City Weekly August 31, 2017 by Copperfield Publishing

C I T Y W E E K LY. N E T

AUGUST 31, 2017 | VOL. 34

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TRIGGERED VETERANS AFFAIRS EXISTS TO HELP VETS. SO WHY DID THE SALT LAKE VA APPOINT AN ANTI-VETERAN CHIEF? BY STEPHEN DARK

N0. 14

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CWCONTENTS COVER STORY AFFAIRS TO REMEMBER?

Veterans Affairs exists to help vets. So why did the Salt Lake VA appoint an anti-veteran chief? Cover photo illustration by Derek Carlisle

CONTRIBUTOR

4 LETTERS 6 OPINION 8 NEWS 19 A&E 25 DINE 31 CINEMA 33 TRUE TV 34 MUSIC 45 COMMUNITY

JACKIE BRIGGS

Marketing & events director Still riding the high from Utah Beer Fest? Same here. The eighth annual event was a huge success, thanks in large part to our events master Briggs. “It was our best year yet, with more on-site pet adoptions and beer being poured than ever before,” she says. Cheers to that!

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Local business leaders call on Guv to fix bad air. facebook.com/slcweekly

Your online guide to more than 2,000 bars and restaurants • Up-to-the-minute articles and blogs at cityweekly.net

CULTURE

Coming of age at a Foreigner concert.

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COMMENTS@CITYWEEKLY.NET @SLCWEEKLY

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Cover story, Aug. 17, “Dancing With Spirits”

the non-Mormon people want freedom, too.

NICOLE MARIE

There is no rational argument for the illegality of marijuana.

DYLAN DEAN TAFT Via Facebook

So cool!

Via Facebook Susi Feltch-Malohifo’ou is truly a mother to us all. Mahalo.

@THEISLANDWAVE Via Twitter

Thank you for the photos, Sarah. :)

@JENNMAUIGOA_LEILUA Via Instagram

Opinion, Aug. 17, “Nazi News!”

I loved the story written by Stan Rosenzweig! Well said. I will never understand their hatred toward another human being. So Sad.

ALAN JAMES,

JUSTIN CANDELARIA Via Facebook

Medical … definitely! There are plenty of (LDS) people who have stories similar to Debbie Hoskin. If it is medical, there is no conflict with the “Word of Wisdom.” We all know how much this state appreciated their prescription drugs.

CHRIS ELROD Via Facebook

You can bet they are trying to figure out how to control and optimize the profits from it just like they do with alcohol.

CRAIG S MATTICE

Salt Lake City

Via Facebook

While reading this column, I couldn’t help but think about some of the history of Utah’s own KKK members. Our local members were most definitely members of the Mormon church. They lynched and hung immigrant coal miners in Carbon County.

DIMITRA KAMBOURIS, Salt Lake City

As soon as Herbie leaves office, it will be recreational.

MICHAEL GATTENBY Via Facebook

Maybe … after Moses returns, and parts the Great Salt Lake!

THANE HEISER Via Facebook

Music, Aug. 17, “Strength”

The Alarm was one of those bands that were so powerful to me when I was growing up. I also found them in high school and would strain my voice trying to hit the high notes while throwing my fist in the air during the chorus. I love The Alarm, love Mike and this documentary. Excellent article!

JARED DEAN BLANCHARD Via cityweekly.net

Blog, Aug. 17, “Medical Marijuana Movement Swells”

I hope. The Mormons need to stop this oppression. They want religious freedom? Well,

No fun in the shun

Anyone who has ever studied Scientology would shudder in terror if she/he thought that they thought that this belief controlled all of California. If Gov. Brown and most of the legislators were practicing Scientologists as well of most county and municipal officials, what would happen to this progressive state? Yet, while Mormon beliefs are not quite as bizarre as those of Scientology, there are similarities when it comes to control of their members. Mormons are forbidden from ever ques-

tion church leaders. Also, Mormons are to never question any of the church’s literature. Members are forbidden from supporting females from any high offices with the church. Mormons are held in check by guilt and threats of excommunication. LGBT people are still treated as second-class citizens. Most non-Mormons find it strange, if not downright frightening, that Mormons are controlled down to which [under]garments are allowed. This religion controls all of Utah from governor to county and local districts. Salt Lake is the only exception to this church control. In many ways, Utah is like the Bible states of the South where Bible fundamentalists rule. Talking snakes and giant floods are as real to these people as Jewish Indians and a teenage prophet who tells his wife that God wants him to have sex with young teenage girls and married women. People who believe such weird things are easy prey for unscrupulous politicians such as a Donald Trump. His poll figures remain high in the Bible Belt and in Utah. These people, since birth, have been taught to believe all sorts of weird stuff without question. Many Mormons and members of other fundamentalists have advanced degrees, but remain ignorant outside of their chosen fields of study. People can be good and kind outside of a religion. I’ve been experiencing this for eight years every Sunday morning at Kafeino coffee shop at 258 W. 3300 South. This is where post-Mormons meet. One time, I noticed a young man approximately 19 years old sitting by himself. When I spoke to him and told him of the post-Mormon group, he looked up at me and said, “I’ve just lost all of my family and friends.” Shunning, practiced by many religions, including Mormonism, is one of the cruelest ways to ever treat a fellow human; especially when those

who shun include family members.

TED OTTINGER, Taylorsville

The real “religious fanatics”

I read with interest Mr. Ted Ottinger’s letter [Soap Box, July 27] about “religious fanatics” who left “good-producing farms or successful businesses” and “longtime friends” to follow men who they believed prophets out West. Ottinger suggests that the pioneers blindly followed like sheep for no other reason than the prophet told them to. What Mr. Ottinger forgets (or chooses not to say) is that obedience was made easier by the persecutions the soon-to-be pioneers suffered at the hands of those same “friends” he suggests they were sorry to leave. The saints would have loved to stay, but when the governor of your state signs an extermination order for the group you belong to, it is probably a good idea to leave. I would further ask Mr. Ottinger who the real “religious fanatics” were—the ones driven out? Or the ones driving?

J.L. STEINACKER, Elk Ridge

STAFF Publisher JOHN SALTAS Editorial

Editor ENRIQUE LIMÓN Arts &Entertainment Editor SCOTT RENSHAW Music Editor RANDY HARWARD Senior Staff Writer STEPHEN DARK Staff Writer DYLAN WOOLF HARRIS Copy Editor ANDREA HARVEY Proofers SARAH ARNOFF, LANCE GUDMUNDSEN

Editorial Interns REX MAGANA, JULIA VILLAR Contributors CECIL ADAMS, KATHARINE BIELE, ROB BREZSNY, BABS DE LAY, KYLEE EHMANN, BILL FROST, MARYANN JOHANSON, JOHN RASMUSON, DAVID RIEDEL, MIKE RIEDEL, TED SCHEFFLER, ALEX SPRINGER, BRIAN STAKER, LEE ZIMMERMAN

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OPINION

Status Quo Suffering "It’s almost an embarrassment being an American traveling around the world and listening to the stupid shit Americans have to deal with in this country." —Jamie Dimon Jamie Dimon makes $28 million a year as CEO of JPMorgan Chase. He is the highest-paid bank president in the country. It stands to reason that his “stupid shit” is not the same stupid shit that rankles me—or vexes you—but I think most of us would agree that America is in deep shit and floundering like an overloaded boat. So as not to offend the gentle reader, let’s substitute the Latin phrase “status quo” for Dimon’s “dealing with stupid shit” from here on. People might gripe about the way things are—the status quo—but its hold is as powerful as that of gravity. Moreover, change is off-putting: Most people shrink from it. Thus, the autopilot is humming like a beehive. Incumbents win elections, other people’s kids fight the long wars, Utah’s air quality deteriorates, poor people don’t get medical treatment and the polar ice melts. I have bucked the status quo a few times in my life with mixed results, but I am drawn to the status quo ante—the good old days—before the culture wars, Islamist terror and Twitter. A time when carbon dioxide emissions were 5 billion tons a year, not 35. Before income inequality. Before Donald Trump and his toadies won the election by tantalizing disaffected voters with the status quo ante. A time when America was great. Despite the retro rhetoric, the status quo ante was not all sweetness and light with a Sinatra soundtrack. Besides

BY JOHN RASMUSON the misbegotten war in Vietnam, there were Jim Crow and miscegenation laws and A-bomb drills in elementary schools. As an Army officer, I studied the Soviet tactics that would maneuver tank regiments in Germany’s Fulda Gap if the Cold War went hot. When the Soviet Union collapsed in the early 1990s, I remember thinking that peace in our time was at hand. I was wrong. Back then, truth was as lustrous as a silver dollar. The status quo ante disapproved of lying. Kids were schooled in the myth of George Washington, the downed cherry tree and the moral: “I cannot tell a lie.” Forty-four presidents later, the truth has become either elastic or irrelevant. During his first 100 days in office, Trump made “492 false or misleading claims,” according to The Washington Post. His loyalists shrug it off. So do people who ought to know better. If you take Sen. Orrin Hatch and Rep. Paul Ryan at their word, we must cut Trump some slack. He’s new to Washington and needs time to learn its ways, they say. Can you imagine Hatch’s howls had Barack Obama tweeted even one falsehood let alone 492? As Trump panders to the right wing with bluster and deceit, you have to wonder about the effect on the status quo post—the way things will become. Is politics forever changed? Is the new normal post-truth politics whereby objective fact is trumped by personal belief and appeals to emotions? Will we find ourselves in an Orwellian “time of deceit, when telling the truth is a revolutionary act”? Getting rid of Trump will not take a revolutionary act. Term limits suffice. Hatch, by contrast, has been a senator for 40 years and has raised almost $4 million to fuel a campaign for another six-year term. Polls show more than 75 percent of Utahns want the 83-year-old politician to follow Jason Chaffetz off the stage. Would they retire him in the 2018 election? Would the Republicans give him the Bob Bennett treatment? No one knows for sure, but with the sta-

tus quo fraying at the edges, the electorate is growing more assertive. Witness the proliferation of citizen initiative petitions born of frustration with self-serving, unresponsive state legislators. One such petition is poised to tap Utah’s widespread acceptance of marijuana as medicine and place legalization on the 2018 ballot. Another petition, helmed by Our Schools Now, intends a referendum on a miniscule tax increase to raise $700 million for Utah’s underfunded schools. Meanwhile, the Better Boundaries campaign has filed a citizens’ ballot initiative to put an end to gerrymandering by creating a bipartisan redistricting commission. Another grassroots initiative gaining traction is the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact. Its proponents are determined to change the state’s winner-take-all rule as applied in the Electoral College. That would preclude a candidate winning the popular vote while losing at the hands of the Electoral College (as has happened five times). Ten states are already on board, and Sen. Howard Stephenson and Rep. Kraig Powell took a supportive position in their 2012 filings. Proponents hope to make the change by 2020. Each of these initiatives chips away the status quo. Each bodes well for the status quo post. But my favorite by far is the Article V Convention proposal. It would create term limits for representatives and senators thereby ending the insidious influence of money in politics. The national organization U.S. Term Limits recently opened an office in Salt Lake City as it works to get 34 states to pass enabling legislation. What all these have in common is their rejection of the status quo. They reflect ideas supported by a large percentage of the electorate but given short shrift by elected officials here and in Washington. Change comes as slowly as draining a swamp. In the meantime, raise a toast to Jamie Dimon, quoting a line from a 1926 poem by E.E. Cummings: “There is some shit I will not eat.” CW Send feedback to: comments@cityweekly.net

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RANDOM QUESTIONS, SURPRISING ANSWERS

GINA Y PHOTOGRAPHY

FIVE SPOT

Matchmaking isn’t confined to a bygone era or the musical Fiddler on the Roof. So says Donna Marie Gunn, an “ambassador” with Best Buddies of Utah, which pairs special-needs individuals with high school and college students. We caught up with the ebullient Gunn and her constant companion, a well-worn hand puppet named Willard.

Didn’t a Kennedy family member organize Best Buddies?

Anthony Kennedy Shriver—son of the late founder of Special Olympics Eunice Kennedy Shriver—founded Best Buddies in 1989 at the University of Miami. Fact was that athletes who were in Special Olympics didn’t have friends to show their medals to, and it made them feel left out. Anthony’s concept was that, if a normal person without a disability was able to befriend the athlete and have a one-on-one connection, it would make them feel more appreciated and accepted.

You have chapters in schools, correct?

We have many chapters in high schools and some colleges including the University of Utah, Utah State University and BYU. BYU has the largest delegation.

Can members of the general public participate?

Right now, it’s limited to high schools and colleges. I’m hoping for a citizen chapter in the near future, but that requires funding and support on the national level.

Do you conduct background checks?

Yes. Best Buddies is authorized to do background checks for the safety of participants. It keeps us safe knowing that we can enjoy Best Buddies without having issues.

Are these pairings supervised?

No. Participants have an independent system in which the trust factor is highly maintained.

How many pairs are in Utah?

That’s a tricky question. I believe we have over 200 participants statewide.

What are Best Buddies expected to do?

Each high school and college participant has a record sheet for making notes on the various activities so that the Best Buddies international program in Miami can use it in reports.

Do you have any upcoming events?

The Best Buddies Friendship Walk will be Saturday, Oct. 7, at Veterans Memorial Park in West Jordan. Teams can register at bestbuddiesfriendshipwalk.org/utah. There’ll be many activities for young and old. And, yes, the general public is invited.

Tell me about your companion, Willard.

Willard Thaddeus Mouse has been a huge help to me for nearly eight years. He’s a mouse who loves to meet people and bring a little fun to young and old. He even has his own Facebook page called Willard’s Corner. He mostly loves karaoke and making people happy.

—LANCE GUDMUNDSEN comments@cityweekly.net

HITS&MISSES BY KATHARINE BIELE @kathybiele

Humping the Gun

You might as well buy a bumper sticker saying, “Wayne LaPierre is my president.” After all, the NRA executive VP seems to be more effective than the U.S. president. The NRA’s been campaigning to discredit almost everybody with a video series that derisively calls opponents “elites,” and warns them that the gun-rights group is “coming for you.” Democrats, the media, politicians, the U.N.—the NRA hates them all. Meanwhile, the Associated Press reported, Utah has joined 21 other states to get the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Maryland’s gun restrictions. You can’t buy or own certain semi-automatic rifles and large-capacity magazines there, and the gun coalition thinks that’s wrong. You know how we won the Revolutionary War with those rapid-fire guns. That’s the Second Amendment for you.

Fighting Violence

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Well thank you, Deseret News, for being so honest and open about your mistake. Or whatever it was. I say that because it wasn’t exactly crystal clear what you were correcting. You started by saying how closely and aggressively you’ve been reporting on the Huntsman Cancer Institute debacle—the one where Mary Beckerle got fired and rehired and all. Then you went on and on about how context is everything. It was a long damned column. But for readers, it was also curious. You took the original story off your website, but I have a hard copy—the Aug. 18 issue with the frontpage headline “U. investigating conflict with Beckerle.” So I guess they’re not really investigating that. Or something. Maybe The Salt Lake Tribune knows for sure. They have that Huntsman connection.

Correction

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You gotta love Greg Hughes, the House speaker with the potential to be the most powerful Utah politician, according to a January Deseret News piece. On Sept. 16, the boxing hobbyist is getting in the ring for a good cause—though it’s a bit of a puzzler. For the event organized by boxing promoters FKF Productions, Hughes will go head-to-head with Kelly McCleve, a “twotime Toughman champ,” to benefit girls and young women impacted by violence. Apparently, proceeds of the $1,000-pertable event will go to the National Crittenton Foundation whose mission is to empower women and help them achieve health and economic security. But wait— violence to combat violence? It must be a thing. Salt Lake City Police Chief Michael Brown, the Deseret News’ Amy Donaldson and a host of others are also participating, according to the flyer floating around social media. For victims of violence, it might feel like a punch in the gut.

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Years ago you wrote that, despite extensive research, scientists were skeptical that ball lightning really existed. I just learned that Chinese researchers have captured it on video, proving it’s real. What’s more, I’m hearing ball lightning isn’t all that rare; it’s just that trained observers have been reluctant to report sightings for fear of ridicule. Doesn’t it stand to reason the same is true of UFOs? The search for extraterrestrial intelligence assumes that with the vast number of planets out there, intelligent life is bound to have evolved somewhere. Isn’t it logical to believe we have, in fact, been visited? —Liam Wahlborg, San Francisco

It’s true that the field of ball-lightning studies has busted wide open since that Chinese footage emerged in 2014—not only have we now all seen the thing, we’ve got spectrographic readings to test theories about what it actually is. So, sure, why not aliens? As you say, one prior constraint on the conversation surrounding ball lightning might well have been that, given the scant evidence for its existence, scientists were reluctant to take it seriously in public, even if they’d seen it themselves—it’d be like claiming to have spotted Bigfoot. Or, indeed, a UFO. This fear of stigma is apparently out there, or at least was. An early-’70s survey of members of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics returned reports of sightings of unexplained flying objects, and even some scientists professing their belief that UFOs were “real,” but these were anonymous responses. Peter Sturrock, emeritus physics professor at Stanford, has said that, back then, many colleagues privately expressed interest in seeing high-level UFO research but figured no peer-reviewed journal would ever publish it. Things have changed since the pre-Close Encounters era, though—but, more on that later. To back up: The logical question you refer to is known as the Fermi paradox. The gist is basically that, given the vastness of space, it seems almost impossible there isn’t life out there, and given enough time, any civilization should be able to figure out interstellar travel—yet we’ve neither observed alien life nor been visited by it (so far as the government is letting on, anyway). How come? Possible answers run the gamut from “We haven’t found them because they don’t exist” to “It’s in the nature of intelligent life to eventually destroy itself.” Humankind is doing an efficient job of creating a test case for the latter proposition, and some thinkers have linked Fermi’s paradox with climate change—we might wipe ourselves out before we make it to Alpha Centauri. Could this be the case with every other advanced civilization? As a July article in New York magazine put it, “In a universe that is many billions of years old, with star systems separated as much by time as by space, civilizations might emerge and develop and burn themselves up simply too fast to ever find one another.”

BY CECIL ADAMS

SLUG SIGNORINO

STRAIGHT DOPE COOLEST SUMMER ADVENTURES! Otherworldly Life One of Utah’s

On the other hand, we might hear from Alpha Centauri yet. Earlier this year, two scientists proposed an explanation for the strange space phenomenon of fast radio bursts, fleeting but ultra-high-powered blasts picked up by radio telescopes. Adding to the already numerous theories about their origin, the new paper suggests FRBs might be “beams set up by extragalactic civilizations” to provide power to light sails—reflective panels that can be propelled through space by a stream of photons. An occupied craft, the authors argue, could travel this way at high speed with an FRB-size energy beam to push it along. This paper, we’ll note, comes out of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and was published in the highly legit Astrophysical Journal Letters, which suggests any concern about credibility problems hindering the search for alien life might be misplaced. While the stock mainstream perception of UFO believers as crackpots remains stuck in the ’70s, there’s serious scientific work being done. And serious money behind it: Check out Breakthrough Listen, a decade-long project begun in 2015 and funded to the tune of $100 million to search the skies for alien signals. Perhaps hoping to hedge their bet, the Breakthrough people are putting another $100 million into developing mini space probes driven by, yup, light sails. In other words, we’re way past flying saucers. An even more recent paper has addressed the Fermi paradox with this reasoning: A. advanced civilizations will eventually go post-biological—that is, leave these meat suits behind and upload their brains to the mainframe; but B. the continually cooling universe is still a little too hot right now for computers to run at top efficiency; therefore C. these civilizations are in estivation (the hot-weather version of hibernation), lying dormant till conditions are right for optimal hardware performance. That’s why they haven’t flown over to say hi. Given the timeline on which the universe will cool to their desired range, it’s safe to say we’ll be long gone. But the authors suggest that might be no obstacle to making contact: We could figure out some way to provoke the sleeping civilizations— say, by dispatching a probe to go mess with their stuff. Can’t imagine what could go wrong with a plan like that. n

Send questions to via straightdope.com or write c/o Chicago Reader, 350 N. Orleans, Chicago 60654.

THE

OCHO

THE LIST OF EIGHT

BY BILL FROST

@bill _ frost

8. “Yeah … well, you know, that’s just, like, your opinion, man.”

complaints about the new sltrib.com nothing?”

6. “But the tight three minutes I’ve been working on is going to slay at The Comedy Hole open mic.”

5. “And lose our place in line way—September?!”

3. “But my flat-earth podcast is reaching new believers all around the world.”

summer movie season in our own way.”

1. “I’m the mayor of Salt Lake City—who the fuck are you?!”

FACTS OR #FAKENEWS

You’ve been bombarded by promises, assertions, insults and, frankly, lies since the 2016 election, so you might want a little clarity. Join Richard Kimball, president of Vote Smart, as he offers a multimedia presentation to unmask more than 40,000 candidates and elected officials—the ones you’re supposed to trust. The Facts Matter Tour shows voting records, position statements and interest-group ratings so you can see just where your political icon stands. Vote Smart provides free access to a host of information, and you can learn how to use it. Hinckley Institute of Politics, 332 S. 1400 East, Room 102, 801-581-8501, Thursday, Aug. 31, 2-3 p.m., free, bit.ly/2iuXZ1c

CLIMATE HISTORY THROUGH SALT

Yeah, the earth is changing, the weather is weird—but what does it all mean? Brenden Fisher-Femal, a paleoclimatologist, has been trying to figure that out by looking at how the earth has responded to warming in the past as a predictor of how it will change in the future. He’s speaking this week as part of the Natural History Museum of Utah’s Scientist in the Spotlight series. See his rock samples and learn about his field work in “Studying the Salt Flats and Decoding Climate History.” Hydrologist Evan Kipnis will also be there to cover his research on the Bonneville Salt Flats. Natural History Museum of Utah, 301 S. Wakara Way, 801-581-6927, Friday, Sept. 1, 2-4 p.m., adults, $12.95; seniors and young adults, $10.95; kids, $7.95, bit.ly/2ivG2Qc

—KATHARINE BIELE Send tips to revolt@cityweekly.net

AUGUST 31, 2017 | 11

2. “We all grieve for the

Utah is part of the Wild West, and that means hunting is a right of passage. However, there are limits to what you can kill. Here is your chance to stand up for some wild felines as the Utah Wildlife Board gets ready to set rules for trophyhunting bobcats and cougars. The nonprofit Western Wildlife Conservancy wants the board to “at least get a scientifically reliable count on the number of cougars before deciding on whether, and how many, to kill.” They’re inviting you to Speak Up Against Trophy Hunting Cougars and Bobcats and insist on accurate data before the shooting begins. If you can’t attend, you could send a polite note to members of the board listed on their website. Utah Department of Natural Resources, 1594 W. North Temple, 801-538-4700, Thursday, Aug. 31, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., free, bit.ly/2xxeqN6

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4. “Wait … it’s August? No

HUNT MUCH?

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CHANGE THE WORLD

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Will poker venue fold when homeless shelter hits? BY DYLAN WOOLF HARRIS dwharris@cityweekly.net @dylantheharris

Regulars at South Salt Lake tavern Good Spirits bet new shelter will forever alter the area.

| CITY WEEKLY |

AUGUST 31, 2017 | 15

For community leaders, messaging has been an uphill struggle and convincing the public that the new shelters won’t resemble the old is still met with skepticism. The plan is to implement aggressive treatment, transition people into homes and address the root causes that force people onto the streets in the first place. The South Salt Lake shelter, which is expected to house the working men population, will be one of three shelters that break up the cluster that is currently downtown. The scatteredsite model is, by design, supposed to alleviate the concerns caused by milling crowds. Regardless, the poker players anticipate an enormous impact on the bar. From the patrons’ perspective, the image of Rio Grande eclipses the promise that these centers will be different. “It’s a-whole-nother layer of security,” Wandell says. “I usually park away from everybody. That’s where you’re going to want to do your drugs. The security will have to triple.” Green speculates the end of the venue as a poker haunt and, perhaps, as a viable business altogether. But owner Peterson isn’t ready to roll over or throw his hands up. “If I have to, I’ll hire a security officer to walk around the grounds and to make sure the homeless aren’t camping out there and bothering the patrons. But that’s something that I don’t know. I’m just guessing at this point,” he says. “Whatever is necessary I will do it for the safety and the comfort of the customers and employees.” CW

players get a cut of the cash prize. The pot on this Monday is $100 and the gang aims to play down to the last man or woman standing. “Occasionally we’ll quit before then and dole out the prize money,” Green explains. Where Peterson is unfazed, bargoers are leery. Asked mid-deal about the future homeless shelter, the players spill at once like a dam thats concrete has finally failed. They critique the distance it will take residents of the shelter to walk from it to a Trax station; they mention the proximity to the county jail (upon release, some detainees make Good Spirits their first stop, the group claims); and they point out the need for the homeless population to be close to Salt Lake City services. They also acknowledge that solving the state’s homeless crisis is an immense undertaking, and the players applaud the elected officials for making a valiant effort. Heidi Wandell, a director level executive who “would never be in bars if it wasn’t for this poker game,” worries that if the new South Salt Lake shelter resembles the scene in downtown’s Rio Grande neighborhood, the bar and barren parking lot will attract the same drug-peddling loiterers who have been accused of blending in with the homeless population. The city/county/state plan is to help the homeless and transform the street around the downtown Road Home shelter, where rampant, conspicuous drug dealing and use has resulted in tragedy and degradation in the form of frequent overdoses, violence, theft and littering.

The Vern whom Green alludes to is Vern Peterson, owner for the last decade. In a phone interview with City Weekly, Peterson says he wanted to get into the bar business for some time, and gradually settled on Good Spirits over a few other prospects—a decision he looks back on proudly. Peterson speaks in a slow, measured cadence, even as he addresses the looming homeless shelter, a proposal that had businesses and homeowners in other communities riled during the selection process. “We don’t know what’s going to happen,” he says dispassionately. Good Spirits, in Peterson’s eyes, is a neighborhood bar, the type where you can order an $8 New York steak; one that caters to hard-working folks looking to relax and enjoy themselves in an easygoing environment among familiar faces. It’s a scene the owner and staff have worked to maintain, and they don’t intend to change regardless of their prospective neighbors. “I kept my prices low to where someone could come in and have a good time and not have to spend half their paycheck,” he says. “It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles and the brass and the walnut. But it has a friendliness to it. It isn’t a meat market bar.” Over the years, the bar developed a symbiotic relationship with poker leagues. The establishment puts up prize money, and in return, most players order drinks or food throughout the game. In addition, players often tip the dealer, who is running the game independently. Typically, the top three

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

DW HARRIS

ellied up around an oval table on a Monday evening, 10 Texas Hold ’em players are an island of activity in an otherwise quiet South Salt Lake bar. The game is quick, the players adept, the stakes low, the comfort level up to the ceiling beams, the banter jocular, the vibes communal, the cast of characters hodgepodge and the chips are falling where they may. One guy is served his second stein while another jokes that the hand is his for the taking so long as there’s a “nine in the flop.” There is, and the no-limit game carries on. Elsewhere in the establishment, three barflies down a shot each and leave just as quickly. Another trio is playing pool across the way. Otherwise dead, the tavern this early evening— and all evenings, turns out—supports a lively poker game. The bar, Good Spirits, sits at the intersection of 3300 S. and 1000 West, and on the type-of-bar continuum, it registers on the divey side. The building also sits across the street from a grassy lot where a new homeless shelter is slated to be built and operating within the next two years. Last spring, when Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams invited the public to weigh in on which potential site in the county was best suited for a homeless shelter, a few residents mentioned, off-hand, that a bar in the vicinity might pose a challenge for displaced individuals who suffer from addiction. But this was one complaint in a sea full of them, none of which delved into how the bar and its community of customers might also be affected. This watering hole is home to a thriving poker league, comprising players such as Murray resident Bill Green, who embodies the notion of a regular. Because although he abstains from alcohol, he attends the games religiously on a nightly basis. “We love this venue; it’s familiar,” he says. “The owner, Vern, is very friendly to the poker league. He adapts for us. He provides us with what we need to have the game, plus he sponsors it. It’s a winwin situation. Many of the members of our league support the bar in a big way with alcohol sales, with food sales.”

16 | AUGUST 31, 2017

| CITY WEEKLY |

VETERANS AFFAIRS EXISTS TO HELP VETS. SO WHY DID THE SALT LAKE VA APPOINT AN ANTI-VETERAN CHIEF? BY STEPHEN DARK sdark@cityweekly.net @stephenpdark

n April 2015, psychiatrist Sayali Kulkarni received a phone call from a colleague at the Compensation and Pension department of the Salt Lake City Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The call was related to a former military policeman who’d been deployed for combat in Iraq. Kulkarni is one of a number of examiners at what’s informally called “Comp & Pen” (C&P), a department within the veterans’ health care system whose role is to assess veterans’ claims for service-connected disability by reviewing their medical and service histories and conducting inperson exams. The fellow doctor wanted to know whether Kulkarni diagnosed the vet with post-traumatic stress disorder. When Kulkarni answered yes, the caller “pressured me to overturn the PTSD diagnosis in this Veteran because it was her ‘gut instinct’ that this Veteran was exaggerating his PTSD stressors and symptoms.” Kulkarni wrote this in a May 2015 email to Shella Stovall, acting director of the Salt Lake VA. The doctor, Kulkarni continued, “also tried to intimidate me into not disagreeing with the PTSD clinical team when its providers do not diagnose PTSD. She told me, ‘I try not to differ too much from the previous diagnosis.’” Kulkarni, a board-certified psychiatrist who completed a residency at Howard University Hospital in Washington, D.C., told the doctor that what she was asking her to do was a “violation not only of VA statutes governing Veterans’ disability benefits but also of the best-practice guidelines from the VA National Center for PTSD.” The doctor, Kulkarni wrote, hung up with a curt “Alright.” Such confrontations are far from isolated. From summer 2013 until late fall 2015, Kulkarni and her neurologist husband Dr. Abhijit Kulkarni (two of the longest-serving employees at C&P)—along with a former decorated U.S. Army Special Forces medic, C&P examiner Dr. Thomas Johnson—fought behind the fortress-like walls of the Foothill Boulevard building for the rights of veterans to have unbiased medical examinations at the Salt Lake VA. The ultimate focus of their frustration and concern was Dr. James R. Bennion, a 56-year-old Air Force veteran with a background in occupational and preventative medicine. He was made chief of administrative medicine over C&P and two other departments in August 2013—despite having spent

DEREK CARLISLE

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

TRIGGERED

only one year at C&P as an examiner. The three doctors soon realized that Bennion had deep misgivings about the veracity of most veterans’ claims and had set out to institute a shift in the C&P culture to make it much harder for veterans to access benefits. The Kulkarnis and Johnson, along with other colleagues, complained to VA leadership at local, regional and national levels—triggering multiple inquiries. Their whistle-blowing led to a federal investigation by the Office of Accountability Review (OAR) in the spring of 2016. City Weekly obtained a redacted copy of the concluding report from the VA through a FOIA request. In late October 2016, shortly after the Salt Lake VA leadership requested the investigation, Chief of Staff Dr. Karen Gribbin announced in a staff email that the C&P department would be temporarily run by another doctor, while Bennion continued to run Employee Health. Bennion’s demotion became permanent in August 2016. While he might be gone from C&P, his influence, some argue, continues. One employee, on condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation, says some of the C&P examiners are “still allowed to unlawfully deny claims with no negative repercussions.” Such anti-veteran views fly in the face of the VA’s mission. It’s a unique agency within the federal government because, as legal advocate Rory E. Riley wrote in an April 2010 Veterans Law Review article, “the character of the veterans’ benefits statute is strongly and uniquely pro-claimant.” There’s no time limit for claiming disability benefits and, when assessing such claims, the benefit of the doubt—according to federal mandate—is in favor of the veteran. Bennion’s critics say he pushed for C&P providers to apply a burden of proof that was higher than required by federal law. That led to a line drawn in the sand at C&P between pro-veteran advocates and those who, at best, felt they should pursue a fiscally responsible approach to claims, and, at worst, seemed determined to thwart veterans seeking disability or hikes in their disability rating. The OAR investigation focused on two issues. One was whether Bennion had “created a hostile work environment for and discriminated against employees.” The other was whether Bennion and Gribbin, his superior who appointed him to the position, had “failed to provide effective oversight of the Administrative Medicine Department C&P section.”

A DEFENSIBLE POSITION

“WITHIN ITS BUDGETARY AND PERSONNEL LIMITATIONS, THE STAFF AT THE VA DO THEIR VERY BEST TO SERVE THE VETERANS THAT HAVE LEGITIMATE CLAIMS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.” — Judge John Baxter

| CITY WEEKLY |

While Bennion’s anti-veteran comments provided fodder for complaints and concern, his efforts to push his value system in the department also appeared to be bearing fruit. Sayali Kulkarni told an external examiner, according to a deposition, that in her and her husband’s view, Bennion had effectively re-trained providers to follow his “personal views on disability,” ones she noted were the opposite of the VA’s mission. She told the examiner about two vets with combat experience who’d been diagnosed with PTSD and had complained to her about a doctor she viewed as a “proxy” for Bennion who assessed them as not having PTSD—despite one having served with the 101st Airborne and the other as a sniper. Both said the doctor did not ask them about their combat experience. In May 2014, Kulkarni took her concerns to the chief of staff, Dr. Gribbin. Kulkarni alleged that Bennion was “grossly mismanaging the administrative medicine service,” quoting him as telling her, if he were still in the military, he would have told veterans with PTSD “to quit pulling this crap and get back to work.” Gribbin shut her down. “I do not share your opinion of Dr. Bennion,” Gribbin emailed back. “I have experienced none of what you have asserted below. I suggest you redirect your energies into making your relationship with your supervisor at least workable and respectable.”

CHAD KIRKLAND/FILE

Abhijit Kulkarni wrote in a March 2015 email to a VA official that when Bennion joined C&P in July 2012, “due to his lack of clinical experience, he struggled to work as a general medical examiner in the C&P clinic, and much to the irony of the current situation, I was asked to help him—both in seeing patients frustrated by his delays and in clarifying his reports which were returned as inadequate from the Regional Office.” At the first monthly mental-health care provider meeting Bennion attended after being promoted to chief over the department, Sayali Kulkarni, along with her colleagues, learned their new boss’ views on veterans. “Dr. Bennion insisted that most Veterans seeking PTSD compensation are malingering (exaggerating) their symptoms,” she wrote in her May 2015 email to Stovall. “So he commanded us that most of these combat Veterans should not be diagnosed with PTSD” or given a higher rating that would, in turn, mean more federal benefits. Kulkarni continued, Bennion told his staff that he didn’t view PTSD as a chronic condition and believed it ended after combat. As for military sexual-trauma-related PTSD claims, “he instructed us that women claiming MST were most likely just ‘cheating on their husbands.’” Kulkarni told Bennion that such views weren’t in VA statutes or supported by best-practice guidelines. In her email to acting director Stovall, Kulkarni wrote that Bennion responded, “Would you like to live on disability for the rest of your life? Do you know how much money gets paid out in Veterans disability payments?” She went on to allege that Bennion retaliated against her by cutting her out of subsequent mentalhealth provider meetings, and also relieved her “from the position of being peer reviewer for all of the mental health providers in C&P.” Bennion either didn’t recall or disputed those actions in a subsequent deposition.” I find it very improbable that I would have blocked her from attending future meetings.”

Dr. Bennion’s frustration with Sayali Kulkarni became only more intense. He assigned Dr. Leland Burns to conduct peer reviews of Kulkarni’s cases. He told an Equal Employment Opportunities investigator she “demonstrated inappropriate clinical judgment and performance, and an unwillingness to educate herself or respond to mentorship from Dr. Burns or to perform appropriately.”

JEFF BLEDSOE

INAPPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR

AUGUST 31, 2017 | 17

Prior to Bennion taking over C&P, it had been one of the best-performing departments in the nation. Under Bennion, it became one of the worst. “Our number one mission as an employee of the VA is to best serve veterans,” Dr. Johnson argued in a federal complaint; but under Bennion, that focus was forgotten. The average processing time for claims went from 17.4 days in 2012 to 40 days in 2015 and 60 days by April 2016, “the highest in the VA system,” the OAR report noted. Johnson wrote that Bennion “instituted the notion that the majority of veterans claims were unfounded and/or misrepresentations of the truth.” He continued, “The veterans word no longer was acceptable as fact.” A reporter asked Salt Lake City veterans court judge John Baxter to review the investigative report and several other documents detailing the concerns of C&P employees. Baxter, a Vietnam veteran, notes that medical care was “part of the deal when we signed up, so if something happened, we would get help if it was service-related.” He identified two very different perspectives in the federal report. One approach, he says, relates to doctors who advocated for veterans to receive the benefits they were entitled to, and who were alleging both mismanagement and anti-veteran bias among their colleagues. The other approach, which he defines as “oppositional,” relates to those doctors who, to some degree, viewed veterans as fabricating claims for compensation. They took, he says, “a guilty-until-proven-innocent approach.” Mark Devoe was briefly Bennion’s deputy at C&P, before he was transferred elsewhere in the Salt Lake VA. Dr. Johnson pursued his own investigation into Bennion by contacting ex-C&P employees, including Devoe, whose blistering letter Johnson included in a package of information submitted to

SHELL-SHOCKED

WHAT VETERANS DESERVE

then-Rep. Jason Chaffetz in October 2015. Devoe wrote he believed “a nexus exists between an apparent deep-seated prejudice toward disability claims by veterans and [Bennion’s] intention to remove others and me from their positions that did not share his biases.”

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

Relating to the latter issue, the report found two allegations to be true. Bennion’s department had been plagued with problems—including a lack of timeliness in conducting exams—while Gribbin had failed to hold Bennion or his examining doctors accountable for not meeting the mandated standard of fewer than 30 days for exam completions. The report was “unable to substantiate” an allegation by the Kulkarnis that Bennion discriminated against them. It found, however, that the three complaining doctor, “themselves admit that he antagonizes anyone who disagrees with him.” Two other allegations relating to Bennion retaliating against staffers he didn’t like, and not performing peer reviews as required, were thrown out. Numerous former and current employees, requesting anonymity, provided City Weekly with documents—including emails, memos, complaints and depositions—that sketch out much of the struggle between the Kulkarnis and Johnson, and Bennion and the local VA leadership over his management of C&P. The VA declined requests for interviews with Bennion, Gribbin and several senior management figures at the agency, as well as the Kulkarnis and Johnson. The VA’s spokesperson Jill Atwood wrote in an email that the VA does not comment on personnel issues, but stated, “Claims of hostile work environment, discrimination and anti-Veteran bias were unsubstantiated.” She highlighted that “the number of appeals and timeliness of assessing them” were “some of the lowest in the country.” Veterans can file appeals when they disagree with C&P examiners’ decisions. While they might do so infrequently compared to other agencies, a FOIA request to the Veterans Benefits Administration, which oversees C&P nationwide, revealed that appeals—which typically have a year-or-so time lag—had more than doubled from 510 in August 2014 to 1,273 in July 2017. By contrast, nationally, appeals rose by 20 percent from 2015-2017. Atwood declined to address the substantiated allegations of mismanagement. Nor—despite having claimed that antiveteran bias allegations were not true—would she comment on the report’s statement that, “Testimony about Dr. Bennion’s negative comments relating to veterans seeking a disability rating appears to be prevalent and consistent.” The report’s writers acknowledged that the man who for two years was in charge of ensuring that veterans got a fair hearing on their claims of service-related disability “has inappropriately made these types of comments.”

DEREK CARLISLE

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

DEREK CARLISLE

MALE RULE

DEREK CARLISLE

| CITY WEEKLY |

18 | AUGUST 31, 2017

Kulkarni viewed Burns as far from adequate to assess her. Burns found her defensive, constantly challenging his statements. “I commented that we have a responsibility to both the veteran and to the U.S. Taxpayer. I said that some people will exaggerate symptoms during a disability exam, since money is involved,” Burns wrote in a report to Bennion. Kulkarni asked for evidencebased research to back his claim. He told her, “I am not aware of any specific studies, but common sense suggests that we need to be careful in our documentation when money is on the line.” Concern over federal funds was a constant theme for Bennion. In a December 2014 “memo for record,” he blasted Kulkarni for allegedly wasting millions of federal dollars on undeserving veterans. “She has continued to make determinations that inappropriately award disability or at least that inadequately support her determinations that result in awards,” Bennion wrote. Bennion focused particularly on the money he believed she had cost the government. “The cost to the Federal Government of this noncompliance can conservatively be estimated to be in the tens of millions of dollars annually.” He calculated if Kulkarni were to work for 42 weeks a year and sign off on benefits of $500,000 each for veterans who he viewed had been incorrectly assessed, “the sum of inappropriate expense would be $189M.” He argued that her continued work at the clinic was “inconsistent” with the “Government’s mandate to prevent fraud, waste and abuse.” Kulkarni’s bitter criticism of Burns in part earned her a written memo from Bennion on Jan. 8, 2015, admonishing her for being “disrespectful and belligerent.” He charged that she failed to follow instructions and also displayed “inappropriate and or unprofessional conduct.” The following month, her husband also received a written admonishment listing the same charges. Both Kulkarnis appealed the admonishments and Stovall had Sayali Kulkarni’s work reviewed by an outside doctor, who found no problems. Stovall dismissed the first charge, but not the second charge of inappropriate conduct. When asked why, she said in a deposition that she viewed Kulkarni’s behavior as unprofessional. “I perceive that both complainant and Dr. Bennion have a large ego and that large egos are often the norm and can affect how individuals react to a critique of their work.”

The Kulkarnis weren’t the only C&P employees to sink ever deeper into conflict with Bennion. Andrew Kalinen, who replaced Mark Devoe as Bennion’s deputy, told an investigator he liked Bennion personally. He and Bennion had succeeded in turning around the backlog in pending claims, he said, but even then there was a sting in the tail. “He was difficult. It was stressful to work for him. His micromanagement was over the top. Sometimes we got our numbers down and did so well. It wasn’t because of him. It was in spite of him.” He also outlined how staff were afraid to deal with Bennion because of how he might react. Kalinen was concerned that Bennion was trying to remove employees he didn’t like. Bennion asked him “if we could make life difficult for certain staff so they could leave,” Kalinen told the investigator. He sat in on Burns’ peer reviews of Sayali Kulkarni at Bennion’s instruction. While critical of what he called Kulkarni’s “condescending” attitude directed at Burns, Kalinen nevertheless viewed it as unusual that Bennion had told him to sit in on the meeting, given he was asked to do it for no one else. Bennion also came under fire in complaints and other documents for his attitude toward women. Kalinen told a federal investigator Bennion showed more confidence in men, even when a woman employee was “our resident expert on things, and he still wouldn’t listen to her.” Elizabeth Beal, who was a medical assistant at C&P for a year, told an external investigator that Bennion had a “condescending and demeaning manner toward women.” Bennion’s problems with PTSD extended to veterans among his own staff, Beal said in a deposition. Beal, a veteran with PTSD, filed a complaint against him in July 2015 centered on her using sick leave for two days around Memorial Day. “Dr. Bennion denied my sick leave and charged me AWOL,” Beal said. “He stated that I could not use sick leave for mental health issues.” Out of all the voices raised against Bennion and the local VA leadership, the most palpably angry was that of a veteran Army Special Forces combat medic. Dr. Thomas Johnson joined the

Salt Lake C&P after returning from his final tour in Afghanistan in spring 2013. “I had a deep desire to continue to help returning wounded soldiers whom I had treated on the battlefield,” he wrote in a federal complaint. Things did not go well. After Bennion informed Johnson he wanted him to conduct reviews of two of his peers, Johnson sent Bennion a scathing email in August 2015. “How powerful of an anoscope do I use to do these reviews?” Johnson asked. He didn’t want to target anyone, he continued. If Johnson thought he was going after doctors, Bennion responded, they needed to talk. Johnson answered, “Here’s an honest appraisal that no one else in the department has the courage to lay out for you: As for ‘targeting,’ you have a real perception problem to deal with.” Johnson wrote that Bennion’s employees felt he was trying to drive out the Kulkarnis, along with anyone else who stood up to him.

ICE CREAM AND LEMONADE

In September 2015, Sayali Kulkarni took her fight to the Salt Lake VA chief Steven Young, who had temporarily been assigned to the Phoenix VA. That agency was at the tail-end of a national headline-grabbing scandal of allegations that at least 40 veterans had died while waiting for care. “I am in a no-win situation,” she wrote to Young. “I have only two choices under the supervision of Drs. Gribbin and Bennion: Either unlawfully disservice Veterans and remain silent about it or get admonished for lawfully acting in the best interests of veterans.” Neurologist Abhijit Kulkarni advised Young that Bennion had personally reviewed his clinical work and found problems in six out of 12 cases. Abhijit Kulkarni wrote that Bennion had no right to peer review him since his background was in occupational medicine. In an interview with an investigator, Bennion’s former deputy Andrew Kalinen agreed with Abhijit Kulkarni. “I didn’t understand how Dr. Bennion was reviewing records of a neurologist. Never made sense to me.” Abhijit Kulkarni worried, he wrote Young, that Bennion’s drive to undermine veterans’ claims “puts us at serious risk here for an El Paso-type incident,” referring to the killing of a VA psychologist by a veteran angry he’d been denied a PTSD claim. In March 2015, a veteran who suffered a mental-health breakdown while undergoing an examination at C&P, ran out to his car in the Salt Lake VA parking lot, intending to kill himself, according to statements by Sayali Kulkarni in one deposition. The tragedy was only narrowly averted by VA police and the VA’s crisis team. In September 2015, Young requested an external investigation. Bennion was replaced as chief of C&P in November 2015, while remaining over the Employee Health section of Administrative Medicine. A senior VA official informed Johnson via email, “We are taking appropriate actions,” following the federal investigation and report—although, to date, whether either Bennion or Gribbin received any sanctions for their mismanagement of C&P, beyond the former being transferred, has yet to come to light. In the wake of the Bennion debacle, success and promotions have continued for some in the VA. Young was transferred to Washington, D.C., as deputy under-secretary for health of operations and management last year. He wrote to the Salt Lake City VA staff, “You are the best! Your success in caring for Veterans is a big reason why I have been afforded this opportunity.” In early January 2017, Dr. Timothy Huhtala emailed staff that he would be the new chief of C&P prior to an “official” reorganization of the department. Five months later, Stovall was named Salt Lake VA’s medical center director. A welcome reception was held, offering ice cream, lemonade, iced tea and water. Along with questions over the extent to which Bennion’s views still hold sway over Compensation and Pension, perhaps the biggest query in the wake of the federal investigation, is whether such anti-veteran views might be found elsewhere in the national VA system. Judge John Baxter believes, “Within its budgetary and personnel limitations, the staff at the VA do their very best to serve the veterans that have legitimate claims that need to be addressed.” When it came to the claims made in the report by doctors, which he called “disturbing,” he argues there are two ways of looking at it. If it was simply an anomaly, then Bennion’s transfer would have resolved the issue. However, he says, “If this is systemic, then there is a huge problem.” CW

ENTERTAINMENT PICKS, AUG. 31-SEPT. 6, 2017

VICKIE CLOSE

RF TANNER

CANDICE JORGENSEN

Complete listings online at cityweekly.net

BRIAN TONETTI

ESSENTIALS

the

Segueing from stage to screen and from Broadway to Main Street, musicals like Camelot, Cabaret and South Pacific furthered their popular appeal in bygone days. However, in recent years, the trend has reversed, with films like Dirty Dancing transformed into lavish theatrical productions that contributed additional illumination to the Great White Way. Sister Act achieved similar success in its creative crossover, and for good reason. It’s based on the 1992 hit film starring Whoopi Goldberg as a hapless lounge singer forced into protective custody disguised as a nun after landing on the mob’s hit list when she witnesses a murder. Goldberg’s character, Deloris, became a disco diva when the musical landed on Broadway in 2011, but the basic plot remains the same. A tale of transformation and lessons learned, it finds Deloris learning to survive— and thrive. “This show can relate to everyone,” says Ty Whiting, marketing director for Magna’s Empress Theatre, which stages the show this month. “Its message is about finding yourself and discovering the strength you never knew you had … We’ve taken the show and made it more about the story than the spectacle.” With music by Tony- and Oscar-winning composer Alan Menken—best known for Disney classics like The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast—it’s also clear that the entertainment element remains intact. Indeed, humor, heart, song and circumspect make Sister Act a hard habit to break. (Lee Zimmerman) Sister Act: The Musical @ Empress Theatre, 9104 S. 2700 West, Magna, 801-347-7373, Sept. 1-16, Friday-Saturday (and Monday, Sept. 11), 7:30 p.m.; Saturday matinees, 2 p.m., $10-$12, empresstheatre.com

When faced with their big floppy ears and desires for belly-rubs, it’s easy to forget border collies were bred to be much more than big, snuggly pets. But this Labor Day weekend, the 15th annual Classic Sheepdog Championship in Soldier Hollow is here to remind everyone what a herding dog can really do on the job. Mark Petersen, event director and founder, says he knows going to observe dogs chase sheep around is a bit strange, and an odd way to spend a weekend. But he thinks people will be just as drawn to the event as he was when he first saw it in Scotland in the 1990s. “It’s one step beyond what people have seen people do with dogs before,” Petersen says. “And it’s not a competition based on pedigree or on looks. It’s a measure of what they can do. There’s nothing more American than that.” The sheep used for the competition are unaccustomed to the presence of dogs, which makes the dogs’ work of steering them around objects and controlling them even more remarkable. Additionally, the weekend offers a host of family-friendly events. Some, like dog agility demos, keep with the canine theme; but others, like beginning beekeeping and the bagpipe performance, offer plenty for the lesspassionate dog lovers. While attendees can bring their own food, the weekend also offers a slew of vendors from around the state. (Kylee Ehmann) Soldier Hollow Classic Sheepdog Championship @ Soldier Hollow, 2002 Olympic Drive, Midway, 801-668-8016, Sept. 1-4, 7:45 a.m.-6 p.m., $12.99-$49; $5 parking, soldierhollowclassic.com

The Wasatch Mountains might be the spine of the Salt Lake Valley, but the Jordan River could easily be considered its main artery, as the 51-mile waterway runs from Utah Lake to the Great Salt Lake. Considering its significance, it seems appropriate that the events celebrating it have expanded. Revived three years ago after an eight-year hiatus, the Get Into the River Festival was conceived, according to spokesperson Tish Buroker, “as a way for people to get more involved with, and more connected to, the Jordan River. We would have clean-up events, then a big festival. This year, we decided we’d move it to a month-long event, allowing everyone who lives along the river more opportunities to be involved.” Over the course of September, several cities are sponsoring their own events, beginning with Riverton City’s educational walk for families on Sept. 5. Several additional educational, recreational and clean-up events culminate in the Riverfest on Saturday, Sept. 23. Buroker emphasizes that, with the creation of the River Trail and conservation efforts, the Jordan River is a uniquely versatile connecting element in a way it might not always have been. “I grew up with the river in my backyard,” she says, “but for so many years, it was a place you did not go. It was a dump. Now it’s being cleaned up, and people love it. You can get really familiar with the trail, and then hopefully learn something about the value of the river to the pioneers, and how it can still be an important resource now.” (SR) Get Into the River Festival @ various locations, Sept. 5-29; Riverfest @ Fairpark Trailhead, 1220 W. North Temple, Sept. 23, 3-7 p.m.; free, getintotheriver.org

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When interpreting a classic piece of theater like Eugene O’Neill’s Desire Under the Elms, it might be tempting to think in a modernist, avantgarde direction. Or, when the work in question is itself an adaptation of a work from classical Greek theater, you can go back to the source. That’s the approach director Javen Tanner takes with The Sting & Honey Co.’s production of O’Neill’s drama—set in rural New England circa 1850, where a farm family faces upheaval after the widowed patriarch remarries— based on the Phaedra myth from Euripides’ Hippolytus. “I’ve really tried to draw out the Greek mythological ideas in the play,” Tanner says. “Even stylistically, we’ve experimented with certain monologues being delivered the way they would in Greek theater, when someone comes out to tell about the horrible thing that happens, and the actor is both telling and experiencing what happened at the same time.” As Tanner and his cast wrestle with Oedipal subtext, there’s some interesting complexity at play in the casting of roles. The father character, Ephraim, is played by veteran actor and University of Utah theater instructor Robert Nelson, with whom Tanner studied. “He’s taught so many of us in the local theater community,” Tanner says, “in classes and as a director. It’s the first time I’ve ever directed a former professor of mine, so that was a little nerve-rattling at first, but it’s turned out to be really great.” Sounds like one way this show certainly won’t resemble a Greek tragedy. (Scott Renshaw) The Sting & Honey Co.: Desire Under the Elms @ Regent Street Black Box, 131 S. Main, 801-355-2787, Sept. 1-16, ThursdaySaturday, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday matinees, 2 p.m., $18, stingandhoney.org

Get Into the River Festival

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TUESDAY 9/5

Soldier Hollow Classic Sheepdog Championship

SATURDAY 9/2

Empress Theatre: Sister Act: The Musical

FRIDAY 9/1

The Sting & Honey Co.: Desire Under the Elms

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FRIDAY 9/1

Taking Time

Geological ideas of time inspire the multimedia dance piece DRYPP. BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

f the process by which Einy Åm’s multimedia dance production DRYPP made its way to a Utah stage was a long one, that seems only fitting. The entire concept, after all, was inspired by objects that take millions of years to build. The Norwegian choreographer traces the origin of DRYPP back two years, to conversations she had with her father, composer Magnar Åm. “He talked a lot about a trip to a stalagmite cave,” she recalls, “where he was impressed with the idea of how long it takes for one to be created. One little drop every thousand years. There’s this very expanded sense of time.” Magnar Åm’s composition became the inspiration for DRYPP—the Norwegian spelling of “drip”—and provided Einy Åm with her first challenge: adapting her father’s unique musical style to something that would work in a movement piece. “It’s a very particular style,” Åm says, “sometimes atonal, some tension and friction there. Some people compare it to scary movie music. Subconsciously, I’m aware that it’s not everybody’s taste. I have an underlying intention of trying to translate this music into something that’s more familiar, to bring people into it. But his style is something I grew up with, so it’s something that’s very inspirational for me, an internal understanding that guides how I put it together choreographically.” The next, more concrete phase came during a 2016 intensive three-week residency in Norway at a location above the Arctic Circle. The treeless, barren landscape became part of the visual language for the piece, and suggested bringing another artistic component into it: video. Working with photographer/videographer Tyler Sparks—who shot footage in the Norwegian Arctic and eventually in Florida Caverns State Park using drones—Åm began juxtaposing bold red colors with the geography of the filmed locations. “We decided we wanted to play with the idea of either being one with the landscape, or really standing out,” Åm says. She also recognizes that there’s a challenge when integrating video into a dance performance, so that the projected images don’t become an audience member’s focus at the expense of the dancers on stage. DRYPP weaves the video in and out of the production, alternately playing in isolation and serving as either a complement or counterpoint to the movement. “Sometimes it’s the same thing

TYLER SPARKS

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A&E

DANCE

happening in two different places,” Åm says of the juxtaposition, “sometimes becoming chaotic on purpose, to break it up a little bit. But I’m okay with video drawing attention sometimes, and with dancers drawing attention. You want integration so that the dancers aren’t overwhelmed. This piece is one way for me to play with that, and try to solve that problem.” After additional development in New York and a second residency in Norway, DRYPP ultimately premiered in Hammerfest, Norway, in March 2017, with music by University of Utah faculty member Michael Wall supplementing the 20-minute composition by Magnar Åm to flesh out the 60-minute performance. But Wall wasn’t the only Utah connection that eventually led Einy Åm to Salt Lake City’s Dance Theatre Coalition and producer Amy Caron. One of the dancers in Einy’s EyeKnee Coordination company, Stephanie Sleeper, is also a Utah native, and an alum—like Caron—of the U’s Modern Dance program. “Stephanie and I have stayed in touch,” Caron says; “Einy and I had never met. But about a year and a half ago, [Sleeper] said, ‘You two girls should get to know each other.’ And it was like, ‘Hi,’ but we were probably busy working on other projects.” In May of this year, Sleeper touched base with Caron again, and commented that among the many things she was juggling was this project called DRYPP. Åm soon got in touch with Caron via email, noting that she was looking to tour the piece, and wondering if Caron was looking to produce anything. “It was a right time, right moment kind of thing,” Caron says.

Einy Åm and Stephanie Sleeper in DRYPP

“I liked that Einy is an artist that hasn’t been seen here in Utah. And I also liked how much time and development has been put into the work. Because we’re so small, I really want to produce high-quality work, and work with people who are experienced producers of their own work, and I want to see their investment in it. Einy had all of those ingredients. [DRYPP] was really prepared and ready to go.” The only question became one of finding a theater space, and the Rose Wagner Center was available, but with the caveat that it would have to be a mid-week slot rather than the more popular weekend dates. Yet Caron is happy to be offering the show to local audiences, as well as helping with the mutual support of dance artists that allows “really good prep for Einy to be doing this work again in New York; having this show helps her next show.” It was a gradual, steady process, but the result of such processes can be something beautiful. CW

DANCE THEATRE COALITION: DRYPP

Rose Wagner Center, Black Box Theater 138 W. 300 South 801-355-2787 Wednesday-Thursday, Sept. 6-7 8 p.m. $12-$22 artsaltlake.org

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COMPLETE LISTINGS ONLINE AT CITYWEEKLY.NET

Brigham Young University visual arts alum Sabrina Squires shows collage works representing colorful enhanced landscapes in Natural Kaleidoscope at the Gallery at Library Square (210 E. 400 South, 801-524-8200, slcpl.org) through Sept. 15.

PERFORMANCE THEATER

9 To 5 Center Point Legacy Theatre, 525 N. 400 West, Centerville, 801-298-1302, through Sept. 2, times vary, centerpointtheatre.org Always ... Patsy Cline The Grand Theatre, 1575 S. State, 801-957-3322, through Sept. 22, Thursday-Saturday, 7:30 p.m.; 2 p.m. Saturday matinee, grandtheatrecompany.com As You Like It Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre, 200 W. College Ave., Cedar City, 435-586-7878, through Sept. 7, times vary, bard.org Desire Under the Elms Regent Street Black Box, 131 S. Main, Sept. 1-16, Thursday-Saturday, 7:30 p.m.; 2 p.m. Saturday matinee, stingandhoney.org (see p. 19) Forever Plaid Hale Center Theatre, 3333 S. Decker Lake Drive, West Valley City, 801-9849000, Sept. 1-Nov. 15, Monday-Saturday, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday matinees 2 & 4 p.m., hct.org Heart of Robin Hood Hale Centre Theatre, 3333 S. Decker Lake Drive, West Valley City, 801-9849000, through Oct. 14, hct.org How to Fight Loneliness Anes Studio Theatre, 195 W. Center St., Cedar City, 435-586-7880, through Oct. 14, times vary, bard.org A Midsummer Night’s Dream Randall L. Jones Theatre, 300 W. Center St., Cedar City, 453-5867878, through Oct. 21, times vary, bard.org Peter and the Starcatcher The Ziegfeld Theater, 3934 S. Washington Blvd., Ogden, 855-944-2787, through Sept. 2, times vary, theziegfeldtheater.com Pillow Talk Hale Center Theater, 225 W. 400 North, Orem, 801-226-8600, through Sept. 23, times vary, haletheater.org Saturday’s Voyeur SLAC, 168 W. 500 North, 801-363-7522, through Sept. 10, times vary, saltlakeactingcompany.org Sister Act: The Musical Empress Theatre, 9104 W. 2700 South, Magna, 801-347-7373, Sept. 1-16, Friday-Saturday, 7:30 p.m.; 2 p.m. Saturday matinee; Monday family night, Sept. 11, 7:30 p.m., empresstheatre.com (see p. 19) Utahoma Off Broadway Theatre, 272 S. Main, 801-355-4628, through Sept. 16, Friday, Saturday & Monday; 7:30 p.m., theobt.org

Wicked-er Desert Star Theatre, 4861 S. State, 801-266-2600, through Nov. 4, desertstar.biz William Shakespeare’s Long-Lost First Play Anes Studio Theatre, 195 W. Center St., Cedar City, 435586-7878, through Oct. 21, times vary, bard.org

DANCE

DRYPP Rose Wagner Center, Black Box Theater, 138 W. 300 South, 801-355-2787, Sept. 6-7, 8 p.m., artsaltlake.org (see p. 21)

COMEDY & IMPROV

Aaron Woodall Wiseguys SLC, 194 S. 400 West, 801-532-5233, Sept. 3, 7:30 p.m., 21+, wiseguyscomedy.com Heath Harmison Wiseguys Ogden, 269 25th St., 801-622-5588, Sept. 1-2, 8 p.m., wiseguyscomedy.com Open-Mic Night Wiseguys SLC, 194 S. 400 West, 801-532-5233, Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m., 21+, wiseguyscomedy.com Orny Adams Wiseguys SLC, 194 S. 400 West, 801-532-5233, Sept. 1-2, 7 & 9:30 p.m., 21+, wiseguyscomedy.com

LITERATURE AUTHOR APPEARANCES

Jay Jaffe: The Cooperstown Casebook The King’s English Bookshop, 1511 S. 1500 East, 801484-9100, Sept. 2, 2 p.m., kingsenglish.com Young Adult Author Panel Barnes & Noble, 7157 Plaza Center Drive, West Jordan, 801-2821324, Sept 2., 1 p.m., barnesandnoble.com Shannon and Dean Hale: The Princes in Black and the Mysterious Playdate The King’s English Bookshop, 1511 S. 1500 East, 801-4849100, Sept. 5, 6 p.m., kingsenglish.com

SPECIAL EVENTS FESTIVALS & FAIRS

A Celebration of Cultural Diversity Pioneer Park, 300 W. 300 South, Sept. 2, 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m., saltlakeamericanmuslim.com Get Into the River Festival Various locations, Sept. 5-29; Fairpark Trailhead, 1220 W. North Temple, Sept. 23, 3-7 p.m., getintotheriver.org (see p. 19)

SEPTEMBER 8TH - 10TH 279 SOUTH 300 WEST WWW.SALTLAKEGREEKFESTIVAL.COM

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moreESSENTIALS Soldier Hollow Classic Sheepdog Championship Soldier Hollow, 2002 Olympic Drive, Midway, 801-668-8016, Sept. 1-4, 7:45 a.m.-6 p.m., soldierhollowclassic.com (see p. 19)

TALKS & LECTURES

Suresh Venkatasubramanian: When Algorithms Decide Your Fate SLC Main Library, 210 E. 400 South, 801-524-8200, Aug. 31, 7-8 p.m., slcpl.org TEDx & Faeiza Javed: Be Your Authentic Self Marmalade Library, 280 W. 500 North, 801594-8680, Sept. 5, 7-8 p.m., slcpl.org

RACING

“Civil War” Oval Racing Rocky Mountain Raceways, 6555 W. 2100 South, West Valley City, 385-352-3991, Sept. 2, 4 p.m., rmrracing.com Doomsday of Destruction Rocky Mountain Raceways, 6555 W. 2100 South, West Valley, 385-352-3991, Sept. 4, 3 p.m. rmrracing.com Junior Drag Racing Rocky Mountain Raceways, 6555 W. 2100 South, West Valley, 385-352-3991, Sept. 2, 9 a.m. rmrracing.com Midnight Drags Rocky Mountain Raceways, 6555 W. 2100 South, West Valley, 385-352-3991, Sept. 1, 9 p.m. rmrracing.com Mini MX Summer Race Rocky Mountain Raceways, 6555 W. 2100 South, West Valley City, 385-352-3991, Aug. 31, 5 p.m., rmrracing.com

VISUAL ART GALLERIES & MUSEUMS

David Habben: Being Somewhere Downtown Artist Collective, 258 E. 100 South, Sept. 1, 7 p.m., downtownartistcollective.org

COMPLETE LISTINGS ONLINE AT CITYWEEKLY.NET

Eight O’Clock in the Morning Urban Arts Gallery, 137 S. Rio Grande, 801-230-0820, through Sept. 3, urbanartsgallery.org Eileen Vestal: Love Letter to Italy Corinne & Jack Sweet Library, 455 F St., 801-594-8651, Sept. 5-Oct. 21, slcpl.org Ilse Bing Utah Museum of Fine Arts, 410 Campus Center Drive, 801-581-7332, through Dec. 31, umfa.utah.edu Jaime Salvador Castillo & Michael Anthony Garcia: whereABOUTS UMOCA, 20 S. West Temple, 801-328-4201, through Dec. 9, utahmoca.org Janiece Murray Finch Lane Gallery, 1340 E. 100 South, 801-596-5000, through Sept. 22, saltlakearts.org Jimmi Toro: Kindle a Light Kimball Art Center, 638 Park Ave., Park City, 435-649-8882, Sept. 1-Nov. 26, kimballartcenter.org Joy Nunn: Journey Back Art at the Main, 210 E. 400 South, 801-363-4088, through Sept. 9, artatthemain.com Las Hermanas Iglesias: Here, Here Utah Museum of Fine Arts, 410 Campus Center Drive, 801-581-7332, through Jan. 28, umfa.utah.edu Laura Sharp Wilson Finch Lane Gallery, 1340 E. 100 South, 801-596-5000, through Sept. 22, saltlakearts.org Logan Sorenson: A Land Further North: Images from Iceland Chapman Library, 577 S. 900 West, 801-594-8623, Sept. 5-Oct. 26; artist reception Sept. 9, 4 p.m., slcpl.org Sabrina Squires: Natural Kaleidoscope SLC Main Library, 210 E. 400 South, 801-524-8200, through Sept. 15, slcpl.org (see p. 23)

TYSON ROLLINS

DINE

One in the Hand BY TED SCHEFFLER tscheffler@cityweekly.net @critic1

LUNCH • DINNER • COCKTAILS

18 MARKET STREET • 801.519.9595

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Contemporary Japanese Dining

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here is a fair amount I don’t know about dining etiquette. At fancy restaurants, for example, I can never quite remember where the soup spoon is supposed to be placed among the other utensils. But one thing I am sure of is that our distant ancestors—the first humans— ate with their hands. They were not concerned about when to use the small salad fork or where the butter knife should reside. And for this column, neither am I. This is a love letter to a few of my favorite handheld foods—so let’s get down and dirty. The most satisfying—not to mention the most ginormous—cheesesteak I’ve gotten my hands around in quite some time is at The Philadelphian in Sandy (9860 S. 700 East, 801-572-3663, phillyutah.com). You won’t visit this eatery for the décor; in that regard, it’s similar to bare-bones cheesesteak emporiums in Philadelphia like Jim’s and Tony Luke’s. But, with cheesesteaks this fabulous, who cares? The meat—and there’s lots of it in these overstuffed steak sandwiches—is perfect: lean and juicy with just a slight crisp around the griddled edges. The classic Philly cheesesteak comes in 4-, 6-, 8- and 12-inch sizes, with good quality hoagiestyle rolls and sautéed mushrooms, onions and gooey Provolone. The name says it all At Gyro Gyro (2560 Bengal Blvd., Cottonwood Heights, 801860-2483). This relatively new restaurant is well focused; it doesn’t try to be everything to everyone. When I last visited, the menu consisted of lamb-beef gyros,

chicken gyros, a veggie gyro, falafel, Greek salad, french fries, baklava … and that’s about it. But what you want is the generously stuffed lamb-and-beef gyro: tender, juicy and superbly satisfying. Bonus points for having Mexican hot sauces and Tabasco available. I dig the retro, black-and-white checkerboard-style décor of Johnny Slice (12 W. 300 South, SLC, 385-415-2924, johnnyslice.com), not to mention the convenient fact that it’s just around the corner from City Weekly headquarters. For lovers of New York-style by-the-slice pizza, this is the place. The staff is super friendly, and the slices are large and fold properly, like a New York slice oughtta. There are custom whole pies available, as well as great roast pork, meatball and roast-beef sandwiches. But when you’re craving a simple cheese slice like you remember from a visit to the Big Apple, set sail for Johnny Slice. Owned and operated by a family that immigrated to Utah from Azerbaijan, West Jordan’s Doner Kebab Express (2641 W. 7800 South, Ste. C, 801-601-8181, donerkebabutah.com) is a terrific—and spotless—little gem of a restaurant. “Döner” is a Turkish word that refers to rotisserieroasted savory meats, similar to gyro meat. Here, the döner kebabs are served as sandwiches on pita bread, as a wrap (the best choice) or as a full-sized meal with grilled veggies, salad and rice or fries. Unlike most gyro shops, which serve tzatziki, Doner Kebab Express also offers a tasty, housemade tomato-based sauce that I favor. According to its owner/founder, a pawned Fender Telecaster led to the founding of J. Dawgs (multiple locations, jdawgs.com). They keep it simple here: The menu consists of Polish or beef hot dogs, chips, drinks and condiments (onions, banana peppers, jalapeños, sauerkraut and pickles). Served on locally milled buns, the all-natural Polish dawg with sauerkraut is a life-changer. They might serve only proletarian hot dogs, but these are some of the snazziest eateries around. CW

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Celebrating the joys of utensil-free dining.

J Dawgs: Hot dogs elevated.

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FOOD MATTERS BY SCOTT RENSHAW

Award Winning Donuts

705 S. 700 E. | (801) 537-1433

DEREKCARLISLE

@scottrenshaw

Tomato Celebration

Wasatch Community Gardens wants you thinking about eating seasonally, and this time of year, there are few garden delights quite like fresh tomatoes. In honor of the bounty being produced by local tomato vines, several local restaurants are participating in a Tomato Dine-Around now through Sept. 15, featuring special heirloom tomatothemed menu items. Visit 3 Cups, Even Stevens, Laziz Kitchen, Tin Angel Café and Les Madeleines for their specialty creations—and then enjoy the free basil pesto and heirloom tomato sandwiches at the 2017 Tomato Sandwich Party, Sept. 9 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at Grateful Tomato Garden (769 S. 600 East). To learn more, visit wasatchgardens.org.

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Think Veg

Tacofest Results

AS SEEN ON “ DINERS, DRIVE-INS AND DIVES”

Serving American Comfort Food Since 1930

“In a perfect world, every town would have a diner just like Ruth’s” -CityWeekly

“Like having dinner at Mom’s in the mountains” -Cincinnati Enquirer

4160 EMIGRATION CANYON ROAD | 801 582-5807 | WWW.RUTHSDINER.COM

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Quote of the Week: “It’s difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato.” —Lewis Grizzard Send tips to: comments@cityweekly.net

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-CREEKSIDE PATIO-87 YEARS AND GOING STRONG-BREAKFAST SERVED DAILY UNTIL 4PM-DELICIOUS MIMOSAS & BLOODY MARY’S-LIVE MUSIC ON THE PATIO-SCHEDULE AT RUTHSDINER.COM-

Back in July, we told you about the first annual SLC Tacofest on Aug. 5, which attracted local retailers and taco-lovers for a good-natured celebration and competition, all to benefit Meals on Wheels. Well, the event was a smashing success: More than 3,000 visitors enjoyed the inaugural event, and honored winners in categories including Best Traditional Taco (El Calor Taquería), Best Veggie Taco (Fajita Grill) and Taco of the Year (the Raptor Jurassic Taco from Jurassic Street Tacos). Best of all, the folks enjoying all of those tasty creations raised more than $7,000 for Meals on Wheels. Congratulations to everyone involved.

2991 E. 3300 S. | 385.528.0181

If you’ve ever toyed with making your diet meatless but don’t know quite where to start, SLC VegFest has you covered. Held at Library Square (210 E. 400 South) on Sept. 9, from noon-8 p.m., in part it’s simply a lively downtown party, with live music, children’s activities and beer garden to celebrate as summer winds down. But mostly it’s a great chance to learn about local vegan and vegetarian restaurants and packaged food retailers, listen to speakers discuss issues related to animal protection and likely shift your assumptions about giving up flavor when you change what you eat. For more info, visit slcveg.com

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Another Kind of Buzz Coffee beers aren’t not just for breakfast anymore. BY MIKE RIEDEL comments@cityweekly.net @utahbeer

oday’s lesson deals with one of the most popular craft-beer adjuncts around: our beloved coffee. The coffee bean is a natural and complementary flavor to most stouts, as the beans play well with the beer’s roasted character. But as brewers get more creative, they’re finding ways to enhance more than just obvious-looking or similar-tasting beers. The Wasatch Front is thick with breweries and coffee roasters constantly looking to infuse their respected beverages into groundbreaking new brews. Here are just a few examples of these great new (not just for breakfast) beers in your neighborhood watering holes. Epic Son of a Baptist: It pours a near-

black body of rich-looking ale, while the head is an attractive copper hue that is quite brassy in appearance. The nose has roasted coffee right off the bat—not Folgers, mind you, but complex fruity and roasted notes. Starting off with coffee, as you can imagine, subtle hints of pipe tobacco and leafy tea are also in the mix. As my mouth is coated with more stout, notes of licorice seem to sting the sides of my tongue, adding a brief spice. Toward the end, the stout becomes more evident, as molasses, char and roasted barley emerge. It’s little more complex than I was expecting, considering this is the smaller version of Epic’s Big Bad Baptist. I love coffee and stouts; it’s a real pleasure to drink a velvety-smooth coffee-enhanced ale where both are equally represented. Overall: This is a great example of a coffee stout. It should be noted that Epic contracts with different coffee roasters from around the country to blend local coffees specific to the cities Epic distributes in; the label on my can listed Salt Lake City’s Blue Copper Roasters. What a great Idea. Uinta 801 Small Batch Coffee Pilsner: Pouring a bright, golden-copper color, by its clarity, it’s hard to imagine that this is a coffee beer. The nose is faintly sweet, as lightly roasted coffee and toasted malt combine to create an aroma akin to a vanilla caramel macchiato. The taste is

MIKE RIEDEL

BEER NERD

roughly similar, but leads with a snap of sweet and toasty grains. The coffee addition—provided by Publik Coffee Roasters—begins to peak on the tongue around mid-palate. Slightly fruity green coffee beans quickly transition to a robust mixture of freshly ground dark roasted espresso, sweetened by generous amounts of pilsner malt. Near the end, mild roasted

bitterness builds in combination with subtle herbal hops, providing excellent balance to the initial malt sweetness. It finishes semisweet, with prickly and drying CO2 rounding it out. Overall: This is an excellent example of a beer you wouldn’t think would work well with coffee. It shows a well-crafted approach to balancing two different worlds and making them one. Shades of Pale Beer X Espresso Stout: This creation is opaque black in appearance with a tall head of rich, tan foam. The nose has concentrated coffee and dark chocolate with roasted spices, while the taste starts unapologetically with espresso provided by Layton’s Daily Rise Roasting Co.. At first I notice a natural tart cocoa bitterness that reminds me of chocolate-covered espresso beans. This is present throughout, and really sets the stage for the mid-palate. After moving it around in my mouth, tart and coffee-like qualities develop, taking it into a smoky realm with notes of caramelized sugar. The finish is semi-dry, with some acidic coffee bitterness. Overall: It’s an espresso-lover’s dream that captures what you love about the more extreme coffee roasts. Coffee beers rotate in and out of production at all times of the year. Ask your brewer when theirs is on. As always, cheers! CW

GOODEATS Complete listings at cityweekly.net Featuring dining destinations from buffets and rooms with a view to mom-and-pop joints, chic cuisine and some of our dining critic’s faves. Bombay House

Visit SLC’s undisputed champion of genuine Indian cuisine and hospitality. Using traditional cooking methods—including a charcoal-fired tandoori oven— Bombay House creates the finest naan, paratha and roti flatbreads, which are perfect for sopping up every last drop of the luscious curries. Those looking for heat should give the vibrant vindaloo a go. The restaurant also offers several vegetarian options, along with Indian tea, coffee, rose milk, and strawberry and mango lassis. Multiple locations, bombayhouse.com

The Copper Onion

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Owner and chef Ryan Lowder traveled the world, gathering inspiration, experience and cooking techniques before piecing them together into the gold mine that is The Copper Onion. The hip and welcoming restaurant serves some of the best small plates in town, such as the ricotta dumplings and patatas bravas. For dinner, the melt-in-your-mouth lamb riblets in a balsamic glaze are to die for. 111 E. 300 South, Salt Lake City, 801-355-3282, thecopperonion.com

Fratelli Ristorante

Bröst!

ere... h is r e m m Su

Fratelli’s has been the winner of the Best Italian category several times over in City Weekly’s annual Best of Utah issue, and there’s little doubt why: Owners Pete and Dave Cannella created a menu traditional to homeland Italy, they preach and practice the use of fresh ingredients and they treat everyone who walks through the door like family. Their Italian fare includes an expansive list of pizzas, pastas and salads, as well as a beer and wine list. Save some room for the delectable tiramisu. 9236 S. Village Shop Drive, Sandy, 801-495-4550, fratelliutah.com

Myung Ga

(801) 355-3891 • siegfriedsdelicatessen.biz

Paris Bistro

With an experienced staff of cooks and courteous service, Paris Bistro gives dining guests an experience much like you’d find on the Champs-Élysées. The filet mignon with squash blossoms and zucchini gratin is superb, and the lemongrass crème brûlée will satisfy even the pickiest of palates. An extensive wine list perfectly complements the exquisite cuisine. 1500 S. 1500 East, Salt Lake City, 801-486-5585, theparis.net

2005 E. 2700 SOUTH, SLC Best of Utah FELDMANSDELI.COM 2015 FELDMANSDELI OPEN TUES - SAT TO GO ORDERS: (801) 906-0369

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BEST RUEBEN

This eatery takes Korean barbecue to another level with sizzling and hefty portions of beef, chicken and pork. Along with the barbecue options, they also dish up insanely good dumplings; soups filled to the brim with scallops, shrimp and other seafood, and a cucumber kimchi that is out of this world. Myung Ga is capable of dishing up a quick meal for a lunch break or an extensive, authentic Korean meal for a pleasing dinner. 3353 S. Decker Lake Drive, West Valley City, 801-953-0478

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30 | AUGUST 31, 2017

REVIEW BITES A sampler of Ted Scheffler’s reviews

STORE

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Whenever I visit Squatters, the expertly crafted Vienna Marzen Lager inevitably calls out to me. Sweet caramel malts characterize this luscious, lightly hopped beer, which sort of screams for schnitzel and spaetzle. Since those Austrian standbys aren’t on the menu, I opt for a different type of pork dish to pair with it: carnitas. The Mexican-style carnitas at Squatters are made with high-quality, slow-roasted Niman Ranch pork and served with warm corn tortillas, queso fresco, fresh cilantro, salsa, guacamole, refried beans, rice and pico de gallo. This pairing presents a delicious example of Old World meets New. If you’re not quite up for that much food, the Marzen is also the perfect foil for Squatters’ pub pretzel with three-cheese sauce and Full Suspension Pale Ale mustard. Reviewed Aug. 10. 147 W. 300 South, 801-353-2739; 1900 Park Ave., Park City, 435-649-9868, squatters.com

is looking for editorial interns for the Fall 2017 term. Do you love media, want to be part of a thriving newsroom and have a desire to hone your writing chops? We’re on the hunt for hard workers to assist in the inputting of online events and writing of blurbs/articles for our award-winning weekly paper and daily website.

Requirements:

• Be available 10-12 hours a week starting Thursday, September 7. • An interest in pursuing journalism as a career is a must. • As is a strong desire to add to City Weekly’s established, alternative voice. • You think outside the box, know how to take direction and pay attention to detail. • Ability to get along with others and keep your cool while working on deadline is non-negotiable.

Please send résumé and no more than three published pieces to elimon@cityweekly.net by Monday, September 4.

CLASSIC FILM

Making Contact

CINEMA

Why Close Encounters on its 40th anniversary is the movie we need right now. BY SCOTT RENSHAW scottr@cityweekly.net @scottrenshaw

COLUMBIA PICTURES

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The mothership arrives in Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

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contact. Spielberg even devotes a scene to scientists at a conference puzzling out the significance of the movie’s iconic fivetone tune, which is later used as a method of communication. The heroes here aren’t people who are alarmed by the unknown, but by people who are curious, and they go about their work in a spirit of international cooperation. Which brings us to … It treats the arrival of visitors not automatically as a threat, but as an opportunity to learn. Cinema history doesn’t often make visits by extra-terrestrial life forms a particularly positive experience, what with your various blobs, body-snatchers, wars of the worlds and so forth. While the military is a distinctive presence throughout the build-up to Close Encounters’ finale, Spielberg never shows us images of soldiers with weapons trained on the spacecraft as it arrives at the Devils Tower rendezvous point. There’s a remarkable optimism built into the film’s structure, with its foundation the assumption that these aliens come with no malice—and this despite full awareness of abducted humans. It feels so crucial to recognize that people can respond to the arrival of unknown visitors without fear and loathing, and that such an approach can lead to a relationship of mutual communication and trust. Let’s imagine that more of our own encounters could be this close. CW

(Richard Dreyfuss) who has a life-changing moment after he witnesses alien spacecraft one night. He subsequently becomes unable to focus on anything else, seeing visions of a tower-shaped structure—eventually revealed to be Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming—that he compulsively builds out of shaving cream, mashed potatoes, modeling clay and a huge mound of dirt in the middle of his living room. Not surprisingly, this behavior freaks out his wife (Teri Garr), who ultimately takes their children and leaves him. Neary’s decision to join a team of astronauts going aboard the alien mothership became the movie’s climax. But in later years, Spielberg famously expressed regret that he treated Neary’s abandonment of his family so matter-of-factly. Maybe it’s worth considering that personal relationships can be damaged by single-minded pursuits. It celebrates scientists doing the job of figuring things out. While Neary’s story serves as the narrative’s emotional backbone, nearly as much time in the first hour is spent on a pair of researchers—played by Bob Balaban and legendary director François Truffaut—traveling around the globe to gather evidence of unexplained phenomena possibly related to alien visitation. Several of those scenes are used to build mystery—including the arresting image of a missing Russian ship inexplicably marooned in the middle of the Gobi Desert—but others are purely about the arduous work of preparing for possible direct

his summer, several generations of movie nerds paid homage to the 40th anniversary of one of the most influential movies of modern times: Star Wars. It was a landmark worth acknowledging, but also threatened to completely overshadow other significant releases of 1977: Annie Hall, Eraserhead, Saturday Night Fever and Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind. On one level, it’s easy to understand how Close Encounters—which returns to theaters this week with a limited-engagement theatrical release of the “director’s cut” in a 4K restoration—might be given short shrift. It wasn’t even the second-biggest box office hit of its year—that would be Smokey and the Bandit—and it often gets lost in the shuffle of Spielberg conversations between his early mega-blockbusters (Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T.) and his later dramatic classics (Schindler’s List, Saving Private Ryan, Lincoln). But here in 2017, there might be a few particularly significant reasons for recognizing CE3K’s many lessons, both positive and negative. Of all the vintage films we could get a chance to experience in theaters again, this might be the one we need most right now—and here’s why. It’s a case study in a different way to approach blockbuster filmmaking. Fresh off the success of Jaws, Spielberg chose to dive into what is still his only solo original screenplay credit. There are plenty of memorably tense scenes—most notably the extended sequence in which 4-yearold Barry (Cary Guffey) is abducted from his home and his single mother (Melinda Dillon)—but Close Encounters isn’t defined primarily by action. The awe-inspiring design of the alien spacecraft somehow still holds up in the CGI era, so it’s easy to understand how the climax could hold an audience rapt, despite the final 30 minutes consisting almost entirely of people staring in amazement. Spielberg trusted that viewers could be as captivated by wonder as they are by visceral thrills—and perhaps more filmmakers could take that alternate avenue to bigger-faster-more. It’s a reminder of what gets destroyed by obsession. The central plot focuses on a power-company lineman named Roy Neary

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CINEMA CLIPS

MOVIE TIMES AND LOCATIONS AT CITYWEEKLY.NET

NEW THIS WEEK

Information is correct at press time. Film release schedules are subject to change. CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND See feature on p. 31. Opens Sept. 1 at theaters valleywide. (PG) I DO … UNTIL I DON’T BB The facility for ensemble comedy that Lake Bell showed with her writing/directing debut In a World … gets lost as she makes the transition from the entertainment industry to theoretically everyday people. The story revolves around three couples participating in a documentary made by controversial filmmaker Vivian Prudeck (Dolly Wells) advocating for fixed-term rather than lifelong marriage: financially strapped married couple Alice (Bell) and Noah (Ed Helms); Alice’s hippie sister (Amber Heard) and her open-relationship partner (Wyatt Cenac); and perpetually bickering Cybill (Mary Steenburgen) and Harvey (Paul Reiser). Bell handles some of her physical comedy effectively, including a wonderfully awkward bit involving a “happy endings” massage parlor. But Vivian is too broad a stereotype at the center, and it feels almost too obvious that her attempt to prove her thesis by dividing her subjects will instead end up pulling them together. Despite some slick punch lines, the individual stories too rarely feel like they’re pulling in the same direction, making the Big Event that ultimately connects them seem desperate and artificial. The reality of marriage remains elusive between Vivian’s cynicism and Bell’s romanticism. Opens Sept. 1 at Broadway Centre Cinemas. (R)—Scott Renshaw LOST IN PARIS BBB The cinematic French clowning tradition of Jacques Tatí gets a pleasantly silly contemporary updating from the husband-andwife team of Dominique Abel and Fiona Gordon. Gordon plays a Canadian woman named Fiona, who replies to a request from her beloved 88-year-old Aunt Martha (Emmanuelle Riva) in Paris to save her from involuntary relocation to a retirement home. So it’s off to France for Fiona, who promptly loses all her belongings, can’t find the missing Martha and becomes intertwined with a homeless man (played by Abel). The plot is merely a thin structure on which to hang the physical comedy, with the gangly pair showing off some amusingly choreographed bits from getting caught in a Metro gate to balancing precariously on the edge of the Eiffel Tower. The material is thin, and a bit less effective when the humor isn’t based on slapstick and perhaps too locked in to using a romance between its two awkward leads as a center point. But when you can get a sequence like Riva and farceur Pierre Richard sharing a seated softshoe pas de deux on a cemetery bench, it’s best not to quibble. Opens Sept. 1 at Broadway Centre Cinemas. (NR)—SR

TULIP FEVER [not yet reviewed] Period romance between a painter (Dane De Haan) and a married woman (Alicia Vikander) in 17th-century Amsterdam. Opens Sept. 1 at theaters valleywide. (R)

out as the “we just created amazing art” scene might be, it’s a bit different when it involves Moriarty rasping out “PB&J.” (R)—SR

LEAP! [ZERO STARS] It’s ballerina porn for kids, with the worst possible message for anyone who dreams of being an artist. In a wildly anachronistic late 1880s France, orphan Felicie (Elle Fanning) runs away to a Disneyesque Parisland, where she lies and cheats her way into a ballet school at the prestigious Paris Opera. Later, she will be cast in a production of The Nutcracker (which would not debut until 1892— in Russia) and will perform without benefit of a single rehearsal. Who needs years of practice when you’ve got passion? This cheesy French/Canadian cartoon features animation like mid-2000s videogame cut scenes, an obnoxious score, corny “humor” and cringe-worthy dialogue. Oh, and there’s also the chase sequence up and around the under-construction Statue of Liberty (which was already in New York at this point), because that’s always a part of ballet’s artistic process. (PG)—MaryAnn Johanson

SPECIAL SCREENINGS REPO! THE GENETIC OPERA At Tower Theatre, Sept. 2, 11 p.m. (R) SWIM TEAM At Main Library, Sept. 5, 7 p.m. (NR) TIME BANDITS At Main Library, Sept. 2, 11 a.m. (PG)

CURRENT RELEASES GOOD TIME BBBB This is a movie about decisions, and two main characters—brothers Connie (Robert Pattinson) and Nick (co-director Benny Safdie) who make only bad decisions populate it. Connie pulls Nick into a bank robbery that winds up botched after a dye pack blows up, and from there Good Time puts its foot to the gas and never lets up. The rest of the movie is so bonkers, so completely unpredictable that it’s exhilarating. There’s little character development, but the script by Ronald Bronstein and co-director Josh Safdie has Connie tumbling from one bad situation to the next. Sean Price Williams’ cinematography is a wonderfully skittery jumble of handheld shots, extreme close-ups and static work, and there isn’t a false note from the actors, particularly the terrific Pattinson. There hasn’t been such a thrill ride in what feels like a decade. (R)—David Riedel

THE ONLY LIVING BOY IN NEW YORK B.5 A directionless young man has an affair with an older woman set to Simon & Garfunkel music, but director Marc Webb and screenwriter Allan Loeb don’t understand The Graduate well enough to mimic it. Recent college grad Thomas (Callum Turner) discovers that his father (Pierce Brosnan) is having an affair with a gorgeous woman (Kate Beckinsale), with whom Thomas then becomes infatuated. There’s also a magical guru (Jeff Bridges) who appears to speak to Thomas exclusively in literary quotes, lending an even more insufferable quality to this story of privileged people who romanticize a “gritty” pre-gentrification New York that never would have touched them. The filmmakers celebrate youthful self-absorption in a collection of fanciful clichés where the most plausible thing that happens is someone immediately hailing a New York City cab in the pouring rain. (R)—SR

PATTI CAKE$ BBB A gender-flipped 8 Mile with more comedic flair? Sure, sign me up. Danielle Macdonald plays Patricia Dombrowski, a 23-yearold New Jersey bartender still living with her mother (Bridget Everett) and ailing grandmother (Cathy Moriarty). But she dreams of bringing her skills as a rapper to the world with the help of her best friend (Siddharth Dhananjay) and a taciturn anarchist experimental musician (Mamoudou Athie). While there’s a familiar vibe to the “underprivileged kid who dares to imagine a better life” narrative and scenes like the big rap-battle showdown, there’s an effective secondary level in the relationship between Patti and her mother, whose own shot at a music career failed. Writer/director Geremy Jasper also brings spark to his visuals, including fantasy sequences of Patti imagining approval from her rap idol and pot-fueled recording-session hallucinations. But the movie really belongs to Macdonald, who evokes both the insecurity of a plus-size woman conditioned to expect failure, and the kid with the ferocity to spit out crazy rhymes. Plus, as played-

WHOSE STREETS? BBB Director Sabaah Folayan walks an effective line between big picture and individual stories in this you-are-there account of Mike Brown Jr.’s death in a police shooting in Ferguson, Mo., and ensuing community protests. Those protests unfold with the urgency of phone-camera footage and social-media messages, while news clips show the infuriating “both sides” coverage. Folayan also paints compelling character studies of individual community activists, bringing articulate passion to the story beyond the marches and slogans. Most significantly, though, it feels like a holistic portrait of a city that became a national buzzword, reminding us that people still had to make this place their home after cameras moved on. If one overarching story emerges, it’s people wondering if the “normal” in their lives will ever be the “normal” enjoyed by Americans who don’t happen to be poor and black. (R)—SR

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BY BILL FROST

@bill_frost

Breaking Blah

Ozark underwhelms; American Horror Story and You’re the Worst return.

Jason Bateman in Ozark (Netflix)

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Listen to Frost Mondays at 8 a.m. on X96 Radio From Hell, and on the TV Tan podcast via Stitcher, iTunes, Google Play or billfrost.tv.

sion that at least drew some eyeballs back to the original series, and set up a Wally Brando spin-off (let’s make this happen!). You know who could really use Dr. Jacoby’s golden shit shovel? CBS. In a garbage fall 2017 network TV forecast, the Eye Network will be churning out the rankest trash of them all—which makes their CBS Fall Preview (Monday, Sept. 4, CBS) a gotta-watch trainwreck: “What could be a worse idea than Young Sheldon? Hold our beer! Besides that forgone conclusion, we have SEAL Team and S.W.A.T., which are the same show—and Red State ’Merica will looove ’em! Also, there’s Wisdom of the Crowd, yet another tech-billionaire-solvescrime procedural! And don’t forget new sitcoms Me, Myself & I and 9JKL—at least not before we cancel them and plug in Big Bang Theory reruns! Only … CBS!” I’ll continue to argue that Season 1, Murder House, is still the best of the series, but American Horror Story: Cult (Season 7 premiere Tuesday, Sept. 5, FX) looks promising as hell. Cult begins on election night 2016, with Trumpy the Clown’s victory shattering leftie Ally (Sarah Paulson) and delighting loony Kai (Evan Peters)—but it’s not about politics. Showrunner Ryan Murphy says this season is about paranoia and “the euphoria and the fear” of the nation (which is current politics, but whatever). Several regular AHS players are returning for Cult, joined by newcomers like Billie Lourd, Alison Pill, Lena Dunham(!) and Billy Eichner(!!). This might finally be the one to top Murder House … thanks, Trump? When we left You’re the Worst (Season 4 premiere Wednesday, Sept. 6, FXX), Jimmy (Chris Geere) had just proposed to Gretchen (Aya Cash) … and then abandoned her on a hilltop. Jimmy’s cold feet haven’t warmed up at the outset of Season 4, Gretchen’s bitterness hasn’t cooled off, and hangers-on Lindsay (Kether Donohue) and Edgar (Desmin Borges) have no idea how to function in a post-GretchJim world. Don’t be sad: As funny as they were as self-absorbed/destructive bang-buds reluctantly falling in love, Gretchen and Jimmy are even more darkly hilarious as toxic exes who’ll inevitably get back together—if Gretchen’s revenge schemes don’t kill him first. Hulu Seasons 1-3 now, if not sooner. CW

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oo many people told me that I “just have to” watch Ozark (streaming, Netflix), another summer series that got by me because there are Too Many Shows. Ozark must be good, since Netflix has renewed it for a second season, right? I blame Netflix’s idiotic, downright Trumpian “Very Good/Very Bad” ratings system. The Jason Bateman crime drama (he also directed half of Ozark’s episodes) mostly lives up to its Southern-Fried Breaking Bad hype, leaning more heavily on action than creating any characters to give a shit about. This makes for a quick binge—smart, because the plot (a nonsensical money-laundering operation in a Missouri tourist trap) shouldn’t be overthought. “Very Meh.” Meanwhile, The Guest Book (Thursdays, TBS) is halfway through its debut season and you’ve probably never even heard of it. Creator/producer Greg Garcia’s (My Name is Earl) sorta-anthology comedy about a rental cabin in a small mountain town features a rotating cast of out-there characters and a Coen Brothers-like zeal for interconnected storylines. Each episode stands alone well enough, but The Guest Book will ultimately work best as a 10part whole on whatever streaming service it eventually winds up on—at which time, I’ll be asked “Have you seen this new show on Netflix? It’s sooo funny and weird! Love it!” Bonus: Indie-folk duo HoneyHoney closes each episode, Twin Peaks-style. Speaking of Twin Peaks (two-hour season finale Sunday, Sept. 3, Showtime) … yeah, so that happened. The Return, Showtime’s 18-episode series revival, has been more for fans of David Lynch in general than Twin Peaks-specific devotees, a careening WTF? ride with many a fantastic performance (Naomi Watts! David Duchovny!), brain-imploding visual (the atomic nightmare collage of Episode 8), and tearjerking farewell (R.I.P. “Log Lady” Catherine Coulson). But what does it all mean? Maybe the finale will reveal all, or not. Best to just consider Twin Peaks a summer diver-

TRUE

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CONCERT PREVIEW

High Road

MUSIC

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white man’s world. BY BAYNARD WOODS comments@cityweekly.net @baynardwoods

ason Isbell’s The Nashville Sound (Southeastern) is the summer soundtrack for those of us who fled small towns because of the sexism or the racism or the lack of opportunities—only to see all of those things amplified with the election of Donald Trump, rendering our hometowns almost hostile to our very existence. It is a white man’s record about the problems inherent in whiteness and masculinity, but, as always, Isbell doesn’t preach. Instead, he tells stories with as much literary ambition as any songwriter out there. Isbell used to play with the Drive-By Truckers, whose Southern Rock Opera (Soul Dump, 2001), though it was recorded before Isbell joined the band, in many ways prefigures Nashville Sound, with its three-guitar meditation on the “duality of the southern thing.” After Isbell left the Truckers, he got sober, married singersongwriter Amanda Shires, who also plays violin in his band, and they had a daughter. Shires’ violin is especially powerful on “White Man’s World,” where it serves as a haunting reminder lingering beneath the words, “Mama wants to change that Nashville sound/ but they’re never gonna let her.” I’d been struggling with these same issues—how to be a white man and not be a complete piece of shit. So I figured I’d talk to Isbell about it. City Weekly: Like you, I was born a southern dude who left there and I’ve identified some with the ways you struggle with that. It seems to be up front on this album. When “High Road” first came out, my wife and I both really felt like it was the first art that spoke to how we felt about our families and stuff at this moment. Did you write that after the election? Did it inspire that? Jason Isbell: I think that one was probably written before, but not long before, “White Man’s World.” But, you know, the climate was the same. … I don’t see the election as the culmination of the problem; I see that as a symptom of the problem. But if you’re going to make a good story, you’re going to need a good setting. The only way for me to tell people what the world is like right now, before I can move on to narrative considerations, is by explaining the cultural social climate. And that, to me, just can’t be discussed unless you bring up the divide in what people call politics. I don’t really see it as politics, though. I hate that word for this purpose. I think politics is … a business transaction in which we all determine who gets to make decisions on our behalf. I don’t think that’s the question here. How people should be treated based on the color of their skin or their gender or their identity—I don’t think those are political questions. I think those are questions of, really, ethics and beliefs. In “White Man’s World,” there’s the sense that being white men, especially southern, places us on the wrong side of history in many ways. You end the song talking about the fire in your little girl’s eyes. Did having a daughter help you grapple with masculinity and whiteness? It certainly made me more inspired to speak out about what I believe. I think I’ve felt the way that I feel for a long time. When she came along I thought, “I’m going to have to tell everybody how I feel now one way or another, because that’s what I want her to see, and if there’s any way I can make the world a better place for her, then that’s what I’m going to have to try to do.” But it didn’t change my beliefs and I think that’s how people are able to be white men with

DANNY CLINCH

801-590-9940 | facebook.com/theroyalslc

Left to right: Chad Gamble, Jimbo Hart, Jason Isbell, Derry deBorja and Sadler Vaden daughters and still be bigots, you know, [or] still be misogynists. What you said about being a white man, in certain ways it puts us on the wrong side but I think, more than that, it gives us a responsibility. I’m not going to feel guilty or ashamed about being a white man. I think those are terms that people who are on the other side of the argument use. The criticism I’ve received from “White Man’s World” comes in the form of proud white men saying, “I don’t have any shame or guilt for being a white man.” But nobody should really have guilt or shame about something they can’t control. I’m born a white person. The guilt and shame would come in if I didn’t use my privilege to try to make the world a better place for other people. Yeah when you sing about wishing you’d never pretended not to hear another white man’s joke, like growing up or whatever ... The older I get the more I think I should have said something every single time I heard the N-word in elementary school or every time I heard someone make a joke about women or Mexicans in a bar when I was growing up in Alabama. If there’s any regrets as I’m getting older, it’s that I didn’t stand up for people as often as I could have. I think really that’s what I’m talking about in that song is, since all these doors are already open for me, being a white man, my job is to try to hold them for the person behind me or … open them for someone they might be locked for. So I also write about politics and I’m going to see Jeff Sessions testify tomorrow ... Ol’ Beauregard! What would you say to him if you could take him back behind the barn and give him some advice or something? He should have stayed in Alabama. It will be too much scrutiny for a boy like Beauregard. It’s heartbreaking for me to see all these real serious bigots coming up and getting good jobs and being in control of some shit. I don’t know where to start with Sessions. I mean his idea of marijuana, first of all. I think if maybe he would smoke some of the marijuana, he would realize that people are all the same and that smoking a joint once is not going to kill you. There’s no crack rock in a joint. CW

JASON ISBELL AND THE 400 UNIT

w/ Frank Turner & the Sleeping Souls Friday, Sept. 8, 7 p.m. Red Butte Garden 300 Wakara Way 801-585-0556 Sold out All ages redbuttegarden.org

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AUGUST 31, 2017 | 35

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LIVE

BY RANDY HARWARD, ALEX SPRINGER & BRIAN STAKER

THURSDAY 8/31

The last show of Salt Lake City’s Twilight Concert Series is always a bittersweet occasion, and not just any band can wrap up one of downtown’s most celebrated live performance series. Enter The Roots, a hiphop ensemble that has the uncanny ability to unite music fans from all across the sonic spectrum. Their near-universal appeal has led to them becoming the house band on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Questlove co-producing the original cast recording of the Broadway blockbuster Hamilton. Legendary R&B vocalist Charles Bradley and local, Motown-inspired artist Joshy Soul help to send Twilight 2017 off with a bang. Hip-hop, R&B and soul is precisely the right mixture to bring the summer concert series to a close, and keep us warm throughout the colder months ahead. (Alex Springer) Pioneer Park, 350 S. 300 West, 5 p.m., $7.50 advance/$10 day of show, all ages, twilightconcerts.com

ZZ Top, Jordan Matthew Young

Sometimes it seems like Texas boogieblues icons ZZ Top are victims of their own image. Three guys, two with beards, one sans beard but named Beard—that’s where the trouble starts. Then you’ve got the flashy, sometimes furry, guitars. A wardrobe that crosses Bishop Don Magic Juan with Boss Hog. Choreography. But that image prevails only because of their ’80s heyday, when “Legs” and “Sharp Dressed Man” were MTV staples (during the network’s own peak). Before and beyond those days are hours of wryly humorous, stealthily intelligent blues rock tunes that ooze pure cool. For every lecherous lyric, there’s a sly, smart joke that you might not get until you’ve heard the

ZZ Top

BEN WATTS

The Roots, Charles Bradley, Joshy Soul

song a few times. Musically, the songs are a roadmap through the history of the blues (albeit with a focus on the Lone Star State strain). But image is just as important to the enjoyment of ZZ Top. The whiskers, the duds, the moves and the tunes amount to a Texas tornado of fun. (Randy Harward) Red Butte Garden, 300 Wakara Way, 7:30 p.m., sold out, all ages, redbuttegarden.org

FRIDAY 9/1 El Tri

¡A su pinche madre! I learned about El Tri—Mexico’s equivalent to the Rolling Stones—from local rock en Español band Leyenda Oculta. (And their bass player, Antonio García, is who taught me the Spanish analog for, “Holy fucking shit!” Thanks, ‘Tonio!). They had told me, with serious reverence, about opening for the band several years ago here in Salt Lake City. They also said it was unlikely the band would return; they feared that singer-guitarist Alex Lora, who turns 75 this year, was gonna retire. But never say

The Roots never—nunca digas nunca—they’re back, and we’re lucky. El Tri embodies the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll, and they play it in many forms: psych-rock, blues-rock, hard rock, punk and even straight-up blues (the original roots rock). And they do it with the same epic presence as legendary acts like the Stones, the Beatles, Springsteen and the Ramones. Lora bleeds this music. He’s a real rock star, but better: He engages with his fans to the point of taking their suggestions for song topics. So you don’t need to speak a word of Spanish to understand El Tri. Because we already speak the same language. ¡A su pinche madre—que suerte! As a bonus, the bill also includes Mario Ian, the former singer for noteworthy Mexican power/ thrash-metal quintet Rata Blanca, long running rap-rock outfit Kinto Sol, alt-rockers El Sur and cumbia band Los del Kañia. (RH) 801 Convention & Event Center, 1055 W. North Temple, 8 p.m., $45.25, all ages, ticketon.com

El Tri

WARNER MUSIC MEXICO

RALPH ARVESEN

36 | AUGUST 31, 2017

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SATURDAY 9/2 Lil Yachty, Reo Cragun

The duh-topia described in Mike Judge’s film Idiocracy is here, people. We handed control of the country to a corrupt, potentially mentally ill “man.” Lil Wayne can’t play guitar, but when he clumsily gropes the instrument like a pubescent learning how to “solo,” Americans cheer like he’s Jimi Hendrix. Everybody’s fakin’ it till they make it, including the inexplicably popular Lil Yachty, who can’t rap, sing or write— and just barely learned a cello isn’t a wind instrument. That’s right; when writing “Peek A Boo” from his latest album Teenage Emotions (Quality Control/Capitol/

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WEDNESDAY 9/6 Spoon, White Reaper

Britt Daniel and company, just another band out of Austin (to parody/paraphrase Boston’s Tom Scholz), has always seemed like the least Texan of Texas bands. The boyish, soft-spoken Daniel, with a minimal pop framework that recalls a less bristly Wire or a less British XTC, has created a discography full of clever songs imbued with dry humor and propelled by sparse yet sensual rhythms. Then they named the band after a song by the German krautrock band Can—with whom Spoon has little, if any, common sonic ground. The band comes full-circle with their ninth album, Hot Thoughts (2017), which marks their return to Matador Records, the label that released Spoon’s debut Telephono way back in 1996. Thoughts expands the band’s palette of smart, edgy pop and, as usual, will have you musing over his lyrics as well as moseying onto the dance floor. (Brian Staker) The Depot, 400 W. South Temple, 8 p.m., $29.50 presale, $35 day of show, all ages, depotslc.com

MONDAY - FRIDAY

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38 | AUGUST 31, 2017

Motown), Yachty saw Squidward from Spongebob Squarepants playing the clarinet and his brain, like a primitive slot machine, went—ding-ding-ding!— cello. (To paraphrase the Neil deGrasse Tyson meme: People don’t think the cello be like it is … but it toot.) Anyway, even if you forget all that, Yachty’s out touting, in his odiously vacant Auto-Tune drone, how he’s abstained from alcohol and drugs while also bragging about having sex with “six different whores at the same time on they grandmother’s back porch.” This, while he (read: his reps) portrays himself as the innovator of a whole new genre, saying he doesn’t consider himself a rapper. That’s some Trump team rationalization, right there. The worst part is that Yachty’s debut mixtape, Lil Boat (2016) is kinda fun if you focus on the beats. Oh, great—idiocy has gone airborne. (RH) The Complex, 536 W. 100 South, 8 p.m., $27.50 presale, $30 day of show, 21+, thecomplexslc.com

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M O U N TA I N T O W N M U S I C . O R G

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Miner’s Day at City Park FREE SHOW Show at 11:30 AM

Rumba Libre With Motherlode Canyon Band

Show at 4:00 PM

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32 Exchange Place • 801-322-3200 www.twistslc.com • 11:00am - 1:00am

The Bookends

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THURSDAY 8/31 LIVE MUSIC

LIVE MUSIC

KARAOKE (THURS) PHOENIX SOFT TIP DARTS

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40 | AUGUST 31, 2017

S ON U W FOLLO GRAM A T S IN

3425 S. State St. Suite D 385-528-2547 Tues & Fri: 3pm-1am Saturday: 11am-1am Sunday: 11am-9pm Closed Monday

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Chicago Mike (Hog Wallow Pub) Child Ivory + Brother + Telesomniac (Velour) Crucialfest After Dark feat. Earthless + Primitive Man + Korihor + Die Off + I Buried the Box with Your Name (Urban Lounge) see p. 41 Crucialfest After Dark feat. One More Time + Madge + RS2090 + Tarot Death Card + Strange Familia (Metro Music Hall) see p. 41 The Jersey Tenors (Peery’s Egyptian Theatre) Michael Chipman + Melinda Kirigin Voss (Gallivan Center) Milo + Randal Bravery + Sb the Moor + Kenny Segal (Kilby Court) Reggae Thursday (The Royal) Twilight Concert Series feat. The Roots + Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires + Joshy Soul & The Cool (Pioneer Park) see p. 36 ZZ Top + Jordan Matthew Young (Red Butte Garden) see p. 36

DJ Juggy (Bourbon House) Dueling Pianos (The Spur) Dueling Pianos: Drew & South (Tavernacle) Hot Noise + Guest DJ (The Red Door) Jazz Jam Session (Sugar House Coffee) Jazz Joint Thursday w/ Mark Chaney + The Garage All Stars (Garage on Beck) The New Wave (’80s Night) (Area 51) Therapy Thursdays feat. Grum (Sky)

KARAOKE

Cowboy Karaoke (The Cabin) Karaoke with DJ Benji (A Bar Named Sue) Karaoke (Willie’s Lounge) Live Band Karaoke (Club 90)

FRIDAY 9/1 LIVE MUSIC

Après Ski (The Cabin) The Australian Pink Floyd Show (USANA Amphitheatre) Cory Mon (Hog Wallow Pub)

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CONCERTS & CLUBS

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Crucialfest

Built to Spill

DJ, OPEN MIC, SESSION, PIANO LOUNGE

All-Request Gothic + Industrial + EBM + and Dark Wave w/ DJ Vision (Area 51) Chaseone2 (Twist) Dueling Pianos feat. Troy & Drew (Tavernacle) Friday Night Fun (All-Request Dance) w/ DJ Twitch (Area 51) Funkin’ Friday w/ DJ Rude Boy & Bad Boy Brian (Johnny’s on Second) Hot Noise (The Red Door)

KARAOKE

SATURDAY 9/2 LIVE MUSIC

Après Ski (The Cabin) Bonanza Town (The Spur)

Silver Tongued Devils (Johnny’s on Second) Spazmatics (Liquid Joe’s) Wild Country (The Westerner)

DJ, OPEN MIC, SESSION, PIANO LOUNGE Dueling Pianos feat. Troy & Jules (Tavernacle) DJ Latu (The Green Pig) DJ Sneeky Long (Twist) Sky Saturdays w/ DJ Juggy (Sky)

KARAOKE

Karaoke (Willie’s Lounge) Karaoke w/ B-RAD (Club 90)

SUNDAY 9/3 LIVE MUSIC

Après Ski (The Cabin) Courage My Love + Cardinal Bloom + Glaciers in Pangaea + Afterhand (The Loading Dock)

Karaoke (Cheers to You SLC) Karaoke (Willie’s Lounge)

The Bookends (Park City Mountain PayDay Pad) Corey Harper + Hollering Pines (Park City Mountain Canyons Village Stage) Crucialfest 7 feat. Strfkr + Baroness + Red Fang + The Nods + Super 78 + more (The Gateway) see above Crucialfest After Dark feat. Laserfang + Giraffula + Quiet Oaks (Metro Music Hall) see above Crucialfest After Dark feat. Wovenhand + Subrosa + 2-Headed Whale + Jaye Jayle + Hemwick (Urban Lounge) see above Dan Weldon (The Aerie Lounge) The Grass Roots (Egyptian Theatre) Harold Henry (The Ice Haüs) Housewarming Party + Famous Friends + Radiation Vacation (Kilby Court) Joy Spring Band (Sugar House Coffee) Kris Lager Band (Hog Wallow Pub) Lil Yachty + REO Cragun (The Complex) see p. 38

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Crucialfest After Dark feat. Loom + Fall Silent + Exes + Droopy Tights + Sympathy Pain (Urban Lounge) see above Crucialfest After Dark feat. Strfkr + Civil Lust + Conquer Monster + Martian Cult + Audiotreats (Metro Music Hall) see above El Tri + Kinto Sol + El Sur + Los Del Kañi (801 Event Center) see p. 36 The Federal Empire (Alleged) Folk Hogan + Murphy & The Giant (The Ice Haüs) The Grass Roots (Egyptian Theatre) Live Local Music (A Bar Named Sue) Live Music (Outlaw Saloon) Live Music on the Plaza Deck (Snowbird) Mike Beck Band (The Spur) Patwa (The Cabin) Teresa Eggertson (The Aerie Lounge) Vanessa Silberman + Salduro + Doctor Barber (Piper Down Pub) Wild Country (The Westerner)

Who would have the nerve, balls, huevos or stones to start a homegrown music festival from scratch and call it “Crucial” from the get-go? Salt Laker Jarom Bischoff, that’s who. Along with his wife, Tiffany, he’s made Crucialfest happen since 2011, and while it’s had ups and downs, the event has lived up to its billing as a must-see for local music fans thrilled at seeing their fave area acts alongside select national bands. This year’s lineup is the most impressive. Crucialfest began as a metal-heavy event, but it’s evolved into a festival inclusive of all genres and all types of music. Notable national bands The Growlers, Pinback, King Dude, Deap Vally, Strfkr, Baroness, Built to Spill, Red Fang, Minus the Bear and others perform on a bill comprised of close to 50 percent local bands, including such exceptional acts as The Ditch and the Delta, Mojave Nomads, The Nods, Conquer Monster, Super 78, Visigoth and more. This year, the Bischoffs are abetted by Lance Saunders and Will Sartain of vaunted local concert-promotion company S&S Presents, and Crucialfest expands into The Gateway for all-ages daytime shows on Saturday and Sunday . Crucialfest After Dark mounts 21-and-over events from Thursday to Sunday at Metro Music Hall and Urban Lounge, with highlights including a DJ set by Built to Spill main man Doug Martsch, a special appearance by goth-folk outfit Wovenhand, stoner rockers Weedeater and performances by locals SubRosa and Quiet Oaks. This is a truly unique festival experience. (Brian Staker) Various venues (see site for full schedule), $45-$165, discount promo code SUPERCHILL, crucialfest.com

PRIMITIVE MAN, KORIHOR, DIE OFF, I BURIED THE BOX WITH YOUR NAME

FRI 9.1 • CRUCIALFEST AFTER DARK W/ LOOM FALL SILENT, EXES, DROOPY TIGHTS, SYMPATHY PAIN

SAT 9.2 • CRUCIALFEST AFTER DARK W/ WOVENHAND SUBROSA, 2-HEADED WHALE, JAYE JAYLE, HEMWICK

TUE 9.5 • THE NODS

FRI 9.1 • CRUCIALFEST AFTER DARK W/ ONE MORE TIME 9/8: DUBWISE 9/9: RISK! 9/9: THE LIVING END 9/10: LA LUZ 9/11: COAST MODERN 9/12: GEOGRAPHER

CONQUER MONSTER, CIVIL LUST, AUDIOTREATS, MARTIAN CULT

SAT 9.2 • CRUCIALFEST AFTER DARK W/ LASERFANG GIRAFFULA QUIET OAKS

SUN 9.3 • CRUCIALFEST AFTER DARK W/ DOUG MARSTCH THE HOUND MYSTIC, ANDREW GOLDRING

TUE 9.5 • AL1CE

9/9: BIG DIPPER 9/13: TELESOMNIAC 9/14: BURLESQUE & BLUES 9/15: STIFF LITTLE FINGERS 9/16: ZION I 9/19: THE VIBRATORS

| CITY WEEKLY |

THUR 8.31 • CRUCIALFEST AFTER DARK W/ EARTHLESS

IMAGE DOWN, STARBASS, RARE FRACTURE, MORBID KITTY, SKYINVERTED

LOS YAYAZ, MIAMI FACE EATERS

WED 9.6 • PERTURBATOR

JEFF DILLON

VISIGOTH, DARKLORD

THUR 9.7• FEHRPLAY

THUR 9.7 • BEACHMEN

VERSAT

UMBELS, MARTIAN CULT, SPIRAL JETTIES

• THEURBANLOUNGESLC.COM •

FRI 9.8 • EXODUS, VILLAIN, DEATHBLOW • METROMUSICHALL.COM •

AUGUST 31, 2017 | 41

WED 9.6• WILLIAM CLARKE GREEN

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BAR FLY

WHITNEY PALMER LEWIS

Green Pig Blues Jam

Enjoy the Best Patio in SLC INTRODUCING! ‘APPY HOUR!

42 | AUGUST 31, 2017

Gary Tada doesn’t wanna rant, but he’s passionate about music—so rants just kinda happen. That’s fine. In fact, it suits the Monday-night blues jams that he, bassist Ray Rosales (pictured) and drummer Kevin Gardiner run at The Green Pig Pub. Speaking one’s mind is improvisation, right? Today, Tada’s tired of hearing the same old recycled Stevie Ray Vaughan licks. Same goes for the umpteenth rendition of “Mustang Sally” or “Stormy Monday.” He likes SRV. He respects the classics. But beating them to death is “not a fair way to look at the artistry of this idiom.” Plus, jam nights are informal proving grounds for musicians, and noteworthy acts are known to cruise jams to find members; it’s where you learn to be a pro. Tada reckons he’s been co-hosting the event for around a decade, after it migrated from the Zanzibar, then to the Speakeasy, then to the Pig. The way he, Rosales and Gardiner run it, the group starts around 9:30 with a 20-45 minute set, then opens the stage to all comers. Just please don’t bring the same ol’ stuff, Tada says. “If you’re gonna play Freddie King, don’t play ‘Hideaway’— how about ‘Sensation’?” He admits he can be a harsh taskmaster, but it’s all toward a reasonable end: “My ulterior motive is to get people to be really great blues artists.” (Randy Harward) The Green Pig Pub, 31 E. 400 South, 9:30 p.m., free, 21+, thegreenpigpub.com

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MONDAY

LIVE MUSIC

8.31 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.6 9.7 9.8 9.9

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CONCERTS & CLUBS COMPLETE LISTINGS ONLINE AT CITYWEEKLY.NET Crucialfest 7 feat. The Growlers + Built to Spill + Pinback + Minus the Bear + more (The Gateway) see p. 41 Crucialfest After Dark feat. Doug Martsch + The Hound Mystic + Andrew Goldring (Metro Music Hall) see p. 41 Crucialfest After Dark feat. Weedeater + INVDRS + Telekinetic Yeti + Filth Lords + The Wake of an Arsonist (Urban Lounge) see p. 41 The Grass Roots (Egyptian Theatre) Jack Grelle (Hog Wallow Pub) Josh Turner (Deer Valley Snow Park Amphitheater) Live Bluegrass (Club 90) Live Music on the Plaza Deck (Snowbird) Los Lobos + Ghost of Paul Revere + The Whiskey Gentry + Troubadour 77 + Michelle Moonshine Trio + Tom Bennett (Snowbasin Blues, Brews & BBQ) Oskar & Julia + Tim Daniels Band (Park Silly Sunday Market) Patrick Ryan (The Spur) Scott Klismith (Park Silly Sunday Market)

Dueling Pianos (The Spur Bar and Grill) DJ Curtis Strange (Willie’s Lounge) Open Blues Jam (The Green Pig) Red Cup Event w/ DJ Juggy (Downstairs)

KARAOKE

MONDAY 9/4 LIVE MUSIC

Amanda Johnson (The Spur) Astro Tan + Kitfox + The Solarists + Su Grand (Kilby Court)

DJ, OPEN MIC, SESSION, PIANO LOUNGE

Karaoke (Poplar Street Pub) Karaoke Bingo (Tavernacle) Karaoke with DJ Benji (A Bar Named Sue)

LIVE MUSIC

AL1CE + Image Down + Starbass + Rare Fracture (Metro Music Hall) The Axtel Duo (Piper Down Pub)

WEDNESDAY 9/6 LIVE MUSIC

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| CITY WEEKLY |

KARAOKE

SATURDAY, SEPT. 2

Monday Night Open Jazz Session w/ David Halliday & the JVQ (Gracie’s) Open Blues Jam (The Green Pig) see p. 42 Open Blues Jam hosted by Robby’s Blues Explosion (Hog Wallow Pub) Open Mic (The Cabin)

Cabin Fever & Miss DJ Lux (The Cabin) Open Jazz Jam (Bourbon House) Open Mic (The Wall at BYU)

4 SA HBOETE &R

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DJ, OPEN MIC, SESSION, PIANO LOUNGE

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DJ, OPEN MIC, SESSION, PIANO LOUNGE

Andrew Jackson Jihad (Kilby Court) Foster the People (The Complex) The Nods + Miami Face Eaters + Los YaYaz (Urban Lounge) Plini + David Maxim Micic + Nick Johnston (The Loading Dock)

SPANISH

BY DAVID LEVINSON WILK

ACROSS

1. “Gotta run!” 2. Kenobi’s trainee 3. Reason for a food recall 4. Big rig

48. Kelly who went from Fox News to NBC News in 2017 49. Nontext part of a text 50. Helper with a relocation 51. Fantasy league deal 52. “____ la Douce” (1963 film) 53. Tennis’ Nadal, to friends 54. No ifs, ____ or buts 55. Abbr. in an office address 56. Nonkosher entree 57. Sphere

Last week’s answers

No math is involved. The grid has numbers, but nothing has to add up to anything else. Solve the puzzle with reasoning and logic. Solving time is typically 10 to 30 minutes, depending on your skill and experience.

DOWN

5. Traditional beverage 6. Glad alternative 7. Schreiber who won a Tony for “Glengarry Glen Ross” 8. Tended the flowers 9. Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, with “The” 10. Street ____ 11. “Texas tea” 12. Cousin, e.g.: Abbr. 13. “I don’t mean to ____ ...” 21. Warren with the 1978 platinum album “Excitable Boy” 22. “Yeah, that makes sense” 26. Boy toy? 27. Measure (up) 28. Lipinski and Reid 29. 2008 Katy Perry hit “I Kissed ____” 30. Reliever’s stat 31. Wheezy chest sounds 32. Pigs 33. March 14, to math lovers 34. Sidestep 35. Shoe designer Blahnik 38. Politician with a limited future 39. Rice-____ 44. First movie to gross more than $2 billion (2009) 45. Dish eaten with chopsticks

Complete the grid so that each row, column, diagonal and 3x3 square contain all of the numbers 1 to 9.

1. Burl who won an Oscar for “The Big Country” 5. Immigrant’s course, for short 8. Its chief exec, Rick Wagoner, was ousted by the U.S. government in 2009 14. Knight club 15. Moo goo ____ pan 16. Less stuffy 17. Lamar who married a Kardashian 18. It may be obtained before leaving coll. 19. Singer with the 1994 hit “Bump n’ Grind” 20. 1970 Jose Feliciano classic that includes “Merry Christmas” in the lyrics ... in case your Spanish is rusty 23. Movie release day, often: Abbr. 24. Extended stretch 25. It may be obtained before going to coll. 26. Prime meridian std. 29. Batting fig. 30. 2003 Justin Timberlake hit that includes “girl” in the lyrics ... in case your Spanish is rusty 32. Wolfgang Puck’s flagship restaurant 35. Bud 36. Open a smidge 37. 1999 Ricky Martin hit that includes “crazy life” in the lyrics ... in case your Spanish is rusty 40. It could be fishy 41. Working without ____ 42. Needs a bath badly 43. 1999 Enrique Iglesias hit that includes “we dance” in the lyrics ... in case your Spanish is rusty 45. The “L” of L.A. 46. Hip-hop’s ____ tha Kyd 47. Speed: Abbr. 48. Many a fed. holiday 49. Defib expert 52. 1991 Color Me Badd hit that includes “my love” in the lyrics ... in case your Spanish is rusty 55. Vowel sound in “puzzle” 58. Get older 59. ____ Scotia 60. Airport landing area 61. “In case it’s of interest ...” 62. Spun records 63. Set sail 64. ____ Arbor, Michigan 65. “Your majesty”

SUDOKU

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44 | AUGUST 31, 2017

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY B Y R O B VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) The computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee invented the miraculous communication system that we know as the World Wide Web. When asked if he had any regrets about his pioneering work, he named just one. There was no need for him to have inserted the double slash—”//”—after the “http:” in web addresses. He’s sorry that Internet users have had to type those irrelevant extra characters so many billions of times. Let this serve as a teaching story for you, Virgo. As you create innovations in the coming weeks, be mindful of how you shape the basic features. The details you include in the beginning might endure. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) The sadness you feel might be the most fertile sadness you have felt in a long time. At least potentially, it has tremendous motivating power. You could respond to it by mobilizing changes that would dramatically diminish the sadness you feel in the coming years, and also make it less likely that sadness-provoking events will come your way. So I invite you to express gratitude for your current sadness. That’s the crucial first step if you want to harness it to work wonders. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) “Don’t hoot with the owls at night if you want to crow with the rooster in the morning,” Miss Georgia advised during the Miss Teen USA Pageant. Although that’s usually good counsel, it might not apply to you in the coming weeks. Why? Because your capacity for revelry will be at an all-time high, as will your ability to be energized rather than drained by your revelry. It seems you have a special temporary superpower that enables you both to have maximum fun and get a lot of work done. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) During this phase of your astrological cycle, it makes sense to express more leadership. If you’re already a pretty good guide or role model, you will have the power to boost your benevolent

B R E Z S N Y

Go to realastrology.com for Rob Brezsny’s expanded weekly audio horoscopes and daily text-message horoscopes. Audio horoscopes also available by phone at 877-873-4888 or 900-950-7700.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) Want to live to be 100? Then be as boring as possible. That’s the conclusion of longevity researchers, as reported by the Weekly World News. To ensure a maximum life span, you should do nothing that excites you. You should cultivate a neutral, blah personality, and never travel far from home. JUST KIDDING! I lied. The Weekly World News is, in fact, a famous purveyor of fake news. The truth, according to my analysis of the astrological omens, is that you should be less boring in the next seven weeks CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) “One should always be a little improbable,” Oscar Wilde said. than you have ever been in your life. To do so will be superb for That’s advice I wouldn’t normally give a Capricorn. You thrive your health, your wealth and your future. on being grounded and straightforward. But I’m making an exception now. The astrological omens compel me. So what does ARIES (March 21-April 19) it mean, exactly? How might you be “improbable”? Here are “We are continually faced by great opportunities brilliantly suggestions to get you started. 1. Be on the lookout for inspiring disguised as insoluble problems,” businessman Lee Iacocca said. ways to surprise yourself. 2. Elude any warped expectations You are currently wrestling with an example of this phenomenon, that people have of you. 3. Be willing to change your mind. Open Aries. The camouflage is well-rendered. To expose the yourself up to evidence that contradicts your theories and beliefs. opportunity hidden beneath the apparent dilemma, you might 4. Use telepathy to contact Oscar Wilde in your dreams, and ask have to be more strategic and less straightforward than you him to help you stir up some benevolent mischief or compassion- usually are—cagier and not as blunt. Can you manage that? I think so. Once you crack the riddle, taking advantage of the ate trouble. opportunity should be interesting. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) A modern Israeli woman named Shoshana Hadad got into trou- TAURUS (April 20-May 20) ble because of an event that occurred long before she was born. In Close your eyes and imagine this: You and a beloved ally get lost 580 B.C., one of her male ancestors married a divorced woman, in an enchanted forest, discover a mysterious treasure, and find which at that time was regarded as a sin. Religious authorities your way back to civilization just before dark. Now visualize this: decreed that as punishment, none of his descendants could ever You give a dear companion a photo of your face taken on every one wed a member of the Cohen tribe. But Hadad did just that, of your birthdays, and the two of you spend hours talking about which prompted rabbis to declare her union with Masoud Cohen your evolution. Picture this: You and an exciting accomplice illegal. I bring this tale to your attention as a way to illustrate luxuriate in a sun-lit sanctuary surrounded by gourmet snacks the possibility that you, too, might soon have to deal with the as you listen to ecstatic music and bestow compliments on each consequences of past events. But now that I have forewarned other. These are examples of the kinds of experiments I invite you, I expect you will act wisely, not rashly. You will pass a tricky you to try in the coming weeks. Dream up some more! Here’s a keynote to inspire you: sacred fun. test and resolve the old matter for good. influence to an even higher level. For inspiration, listen to educator Peter Drucker: “Leadership is not magnetic personality. That can just as well be a glib tongue. It is not ‘making friends and influencing people.’ That is flattery. Leadership is lifting a person’s vision to higher sights, raising a person’s performance to a higher standard, building a personality beyond its normal limitations.”

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) On its album Jefferson’s Tree of Liberty, Jefferson Starship plays a song I co-wrote, “In a Crisis.” On its album Deeper Space/Virgin Sky, the band covers another tune I co-wrote, “Dark Ages.” Have I received a share of the record sales? Not a penny. Am I upset? Not at all. I’m glad the songs are being heard and enjoyed. I’m gratified that a world-famous, multi-platinum band chose to record them. I’m pleased my musical creations are appreciated. Now here’s my question for you, Gemini: Has some good thing of yours been “borrowed”? Have you wielded a benevolent influence that hasn’t been fully acknowledged? I suggest you consider adopting an approach like mine. It’s prime time to adjust your thinking about how your gifts and talents have been used, applied, or translated. CANCER (June 21-July 22) Author Roger von Oech tells us that creativity often involves “the ability to take something out of one context and put it into another so that it takes on new meanings.” According to my analysis of the astrological omens, this strategy could and should be your specialty in the coming weeks. “The first person to look at an oyster and think food had this ability,” says von Oech. “So did the first person to look at sheep intestines and think guitar strings. And so did the first person to look at a perfume vaporizer and think gasoline carburetor.” Be on the lookout, Cancerian, for inventive substitutions and ingenious replacements. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) When famous socialite Nan Kempner was young, her mother took her shopping at Yves Saint Laurent’s salon. Nan got fixated on a certain white satin suit, but her mean old mother refused to buy it for her. “You’ve already spent too much of your monthly allowance,” mom said. But the resourceful girl came up with a successful gambit. She broke into sobs, and continued to cry nonstop until the store’s clerks lowered the price to an amount she could afford. You know me, Leo: I don’t usually recommend resorting to such extreme measures to get what you want. But now is one time when I am giving you a go-ahead to do just that.

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Summer at the Drive-In

As summer draws to a close, check your seasonal bucket list. Did you miss a few goals? Did you take any stay-cations in our fine state? Did you see any drive-in movies? Several of you might say to yourselves, “WTF is a drive-in movie?!” Drive-ins are uniquely American creations—you pack the car full of friends/family and pull into a parking lot in front of a giant screen. Some theaters have speakers that you can put in your window. Or you can get the sound on your car radio. The brainchild of Richard Hollingshead, the first drive-in theater opened in 1933 in Camden, N.J. Folks forked up 25 cents per car plus 25 cents per person to see a movie. Before then, people used home projectors pointed at the sides of barns and buildings or sheets hung in the backyard for outdoor viewing. Drive-ins didn’t become widely popular until the invention of attachable in-car speakers in the early 1940s. By 1958, there were around 5,000 scattered across the country—the peak of their popularity. Drive-ins were great because you could take the whole family, bring your own food and drink—and smoke. At first, you couldn’t see the screen over the car in front of you, but then that same Hollingshead fellow created a ramp system so cars would be at different heights. He even patented it. Utah has six official drive-ins. The largest is the Redwood Drive-In at 3688 S. Redwood Road (redwooddrivein.com). The others are the Motor-Vu in Riverdale (motorvu.com), the Echo in Roosevelt (rooseveltmovies.com), the Motor Vu Theater in Erda (motorvuerda.wordpress. com), the Sunset in Vernal and the Basin in Mt. Pleasant (sanpetemovies.com). Some Utah drive-ins are open only on weekends and many double as space for swap meets. Generally, there’s a charge per person, but many theaters admit small children for free. It’s so much cheaper than going to a Megaplex, especially since you can bring your own goodies. I grew up going to drive-ins with my mom. She would throw my brother and me in the back seat and go see something fairly racy for the time—like Liz Taylor in the 1963 movie Cleopatra. When the R-rated part flashed on the screen, she’d tell us, “Get down on the floor!” Make sure you try a drive-in before it gets too cool at night—it’s a classic summer pastime and an excellent retro experience. n Content is prepared expressly for Community and is not endorsed by City Weekly staff.

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WEIRD

Unclear on the Concept In early August, Volusia (Florida) County Beach Safety officers banished 73-year-old Richard G. Basaraba of Daytona Beach from all county beaches after it was discovered he was handing out business cards to young women, reading “Sugardaddy seeking his sugarbaby.” The mother of a 16-year-old said he approached a group of girls with his cards and continued to speak with the minor girl even after she told him her age. He also produced a bra padding, telling the girls he was “looking for someone who would fill it.” He told the 16-year-old she “would be perfect.” People Different From Us In a shocking display of mischief, an unnamed 60-year-old man in Singapore is under investigation for lodging three toothpicks in a seat on a public bus in July. If he is found to be the culprit, he could spend up to two years in prison. Singapore has an extremely low crime rate, and even minor offenses result in harsh punishments. For example, vandalism is punishable by caning. Police said at press time that the investigation was continuing. Wait, What? Practicing physicians in Cairo, Egypt, opened a surgerythemed restaurant called D.Kebda in July, where they wear surgical scrubs and prepare their only offering, grilled beefliver sandwiches, behind a glass partition. Kebda is a popular street food in Egypt, but it can cause food poisoning if not prepared carefully. “We tried to take our career values and apply them to this other field,” said Mostafa Basiouny, one of the owners. “There is no contradiction between them; we are still practicing doctors.”

n The Scardillo Cheese factory in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, has a squirrel to blame for a fire that ruined more than 20,000 gallons of milk on Aug. 8. The squirrel chewed through a main power line on the outside of the building, which sparked the fire, and power could not be restored for 12 hours. Already-made cheese was kept cool with generators, but milk being readied to make cheese warmed and went bad.

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Anger Management Customers at a Flying J truck stop in West Hanover Township, Virginia, got quite the show on Aug. 14 when Craig Troccia, 54, of Roanoke smashed the windshield of his truck and poured a cup of urine onto the interior. Wait—did we mention Troccia was naked? He then yelled a racial epithet at a black man and flashed his genitals at everyone within sight. Next, (still naked) Troccia pointed a gun at the same man and then at another man and threatened to kill them both. After state troopers loaded Troccia into their cruiser, he “slammed his body and head on the various panels of the vehicle,” they reported. He was charged with 34 criminal counts, including public drunkenness.

The Continuing Crisis There are 70 registered voters in McIntire, Iowa, but not one of them showed up to vote in a two-question special election on Aug. 1. Mitchell County deputy auditor Barbara Baldwin told reporters that even poll workers didn’t vote because none of them live in McIntire, which is about 130 miles northeast of Des Moines. Send your weird news items to weirdnewstips@amuniversal.com

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Paranormal Activity The South Carolina Emergency Management Division issued an alert on Aug. 9 in advance of the total solar eclipse on Aug. 21 asking South Carolinians to be “vigilant” and look out for Lizardmen during the celestial event. “SCEMD does not know if Lizardmen become more active during a solar eclipse,” the note reads. “But we advise that residents of Lee and Sumter counties should remain vigilant.” The folkloric reptilian beast is thought to live in swampland around Lee County and frequent sewers in nearby towns. While some people thought the warning might be a joke, SCEMD said it “will neither confirm nor deny” the existence of Lizardmen.

Compelling Explanations Jeremy A. Perkins, 27, was led astray by someone who told him “the purge” was happening on Aug. 12 in Kansas City, Mo. (The Purge was a 2013 horror film that envisioned a temporary decriminalization of all criminal acts, after which society collapses in chaos.) In response (and high on methamphetamines), Perkins climbed to the top of a building and began throwing rocks at passing vehicles. Perkins told responding officers that he perceived everyone as his enemy and was trying to protect himself. He added that if he had had a gun, he would have shot people.

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Least Competent Criminals Criminal justice student Jordan Dinsmore, 20, of Columbia, S.C., had her car’s manual transmission to thank for her safe escape on July 26. Three men approached her around 1 a.m. and pointed a gun at her. After robbing her of her phone and purse, the men forced her into her car, threatening to kidnap and rape her, but when they realized none of them knew how to drive her stick-shift car, one of the criminals ran away. The other two forced Dinsmore to drive to an ATM

The Weirdo-American Community Residents of Hollis, Maine, were unnerved on the evening of July 25 as Corey Berry, 31, wearing a clown mask, walked around town with a machete duct-taped to the place where his arm had been amputated. When Berry, intoxicated, was taken into custody in nearby Waterboro, he explained to officers that he was copying other clown sightings as a prank on a friend. Karmen LePage of Hollis warned: “He’s not funny. We live in the woods; you think we don’t have guns? He’s … lucky.”

Babs De Lay

| COMMUNITY |

Animal Antics A skunk got up close and personal with a 13-year-old boy on July 25 when it climbed into his bed in Hamden, Conn., apparently after hitchhiking into the house in a trash can. The family was able to remove the skunk without the help of the Hamden Animal Control Division, but an officer said the “smell of skunk … emanated throughout the house.”

n Surveillance video from a July 27 break-in at the home of John C. Burbage, 59, of Naples, Fla., showed a surprisingly familiar picture of the perpetrators: Harold Russell Lanham, 22, and his dad, James Edward Lanham, 41, both of whom Burbage employed and both of whom were wearing their work uniforms. The Lanham duo stole a safe containing more than $30,000 worth of cash and property from their boss’ home.

| CITYWEEKLY.NET |

Great Expectations On Aug. 7, 16-year-old Jack Bergeson of Wichita, Kan., filed papers in Topeka to run for governor as a Democrat in the 2018 race. Bergeson, who won’t be able to vote in that election, said: “I thought, you know, let’s give the people of Kansas a chance. Let’s try something new.” The candidate says he would “radically change” health care and would support legalizing medical marijuana, but he’s conservative on gun rights. Bryan Caskey, director of elections at the Kansas secretary of state’s office, said there is no law governing the qualifications for governor. Bergeson’s running mate, 17-year-old Alexander Cline, will be 18 by the election and will get to vote.

to withdraw cash. As she drove, Dinsmore removed her seatbelt, then put the car in neutral and jumped out, screaming, “Call 911! Call 911!” to passing motorists. The Richland County Sheriff’s Department arrested a 15-year-old and a 17-year-old in the kidnapping and robbery.

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