The Pulse - Vol. 7, Issue 15

WHERE WE STAND • DISCO DIVE • FAITH & FASCISM

Shaping Life at 4 Bridges

By Stephanie Smith

Thaddeus Erdahl “Compensation #1 Face 1”

FREE • News, Views, Music, Film, Dining, Arts & Entertainment • April 15, 2010 • Vol. 7 - Issue 15 • www.chattanoogapulse.com

2010

Publisher Zachary Cooper

News Editor Gary Poole Calendar Editor Kathryn Dunn Advertising Manager Rhonda Rollins Advertising Sales Rick Leavell, Leif Sawyer, Townes Webb Art Director Kelly Lockhart Graphic Design Jennifer Grelier Staff Photographer Louis Lee Contributing Writers Gustavo Arellano, Rob Brezsny Chuck Crowder, Hellcat Joshua Hurley, Matt Jones Kelly Lockhart, Ernie Paik Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D. Stephanie Smith, Alex Teach Colleen Wade Editorial Cartoonist Rick Baldwin Editorial Interns Ashley Miller, Jonathan Selby Copy Assistant Bryanna Burns Dances With The Stars Josh Lang Contact Info: Phone (423) 648-7857 Fax (423) 648-7860 General E-mail info@chattanoogapulse.com Calendar Submissions calendar@chattanoogapulse.com Advertising advertising@chattanoogapulse.com The Pulse is published weekly and is distributed throughout the city of Chattanooga and surrounding communities. The Pulse is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader. No person without written permission from the publishers may take more than one copy per weekly issue. The Pulse may be distributed only by authorized distributors.

cover story

12 SHAPING LIFE AT 4 BRIDGES

By Stephanie Smith 4 Bridges Arts Festival celebrates its 10th anniversary this weekend, playing host to more than 15,000 art lovers in two days. For the uninitiated, a first visit to the festival, an annual offering from the Association for Visual Arts (AVA), could be intimidating.

feature stories 8 DISCOVERING WHERE WE STAND

By Janis Hashe About a year ago, yellow shirts and clipboards were everywhere, as Stand volunteers fanned out across the city with the goal of getting 25,000 Chattanoogans to reveal what they like about Chattanooga.

18 DIVE BAR DISCO

By Hellcat Who misses the Stone Lion? Who loved the dive-bar feeling you got when you walked in, which assured you, whether you were wearing a dress or your pajamas, that they had a beer for you?

The Pulse is published by

26 APRIL IN PORTOFINO 1305 Carter Street Chattanooga, Tennessee 37402 Letters to the editor must include name, address and daytime phone number for verification. The Pulse reserves the right to edit letters for space and clarity. Please keep letters within 500 words in length.

The Pulse covers a broad range of topics concentrating on culture, the arts, entertainment and local news.

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Contributing Editor Janis Hashe

C

ontents

By Janis Hashe I rather adored Mike Newell’s 1992 film of Enchanted April. Well, really, for anyone who’s ever dreamed of running away to Italy, what’s not to love?

30 FEAR, FAITH AND FASCISM

By Phillip Johnston While riding home on horseback from an appointment at a wealthy estate, the doctor’s steed trips on an intentionally placed wire tied between two trees at the entrance to his garden, throwing the physician onto the ground, breaking his arm.

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President Jim Brewer, II

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news & views 5 11 17 28 38

PULSE BEATS SHRINK RAP ON THE BEAT LIFE IN THE NOOG ASK A MEXICAN

everything else 4 4 5 7 7 7 20 23 24 27 33 35 36 36

EDITOON LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CITY COUNCILSCOPE POLICE BLOTTER STREET SCENE THE LIST MUSIC CALENDAR NEW MUSIC REVIEWS A&E CALENDAR JONESIN’ CROSSWORD NEW IN THEATERS DINING OUT SPOTLIGHT SPIRITS WITHIN FREE WILL ASTROLOGY

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by Rick Baldwin

Letters to the Editor Wine Vs. Groceries I find it extremely interesting that in Joshua Hurley’s article [“A View On The Wine Wars”, Spirits Within”] he seems to indicate that there are only lobbyists on the side of grocery stores and that it’s the “wine and spirit store owners” who are fighting the good fight to keep out that big, bad grocery store lobbyists. Let’s set the record straight. It’s the liquor lobby that has kept the monopolistic laws on the books. A quick check of the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance shows that the “HUGE grocery” lobby donates a mere 20% of what the liquor lobby donates to candidates. Some war, huh?

Todd Simpson Flash Mobbing Thank you, Alex. The nail has been struck fully upon the head [“Change I Can Believe In”, On The Beat]! We’re going out for a little “Flash Mobbing” later if you’re up to it. Bring your own vest and beer if ya wanna go.

Kelley Miller

Holocaust Liberation Very appropriate timing, as we honored Holocaust Remembrance Day this past Sunday [“Liberating the Liberators”, Beyond The Headlines]. It worries me that generations are unaware of such unspeakable atrocities.

Kim Lockhart A good article and a good subject for a book. It is important that we gather these histories before they’re lost. Eisenhower knew what he was doing when he marched all possible troops through those camps so that they could never be denied.

Richard Samson Out Of The Tiger Woods I know that The Pulse is not a sports magazine, but seeing last week’s editorial cartoon about Tiger Woods and his continued non-apologies for his behavior I found it refreshing to see than your cartoonist “got it” where so many

other magazines and newspapers have seemingly given Tiger a mostly free ride. Which made it even more refreshing to see a happily married family man like Phil Mickelson win the Masters this past weekend while Tiger was reduced to grumpily whining about how bad he played.

Melissa Anderson

Send all letters to the editor and questions to info@chattanoogapulse.com We reserve the right to edit letters for content and space. Please include your full name, city and contact information.

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The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 15 | April 15, 2010

Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative

Pulse Beats New Volkswagen Partnership Helps Drive Conservation Efforts

Quote Of The Week:

A rundown of the newsy, the notable, and the notorious...

Up until now, most of the Aquarium’s conservation work has been done offsite at the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute, TNACI, located in Cohutta, Georgia . Now, thanks in part to this new partnership with Volkswagen, Aquarium guests are able to see the Barrens Topminnow Lab exhibit in action and interact with aquarists there every time they visit. “This lab doesn’t just look like a working lab for propagation, it is a working lab,” says Thom Demas, curator of fishes.

Lately there’s been a bit of a Barrens baby boom at the Tennessee Aquarium.

And it’s a population explosion that will help save a native fish species from the brink of extinction. “We have had nearly 1,500 Barrens topminnows young of the year already,” said senior aquarist Matt Hamilton. “My production target for the year was 2,000 juveniles.” He points to this new work environment for the increase in topminnow births. “The fish absolutely love it,” Hamilton said.

“We had 88 topminnows born this past week alone. Part of the reason for this fast start is warmer, more controlled water temperatures than what we had at TNACI or at the Animal Care Facility.

We will be working with our partners to release about 200 fish into the Elk River system and another 300 topminnows between two sites within the Duck River system,” said Hamilton.

The Barrens topminnow was first discovered in 1983 in a handful of locations in middle Tennessee. This rare fish almost disappeared forever less than 10 years later. At the time, the Barrens topminnow was surviving in just two locations. “This fish by all means qualifies

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to be protected by the Endangered Species Act,” Hamilton said. But instead of federally listing the fish, officials decided to try working with area landowners to protect the habitat and begin an unprecedented restoration pilot project to save the Barrens topminnow.

Instead of restricting water and land use, U.S. Fish and Wildlife officials entered into cooperative agreements with local landowners to identify suitable habitat for the fish and protect those areas. In some cases that meant providing fencing to keep cattle out of sensitive areas, or paving streambeds for cattle crossings. In other cases it meant helping develop al-

“You can forget about that. Public safety and public works are the untouchables” —Chattanooga City Councilman Manny Rico, responding to a budget plan that would cut spending by five percent, leading to the layoffs of 100 city employees, most of them police officers.

ternative water sources so local farmers could still water their livestock without degrading the habitat for the fish.

The Tennessee Aquarium began raising Barrens topminnows for the restoration project in 1998 along with partners from Conservation Fisheries, Inc., Tennessee Technological University, Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Geological Survey. This week’s field work will bring the total number of Barrens topminnows released to 32,000. “Thanks to these efforts, Barrens topminnows are now found in 11 populations in Tennessee instead of just two,” said Hamilton.

Mentoring the Execs of the Future More than 25 Boys & Girls Club teens spent their spring break exploring career options and opportunities through the Boys & Girls Clubs of Chattanooga, Junior Executive Job Shadowing program. Participants acting as hosts to club youth helped solidify career choices for club members, introducing them to new opportunities, or just helping them to understand work life.

This year, club youth explored a broad range of careers by shadowing employees from various fields including legal and judicial, business and insurance, banking, education, and engineering and architecture. “Many of our Club members do not have the chance to participate in this type of mentorship often,” said Debbie Gray, executive vice president of the Boys & Girls Clubs, “but the great benefit of this experience is the broadening of their perspectives of what career opportunities exist.”

She continued, “The Junior Exec program is great because it allows students to see what a job entails, puts them in contact with people who can explain the road youth need to travel in order to reach their career destinations, and they get to spend time with a community business person they would not normally come in contact with. This is a great mentor opportunity that helps youth to make educated decisions about their futures. For that, everyone who has volunteered their time this week to provide this opportunity for our Club members is impacting the future of our youth and community.”

If you or your business would like to participate in the Junior Exec Program, contact Gray at (423) 266-6131.

Here is one of the more interesting agenda items set to be discussed at the April 20 meeting of the Chattanooga City Council.

7. Resolutions: a) A resolution authorizing and directing the Clerk of the Council to advertise for public hearing on April 20, 2010, the annexation of an area of Hunter Road, Hamilton County, Tennessee, contiguous to the City limits, the property owner of which area, Lighthouse Enterprises, LLC, has petitioned the City of Chattanooga to be annexed.

Not every property owner in Hamilton County has been opposed to annexation by the City of Chattanooga. In fact, a number of recent resolutions and ordinances relating to annexation have been at the request of property owners, such as the above request by Lighthouse Enterprises.

There are a number of benefits to annexation, such as access to city services, that many property owners feel offset the increased taxation. “You get what you pay for” is not always a bad thing in business.

The Chattanooga City Council meets each Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the City Council Building at 1000 Lindsay St. For more information on the agendas, visit www.Chattanooga.gov/City_ Council/110_Agenda.asp

April 15, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 15 | The Pulse

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The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 15 | April 15, 2010

Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative

A weekly roundup of the newsworthy, notable and often head-scratching stories gleaned from police reports from the Chattanooga Police Department, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, the Bradley County Sheriff’s Department and the Dalton Police Department.

• The family that deals drugs together, stays together? Acting on several tips, police made an early-morning raid on a 7th Avenue house last week and arrested a pair of brothers on a variety of drug charges. The siblings, who each have a rather extensive history of drug-related arrests dating back to 1995, were caught with 11 grams of marijuana and more than four kilos of powder cocaine. They also had a weapon and nearly $400,000 in cash. A police official said the bust put a serious dent in local drug distribution, as the brothers have been linked to a number of other dealers in the area. One brother was charged with possession of cocaine for resale, possession of drug paraphernalia, unlawful possession of a firearm, and possession of marijuana for resale, while the other brother was only charged with possession of marijuana.

• Filing a false police report is never a good idea, especially since it’s pretty easy to find out the truth. A Dalton woman is facing charges of making a false police report after claiming she had been carjacked. The 21 year old called Dalton police claiming that a motorist had been

carjacked between Summerhill and Coronet Drive, and that the carjacker drove her vehicle into Murray County before abandoning the victim and her vehicle.

However, the investigation revealed that this report was false, and that no carjacking occurred.

Dalton Police are reassuring the public that they currently don’t have any information about anyone committing carjackings in the North Georgia city.

• City Court Judge Rebecca Stern has suggested a tanning salon owner find another line of work. The owner of an East Brainerd tanning salon is currently on pre-trial diversion but is now facing two new allegations of being a Peeping Tom. The owner has been accused by three different women of peeking in on them while they were getting a tan at his facility. Judge Stern said in court, “There’s not always fire where there’s smoke, but there’s a lot of smoke around you.” The

Chattanooga Street Scenes

The List Ten Rock Bands People Love To Hate 1. U2 - Google hits: “U2 Sucks” 745,000 2. The Beach Boys - Google hits: “Beach Boys Suck” 521,000

man told the judge he is considering selling the salon.

• For every brilliant criminal mastermind, there are the other 99.9 percent of criminals. Like the young thief who dropped his cell phone while he was burglarizing a car. A man on Highway 153 heard someone breaking into his car in an attempt to steal it. He spotted the young man in the act, chased him away but then noticed the wannabe thief had dropped his phone. Police used to phone to call his father, who confirmed the description of the burglar matched his son.

The young man was tracked down, arrested, and will face charges in juvenile court.

Photography by Louis Lee

Signs of Spring along the waterfront.

3. The Eagles - Google hits: “The Eagles Suck” 471,000 4. Elvis Presley - Google hits: “Elvis Presley Sucks” 321,000 5. Aerosmith - Google hits: “Aerosmith Sucks” 312,000 6. Metallica - Google hits: “Metallica Sucks” 248,000 7. Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band - Google hits: “Captain Beefheart Sucks” 177,000 8. The Grateful Dead - Google hits: “The Grateful Dead Suck” 176,000 9. Sonic Youth - Google hits: “Sonic Youth Sucks” 173,000 10. The Velvet Underground - “Velvet Underground Sucks” 95,400 Some of the most successful rock-n-roll acts of all time definitely have their fair share of haters.

There seems to be an entire subculture of music elites who disdain any band that becomes “too successful”, as if somehow the act of creating music that more than a handful of people actually enjoy is wrong.

While this can always make for interesting bar conversation, one of the best response to this type of thinking came from Metallica drummer Lars Ulhrich, who has been widely quoted over the years as responding to the accusation of the band “selling out” by replying, “Yeah, we’re selling out stadiums.”

www.chattanoogapulse.com

April 15, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 15 | The Pulse

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Beyond The Headlines

Discovering Where We Stand

By Janis Hashe

“Twenty-five years ago, the visioning process brought people together to create a strong sense of place. What if we now spend the next 25 years building our ‘people capital’?”

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Question 1: What do you like about the Chattanooga region?

Question 2: Imagine the best possible Chattanooga region. Describe it.

Question 3: What challenges must be addressed?

Question 4: What actions, big or small, can you take to help?

A

bout a year ago, yellow shirts and clipboards were everywhere, as Stand volunteers fanned out across the city with the goal of getting 25,000 Chattanoogans to reveal what they like about Chattanooga.

But as CreateHere Stand volunteer Alison Burke notes, “Getting 26,263 responses was the easy part; implementing the changes that need to occur is the hard part.”

CreateHere partnered with the Ochs Center to analyze the results of the survey, and using this data, Burke says, “Stand has come up with five major trends that emerge from the data.

Together, these tell us the next 25 years are about Chattanooga’s people.”

According to information provided

by CreateHere, the five areas most identified in the survey conveyed this: “Our city = our citizens. Thirty years ago, we wanted to love this place, and we connected quality of life with natural and man-made environments.

Stand responses show that now we’re ready to focus on the people populating our region—how they live, work, and play in this place we call home.

“Beautiful, but we’ve got baggage.

Chattanooga’s scenic beauty is a source of pride for citizens, many of whom remember a time when it was not quite so lovely. We treasure the renewed beauty of our city and need to ensure that planning and growth efforts keep Chattanooga clean and safe—from our parks, to our roads, to our houses and offices.

“Education informs everything. Stand survey results show concern about Chattanooga’s future in three key areas: education, crime, and jobs. We crave public safety and access to quality education, and as a city, we’re ready to say: our opportunities are decided by the safety of our streets and schools.

“Live or work, we’ve got a place to share. Stand survey results show that our downtown is a valuable asset, regardless of where we live in the region. For many, it’s a hub for regional commerce, local business, and impressive attractions. Fact is, downtown is everyone’s business.

“Changing culture, serving culture.

We know how to recycle, pick up trash, and vote, but our community wants to do more. Complex community problems can’t be solved in an 8-hour workday, and the gap between wanting to volunteer and actually volunteering has to be closed.”

In taking a look at the Stand results, which can be viewed at http://results. chattanoogastand.com, it was apparent that the respondents skewed heavily into “younger than 55.” CreateHere strategist

Helen Johnson acknowledged that more might have been done to reach an older demographic, while stressing that the results clearly represent a cross section of the community.

“The top two things that respondents loved about Chattanooga were downtown and the people,” she says.

“And three of the top concerns were crime, education and the environment.

Twenty-five years ago, the visioning process brought people together to create a strong sense of place. What if we now spend the next 25 years building our ‘people capital’? People feel connected to their neighbors…how can we use this to fashion tools to combat the problems we face?”

For example, she says, survey results focus heavily on respondents’ concerns about education. In the “People” section of the report, it states: “…education, crime and jobs are directly related to each other.

“The single most important factor in determining economic success in the region is the educational attainment of its workforce…

“While many factors affect crime rates and numerous cities and counties have been successful in driving down crime rates even in the face of high unemployment and poverty, it is clear that likelihood of arrest, incarceration, and re-incarceration is directly related to education and employment.”

To continue to solicit community involvement and develop a “marketplace of ideas” to address the problems facing Chattanooga, Stand will host three “community conversations” in the coming months, Johnson says, addressing crime, education and the environment.

More information about the meetings will be available on CreateHere’s web site, createhere.org, and look for notification here in the pages of The Pulse.

Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative

www.chattanoogapulse.com

April 15, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 15 | The Pulse

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The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 15 | April 15, 2010

Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative

Shrink Rap

By Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D

A Dating Dilemma Dear Dr. Rick, I’m a gay man, I’ve met a fantastic guy, and we’ve been dating for about four months. “Scott” and I have lots of interests in common, we get along really well, and we’ve even met each other’s families, all of whom are not just accepting, but supportive.

I’m from the Chattanooga area and have lived here most of my life, and it isn’t easy to find such a compatible partner in this part of the world. As I’ve been single for almost five years now, I feel ready to settle down.

However, Scott has just moved here, and is recently out of a decade-long relationship. He tells me he loves me and that I’m more special than others he’s been dating, but says he wants to be single and free to date for a while before committing to anyone. I’m afraid I’ll lose him if I hold on too tight, but I also feel I run the risk of losing him if I let him continue to go out with other guys.

What to do?

— Jon, St. Elmo Dear Jon, What I like very much about your letter is 1) you’re upfront about being gay, and you have the support of your family. Wonderful. Two things that are also not very easy to find in this part of the world. And 2) the issues you’re having in this relationship transcend sexual orientation. I’m quite sure plenty of non-gay folks can relate to the problems and frustrations inherent when one person wants to commit, and the other doesn’t.

Now, onto the issues. You’re right: You do run the risk of losing him if you hold on too tight. Scott has given you the message that he doesn’t want to be held tightly at this time in his life.

And as for “letting” him go out with other guys, well, that’s just not in your control. You can certainly let him know

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how you feel about this, and I hope you do. But if that’s what he needs to do as he transitions from the end of a long-term relationship to this next chapter of his life, that’s his process, not yours.

Attempts on your part to control him, or to deny him his process, miss the point. Certainly his dating other people may be upsetting for you, but the reality of the situation is that the two of you are at different places in terms of what you want from a relationship.

Dating someone who desires others, while you desire only him, is a recipe for anxiety, which I sense is what you’re experiencing. He may be “fantastic” in many ways but he’s not interested in settling down, which is something you want. As Buddha said, “Everything changes.” But for now at least, if you choose to continue with him, then you’ll have to be satisfied with the morsels and not the whole meal until such time that he’s ready to see only you. And of course there’s no guarantee that will happen.

I also want to mention that telling you you’re “more special than the others” is dangling a carrot in front of you; it may be true, but it’s also manipulative since it keeps you invested and hopeful.

My suggestion is that you ask yourself a few hard questions: Why am I pursuing someone who isn’t as available to me as I am to him? (If this is a pattern, then you’ve identified

an important self-esteem issue.) Do I feel I deserve to have what I truly want? (Are there childhood messages connected to this around deservingness and worthiness?) Why do I have this fear of “losing him,” and how might I manifest the kind of commitment that I truly desire with another man (even in this part of the world?)

Perhaps you and Scott can continue to have great times together and you can find a way to be OK with the terms of this relationship. Or perhaps not.

Regardless, you owe it to yourself (and the relationship) to discover what it is you truly want, need, and are ready for.

Then stick to your guns and be true to— and careful with—your heart. It’s the only one you have.

Until next time: “To thine own self be true.” — William Shakespeare

“Ask yourself a few hard questions: Why am I pursuing someone who isn’t as available to me as I am to him? If this is a pattern, then you’ve identified an important self-esteem issue.”

Dr. Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D., is a psychotherapist, minister, and educator, in private practice in Chattanooga, and the author of “Empowering the Tribe” and “The Power of a Partner.” Visit his new wellness center, Well Nest, at www.

WellNestChattanooga.com, and his website at www.DrRPH.com.

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Cover Story

“The artist’s world is limitless. It can be found anywhere, far from where he lives or a few feet away. It is always on his doorstep.”

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Shaping Life at 4 Bridges

The object of art is to give life a shape.

— William Shakespeare

By Stephanie Smith

4 Bridges Arts Festival celebrates its 10th anniversary this weekend, playing host to more than 15,000 art lovers in two days. For the uninitiated, a first visit to the festival, an annual offering from the Association for Visual Arts (AVA), could be

intimidating. With more than 150 artists’ works on display, that’s a lot of “life” to choose from. Ergo…voila! We’ve concocted a handy guide to help even novice art lovers navigate their way through the crowds to the artistic purchase of their dreams.

Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative

Cover Story

Guideline 1: Seek quality art.

The artist’s world is limitless. It can be found anywhere, far from where he lives or a few feet away. It is always on his doorstep.

— Paul Strand The First Tennessee Pavilion is the place to begin your search. There you will find art in 18 different mediums, from photography to works on paper, jewelry, sculpture, furniture and more.

With “art cuisine” and beverages from local restaurants on site—and, as AVA Executive Director Christa Mannarino points out, “We can all pretty much agree that fine art, fine food and fine wine all mix together well”—you can browse, nosh, sip and buy all day while searching for your chosen piece.

Armed with information about the festival itself, you now need to know about “artists who work in highend, lesser-known media” (for you art connoisseurs interested in forking over some serious cash) and “artists who offer more of a variety of affordable price points” (for you novices who fear you can’t afford to buy anything).

We spoke with six exhibiting artists for the purpose of this guide: Phil Wallis (furniture); Marr Orr and John Petrey (sculpture); Teri Pelio (jewelry); Julie Sola (works on paper); and Mark MacKinnon (photography).

Stephanie Smith: How do you get the word out there about your art and get people to invest in your work?

Teri Pelio: By consistently showing up at nicer art events and attempting to establish a personal rapport with my customer. I definitely believe in a one-on-one approach. www.chattanoogapulse.com

Mark Orr: I sell my work through a national network of independent galleries as well as various art fairs around the country. I encourage questions about my technique [carved wooden sculpture] and I try to produce many one-of-a-kind works that incorporate vintage found objects [that make each one unique].

Julie Sola: I letterpress print all of my postcards and hand them out at shows as well as mailing them to people who have bought from me. I maintain an etsy site and two art web sites, so I try to keep things current and post about upcoming shows.

Phil Wallis: I have found that I need to have my work displayed at art galleries and art festivals which feature fine craft works. These places attract people who have a definite interest in collecting the type of work I create.

SS: How do you distinguish your work from generic knockoffs to consumers who may be indecisive about investing in the real thing?

“When I find a slab of wood, it always tells me what I will be creating. When my creation is complete, people see that it is unique in design, form, and function.”

PW: My work is so different from commercial products, because no two pieces are the same. Although I can work from plans, I choose not to, because it limits my creativity. When I find a slab of wood, it always tells me what I will be creating. When my creation is complete, people see that it is unique in design, form, and function.

TP: I approach my jewelry designs more as a “presentation”. Generally speaking, my designs are sophisticated and of a somewhat larger and heavier scale and there is a “sense of structure” present.

JS: I always try to educate people who come into my booth about letterpress and I have a few carvings and a April 15, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 15 | The Pulse

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Cover Story

“I work with a theme most of the time. This is influenced by old family pictures or something that will just pop into my head and I will want to carve it right away and start printing.”

sheet explaining what a hand pulled print is. I am very passionate about printmaking so it is easy to explain the process—I could talk all day about it! A lot of my prices are well suited to people who are just starting to purchase art and want an original piece for their home but do not want to invest a lot of money right away.

Mark MacKinnon: My photographic work is unique in subject matter and presentation. I shoot minimal landscapes with reference to man’s interaction within the landscape. I don’t shoot generic scenes you find in magazines; although the work is still mainstream enough in the contemporary art world. I stay away from producing any work on canvas, which seems to be the rage at art fairs, and stick to traditional fine-art presentation on paper; however, I print digitally with pigment inks on a wide format printer and do my own printing. I also feel that my customers want the piece ready to hang, and I produce the work with a framing style that fits my work.

Guideline 2: Find artistic inspiration.

Treat a work of art like a prince. Let it speak to you first.

— Arthur Schopenhauer When wandering through the seemingly endless rows of booths, don’t lose sight of your goal. Move slowly, breathe deeply and take everything in. If you see something that interests you, stop and take a closer look—it might not be there later if you pass it by.

Never doubt inspiration, in whatever form it takes.

If that end table stops you in your tracks, examine it

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more closely. If that jewelry catches your eye, try it on. What moves one person may not move another.

Clearly, inspiration is highly individual.

We asked the artists what inspires them to create.

SS: What is the process like for developing your work? Do you work off of a theme or are the pieces individually inspired?

MO: For me, ideas are things that simply come to me. I always tell people, “You can’t really just decide to sit down and have a great idea,” so I take pride in my ability to actually make the ideas that come into my mind a reality. Often my pieces involve complicated construction techniques that are unique to each piece.

The hope, though, is that the piece just looks “right”, and my skills are secondary to that.

TP: I enjoy the diversity of various cultures and although my style is distinguishable, I attempt to continually be searching for new ideas (shapes, forms, etc.). I am your “basic black dress” advocate. I design for the woman who dresses to please herself.

JS: I work with a theme most of the time. This is influenced by old family pictures or something that will just pop into my head and I will want to carve it right away and start printing. Once I have a group of carvings, I will print a group of them together creating a scene. You will often see some of my same characters appearing in different prints. Everything starts as a drawing that I transfer to linoleum or wood and then carve. Next, I will ink up the block and place my paper over the inked image and rub with a spoon, then I pull my print. Each print is unique.

Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative

Cover Story PW: My process starts either at a log mill or a lumber store that deals in woods from all over the world. I spend many hours looking at different pieces of wood until the right piece strikes me. My theme is simplistic elegance: a combination of oriental, Frank Lloyd Wright, rustic, and organic. Each piece is individually inspired by my first selection of wood, which drives the rest of the process.

MM: I usually work in elements of man’s symbiosis with his surroundings, and lately I’m inspired by large gatherings of people and how they blend in with the landscape.

John Petrey: Currently my work is based on a theme of ’50s-era dresses. I’m also creating a body of work based on children’s pull toys, so you might say I like creating work that stimulates nostalgic memories for both the viewer and me. It usually begins with one idea that feeds into the next. If I’m enjoying the process and the results, I continue with it.

Guideline 3: Embrace new life.

The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.

— Pablo Picasso So you’ve been inspired—now take the plunge!

Purchase your masterpiece before someone walks off with it! Be curious about what shape your life will take, thanks to this latest addition to your household. Who knows what life holds in store for you?

Since many of the pieces are unique, it would be foolish to pass on a work that inspired you. If, however, you absolutely must pass this year, you might be fortunate enough to encounter the same artists next year. Based on what they tell us, the 4 Bridges experience keeps bringing them back for more.

SS: What has been your experience with 4 Bridges? Or, if you are new this year, what do you expect or look forward to?

JP: 4 Bridges is one of the least-known shows that I exhibit in each year; however, in the past, the level of art exhibited has been up there with the best of shows.

Since Chattanooga has such a small community of buyers, it’s easy to saturate the market quickly.

Hopefully a new pool of art collectors will attend this year’s Festival.

Art is not a thing; it is a way.

— Elbert Hubbard You’ve seen it, it shaped your life—now what?

Spread the word! Let everyone know how 4 Bridges inspired you to take a plunge into the art world and buy a chair, photograph or bowl. Let your experience become a way of life, then…

Take your art and use it to shape the lives of others.

10th Annual 4 Bridges Arts Festival

PW: I am new to 4 Bridges. The Chattanooga area welcomes artists of all mediums, which makes it a pleasure to live here.

Saturday, April 17 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Sunday, April 18 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. $5 adults; free for children under 18 First Tennessee Pavilion, 1826 Carter Street, (423) 265-4282. www.4bridgesartsfestival.org

JS: I participated in 4 Bridges last year for the first time. I am honored to be showing next to all the amazing artists that this show brings in. This is one of the nicest and best-run shows that I have been involved with; it is one of my favorites.

The people of Chattanooga really come out and support the arts. I am really looking forward to this year!

For more information on the artists interviewed in this story: Mark Orr: www.scavengerart.com Teri Pelio: www.teripelio.com Julie Sola: www.fatcrowpress.com Mark MacKinnon: markmackinnon.com John Petrey: www.johnpetrey.com

MO: I am brand new to 4 Bridges, so I am excited to see it all, especially the vibrant arts community that Chattanooga has nourished and embraced.

www.chattanoogapulse.com

Guideline 4: Spread the word.

April 15, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 15 | The Pulse

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Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative

On The Beat

By Alex Teach

Weapon of Choice T he Pansy: My favorite flower. Like me, they are winter hardy and can survive light freezes and short periods of snow cover, and in areas with prolonged snow cover they survive best with a covering of a dry winter mulch. They are also quite simple and to the point.

Easily maintained, they simply state “I am a flower, dig me”, and I selected them to accent a Yaupon holly shrub I also chose for the same reasons.

I was on my knees planting them at the edge of my driveway, tamping the soil around the base of a pleasant mix of purple-and-white ones with black cores that I found soothing, but slightly less audacious than the purple-and-gold most homeowners and apartment managers go for (I mean, it was that or a deep burntred-and-white but that was SO last year). So when my Glock fell out of my belt and into the mud, I was quite embarrassed.

Now, don’t judge me too harshly; I am not a “Glock man”. I find their lack of inherent safety features and visual appeal quite appalling, but the difference between buying my choice of off-duty weapons and having one issued by my department for free is about $600 dollars, and if anything, I’m a practical person. Would I want to be shot with something as aesthetically unappealing as a Glock?

Certainly not, but it was a matter of economics that my potential recipient of “failed negotiations” would simply have to deal with later.

www.chattanoogapulse.com

(Harsh? Yes, but my customers recognize me both on- and off-duty, and some are downright rude in their willingness to kill me for the badge I’m not even wearing at some moments. I don’t put out fires or work at “Build-a-Bear”: I deal with rapists and murderers and politicians.

I am required to carry guns as others are required to carry pagers. Both are inconvenient, but neither are a big deal after a few years.)

So the gun was a Model 23, .40 caliber loaded with 135-grain shells.

I know, I know: You’re saying “Gee, Officer Teach. I figured you for a 180-grain main, 155 at the least!”

But don’t be disappointed. I have to consider the needs of low-penetration ammo more than most since my work environments would likely be those densely populated, such as a commercial areas or residences.

For a while, I carried my duty weapon in a concealment holster everywhere I went. String-tied scrub pants (of which I cannot espouse the comfort and versatility enough, so long as they are elastic banded and pocketed), swimming trunks, you name it. You’d be positively alarmed at how many off-duty cops you’ve seen packing heat you’ve never known about…But we’re talking more than 40 ounces of steel, a veritable boat anchor, so it had to go.

To solve this, for years I carried a nice, simple (surprised?) five-shot hammerless .38 that fit nicely in a pants pocket or in the armpit of my armor. I was never worried about capacity because if you need one that badly, a long-term gun battle is NOT your biggest concern and revolvers can’t “jam”…but I’ve

become a fan of the round and I’m not above a free evaluation, so here we are. And the Glock being touted for its indestructibility, I tested this by cramming a finger into my “radio ear” and promptly firing the hideous beast onto a nearby stump without so much as brushing it off. It worked. A threeinch pattern from 50 feet, one-handed and on the ground… Let’s hear it for rapid acquisition sights and measured trigger pull! Mud dripped from the grip as smoke drifted from the barrel.

I was happy.

The revolver was nice and dependable, but the Glock was half the weight and had triple the capacity.

Sure, it has the safety features of a live grenade, but like the man said…if it wasn’t dangerous, what good would it be?

I was smiling, and tucked the pistol into my back pocket to prevent a repeat performance in the mud and went back to patting the soil into loose rings around the flowers to promote retention of water and ease of weeding down the road. They were sturdy plants, but like the flock I attended at work they required a degree of tenderness combined with firmness in order to be appreciated.

I lost time after I finished, closing my eyes and letting the breeze wash over me and the sun warm my skin, the sound of lawnmowers and traffic in the distance. It was a good day, and I even liked the feel of the soil caked onto my hands. They’ve definitely had worse than that under their nails, but that was another time. At this second, things were good…and sometimes, that’s good enough. I didn’t move for another half hour.

“It was a good day, and I even liked the feel of the soil caked onto my hands. They’ve definitely had worse than that under their nails, but that was another time.”

When officer Alexander D. Teach is not patrolling our fair city on the heels of the criminal element, he is an occasional student at UTC, an up and coming carpenter, auto mechanic, prominent boating enthusiast, and spends his spare time volunteering for the Boehm Birth Defects Center. Follow him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/alexteach

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Music Feature

Dive Bar Disco I

By Hellcat

“First, I spied

the Elvira Party Monsters pinball game set up in the corner and the Ms. Pacman/ Galaga oldschool cocktail table. OK, you’ve got my attention.”

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’d like to start out by asking: Who misses the Stone Lion? Who loved the dive-bar feeling you got when you walked in, which assured you, whether you were wearing a dress or your pajamas, that they had a beer for you? Does anyone miss the old shows we used to have at Lamar’s, under the dirty chandelier? Can I get an “amen”?

I have mourned the loss of the Stone Lion at least weekly since its final night almost five years ago. The only thing that could have made the Lion more perfect would have been if they were a venue, with a little more room. Well, good news, people—there is a fairly new bar and venue that has captured the essence of dive bar. It’s called Discoteca, and it’s located at 304 E. Main Street. It opened on January 8 of this year, courtesy of Gabe Williams, Keith Crisp, and Zach Zacharias.

I don’t mean to gush, but this place is incredible. The first thing you notice upon pulling up is the taco stand conveniently located by the entrance, which boasts some of the best Mexican food in town, according to Zach. Walking in, you are met with everything a bar enthusiast could want and then some.

First, I spied the Elvira Party Monsters pinball game set up in the corner and the Ms. Pacman/ Galaga old-school cocktail

table. OK, you’ve got my attention.

The place is broken down into two huge rooms. The first houses the games, turntables, a sweet sound system and PA, with generous space for bands or DJs, a projector, and the bar. The bar has a cooler fully stocked with a variety of good beers, and six taps. The second room has a pool table that only costs fifty cents, an area where the free foosball was located but is currently being replaced, and a couple of couches. It looks like the living room of your older brother’s coolest friend, decked out with swanky vintage furniture, including some tables and chairs straight out of the ’50s.

The homey feel is added to by lamp lighting and full bookshelves. The walls are covered in mirrors, signs, and art. A whole wall is covered with the graphic designs of YoungMonsters, a local outfit that designs and provides show signs and flyers for several bands and venues in the area, including JJ’s Bohemia.

As it turns out, this place is even cooler than it looks, which is saying something. The books on the shelves I mentioned are available to check out.

Have you ever been to a bar that offered a mini-library? Me either, but it’s pretty awesome. They also have a wide variety of board games, and according to Zach, they try to keep art supplies around, in case their patrons have an urge to create.

Basically, Discoteca has a little bit of everything, including a pretty impressive chandelier with multi-colored bulbs over the bar. When I was there on Sunday, an old movie was playing, projected onto one of the large white walls, and they were preparing to show a documentary on The Runaways, to be followed by some DJ spinning.

As far as covers and costs go, if the economy is affecting you as badly as it is me, then Discoteca is just the place for you. Their highest cover, so far, has been $8, but most local band shows are no

more than $5, and most deejay-ed dance parties are free. It’s pretty interesting how the name came about. The sign out front was there when they acquired the building, and considering “discoteca” literally means a record library and dance hall, and the actual club only plays analog, (records and tapes) and has hosted several dance parties, the name seemed appropriate and they kept it.

Zach called it rather “serendipitous” to have had the existing name and sign in place, as “all the names we kept coming up with were just bad.” However, the bar itself is a dream come true for the three partners, as they had often talked about having their own bar/venue and what they would do with it, if given the opportunity. Well, opportunity presented itself, and after a lot of hard work and remodeling, Discoteca was born. They have been very well received and have gotten a lot of local support through donations of furniture and accessories by Inside/ Outside and Estate of Confusion, among others.

Similar to the Stone Lion, they often have a late-night crowd, so go check it out. So far, they have hosted many parties and shows, including Lambchop, Reigning Sound, and Night of the Wolf, to name a few, with many more to come.

In June, they will be involved with the Do You Hear We? Punk Fest. To receive updates on what’s going on and what’s coming up, become a fan of Discoteca on Facebook. Or just go and give it a look.

It’s well worth your time and I promise you won’t be disappointed, provided you love a good dive bar. It’s a great place to kill some time, play some games, and have a few. If you don’t drink, don’t worry, they have non-alcoholic options.

Instead of wasting dollars at a chain restaurant, support your local venues!

Discoteca 304 E. Main Street

Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative

www.chattanoogapulse.com

April 15, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 15 | The Pulse

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Music Calendar Thursday Spotlight

Heart Sing along with “Barracuda” as the Wilson sisters rock the Memorial. $39 - $59 7:30 p.m.

Memorial Auditorium, 399 McCallie Ave. (423) 642-TIXS. www.chattanoogaonstage.com

Thursday, April 15 Heart 7:30 p.m. Memorial Auditorium, 399 McCallie Ave. (423) 642-TIXS. www.chattanoogaonstage.com Mattie Montgomery, Axiom, A Martyr—A Blessing, Ignite 7 p.m. The Warehouse, 5716 Ringgold Rd., East Ridge. myspace.com/warehousetn DJ Stickman and guests 8 p.m. Ziggy’s Hideaway, 607 Cherokee Blvd.

(423) 634-1074. myspace.com/ziggyshideaway Open Mic 8 p.m. The Riverhouse, 224 Frazier Ave. (423) 752-0066. www.myspace.com/ theriverhousechattanooga 2-n-Fro 9 p.m. The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202.

(423) 499-5055. www.thepalmsathamilton.com Open Mic with Gabe Newell 9 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260. www.marketstreettavern.com Channing Wilson 9 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar, 5751 Brainerd Rd. (423) 499-9878. www.budssportsbar.com The Bohannons, Ghostfinger, David Vanderville 10 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400. www.myspace.com/jjsbohemia

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Friday Spotlight

DJ ScubaSteve Fox and Hound Pub & Grille, 2040 Hamilton Place Blvd #150. (423) 490-1200.

DJ Lucky Lucky’s, 2536 Cummings Highway, (423) 825-5145.

Friday, April 16 Unspoken Triumph, Permillisecond, Out of Body, Curse the Day, Elth 7 p.m. The Warehouse, 5716 Ringgold Rd., East Ridge. myspace.com/warehousetn Tim Hughes Quartet 7:30 p.m. The Original Blue Orleans Restaurant, 3208 Amnicola Hwy. (423) 629-6538.

Angel Snow and Viktor Krauss 8 p.m. Barking Legs, 1307 Dodds Ave. (423) 624-5347 Peer Pressure 10 p.m. Club Fathom, 412 Market St. (423) 757-0019. www.clubfathom.com Karaoke 9 p.m. Mudpie Restaurant, 12 Frazier Ave. (423) 267-9043. www.mudpierestaurant.com Moonslew and Slim Pickens 10 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260. www.marketstreettavern.com Sisteren 9 p.m. Tremont Tavern, 1203 Hixson Pike. (423) 266-1996. www.tremonttavern.com Booger Holler 10 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar, 5751 Brainerd Rd. (423) 499-9878. www.budssportsbar.com The Distribution, Heypenny 10 p.m. Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. (423) 267-4644. www.rhythm-brews.com Harlem, Future Virgins, Sex Patriots, DJ Chad 10 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400.

Peer Pressure 10 p.m. Club Fathom, 412 Market Street.

(423) 757-0019. www.clubfathom.com DJ Spicolli Raw Sushi Bar Restaurant & Nightclub, 409 Market Street, (423) 756-1919. www.myspace.com/jimstriker DJ GOP The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202.

(423) 499-5055. www.thepalmsathamilton.com

Saturday, April 17 Autumn Admission, The Night Shines 7 p.m. The Warehouse, 5716 Ringgold Rd., East Ridge. myspace.com/warehousetn Legion X, Angels Diversion, Scent of Remains 8 p.m. Ziggy’s Hideaway, 607 Cherokee Blvd.

(423) 634-1074. myspace.com/ziggyshideaway Richard Berman, Tim Bays 8 p.m. Charles and Myrtle’s Coffeehouse, 105 McBrien Rd. (423) 892-4960. www.christunity.org Oh So Cavalier 10 p.m. Club Fathom, 412 Market St. (423) 757-0019. www.clubfathom.com Open Mic 9 p.m. Mudpie Restaurant, 12 Frazier Ave. (423) 267-9043. www.mudpierestaurant.com Butch Ross, Charles Allison, Kevin Klein 10 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260. www.marketstreettavern.com AJ Valracel’s Bitter Lesson 9 p.m. Riverhouse Pub, 224 Frazier Ave. (423) 752-0066.

Gabe Newell & Muddy Soul 10 p.m. Tremont Tavern, 1203 Hixson Pike. (423) 266-1996. www.tremonttavern.com

The Distribution, Heypenny Distribution’s old-schoolfunked-up-soul-pop links up with indie-rock Heypenny. $7 10 p.m.

Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market Street.

(423) 267-4644. www.rhythm-brews.com

Booger Holler 10 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar, 5751 Brainerd Rd. (423) 499-9878. www.budssportsbar.com Pee Wee Moore and the Awful Dreadful Snakes 10 p.m. T-Bones Sports Café, 1419 Chestnut Ave. (423) 266-4240. www.tboneschattanooga.com 80z-Enuff 10 p.m. Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. (423) 267-4644. www.rhythm-brews.com The Protomen, Eris, The Tammys 10 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400. www.myspace.com/jjsbohemia DJ Spicolli Raw Sushi Bar Restaurant & Nightclub, 409 Market Street, (423) 756-1919.

DJ GOP The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202.

(423) 499-5055. www.thepalmsathamilton.com

Sunday, April 18 Open Mic w/Jeff Daniels 4 p.m. Ms. Debbie’s Nightlife Lounge 4762 Highway 58, (423) 485-0966. myspace.com/debbieslounge Pay the Reckoning (Irish Sessions Music) 6: 30 p.m. Tremont Tavern, 1203 Hixson Pike.

(423) 266-1996. www.tremonttavern.com

Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative

Music Calendar

Send your calendar events to us at calendar@chattanoogapulse.com

Saturday Spotlight

Butch Ross, Charles Allison, Kevin Klein These locals are making beautiful music together. $7 10 p.m.

Market Street Tavern, 850 Market Street.

(423) 634-0260. www.marketstreettavern.com

Open Mic 8 p.m. Gene’s Bar & Grill, 724 Ashland Terrace, (423) 870-0880. myspace.com/genem14 Karaoke 9:30 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar, 5751 Brainerd Rd. (423) 499-9878. www.budssportsbar.com Cutthroat Shamrock, Zydapunks 2 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd., (423) 266-1400. myspace.com/jjsbohemia DJ GOP The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202.

(423) 499-5055.

Sunday Spotlight

Dancing & DJing The Palms at Hamilton 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202.

(423) 499-5055.

Tueday, April 20 The Ben Friberg Trio 7 p.m. Table 2, 232 E. 11th Street, (423) 756-8253. www.table2restaurant.com Spoken Word/Poetry Night 8 p.m. The Riverhouse, 224 Frazier Ave., (423) 752-0066. www.myspace.com/ theriverhousechattanooga Open Mic with Mike McDade 9 p.m. Tremont Tavern, 1203 Hixson Pike. (423) 266-1996. www.tremonttavern.com Karaoke 9:30 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar, 5751 Brainerd Rd. (423) 499-9878.

Billy Hopkins 8 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260. www.marketstreettavern.com DJ ScubaSteve Fox and Hound Pub & Grille, 2040 Hamilton Place Blvd #150, (423) 490-1200.

DJ GOP The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202.

(423) 499-5055. www.thepalmsathamilton.com

Wednesday, April 21 Ben Friberg Jazz Trio 6:30 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260. www.marketstreettavern.com Power Players Show Band 9 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar, 5751 Brainerd Rd.

Editor’s Pick of the Week

Monday, April 19 Run Kid Run, Abandon Kansas, The Red Door, Stephanie Smith 7 p.m. The Warehouse, 5716 Ringgold Rd., East Ridge. myspace.com/warehousetn Paul Longhorn’s 18 Piece Big Band 7:30 p.m. Lindsay Street Hall, 901 Lindsay St. (423) 755-9111. www.lindsaystreethall.com Karaoke 9:30 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar, 5751 Brainerd Rd. (423) 499-9878. www.budssportsbar.com Old Tyme Players 6 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260.

www.chattanoogapulse.com

Cutthroat Shamrock, Zydapunks Those who are awake will be punk and accounted for at JJ’s. $7 2 p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400. www.myspace.com/jjsbohemia

(423) 499-9878. www.budssportsbar.com Zoogma, Robosapien 9:30 p.m. Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. (423) 267-4644. www.rhythm-brews.com Fried Chicken Trio 10 p.m. The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd. #202. (423) 499-5055. www.thepalmsathamilton.com Gabe Newell 9 p.m. Tremont Tavern, 1203 Hixson Pike. (423) 266-1996. www.tremonttavern.com Ben Friberg Trio 8 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260. www.marketstreettavern.com DJ GOP The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202.

(423) 499-5055. www.thepalmsathamilton.com Got a gig coming up that you want to tell the world about?

Zoogma, Robo Sapien

All you need to do to get the word out for free is to send us your information (the basic when, where and time) and we will list it here in the weekly music calendar.

Oxford, England’s Zoogma bring their own blend of electronic rock (and their light show) to R & B. And somebody tell the DJ to turn up all the faders for Robo Sapien.

Email the particulars to us at calendar@chattanoogapulse. com at least ten days before the event.

Wednesday, April 21 $7 9:30 p.m.

Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market Street.

(423) 267-4644. www.rhythm-brews.com

And for last minute changes and updates, be sure to visit chattanoogahasfun.com

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Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative

New Music Reviews

By Ernie Paik

AIDS Wolf/ Satanized Split EP (Badmaster)

“Appropriately, the vocals sound tormented and tortured, among the distorted, chiming guitar notes and frenetic, nimble bass runs.”

It’s a line-up that sounds like a horror film; this new vinyl-only 7-inch split EP features the infamous Montreal havocwreakers AIDS Wolf, named after an urban legend about AIDS-spreading wolves, and the Philadelphia-centered Satanized, a quartet of misanthropes who’ve undoubtedly stumbled upon an arcane book or two. It’s a release that could also serve as an aural horror story—it’s not exactly a horror soundtrack, but it captures the visceral jabs, sadistic swings, and utter confusion of some violent, hopeless scenario.

The first AIDS Wolf number, “Tango Fatal,” begins with unsettling vocals from Chloe Lum that grate and hover before wilting into a pile; this is mimicked by the fuzz guitar, casting an odd shadow and providing an unusual type of echo. It’s a thorny song, with each element not quite in line with each other, except for the collective aim of being severe and arduous. “In and Under the Snow” has a more immediate approach, sounding like a

Shellac song crossed with a dissonant, no-wave method; the guitar noises are overloaded, and it ends with a bout of sustained pummeling before it all selfdestructs.

Satanized’s side features one long track, “Hope Is Lack of Information,” which uses a complicated structure and sprints from one scene to the next.

One moment, the combo lets sparks fly with post-punk slashes; in an instant, the band jumps into thick mire, with sludgy slow-motion lurches. One might imagine irregular cinematic rotations of a victim scrambling frantically and escaping some evil clutches before being caught again, combining uncertainty with unbearable tension. Appropriately, the vocals sound tormented and tortured, among the distorted, chiming guitar notes and frenetic, nimble bass runs; a few warped turntable spins come out of nowhere, and at times, instruments synchronize in patterns to intensify the situation. It’s a thrilling track, assembled from jagged parts in a calculated, yet unfathomable way.

Nice Nice

an ear for interesting sonic textures, and the listener will likely better remember these textures rather than any particular notes or melodies. Strangely, the group seems to be aware of this, even driving the point home on the album’s first two numbers, “Set and Setting” and “One Hit,” by largely using just a single repeated note that’s utterly milked for all it’s worth, taking rock minimalism to an extreme. The good thing is that is works—the persistent drumbeats and building pressure lead to two revelatory moments: the wait-‘til-the-last-second resolution of the former track, and the disorderly mid-song breakdown of the latter track.

Extra Wow sports a variety of influences, but each tip-of-the-hat seems to be manifested in just a single track, lending to the album’s jumpy nature.

“See Waves” has a sort of vaguely West African—by way of David Byrne—vibe with electric guitar sequences straight from the Robert Fripp playbook. “A Vibration” is seemingly a tribute to the German band Neu!, using the distinctive motorik drum pattern with soaring, smooth guitar lines, but the “Tomorrow Never Knows”-esque psychedelia featured on “Make It Gold,” with resonating string drones and a Ringo beat, is a bit played-out. The vocals aren’t prominent in the mix, which is a wise choice, since they’re fairly unremarkable. The group’s willingness to change direction on every other song, with exhilarating outbursts and mounting passages, is admirable, so, it’s only slightly bothersome that the band doesn’t quite know where to go with all of these methods.

Extra Wow (Warp) The debut album Extra Wow from the Portland duo Nice Nice is brimming with ideas and influences, as if made by people with large record collections who want to stuff in as many fascinating sounds as possible and not leave anybody out. Prudently, it’s not too deeply rooted into a certain style, not quite being a strict rock album nor an electronic music album. Nice Nice has

www.chattanoogapulse.com

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A&E Calendar Thursday Spotlight

CSO presents “The Sea” Debussy’s La Mer with special guests CSO Chorus, Lee University Chorale and soprano Stella Zambalis. $19 - $79 8 p.m.

Tivoli Theatre, 709 Broad Street.

(423) 467-8583. chattanoogasymphony.org

Thursday, April 15 AEC Spring Independent Film Series: The Art of the Steal 1:20, 4:20, 7:20, 9:55 p.m.

Majestic 12 Theater, 311 Broad St. (423) 826-2370.

Artful Evening at the Hunter 6 p.m. Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View.

(423) 266-0944. www.huntermuseum.org Bessie Smith Birthday Celebration 6 p.m. Bessie Smith Cultural Center, 200 MLK Blvd.

(423) 266-8658.

Mystery of the TV Talk Show 7 p.m. Vaudeville Café, 138 Market St. (423) 517-1839.

“Co-opting Christian Sacrifice to Promote U.S. War Culture” Lecture 7 p.m. Chattanooga State Community College, 4501 Amnicola Hwy. (423) 697-2560.

Heart in Concert 7:30 p.m. Memorial Auditiorium, 399 McCallie Ave. (423) 757-5156.

Niada 8 p.m. Sanderson Hall, Covenant College, 14049 Scenic Hwy. Lookout Mtn, GA. (916) 642-3430.

James Johann 8 p.m. The Comedy Catch, 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233. www.thecomedycatch.com CSO Masterworks: “The Sea” 8 p.m. Tivoli Theatre, 709 Broad St. (423) 267-8583. www.chattanoogaonstage.com

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Friday Spotlight

Friday, April 16 4 Bridges Arts Festival 10 a.m. First Tennessee Pavilon, 1826 Carter St. www.4bridgesartsfestival.org Earth Dayz 11 a.m. Rock City, 1400 Patten Rd., Lookout Mtn, GA. (706) 820-2531. www.seerockcity.com/earthdayz Hubble in 3D 11 a.m., 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 p.m.

IMAX Theater at the Tennessee Aquarium, 1 Broad St. (800) 265-0695.

Wild Ocean in 3D Noon, 2, 4, 6, 8 p.m. IMAX Theater at the Tennessee Aquarium, 1 Broad St. (800) 265-0695.

The Last Night at Ballyhoo 7 p.m. Dixon Center, Lee University, 1120 North Ocoee St., Cleveland, TN. (423) 614-8343.

James Johann 7:30, 10 p.m. The Comedy Catch, 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233. w ww.thecomedycatch.com Pianist Derek Polischuk 7:30 p.m. Roland Hayes Concert Hall, UTC Fine Arts Center, 615 McCallie Ave. (423) 425-4111. www.utc.edu/music Niada 8 p.m. Sanderson Hall, Covenant College, 14049 Scenic Hwy. Lookout Mtn, GA. (916) 642-3430.

CSO Masterworks: “The Sea” 8 p.m. Tivoli Theatre, 709 Broad St. (423) 267-8583. www.chattanoogaonstage.com Enchanted April 8 p.m. Chattanooga Theatre Centre, 400 River St. (423) 267-8534. www.theatrecentre.com

Saturday, April 17 Organic Gardening Talk 11 a.m. Crabtree Farms, 1000 E. 30th St. (423) 493-9155.

4 Bridges Arts Festival 11 a.m. First Tennessee Pavilon, 1826 Carter St. www.4bridgesartsfestival.org Hubble in 3D 11 a.m., 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 p.m.

IMAX Theater at the Tennessee Aquarium, 1 Broad St. (800) 265-0695.

Earth Dayz 11 a.m. Rock City, 1400 Patten Rd., Lookout Mtn, GA. (706) 820-2531. www.seerockcity.com/earthdayz Mosaic Market 11 a.m. 412 Market St. (corner of 4th/Market) (423) 624-3915.

Wild Ocean in 3D Noon, 2, 4, 6, 8 p.m. IMAX Theater at the Tennessee Aquarium, 1 Broad St. (800) 265-0695.

Niada 2 p.m. Sanderson Hall, Covenant College, 14049 Scenic Hwy. Lookout Mtn, GA. (916) 642-3430.

Poptots CSO Wind Quintet 2 p.m. Creative Discovery Museum, 321 Chestnut St. (423) 648-6054.

Read Around Tennessee 2 p.m. Winder Binder Gallery & Bookstore, 40 Frazier Ave. (423) 413-8999.

Faux Bridge Festival 2 p.m. Winder Binder Gallery & Bookstore, 40 Frazier Ave. (423) 413-8999.

New Voice Poetry Reading 6 p.m. Pasha Coffeehouse, 3914 St. Elmo Ave. (423) 475-5482. www.pashacoffeehouse.com Praise University College Choir Concert 6 p.m. New Monumental Baptist Church, 901 Woodmore Ln. (423) 629-6106.

Mystery of the Nightmare High School Reunion 6 p.m. Vaudeville Café, 138 Market St. (423) 517-1839. www.funnydinner.com The Last Night at Ballyhoo 7 p.m. Dixon Center, Lee University, 1120 North Ocoee St., Cleveland, TN. (423) 614-8343.

Enchanted April Four women embark on an idyllic Italian vacation…with unexpected results. $25 (opening night) 8 p.m.

Chattanooga Theatre Centre, Main Stage, 400 River Street.

(423) 267-8534. www.theatrecentre.com James Johann 7:30, 10 p.m. The Comedy Catch, 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233. www.thecomedycatch.com Enchanted April 8 p.m. Chattanooga Theatre Centre, 400 River St. (423) 267-8534. www.theatrecentre.com Mystery of the Red Neck Italian Wedding 8:30 p.m. Vaudeville Café, 138 Market St. (423) 517-1839.

Sunday, April 18 Earth Dayz 11 a.m. Rock City, 1400 Patten Rd., Lookout Mtn, GA. (706) 820-2531. www.seerockcity.com/earthdayz Organic Gardening Talk 1 p.m. Crabtree Farms, 1000 E. 30th St. (423) 493-9155.

Children’s Concert 1:30 p.m. Center for the Creative Arts, 817 B. North Market St. (423) 265-0617.

Faux Bridge Festival 2 p.m. Winder Binder Gallery & Bookstore, 40 Frazier Ave. (423) 267-3900.

The Last Night at Ballyhoo 2 p.m. Dixon Center, Lee University, 1120 North Ocoee St., Cleveland, TN. (423) 614-8343.

Children’s Concert 4 p.m. Center for the Creative Arts, 817 B. North Market St. (423) 265-0617.

James Johann 8 p.m. The Comedy Catch, 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233. www.thecomedycatch.com

Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative

A&E Calendar

Send your calendar events to us at calendar@chattanoogapulse.com

Saturday Spotlight

Read About Tennessee plus Faux Bridge Art Festival Area authors read, plus folk artists exhibit.

Free 2 - 4 p.m.

Winder Binder Gallery and Bookstore, 40 Frazier Avenue.

(423) 315-0721.

Monday, April 19 Joseph Campbell Round Table 7 p.m. Grace Episcopal Church, 20 Belvoir Ave. (423) 698-2433.

Symphonic Band Performance 7:30 p.m. Roland Hayes Concert Hall, UTC Fine Arts Center, 615 McCallie Ave. (423) 425-4111. www.utc.edu/music “Speak Easy” Spoken word and poetry 8 p.m. Mudpie Restaurant, 12 Frazier Ave. (423) 267-9040. www.mudpierestaurant.com

Sunday Spotlight

Ask the Animals Book Lecture 7 p.m. McKee Library, Southern Adventist University, 4865 Promenade St. (423) 238-2788.

Ongoing Events “Horizons” Shuptrine Fine Art Group, 2646 Broad St. (423) 266-4453. www.shuptrinefineartgroup.com “Picture This” North River Civic Center, 1009 Executive Dr. (423) 870-8924.

Works by Helen Exum St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 305 W. 7th St. (423) 266-8794.

UTC Arts Department Senior Thesis Exhibition Cress Gallery, 752 Vine St. (423) 304-9789.

“Birds of a Feather” Houston Museum of Arts, 201 High St. (423) 267-7176. www.thehoustonmuseum.com

“Harmonic Inspirations” Chattanooga African American Museum, 200 E. MLK Blvd.

(423) 266-8658.

“Themes of Identity” Hunter Museum of Art, 10 Bluff View. (423) 266-0944. www.huntermuseum.org “Still Lifes from the Permanent Collection” Hunter Museum of Art, 10 Bluff View. (423) 266-0944. www.huntermuseum.org “Twenty American Etchings” Hunter Museum of Art, 10 Bluff View. (423) 266-0944. www.huntermuseum.org “Scenes from a Native Land” Bill Shores Frame and Gallery, 307 Manufacturers Rd. (423) 756-6746. www.billshoresframes.com “One of a Kind” River Gallery, 400 E. Second St. (423) 265-5033. www.river-gallery.com

Editor’s Pick of the Week

Tuesday, April 20 Arts Chatt 5 p.m. Public House, 1110 Market St. (423) 266-3366. publichousechattanooga.com The Awakening Book Discussion 6p.m Rock Point Books, 401 Broad St. (256) 710-0646. www.rockpointbooks.com Musical Theatre Showcase 7:30 p.m. Tivoli Theatre, 709 Broad St. (423) 267-8583. www.chattanoogaonstage.com Symphony Orchestra Concert 7:30 p.m. Collegedale Church, 4829 College Drive E. (423) 236-2814.

4 Bridges Arts Festival

Wednesday, April 21

Tenth anniversary of what has become one of the nation’s top arts events will this year feature more than 150 artists, live music, artisan foods and a chance to see everyone you know.

Lunch and Learn Series: Landscape Design with Grant Jones Noon. Green Spaces, 63 E. Main St. (423) 648-0963.

Saturday, April 17, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Sunday, April 18, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. $5 First Tennessee Pavilion, 1826 Carter Street.

(423) 265-4282, www.4bridgesartsfestival.org

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The White Ribbon (final film of AEC’s Independent Film Series) Winner of Cannes’ Palme d’Or is a dark story of human evil.

Majestic Theatre, 215 Broad Street.

(423) 265-5220. www.carmike.com “Yesterday, Today, Tommorrow” My Color Image Boutique and Art Gallery, 330 Frazier St. (423) 598-6202.

“Bold Elegance” My Color Image Boutique and Art Gallery, 330 Frazier St. (423) 598-6202.

“Sister City” by Elizabeth Turbergen Association for Visual Arts, 30 Frazier Ave. (423) 265-4282. www.avarts.org “Faces and Things by Mike Holsomback” Asher Love Gallery, 3914 St. Elmo Ave. (423) 822-0289. asherlovegallery.blogspot.com Photography by Robert Parker Leo Handmade Gallery, 22 Frazier Ave. (423) 634-0440. www.leogallery.blogspot.com “Inspired Details from Nature” In-Town Gallery, 26A Frazier Ave. (423)267-9214. www.intowngallery.com “Recent Landscapes: Lawerence Mathis” Tanner Hill Warehouse Row Project Space, 1110 Market St. (423) 280-7182.

AEC Spring Independent Film Series: The White Ribbon beginning 4/16 1:20 p.m. Majestic 12 Theater, 311 Broad St. (423) 826-2370.

Hubble in 3D, Sun.-Thurs.

1 p.m. Imax Theater at the Tennessee Aquarium, 1 Broad St. (800) 265-0695.

Wild Ocean in 3D, Sun-Thurs.

2 p.m. Imax Theater at the Tennessee Aquarium, 1 Broad St. (800) 265-0695.

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Arts & Entertainment

April in Portofino “Two proper British ladies, bored with the demands of stuffy and dominating hubbies, surprise everyone by zipping off to the Italian coast on their own.”

I rather adored Mike Newell’s 1992 film of Enchanted April. Well, really, for anyone who’s ever dreamed of running away to Italy, what’s not to love: it was filmed at the dreamy Castello Brown in Portofino, Italy and features a superb cast, with Miranda Richardson, Joan Plowright, Polly Walker and one of my all-time personal faves, Jim Broadbent.

The film was adapted from a novel written by Elizabeth von Arnim in the ’20s, and the same novel was used

by Matthew Barber to create a stage version, which opened on Broadway in 2003. Now this story comes to the Chattanooga Theatre Centre’s Main Stage when it opens Friday. As the CTC tells it, “This romantic comedy tells the story of four Englishwomen who break free of their rain-drenched sorrows and oppression for a month in a rented Italian castle…Enchanted April tackles the issue of war between the sexes (and even wars within the sexes) head on.”

The CTC’s production stars Judy LaMance as Lottie Wilson and Anne Swedberg as Rose Arnott, the two proper British ladies who, bored with the demands of stuffy

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and dominating hubbies, surprise everyone by zipping off to the Italian coast on their own. As the villa they rent is a bit beyond their purse, they invite two other women to share the place with them, a crabby widow and a distant, cutting aristocrat.

Needless to say, all is not exactly peaceful at the villa—and that’s before the male contingent drops in.

This script is not dripping with heavy themes, nor was it intended to be: As the 2003 Talkin’ Broadway review puts it, “Like the wisp of scent from flowers on a spring breeze, Enchanted April will likely remain little more than a light, pleasant memory once it’s over. But to all those who appreciate wisteria and sunshine, that will likely be enough.”

CTC veteran Brother Ron Fender directs, and the rest of the cast includes Coylee Bryan, Jerry Draper, Hayley Graham, Tal Larson, Tim Newland and Julie Van Valkenburg.

Those who choose opening night will get a first look at the new Main Stage lobby, as well as a pre- and post-show reception.

Enchanted April $10 - $20 $25 gala opening night 8 p.m. Friday, Saturday Main Stage, Chattanooga Theatre Centre 400 River Street. (423) 267-8534. www.theatrecentre.com

Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative

JONESIN’

By Matt Jones

“Repeat Offenders” –it’s just overkill.

Across 1 1973 snake movie starring Dirk Benedict 8 Hard workers?

14 “The Life ___ with Steve Zissou” 15 One of many in Las Vegas 16 Former Campbell’s Soup slogan 18 Atlanta suburb 19 Enthusiastic assent, in Spanish 20 Bikini part 22 Back muscles 23 With 31-across, quadruple platinum R&B album of 1992 26 Beauty’s counterpart 30 River that passes through Essen, Germany 31 See 23-across 34 Presidential monogram of the 1950s 37 Actress Lathan of “The Cleveland Show” 38 “___ was saying...”

39 Financial advisor and TV host Suze 41 ___ Maria (liqueur) 42 1953 Looney Tunes short where a student daydreams 45 Make a sad face 46 Part of a lunar cycle 47 Some all-female band members 52 Moby Dick chaser 53 Hydrocarbon suffix 54 “I’m rippin’ up ___ doll...” (Aerosmith lyric) 58 Chests

61 1990’s “Groove Is In the Heart” dance band 64 Beekeeper’s place 65 Month of fasting 66 Took out for a spin 67 Last name of Southern rapper Bubba Down 1 ___ Club (Wal-Mart offshoot) 2 Unit used to measure a city’s area: abbr.

3 Totals 4 “____ am” 5 Type of silver associated with British money: abbr.

6 Silicon monoxide, for short 7 Prefix for “phobia” that means “dark” 8 Alternatives to Pepsis 9 Electrical unit of resistance 10 Waco university 11 She backed Barack 12 Like J, alphabetically 13 Former Guns N’ Roses guitarist 17 “Scooby-___, Where Are You!” 21 Actress ___ de Rossi of “Arrested Development” 23 Baseball Hall-of-Famer Mel 24 “Positive,” to Pierre 25 “What an unfortunate situation” 26 ___ B’rith 27 Active Sicilian volcano

28 “Just as I suspected!”

29 Sailor’s visibility hazard 31 East, in Germany 32 “The other,” in Spanish 33 Newspaper published since 1908, for short 34 Prohibited areas in combat: abbr.

35 Stupor 36 ‘80s rockers Split ___ 40 Wu-Tang Clan producer 43 Czech play where 8-across came from 44 Does some high school vandalism 45 Naval vessel commanded by JFK 47 Morocco’s capital 48 Wishful thought 49 “Champagne Supernova” band 50 Boxing match div.

51 Lusty looks 54 Banned apple spray 55 Hyphenated septic system treatment brand 56 “I never knew ___ that was not odious” (John Sherman) 57 Demographic for characters in “Reality Bites” 59 Modern version of a K-ration 60 Aust. city 62 “The Raven” monogram 63 Transatlantic MTV honor, for short

©2010 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@jonesincrosswords.com) For answers to this puzzle, call: 1-900-226-2800, 99 cents per minute. Must be 18+. Or to bill to your credit card, call: 1-800-655-6548. Reference puzzle #0463.

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Solution To Last Week’s Puzzle

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Life in the Noog

By Chuck Crowder

Game On! L

ast week the ‘noog’s boys of summer began their 2010 season with a bang—beating the Huntsville Stars, whose multitude of 8th-inning errors gave the Looks a three-run stand that clinched a victory on one of the coldest opening days in many years.

The enthusiastic crowd, fresh from the souvenir shop with something long sleeved purchased for warmth and not necessarily because they needed to replace their Reds gear with Dodgers blue, cheered from the stands of AT&T Field as if our local heroes had finally made it to “the show.”

Standing in the Big River beer garden atop the third baseline bleachers, my friends and I were actually as excited to be there as if we’d made some sort of thunder-run trek to Fenway or Wrigley.

And even better, our own grade-A quality AT&T Field provided some of the same exact modern conveniences as any major-league haunt around the country.

In fact, it made me proud to be part of a town that not only supports our sports teams—new or old—but provides the organizers, players and fans with the right stuff to go big, so we don’t go home.

I’ve been going to Lookouts games as far back as I can remember. The first incarnation I recall was the Oakland A’s franchise, then I believe it was one or more of the Astros, Expos or Cardinals for a bit before the Reds took over for many, many years.

Nowadays it’s the Dodgers, who’ve done a wonderful job of carefully accepting the torch without alienating all of us who still have the red ball caps.

They’ve been slow to incorporate their blue into our color scheme, but I can see

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it coming to a head. Next year there will surely be a death-cage match between competing mascots Looie and Bluey on the mound opening day. My money’s still on Looie.

Back when my Little League team went to see the “pros” (ages 19 and up), it meant a visit to Engel Stadium. And how old school was Engel? Dirt parking lot, old wooden stiff-back seats and a PA system that made announcements sound as if they were coming from Charlie Brown’s teacher.

Other than the nightly “dirtiest car in the lot” competition, the two most memorable season highlights for me were—in no particular order—fireworks on the Fourth of July and used-car night.

Used-car night was very interesting.

Your game ticket doubled as a chance to win one of a dozen or so clunkers the Lookouts front office staff plucked from the car crusher just in time. I remember nothing being more exciting than carefully following along with Charlie Brown’s teacher as the winning ticket numbers were read aloud in hopeful anticipation that my first car would be either a shit-brown Chevy Nova, primer-grey Dodge Charger or an F-150 with dented side panels.

Lucky for me, I didn’t win. And neither did the Lookouts by the time I was in my twenties. Engel became one of the first “dive bars” my friends and I would frequent. Nothing was more fun that hanging out in a run-down stadium with cheap beer and sunshine—all by ourselves.

The first attempt to revive interest in the team was adding the word “Historic” at the beginning of Engel

“Next year there

Stadium because someone realized that Babe Ruth was struck out at its home plate back in the day. However, what most people fail to remember was that Babe’s at-bats generally produced one of only two possible outcomes—home run or strike out. So, that makes roughly 387 ballparks around the country “historic” by the same standard.

Then, by some stroke of optimism that just about everyone in the ‘noog was slow to adopt, Frank Burke swooped in and not only bought the team, but promised a brand-new, stateof-the-art stadium closer to downtown.

“Who’s this guy and what’s he smokin’?” could be overheard all over town as he set his plan into motion.

Burke however, must have taken a page or two out of P. T. Barnum’s life story as he revived support for the team with some of the most brilliant promotion this town had ever seen. And now we have a team and stadium to not only support, but be proud of. We even have some of the most profitable merchandise in minor league ball due to the “eyes” logo selling nationwide to people who don’t even know what it means. For us though, it means that me and my friends have got one more thing do on a random summer night—and this time in an upscale bar. Go Looks!

will surely be a death-cage match between competing mascots Looie and Bluey on the mound opening day. My money’s still on Looie.”

Chuck Crowder is a local writer and general man about town. His opinions are just that. Everything expressed is loosely based on fact, and crap he hears people talking about. Take what you just read with a grain of salt, but pepper it in your thoughts. And be sure to check out his popular website www.thenoog.com

Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative

www.chattanoogapulse.com

April 15, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 15 | The Pulse

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Film Feature

By Phillip Johnston

Fear, Faith and Fascism

I

t all starts with the town doctor. While riding home on horseback from an appointment at a wealthy estate, the doctor’s steed trips on an intentionally placed wire tied between two trees at the entrance to his garden, throwing the physician onto the ground, breaking his arm. Who did it? The next day, the wife and mother of one of the town’s poor farming families dies in a freak accident at the sawmill. Was it intentional?

Soon after, the young son of the village’s wealthy baron is hung upside down, beaten, and dropped on the floor of a barn in the late hours of the night. Days later, a mentally disabled boy is found barely conscious in the woods having been almost blinded by his oppressors. A barn is burned, a garden is ravaged, the pastor’s caged bird is run through with a pair of scissors. Why would anyone do such things?

Austrian director Michael Haneke’s film The White Ribbon (this week’s selection in the Arts and Education Council’s independent Film Series) never gets around to resolving these matters and, as a rule of thumb, Haneke does not like to answer the biggest

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narrative questions he raises in his films. Just as we never know who sent the suspicious videotapes to the family in Caché, so we never find out definitively who is guilty of the horrible misdeeds in The White Ribbon.

Unconcerned with whodunit (interviews with the director suggest that even he doesn’t know how his stories resolve), Haneke sets out to show how his characters and his audience react to what they see. The White Ribbon plays on the screen as a grand work of art, but there is no sign posted to explain what it means. It is the director’s most accessible film, but that does not mean he has dumbed down his methods.

This is a film of aberrant behavior told with great beauty and elegance. Christian Berger’s work garnered him a nomination for Best Cinematography at this year’s Academy Awards and, from the standpoint of a purist, it probably should have won. Filmed in stark black and white, The White Ribbon unfolds with smooth and graceful camera moves, looking and feeling like a living Ansel Adams photograph. Almost any image in the film could be printed, framed, and displayed on a wall.

The narrator of The White Ribbon is the village schoolteacher and he narrates from the distant future saying that he might not have all the details correct, but that this story as a whole could shed some light on things that happened in his country. In any case, the teacher’s small Protestant village has been thrown into an absolute frenzy. The children are disobedient and begin asking questions about the nature of life and death; the darkness inside their parents and caretakers is brought into the light. The peaceful Christian village begins a slow process of horrific disintegration.

The town pastor notices the change in the children’s behavior and takes action. “I’ve tried to bring God’s word closer to you,” he says to a group of children after they have disobeyed. But what is the ultimate purpose of his punitive measures—of having his

daughter turn her back to the divinity class while he discusses her wrongdoing, of tying his son’s arms to the bed at night so he won’t give in to the desires of the flesh, of forcing his willful children to wear a white ribbon so the world can see they are striving for moral purity? “White, as you all know,” he says, “is the color of innocence.”

Consider his full statement: “I’ve tried to bring God’s word closer to you and make responsible human beings out of you.” The pastor’s goal is to infuse Christian teaching into the lives of these children through corporeal punishment and public humiliation in an attempt to make them responsible members of an established community. But these penal measures do nothing to change their fundamental desires and feelings or heal the scars they have from living in a society rank with malice, envy, apathy, and brutality— it merely jerry-rigs their hearts into momentary moral submission. In any society, at any time, and under any regime, this inevitably leads to disaster.

With this in mind, the brilliance of The White Ribbon lies in the time and place in which Haneke has placed the story. At first a mosaic tale of unsettling happenings in an Austrian agrarian village, the film takes a historical turn when Haneke reveals that these villagers are living on the brink of World War I, a time that will lead their nation into a period of fascism unmatched in world history. Though it would be horribly simplistic to call the film a historical drama about the origins of fascism, The White Ribbon opens a window into a culture of fear that would make a people so willing to fall into step with nefarious ideologies.

The White Ribbon won the Palme d’Or at last year’s Cannes film festival and for good reason. It is a remarkable dramatic tapestry, powerfully performed, deftly written and executed by a master director who sees clearly with eyes that reveal layers of meaning behind actions—even when those actions remain profoundly mysterious. He paints horrifying pictures, but those pictures are cause for revelation.

The White Ribbon (part of the AEC Independent Film Series) Directed by Michael Haneke Starring Christian Freidel, Ulrich Tukur, Burghart Klaussner Rated R Running time: 144 minutes

Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative

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April 15, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 15 | The Pulse

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Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative

New in Theaters

Also in Theaters

Kick-Ass

Death at a Funeral (New) When a family comes together to mourn, shocking revelations, festering resentment, and a misdirected corpse unleash mayhem.

Date Night Tina Fey and Steve Carell are a bored married couple whose routine evening out turns into a dangerous case of mistaken identity.

Clash of the Titans Sam Worthington stars as the warrior Perseus, who finds himself in the ultimate struggle for power between gods, kings and men.

Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married Too? Four close couples gather in the Bahamas for their annual reunion, but are faced with the challenges of commitment and fidelity.

The Last Song Miley Cyrus must spend the summer with her estranged father, connecting through the only thing they have in common—music.

Hot Tub Time Machine A group of burned-out

Over the past decade, Hollywood studios have made enormous piles of cash by raiding the fertile world of comics for plot ideas and visually oriented stories.

While some “comics” films have been more successful than others—for every Spiderman, Batman, and Iron Man there has been a Daredevil, Ghost Rider¸ and Hulk—what we haven’t seen is a truly original twist on the entire concept of superheroism in the “real world”. Until now. Kick-Ass is the tale of an ordinary New York teenager and comic-book geek who dons a green-and-yellow Internet-purchased wetsuit to become the no-nonsense vigilante, Kick-Ass. What starts as the over-imaginative dreams of a wannabe superhero turns into the real thing in a film that turns the camera eye away from special-effects-laden escapist fare and into the hearts and minds of the people who make comics so successful: the readers. The film is also disturbing at many times, not only because of some very violent sequences, but also because of the incredibly foul-mouthed dialogue from Chloe Moretz, a pre-teen with a precocious sense of anger and attitude who gives the standout performance of the film. Director Matthew Vaughn coaxes a performance out the young actress that mirrors break-out performances by Jodie Foster in Taxi Driver and Natalie Portman in The Professional—but instead

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of making audiences uncomfortable via sexuality, he does it with language and violence. There are also some very dark tones throughout the film, both in the drama and the comedic portions, that could easily make audiences squirm. Not to mention the often extreme violence.

However, while the film misses at times, it hits far more often…just sometimes right in the throat.

Starring: Aaron Johnson, Nicolas Cage, Chloe Moretz, Christopher Mintz-Plasse Director: Matthew Vaughn Rating: R

best friends travel back in time, courtesy of a magical hot tub, and get a second chance to rediscover their mojo.

How to Train Your Dragon A Viking teenager who is being trained to fight dragons encounters and ultimately befriends one of the flying fire-breathers.

The Bounty Hunter Gerard Butler and Jennifer Aniston star in an action comedy about bounty hunter hired to track down his bail-jumping ex-wife.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Greg Heffley, a wisecracking, undersized middle school weakling, must navigate and survive the travails of an academic year.

Repo Men Jude Law is a futuristic repo men who fails to make heart transplant payments, and must go on the run from his former partner.

Hubble 3D A 3-D journey with spacewalking astronauts as they attempt the most difficult and important tasks in

NASA’s history.

Green Zone Matt Damon is a rogue U.S. Army officer hunting through covert and faulty intelligence before war escalates in an unstable region.

She’s Out of My League Against all odds, an outrageously gorgeous girl falls for an average Joe, much to everyone’s surprise—including his own.

Remember Me Robert Pattinson and Emilie De Ravin are star-crossed lovers who struggle to deal with family tragedies that threaten their relationship.

Alice in Wonderland Director Tim Burton takes on the whimsical world of Alice, who embarks on a fantastical journey to find her true destiny.

Brooklyn’s Finest Richard Gere, Don Cheadle and Ethan Hawke are NYPD cops caught up in the violence and corruption of the gritty 65th Precinct.

April 15, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 15 | The Pulse

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dale deason mornings 5:30 - 9 zack cooper and rebecca cruz afternoons 4 - 7

WPLZ 95.3 FM News Talk Radio

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Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative

The Pulse • Dining Out Spotlight

Merv’s: Filled With Yumminess

by Colleen Wade Have you ever met someone and just instantly felt comfortable with them? As a writer of human-interest pieces, I interview lots of people. So I consider it part of my job to put people at ease—but it’s really rare that I find myself so relaxed. That’s exactly what happened when I sat down with Stacy Morris, the owner of Merv’s on Mountain Creek Road.

What is usually a 20-minute interview turned into more than an hour of conversation about everything from her business to homeopathic medicine, dotted with “Bye, sweetheart!” or “Hey, y’all!” every time someone entered or left.

When you sit down with Stacy, you’re enveloped in this infectious cloud of genuine friendliness and hospitality.

Stacy just makes you want to sit and stay a while—which could be why Merv’s has continued to flourish in the 14 years she has owned the restaurant.

Of course, Merv’s award-winning hamburgers have something to do with it, too. Merv’s has won CityScope awards for best hamburger in Chattanooga as well as being listed in “Best of the Best Dining Out in Chattanooga.” It’s even rumored that someone has turned Merv’s in to Food Network. Personally, I’m hoping for a throw down with Bobby Flay over burgers. When I said as much to Stacy, she just laughed.

“There’s no secret,” she says. “I’ve rolled a lot of hamburger meat. It’s done daily. The

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meat is delivered and rolled out daily.”

Stacy and the crew at Merv’s buy as much locally as possible. In addition to being a convenience factor, they realize that as a locally owned business, it is important to support other locally owned businesses.

Stacy laughs and says her menu is limited.

“But the reason I am here,” she says, “is because of the burgers, obviously. Then the French fries are cut fresh with the skin on them…My menu is kinda limited and there are not a lot of ‘healthy choices’. I don’t think there are any healthy choices, to be honest with you, but if you want to splurge, this is the place to go!”

The menu at Merv’s filled with yumminess in deep-fried form—fried pickles, chicken strips, fried bologna sandwiches. But hark!

There are salads—just take the Super Salad.

Created by an employee in 1990, the Super Salad features lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles, cheese, ground beef and ham.

The Super Salad has been on the menu since its inception and is a huge seller!

Stacy and the people at Merv’s are givers. They like to help the community whenever they can, and they are learning that there are no half circles in life.

Stacy had been wanting for quite some time to do some renovations to the outside of Merv’s. Unfortunately, there had been a number of issues inside that had to be dealt with due to flooding, and the façade of her building had to be pushed to the backburner. Recently, Stacy was approached by Pastor John Gann of Life Church.

Many of the church’s members are patrons of Merv’s. They had watched Stacy as she continued to make improvements to the inside of the building—and decided to pick up brushes and rollers and pay Merv’s back for everything they do. “I’m so excited,” says Stacy, “But I’m nervous, too.”

Whether it’s to splurge on those awardwinning burgers, to belly up to the bar for a cold one, or just relax with old friends, Merv’s is a winner.

Merv’s, 713 Mountain Creek Road, at the foot of Signal Mountain. Monday – Thursday, 11 a.m. - midnight, Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. - 2 a.m., Sunday, noon – 10 p.m. (423) 877-0221.

April 15, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 15 | The Pulse

35

Spirits Within

By Joshua Hurley

Back in Black with Crown Royal W

e’ve been around the world at least twice, visiting such places as Chile, Italy, Australia, California and France. This week’s “Great Buy” lands us back in Canada where Crown Royal is introducing a brand new product: Crown Royal Black. If you are new to my column, Great Buys is where Riley’s Wine and Spirits on Hixson Pike in Hixson picks a special item from our large selection of wine and spirits from around the world and shares it with the readership of The Pulse.

In 1857, Joseph E. Seagram founded the Seagram Company in Canada; and by 1883 he was the sole proprietor. By 1911, his sons had joined the fold and the distillery’s name was changed to Seagram and Sons. In 1939, Seagram and Sons created Crown Royal to honor a visit by the king and queen of England to Canada. Both were known whiskey connoisseurs and on a train tour of Canada consumed a rather large amount of it. Since its arrival in the U.S. in 1965, Crown Royal has become the number-one-selling Canadian whiskey.

Crown Royal is distilled in Gimli, Canada at the Gimli Distillery located on the western shore of Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba. Gimli offers the perfect set of natural resources that are the key to making this brand what it is. The area’s lake and rivers are glacier-fed, supplying the water needed for the all-important early step in the distillation process.

Like the original Crown Royal, “Black” is a blend of more than 50 individual whiskies, which is considerably more than in other Canadian whiskey. These individual whiskies include seven base whiskies, 11 batch whiskies, 15 bourbon-style whiskies, 13 ryetype whiskies, plus some additional

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whiskies used for flavor. After each whiskey is aged in charred oak barrels, they are blended together. Regular Crown Royal is aged in American oak barrels.

Black’s aging in charred oak gives the whiskey its reddish/dark-brown color. It’s distilled higher in proof (90) than regular Crown Royal (80). This new product will have Canadian whiskey and bourbon whiskey drinkers alike buzzing with excitement.

Crown Royal Black’s nose displays bourbonish characteristics of oak and vanilla along with some Canadian maple, which gives over to a velvety palate of caramel and creamy figs. Crown Royal Black finishes like a bourbon with an oak-y 90-proof kick followed by legendary classic Crown Royal smoothness. All in all, this is great news; it seems Crown Royal has made a whiskey that caters to dyed-in-the-wool fans and bourbon drinkers alike. A smart spirit to be sure.

Crown Royal Black is available at Riley’s Wine and Spirits in 375ml: $15.65, 750ml: $26.50; 1.75L: $49.98 and the miniature 50ml sample size: $1.25. Prices do not include tax.

You can reach Josh Hurley at spiritswithin@runbox.com

Free Will Astrology ARIES (March 21-April 19): Photons work hard to get from the heart of the sun to the surface.

They can take up to 160,000 years to complete the 400,000-plus-mile journey. And yet once Earth-bound photons get topside, they travel the 93-million-mile distance to our planet in just over eight minutes. I foresee a metaphorically similar situation unfolding in your life in the coming weeks. A development that has been a long time in the making will accelerate tremendously in its last phase of ripening.

By Rob Brezsny

like to go deeper: “You think you know me, but you really know just a tantalizing fraction. Would you like to experience the rest of the story?” And if anyone expresses interest, take him or her on a magical tour they won’t forget. Reveal the sides of you that are too mysteriously interesting to show the general public, or too intimate to reveal to anyone you don’t trust, or so potent they might intimidate those who don’t have a lot of selfpossession.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Taurus genius Irving Berlin (1888-1989) has been called the greatest songwriter who ever lived. Among his 1,500 compositions were iconic tunes like “God Bless America” and “White Christmas,” as well as scores for 18 Hollywood movies and 19 Broadway shows. And yet he never learned to read or write music. Was he embarrassed about his handicap?

Not at all. He even bragged about it. He felt that having such a minimal grasp of the conventions of songwriting was an advantage, giving him the freedom to be extraordinarily original. Is there any way in which you’re like Irving Berlin, Taurus? Do you have a seeming limitation that is actually an aid to your creativity and uniqueness? Celebrate it this week.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In North America, California Condors are the biggest flying birds that live on land. Their wingspans are up to ten feet. Once sacred to certain Native Americans, these members of the vulture family can live for 60 years and soar as high as 15,000 feet.

But they came close to extinction in the 20th century, mostly because of human activity. In 1987, conservationists intervened. In the hope of replenishing the population in captivity, they captured every last one of the 22 remaining wild condors. Painstaking efforts gradually yielded results, and today there are 348 birds, including 187 in the wild. I bring this to your attention, Scorpio, because I believe now is an excellent time to begin a project to save your own metaphorical version of an “endangered species.”

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “Every changed circumstance contains opportunities, which accrue to the first people to recognize them,” wrote poet Charles Potts. “Since circumstances are in constant flux, there is a steady stream of opportunities.

Learn to spot them and make them your own.” I offer you this advice, Gemini, because you’ll soon be in a prime position to derive great benefit from it. If you tweak your attitude just right—aligning your novelty receptors to be on high alert—the clattering commotion of metamorphosis that’s headed your way will bring with it a bustling welter of unforeseen openings.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): According to Us Weekly, baseball star Alex Rodriguez owns two paintings of himself in which he’s portrayed as half-man, half-horse. This is an excellent time for you to be inspired by his example. Gazing at a picture of a mythical centaur who looks like you would speak to your subconscious mind in just the right way. Bypassing your rational ego, that stirring icon would animate and cultivate the wise animal in you. It would stimulate the sweet spot where your physical vitality overlaps your visionary intelligence. Do you know anyone who could Photoshop this powerful image for you?

CANCER (June 21-July 22): First the negatives: Don’t be a martyr to what you’ve won. Don’t let your success oppress you. Don’t become a slave to the useful role you’ve earned. Don’t neglect your own needs as you serve the needs of those who admire you for what you give. Now let’s try a more positive way to frame the challenges ahead of you: Keep questioning whether the fruits of your victories are still enjoyable and fulfilling to you. Make sure the triumphs of the past don’t get in the way of the potential triumphs of the future. Find out how your success may need to evolve. Push beyond what’s good and head in the direction of what’s great.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Here’s my startling prediction: More Capricorn spiritual seekers will become enlightened in the next five weeks than in any comparable period of history.

Hell, there’ll be so much infinity mixed with eternity available for your tribe that even a lot of you non-seekers could get a lightning bolt of illumination or two. That’s not to say that you have to accept the uplifting revelations, or even tune in to them, for that matter. If you’d prefer to ignore the sacred hubbub and go about your practical business without having to hassle with the consequences of a divine download, that’s fine.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): My rage against the machine began early. I joined my first protest march at age 15, led a boycott at 17, and was tear-gassed by cops at a demonstration when I was 18. In the intervening years, my anger at injustice has broadened and deepened. I’ve lent my rebel yells to hundreds of righteous causes. But in 2006, I decided to shift my approach. Instead of fighting every single abuse that incited my ire, I chose three to concentrate on: the obscene militarism of the American government, the extreme financial disparities between the rich and poor, and the environmental degradations caused by corporations and corporate culture. Since then, my crusading energy has been more focused and effective, and my general mood has brightened. I recommend you consider a similar change, Leo. It’s an excellent time for you to give more of your passion to fewer causes.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Do you remember the monster that sometimes lived under your bed when you were a kid? Recently it found its way back to you, and has been spending time in your closet. It’s not as frightening as it used to be, and I’m not alarmed by its return. In fact, I think it has an important message for you that would be valuable to discover. I encourage you to invite it out for a conversation. As you might suspect, as soon as it delivers its crazy wisdom, it will leave you in peace.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Present the following dare to a person or persons with whom you would

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Can you imagine what it would be like to venture into the opposite of the Bermuda Triangle? You know, a zone where wonderfully odd things occur rather than bad strange things? I think that such a place exists, and I think you’ll soon find it. The luck that unfolds for you will be a blend of dumb and brilliant.

The discoveries you make may be useless on the outside but valuable on the inside. Lost keys may reappear and missing links will materialize out of nowhere. Here’s the piece de resistance: An apparent memory of the future could provide a secret passageway to a previously hidden enclave that contains “magic garbage.”

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In honor of the new identity you’re evolving into, I hereby give you the nickname of “Miracle Player,” or else—if you like one of these better—”Sleek Cat” or “Giant Step” or “Fate Whisperer.” You may hereafter also use any of the following titles to refer to yourself: “CEO of My Own Life” or “Self-Teacher of Jubilance and Serenity” or “Fertile Blur of Supple Strength.” Feel free, as well, to anoint your head with pure organic virgin olive oil, fashion a crown for yourself out of roses and shredded masks, and come up with a wordless sound that is a secret sign you’ll give to yourself whenever you need to remember the marvelous creature you are on your way to becoming.

Homework: Read and interact with free excerpts from my book “Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia” here: http://bit.ly/BeautyTruth.

Respond at Truthrooster@gmail.com.

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April 15, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 15 | The Pulse

37

Ask A Mexican!

By Gustavo Arellano

Latina Power Dear Mexican, I’ve dated a few Mexican girls in the last couple of years and I’ve come to realize one big, important thing—most of the girls didn’t know how to cook, clean and, you know… bring that ol’ school Mexican flavor from the roots! What’s happening to all our true mexicanas? I know times are changing and all, but most of these girls nowadays think it should be a “mutual responsibility.” Am I being selfish?

Maybe it was the way I was raised or the paisa neighborhood I live in where I see every Mexican man have their dinner prepared at the table and their shirts smelling like Downey made a new fragrance for men? I feel sorry for the next generation of pendejos because they’re going to be the ones wearing the thongs in the long run! I guess I could just take a trip down to Mexico somewhere, find me an all-around fina Latina and bring her up here to los Estados Unidos, ¿que no?

— Buscando El Real Sabor Mexicana Dear Macho Wab, Of course you’re being selfish, but don’t take it from me. A 2005 survey released by the California-Mexico Health Initiative UC MEXUS (CMHI University of California Institute for Mexico and the United States) titled, “Intimate Partner Violence and Depression among Rural Mexican Women” found, “The unequal distribution of household chores was mentioned as a detonator of aggression for women who considered they were working a higher load than their partners” and that “All the participants mentioned that they would like their partners to participate in household chores.” En other words—you might look fondly on the days mami and your sisters did everything for you, from

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The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 15 | April 15, 2010

make your bed to wash the skid marks on your chonis and have a new pot of beans every morning, but ever ask them if they needed help? And ever wondered why the only thing Mexican men in the world fear more than la migra is an angry, frustrated mujer? Mexican women may have it programmed in their culturo-gender identity to assume most of the household responsibilities, but trust me: a good relationship entails men also do some chores, and such equality ensures you more ol’ school mexicana flavor south of the border, if you know what I’m saying…

“Ever wondered why the only thing Mexican men in the world fear more than la migra is an angry, frustrated mujer?”

Dear Mexican, Would Mexico be a more stable, progressive, modern country if Spain would’ve prevailed? Look at the cities they built in Mexico compared to areas that were developed after the Spanish were defeated. And were the ruling Spanish more corrupt or is that more of a modern thing?

— Don’t Know Much about History— Or Anything Dear Gabacho, Huh? Few of Mexico’s major cities achieved their current fame until long after the gachupines sailed their sorry asses back across the Atlantic. The great exception was Mexico City, but it was better and more sustainable as Tenochtitlán—only the ingenuity of the mestizos and los chavos de Tepito y Neza made Mexico City the worldwide powerhouse it now is. And Mexico would’ve probably been worse off if it was still a Spanish territory—it was the encomienda and castas system, coupled with the mordida method of bribery, that led to most of the institutional problems Mexico has today. Nice legacy to go with all those cathedrals they built, ¿qué no?

FINAL REMINDER: The Cinco de Mayo edition of this columna will list all the regional antiMexican slurs ustedes have submitted.

I’ve received submissions from Santa Barbara to San Angelo and even North Carolina, but surely there are more. Submit your regional slur no later than April 27 to make sure your barrio beaner babadas get national recognition!

Ask the Mexican at themexican@ askamexican.net, myspace.com/ocwab, facebook.com/garellano, youtube.com/ askamexicano, find him on, Twitter, or write via snail mail at: Gustavo Arellano, P.O. Box 1433, Anaheim, CA 92815.

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