JUNE 14, 2018
FESTIVAL OF
BLACK ARTS & IDEAS A COLLABORATION OF
COMMUNITY & CULTURE
THE ART OF
STEVEN YESSICK IMPROVING HEALTH
INSPIRING CHANGE
THE TILLERS
GET FOLKY
DELVING INTO THE DARKNESS
CHATTANOOGA'S WEEKLY ALTERNATIVE
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE VOLUME 15, ISSUE 24 • JUNE 14, 2018
BREWER MEDIA GROUP Publisher James Brewer, Sr. FOUNDED 2003 BY ZACHARY COOPER & MICHAEL KULL
EDITORIAL Managing Editor Gary Poole Assistant Editor Brooke Brown Music Editor Marc T. Michael Film Editor John DeVore Contributors Rob Brezsny • Jessie Gantt-Temple Matt Jones • Sandra Kurtz Tony Mraz • Ernie Paik Rick Pimental-Habib Alex Teach • Michael Thomas 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. The Pulse may be distributed only by authorized distributors. Contents Copyright © 2018 by Brewer Media. All rights reserved.
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Festival Of Black Arts & Ideas I am disappointed in myself that I did not know that Juneteenth, which is this coming Tuesday, is an American holiday to commemorate the day slavery was abolished in Texas in 1865 and the day the last slaves were emancipated from the Confederacy.
IMPROVING HEALTH. INSPIRING CHANGE.
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THE TILLERS GET FOLKY
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Cempa Community Care (formerly known as Chattanooga Cares) has been aiding our community for thirty-two years with constant outreach and education.
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Hailing from Cincinnati, Ohio, a town with a thriving music scene and part of the Louisville/ Cinci/Indianapolis circuit, The Tillers are busy promoting the release of their latest album.
9 SHADES OF GREEN
GOING BEYOND THE CANVAS
The work of Chattanooga painter Steven Yessick goes far beyond the canvas, transferring the energy of friendly social gatherings to international forums.
DELVING INTO DARKNESS
I use the term “prestige horror” in the same way television writers use the term “prestige television” to describe dramas on HBO and AMC like Westworld and The Terror.
18 MUSIC REVIEWS
22 ON THE BEAT
12 ARTS CALENDAR
19 DINING OUT
23 FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
16 MUSIC CALENDAR
21 NEW IN THEATERS
23 JONESIN' CROSSWORD
CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • JUNE 14, 2018 • THE PULSE • 3
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Improving Health. Inspiring Change. C Brooke Brown
Pulse Assistant Editor
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My patients can be honest with me because there’s no reason to lie,” says Ewald. “They need someone to support them in their journey, and we can. We want to. We want to help people.”
Cempa Community Care Improving Health. Inspiring Change. 1000 E. 3rd St (423) 265-2273 Mon-Wed: 8am-5pm Thursday: 1pm-5pm Fri: 8am-Noon Closed Sat & Sun steptn.org
EMPA COMMUNITY CARE (formerly known as Chattanooga Cares) has been aiding our community for thirty-two years with constant outreach and education. Chattanooga is fortunate to have an organization dedicated to the education, prevention, and support services for those impacted by HIV when so few people fully understand the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of the disease. “In the past, our main focus has been HIV,” says Cory Howard, Director of Development and Communications for Cempa Community Care. “We have a clinic that sees 750 HIV-positive patients, but we’ve expanded our mission to include Hepatitis C, and we treat monoinfected Hep C because it’s been such a rising issue in the community.” Those interested can take advantage of Cempa’s rapid HIV and Hep C testing. It only takes twenty minutes to get results, and patients can be referred for in-house treatment immediately. “With HIV nowadays, a lot of people don’t understand you don’t die from HIV as long as you take your meds,” says Howard. Currently, STIs are on the rise. Individuals, especially those in the younger population, are partaking in unprotected sex, having little education on the repercussions. For this reason, Cempa also offers testing for chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis. In recent months Cempa has taken caring a step further by introducing STEP TN, a syringe services program. Through the program injection drug users (IDUs) are offered access to clean needles in exchange for old needles, as well as rehabilitative and treatment information. Programs such as these have been proven successful in reducing the spread of disease. “The syringe exchange or STEP TN comes into place because people who are injecting drugs and sharing needles are at higher risk for Hepatitis C and
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HIV,” says Howard. “So, if we can offer them free, clean needles to use they’re less likely to share and spread Hep C and HIV.” According to the CDC, 40 percent of new IDUs will share needles their first time using. With current rates continuing, 1 in 23 women who inject drugs and 1 in 36 men who inject drugs, will be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetime. The process of getting clean needles isn’t difficult, even for a first-time IDUs. Participants aren’t required to bring anything with them, but the program strives to be a one-for-one exchange, meaning IDUs bring in dirty needles [in a puncture-proof container like a laundry detergent bottle] and they will be provided with clean needles. The one-for-one idea is beneficial in more ways than just preventing users from sharing dirty needles. It assists with getting needles off the street, out of park trash cans, as well as preventing police officers from being stuck with dirty needles by up to 33 percent. Along with their testing and multitude of other services, Cempa also offers Naloxone training to first-time participants in the STEP TN program. Naloxone is a nasal spray that reverses an overdose by blocking opioid receptors in the brain and is a lifesaver in a moment of need for countless IDUs. Participants of STEP TN will anonymously fill out paperwork and receive an ID card that allows them to carry dirty needles from Point A to Cempa during
business hours without penalty from the police. However, this card only gives permission to carry the needles themselves to the clinic and does not protect patients from the law if they’re found carrying drugs of any kind or carrying needles outside of the clinic’s business hours. Ashley Ewald, Cempa Community Care's Harm Reduction Coordinator, works directly with patients daily and says it’s incredibly fulfilling and strange all at once. “I have the strangest job ever. I don’t know any of my clients’ names, but I know their whole life story,” says Ewald. “I love my clients, hearing where they come from, how they got here.” The main goal of the STEP TN program is to of course try to end the spread of disease between IDUs, but Ewald says it’s also about decreasing the stigma surrounding addiction and seeking treatment. “My patients can be honest with me because there’s no reason to lie,” says Ewald. “They need someone to support them in their journey, and we can. We want to. We want to help people.” Even if you don’t use injection drugs, educate yourself on the current rise of HIV, Hep C, and needle-sharing across the country by calling Cempa Community Care or by visiting steptn.org for more information. Turning a blind eye is making the stigma stronger when what we need is to be open to discussing such stigmas and working towards accepting, and ultimately, healing.
BEGINNINGS · CITY LIFE
Cons ider This w ith Dr. Rick
“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better. — Maya Angelou
Uncommon Knowledge Learning about Cherokee Freedmen after enslavement It’s common knowledge that white Americans forced Africans to come to this country on slave ships until the slave trade was abolished in 1833. But, if you’re like me, you might have thought that white Americans were the only ones to own slaves on this land. And, if you’re like me, your American History textbook has failed you (and probably not for the first time). In the 1830’s and onward, some Cherokee Indians also owned African slaves, and took them along the “forced relocation” dictated by Andrew Jackson—the Trail of Tears.
Luckily for those of us who are behind on our history, the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park in cooperation with the Bessie Smith Cultural Center will be hosting a free educational program on the lives of Cherokee Freedmen after enslavement at the Bessie (200 E. MLK Blvd.) Until then, I’ve prepared a little history snack to get us a bit caught up. After the Civil War, a treaty was signed granting the former slaves of freedmen “all the rights of Native Cherokees.” However, despite what seemed like a positive step towards
equality, these new “freedmen” were still discriminated against within the Cherokee nation (as well as pretty much everywhere else, but that’s a story for another day). In 2007, the Cherokee nation revised their constitution, declaring “Indian blood” a requirement for membership and excluding many descendants of Cherokee freedmen. To learn the rest of the story and make up the history gap, come out to the Bessie Smith Cultural Center Tuesday evening. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., presentation begins at 5:45 p.m. — Olivia Haynes
There seems to be an epidemic going around where people beat themselves up for past “mistakes”. As if they are not human, and therefore not subject to the frailties of humanity. This isn’t to dismiss who we’ve been and what we’ve done. On the contrary, it is only through gaining insight into our past that we can put the past where it belongs, and become an ever-more mindful, self-aware person. (This is what the ninth step is all about.) We repeat what we don’t repair. Thus the importance of “knowing thyself.” However, beating ourselves up only feeds the shame. Consider this: Surround yourself with supportive, loving people…people who will help lift you higher. Be the “silent watcher” of your thoughts and behavior. And remember, your past mistakes are meant to guide you, not define you. — Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D.
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COVER STORY
Festival Of Black Arts & Ideas A collaboration of Chattanooga community and culture By Jessie Gantt-Temple Pulse contributor
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Annual Juneteenth festivals are held all over the states, especially recognized in the southern areas like Louisiana, Georgia and now in Chattanooga.”
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AM DISAPPOINTED IN MYSELF THAT I DID NOT KNOW that Juneteenth, which is this coming Tuesday, is an American holiday to commemorate the day slavery was abolished in Texas in 1865 and the day the last slaves were emancipated from the Confederacy.
I remember the Emancipation Proclamation but I do not recall this midsummer day being discussed either in high school or college history courses. Also referred to as Freedom Day or Juneteenth Independence day, annual Juneteenth festivals are held all over the states, especially recognized in the southern areas like Louisiana, Georgia and now in Chattanooga, Tennessee. THE PAST Although different cultures are involved in diversifying the festivals, most
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Juneteenth festivals have some common inclusions such as Emancipation Proclamation readings and readings from the works of noted African American authors such as Maya Angelou as well as local celebrated African American authors or poets. The Emancipation Proclamation was issued in 1862, but with the simpler lines of communication consisting of horseback, it took several years for all the states to get the orders and Juneteenth is a moment in history when the United States were finally all on the
same page. With the Great Depression and the Civil Rights Movement, there were moments where Juneteenth did not receive the commemoration it deserved. It was not until a hundred years later in 1968, with the Poor People’s Campaign, a march to D.C. organized by Martin Luther King, Jr. and Ralph Abernathy that Juneteenth regained its national recognition and cities began to annually rejoice. Appropriately, Texas was the first state to legally declare Juneteenth as a holiday in 1980. Since then 46 states and the District of Columbia recognize the holiday leaving Hawaii, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota and South Dakota that do not. In 2018, Apple added Juneteenth to its holiday calendar and The National
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Ricardo Morris created the six day long Chattanooga Festival of Black Arts & Ideas to spotlight emerging and established black artists and build greater community awareness of the diversity of black arts.”
Juneteenth Observance Foundation are continuously working on getting Congressional approval to designate June 19th as a national day of observance. Juneteenth.com does have an immense amount of information regarding how to celebrate as well as what cities are doing what. As Texas was the founding place of this historic happening, Houston and Austin have hosted huge block parties for decades. Although many states like New York boast that they host “The largest Juneteenth celebration in the country,” Missouri City, Texas has hosted a weekend-long event for the past fifteen years and it continues to grow with a scholarship golf tournament that has raised $140,000 to date. As Chattanooga has not yet had a declared Juneteenth festival to commemorate this historical accomplishment, festival founder and Yale graduate Ricardo Morris created the six day long Chattanooga Festival of Black Arts & Ideas to “spotlight emerging and established black artists and build greater community awareness of the diversity of black arts within Chattanooga and Hamilton County.” THE PRESENT Ricardo Morris has dedicated his life to working in the arts so building this nonprofit African American historic arts festival came naturally. With a gamut of artist experience, including but not limited to creating the Chattanooga CultureFest almost nineteen years ago, Morris is more than excited to begin another cul-
turally diverse first for Chattanooga. The majority of the events occur at The Chattanooga Theatre Centre (CTC) however, the cultural reach expands for miles and generations. The festival kicks off this Thursday at 6 p.m. with a staged reading of “Don’t Suffer In Silence” from Chattanooga playwright Charles Patterson followed by a panel discussion with Patterson, cast members and other theatre professionals. Friday night could be considered a Film Night Friday with a 6pm screening of the 2018 Inspired Faith Film Festival Best Short Film Award “Michael Valentine” by Live To Inspire Productions. Owner of Live To Inspire Productions, Shelia Wofford also acts, writes, directs and produces and will be available after the showing for a panel discussion focused on the film industry in Nashville and Atlanta. Saturday is one of the longer days with activities and music going from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. all at The Chattanooga Theatre Centre. You are encouraged to bring your lawn chair, blankets and get cozy to hang out all day as there will be not only music, but local art and food vendors as well as adult beverages for sale.
Located in the heart of Northshore, there will be so much to stimulate the senses, all ages will find something that is music to their ears. The Black Music Month Celebration on Saturday will start at 11:30 a.m. on the CTC lawn with a drumming circle lead by Kofi Mawuko, and it is open to the public so bring your drum and join in! Mawuko will then perform with his Ogya World Music Band. The beat goes on when Classical artists, violinist Tramaine Jones and cellist Spencer Brewer take the stage. Jones plays with several orchestras and has played with Maxwell, The Temptations and John Legend. Cellist Spencer Brewer, who is a member of the Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra while currently teaching and producing in Atlanta, loves coming back to Chattanooga to perform. Other featured established artists include Thomas “Tee” Bumpass playing the Blues, Hip Hop Fusion with Seaux Chill, Pop performances by Young, Gifted and Black, and mellowing out the evening around 6:45 p.m., will be Jazz with Dexter Bell & Friends. At 9 p.m., venture in to the CTC for “Rhymez, Rea>> continued on page 8 CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • JUNE 14, 2018 • THE PULSE • 7
COVER COVERSTORY STORY
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Raising awareness of other cultures, providing opportunities for increasing one’s quality of life and creating community togetherness through art is a simple yet extremely powerful concept.”
Blackartsandideasfest.com or scroll through their Facebook page to find out about local artists in general or other Black art events occurring in Tennessee. THE FUTURE
sonz & Scribez,” with Poetic Kama Sutra that weaves spoken word, dance and music for an incredible open mic experience. To create a collaboration of community togetherness and wrap up the wonderful day of music, CFBAI and CTC has offered their lawn to view the end of Riverbend fireworks at 11 o’clock. Incorporated with Father’s Day, the CFBAI continues at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday with a “Black Dads Matter” picnic that includes a Gospel concert as well as a clergy panel discussion regarding faith being intertwined to help progress development within the Black community. The Gospel concert will feature Enoushall M. Kilgore, Courtney D. Slocum, 3 Dreamers and Trent Williams. Food trucks will be on site but you are more than welcome to bring your own picnic items. Not far from the Chattanooga Theatre Centre, visual artist and educator Charlie Newton is the residing artist at the Association for Visual Arts (AVA) until June 22nd. Extremely well known, Newton’s work can be seen at The Hunter Museum as well as in public and private collections all over the world. On Monday, Newton will host a 6 p.m. viewing of his collection, “Let Freedom Ring,” including his inprocess piece “The Lamentation of Ed Johnson” that 8 • THE PULSE • JUNE 14, 2018 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM
depicts a historical event that occurred on the Walnut Street Bridge in 1906. This showcase will be followed by a 7 o’clock panel where Newton will be available for discussion. The CFBAI Juneteenth Commemoration will conclude on Tuesday, June 19th on the steps of City Hall. The closing ceremony will begin with a reading of the Emancipation Proclamation by educator, actor and playwright LaFrederick Thirkill. Currently serving as the Orchard Knob Elementary principal, Thirkill was recently named a recipient of the Thurgood Marshall Award by the local chapter of the NAACP and the Whitney M. Young Jr. Award by the Urban League of Chattanooga for his efforts to address racial reconciliation, Mayor Andy Berke will then proclaim June 14th through June 19th, “a celebration of Chattanooga Black Arts and Ideas in remembrance of Juneteenth” then internationally recognized Chattanooga educator, composer and conductor Dr. Roland M. Carter will close the ceremony with the Negro National Anthem, “Let Every Voice and Sing.” For an even more detailed description of Juneteenth history, Black Art events or artists’ profiles, check out
Although this is called the Chattanooga Festival of Black Arts & Ideas, it is open for everyone to attend. “Art is universal,” says Morris, “The subject matter can appeal to all. This celebration will allow other ethnicities to better understand and embrace the concept that, while these works of art may be created by Black people and reflective of the Black condition, they more importantly speak to the human condition in ways that only the arts can do.” Raising awareness of other cultures, providing opportunities for increasing one’s quality of life and creating community togetherness through art is a simple yet extremely powerful concept and should happen more than once a year. With the CFBAI expanding over five days, there is no reason to miss one iota. If by chance, you are unable to attend any of the CFBAI, take a moment to recognize and commemorate Juneteenth then continue to be proactive in broadening your understanding of your neighborhood, your neighbor and the black community. Dreaming of wanting to be a writer since she could remember, Jessie GanttTemple moved here three years ago from the Carolinas with her husband, and has found roots on her farm in Soddy Daisy.
COLUMN · SHADES OF GREEN
Prioritizing Water Over Chickens What exactly is going on in Walker County, and why was it a secret?
T Sandra Kurtz
Pulse columnist
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While the lawsuit has been dropped after some intimidating remarks from Walker County officials, the group remains committed to protecting the natural and cultural resources of this land.” Sandra Kurtz is an environmental community activist, chair of the South Chickamauga Creek Greenway Alliance, and is presently working through the Urban Century Institute. You can visit her website to learn more at enviroedu.net
HERE MUST BE A MOLE IN the Walker County Government lower echelons. How else could the word have leaked out that Pilgrim’s Pride wants to build a chicken processing plant in McLemore Cove? Walker County officials say they can neither confirm nor deny because they have a non-disclosure agreement and can’t renege. However, the McLemore Cove Preservation Society was convinced enough to file a lawsuit asking for information and to mount a “Don’t Slaughter Our Cove” movement garnering support in opposition. The proposed location is at the Barwick-Archer carpet mill site that ceased operation about 30 years ago. It’s a brownfield. While the lawsuit has been dropped after some intimidating remarks from Walker County officials, the group remains committed to protecting the natural and cultural resources of this land. They favor clean, not dirty, industry. So what is special about McLemore Cove that makes it unacceptable for a chicken processing plant? After all, we have a Pilgrim’s Pride chicken processing plant in Southside Chattanooga as the offensive odor often reminds us. It has been noted for its inhumane treatment of chickens. Will this local plant be moving there? They deny it, but supposedly the plan on the 300 acres would be the largest chicken processing plant in the South. This beautiful pastoral cove has rich historical stories to tell. The cove was named for John McLemore, a Cherokee chief and son of a white father and Cherokee mother. His mark is on an 1806 land treaty between the U.S. and Cherokee. There were Civil War maneu-
vers in McLemore Cove that played a key role in 1863 leading up to the Battle of Chickamauga. The valley contains antebellum buildings and historical farm complexes. In 1994, the cove with its some 50,000 acres was placed on the National Register of Historical Places. Recently Hollywood came to make a movie there. Today it’s about farming. One tale tells of a farmer mowing his field followed by eagles gleaning food from the cut areas. More than its history and beauty, the water features of the cove comprise a critical natural resource vital to save from pollution. McLemore Cove is a steep dead end valley where Lookout Mountain and Pigeon Mountain come together at the southern end of Chickamauga Valley. It contains the headwaters for the South Chickamauga Creek watershed. That water begins its journey downstream draining myriad other tributary waters eventually ending up in the Tennessee River just upstream from Tennessee American Water’s drinking water intake. The majority of drinking water for Chattanooga area customers comes from the South Chickamauga Creek watershed which also harbors the federally endangered Snail Darter and Chickamauga Crayfish. Chicken processing plants are notorious for poisoning water. They require a great deal of water as they slaughter, disembowel, defeather and clean chickens. Just this year Pilgrim’s Pride settled a citizen’s suit from Environment America for $1.43 million for dumping toxic wastewater into the Suwanee River in Florida. Where will the water come from for processing and what will they do with
wastewater? Can the state of Georgia assure that there will be no dumping of wastewater into groundwater or the creek on site? Many of the citizens in McLemore Cove use wells for their water. Whenever such environmental issues come up related to new industry, elected officials show up to rave about how fortunate it will be having all these new jobs to improve the economy. Sure, jobs are important, but one has to ask at what cost? In this case, taxpayer cost will increase. There is no interstate in Walker County so taxes will be used to repair the two lane country roads and who cleans up the water? Chicken plant jobs are low paying so any employees will reduce average median income in the county lowering it from $41,000. Can likely employees afford to move or travel to this rural area? The better answer for economic growth in Walker County in addition to agriculture is to build up the outdoor recreation business based on the natural treasure that is McLemore Cove. Hiking, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, biking through the central cove area loop, linking to the Great Eastern Trail and greenways, and programming for historical Native American and Civil War events are just a few possibilities that would then lead to businesses supporting visitor needs. Restaurants, equipment rentals, campgrounds, supplies, motels, and trail leaders would slowly add to the Walker County’s economy while preserving the environment and drinking water at the same time. Meanwhile Walker County does have a new industrial site. Use it for clean industry and protect water in McLemore Cove.
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Going Beyond The Canvas Steven Yessick merges painting and the online world By Tony Mraz Pulse contributor
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When Yessick applies the mechanics of his abstract, formbased imaging process to figurative painting, the result is a unique style that is reminiscent of cubism and surrealism.”
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HE WORK OF CHATTANOOGA PAINTER STEVEN YESsick goes far beyond the canvas, transferring the energy of friendly social gatherings to international forums.
Yessick first discovered an interest in abstract art when drawing and designing buildings in Architecture school at Clemson. He worked in the library, where he pored through books of paintings while on break. “Some of my pattern pieces were inspired by Lee Krasner’s work of painting fields of floral forms within her compositions,” he explains. “The dadaists and beatniks were also a huge influence on my work, as I like to represent an idea in its purest, most raw form.” His unique experience and outlook put him on a path to drawing “form combinations”. “In my travels, as well as in my studies of the oeuvre of western art, I have not observed anything like the form combinations as subject matter—so I
decided to use this idea of form as subject in my own work,” Yessick says, explaining his process. He draws with whatever he can get his hands on at the moment, lamenting, “There are never enough pens, they always seem to disappear.” What doesn’t vanish in the process are the unique forms; when Yessick applies the mechanics of his abstract, form-based imaging process to figurative painting, the result is a unique style that is reminiscent of cubism and surrealism. The paintings have a distorted quality that is similar to what one sees when looking through the heat waves that rise from a fire. The style lends itself well to observational painting, and he employs it to describe a variety of environments.
“Mostly I’m inspired by beauty, in whatever form it may possess at that moment,” he notes. “All people can be beautiful. Some are more mysterious than others, but I try to look for the beauty in everyone. “A lot of my designs for paintings start with a drawing. Sometimes I can visualize an idea, but many times the finished product is different from what I had imagined. That’s because I try to go with a basic plan or idea, and leave room for improvisation. Sometimes, the best things will happen a certain way, and then they just kind of stick. You have to know when to hold or fold when painting.” For his paintings, Yessick stretches and prepares his own canvasses. He usually designs the image beforehand, draws it on the canvas, and then paints according to plan - always leaving room for improvisation along the way. He prefers to be surrounded by people when designing the paintings. “The reason why I’m interested in doing the drawing/design work for my pieces around other people is because I feel people are happier when together with those they like,” he says. “When music is being played, the vibe
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When music is being played, the vibe is even greater. Taking that energy and putting it into a painting is a way of communicating some of those feelings or emotions into a visual format.”
is even greater. Taking that energy and putting it into a painting is a way of communicating some of those feelings or emotions into a visual format.” He takes this transference of energy a step further by publishing the paintings in book format. “I decided to self-publish books on Amazon to give readers access to my many, many works all in one place. The entire bookmaking process is easy, and fun. I like to work in different media, because I feel that it helps me focus on what I’m doing at that moment. “Working with various media helps to keep me excited about a current project, and to not lose interest in any one thing. The media I work with are all connected, so it just works for me to move between them as needed.”
In addition to publishing his work physically, Yessick also publishes it electronically, through websites and social media outlets, and is an expert at SEO (Search Engine Optimization). “A lot of being a webmaster has to do with writing. SEO is probably the best way to get free organic traffic to your website,” he explains. Yessick offers private painting lessons that cater to students of any skill level. He is currently working on a new series of paintings for an upcoming exhibition, and a book of Architectural Sketches that is to be released soon. Interested parties can search Amazon for Steven Yessick to find his Author Page and Books, as well as following him on all the main social media sites.
Playing With Fire There are endless possibilities on what you can with fire. From lighting a candle to eating fire, people find all sorts of things to do. It can come in handy when making a campfire or it can be used in magic or art. The Steele Artifax Art Show will be fire…literally. Craig Steele is a graphic artist who performs with fire. Mix the two together and you get a pretty cool outcome as he spins the fire on a dragon staff. Steele found himself interested in long exposure photos and decided to try taking them of fire. Long exposure photos are really interesting to look at because it looks as if the world is moving in slow motion, leaving behind a trail. “I enjoy performing with fire because it allows me to connect with one of the natural elements and create unique experiences with each performance,” says Steele on his Facebook page. Every photo in his art show is taken and edited by him. The Steele Artifax Art Show will be held at Barley Chattanooga this Friday at 6:30 p.m. If you want more information, you can contact them at (423) 682-8200 or visit their website at chattanoogabarley.com. It will be lit! — Libby Gillies
THU6.7
FRI6.8
SAT6.9
“Bill Nye: The Science Guy”
Ruby Falls Lantern Tours
Battlefield Bicycle Tour
An exclusive access and a personal look at the celebrity scientist, presented by WTCI-TV. 6 p.m. The Palace Theater 818 Georgia Ave. chattpalace.com
This intimate experience allows visitors a rarely seen view deep within Lookout Mountain. 8:30 p.m. Ruby Falls 1720 S. Scenic Hwy. rubyfalls.com
Bring your bike and join in a leisurely-paced historical ride through the hsitorical battlefield. 9:30 a.m. Chickamauga Battlefield 3370 Lafayette Rd. nps.gov CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • JUNE 14, 2018 • THE PULSE • 11
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR
“Boeing-Boeing”
THURSDAY6.14 American Textiles Summer Workshop 1:30 p.m. The Houston Museum 201 High St. (478) 494-2431 thehoustonmuseum.org Money School After Hours: Reality Doesn’t Have to Bite: Life-Size Game of Life 5:30 p.m. Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise 1500 Chestnut St. (423) 756-6243 moneyschoolcha.org “Focus Lit” Series with author Karen White 5:30 p.m. The Peyton 3146 Broad St. (423) 667-4332 southernlitalliance.org Dreamgirls: Open Call Auditions 5:30 p.m. South Chatt. Recreation Center 1151 W. 40th St. (423) 425-3550 chattanooga.gov WTCI Presents Free Screening “Bill Nye: The Science Guy” 6 p.m. The Palace Theater 818 Georgia Ave. (423) 933-4906 chattpalace.com “Boeing-Boeing” 7 p.m.
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Chattanooga Theatre Centre 400 River St. (423) 267-8534 theatrecentre.com Poetry is LIT 7 p.m. LIT Art Gallery 4015 Tennessee Ave. (423) 401-8171 litartgallery.com Dusty Slay 7:30 p.m. The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com These Three: Faith, Hope, and Love 7:30 p.m. Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. (423) 624-5347 barkinglegs.org Country Line Dancing Class 8 p.m. Westbound Bar 24 Station St. (423) 498-3069 westboundbar.com
FRIDAY6.15 Out on 8th 5 p.m. West Village 802 Pine St. (423) 424-1831 westvillagechattanooga.com Giveback Night: Chattanooga Zoo 5 p.m.
Oddstory Brewing Company 336 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 697-1319 chattzoo.org Steele Artifax Art Show 6:30 p.m. Barley Chattanooga 235 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 682-8200 chattanoogabarley.com Dusty Slay 7:30 p.m. The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com These Three: Faith, Hope, and Love 7:30 p.m. Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. (423) 624-5347 barkinglegs.org Pandemic! 8 p.m. First Draft Theater 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 843-1775 improvchattanooga.com “Boeing-Boeing” 8 p.m. Chattanooga Theatre Centre 400 River St. (423) 267-8534 theatrecentre.com Ruby Falls Lantern Tours 8:30 p.m. Ruby Falls 1720 S. Scenic Hwy. (423) 821-2544 rubyfalls.com Improv Showdown
10 p.m. First Draft Theater 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 843-1775 improvchattanooga.com Pride Dance Party 10 p.m. The Palace Picture House 818 Georgia Ave. (423) 645-8920 chattpalace.com
SATURDAY6.16 Battlefield Bicycle Tour 9:30 a.m. Chickamauga Battlefield 3370 Lafayette Rd. (706) 866-9241 nps.gov Red Wolf Feeding and Talk Noon Reflection Riding Arboretum 400 Garden Rd. (423) 821-1160 reflectionriding.org Chattanooga Art Tour 1 p.m. Bluff View Art District 411 E. 2nd St. (423) 290-2477 newsouthtourco.com Go With the Flow 1 p.m. Chattanooga Workspace 302 W. 6th St. (423) 822-5750 chattanoogaworkspace.com Summer in West Village 6 p.m. West Village
FatherlyFigure Charity Kickball 802 Pine St. (423) 424-1831 westvillagechattanooga.com Nature Nuts: Bat Cave Paddle 7:30 p.m. Tennessee Aquarium 1 Broad St. (800) 262-0695 tnaqua.org Dusty Slay 7:30 p.m. The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com Week in Review 8 p.m. First Draft Theater 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 843-1775 improvchattanooga.com “Boeing-Boeing” 8 p.m. Chattanooga Theatre Centre 400 River St. (423) 267-8534 theatrecentre.com Whose Line Chattanooga 10 p.m. First Draft Theater 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 843-1775 improvchattanooga.com
SUNDAY6.17 Father’s Day Bacon, Blues & Brews 11 a.m. First Tennessee Pavilion 1801 Carter St.
(423) 648-2496 publicmarkets.us Father’s Day Carload Special Noon Lake Winnepesaukah 1730 Lakeview Dr. (706) 866-5681 lakewinnie.com Free Fiddle School 2 p.m. Fiddlers Anonymous 2248 Dayton Blvd. (423) 994-7497 “Boeing-Boeing” 2:30 p.m. Chattanooga Theatre Centre 400 River St. (423) 267-8534 theatrecentre.com FatherlyFigure Charity Kickball Game vs iTRAP 3 p.m. Eastdale Recreation Center 1314 Moss Dr. (423) 697-1289 chattanooga.gov
MONDAY6.18 Mountain to Town Downhill Bike Adventure 9 a.m. Outdoor Chattanooga 200 River St. (423) 643-6888 outdoorchattanooga.com Summer Belly Dance Session 5:45 p.m. Movement Arts Collective 3813 Dayton Blvd. (423) 401-8115
movementartscollective.com
TUESDAY6.19 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 Science on Tap! 5 p.m. Tennessee Aquarium 1 Broad St. (800) 262-0695 tnaqua.org Life After Enslavement Cherokee Freedmen 5:30 p.m. Bessie Smith Cultural Center 200 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 752-5213 nps.gov Tuesday Night Chess Club 6 p.m. Downtown Library 1001 Broad St. (423) 643-7700 chattilibrary.com
WEDNESDAY6.20 Middle Eastern Dance 10:30 a.m.
Jewish Cultural Center 5461 North Terrace (423) 493-0270 jewishchattanooga.com Yappy Hour 6 p.m. Old Chicago 250 Northgate Mall Dr. (423) 877-3450 oldchicago.com Book Release: The Natural Colors Cookbook 7 p.m. Annie Hanks Ceramics 1810 E Main St. (931) 636-8759 anniehanksceramics.com Chattanooga FC vs. Atlanta Silverbacks 7 p.m. Finley Stadium 1826 Reggie White Blvd. (423) 266-4041 finleystadium.com Naughty Knights Chess Meetup 7:30 p.m. The Bitter Alibi 825 Houston St. (423) 362-5070 thebitteralibi.com World Refugee Day 8 p.m. Granfalloon 400 E. Main St. (423) 713-9477 granfalloonchattanooga.com Map these locations on chattanoogapulse.com. Send event listings at least 10 days in advance to: calendar@chattanoogapulse.com CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • JUNE 14, 2018 • THE PULSE • 13
THE MUSIC SCENE
These Three: Faith, Hope, and Love For some of us, chamber music may seem like the far-off compositions of a by-gone era. This is just simply not the case. String quartets (and those who play them) are still alive and well, and vibrant, original pieces are still composed for our modern listening pleasure. For two evenings, Thursday and Friday this week, CoMAP (Contemporary, Collaborative, Community Musical Arts Projects) presents “These Three: Faith, Hope, and Love”, a chamber music performance of pieces by UTC professor and composer, Jonathan McNair, remembering Chattanooga urban design leader Christian Sinclair Rushing, as well as pieces by Stephen Michael Gryc and Samuel Barber. The chamber music will be accompanied by poetry and visual art, in an attempt to leave attendees “breathless, raw, and uncovered.” With the combination of different facets of art, the artists hope to create audio and visual landscapes, to transport their audiences to places unreal, but also to sculpt an urban landscape we are familiar with in honor of someone who helped design it. CoMAP has a passion for sharing chamber music, and these artists hope to convey that passion and help it to grow in Chattanooga. Music and art lovers of all kinds should choose either the Thursday or the Friday show, both at 7:30 p.m. for $20. — Olivia Haynes
The Tillers Get Folky How a folkish string quartet blazes their own trail By Marc T. Michael Pulse Music Editor
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With five albums (four studio and one live recording) under their belts, there’s no questioning that the fellas know their business.”
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H
AILING FROM CINCINNATI, OHIO, A TOWN WITH a thriving music scene and part of the Louisville/Cinci/ Indianapolis circuit, The Tillers are busy promoting the release of their latest album with a grueling summer tour.
The eponymous album has been available from Sofaburn Records since late March and the band has been on the road ever since, playing to sold out shows and killer crowds. Undeniably popular in their local stomping grounds, the folkish/ string quartet has been honing their craft for a little over a decade now, garnering numerous awards and recognition. With five albums (four studio and one live recording) under their belts, there’s no questioning that the fellas know their busi-
ness. Musically it’s fair to call them a string band. Their earliest days were spent playing traditional folk tunes on the street, covering the likes of Woody Guthrie and the ever present author of much older traditions, “anonymous”. Over time, they made the tunes their own, incorporating their diverse musical backgrounds including a firm footing in punk music, leading to one reviewer to remark, “They often sound like old-time Appalachian, other times they’re the
“
The musicians are the product of their own experience and exposure to musical genres and they bring that variety of taste and style to a genre that is by definition, ‘music of the people’.” Ramones on acid.” In this respect they are excellent representatives of what is best described as a new folk revival, one with a new set of rolls. The original folk revival of the fifties was rigid, with a strict adherence to form and tradition, and while that era produced some beloved groups, their identities were largely subsumed to a predefined image. The mockumentary A Mighty Wind explores this to a degree, satirizing the tropes of the genre and revealing that in that first era of folk revival, players, songs and groups were largely interchangeable with little differentiation. It was…modular. Contrast that to the modern folk revival represented by groups like The Tillers and our own hometown heroes, Strung Like a Horse, where the power and cultural importance of folk music is reimagined by a generation unbound to strict adherence or rigidity. The musicians are the product of their own experience and exposure to musical genres and they bring that variety of taste and style to a genre that is by definition, “music of the people”. It follows that the music of the people is an ever changing, evolving style and not a
moment frozen in time by the recordings of the great Alan Lomax. It isn’t an altogether new approach, as evidenced by the Pogues’ treatment of “Jesse James” or Dropkick Murphy’s fantastic rendition of “Which Side Are You On?” but these have until recently tended to be oneoffs, almost novelty treatments of old tunes whereas The Tillers, et al, represent a growing movement of “modern” folk and Appalachian tunes that are seeing unprecedented popularity and wide acceptance. The band’s latest release is a perfect example of the new folk revolution, blending old traditions with new approaches into something that a younger and increasingly diverse generation can appreciate both for its vintage roots and modern interpretation. Sadly, the closest their summer tour brings them to Chattanooga is a July 2nd performance at the Muddy Roots Festival in Cookeville, Tennessee, itself a brilliant melting pot of old and new. It’s not that far a drive, being a little over an hour and a half up the road, and if the festival itself weren’t enough to make it a worthwhile trip (it is) then the opportunity to see The Tillers live and in color is more than motivation enough.
SummerWeen Is Upon Us Although I touched on it a few weeks ago, the date has almost arrived and the event, which promises to be one of the better bashes of the summer, is one you don’t want to miss. So what do you get when you combine a collection of performance artists, contortionists, jugglers, freaks, geeks and Chattanooga’s premier surf-horror band with the cartoon equivalent of Twin Peaks and the X-Files? You get SummerWeen, baby, the best bang for your buck since the big one and this Saturday the party is ON at J.J.’s Bohemia. The event features the talents of those lovable rascals from Subterranean Cirqus coupled with their groovy pals and returning Chatt-town favorites, Cut Throat Freak Show along with THE EMOTRON whose act is…anything but predictable. Music will be provided by the Fab Three, Genki Genki Panic whose high energy surf sounds sometimes obscure the
wicked cleverness of their lyrics like a Luchador mask obscures the chiseled features of a handsome mug. The event, being SummerWeen after all, is a costume affair where dressing up as your favorite character isn’t required, but encouraged. Of course this writer is in no way responsible for what happens to any poor soul who comes in street clothes insisting they are costumed as “an ordinary person”. There’s nothing ordinary about SummerWeen 2018 and if you miss it, you’ve missed one of the freakiest and funnest parties of the summer. — MTM
THU6.14
FRI6.15
SAT6.16
Pony Bradshaw
Shakedown Six
Danimal
An Americana singer/ songwriter from just down the road in Chatsworth, Pony brings his full band with him for a big show. 7:30 p.m. The Camp House 149 E. MLK Blvd. thecamphouse.com
A Grateful Dead tribute band from Knoxville featuring members of Knoxville's finest groups that bring the Dead alive. 9 p.m. HiFi Clyde’s 122 W. Main St. clydesonmain.com
We've written a number of times over the years about the one-man virtuso that is Danimal, and the reason is clear: he's really that good! 7:30 p.m. The Foundry 1201 Broad St. chattanooganhotel.com CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • JUNE 14, 2018 • THE PULSE • 15
LIVE MUSIC CALENDAR
Hank & Cupcakes
THURSDAY6.14 Riverbend Music Festival 5 p.m. Chattanooga Riverfront Riverfront Pkwy. riverbendfestival.com James Crumble Trio 6 p.m. St. John’s Meeting Place 1278 Market St. stjohnsrestaurant.com Forever Bluegrass 6 p.m. Whole Foods Market 301 Manufacturers Rd. wholefoodsmarket.com Courtney Holder 6:30 p.m. Westin Alchemy Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com John Carroll 6:30 p.m. Westin Dorato Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Toby Hewitt 7 p.m. Backstage Bar 29 Station St. backstagechattanooga.com Pony Bradshaw 7:30 p.m. The Camp House 149 E. MLK Blvd. thecamphouse.com These Three: Faith, Hope, and Love 7:30 p.m. Barking Legs Theater
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1307 Dodds Ave. barkinglegs.org Keepin’ It Local 8 p.m. The Social 1110 Market St. publichousechattanooga.com KlusterfunK Open Jam 8 p.m. Trip’s Tavern 4762 Hwy. 58 (423) 803-5686 Open Mic Night 9 p.m. The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com Wham Bam Glitter Glam Burlesque Tour 9 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com Fistula, No Funeral, Mudsex, The Devil’s Got A Hold On Me 9 p.m. Ziggy’s Music Box 607 Cherokee Rd. ziggysbarandgrill.net
FRIDAY6.15 Summer Music Weekends 11 a.m. Rock City Gardens 1400 Patten Rd. seerockcity.com Riverbend Music Festival 5 p.m. Chattanooga Riverfront
Riverfront Pkwy. riverbendfestival.com Lou Wamp and The Bluetastics 6 p.m. Cambridge Square 9453 Bradmore Ln. publicmarkets.us Maria Sable 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 Rick Rushing and The Blues Strangers 7:30 p.m. The Foundry 1201 Broad St. chattanooganhotel.com These Three: Faith, Hope, and Love 7:30 p.m. Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. barkinglegs.org Gino Fanelli 9 p.m. Puckett’s Restaurant 2 W. Aquarium Way puckettsgro.com Shakedown Six 9 p.m. HiFi Clyde’s 122 W. Main St. clydesonmain.com Hank & Cupcakes, The Stir, Teach Me Equals 9 p.m.
JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com Channing Wilson Band f t. Dallas Walker 9 p.m. Songbirds South 35 Station St. songbirdsguitars.com Throttle 21 10 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar 5751 Brainerd Rd. budssportsbar.com
SATURDAY6.16 Summer Music Weekends 11 a.m. Rock City Gardens 1400 Patten Rd. seerockcity.com Clare Donohue Quartet 5 p.m. The Georgia Winery 6469 Battlefield Pkwy. georgiawines.com Riverbend Music Festival 5 p.m. Chattanooga Riverfront Riverfront Pkwy. riverbendfestival.com Ryan Oyer 6:30 p.m. Westin Alchemy Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Megan Howard 6:30 p.m. Westin Dorato Bar 801 Pine St.
Doctor Ocular westinchattanooga.com Danimal 7:30 p.m. The Foundry 1201 Broad St. chattanooganhotel.com Pamela K. Ward 8 p.m. Puckett’s Restaurant 2 W. Aquarium Way puckettsgro.com Nirvanna: A Tribute to Nirvana 9 p.m. Songbirds South 35 Station St. songbirdsguitars.com Doctor Ocular 9 p.m. HiFi Clydes 122 W. Main St. clydesonmain.com Cutthroat Freakshow, Subterranean Cirqus 9 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com Throttle 21 10 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar 5751 Brainerd Rd. budssportsbar.com
SUNDAY6.17 Summer Music Weekends 11 a.m. Rock City Gardens 1400 Patten Rd. seerockcity.com
Derek W. Curtis 11 a.m. Flying Squirrel Bar 55 Johnson St. flyingsquirrelbar.com Marcus White Piano Brunch 11 a.m. Westin Dorato Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com The Do Rights 12:30 p.m. Tennessee Aquarium Plaza 1 Broad St. Cannon Hunt 1:30 p.m. Flying Squirrel Bar 55 Johnson St. flyingsquirrelbar.com Rick Rushing & The Blues Strangers 2 p.m. First Tennessee Pavilion 1826 Carter St. publicmarkets.us Mathis & Martin 7 p.m. Backstage Bar 29 Station St. backstagechattanooga.com Maria Sable 8 p.m. Southside Social 1818 Chestnut St. thesouthsidesocial.com
MONDAY6.18 Monday Nite Big Band 7 p.m.
The Coconut Room 6925 Shallowford Rd. thepalmsathamilton.com Open Air with Jessica Nunn 7:30 p.m. The Granfalloon 400 E. Main St. granfalloonchattanooga.com
TUESDAY6.19 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 Open Mic Jam Session 7 p.m. Crust Pizza 3211 Broad St. crustpizza.com Open Mic with Mike McDade 8 p.m. Tremont Tavern 1203 Hixson Pike tremonttavern.com State Champions 9 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com Doom Stress 9 p.m. Music Box @ Ziggy’s 607 Cherokee Blvd. ziggysbarandgrill.net
WEDNESDAY6.20 The Other Guys 6 p.m. SpringHill Suites 495 Riverfront Pkwy. springhillsuites.com Jesse James Jungkurth 7 p.m. Backstage Bar 29 Station St. backstagechattanooga.com Jazz In The Lounge 7 p.m. Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. barkinglegs.org Priscilla & Little Rickee 8 p.m. Las Margaritas 1101 Hixson Pike (423) 756-3332 Mother Legacy Acoustic 8 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar 5751 Brainerd Rd. budssportsbar.com Bombadil ft. The Mailboxes 8 p.m. Stone Cup Cafe 208 Frazier Ave. stonecupcafe.com Prime Cut Trio 9 p.m. The Palms at Hamilton 6925 Shallowford Rd. Map these locations on chattanoogapulse.com. Send event listings at least 10 days in advance to: calendar@chattanoogapulse.com CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • JUNE 14, 2018 • THE PULSE • 17
ERNIE PAIK'S RECORD REVIEWS
New Music From Big Kitty, Gnod
Big Kitty ...A Legend in the Field of Entertainment (Let’s Pretend)
T
he new album from Big Kitty— the charming outlet of former Chattanoogan Clark Williams— is self-aware in its artificiality, but it’s too fun to be mired in some grand statement about that. His assumed posture on his new fake-live, completely solo effort ...A Legend in the Field of Entertainment is that of a worldfamous, arena-filling performer in a televised spectacle (think “Elvis comeback special”), rooted in an old-school duty to entertain; ultimately, the message that’s conveyed is that it’s the audience that matters the most, not the artist’s vanity. Beginning with the sound of a film projector, suggesting some
Gnod Chapel Perilous (Rocket Recordings)
kind of documentary to be witnessed, the album often includes the rapturous sounds of an obviously dubbed-in massive audience, and there are moments of artificial stage drama, maybe like Brecht without the moral dilemmas, pushing tragedy in a few unexpected glimpses of body horror so that it circles back and becomes uneasy comedy. The bright and summery “Aliens” is carried by spry, effervescent violins, hinting at baroque pop, and “The Boy Who Smelled Real Good” is a slice of toe-tapping, easygoing country. “Hey Yolanda” is a ditty about an elephant who can hook you up with old car engine parts; Williams’ vocal range is showcased
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here, going from a deep baritone to falsetto backing vocals. Our fair city perhaps has no greater ambassador than Williams, who offers the civic pride anthem “Chattanooga, Tennessee” with its earworm melody and a parade of tourism tips and even culinary recommendations. An oddly unsettling diversion in the Big Kitty catalog is the minor-keyed “A Man Melting,” with graphic descriptions of the titular victim with “eyes like soft-boiled eggs” and organic textures of jelly and plasma; it’s like an absurd horror tale told around a campfire, but with keyboard squiggles and samples of what sounds like a woman whimpering. In the same vein, there’s “My Finger Tips” with Williams describing giant blades that are growing out of his fingers, causing pain and blood loss, saying “I am dying...I am dying...I am dead.” But when the song/scene is over, he jumps up miraculously, like an “injured” soccer player after the ruse is up. Some lofty goals are outlined in the album’s intro by the announcer—“He’s dedicated his life to the noble profession of entertainment, and he’s here to make you smile, he’s here to make you cry, he’s here to make you feel alive”—and Big Kitty’s
fantasy stage spectacular makes good on its promises.
T
he latest album from the Salford, England group Gnod is titled Chapel Perilous, a term which originally referred to a dangerous setting in the context of Sir Lancelot being seduced within an epic quest. However, in more modern times, the term was adopted by the writer Robert Anton Wilson in “Cosmic Trigger I: The Final Secret of the Illuminati” to describe a psychological state where reality seems to be bendable, and depending on the observer, this distortion could be thought to have been either caused by an external supernatural force— leading to paranoia—or a part of one’s imagination, reflecting the observer’s skepticism. Knowing Gnod’s political leanings (hint: its previous album is titled Just Say No to the Psycho Right-Wing Capitalist Fascist Industrial Death Machine), one might assume that the group falls in the “skeptic” camp, regarding perception in the post-truth era. But after listening to the group’s music—which alternates between forceful and shadowy—one could also make a case that it’s conveying a paranoia of forces beyond earthly comprehension.
The tremendous 15-minute opener, “Donovan’s Daughters,” is a hell of a track, evoking the post-punk potency of bands such as This Heat and The Pop Group with persistent and dissonant guitar chords woven together under agitated vocals. The song chugs along, gradually building its locomotive momentum and invoking a sort of primitive Swans-esque rough-edged death march, alternating between meaty bass and treble skronks. Also impressively intense is the closing track “Uncle Frank Says Turn It Down,” which pounds out its sludgy head-banging metal riffs, honing itself so that it reduces to a basic primal pounding throb. However, between the bookends are three tracks that are more subtle and sinister, chopping up the album’s flow, including the greyscale atmospherics of “Europa,” with echoing pulses and samples of an accented woman calling for responsibility in Europe, and “Voice from Nowhere,” with clangs and crunchy, industrial rhythms. While this writer prefers its louder, more rock-oriented tracks, Chapel Perilous might actually work better when perceived as two separate releases, representing both an agitated skepticism and a lurking fear.
FOOD & DRINK · DINING OUT
Brewhaus BrewPub
A
RE YOU HUNGRY FOR SOME schnitzel? Are you thirsty for local beers, crafted cocktails, or a little wine to wet your whistle? Welcome to Brewhaus, Chattanooga’s one and only place for traditional German eats and drinks. Overlooking Coolidge Park with an iconic view of Walnut Street Bridge and (if you squint real hard into the distance, Lookout Mountain), Brewhaus serves up schnitzels, spaetzles, and wursts (oh my) in a casual environment known to the industry as a gastropub. Brewhaus’ identification as gastropub instead of your average run-ofthe-mill restaurant means that their food is “chef driven,” allowing them to change up their menu with the sea-
sons and experiment with flavors that you might not otherwise experience outside of Deutschland—mixing traditional “Grandma’s cookbook” German comfort food with modern twists. Alongside the expected traditional German cuisine, Brewhaus patrons will also find the half-pound “Hamburg cheeseburger” and fried apple pie served à la mode. In addition to great food, Brewhaus is also a center for community and ale consumption, offering $3 half-liters of beer all day on Mondays (the best beer-deal in town, I’ve been told) as well as hosting trivia on Tuesday nights. The gastropub also hosts beer-related events with a focus on local and regional breweries throughout the year. Of note this month will be a special
one-of-a-kind tapping of the Flower Child Honey Mead from Gypsy Circus, an event (and taste) you simply do not want to miss. Remember the aforementioned killer view? Brewhaus is also a prime location from which to see the Pops in the Park fireworks show, while sipping on
your Glitter Bomb Wild Ale on July 3rd. As their menu declares, “Alles hat ein ende, nur die wurst hat zwei” (everything has an end, but sausage has two). Since you’ve reached the single end of this article, reward yourself and head out to Brewhaus for a twoended sausage.
CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • JUNE 14, 2018 • THE PULSE • 19
FILM & TELEVISION
All Aboard For A Space Mutiny! What would happen if you took the dot matrix printers out of Alien, added footage from Battlestar Galactica, and then tried to pass it off as a movie? You’d get Space Mutiny. Combine a wardrobe of spandex and tinfoil; a set boasting AstroTurf and spraypainted floor buffers; and special effects that, well, aren’t so special, and you’ve got one of the most hysterical cheeseball movies to ever come out of the ‘80s. The Southern Sun is a multi-generational colonization ship (and certainly not two or three warehouse sets) led by Cameron Mitchell and his prosthetic eyebrows. This upsets Kalgan, who wanted the entire prosthetic budget for himself. The only solution: the aforementioned Space Mutiny. Standing in the way of all this space and mutiny is chunky pilot Dave Ryder, who will throw as many extras over safety railings as necessary to get the job done. Can Punch Rockgroin stop the mutiny in time? Will Stump Chunkmen be able to save the ship? Or is Blast Thickneck doomed to failure? And there are only three men who are capable of presenting this classic sci-fi disaster in the proper light: Mike, Kevin, and Bill from Mystery Science Theater 3000. This Thursday night, head on over to either East Ridge 18 or Hamilton place 8 at 8 p.m. for RiffTrax Live: Space Mutiny. Grab your friends and have a riot with this riff on the underground cult hit, guaranteed to have you in stitches. — Michael Thomas
Delving Into The Darkness Heredity lays claim to a classic horror film heritage By John DeVore Pulse Film Editor
“
For whatever reason, The Exorcist has become the measuring stick all good horror films are set against.”
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A
POPULAR WAY TO MARKET NEW PRESTIGE HORror films is to call them “the scariest film since The Exorcist.” I use the term “prestige horror” in the same way television writers use the term “prestige television” to describe dramas on HBO and AMC like Westworld and The Terror. Both are filled with talented, capable actors. Both have visionaries dedicated to the craft of filmmaking, in both narrative structure and cinematography. Both are generally well regarded by critics, who write think pieces about what they say about society. For whatever reason, The Exorcist has become the measuring stick all good horror films are set against. It’s a great film, to be sure. It terrified me to no end, largely due to a
pervasive religious upbringing that instilled an unconscious fear of the occult and the devil. But when I convinced my stepdaughter, who has none of those trappings, to watch it at 15, she described it as “kind of weird.” And so maybe we should judge a film by its own merits. Hereditary is an excellent horror film. I didn’t find it scarier than The Exorcist, but then those spiritual fears don’t hold as much sway over
me as they once did. In fact, the film could have left the supernatural aspects out of the story entirely and it wouldn’t have been any less unsettling. Like most horror movies, Hereditary is a film about family. For many, family is a haven of safety, a place to turn when there is nowhere else to go, a place of love and protection and security. This is a myth, of course. Even in the most stable families, insidious things can linger. Horror films are constantly forcing audiences to look the darkest part of humanity. Nothing is darker than the danger that might lurk in the hearts of those we love the most. Annie’s (Toni Collette) family has never been happy. As Tolstoy tells us, all unhappy families are unhappy in their own way. Annie’s family has been controlled by a manipulative and secretive mother, whose behavior is rooted in apparent mental illness. Her mother has died at the beginning of the film and Annie seeks closure after a lifetime of abuse. She visits a group therapy session on grief, where she slowly allows us into to her history. The camera closes in on Annie, bringing us into her pain, forcing us to empathize with her past. We learn about the various
“
As beautiful and stark as the cinematography for Hereditary is, the sound creates a disquieting atmosphere that exists in every corner of the theater.”
bouts of madness that haunt her family tree, about how she shielded her son from her mother but gave her daughter over to her out of guilt. Annie takes responsibility for things that are not her fault but never addresses the things that are. So do we all. However, an unspeakable tragedy occurs soon after this meeting and everything begins to fall apart. If there is a reason to see this film in the theater, it rests with the brilliance of the sound design. As beautiful and stark as the cinematography for Hereditary is, the sound creates a disquieting atmosphere that exists in every corner of the theater. Knocks and creaks and clicks bounce around the room, pulling the audience into the story is a way that isn’t found in most horror films. There’s nothing like staring at the dark corner of a room with a character only to hear a famil-
✴ NEW IN THEATERS ✴
iar noise over your right shoulder, causing the character on screen to look behind you. Hereditary blurs the line between the real and unreal. Even with a top of the line home surround sound system, something would be lost viewing the film from your couch. Of course, Toni Collette is a treasure in her role. She unravels so beautifully. In the hands of a lesser actor, her character might come across as histrionic and laughable. Collette, however, is a master of her craft. She should be nominated for any of the awards Hollywood has to offer. She won’t be, of course. The Academy has backed away from rewarding films like these in favor of “meaningful” dramas about social issues. While those films tend to be wonderful in their own right, Hereditary deserves recognition for the achievement it is. It’s a summer movie like no other.
Incredibles 2 Bob Parr (Mr. Incredible) is left to care for JackJack while Helen (Elastigirl) is out saving the world in a sequel to the beloved Pixar superhero family saga. Director: Brad Bird Stars: Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sarah Vowell, Huck Milner, Samuel L. Jackson
Tag A small group of former classmates organize an elaborate, annual game of tag that requires some to travel all over the country. Director: Jeff Tomsic Stars: Isla Fisher, Annabelle Wallis, Jon Hamm, Jeremy Renner
CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • JUNE 14, 2018 • THE PULSE • 21
COLUMN · ON THE BEAT
Of Warning Tickets And Restrooms Officer Alex ruminating on having yet another one of "those days"
A
Alex Teach
Pulse columnist
“
Warning tickets are intended to give you tangible notice that you need to correct your driving behavior while still showing the bosses that one is working the job.”
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.
NOTHER CLOSE CALL IN A career full of close calls, but yet again I had somehow made it. Coincidence? Skill? Probably the former but you hope it was the latter, though in the end it makes no difference either way. I’d made it and I could relax, my keeper rings (those things that keep our gun belt attached to the inner pants belt) in the sink, my gear belt on the floor, and my buttocks planted comfortably on the pot in an unusually well air conditioned restroom. I dropped my face into my hands, wincing as my right elbow dug into my bad knee—an injury so old I literally forget about it until I make such contact (or the barometer drops). I sat quietly and began to think now that the panicked dash to the crapper was over when something caught my eye in the trash can that made my blood run cold and my colon seize up like a ten-dollar lawnmower engine, negating the pains I’d taken to make it here in time in the first place. It was an empty bottle of “Michelob Ultra Lime Cactus” lying beside another empty bottle, this one a “Mich Ultra Pomegranate Raspberry”. “Sweet Jesus,” I mumbled to myself. I was laying cable in the women’s restroom, and there is no “not leaving in uniform” option. I closed my eyes so I wouldn’t have to look at the patient shadow projecting below the door of the next hopeful customer. (I would have covered my ears also but it was too late—I could already tell she was talking to a friend, which means the women’s Olympic volleyball team could be out there for all I knew.) I don’t mind complaints; they come with the job and I’m confident in what
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I do, and if I’m wrong, I own up to that too. They can yell at me but they cannot eat me. But a preventable complaint? I was better than this, but it is what it is. Normally if I want a complaint I would just write someone a “warning ticket”. They really do exist when Officer Friendly feels that you are in the Hinterlands of a violation, but don’t necessarily need to lose a day’s pay sitting in the circus tent known as municipal court. Warning tickets are intended to give you tangible notice that you need to correct your driving behavior while still showing the bosses that one is working the job, but in reality? They are generally a guarantee of getting a complaint when the fortunate driver begins to internalize what has gone from “getting a break” to it now being some kind of “personal affront” and BY GOD, a CALL will be placed to the police chief, councilman, Mayor, or in one instance, a sitting U.S. Senator. I have never understood this phenomenon because I have never, in hundreds of tickets written, received a complaint for a “real” citation, but a warning ticket seemed to be a 50/50 chance of a complaint that would ultimately result
in my letting the person know I can go ahead and cite them to court if they feel they have not been afforded the right for someone to hear their case for the offense I did not, in fact, cite them for. It ends in silence, but it is indeed something I will never understand. Unlike the polite knocking at the bathroom door I was basically hiding in now. There was nothing to do of course but to just do it. I placed my hand near my shoulder mic after reassembling my gear, and with the free hand I opened the restroom door with dramatic flair and acted like I was speaking to dispatch, having solved a Police Emergency. “Negative, nothing to see here, show me on route for follow up though, code 86.” (None of this meant anything— even the code was made up—but it was a means of escape that negated human contact and with a bit of luck, a lack of focus on my nametag.) Where were we again? AH! “Warning Tickets.” I was going to do my best to write one in the next 30 minutes because if I’m going to get a complaint, it’s not going to be for using the wrong gendered restroom. (Again.) Till the next time, Constant Readers.
JONESIN' CROSSWORD
FREE WILL ASTROLOGY GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “Whether you love what you love or live in divided ceaseless revolt against it, what you love is your fate.” Gemini poet Frank Bidart wrote that in his poem “Guilty of Dust,” and now I offer it to you. Why? Because it’s an excellent time to be honest with yourself as you identify whom and what you love. It’s also a favorable phase to assess whether you are in any sense at odds with whom and what you love; and if you find you are, to figure out how to be in more harmonic alignment with whom and what you love. Finally, dear Gemini, now is a key moment to vividly register the fact that the story of your life in the coming years will pivot around your relationship with whom and what you love. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Congratulations on the work you’ve done to cleanse the psychic toxins from your soul, Cancerian. I love how brave you’ve been as you’ve jettisoned outworn shticks, inadequate theories, and irrelevant worries. It makes my heart sing to have seen you summon the self-respect necessary to stick up for your dreams in the face of so many confusing signals. I do feel a tinge of sadness that your heroism hasn’t been better appreciated by those around you. Is there anything you can do to compensate? Like maybe intensify the appreciation you give yourself? LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): I hope you’re reaching the final stages of your year-long project to make yourself as solid and steady as possible. I trust you have been building a stable foundation that will serve you well for at least the next five years. I pray you have been creating a rich sense of community and establishing vital new traditions and surrounding yourself with environments that bring out the best in you. If there’s any more work to be done in these sacred tasks, intensify your efforts in the coming weeks. If you’re behind schedule, please make up for lost time. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “Necessity is the mother of invention,” says an old proverb. In other words, when your need for some correction or improvement becomes overwhelming, you may be driven to get creative. Engineer Allen Dale put a different spin on the issue. He said that “if necessity is the mother of invention, then laziness is the father.” Sci-fi writer Robert Heinlein agreed, asserting that “progress is made by lazy men looking for easier ways to do things.” I’m not sure if necessity or laziness will be your motivation, Virgo, but I suspect that the coming weeks could be a golden age of invention for you. What practical innovations might you launch? What useful improvements can you finagle? (P.S. Philosopher Al-
fred North Whitehead attributed the primary drive for innovative ideas and gizmos to “pleasurable intellectual curiosity.”) LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Would you have turned out wiser and wealthier if you had dropped out of school in third grade? Would it have been better to apprentice yourself to a family of wolves or coyotes rather than trusting your educational fate to institutions whose job it was to acclimate you to society’s madness? I’m happy to let you know that you’re entering a phase when you’ll find it easier than usual to unlearn any old conditioning that might be suppressing your ability to fulfill your rich potentials. I urge you to seek out opportunities to unleash your skills and enhance your intelligence. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The temptation to overdramatize is strong. Going through with a splashy but messy conclusion may have a perverse appeal. But why not wrap things up with an elegant whisper instead of a garish bang? Rather than impressing everyone with how amazingly complicated your crazy life is, why not quietly lay the foundations for a low-key resolution that will set the stage for a productive sequel? Taking the latter route will be much easier on your karma, and in my opinion will make for just as interesting a story. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Each of us harbors rough, vulnerable, controversial, or unhoned facets of our identity. And every one of us periodically reaches turning points when it becomes problematic to keep those qualities buried or immature. We need to make them more visible and develop their potential. I suspect you have arrived at such a turning point. So on behalf of the cosmos, I hereby invite you to enjoy a period of ripening and self-revelation. And I do mean “enjoy.” Find a way to have fun. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): For the next two-plus weeks, an unusual rule will be in effect: The more you lose, the more you gain. That means you will have an aptitude for eliminating hassles, banishing stress, and shedding defense mechanisms. You’ll be able to purge emotional congestion that has been preventing clarity. You’ll have good intuitions about how to separate yourself from influences that have made you weak or angry. I’m excited for you, Capricorn! A load of old, moldy karma could dissolve and disperse in what seems like a twinkling. If all goes well, you’ll be traveling much lighter by July 1. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): I suggest you avoid starting a flirtatious correspondence with a
convict who’ll be in jail for another 28 years. OK? And don’t snack on fugu, the Japanese delicacy that can poison you if the cook isn’t careful about preparing it. Please? And don’t participate in a séance where the medium summons the spirits of psychotic ancestors or diabolical celebrities with whom you imagine it might be interesting to converse. Got that? I understand you might be in the mood for high adventure and out-ofthe-ordinary escapades. And that will be fine and healthy as long as you also exert a modicum of caution and discernment. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I suggest that you pat yourself on the back with both hands as you sing your own praises and admire your own willful beauty in three mirrors simultaneously. You have won stirring victories over not just your own personal version of the devil, but also over your own inertia and sadness. From what I can determine, you have corralled what remains of the forces of darkness into a comfy holding cell, sealing off those forces from your future. They won’t bother you for a very long time, maybe never again. Right now you would benefit from a sabbatical—a vacation from all this high-powered characterbuilding. May I suggest you pay a restorative visit to the Land of Sweet Nonsense? ARIES (March 21-April 19): My Aries acquaintance Tatiana decided to eliminate sugar from her diet. She drew up a plan to avoid it completely for 30 days, hoping to permanently break its hold over her. I was surprised to learn that she began the project by making a Dessert Altar in her bedroom, where she placed a chocolate cake and five kinds of candy. She testified that it compelled her willpower to work even harder and become even stronger than if she had excluded all sweet treats from her sight. Do you think this strenuous trick might work for you as you battle your own personal equivalent of a sugar addiction? If not, devise an equally potent strategy. You’re on the verge of forever escaping a temptation that’s no good for you. Or you’re close to vanquishing an influence that has undermined you. Or both. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): You have caressed and finessed The Problem. You have tickled and teased and tinkered with it. Now I suggest you let it alone for a while. Give it breathing room. Allow it to evolve under the influence of the tweaks you have instigated. Although you may need to return and do further work in a few weeks, my guess is that The Problem’s knots are now destined to metamorphose into seeds. The awkwardness you massaged with your love and care will eventually yield a useful magic.
“Triple 8”—fittingly for the 888th Jonesin’ Crossword. ACROSS 1 Came up 6 Minor argument 10 Die spots 14 Cholesterol drug with the generic version Simvastatin 15 Animal in two constellations 16 Mental concoction 17 One-eighty 18 Boxing Day baby, astrologically 20 Defunct newspaper from North Carolina’s state capital 22 Pencil end 23 ___ el hanout (North African spice mix) 24 Distorted 27 Leb. neighbor 28 Greek column style 31 You, to Shakespeare 32 Crankcase component for engine fluids 34 Get a little froggy? 35 Certain Winter
Olympics squad, as spelled in some countries 38 City with a Witch Museum 39 The great outdoors 40 “Toy Story” kid 41 Try to buy 42 Work at a grocery store, perhaps 45 Music collection often stored in a tower 46 Directional suffix 47 Place to change before swimming 50 Compare pros and cons 53 Easy swimming target, slangily 56 Word before paper or metal 57 Charismatic glow 58 Reverberation 59 City between Jacksonville and Tampa 60 Seasonal employee 61 Put a halt to 62 Pied ___ (“Silicon
Valley” company) DOWN 1 Sky-blue shades 2 Hub traffic circle 3 Eye-related 4 Tender spots 5 Basement apartment resident at 123 Sesame Street 6 “No ___ luck!” 7 Backside before a fall? 8 Having as a goal 9 Airport runway 10 “___ or it didn’t happen!” 11 Altar-ed statement? 12 Part of MPG 13 ___ Jacinto 19 -y, pluralized 21 Bobby Flay’s milieu 24 Exclamation often misspelled with the second letter at the end 25 Be nomadic 26 ___ it up 29 Show starter 30 Water nymph, in mythology
31 Yew, for example 32 Mind 33 Philosopher’s suffix 34 Midpoint, for short 35 Group in the pit 36 Carmaker Ransom 37 Intuition 38 Alveolus, e.g. 41 Pays off 42 Undeserved reputation 43 “Hurry up!,” in Spanish 44 He brought the frankincense 46 Startled sound 48 Storyteller with morals 49 Italian lawn bowling 50 Make a present presentable? 51 “___! Cherry-O” (kids’ board game) 52 Corvette roof option 53 Took a load off 54 Shade 55 Robotic factory piece
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. 888 CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • JUNE 14, 2018 • THE PULSE • 23