FREE • NEWS, VIEWS, MUSIC, FILM, ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT • JULY 21, 2011 • VOLUME 8, ISSUE 29 • WWW.CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM
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The Pulse | Volume 8, Issue 29 | July 21, 2011 | www.chattanoogapulse.com
Nightfall 2011 - Friday Night! Free Energy
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VOLUME 8, ISSUE 29 • CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM
Want to watch a video of this week's Nightfall headliner? Download the FREE "QR Reader" on your smartphone and scan this code.
“Does the existence of bonobos teach us that we are not, in fact, programmed to hate and fear others, to find ways to separate ourselves into ‘us’ and ‘them’ as quickly as we can?”
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“If you’ve ever been a victim of airline luggage mismanagement, then you’ve probably wondered where your favorite jeans, iPod and other packed sundries ended up.”
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— Janis Hashe, on primate research and compassion.
— Chuck Crowder, on a road trip to Alabama's Unclaimed Baggage.
“This is a night to bring the bus filled with your friends, co-workers, family, and any other ex-strangers you can because simply put, it is going to rock.”
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— Music writer Tara V on this Friday's Nightfall concert.
“We try to give our attendees and our members a real cinematic experience, almost like going to a drive-in or a grindhouse.”
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— Mise en Scenester collective co-founder Chris Dortch.
www.chattanoogapulse.com | July 21, 2011 | Volume 8, Issue 29 | The Pulse
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NEWS Chattanooga’s Weekly Alternative President Jim Brewer, II Publisher Zachary Cooper Contributing Editor Janis Hashe News Editor / Layout Gary Poole Director of Sales Rhonda Rollins Advertising Sales Jaye Brewer, Rick Leavell, Michelle Pih Calendar Editors Bryanna Burns, Leanne Strickland Graphic Design Jennifer Grelier Photography / Videography Josh Lang Contributors Gustavo Arellano, Rob Brezsny Chuck Crowder, Michael Crumb Liza Graves, Janis Hashe Lauren Haynes, Matt Jones Louis Lee, Kelly Lockhart Ernie Paik, Alex Teach Tara V, T. Wayne Waters Editorial Cartoonist Rick Baldwin Editorial Interns Lauren Haynes, Crystal Kishimoto Contact Info: Phone (423) 265-9494 Fax (423) 266-2335 Email Inquiries info@chattanoogapulse.com Calendar Submissions calendar@chattanoogapulse.com The Pulse is published weekly and is distributed throughout the city of Chattanooga and surrounding communities. The Pulse is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader. No person without written permission from the publishers may take more than one copy per weekly issue. The Pulse may be distributed only by authorized distributors.
The Pulse is published by
Brewer Media 1305 Carter Street Chattanooga, Tennessee 37402 Letters to the editor must include name, address and daytime phone number for verification. The Pulse reserves the right to edit letters for space and clarity. Please keep letters within 300 words in length.
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Pulse Beats
“The next six months will be pretty crucial. There are a lot of decisions to make that will determine Engel’s fate.”
Gaining Ground Launches “Harvested Here” Labels In an effort to help Chattanooga area citizens identify and support locally grown food in the marketplace, Gaining Ground is introducing the “Harvested Here” label. The label distinguishes food such as produce, meats, cheeses, and eggs grown or raised on farms within 100 miles of Chattanooga. Gaining Ground is an initiative of the Benwood Foundation designed to promote awareness, purchase, and consumption of food grown within 100 miles of Chattanooga. New this year is Gaining Ground’s Local Food Program, which includes the introduction of Harvested Here. The program is free and open to farms located within that area as well as the restaurants, markets, grocery stores, and food artisans that feature their products. The Agriculture Department estimates that locally grown foods will generate $7 billion in sales in 2011, up from $5 billion in 2007. As the segment has grown, so has the need to define what “local” means when applied to food production. The Harvested Here label clearly indicates that, in Chattanooga, locally grown means “within 100 miles.” “People are definitely getting more educated about local food, where their food comes from, and wanting to know their farmer. The Harvest-
The Pulse | Volume 8, Issue 29 | July 21, 2011 | www.chattanoogapulse.com
ed Here label is another way for people to know that the tomatoes they are buying actually came from a farm in the area and were not trucked in from Florida,” says Letty Smith of Circle S Farm, a member of Gaining Ground’s Local Food Program. Participating farms, restaurants and grocers will be encouraged to use the Harvested Here label on their products or packaging, menus, and store displays, all in an effort to help citizens understand where their food comes from and to support local farms. The movement towards consumption of local goods is commonly known as the “Slow Food” movement and is an idea, a way of living and a way of eating that links the pleasure of food with a commitment to community and the environment. “Slow food also encourages sitting down to meals together and sharing food with others. Cooking for friends, getting them to come over, can serve more than one purpose,” says slow food blogger Maria Belgado. “Apart from spreading the slow food lifestyle, it is also a way to bring back the social togetherness of the yesterday. Dinner table conversations keep families together. Eating out can be a slow food experience as well.”
— Janna Jahn, executive director of the Engel Stadium Foundation, on plans to bring the old stadium back to life.
News Briefs • Sample culinary delights, fresh produce and more from local vendors each Friday from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. in Miller Plaza, Downtown Chattanooga. Fresh On Fridays highlights local restaurants, food trucks, artisans and farmers—including Southern Burger Company, Famous Nater’s World Famous, Porker’s BBQ, Good Dog, Link 41, Pop Top Popsicles, Velo Coffee, Pure Soda Works, Herr Flowers and Flat Top Mountain Produce. Plus, each week the Fresh On Fridays marketplace will feature an ever-growing list of products made by local craftsman, including tote bags, soaps, lotions, sodas, coffee and more. • Freelance writers: Think you might like to write for The Pulse? We are hosting two free “So You Want to Write For Us” seminars from 1:30 – 3 p.m. on July 28 and August 3 in which we reveal what we are looking for—and what we’re not. Seating is limited and advance registration required. Contact Contributing Editor Janis Hashe at jhashe@chattanoogapulse.com
NEWS
Opinion
A Few More Thoughts On Cyclists Has anyone ever done a story on why cyclists don’t feel the need to obey stop signs or the “don’t pass cars on the right when they’re waiting for a traffic light” law? I find it odd that cyclists are so quick to insist bikes be granted the same right to the road as cars (which is admittedly true), yet rationalize their dangerous behavior with deflections like, “but starting and stopping on a bike is just so much trouble—what with all the gear shifting and stuff,” or “Oh well, nobody ELSE was at the intersection,” or “everybody’s stopped, there’s no harm if I just slip right past.” Insight into this aspect of local cyclists would be very interesting. D. Crumley Just as you have dangerous, reckless and inconsiderate motorists, you also get the same with cyclists. It is true many cyclists roll through stop signs if the way is clear. Part of it has to do with consequences. If a car does it, it can be fatal to other drivers or cyclists. If a cyclist does it, they’re likely to only hurt themselves. As for me, I never pass cars on the right that are stopped at a light. It makes them have to pass you again, and in my experience they don’t appreciate that. Paul Vaud
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.
a job at a discount store chain and was let go because of ‘no college’ but that wasn’t the real reason. I think Larry Crowne was more real that I have seen in a long time, because in my experience people just don’t have the kind of “personality quirks” that are portrayed and exaggerated in films. I think this film was better than Mr. DeVore indicates, and just because Hanks portrays a “nice guy” and there isn’t much of any conflict is no reason to trash the film. Joe DeVore Maybe it’s just me, but I was under the distinct impression that to be a film critic you have to be able to sit through an entire film in order to criticize it. Logan Lee
Film Reviewing I believe that while John DeVore has many good points (he usually does about films), especially about the lack of conflict, that this film [Larry Crowne] would resonate better with someone who has had success in life and lost it through no fault of his own. This is a film of the 2008-11 recession and there are many Larry Crownes out there. Larry Crowne had
Taxes And Highway Funds What is the total amount of taxes which the federal government receives from gasoline stations located in the State of Tennessee? Gas stations, by the way, which are forced to be tax collectors. I would hope that in the interest of fair play that Tennessee receives a goodly proportion for the total amount of tax paid by us. It is not fair that we pay for road taxes and do not receive a fair share to be used on our roads. Mary Bell www.chattanoogapulse.com | July 21, 2011 | Volume 8, Issue 29 | The Pulse
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NEWS
Politics & Crime 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.
Here is one of the agenda items to be discussed at the Tuesday, July 26 meeting of the Chattanooga City Council.
4. Special Presentations b) “World Changers by Vanessa Jackson, Neighborhood Services Department.”
Every few council meetings, one of the city agencies or departments has something a little bit out of the ordinary that they would like to present to the council. Such as the fact that 165 junior high and high school students from 13 different states will be in Chattanooga from July 25-29 to volunteer their time to improve substandard housing. “The students who participate in World Changers will see that they can make a difference. And the residents whose homes are worked on see that the young people truly care for and love them,” says John Bailey, team leader for World Changers. World Changers is in its 21st summer of operation and is an initiative of the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention.
• No one is sure if it was gunfire, fireworks, or just a loud noise that started a panic on the Walnut Street Bridge. Chattanooga police officials say they found no evidence of gunfire on the pedestrian bridge this past Saturday night, in spite of a spate of 911 calls. Shortly after 11 p.m., witnesses say a crowd on the bridge started running after what some say between three and more than a dozen gunshots were heard. Police quickly responded to the bridge, but were unable to find any evidence of gunfire or fireworks even after a lengthy search. Surveillance camera footage is still being reviewed as police continue to look into the various reports and conflicting witness statements. • New information shows that the three men arrested on civil-rights intimidation in East Lake Courts will likely face much more severe charges. Investigators say the
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 current agenda, and past minutes, visit www.Chattanooga.gov/City_Council
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three men were seen firing off “roman candle-type” fireworks not only at residences in the housing development, but also at residents themselves, including children. This happened while the three were allegedly shouting racial epithets and warning residents to run for their lives. The case was passed on to agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with Police Chief Bobby Dodd stating that additional charges are highly likely under federal law. All three men are said to have admitted to their actions, but no explanation for what caused them to do what they did has been released by police officials. • A former Ringgold football standout was arrested for the second time in five months. The former football star was arrested last week and accused of stealing numerous items from a local gas station. To make matters worse, police say the young man also got into a confrontation with four men outside the store, then chased and intentionally crashed into them with his vehicle. The argument was
allegedly over drugs, similar to an earlier arrest that began with a disagreement over marijuana with his sister-in-law. The youth now faces four counts of aggravated assault, one count of criminal interference with government property, one count of obstruction of officers, and one count of driving improperly on a limited-driving permit. • And there is never such as a thing as an “unloaded weapon”. A woman on Coach Drive learned this lesson the hard way when she tripped as she was putting a Russian-made semi-automatic rifle back into her gun case. As she fell, the weapon discharged, sending a round through the wall of her house and into her neighbor’s house. Luckily, no one was injured in the snafu, even though the two residents of the house next door were home at the time. The woman told police that she had thought the rifle was unloaded when she went to put in away in her gun safe. The clumsy gun owner has been cited to court on a charge of reckless endangerment.
www.chattanoogapulse.com | July 21, 2011 | Volume 8, Issue 29 | The Pulse
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The Pulse | Volume 8, Issue 29 | July 21, 2011 | www.chattanoogapulse.com
OPINION
Beyond The Headlines
Bonobos and the Door of Compassion By Janis Hashe, Pulse Contributing Editor
Please call me by my true names, so I can wake up, and so the door of my heart can be left open, the door of compassion. —Thich Nhat Hanh, “Please Call Me By My True Names”
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llegals…gays…blacks…whites…homeless… When we get into the way of saying “the homeless” instead of “homeless people”,“illegals” instead of “people here illegally”, it allows us to dehumanize the individuals we are talking about. If they’re “gays” instead of “gay people”, then they aren’t really people. Not people like “us.” Not our family, our next-door neighbor. “The homeless”, not the family living on the street that we just passed and tried to look away from. “Illegals,” not the young man mopping the floor in the restaurant we just came from. “Blacks” and “whites”, not a hugely diverse group of people who cannot be categorized by the colors of their skins. What I have discovered in what is now many years of meditation practice, is that the more the “door of
“Does the existence of bonobos teach us that we are not, in fact, programmed to hate and fear others, to find ways to separate ourselves into ‘us’ and ‘them’ as quickly as we can?”
compassion”, as Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh calls it in his poem quoted above, is left open, the more difficult it is to not see people as people, rather than as groups. But the apparently innate tendency to separate ourselves into “tribes” constantly chatters to us: “They aren’t like us.” “Look how they live—not like us.” “We know the right way.” Years ago, when I was working for Banana Republic in the bookstore it then had, we used to play National Geographic videotapes all day long. One of them documented part of Dr. Jane Goodall’s famous work with chimpanzees. In it, a group (or “troop”) of chimpanzees grows too large, and some members of the group leave in order to form a new group. But they relocate in an area deemed too nearby by the leaders of the larger group. Systematically, the larger group hunts down and kills the splinter group chimps—who had up until very shortly before been members of their tribe. This tape horrified me. “This is what primates are?” I asked myself. “Condemned by DNA to violence and murder?” Chimpanzees are the closest primates genetically to human beings. “How quickly individuals become ‘other’,” I decided, and this greatly saddened me. But there is another chimpanzee species that shares our primate structure: the dwarf chimpanzee, or bonobo. A great deal of study has now been done on the bonobos
and what it’s found is that, for the most part, their society peacefully resolves conflicts. They are notably loving and yes, compassionate, to other bonobos. (Their society is also matriarchal, which alone is worth another column.) Does the existence of bonobos teach us that we are not, in fact, programmed to hate and fear others, to find ways to separate ourselves into “us” and “them” as quickly as we can? I don’t know the answer to that. But I do know that we can try to “call others by their true names,” seeing them for the human beings they are. Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34, 35). The Koran says about the Prophet Muhammed: “As for compassion, tenderness and mercy to all creation, Allah said about him: ‘Grievous to him is what you suffer, anxious for you, compassionate is he.’ (10:128) Allah says: ‘We only sent you as a mercy to all the worlds.’ (21:107)” Shakyamuni Buddha said, “Fill your mind with compassion.” All sacred traditions teach this. Can we try to call everyone by their true names? It would be a start.
www.chattanoogapulse.com | July 21, 2011 | Volume 8, Issue 29 | The Pulse
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COVER STORY
DAY TRIPPING
Hit the Road, Jack Y
Haul yourselves off the couch and investigate the cool stuff lurking within a short drive
ou know those places you always mean to go to, but somehow never get around to it? Well, summer’s the time for daytrips, and in that spirit, we present off-the-beaten-path choices for some of the best daytripping around.
Folk Art Heaven: Paradise Gardens, Summerville, GA
One of my favorite Sunday drives is to venture down rural Georgia’s twisting, winding roads towards Summerville’s Paradise Gardens, former home and still-gallery of probably the most famous folk artist in the world—the Reverend Howard Finster. From Chattanooga, simply shoot down I-75 South towards Atlanta, get off at the first Ringgold exit, take a right, and follow the two lanes toward Summerville. Dirty, rusting mobile homes and abandoned vehicles of all types, boarded-up barns and Tasty-Freezes, various novelty yard art and tons of cows provide roadside visual stimulation that can’t be missed. Plus, this two-lane offers some of the finest, most simple sales pitches one can paint on a shingle—“boiled peanuts,” “stump grinding” and in Georgia, the ever-present “peaches.” You’ll know when you’re approaching Paradise Gardens when you see
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the twin retailers Auto Zone and Dollar General Store on the edge of Trion, GA (if you hit downtown Summerville proper, you’ve gone too far). Just look for the left turn down a residential street pointing you toward the Gardens and you’ll run right into it. Yes, Paradise Gardens was created over several decades on the lots surrounding his home and studio. My dozens of visits during the last 20 years have made the father of folk art’s backyard gallery a very memorable Southern tradition. Back when Howard was still alive, a visit to the Garden on any given Sunday meant the opportunity to sit and listen to the man himself talk about everything from Jesus to politics to morals to the straw hat he just drew all over. In fact, the artist best known outside of Georgia for painting the cover art for R.E.M.’s Reckoning and Talking Heads’ Little Creatures albums was actually a self-proclaimed “man of vision” preacher whose simple God-fearin’ ways embodied the true essence of the untrained crudeness of folk art. The Gardens, spanning a few acres, are full of his one-of-a-kind creations. Every possible surface is painted, sculpted or forged with found objects into wonderful pieces that must be seen to be believed. The Gardens have experienced some disrepair in the ten years or so since Howard’s death, even though the value of his work has skyrocketed. But the spirit of the Gardens is still there. And Finster’s family and some other folk artists have made significant efforts to restore the Gardens back to their original glory. In fact, the Gardens still play host to the annual folk-art summit Finster Fest each spring. I strongly encourage you to take in one of the most cherished outdoor art installations you’ll ever witness, because Paradise Gardens is still a crowning jewel of the two-lane day trip. — Chuck Crowder Howard Finster’s Paradise Gardens 84 Knox St., Summerville, GA 30747 (205) 587-3090. www.finstersparadisegardens.org Open Saturday and Sunday, 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. EDT
COVER STORY
DAY TRIPPING
Inside the Pokey: Knoxville Police Department Museum, Knoxville, TN I was locked up Sunday. Heard the ominous loud clang as the automated jail cell door shut tight and locked in place. Wrapped my hands around the cold steel bars that blocked my exit. Wondered, as I eyed the black restraint chair sitting close by, if I would be able to keep my cool. Don’t go passing judgment. It could be you, you know, if you decide to make a visit to the decidedly offbeat—and free—Knoxville Police Department Museum. “Not a lot of people know about this museum,” admitted Investigator Jason Booker, the amiable police officer who locked me up during my specially arranged museum tour last weekend. The museum, located on the second floor of the fully functioning Knoxville Police Department headquarters, relies on word of mouth to attract new visitors, according to Booker, who has become the macabre museum’s primary overseer and is a 13-year KPD veteran now with the force’s Violent Crimes Unit of the Criminal Investigation Division. The KPD museum is worth a visit for those who have a serious jones for badges, firearms, handcuffs and the like, those with a hankering for history, or anybody who has a welldeveloped sense of curiosity and a taste for the slightly lurid. There is something decidedly eerie yet undeniably exhilarating about walking through the dimly lit corridor of what was (until the 1980s) a working city jail. Along the walls are display cases filled with firearms used through the years by Knoxville police officers, and also guns confiscated from criminals, including among the latter an AK-47, a Tec 9 assault “pistol,” a Thompson submachine gun, and several World War II military-issue rifles. There are framed historical photographs and newspaper clippings that tell the KPD story. The jail cells that once held thugs and all manner of hooligans are now full of display cases crammed with badges, bullets, old log books and other kinds of historical paraphernalia. One is used as a memorial to the 17 Knoxville police officers who have died in the line of duty, a remarkably low number that serves as testament to the city’s effective law enforcement. Scattered throughout the former jail holding area are historical police uniforms and displays of various tools law enforcement officers employed in an earlier day. A circa late-1930s/ early 1940s Harger brand Drunkometer sits
atop one display case. It was the first stable breath-testing device for measuring alcohol levels. Another cubbyhole of the museum has a decades-old lie detector and a reel-to-reel recorder. There are all sorts of things that attract visitors to Knoxville, but the KPD museum is among the most unusual. “I think anybody who’s interested in police work or anybody who wants to learn about the history of Knoxville would enjoy it,” concludes Investigator Booker. — T. Wayne Waters Knoxville Police Department Museum 800 Howard Baker Jr. Avenue Knoxville, TN (865) 215-7000. By appointment only, Monday through Friday. Weekend arrangements possible for large groups.
Visions of Harry Potter: The Lost Sea, Sweetwater, TN Its title of “world’s largest underground lake” is occasionally challenged by supporters of Lake Vostok in Antarctica and Dragon’s Breath Lake in Namibia. But without question it’s the world’s largest underground lake within a 45-minute drive of Chattanooga—and it’s fabulous. If you have never managed to make time for The Lost Sea, there’s no time like the present. So here’s the background: “The lake was discovered in 1905 by a 13-year-old boy named Ben Sands. As the story goes, Sands, who often played in the cave, happened upon a small opening and crawled through. The room was so large he was unable to see the ends of the room with his lantern, so he threw balls of mud in all directions and heard splashes. When he went back home and told people of his discovery, they were hesitant to believe him. By the time they went back down to explore it with lanwww.chattanoogapulse.com | July 21, 2011 | Volume 8, Issue 29 | The Pulse
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terns, the water had receded, leading to the name ‘The Lost Sea.’ “The visible surface of the lake measures 800 feet long and 220 feet wide (4.5 acres) at normal ‘full’ capacity. Cave divers have explored several rooms that are completely filled with water, without reaching the end of the cave. “For many years The Lost Sea was considered the world’s largest underground lake and is still recognized as the world’s second largest underground lake.” (And, we might add, there is ongoing controversy on that subject.) Here’s what you get to do once you get there: The tour consists of a walk of about three-quarters of a mile through the caverns, during which you may get a better answer to the classic question posed in Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone: Harry Potter: “I never know. What’s the difference between a stalagmite and a stalactite?” Rubeus Hagrid: “Stalagmite’s got an ‘m’ in it.” I think there is something more to it than that. Then, once you’ve descended about 140 feet below ground level, you climb on a glass-bottom boat and glide onto the lake itself, which, at the risk of making non-Potter fans nauseous, I must point out completely evokes the terrifying scene in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince in which Dumbledore and Harry sail on an underground lake. In this case, however, you are perfectly safe and indeed enjoying not only the informative tour but the year-round subterranean 58 degree temperature. The Lost Sea is also now offering individual, $30 Wild Cave Tours every Saturday, during which you’ll be able to climb through parts of the caverns not open on the lake tour. “Bring a clean change of clothes,” the website advises. If you are like me and cannot resist classicand-campy American tourist attractions, then you must allow time for the adjacent “Old Sweetwater Village.” “Step back in time and enjoy shaded walkways leading to authentic log cabins,” the brochure entices. “You will love our General Store, Ice Cream Parlor, Gem Mine and Glassblower. Our cafe, the Cavern Kitchen, offers sandwiches and real pit barbeque to hungry visitors.” How can you not love that? — Janis Hashe The Pulse | Volume 8, Issue 29 | July 21, 2011 | www.chattanoogapulse.com
The Lost Sea 140 Lost Sea Road, Sweetwater, TN (Exit 60, seven miles off I-75) Sweetwater, TN 37874 (423) 337-6616. www.thelostsea.com $17.95 adults, $7.95 kids Open in July every day, 9 a.m. – 8 p.m., every day in August, 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. EDT
Bargains Flying High: Unclaimed Baggage, Scottsboro, AL There’s nothing like finding a good deal on stuff—even if it’s used. And no other place in the area comes close to Unclaimed Baggage, just a day trip down I-72 in Scottsboro, AL. If you’ve ever been a victim of airline luggage mismanagement, then you’ve probably wondered where your favorite jeans, iPod and other packed sundries ended up when the bags were finally located (and you’ve already settled your claim with the carrier). Well, look no further than Unclaimed Baggage, which buys lost
luggage from the airlines and sells the contents of these bags (along with the bags themselves) to bargain shoppers who visit their department-store size facility. And, lucky for us Chattanoogans, this treasure trove of goodies is a short drive down I-72 West. The Drive-By Truckers have a song that speaks disparagingly of growing up off I-72, which connects South Pittsburg with Huntsville and more desolate points further, but “this highway’s” not so “mean.” In fact, it’s a pretty nice, scenic drive—and Unclaimed is only 45 minutes away. Just take I-24 West towards Nashville for about 25 miles, get off at the South Pittsburg/Kimball exit, take a right and follow the signs down 72 West towards Scottsboro for about another 20-30 miles. When you see the signs for downtown Scottsboro, veer to the right and Unclaimed Baggage is just about two miles ahead on your left. There are signs everywhere as this store might be what’s keeping the school buses on the road, if you know what I mean. It’s huge, and so are the bargains. They have everything you could possibly imagine one would fly with, and then some. Not just clothing and jewelry, but every kind of electronic device imaginable, including iPods, digital cameras, cell phones (and chargers), video recorders, laptops. They even have a healthy supply of ski equipment, golf clubs, CDs, DVDs and of course, suitcases. And everything is priced to sell. On one trip, I found a Burberry sport coat for $75, which normally retails for $800. I even found an original Eames lounge chair in the extremely rare and hard-to-find rosewood shell there for $600 (knock-offs retail for $3,500). Blue jeans typically run $10 or so— no matter what the brand—and leather jackets are a steal. So if you have an afternoon (they’re closed Sundays), take a little road trip to the best bargain spot I’ve ever found: Unclaimed Baggage. — Chuck Crowder Unclaimed Baggage 509 West Willow Street, Scottsboro, AL 35768. (256) 259-1525. www.unclaimedbaggage.com Open Monday-Friday 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. CDT, Saturday 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. CDT. Closed Sundays.
COVER STORY
DAY TRIPPING
Denim Utopia: Imogene + Willie, Nashville, TN There’s a old gas station, refurbished into a clothing store on 12th Avenue South in Nashville, that makes “bespoke-style” jeans. This means they make the jeans as an exact fit for your body and booty. Avid fans are clamoring that once tried, you will never buy a pair of jeans anywhere else. Imogene + Willie is the name of this magical denim utopia. The owners are the oh-so-international couple of Carrie and Matt Eddmenson, Kentucky transplants with ties to India, Turkey and all of Europe. These two chose Nashville to start their denim business because they thought Nashville was “kinda cool.” Carrie’s family has a 20-year history of manufacturing jeans for Ralph Lauren, Levi’s and other high-end retailers. But when NAFTA changed the playing field, the family realized working independently was the way to go. Jeans under the Imogene + Willie label are 100 percent cotton (no spandex and that’s a good thing because of the stretch factor). They fit to perfection because the cotton molds and contours to your body perfectly. With people needing extra-
long or extra-short hem lengths, it’s good to note that Imogene + Willie hems on the spot, right in their store. Hemming is included in the price of the jeans. Imogene + Willie also offers tables of vintage jewelry, bags, boots, belts and jeans. In fact, they is so much vintage inventory mixed in with the new that is takes a minute to soak in; it’s an impressive spread. There’s so much to see in the store that it has become the darling of local and visiting celebs, both men and women alike. Reese Witherspoon has been photographed multiple times in an Imogene + Willie chambray dress and Gwenyth Paltrow highlighted the store in her blog, GOOP.
Another interesting notation: When you walk in, you’ll notice 20 or so sewing machines. Imogene + Willie manufacture jeans for the trade and can tout selling out of a special run of 500 jeans on the web in about 48 hours. They also did a recent collaboration with JCrew. You really have to stop by to “get” it. It’s a place to shop and visit and on Thursday nights, their “supper + song” night, friends and neighbors gather to play music and eat tacos from the Mas Tacos food truck. The Thursday night experience best sums up what Carrie and Matt do: Sure, they sell amazing custom-made jeans, but they are part of the community and are so much more than a retail store. They are friends, artists, business owners and most of all, they have created a style that is now synonymous with the brand name, as in “That’s a total Imogene+Willie look.” — Liza Graves Imogene + Willie 2601 12th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37204 (615) 292-5005. www.imogeneandwillie.com Open Monday-Friday 11 a.m. – 7 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., Sunday 1 – 5 p.m. All times CDT.
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ARTS
Feature
Public Look at a Private Collection By Michael Crumb, Pulse Arts Writer
R
uth Grover has created a remarkable show at the Cress Fine Arts Gallery culled from UTC’s private collection. Art lovers here would surely be remiss to overlook this opportunity to view some astonishing work. Of 17 artists whose work has been hung at the Cress, half a dozen have significant connections to the UTC art department. These include George Cress’s painting “Beach-Bright Day” (1970) that is on public display for the very first time. Here a fairly abstracted landscape displays a nuanced palette of engaging choices suffused with light. A surprising number of artists from the United Kingdom present here as well. Among these, Tom Phillips’s portfolio of nine intaglio prints and one ink drawing (with brush, 1976) shows both conceptual complexity and intricacy of execution that unites elegant drawings to devastating effect. The title print “1263 Heads—Dante, I Had Not Known Death Had Undone So Many” brings our awareness to the morbidity that inhabits our culture, a major cultural subject. One of Lao Tzu’s poems in the Tao Te Ching also refers to this, an ancient problem. Another aesthetic subtext here involves a contemporary hieroglyphic. This seems an attempt to understand the ancient, inscrutable hieroglyphic impulse by constructing one of obscure archetypal reference within our contemporary
“Chattanooga native Barry Moser, who studied under George Cress, presents an incredible woodcut, “Premonitia” (1974), a masterpiece of archetypal surrealism.”
culture. Phillips both taught and later collaborated with Brian Eno. Eno recorded Phillips’s original opera Irma. Phillips also collaborated with Peter Greenaway, the film auteur who brought an innovative cinematic vision infused with the sense of painting and other fineart forms. More than 30 pieces comprise this show, and almost a third of these are serigraphs, produced from a silk-screen process. These serigraphs contain some of the most remarkable and dramatic images found here. Robert Motherwell’s three untitled works show his deep sensitivity to form and color. The untitled print from his “Africa” series at a distance appears to be a kind of black blob against a white background, but a closer look reveals an unexpected dramatic complexity in this “blob,” and the background color actually shows a pinkish off-white of great subtlety. An untitled minimalist diptych has been excerpted from a portfolio of five prints showing deep accomplishment. These serigraphs present a stunning diversity of effect. Jazz musician Larry River’s apparently informal black history collage contains great subtlety of detail and color supporting a strong emotional effect (“Boston Massacre”). Patrick Heron’s “Small Red January 1927 #2” (1972) works with shades of red and includes a bit of green to produce a charming, suggestive intensity. John Piper’s “Travel Notes: Castle Ashby Avenue” (1967) presents a kind of “postcard” cinema, remarkably dynamic. Ben Johnson’s “Greek Window” (1977) presents a wonder of visual tactility. The versatility of geometry shows in two window pieces.
Patrick Caufield’s “Pipe and Jug” in black and white emphasizes geometric form in a dynamic composition (1973). Poet Dom Sylvester Houedard’s “Revolving” double cube carries the date of 1969 along with its title in lower-case letters: “Successful cube tranceplant in honor of Chair-
man Mao.” Chattanooga native Barry Moser, who studied under George Cress, presents an incredible woodcut, “Premonitia” (1974), a masterpiece of archetypal surrealism. His intaglio “Erstogom” (1972) shows mystery in both content and execution. Grover reminds us that “Much of the work in this exhibition has never been publicly presented.” Herbert L. Fink’s etching “Marsh Grass” (1975) exemplifies the sort of artistic treasure on view here. More recent Chattanooga artists Jake Kelly, whose “Untitled” (2008) abstract was lately purchased by UTC, and Jeffrey Cortland Jones with his “Submarine Series” (1996) present rough painting techniques. There’s a good deal of important work here, so do plan to spend some time to appreciate this exhibition. UTC Cress Gallery UTC Fine Arts Center, Vine & Palmetto Sts. (423) 304-9789. Show runs until August 5.
www.chattanoogapulse.com | July 21, 2011 | Volume 8, Issue 29 | The Pulse
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ARTS
Arts & Events Calendar FRIDAY
THURSDAY
All American Music Series: Milele Roots Come on down to the Hunter, mon. $9.95 (includes museum entrance) 6 p.m. Hunter Museum, 10 Bluff View (423) 267-0968. www.huntermuseum.org
Thursday
Dynamo of Dixie Downtown Tour 10 a.m. Sheraton Read House, 827 Broad St. (423) 228-0448. www.chattanoogasidewalktours.com Chai Steppers Luncheon Noon. Jewish Cultural Center, 5461 N. Terrace Rd. (423) 493-0270. www.jewishchattanooga.com All American Summer Music Series 6 p.m. Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View. (423) 266-0944. www.huntermuseum.org Ballet Tennessee Dance Coalition: Dance Alive 6 p.m. Roland Hayes Concert Hall, UTC Fine Arts Center, Vine & Palmetto Sts. (423) 425-4269. Photographic Society of Chattanooga Meeting 6 p.m. St. John’s United Methodist Church, 3921 Murray Hills Dr. www.chattanoogaphoto.org 9th Annual Art.a.ma.jig 6 p.m. Tanner-Hill Art Gallery, 3069 South Broad St. (423) 280-7182. Wine Tasting 6 p.m. Back Inn Café, 412 East 2nd St. (423) 265-5033. www.bluffviewartdistrict.com
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The Pulse | Volume 8, Issue 29 | July 21, 2011 | www.chattanoogapulse.com
Bluff and Bridges Downtown Tour 7 p.m. Walnut Street Bridge, 1 Walnut St. (423) 228-0448. www. chattanoogasidewalktours.com Mystery of the TV Talk Show 7 p.m. Vaudeville Café, 138 Market St. (423) 517-1839. www.funnydinner.com Hairspray 7 p.m. Chattanooga Theatre Centre, 400 River St. (423) 267-8534. www.theatrecentre.com By Jupiter 7:30 p.m. St. Luke United Methodist Church, 3210 Social Cir. (423) 877-6447. www.stlukeumc.info Adam Hunter 8 p.m. The Comedy Catch, 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233. www.thecomedycatch.com Chattanooga Ghost Tour 8:15 p.m. Walnut Street Bridge, 100 Walnut St. (423) 821-7125. www.chattanoogaghosttours.com
Friday
Home Education Expo 9 a.m. Camp Jordan Arena, East Ridge, TN. (423) 266-HOME. “Dinosaurs!” 10 a.m. Chattanooga Zoo, 301 North Holtzclaw Ave. (423) 697-1322. www.chattzoo.org Dynamo of Dixie Downtown Tour 10 a.m. Sheraton Read House, 827 Broad St. (423) 228-0448. www.chattanoogasidewalktours.com Born to be Wild 3D 6, 8 p.m. IMAX Theater, 1 Broad St. (800) 265-0695. www.tnaqua.org The Artist at Work 6 p.m. Townsend Atlier, 201 West Main St. (423) 266-2712. www.townsendatelier.com
Ultimate Wave Tahiti 3D 7, 9 p.m. IMAX Theater, 1 Broad St. (800) 265-0695. www.tnaqua.org Improv Comedy with Runs With Scissors 7 p.m. Barking Legs Theater, 1307 Dodds Ave. (423) 624-5347. www.barkinglegs.org Mystery of Flight 138 7 p.m. Vaudeville Café, 138 Market St. (423) 517-1839. www.funnydinner.com Bluff and Bridges Downtown Tour 7 p.m. Walnut Street Bridge, 1 Walnut St. (423) 228-0448. www.chattanoogasidewalktours.com Adam Hunter 7:30, 10 p.m. The Comedy Catch, 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233. www.thecomedycatch.com By Jupiter 7:30 p.m. St. Luke United Methodist Church, 3210 Social Cir. (423) 877-6447. www.stlukeumc.info Disney’s Beauty & the Beast 8 p.m. Signal Mountain Playhouse, James Blvd at Rolling Way, Signal Mountain. www.smph.org Hairspray 8 p.m. Chattanooga Theatre Centre, 400 River St. (423) 267-8534. www.theatrecentre.com Chattanooga Ghost Tour 8:15 p.m. Walnut Street Bridge, 100 Walnut St. (423) 821-7125. www.chattanoogaghosttours.com Stand Up Comedy! Cleveland 9:30 p.m. Vaudeville Café, 138 Market St. (423) 517-1839. www.funnydinner.com Female Impersonation Show Midnight. Images Showbare, 6065 Lee Hwy. (423) 855-8210. www.imagesbar.com
Runs With Scissors
Wacky improv comedy with off-the-wall group of Chattanooga locals. $5 7 p.m. Barking Legs Theater, 1307 Dodds Ave. (423) 624-5347. www.barkinglegs.org
Saturday
Home Education Expo 9 a.m. Camp Jordan Arena, East Ridge, TN. (423) 266-HOME. Dynamo of Dixie Downtown Tour 10 a.m. Sheraton Read House, 827 Broad St. (423) 228-0448. www.chattanoogasidewalktours.com Brainerd Farmers Market 10 a.m. Grace Episcopal Church, 20 Belvoir Ave. (423) 458-6281. Chattanooga River Market 10 a.m. Tennessee Aquarium, 1 Broad St. (423) 648-2496. www.chattanoogamarket.com Art till Dark Noon. 40 Frazier Ave. (423) 413-8999. www.arttildark.com Rock City Summer Music Series Noon. Rock City, 1400 Patten Rd. Lookout Mountain. (800) 854-0675. www.seerockcity.com Arts Live: Theatre Games 2 p.m. Creative Discovery Museum, 321 Chestnut St. (423) 648-6043. www.cdmfun.org Mystery at the Nightmare Office Party 5:30 p.m. Vaudeville Café, 138 Market St. (423) 517-1839. www.funnydinner.com
ARTS
Arts & Events Calendar
SATURDAY
By Jupiter
Leap of Faith produces the Rodgers & Hart musical. Donations accepted. 7:30 p.m. St. Luke United Methodist Church, 3210 Social Circle. (423) 877-6447. www.stlukeumc.info Born to be Wild 3D 6, 8 p.m. IMAX Theater, 1 Broad St. (800) 265-0695. www.tnaqua.org Bluff and Bridges Downtown Tour 7 p.m. Walnut Street Bridge, 1 Walnut St. (423) 228-0448. www.chattanoogasidewalktours.com Ultimate Wave Tahiti 3D 7, 9 p.m. IMAX Theater, 1 Broad St. (800) 265-0695. www.tnaqua.org Adam Hunter 7:30. 10 p.m. The Comedy Catch, 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233. www.thecomedycatch.com By Jupiter 7:30 p.m. St. Luke United Methodist Church, 3210 Social Cir. (423) 877-6447. www.stlukeumc.info Disney’s Beauty & the Beast 8 p.m. Signal Mountain Playhouse, James Blvd at Rolling Way, Signal Mountain. www.smph.org Hairspray 8 p.m. Chattanooga Theatre Centre, 400 River St. (423) 267-8534. www.theatrecentre.com Mystery at the Redneck-Italian Wedding 8 p.m. Vaudeville Café, 138 Market St. (423) 517-1839. www.funnydinner.com
SUNDAY
Movies in the Park 9 p.m. Coolidge Park, 150 River St. www.firstthings.org Chattanooga Ghost Hunt 9:30 p.m. Patten Chapel, 615 McCallie Ave. (423) 821-7125. www.chattanoogaghosttours.com Stand Up Comedy! Cleveland 10:30 p.m. Vaudeville Café, 138 Market St. (423) 517-1839. www.funnydinner.com Female Impersonation Show Midnight. Images Showbar, 6065 Lee Hwy. (423) 855-8210. www.imagesbar.com
Sunday
Dynamo of Dixie Downtown Tour 10 a.m. Sheraton Read House, 827 Broad St. (423) 228-0448. www.chattanoogasidewalktours.com Chattanooga Market 11 a.m. First Tennesee Pavilion, 1826 Reggie White Blvd. www.chattanoogamarket.com Rock City Summer Music Series Noon. Rock City, 1400 Patten Rd. Lookout Mountain. (800) 854-0675. www.seerockcity.com Chattanooga PINK Bridal Show Noon. Chattanooga Convention Center, 1150 Carter St. (423) 756-0001. chattanoogapinkbridalshows.com Hairspray 2:30 p.m. Chattanooga Theatre Centre, 400 River St. (423) 267-8534. www.theatrecentre.com By Jupiter 2:30 p.m. St. Luke United Methodist Church, 3210 Social Cir. (423) 877-6447. www.stlukeumc.info
Bluff and Bridges Downtown Tour 7 p.m. Walnut Street Bridge, 1 Walnut St. (423) 228-0448. www. chattanoogasidewalktours.com Adam Hunter 8 p.m. The Comedy Catch, 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233. www.thecomedycatch.com Movie Night 8 p.m. Sluggo’s North Vegetarian Cafe, 501 Cherokee Blvd. (423) 752-5224. Chattanooga Ghost Tour 8:15 p.m. Walnut Street Bridge, 100 Walnut St. (423) 821-7125. www.chattanoogaghosttours.com
Monday
Dynamo of Dixie Downtown Tour 10 a.m. Sheraton Read House, 827 Broad St. (423) 228-0448. www.chattanoogasidewalktours.com Foreign Policy Supper Club 6 p.m. Jewish Cultural Center, 5461 N. Terrace Rd. (423) 493-0270. www.jewishchattanooga.com Bluff and Bridges Downtown Tour 7 p.m. Walnut Street Bridge, 1 Walnut St. (423) 228-0448. www.chattanoogasidewalktours.com Chattanooga Ghost Tour 8:15 p.m. Walnut Street Bridge, 100 Walnut St. (423) 821-7125. www.chattanoogaghosttours.com
Tuesday
Classic Literature Book Club: Anna Karenina 6 p.m. Pasha Coffee & Tea, 3914 St. Elmo Ave. www.pashacoffeehouse.com Lookouts vs. Jackson Generals 7:15 p.m. AT&T Field, 201 Power Alley. (423) 267-2208. www.lookouts.com
Hairspray
Last chance to see boffo bouffant musical. $17.50 - $25 2:30 p.m. Chattanooga Theatre Centre, Main Stage, 400 River St. (423) 267-8534. www.theatrecentre.com Chattanooga Ghost Tour 8:15 p.m. Walnut Street Bridge, 100 Walnut St. (423) 821-7125. www.chattanoogaghosttours.com
Wednesday
Dynamo of Dixie Downtown Tour 10 a.m. Sheraton Read House, 827 Broad St. (423) 228-0448. www.chattanoogasidewalktours.com Lookouts Autograph Party 1:30 p.m. Big River Grille, 222 Broad St. www.lookouts.com Lookouts vs. Jackson Generals 2:15 p.m. AT&T Field, 201 Power Alley. (423) 267-2208. www.lookouts.com Main Street Farmers Market 4 p.m. Main St. at Williams St. www.mainstfarmersmarket.com Bluff and Bridges Downtown Tour 7 p.m. Walnut Street Bridge, 1 Walnut St. (423) 228-0448. www.chattanoogasidewalktours.com Roundtable: The Symbology and Mythology of Harry Potter 7 p.m. Grace Episcopal Church, 20 Belvoir Ave. Chattanooga Ghost Tour 8:15 p.m. Walnut Street Bridge, 100 Walnut St. (423) 821-7125. www.chattanoogaghosttours.com www.chattanoogapulse.com | July 21, 2011 | Volume 8, Issue 29 | The Pulse
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The Pulse | Volume 8, Issue 29 | July 21, 2011 | www.chattanoogapulse.com
OPINION
On The Beat
Dignity, Respect and the NAACP I
read last week where the Chattanooga/Hamilton County NAACP had issued calls for an immediate FBI investigation into a hate crime perpetrated by three young white males throwing fireworks and yelling racial slurs at black residents near a housing development off I-24. Do you think I’m going to debate that move? Nope. I agree with it and hope those nimrods get what they deserve besides their current civil rights intimidation state charge. One of the young men is a paramedic, no small feat to achieve…and has therefore effectively destroyed his career in addition to whatever jail time he gets. Good. What I will debate, however, is how the local NAACP executive director Valoria Armstrong characterized this as being part of “a recent wave of disturbing events that threatens to restore Chattanooga and Hamilton County to pre-civil rights era levels in terms of civility and community relations.” Strong statement, yes? Let’s explore this. Rednecks (if you’ll pardon my use of another racial slur) throwing fireworks at minorities? Yes, very bad. But Ms. Armstrong also lumped into this an incident involving a racial epithet written on a brick thrown through a window in Polk County. That’s 47 miles away from Chattanooga, folks. Her other damning bit of evidence was use, again, of the “N-word” by a county commissioner in a hallway of the courthouse around three years ago. This is a guess, since it is not attributable to any one person and relayed through hearsay. (She originally thought it happened a few weeks ago, but corrected it to “a number of years ago” by the end of the same press conference. Not the same, Miss.) And finally, of course, school board member Rhonda Thurman was referenced for having made the outlandish statement that “slaves learned to read.” While this is true, Ms. Armstrong somehow felt
Alex Teach
“I wasn’t around then, but apparently she wasn’t either, because history painted a FAR darker picture than these examples of hers.” those four words actually implied “current school-aged African-American children, most of whom are the descendants of slaves, will not surpass their ancestors in the arena of educational attainment.” (I’ve compared her response to the original four words, and despite my characteristic cleverness, I am mystified as to how she arrived there.) Again, a “wave of events?” “Pre-civil rights era levels?” Fireworks, an incident 47 miles away, completely unsubstantiated internet gossip by “someone” a “number of years ago”, and an extrapolation of a partial quote taken out of context? THAT is 1963 levels of racial intolerance? I wasn’t around then, but apparently she wasn’t either, because history painted a FAR darker picture than these examples of hers. Last Thursday (July 14), Federal Judge Curtis Collier dismissed a lawsuit against the city and six of its police officers for excessive force against a man they were forced to shoot in July of 2009. This
dismissal will really piss off this same local NAACP, because they demanded the case file information and a federal probe because the death involved a black man. Never mind that half of the six shooters were minorities themselves and he was pointing a rifle at them (which he fired) after refusing five minutes of commands to drop it; they decried it from the start simply because of his race, while ignoring what got him shot. They also demanded a probe for a shooting nearly three weeks before the one referenced above in which 15-year-old Alonzo O’Kelley was shot while running from housing police and pointing a gun at them. The reason he was running was that the “baby child” had just been in a gunfight himself, shooting into a moving Dodge Durango on the same street the “rednecks” were throwing fireworks from this last week, but him having a gun and being in gunfights was not of interest; only his getting shot for his actions and being a minority. (The officer involved was of the same race, by the way. As were both department chiefs at the time.) No probe was called for when a black man murdered Officer Julie Jacks. Why? Because it was irrelevant, I suspect. The local NAACP is really reaching here on all but the initial issue of the three morons with the fireworks, and this pisses me off to no end. It’s not because I think they’re a bad organization: It’s because it detracts from their credibility and creates a VERY serious issue where there may be none at all. Their arguments smack of desperation and, I suspect, fear of becoming irrelevant unless they make noise now and then. Folks: You can’t call for an “immediate restoration of dignity, respect, and ethics” if people think you’re idiots. Choose your battles, or at least make sense. Or you will become irrelevant. 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. Follow him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/alex.teach www.chattanoogapulse.com | July 21, 2011 | Volume 8, Issue 29 | The Pulse
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MUSIC
Feature
Have You Been to Nightfall, Y’all? By Tara V, Pulse Music Writer
M
y fellow Chattanoogans are aware that our Nightfall Music Series is celebrating 25 years of attracting musical acts to the corner of Market and MLK. (Newbies to the area or out-of-townees, please refer to the first sentence.) Nightfall has continued to bring unique acts to Miller Plaza throughout the years, and the magic hasn’t stopped for 2011. So far the acts have been outstanding—and we have many dates to look forward to. I am happy to say this is my second year getting to write about the only weekly event to spotlight kids, motorcycles, beer, dogs, hula hoops and dancing. This year Nightfall has been unusually special for me. One reason is that 97 percent of the local openers are friends or acquaintances of mine and I fully know how talented they are. A few weeks ago at Nightfall, my mother-in-law was able to see Digital Butter for the first time. She loved them. While listening to these locals share their sound with Chattanooga on the stage of Miller Plaza, my heart hurt from happiness as mother in law and granddaughter got to dance (and attempt belly dancing in-between giggles)—all before 8 p.m. The moral of the story is that there is a certain group
“This is a night to bring the bus filled with your friends, coworkers, family, and any other ex-strangers you can because simply put, it is going to rock.”
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of people in this city that get to see amazing music during times that you (or your mother-in-law) are usually in bed. Our friends at River City Company have chosen many of these late-nighters to open this season of Nightfall, so you too have the chance to see what many of us already know and love. This Friday night will also have a bit of extra juice as The Pulse’s own publisher, Zachary Cooper, had a big hand in getting the headliners, Free Energy, on the bill. And that’s not to mention that opening will be our Technicolor-dream-popsicle trio, Machines Are People Too. This is a night to bring the bus filled with your friends, co-workers, family, and any other ex-strangers you can because simply put, it is going to ROCK. I sat down homeboys Machines Are People Too with the guys in January 2011 for the article “Why Machines Are People Too” and it seems the craze hasn’t stopped since then. I caught up with drummer Ivan Garcia and he informed me how excited the band was to open for the likes of Free Energy and being able to see how the older crowd and kids react to their music. They will also be playing three shows that night, as they attack MLK from Nightfall to Market Street Tavern to JJ’s Bohemia. Free Energy hails from Philadelphia, PA and are spreading their American rock energy to some pretty
The Pulse | Volume 8, Issue 29 | July 21, 2011 | www.chattanoogapulse.com
heavy hitters in the biz. Rolling Stone included them in the Top 100 Bands of 2010 and they have had rave reviews in Spin. They have also appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman. They have toured with those sweater-loving kids Weezer and have announced they will be floating along on The Weezer Cruise January of 2012. The bio on their official website, www.freeenergymusic.com, puts their sound and style into a perfect slew of words: “Good music emancipates the listener. Boring jobs, troubled relationships, rush hour traffic…such mundane prisons are no match for the liberating power of a fantastic pop song.” And fantastic pop it is. But not your Britney pop hits, but more of your ’70s-style pop. With influences such as Fleetwood Mac, Cheap Trick and Tom Petty, their sound reflects the old, while bringing out the new. So grab the glowsticks and bubbles, your friends and dogs, get in line early for those beer tickets and head down to Nightfall y’all! We’ll be in front! Free Energy with Machines Are People Too Free 7 p.m. opening act 8 p.m. headliner Nightfall Concert Series, Miller Plaza, MLK Blvd. www.nightfallchattanooga.com
MUSIC
New Music Reviews
Boris
Veryan Weston
(Sargent House)
(Emanem)
Attention Please You can’t please everyone all the time. I’m certain the Japanese power trio Boris is well aware of this, having gained a stateside following primarily because of its aggressive, metal/rock songs (the band was named after a Melvins track), yet it dislikes being pigeonholed and definitely has more than a few tricks up its sleeve. After a relative lull in release activity, Boris has unleashed three proper albums within the first half of 2011 (and that’s not counting the Merzbow collaboration Klatter). It seems like some kind of statement, along the lines of, “Let’s release what we like and let the fans figure it out.” The Japanese-only New Album (yes, that’s the title) sports sonically dense pop-rock, occasionally going into electro territory with synths and four-on-the-floor drum machine beats; hard-‘n’-heavy fans will prefer Heavy Rocks (not to be confused with Boris’s 2002 album that bears the same name), and although its peaks hit the spot, the album isn’t totally up to snuff. However, the best of the bunch is Attention Please, which features guitarist Wata on lead vocals on all songs and reprises several tracks from New Album and Heavy Rocks (2011) in different versions. “Hope” is an album highlight—an urgent rock number with a driving, motorik beat, an early ’90s-esque underground guitar rock timbre, some proggy Mellotron flourishes, and a few metal chugs for good measure toward the end. “Party Boy” is one of the dancey numbers also on New Album, but here, it’s a little heavier and more raucous, although some may still be caught off-guard by the beats. The album is difficult to classify, as each track seems like an oddity; the only continuity is Wata’s voice, and her enunciation and clear, vibrato-free delivery provide a sort of aural disconnect, contrasted against the charged rock arrangements like “Spoon.” Although a better track sequence may have helped, song-for-song, Attention Please is Boris’s most satisfying recent release for a band whose diversity may either please or frustrate fans. — Errne Paik
Different Tessellations Experimental composer John Cage asserted, “You can’t improvise structure”—he probably just hasn’t seen any ramshackle hobo villages. In any case, his statement is questioned in the liner notes of British composer Veryan Weston’s latest album Different Tessellations, and actually, I see Cage’s point—structure itself is something that is unchanging. However, one can improvise within structures, and Weston has created a framework for any kind of musical improvisation. Stay with me now—a “tessellation” is like a mosaic, and for the purposes of Weston’s piece, each bit of the mosaic is a different five-note (or “pentatonic,” if you want to be Mr. Fancy Pants) scale. Tessellations uses a loop of 52 different scales, and each differs from the scale that follows (or precedes) it by a single note. So, each scale—or tiny piece in the mosaic— superimposes part of itself upon its neighbors. In a way, it’s like a very specific application of modal jazz (think Miles Davis’s Kind of Blue), which lets musicians play around scales, instead of strict chord changes. Enough theory—how does it sound? The CD includes two completely different versions of Tessellations; one features the talented, 21-year-old pianist Leo Svirsky, and the other features The Vociferous Choir, based in Austria. In Svirsky’s hands, Weston’s framework seems like hints or gentle nudges; Svirsky presents a continuous unfurling of creativity, playing without the safety nets of genres. Whether aggressively choppy or smooth and glistening, he plays with a confident attitude, exuding a sense of purpose with his abstractions. The Vociferous Choir is an odd beast, a mixed-gender explosion of wordless vocalizing, ranging from throat-singing drones, human beatboxing, jazz scatting, fake trumpeting and even Yoko Ono-esque squeals. A contrast from the academic babbling in the liner notes, The Vociferous Choir doesn’t sound like it wants listeners to take it seriously; after getting past the peculiarities and sometimes silly sound choices, though, it’s rewarding to follow the notes themselves, which twist and weave into intricate designs. — Ernie Paik www.chattanoogapulse.com | July 21, 2011 | Volume 8, Issue 29 | The Pulse
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MUSIC
Concert Calendar FRIDAY
THURSDAY
Bearfoot
They got a nosebleed at the top of the Billboard Bluegrass chart. $15 7:30 p.m. Barking Legs Theater, 1307 Dodds Ave. (423) 624-5347. www.barkinglegs.org
Thursday
Ben Friberg Trio 7 p.m. Table 2, 232 E. 11th St. (423) 756-8253. www.table2restaurant.com Audience Choice Night 7 p.m. McHale’s Brewhouse, 724 Ashland Ter. (423) 877-2124. www.mchalesbrewhouse.com Blues Jam with Rick Rushing 7:30 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260. www.marketstreettavern.com Bearfoot 7:30 p.m. Barking Legs Theatre, 1307 Dodds Ave. (423) 624-5347. www.barkinglegs.org Open Mic Night 7:30 p.m. The CampHouse, 1427 Williams St. (423) 702-8081. www.thecamphouse.com Billy Hopkins 8 p.m. Southside Saloon and Bistro, 1301 Chestnut St. (423) 757-4730. www.southsidesaloonandbistro.com Summer Hullender 8 p.m. Acoustic Café, 61 RBC Dr., Ringgold. (706) 965-2065. www.ringgoldacoustic.com
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The Pulse | Volume 8, Issue 29 | July 21, 2011 | www.chattanoogapulse.com
Soul Survivor 8 p.m. The Lounge at The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202. (423) 499-5055. www.thepalmsathamilton.com Jimmy Harris 8 p.m. The Coconut Room at The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202. (423) 499-5055. Planet, Holy Smokes 9 p.m. The Honest Pint, 35 Patten Pkwy. (423) 468-4192. www.thehonestpint.com Nathan Angelo with Andy Davis 9:30 p.m. Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. www.rhythm-brews.com Starbolt, The Sexual Side Effects, The Unsatisfied 10 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400. www.myspace.com/jjsbohemia
Friday
Johnny Cash Tribute Band 5 p.m. Chattanooga Choo Choo Victorian Lounge, 1400 Market St. (423) 266-5000. www.choochoo.com/localevents Jimmy Harris 6:30 p.m. The Coconut Room at The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202. (423) 499-5055. Machines Are People Too 7 p.m. Nightfall Concert Series, Miller Plaza, MLK Blvd. www.nightfallchattanooga.com The Radiance Effect, The Beautiful Crayons, 100th and May, A Twentyone-run, Love out Loud 7 p.m. The Warehouse, 412 Market St. www.warehousevenue.com Live DJ Party 7 p.m. McHale’s Brewhouse, 724 Ashland Ter. (423) 877-2124. www.mchalesbrewhouse.com
Free Energy 8 p.m. Nightfall Concert Series, Miller Plaza, MLK Blvd. www.nightfallchattanooga.com Von Grey 8 p.m. Charles and Myrtle’s Coffeehouse, 105 McBrien Rd. (423) 892-4960. www.christunity.org/events Johnston & Brown 8 p.m. Acoustic Café, 61 RBC Dr., Ringgold. (706) 965-2065. www.ringgoldacoustic.com Dave Pope Quartet 8:30 p.m. The Foundry (at the Chattanoogan Hotel), 1201 Broad St. (423) 756-3400. Machines Are People Too, Baby Baby, Megan Jean and the KFB, Gerle Haggard, Dolfish Music 9 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400. www.myspace.com/jjsbohemia Zaib Khan 9 p.m. Raw, 409 Market St. (423) 756-1919. www.myspace.com/jimstriker Soul Survivor 9 p.m. Sugar’s Ribs Downtown, 507 Broad St. (423) 508-8956. www.sugarsribs.com/downtown DJ and Dancing 9 p.m. Spectators, 7804 East Brainerd Rd. (423) 648-6679. DJ and Dancing 9 p.m. The Lounge at The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202. (423) 499-5055. Machines Are People Too 10 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260. www.marketstreettavern.com Kirk Fleta 10 p.m. Tremont Tavern, 1203 Hixson Pk. (423) 266-1996. www.tremonttavern.com
Machines Are People Too, BABY BABY, more
If you missed MRP2 at Nightfall, it’s OK. This will be fun, too. $7 9 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400. myspace.com/jjsbohemia Velcro Pygmies 10 p.m. Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. www.rhythm-brews.com Karaoke & Dancing 10 p.m. Chattanooga Billiards Club East, 110 Jordan Dr. (423) 499-3883. www.cbcburns.com
Saturday
New Binkley Brothers Noon. Rock City Summer Music Weekends, 1400 Patten Rd., Lookout Mtn. www.seerockcity.com Dustin Overbeek 12:30 p.m. Chattanooga Market, Tennessee Aquarium Place, 1 Broad Street. www.chattanoogamarket.com Johnny Cash Tribute Band 5 p.m. Chattanooga Choo Choo Victorian Lounge, 1400 Market St. (423) 266-5000. www.choochoo.com/localevents Jimmy Harris 6:30 p.m. The Coconut Room at The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202. (423) 499-5055. www.thepalmsathamilton.com
MUSIC
Concert Calendar
SATURDAY
DrumFunktion! featuring Imperial Boogie, KRRS24, Antares
Free dance party. No reason not to go. Free. 9 p.m. McHale’s Brewhouse, 724 Ashland Terrace (423) 877-2124. www.mchalesbrewhouse.com Axiom Cd Release Party with Cartographer, Wideyedaze, Denied Glory, Trails 7 p.m. The Warehouse, 412 Market St. www. warehousevenue.com Red Mountain 8 p.m. Barking Legs Theater, 1307 Dodds Ave. (423) 624-5347. www.barkinglegs.org Grant Peoples 8 p.m. Charles and Myrtle’s Coffeehouse, 105 McBrien Rd. (423) 892-4960. www.christunity.org/events Channing Wilson 8 p.m. Acoustic Café, 61 RBC Dr., Ringgold. (706) 965-2065. www.ringgoldacoustic.com Dave Pope Quartet 8:30 p.m. The Foundry (at the Chattanoogan Hotel), 1201 Broad St. (423) 756-3400. DrumFunktion! Featuring Imperial Boogie, KRSS24, Antares 9 p.m. McHale’s Brewhouse, 724 Ashland Ter. (423) 877-2124. www.mchalesbrewhouse.com
SUNDAY
The Regulars Band 9 p.m. Raw, 409 Market St. (423) 756-1919. www.myspace.com/jimstriker Concerning Lions (American Cancer Society Benefit) 9 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260. www.marketstreettavern.com Hara Paper and Amber Fults 9 p.m. The Office (inside Days Inn), 901 Carter St. (423) 634-9191. www.facebook.com/theofficechatt Soul Survivor 9 p.m. Sugar’s Ribs Downtown, 507 Broad St. (423) 508-8956. www.sugarsribs.com/downtown DJ and Dancing 9 p.m. The Lounge at The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202. (423) 499-5055. www.thepalmsathamilton.com Stephaniesid 10 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400. www.myspace.com/jjsbohemia Appetite for Destruction: Guns N Roses Tribute 10 p.m. Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. www.rhythm-brews.com.
Sunday
New Binkley Brothers Noon. Rock City Summer Music Weekends, 1400 Patten Rd., Lookout Mtn. www.seerockcity.com Julie Gribble 12:30 p.m. Chattanooga Market, First Tennessee Pavilion, 1829 Carter St. www.chattanoogamarket.com Dustin Overbeek 1:30 p.m. Chattanooga Market, First Tennessee Pavilion, 1829 Carter St. www.chattanoogamarket.com
Sugar Lime Blue 2 p.m. Chattanooga Market, First Tennessee Pavilion, 1829 Carter St. www.chattanoogamarket.com Free Range Mystics 3 p.m. Pasha Coffee and Tea, 3914 St. Elmo Ave. (423) 475-5482. www.pashacoffeehouse.com Drivin’ n Cryin’ and Friends: A Benefit for Ringgold 6 p.m. Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. www.rhythm-brews.com Mean Daddy Jack Corey, Mark Porkchop Holder 7 p.m. Jefferson’s, 618 Georgia Ave. (423) 710-1560. facebook.com/jeffersonschattanooga Open Mic with Mike McDade 7 p.m. The Office (inside Days Inn), 901 Carter St. (423) 634-9191. An Evening with the Waybacks 8 p.m. Barking Legs Theater, 1307 Dodds Ave. (423) 624-5347. www.barkinglegs.org Seryn, Endelouz 8 p.m. The Honest Pint, 35 Patten Pkwy. (423) 468-4192. www.thehonestpint.com Racing Death, Minor Stars, more 9 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400. www.myspace.com/jjsbohemia Karaoke with DJ Salt 9:30 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar, 5751 Brainerd Rd. (423) 499-9878. www.budssportsbar.com
Monday
Old Tyme Players 6 p.m. Market Street Tavern, 850 Market St. (423) 634-0260. Music Mondays 7 p.m. Pasha Coffee and Tea, 3914 St. Elmo Ave. (423) 475-5482. www.pashacoffeehouse.com
The Waybacks
One of the fave acts to play Barking Legs bring back their “acoustic mayhem.” $15.50 advance, $18 door 8 p.m. Barking Legs Theater, 1307 Dodds Ave. (423) 624-5347. www.barkinglegs.org Big Band Night 8 p.m. The Coconut Room at The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202. (423) 499-5055. www.thepalmsathamilton.com
Tuesday
Open Mic with Mike McDade 9 p.m. Tremont Tavern, 1203 Hixson Pk. (423) 266-1996. www.tremonttavern.com Karaoke with DJ Salt 9:30 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar, 5751 Brainerd Rd. (423) 499-9878. www.budssportsbar.com
Wednesday
Jimmy Harris 6:30 p.m. The Coconut Room at The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202. (423) 499-5055. www.thepalmsathamilton.com Prime Cut Trio 8 p.m. The Lounge at The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Rd., #202. (423) 499-5055. Jenntastic Wednesdays 9 p.m. Holiday Bowl, 5518 Brainerd Rd. (423) 899-2695. www.holidaybowlbrainerd.com www.chattanoogapulse.com | July 21, 2011 | Volume 8, Issue 29 | The Pulse
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The Pulse | Volume 8, Issue 29 | July 21, 2011 | www.chattanoogapulse.com
OPINION
Life In The ‘Noog
The Fonzie Scheme N
o one is exempt from contemplating what it would take to “get rich quick.” Whether it’s inventing the next ShamWow or finding a cure for cancer, we’ve all had that dream of going from our current rags to riches beyond our wildest imagination. It’s our instinctive purgative as capitalist gluttons—and there’s nothing wrong with that. Without question, we’ll give up a Saturday afternoon to attend an Amway seminar or spend the first 24 of our “free” 48-hour getaway sitting in a sales pitch that explains what great times we’ll have in a timeshare condo (as soon as we get time to see it). We’ll include a few scratch-off lottery tickets with each tank of gas and think nothing of plunking down a C-note each time a raffle promises we could win a house. Like everyone, I get a little mad every time I see a simple idea parlayed into a useful product that hadn’t been thought of until now (but should have been thought of by me!). It’s million-dollar ideas like dental floss on those little plastic holders, elastic tennis shoe laces, the mouse pad, Koozie, Poly Grip, Trivial Pursuit, reality shows about idiots or ANYthing else people just can’t get enough of that make me wonder why I didn’t think of it first. Growing up, my entrepreneurial idol was Ron Popeil, president and lead pitchman for Ronco. From the Veg-O-Matic food annihilator to a pocket-size fishing rod and reel to a knife that could go from cutting a tin can in half to thinly slicing tomatoes, Ronco lit up ’70s television commercial breaks hawking clever plastic crap that embodied great ideas that hadn’t been thought of until now and, more importantly for shipping and handling profit potential, were “not available in stores.” They say the best ideas enable you to “sell to the masses and live with the classes.” And with the percentage of “classes” making up just one percent of the “masses,” that’s a huge market of people dying to part with some greenbacks so we potential magnates of industry can remain “all about the Benjamins.” The closest I’ve ever come to this phenomenon was when a friend and I decided to start thenoog.com. Filling what we perceived to be a void in the hip factor
Chuck Crowder
“Whether it’s inventing the next Sham-Wow or finding a cure for cancer, we’ve all had that dream of going from our current rags to riches beyond our wildest imagination.”
of T-shirts and other products promoting Chattanooga, we came up with slogans like “noog,” “Chattaboogie,” “Chattavegas,” “Seen Rock City” and the parting comment made by anyone around here thanking you for your business—“Presheatcha.” At first I thought the idea was a little TOO much of a no-brainer (like an idea considered but never implemented due to some obvious detrimental detail that for some reason had eluded us). Regardless, we each coughed up a modest amount of start-up capital and printed our first run of shirts. We ended up paying ourselves back within the first three months and nearly six years later have never looked back. I will say this though: T-shirts with slogans limited to very small “masses” will never afford one to live with the “classes.” So it’s back to the drawing board. And I think I’ve come up with my next plan.
Everyone’s heard of a pyramid scheme in which you summon the spirit of Tom Sawyer in order to make money from the work of several levels of suckers below you, who in turn have also recruited several levels of suckers below them (from which you also make commissions). And by now, everyone is also familiar with the “Ponzi scheme” in which one takes money from others to invest in their own livelihoods as well as pay dividends to the suckers before them who invested previous rounds of moola. These two methods of getting rich quick are fine if greed is your motive. But what if just getting by is your M.O.? Well, if slacker is your middle name, one thing ’70s television taught us is quite possibly the road map to simply “maintaining.” I call it “The Fonzie Scheme.” If you recall, Arthur Fonzarelli was one of the coolest characters to make the leap from the ’50s to the ’70s to the here-and-now. And if there’s one thing the show Happy Days taught us, it’s that being cool will take you way further than taking over your old man’s hardware store. First of all, you must follow the Fonz’s lead. Find a virtually free crash-pad apartment over your parents’ garage, or better yet, like the Fonz, over someone’s else’s parents’ garage (with free home cooking in the kitchen below). Then you must wear clothing that no one in their right mind would be caught dead in—like a leather jacket, undershirt and (God forbid) blue jeans. Chicks love that rebellious fly-in-the-faceof-society unconventional fashion-forward nonsense. They also love to be snapped at. They’ll come running’especially if you’re sitting on a motorcycle when you do it. But most importantly, you need to rig jukeboxes and other technology to come alive with a simple bang of your fist. If you screw up any portion of the above, then you might as well “sit on it.” But if you are successful in your replication of the Fonz’s lifestyle, well then “ayyyyyyeee!” (Two thumbs up.) 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. www.chattanoogapulse.com | July 21, 2011 | Volume 8, Issue 29 | The Pulse
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SCREEN
Film Feature
Cinema Verite—in St. Elmo By Lauren Haynes, Pulse Contributing Writer
F
or lovers of underground film or culturally bored locals, the dawn of Mise en Scenesters has truly been one of the most special things to happen in Chattanooga in quite some time. Allow me to introduce Chris Dortch, co-founder and proprietor of the Mise en Scenester collective—a man who grew up in Chattanooga, left, and returned 10 years later via Nashville to show us what he’s learned. Mise en Scenesters, a play on the film term mise en scene, evolved from the growth of Dortch’s weekly movie nights, a hobby carried over from his time in Nashville. Dortch says he wanted to give his new Chattanoogan friends an opportunity to watch obscure films that would otherwise have slipped through the cracks. “Before I knew it, my casual little film gettogethers had blown up, and I was packing way too many people into the living room of my apartment,” he says. Chris himself is a documentarian. In addition to working as the director of programming for the Documentary Channel out of Nashville, he also helped make We Fun, a tell-all doc about the budding Atlanta music scene, featuring bands like Mastodon, the Black Lips and Deerhunter. Insert into the narrative new friend Zach Zacharias, co-owner of the now defunct Discoteca, a sorely-missed Main Street dive bar that showcased similar cult films each week at their own movie night. “It was Zach’s idea that we turn our little weekly tradition into a club,” says Dortch. He also introduced Dortch to Sondra
“We try to give our attendees and our members a real cinematic experience, almost like going to a drive-in or a grindhouse.”
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Aten Emerson Burch, as well as a slew of local artists, whom he describes appropriately as “great lovers of film and great people.” Says Dortch, “They lent us their places of business to use as venues for our club screenings and really bent over backwards to spread the word and enable us to celebrate film in Chattanooga.” Thus, in January of this year, MES was born. The club currently resides inside the Collective Clothing warehouse in St. Elmo, with showings once or twice monthly, although the gang is trying to raise funds to start up a theatre and pub somewhere closeby. “It’s important to us to build a community and also raise awareness of local businesses and merchants,” says Dortch. Let’s gab a little about the MES events themselves. They remind this writer of the rowdy-as-hell theaters of the precode era of cinema. Dozens of people pack out a dark warehouse space, with a 40-foot sheet hanging from the front ceiling, with our friend Dortch running the projection table. It’s magical. Every time a car goes by, you see its lights in the cracks between the floor and the warehouse’s garage door, slightly cracked to provide a breeze. Anytime people feel like saying something, they say it. There are no “quiet during the movie” taboos—in fact, quite the opposite. “We try to give our attendees and our members a real cinematic experience, almost like going to a drive-in or a grindhouse,” says Dortch. “We have a reel of vintage trailers and strangeness before each screening that showcases upcoming Mise en Scenesters events, and we have an intermission between our films that showcases great short films, short-form music videos and other strange stuff from the Mise en archives. “Chattanooga has grown since I last lived here, but I think our city still needs more opportunities to see important films,” Dortch explains. He notes the demise of the Bijou, and the smattering of independent films at the Rave and
The Pulse | Volume 8, Issue 29 | July 21, 2011 | www.chattanoogapulse.com
Majestic. “Chattanooga currently has no venue where film-lovers can be exposed to classic, cult classic, or even just lesser-known independent films,” Dorth continues. “There are some folks here in Chattanooga—Dave Porfiri with the Chattanooga Film Society for example—who are doing great things to make this town safer for cinema. We just think it’s our duty to do our own small part as well.” He also feels Mise en Scenesters is crucial to the development of the film community in Chattanooga. “Like every decent-sized town in the Southeast, Chattanooga not only needs its own film festival, but also an arthouse theatre and as many opportunities to be exposed to great and interesting films as possible,” he says. July 22 will be MES’s first all-documentary night, featuring Dominic DeJoseph’s Johnny Berlin, which Dortch describes as “charming and strange and oddly touching,” Les Blank’s Gap Toothed Woman, and Errol Morris’s Gates of Heaven, a film Roger Ebert rated as “one of the 10 greatest films of all time.” From horror film double features to classic art films and documentaries—unless you want to spend your energy searching the Internet troves and sludging through the inevitable buffer zone, Mise en Scenesters is your best bet for seeing underground movies. “I think people have grown to trust Zach and me and our choices,” Dortch says. “If nothing else, you can come see something here you wouldn’t get to see anywhere else.” Mise en Scenesters: Johnny Berlin, Gap Toothed Woman, Gates of Heaven $2 ($6 super deluxe admission) 8:30 p.m. Collective Clothing Warehouse, 4015 Tennessee Ave.
SCREEN
New In Theaters
100% American Made villain be able to break the spell of you-know-who at the multiplex? Starring Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, Samuel L. Jackson Directed by Joe Johnston
Captain America: The First Avenger After being deemed unfit for military service during WWII, Steve Rogers volunteers for a top-secret research project that turns him into Captain America, the Sentinel of Liberty—a superhero dedicated to defending America’s ideals. His first mission: to combat the Nazi propaganda effort headed by Johann Schmidt, also known as the Red Skull. The real test for the latest in a strong line of Marvel Comics’ films that are all leading to the planned Avengers movie is not how well the film sticks with the source material or even how well-made and exciting the film is, but whether or not it can dethrone the boy wizard who is currently ruling the box office. Working in Captain America’s favor is one of the more interesting origin stories within the Marvel Universe, combined with a firm hand by director Joe Johnson. Co-writer Joss Whedon, who has met with much critical acclaim for earlier TV projects, including the fan-favorites Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Firefly, also is someone who is well-versed in the rhythms of comic storytelling. But in the Summer of Harry Potter, will a WWII-era hero without any superpowers battling a red-faced
Friends with Benefits While trying to avoid the clichés of Hollywood romantic comedies, Dylan and Jamie soon discover however that adding the act of sex to their friendship does in fact lead to complications. Yet another of the “friends with benefits” movies hits the big screen, but this time around with a much tighter script and much more appealing stars, in the very attractive guise of Justin Timberlake (fresh off a strong performance in The Social Network) and the evermore-confidant Mila Kunis. Kunis is really coming into her own as a leading actress, shedding her television background with a strong handle on both sexually-charged moral ambiguity and a very firm hand on comedic timing. While film bloggers have typed countless updates on the seemingly-endless Hollywood fascination with relationship-avoidance sexual romps, Friends with Benefits appears to be head and (naked) shoulders above the other offerings in the bump-andgrind minigenre. And if it’s a choice between a third or fourth viewing of Harry vs. Voldemort, make mine sexy with a side of Kunis. Starring Mila Kunis, Justin Timberlake, Patricia Clarkson Directed by Will Gluck Another Earth On the night of the discovery of a duplicate planet in the solar system, an ambitious young student and an accomplished composer cross paths in a tragic accident. Starring Brit Marling, William Mapothe Directed by Mike Cahill Sarah’s Key In modern-day Paris, a journalist finds her life becoming entwined with a young girl whose family was torn apart during the notorious Vel’ d’Hiv Roundup in 1942. Starring Kristin Scott Thomas, Mélusine Mayance, Niels Arestrup Directed by Gilles Paquet-Brenner www.chattanoogapulse.com | July 21, 2011 | Volume 8, Issue 29 | The Pulse
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ENTERTAINMENT
Free Will Astrology
CANCER (June 21-July 22): An innovative job-seeker named Travis Broyles put an ad on Craigslist in Atlanta. Among the tasks he said he would perform for money were the following: draw your face on a balloon; email you a list of 250 things he likes about you; build you a cardboard car and make vroom-vroom sounds while you drive it; change his political leanings; rename your Pokemon; or provide you with star treatment for a month, hiding in the bushes like a paparazzi and taking candid photos of you. I recommend that you come up with your own version of a list like this, Cancerian. It will help stimulate your imagination about what gifts you have to offer the world, which is exactly what the astrological omens are suggesting. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): As I ponder your immediate future, I’m reminded of a scene from the animated TV show The Simpsons. Here’s the situation: While visiting the home of a colleague, the superintendent of schools is surprised to witness an anomalous outbreak of spectacular light. “Aurora Borealis?” he exclaims. “At this time of year? At this time of day? In this part of the country? Localized entirely within your kitchen?” “Yes,” replies the colleague. I suspect that you will soon enjoy a metaphorically comparable visitation, Leo. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): My astrological colleague Antero Alli praises the value of anxiety. He says that when you feel that unsettling emotion, it’s because you’re experiencing more uncertainty than you like to—and that can be a good thing. It could mean you’re about to experience the fertility that comes from wading into the unknown. An outbreak of novelty may be imminent, giving you the chance to welcome interesting surprises into your life. In fact, says Alli, the anxiety that comes from unpredictable mysteries may herald the arrival of an influx of creativity. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “The I Ching counsels that if we are associating with others who are not our true peers,” says astrologer Caroline Casey, “our real allies cannot find us.” Please apply this test to yourself, Libra. If, after taking inventory, you find that your circle is largely composed of cohorts and comrades who match your levels of vitality and intelligence, that will be excellent news; it will signal an opportunity to begin working on an upgraded version of your social life that will increase your access to synergy and symbiosis even further. But if your survey reveals that you’re hanging out too much with people whose energy doesn’t match yours, it will be time for a metamorphosis. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): There’s a lot of graffiti scrawled in a variety of languages on St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. A fairly recent arrival is a plea, in English, to resuscitate a defunct American TV sitcom. “God, Bring back Arrested Development,” the guerrilla prayer reads. According to my reading of the astrological omens, Scorpio, now would be a good time for you to be equally cheeky in promoting one of your pet causes. Consider the possibility of taking your case to a higher authority. To fight for what’s right, you may have to make your mark in a place whose sphere of influence is bigger than yours.
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SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Do you stare for hours every day into little screens like those on smart phones, computer monitors, and TVs? If so, I recommend that you tear your gaze away from them more than usual in the coming week. A change in your brain chemistry needs to happen, and one good way to accomplish it will be to feast your eyes on vast panoramas and expansive natural scenes. Doing so will invigorate your thinking about the design and contours of your own destiny, and that would be in sweet alignment with the astrological omens. So catch regular views of the big picture, Sagittarius. Treat clouds and birds and stars as if they were restorative messages from the wide-open future. Gaze lovingly at the big sky.
The Pulse | Volume 8, Issue 29 | July 21, 2011 | www.chattanoogapulse.com
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): A Facebook friend posted a quote by seminal psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud: “Being entirely honest with oneself is a worthwhile exercise.” In response, another Facebooker named Dean Robinson disagreed: “Oh, I say let yourself have a little denial, and touch base with reality on a need-to-know basis.” Another respondent named Paulie Cerra took that sentiment one step further: “Reality and I have an understanding. I don’t mess with it and it doesn’t mess with me.” Which of those three approaches are you inclined to pursue, Capricorn? In light of the current astrological omens, I suggest you try the first one for at least the next two weeks. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): You really need to tell your stories. It’s not just a good idea; it’s downright urgent. There’s a backlog of unexpressed narratives clogging up your depths. It’s like you have become too big of a secret to the world. The unvented pressure is building up, threatening to implode. So please find a graceful way to share the narratives that are smoldering inside you—with the emphasis on the word “graceful.” I don’t want your tales to suddenly erupt like a volcano all over everything at the wrong time and place. You need a receptive audience and the proper setting. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Piscean actor Javier Bardem said this to Parade magazine: “I don’t know if I’ll get to heaven. I’m a bad boy. Heaven must be nice, but is it too boring? Maybe you can get an apartment there and then go to hell for the weekends.” I caution all you other Pisceans against pursuing this line of thought in the coming weeks. You may imagine that you can get away with sneaking away to hell for just a couple of days a week, but I don’t share that optimism. My advice is to rack your brains to drum up as much adventure as possible in safety zones and sanctuaries where you know for sure you’ll stay healthy and sane. ARIES (March 21-April 19): I dreamed you were in a cake store. Every delicious kind of cake you could imagine was there: carrot cake, strawberry cheesecake, gooey butter cake, rich chocolate cake with four layers of cherries and whipped cream, birthday cakes that must have been baked in paradise. Sadly, there was a problem: You weren’t allowed to buy anything, even though you had enough money. A big sign on the wall said, simply, “Absolutely no cakes available for Aries.” What do you think my dream means? More importantly, what are you going to do about the situation? I suggest that in my next dream, you get a friend to buy a cake for you. Either that, or go to a different cake store. One way or another, the astrological omens say it’s high time for you get the cake you want. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Fill in the blanks, Taurus. Don’t let the blanks remain vacant and barren any longer. Don’t allow them to keep screaming at you with their accusatory silence. Just fill in the freaking blanks with whatever you’ve got to fill them with—with your best guesses, with borrowed mojo, with any miscellaneous material you have at hand. I realize you may be tempted to wait around for a supposedly more ideal moment. But I’m here to tell you that this is as ideal as it gets. So please express the hell out of yourself in the empty spaces, my dear; create yourself anew in the void—however improvisational or inexact it might feel. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “Do you know how to resolve an unresolvable paradox?” asked a Facebook friend named Pi. He answered his own question: “You figure out the ‘error’ in the initial premise or assumption.” And that’s my prescription for you this week, Gemini. Do not be tempted to bang your head against the wall so as to shake loose a non-existent answer to the wrong question. Instead, stop yourself in the middle of your angst and think: “What would be a more productive way to formulate the riddle I need to untangle?”
ENTERTAINMENT
Jonesin' Crossword — "In My Humble Opinion" Across 1 Hair relaxer option 7 Slinky shape 11 Ms. ___-Man 14 Portugal’s secondlargest city 15 “___ Approved” 16 “___ little teapot...” 17 Announcement before “go” 18 It can’t help being negative 20 Story that ends with the Slaying of the Suitors 22 Abbr. in many Quebec city names 24 Org. that holds Renaissance Fairs 25 Former Sony line of robotic pets 26 Different roles, so to speak 28 Pancreas or kidney 33 Steer clear of 35 Club choice 36 What a doctor takes 43 Do some serious damage
44 Like “Paranormal Activity” 45 Where branches refer back to 51 Active person 52 Elvis’s middle name 53 “Hagar the Horrible” cartoonist Browne 55 Fair ___ 56 Highly-touted NBC spinoff cancelled in 2008 before production 62 What miracle creams claim to remove 63 Doing some gardening 66 Pet name 67 Nova Scotia, for one: abbr. 68 Baling strings 69 “I’ll take that as ___” 70 Dance move 71 “Just a sec...” Down 1 Refuse to share 2 Unlock, to poets 3 Direction of some race goals 4 Approximately
5 Inventory stock, in adventure games 6 Not big on gadgetry, slangily 7 Actor’s indicators 8 Capital on a fjord 9 Carded at the door 10 Like some lingerie 11 “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” author Robert 12 “The Far Side” critter 13 Echo location 19 Pre-1917 ruler 21 Former German president Johannes ___ 22 Iranian ruler 23 Kipling’s “Rikki-Tikki-___” 27 Take a little drink 29 Heat source? 30 Exhibition stuff 31 “There’s ___ in ‘team’!” 32 Way back when 34 “___ arigato, Mr. Roboto...” 37 Half-___ latte
38 Org. with a “Leading to Reading” program 39 Massive Brit. lexicon 40 Stimulating 41 They may bind 42 “Take it!” 45 “That was soooo funny...” 46 State name often mispronounced by East Coasters 47 Rita of “The Electric Company” 48 Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane’s underling 49 401, in old Rome 50 Half a quarter 54 Oklahoma tribe 57 Actor Omar 58 Match up socks 59 Native Nebraskan 60 Invitation request 61 Alternative to ja 64 “Chosen one” played by Keanu 65 Channel that revived words
Jonesin' Crossword created By Matt Jones. © 2011 Jonesin’ Crosswords. For answers to this puzzle, call: 1-900-226-2800, 99 cents per minute. Must be 18+ to call. Or to bill to your credit card, call: 1-800-655-6548. Reference puzzle #0529.
www.chattanoogapulse.com | July 21, 2011 | Volume 8, Issue 29 | The Pulse
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OPINION
Ask A Mexican
Just Plain Mexican Dear Ask a Wetback, You and your fellow law-breaking wetbacks don’t like Arizona’s SB 1070? Too damn bad. Trot back to Make Sick o and protest there, see where it gets you. If you’d work half as hard cleaning up your dump nation as you do sneak in here, your nation would be worth staying. But…you lazy illegal mooches would rather live off the dole. Get the point, Jose? Go to hell — Kerns Kan Kreat Dear KKK, “Make Sick O”? Clever! Gotta steal that one like we Mexis have stolen the Southwest…
Gustavo Arellano
Dear Mexican, It is just me, or has referring to oneself as Mexican no longer acceptable? Hispanic, Latino, Indian-Spanish mix—take your pick. We even have a Mexican actor (Edward James Olmos) referring himself as Jewish because some old fool told him that “Olmos” is an old Jewish name. Really? On that basis you are no longer our favorite pachuco in Zoot Suit? How can this be? Do you think sometime in the next couple of decades the term “Mexican” will no longer exist? In the future, will your column be referred to as Ask A Hispanic? — Digital Compadre Dear Wab, Primeramente, it’s not some old fool that told Olmos he’s of Jewish descent—it’s the actor’s own genealogical research that found he’s descended from Jews who escaped Hungary, landed in Spain and
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became conversos under penalty of death, then migrated to Mexico with their modified name, Olmos. And Olmos has never claimed full tribe membership: he always makes it a point that’s he’s a mix of everything—the classic raza cósmica argument that puritan pendejos such as yourself have abandoned in favor of some fantasy heritage in which we’re all descended from Cuauhtémoc. On that note, you’re also wrong in thinking the ethnic identifier “Mexican” will disappear in the United States—quite the opposite. Time was, to paraphrase the libro of legendary Chicano scholar Rudy Acuña, when brownies were anything but Mexican. We called ourselves Latin, Mexican-American, Hispanos, Californios, the hilariously stupid “Spanish,” Chicano, and even plain-ol’ American, but “Mexican” was fighting words as recently as the 1960s, when Consuelas turned to Connies and Franciscos became Franks. Nowadays, my generation of Mexis is more than happy to call ourselves Mexicans—what’s the shame in it? Why mitigate our mexicanidad with a hyphen or a euphemism? Just like the Irish in Southie, or guidos in Jersey, we revel in our heritage to distinguish ourselves from those boring gabachos who long ago forsook their ethnic identity out of shame. As for this column becoming Ask a Hispanic—I’d sooner turn migra than subject myself to that much self-loathing.
The Pulse | Volume 8, Issue 29 | July 21, 2011 | www.chattanoogapulse.com
GOOD MEXICAN OF THE WEEK: Speaking of Acuña, the godfather of Chicano Studies definitely deserves a shout-out. Although the profe ain’t teaching much anymore at his home base of California State University, Northridge, Acuña still pens pertinent essays, nowadays mostly on the pendejo purges of Chicano Studies being instituted by Know Nothings across the United States. Find out why the discipline is so dangerous by reading his Holy Trinity of tracts: Occupied America: A History of Chicanos, Sometimes There is No Other Side: Essays on Truth and Objectivity, and Anything But Mexican: Chicanos in Contemporary Los Angeles. Acuña dares write about Mexicans in history without resorting to greaser caricatures or painting them with the false glaze of gay caballeros and fan-possessing señoritas—and for daring to write the truth, Know Nothings’ chonis get all in a bunch. Fight the troglodytes and buy Acuña’s books, preferably from your finer Chicano coffeeshops.
“Just like the Irish in Southie, or guidos in Jersey, we revel in our heritage to distinguish ourselves from those boring gabachos who long ago forsook their ethnic identity out of shame.”
Have a question? Ask the Mexican at themexican@askamexican. net, be his fan on Facebook, follow him on Twitter or ask him a video question at www.youtube.com/askamexicano!
www.chattanoogapulse.com | July 21, 2011 | Volume 8, Issue 29 | The Pulse
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