The Pulse - Vol. 7, Issue 16

THE BARD’S BIRTHDAY • BROAD STREET FILM FESTIVAL

Take Me Out To The Ballgames

By Janis Hashe FREE • News, Views, Music, Film, Dining, Arts & Entertainment • April 22, 2010 • Vol. 7 - Issue 16 • 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, Erik Bhatnagar Rob Brezsny, Chuck Crowder Hellcat, Joshua Hurley Matt Jones, Mark Kehoe 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 Cuckoo For Cocoa Puffs 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

11 TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAMES

By Janis Hashe Here in Chattanooga we are fortunate to have pro-level teams representing both our American heritage, and, as some might say, our future.

So we decided to take a look at this year’s Chattanooga Lookouts and Chattanooga Football Club and give you a preview of what to expect.

feature stories 6 JOHN BROWN: MADMAN OR MARTYR?

By Mark Kehoe One hundred fifty years ago, John Brown was hanged in Virginia, executed for treason after his failed raid on the Harpers Ferry armory.

The attack was Brown’s attempt to stir up a slave revolt—a revolt that never happened.

18 ALICE IN CHAINS: EIGHT YEARS ON

By Hellcat Alice in Chains’ first song, on the first album, Facelift, was entitled “We Die Young”. Written by Jerry Cantrell, the song could be interpreted to be about the heroin addiction the late Layne Staley struggled with.

The Pulse is published by

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ontents

By Phillip Johnston The Broad Street Film Festival is Chattanooga’s only regional, original, and educational film festival featuring independent films from the Chattanooga region.

30 CELEBRATING THE BARD’S BIRTHDAY

By Janis Hashe Bardolaters, as George Bernard Shaw might refer to persons such as myself, have always celebrated Shakespeare’s birthday on April 23. But the truth is that we don’t know for sure if that’s the day he was born.

L UA

President Jim Brewer, II

& wee xt ne

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N ING IL uls AN W MO e P h TO UR in T T k

APRIL

news & views 5 9 14 22 30

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

everything else 4 4 4 5 7 7 16 19 21 25 27 28 28 29

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

The List

Editoon

by Rick Baldwin

Top 7 Bizarre Tourist Attractions 1. Karner Bone House, Austria.

The Karner Bone House in the bucolic Austrian town of Hallstrat hosts thousands of painted skulls with decorations such as flowers, leaves and serpents. Really.

2. Sekigahara War World, Japan.

Recreation of the great battle of Sekigahara replete with life-size concrete structures of beheading, ritual suicides and hand-to-hand combat.

3. Neutrality Arch, Turkmenistan.

To secure his place in history as a megalomaniac, Saparmurat Niyazov (Turkmenistan’s leader after independence) ordered his statue to be placed at the top, revolving continuously so that he always faces the sun.

4. Bang Kwang Prison, Thailand.

Bored while vacationing in Thailand?

For a price you can interact with the inmates, some of them Western travelers whose holidays went horribly wrong.

5. Cockroaches Hall of Fame, United States. Ross Peroach, David Letteroach and Marlin Monroach are some of the characters you will acquaint yourself with when you visit Michael Bohdan’s Cockroaches Hall of Fame in Plano, Texas.

6. Isla de las Munecas, Mexico.

Legend had it that Julián Santana Barrera collected dolls that were discarded to appease the spirit of a girl who drowned in the river. Weirdly enough, Barrera died after drowning in a river.

7. International Friendship Exhibition Hall, North Korea.

Housing 90,000 gifts accumulated over the years by the great leader Kim Il Sung. The list of admirers includes former Soviet prime ministers Gregory Malenkov and Nikolai Bulganin, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, Cuba’s Fidel Castro and Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe.

Letters to the Editor 4 Bridges Fun Thank you so much for featuring one of the emerging artists on the cover last week [“Shaping Life at 4 Bridges”]. Thaddeus Erdahl’s work is vibrant and refreshing and it is so nice to see someone new and fresh getting media attention. Great coverage, great article, great festival.

Cynthia Bryson Dating Advice Doctor Rick, great advice for this lovetorn guy [“A Dating Dilemma”, Shrink Rap]. I think Scott is playing him and trying to have the best of all worlds, at least to some. If I were Jon, I would tell Scott to go his way and when and if he has enough to appreciate what he had, then maybe a relationship would survive.

Ray Micari Pops In The Park Just heard the news that Pops In The Park may not happen this year. If only a company or organization could step up with the needed funds to make it happen. It is such a wonderful event for our community.

Jennifer Brumlow

Love Hate Relationships The whole negativity behind this always bums me out [“Ten Rock Bands People Love To Hate”, The List]. If we step back from it a bit, there are similarities among pretty much all rock bands and much more common ground than people would admit. The beats, the chords, song structures, etc.

“Your favorite band kinda sounds like Creed.” A corollary to “that band sucks” is also “they started sucking immediately after Soand-So joined an ashram/rolled off a cliff in a bus/autoerotically asphyxiated.” Metallica and Red Hot Chili Pepper snobs have worn that one out. My favorite are Blood, Sweat & Tears snobs (there are some!) and the Al Kooper/David Clayton-Thomas transition.

Stephen Collins Walnut Street Bridge Party The North Shore Merchants Collective is holding a Night Out on the North Shore on April 22, following a ribbon cutting to celebrate the re-opening of the Walnut Street Bridge. Ten percent of all proceeds

from sales will benefit the Northside Neighborhood House, an 85-year-old service organization that provides educational programs and assistance to families and individuals in need north of the river. An official grand reopening of the bridge will take place after the repair project is completely finished in July.

Carolyn Mitchell Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce

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 16 | April 22, 2010

Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative

Pulse Beats Is This The End Of Pops In The Park?

Quote Of The Week:

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

One of the most popular holiday gatherings of the summer may not happen, an apparent victim of the economy. According to Carla Pritchard, President of Chattanooga Presents, the Pops in the Park celebration may not happen this year due to a lack of funding.

For the last nine years, Chattanoogans have gathered at Coolidge Park to celebrate Independence Day with patriotic music and fireworks. But the contracts of the three major sponsors have expired, and organizers are scrambling to replace the funding.

Pritchard, who formed Chattanooga Presents after the Chattanooga Downtown Partnership was dissolved by River City Company, was given oversight of the event, which she organized on behalf of the CDP for the past nine years.

Unfortunately, the recent economic downtown has affected her major sponsors, leaving a close-to-$70,000 hole in the event budget. Pritchard said that she and her staff are working very hard attempting to line up new sponsors to fund the event.

Many longtime attendees have expressed disappointment in the news. Local blogs and Facebook conversations have been hopeful that the Chattanooga business community will step up and help save the event, which routinely draws tens of thousands to Coolidge Park every July.

No Public Transportation For Volkswagen When the new Volkswagen assembly plant opens early next year, workers won’t be able to take public transportation to get to work. CARTA officials said that Volkswagen declined to pay for bus

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service to the plant at Enterprise South.

CARTA Executive Director Tom Dugan said it would take about $60,000 a year per bus to run service to the plant, and that neither the city nor the county was willing to subsidize the cost without assistance from Volkswagen.

The original plan had been to split the cost of service to the new plant three ways, with VW paying a third, the city paying a third, and the county picking up the remaining third. However, officials with the German automaker decided against the expenditure.

However, Dugan was quick to point out that it wouldn’t take CARTA very much time to start service to the plant if VW changes their mind. He noted that “long traffic jams on the day [the plant] opens” might help Volkswagen officials rethink their views on public transportation.

UTC Master Chorale Looking For New Singers The UTC Master Chorale will be holding auditions for the summer season until the end of April. The Master Chorale is a graduate-level chorus, founded to provide a summer ensemble experience for graduate music students, and sponsored

by UTC but consisting mostly of members of Chattanooga and the surrounding communities.

Members in the past have come from

“It brings us back to full strength and adds an additional 10 officers. That would be 50 officers on the street by the end of this next fiscal year.”

—Interim Chattanooga Police Chief Mark Rawlston, explaining his request for $9 million in increased funding for the department in the next city budget.

Here is one of the more interesting agenda items set to be discussed at the April 27 meeting of the Chattanooga City Council.

7. Resolutions:

as far as Dalton, Monteagle and Athens to participate. The group performs an advanced level of music and meets for a single concert each summer.

They have a truncated rehearsal schedule to keep from taking up the entire summer. Beginning on May 4, they rehearse on Tuesday evening for two weeks, then Tuesday and Thursday nights for the next three weeks ending on concert week with a rehearsal on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evening with a concert on Friday, June 11.

The full schedule and literature are posted on the chorus web page at www. utc.edu/Faculty/Kevin-Ford/SummerChorale.htm. This year’s literature will include works by Eric Whitacre, Henry Purcell, Reneé Clausen and others.

All voices are welcome but qualified male singers are especially needed.

The short five-minute audition consists of singing “My Country ‘tis of Thee,” range check, ear training and/or short sight-reading check.

If you are interested in auditioning for this season, contact the director, Dr. Kevin Ford at (423) 425-5243.

i) A resolution authorizing the Administrator of the Department of Neighborhood Services and Community Development to award $500,000.00 in Neighborhood Stabilization Program funds to Habitat for Humanity to develop housing primarily for families with incomes at or below 50% of the area median income.

During last week’s tax day protests, one of the most common complaints was “wasteful spending” by government local, regional and national. And while there is no argument that some spending by government seems a bit indefensible, helping to get poor families into decent housing (which is well proven to benefit both the families and the surrounding neighborhoods) is seen by nearly everyone as an excellent use of tax money for the greater good. Especially since Habitat for Humanity requires direct involvement in the entire process by the future homeowners.

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 22, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 16 | The Pulse

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Beyond The Headlines

By Mark Kehoe

John Brown: Madman or Martyr?

“I stood very near you old man, when cool and indifferent, but trembling with age and your unheal’d wounds, you mounted the scaffold.”

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The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 16 | April 22, 2010

O

ne hundred fifty years ago, John Brown was hanged in Virginia, executed for treason after his failed raid on the Harpers Ferry armory. The attack was Brown’s attempt to stir up a slave revolt—a revolt that never happened. Robert E. Lee, a colonel at the time, was sent by the Union to secure the armory.

An abolitionist, Brown took his cause to extremes with the use of violence. He was a veteran of Bleeding Kansas, the “proxy war” over whether Kansas would enter the Union as a free

or slave state, and an active supporter of the “Subterranean Pass Way”, now better known as the Underground Railroad. His history has already been documented. I’m interested in John Brown’s legacy. After Abraham Lincoln, he could have been the most divisive American of the nineteenth century. Was he a villain? A hero?

Crazy? Divinely inspired?

Brown inspired Ralph Waldo Emerson, who wrote about the abolitionist in his lecture “Courage.”

He not only inspired Walt Whitman, but is immortalized in Leaves of Grass.

Whitman’s “Year of Meteors” was written after the execution, but tells an eerie story of Whitman standing with

Brown before the hanging, “I stood very near you old man, when cool and indifferent, but trembling with age and your unheal’d wounds, you mounted the scaffold.”

However, it was Brown’s impact on Henry David Thoreau that is really compelling. Brown was like a father to Thoreau, and after he was executed, Thoreau was inconsolable. In fact, the bond the two men shared was truly remarkable. This is apparent when you consider that Thoreau believed so deeply in non-violent resistance. Men like Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. read Thoreau and incorporated his peaceful message into theirs. Yet, Thoreau made an exception to his own peaceful rhetoric when it came to the violence of Brown.

In a memorial for Brown, Thoreau wrote, “John Brown’s career for the last six weeks of his life was meteorlike, flashing through the darkness in which we live. I know of nothing so miraculous in our history.” Thoreau ended the lamentation as profoundly as he began it by saying, “He is more alive than ever he was. He has earned immortality…He is no longer working in secret. He works in public, and in the clearest light that shines on this land”.

John Brown’s legacy is in the effect he had on people. You might think he was a martyr—a man with the courage to stand up for what he believed in.

You might think he was a murderer— no better than the people and system he was fighting. You might even think he had delusions of grandeur with a vision of a second great liberation movement in America’s history. Yet, 150 years later, one thing is certain—he is not forgotten.

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 Police Blotter often hands out advice for how not to be a crime victim. Foremost among the nuggets of wisdom we try to impart is to never leave valuables in your vehicle, especially in plain sight. Yet we still read report after report involving thefts of GPS units, purses, laptops and other assorted items. Luckily, one of the more active vehicle burglars working the area between Hixson and Soddy Daisy was apprehended last week. The man was well known for entering parking lots and breaking out the windows of vehicles in which the owners had left expensive items such as electronics and purses in full view. Investigators are looking through recovered items and are in the process of contacting the owners.

• Imagine coming home for lunch and finding someone in your house.

That’s just what happened to one Bradley County woman last week. As she pulled up to her home, she saw a man coming out the front door—a man who was not supposed to be there. After a brief confrontation, during which the man nearly struck her with his vehicle, the burglar fled…only to be caught a

few minutes later by law enforcement officers. The alert homeowner had memorized his vehicle’s license plate number and passed it along to a 911 operator, leading to a quick apprehension. The man has been charged with burglary, theft and aggravated assault.

• Cell phones and heavy traffic just do not mix. Unless the phone call is vitally important (and even then, it’s best to pull over to complete the call), your attention while driving should be on the road, not the phone.

Unfortunately for one motorcyclist, an unknown driver on Highway 27 who was talking on their cell phone suddenly switched lanes, causing traffic to come to an abrupt stop. The cyclist lost control of his motorcycle and collided with another vehicle, suffering traumatic head injuries. To make matters even worse, the phone-happy driver was apparently unaware or unconcerned with the carnage they caused and kept on driving. We cannot stress this enough: “Hang Up And Drive”.

• And our final item this week isn’t about a specific crime, it’s about getting more money to fight crime and

Chattanooga Street Scenes

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criminals. Interim Chattanooga Police Chief Mark Rawlston says his department will be asking for an additional $9 million in the new city budget. A recent uptick in crime has emphasized the fact that the force is at least 35 and as many as 50 officers short of need. Currently, officers are rotated around the department to fill gaps in service. For example, the Crime Suppression Unit, which handles gang violence, has only five members. Chief Rawlston would like to increase that number, especially in light of recent gang-related shootings in the community. Nine million dollars may seem like a lot of money, but when it comes to public safety, what better use for tax money is there?

Photography by Kelly Lockhart

Explaining art at the 4 Bridges Arts Festival.

April 22, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 16 | The Pulse

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The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 16 | April 22, 2010

Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative

Shrink Rap

By Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D

Seven Qualities for Creating Bliss A

s most of you know, I recently celebrated a birthday, and hit the mid-century mark.

And so it’s natural that I’ve been thinking lately about the various stages of life, and how each stage presents new opportunities, challenges, and surprises. And surprise!…a friend of mine happened to send the following joke my way (author unknown): I was in the waiting room for my first appointment with a new dentist, and I noticed his diploma which bore his full name. Suddenly, I remembered a tall, handsome, darkhaired boy with the same name had been in my high school class some 30 years ago. Could he be the same guy?

Upon seeing him, however, I quickly discarded any such thought.

This balding, gray-haired man with the deeply lined face was way too old to have been my classmate. Or was he?

After he examined me, I asked him if he had attended Morgan Park High.

“Why yes, I did.”

“When did you graduate?” I asked.

“In 1978,” he answered. “Why do you ask?”

“You were in my class!” I exclaimed.

He looked closely at me. Then that ugly, old, wrinkled, bald, fat, grey, decrepit son-of-a-bitch asked, “What did you teach?”

There’s an eye-opener for you.

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Truly every stage of life holds rich opportunity for us to re-examine our beliefs, to gain insight into what makes us tick, and to fine-tune the inner wisdom which guides all our choices—from small everyday ones to big life-altering ones.

As we move through our decades, there are the traditional evolutionary “tasks” waiting to be accomplished.

From attending college and honing ideas for a career path, usually in our 20s, to solidifying our life’s work in our 30s, and perhaps starting our own families. Our 40s and 50s find us in our “prime earning years.”

Many of us plan to retire in our 60s, and look toward the payoff of a life well lived. There might now be grandkids to spoil. And pretty soon we can spoil ourselves by finally having the time to travel and do all the things we’ve put off.

Traditionally, perhaps.

Of course life doesn’t proceed like this for everyone. In fact, there are more variations on these themes than ever before, as people are choosing to not marry young, or not have kids, or change careers mid-stream, go back to school later in life, or retire earlier when possible. Some folks begin second and even third careers during “retirement”. All sorts of creative innovations are happening to the traditional ways of moving through the life cycles. The only rules, really, are the ones you create as you go—marching to your own drummer, hopefully in touch with the lessons along the way, and with what brings you happiness.

So no matter which decade you are in, and whether you are conforming to tradition or not, I encourage

you to regularly ask yourself some questions, and to deeply consider your answers honestly and clearly, determining if you are on the right path for you. Questions such as: • Purpose. Do I feel a sense of purpose when I get out of bed in the morning…and is that purpose exciting to me?

• Love. Am I happy with my love relationship(s) and my friendships?

Am I a good friend to others?

• Spirit. Are my spiritual needs being met? What shape is my soul in, and what do I need to do if that part of my life is lacking?

• Values. What are my values?

What are my priorities? Is my mind open to new ideas? Is my heart open to new people?

• Society. Am I contributing to the betterment of society through work or volunteerism?

• Self. Am I becoming the kind of person I hoped I would be? If not, what changes do I need to make? It’s up to me, no one else.

• Future. What do I want to be remembered for?

Bette Midler said, “Don’t you know what your 20s are for? They’re for having sex with all the wrong people!” Food for thought. But what about the other decades? That is for you to decide. My wish for you is that you stay in touch with what makes you happy, regularly ask the thought-provoking questions, and follow your bliss. It’s your life. No matter which decade you’re in, you might as well create a wonderful one.

Until next time: “I always said I wanted to be someone. Now I realize I should have been more specific.” — Lily Tomlin

“All sorts of creative innovations are happening to the traditional ways of moving through the life cycles. The only rules, really, are the ones you create as you go.”

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.

April 22, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 16 | The Pulse

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The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 16 | April 22, 2010

Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative

Cover Story

Take Me Out to the Ballgames Story by Janis Hashe Photos by Todd Norris, Pete Intza and Michael Sethman.

“Our hope is that Chattanooga FC will be a bridge between the different cultures here in town and find ways to bring us all closer together.” www.chattanoogapulse.com

W hether Abner Doubleday invented baseball or not—and these days, most

the one that dominates the rest of the globe: soccer, or, as everyone else calls it, football. prefer to give credit to Alexander Here in Chattanooga we are fortunate Cartwright of Hoboken, NJ, who to have pro-level teams representing both formed the first team, the New York our American heritage, and, as some Knickerbockers—there can be no doubt that the game came to have a hold on the might say, our future. So we decided to American imagination like no other. And take a look at this year’s Chattanooga Lookouts and Chattanooga Football for many people, the “boys of summer” Club and give you a preview of what to still epitomize an American sports expect when you do take yourself out outing…sitting in the stands with a hot to the ballgames. Our special thanks dog, waving a giant foam hand, urging your team on when the winning run is on to ESPN Chattanooga 105.1’s Nick Bonsanto, Chattanooga Football Club third base. co-founder and marketing director But slowly, over the past couple of decades, another sport has made inroads Sheldon Grizzle, and local sports fan Luke LaGraff for their help. on our summer sports consciousness, April 22, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 16 | The Pulse

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Cover Story

This Year With The Chattanooga Lookouts

plan we can expect to see Withrow in September,” writes Gurnee.

ESPN Chattanooga 105.1’s Nick Bonsanto’s points out: “If you are like me, baseball is part of your DNA. Sitting at the ballpark with my father for many years formed many of my beliefs and opinions about baseball today. To see the future of the Lookouts, as well as the Dodgers, you need to look back at the mid-1980’s, when a couple of young stars played in the major leagues. You’d see a young pitcher for the Royals in Tom (Flash) Gordon and a young Cardinal outfielder, Andy Van Slyke. Neither of them ended up as Hall of Famers—but both have their DNA in the Dodgers’ future.

“The 2010 edition of the Lookouts starts with the Dodgers’ number-one prospect, shortstop Dee Gordon. Dee, a fourth-round pick in 2008 is the 21-year-old son of Tom Gordon. He might be small in stature at only 150 pounds—but he is big on talent. Gordon is that rare breed in baseball today, one who steals bases at the drop of a hat and can hit for average. His early season success has all the makings of a short stint in Chattanooga, so if I were you, I would make it to the park early to see this future Dodgers star. You could say he’s a ‘Flash’ off the old block.

“The second glimpse back for some of us comes from the talented right fielder for the Lookouts, Scott Van Slyke. The 23-year-old Van Slyke is the son of former All-Star Andy. A

14th-round pick in 2005, Van Slyke has worked harder than most and is a bright spot in the future of the Dodgers.

The very talented right fielder had a powerful year at the plate last season, driving in 100 and knocking 26 out of the yard. Chattanooga is looking to Van Slyke to be the power to light up AT &T Field this season.

“The 2010 Chattanooga Lookouts are just like most things in life: You must look to the lessons of the past to move to the future. Thanks to the past, the future is bright for the Lookouts and the Dodgers.”

A day or evening out at AT&T Field remains one of the best entertainment bargains in town at $2 - $8 for an individual ticket. The team’s home schedule for the next few games: 7:15 Thursday, April 22 vs. the Montgomery Biscuits 7:15 Friday, April 23 vs. the Montgomery Biscuits 7:15 Thursday, April 29 vs. the Tennessee Smokies 7:15 Friday, April 30 vs. the Tennessee Smokies 7:15 Saturday, May 1 vs. the Tennessee Smokies 2:15 Sunday May 2 vs. the Tennessee Smokies 7:15 Monday, May 3 vs. the Tennessee Smokies All games are at AT&T Field in downtown Chattanooga, 201 Power Alley. (423) 267-2208. www.lookouts.com

“Gordon is that rare breed in baseball today, one who steals bases at the drop of a hat and can hit for average.”

O

f course, it’s not news to sports fans that the Lookouts changed major league affiliations from the Reds to the Dodgers. And the blog “True Blue LA”, written by Phil Gurnee, spends quite a lot of time sizing up this year’s Lookouts lineup.

“The [pitching] rotation has the gem of system in Chris Withrow, who will be the main focus of our attention this summer. If everything goes to

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The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 16 | April 22, 2010

Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative

Cover Story

2010 With The Chattanooga Football Club L

ast year’s inaugural season for the Chattanooga Football Club was a huge success, with the club pulling in the biggest number of fans in the National Premier Soccer League. They also put together quite a corporate sponsor base, including Volkswagen, Kelly Auto Group, Clumpies Ice Cream Co., Niedlov’s Breadworks, Market Street Tire & Auto, Computerized Payroll Solutions, Widgets & Stone, Medium, Adidas, Brewer Media Group, and North River PT. This year, expectations are even higher as the club prepares for its opening match on May 22. We spoke with CFC co-founder and marketing director Sheldon Grizzle, a forward who plans to sit 2010 out to concentrate on building the club’s fan base.

The Pulse: Has a final roster been selected as of now? if not, when will it be finalized?

Sheldon Grizzle: The prelim roster is all we’ve got right now. We have players signed from the US, Canada, Mexico, Honduras, England, Scotland, Kenya, and Belarus thus far. May add a couple more! Editor’s note: A number of fan favorites from last season look to be back this year.

TP: 2009 was an extremely successful launch.

How do you plan to make 2010 even bigger?

SG: We were incredibly blessed last season with how much support we received from the community. There are a few things we are doing that are big steps for us. One is that we are looking for more ways to engage with the community. We’re doing this through player appearances, camps, clinics, and fundraisers.

From the beginning, we’ve believed that Chattanooga was the hidden gem in the South for soccer. One of our goals of the club was to bring attention to the burgeoning soccer community that exists here. This year, in addition to our NPSL matches, we are adding a couple of exhibition matches from some professional clubs.

That should really bring the soccer community’s eyes upon this town!

TP: Who is your audience and how are you reaching them?

SG: We have so many different audiences it really makes things fun—but very challenging.

The most obvious is the local youth soccer community. We are working with many of the local youth soccer leagues to communicate to the players and their parents about Chattanooga FC. We are also participating in clinics and camps around the community, as well as hosting some of our own. There are also a lot of “social fans.”

These are folks who may have never seen a soccer game in their lives. But they enjoy spending a summer night outdoors with friends, maybe some beers, and some entertainment. Before they know it, they are a Chattanooga FC fan! We’ve had pretty strong success reaching these kinds of fans through Twitter and Facebook. The other main audience we have is the Hispanic community.

This community has more than doubled in our area in the last ten years and it is going to

continue to grow. We believe that soccer is the universal language, and can help bridge cultural divides. Our hope is that Chattanooga FC will be a bridge between the different cultures here in town and find ways to bring us all closer together. We hope to reach this community through strong relationships in the Hispanic media, as well as some paid advertising. We are also working on setting up some exhibition matches that will get them really excited about what we’re doing, and hopefully they will want to be a part of it.

TP: From the athletic side, how do you feel the club will stack up against others in the league this year?

SG: In our first season, we finished tied for second. It is our hope that we will do better than that this season. Anything less than an appearance at the Final Four will be a disappointment for us. We think that we have put together a very strong team this season that should be able to compete for that.

TP: If someone has never seen a soccer match, why should they come out?

SG: It’s a fun way to spend a summer evening with the family or friends! We have great food vendors, including Big River beer, La Altena, Crust Pizza, Good Dog, Clumpies Ice Cream, and more. I would venture to say that most of our fans last season were not die-hard soccer fans.

We heard over and over from people who had never seen a soccer game before tell us that they would never miss a game now. That’s a pretty big compliment! Did I mention we have beer?

All CTC home games will be played at Finley Stadium, 1826 Carter Street. For more information, info@chattanoogafc.com, www. chattanoogafc.com. Tickets: $2.50 - $5.

Season Schedule: May 22 away vs. Atlanta FC June 5 home vs. Pumas FC June 12 away vs. FC Tulsa June 19 home vs. Atlanta FC June 26 away vs. Rocket City United July 4 home vs. FC Tulsa July 10 away vs. Pumas FC July 17 home vs. Rocket City United

The Beautiful Game by Luke LaGraff I’m a 30-year resident of Chattanooga who actually loves soccer—and I’m not alone anymore.

I began playing the sport when I was five or six at the North River YMCA, finishing my competitive career by winning the state soccer championship at Notre Dame High School when I was 18. I’ve played in some summer leagues since then, some indoor soccer and just kicking the ball whenever I have the chance. It’s a great sport, and even though there are not a lot of goals, when an amazing goal is scored, it can truly be a beautiful thing.

I liked soccer from the beginning because it required learning a brand new set of abilities most of us never use. I’m referring to the fact that players may not

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use their hands. And it can be difficult to even catch a ball coming from 40 yards away, much less kick it.

Speaking of kicking, I have been kicking myself for not making it down to see our local team play a game yet, but I’ve heard great things and look forward to getting down there this season. Like people say after watching a hockey game live, it took seeing a game in person to like it—so I suggest getting out there this summer.

If nothing else, you’ve got to watch the World Cup this year. The US is playing England in our opening game and the intensity of that match should make anyone a fan. U-S-A!! U-S-A!!

April 22, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 16 | The Pulse

13

On The Beat

By Alex Teach

Lemme Axe You Something I

was having lunch with a non-police friend downtown last week and he went a whole ten minutes before being unable to resist the urge any longer and had to ask me a “cop” question.

It always happens, but I can’t get too mad because it literally does come with The Job. I mean, I’m not unreasonable: There’s a lot of public interest in my line of work, and if I had a friend who was an alcohol counselor or a Bombardier Rotax engine repairman, I’d wear his (or her) ass OUT with questions. So I smile, and answer accordingly.

Nine times in ten, they’re about tickets. Don’t get me wrong: If there’s one thing I want to hear…it’s a recital of the sequence of events involving the receipt of your last traffic ticket. “Hold on,” I usually say. “Let me put this burger down. Tell me everything!” I say with narrowing eyes. “Omit nothing.”

Seriously. Why wouldn’t I? I don’t belittle the incidents, mind you; they are significant life events for people and I remember each and every one I’ve gotten, but that doesn’t mean I want to hear about each and every one of yours. And yours. And yours. I mean, just do the math here. What if, statistically, there’s a lifetime limit of how much interest one can feign before you are unable to hide it and just say “Wow, I could so not give the slightest shit about this!” and blow my brains out in the middle of a restaurant. (Or just get up and leave—whichever.)

Believe me: It’s not as crazy as it sounds when you enter the four, five and sixdigit marks for “Stories Told.”

On a lighter note, I also know I don’t have it the worst for annoying job-related questions because I am also friends with a physician and a

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The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 16 | April 22, 2010

computer specialist that probably have cyanide capsules in their shirt pockets (or a hollowed-out tooth) for the day they finally can’t take it anymore.

Poor bastards. “Hey, I crapped blood. Is that bad?” Or “Hey, it’s only been two days but my mom screwed up her America Online, could you come over again for a few hours and fix it?”

“Sure!” they would say…then fall over dead after a quick popping sound, a wisp of yellow smoke wafting from their lips. Wait, did I say all that?

I’m being mildly melodramatic, but I’m conveying my point here. And the questions aren’t always bad; nine in ten, remember? I am, after all, not unreasonable…and sometimes that “one” really blows the pollen off the machinery and gets it spinning again, and for that I am truly grateful. Think about it: People suck sand off the ocean floor for years on end and that has got to be a real drag…but now and then they find a bar of gold or discarded corpse, and it brings them back to why they started in the first place. Same thing for cops, except without the gold.

“Say, is it illegal to have sex with an emancipated minor?” I was once randomly asked. (Remember…I worked East Lake for several years.

Incest and rape are designated sports there, which we do, in fact, frown upon.) Well, damn, I thought. Is it? To this day I can still see the look of horror on the face of an assistant district attorney when I put the question to him.

“People suck

“Don’t worry,” I said. “It’s not for me.”

(He was completely unrelieved.)

I was there in the restaurant having lunch because he was a friend though, and I answered the question as friends should do. Particularly when you take friendships as seriously as I do, and in turn have so very few of them.

We almost made it to getting our tabs paid for when the waitress couldn’t resist: “Say, aren’t you a policeman?” she asked. “You know, I just got a ticket on Broad Street by one of your friends, and here’s what he did…” My buddy looked at me and smiled, as I did in turn to her. “Really?” I said. “Tell me everything. Omit nothing.”

Oh, and in answer to that odd question? The answer is, “No, you freaks.” Emancipation essentially allows only for the signing of contracts without adult consent, not voting or voh-dee-oh-doh’ing. It’s natural to want to know the answer though, and I have a keen legal mind. Next question?

I am, after all, not unreasonable.

sand off the ocean floor for years on end and that has got to be a real drag… but now and then they find a bar of gold or discarded corpse, and it brings them back to why they started in the first place.”

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

Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative

www.chattanoogapulse.com

April 22, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 16 | The Pulse

15

Music Calendar Thursday Spotlight

Todd Snider with Elizabeth Cook Snider will play songs from his upcoming release, The Excitement Plan. $15 9 p.m.

Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market Street. (423) 267-4644. www.rhythm-brews.com

Thursday Gary Poole 8 p.m. Riverhouse Pub, 224 Frazier Ave. (423) 752-0066.

Crossfire Band 9 p.m. The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202.

(423) 499-5055. www.thepalmsathamilton.com Open Mic Night with Gabriel 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 Todd Snider with Elizabeth Cook 9 p.m. Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. (423) 267-4644.

Karaoke 9 p.m. Images, 6005 Lee Highway. (423) 855-8210. www.imagesbar.com 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 Ben Friberg 7:30 p.m. The Foundry, 1201 Broad St. (423) 424- 3775. www.chattanooganhotel.com

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The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 16 | April 22, 2010

Friday Spotlight

The New Orleans Jazz Trio 7:30 p.m. The Original Blue Orleans Restaurant, 3208 Amnicola Hwy. (423) 629-6538.

Tom Nielson 8 p.m. Charles and Myrtle’s Coffeehouse, 105 McBrien Rd. (423) 892-4960. www.christunity.org Rick Rushing 8 p.m. Blue Orleans on Market, 1463 Market St. (423) 757-0088.

DJ Stick Man with Special Guest 8 p.m. Ziggy’s Hideaway, 607 Cherokee Blvd.

(423) 634-1074. myspace.com/ziggyshideaway Here Come the Mummies with Big Bottom 9:30 p.m. Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. (423) 267-4644. www.rhythm-brews.com Karaoke 10 p.m. Chattanooga Billiards Club East, 110 Jordan Dr. (423) 499-3883. www.cbcburns.com Adrenalin Drop 10 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar, 5751 Brainerd Rd. (423) 499-9878. www.budssportsbar.com Iron Mike and the Delta Rockers 10 p.m. T-Bones Sports Café, 1419 Chestnut Ave. (423) 266-4240. www.tboneschattanooga.com Dead Levy 10 p.m. T-Roy’s Roadhouse, 724 Ashland Terrace.

(423) 870-0880.

Christobel and The Jons, The Whiskey Gentry 10 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400. www.myspace.com/jjsbohemia Warehouse Blues 10 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260. www.marketstreettavern.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 Help For Haiti Concert with Shawn McDonald 6 p.m. Conn Center at Lee University, 150 11th Street NE, Cleveland, TN. Haiti.upsilon@gmail.com Ben Friberg 7:30 p.m. The Foundry, 1201 Broad St. (423) 424- 3775. www.chattanooganhotel.com Caroline Doctorow with Barbara Lamb 8 p.m. Barking Legs Theatre, 1307 Dodds Ave. (423) 624-5347. www.barkinglegs.org Force of Habit, Enruined 8 p.m. Ziggy’s Hideaway, 607 Cherokee Blvd.

(423) 634-1074. myspace.com/ziggyshideaway Dana Rogers 9 p.m. The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202.

(423) 499-5055. www.thepalmsathamilton.com Roger Alan Wade 9 p.m. Tremont Tavern, 1203 Hixson Pike. (423) 266-1966. www.tremonttavern.com Open Mic Night 9 p.m. Mudpie Restaurant, 12 Frazier Ave. (423) 267-9043. www.mudpierestuarant.com Here Come the Mummies: Take Two with Space Capone 9:30 p.m. Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. (423) 267-4644. www.rhythm-brews.com

Christobel and The Jons, The Whiskey Gentry We welcome back the everpopular Christobel and also The Jons. $7 10 p.m.

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

Bud Lightning 10 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar, 5751 Brainerd Rd. (423) 499-9878.

80’s Night with 80’s DJ 10 p.m. T-Bones Sports Café, 1419 Chestnut Ave. (423) 266-4240. www.tboneschattanooga.com Night of the Wolf, Musichatesyou, Oxxen, and Faded 10 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400.

DJ Party David Castaneda 10 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260.

Ten-13 10 p.m. T-Roy’s Roadhouse, 724 Ashland Terrace.

(423) 870-0880.

Kort McCumber 8 p.m. Charles and Myrtle’s Coffeehouse, 105 McBrien Rd. (423) 892-4960. www.christunity.org 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.

Sunday Open Mic w/Jeff Daniels 4 p.m. Ms. Debbie’s Nightlife Lounge 4762 Highway 58, (423) 485-0966. myspace.com/debbieslounge

Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative

Music Calendar

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

Saturday Spotlight

Caroline Doctorow with Barbara Lamb Singer/songwriter Doctorow lilts the evening with fiddler Lamb. $10 8 p.m.

Barking Legs, 1307 Dodds Avenue. (423) 622-5347. www.barkinglegs.org

Irish Music Sessions 6 p.m. Tremont Tavern, 1203 Hixson Pike. (423) 266-1996. www.tremonttavern.com Ambush, Kid Liberty, Close Your Eyes, The Overseer, Show the Fight, TVLK, AHR 7 p.m. The Warehouse, 5716 Ringgold Rd. myspace.com/warehousetn Open Mic 8 p.m. Gene’s Bar & Grill, 724 Ashland Terrace, (423) 870-0880. myspace.com/genem14 Karaoke with DJ Stoli 9:30 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar, 5751 Brainerd Rd. (423) 499-9878. www.budssportsbar.com Computer and Friends (Dance Party) 10 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400. www.myspace.com/jjsbohemia DJ GOP The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202.

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

Sunday Spotlight

Karaoke with DJ Stoli 9:30 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar, 5751 Brainerd Rd. (423) 499-9878. www.budssportsbar.com Dancing & DJing The Palms at Hamilton 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202.

(423) 499-5055. myspace.com/warehousetn

Tuesday 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 Hellcat 9 p.m. Raw, 409 Market St. (423) 756-1919.

Open Mic 9 p.m. Tremont Tavern, 1203 Hixson Pike. (423) 266-1996.

Karaoke with DJ Stoli 9:30 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar, 5751 Brainerd Rd. (423) 499-9878.

The Ragbirds 10 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400. 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.

Wednesday Ben Friberg Trio 7 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260. www.marketstreettavern.com

Editor’s Pick of the Week

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Dance the weekend up and out. $7 10 p.m.

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

John Reuban, Manchild (Mars ill), T.S.4.C., Spoken Nerd, Brando 7 p.m. The Warehouse, 5716 Ringgold Road. myspace.com/warehousetn C.C. Booker III featuring Will Scruggs 7 p.m. Lindsay Street Hall, 901 Lindsay Street.

(423) 755-9111. www.lindsaystreethall.com Alice in Chains 7:30 p.m. Memorial Auditorium, 399 McCallie Ave. (423) 642-TIXS. www.chattanoogaonstage.com Jeremy Leslie 9 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar, 5751 Brainerd Rd. (423) 499-9878. www.budssportsbar.com DJ GOP The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202.

(423) 499-5055.

Got a gig coming up that you want to tell the world about?

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.

Monday Wrench in the Works, Divide the Sea, Strengthen What Remains 7 p.m. The Warehouse, 5716 Ringgold Road. myspace.com/warehousetn Paul Lohorn and the Monday Nite Big Band 7 p.m. Lindsay Street Hall, 901 Lindsay Street.

(423) 755-9111

Computer and Friends

Alice in Chains Legendary band whose music forms part of Gen X’s inner soundtrack. Grunge never dies, even if lead singers do.

Wednesday, April 28 $32.50 - $42.50 7:30 p.m.

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

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

And for last minute changes and updates, be sure to visit chattanoogahasfun.com for the most comprehensive music and events calendar in Chattanooga (and beyond).

April 22, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 16 | The Pulse

17

Music Feature

Alice in Chains: Eight Years On

By Hellcat

“The first track started playing and I was immediately hooked—the riff was so killer, so catchy and so heavy, and when the vocals kicked in, I looked at Jerry and said, ‘I don’t need to hear anything else—I’m in.’”

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The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 16 | April 22, 2010

A

lice in Chains’ first song, on the first album, Facelift, was entitled “We Die Young”. Written

by Jerry Cantrell, the song could be interpreted to be about the heroin addiction the late Layne Staley struggled with. Staley died from an overdose in his home on April 5, 2002. He was only 34.

It’s eerie now, to listen to the older albums like Dirt and Jar of Flies, which are darkly themed with depression, death, and drug addiction. It’s like Staley and Cantrell were unknowingly writing out their preordained destiny.

The band was formed originally in 1987 by Jerry Cantrell and Layne Staley, in Seattle, and is known as being an integral part of the grunge movement, although they were widely accepted across many different genres. Along with Soundgarden, Alice in Chains was one of the few “grunge” acts to be embraced by the metal community. The unique vocal harmonies and acoustic elements of Cantrell and Sta-

ley also appealed to country music fans.

Their sound had such a diverse feel that it gave them the uncanny ability to win over the masses, from rednecks to music snobs, punk rockers to metal heads.

Jerry Cantrell described their sound: “We’re a lot of different things…I don’t quite know what the mixture is, but there’s definitely metal, blues, rock and roll, maybe a touch of punk. The metal part will never leave, and I never want it to.” The band disbanded after the death of Staley, but re-emerged for a tsunami benefit in 2005. William DuVall came into the picture as he had worked as a part of Cantrell’s band on his solo projects. After the benefit concert, Alice in Chains went on tour, including a U.S. club tour, several European festivals, and a tour in Japan. Duff McKagan, of GNR and Velvet Revolver, joined up with the band for the tour, playing rhythm guitar.

Currently the band consists of Cantrell on lead guitar and vocal, along with William DuVall on rhythm guitar and vocals, Sean Kinney on drums, and Mike Inez on bass. They have a new album to support that was released last September. According to their latest press release, in late summer of 2008, at the suggestion of friend and FooFighters frontman Dave Grohl, Alice In Chains met with producer Nick Raskulinecz to talk about the possibility of collaborating on a new album.

“I went to the studio where they’d been working on demos,” recalls the producer, whose credits include Foo Fighters, Rush and Deftones. “The first track started playing and I was immediately hooked—the riff was so killer, so catchy and so heavy, and when the vocals kicked in, I looked at Jerry and said, ‘I don’t need to hear anything else—I’m in.’ I was just blown away.”

Band and producer hunkered down at Grohl’s Studio 606, to work on the first new studio release in more than 10 years.

Production moved to Henson Studios in Hollywood, and the band emerged with 11 songs about faith and perseverance.

They titled the album Black Gives Way To

Blue after the song of the same name, a heart-stirring tribute to Layne Staley, their brother and vocalist who passed away in 2002. “I’m really proud of that song,” says Cantrell, who sings on the track. “It’s about facing up to the bad stuff and continuing to walk forward and live a life.”

The song features Elton John on piano.

“We were thinking about adding piano to the track and a friend suggested we call Elton,” recalls Cantrell. “I remember laughing and saying, ‘Yeah, I’ll get right on that.’ But I decided it was worth trying and wrote him an e-mail explaining what that song means to us—that it’s a real, raw openhearted song for Layne. We sent him the track and got a call shortly after saying he thought it was beautiful and that he wanted to play on it. Walking into a studio and seeing the sheet music for that song on Elton’s piano made it meaningful on so many different levels. The whole experience was pretty magical.”

On the new album, DuVall and Cantrell blend their voices—as Cantrell and Staley did so often—singing together over the rhythms of Kinney and Inez. There could be little doubt that the spirit of Alice In Chains was once again alive and well. “To his credit, Will never tried to do a karaoke version of the past,” says Kinney. “It’s not easy to find your place in a pre-existing dynamic, but he did. He puts his all into it and it fits.”

“I’ve joined a group that has a strong identity and a strong legacy,” says DuVall.

“Nobody wants to, in any way, disrespect or sully that legacy. You want to add to it.”

Well, the combination seems to be working, as the first two singles off the album, “Check My Brain” and “Your Decision” have gone straight to number one.

Alice in Chains Wednesday, April 28 $32.50 - $42.50 7:30 p.m.

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

Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative

New Music Reviews Indian Friend Preventing Youth (Ten Twenty-Two)

“The band’s live shows are infrequent but rewarding, with a whitehot intensity and an uncanny sonic mind-meld between the members.”

Duck Baker Everything That Rises Must Converge (Mighty Quinn) Duck Baker is a guitarist’s guitarist, with virtuosity and an identifiable style, bearing praise from legends such as Chet Atkins, Leo Kottke, and Charlie Byrd.

So far he has operated swimmingly in the American folk, ragtime, traditional Irish, and blues idioms, so it might be a surprise to some that another of his loves is avant-garde jazz. Despite having played free jazz for over four decades, Baker’s recent solo album,

www.chattanoogapulse.com

By Ernie Paik

I’ve had a severe bout of ’80s-’90s underground rock nostalgia in the last year or so, reading Michael Azerrad’s entertaining indie-group-centered history, Our Band Could Be Your Life. Acts like Dinosaur Jr. and the Meat Puppets swinging through our fair city have fueled this longing as well, and now there’s the debut CD from Chattanooga’s Indian Friend, Preventing Youth, which has an approach that overlaps certain past underground rock aesthetics.

A listener probably wouldn’t flinch if one of the group’s blistering songs was heard on, say, a Dischord or Touch & Go Records compilation. The band’s live shows are infrequent but rewarding, with a white-hot intensity and an uncanny sonic mind-meld between the members: Gabe Barrett (also of Monomath) and Jason Gill (formerly of Suomi) both on guitar and vocals, with Russ Cannon (formerly of the Sha-Pels) on drums.

This eight-song mini-album works best when it throws its barbs that stick into you, like the fierce yet melodic Dinosaur Jr.esque guitar work on “One Word Title,” before the anthemic, barefaced, D.C. hardcore-type singing emerges. Another of the group’s

strengths is its restlessness and sense of urgency, frequently changing tempos and tearing through transitional passages.

The band would do well to simply capture one of its powerful shows on record, and Preventing Youth was recorded with a purist’s attitude: live in the studio without instrumental overdubs. An uncomplicated recording style was used, but a little equalization tweaking would have served the release better, to avoid the mid-range muddle. Also, the recording doesn’t quite do Cannon’s fearsome drumming justice—a little more definition and lowend (which is conspicuously missing) would help. The lyrics themselves aren’t exactly flashy, so the vocals function most effectively when they blend in as uneasy textures or flare up as ardent outbursts, like the Mission of Burma-esque vocal eruptions near the end of “Insofar.” Preventing Youth closes with its best track, “Angry Tom Bowman,” which begins with a simple, badass riff before screaming down the road like a muscle car, easing into cruising speed for its middle section, and finally careening off the road with shredded tires and guitar notes.

Everything That Rises Must Converge, is actually his debut recording in this style, as he states in the liner notes.

The album begins with the pensive, tuneful “Juxta Pose” and a clean and satisfying rendition of Ornette Coleman’s “Peace,” before reaching the 9-minute title track—the album’s centerpiece. It’s a fingerstyle jazz number, which carries a recurring motif in a sauntering manner and branches out with enthralling improv side excursions; it has the feel of a classic— one that could easily be a standard and endlessly reinterpreted.

Starting with the next track, “Unexpected Arrival in a High Clearing,” the album starts to veer into much more radical territory, as it sprints in different directions, with quick, flawlessly executed runs punctuated by metallic string slaps against the fretboard. Baker doesn’t exactly sound like guitarist Derek Bailey and pianist

Thelonious Monk, but they come to mind when listening to this album; these are masterful artists who have the ability to sound odd yet elegant and unpredictable while being in total control.

“SS-EC-DB Blues” is a frantic, explosive free jazz piece that features odd techniques and sounds reminiscent of Eugene Chadbourne—who, I’m guessing, is the “EC” in the song’s title (other guesses: “SS” is Sonny Sharrock and “DB” is Duck Baker.) “The Idea of San Francisco” has several showcases of Baker’s mind-bending dexterity and his trademark rapid teeter-tottering between bass and treble notes. Devotees of traditional music styles may often be reluctant to embrace modern jazz, but here’s a potentially ear-opening gateway album. On it, Baker not only takes himself to the far limits of his guitarplaying skills but also to the wildest stretches of his imagination.

April 22, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 16 | The Pulse

19

Film Feature

Lights, Camera, Festival

By Phillip Johnston

“These fledgling filmmakers bring a mix of originality, fearlessness, and heart to their work.

If you saw someone’s jaw on the floor at last year’s Broad Street Film Festival, it was mine.”

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The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 16 | April 22, 2010

C

hattanooga has a film festival. Yes, you’ve read correctly—and it’s this weekend.

The Broad Street Film Festival is Chattanooga’s only regional, original, and educational film festival featuring independent films from the Chattanooga region. The festival kicks off this Thursday night at the Carmike Majestic 12 and ends with a bang on Saturday night at the Tivoli.

And the best part? It’s dirt cheap.

Just $10 for the full festival.

Here’s how it works: Earlier this year, filmmakers from colleges in the region were asked to submit their best work to this year’s Broad Street Film Festival. After an overwhelming response, a number of short films ranging from dramas and comedies to documentaries and music videos have been nominated by category (Best Actor, Best Cinematography, Best Film, etc.) to play at the Majestic this Thursday night at 7 and 9 p.m. Judged by a panel of film professionals from both Chattanooga and Los Angeles, films and their filmmakers will be awarded on Saturday night at 8 p.m. during a formal closing ceremony hosted by WTCI’s Alison Lebovitz and featuring some of the best musical talent in Chattanooga.

Andy Montgomery, Interactive Director at Medium on Main Street, attended last year’s Broad Street Film Festival awards on a whim. “I didn’t quite know what to expect,” he said, “but I was completely blown away by the creativity and the quality both in the films and in the award presentations.

This is a Chattanooga event not to be missed, both for film lovers or anyone interested in the future of the arts in Chattanooga.”

Though smaller than film festivals you might find in Nashville or Atlanta, the Broad Street Film Festival is Chattanooga’s premier local film event and a burgeoning nonprofit organization under the leadership of area young people. With films culled from Bryan College, Covenant College, Southern Adventist University, and UTC, the goal of the festival is provide a venue for filmmakers to present their work to the community at large, take advantage of exciting networking opportunities, and see their creativity rewarded.

Four films in particular have garnered a considerable amount of attention at this year’s Broad Street Film Festival: Animals, a narrative triptych of human frailty and animal intervention; The Committee of Doom, a strange adventure with the Tri-State’s newest super-villain team; Maxwell Beasley’s Heart, a silent fantasy about a lonely man who draws hearts for a living; and The Post, in which two soldiers struggle

with uncertainty about the return of their general.

“The greater Chattanooga area has an incredibly gifted, creative pool of college-age young adults,” said Karen Henderson, a judge for the festival and professor of theatre and film at UTC. “These fledgling filmmakers bring a mix of originality, fearlessness, and heart to their work. If you saw someone’s jaw on the floor at last year’s Broad Street Film Festival, it was mine.”

One of the many educational opportunities provided for filmmakers at this year’s festival is an evening with Scott Teems, writer and director of That Evening Sun, a feature-length film festival darling that played for two weeks at the Majestic as part of the Arts and Education Council of Chattanooga’s Independent Film Series.

On Friday evening, Teems will screen his film for Broad Street filmmakers followed by a short address and Q&A. Drawing from his experience on set, his professional work as an instructor at the Act One screenwriting program in Los Angeles, and since That Evening Sun was shot entirely in Knoxville, Teems is in a unique position to address Chattanooga filmmakers.

“We’re profoundly privileged to have Scott Teems with us for this year’s festival,” said Ben Johnson, a festival board member. “The quality of films submitted is the most exciting thing about this year’s festival and we want to do anything in our power to encourage filmmakers to continue producing excellent work.”

From humble origins as a collegiate film festival hosted by a single school to the events planned for this weekend, the Broad Street Film Festival has always had exponential growth in mind. At this point, the festival is Chattanooga’s premier local independent film event because it is the only local film event its kind, but no one involved with the festival sees that as reason for discouragement.

“We’ve been anticipating this since last November,” said Isaiah Smallman, one of the creative forces behind this year’s awards event at the Tivoli. “Since last year, we’ve expanded the festival further into the Chattanooga community and over the next few years we hope expand its reach even more. I can’t wait for people to celebrate Chattanooga’s student film scene with us this weekend.”

Broad Street Film Festival $10 April 22-24 Tickets available in advance at the Memorial Auditorium, online or at the door. www.broadstreetfilmfestival.com

Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative

New in Theaters

Also in Theaters

Océans

The Back-up Plan (New) Jennifer Lopez, tired of waiting for Mr. Right, gets pregnant on her own, only to meet the man of her dreams the very same day.

The Losers (New) An elite U.S. Special Forces unit, betrayed and left for dead, makes plans to even the score with a powerful enemy known only as Max. Best Worst Movie (New) A documentary on Troll 2, and the runaway cult status that has earned it the accolade of the worst movie ever made.

Kick-Ass An average comic bookobsessed teenager— with absolutely no superpowers—decides to suit up and fight crime as a superhero.

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

Océans, the French documentary drama directed by Jacques Perrin & Jacques Cluzaud, is a stunning film shot over four years, revealing inspiring and challenging footage of extinct or endangered marine species around the world. You are immersed into the undersea world like you have never seen it before, moving though the heart of a shoal of hunting tuna, swimming alongside a majestic great white shark as it patrols the deeps, and then thrillingly thrown into the midst of a wild stampede of dolphins. The commentary, by Perrin, is minimalist, mainly a celebration of the diversity of ocean life, though Perrin does warn that the actions of man may be destroying much of the ocean life we see. The technology used to capture the imagery is state-of-the-art, utilizing remote-controlled helicopters to observe humpback whales breaking the ocean’s surface, cameras dragged by speed boats and some amazing footage of surface ships crashing through enormous waves.

Like Perrin’s earlier Winged Migration, Océans takes you on a journey you will not soon forget and leaves you with plenty to think about as you exit the theater. While some may dismissively

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dump it into the “eco-warning” category of documentaries, Perrin makes some very valid observations about endangered marine habitats and declining sealife populations, sounding a much-needed warning that the actions of man have a far-reaching impact of the life around us, on land, in the air, and in the sea.

Directors: Jacques Perrin, Jacques Cluzaud Rating: Not Rated

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 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 exwife.

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 Journey with astronauts as they attempt the most difficult and important tasks in NASA’s history.

April 22, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 16 | The Pulse

21

Life in the Noog

By Chuck Crowder

Road Rules I

love to drive. In fact, even though I live within several blocks of everywhere I have to be I will still crank up the V6 and putt down the street in a heartbeat rather than stretch my legs on the old bicycle or worse, walk. I know this isn’t politically correct or environmentally friendly, but I’m not going to apologize. I only have a certain number of years left on this planet, and I figure that keeping myself from the things that I love just to make the world a tad bit better can at times be somewhat counter productive to my pursuit of happiness. (That’s right, I said it. You’re all thinking it, but I said it.)

That said, there are some basic unwritten rules of the road that need to be explained to people around here, and perhaps quizzed on, before their next driver’s license is issued. For there are many motorists out there who treat driver etiquette with the same selfishness as my desire to fill the world with more exhaust. And it’s about to piss a brotha off.

One of my biggest pet peeves is redlight manners. If you are first in line at a traffic light, you have a unique responsibility to monitor the light during its red stage with the same enthusiasm and attention you might give microwave popcorn that’s seconds away from burning. This means the nanosecond that light turns green, you are to remove your foot from the brake pedal and immediately depress the accelerator to begin moving again. Don’t be facing your passenger talking, texting a friend

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The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 16 | April 22, 2010

on your cell phone, looking at a map, tuning in 95.3 WPLZ or staring off into space. Drive already.

And if you don’t move within a tensecond grace period from the red/green transition and I’m behind you, expect a honk.

This rule is especially important when in line at a turning lane waiting on the green arrow.

The slower the first car moves, the slower everyone behind it can move, and thus the fewer cars make it through before the light changes. And don’t be the jackass that’s in the middle of this line of cars that just sits there (likely performing one of the aforementioned attention-deficit tasks) as everyone in front of you moves on.

At that point, it’s up to the testicular fortitude of the driver directly behind that person to determine whether or not those of us in the back of the line will be able to advance within definite intersection-clearing range during the next green arrow time frame.

Quite possibly the single worst mindless infraction that some stupid motorists feel they have the right to inflict on others is stopping in a lane to drop off, pick up—or even more brazenly—park and wait on a passenger.

Hazard lights or not, you can’t just stop your car in a moving lane of traffic. Just because there’s not a drop-off lane or parking space nearby does not give you permission to make the right lane your own personal parking lot.

Delivery trucks are the worst about “parking” in the right-hand lane. And there’s etiquette in dealing with this situation as well. By all means, if you

“There are many

get stuck behind someone who’s stuck behind a truck driver that’s turned the right lane into a loading dock, DO NOT pull around the first victim. Always allow the car stuck directly behind the perpetrator the first opportunity to pull around into the left lane. Whipping out from behind someone who’s waiting to whip out from behind a stopped vehicle is the perfect storm for disaster. And guess what? It’d be your fault.

Nature’s “D student” of drivers however, has got to be people who insist on going at or below the speed limit… in the LEFT lane. The left lane is the passing lane which means, if you aren’t passing the tortoise waddling down the road in the right lane—the slow lane— then you ARE the tortoise, so get the @!&$% out of the way. Most common offenders of this basic road rule are those from outlying rural counties who aren’t used to multiple lanes going in the same direction, or service vehicles of blue collars that must get paid by the hour as they are in no hurry to go anywhere.

If you see me on the road and you perform one of the above infractions, be prepared to receive a honk or, if I am especially ticked off, the finger. But until then, happy motoring!

motorists out there who treat driver etiquette with the same selfishness as my desire to fill the world with more exhaust.”

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 22, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 16 | The Pulse

23

Arts & Entertainment

By Janis Hashe

Celebrating the Bard’s Birthday Give or take a day, we are celebrating Will’s 446th birthday this year, an opportunity Shakespeare Chattanooga could not pass up. (Once again, in full disclosure, I confess this group was founded by me.) So we are presenting an evening of Scenes from Shakespeare, seven scenes, directed by seven directors , which form a sort of Shakespeare Sampler.

In other words, if you’re not crazy about comedy, maybe you’ll be thrilled by tragedy.

The scenes chosen are from The Merchant of Venice, Romeo & Juliet, Richard III, Antony & Cleopatra, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing and The Taming of the Shrew.

Directors, respectively, are Dakota Brown, Stephanie Smith, Michael Rudez, Robert Bass, Tom Conway, Janis Hashe and Rodney Strong.

In doing scenes, the idea is to keep the emphasis on the text, the directing and the acting. There will be no sets, minimal props, and just a suggestion of costuming.

Some of the directors are very experienced; others are getting their directorial feet wet.

One of the reasons for doing the evening is to give more people, directors and actors, a chance to work with classical text without the intimidation of a fulllength script.

Nonetheless, even in scenes, the directors have to create a concept and, as we say, “get the actors on board with it.” Even a short scene does not work unless a world in which those characters exist is successfully established.

One theme that has emerged with the scene choices (“Merchant” being the odd man out here, not at all to its detraction) is the male/female relationship. In “R&J”, you’ll get a glimpse of young love before Juliet must see her parents, in

“R3” you’ll see the famous wooing of Lady Anne by the “monster” Richard, “A&C” deals with the intense, but doomed love between the two famous title characters, in “the Scottish play” the murderous couple confront their regicide, “Much Ado” shows two people who have a hard time admitting they love each other, and “Shrew,” well, we all know about “Shrew.” It’s the classic battle of the sexes.

“Seven scenes, directed by seven

directors, which form a sort of Shakespeare Sampler. In other words, if you’re not crazy about comedy, maybe you’ll be thrilled by tragedy.”

B

ardolaters, as George Bernard Shaw might refer to persons such as myself, have always celebrated Shakespeare’s birthday on April 23. But the truth is that we don’t know for sure if that’s the day on which he was born. Scholars ascertained that he was baptized on April 26, 1564 in Stratford-onAvon, and as the tradition was to baptize children three days after their birth, the assumption has been made that April 23 was the fateful day. Interestingly, he also died on April 23 in the year 1616.

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One of the things we do know in advance is that directors have taken widely divergent approaches to when and where they are setting their scenes.

What that means is that if you’re not crazy about one, wait five minutes and something else will be onstage.

This evening also showcases a wide range of Chattanooga acting talent, including Amy Sue Austin, Robert Bass, Carlene Conway, Kate Conway, Tom Conway, Willie Derrick, Steven Disbrow, Lindsay Fussell, John Hammons, Nancy Hammons, Kim Jackson, Justin Johns, Luke LaGraff, Jonathan Nichols, Amanda Medlin, Lawrence Sneed, Rodney Van Valkenburg and Jacqueline Weill.

Pre- and post-show will offer birthday cupcakes and ales for sale in Bill Shakey’s Pub, aka the Circle Lobby.

Scenes from Shakespeare $10 8 p.m.

Friday and Saturday, April 23 and 24 Chattanooga Theatre Center, Studio Stage, 400 River Street, Chattanooga (423) 267-8534, www.theatrecentre.com

Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative

A&E Calendar Highlights Friday

Thursday

Broad Street Film Festival Short films from regional colleges hit the big screen. $10 7 and 9 p.m.

Majestic Theatre, 215 Broad Street. (423) 314-5740. www.broadstreetfilmfestival.com

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

Night out on the Northshore 5 p.m. Northshore Area. www.northshorechattanooga.com Austin Center & Lawrence Mathis Exhibit reception 5:30 p.m. Jewish Cultural Center, 5461 N. Terrace Ave. (423) 483-0270.

Percussion Ensemble Concert 6 p.m. Dixon Center, Lee University, 1120 N. Ocoee St. (423) 614-8240.

“Themes of Identity: What Teens Really Think” 6 p.m. Hunter Museum of Art, 10 Bluff View. (423) 266-0944. www.huntermuseum.org “Earth Day with Daniel Bigay” opening reception 6 p.m. Bill Shores Frame and Gallery, 307 Manufacturers Rd. (423) 756-6746. www.billshoresframes.com

Scenes from Shakespeare Celebrate Will’s 446th with Shakespeare Chattanooga. $10 8 p.m.

Chattanooga Theatre Centre, Studio Stage, 400 River Street.

(423) 267-8534. www.theatrecentre.com

Saturday

African American Music Workshop Concert Concert concludes two days of workshops in choral music.

Free 5 p.m.

First Baptist Church, 506 East 8th Street. (423) 892-1439. www.ccspaas.org

Monday Austin Center & Lawrence Mathis Exhibit Jewish Cultural Center, 5461 N. Terrace Ave. (423) 483-0270.

“Horizons” Shuptrine Fine Art Group, 2646 Broad St. (423) 266-4453.

“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.

Sandra Hobbs and Mary Zelle Studio 2/Gallery 2, 27 W. Main St. (423) 266-2222.

www.chattanoogapulse.com

Earth Dayz 11 a.m. Rock City, 1400 Patten Rd., Lookout Mtn, GA. (706) 820-2531.

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.

Texas Deck Entertainment 6 p.m. Delta Queen, 100 River St. (423) 468-4500.

Café Game Night 6 p.m. Pasha Coffeehouse, 3914 St. Elmo Ave. (423) 475-5482. www.pashacoffeehouse.com 6th Annual Talent Show 7 p.m. UTC, Corner 5th St. and Oak St. (423) 653-4611.

“The Bible on Broadway” 7:30 p.m. Oakstreet Playhouse, 419 McCallie Ave. (423) 756-2426.

Tim Wilson 7:30, 10 p.m. The Comedy Catch & Giggles Grille, 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233. www.thecomedycatch.com Choral Masterwork Concert 7:30 p.m. Conn Center, Lee University, 1120 N. Ocoee St. (423) 614-8240.

Scenes from Shakespeare 8 p.m. Chattanooga Theatre Centre, 400 River St. (423) 267-8534. www.theatrecentre.com Enchanted April 8 p.m. Chattanooga Theatre Centre, 400 River St. (423) 267-8534. www.theatrecentre.com Female Impersonation Show Midnight. Images, 6065 Lee Hwy. (423) 855-8210. www.imagesbar.com

Sunday Photo Fest 10 a.m. Heritage Park, 1428 Jenkins Rd. (423) 425-6311.

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.

Mosaic Market 11 a.m. 412 Market St. (corner of 4th/Market) (423) 624-3915.

Texas Deck Entertainment 6 p.m. Delta Queen, 100 River St. (423) 468-4500. www.deltaqueenhotel.com Game Night 6 p.m. Pasha Coffeehouse, 3914 St. Elmo Ave. (423) 475-5482. www.pashacoffeehouse.com

Scenes from Shakespeare 7:30 p.m. Chattanooga Theatre Centre, 400 River St. (423) 267-8534.

Senior Guitar Recital 7:30 p.m. Roland Hayes Concert Hall, UTC Fine Arts Center, 615 McCallie Ave. (423) 425-4111. www.utc.edu/music Tim Wilson 7:30, 10 p.m. The Comedy Catch & Giggles Grille, 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233. www.thecomedycatch.com Enchanted April 8 p.m. Chattanooga Theatre Centre, Main Stage, 400 River St. (423) 267-8534. www.theatrecentre.com Female Impersonation Show Midnight. Images, 6065 Lee Hwy. (423) 855-8210. www.imagesbar.com

Tuesday

Wednesday

Flick’s Café: The Garden of Finzi 6:30 p.m. Chattanooga-Hamilton Library, 1001 Broad St. (423) 757-5310. www.lib.chattanooga.gov “Earth Day with Daniel Bigay” Bill Shores Frame and Gallery, 307 Manufacturers Rd. (423) 756-6746.

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

(423) 266-8658.

“Themes of Identity” Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View. (423) 266-0944.

“One of a Kind” River Gallery, 400 E. Second St. (423) 265-5033.

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

Execution of Justice 7:30 p.m. Roddy Theatre, Baylor School. 171 Baylor School Rd. (423) 267-8505.

“It’s A Jungle Out There” Lookout Mountain Gallery, 3535 Broad St. (423) 508-8117.

Chattanooga Christian School Portfolio Exhibit Landis Gallery, Association for Visual Arts, 30 Frazier Ave. (423) 265-4282.

“Faces and Things by Mike Holsomback” Asher Love Gallery, 3914 St. Elmo Ave. (423) 822-0289.

Photography by Robert Parker Leo Handmade Gallery, 22 Frazier Ave. (423) 634-0440.

“Inspired Details from Nature” In-Town Gallery, 26A Frazier Ave. (423)267-9214. www.intowngallery.com

Enchanted April Four women embark on an idyllic Italian vacation… with unexpected results. $10 - $20 2:30 p.m.

Chattanooga Theatre Centre, Main Stage, 400 River Street.

(423) 267-8534. www.theatrecentre.com

Earth Dayz 11 a.m. Rock City, 1400 Patten Rd., Lookout Mtn, GA. (706) 820-2531.

Enchanted April 2:30 p.m. Chattanooga Theatre Centre, Main Stage, 400 River St. (423) 267-8534.

Opera Scenes 3 p.m. Squires Recital Hall, Lee University, 1120 N. Ocoee St. (423) 614-8240.

Broad St. Film Festival Awards Ceremony 7 p.m. Tivoli Theatre, 709 Broad St. (423) 267-8583.

Wind Ensemble Concert 7:30 p.m. Conn Center, Lee University, 1120 N. Ocoee St. (423) 614-8240.

“Speak Easy” Spoken Word 8 p.m. Mudpie Restaurant, 12 Frazier Ave. (423) 267-9040.

Editor’s Pick: Featured Event Of The Week

Opening Day Chattanooga Market The Market is back and not a moment too soon! Time to get yourself to the Pavilion, buy some strawberries and goat cheese, check out the wildly diverse arts offerings and listen to the music of Blue Mother Tupelo and Concerning Lions.

Yay! Sunday, April 25, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Free First Tennessee Pavilion, 1826 Carter Street.

(423) 648-2496. www.chattanoogamarket.com

April 22, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 16 | The Pulse

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The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 16 | April 22, 2010

Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative

Joy Stick

Hide and Go Kill

By Erik Bhatnagar

“The story takes place a few years after the last game and is accessible to both new fans and Splinter Cell veterans alike.”

www.chattanoogapulse.com

W

hen it comes to stealth action and espionage in video games, the Metal Gear Solid series will probably always be the best.

But the Splinter Cell series can be considered a close second to it.

The Splinter Cell series, based on the book by Tom Clancy, follows Sam Fisher, a former CIA agent who works as a field operator for the organization known as Third Echelon.

Since the debut of the original Splinter Cell in 2002, he has impressed fans with his abilities to take out his enemies without being seen and his gruff and nononsense attitude. Since the beginning, he has been voiced by Michael Ironside, not exactly an A-list actor, but one who has made a living playing tough guy roles

in movies like Starship Troopers, Total Recall, and Highlander II. After 4 years, Sam Fisher is finally back in Splinter Cell: Conviction.

But he is different—and that means bad things for anyone going against him.

The story takes place a few years after the last game and is accessible to both new fans and Splinter Cell veterans alike. In those years, Sam has gone through some major suffering: His daughter was horrifically killed in a car accident.

He was forced to kill his best friend.

And he has now split from the Third Echelon and has gone rogue. Gone is his gruffness and the light humor he showed in previous games; he’s now become a bitter and angry man. And then he finds out that the car accident wasn’t an accident at all, and Sam begins his quest for vengeance. As the story progresses, there become other, even bigger reasons to stop certain villains, but for Sam, it is always about the loss of his daughter and his soul.

I always enjoyed stealth games, like the Metal Gear Solid series and the Hitman series. There is something very fun about sneaking up on poor unsuspecting fools and finding new ways to silently take them out. But Splinter Cell: Conviction takes it to a whole new level. Most stealth games require you take it slowly to get the jump on your prey. No matter how great a game is, it can get tiring slowly hiding behind a wall, and waiting for your victim to finally turn his back towards you. Sam’s stealth prowess doesn’t rely on just hiding and waiting, but on his speed. He can quickly scamper from corner to corner with ease, and can take out up to two or three bad guys before the rest even realize something bad is going down.

The ability to flank your opponents is handled perfectly, and can get you out of

sticky situations.

If you’re spotted in other stealth games, a lot of times you might as well put the controller down and wait to restart, because you are too weak and slow to fight them off or run. Not in this game. Even when spotted, the game allows you to bolt in numerous directions and hide almost anywhere, and with perfect timing and placement, you can lose an entire group of armed men who had been a few feet away from you one second ago. This game definitely has one of the best cover systems that I have ever seen.

Besides that, the graphics are great, the controls work smoothly, especially the Mark and Execute system, where you can tag up to two bad guys and take them out with a silencer pistol. The story flows nicely and is interesting, and voice acting is good, with Michael Ironside obviously the highlight, mixing his toughness with enough emotion to make you root for Sam to get his rightful justice.

I also want to briefly touch on the co-op storyline on this game. Either by split-screen or online, you can team up with a friend and play a completely different story and different characters, set before the events of the single-player campaign. While it doesn’t have the emotional punch of the single-player campaign, it is very fun in its own right, and it is well worth your time to play with a buddy.

In the end, Splinter Cell: Conviction isn’t perfect but it’s one of the good games out this year. It may not be for everyone, but if you love stealth action with a little bit of shooting, an intense storyline with a great hero and a fun campaign both with and without a friend, then I highly recommend this game.

Play N Trade, 5084 South Terrace, Suite 18, East Ridge, TN 37412

April 22, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 16 | The Pulse

27

Spirits Within

By Joshua Hurley

A Jammin’ Shiraz S

pring is here—and with it comes outdoor activities, and perhaps changes in our taste for wine. If you’re looking for the perfect wine to accompany a picnic, lake or beach outing, or just a quiet evening on the porch watching grass grow, Riley’s has yet another perfect “Great Buy”.

If you’re new to “Spirits Within”, Great Buys is where Riley’s Wine and Spirits on Hixson Pike in Hixson picks a special item from a large selection of wine and spirits from around the world and shares it with the readership of The Pulse. This week’s pick is the perfect springtime wine—Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz.

Shiraz is also called “syrah” and has existed since before the Romans. Jam Jar comes from shiraz grapes grown in Paarl, South Africa, the third oldest settlement in the country. South Africa’s wine industry began in 1687, when Dutch settlers began farming and cultivating, among other things, vineyards. Today, these vineyards produce grapes that are made into some of the world’s finest wines.

Paarl’s location is 60 km northeast of Capetown and is now considered a metro part of that metropolis.

Rock climbers know more about Paarl than wine drinkers. Paarl Mountain, aka Paarl Rock, is considered a mecca for climbing enthusiasts. Paarl is also the largest town in the “Cape Winelands”, which is the name for the entire winegrowing region of South Africa. It’s also the home of KWV (Co-operative Wine Growers Association). The KWV once oversaw South Africa’s entire wine production, providing quality control with a “stamp of approval”- type system similar to Italy’s DOCG and DOC. Today, KWV is profit driven, sadly only offering their stamp to high bidders.

Paarl’s Rhone-like climate supports shiraz perfectly, offering a growing season that contains intense sunlight, dry heat and cold, wet winters. Wine drinkers looking for a sweet, fullbodied, red wine often find themselves up against a wall, a cheap Mogen

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The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 16 | April 22, 2010

David-type of wall, in fact. Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz is something altogether new and different: a sweet, full-bodied red wine from high-quality varietal grapes.

Jam Jar winemakers are mum on how it’s made, but some careful research yielded some interesting facts.

Jam Jar contains below 50 g/L sugar levels, making it less than a typical dessert serving. The grapes used were not late harvested and loaded with natural sugar—typical of most sweet wines. The process “botrytis” was not used. “Botrytis” is also called “noble rot”, and is a technique in which recently picked grapes are left out in a controlled environment to develop a fungus that causes the grape to shrivel, concentrating and intensifying its natural sugar and flavor.

So how is Jam Jar made sweet?

Well, it’s aged and fermented using American oak staves. Once the juice is extracted, it’s placed in stainless steel vats along with little fabric bags filled with wood chips of American oak. The oak adds sweetness to the wine. This process lasts five months.

Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz is dark red in color. Its delicious aromas of berries, chocolate and vanilla remind one of some of the best homemade jams. Its luscious, full-bodied palate is alive with sweet blueberries, blackberries and raspberries, followed by a honeyed oak finish that comes across more like a graham cracker than a full-blown oak finish.

If you want to make a leap from blush type wines into reds, Jam Jar is the ticket. Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz is available at Riley’s for $13.99 plus tax.

You can reach Josh Hurley at spiritswithin@runbox.com.

Free Will Astrology TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Yes, I know that the bull is your totem animal. But I’m hoping you’re willing to expand your repertoire, because it’s a ripe time for you to take on some of the attitudes of the king of beasts. Consider this. The naturalist and shaman Virginia Carper notes that lions have strong personalities but cooperate well. They’re powerful as individuals but engage in constructive group dynamics. In many cultures, they have been symbols of nobility, dignity, and spiritual prowess.

To adopt the lion as a protective guardian spirit builds one’s ability to know and hunt down exactly what one wants. Would you like more courage?

Visualize your lion self.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In 2011, I may do a tour of North America, performing my show “Sacred Uproar.” But for the foreseeable future I need to shut up and listen. I’ve got to make myself available to learn fresh truths I don’t even realize I need to know. So, yeah, next year I might be ready to express the extroverted side of my personality in a celebration of self-expression. But for now I have a sacred duty to forget everything I supposedly believe in and gratefully shuck my self-importance.

By the way, Gemini, everything I just described would be a good approach for you to consider taking in the next three weeks.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Is it true what they say—that you can never have too many friends? If you don’t think so, it’s a good time to re-evaluate your position. And if you do agree, then you should go out and get busy. According to my reading of the astrological omens, you’re likely to be extra lucky in attracting new connections and deepening existing alliances in the coming weeks.

The friendships you strike up are likely to be unusually stimulating and especially productive. To take maximum advantage of the favorable cosmic rhythms, do whatever you can to spruce up your inner beauty.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): I have compiled a set of four affirmations that I think will keep you on the right track in the coming weeks. Try saying them at least twice a day. 1. “I am cultivating Relaxed Alertness, because that will make me receptive to high-quality clues about how to proceed.” 2.

“I am expressing Casual Perfectionism, because that way I will thoroughly enjoy being excellent, and not stress about it.” 3. “I am full of Diligent Indifference, working hard out of love for the work and not being attached to the outcome.” 4. “I am practicing Serene Debauchery, because if I’m not manically obsessed with looking for opportunities to cut loose, those opportunities will present themselves to me with grace and frequency.”

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The Great Wall of China is the largest human construction in the world, stretching for almost 3,900 miles. But contrary to legend, it is not visible from the moon.

According to most astronauts, the Wall isn’t even visible from low Earth orbit. Keep this in mind as you carry out your assignment in the coming week, Virgo. First, imagine that your biggest obstacle is the size of the Great Wall of China.

Second, imagine yourself soaring so high above it, so thoroughly beyond it, that it disappears. If performed regularly, I think this exercise will give you a new power to deal with your own personal Great Wall of China.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In the early 1990s, actors Johnny Depp and Winona Ryder were engaged to be married. In honor of their love, Depp got a tattoo that read “Winona Forever.”

After the relationship fell apart, though, he had it altered to “Wino Forever.” If you’re faced with a comparable need to change a tattoo or shift your emphasis or transform a message anytime soon, Libra, I suggest putting a more positive and upbeat spin on it—something akin to “Winner Forever.”

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In the Bering Strait, Russia and America are 2.5 miles apart. The International Date Line runs through the gap, meaning that it’s always a day later on the Russian side than it is on the American. I suggest you identify a metaphorically similar place in your own life, Scorpio: a zone where two wildly different

By Rob Brezsny

influences almost touch. According to my reading of the omens, it’s an excellent time for you to foster more interaction and harmony between them.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): I have a group of colleagues who half-jokingly, half-sincerely refer to themselves as the Shamanic Hackers of Karmic Justice. The joking part of it is that the title is so over-the-top ostentatious that it keeps them from taking themselves too seriously.

The sincere part is that they really do engage in shamanic work designed to help free their clients from complications generated by old mistakes.

Since you’re entering the season of adjustment and atonement, I asked them to do some corrective intervention in your behalf. They agreed, with one provision: that you aid and abet their work by doing what you can to liberate yourself from the consequences of wrong turns you made in the past.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): The Weekly World News reported that a blues singer sued his psychiatrist for turning him into a more cheerful person. Gloomy Gus Johnson claimed he was so thoroughly cured of his depression that he could no longer perform his dismal tales with mournful sincerity. His popularity declined as he lost fans who had become attached to his despondent persona. I suspect you may soon be arriving at a similar crossroads, Capricorn. Through the intervention of uplifting influences and outbreaks of benevolence, you will find it harder to cultivate a cynical attitude. Are you prepared to accept the consequences that may come from being deprived of some of your reasons to moan and groan?

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Educational specialist Dr. Howard Gardner believes I.Q. tests evaluate only a fraction of human intelligence. He describes eight different kinds of astuteness. They include the traditional measures—being good at math and language—as well as six others: being smart about music, the body, other people, one’s own inner state, nature, and spatiality. (More here: bit.ly/Shrewd.) I bring this to your attention, Aquarius, because you’re entering a phase when you could dramatically enhance your intelligence about your own inner state. Take advantage of this fantastic opportunity to know yourself much, much better.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): South Carolina now requires subversive people to register with the state if they have the stated intention of overthrowing the government of the United States. I have no such goal, so I remain free to operate unlicensed in South Carolina. I am, however, participating in a movement to overthrow reality—or rather, the sour and crippled mass hallucination that is mistakenly called “reality.” This crusade requires no guns or political agitation, but is instead waged by the forces of the liberated imagination using words, music, and images to counteract those who paralyze and deaden the imagination. I invite you to join us. You’re entering a phase when you may feel an almost ecstatic longing to free yourself from the delusions that constitute the fake “reality.”

ARIES (March 21-April 19): “Although obstacles and difficulties frighten ordinary people,” wrote French painter Théodore Géricault, “they are the necessary food of genius. They cause it to mature, and raise it up . . . All that obstructs the path of genius inspires a state of feverish agitation, upsetting and overturning those obstacles, and producing masterpieces.” I’d like to make this idea one of your guiding principles, Aries. In order for it to serve you well, however, you’ll have to believe that there is a sense in which you do have some genius within you. It’s not necessarily something that will make you rich, famous, popular, or powerful. For example, you may have a genius at washing dogs or giving thoughtful gifts or doing yoga when you’re sad. Whatever your unique brilliance consists of, the challenges just ahead will be highly useful in helping it grow.

Homework: Listen to a welcoming message from the Beauty and Truth Lab: http://bit.ly/TruthLab. Then tell us what you want more than anything else: Truthrooster@gmail.com.

Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative

JONESIN’

By Matt Jones

“Burn After Reading” –it’s what remains.

Across 1 Hot spot offering 5 Author Jong 10 Like some water or lemonade 14 Milky gemstone 15 Lose it and run amok 16 Square footage, e.g.

17 Cabo ___ (Sammy Hagar tequila brand) 18 Adrenal, for instance 19 Closes a jacket 20 Loretta Swit’s nickname, with “The”?

23 Jimmy Eat World genre 24 Ending for spat or form 25 Tried to buzz off of a fertilizer ingredient?

34 White from fright 35 Not quite right?

36 Rock’s ___ Speedwagon 37 Heath bar competitor 38 Minute Maid Park player 39 Kenya’s first prime minister Kenyatta 40 ___ in “uncle” 41 “___ Up Style” (Blu Cantrell single) 42 Word before book or opera 43 Meat-and-potatoes dish used to hone your culinary skills?

46 Off-roader of sorts

47 Part of many Arab names 48 Scary creatures that can’t be bought with plastic?

56 Assist a criminal 57 How taboos are with most people 58 Barney’s hangout 60 Guam, for one: abbr.

61 Macbeth was one 62 Yemen neighbor 63 “Caprica” network 64 Subject that may require a permission slip 65 Win over Down 1 “That’s so cool!”

2 Product that debuted April 3, 2010 3 Race car driver Teo 4 It follows “And” in a Beatles title 5 It might get spiked in December 6 Part 7 Mosque figure 8 “Please?”

9 Totals 10 Type of suit for a chemical spill 11 Operatic solo 12 Weightlifter’s units 13 Morse code bit 21 “You won’t believe the mess ___...”

22 Fruit in a gin fizz

25 Fill the tank 26 Schindler of “Schindler’s List” 27 Yonder objects 28 “___ la vista, baby!”

29 Large jazz combo 30 Olympic “Flying Finn” Paavo 31 Parfumerie’s attraction 32 Long rides?

33 Turner’s title film buddy 38 Ducts 39 His character was killed off after he left “Good Times” 41 Sir Topham ___ (“Thomas the Tank Engine” boss) 42 “Money Honey” Maria Bartiromo’s network 44 Bear claw, for one 45 Made noises from the pen 48 Yoga class supplies 49 Follow the rules 50 Foamy toy brand 51 Architect Ludwig Mies van der ___ 52 Otis Redding record label 53 Actress Skye of “Say Anything” 54 “___ friend you are!”

55 Get better 59 Andy Samberg show, 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 #0464.

www.chattanoogapulse.com

Solution To Last Week’s Puzzle

Never Worry About Losing A Copy Of The Pulse Keep Up Online at www.chattanoogapulse.com April 22, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 16 | The Pulse

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Ask A Mexican!

By Gustavo Arellano

More Mexican Than Tu Dear Mexican, I have a friend who frequently wears a T-shirt that boldly states in big, bad-ass, Old English letters, “Hecho en México.” Five facts follow: • He was born 23 years ago in the United States, in Bellflower, California • His truly Mexican parents were nowhere near Mexico when he was conceived • His Spanish is worse than his English • He has conceded that the “Made in Mexico” displayed across his manbreasts DOES NOT imply the T-shirt was manufactured in Mexico • I easily upset him when I declare that I’m more Mexican than he is, by the mere fact that I was at least born OUTSIDE the United States in the Philippines.

So what gives? Why is it so easy for me to bust his balls by calling him an American? And, so, whenever he wears that shirt I always tell him that he’s disingenuous, but he just looks at me and asks, “What the hell does ‘disingenuous’ mean?”

— Sancho Villa, the Filipino Friend of El Pocho Dear Flip: Filipinos might be the Mexicans of Asia, and boxer Manny Pacquiao might own Mexican pugilists the way Mexi men take gabachas, but that doesn’t make you more mexicano than your wabby pal. Your amigo’s fixation on asserting a mexicanidad that he ostensibly can’t claim ties back to my column a couple of weeks ago regarding the United States Census and its antebellum racial classifications.

As I stated then, Mexicans insist they are a separate raza instead of

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The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 16 | April 22, 2010

an ethnicity even though we all now know that the whole concept of race is socially constructed and about as scientifically valid as creationism—but the insistence makes sense, regardless of how many generations removed from Mexico a pocho may be. The allure of closely associating with an ancestral culture is a longstanding spice of the American melting pot, best explained by the sociologist Herbert Gans as symbolic ethnicity.

We let micks and goombahs generations no longer fresh off the boats call themselves Irish and Italian, so why not let pochos call themselves Mexican? That’s right—because anything gabachos do is right, and all Mexicans do is make babies and Reconquista. Have sympathy, and let your friend call himself Mexican, Sancho, because Know Nothings have the last laugh—your proud “Mexican” wakes up every day in el gabacho.

Dear Mexican, When the gringo people starts complaining about illegals, the government comes out and uses a pacifier to calm them down (raids, penalties on employers, pendejo walls). When we illegals start complaining, they come out with another pacifier, such as a bill to legalize some of us. I say open the ojos and see that the intention of the U.S. government is not to take us all back; it’s to pacify the whiners. So gringos: please. Ya shut up and live, and let us work on your landscaping, fruits, vegetables, meats, all crops, and everything so you can eat good.

Anyway, when it comes to pacifiers, I wanted to ask the Mexican: who was the real pendejo who thought about

building a wall at the border? That is the greatest broma and waste of dinero I ever heard. I laugh at it, every time I think about it. We already have the biggest escalera you have ever seen. Anyway, if you know the name of that pendejo, I’d like to know.

— El Mojado Dear Wetback, If you’re referring to the Secure Fence Act of 2006, which sought to further fortify an already militarized frontera and introduced the idea of a massive muro to the American public, that pinche puto pendejo baboso was New York Congressman Peter King, who submitted the bill and was its main sponsor.

But don’t bother writing nasty letters to him—f****r loves pissing Mexis off. Instead, send King’s office cans of refried beans so he’ll be forced to either donate them to charity, or eat them all to hilarious digestive effect!

“Send King’s office cans of refried beans so he’ll be forced to either donate them to charity, or eat them all to hilarious digestive effect.”

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.

Chattanooga's Weekly Alternative

www.chattanoogapulse.com

April 22, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 16 | The Pulse

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