The Pulse 15.21 » May 24, 2018

MAY 24, 2018

HOMETOWN

TOURISM HOW TO EXPERIENCE THE CITY AS A NATIVE

SCENIC CITY

SHOE CULTURE

CURIOUS NIGHT

TIME DOGS NOT YOUR

AVERAGE KITTY

CHATTANOOGA'S WEEKLY ALTERNATIVE

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE VOLUME 15, ISSUE 21 • MAY 24, 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 David Traver Adolphus • Adam Beckett Rob Brezsny • Matt Jones Beth Neuhoff • Ernie Paik Rick Pimental-Habib • Alex Teach Michael Thomas • Addie Whitlow Editorial Interns Libby Gillies • Olivia Haynes Design Intern Kenzie Wrightsman Cartoonists Max Cannon • Jen Sorenson Tom Tomorrow

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

CONTACT Offices 1305 Carter St. Chattanooga, TN 37402 Phone 423.265.9494 Fax 423.266.2335 Email info@chattanoogapulse.com Website chattanoogapulse.com Facebook @chattanoogapulse THE FINE PRINT: The Pulse is published weekly by Brewer Media and is distributed throughout the city of Chattanooga and surrounding communities. The Pulse covers a broad range of topics concentrating on music, the arts, entertainment, culture and local news. The Pulse is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader. No person without written permission from the publisher may take more than one copy per weekly issue.

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Contents Copyright © 2018 by Brewer Media. All rights reserved.

8 4

How To Be A Hometown Tourist As a born-and-raised Chattanoogan, I feel insanely lucky to call the Scenic City my one and only home. It’s the kind of place I would have wanted to move to when I got older had I not already lived here, and now that I’m an “adult,” I couldn’t see myself living anywhere other than right here.

SCENIC CITY SHOE CULTURE

10

NOT YOUR AVERAGE KITTY

20

What started nine years ago as an art project in Wheatridge High School in Colorado is now a nationwide contest providing high schools with much needed art education funding.

14

Big Kitty is a lot of things, simultaneously— it’s an easygoing calico cat, a fearless feline guardian and the reincarnation of bluesman Blind Willie Johnson.

7 AIR BAG

CURIOUS NIGHT TIME DOGS

Making sense of the world around us from an outside perspective is a challenging aspect of life that most of us are all too familiar with.

THE MERC WITH A MOUTH

One of the stranger complaints levied against films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is that they’re too jokey. To be fair, one of the original goals of the films was to move comic books out of the realm of camp.

18 MUSIC REVIEWS

22 ON THE BEAT

12 ARTS CALENDAR

19 BUSINESS BRIEFS

23 FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

16 MUSIC CALENDAR

21 NEW IN THEATERS

23 JONESIN' CROSSWORD

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

BEGINNINGS · CITY LIFE

Scenic City Shoe Culture Hixson High art students win $75,000 arts education grant

By Beth Nuehoff Pulse contributor

“

It was their creative expression that won the contest,” Van Doren said.

“They were super amped!”

W

HAT STARTED NINE YEARS AGO AS AN ART PROJect in Wheatridge High School in Colorado is now a nationwide contest providing high schools with much needed art education funding.

The Vans Classic Culture Contest gives art students a chance to submit their own customized Vans shoes in hopes of winning the nationwide contest and bringing home the $75,000 prize for their school’s art department.

Hixson High School student, Amy Gonzales asked her teacher if they could submit an entry last year but then found they had missed the deadline. With new ideas and enthusiasm, a team of designers started working in March getting ready to submit their entries on time. After making it into the Top 5 across the nation, Hix-

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son was in the running to win either $10,000 or the $75,000 grand prize.

The students entered two categories, “Local Flavor” and “Off the Wall”.

For Local Flavor, the artists wanted to represent culture, history and geography in and around Chattanooga. They included Ruby Falls, Rock City, the Incline Railway, Point Park, and the famous Chattanooga Choo Choo. They also added the Tennessee River waterfront with the Aquarium and river boats.

For the Off The Wall category, stu-

dents chose to be more elaborate with an underground cavern lit by fairy lights and gleaming crystals surrounded by mushrooms and moss giving a nod to fairyland treasure on Lookout Mountain.

This past Thursday, all of the students were called outside. Students, along with local media, waited curiously for what was about the unfold. The large Vans “Off the Wall” touring bus pulled up to a cheering crowd announcing the Hixson High School entry was the winner of the Grand Prize!

They were treated to a concert by Trevor Jackson, confetti canons, a cookout, swag bags and a $75,000 check to the art department. Each designing student will be able to design their own pair of custom Vans online.

Steven Van Doren, Vice President of Events and Promotions (a/k/a “The Ambassador of Fun”), is the son of the founder of Vans…and the man who was in charge of the cookout. “It was their creative expression that won the contest,” Van Doren said. “They were super amped!”

“The prize money will be put to good use, providing much-needed pottery wheels, easels, and digital equipment for art students,” said art teacher Katie Claiborne. She said she’s happy Vans takes this chance to support the arts that aren’t always funded.

Vans shoe company began in 1966.

The classic checkerboard shoe design was inspired when kids started drawing checkerboards on the rubber in 1981.

In 1982, surfer dude Jeff Spicoli of the classic film Fast Times at Ridgemont High, hit himself over the head with a checkboard Vans shoe. That iconic checkerboard design is still their most popular shoe.

But here’s hoping one of Hixson’s creative students will design the next top-selling shoe.

Cons ider This w ith Dr. Rick

“be easy. take your time. you are coming home. to yourself. — the becoming

Social Media In The Workplace How to make social media work for your business Social Media is all around us.

If you haven’t heard, even the POTUS uses Twitter. But knowing where to post what when it comes to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Snapchat can be difficult, especially when you’re trying to figure out where your market audience can be found.

Facebook and Twitter seem to be the great equalizer, spanning a wide range of ages, while Instagram and Snapchat are geared more towards youths (i.e. don’t

expect to find your grandma in a puppy filter.)

Lucky for the local business owner, a class teaching you how to leverage social media to better benefit your business is being held this Tuesday at Chattanooga Workspace. Finding the perfect place to post will be a cinch if you listen up and follow along.

Run by Dr. Channing Muller of DCM Communications, this course will teach you everything you need to know about where to find your

audience, why people visit each platform, and where best to post photos per platform.

Beyond teaching you how to improve your social media standing, Dr. Muller will also teach you which pitfalls to avoid in terms of spending time and money on platforms that won’t benefit your business. Keeping up with these fastchanging times isn’t easy, but with a class like this, you’ll be one step closer to figuring it all out.

— Brooke Brown

If you are an awakening individual, and you are committed to noticing the signs, catching the messages, feeling the inspirations that fill our lives, then you are someone who knows that truths can come at us from any direction. So when we are meant to hear something, to learn a lesson, to address an issue, it will show up from several directions.

It may come to us from a sage poet: “Open your eyes to the beauty around you.

Open your heart to those who love you. And always be true to yourself.” (Maya Angelou) It may come from ancient wisdom: “How do you benefit from this life?” I said, “By keeping true to myself.” (Rumi) Or it may arrive via humor: “Always be yourself. Unless you can be a pirate. Then always be a pirate.” (unknown) Consider this: From overhearing a conversation to noticing a magazine ad. Open yourself to the answers of your ponderings.

— Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D.

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • MAY 24, 2018 • THE PULSE • 5

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COLUMN · AIR BAG

The End of the American Automobile Ford is getting out of the car business. Where did we go wrong?

I David Traver Adolphus Pulse columnist

“

Ford doesn’t even make a car with a base price over $30,000—the average base price of the six ‘cars’ they make (the C-Max, a small vanny wagony thing, barely counts), is $22,000.”

David Traver Adolphus is a freelance automotive researcher who quit his full time job writing about old cars to pursue his lifelong dream of writing about old AND new cars. Follow him on Twitter as @proscriptus.

N RETROSPECT, IT SHOULD HAVE been obvious that Ford didn’t care about cars any more. Last fall, they emitted a press release that in the first paragraph said, among other gibberish, “strategic”; “leverage”; “product strengths”; “trusted brand”; “global scale”; “refocus”; “evolving”; and “disruptive”.

They didn’t drink the management consultant Flavor Aid; they got naked and jumped into an industrial vat of it and splashed their middle-aged white bodies around in it until they were all grapey and wrinkled. More wrinkled.

Because Ford Motor Company was now going to be a “mobility company”.

All us auto writers had a hearty laugh, because it was obvious that Ford CEO Jim Hackett, appointed in May 2017 fresh off a 33-year career making office furniture at Steelcase, was in way over his head. Ford is a family-controlled company and while the Ford family is secretive, the youngest of them are fourthgeneration automakers.

They have seen the Edsel. They have seen the Pinto. They have seen the Mustang II. They know fads and disasters.

They’d give this yokel some leeway but when he started to threaten the security of the never-ending family fortune, yank him back on his chain so hard his chubby little baby face would detach from his body.

For months, it looked like Jimmy was digging his own hole pretty deep. Shortly after his hiring, he announced a six-step cost-cutting plan, but 11 months went by with him refusing to tell anyone what exactly his “plan” was.

A New York Times article over the winter described a conference call with investors in which a Morgan Stanley

analyst called him on his failures, and reiterated the sentiment in a very public April 2018 letter.

Hackett’s back was probably against the wall at that point, and scared animals do desperate things—like announcing that within 18 months, the only car Ford is going to build is the Mustang. Everything else will be increasingly popular—and large—crossovers, full-size SUVs and trucks.

This is Ford’s nuclear option. It’s aided by the dinosaur-ending asteroid that is the Trump administration, ripping open fuel economy loopholes and keeping gas prices artificially low, which makes high-profit big vehicles even more profitable.

Ford doesn’t even make a car with a base price over $30,000—the average base price of the six “cars” they make (the C-Max, a small vanny wagony thing, barely counts), is $22,000. An Expedition starts at $51,790. The larger the vehicle, the larger the margin.

That’s the big turnaround in a nutshell. They don’t make even one hy-

brid or battery SUV, but they’ll probably make a halfhearted effort to do so, along with a light drizzle of autonomous driving, and watch the profits climb.

Right up until that moment when gas goes up again and people say, “Huh, I’m really not enjoying paying $95 to fill my Flex twice a week,” which is returning 15 mpg around town and, oh yeah, all those fancy Ford turbo engines need premium.

It is the thinking of a man whose shining accomplishment is recruiting Jim Harbaugh to coach U Michigan. And maybe also of a man who thinks his job is on the line. It would be funny if Ford didn’t employ 200,000 people, and probably another million indirectly.

But Hackett has made a career of destroying lives for profit and is clearly only interested in his own skin, so what does he care if five years from now it all comes crashing down like the tower of glass that it is?

He’ll be long gone with a generous severance package, and it’ll be someone else’s problem.

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • MAY 24, 2018 • THE PULSE • 7

COVER STORY

Hometown Tourism How to experience Chattanooga as a native

By Brooke Brown Pulse Assistant Editor

“

We’re one of those special cities that possesses something for everyone to do whether you’re single, a couple, a family, or a group of friends swinging through town.”

A

S A BORN-AND-RAISED CHATTANOOGAN, I FEEL INsanely lucky to call the Scenic City my one and only home.

It’s the kind of place I would have wanted to move to when I got older had I not already lived here, and now that I’m an “adult,” I couldn’t see myself living anywhere other than right here.

No matter if you’re a tourist or a local looking to have a staycation downtown, there is no shortage of things to do and places to see, it just depends on what you’re interested in.

When it comes to resting your head, whether you want to be in the heart of downtown or on the Southside, you can find a comfy, cozy bed almost anywhere you look.

We’ve got everything from boutique hotels like The Dwell Hotel with their swanky take on mid-century modern luxury to the tried-and-true Chattanooga Choo Choo where you can stay in a train car from eras past while still enjoying modern amenities.

Beyond the selection of sleeping accommodations, Chattanooga is littered with places to get the best kind of meal in whatever flavor tickles your fancy. If you’re itching for tacos and tequila or

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maybe an evening of red sauce and wine, you won’t go hungry here. Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, raw diets, Chattanooga encompasses it all in a range of budgets to fit every guest.

To me, Chattanooga is such a hit with tourists due to far more than just our swanky accommodations and good eats. We’re one of those special cities that possesses something for everyone to do whether you’re single, a couple, a family, or a group of friends swinging through town.

Dancing, dining, learning, exploring, creating, Chattanooga will leave you with little to be desired. But when you think of Chattanooga’s tourism scene, what comes to mind? Ruby Falls? The Creative Discovery Museum? The Aquarium, the Chattanooga Zoo, the list goes on and on, but what about the out-of-the-box things to do in town?

International Towing and Recovery Museum Back in 1916, the first commercially produced twin-boom wrecker was invented right here in Chattanooga. Just a few miles from where the International Towing Museum sits on Broad Street, Ernest Holmes Sr. got the idea of rigging up a truck to tow cars out of sticky situations after he needed blocks, ropes, and six men to pull a car out of a creek.

The museum came to be more than 20 years ago when a group of towing professionals known as Friends of Towing decided to open a place where towing and recovery professionals worldwide could be recognized for their efforts, the industry’s history could be recorded and viewed, artifacts and memorabilia of interest could be collected and displayed, and to educate the public about an industry that many may have overlooked.

“This is the only towing and recovery museum in the world,” says museum employee Jim Starry.

Besides it being the home of the first tow truck, Starry says what make them even more unique is the collection of trucks inside.

“We have a large collection of different trucks, starting with the replica of the first tow truck made right here. So you can start there and go all the way up to the newest one that was made in 1950,” says Starry. “We have a 1913 Cadillac tow truck and a 1913 Locomobile which was made in Pennsylvania for a short period of time.”

Inside the museum is a treasure trove of outrageously cool automobiles and tow trucks as to be expected, but what first caught my eye was the garden-esque area out front featuring a uniquely sculpted fountain. The taillights of a submerged vehicle peek out of the water at the fountain’s base, a stone sculpture of a rescue perched above it in which a tow truck operator comes to the aid of the driver.

Helping those in need is something towing and recovery professionals are dedicated to as they risk their lives almost daily to help stranded drivers. Approximately one tower is killed every six days despite the Move Over law.

To commemorate the lives of those lost in their line of work, the International Towing and Recovery Museum features the Wall of the Fallen outside the museum.

“It’s a list of towers that get killed in the line of duty,” says Starry. “It started in 2007, but anyone that comes in and can prove that their relative lost their life serving in the towing and recovery profession will have that relative’s name added to the wall. We have a ceremony the third weekend in September to add the new names.”

A truly special place beyond the fact that it’s the only one in the world, the International Towing and Recovery Museum is a sight to see and worth a look through the history of an incredible occupation.

Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum As our lives in modern times progress and expand in more ways than we imagined, the bustle of the everyday can become overwhelming in the blink of an eye. Taking a vacation isn’t always relaxing depending on your itinerary. Lucky for us Chattanoogans, among our plethora of available activities visitors can take some time to return to a slower-paced era as they visit the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum.

Described at times as a “moving museum,” the TVRR is the only full-sized train ride available in Tennessee, and with more than a handful of different styled train rides to experience, more

“

We’re lucky individuals to call this place our home. Whether you’re born and raised, moved here or you’re just stopping in for a visit, we all can appreciate how unique our city is.”

than one trip to the museum and Chattanooga are in order.

Whether you’re a newlywed couple looking for an out-of-the-box date night or a family looking to experience the history surrounding Tennessee Valley Railroad, hitch a ride and prepare to be immersed in the romantic age of escaping reality along the rails.

Customizing your experience at TVRR is entirely up to you. A favorite of travelers, the Chickamauga Turn is a leisurely ride through the woods of Tennessee and on into Georgia as the rails will arrive in Chickamauga, Georgia. Guests aboard this trip will get to enjoy the taste of sweet iced tea along with lunch as you dine in the lunch car, as well as a stop at historic Civil War site, the Chickamauga Battlefield. With more than just the Chickamauga Turn available, Tennessee Valley Railroad offers an outstanding selection of potential rides.

Dinner on the Diner is a perfect experience for those wishing to spice up their dinner plans. A three-course meal will be provided in a vintage dining car where four guests may be seated, the Pullman car which seats two, or the Eden Isle private office car where eight can be seated for private parties with a call-ahead reservation.

The Missionary Ridge Local Train is a favorite of mine and one of the most relaxing afternoons I’ve spent in a good while. You’ll board the train, find a seat, and head off on a quick twenty-minute ride to the East Chattanooga Station.

Once you arrive, everyone will deboard and experience a turntable demonstration in which the train car is positioned on the turntable and is moved to

return the direction from which it came.

Here you can take some time to visit the backshop tour during the turntable demonstration before heading back to the Grand Junction Station.

All in all, it takes about an hour and some change and is the perfect way to spend a slow, sleepy afternoon experiencing a simpler time.

Lookout Mountain Hang Gliding A great deal of folks come to the Scenic City for all things outdoors. Climbers flock to our rocks, hikers can’t get enough of our trails, and just about every other outdoor activity can be accounted for too. Paddle boarding, biking, skating, kayaking, swimming, we’ve got it all covered. But no one has the skies covered better than Lookout Mountain Fly Park.

Located on a beautiful bluff atop Lookout Mountain, the Lookout Mountain Fly Park offers tandem hang gliding, classes and solo glides for whatever your adrenaline-fueled heart desires.

If you’re a seasoned pro or have never seen a glider in your life, they’re the place to start.

“We have two main beginner package options,” says Janet Chesson, an employee of Lookout Mountain Fly Park. The beginner options are of lower time commitment than other options and are perfect for someone interested in just spending a few hours, half a day at most, to get themselves into it.

“The introductory experience is a half day and gets you a morning on the training hill on the glider by yourself just learning the fundamentals.

Your first flight will take you five feet off the ground with you as the sole pilot,”

says Chesson. “You’ll work there for a couple hours and then complete the tandem program where you’ll fly with an instructor at full altitude of 1,500 to 3,000 feet.”

Fair warning, once your feet leave the ground you might find yourself signing up for classes so you can glide for the rush whenever you want it. Lookout Mountain Fly Park offers a novice training package which is currently $100 off through the end of May. Chesson and the park’s employees would like for newcomers or those interested in training packages to come in and talk with him about why you want to become a hang glider pilot, how much time you can spend, and your budget so they can match you with the package that’s best for you.

“We’ve been here for almost forty years at the same site,” says Chesson.

“Our owner came looking for a place to start his operation and this site was perfect by the bluff, with the cliff for launching and the beautiful landing field right below. He’d searched the states for a while, and this was just the perfect spot.”

An afternoon of fun or maybe your new passion, Lookout Mountain Fly Park has all the tools to send you off on a whirlwind adventure over our gorgeous Tennessee landscape.

We’re lucky individuals to call this place our home. Whether you’re born and raised, moved here or you’re just stopping in for a visit, we all can appreciate how unique our city is.

From the food and the hotels to the never-ending list of things to do, Chattanooga will never be boring and I for one am proud to be part of the extraordinary.

A lover of books, pizza, and all things happy, Brooke Brown joined The Pulse after she graduated from UTC with an English degree and an unyielding desire to correct grammar, leading her to a staff editorial position.

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • MAY 24, 2018 • THE PULSE • 9

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

The Harold Frank Exhibition Beauty is supposedly in the eye of the beholder. That’s true for most things in life, art especially. Some people like realism, others surrealism, some abstract, and...you see where I’m going with this. One thing we can all agree on is that art is something to be cherished, savored and admired as few people can create something that makes you feel.

Abstract expressionist painter Harold Frank’s works are outstandingly emotive and personal, paintings that few could look at and forget. A collection of his paintings was discovered in Los Angeles in 2015 and we are now lucky enough to view them over Memorial Day Weekend.

Expect a wide range of abstract expressionist paintings as Frank’s work spans several categories: “bold, unrelenting interpretations of the classical female form; intriguing madonna-like portraits; energetic floral works; and evocative, pure abstracts.”

Frank’s backstory sounds like a film come to life as he was born in Poland, brought to the US through Ellis Island by his parents in 1921 where he grew up in the Jewish tenements of New York City.

After serving in World War II, Frank studied in Paris before returning to New York and relocating some years later to study at UCLA in Los Angeles with renowned American Painter Richard Diebenkorn, his friend and mentor whose portrait he painted.

Frank never married and had no children beyond his outstanding collection of paintings. This will be the first time these works will have been available since 2002. Don’t miss a once-in-a-lifetime painter’s life’s work. — Brooke Brown

Curious Night Time Dogs Ensemble Theatre of Chattanooga gets mysterious

By Addie Whitlow Pulse contributor

“

‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the NightTime’ has been a show that Posey has wanted to direct since he read the novel years ago.”

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M

AKING SENSE OF THE WORLD AROUND US from an outside perspective is a challenging aspect of life that most of us are all too familiar with. Sure, we can attempt to see things from someone else’s point of view, but that can be challenging if that person sees the world in a different way than us.

If you’ve ever wanted a chance to truly experience the world through someone else’s eyes on stage, then look no further than the Ensemble Theatre of Chattanooga’s production of “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” which is being performed nightly through May 26 at Barking Legs Theatre.

“The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” is a play based on the 2003 mystery novel by British author Mark Haddon. It follows the story of Christopher, a 15-yearold boy growing up in England, and his attempt to solve the murder case

of a neighbor’s dog.

The novel hints that Christopher may have Asperger syndrome, high-functioning autism, or savant syndrome, but that isn’t what the story is about; instead, it’s about seeing things from Christopher’s perspective and about understanding his differences and how he fits into the world around him.

The Ensemble Theatre’s production is directed by Garry Lee Posey, who helped found ETC in 2006 and has directed over 60 shows since then. “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” has been a

show that Posey has wanted to direct since he read the novel years ago, and he’s excited to bring the show to life for the first time ever in Chattanooga.

“When I read the book 10 years ago, I was completely entranced by it. I really enjoyed it; I really liked the idea that there is this sort of underdog who is trying to figure out one thing, but then, before he knows it, he’s discovered more than he bargained for, but he had to learn those things somehow,” Posey explained. “The kind of coming of age mentality of it really excited me.”

While Posey and the cast were equally excited to start rehearsals on the show, which began about a month before the show opened last Friday, Posey said the portrayal of a lead character who is believed to be on the spectrum has been incredibly challenging.

“The book is very clear that [Christopher] is on the spectrum. The play is not so clear, but I think that to do service to that which it’s based on, you have to incorporate whatever it means to the actor, and obviously myself, the director, to be on the spectrum.”

“And so, one of the unique kind of lessons that we’ve learned in doing this show is that it’s not easy, nor necessary, nor respectful, really, to generalize what it’s like to be on the spectrum. So, what Normand [Caissie], who’s playing Christopher, and myself

“

I really liked the idea that there is this sort of underdog who is trying to figure out one thing, but then, before he knows it, he’s discovered more than he bargained for.”

have been discussing is what effects of autism or being on the spectrum do we want to incorporate into this character.”

Posey explained that he talked to several different people who are involved with the Chattanooga Autism Center prior to beginning rehearsals to the show in order to get the most accurate information on the topic at hand. Posey said that one of the people he talked to was very concerned with how Hollywood is using, in his eyes, people who are on the spectrum as a topic of consideration in recent movies and television shows while not actually using those same people to perform those roles.

“At the end of the day, as a director and as an artist, I’m just a storyteller.

And so I think that I put a lot of responsibility on my shoulders; I like to be very conscious and very sensitive to anyone, my audience or my actors,” Posey explained. “It’s been a fun little process of trying to figure out how to objectively tell a story about people

who, from other perspectives, are subjected to lots of different opinions or understandings or various levels of connectedness. So it’s very interesting, and it’s been a very intriguing, great learning process.”

“The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” features a cast of nine performers, and the venue, which is Barking Legs, will help to provide the intimate experience that ETC is known for. While Posey said that ETC doesn’t typically rely heavily on technology in their shows, this performance will feature some projections, which will be interesting.

“The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” is being performed Thursday-Sunday nights, with matinee shows on Saturdays and Sundays.

The performance runs through Saturday, May 26. If you’ve ever wanted a chance to experience this compelling and enlightening story on stage, then you definitely don’t want to miss its first-ever performance in the city by the Ensemble Theatre of Chattanooga.

THU5.24

FRI5.25

SAT5.26

Karen LaMonte Reception

Paddling Film Festival

WEAVE’s 5th Annual Spring Showcase

Artist Karen LaMonte challenges the inherent qualities of glass and explores the dress form.

6 p.m.

The Hunter Museum of Art 10 Bluff View Ave. huntermuseum.org

Come out and watch some of the world's best canoeing, kayaking, whitewater, SUP and kayak fishing films.

7:30 p.m.

Rock/Creek 1530 Riverside Dr. rockcreek.com

The entire company including Open Company Members, Top Tier Apprentice, and Top Tier Company Members.

2:30 p.m.

Chatt. Christian School 3354 Charger Dr. weavedancecompany.com CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • MAY 24, 2018 • THE PULSE • 11

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR

Sew What: Introduction to E-Textiles

THURSDAY5.24 Pop-Up Farm Stand 11:30 a.m.

EPB Main Office 10 W. MLK Blvd.

(423) 648-1372 crabtreefarms.org Sew What: Introduction to E-Textiles 4 p.m.

Chattanooga Public Library 1001 Broad St. (423) 643-7700 chattlibrary.org “Diet-betes” and Hypertension 5:30 p.m.

Chattanooga WorkSpace 302 W. 6th St. (423) 822-5750 chattanoogaworkspace.com Karen LaMonte Reception 6 p.m.

The Hunter Museum of Art 10 Bluff View Ave. (423) 267-0968 huntermuseum.org Derrick Tennant 7:30 p.m.

The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime” 7:30 p.m.

Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. (423) 624-5347 barkinglegs.org

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FRIDAY5.25 “We, The Marines” 2, 5 p.m.

IMAX 3D Theater 201 Chestnut St. (423) 266-4629 tnaqua.org/imax Sew What: Introduction to E-Textiles 4 p.m.

Eastgate Public Library 5705 Marlin Rd. (423) 643-7770 chattlibrary.org Derrick Tennant 7:30 p.m.

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

Rock/Creek 1530 Riverside Dr. (423) 265-1836 rockcreek.com “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime” 7:30 p.m.

Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. (423) 624-5347 barkinglegs.org Improv Movie Night: Paranormal Adventure!

8 p.m.

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

SATURDAY5.26 Rain Barrel Class 10 a.m.

UT Extension Office 6183 Adamson Cir. (423) 855-6113 extension.tennessee.edu Artillery Demonstrations 10:30 a.m.

Chickamauga Military Park 3370 Lafayette Rd. Fort Oglethorpe, GA (706) 866-9241 nps.gov/chch Make & Take Series – Hammered Wire Bangle 11 a.m.

Chattanooga WorkSpace 302 W. 6th St. (423) 822-5750 chattanoogaworkspace.com Street Food Festival 11 a.m.

First Tennessee Pavilion 1826 Carter St. (423) 266-4041 JW Butts (MUTE0N) Artist

Meet & Greet Noon Trailhead Juice 3211 Broad St. (423) 803-6211 trailheadjuice.com “We, The Marines” 2, 5 p.m.

IMAX 3D Theater 201 Chestnut St. (423) 266-4629 tnaqua.org/imax WEAVE’s 5th Annual Spring Showcase 2:30 p.m.

Chattanooga Christian School 3354 Charger Dr. (423) 954-0115 weavedancecompany.com Conservation Conversations: Forests and Flora 5:30 p.m.

Reflection Riding Arboretum 400 Garden Rd. (423) 821-1160 reflectionriding.org Spring in West Village 6 p.m.

West Village 802 Pine St. westvillagechattanooga.com She’s Not There Art Show 7 p.m.

Barley Taproom 235 E. MLK Blvd. chattanoogabarley.com Chattanooga FC vs. New Orleans Jesters 7 p.m.

Finley Stadium 1826 Carter St. chattanoogafc.com

Chickamauga Medal of Honor Recipients Derrick Tennant 7:30 p.m.

The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime” 7:30 p.m.

Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. (423) 624-5347 barkinglegs.org Week In Review 8 p.m.

First Draft Theater 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 843-1775 improvchattanooga.com Once A Month Comedy Showcase 8 p.m.

Palace Theater 818 Georgia Ave. (423) 803-6578 chattpalace.com Improv vs Standup 10 p.m.

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

SUNDAY5.27 Ruritan Club Open Car Show 8 a.m.

Tennessee Riverpark 4301 Amnicola Hwy. harrisonruritanclub.webs.com Street Food Festival

11 a.m.

First Tennessee Pavilion 1826 Carter St. (423) 266-4041 Chickamauga Medal of Honor Recipients 2 p.m.

Chickamauga Military Park 3370 Lafayette Rd. Fort Oglethorpe, GA (706) 866-9241 nps.gov/chch “We, The Marines” 2, 5 p.m.

IMAX 3D Theater 201 Chestnut St. (423) 266-4629 tnaqua.org/imax Discover the Creek: Micro-Adventure 2 p.m.

Chattanooga Audubon Society 900 N. Sanctuary Rd. (423) 892-1499 chattanoogaaudubon.org Derrick Tennant 7:30 p.m.

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

MONDAY5.28 “We, The Marines” 2, 5 p.m.

IMAX 3D Theater 201 Chestnut St. (423) 266-4629 tnaqua.org/imax Spring Belly Dance Session

5:45 p.m.

Movement Arts Collective 3813 Dayton Blvd.

(423) 401-8115 movementartscollective.com Palette Knife Painting with Mia Bergeron 6 p.m.

Townsend Atelier 301 E. 11th St. (423) 266-2712 townsendatelier.com

TUESDAY5.29 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.

175 Baylor School Rd. (800) 262-0695 tnaqua.org Leveraging Social Media for Business 5:30 p.m.

Chattanooga WorkSpace 302 W. 6th St. (423) 822-5750 chattanoogaworkspace.com Introduction to Portrait Sculpture with Maria Willison 6 p.m.

Townsend Atelier 301 E. 11th St. (423) 266-2712 townsendatelier.com

Tuesday Night Chess Club 6 p.m.

Downtown Library 1001 Broad St. (423) 643-7700 chattilibrary.com Intro To Improv 7 p.m.

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

WEDNESDAY5.30 No Pressure: Instant Pot 101 6 p.m.

Chattanooga WorkSpace 302 W. 6th St. (423) 822-5750 chattanoogaworkspace.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

Map these locations on chattanoogapulse.com. Send event listings at least 10 days in advance to: calendar@chattanoogapulse.com CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • MAY 24, 2018 • THE PULSE • 13

THE MUSIC SCENE

A True Hip Hop Festival at Ziggy’s There are a lot of things in your life that you’ll have too much of. Too many carbs, too much creamer in your coffee, too many pairs of shoes in your backseat (oh, is that just me..?) But one thing you can never overindulge in? Music. Pile it on and turn it up as you can’t overdose on good music.

Piling it on with some of the greatest hiphop acts in Chattanooga is the Music Box @ Ziggy’s this Friday night.

Starting at 9 p.m. and stretching into the early hours of the morning, acts like Mad Salvy, 423KidK, Orion Hunter, Justice, Kreative Music Group, Thermo, Beekman and Master will have you feeling the beat like never before as they put on the Summer 2K18 Hip-Hop Festival.

In the back room at Ziggy’s, known simply as the Music Box, lose yourself in the collection of hip-hop and R&B as the Chattanooga locals tear it down. Tickets to this kind of show should cost you an arm, a leg, and maybe another arm, but Ziggy’s has you covered on a sick price with even sicker sounds.

Kick off the summer with some damn good music and even better beer. Don’t miss out. — Brooke Brown

Not Your Average Kitty Former Chattanoogan makes a strong musical mark

By Ernie Paik Pulse contributor

“

A unique songwriter with vivid songs that tell unusual folk tales with elements of fantasy and also a charming performer.”

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

B

IG KITTY IS A LOT OF THINGS, SIMULTANEOUSLY— it’s an easygoing calico cat, a fearless feline guardian and the reincarnation of bluesman Blind Willie Johnson.

This mythical kitty is also the imaginative musical outlet of Clark Williams, whose strange, secret world of nature involves a bevy of odd organisms including singing ferns, winged insects with human faces and a giant mouse named Jesus.

A former Chattanoogan who relocated to Sebastopol, Calif. a few years ago, Williams established himself locally both as a unique songwriter with vivid songs that tell unusual folk tales with elements of fantasy and also a charming performer in either a solo or band configuration, singing with his distinc-

tively warm and reedy voice.

While nature often imbues Williams’ songwriting, it is a more complicated subject for him than one might realize, and he took the time to answer a few questions for The Pulse in advance of two Chattanooga shows on May 25 at Frequency Arts and JJ’s Bohemia.

“I think the common dichotomy of nature/civilization is useful but ultimately misleading,” said Williams.

“It’s common to think of fragile nature and robust industrial civilization. In a localized way it’s true, but in a universal way, industry for all its might is just one tendril of nature.

“I’m very against the expansion of the industrial-technological realm and believe it’s misguided but take comfort in knowing that it is ultimately weak and won’t last,” said Williams. “It may mean the destruction of humans, but that’s alright, life will go on.

“This mystery of life in all forms is a beautiful play of dark and light, so much grander and more complex than is conceivable, and yet it is what we know best, because that is what we are,” said Williams. “Our ability to understand nature in this universal sense by means of language is limited by its structure, and our culture makes it hard on people to use their imagination and to feel connection with nature.”

This is where music comes in, articulating parts of life and nature in ways that no other expression can.

“Songs are a very humble way of twisting language around and adding tonality in order to express different stuff that would be unreachable otherwise,” said Williams. “Yet this unreachable stuff is literally the stuff of life—it gives access to the 99% of existence that is invisible to us because we are juggling working and raising families and need to be liked and understood by our friends and families.

“Songs are acceptable and people know what songs are, but they’re radical visions of the vast mystery of life, that we can feel but can’t describe,

“

It’s been good for me to experience other manifestations of nature because I can see them without the veil of nostalgia that I see both Appalachia and the deep South through.”

can’t touch, that we cut ourselves off from in order to work and fulfill our responsibility,” said Williams. “A song gets to it in a wiggly worm kind of tiny way.

“Living in northern coastal California has been wonderful because the natural world is novel and extraordinarily beautiful—the Pacific Ocean in particular,” said Williams, who moved with his wife Yuriko Hoshino—an artist and occasional Big Kitty performer— and his daughter. “I also spent a few weeks in Guatemala studying Spanish and was awed by the intense natural beauty of Central America.

“Tennessee and the Southeast are also extremely beautiful,” said Williams. “But it’s been good for me to experience other manifestations of nature because I can see them without the veil of nostalgia that I see both Appalachia and the deep South through.”

Among Big Kitty’s musical highlights within the last year have been the release of two albums—Excelsior Breeze

Catchers and ...A Legend in the Field of Entertainment—and a month-long tour.

Williams has also been performing a blend of originals, country, Hawaiian and Latin American music with a group in Sonoma County with upright bass and pedal steel guitar, and he unveiled a new nightclub-style act that combines songs with monologues and dancing at the Imaginists’ theater in Santa Rosa earlier this year.

“That show or parts of it is what I’m going to do at JJ’s [Bohemia]. I’m also playing at Frequency Arts that same night for Billy Joe [Johnson’s] photography show at Frequency Arts, and for that one I will play guitar and sing,” said Williams. “This tour is really special because I’m doing it with my real life brother, William Lee, whose stage name is Blind Will See.” What’s next for Big Kitty? “The family and I are moving to Spain in just a couple of months,” said Williams. “I don’t know what lies ahead but surely it is more music!”

THU5.24

FRI5.25

SAT5.26

Cold War Kids

The Jauntee

MPH, Dirty Deep, Pale Rider

Honest songs about human experience in orchards and hotel rooms, laundromats and churches, sea ports and school halls.

8:30 p.m.

The Signal 1810 Chestnut St. thesignaltn.com

The Jauntee is whatever you what it to be, but Whiskey and Sauce are both vital ingredients to a true improvisational band.

9 p.m.

HiFi Clyde’s 122 W. Main St. clydesonmain.comm

You like your rock with a heapin' healpin' of downn-dirty blues? Then this is the lineup for you!

9 p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • MAY 24, 2018 • THE PULSE • 15

LIVE MUSIC CALENDAR ziggysbarandgrill.net The Pickup Lions 9:30 p.m.

The Brew & Cue 5017 Rossville Blvd.

(423) 867-9402 Outlaw 45 10 p.m.

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

SATURDAY5.26

Matthew Sweet

THURSDAY5.24 Songwriter Showcase with Larry Fleet & Phillip White 6 p.m.

Songbirds North 35 Station St. songbirdsguitars.com Gino Fanelli 6:30 p.m.

Westin Alchemy Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Amber Fults 6:30 p.m.

Westin Dorato Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Matthew Paul Revere 7 p.m.

Trip’s Tavern 4762 Hwy. 58 (423) 803-5686 Toby Hewitt 7 p.m.

Backstage Bar 29 Station St. backstagechattanooga.com Cold War Kids 8:30 p.m.

The Signal 1810 Chestnut St. thesignaltn.com Matthew Sweet 9 p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com Back in Black: The Ultimate AC/DC Tribute 9 p.m.

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

Songbirds South 41 Station St. songbirdsguitars.com

FRIDAY5.25 Summer Music Weekends 11 a.m.

Rock City Gardens 1400 Patten Rd. seerockcity.com 1890’s Day Jamboree 6 p.m.

Downtown Ringgold 1890sdays.com Brian Ashley Jones 6 p.m.

Cambridge Square 9453 Bradmore Ln. publicmarkets.us Jesse Jungkurth 6:30 p.m.

Westin Alchemy Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Preston Ruffing 6:30 p.m.

Westin Dorato Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Stringer’s Ridge Band 7 p.m.

Charles & Myrtle’s Coffeehouse 105 McBrien Rd. christunity.org Rick Rushing and The Blues Strangers 7:30 p.m.

The Foundry 1201 Broad St. chattanooganhotel.com

EmiSunshine 8 p.m.

Miller Plaza 850 Market St. nightfallchattanooga.com Webb Barringer 8 p.m.

Moccasin Bend Brewing Co. 3210 Broad St. bendbrewingbeer.com Charley Woods 8 p.m.

Puckett’s Restaurant 2 W. Aquarium Way puckettsgro.com David Ingle 9 p.m.

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

HiFi Clyde’s 122 W. Main St. clydesonmain.com Big Kitty, Dead Testaments, Riveredge, Blind will See 9 p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com Wrong Way (A Tribute to Sublime) with Crane 9 p.m.

Songbirds North 35 Station St. songbirdsguitars.com Summer 2K18 Hip Hop Festival 9 p.m.

Music Box @ Ziggy’s 607 Cherokee Blvd.

1890’s Day Jamboree 9 a.m.

Downtown Ringgold 1890sdays.com Summer Music Weekends 11 a.m.

Rock City Gardens 1400 Patten Rd. seerockcity.com Brian Ashley Jones 12:30 p.m.

Tennessee Aquarium Plaza 1 Broad St. publicmarkets.us Stratoblasters 12:30 p.m.

First Tennessee Pavilion 1826 Carter St. publicmarkets.us Jack and Jack, Logan Henderson 3 p.m.

Lake Winnepesaukah 1730 Lakeview Dr. lakewinnie.com Zack Ovington 6 p.m.

Mad Knight Brewing Company 4015 Tennessee Ave. madknightbrewing.com Dustin Concannon 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 Mark Kelly Hall, Victoria Jones 7 p.m.

The Tap House 3800 St. Elmo Ave. taphousechatt.com Danimal 7:30 p.m.

The Foundry 1201 Broad St. chattanooganhotel.com Arlo Gilliam 8 p.m.

Puckett’s Restaurant 2 W. Aquarium Way puckettsgro.com Jason Lyles 8 p.m.

The Casual Pint 5550 Hwy 153 hixson.thecasualpint.com Luthi with Lenox Hills 9 p.m.

Songbirds North 35 Station St. songbirdsguitars.com John Carroll 9 p.m.

The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com MPH, Dirty Deep, Pale Rider 9 p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com Seaux Chill and The FamilyOrchestra 10 p.m.

Music Box @ Ziggy’s 607 Cherokee Blvd. ziggysbarandgrill.net Outlaw 45 10 p.m.

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

SUNDAY5.27 Nativity Rising Artists: The Violin Times Three 10:15 a.m.

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

Rock City Gardens 1400 Patten Rd. seerockcity.com Lily Rose 11 a.m.

Flying Squirrel Bar 55 Johnson St. flyingsquirrelbar.com

Luthi Marcus White 11 a.m.

Westin Dorato Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Dana Rogers 12:30 p.m.

Tennessee Aquarium Plaza 1 Broad St. publicmarkets.us Brian Ashley Jones 12:30 p.m.

First Tennessee Pavilion 1826 Carter St. publicmarkets.us Ben Van Winkle 1:30 p.m.

Flying Squirrel Bar 55 Johnson St. flyingsquirrelbar.com Connection 27 2 p.m.

First Tennessee Pavilion 1826 Carter St. publicmarkets.us Monthly Jazz Jam 3 p.m.

Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. (423) 624-5347 barkinglegs.org John Caroll 6:30 p.m.

Westin Alchemy Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Mathis & Martin 7 p.m.

Backstage Bar 29 Station St. backstagechattanooga.com Bake Hise

9 p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com 11

MONDAY5.28

Mark Andrew 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

TUESDAY5.29 Shawnessey Cargile 6:30 p.m.

Westin Alchemy Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Bill McCallie and In Cahoots 6:30 p.m.

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

Backstage Bar 29 Station St. backstagechattanooga.com

WEDNESDAY5.30 Ryan Oyer

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 Roanoke 7 p.m.

Songbirds South 41 Station St. songbirdsguitars.com Jazz In The Lounge 7 p.m.

Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. barkinglegs.org Denver Attaway & The Other Brothers 8 p.m.

The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com Haynes & Kelley 8 p.m.

Bud’s Sports Bar 5751 Brainerd Rd. budssportsbar.com Bongsloth, Powers, Sparrus, Dream Collective 9 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 24, 2018 • THE PULSE • 17

ADAM BECKETT'S RECORD REVIEWS

The Wanderers Songs from the Void (zachryansongs. bandcamp.com)

Rowanoak #Goals (rowanoak.bandcamp. com)

T

everything in between.

There are glimmers of love and light, and also some blends of something a little darker, such as in “Guilty”, and “I Saw the Devil”.

Many instruments were utilized when making the melodies captivating sounds, which blend perfectly with the seemingly effortless and potent vocals.

It is hard to pick out a standout track, because each one is arguably the best on the album. “Is There any Room in Heaven”, “Slave to Your Love”, “Saint Peter”, and “Slave to Your Love” are my personal favorites.

On repeat is the recommended way to experience this lit stick of dynamite.

Songs from the Void is a masterpiece that should be in the music collection of any and everybody. Welcome to your new favorite album.

he Film Noir and Sci-Fi inspired rock and roll/ old American music album Songs from the Void from Nashville’s The Wanderers is exceptional on many levels. The sheer brilliance, talent, and diversity that make up the album creates something inimitable; it unleashes fragments of magic and soul.

The songs on the album produce music that is reminiscent of old school fifties and sixties tunes, only seemingly upgraded and refreshed by a time traveler that experienced life then and now. The blend produces a ferocious and spell binding sound.

While it is not boxed into any genre, it seems to fit somewhere in the Americana/Surf Rock/Blues Rock/Quentin Tarantino Movie Music categories.

Songs from the Void is cool, calm, and collected; only it simultaneously is a vigorous rebel yell.

The depths of the lyrics are somewhat of an abyss.

They are so much more than words that sound cool with music. The front man and vocalist Zach Ryan is a powerful poet when it comes to songwriting. He is a modern-day troubadour with a gift of combining poetry with music.

The songs all paint vivid pictures of life, love, and

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

I

n one of the most guiding pieces of poetry in history, the late Charles Bukowski asked the daunting question, “So You Want to be a Writer?”.

Through his words, he basically pokes a hot iron in the chest of anybody who reads it that thinks they are, or wants to be a writer, making sure that do it for the right reasons, and with a tremendous amount of

passion.

The poem can apply to any person, in every situation; especially people making music. One excerpt states “unless it comes unasked out of your heart and your mind and your mouth and your gut, don’t do it.”

Regardless if the Nashville musician Rowanoak has ever read the poem or not, he could wear it as a badge of honor with the release of his phenomenal, and extraordinarily powerful LP #Goals.

Music is always at its best when people channel their feelings and emotions and pour it into their sound.

Beside the fact that the calculated production of the beats/instruments utilized in each individual song sounds amazing, the might of the vocals will permeate into the heart of the listener so that they can connect with the music.

The combination produces a soul shattering sound. It is blatant that the artist feels the words pouring from his being, and that he means every single word that he belts out with rhythm, soul, and style.

It is difficult to pinpoint the specific genre of the music because it is so unique.

It holds hints of hip-hop, pop, R&B, street, love, poetry; mixed with sick beats, brass instruments, pianos, and electric guitars.

The incredibly moving LP is short but sweet, and the four tracks on it all get a spot on the soundtrack of my life. Let’s all just hope that Rowanoak realizes that he is a gifted music maker and continues down the path of music.

“When it is truly time, and if you have been chosen, it will do it by itself and it will keep on doing it until you die or it dies in you.”

BUSINESS BRIEFS

Can You Escape The Inescapable?

Escape Experience continues to add new challenges for you to overcome Brooke Brown

Pulse Assistant Editor

“

This month, Escape Experience Chattanooga is unveiling their newest and most immersive escape experience yet on a real train car.”

The Scoop Escape Experience Truly immersive experiences designed to stimulate your senses.

1800 Rossville Ave #1 (423) 551-3306 Monday-Saturday 9am-11pm Sunday 1:30pm-8pm escapeexperience.com

Y

OU’RE BLINDFOLDED, HAND on the shoulder of the person in front of you as you wind through what feels like a hallway.

The dark bandana covering your eyes doesn’t allow you to peek although you desperately want to. You and your group are split up, divided into two iron-barred rooms. And once the doors slide shut… they lock.

You were supposed to be transported from point A to point B. That was it.

That was the deal. But things have gotten much more serious than when you boarded this train, and it’ll be up to you and your group to survive the now runaway train that is bound for destruction.

Your only chance is to make it to the back of the train and jump.

This month, Escape Experience Chattanooga is unveiling their newest and most immersive escape experience yet on a real train car located at the Chattanooga Choo Choo.

Utilizing one of the stationary train cars at the Choo Choo, Escape Experience owner Michael Rowland has created something unlike anything you’ve heretofore experienced.

You and your team have been under the protection of US Marshalls through the Witness Protection Program for the

last several months and are now being transported on an armored transport rail car to court to testify against the Mob. But when the Mob learns of your whereabouts, things get much more complicated than ever intended as your train is forced onto a one-way track bound for a collision in just one hour.

Much like Escape Experience’s other escape rooms, Runaway Train Transport can only be escaped through teamwork, acting cool under pressure, and some serious critical thinking. But with this being the most immersive room yet, expect to feel like you’re truly in a moving train car.

“We got to film off of one of Tennessee Valley Railroad's trains,” says Rowland.

“We were able to mount cameras on four different sides of the train to get some really great footage.”

The footage captured will be displayed on the windows (now replaced with televisions) inside the train car, and beyond that, Rowland has been working on a way to give the train a physical feeling as well.

“Visually it’s going to look like you’re moving, but we’re going to try and give it a little vibration using some of the same technology we use to shake The Bunker,” says Rowland.

“This is also the first time we’ve used real professional speakers. We’ve got

some excellent sound from the Tennessee Valley Railroad that’s going to play the whole time.”

If you felt immersed in The Bunker or C-Block, just wait until you board the Runaway Train Transport.

Or if you’d rather the escape room come to you, Escape Experience Chattanooga offers a mobile escape experience that can be rented for parties, events, or team-building exercises at the office.

Only 8x8 in size, the mobile escape room comes completely apart, making it small enough to be taken into an elevator up to a top floor office. Called The Gallery, the mobile room is a miniature art gallery filled with priceless photographs by a well-known photographer you admire as a photo-enthusiast yourself.

You are there to steal some negative prints and with your inside man the janitor standing by with helpful hints, you’ve got to steal the negatives before your fifteen minutes is up.

Escape Experience Chattanooga never fails to draw you in with their captivating storytelling, outrageously immersive rooms and puzzles so intricate you’ll definitely need friends help to tackle it.

Check their website for information on all five stationary rooms as well as their mobile room!

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • MAY 24, 2018 • THE PULSE • 19

FILM & TELEVISION

The Merc With A Mouth Deadpool 2 is not your standard superhero film

By John DeVore Pulse Film Editor

“

If anything, comic book movies could use a lighter touch. Deadpool 2 debuted this past weekend determined to touch you all over.”

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

O

NE OF THE STRANGER COMPLAINTS LEVIED AGAINST films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is that they’re too jokey. To be fair, one of the original goals of the films was to move comic books out of the realm of camp and strike a more serious, realistic tone.

Iron Man in particular was supposed to be about a billionaire arms dealer coming to terms with his role in the American military industrial complex.

But superheroes are a goofy concept to begin with—capes and costumes and nemeses are more than a little silly. The jokes in Marvel are always a wink to the audience to remind them that the melodrama happening onscreen is, after all, just movie magic.

Marvel has, on occasion, built some complex emotional moments into their films and it can certainly seem a little jarring to suddenly be laughing at a

one liner. But anyone hoping for genuinely challenging material in a comic book movie is misguided. These films are tent-pole action spectaculars.

Killing off a few popular characters doesn’t make them serious dramas.

Avengers: Infinity War is a great movie that takes itself seriously enough. It doesn’t need to be more serious. If anything, comic book movies could use a lighter touch. Deadpool 2 debuted this past weekend determined to touch you all over.

Deadpool as a character is an anomaly in the comic book world.

2016’s Deadpool was a film that shouldn’t have worked. It was an extremely R-rated, vulgar, violent movie that seemed to have a limited audience. It could almost be argued that Deadpool was a vanity project for Ryan Reynolds, who took significant risks and a pay cut to ensure that the film was true to his vision.

However, the film was wildly popular, paving the way for more risk taking R-rated comic book films like Logan. What made Deadpool work (and continue to work with Deadpool 2) is its slavish devotion to the source material.

Even if you’ve never read a Deadpool comic, most people have encountered the character somewhere in memes in an online forum. Deadpool’s character is essentially a meme itself—he’s an inside joke, a pop culture reference factory, a sardonic smile.

Ryan Reynolds was born to play him.

Since Deadpool is a meme, his movies are meant to point out the flaws inherent in the comic book movie structure, to send up the popular tropes and turn them on their ear, making audiences laugh at the silliness of the ideas. The first film did this well, but Deadpool 2 appears to have perfected

“

Deadpool’s character is essentially a meme itself—he’s an inside joke, a pop culture reference factory, a sardonic smile. Ryan Reynolds was born to play him.” the craft.

Deadpool 2 isn’t bogged down by exposition—there’s no origin story to slow down the narrative.

The film starts off with the best use of Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” since 9 to 5 and immediately gets to setting the plot in motion, giggling the whole way. The film is funnier than any comedy in recent memory while regularly doing a better job at the comic book part of the comic book movie than any of its more serious competition.

As with the first film, it takes familiar themes from comic book fare and turns them to the light to expose the silliness inherent in their creation. In particular, this film takes the idea of the superhero team up to task in some wonderful ways: arguing about what constitutes a super power, discussing the banality of working together, pointing out the hypocrisy of interoffice promotion, etc.

But overall, the film is a carnival ride of big laughs. It’s just a good time at the movies.

There are plenty of people, of course, that aren’t going to enjoy this film. It’s crass. it’s violent. it’s dumb. Children, in particular, should probably avoid Deadpool 2 (although we all know that they won’t.)

It’s not that children need to be protected from this content, necessarily. It’s more that adults understand the need for code switching more than kids. I can laugh at a terrible joke in the movie and know that it’s the context that makes the joke funny. Kids think it’s the words themselves.

But parents can (or should) make those decisions. At any rate, Deadpool 2 a great comic book film. As the temperatures rise this summer, summer movies will likely get worse. See this one while you can.

✴ NEW IN THEATERS ✴

Solo: A Star Wars Story During an adventure into a dark criminal underworld, Han Solo meets his future copilot Chewbacca and encounters Lando Calrissian years before joining the Rebellion.

Director: Ron Howard Stars: Alden Ehrenreich, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover

How to Talk to Girls at Parties An alien touring the galaxy breaks away from her group and meets two young inhabitants of the most dangerous place in the universe: the London suburb of Croydon.

Director: John Cameron Mitchell Stars: Elle Fanning, Nicole Kidman

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • MAY 24, 2018 • THE PULSE • 21

COLUMN · ON THE BEAT

It’s Not Just The Job, It’s Any Job Even the second job often offers opportunities for reflection Editor’s Note: Alex is taking some welldeserved time off this week, so we’re running one of his favorite past columns.

J Alex Teach

Pulse columnist

“

It’s the people focused doing on nothing for themselves that stand the greatest chance of becoming the problems we all end up having to deal with anyway.”

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

OB FAIR: IT’S AN INTERESTING play on words because for me because its literal meaning strikes me as ironic given the environment I find myself in when I work a side job at a local poultry plant. (That’s another nice title that sounds better than “chicken kill plant” since that’s what they actually do and it’s as appealing as it sounds.) This job seems to be anything but fair.

Like most cops that work the more questionably safe parts of town (in any town in America, mind you), I have a special place in my heart for people that have “jobs”. In fact, that was my number one standard in dealing with my customers as far as choosing which decision tree to use in a given interaction.

So very many of our clients have found themselves in our presence for poor choices that may have otherwise been avoided by seeking to do something with their time other than “nothing”. Actually earning money by trading your time and skills for a mutually agreed upon wage is an unknown thing to the indigenous people of my various assignments. And when you encounter the rare sweet Flower of Employment in your travels, it is something to be savored; appreciated, cultivated…not plucked or allowed to be desiccated if at all possible.

Pulled over for speeding or a tag being out of date while going to (or coming from) a purchase of $2 dollars in gasoline for the third time tonight while you drive around to nowhere to do nothing?

Ticket chances: 80 percent discretionary impact (likelihood) of pressing hard on

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

the carbons.

Pulled over for speeding or a tag being out of date while going to (or coming from) a place of employment so that you can pay your bills and contribute to your family, or just yourself? Ticket chances: 20 percent discretionary impact (likelihood) of pressing hard on the carbons.

That established, this kill plant is a universe unto itself. Just as many people have to be able to fail a test for methamphetamine use and/or be a convicted felon in order to hang or mud sheetrock or paint houses, at this place you generally have to be a convicted felon for assault and/or a gun crime, or be working there to support someone who is (or has).

I am employed there to reduce narcotics sales in the parking lots and to prevent fights that spring up on breaks given the temperament of the people working there, but regardless of their past deeds: They all have jobs.

I respect it. I love it.

Their employee turnover rate? 100 percent. For a little over $10 bucks an hour you are working amidst the sight of blood and the smell of rotting flesh and

turning live creatures into smaller parcels of no-longer-living creatures and the inherent mess that comes with such, so would I be prone to irritation? YUP. Would I look at that as a long term career? NOPE. But they are still here and still trying to do the right thing the right way and I literally couldn’t ask for more of them.

(Okay, outside of not stabbing each other with boning knives because they and their girlfriends and wives and baby mommas are all from mixed gang backgrounds and packed in together in the aforementioned unpleasant environment, hence hiring an armed post certified police officer on the premises. But I mean OTHERWISE…) Attendance counts. Trying counts, when you actually try instead of talking about trying “later.” Give people like this credit, and if you’re in the position? Give them a chance yourself. It’s the people focused doing on nothing for themselves that stand the greatest chance of becoming the problems we all end up having to deal with anyway.

Speaking of which? Time for me to go back to work.

JONESIN' CROSSWORD

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Now is a favorable time to worship at the shrine of your own intuition. It’s a ripe moment to boost your faith in your intuition’s wild and holy powers. To an extraordinary degree, you can harness this alternate mode of intelligence to gather insights that are beyond the power of your rational mind to access by itself. So be bold about calling on your gut wisdom, Gemini. Use it to track down the tricky, elusive truths that have previously been unavailable to you.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): “A poem is never finished; it is only abandoned,” wrote poet W. H. Auden, paraphrasing poet Paul Valéry. I think the same can be said about many other kinds of work.

We may wish we could continue tinkering and refining forever so as to bring a beloved project to a state of absolute perfection. But what’s more likely is that it will always fall at least a bit short of that ideal. It will never be totally polished and complete to our satisfaction. And we’ve got to accept that. I suggest you meditate on these ideas in the coming weeks, Cancerian. Paradoxically, they may help you be content with how you finish up the current phase of your beloved project.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): I highly recommend that you spend the next three weeks hanging out on a beach every day, dividing your time between playing games with friends, sipping cool drinks, reading books you’ve always wanted to read, and floating dreamily in warm water. To indulge in this relaxing extravaganza would be in maximum alignment with the current cosmic rhythms. If you can’t manage such a luxurious break from routine, please at least give yourself the gift of some other form of recreation that will renew and refresh you all the way down to the core of your destiny.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Contemporaries of the ancient Greek philosopher Pythagoras told colorful stories about the man. Some believed he was the son of a god and that one of his thighs was made of gold. When he crossed the Casas River, numerous witnesses testified that the river called out his name and welcomed him. Once a snake bit him, but he suffered no injury, and killed the snake by biting it in return. On another occasion, Pythagoras supposedly coaxed a dangerous bear to stop committing violent acts.

These are the kinds of legends I expect you to spread about yourself in the coming days, Virgo. It’s time to boost your reputation to a higher level.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): My counsel may seem extreme, but I really think you should avoid mildness and meekness and modesty. For

the immediate future, you have a mandate to roar and cavort and exult. It’s your sacred duty to be daring and experimental and exploratory. The cosmos and I want to enjoy the show as you act like you have the right to express your soul’s code with brazen confidence and unabashed freedom.

The cosmos and I want to squeal with joy as you reveal raw truths in the most emotionally intelligent ways possible.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): French novelist Honoré Balzac periodically endured intense outbreaks of creativity. “Sometimes it seems that my brain is on fire,” he testified after a 26-day spell when he never left his writing room. I’m not predicting anything quite as manic as that for you, Scorpio. But I do suspect you will soon be blessed (and maybe a tiny bit cursed) by a prolonged bout of fervent inspiration. To ensure that you make the best use of this challenging gift, get clear about how you want it to work for you. Don’t let it boss you.

Be its boss.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Ancient civilizations waged war constantly. From Mesopotamia to China to Africa, groups of people rarely went very long without fighting other groups of people.

There was one exception: the Harappan culture that thrived for about 2,000 years in the Indus River Valley, which in the present day stretches through Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. Archaeologists have found little evidence of warfare there. Signs of mass destruction and heavy armaments are non-existent. Art from that era and area does not depict military conflict. One conclusion we might be tempted to draw from this data is that human beings are not inherently combative and violent. In any case, I want to use the Harappan civilization’s extended time of peace as a metaphor for your life in the next eight weeks. I believe (and hope!) you’re entering into a phase of very low conflict.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Every human being I’ve ever known, me included, has to wage a continuous struggle between these pairs of opposites: 1. bad habits that waste their vitality and good habits that harness their vitality; 2. demoralizing addictions that keep them enslaved to the past and invigorating addictions that inspire them to create their best possible future. How’s your own struggle going? I suspect you’re in the midst of a turning point. Here’s a tip that could prove useful: Feeding the good habits and invigorating addictions may cause the bad habits and demoralizing addictions to lose some of their power over you.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “Some books seem like a key to

unfamiliar rooms in one’s own castle,” said author Franz Kafka. I suspect this idea will be especially relevant to you in the coming weeks, Aquarius. And more than that: In addition to books, other influences may also serve as keys to unfamiliar rooms in your inner castle. Certain people, for instance, may do and say things that give you access to secrets you’ve been keeping from yourself. A new song or natural wonderland may open doors to understandings that will transform your relationship with yourself. To prep you for these epiphanies, I’ll ask you to imagine having a dream at night in which you’re wandering through a house you know very well. But this time, you discover there’s a whole new wing of the place that you never knew existed.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Just for now, let’s say it’s fine to fuel yourself with comfort food and sweet diversions. Let’s proceed on the hypothesis that the guardians of your future want you to treat yourself like a beloved animal who needs extra love and attention. So go right ahead and spend a whole day (or two) in bed reading and ruminating and listening to soul-beguiling music. Take a tour through your favorite memories. Move extra slowly. Do whatever makes you feel most stable and secure.

Imagine you’re like a battery in the process of getting recharged.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): The Aries poet Anna Kamieńska described the process of writing as akin to “the backbreaking work of hacking a footpath, as in a coal mine; in total darkness, beneath the earth.” Whether or not you’re a writer, I’m guessing that your life might have felt like that recently.

Your progress has been slow and the mood has been dense and the light has been dim. That’s the tough news. The good news is that I suspect you will soon be blessed with flashes of illumination and a semi-divine intervention or two.

After that, your work will proceed with more ease. The mood will be softer and brighter.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Do you know what you are worth? Have you compiled a realistic assessment of your talents, powers, and capacities? Not what your friends and enemies think you’re worth, nor the authority figures you deal with, nor the bad listeners who act like they’ve figured out the game of life. When I ask you if you have an objective understanding of your real value, Taurus, I’m not referring to what your illusions or fears or wishes might tell you. I’m talking about an honest, accurate appraisal of the gifts you have to offer the world. If you do indeed possess this insight, hallelujah and congratulations! If you don’t, the coming weeks will be an excellent time to work on getting it.

“So I Heard”—honestly, it could go either way.

ACROSS 1 Fake name 6 Beige-y tone 9 Cut down, as a photo 13 Lundgren of “The Expendables” 14 ___ polloi (general population) 15 States of mind 16 Log-rolling contest that sounds like a cowboy contest 17 Cardiologist’s test, for short 18 “Downton ___” 19 QUIP INSPIRED

BY RECENT CONTROVERSY, PART 1 22 It may oscillate 23 32,000 ounces 24 Impertinence with an apostrophe 25 QUIP, PART 2 31 Mel in three World Series 32 Completely mess up 33 18-wheeler 34 Candy bar served in twos 37 QUIP, PART 3 38 Microsoft

search engine 39 YouTube premium service (or color) 40 Squeezing snakes 42 The Mustangs’ sch.

44 QUIP, PART 4 50 Tiny Greek letter?

51 Musical ability 52 Arced tennis shot 53 QUIP, PART 5 57 Hopeless 58 Fairness-inhiring abbr.

59 “Aaaaawesome” 60 Santa-tracking defense gp.

61 “___ Blues” (“White Album” song) 62 Comedians Carvey and Gould, for two 63 Prep school founded by Henry VI 64 Scratch (out) a living 65 Group of asteroids named for a god of love DOWN 1 “Set ___ on Memory Bliss” (P.M. Dawn song) 2 Spongy exfoliant

3 “Fighting” NCAA team 4 Take down ___ (demote) 5 Berate 6 Final film caption 7 Electro house musician Steve known for throwing cakes into the audience 8 Date, for example 9 Hang-up in the attic?

10 Prefix for call or Cop 11 Former NBA #1 draft pick Greg who left basketball in 2016 12 “Gangnam Style” performer 15 Football video game franchise name 20 Lopsided victory 21 Car with four linked rings 26 Word ending two MLB team names 27 “Well, ___ into your hallway / Lean against your velvet door” (Bob Dylan, “Temporary Like Achilles”) 28 Former press secretary Fleischer 29 Element before

antimony 30 Kinder Surprise shape 34 Uni- + uni- + uni35 Needing a towel 36 Age-verifying cards 37 Register surprise, facially (and just barely) 38 Backside, in Canada 40 Ousted 41 Palindromic “Simpsons” character 42 “Don’t leave!”

43 Director July 45 Pathfinder automaker 46 A.A. Milne pessimist 47 Pacific weather phenomenon 48 Hot Wheels product 49 Dwell (upon) 53 Dig (around) 54 Cyprus currency, currently 55 Timid 56 Author/linguist Chomsky 57 157.5 degrees from S

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. 885 CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • MAY 24, 2018 • THE PULSE • 23