The Pulse 14.41 » October 12, 2017

OCTOBER 12, 2017

CHATTANOOGA'S WEEKLY ALTERNATIVE

ASTRI SNODGRASS ART · MARK “PORKCHOP” HOLDER · ORGANIZED FOR HISTORY

2 • THE PULSE • OCTOBER 12, 2017 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

VOL. 14, NO. 41 • OCTOBER 12, 2017

4 10

ORGANIZED FOR HISTORY

“History is the story we tell ourselves about ourselves.” When his friend Daryl Black, former director of the Chattanooga History Center, shared this quote, Michael Gilliland was already applying his take to empower people.

MIXING MEDIUMS TO CREATE UNIQUE ART

The arresting collages of Astri Snodgrass have a raw, yet paradoxically tempered complexity that belies the simple intentions and materials behind her body of work.

20

DEATH AND THE BLUES IN CHATTTOWN

Mark “Porkchop” Holder’s second solo album is scheduled for release on November 3rd on vinyl, CD, digital and streaming formats, and I’m rapidly running out of superlatives to describe his work.

26

“A TALE OF RELIGION AND CONTROVERSY

There are a wealth of stories to be found in the public domain. Storytelling didn’t after the advent of copyright laws and arguably the perpetual ownership of properties can do more harm than good.

ALSO INSIDE

8

The Holy Church Of Chili On a crisp, fall evening in the year of our Lord 2001, my mind was engaged in steely resistance to the onslaught of self doubt and anxiety brought on by a task with which I had been entrusted.

FEATURED CONTRIBUTORS

5

CONSIDER THIS

22

MUSIC CALENDAR

6

SHRINK RAP

25

MUSIC REVIEWS

12

ARTS CALENDAR

28

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

15

HALLOWEEN GUIDE

29

JONESIN' CROSSWORD

19

MIXOLOGY

30

GAME ON!

Mike McJunkin is a native Chattanoogan, currently living abroad, who has trained chefs, owned and operated restaurants, and singlehandedly increased Chattanooga’s meat consumption statistics for three consecutive years.

Music editor Marc T. Michael is a long-standing presence in the local music scene. When not playing with local Irish group the Molly Maguires, Marc can be found hosting trivia matches throughout the city.

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • OCTOBER 12, 2017 • THE PULSE • 3

BEGINNINGS ∙ CITY LIFE

Organized For History COA continues to “fight the good fight” for workers rights

By Holly Morse-Ellington Pulse contributor

BREWER MEDIA GROUP Publisher & President Jim Brewer II FOUNDED 2003 BY ZACHARY COOPER & MICHAEL KULL

EDITORIAL

Managing Editor Gary Poole Assistant Editor Brooke Brown Music Editor Marc T. Michael Film Editor John DeVore Contributors Adam Beckett • Rob Brezsny Matt Jones • Mike McJunkin Holly Morse-Ellington Ernie Paik • Rick Pimental-Habib Michael Thomas • Brandon Watson Editorial Interns Kelley J. Bostian • Jessica Manning Cartoonists Max Cannon • Rob Rogers Jen Sorenson • Tom Tomorrow

ADVERTISING Director of Sales Mike Baskin

Account Executives Chee Chee Brown • Jeff Camp Brittany Dreon • Rick Leavell Cindee McBride • Libby Phillips John Rodriguez • Logan Vandergriff

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.

The Pulse may be distributed only by authorized distributors.

Contents Copyright © 2017 by Brewer Media. All rights reserved.

“H

ISTORY IS THE STORY WE tell ourselves about ourselves.”

When his friend Daryl Black, former director of the Chattanooga History Center, shared this quote, Michael Gilliland was already applying his take on the adage to empower people. “Maybe there are better stories about ourselves,” thought Gilliland, the native Chattanoogan and Board Chair of Chattanooga Organized for Action (COA).

The nonprofit organization works to advance the local social justice movement, driven by the philosophy that “by organizing our communities to win change, we can write a new story for Chattanooga—one that lifts up the marginalized and makes sure none of us are left behind.”

In his tenure at COA, Gilliland has not so much worked to set the record straight, but to give air time to the lesser known and forgotten people and events of the past that provide a context for Chattanooga’s culture today.

One way Gilliland is making an impact is through multi-media walking tours and exhibits at museums and City Hall. “I didn’t want to write a white paper that would end up on a library shelf,” Gilliland says. Instead, Gilliland and COA partnered with graphic design students at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga to design a theme-based series of posters that feature local resisters and revolutionaries in “The People’s History of Chattanooga” project.

After countless hours spent culling through decades of newspaper articles preserved on micro film, “The People’s History” kicked off its first theme in the series that focused on white supremacy. Currently, they are in a similar process of organizing research and collaborating with additional local artists for the next theme, The Labor

4 • THE PULSE • OCTOBER 12, 2017 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

“The only way this is going to change is if we can create a better narrative about who we are and where we want to be.”

Movement.

“We’re on the frontlines of a war against working class people,” Gilliland says, citing wage disparities and Chattanooga’s unemployment rate, which at a reported 27 percent of the city’s residents living below the poverty line is nearly double the national average.

“People are trained to organize themselves, to kick people on the rung below them on the ladder.”

Gilliland adds, “Workers need to understand about organizing together to promote their interests.”

One of the goals of “The People’s History” is to demonstrate that action can get results. “The number one feeling we get organizing with community members is not apathy,” Gilliland says, “it’s hopelessness.”

“The only way this is going to change is if we can create a better narrative about who we are and where we want to be,” Gilliland says. “The South is not just the history of the Confederacy, the South can every bit as much be defined as the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement. Why can’t we be telling that story?”

Among the stories Gilliland and his team will tell through the next installment is how during a 1935 workers’ strike in Daisy, Tennessee, while under gunfire by the company men, strikers joined in song with Highlander Folk School music director Zilphia Horton to turn the outcome in their favor—inaugurating “We Shall Overcome” as a civil rights anthem.

Consider This with Dr. Rick

EdiToon

by Rob Rogers

“My goal is not to be better than anyone else, but to be better than I used to be.” — Dr. Wayne W. Dyer

The Great Banana Ball At The Chattanooga Zoo For its 12th consecutive year, the Chattanooga Zoo is giving the general public the opportunity to contribute to the Zoo’s capital campaign in the form of a giant party. Being the organizations largest annual fundraiser, The Banana Ball serves as a unique opportunity to absorb the exhibits at night, meet great people, and party like (or with) an animal.

Beginning at 5 p.m. this Saturday, the event features live music, dancing, food, and a special guest appearance

by Jack Hanna, who is widely known for his Animal Adventures TV series. Jack

won’t begin his public presentation until around 6 p.m., giving you an opportunity to enjoy the open bar and hors d’oeuvres available upon entry.

Around 7 p.m., an all-inclusive dinner will be served. This is also when attendees have a chance to directly

“adopt” an animal, becoming an individual private donor for that particular creature’s habitat in the Chattanooga Zoo. At 8 p.m., the Surround Sound Band will take the stage and fill the air with their electric blend of almost every musical genre imaginable.

Entry also includes access to a cigar bar, personal animal encounters, and much more. Be sure to reserve your tickets now (it generally sells out), and spread the word of the great Banana Ball celebrating the Zoo’s 80th anniversary to all of your 21-and-up friends!

— Kelley J. Bostian

Eccentric wit, author and playwright Oscar Wilde (1854 – 1900), is often quoted as saying, “You’d worry less about what people think of you if you realized how seldom they do.”

(Sometimes attributed to Mark Twain.)

Lao Tzu said, “Care about people’s approval, and you will always be their prisoner.”

Even Benedict Cumberbatch offers this pearl: “If you have an over-preoccupation with trying to please people’s expectations, you can go mad.”

Sure, we all want to be loved and accepted, but this most human desire can hamper us when we let the opinions of others decide how we ought to live our lives. Pursuing our own passions can seem a lonely road, yet if we allow our courage to speak louder than our fears, we learn that this is our authentic path to fulfillment.

You complete us.

— Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D.

Now recruiting Media Sales Professionals to represent Chattanooga’s Alternative Newsweekly Send your resume and cover letter to: Mike Baskin, Director of Sales mikebaskin@brewermediagroup.com In the subject line, please include: Brewer Sales Position Learn more about us at BrewerMediaGroup.com.

Brewer Media is an equal opportunity employer.

brewer media everywhere. every day.

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • OCTOBER 12, 2017 • THE PULSE • 5

COLUMN ∙ SHRINK RAP

Traveling The Roadways Of Life The good doctor on navigating life—one personal intersection at a time

Dr. Rick

Pulse contributor

W

HILE LIVING IN CALIFORNIA, I was hosted for several summers in Indiana by a progressive Congregational church in Ft. Wayne to give a series of seminars and talks.

Their congregation included a mixed population of male and female, gay and straight, young and old, black and white… those who were completely comfortable in their fellowship with this mix, and those who were struggling with the issues inherent at this level of diversity.

Over the course of several days, I gave readings from my books, lectures on selfesteem and inclusiveness, seminars on healthy relationships and the healing power of love. It was always a wonderful experience for me, spending time with folks who wanted to better their lives, better their relationships, and better their understanding of each other.

One of the most powerful topics from my work there turned out to be what I call “Personal Intersections”. By personal intersections I refer to those moments in life when you come to an intellectual, spiritual, or emotional crossroads, and are faced with making a decision.

The folks at this church had been navigating some very significant intersections that involved emotional and spiritual challenges to some of their long-held beliefs, and they were making some big decisions about their future together.

Intersections are big and small, and oc-

cur all day, all throughout life. Major ones, such as those around relationships, child-rearing, personal crises, employment opportunities, educational possibilities, etc. require much of us—sometimes, perhaps, they demand the use of all our coping skills and inner resources, conversations with loved ones, quiet time for reflection and meditation. Often all of the above.

Then there are minor ones that we usually resolve without a lot of difficulty or thought. These might look like, where to go for dinner.

Or, shall I pick up the dry cleaning on the way to the bank? Do I have time for the gym? Shall I call my folks today?

What’s interesting about viewing life’s intersections this way is that it reflects our level of mindfulness: the degree to which we are deliberately aware…throughout the day, the week, throughout our entire lives. In other words, which issues get our attention and which don’t? When are we intentional and mindful?

To help traverse life’s intersections more mindfully, including the smaller, daily ones, I encourage you to try this exercise: Spend a morning paying close attention to all the things you usually don’t give a second thought to. For instance, when you grab the cereal from the cupboard, pause for a second. Ask yourself if that’s really what you want to eat, or are you just doing what you always do.

When you leave for work in the morning and give your sweetie a

6 • THE PULSE • OCTOBER 12, 2017 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

“The more you pay attention, the more you’ll want to pay attention. More of your daily personal intersections will have greater meaning.” peck on the cheek like usual, hold on a sec. Why communicate a mere morsel of affection when you can communicate deeper feelings of love. Turn that peck into a big, sloppy smooch and lingering embrace. (Could be fun. Could make you late for work.)

Mom’s arthritis has been acting up and Dad’s been depressed.

Don’t just call, talk about little Timmy’s report card, and hang up. Choose to take the time to really talk with them. Be present. Ask questions. And listen to their answers, even if you’ve heard them a million times before. You might hear differently this time.

Being present. Paying attention.

Consciously choosing your behavior.

The more you pay attention, the more you’ll want to pay attention.

More of your daily personal intersections will have greater meaning. The folks at that church in Fort Wayne know what it’s like to grapple with intersections and so they reached out for guidance and insight. Sounds like a healthy way to go for all of us.

What’s the payoff? Relationships more deeply felt. A stronger spiritual connection to your world and everyone in it. Heightened senses.

In short, a life more fully lived. ···· Until next time: “It’s never too late to have a happy childhood.

But the second one is up to you.”

—Regina Brett Dr. Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D., is a psychotherapist, author, minister, and educator in private practice in Chattanooga.

Contact him at DrRPH.com, visit his wellness center at WellNestChattanooga.com

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • OCTOBER 12, 2017 • THE PULSE • 7

COVER STORY

The Holy Church Of Chili Our resident chef takes a very odd look back at the “history” of chili

By Mike McJunkin

O

Pulse contributor

N A CRISP, FALL EVENING IN THE YEAR OF our Lord 2001, my mind was engaged in steely resistance to the onslaught of self doubt and anxiety brought on by a task with which I had been entrusted.

Just one fortnight prior, the entirety of my house had come together to beseech, nay, to implore me to fashion a pot of the most precious of provisions— a savory ambrosia of meats, spices, and pure essence of somatic pleasure that goes by the succinct, yet suggestive name—chili.

As I sat, pouring over the volumes of chili recipes that had been handed down through the ages, a righteous anger began to rise in my belly. “Why!?”

I cried out. “Why amongst these dusty tomes does there not lie a chili worthy of my passions? What catechism of cookery exists that can reveal the secrets of this saporous delight?

While I was thus in the act of calling out into the darkness, a light broke and filled the room as if the sun had been disturbed from its nightly repose. A personage appeared before me, their visage glorious beyond description with a countenance beyond any earthly soul.

As my eyes took in this wonder I saw it to be a woman, dressed in the habiliments of a nun. Her raiment glowed with a soft cerulean glory, purer than the sea, more sublime than the clearest sky.

When I first looked upon her I was struck with fear, but calm washed over me as a voice spoke straight to my

heart and revealed her to be La Dama de Azul, Sister Mary of Agreda—The Lady in Blue. She was called by God during the 17th century to preach the Gospel of Christ to the inhabitants of the New World.

But this calling was to be a messenger in spirit rather than in body, so while her body lay entranced and motionless within the walls of her Spanish convent, her spirit would depart from its fleshly vessel and venture forth to the faraway New World where she would preach Christianity to the inhabitants and counsel them to seek out Spanish missionaries.

The Jumano people were so thankful for the soul-saving message of the Gospel that Sister Mary’s apparition was given a precious gift—a recipe for the Jumano tribe’s most celebrated food, a spicy stew of venison, onions, tomatoes, and chili peppers.

It was then that her voice became like a chorus of angels and proclaimed that she would give to me a celestial account of all chili knowledge. Her voice rang out saying that all nations, kindreds and tongues should know the fullness of this sacred, spicy manna; and that I had been tasked to be the earthly messenger for this precious chili knowledge.

8 • THE PULSE • OCTOBER 12, 2017 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

And thus she spoke unto me these words concerning the preparation of God’s own chili.

In the beginning…

In the beginning there were meats and chilies, and God saw that it was good. But God saw that it was not good for the meat and chilies to be alone, and so he brought to the Aztecs lobster, fish, frogs and a multitude of green, red, yellow, smoked and dried chilies to be added to the dish. And it was good.

As it is written, in the days of Spain’s King Philip the V, a group of families came to the New World from the Canary Islands and began to make a spicy Spanish stew that bred fear in the hearts of the local priests. They named it “The Devil’s Soup” due to the lustful passions they believed chili peppers aroused in the hearts of men. But their warnings were not heeded and by 1900 chili shops began to appear all over Texas.

Chile con carne beget the first Tex-

as chili, and Texas chili beget Tex-Mex chili, which beget Cincinnati chili and California chili, yea verily, all the chilies of the world. And it too was good.

Battle of the Beans After a short time, I stared blankly, musing at the marvels that had been revealed to me by this incorporeal messenger; when in the midst of my meditation, Dama de Azul began to speak of the great troubles brought upon the people by the bean.

“Yeah verily,” she began, “The elders of the International Chili Society have proclaimed that chili shall only be known as “any kind of meat or combination of meats, cooked with red chili peppers, various spices and other ingredients, with the exception of beans and pasta which are strictly forbidden.” So let it be written, so let it be done.”

And there was great weeping and gnashing of teeth across the land.

Upon hearing this, I began to rend my clothes and fell face down upon

COVER STORY the ground. “Alas, oh sovereign messenger of the Lord, the people are divided across this great land. Devotees of the bean will rise up against those of the true chili covenant. Dost thou not remember the great bean battles in the lands outside of Texas?”

There are some who speak as if possessed by a dark spirit saying that chili without beans is not chili, but merely meat sauce that has turned its back against the truth. But yet our fathers and our father’s fathers have passed down the knowledge that if one addeth beans, one maketh stew, and thine chili is no more. Did not the prophet Wick Fowler tell us “If you know beans about chili, you know that chili has no beans.”?

Sister Mary was so moved by my words that she had mercy on the people saying, “Just as pizza with pineapple is still pizza, so chili with beans remains chili. ‘Tis up to each eater to decide for themselves.” As for myself, I follow in the footsteps of the ancient chili prophets and cast my lot with those who eschew the bean. Where there is a bean in chili, the meat must compete and that is an abomination in my eyes.

The Book of Meats In the days of yore, when the chili fathers ruled supreme, chili was made from sun-dried beef that had been pounded together with suet and dried chilies then stewed upon the fire. Sister Mary spoke of our troubled modern times, where brother fights against brother over what pleaseth the Lord more—ground beef or cubed chunks.

The Lord spoke through Sister Mary and saith these truths; “Thou shalt procure the finest of meats, rich in connective tissue, fat and flavor. Eschew those muscles that do no work, like tenderloin or loin cuts. Instead, favor the harder working muscles like shoulder (chuck), short ribs, oxtail, or tri-tip, for those are blessed with flavor from on high.”

As was taught to me by the forefa-

“It was then that her voice became like a chorus of angels and proclaimed that she would give to me a celestial account of all chili knowledge.” thers, these meats are to be cooked low and slow so that their connective tissues, abundant with collagen, will break down into a rich gelatin and give the beef a luxurious texture worthy of praise.

In the days of my youth when time was short, ground beef was used across the land. But this is an abomination to the Lord. As it is written, chili is to be fashioned from the best meats, cut into 1/2”–1” cubes. These cubes shalt be seared on one side to establish the flavors of browning (all hail Maillard) while retaining a luscious soft texture on the remaining sides.

Chilies 6:13 And after the third hour, a voice like

that of a trumpet sounded long and waxed loudly, “I am La Dama de Azul, the keeper of the one true chili and thou shall respect my authoritah. Art thou making chili con carne or carne con chili? All ingredients shall serve the chili pepper as master – all other ingredients from the earth below and the skies above shall bow down to the chili pepper when fashioning a vessel of chili.”

When this, the High Priestess of Chili spake these words my heart leapt with joy and my soul cried out saying, “Who among us still makes use of the vile chili powders? Do we not know it is of a gritty nature with unpredictable flavors that can become stale

with age? Let the all the peoples of the earth rejoice in whole, dried chilies and the canned manna called Chipotles in Adobo Sauce.

Sweet, hot, smokey and fruity chilies are all called upon to mingle with one another in harmony. Chipotles mixing with Arbols, Cascabels intermingling with Anchos, these are all good in the sight of the Lord. Thy faithful servant, the dried chili should be pliable and leather-like. If it cracks and is brittle, it is an abomination and should be cast into the trash heap of Gehenna. To prevent a gritty texture, soak thine dry chilies in beef stock before blending into a puree.

The Ascension of La Dama de Azul Having delivered the good chili news and all the fullness therein, Sister Mary of Agreda began to ascend to the heavens saying, “Dear servant of the one true chili. Like a marriage, the coupling of beef, chili peppers and aromatics becomes better and more intimate with time. Be patient, dear servant, and allow thine chili to rest overnight, for this makes the Lord and all who eat of it smile and be glad.”

And in the fullness of time, when the chili has rested, reheated and is ready to feed those who are blessed to partake of its goodness, we sprinkle upon it scallions, cheese and drinketh a fine beer or whiskey. These are all good in the eyes of the Lord.

As she ascended into heaven, Sister Mary’s final words spoke of a recipe written upon bronze plates and kept in a cedar box beneath the old Chili King on Market Street. I transcribed this sacred chili recipe just before the angel Xapham took the plates back to heaven saying, “I must return these forthwith.

Our Lord needs them for his records.”

I fell prostrate on the floor and requested that the recipe be posted online. Thanks to the mercy of our Lord the recipe can be found on our website at chattanoogapulse.com

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • OCTOBER 12, 2017 • THE PULSE • 9

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Mixing Mediums To Create Unique Art Astri Snodgrass lives in an artistic intersection of styles

Finding Comedy In Family Dysfunction In some form or another, you’ve probably referred to your family as “dysfunctional” before. It’s often a common way to explain the crazy dynamics of family politics.

Imagine this: three adult sisters, each coping with the suicide of their mother and cat, and struggling with their own personal failures and shortcomings together under the same roof.

Now, does this match up to your own definition of dysfunctional? Didn’t think so. That’s what makes “Crimes of the Heart” so good; it’s relatable and absurd all at the same time.

Written by Beth Henley and first performed in 1979, “Crimes of The Heart” won a Pulitzer Prize in 1981 and later was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play. Taking place in the familiar southern backdrop of Mississippi, it follows the Magrath sisters as the struggle to make meaning out of their own lives while trying to keep their own family afloat.

Now through October 22nd, the Ensemble Theatre of Chattanooga will be debuting this production under the direction of Deborah Meeks, with the three Magrath sisters performed by Jennifer Arbogast Wilson (Meg), Monica Woodlief (Lenny), and Casey Keelen (Babe).

Tickets start at only $15 ($10 if you’re a student), so be sure stop by before the production ends later this month.

— Kelley J. Bostian Crimes of the Heart Friday & Saturday, 7:30 p.m.

Ensemble Theatre of Chattanooga 5705 Uptain Rd. (423) 987-5141 www.ensembletheatreofchattanooga.com 10 • THE PULSE • OCTOBER 12, 2017 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

By Ernie Paik

Pulse contributor

T

HE ARRESTING COLLAGES OF ASTRI Snodgrass have a raw, yet paradoxically tempered complexity that belies the simple intentions and materials—including masking tape—behind her body of work; bridging various disciplines, her distinctive abstractions combine watercolor-like qualities and jagged shapes in what can appear to be a celebration of irregularity.

Snodgrass has studied domestically and abroad in Argentina and Norway, and she joined the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Art Department last year as a lecturer in painting and drawing. Her upcoming exhibitions include the two-person show “Frame Work” with Masha Vla-

sova at the Fuller Projects in Bloomington, Ind. in November and a solo show at Channel to Channel in Nashville’s Packing Plant next March, and she took the time to discuss her work with The Pulse via email.

The Pulse: You use some uncommon techniques for your collages, sometimes using printmaking and photography techniques. Can you discuss these? How did you start creating work using masking tape?

Astri Snodgrass: In graduate school I was making works on cotton rag paper through a highly physical process of working reductively, like an eraser on a charcoal drawing. Masking tape was simply a tool to remove a layer of paper fiber by transferring marks from the paper to the adhesive. Each mark became doubled and inverted, like a positive and negative image in photography.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

“I describe my work as situated between painting, drawing, printmaking and photography, because it really has elements of all of those disciplines.”

Ultimately, it’s a very rudimentary kind of monotype.

The unpredictability of working blindly on the back of the tape surface keeps me in suspense. This led me to shift my focus from the paper to the tape itself as a substrate. Later, I started working with silver gelatin photograms and cyanotypes printed from the tape collages, which are somewhat translucent.

I like that with strips of masking tape, I can create the surface as I go. The abstract image and the object, by which I mean the very physicality, shape and scale of each piece, come into being at the same time. I relate this process to weaving, where the image is a part of and formed by the structure itself.

This forces me to negotiate the actual structural integrity of the piece as I work, which is really more of a sculptural concern than a painterly one.

TP: Your artist statement mentions using “dumb” materials to challenge the idea of an artist’s “heroic” gesture.

Can you elaborate on this and the intention behind this challenge?

AS: I think a lot about the baggage

that any painter inherits along with the medium. Painting is a grandiose discipline, steeped in mastery and tradition but also problematic exclusionary histories: who has traditionally been represented in paint and in turn who has not; who historically has had access to painting as a practice and owning or viewing paintings, and who has historically been denied that access.

Because of this historical weight, I tend to avoid gestures that can be read as overly heroic, masterful, impressive or virtuosic. Bold, macho Abstract Expressionist brushwork comes to mind.

I favor instead marks that reveal less of my hand than the inherent behavior of the materials. My gesture is often either amplified in scale through tears and rips, or mediated through transferring or printing.

I describe my work as situated between painting, drawing, printmaking and photography, because it really has elements of all of those disciplines. The medium of my collages can appear somewhat confounding and mysterious, even though they are comprised of the most ordinary and basic materi-

als. I use the word “dumb” to refer to a few things.

For one, I mean that the materials and techniques that I use are so simple that they are almost comical, and as such they don’t carry the same kind of historical baggage as something like oil paint. I also like that the word can refer to muteness (as in, struck dumb or dumbfounded).

One of the most captivating aspects of abstraction for me is how elusive it can be when trying to put language to it.

TP: Do you assign titles after a piece is A Shout Stuck in the Throat, 2017 completed, or does Acrylic on mylar and ink on Rives BFK collaged on masking tape an initial title idea to at the time, but the best ones come help shape how a piece turns out? from a moment of clarity during a stuAS: Titles are so difficult! They aldio visit with an artist or writer friend. most always come after the work is It’s such a gift when someone can finished. I keep lists as I work through enter into your space and put lanideas in the studio, and every so often guage to what you’re doing that fits I sit down to title a whole body of work better than any words you yourself at once. Often my titles are informed could have strung together. by whatever I’m reading or listening

THU10.12

FRI10.13

SAT10.14

Chatt About Science

The Woman in Black

Nightmare on Derby Street

A discussion of urban farming with UTC's Dr. Jose Barbosa, an expert on agriculture in urban spaces.

7 p.m.

2 Sons Kitchen and Market 422 E. MLK Blvd.

(423) 661-8709 2sonskitchen.com

Set in an abandoned theatre, a timid lawyer hires a professional actor to tutor him in the performing arts.

7:30 p.m.

Historic Mars Theatre 117 N. Chattanooga St. LaFayette, GA bapshows.com

Get decked out in your best Halloween outfit to scream your head off at the last home bout of the season!

4 p.m.

Convention Center 1150 Carter St. chattanoogarollergirls.com

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • OCTOBER 12, 2017 • THE PULSE • 11

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR

The Art of Pumpkin Painting

THURSDAY10.12 Ooltewah Farmers Market 3 p.m.

Ooltewah Nursery 5829 Main St. (423) 238-9775 ooltewahnursery.com Signal Mountain Farmers Market 4 p.m.

Pruett’s Market 1210 Taft Hwy. (423) 902-8023 signalmountainfarmersmarket.com Andrew Jackson’s Legacy 6 p.m.

The Hunter Museum of American Art 10 Bluff View Ave. (423) 267-0968 huntermuseum.org "The Art of Pumpkin Painting" 6 p.m.

Chattanooga Workspace 302 W. 6th St. (423) 822-5750 thechattery.org Chatt About Science: Inside Urban Farming 7 p.m.

2 Sons Kitchen and Market 422 E. MLK Blvd.

(423) 661-8709 2sonskitchen.com Robert Schoolfield Exhibition 7 p.m.

Frequency Arts 1804 E. Main St. facebook.com/frequencyarts Maybe A Sign with CC Calloway 7 p.m.

12 • THE PULSE • OCTOBER 12, 2017 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

The Apothecary Gallery 744 McCallie Ave. apthecarygallery.com Dale Jones 7:30 p.m.

The Comedy Catch 1400 Market St. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com Better Watch Out 8 p.m.

Palace Picture House 818 Georgia Ave. (423) 803-6578 chattpalace.com

FRIDAY10.13 Chattanooga Market at Erlanger 10:30 a.m.

Erlanger Hospital Medical Mall 975 E. 3rd St.

chattanoogamarket.com Wearable Art Trunk Show 5 p.m.

In-Town Gallery 26 Frazier Ave. (423) 267-9214 intowngallery.com Spooken Word Poetry 7 p.m.

LIT Gallery 4015 Tennessee Ave. (423) 227-5197 litartgallery.com Dale Jones 7:30, 9:45 p.m.

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

Ensemble Theatre of Chattanooga 5705 Uptain Rd.

ENTERTAINMENT SPOTLIGHT Dale’s machine gun style delivery and animated facials combined with quick improvisations provide for a night of non-stop physical comedy you won't soon forget.

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

(423) 987-5141 The Woman In Black 7:30 p.m.

Mars Theatre District 117 N. Chattanooga St. (706) 996-8350 bapshows.com Improv Showdown 8 p.m.

First Draft Theater 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 843-1775 improvchattanooga.com School Life 8 p.m.

Palace Picture House 818 Georgia Ave. (423) 803-6578 chattpalace.com The Long Game 10 p.m.

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

SATURDAY10.14 Swim The Suck 9 a.m.

Suck Creek Boat Launch 1907 Suck Creek Rd. swimthesuck10mile.com Prater’s Mill Country Fair 9 a.m.

Prater’s Mill 5845 Hwy. 2, Dalton, GA (706) 694-6455 pratersmill.org Small Business Workshop: Branding 9:30 a.m.

Northgate Library Branch

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR

Arts Meow 278 Northgate Mall Dr. (423) 643-7785 chattlibrary.org St. Alban’s Hixson Market 9:30 a.m.

St. Alban’s Episcopal Church 7514 Hixson Pike (423) 842-6303 Bark in the Park 10 a.m.

Heritage House Arts & Civic Center 1428 Jenkins Rd. (423) 855-9474 chattanooga.gov River Market Yoga 10 a.m.

Tennessee Aquarium Plaza 1 Broad St. (423) 648-2496 chattanoogarivermarket.com Northside Farmers Market 10 a.m.

Northside Presbyterian Church 923 Mississippi Ave. (423) 266-7497 Brainerd Farmers Market 11 a.m.

Grace Episcopal Church 20 Belvoir Ave. (404) 245-3682 Incline Art Crawl 11 a.m.

Incline Railway 3917 St. Elmo Ave. (423) 821-9056 lookoutmountain.com Farmer’s Market 11 a.m.

Nutrition World 6237 Vance Rd. (423) 892-4085 nutritionw.com Wild & Scenic Film Festival

Noon Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center 400 Garden Rd (423) 821-1160 reflectionriding.org Nightmare on Derby Street 4 p.m.

Chattanooga Convention Center 1150 Carter St. (423) 756-0001 chattanoogarollergirls.com English Country Dance 4 p.m.

Brainerd United Methodist Church 4315 Brainerd Rd. (423) 698-6951 brainerdumc.org Wearable Art Trunk Show 5 p.m.

In-Town Gallery 26 Frazier Ave. (423) 267-9214 intowngallery.com Dale Jones 7:30, 9:45 p.m.

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

Ensemble Theatre of Chattanooga 5705 Uptain Rd. (423) 987-5141 The Woman In Black 7:30 p.m.

Mars Theatre District 117 N. Chattanooga St. (706) 996-8350 bapshows.com

1 Star Reviews-The Show 8 p.m.

First Draft Theater 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 843-1775 improvchattanooga.com School Life 8 p.m.

Palace Picture House 818 Georgia Ave. (423) 803-6578 chattpalace.com Southside Carnival 8 p.m.

Southside Social 1818 Chestnut St. (423) 708-3280 thesouthsidesocial.com

SUNDAY10.15 Prater’s Mill Country Fair 9 a.m.

Prater’s Mill 5845 Hwy. 2, Dalton, GA (706) 694-6455 pratersmill.org Incline Art Crawl 11 a.m.

Incline Railway 3917 St. Elmo Ave. (423) 821-9056 lookoutmountain.com Chattanooga Market 11 a.m.

First Tennessee Pavilion 1829 Carter St. (423) 648-2496 chattanoogamarket.com Arts Meow Noon Coolidge Park 150 River St.

(423) 643-6311 thealicefund.org/arts-meow Free Fiddle School 2 p.m.

Fiddlers Anonymous 2248 Dayton Blvd.

(423) 994-7497 Crimes Of The Heart 2:30 p.m.

Ensemble Theatre of Chattanooga 911 Eastgate Loop (423) 602-8640 Marlon Wayans 7:30 p.m.

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

Palace Picture House 818 Georgia Ave. (423) 803-6578 chattpalace.com

MONDAY10.16 Red Bank Farmers Market 3 p.m.

Red Bank United Methodist 3800 Dayton Blvd.

(423) 838-9804 NPS: Ranger Lecture Series 5:30 p.m.

Bessie Smith Cultural Center 200 E. MLK Blvd.

(423) 266-8658 bessiesmithcc.org The African American Experience at Camp Contraband 5:30 p.m.

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • OCTOBER 12, 2017 • THE PULSE • 13

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR

Marlon Wayans Bessie Smith Cultural Center 200 E. MLK Blvd. bessiesmithcc.org Will This Float?

6 p.m.

River Place 2 Aquarium Way (423) 648-2195 colab.co Marlon Wayans 7:30 p.m.

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

TUESDAY10.17 Tuesday Night Chess Club 6 p.m.

Downtown Library 1001 Broad St. (423) 643-7700 chattilibrary.com "Speed Learning: 8 Ways to Improve Your Business Skills in 8 Minutes" 6 p.m.

Miller Plaza 850 Market St. (423) 265-3700 thechattery.org The End of Innovation with Dr. Greg Thompson 6:30 p.m.

The Camp House 149 E. MLK Blvd.

(423) 702-8081 thecamphouse.com School Life 8 p.m.

Palace Picture House 818 Georgia Ave. (423) 803-6578

14 • THE PULSE • OCTOBER 12, 2017 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

chattpalace.com

WEDNESDAY10.18 Middle Eastern Dance 10:30 a.m.

Jewish Cultural Center 5461 North Terrace (423) 493-0270 jewishchattanooga.com Chattanooga Market at Erlanger East 10:30 a.m.

Erlanger East Hospital 1751 Gunbarrel Rd. (423) 648-2496 chattanoogamarket.com Main Street Market 4 p.m.

522 W. Main St. mainstfarmersmarket.com Comedy Open Mic 7:30 p.m.

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

JJ's Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd.

(423) 266-1400 jjsbohemia.com School Life 8 p.m.

Palace Picture House 818 Georgia Ave. (423) 803-6578 chattpalace.com

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

the Pulse

Halloween Guide the haunted barn come visit The scariest haunt in the region

"odd"tober family fun at the tennessee aquarium

plus: haunted houses & halloween events WHERE TO GO, WHAT TO SEE, WHEN TO SCREAM

your weekly guide to chattanooga's favorite halloween haunts

The Haunted Barn

I

f you enjoy dancing, bonfires, and a terrifying haunted house, then the Haunted Barn is where you need to be this weekend. This haunted experience is unlike any other around town as they have a live DJ who is playing all your favorites while you wait for your number to be called.

That’s right, you don’t have to stand for half an hour or longer in a boring line, you get to dance with your friends, scary stilt walkers, and giant monsters while you wait.

Maybe they’re trying to help you ignore the fact that you’re about to enter a horrifying, 16-room barn and maze designed to shock you to your core. And if fear hasn’t driven your appetite away, you can grab some food from the Snack Shack while you warm up next to the bonfire or stroll through the graveyard…if you dare!

This is the Haunted Barn’s 23rd

year and their experience shows as you walk through the previously mentioned 16-room barn, ending with a pitch-black maze as you desperately seek the light at the end of the maze.

This is by far the scariest haunted house I’ve been to in over five years.

If you are scared of the dark this barn will scare you to your core, as often you can’t see anything, and instead you must reach into total darkness to find the next twist or turn.

There are numerous actors

throughout and everyone’s makeup is unbelievable. Just when you think someone is a dummy, they jump out and scare the daylights out of you!

If you have a fear, even just one measly fear, this experience will surely bring it to life, becoming more terrifying with every room you pass through. From clowns and little kids, small spaces and darkness to zombies and so much more, the Haunted Barn will not fail to frighten you!

The Haunted Barn is not for the faint of heart and I must be honest, I had an actual panic attack after facing one of my biggest fears, so scaredy cats beware. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!

The Haunted Barn is open every Friday and Saturday through the rest of the month. Tickets go on sale at 7 p.m. and the last ticket is sold at midnight. — Jessica Manning

ODDtober at The Aquarium

T

wo things you likely never thought would go together: Halloween and the Tennessee Aquarium. And yet, every year in October, the Aquarium takes the opportunity to highlight the real monsters of nature. No, not vampires, werewolves or witches, but pufferfish, eels and things that only come out in the dark.

Every week of October the focus of these “Odd” exhibits will change.

For example, this week will feature “Touchable Sharks” and “Colorful Chameleons,” and next week will focus on “Not-So-Creepy Crawlies” and “Bizarre Butterflies.” If a specific animal or topic interests you, don’t forget to stop by and check it out.

Times and events are listed on the Aquarium’s website.

On top of this, the ODDtober calendar is bringing something new to the table this year. Every Sunday at

16 • THE PULSE • OCTOBER 12, 2017 • HALLOWEEN GUIDE • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

1:15 p.m., guests can show up without registering and participate in the “Young Scientist” program that features an Aquarium educator ready to engage young children in informative chats about certain creatures or themes. Though the program is primarily geared towards younger children, adults too will find the expert led discussions engaging and unique.

All of these ODDtober activities lead to probably the most popular Aquarium event of the year: The AquaScarium Family Halloween Party.

In a nutshell, the party lets attendees walk through its exhibits at night, which are appropriately Halloween themed by the educators and scuba divers working the event. It’s not uncommon to see a Spiderman scuba diver cleaning the shark tank, or a mad scientist leading a discussion on stingrays.

Over the years, it’s become an event that encourages families to collaborate creatively on costume designs and celebrate the holiday without worrying about anything trying to scare you.

If any of this sounds intriguing, be sure to come out and support The Aquarium by participating in these unique annual events! Whatever your October schedule looks like, the Aquarium likely has an ODDtober event that works for you and your family. — Kelley J. Bostian

Haunted Houses & Events The Haunted Cavern

Halloween Eerie Express

Thur-Sun & Halloween Dread Hollow 321 Browns Ferry Rd. (423) 821-2544 hauntedcavern.com

Fri & Sat in October Tennessee Valley Railroad 4119 Cromwell Rd. (423) 894-8028 tvrail.com

Blowing Springs Farm

Haunted Trail

Fri-Sun till October 29 271 Chattanooga Valley Rd. (706) 820-2531 blowingspringsfarm.com Rocktoberfest Fall Festival

Sat & Sun in October Rock City Gardens 1400 Patten Rd. (706) 820-2531 seerockcity.com

Escape Experience Chattanooga

Oct. 1-31 1800 Rossville Ave. (423) 551-3306 escapeexperience.com

Acres of Darkness: Haunted Woods & Family Adventure

Oct. 13-14, 20-21, & 27-28 Audubon Acres 900 North Sanctuary Rd. (423) 892-1499 acresofdarkness.com Boo in the Zoo

Oct. 13-14 Enterprise South Nature Park 190 Still Hollow Loop (423) 893-3500 hamiltontn.gov/esnp

Oct. 1-31 257 Hwy. 307 E. Athens, TN (423) 746-9859 mayfieldmaze.com ODDtober

Fri & Sat in October Tennessee Aquarium 1 Broad St. (800) 262-0695 tnaqua.org Post-Mortem Haunted Trail

Tri-State Exhibition Center 200 Natures Trail S. McDonald, TN (423) 476-9310 postmortem.myfreesites.net Ringgold Haunted Depot

Chattanooga Ghost Tours

The Haunted Barn

Fall Hayrides & Campfires

Saturdays in October Cloudland Canyon State Park 122 Cloudland Canyon Park Rd. (706) 657-4050 gastateparks.org

1371 Hwy. 64 Cleveland, TN Fri - Sun through Oct. 29 (423) 650-0710 therivermaze.com WinnepeSPOOKah!

Fri & Sat in October Lake Winnepesaukah 1730 Lakeview Dr. (706) 866-5681 lakewinnie.com

Mayfield Corn Maze, Pumpkin Patch & Haunted Trail

Oct. 20-22 & 27-29 Chattanooga Zoo 301 N. Holtzclaw Ave. (423) 697-1322 chattzoo.org Nightly in October 57 E. Fifth St. (423) 800-5998 chattanoogaghosttours.com

The River Maze

Oct. 13-14, 20-21, 27-28 155 Depot St. (706) 935-3061 cityofringgoldga.gov

Fri & Sat in October 5017 McDonald Rd. McDonald, TN (423) 396-9790 thehauntedbarnchattanooga.com The Haunted Hilltop

Fri & Sat in October 8235 Highway 58 (423) 488-3956 thehauntedhilltop.com

BARKtober Fest and MEOWlloween Party

October 21 McKamey Animal Center 4500 N. Access Rd. (423) 305-6500 mckameyanimalcenter.org Scary-Oke Contest

October 28 Sing It or Wing It 410 Market St. (423) 757-WING singitorwingitchattanooga.com Big Chill Halloween Bash

October 28 The Big Chill 103 Cherokee Blvd.

(423) 267-2455 thebigchillgrill.com Trick or Treat

Oct. 31 Hamilton Place Mall 2100 Hamilton Place Blvd.

(423) 894-7177 hamiltonplace.com Trick or Treat

Oct. 31 Nortgate Mall 271 Northgate Mall Dr. (423) 875-4351 visitnorthgatemall.com THE PULSE • HALLOWEEN GUIDE • OCTOBER 12, 2017 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • 17

18 • THE PULSE • OCTOBER 12, 2017 • HALLOWEEN GUIDE • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

FOOD & DRINK ∙ MIXOLOGY

Simply The Best Of Both Worlds Mixing beer and liquor has a long and tasty American history

By Jessica Manning Pulse contributor

I

’M SURE YOU HAVE HEARD THE saying “liquor before beer you’re in the clear, beer before liquor and you’ve never been sicker.” Maybe it’s the unspoken law you drink by, but have you ever considered how beer cocktails throws this belief system out the window?

It is unknown how this rhyme came to be, but it is likely linked to how beer is digested. The carbonation of the beer irritates the lining of the stomach, thus increasing the rate of alcohol absorption.

So starting with beer and then switching to liquor may seem to lead to intoxication more quickly. However, what really matters is not the type of alcohol, but rather the rate it is consumed and whether it is combined with food or not.

People don’t tend to drink a lot of beer after they’ve started with liquor, rather people start with beer then cross to liquor as the night goes on. And when they become sick they assume it was the liquor that made them sick, not the quantity of alcohol consumed.

Tasty beer cocktails also help dissolve this myth as they most often have liquor mixed with beer. The combination is popular among drinkers today, but it is believed to have surfaced in America as early as the 1920’s during Prohibition. Beer has been mixed with other ingredients long before making its way to our shores, possibly hundreds of years. Making beer hasn’t always been a clean or pure process like it is today, so people would often mix other items to help offset the bitter taste with items like honey, rosemary, grapes, or even poppy seeds.

Why mix beer and cocktails? Some peo-

“People don’t tend to drink a lot of beer after they’ve started with liquor, rather people start with beer then cross to liquor as the night goes on.” ple like the combinations because beer gives cocktails a bit of fizz, without watering down the drink.

The yeastiness of the beer also balances and mellows any excessive sweetness in the cocktail.

Some ingredients that are mixed with beer today to spice it up include Irish cream, sparkling wine, champagne, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, sake, eggs, lemonade, orange juice, hot sauce, and even salt & pepper. Some of these sound terribly nasty and I don’t suggest trying those combinations, but more popular beer cocktails you could try are Irish car bombs, black velvet, bull’s eye, and a beer sangria.

Maybe you have been in a restaurant and walked by a table that had an upside down Corona in the margarita, this is known as a beerita or a Coronarita. The bartender will slightly turn the mar-

garita and beer horizontal and place it inside the drink. This creates a suction making sure that all the beer doesn’t come out at once, but as the drink empties, more beer pours into the glass.

If you aren’t a margarita drinker, you may actually like this drink as the beer cuts down on some of the sweet and sour taste of the cocktail, and the flavor actually changes as you get closer to the bottom.

So the next time you’re tailgating or watching the game at home, before you pop that beer open, consider shaking things up and whipping up a beer cocktail!

The Coronarita • 1 ¼ ounces tequila • ½ ounce triple sec • 3 ounces margarita mix • 1 Coronita 7 ounce beer • 1 lime wedge Salt the rim of a margarita glass. Combine tequila, triple sec, and margarita mix in a cocktail shaker filled partway with ice. Shake vigorously, then strain into a glass filled halfway with ice. Invert the Corona and garnish with a lime wedge.

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • OCTOBER 12, 2017 • THE PULSE • 19

MUSIC

Death And The Blues In ChattTown Mark “Porkchop” Holder raises the bar with new solo release

Come Catch A Rising Country Star NBC’s The Voice semi-finalist, Amber Carrington, will be performing this Friday at the Songbirds Guitar Museum for their Rhythm & Boo event.

Some say that Amber sings with little to no effort, as her voice comes naturally, allowing her to sing with style and ease. She is a small-town country girl who was raised in the great state of Texas.

Amber gained American’s attention when she succeeded as a semi-finalist on Season 4 of The Voice where her stunning voice challenged her coach, Adam Levine of Maroon 5.

Levine was able to push Amber’s talent and powerhouse voice into uncharted territory, landing her in the top 10 of the iTunes charts and locked her into a spot on The Voice’s top five performers.

Amber is currently living in Nashville, where she recently performed at the Grand Ole Opry for the third time.

She is also working hard to record her first single with original material.

Amber and her band will be presenting the women of old school country music: Patsy Cline, Tammy Wynette, Dolly Parton and many more.

This country girl is on her way to the top, so come get a listen while you can! — Jessica Manning Amber Carrington Band Friday, 7:30 p.m.

Songbirds Guitar Museum 35 Station St. (423) 531-2473 www.songbirdsguitars.com 20 • THE PULSE • OCTOBER 12, 2017 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

By Marc T. Michael Pulse Music Editor

M

ARK “PORKCHOP” HOLDER’S SECond solo album is scheduled for release on November 3rd on vinyl, CD, digital and streaming formats, and I’m rapidly running out of superlatives to describe his work.

Holder, along with partners in crime Doug Bales and Travis Kilgore, consistently puts out some of the hottest blues in this region (or any other part of the world for that matter) with each release somehow raising the bar even when that doesn’t seem possible.

His debut solo album was released only nine months ago and either this latest entry was being developed simultaneously, or the man simply never sleeps. Ringing in at eleven tracks, this a full album, more and more a rarity in the era of EPs and single releases.

Mind you, the new paradigm certainly has its

advantages, but I suppose I’m old school enough that I still like putting on an artist and letting the record play for forty minutes or so.

Of the eleven tracks, three are covers, tastefully chosen and artfully executed. Covers are a tricky business. Make a tune sound as close to original as possible, and what’s the point? Change it up for the sake of changing it up and it runs the risk of being hollow or trite, musical masturbation.

A cover song really only works when the new artist legitimately has something to say with it, and a voice with which to say it; too many do not.

Not so with Holder and company, as he breathes spectacular new life into old favorites like “Nobody Wants to Cry,” “Sad and Lonely Nights,” and, delightfully enough, “Billy the Kid,” an old Marty Robbins tune.

Three cover tunes leaves eight all-original, freshly penned songs that demonstrate beautifully that all the hard touring and long road gigs are honing the band’s already keen sensibilities to a

MUSIC

“Beginning to end, this album is another jewel in the crown of one the greatest bluesmen this area has ever known.” razor’s edge. Blues begat rock and roll, this is known. Step by step, rock and roll evolved into dozens of sub-genres and, for a time at least, pushed the envelope in to newer, more dangerous sounding territory, growing heavier and meaner.

Holder’s blues tells evolution to get bent, leaping ahead several stages in to a place that straddles the line between classic Delta Blues and quasi-metal, combining the most powerful elements of both in a gutsy, raw, blistering beast. I’ve compared Holder’s guitar work to Billy Gibbons more than once and, I have noted, so have other reviewers.

I worry that this comparison may be lost on many people who only know Gibbons through the radio hits of ZZ Top, which, though they are replete with some mean guitar riffs, are still radio hits and as such are a less than complete representation of the man Jimi

Hendrix once called, “America’s best young guitar player.”

Once you understand why Gibbons is considered a guitar player’s guitar player, the fact that so many of us can’t help but make the comparison between his work and Holder’s ought to speak volumes about Holder’s skill.

All of this is a roundabout way of saying once again that Holder is one hell of an axeslinger, giving much-needed life to a genre that is all too often repetitive and, ironically, soulless.

That Holder has found the perfect combination with Bales and Kilgore is icing on the cake, the final piece of a puzzle several decades in the making.

Simply put, this is blues you can sink your teeth into, raw and primal, tempered with clear, intelligent lyrics and vocals.

There just isn’t another act like this out there today.

Each track is another mini-

masterpiece, but I have to give a tip of the hat to one in particular, if only because it exemplifies the spirit of Holder, and the nature of camaraderie that exists between genuine, hardworking professional musicians who lived the sort of life so many artists pretend to.

The tune is “James Leg,” dedicated to another phenomenal bluesman who has managed to make his mark on the world stage.

Maybe it’s just that I was lucky enough to be there twenty years ago, to know both men and to follow their careers in the intervening time, but the love and sincerity of this tune is what music is all about, at least to a working musician.

Beginning to end, this album is another jewel in the crown of one the greatest bluesmen this area has ever known. That so significant and sterling an album is only his second solo effort raises the question, how will he top this?

Still, I know Holder, his passion, his talent and his drive, and while this album is surely a stunning achievement, it is only a step on the way to the legendary status the man and his band are bound for.

THU10.12 Drew Robbins

A solo acoustic show that spans hits from the 60s to the 00s covering everything from rock, pop, blues, country and more.

7 p.m.

The Tap House 3800 St Elmo Ave. taphousechatt.com

FRI10.13 Tree Tops

The Knoxville-based five piece has really turned the sound around and placed a renewed focus on musical intricacies.

10 p.m.

Clyde’s On Main 122 W. Main St. clydesonmain.com

SAT10.14 Hive Theory, Stoned Cold Fox, Kindora

It's a "black light party" at JJ's with prizes for the best black light attire and three great bands.

9 p.m.

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

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • OCTOBER 12, 2017 • THE PULSE • 21

LIVE MUSIC CALENDAR

The Nth Power

THURSDAY10.12 The Nth Power, Sound Advice 5:45 p.m.

Bessie Smith Cultural Center 200 E. MLK Blvd. bessiesmithcc.org James Crumble Trio 6 p.m.

St. John’s Meeting Place 1278 Market St. stjohnsrestaurant.com Rick Rushing 6 p.m.

Backstage Bar 29 Station St. backstagechattanooga.com Forever Bluegrass 6 p.m.

Whole Foods Market 301 Manufacturers Rd. wholefoodsmarket.com Singer Songwriter Series 7 p.m.

Fiamma Pizza Company 405 N. Market St. fiammapizzacompany.com Tim Lewis 7 p.m.

Southside Social 1818 Chestnut St. thesouthsidesocial.com Open Mic Night with Ryan Oyer 7 p.m.

Moccasin Bend Brewing Co. 3210 Broad St. bendbrewingbeer.com Caney Creek Company 7 p.m.

Greenway Farms 5051 Gann Store Rd. (423) 643-6311

22 • THE PULSE • OCTOBER 12, 2017 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

Drew Robbins 7 p.m.

The Tap House 3800 St Elmo Ave. taphousechatt.com Reeds, Strings & Hammers 7:30 p.m.

Roland Hayes Concert Hall 752 Vine St. utc.edu/fine-arts-center Jubal 7:30 p.m.

The Granfalloon 400 E. Main St. granfalloonchattanooga.com Keepin’ It Local 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 All Star Jam 9 p.m.

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

FRIDAY10.13 Remedy Tree 7 p.m.

Charles & Myrtle’s Coffeehouse 105 McBrien Rd. christunity.org Amber Carrington Band 7:30 p.m.

Songbirds Guitar Museum 35 Station St. songbirdsguitars.com Our Musical Heritage 7:30 p.m.

Second Presbyterian Church

PULSE MUSIC SPOTLIGHT There are two kinds of people in the world: those who love Delbert McClinton and those who haven’t heard him yet. Delbert is always working on that second group.

Delbert McClinton Saturday, 8 p.m.

Tivoli Theatre 709 Broad St. tivolichattanooga.com

700 Pine St. secondpreschattanooga.org Mike Compton & Joe Newberry 8 p.m.

Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. barkinglegs.org Red Rogers 8 p.m.

The Casual Pint 5550 Hwy. 153 hixson.thecasualpint.com Instant Reply 8:30 p.m.

The Foundry 1201 Broad St. chattanooganhotel.com Johnathan Wimpee 9 p.m.

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

Puckett’s Restaurant 2 W. Aquarium Way puckettsgro.com Town Mountain, Dead 27S 9 p.m.

Revelry Room 41 Station St. revelryroom.co Jerry Grant & The Corruptors 9 p.m.

The Brew & Cue 5017 Rossville Blvd.

(423) 867-9402 Hudson K, Stronger Sex, Danimal Planet 9 p.m.

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

LIVE MUSIC CALENDAR

Hudson K Tree Tops 10 p.m.

Clyde’s On Main 122 W. Main St. clydesonmain.com Rough Work 10 p.m.

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

SATURDAY10.14 Bluegrass Brunch Noon The Honest Pint 35 Patten Pkwy. thehonestpint.com Southlander 8 p.m.

The Casual Pint 5550 Hwy. 153 hixson.thecasualpint.com Seven To The Sea 8 p.m.

Charles & Myrtle’s Coffeehouse 105 McBrien Rd. christunity.org Delbert McClinton 8 p.m.

Tivoli Theatre 709 Broad St. tivolichattanooga.com Dr. B and The Ease, Over Easy 8 p.m.

Mayo’s Bar & Grill 3820 Brainerd Rd. mayosbarandgrill.com Deceased, Coathanger Abortion, Elder, Summoner’s Circle, Pale Rider 8 p.m.

Music Box @ Ziggy’s

607 Cherokee Blvd. ziggysbarandgrill.net Instant Replay 8:30 p.m.

The Foundry 1201 Broad St. chattanooganhotel.com Charlsey Etheridge 9 p.m.

Puckett’s Restaurant 2 W. Aquarium Way puckettsgro.com Drivin N’ Cryin, Gaslight Street 9 p.m.

Revelry Room 41 Station St. revelryroom.co Hive Theory, Stoned Cold Fox, Kindora 9 p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com Eric Rhodes 9 p.m.

Rumors 3884 Hixson Pike (423) 870-3003 Josiah & The Greater Good 10 p.m.

Clyde’s On Main 122 W. Main St. clydesonmain.com Scary-Oke With M.J. 10 p.m.

The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com Rough Work 10 p.m.

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

SUNDAY10.15 The Bird & The Bear 11 a.m.

Flying Squirrel Bar 55 Johnson St. flyingsquirrelbar.com Nancy Westmoreland 1:30 p.m.

Flying Squirrel Bar 55 Johnson St. flyingsquirrelbar.com Eric Rhodes 2 p.m.

Southern Belle 201 Riverfront Pkwy. chattanoogariverboat.com Bluegrass Jam 4 p.m.

Fiddler’s Anonymous 2248 Dayton Blvd.

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

Long Haul Saloon 2536 Cummings Hwy. (423) 822-9775 Maria and Josh Sable 7 p.m.

Southside Social 1818 Chestnut St. thesouthsidesocial.com Mathis & Martin 7 p.m.

The BackStage Bar 29 Station St. (423) 629-2233 Rob Faucette 7 p.m.

Charles & Myrtle’s Coffeehouse 105 McBrien Rd. christunity.org Cd7 & Cinematic

9 p.m.

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

MONDAY10.16 Open Mic Night 6 p.m.

Puckett’s Grocery 2 W. Aquarium Way puckettsgro.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 KlusterfunK & Blake Morrison 8 p.m.

5th Quarter Tavern 6729 Ringgold Rd. (423) 498-1523

TUESDAY10.17 Danimal 6 p.m.

Backstage Bar 29 Station St. backstagechattanooga.com Danish String Quartet CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • OCTOBER 12, 2017 • THE PULSE • 23

LIVE MUSIC CALENDAR

The BoDeans 6:30 p.m.

Hunter Museum of American Art 10 Bluff View Ave. huntermuseum.org Bill McCallie and In Cahoots 6:30 p.m.

Southern Belle 201 Riverfront Pkwy. chattanoogariverboat.com Courtney Holder 7 p.m.

Southside Social 1818 Chestnut St. thesouthsidesocial.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

WEDNESDAY10.18 Swayyvo 11:30 a.m.

Waterhouse Pavilion 850 Market St. millerplazachattanooga.com.

Toby Hewitt 6 p.m.

Backstage Bar 29 Station St. backstagechattanooga.com No Big Deal 6 p.m.

SpringHill Suites 495 Riverfront Pkwy. springhillsuites.com Old Time Fiddle & Banjo Show

24 • THE PULSE • OCTOBER 12, 2017 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

6:30 p.m.

Fiddler’s Anonymous 2248 Dayton Blvd.

(423) 994-7497 The BoDeans 7 p.m.

Songbirds Guitar Museum 35 Station St. songbirdsguitars.com Cheering Tokyo 7 p.m.

Bud’s Sports Bar 5751 Brainerd Rd. budssportsbar.com Amber Carrington 7 p.m.

Southside Social 1818 Chestnut St. thesouthsidesocial.com Joel Brothers 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 Jazz In The Lounge 8 p.m.

Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. barkinglegs.org 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

RECORD REVIEWS ∙ ADAM BECKETT

Keem The Cipher, Opposite Box

Keem The Cipher Exploration (keemthecipher.bandcamp.com)

K

eem the Cipher, delivers an engaging and powerful sound with his most recent experimental hip hop/instrumental LP release Exploration. The beautiful music that pours from the album is excellent on many levels, I love how it touches on that pure, original hip-hop sound, yet is congealed with Keem’s own unique and distinctive touch; it is refreshing.

The thought provoking beats and melodies are soul warming ear candy that could center the listener, and help them to focus their hearts and minds.

Emotion and clarity blares from within the music in this album. It takes a deep individual to create instrumental music that can hold substantial weight, yet still sound amazing. It flawlessly flows and is absolutely captivating.

Love seems to be the undertone of all the tracks, and it’s apparent that Keem the Cipher understands the many facets of love, and knows how to pour it into his music. This style of music cannot come from any other place besides love (and soul).

The interludes which continue to focus on the base of the album (love) that are laced between the tracks are

Opposite Box OBscene (oppositebox.bandcamp.com) very insightful. The conversations that take place center around love, and the meaning of it. It shows that while there are many levels and meanings to love, he tries to demonstrate that just because one person fully understands the many angles of love, people will always have different viewpoints of it.

“IDK”, “What Is It”, “Where Is It” and “For How Much” all hold different interpretations of love While the album is phenomenal in its totality, and skipping tracks is totally unnecessary, a few of the tracks are unforgettable. The standout tracks “More than Ever”, “Bad/Perfect Timing”, “Nothing Like You” and “Make Me Better" are excellent, and all possess an authentic sound.

Exploration goes on the soundtrack to my life, and will keep a steady stream as a daily listen. It is perfect music for most situations, particularly when grounding and focus are in order. A Chattanooga artist producing that real hip-hop; imagine that.

C

hattanooga’s Opposite Box recently unleashed their spellbinding new album OBscene,

and it is awesome. Since it twists, turns, and bends genres, it isn’t easy to classify this album under one specific genre, so let’s try the very good funky music category.

With a jam band-esque feel to it, Opposite Box does a fantastic job of fitting a lot of sound into each track.

An impressive mix of vocals, trombone, keys, guitars, drums, bass, and synth all fluently flow to make potentially the best album to come out of Chattanooga in the last decade. The members of the band are stellar musicians that bring their own pizzazz to the group, which all comes together to deliver ultra-groovy music.

My favorite thing about the album besides the rocking music is the effortless heart and soul that pours from it.

This album is a dance party waiting to happen, the music will get inside of the bones of the listener and take hold. It is very hard to sit still while their music is floating around in the airwaves, if not impossible.

The tracks mostly range between the eight to ten-minute mark without ever getting boring, dull, or redundant, it is stellar from tip to top. Each song on the album is a candidate for the featured song on the album, so it is hard to pick a standout. I will say that my personal favorites are “Afternoon Sex”, “Anteater Molly”, and “Creatures”.

OBscene is an instant classic, and a powerhouse display of the state of the music scene in Chattanooga. If ChattTown was not already consistently in discussion as a music mecca, this album would put it on the map. It truly speaks for itself, and holds that it sound that separates the sheep from the wolves. Give this local album a listen, and look for this phenomenal band to hit the household nationwide scene in the very near future.

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • OCTOBER 12, 2017 • THE PULSE • 25

FILM & TELEVISION

A Tale Of Religion And Controversy The Little Hours brings an old tale to new cinematic life

Reading, ‘Rithmetic And Rock ‘N Roll For years, Chattanooga film lovers that wanted to see independent or documentary films had to either travel to Atlanta or Nashville or be content with streaming websites. Nowadays, of course, Chattanooga is home to one of the most cutting-edge arthouse cinemas in the South, The Palace Picture House.

And the folks at PPH keep things very interesting. Case in point: School Life (originally known as In Loco Parentis), a fascinating documentary by the directing duo of Neasa Ní Chianáin and David Rane.

This observational documentary follows a year in the lives of two inspirational teachers at Headfort, the only primary-age boarding school in Ireland. Headfort School, housed in an 18th Century Hogwarts-like estate, embraces tradition and modernity, and this is John and Amanda Leyden’s life.

For John, rock music is just another subject alongside Maths, Scripture and Latin, taught in a collaborative and often hilarious fashion. For Amanda, the key to connecting with children is the book and she uses all means to engage the minds of her young charges with literature.

For nearly half a century these two have shaped thousands of minds but now they must start making preparations for their retirement? What will keep them young if they leave? Find out yourself this week at the Palace Picture House. — Michael Thomas School Life See website for showtimes Palace Picture House 818 Georgia Ave. (423) 803-6578 www.chattpalace.com 26 • THE PULSE • OCTOBER 12, 2017 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

By John DeVore Pulse Film Editor

T

HERE ARE A WEALTH OF STORIES TO be found in the public domain. Storytelling after the advent of copyright laws and arguably the perpetual ownership of properties can do more harm than good when taken through the long view of human culture.

We are a people steeped in oral histories, retelling and reshaping the familiar into something new yet recognizable, adding new flavors and dimensions to well-trodden paths.

When a story or property is tightly (and corporately) controlled, innovation is stifled and stories become stale. An artist with a fresh view can invigorate even the stodgiest of stories, bringing something old to a new generation by updating the language or humor while maintaining the

original meaning.

Think about the varied approaches to Shakespeare—from Baz Lurhman’s Romeo+Juliet to the little known Scotland, PA. to The Lion King, the world’s most famous adaptation of Hamlet.

Each of these films brought something new to the themes found in the Bard’s most famous tales.

Imagine if these stories were wholly owned properties of Sony?

At any rate, there are other writers and other stories that can be found within the public domain that are worthy of retelling. The Little Hours, a film

by Jeff Baena, is a loose retelling of several tales from The Decameron by Giovanni Boccacio. It’s delightfully weird, stacked with talent, and relatively unknown to most filmgoers. That the Catholic League labeled it “trash, pure trash” is as ringing an endorsement as you could hope.

The Little Hours tells the story of a poorly run

FILM & TELEVISION

“An artist with a fresh view can invigorate even the stodgiest of stories, bringing something old to a new generation by updating the language or humor while maintaining the original meaning.” convent sometime in the Middle Ages. The sisters spend their time digging root vegetables, embroidering fabric, and cursing out the handyman that works for Father Tommasso (John C. Reilly). It’s apparent that most of the nuns have no interest in nunning—Alessandra (Alison Brie), for instance, hopes to be married.

Her father is a rich merchant run afoul of some bad luck, and is hiding his daughter away until he can afford the necessary dowry to marry her off. Ginerva (Kate Miccuci) mostly wants to be accepted by her fellow nuns, to whom she feels a strange attraction. Fernanda (Aubrey Plaza) is as far from pious as a person can get.

They all whittle away their time with their mundane tasks until a new young worker arrives at the

convent. Masseto is on the run from a local lord for fornication with his master’s wife. He assists Father Tommasso and sets to hiding from his fate, pretending to be a deaf-mute gardener and desperately hoping to stay on the straight and narrow. The nuns have other plans, however.

The reasons for the Catholic League’s distaste should be fairly obvious—nothing is sacred in the film. But Baena didn’t create these stories. He merely retold them. It is historically accurate to say that many nuns in this time period weren’t nuns by choice.

They were forced to take vows for a variety of reasons. Not to mention, ribald humor from the time period commonly featured various members of the clergy.

The Catholic Church has always been a source of humor

for most of its existence. There’s no sense in complaining now.

That said, some audience members may find The Little Hours to be more dull than droll.

There is a pointlessness to the entire exercise, particularly in that despite a hysterical dressing down by a visiting bishop (Fred Armisen), there’s not much in the way of consequences for any of the characters.

That may be the point, however.

These small acts of defiance, which later become large acts of defiance, are merely a way for the characters to pass the time in an otherwise meager and frustrating existence. Gardening isn’t enough for everyone.

The Little Hours is a charming film and a good way to pass a rainy afternoon. The language and jokes are updated to make it more palatable to modern audiences, although if you aren’t a fan of weirdness for the sake of weirdness, it might not be the film for you.

If there’s anything in you that finds foul-mouthed nuns chasing Dave Franco around a sparsely populated farm particularly hilarious, though, The Little Hours is a definite must see.

✴ ✴ NEW IN THEATERS ✴ ✴

Marshall A fascinating true tale about a young Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American Supreme Court Justice, as he battles through one of his career-defining cases.

Director: Reginald Hudlin Stars: Chadwick Boseman, Josh Gad, Kate Hudson, Sterling K. Brown

The Foreigner A humble businessman with a buried past seeks justice when his daughter is killed in an act of terrorism. A catand-mouse conflict ensues with a government official, whose past may hold clues to the killers' identities.

Director: Martin Campbell Stars: Katie Leung, Jackie Chan, Rufus Jones, Mark Tandy

ALL NEW. ALL FOR YOU.

ChattanoogaHasCars.com THE TENNESSEE VALLEY’S MOST POWERFUL AUTOMOTIVE SHOPPING TOOL CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • OCTOBER 12, 2017 • THE PULSE • 27

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY ∙ ROB BREZSNY LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “I am more interested in human beings than in writing,” said author Anais Nin, “more interested in lovemaking than in writing, more interested in living than in writing. More interested in becoming a work of art than in creating one.”

I invite you to adopt that perspective as your own for the next twelve months, Libra. During this upcoming chapter of your story, you can generate long-lasting upgrades if you regard your life as a gorgeous masterpiece worthy of your highest craftsmanship.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Scorpio actress Tara Reid told the magazine Us Weekly about how her cosmetic surgeries had made her look worse than she had been in her natural state. “I’ll never be perfect again,” she mourned. I bring this up in the hope that it will inspire you. In my astrological opinion, you’re at a tuning point when it’s crucial to appreciate and foster everything about yourself that’s natural and innate and soulfully authentic. Don’t fall sway to artificial notions about how you could be more perfect than you already are.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I didn’t go to work today. I woke up late, lingered over a leisurely breakfast, and enjoyed a long walk in the autumn woods. When I found a spot that filled me with a wild sense of peace, I asked my gut wisdom what I should advise you Sagittarians to attend to. And my gut wisdom told me that you should temporarily escape at least one of your duties for at least three days. (Escaping two duties for four days would be even better.) My gut wisdom also suggested that you get extra sleep, enjoy leisurely meals, and go on long walks to spots that fill you with a wild sense of peace. There you should consult your gut wisdom about your top dilemmas.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): A snail climbed to the top of a big turtle’s shell as it was sleeping under a bush. When the turtle awoke and began to lumber away in search of food, the snail was at first alarmed but eventually thrilled by how fast they were going and how far they were able to travel. “Wheeee!”, the snail thought to itself. I suspect, Capricorn, that this little tale is a useful metaphor for what you can look forward to in the coming weeks.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “If these years have taught me anything, it is this,” wrote novelist Junot Díaz. “You can never run away.

Not ever. The only way out is in.”

That’s your plucky wisdom for the coming weeks, Aquarius. You have arrived at a pivotal phase in your life cycle when you can’t achieve liberation by fleeing, avoiding, or ignoring. To commune with the only kind of freedom that matters,

28 • THE PULSE • OCTOBER 12, 2017 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

you must head directly into the heart of the commotion. You’ve got to feel all the feelings stirred up by the truths that rile you up.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): J. Allan Hobson is a scientist of sleep who does research at Harvard. He says we dream all the time, not just at night. Our subconscious minds never stop churning out streams of images. During the waking hours, though, our conscious minds operate at such intensity that the lower-level flow mostly stays subliminal. At least that’s the normal state of affairs. But I suspect your dreamgenerator is running so hot right now that its stories may leak into your waking awareness. This could be disconcerting. Without the tips I’m giving you here, you might worry you were going daft. Now that you know, I hope you’ll tap into the undercurrent to glean some useful intuitions. A word to the wise: The information that pops up won’t be logical or rational. It will be lyrical and symbolic, like dreams.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): In his book The Logic of Failure, Dietrich Dorner discusses the visionaries who built the Aswan Dam in Egypt. Their efforts brought an abundance of cheap electricity to millions of people. But the planners didn’t take into account some of the important effects of their innovation. For example, the Nile River below the dam no longer flooded its banks or fertilized the surrounding land every year.

As a result, farmers had to resort to chemical fertilizers at great expense. Water pollution increased.

Marine life suffered because of the river’s diminished nutrients.

I hope this thought will motivate you to carefully think through the possible consequences of decisions you’re contemplating. I guarantee that you can avoid the logic of failure and instead implement the logic of success. But to do so, you’ll have to temporarily resist the momentum that has been carrying you along. You’ll have to override the impatient longing for resolution.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Are you primed to seek out new colleagues and strengthen your existing alliances? Are you curious about what it would take to infuse your best partnerships with maximum emotional intelligence?

From an astrological perspective, the next nine weeks will be a favorable time to do these things.

You will have opportunities to deepen your engagement with collaborators who cultivate integrity and communicate effectively.

It’s possible you may feel shy about pursuing at least one of the potential new connections. But I urge you to press ahead anyway.

Though you may be less ripe than they are, their influence will have a catalytic effect on you, sparking

you to develop at an accelerated rate.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “I was satisfied with haiku until I met you,” Dean Young tells a new lover in his poem “Changing Genres.”

But Young goes on to say that he’s no longer content with that terse genre. “Now I want a Russian novel,” he proclaims, “a 50-page description of you sleeping, another 75 of what you think staring out a window.” He yearns for a story line about “a fallen nest, speckled eggs somehow uncrushed, the sled outracing the wolves on the steppes, the huge glittering ball where all that matters is a kiss at the end of a dark hall.” I bring Young’s meditations to your attention, Gemini, because I suspect that you, too, are primed to move into a more expansive genre with a more sumptuous plot.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Statistical evidence suggests that Fridays falling on the 13th of the month are safer than other Fridays. The numbers of fires and traffic accidents are lower then, for example. I find this interesting in light of your current situation.

According to my analysis, this October’s Friday the 13th marks a turning point in your ongoing efforts to cultivate stability and security. On this day, as well as the seven days before and seven days after, you should receive especially helpful clues about the future work you can do to feel even safer and more protected than you already do.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Too much propaganda and not enough real information are circulating through your personal sphere.

You’re tempted to traffic in stories that are rooted more in fear than insight. Gossip and hype and delusion are crowding out useful facts. No wonder it’s a challenge for you to sort out the truths from the half-truths! But I predict that you will thrive anyway. You’ll discover helpful clues lodged in the barrage of bunkum. You’ll pluck pithy revelations from amidst the distracting ramblings. Somehow you will manage to be both extra sensitive and super-discriminating.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): A journalist named Jenkin Lloyd Jones coined the term “Afghanistanism,” which he defined as “concentrating on problems in distant parts of the world while ignoring controversial local issues.” I want to urge you Virgos to avoid engaging in a personal version of Afghanistanism. In other words, focus on issues that are close at hand, even if they seem sticky or prickly. Don’t you dare let your attention get consumed by the dreamy distractions of faraway places and times. For the foreseeable future, the best use of your energy is HERE and NOW.

JONESIN' CROSSWORD ∙ MATT JONES

“Weekends”—actually, they’re wk-ends.

ACROSS 1 Maker of the CR-V 6 Fork’s place 10 Summer in Saint-Tropez 13 Woodwind section members 14 Studio 54, for one 15 “On the Road” narrator ___ Paradise 16 Kept track of time in boredom 19 Downbeat music genre 20 Discourage from acting 21 Inflatable co-pilot in “Airplane!”

22 Mac Web browser named for an expedition 25 Grab ___ (eat on the run) 27 Mixed-breed pups 30 Openings 33 Comment of sudden confusion 37 Bitter bar brew, for short 38 Number before zwei 39 IM giggle 40 Cake decorator 41 Dolphins’ org.

42 Return message?

46 Chewy chocolate candy brand from Germany 48 Roguish guy 49 Ward (off) 51 “___ Weapon” (Mel Gibson film) 55 Pot payment 57 Put in a seat?

60 Peyton’s brother 61 Heated drink that traditionally helps you fall asleep 65 MPG rating group 66 Dick who coached the Washington Bullets to a 1978 NBA Championship win 67 Comedian Izzard 68 Director Guillermo ___ Toro 69 Caricatured 70 Like some cavefish DOWN 1 Gordie and Elias, for two 2 Time’s Person of the Year for 2008 and 2012 3 “___ This Earth” (1957 sci-fi film) 4 12th of 12, briefly

5 Briquette remnant 6 “Stanley & Iris” director Martin 7 “Straight Outta Compton” star ___ Jackson, Jr. 8 Bitterly harsh 9 Grumpy companion?

10 Really specialized knowledge 11 Diplomatic quality 12 Nevada city on the Humboldt River 14 Ike’s monogram 17 Archie Bunker’s wife 18 Former Senate Majority Leader Trent 23 Qts. and gals., e.g.

24 Monotonous routine 26 Publicity, slangily (and presumably before computers) 28 Fail to keep a secret 29 Big surprise 31 Oil cartel since 1960 32 Cutty ___ (Scotch brand) 33 Day-to-day deterioration 34 “New Adventures in ___” (1996 R.E.M. album)

35 Like a family tree’s roots?

36 Tesla founder Musk 40 “Likely story!”

42 “Isn’t it rich / Are ___ pair” (“Send in the Clowns” lyric) 43 Wrap completely around 44 ___-Meal (longtime hot cereal brand) 45 December 24th or 31st, e.g.

47 Mushroom stalk 50 Bring joy to 52 “America’s Got Talent” judge Klum 53 Maximum poker bet 54 Gave props on Facebook 55 Blown away 56 Scruff of the neck 58 Abbr. before a cornerstone date 59 Jefferson Davis’s gp.

62 Daytime ABC show, for short 63 It’s a few pages after 4-Down 64 1550, on some hypothetical cornerstone

Copyright © 2017 Jonesin’ Crosswords. For answers to this puzzle, call: 1-900-226-2800, 99 cents per3minute. Must be 18+ to call. Or to bill to your credit card, call: 1-800-655-6548. Reference puzzle No. 853 CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • OCTOBER 12, 2017 • THE PULSE • 29

COLUMN ∙ GAME ON!

Undead Heroes And Cannibal Elves Divinity: Original Sin II hits all the sweet spots for adventure gaming

Brandon Watson Pulse contributor

H

APPY AUTUMN FOLKS! I HOPE the taste of pumpkin spice and presale Halloween candy is keeping your spirits and blood sugar up as we forward-march into the depression oblivion that is winter.

I’ve started my annual study of seasonal isolation early this year because of a game that hit the download market in September and it has sucked my soul into it with mystical ferocity and hasn’t turned me loose since (and probably never will.)

Larian Studios, a small Belgium company, produced one of my favorite turn based RPGs some years ago called Divinity: Original Sin with great fanfare. D:OS gave us the ability to manipulate the weather and environment by electrifying water or blood or creating steam clouds to make a hasty get away. On higher difficulties you quite literally had to play as a fantasy combat MacGyver to get through fights by the skin of your teeth.

It was challenging and brutal fun and each combat round felt like the last turn your adventurers will ever have until you reloaded after a smoke break.

D:OS’s brilliant storytelling offered a fresh and often tongue-in-cheek approach to playing the fantasy genre and, with user mod support, the game grew a cult following. A sequel would be inevitable and mandatory but long in the making. Larian Studios set the funding goal for D:OS II at $500K and closed Kickstarter with a

whopping $2 mil and change with around 43,000 backers!

But enough of the backstory, just get on with it! Okay fine.

D:OS II is an amazing love child between pen and paper RPG fanatics and digital RPG tacticians.

A beautiful designer baby that is oozing with fantastical lore, great voice acting and stunning art design. There is a fully voiced narrator that actually speaks about character descriptions and actions.

Which means no long screens of narrative to read through. Every decision you make for your chosen hero is immediate, permanent, and directly or indirectly shapes the outcome or approach of another quest down the road.

I’ve logged at least 10 hours on the beginning section alone, learning all about the flesh eating customs of Rivellon’s Elvin race and the pretentious supremacy of the Lizard people. Flesh eating in this game is not only encouraged, it’s sometimes required, especially if one of your characters is an elf.

Not only does eating a severed foot offer healing, but also the absorbed memories can provide insight for solving quests or unlocking useful powers.

The characters and story are some of the best I’ve experienced and, yes, I’ve experienced many though it’s hard to imagine that anything new can come from an isometric adventure RPG. This game raises the bar and then knocks it out of the park.

Fantastic story writing, dialogue,

30 • THE PULSE • OCTOBER 12, 2017 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM

and questlines aside the turn based combat will keep you up at night letting the dog starve at your feet.

Larian Studios has clearly taken all the best things from the first game and enhanced them with tons of new skills and newer ways to manipulate the environment.

Now can you cast a wave of fire and then you can also curse that fire producing Necroflames! Necroflame sticks to everybody in an area like a case of chiggers spliced with napalm. If you manage to douse the cursed fire, it will turn into a swarm of disease-infused insects.

Mastery of combat in D:OS II is like having a firm grasp of chemistry and economics. Each power and skill has a trade off or something to sacrifice in combat, so managing your parties’ skill sets and equipment is important because the combat AI is merciless and insidious. Spamming a favorite overkill spell with a wizard is not

a thing anymore because every skill and power has a counter spell or nullification element that bad guys won’t hesitate to exploit.

Some fights are pushovers at the beginning but this can make you over confident. I’ve spent over an hour slogging it out with a pack of possessed scarecrows only to drag my last adventurer away bleeding, cursed, terrified, and crippled to the nearest rally point while the corpses of my team dried in a cornfield. So much for valor.

D:OS II will make your head spin with glee and heartache with the numerous twists and turns of amazing story telling and nail biting strategic combat. It’s a bit of fantasy novel mixed with chess and a lot of addictive fun. A must have for any fantasy gamer.

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

CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM • OCTOBER 12, 2017 • THE PULSE • 31