The Pulse 14.20 » May 18, 2017

GUITAR CREATION · ELK MILK · AMERICAN GODS

MAY 18, 2017

CHATTANOOGA'S WEEKLY ALTERNATIVE

the heart of an elite athlete CHATTANOOGA WELCOMES THE IRONMAN 70.3 RACE TO TOWN

By Louis Lee

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VOLUME 14, ISSUE 20 MAY 18, 2017

CONTENTS 4 12 14

THE CITY GETS SPIRITED

Tennessee is known around the world as a place where great whiskey is not only made but also honored. As such, the Tennessee Whiskey Festival was created with a passion to showcase our state’s craft spirits.

BRINGING THE GODS TO THE SMALL SCREEN

While summer traditionally marks the beginning of blockbuster season for Hollywood, it also has come to mark something similar for television.

It’s not just any television, though.

SCULPTURE AND SOUND COMBINE TO CREATE ART

Local luthier Jesse O’Neal is currently producing high-end electric guitars for Ergo Instruments.

In addition to being finely crafted, these shredding machines are incredible works of art.

20

RAISING THE BAR ON LOCAL ROCK-N-ROLL

Chattanooga is a city that abounds with musical talent. There is a depth and diversity of genius in the region that, frankly, dwarfs the expectations one might reasonably have.

ALSO INSIDE

8

The Heart Of An Elite Athlete You may have seen them around town already. They’re easy to spot.

Look for lean, strong, determined individuals. They may be in your favorite grocery store. They may be running in your neighborhood park. But rest assured…they’re here…Ironmen (and women).

FEATURED CONTRIBUTORS

5

CONSIDER THIS

25

MUSIC REVIEWS

7

JUST A THEORY

26

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

13

NEW IN THEATERS

28

OPINIONS & DIVERSIONS

16

ARTS CALENDAR

29

JONESIN' CROSSWORD

19

MIXOLOGY

30

GAME ON!

22

MUSIC CALENDAR

Louis Lee has been involved in journalism dating back to high school. After a stint in the U.S. Navy, he worked for a weekly newspaper in Baton Rouge. He is now an awardwinning documentary filmmaker and freelance journalist.

Steven W. Disbrow is a computer programmer by profession who specializes in e-commerce and mobile systems development. He’s also an entrepreneur, comic-book nerd, writer, improviser, actor, and television personality.

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • MAY 18, 2017 • THE PULSE • 3

BEGINNINGS ∙ CITY LIFE

Chattanooga Gets Spirited What goes together better than whiskey and wings?

Why, even more whiskey and wings, of course!

By Michael Thomas Pulse contributor

BREWER MEDIA GROUP Publisher & President Jim Brewer II FOUNDED 2003 BY ZACHARY COOPER & MICHAEL KULL

EDITORIAL

Managing Editor Gary Poole gary@chattanoogapulse.com Assistant Editor Brooke Brown Music Editor Marc T. Michael Film Editor John DeVore Contributors Rob Brezsny • Steven W. Disbrow Matt Jones • Louis Lee Tony Mraz • Zach Nicholson Ernie Paik • Rick Pimental-Habib Michael Thomas • Brandon Watson Editorial Intern Lauren Waegele Cartoonists Max Cannon • Rob Rogers Jen Sorenson • Tom Tomorrow

ADVERTISING

Director of Sales Mike Baskin mikebaskin@brewermediagroup.com Account Executives Chee Chee Brown • Brittany Dreon Rick Leavell • Libby Phillips John Rodriguez • Logan Vandergriff

CONTACT

Offices 1305 Carter St. Chattanooga, TN 37402 Phone 423.265.9494 Email info@chattanoogapulse.com Website chattanoogapulse.com 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 © 2017 by Brewer Media. All rights reserved.

T

ENNESSEE IS KNOWN AROUND the world as a place where great whiskey is not only made but also honored. As such, the Tennessee Whiskey Festival was created with a passion to showcase our state’s craft spirits and the people who produce them.

This Saturday, starting at 6 p.m., come on down to the First Tennessee Pavilion on the Southside to experience the perfect opportunity to sample the best whiskey offered in Tennessee as well as other craft distilled products available in the area.

The list of distilleries showcasing their best is a whiskey-lovers dream: from the hometown Chattanooga Whiskey to George Dickel, Prichards Distillery, Dalton Distillery, Larceny Bourbon, Ole Smokey Moonshine, Elijah Craig, Jim Beam Small Batch, Sugarlands Moonshine, Four Roses Bourbon, Jefferson’s, Luxco, Sazerac, Rabbit Hole Distilling, Pennington Rye, Virgil Kaine, Western and more still be announced.

And when it comes to a spirit as fine and grand as whiskey, it is meant to be sipped and savored, not just shot back. To get the most out of your whiskey tasting experience, we have a few tips.

Appearance: You can learn a lot about whiskey just by its color. Typically speaking, the darker the color, the older the whiskey.

Aroma: It is important to understand that you will pick up more information about the taste of whiskey from the aroma, opposed to actually tasting it.

The Taste: When tasting whiskey, make sure you coat your entire tongue and let it linger on the palette for a couple of moments before swallowing.

The Finish: The finish is a culmination of the entire experience. Was the finish pleas-

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ant? Are there any finishing notes?

Does it make you want to drink the spirit again?

And it’s not just whiskey being celebrated; eight local restaurants and competitors will be competing in the ESPN Wing Zone for braggin’ rights—and you get to the judge!

Everyone who attends the festival gets ten free wings to sample and vote for their favorite.

Among the competitors are 1885, Beast & Barrel, Diamond Billiards, Feed Table & Tavern, Jefferson’s, Mike’s Smokehouse, Clyde’s, Universal Joint, and Jim Brewer’s Wing Experience.

But wait, there’s more! Music and food, that is. It wouldn’t be a Tennessee festival without great live music. Gino Fanelli, Monday Night Social, and Nick Lutsko will take the festival stage for your musical

(and dancing) entertainment. And along with those delicious wings, our friends at Lupi’s Pizza Pies will bring their mobile ovens for some very tasty, authentic hand-tossed pies sold by the slice.

And the best thing is that a portion of all the proceeds from the festival go to support the H*Art Gallery, which works tirelessly in supplying art materials and volunteers to offer art classes and art therapy to local homeless and non-traditional artists.

Tickets for the festival are $20 for general admission, $60 for a “Whiskey Pass” that allows you to sample each product being offered (plus a souvenir glass), and $115 for the “VIP Whiskey Lover” that includes parking and access to the VIP area with a free bar and lots of tasty snacks. Get all the info at tnwhiskeyfestival.com

Tennessee Whiskey Festival Saturday, 5 p.m.

First Tennessee Pavilion • 1826 Carter St. (423) 400-4496 • www.tnwhiskeyfestival.com

Consider This with Dr. Rick

EdiToon

by Rob Rogers

“Saying yes to happiness means learning to say no to things and people that stress you out.” — author unknown

Emphasizing Unity In A Divided World The purpose of the arts—whether it be music, theatre, literature, movies, or any of the other forms that art can take—has always been to challenge a master narrative. In doing this, the arts have created both division and unity, a necessary give and take.

Interestingly enough, however, Lucid Tales Productions’ first full-length play “Unity” attempts to combines the arts with discussion, a practice that allows audience members to express any opinions and, thus, eliminate the possibility of division without understanding.

Known as a “Power Piece”, Lucid

Tales Productions’ play will address a current issue in the Chattanooga community through acting, singing, poetry, and dance.

After the performance, the audience will have the opportunity to discuss the issue with the artists and performers.

The goal, says Benajamin Banks, coowner of Lucid Tales, is to “showcase local artists and empower [the] community through the stories we share.”

By focusing on the unifying power of shared stories, Lucid Tales intends to power through a divisive time in our nation and our community.

The power of these Power Pieces is not to be underestimated. Bring your friends and family to the Chattanooga State Theater on Saturday for a chance to participate in an open dialogue about unity in Chattanooga.

— Lauren Waegele

I came across a wonderful “pledge” for leading a positive life that I want to share with you. It’s so simple, and yet if every day you take a moment to slowly ponder it, speak it out loud, tape it to your mirror, copy it to your journal, you may just be amazed at what happens in your life. Enjoy.

“I shall no longer allow negative thoughts or feelings to drain me of my energy. Instead I shall focus on all the good that is in my life. I will think it, feel it and speak it. By doing so I will send out positive energy into the world and I shall be grateful for all the wonderful things it will attract into my life.”

Consider this: Your vibe attracts your tribe.

— Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D.

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COLUMN ∙ JUST A THEORY

Science Is Like, SO Basic…

Our resident scientist looks at our love/hate relationship with science

Steven W. Disbrow Pulse columnist

A

S I’VE MENTIONED IN THE PAST, America has a paradoxical relationship with Science. On the one hand, we all benefit from the results of science, but, as a country, we seem to be less and less convinced of the value of science.

For example, NASA has, over the years, given us some of our proudest achievements. Not just as Americans, but as a species. (Setting foot on the Moon? We did that.) But, with only rare exceptions, NASA’s budget gets cut year after year and, as a country, we seem to be fine with that.

Of course, the argument often heard is, “We need to take care of the folks here on Earth first.” Fine, but then we have people that refuse to accept the proven safety of GMOs (which allow us to feed more people from less land and water), or even the efficacy of vaccines, which have saved (probably) billions of lives over the last 100 years.

The end result is that science is becoming untrusted by the populace, and that’s leading to a willful cutback in what we call “basic research.”

But, what is basic research and why is it important? Well, basic research is simply asking questions and seeing where they lead without any real goal in mind. Sometimes, you have no idea what this type of research will lead to, because you don’t really care. This bothers a lot of people, because they expect scientists to always be working towards something. Otherwise, why should

we spend money on it?

Well, the reason we should invest in basic research is precisely because we have no idea where it will lead! Consider the following examples of basic research that led to discoveries that changed our world: LASERS In the 19th century, physicist Max Planck was fiddling around with electricity and magnets and managed to work out that energy was delivered in discrete chunks, which he called “quanta.”

Years later, Einstein discovered that light was also broken into these chunks and that electrons might be tricked into emitting light at particular wavelengths (i.e. Red, Blue, X-Rays, etc.) Fast forward about 50 years and scientists all over America were trying to work out a way to stimulate electrons to emit light of various kinds.

One graduate student, Gordon Gould, invents the “LASER” (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) acronym at about this time. Skip to today and lasers are everywhere. Communications, data-storage, cat toys, medicine….without lasers, our civilization would be very, very different today.

CLIMATE CHANGE For years, scientists have looked at the past history of the Earth by going to frozen places and extracting core samples. (Basically, big

long tubes of dirt, ice and rocks.)

This very basic research tells us what the atmosphere of the planet was like hundreds or even thousands of years ago. The relatively low levels of carbon dioxide in the older cores was one of the first clues that something was wonky with our atmosphere today.

GENETICS AND MEDICINE When Darwin wrote down his Theory of Evolution, he predicted that there was some method by which traits were passed from one generation to the next.

But, he didn’t know what that method was. Only later was it discovered that DNA was the means by which genetic information was passed down from generation to generation.

That in turn opened up the door to genetic manipulation, gene therapy and a host of other medical treatments that we are just beginning to explore fully.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE For about 40 years now, scientists have been working to create a sentient computer program.

While they haven’t yet succeeded (as far as we know…maybe these A.I.s are playing dumb), the spin-offs of those efforts are numerous: Expert systems that diagnose disease, digital assistants that give you turn-by-turn directions and even video game opponents that seem to be just a little too smart.

And these things are just the tip of the iceberg. So, the next time you hear about money being wasted on something “stupid,” like, say, trying to build better telescopes…just remember that the dinosaurs weren’t big on basic research either.

Steven W. Disbrow is a programmer who specializes in e-commerce and mobile systems development, an entrepreneur, comicbook nerd, writer, improviser, actor, sometime television personality and parent of two human children.

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • MAY 18, 2017 • THE PULSE • 7

COVER STORY

The Heart Of An Elite Athlete Chattanooga welcomes the Ironman 70.3 to town with some of the most dedicated athletes you'll ever meet

By Louis Lee

Pulse contributor

Y

OU MAY HAVE SEEN THEM around town already.

They’re easy to spot. Look for lean, strong, determined individuals. They may be in your favorite grocery store.

They may be running in your neighborhood park. But rest assured…they’re here…Ironmen (and women).

Angela Naeth

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This weekend, Chattanooga plays host to some of the strongest competitors in sport. The Scenic City will hold its third annual Ironman 70.3 endurance event this Sunday. This is no mere race. This is the definition of human ability in the extreme.

The Ironman is no ordinary endurance race. The first one was won by U.S. Navy Communications Specialist Gordon Haller, in February of 1978.

He beat out eleven other racers by completing the grueling course in 11 hours, 46 minutes, 58 seconds. Today, top competitors can finish the race in under eight hours.

The competitors may have just gotten to the city a week or so ago, but they’ve been planning for and training for this competition for a long time.

“You can’t cram very well,” says Kim Schwabenbauer, “Your body just can’t

COVER STORY

Kim Schwabenbauer (and baby)

do that.”

Schwabenbauer is a registered dietitian and professional triathlete as well as a trainer for other extreme athletes. “If you try to reach the levels (of competition) too fast, you’re going to injure yourself and end up with a stress fracture, or you’re going to end up with something that will be debilitating…and you won’t make the start.” Schwabenbauer says the training can take several months, even for very fit individuals, to prepare for a race.

Being a registered dietitian, Schwabenbauer is especially cognizant of the role of nutrition in preparing for a race. “Drink a lot of liquid calories,” she advises. Training 9-20 hours a week is typical for triathletes. Some push even harder. So it’s important that they stay hydrated.

But water alone will not sustain the expenditure of energy the training requires. So those drinks need to have some source of carbohydrates that the body can turn into energy.

When not actually running or cycling, many athletes still require high levels of carbs in their meal plan as well as lean meats for protein.

“Things that are in, like, pasta and bread, fruits and vegetables,” says Schwabenbauer. “Make

“If you try to reach the levels (of competition) too fast, you’re going to injure yourself and end up with a stress fracture, or you’re going to end up with something that will be debilitating…and you won’t make the start.” sure that you include all the food groups.”

After months and months of training, it’s time for the racers to get to the event. According to Schwabenbauer, it can easily run an athlete into the thousands of dollars to compete in an Ironman. Some athletes may have to take time off from their jobs, sometimes losing pay. Each athlete must pay an entry fee of hundreds of dollars.

Then there’s transportation to the event city. Some competitors this weekend will have traveled from thousands of miles away. That means airfare for them and anyone on their support team. When they arrive, there’s a hotel or hostel, some crash with friends in that city, or many residents open their homes to athletes, hosting one or more at a time.

Once they arrive, there are meals to buy, supplies to restock and even souvenirs to get for themselves and their loved ones. The tab can really add up. And, by no

coincidence, that is good news for the host city. Chattanooga can expect to see millions of dollars in economic impact from this one event.

So, they’ve trained and now have arrived in the city.

Time to get down to the business at hand…the race.

Competitors will start out their day early in the morning and will swim in the Tennessee River. First, they will swim upstream, then turn near the far end of McClellan Island and head downstream, ending 1.2 miles later at Ross’s Landing. For most athletes, a 1.2 mile open swim is enough activity for one day. Yet these driven individuals are just getting started.

Next, participants will dry off and get on their bicycles. And we’re not talking a banana-seat Huffy from the local big-box. These are extremely well-engineered very lightweight cycles designed for speed and not much else. They can cost as much as a decent used car. continued on page 10 CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • MAY 18, 2017 • THE PULSE • 9

COVER STORY

Kim Schwabenbauer

From the Riverfront, the racers will pedal through the downtown area, through historic St. Elmo and continue into North Georgia. Through hills and valleys, they will loop around and return to the Riverfont 56 miles later.

During that time, they will have been pedaling uphill for more than a mile of the race.

So far, they swam the Tennessee river and biked mountainous North Georgia. Now, they get to run. Once again starting at Ross’s Landing, these extreme athletes will now run a halfmarathon. 13.1 miles through Downtown, Riverfont and the North Shore.

Covering such a large area, race officials must have a lot of help. “We have 1,900 volunteers signed up to help at this year’s race,” says Brian Myrick, Race Director. The volunteers are there to not only help the athletes and answer their questions. Some are there to officiate the race. Many things can go wrong when you push the human body to such lengths as an Ironman does. Therefore, you must have rules in place to make sure everyone is safe and healthy.

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Things athletes have to consider on race day include having all the personal gear they need. For example, for the swim, they not only need to be wearing their swimsuit, but may also need nose plugs, ear plugs, goggles…even a throw-away long sleeve shirt to wear for the swim then discard before getting on their bikes.

For the bike race, there are necessities for maintenance of the bicycle such as an air pump, bike repair kit, water bottle, some extra nutrition, helmet, bike shoes and even extra water.

For the run, they need to change into their running shoes, get another water bottle and a towel.

Extreme racing is as much a mental exercise as physical. These athletes have trained their muscles, but they also must train their brains. Pacing is absolutely essential, and something that only comes with competition.

“People can cut two hours off their time, just by understanding what pace works for them” says Schwabenbauer.

Two hours? Oh, yes. This is not a quick race. The time limit is eightand-a-half hours. All racers must fin-

COVER STORY ish in that amount of time to be considered a finisher. A good time in a full Ironman will be between eight and nine hours. The 70.3 mile race here in Chattanooga should see times around four hours.

Yes, four hours.

It takes a competitive spirit and a fit body and mind to compete, but the rewards are there.

Beyond the bragging rights, this year’s winner will take home $5,000 prize money. In fact, a $25,000 purse will be divided among the top six finishers. Heavy odds considering how many other people will be competing. “We have over 3,000 athletes registered and registration is still open,” says Myrick.

For those of you non-competitors, there’s a way you can help the athletes by attending the race and being a spectator. “It’s very inspiring when you have support,” says Angela Naeth, a professional triathlete. “You have people cheering for you, clapping. It’s an adrenaline rush that helps you get across the finish line.

Naeth tells The Pulse that is why she so enjoys

“Everyone seemed to come out for it. The crowd that was there, especially the last two miles of the run, were absolutely phenomenal. It was like the whole community was there.” racing in Chattanooga. “Everyone seemed to come out for it,” she says. “The crowd that was there, especially the last two miles of the run, were absolutely phenomenal. It was like the whole community was there.”

Schwabenbauer agrees that community support is essential for a successful race that competitors want to come back to year after year. “I really enjoyed the Chattanooga course,” she says. “And I think I’m not alone in that. I think it has a lot to do with how well the town accepts that race.”

Acceptance by the citizens isn’t the only attractive part of racing in Chattanooga. “The hills are pretty challenging,” admits Schwabenbauer. A half-Ironman, like Chattanooga’s, is a great starting race for beginners in extreme racing. “The half is a great way for athletes to

determine if they want to go into full Ironman.”

If you’d like to help cheer on these extreme athletes, the best seat in the house will be around Ross’s Landing. That’s where most of the action will take place including the spectacular finish and then the awards ceremony after the race.

Once the athletes have left the area for the larger part of the course, there will be plenty of activities to keep spectators busy and entertained until the athletes start coming back to the finish line.

Race organizers recommend checking out wwchattanoogaparking.org to find out which parking lots in the area will have shuttles running to Ross’s Landing. But get there early as activities begin at 7:30 a.m. Saturday with the Ironkids Chattanooga Fun Run.

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FILM & TELEVISION

Bringing The Gods To The Small Screen Palace Picture House Presents A Dark Gem The Palace Picture House is now open and already making a name for itself with the local film community by showing the types of films you certainly won't see in the local multiplex.

Opening this Friday and running through May 25th, Buster's Mal Heart is a bold thriller peppered with dark humor and interlocking mystery.

The film centers around an eccentric mountain man on the run from the authorities, surviving the winter by breaking into empty vacation homes in a remote community. Regularly calling into radio talk shows—where he has acquired the nickname "Buster"—to rant about the impending inversion at the turn of the millennium, he is haunted by visions of being lost at sea, and memories of his former life as a family man.

Buster (Rami Malek) was once Jonah, a hard-working husband and father whose job as the night-shift concierge at a hotel took its toll on his psyche and, consequently, his marriage to the sensitive Marty (Kate Lyn Sheil)—until a chance encounter with a conspiracy-obsessed drifter (DJ Qualls) changed the course of their lives forever.

As the solitary present-day Buster drifts from house to house, eluding the local sheriff at every turn, we gradually piece together the events that fractured his life and left him alone on top of a snowy mountain, or perhaps in a small rowboat in the middle of a vast ocean—or both, in this visceral mind bender that will provoke discussion long after it turns your world upside-down.

Buster's Mal Heart Opens Friday, 2 & 10 p.m.

Palace Picture House 818 Georgia Ave. (423) 803-6578 www.chattpalace.com 12 • THE PULSE • MAY 18, 2017 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

STARZ takes on one of Neil Gaiman's most complex and beloved novels with style and great skill

By John DeVore Pulse Film Editor

W

HILE SUMMER TRADITIONALLY marks the beginning of blockbuster season for Hollywood, it also has come to mark something similar for television. It’s not just any television, though. Nothing as clumsy and random as a new sitcom. No, it seems late spring, early summer is the prime time for prestige television.

Prestige television, a term that has popped up here and there online, refers to a more cinematic experience for the episodic viewer, one where the writing and direction, the very look and feel of the show, are something outside the normal viewing

experience. Its roots can likely be traced to HBO, with shows like The Sopranos or The Wire but has expanded beyond the subscription channels (though prestige television continues to be found there, as well), to cable channels like FX, AMC, and even in some cases, certain shows on traditional networks.

The traditional network shows are hamstrung some by their strict adherence to their censors, making their shows tougher to make and the audiences harder to satisfy, but on cable (and Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon) these shows are becoming more and more commonplace. Right now, there is a wealth of great episodic TV, from A Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu, to Fargo on FX, to Better Call Saul on AMC. But one that might slip by is an exceptional

FILM & TELEVISION

“Gaiman’s work tends to be very rich and complex, which presents certain challenges when adapting them to the screen.” adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods on STARZ. The novel on which the show is based is an exploration of belief and tradition in America. The central conceit is that the various gods and goddesses and mythical creatures created by mankind exist in the physical world, simply due to man’s belief in them. Whenever man visits a new part of the earth, he brings his gods with him, where they reside to either flourish or wane based on the strength of their follower’s belief.

America, being the great melting pot that it is, has thousands of gods walking among its citizens. Old gods from old countries, eking out an existence on the fringes of society. Alongside these gods are new gods created by the American populace, the gods of Media, Technology, and the invisible Hand of the Market.

The story focuses on a brewing war between the old gods and new, and a man named Shadow who is trapped between the two worlds, trying make sense of himself and his choices in the supernatural world he finds himself in.

The novel is likely Gaiman’s most popular, and the show has been rumored for years. Gaiman’s work tends to be very rich and complex, which presents certain challenges when adapting them to the screen.

Another of Gaiman’s works, the sprawling and dense graphic novels in The Sandman series, have also been rumored for years, but so far has failed to materialize to simply to issues with transference from one medium to another.

But here, American Gods seems to fit perfectly on screen. Appropriate casting has something to do with this, as Ian McShane is flawless as Mr. Wednesday and all of the other gods seen so far are giving exquisite performances in their roles.

But more than that, it seems that the show runners have genuine respect for the source material, listen-

ing to the author for notes on character development and giving the series lived-in world that enhances the experience for book readers and opens doors for members of the audience that are experiencing the tale for the first time.

It helps that the series is based on a single novel rather than a multi-book series, a la Game of Thrones. If the series is successful, and there isn’t any indication given what’s been seen so far that it won’t be, multiple seasons will only serve to allow the show to dig deeply into the mythos built by Gaiman in the novel.

Already, the audience has been treated to several exceptional asides, exploring the nature of the gods found in the main story through coming to America tales or their encounters with humans.

Each of these feel authentic to what is found in the book, allowing the show to really develop this world.

At its best, American Gods is likely to be an enormously satisfying show for audiences that find the world as fascinating as I do. It’s certainly worth adding STARZ to your Amazon Prime channels.

✴ ✴ NEW IN THEATERS ✴ ✴

Alien: Covenant The crew of a colony ship, bound for a remote planet, discover an uncharted paradise with a threat beyond their imagination, and must attempt a harrowing escape.

Director: Ridley Scott Stars: Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul A Heffley family road trip to attend Meemaw's 90th birthday party goes hilariously off course thanks to Greg's newest scheme to get to a video gaming convention.

Director: David Bowers Stars: Alicia Silverstone, Tom Everett Scott

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Sculpture And Sound Combine To Create Art Local guitar maker brings craftmanship to his creations

We’re Off To See The Enchantress Of Oz There is nothing more exciting than seeing the major motion picture of your childhood turn into the classiest form of adult entertainment: burlesque. While an unusual thought, Garrell Woods, Chattanooga-based director and producer, took this notion and used it to create his soon-to-debut production “Burlesque: Enchantress of Oz.” This story eliminates the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy, and even her beloved dog Toto, and it reintroduces the Emerald city through the eyes of Dorian Gale and the Enchantress of Oz while adding the art of striptease.

Though both striptease and burlesque include the sensual removal of clothing, burlesque is unique in that it attempts to combine theatrics, comedy, and music, much like the Vaudeville shows of the early 20th Century.

Burlesque, despite its being a longstanding and international art form, is often underappreciated, which is why Woods’ combination of a familiar plotline with sexy acting is ideal.

A show for the more mature audiences of Chattanooga, Woods’ production will be stripping its way down the yellow brick road and into our hearts. So click your heels, and join Woods and “The Figurines” dance troupe on Saturday night to be enchanted by a magic far better than that of Dorothy’s ruby shoes. — Lauren Waegele Burlesque: Enchantress Of Oz Saturday, 5 p.m.

Barking Legs Theatre 1307 Dodds Ave. (423) 624-5347 www.barkinglegs.org 14 • THE PULSE • MAY 18, 2017 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

By Tony Mraz

Pulse contributor

L

OCAL LUTHIER JESSE O’NEAL IS CURrently producing high-end electric guitars for Ergo Instruments. In addition to being finely crafted, these shredding machines are incredible works of art. No two are alike, and each makes a distinctive statement of purpose and aesthetic.

The instruments are a direct result of an adolescence spent doodling guitar shapes instead of doing schoolwork. Having a carpenter for a father, Jesse had access to power tools, and was not afraid to use them. He started by “modding”

—modifying cheap old guitars into high quality instruments. Eventually he began to buy his own lumber and put it all together himself.

“In many ways, it’s as simple as get a piece of wood, and take off everything that doesn’t look like a guitar,” he says, describing his Zen-like approach to craftsmanship. “Like anything else, the order that you do things makes it more difficult or easier, and if you do it enough, you learn little tricks here and there. For me, it starts with seeing it in my head first—just visualizing it while staring at that spot where the grass meets the pavement out in the front yard, the way dads do.”

For the last ten years, Jesse has used mostly Walnut, Maple, and Cherry to make his instruments.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

“A guitar is a simple machine overall. You can do all sort of things within the framework, and that’s exciting to me.”

“A lot of the best wood that I have found comes from Indiana and Ohio, from a few small families,” he tells us. “They own several acres, and they have learned to farm lumber rather than just clear cut things—I try to keep some sense of balance when using natural materials. It does cost a little bit more, but it keeps it simple for me. I try not to use exotic woods, although occasionally I will run across a nice piece.”

He works in his small basement shop, and his tooling is pretty minimal.

He has two table saws, two band saws, a drill press, and a large belt sander. Most of what he does to shape the instruments involves the belt sander, which he uses to smooth the wooden forms after doing the straightening cuts and leveling.

Speaking of the sander, he notes, “It’s almost like my tai

chi at this point, because I spend so much time standing in front of the thing. It’s not a particularly dangerous tool, but it takes patience and discipline to stand in front of it—to see the shape in your head that you want, and when you’ve gotten it as close as you can with the other tools, bringing it into the shape.”

What Jesse aims for in making guitars is keeping the wood straight and level. He buys the lumber in half inch thick lengths, various widths, and from there he uses the table saw and band saw to create the basic shapes. He has a few jigs set up to make the fret slots, but not much more.

He uses a simple formula to give the instrument proper intonation.

“It’s a basic application of mathematics, certainly not much more complicated than sixth grade math,” he explains. “A guitar is a simple machine overall. In many ways it’s a wooden ship, in terms of a musical instrument, but within that there is a lot of flexibility. You can do all sort of things within the framework, and that’s exciting to me.”

He finds inspiration for his guitars’ shapes in lines that he sees in the world. “I’m not particularly a car guy, but I’ve always loved looking at vintage Corvettes. They have nice curves to them when they go by—it’s a neat thing to see. I spend a lot of time in the woods whenever I can. I like looking at the way certain trees look, or the way a creek will bend around a corner, I just enjoy the lines.”

For the hardware, Jesse uses Hipshot tuners and bridges, and DiMarzio pickups. He prefers passive systems, both as a player and as a technician. “The more you overthink the plumbing, the easier it is to bung up the drain,” he says, quoting Scotty from Star Trek.

He believes that the goal of technology should be to make things simpler, although he does enjoy adding a few bells and whistles to his instruments, like LED fretboards and extra strings.

You can meet Jesse and see his works in progress at Picker’s Exchange in East Ridge, where he works as a part-time guitar tech. To see more of his instruments, find him on Facebook by his name, or at Ergo Instruments.

THU5.18 Arts for Health

Featuring Dr. Ysaye Barnwell speaking on the healing power in music in our daily lives.

5 p.m.

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

FRI5.19 “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest”

Classic Nicholson film brought to life on the stage.

7:30 p.m.

The Historic Mars Theater 117 N. Chattanooga St. LaFayette, GA (706) 996-8350 bapshows.com

SAT5.20 Backstage Bash

Annual fundraiser for the Chattanooga Theatre Centre that gives you a peek behind the curtain.

7:30 p.m.

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

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • MAY 18, 2017 • THE PULSE • 15

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR Bike To Work Day

THURSDAY5.18 Ooltewah Farmers Market 3 p.m.

Ooltewah Nursery 5829 Main St. (423) 238-9775 ooltewahnursery.com Crank It Up! Bike Classes 3 p.m.

North Chattanooga YFD Center 406 May St. (423) 757-5447 outdoorchattanooga.com Signal Mountain Farmers Market 4 p.m.

Pruett’s Market 1210 Taft Hwy. (423) 902-8023 signalmountainfarmersmarket.com Arts for Health featuring Dr. Ysaye Barnwell: The Healing Power in Music 5 p.m.

The Hunter Museum of American Art 10 Bluff View Ave. (423) 267-0968 huntermuseum.org Wayne-o-Rama Fundraiser 5 p.m.

Flying Squirrel Bar 55 Johnson St. (423) 602-5980 flyingsquirrelbar.com “Burden” 5, 9 p.m.

Palace Picture House 818 Georgia Ave. (423) 803-6578 chattpalace.com Photographic Society

16 • THE PULSE • MAY 18, 2017 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

of Chattanooga presents Kris Light 7 p.m.

St. John’s United Methodist 3921 Murray Hills Dr. (423) 344-5643 chattanoogaphoto.org “Risk” 7 p.m.

Palace Picture House 818 Georgia Ave. (423) 803-6578 chattpalace.com International Fly Fishing Film Festival 7 p.m.

The Camp House 149 E. MLK Blvd.

(423) 702-8081 blueridgeflyfishing.com Janet Williams 7:30 p.m.

The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St.

(423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com “Falling In Love” by the Choral Arts of Chattanooga 7:30 p.m.

Second Presbyterian Church 700 Pine St. (423) 266-2828 choralartsofchattanooga.org

FRIDAY5.19 Bike to Work Day 7:30 a.m.

Waterhouse Pavilion 850 Market St. (423) 643-5923 Chattanooga Market at Erlanger 10:30 a.m.

Erlanger Hospital Medical Mall 975 E. 3rd St. chattanoogamarket.com

ENTERTAINMENT SPOTLIGHT A Chattanooga audience favorite, the "Tennessee Tramp" Janet Williams doesn’t hold anything back about her views on marriage, divorce, men, and women.

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

Picnic in the Passageways 11:30 a.m.

Grass Garden Inversion 730 Cherry St. (423) 265-3700 rivercitycompany.com “Buster’s Mal Heart” 2, 10 p.m.

Palace Picture House 818 Georgia Ave. (423) 803-6578 chattpalace.com “Stalker” 4, 7 p.m.

Palace Picture House 818 Georgia Ave. (423) 803-6578 chattpalace.com Cambridge Square Night Market 5 p.m.

Cambridge Square 9453 Bradmore Ln. (423) 531-7754 cambridgesqauretn.com Janet Williams 7:30, 9:45 p.m.

The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest” 7:30 p.m.

The Historic Mars Theater 117 N. Chattanooga St. LaFayette, GA (706) 996-8350 bapshows.com

SATURDAY5.20 Learn To Make

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Handmade Soap 9 a.m.

Crabtree Farms of Chattanooga 1000 E. 30th St. (423) 493-9155 crabtreefarms.org Chickamauga Battlefield Bike Ride 9:30 a.m.

Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park 3370 Lafayette Rd. Fort Oglethorpe, GA (423) 752-5213 nps.gov/chch St. Alban’s Hixson Market 9:30 a.m.

St. Alban’s Episcopal Church 7514 Hixson Pike (423) 842-6303 Southern Blooms Festival 10 p.m.

Rock City Gardens 1400 Patten Rd. Lookout Mountain, GA (706) 820-2531 seerockcity.com Northside Farmers Market 10 a.m.

Northside Presbyterian Church 923 Mississippi Ave. (423) 266-7497 Chattanooga River Market 10 a.m.

Tennessee Aquarium Plaza 1 Broad St. (423) 648-2496 chattanoogarivermarket.com Brainerd Farmers Market 11 a.m.

Grace Episcopal Church 20 Belvoir Ave. (404) 245-3682 “Stalker”

2, 5 p.m.

Palace Picture House 818 Georgia Ave. (423) 803-6578 chattpalace.com Tennessee Whiskey Festival 5 p.m.

First Tennessee Pavilion 1826 Carter St. (423) 400-4496 tnwhiskeyfestival.com Burlesque: Enchantress Of Oz 5 p.m.

Barking Legs Theatre 1307 Dodds Ave. (423) 624-5347 barkinglegs.org Everyday Heroes Gala 6:30 p.m.

Chattanoogan Hotel 1201 Broad St. (423) 756-3400 mda.org Janet Williams 7:30, 9:45 p.m.

The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com “The Power Piece: Unity” 7 p.m.

Chattanooga State Humanities Theatre 4501 Amnicola Hwy. (423) 458-2537 lucidtalespro.com Chattanooga FC vs Birmingham Hammers 7:30 p.m.

Finley Stadium 1826 Carter St. (423) 266-4041 chattanoogafc.com

Backstage Bash 7:30 p.m.

Chattanooga Theatre Centre 400 River St. (423) 267-8534 theatrecentre.com “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest” 7:30 p.m.

The Historic Mars Theater 117 N. Chattanooga St. LaFayette, GA (706) 996-8350 bapshows.com “Buster’s Mal Heart” 8, 10 p.m.

Palace Picture House 818 Georgia Ave. (423) 803-6578 chattpalace.com

SUNDAY5.21 Ironman 70.3 7 a.m.

Ross’s Landing 201 Riverfront Pkwy. ironman.com Southern Blooms Festival 10 p.m.

Rock City Gardens 1400 Patten Rd. Lookout Mountain, GA (706) 820-2531 seerockcity.com Fantasia for Flute and Organ 10:30 a.m.

The Church of the Nativity Episcopal Church 1201 Cross St. Fort Oglethorpe, GA (706) 866-9773 nativity.dioet.org

Chattanooga Market 11 a.m.

First Tennessee Pavilion 1829 Carter St. (423) 648-2496 chattanoogamarket.com “Stalker” 2, 5 p.m.

Palace Picture House 818 Georgia Ave. (423) 803-6578 chattpalace.com Free Fiddle School 2 p.m.

Fiddlers Anonymous 2248 Dayton Blvd.

(423) 994-7497 “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest” 2:30 p.m.

The Historic Mars Theater 117 N. Chattanooga St. LaFayette, GA (706) 996-8350 bapshows.com Chattanooga Bach Choir Cantata Concert 4 p.m.

Christ Church Chattanooga 663 Douglas St. (423) 624-3603 chattanoogabachchoir.org Janet Williams 7:30 p.m.

The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com “Buster’s Mal Heart” 8, 10 p.m.

Palace Picture House 818 Georgia Ave. (423) 803-6578 chattpalace.com CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • MAY 18, 2017 • THE PULSE • 17

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR

Rapid Learning: Intro To Kayaking

MONDAY5.22 Red Bank Farmers Market 3 p.m.

Red Bank United Methodist 3800 Dayton Blvd.

(423) 838-9804 Adaptive Cycling 6 p.m.

Hubert Fry Center at the Tennessee RiverPark 4301 Amnicola Hwy. (423) 643-6888 outdoorchattanooga.com

TUESDAY5.23 “Buster’s Mal Heart” 5, 7 p.m.

Palace Picture House 818 Georgia Ave. (423) 803-6578 chattpalace.com Tuesday Night Chess Club 6 p.m.

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

WEDNESDAY5.24 Middle East Dance 10:30 a.m.

Jewish Cultural Center 5461 North Terrace (423) 493-0270 jewishchattanooga.com Chattanooga Market at Erlanger East

18 • THE PULSE • MAY 18, 2017 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

10:30 a.m.

Erlanger East Hospital 1751 Gunbarrel Rd. (423) 648-2496 chattanoogamarket.com Main Street Market 4 p.m.

522 W. Main St. mainstfarmersmarket.com “Buster’s Mal Heart” 5, 7 p.m.

Palace Picture House 818 Georgia Ave. (423) 803-6578 chattpalace.com “Water Safety 101” 6 p.m.

The Edney 1100 Market St. (423) 413-8978 thechattery.org Rapid Learning: Intro to Kayaking 6 p.m.

Chester Frost County Park 2277 Gold Point Cir. outdoorchattanooga.com Chattanooga Lookouts vs.

Montgomery Biscuits 7:15 p.m.

AT&T Field 201 Power Alley lookouts.com Open Mic Comedy Free Kittens 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

FOOD & DRINK ∙ MIXOLOGY

The Ongoing Resurrection Of Rye Celebrate World Whisky Day this Saturday with a once-forgotten spirit

By Zach Nicholson Pulse contributor

W

ORLD WHISKY DAY IS CELebrated on the third Saturday in May every year, which is one of the main reasons you need to head down the First Tennessee Pavilion this Saturday for the Tennessee Whiskey Festival and share in the celebration.

But it’s more than an international holiday. This is Tennessee. We know whiskey.

We’ve been drinking whiskey since we could hold a bottle. And we’ve been specifically raised to reach for that branded bourbon instead of the plain-Jane-never-done-a-badthing-in-her-life-whiskey. In fact, the world of whiskey has been dominated by bourbon since 1920—the start of Prohibition.

But before Prohibition changed everything, we had choices. We could trade our bourbon for rye. And now, almost a century later, we’re getting our choices back.

Rye whiskey has been coming into the liquor scene with great gusto these past few years, with good reason. The taste, for one, is spicier and more aggressive than its bourbon counterparts. While both types of whiskeys can be enjoyed straight or mixed, the spice of rye makes it a go-to for classic cocktails like the Manhattan or Sazerac.

Only recently, however, has quality rye whiskey been made readily available.

The story of rye’s comeback season begins in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Liquor company Seagram’s produced tons of rye whiskey with the intention of combining it into other blended whiskeys, not to be bottled independently.

But financial hardships forced Seagram’s to sell its distilleries and its rye whiskey. The rye was sold off to some independent bottlers and to two giant producers—Pernod

Ricard and Diageo. To give you an idea of size, Pernod Ricard produces liquors like Absolut and Jameson, and Diageo produces Smirnoff and Captain Morgan.

So this rye whiskey was distributed among multiple brands and has been spread throughout the whiskey world for the past decade.

But age is ever-important to the taste of whiskey, and the original hoard of Lawrenceburg rye was quickly running out as demand increased exponentially.

So Midwest Grain Products (MGP) bought the Lawrenceburg distillery back in 2011, with hopes of reproducing Seagram’s rye whiskey as closely as possible.

And now new craft distillers are all in a hurry to get this rye whiskey in stock. The only problem is that it takes years to age whiskey,

but a new distiller doesn’t have the luxury of waiting for years.

So these distillers can do one of two things. They can either buy MGP’s rye to blend and bottle as their own, or they can produce their own rye whiskey and bottle it immediately without aging— something Jack Daniel’s has done with their Unaged Tennessee Rye. The process of rebranding MGP’s mass-produced rye whiskey as craft or local has caused recent controversy and lawsuits.

This controversy will hopefully compel local distillers to create new, unique rye whiskeys. Because it’s been 100 years—and the whiskey drinkers want their choices back.

So the next time you want a nice whiskey, try something different. Try a rye. You won’t be disappointed.

Sazerac (courtesy seriouseats.com) • 1 teaspoon sugar • 3 or 4 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters • A few drops water • 2 ounces rye whiskey (such as Sazerac Rye) • 1 teaspoon Herbsaint, Pernod, pastis, or absinthe • lemon peel 1. Chill an Old Fashioned glass or small tumbler in your freezer.

2. In a mixing glass, combine sugar, Peychaud’s Bitters, and a few drops of water. Mix until sugar is dissolved, and add rye. Add plenty of ice, and stir for about 30 seconds.

3. Pour Herbsaint, pastis, or absinthe into your chilled glass, and rotate glass until the inside is well coated; discard the excess. Strain the liquid from your mixing glass into the serving glass. Twist a piece of lemon peel over the drink.

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • MAY 18, 2017 • THE PULSE • 19

MUSIC

Raising The Bar On Local Rock-N-Roll Elk Milk comes into their own with adventurous new album, crafting a progressive and experimental pop sound

Falling In Love With The Choral Arts As if Spring had not left its victims “twitterpated” enough, the Choral Arts of Chattanooga will combine the romantic feelings of the spring season with a lush bouquet of voices and genres in its final concert of the ’16’17 season “Falling in Love.”

This concert will consist of classical, theatrical, and contemporary music genres that express joy, life, and love.

Directed by Darrin Hassevoort, the Choral Arts of Chattanooga continues to be a source of vocal excellence in the Chattanooga area since its inception in 1985.

Along with other choirs such as the CSO Chorus, the Choral Arts of Chattanooga is a volunteer chorus with the intention of spreading the artistry of choral music throughout Chattanooga.

Uniquely, however, the Choral Arts of Chattanooga prides itself in strengthening Chattanooga’s arts community by implementing school music programs to keep high school and college-aged citizens interested in choir post-graduation. With such a noble cause in mind, the Choral Arts of Chattanooga deserves the attention of all music lovers.

Join Darrin Hassevoort and the Choral Arts of Chattanooga at the Second Presbyterian Church, Thursday at 7:30 p.m. for a complex, romantic, and joyful presentation. — Lauren Waegele “Falling In Love” — Choral Arts of Chattanooga Thursday, 7:30 p.m.

Second Presbyterian Church 700 Pine St. (423) 266-2828 www.choralartsofchattanooga.org 20 • THE PULSE • MAY 18, 2017 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

By Marc T. Michael Pulse Music Editor

I

’VE SAID IT MANY TIMES: CHATTANOOGA is a city that abounds with musical talent. There is a depth and diversity of genius in the region that, frankly, dwarfs the expectations one might reasonably have for the size of our city.

Within that impressive pool of performers there is a shorter list of bands and musicians who, from a creative standpoint, represent the cream of the crop.

These are the artists who at any frozen moment in time might be accurately described as “great”.

Yet with each new entry they manage to push the envelope, demonstrating time and time again that no matter how great any particular work may be,

the next will surpass it.

Danimal Pinson is a great example of this. And so is Elk Milk, and with their latest EP, Sea Within, they prove once again that a great band can be even greater.

Weighing in at seven tracks and approximately 30 minutes of music, it might be designated as a heavy EP or a light album, but in any case it is an excellent showcase of the band’s ongoing evolution. Overall it is heavier than pop music, but with real commercial viability.

One could easily imagine the track “Tiny Spark” being featured on one of those “Best of the Year” compilation albums that pop up around Christmas time.

At the same time, the music seems to share

MUSIC

“The songs are meticulously constructed, yet the band avoids the self-absorbed and often pompous pitfalls other bands succumb to when pursuing this kind of sound.” some common ground with progressive and experimental rock. Yet comparing them to any of the well-known bands in those genres would be a disservice to Elk Milk.

They don’t “sound like” any other band besides Elk Milk, but clearly they are influenced by a number of heavy-hitters, or at least they share some sensibilities about how a song should be constructed with some famously innovative folk.

“Wolfen” in particular is a stand out track, and in many ways, a definitive one as far as the band’s sound is concerned. Complex and atmospheric, the song (and really, every song on the EP) would be equally well received at a concert, a festival, in a darkened room through headphones, or in a car sailing down a deserted highway late at night where the only light the glow of the dashboard.

Music is art, therefore musicians are artists, but there is a higher level

and more specific brand of artistry to this work than one commonly hears. And that’s Elk Milk in a single word: artistry.

The songs are meticulously constructed, yet the band avoids the selfabsorbed and often pompous pitfalls other bands succumb to when pursuing this kind of sound.

Honestly, the EP could easily serve as the soundtrack to a cutting edge and award-winning indie film perhaps because the band itself has a cutting-edge, indie quality to it.

The official release is set for this Saturday at JJ’s Bohemia, the premier outlet for some of the best music the city has to offer. Elk Milk will be joined that evening

by Nightway and Side Affect and a quick trip to the band’s Facebook page will grant you a preview of what’s to come via “Tiny Spark.”

It may be better to age more like wine than milk, but in the case of Elk Milk, each new release signifies a move up for a band already at the top of their game.

PLVNET Gets All Tooled Up, Scenic City Opera Gets Bitten Two points of interest this week.

First, a gentle reminder that PLVNET’s Tool tribute, 10,000 Days: A Night of Tool, is this Saturday at the Revelry Room.

Advance tickets have been going fast for what will likely be a sold out show, but there’s still an opportunity to see this mind-blowing tribute from the hometown band with the chops to do it.

The boys, who are all huge fans of Tool, are working on a new album and have decided to fund it in a most intriguing and novel way, by actually, you know, playing a gig. In an era where more and more bands seem to start a GoFundMe or Kickstarter to raise money for recording, PLVNET is doing it the old fashioned way.

The show is 18+ with Rye Baby set to open. Call Revelry Room now to make sure you don’t miss it.

In other news, Scenic City Opera, the same folks who brought you Mozart’s “Abduction from the Seraglio” set in the Star Trek universe (now with 100 percent more Gorn fights) is presenting “Der Vampyr!”

May 26-28 and June 2-4 at Barking Legs Theater.

The troupe will of course be putting their own touch on the classic (going so far as to subtitle it “Bite Me”) with plenty of influence from True Blood, Buffy: The Vampire Slayer and The Vampire Diaries.

At no time will any vampire sparkle during the production and given the group’s masterful and humorous ability to combine fine opera with contemporary pop culture, it is destined to be another unforgettable show. Tickets are available now through sceniccityopera.org — Marc T. Michael

THU5.18

FRI5.19

SAT5.20

Blair Cimmins and the Hookers

Monday Night Social

Mark Dvorak

Hot Ragtime Jazz with a touch of rock and roll that will get your feet dancing and your body shaking.

9 p.m.

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

The free Nightfall Concert Series presents a band poised to make their mark with unique songwriting and an eclectic style.

7 p.m.

Miller Plaza 850 Market St. nightfallchattanooga.com

What goes better with a coffeehouse show than some old-fashioned folk music? Absolutely nothing.

8 p.m.

Charles & Myrtle’s Coffeehouse 105 McBrien Rd. christunity.org CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • MAY 18, 2017 • THE PULSE • 21

LIVE MUSIC CALENDAR

The Marcus King Band

THURSDAY5.18 James Crumble Trio 6 p.m.

St. John’s Meeting Place 1278 Market St. stjohnsrestaurant.com Rick Rushing 6 p.m.

Backstage Bar 29 Station St. backstagechattanooga.com Forever Bluegrass 6 p.m.

Whole Foods Market 301 Manufacturers Rd. wholefoodsmarket.com Prime Country Band 6:30 p.m.

Motley’s 320 Emberson Dr. Ringgold, GA (706) 260-8404 Bluegrass & Country Jam 6:30 p.m.

Grace Church of the Nazarene 6310 Dayton Blvd. chattanoogagrace.com Bluegrass Thursdays 7:30 p.m.

Feed Co. Table & Tavern 201 W. Main St. feedtableandtavern.com Jesse James & Tim Neal 7:30 p.m.

Mexi-Wing VII 5773 Brainerd Rd. mexi-wingchattanooga.com “Falling In Love” by the Choral Arts of Chattanooga 7:30 p.m.

Second Presbyterian Church

22 • THE PULSE • MAY 18, 2017 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

700 Pine St. choralartsofchattanooga.org The Marcus King Band 8 p.m.

Revelry Room 41 Station St. revelryroom.co Keepin’ It Local 8 p.m.

The Social 1110 Market St. publichousechattanooga.com Open Mic with Hap Henninger 9 p.m.

The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com Blair Cimmins and the Hookers 9 p.m.

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

FRIDAY5.19 Roxie Randle 6 p.m.

Cambridge Square Night Market 9453 Bradmore Ln. chattanoogamarket.com Eddie Pontiac 6 p.m.

El Meson 2204 Hamilton Place Blvd. elmesonrestaurant.com Binji Varsossa 6 p.m.

Cancun Mexican Restaurant 1809 Broad St. (423) 266-1461 Monday Night Social, Drakeford 7 p.m.

Miller Plaza 850 Market St. nightfallchattanooga.com

PULSE MUSIC SPOTLIGHT Roxie Randle has performed on the stadium stage with Shania Twain, opened for Teri Clark and Mel Tillis, and co-written with some of Nashville’s best songwriters Roxie Randle Saturday, 12:30 p.m.

TN Aquarium Plaza 1 Broad St. chattanoogarivermarket.com

Tim Lewis 7 p.m.

El Meson 248 Northgate Park elmesonchattanooga.com The Bar Exam 8 p.m.

The Camp House 149 E. MLK Blvd. thecamphouse.com The Whiskey Gentry 8 p.m.

Revelry Room 41 Station St. revelryroom.co The Deer + Randy Steele 8 p.m.

Woodshop Rehearsal Space 5500 St. Elmo Ave. thewoodshoprehearsal.com Priscilla & Little Rickee 8:30 p.m.

The Foundry 1201 Broad St. chattanooganhotel.com Kelsi Westfall 9 p.m.

The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com BTB, Creature Comfort ​9 p.m.

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

Ziggy’s Bar & Grill 607 Cherokee Blvd. ziggysbarandgrill.net Roughwork 9 p.m.

Coyote Jack’s Saloon 1400 Cowart St.

LIVE MUSIC CALENDAR

The Whiskey Gentry coyotejackssaloon.com Charley Woods 9 p.m.

Puckett’s Restaurant 2 W. Aquarium Way puckettsgro.com Dead 27s 10 p.m.

Clyde’s On Main 122 W. Main St. clydesonmain.com Aunt Betty 10 p.m.

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

SATURDAY5.20 Bluegrass Brunch Noon The Honest Pint 35 Patten Pkwy. thehonestpint.com Roxie Randle 12:30 p.m.

Tennessee Aquarium Plaza 1 Broad St. chattanoogarivermarket.com Eddie Pontiac 6 p.m.

El Meson 2204 Hamilton Place Blvd. elmesonrestaurant.com Binji Varsossa 6 p.m.

Cancun Mexican Restaurant 1809 Broad St. (423) 266-1461 Tim Lewis 7 p.m.

El Meson 248 Northgate Park

elmesonchattanooga.com Mark Dvorak 8 p.m.

Charles & Myrtle’s Coffeehouse 105 McBrien Rd. christunity.org The Countrymen Band 8 p.m.

Eagles Club 6130 Airways Blvd.

(423) 894-9940 Taylor & Company 8 p.m.

VFW Post 4848 2402 Amnicola Hwy. (423) 624-6687 Priscilla & Little Rickee 8:30 p.m.

The Foundry 1201 Broad St. chattanooganhotel.com Elk Milk CD Release 9 ​ p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com 10,000 Days: A Night of Tool with PLVNET 9 p.m.

Revelry Room 41 Station St. revelryroom.co Roughwork 9 p.m.

Coyote Jack’s Saloon 1400 Cowart St. coyotejackssaloon.com J. Edwards & Cricket 9 p.m.

Puckett’s Restaurant 2 W. Aquarium Way puckettsgro.com Dyrty Byrds 10 p.m.

Clyde’s On Main 122 W. Main St. clydesonmain.com Mark Andrew 10 p.m.

The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com Aunt Betty 10 p.m.

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

SUNDAY5.21 Fantasia for Flute and Organ 10:30 a.m.

The Church of the Nativity Episcopal Church 1201 Cross St. Fort Oglethorpe, GA nativity.dioet.org Sons of Daughters 11 a.m.

Flying Squirrel Bar 55 Johnson St. flyingsquirrelbar.com Charlsey Etheridge 12:30 p.m.

First Tennessee Pavilion 1829 Carter St. chattanoogamarket.com Nancy Westmoreland Trio 1 p.m.

Flying Squirrel Bar 55 Johnson St. flyingsquirrelbar.com The Molly Maguires 2 p.m.

First Tennessee Pavilion 1829 Carter St. chattanoogamarket.com

Chattanooga Bach Choir Cantata Concert 4 p.m.

Christ Church Chattanooga 663 Douglas St. chattanoogabachchoir.org Bluegrass Jam 4 p.m.

Fiddler’s Anonymous 2248 Dayton Blvd.

(423) 994-7497 Open Mic with Jeff Daniels 6 p.m.

Long Haul Saloon 2536 Cummings Hwy. (423) 822-9775 Nathan Mell 7 p.m.

The BackStage Bar 29 Station St. (423) 629-2233 Mudsex, Genki Genki Panic ​9 p.m.

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

MONDAY5.22 Monday Nite Big Band 7 p.m.

The Coconut Room 6925 Shallowford Rd. thepalmsathamilton.com Very Open Mic with Shawnessey Cargile 8 p.m.

The Well 1800 Rossville Blvd. #8 wellonthesouthside.com Open Mic Night 6 p.m.

Puckett’s Grocery CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • MAY 18, 2017 • THE PULSE • 23

LIVE MUSIC CALENDAR

Gino Fanelli 2 W. Aquarium Way puckettsgro.com Open Air with Jessica Nunn 7:30 p.m.

The Granfalloon 400 E. Main St. granfalloonchattanooga.com

TUESDAY5.23 Danimal 6 p.m.

Backstage Bar 29 Station St. backstagechattanooga.com Bill McCallie and In Cahoots 6:30 p.m.

Southern Belle 201 Riverfront Pkwy. chattanoogariverboat.com Open Mic with Mike McDade 8 p.m.

Tremont Tavern 1203 Hixson Pike tremonttavern.com Adventure Fight ​9 p.m.

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

WEDNESDAY5.24 NoonTunes with Gino Fanelli Noon Miller Plaza 850 Market St. noontunescha.com Toby Hewitt 6 p.m.

24 • THE PULSE • MAY 18, 2017 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

Backstage Bar 29 Station St. backstagechattanooga.com The Other Guys 6 p.m.

SpringHill Suites 495 Riverfront Pkwy. springhillsuites.com Bike Night with Bethany Grace 6 p.m.

Bud’s Sports Bar 5751 Brainerd Rd. budssportsbar.com Old Time Fiddle & Banjo Show 6:30 p.m.

Fiddler’s Anonymous 2248 Dayton Blvd.

(423) 994-7497 Joel Clyde 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 Jazz in the Lounge 8 p.m.

Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. barkinglegs.org 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

RECORD REVIEWS ∙ ERNIE PAIK

The Bad Signs Black Magic Moments, Orchestra Baobab Tribute to Ndiouga Dieng

The Bad Signs Black Magic Moments (Number Nine Creative Cult)

T

he Nashville trio the Bad Signs was born from inspiration that guitarist Nat Rufus got from a decades-old black and white photo of two motorcycle-riding teens—“vintage rebel youth” as he put it.

Make no mistake—the group is going for a retro ‘60s feel, evoking the obligatory accoutrement (bikes, leather and tattoos) of the classic garagerock/rockabilly era, epitomized by Link Wray, who could turn simple, slowly strummed chords (like those in “Rumble”) into imposing badassery.

Nat, along with his twin brother Rob (author of the au-

tobiography Die Young with Me, about being a teenage punk fighting cancer) were previously in the group Blacklist Royals before forming the Bad Signs with the beehive-hairdosporting vocalist Samantha Harlow, known for her work in the country music realm.

On the Bad Signs’ debut EP, Black Magic Moments, the group has the assumed style nailed down, with all the right studio and guitar effects and classic-sounding electric guitar timbres. Distortion, reverb and tremolo are tuned to match ‘60s garage-rock aesthetics Showing the soft side of greasers, “Blue Love” is a waltz-time dancehall number, warmly sung by Harlow being aloof rather than tough, with subtly sensual flourishes; it ends with a seemingly compulsory guitar whammy bar dive.

“Love Lock,” inspired by the Parisian bridge adorned with numerous locks added by romantic couples, has a sinister vibe, implying bondage with the sound of shaken chains, and the echoing maelstrom of “Hypno-Twist” features the title

repeatedly spoken and a surfrock beat.

The vinyl-only bonus track “Can’t Help Falling in Love” covers the Elvis classic with Harlow’s tender, exposed vocals accompanied by tremolotreated guitar.

When listening to such music, like watching films from genres like horror or martial arts, it’s about managing expectations—ambitious complexity doesn’t necessarily have to be a criterion of judgment all the time; style can be more important here than substance.

Orchestra Baobab Tribute to Ndiouga Dieng (World Circuit)

O

rchestra Baobab from the West African country

Senegal, formed in 1970 as the house band for the popular Club Baobab in Dakar, has its share of milestones in its long career; after a fruitful run, it disbanded in the ‘80s, with audiences favoring the emerging mbalax dance music over its style that combined AfroCuban rhythms and traditional West African music.

A reissue of the group’s album Pirates Choice boosted the group’s reunion in 2001, followed by the release of the comeback album Specialist in All Styles.

However, the two most recent milestones for Orchestra Baobab are the passing of Ndiouga Dieng in November, who tackled griot (West African troubadour) vocals in the Wolof tradition of Senegal for the band since the ‘70s, and the recent release of Tribute to Ndiouga Dieng, which is the band’s first album in a decade.

There’s a steady, simmering energy to Orchestra Baobab, which makes sense knowing its history as a house band, to keep people dancing but not burn them out. Cuban flavors, pri-

marily manifested with percussion, mingle with a potpourri of styles taken from the members’ native countries, which include Togo, Guinea and Morocco in addition to Senegal.

Dieng’s son Alpha assumed his father’s role after his death, with Balla Sidibé—one of the group’s original frontmen— currently leading the band.

One of the prominent features of Tribute to Ndiouga Dieng is the masterful and effervescent kora (West African lute) playing from Abdoulaye Cissoko, with swift runs that pepper tracks such as “Mariama” (a Manding classic) and “Alekouma.”

Another highlight is the new rendition of the track “Sey” featuring singer Thione Seck, who reunites with the band after departing in 1979 to pursue his own solo career; its sax riff alternates with Seck’s emotional singing, with flowing electric guitar melodies also sharing the spotlight.

It’s not a bombastic album, but one that’s velvety, spirited and infused with a variety of complex flavors.

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • MAY 18, 2017 • THE PULSE • 25

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY exceptionally well-groomed. Cockroaches clean themselves as much as cats do.)

ROB BREZSNY TAURUS (April 20-May 20): My pregnant friend Myrna is determined to avoid giving birth via Caesarean section. She believes that the best way for her son to enter the world is by him doing the hard work of squeezing through the narrow birth canal.

That struggle will fortify his willpower and mobilize him to summon equally strenuous efforts in response to future challenges. It’s an interesting theory. I suggest you consider it as you contemplate how you’re going to get yourself reborn.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): I invite you to try the following meditation: Picture yourself filling garbage bags with stuff that reminds you of what you used to be and don’t want to be any more. Add anything that feels like decrepit emotional baggage or that serves as a worn-out psychological crutch. When you’ve gathered up all the props and accessories that demoralize you, imagine yourself going to a beach where you build a big bonfire and hurl your mess into the flames. As you dance around the conflagration, exorcise the voices in your head that tell you boring stories about yourself. Sing songs that have as much power to relieve and release you as a spectacular orgasm.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): In normal times, your guardian animal ally might be the turtle, crab, seahorse, or manta ray. But in the next three weeks, it’s the cockroach. This unfairly maligned creature is legendary for its power to thrive in virtually any environment, and I think you will have a similar resourcefulness. Like the cockroach, you will do more than merely cope with awkward adventures and complicated transitions; you will flourish. One caution: It’s possible that your adaptability may bother people who are less flexible and enterprising than you. To keep that from being a problem, be empathetic as you help them adapt.

(P.S. Your temporary animal ally is

26 • THE PULSE • MAY 18, 2017 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Lady Jane Grey was crowned Queen of England in July 1553, but she ruled for just nine days before being deposed. I invite you to think back to a time in your own past when victory was short-lived. Maybe you accomplished a gratifying feat after an arduous struggle, only to have it quickly eclipsed by a twist of fate.

Perhaps you finally made it into the limelight but then lost your audience to a distracting brouhaha. But here’s the good news: Whatever it was—a temporary triumph? incomplete success? nullified conquest? —you will soon have a chance to find redemption for it.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): While shopping at a funky yard sale, I found the torn-off cover of a book titled You’re a Genius and I Can Prove It. Sadly, the rest of the book was not available. Later I searched for it in online bookstores, and found it was out of-print. That’s unfortunate, because now would be an excellent time for you to peruse a text like this.

Why? Because you need specific, detailed evidence of how unique and compelling you are -- concrete data that will provide an antidote to your habitual self-doubts and consecrate your growing sense of self-worth.

Here’s what I suggest you do: Write an essay entitled “I’m an Interesting Character and Here’s the Proof.”

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Leonardo da Vinci wrote a bestiary, an odd little book in which he drew moral conclusions from the behavior of animals. One of his descriptions will be useful for you to contemplate in the near future. It was centered on what he called the “wild ass,” which we might refer to as an undomesticated donkey. Leonardo said that this beast, “going to the fountain to drink and finding the water muddy, is never too thirsty to wait until it becomes clear before satisfying himself.” That’s a useful fable to contemplate, Libra. Be patient as you go in search of what’s pure and clean and good for you. (The translation from the Italian is by Oliver Evans.)

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): My friend Allie works as a matchmaker.

She has an instinctive skill at reading the potential chemistry between people. One of her key strategies is to urge her clients to write mission statements. “What would your ideal

Homework: Imagine what your life would be like if you even partially licked your worst fear. Describe this new world. FreeWillAstrology.com marriage look like?” she asks them.

Once they have clarified what they want, the process of finding a mate seems to become easier and more fun. In accordance with the astrological omens, Scorpio, I suggest you try this exercise—even if you are already in a committed relationship. It’s an excellent time to get very specific about the inspired togetherness you’re willing to work hard to create.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): In ancient Greek myth, Tiresias was a prophet who could draw useful revelations by interpreting the singing of birds. Spirits of the dead helped him devise his prognostications, too. He was in constant demand for revelations about the future. But his greatest claim to fame was the fact that a goddess magically transformed him into a woman for seven years. After that, he could speak with authority about how both genders experienced the world. This enhanced his wisdom immeasurably, adding to his oracular power. Are you interested in a less drastic but highly educational lesson, Sagittarius? Would you like to see life from a very different perspective from the one you’re accustomed to? It’s available to you if you want it.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “You remind me of the parts of myself that I will never have a chance to meet,” writes poet Mariah GordonDyke, addressing a lover. Have you ever felt like saying that to a beloved ally, Capricorn? If so, I have good news: You now have an opportunity to meet and greet parts of yourself that have previously been hidden from you -- aspects of your deep soul that up until now you may only have caught glimpses of. Celebrate this homecoming!

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): I predict that you won’t be bitten by a dog or embarrassed by a stain or pounced on by a lawyer. Nor will you lose your keys or get yelled at by a friend or oversleep for a big appointment. On the contrary! I think you’ll be wise to expect the best. The

following events are quite possible: You may be complimented by a person who’s in a position to help you.

You could be invited into a place that had previously been off-limits.

While eavesdropping, you might pick up a useful clue, and while daydreaming you could recover an important memory you’d lost. Good luck like this is even more likely to sweep into your life if you work on ripening the most immature part of your personality.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Time out. It’s intermission. Give yourself permission to be spacious and slow.

Then, when you’re sweetly empty— this may take a few days -- seek out experiences that appeal primarily to your wild and tender heart as opposed to your wild and jumpy mind.

Just forget about the theories you believe in and the ideas you regard as central to your philosophy of life.

Instead, work on developing brisk new approaches to your relationship with your feelings. Like what?

Become more conscious of them, for example. Express gratitude for what they teach you. Boost your trust for their power to reveal what your mind sometimes hides from you.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): “A twoyear-old kid is like using a blender, but you don’t have a top for it,” said comedian Jerry Seinfeld. Would you like to avoid a scenario like that, Aries? Would you prefer not to see what happens if your life has resemblances to turning on a topless blender that’s full of ingredients? Yes? Then please find the top and put it on!

And if you can’t locate the proper top, use a dinner plate or newspaper or pizza box. OK? It’s not too late.

Even if the blender is already spewing almond milk and banana fragments and protein powder all over the ceiling. Better late than never!

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.

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • MAY 18, 2017 • THE PULSE • 27

OPINIONS & DIVERSIONS

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JONESIN' CROSSWORD ∙ MATT JONES “Mystery Letter”

—same letter, different means of wordplay.

ACROSS 1 Iranian leader until 1979 5 Resort with hot springs 8 Wacky, as antics 14 “... stay ___, and Wheat Chex stay floaty” (Shel Silverstein’s “Cereal”) 15 Thermometer scale 17 “In ___ of gifts ...”

18 Visually controlled tennis move? [go the opposite direction] 19 Keeps from leaving the house, at times 21 “Texas tea” 22 Like England in the Middle Ages 24 2016 Justin Timberlake movie 27 Org. that awards Oscars 28 Pageant contestants’ accessories 31 Suddenly shut up when collecting pollen? [tilt uppercase on its side] 34 Summer on the Seine 35 Four-time Indy 500 winner Rick 36 Airport approximation, for short 39 Actor/sportscaster Bob and family, Stretch Armstrongstyle? [flip over lowercase] 44 It’s the “K” in K-Cups 45 Cosmetics purveyor Adrien 46 Drop out of the union 49 Slashes 50 The whole thing 51 “The Faerie Queene” poet Edmund 54 Annual reports, completely vanished? [turn to a positive] 58 Chevre source 61 Like Consumer Electronics Show offerings 62 “In the Blood” band Better Than ___ 63 Absorb 64 Barrett who cofounded Pink Floyd 65 Doctor’s order for the overly active, perhaps DOWN 1 La preceder

2 “Bali ___” (“South Pacific” song) 3 Had an evening repast 4 Sonata automaker 5 Pissed-off expression 6 Energizes, with “up” 7 Dead set against 8 It may get dropped 9 Reno and Holder, briefly 10 Beats by ___ 11 “Good King Wenceslas,” e.g.

12 Tylenol rival 13 Plantain coverings 16 Only three-letter chemical element 20 Brewer’s equipment 22 Rattle 23 Put forth 24 “One of ___ days ...”

25 Civil War soldier, for short 26 Buckeyes’ initials 28 Rude expression 29 “Asteroids” game company 30 “I dunno” gesture 32 Infuse (with) 33 Applied intense cold to 37 “Why don’t you make like a ___ and leave?”

38 Some broadband connections 40 Jake Shimabukuro instrument 41 It may get covered in throw pillows 42 Pantry stock 43 Dr. ___ (sketchy scientist who’s a supporting character on “Archer”) 46 “___ With Flowers” 47 Kagan of the Supreme Court 48 Metal-on-metal sound 49 Attacked in the groin, maybe 51 “___ Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” 52 Hawaiian foods 53 “Green-eyed monster” 55 Shad eggs 56 2022’s Super Bowl 57 “___ Can Cook” (former cooking show) 59 “___ Gratia Artis” (MGM motto) 60 Body art piece

Copyright © 2017 Jonesin’ Crosswords. For answers to this puzzle, call: 1-900-226-2800, 99 cents per3minute. Must be 18+ to call. Or to bill to your credit card, call: 1-800-655-6548. Reference puzzle No. 832.

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • MAY 18, 2017 • THE PULSE • 29

COLUMN ∙ GAME ON!

Can You Outlast Fear And Dread?

“Outlast 2” brings the things that go bump in the night to your console

Brandon Watson Pulse columnist

F

EAR, DREAD, TERROR. INSIDE each of us exist pet horrors that are locked away inside haunted spaces within our minds. Many of us will often step inside these spaces to be thrilled and terrified out of mere enjoyment. We do this any number of ways, by curling up with a suspenseful novel about child eating clowns, or by watching a favorite slasher flick from the perceived safety of our own living rooms.

Others, including me, sometimes fire up a game and allow for our deepest fears to manifest through sweaty palms, labored breathing and near heart attack inducing jump scares. For some of us, horror is not a spectator sport—once the movie illusion fades with age it takes a bit more to rattle the nerves and get into those dark places of creepshow wonder.

Although I don’t dwell on interactive fiction designed to scare the wits out of people very often, every now and again life calls for the feeling of sudden jump scares and overwhelming feelings of dread and hopelessness. For me, this is medicinal. Like eating chili peppers to cure an emotional cold, survival horror games are spice for the soul.

And believe me, this past month I took a bite out of something hot. “Outlast 2” hit the scene with a bit more fanfare than its predecessor and I was excited to see where developer Red Barrels would take their cat and mouse scare-fest this time around.

Outlast made you squirm in all the right ways and in my opinion brought back the

survival horror genre from the dead by taking away the ability to fight and forcing the player into a psychotic hide’n’ seek experience.

You will be frantically chased by religious nutjobs, you will experience fear induced hallucinations and involuntary screams as you scramble for hiding spots.

You will spasmodically search through rickety cabins and your heart will sink each and every time you turn a corner to see a starry eyed hillbilly leering at you in the darkness. You will run for your life, only to be caught mid-stride by a pickaxe wielding maiden of fear and death.

You are armed with an indestructible camera and the laughable catlike reflexes of a pacifist journalist. All the hopelessness you will feel from each terrifying set piece will keep you glued for hours playing and replaying until you finally figure out the right tactic to get through to the next horrific scene.

You won’t need to mess with the first game to enjoy this one: it is a complete standalone experience that drops the claustrophobic mental hospital setting for something a bit more terrifying: a religious cult infested countryside in Northern Arizona.

It’s like The Hills Have Eyes mixed with some Children of the Corn with a dash of The Shadow Over Innsmouth. Yes, it plays up on established tropes commonly found in horror films and games, but what it gets right is how easily it can pull you in.

30 • THE PULSE • MAY 18, 2017 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

“Your heart will sink each and every time you turn a corner to see a starry eyed hillbilly leering at you in the darkness.”

What I enjoyed most about “Outlast 2” is the collective composition of a horror experience.

The music tenses up right before something awful happens and the graphics are messed with when your character witnesses grotesque or frightening things. Imagine being horribly nearsighted and being chased by blood thirsty cultists then you lose your specs in a heap of hay hiding in a barn. Hilarious, right?

It’s the sum of all my fears being near blind and going full Velma while a pack of crazies beat down a barn door with hopes of chewing on my corpse. In fact, this happens on a few occasions within the game, it’s downright bone chilling.

It’s the little design choices like a nearsighted protagonist that really stood out for me, that and being

able to look down at your body in game and inspect the inventory for precious batteries you don’t have.

The disembodied floating hero common with just about every first person game ever has always had a world breaking effect with me.

Perhaps it’s the perception of occupying space within this fictional world that cultivates some level of personal identity with the main character, cultivating the desire to survive and ensuring your nerves are pulled taught with adrenaline.

Developer Red Barrels did right by choosing the “Outlast 2” setting and art direction, which is everything you want in a survival horror game.

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

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • MAY 18, 2017 • THE PULSE • 31