The Pulse
CHATTANOOGA'S WEEKLY ALTERNATIVE
january 1, 2015
MORE THAN EASTERN CALISTHENICS Yoga’s everywhere... but are we losing mind and spirit traditions? By Hayley Graham
music
arts
screen
perfect gentleman
music academy
into the woods
c. warren jazz kids
sondheim
ia ed rm we ere bre eH y.
da
am
ery ev
rN
re. he
w ery ev
u Yo
A new year brings new opportunities. And opportunity is knocking right now.
You complete us.
The Pulse is looking for a Media Sales Professional to represent Chattanooga’s Alternative Weekly. Now recruiting Media Sales Professionals to represent Chattanooga’s Alternative Newsweekly
Send your resume and cover letter to Mike Baskin, Director of Sales Send yourmikebaskin@brewermediagroup.com resume and cover letter to: Mike Baskin, Director of Sales In the subjectmikebaskin@brewermediagroup.com line, please include: Brewer Sales Position In the subject line, please include: Brewer Sales Position
Learn more about us at BrewerMediaGroup.com. Brewer Media is an equal opportunity employer. 2 • The Pulse • january 1-7, 2015 • chattanoogapulse.com
brewer media everywhere. every day.
Contents
The Pulse CHATTANOOGA'S WEEKLY ALTERNATIVE
EDITORIAL
Managing Editor Gary Poole
January 1, 2015 Volume 12, Issue 1
Contributing Editor Janis Hashe Contributing Writer Madeline Chambliss Contributors Rob Brezsny • John DeVore Janis Hashe • Hayley Graham Matt Jones • James McKissic Marc T. Michael • Ernie Paik Rick Pimental-Habib Gary Poole • Alex Teach Cartoonists & Illustrators Rick Baldwin • Max Cannon Jen Sorenson • Tom Tomorrow
Features
Founded 2003 by Zachary Cooper & Michael Kull
ADVERTISING
4 BEGINNINGS: Consumer Credit Counseling Services offers many help.
Account Executives Chee Chee Brown • Julie Brown Angela Lanham • Rick Leavell Chester Sharp • Stacey Tyler
4 shrink rap: It’s less about doing and a lot more about becoming.
Director of Sales Mike Baskin
CONTACT
Offices 1305 Carter St. Chattanooga, TN 37402 Phone 423.265.9494 Fax 423.266.2335 Website chattanoogapulse.com Email info@chattanoogapulse.com BREWER MEDIA GROUP Publisher & President Jim Brewer II THE FINE PRINT: The Pulse is published weekly by Brewer Media and is distributed throughout the city of Chattanooga and surrounding communities. The Pulse covers a broad range of topics concentrating on music, the arts, entertainment, culture and local news. The Pulse is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader. No person without written permission from the publisher may take more than one copy per weekly issue. The Pulse may be distributed only by authorized distributors. Contents Copyright © 2015 by Brewer Media. All rights reserved.
8
More Than Eastern Calisthenics
Now is typically time for creating resolutions for the new year, ranging from “learning to balance a checkbook” to “trying not to insult my in-laws.” But the most common resolutions involve losing weight, getting healthy and finding more time for yourself.
10
At Least Ten Pounds of Fun
Ask Caleb Warren and the Perfect Gentlemen what kind of band they are—and prepare yourself for a lengthy answer. Ragtime, Western swing, string jazz, country blues, gypsy jazz and hokum are a few of the genres they invoke to describe themselves.
16
Getting Youth Hooked on Music
In early November, legendary drummer and Chattanooga native Clyde Stubblefield came home to give a talk in conjunction with a documentary screening at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center.
12 MUSIC CALENDAR 14 REVIEWS: Defever bleeds Thin Lizzy, Raghallaigh fiddles mighty fine. 15 consider this 15 JONESIN’ CROSSWORD 18 ARTS CALENDAR 20 SCREEN: “Into the Woods” is fine film adaptation of Sondheim classic. 22 on the beat: Officer Alex suggests starting off 2015 without being pulled over. 23 FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
Follow The Pulse on Facebook (we’re quite likeable) www.facebook.com/chattanoogapulse chattanoogapulse.com • january 1-7, 2015 • The Pulse • 3
news • views • rants • raves
BEGINNINGS
updates » CHATTANOOGApulse.com facebook/chattanoogapulse EMAIL LOVE LETTERS, ADVICE & TRASH TALK TO INFO@CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM
Partnership’s CCCS Offers Many Help Nonprofit agency’s credit clients span the economic spectrum
“
Some people come to us owing as much as $100,000. And we deal with people in their 20s on up through their 80s.”
Despite encouraging economic news, for many people, The Great Recession is far from over. Here in Chattanooga and Hamilton County, thousands continue to struggle, attempting to pay bills while dealing with decreased incomes. The Partnership for Families, Children and Adults is well known for the many services it provides to the community—but relatively few people are aware that one of these is Consumer Credit Counseling Services. “The Partnership itself is 134 years old,” says CCCS Director Linda Rath, “and we have been offering credit counseling for more than 30 years. But people
still find out about it mostly through word of mouth.” Unlike for-profit services, which often charge exorbitant fees, “and are mostly debt settlement agencies,” says Rath, the Partnership’s Consumer Credit Counseling Services offers a free, confidential initial consultation, janis hashe and charges only a small monthly fee (limited by the state) to process payments to creditors. The fee, never more than $30, is based on the amount owed by the client. The debt-management plan created for each client is monitored periodically by the agency, which helps people stay on it, she explains. Clients range across the economic and age spectrum, Rath says. “Some people come to us owing as much as $100,000. And we deal with people in their 20s on up through their 80s.” The CCCS reassures clients that there is no shame in admitting they are having problems managing, and that taking this first step will be hugely helpful. The CCCS has an outstanding record of successful negotiations with creditors, Rath notes, and almost always is able to reduce and bundle monthly payments to a more manageable amount. “The credit card companies want to work with us, because they know the goal is to pay off the debt,” Rath says. “Sometimes there is bargaining and counter-proposals, but we usually can work something out.”
Views
4 • The Pulse • january 1-7, 2015 • chattanoogapulse.com
Clients can arrange to have the monthly payment direct debited from a checking account, or they can bring in a monthly money order. The average client’s plan lasts for almost five years, Rath says, but those who stick with it emerge credit-card-debt-free. “We are serving nearly 1,000 people at any one time,” she says, “but our goal is to help as many people as we can.” The CCCS also helps people learn money-management skills and create budgeting plans to help regain control of personal finances. In addition to the main office on Olan Mills Road, the agency offers Family Financial Counseling Tuesdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Good Shepherd Ministries in Soddy-Daisy, Wednesdays 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Career Center in Eastgate Town Center, and Thursdays 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Northside Neighborhood House in North Chattanooga. •••• Contact The Partnership for Families, Children and Adults Consumer Credit Counseling Service at 2245 Olan Mills Road, (423) 4905620, cccsreception@partnershipfca. com and credithelptoday.org
EdiToon
by Rick Baldwin
Ready for your New Year’s Resolution? We can help.
But Can Darth Vader Do A Double Axel? Generally speaking, when we think of ice skating, we imagine people decked out in thick winter jackets, fluffy hats, a pair of mittens, and maybe a nice scarf. We don’t picture someone dressed as Darth Vader, Peter Quill, Team Rocket or a Minion. But on Jan. 3, Chattanoogans might just see some of these characters (among many more) lace up their skates at Ice on the Landing. From 3 to 6 p.m., MomoCon, (Atlanta’s Family Friendly Gaming and Animation
Convention) and Anime Blast Chattanooga, (Chattanooga’s anime convention) are hosting the costumed ice skating event “Cosplayers on Ice.” Cosplayers on Ice will give cosplayers a chance to get together, dress up like their favorite character from just about any pop cultural phenomenon, take pictures, and then, ice skate! The event will also include a free photoshoot, which according to organizers, “will allow reporters and photographers the
IN THIS ISSUE
Hayley Graham Our cover story this week on the history and growing popularity of yoga is by Hayley Graham. A selfdescribed Jill-of-all-trades, she hails from Nashville but has made Chattanooga her home. When not singing with her bands “Amber Fults and the Ambivalent Lovers”
chance to photograph scores of Chattanooga’s cosplaying community, which will bring out a variety of elaborate handmade costumes, from small to giant, amidst the holiday decorations and on ice.” In addition to the photoshoot and skating (which will cost $10, including skates), organizers will also be giving away plenty of door prizes. The event is open to everyone, whether you plan to skate or just watch. All costume types are welcome. Send us your favorite photos to creative@chattanoogapulse.com. For more information, visit iceonthelanding.com — Madeline Chambliss
Used Books, CDs, Movies, & More
7734 Lee Highway • McKayBooks.com Mon-Thu 9am-9pm • Fri-Sat 9am-10pm • Sun 11am-7pm
John DeVore and “The Goodbye Girls,” or teaching yoga at Hot Yoga Plus and BeYoga Ooltewah, she can be found supporting local music, theatre, art and all of the wonderful events and opportunities Chattanooga has to offer. Hayley writes about art, culture and this town that she so dearly loves, and has become a regular contributor to The Pulse. She likes to further muse and ramble on her website at hayleygraham.com
Our own resident film critic John DeVore has spent a significant portion of his life in dark theaters. From an early age, he was drawn to strong storytelling brought to life through the magic of the silver screen. With degrees in both literature and education,
John has keen insight into critical theory and a genuine desire to educate audiences on the finer points of film appreciation. His favorite films transcend genre— quality storytelling and respect for the intelligence of the audience will win him over every time. When not watching and writing about film, John spends his time writing his own stories and exposing his children to the wonders of movie magic.
Music for Chattanooga’s Coolest Generation
hippieradio1069.com
chattanoogapulse.com • january 1-7, 2015 • The Pulse • 5
Creating Powerful New Year’s Intentions It’s less about doing and a lot more about becoming
“
If you think about it, talk about it, journal about it, and your daily meditations focus on bringing it to the forefront of your reality, then powerful and welcomed changes will occur in your life.”
Dr. Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D., is a psychotherapist, author, minister, and educator in private practice in Chattanooga. Contact him at DrRPH.com, visit his wellness center at WellNestChattanooga.com and follow his daily inspirations on Twitter: @DrRickWellNest
for the gym? Shall I call my In the work I do helping folks today? people navigate the chalWell, there’s no betlenges of life, I often refer ter time than the start of a to “personal intersections,” new year to take stock of those moments when you your significant personal come to an intellectual, and professional intersecspiritual, or emotional crosstions. Which way am I goroads, and are faced with ing this year? What changes making a decision. do I wish As this to make? column has What’s truly touched on important to in the past, DR. RICK me? intersecPIMENTAL-HABIB And this tions are brings me to both big and the amazing power of intensmall, and occur all day, tion. all throughout life. Major An intention is not so ones, such as those involvmuch about doing as it is ing relationships, child-rearabout becoming and embracing, personal crises, career ing your best self. paths, employment opporTo help with this, you tunities, educational posmight ask yourself, what sibilities and so on, require part of who I am—or who much of us. Sometimes they I wish to be—is due for demand the use of all our some mindful attention? coping skills and inner reMy body, my spirituality, sources, conversations with my psychological well-beloved ones, or quiet time for ing, my emotional landreflection and meditation. scape? If you think about it, Perhaps they may demand talk about it, journal about all of the above. it, and your daily meditaThen there are minor tions focus on bringing it to ones that we usually resolve the forefront of your realwithout a lot of difficulty or ity, then powerful and welthought. These might look comed changes will occur like, oh, where to go for dinin your life. They have to, ner. Or, shall I pick up the as your thoughts, language, dry cleaning on the way to and behaviors shift to priorithe bank? Do I have time
6 • The Pulse • january 1-7, 2015 • chattanoogapulse.com
Shrink Rap
tize what’s really important to you, and what you truly want to accomplish. Try this: Spend a morning paying close attention to all the things you usually don’t give a second thought to. For instance, when you grab the cereal from the cupboard, pause. Ask yourself if that’s really what you want to eat, or are you just doing what you always do? When you leave for work in the morning and give your sweetie a peck on the cheek like usual, hold on a sec. Why communicate a mere morsel of affection when you can communicate deeper feelings of love? Turn that peck into a big, sloppy smooch and lingering embrace. (Could be fun. Could make you late for work.) Consciously choose how you wish spend this moment, and determine if it’s contributing to your goals. I believe that when your intention is clear and strong the Universe listens and conspires to help, bringing
exactly the right people, experiences, and blessings into your path. Are you catching them? What’s the payoff? Relationships more deeply felt. A stronger spiritual connection to your world and everyone in it. Heightened senses. Insight. Healthy change. In short, a Technicolor life more fully lived. Life’s fraught with pitfalls and stumblings, and we surely can’t work on everything at once. So what? Perhaps what really matters is committing to the journey toward becoming who you truly want to be, declaring those intentions loudly and then paying attention, so as to embrace the support that surrounds you, that trickles from the sky, every step of the way. Until next time: “We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?” — Marianne Williamson
A Happy New You!
This holiday season give the gift of vaping.
We Are Saving Mobile Lives 1906 Gunbarrel Rd. 423-486-1668 (Next to GiGi’s Cupcakes)
5425 Highway 153 423-805-4640
Your one-stop shop for all your vaping supplies, kits, juice, mods, advice and more.
hattanooga apor o
(Next to CiCi’s Pizza) cellphonerepair.com/chattanooga
Mon-Fri: 10am-7pm Sat: 11a-4pm Closed Sunday
NorthShore 23 Cherokee Blvd 423.551.5919 M-Sat 10-10, Sun 11-8
Soddy-Daisy 8301 Dayton Pike 423.710.3258 M-Sat 10-8, Sun 11-6
East Brainerd 7540 East Brainerd Rd St 101 423.305.0098 M-Sat 10-10, Sun 11-8
chattanoogavaporco.com • facebook.com/chattanoogavaporcompany chattanoogapulse.com • january 1-7, 2015 • The Pulse • 7
COVER STORY
More Than Eastern Calisthenics
Yoga’s everywhere...but are we losing mind and spirit traditions? By Hayley Graham
“
“She believes that yoga is a whole-person practice, not limited to building the perfect body, but expanding to include finding ease and contentment with all parts of the person.”
N
ow is typically time for creating resolutions for the new year, ranging from “learning to balance a checkbook” to “trying not to insult my in-laws.” But the most common resolutions involve losing weight, getting healthy and finding more time for yourself. As these goals get committed to paper, phone or tablet, people begin to research their options—and many land on yoga, a centuries-old practice that has become a hot-ticket fitness trend across the country, to get in shape and reconnect with their bodies, quiet their minds and reduce stress. Yet the definition of yoga is changing, altered by the widespread availability of yoga and the many styles and offshoots of the practice. Right here in Chattanooga, the yoga community has grown exponentially in the last several years, with teachers and studios popping up all over town, offering everything from Beginning and Power Yoga, to more restorative forms, to more extreme variations such as Acro Yoga, Aerial Yoga and Yoga on Paddleboards. This growth is exciting, as it provides more opportunites for more people to be welcomed into the community—but some say there are drawbacks as well, as the growth is also changing the meaning of what constitutes a yoga practice. Sue Reynolds remembers a time in the ’70s when yoga in Chattanooga was limited to one teacher at the YMCA. “Betty Ray was her name,” Reynolds recalls, “and she volunteered there, taught, and was never paid for a long, long time, probably 20 years or so. I was the young kid in town...I took her classes, and subbed
8 • The Pulse • january 1-7, 2015 • chattanoogapulse.com
for her quite a bit. And she was really glad to have somebody to sub because we were the only two.” Reynolds says that she knew of people practicing yoga at home, but outside of Betty Ray, there just weren’t public classes available. So Reynolds started teaching in various venues around town, churches and community centers, and began building a following. As a few more teachers, like Becky Dempsey, began arriving on the scene and interest began to grow, Reynolds saw the need for a dedicated yoga space. “In 1998, Becky and I had the idea that we would like to start a yoga studio,” Reynolds says. “We found a spot, where Zanzibar is now, and our opening [of ClearSpring Yoga] finally came in November 1999. Becky and I already had established yoga classes, at Sportsbarn and the Y, so we didn’t have trouble getting students. They just flooded in. We were packed. And they were very excited to have this studio open.” In fact, Reynolds and Dempsey were overwhelmed. “I remember
calling a yoga friend in Nashville and saying, ‘Would you please consider moving to Chattanooga because I cannot handle all of this by myself. I need more teachers,’” says Reynolds. “We don’t have that problem anymore.” Reynolds says that throughout the early-growth years, she knew every yoga teacher in town. Kim Eisdorfer, owner and instructor at Toes Yoga in Brainerd, echoes that, adding “That’s impossible now.” Eisdorfer moved to Chattanooga in 2006, began teaching shortly after, and says she can see a great growth and shift in the yoga community. “I’ve kind of lost touch,” she says. “There are so many studios. I used to have a handle on it. I’d look at a schedule and think, ‘I know this person, I’ve been to their class, I know their style’… and now, there are probably more people I don’t know than I do know.” Eisdorfer and Reynolds acknowledge the benefit of having so many teachers and styles to serve a growing interest, but both express concern that this growth has included a shift in
the focus of the practice from a holistic health regimen to a purely physical one. This concern stems from the trend, both locally and nationally, of intensely physical classes that lack a meditative and spiritual component, which are foundations of yoga practice. Yoga’s beginnings are in meditation. Yogis would sit in meditation for hours at a time hoping to reach samadhi, or enlightenment. The asana, or physical practice of yoga was developed as a way of supporting the body for that mental practice. “What I fell in love with was the whole package,” Reynolds says. “It wasn’t a workout I was looking for at all. I just fell in love with the whole emotion of it—and the body part too.” Echoes Eisdorfer, “It was an exercise that I enjoyed doing, but that was kind of a side benefit. It wasn’t the main focus of the practice.” Now, they say, the shift towards the asana becoming the main focus of the practice means meditation and breathwork are becoming overlooked. Madia Swicord, formerly of Madia’s on the Southside and now co-director of the Chattanooga Yoga School, based at Sportsbarn, agrees. “Asana has become such a primary focus—but we know that it’s only one-eighth of the practice,” she says, referencing “Patanjali’s 8 Limbs of Yoga,” which counts the physical practice as an equal component to breath, ethical standards, self-discipline, withdrawal of the senses, concentration, meditation and enlightenment. Swicord’s entrance into yoga in Chattanooga involved studying the philosophy of yoga for years on her own, but she hadn’t really connected to an asana practice until she found a class that suited her, and realized “this can be a physical avenue for me to dive deeper into my mental [focus].” She opened Madia’s in 2000. “I felt the community needed this,” she says. “The Southside in 2000 was not an attractive place. It was scary for a lot of people, but I saw the vision,” she says. She attracted a large, eager following as well. But her goal was never to create a purely physically based curriculum. Like Reynolds and Eisdorfer, she views the trend of extreme physical practice with some doubt. “I love to work hard, I love to push,” she says. “But, I want it [to] also manage what’s going on in your mind. Speed keeps you entertained and distracted, which is the antithesis of yoga.” She advocates a more holistic approach, noting that “Compartmentalizing is one of the problems with our culture, even in Western medicine. It’s like, ‘Let me look at your arm,’
and the rest of your body is nowhere to be found. What’s happening in yoga is the same thing. Yoga is to integrate, it’s not to separate. You want to feel that integration, you want to feel that mental, emotional, spiritual, body and breath.” She believes that yoga is a whole-person practice, not limited to building the perfect body, but expanding to include finding ease and contentment with all parts of the person. Even with their hesitations, all three teachers see the growth of the Chattanooga yoga community as positive. They point out that regardless of the reason for a person’s interest in yoga, the benefits beyond the physical are garnered. This unconscious gain of mental and emotional benefits allows for people to not only improve themselves but the community as well. “This is a town that has grown tremendously,” Swicord says. Reynolds agrees, saying, “I see it all as a part of the growth of the consciousness movement. There is a whole lot more awareness of the holistic person, body, mind, spirit. I think we’re certainly moving in that direction, so that’s a good thing,” she says. Says Eisdorfer, “Hopefully all the studios and new growth in yoga will make a more mindful, present, peaceful community.” As you make your New Year’s resolutions, could it be time to to dig a little deeper and give yourself the gift of a body, mind and spirit renewal by resolving to take up a yoga practice? With a huge wealth of yoga opportunities in Chattanooga, there is sure to be a class that will fit your needs. And, whether you’re looking for it or not, maybe it will change your perspective, change your attitude—and change your life. That’s a resolution to get behind.
“As you make your New Year’s resolutions, could it be time to to dig a little deeper and give yourself the gift of a body, mind and spirit renewal by resolving to take up a yoga practice?”
Editor’s note: The term used in this article’s title, “Eastern calisthenics,” is quoted from the current co-owner of ClearSpring Yoga, Anthony Crutcher. chattanoogapulse.com • january 1-7, 2015 • The Pulse • 9
MUSIC SCENE
At Least Ten Pounds of Fun Caleb Warren and the Perfect Gentlemen joyfully combine musical genres
Singer, Songwriter, Sister Saturday’s show at Barking Legs is sibling songfest Is listening to more live music one of your New Year’s resolutions? Then head to Barking Legs this Saturday. Sister duo Fritsl and Teni Butler kick off the first weekend of 2015 in a reunion concert with Jim Palmour, Bob Burns, Ethen Martin (of Barefoot Productions) and more at 8 p.m. The Butler sisters’ musical style is described as “an eclectic mix of original work, influenced by the earliest writing they encountered, as well as by contemporary pop music.” Even though distance separates the two, the singer-songwriters have both continued to hone their craft through performances, and by attending local writers’ nights.
When not performing with each other, Fritsl can be seen performing with her band in Sewanee and Teni attending college in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and performing as a solo act. They often play select covers, but the two are mainly known for their original work. The lyrics that both Fritsl and Teni write are said to be stories of complex characters with experiences their listeners can relate to. — Madeline Chambliss Fritsl & Teni Butler Saturday, 8 p.m. Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. barkinglegs.org
thu1.01
fri1.02
SAT1.03
house of camp
country jam
veggie rock
The Mailboxes, Edward & Jane, Esther Ellis
Channing Wilson Band, The Tatum Brothers
Swoon, Sun Dale, Tir Asleen
Come down to MLK Blvd. and check out the brand new location of The Camp House for a night of great music. 7 p.m. The Camp House 149 E. MLK Blvd. thecamphouse.com
Arguably Chattanooga's best songwriter, Channing Wilson brings a full band to rock it out country style. 9 p.m. Rhythm & Brews 221 Market St. rhythm-brews.com
Known far and wide for great vegetarian food, Sluggo's also plays host to some of the more eclectic and intriguing bands in town. 9 p.m. Sluggo’s North 501 Cherokee Blvd.
10 • The Pulse • january 1-7, 2015 • chattanoogapulse.com
A
sk Caleb Warren and the Perfect Gentlemen what kind of band they are—and prepare yourself for a lengthy answer. Ragtime, Western swing, string jazz, country blues, gypsy jazz and hokum are a few of the genres they invoke to describe themselves. Ask me to describe what kind of band they are and I am more inclined to describe them as 10 pounds of fun in a five-pound sack and a rollicking good time.
Music marc t. michael
“
The title track is as good an indication as any of the band’s depth. It has the qualities of a hymn or spiritual tune, but dark and haunted, with lyrics that are straight-up blues.
Let’s start at the beginning. Caleb Warren plays guitar and tenor banjo. David Aitken handles lead guitar and banjo. Matt Monica doubles down on bass and kazoo. Colt Bowen covers percussion. Jenna Mobley saws the fiddle and Robert Green blows the trumpet. Everyone but Jenna shares vocal duties as evidenced by some fantastic harmonies on their EP The River. To give you an idea of their sound, I could rattle off more genre descriptors, but I think a better way to capture the essence is this: If Peter Ostroushko and The Guys All-Star Shoe Band were to quit “Prairie Home Companion” tomorrow, these kids could step right in, never miss a beat and fill those considerably large shoes better than any other band I’ve heard. If the reference eludes, suffice it to say that Caleb and his merry bunch are top-notch musicians, pro caliber all the way. One might fairly say their music is “old timey” but not “old time.” There are a few bands in town who do, in fact, play “old time” music and have mastered their art, but that’s not what these kids are about. They play modern music with an “old time” approach—not purists perhaps, but they don’t claim to
Something Wicked this Way Comes…to JJ’s
be. New wine in an old bottle. Although I only had the opportunity to hear a couple of tracks from their EP (released back in November) what I heard was outstanding. The title track is as good an indication as any of the band’s depth. It has the qualities of a hymn or spiritual tune, but dark and haunted, with lyrics that are straight-up blues and a sinister banjo that busts the myth “You can’t play a sad song on a banjo.” The hell you can’t. The other tune, “Momma Won’t You Please Come Home” is a joyful noise, a bit of swing, I suppose; infectiously toe-tapping. Imagine hearing a room full of instruments where every instrument is doing something just a little different. You can hear each individual part perfectly and yet the lot coalesces into a song best described as happily, gorgeously, insanely busy, counterpointed by the almost languid lyrics. What can I tell you? It’s art, man. It’s trapeze artists and precision flying teams
honest music
and one of those big “human-pyramid-on-waterskis” deals. It’s just jazzy enough to play well in the Big Easy, too breezy for Bourbon Street but passing the time nicely on Decatur. By the time this article goes to press, they will have already played their New Year’s Eve gig at the Clermont in Atlanta, and that’s a shame because that will be one hell of a show. Or, from the perspective of you readers in the future, it was one hell of a show. Your next best chance to see the band will be Jan. 9 at The Earl in Atlanta, Jan. 10 at Mac McGee in Roswell, GA and Jan. 15 at Bartow County Chamber of Commerce (Museum of Western Art booth). They have a busy schedule throughout the spring and the best way to keep up is via their Facebook page. If you need something to smile about, if you’ve had a bad day and just want to feel good for a while, the Gentlemen (and the Lady) are the prescription. Now with more cowbell!
Come one, come all! Chattanooga’s very own Subterranean Cirqus welcomes the Winter Whimsy Tour to JJ’s Bohemia on Jan. 21, along with special guests Lon Eldridge and Dalton Chapman of the 9th Street Stompers. Billing themselves as a “whimsical combination of sideshow, burlesque and comedy,” the tour has amassed a lengthy resume of high-profile gigs including stints with Louis C.K., Sarah Silverman, Troma, Cut Throat Freakshow and Humboldt Circus. Now, for one night only, the tour comes to the Scenic City with Scarlett Storm (the “silliest woman in sideshow and burlesque” ) at the helm. Joining her will be juggler Mikey Man Gorilla, the world’s most unsuccessful banana wrangler; aerialist Smurfasaur, who is billed as “the clumsiest woman in showbiz”…at least until she inverts and becomes a picture of grace. The troupe is rounded out by Ajaye LyckDyke, the King and Queen of Queer Burlesque, a sultry siren who also happens to be a bearded lady and self-styled “andro sex kitten.” The sweetly demented children of the Subterranean Cirqus will, of course, be up to their own bizarre brand of tomfoolery and skylarkings and Lon and Dalton will be providing the musical portion of the evening’s festivities. All in all it will be a night that makes “American Horror Story: Freak Show” look like “Captain Kangaroo” and for a mere $10 ticket you too can bear witness to the sort of spectacle that terrifies people you wouldn’t want to hang out with anyway. —MTM
local and regional shows
Old Time Travelers [FREE] Shabti with Charles and the Head [$5]
Sun, Jan 4 Thu, Jan 8
Live Trivia every Sunday afternoon from 4-6pm Ryan Oyer hosts Open Mic every Wednesday @ 8pm
$3 NEWCASTLE PINTS DURING THURSDAY SHOWS
7 pm 9 pm
Full food menu serving lunch and dinner. 11am-2am, 7 days a week. 35 Patten Parkway * 423.468.4192 thehonestpint.com * facebook.com/TheHonestPint
chattanoogapulse.com • january 1-7, 2015 • The Pulse • 11
LIVE MUSIC JANUARY
2 SUBCONSCIOUS SAT 10p 3 UPTOWN BIG BAND TUE 8p 6 JESS GOGGANS BAND THU 9p 8 SEVEN HANDLE CIRCUS FRI 9:30p 9 SLIPPERY WHEN WET SAT 10p 10 FRI LAZY HORSE 9:30p 16 CHANNING WILSON FRI 9p with THE TATUM BROTHERS
with RIVER CITY HUSTLERS
17 PIECE BAND, 2 GREAT SINGERS SOULFUL AND FUNKY ORIGINALS
PRESENTED BY FLY FREE FESTIVAL A TRIBUTE TO BON JOVI
A TRIBUTE TO NEIL YOUNG
1.17 CHIG MARTIN & THE ALABAMA OUTLAWS 1.23 BACKUP PLANET with HANK AND CUPCAKES
COMING SOON
OF MONTREAL
with HANK AND CUPCAKES
SAT 9p
WED SIMO OLD SCHOOL GUITAR TO THE MAX 9p
24
28
ALL SHOWS 21+ UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED • NON-SMOKING VENUE
221 MARKET STREET
HOT MUSIC • FINE BEER • GREAT FOOD BUY TICKETS ONLINE • RHYTHM-BREWS.COM
MUSIC CALENDAR
CHATTANOOGA
Edward & Jane
thursday1.1 Prime Country Band 6:30 p.m. Ringgold Nutrition Center 144 Circle Dr. (706) 935-2541 The Mailboxes, Edward & Jane, Esther Ellis 7 p.m. The Camp House 149 E. MLK Blvd. thecamphouse.com Jimmy Harris 7 p.m. The Palms at Hamilton 6925 Shallowford Rd. thepalmsathamilton.com Feel It Thursday Open Mic 7 p.m. Mocha Restaurant & Music Lounge 511 Broad St. mochajazz.net Bluegrass and Country Jam 7 p.m. Grace Nazarene Church 6310 Dayton Blvd. chattanoogagrace.com Jesse James & Tim Neal
12 • The Pulse • january 1-7, 2015 • chattanoogapulse.com
7 p.m. Mexi Wings VII 5773 Brainerd Rd. (423) 296-1073 Open Mic with Hap Henninger 9 p.m. The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. (423) 634-9191
friday1.2 Jason Thomas and the Mean-Eyed Cats 5 p.m. Chattanooga Choo Choo 1400 Market St.
Pulse Pick: Brandon Reeves A "roots & soul" singer/ songwriter/guitarist, Brandon’s music is a cross between the guitar playing of John Hurt, the songwriting wit of John Prine and the soulful vocals of Sam Cooke. Brandon Reeves Friday, 9 p.m. World of Beer 412 Market St. worldofbeer.com
choochoo.com Eddie Pontiac 5:30 p.m. El Meson 2204 Hamilton Place Blvd. elmesonrestaurant.com Chattanooga Acoustic Showcase 7 p.m. Charles & Myrtle’s Coffeehouse 105 McBrien Rd. christunity.org Jimmy Harris 7 p.m. The Palms at Hamilton 6925 Shallowford Rd. thepalmsathamilton.com
Wide Open Floor 8 p.m. Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. barkinglegs.org David Anthony & The Groove Machine 8:30 p.m. The Foundry 1201 Broad St. chattanooganhotel.com Channing Wilson Band, The Tatum Brothers 9 p.m. Rhythm & Brews 221 Market St. rhythm-brews.com Brandon Reeves 9 p.m. World of Beer 412 Market St. worldofbeer.com Jerry Fordham 9 p.m. The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. (423) 634-9191
saturday1.3 Jason Thomas and the Mean-Eyed Cats 5 p.m. Chattanooga Choo Choo
MUSIC CALENDAR
Gene Watson
1400 Market St. choochoo.com Eddie Pontiac 5:30 p.m. El Meson 2204 Hamilton Place Blvd. elmesonrestaurant.com Jimmy Harris 7 p.m. The Palms at Hamilton 6925 Shallowford Rd. thepalmsathamilton.com Gene Watson 7:30 p.m. Tivoli Theatre 709 Broad St. chattanoogaonstage.com Fritsl & Teni Butler, Jim Palmour, Bob Burns 8 p.m. Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. barkinglegs.org David Anthony & The Groove Machine 8:30 p.m. The Foundry 1201 Broad St. chattanooganhotel.com Ryan Bedingfield 9 p.m. World of Beer 412 Market St.
worldofbeer.com Swoon, Sun Dale, Tir Asleen 9 p.m. Sluggo’s North 501 Cherokee Blvd. Subconscious, River City Hustlers, Pains Chapel 10 p.m. Rhythm & Brews 221 Market St. rhythm-brews.com Kara-Ory-Oke 10 p.m. The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. (423) 634-9191
sunday1.4 Sunday Night Irish Music Jam Session 5 p.m. Grocery Bar 1501 Long St. grocerybar.com Acoustic Gospel Jam 6 p.m. Brainerd United Methodist Church 4315 Brainerd Rd. brainerdumc.org Old Time Travelers
7 p.m. The Honest Pint 35 Patten Pkwy. thehonestpint.com
monday1.5 Monday Nite Big Band 7 p.m. The Palms at Hamilton 6925 Shallowford Rd. thepalmsathamilton.com
tuesday1.6 Rick’s Blues Jam 7 p.m. Folk School of Chattanooga 1200 Mountain Creek Rd. chattanoogafolk.com Dan Sheffield 7 p.m. Sugar’s Downtown 507 Broad St. sugarschattanooga.com Uptown Big Band 8 p.m. Rhythm & Brews 221 Market St. rhythm-brews.com Birds Of Avalon, Ex Hex
9 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com
wednesday1.7 Eddie Pontiac 5:30 p.m. El Meson 248 Northgate Park elmesonrestaurant.com Jimmy Harris 7 p.m. The Palms at Hamilton 6925 Shallowford Rd. thepalmsathamilton.com Tim Starnes, Davey Smith 7:30 p.m. Sugar's Downtown 507 Broad St. sugarschattanooga.com Open Mic with Ryan Oyer 8 p.m. The Honest Pint 35 Patten Parkway thehonestpint.com
Map these locations on chattanoogapulse.com. Send event listings at least 10 days in advance to: calendar@chattanoogapulse.com
901 Carter St Inside City Cafe (423)634-9191 Thursday, January 1: 9pm Open Mic with Hap Henninger Friday, January 2: 9pm Jerry Fordham Saturday, January 3: 10pm Kara-Ory-Oke! Tuesday, January 6: 7pm
Server/Hotel Appreciation Night $5 Pitchers $2 Wells $1.50 Domestics ●
●
All shows are free with dinner or 2 drinks! Stop by & check out our daily specials! Happy Hour: Mon-Fri: 4-7pm $1 10oz drafts, $3 32oz drafts, $2 Wells, $1.50 Domestics, Free Appetizers
Join us on Facebook
DON’T CHANCE IT YOUR NEXT DRINK COULD BE YOUR LAST STAY ALIVE DON’T DRINK & DRIVE
chattanoogapulse.com • january 1-7, 2015 • The Pulse • 13
Record Reviews
ernie paik
Familiar Yet Strange, Spooky And Entrancing Defever bleeds Thin Lizzy, Raghallaigh fiddles mighty fine sound of water being struck as percussion and wandering acoustic guitar lines seemingly influenced by Saharan blues. The end grows near with the bouncy “Yes Yes Yesterday” which concludes with Morici streaming, “A hornet, a jacket, in spirit a visit, bracelet, blanket, rabbit magnet.” Tecuciztecatl is easily the group’s best proper album since 2006’s Detrola, and it fuels an obsession with ambition, creating a spirited, horror-laced rock opera.
H His Name Is Alive Tecuciztecatl (London London)
M
ichigan musician Warren Defever—the man behind His Name Is Alive—is a fellow who takes musical obsessions and feeds them into his own offkilter aesthetic filter, resulting in astounding work that is simultaneously familiar yet undeniably strange, as if supernatural aliens had their own versions of Western world pop/rock forms. For example, Defever listened to the Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations” repeatedly for a period of time in the mid-’90s, and the result of that obsession was the spot-on homage “Universal Frequencies.” His obsessions made His Name Is Alive a constantly changing band, going from early reverb-drenched ethereal darkness to eccentric rock to ’60s pop to soul to avant-garde jazz, with
Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh Music for an Elliptical Orbit (Diatribe) dozens of footnotes along the way. Early in 2014, it was clear what Defever’s current obsession was. He had uploaded to YouTube a 73-minute mix of every single Thin Lizzy guitar solo—around one hundred—recorded between 1971 and 1983 that he had painstakingly stitched together. The new His Name Is Alive album, Tecuciztecatl, bleeds Thin Lizzy, with Defever notably re-creating that irresistible tandem guitar attack with partner-in-crime Dusty Jones. It is a rock opera that carries the twin-lead-guitar method into thematic space, being about a woman pregnant with twins, one of which is a demon baby. Even the album’s title refers to the lunar deity in Aztec mythology,
14 • The Pulse • january 1-7, 2015 • chattanoogapulse.com
who was the dimmer half of a twosome of “suns,” only visible at night. The 13-minute “The Examination” gets things started, introducing its charged prog/ arena-rock sound, psychedelic flourishes and wild rockabilly breakdowns, sounding most similar to the band’s 1998 album Ft. Lake. The distinctive sound of a Mellotron provides counterpoint, and lead vocalist Andrea Morici harmonizes with herself, with her calm, clear style. It is refreshing how much this album simply rocks out, unreservedly, with meaty riffs and hooks, and “I Will Disappear You” features a downright sick guitar solo, over its pastoral bed. “African Violet Casts a Spell” is a fascinating turn, utilizing the
ere’s something fun to do: don a pair of overalls, wear a fake set of maloccluded teeth and after an orchestra performance, walk up to one of the violinists and say, “Mighty fine fiddling, I tell you what.” You might be met with a look of bewilderment or an icy stare. However, one violinist who probably wouldn’t mind is the Irish musician Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh, who has crafted a fascinating intersection between Irish folk fiddling, modern classical music and the realm of improvised music. Also a member of the groups The Gloaming and This Is How We Fly, his second solo album, Music for an Elliptical Orbit, is spooky and entrancing with a slight chill; it’s meditative, stark and mostly sedate with a human sensitivity. Touches of the drone, pedal notes of fiddling form a foundation for Raghallaigh’s melodic exploration on Irish scales. In the classical world, there is always the temptation to use vibrato to
make each sustained note sound as pretty as possible, but Raghallaigh resists that, depending on bow pressure and speed as expressive modifiers. Music for an Elliptical Orbit is less folk-centric than Raghallaigh’s previous solo album, Where the One-Eyed Man is King, which utilized overdubbing and other instrumentation. However, Orbit is strictly a true solo affair, with Raghallaigh playing his special Hardanger d’Amore fiddle, a 5-string instrument that has an additional five sympathetic strings; these sympathetic strings—which let tones sing on after the player has moved on to new notes—are most prominently heard on “Eastern Snow,” a patient adaptation of a traditional number. The album is remarkable for demonstrating an artist in total control of his sound, like on the opening track “Lithosphere,” which uses a great deal of harmonics, both drifting and expertly chorded. “Cloud” features soft scrapes and notes barely poking their heads out of the turtle shells, placing a greater importance on textures than on the note pitches. “Little Mammoth” is perhaps the album’s most abstract piece, resembling at times animalistic moans and whimpers with scrapes and harmonics, and the concluding “What What What” (also recorded with percussion on This Is How We Fly’s 2014 album) releases a flowing melody with gentle liberation. Mighty fine fiddling, indeed.
Consider This with Dr. Rick
Jonesin’ Crossword
matt jones
by Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D. “When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.” — Lao Tzu Change can be scary. We humans don’t usually like change. And yet, everything...everything... changes. Think about it: Nature does it beautifully four times a year. Every life stage we go through shows us our own personal changes—in our bodies, our attitudes and beliefs, our relationships, our strengths and struggles. The particularly scary part of change: Letting go. What will fill the void? Will I be sufficiently propped up if I let go of the scaffolding that now supports me? Who will be there? Am I strong enough? And yet: It’s the New Year. The best time ever to take stock of what works, and what doesn’t work. Those who love you will be there. And you’re undoubtedly stronger than you think. So, walk to the edge. Take a breath. And become who you’ve always wanted to become.
ACROSS 1 Purring Persian 4 Opposite of “ja” 8 Arthur Miller’s domain 13 Leon of “The Haj” 15 Too 16 Alex or Nikki 17 Gas station feature 18 Jury member 19 Hirsch of “Into the Wild” 20 START OF A QUIP 23 Bobby who sang “Mack the Knife” 24 Give guns to 25 Performed 28 SPEAKER OF QUIP 33 Relaxed sounds 36 “Yeah, right!” 37 Never before seen 38 Show people the way 40 PART TWO OF QUIP 43 Ms. Lovato 44 Randy Travis
song “Faith ___” 46 Sounds from tiny dogs 48 Blog feed letters 49 PART THREE OF QUIP 53 Vietnamese new year 54 Period 55 Doesn’t eat 59 END OF QUIP 63 White, in Geneva 66 One of the bases 67 Taboo act 68 The mother of all arteries 69 Patron saint of sailors 70 Mat activity 71 Help a student 72 Seacrest of “Seacrest out” 73 Be the author of DOWN 1 He’s got a bow and arrow 2 Dutch-speaking
resort island 3 Game show feature 4 Back of the neck 5 Mt. number 6 “Gotcha!” 7 Mailer of “Harlot’s Ghost” 8 Novelist ___ Alexie 9 Get under control 10 ___ Baba 11 Hair goop 12 One of a pair 14 Bowling headache 21 Cross letters 22 Tolkien creature 25 White Cliffs city 26 Agenda components 27 Sandwich shops 29 Where: Lat. 30 Dudes 31 Atticus Finch and colleagues, for short 32 Pea place 33 Top invitees 34 Therefore
35 Darer’s phrase 39 Two, in Tegucigalpa 41 Bestseller 42 Bk. of the Bible 45 Lot gamble 47 It might get cracked 50 Gold, to Garcia Marquez 51 Preferably 52 Mary Poppins, e.g. 56 Reporter’s win 57 Color slightly 58 General Motors great Alfred 59 Enthusiastic about 60 Sacred 61 Classic book of 1815 62 Peasant 63 Spooky flyer 64 ESPN analyst Holtz 65 Bookstore section
Copyright © 2015 Jonesin’ Crosswords. For answers to this puzzle, call: 1-900-226-2800, 99 cents per minute. Must be 18+ to call. Or to bill to your credit card, call: 1-800-655-6548. Reference puzzle No. 0708 chattanoogapulse.com • january 1-7, 2015 • The Pulse • 15
ARTS SCENE
Getting Youth Hooked on Music Jazzanooga’s Youth Music Academy growing and grooving in 2015
Take a Risk on a New Work CTC auditions for this year’s Festival of New Plays For most actors, one of the most fun—and challenging—projects to take on is appearing in a brand new play that has never been staged. Sure, you get to “create” the role, and if the play is ever published, your name will be forever associated with it. But new plays are rarely perfect. Work goes on during rehearsals, lines change, scenes are rewritten or even dropped and replaced. Your character may well evolve in an unexpected direction. If that sounds like the best time in the world, has the Chattanooga Theatre Centre got the auditions for you! On Jan. 12 and 13, the CTC will audition for all four of the winners in this year’s Festival of New Plays. The grand prize-winning play will be fully
staged in March on the Main Stage, and the runners up will be performed as staged readings. Winning plays will be announced in later this month. Interested actors should come to the CTC Circle Theatre lobby at 400 River St. on the Northshore at 7:30 p.m. on either day. You’ll have a chance to read for all roles you might be suited for. Break a leg! — Janis Hashe Festival of New Plays Auditions Jan. 12 & 13, 7:30 p.m. Chattanooga Theatre Centre Circle Theatre Lobby 400 River St. (423) 267-8538 theatrecentre.org
fri1.02
sat1.03
sun1.04
winter fun
last lights
free viewing
Ice on the Landing
Rock City's Enchanted Garden of Lights
First Free Sunday
Your chance to strap on skates and glide across the ice has been extended for another weekend of winter fun. 11 a.m. Ross’s Landing 100 Riverfront Pkwy. (423) 645-8237 iceonthelanding.com
It's your last chance this weekend to see this holiday classic. 6 p.m. Rock City Gardens 1400 Patten Rd., Lookout Mountain, Ga. (706) 820-2531 seerockcity.com
One of Chattanooga's greatest collections of American art, the Hunter Musuem opens their doors to one and all. Noon Hunter Museum of Art 10 Bluff View (423) 267-0968 huntermuseum.org
16 • The Pulse • january 1-7, 2015 • chattanoogapulse.com
I
n early November, legendary drummer, and Chattanooga native Clyde Stubblefield came home to give a talk in conjunction with a documentary screening at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center. During this presentation, he shared a lifetime of experiences in the music industry with a packed audience. Stubblefield, best known for his work with James Brown, played on recordings considered some of the standard-bearers for funk drumming, including singles “Cold Sweat,” “I Got The Feelin’,” “Say It Loud—I’m Black and I’m Proud” and others. Stubblefield’s talent has taken him from a childhood in Chattanooga to the stratosphere of the music industry.
Arts james mckissic
“
Support comes from everywhere, from the folks who drive the kids to gigs, community members who volunteer, and even a grandmother who donated a drum set.”
During the event’s Q&A, an audience member asked Stubblefield how he became interested in playing drums. As a child, he explained, his family had gone downtown to Market Street to take in the annual Christmas parade—and there he saw the Air Force Band, heard the drums and became immediately mesmerized by the rhythms. He went home and began to replicate the rhythms by clapping his hands, tapping his feet, and beating on pots and pans. That singular experience cemented what Stubblefield would do for the rest of his life. He was hooked. How many children in today’s world have the opportunity to get hooked by the arts? How many gifted musicians, painters, singers, writers will go through life never having the opportunity to foster or share their gifts because of the lack of arts education opportunities in our schools and communities? How many little Clyde Stubblefields are there in Chattanooga who will never
Photo by Rebecca Love
get hooked by the rhythm? We know students who participate in arts education show increases in academic performance, college attendance rates, and have employment success in the future. Yet according to Americans for the Arts, students who could benefit most from arts education are the ones who almost certainly attend schools that lack arts programming. It’s up to community organizations, groups and individuals to pick up the slack. In April 2011, I joined with local arts advocate Shane Morrow to start the organization “Jazzanooga.” We planned to host an annual jazz festival, provide music education for youth, and to work to infuse more jazz performance into the local music scene. Almost 5,000 people participated in Jazzanooga activities last year—but the program
most critical to the fledgling organization is the Jazzanooga Youth Music Academy. The Academy currently has approximately 20 students at varying levels of musical ability. These students meet almost every Saturday in a rehearsal room at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium. The instructors come from a variety of backgrounds— a member of the Chattanooga Symphony, a music teacher with Hamilton County Schools, the former director of the Folk School of Chattanooga. The thread that unites them all is the passionate belief that young people in Chattanooga must have opportunities to study and perform music. The students are racially and socioeconomically diverse. Ages range from 12 to 18, and they come from a variety of neighborhoods and schools: McCal-
lie, Ooltewah, Howard, Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences. Parents, grandparents, aunties and uncles drive into town each weekend, children and instruments in tow, each Saturday morning for instruction, and traverse the town making sure the young people get to their performances. In 2014 alone, the students have performed at the Aquarium Plaza with the Transatlantic Chilean Folk Orchestra; they jammed on stage at Culture Fest, and provided the entertainment to a sold-out Jazzanooga Brunch at the Hunter Museum. The students ended the year by providing backup to a series of vocalists putting on a benefit concert for the local shelter Room in The Inn. The Lyndhurst and Benwood Foundations financially support Jazzanooga’s education programs, but additional support comes from every-
where and in an assortment of forms, from the folks who drive the kids to gigs, community members who volunteer, and even a grandmother who donated a drum set. The highlight of the Youth Academy year is when students “open” for the Jazzanooga Festival Headline Concerts. In April 2015, this will include 2015 Grammy-nominated vocalist Gretchen Parlato and ten-time Grammy winners Take 6. Among the many local groups doing amazing things to supplement arts instruction for Chattanooga’s youth in schools, the Jazzanooga Youth Music Academy is an excellent example of one that knows what it takes to get kids “hooked” on music. For more information about the Jazzanooga Youth Music Academy, visit jazzanooga.org and follow Jazzanooga on Twitter @Jazzanooga.
ALL NEW. ALL FOR YOU.
ChattanoogaHasCars.com THE TENNESSEE VALLEY’S MOST POWERFUL AUTOMOTIVE SHOPPING TOOL chattanoogapulse.com • january 1-7, 2015 • The Pulse • 17
ARTS CALENDAR
Wide Open Floor
thursday1.1 “Light , Shadow & Color” 10 a.m. River Gallery 400 E. 2nd St. river-gallery.com Ice on the Landing 11 a.m. Ross’s Landing 100 Riverfront Pkwy. (423) 645-8237 iceonthelanding.com Rock City's Enchanted Garden of Lights 6 p.m. Rock City Gardens 1400 Patten Rd., Lookout Mountain, Ga. (706) 820-2531 seerockcity.com
friday1.2
Final Weekend! Don’t Miss the Magic!
for more info call 706.820.2531
See RockCity.com
First Friday 10 a.m. Area 61 Gallery & Showroom 61 E. Main St. (423) 648-9367 “Folk Art Show” 10 a.m. Reflections Gallery 6922 Lee Hwy. (423) 892-3072 reflectionsgallerytn.com Holidays Under the Peaks 10 a.m. Tennessee Aquarium 1 Broad St. (800) 262-0695 tnaqua.org “Juried Members Exhibition” 11 a.m.
18 • The Pulse • january 1-7, 2015 • chattanoogapulse.com
AVA Gallery 30 Fraizer Ave. (423) 265-4282 avaarts.org Ice on the Landing 11 a.m. Ross’s Landing 100 Riverfront Pkwy. (423) 645-8237 iceonthelanding.com Reception: “New Year: New Art “ 5 p.m. In-Town Gallery 26A Frazier Ave. (423) 267-9241 intowngallery.com Rock City's Enchanted Garden of Lights 6 p.m. Rock City Gardens 1400 Patten Rd., Lookout Mountain, Ga. (706) 820-2531
Pulse Pick: "Light, Shadow, And Color" The artists in "Light, Shadow, and Color" create pieces that utilize light, shadow, and brilliant color reflecting their respect for personal inspiration. Reception for “Light, Shadow & Color” Friday, 6:30 p.m. River Gallery 400 E. 2nd St. river-gallery.com
seerockcity.com Reception for “Light, Shadow, and Color” 6:30 p.m. River Gallery 400 E. 2nd St. river-gallery.com Reno Collier 7:30, 9:45 p.m. The Comedy Catch 3224 Brainerd Rd. thecomedycatch.com Wide Open Floor 8 p.m. Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. (423) 624-5347 barkinglegs.org
saturday1.3 St. Alban’s Hixson Farmers’ Market
10 a.m. St. Alban’s Episcopal Church 7514 Hixson Pike (423) 842-1342 Ice on the Landing 10 a.m. Ross’s Landing 100 Riverfront Pkwy. (423) 645-8237 iceonthelanding.com Brainerd Farmers’ Market 11 a.m. Grace Episcopal Church 20 Belvoir Ave. (423) 698-0330 Writing Your Way to MindfulnessProprioceptive Writing 1 p.m. Center for Mindful Living 1212 McCallie Ave. (423) 486-1279 centerformindfulliving.org I Heart Asia: KPOP Video Battle 2 p.m. Chattanooga Public Library 1001 Broad St. (423) 757-5310 chattlibrary.org Eastgate Saturday Cinema: “How to Train Your Dragon 2” 2:30 p.m. Eastgate Public Library 5705 Marlin Rd. (423) 757-5310 chattlibrary.org Rock City's Enchanted Garden of Lights 6 p.m. Rock City Gardens 1400 Patten Rd., Lookout Mountain, Ga.
ARTS CALENDAR
Master Gardener Classes (706) 820-2531 seerockcity.com Reno Collier 7:30, 9:45 p.m. The Comedy Catch 3224 Brainerd Rd. thecomedycatch.com ArtFRONT presents Fritsl & Teni Butler 8:30 p.m. Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. (423) 624-5347 barkinglegs.org
sunday1.4 Ice on the Landing Noon Ross’s Landing 100 Riverfront Pkwy. (423) 645-8237 iceonthelanding.com First Free Sunday Noon Hunter Museum of Art 10 Bluff View (423) 267-0968 huntermuseum.org Reno Collier 7:30 p.m. The Comedy Catch 3224 Brainerd Rd. thecomedycatch.com
monday1.5 Beginning Watercolor with Durinda Cheek 9 a.m. Townsend Atelier 201 W. Main St.
(423) 266-2712 townsendatelier.com “Folk Art Show” 10 a.m. Reflections Gallery 6922 Lee Hwy. (423) 892-3072 reflectionsgallerytn.com “Winter Wonders” 10 a.m. Creative Discovery Museum 321 Chestnut St. (423) 756-2738 cdmfun.org Advanced Watercolor with Durinda Cheek 1 p.m. Townsend Atelier 201 W. Main St. (423) 266-2712 townsendatelier.com 2015 Master Gardener Classes 6 p.m. University of Tennessee Extension 6183 Adamson Circle (423) 855-6113 extension.tennessee.edu Step by Step Introduction to Oil Panting with Mia Bergeron 6 p.m. Townsend Atelier 201 W. Main St. (423) 266-2712 townsendatelier.com
tuesday1.6 Intermediate Oil Painting Mentorship with Mia Bergeron
9 a.m. Townsend Atelier 201 W. Main St. (423) 266-2712 townsendatelier.com 2015 Master Gardener Classes 9 a.m. University of Tennessee Extension 6183 Adamson Circle (423) 855-6113 extension.tennessee.edu Painting the Impressionist Landscape with Durinda Cheek 1 p.m. Townsend Atelier 201 W. Main St. (423) 266-2712 townsendatelier.com
wednesday1.7 Makeanooga Kids 3 p.m. Northgate Public Library 278 Northgate Mall Dr. (423) 970-0635 chattlibrary.org Main Street Farmers Market 4 p.m. 325 E. Main St. mainstreetfarmersmarket.com
ongoing “New York Times Magazine Photography Exhibit” Hunter Museum of Art 10 Bluff View (423) 267-0968
huntermuseum.org “Light , Shadow & Color” River Gallery 400 E. 2nd St. river-gallery.com “New Year: New Art “ In-Town Gallery 26A Frazier Ave. (423) 267-9241 intowngallery.com “Member’s Choice” Gallery At Blackwell 71 Eastgate Loop (423) 344-5643 chattanoogaphoto.org “Open 24 Hours” Hunter Museum of Art 10 Bluff View (423) 267-0968 huntermuseum.org “The Female Form: Raphael Soyer and Harold Cash” Hunter Museum of Art 10 Bluff View (423) 267-0968 huntermuseum.org “Pioneering Pulpits: The First Ocoee Churches” Museum Center At Five Points 200 Inman St. E (423) 339-5745 museumcenter.org “Blood Rhythms, Strange Fruit ” Bessie Smith Cultural Center 200 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-8658 bessiesmithcc.org Map these locations on chattanoogapulse.com. Send event listings at least 10 days in advance to: calendar@chattanoogapulse.com
Named “One of the Ten Most Incredible Cave Waterfalls on Earth” World Reviewer
RubyFalls.com
423.821.2544 Open Weekends!
RubyFallsZip.com
chattanoogapulse.com • january 1-7, 2015 • The Pulse • 19
SCREEN SCENE
Sing Out, Cinderella “Into the Woods” is fine film adaptation of Steven Sondheim classic musical
“I
Chills & Thrills With Dr. Shock The Shock Theatre crew are back with all the hits The start of new year is a time to look forward and back. And the infamous crew of Shock Theatre kicks off 2015 with a look back at their best work...their best at scaring your socks off, that is. Dr. Shock slithers into a new season of the macabre by presenting highlights from “Dracula’s Great Love,” “Carnival of Souls,” “Bloody Pit of Horror,” “The Brain that Wouldn’t Die,” “House on Haunted Hill,” “The Dead Matter” and “Spider Baby.” If you’re a Shock Theatre fan and have missed an episode or two, this would be a great night to watch all
✴✴✴✴
the old clips and highlights from 2014. You’ll also need to prepare yourself to see Dr. Shock’s Zombie Flea Circus, Witchy Foos Love Potion, Torture Vignettes, Dingbat losing his head (literally), the Prater’s Mill Ghost Hunt, an All Midnight Syndicate Halloween Extravaganza and much more creepy excellence. All the spooky fun gets underway and howling at the moon just after midnight on Saturday, Jan. 3 on WDEF-TV 12. And be sure to set your DVR, as Dr. Shock will return the first Saturday of every month at the same scary time.
NEW IN THEATERS
✴✴✴✴
The Woman in Black 2: Angel of Death A Most Violent Year Forty years after the first haunting at In New York City 1981, an ambitious Eel Marsh House, a group of children immigrant fights to protect his busievacuated from WWII London arrive, ness and family during the most danawakening the house's darkest inhabgerous year in the city's history, with itant. mixed results. Director: Tom Harper Director: J.C. Chandor Stars: Helen McCrory, Jeremy Stars: Oscar Isaac, Jessica Chastain, Irvine, Phoebe Fox, Leanne Best David Oyelowo, Alessandro Nivola 20 • The Pulse • january 1-7, 2015 • chattanoogapulse.com
nto the Woods” is undoubtedly the best musical playing in theaters right now. It’s interesting that I can write that sentence, as I can’t remember any time in the previous five years in which there was more than one major Hollywood musical to choose from. The other is “Annie,” of course, which is an updated and slicker (read: worse) version of the 1977 musical about a plucky orphan and her dog warming the heart of a rich old man. For whatever reason, the filmmakers thought that the 1933 setting was too outdated for modern audiences.
Screen JOHN DEVORE
“
Sondheim is one of the best composers of a generation and “Into the Woods” is an exceptionally transcendent example of his work.”
“Into the Woods” doesn’t suffer from such notions, as Disney might as well own the rights to “once upon a time” tales, and fits well into them. However, a Disney adaptation means censorship and whitewashing, which will always weaken the source material. The darkness found in “Into the Woods” is lightened, but only just so, and the music and cast are more than enough to counter any weaknesses in the cuts. “Into the Woods” is as faithful an adaptation as can be expected and should please fans of Stephen Sondheim to no end. Audiences unfamiliar with his work are likely to be pleased as well. The film is a wonderful retelling of several Grimm’s Fairytales, full of the usual crossed narratives common in Sondheim’s work. Musicals of this sort need fast pacing to counter the thin archetypal characters. As this is a film based on a Sondheim work, these archetypes are twisted versions of the familiar tales, rounded in places, but square enough to fit the necessary tropes. The film follows the wishes of four major groups: the Baker and his Wife (James Corden and Emily Blunt) who want a child, Cinderella (Anna Kendrick) who wants to go to the king’s festival, Jack and his Mother (Daniel Huttlestone and Tracy Ullman) who want to survive, and Little Red Riding Hood (Lilla Crawford) who
elevation
photography -‐-‐ ffine ine a ap rt -‐-‐ h home ome d décor écor photography rt handmade jjewelry ewelry h – o other ther ccool ool sstuff tuff handmade –
181 R River iver S Street treet @ @ C Coolidge oolidge P Park ark 181
Grand Opening
wants to bring food to her grandmother. Looming over each of these stories is the Witch (Meryl Streep) who seeks to make herself young again. The Witch sets the Baker and his Wife on a quest to find four items, each belonging to one of the main characters. They all interact in the titular woods. The story is, of course, secondary to the music. Sondheim is one of the best composers of a generation and “Into the Woods” is an exceptionally transcendent example of his work. As with any adaptation, cuts need to be made. Thirteen songs found in the stage version are missing from the film; however, some are simply reprises. Additionally, Sondheim composed two new songs specifically for the film, both of which were cut for pacing reasons. The film is just over two hours long, but seems to drag towards the end. Had the director not cut certain scenes (or simply jammed them into one, as is the case with Cinderella’s wedding), the film might have been able to flesh out the story and allow the audience to follow without getting bored. As it is, the false ending feels too real and what follows too tacked on. The film might have been better served by trusting the source
material more. Yet even with the pacing problems, the film is dynamic and entertaining. Much of this is due to the talent of the cast. While Meryl Streep cannot compete with Bernadette Peters in any vocal competition, her chops as an actress make up for it. Anna Kendrick and Emily Blunt both excel in their roles, as does James Corden. The film’s highlight, however, comes from the performance of “Agony” by the Princes (Chris Pine and Billy Magnussan). Their casting is perfect for the roles—if any of the reprises needed to be kept, “Agony” is one. It seems that big-budget musicals will soon become a staple of the holiday season. There are several in development, with famous names like “Gypsy,” Little Shop of Horrors,” and “Cats.” These films are fairly safe and have a built-in fan base, much like certain superheroes we all know and love. But the planned remake of “Guys and Dolls” gives me pause. Some things were perfect in their original form. Hollywood might need to make a hard stop before someone tries to sell a new version of “Singin’ in the Rain” with Taylor Swift and Channing Tatum.
Saturday, M May ay 3 31 1 -‐-‐ 1 10a.m. 0a.m. Saturday, Live m music usic ffeaturing eaturing Live th Street. Stompers Lon E Eldridge ldridge & & T The he 9 9th Lon Street. Stompers
bar
Drink Specials
Tuesday: 1/2 priced wine Wednesday: $4 featured infusions Thursday: 25% off low-grav drafts Friday: 25% off bottled beer Sunday: Brunch! $5 Bloody Marys and $3 mimosas ‘til close 55 Johnson Street flyingsquirrelbar.com
Weekday specials are from 5-10pm chattanoogapulse.com • january 1-7, 2015 • The Pulse • 21
1
How To Have A Really Happy New Year Officer Alex suggests starting off 2015 without being pulled over
“
Practice made me good enough that I could call your blood alcohol level (or B.A.C.) within about two tenths of a point, like Babe Ruth would call his home runs.”
When officer Alexander D. Teach is not patrolling our fair city on the heels of the criminal element, he spends his spare time volunteering for the Boehm Birth Defects Center.
Three simple letters, D-UI, but such a fascinating topic. Merely a misdemeanor, yet such a deep wound it leaves, both on the offender and the victim when involved. Vagrants to politicians, payday loan managers to doctors, ALEX firemen to cops…it’s the great equalizer. And like a legal shark, it has so many rows of teeth when you’re caught in its gullet. Would you believe in America that a cop can force blood from your arm? I don’t mean by giving you a stern look and asking very loudly, either. No, by “force” I mean have a group of people take you to a hospital’s mandated padded psychiatric evaluation room, hold each limb down if necessary, and stick a needle in your vein while you froth from the lips with drug or alcohol-induced rage. Crazy, yeah? No refusal, no lawyer present, just a very annoyed nurse and a bunch of excited E.R. orderlies if it’s been a slow day. (Lawyers and court come later.) By now, several of you reading this are getting warm about the face and gripping the paper (or optical mouse) tightly in a mix of anger (which is actually shame) and introspection, having been down the DUI road before.
22 • The Pulse • january 1-7, 2015 • chattanoogapulse.com
Relax. It’s in your past and will generally remain there, but it’s a tough row to hoe and not by accident. Orphaned kids and grieving parents have a chilling effect on legislators, but we have all been guilty of it most TEACH likely, and quite simply not everyone gets caught. With that bit out of the way, you always hear your buddy (let’s call him “Hank” for no reason at all) complain about how “It was such bullshit.” How he was a victim of a quota or a chip on the cop’s shoulder or how he was prescribed those medications so it couldn’t be illegal to drive. There was ice on the road, he didn’t wreck because he was drunk, but, but, but…“Feh.” I started my career working Brainerd. Everyone partied there, and they all drove drunk, and it didn’t take a lot of training to make a case, but a good cop had his or her ducks in a row or you wasted a lot of time. This demographic was going to have lawyers and preachers show up. Did you know that it’s still illegal to drive without your headlights on even when there are street lights sufficiently lighting the place? (I know you know, but the
On The Beat
customers always argue it.) What you don’t know is that about eight in ten drivers pulling out of a bar at night without headlights on are drunk, and that’s a good reason to follow them. Swerving (or as it’s known in the business, “crossing left of center”), headlights on or out, those are signs, but I prefer “speeding” or failure to use a turn signal or a bad tag or tail light to establish the reason for pulling you over. Then I just talk to you. I’m not going into detail about the tests we administer because while I’m a terrible human being, I’m not giving advice on how to beat them accidentally or otherwise… but practice made me good enough that I could call your blood alcohol level (or B.A.C.) within about two tenths of a point, like Babe Ruth would call his home runs, and as I got better I didn’t care if you refused it (as you’re advised), because besides the automatic suspended license, I could articulate your conviction to a judge or jury without blood or breath.
Eventually I went from counting centerline dips on midnight shift to becoming a dayshift patrolman where I let the skill atrophy due to infrequency. But I’d still get reminded now and then by someone who was N.D.D.Y. (not done drinking yet) that would pass my marked patrol car at 10 a.m. with a flat tire and the rim kicking up a rooster tail of sparks as they ran a red light in the center lane. And off I’d go. The great equalizer. The bringer of death in some cases, but humility in all, is just a few beers or whiskeys away, so be mindful of the beast. And know that if I’m making you recite the “Two All Beef Patties” song while leaning backwards, you’re probably about to go free and I’m just screwing with you. But if you’ve made a parent grieve…there’s a padded room and an annoyed nurse with a clipboard that literally has your name on it waiting for you. Behave. And be safe. And of course, Happy New Year, baby.
Free Will Astrology CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Even in normal times, you are a fount of regeneration. Your ever-growing hair and fingernails are visible signs of your nonstop renewal. A lot of other action happens without your conscious awareness. For example, your tastebuds replace themselves every two weeks. You produce 200 billion red blood cells and 10 billion white blood cells every day. Every month the epidermis of your skin is completely replaced, and every 12 months your lungs are composed of a fresh set of cells. In 2015, you will continue to revitalize yourself in all these ways, but will also undergo a comparable regeneration of your mind and soul. Here’s my prediction: This will be a year of renaissance, rejuvenation, and reinvention. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “Sometimes I can feel my bones straining under the weight of all the lives I’m not living,” says a character in Jonathan Safran Foer’s novel Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. If you have ever felt that way, Aquarius, I predict that you will get some relief in 2015. Your bones won’t be straining as much as they have in the past because you will be living at least one of the lives you have wanted to live but haven’t been able to before. How you will handle all the new lightness that will be available? PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “Erotomania” is a word for the erroneous fantasies people entertain when they imagine that a celebrity is in love with them. Laughable, right? Just because I have dreams of Game of Thrones actress Lena Headey texting me seductive notes doesn’t mean that she genuinely yearns for my companionship.
rob brezsny
And yet most of us, including you and me, harbor almost equally outlandish beliefs and misapprehensions about all kinds of things. They may not be as far-fetched as those that arise from erotomania, but they are still out of sync with reality. The good news, Pisces, is that in 2015 you will have the best chance ever to become aware of and shed your delusions—even the longrunning, deeply rooted kinds. ARIES (March 21-April 19): Most salamanders reproduce by laying eggs, but the alpine salamander doesn’t. Females of that species give birth to live young after long pregnancies that may last three years. What does this have to do with you? Well, I expect you to experience a metaphorical pregnancy in the coming months. Even if you’re male, you will be gestating a project or creation or inspiration. And it’s important that you don’t let your the incubation period drag on and on and on, as the alpine salamanders do. I suggest you give birth no later than July. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Maybe you have had a dream like this: You’re wandering around a house you live in, and at the end of a long hallway you come to a door you’ve never seen before. How could you have missed it in the past? It must have been there the whole time. You turn the knob, open the door, and slip inside. Amazing! The room is full of interesting things that excite your imagination. What’s more, on the opposite wall there’s another door that leads to further rooms. In fact, you realize there’s an additional section of the house you have never known about or explored. Whether or not you have had a
dream like that, Taurus, I’m betting that in 2015, you will experience a symbolically similar series of events in your waking life. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): The Greek god Zeus had seven wives. Themis, Leto, Eurynome and Hera were among them. Another was his older sister Demeter, and a sixth was his aunt Mnemosyne. Then there was the sea nymph Metis. Unfortunately, he ate Metis—literally devoured her—which effectively ended their marriage. In 2015, Gemini, I encourage you to avoid Zeus’s jumbled, complicated approach to love and intimacy. Favor quality over quantity. Deepen your focus rather than expanding your options. Most importantly, make sure your romantic adventures never lead to you feeling fragmented or divided against yourself. This is the year you learn more than ever before about what it’s like for all the different parts of you to be united. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Here are three of my top wishes for you in 2105: You will have a clear, precise sense of what’s yours and what’s not yours…of what’s possible to accomplish and what’s impossible…of what will be a good influence on you and what won’t be. To help ensure that these wishes come true, refer regularly to the following advice from Cancerian author Elizabeth Gilbert: “You need to learn how to select your thoughts just the same way you select your clothes every day. That’s a power you can cultivate. If you want to control things in your life so bad, work on the mind. That’s the only thing you should be trying to control.”
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Author Robert Moss has published 27 books. When he talks about the art of launching and completing big projects, I listen attentively. There’s one piece of advice he offers that would be particularly helpful for you to keep in mind throughout the first half of 2015. “If we wait until we are fully prepared in order to do something, we may never get it done,” he says. “It’s important to do things before we think we are ready.” Can you handle that, Leo? Are you willing to give up your fantasies about being perfectly qualified and perfectly trained and perfectly primed before you dive in? VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): The fish known as the coelacanths were thought to have become extinct 66 million years ago. That was when they disappeared from the fossil record. But in 1938 a fisherman in South Africa caught a live coelacanth. Eventually, whole colonies were discovered in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Africa and near Indonesia. I foresee a comparable phenomenon happening in your life during the coming months, Virgo. An influence you believed to have disappeared from your life will resurface. Should you welcome and embrace it? Here’s what I think: Only if you’re interested in its potential role in your future, not because of a nostalgic attachment. , LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “Nothing brings people closer than business,” said composer Arnold Schoenberg. You could be living proof of that hypothesis in 2015, Libra. Your drive to engage in profitable activities will be at a peak, and so will your
knack for making good decisions about profitable activities. If you cash in on these potentials, your social life will flourish. Your web of connections will expand and deepen. You will generate high levels of camaraderie by collaborating with allies on productive projects. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Deathwatch beetles have a peculiar approach to the mating game. Their seduction technique consists of smacking their heads against a hard object over and over again. This generates a tapping sound that is apparently sexy to potential partners. I discourage you from similar behaviors as you seek the kind of love you want in 2015. The first rule of romantic engagement is this: Sacrificing or diminishing yourself may seem to work in the short run, but it can’t possibly lead to lasting good. If you want to stir up the best results, treat yourself with tenderness and respect. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Dieterich Buxtehude (1637-1707) was a German composer whose organ music is still played today. He was a major influence on a far more famous German composer, Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). When Bach was a young man, he decided it was crucial for him to experience Buxtehude’s music first-hand. He took a leave of absence from his job and walked over 250 miles to the town where Buxtehude lived. There he received the guidance and inspiration he sought. In 2015, Sagittarius, I’d love to see you summon Bach’s determination as you go in quest of the teaching you want and need.
chattanoogapulse.com • january 1-7, 2015 • The Pulse • 23
now open
GIVE GORGEOUS GET GORGEOUS Gift Cards Available
HEAVENLY SKIN IS ALWAYS IN Free wax service on your first visit. Call 423.785.8000 or visit waxcenter.com/tn-chattanooga
REVEALING BEAUTIFUL SKIN
CHATTANOOGA / NOW OPEN / 423.785.8000 europeanwax
345 Frazier Avenue, Suite #101 / Chattanooga, TN 37405