The Pulse - Vol. 7, Issue 25

Chattanooga’s Weekly Alternative

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FREE • News, Views, Music, Film, Arts & Entertainment • June 24, 2010 • Volume 7, Issue 25 • www.chattanoogapulse.com

President Jim Brewer, II Publisher Zachary Cooper Contributing Editor Janis Hashe News Editor / Art Director Gary Poole Advertising Manager Rhonda Rollins Advertising Sales Rick Leavell, Leif Sawyer, Townes Webb Graphic Design Jennifer Grelier Staff Photographer Louis Lee Contributing Writers Gustavo Arellano, Erik Bhatnagar Rob Brezsny, Chuck Crowder Michael Crumb, Joshua Hurley Phillip Johnston, Matt Jones Mark Kehoe, Ernie Paik Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D. Stephanie Smith, Alex Teach Editorial Cartoonist Rick Baldwin Calendar Editor Kathryn Dunn Editorial Intern Ashley Miller Copy Assistants Bryanna Burns, Sean Lee Videography Josh Lang Contact Info: Phone (423) 265-9494 Fax (423) 266-2335 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

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Chattanooga’s Weekly Alternative

AL Y se NU KEL ES Pul AN LI AD he UN MR in T O k

JUNE

10 GREAT DIVE FOR LIVE

By Chuck Crowder A little off the beaten path, you cross the street to the muffled sounds of live music blaring inside the walls of a small nondescript brick building, with windows so plastered by upcoming show posters that it’s hard to make out who’s on stage without stepping inside. With the flash of an ID, a small cover charge and a hand stamp, you step inside.

feature stories 14 DRIFTERS TAG CHATTANOOGA

By Stephanie Smith About three years ago Joshua Britt, a young mandolin player from Kentucky, moved to Nashville to find a music career. One day he was wandering around the Belmont University campus and he met Zach Bevill, a guitar player from Illinois.

20 POETICS OF SCULPTURE

By Michael Crumb Public Art Chattanooga has installed seven more sculptures at various downtown locations, and, fortunately, the River Gallery has introduced new work by Russell Whiting into their sculpture garden.

26 NOT TOYING WITH OUR HEARTS

By Phillip Johnston There seems to be a curse laid down on popular movie trilogies: somewhere along the line, they all seem to sink into failure. Think of the hackneyed attempts at poeticism in The Godfather Part III, or the imprudent cuteness of the Ewoks in Return of the Jedi.

news & views 5 6 8 18 24 30

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

everything else 4 5 7 15 16 21 25 27 28 28 29 29

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

Letters to the Editor More Student Stories I appreciate Janis Hashe and her article covering the dropout rate in Chattanooga colleges. For over three years I have been working and going to school here at UTC. Here’s what I would like to add to Janis’s article.

1. The students here, just like “JC”, keep trying to change the university instead of learning how to work with it—just like they would have to do in a real world job position…I can’t tell you how many times I have heard students trying to argue and B.S. their way into grades instead of just studying.

A good majority of these students seem to think the world owes them good grades.

Bosses can be “dicks” too, good luck fixing that.

2. It’s not really a financial problem preventing their dropping out, as much as it is an unwillingness to live poor for a few years. So many students try to make car payments and apartment payments and ridiculous cell phone payments instead of living lean and hungry for a while. It’s like they are trying to live as if they already have a degree and have financially arrived. Of course, those are all ego and entitlement

issues.

3. College might be one of the great American lies. I know many people with diplomas (outside medical fields, engineering, business, and science) who have jobs totally unrelated to their diploma, and that includes waiting tables, where they make more money than working in their field of expertise. Also, so many get out of school with so much debt that they would have been better off never having gone and maybe read a Dave Ramsey “Financial Peace” book and learned how to accumulate wealth the oldfashioned way.

I personally regret having made the decision to pursue my own degree in the arts, which is probably going to get me a job back in the restaurant biz or mowing yards, except now I am way in debt and could have read most of these books at home…I also admit that there are corporate vultures who the university here caters to, like Aramark.

The book situation is totally set up against the student, with the university and the publishers working together to extract as much money as possible from the students.

Sometimes the publishers will just simply change a few photos and page numbers,

call it the new edition, and jack the price up with no resale value for the last edition. So yes, the student is under financial attack…

But, as always, it is up to the individual to get smarter and more resourceful regardless of what’s going on.

What I have seen though, is unbelievable generosity of some of the professors who helped me when I lost my place to live and couldn’t even feed myself. Professors who worked with me when my best friend got shot, professors who took me to lunch when I was living in my car, and professors who spoke with me over coffee when I thought I was going to lose my mind.

Stephen Mayes Saving Animals My daughter and I visited Hamilton Place Mall last month. I told my daughter that I was going into Hallmark and she could view the puppies at The Pet Company. She was back in a minute and told me that the smell was so bad that she could not stand it. I must have been really bad for her not to want to look at the puppies! So glad that McKamey came to the rescue.

Mimi Blaileigh

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 25 | June 24, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

Pulse Beats

Quote Of The Week:

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

“This campaign will see that project through to completion as we work together to create a state-of-the art multipurpose performing arts center that honors our veterans and troops.”

—Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield, on plans to raise private funds to restore the Community Theater at Memorial Auditorium.

Furniture Bank To Recycle Used Furniture This Saturday, the Chattanooga Furniture Bank needs your help to recycle “gently used” furniture into an inviting home environment for those in need. The Furniture Bank will hold a used furniture drive from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at eight locations in the Greater Chattanooga Area.

The Furniture Bank has been very successful in the three months since its grand opening in March. There are currently 50 people on a waiting list because inventory is running low. The Bank is especially short on kitchen furniture. Since January of 2010, the Furniture Bank has served more than 100 families and individuals in the Chattanooga area.

If you would like to help, you can take your gently used furniture to one of eight drop-off points around Hamilton County. If you don’t have used furniture to donate, the Furniture Bank will also accept financial donations to help purchase much-needed used furniture and other household items. All donations, financial or material, are tax deductible.

These are the eight locations where you can drop off gently used furniture this Saturday: • Hickory Valley: St. Michael’s Cathedral, 2330 Hickory Valley Road • Hixson: Clear Creek Church of Christ, 5612 Hixson Pike • Red Bank: Red Bank Church of Christ, 3600 Dayton Blvd.

• North Chattanooga: Northside Presbyterian Church, 923 Mississippi Ave. • St. Elmo: Calvary Chapel, 3415 South Broad Street • East Ridge: Town Hall, 1517 Tombras Ave. • Signal Mountain: Signal Mtn. Baptist

Church, 939 Ridgeway Ave. The Furniture Bank especially needs kitchen tables and chairs, beds, bed frames, headboards, night stands, lamps, couches, coffee tables, TVs, TV stands, end tables, recliners, kitchen appliances, book shelves, clean linens, dishes, free-standing cabinets, microwaves, fans and refrigerators.

The Chattanooga Furniture Bank is a partnership between the Salvation Army and United Way of Greater Chattanooga, funded in part by a grant from the City of Chattanooga’s Department of Neighborhood Services and Community De-

Here is one of the more interesting agenda items set to be discussed at the Tuesday, June 29 meeting of the Chattanooga City Council.

velopment.

For more information, call (423) 757-9527 or go to www.LiveUnitedChattanooga.org.

EPB’s Fan Fund Provides Relief This year EPB is bringing back its Power Share Fan Fund program to help customers throughout the community beat the summer heat. In partnership with local Ace Hardware stores, EPB will collect donations from customers for the purchase of fans and then distribute fans to those in need until July 23.

EPB is also encouraging community members in need to apply for a free fan by calling United Way’s 2-1-1 at (423) 265-8000.

“The summer can be a dangerous time for those people in our community who do not have central air,” says EPB’s Karen Thomas, Senior Manager of Customer Service. “In an effort to make the summer safer and more comfortable for our neighbors in need, we have once again teamed up with our customers, Ace Hardware and United Way, to make the summer safer and more comfortable for everyone. We had great success with this project last year and look forward to the difference we can make this summer.”

Collection cans will be placed at each cash register at all Chattanooga Ace Hardware locations, and EPB will be collecting donations at the Chattanooga Market on June 20 and 27 and July 4, 11 and 18. Donations may also be made at any of the three EPB office locations: • Downtown: 10 West M.L. King Blvd.

• Brainerd: 5830 Brainerd Road • Hixson: 2124 Northpoint Blvd.

For more information or questions on how to help, call EPB at (423) 648-1EPB.

7. Resolutions: c) A resolution authorizing the Department of Parks and Recreation to accept a donation from Bi-Lo, LLC in the amount of $24,000.00 to provide twelve (12) free youth clinics, camps, skills, competitions and/or leagues involving various interests, five (5) specialty week long youth summer camps (Kidz Kamp, Zooability Camp, Outventure Camp, Art Camp, and Tennis Camp) and a teen basketball league to be provided by the City of Chattanooga Parks and Recreation Department.

With so much attention being paid to budgets and taxes and annexation and such, it’s nice every once in a while to point out some of the good news coming before the council, such as this wonderful donation from Bi-Lo, one of the city's best corporate citizens.

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 meetings, visit www.

Chattanooga.gov/City_Council/110_Agenda.asp

www.chattanoogapulse.com | June 24, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 25 | The Pulse

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Beyond The Headlines

Why Not Ida?

There is a debate right

By Mark Kehoe

“If we are going to make a change, then why don’t we make a change that truly embodies the American spirit?”

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now about who should be on the $50 bill. If a bill introduced in March 2010 passes, then Ronald Reagan would replace Ulysses S. Grant on the bank note. There are some good reasons why Reagan should have his picture on a bank note.

There are also compelling reasons to keep Grant on the bill. Yet, if we are going to make a change, then why don’t we make a change that truly embodies the American spirit? How about Ida B. Wells on the fifty?

Why Ida B. Wells? First of all, it’s unfortunate that so many people do not know who she was. Her contemporaries Booker T. Washington (first person to head the Tuskegee Institute) and W.E.B. Dubois (founder of the NAACP) received so much more recognition than she did. Whereas Washington and (sometimes) Dubois were diplomatic and careful about how they presented their messages, Ida felt she should not compromise in her fight against lynchings. In fact, Ida devoted more than

The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 25 | June 24, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

20 years of her life to her anti-lynching campaign.

Born into slavery in 1862 Mississippi, Ida learned the value of hard work and independence at an early age. In fact, she became a schoolteacher when she was just 16. She eventually became a journalist and was known for her careful research and the use of statistics in her articles. However, a life-changing moment came when three of her friends were killed in Memphis. This is when her anti-lynching activism started.

In 1892, a white mob murdered Thomas Moss, Calvin McDowell, and Will Stewart.

To make matters worse, a jury stated the crimes were committed by unknown men.

Yet, if that were true, then why were there specific details in the papers about how the men were killed? Ida made this point in a speech about the murders entitled “Lynch Law in All its Phases”. It was about a year after the killings when Ida delivered her first anti-lynching speech.

In the speech, Ida recounts the murders of her three friends. The speech is well written and shows Ida’s passion and emotion. For example, she said, “I cannot believe the apathy and indifference which so largely obtains regarding mob rule is other than ignorance of the true situation…The operations of law do not dispose of negroes fast enough, and lynching bees have become the favorite pastime of the South.”

For more than two decades and with threats of violence against her, Ida continued writing articles and touring the country giving speeches. Even as she

became alienated from many because of her outspoken and uncompromising personality, she still devoted her time and energy to this cause that so many people did not even care about.

In 1909, Ida spoke at the initial meeting of the NAACP in New York City. In her speech, “Lynching, Our National Crime”, Ida was trying to convince the young group to join her in the struggle against lynchings.

Though it was 15 years after her first speech, Ida was consistent with her passionate tone as she said, “Various remedies have been suggested to abolish the lynching infamy, but year after year, the butchery of men, women, and children continues in spite of plea and protest…In a multitude of counsel there is wisdom. Upon the grave question presented by the slaughter of innocent men, women, and children there should be an honest, courageous conference of patriotic, law-abiding citizens anxious to punish crime promptly, impartially and by due process of law, also to make life, liberty and property secure against mob rule.”

It may just be a coincidence that Ida B. Wells and the $50 bill share a birthday—1862. However, it is rather poetic.

Also, what better way to celebrate the coming 150th anniversary of the birth of Ida and the fifty by putting her on the note?

It may have been a century ago that Ida B. Wells fought and spoke out for this basic human right—the right to live. Yet, looking back, Ida personified the essence of being an American by her passion, persistence, and fearless outspoken nature.

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.

County EMS personnel arrived on the scene. EMS transported the victim to Erlanger Medical Center.

• Two Chattanooga men are being called heroes by emergency personnel following a single vehicle crash on I-75 last week. A Jeep driven by a 47-year-old man left I-75 North at the Collegedale Exit, hit a sign pole and flipped around.

The driver was reportedly ejected upon impact and landed underneath the rear of the vehicle. Several motorists saw the accident and stopped, including Joe Palmer and Hudson Smith, who were heading for work. As they approached the wreck, Palmer said fire broke out in the engine compartment of the Jeep. Seeing how badly the victim was injured, the two men determined that it would not be good to move him. So, they quickly decided to use their pickup truck and tow rope to pull the burning Jeep a safe distance away from the victim.

Moments later, the Jeep was totally engulfed in flames. Two other people also stopped to lend a hand. Kayla Morrison, an EMT with the Tri-Community Fire Department, and Clifford Graham, an EMT with Southeast Ambulance stopped to provide first aid to the victim until Chattanooga firefighters and Hamilton

• 911 operators have learned over the years that kids often like to make prank calls, but they are trained to take every call seriously, no matter how unlikely it seems. Even so, Walker County 911 officials were justifiably skeptical when a group of kids playing in a creek called 911 after they found a baby alligator. But they dispatched animal control officers anyway...and found that the kids were, in fact, telling the truth.

When officers arrived on the scene they found a two-foot-long alligator. The reptile was captured and was transported to South Georgia to be released. County officials said the officers have no idea how the gator made its way into the creek.

• One of the worst calls an officer can receive is a report of a kidnapping.

Which makes it especially annoying when the report turns out to be far less than the truth. Chattanooga police still have a number of questions for an 18

year old who claimed she was kidnapped last week. The boyfriend of the girl called police early in the morning saying his girlfriend had called him, telling him she had been kidnapped by an old boyfriend.

While police were speaking with the current boyfriend, he received several more phone calls and text messages telling him she was in East Ridge at one point, then in Tiftonia. Police searched both areas, each time coming up empty. Then officers located the former boyfriend who had supposedly kidnapped the girl, even while the phone calls kept coming in. It was later learned that she was in the East Chattanooga area the entire time. Officials are still trying to piece together exactly what happened and whether or not the girl should be charged with filing a false police report.

Get the very latest local news and information updated multiple times a day chattanoogapulse.com

www.chattanoogapulse.com | June 24, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 25 | The Pulse

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Shrink Rap

By Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D

The Myth of the Perfect Parent L et’s start here: There’s no such thing as “perfect parenting.” There’s “Everyone’s issues are different and unique, based upon a combination of genetics, the particular brand of parenting you received, and the experiences and relationships you’ve attracted during your journey so far.”

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good parenting, great parenting, amazing parenting—but no perfect parenting. Unfortunately, there’s also poor parenting and really poor parenting. It continues to amaze me that we need a license to fish, drive, shoot, and marry, and no license to parent. The most important and influential job on the planet requires no degree, experience, or an I.Q. test.

I shake my head in wonder.

OK, so now you know why there’s therapy.

I’m being somewhat facetious when I say that, but not fully, because the impossibility of perfect parenting naturally yields issues.

The parenting your parents received, and their parents received, and on and on back through your family tree; and where (if ever) the dysfunctional cycles were interrupted and corrected; and if anyone along the way received guidance and support that was healthy, wise, and, of course, loving; results in the range and intensity and type of issues you are now dealing with.

Mind you, this is only speaking to the “nurture” part of “nature vs. nurture.”

Genetics counts. Some feel it counts even more profoundly than environment, but I’m of the school of thought that it depends on the issues or attributes we’re talking about as to which influence claims title. For example, some tendencies such as alcoholism and depression are believed to have a strong

The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 25 | June 24, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

genetic component. So, you may suffer with an addiction or mood disorder, for instance, which comes more from the ancestral tree than from how you were raised. At the same time, there are many childhood issues that will plant the seeds of depression (and anxiety) without, necessarily, any family history of these. Think about it: If you received parenting that put you down and discouraged your talents and natural inclinations, you’re probably going to be dealing with, among other issues, depression and self-esteem problems in adulthood. If parenting made you a nervous child, afraid of anger or with a dread of disappointing adults, this will likely result in anxiety.

These are just a few broad brushstrokes, but you get the idea.

So now let’s talk about personal responsibility. From the above, we can conclude that some issues we inherit, some are parented into us, and some we obviously bring about ourselves. And we’re going to have some pretty strong feelings about all this (which is where therapy comes in.)

Now let’s imagine ourselves moving past blame. Because for every issue handed to us on a silver platter by our well-intentioned but imperfect parents, or one that trickled down the limbs of the ol’ genetic tree, there

are ways to grow through the difficulties.

And for every issue we imperfect adult children of these parents have stumblingly brought upon ourselves, there are ways to heal, there are ways to re-parent ourselves to become healthier human beings.

Therapists, friends, mentors, kind and nonjudgmental preachers and teachers, support meetings, wellness books/tapes/ lectures, and more are available for whatever ails us. But it’s our responsibility to seek out the wisdom and guidance that inspires the best healer within. You’ve read it before in this column: We already have everything

Shrink Rap we need to grow and to heal. We just sometimes need a jumpstart of inspiration, the wisdom born of patience, the kindness that nurtures insight, to get it right, to get back on track. We need to reach out. We need to feel lovable and worthy. We need to feel that we’re not alone.

And it ain’t always easy, is it? When we organize our thinking around “mind” “body” and “spirit,” you may find that you feel physically well and emotionally solid, but you’re flailing or confused about the state of your spirituality. Or perhaps you feel close with your Higher Power, and centered emotionally and psychologically, but struggle with an eating disorder or physical ailment. (I don’t know about you, but I’m still working off a layer of winter fat … ugh!)

And of course, everyone’s issues are different and unique, based upon a combination of genetics, the particular brand of parenting you received, and the experiences and relationships you’ve attracted during your journey so far. And I cannot underscore the significance of healthy relationships enough. In my second book, The Power of a Partner, many pages are devoted to the importance of choosing wisely when it comes to both friendships and romantic/intimate/sexual relationships.

Inherent in the vulnerability that is a natural and necessary part of partnering up, is the influence, both subtle and overt, that a partner has with us, and we with him/her.

To surround yourself with supportive and accepting sig others who sometimes make you laugh, and are there to hold you close when you cry, is one of the best healing treatments I know.

Until next time, in the words of Henry David Thoreau, “Live each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influences of each.”

And from Oscar Wilde: “Be yourself.

Everyone else is already taken.”

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

WellNestChattanooga.com, and his web site at www.DrRPH.com

www.chattanoogapulse.com | June 24, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 25 | The Pulse

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Cover Story

Great Dive

By Chuck Crowder

“Despite its modest surroundings, you’ve just entered Chattanooga’s equivalent of the cutting-edge music venues of larger cities.”

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The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 25 | June 24, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

for Live

A little off the beaten path, you cross the street to the muffled sounds of live music blaring inside the walls of a

small nondescript brick building, with windows so plastered by upcoming show posters that it’s hard to make out who’s on stage without stepping inside.

With the flash of an ID, a small cover charge and a hand stamp, you step inside. The tiny stage on the left reveals what is likely one of the area’s top local acts, or, if you don’t recognize them, perhaps a regional or national gem you’ll probably hear from again. Because despite its modest surroundings, you’ve just entered Chattanooga’s equivalent of the cutting-edge music venues of larger cities, such as the Whiskey in LA or CBGB’s in New York—only, compared to one famous CB trademark, JJ’s bathrooms are, in fact, filthier.

Cover Story But that’s rock n’ roll. Dirty, grimy, dark, brooding, beerdrenched and, thank God—loud. And unlike anywhere else in Chattanooga, JJ’s Bohemia delivers some of the best underground indie rock, pop, punk, country and bluegrass in the country. So unless you are in the know enough to grab a spot within JJ’s 100-person nightly capacity, you’re missing out.

Owners John Shoemaker and Jeni Brown had no intention of becoming the ‘noog’s next alt-music mecca when they swung open the doors nearly five years ago.

Actually, they didn’t quite know what they were getting into until it fell right into their laps.

They were by no means the first. What might have been the first incarnation of such a venue happened back in the mid-’80s. Poised where the ill-fated Mix now stands was a shell with a simple stage called the Nucleus. In addition to its role as an inspiration for local punk bands to play outside of their basements, the Nucleus delivered to small, hungry local audiences what the kids in LA were lining up around the corner to see. Red Hot Chili Peppers, Black Flag and many more rocked the Nucleus back when they were still criss-crossing the country in broken-down Chevy vans.

Many other venues followed suit. Hollywood’s on Glass Street, The Brew n’ Cue on McCallie Avenue, many an abandoned storefront, unlikely crossovers such as the Rock n’ Country Club on Lee Highway, which featured not only established acts like Jason & The Scorchers, but up-and-comers such as Mister Crow’s Garden (aka The Black Crowes) and, last but not least, the Lizard Lounge,

Coming Soon To JJ's Bohemia Thursday, June 24 Deep Machine, Arpetrio, Headstache, Dead Baby Robots.

Saturday, June 26 - Day Show Ried Wilson and his so called friends (7 p.m. - 9 p.m.)

Saturday, June 26 Up with the Joneses, Josh Roberts and the Hinges Sunday, June 27 Computer and Friends FREE Dance Party Tuesday, June 29 The Queers Thursday, July 1 Hot New Mexicans, Future Virgins

Friday, July 2 Young Republic, Crystal Thomas, Thursday, July 8 Paleface, Frontier Rucus, Ian Thomas.

Friday, July 9 Cutthroat Shamrock, Molly McGuires, Murdergrass Boys Sunday, July 11 BOH comedy show Friday, July 16 The Bohannons, Cary Ann Hust, Jonny Corndog Saturday, July 17 Christabel and the Jons, Shotgun Party

Thursday, July 22 Rouge Writers Review, Eddies of the Wind Friday, July 24 Jack Oblivian, Bohannons, John Paul Keith, Josh Mayfield.

Tuesday, July 27 Kaiser Cartel Tuesday, August 10 Joe Jack Talcum, Bastards of Fate Saturday, August 14 Poison Control Center, Heavens Basement Wednesday, Auhust 18 The Arrivials, Off with their Heads Read more: www.myspace.com/jjsbohemia

www.chattanoogapulse.com | June 24, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 25 | The Pulse

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Cover Story “I had the lead singer of the Spin Doctors play to crickets one night while a Saturday afternoon punk show was the busiest the bar has ever been.” with a stage graced by the likes of a young Drive By Truckers, Alejandro Escovedo, Cheetah Chrome, Sylvain Sylvain, Nashville Pussy, Neko Case, Tift Merritt and many more. None however, experienced the longevity and success that JJ’s has had in its first half-decade.

Over time, JJ’s has earned such a reputation on the club circuit that bands typically seen in larger venues in larger cities call John on a regular basis to see if they can spend their travel day earning a little extra gas money—and to experience the club so many of their peers have raved about as being one of the best stages in the Southeast to rock out.

Southeast Performer magazine named JJ’s one of the best venues in the region to get booked into. And on first observation, you might wonder why. When you’ve made it past the doorman and make your way over to the bar for a beer, you still might not get it. But as the place fills with local bohemians, and the bands take the stage to strap on their guitars and play a quick chord to ensure the amps are warmed up, the intensity starts to build.

As the band cranks into their first song with the fervor of taking the stage for hundreds instead of the dozens in front of them, you start to feel like you are part of the same unique night the unsuspecting band is about to experience. Because even though the crowd might be much fewer than the numbers they played to last night in Nashville or will

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tomorrow night in Atlanta, nearly every band that comes through JJ’s can’t deny that our ranks make them feel as though we’re doubling in size by the minute.

In fact, the more intense the band’s music, the more the floor shakes, literally. But that could just be the energy sparked by bands such as the Fleshtones, The Slits, King Kong & The Shrines, Monotonix or the Constellations, a band just signed to a four-album deal with Virgin Records.

Or it may just be fate.

“We never set out to start a live music club. In fact, we never intended to start a club at all. At least that wasn’t the plan seven years ago when I was working as a district manager for Jamba Juice in LA,” says John.

“Having spent our entire working careers in the restaurant business, our goal was to move back and start a restaurant,” says Jeni.

After saving tips and whatever they could set aside for five years in the California sun, the two made the trek back east to capitalize on the good fortune of good old Chattanooga. Upon arrival, John went to work helping open the Cold Stone Creamery next to Blue Plate, while Jeni resumed her gig at the Pickle Barrel as they carefully plotted where to do what, and when.

“As we explored several restaurant concepts and potential locations, we ended up changing our minds about the whole idea when our friend Marty Bohannon presented the opportunity of taking over the space once

Cover Story occupied by The Local,” says Jeni.

Without room for a kitchen and wanting to maintain the vibe of the previous establishment, John and Jeni moved in to simply open a bar. Then the bands started calling. With no real booking experience, John took on the task of bringing in talent by trial and error.

“You learn real quickly what bands will draw, how much their performance is worth and how to deal with agents,” says John. “And you’re still always surprised by how it all shakes out. For example, I had the lead singer of the Spin Doctors play to crickets one night while a Saturday afternoon punk show was the busiest the bar has ever been.”

Now JJ’s knows what its regulars want to see, and the show gets better every time—like the hipsterpunk What Cheer? marching band that paraded through the bar and did an impromptu performance on the back patio. Or the recent back porch wrestling match highlighted by a between-bout freak show just before local punk favs the Unsatisfied took the stage.

Whatever’s on the bill, you can be sure it’ll be one of the most entertaining treats this town has to offer.

www.chattanoogapulse.com | June 24, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 25 | The Pulse

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Music Feature

Drifters Tag Chattanooga

By Stephanie Smith

“Our music is described different ways everywhere we play. Folk.

Bluegrass.

Nashville just calls us ‘a band’.”

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Oh I’ll keep on writing songs, and you just sing along / And one day soon I know they’ll take us where we want to go / And everything you see will be along with me / Somewhere down the road —The Farewell Drifters, “Somewhere Down the Road”

A

bout three years ago Joshua Britt, a young mandolin player from Kentucky, moved to Nashville to find a music career. One day he was wandering around the Belmont University campus and he met Zach Bevill, a guitar player from Illinois.

“Zach and I bonded because we were interested in harmonies like the Beach Boys and Paul Simon and [songs from the ’60s and ’70s],” says Britt. “Everybody around us was into bluegrass, but Zach and I were different.”

“We started writing songs—both individually and together—and my brother

The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 25 | June 24, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

Clayton [lead guitarist] came down when we started getting serious. [The other band members] came along—friends first, and then we recruited. Dean [Marold] went to school for the upright bass and Christian [Sedelmyer] was hired as a studio musician, but we loved him so we took him on fulltime. Now it’s the final five of us.”

The Farewell Drifters’ first studio album is Yellow Tag Mondays, a name, incidentally, that came from the weekly sale at Music City Thrift Store in Nashville, where Britt went to buy vinyl of the greats that inspired him when he was new in town and didn’t have any money. Yellow Tag Mondays is a combination of Britt’s self-proclaimed “folky poems” and the complex musicianship of Bevill’s songs; evidently a potent combination, because Nashville has opened its door wide for the young musicians.

“Nashville is sort of about doing your own thing,” says Britt. “So the question is: how do you stand out in Nashville? I think our success is due to the fact that we created something new and different.”

The youthful appeal and musical talent of the band is easy to understand, but placing The Farewell Drifters in a musical genre is difficult to do. So what’s different about their music?

“That’s always the hardest question for us to answer,” explains Britt. “Our music is described different ways everywhere we play.

Folk. Bluegrass. Nashville just calls us ‘a band’.

It’s kind of an advantage—we’re just whatever you’re familiar with—you try not to think about it because that will put you in a place you might not want to be.”

“There’s one word that holds true about our music: acoustic. It’s definitely acoustic, but we

try to take it up a notch. We don’t want to be like a lot of people who are defined by being unplugged. We take parts of bluegrass (where people expect good musicianship) and parts of Paul Simon (like harmony and songwriting that sound brilliant); we take the parts we like and try to avoid the things we don’t like.

“We just have fun. We’re best friends who play music together, not like studio guys or anything. So…we call it acoustic not to offend people.”

The band is proud to remain genre-less.

They want people to take from the music what they will and hope to influence young people to glean from the past in order to perform in the future, in whatever form that music may take. Britt knows he wouldn’t be where he is today were it not for his parents and their generation.

“My parents were musicians who liked bluegrass and who also liked the Beatles,” says Britt. “I think it was a generational thing. A lot of young people heard Paul McCartney sing “Blue Moon of Kentucky”. I first got deep into bluegrass because I saw a Bob Dylan documentary that said the first song he liked was a Bill Monroe song. So I thought I should check it out.”

It’s a good for us that he did. The Farewell Drifters continue their tour with a stop at Nightfall on June 25. Yellow Tag Mondays is on sale now.

The Farewell Drifters Nightfall Concert Series Free 8 pm Friday, June 25 Miller Plaza www.nightfallchattanooga.com

New Music Reviews Robert Wyatt

By Ernie Paik & Stephanie Smith

Box Set

The Farewell Drifters

(Domino)

Yellow Tag Mondays

Going from tragedy to Comicopera, the overflowing Box Set features over three decades worth of Robert Wyatt’s remarkable solo work, starting with the first album (Rock Bottom in 1974) he released after being paralyzed from the waist down by a fall from a third-story window. There seems to be no particular occasion for this release, but that doesn’t matter; it features each of his seven studio albums (skipping his first, the difficult, freestyle The End of an Ear from 1970), a singles compilation, a live album recorded in 1974, and his five-disc EP collection, for a grand total of 14 CDs. Through his assorted methods and collaborators (including Brian Eno, members of Pink Floyd, and many others), what’s striking is the consistency of quality and subtle sensibilities conveyed throughout the catalog, up to the latest release of the set, 2007’s cosmopolitan and pensive Comicopera.

What first grabs the listener is Wyatt’s voice—it’s tender, honest, and unmistakable, and ironically, it gets its power from sounding vulnerable. It can be moving without ever resorting to schmaltz, and his delivery strikes the perfect mood on songs like the Elvis Costello-penned “Shipbuilding” about the toll of war. Wyatt does not shy away from political and social topics and is comfortable with sonic globetrotting, covering the Chilean track “Arauco” and employing the Bengali group Dishari on “Trade Union” on the 1982 compilation Nothing Can Stop Us. His music has aged well, seemingly immune to the risks of being topical, ignoring the flavor-of-the-day in favor of his own organic, often relaxed style with jazz-band leanings and a tone that’s persuasive, not forceful.

While acclaimed and beloved in left-of-center music circles, it’s too bad that Wyatt hasn’t reached a level of exposure like that of Peter Gabriel, another world-minded artist who came from prog rock beginnings. However, having all of this fascinating, reflective, and ambitious (yet largely accessible) music in one place for audiences to absorb can only help.

— Ernie Paik

Nashvillebased band The Farewell Drifters just released their first album entitled Yellow Tag Mondays, a debut album that defies any single comparison to folk, bluegrass or easy listening. The music is fresh, genre-less, harmonically synchronized and acoustically pure. From song to song, the lyrics will surprise the listener with their youthful earnestness. Within 30 seconds of listening to the first song, I knew I was hooked.

“Please Dream of Me Tonight” will please fans of The Everly Brothers with its tight harmonies and remind others of John Denver’s “Country Roads” with its rambling nostalgic story. It is by far one of the happiest, wanna-walk-hand-in-hand-with-my-lovedone-into-the-sunset types of songs I’ve ever heard. “Virginia Bell” is straight-up bluegrass the way purists like it—energetic guitarstrummin’, slippery fiddle-slidin’, and fasterthan-lightnin’ banjo-pickin’.

“I’ve Got Your Heart In My Hand, And I’m Gonna Squeeze” is an instrumental song that was developed after recording sessions had ended, added to ensure more crossover into public radio. The happy song with bluegrass undertones was the inspiration for the band’s recording label, Heart Squeeze Records.

The one cover on the album is a spectacular arrangement of “For No One” by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Worked up by the band in the bathroom ten minutes before they went onstage at Merlefest, the arrangement quickly went viral on YouTube, where it has been seen by thousands of fans already. Beginning with the first five notes of Pachelbel’s Canon, the song takes a more pleasant (and less somber) nostalgic look at love lost. The choice of this song is surprising for, though it suits the mood of their album, the song itself is very difficult musically; the boys succeed brilliantly, producing heart-rending instrumentals (extra kudos to Sedelmyer’s fiddlin’) with a quirkiness all their own.

In short: the music and lyrics are great. The songs are easy to listen to and both remind the listener of the past and give him hope for the future. — Stephanie Smith

www.chattanoogapulse.com | June 24, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 25 | The Pulse

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Music Calendar Thursday Spotlight

Deep Machine, Arpetrio, Headstache, Dead Baby Robots Run the rock spectrum with bands from local to not-so. $7 10 p.m.

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

Thursday From First to Last, For All Those Sleeping, Honor Bright, Faretheewell, Tir Asleen 7 p.m. The Warehouse, 5716 Ringgold Rd., East Ridge. www.myspace.com/warehousetn Karaoke party with DJ Smith 8 p.m. Bourbon Street Music Bar, 2000 E. 23rd St. (423) 826-1985.

Jimmy Harris, Preston Paris 8 p.m. The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202.

(423) 499-5055. www.thepalmsathamilton.com Open Mic 8 p.m. The Riverhouse, 224 Frazier Ave. (423) 752-0066.

Channing Wilson 9 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar, 5751 Brainerd Rd. (423) 499-9878. www.budssportsbar.com Gabriel Newell 9 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260. www. marketstreettavern.com Deep Machine, Arpetrio, Headstache, Dead Baby Robots 10 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400. www.myspace.com/jjsbohemia

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The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 25 | June 24, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

Friday Spotlight

Friday Ralph James 4:30 p.m. The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202.

(423) 499-5055. www.thepalmsathamilton.com Ben Friberg Trio 6:30 p.m. Table Two, 232 East 11th St. (423) 756-8253.

Deas Vail, O’ Brother, Behold the Brave, The Heart Story 7 p.m. The Warehouse, 5716 Ringgold Rd., East Ridge. www. myspace.com/warehousetn Farewell Drifters (opening act Barefoot Nellie) 7 p.m. Nightfall Concert Series, Miller Plaza, 850 Market St. www.nightfallchattanooga.com Rock N’ Roll Spectacular 7:30 p.m. Chattanooga Choo Choo Centennial Theatre, 1400 Market St. (423) 266-5000.

Jimmy Harris 8 p.m. The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202.

(423) 499-5055. www. thepalmsathamilton.com Kings of Canibas 8 p.m. Ziggy’s Hideaway, 607 Cherokee Blvd.

(423) 634-1074. myspace.com/ziggyshideaway Ben Friberg Trio 8:30 p.m. The Foundry, 1201 Broad St. (423) 424-3775. www.chattanooganhotel.com A.J. Valcarcel’s Bitter Lesson 9 p.m. The Riverhouse Pub, 224 Frazier Ave. (423) 752-0066.

Paul Smith and the Bourbon Street Band 9 p.m. Bourbon Street Music Bar,2000 E. 23rd St. (423) 826-1985.

Gabriel Newell 9 p.m. Tremont Tavern, 1203 Hixson Pike. (423) 266-1996. www.tremonttavern.com Bluegrass Pharaohs 9 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260. www.marketstreettavern.com Bud Lightning 10 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar, 5751 Brainerd Rd. (423) 499-9878. www.budssportsbar.com Fly By Radio 10 p.m. Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. (423) 267-4644. www.rhythm-brews.com The Distribution 10 p.m. Discoteca, 304 E. Main St. (423) 386-3066.

Saturday Bluegrass Pharaohs 11 a.m. The Chattanooga River Market, 850 Market St. (423) 265-3700.

New Binkley Brothers Noon. Rock City, 1400 Patten Rd. Lookout Mountain, GA. (706) 820-2531.

Charles Butler Trio 2 p.m. The Chattanooga River Market, 850 Market St. (423) 265-3700.

Ralph James 4:30 p.m. The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202.

(423) 499-5055. www.thepalmsathamilton.com The Armory, Failing the Fairest, Between Two Seas, Fallacy, Stillglow, Gateway 2 Nowhere 5:30 p.m. The Warehouse, 5716 Ringgold Rd., East Ridge. www.myspace.com/warehousetn

Farewell Drifters The Beach Boys meet The Avett Bros.

Free.

8 p.m.

Nightfall, Miller Plaza www.nightfallchattanooga.com Ried Wilson and His So-Called Friends 7 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400. www.myspace.com/jjsbohemia Rock N’ Roll Spectacular 7:30 p.m. Chattanooga Choo Choo Centennial Theatre, 1400 Market St. (423) 266-5000.

Beppe Gambetta 8 p.m. Charles & Myrtle’s Coffeehouse, 105 McBrien Rd. (423) 892-4960. www.christunity.org Jimmy Harris 8 p.m. The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202.

(423) 499-5055. www.thepalmsathamilton.com Cluck 8 p.m. The Office, 901 Carter St. (inside Days Inn).

Ben Friberg Trio 8:30 p.m. The Foundry, 1201 Broad St. (423) 424-3775. www.chattanooganhotel.com Dana Rogers 9 p.m. The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202.

(423) 499-5055. www.thepalmsathamilton.com Paul Smith and the Special Moments Band 9 p.m. Bourbon Street Music Bar, 2000 E. 23rd St. (423) 826-1985.

Music Calendar

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

Saturday Spotlight

Up With The Joneses Final appearance of local faves in current incarnation. $7 10 p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400. www.myspace.com/jjsbohemia Open Mic Night 9 p.m. Mudpie Restaurant, 12 Frazier Ave. (423) 267-9043. www.mudpierestuarant.com Rick Rushing & The Blues Strangers 9 p.m. Tremont Tavern, 1203 Hixson Pike. (423) 266-1996. www.tremonttavern.com Girlz. Girlz Girlz with Danger Kitty 9:30 p.m. Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. (423) 267-4644. www.rhythm-brews.com Up With the Joneses, Josh Roberts and the Hinges 10 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400. www.myspace.com/jjsbohemia Tone Harm 10 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260. www.marketstreettavern.com

Sunday New Binkley Brothers Noon. Rock City, 1400 Patten Rd. Lookout Mountain, GA. (706) 820-2531.

Charles Butler Trio 12:30 p.m. The Chattanooga Market, First Tennessee Pavilion, 1826 Carter St. (423) 648-2496.

Sunday Spotlight

Nick Gill 12:30 p.m. The Chattanooga Market, 850 Market St. (423) 265-3700.

The Dean Martinis 2 p.m. The Chattanooga Market, First Tennessee Pavilion, 1826 Carter St. (423) 648-2496.

Nick Gill 3:30 p.m. The Chattanooga Market, First Tennessee Pavilion, 1826 Carter St. (423) 648-2496.

Open Mic w/Jeff Daniels 4 p.m. Ms. Debbie’s Nightlife Lounge 4762 Highway 58, (423) 485-0966. myspace.com/debbieslounge Irish Music Sessions 6:30 p.m. Tremont Tavern, 1203 Hixson Pike. (423) 266-1996. www.tremonttavern.com Will Hoge, J Roddy Walston & The Business, American Bang 9 p.m. Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. (423) 267-4644. www.rhythm-brews.com Computer and Friends Free Dance Party 10 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400. www.myspace.com/jjsbohemia

Monday Old Tyme Players 6 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260. www.marketstreettavern.com Paul Lohorn and the Monday Nite Big Band 7 p.m. Lindsay Street Hall, 901 Lindsay Street. (423) 755-9111.

Randy Rogers Band with Casey Adams Band 7 p.m. Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. (423) 267-4644.

Tuesday Ben Friberg Trio 6:30 p.m. Table Two, 232 East 11th St. (423) 756-8253. www.table2restaurant.com Bossa Nova with Drummer Chick 7:30 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260. www.marketstreettavern.com “All that Jazz” with Ralph James 8 p.m. The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202.

(423) 499-5055. www.thepalmsathamilton.com Spoken Word/Poetry Night 8 p.m. The Riverhouse, 224 Frazier Ave. (423) 752-0066.

Karaoke dance party with DJ Smith 8 p.m. Bourbon Street Music Bar, 2000 E. 23rd St. (423) 826-1985.

Open Mic with Mike McDade 8 p.m. Tremont Tavern, 1203 Hixson Pike. (423) 266-1996. www.tremonttavern.com Open Mic with Hellcat 9 p.m. Raw, 409 Market St. (423) 756-1919.

Tim Starnes 9 p.m. Bart’s Lakeshore, 5600 Lakeshore Dr. (423) 870-0777.

The Queers 10 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400. www.myspace.com/jjsbohemia

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

Will Hoge, J Roddy Walston & The Business, American Bang All kinds of rock fun at R&B. $12 9 p.m.

Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. (423) 267-4644. www.rhythm-brews.com Johnny B and Friends 8 p.m. Bourbon Street Music Bar,2000 E. 23rd St. (423) 826-1985.

Jimmy Harris, Johnston Brown 8 p.m. The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202.

(423) 499-5055. www.thepalmsathamilton.com Zoogma 10 p.m. Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. (423) 267-4644. www.rhythm-brews.com Got a gig coming up that you want to tell the world about?

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

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

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

www.chattanoogapulse.com | June 24, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 25 | The Pulse

17

Life in the Noog

By Chuck Crowder

For One Night, I Was Johnny Knoxville R

“Even at 15, I wondered how the hell that town, out of all of the possible choices around the globe, won a bid for a World’s Fair.”

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

18

ecently I visited Knoxville, otherwise known as the armpit of Tennessee—or at least that’s what I’ve always called it. Maybe that’s because I never really spent much time there. If I did it was for a specific reason, like a business meeting or concert, so I really didn’t pay much attention to what else was going on around me.

Of course I had friends that went to UT for some God-awful reason and therefore, I spent my fair share of time on “The Strip” during the late ’80s. But since then, the only things I’ve learned about Knoxville are that it’s nowhere to be on any Saturday in the fall, most of the streets are named after Peyton Manning and some Johnny jackass put it on the map again by adopting it as his new last name.

Oh, I do remember the 1982 World’s Fair and all of the ads at the time that urged “you have to be there.” But even at 15, I wondered how the hell that town, out of all of the possible choices around the globe, won a bid for a World’s Fair. Gave me hope for possible cancer cures, expeditions to Mars, and the like.

I’ve heard that in the past decade or two they’ve successfully made efforts to turn the city into a place someone other than a factory worker or student would want to live. I knew an architect that was integral in the Old City redevelopment, including transforming all of the JFG buildings into trendy restaurants and condos—and that was back in the ’90s I know that former Chattanooga Mayor

The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 25 | June 24, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

Jon Kinsey and his development firm have been working for the past few years to make Knoxville’s downtown area the glowing centerpiece that our lucky inner city has become, but I hadn’t seen the progress or outcomes until one fateful night when I just happened to have a reason to visit.

For one random night last week, the stars aligned in such a way that provided me with the opportunity to meet a new friend for the first time in person, while at the same time see one of my musical favs Drive By Truckers play a free show. And that’s all it took for me to jump on I-75 to check it out.

My friend and I had been bantering back and forth for weeks with Knoxville vs.

Chattanooga-isms, so she was well prepared to give a skeptical mind the grand tour of what there was to see and do downtown. The Drive Bys were playing Knoxville’s version of our Nightfall, called “Sundown in the City” which takes place in Market Square.

Now, before we go on, I should probably take this moment to explain that to me, you can’t really beat much of what we’ve got going on here in the ‘noog. I mean, we’ve got the hip shops, trendy restaurants, cool dive bars and stuff larger cities boast. And no, we’re no Athens, Georgia or even Nashville, but we can hold our own against just about any comparable city in the South, even the college towns. And especially Knoxville, which takes us back to the story at hand.

Parking downtown was easy. A little too easy. Either my resourceful lady friend was calling upon the stealth parking spots any good local has filed in the reference section of the old noggin, or nobody was showing

up for this thing. Regardless, we were close to the action.

The streets nearby were buzzing with pedestrians that, according to my source, are extremely rare. A couple of short blocks in, we approached Market Square. Right away, it was obvious that this beacon is the “hip” restaurant/retail area of the city center. And it’s pretty cool, I must say.

Imagine Miller Park lined on either side with restaurants, bars and storefronts and a larger stage at the end. Market Square is a tree-lined, grassy park/venue/commerce freakout. We quickly grabbed a beer at the Preservation Pub and then a slice of pizza at Tomato Head’s before finding a good spot in the limited masses to enjoy the show.

The crowd was surprisingly manageable given the scope of DBT’s popularity. But what made the experience even more pleasant was the set up of Market Square.

The park was extremely easy to navigate— whether it was locating a prime spot to jam out to the tasty tunes the band was throwing down, grabbing a cold refreshing overpriced beer to wash away the week, or spotting a portable facility to release the aftermath, it doesn’t take Copernicus to chart a course through the high-traffic areas.

Afterwards, as we sat at a cool dive bar near HQ to discuss the night’s events, it occurred to me that maybe Knoxville isn’t so bad after all. It’s easy for us to get caught up in everything that contributes to our city’s ever-expanding livability, but maybe we (or I) shouldn’t be so quick to discount what other cities are doing to improve theirs. You go K-ville! Word.

www.chattanoogapulse.com | June 24, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 25 | The Pulse

19

Arts & Entertainment

Poetics of Sculpture P

By Michael Crumb

“By the Aquarium, ‘Playtoon’ by Adam Walls [above] ought to become quite popular—with good reason.”

20

ublic Art Chattanooga has installed seven more sculptures at various downtown locations, and, fortunately, the River Gallery has introduced new work by Russell Whiting into their sculpture garden.

Chattanooga art lovers ought to find themselves gratified and delighted by the new offerings.

Many of these sculptures possess a whimsical quality, promoting a sense of delight. Al of them contextualize a poetic sense that promotes thoughtful contemplation. Art adventurers may walk from one to another to discover their exhilarating pleasures.

“Air Guitar” by Mike Roig stands at Georgia and McCallie Avenues. Through its elegant yet complex design, it promotes an aspect of “synaethetia”, namely, visual music. The rare affect of synaethetia involves mixing the senses into a single, surreal phenomenon, for example, “hearing colors.” In Roig’s piece, tension produces tone, a mix of static and flexible components present a work composed of both steel and stainless steel that uses the tension of its base to ascend and to support flexible arcs. Reassembled components of guitar design are held together by springs and wires that reach to the curved “neck” of

The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 25 | June 24, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

the two slim arcs, which, in turn, support a pivoted third arc. This combination of tension and flexibility shows the essence of music.

Hear it with your eyes!

“Man Defeats Chair” by Russell Whiting begins the set of five pieces Whiting has installed at the River Gallery Sculpture Garden. This fairly fully oxidized figure standing on a chair appears whimsical, but it suggests spiritual triumph. Lacerated by torchwork, eyes deeply sunken, and a perceptible depression over the heart indicate what this figure has overcome to rise with arms upraised, an exemplary movement.

Whiting’s work often combines whimsical concepts with intensely worked surfaces to maintain thoughtful engagement. Many more of his pieces can be found inside the River Gallery. Also new to the gallery, Jacqueline Collet’s glass and metal constructions suggest contemporary hieroglyphs.

At High and Bluff Streets, “Purification” by Thomas Matsuda presents three thoroughly charred upright pinewoods in a slightly asymmetrical triangular arrangement. Their variant heights add another asymmetrical element. Here elegance invites contemplation of the framing of the space and other triadic concepts.

The First Street Sculpture Garden now presents the “wordiest” sculptures: Jeff Hackney’s “Need a Bigger Hammer to Build a Better World”, and Paul Howe’s “The Soil Was Not Overly Loose.” Hackney’s interesting arrangement of giant nails promotes thought on much larger issues, and I’m happy to see “largeness” gets beyond “craftiness” through the connection of work with words. Howe’s metallic “shoot” rises out of intricately worked

“ground,” bedeviling our impulse to order what seems obvious and inviting us to consider the dynamics of relationships.

By the Aquarium, “Playtoon” by Adam Walls ought to become quite popular—with good reason. His innovative design and sensitivity to his materials and light result in a presentation of a group of figures with the inescapable effect of playful motion. This paradoxical effect arises partly from the figures’ design, including ellipsoid legs and triangular “snouts” and partly from the blue-and-white abstract paint that so softens the steel surfaces that they’re granted a “lightness of being.” Four figures group around a ball and a fifth figure at a distance seems inclined to join in—or?

By the Chattanooga Theatre Centre, Chattanooga artist John Petrey’s “Blue Boy— Pull Toy #1” also shows how whimsy leads to deeper contemplation. The blue rhino of fiberglass and copper glitters from a profusion of screwdrivers that maintain its form, a form worked with intricacy. This rhino stands on railroad ties forming the bed of an antique farm wagon. Evocations of boyhood and adult labor and overall masculinity invite thoughts concerning gender issues and energies.

Most elegant, “Arch II” by Ann Jon sits near the foot of the hill at Renaissance Park. Two welded iron panels turn the classical arch into an asymmetrical delight. A wide end holds a seat with drilled holes. If you sing a note, you’ll find an echo. Other drilled holes provide light play within as you contemplate the “point” of this arch meeting the ground opposite. “Arch II”’s simplicity still allows for the opening of this functional form into a greater potential.

Congratulations to all these artists for their inspirational works!

A&E Calendar Highlights Friday

Thursday

Still Waters Youth Orchestra Concert Young string players from Atlanta perform wide spectrum of music.

Free 1 p.m.

Bessie Smith Cultural Center, 200 E. MLK Blvd.

(423) 266-8658. wwww. caamhistory.org

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

“Architectural Landscapes” Closing Reception 4 p.m. My Color Image Boutique & Gallery, 300-A North Market St. (423) 598-6202.

SmART Show: Tilda Rosee & Erika Gerber Halter 5 p.m. Smart Furniture, 313 Manufacturers Rd. (423) 634-0025. www.smartfurniture.com/studio Local Foods Potluck at Crabtree Farms 5 p.m. Crabtree Farms, 1000 E. 3oth St. (423) 493-9155. www.crabtreefarms.org Mystery of the TV Talk Show 7 p.m. Vaudeville Café, 138 Market St. (423) 517-1839.

The Crucible 7 p.m. Chattanooga Theatre Centre, 400 River St. (423) 267-8534. www.theatrecentre.com 32nd Annual Tennessee Watercolor Exhibit Olan Mills Bldg., Chattanooga State Community College, 4501 Amnicola Hwy.(423) 478-5262.

“Growing up Jewish” Jewish Cultural Center, 5461 N. Terrace Rd. (423) 493-0270.

Please Give Called “the ultimate New York movie” by The Hollywood Reporter.

Majestic Theaters, 311 Broad St. (423) 826-2370. www.carmike.com

Saturday

The Crucible Arthur Miller’s classic look at paranoia at the CTC. $10 - $20 8 p.m.

Chattanooga Theatre Centre, Main Stage, 400 River Street.

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

Last Fridays on Main Art Walk 5 p.m. Southside, lastfridaysonmain.blogspot.com Mystery of the Nightmare Office Party 6 p.m. Vaudeville Café, 138 Market St. (423) 517-1839. www.funnydinner.com Stephen Rolfe Powell Glass Exhibition Preview 6:30 p.m. Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View.

(423) 266-0944. www.huntermuseum.org James Gregory 7:30 p.m. The Comedy Catch, 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233. www.thecomedycatch.com The Crucible 8 p.m. Chattanooga Theatre Centre, 400 River St. (423) 267-8534. www.theatrecentre.com Mystery of Flight 138 8:30 p.m. Vaudeville Café, 138 Market St. (423) 517-1839. www.funnydinner.com Female Impersonation Show Midnight. Images, 6065 Lee Hwy. (423) 855-8210. www.imagesbar.com

“Art Works in the City” City Hall, 101 E. 11th St. (423) 425-7823.

Ellen Franklin Art Gannon Art Center, 3250 Brainerd Rd. (423) 622-8236.

“Fresh Coastal Scenes” Shuptrine Fine Art Group, 2646 Broad St. (423) 266-4453. www.shuptrinefineartgroup.com Smith-Cleary Photography and Printmaking Exum Gallery, 305 W. 7th St. (423) 593-4265.

“Birds of a Feather” Houston Museum of Decorative Arts, 201 High St. (423) 267-7176. www.thehoustonmuseum.com Jeanne Abbot Studio 2/Gallery 2, 27 W. Main St. (423) 266-2222.

“Emerge” River Gallery, 400 E. 2nd St. (423) 265-5033. www.river-gallery.com “Southern Journeys” Chattanooga African American Museum, 200 E. MLK Blvd.

(423) 266-8658. www.caamhistory.org

Sunday Chattanooga River Market 10 a.m. Aquarium Plaza, 1 Broad St. (423) 648-2496.

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

Art Til Dark Noon. Northshore, (423) 413-8999. www.arttildark.wordpress.com Mystery of the Time Machine 1 p.m. Vaudeville Café, 138 Market St. (423) 517-1839.

Wedding Belles 1, 7 p.m. Colonnade Center, 264 Catoosa Cir. (706) 935-9006. www.colonnadecenter.org Kindred Connections Book Club: Sea: A Novel 2:30 p.m. Chattanooga-Hamilton Co. Bicentinal Library, 1001 Broad St. (423) 757-5317. lib.chattanooga.gov Mystery of the Nightmare Office Party 6 p.m. Vaudeville Café, 138 Market St. (423) 517-1839.

Dancing with the Stars 7 p.m. Tivoli Theatre, 706 Broad St. (423) 697-3829. www.partnershipfca.com

James Gregory 7:30, 10 p.m. The Comedy Catch, 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233. www.thecomedycatch.com Mystery of the Red Neck Italian Wedding 8:30 p.m. Vaudeville Café, 138 Market St. (423) 517-1839. www.funnydinner.com Redneck Yacht Club 10:30 p.m. Southern Belle, 201 Riverfront Pkwy. Pier 2.

(423) 266-4488.

Female Impersonation Show Midnight. Images, 6065 Lee Hwy. (423) 855-8210. www.imagesbar.com Dan Williams Photography Bill Shores Frame and Gallery, 307 Manufacturers Rd. (423) 756-6746. www.billshoresframes.com Transformation 6: Contemporary Works in Glass” Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View. (423) 266-0944. www.huntermuseum.org Summer Salon Hanover Gallery, 11 Frazier Ave. (423) 648-0533. hanovergallery.blogspot.com

Opening of Stephen Rolfe Powell exhibit Retrospective of the glass sculptor’s work. $9.95 Noon – 5 p.m.

Hunter Museum, 10 Bluff View (423) 267-0968. www.huntermuseum.org

Renaissance Competition 11 a.m. Chattanooga Market, First Tennessee Pavilion, 1826 Reggie White Blvd. (423) 678-447-7670. www.renaissancecompetition.com The Crucible 2:30 p.m. Chattanooga Theatre Centre, 400 River St. (423) 267-8534. www.theatrecentre.com God’s Trombones: A Celebration of James Weldon 4 p.m. Bessie Smith Cultural Center, 200 E. MLK Blvd.

(423) 266-8658. www.caamhistory.org “Jellies: Living Art” Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View. (423) 266-0944.

Lorrraine Christie Art Gallery 1401, 1401 Williams St. (423) 265-0015.

Whitney Nave Jones Art Mosaic Gallery, 412 Market St. (423) 320-6738.

“Relationships: Original Prints and Jewelry of Mary Quinnon Whittle” In-Town Gallery, 26A Frazier Ave. (423) 267-9214.

www.chattanoogapulse.com | June 24, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 25 | The Pulse

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A&E Calendar Highlights Monday Speak Easy: Spoken Word and Poetry 8 p.m. Mudpie Restaurant, 12 Frazier Ave. (423) 267-9040. www.mudpierestaurant.com “Power\Plants” Asher Love Gallery, 3914 St. Elmo Ave. (423) 822-0289. www.asherlove.blogspot.com “French Venues” Linda Woodall Fine Arts, 7836 Ooltewah-Georgetown Rd. (423) 238-9985.

Stephen Rolfe Powell Glass Exhibition Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View. (423) 266-0944. www.huntermuseum.org “Growing up Jewish” Jewish Cultural Center, 5461 N. Terrace Rd. (423) 493-0270.

“Art Works in the City” City Hall, 101 E. 11th St. (423) 425-7823. www.chattanooga.gov Ellen Franklin Art Gannon Art Center, 3250 Brainerd Rd. (423) 622-8236.

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Tuesday Bread, Brats, Beer on Bikes 6 p.m. Link 41, 217 Main St. (423) 322-5525. www.linkfortyone.com STAND Discussion 7 p.m. Old Towne Books, 3249 Brainerd Rd. (423) 595-4468.

“Fresh Coastal Scenes” Shuptrine Fine Art Group, 2646 Broad St. (423) 266-4453. www.shuptrinefineartgroup.com Smith-Cleary Photography and Printmaking Exum Gallery, 305 W. 7th St. (423) 593-4265.

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

Jeanne Abbot Studio 2/Gallery 2, 27 W. Main St. (423) 266-2222.

“Emerge” River Gallery, 400 E. 2nd St. (423) 265-5033.

“Southern Journeys” Chattanooga African American Museum, 200 E. MLK Blvd.

(423) 266-8658.

The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 25 | June 24, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

Wednesday Green Drinks 6 p.m. green|spaces, 63 E. Main St. (423) 648-0963. www.greenspaceschattanooga.com Dan Williams Photography Bill Shores Frame and Gallery, 307 Manufacturers Rd. (423) 756-6746. www.billshoresframes.com Transformation 6: Contemporary Works in Glass” Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View. (423) 266-0944.

Summer Salon Hanover Gallery, 11 Frazier Ave. (423) 648-0533.

Lorrraine Christie Art Gallery 1401, 1401 Williams St. (423) 265-0015. www.gallety1401.com Whitney Nave Jones Art Mosaic Gallery, 412 Market St. (423) 320-6738. www.mosaicchattanooga.com “Relationships: Original Prints and Jewelry of Mary Quinnon Whittle” In-Town Gallery, 26A Frazier Ave. (423) 267-9214.

Editor’s Pick: Featured Event Of The Week

Renaissance Arts Competition at the Chattanooga Market Artists working in multiple disciplines are featured, so stroll around and appreciate their work. Plus you can listen to the Dean Martinis (at 2 p.m.) and it’s peach season!

Sunday, June 27 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Free First Tennessee Pavilion, 1826 Carter St. (423) 648-2496. www.chattanoogamarket.com

www.chattanoogapulse.com | June 24, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 25 | The Pulse

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On The Beat

By Alex Teach

Fire Him

“Why bother

getting the other side of the story when a good lynching will do instead?”

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

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(Fade to Camera 1) So this jagoff (it’s French, let it go) gets on TV and says he is on a cell phone driving through red lights across three-lane city street intersections, but it’s OK because he works in an E.R. and he’s honking his horn and has “hazard lights” on.

Now that’s the start of my kind of story.

Never mind that it’s illegal in 28 other states just to drive while using a cell phone, and illegal in all states to run red lights (even while honking your horn), and never mind that he’s doing this in the name of “helping” his passenger: It’s perfectly OK because apparently there is no law so long as you are in a blind, pants-shitting panic. And that is something I can get behind.

I mean this with all my heart because that’s what the General Public believes, and I myself am part of the General Public. The reason there is a problem, of course, is because a filthy cop so narrowly avoided hitting him that he managed to leave skid marks despite his “anti-lock breaking system” as he approached said intersection and nearly T-boned Doctor Knievel into the next world (or the Warner Park Zoo, whichever came first) and followed him through another red light all the way to the hospital he was ultimately en route to.

Now, I’m all about some ends justifying some means. (I’m even aware of the grammatical nightmare I just typed with that sentence as a minor example of such.)

I’m aware that Mr. Shitmyself Panik was in the process of a Class Ten adrenalin dump and not in a good frame of mind to speak irrationally, much less rationally…but unlike others, I am also aware that when you’re

The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 25 | June 24, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

cruising along at 40-45 miles per in the dead of night and someone pulls out directly in front of you, it has an adrenal-based effect of its own, and, if only by law, bears inspection.

I even think that despite all the fat, sweaty, balled-up fists out there shouting to the skies over this, a few would even concede that this kind of behavior merits a good “talking to”, which is what the filthy cop was trying to do…and here we are today.

By his own statements broadcast to Earth, Mr. Deathrace 2000 was a medic and an ambulance driver, so he was perfectly within his rights to blow that red light. He in fact blamed the officer for “not hearing his horn honking” from inside his police car. And while this is speculation, I objectively believe that this is about the time the cop decided a friendly warning and well-wishing wasn’t going to suffice, and felt the courts should intervene at a later date.

(That last bit is of note: “At a later date.”

Officer Almostkilt cited the guy to court for the offenses he racked up during and after the drive, instead of taking him into custody there so he could remain with his wife…but that’s irrelevant, I realize.)

Could the cop have done something differently? Let it go, laughed it off? Maybe.

But I’m thinking that the cop was most likely pissed at nearly being killed, nearly having killed this same idiot (and the one he was “helping”) and having it met with the fact that this guy felt he was perfectly justified in this and therefore would do it again. And, if you can un-ball your sweaty, indignant fists for just a second, it may make sense that the cop decided to let a judge handle this at a later date, which is what he did. That sonofabitch.

That is a fact not presented for some reason

by City Hall or the Department, but a fact all the same. Much like there really are skid marks at that intersection (I saw them). I even checked to see if “days had passed since the thing occurred, and he still took out warrants”: Nope. They were filed within a few hours, and it was the court that slowed the process.

Another fact, and possibly the most entertaining for me? Apparently this guy was as good a diagnostician as he was a driver because the wife in question was treated and released, up and on television the very next day, both playing Celebrity Victim days before complaining to the department or mayor’s office. Yes. What an asshole, that cop. I don’t think I’ve seen a single public comment regarding this.

But indeed, why bother getting the other side of the story when a good lynching will do instead? Either way: “My God, that officer killed that man and his sick wife at that intersection! Didn’t he see the man was panicking?! FIRE HIM!” has the same result as “My God, that officer cited that man for blowing red lights at two intersections for his sick wife! Didn’t he see the man was panicking?! FIRE HIM!” Either way, play it safe and just fire the cop every time you hear one side. Fire him if he T-bones him, fire him if he cites him. It’s the only way to be sure, pants-shitting panic or not.

That’s how you attract and retain such quality cops. Wouldn’t you want his job, too?

(If so, be patient. We stopped hiring a year or two after wages were frozen, but I’m sure there will be plenty more than the current 60 or so openings soon.)

The Pulse • Dining Out Spotlight

Dine Bahamian Style—in Harrison

by Colleen Wade What is a cay?

It’s a small, low-elevation, sandy island formed on the surface of coral reefs. Cays occur in tropical settings, where they provide livable and agricultural land for hundreds of thousands of people. Their surrounding reef ecosystems provide food and building materials for the islands So…why Fox Cay? Why right here in the landlocked Tennessee Valley?

Simple. According to the restaurant’s web site, when Jimmy Taylor and his partner decided to open a restaurant, they were boating by the sand beaches of Cat Cay, near Bimini in the Bahamas. Taylor says they got it all figured out over there and never gave it much more thought.

As luck would have it, when it got down to naming the restaurant, they couldn’t shake that whole island thing and the laid-back, “no shirt, no shoes, no problem” Bahamas thing.

Well, it seems to be working for them.

Fox Cay is one of the most popular restaurants around. With its island lounge feel, palm tree accents and stunning view of the water, Fox Cay is a respite—an island oasis— from the chaos of everyday life. But, you see, that was the goal all along—bring a bit of the islands to the valley.

Jimmy Taylor knew what he was doing.

Having grown up in Chattanooga and raised his family here, he was aware that the area could support a restaurant of this type. With his background in the restaurant industry, Taylor knew the pitfalls surrounding the opening of a new eatery. Says Taylor, “I am from Chattanooga, been in the business my whole life. Back in the ’80s, I was a manager at Ruby

Tuesday on the hill, spent a few years with Fifth Quarter steakhouse, and then went to work for Grady’s at the mall. I spent ten years with Grady’s and then went to work for Famous Dave’s, and after that, stops through the years in Birmingham, Ft. Lauderdale, Chicago, Knoxville and home, sweet home, Chattanooga.”

So it’s fair to say Taylor knows his stuff.

Beyond the beauty and grace of Fox Cay with its island theme and spectacular view, there is the phenomenal food. Menu choices range from Junkanoo Coconut Shrimp and Crime Time Fried Pickles to Bimini Harbor Red Rock Seafood Bisque and Bimini Bank Shrimp Salad, a refreshing combination of iceberg lettuce, fresh shrimp salad, tomato and red onions.

Taylor says, “Our menu really has something for everyone, from the freshest seafood in Chattanooga, sent Fed-Ex from Honolulu, to

great steaks, pastas, or salads. The rumor is we have the best chicken sandwich on the planet.” With three chicken sandwiches to choose from, that may well be true. The Thibodaux Chicken Sandwich is grilled with Cajun spices and pepper jack cheese remoulade sauce. The Buffalo Chicken Sandwich is wood-grilled with buffalo sauce—and then there’s the BBQ Chicken Sandwich, wood-grilled with barbeque sauce. When asked what his favorite item on the menu is, Taylor responds, “Wood Grilled Pork Tenderloin.

We take a full pound tenderloin and butterfly cut and grill it on our live hickory wood grill. We serve it with a mango salsa and a scotch bonnet pepper sauce on the side.”

Fox Cay also features a full bar, separate from the dining area. There is seating for 90 outside and the restaurant can accommodate up to 375 people. Diners can arrive by car or by boat. Everything about Fox Cay is easy, breezy—just like in the islands. Says Taylor, “We greatly appreciate the response from the Chattanooga and the Harrison community and look forward to many more years taking care of your needs.” So whether you just need a cold one after 18 holes, want to catch the game on the big screens, or are looking for a romantic escape, Fox Cay has everything you could need…wrapped up with island peace and tranquility.

Fox Cay, 6701 Highway 58 in Harrison. Hours: Monday – Thursday, 6 p.m.–10 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m.–11 p.m. and Sunday, 5 p.m.– 9 p.m. (423) 648-2800 or www.foxcay.com.

www.chattanoogapulse.com | June 24, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 25 | The Pulse

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Film Feature

By Phillip Johnston

Not Toying With Our Hearts T

here seems to be a curse laid down on popular movie trilogies: somewhere along the line, they all seem to sink into failure. Think of the hackneyed attempts at poeticism in The Godfather Part III, the imprudent cuteness of the Ewoks in Return of the Jedi, the heart-wrenching excess of The Temple of Doom.

The list could go on and apprehension grew among fans when Toy Story 3 was announced. How could Woody and Buzz wrest themselves from the grasp of the trilogy curse? The answer: with the same relentless creativity that has made Pixar, their creators, the only production company in Hollywood that audiences can truly trust.

The opening of Toy Story 3 offers a rousing curtain call for the Pixar toys—Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz (Tim Allen), Slinky (Blake Clark replacing the late Jim Varney), Rex (Wallace Shawn), the Potato Heads (Don Rickles and Estelle Harris), etc.—as they play their parts in another imaginative playtime fantasy of their owner, Andy. It’s a Saturday morning action piece, chock full of chases, explosions, and a mushroom cloud of Barrel of Monkeys.

For all the fun it is, we soon learn that we’re seeing a past adventure. Andy has grown up. He’s off to college. Cowboy and spaceman have been exchanged for cell phone and computer. That the toys have to hide his phone in the toybox via an elaborate sting operation for him to even recognize them anymore is one of the many equally innovative and heartbreaking parts of this story.

To their dismay, the toys find themselves in a donation box at the Sunnyside daycare center, where they are greeted by a gaggle of displaced toys led by Lots-o-Huggin’ Bear, a cane-toting stuffed creature with a trademark strawberry smell, an affinity for hugs, and a low Southern drawl (provided by Ned Beatty). Lotso gives them the grand tour of Sunnyside, philosophizing that to belong to one owner is so terribly limited and that to be played with by many kids constantly is the chief end of a toy. “No owners means no heartbreak,” he says, directing his cane to a wall lined with pictures of all the children

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The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 25 | June 24, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

who have passed through Sunnyside.

Confident that Andy still cares and unsure of Lotso’s tawdry community ethic, Woody sets out alone to return to his owner.

Lacking his resolve, the others stay behind, soon learning that Sunnyside is a horrific mishmash of abuse and corruption.

From here, it’s pure escapism the likes of which haven’t been provided by any movie this year. The stakes are so high, filled with such frightening possibilities, and executed with so much effortless humor and grace that Toy Story 3 becomes that kind of pure movie going experience that everyone from the most inattentive teenager to the most cynical adult would find satisfactory. There are no predictable formulas or stock plots, just two hours of endless creativity.

Toy Story 3 was written by Michael Arndt, the Oscar-winning screenwriter behind Little Miss Sunshine. That raucous (but undeniably wholesome) comedy has much in common with this G-rated adventure—one thing being that every moment counts toward the end goal of the story. Not one second is superfluous and each frame bears marks of creativity and care, an uncommon combination in 21st century animated film.

By the time Toy Story 3 hurtles to an end, it will be hard for audiences who have invested 15 years in the trilogy not to weep. It is not an overstatement to say that it ends perfectly and that what lesser filmmakers would turn into sloppy, gooey sentiment these Pixar geniuses craft into something moving, generous, and, yes, real.

Toy Story has grown up with its original audience, knowing the hardship of maturity and the burden of its responsibility. These

“These toys, these symbols of commercial culture, have become teachers of what it means to grow up, to learn, and to love.” toys, these symbols of commercial culture, have become teachers of what it means to grow up, to learn, and to love. What a work of genius it has been to take plastic toys and endow them with more humanity than most live action films ever offer their characters.

On the most surface level, Toy Story 3 is a rip-roaring adventure. On the deepest level, it is an exploration of the ethics of community—what we can give to make a community flourish, what a bad community can take from us, and the deep privilege of being known and loved by something larger than ourselves. If the rankings are based on consistent greatness, Toy Story 3 is the final addition to the finest American movie trilogy ever made.

Toy Story 3 Directed by Lee Unkrich With the voices of: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Wallace Shawn, Ned Beatty, Don Rickles Rated G Running time: 1 hour, 49 minutes

New in Theaters

By Gary Poole

Knight and Day The basic plot of this action/spy thriller/ comedy is fairly straightforward. June Havens (Cameron Diaz) finds her everyday life tangled with that of a secret agent (Tom Cruise) who has realized he isn’t supposed to survive his latest mission. As their campaign to stay alive stretches across the globe, they soon learn that all they can count on is each other. What makes the film far more interesting is not only is a return to action-star status for Cruise, but also that it deftly skewers the Mission Impossible franchise as well as conventions of many other spy thrillers, ranging from James Bond to Jason Bourne. But even with such major movie stars as Cruise and Diaz, and a near-overkill marketing campaign, Knight and Day has its work cut out for it in taking on the box-office behemoth that is Toy Story 3.

Grown Ups After their high-school basketball coach passes away, five good friends and former teammates reunite for a Fourth of July holiday weekend. Boys will be boys... some just longer than others.

Starring Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, Rob Schneider Directed by Dennis Dugan

South of the Border There’s a revolution underway in South America, but most of the world doesn’t know it. Oliver Stone sets out on a road trip across five countries to explore the social and political movements as well as the mainstream media’s misperception of South America while interviewing seven of its elected presidents. In casual conversations with Presidents Hugo Chavez (Venezuela), Evo Morales (Bolivia), Lula da Silva (Brazil), Cristina Kirchner (Argentina), as well as her

Starring Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz Directed by James Mangold husband and ex-President Nestor Kirchner, Fernando Lugo (Paraguay), Rafael Correa (Ecuador), and Raul Castro (Cuba), Stone gains unprecedented access and sheds new light upon the exciting transformations in the region.

Directed by Oliver Stone

Wild Grass A wallet lost and found opens the door to romantic adventure for Georges and Marguerite. After examining the ID papers of its owner, it is not a simple matter for Georges to turn the red wallet he found in to the police. Nor can Marguerite recover her wallet without being piqued with curiosity about who found it. As they navigate the social protocols of giving and acknowledging thanks, turbulence enters their otherwise quotidian lives.

Starring Sabine Azéma Directed by Alain Resnais

The latest local news and information updated multiple times a day - www.chattanoogapulse.com www.chattanoogapulse.com | June 24, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 25 | The Pulse

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Spirits Within

By Joshua Hurley

Pennywise: Taste Even Winelovers Inexpensive California wine that doesn’t taste like it and that also pairs well with food—oh, and also has garnered attention from the major wine reviewers on the West Coast. At Riley’s these wines are not a myth—they’re a reality we call “Great Buys”!

Great Buys is where Riley’s Wine and Spirits on Hixson Pike in Hixson picks a favorite item from our large selection of wine and spirits from around the world and shares it with the readership of The Pulse. This week’s selection is Pennywise Wines.

Pennywise is the largest label from the exciting wine company called The Other Guys, which consists of the children of Don Sebastiani, Mia and August. The Other Guys is a small company striving to continue the Sebastiani tradition of quality winemaking that began in 1904 when Samuel Sebastiani founded the vineyard of the same name in the town of Sonoma. Sebastiani was taken over by his son, August, in 1944 and in 1980 by his grandson Sam. In 1984, Sam was ousted by his brother Don over a family dispute involving the winery’s generic jug wine output, which he thinned greatly in favor of a larger line of high-quality varietal wines.

By 1999, Sebastiani Vineyards was producing at least five million cases a year for worldwide distribution. In 2001, the family sold out and then turned their attention to a smaller, more personal winemaking approach, which eventually became The Other Guys. Besides this week’s featured wine, Pennywise, Other Guys also produces Leese Fitch, Hey Mambo and Plungerhead Zinfandel—all of which have become favorites at Riley’s.

2008 Pennywise Chardonnay: 2008 vintage marks the debut of this golden Californian chardonnay made from only the best juice grown in the Clarksburg growing district, which is classified as a Region II climate. Clarksburg sits southwest of Sacramento and is part of the hotter Central Valley, but it differs slightly with a climate moderated by breezes from both the neighboring Sacramento River and San Francisco Bay. Five percent viognier adds a further dimension rarely seen in this price range. Pennywise Chardonnay contains intense aromas of peaches, oranges and pear, with the viognier adding aromas of

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Free Will Astrology CANCER (June 21-July 22): Here are the lowpaying jobs I’ve done that I wasn’t very good at: tapping sap from maple trees in Vermont; driving a taxi in North Carolina; toiling as an amusement park ride operator in New Jersey; being a guinea pig for medical experiments in California; digging ditches in South Carolina; and picking olives from trees in the south of France. Do I feel like a failure for being such a mediocre worker and making so little money? No, because although it took me a while, I finally found jobs I was good at, and have been thriving ever since. Why would I judge myself harshly for having trouble doing things that weren’t in sync with my soul’s code? Please apply this line of thinking to yourself.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Each year, Playboy magazine publishes a list of the best colleges to go to if you prefer partying to studying. In its recent rankings, a top spot went to the University of Wisconsin, which was dubbed “the best beerdrinking school in the country.” As a counterpoint to this helpful information, HuffingtonPost.com offered a compendium of the best anti-party schools.

Brigham Young got favorable mention since it has a policy forbidding students from drinking, smoking, and having sex. The University of Chicago was also highly regarded, being “the place where fun goes to die.” For the next three weeks, Leo, I recommend that you opt for environments that resemble the latter more than the former. It’s time for you to get way down to business, cull the activities that distract you from your main purpose, and cultivate a hell of a lot of gravitas.

honeysuckle and jasmine and then helping to bring out tropical fruit flavors of mango and nectarine. Its aftertaste is on the soft side with light, toasted oak.

Pennywise Pinot Noir 2008: This dark, ruby-red wine owes much of its success to its blending of two prime California growing regions: Clarksburg and Monterey, supplying bright fruit flavors from the former and intense tannic sophistication from the latter, creating an exceptional $12 pinot noir. Open this wine and let it breath for 30 minutes and notice the “Clarksburgesque” aromas of wild cherries and chocolate oak. The out-ofthis-world flavors include a sensual assault of cherry, plums, strawberry, raspberry and lavender, followed by a dessertish aftertaste of blueberry, chocolate, espresso and oak.

Pennywise Merlot 2008: Not entirely merlot—in fact a successful hodge-podge of Lodi syrah, Monterey cabernet sauvignon and Clarksburg and Paso Robles merlot. This merlot blend offers an enormous variety of aromas, including currants, black cherries, berries, strawberries, plums, and even chocolate mousse. Its flavors should raise the eyebrows of the pickiest merlot snobs with a taste barrage of strawberry, raspberry, hazelnut and amaretto, and an aftertaste of blueberries, cherries, spice, coffee and toasty oak.

Riley’s invites you to try all three Pennywise wines. $11.99 each or two for $21, only at Riley’s.

The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 25 | June 24, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): You’re entering a phase of your long-term cycle when cultivating abundance is an especially smart thing to do.

To take maximum advantage, I suggest that you be both extra generous and extra receptive to generosity. Bestow more blessings than usual and put yourself in prime positions to gather in more blessings than usual. I realize that the second half of this assignment might be a challenge. You Virgos often feel more comfortable giving than receiving.

But in this case, I must insist that you attend to both equally. The giving part won’t work quite right unless the receiving part is in full bloom.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): What have you lost in recent months, Libra? This week begins a phase when will you have the potential to not exactly recover it, but rather to re-create it on a higher level. Maybe a dream that seemed to unravel was simply undergoing a reconfiguration, and now you’re primed to give it a new and better form of expression. Maybe a relationship that went astray was merely dying so it could get resurrected, with more honesty and flexibility this time around.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): I’m guessing that you’ve been ushered into a frontier that affords you no recognizable power spot. It probably feels uncomfortable, like you’ve lost the inside track.

And now along comes some wise guy—me—who advises you in his little horoscope column that you are exactly where you need to be. He says that this wandering outside the magic circle is pregnant with possibilities that could help you make better use of the magic circle when you get back inside at a later date. I hope you will heed this wise guy and, at least for the moment, resist the temptation to force yourself back into the heart of the action.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): There used to be a tradition in Sweden that young women could dream of the person they would ultimately wed if they put seven kinds of flowers beneath their pillows on Midsummer’s Eve. That’s crazy nonsense, of course. Right? Probably. Although I must note that two nights ago I placed a gladiolus, hydrangea, lilac, orchid, snapdragon, tulip, and rose under my pillow, and subsequently dreamed of being visited by the lily-crowned Goddess of Intimacy, who asked me to convey a message to you Sagittarians. She said that if you even just imagine slipping seven flowers under your pillow, you will have a dream about what you should do in

By Rob Brezsny Truthrooster@gmail.com order to help your love life evolve to the next stage of its highest potential.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Have you ripened into such a knowledgeable, sophisticated person that you’re hard to surprise? Do you draw conclusions about each new experience by comparing it to what has happened to you in the past? I hope not. I hope you’re ready to be a wide-eyed, open-armed, wild-hearted explorer. I hope you will invite life to blow your mind. In the days to come, your strongest stance will be that of an innocent virgin who anticipates an interesting future. Blessings you can’t imagine will visit you if you’ll excuse yourself from outdated expectations and irrelevant complications.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The notorious Wicked Bible was published in 1631. That wasn’t its original name. It was supposed to be as holy as every Bible. But it contained an error that slipped by the proofreaders’ notice: In the book of Exodus, where the Ten Commandments were listed, the word “not” was excluded from one commandment.

What remained, an insult to pious eyes, was “Thou shall commit adultery.” Most of these books were later burned, and the publisher was punished. Be on the lookout for a comparable flap, Aquarius: a small omission that could change the meaning of everything. Ideally, you’ll spot the error and fix it before it spawns a brouhaha.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): The plant known as the squirting cucumber has an unusual talent: When the fruit is ripe, it opens up and spits out a rapid-fire stream of seeds that travels a great distance. In the coming weeks, Pisces, you’ll have resemblances to this aggressive fructifier.

It’ll be prime time to be proactive about spreading your influence and offering your special gifts. The world is begging you to share your creative spirit, preferably with rapid-fire spurts that travel a great distance.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): A few years ago, a group of artists built a giant bunny out of pink wool on an Italian mountainside. The 200-footlong effigy will remain there until 2025. There’s a disturbing aspect to this seemingly goofy artifact, however: It has a wound in its side where its guts are spilling out. That’s why I don’t recommend that you travel there and commune with it. According to my reading of the astrological omens, you would definitely benefit from crawling into a fetal position and sucking your thumb while lying in the comfy embrace of a humongous mommy substitute.

But you shouldn’t tolerate any tricks or jokes that might limit your ability to sink into total peace and relaxation.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In 1998, I spent three weeks reading The Psychoanalysis of Fire and The Poetics of Reverie, two books by French philosopher Gaston Bachelard. His teachings were so evocative that I filled up two 120-page journals with my notes. To this day, I still refer to them, continuing to draw fresh inspiration from ideas I wasn’t ripe enough to fully understand when I first encountered them. You’re entering a phase of your astrological cycle when a similar event could happen for you, Taurus: a supercharged educational opportunity that will fuel you for a long time.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Congrats, Gemini!

You have not only weathered your recent phase of relentless novelty; you’ve thrived on the adjustments it demanded of you. I am hereby awarding you with the rare and prestigious title of Change-Lover, which I only bestow upon one of the signs of the zodiac every four years or so. So what’s next on the schedule? The shock of the new will soon subside, giving you a chance to more fully integrate the fresh approaches you’ve been adopting. I suggest you relax your hyper-vigilance and slip into a slower, smoother, more reflective groove.

JONESIN’

“Rumble In The Bowl” –part of this unbalanced breakfast.

Joy Stick

By Erik Bhatnagar

Alpha Protocol Does Not Go to the Head of the Class

When it comes to video game RPGs (role-playing games), you probably automatically think of a game set in a fantasy world with swords, magic, monsters, plenty of looting, and leveling up your player. But while fantasy RPGs are still big, companies are starting to take risks and change the settings, with great results. There was Fallout 3, the epic Mass Effect series, even The Knights of the Old work and controls can lead to frustrating Republic series. deaths. The game also contains mini-games Now comes Alpha Protocol, the espionage such as picking locks, overriding security RPG, set in the modern world. Instead of systems, and computer hacking. Hacking can being a knight or a Jedi, you are Michael get fun, but the other two make Mass Effect Thorton, a special agent working for the 2’s “scan planets for minerals” mini-games organization known as Alpha Protocol. Like most action games, you can run, shoot, sneak look like a party.

Thinking character customization? The around and take bad guys out. However, in RPG standard is horrid. You’re white no this game, you can level up, increase your matter what, with only a few facial hair stats, assign special abilities, and find things choices (and sunglasses). On top of that, the to loot. Although it isn’t open world, you can storyline isn’t the greatest. There are plenty tackle missions in any order you see fit, and of twists and turns, meeting shady people, you have plenty of choices that can change developing relationships with them, with the scope of the game—in other words, it’s your main goal to stop a terrorist and evil not your normal RPG. Across 41 “Scenes from ___” creature a qulliq corporation. This is when the game works: After playing it I’ve come to a conclusion: 1 Run ___ of (violate) (1991 Bette Midler film) 3 Pained expression 34 AC ___ (auto parts There’s a great deal I like about it, and it’s well your decisions make an enormous impact, 6 Turns in the fridge 42 Pasta topping 4 “Family Matters” anmanufacturer) like when you’re trying to stop a bomb from worth your time and money. But, alas, there 10 “I love,” in Latin 43 Cereal eaten mainly by noyer 36 Classic game with going off in a museum that would kill a dozen are also fl aws that would turn some gamers 13 She came between Hilimportant students?

5 Girl in an Eric Clapton power pellets people. The bad guy shows up to tell you he’s lary and Michelle 45 “That’s delicious” song 37 End of many languages off for good.

14 Napkin fold 46 Book in the Septimus 6 Tachometer stat 38 He preceded and folkidnapped one of your informants and will First, the graphics aren’t impressive, not 16 Turn down Heap series 7 Minnesota’s St. ___ lowed Conan kill her, naturally making you decide to save including occasional texture glitches. Within 17 Cereal for people with 47 Michigan’s ___ Canals College 44 Historic name in the people or your friend. the graphics, the controls are very spotty: You good fortune during 48 Waikiki island 8 Actress Garr supercomputers The conversation system at certain points could aim your rifl e at the bad guy’s head, a fictional “Simpsons” 50 PBS “Mystery” host 9 Northern California 46 Fort where the Civil in the game lets you pick a way to handle the month?

Diana newspaper, slangily War started only to hit his chest. Stealth approach, you 19 Pilot’s heading: abbr.

53 With 62-across, cereal 10 Yosemite photographer 49 Heavenly ___ (ice situation. Usually, the choices are between say? Well, you can hide behind walls easily, 20 Roasting for a long that sounds like a bad 11 Paste for Japanese cream flavor) although for a supposedly experienced agent, suave and professional or aggressive. Think time? accident between fighting soups 51 Word on some doors professional is the best way to go? Think scrambling from wall to wall isn’t impressive.

21 Cereal that’s really ermines?

12 Farm beasts at school again. Some characters will be partial to Neither is not being able to leap over certain healthy, but takes forever 57 Show showers 15 “Back ___” (2005 song 52 “Oliver Twist” food your suave, sarcastic approach, while others to pass?

61 Honorific poem

by Mike Jones) 53 Cajole barricades. If you compare it to Splinter Cell: 23 Nonclerical 62 See 53-across 18 Some cigs 54 How some sit about need to be aggressively yelled at. As in Mass Conviction, released earlier this year, which 25 Env. attachment 64 ___ carte 22 “Keep on Truckin’” 55 Charlie Chaplin wife Effect, you actually say your lines, unlike the took stealth to a new level, it seems even less 26 Likely (to) 65 Therefore cartoonist O’Neill majority of silent RPGs. Uncharted fans will impressive.

29 One of the Osmonds 66 “___ tell you some24 Like some tunes 56 Table salt, to chemists get a kick out of hearing the voice of Nolan But hand-to-hand combat works, even 32 Drug bust thing...”

26 Cause fought by the 58 Prefix meaning North (Drake) as a fellow agent.

35 Cereal that’s shock67 Prefix meaning “wood” Gray Panthers “within” though you can’t block. You must have fallen ingly good?

68 Political cartoonist Ted 27 Tournament type 59 Patrol in the provinces, asleep when they taught it because enemies That’s Alpha Protocol, a game that can be 38 He’s always got a court 69 Feeds the hogs 28 Record-setting actress for short engrossing and fun, but also frustrating and can block. Thankfully it doesn’t matter much. date at the 1974 Oscars 60 “___ the Sheriff ” spotty. I recommend it if you’re able to look Your enemies aren’t very smart—they haven’t 39 Little bits Down 30 Gossipy bit (1980s Suzanne Somers past the flaws, but for the most gamers, I got a problem standing out in the open, 40 Award won by Taylor 1 “It’s ___ ever wanted!”

31 More pointless sitcom) wouldn’t.

Swift in 2009 2 Half-human, half-goat 33 Cold home heated by 63 ___ Aviv, Israel basically asking you to pick them off. It saves Play N Trade, 5084 South Terrace Suite 18, frustrations, and adds comedy, although Crossword created By Matt Jones. © 2010 Jonesin’ Crosswords. For answers to this puzzle, call: 1-900-226-2800, East Ridge.

99 cents per minute. Must be 18+. Or to bill to your credit card, call: 1-800-655-6548. Reference puzzle #0473. bosses are a different story. Spotty camera www.chattanoogapulse.com | June 24, 2010 | Vol. 7, Issue 25 | The Pulse 29

Ask A Mexican!

By Gustavo Arellano

The Dreaded Landon Donovan Dear Mexican, Why do the Mexicans HATE American soccer and “hate” (bolded, underlined, and italicized) Landon Donovan?

— Uncle Sam’s Army Brat

“The realization for Mexican fans set in that, for the first time, the best player on the field when the United States played Mexico was NOT a Mexican.”

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!

30

Dear Gabacho, Because Mexicans hate Americans—DUH! Geez, this is the literary equivalent of taking a penalty kick at this year’s FIFA World Cup with no goaltender—but I also want to plug Gringos at the Gate, an upcoming documentary answering this very question with game footage and interviews with Mexican and American fútbol fanatics, former soccer stars and your humble scribe. I gave your question un cabezazo over to director Pablo Miralles, who delivered a bicycle kick of an answer (okay, okay: a yellow card for me for too many bad soccer metaphors).

“On the first part: The average American doesn’t give a shit about fútbol, so how can they be as good or even better than us Mexicans, who are the most passionate and loyal fans?” Miralles told the Mexican. “As for Donovan, Mexicans will say that the hatred comes from when, in 2004, he pissed on the field of the sacred Estadio Jalisco, home of the revered Chivas de Guadelajara. But the truth, I believe, is that when he won the Golden Boot at the 1999 Under-17 World Cup (being the first player from this part of the world to win such an honor) and later the Best Young Player at the 2002 World Cup, the realization for Mexican fans set in that, for the first time, the best player on the field when the United States played Mexico was NOT a Mexican.

It’s one thing to be beat by a bunch of overeducated, hard-working, physical brutos, but the talent, the technical skill, the style—these

The Pulse | Vol. 7, Issue 25 | June 24, 2010 | www.chattanoogapulse.com

are the attributes of El Tri. So how can it be this güero is winning these awards, think Mexican fans? Unacceptable!”

Pablo: Your answer was a GOOOOOOOOOOOOAL! Dear Mexican, Why are American Latinos sooooo goddamn exclusionary?

I cannot stomach ANOTHER Latino awards show. You think Caucasians could have shows like that? NO!!!! What really set me off was the seeing the beautiful and talentless Jessica Alba and others supporting a cause for Latino children medical causes.

GOD DAMMIT, aren’t all kids deserving? If this pissed me off so much, what does it do to exaggerate the freak Minutemen vigilantes?

Please don’t patronize me by saying the separation is necessary for the advancement of Latinos, because I know better from experience.

— I Hate You, I Really, Really Hate You Dear Readers, My promise to ustedes is to answer all of your preguntas, but some are better than others, and the lesser ones fall into the conejo hole for years—like this one. I can’t remember what awards show set off the wab, but I’m assuming it was something held by the fine National Hispanic Media Coalition.

I do remember finding I Hate You’s vitriol mildly amusing over a pinche awards ceremony, as if any of them are paragons of modesty. And his reverse-discrimination claim over Alba (believe it or not, the

Mexican’s third cousin once removed—now you know where she gets that big smile from!) and other Latino celebrities raising funds for chamacos would be funny if the medical needs of Latino kiddies weren’t so dire compared to gabachos.

Finally, his bit about segregation? Markings of a pendejo—ethnic groups in America have celebrated their own culture in banquets and benefits since the Jamestown colonists put up their first post, and Mexi ceremonies of any kind (Raza college graduation, quinceañera, or a carne asada Sunday) have more than a few token gabachos. In fact, betcha you’ll find more gabachos at a wab hoedown than a country club wedding (sorry, but the help doesn’t count) on any given weekend.

I Hate You’s letter, gentle readers, is a letter you shouldn’t write to the Mexican: angry, but with no real reason and yet not enough nastiness to make it truly distinctive. Want me to answer your pregunta sooner rather than later? Be more memorably stupid that I Hate You, be verbose, or write in about little people, Arpayaso, fake green cards, or anal sex.