july 30, 2015
CHATTANOOGA'S WEEKLY ALTERNATIVE
global warming
can it be stopped? climate change is real. here's what you can do to help.
music
arts
screen
husky burnette
trailer park fun
mckellen rocks
authentic oper-y'all mr. holmes
2 • The Pulse • July 30-august 5, 2015 • chattanoogapulse.com
Contents
CHATTANOOGA'S WEEKLY ALTERNATIVE
EDITORIAL
Managing Editor Gary Poole Contributing Editor Janis Hashe
July 30, 2015 Volume 12, Issue 31
Music Editor Marc T. Michael Film Editor John DeVore Contributors David Traver Adolphus • Rich Bailey Rob Brezsny • Steven W. Disbrow Matt Jones • Whitni McDonald • Ernie Paik Rick Pimental-Habib • Alex Teach Editorial Interns Ashley Coker • Shaun Webster
Features
Cartoonists Max Cannon • Rob Rogers Jen Sorenson • Tom Tomorrow
4 BEGINNINGS: Mark Making introduces new program to help teens.
Cover Design Kelly Lockhart Founded 2003 by Zachary Cooper & Michael Kull
8
ADVERTISING
Director of Sales Mike Baskin Account Executives Chee Chee Brown • Randy Johnston Angela Lanham • Rick Leavell Kyle Richard • Stacey Tyler
CONTACT
Offices 1305 Carter St. Chattanooga, TN 37402 Phone 423.265.9494 Website chattanoogapulse.com Email info@chattanoogapulse.com
10
Opera, Meet Trailer Park
When you think of opera, song titles like “Tail-Whipping Time at the Trailer Park Tonight” or “He Gives Me Hickies,” probably don’t spring to mind. But that’s probably because not too many audiences get treated to writers Tom Brown and David Crawford’s new bluegrass opera.
BREWER MEDIA GROUP Publisher & President Jim Brewer II 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 © 2015 by Brewer Media. All rights reserved.
brewer media
Climate Change: It’s Real, It’s Here
A couple of weeks ago, in my regular “Just a Theory” column, I went over the basic nuts and bolts of climate change. The purpose of this article is to, briefly, discuss the implications of that article and then talk about what each of us can do to help prevent the worst effects of climate change from actually happening.
14
Tales of the Blues and Even More
Sometime in late fall or early winter of 2013, Husky Burnette released the album Tales from East End Boulevard. It was a particularly powerful collection of tunes, prompting at least one eerily prescient reviewer to dub it, “The album that will be remembered for making Husky Burnette.”
6 AIR BAG: Our car guy says: When new models arrive, old ones get cheap. 12 ARTS CALENDAR 16 MUSIC CALENDAR 18 REVIEWS: Bassekou Kouyaté gets tightly dexterous, Flying Saucer Attack flows. 19 CONSIDER THIS 20 SCREEN: “Mr. Holmes” examines an aging and human hero. 22 FREE WILL ASTROLOGY 22 JONESIN’ CROSSWORD 23 on the beat: Officer Alex returns to duty...after a sit down chat. Due to space considerations, "Tech Talk" is available online at chattanoogapulse.com
Chattanooga’s Greatest Hits
everywhere. every day.
chattanoogapulse.com • July 30-august 5 • The Pulse • 3
news • views • rants • raves
BEGINNINGS
updates » CHATTANOOGApulse.com facebook/chattanoogapulse EMAIL LOVE LETTERS, ADVICE & TRASH TALK TO INFO@CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM
Teens Paint Their Neighborhood Beautiful Mark Making introduces Magic Markers, a program to help teens
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Magic Markers gives area teens the chance to contribute to the welfare of their community.”
Chattanooga is entering a golden age when it comes to art appreciation, but a ride around the city will still lead you through plenty of eyesores. Dilapidated and graffiti-ed buildings still abound in some neighborhoods, including East Chattanooga. Mark Making is out to change that. The organization, founded by Frances McDonald, has completed 32 visual arts projects in the city. The benefit of turning buildings from unappealing blemishes to works of art is a pronounced shift in public perception. “When you drive through an area with these ugly buildings, you think you are
in a bad, bad place. Seeing beautiful art instead shows you that you are in a community of caring, intentional people,” McDonald said. “You aren’t seeing all the chain-link fences because your eyes are bouncing from one colorful animation to the next.” But Mark Making isn’t just concerned with beautifying East Chattanooga; they are also working to extend employment opportunities to the neighborhood’s teenagers. The organization introduced a new educational work program this month called Magic Markers. Magic Markers gives area ashley coker teens the chance to contribute to the welfare of their community, earn some money and come away with a letter of recommendation. Teens are paid on a scale ranging from minimum wage to $10/ hour, depending on their performance. Each pay category has a specific set of requirements, starting with basic things like punctuality and politeness and ending with less tangible attributes like resilience and a spirit of teamwork. McDonald said the purpose of the program is threefold: to help teens feel they are contributing members of the community, to give them a chance to earn their own money and to promote work readiness. Each project the program completes spans about three days, and all teens who complete the project will have successfully met these objectives. For some of the teens, Magic Markers is the first chance they have had to earn their own money. During their first project on July 10, which involved covering the graffiti-laden
News
4 • The Pulse • July 30-august 5, 2015 • chattanoogapulse.com
walls of what was once the East Chattanooga Post Office, McDonald said she was struck by the pride the teens took in their work. “They really thrived under the structure we had set up. If you don’t have structure, you don’t know when you’re doing something right or something wrong...By the last day, seven of the twelve teens were earning $10/hour,” she said. Magic Markers began their second project on July 28. After the two summer sessions, Mark Making plans to make Magic Markers a Saturday program that incorporates art education and hands-on community projects, focusing on both “soft skills” like teamwork and persistence and “hard skills” like applying murals and selecting paint brushes. McDonald described the program as the most successful thing Mark Making has ever done. If successful, the program will create a more beautiful East Chattanooga and a more workready generation of teenagers. “It was magic. It gave me a whole different idea of what our young people can do,” she said. If you’re interested in what Mark Making is doing, you can contact them at (423) 605-5257 or info@markmaking.org
EdiToon
by Rob Rogers
Up the River With A Paddle Thu, July 30 • 7:15 PM
vs. Pensacola Blue Wahoos
It’s been a long, hot summer already. But something cool is SUP. Picture yourself on the sparkling Tennessee River, paddling alongside waterfowl and fish, as the sun gently slides below the horizon. L2 Outside will take you on a sunset SUP journey on either Friday or
Saturday night, starting at 8 p.m. and ending at 9:30 p.m. The rental fee of $35 includes board, paddle, safety gear and lights (so you, too, will sparkle). If a paddleboard is not quite your cup of river water, a limited number of single and tandem kayaks are also available. Reservations are needed, and can be made online or by phone. L2 Outside is located at 100 Market St.
IN THIS ISSUE
Steven W. Disbrow Steven W. Disbrow is a computer programmer by profession who specializes in e-commerce and mobile systems development. But wait, there’s more. Much more. He’s also an entrepreneur, comic-book nerd, writer, improviser, actor, sometime television personal-
should you want to drop in and pay a visit pre-paddle. Sunset Paddle with Lights 8-9:30 p.m., Friday, July 31 and Saturday, Aug. 1. 100 Market St. (423) 531-7873 l2outside.com — Janis Hashe
UTC Night
Fri, July 31 • 7:15 PM
vs. Pensacola Blue Wahoos Super Hero Night • Fireworks!
Sat, Aug 1 • 7:15 PM vs. Mobile BayBears
23rd Annual Used Car Night
Fri, Aug 7 • 7:15 PM vs. Mobile BayBears
Epilepsy Awareness • Fireworks!
Whtini McDonald ity and parent of two human children. He’s anxiously awaiting the results of the experiment that will prove whether or not the universe is a massive simulation. If it is, he’d like to have a chat with the idiot that coded the bits where we kill each other for no damn good reason. Along with various cover stories, his “Just A Theory” column on all things science runs monthly here in The Pulse. Watch out, Neil deGrasse Tyson!
Our Arts feature this week is written by a relative newcomer to The Pulse writing family, Whitni McDonald. Whitni teaches writing at Southern Adventist University. She has recently returned to the Chattanooga area after studying and teaching in Southern California and
most recently, New York City. Whitni is deeply appreciative of Chattanooga’s burgeoning cultural scene, and has enjoyed connecting with startup initiatives such as Society of Work, Causeway, and Lamp Post Group. She is a regular blogger and can often be found working in her favorite downtown coffeeshops and parks, reflecting on life in her community. You can follow her on Twitter @ whitni_ann and at whitni.tumblr.com chattanoogapulse.com • July 30-august 5 • The Pulse • 5
New Car Buying Season, Part I: Sedans When new models arrive, old ones get cheap. Our car guy has some practical advice.
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To get the best price on an everyday car or truck, you have to figure out what’s about to become obsolete when the 2016s arrive, which starts around now.”
David Traver Adolphus is a freelance automotive researcher who recently quit his full time job writing about old cars to pursue his lifelong dream of writing about old AND new cars. He welcomes the inevitable and probably richly deserved kvetching about Airbag and anything else on Twitter as @proscriptus.
to be replaced by another car. Cheap cars are kind of a hobby of mine. I want to see Affordable Sedan people get into the right veChevrolet Malibu hicle and not get shafted in There are tens of thousands the process. There are many of new Malibus in dealer inexisting online tools to help ventory, which is a problem you, like TrueCar pricing, because the Consumer Re2016 model ports dealer is wildly difinvoices, Edferent. The munds, KBB current one and literally DAVID TRAVER is a really hundreds of ADOLPHUS nice car but others. (I need it sells terribly, with many to give a particular shout out going to rental fleets. MSRP to the work being done in this on a base 2015 Malibu LS is field by Steve Lang, who’s around $23,500, but you’re responsible for The Longgetting a raw deal if you pay Term Quality Index (tradeinover $18,000. I’d aim for unqualityindex.com) and can der $16,000 and go as high as be found at Yahoo! Autos). $16,500, plus options. Even These all give you a lot of the top $30,000 2LZ or 2LTZ power, but there’s a sort of trim is already thousands off. meta-factor in play which is hard to quantify in numbers. Sporty Affordable Sedan I’ve discussed it several times Nissan Maxima before, and it has to do with If you read this column buying a specific car at a speregularly, you know I’m not cific time. a Nissan fan, in part because Some combinations should they put their stupid conbe no-brainers—buy a continuously variable transmisvertible in December, not sion (CVT) in everything. April, because who wants But the Maxima is both terthe top down when it’s 45 rific fun and a screaming deal, degrees? But to get the best because there was no 2015. price on an everyday car or Nissan just extended 2014 truck, you have to figure production while an all-new out what’s about to become 2016 Maxima was readied. obsolete when the 2016s arThe ’16s are now here and rive, which starts around now. embarrassingly, there are This month, we’ll look at thousands of new 2014s still some very good 2015 sedans, hanging around. The base which nonetheless are about
Air Bag
6 • The Pulse • July 30-august 5, 2015 • chattanoogapulse.com
Maxima S has a 290hp V-6 and is priced an easy $7,000 under the $32,000 sticker. Lifetime Sedan Honda Accord You’re going to have to wait a little while before 2015 Accord prices drop, but sometime this fall a new 2016 model is going to appear. The current base model stickers around $24,000 and retails at $19,000 and up, but it’s the $30,000-plus V-6s that will take the biggest hit. There are easily 50,000 new Accords in dealer stock across the U.S., and at some point soon, that’s going to turn into a major problem. Watch for big manufacturer incentives and dealer sales, as well as straight-up price drops. Entry Luxury Sedan Jaguar XF The stunning XF isn’t that old, but the 2016 is a completely new car from the chassis up. The smaller Jaguar sedan has always been a somewhat quirky choice, as the majority of the Entry Luxury is market owned by Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi. In June 2015, Jaguar sold a total of 1,217 cars in America and with demand that low, leftovers will be
particularly unappealing. “Base” 340hp XF sedans can be found around $45,000 on a $50,000 MSRP and unsold inventory is (relatively) huge, so I expect prices to plummet. Full Luxury Sedan BMW 7-series In preparation for a very different 7-series on sale this fall, BMW started thinning the herd earlier this year and now offers only two models, the rear-wheel drive 740i and all-wheel drive 750 Li xDrive. Fortunately for you, not only are there plenty of 2015s in inventory, but the are many unsold 2014s and even a few 2013s. Stickers start at $75,000 and advertised prices $10,000 less are common. As you go up the food chain to the 750i, however, the discounts get really profound: I’ve seen $15,000 off the $100,000 MSRP for a 2015 model; and 2014s can be 25 percent off—which is $25,000. Your very best deals will come on a loaded 750i Li, which starts at $100,000 and goes up to around $130,000. Next month, I’ll look at light trucks and SUVs (not crossovers), as the picture going into the fall gets clearer.
chattanoogapulse.com • July 30-august 5 • The Pulse • 7
COVER STORY
It’s Real, It’s Here... and It’s Up to Us to Change No time left for denial...here's how you can help save the planet By Steven W. Disbrow. Illustration by BSK.
A
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Most people in office now are part of the problem. The science has been settled on this, and the danger known, for decades. For the most part, they’ve chosen to ignore it.”
couple of weeks ago, in my regular “Just a Theory” column, I went over the basic nuts and bolts of climate change. The purpose of this article is to, briefly, discuss the implications of that article and then talk about what each of us can do to help prevent the worst effects of climate change from actually happening. First, a clarification: Some alarmists, when discussing the effects of climate change, will say that “The World” is in danger. This is 100 percent untrue. Phew! No, it’s only our civilization that’s in danger. If humanity becomes extinct due to climate change, “The World” won’t even notice. The only real danger to “The World” is a passing black hole or if the sun unexpectedly goes nova. Otherwise, “The World” is in good shape for a couple billion more years. (And I’m sure that whatever comes after us will be very pleased that we built all these roads and sports bars for them to use.) So, what sorts of things could climate change do to destroy our civilization? Well, stronger storms are the thing most folks think of, but those can’t really cause extinctionlevel events. However, climate change doesn’t just affect us, it also affects the creatures and environments that we’ve built our civilization on top of. This means damaged fisheries, desiccated farmlands and a seemingly endless supply of mosquitos and other disease-bearing creatures that love
8 • The Pulse • July 30-august 5, 2015 • chattanoogapulse.com
these warmer/wetter environments. Oh, and then there’s the matter of the projected 10-foot rise in sea levels that we can expect in the next hundred years or so. Now, none of these things alone is all that bad. Well…except for the sealevel rise. And the collapse of our food supplies. And the critters that could start a pandemic…But, given that they are all happening at the same time—well, things are getting a little hairy. What can we do? Actually, there’s a bunch of stuff we can do. Pretty much all of it revolves around reducing your “carbon footprint” in one way or another. (Your “carbon footprint” is how much carbon dioxide [CO2], you generate as you go about your life. Remember, CO2 is the main bad guy greenhouse gas that traps sunlight and makes things hotter.)
Change your environment And by “environment” I mean “yard.” This is the one bit of nature that most of us have some small amount of control over, so, start there
with these simple things: Plant trees. Trees eat CO2, mix it with sunlight and excrete oxygen. There is nothing better you can do than plant a bunch of trees. (And, don’t cut down trees without a good reason.) If you want to plant trees native to the area, contact a local, professional horticulturist. They can help you reforest your lawn and turn it into a beautiful greenspace. Mow your yard less often. Gas mowers are CO2-belching monsters, and the typical weekly lawn mowing ritual is pure Victorian-era vanity. So, switch to an every two- or three-week schedule. Heck, if you plant a bunch of trees in your yard, the shade should keep the grass under control for you. (Note that in Chattanooga, there is an ordinance that limits lawn vegetation to 10-inches high. That needs to change.) Teach your kids to be good stewards of the environment. No matter what we do, if our kids haven’t been taught to take care of the planet, they’ll just make the same mistakes we have, with the same results down the road. Make planting trees a family
event, something to pass along to the grandkids.
Reduce your energy usage You’ve surely heard most of these before, but I’ve got a few new ones too: Switch to LED bulbs. Fluorescents are passé and contain mercury and other dangerous gasses. LEDs are safer, more efficient, offer better light, and last longer. You’ll notice a difference in your electric bill almost immediately. Unplug stuff you aren’t using. OK. Yes. This is a pain in the butt. But, you can now buy power strips that will stop giving power to any device that isn’t actually turned on. Get some. Wash clothes in cold water exclusively. Try it for a month and see if you can tell a difference in your clothes. Use a clothesline for drying clothes. (If it was good enough for grandma...) Get a smart thermostat. These are awesome. They learn your schedule and adjust your home’s temperature automatically. Plus you can control them from your smartphone while you’re out. Telecommute. Hey, it never hurts to ask. Even if the boss says “No,” use it as an opportunity to discuss how to make your office more energy efficient. Go solar. Solar panels are getting cheaper every day, and they pay for themselves in a few years. Get an EPB energy audit for your home. Call them at (423) 6481372 and set one up. It’s free, and the changes they recommend could save you thousands of dollars over the life of your home, and increase its value.
Pimp yo’ ride Of course, by “pimp,” I mean, “properly maintain your car for maxi-
mum fuel efficiency.” That includes checking your tire pressure often and have regular maintenance performed on schedule. When it’s time to get a new car, if you purchase a gas-powered vehicle, get the most fuel-efficient model you can. Buy American if you can. Pay more if you have to. Better yet, purchase a hybrid or an all-electric car. There are already several Nissan Leafs and Teslas tooling around town. So, even though there aren’t many public charging stations here (yet), it’s obviously possible to get around the #CHA without running out of juice. Of course, if you live downtown, or on the Northshore, you’ve got even better options: Walk! Seriously. We could all use the exercise, y’know? Ride a bike. BikeChattanooga.com has almost three dozen bike stands all over the city. Let’s use them. USE CARTA. Yes, I’m yelling at you. The CARTA Electric Shuttle was one of the first in the nation.
We should be proud of it. We should use it.
Get political Given the current anti-science stance of an inexplicably large number of our politicians, it’s unlikely that we, the people, will get all that much help from the government in combating climate change. So, like it or not, we all have to take a political stand on this issue. Speak up. First, learn who your local representatives are, and who your congressperson is. Then, go to county commission, city council and town hall meetings. These meetings almost always have a question/ comments period at the end. Stand up and ask, “What are you doing to combat climate change here in Chattanooga?” If a local politician is on the radio, call in and put them on the spot. Vote. Register to vote if you aren’t, then turn out to vote for candidates that pledge to act on climate change. Run for office. That’s right. Run for office. You.
Let’s be honest with ourselves. Most people in office now are part of the problem. The science has been settled on this, and the danger known, for decades. For the most part, they’ve chosen to ignore it. They’ve already decided what’s important to them— and it isn’t this. Now, everyone loves a good protest, but the most effective way to make real change here in America is to actually get elected. Consider the results obtained by the Tea Party versus the Occupy Movement: Both started at about the same time, both staged massive protests, but only the Tea Party put candidates on the ballot. You might not agree with their goals, but you have to admit that they’ve made a difference in the direction of the country. Heck, you don’t even have to win! Just by running you can influence the debate. Witness Bernie Sanders pulling Hillary Clinton to the “left,” while Donald Trump pulls the Republican Party…somewhere. Just the simple act of running for office and making climate change a part of the conversation will force whoever wins to take it more seriously. Even if you can’t afford to run for county commission, city council or Congress, you can still step up and get involved at a lower level. Join the PTA and work to make your kid’s school more energy efficient. Start attending those neighborhood association meetings and get those lawn-mowing restrictions loosened up. Get that stupid “no clotheslines” rule changed. Better yet, convince them to use that “common area maintenance fund” to pay for some shade trees rather than pointlessly mowing the common area every week. This isn’t going to be easy. But the stakes are pretty high (“end of human civilization” sort of thing, remember?), so it’s got to be done. And, at this point, there’s nobody left to do it but us.
chattanoogapulse.com • July 30-august 5 • The Pulse • 9
ARTS SCENE
Opera, Meet Trailer Park “Fat Shirley’s” camps it up at the MACC
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Art’s Long Portrayal Of Girlhood The Hunter outlines America’s changing perceptions Beyoncé has taken over the world, “Like A Girl” videos keep going viral and feminists are continuously reimagining and revitalizing their movement. One thing is certain: The topic of what it means to be a girl has never been more hot. The Hunter Museum of American Art is weighing in, too, but with a twist. The Hunter’s newest exhibition, “Imagining American Girlhood,” opened July 24 and will be sticking around well into October. The exhibition focuses not only on how the concept of girlhood in America is constantly evolving, but how that evolution has been portrayed by artists through the ages. Tracing girlhood from colonial times to the late 20th century, the exhibit features
the three distinct ways Americans and artists alike have viewed girls: The early days of seeing children as miniature adults, the age of innocence and idealism and the era of girls as individuals as opposed to girls as tools of adult imagination. This exhibit is an informed and engaging representation of how American culture and American art continues to reconceptualize what it means to be a young girl in today’s society. My, how far we’ve come. — Ashley Coker “Imagining American Girlhood” The Hunter Museum of Art 10 Bluff View (423) 267-0968 huntermuseum.org
Thu7.30
fri7.31
sat8.1
gentle bard
more books!
animal love
Reading of “Two Gentlemen of Verona”
Friends of the Chattanooga Library Fall Book Sale
Paws for the Cause: Rescues on the Runway
Come hear Shakespeare in way you might not be familiar with. 7:30 p.m. The Highland Center 104 N Tuxedo Ave. (423) 622-2862 facebook.com/ shakespearechattanooga
No one ever said you have too many books... 10 a.m. Hamilton Place Mall 2100 Hamilton Place Blvd. (423) 757-5425 friendsofthelibrarychattanooga.com
No home is complete without a canine or feline companion. Trust us on this one. 6 p.m. Celebration Center 6425 Lee Hwy. (423) 624-5302 heschatt.com
10 • The Pulse • July 30-august 5, 2015 • chattanoogapulse.com
hen you think of opera, song titles like “Tail-Whipping Time at the Trailer Park Tonight” or “He Gives Me Hickies,” probably don’t spring to mind. But that’s probably because not too many audiences get treated to writers Tom Brown and David Crawford’s bluegrass opera, a theatrical form the two pioneered when they created “Fat Shirley’s: A Trailer Park Opera,” opening at the Mountain Arts Community Center on Signal Mountain on July 31.
Arts whitni mdonald
“
Audiences can expect a rollicking comic farce with warmhearted cracks at ‘redneck’ culture.”
Brown is excited for opening night, confident in the skills of the cast and crew. “It’s a unique blend of new talent and experienced performers,” he says, “and we’re especially proud of the musical element that’s so integral to the show. The bluegrass band function alternately as narrators, a chorus, and star characters, so it isn’t like having a music pit or side box for the players. They are front and center the whole time.” The cast has been putting in long hours of rehearsals, and the summer provides key timing. Most of the cast has some connection to education, either as students or teachers. Director Josh Ruben is able to lend his experience while he’s on summer break from his role as fine arts chair at Northwest Winfield High School, just outside of Dalton. Ruben is a professional actor and producer who has performed all over the country and was on faculty as a teaching artist with the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta for over a decade. In Chattanooga, he has performed with the Oak Street Playhouse, Chattanooga Theatre Centre, and the Professional Actor Training Program at Chattanooga State. “This is a fast, funny show with a lot charm. The MACC is a wonderful performance space and audiences will love the blue-collar comedy mixed with great, original music.” says Ruben.
Audiences can expect a rollicking comic farce with warm-hearted cracks at “redneck” culture. A Pulse critic who reviewed the original 2005 fulllength production described it as, “a cross between “The Twilight Zone” and “Hee-Haw,” on acid.” Brown concurs, and describes his role in the show as Ray Con, married to Connie Ray Con, about whom the ballad, “She’s My Cousin, She’s My Wife,” is crooned. “David [Crawford] and I wrote this thing back when we were teaching middle school together,” Brown says. “We started writing the songs years ago when we found out we had the same sense of humor, then staged an abbreviated version of the opera in 2003. We were just having fun writing this bizarre show, and it actually got staged—so we were happy. Everything else has just been a surprise.” By surprise Brown is referring to “Fat Shirley’s” unexpected international success. Since its last regional staging in 2008, the show has been picked up by two British theater companies and taken on tour around the UK. It has a cult following there akin to the U.S. tradition of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” Notably, this year the production will be featured every night for two weeks during the renowned Edinburgh Fringe Festival, starting August 10. When asked to conjecture about the show’s popularity with Brits, Brown guessed at a common comedic heritage. “It kind of puzzled me at first. I mean, why would they find something so blatantly American this amusing?
Then I remembered that they [British comedy] gave us Benny Hill and Monty Python. Given that—it kind of helps explain it.” Brown understands quirky humor, and it’s a passion he shares with his more traditionally musical family. In an early production of “Fat Shirley’s,” Brown’s mother, a professional musician and founder of the Chattanooga Boys Choir, pitched in with gusto, blacking her teeth and playing the keyboard. Brown’s sister is also a classical musician: harpist for the Chattanooga Symphony. “In spite of the show’s low-brow humor, my family has been supportive,” Brown says. “Of course it embarrasses my daughters. When they heard the songs they were plugging their ears, but eventually, one of them joined the cast!” The show is family friendly (profanity-free), with the raciest element being a couple of innuendos that sail over young audience members’ heads. Director Ruben devised an ingenious element of surprise to the shows this time around. The role of Shirley will rotate among various local “celebrity” guest performers. There are some fun and unexpected cameos in store—and not all of the guest Shirleys will be…female. Check out opening night for the perfect example. “Fat Shirley’s: A Trailer Park Opera” Mountain Arts Community Center 809 Kentucky Ave. fatshirleys.com chattanoogapulse.com • July 30-august 5 • The Pulse • 11
EVERY Friday, Saturday & Sunday until Labor Day!
Music F o od
Fun
For the Whole Family !
Taylor Kress
Tarryn Aimée Smith
Fridays 11am - 7pm
Saturdays 11am - 7pm
HIGHBEAMS Sundays 11am - 7pm
Old Time Travelers
Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays 9am - 3pm
Join us for old time,
blue grass, and country music with a Seven States view during Summer Music Weekends. Come enjoy a summer day at Rock City Gardens, dine at Café 7, and catch a Rock City Raptor Show! Community Partner:
Brews. Views. Chews. 11a-4p Daily
For more info call: 706.820.2531
ARTS CALENDAR
Presents
The Two Gentlemen of Verona
thursday7.30 Homeschool Science Club 1 p.m. Creative Discovery Museum 321 Chestnut St. (423) 756-2738 cdmfum.org Ooltewah Farmers Market 3 p.m. Ooltewah’s Nursery & Landscape Co. 5829 Main St. (423) 238-9775 ooltewahnursery.com “9 to 5” 7 p.m. Chattanooga Theatre Centre 400 River St. (423) 267-8534 theatrecentre.com Chattanooga Lookouts vs. Pensacola Blue Wahoos 7:15 p.m. AT&T Field 201 Power Alley (423) 267-2208 lookouts.com D.J. Lewis 7:30 p.m. The Comedy Catch 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com Reading of “Two Gentlemen of Verona” 7:30 p.m. The Highland Center 104 N Tuxedo Ave. (423) 622-2862 facebook.com/ shakespearechattanooga
12 • The Pulse • July 30-august 5, 2015 • chattanoogapulse.com RCsummerMusicQR.375x9.8.indd 1
6/15/15 11:12 AM
friday7.31 Back To School: Teacher Appreciation Weekend 9 a.m. Chattanooga Zoo 301 Holtzclaw Ave. chattzoo.org Friends of the Chattanooga Library Fall Book Sale 10 a.m. Hamilton Place Mall 2100 Hamilton Place Blvd. (423) 757-5425 friendsofthelibrarychattanooga.com “Fat Shirley’s: A Trailer Park Opera” 7 p.m. Mountain Arts Community Center 809 Kentucky Ave., Signal Mountain
Pulse Pick: Rodney Perry Funnyman Rodney Perry hosts Bounce TV's original stand-up comedy show Off The Chain, featuring some of the freshest new faces of comedy as well as some familiar names from around the country. Rodney Perry The Comedy Catch 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com
(423) 886-1959 signalmacc.org Bat Cave Canoe Trip 7 p.m. Outdoor Chattanooga 200 River St. (423) 643-6888 outdoorchattanooga.com Chattanooga Lookouts vs. Pensacola Blue Wahoos 7:15 p.m. AT&T Field 201 Power Alley (423) 267-2208 lookouts.com “Next to Normal” 7:30 p.m. Robert K. Walker Theatre Memorial Auditorium 399 McCallie Ave. chattanoogaonstage.com “And Then There Were None” 7:30 p.m.
Go Georgia Arts 7747 Nashville St., Ringgold (770) 380-0420 www.facebook.com/ gogeorgiaarts Rodney Perry 7:30, 10 p.m. The Comedy Catch 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com “9 to 5” 8 p.m. Chattanooga Theatre Centre 400 River St. (423) 267-8534 theatrecentre.com
saturday8.1 Chattanooga River Market 10 a.m. Tennessee Aquarium 1 Broad St. (423) 267-3474 chattanoogarivermarket.com “Next to Normal” 2, 7:30 p.m. Robert K. Walker Theatre Memorial Auditorium 399 McCallie Ave. chattanoogaonstage.com “9 to 5” 2:30, 8 p.m. Chattanooga Theatre Centre 400 River St. (423) 267-8534 theatrecentre.com Simple Syrups Workshop 3 p.m. Crabtree Farms 1000 E. 30th St. (423) 493-9155
ARTS CALENDAR
Friends of the Chattanooga Library Fall Book Sale crabtreefarms.org Paws for the Cause: Rescues on the Runway 6 p.m. Celebration Center 6425 Lee Hwy. (423) 624-5302 heschatt.com “Fat Shirley’s: A Trailer Park Opera” 7 p.m. Mountain Arts Community Center 809 Kentucky Ave., Signal Mountain (423) 886-1959 signalmacc.org Chattanooga Lookouts vs. Pensacola Blue Wahoos 7:15 p.m. AT&T Field 201 Power Alley (423) 267-2208 lookouts.com “And Then There Were None ” 7:30 p.m. Go Georgia Arts 7747 Nashville St., Ringgold, GA (770) 380-0420 facebook.com/gogeorgiaarts Rodney Perry 7:30, 10 p.m. The Comedy Catch 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com
sunday8.2 Friends of the Chattanooga Library Fall Book Sale
10 a.m. Hamilton Place Mall 2100 Hamilton Place Blvd. (423) 757-5425 friendsofthelibrarychattanooga.com Chattanooga Market: National Farmer’s Market Week 11 a.m. First Tennessee Pavilion 1826 Reggie White Blvd. (423) 266-4041 chattanoogamarket.com First Free Sunday at The Hunter Noon The Hunter Museum of American Art 10 Bluff View (423) 267-0968 huntermuseum.org “Next to Normal” 2 p.m. Robert K. Walker Theatre Memorial Auditorium 399 McCallie Ave. chattanoogaonstage.com “9 to 5” 2:30 p.m. Chattanooga Theatre Centre 400 River St. (423) 267-8534 theatrecentre.com “Fat Shirley’s: A Trailer Park Opera” 7 p.m. Mountain Arts Community Center 809 Kentucky Ave., Signal Mountain (423) 886-1959 signalmacc.org Jerry Harvey
7:30 p.m. The Comedy Catch 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com
monday8.3 Friends of the Chattanooga Library Fall Book Sale 10 a.m. Hamilton Place Mall 2100 Hamilton Place Blvd. (423) 757-5425 friendsofthelibrarychattanooga.com One Step at a Time 6 p.m. Shepherd Community Center 2124 Shepherd Rd. (423) 999-7958 Tennessee River Gorge Trust Benefit 6 p.m. The FEED Co. Table & Tavern 201 W. Main St. (423) 266-0314 trgt.org
tuesday8.4 Friends of the Chattanooga Library Fall Book Sale 10 a.m. Hamilton Place Mall 2100 Hamilton Place Blvd. (423) 757-5425 friendsofthelibrarychattanooga.com “Dragonball Z: Resurrection F” 4, 7 p.m.
Majestic 12 311 Broad St. (423) 826-2375 carmike.com The Southside: Historically Speaking 6 p.m. Chattanooga History Center 2 W. Aquarium Way, #200 (423) 265-3247 chattanoogahistory.org
SATURDAY, AUGUST 15TH Bring your tripod on this special evening tour!
Check-in at 7pm, Tour Begins at 7:30pm
Reservations required:
RubyFalls.com/foto 423.821.2544
wednesday8.5 Main Street Farmers Market 4 p.m. 325 E. Main St. mainstfarmersmarket.com Tour de Beer 5:30 p.m. Fork & Pie 811 Market St. (423) 648-0963 greenspaceschattanooga.org Wednesday Night Chess Club 6 p.m. Downtown Public Library 1001 Broad St. (423) 757-5310 chattlibrary.org Crop Planning Class 6:30 p.m. Crabtree Farms 1000 E. 30th St. (423) 493-9155 crabtreefarms.org
Map these locations on chattanoogapulse.com. Send event listings at least 10 days in advance to: calendar@chattanoogapulse.com
SUMMER SPECIAL Tower ZIP Ride
Round Trip ZIP! $
29.95!
423.821.2544
RubyFallsZIP.com
chattanoogapulse.com • July 30-august 5 • The Pulse • 13 RFZIPFoto.375x9.8.indd 1
7/13/15 9:19 AM
MUSIC SCENE
Tales of the Blues and Even More Husky Burnette re-releases great 2013 collection—with some special extras
Burning Down the (Camp) House Nick Lutsko & Danimal Planet take on the Talking Heads How can you improve on a show by one of the top acts in the area? How about a show featuring TWO of the top acts in the area? How do you improve on a show featuring two of the top acts in the area? Give them a third set mashup where they join forces, throw in a special guest from yet another one of the top acts in the area, and have them all cover one of the most critically acclaimed bands of the ’80s. Regional favorites Nick Lutsko and Danimal Planet are joining up for the Nightfall after-party of the season at the Camp House on Friday, July 31. Danimal Planet will take the stage at 10 p.m., followed by Nick Lutsko at 11. At midnight, both groups will be
joined by local musician-abouttown T.J. Greever to tackle a set of Talking Heads covers, making for a trifecta of performances that cement the Camp House’s reputation as one of the premier music venues in the city. Lighting will be provided by Gemini Productions, which, combined with the talent on stage, will make for an absolutely stellar evening. Tickets are on sale now via the Camp House. — Marc T. Michael Nick Lutsko, Danimal Planet Friday, 9 p.m. The Camp House 159 E. MLK Blvd. thecamphouse.com
thu7.30
fri7.31
SAT8.1
old school jazz
one last show
getting slick
Juke Joint Sessions
Arpetrio
Mark Kelly Hall
Bringing back memories of the days of "Big Nine", come join She She Dance and special friends for a rollicking night of jazz and more! 6 p.m. Memo's Grill 430 E. MLK Blvd. jazzanooga.org
Sadly, all good things must come to an end, even great bands. This will be Arpetrio's final show, come check them out for one last time. 10 p.m. Rhythm & Brews 221 Market St. rhythm-brews.com
One of th city's nicest and most entertaining performers, come out for a night of fun music and great burgers on the Southside. 6:30 p.m. Slick’s Burgers 309 E. Main St. markkellyhall.com
14 • The Pulse • July 30-august 5, 2015 • chattanoogapulse.com
S
ometime in late fall or early winter of 2013, Husky Burnette released the album Tales from East End Boulevard. It was a particularly powerful collection of tunes, prompting at least one eerily prescient reviewer to dub it, “The album that will be remembered for making Husky Burnette.”
Music marc t. michael
“
The re-release and the tour are only the precursors to Burnette’s latest, greatest effort to date, Ain’t Nothin’ But A Revival, scheduled for release in midNovember.”
Now, a little over a year and a half later, the album is being re-released by the Rusty Knuckles record label with four new bonus tracks in preparation for the fall “Tales Revisited Tour.” The re-release and the tour are only the precursors to Burnette’s latest, greatest effort to date, Ain’t Nothin’ But A Revival, scheduled for release in mid-November. “The re-release was done to give the fans something else just before the brand-new album hits. Plus, I wanted those lost tracks out there in the world. No sense in wasting good, raw, unmixed material,” Burnette said. The bonus tracks include two covers (“So Doggone Lonesome” by Johnny Cash and “Skinny Woman” by RL Burnside) and two originals, “Butter My Cornbread” and “Best I Can.” All four tracks were recorded in 2012 by Burnette’s old two-man band configuration featuring himself and drummer Tony Jones (of Michael Walker, Necropolis and Double Dick Slick fame). So it’s time to ask the question that has to be asked. Is it worth buying an album you may already own for four new tracks? In this case, emphatically yes! It’s baffling how these tunes missed the cut first time around. “Butter My Cornbread” is a head-bobbing blues masterpiece, doubly so given the minimal production. Bands with two or three times
GNEISS BEER
BY PEOPLE
WHO GIVE A
SCHIST 431 E MLKing huttonandsmithbrewing.com the instrumentation don’t sound half as good as this stripped-down guitarand-drums treat. “Best I Can” is pure Burnette. Sexy-dangerous guitar, badass drumming and the kind of hungry, growling vocals that scream, “This man has the voice of an angel! A harddrinking, smoking, fist-fighting, gravel-eating, one-eyed junkyard angel!” I don’t know if Burnette has a signature tune or not, but this should be the one. As to the covers…covers are a sticky wicket. Too much like the original and what’s the point? Too different from the original and you lose the connection you were trying to make in the first place. There is a sweet spot in between and it’s a very narrow target that performers (in my experience) tend to miss more than hit, but Burnette absolutely owns the Johnny Cash tune. The Man in Black would be proud of this version, which breathes a fiery new life into an old chestnut. The
7
BEERS ON TAP
Burnside cover is no less impressive. The truth is that Burnette can take just about any tune and make it a Husky Burnette song. Burnette is still one of the hardest-working men in show business. A quick glance at his ReverbNation page (currently #1 in Chattanooga blues) confirms a list of nonstop gigging which means you ALWAYS have a chance to catch the man live. And kids? You want to do that. There is inevitably something lost in translation between a recording and a live performance, and if Burnette’s recordings are an indicator, the pure, uncut live versions must be nothing short of amazing. The release party (or re-release, if you will) is set for Friday, Aug. 28 at Brew & Cue. Pick up a copy of this new/old disc (the four new tracks alone are worth it, but 15 tracks altogether make for one terrific collection) and keep your eyes and ears open here for news about the upcoming new release in November. chattanoogapulse.com • July 30-august 5 • The Pulse • 15
LIVE MUSIC JUL/AUG
30 FRI ARPETRIO 10p 31 YATTI WESTFIELD SAT 9p 1 UPTOWN BIG BAND TUE 8p 4 THU UPCHURCH 9:30p 6 FRI DEPARTURE 10p 7 VELCRO PYGMIES SAT 10p 8 CANEY VILLAGE SWEET, SWEET VOICES
THU 9p
FINAL SHOW!
with NEW PLANET & SOL SERMON
AND FRIENDS
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with THE MATT STEPHENS PROJECT BACK TO ROCK YOUR WORLD!
8.13 CBDB 8.14 THE BREAKFAST CLUB 8.15 DANK with DOWNRIGHT
COMING SOON
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THU
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20
FRI 9p
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MUSIC CALENDAR
CHATTANOOGA
Arpetrio
thursday7.30 James Crumble Trio 6 p.m. St. John’s Meeting Place 1278 Market St. stjohnsrestaurant.com Smooth Dialects 6 p.m. The Hunter Museum of Art 10 Bluff View huntermuseum.org Juke Joint Sessions 6 p.m. Memo's Grill 430 E. MLK Blvd. jazzanooga.org Jesse James & Tim Neal 7 p.m. Mexi Wings VII 5773 Brainerd Rd. (423) 296-1073 Songwriter Shootout 7 p.m. The Camp House 159 E. MLK Blvd. thecamphouse.com Forrest Hoffar 8 p.m. World of Beer 412 Market St. worldofbeer.com Open Mic with Hap Henninger 9 p.m. The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com Caney Village 9 p.m. Rhythm & Brews 221 Market St. rhythm-brews.com
16 • The Pulse • July 30-august 5, 2015 • chattanoogapulse.com
friday7.31 Summer Music Weekends 8:30 a.m. Rock City 1400 Patten Rd. seerockcity.com Jason Thomas and the Mean-Eyed Cats 5 p.m. Chattanooga Choo Choo 1400 Market St. choochoo.com Eddie Pontiac 5:30 p.m. El Meson 2204 Hamilton Place Blvd. elmesonrestaurant.com Binji Varsossa 6 p.m. Cancun Mexican Restaurant & Lounge 1809 Broad St.
Pulse Pick: Josh Gilbert Although Josh Gilbert grew up singing classical music in choirs, his modern voice has a sound in the vein of such as NeedToBreathe, Sanctus Real, and Tenth Avenue North. Josh Bilbert Saturday, 1 p.m. Chattanooga River Market 1 Broad St. chattanoogarivermarket.com
(423) 266-1461 Glowing Bordis 7 p.m. Miller Plaza 850 Market St. nightfallchattanooga.com Iscariots, Downtown Beat Abbey 7 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com Tim Lewis 7 p.m. El Meson 248 Northgate Park elmesonchattanooga.com Fantastic Negrito 8 p.m. Miller Plaza 850 Market St. nightfallchattanooga.com Tom Cordell Trumpet Improv Ensemble
8:30 p.m. The Foundry 1201 Broad St. chattanooganhotel.com Channing Wilson 9 p.m. World of Beer 412 Market St. worldofbeer.com DJ Willy Wham 9 p.m. The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com Nick Lutsko, Danimal Planet 9 p.m. The Camp House 159 E. MLK Blvd. thecamphouse.com Arpetrio, New Planet, Sol Sermon 10 p.m. Rhythm & Brews 221 Market St. rhythm-brews.com
saturday8.1 Summer Music Weekends 8:30 a.m. Rock City 1400 Patten Rd. seerockcity.com Josh Gilbert 1 p.m. Chattanooga River Market 1 Broad St. chattanoogarivermarket.com Jason Thomas and the Mean-Eyed Cats 5 p.m. Chattanooga Choo Choo 1400 Market St.
MUSIC CALENDAR
Magic Birds choochoo.com Eddie Pontiac 5:30 p.m. El Meson 2204 Hamilton Place Blvd. elmesonrestaurant.com Binji Varsossa 6 p.m. Cancun Mexican Restaurant & Lounge 1809 Broad St. (423) 266-1461 Camp Jordan Jams 6 p.m. Camp Jordan Camp Jordan Pkwy. eastridgeparksandrec.com Mark Kelly Hall 6:30 p.m. Slick’s Burgers 309 E. Main St. markkellyhall.com London Souls 7 p.m. Ross’s Landing Riverfront Pkwy. riverfrontnights.com Tim Lewis 7 p.m. El Meson 248 Northgate Park elmesonchattanooga.com Magic Birds, Kip Bradley, The Mailboxes, DL 2 7 p.m. The Camp House 159 E. MLK Blvd. thecamphouse.com Diane Durrett 7:30 p.m. Blue Ridge Community Theater 2591 E. First St. dianedurrett.com
Jordan Hallquist & The Outfit 8 p.m. Ross’ Landing Riverfront Pkwy. riverfrontnights.com Buddy Mondlock 8 p.m. Christ Unity Church 105 McBrien Rd. christunity.org Project Chance: Yatti Westfield, soCro, Husky Burnette, In The Making 9 p.m. Rhythm & Brews 221 Market St. rhythm-brews.com Jerry Fordham 10 p.m. The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com
sunday8.2 Summer Music Weekends 8:30 a.m. Rock City 1400 Patten Rd. seerockcity.com The Molly Maguires 12:30 p.m. Chattanooga Market 1829 Carter St. chattanoogamarket.com Danimal Planet 1 p.m. The Hunter Museum of American Art 10 Bluff View huntermuseum.org Rick Rushing 1 p.m.
Chattanooga Market 1829 Carter St. chattanoogamarket.com Open Mic with Jeff Daniels 6 p.m. Long Haul Saloon 2536 Cummings Hwy. (423) 822-9775
monday8.3 Monday Nite Big Band 7 p.m. The Coconut Room 6925 Shallowford Rd. thepalmsathamilton.com Open Mic 7 p.m. Magoo’s Restaurant 3658 Ringgold Rd. facebook.com/MagoosTN Very Open Mic 8 p.m. The Well 1800 Rossville Blvd. # 8 wellonthesouthside.com
tuesday8.4 Bill McCallie & In Cahoots 6:30 p.m. Southern Belle Riverboat 201 Riverfront Pkwy. chattanoogariverboat.com Rick’s Blues Jam 7 p.m. Folk School of Chattanooga 1200 Mountain Creek Rd. chattanoogafolk.com Open Mic with Mike McDade 8 p.m.
Tremont Tavern 1203 Hixson Pike tremonttavern.com Uptown Big Band 8 p.m. Rhythm & Brews 221 Market St. rhythm-brews.com
wednesday8.5 Eddie Pontiac 5:30 p.m. El Meson 248 Northgate Park elmesonrestaurant.com The Other Guys 6 p.m. SpringHill Suites 495 Riverfront Pkwy. (423) 834-9300 Dan Sheffield 7:30 p.m. Sugar’s Downtown 507 Broad St. sugarschattanooga.com Wednesday Night Jazz 8 p.m. Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. barkinglegs.org Blues Night with Yattie Westfield 8 p.m. The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com
901 Carter St. Inside City Cafe (423) 634-9191
Thursday, July 30: 9pm Open Mic with Hap Henninger Friday, July 31: 9pm DJ Willy Wham Saturday, August 1: 10pm Jerry Fordham Tuesday, August 4: 7pm Server/Hotel Appreciation Night $5 Pitchers $2 Wells $1.50 Domestics ●
●
Wednesday, August 5: 8pm Blues Night feat. Yattie Westfield Happy Hour: Mon-Fri: 4-7pm $1 10oz drafts, $3 32oz drafts, $2 Wells, $1.50 Domestics, Free Appetizers
citycafemenu.com/the-office
Since 1982 Since 1982
Map these locations on chattanoogapulse.com. Send event listings at least 10 days in advance to: calendar@chattanoogapulse.com chattanoogapulse.com • July 30-august 5 • The Pulse • 17
Record Reviews
ernie paik
Dazzling Strength from Mali, Shimmering Bliss from Britain ENJOY LIVE MUSIC THURSDAYS, 6 P.M. JULY 2 - AUGUST 13
Bassekou Kouyaté gets tightly dexterous, Flying Saucer Attack flows Power, with remarkably tight and dexterous runs that are dizzyingly exhilarating. The tightrope that Ba Power walks is expressing a bold passion while not being overbearing, delivering streams of incredible moments with a breathtaking, effortless energy.
AT THE HUNTER MUSEUM www.huntermuseum.org
Thursday, July 2 | 6 p.m.
HOT DAMN
Sunday, July 5 | 1 p.m.
ALEX VOLZ
Thursday, July 9 | 6 p.m.
BIRDS WITH FLEAS Thursday, July 16 | 6p.m.
CADILLAC SAINTS
Thursday, July 23 | 6 p.m.
DARK HORSE TEN
Thursday, July 30 | 6 p.m.
SMOOTH DIALECTS Sunday, August 2 | 1 p.m.
DANIMAL PINSON
Thursday, August 6 | 6 p.m.
PACK OF WOLVES
Thursday, August 13 | 6 p.m.
REMEMBERING JANUARY Sponsored by:
and Brewer Media Group
Bassekou Kouyaté & Ngoni Ba Flying Saucer Attack Ba Power Instrumentals 2015 (Glitterbeat) (Drag City)
I
n the Bambara language spoken in the African nation of Mali, “ba” means “strong,” and Malian musician Bassekou Kouyaté named his latest album Ba Power to represent both its tough sound and its potent messages. However, the album doesn’t beat the listener over the head with blunt intensity; its strength is much more subtle, choosing to dazzle with mind-bogglingly fast runs, a sustained, smoldering heat, ardent singing and carefully applied doses of rock-oriented timbres and drumming. Kouyaté is a virtuoso on the ngoni, a West African lute, and his band Ngoni Ba includes members of his family on various ngonis plus his wife, singer Amy Sacko, who is anything but timid when delivering her emotional and stirring vocals, like when emboldening women on “Musow Fanga.” Kouyaté’s superb previous album, Jama Ko, expressed the frustration of living
18 • The Pulse • July 30-august 5, 2015 • chattanoogapulse.com
through unrest and political turmoil happening at that time, but Ba Power has more general, sometimes philosophical messages directed to both people in Mali and those outside the nation’s borders, like the temporal contemplation “Waati.” There is also the spirit of collaboration on Ba Power, with other African artists such as fellow Malian Samba Touré on guitar or notable western world musicians like trumpeter and “Fourth World” music creator Jon Hassell and guitarist Chris Brokaw, formerly of Codeine and Come. The rock fusions fortunately don’t dilute Kouyaté’s style, complementing it instead; for example, when distortion is applied to his lead solos, it’s mixed so that the original percussive plucks can be heard as well as the fuzzed output. While it can be easy for some musicians to hide behind rock distortion to mask sloppy or sub-par playing, nothing is hidden on Ba
F
ans of the British outfit Flying Saucer Attack— essentially guitarist and vocalist David Pearce, with guests every once in a while—and possibly numerologists also are celebrating its return with the hour-long album Instrumentals 2015, comprised of 15 solo guitar pieces, breaking the band’s 15-year hiatus which started after Mirror was released in 2000. Flying Saucer Attack built up a reputation in the ’90s for its treble-heavy fuzzed-out electric guitar sheets of sound and dreamy drones, with and without a rhythmic momentum or soft vocals. Although it carved out its own niche, astute listeners could hear traces of Pearce’s eclectic influences, with various tracks informed by British psychedelia, German Krautrock (several tracks are named after the group Popol Vuh) or more folk/acoustic-leaning artists like Roy Harper and Nick Drake, and at its most pop-rock-leaning, Flying Saucer Attack could resemble a more rugged version of The Jesus and Mary Chain. For the most part, the
home-recorded Instrumentals 2015 contains gentle, glistening multi-tracked electric guitar numbers, sounding like it utilizes little more than distortion and delay pedal effects. It’s Pearce at his most seemingly free—not totally amorphous, but flowing easily with less of a concern for structure or time constraints. Anything using copious amounts of delay effects will be called “shoegaze” nowadays, but it’s not a stretch to say that shoegaze fans will likely enjoy this. A few striking diversions from the dominant shimmering bliss on Instrumentals 2015 include “Instrumental 6,” which has a piercing beginning with what sounds like squealing feedback, treading into harsh noise territory. “Instrumental 10” uses a twin guitar approach, with two melodic lines occupying the right and left stereo channels atop what sounds like a wispy loop of machinery lurking in the background, and “Instrumental 13” evokes a wistful, mysterious feeling that might work well as a low-fidelity soundtrack to a moment of reflection. Instrumentals 2015 may seem more like a sketchbook than a fully formed album because of its simple approach, but it’s more than rehearsal scraps, with Pearce trying out ideas and making them work on their own terms.
© 2015 EWC
LET’S GIVE THE SUN A LITTLE SOMETHING TO WORSHIP WHERE SUMMER SKIN RULES
FIRST WAX FREE offer expires 7/28/15
8304_Chattanooga_Pulse.indd 1
CHATTANOOGA 423 785 8000
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345 Frazier Avenue, Suite #101
Consider This with Dr. Rick
5/20/15 11:03 AM
by Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D. “Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.” — Author Unknown
© 2015 EWC
Life will always toss us lemons, right? So, how’s your lemonade stand doing? You know, isn’t it the difficult times that show us our own character, strengths and weaknesses? And doesn’t that position us for a kind of growth we may never have discovered otherwise? So how can we best handle the inevitable noise and hardships? Consider this: CHATTANOOGA 1. Make time every dayFREE to meditate/pray/ponder. FIRST WAX 785 8000shares, and 2. Sit in the silence every human being 423 on the planet offer expiresthat 7/28/15 345 Frazier Avenue, Suite #101 breathe. 3. Remember that you’re not alone, ever. 4. Find comfort where you can, in nature, in solitude, or among loved ones. 5. Remember that everything changes. 8304_Chattanooga_Pulse.indd 1
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chattanoogapulse.com • July 30-august 5 • The Pulse • 19
SCREEN SCENE
Rust in the Ultimate Thinking Machine
Sorbet, Tagoma and Freeza, Oh My Akira Toriyama returns with exciting new Dragonball film One of the most successful and celebrated manga creators in Japan, Akira Toriyama, brings his beloved “Dragonball” world back to the big screen with the second film he has personally supervised, the rather oddly named “Dragonball Z: Resurrection F.” For fans of the anime series, this is fantastic news, made even more so by the fact the English dub of the film was also overseen by Toriyama to make everything look as seamless as possible. The film also features the return of one of the most iconic villains in the series: Freeza.
✴✴✴✴
After god of destruction Beerus decided to not destroy the Earth, the planet is back again in peace. But, Sorbet and Tagoma, previous Freeza’s servants, decide to revive their leader using the Dragonballs. Successful in his plan, Freeza decides to return to Earth to start his revenge against the saiyans who once humiliated him. “Dragonball Z: Resurrection F” Tuesday, 4, 7 p.m. Majestic 12 311 Broad St. (423) 826-2375 carmike.com
NEW IN THEATERS
Mission: Impossible—Rogue Nation Ethan and team take on their most impossible mission yet, eradicating the Syndicate—an international rogue organization as highly skilled as they are, committed to destroying the IMF. Director: Christopher McQuarrie Stars: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson
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Vacation Rusty Griswold takes his own family on a road trip to "Walley World" in order to spice things up with his wife and reconnect with his sons. Directors: John Francis Daley & Jonathan M. Goldstein Stars: Ed Helms, Christina Applegate, Skyler Gisondo, Steele Stebbins
20 • The Pulse • July 30-august 5, 2015 • chattanoogapulse.com
“Mr. Holmes” examines an aging and human hero in his last years
O
ur favorite heroes are always frozen in time. Superman perpetually saves Lois Lane from a falling helicopter. James Bond stirs his martini and watches the villains from across the room. Indiana Jones is always on the cusp of trading an idol for a bag of sand. When we return to our favorite films, the action is happening just as it always has. These are the rules of fiction. Nothing happens in the past tense.
Screen john devore
“
There is no better actor to portray these notions than Sir Ian McKellen. His honesty and skill are essential to the storytelling.”
Seldom do we give thought to what happens later, when the adventures are over. Not many of us wonder about the amount of time Captain America has to spend at the Social Security office or where the Incredible Hulk buys his pants. The nature of adventure stories does not lend itself to such questions. But if life has taught us anything, it’s that everything ends. At some point, Batman will hang up his cape, Doc Brown will tinker with the lawnmower, and Sherlock Holmes will tend to his apiary. “Mr. Holmes” tells the story of the end of things. It is a slow, ponderous look at the downfall of every great hero— time and senescence. Sherlock Holmes is a legend, recognizable and famed in his own time. He is remembered well through the writings of his partner John Watson, and though Mr. Holmes has no great love for fiction, the embellished but revered exploits earlier in life have provided for a quiet retirement in the English countryside. Dr. Watson and Mrs. Hudson are long gone. His only contact with the outside
Ride Further Ride Faster Ride More world comes from his housekeeper, her young son, and his doctor, who asks him to keep track of the number of times he forgets a name or a place. Holmes has recently returned from Japan, where he sought out a plant called prickly ash said to treat and reverse the effects of senility. Yet, even with his slippery and unreliable memory, Holmes has not lost his keen sense of observation or his eye for deduction, even if it is now reduced to nothing but a parlor trick. At 93, Holmes appears to be a shadow of the man he was, and he is desperately trying to remember his last case, so that he can set the record straight on the facts and rediscover for himself what led to his 35-year exile. While it is impossible to have a Sherlock Holmes story without a mystery, “Mr. Holmes” has an approach that is altogether new. Here, Holmes is not fighting against a grand enemy bent on testing the superior intellect of the world’s most famous detective. Instead, he is raging against the failing of his most powerful ally—what once was a steel trap has now rusted shut, with many of his most powerful memories locked inside. His deduction skills are useless against this foe. He cannot observe the past any more than he can postpone his final scene. His recollections return in flashes, at inopportune times. However, even in his advanced age,
Sherlock Holmes is no transcendent and ethereal being. He learns that an unconditional devotion to logic might be at odds with the kindness needed for true intimacy. There is no better actor to portray these notions than Sir Ian McKellen. His honesty and skill are essential to the storytelling. Additionally, Laura Linney and Milo Parker are both well cast for their story, and each gives a strong performance that allows McKellen to expand fully into the role. But it is writing and pacing, and the steady hand by director Bill Condon, which allows the film to carry the weight it needs to be effective. The film rightfully discards the manic energy of “Sherlock” showrunner Stephen Moffet, telling the story with a slow and deliberate gait that is adroit in both its handling of the character and the story it wishes to tell. The audience is given an exclusive look into the mind of a post-WWII Sherlock Holmes—there are hints at a deep and profound effect the war has had on both the country and their greatest hero. This film is not a typical summer movie by any stretch of the imagination. But if you’re looking for a break from superheroes and special effects, you might consider this one. Character-driven narratives are rare during the summer and “Mr. Holmes” is a welcome departure.
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Jonesin’ Crossword
Free Will Astrology
matt jones
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): I expect you to be in a state of constant birth for the next three weeks. Awakening and activation will come naturally. Your drive to blossom and create may be irresistible, bordering on unruly. Does that sound overwhelming? I don’t think it will be a problem as long as you cultivate a mood of amazed amusement about it. (P.S. This upsurge is a healthy response to the dissolution that preceded it.) VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Expiration dates loom. Fond adieus and last laughs and final hurrahs are on tap. Unfinished business is begging you to give it your smartest attention while there’s still time to finish it with elegance and grace. So here’s my advice for you, my on-the-verge friend: Don’t save any of your tricks, ingenuity, or enthusiasm for later. This is the later you’ve been saving them for. You are more ready than you realize to try what has always seemed improbable or inconceivable before now. Here’s my promise: If you handle these endings with righteous decisiveness, you will ensure bright beginnings in the weeks after your birthday.
“Make It Your Priority”—that is, if you’re Cookie Monster. ACROSS 1 Cloud over 6 Cookie’s partner? 10 Wi-fi setting 14 Avoid by deceit 15 “Who’s that kid with the ___ cookie?” (old jingle) 16 “My Name Is ___” 17 Beverage unit 18 Former picnic game that should’ve been titled “The Most Dangerous Game” 20 Cookie Monster, why do you like playing fetch with your dog? 22 Former New Jersey governor Tom 23 Longtime Mex. ruling party 24 ___ sorta 28 Superlative suffix 29 Wanna-___ 30 Lymphatic mass near a tonsil 32 Poet’s “before” 33 “Just so you’re aware...” 34 Embattled TV host 35 Cookie, what’s
that picture of the Cheshire Cat with Winnie the Pooh? 39 Carbon dioxide’s lack 40 Masters’ mastery 41 Say no to 42 Toast opener 44 ___ Dew 45 Checked out 48 Japanese comic book genre 49 Hang like a diaper 50 ___ mater 51 Cookie, I don’t like this blindfold, but is that...aluminum? 55 Entree where you eat the bowl 58 Hen’s comment 59 Aloha Tower locale 60 “Tomb Raider” heroine Croft 61 Wood shop machine 62 Art colony in the desert 63 Like new stamp pads 64 Hurt all over DOWN 1 Mimic
2 Party reminders with a “Maybe” status 3 Big shot 4 Old-fashioned theater name 5 Antiseptic target 6 Wisdom teeth, e.g. 7 Afghani neighbor 8 Dirty-minded 9 Word with King or Donkey 10 Humidity factors into it 11 Dinghy thing 12 1980s icon with his own breakfast cereal 13 Golfer Ernie 19 Rink fake-out 21 Olympic fencer 25 Nick’s wife in “The Thin Man” 26 Couturier Christian 27 Ax’s cousin 29 Chilly response 30 Novelist Rand 31 Stayed put 32 Beyond bad 33 Page by phone? 35 Light-bulb lighter? 36 In shreds
37 Film colleague of Morpheus and Trinity 38 Bargain basement container 39 Physicist with a law and a unit named after him 43 Admission exams, casually 44 “Help!” 45 Pro tracker 46 “Cocoon” Oscar winner Don 47 Left one’s job in a huff 49 Feature of much witty blogging 50 Company with a duck mascot 52 “Going Back to ___” (LL Cool J single) 53 Jackson of country music 54 “Fiat lux” is its motto 55 “Bubble Guppies” watcher 56 Electric toothbrush battery size 57 Stand-up comic Margaret
Copyright © 2015 Jonesin’ Crosswords. For answers to this puzzle, call: 1-900-226-2800, 99 cents per minute. Must be 18+ to call. Or to bill to your credit card, call: 1-800-655-6548. Reference puzzle No. 0738
22 • The Pulse • July 30-august 5, 2015 • chattanoogapulse.com
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): A company called Evil Supply sells a satirical poster that contains the following quote: “Be the villain you were born to be. Stop waiting for someone to come along and corrupt you. Succumb to the darkness yourself.” The text in the advertisement for this product adds, “Follow your nightmares… Plot your own nefarious path.” Although this counsel is slightly funny to me, I’m too moral and upright to recommend it to you—even now, when I think there would be value in you being less nice and polite and agreeable than you usually are. So I’ll tinker with Evil Supply’s message to create more suitable advice: “For the greater good, follow your naughty bliss. Be a leader with a wild imagination. Nudge everyone out of their numbing routines. Sow benevolent mischief that energizes your team.” SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “Every time you resist acting on your anger and instead restore yourself to calm, it gets easier,” writes psychologist Laura Markham in Psychology Today. In fact, neurologists claim that by using your willpower in this way, “you’re actually rewiring your brain.” And so the more you practice, the less likely it is that you will be addled by rage in the future. I see the coming weeks as an especially favorable time for you to do this work, Scorpio. Keeping a part of your anger alive is good, of course—sometimes you need its energy to motivate constructive change. But you would benefit from culling the excess. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Much of the action in the
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world’s novels takes place inside buildings, according to author Robert Bringhurst. But characters in older Russian literature are an exception, he says. They are always out in the forests, traveling and rambling. In accordance with astrological omens, I suggest that you draw inspiration from the Russians’ example in the coming days. As often and as long as you can, put yourself in locations where the sky is overhead. Nature is the preferred setting, but even urban spots are good. Your luck, wisdom, and courage are likely to increase in direct proportion to how much time you spend outdoors. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Has a beloved teacher disappointed you? Are there inspirational figures about whom you feel conflicted because they don’t live up to all of your high standards? Have you become alienated from a person who gave you a blessing but later expressed a flaw you find hard to overlook? Now would be an excellent time to seek healing for rifts like these. Outright forgiveness is one option. You could also work on deepening your appreciation for how complicated and paradoxical everyone is. One more suggestion: Meditate on how your longing for what’s perfect might be an enemy of your ability to benefit from what’s merely good. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): French and Italian readers may have no problem with this horoscope. But Americans, Canadians, Brits, and Aussies might be offended, even grossed out. Why? Because my analysis of the astrological omens compels me to conclude that “moist” is a central theme for you right now. And research has shown that many speakers of the English language find the sound of the word “moist” equivalent to hearing fingernails scratching a chalkboard. If you are one of those people, I apologize. But the fact is, you will go astray unless you stay metaphorically moist. You need to cultivate an attitude that is damp but not sodden; dewy but not soggy; sensitive and responsive and lyrical, but not overwrought or weepy or histrionic. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Which signs of the zodiac are the most expert sleepers? Who best appreciates the healing power of slumber and feels the least shame about taking naps? Which of the twelve astrological tribes are most inclined to study the art of snoozing and use their knowledge to get the highest quality renewal from their time in bed? My usual answer to these questions would be Taurus and Cancer, but I’m hoping you Pisceans will vie for the top spot in the coming weeks. It’s a very favorable time for you to increase your mastery of this supreme form of self-care.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): “I am very much in love with no one in particular,” says actor Ezra Miller. His statement would make sense coming out of your mouth right about now. So would this one: “I am very much in love with almost everyone I encounter.” Or this one: “I am very much in love with the wind and moon and hills and rain and rivers.” Is this going to be a problem? How will you deal with your overwhelming urge to overflow? Will you break people’s hearts and provoke uproars everywhere you go, or will you rouse delight and bestow blessings? As long as you take yourself lightly, I foresee delight and blessings. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In her io9.com article on untranslatable words, Esther Inglis-Arkell defines the Chinese term wei-wuwei as “conscious non-action…a deliberate, and principled, decision to do nothing whatsoever, and to do it for a particular reason.” In my astrological opinion, the coming days would be a favorable time to explore and experiment with this approach. I think you will reap wondrous benefits if you slow down and rest in the embrace of a pregnant pause. The mysteries of silence and emptiness will be rich resources. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “I always liked side-paths, little dark back-alleys behind the main road—there one finds adventures and surprises, and precious metal in the dirt.” The character named Dmitri Karamazov makes that statement in Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s novel The Brothers Karamazov. And now I’m thinking that you might like to claim his attitude as your own. Just for a while, you understand. Not forever. The magic of the side paths and backalleys may last for no more than a few weeks, and then gradually fade. But in the meantime, the experiences you uncover there could be fun and educational. I do have one question for you, though: What do you think Dmitri meant by “precious metal in the dirt”? Money? Gold? Jewelry? Was he speaking metaphorically? I’m sure you’ll find out. CANCER (June 21-July 22): “Sometimes the road less traveled is less traveled for a reason,” says comedian Jerry Seinfeld. His implication is that rejecting traditional strategies and conventional wisdom doesn’t always lead to success. As a professional rebel myself, I find it painful to agree even a little bit with that idea. But I do think it’s applicable to your life right now. For the foreseeable future, compulsive nonconformity is likely to yield mediocrity. Putting too much emphasis on being unique rather than on being right might distract you from the truth. My advice: Stick to the road more traveled.
Return To Duty “Each has his past shut in him like the leaves of a book know to him by heart; and his friends could only read the title.” —Virginia Woolf
“
Once again I sat in a well of pine bark without some lit room with uncomfortable visible amount of isopropyl furniture and cheap panel alcohol and glycerin?) carpeting underneath my I shook it off. feet, greeted I was acby generic tually in a wallcoverpretty tight ings and the spot. I had hint of deexperienced ALEX TEACH tergent evsomething ery room has that has never horrible enough that my truly been lived in. employer sought to conA few strangers sat across tract a team of counselors the room from me with a to ensure I and a few othbox of Kleenex conspicuers stayed on the Reservaously in view and wrenchtion rather than strike out ing hands at the ready, and destroy ourselves (or though happily just out of even worse, take a job elsesight. (Their smiles were where). I assured them this genuine enough but I did was completely unnecesnot know these people so sary, but I would comply while polite, they were inwith whatever they wanted. consequential.) I closed my eyes and vi“Purell,” I thought. sualized rolling green hills For some strange reason gently coated with gauzeI noticed hand sanitizer as like mist framed against a being the first thing that was placid sea interrupted only missing and I caught myself now and then by the ranlooking at different parts of dom breaching of the occathe room for it. (I mean sesional dolphin, and I looked riously—how can you maininward. I smiled…kindly. tain a cold clinical environ“OK,” was the response. ment with the personality A small room filled with
On The Beat
It was madness… but then, wasn’t that why we were there, or being hired to eventually be there, if not to rest forever?”
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.
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large people and I chose a seat based on relation to the rest of the room instead of just the location of the door, for once, and took root. And so we Shared. One of the first things the preemptors asked was if we had gone through this process before, by show of hands. She had been through this once before so it was OK, she espoused. “I’ve been in your chairs before.” There were a dozen of us in this room and six, including myself, raised a hand. The preemptor nodded appreciatively and smiled, and asked how many times we’d been here for perspective. “Once,” two of the four said. “Twice,” said two others. “Once,” confirmed the last two in the circle before me, and so I said “eight.” This was my eighth session in such an environment and I wasn’t sure I should be honest when asked for that information, but there it was. The preemptor continued to smile but held it longer than I would have expected, though she still eventually marched onwards of course.
(Once again, I’m the only one at the beach they hate in advance; thanks honey.) As for us? Rules were read and stories were told from first-person perspectives and the mood of the place began to appreciably change for the better, though the stories had a definite matching ratio of tragedies and victories dictated by chance that so many of these kids and senior officers blamed themselves for losing were now sitting in this very room. It was madness…but then, wasn’t that why we were there, or being hired to eventually be there, if not to rest forever? Regardless, those stories… thank God for them. We crawl, we walk, we crawl again, so who was I to throw a wrench in the works? I allowed the “venting lady” to begin upon my arrival and to take hold, as well, but that will have had to be enough for the night. (I love you all the same, my Boat People. All of you.) “Experience is the worst teacher: It gives you the test first and instruction afterwards.” —Benjamin Franklin
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