NOV 18-24, 2020 NEWS, ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM
A ‘WHE��IE’ ���D ��ME
Front Porch Improv and Wheelie Good Dog Treats co-host a unique show this weekend.
PIGEON IN HIS WHEELCHAIR PHOTO BY DAN CANNON PHOTOGRAPHY
wednesday Half off Boles of Wine thursday & Sunday CONNECT SAVANNAH | NOV 18-24, 2020
Live dj | 6-9 pm Drink specials
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Friday, Saturday and Sunday
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Roasted Turkey • Homemade Dressing • Macaroni and Cheese Green Beans or Collard Greens Sweet Potato Soufflé or Mashed Potatoes Cranberry Sauce & Fresh Rolls • Pumpkin or Pecan Pie
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Regular menu will also be available.
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CONNECT SAVANNAH | NOV 18-24, 2020
JOIN OUR ANNUAL THANKSGIVING FEAST NOVEMBER 28
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TO HAVE AN EVENT LISTED IN WEEK AT A GLANCE EMAIL WAG@CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM. INCLUDE DATES, TIME, LOCATIONS WITH ADDRESSES, COST AND A CONTACT NUMBER. DEADLINE FOR INCLUSION IS 5PM FRIDAY, TO APPEAR IN NEXT WEDNESDAY’S EDITION.
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WEDNESDAY 11.18
Bike Walk Savannah and Live Oak Public Libraries present the Literary Scavenger Hunt around Savannah. Go to bikewalksavannah.org for a list of items from the hunt — complete a row, column or diagonal and share your photos on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter to be entered to win a special swag bag. Make sure to tag Bike Walk Savannah, Live Oak Public Libraries and #BookWalkSAV for your entry to be counted! 8 a.m. bikewalksavannah.org Every Wednesday is Wine Wednesday at Cohen’s Retreat. Choose from the handpicked $20 a bottle selection of reds and whites. Cohen’s Retreat, 5715 Skidaway Rd. cohensretreat.com
THURSDAY 11.19
Lecture: Contemporary AntiSemitism in Europe
Dr. Gunter Jikeli, Indiana University Erna B. Rosenfeld Professor in Jewish Studies, Associate Professor of Jewish Studies and Germanic Studies, speaking on the topic “Contemporary anti-Semitism in Europe.” Presented by the Savannah Council on World Affairs. 7:30 p.m. $10 guests, free for members savannahcwa.org
CONNECT SAVANNAH | NOV 18-24, 2020
Savannah’s Gingerbread Competition & Trail
The Savannah Harbor Foundation is reinventing a holiday tradition. Register and drop off your gingerbread creation at the Desoto Hotel in Savannah November 19 - 21 to win top prizes and support area charities. After judging, entries will be displayed at hotels, restaurants, and shops throughout downtown November 28 through Christmas Day. 11 a.m. The DeSoto Savannah, 15 E Liberty. savannahgingerbread.com
SATURDAY 11.21
Forsyth Farmers Market
Local and regional produce, honey, meat, dairy, pasta, baked goods and other delights. Rain or shine. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. 4 Forsyth Park, Drayton St. & East Park Ave.
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invited too!) with two mini improv shows at 10am and 11am. Bring your kids, your friends - and your pups! The shows are free and open to the public. Coffee, mimosas, and juice for the kids will be served. Masks are mandatory and our shows are socially distanced. First come, first served. 9:30 a.m.-noon Front Porch Improv, 210 W. Victory Drive. Free frontporchimprov.com
Literary Scavenger Hunt with Live Oak Public Libraries
Wine Wednesday
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SUNDAY 11.22
Live from Victory North: Of Stage and Screen
2020 Savannah Book Festival Virtual Event:
John Connolly and James Lee Burke in Conversation SAT, NOV 21
SBF presents John Connolly and James Lee Burke in conversation. Connolly, an international bestseller, is the winner of a number of literary prizes for his work which include the Charlie Parker series of thrillers, the supernatural collection Nocturnes, the Samuel Johnson Trilogy for younger readers, and (with Jennifer Ridyard) the Chronicles of the Invaders series. James Lee Burke finished his first novel, Half of Paradise, when he was 23. His Latest book is A Private Cathedral . 1 p.m. savannahbookfestival.org. Free to attend. Items for sale. 912-484-0279. forsythfarmersmarket.com
Gardening Session
Learn how to garden and harvest vegetables and herbs to bring home. Kerry Shay, an organic farmer and owner of landscaping company Victory Gardens, provides free instruction. First and third Saturday of every month. third Saturday of every month, 9:30 a.m. Charles H. Morris Center, 10 East Broad St. Free and open to the public
Islands Farmers Market
Weekly farmers market on Talahi Island highlighting local growers and makers, healthy foods and a positive environment. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Islands Farmers’ Market, 401 Quarterman Dr. facebook.com/islandsfarmersmarket
Undefeated Warrior Foundation Turkey and Food Drive
Savannah native and NFL Defensive End, Anthony M. Lanier II, and his nonprofit organization, Undefeated Warrior Foundation, will host the Inaugural Turkey
and Food Drive. This is a drive-thru event offering needy families a frozen turkey and produce as they remain in their cars to mitigate the risk of COVID-19. While supplies last. 10 a.m.-noon Carver Village Community Center, 905 Collat Ave. undefeatedwarrioraml2f.org
Varnish + Vine and Simply Potted Pop Up
Service Brewing hosts the final Savannah cactus plant pop up of the year Alanna and Ben of Simply Potted Savannah. Peruvian Apple Cactus cuttings available for $15 per foot and Monstrose cuttings for $5 per foot. Come out and support these popular plant purveyors and stock up on holiday gifts. 1:30-3:30 p.m. Service Brewing Company, 574 Indian Street. simplypottedsavannah.com
Wheelie Good Improv Show
Front Porch Improv is teaming up with Wheelie Good Dog Treats for a family community event (that means dogs are
Wind musicians from Savannah Philharmonic present an evening of music originally composed for the silver screen and stage plays. The program features Debussy’s beautiful Petite Suite, Gershwin’s fun Promenade (Walking the Dog), and a soothing piece by celebrated American composer Amy Marcy Cheney Beach. To close, you’ll be treated to some of the most recognizable melodies in all of classical music with “Morning Mood” and “In the Hall of the Mountain King” from Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite. 7:30 p.m. Victory North, 2603 Whitaker Street. $85 savannahphilharmonic.org
MONDAY 11.23
Tybee Island Farmers Market
Weekly market featuring a variety of produce, baked goods, honey, eggs, BBQ, sauces and dressings, popsicles, dog treats and natural body products. Artisans are also featured each week. The market is non-smoking and pet friendly. Located at 30 Meddin Drive. We are right behind the Historic Tybee Lighthouse. Visit the website for more info. 4 p.m. 30 Meddin Drive, 30 Meddin Drive. tybeeislandfarmersmarket.com
TUESDAY 11.24
Whiskey Tasting Classes
Participate in an educational and exciting whiskey tasting class. Taste and learn differences between six different whiskey varieties. Reservations required. 7:30 p.m. Congress Street Up, 220 W. Congress St. $53.50 americanprohibitionmuseum.com/ savannah-speakeasy
NEWS COMMUNITY
OUR VALUES
Helping the families of fallen heroes
200 Club of the Coastal Empire holds 5th annual Boston butt sale fundraiser
BY BRANDY SIMPKINS THERE’S NOTHING like having the peace and warmth of understanding individuals by your side during life’s most difficult moments. For Patsy Rogers, one of life’s most difficult moments occurred on Dec. 13, 2004, when her husband Larry Rogers, the fire chief of the city of Claxton, Ga., suffered a fatal heart attack after fighting three fires back to back. Thankfully, Rogers did not have to face this horrific experience all alone. “Members of the 200 Club met with me the following week and introduced themselves and what they do,” Rogers said. What organization members probably told her that day is that the 200 Club of the Coastal Empire is a 501(c) (3) organization that was founded on Dec. 12, 2000 to provide immediate financial assistance to the families of local law enforcement officers and firefighters who lost their lives in the line of duty, while protecting their community. “They presented me with a check to meet immediate financial needs,” Rogers said. “They have always included the families in all of their activities and do for us throughout the year. They have never forgotten us.” Now, the 200 Club are asking that the
community helps them while they continue to assist the families of those brave, frontline men and women that serve us all. For the 5th year in a row, the 200 Club is having their $25 Boston Butt sale fundraiser. These delicious, fully smoked, 5 lb. entrees will be prepared by the cooking team at the Chatham County’s sheriff’s office. They are available for pre-order now, and they will be ready for pick-up on Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 23-24, from noon-5:30 p.m., at 1050 Carl Griffin Drive. “We are so very thankful for Sheriff John T. Wilcher and his team of volunteers for cooking, packing and hosting this sale,” said Leisl Tanner, administrator for the 200 Club of the Coastal Empire. Every dollar of the proceeds will go toward the families of fallen heroes with stories similar to Rogers’. Rogers is now a member of the 200 Club, acting as the support she both needed and received during her own burdened time. She is a patron of the 200 Club’s annual fundraiser for the third year in a row. “Last year I got about 15 (Boston butts) and everyone said to put them on my list for this year. They are the best I’ve ever had! I would highly recommend them!” Rogers said. Orders of 10 or more Boston butts will be delivered upon request. For more information on the Two Hundred Club of the Coastal Empire, please visit their website, www.twohundredclub.org.
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Sheriff John T. Wilcher helps prepare and cook each Boston butt. PHOTO COURTESY WTOC-TV
Connect Savannah at its core is focused on arts and entertainment and the happenings in our community. We are also a news organization with professional journalists who write about community issues and the people who live here. The public has a right to know, and Connect Savannah is dedicated to keeping readers informed and aware of all that goes on in the community. The pursuit of truth is a fundamental principal of journalism. But the truth is not always apparent or known immediately. A professional journalist’s role is to report as completely and impartially as possible verifiable facts so readers can, based on their own knowledge and experience, determine what they believe to be the truth. That is often an ongoing pursuit as journalists work to uncover stories and follow those stories wherever
they lead, regardless of preconceived ideas. The news that they report is separate from opinions shared in our labeled commentary, special columns, reviews and submitted letters to the editor. The presentation of both news and opinion is designed to educate, entertain, inform and foster conversation. We appreciate and encourage readers to share news tips with us, and to share any criticism and questions. We are your comprehensive local news source for the arts, entertainment, music, and community events. We are here to serve you. We are blessed to be part of the greatest country in the world and the freedom it bestows on its citizens and its press. Find us on these platforms or reach out to our newsroom at news@ connectsavannah.com or 912-721-4378.
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NEWS COMMUNITY
Enjoy Some ‘Wheelie’ Good Laughs at Front Porch Improv Theatre
Pigeon in his wheelchair CONNECT SAVANNAH | NOV 18-24, 2020
PHOTO BY DAN CANNON PHOTOGRAPHY
BY TAYLOR CLAYTON
IF YOU’RE IN need of some laughs and cute pups to help take your mind off 6 the pandemic, Front Porch Improv and
Wheelie Good Dog Treats have got you covered with the family-friendly Wheelie Good Improv Show, which will be held at the Front Porch Improv Theatre from 9:30 a.m.-noon on Saturday. The two local businesses will combine forces to provide Savannahians with offthe-wall comedy – along with dog treats available for purchase courtesy of Wheelie Good Dog Treats, food, coffee from Origin Coffee Bar, juice and tons of fun. The
socially-distanced comedy performances will begin at 10 a.m., with a second showing taking place shortly after at 11 a.m. The event is mask-mandated, free to the public and is dog and kid-friendly. With the pandemic still taking hold of many local businesses, the folks at Wheelie Good Dog Treats and Front Porch Improv decided to help each other out. The idea for Wheelie Good Dog Treats was birthed due to the pandemic, and a little help from a
special canine companion. “We have our dog Pigeon, who is in a wheelchair, and I’ve had a pet sitting business for 10 years,” said co-owner of Wheelie Good Dog Treats Erica Cannon, who owns the business with her husband Daniel Blake Cannon. “When Covid hit and no one needed us for like a month or two, we were trying to figure out what else to do, and one of my friends was like, ‘Why don’t you start a dog treat business?’ My
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husband and I were trying to think of a name and thought we should incorporate Pigeon. My husband came to me and said, ‘What if we call it Wheelie Good Dog Treats?’ Because I love a pun, that’s what we decided.” Pigeon has become a local celebrity since the inception of Wheelie Good Dog Treats, with more than 93,000 followers on Instagram. She was involved in a car accident early in life and unfortunately lost the use of her back hind legs, which required a dog wheelchair for her to get around. It’s a sad set of circumstances, but you’d never know it from how happy she looks on her Instagram page, often playing tug-of-war with Cannon and using her wheels to zoom toward wherever she needs to go. “We got Pigeon three years ago Dan Gilbert from Front Porch Improv and Pigeon PHOTO BY DAN CANNON PHOTOGRAPHY in October, right before Halloween,” said Cannon. “She went viral of it normally in the beginning – they put experience and it’s just a place of joy.” because there was this video taken of her her in it, started filming, and she started Pigeon has become the mascot for the at the dog rehab place where they got her running around like a crazy wild animal, brand and brightens everyone’s day who wheelchair in, and basically what happens almost popped a wheelie, and everyone follows @piegonpup on Instagram. The when most dogs get in a wheelchair – and was just like, ‘What in the heck, we don’t treats Pigeon enjoys are available on their I know this since Pigeon goes to help dogs see dogs do this.’ So I thought let me make website, wheeliegoodtreats.com. figure it out because they are so scared an Instagram for her and it’s been a great For Cannon, she has taken every
opportunity that comes her way to grow her business; likewise for Front Porch Improv, founded by four former New Yorkers who performed comedy in the city and decided to bring their talents to Savannah. The group has grown now to a full roster of talented comedians who provide laughs at various events for the community, as well as teach business workshops, comedy classes, and perform private shows. When Cannon went with a friend to one of their shows, the idea made too much sense to not take advantage of, according to co-owner, marketing director and improviser Dan Gilbert. “Improv is all about saying yes and Savannah is such an amazing place for partnerships,” Gilbert said. “It’s truly the best community I have ever lived in. Everybody really supports each other and we love partnering with people – especially awesome people with awesome dogs.” Details for the event, as well as upcoming comedy shows, can be found on their website frontporchimprov.com
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Coach’s Corner now serving breakfast
Thunderbolt mainstay takes on some staff of just-closed Larry’s ice storms, many floods. Back in ‘94 this whole place was under water. We stayed open to do everything to try to keep food going out to the people who needed it, and during the pandemic, that really proved to BY LINDY MOODY be a big thing.” Despite the pandemic, Coach’s has been able to maintain its stronghold in EASTSIDE SAVANNAH LOCALS and the hearts of sports and food lovers alike. Thunderboltians (if that’s a thing), have Unfortunately, not all local restaurants always enjoyed the normalcy of their staple can say the same. I know I am speaking restaurants as a sure thing when their for myself and many when I say that it was bellies rumble at any time of the day. The devastating to hear the pandemic affect spirit and vibes of “this side of town” are a local institution, and the biggest blow exactly what you would expect – hospitable to any longtime Savannah resident was and always consistent with no need for hearing of the closing of Larry’s Restaufrocks or fancy attire. rant. That list of disappointed locals surely For decades Coach’s Corner has served includes Henderson, who has visited the as a local watering hole and sports destina- restaurant since he was a youngster. tion for Chatham locals. Despite hurricane Coach’s Corner has been a big fan of force winds or even a pandemic, locals Larry’s Restaurant since the day it opened know that Coach’s doors are almost always more than 30 years ago. So when Larry’s open – even if the services were powRestaurant announced it would permaered by a generator or offered with safely, nently shut its doors, Henderson stepped socially-distanced take home grab bags. up. I personally have spent many uncertain With just one idea (and a little planning), afternoons during hurricane seasons at Coach’s Corner recently expanded their the table in Coach’s waiting out the storm. menu to include breakfast and help keep They have offered these locally loved serthe memory of Larry’s Restaurant alive vices to the Thunderbolt residents and and the food of Larry’s available. Larry’s Savannahians for quite some time. was one of those Savannah institutions According to John Henderson, Coach’s that had a permanency on the community operating partner, “March will be 30 years. and its regulars. There was nothing to ever shut us down. We went through many hurricanes, many
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SAV PHIL
PRESENTS
Of Stage and Screen November 22 7:30pm
Join us for an evening of classical favorites from “In the Hall of the Mountain King” to “Morning Mood.” Enjoy musically themed craft cocktails before the performance during cocktail hour.
Coach’s Corner exterior
As I sat and ate my piping hot breakfast, Henderson told me his tale: “Mary, who was the manager over there, has been a good friend and customer because I was a customer of theirs forever – [for] thirty years or so. I used to go there with my father back when he was around. It was a great place for Shriners and friends we all knew.” “Mary has been coming in during the pandemic since we were still open and they were closed, and a lot of conversation was made to whether they were going to open or not sic]. In the end they didn’t open. So, at that point we were considering going over there to open it back up. I did not feel like it was time to do another restaurant right now, at this point in my life, so we talked to the cooks and Mary and they decided they would come here.” Being a long standing, fully functioning restaurant and bar, the new path for Coach’s was practically seamless. A new toaster oven and prep station was all it took. “We hired two of the breakfast cooks, that were their core; and Mary who is the manager and one of their servers,” Henderson said. The sports bar quickly transitioned into breakfast service because Larry’s staff already had what it took. “I have always wanted to have breakfast here but never wanted to go into business against people around me,” Henderson said. “It was hard to be able to find people to come in at 5 in the morning to do that job. It is a different kind of person that gets up at five and comes into work in this business. Our business in the past has always been wings, and burgers, and fingers, and sports, and sometimes late nights.”
Breakfast menu
Coach’s breakfast menu is a concise version of Larry’s menu and includes all of the breakfast classics. There are a few less items, but the cornerstone dishes were kept. I am partial to, and always order, a straightforward breakfast. Two eggs served with hash browns, bacon and toast. Coffee to start is always a prerequisite. You can have your eggs expertly cooked anyway you liked (except hard boiled) and have a choice of bacon, sausage patty, smoked sausage or ham. For a bit of flare, you can take any of the above ingredients and have it served as a sandwich on a biscuit or toast. Skip the bread and order an omelet with veggies and cheese, meat and cheese or just cheese. Specialty items include dishes like saucy savory smothered shrimp that is served with two eggs, biscuit or toast, and grits or hash browns. Classic hearty hamburger steak is served just the same, two eggs and your choice of sides. My favorite of all the specialties are the salmon patties, and, appropriately, fried is the only way to get them. At only $11.25 for the salmon, plus on the sides, you cannot find a heartier southern breakfast. In 2021, Coach’s plans to extend their new breakfast hours to include weekends. The bar has always been stocked to the brim with a plethora of draft beer, wine, and liquor, so having a boozy Sunday brunch should come natural. Henderson told me, “It will be more brunch style. We will also do the lunch items as well. We will probably start at 8 and go until about 1.” Right now you can honor the memory of Larry’s Restaurant from 6 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., Monday through Friday – all you have to do is go see The Coach on Victory Drive.
Tickets: $85 Livestream: free SAVANNAH PHILHARMONIC
For tickets visit savannahphilharmonic.org Livestreaming is made possible by Nancy & Ken Larsen
Presenting Sponsor
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Transforming into a breakfast spot
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FOOD & DRINK HOME BREWING TJ Cline, Savannah Brewers League President (April 2019).
THE
JOYS
Chris Stovall standing in front of the SBL Portable bar. A 6 tap bar built to share members kegged homebrews at SBL events
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A lemoncello hard seltzer brewed by Chris Stovall Jeremy Buddemeier with his 29 2019 medals for competing in regional beer competitions (December 2019).
Savannah Brewer’s League helps budding beer makers BY JESSICA FARTHING
CONNECT SAVANNAH | NOV 18-24, 2020
JEREMY BUDDMEIER HAS been brewing beer for almost 20 years, but only seriously the last four. That’s when he moved to Georgia and became a member of the Savannah Brewer’s League, a local club devoted to all aspects of home brewing. Through the organization, he found support for his hobby. “The club has a wealth of experience,” Buddmeier said. “You can ask questions to the members. There is lots that can be found on brewer’s forums online, but this is a little personalized.” It all started for Buddmeier when he 10 moved in with a friend in San Francisco.
Someone had left their homebrew kit and he took it down to a local shop to learn more about the process. After his first batch, he said he was hooked. Buddmeier moved to Hawaii and then Germany. The quantity of wonderful German beer made him a little less apt to brew his own. Eventually, he moved to Savannah with his job, and decided to get a little more technical with his brewing, moving from using grains and a pre-made extract to doing an all-grain brew. “It’s like the difference of making everything from scratch for spaghetti or getting stuff from a jar or a can for your sauce,” Buddmeier said. He also entered competitions to get feedback to improve the taste and quality. Along the way, he found his beer winning prizes. In 2019, he won 33 medals for his batches and became Competitor of the Year for the club. He recently won a competition held with Service Brewery, a veteran-owned and operated craft brewery in Savannah. The grand prize allowed Buddmeier to create a small batch of his award-winner
and his Czech Dark Lager will be on the menu at Service Brewery toward the end of the month. “The Czech word for dark is tmavé. My beer is called, “Call Me Tmavé. It’s malty and toasty, but clean like a lager,” Buddmeier said. When the pandemic hit and areas started closing, Buddmeier found himself accidentally in the perfect position for his home craft. He said, “It was the best pandemic preparation you could do. A homebrew store was going out of business and I bought 300 pounds of grain. I basically bought a year’s worth of ingredients from him. I had no idea the pandemic was coming.” He was able to trade his batches of beer with friends for hard to find items like eggs and homemade baked goods, making the time he spent teleworking since March a little more interesting. Buddmeier said the biggest gift has been learning and excelling at beer making. “It’s the process of doing it, of learning new things and trying to perfect it. That’s what I enjoy.”
T.J. Cline
T.J. Cline got his start with home brewing through his father-in-law. The
family bought a kit for a Christmas and made it together, getting T.J. interested in finding more information. “After I brewed with him, I wanted to know more about it,” Cline said. “It seemed easy and I could do it from home.” Cline said he found the Savannah Brewer’s League from a coworker who was also a member. Seven years later, he’s now the League’s president, stepping into the role in March as the country shuttered for the pandemic. “Because I was the secretary, I knew a lot about the club anyway,” Cline said. “It wasn’t a huge change to become president, but it was more responsibility.” He immediately had to research on how the membership of the Brewer’s League could move forward. Cline he was thankful to discover that the American Homebrewers Association had put out guidelines for dealing with the pandemic and the club moved their monthly meetings online. The 59 members of the Savannah club are from all over the area – Savannah, Bluffton, Guyton and even Midway. Cline said the League has worked hard to keep the club vibrant and involved while everyone isn’t able to meet in person. Cline sees home brewing as the perfect activity. “Home brewing is a hobby that can make things better. It’s always good to craft things by hand.” If anyone is interested in getting started as a home brewer, Cline suggested searching out the huge home brewing online community, including the Savannah Brewer’s League Facebook, Instagram and website. There is now a new local homebrew store for supplies – a League
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Thanks for vo�ng Travis F. Wiggins, M.D.
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member opened a small spot inside of the Coastal Empire Beer Company.
Chris Stovall
easy to get into brewing. Extract beers are very simple. It doesn’t take a lot to get into it.” He’s kept his expenses low over the years, only spending about $40 on equipment to make more than 250 batches of beer. A few items were gifted to him, but he believes that it’s very possible to reuse common items to substitute for expensive equipment. Stovall said he sees sustainability as a trend in all of home brewing. He’s worked on developing a club-sponsored competition using reclaimed water. Stovall summed up why he enjoys home brewing so much. “It’s the thrill of making something,” he said. “A couple of weeks later you have a drink that’s as good as what you can buy in a bar. It’s a great self-gratification device.”
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A veteran of home brewing, Chris Stovall has created beer for 25 years. He’s a certified beer judge, filling the need for education and critique within the Savannah Brewer’s League and beyond. He’s also never neglected his own craft, making all 137 different styles of beer that are in the guidelines and experimenting with new types that are trending. “I try to always have varieties,” he said. “Recently I brewed a limoncello hard seltzer for our competition.” An engineer by trade, Stovall’s office closed down for a while during the pandemic, allowing him extra time at home. Though he doesn’t brew as much as when he was competing, he still makes batches six to seven times a year. For more information on the Savannah Brewer’s Stovall said he thinks it’s easy for anyone League, please check out their website: to get started in a cost effective manner. https://www.savannahbrewers.com/ “You keep it simple,” he said. “It’s very
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GROWING UP IN Indianapolis, G. Rettig and Jeremiah Stuard became inadvertent descendants of one of America’s darkest and most curious histories, Jonestown. While they did not personally know any of the 918 people who died in the mass murder-suicide on the settlement in Guyana on November 18, 1978 (known as the Jonestown Massacre), their sheer proximity to the roots of the Peoples Temple, founded by cult leader Jim Jones in Indianapolis in 1955, was inescapably influential. On the 42nd anniversary of the tragedy, Rettig and Stuard, as the sole members of Savannah’s Bands w/Melody, prepare to release their new album that has become the vessel that connects Savannah to Jonestown. The album is entitles “Tol.918_11/18/78.Bw/M” – a file extension + the number of Jonestown deaths + the date of the mass murder-suicide + their abbreviated band name. The album, which started as a single song (“Keeping up with the Joneses”) for the Graveface Museum’s charity album, Beyond Human, has since grown into a five-song, melodic dive into the wretched history of the Peoples Temple. It includes samples from public broadcasting services such as the BBC that intertwines archival recordings of cult members, Rettig’s vocals and canorous chambers of beats, pedals and keys. “The process was like filling our pallet with audio samples first and then from that, we made our pictures,” Rettig said. These “pictures” are modern, electric, symphonic rock-esq songs that take the listener on a voyage that is both immersive and disorienting. While the album is being released by the Graveface Museum label in physical form, it is meant to be experienced both aurally and visually. “The album was meant to be performed live, but since we can’t really do that right now, a physical album is our only way to make a real connection with an audience,” said Stuard. “The album will include a video element that I have put together that we highly encourage people to watch as they listen.” There’s a narrative that listeners may or may not be in tune to that the visual element works to inform. Rettig likens this marriage of senses to Pink Floyd’s The Wall.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BAND
“You can listen to The Wall or you can watch the movie,” Rettig said, with an obvious opinion that any Pink Floyd fan would adamantly agree with. “When you watch it, it just forces you to listen harder and pay more attention.” One important aspect of the album includes a cover of “Black Baby,” from the album, He’s Able, a 1973 gospel-pop-funk record by the Peoples Temple Choir. Rettig singing lyrics such as “as you grow up; I want you to drink from the plenty cup,” is as eerily beautiful as it is disturbing. It’s a peaceful melody that contrasts starkly with the horrific realities of the cult’s eventual end that resulted in hundreds of dead bodies covered by white sheets. It’s one of the most curious and haunting pieces on the entire album as it’s a moment where Rettig is singing the actual words of victims who sang for hope and a better world, yet are no longer here. Like fanatic, occult history in America, Rettig and Stuard have their own personal history that is both long and weird. Once kids who sat at the same lunch table in high school, the two grew up playing in a variety of bands and crossing paths with various musical projects. One of those projects was simply filler noise between sets for one of Stuard’s previous bands that laid the foundation for their work today. In 2004, the pair graduated high school and moved to Savannah in 2008. They each have helped to weave the city’s livemusic scene by playing in popular bands
such as the COEDS, Sins of Godless Men, and more. Tol.918_11/18/78.Bw/M marks the first project they have played together and it was together that they decided to make art from two tragedies, Jonestown and COVID-19. Without being able to play in traditional settings and practice with bandmates who ran in different “bubbles,” they found inspiration in each other as they fell into Jim Jones; as that is the only way anyone really can begin to analyze such a polarizing figure. As noted by Rettig, through the rhetoric that surrounded the COVID-19 pandemic and other politically fueled current events in America, the mass psychosis induced by the charisma of one of the most notorious cult leaders in history became strikingly relevant. “The messages of Christian socialism and why they formed their own community is not too far from what we are seeing happen today,” Rettig, said, as he discussed the multi-poignant relevancy of their work. Like Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple, Tol.918_11/18/78.Bw/M is also shrouded in mystery. The physical release date is close, but currently unknown. Right now, you can catch a glimpse of the entire album on Youtube at https://youtu.be/U7ouA5rSwFY. There, you will find a recording of Bands w/Melody’s live set performed on Oct. 29 at the Graveface Museum. Until then . . .
NEWS HOLIDAYS
LIVE MUSIC IN THE SOUNDGARDEN THU, NOV 19 ERIC CULBERSON BAND
FEATURING BIG E ON BASS
Savannah Christmas Market is coming to Town BY BRANDY SIMPKINS IF YOU LISTEN closely, you can already hear the jingle bells. This year, Christmas is coming early through the debut of the newest tradition to bring festive fun to Savannah’s entertainment district, the Kessler Collection’s Savannah Christmas Market Plant Riverside District. The Savannah Christmas Market will take place starting at noon Nov. 27 and continuing on until Jan. 3, 2021, so families have plenty of time to enjoy the market several times over, throughout many evenings. “I am so excited about this event. This is something that we had really thought would kick off next year, but as we got closer and closer to this point in time, and we thought about what is going on in the world, in the United States, and in Savannah, we thought we needed to do something to being some joy and smiles to people’s faces,” said Richard Kessler, CEO
of the Kessler Collection. Years ago, business man, visionary, and philanthropist, Richard Kessler, had the pleasure of spending the Christmas holiday in Salzburg, Austria. What he saw there astonished him and rekindled the Christmas spirit within him. Every night, while in Austria, he went to the Christmas market and experienced the pleasant holiday atmosphere, filled with Christmas carols, special spiced wines, fresh baked Christmas cookies, Christmas tree selling, ornaments, and beautiful families all submerged in the spirit of Christmas. Kessler’s goal was to bring that experience to our city and rekindle the holiday spirit in us all. Kessler first introduced the idea to Savannah in 2005, and the city was not ready at the time, but now, with the opening of Plant Riverside District, Savannah now has the perfect venue to make the stream of events a success. There is no better time than now to bring Kessler’s vision to life. When the Savannah Christmas Market kicks off on Nov. 27-28, the weekend will begin with entertainment, a Christmas tree lighting ceremony, pictures with Santa, a boat show, and much more for the
family to see and enjoy. From VIP goodies for adults to gingerbread decorating for the children, this new tradition will have plenty of activities that all can enjoy. “I think every family should come and enjoy it because there’s going to be something for everybody can do,” said Kessler. In addition, on the opening weekend of the Savannah Christmas Market, $1 from the sale of all beverages (alcoholic and nonalcoholic) will be donated to New Ebenezer Retreat Center and the Treutlen House, a safe home for boys in Rincon, GA to support their organizations at this time. “This is the place to be to see all the activities and opening kickoff event for the holidays at Plant Riverside, all in a family friendly, outdoor venue. We hope to see you there,” Donna Currier, Corporate Office Manager at The Kessler Collection. Attendees can use parking code 10153664 from the City of Savannah to receive free parking at electronic meters on River Street for Opening Weekend. The code is valid on Nov. 27 and 28 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. For more information, including the full schedule list, please visit SavannahChristmasMarket. com
SAT, NOV 21
TRIBUTE-A CELEBRATION OF THE ALLMAN BROTHERS’ BAND
WED, NOV 25
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STONELORDS
Soundboard MUSIC
SOUNDBOARD IS A FREE SERVICE - TO BE INCLUDED, PLEASE SEND YOUR LIVE MUSIC INFORMATION WEEKLY TO SOUNDBOARD@CONNECTSAVANNAH.COM. DEADLINE IS NOON MONDAY, TO APPEAR IN WEDNESDAY’S EDITION. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO EDIT OR CUT LISTINGS DUE TO SPACE LIMITATIONS. McDonough’s Karaoke, 9 p.m. Totally Awesome Bar Karaoke, 10 p.m.
WEDNESDAY 11.18
COMEDY
NYC/SAV
LIVE MUSIC
Front Porch Improv Wheelie Good Improv Show, 9:30 a.m.-noon
Driftaway Cafe Chuck Courtenay, 6 p.m. Plant Riverside District Aaron Lehrian, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Starland Yard City Hotel, 6-9 p.m. The Wormhole Open Jam, 9 p.m.
DJ
The Wormhole Basshole XVII, 9 p.m.
SUNDAY 11.22
TRIVIA & GAMES
LIVE MUSIC
Service Brewing Company Trivia Night with Daniel, 6:30 p.m.
KARAOKE
Club One Karaoke, 10 p.m. Wet Willie’s Karaoke, 9 p.m.
COMEDY
Totally Awesome Bar Savannah Comedy Underground, 9 p.m.
THURSDAY 11.19 LIVE MUSIC
Cohen’s Retreat Munchies & Music, 5-9 p.m. The Perch at Local 11 ten Markus Kuhlmann, 5:30 p.m. Plant Riverside District Aaron Lehrian, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
TRIVIA & GAMES
McDonough’s Family Fued, 7 p.m.
KARAOKE
Contemporary concept shop, art gallery and design studio featuring local and international designers and artists. “All That Glitters” - Holiday concept show with light sculptures by artist Hannah Goff
CONNECT SAVANNAH | NOV 18-24, 2020
Paintings by Roz Morris jr.
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Located in the Downtown Design District 415 Whitaker Street 11AM - 5:30PM Wednesday-Saturday Appointments only available Thursday - Friday
W W W.S T ONE L OR D S .C OM
Club One Karaoke, 10 p.m. McDonough’s Karaoke, 9 p.m. The Wormhole Karaoke, 9 p.m.
COMEDY
Totally Awesome Bar Open Mic Comedy, 8:30 p.m.
DJ
Club 51 Degrees DJ B-Rad, 9 p.m.
PHOTO BY GEOFF L JOHNSON
Jason Bible JAZZ’D TAPAS BAR SAT 11/21 7:30-11 P.M. 10 p.m.
KARAOKE
Bay Street Blues Karaoke Blueberry Hill Karaoke, 9 p.m.-3 a.m. Club One Karaoke, 10 p.m. McDonough’s Karaoke, 9 p.m. Totally Awesome Bar Karaoke, 10 p.m.
DJ
Club 51 Degrees DJ Fer, DJ Emalo, DJ Lil G, DJ BRad, 9 p.m.
FRIDAY 11.20
SATURDAY 11.21
LIVE MUSIC
LIVE MUSIC
Barrelhouse South Mainstream Band, 9 p.m. Churchill’s Pub Phillip Wise, 6 p.m., Kyle Yardley Band, 9:30 p.m. Driftaway Cafe Chuck Courtenay, 6 p.m. Jazz’d Tapas Bar The Mandrakes, 7:30-9:30 p.m. Plant Riverside District Kenny Munshaw, 5-9 p.m., Aaron Lehrian, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Eric and The Hologram, 7-9 p.m. Rancho Alegre Cuban Restaurant Jody Jazz Trio, 6:30-9:30 p.m. River House Jason Bible, 7-9 p.m. Service Brewing Company Bluegrass By The Pint w/ Swamptooth, 6 p.m. The Shrimp Factory Ricky Standard, 7-9 p.m. The Warehouse Anders Thompson Band, 8 p.m. Wild Wing Cafe Hunter Price, 7-10 p.m.
Barrelhouse South Mainstream Band, 9 p.m. Churchill’s Pub Tommy Bahama, 6 p.m., Hitman, 9:30 p.m. Coach’s Corner Tribute - A Celebration of the Allman Brothers’ Band, 7 p.m. Driftaway Cafe Josephine Johnson, 6 p.m. Jazz’d Tapas Bar Jason Bible, 7:30-11 p.m. Plant Riverside District Aaron Lehrian, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Ramona and The Riot, 7-9 p.m., Eric Brack, 7:309:30 p.m. Rancho Alegre Cuban Restaurant Jody Jazz Trio, 6:30-9:30 p.m. River House Chip Staley, 7-9 p.m. The Shrimp Factory Joe Wilson, 7-9 p.m. The Warehouse Ben Kaiser, 8 p.m. Wild Wing Cafe Jason Courtenay, 3-6 p.m.
TRIVIA & GAMES
Bay Street Blues Karaoke Club One Karaoke, 10 p.m.
PS Tavern Beer Pong Tournament,
KARAOKE
Collins Quarter at Forsyth Live Music, 3 p.m. Congress Street Social Club Voodoo Soup, 10 p.m. The Perch at Local 11 ten Billy Brennan, 5:30 p.m. Plant Riverside District Kenny Munshaw, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Fabulous Equinox Krewe, 12-3 p.m. Starland Yard Ramona The Band, 6-9 p.m. Victory North Live from Victory North: Of Stage and Screen, 7:30 p.m. Wild Wing Cafe Jason Courtenay, 1-4 p.m.
TRIVIA & GAMES
Moon River Brewing Co. Trivia, 6 p.m.
KARAOKE
Club One Karaoke, 10 p.m. McDonough’s Karaoke, 9 p.m.
MONDAY 11.23 LIVE MUSIC
Plant Riverside District Aaron Lehrian, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Eric Britt, 7-9 p.m.
TRIVIA & GAMES
Club One Super Gay Bingo, 5:30 p.m.
KARAOKE
Club One Karaoke, 10 p.m. Wet Willie’s Karaoke, 9 p.m.
BAR & CLUB EVENTS
Fia Rua Irish Pub Family Movie Night, 8 p.m.
TUESDAY 11.24 LIVE MUSIC
Plant Riverside District Aaron Lehrian, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
TRIVIA & GAMES
Basil’s Pizza and Deli Trivia, 7 p.m. Fia Rua Irish Pub Trivia, 7:30 p.m. McDonough’s Trivia Tuesday, 7 p.m. Savannah Taphouse Trivia, 7 p.m.
KARAOKE
Blueberry Hill Karaoke, 9 p.m.3 a.m. Club One Karaoke, 10 p.m. Wet Willie’s Karaoke, 9 p.m.
MUSIC FEATURE
JodyJazz Trio lights up Rancho Alegre BY JONATHAN VASATA EVERY FRIDAY AND Saturday night from 6:30-9:30, the Rancho Alegre Cuban restaurant at 402 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Savannah turs the house lights blue for the world-class JodyJazz Trio. Virtuoso saxophonist Jody Espina is joined by Maggie Evans on bass along with Jackson Evans on guitar. The three musicians add a distinctive Latin flair that spices the night with notes of New Orleans
jazz, salsa and Brazilian bossa nova. Distinguished educator and Broadway musician Jody Espina is well-known in the music industry. His Savannah-based company JodyJazz makes the highestrated saxophone and clarinet mouthpieces available today. JodyJazz products are available in about 300 music stores worldwide and are used by many of the world’s most accomplished musicians. A dominant force in the local jazz community, guitarist Jackson Evans hails from Logan, Utah. He works for Savannah’s own Benedetto Guitars as both customer relations manager and marketing director and serves on the
board of directors for the Junior Jazz Foundation – a Hilton Head nonprofit youth group that serves to preserve the love of jazz through education and live performances. Visual artist, bassist and singer Maggie Evans teaches foundations classes at SCAD and, in addition to being an accomplished musician, enjoys a career as a gallery artist. The three diverse personalities bring broad-based experiences that add a richness to a dynamic performance that shouldn’t be missed at Rancho Alegre. The Rancho Alegre Cuban restaurant has been a favorite among locals and tourists alike for over 20 years. Offering
some of the best Cuban, Caribbean and Spanish food, an award-winning Paella valenciana, homemade Mojitos, Sangria and Caipirinha, Rancho Alegre is a 2020 Travelers’ Choice award winner – serving the community since 1999. What the JodyJazz Trio loves most about performing at Rancho Alegre, is the sense of family. “Everyone is treated like family,” said Jackson, “from the band, to the staff, to the customers – everyone is family here.” For more information, or to make reservations, go to www.ranchoalegrecuban.com or call (912) 292-1656
CONNECT SAVANNAH | NOV 18-24, 2020
PHOTO BY GEOFF L JOHNSON
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MUSIC THE BAND PAGE
CITY HOTEL @STARLAND YARD
With a blend of popular, indie, and originals, City Hotel keeps its songs and sound authentic and firmly rooted in bluegrass. If you love acoustic guitar, upright bass, fiddle and tight harmonies, you won’t be disappointed. NOV. 18 | 6 P.M. | FREE
HUNTER PRICE @WWC
Talented Georgia native and America’s Got Talent TV show alumni, Hunter Price returns to WWC at City Market. NOV. 20 | 7 P.M. | FREE
BASSHOLE XVII @WORMHOLE
Basshole is back with a DJ lineup featuring Hippie Gilmore, Skelector, Wizard Musik, Boolie, Squidnee, and live visuals curated by Psykiss. This is a flow art friendly event with local artisans and live art painters. Presented by Savannah Bounce. NOV. 21 | 9 P.M. | $10 COVER
TRIBUTE – A CELEBRATION OF THE ALLMAN BROTHERS’ BAND @COACH’S
CONNECT SAVANNAH | NOV 18-24, 2020
With eight musicians and vintage equipment, Tribute celebrates and brings to life the Allman Brothers familiar catalog in impressive fashion. NOV. 21 |7 P.M. | $20
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SAVANNAH PHILHARMONIC @VICTORY NORTH
Wind musicians from Savannah Philharmonic present an evening of music originally composed for the silver screen and stage plays. The program features Debussy’s Petite Suite, Gershwin’s Promenade (Walking the Dog), and a soothing piece by celebrated American composer Amy Marcy Cheney Beach. Recognizable classical music melodies such as “Morning Mood” and “In the Hall of the Mountain King” from Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite will close out the night. NOV. 22 | 6:30 P.M. | $85
NEWS COMMUNITY
A different kind of battle ‘Fight the War Within’ aims to help vets struggling with mental health issues
BY LEILA SCOTT
The Intervene Challenge Instructor Certification Course
Fight the War Within Foundation’s October Wild Walk
courses through Armed Forces Mission. The Intervening Challenge is a three-hour course that teaches loved ones how to approach and talk about mental health. It will be held at Georgia Southern University on Dec. 5 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The foundation is sponsoring 100% of the event and has 100 prepaid booklets. Georgia Southern is donating their auditorium, and due to COVID-19, only 38 participants will be allowed in at a time. However, they also plan to offer a virtual option which will allow 20 people onto Zoom. “It’s a huge myth that by asking that you’re putting that thought into somebody’s head or you’re going to make it
worse when in reality science shows that by talking about difficult things the human mind can process it and get it out of your system,” Briggs said. They plan to offer these courses every few months, and their goal is to get as many people trained in the Savannah area as possible, so there are fewer crisis situations. At some point, Briggs hopes there will be conversations about peer support for veterans, and active-duty members could evolve into a Quick Response Program. To register for courses or sign-up to volunteer, contact the Fight the War Within team through social media.
CONNECT SAVANNAH | NOV 18-24, 2020
GARRETT BRIGGS WAS an Army Ranger stationed in Savannah, at the 175th Ranger Regiment. After he left the Army in 2016, he worked at Nine Line Apparel. But his transition back into civilian life and work proved difficult. While he sought help with his mental health struggles, ultimately he was unable to find the peace he sought. In January 2018, two weeks after his wife, Miranda Briggs, gave birth to their daughter, Essex, he ended his life in their home. “It came out of left field because Garrett had been seeking help,” Briggs said. “But we have learned so much through his death and through his medical records of how long he had been waiting on medication to arrive, how he had voiced to providers without being heard, and just really how much he was suffering.” The tragic death of Garrett Briggs Army Ranger Veteran Specialist Garrett changed the course of their family’s life Briggs (July 31, 1989- January 31, 2018) forever, but his story lives on. “I want to promise this to our daughter: his life is going to outlive his last breath,” Briggs said. “I want our daughter to know that her dad is a hero for his service to our nation and his sacrifice for our country.” Garrett Briggs’ death ultimately inspired his wife to found “Fight the War Within” – a 100% volunteer-based nonprofit in Savannah that provides mental health resources for veterans, first responders and more. Although the group began operating in the thick of the pandemic, the organization used the power of social media to connect and build a community. Briggs said she wants to cultivate a community that discusses and assists mental health for all walks of life. “Historically, the numbers have been 22 veterans and service members ending their lives each day,” Miranda said. “Now some studies are showing we’re up to Miranda and Essex Briggs almost 30 a day because of isolation. So a lot of what we’re doing in the community dinner to 100 veterans and their family here in Savannah is trying to create events members at the Elks Lodge in Savannah where veterans and their families can get from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Due to the pandemic, out and be around other people and find travel restrictions will keep many veterans their place in a community.” from spending holidays with their family, With COVID-19 precautions in mind, so support during this time is essential, the organization plans to hold several Briggs said. events before the year is up. They are In addition, the Fight the War Within fully funding and serving Thanksgiving group is offering suicide prevention
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CULTURE VISUAL ARTS
All the Bugs Come in When It Rains by Devin Rutz
Cleo the Gallery:
contemporary artists’ beautiful work and give new opportunities to lesser-known artists, McCune said. “Cleo the Gallery’s mission is to serve artists, dismissing the predilection towards a favor economy in the art world and helping support the livelihoods of under exhibited artists as a radical redefinition of the balance of power than anything the style of movement. between gallery and artist,” she said. “This Ágnes Varta is a true legend,” McCune includes paying each artist exhibiting said. a percentage of the value of their pieces “The name was based on a lot of upfront as ‘rent’ for the time spent in the different things, “Ágnes Varta Cléo from 5 space and offering financial and in some to 7” is one of my favorite films of all time, cases physical, support in transporting the so I think that had something to do with it. work to the space as the budget allows.” I think also, a singular name for, what right Two artists are currently exhibiting now is a business run by a single person their work at the gallery through Nov. 24 – resonated with me a bit. Knowing that I Esther Ruiz and Devin Rutz. Esther Ruiz, a would be adjusting myself as Jeanette the Los Angeles-based sculptor who primarily owner of Cleo, but people also being, “are works with glowing neon pieces and Devin you Cleo?” “yeah, I pretty much am Cleo,” Rutz, a SCAD alum living in New York. McCune said. The overall theme of the exhibit is distinct Located in Abode Studios near the geometry architecture relaying a personal makers community, is the quiet and experience. calm 280 sq. ft. space, which currently “Her [Esther Ruiz] stuff glows it’s so has pretty pink floors and white walls soothing and something to be experienced with lit neon sculptures and gridded that totally puts you in the right headspace geometric pieces on display for the time to see what that feeling is, attached to being. Cleo, was a space created to house a certain experience,” McCune said.
Contemporary art gallery space now open in Savannah BY NICOLE YOUNGBLUT
CONNECT SAVANNAH | NOV 18-24, 2020
AS OWNER AND head curator of Cleo the Gallery, Jeanette McCune envisioned a new atmosphere with a rotating library where people can view contemporary art, read novels and contemplate life. An alternating selection of three to four publications from the owner’s personal library of artists’ books, magazines, catalogs, poetry books and novels will be in the space over a two-week period in tangent with the work being shown. The name “Cleo” was “a decision based on a super gorgeous, old French New Wave 18 film, the girl’s a bit of a brat, but also more
Unidentified Object II by Esther Ruiz
“Which otherwise could be considered just an abstract lovely form. But to have her talk about it, it’s much more about pieces in her mental landscape. That she is trying to re-render a situation, so that she understands it in terms of color texture, feeling, or all of that.” Rutz creates, “really gorgeous, super vibrant guided patterned pieces where it’s an obsessive pattern with a little bit of chaos, with a few little mentions to reality, like a lemon here, little ant there, flower there, a little bit of an organized chaos feeling to it,” McCune said. The next show at Cleo will be with Anna Breininger and Tom Henry, opening on Dec. 10. “We believe in transparency and as such, will be publishing on our website the allocation of funds for each exhibition cycle at the close of the show,” McCune said. “I am proud to say that for this first show we were able to pay both artists 7% of the value of their work for showing in our space.” Esther Ruiz and Devin Rutz, Interpersonal Geometrics on display through Nov 24. The show will be open Tuesday-Saturday 12-6 p.m. in Abode Studios 2204 Skidaway Rd
CULTURE VISUAL ARTS
Pendent by Kristine Kennedy
Pendant by Kala Peper
Gallery 80 adds more fine art to Tybee Island
A collection of local artists is on display including Tammy Kuck, Kala Peper, Kristine Kennedy, Stephen Kasun, Samatha Claar, Charlotte Beran, Bess Ramsey, Nancy Adams, Logan Pottery, Strickland Stained Glass and Brad Hook. Brad Hook, an artist and now gallery owner, is a self-taught watercolor artist for over 35 years. “I used to paint Midwest scenes but since moving to Tybee, I now paint and sculpt low country and ocean scenes,” Hook said. Now, his painting subjects are of the low-country life sea life such as turtles, marsh scenes, and shrimp boats. “Bess Ramsey taught me how to paint watercolors the proper way. She is an inspiration to me,” he said. Throughout his art career, Hook has experimented with different mediums,
Tybee Island from the Sky by Charlotte Beran
including charcoal, pastel, oil, acrylic and sculpture but always comes back to his passion for watercolor. As of late, Hook said he has been experimenting with impressionistic reflection of water paintings, which will be on display at the gallery. The gallery space is sentimental to Hook. Hook and his partner, John Deahl, said they always knew they would have a gallery space in Tybee again. “My heart is in Tybee,” Hook said. “We love Tybee, it’s a small, quirky community. The people are wonderful and they have a really rare appreciation for art.”
@gallery80ontybee www.facebook.com/gallery80ontybee/
Gallery 80 on Tybee 1207 US Highway 80 Suite F Tybee Island For more on the gallery, visit
BY NICOLE YOUNGBLUT OWNERS JOHN DEAHL and Brad Hook spent countless hours preparing Gallery 80 on Tybee for its opening last week. The new gallery offers a wide selection of local, handmade art: jewelry, watercolor paintings, sculptures, gourd art, pottery and stained glass.
Wood sign workshops to guide your inner DIY! (912) 675 - 4170
LIMITED SEATING INSIDE
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CONNECT SAVANNAH | NOV 18-24, 2020
Painting by Stephen Kasun
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NEWS COMMUNITY
Savannah architecture firm taps into local talent
Felder & Associates hires two recent SCAD grads
Savannah’s Oldest
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built environment and the positive impact it can have on families and communities when done right. Here we listen to our clients, evolving alongside Savannah, and I’m grateful to be a part of that.” BY BRANDY SIMPKINS Dogor, from Black Forest in KÖnigsfeld, Germany, was just hired as a architectural designer, after receiving her BA from SAVANNAH COLLEGE OF ART AND SCAD in Architecture. DESIGN (SCAD) aims to cultivate talented Dogor said her interest in architecture individuals, preparing them to be leaders did not start with her pursuit to obtain her in their chosen endeavors, and two recent Architecture BA, but it began as she was graduates just joined Felder & Associates. growing up watching her father. Brian Felder said Elisa Dogor and “My dad was into architecture, and he Sophia Rodriguez are now part of the local was always searching for more sustainable architecture company’s team. ways for us to live, so he put solar panels on Rodriguez, from St. Johns, the roof of our house,” she said. Fla., currently serves as an “And when I was 10, I saw our architectural intern at Felder house constructed from the & Associates. ground up.” “I’m lucky I found this job,” In 2019, Dogor was recogRodriguez said. “I love it so nized as an HKS Southeast much, but it was tough for Design Fellow for her work in a couple of months getting collaboration with a group of there.” students and professionals to Sophia Rodriguez, Archi- design a soccer court, park and Rodriguez said that landing the position was not easy. tectural Intern, Felder & community hub surrounding Associates With COVID-19 hitting hard an Atlanta MARTA station for in March, right after she Station Soccer and Atlanta City finished wrapping up an Studio. exhausting school quarter at Dogor said she plans to keep SCAD, she had to rearrange up the good work and hopes some plans, she said. A job to help expand the beauty of that she had lined-up for the Savannah as one of the newest summer fell through, and members of Felder team. Rodriguez said she did not “While I have studied and know what she would do to admired the remarkable archiElisa Dogor, Project compensate for it. Eventutecture of Savannah during my Associate, Felder & As- time at SCAD,” Dogor said, “I ally, she hit the ground running, searching for alternative sociates never had the chance to actively opportunities, until she came shape it beyond theoretical stuacross Felder & Associates, and she said dio projects. At Felder & Associates, I have she is glad she did. the opportunity to join together theory Along with prior intern experience, and practice. Now, my actual projects will Rodriguez was trained for her intern posi- blend beautifully with the meaningful tion at Felder & Associates by her position context of this landmark city.” as chapter director of Freedom by Design, “We’re lucky to have the Savannah Colthe service branch of the American Instilege of Art & Design right here in our own tute of Architecture Students (AIAS). back yard, producing incredibly talented Previous projects that Rodriguez was and prepared students ready to enter involved with, along with her team, include the field,” said Brian Felder, founder and the building of a greenhouse, the construc- principal architect at Felder & Associates. tion of ramps, and the paving of walk ways. “SCAD’s exceptional architecture program Freedom of Design is currently working has been in existence for decades, and they on a project to extend the living space of a are one of only two U.S. universities to home for boys. offer an undergraduate degree in architec“The more I learn about architecture, tural history. They’re doing great work and the more I fall in love with it,” Rodriguez generating great potential employees, and said. “With Felder & Associates, I found we’re grateful to be on the receiving end of a firm that hasn’t lost its passion for the those efforts.”
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Georgia Southern University invites applicants for the following vacancies on the Armstrong campus:
Academic Success Coach JOB ID 221713
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Connect Savannah is seeking an amazing graphic designer with awesome print design and production skills with a healthy knowledge of web design. You’ll be responsible for working with several sales reps across a couple of newspapers to create fantastic ads in various sizes and formats (mostly for print and some for web), while logging and checking out ads. In addition, you’ll be lending your golden touch to editorial layout and design and various seasonal promotions. Finally, you’ll be topping all that off by outputting print ready CMYK PDFs that don’t result in 2am calls from the printer, all while keeping a sane and calm approach to everything that comes your way. Qualifications: At least a year’s experience with graphic design and print production, preferably in newspaper or magazine production. Top notch proofing skills. It’s a requirement and this sentence should be making you groan! An incredible ability to organize and prioritize multiple projects. Folders! You love organizing stuff in folders for future reference. Live in or near Savannah. You can’t phone (telecommute) this in! Knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite 6. Familiarity with the print production process including working in CMYK color space. Attention to detail with knowledge of design fundamentals. Excellent communication skills. You know how to explain technical issues to the non-technical and clearly express why certain design decisions makes sense. Ability to work independently and as part of a team. Sometimes you gotta take direction and sometimes you gotta come up with great ideas and you know which is which. Proficiency in Windows. Availability in early November 2020. Bachelor’s Degree (Preferred).
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Please visit the Georgia Southern University employment website and complete the application process at http://apptrkr.com/2074153
Send cover letter, resume, at least 10 sample pieces in print ready PDF format, and at least three references to humanresources@morrismultimedia.com
The application process must be completed by the deadline to be considered. Georgia is an open records state. Individuals in need of reasonable accommodations under the ADA to participate in the search process should notify Human Resources: (912) 478-6947. Georgia Southern University is an EEO/AA/ADA/Veteran employer.
Connect Savannah • Human Resources • MorrisMultimedia.com 27 Abercorn St., Savannah, Georgia 31401
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2020 Veterans Day Parade
CONNECT SAVANNAH | NOV 18-24, 2020
The 2020 Chatham Veterans Day Parade in Port Wentworth on Wednesday, November 11th. For more photos go to connectsavannah.com/connected.
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4th Annual Empowerment Brunch
CONNECT SAVANNAH | NOV 18-24, 2020
The 4th Annual Empowerment Brunch at 110 Burke Ave. on Sunday, November 15th paid tribute to unsung community heroes, including educators, entrepreneurs, and entertainers. Host: Lady Mahogany and Keynote Speaker: Taqwaa Saleem. See more photos at connectsavannah.com/connected.
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