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Volume 2, Issue 1 > Fall 2013 > TallyVillager.com
CAPITAL CITY
EXTENSIVE DISCIPLINE RECORD INCLUDING RACIST COMMENT, SUSPENSIONS, CRASHES.
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The Adventures of the White Flag Hero & the Comeback Kid By: Chuck Rhoads
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ÒWhyÊareÊweÊwaitingÊforÊtheÊbus,ÊHero?ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÒBecauseÊweÕreÊpoor,Êkid.ÓÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÒHereÊweÊare,ÓÊHeroÊsaidÊgruffly. ..BecauseÊweÊcareÊaboutÊtheÊenvironment?Ê ...BecauseÊweÕreÊnotÊinÊaÊhurry?Ó
ÊÊÊÊÊÒMeow.ÊMeow.ÓÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÒTheÊCityÊDump?ÓÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÒWhyÊareÊweÊhere?ÓÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÒToÊlookÊforÊtheÊbodyÊofÊthatÊmissingÊgirl.ÓÊÊÊÊÒButÊwhatÊaboutÊthatÊcatÊupÊinÊtheÊtree?Ó
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COP IN WEST CASE HAS
RECKLESS RECORD EXTENSIVE DISCIPLINE RECORD INCLUDES RACIAL COMMENT, SUSPENSIONS, CRASHES.
Christina West after her face was smashed against a cruiser and into the ground by officers who were detaining her for a DUI. (Tallahassee Police Department photo.) By Joe Berg, Publisher One of the two officers involved in the “beating” case of Christina West – the now infamous incident that was covered by national and international media in September when dashcam footage of her being injured in a questionable takedown was released by the Tallahassee Democrat – has an extensive disciplinary record that includes the calling of a black fellow officer a “monkey,” totalling his police cruiser, concealing a crash and using his vehicle under unsafe conditions, and more. Officer Christopher Ormerod (badge #364) was also investigated – but cleared by internal affairs – for the tasing of an unarmed, 15-year old African American male. The juvenile had stepped in front of Ormerod’s cruiser in 2009 and was charged with “resisting a law enforcement officer without violence” when he failed to comply with Ormerod’s order for him to stop and speak with him about traffic safety. Altogether, Ormerod has been orally reprimanded three times, reprimanded in writing four times, and has been suspended twice – once
for 20 hours for an incident that involved two at-fault traffic crashes in the same day, and later for 40 hours for not observing a railroad crossing warning light and damaging his cruiser’s windshield (necessitating replacement) and roof when he struck a railroad crossing arm (which was “torn from the signal.”) All four traffic accidents involved Ormerod traveling in a manner that caused him to lose control, or taking an action that damaged his vehicle. Three of them occurred within 12 months. Ormerod also had his probationary period extended by 12 months during this time. Each of these disciplinary actions was signed for and approved by the Chief of Police -- all but one being Dennis Jones, who retired on October 5 in the wake of the West story – as well as supervisors up the chain of command. Ormerod – the son of a longserving Sergeant with the department -- has been with TPD since January 22, 2008, and is 28 years old. As of this printing, he and Officer Matthew Smidt, who was the other officer in the West incident, are on administrative leave pending an
Capital City Villager < Volume 2, Issue 1 < Fall 2013 < Shop Local | Play Local | Live Local
internal affairs investigation, and a grand jury has agreed to hear more about the case when it reconvenes in November, and may decide on any number of actions up to and including criminal charges. (In the dashcam video of that incident, it is Smidt who initiates the takedown of West. Ormerod can later be seen grabbing West violently by the back of the neck and turning her head sharply while she is on the ground, saying in an aggressive tone that West would “regret it” if she kicked her leg up behind her again. West’s attorneys have claimed in court papers that she has had surgeries on her neck and that she has implanted medical devices in that area. Ormerod also later taunts West after she tries to kick him, saying, “congratulations, you just went from a misdemeanor to a felony.”)
“Because You’re a Monkey”
The first incident for which Ormerod was orally reprimanded was on March 31, 2008, just 69 days after we was hired by Tallahassee Police Department. According to the Disciplinary
Action Report filed by Sgt. Steve Outlaw on the same day – and approved by signature by then-Chief Dennis Jones four days later – “You asked ‘who wants to be cone monkeys next?’ It is recognized that ‘cone monkey’ has been a common term for this duty and is not a derogatory reference by itself. As the classmate asked, ‘Why do we have to be the monkeys,’ you responded ‘because you’re black’.” “This individual had been a close classmate, having spent many hours paired together in training. Based on this association, you believed you could take the liberty to make an offcolor joke.” “This is a violation of TPD [General Order] 46.” In comments listed at the bottom of the report, Officer Outlaw writes that Ormerod began to immediately apologize to several classmates in the area, but “the unintended consequence had already occurred. The light joke incited another classmate, resulting in a separate discipline for that individual. The net result was a change in the climate, a disruption in the class, and a tarnished perception of you and possibly the Tallahassee Police
Department.” It continues, “You are entering a career where being aware of your surroundings, cultural sensitivities, appropriate relationships and boundaries is paramount to the success of your mission.” That reprimand was signed and approved by the employee resources director, a lieutenant, the division/ district commander, deputy chief, and the chief of police. (All files related to this article are available for download at TallyVillager.com)
“At-fault in the crash”
Nine months later, on December 6, 2008, Ormerod was again orally reprimanded by Sgt. S. Gereg for causing a traffic accident at an intersection when he tried to beat oncoming traffic after a red light. While stopped in a left turn lane while heading eastbound on Tennessee Street at Dewey Street (where a McDonald’s restaurant and the University Inn and Suites are located), Ormerod accelerated into oncoming traffic when the light turned green and was struck by a westbound vehicle. The incident report states that Ormerod was “atfault in the crash for violating the right-of-way.” A Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicle crash report states that oncoming traffic was slowing when the light turned green and a driver in the oncoming traffic accelerated. After entering the intersection, Ormerod realized that he “had started his turn in front of Westbound traffic and altered his course of travel by making a tight left turn,” aiming away from the oncoming traffic. The other driver struck Ormerod’s vehicle in the passenger side quarter panel, and both vehicles sustained minor damage, with no personal injuries. According to a diagram in the report, Ormerod’s cruiser was forced up onto the sidewalk before coming to rest. The disciplinary report was signed by the employee resources director, a lieutenant, division/district commander, bureau chief, and acting Police Chief John Proctor.
Tased unarmed 15-yearold, cleared in investigation
Six months after that crash, Ormerod was placed on administrative leave while being investigated by Internal Affairs for an incident in which he tased a 15-year old juvenile who had stepped in front of his car and then ignored orders to stop and speak to Omerod. In the original incident report, Ormerod states that he was patrolling the area of Colorado Street and Indiana Street (in Northwest Frenchtown) on June 19, 2009, when he “observed a male … standing on the side of the road. After stopping at the stop sign I began to continue through the intersection when [Lapadre Sharpe] stepped out in front of my car in order to cross the street.” [As he was a juvenile at the time, Sharpe’s identity has been redacted from public reports, but Villager has been able to identify Lapadre Urella Sharpe as the subject, who, according to the report, is five feet and eight inches tall and weighed 130 pounds at the time.] “I had to hit my brakes in order to avoid hitting Sharpe,” Ormerod’s report continues. “Sharpe began to laugh as he continued walking … away from my vehicle. I got out of my vehicle to talk to Sharpe about walking in front of traffic. I told Sharpe, ‘I need to talk to you for a minute’ and told Sharpe to ‘come here real quick’.” In a use of force report filed with internal affairs the next day, Ormerod writes that he “got out of my vehicle in order to detain Sharpe for a pedestrian violation. … I gave Sharpe verbal commands.” That infraction is a misdemeanor under the law. (Ormerod did write a civil citation against Sharpe after the incident for leaving a place of safety and entering the path of vehicles, a review of online civil court records has shown, and Sharpe later paid $89.50 in fines and late fees. A review of the civil court records also shows that this is the only time in which Officer Ormerod has written a citation to a pedestrian since he joined the force in 2008.) The report continued, “Sharpe stopped but began demanding why he needed to listen to me. I ordered Sharpe to talk over next to my car. I wanted to make sure Sharpe and I were out of the roadway so that neither of us were at risk to oncoming
West, being taken to the ground. (Tallahassee Police Department video.) traffic. “Sharpe began to comply but instead of stopping where I told him to he continued to walk at a brisk pace toward the house on the corner. … I shouted ‘Stop!’ at Sharpe and he yelled back loudly ‘No!’ Sharpe began to pick up the pace from which he was leaving and I ran a few feet to catch up to him. I grabbed Sharpe by the right arm with my right hand, and held him for a second telling him to stop for a minute. Sharpe immediately tensed up ripped out of my grip screaming. [sic] ‘Get the fuck off me!’ “Sharpe ran to [the house on the corner] and stopped briefly to open the door. I quickly transitioned to my taser and pointed it at Sharpe, firing it into Sharpe’s upper back.” Ormerod does not state in the report that he gave any verbal warning before firing his taser. “Sharpe fell forward pushing the door open with his body and landed inside the house on the floor,” he continues. “The probes of the taser penetrated Sharpe’s shirt both hitting him in the back. The taser at first had an effect causing Sharpe to lose his balance but the taser either ceased functioning correctly or I terminated the shock early because Sharpe was able to turn over onto his buttocks and scoot to the back wall of the house. “There was a look of confusion and fear in Sharpe’s eyes. There were several individuals inside the residence and all began to scream at me seeing me [sic] with the taser. “Seeing that Sharpe was not
attempting to run anymore I walked close to Sharpe but did not attempt to handcuff him until back up arrived.” After the arrival of backup, Sharpe was arrested and searched, and Ormerod reports that at this time he learned Sharpe was a juvenile and on probation (for battery). Ormerod writes, “Sharpe explained to other officers on scene (he was not interested in talking to me at this point) he was there to visit his baby’s mama. Sharpe stated his mother dropped him off and he didn’t know why he had to stop for police.” Ormerod was informed that Sharpe’s mother was on the way and decided to wait – before transporting Sharpe to the hospital for medical clearance before being booked – so he could explain the situation to her. “While enroute [sic] to the hospital,” Ormerod wrote, “Sharpe explained he was trying to go inside the house in order to get an adult. Sharpe stated he didn’t know why he had to stop when I ordered him to and said it should have been okay for him to get an adult. When I initially made contact with Sharpe he never said anything to me about wanting an adult present.” According to Ormerod’s report, and a supplemental report filed by Sgt. David Bell, the situation after the tasering became heated. After the incident, Bell wrote, “Sharpe was handcuffed but yelling that, ‘you crackers had no right to tase me.’ After multiple times of listening to Sharpe calling the on-scene officers ‘crackers’, I asked him to stop talking that way. He complied.’
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Bell continues, upon the arrival of Sharpe’s mother to the scene with an unidentified black male, and while explaining what had transpired, “She stopped me mid-sentence and began getting very loud, stating, ‘you crackers tasered my son.’ I explained to her that the officer had a reason to detain her son, but she only wanted to curse at me and tell me that we would not do this to a white person. “I attempted numerous times to explain the entire scenario to her but she would stop me from talking by calling me ‘cracker ass mother fucker’ and a number of other racially charged names. At no time did she ask how her son was, or if she could see him … .” The unidentified man with Sharpe’s mother later called Bell a “pussy ass cracker” when Bell attempted to discuss the situation with him. At the hospital while asking to see her son, according to Ormerod’s report, Sharpe’s mother and the unidentified male began shouting at him when he said they were not allowed to see Sharpe. He then ordered them to leave the property, and they were escorted out by hospital security. “One of the nurses approached me,” Ormerod wrote, “and advised if I wanted he would be more than willing to write a statement about the behavior [of] Sharpe’s parents in order to make a disorderly conduct charge.” Ormerod said it was unnecessary. He then writes that when taking Sharpe through the lobby, Sharpe’s mother began shouting again, and “made various threats about calling the watch commander along with other members of rank.” Ormerod closed his report, “I transported Sharpe to [juvenile detention]. Sharpe’s family followed me to [juvenile detention]
and watched me intently as I began disarming myself in order to be admitted. Once inside [juvenile detention], Sharpe told me I was ‘the nicest police officer he has ever dealt with’. Sharpe wanted to shake my hand before leaving the detention facility with his mother. Ormerod was placed on paid administrative leave while the incident was investigated by internal affairs – which was reported in brief by local media – before being exonerated of any wrong doing a month later. Neither his cruiser nor his taser were equipped with video recording devices. A year later, Sharpe pled guilty to the charge of resisting an officer, was fined for a pedestrian violation, charged $545.10 in fines and fees, and was sentenced to 100 days in jail – with a notation in court documents that he had 100 days credit. [Editor’s note: The complete court record could not be attained before this printing, but Sharpe’s violation of his probation is believed to have had an effect on the sentence.] While attempting to locate Sharpe to be interviewed for this story, he was identified in the media as a suspect in a shooting on Alabama Street on October 1, and has been arrested and charged with attempted murder. The location of that shooting was two blocks from where he was tased by Ormerod, and a witness on the block – according to the police report -- heard a gunshot, saw Sharpe walking away from the area of the register while bleeding from the head, manipulate a gun, and return to the area of the gun fire. The witness then heard three gun shots, and a victim was later reported to have been shot in the leg, torso and arm. While police were investigating the shooting – one of two around the same time on the same day
Sharpe, after being tased by Officer Christopher Ormerod (not pictured). (TPD photo.) – Sharpe reportedly arrived at the hospital believing he had been shot in the head. While the report is in brief, it appears that Sharpe had not been shot, was treated by medical personnel, and transported to the county jail under arrest.) Coincidentally, according to court records, Sharpe made final payment on the pedestrian citation fees five years later – on September 13 of this year – just one month and three days after Ormerod’s encounter with West, three days after the story broke in the news, and 18 days before Sharpe allegedly shot a man three times. Further, two years after the tasing incident, Sharpe was shot – according to press accounts – in a public park in the City of Midway after he was robbed by persons known to him. He walked bleeding to a friend’s house where emergency services were called, and four suspects in that shooting
Capital City Villager < Volume 2, Issue 1 < Fall 2013 < Shop Local | Play Local | Live Local
were arrested and charged. By press time, we were not unable to reach Sharpe in jail to be interviewed for this story, nor have we located his mother for comment.
Crashed cruiser, concealed it from supervisor and drove with unsecured hood for days Two months after that incident, on August 29, 2009, Ormerod damaged his cruiser en route to a service call in such a manner that the vehicle had to later be “totaled,” but Ormerod failed to report the incident officially to his commanding sergeant until 10 days later when circumstances forced him to. Ormerod had been operating the vehicle during that period of time with a hood that “was unable to be latched safely,” and available
TPD records show that Ormerod attended four days of training and two shifts on active patrol without being assigned to a different cruiser. And this accident occurred just hours after Ormerod was informed that his probationary status was being extended by 12 months. The incident is detailed after the fact in an inter-office memo from Ormerod’s commanding officer, Sgt. David Bell, to his supervisor, Lieutenant Jack Adkins, on September 16, 2009. According to the memo, the damage was inflicted while Ormerod was en route to a fight at Chubby’s Nightclub on West Tennessee Street just after 2am. While traveling in emergency mode, Ormerod encountered traffic at an intersection on West Tennessee Street and attempted to ride over a raised median to move around the traffic jam, at which point his vehicle
bottomed out. While at Chubby’s, a sergeant on the scene (Sgt. Odom) saw Ormerod on his knees inspecting the vehicle undercarriage and observed damage to the bumper, then told Ormerod to let his commanding Sergeant know. Ormerod did not, and went off duty at 3am. (Sgt. Odom mentioned the conversation to Ormerod’s commanding officer, Sgt. Bell, within hours – at 4am, after Ormerod had gone off duty – and explained Ormerod’s story that he had hit a median.) Four days later, during a week of training, Ormerod called Sgt. Bell after another officer observed the damage to his cruiser “that was making it unable for his hood to close correctly.” At this point, Ormerod told his sergeant directly and for the first time that he had hit a median on the way to the fight at Chubby’s four days earlier. [Editor’s note: that training period included one-onone driving instruction in a weeklong patrol setting with a TPD driving instructor, as identified in a later memo.] A review by Villager of daily TPD vehicle assignment sheets – known as “red sheets” in the department -- shows that Ormerod had worked active patrol duty in the damaged vehicle on September 8 and 9 -- after his vehicle was damaged and the hood was unsecured -- before reporting for a week of training on Monday, August 31. TPD could not confirm if Ormerod had driven his vehicle to the training sessions, and the “red sheets” do not indicate that Ormerod was assigned a different vehicle during this time period. (It should be noted, however, that TPD could not confirm with any more accuracy on which dates Ormerod was on duty, and the “red sheets” reflect only whether a unit is on or off
duty. These reports are also subject to human error and used for tracking purposes – not official record keeping.) In the inter-office memo, Bell relays Ormerod’s account of the accident in his phone call four days after it occurred: “Officer Ormerod advised that westbound traffic [on Tennessee Street] was completely stopped and blocking all westbound traffic. In an attempt to get around the stopped traffic and proceed to the physical [altercation] at Chubby’s he chose to drive over the concrete median in the middle of Tennessee Street. As he did this his vehicle ‘bottomed out’ and the front bumper area and engine struck the concrete median. “Officer Ormerod stated that he did not stop at that time. … Afterward he was looking at his vehicle to determine the damage when Sgt. Odom [,a ranking officer on the scene,] approached him. Officer Ormerod advised me that Sgt. Odom had reminded him to advise me of the damage to his vehicle. When I asked him why he had not notified me until now of his crash, Officer Ormerod had no answer. “I advised Officer Ormerod that since he was attending in-service training and not working with us that I would handle this at a later time. I did advise him to check with the garage and make sure that he was not further damaging his vehicle.” However, at that time, according to the report, Sgt. Bell had not yet seen the damage in person. Bell continues: “I advised you [ Lieutenant Adkins, to whom the memo is written] of this crash information that date, and would advise you of more when I could get with Officer Ormerod when he returned to work on Tuesday, September 8, 2009. “On Tuesday [September 8, 10 days later,] I met with Officer Ormerod at the station and he advised that
he had taken his car to the garage personnel as I had requested, and they advised him to down the vehicle. I observed the vehicle for the first time at this time, and observed it to have obvious damage to the front bumper area. “The engine/radiator area had been pushed up so hard that it was not sitting correctly in the engine compartment area. The hood had been pushed so that it was unable to be latched safely. Officer Ormerod advised that the garage personnel had told him that this new damage, along with previously known engine issues, made it unable/not feasible to be fixed.” (According to Officer David Northway in the public information office, it is not clear through documentation on which day Ormerod took his vehicle to the garage for inspection, but the vehicle was officially removed from service on November 4, when it was entered into the parked fleet waiting to be cannibalized for usable parts and decommissioned. Ormerod remained assigned to vehicle 613 until October 24, according to the “red sheets,” but Officer Northway explained that it is possible that Ormerod had been assigned a cruiser from the pool of backup vehicles but that it had not been documented. Records do not show in any more detail where Ormerod’s vehicle was during this time period.) Sgt. Bell continued in his memo to Lt. Adkins, “Officer Ormerod was issued a new vehicle and is currently answering calls for service. … As of today [September 18,] we have been unable to get a specific answer from the garage at TPD as to the severity of the new damage from this crash. Sgt. Bell’s final paragraph in the memorandum reads, “Just hours prior to this incident, Officer Ormerod had been informed of, and
Officer Ormerod advised me that Sgt. Odom had reminded him to advise me of the damage to his vehicle. When I asked him why he had not notified me until now of his crash, Officer Ormerod had no answer. signed, his probationary evaluation that explained his probationary status was being extended.” Ormerod is on administrative leave at the time of this printing while being investigated for the Christina West incident, and was not made available for interview by TPD.
Third Crash in 12 Months
The following day, Lt. Adkins wrote a memo back to Sgt. Bell, copied to Captain Chris Connell, identifying points of Ormerod’s violation of General Order 22, titled “Emergency Response Driving,” and stating that a written reprimand of Ormerod was justified. “… Officer Ormerod did not use proper care in his response both in approach and speed when attempting to traverse a raised median. This damage was severe enough to deem the vehicle too expensive to repair. “… As this is the third crash that Officer Ormerod initiated action that resulted in damage to a city vehicle [sic] within a 12-month period, a written reprimand is warranted in line with city policy and progressive discipline. “In addition, Officer Ormerod has received additional training during the 40-hour refresher [course] afforded him the week of August 31 – September 4 [,the week following the crash]. This training included one on one driving instruction in a weeklong patrol setting with
Officer Tine Haddon, a TPD driving instructor.” In Lt. Adkins’ citations of G.O. 22 that followed, he identified the following violations [Lt. Adkins’ emphasis, not ours.]: I. General Guidelines. B.: “While engaging in emergency response driving, officers shall drive carefully and exercise due regard for the safety of others.” II. Factors to Consider in Emergency Response Driving. E: “The condition and performance capabilities of the authorized emergency vehicle.” II. Factors to Consider in Emergency Response Driving. F: The officer’s driving capabilities while engaging in emergency response driving under the conditions faced during the response.” In a disciplinary memorandum, both the traffic unit supervisor (signature/name illegible) and Sgt. Bell recommended that the crash be classified as “Non-preventable,” but Lieutenant Jack Adkins and the District/Division Commander (signature/ name illegible) classified it as “Preventable,” the final disposition being made by the District/Division Commander.
TWO CRASHES IN ONE DAY
19 months later, on March 18, 2011, Ormerod received two 10- hour suspensions for causing two vehicle crashes on the same day.
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According to the disciplinary report filed by his then-commander Sgt. Gereg, and approved through the chain of command to then-Police Chief Dennis Jones (who retired in the wake of the Christina West incident), “Officer Ormerod lost control of his vehicle and skidded sideways into a curb causing damage to the rear axle and undercarriage of his vehicle. Officer Ormerod admitted being distracted by his spotlight moving while his patrol vehicle was in motion.” That incident is documented to have occurred at 12:17am. “Also on March 18, 2011, at approx.. 6:46am, Officer Ormerod attempted to backed [sic] his marked patrol vehicle between two other parked police vehicles. Officer Ormerod backed into an unoccupied patrol vehicle causing the rear passenger quarter-panel of his vehicle to [strike] the driver’s side door of the other patrol car causing minor damage to both vehicles. “Officer Ormerod is in violation of [Genera Order] 66, Section iV, Subsetion A4, which states, ‘Members operating any department vehicle shall [operate] the vehicle with due care for life or property.” In the “department comments” section of the disciplinary report, Sgt. Gereg wrote, “Officer Ormerod’s 20-hour suspension is inclusive for both preventable collisions on March 18, 2011, and is consistent with progressive discipline. Officer Ormerod will receive 10 hours of remedial drivers training due to having four preventable collisions in less than 3 years.” That disciplinary report is signed and approved up the chain of command, including Chief Dennis Jones, all of whom concurred with the recommendation. The crash report from the DHSMV, who was called on scene to investigate the crash on Mission Road, cites the damage from the collision at “$4-5,000,” and gives more detail about the incident. While traveling in emergency mode to a call for backup, Ormerod was traveling at a high rate of speed and attempting to adjust his side mounted spotlight when, “he entered the curve on White Dr. and then lost control of the vehicle.” “[Ormerod] stated that he realized he was traveling to [sic] fast to negotiate the curve before he passed
the intersection of White Dr. and Solana Ave. He then stated that he began to travel into the North bound lane and then over-corrected to return into the South bound lane on White Dr. He then over-corrected again and began to travel South-east in the North bound lane again. He over-corrected again when the back end of [his vehicle] began to ‘fishtail’ and make a 180 degree turn and struck the curb on the East side of White Drive before coming to final rest … .” The report continues, “The front wheels of [Ormerod’s vehicle] hit the curb on the East side of White Dr. (initial point of impact) … The vehicle’s momentum then made the rear of [Ormerod’s vehicle] swing around 180 degrees, with the rear wheels impacting the curb (second point of impact). [Ormerod’s vehicle] then came to a rest facing north on the shoulder in front of 831 White Dr. The rear axle [of the vehicle,] along with the undercarriage, appeared damaged as a result of the crash.” The vehicle was then towed away, with the state investigator determining that the crash was preventable.
Struck Railroad Crossing Arm, Suspended by Chief for 40 hours Seventeen months after the collision on Mission Road, Ormerod again damaged his assigned cruiser, as detailed in a disciplinary report filed by Sgt. William Faust. On August 13, 2012, according to the report, Ormerod was on patrol traveling southbound on Mission Road – approaching Tharpe Street – when he “did not observe that the railroad warning lights and crossing arms were activated at the intersection. “He made a right hand turn [westbound] onto W. Tharpe Street and immediately struck one of the railroad crossing arms. The crossing arm struck the windshield of Officer Ormerod’s parol vehicle causing replacement damage to the windshield, minor damage to the roof, and the railroad crossing arm was torn from the signal.” That report identifies this crash as preventable, and again cites General Order 66, “which states: ‘Members operating any Department vehicle shall operate the vehicle with due
Capital City Villager will continue this investigation, and updates can be found by following us online at TallyVillager.com.
ee
WINE WAREHOUSE T
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All referenced documents can be found there as well, including a one-on-one interview with Public Information Officer David Northway on use of force and a discussion about the Sharpe incident.
TIME MACHINE
of
care for life and property’.” The report – which notified Ormerod that he was being suspended for 40 hours -- also gives a warning that “a future infraction of a serious nature,” or a similar or repeated infraction will result in “stricter discipline up to and including dismissal.” Faust’s recommendation for 40 hour suspension, as submitted on a Corrective Action Recommendation Form, is approved by six members of the command structure including Chief Dennis Jones, who also wrote that an eye exam was required. In the recommendation, Faust also calls for a “mandatory counseling session with agency contract provider arranged by employee resources.” A month after that crash, Chief Dennis Jones wrote a memo to Ormerod in which he stated: “Effective 5:00pm Tuesday, September 16, 2012, you are suspended for 40 hours without pay from your duties with the Tallahassee Police Department. You are directed to deliver your supervisor your Department-issued property, to include your take-home vehicle, weapons, badge, identification, radio and gunbelt. “While you are on suspension, you are prohibited from taking any law enforcement action, carrying a concealed weapon, and working secondary employment. Furthermore, you are being referred for mandatory counseling and a mandatory vision assessment.”
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All Saints / Railroad Square Tallahassee branch on Madison near its intersection with Gay Street—right near the CollegeTown development project. The By Nora Bonner purpose of a co-working space is Terri Grovenstein describes herself to empower people by providing resources and as a community’s “catalyst,” a perconnections to help them start son who enjoys offering encourbusinesses. “The space is flexible,” agement and enthusiasm about says Grovenstein. whatever creative idea is thrown her way. She wants to introduce us to others she knows who might There’s access to wireless Internet, a copier machine, a scanner, and be of help on creative projects. a printer, and an opportunity to purchase office supplies at cost. “I was always like that,” she says, laughing at the memory of setting Also, complimentary coffee and tea. Prices may range from $10friends up who are now married. $30 a day, depending on the “For as long as I can remember.” amount of working time and privacy one wants (there’s an upGrovenstein has lived in and charge for private office space). out of Tallahassee since 2005. When her son began his studies “We want to offer a peaceful, comat FSU, she decided to point this fortable space for people to bring catalytic impulse towards her lifetime dream of starting her own in laptops and get work done.” It’s like a coffee shop without the business. She originally pictured coffee grinder roaring every three something like a bed and breakminutes. fast; then she changed plans and became licensed as a masseuse. “Just tell me what you need,” she Then she found a way to be says. She hopes to offer a variety hospitable and contribute to Tallahassee’s small business com- of resources regarding anything related to starting a small busimunity while offering them disness, from recommendations counts on massages in the same regarding local retail space to workspace. private consultations for writing proposals or designing flyers. A little over a year ago, she came across Pete Carr, who created the “It’s hard to work alone,” she says. EnCoSpace co-working facility in “We need feedback. We want to Gainesville. Encospace offers a offer a place to be friendly working environment to those who are at the early stages inspired, supported, and encourof entrepreneurial endeavors. He aged.” and Grovenstein have set up a
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Capital City Villager < Volume 2, Issue 1 < Fall 2013 < Shop Local | Play Local | Live Local
Movements at the Square By Laura Floyd
The Cultural Alliance @ Railroad Square is the non-profit entity within Railroad Square striving to bring in free, exciting and educational art and cultural events at Railroad Square Art Park for Tallahassee and the regional community. These events bring in increased traffic, benefiting all of the artists and shop owners here at Railroad Square and the surrounding area. This February, the Cultural Arts Alliance is cooking up a killer event for the Square’s 5th Mardi Gras-style parade including local professional dancers and acrobats, and a wide variety of nonprofit, community, scholastic and social groups. Additionally, there are planned performances that are both educational and entertaining.
The Cultural Arts Alliance plans to feature music from Zydeco Zoo, as well as other popular Cajun acts. The Cultural Arts Alliance also plans to partner with the Tallahassee Area Zydeco & Cajun Association, enhancing the authenticity of ArtiGras. In order to further realize the goal of having ArtiGras instill a stronger focus on history, education, and relevancy to our specific culture in Tallahassee, 621 Gallery’s newlycreated Annex Gallery will host images and documents from Mardi Gras celebrations held during the 1800s in Northwest Florida. Gibby Conrad, a Florida Naturalist and New Orleans native will be available during that time to answer questions about the historical ties between the original New Orleans Mardi Gras and the unusual Mardi Gras events that continued on in Northwest Florida up until the early 1800s.
All shops & studios in the Railroad Square Art Park will be open for business during the hours of the event, and many local food trucks and art vendors will reap the benefits of the traffic created by this event. ArtiGras will also serve as a fundraising event to benefit the local Manna On Meridian Food Bank. Designated areas throughout the park will act as donation drop-off locations. By providing this fundraiser, the Cultural Alliance @ Railroad Square hopes to bridge arts, charity, business, and culture. If you have any questions regarding the Cultural Arts Alliance @ Railroad Square, know of vendors who may want to participate, or have ideas regarding events, feel free to contact Laura Nicole Floyd at laura@railroadsquare.com.
New Annex at 621 621Annex is a new event, programs, and rental space next door to 621 Gallery in Railroad Square. It is a 1200 square foot space with 12â&#x20AC;&#x2122; walls and 25â&#x20AC;&#x2122; ceiling. It has a built-in bar area for coffee or other refreshments, and is suitable for workshops, meetings and event rentals. The Annex is available for use seven days a week. To view the space or for more information, please contact: Cynthia Hollis, Director 621galleryinc@gmail.com 850-224-6163. For a programs schedule, see 621Annex on facebook or check the calendar at www.621gallery.org.
Laura Floyd, of CAARS, in front of the new brew vats.
Proof Brewing Company GROWS By Laura Floyd
Proof Brewing Company is opening a distributing brewery in the Railroad Square Art Park this fall. The 10,000 square foot facility will house a state of the art 20 barrel brew house and 10,000 barrels of fermentation capacity a year. The new brewery will feature an expansive tasting room, patio with outside green space for events and live music along with plenty of parking. Proof Brewing Company looks forward to distributing their beer locally and beyond for enjoyment by all. They hope to bring more recognition to both Tallahassee and the state of Florida.
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Capital City Villager < Volume 2, Issue 1 < Fall 2013 < Shop Local | Play Local | Live Local
VINTAGE 21
Funtiques, small furniture, accent pieces, collectibles, miss lady dainties, more! 1449 E. Lafayette St, 32301 (Between Video 21 & Craig’s Killer Coffee.)
SteampunK D Tally Subculture Gathers Steam
by
Baroness Elsa Ernst
Senior Proletariat Correspondent
Oh, why, hello darling!
Yes, I am just back from my secret procedure, and I must tell you I feel simply omnipotent! Just between us, I’ve received (thanks to a generous grant from the Mag Lab and Macintosh) a nanoparticle transplant that permanently keeps me informed — and you know how I like to check in on my neighbors. Yes, thanks to a little cyber nip-tuck, my ear is permanently to the ground of trends in this Beautiful Land fleeingOld Town, and today it is filled with the rumbling of a steam- powered train. Yea verily, it seems something known as Steampunk has disembarked on our Amtrak platform and run a-mucok in our town! Oh, but I can see by your raised eyebrow that I am getting ahead of myself. What is Steampunk, you say? And what in the name of Charon’s gondola does it have to do with Tallahassee? Well, it is an aesthetic movement inspired by nineteenth- century science fiction — think H. G. Wells and Jules Verne. But that is the simple definition; it has grown from a literary genre and into art, fashion, music, and film. The latter is perhaps the easiest identifier — surely you have seen the latest Sherlock Holmes film? Yes, it was steamy, but that isn’t what I mean, dear. Model Carrie Marchlewski, posing for photographer and Villager contributor Kayla Rew (of Rewski Photography), as part of the Victorian Pin Up photo shoot that was hosted in October by Heather Baker and The Green Room Salon.
Why, this Ffall seems to be nothing but a Steampunk season! There is the Exclusive Victorian Photo Shoot October 5 and 6, thatwhich will help participants channel their inner airship captains and Ada Lovelace –inspired mad-doyennes with the full supermodel treatment of hair and make-up, facial- expression coaching, and, of course, costumes … all set against the picaresque and Cthulu-envy-inducing tentacled oak trees of Lichgate on High Road — --.you know, the beautiful park with Prof. Laura Jepsen’s Shakespearian cottage that is a retro-escapist feat in and of itself. There is also “The Back of Beyond” city hall exhibit featuring the artworks of residents Carrie Ann Baade, MANDEM, and James Mazza that feature surreal, historical, and alternative mythmaking that could fit well in the vast jigsaw puzzle that seems to be Steampunk. Oh, but I can see by your raised eyebrow that I am getting ahead of myself. What is Steampunk you say? And what in the name of Charon’s gondola does it have to do
with Tallahassee? Well, it is an aesthetic movement inspired by nineteenth century science fiction—think H. G. Wells and Jules Verne. But that is the simple definition; it has grown from a literary genre and into art, fashion, music, and film. The latter is perhaps the easiest identifier—surely you have seen the latest Sherlock Holmes film? Yes, it was steamy, but that isn’t what I mean, dear. Perhaps we should consult the experts, who happen to be locals and have written the Bible, as well as three major anthologies documenting the movement’s volition.
The Steampunk Anthologies It just so happens, two of the foremost experts in Steampunk are local writers and editors. Since 2008, Ann and Jeff VandermeerVanderMeer have been exploring Steampunk’s literary well and have produced an anthology trilogy from Tachyon Press tracing the genre’s evolution. Steampunk is an ideal introductory tome to the genre’s rich literature. Complete with several surveys that look at
Steampunk’s direct nineteenth century roots, as well as its expansion into pop culture and mainstream media, this anthology is a veritable sampler, culling together pioneers and refiners of the genre such as Michael Moorcock, James Blaylock, Michael Chabon, and Neal Stephenson. Steampunk II: Steampunk Reloaded chronicles Steampunk’s second wave that begins to become dominated by themes that go beyond proper British Victorianism. In Reloaded, many of the writers who have become most associated with the movement appear, such as Gail Carriger, Cherie Priest, and Ekaterina Sedia, to name a few. While Mr. VandermeerVanderMeer was crafting The Steampunk Bible (from Abrams Image) with native Tallahasseean S. J. Chambers, Mrs. Vandermeer, VanderMeer kept the series going via the third installment, Steampunk Revolution, where she takes full helm of the ship to present the cutting-edge “punkier” trends of the movement that are using technology and alternative
history to discuss hot topics such as multiculturalism, imperialism, industrialization, environmentalism and sustainability with cult talent such as Nick Mamatas, Catherynne M. Valente, and Caitlín R. Kiernan. A few things become apparent just by assessing the subjectmatter of these books. First, Steampunk is hard to define; second, whatever it is, it is a progressive movement that allows doors that have been otherwise shut to be open to minorities, especially women. As Ms. Chambers has said: “it has become a stage for the imagination to play upon.” Indeed, Steampunk is filled with empowered women, be they scientists, or in the case of Tallahassee, business women such as the masterminds behind the Green Room at Lake Ella, Rewski photography, and of course MandemMANDEM.
The Local Art of MANDEM MandemMANDEM is the collective genius of life-partners Maize Arendsee and Moco Steinman-Arendsee (and sometimes their daughter Kiksuko).
They have self-described their process as symbiotic and a “Vulcan mind-meld” to create what they’ve termed “transdigital” art, which combines traditional methods of oil and acrylic painting with digital media. MandemMANDEM’s subject matter deals with mythology, mysterious fantasy, and surreal alternate history. This exploration of imagery and symbolism has led the team to coin themselves “mythpunk noir,” although their recent work has been done for several Steampunk luminaries like the rock groupiconic Steampunk rock group Abney Park, who enjoys a fervid cult following of 35,000- plus fans and masters one of the more successful Steampunk franchises based from the world they sing about. MANDEM recently illustrated that world in the band’s Terror of the Skies: Airship Pirates Board Game. A calendar of the same name can be purchased featuring MANDEM’s artwork from that universe. and has focused on looking to the past to evaluate the present and future. But, Baroness Elsa, you might say, I am terribly confused. While MandemMANDEM’s work is quite striking, it does not look like the Steampunk you’ve previously described. I was promised Zzeppelins, and bronze-stitched corsets … and hats … what about the hats?! My dear, calm yourself. While Steampunk can simply be about costuming and cos-play for some, it can also embody a very deep and far-reaching conversation into history, politics, gender studies, and multiculturalism. While it is easy to believe Steampunk embodies a collective space more at home in Queen Victoria’s England or the Gilded Age of the United States, in fact, it provides a sandbox for those cultures stomped on and overshadowed by all the
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Capital City Villager < Volume 2, Issue 1 < Fall 2013 < Shop Local | Play Local | Live Local
various world powers … from as microcosmic as gender and queer issues to macrocosmic as colonialism and race. (All this disavowing of the status quo has often been attributed to the “punk” part of the moniker.) While MandemMANDEM does not term themselves Steampunk, they do embrace certain aspects that make pointing to them as ambassadors of the genre in our community not a complete misnomer. (Read the interview with MANDEM in this section.) The same can be said for the renowned and wonderful artist Carrie Ann Baade, whose surrealist pop carries her into historical terrains and alternative philosophical and cultural visual conversations. And as such, her work could have sympathies with Steampunk and vice versa. I see what you mean, though … by now it seems my attempts to define this phenomenon are as clear as mud. Alack a day, isn’t that the problem with labels? Hmmm … this seems like a question that should be driven to a larger avenue. Fortunately, I know just the fête!
Gaslight Industries Expo This November 9 and 10, Camelot Productions is throwing the first and only Steampunk convention in Tallahassee. This is the second among firsts for the HavanaTallahassee-based team, who was responsible for the widely attended and successful Alt-ConAlt*Con, the first geek/fandom shindig that went down last April. I was fortunate to have tea with Camelot pProductions CEO Brian Coghill, and he confided that with Alt*Con being a one- day thing, he didn’t expect many people to come. However, by 3 pm, 2,173 people were there, and the City of Tallahassee tried to shut the con down for being at fire capacity. Of course, it “Alt-con was a one day thing,” said Camelot productions CEO Brian Coghill, “And we wanted to make
it cheap and accessible. We didn’t expect anyone to come. If 500 people showed up, we’d be happy. Well, by 3 pm, 2,173 were there, we hit fire capacity and the City of Tallahassee was shutting us down. No one could move.” The con, of course, was not shut down, and proved that there is an interest in, if not a vast presence for, geek culture in town. Mr. Coghill has no doubt that the Gaslight Industries Expo will have a similar popular reception, especially since Steampunk is gaining a lot of mainstream attention with fashions appearing on major design catwalks like Prada and Louis Vuitton, but also because it can be found in major releases like the Academy Award W–winning Hugo and The Golden Compass. “People are interested, and the response is huge,” he said Mr. Coghill. “People from all over the state have been in contact with us. The community is hungry for it.” Referencing anHe believes article Forbes ran citing an IBM prediction that Steampunk will be the next biggest trend for 2013-15, Coghill said there is an interest in the community, but people just don’t realize they’ve seen it yet.: “People don’t realize what Steampunk is — they’ll watch Wild Wild West or The Three Musketeers and not have a word for it. Once people tie that all together, they’re excited about it.” And Mr. Coghill believes that Steampunk could bring about a better appreciation of historyy, since Tallahassee and North Florida already has a deep “Civil War footprint,” as well as other roots in nineteenth -century history. This is why doing events like Alt*Con and Gaslights Industries Expo isaren’t just about celebrating science fiction and Steampunk for Mr. Coghill, but a “Because of the Civil War footprint,
[Tallahassee and North Florida are] already rooted in the history —people want to know more.It isn’t just sci-fi, it’s history. Tallahassee is soaked in history, and people don’t realize it.” With science fiction, especially Steampunk, doing events like Alt-Con and Gaslight Industries Expo is a way to reach out and educate: “Conventions, for us, are about community action. ,” Mr. Coghill continued. “We don’t only want to reach out to vendors, but to schools, and show that this is a historical time period people don’t talk about enough.” It seems to moi, that the beautiful thing about Steampunk is its accessibility — with fingers in all forms of expression, it can provide a gateway to music, film, comics, books, art, and of course history. Gaslight Industries Expo will try and account for all tastes, with features of the convention including a costume contest, a marathon screening of films including the Dirigible Days web series, a performance by Orlando’s Cog is Dead, leatherworking workshops from Tandyleather, in addition to panels, as well as photo opportunities with Rewski Photography and Camelot Production’s famed Tardis. Hark-- — the costume contest is not about cos-play or characters, but about the uniqueness of the costume. If you don’t understand or acknowledge what cos-play means, you’ll do fine. However, judging criteria and rules can be found at their
website (http://gli-expo.com/index. php/attendee-info/costume-contest).
Social Community If you can’t attend any of these lovely soirees, or get your hands immediately on a Steampunk tome, there are two interest groups in town that can help induct and further fan one’s Steampunk enthusiasm. Tallahassee Steampunk and Tallahassee Steam Works & Oddities both have active Facebook presences that post Sstate-wide events, images and related marginalia, as well as craft and costuming ideas. Tallahassee Steam Works & Oddities seems to have an occasional meet-up at The What? Café, but despite having 43 members, Tallahassee Steampunk has not had a formal meet-up yet., but perhaps that will change after the , something the groups moderator, Lisa Rooney, hopes will change after the Gaslight Industries Expo: “I’m really hoping,” group moderator Lisa Rooney told me, “that that will be a chance to meet more of the people around Tallahassee [at GIE] and maybe start a dialog about having more local events.” Oh my, you’ll have to pardon me for a moment — all this Ssteam gives me the vapors. I think I have dished enough for one afternoon tea. You may feel I haven’t explained myself or anything enough, but you will get the hang of this thing called Steampunk. Indeed! This sub-culture has quietly become buoyant around these parts, and -— like the hot air balloons that once ascended in Fallschase --— is revealing with several tell-tale swooshes that there are several dirigibles afloat in Tallahassee’s sky, and I don’t mean the Goodyear blimp. Too-da-loo!
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An Interview with MANDEM 1) How do you identify with the Steampunk label (I have seen your work self-labeled as mythpunk noir, but I have also seen it tied with the Steam)? One of the important themes running through our work is anachronism – the postmodern collapse of history into a single coexisting moment – and this is part of what makes our work identifiable as steampunk. The late-Victorian/ Gilded Age era is an important intellectual touchpoint for us, and when you bring that era into conversation with the present and future, you have steampunk. Steampunk tends to have an interest in time travel, and time travel is an obvious metaphor for our current cultural/intellectual state of collapsed history. At the same time, we have artwork that could be defined as cyberpunk, dieselpunk – but the one thing that all of our work has in common is its relationship to the reinterpretation of mythic archetypes... and that’s another reason that we drift towards steampunk, because it relates to what we call the “golden age of the mythographers” – the time when European thinkers like Frazer or Eliade were first looking critically at their society and trying (often unsuccessfully, but that’s a different story) to understand it in terms of deep time and comparative mythologies/sociologies... and the very moment that modernity was being born, we were searching the past for answers. Our audience clearly relates to us as steampunk artists. Two years running we’ve been nominated for Artist of the Year in the Steampunk Chronicle awards, we’re artists for the amazing Steampunk roleplaying game Airship Pirates, and the notable steampunk band Abney Park included our work in their lyrics book and board game. 2) Your work is not of the typical Florida brand, but are there aspects of Tallahassee or the community that inspires your creations or process? Absolutely. We’ve worked with Spanish moss and kudzu, especially in our installations and films – and there’s a general Southern Gothic vibe in this area that has a tendency to seep in and affect our work..... and come to think of it, our daughter was born here, so a Tallahassee native is one of the most significant sources of inspiration for us. 3) It seems like Steampunk is finally on the rise in Tallahassee. Are there any special Steampunk oriented groups, activities, vendors that you like to participate with in town? It may not immediately be evident that this is steampunk, but we absolutely love Lofty Pursuits. They make hard candy by hand using authentic Victorian equipment, and they are raising funds right now to get wooden Victorian ice cream churns (so go support their Kickstarter!). On Facebook, there’s an awesome “Tallahassee Steampunk” group that we encourage local steampunks to look up and participate in. The neighborhood we live in, Levy Park, did 18
Steampunk Caroling last December (and we’ve also got Victorian-style gaslights on 7th Ave. – how cool is that?). Lichgate on High Road has a definite steampunk aesthetic (if you’ve never visited this property, you simply must see the cottage, grounds, and tree). Coming up in November, Tallahassee will be having our first steampunk con – the Gaslights Industries Expo – and you’ll find MANDEM there in the Artist Alley. 4) What do you think steampunk could bring to the community? Steampunk, as a culture, has a lot to contribute. Part of that is an innate aesthetic sense – an attitude that is willing
Capital City Villager < Volume 2, Issue 1 < Fall 2013 < Shop Local | Play Local | Live Local
to take quality seriously; to appreciate beauty, and skill, and authenticity. And that willingness to appreciate authenticity is also a willingness to engage, to go past apathy and irony to actually try to make the world a better place. We consider steampunk to be a potential part of the new metamodernism—a kind of pragmatic romanticism— and that has the potential to breathe new life into our culture. In a more practical sense, steampunk is great for its DIYism. Tallahassee has a strong underground of people working towards self-sufficiency (farmer’s markets, etc.), and I think that ties into the steampunk ideas of being makers. We’re at a juncture in time where we really need to push for personal engagement, the ability to problem-
did was exploitative and wrong.” Steampunk is one way of doing this on a historical level, looking back at the Steam age and willingly embracing what was wonderful, and actively imagining a change to what was flawed.
solve, to build community, and to go beyond passive consumerism. At its best, Steampunk pushes for an aesthetic of self-reliance. At its best, steampunk also forces a conversation about history – real, lived history – that is very necessary for our generation to have. We, persnally, think the reason steampunk is taking off, and the reason that places like MIT project that it will be the next big cultural wave, is that it’s a real manifestation of the kind of cultural conversation that our society must have in order to survive. As Westerners, we’ve grown up in the shadow of the Victorian/Gilded Age, like children in the shadow of a flawed parent, and there comes a point when we have to look back at these parents with great honesty and say, “here’s where what they did was good and valuable, and here’s where what they
5) Steampunk is an especially empowering movement for women and multiculturalism--do you find that spirit helps imbues your works focus on gender-blurring and environmental and humanistic concerns? Yes. The primary focus in our work on things like gender-blurring is part of the reason we identify most directly with mythpunk, because as a literary genre mythpunk tends to have a very queer focus. We feel that steampunk culture has a choice to make, and it’s a vital choice that could go either way. On the one hand, we could easily fall into the trap of loving everything that was wonderful about the steam era – the aesthetics, the literature – and allow that to be the sugar that entices us to swallow the poison of the era’s cultural values about things like gender, sexuality, race, etc. On the other hand, steampunk has a unique potential for allowing us to go back to our cultural ancestors and reimagine another outcome – to queer that history, and to reject the poison of the past while salvaging the metaphoric baby in the bathwater. That’s really where the “punk” in steampunk comes from, and why we strongly disagree with those people who say that steampunk should focus on the “steam” bits and consider the “punk” bits to just be a relic from its comparison to cyberpunk. The -punk is, to us, the most important part…it’s the part that makes it transformative and empowering... and
keeps it from being Civil War Recreationism on steroids. Part of the reason we want to be involved in steampunk is because it is still young, it’s still growing and still making its mark on the world, and we want to be active in making sure that the culture as a whole drifts towards the progressive side, not the regressive side, of this divide. We want to help define the body of images that represent steampunk, in such a way that, for example, shifts the movement away from the objectification of women and encourages a view of women as active agents, as key players, not prizes for the winner.
In other historically defining genres, like classic science fiction, illustrators and artists helped to define the role of minorities and women – you look at a Frank Frazetta cover, and you instantly know what’s important about the women of a story, and it’s not their intellectual strength, their resolve, or their marital prowess. And maybe we can help push Steampunk a little in what we believe is the right direction.
MythpunkArt.com facebook.com/MANDEMik etsy.com/shop/mandemik
• Cuts & Color • Professional makeup • Bridal on- and off-site • Facial waxing • Photography styling • And party up-do’s.
1425 N. Monroe Street, 32303 850-425-5222 Shop Local | Play Local | Live Local > Fall 2013 > Volume 2, Issue 1 > Capital City Villager
19
Gifts Abloom!
No Framing needed! Hire local craftsman and think outside the rectangle. We build custom, single, stretched canvasses that BEND TO THE WALL seamlessly ... with no need for framing. Save money and stand out at the same time!
Melbourne artist Laura Kucharyson uses our custom curved canvasses for her “surfboard” art.
• Almost any shape, to your specs, as large as 6-foot diam. • Less $ than a canvas and frame, but with all of the finished effect. • Smaller sizes start at $25. • Fine art wooden panels, rounded or flat. • Uniquely shaped dyptichs are a fun challenge for us! • Locally owned and built in Tally!
Examples at South of SoHo Gallery, 629-C Industrial Drive in Railroad Square.
Facebook.com/AsYouLikeItCanvas Call 850.574.4426 for an appointment or to order.
Flowers & plants for all occassions. Pick-up, delivery, or send anywhere in U.S. Voted Tallahassee’s Best Florist in 2012 by Tallahassee Magazine. 1200 N. Monroe Street, 32303 | BlossomsFlowers.com | (850) 385-7363
Angela Durant Turner EdS, NCC, BCC Licensed Mental Health Counselor 1282 Timberlane Rd, Suite D, 32312 850.545.8463 | AngelaDTurner.com
Follow us for our monthly specials, events, and weekly releases.
In our world... Helping individuals, families, couples and groups achieve positive, sustainable and desired change in their lives!
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Capital City Villager < Volume 2, Issue 1 < Fall 2013 < Shop Local | Play Local | Live Local
...super geeks rule! The Bookshelf on South Monroe
Tally’s new comics and used books HQ since 1980.
Three blocks south of the Capitol. A proud locally owned business. 1303 S. Monroe Street, 32301 | Bookshelf-Tally.com | (850) 224-2694
Local Music
PRESENTED BY
Downunder, working with Union Productions.) If it sounds like we’re fans, it’s because we are. Holzman and Smith – who hold degrees in economics and electrical engineering respectively -- are shooting and editing a live music video that Villager is producing on November 14th at Sidebar Theatre for the local band CommonZenz. And the idea never would have occurred to us if we hadn’t discovered that this level of talent and skill is accessible in Tallahassee.
The Witness Room Local smart and serious guys Stephen Holzman and Alex Smith – music geeks, A/V nerds, and shutterbugs in their own right – have created a video production company for local music that rivals what you may find in any major city, both in technical prowess and production quality. And it is helping to bring Tallahassee’s local musicians out of the black hole that can be social media, online music services, and endless, shaky camera phone footage. The Witness Room – a concept they began developing in 2012 – is actually a production studio in their home, plastered in paper art, world maps, and pop culture posters, and
stacked with professional video and audio equipment.
With multiple cameras and the technical prowess to use them – and powerful editing skills – their videos have the feel of an “Unplugged” episode without the audience, mixed with a studio recording session, mixed with just a basement jam session. A tour of the many videos available on their online catalogue also shows that their space is flexible, and able to adapt from a soloist, to a two person group side-by-side, to five or more pieces – and all in a way that each player can have their own artistic camera angle (instead of the drummer always being hidden in
the back.) And in a way that brings the viewer much more intimately into the music than they could at a show, feeling as though they can know the musician personally. Of the 18 videos showcased on their website, local acts like Royce Lovett (pictured), The Rosy Shades, The Vinyl Kicks, and Bees and Enormous Tigers (BAET) are given their up-close dues, as well as acts from around the region and as far away as Atlanta. (The guys have even put up touring bands for the night – the furthest away being from South Carolina and California -- when they stop-over in Tally to be recorded by them while on their way to other towns.)
At this concert, they will be producing a full length music video for the title track of the band’s new CD – “Finding My Way” – and from a promotional point of view, this video will help the band expand its regional reach by showing venues and audiences exactly what kind of show to expect. In this way, The Witness Room has a great potential as a catalyst for the local music scene – by mobilizing residents to get out and see more of what they have been missing, by giving bands the tools they need to expand locally and outside of Tally, and by helping to put Tally on the map as a musical incubator. Our “super fan” appreciation is probably under the mark. If you view their videos, we think you be as impressed as we have been. Yes. This is in Tallahassee. Check it out: TheWitnessRoom.com
And lately The Witness Room has expanded into live show recording for both bands and venues. (They are also filming a webseries at Club Shop Local | Play Local | Live Local > Fall 2013 > Volume 2, Issue 1 > Capital City Villager
21
Live Music Venues 4 Midtown
3
College Town
2 Downtown
1
AllSaintsHopYard.com
Outdoor party and event space
craft beer & wine â&#x20AC;˘ live music, drive-in style movies, bocce court & weekly tournament (thurs @ 7p), cornhole â&#x20AC;˘ Private parties
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In the All Saints District, blocks from Doak Campbell Stadium. 453 All Saints Street, behind the Coca Cola Building. 32301.
Capital City Villager < Volume 2, Issue 1 < Fall 2013 < Shop Local | Play Local | Live Local
All Saints
NIGHTLIFE TROLLEY
On Sep. 27, StarMetro launched its new Rhythm Route, a FREE nightlife bus line that connects Midtown, Downtown, and All Saints on weekend nights. And Villager chrashed it with a costume flash mob. 30+ people turned out, including Captain Tyler “The Scurvy” Owen, who led the entire bus on pirate songs -- to the confusion of innocent bystanders -- before we embarked on a bar crawl in All Saints. It’s all for me grog, me jolly jolly grog.... Photos by Chris Ford and Jessica Van Riper.
TALLAHASSEE’S NEW NIGHTLIFE TROLLEY See reverse for MAP & GUIDE TO VENUES
T U O E L D L I PU GU
Shop Local | Play Local | Live Local > Fall 2013 > Volume 2, Issue 1 > Capital City Villager
23
RESTAURANTS 1) Shula’s Steakhouse 3) Bird’s Oyster Shack 2) Juicy Blue Tapas & Bistro 4) China Delight 5) Cypress Restaurant 6) Up in Smoke Barbecue 7) Backwoods Bistro 10) Avenue Eat & Drink 13) Subway Cafe 11) Jacob’s On The Plaza 12) Metro Deli 15) Po’ Boys Creole Cafe 16) Goodies Eatery 14) Jasmine Café
25) Andrew’s Capital Grill 24) Andrew’s 228 22) Governor’s Club (private) 18) 101 Restaurant & Lounge 19) Harry’s Seafood Bar & Grille 27) Atomic Coffee
18) Mint Lounge 20) Challenger Learning Center & IMAX 17) The Painted Lady 17) Potbelly’s
ENTERTAINMENT
1) Hotel Duval 2) Four Points by Sheraton 8) Aloft Hotel 11) DoubleTree Hotel 26) Governor’s Inn
21) The Standard 1) Level 8 Lounge 2) Aqua Lounge 8) XYZ Lounge 9) St. John’s Cafe 23) Clyde’s and Costello’s
ACCOMMODATIONS
TallahasseeDowntown.com
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1
3
4
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1 3 2
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6
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MIDTOWN 1 Clusters & Hops Decent Pizza El Tapatio Masa Midtown Pass Prince Murat
2 Bamboo House Krewe de Gras Bella Bella Crepevine Dave’s Pizza Garage Joe Mama’s Pizza
3 Front Porch
Leon Pub Mockingbird Café Parlay Sports Bar Sakura
Midtown Caboose Paisley Café Waterworks Wine Loft
4 5th Ave Tap Room Alchemy Filling Station Finnegan’s Wake Kool Beanz Luna’s Italian Red Eye Coffee Whataburger
ALL SAINTS DISTRICT & COLLEGE TOWN 5 All Saints Café
Gaines St. Pies Sidebar Theater All Saints Hop Yard St. Michael’s Pub Art Park The Grain Crepevine Fermentation Lounge Voodoo Dog
6 Brooklyn Water Bagel Brooklyn Water Pizza Madison Social Residence Inn The Warehouse
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Capital City Villager < Volume 2, Issue 1 < Fall 2013 < Shop Local | Play Local | Live Local
ATHENA’S GARDEN
Alternative gifts, herbal emporium, clothing/decor and more! Facebook.com | (850) 391-9496 | 659 Industrial Dr, 32310
Business Name
Street Address
Zip
PHONE
Website/URL
OUTDOOR SEATING
The Office Lounge
636 McDonnell Dr
33710 -
St. Michael’s Pub
513 W Gaines St
32301 (850) 222-4727
-
No
The Side Bar
809 Railroad Ave
32310 (850) 224-2233
sidebartheatre.com/
Tasty Eats Beer Garden
602 Industrial Drive,
32310 (850) 224-1308
Nefertari’s
812 S. Macomb St.
All Saints Hop Yard
453 All Saints Street
The Moon
ENTERTAINMENT
SMOKING Inside only
Yes, open air
Darts, Billiards, Jukebox, Dance Floor, Dance Floor
tastyeatsbeergarden.com/
Yes, open air
-
Outside only (patio area)
32301 (850) 320-7836
No
Dance Floor
No
32301 (229) 221-8213
allsaintshopyard.com/
Yes
Dance Floor, Darts, Bocce Ball
Yes
1105 E. Lafayette Street
32301 850-878-6900
tallahassee.moonevents.com/ No
Dance Floor
Outside only (patio area)
19th at Hilaman
2737 Blair Stone Road
32301 850-325-1919
Miccosukee Root Cellar Hotel Duval - Level 8
1311 Miccosukee Rd 415 N. Monroe Street
32308 (850) 597 7419 32301 850-895-2924
miccosukeerootcellar.com/ hotelduval.com/
No Yes, covered
Dance Floor, Televisions
No Outside only (patio area)
Birds Aphrodisiac Oyster Shack Potbellys and The Painted Lady 101 Restaurant
325 N Bronough St
32301 (850) 222-1075
birdsoystershack.com/
Yes, covered
Movies, Karaoke
Outside only (patio area)
459 W College Ave
32301 (850) 224-2233
potbellys.net/
Yes, covered
Dance Floor
Inside only
215 W College Ave
32301 (850) 391-1309
101tallahassee.com/
Yes, covered
Televisions
Outside only (patio area)
Po’ Boys
224 E. College Avenue
32301 (850) 224-5400
poboys.com/
Yes, open air
Televisions
Outside only (patio area)
Clyde’s & Costello’s
210 S. Adams St.
32301 (850) 224-2173
Yes, open air
Televisions
Outside only (patio area)
Club Mint
215 West College Ave
32301 (850) 391-1309
101tally.com/
Yes, open air
Dance Floor
Outside only (patio area)
The Backwoods Bistro
401 E Tennessee St
32301 (850) 320-6345
thebackwoodsbistro.com/
No
-
No
B Sharps JaZZ Club
648 W. Brevard Street
32304 850-766-0972
b-sharps.com
Yes, covered
Dance Floor
Outside only (patio area)
Proof Brewing Company
1717 W. Tennessee Street 32304 850-443-6757
Yes, open air
Jukebox, Televisions
Outside only (patio area)
Po’ Boys
1944 W. Pensacola St
32304 (850) 574-3649
poboys.com/
Yes, open air
-
Outside only (patio area)
Po’ Boys
1425 Village Sq. Blvd.
32312 (850) 906-0020
poboys.com/
Yes, open air
Televisions
No
5th Avenue Tap Room
1122 Thomasville Road
32303 850-222-4225
No
Dance Floor, Televisions
Outside only (patio area)
Krewe de Gras
1304 N. Monroe Street
32303 850-222-0378
Yes, open air
Darts, Dance Floor, Televisions
Outside only (patio area)
Midtown Pass
1019 N. Monroe Street
32303 850-597-9614
No
Darts, Dance Floor, Televisions
Outside only (patio area)
Mockingbird Cafe
1225 N. Monroe Street
32303 850-222-4956
mockingbirdtallahassee.com/ Yes, open air
Dance Floor
Outside only (patio area)
Black Dog Cafe
229 Lake Ella Drive
32303 850-224-2518
The Front Porch
1215 Thomasville Rd
32303 (850) 222-0934
frontporchtallahassee.com/
Midtown Filling Station
1122 Thomasville Rd
32303 (850) 329-7981
midtownfillingstation.com/
Yes, covered
-
Outside only (patio area)
Finnegan’s Wake Irish Pub 1122 Thomasville Road
32303 (850) 222-4225
Yes, covered
Televisions
Outside only (patio area)
The Mockingbird
1225 N Monroe St
32303 (850) 222-4956
mockingbirdtallahassee.com/ Yes, open air
Dance Floor, Televisions
Outside only (patio area)
Skyline Motor Lounge
1700-19 N. Monroe St
32303 (850) 254-8533
Yes, covered
-
Outside only (patio area)
Barnacle Bill’s
1830 N Monroe St
32303 (850) 385-8734
barnaclebills.com/
Yes, covered
Jukebox, Televisions
Outside only (patio area)
The Bomb Shelter
1830 N. Monroe St
32333 (850) 385-8734
No
Jukebox, Dance Floor, Karaoke
Inside only
Club Rehab
926 W. Tharpe St
32303 -
Yes, open air
Dance Floor
Outside only (patio area)
Free interactive map with detailed listings, geolocation, and GPS capability. All devices, no install.
Inside & Outside (patio area)
TallyVillager.com
Shop Local | Play Local | Live Local > Fall 2013 > Volume 2, Issue 1 > Capital City Villager
27
Make Your Own Music
Local independent music producers Chan Leonard, Gordy Cox, Joe Kalicki, and Julian Cruz.
By Tracy Horenbein | Music Editor
One of my jobs as a music writer is to stay in touch with the local music scene and make an effort to keep our readers informed. Still, do you ever find yourself wondering, “Just who is this person, and what the heck does she know?” Well, I’ve got an even better question: Who are you? More specifically, how serious is your interest in music? Some people are happy, casual listeners. Other people hear a song and say to themselves, “I could do that.”
then began collecting vintage Casio keyboards. During college he began exploring more computer-based composition. It all eventually led to his current project, Cult Cosmos.
I recently sat down with four local producers to pick their brains about the craft of making music. All of the diverse personalities interviewed shared their stories, knowledge and contact information. The rest is up to you.
“My favorite genre when I was a kid was rap,” said Kalicki. “I was in love with the instrumental aspect of it and the samples. Sampling seemed like this arduous process that I was never going to be able to do. I’ve always collected weird, interesting, obscure music. One of my favorites is Mort Garson. He made a recording called Plantasia that was released in a gardening magazine in the 70s. I began playing around with it and figured out how to loop a section that I liked. Then I put drums over it, and everything just started making sense. This was how all those people were making music.”
Joe Kalicki started playing in a psychedelic rock band in high school,
Producer Chan Epic had a similar eureka moment.
28
Capital City Villager < Volume 2, Issue 1 < Fall 2013 < Shop Local | Play Local | Live Local
I was hanging out in Philadelphia at the Roots’ studio, While there, I got a real appreciation for how you manipulate technical things in order to get an emotional response.” said Epic. “I hadn’t gotten into the production side of things. I was just into being a rapper and making beats. Then I realized that you could put sounds through an EQ or a compressor and create a certain feeling. There are things that you can do to manipulate sound that will make people feel certain ways.” Epic has cultivated his mixing skills with a number of local artists and is currently working with New Friends, Girls on Film, Book of the Chow Chow and Orlando band Carrousel.
When it comes to resumes, producers Julian Cruz and Gordy Cox have some diverse and recognizable clients. Cox has worked with Neon Glitter Bliss, Kendra Foster, George Clinton, Rico Wade and Mary Griffin. Cruz is best known for his work on Royce Lovett’s My Hopeless Romance album and is currently involved with Palm Beach artist Will Brennan and the Florida-based music/photography/graphic arts project EthniKids. For Cruz, inspiration hit close to home. “In 2008 I got married,” he said. “One night I was working in the studio until four in the morning. Having a support system at home made all the difference in the world. Making music makes me the happiest. Having a wife who supports that lets me know I can do this for the rest of my life.”
Cox found that good, old-fashioned elbow grease worked best for him. “A culmination of hard work got me to the skill set and level I’m at today,” said Cox. “Some people hack away at a corporate job, whereas I sacrificed financial security and purely focused on my music and production craft.” So what exactly do these producers consider the essential tools for their trade? “I use Abelton Live, an Akai APC40 and a PreSonus FireStudio,” said Kalicki. “Abelton gives you a lot of tools to do things with really quickly, and it integrated really well with the hardware I own. I literally plug in the Akai, and it perfectly communicates with everything. I don’t have to sit there for an hour setting everything up. I can fit everything in my backpack that I need to play a show.” Julian Cruz keeps things simple. “A computer and a keyboard is all I need,” he said. Cruz also uses Abelton and Pro Tools, depending on the style of music. Both Chan Epic and Gordy Cox are Pro Tools users. However, Epic has some pretty specific additional gear that he swears by. “I use Maschine Digital Audio Workstation and a Focusrite Liquid Mix
16 firewire audio processor,” he said. “A good EQ, good compressor, and some good mics are also essential.” Although all of these producers have a wealth of experience under their belts, each one cites a different influential musical figure that helped shape their styles. “I really like the vibe that Pharell creates,” said Cox.
with PAXTON ST. JOHN new album:
Finding My Way
Julian Cruz describes his style as “a combination of Just Blaze, Diplo and Aaron Marsh from Lakeland band Copeland.” Chan Epic prefers the classic sounds of Quincy Jones and Ric Ocasek, while Joe Kalicki is heavily influenced by Aphex Twin and Flying Lotus. Do you think you’re ready to create your opus? “The number-one piece of advice I would give anyone is to press every button,” said Kalicki. “I think it’s really important to experiment as much as possible. Be curious.” Gordy Cox — killavanillafunk@gmail. com & gordycoxmusic.com Julian Cruz — jcruz.fcp@gmail.com & @JCruz_EK Chan Epic — chanepic@soulow.com Joe Kalicki — facebook.com/CultCosmos & CultCosmos.bandcamp.com
• All Instruments • Repairs • Lessons • Recording & Rehearsal Space • Carrier of Supernatural Cymbals
219 E. 3rd Ave., 32303
MUSIC VIDEO TAPING & CD RELEASE PARTY after party w/
backlash & DJ RAH
THURS. NOV 14 @ sidebar
21+ $5 (with free cd)
DOORS 6:30 | vIDEO: 8-10 | Afterparty: 10+ CommonZenz, the musical project of Jimmy Bone and Michael Shawn Turner, invites you to be a part of the musical video for its new CD and upcoming tour.
Dowload a free copy of the title track “FINDING MY WAY” at CD mixed and mastered by
John Kurzweg
/CommonZenz
videography by
THE WITNESS ROOM Shop Local | Play Local | Live Local > Fall 2013 > Volume 2, Issue 1 > Capital City Villager
29
Seven Deadly Sounds By Tracy Horenbein | Music Editor
A lot of great local music has been released since the last issue of Villager hit the streets. In the fast-paced, digital society we inhabit, it’s easy to miss out on the meaningful endeavors of our artistic community. Villager is here to help! This is a sample of what our city sounds like.
American Honey — Darkest Hours
FSU students. For the past two years they have been crafting their own unique blend of Americana music. After many live performances and two previous releases, their confidence and maturity is evident on Darkest Hours. The band gets their trademark sound from combining guitar, drums, piano and ukulele with powerful, emotional vocals. The title track on Darkest Hours sounds like one of those great songs that you hear at the end of every episode of True Blood. americanhoney.bandcamp.com
The two guys and two girls in American Honey are all former
BAET — Bees and Enormous Tigers If you’re a horror-movie aficionado, your imagination could go wild wondering what three guys could possibly be doing in the woods of Crawfordville, FL. Fortunately, the members of BAET weren’t making the soundtrack to Cabin in the Woods. Their debut album, Bees and Enormous Tigers, sounds more like an epic sci-fi blockbuster with lots of explosions. BAET’s sound consists of a heavy rhythm section and otherworldly-sounding guitar. The album is a fantastic adrenalin-filled journey. This band is also on a whole other level as far as concepts go. Their music and graphic design is all part of the band’s story. For the complete narrative, catch this power trio live. baet.bandcamp.com
Cody ChesnuTT — Landing On a Hundred
An Art gallery and Performance space like no other, by Villager contributors Tracy Horenbein and Chan Leonard! In the heart of Railroad Square. Facebook.com/OfficeLoungeTally 30
Capital City Villager < Volume 2, Issue 1 < Fall 2013 < Shop Local | Play Local | Live Local
If you’re a music journalist, there are certain words considered sacred. One of those words is “classic.” It’s a label that somebody usually has to earn and deserve. Having said that, Cody ChesnuTT’s Landing on a Hundred is a classic soul record. The planets were perfectly aligned
for this record as far as songwriting, performances, and production. No surprise considering the album was partially recorded at Al Green’s studio in Memphis with a ton of local Tallahassee talent. Cody ChesnuTT’s timing was also impeccable, with a solid international fan base that had been waiting years for a follow-up record. For the true audiophiles, this double album is available on vinyl. indian.co.uk, iTunes, and amazon.com
Cult Cosmos — Cult Cosmos Cult Cosmos is a musical project from local sound alchemist Joe Kalicki. As far as aural chemistry goes, Kalicki is constantly trying to create a new blend of bizarre yet danceable tracks. This particular album was released by Florida label Spirit Cat on limitededition blue cassette. If you’re not into the whole tape thing, it’s also available for download. Cult Cosmos is gaining a worthy following for the unique blend of experimental, sample-based IDM being created. The interwebs are also buzzing with talk of Kalicki starting an online tape label for Southeast electronic music. cultcosmos.bandcamp.com/album/ cult-cosmos
Ex-Breathers — Collision After teasing their fans with two split recordings with friends, Ex-Breathers had a lot of people holding their breath for a fulllength album. Punk and hardcore fans can breathe a little easier now with the release of Collision. And, yes, I’ll stop making the breathing remarks. Well, maybe one more. This album is a fullfrontal assault to all those still breathing. In a really good way. It will knock the breath out of you. Sorry, I can’t stop. But seriously, these guys have a huge, loyal following, and with good reason. You can download Collision or pick up a copy on vinyl at Retro Fit Records. Their live shows are becoming legendary, and they
play around town often. The band just played Central Florida Punk and Hardcore Fest in Orlando and Total Bummer Fest in Orlando and is playing The Fest in Gainesville, October 31–November 3. ex-breathers.bandcamp.com
erings. All three are multi-instrumentalists who seamlessly and selflessly combine their talents to make extremely catchy experimental indie pop. Following their debut 2010 release, Symptoms of a Steady Mind, their second album features the lush guitar and airy vocals that their fans crave. quietpeople.bandcamp.com
Quiet People — Childproof There is something naturally endearing about a band comprised of siblings. It’s often hard enough just getting along with your family members. Imagine taking your family and then creating a second family that has to spend even more time together. John, Joy and Luke Cyr seem to have mastered the art of family gath-
Vintage Tux — Crock Pot Muzik
the hungry heads out there, the Tux crew chose to take the road less traveled. These guys rely heavily on intellect and ninjalevel wordsmithing. The music is also a mature, well done complement to the rhyming skills. The throwback beats are reminiscent of A Tribe Called Quest and Pete Rock–era tracks. Plus, you gotta love a band that actually spends time at the public library seeking out old jazz records for inspiration. vintagetux.bandcamp.com, iTunes, and amazon.com
Anyone else out there interested in “overthrowin’ New England like Bledsoe”? If this piques your interest, future revolutionary, then this is the album for you. Vintage Tux confronts that ageold dilemma in hip hop: booty versus duty. Fortunately for all
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Shop Local | Play Local | Live Local > Fall 2013 > Volume 2, Issue 1 > Capital City Villager
31
PERFORMANCE ART IN POLITICS
By A. Charles Hazelip, PhD Illustration by Nature.
I, an artist and art teacher, very rarely connect art and politics. I do, however, read the newspaper. In that traditional, routine, morning rite, avoiding the issues and events of politics is virtually impossible. Performance Art is an art form I know little about. My casual perspective on the form has been “fuzzy,” an undefined image of Avant Garde hang-outs where artists, some naked,; some clothed, cavort or contort on a stage, or elsewhere to create an experience for themselves or an audience. Wikipedia defines performance art as “a conceptual art which conveys a content-based meaning in a more drama-related sense.” The idea is to “challenge the audience to think in new and unconventional ways and break down conventional ideas about what is art.” Examples of performance art are challenging and have evolved over time: In the 1960s Carolee Schneemann performed her piece, Interior Scroll, stark naked on stage,; extracting a long roll of paper from her vulva area, presumably describing matters of concern to the “inner woman.” In the 1970s, performance artist, Chris Burden, was intentionally shot in the arm by an assistant to complete his work entitled, Shoot. He also had himself nailed to the back of a Volkswagen for his piece, Transfixed. In the 1990s, performance artist, H.A. Schults, installed 1,000 life- sized “Trash People” made from garbage. They were his “silent witnesses to a consumer age that has created an ecological imbalance worldwide.” In the 21st Century, Maria Abamovic performed, The Artist is Present, in the atrium of the Museum of Modern Art, sitting for 736 hours and 30 minutes, static and silent, while spectators were invited to take turns sitting opposite her. 32
None of these examples truly represent some performance artists of today that surround the American people, their target audience. These I call “Political Performing Artists.” Today’s Political Performance Art fits the above Wikipedia definition pretty closely: iIt is “a conceptual art which conveys a content-based meaning in a more drama-related sense.” Its aim is to “break down conventional ideas.” I suggest the list of conventional ideas currently being broken down includes: respect for truth, governmental trust and transparency, safety, hope for the future, stewardship of natural resources and our country’s place of prominence in the world. Paul Krugman, writing for the New York Times, exposed a major “behind the scenes” producer of political performance art, The American Legislation Exchange Commission (ALEC). Script writers for ALEC don’t just try to influence laws;, they actually write them, giving fully drafted bills to state legislators (and federal congressmen/women?), the “performance artists of politics”.” ALEC’s announced purpose is to limit government, but even a cursory look below the surface indicates an agenda leading to privatized government, i.e. private corporations getting their profits from taxpayer dollars. What are the scripted plays performed before the American people? Many scenarios form the premises of performance art scripts: the economy, education, immigration reform, voter eligibility, global warming and others. As an example, take the script for gun control. In the gun control arena political performance artists use the gambit of fear to accomplish their objectives. They have had a field day exploiting public fear. Using inflammatory statements in reactions to gun control legislation and selective interpretations of Tthe US Constitution, politicians and their mouthpieces, TV flacks and other performance artists have played on the fears of Americans to the point where citizens are afraid to leave their homes without a means of deadly force to protect them. A wave of panic recently swept through the iInternet, fueled by e-mail traffic claiming the federal government was buying up massive quantities of small- arms ammunition to keep it out of the hands of the public. A similar e-mail claimed the government plans to impose a tax of “a nickel a bullet” on ammunition purchases. Both are
Capital City Villager < Volume 2, Issue 1 < Fall 2013 < Shop Local | Play Local | Live Local
lies. Another tidal wave of fear was prompted by NRA statements to the effect that the Ppresident “admits he is coming for your guns” and “wants to ‘change the 2nd Amendment’ and ban the sale of guns for home defense.” Both statements were rated “pants on fire” lies by Politifact.com. However, both remain swirling through the ether, attaching to fearful eyes and ears. In the audience there are people afflicted with terminal gullibility, or who simply disrespect facts and have another agenda. They float gross distortions of the truth, elevating falsehood to absurdity in ubiquitous e-mails that circle the EthInternet and never die. For example, the report that Americans must list the number of guns they own on their income tax forms, another “pants on fire” lie. Or, that Medicare doctors must ask their patients if they own guns. To think this mass of misinformation is just the outcome of worried citizens is naiïve. Political performance art is aimed with sniper accuracy, as indicated in the May, 2013 chain e-mail accusing 46 senators of treason for voting in support of the International Small Arms Treaty. These officials are labeled traitors for giving away our 2ndSecond Amendment rights and restricting gun ownership. The treaty has neither of these provisions and is quite clear on keeping hands off of gun ownership in the United States. All of the senators listed as “traitors” are Democrats or Independents. This fear gambit quite clearly rides on a GOP elephant. The above examples typify fall-out from cynically played fear gambits. Journalist Tina Dupuy, a columnist carried in the Tallahassee Democrat, opines there is a “legally immune, enormously profitable industry that has spun a jingoistic fairy tale about how buying more of its product will make us safer.” She dismisses John Lott’s contention that gun ownership is a deterrent to violence as, “pure bunk.” If such were the case, the US would be the safest country in the world since more U.S. citizens own and use guns than any other country on the planet. In the arena of gun control we witness the fear gambit script presented in many situations by political performance artists around us. I, for one, will not applaud.
LOCAL FOOD / Good Food Corporate business models take the variety and interest out of life. - Craig Mader Left to Right: Owner Craig Mader, Employees Cameron Foltz, Jennifer Dunfee and Cory Surginer
It’s a Craft
By Lex Matthews
Everyone who has lived in Tallahassee long enough has learned that we have a wealth of creative, hardworking people in our community —- people that provide wonderful services and run innovative businesses, people with great ideas and social opportunities to share. But often they tend to be invisible because they don’t have big signs on main streets and aren’t in mainstream advertising. So the Capital City Villager is here to help us all recognize and appreciate the resources of our invisible community. A really good way to judge the quality of a coffee establishment is their espresso. It’s not too difficult to make tasty frothy drinks with lots of cream and flavors and sugar. But to make a perfect cup of espresso is truly a skilled craft - the selection of the right bean blend with the oils extracted perfectly, using just the right grind and pressure to get a cup of espresso with a rich creama and the strong sweetness of the essence of coffee.
In Tallahassee, the place to go for such perfection is also a great example of our invisible community. Craig’s Killer Coffee - located on Lafayette Street serves a wide variety of coffees, teas and baked goods, manyuch of them fair-trade and organic. CKC is nestled in a multi-use space with Video 21 (our last brick- andmortar video rental source in Tallahassee) and a funky vintage and antique parlor known as Vintage 21. It’s a compact establishment with stools indoors and cafe-type seating outside. CKC is owned and operated by Craig Mader, who is ably assisted by his employees Cameron Foltz, Jennifer Dunfee and Cory Surginer. You won’t experience any artificial corporate cheeriness from the slightly rumpled crew, just relaxed confident good service as they bustle around and quickly serve up delicious food and beverages. Craig and Cameron’s knowledge of tea is amazing. There is no better place in Tallahassee to get premium- quality teas brewed to suit each type. My favorite is the
white tea “Silver Needle,” but they have a wide variety of green, white, oolong and many types of more exotic teas -but no tea bags, only loose tea so that the full flavor can be released. Their hand-made baked goods - which include cookies, muffins, cupcakes, pies, quiche, strata, bagels and breads - are incredible. As Craig says, their food is made with “real stuff,” fresh ingredients, no trans-fats. Their pizza is absolutely delicious. Craig explains it is not New York style, but more of a Neapolitan crust with less oil in the dough, which makes it crunchier. When you watch the crew make it, you are amazed at how high the ingredients are piled that get baked down into those delicious layers. All of this is about the level of craftsmanship whichthat locally owned and operated businesses can achieve. This is something Craig is blunt about. He says he got tired of the “sameness of everything, sick of what
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everyone else was doing.” So he decided he would do it his own way: “It’s a craft. It’s hard work, but it’s my life.” He does all his own shopping, and goes out of his way to buy locally. He believes locally owned businesses “support people doing their own thing, not what big business tells you.” He does not enter into vendor contracts and only hires employees who want to learn by experience in getting good at the craft. Craig, whose personality might be described as one who does not suffer fools, is not shy about drawing distinctions between his products and national coffee chains. He points out they use inferior- quality beans and burn them to add extra flavor, calling it “dark roast” to sell it. He also says their machines are set to automatic settings for consistency because they are operated by temporary workers who have no real training in the craft. In contrast, the CKC crew makes minute adjustments to the settings of their coffee bean burr grinder during the day as temperature and humidity changes. Many times I have watched them brew what looked like a wonderful cup of espresso or cappuccino, look suspiciously at it, discard it and make another because it didn’t “pull right.” Craig was trained by a graduate of a Seattle Barista college, and his establishment is based on a walk-up café in Barcelona. But Craig is not a snob, and freely admits to the convenience of going to MacDonald’s or Starbucks when he is on the road and needs some caffeine. If you want to experience the art of carefully selected coffees and teas brewed to perfection and mouth-watering baked goods, stop into CKC. Learn how a locally owned and operated business can really make a difference! Craig’s Killer Coffee 1447 East Lafayette Street 7:30am AM to 3pm PM Weekdays 9am AM to 3pm PM Saturday and Sunday
LOCALLY GROWN TALLAHASSEE When asked to write this column, I was immediately ex-
cited, thinking that my existing knowledge base of food and nutrition would easily form a foundation around which I could write numerous articles. It took no time at all for me to realize that there are local food movements about which I have been totally ignorant. I dove in. What I quickly uncovered was a plethora of grassroots groups who are doing amazing things for friends and family, for our community, and for the ecology. Right here, in our backyard. 34
TALLAHASSEE FOOD NETWORK One of the most active and engaging of these groups is the Tallahassee Food Network (TFN). Touted as “the hub of Tallahassee’s good food network,” this group is at the core of community education and organization. This is the point from which many like-minded groups have grown and gained momentum. TFN got its start as the Health Equity Alliance of Tallahassee, or HEAT. Partnering with the University of Florida Department of Anthropology and the Greater Frenchtown Revitalization Group, HEAT recognized and challenged the non-affordability and inaccessibility of healthful food for the underserved. TFN is working, successfully, at defining and addressing the lack of health that stems quite often from simple lack of education. Their method is simple: form a base of knowledgeable, strong individuals who are willing to step up to the task of reaching out to the local community to teach, corroborate, and celebrate healthy eating and lifestyles. They sponsor local workshops and gatherings, complete with cooking demonstrations and live music. Through these outlets, they teach urban agriculture in an effort to make obvious the link between food and health. Multiple partnerships have sprouted out of TFN into community-based food support systems that are proving to be enriching and educational for young and old alike.
*GET INVOLVED* “Collards and Cornbread” gathering on 2nd Thursdays of the month, at 1:30pm at the Dunn Street Youth Farm, located at 526 Dunn Street. Every Friday afternoon, 3:30-5:30pm at the Dunn Street Youth Farm: see the farm, lend a hand, purchase vegetables. For more information, visit them online: https://www.facebook.com/TallahasseeFoodNetwork
Capital City Villager < Volume 2, Issue 1 < Fall 2013 < Shop Local | Play Local | Live Local
iGrow Whatever You Like Spinning off of the Tallahassee Food Network is a local organization known as ‘iGrow-Whatever You Like.’ Stemming from a growing concern about obesity among today’s youth, this group has set out, quite successfully, to educate, engage, and empower local youth. This group of enterprising young people funds its project in part by manufacturing and selling iGrow Buckets, self-watering plant buckets made simply and ingeniously utilizing two 5-gallon buckets. They also sell produce grown in their garden at the Dunn Street Farm in Frenchtown. In the two short years that they have been in existence, iGrow has harvested over 1,800 pounds of food, and earned over $4,000 in produce sales. They have managed to engage a growing number of people from all walks of life who share an interest in eating and living healthfully. Not only has this group supplied a hands-on education in gardening and healthful eating, it has provided valuable experience in sales and customer service to its young members. Preparing our youth for successful, healthy futures ensures that we all win! iGrow welcomes visitors Mondays and Fridays for their Walk-up, Picked-to-Order Market at the Dunn Street Youth Farm. Simply tell them what you’d like from their garden, and they will harvest it for you right then and there! http://igrow-whateveryoulike.weebly.com/ index.html
Local Farmers Markets Delicious local produce any season This is great weather for our local farms and farm produce.
“For one thing, when you are picking beans, you have to spend the whole day bending over. It turns out, and I did not know this, most soil is at ground level. If we can put a man on the moon, why can’t we make the earth waste high? Come on. Where is the funding?!?”
Our farmers have an abundance of fresh local grown food including young kale, turnips, a variety of gorgeous delicious lettuces, cabbage, peppers, eggplants, okra, winter melons, butternut squash, Seminole squash, zukes, hot peppers, cucumbers, sweet onions, mushrooms, garlics, lemongrass, arugula, collard greens, sprouts, beets and more. Farmers will bring delightful heirloom corn grits and meal, local pastured grass-fed meats, goat’s milk cheeses, local eggs, honey, cane syrup, local preserves, delicious fresh baked pita, organic grain breads, gluten free breads, and more. Chocolate lovers will enjoy our delicious local gourmet chocolates. Come and enjoy.
The Growers’ Market, local organics at its best. -Stephen Colbert Fresh seasonal organically grown produce direct from our local small farmers. EvTestifying about immigration before House subcommitee. ery Wednesday evening, 3:00pm - dusk, rain or September 24th, 2010 shine. Located at 229 Lake Ella Drive. Behind the Black Dog Café, Tallahassee.
NEW LEAF PAYS OUT TO MEMBERS New Leaf Market Co-op (NLMC) is distributing $100,000 to its member-owners as part of it annual Patronage Rebate Program. Coop owners will receive a percentage of profit based on their purchases. This is the first patronage rebate awarded since 2010 and marks a significant economic milestone for Tallahassee’s local business community. “We’re co-op members because we believe in the co-operative principles—investing a stake in the health, well-being, and future of our local farmers, community members, and service providers,” said owner Brian Hall. “This patron-
age rebate confirms what we know about New Leaf’s commitment to our area. We are thrilled that we have been able to support the store, the staff, and our community this way.” “The success of Florida’s Capital Region depends on sustainable businesses committed to protecting the area’s natural resources while serving the diverse interests of our local consumers,” said President/CEO of the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce Sue Dick. “By reinvesting $100,000 back into the community, New Leaf Market Co-op shows its dedication to our economic achievements.”
Local certified organic farmer Israel Artzi will be providing his delicious fresh falafel sandwiches and organic produce. Sample his babagounush, hummus, and pita during market hours. Sample local wildflower honey from beekeeper Mac Gates during market hours. Jackie will have her organic made soaps. Enjoy the local fresh music sounds of H.J. Kuntry Carter and Associates as they play grassroots dixie phonic music. Killearn Community Market @ Brickyard Pizzeria Features fresh local sustainably grown veg-
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Capital City Villager < Volume 2, Issue 1 < Fall 2013 < Shop Local | Play Local | Live Local
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gies, tomatoes, lots of fruits, honey, cane syrup, pecans, preserves, fresh baked cakes, pies, and more. Fridays and Tuesdays from Noon to dusk, rain or shine! Located in front of Brickyard Pizzeria, 4819 Kerry Forest Pkwy. Tallahassee. Provided in collaboration with Brickyard Pizzeria and FAMU StateWide Small Farm Programs. SaltAir Farmers’ Market Every 1st and 3rd Saturday, 9:00 am - 1:00pm Enjoy fresh vegetables, fruits, honey, grass-fed meats, music and more. Downtown Port St. Joe, FL Next to the Courthouse on Hwy 98.
grown veggies, fruits, AND local eggs, lamb and goat meat, goats milk ice cream, honey, and more. Every 1st and 3rd Mondays, 3:30 pm to dusk, rain or shine. Located in Alumni Village near the Recreation Hall, 159 Herlong Drive. Tallahassee. For additional information about these or other sustainable development efforts please contact:
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Sopchoppy Growers Market Located downtown Sopchoppy, under the giant oak, in front of POSH. Features fresh local organic and sustainably grown produce, organic coffees and teas, local music and more. Saturdays 11:00 am - 3:00 pm. Sunshine Growers’ Market Features fresh local veggies and fruits, honey, and more. Noon - 2:00 pm, Mondays. Located on Esplanade Way, next to the State of Florida Department of Health. Tallahassee. Provided in collaboration with Florida Department of Health and FAMU StateWide Small Farm Program.
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Local Brew News By Scott Hall, Beermaster
It wasn’t that long ago when it was nearly impossible to go out in Tallahassee and find a beer that wasn’t mass- produced by a huge corporation with the sole intention of maximizing profit. With the exception of a very few locales, craft beer couldn’t be found in any local bars or restaurants. That changed. That really, really changed. Our city got a taste for beer and began to demand the best tasting brews instead of the brews with the best commercials. And now that you can find cask ale in your neighborhood bar and an IPA at your favorite restaurant, Tallahas-
see takes the next step: locally brewed beer. Locally brewed beer brings with it many advantages, the first and foremost being taste. Apart from a few styles, beer is meant to be consumed fresh. A hoppy beer that is two months old will taste just fine, but a hoppy beer that is one week old is a life-changing religious experience. The difference is that profound. Despite the growing number of Florida breweries, even beer brewed as close as Jacksonville or Gainesville has to route through distributor networks and warehouses. Beer can never be as fresh as coming right off the tank.
But for me, as a beer lover, the most exciting thing about local breweries is the variety and experimentation that comes with them. In order for a brewer to brew in very large batches, they have to be relatively sure that there will be enough demand to actually sell the beer. Therefore many of the more unique offerings are done in extremely small batches and found only in the brewery’s tasting room. Proof’s recent mint-infused mango beer is a great example of what to expect on this front. Breweries and brewery projects are popping up all over town, but here are a few to get you started in your quest for local beer: Proof Brewing Company, 1717 W
Tennessee St. --- PBC has been growing like crazy and regularly experiments with their own randalizer and has recently added a barrel- aging program. (A randalizer is a device at the end of a draft line that filters beer over raw ingredients. A new facility will be opening in Railroad Square soon, and they are looking to begin distributing across Tallahassee. Momo’s Pizza 1410, Market St. --- Momo’s is known for brewing some very hoppy ales that compleiment their pizzas well. In particular, look for a double IPA that rivals Stone Ruination. Fermentation Lounge, 113 All Saints St. --- Ferm brews in very small batches and on a very limited release schedule. Because of this, their house beers sell out very quickly, so keep an eye out for upcoming release dates. GrassLands Brewing Company --- Having been a fixed presence in local beer festivals for a while, GrassLands will be officially launching in early 2014. You can help support the local economy and foster innovation and change in Tallahassee. All you have to do is drink a beer. Scott Hall is the vice president of GrassLands Brewing Company, former co-owner of Fermentation Lounge, and thinks that pumpkin ales shouldn’t be released in the middle of the summer.
1717 W. Tennessee St | (850) 894-5638 ProofBrewingCo.com and on Facebook. 38
Capital City Villager < Volume 2, Issue 1 < Fall 2013 < Shop Local | Play Local | Live Local
WHISTLING VIVALDI Earlier this month, Jonathan Ferrell, a former Florida A&M football player who recently moved to the Charlotte, N.C., area to be with his fiancée, had a horrible car crash. The 24year-old broke out the back window to escape and walked, injured, to knock on the nearest door for help. Now, Ferrell is dead. The neighbor he asked for aid called 911 (“He is trying to kick down my door,” she cried on the phone), and one of the responding police officers shot the unarmed Ferrell 10 times. Ferrell, who was African -American, may have been too hurt, too in shock, to remember to whistle Vivaldi to signal that he was a victim, not a threat. Social psychologist Claude Steele’s book Whistling Vivaldi: How Stereotypes Affect Us and What We Can Do revolutionized our understanding of the effects of stereotypes. The title of Steele’s book alludes to a story shared by his friend Brent Staples, a New York Times writer. An African -American man, Staples recounted how his physical presence terrified whites as he moved about Chicago as a free citizen and graduate student. To counter the negative effects of white fear, he took to whistling Vivaldi. It was a signal that he was safe. Dangerous black men do not listen to classical music, or so the hope goes. The incongruence between Staples’s musical choices and the stereotype of him as a predator were meant to disrupt the implicit, unexamined racist assumptions about him. I do not know many black people who do not have some kind of similar coping mechanism. Steele described the constant background
processing that stereotyped people must perform. It’s like running too many programs in the background of your computer as you try to play a YouTube video. Just as the extra processing impacts the video experience, the cognitive version compromises the functioning of our most sophisticated machines: human bodies. Imagine the productivity of your laptop when all the background programs are closed. Now imagine your life when those background processes are rarely, if ever, activated, simply because of the social position your genetic characteristics afford you.
length. His family’s attorney did not just want us to know that Ferrell was a friend and son, but that: “He’s engaged to be married, he has a dog and a cat, he was driving a Toyota Camry, he survived an accident, had 3.7 GPA, a chemistry major. This is not someone who posed a threat to the officers or anyone else;, this is an everyday American.” A 3.7 GPA. They want us to know that their dead friend, son, brother, and cousin had a 3.7 GPA. Even in death his family is whistling Vivaldi on Ferrell’s behalf, signaling to us and our adjudication of justice that he was a student, and, by extension, a human being whose death should matter.
The death of Jonathan Ferrell reminds us that stereotyping in daily interactions can be aided and abetted by organizational processes (like the characterization of a police call to 911) and structural legitimacy (like the authority of the This piece is adapted from Tressie McMillan police to shoot first and ask questions later). Cottom’s blog, tressiemc.com. She is a Ph.D. candidate in sociology at Emory University, and I read an article that quotes Ferrell’s family at a columnist at Slate.com. Shop Local | Play Local | Live Local > Fall 2013 > Volume 2, Issue 1 > Capital City Villager
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Film Fest Reboots By Kim Mcshane It’s been a long time coming, but after five years, Tallahassee is finally building up some indie cred with the revitalized Tallahassee Film Festival, which is going by the new moniker Tallahassee Film Festival Film x Art x Music x Experience (or TFFxFAME). No longer is the non-profit arts organization just planning a festival of movies once a year. Instead, their new vision is much broader and encompasses year-round programming and multi-discipline arts events. In 2008 the festival was born out of a Knight Creative Communities Initiative and had a decent turnout in its inaugural year. Every successive festival grew in scope and cost. In its fourth year, as their popularity was growing, TFF partnered with FSU Film School, but the recession reared its ugly head and the partnership ultimately dissolved. The recession also made a tough climate for fundraising, so the festival’s fifth year was effectively put on hold. During the tumult of the past 5five years, many of the original players came and went. One man who started as a programmer in 2008 moved up the ranks. Earlier this year, Chris Faupel took the seat as President and Creative Director of TFFxFAME. He assembled a new team, including WSJ film critic Steve Dollar as Artistic Director and Jerry Kidd of Kidd Group as Marketing Director. They immediately sought to rebrand and rebuild the vision of the organization. “I’ve stuck with it because I always believed the festival could be something bigger, and I wanted to see it get there. Despite how many great things there are to do in our town, there’s no single place to bring it all together. That’s what TFFxFAME aims to do -- to become the largest contemporary arts festival in this region,” says Faupel. Faupel’s vision for a festival is centered in the All Saints District, where he believes a large multi-disciplinary festival would thrive every year. Faupel continues, “With the fantastic revitalization of the Gaines Street arts corridor comes the ability to create a walkable festival in a hip, up-and-coming area of town that could reach from downtown and Cascades to FAMU, Railroad Square, and Doak Campbell Stadium. We’ll set up a slew of shuttles from venue to venue, and within five5 years we’ve got ourselves the makings of a South By Southeast. You know, the kind of event that people would actually drive for hours to attend in the heat of summer.” Faupel’s theory has already beening proved with the caliber of talent his organization attracts and the events being presented. In August, TFFxFAME kicked- off its year-round program with “An Evening with Joe Swan40
berg,” the indie filmmaker behind V/H/S and Hannah Takes the Stairs. Swanberg held court at multiple venues in the All Saints District. Tallahassee Film Society screened All the Light in the Sky at All Saints Cinema, and TFFxFAME premiered the film Drinking Buddies in the All Saints Hop Yard, preceded by a concert by The Intoxicators. The Grain Restaurant even created a special menu featuring Swanburgers. Event-goers came from as far away as Jacksonville to be part of the festivities. When TFS screened the new documentary Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me, TFFxFAME amplified the experience with a Big Star cover band featuring local rock gods Kenny Howes, Ken McCain, Brent McNeal, and Pat Puckett. The film’s co-director Olivia Mori also brought her guitar and jammed with the band.
FSU School of Theatre Putting It Together October 18-20, 25-27 Theatre A La Carte The Love of the Nightingale November 8-17 FSU School of Theatre Love, Loss, & What I Wore November 15-24, 2013 Theatre Tallahassee Winnie-the-Pooh November 21-24 FSU School of Theatre
TFFxFAME has a creative and challenging slate of events planned for this fall, including a new film series starting this month at Challenger Center IMAX. According to Faupel, the organization is also working on a “unique arts experience with film and music to take place in late October at a venue you wouldn’t have previously expected from us.” His face lights up as he talks about it. Faupel says, “In the past, the small-town mentality hindered us with everyone competing to be the ‘big fish’ in a small pond. It’s nice to see the larger, more established local organizations now truly collaborating with us on multi-faceted events. We need to work together in order to pull off a regional arts festival of this magnitude, and I’m excited to foster these relationships and bring something great to our community.”
Beauty and the Beast November 15-17, 21-24 Young Actors Theatre
Theater Digest
Theatre Tallahassee: http://theatretallahassee.org/ FSU School of Theatre: http://theatre.fsu.edu/ Theatre A La Carte: http://www.theatrealacarte.org/
By Christina Gales
Young Actors Theatre: http://www.youngactorstheatre.com/
Tallahassee is fortunate enough to have a rich performing arts scene. There are numerous theatres constinually putting on productions, each which appeal to a different demographic. The nearing end of the year marks the beginning of the 2013-2014 production season, and this is when many theatres put on some of their biggest productions. So when things just get a little too routine in Tallahassee, go see a show…not far from the price of a movie ticket and an entirely different experience!
Black Nativity December 4-8 Essential Theatre A Christmas Carol December 21-22 Theatre Tallahassee The Fox on the Fairway January 9-26 Theatre Tallahassee
Essential Theatre: http://www.famu.edu/index. cfm?EssentialTheatre
The Mickee Faust Clubhouse
Company October 18-27
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Community Theater for the Weird Community. No Tally experience is complete without seeing at least one show!
MICKEEFAUST.COM
623 McDonnell Drive in Railroad Square, 32310.
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• Email us your press releases and news! • Join the ‘Villager Events Calendar’ group on Facebook. Post your events for all members to see, and they will automatically be added to our printed calendar, and considered for content.
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• Search Facebook for ‘Capital City Villager’ and like us. • Get and post local events at the ‘Villager Events Calendar’ Facebook group. • Get our e-mail blasts by signing up at TallyVillager.com. Receive special offers and information, updates about Villager, and other important information.
ADVERTISE:
• Ads starting as low as $30 each • 5,000 FREE copies every other week, at more than 270 locations throughout the county (at local businesses, not gas
stations and street boxes.) • Email or call us for more information, or visit TallyVillager.com for current specials.
DISTRIBUTE:
• Shoot us an email at Tallahassy@ gmai.com to offer FREE Villager’s to your customers (they’ll thank you for it.) There is no cost involved.
TELL ‘EM WHERE YOU SAW ‘EM:
• Did you respond to an ad you saw in Villager? Or a listing in the calendar? Or a story you read? Let people know where you learned about them so they ca be sure to stay in touch with us!
STIR THE POT:
(850) 320-7806 Tallahassy@Gmail.com TallyVillager.com
Joe Berg Publisher
Jessica Van Riper Head Designer
Contributors: Villager is produced with the help of more than 100 contributors -- writers and artists of every persuasion -- who share our vision for a more vibrant and thriving Tallahassee community.
• Like something you see in Villager? Or better yet, hate something passionately? Write us a letter to the editor by email to Tallahassy@gmail.com
SPREAD THE WORD:
• Is there a location closer to your house that would be more convenient for you? Why not ask a local business you support if they would carry Villager?
About Us:
Villager is a free, independent and locally owned publication for arts, culture and news in Tallahassee. We publish quarterly and are free to readers and distributors, supported solely by our advertisers -- many of whom are small, local businesses. Our goal is to bring all of Tallahassee together in one place. You can learn more about our mission and history online at TallyVillager.com
READ ONLINE:
• Read our electronic e-reader version of Villager online at TallyVillager.com (or sign up to receive email blasts and we’ll send it right to your inbox when a new issue is ready.)
We are only one force for progress in Tallahassee, but we are proud to be the force that advocates...
Copyright, 2013 Views expressed do not necessarily represent the views of Villager.
Advertising Inquiries: Joe Berg at Tallahassy@gmail.com or 850.320.7806 Letters to the Editor: Letters of relevance to Villager content should be addressed to Tallahassy@Gmail.com, and must include your full name and phone number for confirmation (although this information will not be published.)
Shop Local | Play Local | Live Local > Fall 2013 > Volume 2, Issue 1 > Capital City Villager
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