio, in partnership with a certified yoga instructor, offers a range of dance forms. Of these, bellydance offers opportunities for performance as well as self-development.

Students range in age from preteens to 60 and older, and in experience from novice dancers to members of the performance troupe. Though at the moment only women study bellydance at Movement Arts, Stacey also teaches at Chattanooga State, where male students make up some of her dancers.

For audience members, bellydance may look hypnotic, sensual, and quite difficult, with the intricate rhythms, intense control of core muscle groups, and, often, midriff-baring costumes. However, once in the classroom, students will find the art, based on folk and street dances from north Africa, the Middle East, and southeast Europe, is quite welcoming. It’s definitely a misconception that only people with a voluptuous body type can bellydance.

“Bellydance is for every BODY,” Stacey says. “I have personally witnessed so many transformations, where through the dance, women have learned to love the body that they have. Bellydance helps you focus on what your body can do, not really how it looks.”

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What’s it like?

A flight below street level, the studio fills with soft chatter. Students and teachers sit on yoga mats or woven rugs to warm up. Their clothes are soft, layered, patterned: fleeces, socks, sweaters, t-shirts, leggings, harem pants, tunics. The smell of Nag Champa incense fills the air.

A sign reads: “Please take responsibility for the energy you bring into this space.”

The instructor is tall and willowy. Her bare feet handle the floor with the familiarity and alertness of a hand palming an apple. She asks the dancers to stretch and the quiet talk disperses into quiet focus.

Settle in, ground, focus internally.

Check in with your physical body. How is it intersecting with your physical and emotional life?

Her language is poetic, specific, and, at times, pristinely technical.

Notice the rhythms that are natural in you, the rise and fall of your chest, maybe you feel your heart beating. Use those things to ground you.

Take three rounds of breath, nice and slow, let the spine know we’re going to be moving it.

Music: Glass Animals’ “Toes” I’m a man, I’m a twisted fool. My hands are twisted, too. Five fingers, two black hooves...

In Her Words: One Dancer’s Evolution

Lauryn Elise, courtesy Bluefeather Galleries Practicing bellydancing at Zanzibar Studios

The class moves into stretches, spine undulations, upperbody twists.

Feel the energy in the pads of your fingers Joints crackle into Downward Dog. Shake the neck like you’re saying no Windshield wiper the knees They shed layers, get ready to work. Standing, they move into torso isolations.

Close the right ribs Close the center Close the left Right Center Left center right center Smooth it out Leftcenterrightcenterleftcenterrightcenterleft Out of the loose individuality of the stretches, the dancers are now moving as one. The music changes, a hip hop beat: Live fast die young bad girls do it well. Live fast die young bad girls do it well.

They follow the teacher as she’s leading—rarely speaking—the movements, varying the crisp mix of torso and hip isolations, faster and faster. Adding steps, arms. They turn with feet moving on the quarter notes; chest, core and hip rhythms in double time; arms undulating at half tempo;

heads fixed in static gaze.

It’s called stacking, the teacher—Jules Downum, MA, Co-owner and Co-director at Zanzibar Studio—tells me later. When performing for audiences unfamiliar with fusion dance, a troupe will start with one body element—the lateral obliques, perhaps—moving in one rhythm. After a few bars, they’ll “stack” another body part at another pace, perhaps the feet describing a slower stepball-change. To complicate the picture, some traditional music uses complex time signatures—7/8 or 9/8.

The class moves on to vocabulary and choreography. The music changes again—an 8/4 chiftetelli beat, common to Egypt, Turkey, and Greece.

They work on locking, a piece of vocabulary (the term refers to movements, not words) shared with hip hop and funk. In a lock, a movement “sticks” momentarily, like a door opening on rusty hardware. They combine a hip lock, tuck and release, with an undulating arm pattern.

The phrase of choreography adds elements

“Bellydance is for every BODY. I have personally witnessed so many transformations, where through dance, women have learned to love the body they have.”

Lauryn Elise, a Chattanooga bellydancer and movement therapist, tells her story: I was really freaked out by movement.

When I was a teenager. I felt incredibly selfconscious in my body. Eventually, I ended up struggling with an eating disorder and found bellydance. When I was in the beginning stages of healing.

I was in a coffee shop on Vine Street and saw a pamphlet inviting me to “unleash [my] inner goddess”, I realized the space was right down the street, so I wandered in spontaneously.

I saw two totally different women rehearsing and seeming confident, connected, powerful, and beautiful in unique garb. Being around women in their natural bodies and learning how to move mine in a complicated and delightful way worked wonders for my eating disorder and propelled me into longterm recovery.

I eventually became a dance/movement therapist based on that powerful, healing use of movement, which says a lot for someone who was terrified of leotards in high school.

Basically, I do my practice now because it keeps me grounded in myself. I work as a dance/movement therapist and counselor, which means that I pick up on a lot of people’s stress all day.

My practice is my time to connect to my own body, mind, and spirit and wipe the slate clean. Sometimes I don’t even know how I’m feeling until I dance, and I get more grounded and clear. More than anything, the practice reminds me of who I am.

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • FEBRUARY 25, 2016 • THE PULSE • 9

The Young Women’s Leadership Academy Foundation Presents

ODYSSEY 7TH ANNUAL AWARDS LUNCHEON

KEYNOTE SPEAKER:

MRS. ALMA POWELL

CHAIRWOMAN OF AMERICA’S PROMISE ALLIANCE

MARCH 8TH, 2016 11:30am - 1:00pm CHATTANOOGA CONVENTION CENTER

FOR TICKETS: WWW.CGLAONLINE.COM/ODYSSEY2016 OR 423-468-4105

MEDIA SPONSORSHIPS

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COVER STORY from other traditions. Lock-releasereverse of the arms leading into a barrel turn; arabic to arabesque; campfire to shimmying walk; reset, repeat.

The arabesque is a gracious swirl, the campfire a bent-forward grapevine step.

I want you to find the folk in this step. What makes it a folkdance? Is it that it is heavy to the floor?

The dance is grounded; the barrel turn—in contemporary dance a spinning jump with the back arched sharply—never leaves the floor but pivots out of a low soutenu. The teacher explains it’s a movement from an Uzbekistani dancer by way of Pittsburg bellydance teacher Olivia Kissel.

At last they sink down together to cool down.

Let’s inhale one time together And exhale I’m excited to be working with each of you this semester because you are all so wonderful as humans and dancers.

From There to Here This is an advanced class, Jules says, when I express surprise at how many different languages—ballet and hip hop and yoga—I see spoken.

Bellydance does have a traditional vocabulary; in fact, what most people imagine when they think about bel-

lydance is an artificial form developed from folk roots, similar to the way ballet was deliberately refined from Italian and French country dances. A beginning class would focus on the core “bellydance” movements, with language other forms added gradually.

Jules prefers the term “fusion dance” to “bellydance,” and it’s true that “bellydance” does carry a flavor of orientalism, or of creating falsely exoticized versions of other cultures.

“Bellydance” (along with that name, said to be invented by impresario Sol Blume, who directed entertainment at the 1893 World’s Fair) was introduced to American audiences as an exotic spectacle in which sensual foreign women danced naked or nearly naked.

As such, bellydance influenced American forms as diverse as burlesque and modern dance.

On the other hand, Middle Eastern street dance is a living form. A quick Youtube search shows homemade videos of young people from Turkey to Egypt dancing with the characteristic percussive hip movements, torso undulations, and quick vibrations, showing as much individuality and variety as the next-door hip hop dancer might use in his or her garage video.

Quite often, young men are using the dance to demonstrate their physical virtuosity.

The American bellydance tradition known as tribal fusion tends to be eclectic, woman-centered, and focused on costume and performance.

Stacey’s first teacher, tribal fusion dancer Andrea Perkins, began what is now Zanzibar Studio, making her instrumental in tribal or fusion dance in Chattanooga on both sides of the river. Other traditions locally add cabaret, burlesque, and other styles to their blend of fusion dance, and some ballet studios also offer bellydance lessons.

As with any form of dance, bellydance offers self-discovery, physical exercise, and the joy of moving freely in a tradition that is both venerable and immediate.

“People may see it as challenging, but they can do it if they stick with it,” Jules says. “When they start to embody the movement, that is a delight.”

Practicing bellydancing at Zanzibar Studios

“

Sometimes I don’t even know how I’m feeling until I dance, and I get more grounded and clear. More than anything, the practice reminds me of who I am.”

Find the Rhythm Lessons: movementartscollective.com zanzibarstudio.com Performances: March 19: Chattanooga RAQs, with Lauryn Elise May 6: Zoe Jakes and her House of Tarot, with Zanzibar Studio’s performance troupe.

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SCREEN SCENE

Chattanooga’s Film Festival: Our Own Sundance The CFF will offer many outstanding films from all genres for all ages

Rust Truly Never Sleeps Neil Young brings comedy and music to the big screen Experience two of Neil Young’s passion projects; his musical-comedy Human Highway and his concert rock-u-mentary Rust Never Sleeps.

Separating the two features will be a live question-and-answer session with Neil Young and fellow cast members moderated by his good friend filmmaker Cameron Crowe.

Human Highway is the story of the new owner of a roadside diner stuck in a town built around an always leaking nuclear power plant plans to torch the place to collect insurance.

However, an assortment of bizarre characters and weird events (such as

✴✴✴✴

spaceships flying around) gets in his way.

Rust Never Sleeps is a documentary covering Neil Young's October 22, 1978 concert performance at the legendary Cow Palace in San Francisco.

Don’t miss your chance to experience this one-night event on the big screen.

An Evening With Neil Young Monday, Feb. 29, 8 p.m.

Carmike East Ridge 18 5080 S. Terrace (423) 855-9652 carmike.com

NEW IN THEATERS

Gods of Egypt Set, the merciless god of darkness, has taken over the throne of Egypt and plunged the once peaceful and prosperous empire into chaos and conflict.

Director: Alex Proyas Stars: Brenton Thwaites, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Gerard Butler, Chadwick Boseman

✴✴✴✴

Eddie the Eagle The story of Eddie Edwards,an unlikely but courageous British ski-jumper who never stopped believing in himself and charmed the world at the 1988 Winter Olympics Director: Dexter Fletcher Stars: Taron Egerton, Hugh Jackman, Christopher Walken, Jo Hartley

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A

S FEBRUARY DRAWS TO A CLOSE, AND WINTER APpears to have passed Chattanooga by entirely, it’s time for a new dream of spring. The end of March promises not to go out like the traditional lamb as the Chattanooga Film Festival returns for its third year, bringing with it a cavalcade of new films, new guests, and new rumors.

Screen JOHN DEVORE

“

2014 gave us fantastic films like What We Do in the Shadows, Hard to Be a God, and The Tribe as well as notable guests like Elijah Wood and Joe Bob Briggs. Who knows exactly what this year will entail?”

The festival has announced the first wave of films to be featured, and like always, there is a wide variety of genres and subjects that can satisfy any and all fans of the silver screen, with many more announcements to follow in the coming weeks.

Each year the festival is an improvement on the previous, but nothing is ever solid until the week of the festival. 2014 gave us fantastic films like What We Do in the Shadows, Hard to Be a God, and The Tribe as well as notable guests like Elijah Wood and Joe Bob Briggs. Who knows exactly what this year will entail?

Chris Dortch, executive director and lead programmer of the festival says “Every year we challenge ourselves to raise the bar at CFF and create a bigger and better festival by bringing quality films to the Chattanooga area.” The last two years have shown that film fans can trust him at his word.

To kick things off, the festival is opening with I Saw the Light, a Hank Williams biopic starring Tom Hiddleston and Elizabeth Olsen. Dortch says: “Over the last two years at CFF, we’ve come to realize just how much folks love killer programming about music and musicians. In that spirit we are proud to kick off year three with a

"Embrace of the Serpent"

film we think folks are going to love.”

The film, like most biopics about musicians, follows the rise and fall of a touchstone cultural icon, examining the highs and lows of international success.

The strength of the cast alone warrants inclusion and its inclusion gives Chattanooga residents an opportunity to, for once, see a fantastic film before its national release.

But I Saw the Light is just one of the announced films. The full list (as well as ticket information) can be found at chattanoogafilmfest.com, but below are a few highlights of the first wave of films.

Bad Blood It wouldn’t be the CFF without some exceptional genre film. Bad Blood is a creature feature in which a horrific amphibian attack leaves a woman infected with a mutagenic disease. She returns home with the cure, but the antidote to her affliction is mistaken for party drugs. Locked in her room without her medicine, she transforms into a hideous monster to give everyone a taste of their own.

Embrace of the Serpent This film was an Academy Award nominee for best foreign language film and tells the story of the relationship between Karamakate, an Amazonian shaman, and last survivor of his people, and two scientists who work together to search the Amazon for a sacred healing plant. It’s the type of film usually not seen in the Scenic City.

Raiders!: The Story of the Greatest Fan Film Ever Made Raiders! is a film that has existed in the wings of the internet for years, but should be seen by everyone. After Steven Spielberg’s classic film Raiders of the Lost Ark was released almost 35

years ago, three 11-year-old boys from Mississippi set out on what would become a seven-year labor of love and tribute to their favorite film: a faithful, shot-for-shot adaptation of the action adventure film. They finished every scene except one—the film’s explosive airplane set piece.

More than two decades later, the trio reunited with the original cast members from their childhood in order to complete their masterpiece. Featuring interviews with John Rhys Davies, Eli Roth and more, Raiders! is the story of the project’s culmination, chronicling the friends’ dedication to their artistic vision-mixed in with some movie magic-to create the greatest fan film ever made.

Boy & the World This film was an Academy Award nominee for Best Animated Feature Film and an indication of just how varied the festival is. The film tells the story of a little boy named Cuca who goes on an adventurous quest in search of his father. The CFF always includes films for fans of all ages.

The CFF is unique in that it is truly a festival for the people. It isn’t just the variety of films that set it apart from other festivals—it’s that the focus has always been bringing great films to Chattanooga so that anyone can see them. In an age when high quality entertainment is frequently reserved for people with a lot of disposable income, it’s great to see the variety of packages available for those of us with limited budgets.

From festival and day passes to individual ticket sales, anyone that wants to see these films has a chance. The CFF is, without a doubt, the best annual event in Chattanooga.

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • FEBRUARY 25, 2016 • THE PULSE • 13

ARTS SCENE

Black is the Day, Black is the Night Learning about the faces of capital punishment and solitary confinement

The Island Of Covenant College

T

HERE IS A CAGE WE ALL LONG TO ESCAPE FROM. Your cage, may not be mine.

My cage, may not be yours.

—“Black is the Day, Black is the Night”

The island where science and religion coexists Have you ever thought about what it means to be human? Or about what role we play in the universe? These are the philosophical questions Moreau generates after a performance. Covenant College Theatre presents Moreau, a play that uncovers the horrors and discoveries of a mad scientist’s island through ship-wrecked Edward Prendick.

Moreau is based off of H.G. Wells’ novel, “The Island of Dr. Moreau”.

Dr. Moreau is played by William Darby, while Matthew Mindeman plays Edward Prendick. Both actors hope to produce something really compelling—something that questions what it means to be human.

Director Camille Hallstrom states the play is, “A science horror story [that] sticks close to the novel in the first half, but takes some creative license later, making for a hugely en-

gaging drama. But it is also a great discussion of themes like ‘science as god’.”

Studies show that as development increases, attachments to traditional values such as churchgoing decreases. This is one of many discussions Moreau prompts in relation to our society and the roles of science and religion.

Science and religion have always been conversations to avoid at the dinner table, but Covenant College confronts these subjects head on through their rendition of Moreau.

— Ja’Lisa Little

Moreau Friday, 8 p.m.

Saturday, 2:30 p.m.

Covenant College 14049 Scenic Hwy (706) 419-1051 covenant.edu

THU2.25

FRI2.26

SAT2.27

VIDEO BATTLE

CHILDHOOD FUN

THEATER FUN

NBA Jam Tournament

"Seussical the Musical"

"Arms and the Man"

Can you play with the big boys? Test your skills up agsint the city's video basketball elites.

7 p.m.

The Coin-Op 233 E. MLK Blvd.

(423) 708-7492

Come enjoy the wonderful world of Dr. Seuss.

7:30 p.m.

The Colonnade 264 Catoosa Cir., Ringgold (706) 935-9000 colonnadecenter.org

George Bernard Shaw's classic comedy on stage.

2, 7:30 p.m.

Dorothy Hackett Ward Theater Vine and Palmetto St. (423) 425-4269 utc.edu/theatre-speech

14 • THE PULSE • FEBRUARY 25, 2016 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

Arts STEPHANIE SMITH

“

And though generally inmates were reluctant to speak about their cases, many claiming innocence and working on appeals, two wrote back about their experiences with their own executions pending.”

In 2009, photographer Amy Elkins found a website where death row inmates requested pen pals. Fascinated, she set up a postal box and between 2009 and 2014 carried on correspondence with seven death row inmates in different states.

While she originally introduced herself to the inmates asking for an open collaborative process, the project soon became large in scope and it became clear she was going to make work from it.

Elkins asked inmates questions about self-identity, memories, dreams, homesickness, families, books, exercising, daily routines, and times spent outside of the cell. And though generally inmates were reluctant to speak about their cases, many claiming innocence and working on appeals, two wrote back about their experiences with their own executions pending.

The men she wrote with spent an average of 22-½ hours a day in solitary cells roughly 6’ x 9’ and had served between 13-26 years at point of contact.

Elkins wondered how facing mortality in total isolation affected one’s notions of reality and memories. She discovered that as time wore on the more profound the identity loss and memory lapse was. Everything became “more muddled” as time went on.

The Cress Gallery on the campus of The University of Tennessee Chattanooga is an academic gallery where artists are brought in alongside their exhibits to create a dialogue with stu-

dents and observers. As part of the Diane Marek Visiting Artist Lecture Series, Amy Elkin’s exhibits “Black is the Day, Black is the Night” and “Parting Words” certainly start a conversation.

The main exhibit is a compilation of tangible objects—letters, drawings—interspersed with constructed landscapes and pixelated portraits composited to create image loss to correspond with the amount of years spent in prison. There is even a 6’ x 9’ replica of a cell. The exhibit title comes from a poem written by one of the inmates. Quotes in the exhibit are from the letters exchanged between Elkins and the inmates.

Though she spent a large amount of time dedicated to writing them, Elkins didn’t want to meet the inmates because she liked the bit of intrigue and wanted an old-fashioned letter-writing project. Besides that, there are extremely limited visitation rights at the prisons, and she thought it would shift intention and change the dynamic of the project.

So she photographed all of the things she was making and sent the images.

Some of the inmates would critique them. One man had been afraid to put images on his cell wall because of the constant tearing down in the daily searches. He said the images of the sky she sent him gave him a huge sense of hope.

Naturally during the course of the 5-year collaboration, there were times when the project got too heavy. Elkins would continue to write but often got depressed. She says she fell short as a pen pal because it was a bit too much for her. At times she wondered where it was all going to lead or how she would

brewer media

“To me it is a collection of unreal mixed with brutal truths. Out of a collection of described imagination, quotes from poems they wrote, I had all this material and this was the story I was able to piece together.” possibly be able to even maintain it, but eventually a vision emerged.

“To me it is a collection of unreal mixed with brutal truths. Out of a collection of described imagination, quotes from poems they wrote, I had all this material and this was the story I was able to piece together.”

The other exhibit “Parting Words” is a visual archive of the 531 prisoners to date executed in the state of Texas— a powerful exhibit that puts faces to the issue of capital punishment. Final phrases from the prisoners are poi-

gnant, such as “I wish I could die more than once to tell you how sorry I am.”

This is the largest installation of Elkin’s work thus far. She has received a grant to publish a book of the project— a tangible object is important to her— that is due out later this year and will perhaps provide some closure for the artist, whose work is in the process of receiving awards and accolades and promises to have a long life.

When asked how this chapter in her life will affect her, Elkins responds “I always think about reaching out to fam-

ily. I’m curious how it will stay with me. It lives on a fine line. Where will it tip? Sometimes as an artist I had to suppress my feelings to not be crippled by it. Then when other people see the exhibit and have such a strong reaction it reminds me that my feelings may be being suppressed.”

Visitors to the Cress can donate to the Appalachian Prison Book Project, a library that will ship up to 5 books for free to an inmate in an Appalachian state prison. For more information on the artist, visit amyelkins.com.

Chattanooga’s Greatest Hits

everywhere. every day.

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • FEBRUARY 25, 2016 • THE PULSE • 15

ARTS CALENDAR

50th Annual Tri-State Home Show

THURSDAY2.25 Third Thursday Commuter Breakfast 7 a.m.

Niedlov’s Breadworks 215 E. Main St. (423) 756-0303 niedlovs.com Spring Arts & Education Forum Series 5:30 p.m.

UTC Southeast Center for Education in the Arts 615 McCallie Ave. (423) 425-5204 utc.edu/scea People’s History of Chattanooga 6 p.m.

Apothecary Gallery for Graphic Design 744 McCallie Ave. (423) 774-2579 apothecarygallery.com Through a Lens Darkly 6 p.m.

Jazzanooga Arts Space 431 E. MLK Blvd. jazzanooga.org Winter Workshop Series: Wetland and Stream Restoration wtih Bill Phillips 6 p.m.

Outdoor Chattanooga 200 River St. (423) 643-6888 outdoorchattanooga.com Art Exhibit Featuring African Wildlife 6:30 p.m.

Southern Adventist University 4881 Taylor Cir.

16 • THE PULSE • FEBRUARY 25, 2016 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

(423) 236-2000 NBA Jam Tournament 7 p.m.

The Coin-Op 233 E. MLK Blvd.

(423) 708-7492 "Arms and the Man" 7:30 p.m.

Dorothy Hackett Ward Theater Corner of Vine and Palmetto St. (423) 425-4269 utc.edu/theatre-speech Etta May 7:30 p.m.

The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com

FRIDAY2.26 Spring Arts & Education Forum Series

PULSE PICK: ETTA MAY What’s the best way to describe Etta May? “Minnie Pearl with a migraine.”

She is the reigning Queen of Southern Sass and a longtime Chattanooga favorite.

Etta May The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com

9:00 a.m.

UTC Southeast Center for Education in the Arts 615 McCallie Ave. (423) 425-5204 utc.edu/scea 42nd Annual Antique Show & Sale 10 a.m.

Stratton Hall 3146 Broad St. (423) 667-4332 thehoustonmuseum.org 50th Annual Tri-State Home Show 10 a.m.

Chattanooga Convention Center 1150 Carter St. (423) 624-9992 homeshowchattanooga.com Business Development Luncheon 11:30 a.m.

Chamber of Commerce

811 Broad St. (423) 756-2121 chattanoogachamber.com I SLAY 7 p.m.

Jazzanooga Arts Space 431 E. MLK Blvd. jazzanooga.org "Seussical the Musical" 7:30 p.m.

The Colonnade 264 Catoosa Cir., Ringgold (706) 935-9000 colonnadecenter.org "Arms and the Man" 7:30 p.m.

Dorothy Hackett Ward Theater Corner of Vine and Palmetto St. (423) 425-4269 utc.edu/theatre-speech Etta May 7:30, 9:45 p.m.

The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com V-Day 7:30 p.m.

Mercy Junction Justice and Peace Center 1918 Union Ave. (423) 521-0642 mercyjunction.org "Moreau" 8 p.m.

Covenant College 14049 Scenic Hwy. (706) 419-1051 covenant.edu

SATURDAY2.27 USA Climbing Local Sport and

ARTS CALENDAR

"Seussical The Musical" Speed 9 a.m.

High Point Climbing and Fitness 219 Broad St. highpointclimbing.com Puppets and Stop Motion Movies 10 a.m.

Creative Discovery Museum 321 Chestnut St. (423) 756-2738 cdmfun.org Community Day 10 a.m.

Bessie Smith Cultural Center 200 E. MLK Blvd.

(423) 266-8658 bessiesmithcc.org 42nd Annual Antique Show & Sale 10 a.m.

Stratton Hall 3146 Broad St. (423) 667-4332 thehoustonmuseum.org 50th Annual Tri-State Home Show 10 a.m.

Chattanooga Convention Center 1150 Carter St. (423) 624-9992 homeshowchattanooga.com Yoga by Shanterra 10 p.m.

Jazzanooga Arts Space 431 E. MLK Blvd. jazzanooga.org The “O” Play 10:30 a.m.

Chattanooga Theatre Centre 400 River St. (423) 267-8534 theatrecentre.com

“Oh Freedom” & “Dreamers in Action Luncheon” Noon ReCreate Café Arts 800 McCallie Ave. (423) 756-1023 csarmy.org CO.STARTERS for Creatives 1 p.m.

Jazzanooga Arts Space 431 E. MLK Blvd. jazzanooga.org "Seussical the Musical" 1, 7:30 p.m.

The Colonnade 264 Catoosa Cir, Ringgold (706) 935-9000 colonnadecenter.org "Arms and the Man" 2, 7:30 p.m.

Dorothy Hackett Ward Theater Corner of Vine and Palmetto St. (423) 425-4269 utc.edu/theatre-speech Winter Emergence Women’s Mixer 2 p.m.

Area 61 61 E. Main St. (423) 648-9367 "Moreau" 2:30 p.m.

Covenant College 14049 Scenic Hwy. (706) 419-1051 covenant.edu Black History Month Collection Tour 2:30 p.m.

The Hunter Museum of American Art 10 Bluff View Ave. (423) 267-0968 huntermuseum.org

"Experiencing God" Musical 10:30 a.m.

Tyner United Methodist Church 6805 Standifer Gap Rd. (423) 892-0444 tynerumc.org Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Octet 7 p.m.

Jazzanooga Arts Space 431 E. MLK Blvd. jazzanooga.org Family Dinner Night 7 p.m.

Local Juice 48 E. Main St. (423) 521-5389 thelocaljuicery.com Bessie Smith Songbook 7 p.m.

Bessie Smith Cultural Center 200 E. MLK Blvd.

(423) 266-8658 bessiesmithcc.org Open Screen Night 7 p.m.

Country Inn & Suites 7051 McCutcheon Rd. (423) 899-2300 earluminator.com Etta May 7:30, 9:45 p.m.

The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com V-Day 7:30 p.m.

Mercy Junction Justice and Peace Center 1918 Union Ave. (423) 521-0642 mercyjunction.org

SUNDAY2.28 Small Paintings Workshop with Cindy Procious 10 a.m.

Townsend Atelier 301 E. 11th St. (423) 266-2712 townsendatelier.com "Experiencing God" Musical 10:30 a.m.

Tyner United Methodist Church 6805 Standifer Gap Rd. (423) 892-0444 tynerumc.org 50th Annual Tri-State Home Show 11 a.m.

Chattanooga Convention Center 1150 Carter St. (423) 624-9992 homeshowchattanooga.com 42nd Annual Antique Show & Sale 12 p.m.

Stratton Hall 3146 Broad St. (423) 667-4332 thehoustonmuseum.org "Seussical the Musical" 2:30 p.m.

The Colonnade 264 Catoosa Cir., Ringgold (706) 935-9000 colonnadecenter.org V-Day 4:00 p.m.

Mercy Junction Justice and Peace Center 1918 Union Ave. (423) 521-0642 mercyjunction.org CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • FEBRUARY 25, 2016 • THE PULSE • 17

ARTS CALENDAR

Vintage Swing & Blues Dance

Israeli Wine Tasting 7 p.m.

Jewish Cultural Center 5461 N. Terrace (423) 493-0270 jewishchattanooga.com GR Goodwin & Friends 7:30 p.m.

The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com

MONDAY2.29 Lookout Farmers Market 4:30 p.m.

Red Bank United Methodist Church 3800 Dayton Blvd.

(423) 877-2881 rbumc.org Foreign Policy Supper Club 6 p.m.

Jewish Cultural Center 5461 N. Terrace (423) 493-0270 jewishchattanooga.com Make Music Chattanooga Happen 6 p.m.

Granfalloon 400 E. Main St. (423) 661-3185 granfalloonchattanooga.com Oil Painting with Mia Bergeron 6 p.m.

Townsend Atelier 301 E. 11th St. (423) 266-2712 townsendatelier.com Monday Vintage Swing & Blues Dance 7:45 p.m.

Clear Spring Yoga 105 North Market St.

18 • THE PULSE • FEBRUARY 25, 2016 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

(423) 266-3539 rivercitydanceclub.com

TUESDAY3.1 March Noisemakers: Women’s History Month Edition 5:30 p.m.

Granfalloon 400 E. Main St. (423) 661-3185 granfalloonchattanooga.com Yoga by Shanterra 5:30 p.m.

Jazzanooga Arts Space 431 E. MLK Blvd. jazzanooga.org Mentorship with Mia Bergeron 6 p.m.

Townsend Atelier 301 E. 11th St. (423) 266-2712 townsendatelier.com Multi-Ethnic American Literature 6 p.m.

UTC University Center 615 McCallie Ave. (423) 425-4627 utc.edu

WEDNESDAY3.2 Heart Strings for Hope 7 p.m.

Tivoli Theatre 709 Broad St. (423) 267-8583 chattanoogaonstage.com Map these locations on chattanoogapulse. com. Send event listings at least 10 days in advance to: calendar@chattanoogapulse.com

FOOD & DRINK MIXOLOGY

A Surefire Pick Me Up Mixing the morning elixir of life with the spirits of the evening “Get knocked on your bum and get right back up with any of these delicious, unique coffee liqueur blends.”

Photo by Herman-M

A

lcohol helps you forget, but coffee makes you remember (supposedly). So what happens when you combine the two? Something interesting no doubt.

Although coffee’s origin has been documented back to the 15th Century, its popularity has risen steeply in the last decade. Specialty coffee consumption has risen over 16 percent since 2004.

Every day, more than half of the adult population drinks coffee. That’s 108.9 million people. The United States itself accounts for 52 million of those coffee drinkers.

Alcohol, on the other hand, has been

popular since its origins around 2000 B.C. (for obvious reasons).

The combination of the two, however, is relatively new in comparison. The first recorded alcoholic coffee beverages were in the early 1930’s. People had them after work or with desserts, and now they have developed into much more than just your average Irish Coffee; they’re an entire novelty of their own.

Although most people know it, it is definitely worth the mention, the basic Irish Coffee. If you’re new to coffee mixed drinks, before you try anything else, you’ll want to sip on this. It’s a dip-your-toe-in-before-you-dive-in-

headfirst kind of situation.

Here’s the recipe: • 2 & 2/3 oz. hot coffee • 1 & 1/3 oz. Irish whiskey • 1 tsp. brown sugar • 1 oz. cream Heat the coffee, whiskey, and sugar; do not boil. Pour into a glass and top with cream. Serve hot.

Next is the Espresso Martini, a drink worthy of making Bond jealous. What you see is what you get with this drink.

If you love vodka and you love the strength of a bold espresso, this one is for you.

• 1 oz. Absolut Vodka • 1 oz. espresso Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a martini glass.

Black coffee is a classic for a reason, but it is not for everyone, which

is why the Chocolate Mocha Latte is so popular among those with a sweet tooth. The strength of the espresso is met with the creamy milk, melted chocolate syrup, and sweet kahlúa to create the perfect sweet treat. If you think this one may be a little too sweet for your liking, substitute the Kahlúa for something darker and stronger, like whiskey.

• 2 oz. espresso • 4 oz. skim milk • 3 tbsp. light chocolate syrup • 2 oz. Kahlúa Combine all ingredients in a glass filled with ice and stir.

Last but definitely not least is a unique favorite: Paradise Found. This drink relies heavily on the coffee and is helped along by two tasty ingredients: rum and butterscotch schnapps.

Although it calls for a few more ingredients, it is very simple to make.

• 6 oz. coffee • 1 oz. spiced rum • 1 oz. butterscotch schnapps • cream • sugar • garnish: whipped cream and a coffee bean Combine all ingredients in a glass filled with ice and stir. Garnish with whipped cream and a coffee bean (if you’re feelin’ artsy.)

Get knocked on your bum and get right back up with any of these delicious, unique coffee liqueur blends.

— Rebekah Jones

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • FEBRUARY 25, 2016 • THE PULSE • 19

Diversions

Consider This with Dr. Rick

by Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D.

“I used to think the worst thing in life is to end up all alone. It’s not. The worst thing in life is to end up with people who make you feel all alone.” — Robin Williams What is your circle of friends like? Abundant and gratifying? Soulenriching and fun? Ever-ready to cheer you on to bring out the best of you? Or…is it lacking? Is it negative in spirit and energy?

And how’s the ol’ love life doing? Are you in a new relationship that still gives you a smile, maybe chills and hopefully thrills? Is your relationship an established one, filled with love? Or…is something unhappy about the state of your affairs? Are you unhappily single, or unhappily partnered?

We can be with just one person, and feel like the world to him/ her. Or…feel utterly alone, no matter how many others there may be.

Paying attention to your relationship needs gives you the opportunity to understand that, ultimately, it’s all your choice.

20 • THE PULSE • FEBRUARY 25, 2016 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • FEBRUARY 25, 2016 • THE PULSE • 21

MUSIC SCENE

Washing Away The Dust of Everyday Life

Trumpeter Vance Thompson leads an all-star tribute to jazz great Art Blakey

Happy Birthday, Man In Black Johnny Cash Birthday Bash comes to the Revelry Room If he were with us today, Johnny Cash he would still be rocking stages all over the nation at the age of 84.

He was one of the greatest performers of the past century, combining country, rock, blues and gospel into a unique—and unmistakable—sound.

Commemorating him is no easy feat, but Chattanooga is willing to try. On Saturday, Cash’s birthday, the Revelry Room is hosting The Johnny Cash Bash in his honor with headliner Channing Wilson performing hits of Cash’s all night long.

Wilson is an obvious choice, as his own music is down to earth and realistic, reminiscent of Cash. In his hit, “Nowhere to Go”, Wilson sings, “The days and the nights seem to run together / nothing ever changes except for the weather.” These words

could’ve been written by Cash himself. There’s no better way to honor him than by someone who has a soul kindred to his.

Cash brought joy and vibrancy into the lives of those who heard his music and although he isn’t here to give his two cents now, it will never stop his music from echoing in the ears of those who loved him.

For questions or ticket information, visit revelryroom.co or call (423) 521-2929.

— Rebekah Jones Johnny Cash Birthday Bash Saturday, 9 p.m.

Revelry Room 41 E. 14th St. (423) 521-2929 revelryroom.co

THU2.25

FRI2.26

SAT2.27

BOHEMIAN BASH

AMERICANA

SOUL ROOTS

Kindora, Napoleon, and Courtney Reid

Emily Robinson

Brandon Reeves

Why wait for the weekend to rock out? Head downtown for a Thursday night lineup of local talent.

10 p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com

Steeped in the soulful old-time, Americana and folk music of the South, Emily brings honesty and heart to her music.

9 p.m.

Puckett’s 2 W. Aquarium Way puckettsgro.com

A cross between the guitar playing of John Hurt, the songwriting wit of John Prine, and the soulful vocals of Sam Cooke 10 p.m.

The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com

22 • THE PULSE • FEBRUARY 25, 2016 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

T

HE LATE JAZZ DRUMMER ART BLAKEY PERFECTLY captured the escapist pleasures of music with his famous quote, “Music washes away the dust of everyday life.” Knoxville trumpeter and bandleader Vance Thompson aims to bring that spirit with his tribute to Art Blakey and his band The Jazz Messengers, at Barking Legs Theater on March 3.

Music ERNIE PAIK

“

He really thought that the musician’s job was to allow the audience to get lost in what they were doing on the bandstand so they could forget about all their troubles.”

“Blakey was a very serious musician, but he was also an entertainer and a strong believer in the idea that music should be fun and engaging for the audience,” said Thompson, via phone. “He really thought that the musician’s job was to allow the audience to get lost in what they were doing on the bandstand so they could forget about all their troubles and just be transported to some place that would make them feel better about themselves and the world around them.”

Thompson founded the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra in 1999, which is supported by its own non-profit organization, and teaches courses in jazz and music business at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

“I had a friend in high school whose dad had some Art Blakey records; he had Caravan and he had Buhaina’s Delight,” said Thompson. “Those were some of the first records that really made me fall in love with the music and try to learn how to play jazz.”

Although Blakey’s music was influential for Thompson, until now, he never performed that repertoire, and one thing that impressed Thompson about those records was trumpeter Freddie Hubbard’s playing.

“He’s one of my all-time favorite trumpet players,” said Thompson, who was drawn to “the quality of his sound, the excitement that he plays with, and the unbelievable virtuosity that he has.”

Vance Thompson

Thompson’s six-piece ensemble includes Tylar Bullion on trombone, bassist Tommy Sauter, drummer Garrit Tillman, and two standout sidemen: tenor saxophonist Greg Tardy, who has recorded for the legendary Impulse! label, and Space Time Records recording artist Keith Brown on piano.

Brown’s father, the acclaimed pianist Donald Brown, played with Blakey in the early ‘80s in a remarkable lineup that also included brothers Wynton and Branford Marsalis.

“I definitely got a lot of first-hand information about just how to play some of those songs that the Jazz Messengers did,” said Keith Brown, via email. “Since my pops played with The Messengers, I’ve always had a love for what that group did.”

“He also has given some little details in playing some of that music that a lot of people may miss, but once you know, you can tell that those types of details are what help really give the music the thing that it has,” said Brown.

“It’s nice to have such strong musicians to be able to work with,” said Thompson.

“Greg and Keith are people that I admire and am constantly learning things from.”

“I have a good enough relationship with them that I can ask them questions and expect them to give me a straight answer,” said Thompson. “They both have a very deep and thorough understanding of the tradition of the music, and so they know the history on their instruments, which means that they can play a lot of different kinds of ways; so that makes it exciting to play with them, and they know how to create drama and variety in

what they’re playing.”

Selections for the concert will include three tracks from Caravan, including the famous title track by Duke Ellington, “Pensativa” from the album Free for All, Cedar Walton’s “Ugetsu” (which is Japanese for “fantasy”), the classic Jazz Messengers track “Moanin’” and “Backstage Sally” from Buhaina’s Delight.

Also, the sextet will tackle “New York,” written by Donald Brown, which Keith Brown described as “more of that just in-your-face energy thing that Art Blakey had as well.”

Although Thompson teaches music arrangement, he did not take liberties when arranging the selections for the concert, choosing to faithfully transcribe the parts from the recordings; this doesn’t mean that his ensemble will deliver carbon copies of the album tracks.

“These are not just some guys up there reading the charts of the Blakey music,” said Brown. “We actually have an understanding of the history of that band, both on and off the stage, and just the personality of the music and musicians that have played in that band over the years.”

“I think when you have that understanding, you can then really know how to add yourself into the music while still keeping it in character,” said Brown.

Vance Thompson & Friends: A Tribute to Art Blakey Thursday, March 3, 7:30 p.m.

Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. (423) 624-5347 barkinglegs.org CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • FEBRUARY 25, 2016 • THE PULSE • 23

MUSIC CALENDAR

Cosmic Charlie

THURSDAY2.25 Rick Rushing Blues Jazz N’ Friends 6 p.m.

Bluewater Grille 224 Broad St. bluewaterchattanooga.com Little Country Giants CD Release Party with Webb Barringer 8 p.m.

Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. barkinglegs.org Chancey 8 p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com Open Mic with Hap Henninger 9 p.m.

The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com Kindora, Napoleon, and Courtney Reid 10 p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com

FRIDAY2.26 Break the Barcode 6:30 p.m.

The Camp House 149 E. MLK Blvd. thecamphouse.com Third Day 7 p.m.

Tivoli Theatre

24 • THE PULSE • FEBRUARY 25, 2016 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

709 Broad St. chattanoogaonstage.com The Jericho Bass 7 p.m.

North River Civic Center 1009 Executive Dr. (423) 870-8924 The Loop Acoustic 7 p.m.

Granfalloon 400 E. Main St. granfalloonchatt.com Stephen Robinson 7 p.m.

Chattanooga WorkSpace 302 W. 6th St. chattanoogaworkspace.com Kaleidoscope Concert No. 1 7:30 p.m.

Roland Hayes Concert Hall 752 Vine St. utc.edu/music The Road Runners 8 p.m.

PULSE PICK: DANA COOPER Out of the heartland of America, stomping grounds of Truman and Twain, “powerhouse” troubadour Dana Cooper dedicated himself to a life of music.

Dana Cooper Saturday, 8 p.m.

Charles and Myrtle’s Coffeehouse 105 McBrien Rd. christunity.org

Mayo’s Bar & Grille 3820 Brainerd Rd. (423) 624-0034 Jack Grelle, Nick Shannahan, The Readers 8 p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com Ashley and Gage Sharp 8:30 p.m.

The Foundry 1201 Broad St. chattanooganhotel.com Randall Adams 9 p.m.

The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com Cosmic Charlie 9 p.m.

Revelry Room 41 E. 14th St. revelryroom.co

Emily Robinson 9 p.m.

Puckett’s 2 W. Aquarium Way puckettsgro.com Ryan Oyer with Megan Saunders & The Driftless 10 p.m.

Tremont Tavern 1203 Hixson Pk. Tremonttavern.com Cash Only Band 10 p.m.

Bud’s Sports Bar 5751 Brainerd Rd. budssportsbar.com Wasted Riffs 10 p.m.

The Brew & Cue 5017 Rossville Blvd.

(423) 867-9402

SATURDAY2.27 Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Octet 7 p.m.

Jazzanooga Arts Space 431 E. MLK Blvd. jazzanooga.org Broad Street Exit Band 7 p.m.

Bessie Smith Cultural Center 200 E. MLK Blvd. bessiesmithcc.org Hullabowloo: Benefiting the Chattanooga Area Food Bank 7 p.m.

Track 29 1400 Market St. track29.co The Countrymen Band 8 p.m.

MUSIC CALENDAR

Foreigner Eagles Club 6128 Airways Blvd.

(423) 894-9940 Dana Cooper, Mountain Creek Housefire 8 p.m.

Charles and Myrtle’s Coffeehouse 105 McBrien Rd. christunity.org From Another Planet, Silence the Ocean, The Art of Catastrofear, & Carcosa 8 p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com Ashley and Gage Sharp 8:30 p.m.

The Foundry 1201 Broad St. chattanooganhotel.com Ramble in the Attic 9 p.m.

T-Bones 1419 Chestnut St. (423) 266-4240 Johnny Cash Bash 9 p.m.

Revelry Room 41 E. 14th St. revelryroom.co Super Honk 9 p.m.

Puckett’s 2 W. Aquarium Way puckettsgro.com Brandon Reeves 10 p.m.

The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com Cash Only Band 10 p.m.

Bud’s Sports Bar 5751 Brainerd Rd. budssportsbar.com

SUNDAY2.28 Danimal Pinson 11 a.m., 1:30 p.m.

The Flying Squirrel Bar 55 Johnson St. flyingsquirrelbar.com Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers 3 p.m.

Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. barkinglegs.org Side by Side Concert 3 p.m.

Chattanooga Symphony & Opera 701 Broad St. chattanoogasymphony.org Open Mic with Jeff Daniels 6 p.m.

Long Haul Saloon 2536 Cummings Hwy. (423) 822-9775 Behold the Brave, White Reaper, Acid Dad 9 p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com

MONDAY2.29 Open Air with Jessica Nunn 6 p.m.

Granfalloon 400 E. Main St. granfalloonchatt.com

Unsung: A Black History Concert 7 p.m.

Christ United Methodist Church 8645 E .Brainerd Rd. midsouthsymphonicband.org Open Mic with Shawnessey Cargile 8 p.m.

The Well 1800 Rossville Blvd. #8 wellonthesouthside.com Monday Nite Big Band 9 p.m.

The Coconut Room 6925 Shallowford Rd. thepalmsathamilton.com

TUESDAY3.1 Lara Hope & The Ark, Tones, Sweet G.A.Brown 6 p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com Foreigner 8 p.m.

Tivoli Theatre 709 Broad St. chattanoogaonstage.com Open Mic with Mike McDade 8 p.m.

Tremont Tavern 1203 Hixson Pike tremonttavern.com Uptown Big Band 8 p.m.

Revelry Room 41 E. 14th St. revelryroom.co Goatwhore, Unspoken Triumph

9 p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com

WEDNESDAY3.2 Courtney Daly Band 7 p.m.

End Zone 3658 Ringgold Rd. (423) 661-8020 Open Jam 8 p.m.

Raw Dance Club 409 Market St. rawbarandgrillchatt.com Alan Wyatt Quartet 8 p.m.

Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. barkinglegs.org Blues Night 9 p.m.

The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com Husky Burnette, The Goddamn Gallows 9 p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com Guttermouth 9 p.m.

Revelry Room 41 E. 14th St. revelryroom.co Map these locations on chattanoogapulse.com. Send event listings at least 10 days in advance to: calendar@chattanoogapulse.com CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • FEBRUARY 25, 2016 • THE PULSE • 25

RECORD REVIEWS PATRICK FILBIN

Homebody Harbors a Toothache, Mountain Creek House Fire Gets Local Homebody's sincere new EP leaves us wanting more, MCHF channels local chemistry breathe, to gain one’s breath back and prepare for more.

Now, if this album was 10 or 11 songs long, it would be necessary and much-appreciated. But here, with such little to work with, it’s just a tease for more. Which may be exactly what Homebody wants you to wish for.

C Homebody Toothache (homebodyga.bandcamp.com)

H

omebody, the hard rock trio from Northwest Georgia, sounds as angry and confused as any youthful group of musicians figuring their way through life by the use of recorded song.

Where they differ is in their musicianship, their mature approach to recording, and a very polished and sincere message both in the lyrics and the recording process of their newest release Toothache.

Toothache is only a five song collection. Just a bit longer than an EP and a few songs short of an LP, but where they make it

Mountain Creek House Fire Listen Local (independent)

count is in the tightly-packed verses and choruses that make a listener think there’s much more to this band and that’s something to be excited about if you’re a fan of this genre, live in this area, or appreciate good songwriting at all.

The trio is made up of Wes Pace, Drew Waldon, and Cole F. Cosby who all share writing credits on the album.

Their sound is very ‘90sinspired but not just in the hard rock Pearl Jam sense but also in the indie-sense of bands like American Football and Braid.

Two of the albums stand-

26 • THE PULSE • FEBRUARY 25, 2016 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

outs, “Chief ” and “Doubter,” both start out with a single guitar, picking out a melodic progression before heading into a fury of neatly played drums and wailing vocals. “Doubter” is a brutally honest take on many things, but one line in particular stands out: “The preacher calls me at his grace because I question all of his lies.”

Heavy stuff indeed.

Another curious point in the album comes smack dab in the middle. At only 58 seconds, “Breathe” is an instrumental that is meant to give both the listeners and the collection a time to

hemistry is something that cannot be manufactured in a lab. For all the science teachers and Walter White fanatics out there waiting to jump down my throat, hold up. Let me rephrase. When writing songs in a duo, chemistry can’t be manufactured. It grows with time, ages with experience, and commands attention and respect.

That is what Robert Lovett and Pattee Wilbanks have found and nurtured in Mountain Creek House Fire, a folk-americana duo that is soon to release Listen Local, a fully collaborative album that is as sincere and personal as it is universally relatable.

The songwriting on Listen Local seems seamless and classic. Lovett and Wilbanks share the writing credits, taking turns on every other track, but their harmonies tie in each song sweetly, especially on “Food and Gaso-

line,” a tale of an everyman you’d find in one of Bruce Springsteen’s songs who works for two things and those two things allow him to work.

Same old cycle over and over, told in an old-timed fashion with fresh energy.

In an ode to a lost one, Wilbanks sings to “Martha” for guidance, love, and self-discovery, realizing that “maybe it’s me that I’m searching for.”

Major themes in Listen Local are the common struggles and daily routines we all find ourselves in. Whether it’s the southern soil we were born and raised on, struggling with the idea of getting old, raising young’uns, coming home to a loved one after a hard day at work, the themes and stories are old and true.

What is refreshing about MCHF is their earnestness, their dedication to the sound and craft of the genre, and their passion to make it not only special for their listeners but special for themselves.

And even through the monotonous struggles of daily life, they are hopeful and full of youth, like in the album’s closer “A New Day Was Born Today,” Lovett sings, “You can’t find up with your head hanging down.”

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • FEBRUARY 25, 2016 • THE PULSE • 27

COLUMN FREE WILL ASTROLOGY PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “People don’t want their lives fixed,” proclaims Chuck Palahniuk in his novel Survivor. “Nobody wants their probROB BREZSNY lems solved. Their dramas. Their distractions. Their stories resolved. Their messes cleaned up. Because what would they have left? Just the big scary unknown.” Your challenge in the coming weeks, Pisces, is to prove Palahniuk wrong, at least in regards to you. From what I can tell, you will have unprecedented opportunities to solve dilemmas and clean up messy situations. And if you take even partial advantage of this gift, you will not be plunged into the big scary unknown, but rather into a new phase of shaping your identity with crispness and clarity.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Just one species has a big enough throat to swallow a person whole: the sperm whale. If you happen to be sailing the high seas any time soon, I hope you will studiously avoid getting thrown overboard in the vicinity of one of these beasts. The odds are higher than usual that you’d end up in its belly, much like the Biblical character Jonah. (Although, like him, I bet you’d ultimately escape.) Furthermore, Aries, I hope you will be cautious not to get swallowed up by anything else. It’s true that the coming weeks will be a good time to go on a retreat, to flee from the grind and take a break from the usual frenzy. But the best way to do that is to consciously choose the right circumstances rather than leave it to chance.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You have cosmic clearance to fantasize about participating in orgies where you’re loose and free and exuberant. It’s probably not a good idea to attend a literal orgy, however.

For the foreseeable future, all the cleansing revelry and cathartic rapture you need can be obtained through the wild stories and outrageous scenes that unfold in your imagination. Giving yourself the gift of pretend immersions in fertile chaos could recharge your spiritual batteries in just the

right ways.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “Hell is the suffering of being unable to love,” wrote novelist J. D. Salinger. If that’s true, I’m pleased to announce that you can now ensure you’ll be free of hell for a very long time.

The cosmic omens suggest that you have enormous power to expand your capacity for love. So get busy! Make it your intention to dissolve any unconscious blocks you might have about sharing your gifts and bestowing your blessings. Get rid of attitudes and behaviors that limit your generosity and compassion. Now is an excellent time to launch your “Perpetual Freedom from Hell” campaign!

CANCER (June 21-July 22): “A vacation is what you take when you can no longer take what you’ve been taking,” said journalist Earl Wilson. Do you fit that description, Cancerian? Probably. I suspect it’s high time to find a polite way to flee your responsibilities, avoid your duties, and hide from your burdens. For the foreseeable future, you have a mandate to ignore what fills you with boredom. You have the right to avoid any involvement that makes life too damn complicated. And you have a holy obligation to rethink your relationship with any influence that weighs you down with menial obligations.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “Your illusions are a part of you like your bones and flesh and memory,” writes William Faulkner in his novel Absalom, Absalom! If that’s true, Leo, you now have a chance to be a miracle worker. In the coming weeks, you can summon the uncanny power to rip at least two of your illusions out by the roots -without causing any permanent damage!

You may temporarily feel a stinging sensation, but that will be a sign that healing is underway. Congratulations in advance for getting rid of the dead weight.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “We are defined by the lines we choose to cross or to be confined by,” says Virgo writer A. S. Byatt.

That’s a key meditation for you as you enter a phase in which boundaries will be a major theme. During the next eight weeks, you will be continuously challenged to decide which people and things and ideas you want to be part of your world, and

28 • THE PULSE • FEBRUARY 25, 2016 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

Homework: What book do you suspect would change your life if you actually read it? Testify at Truthrooster@ gmail.com which you don’t. In some cases you’ll be wise to put up barriers and limit connection. In other cases, you’ll thrive by erasing borders and transcending divisions.

The hard part—and the fun part—will be knowing which is which. Trust your gut.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): When life gives you lemon juice from concentrate, citric acid, high-fructose corn syrup, modified cornstarch, potassium citrate, yellow food dye, and gum acacia, what should you do? Make lemonade, of course! You might wish that all the raw ingredients life sends your way would be pure and authentic, but sometimes the mix includes artificial stuff. No worries, Libra! I am confident that you have the imaginative chutzpah and resilient willpower necessary to turn the mishmash into passable nourishment. Or here’s another alternative: You could procrastinate for two weeks, when more of the available resources will be natural.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Your Mythic Metaphor for the coming weeks is dew.

Many cultures have regarded it as a symbol of life-giving grace. In Kabbalah, divine dew seeps from the Tree of Life. In Chinese folklore, the lunar dew purifies vision and nurtures longevity. In the lore of ancient Greece, dew confers fertility.

The Iroquois speak of the Great Dew Eagle, who drops healing moisture on land ravaged by evil spirits. The creator god of the Ashanti people created dew soon after making the sun, moon, and stars. LaoTse said it’s an emblem of the harmonious marriage between Earth and Heaven. So what will you do with the magic dew you’ll be blessed with?

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): It’s prime

time for you to love your memory, make vivid use of your memory, and enhance your memory. Here are some hints about how: 1. Feel appreciation for the way the old stories of your life form the core of your identity and self-image. 2. Draw on your recollections of the past to guide you in making decisions about the imminent future. 3. Notice everything you see with an intensified focus, because then you will remember it better, and that will come in handy quite soon. 4. Make up new memories that you wish had happened. Have fun creating scenes from an imagined past.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Most of us know about Albert Einstein’s greatest idea: the general theory of relativity. It was one of the reasons he won a Nobel Prize in Physics. But what was his second-best discovery? Here’s what he said it was: adding an egg to the pot while he cooked his soup. That way, he could produce a softboiled egg without having to dirty a second pot. What are the first- and secondmost fabulous ideas you’ve ever come up with, Capricorn? I suspect you are on the verge of producing new candidates to compete with them. If it’s OK with you, I will, at least temporarily, refer to you as a genius.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You may be familiar with the iconic children’s book Where the Wild Things Are. It’s about a boy named Max who takes a dream-like journey from his bedroom to an exotic island, where he becomes king of the weird beasts who live there. Author Maurice Sendak’s original title for the tale was “Where the Wild Horses Are.” But when his editor realized how inept Sendak was at drawing horses, she instructed him to come up with a title to match the kinds of creatures he could draw skillfully. That was a good idea. The book has sold over 19 million copies. I think you may need to deal with a comparable issue, Aquarius. It’s wise to acknowledge one of your limitations, and then capitalize on the adjustments you’ve got to make.

Rob Brezsny is an aspiring master of curiosity, perpetrator of sacred uproar, and founder of the Beauty and Truth Lab. He brings a literate, myth-savvy perspective to his work. It’s all in the stars.

Jonesin’ Crossword

MATT JONES

“Sop, Just Sop”—time for one letter to go.

ACROSS 1 Not plugged in 4 Artist’s tribute 10 Bawl out 15 Water filter brand 16 Bedelia of kiddie lit 17 Ham preparer, perhaps 18 Before, to Keats 19 Instant coffee brand that’ll shock you awake?

21 Mark Twain’s real last name 23 Fender Stratocaster inventor’s zodiac sign, aptly 24 Mineral hardness scale 25 “Un momento, ___ favor” 26 Butcher’s cuts 28 Medal of Honor recipient 30 Notwithstanding 35 Lyft alternative 36 Gasoline additive 37 Dir. opposite NNW 40 Big golf competition using devices emitting electromagnetic waves?

43 CBS segment, for short?

44 Military shoulder pad 45 Cosmetics company that sells door-to-door 46 Ties in (with) 47 Actress Catherine ___-Jones 48 Deli hanger 52 “The ___ Is Mightier” (“Celebrity Jeopardy” category on “SNL”) 53 Like markedup textbooks 54 “Epic ___ Battles of History” 57 Onetime mall bookstore name 61 Play-by-play announcer show mixed with a police procedural?

64 “South Park” baby brother 65 “Tap” star Gregory 66 Time out 67 Bygone period 68 Start of a Caesarean trio 69 “Star Trek” captain’s order

70 Joined the table DOWN 1 Crude oil cartel 2 Fold, as a flag 3 Uncensored media 4 Detractor 5 Country south of Iran 6 Pigsty, so to speak 7 Part of IPA 8 “The ___ From Ipanema” 9 Minimal effort 10 Acad.

11 New York politico Andrew 12 Hunter of Greek myth 13 Cafe con ___ (Spanish drink) 14 Attire 20 Grow fond of 22 “Where to Invade Next” director Michael 27 “___ Lugosi’s Dead” (Bauhaus song) 28 Ambient noises from appliances, e.g.

29 Place to do your bidding 30 Loses hope 31 “At Last”

singer James and namesakes 32 Give a hoot 33 “The Alchemist” novelist ___ Coelho 34 “Lady ___” (Chris de Burgh hit) 37 Lava lamp’s heyday 38 Little brat 39 Fiery Italian landmark 41 Longtime NPR host Diane retiring in 2016 42 “___ tov!”

48 Tokyo rolls 49 Jellied tomato dish 50 “Bleeding Love” singer Lewis 51 Relevant, in legalese 52 Out of style 55 Need a backrub, say 56 Nuisance 57 B, as in bouzouki 58 Knock out 59 Southern stew ingredient 60 “That’s super!”

62 Mao ___-Tung 63 2012 AFTRA merger partner

Copyright © 2016 Jonesin’ Crosswords. For answers to this puzzle, call: 1-900-226-2800, 99 cents per minute. Must be 18+ to call. Or to bill to your credit card, call: 1-800-655-6548. Reference puzzle No. 0768 CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • FEBRUARY 25, 2016 • THE PULSE • 29

COLUMN ON THE BEAT

Dealing With The Great Contradiction Officer Alex processes the dichotomy of safety versus use of force “Police work.”

By and large, it’s a career of contradictions.

Your mandate is to protect and serve, to keep people from ALEX TEACH harm, yet in order to do so you occasionally have to do just that: bring harm, and occasionally do so by the Chinese containership load. In short, violence is an incredibly inconvenient part of the job when your title is that of “peace keeper.”

It came to mind on the way home from Job #3 last night after I happened to roll by a co-worker as he was chasing a young man that got tazed in mid-flight. One second he was an Olympic hopeful, the next, Wile E. Coyote, frozen in mid-air and feeling a whole different kind of “Bern” as he stoically made his descent into a patch of grass in a frozen cartoon-like rictus, dirt, condom wrappers, and flattened Icee cups piled up in front of him like the soil in front of a crashing spaceship from Independence Day. He lay there doing what people do after experiencing a 50,000-volt frequency-specific shock that causes all muscles to instantaneously seize, still unaware of the barbed hook in his upper back and ass cheek (respectively), and I couldn’t help but ponder the if’s for a moment, while another cop bent over and almost soothingly asked, “Hey…why’d you run, man? It didn’t have to be this way.”

His reticence was genuine, and

“Decent people don’t want to hurt people, but these are the men and women that decide to take a chance on living in that grey area in between being a wolf and being a sheep.” while I normally try to avoid waxing poetics while The Good Work is afoot, I couldn’t help but observe the irony of the dynamic. In order to bring peace, whether he was tackled, tazed, or ran in front of a moving car, his choices necessitated a strong likelihood of violence in one form or another to bring those poor choices to a resolution.

Without argument, this contradiction is the toughest part of the job on two different levels. The officers that put themselves in this situation get into the business because they’re decent people. (Yeah, yeah, there’s the less than one percent that make the rest look like crap that some choose to obsess on, but that’s another topic.)

Decent people don’t want to hurt people, but these are the men and women that decide to take a chance on living in that grey area in between being a wolf and being a sheep, and as such when there’s a statistically likely occurrence of good intentions going

30 • THE PULSE • FEBRUARY 25, 2016 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

south. When that happens, they’re screwed both emotionally and publicly. What a great job.

That second level is, of course, outside scrutiny. From the outside, our more two dimensional critics have a field day with the observation of selective facts. The Times Free Press recently released a transcript of a police involved shooting which from what I saw publicly (as in, from citizens’ cell phones), after three to four minutes of being begged to drop his gun, a man charged an officer and a child with a gun and a sword. Reasonably interpreting this as a deadly act, he was dropped like cholera in broad daylight and on film.

According to the news releases, this was witnessed and recorded by neighbors and the local District Attorney declined to press charges against the officers (having acted within their legal boundaries for when people try to kill you with a sword and a gun), but

still, marches were organized to protest this as an act of brutality.

Was it brutal? Well hell yes, a man was shot—that’s a fairly brutal act. But was it necessary? That is where facts start to get in the way. And come to think of it, that’s probably why the “march” that was organized attracted up to ten people (if you include the one in the stroller).

Violence. People of peace that have to wear armor and equip themselves with firearms and intermediate weapons. No wonder we’re both easy targets for the agenda driven and never short of work to be done.

Be safe, and if practical…please wear a helmet if you choose to run.

(Road Runner doesn’t want to get you, but Road Runner will get you should you choose to go Coyote on us.)

When officer Alexander D. Teach is not patrolling our fair city on the heels of the criminal element, he spends his spare time volunteering for the Boehm Birth Defects Center.

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • FEBRUARY 25, 2016 • THE PULSE • 31