DIME Entertainment | December 2016 | (Not) Home for the Holidays

DIME ENTERTAINMENT

(NOT) HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS

DECEMBER 2016 | VOL. 2 • NO. 12

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68 VINTAGE THREADS

THIS ISSUE

DECEMBER 2016 | Vol. 2

No. 12

DIMEENTERTAINMENT.COM BITE/POUR Beer of the month \\ 12 Pahoehoe recipe \\ 13 Natchez Brewing Company \\ 14 Airport drinking hacks \\ 16 Gastronomy \\ 18 BEAT Holy Ghost Electric Show \\ 36 Cherub \\ 40 Mississippi Music \\ 44 CANVAS Big RedBall \\ 28 Qin Mobley \\ 30

TARASQUE CUCINA

DIGS Creole Cottage in the Big Easy \\ 74 FEATURES San Fran Weekend \\ 58 10 trip essentials \\ 58 Planning a road trip \\ 66 Australia \\ 78 LIT Five comics that make great gifts \\ 24 Books for the getaway \\ 26 Holiday Mad Lib \\ 27

20

NEON CPR Fest \\ 46 Prophets of Rage \\ 48 Machine Gun Kelly \\ 50 Voodoo Fest \\ 52 STANDARDS Ed’s note \\ 11 Horoscopes \\ 82

Downtown Pascagoula FRIDAY DECEMBER 2ND 5PM TO 9PM

UGLY SWEATER CONTEST PARADE SHOPPING CARRIAGE RIDES WALK THROUGH NATIVITY SCENE CHILDREN’S AREA ENTERTAINMENT HOSTED BY

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DIME ENTERTAINMENT

PUBLISHER Jim Cegielski EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jacqueline Lee MANAGING EDITOR Courtney Creel ART DIRECTOR Kassie Rowell MARKETING REPRESENTATIVES Amy Allegrezza Sarah Stewart Jenn Devereaux PHOTOGRAPHERS: Kate Dearman Jenn Devereaux Tristan Duplichain Lenore Seal ILLUSTRATORS: Sean Morgan Jessie Wright

CONTRIBUTORS Charlotte Blom Michelle Brugioni Nicole Chantreau Kyle Crockett Biz Harris Zachary Jones Devin Ladner Natalie Long Whitney Miracle Malcolm Morrow Sean Murphy Adam Myrick Heather Osbourne Brittany Purvis Justin Sawyer Aaron J. Stewart Kristin Teston Robyn White INTERNS: D’Anthony Jackson Caitlin Olson Paige Pritchard DeeJay Rolison

DIME Entertainment Magazine is published monthly

by Gin Creek Publishing, 318 N. Magnolia St. Laurel, MS 39440. All contents copyright 2016

by Gin Creek Publishing and all rights reserved.

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s ’ r o t i d E

note

The holidays tend to make me feel restless. My inner WASP

kicks in (though I’m technically only one of those things), and I’m hit with a major sense of guilt over both the slowing down of work and the over-the-top materialism of the holidays.

In times like these, I’m wishing and praying that I could sim-

ply hop on a plane — change the landscape and my perspective in a matter of hours.

I love family time and I’d love to have more of it. Something

about it is so precious and comfortable, particularly during the holidays. Even if your siblings irritate the stew out of you, your time spent together is a gift that needs no wrapping and hopefully no returns.

But sometimes you owe it to yourself to skip town — whether

for a few days or even just a few hours. While away, you can pretend to be someone else, or just a better dressed, chiller version of you. Honestly, we all like vacation-you better.

In this issue, we look at what it takes to bust out of dodge,

whether you have the budget to go across country or need to split gas with friends on your way to Nashville. We’re lucky to live in an era where nearly every side trip or potential pitstop has been hashtagged and reviewed for our convenience. But so what? Just because all the greatest dive bars and coffeehouses and gigantic balls of yarn in America have been documented ad nauseum doesn’t mean you can’t find your next favorite memory there. Pack a DIME for the road and let the hunt begin.

Jacqueline Lee Editor-In-Chief

BEER OF THE MONTH

BY SEAN MURPHY

WISEACRE

GOTTA GET UP TO GET DOWN ABV: 5% WISEACRE BREWING 2783 BROAD AVE. MEMPHIS

Even the name of this coffee stout beauty makes you want to break out some dance moves. One taste and it will be like Saturday Night Fever in the living room. Fairly new to the Mississippi market, this stout is velvety smooth and dark as night with rich coffee flavors effervescing in every sip. Using Ethiopian coffee brings with it a bit of blueberry pie flavors. At 5%, this beer is easy drinking, and, for those who say, “I don’t like dark beer,” trust us, this will change your mind. Coffee heads will be doing backflips over this one.

PAHOEHOE

Recipe submitted by Branch Cocktail Bar

1 .75 .75 .75 .75

dash Tiki Bitters oz. Averna oz. Macadamia Nut oz. Johnnie Walker oz. Plantation Original Dark

Stir and serve neat with a grapefruit peel.

dime entertainment // 13

Southern Brews A look inside Natchez Brewing Company

BY NATALIE LONG PHOTO BY WENDY YOUNG Natchez is known worldwide for its beautiful homes and deep rich Southern history. The husband and wife team of Pat and Lisa Miller are hoping their new brewery, Natchez Brewing Company, will give the city’s tourists and locals a chance to try their latest beer creations. Housed in downtown Natchez, the brewery features bi-weekly tours and live music, as well as an opportunity to sample the delicious beer Pat has been brewing.

Lisa Miller took time out of her busy schedule to answer a few of our questions about Natchez Brewing Company.

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NATALIE LONG: How did you become a beer fan? What made you decide to brew your own beer?

LISA MILLER: While living in Asheville, NC, we fell in love with craft beer and the craft beer culture. That inspired Pat to start brewing his own.

NL: How did y’all meet, and how has working together helped make your business what it is now?

LM: We met in 1998 while Pat lived in D.C. and I lived in England. We dated briefly long distance, lost touch with each other, and then we reconnected in 2010 via Facebook. Working together has been challenging — spending 24 hours a day with your spouse is interesting to say the least, but we both have set tasks where our own knowledge and backgrounds come into play. I’m in the “running the business” side of things, and Pat focuses on the brewing.

NL: Of all the places to open a brewery, why did you choose Natchez?

LM: We moved to Natchez to be close to family, and, after living in Asheville, we noticed a huge hole where craft beer used to be in our lives. At that time in 2012, there was only one brewery in Mississippi, which was Lazy Magnolia, so we saw there was potential for more in the state. We knew we had to start small and grow organically since we didn’t have a large sum of money or investors to start big right away. We wanted to grow with demand and let the market dictate where we went.

NL: How many beers do you have now, and how did you come up with these different styles of beers?

LM: We have two year-round beers, our Bluff City Blonde and ALT-ered State German Altbier. We also have

three different IPAs that rotate throughout the year and a Berliner Weisse, a coffee porter and a stout, that we also rotate based on the season. Pat also has a passion for sour and barrel aged beers. We currently have Cronyism, a golden sour ale fermented and aged in cabernet sauvignon barrels, which we acquired from the Biltmore Estate’s Winery in Asheville.

Cronyism is the second of our ‘Mississippi Wild Ale Series’ and is available in 500 ml bottles. We like to keep the first two beers year-round for great go-to beers, while the seasonal beers we like to keep fresh and get people excited for when they are re-released. The sours and barrel aged beers are just us sharing our passion for a fun and diverse side of where beer can go.

NL: Tell us about your new brewery in Natchez.

LM: We are in the middle of the expansion phase of our business.

We have reached maximum capacity at our current location and have decided to upgrade from 100-gallon batches to 1000-gallon batches. We plan to continue to distribute throughout the state of Mississippi, including the places we are currently unable to reach due to our capacity, as well as Louisiana and Tennessee.

The new location is still in downtown Natchez, which was very important to us. We are about 4 blocks from the current brewery in an up-and-coming area, which includes two very popular locations, Steampunk Coffee Roasters and Smoot’s Grocery, a fantastic juke joint. Our new building has great character, and we hope to bring out the charm and feels just as we did with our current location.

Visit Natchez Brewing Company for a taste of their creations by participating in a tour on Thursdays from 12-3:30 pm or Saturdays from 12-5:30 pm. Check their website, natchezbrew.com, or Facebook page, /natchezbrew, for updates on their schedule and pricing.

Guide to Airport Drinking

BY WHITNEY MIRACLE

Part of preparing for vacation includes not only developing an extensive list of yelp-reviewedand-approved places categorized by location and price for the conception and gestation of your souvenir food baby, but any experienced gastro-tourist should also be sure to include a line item in that Excel file specifically for beverages. (Yes, it is totally normal to create a color-coded spreadsheet for leisure activities.)

Average per drink cost will vary depending on your destination, but there’s one place where you can bet you’ll pay over-market price for booze: the airport. But since vacation starts as soon as you breeze sweatily away from that TSA checkpoint, here’s some tips to imbibing richly with a modest budget.

BEFORE YOU GO: Besides an extra pair of clothes, be sure to stash a few miniature bottles in your carry-on — sized under the TSA approved 3 oz., of course. Pack as many mini vodka bottles as your quart-sized zip lock bag can handle and party on, Wayne.

HOWEVER, any quick Google search can tell you that while your bag-o-booze can make it through the checkpoint no questions asked, it is actually against federal law for you to consume said beverages on a plane. So unless you love the thrill of thwarting a possible $3000 to $5000 fine if caught by your flight attendant, maybe skip the traveling mini bar and find a cheaper (and significantly less illegal) path to intoxication at some terminal options.

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IN THE TERMINAL: Bars You may be under the misconception that you’ll spend more money at an airport bar than you would at one of the many crowded, overpriced and generic restaurants that line the terminals.

Don’t be fooled — once you’re halfway through that Applebee’s Perfect Margarita, you’ll be elbow deep in those $22 Baby Back Ribs faster than you can say “barbecue sauce.” Airport bars seldom have food, which is really just an obstacle that stands in the way of you and your rightful buzz anyway.

And while you perch on that barstool knowing that under normal circumstances you’d never pay $13 for a well gin and tonic, the tantalizing glow of vacation has blinded you to the absurdity of paying the price of a pint for a single glass. Avoid the cost of two drinks and all that unnecessary sugary tonic and bring on what you really came here for. Maximize your purchase by upgrading to the double, while simultaneously shelling out half of what you’d pay for two identical G&T’s.

That being said, avoid cocktails entirely — stick with booze straight up, neat or with a single mixer.

Not only will you save a few bucks in the process, the bartender (who is already miserable because they WORK IN THE AIRPORT) will appreciate your low-maintenance approach.

Traveling with friends or just stuck with a really long layover?

The biggest pro-tip to drinking at an airport bar is to just order the entire bottle. Most bottles of wine will run you $10/glass, but you can find an entire bottle (easily 5 glasses) for around $40. Treating

the airport bar like it’s your own personal champagne room is optional.

Kiosks If you’d rather skip the bar chit-chat and standard 15% tip, opt for picking up your adult beverage from a grab-and-go kiosk. Your options will be limited to beer or wine, but don’t be picky. You can usually save a dollar or two per beverage (which will still run you about $6 a pop) and enjoy it in your gate, so you can make sure you’re the first person standing in the boarding line that won’t move for another 15 minutes.

Airline Lounges If you’re looking at a considerable layover (6+ hours), the bougiest option to get your airport drank on may lie inside an airline lounge. If you’re a frequent traveler, feel free to shell out the $450 - $600 yearly membership fee for access to free wi-fi, snacks, a reprieve from all those slow walkers and, of course, complimentary alcohol. Or you can opt for Delta’s Day Pass ($59) and post up by the self-serve bar until you have to stumble to your terminal. If you’re in need of sobering up before the gate agent has to ask you ONE. MORE. TIME. to have a seat until the plane has been properly deboarded and cleaned, some lounges even come equipped with shower stalls in their private restrooms.

IN AIR Congratulations! You’ve managed to maintain your sobriety (or at least the appearance of it) long enough to have your carry-on safely stored in an overhead bin,

your seat belt fastened and safety demonstration thoroughly ignored.

If you’re lucky enough to be flying internationally, most airlines offer passengers a complimentary alcoholic beverage. And while the allotment of beverages per person is usually one, getting in good with your flight attendant by offering her some high-end chocolate (I hear it’s less seedy than tipping with cash money.) never hurts.

Maximize alcohol by volume While onboard, most alcohol is While onboard, most alcohol is lumped into the same budgetary category, so if you’re torn between a Sam Adams and a Screwdriver, choose the latter for higher octane drink for the same cost. Or if drinking from a miniature plastic wine bottle is more your style, opt for red wines over white, as their alcohol content is usually slightly higher.

Obtain an airline credit card If you’re lucky enough to have a credit card operated by the airline of your choice, you’re usually entitled to a discount for in-flight purchases.

Unless you love the thrill of thwarting a possible $3000 to $5000 fine if caught by your flight attendant, maybe skip the traveling mini bar and find a cheaper (and significantly less illegal) path to intoxication.

GAStronomy

BY BIZ HARRIS

“Rusty, crack open those sandwiches I got from the gas station! I’m so hungry I could eat a sandwich from a gas station!”

Chevy Chase was mocking the slices of white bread and American cheese wrapped in plastic en route to Wally World, and while I’ve never been hungry enough to choke one down, I’m not embarrassed to say that road trip gas

station food is a guilty pleasure of mine. That is, if you know where to stop.

Often times on road trips, there’s no time for a real meal.

Krystal burgers, frozen Coke slushies, muddy buddies and cheese crackers all just scream ‘Road Trip!’ But when you’re on the road and you’ve got to make as many miles as you can with as

If gas station food freaks you out or just isn’t an option in your area, Good To-Go gourmet dehydrated food has you covered. Chef Jennifer Scism, a season one winner on Food Network’s Iron Chef America, created Good To-Go with the goal of taking your restaurant experience to the outdoors. With six different meal options, even some vegan and gluten-free, and gift packages available, Good To-Go makes eating on the road — or the trail — a breeze. $6.75 - $11.50 each at GoodTo-Go.com 18 // dime entertainment

few stops as possible, you deserve something good to eat. If you can make the time, poke around for road food gems. Don’t be scared off by the surroundings or the local delicacies… you might have the best meal of your trip (or your life) at the same place you fill your gas tank.

I get excited when we see a Sheetz on the East Coast, and

apparently I’m totally missing out because I’ve never stopped at Buc-ees in Texas. While there are those amped-up gas stations with fancy drink machines that let you make all the flavor combinations you can imagine, there also are a few special gas station spots that I’ll go out of my way to get to when I’m hungry because I know I’ll get a genuinely delicious meal.

Some of the most special to me are in the Delta. With chains few and far between, the Delta prides itself on its local fare, and this is true even at gas stations. Just east of Leland, Miss., Fratesi’s Grocery and Service Station serves a mean meatball sub and an even meaner muffaletta. Owned by a local Italian family with kitchens manned by a team of Delta women, you can’t go wrong with their house made sausage sandwich or the catfish poboy. Honestly, you can’t go wrong with anything they serve.

Head into downtown Leland and there’s a tiny

service station, the JIJ, that serves legit Indian food.

Step right up to the counter, surrounded by e-cigarettes and bags of potato chips, and if you’re brave enough, leaf through a binder with the menu and make your order.

This isn’t really a fast place, though. Place your order and go explore the Delta for the afternoon. Several hours later you’ll get your meal — made to order from scratch just for you. And even Laurel has a BBQ spot in a Shell station worth writing home about.

The BBQ is somehow sweet and smoky with a slight vinegar tang.

Beyond Mississippi, if I find myself close enough to Birmingham, I’m going to try to make it to Blue Pacific Thai restaurant nestled in a gas station in Hoover and getting rave reviews. I also have a friend who not only had delicious street tacos at Fuel City in Dallas, but also got to ride a camel in the parking lot. A camel. I’d say that would totally break up the boredom of driving across that enormous state.

PLAN YOUR TRIP: MISSISSIPPI Dodge’s Fried Chicken 2290 Main St Tupelo, Miss. 38801 Fratesi’s Grocery Poboys, Italian sandwiches, Hamburgers 1402 Highway 82 E Leland, Miss. 38756 A Taste of India at J.I.J. Indian Cuisine 102 N Broad Street Leland, Miss.

Hog Heaven Fried chicken, BBQ, Hamburgers, Blue Plate Specials 2515 Ellisville Blvd Laurel, Miss. 39440 Fayard’s Grocery Poboy’s 1757 Popps Ferry Rd Biloxi, Miss. 39532 ALABAMA Seafood Bistro Cajun Food 5780 Woodmere Blvd Montgomery, Ala. 36117 Blue Pacific Thai at Hoover Food Mart Classic Thai 3219 Lorna Rd Hoover, AL Mustang Oil Cajun, Creole, and Soul Food 2205 Main St Greensboro, Ala. 36744 LOUISIANA Danny and Clydes Po boy’s and deli 4320 Clearview Parkway Metairie, La. 70006 Jerry Lee’s Kwik Stop Cajun & Creole 12181 Greenwell Springs Rd Baton Rouge, La. 70814 TEXAS Fuel City Tacos and Fried Pies 2175 S. Town East Boulevard Mesquite, Texas 75149

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Tarasque Cucina 14 COUNTY ROAD 307 • OXFORD • (662) 380-0381 • TARASQUE.NET

BY KRISTIN TESTON PHOTO BY SARAH ODOM

I

t was a Sunday afternoon, and I’d spent the last five hours studying and scrolling through Instagram. Both my pantry and energy levels were nearing empty, so I suspected it would be a takeout night. This suspicion was confirmed when a video of steaming pappardelle bolognese appeared on my Instagram feed. I had been following Tarasque Cucina for months, and it was time to place my first order.

About 15 minutes later, I found myself walking into a room with massive windows, beautiful brick walls, and handmade wooden tables. I looked down at my old jeans and Flight of the Conchords tee. But before my nerves could even fully register, I was greeted by a friendly voice saying, “Hey, you ordered the bolo, right?” By the time I’d paid for dinner, I had chatted with Lauren about concerts, Stranger Things, wine pairing, and my knack for procrastination. I instantly forgot that I’d never been there before.

My experience was exactly what John and Lauren Stokes hoped for when they opened the doors of Tarasque Cucina in February.

John, an Oxford native, has cooked professionally for over twenty years in kitchens across the country, from Mississippi to Alaska.

Lauren, originally from Maine, has experience in front of house operations and catering.

Both had dreams of owning their own restaurant, and things fell into place when they partnered with Jake Sessums, owner of YoknapaTaco, the only taco truck feeding the Oxford area.

They found a small, but cozy building just off Highway 6, and the space actually helped to define their venture as a pickup and delivery operation. Dedicated to quality food and service, John and Lauren decided to build the restaurant slow and steady. John says most people are surprised to see the sparsely outfitted kitchen, which consists of a six-burner stove and a small refrigeration unit.

John and Lauren realized that Old World comfort food was something missing from Oxford’s restaurant line up. “We’re in a college town, and let’s be realistic – spaghetti is delicious, but it’s what you want to eat at home,” said John.

In addition to spaghetti, the menu features rigatoni with sausage and peppers, linguine

with shrimp in cream and chocolate cream puffs.

Every dish from Tarasque is designed to be delicious on the day you order it or the next day. “When we decided to do takeout, we were determined to make the absolute best food for consumption in the home, be it that night or the next day as leftovers,” John explained.

John began to tweak his recipes, experimenting with various flavors and temperatures. The charred radicchio salad — complete with spiced walnuts, balsamic glaze and Gorgonzola — is one of the items that John says he would’ve made differently for dine-in service. “I would’ve never cooked it this way, but turns out, it’s better this way,” he laughed.

Location continues to factor into John’s creative menu planning, as he works closely with local farmers using seasonal ingredients.

“Over the summer, we had someone show up with around forty pounds of eggplant and we said, okay let’s go — eggplant parmesan, baba ghanoush,” John said. Over the course of two weeks, they served eggplant in five different ways.

For Lauren, one of the most exciting things about takeout is truly getting to know the people who take their food home. When you visit Tarasque, you’ll be greeted by Lauren.

In the kitchen, you’ll find John and Ryan Breeland, who joined the team in April, preparing your dinner. “Anyone who comes in can pop into the kitchen and say hello and put a face with the person who’s cooking for you,” Lauren invited.

They often get photos of clients’ children covered in fresh tomato sauce, or take requests for dine-in events when regulars have guests. “It’s so special to be in people’s homes and feed their families,” Lauren added.

If your ultimate dinner destination is your own home, Tarasque Cucina is the way to feed your friends and family, or even just yourself. They are currently open Thursday through Sunday, and those in the Oxford area can place a takeout order by calling Lauren or have Landshark Delivery bring it right to your door. To see their full menu and plan your perfect dish, check out www.tarasque.net, or follow @the_tarasque on Instagram for videos of steaming bolognese and updates on their latest specials.

tupelo.net

Massive Libs

BY JAMES MASSENGALE

Are you _______________ (1. Verb ending in -ing) a _______________ (2. Noun) this holiday season? Make sure to follow these _______________ (3. Adjective) steps to ensure your trip goes without a _______________ (4. noun). Be sure to _______________ (5. verb) the _______________ (6. noun) forecast for your destination and _______________ (7. verb) _______________ (8. adverb).

Make sure you bring plenty of _______________ (9. plural noun). Find out if there is a _______________ (10. adjective) place to _______________ (11. verb) along the way. If you have time, look for something off the _______________ (12. adjective) path that may interest you. Bring a _______________ (13. noun) in case you get _______________ (14. Adjective). Don't _______________ (15. verb) your _______________ (16.noun).

It’s good to have _______________ (17. adjective) _______________ (18. noun) on hand in case you need to _______________ (19. verb) something. If you follow these _______________ (20. Plural noun), it will be _______________ (21. Adjective) sailing this holiday.

Holiday Getaway

For those of you who don't read comics, the prospect of entering your local shop can seem a little daunting.

What's good? What's bad?

Well, some of us have read a ton of funny books over the years, working out what's worth our time and money. Here’s a short list of books that we guarantee someone will love opening on Christmas morning.

24 // dime entertainment

BY JUSTIN SAWYER HAWKEYE

by Matt Fraction and David Aja You know him as the arrow guy from the Avengers movies, but fans know him as a lovable screw up with a heart of gold by the name of Clint Barton. Equal parts heartwarming and heart breaking, this series focuses on Clint’s adventures outside of fighting monsters and aliens with his fellow avengers, such as adopting a dog, arguing with his “sidekick” and fighting tracksuit wearing hitmen. It's a breathe of fresh air for comic fans tired of galaxy destroying storylines.

THE NAMELESS CITY

by Faith Erin Hicks The Nameless City, so called because it has changed hands from one invading army to the next for centuries, is the story of two young people from different worlds who have to save their city. The world Hicks has created feels more organic than half of the fiction you find in the YA section at a chain bookstore, full of funny, exciting characters and political intrigue that doesn't bore the reader to tears.

ASTRO CITY

by Kurt Busiek and Brent Anderson The premise of this series is that it's basically The Wire, but it's set in a city full of super heroes. From one issue to the next, Busiek introduces us to new characters (sometimes heroes, and sometimes just regular people) that make the world he and Anderson created feel real and compelling. There's quite a few volumes of this series, but the beauty of it is that you can pretty much start with anyone you like.

GIANT DAYS

by John Allison and Lissa Treiman Daisy, Susan and Esther are three young women trying to survive their first year at university. Along the way they experience heart break, joy and throw down against everyone from dudebros to a corrupt student body president, all while managing to be funny as hell and heartwarming to boot.

SOUTHERN BASTARDS

by Jason Aaron and Jason Latour In a lot of small towns throughout the South, high school football is a matter of life and death. The folks in Craw County, Alabama, take that more to heart than most.

Coach Boss, head coach of the Runnin’ Rebs, rules both the gridiron and the surrounding town with an iron fist. The locals ignore his criminal activities so long as he keeps the championships coming. Then, his old high school rival comes back and challenges him for the town’s very soul. What follows is a character driven Noir with a Southern twist.

ON THE ROAD: BOOKS FOR THE GETAWAY

BY DEVIN LADNER

Hitting the road this holiday season? Whether you’re visiting family or nurturing your wanderlust, spending time in a car, train or plane is inevitable.

Use that time wisely, and take a preliminary mental journey with one of these books sure to spark the imagination and have you ready to take on whatever adventure awaits.

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MY ANTONIA

by Willa Cather If you’re traveling across the Midwest, this book is perfect literature to stick your nose into. The story centers around two fictional children, Jim Burden and Antonia Shimerda, who are among the first pioneers of Nebraska in the late 19th century.

As the story progresses, so does their adventures and life together. Cather does an excellent job at describing the prairie and the Midwest during that time period so it’s easy to imagine the beauty of the land. The women characters in this book are strong, fiery and mysterious. Her descriptions are entrancing and will give you a new perspective on the tall grass lands of America while simultaneously falling in love with the immigrants who cultivated it.

THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES

by Ray Bradbury If you enjoyed Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, then you’re sure to enjoy this read. The Martian Chronicles is a getaway in itself with a collection of stories that are all woven together. Every story centers around the future colonization of Mars. Sometimes humorous, sometimes dark, the stories raise questions about humanity and science. The book is great if you are making plenty of stops. Each story is fairly short so you won’t be anxiously wondering what will happen next. It’s a great book to read when you are just trying to enjoy the ride and pick up whenever you’re looking to daydream about a different world entirely.

THE HOUSE ON MANGO STREET

by Sandra Cisneros Similarly to The Martian Chronicles, The House on Mango Street is a novel composed of vignettes. This is a wonderful read if you have a short plane ride and are looking for something informative and quick. Only 110 pages, the book is about Esperanza Cordero, a young Latina girl, and her life growing up in Chicago. The vignettes often contain rhymes making it lyrical to read. Guaranteed to respark your interest in poetry and prose, Cisneros is revolutionary.

THE ALCHEMIST

by Paulo Coelho The Alchemist follows a young Shepherd boy through his journey in Egypt. The Alchemist is guaranteed to warm your heart and to make you feel grateful for your own personal journey — both physical and spiritual. With a book filled with so many life lessons and inspiration, you’ll be glad you took that trip.

DO GENTLEMEN REALLY PREFER BLONDES

by Jena Pincott If you aren’t a fan of fiction books, I recommend this nonfiction book for you. Do Gentlemen Really Prefer Blondes discusses the science behind love, sex and attraction. A great book for curious minds and an even better one for people-watchers. You’ll never view human flirtation the same again. This is an intriguing read to discuss with your partner as you travel to places full of other people caught up in the holiday spirit and just a little in love.

LISTEN UP

Audiobooks for your getaway A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS

by Lemony Snicket If you have kids, they’ll love to listen to this and so will you! These three orphans’ adventures will have you laughing and on the edge of your seat. And you’ll get through it just in time for their motion picture series on Netflix.

WILD

by Cheryl Strayed A memoir about the author’s hike on the Pacific Crest Trail, Wild will have you happy to be outdoors, happy to be experiencing life and happy to be away. This book is a great self journey to listen to while you’re having your own.

TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE

by Mitch Albom A car ride listening to Tuesdays with Morrie is a life changing experience for everyone involved. Mitch Albom recounts his experiences with his dying professor Morrie and the life lessons he learned from him. There won’t be a set of dry eyes in the car, but you’ll be all the happier for it.

EAT, PRAY, LOVE

by Elizabeth Gilbert So, you’re traveling? What better way to travel than to listen to someone who gave up everything to do just that! Elizabeth Gilbert talks about leaving her old life behind to find herself by taking a trip.

May you find just as much wisdom and enlightenment on your own trip.

THE POWER OF NOW

by Eckhart Tolle If you have anxiety on planes, or trips in general, allow Tolle to teach you how to be present in the moment. Listen to tips on meditating, and find your happy place.

RedBall Project

BY CHARLOTTE BLOM Brooklyn-based Kurt Perschke, 46, brainstormed deep into the night 15 years ago, dropping design after design of complex shapes over black and white photocopies. Nothing felt quite right. He was working on a public arts commission for Arts in Transit program in St. Louis where he lived and taught at the time. Though in his youth the Chicago-native envisioned maybe becoming a wildlife biologist or a psychologist, he got an MFA in ceramics sculpture from Rochester Institute of Technology in 1997.

Thereafter, Perschke built a reputation due to his persistence with multiple media, including ceramic, glass, steel, inflatable, video, collage and set design for dance.

RedBall Project Finally, on a whim and a bit exasperated, while continuing sketches for the Arts in Transit commission, Perschke drew something much simpler. It was a giant red sphere smushed beneath an overpass in a bland part of the city. The absurdity — the “risk” of it — made him laugh. It was only then that he had the “ah ha” moment, or rather the “ha ha” moment, and he felt he was onto something.

“It shifted when I stopped trying to make an idea fit in the space verses making it about the space,” Perschke said.

Eventually the enormous red ball was constructed — from river raft material, about 15’ high and 250 lbs — and installed in that location in 2001, kicking off the RedBall Project, now possibly one of the world’s longest rolling public arts projects in history, already bouncing through over 25 cities around the planet and bestowed a national award from Americans for the Arts 28 // dime entertainment

Public Art Network.

Perschke can spend at least a year prior “talking to” and scouting cities before wedging the inflatable ball into surprising public places.

In this context, the ball feels like dream symbolism, transcending an otherwise ordinary and ubiquitous shape: inspiring, fascinating or maybe maddening.

The interaction with others is why it is referred to as a performance, and tilts into urban interventionism.

While Perschke said RedBall is not really subversive, he acknowledged the perceived line between street art and graffiti is sometimes blurred, and that both have their appeal. And the ball has been on both sides, such as in Barcelona where he says the project really got kicked off as he and cohorts moved it around illegally aside from the spot legally funded by Barcelona Museum of Contemporary Art. “Illegal street art feels dangerous, feels sexy, and sometimes it feels satisfying, but you could only get on the Sydney Harbour Bridge with permission,” Perschke said.

Without going into budget specifics, Perschke said RedBall fees include boarding for a crew of 5-9 people at times for up to two weeks on site. (The whole team includes a photographer, project manager, film crew, outreach coordinator, etc.) He also added sponsorship does not always come from cities’ downtown associations or arts councils. In fact, in one case it was a private individual.

Of course, RedBall Project also has attracted (probable) copycats.

Some — like the individual(s) who put the large red ball in the tree in Houston — Perschke’s left alone, but corporations, he has not. On the basis of intellectual property rights, he took on Edenred in 2013 for use

of a large red ball in a promotional campaign, and in 2014 he accused Shell Oil of appropriating his idea too. Both settled out of court and discontinued their campaigns.

“It’s really an issue of intention,” Perschke said. “I’m not going to chase them all, but when it’s used commercially (or) detrimental to me, I have to protect it,” Perschke said.

Like intellectual/conceptual property, value and merit are age old topics that can irk both artists, critics and bystanders. But in most cases, when people feel inconvenienced by the placement of RedBall, Perschke said since it’s not directly aggressive, the ball kind of “gets away with it because it’s so tongue-in-cheek.”

The experience in every city is different, and mishaps — like unforeseen construction at a pre-approved installation site in Paris or the ball coming loose in downtown Toledo — are inevitably encountered. “… The ball is a prop in the performance. It’s the reason people gather; the ball is facilitating. But the real piece is their experience.

You meet people, take pictures, have conversations. The zone around the ball is what it’s about,” Perschke said.

RedBall stimulates movement and laughter, and provokes thought or disruption from the norm.

“Cities are really exciting places to work in. Cities are alive, they need to be played with. A super exciting part of the piece is being able to travel; thinking about what it means to perceive your place and be open to play. It is an invitation, not telling people what to do,”Perschke said.

At the end of the day, it’s hard to ignore a big red ball in your path, and sometimes you just have to squeeze it.

PHOTOS BY // TOM MARTIN // TONY GADDIS // KURT PERSCHKE // BRIT WORGAN

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MOSS POINT AGE: 27 IG: @QIN_MOB qinmobartroom.bigcartel.com

FEATURED ARTIST

QIN MOBLEY

FLOWERS AND PLANES // QIN MOBLEY

Nostalgic Escape

BY ZACHARY JONES // PHOTOS BY JENN DEVEREAUX

Art is a subjective and experiential sort of affair, an unspoken social contract entered into by the artist and the viewer. Moss Point artist Qin Mobley remains acutely aware of this agreement, and it shows through his work — from his outright references to popular culture to the more nuanced aspects like his religious use of flat colors.

Qin is no stranger to the artistic game. He’s been creating art and drawing since the second grade. But it wasn’t until third grade when art took over his life.

“In the third grade, I entered my very first art contest, and I won,” he said.

The art piece, an elephant in a forest, was seen across the United

States. He hasn’t seen the piece since the day it left his Hawaii classroom.

“From that point on, I became too shy to show my artwork to anyone who wasn’t close to me,” he admitted.

A military brat and a child of the late 1980s, Qin’s work is influenced by cartoons from the 70s, 80s and 90s — the likes of The Simpsons, Rocko’s Modern Life and early 90s anime — as well as Greek, Roman, Japanese and Hawaiian mythology and culture.

“I would describe my style as a mixture of watching different cartoons growing up and finding inspiration from living down South and in Hawaii,” Qin said.

Following his passion, Qin took up Graphic Design while enrolled at Mississippi College in Clinton from 2009 to 2013. Unlike many fellow artists, he didn’t know much about other artists besides Pablo Picasso, Leonardo da Vinci and Vincent van Gogh. That changed during his college years, when his artistic canon was expanded to include the likes of Roy Lichtenstein, Katsushika Hokusai and Banksy — an American pop artist, a Japanese printmaker and a graffiti artist, respectively.

“All throughout college, those three artists became the people I looked up to,” he said. “After college, I added one more artist to the list — Miya Bailey,” he said, referring to an Atlanta-based tattoo artist.

Qin does a lot with the simplest of tools. He uses a basic mechanical pencil, Copic Markers and PrismaColor Markers to create most of his work.

Recently, he’s ventured out to discover a new art tool, a Japanese-style outliner, the Bimoji brush pen.

“I’ve also found a love for painting and have been using acrylic paints for about 8 months now,” he said.

Some of those paintings, along with countless sketches are showcased on his Instagram feed, which also links to his website featuring a sticker pack and several 8 x 10 prints, one of which, entitled “King,” depicts a young Martin Luther King standing before a stained glass window with hands raised, and a quote, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

“A lot of my artwork is jovial because I like to reminisce on the way things used to be in a world with fewer worries, whereas now, there is so much to worry about,” Qin explained.

That being said, the thread that ties his work together is happiness.

“With my art, people will always find a positive message, and it will spark great emotions,” he said.

“The other day I saw an artist post a picture of a person drawing a triangle along with two squares with a red crayon. The image ended up being a house (the type of house someone would draw in kindergarten). At the bottom of the image, it said, ‘It’s The Fun Of Doing It That’s Important.’

And that’s why all of this matters so much – because it’s fun, and it brings me happiness.”

As for how he goes about forming his thoughts into tangible pieces, he says there is no real process. He simply thinks of something, picks up his utensils and creates, drawing creative sustenance from a variety of outlets, current events, different artists and even things as simple as straight lines on paper.

“When I create, it’s my escape from reality and that inspires me.”

That escape is facilitated by spending alone time in his art room, where he frequently comes face to face with the simple reality that “there are not enough hours in a day to create.”

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HARMONY // BY QIN MOBLEY

INNER PEACE // BY QIN MOBLEY

SELF // BY QIN MOBLEY

The Father, Holy 44 // dime entertainment

The Son,

Ghost

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STORY & PHOTOS BY AARON J. STEWART Not so long ago, there was a man born around the closest thing you can call mountains in the state of Mississippi. This man had the simple dream of making music, and like many before him with this dream, he started at the bottom of the ladder playing at bars and house parties. What he never dreamed of happening, though, is a great multitude of people joining by his side on this mission, and before anyone knew it, he had created one of the most original musical groups to ever come out of Northeast Mississippi. That man is Cody Rogers, and the giant ensemble of awesomeness he has created is called The Holy Ghost Electric Show.

Though the name “Holy Ghost Electric Show” has been around ever since Cody’s days rocking nothing more than an acoustic guitar and a microphone, the band first became a multi-person group with the meeting of drummer Austin Wheeler. One by one after that, more members began to pile on in a sort of runaway snowball effect until Rogers’s lone wolf music act became a cramped stage of sounds and bodies.

“I tossed the idea that I wanted to make it a band, and he [Austin] jumped on. After that, every one of the guys were added slowly until we had too many people.

And that’s what we have now; a long name, and too many people,” Cody said.

After amassing musical talent that is guitarist Will Shirley, bass players Conner Wroten, Dylan Van Zile, Tanner Scaggs, and guitarist/brother Jake Rogers, Cody’s band began to take on a mind of its own.

Torturously long practice sessions locked away in an old cabin in Corinth began to yield a unique sound from the folksy tunes Rogers had originally written.

Like a blacksmith forging a strong steel, each member brought into the mixture his own element, morphing the overall style into something strong enough to truly make an impact on the North Mississippi scene.

“It’s nothing like I had planned,” Cody admitted.

“Some of these songs that I’ve played are just about 5 years old… Back then my vision wasn’t to make some sort of giant rock assemble… The band itself at first was just fun and games, but then it took off and started developing a sound. That’s when the full force sort of came together.”

Their resulting creation became a fantastic frankenstein of different styles ranging from Bob Dylan, The Beatles at their trippiest, a pinch of classic rock, a dash of outlaw country, and just a hint of punk rock-ish percussion complements of the drummer.

So far, Holy Ghost has gained a noticeable backing around North Mississippi, especially in their area of operations in Oxford. They’ve released one full-length album, “The Great American Holy Ghost Electric Show”, and one EP, “Sinai,” which can boast well-listened-to tracks like “Levee of Your Heart,” “Neverending Saga,” and “Let the Waters Rise.”

“There’s never been a moment that I take it for granted. It’s strange. It’s still strange to me, people trying to figure out my songs,” Cody said. “The most humbling part is when we raised money for our new record that we just finished, the amount of money we raised, some peo-

ple donated twice, entire paychecks. That makes me feel weird. That makes me feel bad… but at the same time, it shows me how important it is to some people, that we’ve been able to create something that makes people happy and gives them the same feeling that I feel when I’m listening to the artists that make me feel things.”

Their latest record, which has been in the works since January, is set to be a full-length LP, featuring a perfect storm of production value and creative quality that, according to Cody, will blow their last two releases out of the water. For this record, they called in the heavy artillery that helped with “Sinai,” a man named Simone Felice, who, along with performing with his own groups, the Felice Brothers and The Duke and the King, has also helped produce albums for artists like The Avett Brothers and The Lumineers. The recording was at the legendary

Dial Back Sound in Water Valley, which has had greats such as R.L. Burnside, T-Model Ford, John Paul Keith, and even Iggy and the Stooges.

“This record was about southern identity, and what it means to be a millennial living in a post 9/11 world in the South, where you’re so connected yet still so isolated in rural Mississippi… and also the duality of being southern, that like it or leave mentality, vs this new south that’s emerging, and how those sides are more alike than either one would like to admit,” Cody explained.

Though a release date has not yet been set, the group has a tantalising sense of accomplishment and pride of what they have created.

“We’re excited for it’s release. When it’ll be out, I don’t know,” Cody shrugged. “But it’s much much bet-

ter than our EP, and it’s miles ahead of our first record.”

The past few years have been good to Holy Ghost, and in return, they’ve been good to Mississippi, blessing us with a unique sound and an even more unique perspective on this flat little landmass that we call home. This rag-tag southern symphony reminds us all of what there is to love about the state that has constantly birthed the newest generation of American music. So if you’re ever down to see a local folk hero with way too many instrumentalists and a drummer that can’t stand still, I recommend you find your way to the Holy Ghost Electric Show.

dime entertainment // 39

Angels on

High

INTERVIEW & PHOTOS BY JENN DEVEREAUX The Nashville based electro-indie duo Cherub, comprised of members Jordan Kelley and Jason Huber, have come a long way since signing to Columbia Records three years ago. After re-releasing their smash hit “Doses and Mimosas,” they have garnered attention from the likes of Rolling Stone and Complex, as well as making a television debut on CONAN and gracing the main stages of massive festivals like Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza and Glastonbury. DIME sat down with the guys at their tour stop in New Orleans to talk about their new album Bleed Gold, Piss Excellence, as well as “lactating mer-kitten” tattoos, weird phobias and how Zac Efron ended up at one of their shows.

JENN DEVEREAUX: So, tell me a little bit of the backstory behind Cherub.

JASON HUBER: Well, Jordan and I met going to college for music production — actually a whole bunch of us on our crew met going to college — and it was just a bunch of likeminded people. It was probably a program of about fifty of us in our class and out of that, Jordan and I came together and starting doing this. [Jordan] recorded the first record before he got together with Nick [Curtis] who has mixed and mastered every record

up until this point. JB our guitar player is also in that same group of guys, as well as Ryan Hug our tour manager. We all stuck together, so it’s something we are really proud of.

JD: You guys have a new album coming out titled Bleed Gold, Piss Excellence. If you could only do one or the other, which would it be?

JORDAN KELLEY: I’d piss excellence. We’ve kind of talked about this, and bleeding gold would hurt a lot. It

would be very painful.

JH: Yeah, pissing excellence would be cool.

JD: What are you most proud of regarding this album?

JH: Really kind of what we were talking about before — the fact that we are a group of friends that met our freshman year of college and now we are getting to release records on a major record label. It’s really crazy to us because our whole creative process hasn’t changed since day one. I mean, of course, we are writing together more as opposed to Jordan writing the whole first record alone in his room and then bringing it out to the world. But as far as going to outside producers and outside writers and having other people mix and master it, none of that is going on. We are still putting these records together from the ground up.

JD: How did you guys approach TI about contributing on your new single Signs?

JK: He was super vocal about approaching us. He randomly found the music and dug it and then came to our show

in Atlanta. He showed up with Zac Efron. He’s the nicest dude. The next day we had the day off, and he invited us bowling with his family and we got dinner and went to the studio. Technically, there are three other songs we made with him and hopefully more of them will go on his album in the future, but this one is going on ours.

JD: What are the main creative differences between the two of you?

JK: Jason likes to get high and make lots of noises and then something comes out of it, and there is literally nothing wrong with it, but that’s the difference between me and him. I think Jason is much more experimental than I am.

JH: Yeah, I like to explore sound a lot. [Jordan] likes to go through the process and get from A to B and then hash that later. He doesn’t like to spend a lot of time experimenting with different ideas and rehearsing parts. He’s like, “Let’s figure out what we need to do and then we will get out there and do it.”

JD: Whose career would you most like to emulate?

JK: This is kind of cliche but definitely Prince’s because we are obviously fans of his music, but his genre jumping and the way he carried himself as a performer and how he was just this mysterious guy, I think it was, like, pretty fucking epic. So I’m going to go with Prince, or Scott Stapp of Creed. <laughs> JH: I’m going to go with Dave Grohl just because he’s a badass.

JD: What were you like in high school?

JK: I mean, I played in bands, and I liked to smoke pot and get drunk and I liked to party, so I haven’t changed.

JH: I was, like, the dork who got to hang out with the cool kids. I played sports like lacrosse and soccer and I swam.

JD: I see you guys have a lot of tattoos so which one is your favorite?

JH: My banana mermaid tattoo. It’s a mermaid with a banana tail.

JK: I’ll go with my lactating Mer-Kitten. This one was a dare <points to the kitten part of the tattoo> when I was 18 years old, and I got like fifty bucks for it. And then a couple of years ago we thought it would be cool to add this part. <points to the mermaid tail part of the tattoo> JD: Do you have any phobias?

JK: This is such a weird one, but I have a phobia of falling through a hole in the ice and not being able to find the hole to get out.

JH: I have a decent fear of heights but specifically edges. It’s not about the height so much as the edge.

JD: What is one thing you would change about the music industry?

JK: People need to quit suing other people for fucking being creative.

Everybody draws inspiration from everybody. It’s the ultimate compliment to be inspired from something and somehow work it into your own style. People need to quit being little babies about fucking money and just let artists be artists. The biggest issue in the music industry is just greed.

JD: Have you guys dealt with that issue before?

JK: I mean, we unintentionally used drum loops on this new album that were literally just like a four bar drum loop that were from other songs I had never even heard of. I had just heard the drum loop, and they had no music on them at all.

JH: And most of them came off floppy disks that we were putting into MPC’s.

JK: Yeah, so I had no idea that it was pulled from an actual artist so we spent like a month having to clear these loops that sound nothing like the songs. And they get X amount of money and X amount of percentage points or royalties. It’s just whack.

JH: It’s one of those things where nobody would find these things but because we know what they are and because of where we are on a major label, we like to take care of them so it’s not an issue down the road. They get proper compensation for the work put in and whatnot.

At some point when they have been reinvented so many times, it’s a very gray area but we always try to take care of it on the front end of things.

JD: With the new album coming out, are you going to jump right back into writing and recording?

JK: We’ve got to this time, man. It took so long to get this [album] done, and we want to have another one ready so we don’t have a lapse in music. It’s been like two years so we want to make sure we are consistently putting music out. So, yeah, we’re going to jump right back into it.

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dime entertainment// 43

Let Me Ride THE STATE OF MUSIC IN MISSISSIPPI

BY KYLE CROCKETT ILLUSTRATION BY SEAN MORGAN This is the first piece in an ongoing series called “Let Me Ride” that celebrates, discusses and explores the unique nature of music in Mississippi and the infinite catalog of stories that contributes to that rich portrait. The subsequent pieces in this series will focus on particular events, characters or locations in Mississippi’s musical history and in its current musical landscape, and examine how they reflect or uncover the mythic, murky identity of one of the world’s greatest musical watering holes.

Something sacred lies in the music that springs from Mississippi’s earth. It’s the kind of music that sings warm and omnipresent rejoicing with pure and eternal spirit, relentless with its blind hope, this far too battle-tested optimism that pumps sweet life into its players and its audience alike. There’s something more to this music than just music. Forever we have known this, and often this alone, to be true. Throughout this state’s frequently despicable history, social injustice and prejudice of the most evil sort have dominated her politics and her ethics; exponentially raised and subsequently razed her economy and industry; carved a color line in wet cement; and decimated the lives and wills to live of millions. And its poison oozes still. But there is a spirit in Mississippi that swallows that poison as water.

She is one every Mississippian knows in their heart and one whose voice every Mississippian has sought. She is the musical spirit from this ground and of its people, the ultimate shield to our human hurt.

Beyond this innate hope and experientialism that hums through the backbone of Mississippi’s chronology of musicians, this place finds endless ways of seeping into the sounds that come from her sons and daughters. The kettle black dark side of Mississippi’s past looms much larger than the light, but always that hate and darkness melts into grit and raunch and pure old heat, the Mississippi musician’s favorite friend, when they run that gauntlet of musical catharsis.

That same darkness yielded the brightest light we’ve yet found by birthing the blues — one of the most important cultural juxtapositions in American history — and by extension Mississippi’s singular and captivating style of gospel and soul. This distinct character has burned within Mississippi musicians forever, this collocation of terror tamed by perseverance, hope in the future and strange reluctant reverence for the same place that has so consistently marred its own name and its own people.

The landscape of Mississippi’s musical culture has always possessed a fire all its own, one that burns bright blue. Stories and locations and people and moments of every variety are here in spades, and their range is breathtaking. Take Mr. D’s Old Country Store

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in Lorman, the world’s greatest fried chicken buffet and general store where you will enjoy your lunch to Mr. D’s personal vocal jukebox of forgotten standards.

Here you will find a piece of frozen time and a full stomach, and the music and spirit of Mississippi will take one of its truest forms right before your eyes.

Consider the Dude Ranch of Oxford, a hotbed of creativity where Dent May, Len Clark (Colour Revolt, Bass Drum of Death) Cole Furlow (Dead Gaze), John Barrett (Bass Drum of Death) and so many others carved out one of the most unique and momentous subcultures in Mississippi’s recent memory. All the merry pranksters that filled its going-to-give-out-anysecond-now floors for the Cats Purring collective’s impossibly good concerts (countless folks of the Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Grimes and DIIV variety have made stops) will tell you that something special and eternal happened there, and it was vintage Mississippi in jubilant celebration with new Mississippi.

Consider Mavis Staples and the rest of her family.

The queen of gospel and the Staple Singers released their debut Uncloudy Day in 1959, and it still exists as one of music’s greatest thirty-five minutes behind an 18-year-old Mavis’ gargantuan voice, a voice that delivers my favorite vocal performance of all time. Mavis Staples embodies the Mississippi identity to the fullest, and she is still out there today as a touring musician, spreading the music, hope, and true heart of this place and its children to the entire world. She and Pops and the rest of her sisters have taken us there as long as each of them could, with Pops releasing a posthumous album recorded in the last years of his life in late 2015.

And of course, his signature tenor and tremolo howled then just like they did when he howled to his God for salvation in those pitch black days of ’59.

In 1959, Pops Staples begged for a chariot to swing down and let him ride, to lift he and his loved ones out of the darkness and into the light. But on that record and for the fifty-five years that followed, Pops reminded us that the light has always been within each of us and music is its way out, and its mighty chariot-driver always lets us ride.

KORN

CPR FEST The 19th annual CPR Fest brought a huge crowd to the Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi on October 19 with headlining acts Korn and Breaking Benjamin, not to mention special guests Motionless in White and Silver Snakes.

PHOTOS BY JENN DEVEREAUX

BREAKING BENJAMIN

PROPHETS OF RAGE AWOLNATION and ​rap-rock supergroup Prophets of Rage, consisting of Rage Against the Machine members Tom Morello, T​im Commerford and Brad Wilk, as well as Public Enemy’s Chuck D and Cypress Hill’s B-Real, commanded the stage of the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Alpharetta, Ga., on October 4 in an effort to “make America rage again.”

PHOTOS BY JENN DEVEREAUX

AWOLNATION

Upcoming Shows December 2 JASON TURNER CD Release Party

Hal & Mal’s

December 10 LUKE BELL pony bradshaw Hal & Mal’s

December 15 WHISKEY MYERS scooter brown band

Duling Hall

December 17 BRICKS IN THE WALL:

the sight & sound of pink floyd

Duling Hall

December 22 THE VAMPS Duling Hall

March 10

BankPlus Concert Series Presents

EXPERIENCE HENDRIX

featuring Billy Cox,

Buddy Guy, Gu Zakk Wylde, Jonny Lang, Mato Nanji,

Dweezil Zappa, Henri Brown, Doyle Bramhall II, Ana Popovic,

The Slide Brothers & More

Thalia Mara Hall

March 22

BankPlus Concert Series Presents

CHICAGO

Thalia Mara Hall Give the gift of music this holiday season with concert tickets, gift cards & season passes! for more info call 601.292.7121

#JX//RX

tickets & info ardenland.net

MACHINE GUN KELLY Machine Gun Kelly packed out the House of Blues at the New Orleans stop of his Alpha Omega tour on October 24 with opening act Mod Sun. Known for his crazy acrobatic hijinks, MGK didn’t leave the HoB without a little aerial mischief. The crowd went wild as he climbed to the balcony and suspended himself upside down from the railing, and then playfully proceeded to flip off the crowd and take a few inverted selfies with fans below.

PHOTOS BY JENN DEVEREAUX 

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VOODOO FEST New Orleans hosted its 18th annual music extravaganza Voodoo Fest on Halloween weekend, and although it has almost two decades under its belt, there was definitely a new and fresh vibe in the air, due in large part to C3 Presents taking over this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s festivities. A new attraction to the festival was a haunted cemetery, a perfect representation of the mysterious and macabre subculture of the Big Easy.

THE WEEKND

PHOTOS BY JENN DEVEREAUX

ARCADE FIRE

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weekly events MELANIE MARTINEZ

MUSIC | FOOD | DRINK MONDAY RED BEAN RUNNING & WALKING CLUB | 6 PM MONDAY NIGHT MOVIES | 8:30 PM

TUESDAY 1/2 PRICE PITCHERS | 5-10 PM OPEN MIC NIGHT | 9 PM WEDNESDAY FREE LIVE TRIVIA | 7 PM SATURDAY FREE LIVE JAZZ 6-8 PM

LIVE MUSIC

ALMOST NIGHTLY SEE CALENDAR ThirstyHippo.com

RAE SREMMURD

309 Mcleod St, Hattiesburg (601) 583-9188 LUNCH: MON-FRI 11AM-2PM EVENING: MON-SAT 5PM-CLOSE

CAGE THE ELEPHANT

DIE ANTWOORD

Returning festival goers may have noticed a change to the stage layouts that made it easier to access as many acts as possible. But, of course, the most important aspect of the three day event was the stellar lineup of artists like G-Eazy, The Weeknd, Arcade Fire, Die Antwoord, Tool, The Pretty Reckless, Cage the Elephant and Melanie Martinez. With the rejuvenated feel of this year’s festival, it makes waiting for the 19th annual Voodoo Music Experience that much more difficult.

YOUNG ART PATRONS PRESENT THE FIRST ANNUAL WINE DOWN! Where: Elegance Ball Room, 2208 Front St., Meridian, Mississippi 39301 Competition type: Cabernet Sauvignon Date/Time: Thursday, 12/8/16 - 6-9 p.m.

Cost: $25 per team + three bottles of wine Tickets: www.eventbrite.com Questions: info@msarts.org or call 601.581.1550 HERE’S HOW IT WORKS. . .

Get together your team of one to three members and register online at Eventbrite.com The team fee is $25. Each team should arrive at the Wine Down with three identical bottles of the competition type - cabernet sauvignon.

On the night of the Wine Down, teams will check in and two of their bottles will be anonymously bagged and given a team number, the third bottle is placed in “the pot”.

G-EAZY

Each team member is provided a score card and complimentary The MAX wine glass for the blind tasting. At the end of the contest the team with the highest score wins the entire pot!

All attendees must be age 21 years or older.

Learn more at MSarts.org, Eventbrite or email info@msarts.org.

m o r f s g Greetin the

m o r f s g n Greeti the

ILLUSTRATIONS BY JESSIE WRIGHT

Family time is a beautiful part of the holidays, but letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s face it. Sometimes you have to skip town for your own sanity. Let us ease your guilt of missing dry ass turkey and canned cranberry sauce this year and, instead, help you plan your big adventure.

A 3-day guide to San Francisco

10 not so essentials

to bring on a getaway

BY BRITTANY PURVIS When packing for a wild weekend trip with your besties, people always remember the big things: sexy shoes, LBD, comfy pjs to lounge with the girls. However, there’s always something useful that gets left behind. Use this handy list below to remember the real essentials.

1. DUCT TAPE Great for fixing wardrobe malfunctions or last minute redneck S&M with someone you met at the bar.

2. GATORADE/COCONUT WATER/ ALOE VERA JUICE You’re more than likely going to wake up with a hangover, so be an adult and make sure you have your hangover drink of choice ready to go on the nightstand.

3. ANTACIDS Did all that Fireball last night catch up with you?

Make sure to pack some antacids so you don’t spend more time than you need to with hellacious heartburn.

BY AARON JOSEPH & SARAH STEWART There will never be enough time in existence to see and experience all that San Francisco has to offer. Nothing in the world could compare to its beautiful landscapes, warm and loving inhabitants and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. It has been the height of our travels because it encourages so many of our interests.

SF is romantic, historical, adventurous, theatrical, athletic, delectable, intoxicating and harmonious. We’ve gathered together an itinerary of experiences that were the apex of our own journey around the ‘Frisco Bay. If you stowaway to San Francisco with these tips in hand, prepare yourself for a busy three days, but a restful state of mind while you’re enjoying the Golden City.

4. HAND SANITIZER You definitely don’t want to be caught in a dive bar without this stuff. Just think about how dirty that bathroom is… actually, on second thought, don’t think about it.

7. CONDOMS You won’t laugh later when you’re having a baby with someone you met at a karaoke bar in Panama City. Play it safe, especially if you’re playing with strangers.

5. SUNGLASSES You’ll need them for hanging out at the pool, and also for your mega hangover the next day.

8. RIDE APP Make sure you have Uber, Lyft or a local ride app already downloaded for when you and the crew are too drunk and tired to get home. SafeHer is one specifically for women, run by female drivers, to help you

6. CRANBERRY JUICE You partied hard and met a handsome stranger. Now let’s make sure we keep your body healthy.

avoid the awkward convos and creeps.

9. INSTANT CAMERAS So much cuter than a cell phone selfie, and it gives everyone a memento to remember the night by, even if you can’t actually remember it all.

10. COMFORTABLE SHOES Throw some cheap foldable flats in your bag for the post dance party trek back to the hotel when your ankles can’t possibly take you any further.

FRIDAY Breakfast: Located in the Outer Sunset District, Devil’s Teeth Baking Company is a small bakery that cooks up crazy concoctions like the bacon beer green-onion cheddar muffin, along with pies, rolls and other bread-based combos of way too much of your favorite foods. Important note (outside of carblovers heaven): You have to bypass those treats to take in their other breakfast options: the Breakfast Sandwich and Special Breakfast Sandwich — the first of which consists of eggs, bacon and cheddar cheese on a homemade buttermilk biscuit, while the Special contains a delicious medley of scrambled eggs, pepper jack cheese, applewood smoked bacon, avocado and a lemon-garlic aioli sauce that covers all that goodness in a layer of greatness. Grab a coffee and take a begrudging bite into the fact that the South just got out-biscuited by California.

Sightseeing: Eating at Devil’s Teeth puts you incredibly close to the beautiful Pacific shore. Take a morning stroll and breathe in the saltwater air. It’s good and recharging for your soul. After a moment of Lewis and Clark-like wonder and the occasional surfer passing by, grab a Lyft to Golden Gate Bridge. It is the must-do of must-do’s if you’re in SF. Take the mile long excursion across, or view the bridge from Fort Point where you can clearly see the towering suspension beams, the stoic Alcatraz Island and a few local surfers crashing against the large bay waves. After the Golden Gate Bridge, hop over to Fisherman’s Wharf. It’s a touristy area, but once you see the hundreds of sea lions on Pier 39, you’ll understand why all the people are gathered and gawking. Pay for one of the $15 sketchy boat tours that takes you for a 30-minute ride on the bay.

Maybe they’ll take you up close to the playful sea lions and tell you a bit more about Alcatraz. Just try to filter out any negative, fear-jerking facts about the Alcatraz fatalities in the bay that you’re currently sailing on and the seemingly powerful cap-

sizing waves that almost take over your tiny charter. Feel free to sing the entire Gilligan’s Island theme song in your best 1960s vibrato; the captain will totally love you for it.

You’re here for experiences, so live it up, sailor!

Lunch: While you’re in Fisherman’s Wharf, eat at one of the many restaurants they have to offer overlooking the Bay. The seafood and chowder are what they’re famous for, but if seafood doesn’t tickle your fancy, the rarified In-N-Out Burger that all of us Southerner’s lack is right around the corner in Anchorage Square. Order yourself a double-double, Animal Style. No one knows what’s on it, other than perfection.

Sightseeing: After lunch, take a short walk to Ghirardelli Square for dessert at the Original Ghirardelli Chocolate Manufactory. Take the rest of your afternoon to be a tourist in SF. There are many shops and sights around where you are, and when you’re finished with the shoreline, you can jump on a trolley to Union Square, a plaza that acts as a hub for all things shopping and eating in SF. It is also in close proximity to the original North Face store.

Dinner: Jump to the SOMA district for a delightful thin crust, neapolitan pizza and a few glasses of wine at Zero Zero. Ask for the S’more Tart for dessert. You never knew marshmallows could be this lavish (or tasty).

Drinks: Dive Bars. Dive Bars. Dive Bars.Find yourself moseying around at night in Mission District for the darkest dive bars, like Kilowatt for pool with the regulars.

SATURDAY Breakfast: Trouble Coffee Company is a close-quarters, friendly coffeeshop with the best baristas in SF, ones that ask you about your story and let you waste too much time listening to theirs while you fall in love with

coffee all over again.

Sightseeing: Vantigo Wine Tour: it’ll single-handedly be the best decision you’ll make your entire trip. In a 1970’s Volkswagen van, an energetic and contagiously free-spirited tour guide will load you up with good drinks, good company, good music and good vibes. The day will be spent being driven to Sonoma, Calif., to three diverse, yet small, family run wineries for all-day tastings. Pace yourself. No need to think about

lunch because they’ll order gourmet sandwiches with sprouts and avocado. You’ll never enjoy a turkey and cheese sandwich the same way again. The wine tour is an all-day affair, but you’ll be in love with Sonoma, the tour guide and the sweet VW bus that’s been journeying you through California fields.

Dinner: After day-tripping and day-drinking, spice up your night with a jalapeno prickly pear margarita at West Of Pecos. Also grab

some tacos and their chorizo jalapeno queso while you’re at it.

Drinks: After a few margaritas, find yourself at Butter. Butter is a trailer park trash-themed bar equipped with an RV that’s crashed through the front windows. You’ll find cocktails galore with your classic high-school mixers like Tang, Hawaiian Punch and strawberry flavored sodas. They are also fully stocked with jell-o shots. It makes karaoke less intimidating and much more fun. Afterwards, if you’re still

going strong, take yourself to a dueling piano bar like Martuni’s to test out your newfound karaoke skills with a room of other boozy karaoke regulars. Grab yourself a berry martini and show them who’s boss. Just don’t forget to hydrate and eat bread. All the bread.

SUNDAY Breakfast: Your liver may need a helping hand, so carry it up to Beachside Cafe. Chicken and Waffles with poached eggs and hollandaise sauce on top will soak up all

of those tang flavored drinks you had the night before. Also, it’s just so freakin’ good. How do they keep out-doing us at food we are famous for?

Day-Trip: If you’re seeking the outdoors, please treat yourself to Muir Woods National Monument. Take your time marveling at the gigantic redwood trees, and see if you can spot any ewoks while you’re gazing.

You’re in the actual forest moon of Endor, after all. These magical 62 // dime entertainment

woods will make you feel something entirely too special in your heart. You have the option to make your trip to Muir Woods last between 30 minutes to several hours depending on the intensity and time length you’d like to enjoy your hike. Spending 5 minutes there will make you want to spend the rest of your day exploring the forest, so prepare for the uphill climb to the top of the mountain.

Sightseeing: Before you leave

SF, you need to walk down to Haight-Ashbury, the birth of the counterculture of ideals, music and drugs in the summer of 1967, otherwise known as the birthplace of hippies. The area is exposing of a free-loving, colorful lifestyle that was created there and still thrives.

One of the most amazing, yet not as popular sights to see is Sutro Baths. Sutro Baths are the remains of a public saltwater bathhouse that burned down in the ’60s. The

ruins are among a beautifully painted landscape of cliffs overlooking the western sky where listening and watching waves crash into the gullies can soothe all of your worldly worries. The sunset here sings a soothing song of starry blues and sweet sanguines, so soak it up as you prepare to say goodbye to San Fran.

Dinner: Enjoy a nice, sunset dinner at Cliff House, which overlooks the Sutro Baths and scenic views to

wrap up your incredible, life-changing weekend in San Francisco.

You’ll discover the reason why Tony Bennett sings “I Left My Heart In San Francisco.”

Many of these places were discovered only by asking the locals what to do and trusting that the people of the Golden City will pass along a few nuggets of wisdom to a starry-eyed traveler. Don’t be afraid to explore and try a few new things.

After all, you didn’t travel all the

way to California from the gulf-stream waters just to sit on the dock of the bay and watch the tide roll away. Remember the spirit of manifest destiny that called you out to California in the first place, and just know that when you’re lost out there, and you’re all alone, a driver is waiting to carry you home… everywhere you look.

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s i s a m t s i r h C

Plan A Cross Country Road Trip

BY DEEJAY ROLISON Dreams of going on a cross-country road trip are a common denominator in most people’s daydreams.

Imagining ourselves in movies like Thelma & Louise or Crossroads where a few friends climb in a car and head West, trying to escape the doldrums of life or chasing big dreams, is one of the many daydreams that make up the American dream in total. Whatever the reasoning may be behind our hunger for adventure, most of us don’t actually get the chance to realize these aspirations.

Is a cross-country road trip really that impossible? It isn’t with the proper planning and discipline.

You might have to pinch pennies to build funds for the trip or work up the courage to ask your boss for the time off you deserve. But you’ll forget all about the tedious tasks once you’ve hit the open road.

Here are a few tips to help make planning your greatest adventure a little less daunting.

PICK THE DATE: Choosing the time of your trip is one of the most important preliminary steps. To ensure your time away from work is granted, you’ll need to pick a date that’s a reasonable length of time away and talk to your higher up with plenty of time to spare before the trip. Plus, you’ll need to have enough time — and enough paychecks — to build up the funds.

ESTABLISH AN END GOAL OR DESTINATION: Whether you’ll be visiting a town you’ve dreamed of exploring, eating at that restaurant you’ve been Instagram stalking for months or watching your favorite musician perform live, having something to look forward to will make it easier to tune out the Negative Nancy in all of us. Lastly, decide what you want to do and where you’ll want to stop along the 66 // dime entertainment

way, as well as what your actual destination is going to be. If you aren’t sure what those decisions should be, helpful apps like Roadtrippers and TripAdvisor will share with you all the activities that are worthwhile during your stay. Doubts of your day-to-day responsibilities are bound to creep their way into your subconscious as the trip nears. That’s where an end goal comes into play and makes the vacation that much sweeter.

DETERMINE TRANSPORTATION: The most cinematic way, of course, is a beautiful 1967 convertible with all your closest friends, a loud radio and nothing but the open road. Realistically though, that may not happen for everyone. Whatever vehicle you choose, make sure it’s reliable, has plenty of luggage space, has had a recent tune up and doesn’t suck gas like a jet plane. Oh, and don’t forget to decide who will be driving because that’s kind of important.

MAKE A SAVINGS PLAN: Justifying the amount of money you’ll spend on a trip like this is almost as difficult as actually saving it. If the trip is six months out, divide up the cost of the trip by six, and set aside money each month until you leave.

This might mean cutting out that extra beer on Friday nights, but we promise when you are on your way, you’ll see that it’ll be totally worth it.

BOOK YOUR HOTELS AHEAD OF TIME: This seems like common sense, but you never know. To ensure that a comfortable place to sleep and shower will be awaiting you, book those hotels and Airbnbs as soon as you know when and where you’ll be stopping. Do your research. Don’t go for the cheapest hotel, but don’t

go for the most extravagant. Online reviews are a beautiful invention. But if all else fails, and you don’t heed our advice, we sincerely hope that chosen vehicle has a comfy backseat.

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The French architecture on the outside of the house makes you feel like youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in New Orleans before you even open the front door. The architecture is emphasized by the brightly colored paint choices. The couple painted the house red, blue and yellow, which makes it really stand out, but somehow also fit into their Irish Channel neighborhood. The vertical succulent gardens give a bohemian energy that continues to the inside.

CREOLE COTTAGE in the Big Easy

BY ANDIE SZABO PHOTOS BY LENORE SEAL Located just one block from Magazine Street and six blocks from St. Charles in what is known as the Irish Channel, Jonathan and Shannon Rawlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; duplex is exactly what you hope to see when walking around New Orleans.

Jonathan is a teacher at a charter school in the city, while Shannon does a little bit of everything. She started her business Little Rentals more than four years ago and renovates and rents historic houses in the Hattiesburg and New Orleans area. They live in one half of the duplex with their three fur children: dogs, Colbie (blonde) and Mia (brunette) and cat Pepper. The other half is rented out on AirBnB.

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Jonathan said, “We collect plates from places we travel. Amsterdam, Spain, Italy, Thailand, Ecuador, Germany, Paris and Kenya are all represented in our collection.” Shannon also said they shop Anthropologie’s sale rack and thrift stores for fillers until then reach all of their dream destinations. A friend of theirs described their house as “curated clutter” and that precisely describes the style of the decor in the house. It is bohemian, eclectic and whimsical at the same time. The couple declared their home is “filled with souvenirs of memories” they have made together.

Jonathan and Shannon married a year and a half ago under the tree of life in Audubon Park in New Orleans. Shannon states, “I’m very much a dreamer, and [Jonathan] is much more of a realist. It’s a good checks and balance system we have.” By lifting their bed, they were able to create much needed storage space with a closet and make-up area for Shannon. They moved from a 3,000 sq. ft. house in Mississippi to a less than 1,000 sq. ft. shotgun style cottage in New Orleans, so they had to make their new, much smaller space work.

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Many of the rooms contain colorful rugs that Shannon and Jonathan find at local estate sales.

The hearth of the fireplaces in the home are made of mosaic tiles that add visual interest.

The mantle features some of the jewelry from Shannon’s newly started company Mercury Designs (etsy: MercuryDesignsStudio; Instagram: mercury.designs).

Together, the couple was able to achieve both function and charm in their shotgun cottage.

New Orleans sunlight spills in through the windows, and you can almost hear jazz music helping keep their plants and the city alive.

Shannon declared, “We’ve traveled a lot and can definitely say at this point in our lives there is nowhere else we would rather be.”

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A I L A Ra tale of two cities WORDS & PHOTOS BY ROBYN WHITE

Sydney vs. Melbourne Sixteen hours trapped in a small space is not typically how most people like to start their vacation. However, if those hours are spent on a plane en route to a place that has remote islands, vibrant nightlife, rolling hills of vineyards and one of the world’s most art-drenched cities, a day lost in the air seems like a small sacrifice.

This year give winter the finger and jet out to the other side of the planet to enjoy all that Australia has to offer.

A

lmost as divisive as Saints vs Falcons is the Sydney vs Melbourne (pronounced Melbin) debate for best city in Australia.

Think of them in terms of sister cities — or even sisters Sydney, being the posh and always fashionable younger sister; Melbourne being the more laid-back, artsy, effortlessly cool older sister. They’ve each got their quirks that makes most residents either die-hard Sydney-siders or Melbournians, but both also have a trendy, hip vibe that merits a visit for your own comparison.

With an estimated 4.4 million residents, Sydney is the largest city in Australia, home to the iconic Sydney Opera House and its ultra-chic outdoor Opera Bar where yuppies amass on Friday and Saturday nights for cocktails and an unmatched view of the opera house lit at night. Beyond the Opera House, the city is teeming with countless upscale restaurants and bars to fill your nights and weekends with — be sure to check out Bondi Beach’s Icebergs, which has a mouth watering food and drink menu, a private pool and overlooks Bondi Beach.

Sydney also boasts some of the world’s most gorgeous beaches such as Bondi Beach, Manly Beach and Bronte Beach, so pack your swimsuits accordingly. Those seeking more adventure will find the 440-foot climbable Harbor Bridge a fun challenge with rewarding panoramic views of the city below.

Wine enthusiasts will feel at home in the Hunter Wine Valley, one of the best wine making regions in the eastern hemisphere. Many tour operators offer hotel to winery tour service and some even include a meet and greet with kangaroos, koalas and wallabies — are you packing your bags yet?

After soaking up the sun and rubbing elbows with Sydney’s high class, head south to Melbourne to get your art and culture fix. Discount airlines like Qantas, JetStar and Virgin offer cheap, direct flights from Sydney. Once arriving, the best and most noticeable thing about Melbourne is that it’s a walkable canvas. The sides of buildings and alleys throughout

the city are literally dripping in street art, and it’s not just lame tags from wannabee ‘artists’ but stories-high masterpieces that attract throngs of viewers and photographers every year.

The fact that Melbourne embraces street art (so long as artists obtain a permit and business owner permission) has allowed the city to become one of the most well-known street art capitals in the world — one that is rapidly changing as these breathtaking works of art are often painted over every few months, making every visit different.

Melbourne is also home to the Queen Victoria Market, one of the largest and most diverse food markets in the country. You can load up on goodies from across the globe all in one place, but be sure to save room for San Churro, the faux legendary chocolate god whose tapas plate of churros, chocolate dipping sauces and truffles will make anyone a believer. Save an afternoon for a trek to Brighton Beach to check out their iconic multi-colored bathing boxes, which make for excellent photo ops. Head to the Fitzroy neighborhood for an artsy, boutique and café filled vibe similar to New Orleans’ Magazine Street or to the ultra-hip neighborhood of St. Kilda where you can try unique eats from Malaysia and Sri Lanka, not to mention take in an awesome sunset at the beach while you’re at it.

The great thing about visiting Australia is that there are tons of options to fit every budget — if you want posh nightlife and don’t mind splurging on $20 cocktails, you’re in the perfect place. But if you’d prefer to stay in a 20-person dorm-style room at a hostel and cook your meals there so you can afford a few extra days at world-class beaches, you can do that, too.

Whatever budget you have, and whichever type of vacation you prefer, get on a plane, pop a Xanax to nap your way across the planet and see for yourself why Australia is the best place to escape for the winter.

For more information and photos, visit us online at dimeentertainment.com.

BONUS: THE ISLANDS If you’ve come this far and have the means, an absolute must is a trip to the Great Barrier Reef, one of the world’s seven natural wonders. Accommodations on the islands in the reef are steep, but the port and party city Airlie Beach offers cheap stays in hostels and plenty of pubs. A day cruise to Daydream Island, Hamilton Island and Whitehaven Beach, which you can easily catch from Airlie Beach, can set you back $150-$200 per person. While ponying up that much for a day might sound painful, the blindingly white sand and turquoise waters will soothe your lighter wallet and your soul for days beyond your trip.

A picturesque scene at Draytonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Family Wines in Sydney beckons wine drinkers to enjoy a glass and take in the beautiful scenery of Hunter Valley.

ROGUE FUTURES

SAGITTARIUS

by Nicole Chantr eau

NOV. 23 - DEC. 21

VIRGO Aug. 23 - Sept. 2

Sometimes you don’t know when to quit, so I’m giving you permission this time. If a friendship, relationship or job is too much, you may need to back away this month. After all, it’s the end of the year, and what a better time to start fresh than the new year? Try something new after Christmas, and you’ll feel better about it.

The holidays are here, and so is your birthday!

You love being outside, so hide out at a cabin for the weekend with your significant other or have a bonfire with your circle of friends, but whatever you do make sure you have copious amounts of wine to celebrate your day. Since you’re always looking for the deeper meaning of things, request no gifts for your birthday so you can focus on what a gift the people in your life are this holiday season.

CAPRICORN

LIBRA September 23 - October 22

Dec. 22 - Jan. 19 The holidays are more than likely your favorite time of year, combining family and tradition in one magical, pine-scented place. You always go out of your way to spoil your family, and this year is no exception, especially since you already have gifts wrapped and ready to go. With the perfect, thoughtful gifts you’ve picked out for them, you’re guaranteed to be a hit.

GEMINI May 21 - June 20

AQUARIUS Jan. 20 - Feb. 18

CANCER June 21 - July 22

PISCES

LEO July 23 - Aug. 22

Now that the election is over, you’re burnt out just in time for the holidays. Everyone close to you knows how passionate you are, so take a chill pill before your holiday get togethers. We need to keep you off the soap box and in everyone’s good graces — unless you want ugly socks for Christmas for the next four years..

Feb. 19 - March 20 Your love of being alone and sleeping are going to leave you massively drained during the holidays. It would probably be in your best interest to spend as much time alone as you can between all the weekend parties you have to attend to stay in social graces. You may even have to skip a party, but you won’t miss much.

ARIES

March 21 - April 19 The holidays can make you feel melancholy as you’re one of those people looking for a deeper meaning in things while people run around and spend money on each other. Try to relax and not get lost in your feelings, as you should already know how important you are to those close to you. Also, take a day to relax post-Christmas with family.

TAURUS April 20 - May 20

You’re the reliable one among your friends, always there with a kind word or a shoulder to cry on. Someone close to you will need those skills this month as they deal with some unexpected changes during the busy holiday season. Do your best to be there for them, even though you’re busy, and you’ll have something great under your tree this year.

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Things have finally calmed down for you just in time for the holiday rush. You’re going to stay busy until after the first of the year, so get some face time in with your family and friends now before you’re spread too thin and don’t want to even look at someone. Try to be mindful of how much time you’re not spending with your significant other, too.

You love the hearth and home, so the holidays are your time to shine. Try to make sure you go out of town to visit family, if you can afford it, and it will make your holiday even more special. Just try to avoid too many glasses of spiked cider at your social circle’s party, or you could end up with a big surprise next year.

After last month’s friendly hurdles, you’re looking to the holidays and the fresh start of a new year with a lot of promise. Make sure you get some one-onone time with your besties.

You could even throw a Christmas sleepover with your close friends to give everyone a chance to relax over silly movies and boxes of wine.

This time of year is when you really shine since every week there is a new party or event to attend. No one balances their scale better than you when things get busy, so RSVP your tail off and have fun being the life of the party. Your passion for the local social scene may help you make a networking connection that could be very lucrative.

SCORPIO October 23 - November 21

Now that you’ve recharged your batteries, you’re back to your usual passionate self. Channel that energy into giving back, maybe through local volunteer work, and you’ll feel even better about the approaching new year. Just make sure not to get so busy you ignore the family and friends on Christmas, and everything will turn out fine.

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