The Pulse 15.18 » May 3, 2018 by Brewer Media Group

MAY 3, 2018

CHATTANOOGA'S WEEKLY ALTERNATIVE

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE VOLUME 15, ISSUE 18 • MAY 3, 2018

BREWER MEDIA GROUP Publisher James Brewer, Sr. FOUNDED 2003 BY ZACHARY COOPER & MICHAEL KULL

EDITORIAL Managing Editor Gary Poole Assistant Editor Brooke Brown Music Editor Marc T. Michael Film Editor John DeVore Contributors Rob Brezsny Kevin Hale Matt Jones Tony Mraz Ernie Paik Rick Pimental-Habib Alex Teach Michael Thomas Jenn Webster Cartoonists Max Cannon Jen Sorenson Tom Tomorrow

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CONTACT Offices 1305 Carter St. Chattanooga, TN 37402 Phone 423.265.9494 Fax 423.266.2335 Email info@chattanoogapulse.com Website chattanoogapulse.com Facebook @chattanoogapulse 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 © 2018 by Brewer Media. All rights reserved.

Fighting The Good Fight Visual art could not exist without some kind of concept, and conversely there must be a visual element for conceptual art to exist. The primary difference between these two branches is that ideas are the most important components of conceptual art, whereas visual art can be devoid of ideas, having process as the only conceptual element.

WORLD NAKED GARDENING DAY

THE ZINE FEST IS BACK!

While many of you may be getting ready for Cinco De Mayo this Saturday, a lesser known holiday is making people take off their clothes, sometimes without the alcohol.

What are you doing this Saturday? If you don’t know yet, the answer is: Going to Chattanooga Zine Fest 2018! Held at the downtown library from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Zine Fest is organized by the Chattanooga Public Library.

9 SHRINK RAP

TELLING AN INFINITE TALE

It’s hard to believe that Marvel Studios has been building their cinematic universe for ten years now. The year Iron Man debuted Barack Obama was elected president. It was the year the housing market collapsed.

MAKING ACOUSTICAL CONNECTIONS

My own band, which has hovered somewhere between four and twenty-eight members for years now, started as an acoustic duo and there’s a lot to be said for that approach.

17 BUSINESS BRIEFS

24 FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

11 NEW IN THEATERS

20 MUSIC CALENDAR

25 JONESIN' CROSSWORD

14 ARTS CALENDAR

23 MUSIC REVIEWS

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BEGINNINGS · CITY LIFE

World Naked Gardening Day No, we're not making this up. It's real, and quite popular. By Kevin Hale Pulse contributor

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“I was feeling pretty good about myself around this 86-year-old woman being naked at the top of a mountain in the middle of nowhere.”

HILE MANY OF YOU MAY BE GETTING READY FOR Cinco De Mayo this Saturday, a lesser known holiday is making people take off their clothes, sometimes without the alcohol.

World Naked Gardening Day is celebrating its 14th anniversary this year and naturists and nudists all over the state are firing up their weed whackers to shine a light on a lifestyle that’s rarely seen. It all started in Seattle in 2005 by a professor and his friend who organized nudist events and were looking for a new project. They settled on gardening in the buff to remind themselves and other of our ties to the natural world. “It brings awareness to the nudist lifestyle on the heels of Earth Day,” says Kelli McGuffey, a nudist living

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in Springfield, Tennessee. “It sort of snowballed from a group of like-minded people who like to be surrounded by nature.” McGuffey took her first foray into the naturist way of living by attending parties thrown by her mentor Marianna Handler in Sewanee, Tennessee. “I was feeling pretty good about myself around this 86-year-old woman being naked at the top of a mountain in the middle of nowhere,” says McGuffey. “I actually met my husband at one of the parties and we had our first date without clothes. You had to bring

your own towel!” She finds she builds up a bond with her husband when she goes au naturel and it’s a great activity to get away from the kids. “It’s just like your local clubhouse, except you’re in your birthday suit,” she says. “It is much more inclusive than I thought being a minority woman.” Gardening seems like a natural progression, no pun intended, for those in the nudist and naturalist community. Participants are encouraged to move toward a healthy sense of both body acceptance and their relation to the natural environment. “I love to tell people about it,” says McGuffey. “I have pants on now if you’re wondering but, if you’re talking to a nudist, chances are they are naked.” She has encountered a very diverse group of people all over the southeast who choose to bare it all in a controlled setting. It’s almost like ladies night at your local watering hole, sans clothes. “Women usually get in free and men are charged $75,” she explains. “Some events I’ve attended are quite affluent, where cabanas cost $4,500. If you want to live naked, it will cost you. It also keeps out the weirdoes.” But the World Gardening Naked Day Movement just wants people to strip down and make the world’s gardens healthier and more attractive. The group has no de facto leader and encourages nudists take part in the day anyway they see fit. The group also wants to remind people it can be fun, costs no money, runs no unwanted risk, can remind us of our connection to nature and does something good for the environment. “If you want to try it, try it,” says McGuffey. “Just be open minded; there’s no harm. I just hope it warms up by then.”

Cons ider This w ith Dr. Rick

“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that’s all.” — Oscar Wilde

Moving From 49 To One Amazing jewelry show to benefit Women's Fund With females across the globe banding together, making a name for themselves, and no longer backing down in the face of a challenge, we ladies are making strides in our communities. Whether we’re running our own business, running for office, or running a chaotic household, people are taking notice that women are just as equal, worthy, and determined as men (and have been the whole damn time.) That’s why the Women’s Fund

of Greater Chattanooga has been working vigilantly towards moving Tennessee from 49 to One. What’s 49 to One? It’s a mission to change Tennessee’s current position at the 49th worst state for women to number one. Making that change is easier said than done, but thanks to Fischer Evans partnering with the Women’s Fund of Greater Chattanooga, the two are showcasing some gorgeously crafted, jaw-dropping jewelry pieces designed by mother

daughter duo Frances and Charlotte Gadbois from Sloane Street Jewelry. A portion of the profits will be donated to the Women’s Fund and their work towards moving Tennessee from 49 to One. This special trunk show will be held Thursday from 11 am to 5:30 at Fischer Evans jewelry store and will celebrate the remarkable women in our lives and community. Be a part of furthering the future for womankind. — Brooke Brown

There’s a saying about not just living the length of life, but also the breadth of life. It’s easy to become complacent, fall into a rut, and find yourself living a life that’s much more vanilla than you expected it to be. Perhaps illness has debilitated you. Or mental illness keeps you from feeling yourself. Or you’ve suffered a recent loss and grieving makes it hard to “get back out there.” On and on, the challenges of life can make the living of life more tiring than enjoyable, more burdensome than free. But consider this: No matter the setbacks, there is always a degree of happiness waiting to be discovered. There’s a path toward artistic expression. There’s time to spend with those who help you feel better about the magic, the miracles, the simple beauty of simple things. It’s up to us to believe it can be better. — Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D.

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COVER STORY

Fighting The Good Fight Damien Crisp uses his art to push for social change By Tony Mraz Pulse contributor

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The manifesto insisted resistance was possible, and could take the form of anything breaking the commercial art world’s corporate ethos.”

ISUAL ART COULD NOT EXIST WITHOUT SOME KIND of concept, and conversely there must be a visual element for conceptual art to exist. The primary difference between these two branches is that ideas are the most important components of conceptual art, whereas visual art can be devoid of ideas, having process as the only conceptual element. This creates a continuum, within which all fine art exists—except, perhaps, for an artist who chooses activism as their medium. Damien Crisp’s work functions well at either extreme of the visual/conceptual continuum, a powerful combination of abstract imagery and realistic ideas, fearlessly probing into the realms of philosophy and politics. His career started early in life—his father was a painter, so he spent part of his childhood in a studio environ-

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ment surrounded by art books and works-in-progress. “I asked him to show me how to make a painting,” Damien recalls. “First, he sketched out a beautiful expressive charcoal drawing of the woods. I said, ‘No. I mean a real painting.’ So he showed me a simple way to make Cubist-esque drawings

with colored markers. I sat at the table for a few days, and made hundreds of drawings on squares of paper. I thought of them as paintings, and I worked at breaking out of the Cubist line, towards more abstract work.” In the late ‘90s, he started videotaping slow motion clips on his television. “I would piece them together using two VCRs, and mix audio live. It was a complicated process, remembering all of these clips, building an abstracted version of a movie,” he explains. “Rise, and fall. The sense of a narrative. Everything in slow motion. Dramatic music. Voice overs stolen from films.” Soon after, he went to art school at Chattanooga State. “I focused on photography and painting. I moved onto UT, where I entered the painting department, and painting was introduced to me in an entirely different way—a medium radically changed by conceptual art, and minimalism,” he says. “At UT I was influenced by a stream of visiting artists from New York and LA. I moved onto graduate school at School of Visual Arts in New York. My understanding of art was blown apart again. I broke painting down to construction paper collages, then I broke it down into installation, my studio, and played with drama, the line between reality and art, collages, staged photographs. I was shifting towards autobiography, heightened reality, reusing the trash of consumerism, political awareness inside the art world, and an idea of rupture, rupturing reality and tradition.” After grad school, he worked for three artists who influenced him more than any experience in school: Bjarne Melgaard, Christopher Wool, and Cory Arcangel. Crisp works with an advanced idea of mixed media, employing painting, collage, the subconscious, chance,

photographs, hypersensitivity, mystery, video, words, tricks, daily life, news, discarded packaging, and more, into his art. His most recent abstract paintings are visually pleasing, but beneath the surface of every one of them is an intensity of emotion that is propelled by observations about the world we live in. He perceives historic levels of economic inequality, the quickening pace of climate change, and the inability of our consumerist society to survive its effects, a political system that is controlled by big money, and militarized police. He has witnessed police brutality, the never-ending presence of individual racism, collective racism, and the oppressive power of institutional racism. Gentrification, class war, neoliberalism, new fascism—he’s seen it all. “I tried to follow a set path for artists,” he tells us. “Grad school in New York, going to openings, meeting people, making contacts, smart networking. But I made art to be in my studio—surprising myself, meditative, with mainstream US reality at a distance. “I lost my faith in New York’s commercial art world. It had a corporate ethos in many ways. Networking, not material, placed artists in galleries. I was disillusioned, so I began writing about it all, critiquing it, which turned into what I call a pseudo-manifesto. The manifesto insisted resistance was possible, and could take the form of anything breaking the commercial art world’s corporate ethos. My writing expanded to address sociopolitical reality. “An event called Occupy Wall Street was announced. The message was identical to thoughts that came out of my writing, so I showed up. Over days,

“

Damien Crisp’s work functions well at either extreme of the visual/conceptual continuum, a powerful combination of abstract imagery and realistic ideas, fearlessly probing into the realms of philosophy and politics.”

weeks, I began to learn what it meant to be an activist. After we were evicted, I joined a string of protests against NYPD brutality, and Trayon Martin’s murder. Then Hurricane Sandy hit the city. Friends from Occupy started Occupy Sandy, which would become the number one hurricane relief group on the ground, surpassing the Red Cross. I was an organizer, primarily a volunteer trainer and hub coordinator. “It was a tragic, but deeply transcendent experience. Communal. Perfect. Impossible to predict. Our underlying message was the concept of Mutual

Aid, not Charity. It’s an old anarchist idea. Predating industrial capitalism, mutual aid was the norm. Village life. Shared land. A circle of support. “An early anarchist writer, Piotr Kropotkin delineated the idea. He was studying evolution. Big money from industrial capitalists altered the study of evolution to inflate the importance of what we call ‘survival of the fittest.’ In truth, animals prone to mutual aid thrived much more than animals in competitive and individualistic communities. Charity, on the other hand, is a top-down gesture. It removes hu-

manity. It creates a divide, and denies that we all need each other. Hurricane Sandy was a glimpse of the future with climate change. It is a future that requires concepts like mutual aid to replace top-down authoritarian structures. “Later, I went to Ferguson, and stayed in the role of an observer. I began tweeting for Occupy Wall Street. Next, I began a project in Chattanooga. It was a Free Store my wife Michele and I organized with others. Our group is the Peace Collective. We took donations and organized an ever-changing store. Everything was free to take. We were open five days per week, eight hours per day, for three years. We would organize in the morning, open the door, and leave the store. It was also a kind of evolving artwork. It was an installation, as well as a gesture.” Needless to say, Damien has some strong opinions on politics and our current President. “Trump is the byproduct of the American dream as it grew increasingly bizarre. His ideas are extensions of our fascist notion of American Exceptionalism—that we are predestined to colonize North America, and build what is essentially a contemporary empire across the world. It is the belief we kill people for good, ethical, reasons. As people say, our system isn’t broken. It was built this way. And this is very true. “At the same time the country, I think, is quickly mutating into a nonsensical totalitarian reality dominated first by corporations, and second by two political parties that have been thoroughly gutted by the increasing power of big money over politics. The social theorist Jean Baudrillard called U.S. reality a simulacrum. Plastic. The only real reality is Disney World. And this simula>> Continued on pg. 8

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COVER STORY

crum is morphing into a dangerous, surreal, society.” When asked about local art and politics, he pauses a moment. “I don’t know much about the local art scene, and that’s my fault for hiding away in my studio, and writing at my coffee table. Our local government seems to be owned by real estate developers. There was a vibrant creative community in Chattanooga when I lived here in the ‘90s. It was just prior to aggressive gentrification. North Chattanooga was one of the utopias. “Now development has destroyed its character, and the creative scene can’t afford the rent. An organic community is being erased, replaced by the impression of one—and it is viciously racist. It is as if old money set out decades ago to empty the city of people of color, and the poor, and refill it with cookie cutter white people.” Crisp sees art as a vehicle for positive social change, and encourages artists to take back power. “Write. Curate. Start galleries. Create online sites to promote all of the hidden art out there. Artists should leave art centers. Stop living in high rent cities and struggling too much, often without space to create. Artists should stop 8 • THE PULSE • MAY 3, 2018 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

networking, and be themselves. “Build art communities with sincere interest among each other, and serious dynamics. Visit studios. Art automatically changes the world. Artists introduce a new combination of materials, altering energy, reality. Be irrational.” Though he isn’t afraid to think outside the box, Crisp is firmly grounded in reality, and stays busy. He is participating in an upcoming group show in Brooklyn focused on painters who are the opposite of slick. He is working to get a candidate elected in Tennessee’s 2018 election. He is finishing a book that he’s been writing since he moved back to Chattanooga, and he is working on a project that will help to redefine the labor movement…the details of which are a secret for now. But, as with all things Damien Crisp, it won’t remain hidden for long. Tony Mraz spent the '80s growing up in Dalton before moving to Chattanooga in '95 to attend CSAS, which enabled him to earn a scholarship to the Kansas City Art Institute.

COLUMN · SHRINK RAP

Paying It Forward And Random Acts The good doctor shares tales of good deeds, good works, and other stuff

T Dr. Rick

Pulse columnist

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It’s a true measure of our heart and humanity when we help others compassionately, with no regard for payback— payback comes automatically, in the form of feeling good.”

Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D., is a psychotherapist, author, minister, and educator in private practice in Chattanooga. Contact him at DrRPH.com, visit his wellness center at WellNestChattanooga.com

HIS PAST SATURDAY WAS NAtional “Pay It Forward” day. First of all, how cool that our “kindness consciousness” is at a national level! In times when the news is often particularly depressing and appalling, perhaps we need to focus on kindness more than ever. Statistics show that a minimum of three people benefit from kind acts: the person doing the act, the recipient of the act, and anyone witnessing the act. It’s a true measure of our heart and humanity when we help others compassionately, with no regard for payback— payback comes automatically, in the form of feeling good. So here’s another installment of what’s becoming an annual tradition in this column, where you’ll find ideas (sent in from friends and readers) for creative acts that could benefit your neighbors, teach your children, improve co-workers’ morale, and produce life-transforming benefits. Some are new, some are old favorites. Enjoy! 1. When I go out dining I always pay attention to my server. I look for something nice to say about them to the restaurant manager before I leave. Many times we are quick to complain but slow to compliment. (Julie, North Chatt) 2. While driving up north to visit my family I have to pass through toll booths. I make sure to pick the ‘pay cash’ lane, and I pay for myself as well as the car behind me. I don’t often get to see how that driver reacts, but the toll booth worker always gives me a big smile. (David, Jacksonville, FL) 3. Once or twice a year I buy new clothes—jackets, shoes, gloves, shirts, whatever. If it’s something “extra,” I make a point to donate the item it’s

replacing. For example, if I buy a winter jacket and already have one, then I take the jacket I already own and bring it to a shelter. This idea can be applied to many other “extra items” as well. (Martha, Chattanooga) 4. When my partner and I lived in Los Angeles, we would have Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners for the homeless at our house the day before each holiday. You never knew who would come or how many—some years we had 20 and some years we had up to 80 people. I would go around to thrift stores and purchase clothing and get food from the local food pantry for them to take away with them. It’s great to know what follows an act of kindness but usually you’ll never know. However, one couple who came to these dinners every year eventually got off the streets, found successful jobs, bought a home, and years later they came back to our home to let us know what had evolved from that simple act of “breaking bread.” And on that visit they brought bags of clothing and food for us to hand out. (Dan and Bill, Chattanooga) 5. I have a garden and have had one for many years. I always plant more than I need and leave bags of veggies on neighbor’s steps in my neighborhood. (anonymous) 6. When I go grocery shopping I leave coupons all throughout the store near the corresponding items in case someone can use them. (anonymous) 7. While in the military stationed outside of Seattle, I’d kept a bunch of old sweatshirts and decided to cut them up and make blankets with them. I eventually got two of my fellow G.I.’s to do

the same, then more and more people joined in. By Christmas we had enough blankets to go to the nursing home and find out from the staff which residents had no family. We’d leave our blankets gift-wrapped under the tree in the lobby with those residents’ names on them. Last year I taught my own kids how to continue the tradition. (Terry, Atlanta) 8. I grew up in a rural New England area, and my parents had us kids pick one day out of our weekends to help a neighbor. Some weekends we’d help hay a field or put wood in a cellar or pick strawberries or mow our nana’s lawns. The list was endless but every weekend we didn’t know who we’d help and neither did the neighbors, so it was always a surprise when three little helpers came knocking on their door. (Shane, East Ridge) 10. My friend and I were at a zoo on a hot day and she was walking around with an iced coffee. One of the employees commented on how good the iced coffee looked. So my friend went around the corner, bought an iced coffee for the employee, and tracked her down. Later that week I did something similar (with a cup of tea) for the grumpiest person in my office. That person paid it forward the next day with coffee for the UPS man. We’ve started something good here! (Betty, Los Angeles) I hope these have had a positive effect on you, and perhaps you’ll find more ways to “pay it forward.” Drop me a note and tell me about it, and we’ll keep the “good stuff” going! Until next time: “A high station in life is earned by the gallantry with which appalling experiences are survived with grace.” —Tennessee Williams

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FILM & TELEVISION

May The Schwartz Be With You For a number of years now, May 4th has been unofficially known as “Star Wars Day”. As in, “May the fourth be with you”. Get it? But never let it be said that Chattanooga ever does anything quite normal. Far from it, in fact. As evidenced by the fact the folks at The Palace Theater have teamed up with Main Line Ink to present the not-so-StarWars epic farce, Spaceballs, to celebrate the holiday. Of course, the Mel Brooks comedy classic is a pretty straight-forward send-up of the original Star Wars film, but even George Lucas himself put his stamp of approval on Brooks’ take on the sci-fi epic. So fans of both films are encouraged to come dressed in their best cosplay—be it Darth Vader or Dark Helmet, Han Solo or Lone Starr, Chewbacca or Barf, Princess Leia or Princess Vespa. Heck, you can even come dressed as President Skroob, just as long as you avoid using the transporter beam and ending up with your head on backwards. Even better, those in costume will be able to drink $3 tall boys and $4 local drafts all night long. Plus, there will be plenty of popcorn and hot and ready pizza. Plus, if you head over to chattpalace.com to share and RSVP the event, you’ll be entered in a drawing for a $50 tattoo from Main Line Ink (winner announced that night). The fun starts at 8 p.m. at The Palace Theater at 818 Georgia Ave. May the Schwartz be with you! — Michael Thomas

Telling An Infinite Tale Marvel ties it all together in Avengers: Infinity War By John DeVore Pulse Film Editor

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Its slow and steady universe building has paid off, not just financially, but in narrative and audience satisfaction.”

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T’S HARD TO BELIEVE THAT MARVEL STUDIOS HAS been building their cinematic universe for ten years now. The year Iron Man debuted Barack Obama was elected president. It was the year the housing market collapsed. The year some banks were labeled too big to fail. A lot can happen in ten years.

In that time, you’d think fatigue would set in. People would reject superhero movies in favor of the next fad. Maybe they did in some respect—the DC cinematic universe continues to flounder, although it could be argued that those films are simply not very good. There have been other studios that attempted a cinematic universe— Sony, Universal, etc. They didn’t work very well either. Marvel has done the impossible. They have made ten years of good films, telling individual stories that

are interconnected in an overarching way. With Avengers: Infinity War, that grand arch finally comes to fruition. This final story, which was told through various McGuffins and endcredit sequences over eighteen films, had absolutely no reason to work. In the hands of a different company, it would have fallen on its face. Instead, Marvel has done something remarkable. Its slow and steady universe building has paid off, not just financially, but in narrative and audience satisfaction. Marvel told a

✴ NEW IN THEATERS ✴

ten-year story. If you’ve kept up with it, there is quite a reward waiting. The capstone of 2012’s The Avengers revealed a new villain in the far reaches of space. It was the first glimpse movie audiences got of Thanos (Josh Brolin), the Mad Titan, master of the Infinity Stones. Comic book fans, of course, know the story of the Infinity Gauntlet from the comic book event in the 1990s. The ending of Avengers: Infinity War was spoiled almost thirty years ago, although the details are quite different. As far as the MCU is concerned, however, Thanos and his quest to eliminate half of all life in the universe is brand new. Avengers: Infinity War is likely mistitled—this is a Thanos movie. While audiences know and love the heroes after having spent a decade with them, they have never really been worried about their well-being. Marvel has created a bubble of safety surrounding their top stars. Avengers: Infinity War pops that bubble. For once, they are faced with a villain with an agenda, with clear goals and motivations, who genuinely believes in the correctness of his mission, and who is vastly more powerful than anyone else. And because Marvel Studios did the work of establishing their heroes over

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Villains have long been the problem with Marvel films. Loki aside, most fans of the series would have a hard time naming the bad guys from the eighteen films.” the course of a decade, they can devote Avengers: Infinity War to developing the villain. Villains have long been the problem with Marvel films. Loki aside, most fans of the series would have a hard time naming the bad guys from the eighteen films. They were there to attempt to seize power and be thwarted by our heroes. Thanos doesn’t have this problem. He doesn’t want power. He wants balance for what he sees to be the greater good. Avengers: Infinity War is almost all set pieces populated by Marvel tent pole characters trying to come to terms with how outmatched they are. It’s perfect for creating tension. The film moves methodically from place to place, never wasting a moment, putting the final pieces into play. From a narrative and screenwriting standpoint, this film is a masterpiece. The only negatives I could find were Overboard A spoiled, wealthy yacht owner is thrown overboard and becomes the target of revenge from his mistreated employee. A remake of the 1987 comedy, though we're not really sure why other than gender-reversal. Directors: Bob Fisher & Rob Greenberg Stars: Anna Faris, Eva Longoria, Eugenio Derbez, John Hannah

occasional issues with the CGI. But so much is happening and the stakes are so high that small visual problems are forgotten quickly. What does this mean for future Marvel movies? Audiences will have to wait a year to find out. Avengers: Infinity War was filmed at the same time as its yet-to-be-named sequel. And the films will continue afterwards. There’s money to be made, after all. But I’m not sure Marvel will be able to top this story after it is all said and done. The new phase might lose the audience once the old guard is finally changed out. But then, I never expected it to last this long. We’re truly in new filmmaking territory. I can say this definitively though: Avengers: Infinity War is worth the price of admission, as long as you’ve paid that price eighteen previous times. Don’t miss it in the theaters. Tully The film is about Marlo, a mother of three including a newborn, who is gifted a night nanny by her brother. Hesitant of the extravagance at first, Marlo comes to form a unique bond with the thoughtful, surprising, and sometimes challenging young nanny named Tully. Director: Jason Reitman Stars: Charlize Theron, Mackenzie Davis, Mark Duplass, Ron Livingston CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • MAY 3, 2018 • THE PULSE • 11

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

The Hunter Looks To The Future By now, we all are familiar with the Hunter Museum and the incredible events, showcases and parties they put on for the community. The Hunter is special for a multitude of reasons, one being their never-ending vigilance to consistently produce new pieces to make us think, wonder, and aspire to be more than we thought possible. That consistency blazes on as the Hunter recently announced their decision to commission their first major piece in years. A large scale installation is to be completed in early 2019 by New York-based sculptor Alyson Shotz and will hang in the glass-walled foyer of the museum’s west wing, overlooking the river. After an extensive three-year process guided by the Hunter Museum curators and approved by the museum’s Board of Trustees, Shotz’ chance didn’t come easily, but as her work is so detailed and complicated, she’s used to thriving on difficulty. Shotz builds her sculptures by combining tiny pieces of mirror, glass beads, acrylic lenses, thread and steel wire to come together into a large structure that captures and reflects light. “Spellbinding, changing with the daylight or as viewers interact with them, they often evoke natural phenomena, such as rain drops, ice and clouds,” making for a mind-bending work of art you’ll have to see in person. It won’t be long before this captivating work has a home at the Hunter. Keep an eye on The Pulse for more information as we inch closer! — Brooke Brown

The Zine Fest Is Back! Old-school publishers gather at the library Saturday By Jenn Webster Pulse contributor

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Typically having a small circulation, a zine is the opposite of viral. Fandom, comic art, social critique and fiction are common genres for zines.”

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HAT ARE YOU DOING THIS SATURDAY? IF YOU don’t know yet, the answer is: Going to Chattanooga Zine Fest 2018! Held at the downtown library from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Zine Fest is organized by Chattanooga Public Library along with UTC’s graphic design program and the Society of Ink & Paper. The festival features work by zinecreators from across Tennessee and beyond.

Why zines? In an online-only era when we sometimes even read our comic books in electronic form, a zine is an artifact that can seem quaint but is in fact constantly being re-envisioned: a physical book that’s generally independently published and produced. Typically having a small circulation, a zine is the opposite of viral. Fandom, comic art, social critique and fiction are common genres for zines.

“Zines can be large, small, slick or rough around the edges,” Chattanooga Public Library Head Librarian Jackie Anderson tells me. “They’re created by authors, illustrators and cartoonists. They concern many genres or subjects. They may be hand-printed works about anarchy, or journals or collections of comics.” Anderson is a zine-maker herself; in fact, she requested to be on the

Zine Fest committee when the library hired her. “It’s a fun community, a really supportive community,” she says. “A lot of us work independently, so it’s a good time for the makers of that community to come celebrate each other.” Anderson, who’s organizing this year’s Zine Fest, shows me the library’s collection of zines. They’re surprisingly varied and almost all minutely detailed. Some look like they’re printed on an old-school mimeograph machine; others are hand-drawn or appear to be wood-block prints. They’re newsstand magazine-size down to itty-bitty booklets that would fit in a wallet. Some are black-andwhite; some are color. The variety of weights and textures of paper in par-

ticular draws my hand; I’m moved to pick up what feels interesting. “There is a certain tactility to a zine that’s hard to replace with anything electronic or digital,” Anderson tells me. “It’s a craft. [The artist asks] ‘What aesthetic choices that reflect the content?’” What to Expect Old-timer or new guest, Zine Fest has something for everyone who likes to handle their books, comics, magazines, pamphlets and ephemera. Featured guests include the Chattanooga Roller Girls, who create their own zine; local zinester Tom Foote, maker of the long-running Spare Change; evey in orbit (also known as zinester Veronica Leto of Nashville); JP Press of New Orleans; and so many more! Won-

derPress of Chattanooga, Zine Fest’s partner and the creators of the striking black-and-single-color Zine Fest posters you may have seen around town, will also have a rep in attendance, Anderson tells me. Vendors will sell prints, stickers, cards, calendars, buttons and plenty of other indie-art bling. “It’s a celebration of independent publishing,” Anderson says. “We’ll have regional artists, live music, readings and an art show.” In fact, Zine Fest is the same day as the library’s Square Fair outside on the plaza, and just a hop and skip upstairs from a children’s piñata-making workshop on the second floor. Truly, something for everyone—and best of all, Zine Fest is TOTALLY FREE!

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Brain Candy Live!

Improv Movie Night: The Star Wars!

Free Comic Book Day

Crazy toys, incredible tools and mind-blowing demos for a celebration of curiosity with Adam Savage & Michael Stevens. 8 p.m. Tivoli Theatre 709 Broad St. tivolichattanooga.com

A night of improv as the resident zanies created Star Wars live on stage, right in front of your eyes. 8 p.m. First Draft Theater 1800 Rossville Ave. improvchattanooga.com

Celebrate Free Comic Book Day with help from Infinity Flux Comic Book Store. Cosplay is welcome, open to all ages. 2:30 p.m. Northgate Library Branch 278 Northgate Mall Dr. chattlibrary.org

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • MAY 3, 2018 • THE PULSE • 13

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR

“A Room with a View”

THURSDAY5.3 StyleWorks 11 a.m. Convention Center 1150 Carter St. (423) 756-0001 siskin.org Sew What-Introduction to E-Textiles 4 p.m. Chattanooga Public Library 1001 Broad St. (423) 643-7700 chattlibrary.org Chuck Marohn: Neighborhoods First 6 p.m. The Camp House 149 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 702-8081 thecamphouse.com “A Room with a View” 7 p.m. Chattanooga Theatre Centre 400 River St. (423) 267-8534 theatrecentre.com Poetry Is LIT 7 p.m. LIT Gallery 4015 Tennessee Ave. (423) 401-8171 litartgallery.com Jodi White 7:30 p.m. The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com Brain Candy Live! Adam Savage & Michael Stevens

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8 p.m. Tivoli Theatre 709 Broad St. (423) 757-5580 tivolichattanooga.com

FRIDAY5.4 Mountain to Town: Downhill Bike Adventure 9 a.m. Outdoor Chattanooga 200 River St. (423) 643-6888 outdoorchattanooga.com Fresh! New Art for the New Season 5 p.m. In-Town Gallery 26 Frazier Ave. (423) 267-9214 intowngallery.com Figuring It Out Opening Reception 5 p.m. Townsend Atelier 301 E. 11th St. (423) 266-2712 townsendatelier.com May’d on 6th Street: Open Studio Nights 5:30 p.m. Chattanooga WorkSpace 302 W. 6th St. (423) 822-5750 chattanoogaworkspace.com Bunny Hop! 6 p.m. First Tennessee Pavilion 1826 Carter St. (423) 266-4041 chamblisscenter.org

Disney’s The Aristocat’s Kids 7 p.m. Signal Mountain High School 2650 Sam Powell Dr. (423) 886-0880 smmhs.hcde.org “Draft House” 7:30 p.m. Back Alley @ The Mars Theater 117 N. Chattanooga St. LaFayette, GA (706) 996-8350 bapshows.com The Floor Is Yours 7:30 p.m Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. (423) 624-5347 barkinglegs.org Jodi White 7:30, 9:45 p.m. The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com Improv Movie Night: The Star Wars! 8 p.m. First Draft Theater 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 843-1775 improvchattanooga.com Henry Cho 8 p.m. Walker Theatre 399 McCallie Ave. (423) 757-5580 tivolichattanooga.com “A Room with a View” 8 p.m. Chattanooga Theatre Centre 400 River St. (423) 267-8534

theatrecentre.com Ruby Falls Lantern Tours 8:30 p.m. Ruby Falls 1720 S. Scenic Hwy. (423) 821-2544 rubyfalls.com Improv Showdown 10 p.m. First Draft Theater 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 843-1775 improvchattanooga.com

SATURDAY5.5 Mountain to Town: Downhill Bike Adventure 9 a.m. Outdoor Chattanooga 200 River St. (423) 643-6888 outdoorchattanooga.com SQUARE! A Library Craft Fair 10 a.m. Chattanooga Public Library 1001 Broad St. (423) 643-7700 chattlibrary.org The 9th Kentucky Assaults Missionary Ridge 10 a.m. Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park 3370 Lafayette Rd. Fort Oglethorpe, GA (706) 866-9241 nps.gov/chch ZineFest 10 a.m. Chattanooga Public Library 1001 Broad St.

“Draft House” (423) 643-7700 chattlibrary.org Chattanooga Art Tour 1 p.m. Bluff View Art District 411 E. 2nd St. (423) 290-2477 newsouthtourco.com Meet and Greet with Authors Tim and Debbie Bishop 1 p.m. McKay’s 7734 Lee Hwy. (423) 892-0067 mckaybooks.com Running of the Chihuahuas 2 p.m. First Tennessee Pavilion 1826 Carter St. (423) 266-4041 Civil War Book Event with Author John Scales 2 p.m. Barnes and Noble 2100 Hamilton Place Blvd. (423) 893-0186 barnesandnoble.com Free Comic Book Day 2:30 p.m. Northgate Library Branch 278 Northgate Mall Dr. (423) 643-7785 chattlibrary.org Rick Riordan Book Signing 3:30 p.m. Barnes and Noble 2100 Hamilton Place Blvd. (423) 893-0186 barnesandnoble.com Rise & Shine Weekend 3:30 p.m. Center for Creative Arts 1301 Dallas Rd.

(423) 209-5929 centerforcreativearts.net Spring in West Village 6 p.m. West Village 802 Pine St. westvillagechattanooga.com Disney’s The Aristocat’s Kids 7 p.m. Signal Mountain High School 2650 Sam Powell Dr. (423) 886-0880 smmhs.hcde.org Jodi White 7:30, 9:45 p.m. The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com “The Sleeping Beauty, Aurora’s Wedding” 7:30 p.m. Chattanooga Theatre Centre 400 River St. (423) 267-8534 theatrecentre.com “Draft House” 7:30 p.m. Back Alley @ The Mars Theater 117 N. Chattanooga St. LaFayette, GA (706) 996-8350 bapshows.com Week in Review 8 p.m. First Draft Theater 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 843-1775 improvchattanooga.com “A Room with a View” 8 p.m. Chattanooga Theatre Centre 400 River St.

(423) 267-8534 theatrecentre.com Chattanooga Raqs! 8 p.m. Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. (423) 624-5347 barkinglegs.org Whose Line Chattanooga 10 p.m. First Draft Theater 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 843-1775 improvchattanooga.com

SUNDAY5.6 Rise & Shine Weekend 10:30 a.m. Center for Creative Arts 1301 Dallas Rd. (423) 209-5929 centerforcreativearts.net “The Sleeping Beauty, Aurora’s Wedding” 2 p.m. Chattanooga Theatre Centre 400 River St. (423) 267-8534 theatrecentre.com “A Room with a View” 2:30 p.m. Chattanooga Theatre Centre 400 River St. (423) 267-8534 theatrecentre.com “Draft House” 2:30 p.m. Back Alley @ The Mars Theater 117 N. Chattanooga St. LaFayette, GA (706) 996-8350

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

MONDAY5.7 Pastel Portait Workshop with Ellen Eagle 9 a.m. Townsend Atelier 301 E. 11th St. (423) 266-2712 townsendatelier.com Spring Belly Dance Session 5:45 p.m. Movement Arts Collective 3813 Dayton Blvd. (423) 401-8115 movementartscollective.com Chattanooga Area Historical Association 6 p.m. Chattanooga Public Library 1001 Broad St. (423) 643-7700 chattlibrary.org Palette Knife Painting with Mia Bergeron 6 p.m. Townsend Atelier 301 E. 11th St. (423) 266-2712 townsendatelier.com Tennessee Smart Yards 6:30 p.m. UT Extension Office 6183 Adamson Cir. (423) 855-6113 CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • MAY 3, 2018 • THE PULSE • 15

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR

Portrait Sculpture with Maria Willison hamilton.tennessee.edu Youth Orchestra: Spring Finale Concert 7 p.m. Tivoli Theatre 709 Broad St. (423) 757-5580 tivolichattanooga.com First Monday Improv Comedy 7:30 p.m. Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. (423) 624-5347 barkinglegs.org

TUESDAY5.8 Wake Up & Run 6 a.m. Fleet Feet Sports 307 Manufacturers Rd. (423) 771-7996 fleetfeetchattanooga.com Pastel Portait Workshop with Ellen Eagle 9 a.m. Townsend Atelier 301 E. 11th St. (423) 266-2712 townsendatelier.com Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute Tour 4 p.m. Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute 175 Baylor School Rd. (800) 262-0695 tnaqua.org Introduction to Portrait Sculpture with Maria Willison 6 p.m. Townsend Atelier 301 E. 11th St. (423) 266-2712 townsendatelier.com

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Tuesday Night Chess Club 6 p.m. Downtown Library 1001 Broad St. (423) 643-7700 chattilibrary.com Student Showcase 7:30 p.m. First Draft Theater 1800 Rossville Ave. improvchattanooga.com

WEDNESDAY5.9 Pastel Portait Workshop with Ellen Eagle 9 a.m. Townsend Atelier 301 E. 11th St. (423) 266-2712 townsendatelier.com Naughty Knights Chess Meetup 7:30 p.m. The Bitter Alibi 825 Houston St. (423) 362-5070 thebitteralibi.com Improv Chattanooga 7:30 p.m. The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com Open Mic Comedy 8 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com Map these locations on chattanoogapulse. com. Send event listings at least 10 days in advance to: calendar@chattanoogapulse.com

BUSINESS BRIEFS

Brew Market And Beer Garden Brewing supplies, homebrewing station & classes, specialty bottles & cans Brooke Brown

Pulse Assistant Editor

“

Brewing is a big thing now,” says Chris Calhoun. “People want to know ‘Hey, is what I’m making good? Do people enjoy it?’”

The Scoop Brew Market and Beer Garden A homebrewer's dream! Plus a dog friendly beer garden! 1510 Riverside Drive (423) 648-2739 Monday-Saturday 11am-7pm brewmarketchatt.com

E’RE ALL ABOUT DOING IT ourselves these days. Whether that’s repairing, building, hanging, whatever, we Chattanoogans like to get our hands dirty. And after we get our hands dirty, we reward ourselves with a nice beer. It’s a tale as old as time: work your ass off, then kick back with a cold one. So what if you wanted to try something new to get your hands dirty while you work towards your favorite brew? What if they were combined into one? The newly opened Brew Market and Beer Garden on Riverside Drive is prepared to give you the tools to brew your own beer and show you exactly how to go about it, as well as offer locally, regionally and homebrewed beers for you to test, share with your friends in the chillest of beer gardens, and take home if you want the hops on your home turf as well. “Before I opened the Tap House last year, I really wanted to open a beer garden with a retail storefront,” says owner Chris Calhoun. “It was just about finding the right location at the right time.” And the right location and the right time just happened to pop up as Green’s Eco Build moved from Riverside Drive to a new home on Frazier Avenue, leaving the building open and ready for the taking. The space features a retail store front, with shelves lined with cans and bottles of some easily recognizable brands you’d find at any bar downtown, to some more out of the norm brands. See a brand you’d like to try, but you’re unsure if you can commit to six pack? Mix and match a four pack or six pack of any cans of your choosing for an athome taste test in which you’ll probably

find your new favorite brew. Thanks to Brew Market’s on-premise license you can sip and shop, try a pint from the tin tap wall or, if you’re a Brew Market Member, try one of the three rotating taps that feature beers that were provided by either the shop itself or a homebrewer wanting feedback. “Brewing is a big thing now,” says Calhoun. “People want to know ‘Hey, is what I’m making good? Do people enjoy it?’” You could be that voice of confirmation or criticism to help a homebrewer reach their highest potential by becoming a member, as well as receive 10 percent off all brewing supplies, $1 off all drafts, and no corkage or capping fee. If you’ve never even considered brewing beer before and have no idea where to start, never fear because the Brew Market and Beer Garden offers classes to show even an amateur how to become a master brewer. Their ‘classroom’ is set up just like a kitchen at home would be, complete with fridge and stove top to show you

exactly how you’d go about brewing in your own kitchen. And when it comes to supplies necessary to brew, the Brew Market and Beer Garden has everything you need, supplies you’d have to drive all the way out to Fort Oglethorpe for until now. And, unlike the shop in Fort O, the Brew Market and Beer Garden will sell you grains by the ounce, not just by the pound, so you can brew as little or as much as you’d like. Beyond the retail space and classroom kitchen is the beer garden, an outdoor space behind the shop that will feature a massive dog run, cornhole, horseshoes, an outdoor pallet bar, and hopefully a fire pit if all goes according to plan. There’s a lot more to be said about the Brew Market and Beer Garden, but with too little of a word count, you’ll just have to check it out for yourself. Go on your own, take some friends, take a glass, grab a six pack on your way home, or take your dog to your new favorite hangout and kick back with a cold one and your good boy

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • MAY 3, 2018 • THE PULSE • 17

THE MUSIC SCENE

The Big Easy On The Bluff In the mood for a mix of traditional jazz, neo-soul, R&B and funk? Then find yourself at the Hunter Art Museum this Thursday night for Bands on the Bluff: Big Easy on the Bluff. Kicking off the annual music series will be some of the sultriest, New Orleans-inspired crooning from Chattanooga’s best jazz vocalists and musicians. Singer Mary Edwards and musicians Dexter Bell, Marcus Dotson, and Yattie Westfield will perform a little bit of everything in their arsenal, making for one jazzed up Thursday. A cash bar will be on hand to quench your thirst needs with wine and other available spirits. Mouthwatering beignets will be available to continue the Big Easy vibe as well as some cool ice cream treats to beat the heat, provided by Clumpie’s. Beyond the music, there will be a painting demo and book signing of “The Souls of Free Folk” by Josiah Golson, author and local Chattanoogan who was inspired by W.E.B DuBois’ 1903 collection of essays. Prior to the show at 6 p.m., starting at 4 p.m. that afternoon the Hunter will be celebrating the work done by Education Fellows, a group of teachers from across the region that have developed models for STEAM using the Hunter’s galleries. Bands on the Bluff is so much more than just music, so don’t miss out on all the fun. — Brooke Brown

Acoustical Connections The Papaws set to debut EP at the First Draft Theater By Marc T. Michael Pulse Music Editor

“

Two guys with a shared love for music (folk, in this case) get together in school to play for the fun of it and wind up forming an act.”

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ULL DISCLOSURE, THERE IS A SPECIAL PLACE IN MY heart for acoustic duos. My own band, which has hovered somewhere between four and twenty-eight members for years now, started as an acoustic duo and there’s a lot to be said for that approach. The musicians in any band ideally have a “connection,” a rapport that may go several levels deeper than is obvious to the observer. When there are only two of you, that rapport can be downright spooky, preternatural even. The bonds formed from such deep mutual reliance are virtually unbreakable (unless you’re Simon and Garfunkel, which most people aren’t.) So, yeah, a lot of love and respect for duos and the latest to hit the scene here in town are the Papaws, Logan Wilson and K.J. Bostian. It’s a classic story, really. Two guys with a shared love for music (folk, in this

case) get together in school to play for the fun of it and wind up forming an act. That’s the short version, anyway. In the case of the Papaws, there wasn’t really any impetus or intent to be an act. They just genuinely loved making music and even their upcoming debut EP was meant to be for themselves, at least until pressure from friends and loved ones convinced them to go ahead and release it publicly. Recorded with Mitch Wood at SoundScapes Studios, the five original tunes are based on their experiences as young adults here in Chat-

“

I would venture to guess that outside of their recording engineer and close friends, I may be the first person to hear it and they were emphatic about keeping the tunes under wraps.” tanooga. Granted, it’s been a long, long time since I was a young adult anywhere, but that doesn’t prevent their writing from being relatable, poignant to the younger audience, nostalgic to us older types. Nuts and bolts-wise, Logan provides vocals, guitar and mandolin, while K.J. handles vocals, guitar, banjo and harmonica. The fellas certainly have an ear for combining these instruments for maximum effect. The song “Tiftonia” is absolutely lush in its instrumentation and it’s easy to forget that there are only two guys playing all that music. The lyrics on the tune (and all the rest for that matter) are sweetly written, honest and sincere. That’s not always a given, even in acoustic folk where you’d think it would be a basic requirement. Years ago I was tasked with reviewing a folk act who, though technically as proficient as anyone I’ve heard, lacked, to my ears anyway, substance of any kind. It was a paint-by-numbers approach to music that I absolutely loathed and it was one of the hardest pieces I’ve ever had to write. The Papaws, conversely, are the exact opposite of that.

Their music is full of warmth and soul, heartfelt to the core, and I suspect the duo’s origin story has a lot to do with that. They didn’t set out to be a band, they merely sat down and made music for the love of making music, the rest came afterwards. The band has been extremely tightlipped about their music. At this point I would venture to guess that outside of their recording engineer and close friends, I may be the first person to hear it and they were emphatic about keeping the tunes under wraps until the EP’s debut which is this Sunday, April 6th at First Draft Theater (otherwise known as Improv Chattanooga.) More info about the gig and links to some of their other music on YouTube can be found at thePapaws.com. The show promises to be hugely rewarding to attendees who can look forward to being treated to some of the most sincere, unpretentious and lovingly crafted acoustic tunes to come around in quite a while and I strongly urge you to stop by and treat yourself to some beautiful music about life in the Scenic City.

The Art Of The Singer/Songwriter Trish Ferrell Williams and Butch Ross return with their everpopular “The Art of the Singer/ Songwriter” workshop with a new twist, the Junior edition. It’s a children-friendly version of the workshop, geared specifically towards kids ages 11 to 16, and runs June 4th to June 8th at Mountain Arts Community Center. To date, Trish and Butch have graduated six classes of adults from the annual event and given its tremendous value and acclaim the series has received, it seems only logical (and frankly, overdue) to extend the same educational opportunity to the younger crowd. Songwriting, vocal technique, stagecraft and more will be presented in an easy-to-grasp format including group games and exercise, culminating in a live performance for friends and family at the end of the course. Speaking as an adult musician who spent years figuring out the sorts of things Butch and Trish

teach in a matter of days, I cannot stress enough how valuable the course will be to the budding musician in your family. Class size is being kept small to allow greater one-on-one interaction with students, and the duo’s easy-going, low pressure, friendly approach and extensive knowledge of performance will provide a rock-solid foundation for aspiring young artists everywhere. For more information or to sign up now (and classes will fill up early) contact Trish at tfwileman@gmail.com or call (941) 330-5547. — MTM

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The Mavericks

The Voodoo Fix

SUSTO

A genre-defying, exciting and underestimated American band that has embraced its own destiny, they are a must-see experience. 8 p.m. Walker Theatre 399 McCallie Ave. tivolichattanooga.com

Capturing the soul of rock, funk, and Chicago Blues featuring an alluring sound filled with primal grooves and hook-laden melodies. 9 p.m. HiFi Clyde’s 122 W. Main St. clydesonmain.com

The brainchild of Justin Osborne, this group of alternative rockers combine elements of country and jazz into their own unique sound. 9 p.m. Songbirds South 41 Station St. songbirdsguitars.com CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • MAY 3, 2018 • THE PULSE • 19

MUSIC CALENDAR

Nelly

THURSDAY5.3 Boxcar Pinion Memorial Bluegrass Festival 1 p.m. Mountain Cove Farm 1546 Burnt Mill Rd. Flintstone, GA foreverbluegrass.com Bands on the Bluff: Big Easy on the Bluff 6 p.m. The Hunter Museum of American Art 10 Bluff View Ave. huntermuseum.org James Crumble Trio 6 p.m. St. John’s Meeting Place 1278 Market St. stjohnsrestaurant.com Open Mic Night with Megan Saunders 6 p.m. Whole Foods Market 301 Manufacturers Rd. wholefoodsmarket.com Ryan Oyer 6:30 p.m. Westin Alchemy Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Gino Fanelli 6:30 p.m. Westin Dorato Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Nelly, Bone Thugs-NHarmony, Juvenile 7 p.m. AT&T Field 201 Power Alley

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(423) 267-2208 Doyle Dykes 7 p.m. Songbirds North 35 Station St. songbirdsguitars.com Toby Hewitt 7 p.m. Backstage Bar 29 Station St. backstagechattanooga.com Open Mic Night 7 p.m. Moccasin Bend Brewing Co. 3210 Broad St. bendbrewingbeer.com The Mavericks 8 p.m. Walker Theatre 399 McCallie Ave. tivolichattanooga.com Keepin’ It Local 8 p.m. The Social 1110 Market St. publichousechattanooga.com KlusterfunK Open Jam 8 p.m. Trip’s Tavern 4762 Hwy. 58 (423) 803-5686 Breaking Benjamin 8:30 p.m. The Signal 1810 Chestnut St. thesignaltn.com Perpetual Groove 9 p.m. Songbirds South 41 Station St. songbirdsguitars.com Open Mic Night with Jonathan Wimpee

9 p.m. The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com LA Witch, Elkmilk, Hot Garbage 9 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com

FRIDAY5.4 Boxcar Pinion Memorial Bluegrass Festival 1 p.m. Mountain Cove Farm 1546 Burnt Mill Rd. Flintstone, GA foreverbluegrass.com Charlsey Etheridge 6 p.m. Cambridge Square 9453 Bradmore Ln. publicmarkets.us Abigale Blake 6:30 p.m. Westin Alchemy Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Megan Howard 6:30 p.m. Westin Dorato Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com The Pool 7 p.m. Songbirds North 35 Station St. songbirdsguitars.com Rick Rushing and The Blues Strangers

7:30 p.m. The Foundry 1201 Broad St. chattanooganhotel.com Vandoliers 8 p.m. Miller Plaza 850 Market St. nightfallchattanooga.com Kristy Cox 9 p.m. Puckett’s Restaurant 2 W. Aquarium Way puckettsgro.com Scenic City Super Show 9 p.m. Music Box @ Ziggy’s 607 Cherokee Blvd. ziggysbarandgrill.net Live Music 9 p.m. The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com The Voodoo Fix 9 p.m. HiFi Clyde’s 122 W. Main St. clydesonmain.com The Power Players Band 9 p.m. Songbirds South 41 Station St. songbirdsguitars.com Knuckle Dragger, Moonhollow, Deacons, Stuyedeyed 9 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com Throttle 21 10 p.m.

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

SATURDAY5.5 Bluegrass Brunch Noon The Honest Pint 35 Patten Pkwy. thehonestpint.com Boxcar Pinion Memorial Bluegrass Festival Noon Mountain Cove Farm 1546 Burnt Mill Rd. Flintstone, GA foreverbluegrass.com Mike McDade Noon Tennessee Aquarium Plaza 1 Broad St. publicmarkets.us Courtney Holder 6:30 p.m. Westin Alchemy Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Preston Ruffing 6:30 p.m. Westin Dorato Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Seven to the Sea 7 p.m. Charles & Myrtle’s Coffeehouse 105 McBrien Rd. christunity.org Lera Lynn 7 p.m. Songbirds North 35 Station St.

songbirdsguitars.com Danimal 7:30 p.m. The Foundry 1201 Broad St. chattanooganhotel.com The Black Jacket Symphony 8 p.m. Tivoli Theatre 709 Broad St. (423) 757-5580 tivolichattanooga.com Mother Legacy 8 p.m. The Casual Pint 5550 Hwy. 153 hixson.thecasualpint.com Open Jam with Up The Dose 8 p.m. McHale’s Brewhouse 724 Ashland Ter. mchalesbrewhouse.com JR Ward 9 p.m. Puckett’s Restaurant 2 W. Aquarium Way puckettsgro.com SUSTO 9 p.m. Songbirds South 41 Station St. songbirdsguitars.com Live Music 9 p.m. The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com Trae Pierce & The T-Stones 9 p.m. HiFi Clyde’s 122 W. Main St. clydesonmain.com Caitlin Rose, The Kernal

Ashley & the Xs 9 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com Throttle 21 10 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar 5751 Brainerd Rd. budssportsbar.com

SUNDAY5.6 Kristen Ford 11 a.m. Flying Squirrel Bar 55 Johnson St. flyingsquirrelbar.com Play Along with the CSO 11 a.m. First Tennessee Pavilion 1826 Carter St. publicmarkets.us Spinster 1:30 p.m. Flying Squirrel Bar 55 Johnson St. flyingsquirrelbar.com Bluegrass Jam 4 p.m. Fiddlers Anonymous 2248 Dayton Blvd. (423) 994-7497 Open Mic with Jeff Daniels 6 p.m. Long Haul Saloon 2536 Cummings Hwy. (423) 822-9775 Jesse James Jungkurth 6:30 p.m. Westin Alchemy Bar 801 Pine St.

westinchattanooga.com The Papaws: EP Release Party 7 p.m. First Draft Theater 1800 Rossville Ave. improvchattanooga.com Mathis & Martin 7 p.m. Backstage Bar 29 Station St. backstagechattanooga.com Maria Sable 8 p.m. Southside Social 1818 Chestnut St. thesouthsidesocial.com Skinny Bumpkin 9 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com

MONDAY5.7 Steve Earle & The Dukes 7 p.m. Songbirds North 35 Station St. songbirdsguitars.com Monday Nite Big Band 7 p.m. The Coconut Room 6925 Shallowford Rd. thepalmsathamilton.com Open Air with Jessica Nunn 7:30 p.m. The Granfalloon 400 E. Main St. granfalloonchattanooga.com Very Open Mic with Shawnessey Cargile 8 p.m. CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • MAY 3, 2018 • THE PULSE • 21

MUSIC CALENDAR

Stone Sour The Well 1800 Rossville Blvd. #8 wellonthesouthside.com

TUESDAY5.8 Over Easy Pre-Release Listening Party 6 p.m. The Palace Theater 818 Georgia Ave. chattpalace.com Bill McCallie and In Cahoots 6:30 p.m. Southern Belle 201 Riverfront Pkwy. chattanoogariverboat.com Danimal 7 p.m. Backstage Bar 29 Station St. backstagechattanooga.com Stone Sour, Palaya Royale & The 68 7:30 p.m. The Signal 1810 Chestnut St. thesignaltn.com Funktion One Dance Party 9 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com

WEDNESDAY5.9 The Other Guys 6 p.m. SpringHill Suites 495 Riverfront Pkwy. springhillsuites.com Big Daddy Weave with Brandon Heath

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7 p.m. Bayside Baptist Church 6100 Hwy 58 baysidebaptist.org Jesse James Jungkurth 7 p.m. Backstage Bar 29 Station St. backstagechattanooga.com Jazz In The Lounge 7 p.m. Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. barkinglegs.org Open Mic with Courtney Holder 7:30 p.m. The Casual Pint 5550 Hwy 153 hixson.thecasualpint.com Live Music 8 p.m. The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com Priscilla & Little Rickee 8 p.m. Las Margaritas 1101 Hixson Pike (423) 756-3332 Hive Theory, Natural Born Leaders 9 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com Prime Cut Trio 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

ERNIE PAIK'S RECORD REVIEWS

The Skull Defeckts, Xaddaz / Rar-Rar

The Skull Defekts The Skull Defekts (Thrill Jockey)

Xaddax / My Name Is Rar-Rar Ripper: Mr. Deer (Skin Graft)

“T

Henrik Rylander. Very broadly speaking, the band’s compelling and challenging material can be divided into two categories: percussiondriven, menacing post-punk and free-form noisy instrumental electronic drones. The new album falls into the former category, and it’s immediately entrancing with the opening track “A Brief History of Rhythm, Dub, Life and Death” with throbbing, primitive drum beats (oddly enhanced with persistent sleigh bells) and squealing, ecstatic electronics. It’s not quite industrial music, but it may appeal to industrial music fans; it’s perhaps like a wild, sinister, bizarro-world rendi-

he aim was to make circular, ritualistic, monotonous rock music,” explained co-founding member Joachim Nordwall of the intense Swedish band The Skull Defekts about the band’s intention upon forming in 2005. That hasn’t changed, and the group has announced that its latest, self-titled album will be its final one. However, internally, the outfit has experienced some major changes—notably, members Jean-Louis Huhta and Daniel Higgs (best known for his Washington, D.C. band Lungfish) stepped away while new member Mariam Wallentin joined the fold, joining Nordwall and longtime members Daniel Fagerström and

tion of Faust’s “It’s a Rainy Day, Sunshine Girl” performed by latter-day Swans. “Clean Mind” is a driving, unflinching song with an urgent, pounding rhythm section and spoken/sung vocals, and its wordless chorus sections offer a release with erupting rock-guitar riffage. An ominous, formal yet sensual tone is adopted on the 9-minute “Slow Storm,” with echoing and stabbing guitar parts and Wallentin patiently reciting a sequence of individual words like “lips”, “bliss”, “ignorance”, “sadness” and “undress”. The recitation has a whiff of heavy-handed, somewhat pretentious performance art for this critic, who wonders if the concepts could have been conveyed with better-crafted lyrics. However, the album ends strongly, with “A Message from The Skull Defekts” being a noteworthy highlight and a potent unstoppable sonic juggernaut, like a rocket-engine-powered bulldozer heading to the band’s triumphantly devastating brick-wall finish line.

part from an apparent penchant for palindromes and dissonant no-wave music, the common element (although “uncommon element” is more ap-

propriate) between the bands Xaddax and My Name Is Rar-Rar, both showcased on the new release Ripper: Mr. Deer, is the unconventional drummer and haywired electronic musician Chrissy Rossettie. Available digitally or physically (on a 14-track CD or a 4-song 7-inch single which includes all 14 tracks as digital downloads), Ripper: Mr. Deer pairs the currently operating duo Xaddax, featuring Rossettie with guitarist/vocalist Nick Sakes, with the quartet My Name Is Rar-Rar, which formed in 2000 and broke up after a few years. Also included as a bonus is a punishing 28-minute live track from My Name Is Rar-Rar guitarist Chuck Falzone, with abrasive, crunchy noise, static, piercing tones and feedback. The two songs from Xaddax, “Ripper” and “Bug March,” are enigmatic, squirming numbers with dissonant notes and pummeling synth lines, and bands such as Mars and Chrome come to mind; the ingredients are right, but this writer can’t help but feel like the duo could’ve pushed them a bit further into twisty territory. Before it disbanded, My Name Is Rar-Rar recorded the album Mr. Deer in 2003 which remained

unreleased until now, and it’s a mind-bending scorcher, coming out of the gate swinging with “One,” sporting abused electronics and sci-fi post-punk madness. The unhinged vocals from singer Greg Peters are unpredictable, with sounds seemingly being more frequent than actual recognizable words—grunts, howls, yelps and much more; his animalistic vocal insanity (imagine the Tasmanian Devil from Looney Tunes in front of a microphone) thrusts “Hounds” forward with Rossettie’s charged, jittery drumming. Comparisons to groups like Brainiac, Melt-Banana and Six Finger Satellite wouldn’t be offbase, and it makes complete sense that Falzone and bassist Jonathan Hischke were both players in the rotating cast of The Flying Luttenbachers, the legendary intensely spastic Chicago outfit. Falzone’s guitar timbres are particularly distinctive, with a sort of plastic artificiality or caustic skronk; he uses an extreme envelope effect on “Ass to Ass,” playing peek-a-boo with a “waka waka” noise (think turntable scratching) and playful circus synth notes that evoke cartoon violence, summing up the album’s attitude that all asses deserve to be kicked.

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • MAY 3, 2018 • THE PULSE • 23

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY expected direction and begin to work its subtle but intense magic before anyone realizes what’s happening. I predict that the bridge you’re building will lead to a place that’s less flashy but more useful than you imagined. And I’m guessing that although you may initially feel jumbled by unforeseen outcomes, those outcomes will ultimately be redemptive. Hooray for lucky flukes and weird switcheroos!

ROB BREZSNY ARIES (March 21-April 19): I hate rampant consumerism almost as much as I hate hatred, so I don’t offer the following advice lightly: Buy an experience that could help liberate you from the suffering you’ve had trouble outgrowing. Or buy a toy that can thaw the frozen joy that’s trapped within your out-of-date sadness. Or buy a connection that might inspire you to express a desire you need help in expressing. Or buy an influence that will motivate you to shed a belief or theory that has been cramping your lust for life. Or all of the above! (And if buying these things isn’t possible, consider renting.) TAURUS (April 20-May 20): These days you have an enhanced ability to arouse the appreciation and generosity of your allies, friends, and loved ones. The magnetic influence you’re emanating could even start to evoke the interest and inquiries of mere acquaintances and random strangers. Be discerning about how you wield that potent stuff! On the other hand, don’t be shy about using it to attract all the benefits it can bring you. It’s OK to be a bit greedier for goodies than usual as long as you’re also a bit more compassionate than usual. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): I bet that a healing influence will arrive from an un-

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Born under the astrological sign of Cancer, Franz Kafka is regarded as one of the twentieth century’s major literary talents. Alas, he made little money from his writing. Among the day jobs he did to earn a living were stints as a bureaucrat at insurance companies. His superiors there praised his efforts. “Superb administrative talent,” they said about him. Let’s use this as a take-off point to meditate on your destiny, Cancerian. Are you good at skills you’re not passionate about? Are you admired and acknowledged for having qualities that aren’t of central importance to you? If so, the coming weeks and months will be a favorable time to explore this apparent discrepancy. I believe you will have the power to get closer to doing more of what you love to do. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): If you really wanted to, you could probably break the world’s record for most words typed per minute with the nose (103 characters in 47 seconds). I bet you could also shatter a host of other marks, as well, like eating the most hot chiles in two minutes, or weaving the biggest garland using defunct iPhones, or dancing the longest on a tabletop while listening to a continuous loop of Nirvana’s song “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” But I hope you won’t waste your soaring capacity for excellence on meaningless stunts like those. I’d rather see you break your own personal records for accomplishments like effective communications, high-quality community-building, and smart career moves.

24 • THE PULSE • MAY 3, 2018 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Isaac Newton (1643-1727) was among history’s three most influential scientists. Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) has been described as the central figure in modern philosophy. Henry James (1843-1916) is regarded as one of the greatest novelists in English literature. John Ruskin (1819-1900) was a prominent art critic and social thinker. What did these four men have in common? They never had sex with anyone. They were virgins when they died. I view this fact with alarm. What does it mean that Western culture is so influenced by the ideas of men who lacked this fundamental initiation? With that as our context, I make this assertion: If you hope to make good decisions in the coming weeks, you must draw on the wisdom you have gained from being sexually entwined with other humans. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “Every so often, a painter has to destroy painting,” said twentieth-century abstract expressionist painter Willem de Kooning. “Cézanne did it. Picasso did it with Cubism. Then Pollock did it. He busted our idea of a picture all to hell.” In de Kooning’s view, these “destructive” artists performed a noble service. They demolished entrenched ideas about the nature of painting, thus liberating their colleagues and descendants from stale constraints. Judging from the current astrological omens, Libra, I surmise the near future will be a good time for you to wreak creative destruction in your own field or sphere. What progress and breakthroughs might be possible when you dismantle comfortable limitations? SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Mayflies are aquatic insects with short life spans. Many species live less than 24 hours, even though the eggs they lay may take three years to hatch. I suspect this may be somewhat of an apt metaphor for your future, Scorpio. A transitory or short-duration experience could leave a legacy that will ripen for a long time before it hatches. But that’s where the metaphor breaks down. When your leg-

Homework: What’s the most important question you need an answer for in the next five years? Deliver your best guess to me. Freewillastrology.com acy has fully ripened—when it becomes available as a living presence—I bet it will last a long time. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): When a critic at Rolling Stone magazine reviewed the Beatles’ Abbey Road in 1969, he said some of the songs were “so heavily overproduced that they are hard to listen to.” He added, “Surely they must have enough talent and intelligence to do better than this.” Years later, however, Rolling Stone altered its opinion, naming Abbey Road the fourteenth best album of all time. I suspect, Sagittarius, that you’re in a phase with metaphorical resemblances to the earlier assessment. But I’m reasonably sure that this will ultimately evolve into being more like the later valuation—and it won’t take years. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): According to my analysis of the astrological omens, love should be in full bloom. You should be awash in worthy influences that animate your beautiful passion. So how about it? Are you swooning and twirling and uncoiling? Are you overflowing with a lush longing to celebrate the miracle of being alive? If your answer is yes, congratulations. May your natural intoxication levels continue to rise. But if my description doesn’t match your current experience, you may be out of sync with cosmic rhythms. And if that’s the case, please take emergency measures. Escape to a sanctuary where you can shed your worries and inhibitions and maybe even your clothes. Get drunk on undulating music as you dance yourself

into a dreamy love revelry. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “Life never gives you anything that’s all bad or all good.” So proclaimed the smartest Aquarian six-year-old girl I know as we kicked a big orange ball around a playground. I agreed with her! “Twenty years from now,” I told her, “I’m going to remind you that you told me this heartful truth.” I didn’t tell her the corollary that I’d add to her axiom, but I’ll share it with you: If anything or anyone or seems to be all bad or all good, you’re probably not seeing the big picture. There are exceptions, however! For example, I bet you will soon experience or are already experiencing a graceful stroke of fate that’s very close to being all good. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “Enodation” is an old, nearly obsolete English word that refers to the act of untying a knot or solving a knotty problem. “Enodous” means “free of knots.” Let’s make these your celebratory words of power for the month of May, Pisces. Speak them out loud every now and then. Invoke them as holy chants and potent prayers leading you to discover the precise magic that will untangle the kinks and snarls you most need to untangle. 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

“Slippery as a Kneel”—just add a couple of things. ACROSS 1 Pen name? 4 Org. that licenses drivers 7 Pipe material 12 Yankees nickname of the 2000s-2010s 14 “Pioneer Woman” cookbook writer Drummond 15 Sycophant 17 A long time out? 18 Employ 19 Multicolored cat 20 “The Sound of Music” character behaving badly? 23 Have ___ to pick 24 Principles of faith 25 Consumer protection agcy. 27 Number that’s neither prime nor composite 28 Gator tail? 29 Boring 32 Was human? 34 Mathematical sets of points 36 Cut (off) 37 Springfield resident Disco ___

38 Why yarn is the wrong material to make an abacus? 44 Hosp. triage areas 45 Body part to “lend” 46 Movie 1 for 007 47 Pre-clause pause 50 Storage level 52 Corvallis campus 53 “The Name of the Rose” novelist Umberto 54 Prohibit 56 Tried and true 58 Famed Roman fiddler, supposedly 60 Be cranially self-aware? 63 10-time Gold Glove winner Roberto 65 Itinerary word 66 Speck of dust 67 First of the Medicis to rule Florence 68 Address in a browser bar 69 Plaintiff 70 Grand ___ National Park, Wyoming 71 Cartoon voice

legend Blanc 72 Bronco scores, for short DOWN 1 Lip 2 Attached, as a T-shirt decal 3 First Olympic gymnast to receive a perfect 10 4 Some rock or jazz concert highlights 5 Flat-topped mountain 6 Change direction suddenly 7 One way to travel from the airport 8 Actor Stephen of “V for Vendetta” 9 “La ___ Bonita” (Madonna song) 10 “Für Elise” key 11 Wisconsin city on Lake Michigan 13 Barry once played by the late Harry Anderson 16 Observed 21 Numeral suffix 22 Deep Blue creator

26 Pre-release software version 30 Garden tool with a handle 31 Unexpected loss 33 Actor Paul of “Fun Mom Dinner” 35 Menu option 37 Certain shopping area 39 Boring 40 D.C. baseball player, for short 41 Expelled 42 Ousted from office 43 Quarter ___ (burger orders) 47 “Wyatt ___’s Problem Areas” (HBO show) 48 Spotted cat 49 Gloomy 50 Newscaster Curry 51 Hue’s partner 55 Ohio rubber hub 57 Units of electrical resistance 59 Leave off the list 61 Egg, biologically 62 It may come down to this 64 “I love,” in Latin

Copyright © 2018 Jonesin’ Crosswords. For answers to this puzzle, call: 1-900-226-2800, 99 cents perminute. Must be 18+ to call. Or to bill to your credit card, call: 1-800-655-6548. Reference puzzle No. 882 CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • MAY 3, 2018 • THE PULSE • 25

COLUMN · ON THE BEAT

Philosophy In A Swizzle Stick Officer Alex finds a connection to a familial past in a mixed drink

I Alex Teach

Pulse columnist

“

Life molds you. For most, like a river shapes a rock…and for others, like a glacier carves out a valley. Experiences. Education. Even injury.”

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.

’M LOOKING DOWN AT MY DRINK slowly churning the ice as I tend to do and I notice I’m using a swizzle stick from a jar that was packed full of them that my old man had collected for the two decades he drank. They’d been on a shelf in the kitchen since being discovered in a parental alcove a while back, but I hadn’t paid attention to them other than being mindful they weren’t tossed out (as kids tend to do with every scrap of material a loved one has ever touched after they’ve died). Plastic. Unassuming, usually plain Jane, but occasionally extravagant... kind of like people themselves. “Johnney’s Strand Tavern, 237 W 47th St, N.Y.C.” this one read. By my weak recollection of Manhattan West 47th was near Hell’s Kitchen, and I couldn’t help but think of him as a young sailor in New York hanging out with his fellow swabbies on leave, barhopping without a care in the world. “Juniors Cocktail Lounge, 22 W. 52nd St., N.Y.C.” read another. Near Radio City Music Hall, where he took his future wife on dates. (Sorry, swabbies.) “Hale Koa Hotel, On the Beach at Waikiki,” a far more ornate paddleshaped one read. Puerto Rico. Rome (Italy, not Georgia). Mare Island, San Francisco. All these visits and souvenirs from places he visited before I was even born…and I now had more grey hair than he ever did. I apologize; it’s not my intention to be giving cirrhosis-related geography lessons here, I’m just trying to describe my reflections on the timeline of a man that was fairly important to me. Thinking of him in his youth, picturing him in these places as time passed (Waikiki was 20 years after Johnney’s but long before

26 • THE PULSE • MAY 3, 2018 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

retirement), and thinking of the person he was at the beginning, then the middle, and of course the end. I was looking for a basis of comparison perhaps. (I wasn’t stirring a drink for no reason, as you can tell.) You see, I try to break out of the cloud I’m in now and then; I try to consider the person that has been formed by the experiences life has thrown at him when something’s bothering me. I try to compare that guy to the person he used to be before the polyester and the drama of a hands-on career like police work, and I get stuck…because at the end of the day, I no longer have any idea who that guy was now. Maybe I would have liked him? But probably not, hah. Life molds you. For most, like a river shapes a rock…and for others, like a glacier carves out a valley. Experiences. Education. Even injury. But that basis of comparison is imwportant when you need a yardstick to gauge the difference between growth and atrophy. I’d received bad news and I never saw it coming. As a consequence of the job it was not in my nature to discuss it, but it was also the nature of the job that led to the bad news. A vicious circle, right? And here I was without my mentor to discuss it. I was squinting my eyes for no particular reason and realized I was actually having to remember to take a breath so I snapped out of it. The drink I was stirring obviously had no answers so I un-

ceremoniously poured it over the edge of the deck railing I was leaning against in all this silly deep thought. Still though, the question lingered even as I began to walk and coerce fresh blood into my brain: Who was that guy that started this job twenty something years ago? At the end of the day it doesn’t matter, but I recommend you take notes on these things, dear reader. Like growth marks in a childhood doorway, pay attention to where you are now and then so you can see how far you’ve come— or how far you may have fallen. Take stock and don’t be afraid to make minor course adjustments. Just whatever you do, don’t fly blind. Is this related to police work, given the nature of my column? Hah. Absolutely. But we’ll get back to the “exciting” stuff next week. Until then? If you’re ever in NYC, see the sights and maybe have a drink. But it won’t be at Johnney’s or Juniors, I can tell you that much. Time moves on; just look around.

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • MAY 3, 2018 • THE PULSE • 27