The Pulse 15.38 » September 20, 2018

SEPTEMBER 20, 2018

ARTS · ENTERTAINMENT · CULTURE

THREE CHORDS AND A BOWL OF CHILI IT'S THE PERFECT COMBINATION: HOMEMADE CHILI & GOOD MUSIC

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE VOLUME 15, ISSUE 38 • SEPTEMBER 20, 2018

BREWER MEDIA GROUP Publisher James Brewer, Sr. FOUNDED 2003 BY ZACHARY COOPER & MICHAEL KULL

EDITORIAL Managing Editor Gary Poole gary@chattanoogapulse.com Assistant Editor Brooke Brown Music Editor Marc T. Michael Film Editor John DeVore Contributors Rob Brezsny Steven W. Disbrow Matt Jones Mike McJunkin Ernie Paik Rick Pimental-Habib Michael Thomas Jason Tinney Addie Whitlow Editorial Interns Allan Duggar • Ethan Palmer Cartoonists Max Cannon • Jen Sorenson Tom Tomorrow

ADVERTISING Director of Sales Mike Baskin mike@brewermediagroup.com Account Executives Rick Leavell • Libby Phillips Danielle Swindell • Ivan Roshell

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

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Three Chords And A Bowl Of Chili A good bowl of chili is like a good song—it tells a story. And like writing a song, cooking chili is an exploration. Start with a lyric or an ingredient, a loose melody or improvised recipe and go to town.

LET'S TALK ABOUT CHEESE

10

THE BLACK CAT SINGS

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Certified with a rare and distinctive expertise in cheese, Southside’s Bleu Fox packs a world of knowledge with local focus into their independently run shop on East Main Street.

For months now, Ashley and the Xs guitarist Matt Shigekawa has been teasing me with the band’s upcoming album, The Black Cat Sings.

And now it is here in all its amazing glory.

CHANGING THE WORLD

To many people (but certainly not you, the reader of this publication), newspapers may no longer be the primary source of obtaining news in this age of technology.

JUST KILLING SOME TIME

Hollywood doesn’t let franchises die. If something was popular once, chances are it can be popular again. This is the essential Hollywood axiom. .

5 CONSIDER THIS

16 MUSIC CALENDAR

22 SUSHI & BISCUITS

7 JUST A THEORY

19 NEW MUSIC REVIEWS

23 FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

21 NEW IN THEATERS

23 JONESIN' CROSSWORD

12 ARTS CALENDAR

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • SEPTEMBER 20, 2018 • THE PULSE • 3

CITY LIFE · BETWEEN THE BRIDGES

Let's Talk About Cheese Visiting Main Street's celebrated Bleu Fox Cheese Shop

By Jason Tinney Pulse contributor

“

It’s almost like a little European street where you can walk down the sidewalk and get your chunk of cheese and your locally roasted coffee and your freshly baked baguette.”

C

ERTIFIED WITH A RARE AND DISTINCTIVE EXPERTISE in cheese, Southside’s Bleu Fox packs a world of knowledge with local focus into their independently run shop on East Main Street in the Southside.

“It’s almost like a little European street where you can walk down the sidewalk and get your chunk of cheese and your locally roasted coffee and your freshly baked baguette and some freshly ground meat and cuts,” says bonafide cheesemonger Jesse Watlington, who co-owns Bleu Fox with his wife Brittany.

Approaching their store’s first anniversary in November, it’s no small feat to have turned a family passion into a specialty food market that offers more than 60 varieties of local, regional, and international cut-to-order cheeses as well as garnishing touches such as jams and honeys. Jesse hails from the inau-

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gural American Cheese Society, class of 2012 where he earned the title of Certified Cheese Professional (CCP).

An elite group, there are currently just over 900 CCPs in the U.S. For eligibility, an individual must satisfy a minimum of 4,000 hours of experience within six years in addition to successful completion of a rigorous exam that evaluates a range of knowledge and skills from pasture to palate.

“The exam covers literally every aspect of cheese from when a baby cow is born to cheese is on your table with a glass of wine or a beer,” says Jesse.

“But it also goes into a lot of the science of cheese. The cultures used, the

bacteria used, and what temperature ranges are best for growth of different cultures and bacteria that are commonly used in the cheese world. It’s kind of crazy how much work and science goes into the finished product of a wheel of cheese.”

While Jesse and his co-workers can wax philosophical on the circle of life in cheese (like the backstory on Malvarosa, a cheese they carry that’s made by one man in the world as an effort to save the nearly extinct Guirra sheep), they also keep it close to home.

Named after Jesse and Brittany’s two young children, Amelia Bleu and Henry Fox, the team encourages customers to “try before you buy” and endeavors to stock the shelves with as many locally and regionally made cheeses, beers, pickles, and charcuterie to suit the seasons and taste buds.

“Although we do have a national brand of crackers, they are the best crackers for cheese,” says Jesse. “Not everything is made by one man living up in the mountains.”

“It’s important to support your neighbors,” says co-monger Sam Weathers, CCP. “If we can find a local product that has something to do with what we’re doing, then we’re going to carry it. In my mind, that’s the way it should be. If your neighbors are making good stuff, you want to show that off and you want to build those relationships. It’s good for the entire community when it all comes together.”

And cheese brings smiles, it’s proven.

“No matter what flavor profile you personally enjoy there is a cheese to match it,” Jesse says. “Plus aged cheese has Tyrosine, which is one of the building blocks for L Dopa, an amino acid that literally, chemically makes you happy. Maybe that’s why once you get deep into the cheese world, maybe we’re all just addicts.”

Cons ider This w ith Dr. Rick “When I look into the eyes of an animal I do not see an animal. I see a living being. I see a friend.” — A.D. Williams

Snorkel The Big Soddy It's not your average everyday aquatic adventure The dog days of summer are over, and there are some signs of cooling weather. But before we start shoveling down pecan pie and guzzling pumpkin spices lattes, we need to take one last summer dip!

This Saturday the Nature Nuts program at the Tennessee River Aquarium is hosting Snorkel the Big Soddy Creek. In the heat of the day, from 1 to 3 p.m., you

can cool off and float among the Southeast’s diverse bio marine life.

Now I know what you’re thinking: snorkeling usually means salty water with stinging jelly fish. But one of the Southeast’s many treasures are our creeks and rivers, and there aren’t any hurricanes or jellyfish around!

Snorkeling is a way to experience our waterways like few often do. Us Tennesseans prefer to crash

through the water off a rope swing, which sends all crawdads and fish into hiding. This is a chance to get up close to these aquatic critters in a friendly way.

You can purchase tickets and find more information at tnaqua. org. Participants need to be able to walk the quarter mile down to the creek from the parking lot.

PFDs, snorkel, and masks will be provided! — Allan Duggar

In case you missed it on the news, I want to share with you a heart-warming story about one man’s recent act of kindness.

Tony Alsup, 51, a trucker from Greenback, TN, bought an old school bus for $3200 and drove into SC last week to fill it with dogs and cats from animal shelters in the path of hurricane Florence, which was bearing down.

Alsup drove his bus to shelters in four SC towns, loading up 53 dogs and 11 cats and taking them to an awaiting shelter in AL. From there, the pets will be spread to shelters throughout the country, ready to be adopted.

Over the past year, he’s hauled shelter pets out of hurricane zones in TX and FL, and flown to PR to save even more. Accomplished solely through donations, he hauls supplies in, and animals out. Alsup is a powerful example of what one kind person with a mission can accomplish.

— Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D.

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COLUMN · JUST A THEORY

Think Fast! And Slooooooow...

Our resident science guru contemplates the true speed of light

F Steven W. Disbrow Pulse columnist

“

Another fun fact Einstein taught us about speed is that, the faster you go, the slower time moves for you. And, if you move at the speed of light, time actually stops for you.”

Steven W. Disbrow is the proprietor of “Improv Chattanooga” on the South Side of town. He also creates e-commerce systems and reads comic books when he’s not on stage acting like a fool.

OR SOME REASON, WE HUmans are obsessed with speed. The faster a thing goes, the more impressive it is to us. This fascination probably has some sort of basis in how we evolved. The faster a person was, the more likely they were to escape predators and pass on their genes.

WHAT IS “SPEED?” The most basic definition of speed is the distance something covers in a given unit of time. Today, in the rest of the world, that means “meters per second.”

(A meter is about 3.3 feet long. Here in the USA, we generally think of speed in terms of “miles per hour,” but, I’ll stick with meters per second or kilometers per hour for the examples here.)

So, the further something moves in some unit of time, the “faster” it’s going. So, with that out of the way, let’s look at the fastest and slowest things in the universe.

THE FASTEST THING The fastest known thing in the universe is light, which travels at 299,792,458 meters per second in a vacuum. The reason light is the fastest thing is that it has no mass and is effectively pure energy. Only mass-less particles such as light can travel this fast.

Why? Well, common sense tells us that, to make something go faster, you have to put more energy into it. However, to make something with even a tiny amount of mass (like a proton) travel at the speed of light, Einstein’s Theory of Relativity tells us we would have to apply an infinite amount of energy, which is impossible.

So, while particles can be accelerated to nearly the speed of light in, say, a par-

ticle accelerator, they will never actually get there.

Note that while the speed of light seems really fast at first, space is so big that, it turns out that the speed of light is really kind of slow if you want to go anywhere interesting in the universe. For example, it takes light eight entire minutes to travel from the Sun to the Earth, and it would take light four years to get from here to the nearest star.

THE SLOWEST THING This…is a tricky one. The reason is that Einstein also showed us that speed is calculated relative to some frame of reference. For example, to us, a photon of light moves at the speed of light.

But, from the photon’s point of view (i.e. it’s frame of reference), it’s not moving at all. So, to find the slowest thing, you would need a truly universal frame of reference.

And, even when something appears to be absolutely still, it’s still “full” of motion at the atomic level.

But, in physics, there is the concept of “absolute zero.” This is a temperature where all motion stops. That includes atomic motion…everything is perfectly still with no movement at all. It’s literally colder than the vacuum of space.

As you might expect, this is a theo-

retical construct, as it’s impossible to remove all energy from a system. (At least with today’s technology.) However, scientists regularly perform experiments that cool systems to near absolute zero.

(Which is -459.67º F.) These are useful for studying superconductivity (where electrical resistance disappears) and strange states of matter, like Bose-Einstein Condensates, can be studied.

Still, even when scientists cool something to near absolute zero, those molecules only stop moving within the frame of reference of the experiment. They are still pulled along with the Earth as it speeds around the Sun, and the Sun around the Galaxy.

Another fun fact Einstein taught us about speed is that, the faster you go, the slower time moves for you. And, if you move at the speed of light, time actually stops for you.

So, for a photon of light that was born in the one of the first stars and finished its journey in, say, a detector in the Hubble Space Telescope 13 billion years later, no time has passed at all. It’s born and dies in the same instant.

So, in a strange way, light is both the fastest and the slowest thing in the universe. It just depends on your frame of reference.

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COVER STORY

Three Chords And A Bowl Of Chili It's the perfect combination: homemade chili & good music

A

GOOD BOWL OF CHILI IS LIKE A GOOD SONG—IT TELLS A story. And like writing a song, cooking chili is an exploration. Start with a lyric or an ingredient, a loose melody or improvised recipe and go to town.

By Jason Tinney Pulse contributor

Stir, simmer, step away. Come back and taste. Add touches of this and that, a pinch to give a note of cinnamon or cayenne.

In a few hours you have a moveable feast that gathers friends and family just about anywhere. That familiarity of scent, of sound, comforts and entices us to go back for seconds, even thirds.

On a warm September evening, a hint of autumn in the light breeze as I prepare chili for my neighbor, it dawns on me—chili is the culinary equivalent to an American folk song. I toast garlic, corn, and Cubanelle peppers in olive oil, throwing in guesstimations of seasonings that straddle a flavor highway somewhere between Austin and Cincinnati. By the time I’m browning the beef I’m tapping my cowboy boots, humming “Streets of Laredo.”

I pour in a can of Hutton & Smith Rocktoberfest and a cup of double-strength coffee. The “soup of the devil,” a label reportedly coined by 18th Century Spanish priests, bubbles and turns a dark, fiery crimson. The boil gets me singing that old New Orleans standard, “St. James Infirmary Blues.”

Maybe it’s watching the harmonious fusion of varied ingredients, but I drift into random connections of the origins of these

two songs, kin to one another in melodic and lyrical lineage traced to Irish ballad “The Unfortunate Rake” and British sea shanty “Spanish Ladies.” I add tomato sauce, turn down the heat, and let it blend.

My neighbor, Janice Myers, comes over for dinner.

“Mmmm. It smells so good,” she says.

“I’ve been waiting for this all day.”

Janice, who has lived on the North Shore for 46 years, grew up just across the Georgia line and recalls her mother getting chili bricks from Charlie Powell Meats in St. Elmo in the 1970s. Marrying and starting her own family, chili bricks became the basis of her recipe, which includes pinto beans and hot dogs.

“When my son was little he loved hot dogs so I’d cut them up to mix in with the ground beef.”

I ask Janice if she think's there’s a connection between chili and music.

“You know,” she says, pausing for that first sip of chili, “when I think about chili I always think about hungry cowboys out there riding the lonely range and sitting around a campfire eating bowls of chili.

I picture them playing that instrument you play, the harmonica.”

Interestingly, Janice’s chili brick is a concept originated by chuck wagon cooks in the 1800s. Made from dried beef and seasonings, they were easily transported in

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saddle bags and easily prepared by adding water and heat, making them a staple on cattle drives.

Chattanooga’s own travelin’ outlaw balladeer, Roger Alan Wade, happens to be an affirmed chili devotee. He’s penned songs for the likes of Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and George Jones, among others, and when I tell him my neighbor’s story he seizes on it immediately.

“Man, that’s just a wonderful image. She has a poet’s eye. I can tell you that,” Roger says. “I think probably the cornerstone of American music is basically a chili brick and a harmonica.”

There’s an intuitive nature to music and chili that needs no roadmap. It comes from the heart.

“It always seems we end up making our music the same way my favorite chilies are made. I ain’t much on recipes,” Roger says. “I

never let a recipe or formula get in the way of chili or music. You just wing it and dig on the results and see where the mistakes lead you.

Hopefully that keeps it interesting.

On both accounts, with the chili and the music.”

American songwriter Harlan Howard is credited for saying you only need three chords and the truth to play country music. Woody Guthrie reportedly threw in a fourth chord if he wanted to impress a lady. And all you really need to make a comforting pot of chili are three ingredients: ground beef, diced tomatoes, and beans. Spices kick in that special fourth chord.

“They go hand in hand like that, as far as chili and this kind of music that I wound up making,” Roger says. “It seems like they’re both best when they’re kept simple and honest. The fewer bells and whistles the better. Seems when

something’s done right you don’t need smoke and mirrors. It’s got to stand up on its own.”

Roger has just returned from Los Angeles where he recorded more than two dozen tracks for his seventh studio album. Produced by Johnny Knoxville, his chili-lovin’ cousin and co-host of their “Big Ass Happy Family Jubilee” radio show on SiriusXM’s Outlaw Country channel, the forthcoming album has a tentative title but let’s just say it’s simmering.

“You know there’s a place for canned chili and canned music, I guess. I prefer homemade chili and homemade music,” Roger says. “Chili and music, they’re two things you don’t really have to be good at as far as making it to enjoy.” He does, however, add, “They’re two things, you see, that take a moment to learn and a lifetime to master.”

While his songwriting firmly roots him among master lyricists, cooking continues to elude Roger and he fully admits to being the world’s worst cook.

Fortunately, he’s got a well-versed family to satisfy tuned-in chili cravings.

Among Roger’s favorite renditions are daughter Shandy’s “Never Ending Monterey Black Bean Crock-Pot Delight” and his brother and sister-in-law Richie and Shannon’s “Football Time in Tennessee Mystery Concoction,” which according to Roger, anybody walking by just throws something in when nobody’s looking, making it all the better.

“It’s a social dish and it’s not pompous in any way. Hell, everybody’s going to like it. It sort of enhances a good mood and cures a bad mood,” he says.

When chili’s on, what’s on Roger’s playlist? “I’ve been getting by so long on chili and music. The soundtrack pretty much remains the same,” he says. “Bob Dylan and The Band. Hank Williams and Lucinda Williams. Robert Johnson. My buddy Cecil Allen Moore.

My grandson Roland Dixon. Willie Nelson and John Prine. Otis Redding and Guy Clark. Billy Joe Shaver and Emmy-

“

While his songwriting firmly roots him among master lyricists, cooking continues to elude Roger and he fully admits to being the world’s worst cook.” lou (Harris). That and a good bowl of chili pretty much gets me through the day. And a good guitar.”

As with music, everyone has different tastes—and tolerance for temperature. I like the heat but tend to ride the breaks for a diverse audience, letting guests customize bowls from a selection of hot sauces.

Aaron “The Hoff” Hoffman, cofounder and maestro of Hoff & Pepper, Chattanooga’s award-winning hot sauce company says, “I, obviously, love condiments and I like my chili to be a great vehicle for adding on other flavors. Like salt, you can always add more heat, but you can’t remove it.”

It’s the extra notes, that fourth chord that opens up a versatility in each dish.

“My personal favorite is the standard Hoff Sauce as it adds a great amount of spicy twang to chili, but if I’m wanting to add more smoky chipotle flavor with higher heat, I reach for Smoken Ghost. It really depends on what I’m craving,” he says. “In addition to Hoff Sauce, I’m a big fan of fresh sliced jalapeños or habaneros to add a crunchy snap to my bowl of red.”

For Hoff, songs and chili have a natural correlation.

“Me and my wife, Michelle—aka Pepper—once threw a chili cook off at our home for twenty of our friends.

We both love to collect vinyl and our friends brought their own as well, so we had a great time trying everyone’s chili and listening to everyone’s favorite al-

bums,” he says.

He also agrees with Roger’s assessment that a key to good chili and music is honesty. And you can’t get more honest than this tip from Hoff.

“The best way to make your chili stand apart is to make your own chili powder. Toasting and grinding your own spices is a game changer,” he says.

“Also, making your own beef stock is so much better than store bought stocks.”

You can actually experience the Hoff’s signature recipe live in concert, so to speak. Basecamp Bar and Grill on Frazier Avenue features Hoff’s Award-Winning Chili on their menu.

So, what’s on Hoff’s chili-making playlist?

“I would have to say Pavement, Archers of Loaf, The Rolling Stones, The Cure, JEFF the Brotherhood, Built to Spill, Kurt Vile, and, no pun intended, Diarrhea Planet.”

If you take your chili playlist literally, musicians from Elvis Presley to Kid Rock have sung about eating chili.

From Hank Williams singing, “You’ll be daffy I’ll be dilly / We’ll order up two bowls of chili settin’ the woods on fire”; and yes, to Roger Alan Wade singing, “Going to leave all my doors unlocked and going to keep my cabinets stocked up with chili. I’m a calypso hillbilly.”

“Chili and hillbilly music—folk music, whatever you want to call it—are pretty portable,” Roger says. “You don’t need much electricity. They’re self-sustaining. You just kinda grab the guitar and go or grab your bowl and get yourself some chili.”

Jason Tinney is the author of “Ripple Meets the Deep” and two collections of poetry and prose, “Louise Pairs and Other Waltzes” and “Bluebird”. As an actor, Jason recently starred in “Free To Go”, which premiered at the Manhattan Repertory Theatre in 2018.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

The 4th Hunter Invitational Everyone loves art. It is the idea of feeling connected to something that someone else has created, and if you don’t love that feeling then you might as well not be human.

Over a year of planning has gone into the fourth iteration of the Hunter Museum for American Art’s Invitational showcase. Eight local artists from the surrounding Chattanooga area will be featured in this regional showcase.

The invitational exhibition series at the Hunter Museum for American Arts began in 2007 and has since proved as a rite of passage for many up-and-coming local artists from the regional area. One of the main focuses of the invitational revolves around how the local artwork in the Chattanooga area mirrors the national art scene.

For example, Amanda Brazier a Chattanooga local, mixes her own paints from pigments found in soils near her home.

Artist Sisavanh Phouthavong, who is from Murfreesboro, highlights the problems surrounding immigration through her oil paintings.

All eight artists will be featured in the upcoming opening at the Hunter Museum for American Arts on Friday. However, there will be a soft opening for those who want to talk to the artists that starts at 6 p.m. on Thursday. This local showcase will highlight the talents of local artists and display how much Chattanooga’s art scene has to offer the world. — Ethan Palmer

Kids Changing The World “Newsies” brings real history to musical life

By Addie Whitlow Pulse contributor

“

What people often don’t realize is that [the strike] was started by a bunch of 12-yearold news kids; it was about children who were getting unfair wages on their papers.”

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T

O MANY PEOPLE (BUT CERTAINLY NOT YOU, THE reader of this publication), newspapers may no longer be the primary source of obtaining news in this age of technology.

However, there was once a time when newspapers were so crucial to society that young boys had to deliver them, and it was this era that inspired the Disney musical, “Newsies,” which is going to be performed by the Chattanooga Theatre Centre beginning this Friday.

Disney’s “Newsies” is a 1992 film, written by Bob Tzudiker and Noni White, based on the Newsboys’ Strike of 1899 in New York City. The primary purpose of the strike was to increase wages for newspaper delivery boys, which inspired them to band together to rally for their pay.

It was later adapted for the stage by playwright Harvey Fierstein, and

the musical adaptation features music by composer Alan Menken and lyrics by Jack Feldman, in addition to a book.

The Chattaooga Theatre Centre’s performance of “Newsies” is led by guest director Katherine Tanner, from Sarasota, Fla. Tanner has an extensive amount of experience; she is an actress, singer, director, choreographer, writer, and more.

Choreography is done by Andrew Parker, of the Chattanooga Ballet, and award-winning composer Michael Huseman is in charge of vocals. The show features a cast of 42, ranging in age from 10 to 50.

“What people often don’t realize is that [the strike] was started by a bunch of 12-year-old news kids; it

was about children who were getting unfair wages on their papers, and they went up against [Joseph] Pulitzer, and they won,” said Tanner.

“What’s great is that not only is it a story about the underdog winning, but they did it in a great way. While it could have gone bad, this really highlights their struggles,” Tanner explained. “The newsies were orphans sometimes, or run out of homes, or had lost parents, and they didn’t have anyone but each other. So, to not only speak up for each other, but to speak up for themselves as equals was really what started the beginning of labor laws.”

The story of Disney’s “Newsies” focuses on Jack Kelly, who is played

by Normand Caissie in his Theatre Centre debut. When Joseph Pulitzer, a prominent newspaper publisher, decides to increase the cost of papers, Kelly, who dreams of a better life, rallies other newsies to join him in fighting for fair wages.

While “Newsies” truly is the inspirational story of the underdog, the musical aspect of the show is definitely a force to be rivaled with. Tanner explained that she treated the threemonth rehearsal process like the cast only had a month, in order for them to be as comfortable as possible with singing and dancing, in addition to their characters and lines, once they get on stage.

“

“I run a tight ship; I run things briskly.

Not fast, but brisk. And I want [the cast] to be super comfortable by the time we open”

“I run a tight ship; I run things briskly. Not fast, but brisk. And I want [the cast] to be super comfortable by the time we open,” explained Tanner. “They shouldn’t have to struggle.

I’m the type of director who wants my actors to be so comfortable with the knowledge of what they’re doing that they’re not nervous about ‘Am I going to be bringing this set piece on here?’ or the choreography.”

In addition, the musical numbers for the show, which include a tap dancing number, are very acrobatic, so Tanner has had to place a lot of emphasis on physically training the cast. The musical numbers really strive to embody the determination and optimism of the newsies to fight for their rights, and Tanner explained how important it’s been for the cast to know the numbers by heart.

She also said she’s fortunate to have such a dedicated cast; working with varying age ranges can be challenging, but Tanner said rehearsals have been amazing.

“I think the kids are really enjoying it; I’m pretty adamant about building their endurance as actors, so I start

with intense physical warm-ups. At first, it felt like boot camp to them. We do sit-ups, push-ups, jumping jacks,” said Tanner. “And I said to them, ‘We have to build our strengths because we’re moving this giant set, and we have to sing and dance at the same time’.”

Tanner and the Theatre Centre were able to really luck out in regards to the set; Tanner explained that they were actually able to rent the traveling set because it was on a six-month break in Ohio. The set itself is wrought ironesque, with intricate steps and landings where much of the show will be performed.

Disney’s “Newsies” is definitely family-friendly, and it opens tomorrow night at 8 p.m. and will be performed Thursday-Saturday nights with Sunday matinee shows through Oct. 14. Seating is limited, and ordering tickets in advance is recommended.

If you’ve ever wanted a chance to dance and sing along with the newsies on stage, then you definitely don’t want to miss the Chattanooga Theatre Centre’s production of “Newsies;” it’s certainly a news-worthy show.

APPEARING THIS WEEKEND



QUEEN OF COUNTRY COMEDY! COMING SOON September 23 ONE NIGHT ONLY!

MOODY MOLAVI September 27-30

JEN KOBER

Chattanooga’s Premier Comedy Club Tickets: (423) 629-2233 1400 Market Street on the Southside thecomedycatch.com

THU9.20

FRI9.21

SAT9.22

“The Hallelujah Girls”

PARK(ing) Day Chattanooga

Once In A Blue Choo Choo

A hilarious tale about a group of women who turn an old abandoned church into a day spa.

7:30 p.m.

The Ringgold Playhouse 155 Depot St. Ringgold, GA cityofringgoldga.gov

Come celebate a world without cars and how to recreate downtown parking spaces for fun.

11 a.m.

Patten Parkway 29 Patten Pkwy. rivercitycompany.com

Support Sculpture Fields with a special evening including a fun trip with the Tennessee Valley Railroad.

5:30 p.m.

Sculpture Fields 1800 Polk St. sculpturefields.org

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • SEPTEMBER 20, 2018 • THE PULSE • 11

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR THURSDAY9.20 Kidney Foundation Fundraiser 5:30 p.m.

Puckett’s Grocery & Restaurant 2 Aquarium Way (423) 708-8505 puckettsgro.com The Hunter Invitational IV 6 p.m.

Hunter Museum of American Art 10 Bluff View (423) 267-0968 huntermuseum.org City Sweat Workout Series 6 p.m.

Miller Park 928 Market St. millerplazachattanooga.com Introduction to Zentangle 6 p.m.

Chattanooga Workspace 302 W. 6th St. (423) 413-8978 thechattery.org “And Things that Go Bump in the Night” 7:30 p.m.

Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. (423) 987-5141 barkinglegs.org “The Hallelujah Girls” 7:30 p.m.

The Ringgold Playhouse 155 Depot St. (706) 935-3061 cityofringgoldga.gov Etta May 7:30 p.m.

The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com Country Line Dancing Class 8 p.m.

Westbound Bar 24 Station St. (423) 498-3069 westboundbar.com

FRIDAY9.21 “Un-Teal” There is a Cure Foundation Golf Tournament 8 a.m.

Bear Trace at Harrison Bay 8919 Harrison Bay Rd. (423) 326-0885 untealthereisacure.org

12 • THE PULSE • SEPTEMBER 20, 2018 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

Your Little Black Dress

PARK(ing) Day Chattanooga 11 a.m.

Patten Parkway 29 Patten Pkwy. rivercitycompany.com Out On 8th 5 p.m.

West Village 802 Pine St. (423) 424-1831 westvillagechattanooga.com Cambridge Square Night Market 6 p.m.

Cambridge Square 9453 Bradmore Ln. (423) 648-2496 publicmarkets.us Your Little Black Dress 6 p.m.

The Signal 1810 Chestnut St. yourlittleblackdress.org An Evening with the Artist: Sean Cheetham 6 p.m.

Townsend Atelier 301 E. 11th St. (423) 266-2712 townsendaltelier.com “And Things that Go Bump in the Night” 7:30 p.m.

Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. (423) 987-5141 barkinglegs.org Movies in the Park at Dark 7:30 p.m.

Heritage Park 1428 Jenkins Rd. bridgechristian.org

Etta May 7:30, 9:45 p.m.

The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com “The Hallelujah Girls” 7:30 p.m.

The Ringgold Playhouse 155 Depot St. (706) 935-3061 cityofringgoldga.gov Improv Movie Night 8 p.m.

First Draft Theater 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 843-1775 improvchattanooga.com Disney’s “Newsies” 8 p.m.

Chattanooga Theatre Centre 400 River St. (423) 267-8538 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

SATURDAY9.22 Chattanooga River Market 10 a.m.

Tennessee Aquarium Plaza 1 Broad St. (423) 648-2496 publicmarkets.us Cleveland Geekster 10 a.m.

Cleveland State Community College 3535 Adkisson Dr. clevelandgeekster.com Re3 Women’s Expo 10 a.m.

Chattanooga Convention Center 1150 Carter St. (423) 486-7597 targetmarketingmedia.com Go Fest 10 a.m.

Chattanooga Zoo 301 N. Holtzclaw Ave. (423) 697-1322 chattzoo.org Red Wolf Feeding and Talk Noon Reflection Riding Arboretum 400 Garden Rd. (423) 821-1160 reflectionriding.org Artful Yoga: Family Style 1:30 p.m.

Hunter Museum of American Art 10 Bluff View (423) 267-0968 huntermuseum.org MUTTropolitan Open House Event 2 p.m.

Applebrook Animal Hospital 9504 Lee Hwy. (423) 238-7387 applebrookanimal.com “The Hallelujah Girls”

"Love, Gilda"

2, 7:30 p.m.

The Ringgold Playhouse 155 Depot St. (706) 935-3061 cityofringgoldga.gov Once In A Blue Choo Choo 5:30 p.m.

Sculpture Fields 1800 Polk St. (423) 266-7288 sculpturefields.org Autumn in West Village 6 p.m.

West Village 802 Pine St. westvillagechattanooga.com “And Things that Go Bump in the Night” 7:30 p.m.

Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. (423) 987-5141 barkinglegs.org Etta May 7:30, 9:45 p.m.

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

First Draft Theater 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 843-1775 improvchattanooga.com Disney’s “Newsies” 8 p.m.

Chattanooga Theatre Centre 400 River St. (423) 267-8538 theatrecentre.com Whose Line Chattanooga

10 p.m.

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

SUNDAY9.23 Nativity Rising Artists: Telemann Rediscovered 10:15 a.m.

The Church of the Nativity Episcopal Church 1201 Cross St. (706) 866-9773 nativity.dioet.org Chattanooga Market 11 a.m.

First Tennessee Pavilion 1826 Carter St. (423) 648-2496 publicmarkets.us Free Fiddle School 2 p.m.

Fiddlers Anonymous 2248 Dayton Blvd.

(423) 994-7497 Disney’s “Newsies” 2:30 p.m.

Chattanooga Theatre Centre 400 River St. (423) 267-8538 theatrecentre.com Barnett & Company Bach Cantata Series Opener 5 p.m.

Christ Church Episcopal 663 Douglas St. (423) 266-4263 chattanoogabachchoir.org Moody Molavi

7:30 p.m.

The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com Chattanooga Film Festival Presents: “Love Gilda” 8 p.m.

Improv Chattanooga 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 843-1775 improvchattanooga.com

MONDAY9.24 Autumn Belly Dance Session 5:45 p.m.

Movement Arts Collective 3813 Dayton Blvd.

(423) 401-8115 movementartscollective.com Joggers & Lagers 6 p.m.

Chattanooga Brewing Co. 1804 Chestnut St. (423) 702-9958 chattabrew.com Embroidery 101 6 p.m.

Chattanooga Workspace 302 W. 6th St. (423) 413-8978 thechattery.org

TUESDAY9.25 Wake Up & Run 6 a.m.

Fleet Feet Sports 307 Manufacturers Rd.

(423) 771-7996 fleetfeetchattanooga.com Beginning Acrylic Painting with Karen Reader 10:30 a.m.

Art Creations 7351 Commons Blvd.

(423) 531-7606 art-creations.com Tuesday Night Chess Club 6 p.m.

Downtown Library 1001 Broad St. (423) 643-7700 chattilibrary.com Paths to Pints along the Riverwalk 6:30 p.m.

The Tap House 3800 St. Elmo Ave. (423) 682-8234 taphousechatt.com

WEDNESDAY9.26 Middle Eastern Dance 10:30 a.m.

Jewish Cultural Center 5461 North Terrace (423) 493-0270 jewishchattanooga.com Main Street Market 4 p.m.

522 W. Main St. mainstfarmersmarket.com Rapid Learning Kayak Skills + Roll Sessions 6 p.m.

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

The Bitter Alibi 825 Houston St. (423) 362-5070 thebitteralibi.com Chattanooga Film Festival Presents: “Bad Reputation” 8 p.m.

Improv Chattanooga 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 843-1775 improvchattanooga.com Map these locations on chattanoogapulse.com. Send event listings at least 10 days in advance to: calendar@chattanoogapulse.com CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • SEPTEMBER 20, 2018 • THE PULSE • 13

THE MUSIC SCENE

An Evening With The Afternooners What do you get when combine the vocals of Jack Johnson to the funky sounds of Vampire Weekend? You get Chattanooga’s own: The Afternooners.

This coming Wednesday, the 26th, Songbirds South is rocking our local bands with The Afternooner’s EP release party with Lenox Hills.

Band members Bryce Cronan (guitar/ vocals), Blake Harmon (drums), John Hoffman (keyboard), and Caleb Saunders (bass) create a diverse range of sounds that vary from pop, alternative rock, to reggae.

Their music is creative: rhythms change and develop as songs go on. Tracks like “I don’t Want You” and “Can’t Sleep” have unique riffs that step in and change the songs entirely.

Lenox Hills, another local band, will be jamming with The Afternooners as well. With spacious, echoing guitars and an equally mellow vibe, Lenox Hills is sure fit with their local counterparts. Both bands are sure to provide a most excellent afternoon of tunes, and you can give them both the personal sound check on soundcloud.com The EP Release Party is 18 and up and the doors open at 8; show kicks off at 9. General admission is $10. For information on the event just visit events.songbirds.rocks.

— Allan Duggar

The Black Cat Sings Ashley and the Xs create a true masterpiece

F

OR MONTHS NOW, ASHLEY AND THE XS GUItarist Matt Shigekawa has been teasing me with the band’s upcoming album, The Black Cat Sings.

By Marc T. Michael Pulse Music Editor

It’s far from unusual for a performer to hype their new project, there are some folks in town who will try to sell you on their flatulence being the next great symphony, but Matt isn’t one of those.

Hard-working, down-to-earth and irresistibly lovable, if Matt is excited about something, it’s worth being excited about.

This weekend I heard for the first time the final product. If I were to quote the filthiest, over-the-top exclamation of shock and awe Deadpool could muster, it still wouldn’t convey my reaction to this…masterpiece.

14 • THE PULSE • SEPTEMBER 20, 2018 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

Universally loved since their inception, Ashley and the Xs has consistently created powerful, high energy music with driving rhythm and Ashley’s incomparable vocal prowess, but this album is not merely, “the next great Ashley and the Xs album.” It is, by several orders of magnitude, the greatest thing they have ever created.

The opening track, “Train Song,” wastes no time in getting down to business. A tsunami of wicked guitar washes over the listener, vanishing just long enough for the opening strains of Ashley’s smoldering voice to come in over the drums. That’s when all hell breaks loose as singer and band open up and let fly with some of the rawest,

purest, most emotionally driven rock and roll you will ever hear, anywhere, period.

Pulse-pounding (no pun intended) and exhausting, the tune segues in to “Red,” a tasty dish of funk and blues that sinks it teeth in and will not let go.

A word here. Ashley has one of the sexiest, most dynamic voices of any singer and for years the band has provided the backing for that voice. That dynamic is… not quite the same. The band sounds less like a “backing” band, and more like a second, equally powerful voice.

The interplay between vocalists and band is more like the interplay between two powerful opera singers in duet. This isn’t meant to diminish anything they’ve done prior; the group has always been perfectly balanced. Rather, this is meant to illustrate that whatever they’ve been, they’ve transcended that, emerging as something newer, more powerful and refined than ever.

The album slides along easily in to

“Hold Me Down,” a lighter tune that dances on the edge of “power pop,” but with a little too much soul to entirely fit that description and here again, the band’s dynamic progress is plainly evident, creating a very smooth and pleasing track out of a deceptively complex arrangement.

“Cascade” is a sweet, neoclassical piece that transitions nicely from the blues/funk/rock of the first half of the disc in to the hippier sound of “Mushrooms and Mazes.”

Finally, we arrive at the title track of the album, “The Black Cat Sings,” as beautifully raunchy but of roadhouse blues and soul playing to Ashley’s roots, at least to the earliest memories I have of hearing her sing (this will come up again shortly.)

From there, the album shifts direction in to a decidedly early nineties alt vibe with “Rope,” a song in which Ashley is clearly giving Natalie Merchant lessons on how to be Natalie Merchant.

It is a lovely bit of music that, as the group has so often done in the past, showcases their ability to transition smoothly between styles.

There is nothing redundant about Ashley and the Xs, the music is a vehicle they seem to be

“

The album is quite simply the most phenomenal thing one of Chattanooga’s favorite bands has ever done.”

able to take absolutely any place they choose to go without ever missing a beat. “Want You” is a continuation of that alt feel in the best way possible (keep in mind it stands as one of my favorite eras of modern music, the comparison is meant as high praise.)

The “final” track, “Calvary,” is a…well, imagine taking elements of every tune that precedes it on the album and subtlety crafting them in to a single tune. If tracks one through nine are a grand tour of what the band is capable of, track ten is the culmination of those styles in to one glorious signature piece.

Twice now I have ham-fistedly alluded to a bonus track, and there is one hidden on the album.

It isn’t hard to find, if you know that it’s there and it’s a bit of a throwback, being the very first song I ever heard Ashley sing, years ago when my own group was fueled by whiskey and Guinness and not, as is the case today,

THU9.20 Chattanooga All Star Jam

multivitamins and blood pressure meds.

It’s a pretty piece of nostalgia for me, but more importantly I think it serves to bookend the progress of the band from then until now. The sheer raw talent was always there, but years of working, writing and performing have forged that talent in to a most unique and formidable weapon.

The album is The Black Cat Sings, and it is quite simply the most phenomenal thing one of Chattanooga’s favorite bands has ever done, a watershed album marking their transition from a great hometown band in to something much, much more.

The CD release party is set for Halloween, October 31st at Songbirds Guitar Musuem and we’ll publish more on that show in an upcoming issue. But for now, know that it promises to be one of the most unforgettable shows of the scene.

Just what you expect: some of the city's best musicians get together for one amazing jam session.

9 p.m.

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

FRI9.21 Behold the Brave’s EP Release Party

Come celebrate the release of BTB's new album Sunrise//Sunset for a night you won't soon forget.

9 p.m.

Songbirds South 35 Station St. songbirdsguitars.com

SAT9.22 UTC Fiddle Fest

It's arguably the central instrument in bluegrass and Appalchain music, and it takes center stage this Saturday evening.

5 p.m.

Roland Hayes Concert Hall 752 Vine St. utc.edu

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • SEPTEMBER 20, 2018 • THE PULSE • 15

LIVE MUSIC CALENDAR

Cherub

THURSDAY9.20 Cat Man Smothers 2 p.m.

Virgola Wine Bar 608 Georgia Ave. chattanoogawinebar.com Jason Eskridge 5:30 p.m.

Bessie Smith Cultural Center (on the lawn) 200 E. MLK Blvd. jazzanooga.org James Crumble Trio 6 p.m.

St. John’s Meeting Place 1278 Market St. stjohnsrestaurant.com Cole Jackson 6 p.m.

1885 Grill 3914 St. Elmo Ave. 1885grill.com Bluegrass & Country Jam 6:30 p.m.

Grace Nazarene Church 6310 Dayton Blvd. chattanoogagrace.com Gino Fanelli 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 Kim Richey 7 p.m.

Songbirds North

16 • THE PULSE • SEPTEMBER 20, 2018 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

35 Station St. museum.songbirds.rocks Hatcher Phillips Band 7 p.m.

Southern Belle 201 Riverfront Pkwy. chattanoogariverboat.com Toby Hewitt 7 p.m.

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

Moccasin Bend Brewing Co. 3210 Broad St. bendbrewingbeer.com Blue Grass Thursdays 7:30 p.m.

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

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

The Social 1110 Market St. publichousechattanooga.com Cherub 8:30 p.m.

The Signal 1810 Chestnut St. thesignaltn.com Open Mic Night with Jonathon Wimpee 9 p.m.

The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St.

citycafemenu.com Chattanooga All Star Jam 9 p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com SPORK, the Handsome Grandsons, Bongsloth 10 p.m.

Music Box @ Ziggy’s 607 Cherokee Blvd. ziggysbarandgrill.net

FRIDAY9.21 Binji Varsossa 6 p.m.

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

Cambridge Square 9453 Bradmore Ln. publicmarkets.us Megan Howard 6:30 p.m.

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

Westin Dorato Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Cole Jackson 7 p.m.

The Tap House 3800 St. Elmo Ave taphousechatt.com Tim Lewis

7 p.m.

El Meson 248 Northgate Park elmesonchattanooga.com Rick Rushing and The Blues Strangers 7:30 p.m.

The Foundry 1201 Broad St. chattanooganhotel.com Courtney Daly 8:30 p.m.

Puckett’s Restaurant 2 W. Aquarium Way puckettsgro.com Behold the Brave’s EP Release Party 9 p.m.

Songbirds South 35 Station St. songbirdsguitars.com Jordan Hallquist and the Outfit 9 p.m.

HiFi Clyde’s 122 W. Main St. hificlydeschattanooga.com Masseuse, Marquee Mayfield 9 p.m.

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

Tremont Tavern 1203 Hixon Pike tremonttavern.com

SATURDAY9.22 Bluegrass Brunch

Moon Taxi Noon The Honest Pint 35 Patten Pkwy. thehonestpint.com Matt Downer 12:30 p.m.

Tennessee Aquarium Plaza 1 Broad St. publicmarkets.us UTC Fiddle Fest 5 p.m.

Roland Hayes Concert Hall 752 Vine St. utc.edu Binji Varsossa 6 p.m.

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

Westin Alchemy Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com The Briars 6:30 p.m.

Westin Dorato Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Forever Bluegrass 7 p.m.

Westbound Bar 24 Station St. westboundbar.com Tim Lewis 7 p.m.

El Meson 248 Northgate Park elmesonchattanooga.com The Athens Guitar Duo 7:30 p.m.

Chattanooga State Community

College 4501 Amnicola Hwy. chattanoogastate.edu Danimal 7:30 p.m.

The Foundry 1201 Broad St. chattanooganhotel.com Bill & Eli Parras 8 p.m.

Charles & Myrtle’s Coffeehouse 105 McBrien Rd. christunity.org Overland Express 8 p.m.

Songbirds South 35 Station St. songbirdsguitars.com Moon Taxi 8:30 p.m.

The Signal 1810 Chestnut St. thesignaltn.com Barret Barber 9 p.m.

Puckett’s Restaurant 2 W. Aquarium Way puckettsgro.com Captain Midnight Band 9 p.m.

HiFi Clyde’s 122 W. Main St. hificlydeschattanooga.com Dead Rider, Monomath, Todd Rush 9 p.m.

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

Music Box @ Ziggy’s

607 Cherokee Blvd. ziggysbarandgrill.net The Pickup Lions 9 p.m.

Rumors 3884 Hixon Pike (423) 421-3711

SUNDAY9.23 Devon Heath 11 a.m.

Flying Squirrel Bar 55 Johnson St. flyingsquirrelbar.com Hive Theory 12:30 p.m.

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

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

First Tennessee Pavilion 1826 Carter St. publicmarkets.us Bluegrass Jam 4 p.m.

Fiddlers Anonymous 2248 Dayton Blvd.

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

Long Haul Saloon 2536 Cummings Hwy. (423) 822-9775 Mathis & Martin

7 p.m.

Backstage Bar 29 Station St. backstagechattanooga.com

MONDAY9.24 Mike McDade 6:30 p.m.

Westin Alchemy Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Monday Nite Big Band 7 p.m.

The Coconut Room 6925 Shallowford Rd. thepalmsathamilton.com Open Air with Jessica Nunn 7:30 p.m.

The Granfalloon 400 E. Main St. granfalloonchattanooga.com Very Open Mic with Shawnessey Cargile 8 p.m.

The Well 1800 Rossville Blvd. #8 wellonthesouthside.com

TUESDAY9.25 Mark Andrew 6 p.m.

1885 Grill 3914 St. Elmo Ave. 1885grill.com Ryan Oyer 6:30 p.m.

Westin Alchemy Bar 801 Pine St. CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • SEPTEMBER 20, 2018 • THE PULSE • 17

LIVE MUSIC CALENDAR

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

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

Backstage Bar 29 Station St. backstagechattanooga.com 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

WEDNESDAY9.26 Noontunes: Spinster Noon Miller Park 928 Market St. Rivercitycompany.com Matt Downer 6 p.m.

1885 Grill 3914 St. Elmo Ave. 1885grill.com The Other Guys 6 p.m.

SpringHill Suites 495 Riverfront Pkwy. springhillsuites.com

18 • THE PULSE • SEPTEMBER 20, 2018 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

John Carroll 6:30 p.m.

Westin Alchemy Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Megan Howard 6:30 p.m.

Westin Dorato Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Jesse James Jungkurth 7 p.m.

Backstage Bar 29 Station St. backstagechattanooga.com Jazz in the Lounge 8 p.m.

Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. barkinglegs.org Priscilla & Little Rickee 8 p.m.

Las Margaritas 1101 Hixson Pike (423) 756-3332 The Afternooners EP Release Party 9 p.m.

Songbirds South 35 Station St. songbirdsguitars.com Prime Cut Trio 9 p.m.

The Palms at Hamilton 6925 Shallowford Rd. thepalmsathamilton.com

Map these locations on chattanoogapulse. com. Send event listings at least 10 days in advance to: calendar@chattanoogapulse.com

ERNIE PAIK'S RECORD REVIEWS

Various Artists Listen All Around (Dust-to-Digital)

T

his writer has uttered the phrase, “You’ll have to pry my CDs from my cold, dead hands” on more than a few occasions, and as listening habits have shifted away from physical media toward digital downloads and Internet streaming, it’s easy to take liner notes (Words! On paper!) for granted.

It always warms this critic’s heart whenever he encounters a carefully assembled and curated collection that treats a subject with the highest respect, and the new 2-CD compilation Listen All Around, which includes a hardbound book with ample notes, is impressive on many levels.

The 47-track collection is comprised mostly of field recordings made by ethnomusicologist Hugh Tracey from the ‘50s, covering eastern and central Africa in the Belgian Congo, Kenya, Tanganyika and Zanzibar.

While Tracey—who is the founder of the International Library of African Music— recorded a great deal of traditional folk music, this compilation focuses on popular music.

The gorgeous book, which contains detailed info

on each track, provides historical context, as countries were moving toward independence from colonialism, and it maps out the wide array of international influences that shaped these songs.

While genres in other parts of African can be felt, such as Ghanaian highlife and South African kwela, we’re told that selections were also influenced by Cuban music—rumba and son and the well-known clave rhythm (a.k.a. the Bo Diddley beat)—American country music, jazz, Hawaiian music and European folksongs and lullabies, among many other varieties.

The collection is sequenced in a way that moves from one cluster of songs, organized by genre, to another, and some key features reappear throughout the set—fingerpicked guitar, warm vocal harmonies, a struck bottle for percussion, and so on.

“Napenda” (“I Love”) from Coast Social Orchestra has a rich, charming sound with accordion, saxophone, clarinet and trumpet parts, while the big band Merry Black Birds’ “Chineno” (“Little Speech”) is peculiar, with a trembling, nervous saxophone and muted trumpet.

An odd standout is “Chemirocha III” by Chemutoi Ketienya and Kipsigis Girls, which pictures the American country guitarist Jimmy Rogers as a halfman, half-beast blooddrinking cannibal.

As explained in the liner notes, medical efforts in Africa were sometimes misunderstood, with white doc-

tors drawing blood samples from Africans without proper explanations—some thought the blood-drawing had sinister purposes.

While this writer is happy to rave about the liner notes, they don’t overshadow the music itself—joyous, stirring and fun stuff—which can be enjoyed without context.

Shane Parish Child Asleep in the Rain (Null Zone)

O

n the topic of creative intuition, with regards to his new solo album Child Asleep in the Rain, Asheville, N.C. guitarist Shane Parish said, “I believe that if you steep yourself in the raw materials of an art form and you are honest with yourself about who you are, expression will manifest itself in many different shapes and they will all be you.”

It can also be taken as a “hope you like my new direction” statement. Parish has built up his reputation as an eclectic and technically gifted player in the intense and complicated instrumental rock band Ahleuchatistas, and he also has a repertoire of solo acoustic guitar material based on Appalachian folk, including the 2016 album Undertaker Please Drive Slow released on John Zorn’s Tzadik label.

Once an artist has confidence in his craft, he can trust himself and let go, following his imagination in whatever direction it goes, on an intuitive level.

Child Asleep in the Rain is Parish’s self-described “new age ambient bedroom psychedelic filmscore album,” and it’s a multi-tracked home-studio solo recording with the electric guitar as a primary instrument.

On the dark opener “The Great Great Wall,” Parish’s squiggly guitar sounds float above commanding, sustained bass guitar tones and simple, yet mysterious piano notes; it’s a song where the emphasis is totally on mood rather than melodies, like the title track, which clutches the listener with its rapid tremolo guitar effects and gentle, uncertain wandering.

The cyclic round piece “Never See the Sun,” written by Parish’s wife Courtney Chappell, folds its melody in on itself, regenerating and sprouting in gratifying ways, and another of the album’s highlights is “Angular Essences,” which glistens with echoing, ringing notes and what sounds like sustained EBow notes with vague elements of minimalism.

The enigmatic “Ghost Dream” offers an ambient knot-tying tension, while the gripping “Chest Cavity Portal” spotlights Parish’s unconventional electric guitar noises and effect warping.

Child Asleep in the Rain shines a light on more facets of Parish’s imagination, with sound exploration and compelling moods articulated with a gut-level trust.

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • SEPTEMBER 20, 2018 • THE PULSE • 19

FILM & TELEVISION

“You're Tearing Me Apart!”

There are certain films that come along, seemingly out of nowhere, and strike a chord with audiences that continue to reverberate for decades later.

And there are certain films that feature then-unknown actors who become not just household names, but true film legends.

It is exceedingly rare when one film accomplishes both. Such a film is 1955’s Rebel Without a Cause which catapulted James Dean to worldwide fame (a fame that was sadly highlighted with his death in a car crash later that year).

For those who are unfamiliar with the film, it is a relatively simple premise: a rebellious young man with a troubled past comes to a new town, finding friends and enemies.

But the film is far more than that. In one of moviedom’s most influential roles, James Dean is Jim, the new kid in town whose loneliness, frustration and anger mirrored those of postwar teens—and reverberates over 60 years later.

If you’ve only ever seen Rebel Without a Cause on the small screen, or never even seen it all, you owe it to yourself to head over to either East Ridge 18 or Hamilton Place this Sunday for a very special screening, complete with cinematic insight from the film historians at Turner Classic Movies.

The film screens at both 2 and 7 p.m. on Sunday, and then again on Wednesday.

— Michael Thomas

Just Killing Some Time The Predator is mindless fun, but nothing more

By John DeVore Pulse Film Editor

“

Given Hollywood’s love for revisiting past franchises, it should come as no surprise that the Predator franchise is due for a new film.”

20 • THE PULSE • SEPTEMBER 20, 2018 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

H

OLLYWOOD DOESN’T LET FRANCHISES DIE. IF something was popular once, chances are it can be popular again. This is the essential Hollywood axiom. It’s the reason we get prequels to Alien, sequels to The Terminator, and endless movies about a random beat cop named John McClane.

There’s a pattern here, of course.

It’s part of the unending 80s nostalgia that is sweeping through American popular culture, led by filmmakers who believe their childhood was the best childhood.

There’s nothing new there—if you look back over the last few decades, you’ll find similar nostalgia haunting the films of every era. There’s no doubt that ‘80s era action movies had an impact on current filmmaking.

And given Hollywood’s love for revisiting past franchises, it should come as no surprise that the Predator franchise is due for a new film.

You can put this year’s film, The Predator, in the “why not” file of new Hollywood releases. Predator sequels have been relatively frequent anyway, ever since Predator 2 introduced the idea that the hunter species exists in the same universe as the “xenomorph” Alien franchise.

The Predator is marginal as far as most action films go, but still a significant improvement over most Predator sequels. It has good parts and bad, but is as watchable a film as the original.

It’s been 31 years since Dutch mixed it up in the jungles of South America with a mysterious space

alien who hunts elite soldiers for sport. In general, the old rules still apply: they come when to places of extreme heat and violence, kill anyone that poses a threat, collect skulls and spines as trophies, before they eventually leave as quickly as they appear.

Now, however, it seems that their visits are occurring more frequently. The film starts much like the original, with a spacecraft landing on Earth. However, this time it’s damaged and crashing after being chased by members of its own kind. The Predator lands smack in the middle of a hostage exchange being watched by American special ops.

The big guy quickly dispatches an entire unit until being brought down by sniper Quinn McKenna (Boyd Holbrook). The filmmakers essentially retell the first film in a few minutes before moving forward with the story. Distrustful of the government for which he works, McKenna takes the Predator’s mask and gauntlet and mails them to his house back home, where it is intercepted by his autistic son Rory (Jacob Tremblay).

The young man manages to activate the tracking device in the helmet, effectively leading the Predators to his location.

As I mentioned, there are good

“

The bad, however, can’t be ignored.

The first and most egregious is how the film seems to follow the current Hollywood interpretation of autism as a superpower.”

things in the film. For one, The Predator uses the original score from the first film, as well as the terrible dirty jokes and overall macho tone. It feels like an action movie from the ‘80s, much to its credit.

Director Shane Black, who played one of the commandos in the original film and helped punch up the script, clearly understands the material well enough to make a competent sequel.

The bad, however, can’t be ignored. The first and most egregious is how the film seems to follow the current Hollywood interpretation of autism as a superpower. The film calls it “the next step in human evolution” but the truth about autism is that it is a difficult disorder that deserves to be treated as more than a plot device.

Second, the film is surprisingly tame in terms of violence and gore. While it has an R rating, this

is more for language than anything else. The original films took far more risks with their movie violence, making The Predator feel weaker by comparison. Additionally, Black doesn’t take the film as seriously as he might (as ludicrous as the premise is), punctuating every scene with goofy humor and fan service call backs.

Overall, the film is very middling in its execution. Predator fans won’t be upset at watching the film, as it’s not embarrassing like the Alien vs. Predator movies, but likewise it’s not a replacement for the original film.

I don’t see this film as a worthy introduction to the series for newcomers—the original film is on HBO and still holds up well.

In other words, the film is unnecessary but fun, a good distraction for action movie fans.

Expectations should be tempered, but it’s not a bad way to spend a Saturday night.

✴ NEW IN THEATERS ✴

The House with a Clock in Its Walls A young orphan named Lewis Barnavelt aids his magical uncle in locating a clock with the power to bring about the end of the world.

Director: Eli Roth Stars: Cate Blanchett, Jack Black, Lorenza Izzo, Owen Vaccaro

Fahrenheit 11/9 Michael Moore's latest is a provocative and comedic look at the times in which we live. It will explore the two most important questions of the Trump Era: How the f**k did we get here, and how the f**k do we get out?

Director: Michael Moore Stars: David Hogg, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • SEPTEMBER 20, 2018 • THE PULSE • 21

FOOD & DRINK · SUSHI & BISCUITS

Ever Wanted To Try “Corn Smut”?

Our globe-trotting chef brings us a popular Guatemalan dish

W Mike McJunkin Pulse columnist

“

Huitlacoche is a fungus, the ustilago maydis fungus to be specific.

But it isn’t a mushroom, despite marketing attempts by people with better ideas than the name ‘corn smut’.”

Mike McJunkin is a native Chattanoogan who has traveled abroad extensively, trained chefs, and owned and operated restaurants. Join him on Facebook at facebook.com/SushiAndBiscuits

E ALL NEED A LITTLE MORE smut in our lives. Dark as night and musky as wet earth, the allure of fresh smut is the allure of a forbidden fruit. The first time I saw smut I was naturally curious.

My body was instinctively drawn in for just a taste, while my brain filled my head with a thousand voices, all screaming warnings about fungus and the dangers of putting something that looks like that in my mouth.

But then I remembered that people have been consuming smut for centuries, maybe even longer. I also remembered that people have filthy minds and I have to be sure and emphasize I’m talking about corn smut, Mexican truffles, the devil’s corn, maize mushrooms, goitre du mais, or simply—huitlacoche.

Huitlacoche is a fungus, the ustilago maydis fungus to be specific. But it isn’t a mushroom, despite marketing attempts by people with better ideas than the name “corn smut.” It’s a pathogenic fungus that infects corn, causing the kernels INGREDIENTS • 2 fresh poblano chiles • 3 tbsp olive oil • 1 medium white onion, thinly sliced • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped • 1 medium tomato, diced • 1 cup oyster mushrooms, roughly chopped • 1 ½ cups fresh huitlacoche, roughly chopped or a 6 ounce can, drained and rinsed • Salt • 2 to 3 tbsp epazote leaves, roughly chopped • Queso Oaxaca or queso Añejo, shredded for topping

22 • THE PULSE • SEPTEMBER 20, 2018 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

to swell up into huge, mutant, grey and black galls that resemble those Kanku’s fried chicken livers you left mummifying in the trunk of your car last winter.

As this tasty fungal infection takes over the stalk, the ear of corn becomes as useless as the share button on a YouPorn video, but the huitlacoche actually forces a metabolic process that improves on the health benefits of plain ‘ole uninfected corn, creating new and healthier nutrients such as the essential amino acid lysine, as well as lots of fiber and protein.

The Aztecs used huitlacoche for centuries and the soft, velvety fungus is still widely recognized as a delicacy in Mexico. But for some reason, infected, grey, mutated, corn kernels have had a hard time catching on in the States.

The United States has spent billions of dollars to thwart the growth of the fungus, but recently, the specialty mushroom market and a growing number of chefs have begun to show people that these adorable, ebony pustules are not only edible, but rich in flavor and potential.

• 12 corn tortillas INSTRUCTIONS Coat the chiles with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and roast directly over a gas flame for about 5 minutes or four inches below a very hot broiler for about 10 minutes—until blackened on all sides.

Place cooked chiles into a paper sack and close, or a bowl covered with plastic wrap, or a sealed plastic container for about five minutes to help the skin release from the flesh.

Peel, remove the stem and seeds then chop into ¼-inch pieces.

In a large skillet, heat the remaining

While huitlacoche isn’t technically a mushroom, it has that same earthy, fungal flavor and texture so it pairs well with ingredients that you would normally pair with mushrooms. But huitlacoche also has the sweetness of corn and a whisper of smokiness, so it’s much more than just an exotic mushroom replacement.

Sauté it with onion, garlic, and chilies to make an inky mixture that you can use in everything from tacos to tamales to omelets. Huitlacoche quesadillas are popular all over central and southern Mexico, folding the fungus into a tortilla with melted cheese and topped with salsa.

Huitlacoche sautés easily, absorbs liquid well, and is a forgiving ingredient to cook with. If you can get fresh from a farmer, thank the fungus gods and snatch it up immediately, but it is available in cans and jars if the smut gods do not shine down on you today.

Visit your local carniceria and surprise your family with huitlacoche tonight.

Smut—it’s what’s for dinner! two tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until lightly browned. Stir in the garlic and cook about two more minutes.

Turn the heat up to medium-high, add the tomato and cook until the tomato is tender and the juices have reduced to a saucelike consistency.

Add the poblanos, huitlacoche and mushrooms to the tomato mixture. Simmer, stirring often, until the mixture is reduced and thick—about 10 minutes.

Season with salt to taste, and mix in the epazote. Spoon the mixture into warm corn tortillas and top with shredded queso añejo or Oaxaca.

JONESIN' CROSSWORD

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Virgo businessman Warren Buffet is among the top five wealthiest people on the planet. In an average year, his company Berkshire Hathaway adds $36 billion to its already swollen coffers. But in 2017, thanks to the revision of the U.S. tax code by President Trump and his buddies, Buffet earned $65 billion—an increase of 83 percent over his usual haul.

According to my analysis of the astrological omens, you’re entering a year-long phase when your financial chances could have a mild resemblance to Buffet’s 2017.

I’m not predicting your earnings will increase by 83 percent. But 15 percent isn’t unreasonable. So start planning how you’ll do it!

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): As he stepped up to use an ATM in a supermarket, a Scottish man named Colin Banks found £30 (about $40 U.S.) that the person who used the machine before him had inadvertently neglected to take. But rather than pocketing it, Banks turned it in to a staff member, and eventually the cash was reunited with its proper owner. Shortly after performing his good deed, Bank won £50,000 (about $64,500 U.S.) in a game of chance. It was instant karma in dramatic action—the positive kind! My analysis of the astrological omens reveals that you’re more likely than usual to benefit from expeditious cosmic justice like that. That’s why I suggest you intensify your commitment to doing good deeds.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): As you dive down into your soul’s depths in quest for renewal, remember this testimony from poet Scherezade Siobhan: “I want to dig out what is ancient in me, the mistaken-for-monster...and let it teach me how to be unafraid again.” Are you brave and brazen enough to do that yourself? It’s an excellent time to douse your fear by drawing wild power from the primal sources of your life. To earn the right to soar through the heights in November and December, delve as deep as you can in the coming weeks.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): According to author Elizabeth Gilbert, here’s “the central question upon which all creative living hinges: do you have the courage to bring forth the treasures that are hidden within you?” When I read that thought, my first response was, why are the treasures hidden?

Shouldn’t they be completely obvious? My second response was, why do you need courage to bring forth the treasures? Shouldn’t that be the easiest and most enjoyable task imaginable? Everything you just read is a perfect riddle for you to contemplate during the next 14 months, Sagittarius.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): A

blogger named Sage Grace offers her readers a list of “cool things to call me besides cute.” They include dazzling, alluring, sublime, magnificent, and exquisite. Is it OK if I apply those same adjectives to you, Capricorn? I’d like to add a few more, as well: resplendent, delightful, intriguing, magnetic, and incandescent. I hope that in response you don’t flinch with humility or protest that you’re not worthy of such glorification.

According to my astrological analysis, now is one of those times when you deserve extra appreciation for your idiosyncratic appeal and intelligence. Tell your allies and loved ones that I said so. Inform them, too, that giving you this treatment could help mobilize one of your half-asleep potentials.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Many educated Americans and Europeans think of reincarnation as a loony delusion, even though it’s a cornerstone of spiritual belief for over 1.5 billion earthlings. I myself regard it as a hypothesis worthy of intelligent consideration, although I’d need hundreds of pages to explain my version of it.

However you imagine it, Aquarius, you now have extra access to knowledge and skills and proclivities you possessed in what we might refer to as your “past lives”—especially in those past lives in which you were an explorer, maverick, outlaw, or pioneer. I bet you’ll feel freer and more experimental than usual during the next four weeks.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “When the winds of change blow,” says a Chinese proverb, “some people build walls while others build windmills.” Since the light breezes of change may soon evolve into brisk gusts of change in your vicinity, I wanted to bring this thought to your attention. Will you be more inclined to respond by constructing walls or windmills? I don’t think it would be foolish for you to favor the walls, but in the long run I suspect that windmills would serve you better.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): “The flower doesn’t dream of the bee. It blossoms and the bee comes.” So says poet and philosopher Mark Nepo in The Book of Awakening.

Now I’m transmitting his observation to you. I hope it will motivate you to expend less energy fantasizing about what you want and devote more energy to becoming the beautiful, useful, irresistible presence that will attract what you want. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to make plans to produce very specific blossoms.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Budi Waseso, the former head of the Indonesian government’s antinarcotics division, had a radical plan to prevent escapes by people convicted of drug-related crimes.

He sought to build detention centers that would be surrounded by moats filled with crocodiles and piranhas. But his replacement, Heru Winarko, has a different approach.

He wants addicts and dealers to receive counseling in comfortable rehabilitation centers. I hope that in the coming weeks, as you deal with weaknesses, flaws, and sins— both your own and others’—you’ll opt for an approach more like Winarko’s than Waseso’s.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In one sense, a “patron saint” is a Catholic saint who is a heavenly advocate for a person, group, activity, thing, or place. St. Jude is the patron saint of lost causes, for instance. St. Francis of Assisi is the guardian of animal welfare and St. Kentigern is the protector against verbal abusers. “Patron saint” may also be invoked poetically to refer to a person who serves as a special guide or influence. For example, in one of his short stories, Nathaniel Hawthorne refers to a veteran nurse as “the patron saint of young physicians.” In accordance with current astrological omens, I invite you to fantasize about persons, groups, activities, things, or places for whom you might be the patron saint. To spur your imagination, here are some appropriate possibilities. You could be the patron saint of the breeze at dawn; of freshly picked figs; of singing humorous love songs in the sunlight; of unpredictable romantic adventures; of life-changing epiphanies while hiking in nature; of soulstirring music.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): In August 1933, author Virginia Woolf wrote a critical note to her friend, the composer Ethel Smyth, lamenting her lack of emotional subtlety. “For you,” Woolf told Smyth, “either things are black, or they’re white; either they’re sobs or shouts—whereas, I always glide from semi-tone to semi-tone.” In the coming weeks, fellow Cancerian, you may encounter people who act like Smyth. But it will be your sacred duty, both to yourself and to life, to remain loyal and faithful to the rich complexity of your feelings.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “People think of education as something they can finish,” said writer and scientist Isaac Asimov, who wrote or edited over 500 books. His point was that we’re wise to be excited about learning new lessons as long as we’re on this earth. To cultivate maximum vitality, we should always be engaged in the processes of absorbing new knowledge and mastering new skills and deepening our understanding.

Does that sound appealing to you, Leo? I hope so, especially in the coming weeks, when you will have an enhanced ability to see the big picture of your future needs for education.

“Starch Search”—carbitrarily speaking.

ACROSS 1 Address for a general, sometimes 5 Mythical flyer 11 Zig’s counterpart 14 Both, at the beginning 15 EGOT winner Rita 16 Part of SUV, for short 17 Internet addict, slangily 19 Christmas tree sale site 20 Quirkily creative 21 Mess up 22 Bellybutton lint 23 “___, about that ...”

26 It’s picked in Maui 28 Pacific salmon 31 Irish singer with the albums “O” and “9” 37 Isaac’s older son 38 “I ___ the opinion ...”

39 Email receptacle 40 ___ Soundsystem 41 Publisher within a publisher 43 Martinique, par exemple 44 Weird Al song

that states “I don’t care if you’re full” 46 “___ & Roy” (2018 HBO kids’ show from Sesame Workshop) 47 Kingpin 48 Ate (together) 50 E, on a map 51 Cassowary’s kin 52 WWI battle river through Flanders 54 Bluish green 57 Man-made (abbr.)

60 Hidden loot 64 Vehicle where the driver gets thanked 65 Short horror tales shared on the Internet 68 Mason jar’s topper 69 Petting zoo noise 70 Leaning type (abbr.)

71 Letter from Greece?

72 Atomizer amount 73 “The Godfather” composer ___ Rota DOWN 1 The middlesized bear 2 Love, in Latin 3 Border (on) 4 Text to an s.o. while

away on a trip, maybe 5 Mischievous one 6 Pigeon sound 7 “Laugh-In” comedian Johnson 8 Hitchcock’s “___ Window” 9 Trumped-up 10 Great Lakes’ ___ Canals 11 One of South Africa’s official languages 12 The whole thing 13 “The Girl From Ipanema” saxophonist 18 Evil ___ 22 Frondbearing plant 24 Devine of “Pitch Perfect” 25 Laundry container 27 Like a brow, at times 28 Talk show guest, often 29 November follower?

30 Was forced 32 Colin Dexter’s crossword-solving inspector

33 “Excuse me, but ...”

34 Majorca’s neighbor 35 Fizzy drinks 36 Go all out 41 Couple, to tabloids 42 “Grey Cell Green” band ___ Atomic Dustbin 45 Furniture store to meander through 47 Sure 49 False accusation 53 Zener cards test for it 54 Up to it 55 Back out 56 Abbr. on meat packages 58 Coulrophobia, e.g.

59 Mazar of “Entourage” 61 ___ spumante (sparkling wine) 62 Obsessive fan 63 Xbox series since 2001 65 Network that’s now Les-less 66 “Wheel of Fortune” host Sajak 67 Nickname of a Red Sox Hall-of-Famer

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. 902 CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • SEPTEMBER 20, 2018 • THE PULSE • 23