The Pulse 15.19 » May 10, 2018

MAY 10, 2018

CHATTANOOGA'S WEEKLY ALTERNATIVE

A Unifying Feast Of Meat

HOW BARBECUE HAS BROUGHT TOGETHER PEOPLE AND CULTURES

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE VOLUME 15, ISSUE 19 • MAY 10, 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 Rich Bailey Rob Brezsny Jessie Gantt-Temple Daniel Jackson Matt Jones Sandra Kurtz Ernie Paik Rick Pimental-Habib Michael Thomas Brandon Watson Cartoonists Max Cannon Jen Sorenson Tom Tomorrow

ADVERTISING Director of Sales Mike Baskin Account Executives Jeff Camp Rick Leavell Cindee McBride Libby Phillips Danielle Swindell

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CONTACT Offices 1305 Carter St. Chattanooga, TN 37402 Phone 423.265.9494 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.

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A Unifying Feast Of Meat When it comes to barbecue, there’s much to argue about. To which faction do you belong? Is true barbecue Texas brisket, the ribs of Memphis, or perhaps is it slathered in the mustard sauce of South Carolina?

THE REST WILL RISE

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MOTHERHOOD AND MOVIES

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This Thursday, a bus rolls into Chattanooga bearing venture capitalists with spending money.

After stepping down as chairman of AOL Time Warner with a net worth of well over $1 billion...

There’s something about the Hollywood portrayal of early motherhood that’s always rubbed me the wrong way. It’s usually full of breathless optimism, of immediate love and devotion, of smiles and happiness.

7 SHADES OF GREEN

SEND IN THE CLOWNS

Cirque du Soleil is known for breaking the mold of the typical big top circus performance and taking it to new heights with more in-depth storylines and breathtaking acrobatics.

HEARING CHICAGO ANEW

It is understood, or should be, that this space is generally dedicated to local and regional acts. That is its raison d'être after all. Still, once in a great while, it serves a purpose to take a different approach and discuss a more traditional, established mainstream act.

20 MUSIC CALENDAR

24 FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

14 ARTS CALENDAR

22 MUSIC REVIEWS

25 JONESIN' CROSSWORD

17 NEW IN THEATERS

23 THE COMIX

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BEGINNINGS · CITY LIFE

The Rest Will Rise Silicon Valley bus tour rolls into own looking to invest

By Rich Bailey Pulse contributor

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Eight of Chattanooga’s best and brightest high-growthpotential startup companies will make their pitches.”

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HIS THURSDAY, A BUS ROLLS INTO CHATTANOOGA bearing venture capitalists with spending money. After stepping down as chairman of AOL Time Warner in 2003 with a net worth of well over $1 billion, Steve Case started a Washington, DC-based venture capital firm called Revolution in 2005 to invest in early-stage and growth-stage startups, following what he called a “rise of the rest” ethos.

The idea is that there are great places to invest besides Silicon Valley, New York, and Massachusetts, where the overwhelming majority of venture capital investments are made. In 2014, he started the Rise of the Rest bus tour, bringing investors to heartland cities for face-to-face meetings with startups.

According to Business Insider, Revolution has invested more than $1 billion in companies outside Silicon Val-

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ley, and Case has invested more than $3 million of his own money during these tours.

In December of 2017, Case and JD Vance—a Silicon Valley venture capitalist who wrote the bestselling “Hillbilly Elegy” about his Appalachian roots—created the Rise of the Rest Seed Fund with $150 million of their money plus cash from 34 high-profile investors like Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.

This Thursday, the seventh Rise of the Rest tour stops in Chattanooga. Other stops in this round are Dallas, Memphis, Birmingham, and Louisville.

Eight of Chattanooga’s best and brightest high-growth-potential startup companies, selected from more than 60 that applied, will make their pitches.

One will score a $100,000 investment from Case’s fund.

Aegle Gear—Apparel for nurses and other healthcare workers, featuring high-performance designs inspired by athletic gear and antimicrobial fabric.

Branch Technology—An industrial robot arm “paints” in midair to create lattice structures of 3-D printed plastic that are filled and finished to make architectural elements.

CPR Wrap—Simple four-step CPR instructions printed on a piece of plastic that goes over the mouth and chest to help anyone use CPR to save a life.

Curie Co.—Engineered biomaterials to replace harmful or banned chemicals found in consumer products and industrial processes.

FreightWaves—A data and content forum for the freight industry, providing information and analytics designed to empower existing and emerging freight firms.

InfinityCo—Smart room software to automate building services (lighting, temperature, door locks, etc.) for business travelers, vacationers, and students.

SkyNano—Electrochemical conversion of waste carbon dioxide into lowcost raw material for carbon-based nanomaterials that can be used for a variety of applications.

WorkHound—Smartphone app that allows freight drivers to submit ideas, problems, praise, and feedback, and distills that input into actionable insights to improve operations and help retain drivers.

Cons ider This w ith Dr. Rick

“For what it’s worth, it’s never too late to be whoever you want to be. I hope you live a life you’re proud of, and if you find that you’re not, I hope you have strength to start over.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald

A Bright Festival Of Flowers Rock City presents the Southern Blooms Festival There’s not a time of year when Rock City isn’t stunning, but in the spring and early summer it’s like something out of a Monet painting.

The brightly colored blooms blinking themselves awake after a long winter’s rest is something that shouldn’t be missed, and thanks to Rock City’s Southern Blooms Festival you won’t have to!

Come see Rock City in all it’s springtime gorgeousness and learn about their original gardener,

Frieda Utermoehlen Carter. Take a walking tour with Master Gardeners as they teach you all about Frieda’s legacy on the Walking in Frieda’s Footsteps Tour as well as the heritage behind the gardens.

Members of the horticulture team will be present for all kinds of gardening questions and you can take part in planting the gardens.

The usual youth-focused events will be present including makeand-take activities and the oppor-

tunity for them to learn what makes a garden grow. Fairy Garden workshops are available through advanced reservation if you’re interested in creating a teeny space for some springtime sprites, and harpist Ellen Shiraef can be found peacefully plucking amongst the flowers.

Spring it finally here, so come and enjoy the blooms before the summer heat beats you to it!

— Brooke Brown

What if you could start over from scratch?

Let me give you an image: A lump of clay, that you get to carefully mold, lovingly shape to your desire. But the result is not only external; you get to give birth to strengths and talents, personality and intelligence. And it’s all up to you. What would this divine creature look like, inside and out?

Compared to who you are now, what features would you keep, which would you add, and which would you remove? And for the purpose of insight, the most important question: Why? When we’re born, we have no hang-ups, no issues about ourselves or anyone else. This may only last a short time, relatively speaking, because then life happens.

Consider this: It’s never, ever too late to remold that clay. Give it some thought. Who do you desire to be?.

— Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D.

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COLUMN · SHADES OF GREEN

Plastic Pollutes And Kills There are many small ways you can help protect the environment

S Sandra Kurtz

Pulse columnist

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According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the total amount of plastic waste in the ocean will exceed the total number of fish found in the oceans by 2050.”

Sandra Kurtz is an environmental community activist, chair of the South Chickamauga Creek Greenway Alliance, and is presently working through the Urban Century Institute. You can visit her website to learn more at enviroedu.net

IT DOWN. LOOK AROUND. See any plastic? Of course you do. Your computer keyboard, water bottles, cups, plates, take-out containers, medicine bottles, grocery bags, furniture laminates, Styrofoam packing, shower curtains, disposable diapers, food packaging, even your toothpaste, and so much more.

Plastic has become a global crisis. According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the total amount of plastic waste in the ocean will exceed the total number of fish found in the oceans by 2050.

That’s because plastic never really goes away. It just breaks down into smaller and smaller micro-pieces escaping into our waterways to pollute our oceans, kill wildlife and degrade human health.

An American on average throws away 185 pounds of plastic each year with only 1-2 percent recycled. Unless it was incinerated (about three percent) every piece of plastic ever made still exists today. Last year in Chattanooga 74.43 tons of plastics #1 and #2 was collected. That’s four percent of recyclables collected from recycle centers not counting curbside pickup amounts or plastics #3-#6.

Most plastic of any number eventually flows into garbage sites, the largest one being in the North Pacific Ocean off the coast of California. It’s almost twice the size of Texas. Eight million tons of plastic is dumped in the ocean every year creating huge swirling gyres of plastic.

As Mr. McGuire says to Benjamin in The Graduate, “There’s a great future in plastics.” He was right. Companies producing plastic are doing well. Each year about 500 billion plastic bags are used, one million every minute. What

McGuire didn’t mention is that it takes oil to produce plastic thereby contributing to air emissions.

Every year, the US uses 12 million barrels of oil to produce 100 billion plastic bags. He also didn’t say that plastics contain lead, cadmium, and mercury and some have diethylhexyl phthalate, a carcinogen. Microbeads in some cosmetics and toothpastes have been found in mussels many people eat.

Recognizing dire consequences of this continuing plastic deluge, the United Nations Environment Programme mounted a Clean Seas Campaign. The goal is to eliminate ocean plastic by stopping use of microplastics in cosmetics and production of single-use plastic by 2022. Many international corporations and countries have signed on to this effort.

We consumers have a big role to play.

Our consumption patterns can drive the markets by reducing our demand for all things plastic. Start by eliminating plastic straws from your life. Every day 500 million straws are used and discarded in the US usually after less than an hour.

If you must have a straw, carry your own reusable straw. Suggest this action to others. Mention the sea turtle that was found with a straw stuck in his nose to get attention to the danger of plastics. There’s also the sperm whale that

washed up and died due to 64 pounds of human trash in his digestive system.

Plastic has been found in 86 percent of all turtle species and 43 percent of all marine mammal species.

What else? First, think about ways to reduce your plastic consumption every time you shop. Purchase items without plastic packaging or plastic containers.

This can be difficult as so many containers are plastic. If one must buy plastic, make sure it’s recyclable and then recycle. Avoid single use plastic water bottles and carry your own reusable water holder to refill as needed.

Choose recyclable aluminum cans or glass beverage holders. Carry your own coffee cup to the coffee shop. Carry your own to-go container to restaurants instead of using Styrofoam containers.

Carry fabric tote bags and refuse plastic bags. Some cities are either banning or taxing plastic bags.

When purchasing plastic items if there is no other choice, make sure it’s something you can use for years into the future. About 50 percent of plastic items we use now are only used once before pitching into the garbage.

These are simple, albeit challenging, actions. Because plastic is so ubiquitous in our lives, these actions can make a big difference in saving the lives of wildlife and we humans too.

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COVER STORY

A Unifying Feast Of Meat How barbecue has brought together people and cultures

By Daniel Jackson Pulse contributor

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Barbecue is like so much else that makes the South great: it came about when cultures combined, when northern European foods mingled with Native American and African.”

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HEN IT COMES TO BARBECUE, THERE’S MUCH TO argue about. To which faction do you belong? Is true barbecue Texas brisket, the ribs of Memphis, or perhaps is it slathered in the mustard sauce of South Carolina?

While barbecue can be contentious and smoky, there’s another side of barbecue, a side that brings people together more than it divides.

And if you want an example of the good can come over a plate of this southern fare, look no further than the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park.

On Sept. 20 1889, 12,000 people gathered in that area for (what else?) barbecue. A picture of the event shows a field covered in straw hats and parasols. For several years, veterans of the blue and grey gathered to sup and mend the ties after they faced each other over the Sulphur and lead-filled air at the battle fought there in Sep-

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tember of 1863. At that barbecue, a commission of 50 individuals came together to create the park we all know today.

The reality is that barbecue is like so much else that makes the South great: Barbecue came about when cultures combined, when northern European foods mingled with Native American and African.

And it’s been bringing people together ever since.

The Taste of Chattanooga It’s difficult to define Chattanooga’s barbecue. While Memphis, North Carolina and Georgia have evolved into distinct styles, Frank Blair, who works

in the technology industry when he’s not barbecuing, believes Chattanooga is more ecumenical.

“I think it’s a melting pot of all of the above,” said Blair. “I don’t know East Tennessee has a defined barbecue standard per se. I say we learn from everybody and try to take the best.”

According to Willie White, a barbecuer with five-year’s experience and a salesperson in the plastics industry, this has to do with Chattanooga’s geography.

“We just have a wonderful city that is full of beauty and surrounded by the mountains and the Tennessee River and that draws a lot of different people and different flavors into this town,” White said.

In a way, that goes back to the Scenic City’s history as a river and then a railroad town. It has always been a transportation hub.

As a result, White said, “we’re our own unique little area that likes our barbecue low and slow and we like our ribs with a little bit of sweetness, but then have to have that spice, have to have that spicy kick to it as well.”

And while Texas barbecue features beef brisket because of the region’s robust cattle industry, Chattanooga experiences a similar situation due to Georgia’s poultry industry.

“We do a lot of chicken,” White said.

“There seems to be a lot of chicken in the area and people like their thighs and wings. There’s multiple wing competitions. They’re just about added to any kind of fundraiser that any particular group is trying to do.”

Meanwhile, the divisions over which region’s sauce is superior falls to the wayside. According to Hugh Morrow, president of Ruby Falls, “The key to great barbecue is flavor and structure, or texture of the meat, and if it’s overcooked it becomes mushy. There are few people that get that and are able to accomplish it. And really good barbecue does not need sauce.”

Cultures combine The beginnings of barbecue didn’t have a rosy picture, not when it came to the enslaved Africans that made it, according to Adrian Miller, a.k.a. the “soul food scholar”, who won the 2014 James Beard Award for Reference, History and Scholarship for his book “Soul Food: The Surprising Story of an American Cuisine One Plate at a Time.”

The name “barbecue” has its roots with the Native Americans who cooked meat over the coals on a rack of green branches.

But what they cooked was lessthan-appetizing to the modern palate: Fish, lizards and the like, according to Miller. With the coming of European settlers, the subject of the barbecue changed, to domesticated flesh with fat marbling throughout, such as beef

they just adapted the European greens and suited them to their taste.”

After the Civil War

“

The key to great barbecue is flavor and structure, or texture of the meat, and if it’s overcooked it becomes mushy.

There are few people that get that and are able to accomplish it.”

and pork.

During Colonial Times and in the early years of the United States, when people such as George Washington gathered for a good ol’ barbecue, it was enslaved Africans who made the meal, Africans whose knowledge of cooking was formed in West Africa.

“I’m not saying that African Americans are the only people that barbecued,” Miller said, “because barbecue has been multi-racial from the beginning, but what I am arguing is that when people thought about barbecue for much of our nation’s history, they were thinking about African Americans

preparing it.”

Barbecue was also used as a way for white plantation owners to reward enslaved Africans, giving them an animal to barbecue.

While the meat was from Europe, some of the side dishes of barbecue and soul food are distinctly African, Miller said.

“I would say collard greens are the best example because that is West African people in Americas trying to find something that’s similar to what they ate back home,” Miller said. “The bitter greens from Europe were similar to the bitter leaf that they ate in Africa. So

After the Civil War rent the nation’s soul, the way barbecue was prepared changed. Former slaves, pit masters now free, made a career managing the barbecue feasts that sat at the center of southern social life.

To know what barbecue meant to the postbellum South, we only have to look to Bradley County.

At the end of the Civil War, a group in Collegedale raised about $70 to host a barbecue in celebration to “welcome the Bradley boys in blue home.”

Bradley County did not vote in favor of succession, said Bryan Reed president of the Bradley County Historical and Genealogical Society.

Not much is known about that celebration: Reed knows about it because a man in court used the barbecue as an example for why he was loyal to the Union.

What is known, Reed said, was that barbecue sat at the intersection of food and public life. On the Fourth of July the community would gather for barbecue, an event that included allday sporting events.

However, those Fourth of July events were segregated.

Barbecue showed up in churches, Miller said, because they served as the social center of the rural South and it was a way to build community.

In the years following the Civil War, as Miller described it, there were few barbecue resturant. You knew a guy that made meat soft and sweet, an alchemist of smoke, fire and bone.

Pit-master work was a traveling job.

Around the time of the Great Depression, some pit masters settled down in shacks along the road.

Slow-cooked meat became the nation’s first fast food for a nation that was just beginning to discover its >> Continued on pg. 8

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COVER STORY wheels. And in this era of Jim Crow, Miller pointed out, barbecue stands were different. Good barbecue was good barbecue.

“Unlike soul food and other cuisines, I don’t think it was unusual for barbecue joints to be desegregated,” Miller said. “White people would go to a black person and buy their barbecue. Now it may be takeout for everybody, but you start reading these accounts of these longtime barbecue joints and they would talk about how black and whites went to that spot. And even in a lot of white-owned barbecue restaurants, they usually had black pit masters.”

The Fellowship of the Smoke After 9/11, Miller said, there was a resurgence of barbecue. It’s comfort food and distinctly American. The collective conscience of America was scarred, looking to reaffirm its identity.

Over the recent years, television shows and magazine profiles have explored the barbecue way—but they often make a glaring oversight, Miller said.

“What I just notice is that when barbecue is now featured, for the most part, they’re showing two types of people. It’s either the tattooed, bearded or mustached hipsters of Brooklyn, or it’s Bubbas. And those are offered as the only archetypes for current pit masters.

“And I just wonder why is that the case because it’s not true. I mean, those dudes are doing their thing, but they’re just part of the story. There are so many African Americans out there.”

Miller continued, “The stakes are high because these people who are getting profiled are making a ton of money. At the same time, you’ve got barbecue is tremendously popular, and white pit masters are being profiled, you’ve got a lot of black barbecue restaurants closing.”

While restaurants might be the most visible part of a city’s barbecue cul-

“

This August, Ruby Falls will host its fourth Battle Below the Clouds to benefit Lana’s Love Foundation, an organization that gives children dealing with pediatric cancer an opportunity to have fun, to get their mind off the disease.”

ture, it’s not the end-all be-all to a region’s barbecue scene. When Miller has eaten barbecue in Chattanooga (members of his family grew up here), he primarily shared the meal in someone’s home.

“You’ll find among a lot of African Americans in the South that barbecue is more about family,” Miller said. “It’s family reunion, it’s Sunday dinner.

It’s summer outings and the holidays.

That’s family time. You wouldn’t go to a restaurant for that.”

Another aspect barbecue is the competition. And one of the region’s best before his death earlier this year

was Jim Brewer II, owner of The Pulse.

In the three years that Ruby Falls held its Battle Below the Clouds, a barbecue competition for backyard chefs, “He always went home with a trophy,” said Hugh Morrow, president of the attraction.

This August, Ruby Falls will host its fourth Battle Below the Clouds to benefit Lana’s Love Foundation, an organization that gives children dealing with pediatric cancer an opportunity to have fun, to get their mind off the disease.

“He truly was the spirit of the whole competition,” Morrow said. “Jim relat-

ed to these kids. He totally understood where they were.”

Brewer was known for his curveball flavor combinations said White, who often barbecued with Brewer.

At his home, Brewer was known to injected melted butter and amaretto into steaks before grilling them.

“He had a great sense of what would be really good together. He was always coming up with new, creative ideas, using those in the barbecue,” White said.

On the field of barbecue competition, Brewer would dry rub a 10-pound log of bologna, smoke it, cut it into one-inch squares and serve it with a bit of barbecue sauce, according to Blair.

Blair said it was “Something that’s very inexpensive and the crowds always loved it.”

But before the avant-garde flavors and the competition wins, Brewer needed to overcome the challenge of cancer.

“One thing that always upset him the most about his fight against cancer was the fact that he did not have all of his taste buds and all of his ways of tasting the food,” White said. “Later, he did not have the ability to chew real well. He lost all of his teeth after his radiation.”

Brewer composed his Ninth Symphony with barbecue.

So just what did barbecue mean for Brewer?

“Oh, it’s very simple. Very, very simple,” Morrow said. “Barbecuing to him was about the fellowship with his friends.”

Daniel Jackson is an independent journalist working in the Chattanooga area.

He studied Communications at Bryan College and covered national events at the Washington Times.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

STOMP On Down To The Tivoli You know an act is good if it’s performing at the Tivoli Theater. Well-known, unknown or up-and-coming, the Tivoli consistently pulls in worthwhile entertainment. So it was no surprise to hear that STOMP was going to take their place on the Tivoli stage.

If you haven’t heard, STOMP is one of the most electrifyingly explosive percussion shows you’ll ever have the opportunity to witness.

Made up of eight members, each insanely talented percussion performers, STOMP takes percussion outside of the norm, removing all “ordinary” percussive instruments and using non-conventional pieces like matchboxes, brooms, wooden poles, garbage cans, Zippo lighters, and the list goes on and on. If you can use an object to make a beat, chances are STOMP can blow your mind with it.

If you have had the pleasure of seeing them perform in the past, know that this show will feature some new surprises as they’ve updated sections of the show and have “two new full-scale routines, utilizing props like tractor tire inner tubes and paint cans.”

Come see what all the noise is about this Friday or Saturday, but we’ll warn you now, uncontrollable finger drumming is a known side effect of this infectious show.

— Brooke Brown

Send In The Clowns Cirque du Soleil brings Corteo to Chattanooga

By Jessie Gantt-Temple Pulse contributor

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This seemingly dark subject is portrayed warmly on stage with colorful characters full of heartfelt farewells.”

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C

IRQUE DU SOLEIL IS KNOWN FOR BREAKING the mold of the typical big top circus performance and taking it to new heights with more in-depth storylines and breathtaking acrobatics.

In the newly redesigned for arena atmosphere, Cirque du Soleil’s Corteo, goes back to its big top roots and pays homage to the life of a clown, all the while wowing audiences with seamless and spectacular displays of art and athleticism.

Corteo, meaning “cortege” or “solemn procession” in Italian, tells the tale of a clown who dreams of what his own funeral would resemble. Like an upbeat, honorable jazz funeral in Louisiana, this carnivale procession is led by an iconic image of a ringmaster donning a red jacket, top hat and whip. As

many cultures celebrate the passing of a loved one, this seemingly dark subject is portrayed warmly on stage with colorful characters full of heartfelt farewells.

The show takes you through stages of life with the contemplative clown, Mauro, as he reflects on his past before accepting the curtain closing on his possible final performance. From childhood shenanigans displayed betwixt “Bouncing Beds” to lost loves in “Lustres”, the twists and turns that take place on and off the stage are visually and emotionally encapsulating.

An all-inclusive show, Corteo is relatable and nostalgic for kids of all ages.

The defiance of gravity from both the teeterboard and tourik performances will have you clinging to your seat and holding your breath, only to simultaneously let out a sigh of awe and relief once the cast is safely on the ground.

Extravagant and dramatic yet simplistic and touching, Cirque says it best when they say they “invoke the imagination, provoke the senses and evoke the emotions of people around the world.”

For most Americans, we imagine Cirque du Soleil as the astonishing aerial acts permanently performing in Las Vegas. However, not limiting themselves to only being accessible in elaborate vacation spots, Cirque du Soleil executes three types of shows— Residential, Big Top and Arena.

The Las Vegas grandiose shows are the residential kind which are stationed in one spot, custom to the location and continue year after year. Big Top shows are smaller traveling shows, and Arena shows are a mix of both where it can accommodate a larger audience but still maintain a more intimate feel.

Corteo, originally created in 2005 as a Big Top show for Cirque du Soleil, was restructured to reach arena audiences and this is its first year on tour.

In its fresh and exciting new phase, this “theatre-in-the-round” captures its

“

The show takes you through stages of life with the contemplative clown, Mauro, as he reflects on his past before accepting the curtain closing on his possible final performance.”

audience’s attention with music, acrobatic ladders, swinging chandeliers, tumbling, juggling and much more.

As Corteo has been in motion for over a decade, the transformation from Big Top to Arena has allowed for some new developments within its well-rehearsed artistic realm. The hula hoops were previously a back-up act but are now a main attraction along with the suspended pole. Innovative and inspiring sets, the flamboyant and creative costumes, the mysterious and whimsical music—all so powerful in its synchronized performances.

Cirque du Soleil provided some fun facts about this cast of Corteo. The smallest shoe size is a kid’s 13 and the largest shoe size is a man’s 18EEE. The cast consists of 51 performers representing 17 nationalities. For a single year of operation, performers require over 200 bottles of liquid foundation as well as more than thirteen gallons of make-up remover. There are several angels in Corteo’s cast. The fabric for

all of their costumes could stretch to fill five football fields. Needless to say, these angels are very flowy.

In 2018, Cirque will present 19 different shows around the world and we are honored to have it making an appearance in Chattanooga May 10th through the 13th. The ethereal experience of Corteo starts Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. at the McKenzie Arena.

There is also a Friday and Saturday night performance, both also starting at 7:30 p.m. For those wanting more of a matinee, perhaps a wonderful Mother’s Day gift, Corteo takes the stage on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.

Tickets start at $42 and, with the circular stage, there are no bad seats as Cirque’s set ups are always intended to include audience members from all angles. There are family packages, Mother’s Day offers and group discounts available online. To purchase tickets to any of the six performances, visit cirquedusoleil.com/corteo.

THU5.10

FRI5.11

SAT5.12

Another Gorgeous Evening

“A Room with a View”

Chattanooga FC vs.

Seattle Sounders U-23

Annual fundraiser to support the Tennessee River Gorge Trust with good food and great music.

5:30 p.m.

Tennessee RiverPlace 3104 Scenic Waters Ln. trgt.org

Young Englishwoman Lucy Honeychurch is on her first trip to Italy with her prudish cousin Charlotte… when love strikes 8 p.m.

Chattanooga Theatre Centre 400 River St. theatrecentre.com

The boys in blue welcome the Seattle Sounders U23 team to Fort Finley stadium in a "friendly".

7:30 p.m.

Finley Stadium 1826 Carter St. chattanoogafc.com

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR

Nathan Timmel

THURSDAY5.10 Another Gorgeous Evening 5:30 p.m.

Tennessee RiverPlace 3104 Scenic Waters Ln. (423) 266-0314 trgt.org Casting The Canvas 3: An ArtInspired Performance 6 p.m.

The Hunter Museum of Art 10 Bluff View Ave. (423) 267-0968 huntermuseum.org Passageways 2.0 Final Proposal Showcase 6 p.m.

The Camp House 149 E. MLK Blvd.

(423) 702-8081 thecamphouse.com City Sweat: Scenic Sweat 6 p.m.

Blue Goose Hollow Trailhead 876 W. 9th Ave. (423) 265-3700 rivercitycompany.com “A Room with a View” 7 p.m.

Chattanooga Theatre Centre 400 River St. (423) 267-8534 theatrecentre.com Cirque du Soleil’s CORTEO 7:30 p.m.

UTC McKenzie Arena 720 E. 4th St. (423) 425-4706 cirquedusoleil.com Nathan Timmel 7:30 p.m.

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The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com Student Improv Showcase 8 p.m.

First Draft Theater 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 843-1775 improvchattanooga.com

FRIDAY5.11 Rombauer Joy of Cooking & Wine Dinner 7 p.m.

The Hunter Museum of Art 10 Bluff View Ave. (423) 267-0968 huntermuseum.org Cirque du Soleil’s CORTEO 7:30 p.m.

UTC McKenzie Arena 720 E. 4th St. (423) 425-4706 cirquedusoleil.com Draft House 7:30 p.m.

Back Alley @ The Mars Theater 117 N. Chattanooga St. LaFayette, GA (706) 996-8350 bapshows.com Nathan Timmel 7:30, 9:45 p.m.

The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com Improv Movie Night: 90’s Action Flick!

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 Stomp 8 p.m.

Tivoli Theatre 709 Broad St. (423) 757-5580 tivolichattanooga.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

SATURDAY5.12 Elizabeth’s Out Run Melanoma 5K and Walk 8 a.m.

Enterprise South Nature Park 190 Still Hollow Loop (423) 893-3500 hamiltontn.gov/esnp Southern Blooms Festival 10 a.m.

Rock City Gardens 1400 Patten Rd.

Lookout Mountain, GA (706) 820-2531 seerockcity.com Chattabrewga Noon First Tennessee Pavilion 1826 Carter St. (423) 266-4041 chattanoogacraftbeerfest.com Artful Yoga: Southern Soul 1:30 p.m.

The Hunter Museum of Art 10 Bluff View Ave. (423) 267-0968 huntermuseum.org Cirque du Soleil’s CORTEO 3:30, 7:30 p.m.

UTC McKenzie Arena 720 E. 4th St. (423) 425-4706 cirquedusoleil.com Spring in West Village 6 p.m.

West Village 802 Pine St. westvillagechattanooga.com UnCorked 6:30 p.m.

Renaissance Park River St. chattanoogasymphony.org Chattanooga FC vs. Seattle Sounders U-23 7:30 p.m.

Finley Stadium 1826 Carter St. chattanoogafc.com Abandoned Arts 7:30 p.m.

The Pop-up Project 1612 Cowart St. thepopupproject.org Draft House

“Draft House” 7:30 p.m.

Back Alley @ The Mars Theater 117 N. Chattanooga St. LaFayette, GA (706) 996-8350 bapshows.com Nathan Timmel 7:30, 9:45 p.m.

The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.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 Stomp 8 p.m.

Tivoli Theatre 709 Broad St. (423) 757-5580 tivolichattanooga.com Whose Line Chattanooga 10 p.m.

First Draft Theater 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 843-1775 improvchattanooga.com

SUNDAY5.13 Southern Blooms Festival 10 a.m.

Rock City Gardens

1400 Patten Rd. Lookout Mountain, GA (706) 820-2531 seerockcity.com Cirque du Soleil’s CORTEO 1, 5 p.m.

UTC McKenzie Arena 720 E. 4th St. (423) 425-4706 cirquedusoleil.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. (706) 996-8350 bapshows.com Nathan Timmel 7:30 p.m.

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

MONDAY5.14 Big Birdie Golf Tournament 9 a.m.

Black Creek Golf Club 4700 Cummings Cove Dr. (423) 822-2582 blackcreekclub.com Learn to Ride a Bicycle 4 p.m.

Outdoor Chattanooga 200 River St. (423) 643-6888

outdoorchattanooga.com Spring Belly Dance Session 5:45 p.m.

Movement Arts Collective 3813 Dayton Blvd.

(423) 401-8115 movementartscollective.com Sunflowers & Relatives 6 p.m. green|spaces 63 E. Main St. (423) 648-0963 greenspaceschattanooga.org

TUESDAY5.15 Wake Up & Run 6 a.m.

Fleet Feet Sports 307 Manufacturers Rd. (423) 771-7996 fleetfeetchattanooga.com Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute Tour 4 p.m.

Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute 175 Baylor School Rd. (800) 262-0695 tnaqua.org Beginning Portrait Sculpture 6 p.m.

The Arts Building 301 E. 11th St. (423) 756-2787 artsbuild.com Tuesday Night Chess Club 6 p.m.

Downtown Library 1001 Broad St. (423) 643-7700 chattilibrary.com

WEDNESDAY5.16 STEM Jubilee 9 a.m.

Coolidge Park 150 River St. facebook.com/STEMjubilee Kitten Yoga 5 p.m.

Barley Taproom 235 E. MLK Blvd. chattanoogabarley.com Rapid Learning Kayak Skills + Roll Sessions 6 p.m.

Chester Frost Park 2277 Gold Point Cir. N. (423) 643-6888 outdoorchattanooga.com Naughty Knights Chess Meetup 7:30 p.m.

The Bitter Alibi 825 Houston St. (423) 362-5070 thebitteralibi.com Open Mic Night 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 CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • MAY 10, 2018 • THE PULSE • 15

FILM & TELEVISION

Motherhood And Movies Diablo Cody's new Tully looks at maternal reality

By John DeVore Pulse Film Editor

“

It’s an unflinching look at the brutal reality of childrearing, with all the heart, humor, and bodily fluids it sometimes entails.”

16 • THE PULSE • MAY 10, 2018 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

T

HERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT THE HOLLYWOOD PORtrayal of early motherhood that’s always rubbed me the wrong way. It’s usually full of breathless optimism, of immediate love and devotion, of smiles and happiness and contentment.

It’s also usually baby number one.

None of this was my experience when my son was born, but then I wasn’t the one who had birthed the child.

To be fair, the love and devotion was immediate for my wife, but the way I remember those first few months included a lot of fear, a healthy dose of resignation, quite a few gruesome medical procedures, and a whole lot of exhaustion. Of course, all of this comes from an outsider looking in.

Men can never really understand the toll a new child can have on a woman any more than a civilian can understand the trials of a soldier. It’s an experience without equal. Given than most screen-

plays are written by men, the clean depiction of childbirth and the months that follow is to be expected.

Tully, a film written by Diablo Cody, finally shows the other side. It’s an unflinching look at the brutal reality of childrearing, with all the heart, humor, and bodily fluids it sometimes entails. It is also one of the best films released so far this year.

Marlo (Charlize Theron) is on child number three with her husband Drew (Ron Livingston). She is very pregnant when we meet her, dutifully caring for her other two children, Emmy, age eight, and Jonah, age five. Jonah, in particular, is a special child, one with a

cavalcade of anxieties and fears, which present themselves in angry tearful outbursts on a regular basis.

Her children attend a prestigious private school that they can’t really afford, thanks to the influence of her wealthy older brother Craig (Mark Duplass). In early scenes, we are treated to a school meeting between Marlo and the principal, where her son is described as “quirky” and in need of a full time assistant in the classroom—paid for at the expense of his parents. Marlo and Drew are not well off.

Drew is hardworking and absent and Marlo has recently taken maternity leave, likely an additional financial burden. Due to this, as well as a previous bout of postpartum depression following the birth of Jonah, Marlo’s brother offers to pay for a “night nanny” after the baby is born.

This person would come stay with the parents every night and take care of the baby while the mother gets some much needed rest. Marlo is at first put off by the idea, but after baby Mia arrives, she changes her mind.

Enter Tully: a wise, young nanny with an exceptional bedside manner and intuitive understanding of the needs of her employers. Marlo

“

Cody has grown as a writer—the film is less hipsterish and snarky than her first film Juno. The dialogue is less distracting and far more real.” and Tully develop a relationship and bond over the trials of modern parenting.

The film at times seems like wish fulfillment fantasy for frazzled mothers. Tully is shown to be an absolute godsend, a necessity rather than an extravagance. She makes you wonder why night nannies aren’t common and affordable.

Of course, nothing about motherhood is affordable in the United States unless the family is wealthy.

Still, the film asks people to consider “what if” and experience the beauty of a family coming together to thrive when a small amount of pressure is taken off the most important family member.

Diablo Cody tells this story in a thoughtful, insightful way. Cody has grown as a writer—the film is less hipsterish and snarky than her first film Juno. The dialogue is less distracting and far more real.

Some of this can be attributed to the performance of Charlize Ther-

on as well—although despite director Jason Reitman’s best effort, Theron is still effortlessly beautiful, even as a worn out mother of three young children. But performance is believable and honest, coming from a place of experience and understanding.

As most films are, Tully is about more than just its central idea. It ruminates on the feelings of loss and regret that accompany children. The person we were ceases to be when a child is born and something less interesting and more stable emerges.

The goal of parenting is to provide a consistent, loving environment for our children, at the expense of our own identities.

It’s a hard pill to swallow for some. There’s always that wistful remembrance and that desire to leave it all behind to search for someone that’s gone. Tully brings that story to light with an honesty not usually found in traditional Hollywood.

✴ NEW IN THEATERS ✴

Life of the Party After her husband abruptly asks for a divorce, a middle-aged mother returns to college in order to complete her degree.

Director: Ben Falcone Stars: Gillian Jacobs, Melissa McCarthy, Debby Ryan, Adria Arjona

Breaking In A woman fights to protect her family during a home invasion. Yep, that's pretty much it.

Director: James McTeigue Stars: Gabrielle Union, Billy Burke, Richard Cabral, Ajiona Alexus

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • MAY 10, 2018 • THE PULSE • 17

THE MUSIC SCENE

Over Easy Brings The Psychedelic Releasing an album isn’t something you do every day. It’s a big occasion, something the band will want to replay in their heads a million and one times by their next album release. So if you’re going to do it, do it big, right?

That’s what Chattanooga-based band Over Easy thought as they decided to hold their release party in one of Chattanooga’s coolest venues, Songbirds North.

“We are all so honored for the opportunity to release our album at one of the best venues in the state,” says lead guitarist Adam Stone. “And we couldn’t be more grateful for the support we’ve received from the great people in Chatt! And to be at JJ’s too, we’re so excited. They’re like family to us.”

Labeling themselves as a progressive jazz fusion band, Over Easy plays the kind of music that makes you feel like the walls are melting in slow, psychedelic waves; something you could lose yourself in for hours.

Take a bit of progressive rock, a dash of funk, and some sizzling jazz and you’ve got a band all their own, blurring the line on genre and making music with a maturity that is hard to come by in young musicians.

These dudes are insanely talented and have a thirst to continue to prove themselves that I don’t see lightening up any time soon.

Friday night is looking like a whole hell of a lot of Over Easy goodness. The release party will kick off at Songbirds North Friday at 7 p.m., followed by a kickass after party at JJ’s Bohemia starting at 10 p.m.

Two badass venues, one outrageously captivating band. Don’t miss it.

— Brooke Brown

Hearing Chicago Anew Not all mainstream bands are the sum of their hits

By Marc T. Michael Pulse Music Editor

“

Once in a great while, it serves a purpose to take a different approach and discuss a more traditional, established mainstream act.”

18 • THE PULSE • MAY 10, 2018 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

I

T IS UNDERSTOOD, OR SHOULD BE, THAT THIS SPACE is generally dedicated to local and regional acts. That is its raison d'être after all. Still, once in a great while, it serves a purpose to take a different approach and discuss a more traditional, established mainstream act.

So, when I checked my mailbox at work and saw that I had received an advance copy of Rhino Record’s newly remastered Chicago II album, I gave it some serious consideration and decided that yes, there is a good reason to talk about it, particularly in the interest of making a much larger point.

In the first place, if you are a fan of Chicago, there’s nothing much I can tell you that you don’t already know except to say that the remastered tracks add a fresh, crisp take on the classic recordings. In other words, there is a worthwhile dif-

ference and fans ought to be delighted.

If you aren’t a fan of Chicago, well, maybe it’s worth a second listen. There is a truism in music that is easily recognized but often forgotten which states that what makes it to the airwaves is often not the best representation of who a band is or what it does.

Thom Yorke has a particularly vocal opinion on that matter regarding the song “Creep.” For a lot of folks (and I know “true” Radiohead fans are already rolling their eyes) “Creep” is that one Radiohead

“

There is a truism in music that is easily recognized but often forgotten which states that what makes it to the airwaves is often not the best representation of who a band is or what it does. ” song they know, and their impression of the band is based solely on that genuinely nonrepresentative work.

Jethro Tull has been one of my personal favorites for three decades, a love affair sparked by an album that produced no radio hits whatsoever. On the other hand, if your impression of the band is derived solely from their radio hits you have, at best, a fundamentally skewed idea of what the band is really like.

And so we come to Chicago, a band whose chart success is undeniable, a perennial favorite of classic rock stations, a monster touring act, and yet…my own experience with Chicago was limited almost entirely to my tenure as a jockey at a classic rock station, and it colored my impression of the band in predictable fashion.

In reviewing the remastered Chicago II I have been reminded of the point I am trying to illustrate here, that while radio chart success may certainly enhance the bank account of a group, it too often belies the band’s depth. I had no idea that Chicago, particularly some of their earlier work, had

such a strong foundation in R&B, blues and jazz.

Put simply, an opportunity to delve further in to the catalog of the band has given me an appreciation I just didn’t have beforehand.

So, again, if you’re already a fan of the band, the message is straightforward and uncomplicated. Buy the album, you’ll love it. It’s everything you already like and then some, remastered to give it a sound that’s worth spending money on a second or third time.

The more important point is that if your experience with the band is limited, if your opinion is derived from what is essentially an out-of-context snapshot of those tunes that always seem to be playing when you’re cruising the dial, there is quite a bit you’ve missed and it’s quite likely that you will find a newfound love and appreciation of a group that has been consistently recording and touring for fifty years.

Check them out next Wednesday at the Tivoli Theater, and find out for yourself if the 2018 version of the well-traveled band lives up to their seminal roots.

Partnership FCA Thrift and Consignment’s Second Saturday This Saturday, the Partnership FCA Thrift and Consignment presents their firstever Second Saturday event, featuring music, art, flash sales, food and more.

The Partnership for Families, Children and Adults is the area’s oldest and largest non-profits, having existed in some form or fashion for over 140 years.

Dedicated to community building and providing valuable services including counseling, crisis intervention and prevention, Partnership FCA has been the recipient of numerous awards and accreditations including a 2006 award from the Chamber of Commerce as Non-Profit Organization of the Year for their unwavering dedication and community impact.

Located at 301 E. MLK Blvd., Suite D, the FCA thrift

store has established a reputation for a friendly, helpful (and familiar to those in the local scene) staff committed to providing top notch service and products all in support of the valuable and important mission of the Partnership.

Musical artists are to be announced but, given the organization’s status and connections to the local community, it is sure to be an exciting and entertaining collection of local favorites in support of a worthy cause. A host of prominent local artists will also be on hand.

The family friendly event runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

— MTM

THU5.10

FRI5.11

SAT5.12

John Popper

Ruby Velle & the Soulphonics

9th Street Stompers

The Blues Traveler frontman brings his many harmonicas and his well-traveled voice to an intimate evening at Songbirds.

7 p.m.

Songbirds North 35 Station St. songbirdsguitars.com

A world-class modern soul revue topped off with the cherry of Velle's sultry voice.

8 p.m.

Miller Plaza 850 Market St. nightfallchattanooga.com

Fire up your musical time machine and head back to the early days of American roots music and more...and bring your dancing shoes.

8 p.m.

Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. barkinglegs.org CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • MAY 10, 2018 • THE PULSE • 19

MUSIC CALENDAR feedtableandtavern.com Over Easy After Party w/Dr. B and the Ease, Hive Theory 10 p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com Roughwork 10 p.m.

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

SATURDAY5.12

Ghost

THURSDAY5.10 James Crumble Trio 6 p.m.

St. John’s Meeting Place 1278 Market St. stjohnsrestaurant.com BMW After-Hours 6 p.m.

BMW of Chattanooga 6806 E. Brainerd Rd. bmwofchattanooga.com Forever Bluegrass 6 p.m.

Whole Foods Market 301 Manufacturers Rd. wholefoodsmarket.com Dustin Concannon 6:30 p.m.

Westin Alchemy Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Jimmy Dormire 6:30 p.m.

Westin Dorato Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com John Popper of Blues Traveler 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 Jesse James & Tim Neal 7:30 p.m.

Mexi-Wing VII 5773 Brainerd Rd. (423) 296-1073 Keepin’ It Local 8 p.m.

The Social 1110 Market St. publichousechattanooga.com KlusterfunK Open Jam 8 p.m.w Trip’s Tavern 4762 Hwy. 58 (423) 803-5686 Aaron Watson 8:30 p.m.

The Signal 1810 Chestnut St. thesignaltn.com An Evening With Ghost 8:30 p.m.

Tivoli Theatre 709 Broad St. tivolichattanooga.com Open Mic Night with Jonathan Wimpee 9 p.m.

The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com Paradiso, Ben Lee, Lukange, Dad Bod 9 p.m.

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

20 • THE PULSE • MAY 10, 2018 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

Nature Boys, Common Visions.

Mixed Signals, Riversedge 9 p.m.

Sluggo’s North Vegetarian Cafe 505 Cherokee Blvd.

(423) 752-5224

FRIDAY5.11 Binji Varsossa 6 p.m.

Cancun Mexican Restaurant 1809 Broad St. (423) 266-1461 Jennifer Daniels 6 p.m.

Cambridge Square 9453 Bradmore Ln. publicmarkets.us Mike McDade 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 Over Easy Release Party 7 p.m.

Songbirds North 35 Station St. songbirdsguitars.com Tim Lewis 7 p.m.

El Meson 248 Northgate Park elmesonchattanooga.com

Rick Rushing and The Blues Strangers 7:30 p.m.

The Foundry 1201 Broad St. chattanooganhotel.com Edwin McCain 8 p.m.

Walker Theatre 399 McCallie Ave. tivolichattanooga.com Ruby Velle & the Soulphonics 8 p.m.

Miller Plaza 850 Market St. nightfallchattanooga.com Pamela K. Ward 8 p.m.

Puckett’s Restaurant 2 W. Aquarium Way puckettsgro.com Live Music 9 p.m.

The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com Lord Nelson 9 p.m.

HiFi Clyde’s 122 W. Main St. clydesonmain.com Rubiks Groove 9 p.m.

Songbirds South 41 Station St. songbirdsguitars.com Jason Lyles 9:30 p.m.

The Feed Co. Table & Tavern 201 W. Main St.

Bluegrass Brunch Noon The Honest Pint 35 Patten Pkwy. thehonestpint.com Gopher Broke 12:30 p.m.

Tennessee Aquarium Plaza 1 Broad St. chattanoogamarket.com Symphonic Tales 1 p.m.

Chattanooga Public Library Northgate Branch 278 Northgate Mall Dr. chattlibrary.org Symphonic Tales 3 p.m.

Chattanooga Public Library Downtown 1001 Broad St. chattlibrary.org Binji Varsossa 6 p.m.

Cancun Mexican Restaurant 1809 Broad St. (423) 266-1461 Amber Fults 6:30 p.m.

Westin Alchemy Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Courtney Holder 6:30 p.m.

Westin Dorato Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Michael Johnathon 7 p.m.

Charles & Myrtle’s Coffeehouse 105 McBrien Rd. christunity.org Tim Lewis 7 p.m.

El Meson

248 Northgate Park elmesonchattanooga.com Danimal 7:30 p.m.

The Foundry 1201 Broad St. chattanooganhotel.com 9th Street Stompers 8 p.m.

Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. barkinglegs.org Ricky Thade Cole 8 p.m.

Puckett’s Restaurant 2 W. Aquarium Way puckettsgro.com The looP 8 p.m.

The Casual Pint 5550 Hwy. 153 hixson.thecasualpint.com Demilich, Blood Incantation, Artificial Brain 8 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 Superskumel 9 p.m.

Clyde’s On Main 122 W. Main St. clydesonmain.com Departure ft. The Matt Stephens Project 9 p.m.

Songbirds South 41 Station St. songbirdsguitars.com The Fridge, Side Affect 9 p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com Roughwork 10 p.m.

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

SUNDAY5.13 The Mailboxes 11 a.m.

Flying Squirrel Bar

Machine Gun Kelly 55 Johnson St. flyingsquirrelbar.com Marcus White 11 a.m.

Westin Dorato Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Jimmy Dormire 12:30 p.m.

First Tennessee Pavilion 1826 Carter St. chattanoogamarket.com Nick Lutsko 1:30 p.m.

Flying Squirrel Bar 55 Johnson St. flyingsquirrelbar.com Heidi Holton 2 p.m.

First Tennessee Pavilion 1826 Carter St. chattanoogamarket.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 Jonathan Wimpee 6:30 p.m.

Westin Alchemy Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.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

MONDAY5.14 Dustin Concannon 6:30 p.m.

Westin Alchemy Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.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.

The Well 1800 Rossville Blvd. #8 wellonthesouthside.com

TUESDAY5.15 Gino Fanelli 6:30 p.m.

Westin Alchemy Bar 801 Pine St.

westinchattanooga.com Bill McCallie and In Cahoots 6:30 p.m.

Southern Belle Riverboat 201 Riverfront Pkwy. chattanoogariverboat.com Danimal 7 p.m.

Backstage Bar 29 Station St. backstagechattanooga.com Open Mic Jam Session 7 p.m.

Crust Pizza 3211 Broad St. crustpizza.com Westminster Concert Bell Choir 7:30 p.m.

Grace Episcopal Church 20 Belvoir Ave. saygrace.net Open Mic with Mike McDade 8 p.m.

Tremont Tavern 1203 Hixson Pike tremonttavern.com Machine Gun Kelly 8:30 p.m.

The Signal 1810 Chestnut St. thesignaltn.com

WEDNESDAY5.16 No Big Deal 6 p.m.

SpringHill Suites 495 Riverfront Pkwy. springhillsuites.com

Shawnessey Cargile 6:30 p.m.

Westin Alchemy Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com 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 Chicago 8 p.m.

Tivoli Theatre 709 Broad St. tivolichattanooga.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 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

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • MAY 10, 2018 • THE PULSE • 21

ERNIE PAIK'S RECORD REVIEWS

Miles Davis & John Coltrane The Final Tour: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 6 (Columbia/Legacy)

R

esponding to a Swedish interviewer after a March 1960 performance, who pointed out that some critics said that saxophonist John Coltrane’s sound turned “unbeautiful,” Coltrane said, “I’m trying so many things at one time, you see.

Like, I haven’t sorted them out. I have a whole bag of things that I’m trying to work through...”

While some assume that a musician’s sound mirrors their personality—and that Coltrane was channeling anger—he clarified that it came from freedom, not anger: “I’ve been so free here; almost anything I want to try, I’m welcome to do it.”

The aforementioned interview is the final track on the new four-CD collection The Final Tour: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 6, and the set documents concerts organized

by Norman Granz from Miles Davis’ European tour in the spring of 1960 with a five-piece subset of players from the immortal album Kind of Blue.

Coltrane himself had just released a masterpiece, Giant Steps, and was fearlessly uncovering modern jazz territory at a pivotal point in his

22 • THE PULSE • MAY 10, 2018 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

Grouper Grid of Points (Kranky)

career; after the tour, Coltrane ceased playing as a sideman and concentrated on being a leader. Drummer Jimmy Cobb commented later that Coltrane had “outgrown everybody’s band except his own.”

Anyone who pushes ahead typically meets some resistance, and Coltrane’s long solos on The Final Tour, which typically began agreeably before becoming unpredictable and challenging, ruffled more than a few feathers; audience members can be heard whistling, which in this context can be interpreted as dismissive rather than supportive.

On the collection’s opening number, Cole Porter’s “All of Me,” after Coltrane’s mind-expanding solo, pianist Wynton Kelly’s solo— while perfectly fine by normal standards—sounds timid and utterly conventional in comparison.

The four renditions of “So What” are significantly faster than the familiar studio take, and all musicians are engaged and spry, making each version seem fresh in its own way.

While the previous entry in The Bootleg Series (Vol. 5: Freedom Jazz Dance) perhaps went too far into jazz-

nerd super-fan territory, this writer feels like the series is back on track with this superb entry.

It’s a generous offering with excellent sound quality, showing Davis’ perpetual creative growth—with his explorations in modal jazz— and a bold turn for Coltrane, undeterred by rattled audiences.

E

veryone has experienced culinary hankerings, when just one specific dish and nothing else will bring satisfaction at that moment; for this writer, solitude has very specific strains, matched by very specific music that can scratch very specific itches.

For example, there’s the devastating despair and powerlessness of Red House Painters, or the profoundly and uncomfortably bleak outsider ramblings of early Jandek.

However, for such examples, the satisfaction isn’t about being lifted into a joyous state, but rather, it’s about bringing some sense of comfort in commiseration and acknowledgment that one isn’t alone in one’s loneliness.

Liz Harris from Astoria, Ore., better known in the music world as Grouper, reveals her own particular world of aural solitude; it’s a sparse and seemingly private glimpse with a simultaneous feeling of serenity and unease, and in a way it can be cleansing.

Her new mini-album Grid of Points clocks in at 22 minutes and apparently was finished when she started to run a fever, interrupting her recording process. It very much follows in the vein of

her stunning piano-based 2014 album Ruins, being both intimate and obscured, perhaps like a close-up of a grainy photograph or a conversation through a layer of black lace.

Harris continues to use her 4-track recorder, primitive by modern standards, and adding to the hazy proceedings, there’s apparently no attempt to remove the tape hiss; however, she has moved away from her more noisy work and relies less upon effects processing, apart from generous doses of reverb and some sparing use of echo effects, like the delay-treated vocals on “Thanksgiving Song.”

The short, opening track “The Races” is performed a cappella, and it’s an anomaly, with gospel-esque harmonizing that doesn’t quite set the album’s direction. On the piano, Harris’ right-hand work often mirrors her vocal melodies while her left hand casually sets down chords in a basic structure.

Her vocals are unwavering and unadorned, with Harris preferring to avoid vibrato, and although they are upfront, they are hard to make out.

The peak of her vocal powers are heard on “Blouse,” which uses a beautiful tension and melodic upward climb, finally reaching an emotional peak at the top note.

For the uninitiated, the simplicity of Grid of Points may at first be confounding or even unimpressive, but for those who succumb to its spell, it’s a rare delicacy as Grouper’s secret world is only open to one person at a time.

DIVERSIONS: THE COMIX

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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY vice is to reveal yourself as an imperfect work-in-progress who’s experimenting with novel approaches to the game of life. Recognize your rough and raw features as potential building blocks for future achievements.

ROB BREZSNY TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Born under the sign of Taurus, Edmund Wilson was a renowned twentieth-century author and critic who wrote more than 30 books. He also served as editor for Vanity Fair and The New Republic, and influenced the work of at least seven major American novelists. When he was growing up, he spent most of his free time reading books: 16 hours a day during summer vacations. His parents, worried about his obsessive passion, bought him a baseball uniform, hoping to encourage him to diversify his interests. His response was to wear the uniform while reading books 16 hours a day. I trust you will be equally dedicated to your own holy cause or noble pursuit in the coming weeks, Taurus. You have cosmic clearance to be single-minded about doing what you love.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): It’s possible you could pass for normal in the next three weeks; you might be able to fool a lot of people into thinking you’re an average, ordinary contributor to the dull routine. But it will be far healthier for your relationship with yourself if you don’t do such a thing. It will also be a gift to your less daring associates, who in my opinion would benefit from having to engage with your creative agitation and fertile chaos. So my ad-

CANCER (June 21-July 22): “Paradise is scattered over the whole earth,” wrote the scientific poet Novalis, “and that is why it has become so unrecognizable.”

Luckily for you, Cancerian, quite a few fragments of paradise are gathering in your vicinity. It’ll be like a big happy reunion of tiny miracles all coalescing to create a substantial dose of sublimity. Will you be ready to deal with this much radiance? Will you be receptive to so much relaxing freedom? I hope and pray you won’t make a cowardly retreat into the trendy cynicism that so many people mistake for intelligence.

(Because in that case, paradise might remain invisible.) Here’s my judicious advice: Be insistent on pleasure! Be voracious for joy! Be focused on the quest for beautiful truths!

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): These days, your friends and allies and loved ones want even more from you than they usually do. They crave more of your attention, more of your approval, more of your feedback. And that’s not all.

Your friends and allies and loved ones also hope you will give more love to yourself. They will be excited and they will feel blessed if you express an even bigger, brighter version of your big, bright soul. They will draw inspiration from your efforts to push harder and stronger to fulfill your purpose here on Planet Earth.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): One of the advantages you get from reading my horoscopes is that I offer confidential information about the gods’ caprices and leanings. For example, I can tell you that Saturn—also known as Father Time—is now willing to allot you a more luxurious relationship with time than usual, on one condition: that you

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don’t squander the gift on trivial pursuits. So I encourage you to be discerning and disciplined about nourishing your soul’s craving for interesting freedom. If you demonstrate to Saturn how constructively you can use his blessing, he’ll be inclined to provide more dispensations in the future.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Vincent van Gogh’s painting The Starry Night hangs on a wall in New York’s Museum of Modern Art. He created it in 1889 while living in a French asylum. Around that same time, 129 years ago, a sheepherder in Wyoming created a sourdough starter that is still fresh today. A cook named Lucille Clarke Dumbrill regularly pulls this frothy mass of yeast out of her refrigerator and uses it to make pancakes. In the coming weeks, Libra, I’d love to see you be equally resourceful in drawing on an old resource. The past will have offerings that could benefit your future.

Homework: Do you allow your imagination to indulge in fantasies that are wasteful, damaging, or dumb?

I dare you to stop it. Testify at Freewillastrology.com in a metaphorical way?” I asked. “You mean Sagittarians should somehow cultivate the symbolic equivalent of having beautiful buttocks?” “Yes,” the angel said. “Sagittarians should be elegantly well-grounded. Flaunt their exquisite foundation. Get to the bottom of things with flair. Be sexy badasses as they focus on the basics.” “OK!” I said.

of seemingly mundane circumstances.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Love everyone twice as much and twice as purely as you ever have before. Your mental health requires it! Your future dreams demand it! And please especially intensify your love for people you allegedly already love but sometimes don’t treat as well as you could because you take them for granted. Keep this Bible verse in mind, as well: “Don’t neglect to show kindness to strangers; for, in this way, some, without knowing it, have had angels as their guests.”

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Now is a favorable time to discuss in elegant detail the semi-secret things that are rarely or never talked about. It’s also a perfect moment to bring deep feelings and brave tenderness into situations that have been suffering from halftruths and pretense. Be aggressively sensitive, my dear Capricorn. Take a bold stand in behalf of compassionate candor. And as you go about these holy tasks, be entertaining as well as profound. The cosmos has authorized you to be a winsome agent of change.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “My whole life is messed up with people falling in love with me,” said Piscean poet Edna St. Vincent Millay. She spoke the truth. She inspired a lot of adoration, and it stirred up more chaos than she was capable of managing. Luckily, you will have fewer problems with the attention coming your way, Pisces. I bet you’ll be skilled at gathering the benefits and you’ll be unflummoxed by the pitfalls. But you’ll still have to work hard at these tasks. Here’s some help. Tip #1: Stay in close touch with how you really feel about the people who express their interest in you. Tip #2: Don’t accept gifts with strings attached. Tip #3: Just because you’re honored or flattered that someone finds you attractive doesn’t mean you should unquestioningly blend your energies with them.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): After meditating on your astrological aspects for an hour, I dozed off. As I napped, I had a dream in which an androgynous angel came to me and said, “Please inform your Sagittarius readers that they should be callipygian in the next two weeks.” Taken back, my dreaming self said to the angel, “You mean ‘callipygian’ as in ‘having beautiful buttocks’?” “Yes, sir,” the angel replied. “Bootylicious. Bumtastic. Rumpalicious.” I was puzzled. “You mean like

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In his 1931 painting The Persistence of Memory, Salvador Dali shows three clocks that seem to be partially liquefied, as if in the process of melting. His biographer Meredith Etherington-Smith speculated that he was inspired to create this surrealistic scene when he saw a slab of warm Camembert cheese melting on a dinner table. I foresee the possibility of a comparable development in your life, Aquarius. Be alert for creative inspiration that strikes you in the midst

ARIES (March 21-April 19): The Torah is a primary sacred text of the Jewish religion. It consists of exactly 304,805 letters. When specially trained scribes make handwritten copies for ritual purposes, they must not make a single error in their transcription. The work may take as long as 18 months. Your attention to detail in the coming weeks doesn’t have to be quite so painstaking, Aries, but I hope you’ll make a strenuous effort to be as diligent as you can possibly be.

JONESIN' CROSSWORD

“Flip the On Switch”—turn on, tune in.

ACROSS 1 Puts two and two together 5 Clean the deck 9 Filibusterairing channel 14 Cheer 15 Serve tea 16 River past Liechtenstein 17 “South Park” co-creator Parker 18 Rice-A-___ 19 Oscar winner Jeremy 20 Subsequent to a sin?

23 Dartmouth or Brown, e.g.

24 “I” focus?

25 Kissing disease’s progression?

34 Lively tunes 35 Where the mojito supposedly originated 36 Pudding layer 37 In-flight announcement, for short 38 Powerful person

39 Fireman’s tool 40 Doesn’t just sit there 42 Zest 43 In ___ (stuck) 45 Scaredytypesetting machine?

48 Singer Rita born in what’s now Kosovo 49 Wide shoe size 50 British romance novelist’s boast?

58 Awestruck 59 Intensify 60 “Sopranos” actress ___ de Matteo 61 Samurai without a master 62 “Monster” that’s really a lizard 63 Fish sometimes eaten by raccoons 64 Special vocabulary 65 Fix, at the vet’s office 66 Turns into compost

DOWN 1 Commedia dell’___ 2 Boots’s cartoon friend 3 Active person 4 Coif expert 5 Uses a mister 6 Dog park noise 7 Jackie, on “Roseanne” 8 Cheese in a wheel 9 Recoil in distaste 10 Psilocybin, slangily 11 Semistable subatomic particle 12 Part of A.D. 13 “Duck Hunt” platform 21 Fashion designer Saint-Laurent 22 Amy Winehouse song 25 Garment fold 26 Obstacle 27 Get ___ start 28 City northwest of Orlando 29 Completely messed up, in military slang

30 Govt. investment 31 Giraffe’s relative 32 #37 33 “On a scale of ___ ten ...”

38 Inexperienced with 41 Sign for October 23-November 21 43 Parliamentary votes 44 Meager 46 Familiarize with new surroundings 47 Flexibility 50 “What hump?” speaker of film 51 Designer Vera 52 They’re often sold in sixes or twelves 53 Be klutzy 54 Greeting in Guatemala 55 Cookie that rolled out a Kettle Corn flavor (up for voting) in 2018 56 Hanukkah candy 57 Talk back to 58 Constellation called “the Altar”

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. 883 CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • MAY 10, 2018 • THE PULSE • 25

COLUMN · GAME ON!

Frost Giants, Norse Gods, Fatherhood Beloved franchise returns to dominate your console and ground you for life

T Brandon Watson Pulse columnist

“

It was love at first sight from the first teaser featuring my favorite Greek murder machine sporting a majestic beard and kneecapping monsters with an axe.”

When not vaporizing zombies or leading space marines as a mousepad Mattis, Brandon Watson is making gourmet pancakes and promoting local artists.

HE REVENGE FUELED DEICIDAL maniac we’ve all come to love and respect is back baby! A bit long in tooth and in facial hair but with a new mythological wasteland to cause glorious death and mayhem in.

God of War, the Sony exclusive that has captured the hearts and minds of militant atheists and philhellenes the world over returns to cleave in our faces with exuberant shock and awe.

Santa Monica Studio’s God of War 3 was the pinnacle of action/adventure games. Kratos, The Ghost of Sparta wreaked havoc against the Olympians ultimately sending all of creation into chaos as the Greek pantheon fell mercilessly to his rage. His fate was left unknown after bringing Zeus to a righteous death, well everyone’s death actually.

For me it was a satisfying conclusion to a great franchise and awesome antihero. Of course a game that lets you gouge out Poseidon’s eyes, kill Titans from the inside out, and use Helios’ head as a flashlight is a tough act to follow up with anything other than a cigarette.

So it was love at first sight from the first teaser featuring my favorite Greek murder machine sporting a majestic beard and kneecapping monsters with an axe.

I ordered the Special Edition PS4 Pro which is now married to the 4k UHD monstrosity dwelling in my living room.

If I’m going to be bashing the guts out of my favorite group of Scandinavian Gods I’m going all in; Father Odin wouldn’t appreciate anything less!

But I haven’t owned a console since 2008 so the PS4 Pro is a bit intimidating. I’m still futzing around with the bells and whistles of this technology but I can say that GOW on this machine is simply a beauty to behold. Muscle fibers flex and bend with realistic body motions, the eyes of Kratos gleam and smolder with uncanny predatory focus, clouds of

26 • THE PULSE • MAY 10, 2018 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

breath vaporize between spoken words and pockets of fog effects curl around the base of trees and the mouths of caves.

Christopher Judge the famed Teal’c from Stargate SG-1 brings this new incarnation of Kratos to life through voice work and motion capture.

Although voice actor T.C. Carson will always be the one who initially gave Kratos to the world, Judge’s performance as this seemingly older and more philosophical god slayer works on so many levels.

Because of the heavy emphasis on story progression through character interaction every character encountered has surprising personality and depth.

The dialogue is well written and wellacted so it’s very clear that Santa Monica Studio has brought out the big guns to take this beloved franchise to the next level.

The combat system is a beefy slugfest requiring a mix of tactical forward thinking and catlike reflexes. The impact of fist against bone, axe against skull, and spatters of flying viscera during grapple kills are fully animated and rendered in mouthwatering HD. It’s brutal, gritty, and in your face fighting with magic, axe, and shield. A far cry from the dazzling Cirque du Soleil style of combat from the original games.

Kratos isn’t without a new set of toys for battle a collapsible shield and retrievable ice axe along with a secret weapon: his son Atreus. Atreus can hold his own in a scrap by tripping enemies to buy his dad time to ready a block or stun them in place with a magically charged

arrow for daddy to land a sweet axe chop to the torso.

Both characters are leveled up through a reduced RPG style crafting and tiered skill system that makes Kratos’ son more vital as his mystical powers end up saving your bacon against overwhelming odds more often than not.

The game is a thoughtful adventure through a living breathing Norse wonderland. Jotun are towering stacks of sinew and death, Ogres are drooling nightmares of hatred and fangs, but just don’t get me started on Revenants, the godawful pus banshees that those are.

GOW will have you exploring flooded ruins, repairing ancient machines, solving ingenious puzzles and collecting loot.

Oh baby! The satisfying smash of chests, tombs, and bodies will keep you busy for a while and it violates my cheapskate sensibilities but I give this game a full recommend. It’s a triple A title that won’t leave you regretting the sales receipt the day after.

God of War is the total package, a truly amazing experience that successfully blends the concepts of interactive fiction with the visual arts to forges a new standard in electronic gaming.

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