The Pulse 16.40 » October 3, 2019

VOL. 16, ISSUE 40 • OCTOBER 3, 2019

LET US RISE ABOVE THE CHAOS THE STRUGGLE FOR LGBTQ ACCEPTANCE CONTINUES ACROSS THE COUNTRY PLUS: CHATTANOOGA BALLET ▪ ARTIST CAITLIN DICKENS ▪ SHAKY’S BAD KNEE

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CHATTANOOGA'S WEEKLY ALTERNATIVE • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE VOLUME 16, ISSUE 40 • OCTOBER 3, 2019 BREWER MEDIA GROUP Publisher James Brewer, Sr. FOUNDED 2003 BY ZACHARY COOPER & MICHAEL KULL

EDITORIAL Managing Editor Gary Poole gary@chattanoogapulse.com Assistant Editor Jenn Webster Music Editor Marc T. Michael Film Editor John DeVore Contributors Rob Brezsny Matt Jones Sandra Kurtz Tony Mraz Ernie Paik Michael Thomas Brandon Watson Editorial Interns Lauren Justice • Mackenzie Wagamon Cartoonists Jen Sorenson • Tom Tomorrow

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Let Us Rise Above The Chaos October is Pride Month in Chattanooga, and there are lots of happenings and celebrations scheduled for the entire month. Kicking off this Sunday is the Chattanooga Pride Festival along the banks of the Tennessee River.

CHATTANOOGA BALLET

10

A PSYCHEDELIC TRIUMPH

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Big change is happening at Chattanooga Ballet.

After the short tenure of artistic director Andrew Parker, new artistic director Brian McSween has joined Chattanooga Ballet.

Shaky’s Bad Knee is out of the studio and ready to release their debut album, Observations 1, next Friday, October 11th at JJ’s Bohemia. And you need to be there.

SWIRLING IT UP

A single glance is enough to get caught and immersed in the abstract environments created by artist Caitlin Dickens. These gorgeous paintings offer hints and clues of landscapes.

FROM LONELY EARTH

A common theme in science fiction is humanity’s search for intelligent life beyond our own.

Beyond simple curiosity, I’ve never been quite sure we’d want to find it.

5 CONSIDER THIS

12 ARTS CALENDAR

21 JONESIN' CROSSWORD

6 THE COMIX

16 MUSIC CALENDAR

21 FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

7 SHADES OF GREEN

18 MUSIC REVIEWS

22 GAME ON!

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • OCTOBER 3, 2019 • THE PULSE • 3

CITY LIFE · BETWEEN THE BRIDGES

Chattanooga Ballet Welcomes A New Artistic Director Brian McSween brings powerful traditions to town

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IG CHANGE IS HAPPENING AT CHATTANOOGA BALLET. AFTER THE SHORT TENURE of artistic director Andrew Parker, a new artistic director—Brian McSween, most recently with Ballet Memphis—has joined Chattanooga Ballet after a national recruiting search. A new director of education, Nena Widtfeldt, was appointed in August.

By Jenn Webster Pulse Assistant Ewditor

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There are great dancers here…they have a great investment, not just as dancers but as contributors to the organization.”

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Additionally, the company is making a hard push to be known as the “Fourth Pillar” of the arts in Chattanooga, along with the Hunter Museum, the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera, and the Chattanooga Theatre Center.

Hailing from North Carolina, McSween spent 10 years with the Joffrey Ballet in New York, followed by other prestigious appointments, including a period working with Complexions Dance. His choreography promises to add to the dance conversation in Chattanooga immeasurably.

McSween admires many of the traditions of Chattanooga Ballet, while looking to expand and build artistically, he says.

“The board of directors is incredibly

vibrant and excited about the future,” he says. “It’s exciting to be working with them. There are great dancers here… they have a great investment, not just as dancers but as contributors to the organization. I would love to hold on to those things.”

McSween hope to see a stronger professional tradition grow out of this solid foundation.

“I want to see the company have a greater presence on the professional stage,” he says. “I want to see us grow, so that we are having seasons that are professionally based, not student based.

I want to have the opportunity…to provide world-class dance to the city of Chattanooga and the surrounding areas. Regardless of what may separate

EDITOONS [Chattanoogans], I want them to feel unified in the seats of the auditorium.”

Chattanooga is a strategic location, McSween says, noting that from this base the company can easily find performance venues in six or seven nearby states. His vision is not just performances, but tours that involve a trifecta of traditional performance, school presentations, and master classes.

“We want to grow in a wise way so as to be affordable to smaller communities,” he says. “We want our audience to be a unifier.”

As a choreographer and artistic director, McSween says he relies on mutual trust to develop dancers.

“I trust the dancers to take the choreography and guidance and leadership I’m providing and apply it,” he says. “Dancers trust me; [they know] I’m invested in them as an artist… trusting I am capable of providing the knowledge and guidance they need.”

He is invested in communicating his larger goals and plans with the company and building individual relationships, he says; for instance, he has taken each dancer out to lunch to

get to know them better. From here, he hopes to grow the company so they can perform full-length evening ballets—an Apollo is in the works for the spring, in collaboration with the CSO. Personally, I’m eager to see where all this is going, but the company is taking it slowly for now. Chattanooga is used to seeing lots of dance, at festivals, fairs, fundraisers, curated shows, spectator-interactive events, and more—there’s dance happening somewhere just about every weekend between now and year’s end.

Meanwhile, Chattanooga Ballet has cancelled an October “Ballet in the Park” event, and McSween says the next time we’ll see them is their annual Nutcracker (though I do notice that they’re on the roster for Chattanooga Dances! at CCA this Thursday).

We’re eager to see them, but this train is moving fast. Everyone else will have given their audiences a fat handful of times to see them in motion between now and Nutcracker season. Chattanooga Ballet, come down off that pillar and let’s see what you’ve got.

Cons ider This w ith Dr. Rick “We need more people who are willing to demonstrate what it looks like to risk and endure failure, disappointment, and regret. People willing to feel their own hurt instead of working it out on other people. People willing to own their stories, live their values, and keep showing up.” — Brené Brown The journey of discovering your truth is a life-long one. It is a process of staying vigilant to your authenticity, of promising yourself that you will shoot for mindfulness every step of the way.

Consider this: When you replace, “Why is this happening to me?” with “What is this trying to teach me?” everything shifts. You enter the present moment in a new way. You show up. You acknowledge your stuff. You grow. It’s a beautiful moment.

From Coco Chanel: “Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself.”

— Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D. CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • OCTOBER 3, 2019 • THE PULSE • 5

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COLUMN · SHADES OF GREEN

Is It Hot Enough For You Yet? Local environmentalists plug the urgency of climate change

I Sandra Kurtz

Pulse columnist

“

No, dear radio climate denier, humancaused climate change is neither a hoax nor a broad global conspiracy led by scientists out for money.”

Sandra Kurtz is an environmental community activist, chair of the South Chickamauga Creek Greenway Alliance, and is presently working through the Urban Century Institute. You can visit her website to learn more at enviroedu.net

NSPIRED BY SWEDISH 16-YEAR old Greta Thunberg, an international School Strike for Climate week was set for September 20–27. Youth especially were encouraged to walk out of schools and workplaces to protest the lack of action being taken to deal with climate change impacts.

Lauren Newman, sustainability coordinator at University of the South, initiated our local events. Representatives from TN Interfaith Power & Light, Cherokee Sierra, Citizens’ Climate Lobby, Chattanooga Climate, Climate Reality Project and others collaborated to plan local events in solidarity with nearly eight million others around the world.

We planned a rally at the week’s beginning plus a candlelit vigil at the end.

My assigned task was to send out notices to media folks. For radio contacts, I composed a short public service announcement containing an invitation to attend the Global Strike Candlelit Vigil on September 27 at 7:15 p.m. and bring a candle. Each station contacted was asked to please make the announcement throughout Friday, the 27th.

It’s pretty standard for non-profit organizations to send out such announcements. News journalists sometimes appear at the event or call for more information. Never have I gotten such a response as I did from one (not to be revealed) local radio person. The email said: “Have better things to do than waste our time promoting junk science.”

Wh-a-a-a-a-t? Junk science?

Tell that to the estimated 7.6 million people who demonstrated during the Global Action Strike around the world, plus the 195 countries that have set goals based on the Paris Climate Agreement.

These countries have pledged to reduce

their carbon dioxide emissions in order to keep the temperature from rising no more than 1.5 degrees Centigrade above pre-industrial levels.

Say it’s all junk science to the more than 6000 global scientists who delivered their peer-reviewed scientific research findings to the 450 lead authors and to the 800 contributing authors who have written reports for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

No, dear radio climate denier, humancaused climate change is neither a hoax nor a broad global conspiracy led by scientists out for money. It’s not a governmental plan to make money either. As they say, you can have your own opinion, but not your own facts.

Following Global Climate Strike week, the Appalachian Public Interest Environmental Law Conference was held at the UTK Law Center in Knoxville. Many environmental concerns connected to legal action pathways and procedures were addressed. There was information on the higher danger to women and young children from radiation, disposal of radioactive waste, the state of recycling, updates on the Freedom of Information Act and National Environmental Policy Act, a citizen action how-to for stormwater and water quality enforcement, TVA power issues, clean energy, plastic pollution, fracking, the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, landfill dumping protection and more.

Of course there was also a session

about climate change solutions with our already- happening transition from fossil fuels and nuclear power to renewable energy. One path is through the Carbon Dividend Act being kicked around in Congress now. If all the kinks are worked out and the bill does pass, your household would receive a cash dividend each year. That money would come from fees placed on fossil fuel polluters. Fees would rise per metric ton each year as an incentive to discontinue fossil fuel emissions, thereby helping with climate disruption.

Speaking of climate disruption, October has arrived! It’s usually the month when I review why leaves fall off trees and how colorful autumn happens. However it looks like fall color is now in November because climate change with its warm weather and drought has dictated a later date and likely less color too.

Meanwhile, on October 10 at 6 p.m., those interested in climate change solutions will meet at Green|Spaces to consider ideas we can implement for our area to help ameliorate negative climate change impacts. We need actions urgently that benefit our children and even mean-spirited and ever more lonely climate deniers.

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • OCTOBER 3, 2019 • THE PULSE • 7

COVER STORY

Let Us Rise Above The Chaos The struggle for LGBTQ acceptance continues across the country

By Dr. Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D. Pulse contributor

“

Sometimes it takes only one clear voice in a sea of loud chatter to rise above the chaos and shift the planet back to center.”

O

CTOBER IS PRIDE MONTH IN CHATTANOOGA, and there are lots of happenings and celebrations scheduled for the entire month.

Kicking off this Sunday is the Chattanooga Pride Festival along the banks of the Tennessee River at Ross’s Landing, featuring the annual Pride Parade along with a host of performances, a vendors market, food, drinks, face painting, and so much more.

But there is more to Pride than just celebration. It’s also a time to reflect on the the members of LGBTQ+ community who have been striving valiantly to overcome tremendous obstacles.

JARED’S STORY Jared was only 12 when he received his first beating. Here’s what happened.

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In a tiny, Southern, Bible-belt town is a tiny church, proudly perched on a hill along the main thoroughfare, built of brick—solid and trustworthy.

Despite its diminutive size, this church is very busy and very important to the community, being the home not only of Sunday services, but also of Wednesday night Bible study, summer camp for the kids, weddings, funerals, holiday festivities, and much more.

And, as is quite typical, the church provides the centerpiece of religious practice for many families who live in the area.

The minister is of booming voice; elderly, known to be cantankerous and

harsh with his opinions, he elicits both respect and fear from his parishioners.

His is the voice of Elderly and Wise Authority. He is a messenger from God. Jared’s family, like most in town, attends church at least once a week.

The last sermon Jared remembers left a powerful impression. The minister orated in his loud, some would say angry, dogmatic style, fist pounding on the lectern, and told his people that God had a hatred for murderers, prostitutes, drug addicts, liars, rapists… and homosexuals.

Jared is a smart, shy kid. He is a skilled soccer player as well as trumpeter in the band. A good student, he doesn’t give his teachers—or his parents—any trouble. But after that last sermon, trouble started to find Jared.

At 12 he didn’t know if he was gay or straight, although he often felt confused and different from many of the other boys. (Such feelings are actually quite common during pre-teen and teenage years.) But some of the kids had had their suspicions about Jared and were feeling emboldened. Jared was perceived to be gay. And along with that perception came tauntings, whispers, rumors, and then escalating, aggressive behaviors such as shoving between classes, graffiti on his locker, and threatening texts.

The minister spoke in church that day and said that God hates homosexuals and the good, God-fearing people of his congregation nodded.

They would never consider speaking up in disagreement, even if they believed otherwise. If they doubted, they kept it to themselves.

But see, the minister wasn’t around when several of his drunken young

male parishioners hid in the shadows with clubs one night and beat the daylights out of the boy who was “different”. The minister didn’t go to the hospital to see the result of that violent night. He didn’t visit the family and bear witness to their grief, confusion, and worry. Jared was on life support for two days. His family and a few close friends were, understandably, emotional wrecks. The doctors were not encouraging.

The minister also wasn’t present when, several years after that sermon, the young boy once so filled with promise was now filled with self-hatred and, shortly after high school graduation, attempted to take his own life.

The bullying, the grotesque meanness, the decidedly un-Christian-like behavior escalated, year after year. Permission had been granted by the booming voice from the pulpit, just that once, and that had been enough: God hates homosexuals.

The point of this story is not to pick on that church. We all know of openhearted, life-affirming, all-inclusive houses of worship that welcome people of differing backgrounds, races and sexual orientations. The best of these congregations welcome questioning minds, fostering intellectual and spiritual curiosity.

But we also know that churches like Jared’s exist, too. Plenty of them.

And I choose to believe that no matter one’s religious convictions, any sane person does not give support for a boy to be nearly beaten to death. And those who sit in acquiescing silence don’t intend to contribute to a child’s suicide attempt. I believe this because I did visit Jared in the hospital, I did witness the horror of the worst parts of us, and I did hold hands with his family while we watched…and waited…

Something to think about: There is a Jared in your family. In your neighbor’s family. A Jared makes your Starbucks, bags your groceries, says hello to you

“

In the U.S. so far this year, at least 18 transgender people—most of them transgender women of color—have been killed in a wave of violence.” at work. You’ve known several Jareds for a long time. You just didn’t know it.

TROUBLING STATISTICS Between May and July of this year— when Pride events were taking place across the country—at least fourteen LGBTQ people were killed, according to a report from the Anti-Violence Project. Seven of the victims were black transgender women.

In the U.S. so far this year, at least 18 transgender people—most of them transgender women of color—have been killed in a wave of violence that the American Medical Association has declared an epidemic. The killings this year follow at least 26 recorded last year by the Human Rights Campaign.

Transgender advocates acknowledge that those figures fail to tell the whole story, as data provided by law enforcement officials can be incomplete and many, many crimes are never reported.

Fear has a way of silencing voices.

Hostility has been on the upswing in recent years, for several reasons. A rise

in visibility, combined with the bullying and intolerance that some would claim has become increasingly permitted under the current administration, has stirred animosity and emboldened people to openly act out the worst of who we are.

This climate of fear and, therefore, outrage, over anyone perceived to be different persists despite greater representation in popular culture.

For instance, more and more we see transgender or gender-nonconforming characters on popular TV shows and in movies. (Even Mattel has introduced a line of gender-neutral dolls.) But our cultural progress has not yet trickled down to everyday life.

USE YOUR VOICE If any of this stirs your ire, good.

Healthy anger can be motivating and clarifying; it can lead a person toward standing tall, singing out for their brothers and sisters who cannot.

Healthy anger can overcome fear, instead of becoming a by-product or a

reaction to it.

A good friend of mine left a Chattanooga bar one evening with several friends. As they split up to head to their cars, one of his buddies was accosted by a group of three young men who began shoving and knocking him down, all the while shouting homophobic slurs because this friend was perceived to be gay. (In actuality, none of them were gay.)

Upon hearing the slurs, my friend was instantly irate and headed over to what was quickly becoming a violent scene. He put himself in harm’s way but broke up the melee. He and his buddy received a few bruises, but no one was seriously hurt, or worse. He stood tall and used his courage, his voice.

Sharing all this with you reminds me of a few favorite quotes: Nobel Laureate, Holocaust survivor and author of 57 books, Elie Wiesel said, “We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”

Over 200 years ago, author Edmund Burke wrote, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

And Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

Chattanooga’s Pride festival will take place on Sunday, October 6th at Ross’s Landing. It is held for, and honoring of, the area’s LGBTQ+ community, including allies. (There will be plenty of moms there!)

Now that you’ve read the above stories and stats, you’ll never again have to ask why there needs to be a Pride festival. ∙∙∙∙ Until next time: “Sometimes it takes only one clear voice in a sea of loud chatter to rise above the chaos and shift the planet back to center.”

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • OCTOBER 3, 2019 • THE PULSE • 9

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Swirling It Up Caitlin Dickens creates dreamy landscapes

Ready For A Dark Humor Comedy Show?

Warning! The following information is not for the faint of heart and could lead to death by laughing. This Thursday, Chattanooga will be subject to some hilariously dark humor, and no one is safe.

The pop-up show, Dark Humor: Revelations Dark Comedy for the Masses, will once again shock, exhilarate, and amuse.

The unique show will feature a long line of comedians who will touch on any topic they fancy. There are no restrictions; nothing is taboo, and discretion is advised. So, if you’re a fan of dark comedy or gallows humor, this is the show for you.

The event will be hosted by Charles Newby and will include comedians Luke Marter, Dave Hannah, Chris Hopkins, Morgan Gray, Bryant Smith, Ian Sharp, and Donnie Marsh. There will also be a few special guests.

Think you have what it takes to survive?

To find out, head down to Frequency Arts on Thursday. Doors open at 7 and the show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets can be bought at the door for $5. The event is BYOB (bring your own drinks). For more information or questions, call Frequency Arts at (423) 271-8937. — Mackenzie Wagamon

By Tony Mraz Pulse contributor

“

I remember even as early as first grade, I was the ‘artsy’ kid in class, the one that the other kids would try to bribe.”

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A

SINGLE GLANCE IS ENOUGH TO GET CAUGHT and immersed in the abstract environments created by local mixed media artist Caitlin Dickens.

These gorgeous paintings offer hints and clues of landscapes, providing just enough suggestion of the natural world to have a life of their own.

These dramatic yet sensitive works combine the natural imagery with bold colors to create images that are both alien and familiar, like residual impressions from a dream.

Dickens has been serious about art for as long as she can remember, saying, “All kids love messing around with crayons and paint when they’re little, but unlike a lot of my

peers, I never lost interest. I remember even as early as first grade, I was the ‘artsy’ kid in class, the one that the other kids would try to bribe whenever we had to do some kind of art project that they wanted to get out of.”

Years ahead of the curve, she started making conceptual art in middle school. She explains, “I had just discovered Radiohead and was completely obsessed (still am). I created this collaged piece heavily inspired by OK Computer out of shredded newspaper, a digitally al-

tered image of my hand, and paint.

It was basically about how society is drowning in media headlines. It was the first work I’d ever made with a real concept behind it. That was my ‘AHA’ moment when I felt, for the first time, like I had what it takes to be a legit artist.”

Her natural proclivity for making art was accompanied by support from teachers, family, and friends.

“My teachers always encouraged me to enter local and regional competitions,” she tells us. “I got a blue ribbon just about every year in my hometown’s annual art festival, so I figured I must have something going for me. I mainly just enjoyed making art for myself, but that encouragement and validation really pushed me to push myself.”

Dickens settled in Chattanooga after graduating from the University of North Alabama in 2014 with a BFA in studio painting. Most of her paintings are made with a mix of acrylic, spray paint, ink, and resin or pouring medium.

“I like the fluid look that resin and pouring medium can give to a piece,” she says. “It makes it still look wet, like it could just keep swirling around forever and never settle.”

Her work is heavily inspired by mu-

“

I like the fluid look that resin and pouring medium can give to a piece.

It makes it still look wet, like it could just keep swirling around forever and never settle.” sic and nature.

“I have a difficult time painting without the right music to set the mood,” she says. “I lose myself in the sounds and the lyrics, and what comes out is a representation of whatever emotional response and imagery is floating around in my head.”

The process conjures delightful environments rich in bold colors and organic forms. She uses ink to depict holes (like those caused by erosion), rock-like forms, vines, and roots, while using color to create different moods.

“For me, art is a necessity,” she says. “It’s something I have to do in order to process life.” She continues, “I’m not good at speaking up around people, so art is a way for me to speak my mind without having to say a word. It’s also a way of working through depression. Though that’s never 100 percent gone, it’s kind of like turning on a faucet and letting a

lot of the pain or confusion drain out so that I won’t be completely flooded by it. Once that’s transformed into a finished work of art, all those emotions make a little more sense to me.”

“Creating is an intensely emotional experience for me. I have to be in the right headspace for it, and when I do it night after night, week after week, eventually I get deep into this hole—I have to step back for a while and dig myself out, so I can reset and refresh before I crawl back down again.”

Dickens is currently working towards ending a hiatus from painting that was brought about by her most important work of art: a baby girl.

“I want to be there for her 100 percent,” she says. “I won’t be able to isolate and fully submerge myself in my art like I did before—I’m going to have to learn how to paint in a completely different way now. That’s something I’ve been dreading, but I think I’m about ready to start tackling it.”

THU10.3

FRI10.4

SAT10.5

Matilda

Silent Sky

The Wolves

The beloved story of a young girl with psychokinetic powers, an incredible imagination, and a very strong will.

7 p.m.

Chattanooga Theatre Centre 400 River St. theatrecentre.com

The story of a young woman who defied early twentieth century expectations and sought out the exceptional.

8 p.m.

Covenant College 14049 Scenic Hwy covenant.edu

Pulitzer Prize finalist play tells the tale of the lives of an American girls’ soccer team with speed, ferocity and humor.

7:30 p.m.

CSAS 865 E. 3rd St. csasupper.hcde.org

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • OCTOBER 3, 2019 • THE PULSE • 11

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR THURSDAY10.3 Transform Us: Workshop and Exhibit 4 p.m.

Hart Gallery 110 E. Main St. (423) 521-4707 hartgallerytn.com Throwback Thursday 4 p.m.

Hunter Museum of Art 10 Bluff View Ave. (423) 267-0968 huntermuseum.org Alley Hour 5:30 p.m.

Cooper’s Alley 10 E. 7th St. STEM Presents at the Hunter 6 p.m.

Hunter Museum of Art 10 Bluff View Ave. (423) 267-0968 huntermuseum.org Open Mic Poetry 6:30 p.m.

Stone Cup Café 208 Frazier Ave. (423) 521-3977 stonecupcafe.com Rainbow Cloud Weaving 6:30 p.m.

The Chattery at Chattanooga WorkSpace 302 W. 6th St. (423) 521-2643 thechattery.org Dark Humor Pop Up Comedy Show 7 p.m.

Frequency Arts 516 Tremont St. (423) 271-8937 facebook.com/frequencyarts Matilda 7 p.m.

Chattanooga Theatre Centre 400 River St. (423) 267-8534 theatrecentre.com The Wolves 7:30 p.m.

CSAS 865 E. 3rd St. (423) 498-6845 csasupper.hcde.org Joe Machi 7:30 p.m.

The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St.

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(423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com Alcoholics Not Anonymous Comedy Open Mic 8 p.m.

Barley Taproom 235 E. MLK Blvd.

(423) 682-8200 chattanoogabarley.com Country Line Dancing Class 8 p.m.

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

FRIDAY10.4 Jaime Barks Visiting Exhibit 11:30 a.m.

CHI Memorial Foundation 2525 De Sales Ave. (423) 495-2525 memorial.org/foundation “Art You Wear” Opening Reception 5 p.m.

In-Town Gallery 26 Frazier Ave. (423) 267-9214 intowngallery.com Inspired-Open Studio Nights 5:30 p.m.

Chattanooga WorkSpace 302 W. 6th St. (423) 822-5750 chattanoogaworkspace.com Fall/Holiday Show “Artist Choice” 6 p.m.

Gallery at Blackwell 71 EastGate Loop (423) 648-8001 blackwellautoinc.co MSA Scholarship Exhibition 6 p.m.

St. Andrews Center 1918 Union Ave. (423) 629-9872 versagallery.org Silk and Shades Opening Reception 6:30 p.m.

The Chattanooga Public Library 1001 Broad St. (423) 643-7700 chattlibrary.org LaDarrell Ransom 7 p.m.

Frequency Arts 516 Tremont St.

facebook.com/frequencyarts The Wolves 7:30 p.m.

CSAS 865 E. 3rd St. (423) 498-6845 csasupper.hcde.org The Floor is Yours 7:30 p.m.

Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. (423) 624-5347 wideopenfloor.weebly.com Joe Machi 7:30, 9:45 p.m.

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

Walker Theatre 399 McCallie Ave. (423) 757-5580 tivolichattanooga.com Silent Sky 8 p.m.

Covenant College 14049 Scenic Hwy. (706) 820-1560 covenant.edu Improv “Movie” Night 8 p.m.

Improv Chattanooga 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 843-1775 improvchattanooga.com Matilda 8 p.m.

Chattanooga Theatre Centre 400 River St. (423) 267-8534 theatrecentre.com Video Game Night 8 p.m.

Stone Cup Cafe 208 Frazier Ave. (423) 521-3977 stonecupcafe.com Ruby Falls Lantern Tours 8:30 p.m.

Ruby Falls 1720 S. Scenic Hwy. (423) 821-2544 rubyfalls.com Good, Old-Fashioned Improv Show 10 p.m.

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

SATURDAY10.5 2nd Annual Re3 Women’s Expo 9 a.m.

Northgate Mall 271 Northgate Mall (423) 486-7597 targetmarketingmedia.com West Village Green Farmers Market 10 a.m.

Westin Chattanooga 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Goals: Finish 2019 Strong 10 a.m.

The Chattery at Chattanooga WorkSpace 302 W. 6th St. (423) 521-2643 thechattery.org Introduction to Gateless Writing 10 a.m.

The Chattery at Chattanooga WorkSpace 302 W. 6th St. (423) 521-2643 thechattery.org Annual Children’s Festival 10 a.m.

Tennessee Riverpark 4301 Amnicola Hwy. (423) 493-9244 rmhchattanooga.com Tennessee Craft Fall Festival Noon Mountain Arts Community Center 809 Kentucky Ave. (423) 886-1959 signalmacc.org Figure Drawing Session 1 p.m.

The Chattery at Chattanooga WorkSpace 302 W. 6th St. (423) 521-2643 thechattery.org Introduction to Weaving 1:30 p.m.

The Chattery at Chattanooga WorkSpace 302 W. 6th St. (423) 521-2643 thechattery.org Matilda 2:30, 8 p.m.

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

theatrecentre.com Zena Gottholm 7 p.m.

Frequency Arts 516 Tremont St. (423) 271-8937 facebook.com/frequencyarts The Wolves 7:30 p.m.

CSAS 865 E. 3rd St. (423) 498-6845 csasupper.hcde.org Joe Machi 7:30, 9:45 p.m.

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

Tivoli Theatre 709 Broad St. (423) 757-5580 tivolichattanooga.com Silent Sky 8 p.m.

Covenant College 14049 Scenic Hwy. (706) 820-1560 covenant.edu Chattanooga’s Secret History 8 p.m.

Improv Chattanooga 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 843-1775 improvchattanooga.com Whose Line Chattanooga 10 p.m.

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

SUNDAY10.6 2nd Annual Re3 Women’s Expo 9 a.m.

Northgate Mall 271 Northgate Mall (423) 486-7597 targetmarketingmedia.com Collegedale Market 11 a.m.

Collegedale Commons 4950 Swinyar Dr. collegedalemarket.com Chattanooga Market 12:30 p.m.

The Chattanooga Market

1829 Carter St. chattanoogamarket.com Annual Children’s Festival 1 p.m.

Tennessee Riverpark 4301 Amnicola Hwy. (423) 493-9244 rmhchattanooga.com Artful Yoga: Dancing into Practixe with Meg Brooker 1:30 p.m.

Hunter Museum of Art 10 Bluff View Ave. (423) 267-0968 huntermuseum.org Matilda 2:30 p.m.

Chattanooga Theatre Centre 400 River St. (423) 267-8534 theatrecentre.com Michael Twitty Fundraising Dinner for Howard High School 5:30 p.m.

The Read House Hotel 107 W. MLK Blvd.

(423) 266-4121 thereadhousehotel.com Joe Machi 7:30 p.m.

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

CSAS 865 E. 3rd St. (423) 498-6845 csasupper.hcde.org

MONDAY10.7 Beginning Watercolor 9 a.m.

Townsend Atelier 301 E. 11th St. (423) 266-2712 townsendatelier.com Intermediate Watercolor 1 p.m Townsend Atelier 301 E. 11th St. (423) 266-2712 townsendatelier.com Teen/Adult Dance Class 5 p.m.

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

theatrecentre.com 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 First Monday Improv Comedy 7:30 p.m.

Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. (423) 624-5347 barkinglegs.org Comedy Open Mic Night 9 p.m.

The Honest Pint 35 Patten Pkwy.

(423) 468-4192 thehonestpint.com

TUESDAY10.8 Youth Dance Class 5:30 p.m.

Chattanooga Theatre Centre 400 River St. (423) 267-8534 theatrecentre.com Introduction to Calligraphy 6 p.m.

The Chattery at Chattanooga WorkSpace 302 W. 6th St. (423) 521-2643 thechattery.org How to Overcome and Deal with Adversity 6 p.m.

The Chattery at Chattanooga WorkSpace 302 W. 6th St. (423) 521-2643 thechattery.org Paths to Pints 6:30 p.m.

The Tap House 3800 St. Elmo Ave. taphousechatt.com Game Day Film Premiere 7 p.m.

The Palace Theater 818 Georgia Ave. (423) 803-6578 chattpalace.com Open Mic Comedy

7 p.m.

Common General 3800 St. Elmo Ave. (423) 521-0065 Poetry, Pups & Pints 7:30 p.m.

Stone Cup Café 208 Frazier Ave. (423) 521-3977 stonecupcafe.com

WEDNESDAY10.9 Main Street Market 4 p.m.

522 W. Main St. mainstfarmersmarket.com Avisto Exhibit 5:30 p.m.

Hart Gallery 110 E. Main St. (423) 521-4707 hartgallerytn.com Artsperiences!

6 p.m.

Mad Knight Brewing Company 4015 Tennessee Ave. (423) 825-6504 madknightbrewing.com Getting Started: Small Business Finance 7 p.m.

The Chattery at Chattanooga WorkSpace 302 W. 6th St. (423) 521-2643 thechattery.org Open Mic Comedy Night 7:30 p.m.

The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com Wednesday Night Comedy Improv Show 7:30 p.m.

Chattanooga State Humanities Theatre 4501 Amnicola Hwy (423) 697-4400 chattanoogastate.edu Open Mic Comedy 8 p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com Map these locations on chattanoogapulse.com. Send event listings at least 10 days in advance to: calendar@chattanoogapulse.com CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • OCTOBER 3, 2019 • THE PULSE • 13

THE MUSIC SCENE

A Psychedelic Triumph Shaky's Bad Knee drops new album at JJ's

A Dozen Successes: 3 Sisters Returns Kick off the Fall season by heading over to Ross’s Landing this weekend for 3 Sisters Bluegrass Festival on Friday and Saturday.

Twelve bands are coming together for two days to celebrate the bluegrass history and culture of Tennessee (and beyond).

The festival is in its twelfth year and bound to be as successful as the last eleven. In fact, the festival is now recognized as a premier event in its field. In 2017, American Country magazine named 3 Sisters as one of the top five bluegrass festivals in the country.

People come from all corners of the nation to enjoy bluegrass in the Scenic City. The experience is unlike any other in many ways, not least that it’s totally free.

The best way to enjoy the concert is to bring lawn chairs or blankets to sit on in the open field for the audience. Don’t forget your sunblock, bug spray, and whatever you need to be comfortable in our (very) summery Tennessee autumn.

A wide variety of vendors will be there selling local food, beer, and wine, really tying in the hometown atmosphere. Bring out your inner desire to have been there for Woodstock and experience this southern festival with your friends and family.

— Lauren Justice

S

HAKY’S BAD KNEE IS OUT OF THE STUDIO AND ready to release their debut album, Observations 1, next Friday, October 11th at JJ’s Bohemia.

By Marc T. Michael Pulse Music Editor

The album, ringing in at a modest seven songs, is the work of Jerett Offutt (vocals/guitar), Kevin Roberts (guitar), Ramsey Tyson (bass/vocals), and Drew Offutt (drums). Special guests include William Bowers (synth) and Jack Kirton (lap steel) with additional vocal provided by Sadie Triplett and Alexia Scott.

Sometimes when you hear a band for the first time, you know within a few notes, “Ah, this is what they do.” Shaky’s Bad Knee was a tougher nut to crack. After several complete listenings and a

14 • THE PULSE • OCTOBER 3, 2019 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

good deal of consideration, I find that all roads lead back to a single word: psychedelic.

The trouble there is that as soon as you read that word, you likely had an idea in mind of what it meant which may or may not have anything to do with I had in mind when I wrote it.

For the sake of clarification, the band in general and their album in particular are psychedelic in the same sense as the Beatles’ groundbreaking and transformative Revolver is psychedelic.

This is true lyrically, but especially musically. The instrumentation would, at times, seem “busy” if one were to try and pick out a

particular instrument. Taken as a whole, however, the artists lay down a solid foundation upon which they craft a rich, musical texture that flows smoothly from beginning to end.

It may not be a concept album, but there is a unity throughout that leaves you with the impression that you haven’t so much listened to “some music” as you have taken a musical journey.

The inclusion of a variety of unexpected sounds from the synth, lap steel, and the almost heavenly feminine background vocals illustrates that the band (and the engineer, it should be noted) have a very clear command of imagery. It is a dangerous path to walk.

A less talented group of individuals would quickly fall apart into yet another example of “let’s throw

“

Every last note is there by design, applied with thought and care, resulting in an immaculate production, a psychedelic symphony.” everything at the wall and see what sticks,” but, as should be clear by this point, the band is quite gifted at weaving elaborate musical tapestries.

Every last note is there by design, applied with thought and care, resulting in an immaculate production, a psychedelic symphony.

In a word, I think it is fair to say that Shaky’s Bad Knee takes a “go big or go home” approach to composition. They have gone big, and they have scored mightily with a most impressive debut.

If they may be accused of anything, it’s that they’ve set the bar so high with this inaugural effort, one wonders how they’ll top it with their inevitable follow up, yet judging by the craftsmanship exhibited in Observations 1, there is no doubt they will continue to awe and impress moving forward.

It is no small thing to liken this album to Revolver, yet I believe the comparison to be apt and plainly obvious once you’ve heard the stellar performance captured on this recording.

The release is next Friday night at Chattanooga’s nexus of musical culture, JJ’s Bohemia, with a host of entertainment including appearances by Citico, Magnificent Lions, The Gullibles, and the Charles at Large Variety Show. It promises to be an epic evening, and ground zero for one of the Scenic City’s next great bands.

Milele Roots Jams For A Good Cause This Saturday evening, if you need a reason to get out of the house (and who doesn’t?), head on down to JJ’s Bohemia for a double-header of lion-hearted proportions featuring the legendary Milele Roots and the public debut of For All the People. Yes, their very first public performance, so be gentle.

The event is a drive to collect CDs for distribution to deployed service members, so rip that collection to your hard drive and give the gift of music to fellow Americans far from home.

If you can’t make the show on Saturday, you are invited to drop off donated CDs at Tremont Tavern, care of ET. And if you can make the show, once you offload all your CD’s, kick back with a cold beverage or two and enjoy one of the best reggae/rock/funk/jazz/party bands Chattanooga has ever produced. It’s never a party until it’s a Milele party! — MTM

FRI10.4

SAT10.5

Matt Downer

Jordy Searcy

The "Old Time Traveler" is one of the last, best examples of the oral tradition in American folk music.

8:30 p.m.

Puckett’s Restaurant 2 W. Aquarium Way puckettsgro.com

Authentic, original music driven by his faith, emotional depth, and his intrinsic desire to connect with an audience.

7:30 p.m.

Plus Coffee 3800 St. Elmo Ave. pluscoffee.co CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • OCTOBER 3, 2019 • THE PULSE • 15

LIVE MUSIC CALENDAR THURSDAY10.3 Toby Hewitt 4 p.m.

Backstage Bar 29 Station St. backstagechattanooga.com B. Slade 6 p.m.

Bessie Smith Cultural Center 200 E. MLK Blvd. bessiesmithcc.org Motown Throwdown with The Power Players 6 p.m.

Songbirds North 35 Station St. songbirdsguitars.co James Crumble Trio 6 p.m.

St. John’s Meeting Place 1278 Market St. stjohnsrestaurant.com Danimal & Friends 6 p.m.

WanderLinger Brewing Co. 1208 King St. wanderlinger.com David Anthony and Paul Stone 6 p.m.

The Palms at Hamilton 6925 Shallowford Rd. thepalmsathamilton.com Megan Howard 6:30 p.m.

Westin Dorato Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Jam Exam 7 p.m.

Old Chicago 2006 Hamilton Place Blvd. oldchicago.com ​Lou Wamp and The Bluetastics 7 p.m.

Greenway Farms 5051 Gann Store Rd. outdoorchattanooga.com Toby Hewitt 7 p.m.

Backstage Bar 29 Station St. backstagechattanooga.com Webb Barringer Band 7 p.m.

Edley’s Bar-B-Que 205 Manufacturers Rd. edleysbbq.com Purple Ego

16 • THE PULSE • OCTOBER 3, 2019 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

7:30 p.m.

UTC Fine Arts Center 752 Vine St. utc.edu/fine-arts-center Nick Williams 7:30 p.m.

Westin Alchemy Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Jesse Jungkurth & Friends 7:30 p.m.

Mexi-Wing VII 5773 Brainerd Rd. (423) 296-1073 Front Country 8 p.m.

WanderLinger Brewing Co. 1208 King St. wanderlinger.com Jimmy Dormire 8 p.m.

The Social 1110 Market St. publichousechattanooga.com Open Mic Night with Jonathan Wimpee 9 p.m.

The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com CW Stoneking, Caleb Warren 9 p.m.

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

FRIDAY10.4 Fresh Mind Noon Miller Park 928 Market St. millerparkplaza.com Binji Varsossa

6 p.m.

Cancun Mexican Restaurant 1809 Broad St. (423) 266-1461 3 Sisters Bluegrass Festival 6 p.m.

Ross’s Landing 201 Riverfront Pkwy.

3sistersbluegrass.com Preston Ruffing 6:30 p.m.

Westin Dorato Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com The Pool: British Invasion Rock and Roll 30th Anniversary Concert 7 p.m.

Songbirds North 35 Station St. songbirdsguitars.co Chattanooga Song Circle 7 p.m.

Bluegrass Grill 55 E. Main St. bluegrassgrillchattanooga.com Tim Lewis 7 p.m.

El Meson 248 Northgate Park elmesonchattanooga.com LaDarrell Ransom 7 p.m.

Frequency Arts 516 Tremont St. facebook.com/frequencyarts Jason Lyles 7 p.m.

OddStory Brewing Company 336 E. MLK Blvd. oddstorybrewing.co Michael W. Smith 7:30 p.m.

Tivoli Theatre 709 Broad St.

LIVE MUSIC SPOTLIGHT The Fireside Concert Series is back with a great night of bluegrass. ​ ou Wamp and L The Bluetastics Thursday, 7 p.m.

Greenway Farms 5051 Gann Store Rd. outdoorchattanooga.com

tivolichattanooga.com Maria Sable 7:30 p.m.

Westin Alchemy Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Matt Downer 8:30 p.m.

Puckett’s Restaurant 2 W. Aquarium Way puckettsgro.com Mojo Whiskey 9 p.m.

HiFi Clyde’s 122 W. Main St. hificlydeschattanooga.com Prophet and Salty 9 p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com The White Animals with Walk the West 9 p.m.

Songbirds South 41 Station St. songbirdsguitars.co The Donny Hammonds Band 10 p.m.

The Palms at Hamilton 6925 Shallowford Rd. thepalmsathamilton.com Jimmy Dormire 10 p.m.

Tremont Tavern 1203 Hixson Pike tremonttavern.com Roughwork 10 p.m.

The Brew & Cue 5017 Rossville Blvd.

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

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

SATURDAY10.5 3 Sisters Bluegrass Festival 10 a.m.

Ross’s Landing 201 Riverfront Pkwy.

3sistersbluegrass.com Danimal 10:30 a.m.

Flying Squirrel Bar 55 Johnson St. flyingsquirrelbar.com Big 9 Roots Festival

11 a.m.

Bessie Smith Cultural Center 200 E. MLK Blvd. bessiesmithcc.org David Ingle & Friends 6 p.m.

The Palms at Hamilton 6925 Shallowford Rd. thepalmsathamilton.com Binji Varsossa 6 p.m.

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

Westin Dorato Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Violet Bell 7 p.m.

Charles & Myrtle’s Coffeehouse 105 McBrien Rd. christunity.org Tim Lewis 7 p.m.

El Meson 248 Northgate Park elmesonchattanooga.com Playin Possum Blues Band 7 p.m.

Gate 11 Distillery 1400 Market St. gate11distillery.com Jimmy Dormire 7:30 p.m.

Westin Alchemy Bar 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com Jordy Searcy 7:30 p.m.

Plus Coffee 3800 St. Elmo Ave. pluscoffee.co The ExLaws with Jerry Grant and The Corruptors 8 p.m.

Mayo's Bar and Grill 3820 Brainerd Rd. mayosbarandgrill.com Emerald Butler 8:30 p.m.

Puckett’s Restaurant 2 W. Aquarium Way puckettsgro.com Yacht Rock Revue 8:30 p.m.

The Signal 1810 Chestnut St. thesignaltn.com Sexy Beast 9 p.m.

HiFi Clyde’s 122 W. Main St. hificlydeschattanooga.com Milele Roots, ET 9 p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com The Mercy Chapter, Gypt 9 p.m.

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

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

SUNDAY10.6 Nicholas Edward Williams 11 a.m.

Flying Squirrel Bar 55 Johnson St. flyingsquirrelbar.com Mark Andrew 11 a.m.

The Edwin Hotel 102 Walnut St. theedwinhotel.com Carl Pemberton 11 a.m.

Westin Chattanooga 801 Pine St. westinchattanooga.com My Name Is Preston Noon Southside Social 1818 Chestnut St. thesouthsidesocial.com Danimal and Friends 12:30 p.m.

The Feed Co. Table & Tavern 201 W. Main St. feedtableandtavern.com Sandi Grecco 1:30 p.m.

Flying Squirrel Bar 55 Johnson St. flyingsquirrelbar.com The Other Brothers 2 p.m.

WanderLinger Brewing Co. 1208 King St. wanderlinger.com Theory of a Deadman, Scott Stapp, Spirit Animal, Mighty Sideshow 7 p.m.

The Signal

1810 Chestnut St. thesignaltn.com Lyle Lovett and his Acoustic Group 7 p.m.

Tivoli Theatre 709 Broad St. tivolichattanooga.com Southern Symphony Orchestra 7:30 p.m.

Collegedale Church of Seventhday Adventists 4829 College Dr. E. collegedalechurch.com Shantih Shantih 9 p.m.

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

MONDAY10.7 Open Air with Jessica Nunn 6 p.m.

The Granfalloon 400 E. Main St. granfalloonchattanooga.com Monday Nite Big Band 7 p.m.

The Coconut Room 6925 Shallowford Rd. thepalmsathamilton.com Blues Night Open Jam 7 p.m.

Songbirds South 41 Station St. songbirdsguitars.co Monday Night Big Band 7:30 p.m.

The Palms at Hamilton 6925 Shallowford Rd. thepalmsathamilton.com Very Open Mic with Shawnessey Cargile 8 p.m.

The Well 1800 Rossville Blvd. #8 wellonthesouthside.com

TUESDAY10.8 Acoustic Bohemian Night 6:30 p.m.

Mexi-Wing IX 6925 Shallowford Rd. mexiwingix.business.site Danimal & Friends 7 p.m.

Backstage Bar

29 Station St. backstagechattanooga.com Dirty Mae with Ben Curtis 7:30 p.m.

Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. barkinglegs.org Pickin’ N Pints 7:30 p.m.

WanderLinger Brewing Co. 1208 King St. wanderlinger.com Brandon Stansell 8 p.m.

Gate 11 Distillery 1400 Market St. Suite 108 gate11distillery.com Thunder Jackson 9 p.m.

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

WEDNESDAY10.9 Slim Pickins: Songbirds Benefit & Neighborhood BBQ 7 p.m.

The Crash Pad 29 Johnson St. crashpadchattanooga.com Jesse James Jungkurth 7 p.m.

Backstage Bar 29 Station St. backstagechattanooga.com Kash Wright Trio II 7 p.m.

Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. barkinglegs.org Randall Adams 8 p.m.

The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com Priscilla & Little Rickee 8 p.m.

Las Margaritas 1101 Hixson Pike (423) 756-3332 Craig Conway 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 CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • OCTOBER 3, 2019 • THE PULSE • 17

ERNIE PAIKS’S RECORD REVIEWS

New Music From Sacred Paws, Maneka can appeal on an almost instinctual level without being cloying or insipid.

A

Sacred Paws Run Around the Sun (Merge/Rock Action)

Maneka Devin (Exploding in Sound)

D

nimble guitar lines, which bear a strong African soukous and Ghanaian highlife influence, while Rodgers’ exhilarating, swift drumming, with crisp and precise hi-hat taps, acts as a sonic, rattling roller coaster car for the listener.

The core duo is joined by guests who provide flourishes like the warm brass accents on “Almost It” or the small, subtle synth notes on “Brush Your Hair”, while Aggs’ and Rodgers’ vocal harmonizing and call-and-response exchanges have a natural warmth and chemistry.

Rodgers’ rhythms can be thundering, agitated and busy, and Aggs’ electric guitar tone is clean and exposed—no sloppy playing here, and no distortion to act as a veil.

Sacred Paws’ fast, fluid guitar melodies and jittery drumming manage to be irrepressibly cheery without succumbing to the popmusic pitfalls, demonstrating that certain pleasures

o you think you might be a stick in the mud?

Do you hate fun? Well, this writer has a litmus test for you—give a listen to Run Around the Sun, the second album from the Glasgow, Scotland duo Sacred Paws, which is also one of the most flat-out joyous records of recent memory.

If you can’t connect with its energy and motion in any way, even on the most basic level, then you may want to ask yourself if you might be some kind of lifedraining social vampire.

I’m not saying you are, but if you spend a lot of time complaining or telling people they’re wrong on the Internet, then that’s not a good sign, also.

Guitarist Rachel Aggs, also a member of Trash Kit and Shopping, and percussionist Eilidh Rodgers previously played together in the group Golden Grrrls, and with Sacred Paws, Aggs and Rodgers are a perfect fit, with Aggs effortlessly gliding through her

18 • THE PULSE • OCTOBER 3, 2019 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

t the end of the fake talk show “Black Perspective”, on Saturday Night Live during its early years, after a hilariously absurd discussion with Fran Tarkenton about why there are few black quarterbacks, host Garrett Morris offered one final joke: “Next week, Mark Spitz explains why there are no black swimmers.”

In the world of contemporary indie rock, a similar observation can be made: why are there so few black indie-rock musicians?

Former Speedy Ortiz guitarist Devin McKnight grapples with such thoughts in novel ways on the new album Devin from his solo project Maneka, which is about “black pride and addressing my confusion as a minority in white indie rock scenes.”

As a musical omnivore, apparently certain acquaintances have questioned him regarding his love of certain genres including rock, while he’s not questioned on others, like jazz or hip hop. Some have accused him of trying to be white (his father is black, his mother is of Chinese and Pakistani descent).

Liking one style of music shouldn’t negate liking another style, but apparently

some people have a problem with it. As if to force the issue, Devin is diverse and confrontational, with its short opening track, “Oopdie Oop”, being an aggressive blast of grindcore, leading to the loud, heavy shoegaze track “A Brand New Day”.

“My Queen” approaches speed metal, with machinegun beats, vocals from Sadie Dupuis (of Speedy Ortiz) and a wild guitar solo, while “Oopdie Oop (Jazz)” goes into free jazz territory, with a cheeky sort of obnoxiousness. “Glazed” could pass for something from the ‘90s on the Touch and Go label, with a thick, bendy bass line, pounding drums and chiming guitar discord, while “Time in the Barrel” is like alien grunge rock with a distinctively odd guitar sound and a Nirvana vibe.

Unfortunately, Devin has one consistently weak point—while McKnight’s narrative voice takes unique stabs at cultural and identity politics, his actual singing voice is a bit too, well, aloof and unexciting (with a few exceptions, including one devil impersonation).

Despite that, the album rocks like nobody’s business and takes indie-rock into strange realms. Heck, maybe the cover of McKnight’s next album will show a photo of him swimming.

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • OCTOBER 3, 2019 • THE PULSE • 19

FILM & TELEVISION

From Lonely Earth, Ad Astra A search for stars and for a human connection

A

COMMON THEME IN SCIENCE FICTION IS HUMANity’s search for intelligent life beyond our own. Beyond simple curiosity, I’ve never been quite sure we’d want to find it. Humans, as a group, are awful.

By John DeVore Pulse Film Editor

We treat each other terribly, cause mass extinctions for natural flora and fauna, work diligently at making our only home uninhabitable, and vastly overestimate our importance to the universe.

Were we to find it, wouldn’t it immediately threaten our special place in the universe? And when we’re threatened, do we tend to lash out and destroy the thing we find threatening?

Are we looking for intelligent life so that we can pick a fight?

Ad Astra, the newest science fiction film starring Brad Pitt, doesn’t seem to think so. The entire thesis of the film is that humans are lonely. To exist, the film posits, is to be alone. There’s a

certain amount of truth to the idea— we exist within the private spaces of our own minds and our connections are simply extensions of our senses, which we’ve learned can be misleading.

Our search for life outside ourselves mirrors our search for individual life outside our own. We want proof of intelligent life so that we know someone else might share in our experiences.

Which, to be honest, is just as selfish as my own theory. Misery loves company after all. Themes aside, Ad Astra is a well-made film with solid performances all around. Just don’t expect it to make you feel good.

Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) is a legacy astronaut who is exceedingly good at his job. He works on a giant space antenna manned by U.S. Space Com-

20 • THE PULSE • OCTOBER 3, 2019 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

mand, regularly performing dangerous space walks in a calm, determined manner. After a disaster linked to mysterious power surges across the solar system (in which Roy calmly falls hundreds of miles—his heart rate never rises above 80 BPM), SpaceCom calls Roy in for a top secret mission.

It appears the power surges, which somehow threaten all life in the solar system, are linked to the famed “Lima Project,” a lost mission to Neptune to search for life, which was led by H. Clifford McBride (Tommy Lee Jones), Roy’s father. The “Lima Project” was experimenting with antimatter, and the power surges appear to have traces of the experiment and originate somewhere in the vicinity of Neptune.

SpaceCom wants Roy to travel to Mars, where he will send a message to his father, who appears to be still be alive, in hopes of stopping the surges.

Ad Astra owes much to previous films in the genre. Film fans will recognize a slow, deliberate pacing that was a hallmark for films like 2001: A Space

Odyssey. This is, of course, intentional. Director James Gray has been quoted as saying that he “wanted the most realistic depiction of space travel that’s been put in a movie.”

2001 had similar goals and is known for its long, static scenes of the realities of space travel. Those who are fans of science fiction, particularly character-based science fiction, will revel in the drawn-out scenes and detailed procedures depicted in the film.

Audience members who are more used to action packed space fantasy will likely find them tedious, however.

Ad Astra is a significant improvement over Gray’s previous film The Lost City of Z, which was somewhat unfocused in its narrative structure and unsure of its overall thesis. Ad Astra knows what it’s trying to say.

Additionally, as beautiful as the more dramatic scenes are, Gray knows how to show the claustrophobic nature of space travel and living on other planets.

The tight hallways and small rooms contrast with the vast vistas, highlighting how little is survivable outside of our own planet. The relative smallness of our existence adds to the isolation the film places at the forefront.

Of course it does. This is a space movie, after all. Insignificance is really its whole bag. There are other ideas ingrained in the narrative. Love and abandonment. Fathers and sons. But they all fit under the umbrella of how inherently unknowable another person is, and by extension, how inscrutable the universe is itself.

It’s all too big, too incomprehensible, too complicated. The best we can do is try to connect with each other.

There’s nothing in Ad Astra that’s new for a genre built on awe and insignificance. So long as the audience is comfortable with these ideas, the film is worthwhile. For audiences looking for something more concrete, Ad Astra is more likely to elicit boredom.

JONESIN' CROSSWORD

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Every time my birthday season comes around, I set aside an entire day to engage in a life review. It lasts for many hours. I begin by visualizing the recent events I’ve experienced, then luxuriously scroll in reverse through my entire past, as if watching a movie starring me. It’s not possible to remember every single scene and feeling, of course, so I allow my deep self to highlight the moments it regards as significant.

Here’s another fun aspect of this ritual: I bestow a blessing on every memory that comes up, honoring it for what it taught me and how it helped me to become the person I am today. Dear Libra, now is an excellent time for you to experiment with a similar celebration.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “Depression is when you think there’s nothing to be done,” writes author Siri Hustvedt. “Fortunately I always think there’s something to be done.” I offer this hopeful attitude to you, Scorpio, trusting that it will cheer you up. I suspect that the riddles and mysteries you’re embedded in right now are so puzzling and complicated that you’re tempted to think that there’s nothing you can do to solve them or escape them. But I’m here to inform you that if that’s how you feel, it’s only temporary. Even more importantly, I’m here to inform you that there is indeed something you can do, and you are going to find out what that is sooner rather than later.

“And I ...”—my mistake, that caught me off guard.

ACROSS 1 Tasseled hat 4 Iranian money 10 Distress message 13 Hardcore 15 Type of doll for revenge seekers 16 Mummy king discovered in 1922 17 The place at the mall to buy supplements and chickens?

19 Tokyo-born Grammy winner 20 “___: Battle Angel” (2019 film) 21 Overly formal letter opener 22 Florida resort city, for short 23 “Cathy” exclamation 25 Adopts, perhaps 27 Possum foot 30 1978 Nobel Peace Prize co-winner Sadat 32 Carson Daly’s former MTV show 33 One, in Rome 34 “New Look” couturier

35 Z-lister 38 Talk over?

40 Place to display titles 41 Plays a ukulele 42 Apply blacktop 43 Down for a few days 44 Wallach of “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” 45 Green-skinned melonlike fruit 46 Take in some tea 47 Hall & Oates hit with the refrain “Oh, here she comes” 50 “Hamilton” creator ___-Manuel Miranda 52 Diner staple 53 Corner shapes 55 Be skeptical 59 Pasture noise 60 Spicy plant that hangs low on the stem?

62 Goya’s gold 63 Like some projections 64 “At Last” singer ___ James 65 Spruce juice?

66 Like some

bread or beer 67 “And I ___” (recent meme phrase, and this puzzle’s theme) DOWN 1 Bean favored by Hannibal Lecter 2 CBS psychological drama that debuted Sept. 2019 3 Baked pasta dish 4 506, in Roman numerals 5 Accelerator particles 6 Close companion?

7 Devotee 8 Bird perch 9 Absorb, with “up” 10 Designer Vuitton on the front porch?

11 Pound piece 12 Mink’s cousin 14 Numbers to be crunched 18 Nut in Hawaiian gift shops 22 Backyard party, briefly 24 Makes a scarf 26 Like some clearance sales

27 Dad jokes may depend on them 28 Sci. course 29 Slimy stuff in a rabbit’s home?

31 Melancholy 35 Like some military forces 36 Kosher eatery 37 Restaurant review app 39 Board game insert 40 Place for an X 42 Places for cones 45 Jai alai ball 47 Inbox buildup 48 Phobia prefix 49 Brief and pithy 51 “Get that scary thing away from me” 54 Altercation 56 “It’s all ___ you!”

57 O’Rourke in the 2019 Democratic Debates 58 Golf course obstacle 60 “You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost)” author Felicia 61 Toilet paper layer

Copyright © 2019 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. 956

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “How inconvenient to be made of desire,” writes Sagittarian author Larissa Pham. “Even now, want rises up in me like a hot oil. I want so much that it scares me.” I understand what she means, and I’m sure you do, too. There are indeed times when the inner fire that fuels you feels excessive and unwieldy and inopportune. But I’m happy to report that your mood in the coming weeks is unlikely to fit that description. I’m guessing that the radiant pulse of your yearning will excite you and empower you. It’ll be brilliant and warm, not seething and distracting.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): I envision the next twelve months as a time when you could initiate fundamental improvements in the way you live. Your daily rhythm twelve months from now could be as much as twenty percent more gratifying and meaningful.

It’s conceivable you will discover or generate innovations that permanently raise your long-term goals to a higher octave. At the risk of sounding grandiose, I predict you’ll welcome a certain novelty that resembles the invention of the wheel or the compass or the calendar.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Modern literary critic William Boyd

declared that Aquarian author Anton Chekhov (1860–1904) was “the best short-story writer ever,” and “the first truly modern writer of fiction: secular, refusing to pass judgment, cognizant of the absurdities of our muddled, bizarre lives and the complex tragi-comedy that is the human condition.”

Another contemporary critic, Harold Bloom, praised Chekhov’s plays, saying that he was “one of the three seminal figures in the birth of early modernism in the theatre.” We might imagine, then, that in the course of his career, Chekhov was showered with accolades. We’d be wrong about that, though. “If I had listened to the critics,” he testified, “I’d have died drunk in the gutter.” I hope that what I just said will serve as a pep talk for you as you explore and develop your own original notions in the coming weeks.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Piscesborn Dorothy Steel didn’t begin her career as a film actress until she was 91 years old. She had appeared in a couple of TV shows when she was 89, then got a small role in an obscure movie. At age 92, she became a celebrity when she played the role of a tribal elder in Black Panther, one of the highest-grossing films of all time. I propose that we make her one of your inspirational role models for both the coming weeks and the next twelve months. Why? Because I suspect you will be ripening fully into a role and a mission you were born to embody and express.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): In 1956, the U.S. federal government launched a program to build 40,000 miles of high-speed roads to connect all major American cities. It was completed 36 years later at a cost of $521 billion. In the coming months, I’d love to see you draw inspiration from that visionary scheme. According to my analysis, you will generate good fortune for yourself as you initiate a long-term plan to expand your world, create a more robust network, and enhance your ability to fulfill your life’s big goals.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Taurusborn Youtube blogger Hey Fran Hey has some good advice for her fellow Bulls, and I think it’ll be especially fresh and potent in the coming weeks. She says, “Replacing ‘Why is this happening to me?’ with ‘What is this trying to tell me?’ has been a game changer for me.

The former creates a hamster wheel, where you’ll replay the story over and over again. Victimized.

Stuck. The latter holds space for a resolution to appear.”

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “The soul has illusions as the bird has wings: it is supported by them.”

So declared French author Victor Hugo. I don’t share his view. In fact, I regard it as an insulting misap-

prehension. The truth is that the soul achieves flight through vivid fantasies and effervescent intuitions and uninhibited longings and non-rational hypotheses and wild hopes—and maybe also by a few illusions. I bring this to your attention because now is an excellent time to nurture your soul with vivid fantasies and effervescent intuitions and uninhibited longings and non-rational hypotheses and wild hopes.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): I know people of all genders who periodically unleash macho brags about how little sleep they need.

If you’re normally like that, I urge you to rebel. The dilemmas and riddles you face right now are very solvable IF and only IF you get sufficient amounts of sleep and dreams. Do you need some nudges to do right by yourself?

Neuroscientist Matthew Walker says that some of the greatest athletes understand that “sleep is the greatest legal enhancing performance drug.” Top tennis player Roger Federer sleeps 12 hours a day. During his heyday, world-class sprinter Usain Bolt slept ten hours a night and napped during the day. Champion basketball player LeBron James devotes 12 hours a day to the rejuvenating sanctuary of sleep.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Actor and dancer Fred Astaire was a pioneer in bringing dance into films as a serious art form. He made 31 musical films during the 76 years he worked, and was celebrated for his charisma, impeccable technique, and innovative moves. At the height of his career, from 1933 to 1949, he teamed up with dancer Ginger Rogers in the creation of ten popular movies. In those oldfashioned days, virtually all partner dancing featured a male doing the lead part as the female followed. One witty critic noted that although Astaire was a bigger star than Rogers, she “did everything that Fred Astaire did. She just did it backwards and while wearing high heels.” According to my reading of the astrological omens, you may soon be called on to carry out tasks that are metaphorically comparable to those performed

by Rogers.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Your number one therapy in the coming weeks? Watching animals. It would be the healthiest thing you could undertake: relax into a generously receptive mode as you simply observe creatures doing what they do. The best option would be to surrender to the pleasures of communing with both domesticated AND wild critters. If you need a logical reason to engage in this curative and rejuvenating activity, I’ll give you one: It will soothe and strengthen your own animal intelligence, which would be a tonic gift for you to give yourself.

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • OCTOBER 3, 2019 • THE PULSE • 21

COLUMN · GAME ON!

It’s A Fall To Remember Age of Wonders: Planetfall will drop into your life and steal your heart

N Brandon Watson Pulse columnist

“

I know, I’m speaking blasphemy here, but somehow Triumph Studios has managed to port a 4X turn-based strategy game to a console and it not be total garbage.”

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

OTHING QUITE REVS MY ENgines like the promise of epic science-fiction battles in some vast expanse of an unknown galaxy. Wrap all that promise in a nifty 4X strategy tortilla and you can bet your sweet seat meat I’ll be throwing my money at it and giggling like a prepubescent schoolboy.

I get it, the 4X strategy scene has all but faded save for a few independent titles and often obscure PC releases appealing to the most diehard armchair generals. Yet there is still a reason to cling to the great standbys of ten years ago with the latest run into the Age of Wonders franchise. This time it’s a foray complete with ugly cyborgs, wacky insectoids, and dinosaur-riding warrior women!

Triumph Studios have had some generally favorable titles in the high fantasy genre of strategy games and, to be honest, none of them really captured my attention. There is only so much you can do within the Tolkienesque boilerplate that hasn’t been rocked by the Warhammer franchises, which overshadowed the Age of Wonders games for compelling content. Nevertheless, AoW still had a few cool gimmicks and story elements to encourage playing around with.

Now Triumph has dropped Planetfall right into our laps with a fresh take on a dated strategy trope and has actually pulled it off. Make no mistake, AoW: Planetfall is heavy 4X strategy at its core with a mix of Civilization, XCOM and Alpha Centauri thrown in—and it’s everything you could want in a strategy game.

There are six distinct races with unique units, perks, vices, and customizations. A feature I really like is the custom tweaks you can apply to your chosen commander. Decking out your hero in fantastic duds before dropping them into a pro-

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cedurally generated world full of angry natives and strange alien technology feels wholesome on a fundamental level.

Currently, I’m stalking around the alien landscape with the Vanguard, a marooned Heinleinesque troop of human space explorers for the starting campaign. The art design is pretty much standard in the way of science fiction with some cool nuances that harken to great science fiction works like Frank Herbert’s “Dune”, “The Hyperion Cantos”, and “Ender’s Game”. You will feel like you’re uncovering vast and colorful novel covers from some of the classics turn by turn.

The outstanding hook that AoW: Planetfall offers is in the way combat is carried out. This takes the god-view civilization big game and scales it down into a tactical slice where you dole out orders and stack your units against cover. It rolls out like an XCOM mission in turn-based bouts centered around strategic planning and utilizing cover where you can.

The skirmishes have other tactical layers that can be researched over time, such as airstrikes, healing buffs, and void technologies that allow your troops to phase through solid objects. Sending a squad of combat engineers with flechette shotguns through enemy cover for a flanking assault never felt so satisfying.

I’m eager to further explore each race to see how they play out. Considering the substantial upgrades and tactical choices presented early on, it’s evident that this game begs to be enjoyed gradu-

ally over time.

For beginners looking to cut their teeth on a 4X strategy title, this may be a tough nut to crack…but the payoffs for patience can be huge. Those of us familiar with the one-more-turn game hook are going to be in comfy territory as we pick up on the little details that make this game such a gem.

As a special note: this game even plays well on the console. I know, I’m speaking blasphemy here, but somehow Triumph Studios has managed to port a 4X turnbased strategy game to a console and it not be total garbage. Cycling orders is a snap, reviewing diplomacy options and research trees doesn’t induce rage, and before long you will be marching armies and building colonies with ease. It takes some getting used to but it’s worth the time to figure out.

AoW: Planetfall oozes ample charm, although it may be the swan song of the aging 4X variety of strategy games. To be honest, it’s quite the sendoff. With such a lore rich sci-fi universe to explore and exploit, it’s sure to be one of those collectors’ titles that will grace the shelf alongside GalCiv, Civilization, and Sins of a Solar Empire. Prepare yourself: you’re in for a slick adventure, one turn at a time.

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