The Pulse - Vol. 7, Issue 45

Chattanooga’s Weekly Alternative

A City’s Evolution ...On A Platter Story by D.E. Langley Photography by Blake Hampton

FREE • News, Views, Music, Film, Arts & Entertainment • November 11, 2010 • Volume 7, Issue 45 • www.chattanoogapulse.com

President Jim Brewer, II Publisher Zachary Cooper Contributing Editor Janis Hashe News Editor / Art Director Gary Poole Director of Sales Rhonda Rollins Local Sales Manager Jonathan Susman Advertising Sales Rick Leavell, Townes Webb Calendar Editors Bryanna Burns, Reginald Owens Graphic Design Jennifer Grelier Contributing Writers Gustavo Arellano, Rob Brezsny Chuck Crowder, Michael Crumb Joshua Hurley, Phillip Johnston Matt Jones, D.E. Langley Tara Morris-Viland, Ernie Paik Gary Poole, Alex Teach Editorial Cartoonist Rick Baldwin Editorial Interns Blake Hampton, Reginald Owens Contact Info: Phone (423) 265-9494 Fax (423) 266-2335 Email Inquiries info@chattanoogapulse.com Calendar Submissions calendar@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.

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Brewer Media 1305 Carter Street Chattanooga, Tennessee 37402 Letters to the editor must include name, address and daytime phone number for verification. The Pulse reserves the right to edit letters for space and clarity. Please keep letters within 300 words in length.

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

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2010

cover story

Contents

A ee TH t w x ne

Chattanooga’s Weekly Alternative

AL RE G e NU O IN uls AN OV GIV he P C S T LO NK k in

NOVEMBER

12 A CITY'S EVOLUTION ON A PLATTER

By D.E. Langley Throughout the history of cuisine, you find that many of the most treasured flavors originate in areas exposed to multiple ethnic and cultural traditions. In any field, inspiration comes from experience, and despite the often ugly particulars, few would argue that some of our planet’s richest culinary traditions come from areas centered at crossroads.

Pizza Cha Cha • Photography by Blake Hampton

feature stories 18 GIVING YOU THE GIST

By Tara Morris-Viland This past week, I was sitting at Greenlife (Whole Foods, whatever), holding a baby named Alice, savoring a lunchtime beer, and discussing music. Little Alice, come to find out, was actually incubated by one of my past Chattanooga State professors.

27 CHARLIE NEWTON'S VISIONS OF PARADISE

By Michael Crumb Chattanoogans ought to be very proud of Charlie Newton. His retrospective show, now at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center, includes three dozen pieces representing 30 years of his work. This show runs through December 2.

32 TOP OF THE WORLD, MA MERE

By Phillip Johnston Jean-François Richet’s Mesrine saga is a thing of beauty, not in the traditional sense—it is, after all, a violent saga about a legendary French gangster—but in terms of scope, structure, and sensation.

news & views 5 6 10 17 31 38

PULSE BEATS BEYOND THE HEADLINES FIVE QUESTIONS ON THE BEAT LIFE IN THE NOOG ASK A MEXICAN

everything else 4 5 8 19 20 24 28 33 34 36 37

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR CITY COUNCILSCOPE POLICE BLOTTER NEW MUSIC REVIEWS MUSIC CALENDAR DINING PROFILE A&E CALENDAR NEW IN THEATERS SPIRITS WITHIN FREE WILL ASTROLOGY JONESIN’ CROSSWORD

Letters to the Editor Freedom Of Expression Alex Teach has hit the nail on the head again [“Freedom of Stupidity”, On The Beat].

As a Law Enforcement Chaplain, Deputy Sheriff and a minister I find myself often hampered by so called “political correctness.”

Personally I believe we got along much better when we all understood that right was right and wrong was wrong regardless who the players were. Common sense has given way to compromise. Here is a statement by someone who really knew the issues: “The greatest want of the world is the want of men, men who will not be bought or sold; men who in their innermost souls are true and honest; men who do not fear to call sin by its right name; men whose conscience is as true to duty as the needle to the pole; men who will stand for the right though the heavens fall.” Not many of these type men or women left in this world.

Too bad!

Jim Cox Hurting The Police The City of Chattanooga is continually plotting action to take benefits from police and fire. The Littlefield administration has been horrible for these departments, and places little value on fire and police employee.

This is indeed the darkest days for these departments. Littlefield has instead focused on the creation of new department head positions for political hacks—Davy Crocket, Missy Crutchfield, Paul Page, Dr. Cosley, Al Chapman—to ensure the clan would have $80,000 to $100,000 salaries. The new departments also required support staff and additional employees. At the same time police and fire have lost overtime pay, health insurance and retirement reductions. The truth is Littlefield cronies are always taking from these departments. I hope they work hard to abate taking of benefits, and can sustain through the worst mayor ever.

Allen Scences Steampunk Anger Well, I won’t be reading anything Mr. Ringo ever writes [“Steaming Into The Future Past”]. I found a lot of his arguments against steampunk invalid and/or simply distasteful. Like an immature teenager who “hates” something because they either don’t understand it (and won’t take the time to) or because everyone else likes it—using repetitive arguments (like the physics of airships) until they feel they’ve made their case. In any case, I found this to be a good

article. I’m very proud to be a part of the steampunk community and have made it a big part of my life (my wedding is even steampunk-themed). These are some of the nicest people I have ever met, and I encourage all those interested to research it!

Eleanor Vesper Response To Andrew Lohr Mr. Lohr better do some research [“Letters To The Editor”, Iss. 45]. If he had he would seen the trustees report that shows Social Security has a $2.5 trillion surplus that is expected to grow to $4.3 trillion by 2023.

Social Security is an insurance program. The FICA tax does not go into a box with your name on it. Like any other insurance program it goes into a common pool that pays out claims. You’re paying for Granny’s check now.

By law Social Security cannot pay out funds it does not have. Without change by 2083 it will still be able to cover 3/4 of its needs when people born now will be 73. A simple fix for Social Security to raise taxable limit from around $90,000 to about $200,000. As for the rest of his fact challenge points, I’ll leave those to others.

Grundy Green

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 45 | November 11, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

Pulse Beats

Quote Of The Week:

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

“Almost every occupation now that is a technology-based occupation requires a higher level of math, of computer capability, a higher level of problem solving than generally would have been true a decade ago, or a generation ago.”

— Chattanooga State President Jim Catanzaro, speaking in support of a proposed charter technical high school.

Sheriff Cracks Down On Traffic Drunk driving, speeding and failure to wear seatbelts have become a deadly combination in Tennessee and Hamilton County. This year, fatalities are up statewide. Although not all of these have been alcohol- or speed-related, many of them could have been prevented by simply buckling a seatbelt.

That is why the Hamilton County Sheriff ’s Office announced this week it will be joining with the Governor’s Highway Safety Office, the Tennessee Highway Patrol and other agencies across the county this holiday season to ensure motorists reach their destinations safely.

“Our message is simple. Always wear your seatbelt, drive the speed limit and don’t drink and drive,” said Sheriff Jim Hammond. “If motorists will take just a moment and think about these things before they get behind the wheel of a car, there would be less injuries and fatalities should a crash occur.”

“All it takes is a couple of seconds to buckle your seatbelt,” said Clint Shrum, Law Enforcement Liaison for the Governor’s Highway Safety Office “If people would take this one simple and easy step before they operate a vehicle, we could easily reduce our fatalities by half.”

Driving without a seatbelt is illegal in Tennessee. Driving with a BAC of .08 or higher is illegal in every state. Although fatalities were at a record low last year

across the state, this year has proved to be different.

Statewide fatalities are up by 53.

“Drunk driving is simply not worth the risk. Not only do you risk killing yourself or someone else, but the trauma and financial costs of a crash or an arrest for impaired driving can be significant,” said Sheriff Hammond. “Violators often face jail time, the loss of their driver’s license, higher insurance rates, attorney fees, time away from work, and dozens of other expenses.

The Hamilton County Sheriff ’s Office in conjunction with the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Governor’s Highway Safety Office and other law enforcement agencies is planning some high visibility patrols in problem areas throughout the county over the holiday period. The sheriff ’s office is urging everyone to buckle up, drive smart and enjoy the holidays.

Here is one of the more interesting agenda items set to be discussed at the Tuesday, November 16 meeting of the Chattanooga City Council.

13. Recognition of Persons Wishing to Address the Council on Non-Agenda Matters.

At the end of every council meeting, anyone can have three minutes to address the entire body about anything on their mind, as long as it wasn’t something already covered in the agenda for that meeting and is an issue that falls under the purview of the council.

Dragon Boat Festival: New Name, New Date The event that always makes a splash gets a new date and a new name in its fifth year.

Previously called the “Chattanooga Dragon Boat Festival”, the new name is the “Children’s Hospital Dragon Boat Festival”, and the event will be held Saturday, May 21, 2011 at the TVA Park at Chickamauga Dam. Dragon boat racing is the eighth-fastest growing sport in the world, and features teams of 20 paddlers, a drummer and steerer in authentic Hong Kong-style dragon boats. All ages, skill levels and physiques can participate, making it the ultimate team-building sport, requiring synchronicity and finesse more than power to win.

Local paddlers raise pledges in advance for the Children’s Hospital. To help boost fundraising efforts, the re-branding of the name to Children’s Hospital Dragon Boat Festival should remind people what this sport and event is about: community. The hospital treats more than 36,000 patients annually, regardless of ability to pay. Last year, paddlers collected $75,000 for the hospital. This year, the hope is to raise $100,000.

“Every team contributing for this event helps us treat kids with quality healthcare in our region,” said Betsy Chapin Taylor, Chief Development Officer for Erlanger Health System Foundation. “Every single paddler in this event can make a difference.”

If you have a complaint, compliment, suggestion or even a beef with the city, this is your time to get the undivided attention of all nine council members (and the city attorney, to boot).

Even better, the heads of the various city departments—ranging from the Police Department to Public Works to Neighborhood Services and a good dozen other agencies—are usually present at the meetings, which can be very beneficial.

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 agenda and minutes from past city council meetings, visit www.Chattanooga.gov/City_Council

www.chattanoogapulse.com | November 11, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 45 | The Pulse

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Beyond The Headlines

The Bargain Hunter’s Tale

By Janis Hashe

“What are the best bargains you’ve found in Chattanooga?

How are you managing with a lighter wallet?

Send in your tales of bargain-hunting glory.”

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T

hat the last two years have been an economic challenge for many people is not headline news. Nor is the notion that a mixed career bag of journalism, teaching and theatre is not likely to generate Wall Street-level income a big shocker.

The convergence of these two things has meant my already-sharp bargain-hunting skills have been honed to an edge that would slice through steel.

And I love it.

Breathes there a person with soul so dead, who never to himself has said, “They’ll NEVER believe the deal I got

The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 45 | November 11, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

on (fill in the blank).” I know there are people who disdain the fine art of bargain hunting, but they obviously didn’t get the gene. For those of us who did, the “recession” has separated the pros from the amateurs.

For example, theatre folks are experts at thrift-store and vintage shopping, both for themselves and for productions, and about 75 percent of my wardrobe has been acquired this way, but since 2008, they are the only places I’ve shopped for clothes and proud of it. A couple of weeks ago, I was driving by my favorite thrift store when I noticed they were having a parking-lot sale. A parking-lot sale at the thrift store means you take plastic bags and stuff things into them—and each bag is $1.

I emerged after about half an hour with two bags containing a fabulous Doncaster tweed jacket (estimated previous retail, at least $300), a brown leather belt, a pair of Ann Taylor wool trousers, a cotton jumper/ duster with leather buttons and trim, a Ralph Lauren army-green knit top—and that’s not counting the couple of items I spotted for other people. Total: $2.

OK, it’s true you have to learn how to spot the buys among the polyester muumuus, but what a thrill when you do.

I've also never been a big food waster, but now nothing goes into the fridge or the cupboards that isn't used up completely.

Veggies that are a little past their prime are pureed into soups. Others are chopped for the slow cooker or sautéed in pasta sauce.

A farmers’ market has popped up near

me on Saturdays and I have made my peace with squash and zucchini. Actually, I just give myself a small budget, buy whatever’s fresh and concoct meals based on what I bring home. I love to cook anyway, and this has just made me more creative in the kitchen.

Unbeknownst to me until this semester, I’m eligible to use the college’s fitness center—for free. Ever since I found this out, you’ll find me pumping iron at least once a week in there.

I’ve rediscovered the library. For my first three years in Chattanooga, I didn’t have a library card, but now I’m a customer about every two weeks and have read some wonderful books I probably wouldn’t have ever come across otherwise.

Gone are the days of the $100 haircut; my hair is now being cut at a beauty college and this is reminding me nostalgically of my student days in London and haircuts at Vidal Sassoon. (Admittedly, during that period I once emerged looking like the Bride of Frankenstein, but that’s the exception to the rule.)

So now I would like to hear your stories.

What are the best bargains you’ve found in Chattanooga? How are you managing with a lighter wallet? Send your tales of bargainhunting glory to jhashe@chattanoogapulse. com and look to see them in print after the New Year.

I know—some of these are top secret. But really—can you resist the chance to prove your prowess?

Send me those stories and prepare to bask in others’ awe at your skill!

The List

www.chattanoogapulse.com | November 11, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 45 | The Pulse

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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.

• She was “this close” to being a Chattooga County sheriff ’s deputy. But a tip that a woman planning on joining the law enforcement agency and her two children were living with a convicted felon put an end to all that. As a result, she was disqualified from employment as a law officer. Then, to make matters worse, a few days later she was caught in a drug sting. She and her boyfriend were arrested for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. According to the department, she had brought four bags of pot to a pre-arranged meeting with an informant. Needless to say, her involvement with law enforcement is now from the opposite end of the spectrum.

• A man is claiming that Chattanooga Police are covering up a potentially violent incident. The man claims he was tailgated and pulled over by another man on Highway 58 who pulled out a weapon and pointed it at him. The man, identified as an agent with the Alcoholic Beverage Commission, denies he pulled his

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gun, claiming he just pointed his fingers at the man. Police officials say there is not enough evidence, but the complainant is accusing them of protecting the officer and has filed a formal complaint with Internal Affairs. The Alcoholic Beverage Commission has removed the officer’s weapon and put him on restricted duty.

• A state line couldn’t keep lawmen from finding their man. A fugitive from Dalton, Georgia, was found and arrested in Rhea County, Tennessee this past week. Authorities say the man bought a brand-new Chevy pick-up truck with a bad check. He then pawned the title, used the truck as a trade-in on a new Mustang, and then had two dealerships holding the bag. The suspect was caught in Dayton on a warrant from Dalton, where he’s being charged with fraud and theft. Police say they believe he pulled the same scam at two Chattanooga dealerships in the past.

The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 45 | November 11, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

Ways To Keep Warm(er) Without Turning Up The Thermostat

• And in our final note this week, we are pleased to welcome a new police chief to Red Bank. Tim Christol, the current chief of the Fletcher, North Carolina police department, will take over in Red Bank effective December 13. City Manager Chris Dorsey said he had made his decision on the hiring last week after interviewing four candidates, but wanted to wait until after city elections to make any announcement.

Christol, who went to East Ridge High, says he intends to bring leadership and clear direction to the department.

He will take over a department that has been rocked by recent firings and lawsuits. We wish the best of luck to Chief Christol.

1. Dress in layers 2. Wear wool 3. Wear thicker socks or slippers 4. Leave the oven open after you bake 5. Eat soup and other warm meals 6. Drink warm beverages 7. Open curtains and blinds during the day to let the sun in 8. Close curtains and blinds at night to keep out the cold 9. Pile extra blankets on your bed 10. Switch to flannel sheets and a down comforter With cold weather upon us, and power bills creeping steadily higher every year, there are many ways to keep the cold at bay without breaking the bank.

www.chattanoogapulse.com | November 11, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 45 | The Pulse

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Five Questions

By Gary Poole

New East Ridge Mayor Has Ambitious Goals Amid all the national election news last

week, a local race in the suburban community of East Ridge has brought a new generation of politician to the forefront. Thirty-fouryear-old Brent Lambert, a a fifth-generation resident of East Ridge who has served on the city council for the past two years, won out over three other candidates to become mayor of the city.

An East Ridge High School graduate in 1994, Lambert earned a bachelor of arts degree in history from UTC and a master of public administration degree from Valdosta State University. He’s been heavily involved with the community for years, serving as a board member of the East Ridge Revitalization Program and the East Ridge Education Committee as well as president of the East Ridge Council of the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce. He also helped to launch the East Ridge History Center as chairman of the center’s development committee.

1) One of the major concerns expressed by East Ridge residents has been the need for economic development. What are your plans as mayor to address this need?

I believe that a key component of meeting our economic development needs will be an active and effective economic development committee.

The framework for this committee has already been approved by the current city council, but the new council will actually make appointments to the committee. The committee will include seven individual appointees with specific areas of expertise that can benefit our city’s potential for business growth. It will operate on a volunteer basis, performing many of the tasks that a professional economic development director might do.

It will help to inventory available commercial properties, develop community data, engage the business community, and help to develop a long-range strategic plan for development and redevelopment in our city.

With the announced multi-million dollar expansion of Life Care Center at Exit 1, a handful of potential development projects in the works, and the development pressure that will be generated at Exit 1 due to the presence of Costco just one exit down I-75, we are positioned to excel in this area over the next 10 years.

I believe strong, new development will spur a change in appearance along Ringgold Road and help the city to rely less upon property taxes for its revenue.

2) There have been a lot of concerns over the financial situation of East Ridge, especially in regards to confusion over

“I believe strong, new development will spur a change in appearance along Ringgold Road and help the city to rely less upon property taxes for its revenue.”

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The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 45 | November 11, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

deficit numbers from the last fiscal year. What is the financial status of the city?

The financial condition of the city is actually quite good. We currently have reserve funds of more than $3.4 million—about 33 percent of our annual budget—which is well above the state and national recommendations of around 15 percent. Over the last two years, our total reserve fund balance is down just $200,000, which is remarkable considering the sour economy as well as a natural disaster and the subsequent loss of a major retailer and key source

Five Questions “We have outstanding city services, a city property tax rate that is extremely low, great recreational opportunities, and a central location that is second to none in the area” of sales tax revenue. Although we experienced a deficit at the end of FY2010 due to less-than-expected sales tax revenues, the city spent far less than was budgeted. So, in an effort to lower sales tax projections and erase any potential deficit for FY2011, the council cut around $500,000 out of the initially proposed FY2011 budget.

3) The flooding earlier this year was a major problem for East Ridge. What is the city doing to address this problem?

Discussions with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have been ongoing since the flood event. Based on those conversations and the obvious need to correct what has been a serious problem for many years, the city council has officially requested that the interim city manager, along with staff, begin crafting a city-wide master plan aimed at mitigating the problem. It will not be an “easy fix” or an inexpensive one.

However, it is in the best interest of our city to determine what can be done and how we can get there.

4) How do you see East Ridge as part of the greater metropolitan area?

I believe East Ridge is a very important part of the greater metropolitan area. It

is the second-largest city in Hamilton County as well as the second-largest city in the Chattanooga Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses six counties. Our location is significant as we are the “Gateway to Tennessee” via Interstate 75 north and easily accessible from Interstate 24. I am of the opinion that a stronger East Ridge will make for a stronger Chattanooga and Hamilton County. For many tourists, the city of East Ridge will make the first impression of our area, and I certainly would prefer that impression be a positive one.

5) In your opinion, what are the best things about East Ridge?

We have outstanding city services, a city property-tax rate that is extremely low, great recreational opportunities, and a central location that is second to none in the area. However, our most important asset is, and always has been, our people—family, friends, and neighbors who care about each other and are willing to go the extra mile to make a difference in the community. We must build upon these core strengths if we want to prosper and reach new heights as a community.

www.chattanoogapulse.com | November 11, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 45 | The Pulse

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Cover Story

A City’s Evolution ...On A Platter Story by D.E. Langley Photography by Blake Hampton

Throughout the history of cuisine, you find that many

of the most treasured flavors originate in areas exposed to multiple ethnic and cultural traditions. In any field, inspiration comes from experience, and despite the often-ugly particulars, few would argue that some of our planet’s richest culinary traditions come from areas centered at crossroads of trade, warfare, and, as a result, immigration.

A cursory glance at any world history textbook reveals the assorted global provenance of what many now consider to be “American” cuisine. Even given regional differences, the typical plate on a dinner table in America is likely to contain 12

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ingredients that were originally cultivated or domesticated on three or four different continents—not to mention the methods of cooking used in their preparation.

Trends in dining, however, are much more easily noticed on restaurant tables than they are in our home kitchens. It only makes sense. Chefs work day and night with food, and are largely required to serve dishes to their patrons that most of those customers can’t, don’t, or would rather not make at home. After all, that’s why we dine out—it’s not too often one finds a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich on a lunch menu. Considering that fact, I asked a number of Chattanooga’s chefs to lend their insight into our city’s changing dining scene, especially where international influence is concerned. Included were Nick Kyriakidis of Niko’s, Eric Saenz of La Olla, Eric Taslimi from Table 2, and Daniel Lindley, who runs St. John’s Restaurant and Meeting Place as well as Alleia.

Cover Story “Even with that increase in knowledge and demographic change, many diners are eating internationally influenced cuisine without even realizing it.”

Chefs a global go-go Though it’s not all he produces at Niko’s, Nick Kyriakidis comes

by Greek food honestly. His father immigrated to New Jersey from Athens, Greece, in 1952, then moved to New York City in the 1970s before coming to Tennessee in 1982. Nick got a degree in economics from Washington and Lee University in Virginia before moving back to Chattanooga to open The Acropolis with his family. He has been operating Niko’s since 2007.

Chef Eric Saenz was born in San Diego to a Mexican mother and an Italian father. He has lived and worked in France, Italy, and Japan, as well as his native California. He has operated Italian restaurants, and more recently, as in the case of La Olla, Mexican establishments (for which he took an extensive trip throughout Mexico to prepare).

Eric Taslimi was born in Toledo, Ohio, before his parents moved their family back to Iran during his infancy. At the age of 10, his family came back to America, settling in Memphis for two years before coming to call Chattanooga home. He received a degree from MTSU in horticulture before going to Charleston, South Carolina to attend Johnson and Wales Culinary Institute. He then worked in Asheville and Nashville before coming home to take his present position at Table 2.

Daniel Lindley is a native Chattanoogan who grew up shopping with his mother at the farmers’ market here. He is a multiple James

Beard Award nominee who has been operating his restaurants in his hometown for more than a decade now after honing his skills in New York City.

Chattanooga’s dining opens up Residents of the Chattanooga area in the present are closer to the confluence of modern-day trade routes than they are to the front lines of conflict, thank goodness. The wellpublicized influx of international corporations to the area, as well as the expanding international reach of homegrown companies, is a catalyst for immigration to the Chattanooga region. Another, as Chef Nick Kyriakidis believes, is the city itself.

“Chattanooga has [multiple] farmers’ markets, concerts and festivals all the time... people love raising their families here now,” he explains. “That doesn’t happen by accident. Development became the mindset, and that showed foresight on the part of the city’s leadership.

In my dining room, I might hear five languages being spoken on a given day.

“It’s allowed for a good deal of independence in the dining scene.

Dining itself actually attracts visitors downtown now.”

Chef Eric Taslimi agrees with that sentiment. “Chattanooga is beautiful.

Downtown and the Southside are coming up at the right time, and there’s a real sense of community.

RiverRocks and Head of the Hooch, for instance, are great examples of the kind of things we have here that attract people from all over.” www.chattanoogapulse.com | November 11, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 45 | The Pulse

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Cover Story “I’m constantly changing...any passion evolves, and any chef has to continue to transform with his or her city. In this profession, you can’t be old news.”

It’s not just international relocation that changes our cultural landscape.

Even newcomers from other parts of the United States can bring different ways of looking at food.

Eric Saenz, who has been living in the Chattanooga area off and on for almost eight years now, is himself a prime example.

“My Mexican heritage from my mother helped me appreciate fresh produce, and understand the harvest,” he says. “As far as being Italian, my whole family cooked. My grandmother was a chef, my father was a chef. He made his own pasta, and I picked our cilantro with my mother.”

His background heavily influences both the way he looks at food, as well as the dishes that come out of his kitchen. “As much of our food as possible is locally sourced. It’s very important to me that my food be seasonally driven,” he emphasizes.

“I also make as much as possible on the premises, from chocolate and sausages to sour cream and queso fresco.”

That kind of attention to detail is increasingly appreciated by the public in Chattanooga. “People are becoming much more educated,” Taslimi says. “You couldn’t fool them if you wanted to. As the consumer becomes more educated, we as chefs can try more things.

“People are willing to pay more for good product these days, as long as there’s still a good value. Six or seven years ago, I’m not sure that would’ve been the case. They respond to organic and natural local products

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now.

“That gives us the ability to narrow our focus. Nationwide chains have to have appeal for everyone, from coast to coast. That’s not the case with us.

We have the option to do so much more now. You can push boundaries with this type of customer base.”

Saenz concurs with that assessment. “You cannot underestimate the customer in this area,” he says. “With the diversity of people coming in, they understand what regional cuisine implies. As a chef, you welcome that.

“Since I’ve been here, as far as the audience we cater to, their palates have matured. They’re letting go of just frying everything and exploring all these other ways of preparing these delicious ingredients.”

Kyriakidis says, “Somewhere along the line, there was a generational disconnect between people and their food. That’s shifting back the other way now. Italians can make more than pizza, and Greeks can do more than just run diners, which was a pretty common thing just a generation ago.”

Chef Lindley was ahead of the curve as far as customer awareness was concerned. “Since St. John’s started in 2000, [serving this type of customer] has been the core of our mission. The awareness and importance of serving and consuming quality (and local when possible) ingredients is crucial on so many levels.”

Even with that increase in knowledge and demographic change, many diners are eating

Cover Story internationally influenced cuisine without even realizing it. Lindley says that despite a particular restaurant’s menu focus, exotic ingredients can work themselves in. “With St. John’s Restaurant and Meeting Place, I try to keep pretty tight boundaries as far as serving New American cuisine,” he notes.

“There are many ethnic ingredients that make it into my menus, but I am pretty subtle about it.”

Fresh now first Every chef interviewed pointed out that besides any overt international flavors in their menus, the most important link they had with other cultures’ cuisines was the freshness their customers now want and demand.

“People in Greece have more of a connection to their food,” Kyriakidis told me. “In Chattanooga, we now have this nascent industry of local farmers bringing in produce, and producers bringing in fish and local meats. Even with products from further off, we’re able to streamline the process here. I think the city as a whole is really embracing the concept of sourcing locally.”

Saenz declares, “We stay away from preservatives here, which is very impressive, as we don’t use a freezer. Our restaurants across the country all buy as locally as possible, and the market for fresh produce here is amazing. I’ve become very impressed. It’s also incredibly easy to get ahold of so-called ‘international’ ingredients—more become available each and every day. Knowing the

agricultural aspects of where your product comes from makes you a better chef.”

“It goes along with my philosophy of serving really honest food,” Taslimi says. “I have new producers approaching me all the time. Not only do we shop at the Wednesday farmers’ market, but we deal with all of them independently. I can ask my farmers to grow a particular product for me, the way I want it grown. That’s amazing.

Along with technique, ingredients are the most important element in producing good food, and the availability here in Chattanooga makes us able to go in certain directions that we wouldn’t be able to otherwise.”

Lindley agreed. “There are virtually no products we turn down from local producers...during the growing season, local products are highly

prominent in our menus.” He adds, “The importance and joy that comes from shopping in a ‘local’ manner is what drives my restaurants.”

You can only assume that international influences in Chattanooga, both in cuisine and every other aspect of our daily lives, will continue to grow. Ten years ago, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, only 3.4 percent of Chattanoogans were foreign born. During the past five years, a steady pattern has emerged as far as international immigration is concerned—roughly 500 people from abroad come to call Hamilton County home every year, according to the Chamber of Commerce. Along with a steadily increasing number of domestic transplants, these numbers would seem to indicate that Chattanooga’s palates will continue to expand further and further beyond the familiar.

After all, as Eric Taslimi told me toward the end of our visit—“I’m constantly changing...any passion evolves, and any chef has to continue to transform with his or her city. In this profession, you can’t be old news.”

Chattanooga Chow In this issue is the Fall issue of Chow, our bi-annual dining guide that features the wealth of intriguing and imaginative restaurants in and around Chattanooga.

Everything from fine dining and the best pizza to every style of restaurant that comes to mind. Also, be sure to bookmark www.chattanoogachow.com for all the latest restaurant news and reviews (and great suggestions).

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On The Beat

By Alex Teach

Lost in Translation T

“Tina answered the door to side ‘A’, her Cricket phone pressed firmly to her left ear and speaking loudly enough to ensure that she had no intention of actually carrying on a conversation with me.”

When Officer Alexander D. Teach is not patrolling our fair city on the heels of the criminal element, he is an occasional student, carpenter, boating enthusiast, and spends his spare time volunteering for the Boehm Birth Defects Center. To contact him directtly, follow him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/alex.teach

he call came in originally as a burglary that had just occurred; we rolled, but not with much fanfare.

While a serious crime, burglary was kind of a local pastime for the indigenous peoples of 12th Avenue, where the suspects were frequently your neighbors, and all too often a blood relative.

Just before getting there, we were also informed there was a “stabbing” at the same address. (Now that had potential…but I wasn’t holding my breath.)

It was dark (because that’s when I work) but warm, and a rare functioning street lamp illuminated the shotgun-shack-style duplex perched atop a small but inconvenient bluff that no one before had been silly enough to consider building upon.

You could tell the construction was new because it still had the numeric address attached to the front-porch column completely visible to the road. You see, after a few years, residents find that the mail they receive contains “bills” from scorned creditors and abandoned children, so it’s best to remove all markings, give cash money to the rent man, and say, “hell with the rest”.

Tina answered the door to side “A”, her Cricket phone pressed firmly to her left ear and speaking loudly enough to ensure that she had no intention of actually carrying on a conversation with me, much less answering questions about what happened.

“Excuse me,” I said. “I believe you have a stabbing around here for me?”

Two small children were coloring on plain copier paper on the floor nearby where a largeprojection screen television was holding up a

pile of laundry roughly seven feet high against the wall.

I finally got her to lower the phone long enough to say “Yeah, Raymond done broke in here and stole my ol’ man’s clothes. He right out front, you know who he is from the other week.”

She resumed her phone call.

“The stabbing part, ma’am. Was someone stabbed?” I asked.

“Oh, yeah, Kendra got stabbed in the foot.

KENDRA!” she yelled.

Kendra appeared from the bathroom hallway, walked up to me with no limp, and without a word raised her right foot off the ground, carefully balancing her 280 pounds on one foot for four seconds. There was a quarter-inch scratch below her pinky toe, on the bottom of her foot.

“Stabbing?” I said. “Yes,” she replied. “He stabbed me with a license plate.”

I raised an eyebrow; something new, at least.

“I been in the baff ’room because I stepped in some shit,” she explained. (I nodded, unfazed; of course she had.)

Kendra explained that she was chasing Raymond down the alley trying to get “T’s” license plate back after he took it off of a car, and when he stopped, she started kicking at him.

“He was waving a license plate at me so I kicked at it and he cut me,” she explained. “That’s when he stabbed me. Then I stepped in some shit.”

“OK,” I said, nodding straight faced while jotting down notes in my Handy Dandy Notebook. “Tina? The plate came off your car, yes?”

“Yeah,” Tina said, still on her cell phone.

“Well, actually it’s his car.”

I paused. “So he took the license plate off his car, then you [pointing at Kendra] chased him, and when you started kicking at him, he held up the license plate?”

“Yeah.”

“OK. So, there was no stabbing. Tina?

Where does Raymond live?”

“Oh, here. But he’s moving. I want to press charges,” she said.

My partner walked up, and confirmed that Raymond was indeed out front and had a tub of clothes. I excused myself to search through them, and brought back a letter and pictures along with his ID. I paused to arrange the order, and asked Tina to listen (her phone still pressed to her ear).

“Is this the man?” I asked, showing her his ID. “Yeah. That him,” she said as she folded her arms and raised her chin for effect.

“OK…so, he’s moving out, you said. He comes in the back door with a key, takes clothes outside in a tub from the home he lives in, and then removes the license plate from the car he owns that he’s no longer letting you drive. These letters,” I said holding them up, “are to him and there are pictures of him. If these are your ol’ man’s, did he steal his mail and hide it in here… or are these possibly Raymond’s own clothes?”

Never letting the phone drop, she said, “Maybe.”

Raymond entered his own home, took his clothes out, and then removed the license plate from the car he had loaned his girlfriend so she wouldn’t keep driving it. For this, he was attacked by a third party who cut her foot while attacking him…and this was turned into a burglary and stabbing.

Being “bilingual” means more than speaking two languages; it also applies, in my mind, to being able to sort out bullshit and stupidity, which is the essence of being a cop.

As for Tina and Kendra? They weren’t satisfied, so a few hours down the road they did the next logical thing they could think of…they called a third and fourth cop since they didn’t like the response from the last two. And that is where I work. (Good luck with that, boys.)

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Music Feature

Giving You The Gist T

By Tara Morris-Viland

“We all know that Lupi’s has a flare for using local ingredients on all of their products and has been widely known to produce local talent from their staff. Doris should be proud.”

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his past week, I was sitting at Greenlife (Whole Foods, whatever), holding a baby named Alice, savoring a lunchtime beer, and discussing music. Little Alice, come to find out, was actually incubated by one of my past Chattanooga State professors (and wife to one of the men at the table). There was also a man at the table who did not touch or hold Alice, entertainingly enough out of fear of babies in general.

The music we were discussing was that of a fairly new jazz-reggae-rock fusion band in Chattanooga, The Gist. For me, this became another example of a perfect interview.

The Gist, who will soon be playing Rhythm & Brews, Barking Legs, and Big River’s Winter’s Nip tapping party, definitely reminded me of how small a world it is, since before this lunch, I knew none of them.

I am always entertained by the “real lives” of musicians and I think the history and dynamics of its members can really give an idea of who and what you will be hearing.

The Gist consists of four local men. All except one go by band pseudonyms. Of course, real names are changed to protect the

The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 45 | November 11, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

innocent, but I’m sure once you see them, the secret will be out. Hose Perfecto, Van Todd, Ampersand McVinegar, and (unpseudo’ed) Jeremy Matthews held their first show at Camp Jordan for the Williams Charity Walk and have been caught playing at Raw Sushi Bar. This line-up began in July of 2010 and singer and guitarist Ampersand has been out in the market selling the band like glasses to a blind man. With a househusband, an accountant, a massage therapist, and an original aroundtown metal dude, you can definitely see the range this band has.

Members Hose Perfecto and Ampersand are linked to our own hometown favorite, Lupi’s Pizza. We all know that Lupi’s has a flare for using local ingredients on all of their products and has been widely known to produce local talent from their staff. Doris should be proud.

Hose, with more than 20 years classically training on four string instruments, was also a DJ on The WAWL, as were I and many other members of the community. Ampersand, the self-taught preacher’s son, also attributed some of his musical influences to this station, as many of them were heard for the first time on that dial.

The boys told me they are most excited for their show at Rhythm & Brews on November 17. They are not only headlining, but get to play on the same stage that musicians such as Karl Denson, Drive-By Truckers, Ryan Adams, and Warren Zevon have graced. Opening that night will be Nigel Gibson, another local, someone whom Ampersand amped as having “…more soul then most people can deal with”.

Jeremy Matthews has been linked to such bands as Eyez Open and Ion Prophecy, a bit harder grunge and rock style than The Gist.

I’ve heard from some is that this band is a

change from his usual, but we all know change is good and welcomed. No musician should be linked to only one genre for life. Jeremy is the only band member not found through Craig’s List, as his friendship with Ampersand derives from the days of teen years and blowing shit up. Because of this, I may already love him.

Van Todd is another creature entirely.

Hose informed me that during auditions, Van was the one they loved—but felt was so good he would never call back. Well, he did.

Before coming to Chattanooga, Van lived in Chicago for six years, playing with a ton of groups and opening for bands such as Los Lobos, Hot Tuna, and Aquarium Rescue Unit. He then moved to Atlanta and played with a band named [golden] that opened for Robert Randolph and Big Head Todd. Now, in Chattanooga, he is excited to be part of The Gist, and if we are lucky he will bring his massage table for set breaks.

I look forward to seeing this band’s progression, as their music spans all ages and crowds. Though it may not save the world from damnation, another great band in Chattanooga to support means another excuse to jam, hang out, and most of all have fun with. That may save a personal world or two in itself.

The Gist plays: Rhythm & Brews (with Nigel Gibson) Wednesday, November 17 9:30 p.m.

Winter Nip Tapping Party Big River Grille Downtown Thursday, November 18 5:30 p.m.

Barking Legs Theater Friday, December 10 8:30 p.m.

New Music Reviews Marnie Stern Marnie Stern (Kill Rock Stars)

“The lyrics are a bit on the simplistic side, with plain statements, pining for a love interest who got away.”

By Ernie Paik

Marnie Stern is a refreshing anomaly in music—a woman who adopts the guitartapping style typically claimed by metalheads and Eddie Van Halen wannabes and manages to transcend the notion of onanistic showboating often associated with (throw horns now) extreme guitar shredding. With musical partner Zach Hill, drummer for the band Hella, Stern soars through charged, million-notes-a-second rock numbers with a bright intensity and an unstoppable momentum. Stern’s self-titled third album shows her a little more emotionally vulnerable than usual and is possibly her most personal album so far, explaining why she might have named it after herself. Still, the music carries her irrepressible attitude with a rush of notes, as if she’s working through her troubles by plowing through them.

The lyrics are a bit on the simplistic side, with plain statements, pining for a love interest who got away, so it’s best to let the music carry the mood and not pay too much attention to the words. Stern’s voice is distinctive— high, on the cute side, and not quite shrill but approaching that when dialing up the emotion—and it’s a suitable fit for tracks like “Nothing Left” with a wild singsongy approach.

Hill is one of a breed of ultra-tight, creatively jittery, constantly wandering drummers who frequently break out of patterns with explosive fills, without a shred of restraint; for reference, drummers from Deerhoof and Lightning Bolt also belong to this club.

The album is propulsive and solidly executed, bookended with tracks with their

Faust Faust Is Last (Klangbad) “There is no group more mythical than Faust,” is the oft-quoted statement about the legendary German band, written by Julian Cope in his book Krautrocksampler; the collective, which had an astounding run in the early-to-mid ’70s, put sound concepts ahead of individual personalities and proved to be one of the most adventurous and imaginative groups of its time, stretching

own peculiarities; the opener “For Ash” begins with a jog with hard-to-discern vocals before snowballing into a furious bundle. The closer, “The Things You Notice,” serves as a cooldown stage, being a drum-free coda with the album’s most prominent slice of optimism.

Stern’s latest is a stirring cluster and frenzy of shredding and insane drumming; although the cliché-ridden lyrics are directly linked to Stern’s emotions, the intense release of the music expresses such emotions better than the words could.

the confines of rock to include riveting sonic tapestries, unpredictable cut-up pieces, and song conventions run through a wringer.

It’s a band held dear to this writer, who—if pressed—would even rate it above similarly mind-blowing German contemporaries like NEU! and Can. Adding to the band’s mythology are its mysterious dissolution in the mid-’70s and reformation in the early ’90s, and today, one could describe it as some odd, two-headed beast that split apart into two creatures. To clarify, Faust now exists amicably as two separate entities with completely different lineups. Bassist Jean-Hervé Péron and drummer Werner “Zappi” Diermaier are the backbone of one incarnation, while Hans Joachim Irmler is the force behind the second, which is responsible for the new studio double-album Faust Is Last.

Although its cover art—an X-ray of a hand—echoes the cover of the first Faust album from 1971, it’s not a nostalgic retread, and its title vaguely signals the end for Irmler’s Faust (but not the other). Tracks like “Feed the Greed” may have elements that recall previous Faust methods, like the sweeping drones and basic, yet compelling beat patterns of “Munic/Yesterday,” but the sound is more amplified on Faust Is Last. “Hit Me” even evokes Pink Floyd’s “Interstellar Overdrive,” and the brief “Cluster für Cluster” is an ear-shredding blast of noise. There’s just a smattering of singing among the outbursts of disorder, like the clattering, metallic percussion of “Karneval.” It’s a stimulating, wonderfully messy, and at times aggressive album that continues where 1999’s Ravvivando left off, exploring the sharp, rock-edged side of the band. www.chattanoogapulse.com | November 11, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 45 | The Pulse

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Music Calendar Thursday Spotlight

Jill Andrews with David Dykes Andrews of the late, lamented the everybodyfields returns as a solo. $10 9 p.m.

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

Thursday Jimmy Harris 6:30 p.m. The Coconut Room at The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202.

(423) 499-5055. www.thepalmsathamilton.com Soul Survivor 9 p.m. The Lounge at The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202.

(423) 499-5055. www.thepalmsathamilton.com Jill Andrews of the everybodyfields with Dave Dykes 9 p.m. Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. (423) 267-4644. www.rhythm-brews.com Jack Corey 9 p.m. The Office, 901 Carter St. (inside Days Inn). facebook.com/theofficechatt Joe Buck, Goddamn Gallows, Racing Death, Husky Burnette 10 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400.

Find them on Facebook.

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The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 45 | November 11, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

Friday Spotlight

SOULEDOUT! Classic and Modern Soul with DJ K7 10 p.m. The Social (next to Public House), 1110 Market St., Ste. 101. publichousechattanooga.com

Friday Johnny Cash Tribute Band 5 p.m. Chattanooga Choo Choo Victorian Lounge, 1400 Market St. (423) 266-5000. www.choochoo.com Ben Friberg Trio 6 p.m. Table 2, 232 E. 11th St. (423) 756-8253. www.table2restaurant.com Jimmy Harris 6:30 p.m. The Coconut Room at The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202.

(423) 499-5055. www.thepalmsathamilton.com New Orleans Jazz Trio 7:30 p.m. Blue Orleans Creole Restaurant, 3208 Amnicola Hwy. (423) 629-6538. blueorleanscreolerestaurant.com

Richard Smith and Julie Adams 8 p.m. Charles & Myrtles Coffehouse, 105 McBrien Rd. (423) 892-4960.

Find them on Facebook.

Uncle Touchy, Killing Solves Everything, Late Night Rage, Worst Kept Secret, Blood Red Baby Blue 8 p.m. Ziggy’s Hideaway, 607 Cherokee Blvd.

(423) 756-4786. myspace.com/ziggyshideaway

Husky Burnette 8 p.m. Southside Saloon & Bistro, 1301 Chestnut St. (423) 757-4730. southsidesaloonandbistro.com Ben Friberg Trio 8:30 p.m. The Foundry, 1201 South Broad St. (423) 756-3400. www.chattanooganhotel.com DJ and Dancing 9 p.m. Spectators, 7804 E. Brainerd Rd. (423) 648- 6679.

Black Friday 9 p.m. Bart’s Lakeshore, 5600 Lakeshore Dr. (423) 870-0777. www.bartslakeshore.com JK & The Lost Boys 9 p.m. Raw Sushi Bar, 409 Market St. (423) 756-1919. www.myspace.com/jstriker Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe 9 p.m. Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. (423) 267-4644. www.rhythm-brews.com Divine Jazz 9 p.m. The Office, 901 Carter St. (inside Days Inn). facebook.com/theofficechatt Christabel and The Jons, Chooglin 10 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400.

Find them on Facebook.

Nathan Farrow 10 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar, 5751 Brainerd Rd. (423) 499-9878. www.budssportsbar.com The Brock Blues 10 p.m. T-Bones, 1419 Chestnut St. (423) 266-4240. www.tboneschattanooga.com

Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe Jazz meets funk meets hip hop. $15 9 p.m.

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

Saturday Johnny Cash Tribute Band 5 p.m. Chattanooga Choo Choo Victorian Lounge, 1400 Market St. (423) 266-5000.

Jimmy Harris 6:30 p.m. The Coconut Room at The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202.

(423) 499-5055.

Between Two Seas, Every Word A Prophecy, Failing The Fairest, Everybody Loves The Hero, Half Price Hero 7 p.m. The Warehouse, 5716 Ringgold Rd. myspace.com/warehousetn Lady Antebellum 8 p.m. Memorial Auditorium, 399 McCallie Ave. (423) 642-8497.

Stephanie Urbina Jones 8 p.m. Charles & Myrtles Coffehouse, 105 McBrien Rd. (423) 892-4960. www.christunity.org U.S. Pipe 8 p.m. Southside Saloon & Bistro, 1301 Chestnut St. (423) 757-4730. southsidesaloonandbistro.com

Music Calendar

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

Saturday Spotlight

The Howlies CD release party. And we do mean party. $7 10 p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK. Blvd.

(423) 266-1400.

Find JJ’s on Facebook.

Aliance 8 p.m. Las Margaritas, 1647 25th St. NE Cleveland, TN. (423) 614- 8855.

Bruce Greene & Don Pedi 8 p.m. Barking Legs, 1322 Dodds Avenue.

(423) 624-5347. www.barkinglegs.org Ben Friberg Trio 8:30 p.m. The Foundry, 1201 South Broad St. (423) 756-3400. www.chattanooganhotel.com Nic Cowan 9 p.m. Raw Sushi Bar, 409 Market St. (423) 756-1919. www.myspace.com/jstriker Jason Dooley 9 p.m. The Office, 901 Carter St. (inside Days Inn). facebook.com/theofficechatt Comfort Skate Shop’s 1-Year Anniversary 9 p.m. Discoteca, 304 E. Main St. Find them on Facebook.

Ashes and Ruins, Fallen Brethren, Life Curse 9 p.m. Ziggy’s Hideaway, 607 Cherokee Blvd.

(423) 756-4786. myspace.com/ziggyshideaway

Sunday Spotlight

Kyle McKillop and the Waybackwhens 9 p.m. Tremont Tavern, 1203 Hixson Pike. (423) 266-1996. www.tremonttavern.com The Howlies, The Mattoid 10 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400.

Downstroke 10 p.m. Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. (423) 267-4644. www.rhythm-brews.com

Sunday Open Mic w/Jeff Daniels 4 p.m. Ms. Debbie’s Nightlife Lounge 4762 Highway 58, (423) 485-0966. myspace.com/debbieslounge Pay the Reckoning (Irish session music) 6 p.m. Tremont Tavern, 1203 Hixson Pike. (423) 266-1996. www.tremonttavern.com Kevin Gordon 8 p.m. Charles & Myrtle’s Coffehouse, 105 McBrien Rd. (423) 892-4960. www.christunity.org Jeff Elliott Benefit 9 p.m. Raw Sushi Bar, 409 Market St. (423) 756-1919. www.myspace.com/jstriker DJ and Dancing 9 p.m. Bart’s Lakeshore, 5600 Lakeshore Dr. (423) 870-0777.

Monday Old Tyme Players 6 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260.

www.marketstreettavern.com Big Band Night 8 p.m. The Coconut Room at The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202.

(423) 499-5055. www.thepalmsathamilton.com DJ and Dancing 8 p.m. Bart’s Lakeshore, 5600 Lakeshore Dr. (423) 870-0777. www.bartslakeshore.com Karaoke with DJ Stoli 9:30 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar, 5751 Brainerd Rd. (423) 499-9878. www.budssportsbar.com

Tuesday Ben Friberg Trio 6:30 p.m. Table 2, 232 E. 11th St. (423) 756-8253. www.table2restaurant.com Lightning Billy Hopkins 8 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260. www.marketstreettavern.com Open Mic with Mike McDade 9 p.m. Tremont Tavern, 1203 Hixson Pike. (423) 266-1996. www.tremonttavern.com Tim and Reece 9 p.m. Bart’s Lakeshore, 5600 Lakeshore Dr. (423) 870-0777. www.bartslakeshore.com

Wednesday Jimmy Harris 6:30 p.m. The Coconut Room at The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202.

(423) 499-5055.

Music at The Market Jeff Miller and Nicole Witt play during Kickin’ Chickin’ Day. Free 11 a.m, - 4 p.m.

Chattanooga Market, First Tennessee Pavilion, 1826 Carter St. (423) 266-4041. www.chattanoogamarket.com

Ben Friberg Trio 7 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260. www.marketstreettavern.com Johnny B. and Friends 8 p.m. Bourbon Street Music Bar, 2000 E. 23rd St. (423) 826-1985.

Mike Willis 9 p.m. Tremont Tavern, 1203 Hixson Pike. (423) 266-1996. www.tremonttavern.com Dave Kennedy 9 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar, 5751 Brainerd Rd. (423) 499-9878. www.budssportsbar.com Johnston Brown 9 p.m. The Lounge at The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202.

(423) 499-5055. www.thepalmsathamilton.com The Gist with Nigel Gibson 9:30 p.m. Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. (423) 2674644. www.rhythm-brews.com Open Mic with Mark Holder 10 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400.

Find them on Facebook.

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The Pulse • Dining Out Spotlight

Pizza ChaCha Spices Up UTC Campus Review by D. E. Langley • Photography by Blake Hampton

If you drive McCallie Avenue on a regular basis, you will have noticed the recent opening of Pizza ChaCha. The restaurant is the brainchild of partners Jimmy Taylor and David McDonald. Open near the UTC campus for a little more than a month now, Pizza ChaCha is serving up its own brand of pizza— with an attitude all its own.

Walking in, the first thing one notices is the decor. Designed by local artist Terry Cannon (of Loose Cannon on Rossville Avenue), the interior features bright colors and organic shapes, exuding a laid-back vibe that is matched by the music playing in the background.

Corkboards on the wall students. “We’re not picky—we host doodles and messages created want everybody! Local businesses by past customers. As Jimmy have already started discovering Taylor (who also serves as general our lunches. We have quick cook manager) put it, “We were going times and plenty of parking, so for a fun, funky feel. The space is folks coming from downtown can practical, but youthful.”

That youthful feel serves the space get back to work on time.” ChaCha well. With Wi-Fi available throughout also serves beer, for those looking to unwind as well as grab a bite before the building, it makes a great study heading home after a long day of spot for UTC students looking to grab a quick bite. Pizza ChaCha adds work.

So you’re surely wondering by this to the appeal by offering special point: What does the “ChaCha” in discounts to UTC students and faculty. the name mean? It’s the name of However, Taylor was quick to point their signature dish, a pizza with out, the restaurant is not just for a salad in center! Available with 24 The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 45 | November 11, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

any toppings and either a house or Caesar salad, they’re ideal for groups of students, and one is the perfect size for a couple to split.

When I visited, the lunch special, a two-topping ChaCha and a drink for $10 dollars, was running, so that’s what I settled on. My pepperoniand-black-olive pie came served on a wooden pizza board, with the tossed Caesar salad standing in the center, topped with parmesan cheese. As with all their pizzas, a sprig of fresh basil was placed on the corner of the board. After finishing off my salad, I topped my

The Pulse • Dining Out Spotlight pie with torn basil, and then tore into it. The crust was thin, but not cracker-thin or crispy. A light layer of savory sauce was hidden under a layer of slightly browned and bubbly cheese.

In making a good match for a salad, the pie wasn’t greasy or heavy. I decided it really would be ideal to share as a business lunch.

Pizza ChaCha also offers appetizers as well as sandwiches for those looking for something besides pizza, and specials vary from day to day. As Taylor related, “We’re kind of stirring the pot as far as specials go right now. Just ask!”

That mindset exists in the kitchen as well. Kitchen manager Dan Brennan, or, as Taylor calls him, “The Mad Scientist,” is still tinkering in the kitchen, constantly mixing and matching in an attempt to arrive at the perfect pie. Feedback of all sorts is greatly appreciated,

Taylor told me. “We’re always evolving. We really just want to give people what they want when they come in.”

Pretty soon, customers will have more to give feedback on than just the pizzas. The other side of the McCallie Avenue space will open in the next month as Jitterz coffee shop. It’s a pretty unique concept, and one well suited to the atmosphere that exists in the building.

Pizza ChaCha already has the makings of becoming a campus hotspot, and adding coffee (also known as “fuel” to 95 percent of college students) can only be a step further in that direction. With that being said, though, Pizza ChaCha is not just a place for the young. The young at heart will feel right at home as well.

Pizza ChaCha, 863 McCallie Avenue. Open Monday Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Call (423) 468-3205.

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Arts & Entertainment

By Michael Crumb

Charlie Newton’s Visions of Paradise C

hattanoogans ought to be very proud of Charlie Newton. His retrospective show, now at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center, includes three dozen pieces representing 30 years of his work.

This show runs through December 2.

Newton has been a professional artist since he was 22, after beginning to create art as a young boy. He cites De Kooning and Van Gogh as important influences in his work.

An especially important influence for him has been Henry Ossamor Tanner, an expatriate African American artist in Paris during the Jazz Age. Newton believes that paint gives him “a platform to be heard and to connect with people,” and he hopes that people will be pleased with his work. I wonder how many people in Chattanooga realize how accomplished an artist Newton really has become. His work is included in the Hunter Museum’s collection, and he has shown up and down the East Coast.

His paintings continuously astonish and inspire. He seeks to render African American spiritual states, and uses very sophisticated techniques, combined with a precise vision, in creating paintings charged with such depth of meaning that each one becomes an engrossing experience.

With more than 30 pieces on display, this exhibit requires the viewer to spend significant time absorbing the work.

Newton’s work combines complex techniques to portray visions of distinct African American perspective, sometimes Biblical, sometimes not, with deep sensitivity and humor.

These techniques demonstrate an n affinity with the aesthetic demands of contemporary painting. Although some of his works achieve their effects by the relatively direct

medium of oil on canvas, many more of his paintings combine various media.

In the first place, it is unusual to find acrylic and oil mixed, and many of his works mix these two. In addition, Newton employs glass, ceramics, plastic and organic materials to telling effect. Many of his paintings use impasto, painstakingly applied. His brush strokes show precision; his use of color involves a broad spectrum, often within a single painting. Overall tone and composition are impeccable.

This artist’s techniques also sustain his concepts in interesting ways. A number of his paintings include smaller, inset paintings, with powerful effect. Most of his works include what he calls “African chips.” These are geometric constructions that are sometimes painted, sometimes constructed with paper, and that are meant to encode aspects of the paintings.

Newton says these represent “condensed archetypes, sometimes historical, sometimes personal, but always universal in nature.”

His encoding of spiritual states is laudable. In older cultures, particularly in Asia, this sort of coding has been used for a long time.

We should also be reminded that African culture is quite old. In our Western culture, even the validity of dreams remains controversial. Newton has a painting called “Dream”, suffused with light and populated by a number of figures. The sense of universality in this work is inescapable. Spiritual visions are likely panracial, but we come to them from our individual perspective.

“Newton’s work combines complex techniques to portray visions of distinct African American perspective, sometimes Biblical, sometimes not, with deep sensitivity and humor.”

Newton presents “Adam’s View” and “Adam’s View II” as Edenic visions. The dynamism of paradisal splendor leaps off the canvas. By way of comparison, some of John Milton’s best poetry in Paradise Lost describes Adam’s view of Eden. The sense of ecstasy in Newton’s work weaves conception and technique into superlative aesthetic experience.

Spiritual expression in painting remains part of the Expressionist realm, and a good deal of Newton’s technique is also Expressionist. The presentation of archetypes engages the higher aspects of surrealism. Newton’s work encounters significant aspects of our existence with clarity, joy and humor. We are honored with the presence of his work.

Charlie Newton Retrospective Through December 2 $7 admission Bessie Smith Cultural Center, 200 E. MLK Blvd.

(423) 266-8658.

Show reception Tuesday, November 16, 5:30 p.m. $7 for nonmembers

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A&E Calendar Highlights Friday

Thursday

Moose on the Loose Art Show Woodworker /artist Phil Wallis’s show (runs through November 13).

Free 2 p.m.

The Camphouse, 1427 Williams St. (423) 437-6687. www.missionchattanooga.org

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

“Battle Ready Women” Luncheon 11:45 a.m. Chattanooga Choo Choo, 1400 Market St. (423) 622-5768. www.prisonprevention.org Mesrine: Killer Instinct 3:15, 5:55, 8:40 p.m. Majestic 12, 311 Broad St. www.carmike.com Hands on Hunter: Quilting Traditions 6 p.m. Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View.

(423) 266-0944. www.huntermuseum.org Junior League of Chattanooga Meet and Greet 6 p.m. Cosmetic Market, Warehouse Row at 1110 Market St. (423) 267-5053. www.jlchatt.org Peter Pan 7 p.m. Chattanooga Christian High School Fine Arts Center, 3354 Charger Dr. (423) 265-6411. www.ccsk12.com Dale Jones 8 p.m. The Comedy Catch, 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233. www.thecomedycatch.com

Machinal American Expressionist play based on a real murder mystery. $12 7:30 p.m.

Dorothy Hackett Ward Theatre, UTC Fine Arts Center, Vine & Palmetto Sts. Chattanooga Theatre Centre, Circle Stage, 400 River St. (423) 425-4269.

Saturday

Merry ARTmas Art party and sale at the Art Mill.

5 – 10 p.m.

Rivoli Art Mill, 2301 E. 28th St. (423) 883-7825. www.rivoliartmill.com

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Friday Morning Art Therapy Group 10 a.m. Rivoli Art Mill, 2301 East 28th St. (423) 322-2514. www.jasmilam.com “Moose on the Loose” Art Show 2 p.m. The Camphouse, 1427 Williams St. (423) 432-6687.

24th Annual Ballet Tennessee Gala 6:30 p.m. Sheraton Read House, 827 Broad St. (423) 821-2055.

Ultimate Wave Tahiti 3D 7, 9 p.m. IMAX Theater at the Tennessee Aquarium, 1 Broad St. (800) 265-0695. www.tnaqua.org Peter Pan 7 p.m. Chattanooga Christian High School Fine Arts Center, 3354 Charger Dr. (423) 265-6411. www.ccsk12.com The Drowsy Chaperone 7:30 p.m. Chattanooga State, 4501 Amnicola Hwy. (423) 697-3113.

Almost, Maine 7:30 p.m. Lee University, 1120 North Ocoee St. (423) 614-8343. www.leeuniversity.edu/theater

A Little Bit of Country & Rockn-Roll 7:30 p.m. Chattanooga Choo Choo, 1400 Market St. (423) 266-5000. www.choochoo.com Chattanooga Ghost Tour 7:30 p.m. Walnut Street Bridge, 1 Walnut St. (423) 821-7125. www. chattanoogaghosttours.com Dale Jones 7:30, 10 p.m. The Comedy Catch, 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233. www.thecomedycatch.com Manifest 8 p.m. The Camphouse, 1427 Williams St. Amahl and the Night Visitors 8 p.m. Tivoli Theatre, 709 Broad St. (423) 757-5050. www.chattanooga.gov Hubble 3D 8 p.m. IMAX Theater at the Tennessee Aquarium, 1 Broad St. (800) 265-0695. www.tnaqua.org Female Impersonation Show Midnight. Images, 6065 Lee Hwy. (423) 855-8210. www.imagesbar.com

Sunday Community Family Fun, Health & Fitness Expo 10 a.m. Chattanooga Sports Academy, 6225 Vance Rd. (423) 702-5373.

Furry Tails…With a Twist 11 a.m., 1 p.m. St. Andrews Center Theatre, 1918 Union Ave. (423) 987-5141.

“Moose on the Loose” Art Show 11 a.m. The Camphouse, 1427 Williams St. (423) 432-6687.

Mosaic Market 11 a.m. 412 Market St. (corner of 4th/Market). (423) 624-3915 Art Til Dark Noon. Northshore, Frazier Ave. (423) 413-8999. arttildark.wordpress.com Spectrum Gala and Auction 2010 6 p.m. Hunter Museum of Art, 10 Bluff View. (423) 266-0944. www.huntermuseum.org Ultimate Wave Tahiti 3D 7, 9 p.m. IMAX Theater at the Tennessee Aquarium, 1 Broad St. (800) 265-0695.

Peter Pan 7 p.m. Chattanooga Christian High

The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 45 | November 11, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

School Fine Arts Center, 3354 Charger Dr. (423) 265-6411. www.ccsk12.com Machinal 7:30 p.m. UTC Fine Arts Center Dorothy Hackett Ward Theatre, Corner of Vine and Palmetto St. (423) 425-4269. www.utc.edu/music Almost, Maine 7:30 p.m. Lee University, 1120 North Ocoee St. (423) 614-8343. www.leeuniversity.edu/theater A Little Bit of Country & Rockn-Roll 7:30 p.m. Chattanooga Choo Choo, 1400 Market St. (423) 266-5000. www.choochoo.com Dale Jones 7:30, 10 p.m. The Comedy Catch, 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233. w ww.thecomedycatch.com Lady Antebellum in Concert 8 p.m. Memorial Auditorium, 399 McCallie Ave. (423) 757-5156. www.chattanooga.gov Female Impersonation Show Midnight. Images, 6065 Lee Hwy. (423) 855-8210.

Center for Creative Arts Jazz Cafe Vocalist Rhonda Catanzano, musicians Dexter Bell and Mike Salter among those performing. $15 3 p.m.

North River Civic Center, 1009 Executive Drive, Ste. 102, (423) 209-5937. www.centerforcreativearts.net

Chattanooga Market 11 a.m. First Tennessee Pavilion, 1826 Carter St. (423) 266-4041. www.chattanoogamarket.com Almost, Maine 2 p.m. Lee University, 1120 North Ocoee St. (423) 614-8343. www.leeuniversity.edu/theater 4th Annual Harvest Hymn Festival 3 p.m. Memorial Auditorium, 399 McCallie Ave. (423) 757-5156. www.chattanooga.gov Community Ensemble Performance 3 p.m. UTC Fine Arts Center Roland Hayes Hall, 725 Vine St. (423) 425-4601.

Beautillion IX: The Making of a Gentleman 6 p.m. Chattanooga Convention Center, 1150 Carter St. (423) 698-2611.

Symphony Orchestra Concert 7:30 p.m. Collegedale Church of Seventh-day Adventists, 4829 College Dr. E. (423) 396-2134.

Dale Jones 8 p.m. The Comedy Catch, 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233.

A&E Calendar Highlights Monday 20th American Trails National Symposium 7 a.m. Chattanooga Convention Center, 1150 Carter St. (423) 756-0001 Speak Easy: Spoken Word and Poetry 8 p.m. The Office, 901 Carter St. www.facebook.com/theofficechatt “Flavors of Tuscany” by Cam Busch North River Civic Center, 1009 Executive Dr. Ste. 102.

(423) 870-8924.

“Platters” Jewish Cultural Center, 5461 N. Terrace Rd. (423) 493-0270. www.jewishchatt.com Charlie Newton: A Retrospective Exhibition Bessie Smith Cultural Center, 200 E. Martin Luther King Blvd.

(423) 266-8658. www.bessiesmithcc.org “Women’s Work” Bill Shores Frame and Gallery, 307 Manufacturers Rd. (423) 756-6746. www.billshoresframes.com

Tuesday 20th American Trails National Symposium 7 a.m. Chattanooga Convention Center, 1150 Carter St. (423) 756-0001 Flicks Café: 2046 6 p.m. Chattanooga-Hamilton County Bicentennial Library, 1001 Broad St. (423) 757-5310. www.lib.chattanooga.gov "Will This Float?" Entrepreneurs Discussion 6:30 p.m. The Camphouse, 1427 Williams St. Anthony Zerbe: It's All Done With Mirrors 8 p.m., UTC Fine Arts Center, Vine & Palmetto St., (423) 425-4269.

Scott Hill Exhibition River Gallery, 400 E. 2nd St. (423) 265-5033. www.river-gallery.com “Color Zone” Reflections Gallery, 6922 Lee Hwy. www.reflectionsgallerytn.com “Waterworks: Autumn 2010” Planet Altered, 48 E. Main St. (423) 400-4100.

Wednesday 20th American Trails National Symposium 7 a.m. Chattanooga Convention Center, 1150 Carter St. (423) 756-0001 Main Street Farmers Market 4 p.m. Main St. at Williams St. www.mainstfarmersmarket.com Machinal 7:30 p.m. UTC Fine Arts Center Dorothy Hackett Ward Theatre, Corner of Vine and Palmetto St. (423) 425-4269. www.utc.edu/music Scott Hill Exhibition River Gallery, 400 E. 2nd St. (423) 265-5033. www.river-gallery.com “Color Zone” Reflections Gallery, 6922 Lee Hwy. www.reflectionsgallerytn.com “Waterworks: Autumn 2010” Planet Altered, 48 E. Main St. (423) 400-4100.

“After Disappearance” Sewanee University Art Gallery, 68 Georgia Ave. www.sewanee.edu/gallery

Editor’s Pick: Featured Event Of The Week

Amahl and the Night Visitors Holiday opera performed as collaboration among the CSO, the CTC and the Chattanooga Ballet. $19 - $79 8 p.m.

Friday, November 12 Tivoli Theatre, 709 Broad St. (423) 267-8583. www.chattanoogasymphony.org

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Life in the Noog

By Chuck Crowder

Keef J

“He’s supposed to still be snorting coke off some hooker’s stomach and washing it down with straight vodka and a needle full of heroin before passing out in a limo.”

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 at www.thenoog.com

ust recently my favorite show on television, CBS Sunday Morning, did a piece on one of my long-time idols Keith Richards. The report unveiled for the millionth time that “Keef ”—as he’s known to his fans—is a true survivor and half of Jagger/Richards, one of the most successful songwriting duos in history.

Helping him plug his new autobiography Life, which just recently hit the shelves, the show’s producers must have thought it an alternative view of this legendary bad boy to show him at his comfy spread in, not bustling New York City, but sleepy Connecticut (where the REAL housewives live).

And why not? He’s 66 now, happily married to former model Patti Hansen for nearly 30 years and the father of two beautiful daughters (with her) and a couple more from past love Anita Pallenberg, all of whom enjoy a pile of money that none of them will ever be able to spend. But seeing my boy in that setting flies in the face of the mystique that drew me, and nearly every other fan, to him in the first place.

Keith isn’t supposed to be tending to lemon trees in his back yard. He’s supposed to still be snorting coke off some hooker’s stomach and washing it down with straight vodka and a needle full of heroin before passing out in a limo on the way to play the super-mega hippodrome stadium to 80,000 screaming fans. He’s not supposed to know how to grow lemons, just weed—killer

weed.

The televised piece, and I’m sure the book, details how there are in fact two Keith Richards. There’s the “elegantly wasted” bad-boy rocker who smokes cigs and drugs like it’s his job, and then there’s the homebody Keith who can’t fathom why Mick prefers to socialize with the jet set rather than stay home practicing his snooker game. Although self-proclaimed to be “clean” (from hard drugs at least) for the past 20 years, Richards still enjoys the vices he calls “the precious few,” which I can only imagine include weed, whiskey, women and of course, lemonade.

Yes, despite what you think you may know about Keef, he’s apparently just a shell of his reputed persona in “real life.”

Like the cockroach—the only other living thing reported to stand the chance of nuclear fallout besides Richards—he’s first and foremost a survivor. And although I have mixed feelings about how I should still regard the bad-ass rock god I’ve always held high on a pedestal, his lifestyle now makes me respect him for a whole new set of reasons.

Maybe it’s his unusually tolerant and resilient constitution that has kept him from falling victim like the many around him who never made it off the ride—such as Brian Jones and Gram Parsons—or maybe it’s just that he knew when it was okay to push the limits, and when it was cool not to risk the speeding ticket. But whatever the reason he’s still around, he’s certainly been smart enough to have

outlived his anticipated expiration date.

I wouldn’t go as far as to say he’s outlived his usefulness, though. Sure, there will never be the same decade-long string of riffs that produced the likes of “Satisfaction,” “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” “Sympathy for the Devil,” “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” and “Honky Tonk Women.” And, there’ll never be another decade after that one, which spawned classics like “Brown Sugar,” “Tumbling Dice,” “It’s Only Rock n’ Roll,” “Miss You,” “Beast of Burden” and “Start Me Up.” In fact, since Mick n’ Keith decided to turn beautifully sloppy rock into a Vegas show back in ’89, there’ll never ever quite be the same Rolling Stones again. But I’m okay with that.

Just like it’s perceivably cool to mess up your hair, chain smoke, stumble around in a daze, slur whatever words you may be trying to put together, do as many drugs as you want, play five-string guitars with screwed-up tunings and have casual sex you can’t remember with supermodels, it’s also okay to live to tell about it.

I miss Gram Parsons and wonder what he might have achieved had he stuck around.

I worry about Ronnie Wood, cause I think he’s spent a good part of his life trying to live up to Keith’s lead. I think Mick Jagger will live to be 100. And I can’t fathom the day that I open up the paper (if they’re still printing newspapers by then) and see Keith Richards’ obit. But that thought makes me “happy, baby won’t you keep me, happy, baby please keep me” satisfied.

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Film Feature

By Phillip Johnston

Top of the World, Ma Mere J

ean-François Richet’s Mesrine saga is a thing of beauty, not in the traditional sense—it is, after all, a violent saga about a legendary French gangster— but in terms of scope, structure, and sensation.

Killer Instinct, the first film of two, was a sweeping introduction to a gangster gaining confidence in his own abilities. Public Enemy #1 (the second part and this week’s selection in The Arts and Education Council’s Independent Film Series) is a travelogue through the second half of Jacques Mesrine’s subversive, violent, and covert career and it continues with precision the story that began in Killer Instinct—though you won’t be confused if you walk into Public Enemy #1 having not seen its predecessor.

The police are on Jacques Mesrine’s tail. An inspector named Broussard (Olivier Gourmet) has made Mesrine his personal project after seeing the meticulous nature of the gangster’s first prison escape. Mesrine has become the object of Broussard’s obsession and that obsession shows itself in endless attempts to bring the gangster to justice.

And try he does, but Mesrine, a media favorite, always slips through Broussard’s fingers and sometimes even through the prison walls. Exploits like this please the media—they make for a great story— and Mesrine, though characteristically violent and cruel in private, has won the wide-eyed appeal of the public.

While in court, Mesrine (played to perfection by Vincent Cassel) gives a rousing account of his actions that leaves the jury in stitches, prompting a judge to rise from his seat and scream, “He has forged the image of a nice man!”

With what most would see as finality, Mesrine lands himself in La Santé Prison, the most highly secured prison facility in France. When he isn’t writing his autobiography,

L’Instinct de mort, he is plotting escape with François Besse (Mathieu Amalric), an equally adept partner he meets on the prison yard. They bribe some guards, arrange for some firearms, and the rest is the evening’s news.

The two flee to a high-rise apartment to hide out and plot their next move. We see Besse alone in the apartment, mulling over the situation with characteristic seriousness, the television playing a muted newscast in the background. Soon, Mesrine bursts in the door with a girl on each arm, swooning about the prospect of an afternoon of restored pleasure.

Besse is furious. No sooner do the girls close in on either side of him but he stands up and storms to the other side of the apartment. Standing behind a glass partition, Besse chides Mesrine, saying that his actions will make them have to change locations.

Simultaneously, the girls are in the living room watching a newscast that reveals Mesrine as “Public Enemy #1”. They are caught off guard, but are soon calmed by Mesrine’s signature charm after Besse leaves the apartment in harried frustration.

This is one of many remarkable scenes in Public Enemy #1, elegantly set up and executed by Richet. To an even larger extent than in Killer Instinct, Richet keeps his finger on the emotional pulse of many different characters simultaneously, gauging their moods, and balancing a panoply of pathos equally in any given scene. We feel Mesrine’s sexual angst, Besse’s irritation, and the girls’ momentary fear all in the same moment, leaving us helpless to decide whom to side with.

This is something rare in movies.

Despite his public charisma and a painstakingly crafted

“Public Enemy #1 is a travelogue through the second half of Jacques Mesrine’s subversive, violent, and covert career and it continues with precision the story that began in Killer Instinct.”

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image, Mesrine’s pride flares to such a degree that he begins to exploit his own image. “You’re a spinning top,” Besse tells him, “and the worst thing is that you don’t know it.”

If misrepresented by the media, Mesrine would write to national newspapers with corrections. At one point, Mesrine tracks down a reporter who wrote an exposé against him and tortures the man to near-death in a candlelit cave, a scene that hearkens back to brutality Mesrine himself witnessed while stationed in Algeria during the war. His action toward the reporter is just one of many careless, self-destructive acts that lead him to a death hardly classifiable as a blaze of glory.

If you’ve seen Killer Instinct, you’ll begin to feel pangs of recognition by the time the final sequence of Public Enemy #1 rolls around. This is Jacques’ last act and Richet’s direction approaches it like a carefully plotted passion play. The mysterious first scene of Killer Instinct, we discover, is the long-expected final scene of Public Enemy #1, a 20-minute wad of rigidly bound tension that, like most of this saga, will leave you breathless even after the screen cuts to black.

Mesrine: Public Enemy #1 Directed byJean-François Richet Starring Vincent Cassel, Mathieu Amalric, Olivier Gourmet Rated R Running time: 133 minutes

New In Theaters Unstoppable With an unmanned, half-mile-long freight train barreling toward a city, a veteran engineer and a young conductor race against the clock to prevent a catastrophe. Just a year after Tony Scott and Denzel Washington teamed up for a subway movie in The Taking Of Pelham 1 2 3, the two have rejoined for another train movie, albeit one that features much higher stakes and doesn’t star John Travolta. Instead, Washington teams up with Captain Kirk—er— Christopher Pine and the always combustible Rosario Dawson for an action flick that seems to be more of a summer movie than a fall film. What is interesting is that Washington actually walked away from the project early on when the budget was cut back, but eventually returned at a much lower price than his normal $20 million fee. Considering that Scott is a master of old-fashioned stunt work and action sequences, one would hope Washington made the right choice. And as for Pine, taking roles that play up his hero image while avoiding suffering from the Star Trek typecasting trap is a good career move.

Starring Denzel Washington, Chris Pine, Rosario Dawson Directed by Tony Scott

Morning Glory An upstart television producer accepts the challenge of reviving a struggling morning show program with warring co-hosts. The unlikely behind-the-camera pairing of art-film director Roger Michell and uber-producer J.J. Abrams results in a film that could go either way at the box office. Taking well-established stars such as Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton and teaming them up with up-and-coming actors like Rachel McAdams and rapper 50 Cent, not to mention the always odd but entertaining presence of Jeff Goldblum, has a lot of promise. However, neither Ford nor Keaton have been exactly box-office gold for a while now, and McAdams is still feeling her way to leading actor status. Still, early reviews say the chemistry between all the actors is top notch, and Abrams generally finds a way to bring success out of nearly every project he’s involved with, be it Star Trek on the big screen or Lost on the small screen.

Starring Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton Directed by Roger Michell

Skyline An extraterrestrial force descends upon Los Angeles, using strange lights to draw people into its deadly plan. The tech geniuses behind films such as 300, Avatar, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button step up to the forefront

with a science-fiction action thriller of their own. While early screenings had audience members excited about the visuals—and with the gifted people behind the scenes, this is the least of the studio’s worries—questions still remain if the plot, one of the oldest in the science-fiction genre, will hold audiences who are more accustomed to heavier fare in the colder months. It is a good sign, though, that the distributor of Skyline deliberately chose a November release date for the film, stating that the movie’s storyline would surprise audiences who might come in to the theater expecting a basic B-movie sci-fi shoot-em-up.

Starring Eric Balfour, Donald Faison Directed by Colin Strause and Greg Strause

Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer An in-depth look at the rise and fall of New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, including interviews with the scandal-dogged former politician. The one-time governor of New York, who was being touted by many as a potential presidential candidate in the near future, was brought down by one of the oldest of political scandals—sex. Yet, somehow, the wily Spitzer recast himself as a cable-news personality, all of which makes for a fascinating story of politics and media celebrityhood.

Oscar-winning documentarian Alex Gibney makes excellent use of the salacious material and fashions a tight film around the rise, fall and rebirth of a modern American politico.

Do not be surprised to see Gibney adding another golden statue to his collection.

Directed by Alex Gibney

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Riley's Spirits Within Turkey and Gewürz

By Joshua Hurley With Thanksgiving fast approaching, you’ve probably begun to think about your Thanksgiving meal. Well, now is the perfect time to start planning your dinner menu and selecting the appropriate wines. Don’t sweat it—Riley’s has you covered, offering turkey’s perfect pairing wine, gewürztraminer, as November’s first Great Buy. With Great Buys, Riley’s Wine and Spirits on Hixson Pike in Hixson picks something special from Chattanooga’s number-one selection of wine and spirits from around the globe and then shares them with the readership of The Pulse.

Gewürztraminer, a white grape, has grown in Italy and France for more than 1,000 years. It is thought to have originated in the northern Italian village of Tramin where it’s called by its original name, “traminier”. Gewürztraminer also grows in Alsace, a French wine region close to the German border. The grape is also cultivated in Austria, Hungary, Germany and the United States. Because the white grape grows better in colder climates, it doesn’t grow well in the warmer parts of California’s growing regions, doing best in Carneros, Anderson Valley and Monterey County. Excellent gewürztraminer also grows in parts of Oregon and Washington State.

It’s believed the Germans changed traminier’s name to gewürztraminer because of the grape’s characteristics. “Gewurz” in German means “spice”, and that’s the perfect word to describe this grape’s flavors and aromas of cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Gewürztraminer’s spice and aromatic gusto pair well with turkey, dressing and its usual side dishes, such as sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce. It’s really incredible; gewürztraminer can pair with the entire meal from appetizer to dessert, bringing out the best of

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both.

This month, Riley’s offers several different gewürztraminers to accompany your Thanksgiving feast: • Fetzer Gewürztraminer: This offering from trusted Fetzer is made from grapes grown in Monterey County and Carneros, both excellent California growing areas, and offers flavors and aromas of apricots and peaches.

• Blackstone Gewürztraminer: Monterey County somewhat doubles as France’s Alsace growing region climate-wise, allowing Blackstone to produce an exceptional gewürztraminer that contains the usual flavors of nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon along with distinct hints of tea leaves and rose petals added in for good measure.

• Chateau St. Jean Gewürztraminer: From grapes grown in Sonoma County, “CSJ” has produced a crisper version of “gewurz” that offers refreshing flavors of lychee fruit, spice and honeysuckle.

• Chateau St. Michelle Gewürztraminer: Washington State has the perfect climate for cultivating good gewürztraminer and CSM Gewurz is no exception, offering a smooth, silky wine with flavors of spice, citrus, orange and grapefruit.

• Saint Christopher Gewürztraminer: This German Rheinhessen gewürztraminer offers intense lime, apple, spice and syrup flavors.

• Hugel Alsace Gewürztraminer: This is a French Alsace gewürztraminer that’s somewhat more sophisticated than the other predecessors. This one is as dry as “gewurz” can be, with aromas of mango and yellow rose petals, followed by flavors of white fruit, brown spice and nutmeg. If you seek the very best gewürztraminer for your table, then this is it.

Chattanooga Street Scenes

Photography by Louis Lee A unique look at the Market Street Bridge.

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Free Will Astrology SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “I cannot seem to feel alive unless I am alert,” wrote author Charles Bowden, “and I cannot feel alert unless I push past the point where I have control.” Yikes! That’s a pretty extreme approach. But I suggest that you consider trying it out in the coming week. If you hope to seize even one of the multiple opportunities that are swirling in your vicinity, you will need both supreme focus and a loosey-goosey willingness to respond to novelty.

So don’t tense up and blank out and try to wrestle the mysterious flows into submission. Use your sixth sense to find the groove, and relax into it.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “Democracy is the worst form of government except for all those others that have been tried,” said Winston Churchill. He was defending his favorite political system, asserting that its imperfections are superior to the flaws of monarchy, plutocracy, anarchy, theocracy, and the rest. I invite you to use a similar gauge as you evaluate the belief system that’s at the center of your life. Does it sometimes lead you astray, cause you to see things that aren’t really there, and fill you with confusion— but in ways that are more life-enhancing than any other belief system you know of? Or is your belief system actually kind of toxic? Should you consider replacing it with another set of organizing principles?

If it’s the latter, now would be a good time to begin making a change.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Connie Post, my beloved former editor at the Dayton Daily News, sent me a haiku-like poem that I’d like you to ponder: “November trees / which are living? / which are dead?” I’m hoping this will put you in the mood to mull over an even bigger question, namely: What parts of your own life are withering and what parts are thriving? In my astrological opinion, it’s very important that you know the difference, and act accordingly.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Numerologists say the number 10 signifies completion, wholeness, totality.

It could rightly serve as your lucky number in the coming weeks—a symbol of your power to draw long-term processes to a climax on your own terms.

But you might also want to consider using 11 as your emblem of good mojo. That number denotes the drive to surpass the success you’ve earned before—to transcend easy triumphs and conventional wisdom so as to reach for a more challenging conquest. Either way, Aquarius, I think you’ll be flying high for the foreseeable future, so there’s no need to worry about which way you should go. If you do choose 11, the risks will be somewhat greater and the rewards more interesting.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): In Moby Dick, Herman Melville suggested that ideally a person should be a “patriot to heaven.” Poet Gary Snyder wrote, “I pledge allegiance to the soil / one ecosystem / in diversity / under the sun / with joyful interpenetration for all.”

Seminal environmentalist Edward Abbey said, “My loyalties will not be bound by national borders…or limited in the spiritual dimension by one language or culture. I pledge my allegiance to the damned human race, and my everlasting love to the green hills of Earth, and my intimations of glory to the singing stars, to the very end of space and time.” I recommend you experiment with this perspective in the coming weeks, Pisces. You don’t have to tone down your love for your tribe or country. Just see if you can expand your sense of belonging…extend the borders of your comfort zone…and feel at home everywhere you go.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Where I live, 35 percent of all high school students confess (or brag) that they have engaged in binge drinking, which is defined as imbibing five or more alcoholic drinks in a two-hour period. According to my reading of the omens, your inner teenager may soon be longing to flirt with that kind of intense and total release. Can I talk him or her out of it? As much as I sympathize with the younger

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The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 45 | November 11, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

By Rob Brezsny Truthrooster@gmail.com you's, you need to escape the numbing effects of the daily grind, I’m asking the adult you to step in and assert your authority. Try to find a more constructive approach to liberation.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Why did feathered dinosaurs evolve wings? Paleontologists in Britain have a new theory: It added to their sexual allure.

The head researcher at the University of Manchester speculated that “maybe they ran around with their arms outstretched to show off how pretty their feathers were.” Eventually those forearms became wings that came in handy for flying. In other words, the power of flight did not originate from the urge to fly but rather from the urge to be attractive. Oddly enough, Taurus, this approach to understanding evolution would be useful for you to meditate on in the coming weeks. According to my reading of the astrological omens, you could develop some interesting new capacities as you work to enhance your appeal to people who matter.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): On the subject of being divided, novelist Iris Murdoch wrote the following: “He led a double life. Did that make him a liar? He did not feel a liar. He was a man of two truths.” Whether you deserve the generosity of that interpretation still remains to be seen, Gemini. It is possible that your version of doubleness will be rooted in deceit or delusion rather than sincere and honest duality.

Of course I’m rooting for the latter. Please do all you can to ensure that you’re being authentic, not manipulative.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): My friend Ariel’s sixyear-old daughter Juno doesn’t understand why anyone would build streets that run in a straight line. Isn’t it more fun if the highways and byways are crooked and curvy? Shouldn’t people want to get to where they’re going by veering this way and that, relishing the playful twists and turns? That’s where the best action is, says Juno, and I agree: in the tweak, in the twirl, in the winding way—not in the beeline route that leaves no room for improvisation.

That’s especially true for you right now, my fellow Cancerian.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Would you be delighted if I arranged to get an offshore oil-drilling rig named after you? Probably not. Would you celebrate if you won a prestigious all-expenses-paid vacation to the hottest war zones in Afghanistan? I doubt it. So don’t accept dubious honors and gifts like those, Leo. Be clear that you’re not interested in ego strokes that are irrelevant to your long-term dreams. If you hope to get the prize you’re aiming for, you will have to say a definitive no to supposedly good things that you don’t really want.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The nature of the game is changing. Do you know which game I’m referring to?

I mean the one that everyone’s playing but no one’s acknowledging they’re playing. The rules of the game had held steady for quite some time, but recently they began to shift. Now even the game’s rewards are in the process of metamorphosing. My advice? You don’t necessarily need to splash a big dose of raw candor all over the place, but I do recommend that you at least tell yourself the truth about what’s going on.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): My Facebook friend Robert Goldberg has come up with terms for you Libras that puts a more positive spin on your reputation as a fence-sitter. He suggests “fence dancer” or “fence warrior.” You don’t always deserve to be bestowed with those honorable titles, of course. Sometimes you really do molder there in your intermediate position, paralyzed by indecision and unable to do what’s in the best interests of anyone, including yourself. But on other occasions—ike now—you have the power to use your in-between status dynamically, coordinating the opposing interests to work as a whole that’s greater than the sum of the parts.

Across 1 “Rub-a-dub-dub, three men in ___...”

5 They get busier in the winter: abbr.

9 Visibly took notice 14 Frank Herbert classic 15 Sabermetrician’s data 16 Kitchenaid competitor 17 Guy who voted Republican in 2008?

19 Ox stocks 20 Critical hosp. wing 21 Word after both “he” and “she” 22 Most confident 23 1997 movie to be re-released in 3D in 2012 25 “___ little time...”

26 Gripper used only on roads?

31 Melissa Etheridge’s “___ Am” 34 Grope (around)

–it's not a lot, but it makes a difference.

35 Obnoxious laugh sound 36 “Convoy” singer C.W. representing the U.S.?

41 “___ blimey!”

42 Comfort 43 Checklist component 44 Clip from a 1983 Mr. T. comedy?

49 Crimson Tide 50 Habitrail walker 54 Aesop’s stories 56 It replaced the Belgian franc 57 “Yay, toreador!”

58 Van Gogh locale 59 Place where everything just... happens?

61 “Mr. Belvedere” mom ___ Graff 62 Panda Express cookers 63 Away from the wind 64 Rich cake 65 Prefix meaning “inside”

66 In ___ (inherently) Down 1 Let in or let on 2 Stanley of “The Lovely Bones” 3 Like some director’s editions 4 She was Dorothy on “The Golden Girls” 5 1997 Nicolas Cage movie 6 Pedicure stone 7 Barely 8 Nine-digit ID 9 Give up, in a schoolyard way 10 Without scruples 11 Suffers 12 Singles, in France 13 History 18 Ain’t right?

22 “Attack, Fido!”

24 Fertile Crescent locale 27 ___ up (screwy, slangily) 28 Bag contents,

often 29 Spray that burns 30 Baby carriage, in Britain 31 1970s disco staple 32 Green subj.

33 Doodle doer 37 Words that follow “Hmmm...”

38 National Soccer Hall of Famer Alexi 39 Sugary suffix 40 Messy food 45 Knack 46 Public Enemy #1?

47 David of “CSI: Miami” 48 Love, in La Paz 51 Belt contents 52 Cary of “Saw” 53 Actress Zellweger 54 ___ accompli 55 Folk singer Guthrie 56 Nobel Prize category, for short 59 Be short 60 South Korea’s Roh ___ Woo

Crossword created By Matt Jones. © 2010 Jonesin’ Crosswords. 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 #0493.

Solution To Last Week’s Crossword

JONESIN’

“5 CC Injection, Stat!”

Crossword solutions every week at www.chattanoogapulse.com www.chattanoogapulse.com | November 11, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 45 | The Pulse

37

Ask A Mexican

By Gustavo Arellano

Dreamin’ and Cryin’

“We all know most Mexican men are más machos dudes and all that, so why all the songs about tears and crying?”

Have a question? Ask the Mexican at themexican@askamexican.net, be his fan on Facebook, follow him on Twitter or ask him a video question at youtube.com/askamexicano!

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Dear Mexican, I’ve been hired to find out why some clothes are not being returned to patients at a nursing home in Newport Beach, California, even though these clothes are marked. I went down to the lavadero as a place to start my investigation and watched some señoras jóvenes selecting clothes that they put in their armarios or coches. I know that stealing from anyone, whether they are rich or poor, is incorrect, but part of me understands why they do it. My idea was to be employed as a deaf lavandera and just listen to what was going on around me, then I would take my findings to the administration. After explaining what I think is happening, I’d ask for a raise for the señoras jóvenes. ¿Son mis aspiraciones/sueños demasiado altos? Will any of this help?

— Jefita Dear Wabette, Are your aspirations/dreams too high?

What do you think? You want to play-act as a sorda, rat out the laundry workers, and then ask they receive a raise? You really don’t think the bosses will fire them, or even call immigration? And trying to justify robbing viejitos and the sick? I don’t care how poor a Mexican is—a good Mexican honors the elderly and enfermos. Only a cretin would steal from them—or a Guatemalan.

Dear Mexican, What’s the deal with all the Mexican song lyrics about lágrimas and llorando?

We all know most Mexican men are más machos dudes and all that, so why all the

The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 45 | November 11, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

songs about tears and crying? Even if a gabacho cries, he doesn’t try to advertise it and certainly does not sing about it in 80 percent of thee songs on the radio. ¿Por qué lloras?

— Gabacho Seco del Norte Dear Dry Gabacho of the North, Why do I cry?

What isn’t there to cry for a Mexican man in this country? Besides higherthan-average unemployment rate for us, narco-violence in our patria, horrendous high-school dropout rates for our kids, too many mexicanas marrying gabachos, and Mexico losing badly in the FIFA World Cup, an hombre’s life right now is rather miserable. But you know what? We’re not afraid to llorar y llorar, as the great Vicente Fernández wailed. Sure, most of the crying in songs refer to some ingrata with saucer eyes and chichis worthy of Brazzers.com, but the flip side of macho is vulnerability—you’ll have to buy my book for a further explanation, but know right now that you gabacho men can learn something from our soft side. Finally? You say gabachos don’t advertise when they cry, which probably means you must think Frank Sinatra circa In the Wee Small Hours was a pussy—and if you do, you have no sense of manhood, son!

GOOD MEXICANS OF THE WEEK! PBS doesn’t commission nearly enough documentaries or series on Mexicans—sorry, execs, but rebroadcasting that Sesame Street episode when Linda Ronstadt sang with a Muppet mariachi isn’t enough—so it’s heartening to know that it aired The Longoria Affair last week. This powerful, thoughtful documentary covers one of the most disturbing episodes of discrimination in the annals of America: the refusal of a funeral home in Three Rivers, Texas to allow the body of Felix Longoria—an Army private killed in action during World War II—to lie in state on account of him being Mexican, and the insistence by town fathers that Longoria’s family bury him in the segregated part of the backwater’s cemetery. The resulting furor sparked national attention and still divides Three Rivers decades later. Ask your local PBS affiliate to air The Longoria Affair again, or—better yet—buy your own copy at thelongoriaaffair.com