the NEW DISCHORD FESTIVAL
2 • The Pulse • JUNE 14-20, 2012 • chattanoogapulse.com
Since 2003
Chattanooga’s Weekly Alternative
HIGHLIGHTS
JUNE 14-20, 2012 • vol. 9 no. 24
ChattanoogaPulse.com • Facebook.com/ChattanoogaPulse
EDITORIAL Publisher Zachary Cooper Creative Director Bill Ramsey Contributors Rich Bailey • Rob Brezsny Chuck Crowder • John DeVore • Randall Gray Dr. Rick Pimental-Habib • Paul Hatcher Janis Hashe • Matt Jones • Chris Kelly D.E. Langley • Mike McJunkin • David Morton Ernie Paik • Alex Teach • Richard Winham Cartoonists Max Cannon • Richard Rice Tom Tomorrow Photography Jason Dunn • Josh Lang Interns Katie Johnston • Patrick Noland • Cole Rose
ADVERTISING Account Executives Rick Leavell • Emma Regev
CONTACT Phone 423.265.9494 Fax 423.266.2335 Email info@chattanoogapulse.com calendar@chattanoogapulse.com Got a stamp? 1305 Carter St. • Chattanooga, TN 37402
letters
Please limit letters to 300 words or less. 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.
the fine print
The Pulse is published weekly by Brewer Media and is distributed throughout the city of Chattanooga and surrounding communities. The Pulse covers a broad range of topics concentrating on culture, the arts, entertainment and local news. 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. We’re watching. The Pulse may be distributed only by authorized distributors.
Š 2012 Brewer Media BREWER MEDIA GROUP President Jim Brewer II
COVER story
New Dischord Festival
• Classically trained symphony performers and UTC instructors gather to play highly abstract, decidedly contemporary works during the New Dischord Festival. Instead of taking place in recital halls or chambers, the pieces are presented in lofts, museums and even out in the open air. By Patrick Noland  8 MUSIC
Styles Shapes Riverbend • For better or worse, Jeff Styles shapes the lineup at Riverbend. By Richard Winham  11
chattanoogapulse.com • JUNE 14-20, 2012 • The Pulse • 3 00=8 LQGG
30
BOWL
THE
news-FREE PRESS
New TFP editorial writer Tweet Punk’d it came as no surprise to us that Drew Johnson, the new right-side editorial page editor of the Times Free Press, was the subject of a recent Punk’d-style Tweet raid. The paper’s new Boy Wonder is something of a political gadfly who seems to invite derision. If you are not familiar with Johnson, you soon will be. He is a very serious-looking young man with hip eyewear and a conservative gaze that invites such mischief. Until his new post at the TFP, Johnson was director of the Tennessee Center for Policy Research, one of those “think tanks” whose serioussounding name is a misnomer for sniping at Democrats to please right-wing fundraisers, as the Nashville Scene put it so delicately in a 2008 profile.
TALK OF THE NOOG chattanoogapulse.com • facebook/chattanoogapulsE SEND LETTERS TO: INFO@CHATTANOOGAPULSE.COM
In that article, he is described by former Gov. Phil Bredesen’s senior political advisor Will Pinkston as a “partisan nitwit who basically spends all his time dreaming up ways to terrorize rank-andfile state employees.” Johnson, who replaces the retiring Lee Anderson as the paper’s top conservative hack, was himself hacked on Twitter by a lively imposter before he’d even begun. Under the moniker “GQ Drew,” a fake Drew Johnson began Tweeting what the Times Free Press called “inappropriate, offensive and vulgar Tweets” under Johnson’s name. The Tweets were all those things, but they were also hilarious. Last week, he was named as Anderson’s replacement at the TFP, in charge of crafting Obama Bashing and the right-side of the editorial page and also a column. This should be fun. But back to the Tweets, which, while vulgar and offensive to some, are also a
great spoof. Obviously, Johnson has enemies. “When your job is to be a watchdog and tell the truth about politicians,” he Tweeted under his own, new account (Drews_Views), “you make a few enemies.” The fake Drew Johnson, whom the real Johnson is fighting to dismantle, seems to have been Tweeting since September, but until Johnson’s recent appointment, the missives didn’t take on much importance. In fact, GQ Drew seemed to have the scoop on his alter-ego’s new employer before the news was announced. On June 8, GQ Drew announced, “I’m gonna pick up the world and drop it on your fucking head, y’all. The new opinion editor at @timesfreepress.com is me.” This opening salvo was followed by, “Hey, Chattanooga. Open wide. There’s a BIG Johnson coming through.” It gets stranger from there, but you get the drift. It may not qualify as good, clean fun—in fact, it does not at all—but it does point out that Johnson is a controversial young man with an obvious agenda. Johnson begins his run at the paper later this month. —Bill Ramsey
LETTERS
Teach debases paper my wife and I both agree (which is noteworthy in itself) that Alex Teach’s column consistently debases the pages of your paper. His snide tone, intolerant attitude and sarcastic language are unwelcome and unnecessary. I can’t believe the police department is comfortable having him out there as a spokesperson. This is “community policing?” He is the absolute epitome of an arrogant, condescending, power-tripping cop and inspires people either to fear or loathe policemen. He talks about young people, minorities, the poor and the less fortunate as if they were lesser beings. To use Alex’s favorite word, why would you print this crap? John C Reis Sheila St. Aubin Chattanooga
4 • The Pulse • JUNE 14-20, 2012 • chattanoogapulse.com
On the Beat
alex teach
Coparoo at Bonnaroo almost fantastically, i thought about writing this week’s bit as a first-hand review of Bonnaroo 2012 for the newspaper that prides itself on being a beacon of local arts and music in particular. A non-connoisseurs point of view of one of the largest music events in the country as seen from the perspective of one who actually had no intention of being there, yet found himself backstage with one of the headlining bands (if that’s what you call them now). See? I’m already being condescending and I haven’t even started, which validates my hesitation. Who am I to judge jack or shit, except when it comes to freedom, civil law or life and death. Ask any music snob and they’ll tell you they’d rather have their eyes plucked out by crows than to allow a non-believer to form an opinion about music, but I’ve always taken this attitude because these types inevitably remind me of the white guy that Forrest Gump decked at the Black Panther Party he crashed in the movie. But alas, that’s not my point. As most cops do, I work on the side (something referred to as “extra jobs” in the South, and “moonlighting” in the North, whatever the hell that really means). I don’t do it as much as I used to, but as I approach my second decade in the business I do get to be a bit more picky in what I do and when, and this last week was a fluke that topped most others in all regards. Instead of a polyester shell covering a Kevlar vest and a layer of funky body odor bearing witness to my life being wasted away in the useless gesture of guarding a convenience store parking lot that not coincidentally wreaks of decaying chicken meat and human piss, I can wear a suit and tie
(vest optional), and make fabulous sums of money being polite while having a plan to kill everyone I meet as made famous by Marine Gen. James Mattis. This work has had me backstage at globally televised events, and while Bonnaroo doesn’t count as such, it was still one of the most unique. Some 80,000 ass-smelling people present at an event where it is not statistically unusual to have a person or two die of unnatural causes in a sweaty tent, and I’m eating pineapple backstage with a vegetarian whose name you wouldn’t know from a hole in the ground, but he’s been in the same room and tax bracket as the likes of George Lucas and Warren Buffett. I “get it.” So there I was with Thom Yorke whining his guts out 50 meters away, and I felt guilty. I knew a half dozen people that would vote Republican to be here if they had to (and you cannot possibly realize how profound a statement that is to these
people), and I was just annoyed that Radiohead reminded me of an electronic Neil Young rip-off (think about it, eh?) and how pissed people would be if I said that. So it clicked: I need to say that. Maybe make it a separate review? But to do that I’d probably have to write during daylight, on a deadline, and without a frost-covered bottle of Crown in hand—and I know I can’t change that formula now, folks. I can, however, encourage you to look up from that cell phone and appreciate when something good is happening. It doesn’t have to be onboard a G-5 while packing heat or backstage at an event to impress you, but you do have to look up and around to smell those flowers now and then. Life: Attendance counts. Even when it’s filled with pre-pubescent vocals coming from a middle aged man whining about electronic angst through the ironic use of synthesizers. Again. So endeth my “review,” and that dirty-assed event as well. Alex Teach is a fulltime police officer of nearly 20 years experience. The opinions expressed are his own. Follow him on Facebook at facebook. com/alex.teach.
CHATTANOOGA
BLUSH TAKE THE BEST OF THE CITY HOME TWO TIME
Best of Blush Medal Winner NOW AVAILABLE AT YOUR NEAREST LIQUOR STORE
www.georgiawines.com chattanoogapulse.com • JUNE 14-20, 2012 • The Pulse • 5
News Feature
Union’s Label Stamped on Chattanooga By Stephanie Smith in 1912, a group of 15 Chattanooga electrical workers came together to form the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 175, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this month. Local 175 is comprised of more than 3,000 members, all contributors to the landscape of Chattanooga and the surrounding areas. And those members are proud. “I decided to become an IBEW member because my father was a member and I was raised in a union household,” said Tommy “Fuzzy” Clark, now 75, who served as the union’s assistant business manager from 1991-95, and recently received his 55-year pin. The reach of the union extends far into the Chattanooga community and beyond. Three of the more noteworthy collaborations in recent history have been with the Electric Power Board, Tennessee Valley Authority and the new Volkswagen plant. Electric Power Board When the Electric Power Board was created by a private act in 1935, IBEW Local 175 was already 23 years old. But the relationship between the two entities has grown into a significant part-
honest music
nership. EPB now serves more than 169,000 residents in a 600 square-mile area that includes greater Chattanooga, as well as parts of surrounding counties and areas of North Georgia. And when EPB needs quality work done, it calls on IBEW members to do it. When EPB moved into the fiber-optic business, it was primarily IBEW members the company called on for installation. The union’s professional craftsmen install the system, and as the fiber-optic network continues to expand, the job continues, giving rise to Chattanooga’s national reputation as “Gig City.” Tennessee Valley Authority In the depths of the Great Depression, with one in four Americans out of work, President
Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Tennessee Valley Authority Act as one of the first of the “New Deal” projects created in the first 100 days of his administration. The Tennessee Valley, which includes parts of seven states— Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia and Mississippi—was also one of most economically disadvantaged in the South. TVA was one of the most ambitious projects of the New Deal in its overall conception and was given the assignment to improve the economic and social circumstances of the people living in the river basin. TVA was also taxed to bring electricity to thousands of people at an affordable price. Sixteen dams and a steam plant were constructed by the TVA between 1933 and 1944. At
its peak, a dozen hydroelectric projects and a steam plant were under construction at the same time, and design and construction employment reached a total of 28,000 workers, including many members of IBEW Local 175. In the 1930s, only 10 percent of the nation’s rural population had access to electricity. Private utility companies, which supplied electric power to most of the nation’s consumers, argued that it was too expensive to string electric lines to isolated rural farmsteads. But the Roosevelt administration believed that if private enterprise could not supply electric power to the people, then it was the duty of the government to do it. As TVA began to provide the power so desperately needed, families cherished their first fuse boxes as magical talismans, symbols of a better future. And as noted in the documentary “Built for the People: The Story of TVA,” “TVA created jobs—but labor unions taught the workers their craft.” Years later, without the power produced by TVA dams, Oak Ridge could not have advanced the work on the nuclear bombs that ended the war in Japan. Post-war, TVA began to look at nuclear power as a major source
of domestic electricity—and IBEW Local 175 workers were vital to the work needed on its three nuclear plants: Browns Ferry, Sequoyah and Watts Bar, particularly during the 1960s and ’70s. Today, TVA ranks as America’s largest public power company, with a generating capacity of 31,658 megawatts. Seventeen thousand miles of transmission lines deliver power through 158 locally owned distributors to 8.5 million residents of the Tennessee Valley. Volkswagen On July 15, 2008, at the Hunter Museum of American Art, Volkswagen officials chose Chattanooga as the site of their new assembly plant—and IBEW Local 175 members were among those excited about the new job possibilities. In addition to the other factors considered, a deciding component of the German carmaker’s decision to locate its new plant in Chattanooga was that, “The area has a deep base of well-trained labor.” And this labor included, of course, the skills of Local 175 members. Volkswagen eventually ended up with 180 electricians working on the site—with no time to waste due to Volkswagen’s commitment to be up and running by 2011.
local and regional shows
Troubadour Dali with Robosapien ($3) The Electric Hearts with Ashley and the X’s ($3) Mandolin Orange with Bearhound ($3) Smooth Dialects with Sky Hi ($3) Hotel War with We the Electron ($3) Pick Your Switch with Rosedale Remedy ($3)
Wed, Jun 13 Thu, Jun 14 Wed, Jun 20 Thu, Jun 21 Wed, Jun 27 Thu, Jun 28
9pm 9pm 9pm 9pm 9pm 9pm
Free Irish Music • Sundays at 7pm • Jun 17: John Lathim • Jun 24: Molly Maguires
6 • The Pulse • JUNE 14-20, 2012 • chattanoogapulse.com
Full food menu serving lunch and dinner. 11am-2am, 7 days a week. 35 Patten Parkway * 423.468.4192 thehonestpint.com * Facebook.com/thehonestpint
Event Ticket 10pm - 2am • No Cover
June 28, 2012 Guilty Pleasures
$1 Wine • $2 Slices $3 Cocktails • $4 Bombs 205 Broad Street 423.266.5564 www.facebook.com/mellowmushroomchattanooga
39 BUY $150 iN GiFT CerTiFiCaTeS aND GeT ONe Free!
345 Frazier ave • Next to RegioNs BaNk • 423.757.2900 Massageenvy.coM • Walk-ins Welcome convenient Hours • open 7 Days M-F 8aM-10pM, sat 8aM-6pM, sun 10aM-6pM chattanoogapulse.com • JUNE 14-20, 2012 • The Pulse • 7
IT’S MARTINI TIME!
FRIDAYS $5 HOUSE MARTINIS
ENJOY cOOl cOckTAIlS
ON THE PATIO
B S
lAck MITH’S BISTRO & BAR
3914 St. Elmo AVE. (423) 702-5461
Find uS on FAcEbook blacksmithstelmo.com
Music Feature
New Dischord Festival Returns By Patrick Noland you know that jarring sensation when you repeat a word over and over and over until, suddenly, all of its meaning fades away, leaving you with the feeling of something being both innately familiar yet totally alien? Composer Tim Hinck not only encourages that experience, but he also wants you to take it in—to process and relish it, embrace the dissociative. That’s why in 2009, Hinck founded the New Dischord Festival, a four-day event that combines top-level classical performers with avantgarde experimentation and conceptual visual art, taking place in venues across the city. The result is a concentrated exercise in juxtaposition. Classically trained symphony performers and UTC instructors gather to play highly abstract, decidedly contemporary works. Instead of taking place in recital halls or chambers, the pieces are presented in lofts, museums and even out in the open air. The velvet curtain is put away and events are brought out into the public, allowing the adventurous patron, the artsy enthusiast, and the unexpecting pedestrian to meet and mingle in an environment without the stuffy connotations of a stage and theater seating. It’s all part of an experiment—an attempt to expose the general population to something that they would otherwise have to seek out. And as a testament to the evolving cultural palette of the city, the results have all been positive. New Dischord, by its very nature not an easy event to market, has managed to garner attention from multiple major media outlets in the city, and its Kickstarter campaign has already surpassed its opening goal of $800. That gives you a sense of the size (still small), but also a hint of the ambition behind it. At a time where developing, non-corporate branded festivals are falling through the cracks and closing up shop, New Dischord has grown slowly but steadily over the last three years and is now poised for real growth in the upcoming year, thanks in no small part to growing community interest and a hometown appreciation for locals bringing the new and innovative to the people.
8 • The Pulse • JUNE 14-20, 2012 • chattanoogapulse.com
Tim Hinck
Hinck himself is a native Chattanoogan (he spent his undergrad years at Southern Adventist University in Collegedale before receiving a Fulbright Scholarship to pursue his Master’s in the Netherlands) and he works here both in residency at the Easy Lemon and as an instructor at UTC. However, it wasn’t just his connections to the Scenic City that made bringing this festival to Chattanooga the easy choice. Capitalizing on the second-fiddle image that the Chattanoogan music scene has when compared to Nashville, Atlanta, and even Knoxville, New Dischord is also an attempt at contributing to a soundscape that is refreshingly devoid of sonic predisposition. “I wanted to do this in Chattanooga because, especially on the Southside, there is a thriving community of visual artists and yet there is no real established musical arts scene.” Hinck said. “The city is a blank slate in that regard.” To combat this, Hinck draws from the pool of local talent, collaborating with members of the Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra and Shaking Ray Levi Society, but for a little scenic diversity, the festival also brings in New York City imports such as Aaron Roche and Evan Lipson—artists with some national touring experience that can help cultivate the developing sound. The focus this year is on a premiere entitled “Blue Monsters.” This piece features a brass quintet, visual multimedia, and a
young boy soprano by the name of Ethan Dickenson leading a call and response against the movement of the brass. Interestingly, Ethan is not only involved in the performance, but was also a major part of the concept itself. The title stems from Hinck’s interviews with Ethan about his dreams and nightmares, and the resulting imagery is an interpretation of those subconscious images. The visuals and performers are positioned in various yet carefully arranged locations around the hall, resulting in a surreal dreamscape in which the individual is encouraged to reflect inward upon their own subconscious tendencies and confront their “monsters” that pervade both waking and non-waking life. Yes, it’s disarming and, frankly, very different than most performances that you’ll find in the area. It’s also exactly the type of thing that has to be experienced to be understood. New Dischord Festival June 14 • 8 p.m. Evan Lipson and Tim Hinck Barking Legs Theater, 1307 Dodds Ave. June 15 • 8 p.m. CTRL + ALT + SPEAK: A Collaboration with Ashley Hamilton Easy Lemon Loft, 1440 Adams St. June 16 • 11 a.m. New Dischord Ensemble Aquarium Plaza, Aquarium Way 3 p.m. Songs of the Sea Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View Ave. 8 p.m. CTRL + ALT + SPEAK: A Collaboration with Ashley Hamilton Easy Lemon Loft, 1440 Adams St. June 17 • 3 p.m. New Music for Chamber Ensembles Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View Ave. 8 p.m. “Blue Monsters” Lindsay Street Hall, 901 Lindsay St.
LIST
THE
RIVERBEND
» pulse PICKS
» pulse pick OF THE LITTER
THU06.14
Long, Beautiful ‘Hair’
CALENDAR june 14-20
MUSIC
THE FEATURES
• Almost staples on the Chattanooga music scene, The Features bring their own brand of indie rock to town for a Riverbend concert in an intimate setting. FRI 06.15 • 7:45 p.m. TVFCU Stage Riverbend riverbendfestival.com
Ugly Radio Rebellion • The music of Frank Zappa. Enough said. 8 p.m. • JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. • (423) 266-1400
EVENT “The Music Man” • The Broadway hit about a con man and his musical scheme. 8 p.m. • Signal Mountain Playhouse 301 Rolling Way • Signal Mountain • smph.org
FRI06.15 MUSIC Long Gone Darlings • Hard-working band returns to an intimate setting. 9 p.m. • Southside Saloon & Bistro 1301 Chestnut St. soutsidesaloonandbistro.com
EVENT Mike Baldwin • A top-notch stand-up comedian. 9:30 p.m. • Vaudeville Café • 138 Market St. (423) 517-1839 • funnydinner.com
SAT06.16 MUSIC Nim Nims and Amber Fults • A double shot of Chattanooga rock from some of the city’s best bands. 10 p.m. • Rhythm & Brews 221 Market St. • rhythm-brews.com
EVENT Chattanooga Football Club • Home game vs. DC United U-23S. 7 p.m. • Finley Stadium • 1826 Carter St. (423) 266-4041 • chattanoogafc.com
The cast of “Hair,” clockwise from top: Lebron Lackey as Berger, Ashley McKoy as Dionne, Cody Keown as Woof, Nathaniel Garth as Hud, and Emily White as Sheila.
M
eet The Tribe, a group of politically active hippies of the “Age of Aquarius” living a bohemian life in New York City and fighting the draft in the rock musical, “Hair.” The show grew out of the hippie counter-culture and sexual revolution of the 1960s, and the musical’s profanity, its sexuality, and its irreverence caused controversy when it debuted Off-Broadway in 1967. After moving to Broadway the following year, it ran for 1,750 per-
formances and its songs became anthems of the peace movement. A Broadway revival opened in 2009, earning strong reviews and winning the Tony Award and Drama Desk Award for best revival of a musical. Age has not lessened the powerful impact of this four-decades-old musical, as Time magazine reports: “Today Hair seems, if anything, more daring than ever.” “Hair” opens at the Chattanooga Theatre Centre on Friday with a
calendar of related events accompanying its run through July 14. • Friday, June 15: Opening night reception begins at 7 p.m. followed by the show at 8 p.m. • Saturday, June 16: Stay afterwards to watch the Riverbend finale fireworks from the Theatre Centre patio at no extra charge. • Friday, June 22: Be-In with Hippie Radio 106.9 from 1-8 p.m. featuring music, face painting, food and drink, and entertainment from the cast of “Hair.” • Friday June 29: Hippie Chicks’ Night Out sponsored by Brewer Media with complimentary adult beverages. • Friday, July 6: Talk back after the show with the director and cast. • Saturday, July 14: Closing night show.
home game
SCHEDULE Thu, June 21 • 7:15 PM Ooltewah & Collegedale Night
vs. Pensacola
Fri, June 22 • 7:15 PM Fireworks! Hardee’s Baseball Card Giveaway
vs. Pensacola
Sat, June 23 • 7:15 PM Birdzerk! YMCA Youth T-Shirts Giveaway
vs. Pensacola
Sun, June 24 • 2:15 PM SunTrust Sunday
vs. Pensacola
Mon, June 25 • 7:15 PM
Fort Oglethorpe & Chickamauga Night Kids Eat Free
vs. Pensacola
“Hair” 8 p.m. • June 15-July 14 Tickets: $18 Parking: $2 Chattanooga Theatre Centre 400 River St. (423) 267-8534 theatrecentre.com
chattanoogapulse.com • JUNE 14-20, 2012 • The Pulse • 9
Col. Bruce: ‘Basically Frightened’ colonel bruce hampton has been a legendary figure in southern rock and jam band circles for more than four decades. The new documentary “Basically Frightened: The Musical Madness of Colonel Bruce Hampton” captures Hampton’s strange and brilliant career. The film’s director, Michael Koepenick, answered questions for The Pulse via email in advance of the film’s Chattanooga debut on June 21. The Pulse: You’ve mentioned that you were not an aficionado of Hampton when you joined the project. How had your appreciation changed, and what in particular struck you about him? Michael Koepenick: I moved to Atlanta in 1987 and started having random encounters with Bruce Hampton fairly often and he always puzzled me. I knew the caliber of musicians that played with him and raved about him, but I just didn’t understand what he was all about and wrote him off as more eccentric than talented. But the more I learned about him from working on the film, the more and more respect I
gained for his dedication as an artist and just how much of a part he played in helping countless musicians have major breakthroughs in their playing and understanding about music and where it comes from. What was the most important lesson you learned making the film? I think the most important lesson is to really figure out what is the real story you want to tell in a documentary before shooting the footage. You can really miss out on getting the real pearls from an interview if you haven’t done your research ahead of time. The other thing to remember if you want to make good docs is that facts and information are interesting and can help a story, but if you don’t create an emotional connection with the audience then they will most likely lose interest along the way. “Basically Frightened: The Musical Madness of Colonel Bruce Hampton” 6 p.m. Thursday, June 21 Chattanooga Theatre Centre 400 River St.
S R E G R U B R E T T E B G N I D L I U B
a z a l p R E • L IL M 2 1 1 S Y A ID R F N O H S E R F •
WAREHOUSE ROW • 1110 market st • mon-sat • 11-6 10 • The Pulse • JUNE 14-20, 2012 • chattanoogapulse.com
Sound Check
Watching Television With Richard Lloyd “i love my job,” said Richard Lloyd, the legendary Television guitarist, in a recent phone interview. “I mean, besides an actor or athlete, musician is the only job where the word ‘work’ is replaced with ‘play.’” Lloyd has been “playing” guitar professionally for more than 40 years, having taken lessons from none other than Jimi Hendrix as well as Jimmy Page’s guitar tech. His “work,” especially with the seminal 1970s New York outfit Television, has directly influenced just about every band of its kind since—namely Elvis Costello, U2, REM, Wilco and Sonic Youth. “We were too young to be beatniks and too old to be hippies,” Lloyd explains about his generation looking to leave their own mark on art and culture. “That’s why you get truly creative people like Andy Warhol, Patti Smith, Talking Heads, New York Dolls who just didn’t give a shit, but were talented.” The mid-to-late ’70s brought attention and acclaim to many New York bands, including the Ramones, Blondie, Talking Heads, Patti Smith and, the self-proclaimed house band of CBGB—Television. Lloyd and band mates Tom Verlaine, Richard Hell and Billy Ficca delivered something different from punk or new wave. Their intricate, interwoven double guitar melodies were, like the Talking Heads, considered on a rung a little higher than, say, the “hey
Richard Lloyd and Sheila O’Keefe
ho, let’s go” of the Ramones. And, along with critics, guitar players everywhere became enamored with Television’s 1977 debut LP, Marquee Moon. “We toured opening up for Peter Gabriel, who’d just left Genesis at the time, and all those people wanted to hear were Genesis songs Peter wasn’t going to play anyway,” Lloyd said. “It wasn’t like playing CBGB’s 3-1/2-year New Year’s Eve party every night. I’ll admit we weren’t that good, but we were beyond great.” Despite what Genesis fans thought, those who knew better knew that Television was something special. The band was becoming so popular with musicians and critics alike that Elektra Records opted for a second record in 1978 and enlisted Brian Eno to produce what would become Adventure. However, competition for label attention and inner struggles within the band led to Television’s demise in the early ’80s. But Lloyd stuck to his life’s goal of playing guitar for a living and began a string of solo records with the
release of Alchemy in 1978 and Fields of Fire in 1986. He also participated in a project called “Rocket From The Tombs” with Dead Boys guitarist Cheetah Chrome, releasing the cult favorite LP Barfly. In the ’90s, Lloyd played on John Doe’s first solo album and helped mold Matthew Sweet’s sound, playing on top selling albums Girlfriend, Altered Beast and 100% Fun. More recently, Lloyd has been enlisted to contribute on a new Frank Black album. Until then, Lloyd is crisscrossing the east coast on tour behind a new record to be released in July. In addition to dates in much larger cities, Lloyd is coming to Lindsay Street Hall downtown on Wednesday, June 20, to show Chattanooga guitarists what he’s already figured out. “The guitar is the master,” said Lloyd. “It contains the secrets to the universe. It’s in my DNA.” —Chuck Crowder
Richard Lloyd Grand Strand 8 p.m. • $10 at the door Wednesday, June 20 901 Lindsay St. (423) 755-9111
Party at the richard winham
Styles Shapes Riverbend Lineup after several aborted attempts, i finally caught up with Jeff Styles to talk about the Riverbend Festival, Chattanooga’s annual nine-day music street party, and we agreed to meet at WUTC-FM at 11 a.m. But 30 minutes before our interview, the phone rang. “Can we meet at the station?” Styles asked, referring to WGOW-FM, the radio station where he’s worked for 20 years as the host and producer of the morning show. “I forgot I’d arranged for an on-air interview with Commander Cody at 11. And after that I have a meet-and-greet with Cody at the Market Street Tavern. And then at 2 ...” For Styles it was just another hectic day in his role as assistant production and talent coordinator for Riverbend. It’s a job many music fans might envy—until they get it. And although Styles—who rises before dawn for his radio gig and then works for the festival all afternoon—complains about his unrelenting schedule, he thrives on it. For him, it’s Riverbend all day, every day, all year long. Like most visionaries, he’s obsessive. Styles, 52, had been a fan of Riverbend from the beginning. But by the late 1990s, after feeling increasingly frustrated with the festival’s talent line-up, he confronted Richard Brewer, the event’s original director. “I told him he was doing a terrible job,” Styles said. The executive brushed him off, but Styles persisted. Finally, one evening the exasperated Brewer— bristling after yet another assault—shouted at Styles, “If you think you can do better, come on and try!” That was 12 years ago. After working as a volunteer for the first year, Styles was put on the payroll. Without Styles’ knowledge of and passion
For Jeff Styles, it’s Riverbend all day, every day, all year long. for music—which is reflected not only in the breadth and quality of the acts, but in the arrangement of the nightly schedule—Riverbend would be forever destined to play staid, county-fair cousin to Bonnaroo’s urbane hipster. For Styles, the design of Riverbend’s schedule is a particular point of pride. “For me, a perfect night is to have four different acts that someone can see (and enjoy) as they go from stage to stage,” he said. After the festival closes in mid-June, Styles has about a month off before the next year’s planning for Riverbend begins. He meets regularly with the 11 other festival committee members to begin the often maddening process of mapping out a schedule, beginning with the big acts that play the Coke Stage. Each committee member— Styles, Joe “Dixie” Fuller (the festival’s main talent coordinator), and representatives of the most popular Chattanooga radio stations—submit
an individual wish list. And although Styles insists that the 100 or so acts that play each year are the product of a democratic selection process, he admits that, except for the groups that play the Coke Stage, he and Fuller choose most of the artists. Most people, of course, judge the festival on the basis of the Coke Stage acts, which reflect popular, local-radio programming. The hardest performers to book, according to Styles, are the “young acts” with one or two hits. Take Bruno Mars, for example. “We started by offering him $8,000 to play on the Bud Light Stage, and it looked like it was going to happen,” Styles said with a sigh. “And then, all of a sudden, bam, bam, two hits in a row and … he’s on the Coke Stage. We were looking at $80,000. Finally we got up to $170,000, more than we’ve ever paid anybody, and he was gone.” The amount of money festival promoters are willing to offer these young musicians is staggering—especially for a nonprofit festival like Riverbend, which has to at least break even to continue. When he took the job, Styles thought he’d finally be in a position to bring the artists to town that everyone would want to see. He had no idea who he’d be dealing with in trying to make that happen. Agents representing artists in New York and Los Angeles “are just Wall Street traders— they want to buy low, and sell high. They need us more than we need them, but they’ll never admit it,” he said. Adding to the difficulty is Riverbend’s location in Chattanooga. And then there’s Style’s accent. “Oh, you can hear the change in their voice the minute I open my mouth,”
he said. “‘Bug Tussle,’ that’s what they’re thinking.” But he soon sets them straight. “‘Hey, it’s not Gomer Pyle here.’” But the bigger hurdle is getting agents to take Chattanooga seriously. “We don’t have the music reputation,” Styles said. “We’re getting there. But for a lot of folks it’s drive-through, pass-over country.” Styles had a similar credibility problem with his bosses at Riverbend. It’s been tough, he said, “getting folks to understand bands they’ve never heard of or their friends and peers have never heard of and that don’t get any radio play. And I say, ‘I promise you. I swear. Trust me. They will draw 10,000 or 60,000 people. That’s a lot of trust. But slowly over time, they’ve giving it up.” And now Styles is getting some help from Track 29. For the first time the city has a hall big enough to attract the kind of acts who will soon have the reputation it takes to play the Coke Stage. But from now on they’ll be coming back to a city that gave them an enthusiastic welcome when they were on their way up. Every year Riverbend competes with Bonnaroo for acts—and loses. “It’s the cool factor,” Styles said. “I mean, really, which one would you want on your resume?” But when Bonnaroo ends, music fans still have several days of music by the river, some of it as good as anything in Manchester because of Styles’ dedication and hard work. Richard Winham is the host and producer of WUTC-FM’s afternoon music program and has observed the Chattanooga music scene for more than 25 years.
All Week Long!
Mon & tue LIVE DJ
Wii on the Big Screen wednesdays
Jonathan Wimpee Jam Session thursdays LOCAL LEGENDS
HOUSE PARTY WITH 5 DJS
WEEKEND
PARTY ZONE!
FRI $1 BEER 10-11PM LIVE MUSIC WITH
PATRICK SCOTT BAND sat $1 BEER 10-11PM LIVE MUSIC WITH
CRITTY UPCHURCH Party on Two Floors!
1st Floor: Live Music • 2nd Floor: Dancing
Raw Sushi Bar
Restaurant & Nightclub 409 Market Street •423.756.1919
chattanoogapulse.com • JUNE 14-20, 2012 • The Pulse • 11
Music
LIVE MUSIC
CHATTANOOGA LIVE
Thu 06.14
CHATTANOOGA JUNE
Wednesday • June 13 Via Lotus • Velvet Hand
Thursday • June 14
Ugly Radio Rebellion (Zappa music)
Friday • June 15
Cusses • Behold the Brave Monocots • Sleepy Turtles
Saturday • June 16 Arpetrio • New Planet
Tuesday • June 19
Comedy with Nikki Glaser & Chris Coften
Friday • June 22
The Bohannons • Buxton
Saturday • June 23
Milele Roots • Bass Church Afterparty
Friday • June 29
Strung Like a Horse Roadside Attraction Memphis Dawls
CAMP NORMAL with BLACK BETTY
THE NIM NIMS with AMBER FULTS & THE AMBIVALENT LOVERS VELVET HAND
with TELEMONSTER and KYMERA
MIGHTY SIDESHOW The Kings of Rock are Back!
DEPARTURE
A Tribute to Journey
15 SAT. 10p 16 THU. 9:30p 21 FRI. 10p 22 SAT. 10p 23 FRI. 10p
COMING: 6/26: CABINET 6/27: TRUTH & SALVAGE CO. 6/28: LERA LYNN 6/29: THE VELCRO PYGMIES ALL SHOWS 21+ UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED • NON-SMOKING VENUE
221 MARKET STREET
HOT MUSIC • FINE BEER • GREAT FOOD BUY TICKETS ONLINE • RHYTHM-BREWS.COM
Prime Cut Trio 8 p.m. The Lounge at The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Road (423) 499-5055 thepalmsathamilton.com Ugly Radio Rebellion 8 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400 Evan Lipson and Tim Hinck 8 p.m. Barking Legs Theatre, 1307 Dodds Ave. (423) 624-5347 barkinglegs.org The Electric Hearts, Ashley and the X’s 9 p.m. The Honest Pint, 35 Patten Pkwy. (423) 468-4192 thehonestpint.com.
fri 06.15 Huggy Lowdown and Chris Paul 6 p.m. Mocha Restaurant & Lounge, 3116 Brainerd Road (423) 531-4154 mochajazz.net Bounty Hunter Band 8 p.m. Acoustic Café, 61 RBC Dr., Ringgold, Ga. (706) 965-2065 ringgoldacoustic.com Priscilla & Lil’ Ricky 8:30 p.m. The Foundry (at the Chattanoogan Hotel), 1201 Broad St. (423) 756-3400 chattanooganhotel.com Long Gone Darlings
BETTER SOUND FASTER
9 p.m. Southside Saloon & Bistro, 1301 Chestnut St. (423) 757-4730 southsidesaloonandbistro.com Cusses, Behold the Brave, Monocots, Sleepy Turtles 9 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400 Bryan Jones & The Married Men 9 p.m. The Office, 901 Carter St. (423) 634-9191 Camp Normal with Black Betty 10 p.m. Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. rhythm-brews Most Important Band in the World 10 p.m. SkyZoo, 5709 Lee Hwy. (423) 468-4533 skyzoochattanooga.com. Ted Russel Kamp Band 10 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar, 5751 Brainerd Road (423) 499-9878 budssportsbar.com Nathan Farrow 10 p.m. T-Bones, 1419 Chestnut St. (423) 266-4240 tboneschattanooga.com
sat 06.16 New Dischord Ensemble 11 a.m. Aquarium Plaza,
W. Aquarium Way (423) 265-0695 Songs of the Sea 3 p.m. Hunter Museum, 10 Bluff View Ave. (423) 267-0968 huntermuseum.org Southern Fried Throwdown Tour 8 p.m. Ziggy’s Underground Music, 607 Cherokee Blvd. (423) 265-8711 Foot of the Hill Gang 8 p.m. Acoustic Café, 61 RBC Dr., Ringgold, Ga. (706) 965-2065 ringgoldacoustic.com Annabelle’s Curse 8 p.m. Charles and Myrtle’s Coffeehouse, 105 McBrien Road (423) 892-4960 christunity.org/events Priscilla & Lil’ Ricky 8:30 p.m. The Foundry (at the Chattanoogan Hotel), 1201 Broad St. (423) 756-3400 chattanooganhotel.com Huggy Lowdown and Chris Paul 9 p.m. Mocha Restaurant & Lounge, 3116 Brainerd Road (423) 531-4154 mochajazz.net Liquid Chicken 9 p.m. The Office, 901 Carter St. (423) 634-9191 Arpetrio, New Planet 9 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia,
THE BEST ACOUSTICS IN THE AREA IN OUR 22’ X 28’ LIVE ROOM
BREAKER 17STUDIO EXPERIENCED, PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS
"Recently, I went in search of a studio in the Chattanooga area to record only one song for a movie soundtrack. Breaker 17 offers Pro Tools and the best in recording equipment and the BEST engineer you will ever work with. Needless to say, I won't be looking for a place to make quality recordings anymore. I found it. Josh Chuma and Breaker 17 Studio."
—Cody McCarver, Solo Artist/Ex Confederate Railroad
Joel Sullivan • Owner/Engineer Josh Chuma • Chief Engineer 665 Patterson Ave. • Fort Oglethorpe • Booking: 423.260.1902 email: breaker17studio@gmail.com • breaker17.webs.com 12 • The Pulse • JUNE 14-20, 2012 • chattanoogapulse.com
Riverbend
901 Carter St (Inside Days Inn) 423-634-9191
231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400 The Nim Nims with Amber Fults & The Ambivalent Lovers 10 p.m. Rhythm & Brews, 221 Market St. rhythm-brews.com Most Important Band in the World 10 p.m. SkyZoo, 5709 Lee Hwy. (423) 468-4533 skyzoochattanooga.com Joe the Show 10 p.m. Bud’s Sports Bar, 5751 Brainerd Rd. (423) 499-9878 budssportsbar.com The Steam 10 p.m. T-Bones, 1419 Chestnut St. (423) 266-4240 tboneschattanooga.com
Thursday, June 14: 9pm
Open Mic with Mark Holder
Friday, June 15: 9pm Bryan Jones & The Married Men
Saturday, June 16: 9pm Liquid Chicken
Tuesday, June 19: 7pm
sun 06.17 Danimal Pinson 10 a.m. Urban Spoon, 207 Frazier Ave. (423) 710-3252 New Dischord Ensemble 3 p.m. Hunter Museum, 10 Bluff View Ave. (423) 267-0968 huntermuseum.org John Laithim and Company 7:00 p.m. The Honest Pint, 35 Patten Pkwy. (423) 468-4192 thehonestpint.com. Huggy Lowdown and Chris Paul 9 p.m. Mocha Restaurant & Lounge, 3116 Brainerd Road (423) 531-4154 mochajazz.net Pay the Reckoning 9 p.m. The Honest Pint, 35 Patten Pkwy. (423) 468-4192 thehonestpint.com
mon 06.18 Dan Sheffield 7 p.m. Sugar’s Ribs, 507 Broad St. (423) 508-8956 ugarsribs.com
tue 06.19 Nikki Glaser & Chris Coften 9 p.m. JJ’s Bohemia, 231 E. MLK Blvd. (423) 266-1400
wed 06.20 Prime Cut Trio 8 p.m. The Lounge at The Palms at Hamilton, 6925 Shallowford Road (423) 499-5055 thepalmsathamilton.com Mandolin Orange with Bearhound 9 p.m. The Honest Pint, 35 Patten Pkwy. (423) 468-4192 thehonestpint.com
Map these locations on chattanoogapulse.com. Send live music listings at least 10 days in advance to: calendar@chattanoogapulse.com.
The Features
Server Appreciation Night $5 Pitchers $2 Wells $1.50 Domestics
thu 06.14
All shows are free with dinner or 2 drinks! Stop by & check out our daily specials!
●
Thunder & Fire Tour: Vinnie and Carmine Appice
Bud Light Stage
Happy Hour: Mon-Fri: 4-7pm $1 10oz drafts, $3 32oz drafts, $2 Wells, $1.50 Domestics, Free Appetizers
Scenic City Soul Revue • 5 p.m. Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band • 6:15 p.m. Foghat • 7:45 p.m.
Facebook.com/theofficechatt
Unum Stage
Queen B & The Well Strung Band • 6: 30 p.m. The Steel Wheels • 8 p.m. Junior Brown • 9:30 p.m.
Volkswagen Stage
David Anthony • 6 p.m. The Most Important Band in the World• 7:30 p.m.
TVFCU Stage
The Fried Chicken Trio • 6:15 p.m. Denny Jiosa • 7:45 p.m. The Jonny Hirsch Band • 9:15 p.m.
Meo Mio Stage
Pegs Boogie Kings • 7:30 p.m. Simplified • 9:30 p.m.
Coke Stage
Charlie Wilson • 9:30 p.m.
fri 06.15 Bud Light Stage
Nightly Specials Tour • 8 p.m.
Volkswagen Stage John & Michelle • 6 p.m. The Collins Brothers Band • 7:30 p.m. Digital Butter • 11 p.m.
TVFCU Stage
Jordan Hallquist & The Outfit • 6:15 p.m. The Features • 7:45 p.m. Newton • 9:15 p.m.
Meo Mio Stage
Mother of Pearl • 7:30 p.m. Billy Luso Restlesss Natives • 9:30 p.m.
The Communicators • 6:15 p.m. Blackberry Smoke • 7:45 p.m.
Coke Stage
Unum Stage
Bud Light Stage
OGYA • 6 p.m. Thunder & Fire
The Steepwater Band • 5 p.m.
Goo Goo Dolls • 9:30 p.m.
sat 06.16
Get the Led Out • 6:45 p.m.
Unum Stage
Jason Cassidy • 6 p.m. Boom Box • 8 p.m.
Volkswagen Stage
Musical Moose • 6 p.m. The Taylor Reed Band • 7:15 p.m.
TVFCU Stage
The Infinite Line • 6:15 p.m. Williams, Clark & Welch • 7:45 p.m. Roger Alan Wade & Friends • 9:15 p.m.
Meo Mio Stage
Infinite Orange • 7:30 p.m. Jumbo Deluxe Band • 9:30 p.m.
Coke Stage
Lauren Alaina • 9:30 p.m.
Mondays 50¢ Wings $3 Yazoo
Tuesdays $1 Tacos 1/2 Price Margaritas
Wednesdays Wine Night + Live Jazz!
Thursdays Burger & Beer Night
Saturdays $2 Domestics Now Open from Noon to Midnight 850 Market Street• 423.634.0260 Facebook.com/marketstreettavern
chattanoogapulse.com • JUNE 14-20, 2012 • The Pulse • 13
Arts
URBAN DESIGN
Students Designing Chattanooga By Rich Bailey
how does the face of downtown chattanooga change? A developer proposes a building, or maybe a mayor proposes a multi-hundred million-dollar waterfront makeover, then regulators, funders, architects and construction crews do their stuff, and voila ... right? Not exactly. When the 21st Century Waterfront plan reshaped Chattanooga during former Mayor Bob Corker’s term, the master plan may have been created by Hargreaves and Associates, but “Every single one of those elements had been studied by students in one form or another over the previous 15 years,” according to Blythe Bailey, an urban designer for River Street Architects. He’s not suggesting that the national consulting firm cribbed from the students’ work. He’s talking about a well-established but little known aspect of Chattanooga’s downtown renaissance. Student designers were a key element of the old Urban Design Studio, which guided Chattanooga’s urban revitalization under the leadership of Stroud Watson until Mayor Ron Littlefield began dismantling it in 2005. “When the Design Studio stopped having students in about 2002 or 2003, that was a pause in what had been a pretty continual
presence of architecture students being in Chattanooga since the early 1980s,” said Bailey, who was one of those students when he studied architecture at UT. He now leads the Urban Design Forum, which rebooted that program of putting design students to work on Chattanooga’s most critical urban design projects. The forum was begun by architect John Coddington, who carried on Watson’s work as a River City Company employee. “The forum is intended to elevate the dialog about urban design in the community so when we have the opportunity to do things well, we seize those opportunities, we’re as prepared as possible to do things the right way. It includes citizen education, as well as linkage with student work,” said Bailey. Last week, a group of 10 students from Auburn University’s Master of Landscape Architecture program presented the designs they had developed over the
last few months for the upcoming Riverwalk extension south from the central business district toward Lookout Mountain. The students looked for opportunities to go beyond the Riverwalk path itself to create park areas nearby. Their ideas include: • Build a park-like food court around existing restaurants that connects the Riverwalk to Broad Street and uses a water feature to treat storm water before it flows into the river. • Reclaim the old Scholze Tanner site (between the Southern Saddlery complex and the river) with a new development, meadows and rain garden that provide green infrastructure, and terracing to connect the area to Broad Street. • Re-purpose a large mound (formerly an industrial landfill) by creating a terraced park and a dramatic V-shaped cut facing the river as well as a hotel on top. • Where Alstom has already granted permission for the Riverwalk to pass through its property, build a steel grid structure that gives dramatic views of the river and the Alstom facility as well as providing needed separation between the Riverwalk and ongoing industrial activity. Beginning with regional and local GIS mapping and site re-
“
The forum is intended to elevate the dialog about urban design in the community so when we have the opportunity to do things well, we seize those opportunities. Blythe Bailey search, the students attempted to let design ideas emerge from the site itself. Some of them even made their own maps of things that can’t be found on GIS maps, like where views are, how the wind blows, and bird habitats. “Their designs came out of understanding the site in its broader context. They found something in each site, rather than bringing something of their own to it,” said Jacqueline Margetts, an Auburn landscape architecture professor. A few weeks ago in April, two other Auburn student groups presented architectural designs
Watch UFC, Boxing, NFL & College Games! AUTHENTIC MEXIC AN FOOD
NORTHGATE MALL • HIXSON • (423) 877-7433 www.altenachattanooga.com
20 Beers on Tap • Happy Hour 4-8p Daily! 14 • The Pulse • JUNE 14-20, 2012 • chattanoogapulse.com
for industrial heritage centers on Manufacturers Road and the former U.S. Pipe site. “The best solutions ended up combining a museum and an incubator for craftsmanship and creative industry,” said Bailey. The value of student work, according to Bailey, does not depend on whether any particular idea is adopted as part of an official plan or taken on by a developer. Rather than considering any existing or likely plans for a site, their assignment is to dream: “Forget about what it will be, and think about what it should be.” “There are a number of things that we have done with our downtown that are a reflection of student work,” Bailey said. “It’s not just empty academic hypotheses. It can turn into real life catalysts. Students are the ones that think of things the rest of us don’t think about because we’ve got our eye on the thing that we’ve got to do next.” It’s really the same kind of speculative urban design work that River City Company’s Urban Design Challenge is doing, except with students instead of professionals, he said. “It opens up the arteries of the imaginative community process, makes it more likely that opportunities will be seized.”
Screen
JOHN DEVORE
Ridley’s Return discovery is at the heart of good science fiction. it is the end result of the questions that lurk behind the veil of a secretive universe. This week, the world lost a man who asked great questions and forced us to see ourselves from a different perspective. To write science fiction is to take the vastness of the cosmos and reveal it in ourselves. Without Ray Bradbury, our collective imaginations would be narrowed. Bradbury showed us worlds and themes that are echoed in our films. Movie fans owe him a great debt. The science-fiction film “Prometheus” debuted this week, and it is a fitting return for director Ridley Scott to a franchise that made him famous. “Alien” was always more horror than sci-fi; it used science as a vehicle for deadly things hiding in shadows, deadly things that, at times, burst from within. “Prometheus,” on the other hand, uses monsters as a vehicle for science fiction. We see in it a search for our origins, for immortality, for purpose. “Prometheus” isn’t as pure as it could have been and it certainly doesn’t resonate as emotionally as it hopes. But Scott is attempting something in “Prometheus” that he didn’t with “Alien.” There is more here than cheap thrills and jaw-dropping visuals. “Prometheus” intentionally weaves terror with wonder, creating a much more poignant film than can be found in most summer fare. The premise is as simple as a late-night History Channel marathon. Ancient extraterrestrials are responsible for the origins of human life and have left clues in various ancient historical artifacts. A corporation has found a distant moon where this civilization is located and dispatched a ship and crew to make contact with them. When they ar-
Come on over, delicious is just around the corner Friday Pasta on special every weekend
1/2 price bottles of wine every Wednesday and Sunday this summer
423 Market Street (423) 779-3100 tazikiscafe.com
Michael Fassbender
rive, they find evidence of an advanced Krell-like culture, long dead without explanation, leaving behind a massive working structure full of strange technology. While the film follows the standard sci-fi/horror plot, there are strong moments of brilliance throughout the narrative. Of particular note is David (Michael Fassbender), an android programmed to follow directions and mimic human behavior, who has been crafted so perfectly that his need to learn is irrepressible. He is fearless, fascinated with his surroundings, and subtly yearning for the freedom to pursue knowledge. His inclusion as a mirror is more revealing of human nature than
all of the other characters combined. He is humanity, distilled. My only disappointment came from the antagonists, whose motivations we are left to guess. The xenomorph aliens, typical acid-blooded, multi-jawed abominations, aren’t seen much. Instead we have large, bipedal humanoids not unlike ourselves. Why should they be automatically violent? Perhaps thoughtful magnanimity is best reserved for deities. “Prometheus” isn’t great science fiction, but it’s good enough for a summer blockbuster and a thoughtful return to a classic franchise. Pair it with Dandelion Wine and pour one out to a lost master of fantasy. chattanoogapulse.com • JUNE 14-20, 2012 • The Pulse • 15
Arts & Entertainment Thu 06.14
friday 9:30 • saturday 10:30
JUNE 15-16: MIKE BALDWIN
JUNE 22-23: CHRIS BARNES
MOUTH OF THE SOUTH
test stand-up comic cone $1000 cash priz ER COV EVERY TUESDAY • NO
thu. 7 • fri. 7 sat. 5:30 & 8 Show your Riverbend pin during Murder Mystery shows and get 10% off and during Comedy on Friday and get in FREE on Saturday night!
138 MARKET • 423.517.1839
FUNNYDINNER.COM
full bar 16 • The Pulse • JUNE 14-20, 2012 • chattanoogapulse.com
Birds of Prey 11 a.m. Rock City, 1400 Patten Road Lookout Mtn., Ga. (706) 820-2531 seerockcity.com/birds Five for Five Thursdays in the Foundry 5 p.m. Chattanoogan Hotel, 1201 South Broad St. (423) 266-5000 chattanooganhotel.com Folk School of Chattanooga’s Barn Dance & Potluck 6 p.m. Crabtree Farms, 1000 E. 30th St. (423) 493-9155 crabtreefarms.org Moccassin Bend Bicycle Tour 6 p.m. Outdoor Chattanooga, 200 River St. (423) 643-6888 outdoor chattanooga.com Chattanooga Ghost Tours 7:30 p.m. Walnut Street Bridge, 100 Walnut St. (423) 821-7125 chattanooga ghosttours.com Live Trivia 7:30 p.m. T-Bone’s Sports Café, 1419 Chestnut St. (423) 266-4240 chattanoogatrivia.com Live Trivia 7:30 p.m. Magoo’s, 3658 Ringgold Road (423) 867-1351 chattanoogatrivia.com “The Music Man” 8 p.m. Signal Mountain Playhouse, 301 Rolling Way, Signal Mountain smph.org
fri 06.15 Birds of Prey 11 a.m. Rock City, 1400 Patten Road
CALENDAR
Lookout Mtn., Ga. (706) 820-2531 seerockcity.com/birds Fresh on Fridays 11 a.m. River City Company, 850 Market St. (423) 265-3700 rivercitycompany.com “Ready2WorkIt” Job Readiness Program 1 p.m. East Lake Community Center, 2600 4th Ave. (423) 752-4851 Riverbend Unplugged 2 p.m. Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View (423) 266-0944 huntermuseum.org Moccassin Bend Brewery Tour & Tasting 6 p.m. Moccasin Bend Brewing Company, 4015 Tennesee Ave. (423) 821-6392 bendbrewingbeer.com Sunset Concert Series: River City Red Hot Dixieland Band 7 p.m. North River Civic Center, 1009 Executive Dr., Ste. 102. (423) 870-8924 “Drift” 7:30 p.m. Ensemble Theatre of Chattanooga, 1918 Union Ave. (423) 987-5141 ensembletheatre ofchattanooga.com “Hair” 8 p.m. Chattanooga Theatre Centre, 400 River St. (423) 267-8534 theatrecentre.com Mike Baldwin 9:30 p.m. Vaudeville Café, 138 Market St. (423) 517-1839 funnydinner.com Late Night Hoops! 10 p.m. Howard High School, 2500 S. Market St. (423) 643-6055 chattanoogahasfun.com
sat 06.16 Downtown Kayak
Adventures 9 a.m. Outdoor Chattanooga, 200 River St. (423) 643-6888 outdoor chattanooga.com Chickamauga Battlefield Bicycle Tours 9:30 a.m. Chickamauga Battlefield, 3370 LaFayette Road Fort Oglethorpe, Ga. (706) 866-9241 outdoor chattanooga.com Researching Your Cherokee Ancestry 9:30 a.m. The Public Library, 1001 Broad St. (423) 757-5310 lib.chattanooga.gov Sickle Cell Awareness Carnival 10 a.m. Coolidge Park, 150 River St. River Market 10 a.m. Tennessee Aquarium Plaza, 1 Broad St. (423) 402-9960 chattanoogamarket.com L2 Boards Riverbend Slide Jam 10 a.m. Riverfront Parkway/100 Market St.. (423) 531-7873 Birds of Prey 11 a.m. Rock City, 1400 Patten Road Lookout Mtn., Ga. (706) 820-2531 seerockcity.com/birds Go Bananas Day 75th Birthday Celebration Noon. Chattanooga Zoo, 301 N. Holtzclaw Ave. (423) 697-1322 chattzoo.org Summer Music Weekends Noon. Rock City, 1400 Patten Road Lookout Mtn., Ga. (706) 820-2531 seerockcity.com Art til Dark
Noon. Winder Binder Gallery & Bookstore, 40 Frazier Ave. (423) 423-8999 winderbinder. wordpress.com An Experiment in Art & Music: New Dischord at the Hunter 3 p.m. Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View (423) 266-0944 huntermuseum.org Riverbend Fireworks Party 7 p.m. Winder Binder Gallery & Bookstore, 40 Frazier Ave. (423) 423-8999 winderbinder. wordpress.com Chattanooga FC vs. DC United U-23S 7 p.m. Finley Stadium, 1826 Carter St. (423) 266-4041 chattanoogafc.com “Hair” 8 p.m. Chattanooga Theatre Centre, 400 River St. (423) 267-8534 theatrecentre.com Late Night Hoops! 10 p.m. Howard High School, 2500 South Market St. (423) 643-6055 chattanoogahasfun.com Mike Baldwin 10:30 p.m. Vaudeville Café, 138 Market St. (423) 517-1839 funnydinner.com
sun 06.17 Downtown Kayak Adventures 9 a.m. Outdoor Chattanooga, 200 River St. (423) 643-6888 outdoor chattanooga.com 2nd Annual Father’s Day LEGO Build Competition 11 a.m. First Tennessee Pavilion, 1829 Carter St. (423) 402-9960
chattanoogamarket.com Chattanooga Market: Father’s Day Brew & Bluegrass 11 a.m. First Tennessee Pavilion, 1829 Carter St. (423) 402-9960 chattanoogamarket.com Birds of Prey 11 a.m. Rock City, 1400 Patten Road Lookout Mtn., Ga. (706) 820-2531 seerockcity.com/birds Summer Music Weekends Noon. Rock City, 1400 Patten Road Lookout Mtn., Ga. (706) 820-2531. seerockcity.com “Drift” 2:30 p.m. Ensemble Theatre of Chattanooga, 1918 Union Ave. (423) 987-5141 ensembletheatre ofchattanooga.com An Experiment in Art & Music: New Dischord at the Hunter 3 p.m. Hunter Museum of American Art, 10 Bluff View. (423) 266-0944 huntermuseum.org “Drift” 6:30 p.m. Ensemble Theatre of Chattanooga, 1918 Union Ave. (423) 987-5141 ensembletheatre ofchattanooga.com Music Monday 7 p.m. Pasha Coffee & Tea, 3914 St. Elmo Ave. (423) 475-5482 pashacoffeehouse.com
224 Frazier Ave. (423) 531-8490 chattanoogatrivia.com Mouth of the South Stand-Up Comic Contest 8 p.m. Vaudeville Café, 138 Market St. (423) 517-1839 funnydinner.com
wed 06.20 Art Z Tots 10 a.m. Planet Altered, 48 E. Main St. (423) 400-4100 planetaltered.com Art Crusaders 11:30 a.m. Planet Altered, 48 E. Main St. (423) 400-4100 planetaltered.com “Ready2WorkIt” Job Readiness Program 1 p.m. East Lake Community Center, 2600 4th Ave. (423) 752-4851 Main Street Farmer’s Market 4 p.m. 325 E. Main St. mainstfarmers market.com Jewish Film Series: “David” 7 p.m. Jewish Cultural Center, 5461 N. Terrace Rd. (423) 493-0270 jewishchattanooga.com “The Music Man” 8 p.m. Signal Mountain Playhouse, 301 Rolling Way, Signal Mountain smph.org
mon 06.18 “Ready2WorkIt” Job Readiness Program 1 p.m. East Lake Community Center, 2600 4th Ave. (423) 752-4851
tue 06.19 Live Team Trivia 7:30 p.m. Brewhaus,
Map these locations on chattanoogapulse.com. Send calendar listings at least 10 days in advance to: calendar@ chattanoogapulse.com. chattanoogapulse.com • JUNE 14-20, 2012 • The Pulse • 17
Sushi & Biscuits
MIKE MCJUNKIN
On the Set of ‘42,’ Cast Dines on Local Fare “you just can’t walk in here and interview the chef!” was not the greeting I expected when I arrived at the set of the movie “42.” Apparently there had been a TMZ scare since Indy Jones was wandering around and when I walked into a secure area with a camera it didn’t set well with security. Fortunately, movie catering chef and “fixer” Chef E. walked up to not only approved my presence, but to soothe the savage security beast with promises of sweet roasted pork to come. “I’m roasting a whole pig tomorrow,” was all Chef E. had to say and the guard was fist-bumping and smiling with approval as we made our way to the crew dining area just outside of Engel Stadium. Chef E. is a hyper-kinetic member of the team that provides food for the cast and crew on set, separate from the simple bagged lunches and snacks given to the hordes of extras. With the exception of a massive smoker on a trailer, the setup is a fairly straightforward, large catering configuration with grills, chafing dishes and table skirts. The lunch menu for the day had perfectly smoked pork loin, ginger glazed mahi-mahi, chipotle grilled chicken, octopus and shrimp ceviche, and a collection of side dishes such as cornbread, green beans and carrots with maple and cinnamon that could rival a Baptist homecoming. While Chef E. fried some plantains, our conversation turned to local foods and farmers. “I got that pig from a local farm I found in this magazine,” he said as he excitedly pulled a copy of Gaining Ground’s Taste Buds food guide
“
We’d rather spend our money with the local guys than with the big box stores or huge companies like Koch’s.” Chef E. from his back pocket. He had emailed the farmers in the guide ahead of his arrival and set up relationships to buy produce and meats. “It’s more effort to buy local and sustainable, but the production companies and the people who eat the food prefer it. It’s a win-win for everyone when we get great food and the locals get
the money. We’d rather spend our money with the local guys than with the big box stores or huge companies like Koch’s.” This commitment to sustainable local foods is a huge source of pride for the chef and also the movie catering company he works for, Mario’s Catering. I talked the chef into letting me follow along while he did a little shopping at the Main Street Farmers Market and he ran through the market like a tornado, picking up hundreds of dollars of locally grown and produced foods in minutes. Dozens of eggs from Pocket Farms, a cooler full of sausages from Link 41, jars of Sale Creek’s sourwood honey, along with sackfulls of produce from farms such as Signal Mountain Farm, TanT Hill Farm and
Walden Peak Farm piled up for delivery to the movie set while the chef chatted up the farmers about the merits of certain varieties of squash and crop planting strategies. You know, food geek stuff. Between purchases I asked the chef about his experience with Chattanooga area farmers and businesses. “Chattanooga has been way easier to work with than many other cities because you have so many great farmers markets and such awesome small farmers,” he said. Chef E. said he believes there is a serious opportunity for local farmers, food producers and the Tennessee Film Commission to form partnerships towards providing future film productions with fresh, local food for their cast
and crew. Flexibility, competitive pricing, and availability will be key, he said, but Chattanooga is one of the more organized and forward-thinking cities that he’s worked in so he’s optimistic it can be done. Someone will just need to take the lead and connect the dots. “We roll through town like an army,” he said. “So if I need basil or chickens I can’t have someone say ‘maybe Wednesday or Thursday.’ I have to be sure I have it when I need it and at a competitive price. I have no doubt you guys could do that.” Mission accomplished, Chef E. mentioned that he had to go calm his hotel roommate, who was upset about the bathtub full of trout he found in their room this evening. Apparently the chef got a great deal from Pickett’s Trout Farm, needed somewhere to put them overnight and figured a bathtub full of ice would do the trick. I don’t know if that violates the Choo Choo’s bathtub trout policy, but I hope he at least left a crisp Andrew Jackson for housekeeping. I’m not sure if even the Scrubbing Bubbles are prepared for bathtub trout. Mike McJunkin cooks better than you and eats quite a lot of very strange food. Visit his Facebook page (Sushi and Biscuits) for updates and recipes.
EXPRESS LUNCH!
SEATED, SERVED AND ON YOUR WAY IN 30 MINUTES—GUARANTEED! Porter's Steakhouse is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner 7 days a week. We offer the "Express Lunch" each day, where you can be seated, served and on your way in 30 minutes—guaranteed! Valet parking is always free at Porter's— have your server validate your parking receipt before you leave. Facebook Fans get advance notice of special menu offerings, exclusive private events and discounts. Become a Fan today!
PORTER’S STEAKHOUSE
18 • The Pulse • JUNE 14-20, 2012 • chattanoogapulse.com
At the corner of MLK & Broad Street Downtown porterssteakhouse.com
The Read House
423 266 4121 starwoodhotels.com
Comix
NEED EXTRA CASH? CHATTANOOGA’S #1 GOLD BUYER wants to give you MONEY for your jewelry! Get paid TOP-DOLLAR just like Rick’s thousands of satisfied customers!
WWW.RICKDAVISGOLDANDDIAMONDS.COM
RICK DAVIS GOLD & DIAMONDS 5301 Brainerd Rd at McBrien Rd • 423.499.9162
Join the Hippie Generation. Visit HippieRadio1069.com and become a member today!
chattanoogapulse.com • JUNE 14-20, 2012 • The Pulse • 19
Free Will Astrology GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Do you remember what you were doing between July 2000 and June 2001? Think back. Did anything happen then that felt like a wild jumpstart, or a series of epiphanies, or a benevolent form of shock therapy? Were you forcibly dislodged from a rut by an adversary who eventually became an ally? Did you wake up from a sleepy trance you didn’t even know you had been in? I’m guessing that at least some of those experiences will be returning in the coming months, but on a higher octave this time. CANCER (June 21-July 22): Author Steven Covey describes your “circle of concern” as everything you’re concerned with or worried about. Your “circle of influence,” on the other hand, is anything that’s within your ability to change right now. What I’m seeing for you, Cancerian, is that the coming weeks will be an excellent time to spend less time in your circle of concern and more in your circle of influence. Stop fantasizing about what may or may not happen, and simply take charge of the details that will make a difference.
BINGO WEDN TRIVIA E
7 p.m. Come Play Downtown!
205 Broad Street 423.266.5564
SDAYS $10 P
itchers $10 Sp ecials! ! Play the
the trivia card by getting questio get a bin go to win ns correct, Mellow p Over 10 r ways to win thro izes! the game u ghout —use or compe your wits alone te Check Fa as a team! c ebook Wednesd ay for a h every ead start !
Mellow Mushroom Chattanooga
20 • The Pulse • JUNE 14-20, 2012 • chattanoogapulse.com
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): There’s a wild zoo about two hours northwest of Seattle. After paying your fee, you can drive your car through acres of land where large animals are allowed to roam free. When I took the tour, I stopped my rented Dodge Stratus by the side of the road to get a better look at a humongous buffalo with a humped back and a long woolly beard. It lumbered over to where I was parked and for the next five minutes thoroughly licked my windshield with its enormous purple tongue. My head was just inches away from its primal power, and yet I was safe and relaxed and perfectly amused. I wouldn’t be surprised if you had a comparable experience sometime soon, Leo. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In the
Biblical book of Genesis, Jacob had a dream of angels ascending and descending a ladder that went up to heaven. I recommend that you try to incubate a similar dream, or else do some meditations in which you visualize that scene. It would help prime your psyche for one of this week’s top assignments, which is to be adaptable as you go back and forth between very high places and very low places.
LIBRA
(Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Thomas Edison said something to the effect that a person who is
rob brezsny
thoroughly satisfied is probably a failure. I guess he meant that if you’re not always pushing to make your life better, you must not have very high standards or passionate goals. While I can see the large grains of truth in that theory, I don’t think it applies in all cases— like for you right now, for instance. During the upcoming grace period, it will make sense for you to be perfectly content with the state of your life just as it is. To do so won’t make you lazy and complacent. Just the opposite, in fact: It will charge your psychic batteries and create a reservoir of motivational energy for the second half of 2012.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Twenty-four-year-old actress Annalynne McCord has risen up in rebellion against what she calls “Hollywood’s perfection requirement.” Lately she has been brazenly appearing in public without any make-up on. She has even encouraged paparazzi to snap photos of her in her natural state. “I’m not perfect,” she says, “and that’s okay with me.” I nominate her to be your role model in the coming weeks, Scorpio. You can gain power by not hiding anything. Here’s my guarantee: It’ll be fun to be free of unrealistic images and showy deceptions. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Nineteenth-century Russian novelist Ivan Turgenev once called his fellow novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky a “pimple on the face of literature.” But more than 100 years after that crude dismissal, Dostoyevsky is a much more highly regarded and influential writer than Turgenev. Use this as inspiration, Sagittarius, if you have to deal with anyone’s judgmental appraisals of you in the coming days. Refresh your understanding of the phenomenon of “projection,” in which people superimpose their fantasies and delusions on realities they don’t see clearly. CAPRICORN
(Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Take a few deep breaths. It’s important not to get overly worked up about your recent diversion from the Truth and the Way. I mean it’s not like you sold heroin to high school students or dumped toxic waste into a mountain stream, right? It’s true that you’ve incurred a minor karmic debt that will ultimately have to be repaid. But I doubt any of it will matter in five years—especially if you atone now. So please go ahead and give yourself a spanking, make a definitive plan to correct your error, and start cruising in the direction of the next chapter of your life story.
AQUARIUS
(Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Have you ever tried to drink from a fire hose? The sheer amount and force of the water shooting out the end makes it hard to actually get any moisture in your mouth, let alone enjoy the process. On the other hand, it is kind of entertaining, and it does provide a lot of material to tell funny stories about later on. But are those good enough reasons to go ahead and do it? I say no. That’s why I advise you, metaphorically speaking, to draw your sustenance from a more contained flow in the coming week. Cultivate a relationship with a resource that gives you what you really need.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): The coming week will be an excellent time to declare your independence from anything that depresses you, obsesses you, or oppresses you. You will attract help from unexpected sources if you take that brave action. At the same time, it’ll be a perfect moment to declare your interdependence with anything that fires up your imagination, stirs up smart hope, or fills you with a desire to create masterpieces. Be adventurous as you dream about blending your energies with the very best influences. ARIES
(March 21-April 19): It’s time for your right hand to find out what your left hand has been doing lately, and vice versa. They’ve been attending to their separate agendas for a while, and now it would be wise to have them work together more closely. As they get reacquainted, a bit of friction would be understandable. You may have to serve as a mediator. Try to get them to play nicely with each other for a while before jumping in to the negotiations about how best they can cooperate in the future. And be very firm with them: no slapping or fighting allowed.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Some relationships that you call “friendships” may be little more than useful connections or status boosters or affiliations that enhance your power and influence. There’s no shame in that. But it’s also a smart idea to make sure that at least some of your alliances are rooted primarily in pure affection. You need to exchange energy with people who don’t serve your ambitions so much as they feed your soul. The coming weeks will be an excellent time to cultivate friendships like that. Take good care of those you have, and be alert for the possibility of starting a new one.
Jonesin’ Crossword
LARGE SELECTION of
FESTIVAL FRIENDLY
matt jones
WINE&SPIRITS BRING THE PARTY!
$1 SHOTS DOWNTOWN CLOSE TO ALL
EVENTS! NOW AVAILABLE!
CHATTANOOGA
1816
“GQ Poseurs”—so not what they seem. Across
1. Like some mattresses 5. Cat of many colors 11. Cranberry growing site 14. Bailiwick 15. ___ acid 16. Number one prefix? 17. Table salt, in chemistry class 18. Noah’s mountain 19. Summer Olympics city after London 20. Worked hard on a mathematical proof? 23. Bollywood’s home 25. Agent’s activity 26. Leading figure on a long journey? 31. Really slow, on sheet music 32. Hash browns, e.g. 33. Nobel Prize-winning novelist Gordimer 35. Roadside bomb letters 36. ___ vert (green bean, in French cuisine) 37. Not working today 40. Separately
41. Scotch mixer 45. Play with blocks 47. Voyage to see the world’s great bedcovers? 49. Movie that spawned the spoof “Scary Movie” 51. Up the ante 52. Marketer’s popularity quotient for Limburger? 57. Curvy letter 58. 100% 59. Comedian Cook 62. “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” star Vardalos 63. Elvis Costello hit 64. Controversial radio host Don 65. Be a gourmand 66. Highest-quality 67. The largest one-digit square
Down
1. ___ interference (baseball ruling) 2. 401(k) alternative 3. Went out slowly 4. Sick-and-tired feeling 5. James who played
Sonny Corleone 6. Farm measure 7. Heavy metal 8. Macy Gray’s first hit song 9. Genoa goodbyes 10. One of Nadya Suleman’s kids, e.g. 11. Trademarked swimsuit that covers everything except the face 12. Cuban region from the Spanish for “East” 13. Words uttered in disbelief 21. Word after mole or mall 22. Bread in a Seinfeld episode 23. Stanford-Binet test scores 24. Rapa ___ (Easter Island) 27. Completely lose it 28. Former Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Aziz 29. Word that may be bid 30. Actress Christina of 2012’s “Bel Ami”
RESERVE HANDCRAFTED
34. “Mad Dogs and Englishmen” writer Coward 36. Quit standing 37. Warranting “Parental Advisory” stickers, maybe 38. Reddishpurple shade 39. Aims for 41. Substitute 42. Hobby of increasing popularity? 43. Slam 44. Big galoot 46. Incredible Hulk co-creator Stan 48. Beef ___-tip 50. ___ Park (Thomas Edison’s home) 53. It goes in one ear, gets flipped, then into the other 54. Increase 55. Elvis’s middle name, per his death certificate 56. Mind 60. “Agnes of God” extra 61. Ending for legal or crossword
WHISKEY
DAILY SPECIALS!
CORDINA MARGARITAS
MIKE’S HARDER
LEMONADE
Where the Liquor is Cheap and the Entertainment is Free
Jonesin’ Crossword created By Matt Jones. © 2012 Jonesin’ Crosswords. For answers to this puzzle, call: 1-900-226-2800, 99 cents per minute. Must be 18+ to call. Or to bill to your credit card, call: 1-800-655-6548. Reference puzzle No. 0576. chattanoogapulse.com • JUNE 14-20, 2012 • The Pulse • 21
REDEFINE YOUR WEEKEND. REDEFINE YOUR PROPERTY. REDEFINE YOUR IMAGE. CALL US TODAY OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE TO START IMPROVING YOUR HOME
DOUBLE
YOUR MONEY
423.667.2662 REDEFININGLANDSCAPES.COM
GREEN IS OUR BUSINESS. WE RECYCLE.
S INDOW R-5VIDWE SIGNIFICAVNINTLY GS Y SA PRO -3 ENERG MORE A TYPICAL R THAN WINDOWS D E RAT
SAVE UP TO
$1,000
PURCHASE YOUR REPLACEMENT WINDOWS FROM ADVANTAGE AND WE WILL DOUBLE YOUR $500 TVA ENERGYRIGHT SOLUTIONS REBATE!
99
R-5 Window Upgrade Trade-In 5 Windows.........$495 10 Windows.......$990 15 Windows.....$1485
$
Not valid with any other offer. Valid only with coupon. Expires 6/30/12
6-FOOT FRENCH PATIO DOORS
WITH INTERIOR BLINDS
1295
WAS $1795 $ NOW ONLY
Not valid with any other offer. Valid only with coupon. Expires 6/30/12
(423) 822-2353
FREE IN-HOME ESTIMATE 3709 BRAINERD RD. • ADVANTAGEWINDOWS.COM
22 • The Pulse • JUNE 14-20, 2012 • chattanoogapulse.com
Life in the Noog
chuck crowder
Riverbend is Irrelevant as you read this, our city center is waist deep in the throws of the one annual event that makes downtowners wanna flee like rats on a sinking ship—Riverbend. This “one-of-a-kind” festival infiltrates our riverfront with teenagers, good ole boys and funnel cakes the likes of which resembles more of a county fair on steroids than the “internationally award winning 9 day music festival!” as it’s website claims. You see, in order to be a relevant music festival, you have to change things up and keep things current—something Riverbend refuses to do for the sake of maintaining its one-of-a-kind status. And, prideful as they are, festivals like Coachella, Lollapalooza, Beale Street Music Festival, Voodoo Festival, Hangout Festival and Bonnaroo are running circles around our city’s slow-moving behemoth with top-notch acts which make millions of dollars in profits seemingly appear out of thin air. Here are some of the differences: 1. Festival Length: Nine days is obviously too long, as every other festival mentioned is contained to a long weekend at best. Why so long if everyone else has already realized it just isn’t cost-effective to go past a single weekend? 2. Acts: This year Bonnaroo, for example, has Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Phish headlining. All current, relevant acts. Riverbend’s top names include Goo Goo Dolls, Charlie Wilson (of the 70’s Gap Band) and Foreigner. Nowadays, Foreigner really is living up to its name as the only original member left in the band is currently recovering from heart surgery and may not appear at all. If so, Riverbend has officially booked it’s first tribute band to the Coke
Stage. Many of the other 97 acts are local bands that play live around here all of the time, so any true “music festival fan” has seen them perform like, last week. 3. Audience: Two types of people make up 80 percent of the Riverbend audience—my teenage daughter and my senior citizen parents, neither of which spend a dime at the festival. Every other music festival caters to the 25-45 age demographic— beer-drinking music fans with lots of disposable income. 4. Ticket Prices: Bonnaroo and Riverbend each claim to host 100-plus bands. In order to see topnotch talent, true music festival-goers are willing to pay a couple of hundred dollars a ticket. Bonnaroo says it attracts 70,000 attendees at roughly $200 each. Riverbend says it attracts 650,000 at an average of $32 each. Doing that math, Riverbend therefore claims to earn one-and-a-half times the ‘Roo in ticket sales, although I’ve never seen big acts like the Police or Bruce Springsteen play Riverbend. Hmmm. 5. Armbands vs. Pins:
The most common question you’ll hear anyone around here ask during that fateful week is “do you have a Riverbend pin I can borrow for one night?” This means that for every pin they sell, there are roughly an infinite number of attendees with access to it. A nontransferable armband— the staple of every other music festival—means more actual tickets sold and more money in the kitty. 6. Community Involvement: Bonnaroo donates sacks of money each year to the city of Manchester in order to help support their host community and make up for the sheer hell its citizens endure for four days each summer. Maybe I’m not paying attention, but what have Friends of the Festival directly given back to the city of Chattanooga in the past 30-plus years? You’d think a festival of 30 years would learn from its peers and rethink or retool for the sake of improvement rather than lean on tradition. If we could take a page from the current edition of the Music Festival 101 textbook and create something even more sought after than Bonnaroo, just think of what that would do for our city. Chuck Crowder is a local writer and general man about town. His opinions are just that.
Is it prideful to boast our largest inventory...ever? 2012 Audi A4
2012 Audi A5 Cabriolet
2012 Audi A6
2012 Audi Q5
If Audi makes it, we probably have it. And probably more than one. We are sitting on the largest Audi inventory in our history. (And sales is open Monday)
Audi C H AT TA N O O G A
6001 International Drive
(423) 855-4981 audichattanooga.com
chattanoogapulse.com • JUNE 14-20, 2012 • The Pulse • 23