2 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | DECEMBER 2-8, 2015
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THIS WEEK // 12.2-12.8.15 // VOL. 29 ISSUE 36 COVER STORY
STRAIGHTENED OUT AT ELEVEN22
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A CONTROVERSIAL VIDEO raises questions about the Church of Eleven22’s reputation of TOLERANCE STORY BY CLAIRE GOFORTH PHOTOS BY DENNIS HO
FEATURED ARTICLES
OUR DONALD, OURSELVES
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BY AG GANCARSKI There are very few ICONIC FIGURES in the #jaxpol universe.
WHO GIVES A FRACK?
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BY GREG PARLIER A bill could LIMIT THE POWER of local governments TO BAN the controversial method of oil and natural gas extraction
COLUMNS + CALENDARS BRICKBATS & BOUQUETS OUR PICKS FROM THE EDITOR FIGHTIN’ WORDS CITIZEN MAMA JAG CITY
5 6 8 9 10 13
HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 19 FILM/MAGICLANTERNS 20 ARTS 22 MUSIC 25 LIVE MUSIC CALENDAR 27 THE KNIFE 29
OUR NEIGHBORHOOD
BY JOSUE CRUZ Residents, business owners, social services, JSO, and teams of ambassadors all share in the responsibility of KEEPING DOWNTOWN SAFE
DINING BITE-SIZED LOOKIN’ FOR LOVE CROSSWORD/ASTRO CLASSIFIEDS I SAW U/NOTW
EDITORIAL
EDITOR • Matthew B. Shaw mshaw@folioweekly.com / ext. 115 SENIOR EDITOR • Marlene Dryden mdryden@folioweekly.com / ext. 131 A&E EDITOR • Daniel A. Brown dbrown@folioweekly.com / ext. 128 WRITERS-AT-LARGE Susan Cooper Eastman sceastman@folioweekly.com CARTOONIST • Tom Tomorrow CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Rob Brezsny, John E. Citrone, Brenton Crozier, Josue Cruz, Julie Delegal, Jordan Ferrell, AG Gancarski, Claire Goforth, Dan Hudak, Shelton Hull, MaryAnn Johanson, Keith Marks, Pat McLeod, Nick McGregor, Jeff Meyers, Greg Parlier, Kara Pound, Chuck Shepherd VIDEOGRAPHERS • Doug Lewis, Ron Perry
DESIGN
ART DIRECTOR • Chaz Bäck cback@folioweekly.com / ext. 116 SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER • Dana Fasano dfasano@folioweekly.com / ext. 117 PHOTO EDITOR/GRAPHIC DESIGNER • Dennis Ho dho@folioweekly.com / ext. 122 DESIGN INTERN • Madison Gross design@folioweekly.com / ext. 117 WEB CONTENT INTERN • Hudson Bäck
BUSINESS & ADMINISTRATION
BUSINESS MANAGER • Amanda Engebretsen fpiadmin@folioweekly.com / ext. 119 VICE PRESIDENT • T. Farrar Martin fmartin@folioweekly.com / ext.112
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FOLIO WEEKLY IS PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY THROUGHOUT NORTHEAST FLORIDA. It contains opinions of contributing writers that are not necessarily the opinion of this publication. Folio Weekly welcomes editorial and photographic contributions. Calendar information must be received two weeks in advance of event date. Copyright © Folio Publishing, Inc. 2015. All rights reserved. Advertising rates and information are available on request. An advertiser purchases right of publication only. One free issue copy per person. Additional copies and back issues are $1 each at the office or $4 by U.S. mail, based on availability. First Class mail subscriptions are $48 for 13 weeks, $96 for 26 weeks and $189 for 52 weeks. Please recycle Folio Weekly. Folio Weekly is printed on recycled paper using soy-based inks.
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THE MAIL THE NUCLEAR OPTION
Re: “Environmental Revolution,” Nov. 25 by Greg Parlier I APPLAUD THE ENVIRONMENTAL YOUTH Council for raising awareness about climate change. Now it’s time for them to raise their awareness about nuclear energy. There is no combination of solar, wind or other renewable energy sources which will meet Florida’s electrical needs. Hoping and wishing won’t make it work, and don’t tell me “if we can put a man on the moon …” It’s in the math, and if you’re serious about this issue you need to learn to do math. Peak power sources like wind and solar can only supplement baseline power, and baseline power in Florida comes from only two sources: fossil fuels and nuclear. So here is the really painful news for those concerned about climate change: You’re either going to accept nuclear power or you’re going to accept sea level rise. Real solutions require real choices, and real choices are never easy to make. I call myself “Professor Climate Change.”
I’ve studied and taught this issue for years now. I wouldn’t lie to you. Rod Sullivan via email
A DECENT PROPOSAL
IN RESPONSE TO FOLIO WEEKLY’S BRICKBAT to [Gov.] Ricky [Rick] Scott and [Mayor] Leonard [Lenny] Curry, I am willing to marry a widowed or divorced
Syrian woman with five children and adopt her children, making them all American citizens. Philip Bernstein via email
If you would like to respond to something that appeared in the pages of Folio Weekly, please send an email (with your name, address and phone number for verification purposes only) to mail@folioweekly.com.
CONTRIBUTORS GREG PARLIER G
““Who Gives a Frack,” pg. 11 G Parlier has been a Folio Weekly contributing writer since Greg July. An avid outdoorsman, Parlier says he is most comfortable Ju in the woods and on the water. His stories often focus on the politics of environmental issues affecting Northeast Florida. p “With the increasing impacts of climate change and our state’s “W dwindling water supply,” he says, “these are the most interesting d issues of our time.” Parlier’s news story this week, “Who Gives a is Frack?” is about legislation that would limit the ability of local F ggovernments to decide whether to permit fracking within their districts. A native of Lake Wales, Parlier studied journalism at d the University of North Florida and was an editor at the school’s award-winning newspaper, The Spinnaker. An ardent gardener who says, “Plants, in general, are cool,” he lives in St. Augustine and works at a nursery (for plants) there.
BRICKBATS & BOUQUETS BOUQUETS TO LAUREN CHANE After overcoming her own struggles with addiction in her early 20s, Chane, with her husband Jason, recently opened The Augustine Recovery Center, offering those grappling with addiction a place to receive treatment in St. Augustine. BOUQUETS TO THE FAMILY OF DR. RICHARD C. CHRISTENSEN Tragically, the Sulzbacher Center’s Director of Behavioral Health Services and University of Florida professor – whom Sulzbacher Center President and CEO Cindy Funkhouser said was “a hero” to many on staff – was killed while on a mission trip in Zambia over the holiday weekend. BRICKBATS TO WES WHITE The Republican challenger to Fourth Circuit State Attorney Angela Corey hired Raymond Johnson — noted HRO opponent and Confederate-vexillologist (that’s a flagophile, y’all) — to collect petitions for his candidacy. According to the blog Florida Politics, White paid Johnson $3,000. KNOW SOMEONE WHO DESERVES A BOUQUET? HOW ABOUT A PROVERBIAL BRICKBAT? Send your submissions to mail@folioweekly.com. Submissions should be a maxium of 50 words and directed toward a person, place, or topic of local interest.
DECEMBER 2-8, 2015 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 5
ROCK THE PARK
SUN
THE BIG TICKET
6
Hey, Trevor – sound the giant and bejeweled conch shell of rawk! Bah-rooo! (… wheeze …) The Big Ticket returns Downtown with a thunderous horde of modern rock faves, including Twenty One Pilots (pictured), Of Monsters and Men, Walk the Moon, The Neighbourhood, Glass Animals, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness, Mutemath, X Ambassadors, Pvris, Robert Delong, Saint Motel, Coleman Hell, Børns, Lola Rising, Boots on Boots. Check out our interview with Pvris on pg. 25. Noon Sunday, Dec. 6 at Metropolitan Park, Downtown, $54.50, thebigticket.com.
OUR PICKS
REASONS TO LEAVE THE HOUSE THIS WEEK
FRI
4
UNIQUE MUSIQUE JULIEN LABRO and SPEKTRAL QUARTET
Riverside Fine Arts Association presents yet another interesting concert offering this week when virtuoso accordion player Julien Labro, who’s adept at everything from chanson music to Miles Davis, performs with equally forwardthinking Chicago chamber ensemble Spektral Quartet. 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5 at Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Riverside, $25; $10 students, riversidefinearts.org.
SAT
5
JESUS, WOTTA SHOW! GODSPELL What happens when you take too much acid and continually read the Bible? “Godspell!” Oh, we kid. Opening in 1971, the actual musical Godspell enjoyed quick success with its melodious music and inventive storyline, all inspired by the gospels (particularly the Book of Matthew). Forty years on, Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak’s off-Broadway production has become a bona fide pop culture classic, and continues to be the watermark for blending a positive, brotherly message with inventive, memorable melodies. 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4 and Saturday, Dec. 5 at Players by the Sea, Jax Beach, 249-0289, $28; through Dec. 20, playersbythesea.org.
OLD PUNKS STILL ROCK
D.R.I. Since 1982, D.R.I. have been taking the dictum “loud fast rules” as a challenge –
and winning. Born from the same primordial slam pit muck that spawned aggro brethren like Corrosion of Conformity and Suicidal Tendencies, D.R.I. (aka Dirty Rotten Imbeciles) unleashed releases like 1981’s Violent Pacification 45 and ’87’s Crossover that blurred the lines between punk and metal, confusing some fans, pleasing others, and creating enough momentum for the band to, well, rock out in a bar in Mayport! 8 p.m. with openers Head Creeps, The Wastedist, and Concrete Criminals, Wednesday, Dec. 9 at Harbor Tavern, Atlantic Beach, $15.
THU
3
WED
9
RIOTOUS LAUGHS EDDIE IZZARD Absurdist raconteur, surreal storyteller, transvestite extraordinaire … all possible descriptions of UK standup great Eddie Izzard, a funnyman so indefinably nutters that none other than John Cleese once described Izzard as the “Lost Python.” Star of stage and screen, Izzard is also an ardent activist and marathon runner. Jeez, kinda makes you question your own game plan in life, huh? 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3 at The Florida Theatre, Downtown, $48.50-$68.50, floridatheatre.com. 6 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | DECEMBER 2-8, 2015
DECEMBER 2-8, 2015 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 7
FROM THE EDITOR
DISRUPT JAX
LIKE MY HOMEY RON LITTLEPAGE (OF FLORIDA Times-Union fame), I too like to surf the World Wide Webs. (Though, as a Millennial, I am oblivious to what Littlepage intends when he claims to be “mousing around the news of the day” — mousing around? Were the early days of the Internet plagued by some sort of rodent infestation? I tried to look this up on my smart phone to no avail). And, like my media compadre, while perusing all those ones-and-zeros, I often find articles/pictures/ listicles of intrigue. (Swipe right.) On Sunday, there was the New York Times article about how interested parties in the national battle for gay rights are moving resources from Houston, Texas — where the absurd “bathroom bill” gave the Christian right its first victory since, perhaps, California’s prop 8 — to right here in Jacksonville, Florida — where our elected officials will, in all likelihood, have an opportunity to vote on an HRO in the near future. Also, the T-U took a rather lengthy look at how the city plans to fund proposed to renovations to EverBank Field. And then there was a listicle from Metrojacksonville.com that asked the question, “Is Jacksonville the next Silicon Valley?” Whoa. Pump the brakes. First let me say, as an aside, that lately I’ve been falling in love with Northeast Florida all over again. This is partly due to the weather. While the majority of the country braces for impending snow, continued drought, or both, we here in Jax have had relatively clear skies, perfect temperatures, and (if you care) a run of good surf. While that’s plenty more than a person could ask for, the real reason I’m falling head-over-heels for the 904 right now is indelibly linked to all the cool shit people are doing. From new restaurants scattered in and around the urban core (Sbraga & Co., Il Desco, Folkfood) to new editions of local lit mags (Perversion Magazine, Bridge Eight) to new, locally produced music (Tambor, Katie Grace Helow), art shows (CoRK open house, Chip Southworth at Brew, Joe Segal at Florida Mining) and theater openings (Bold Theatre’s “Circle Mirror Transformation” and “Godspell” at Players by the Sea — neither of which I’ve had time to see, yet), there is a lot happening and a lot to point to when making an argument for Duval County as an area on the rise. Is it the next capital of innovation, though? Will it pave the way for the next tech revolution? The well-intentioned folks at metrojacksonville.com bolster this premise — of Jax playing a key role in the next wave of disruption — with a list of six sensibleif-you-don’t-think-about-them reasons why Jacksonville could be the next Silicon Valley. While the arguments presented are as flimsy as they are random (Jax’s low sales tax is cited, for example, when there is little evidence that low sales tax sparks innovation), what’s really interesting about the article is the introduction, in which the editors of the blog state that they believe
things to be “more complex” than the arguments presented in the listicle, before offering that a different website, one called socialmonsters.org, composed the editorial. Strangely enough, a visit to socialmonsters.org turns up what appears to be a content generating site that claims to have “developed a unique model that seamlessly fills gaps in your editorial calendar, enables consistent posting and guarantees content relevant to your audience.” Curated click-bait? How wonderful! Here’s more about what socialmonsters.org does: “Our team takes on the task of sorting through ideas, finding sources and managing writers to deliver a complete story tailored to your audience. We collaborate to develop the right shareworthy story at the right time to help you engage readers and move the needle on site traffic.” (Swipe left.)
…is this a conversation worth having? Is there an argument to be made for Jacksonville SPROUTING A FEW UNICORNS FROM POLAR PODS and BIBLE-BINDING SERVICES (actual One Spark “tech” winners)?
8 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | DECEMBER 2-8, 2015
While having some half-assed third-party website generate content to get the needle moving on your “local” digital publication might not be as egregious as the Times-Union subtly modifying parent company Morris Communications’ CEO William S. Morris’ xenophobic editorials and publishing them as its own (as they were apparently instructed to do), it likely isn’t how things are done in “the next Silicon Valley.” Now, is this a conversation worth having? Is there an argument to be made for Jacksonville sprouting a few unicorns from Polar Pods and Bible-binding services (actual One Spark “tech” winners)? Well, that’s for you to decide, needle-mover. My two cents, some place adjacent to New Orleans — with the massive influx of federal capital they received in the wake of Hurricane Katrina — or near Charleston — with its dug-in university culture and inherent charm — or outside of Austin — with its … well … SXSW — are much more likely to create the synergy needed for such a boon. Besides, we here in the 904 can really wear hoodies only three months out of the year. In the article’s comments section, a needle-mover named Captain Zissou put it this way: “Sounds to me like ‘cheap cost of business and abundant workforce.’ I’d say we’re the next Mumbai or Manila before the next Silicon Valley. Companies move operations to Jax in order to ‘near shore’ as a cost-cutting measure. That’s still good, but we’re not Silicon Valley.” Captain Zissou is right: That’s still good. We’re making some strong moves. And when you stop and take a look around Northeast Florida, you’re likely to notice that progress abounds. But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. For now, let’s focus on holding our local publications to a higher standard. Matthew B. Shaw mshaw@folioweekly.com twitter/matthew_b_shaw
FIGHTIN’ WORDS
OUR DONALD,
OURSELVES
OUR DONALD: THERE ARE VERY FEW ICONIC figures in the #jaxpol universe. For pure competence and understanding of how the game is played, there is the Godfather himself, Sam Mousa, who has brought traditional Jacksonville realpolitik back to the St. James Building after an absence. Iconic? Yup. And there’s the smartest politician since the Honorable Hans Tanzler — John Delaney, the most intellectual and visionary of our city’s mayors. Iconic, absolutely. And then there’s Susie Wiles, who’s beloved in a way few others are. Wiles is real and represents the Gilded Age of Jacksonville, before the austerity measures of the last few years. Iconic. And for more than what she’s done locally. She helped give our state Rick Scott, running his first campaign, and she worked for a presidential candidate or two in earlier cycles. In the words of MC Hammer, 2 Legit 2 Quit. And now, she’s down with the Donald. State Co-Chair. If the polls hold, he’ll win this state. And even if Trump hangs on his neo-fascistic, Third World tinpot potentate medium and message resonating with the good people of the Sunshine State, more so than anything Wiles has done, she’ll still get credit. But she won’t be identified with Trump, no matter what. Can you imagine a world in which Susie Wiles did stereotypical Chinese caricature accents into a live mic? Or one in which Wiles made fun of a reporter’s physical handicap? Or one in which Wiles used the word “shithouse” into a live mic? Probably not. Wiles isn’t that type of person. She’s not a brash asshole of the Trump ilk. She, to the best of my knowledge, has never advocated for devaluing the currency, as Trump does routinely on the stump. That action would have adverse consequences. Trump is clearly trolling the political process in some key way, essentially the distillation of the blustery Fox News post-9/11 “see something, say something” archetype. He’s done a good job, here and elsewhere, of brokering deals with established talent for credibility. It’s nothing new. Four years ago, it was little noticed that Bill Bishop had a role with the idiosyncratic Herman Cain campaign. It came
to the fore during the mayoral race, as oppo dumps had a field day with it. There is no real connection between the views of Bishop and Cain. But for Bishop to take a role with Cain made sense; it was a thing to do, a lottery ticket. In that sense, Wiles fronting for Trump, at least by lending imprimatur, is a thing to do. A lottery ticket. Ourselves: Jacksonville politics is a people business. Sit in certain City Council committee meetings, and it’s instructive to see who might sit at any given table. Stakeholders. With expectations of a return on investment. A good way to piss people off in this town is to talk about that. I can think of a column that ran in this space a few weeks ago, that raised qualms about the $45M COJ part of the capital improvement package for the stadium and, surprisingly, it’s been said that certain Jaguars brass have been salty about that, even casting aspersions on me. So it goes. While the bed tax will pay off the borrowed money to pay for the amphitheater and other improvements, paying it off could take up to 25 years, given what interest rates and such might do … especially if the governments of the world collaborate, as they are doing against ISIS, to adjust the values of their currencies on concert. Questioning a $45M capital improvement, wondering about the convergence of quasicoincidental coziness between the Jaguars’ organization and Jacksonville’s executive and legislative branches, is something that you have to expect. Why dis the messenger? It seems that if an amphitheater really does fulfill a discrete need, and has a provable salutary economic impact, you’d welcome the opportunity to make that case. To make it to the general public and not in ex parte communications. The fact that the bill for the allocation was subbed and re-referred suggests that the case had to be stronger. Whether there will be a debate of any significance in Council remains to be seen. Given that virtually everyone in city government has enjoyed Shad Khan’s generosity, it’s easy to be cynical about the process. Some of us drink champagne from crystal Tiffany flutes. Others, Boone’s Farm in red plastic cups. AG Gancarski mail@folioweekly.com twitter/AGGancarski DECEMBER 2-8, 2015 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 9
CITIZEN MAMA Duval County Superintendent of Schools Nikolai Vitti’s ABRASIVE MANNER inflames old wounds he didn’t cause
“TOO MANY CHANGES, TOO FAST” It’s no secret that Superintendent Nikolai Vitti’s relationship with three Duval County School Board members is — at least for the moment — on the skids. The argument over Vitti’s brusque communication style, however, may be analogous to the classic marital squabble over leaving the cap off the toothpaste: It’s never really about leaving the cap off the toothpaste. The real issue is related to decades of repeated policy assaults on schools and communities in Jacksonville’s north and west areas, which comprise many AfricanAmerican neighborhoods. Jacksonville’s NAACP and Congresswoman Corrine Brown have weighed in on Vitti’s extensive list of proposed boundary and program changes, and the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights, is investigating whether the district is providing equitable resources to its African-American students. On Nov. 3, former chairman Becki Couch joined members Paula Wright and Dr. Connie Hall in signing a letter to Vitti, that addressed his “persistent lack of respect” toward board members. Hall drafted the letter largely in response to a tense exchange that occurred during a portion of the board’s Oct. 13 workshop. The subject on the table was the timetable for moving forward with Vitti’s far-reaching list of boundary and program changes. Those changes, when combined with proposed new magnet programs, could directly or indirectly affect up to 30 schools, and 24 of them are north or west of the St. Johns River. Jacksonville’s city governance since consolidation has prioritized growth on the city’s Southside, leaving crumbling neighborhoods, under-filled schools, decreased economic activity and heightened poverty in some African-American neighborhoods on the Northside. Jacksonville’s NAACP said in its report on the proposed changes that Jacksonville’s minority communities are routinely targeted for “top down” changes. “My main concern is that there are too many changes, too fast,” says District 4 School Board Representative Paula Wright. The Superintendent’s proposed changes could affect 11 schools in Wright’s district alone. Becki Couch, who represents District 6, joins Wright in echoing the NAACP’s “topdown” concerns. They worry that parents have not had sufficient opportunity to provide feedback to the district. “All of these changes have ripple effects,” Couch says. “The whole community needs to understand this.” Those ripples include feeder patterns. “Parents want to know, if this is done, where are we going to be in five years?” Wright asks. Vitti’s original proposals include five new magnet programs, an autism center, separating the boys’ leadership academy from the girls’, and splitting six elementary schools into three lower and three upper elementary schools. Rezoning would occur for attendance zones surrounding the autism center and the would-be new magnet schools, and to relieve overcrowding. 10 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | DECEMBER 2-8, 2015
BOUNDARY ISSUES
Eleven school-based working groups have been meeting to discuss Vitti’s ideas since Oct. 26. The groups can accept, reject, or modify his recommendations, after which Vitti will present their reports to the board. He is expected to present his final recommendation in December, and the board will vote on them next May. STATE PRESSURES LEAD VITTI TO REJECT STATUS QUO Supt. Vitti has repeatedly told the press he’s concerned the state will force closure or charter school takeover at under-enrolled and “failing” schools. Folio Weekly was unable to connect with the Superintendent over the holiday weekend in time for publication deadline. In his Oct. 26 presentation, Vitti offered these rationales to the aggregate working group meeting at Englewood High School. First, he wants to ramp up early learning opportunities and “offer new programs to narrow the achievement gap,” while at the same time address under-used schools, which often coincide with low-performing schools. When a school is less than full, it necessarily operates at a funding disadvantage because tax dollars are dedicated to schools on a per-pupil basis. That makes it harder to deliver the intensive resources necessary to turn around struggling schools. Second, Vitti wants to “level the traditional school landscape,” which has been unleveled by a magnet program that, over time, has created a two-tiered system here. Offering diverse and “rich program options for parents,” under Vitti’s paradigm, would ostensibly enable the district to improve taxpayer real estate assets, i.e., schools, which in turn will help solve persistent equity issues. Vitti has stated that he expects federal magnet grants will be forthcoming to help offset the costs of his recommendations. Those grants may, in turn, free up capital funds to be used for capital projects, instead of being transferred for operational needs. Third, Vitti clearly wants the county’s schools to “win back” charter school students. Charter schools are quasi-public: They use public, per-pupil funds and private education management organizations to operate schools in tax-exempt, privately owned buildings. And, despite state constitutional provisions regarding public school efficiency, state rules permit charters to open anywhere, even down the street from an “A” school. Charter schools’ duplicative practices make long-term planning for public school districts nearly impossible, as charter schools are given an advantage in high-growth areas of the city. Only after underutilized schools are filled or exempted through new programs will Vitti and the board be able to plan for new public schools in growth areas. Failure to address under-use would leave the district financially vulnerable, according
to Vitti’s proposal packet. While Gov. Rick Scott has introduced a record-level education budget, the increase in spending is due to increased property values, and the per-pupil expenditure amount remains below 2007 levels. Duval’s millage rate is the lowest of all large counties in Florida. Duval schools have seen a five percent loss in student enrollments due to charter schools over the past eight years, but charter school enrollment has begun to flatten this year. “OUR STUDENTS NEED HOPE” Working groups across the city are pushing back on the Superintendent’s wide-ranging suggestions, and Vitti has told the Florida Times-Union that he’s open to the groups’ counter-suggestions. With so many elementary schools being split into preK-through-second grade and third-through-fifth grade, observers predict that the number of D and F schools could naturally decline, because Florida’s accountability system, the FSA test, doesn’t kick in until third grade. Wright is aware of the financial strain caused by under-enrollment. But, she says, the Superintendent’s proposed changes focus too much on utilization issues. “Nothing in here,” Wright says, pointing to the printed stack of Vitti’s proposals, “speaks to the need to ensure quality programs.” “Until I understand how these proposed changes are going to positively impact student performance, I see it as change for change’s sake.” Wright is also worried about costs — not only the estimated $9 million needed to implement the new plan — but transportation expenses, as well as the monies spent on new programs just last year. For example, the associate of science degree track for information technology began at Andrew Jackson last year. Vitti’s proposal, if approved, would phase in a dedicated “robotics and genetics” magnet instead. “He [Vitti] never talked about existing programs,” Wright says, referring to Vitti’s Oct. 26 presentation. “He only talked about what he wanted to do at the schools.” Wright also objects to the proposed changes for Northwestern Middle School. “We don’t need a performing arts magnet at Northwestern.” “We have to differentiate programs to meet the needs of students in that school,” she says. Concrete paths for AA and AS degrees, leading to any number of gainful employment certifications from FSCJ, in areas like IT and health sciences, helps give families in her district hope, she says. “Our students, our parents, our communities need hope. We need to put in front of them opportunities for their future.” Julie Delegal mail@folioweekly.com
NEWS
A bill could LIMIT THE POWER of local governments TO BAN the controversial method of oil and natural gas extraction
WHO GIVES A
FRACK? photo courtesy of staugustine.com
ENOUGH RESIDENTS OF ST. JOHNS COUNTY ARE in favor of a statewide effort to ban fracking that the Board of County Commissioners passed a resolution in September, asking the state to do just that. However, State Representative Cyndi Stevenson (R, St. Augustine) — who represents most of St. Johns County — says that until fracking opponents present clear data-backed evidence about the negative consequences of the debatable method of extracting oil and gas, she will likely vote for bills allowing the exploration of fracking opportunities in the state. Earlier this month, Stevenson voted in favor of a bill in the Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee that would not only set up a permitting process for fracking — it would also eliminate the ability of any local governments to have a say on the location, process, or regulation of any oil and gas exploration or production, including fracking. St. Augustine Mayor Nancy Shaver said she generally does not support the state taking away local control, especially when it would affect things such as zoning, as this fracking bill, in its current iteration, would. For her part, Stevenson, a former county commissioner, wants to get rid of that part of the bill. She said the bill’s sponsor, Wesley Rodrigues (R, Fort Myers), knows that she won’t vote for it on the House floor in the spring legislative session unless that part is deleted. Stevenson says not allowing local control is “reprehensible,” but she said the bill deserved to move along in the process for now, joining the rest of the Republican cadre on the subcommittee passing it through by a vote of 9-4. “I think it deserves to progress because the House approved it last year. My son is an environmental engineer, and he says if there’s no regulations, we better regulate it,” she says. Linda Young, of Florida Clean Water Network, says eliminating local control is a red flag indicating that state Republicans want to give the oil and gas industry more power. “Having no control and no knowledge, that’s a terrifying thing,” says Young about House Bill 191. “The fact that we have state representatives [who] will ignore local governments is terrifying.” Fracking involves blasting water, sand and chemicals into the underground to create fissures in rock formations, releasing gas believed to be underneath. Opponents in Florida argue that procedure puts the state’s large underground aquifer at risk, since chemicals often stay underground. Critics also point out that there is no legislation requiring the industry to disclose what chemicals are being used to create the fissures, and HB 191 specifically provides that the Uniform Trade Secrets Act will protect the industry from releasing that information. The bill also excludes acid treatments from regulation even though that’s the most likely type of fracking to be used in Florida’s
limestone and dolomite geology, according to Sierra Club’s Florida chapter. Stevenson says the bill opens discussion on how to regulate fracking — and that there is too little discussion taking place now. She says she’s open to hearing why it might be a bad idea, but says her research hasn’t turned up anything that shows fracking should be banned, as St. Johns County and many others have requested.
“People may not realize that they COULDN’T SURVIVE without some things they find MORALLY REPREHENSIBLE.” — STATE REPRESENTATIVE CYNDI STEVENSON However, Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York recently banned fracking there, and a compendium of research was compiled by the Concerned Health Professionals of New York showing the dangers associated with fracking. The Internet is riddled with hundreds of instances of fracking in other states causing health issues for those living near the drilling, workers at the sites, and animals in nearby waterways. Stevenson puts the burden of proof on environmentalists and fracking opponents to show why she shouldn’t vote for it, rather than on the oil and gas industry, which spends billions on its own research. She says “the lifestyle we have now” is what needs protecting. “I can’t stand when we are under the thumb so that we can’t do things, not because the energy isn’t there but because it is there and the country that controls it doesn’t allow it [to be used]. It’s a complex issue. I understand we are trying to diversify our energy portfolio as a country. I support that. Coal was a big part of that portfolio at one time. It has been taken off the table. We need to make progress toward energy [diversity]. We need energy for the lifestyle we have now,” says Stevenson. “People may not realize that they couldn’t survive without some things they find morally reprehensible.” The bill will go through a round of edits before being heard by the full Florida House of Representatives at some time in the spring. Greg Parlier mail@folioweekly.com DECEMBER 2-8, 2015 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 11
NEWS Residents, business owners, social services, JSO, and teams of ambassadors all share in the responsibility of KEEPING DOWNTOWN SAFE
OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AS OVERSEER OF ALL THINGS IN AND AROUND Chamblin’s Uptown on North Laura Street in Downtown Jacksonville, Jeni O’Donnell simply wants faster response times from the police. After a recent incident in which a man was masturbating at one of the bookstore’s sidewalk tables, though a call to the police brought on officer to the scene, the 40-minute response time was too long, in O’Donnell’s opinion. The unfavorable experience left her with concern for her neighborhood and some questions for the Jacksonville Sheriff ’s Office (JSO). “Where is the police presence promised?” asks O’Donnell. Like many of the 1,100 businesses and 4,000 residents who work and/or reside in the Downtown Core (bounded by Prudential Drive to the south, Broad Street to the west, Church Street to the north and Market Street to the east), O’Donnell says she is waiting for Downtown’s share of the 40 new police officers and 40 new Community Service officers that were recently promised. These are the same officers former Sheriff John Rutherford requested back in April of this year, and Sheriff-elect Mike Williams then endorsed in June and current Mayor Lenny Curry budgeted for in September. According to JSO, though, it could be a while before there is an enhanced police presence in the Core. Those new officers “need to be hired, complete academy training and the Field Training Officer’s Program prior to hitting the streets as solo officers,” says Officer Christian S. Hancock, JSO’s public information officer. O’Donnell, who is passionate about operating a business in the city’s up-andcoming urban center, says Chamblin’s is not the only enterprise with safety concerns. According to a police report, on Oct. 19, a man entered the Subway Restaurant located at 140 W. Monroe St., caused a disturbance and when asked to leave, swung his fist at the pregnant store manager, destroyed the cash register and threw it at said store manager. The man was later arrested after causing $200 worth of damage at the café located 12 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | DECEMBER 2-8, 2015
inside Chamblin’s that same afternoon. He was charged with criminal mischief, aggravated assault and trespassing. As those who work and live Downtown know, every day is different. It’s part of the appeal of living in an urban area. For O’Donnell, the police presence is imperative to a good day. “When people see Officer Rey Coll walking the streets, my days are way better,” she says, referring to the officer she believes to be the only policeman walking the beat in Police Zone 1. At least, according to O’Donnell, Coll is the only consistent presence. Hancock says there are almost 100 officers assigned to Zone 1 and that there is no “standard” response time for any call for service. According to JSO, calls are dispatched to patrol officers by priority — violent crimes and/or crimes in progress are prioritized higher than others. Crime statistic reports from JSO actually show crime in the city’s Downtown over the last three years has been relatively flat, but that larceny (theft of personal property) and simple assault (where no weapon is used and no/minor bodily harm is inflicted) are the two main crimes in Zone 1. A comparison of a three-month period from September to November of the last two years shows a 3 percent decrease in the occurrence of those two crimes from 2014 to 2015. O’Donnell is quick to acknowledge that the needle is moving in the right direction and she is acutely aware of the misconception that the Urban Core is unsafe. Like many of her colleagues, she has a vested interest in the increased positive foot traffic on the Downtown streets. “If we do not address the incidents now and in a timely manner, businesses will be affected,” she laments. Much of the positive momentum is due to unique partnerships forged between JSO and groups of ambassadors. Vince Cavin, CEO of the centrally located (and Chamblin’s-adjacent) Hemming Park says his team meets quarterly with JSO to review incident reports and plan ahead for upcoming events. On any given day, a team of green-clad Hemming Park ambassadors,
aiming to bring as much positive aim attention about the public area’s daily attt doings, can be seen scattered about do the th city’s central meeting area. “There are ar no real big issues in Downtown until un one random incident comes and an messes it up for everyone,” Cavin says. sa The park ambassadors report daily incidents to the police so as to enhance the metrics and help police see the dots and align resources. Dressed in bright orange, Downtown Vision Inc. (DVI)’s ambassadors have similar responsibilities. Their focus is to be friendly and hospitable, while working with JSO to enhance its database and identify problem areas. Katherine Hardwick, DVI director of marketing, shares that so far in 2015, 7,300 nuisance reports have been resolved by DVI ambassadors. JSO adds that DVI advises officers of problem areas where nuisance crimes occur. These are incidences that, in absence of the ambassadors, might go unreported, such as feces and urine in doorways, and excessive littering. DVI personnel also alert JSO of someone who might be posing a danger to themselves or others and who may be in need of services. Though they play an important role in assuring public safety, Hardwick says DVI ambassadors, like Hemming Park ambassadors, are strictly forbidden from engaging folks perpetrating a crime. The bright shirts may temporarily deter, but they do not prevent the same way the blue (armed) uniform does. On Oct. 1, Jacksonville Day Resource Center — which provided social services to Downtown’s homeless population — closed its doors. Cavin states that there has been an uptick in illegal activity reports since then, with panhandling and trespassing the two main violations being reported by Hemming Park ambassadors to JSO. “I still feel safe and walk everywhere,” he says. And O’Donnell wants everyone who visits Downtown to feel that way. “Remember that this is my neighborhood,” she points out. “I live and work here and I just want to feel safe in my neighborhood. I want to be sure that if I place a call for help, whether one cop or 40 cops respond, I will receive the attention I need at that time without having to take matters into my own hands.” Josue Cruz mail@folioweekly.com
DEAD ZONE
JAGCITY
Jags’ RED ZONE struggles seal their fate
A
fter the latest Jaguars loss, Coach Gus Bradley was his usual even-tempered self in talking to the media. “Highly competitive game. What can you say? They’ve got a great quarterback,” Bradley said, referring to the San Diego Chargers, who are 3-8 now. “With us, we’re creating a standard of what’s acceptable” and “it’s a high standard.” If you’re like me, that sounds familiar. There’ve been a couple of occasions when I have called for the removal of Gus Bradley as Jaguars’ coach. One as recently as this year. Part of what irks: verbiage like that, which is essentially meaningless. Anyone out there striving for a low standard of acceptability? Anyone, that is, willing to say it into a live mic? “The big story is the red zone,” Bradley said, both offensively and defensively. And he’s absolutely right. The Jaguars looked great between the 20s. Then, Field Goal City. The Chargers, meanwhile, without any great semblance of a running game, were able to use their tight ends, Antonio Gates and Ladarius Green, to impose their will on the Jags’ secondary. The Jags, meanwhile, weren’t imposing their will on anyone. Part of the issue: TJ Yeldon had no carries in the red zone, an odd move for a franchise running back, especially given the complaints over the offense not funneling the ball to him in first-and-goal situations in earlier games. “I thought we moved the ball,” Bradley said, but field goals instead of touchdowns “change[d] the dynamics” of the game. That’s half-right. The facts are that the Jaguars had control of the game through much of the first half. They didn’t press the advantage and drive toward the end zone. They played what used to be called finesse football. And they lack the nuance, in terms of personnel and arguably coaching, to pull that off. Bortles, meanwhile, made some “big plays,” “flashes of things,” said Bradley.
“I see him make some of the throws and the decision-making we’re applauding … but in the red zone, there’s not enough there.” How much of that is Bortles? How much of it is play-calling? Maybe if the Jags had done a better job stringing together some of those suffocating, nine-minute drives for which they do have the personnel, the outcome might have been different. Bradley spent much of the press conference raving about Philip Rivers, quarterback of a 3-8 team that will finish last in its division. What happened today “was something more than unfortunate” and was “unacceptable,” Bradley said. But no worries; no lineup changes are planned. Indeed, at this point, the cupboard is quite bare. Bortles, in his comments, said the team did a “good job moving the ball” down to the red zone, but a “lack of execution” sealed the Big Cats’ fate. “I’ve got to be sharper on reads and progressions,” Bortles said, citing the two illegal forward passes, which even earned a Deadspin write-up, as attempts to extend the play as “long as possible.” “I don’t know from a coach’s perspective what you tell a guy who did that,” Bortles said, regarding the two passes in the red zone past the line of scrimmage. “Quit being an idiot or something,” he added. In a different context, that would have gotten a laugh. In front of this press corps, frustrated almost to a person by covering perennial losers, the joke passed as another lost comment in yet another lost season. The Jags, now two games off the pace in the AFC South, could turn it around. Who believes they will, though? AG Gancarski mail@folioweekly.com twitter/AGGancarski
DECEMBER 2-8, 2015 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 13
A controversial VIDEO may have TARNISHED the image of growing churches and its lead pastor one the nation nation’ss fastest fastest-growing
STRAIGHTENED OUT AT
STORY
CLAIRE GOFORTH PHOTOS
DENNIS HO
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arkn arkness beckons on the southwest corner of Beach Bo Boulevard and San Pablo, within the sanctity of t the former Wal-Mart that houses the Church o Eleven22. Billing itself as “a movement for of a all people to discover and deepen a relationship w with Jesus Christ,” the fast growing, nonde denominational church has a reputation for being pprogressive, ro tolerant, and trendy. Concert hall quality lighting, short services that are heavy on the rock ‘n’ roll, and seemingly positive messaging sans collection plates serve to further the church’s hip reputation. So too does its lead pastor, Joseph “Joby” Martin III, a plaintalking, charismatic 42-year-old father of two who oozes Southeast Americana from the flannel shirts he wears onstage to the comforting, homespun twang that colors his speech. Eleven22’s presentation plays well with the younger crowd. At least half the congregation at a recent service were Millennials or GenXers; social media is saturated with glowing testaments about how much congregants love their church. And being on trend looks to be good business. In 2014, Outreach Magazine reported that the Church of Eleven22 was the 57th fastest-growing church in the nation. And just three years after the church spent $2.56 million renovating its Beach Boulevard location, it is expanding: Last summer it purchased the former Sneakers Sports Grille on Point Meadows Drive for $2.48 million.
“Joby was like, ‘SO, HERE’S THE DEAL: we love you and we’re glad that you’re coming to church. But, uh, yeah, you can’t be gay. You can’t be homosexual anymore. IT’S NOT WHAT GOD WANTS FROM YOU.’” But a slickly produced video the church released in March seems to dispel the notion that Eleven22 is all that progressive. (The video may have even prompted Facebook group The Jacksonville Minority Report to give the church the “Jerry Falwell Prize for Excellence in Hate.”) The video, titled “Exodus Part 2 Week 5 Chauntel’s Story HD,” begins with the soft sounds of stringed instruments and stark white letters on a black background, “We celebrate baptism as a FAMILY. Every FAMILY has a STORY. Telling the STORY never gets old…” then fades to a woman identified as Chauntel Ceasar. Blues eyes peering out of an attractive, luminously youthful face beneath a Miley Cyrus haircut,
Ceasar explains in a Northern brogue that she and her girlfriend started going to the church a year earlier. “Nobody looked at us weird. Pastor Joby was really nice. I just came here to check it out, I guess. Everybody’s searching for something,” she says in the video. Ceasar describes how eventually the couple met privately with Martin, expecting that he would be as supportive and welcoming as they’d come to expect over several months of services. That, she says in the video, “is not how it went at all.”
CONTINUED NEXT PAGE >>>
Deweyne Robinson (pictured) and Linda Girouex lead congregations at churches that are not only accepting of homosexuals, but also affirming.
DECEMBER 2-8, 2015 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 15
STRAIGHTENED OUT AT ELEVEN 22
<<< FROM PREVIOUS “Joby was like, ‘So, here’s the deal: we love you and we’re glad that you’re coming to church. But, uh, yeah, you can’t be gay. You can’t be homosexual anymore. It’s not what God wants from you. It’s not lordship.’” Ceasar tells the camera. “That’s not what I wanted. And I, you know, what I wanted was to be with my girlfriend. It was like a barrier, it was like I could only get so close to Jesus on the inside.” In the video Ceasar relates how she complied with God’s command – as communicated by Martin – by breaking up with her girlfriend, whom she had been living with and planning to eventually wed. Her girlfriend moved away. Her choices, Ceasar says bitterly in the video, did not go over well with their mutual friends. “I’m here with the aftermath and the people that, you know, were really close to us. And they’re judging me, they’re like angry at me ‘cause of the decision that I made and I try to explain to them. I stand witness every chance I get… [They’re like], ‘God is going to love you anyway. You shouldn’t have to sacrifice anything.’ I’m like, ‘You couldn’t be any more wrong.’”
Laura Stift has never returned to Eleven22 since viewing the video there.
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One of Ceasar’s former coworkers, who asked not to be named, was shocked to learn of Ceasar’s change of heart. “I know she always struggled with being gay and that she felt it was against her religious beliefs and what-not. But I didn’t think she’d do something like that… I would’ve never thought she would’ve done that. I mean, I thought, she was obsessed with her ex. They seemed really happy together,” she wrote via Facebook Messenger. Ceasar, who this past January posted on Facebook that she had moved to Africa to become a missionary with Jacksonville-based nonprofit Okoa Refuge Inc., did not respond to Folio Weekly’s request for comment. On March 2, Ceasar publicly posted the video to her Facebook page with the following caption: “Hey Facebook. This is my testimony video that Church of 1122 recorded right before I got baptized. I would strongly encourage you to watch it and share it publicly. Let’s get viral Jack! The video, which the church also posted, racked up over 80,000 views before being removed from the church’s page in recent months. (As of this writing, it is still available on YouTube.) Laura Stift started going to Eleven22 when it was just a service at Beaches United
Methodist Church, which has since changed its name to Beach Church Jax and adopted some of the same practices that have made Eleven22 so successful. Stift vividly recalls the day they showed Ceasar’s video in church last winter. “I was shocked. I was sick. I was upset. I was like, ‘I can’t believe this just happened.’ That was the last time I went to Eleven22. But it didn’t seem to faze anybody at the service.”
Corresponding via text message, Kaitlin Kelmanson, Ceasar’s former girlfriend, says Ceasar was already unhappy in the relationship when they spoke with Martin. “I began to see the war inside of her from what she felt was right and wrong. I have never seen [Ceasar] more at peace in our relationship then [sic] she is now. Whether [Martin] was right or wrong in what he said. He was right for her.” Stift believes that at least some congregants, which she says includes many homosexuals, have a false impression of the church’s ideology when, in reality, it’s just old-fashioned Biblical brimstone with a fashionable image. “I feel like they want to attract young, a certain type of person, and they do, but he slips these old ideas in, ‘cause when you hear him preach, it’s very fast, very funny, very
“I was shocked. I was sick. I was upset. I was like, ‘I can’t believe this just happened.’ That was the last time I went to Eleven22.” -LAURA STIFT, attended the Church of Eleven22 regularly
charismatic, but he’s also really strong in his beliefs,” she says, “…it’s very trendy but I don’t think people understand what they’re going along with, Joby’s beliefs.” Like Stift, those who have been put off by Eleven22’s dogma may feel that Martin, who is ordained by the Southern Baptist Church, is a natural showman who brandishes a hip image which, either by design or by happenstance, effectively misleads people into following along with antiquated views regarding homosexuality, women’s rights and their roles within relationships. In 2014, Martin gave a speech called “Growing Godly Elders” at the Dallas conference of Acts 29 Network, “a diverse, global network of church-planting churches.” A recording of the speech is available on Acts 29’s website. Some of the implications of this speech might come as surprising to his young, progressive-minded congregants. After acknowledging that he is “not Methodist in theology or ecclesiology,” Martin gives a detailed explanation about why he believes church elders should be “legit old guys.” (In addition to Martin, there are four members of the church elder board, all white men well over the age of 50 who formerly belonged to Beach United Methodist Church.) He doesn’t explicitly say that women can’t be elders but the implication is plain. In this speech Martin also says that he has given the elder board dominion over “guard[ing] the health and wholeness of me and my home.” As an example of how “we know we’re getting it right,” Martin says that six months before they launched the church, his elder board told him that it was time for his wife to quit her part-time job as a physical therapist. “Our elders came to me and said, ‘We think it would be best for your home to have her at home to get you ready to tackle this beast.’ And so I said, ‘Yes sir, no problem, we can make that happen…we’ve got to change some things so give me a little while.’” The elders, he says, said that wasn’t going to work and handed him a check on the spot for the amount his wife would have made working for six months. Modern society doesn’t generally expect women to be subservient to their husbands, and certainly not to members of the board at their husband’s place of employment. But the notion of women as submissive to men seems to be part of Eleven22’s ideology. “So two weeks later my wife was home and it was brilliant, brilliant,” Martin says. After Martin denied requests for in-person or telephonic interviews on the grounds that he was traveling during the week, Folio Weekly asked whether women or homosexuals are allowed to become elders, via email correspondence with a church spokesperson. The church has yet to respond. Recalling a service she attended last year, Stift says, “It was about the woman listening to the man, the man is the head of the household, the man is in control.” In Martin’s speech he also says that these four men approve his travel schedule, his vacations, what constitutes a vacation, and that one elder is assigned to talk — though oversee seems a more fitting term — to him about his finances, marriage, home life, etc. “We bought a new house last year and our elder board picked our house… our elder board said, ‘We think the lead pastor of our church should live in this kind of house,’” Martin says in the speech. Duval County Property Appraiser records show that in 2013, the Martins purchased a home
in the gated community of Highland Glen for $450,000. Local spiritual leaders, Reverend Linda Girouex of Riverside United Church of Christ and Pastor Deweyne Robinson of Called Out Believers in Christ Fellowship, believe that a Christian lifestyle is not mutually exclusive of a homosexual one. Both hold similar beliefs that the bigger picture, i.e., the grace of God, the love of one another, the kindness and understanding and communication, as preached by Jesus in the New Testament, are the essence of Christianity. Further, both believe that the oft-cited quote from scripture, John 3:16 from the New Testament, pre-empts the hellfire and brimstone of the Old Testament,
which includes such horrific passages as Leviticus 20:13, “If a man has sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They are to be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads.” Both also separately recalled unsuccessful efforts to suppress their samesex preferences. For Robinson, suppressing his sexuality led to a failed heterosexual marriage and subsequent promiscuity and decadence that ended with him being publicly shamed for being gay during the service of the church where he then worked while his nowhusband, whom he’d just met and invited to that day’s service, looked on in horror.
“The pastor decided to preach the most homophobic sermon I had ever heard in my entire life,” he says. “…that was a horrible, low point but it was also a day of reckoning.” For Girouex, suppressing herself led to destructive relationships, a failed heterosexual marriage and an alcohol problem. “I did everything when I grew up to try to be normal. I tried to be married. It didn’t work,” she says. Within a week of being with her current partner of 35 years, who is a woman, her issue with alcohol disappeared. “I was anesthetizing who I was, there was a whole part of myself I couldn’t access… I became a whole different person to be in this [prior] marriage,” she says.
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STRAIGHTENED
Eleven22’s lobby is adorned with a cross above its ubiquitous logo.
OUT AT ELEVEN 22
Today, both Girouex and Robinson lead congregations at churches that are not only accepting of homosexuals, but also affirming, which means homosexuals can wed, preach and hold full leadership positions in the church, such as by being elders. Neither gives women subservient, second-class status. Theirs are just two of the Christian churches whose doors are open and affirming to vulnerable and confused individuals who may have been convinced by a charismatic
leader, rock music, dim lights and jubilation on social media that they must sacrifice their sexuality or equality in order to be right with God. How long can a person suppress that which is fundamental to the sense of self before it bubbles to the surface? As Ceasar says in the video, “At the end of the day, your feelings are probably not going to change. Mine haven’t changed. I still love women. It’s a lordship thing where you make a decision. On a daily basis.” Claire Goforth mail@folioweekly.com
“ ISSOMETHING BEING DONE ABOUT IT T
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A prominent member of Eleven22 and LGBT rights activist discusses the perception that his church is ANTI-GAY
A FEW MONTHS AGO, WHEN THE “CHAUNTEL’S STORY” VIDEO was making the rounds on social media, an angry Jacksonvillian called regional indie band SUNBEARS! out as being the house band at The Church of Eleven22 and asked for an explanation. A vitriolic string of comments followed, full of rumor and speculation. SUNBEARS! founder JONATHAN GRANT BERLIN soon joined the conversation, insisting the band at The Church of Eleven22 consisted of musicians from many local bands, not just the SUNBEARS!, and that he was dedicated to equal rights and opposed to the message in the video. Of course, he was labeled a hypocrite and riddled with challenging questions, the most prevalent being, “How can you support the church without implicitly – even explicitly – supporting their message?” I decided to find out. It was with some reluctance that Berlin agreed to this interview. He is, by any measure, the most visible member of the church band, being the frontman and mouthpiece of a nationally touring group that has, among other things, worked with The Flaming Lips on a recent Beatles tribute album. His stature in the original music community is undeniable, as is his activism (he and his bandmates have played several gay pride events and drag shows, and Berlin himself has gay and transgendered family members and friends). His participation in this story came with a condition that is part of any journalistic inquiry, but was of special importance here. Some of the background we covered in our conversation was to be kept off the record, and that request is honored here. But Berlin wanted to put to rest some of the rumors swirling around this most unfortunate video. Folio Weekly: You’ve said you’ve been a part of Church Eleven22 since the beginning. Can you be more specific about that? Jonathan Grant Berlin: Sure. In the beginning – really my role hasn’t changed – but in the beginning, there was one service happening at a church called Beaches United Methodist, and they started this kind of college-aged group and the called it Eleven22. They hired a bunch of contract musicians in town. I was hired to play guitar, so yeah, I was there from the first service back in 2008 playing guitar with them. Who are some of the other locals who play at the church? Jared Bowser [drummer for SUNBEARS! and other locals] plays there. There’s all kinds. About 25 different musicians there. Different services, different weeks. Some of the guys from Fort Stories play there. Kind of a hodgepodge. You said your wife and you met there and you said your child also goes to daycare there. Is that correct? On Tuesdays, he goes to childcare there, during the day. I met my wife, actually, at a SUNBEARS! show. And it just so happens she knew who I was ’cause I was playing guitar at the church.
And what’s your status now? Do you both attend? Yeah, we’re both still there. So let’s get to the root of this. You’ve seen the video, you’ve heard the criticisms. I’m not sure what your position is. Can you clarify? A lot of the things that have been said are, “Jonathan Berlin, of SUNBEARS! is a music pastor at Church Eleven22,” which isn’t the case. I haven’t gone through seminary, I don’t preach there, I don’t counsel people. My business there is strictly just music related, playing guitar. ... That’s one of the things that been misrepresented. Many people have said that you couldn’t have been involved in the church for that long without knowing that they had some sort of anti-gay agenda. Not just the typical church position of gayness being against the laws of god, but this very specific protocol of trying to change people’s sexual orientation, as evidenced in the video we are talking about. Why didn’t you come out immediately and state publicly that you did not agree with their position and was considering leaving your post at the church? To my knowledge, even now, to my
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knowledge, there’s no such program for reprogramming gays. Or trying to bring in gays and reprogram them and tell them you can’t go to heaven till you’re not gay anymore. Or any of this stuff. I have no idea about any of that. I don’t think that that’s happening. As far as Chauntel being shipped to Uganda, Church of Eleven22 has an orphanage in Uganda, and that’s where everybody goes to take care of orphan kids year ’round. The video that Chauntel participates in is pretty explicit. She says, in so many words, I still love women, but I can’t love women and come to Jesus. I have to make this sacrifice. It’s really hard to misinterpret her position in this. It is, and all I can say is in my experience, I’ve played at churches as long as I have been an adult, and left churches over issues in the past, and to my knowledge, since 2008 when I started playing [at Eleven22], I never heard anything like this going on. When you saw the video, how did it make you feel, considering you have family members and friends who are gay? I was troubled by the video, because I didn’t know if the church knew what could be inferred from it on the negative
side, I know the [people] there well, and really they just have a heart for wanting to bring people to Jesus. Homosexuality has never been talked about from stage, preached about or anything to my knowledge, even in my frequency there. So when I saw the video, it was a bit of a head-scratcher for me. Why didn’t you, right away, come out and condemn their position or, at the very least, state publicly that you do not agree with their agenda and are taking a stand against it? When I found out about the video ... my immediate reaction was to talk to the video people and the social media people and be, like, “Do we understand? Is this the statement the church is trying to make?” Like you said earlier, it seems like they have more than your Southern, “You can’t be gay” [ideas]. It seems like they are taking it a step further. The church has known my position – doing Pride Fest Downtown, doing the Harvey Milk Fest – and they’ve never said anything to me. It still doesn’t answer the question. Why didn’t you take a strong stance against it? OK, sorry, getting back ... [I went to the communications department asking], “Do
we understand what this is saying? Do we want to be posting this online? ... This is going to potentially upset people.” That was a few months ago. And here we are now. Here we are months later. That question was asked of me [by the church], “We know Jonathan plays guitar here, he’s from Riverside, he’s the liberal, blah blah blah. Why now are people upset about this video?” I said, “People are always going to be upset about this video, it just took them four months to see the video.” They’ve pulled the video now, and this whole thing is being re-evaluated. The core leadership group, I’m not involved with that group, but I was, like, “This happened, this is getting crazy.” I think I posted something about, “Hey, I’ve said these things. I’m upset, I was offended.” I’ve voiced that I’m offended. It’s taken a long time for them to figure out what they’re saying or whatever they’re doing. I’m not sure, but something is being done about it. I just know that they were taking [the video] down. That’s Step 1. EDITOR’S NOTE: Berlin recently left The Church of Eleven 22. John E. Citrone mail@folioweekly.com
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DECEMBER 2-8, 2015 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 19
FILM A&E //// FILM Pixar’s DISAPPOINTING latest is heads straight for EXTINCTION
LAND OF THE
.
LOST I
n Pixar we trust. It doesn’t matter that The Good Dinosaur was in development purgatory for years, and even changed directors after production began. Or that the trailer looked meh, or that the dinosaurs inexplicably resemble Gumbi. Pixar, then gets killed, leaving the dino-baby on his after giving us the excellent Toy Story trilogy, own and unable to get home to Momma. The Incredibles, Up, and more, has earned You’re seeing The Lion King connections the benefit of the doubt. Surely The Good now, right? Arlo befriends a human boy, Dinosaur will be yet another triumph for the whom he calls Spot, and a group of T-Rexes indefatigable masters of animation. (voiced by Sam Elliott, Anna Paquin, and A.J. Well, nobody’s perfect. Buckley), who are eager to help. Everybody Director Peter Sohn’s film takes a humming “Hakuna Matada” yet? They novel premise — that dinosaurs lived long encounter danger in the form enough to experience the dawn of pterodactyls (one is voiced of humankind — and does little THE GOOD by Steve Zahn) and hyenas, err, with it besides repeatedly rip off DINOSAUR Velociraptors (one of which is The Lion King. The story begins voiced by Pixar stalwart John with the birth of an Apatosaurus **@@ Rated PG Ratzenberger) who try to eat who is named Arlo (Jack McGraw them. Obstacles are overcome, as the baby, Raymond Ochoa as lessons are learned the hard way. the older version). He’s the runt It’s all too predictable for adults to really of the litter and he pales in comparison to engage with the material, and apparently his rapscallion brother and smarter sister. not amusing enough for kids, either, as His parents (voiced by Jeffrey Wright and there were only three or four laugh-outFrances McDormand), however, always believe in him, and go to great pains to help loud moments in a theater full of children him conquer his fears. To help him man up throughout the 100-minute run time. (or dinosaur up, as it were), Poppa takes him Still, it’s absolutely gorgeous to watch. Set on a long walk, gives him sage advice … and high in the mountains in the United States,
BAD MOON RISING I’M A SUCKER FOR WEREWOLF MOVIES, WHICH means I’ve seen a lot of bad ones over the years. Late Phases (2014) is not among that ilk, I’m happy to report. Before I even knew its subject, I was drawn to the movie by its director and its star. The director Adrian Garcia Bogliano (a Spanish filmmaker), wrote and directed Here Comes the Devil (2013), a chilling, original horror film about a husband and wife whose two lost children are found, safe but not sound. Nick Damici is a talented writer, too, who sometimes doubles as an actor, particularly when collaborating with filmmaker Jim Mickle in movies like Mulberry Street (2006), Stake Land (2010), and We Are What We Are (2013). In Late Phases, Damici plays crotchety blind Vietnam vet Ambrose McKinley, who moves with his seeing-eye dog into a retirement community after his wife’s death. His first night there he discovers there’s a werewolf on the loose. (I know, I know — it sounds silly, but the concept works in context.) Since no one else suspects a thing, it’s up to Ambrose to prepare for the creature’s appearance upon the next full moon. In the meantime, he tries to discover the monster’s human counterpart. Damici shines as the blind protagonist, aided by an interesting supporting cast including Tom Noonan (Manhunter), writer/
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director Larry Fassenden, and Tina Louise (Gilligan’s Island). Eric Stolze’s script is a clever whodunit up to a point — until the beast is revealed — and then continues with some unexpected twists right up to the final confrontation. Rather than relying on CGI, like The Wolf Man with Anthony Hopkins and Benicio del Toro, the filmmakers rely on prosthetics and makeup for the lycanthrope effects. It’s not state-of-the-art, but it’s not bad, either. Besides, the real strength of Late Phases is its character development, particularly Damici’s especially worthy performance. Ambrose McKinley is a conflicted man whose painful relationship with his grown son is plumbed effectively without distracting us from the main business of the day, which is fangs and fur. Late Phases reminded me of another unusual werewolf film, which has just been given a sparkling makeover in Blu-ray. Ginger Snaps, a 2000 Canadian film, was the offspring of writer Karen Walton and director John Fawcett, both whom would reunite again in similar capacities for episodes of TV’s Orphan Black, of which Fawcett was co-creator. A bloody black comedy about puberty, menstruation, and werewolves, Ginger Snaps focuses on two sisters, Ginger (Katharine Isabelle) and Brigitte (Emily Perkins), as they try to navigate high school hell. Outsiders by choice, the girls are also fixated on death and suicide,
the detail of the animation is astounding — note the rocky terrain of the landscape, the fine grains of the sand, trees and shrubbery bristling in the wind, even the calamitous rush of dangerously raging rapids. It all looks vividly real — especially in 3D — to the point where it’s easy to forget you’re watching animation. You may not be entertained by the story, but you’re almost guaranteed to want to take a trip to the Grand Canyon or Yosemite on your next vacation. Has the Pixar magic lapsed? It’s too early to tell, and one thump in a nearly spotless goldmine of riches (i.e., the Pixar canon) is not something from which to draw conclusions. It is, however, a red flag, a nagging beacon in the backs of our minds that will niggle there until the next Pixar release restores our faith in the studio that has given us so much so well (FYI: Finding Nemo sequel Finding Dory hits June 2016). Until then, though, let’s consider The Good Dinosaur extinct. Dan Hudak mail@folioweekly.com
MAGIC LANTERNS
which become the subject of several creative projects, not unlike those embraced by the forlorn young hero of Hal Ashby’s Harold and Maude. Bitten by a werewolf, Ginger starts to change, much to the dismay of the younger, more withdrawn Brigitte. As Ginger’s aggression grows beyond the sexual to the violent, poor Brigitte is forced to enlist the aid of the local teen dope dealer for a possible cure. Meanwhile, the girls’ clueless mother (Mimi Rogers in a wonderful comic performance) can’t make heads or tails (even though Ginger is growing one!) of what’s going on. In tone, Ginger Snaps resembles Heathers more than anything else, though with considerably more gore. The two young actresses are perfect, and Walton/Fawcett’s linking of horror and puberty (though not new, as Carrie can attest) is still unusual. A sequel and a prequel followed in 2004 — Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed (with a young Tatiana Maslany of Orphan Black) and Ginger Snaps Back: The Beginning. Both are worth a look, but the first is still the best. Pat McLeod mail@folioweekly.com
FILM LISTINGS FILM RATINGS
PURPLE HAZE **** PURPLE RAIN ***@ PURPLE DRANK **@@ PURPLE NURPLE *@@@
SCREENINGS AROUND TOWN
A CHRISTMAS STORY The film that inspired kids everywhere to stick their tongues on ice is the Drive-In Movie, 7 p.m. Dec. 11 at St. Augustine Amphitheatre, 1340C A1A S., free with donation of at least one canned food item per person, 209-0367, staugamphitheatre. com. The Muppet Christmas Carol screens 6 p.m., Christmas Vacation 7:45 p.m. Dec. 12. SUN-RAY CINEMA The Night Before and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 screen at 1028 Park St., 5 Points, 3590049, sunraycinema.com. A Christmas Story starts Dec. 3. Krampus, The Forbidden Room and Creed start Dec. 4. THE CORAZON CINEMA & CAFÉ Fishing Without Nets and Ricki & the Flash screen through Dec. 10. Star Wars marathon continues Dec. 3 and 4; call for times. National Lampoon Christmas Vacation runs at noon Dec. 3. 36 Granada St., St. Augustine, 679-5736, corazoncinemaandcafe.com. IMAX THEATER In the Heart of the Sea starts Dec. 11. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2, Rocky Mountain Express, Living in the Age of Airplanes, Galapagos 3D and Humpback Whales screen at World Golf Village Hall of Fame IMAX Theater, St. Johns, 940-4133, worldgolfimax.com. Star Wars The Force Awakens starts Dec. 17.
NOW SHOWING
BRIDGE OF SPIES **@@ Rated PG-13 For director Steven Spielberg and leading man Tom Hanks, the problems are pacing and story structure. It’s tedious, insistent on driving home points we already know. The script by Matt Charman and Joel and Ethan Coen is divided like a theatrical production. Beginning in 1957, the first and more interesting segment follows insurance lawyer Jim Donovan (Hanks) as he defends accused Russian spy Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance) from charges of treason and espionage. Jim is an insurance counselor doing a defense attorney’s job – this is based on a true story. Jim’s legal partners (Alan Alda, John Rue), the CIA, FBI, the presiding judge (Dakin Matthews) and Jim’s wife Mary (Amy Ryan), daughters and son want it all to be for show and for Rudolf to not receive a fair trial. Jim stands by his client’s constitutional rights and does his best for the Russian. — Dan Hudak BROOKLYN Rated PG-13 Eilis Lacey (Saoirse Ronan) is a young Irish woman who’s just relocated to 1950s Brooklyn. She meets Tony (Emory Cohen) and falls in love. Then something needs her attention back home in Ireland and she has to pick her life – here or there? Costars the awesome Julie Walters, as well as Domhnall Gleeson, Jim Broadbent and Brid Brennan. BY THE SEA Rated R This drama costars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie Pitt, who also directed. A writer and his wife are having a tough go of it in the beautiful French countryside, apparently near the sea. Boo-effing-hoo. I just can’t buy a story of woe from these incredibly rich superstars. CHI-RAQ Rated R Director Spike Lee offers an updated take on Aristophanes’ drama Lysistrata, with an amazing cast – Nick Cannon, Teyonah Parris, Wesley Snipes, Angela Bassett, Samuel L. Jackson, John Cusack, Jennifer Hudson, D.B. Sweeney, Dave Chappelle – amid the violence in Chicago, challenging the racism and sexism it foments. CREED Rated PG-13 “Yo, (mumble, mumble) can’t sing or dance.” Apollo Creed’s son Adonis (played by Michael B. Jordan) thinks he wants to be a boxer like his father, whom he never knew. So he goes looking for that lovable palooka Rocky Balboa (do we even have to tell you he’s played by Sylvester Stallone?) in Philly. Costars Phylicia Rashad, Max Kellerman, Jim Lampley, Elvis Grant and Tessa Thompson. THE GOOD DINOSAUR **@@ Rated PG Reviewed in this issue. GOOSEBUMPS Rated PG Jack Black returns in this timely spooky-but-not-too-spooky romp based on R.L. Stine’s books. Costars Dylan Minnette, Odeya Rush and Ryan Lee. Stine himself sneaks in for a bit, too. THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY - PART 2 ***G Rated PG-13 The series has given us a look at a world in which women are presumed to be as capable and as authoritative as men, and has delved deeply into the potent influence of propaganda. world-changing heroine more human than most of them: more conflicted, more unsure, more afraid yet also more brave in overcoming all that … while simultaneously more principled and more selfish. Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) has never been about some romantic, idealistic notion of heroism. KRAMPUS Rated PG-13 Didn’t get the present you wanted for the holidays? No matter; just conjure a yuletide demon to your happy home, sit back and enjoy the consequences. The comedy/horror film costars Adam Scott, Toni Collette, Emjay Anthony, David Koechner and Conchata Ferrell. LOVE THE COOPERS Rated PG-13 The holidays are stressful enough as it is, what with trying to find the perfect gift for someone you don’t give a rat’s ass about … here the idyllic
celebration the Cooper family strives for is a chaotic charade, until surprising things begin to happen. Costars Olivia Wilde, Amanda Seyfried, Marisa Tomei, Diane I’m-always-in-myAnnie-Hall-mode Keaton, John Goodman, Ed Helms, and the incomparable Alan Arkin, who was so great opposite John Cusack in High Fidelity. THE MAN IN 3B Rated R This is a mystery in an apartment complex. Right off the bat, we’re not interested. We live in an apartment complex and the only mystery there is why do they raise the rent every effing year? Costars Lamman Rucker, Christian Keyes, Brely Evans and D.B. Woodside. THE MARTIAN **** Rated PG-13 While exploring the surface of Mars, scientists are caught in a violent storm. Melissa (Jessica Chastain), Rick (Michael Pena), Beth (Kata Mara), Chris (Sebastian Stan) and Alex (Aksel Hennie) escape on their shuttle, but Mark (Matt Damon) is hit with debris, presumed dead and left behind. But he’s alive, unable to communicate with NASA, and low on oxygen, food and supplies. It’ll be four years before the next mission to Mars. Mark doesn’t panic. He uses his background as a botanist to grow food on a planet on which nothing grows naturally, and even creates his own water. — D.H. MY ALL AMERICAN Rated PG Freddie Steinmark wins a University of Texas football scholarship, but a serious injury soon sidelines his participation. We’re thinking it’s like Brian’s Song meets Rudy. Costars Finn Wittrock, Sarah Bolger, Robin Tunney, Aaron Eckhart and Rett Terrell. THE NIGHT BEFORE Rated R Nothing like the lovely wistful Beatles song. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anthony Mackie and the ubiquitous Seth Rogen ferret out top-shelf Christmas Eve parties every year as they prowl NYC. THE PEANUTS MOVIE ***@ Rated G Two of the three credited screenwriters are Craig Schulz and Bryan Schulz, the son and grandson of Peanuts cartoonist Charles Schulz. It’s clear from the outset that director Steve Martino isn’t interested in shaking up the Peanuts universe too radically. Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, and Linus still occupy an adultfree world, one where Snoopy still writes his novels on a manual typewriter. Charlie Brown (voiced by Noah Schnapp) is still hapless and anxiety-ridden, and it’s from that foundation that the story emerges. The Little Red-Haired Girl has just moved to town, and Charlie Brown is desperate to impress her, and terrified of interacting with her. — Scott Renshaw SECRET IN THEIR EYES **@@ Rated PG-13 In this dull thriller, three old friends, played by Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts and Chiwetel Ejiofor, are investigating the murder of Carolyn Cobb (Zoe Graham), who was district attorney investigator Jess’ (Roberts) teenage daughter. It’s now a cold case and the lead investigator, Ray (Ejiofor), is so convinced the killer is a guy named Marzan (Joe Cole), there’s no room for mystery. SPECTRE **@@ Rated PG-13 The action movie – fourth in the reinvigorated-for-the-21st-century Bond franchise – begins with the secret agent and a woman amid the crowds of raucous Day of the Dead revelers in Mexico City. But the thin plot never catches fire. After the events of Skyfall, Bond (Daniel Craig) went rogue, chasing a big bad guy around the globe, while back in London, the new M (Ralph Fiennes) fights with C (Andrew Scott), who’s about to launch a new blanket electronic surveillance scheme to replace the Double Zed program: something about drone warfare being more efficient than spies with a licence to kill. Costars Christoph Waltz, Léa Seydoux and Monica Bellucci. — MaryAnn Johanson SPOTLIGHT **** Rated R Inspired by a January 2002 report in The Boston Globe, about the sex abuse scandal that rocked the Catholic Church in 2002, the film follows the Globe’s investigative Spotlight team as it researches sexual abuse by priests in the Boston area and the widespread knowledge and cover-up by people in power, including Cardinal Bernard Law (Len Cariou). The Spotlight team includes editor Walter “Robby” Robinson (Michael Keaton) and reporters Mike Rezendes (Mark Ruffalo), Sacha Pfeiffer (Rachel McAdams) and Matt Carroll (Brian d’Arcy James). Costars Liev Schreiber and John Slattery. — D.H. SUFFRAGETTE *G@@ Rated PG-13 In 1912 London, Maud (Carey Mulligan), wife to Sonny (Ben Whishaw) and mother to George (Adam Michael Dodd), hates her job as a laundress. Society demands she be submissive to men, and views her as a second-class citizen. Violet (Anne-Marie Duff), a co-worker, and later Edith (Helena Bonham Carter), a chemist, invite Maud to suffragette meetings, where she learns of the struggle women face to have the right to vote. For 50 years, they’ve been peacefully petitioning, to no avail. Now more militant action is needed, says suffragette leader Emmeline Pankhurst (Meryl Streep). Slowly, and to the chagrin of Sonny and every other man in the movie except Edith’s husband (Finbar Lynch), Maud becomes involved in the cause. — D.H. TRUMBO Rated R Brian Cranston and Diane Lane star in this bio-drama about Dalton Trumbo (Cranston) who was a hotshot Hollywood screenwriter whose career and life hit the skids when ignorant, excitable types went huntin’ for Commies. Costars Helen Mirren, Michael Stuhling and Louis C.K. VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN Rated PG-13 This newest drama/ horror film version is told from the viewpoint of the doctor’s assistant Igor (Daniel Radcliffe), who is waaay better looking but not as funny as Marty Feldman. This is the “backstory” – a word that simply means the history of or, actually, the story – of how Igor and Dr. Frankenstein (James McAvoy) became partners in human re-creation.
DECEMBER 2-8, 2015 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 21
A&E //ARTS
The JACKSONVILLE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA performs the intergalactic-inspired works of JOHN WILLIAMS
SPACE PLACE IS THE
I
22 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | DECEMBER 2-8, 2015
t’s likely the most famous film music of all time. Naturally, it would not be so, had the films themselves not been successful and achieved cultural icon status. It’s the music of the Star Wars; well, the Star Wars’ empire, if you like, attributed to Hollywood veteran composer John Williams (though several lesser-knowns have also scored for the series). To date, a total of 10 complete scores exist, doing everything film music is supposed to do: principally, keep the viewer riveted to the screen action. Conductor Scott Gregg and The Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra perform selections from the films on Thursday, Dec. 3, in up-to-the-minute fashion with the actual selection being announced from the stage, rather than following a concert program. This is probably a nod to the vast scope of the music and the six films and the difficulty of choosing from a seemingly infinite sound well that runs the gamut of the martial to the romantic, to the strange and back again. John Williams was inspired, like any good soundtrack scribe, by what had come before him. One must remember that for all the dazzle razz of the Star Wars series’ special effects, set designs, costumes, and the like, any real film relies on a plot of substance, character development, and believable script. That last aspect brings up a point; I must admit that I lost interest in anything Star Wars after the Jar Jar Binks fiasco of the fourth film in the franchise, The Phantom Menace. Fittingly, this had Williams taking a step back to the massive symphonists of the late 19th century: Anton Bruckner, Richard Strauss, and Richard Wagner (also, the symphony reminded us of the influence of Gustav Holst’s 1911 The Planets at a recent concert). Not to mention the influence of the classic Hollywood scores of the likes of Max Steiner and Erich Korngold. Said writer/ director George Lucas of the first film: “I could have gone with ’50s sci-fi electronic bleeps and Theremins, but I wanted instead a more heroic, orchestral score like Steiner did for King Kong in 1933.”
It is probably Richard Wagner and his groundbreaking “leitmotif ” system he employed for his own gargantuan music dramas that bring effectiveness to the score. Derided by Igor Stravinsky (ironically,
THE MUSIC OF STAR WARS
7:30 p.m. Dec. 3, Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts’ Jacoby Symphony Hall, Downtown, 354-5547, $25-$74, jaxsymphony.org
another Williams idol) as “a musical telephone directory,” the leitmotif is simply a theme or tone cluster attached to a certain character, place, or event in a film, when it appears the audience is clued in immediately to what the game is. Take the triumphant trumpet blasts that mark the appearance of Indiana Jones in the Raiders of the Lost Ark series (another Williams’ opus) or the pulsating bass staccatos that Williams pinched from Stravinsky’s Le Sacre du Printemps that served as the dinner bell for Bruce the wonder shark in Jaws. As the franchise evolved, so did the music, expanding into more modernist territory. The scope, like the evolution of music itself in a way, moved on from the famous main fanfare (which again Williams turned sideways for Indiana Jones) to the pointillist eeriness of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Going back further in time, the Gregorian Dies Irae (“day of wrath” from the Catholic liturgy) was employed, embellished
and used to evoke varying degrees of doom in the first film as well as in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith. (I like to think there’s a Benedictine brother somewhere who did better royalty-wise from Star Wars than he did for The Omen). From Princess Leia to the Death Star itself, there is a leitmotif for every size and shape throughout the series. The music has remained a mainstay in the lighter end of the repertoire for orchestras all over the world. Most “serious” composers have tried their hands at composing for commercial filmdom (Aaron Copland for North Star (’43), Georges Auric for Beauty and the Beast (’46), John Corigliano for 1981’s Altered States), but it’s John Williams who came to the Star Wars universe after an already lengthy and stellar Hollywood career in TV as well as mainstream popcorn fare like ’67’s Valley of the Dolls, The Poseidon Adventure (’72), The Towering Inferno (’74) … the list goes on and on. Like any virtuoso composer, he ably utilizes the orchestra itself as his instrument, often making great demands on the most seasoned players. “Williams’ string writing can be very busy, often exhaustively so,” says symphony concertmaster-violinist Philip Pan, of Williams’ sometimes-arduous compositions. “Maybe it’s because he has had the stellar string section of the Boston Symphony at his disposal for so many years.” Whatever the take may be, the music of Star Wars has a vastness and sonic depth that would have dumbfounded Richard Wagner himself. At present, there are no anthologies or volumes written on this music. Although surely there will be; as a phenomenon in the history of cinema, it’s inevitable. This can only be due to the fact that the series has yet to fully run its course. You can bet that when the final credits roll and the last fermata is held, the force will have been with John Williams. How’s that for a neat wrap? Arvid Smith mail@folioweekly.com
DECEMBER 2-8, 2015 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 23
+ EVENTS ARTS ARTS + EVENTS PERFORMANCE
CONEY ISLAND CHRISTMAS Atlantic Beach Experimental Theatre presents the comedic musical, about an older woman who tells her great-granddaughter what it means to be an American during the holidays, 8 p.m. Dec. 4 and 5 at Adele Grage Cultural Center, 716 Ocean Blvd., Atlantic Beach, $20, 249-7177; through Dec. 20, abettheatre.com. MIRACLE ON 34th STREET Santa Claus goes on trial when Amelia Community Theatre stages the holiday classic, about Kris Kringle’s believers and naysayers, 8 p.m. Dec. 3-5 at 207/209 Cedar St., Fernandina Beach, 261-6749, $20; $10 students; through Dec. 19, ameliacommunitytheatre.org. CHARLOTTE’S WEB Amelia Musical Playhouse presents its stage adaptation of E.B. White’s much-loved story, about Wilbur the pig and his friendship with a spider named Charlotte, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4 and 5 and 2:30 p.m. Dec. 6 at Amelia Musical Playhouse, 1955 Island Walkway, Fernandina Beach, 277-3455, $20; $10 students; through Dec. 19, ameliamusicalplayhouse.com. GODSPELL This groundbreaking musical, based on the parables of the Gospels, is staged at 8 p.m. Dec. 4 and 5 at Players by the Sea, 106 Sixth St. N., Jax Beach, 249-0289, $28; through Dec. 20, playersbythesea.org. CIRCLE MIRROR TRANSFORMATION The Bold Theatre Group and MOCA present Annie Baker’s play, about five actors whose lives are transformed during a six-week improv workshop, 7 p.m. Dec. 2-4 and 2 p.m. Dec. 5 and 6 at Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville, 333 N. Laura St., Downtown, 366-6911, $15; $10 members, mocajacksonville.com. CHRISTMAS CAROLE Alhambra Theatre & Dining presents Bruce Allen Scudder’s musical adaptation of the beloved tale of Ebenezer Scrooge’s yuletide redemption, through Dec. 24. Dinner 6 p.m.; brunch at noon, with Executive Chef DeJuan Roy’s themed menu; 12000 Beach Blvd., Southside, $35-$55 plus tax, 641-1212, alhambrajax.com.
CLASSICAL, CHOIR & JAZZ
A JAZZ COMBO CONCERT Jazz students swing, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 2 at University of North Florida’s Robinson Theater, 1 UNF Dr., Southside, 620-2878, unf.edu/coas/music/calendar.aspx. THE MUSIC OF STAR WARS “Give yourself to the Woodwinds’ Side. It is the only way you can save your friends.” Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra performs The Music of Star Wars, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 3 at Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts’ Jacoby Symphony Hall, 300 Water St., Downtown, 354-5547, $25-$74, jaxsymphony.org. PIANO PLAY-OFF CONCERT Dr. Erin Bennett coordinates the piano music, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 3 at University of North Florida’s Recital Hall, 620-2878, unf.edu/coas/music/calendar.aspx. ORCHESTRA HOLIDAY CONCERT Holiday faves are performed, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4 at Jacksonville University’s Terry Concert Hall, 2800 University Blvd. N., Arlington, 256-7386, arts.ju.edu. STUDENT CHAMBER MUSIC CONCERT UNF music students perform, 4 p.m. Dec. 4 at UNF’s Recital Hall, 1 UNF Dr., Southside, 620-2878, unf.edu/coas/music/calendar.aspx. THE MESSIAH UNF Chamber Singers and Chamber Orchestra with Student Soloists perform pieces from Handel’s masterwork, 3 p.m., with a full performance at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5 at Ponte Vedra Concert Hall, 1050 A1A N., 620-2878, unf.edu/coas/ music/calendar.aspx. MAKE WE JOY: SONGS OF THE SEASON The University Singers, Chorale, and Men’s and Women’s Choirs are featured, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5 at Jacksonville University’s Terry Concert Hall, 256-7386, arts.ju.edu. PIXAR IN CONCERT Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra presents a blend of symphonic music with clips from 14 popular PIXAR films, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5 at Times-Union Center’s Jacoby Symphony Hall, 354-5547, $25-$74, jaxsymphony.org. NICHOLAS PAYTON TRIO Grammy-winning trumpeter Payton performs with his trio, 8 p.m. Dec. 5 at The Ritz Theatre &
24 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | DECEMBER 2-8, 2015
Museum, 829 N. Davis St., Downtown, 807-2010, $35-$40, ritzjacksonville.com. JULIEN LABRO & SPEKTRAL QUARTET Virtuoso accordion player Labro and forward-thinking chamber ensemble Spektral Quartet perform, 8 p.m. Dec. 5 at Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, 1100 Stockton St., Riverside, $25; $10 students, riversidefinearts.org. CAROLS NEW & OLD The North Florida Women’s Chorale performs holiday faves, 3 p.m. Dec. 6 at Peace Presbyterian Church, 2300 Southside Blvd., womenschorale.org. WINTER BAND CONCERT DASOTA music students perform, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 8 at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, 2445 San Diego Rd., San Marco, 346-5620, duvalschools.org/ anderson. TATSUYA NAKATANI & MICHEL DONEDA Avant garde musicians Nakatani (percussion) and Doneda (saxophone) perform, 7:30 p.m. Dec. 8 at UNF Gallery of Art, Founders Hall, 620-2534, unf.edu/gallery.
COMEDY
EDDIE IZZARD Comedian Izzard, acclaimed for his bizarre, absurd, and surreal stories, appears 8 p.m. Dec. 3 at The Florida Theatre, 128 E. Forsyth St., Downtown, 355-2787, $48.50-$68.50, floridatheatre.com. ROD MAN A veteran of Last Comic Standing, comedian Rod Man is on at 8 p.m. Dec. 3; 8 and 10 p.m. Dec. 4 and 5 at The Comedy Zone, 3130 Hartley Rd., Mandarin, 292-4242, $25$27.50, comedyzone.com. HOT POTATO COMEDY HOUR Local comics appear 9 p.m. every Mon. at rain dogs., 1045 Park St., Riverside, free, 379-4969.
CALLS & WORKSHOPS
ONE SPARK ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS One Spark 2016 is now accepting Creator applications; onespark.com. MUSICAL THEATER JAZZ CLASS Jocelyn Geronimo holds classes, 4-5 p.m. Dec. 2 and 9 at Players by the Sea, Jax Beach, 249-0289, $200, gary@playersbythesea.org. ARTS IN THE PARK ENTRIES Limited, juried April event at Atlantic Beach’s Johansen Park seeks applications; coab.us.
ART WALKS & MARKETS
FIRST WEDNESDAY ART WALK 5-9 p.m. Dec. 2 and every first Wed.; more than 13 live music venues and hotspots open after 9 p.m., 50 total participating venues, spanning 15 blocks in Downtown Jacksonville. iloveartwalk.com. WEDNESDAY MARKET Produce, arts, crafts, food, live music, 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Dec. 2, St. Johns Pier Park, 350 A1A Beach Blvd., St. Augustine Beach, 347-8007, thecivicassociation.org. COMMUNITY FARMERS & ART MARKET Art, crafts, jewelry, 4-7 p.m. Dec. 2, 4300 St. Johns Ave., Riverside, 607-9935. DOWNTOWN FRIDAY MARKET Arts/crafts, local produce, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Dec. 4, Jacksonville Landing, 353-1188. FIRST FRIDAY ART WALK Tour of Art Galleries of St. Augustine is Dec. 4 and every first Fri.; more than 15 galleries participate, 829-0065. RIVERSIDE ARTS MARKET Local/regional art, food, farmers’ row, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. – Robert Lester Folsom, Shawn Lightfoot & The 1911s, A Nice Pair 10:30 a.m. Dec. 5 – every Sat. through Dec. 19 under the Fuller Warren Bridge, 715 Riverside Ave., free admission, 389-2449, riversideartsmarket.com.
MUSEUMS
BEACHES MUSEUM & HISTORY PARK 381 Beach Blvd., Jax Beach, 241-5657, beachesmuseum.org. Naval Station Mayport: Guardian of the Southern Frontier Exhibit through Feb. 12. CUMMER MUSEUM OF ART & GARDENS 829 Riverside Ave., 356-6857, cummermuseum.org. Julien De Casablanca: The Outings Project is on display through May 1. Rockwell Kent: The Shakespeare Portfolio is on display through May 15. David Hayes: The Sentinel Series, sculptures of geometrically
abstract, organic forms, displays through Oct. 2. Women, Art & Social Change: The Newcomb Pottery Enterprise, 20th-century ceramics, through Jan. 2. KARPELES MANUSCRIPT MUSEUM 101 W. First St., Springfield, 356-2992. New works by Mac Truque, through Jan. 2. Baseball: Origins & Early History, through December. MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART JACKSONVILLE 333 N. Laura St., 366-6911, mocajacksonville.com. Circle Mirror Transformation is staged Dec. 2-6; $15; $10 members. Project Atrium: Ian Johnston, Johnston’s Fish Tales, themes of consumption and material waste, through Feb. 28. Smoke and Mirrors: Sculpture & The Imaginary, 3D and installation works by sculptors Chul Hyun Ahn, James Clar, Patrick Jacobs, Ken Matsubara, Daniel Rozin, and Kathleen Vance, through Jan. 24. Unmasked: Art with a Heart in Healthcare, through Dec. 6. THE RITZ THEATRE & MUSEUM 829 N. Davis St., 807-2010, ritzjacksonville.com. Black Wings: American Dreams of Flight is on display through Jan. 17.
GALLERIES
ALEXANDER BREST GALLERY Jacksonville University, 2800 N. University Blvd., Arlington, 256-7371, ju.edu. Annual Student Juried Exhibition through Dec. 11. ARCHWAY GALLERY & FRAMING 363 Atlantic Blvd., Atlantic Beach, 249-2222, archwaygalleryandframing.com. For The Love of Waterscapes is on display through mid-December. THE ART CENTER COOPERATIVE Jacksonville Landing, Ste. 139, 2 Independent Dr., 233-9252, tacjacksonville.org. The Wildlife Jury Show, through Dec. 28. BREW FIVE POINTS 1024 Park St., Riverside, 374-5789, brewfivepoints.com. Humans: Sculptures & Drawings by Chip Southworth, is on display through mid-December. FIRST STREET GALLERY 216-B First St., Neptune Beach, 241-6928. The 15th annual Christmas Open House is open through Dec. 24. FLORIDA MINING GALLERY 5300 Shad Rd., Southside, 535-7252, floridamininggallery.com. Joe Segal – Permutations is on display through mid-December. FSCJ DEERWOOD CENTER CAMPUS 9911 Old Baymeadows Rd., 997-2500, fscj.edu. Mind, Body, Soul & Spirit – A Celebration of the Arts, student-made mandalas, are on display through Dec. 4. FSCJ KENT CAMPUS GALLERY 3939 Roosevelt Blvd., 646-2300, fscj.edu. Student Holiday Show is on display through Dec. 8. FSCJ NORTH CAMPUS GALLERY 4501 Capper Rd., 632-3310, fscj.edu. Inside Out is on display through Dec. 4. HASKELL GALLERY, JIA 741-3546, jiaarts.org. Face Forward, self-portraits by 30 local artists, through Dec. 28. J. JOHNSON GALLERY 177 Fourth Ave. N., Jax Beach, 435-3200, jjohnsongallery.com. Water Angels, Christina Hope’s underwater photography, through Jan. 21. LUFRANO INTERCULTURAL GALLERY 1 UNF Dr., Southside, 620-2475, unf.edu/gallery. Lida, Paintings by Franklin Matthews is on display through Dec. 11. MONYA ROWE GALLERY 4 Rohde Ave., St. Augustine, 217-0637, monyarowegallery.com. Out of Place, by Larissa Bates, Natasha Bowdoin, Vera Iliatova, Giordanne Salley, Dasha Shiskin, through Dec. 20. SPACE:EIGHT 228 W. King St., St. Augustine, 829-2838, spaceeight.com. Extended Playbook, by George Long, Jessica Caldas, Mario Schambon, William Downs, Adrian Barzaga, Mike Stasny, Erin Michelle Vaiskauckas, through Dec. 3. STELLERS GALLERY AT PONTE VEDRA BEACH 240 A1A N., Ste. 13, 273-6065, stellersgallery.com. Landscape: Realism to Abstraction, by Henry Von Genk III, Ellen Diamond, John Schuyler, through December. UNF GALLERY OF ART Founders Hall, 620-2534, unf.edu/ gallery. UNF Faculty Exhibition is on display through Dec. 11.
EVENTS
DICKENS ON CENTRE A 19th-century village comes to life with horse-drawn carriages, local entertainers, holiday lights, St. Nicholas, movies, period vendors, a reading of the iconic poem and bells rung by Pam Bell, 5-9 p.m. Dec. 4 and 11, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Dec. 5 and 12 and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 6 and 13 on historic Centre Street, Fernandina Beach, ameliaisland.com. SANTA CLAUS & THE POLAR EXPRESS STEAM LOCOMOTIVE The Beaches Museum & History Park present this holiday event 2-6 p.m. Dec. 4 and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 5 at 381 Beach Blvd., Jax Beach. Kids meet Santa and cookies and hot chocolate are available. The movie is screened on the lawn. Admission is free. 241-5657. TIM DEEGAN Local meteorologist Deegan discusses Lauren Redniss’ new book, Thunder & Lightning: Weather Past, Present, Future, 9 a.m. Dec. 5 at The BookMark, 220 First St., Neptune Beach, 241-9026. SCIENCE WITH SANTA AT MOSH Practice science safety with Santa at an Extreme Science Show, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Dec. 5 at Museum of Science & History, 1025 Museum Circle, Southbank; free with museum admission, 396-7062, themosh.org. COMMISSIONER MEET & GREET St. Johns County Commissioner James Johns is on hand to meet his constituency, 6-8 p.m. Dec. 10 at The Players Championship Community Senior Center, 175 Landrum Lane, Ponte Vedra Beach, 209-0301.
Grammy Award-winning trumpet player NICHOLAS PAYTON performs at The Ritz Theatre & Museum Dec. 5, Downtown.
A&E // MUSIC Through hell and back with legendary pop genius BRIAN WILSON
A MAN
APART I
debts, devastating infighting, and enough f anyone in the American artistic pantheon substance abuse to fill five “Behind the deserves the title of true genius, it’s Brian Music” specials, still stands as one of the Wilson. The California native and cosaddest flameouts in rock ‘n’ roll history. founder of The Beach Boys penned more than Those types of trainwrecks came to be 25 hits that are esteemed entities in the Great embodied by the 1970s image of Wilson: American Songbook. He was the first musician dangerously overweight, clad in only a to treat the studio’s infinite permutations as bathrobe, tooling around Los Angeles in a an additional instrument, not just a collection limousine exhibiting self-destructive, often of functional equipment. He was one of rock schizophrenic behavior. A whole novel could be ‘n’ roll’s first icons to publicly battle mental written about the insanity of the time period, illness. But how would you react if, in seven but this tidbit sums it up: In 1982, Brian’s short years, you went from being a star high bandmates forced him from the group and told school athlete to a minor musician to a surf him he couldn’t return (or get paid) until he rock mastermind to an art-pop auteur intent on submitted to a complete 24-hour psychological surpassing The Beatles in the race to record the overhaul from radical therapist Eugene Landy, greatest album of all time? who went on to unethically manipulate Wilson Pet Sounds, which celebrates its 50th for a decade, at a fee of $430,000 a year, hire anniversary in 2016, sounds as revelatory live-in bodyguards, and even tell the world and awe-inspiring today as it did in 1966. To at one point that, “I influence all of [Brian’s] wit: I can still vividly remember hearing “I thinking. I’m practically a member of the band Just Wasn’t Made for These Times” for the … [We’re] partners in life.” first time as a high school sophomore after another lousy night of scrubbing pots and With the help of his family, including pans in a crummy Italian deli. Listening to daughters Wendy and Carnie (of ’80s pop Wilson’s lilting falsetto so majestically sing supergroup Wilson Phillips) and second about not being able to “find nothin’ I can wife Melinda, Brian Wilson slowly emerged put my heart and soul into,” I from his shell in the 1990s. He swore I would quit on the spot weaned himself off Landy’s horrific BRIAN WILSON and not settle until I found my psychotropic drug regimen, with AL JARDINE true calling. Seventeen years reversed years of substance8 p.m. Dec. 5, later, I can still draw a direct line abuse-fueled neglect to regain his The Florida Theatre, between the inspiration from heavenly vocal abilities, and in 1999 Downtown, $45-$85, floridatheatre.com Wilson on that night and my embarked on his first-ever solo tour. ability to write stories like these In 2004, he finally finished Smile; in for a living. 2010, he reinterpreted a collection But back to Brian Wilson and his many of Gershwin classics, followed the next year by a accomplishments. Before The Beach Boys set of Disney movie song covers. broke big, he had the presence of mind to But it was the news in 2012 that Wilson negotiate with Capitol Records and insist would reunite with The Beach Boys to celebrate that the group could record when and where the band’s 50th anniversary that was called it wanted to. On their first Top 10 hit, 1963’s earth-shattering, even if the truce lasted for “Surfin’ U.S.A.,” he lit upon the idea of only one tour. The last 18 months, however, double-tracking to deepen the band’s vocal have seen another Brian Wilson resurgence, harmonies and stamp their trademark sound. with the 2014 release of the heartbreaking He became one of rock music’s first true biopic Love & Mercy and the 2015 release of his multitasking talents — writing, recording, 11th solo album, No Pier Pressure. Wilson has been through emotional, and producing for himself and others — physical, and mental hell over the last 50 years, all while maintaining The Beach Boys’ all while still writing and producing an endless breakneck pace churning out hits. string of influential America classics. And here As we know now, that caught up with the he is, 73 years old, still on the road and playing painfully introverted Wilson — in December The Florida Theatre on Dec. 5 with founding 1964, he had a nervous breakdown and all but Beach Boys member, rhythm guitarist Al stopped performing live. The next year, Wilson Jardine, as he preps for a 2016 sure to be full began smoking marijuana and dosing LSD, of half-century anniversary celebrations of Pet which aggravated his manic-depressive mental Sounds, Wilson’s undisputed masterpiece. It state but enhanced his innate sense of harmony, won’t be easy — he still admits to stage fright melody, and otherworldly creativity. and debilitating anxiety, even after 55 years Unfortunately, Wilson’s drug use also in the music business — but Wilson made his precipitated the slow rending asunder of The peace with his tumultuous life. Beach Boys. While Pet Sounds was rightfully “I’ve carried a lot of weight on my hailed as an auditory masterpiece, certain shoulders — a heavy load,” he told Rolling members of the band (here’s looking at you, Stone in July. “For me, music is about love. Mike Love) felt it was too weird. So Wilson, Love is the message I want to share. I hope working with visionary lyricist Van Dyke people feel the love in my music. That makes Parks, tried to top it with the multithematic the hard work worth it.” concept album Smile, which was scrapped Nick McGregor in 1967. The Beach Boys’ subsequent fall mail@folioweekly.com from grace, with broken contracts, mounting DECEMBER 2-8, 2015 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 25
A&E // MUSIC
Electro-poppers PVRIS take a break from battling spirits and inner demons for a little Q&A with Folio Weekly
IS THERE A
P
GHOST?
There seems to be some anger, or maybe VRIS (pronounced like the City of Light, frustration is a better word, with people on but has a V, for some reason) is a busy White Noise. Maybe it’s individuals, or groups bunch of boys and girls. The band — Lynn that share certain ideas, but you give them Gunn on vocals/guitars/keys, Alex Babinski your two cents on songs like “My House” and on lead guitar/keys, and Brian MacDonald “Holy.” Have people done you wrong? on bass/keys — is currently smack-dab in I think there was a lot of anger and frustration the middle of a tour that started in the fall directed at a lot of different things. Sure people and doesn’t end (maybe) until June. This have done me wrong, and that’s certainly globetrotting is in support of their Rise Records prevalent on certain tracks, but I think my own debut, White Noise, a study in frustration, self did me the most wrong. So much of White confidence, and the paranormal, framed by the Noise is based off internal struggle and a battle ebb and flow of distortion, surging synthesizers within my own self. and Gunn’s soaring vocal work. The album is good, and would still probably sell well on its Was the synth influence something that own, but PVRIS is making sure they do their started with the original concept you all had part, by racking up frequent flyer miles in in mind, or did that grow organically with support of it. the writing? They add real depth. Formed in Lowell, Massachusetts in 2012, I knew [producer] Blake Harnage for a few the band used the Ernie Ball Stage at Warped years prior to making the Tour as a springboard to regular record and he taught me a lot spots on the festival circuit, THE BIG TICKET: about using different programs both here and abroad, and PVRIS, 14 More to produce and write more scored awards from Alternative Noon Dec. 6, Metropolitan electronic-based music, so Press and Kerrang! as best Park, Downtown, $54.50, lineup and tix at it was something we’d been newcomers. thebigticket.com messing around with for a Gunn took time out of while but never fully were declaring sonic war on being let confident in using or incorporating into our down one too many times to talk about their music. When we went into the studio, he debut album, being a female rock-and-roller really helped us blend those sounds together (we need to start asking that question better, or as well as introduce us to new sounds and not at all) and the supernatural realm. new ways of making sounds. I think they add a great depth and texture to the record. They Folio Weekly: How’s it going? You seem busy. really help give it its own vibe. When I look at your tour dates, it shows you in Europe right now and then touring I’m noticing a paranormal theme on White nonstop, back in Europe again in April 2016, Noise, including the title, which must’ve been with Japan and a full tour of the U.S. thrown the first hint. Am I off-base here? How much in for good measure. Are you tired? Lynn Gunn: You know, no one has once ever does the supernatural influence you, if at all? asked us this, so I am going to answer you You’re not off-base at all. We’re all into the honestly. Yes, we are tired, but it just means supernatural and dark topics, so it’s always a we’re working hard. We love what we do, so prevalent theme. I’m not quite sure why we’re it’s totally OK. all fascinated to it and drawn to it, but it feels much more comforting than happy things; I Your latest album, White Noise, has earned think because it’s cathartic in a way. real critical praise. Are you proud of your work? What does this album mean to you, I’m betting you get asked about being a what did you have to put into it, personally female lead singer a lot. If you could veto that and as a group, to make it sound how you question from being asked again, would you, wanted it to sound? and what question is a better one to ask? Absolutely. What’s the point of making I mean, as much as I would love to veto the art if you don’t like it? The album, in our question, because I don’t believe that females in music should be treated any differently, we opinion, is the reason for everything that has unfortunately are treated differently a lot of happened to us so far. If we didn’t release it, the time. The fact that this is even a question none of the amazing opportunities we’ve had proves that. I’m just here to make art and would have happened. It’s also our very first music and my gender doesn’t have anything full-length record, so it’s very special for that to do with that, [unless, of course, I was to reason alone. It was the first unveiling of our write a song about gender equality]. I think band and it’s only a sliver of what our band is the better question to ask would simply be, capable of doing. We put a lot into this record “What’s it like being in a band?” and I think one of the most important things Danny Kelly we put into it was risk. I believe that’s one of mail@folioweekly.com the reasons the record is doing so well.
26 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | DECEMBER 2-8, 2015
Undoubtedly the world’s most accomplished custom-made-synthesizer-and-puppet-show-band currently on the scene, QUINTRON & MISS PUSSYCAT (pictured) perform with SEVERED + SAID, THE MOLD, and OMEBI at Shanghai Nobby’s on Dec. 3.
LIVE + LOCAL MUSIC CONCERTS THIS WEEK
SPADE McQUADE 6 p.m. Dec. 2 at Fionn MacCool’s Irish Pub, Jacksonville Landing, Ste. 176, Downtown, 374-1247. RYAN CRARY 6 p.m. Dec. 2 & 9 at Pusser’s Bar & Grille, 816 A1A N., Ponte Vedra Beach, 280-7766. SILENT SERMON, FOUR SKIN, AUTOMATIK FIT 7 p.m. Dec. 2 at Jack Rabbits, 1528 Hendricks Ave., San Marco, 398-7496, $8. GARDEN OF STEPHEN, CHIEFORIA 7 p.m. Dec. 2 at Burro Bar, 100 E. Adams St., Downtown. DEICIDE, SEASON OF SUFFERING 8 p.m. Dec. 2 at 1904 Music Hall, 19 Ocean St., Downtown, $15. MAC MILLER, EARTHGANG, MICHAEL CHRISTMAS, REMEMBER MUSIC 8 p.m. Dec. 2 at The Florida Theatre, 128 E. Forsyth St., Downtown, 355-2787, $27.50-$37.50. CALEB JOYE 6 p.m. Dec. 3, Pusser’s Bar & Grille. FLO RIDA 6 p.m. Dec. 3 at Mavericks Live, 2 Independent Dr., Downtown, 356-1110, $10. SAM PACETTI 7:30 p.m. Dec. 3 at Mudville Music Room, 3104 Atlantic Blvd., San Marco, 352-7008, $10. QUINTRON & MISS PUSSYCAT, SEVERED + SAID, THE MOLD, OMEBI 8 p.m. Dec. 3 at Shanghai Nobby’s, 10 Anastasia Blvd., St. Augustine, 547-2188. The BAND BE EASY 8 p.m. Dec. 3 at Latitude 360, 10370 Philips Hwy., Southside, 365-5555. RIVERS MONROE, LINEUP ATLANTIC, STATUTES & STORIES 8 p.m. Dec. 3, Jack Rabbits, $8 advance; $10 day of. LUCERO 8 p.m. Dec. 3 at Ponte Vedra Concert Hall, 1050 A1A N., 209-0399, $28 (SRO) advance; $32 day of. A Scary Little Christmas: PENNYWISE, THE LIVING DEADS, THE DAYGOS 7 p.m. Dec. 4, 1904 Music Hall, $15 advance; $18 day of. HARPETH RISING 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4, Mudville Music Room, $10. AARON KOERNER 8 p.m. Dec. 4, Pusser’s Bar & Grille. JELLY ROLL, ALEXANDER KING, ASKMEIFICARE, CASHCROP904 8 p.m. Dec. 4, Jack Rabbits, $10. COME BACK ALICE, HOLEY MISS MOLEY, BELLS & ROBES, CAT PARTY 8 p.m. Dec. 4 at Freebird Live, 200 N. First St., Jax Beach, 246-2473, $15 in advance; $20 day of. WARNING 9:30 p.m. Dec. 4 at Whiskey Jax, 10915 Baymeadows Rd., Southside, 634-7208. OZONE BABY 10 p.m. Dec. 4 & 5 at The Roadhouse, 231 Blanding Blvd., Orange Park, 264-0611. BRITE SIDE BAND 10 p.m. Dec. 4 & 5 at Flying Iguana, 207 Atlantic Blvd., Neptune Beach, 853-5680. Riverside Arts Market: ROBERT LESTER FOLSOM, SHAWN LIGHTFOOT & the 1911’S, A NICE PAIR 10:30 a.m. Dec. 5, 715 Riverside Ave., 389-2449. OUR LAST NIGHT, PALISADES, HAIL THE SUN, PICTURESQUE 6 p.m. Dec. 5, 1904 Music Hall, $15. JOHN AUSTILL 7 p.m. Dec. 5, Pusser’s Bar & Grille. BRIAN WILSON with AL JARDINE 8 p.m. Dec. 5, The Florida Theatre, $45-$85. ZACH DEPUTY, MONOZYGOTIK, BRYCE ALASTAIR BAND 8 p.m. Dec. 5, Freebird Live, $15 in advance; $20 day of. A MATTER OF HONOR CD RELEASE, FIGHT FALL, THE INVERTED 8 p.m. Dec. 5, Jack Rabbits, $10. CLINT BLACK 8 p.m. Dec. 5 at St. Augustine Amphitheatre, 1340 A1A S., 209-0367; free admission with one canned food item per person, seating is fi rst come, first seated.
GRANDPA’S COUGH MEDICINE 9:30 p.m. Dec. 5, Whiskey Jax. The Big Ticket: TWENTY ONE PILOTS, OF MONSTERS AND MEN, WALK THE MOON, The NEIGHBOURHOOD, GLASS ANIMALS, ANDREW McMAHON IN THE WILDERNESS, MUTEMATH, X AMBASSADORS, PVRIS, ROBERT DeLONG, SAINT MOTEL, COLEMAN HELL, BØRNS, LOLA RISING, BOOTS on BOOTS Noon Dec. 6 at Metropolitan Park, 4110 Gator Bowl Blvd., Downtown, 630-0837, $54.50, thebigticket.com. KANSAS 7:30 p.m. Dec. 6, The Florida Theatre, $29-$59. LAKE DISNEY, DIGDOG, BIG DAN 8 p.m. Dec. 6, Jack Rabbits, $8 advance; $10 day of. SEARCHING SERENITY, NEVERENDER, THE HOOD RATS, SUNDAY IS COMING, WE’LL KEEP YOU POSTED 6 p.m. Dec. 7, Jack Rabbits, $5 advance; $10 day of. TYLER WILLIAMS BAND 7:30 p.m. Dec. 9, Mudville Music Room, $10. THE DELTA SAINTS, OSCAR MIKE, MONARCH MTN 8 p.m. Dec. 9, Jack Rabbits, $10 advance; $13 day of. D.R.I., HEAD CREEPS, THE WASTEDIST, CONCRETE CRIMINALS 8 p.m. Dec. 9 at Harbor Tavern, 160 Mayport Road, Atlantic Beach, 246-2555, $15.
UPCOMING CONCERTS
LOUDON WAINWRIGHT III, MELISSA FERRICK Dec. 11, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA Dec. 11, Vets Memorial Arena KUNG FU Dec. 11, 1904 Music Hall KEVIN GRIFFIN Dec. 12, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall RUE SNIDER, JACKIE STRANGER, LUKE PEACOCK Dec. 12, Burro Bar
BRIAN REGAN Dec. 13, The Florida Theatre MELISSA FERRICK Dec. 13, The Original Café Eleven RISING APPALACHIA Dec. 13, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall AUTOMAJIK, GOV CLUB, HONEY CHAMBER Dec. 15, Burro Bar LEON RUSSELL Dec. 17, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall BOWZER’S Rock ’N’ Roll Holiday Party: The TOKENS, FREDDY BOOM BOOM CANNON Dec. 17, Florida Theatre GEORGIO “THE DOVE” VALENTINO Dec. 18, Burro Bar MATISYAHU Dec. 18 & 19, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall MICHAEL McDONALD Dec. 19, Thrasher-Horne Center HIGH ON FIRE, CROWBAR, APPALACHIAN DEATH TRAP Dec. 19, Underbelly AN IRISH CHRISTMAS Dec. 21, T-U Center The TEN TENORS Dec. 22, The Florida Theatre CHRIS DUARTE Dec. 22, Mudville Music Room BUTCH TRUCKS & the FREIGHT TRAIN BAND Dec. 27, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall DONNA the BUFFALO Dec. 30, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall SOJA Jan. 1, The Florida Theatre JOHN SEBASTIAN Jan. 8, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall FRED EAGLESMITH Jan. 8, The Original Café Eleven STEVE FORBERT TRIO Jan. 9, Mudville Music Room SILVERSUN PICKUPS Jan. 10, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall The OLATE DOGS Jan. 11, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall YO YO MA Jan. 14, Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival TROMBONE SHORTY & ORLEANS AVENUE Jan. 15, PV Concert Hall Winter Jam: FOR KING & COUNTRY, MATTHEW WEST, CROWDER, LAUREN DAIGLE, RED, NEWSONG, SIDEWALK PROPHETS, TEDASHIL, KB, STARS GO DIM, TONY NOLAN, WE ARE MESSENGERS Jan. 15, Veterans Memorial Arena KELLEY HUNT Jan. 15, The Original Café Eleven STEVE POLTZ, GRANT-LEE PHILLIPS Jan. 20, The Original Café Eleven
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LIVE + LOCAL MUSIC The TEMPTATIONS, The FOUR TOPS Jan. 21, Florida Theatre SHANNON & THE CLAMS, GOLDEN PELICANS, THE MOLD Jan. 22, Burro Bar JESCO WHITE, SNAKE BLOOD REMEDY, GRANDPA’S COUGH MEDICINE Jan. 23, Jack Rabbits GRAHAM NASH Jan. 27, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVISITED Jan. 23, ThrasherHorne Center ANA POPOVIC Jan. 28, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall PATTI LaBELLE Jan. 28, T-U Center for the Performing Arts CARRIE UNDERWOOD Jan. 30, Veterans Memorial Arena GAELIC STORM Jan. 30, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall PAPADASIO Jan. 30, Mavericks Live JOHNNY MATHIS Jan. 31, The Florida Theatre COLIN HAY Jan. 31, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall 2CELLOS Feb. 2, The Florida Theatre YANNI Feb. 3, T-U Center Southern Soul Assembly: JJ GREY, ANDERS OSBORNE, MARC BROUSSARD, LUTHER DICKINSON Feb. 4, Florida Theatre YONDER MOUNTAIN STRING BAND, TROUT STEAK REVIVAL Feb. 9, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall ALAN PARSONS PROJECT Greatest Hits Tour, Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra Feb. 10, The Florida Theatre ROBERT RANDOLPH & the FAMILY BAND Feb. 11, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall PATTY GRIFFIN, SARA WATKINS, ANAIS MITCHELL Feb. 13, The Florida Theatre The JAMES HUNTER SIX Feb. 13, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall MELISSA ETHERIDGE Feb. 17, Thrasher-Horne Center ST. PAUL & THE BROKEN BONES Feb. 19, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall FOREIGNER Feb. 20, The Florida Theatre SUN RA ARKESTRA Feb. 20, The Ritz Theatre ADAM TRENT Feb. 21, The Florida Theatre GARY CLARK JR. Feb. 21, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall VINCE GILL, LYLE LOVETT Feb. 25, The Florida Theatre Experience Hendrix: BILLY COX, BUDDY GUY, ZAKK WYLDE, KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD, JONNY LANG, DWEEZIL ZAPPA, KEB MO, ERIC JOHNSON, CHRIS LAYTON, MATO NANJI, NOAH HUNT, HENRI BROWN Feb. 26, Florida Theatre IL VOLO March 3, The Florida Theatre BLACK VIOLIN March 3, The Ritz Theatre ROGER McGUINN March 4, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall STEVE MILLER BAND March 4, St. Augustine Amphitheatre HERB ALPERT & LANI HALL March 4, The Florida Theatre JASON ISBELL, SHOVELS & ROPE March 5, St. Augustine Amphitheatre
Memphis-bred indie faves LUCERO perform at Ponte Vedra Concert Hall Dec. 3. JANET JACKSON March 8, Veterans Memorial Arena MERLE HAGGARD March 11, The Florida Theatre MOODY BLUES March 11, St. Augustine Amphitheatre RIHANNA March 12, Veterans Memorial Arena GET the LED OUT March 17, The Florida Theatre JOHNNY CLEGG & HIS BAND March 18, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall JOE SATRIANI March 19, The Florida Theatre The FAB FOUR: The ULTIMATE TRIBUTE March 19, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall CHICAGO, EARTH, WIND & FIRE March 23, Veterans Memorial Arena CECILE McLORIN SALVANT March 31, The Ritz Theatre NAJEE April 9, The Ritz Theatre & Museum LET IT BE: Celebration of The Beatles April 10, The Florida Theatre AMY HELM April 12, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall WANEE MUSIC FESTIVAL April 14, 15 & 16 The BRONX WANDERERS April 16, The Florida Theatre One Night of Queen: GARY MULLEN & the WORKS April 20, Ponte Vedra Concert Hall A NIGHT with JANIS JOPLIN April 21, The Florida Theatre ELLIS PAUL May 13, The Original Café Eleven JUSTIN BIEBER June 29, Veterans Memorial Arena 5 SECONDS OF SUMMER July 20, Veterans Memorial Arena
LIVE MUSIC CLUBS AMELIA ISLAND, FERNANDINA
GREEN TURTLE TAVERN, 14 S. Third St., 321-2324 Buck Smith Thur. Yancy Clegg Sun. Vinyl Record Nite every Tue. SURF RESTAURANT, 3199 S. Fletcher Ave., 261-5711 Yancy Clegg every Tue. & Thur. Black Jack Band every Fri.
AVONDALE, ORTEGA
CASBAH CAFÉ, 3628 St. Johns Ave., 981-9966 Goliath Flores every Wed. Live jazz every Sun. Live music every Mon. ECLIPSE, 4219 St. Johns Ave. KJ Free 9 p.m. every Tue. & Thur. Indie dance 9 p.m. every Wed. ’80s & ’90s dance at 9 p.m. every Fri. MELLOW MUSHROOM, 3611 St. Johns, 388-0200 Live music every weekend
THE BEACHES
(All venues in Jax Beach unless otherwise noted)
CULHANE’S, 967 Atlantic Blvd., Atlantic Beach, 249-9595 Kissass Karaoke every Fri. DJ Hal every Sat. Irish music every Sun. FLYING IGUANA, 207 Atlantic Blvd., Neptune Beach, 853-5680 Brite Side Band 10 p.m. Dec. 4 & 5. Darren Corlew Dec. 6 FREEBIRD LIVE, 200 N. First St., 246-2473 Come Back Alice, Holey Miss Moley, Bells & Robes, Cat Party 8 p.m. Dec. 4. Zach Deputy, Monozygotik, Bryce Alastair Band 8 p.m. Dec. 5. Beaches & Bass, D3Tay, Geoshua James, Brainrek, Lights Out, Skinny Genes Dec. 10 HARBOR TAVERN, 160 Mayport Rd., Atlantic Beach, 246-2555 D.R.I., Head Creeps, The Wastedist, Concrete Criminals 8 p.m. Dec. 9 HARMONIOUS MONKS, 320 First St. N., 372-0815 Lisa & the Mad Hatters Dec. 4 & 5. Live music every Fri. & Sat. Dan Evans, Spade McQuade every Sun. Back From the Brink every Mon. LYNCH’S IRISH PUB, 514 N. First St., 249-5181 Swim in the Wild 10 p.m. Dec. 4. The Ouija Brothers 10 p.m. Dec. 5. Live music every night MELLOW MUSHROOM, 1018 Third St. N., 241-5600 Dan Hunting Dec. 2. Continuum Dec. 3. Lyons Dec. 4. Live music most weekends MEZZA Restaurant & Bar, 110 First St., Neptune Beach, 249-5573 Gypsies Ginger every Wed. Mike Shackelford & Steve Shanholtzer every Thur. MOJO KITCHEN, 1500 Beach Blvd., 247-6636 Rick Estrin & the Nightcats 8 p.m. Dec. 3 NIPPERS BEACH GRILLE, 2309 Beach Blvd., 247-3300 Live music most weekends RAGTIME TAVERN, 207 Atlantic Blvd., Atlantic Beach, 241-7877 Vinnie Kelleman Dec. 2. Permission Dec. 3. Love Monkey Dec. 4 & 5. Live music every weekend WIPEOUTS GRILL, 1589 Atlantic Blvd., Neptune Beach, 247-4508 Joe Oliff Dec. 3. Live music 7 p.m. Dec. 3, 9:30 p.m. Dec. 4
DOWNTOWN
1904 MUSIC HALL, 19 Ocean St. N. Deicide, Season of Suffering 8 p.m. Dec. 2. Boys No Good Dec. 3. A Scary Little Christmas: Pennywise, The Living Deads, The Day Gos Dec. 4. Our Last Night, Palisades, Hail The Sun, Picturesque Dec. 5. Herd of Watts Dec. 6 BURRO BAR, 100 E. Adams St. Garden of Stephen, Chiefora 7 p.m. Dec. 2. Ether Chambles Dec. 3 DOS GATOS, 123 E. Forsyth St., 354-0666 BlackJack every Wed. DJ Brandon every Thur. DJs spin dance music every Fri. DJ NickFresh every Sat. DJ Randall 9 p.m. every Mon. DJ Hollywood every Tue. FIONN MacCOOL’S, Jax Landing, Ste. 176, 374-1247 Spade McQuade 6 p.m. Dec. 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30. The Daygos 8 p.m. Dec. 4. Jig to a Milestone 8 p.m. Dec. 5 JACKSONVILLE LANDING, 2 Independent Dr., 353-1188 Radio 80 9 p.m. Dec. 4. X Hale 9 p.m. Dec. 5 MARK’S DOWNTOWN, 315 E. Bay St., 355-5099 DJ Dr. Doom 10 p.m.-2 a.m. every Fri. DJ Shotgun 10 p.m.-2 a.m. every Sat. MAVERICKS LIVE, Jax Landing, 356-1110 Flo Rida 6 p.m. Dec. 3. Joe Buck, DJ Justin every Thur.-Sat. UNDERBELLY, 113 E. Bay St., 699-8186 Pvris 9 p.m. Dec. 5. Volumes, Northlane Dec. 8
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LIVE + LOCAL MUSIC FLEMING ISLAND
WHITEY’S FISH CAMP, 2032 C.R. 220, 269-4198 Live music 9 p.m. every Fri. & Sat. DJ Throwback every Thur. Deck music every Fri., Sat. & Sun.
INTRACOASTAL WEST
CLIFF’S BAR & GRILL, 3033 Monument Rd., 645-5162 Live music most weekends JERRY’S Sports Grille, 13170 Atlantic Blvd., 220-6766 Lucky Stiff Dec. 4. Live music most weekends
MANDARIN, JULINGTON
DAVE’S MUSIC BAR & GRILL, 9965 San Jose, 575-4935 Blues Jam, Johnny King Dec. 4. Live music most weekends HARMONIOUS MONKS, 10550 Old St. Augustine Rd., 880-3040 Jaxx or Better Dec. 9. Open jam 7 p.m. every Mon.
ORANGE PARK, MIDDLEBURG
CLUB RETRO, 1241 Blanding Blvd., 579-4731 ’70s & ’80s dance 8 p.m. every Fri. & Sat. DJ Capone every Wed. THE HILLTOP, 2030 Wells Rd., 272-5959 John Michael every Tue.-Sat. THE ROADHOUSE, 231 Blanding Blvd., 264-0611 Bandontherun Dec. 2. Ozone Baby 10 p.m. Dec. 4 & 5. Live music 10 p.m. every Wed. DJ Big Mike 10 p.m. every Thur.
PONTE VEDRA
PUSSER’S Grill, 816 A1A, 280-7766 Ryan Crary 6 p.m. Dec. 2. Caleb Joye 6-10 p.m. Dec. 3. Aaron Koerner 8 p.m.-mid. Dec. 4. John Austill 7-11 p.m. Dec. 5. Ryan Crary 6-8 p.m. Dec. 9. Aaron Koerner 6-10 p.m. Dec. 10 TABLE 1, 330 A1A, 280-5515 Billy Bowers 6:30 p.m. Dec. 2. Gary Starling Dec. 3. Robbie Lit Dec. 4. Latin All Stars Dec. 5. Deron Baker Dec. 9
RIVERSIDE, WESTSIDE
ACROSS THE STREET, 948 Edgewood Ave. S., 683-4182 Live music most weekends MURRAY HILL THEATRE, 932 Edgewood S., 388-7807 Jigsaw CD release, Ashton Taylor, For a Season, Gabby Baglino 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4. 7th Surrender, Marlin Dixon, Anonymous, Kenny Gregory, GFM Band Dec. 5
RAIN DOGS, 1045 Park St., 379-4969 Geexella 9 p.m. Dec. 4. Mindscar Dec. 5. Von Strantz Dec. 9 RIVERSIDE ARTS MARKET, 715 Riverside Ave., 389-2449 Robert Lester Folsom, Shawn Lightfoot & the 1911’s, A Nice Pair Dec. 5
ST. AUGUSTINE
CELLAR UPSTAIRS, 157 King St., 826-1594 Vinny Jacobs 1 p.m. Dec. 6 MILL TOP TAVERN, 19 St. George St., 829-2329 Live music every night PAULA’S GRILL, 6896 A1A S., Crescent Beach, 471-3463 Denny Blue open mic jam 6-9 p.m. Dec. 3 SHANGHAI NOBBY’S, 10 Anastasia Blvd., 547-2188 Quintron & Miss Pussycat, Severed + Said, The Mold, Omebi Dec. 3 TRADEWINDS, 124 Charlotte St., 829-9336 Blistur 9 p.m. Dec. 4 & 5
Looper Pedal Dude Extraordinaire ZACH DEPUTY (pictured) performs with MONOZYGOTIK and BRYCE ALASTAIR BAND at Freebird Live Dec. 5.
SAN MARCO, SOUTHBANK
JACK RABBITS, 1528 Hendricks Ave., 398-7496 Silent Sermon, Four Skin, Automatik Fit, Medal Militia Dec. 2. Dalton Cyr, Rivers Monroe, Lineup Atlantic, Statutes & Stories Dec. 3. Jelly Roll, Alexander King, Askmeificare, Cashcrop904 Dec. 4. A Matter of Honor CD Release, Fight Fall, The Inverted Dec. 5. Lake Disney, Digdog, Big Dan Dec. 6. Searching Serenity, Neverender, The Hood Rats, Sunday Is Coming, We’ll Keep You Posted Dec. 7. The Delta Saints, Oscar Mike, Monarch Mtn Dec. 9 MUDVILLE MUSIC ROOM, 3104 Atlantic Blvd., 352-7008 Sam Pacetti 7:30 p.m. Dec. 3. Harpeth Rising Dec. 4. Bluegrass Birthday Bash, Tyler Williams Band Dec. 9 RIVER CITY BREWING CO., 835 Museum Cir., 398-2299 Live music 9 p.m. every Sat.
Folio Weekly: Give me a quick horse’s-mouth bio on the band. Ben Ringel: The band formed in 2007, while we were in college. We started touring in late ’08 and have been doing so ever since. Now we’re doing somewhere around 200 shows a year, and are currently finishing our eighth European tour. The Zeppelin sound is very evident. Drummer Vincent Williams even pulls out a verbatim
SPRINGFIELD, NORTHSIDE
SHANTYTOWN PUB, 22 W. Sixth St., 798-8222 Lament Cityscape, Take Over & Destroy Dec. 7. Live music most weekends
THE KNIFE
ALL SAINTS DAY
WE ARE, BY ANY REASONABLE MEASURE, living through the worst musical era in American history. What should have died in the early aughts – horrifyingly derivative Americana, over-wrought gangsta rap and R&B, and way-too-perfect singer-songwriter shlock (not to mention bottomof-the-barrel pop country) – now dominates the charts and online streaming markets. In other words, the gutbucket is empty and only a daring few are interested in refilling it. At least Jack White, as hipster cool as he’s perceived to be (and, for it, commonly derided), tries to keep alive some semblance of dirty groove in his music, using vintage instruments and dated recording techniques. And, god love ’em, some of those Magnolia Fest bands do their best to inject their rock with some grit. But the bands doing it for real are still, after all these years, duking it out in the low-light clubs, slowly building an audience that’s as tenuous a rusty B string. The Lee Boys, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, Earl Greyhound and the like pull from a deep well of funk, soul and blues, but there’s nothing flashy about it. And so they dwell on the fringe, eking out a living in dives and the occasional summer festival bill. Nashville’s THE DELTA SAINTS are straddling the line separating grit-and-grind and polish, looking for a foothold in the vast landfill of modern American music. The quintet recently released Bones, a slow-burn collection that capitalizes on the band’s Nashville roots, Led Zeppelinesque riffage and bluesed-out vocals. We recently spoke with singer Ben Ringel about bringing the fat back to rock-and-roll.
SOUTHSIDE, BAYMEADOWS, ARLINGTON
LATITUDE 360, 10370 Philips Hwy., 365-5555 DJ Dohan, Be Easy 8 p.m. Dec. 3. TPTS Dec. 4 & 5. DJ Fellin, Anton LaPlume Dec. 6. Live music most weekends MELLOW MUSHROOM, 1800 Town Ctr. Blvd., 541-1999 Charlie Walker Dec. 3. Lance Neely Dec. 4. DiCarlo Thompson Dec. 5. Live music most weekends WHISKEY JAX, 10915 Baymeadows, 634-7208 Warning 9:30 p.m. Dec. 4. Grandpa’s Cough Medicine 9:30 p.m. Dec. 5. Country Jam every Wed. Melissa Smith every Thur. Mojo Roux Blues every Sun. WORLD OF BEER, 9700 Deer Lake Ct., Ste. 1, 551-5929 A Vibrant Lie Dec. 5
THE KNIFE
Bonham fill in the tune “Heavy Hammer.” How influential was Zep on the band? Zeppelin definitely influenced our music. They created these walls of sound, while still having singable vocal melodies and guitar solos. When you can get people to remember vocal lines as well as guitar lines, you know you’ve done something right. How influential is the sound of Nashville on the band? Nashville gets – and gives itself – a bad name when it comes to music. None of us are pop-country fans, and pay very little attention to that world. Nashville’s rock scene is actually pretty awesome, though. There’s a young rock-and-roll community that’s really solid there. Bands like The Black Keys, The Dead Weather, Moon Taxi, and Kopecky are all bands that call Nashville home, and we definitely pull influence and motivation from them. We also learned quickly that if you’re going to call Nashville your “hometown,” you’d better learn your craft and make sure your show is tight. There’s no tolerance there for the B-game. That was a humbling lesson for us early on. You guys seem to thrive on a live sound. How do you bring that live feeling into the studio, and in the age of Internet streaming and pop music aggregating sites, how do you build your audience outside of sweating it out on the road? We try to record the base tracks with all of us in a room, playing together. There is an unmistakable
magic that comes from a band playing live, when each member can look at the other and trade energy and cues. Vocals are done later as well as overdubs, but the basic heartbeat is done live. We’re still trying to figure out how to balance on the road and off the road progress. Up until now, our business model was almost entirely focused on touring, but we’re starting to see that progress isn’t entirely dependent upon being on the road. The Internet is the biggest tool in a band’s box. Specifically streaming services. That’s where music is being heard, and it’s only going to progress further in that direction. We’re figuring out ways for the digital world to support the touring world. What is the worst part of sweating it out on the road? The best part? The worst part is definitely having to put our home lives on hold for most of the year. Friendships and relationships are infinitely harder, and it’s hard to find any sort of stability. The best part – I’m currently on a beach in one of the southernmost towns in Spain, looking at the Rock of Gibraltar, with the mountains of North Africa on the horizon. We get to travel the world and play our own music. It’s a dream. John E. Citrone theknife@folioweekly.com –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– THE DELTA SAINTS with OSCAR MIKE, MONARCH MTN, 8 p.m. Dec. 9 at Jack Rabbits, San Marco, $10 advance; $13 day of, jaxlive.com DECEMBER 2-8, 2015 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 29
At 29 South Eats on Amelia Island, you'll enjoy tasty regional favorites with a fresh modern twist. Photo by Dennis Ho
DINING DIRECTORY AMELIA ISLAND, FERNANDINA BEACH
29 SOUTH EATS, 29 S. Third St., 277-7919, 29southrest aurant.com. F Chef Scotty Schwartz’s traditional regional cuisine has modern twist. $$ L Tue.-Sat.; D Mon.-Sat.; R Sun. BARBERITOS, 1519 Sadler Rd., 277-2505. 463867 S.R. 200, Ste. 5, Yulee, 321-2240, barberitos.com. F Southwestern fare; burritos, tacos, quesadillas, salsa. $$ BW K TO L D Daily BEACH DINER, 2006 S. Eighth St., 310-3750, beachdiner. com. Innovative breakfast: Eggs on the Bayou, fish-n-grits; French toast, riders, omelets. Lunch fare: salads, burgers, sandwiches, shrimp & crabmeat salad. $$ BW K TO L D Daily BEECH STREET Bar & Grill, 801 Beech St., 572-1390, beech streetbarandgrill.com. In a restored 1889 home, Chef Charles creates with fresh, local ingredients. Local seafood, handcut Florida steaks, housemade pasta, daily specials, small plates, street food. $$$-$$$$ FB D Tue.-Sat.; Brunch, D Sun. BRETT’S WATERWAY CAFÉ, 1 S. Front St., 261-2660. F Southern hospitality, upscale waterfront spot; daily specials, fresh local seafood, aged beef. $$$ FB K L D Daily CAFÉ KARIBO, 27 N. Third St., 277-5269, cafekaribo.com. F Family-owned; historic building. Veggie burgers, seafood, made-from-scratch desserts. Dine in or on oak-shaded patio. Karibrew Pub next door. $$ FB K TO R, Sun.; L D Daily CHEZ LEZAN BAKERY CO., 1014 Atlantic Ave., 491-4663, chezlezanbakery.com. Fresh European-style breads, pastries: croissants, muffins, cakes, pies. $ TO B R L Daily DAVID’S Restaurant & Lounge, 802 Ash St., 310-6049, ameliaislanddavids.com. Fine dining, historic district. Fresh seafood, prime aged meats, rack of lamb. $$$$ FB D Wed.-Mon. DICK’S Wings & Grill, 474313 E. S.R. 200, 491-3469. 450077 S.R. 200, Callahan, 879-0993. 2015 BOJ winner. SEE O. PARK. ELIZABETH POINTE Lodge, 98 S. Fletcher Ave., 277-4851, elizabethpointelodge.com. F Award-winning B&B. Seaside dining, inside or out. Hot buffet breakfast daily. Homestyle soups, sandwiches, desserts. $$$ BW B L D Daily JACK & DIANE’S, 708 Centre St., 321-1444, jackanddianes cafe.com. F 1887 shotgun house. Jambalaya, French toast, mac-n-cheese, vegan/vegetarian. Porch. $$ FB K B L D Daily LULU’S at Thompson House, 11 S. 7th St., 432-8394, lulusamelia.com. F Po’boys, salads, local seafood, local shrimp. Reservations. $$$ BW K TO R Sun.; L D Tue.-Sat. MOON RIVER Pizza, 925 S. 14th St., 321-3400, moonriver pizza.net. F 2015 BOJ winner. Authentic Northern-style pizzas, 20+ toppings, pie or the slice. $ BW TO L D Mon.-Sat. THE MUSTARD SEED CAFÉ, 833 TJ Courson Rd., 277-3141, nassaushealthfoods.net. Casual organic eatery, juice bar, in Nassau Health Foods. All-natural organic items, smoothies, juice, herbal tea. $$ TO B L Mon.-Sat.
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PABLO’S Mexican Restaurant Grill & Cantina, 12 N. Second St., 261-0049. Chicken, carnes, fajitas, burritos, tacos, daily specials. Margaritas. $$$ FB K TO L D Daily THE PECAN ROLL BAKERY, 122 S. Eighth St., 491-9815, thepecanrollbakery.com. F Near historic district. Sweet and savory pastries, cookies, cakes, bagels, breads, made from scratch. $ K TO B L Wed.-Sun. PI INFINITE COMBINATIONS, 19 S. Third St., 432-8535, pi32034.wix.com/piinfinite. All bar service; NYC-style. Specialty pizzas, pie/slice, toppings: truffle mushrooms, little neck clams, eggs, shrimp. Courtyard. $$ BW TO L D Wed.-Sun. PLAE, 80 Amelia Village Cir., 277-2132, plaefl.net. Bite Club. Bistro-style venue serves whole fried fish, duck breast. Outside. $$$ FB L Tue.-Sat.; D Nightly SALTY PELICAN Bar & Grill, 12 N. Front St., 277-3811, thesaltypelicanamelia.com. F BOJ winner. Second-story outdoor bar. Owners T.J. and Al offer local seafood, Mayport shrimp, fish tacos, po’boys, cheese oysters. $$ FB K L D Daily SLIDERS Seaside Grill, 1998 S. Fletcher Ave., 277-6652, slidersseaside.com. F Oceanfront. Crabcakes, fresh seafood, fried pickles. Open-air 2nd floor, balcony. $$ FB K L D Daily T-RAY’S BURGER STATION, 202 S. Eighth St., 261-6310. F 2015 BOJ winner. In an old gas station; blue plate specials, burgers, biscuits & gravy, shrimp. $ BW TO B L Mon.-Sat.
ARLINGTON, REGENCY
DICK’S Wings & Grill, 9119 Merrill Rd., 745-9300. 2015 BOJ winner. SEE ORANGE PARK. LARRY’S Subs, 1301 Monument Rd., 724-5802. F SEE O.PARK. The STEAKHOUSE @ Gold Club, 320 Gen. Doolittle Dr., 645-5500, jacksonvillegoldclub.com. Lunch and dinner specials, free happy hour buffets Thur. & Fri. $$$ FB L D Daily
AVONDALE, ORTEGA
FLORIDA CREAMERY, 3566 St. Johns Ave., 619-5386. Ice cream, waffle cones, milkshakes, sundaes, Nathan’s grilled hot dogs. Low-fat and sugar-free choices. $ K TO L D Daily
To get your restaurant listed here, just call your account manager or Sam Taylor at 904.260.9770 ext. 111 or staylor@folioweekly.com.
DINING DIRECTORY KEY
Average Entrée Cost $ = Less than $8 $$ = $8-$14 $$$ = $15-$22 $$$$ = $23 & up BW = Beer/Wine FB = Full Bar K = Kids’ Menu TO = Take Out B = Breakfast R = Brunch L = Lunch D = Dinner Bite Club = Hosted free FW Bite Club tasting. fwbiteclub.com. 2015 Best of Jax winner F = FW distribution spot
HARPOON LOUIE’S, 4070 Herschel St., Ste. 8, 389-5631, harpoonlouies.net. F Locally owned & operated 20+ years. American pub. 1/2-pound burgers, fish sandwiches, pasta. Local beers. $$ FB K TO L D Daily MELLOW MUSHROOM Pizza Bakers, 3611 St. Johns Ave., 388-0200. F Bite Club. 2015 BOJ winner. SEE BEACHES. MOJO NO. 4 Urban BBQ & Whiskey Bar, 3572 St. Johns Ave., 381-6670. F 2015 BOJ winner. SEE BEACHES. PINEGROVE Market & Deli, 1511 PineGrove Ave., 389-8655, pinegrovemarket.com. F BOJ winner. 40+ years. Burgers, Cuban sandwiches, subs, wraps. Onsite butcher cuts USDA choice prime aged beef. Craft beers. $ BW TO B L D Mon.-Sat. RESTAURANT ORSAY, 3630 Park St., 381-0909, restaurant orsay.com. 2015 BOJ winner. French/Southern bistro; locally grown organic ingredients. Steak frites, mussels, pork chops. Snail of Approval. $$$ FB K R, Sun.; D Nightly SIMPLY SARA’S, 2902 Corinthian Ave., 387-1000, simply saras.net. F Down-home fare, from scratch: eggplant fries, pimento cheese, baked chicken, fruit cobblers, chicken & dumplings, desserts. BYOB. $$ K TO L D Mon.-Sat., B Sat.
BAYMEADOWS
AL’S PIZZA, 8060 Philips Hwy., Ste. 105, 731-4300. F 2015 BOJ winner. SEE BEACHES. INDIA’S Restaurant, 9802 Baymeadows, Ste. 8, 620-0777, indiajax.com. F 2015 BOJ winner. Authentic cuisine, lunch buffet. Curries, vegetable dishes, lamb, chicken, shrimp, fish tandoori. $$ BW L Mon.-Sat.; D Nightly LARRY’S Giant Subs, 3928 Baymeadows, 737-7740. 8616 Baymeadows Rd., 739-2498. F SEE ORANGE PARK. METRO DINER, 9802 Baymeadows, 425-9142. F 2015 BOJ winner. SEE SAN MARCO. NATIVE SUN Natural Foods Market & Deli, 11030 Baymeadows, 260-2791. SEE MANDARIN. PATTAYA THAI Grille, 9551 Baymeadows, Ste. 1, 646-9506, ptgrille.com. Family-owned Thai place serves traditional fare, vegetarian, new Thai; curries, seafood, noodles, soups. Lowsodium, gluten-free, too. $$$ BW TO L D Tue.-Sun. TEQUILA’S Mexican Restaurant, 10915 Baymeadows, Ste. 101, 363-1365, tequilasjacksonville.com. F Authentic fare, made daily with fresh ingredients. Vegetarian dishes; daily drink specials. Nonstop happy hour. $$ FB L D Daily The WELL Watering Hole, 3928 Baymeadows, Ste. 9, 737-7740, thewellwateringhole.com. Local craft beers, wines by glass/bottle, champagne cocktails. Meatloaf sandwich, pulled Peruvian chicken, homestyle vegan black bean burgers. $$ BW K TO D Tue.-Sat. WHISKEY JAX, 10915 Baymeadows, Ste. 135, 634-7208, whiskeyjax.com. New gastropub has craft beers, burgers, handhelds, tacos, whiskey. $$ FB L D Sat. & Sun.; D Daily.
DECEMBER 2-8, 2015 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 31
DINING DIRECTORY BEACHES
(Locations are in Jax Beach unless otherwise noted.)
AL’S PIZZA, 303 Atlantic Blvd., Atlantic Beach, 249-0002, alspizza.com. F 2015 BOJ winner. New York-style, gourmet pizzas, baked dishes. All-day happy hour Mon.-Thur. $ FB K TO L D Daily ANGIE’S SUBS, 1436 Beach Blvd., 246-2519. ANGIE’S GROM, 204 Third Ave. S., 246-7823. F 2015 BOJ winner. Subs made with fresh ingredients for more than 25 years. One word: Peruvian. Huge salads, blue-ribbon iced tea. $ BW TO L D Daily BOLD BEAN COFFEE ROASTERS, 2400 S. Third St., Ste. 201. F 2015 BOJ winner. SEE RIVERSIDE. ESPETO Brazilian Steakhouse, 1396 Beach Blvd., 388-4884, espetosteakhouse.com. Just relocated, serving beef, pork, lamb, chicken, sausage; full menu, bar fare, craft cocktails, Brazilian beers. $$ FB D Daily EUROPEAN STREET CAFÉ, 992 Beach Blvd., 249-3001. F 2015 BOJ winner. SEE RIVERSIDE. FLYING IGUANA Taqueria & Tequila Bar, 207 Atlantic Blvd., NB, 853-5680 F 2015 BOJ winner. Latin American, tacos, seafood, carnitas, Cubana fare. 100+ tequilas. $ FB L D Daily LARRY’S Subs, 657 Third St. N., 247-9620. F SEE O.PARK. MELLOW MUSHROOM, 1018 Third St. N., Ste. 2, 241-5600, mellowmushroom.com. F Bite Club. 2015 BOJ winner. Hoagies, gourmet pizzas: Mighty Meaty, vegetarian, Kosmic Karma. 35 tap beers. Nonstop happy hour. $ FB K TO L D Daily METRO DINER, 1534 Third St. N., 853-6817. F 2015 BOJ winner. SEE SAN MARCO. MEZZA Restaurant & Bar, 110 First St., NB, 249-5573, mezza restaurantandbar.com. F Near-the-ocean spot, 20+ years. Casual bistro fare: gourmet wood-fired pizzas, nightly specials. Dine in, or patio. $$$ FB K D Mon.-Sat. MOJO KITCHEN BBQ Pit, 1500 Beach Blvd., 247-6636, mojo bbq.com. F 2015 BOJ winner. Pulled pork, beef, chicken, Carolina-style, Delta fried catfish, sides. $$ FB K TO L D Daily NIPPERS Beach Grille, 2309 Beach Blvd., 247-3300, nipp ersbeachgrille.com. Chef-driven Southern coastal cuisine, dishes with Caribbean flavor. Island atmosphere on the ICW. Dine in or on Tiki deck. $$ FB K L D Wed.-Sun.; D Mon. & Tue. POE’S Tavern, 363 Atlantic Blvd., AB, 241-7637. Gastropub, 50+ beers, gourmet burgers, hand-cut fries, fish tacos, Edgar’s Drunken Chili, daily fish sandwich special. $$ FB K L D Daily RAGTIME TAVERN & Seafood Grill, 207 Atlantic Blvd., AB, 241-7877, ragtimetavern.com. F For 30+ years, iconic seafood place. Blackened snapper, sesame tuna, Ragtime shrimp. Daily happy hour. $$ FB L D Daily SALT LIFE FOOD SHACK, 1018 Third St. N., 372-4456, saltlifefoodshack.com. Specialties: signature tuna poke bowl, fresh sushi, Ensenada tacos, local fried shrimp, in modern open-air space. $$ FB K TO L D Daily SLIDERS Seafood Grille & Oyster Bar, 218 First St., NB, 246-0881, slidersseafoodgrille.com. Beach-casual spot. Faves: Fresh fish tacos, gumbo. Key lime pie, ice cream sandwiches. $$ FB K L Sat. & Sun.; D Nightly SNEAKERS Sports Grille, 111 Beach Blvd., 482-1000, sneakerssportsgrille.com. 2015 BOJ winner. 20+ tap beers, TVs. Happy hour Mon.-Fri. $ FB K L D Daily
FLEMING ISLAND
GRASSROOTS Natural Market, 1915 East-West Parkway, 541-0009. F 2015 BOJ winner. SEE RIVERSIDE. MELLOW MUSHROOM Pizza Bakers, 1800 Town Ctr. Blvd., 541-1999. F Bite Club. 2015 BOJ winner. SEE BEACHES. MOJO SMOKEHOUSE, 1810 Town Center Blvd., Ste. 8, 264-0636. F 2015 BOJ winner. SEE BEACHES. WHITEY’S FISH CAMP, 2032 C.R. 220, 269-4198, whiteysfishcamp.com. F Real fish camp. Gator tail, freshwater catfish, daily specials, on Swimming Pen Creek. Tiki bar. Come by boat, bike or car. $ FB K TO L Tue.-Sun.; D Nightly
INTRACOASTAL WEST
AL’S Pizza, 14286 Beach, Ste. 31, 223-0991. F ’15 BOJ winner. SEE BEACHES. DICK’S, 14286 Beach, 223-0115. F ’15 BOJ. SEE O.PARK. LARRY’S, 10750 Atlantic, Ste. 14, 642-6980. F SEE O.PARK. TIME OUT Sports Grill, 13799 Beach, Ste. 5, 223-6999, timeoutsportsgrill.com. F Locally-owned-and-operated. Hand-tossed pizzas, wings, wraps. Daily drink specials, HDTVs. Late-nite menu. $$ FB L Tue.-Sun.; D Nightly
MANDARIN, NW ST. JOHNS
AKEL’S Deli, 12926 Granbay Pkwy. W., 880-2008. F SEE DOWNTOWN.
AL’S PIZZA, 11190 San Jose Blvd., 260-4115. F 2015 BOJ winner. SEE BEACHES. ATHENS Café, 6271 St. Augustine Rd., Ste. 7, 733-1199. F Dolmades (stuffed grape leaves), baby shoes (stuffed eggplant). Greek beers. $$ BW L Mon.-Fri.; D Mon.-Sat. DICK’S Wings, 10391 Old St. Augustine Rd., 880-7087. F 2015 BOJ winner. SEE ORANGE PARK. FIRST COAST Deli & Grill, 6082 St. Augustine Rd., 733-7477. Diner: pancakes, bacon, sandwiches, burgers. $ K TO B L Daily LARRY’S Subs, 11365 San Jose, 674-2945. F SEE O.PARK. METRO DINER, 12807 San Jose Blvd., 638-6185. F 2015 BOJ winner. SEE SAN MARCO. NATIVE SUN Natural Foods MArket & Deli, 10000 San Jose Blvd., 260-6950, nativesunjax.com. F Organic soups, sandwiches, wraps, baked goods, prepared foods. Juice, smoothie and coffee bar. All-natural, organic beers, wines. Indoor, outdoor dining. $ BW TO K B L D Daily THE RED ELEPHANT Pizza & Grill, 10131 San Jose Blvd., Ste. 12, 683-3773, redelephantpizza.com. Casual, familyfriendly eatery. Pizzas, sandwiches, grill specials, burgers, pasta, plus gluten-free-friendly items. $ FB K L D Daily
ORANGE PARK
DICK’S Wings & Grill, 6055 Youngerman Cir., 778-1101, dickswingsandgrill.com. 1803 East West Pkwy., 375-2559. 2015 BOJ winner. NASCAR theme. 365 varieties of wings, half-pound burgers, ribs. $ FB K TO L D Daily THE HILLTOP, 2030 Wells Rd., 272-5959, hilltop-club.com. Southern-style fine dining. New Orleans shrimp, certified Black Angus prime rib, she-crab soup, desserts. Extensive bourbon selection. $$$ FB D Tue.-Sat.
GRILL ME!
KEVIN SBRAGA
Sbraga & Company 220 Riverside Ave., Riverside BIRTHPLACE: Mt. Holly, New Jersey YEARS IN THE BIZ: 18+ FAVORITE RESTAURANT (other than mine): Vie Pizza FAVORITE CUISINE STYLE: Mediterranean GO-TO INGREDIENT: Lemon juice; I use it a lot. IDEAL MEAL: I love my carbs, so a perfect meal would start with fresh baked bread, then a salad, then pasta, followed by grilled meat or fish and last – fruit dessert. WON’T CROSS MY LIPS: Canned peas are the worst. INSIDER’S SECRET: Plan ahead, make reservations, relax and enjoy. CELEBRITY SIGHTING AT MY RESTAURANT: Mayor Lenny Curry CULINARY TREAT: Ice cream! SURFING SOMBRERO, 222 First St. N., 834-9377. New oceanfront place serves authentic fare – like paella. Drink specials. Dine in or outside. $$ FB L D Daily SURFWICHES Sandwich Shop, 1537 Penman Rd., 241-6996, surfwiches.com. New craft sandwich shop has Yankee-style steaks and hoagies, all made to order. $ BW TO K L D Daily
DOWNTOWN
AKEL’S Deli, 21 W. Church St., 665-7324, akelsdeli.com. F New York-style deli has freshly made subs (3 Wise Guys, Champ), burgers, gyros, breakfast bowls, ranchero wrap, vegetarian items. $ K TO B L Mon.-Fri. THE CANDY APPLE Café & Cocktails, 400 N. Hogan St., 353-9717, thecandyapplecafe.com. Sandwiches, entrées, salads. $$ FB K L, Mon.; L D Tue.-Sun. CASA DORA, 108 E. Forsyth St., 356-8282. F Chef Sam Hamidi has served genuine Italian fare 35+ years: veal, seafood, gourmet pizza. Homemade salad dressing. $ BW K L Mon.-Fri.; D Mon.-Sat. OLIO Market, 301 E. Bay St., 356-7100, oliomarket.com. F From-scratch soups, sandwiches. Duck grilled cheese, seen on Best Sandwich in America. $$ BW TO B R L Mon.-Fri. SWEET PETE’S, 400 N. Hogan St., 376-7161. F All-natural sweet shop has candy made of all natural flavors, no artificial anything. Several kinds of honey. $ TO Daily ZODIAC Bar & Grill, 120 W. Adams St., 354-8283, thezodiacbarandgrill.com. Mediterranean cuisine, American fare, paninis, vegetarian dishes. Daily lunch buffet. Espressos, hookahs. Happy hour Wed.-Sat. $ FB L Mon.-Fri.
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LARRY’S Giant Subs, 1330 Blanding, 276-7370. 1545 C.R. 220, 278-2827. 700 Blanding, Ste. 15, 272-3553. 5733 Roosevelt, 446-9500. 1401 S. Orange Ave., Green Cove, 284-7789, larryssubs.com. F All over the area, Larry’s piles ’em high, serves ’em fast; 33+ years. Hot & cold subs, soups, salads. Some Larry’s serve breakfast. $ K TO B L D Daily METRO DINER, 2034 Kingsley Ave., 375-8548. F 2015 BOJ winner. SEE SAN MARCO. SNACSHACK, 179 College Dr., Ste. 19, 682-7622, snacshack. menu. F New bakery and café has bagels, muffins, breads, cookies, brownies, snack treats. $$ K BW TO B, L & D Daily
PONTE VEDRA BEACH
AL’S Pizza, 635 A1A, 543-1494. F ’15 BOJ. SEE BEACHES. DICK’S Wings, 100 Marketside Ave., 829-8134, dickswings andgrill.com. F 2015 BOJ winner. SEE ORANGE PARK. LARRY’S SUBS, 830 A1A N., 273-3993. F SEE ORANGE PARK.
RIVERSIDE, 5 POINTS, WESTSIDE
13 GYPSIES, 887 Stockton St., 389-0330, 13gypsies.com. 2015 BOJ winner. Authentic Mediterranean peasant cuisine updated for Americans; tapas, blackened octopus, risotto of the day, coconut mango curry chicken. $$ BW L D Tue.-Sat. AKEL’S Deli, 245 Riverside Ave., 791-3336. F SEE DOWNTOWN. AL’S Pizza, 1620 Margaret St., 388-8384. F 2015 BOJ winner. SEE BEACHES. BLACK SHEEP Restaurant, 1534 Oak St., 355-3793, blacksheep5points.com. New American, Southern twist; locally
DINING DIRECTORY sourced ingredients. Rooftop bar. $$$ FB R Sat. & Sun.; L D Daily BOLD BEAN Coffee Roasters, 869 Stockton St., Stes. 1 & 2, 855-1181. F 2015 BOJ winner. Small-batch, artisanal coffee roasting. Organic, fair trade. $ BW TO B L Daily BREW FIVE POINTS, 1024 Park St., 714-3402, brewfive points.com. F 2015 BOJ winner. Local craft beer, espresso, coffee, wine. Rotating drafts, 75+ can craft beers; sodas, tea. Rotating seasonal menu: waffles, pastries, toasts, desserts, specialty coffees, craft beers. $$ BW K B L Daily CORNER TACO, 818 Post St., 240-0412, cornertaco.com. Made-from-scratch “Mexclectic street food,” tacos, nachos, gluten-free, vegetarian options. $ BW L D Daily. DERBY ON PARK, 1068 Park St., 379-3343. New American cuisine, upscale retro atmosphere in historic landmark building. Shrimp & grits, lobster bites, 10-oz. gourmet burger. Dine inside or out. $$ FB TO Wknd brunch. B, L D Tue.-Sun. EDGEWOOD Bakery, 1012 S. Edgewood Ave., 389-8054, edgewoodbakery.com. 68+ years, full-service. From-scratch pastries, petit fours, pies, custom cakes. Espresso/pastry café: sandwiches, smoothies, soups. $$ K TO B L Tue.-Sat. EUROPEAN STREET Café, 2753 Park St., 384-9999. 2015 BOJ winner. 130+ import beers, 20 on tap. Sandwiches. Outside dining at some EStreets. $ BW K L D Daily GRASSROOTS Natural Market, 2007 Park St., 384-4474, thegrassrootsmarket.com. F BOJ winner. Juice bar; organic fruits, veggies. 300+ craft/imports, 50 wines, meats, deli, raw, vitamins. Wraps, sandwiches. $ BW TO B L D Daily HAWKERS ASIAN Street Fare, 1001 Park St., 508-0342, hawkerstreetfare.com. 2015 BOJ winner. Authentic dishes from mobile stalls. $ BW TO L D Daily
JOHNNY’S Deli & Grille, 474 Riverside Ave., 356-8055. F Casual; sandwiches, classic salads, homefries. $ TO B L Daily KNEAD BAKESHOP, 1173 Edgewood Ave. S., 634-7617 Locally-owned, family-run shop; made-from-scratch pastries, artisan breads, pies, sandwiches, soups. $ TO B L Tue.-Sun. LARRY’S Subs, 1509 Margaret, 674-2794. 7895 Normandy, 781-7600. 8102 Blanding, 779-1933. F SEE O.PARK. METRO DINER, 4495 Roosevelt Blvd., 999-4600. F 2015 BOJ winner. SEE SAN MARCO. MONROE’S Smokehouse BAR-B-Q, 4838 Highway Ave., 389-5551, monroessmokehousebbq.com. Wings, pulled pork, brisket, turkey, chicken, ribs. Sides: beans, baked beans, mac-n-cheese, collards. $$ K TO L Mon.-Sat.; D Fri. MOON RIVER PIZZA, 1176 Edgewood Ave. S., 389-4442. F 2015 BOJ winner. SEE AMELIA ISLAND. MOSSFIRE GRILL, 1537 Margaret St., 355-4434, mossfire. com. F Southwestern fish tacos, enchiladas. HH Mon.-Sat. upstairs lounge, all day Sun. $$ FB K L D Daily O’BROTHERS Irish Pub, 1521 Margaret, 854-9300, obroth ersirishpub.com. F Shepherd’s pie w/Stilton crust, Guinness mac-n-cheese, fish-n-chips. Patio. $$ FB K TO L D Daily PATTAYA Thai Grille, 1526 King, 503-4060. SEE BAYMEADOWS. rain dogs, 1045 Park, 379-4969. BOJ winner. Bar food. $ D SBRAGA & COMPANY, 220 Riverside Ave., Ste. 114, 746-0909, sbragadining.com. Chef Kevin Sbraga’s newest place offers a contemporary approach to local cultural influences. Go-to dishes: hog & hominy, fish fry, carrot ceviche. $$-$$$ FB TO L D Daily SOUTHERN ROOTS Filling Station, 1275 King St., 513-4726, southernrootsjax.com. 2015 BOJ winner. Healthy, light
photo by Rebecca Gibson
BITE-SIZED
THE GRIMLEY’S bring a fresh title and superb menu to a local fave
LETTING LU-LOOSE BITE SIZED ON AMELIA ISLAND
glance, the patty seems “BRA & GRILL” READS THE overwhelmed by the FRONT DOOR. NO, it’s not a shrimp, cherry tomatoes, typo, but a Lulu’s trademark and sausage, but after that has prevailed eating my way through the throughout its cozy entire dish (without a grit to existence on Amelia Island. spare), I’d say the patty is LULU’S is currently in the more than adequate. able hands of owner, Chef It isn’t every day that I Brian Grimley. Originally discover a mac ’n’ cheese from England, Grimley is covered in Alfredo, with a self-taught chef with at chunks of chorizo, shrimp, least 40 years of cooking and sundried tomatoes under his belt. After running ($24). Naturally, I tried a restaurant in Virginia, he that, too (don’t worry, I had and his wife decided to a partner abetting in my settle on this tiny island off overindulgent crime). The sundried tomatoes Florida’s coast. Five years ago, the Grimleys took were my favorite part. They were so incredibly over Lulu’s and tacked “at the Thompson House” flavorful, with hints of sweet, spicy, and savory in onto the name, giving Lulu’s a fresh title and each bite. Colorful arugula decorated the dish, a a superb menu with an ironclad hold over the leafy green to make up for all the carbs. So that locals, and now over me. makes it a salad, right? Prepare to feel snug in By the time I gobbled down Lulu’s, which has seven tables LULU’S AT THE my last shrimp, I was stuffed to inside, plus a few patio seats. I THOMPSON HOUSE the brim. The thought of dessert recommend reserving ahead of 11 S. Seventh St., was unfathomable – until I time. Be sure not to knock on the Fernandina Beach, heard our server, Courtney, door of the neighboring Thompson 432-8394, lulusamelia.com telling folks at a nearby table House, like I almost did. Turns out, just what delectable items the Grimleys live in the Thompson were on the dessert list. Well, I told myself, my House. Talk about working from home. job is to be a thorough diner-slash-reporter. So I A quick glance at Yelp let me know that I ordered blueberry cobbler, a perfect conclusion would be crazy to leave Lulu’s without trying a to the meal. It was surprisingly light and airy, not crab cake. This fried cake ($11) sat in a delicious too much for my expanding waistline. puddle of Old Bay remoulade. The crusty exterior Chef Grimley’s Lulu’s isn’t just for locals, but concealed soft, fleshy crabmeat that soaked up for anyone looking for fantastic Southern-style the tart remoulade. A squirt of fresh lemon gave cuisine in an idyllic island setting. the crab a zesty flavor that lingered in the best Rebecca Gibson way possible. mail@folioweekly.com While shrimp-and-grits finds its way onto ––––––––––––––––_––––––––––––––––––––– most menus here in the South, Chef Grimley Read about more of Rebecca’s local dining has an interesting take on the dish ($21). Fresh, adventures at somewhereinthecityjax.com local shrimp are tossed over a grit patty. At first
vegan fare; local, organic ingredients. Specials, on bread, local greens or rice, change daily. Coffees, teas. $ Tue.-Sun. SUSHI CAFÉ, 2025 Riverside, Ste. 204, 384-2888, sushicafe jacksonville.com. F Monster, Rock-n-Roll, Dynamite Roll. Hibachi, tempura, katsu, teriyaki. $$ BW L D Daily
ST. AUGUSTINE
AL’S Pizza, 1 St. George St., 824-4383. F 2015 BOJ winner. SEE BEACHES. CARMELO’S Marketplace & Pizzeria, 146 King St., 494-6658, carmelosmarketplace.com. New York-style brick-oven-baked pizza, fresh sub rolls, Boar’s Head meats & cheeses, garlic herb wings. Outdoor seating, Wi-Fi. $$ BW TO L D Daily DICK’S Wings & Grill, 965 S.R. 16, 825-4540. 4010 U.S. 1 S., 547-2669. 2015 BOJ winner. SEE ORANGE PARK. THE FLORIDIAN, 39 Cordova St., 829-0655, thefloridian staug.com. 2015 BOJ winner. Updated Southern fare. Vegetarian, gluten-free. Fried green tomato bruschetta, grits with shrimp, fish or tofu. $$$ BW K TO L D Wed.-Mon. GYPSY CAB COMPANY, 828 Anastasia Blvd., 824-8244, gypsycab.com. F Local mainstay 25+ years. Varied menu changes twice daily. Signature dish: Gypsy chicken. Seafood, tofu, duck, veal. Sun. brunch. $$ FB R Sun.; L D Daily MELLOW MUSHROOM Pizza Bakers, 410 Anastasia Blvd., 826-4040. F Bite Club. 2015 BOJ winner. SEE BEACHES. METRO DINER, 1000 S. Ponce de Leon Blvd., 758-3323. F 2015 BOJ winner. SEE SAN MARCO. MOJO OLD CITY BBQ, 5 Cordova St., 342-5264. F 2015 BOJ winner. SEE BEACHES. ONE TWENTY THREE BURGER HOUSE, 123 King St., 687-2790. Spot from Carmelo’s owners. Premium burgers, made with beef from NYC butcher Schweid & Sons. Wood-fired pizzas, ice cream bar, Old World milkshakes. $$ BW K TO L D Daily SALT LIFE FOOD SHACK, 321 A1A Beach Blvd., 217-3256, saltlifefoodshack.com. SEE BEACHES.
SAN MARCO, SOUTHBANK
BASIL Thai & Sushi, 1004 Hendricks Ave., 674-0190, basil thaijax.com. F Authentic Pad Thai, curry, tempura, vegetarian, seafood, stir-fry, specials. $$ FB L D Mon.-Sat. BISTRO AIX, 1440 San Marco Blvd., 398-1949, bistrox. com. F Mediterranean/French inspired; steak frites, oak-fired pizza, raw bar seasonal selections. $$$ FB TO L D Daily DICK’S Wings, 1610 University Blvd. W., 448-2110. 2015 BOJ winner. SEE ORANGE PARK. EUROPEAN STREET Café, 1704 San Marco, 398-9500. 2015 BOJ winner. SEE RIVERSIDE. $ BW K L D Daily FUSION SUSHI, 1550 University W., 636-8688, fusion sushijax.com. F Upscale sushi spot serves a variety of fresh sushi, sashimi, hibachi, teriyaki, kiatsu. $$ K L D Daily The GROTTO Wine & Tapas Bar, 2012 San Marco, 398-0726. F Artisanal cheese plate, empanada, bruschetta, cheesecake. 60+ wines by the glass. $$$ BW Tue.-Sun. HAMBURGER MARY’S Bar & Grille, 3333 Beach, 551-2048, hamburgermarys.com. F BOJ winner. Wings, sammies, nachos, entrées, drinks, burgers. $$ K TO FB L D Daily KITCHEN on San Marco, 1402 San Marco, 396-2344, kitchenonsanmarco.com. BOJ winner. Local, national craft beers, specialty cocktails, seasonal menu, fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Sunday brunch. $$ FB L D Daily MEZZE Bar & Grill, 2016 Hendricks, 683-0693, mezzejax. com. Classic drinks, basil martinis, 35 drafts, local/craft brews, Mediterranean cuisine. Hookah. Happy hour. $$ FB D Daily METRO Diner, 3302 Hendricks, 398-3701, metrodiner.com. F BOJ winner. Original upscale diner. Meatloaf, chicken pot pie, soups. $$ B R L Daily MOJO BAR-B-QUE, 1607 University Blvd. W., 732-7200. F 2015 BOJ winner. SEE BEACHES. PIZZA PALACE, 1959 San Marco Ave., 399-8815, pizzapala cejax.com. F Family-owned; spinach pizza, chicken spinach calzones, lasagna. Outside dining. $$ BW K TO L D Daily TAVERNA, 1986 San Marco Ave., 398-3005, tavernasan marco.com. Chef Sam Efron’s authentic Italian; local produce, meats. Craft beers, craft cocktails. $$$ FB K TO R L D Daily
SOUTHSIDE, TINSELTOWN
ALHAMBRA Theatre & Dining, 12000 Beach Blvd., 641-1212, alhambrajax.com. USA’s longest-running dinner theater; Chef DeJuan Roy’s themed menus. Reservations. $$ FB D Tue.-Sun. BARBERITOS, 4320 Deerwood Lake Pkwy., Ste. 106, 807-9060. F SEE AMELIA ISLAND. DICK’S, 10750 Atlantic Blvd., 619-0954. BOJ. SEE O.PARK. DIM SUM Room, 9041 Southside, 363-9888, thedimsum room.com. Shrimp dumplings, sesame ball. Traditional Hong Kong noodles, barbecue. $ FB K L D Daily EUROPEAN STREET Café, 5500 Beach Blvd., 398-1717. 2015 BOJ winner. SEE RIVERSIDE. LARRY’S, 3611 St. Johns Bluff Rd. S., 641-6499. 4479 Deerwood Lake Pkwy., 425-4060. F SEE ORANGE PARK. MELLOW MUSHROOM, 9734 Deer Lake Ct., 997-1955. F Bite Club. 2015 BOJ winner. SEE BEACHES. MONROE’S Smokehouse BAR B-Q, 10771 Beach Blvd., 996-7900, monroessmokehousebbq.com. SEE RIVERSIDE. OVINTE, 10208 Buckhead Brnch Dr., 900-7730, ovinte. com. 2015 BOJ winner. European-style dining influenced by Italy, Spain, Mediterranean. Small plates, entrée-size portions, selections from charcuterie menu. $$$ BW TO R D Daily TAVERNA YAMAS, 9753 Deer Lake Ct., 854-0426, tavernayamas.com. F Bite Club. Char-broiled kabobs, seafood, wines, desserts. Belly dancing. $$ FB K L D Daily
SPRINGFIELD, NORTHSIDE
DICK’S Wings, 12400 Yellow Bluff Rd., Ste. 101, 619-9828. 2015 BOJ winner. SEE ORANGE PARK. HOLA Mexican Restaurant, 1001 N. Main St., 356-3100, holamexicanrestaurant.com. F Fajitas, burritos, enchiladas, daily specials. Happy hour; sangria. $ BW K TO L D Mon.-Sat. LARRY’S Subs, 12001 Lem Turner Rd., 764-9999. SEE ORANGE PARK.
DECEMBER 2-8, 2015 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 33
LOOKIN’ FOR LOVE FOLIO
W E E K LY
FOLIO LIVING
PET
LOVERS’
GUIDE
DEAR DAVI
DOWNWARD FACING DAVI
DOGA OFFERS A PATHWAY TO INNER PEACE for humans and canines. Coali the Cocker Spaniel knew the moment he placed his paw on the mat that he would be a pack leader for guiding inner peace between dogs and humans. This was the beginning of DOGA. The practice of doga was created by Coali’s mom, Suzi Teitelman, a yoga instructor from Jacksonville Beach. “It’s simply regular yoga that incorporates your pet,” says Teitelman. Dogs doing yoga may sound strange, but canines actually do common yoga poses in everyday life. Downward-facing dog, anyone? Though I was skeptical about twisting myself into a tight knot, Coali assured me that dogs are natural-born yogis. Besides, in doga, it’s more about the connection between dogs and humans than it is about getting the poses right. According to Teitelman, “Dogs are pack animals, so they’re a natural match for yoga’s focus on union between beings.” It’s true. Dogs dig spending quality time together with our humans. And more than simply going on a walk – which is fun, too – doga offers another way of connecting. A typical doga class includes stretching, massage, and meditation and, yes, there is even a savasana relaxation pose at the end of class. Some classes, dogs just hang out with their humans and visit with dogs. In others, dogs are active participants performing poses with their humans, such as these: CHATURANGA POSE: Dog lies on his stomach while someone strokes his back. Shanti! CHAIR POSE: Dog sits on his hind legs with his front paws in the air while someone behind him holds him. INNER DOG MUDRA: Dog’s forehead rests on his human’s forehead and together they connect the energy of their minds. SAVASANA POSE: Dog lies on his back while someone rubs his belly. Om!
Coali really loves doing poses with his mom. She moves and stretches him and balances him on her body. He tells me this lifting, stretching, and massaging teaches us to trust the relationship we share with our humans. You may not know it, but dogs are extremely in tune with your energy. It’s instinctual. So, if you are calm and relaxed during class, your dog reads your energy and behaves the same. Doga also aids in digestion through massage, helps lower our blood pressure, and even teach us socialization skills. Those of you who are interested in this practice, take note: A dog should never be forced to do a yoga pose. If your dog resists a move for any reason, stop. While you and your dog both benefit from stretching and relaxation, the most important thing you’ll gain from doga is the quality time you spend together. Even if your dog just likes having his belly rubbed, like me, or enjoys sitting on your mat while you practice poses, you’re bonding with your pet. Now that’s nirvana. Want to relax, rejuvenate, and reconnect with your dog? Classes are offered at Jax Beach on first Saturday of each month. For more information about doga, or to sign up for a class, contact Suzi Teitelman at suzispice@ gmail.com or go to dogadog.net. Namaste! Davi mail@folioweekly.com _____________________________________ Davi is a brown dachshund with an appetite for adventure. He loves sweet potato treats, playing at the park with friends, and exploring the unknown.
BEASTS OF BURDEN: PET TIP OF THE WEEK CAN’T YOU TASTE THAT SMELL? For cats, sense of smell is the most important tool for gathering information about the surrounding world. So important, in fact, that cats are among several creatures with an extra olfactory organ called a Jacobson’s organ, located on the roof of the mouth behind the front teeth, connected to the nasal cavity. If you’ve ever witnessed your feline companion sniffing something he or she appears to find fairly interesting, it may have been a case of your cat employing his or her Jacobson’s organ, opening the mouth and inhaling molecules into the organ. What does your cat do with the information gleaned from this process? According to Humanesociety.org, it’s one of life’s most confounding mysteries. We like to think they’re storing up pheromone data to locate other cats to go … well, cat about.
A CARA
D
O
Single & Ready to Mingle It’s cheesy, but true. I’m a one-pet-kinda girl but my love for humans runs deep. I keep my figure trim so I’d be OK in an apartment. Call today so we can get our friendship started! For adoption information, visit jaxhumane.org
P
T
A
B
L
E
KENNEDY
I Spot My Future Human I’m a calm and casual guy. My dapper coat makes me look like a gentleman, don’t you agree? Let’s meet over a can of tuna and see where things go. For adoption information, visit jaxhumane.org
To see your pet event here, send event name, time, date, location with complete street address and city, admission price, contact number/website to print, to mdryden@folioweekly.com – at least two weeks before the event.
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DECEMBER 2-8, 2015 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 35
FREEWILL ASTROLOGY
JONESINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; THE FOLIO WEEKLY CROSSWORD by MATT JONES. Presented by
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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Flour Powerâ&#x20AC;? ACROSS
1 Watch chains 5 â&#x20AC;&#x153;I Love a Rainy Nightâ&#x20AC;? country singer Eddie 12 ___ deferens 15 Farmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s measurement 16 Team with the football 17 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bravo, bullfighter!â&#x20AC;? 18 Flour sorters that form patterns? 20 Pack member, for short? 21 This evening, in ads 22 â&#x20AC;&#x153;___ me, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s who!â&#x20AC;? 23 Go over some lines? 25 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Well, lah-di-___!â&#x20AC;? 26 â&#x20AC;&#x153;LOSER KEEPS ___â&#x20AC;? (billboard seen before U.S.-Canada gold medal hockey game of 2014) 27 Particle in a charged state 29 I, in Munich 32 Borneo ape, for short 34 Motors that are better suited for flour mills? 40 Test giverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s call 41 Dormant 42 Kunis of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Black Swanâ&#x20AC;? 43 Giant bodies of flour and water that wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t rise? 46 Marshmallow holiday candies 47 â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wanna know about your infectionâ&#x20AC;? initials 48 Elly May Clampettâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pa 49 Check to make sure 52 Annual MTV bestowal 54 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Help!â&#x20AC;? actor Ringo
55 Turntablists, familiarly 58 Bout before the main event 61 Dye holder 62 The next batch of flour being from the same common grain as the last? 65 Cherry discard 66 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wait, let me wash up first!â&#x20AC;? 67 Rain hard? 68 Like some winks and grins 69 Like some poker games 70 Naysayerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s view 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 19 24
DOWN
Hard to catch Cuatro plus cuatro Staples or Hooters, e.g. Antique photo tone A â&#x20AC;&#x153;Golden Girlâ&#x20AC;? Movie buffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s org. Lifelong pals, less formally ___ noire (bane) Gospel singer Andrews Co. that introduced Dungeons & Dragons Mic check word Some English homework, casually Writer Munro â&#x20AC;&#x153;Against the Windâ&#x20AC;? singer Bob Principle of good conduct Current government
(Bake it a good one.) 26 Paperback publisher named for small fowl 27 â&#x20AC;&#x153;It ___ laughâ&#x20AC;? 28 Psych suffix 30 Pursued 31 Approach for money 32 Pitcher Hershiser 33 Stopwatch button 35 â&#x20AC;&#x153;(Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Fear) The ___â&#x20AC;? (â&#x20AC;&#x2122;76 Blue Oyster Cult hit) 36 White-tailed coastal birds 37 Stealthy-sounding (but subpar) subprime mortgage offering 38 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Waiting for the Robert ___â&#x20AC;? 39 Anti-DUI gp.
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44 Top-five finish, maybe, to an optimist 45 Joie de ___ 49 Invitation replies 50 Net business, as seen in crosswords but not in real life 51 Ramshackle 53 A.I. humanoid 55 Cope 56 Actress Gertz of The Neighbors 57 Cherry discard 58 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Ahemâ&#x20AC;? relative 59 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Down ___â&#x20AC;? (Nine Inch Nails song) 60 Ancient Romansâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 1551 63 Insurance option that requires referrals 64 â&#x20AC;&#x153;___ said before ...â&#x20AC;?
CHUTZPAH, MONTEZUMA II, CRACKLING INSIGHT & BEING LUCKY
36 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | DECEMBER 2-8, 2015
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ARIES (March 21-April 19): â&#x20AC;&#x153;Charm is a way of getting the answer â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;yesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; without having asked any clear question,â&#x20AC;? wrote French author Albert Camus. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re poised now to embody and capitalize on this definition of â&#x20AC;&#x153;charm.â&#x20AC;? Good news, right? Mostly. Two caveats: First, wield your mojo as responsibly as you can. Infuse your bewitching allure with integrity. Second, be precise about what you want to achieve â&#x20AC;&#x201D; even if you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t come out and tell what it is. Resist the temptation to throw charm around haphazardly.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): In the next few days, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have an uncanny power to make at least one of your resurrection fantasies come true. Some possibilities: 1. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re brave enough to change your mind and shed some pride, you could retrieve an expired dream from limbo. 2. By stirring up a bit more chutzpah than you usually have, you might be able to revive and even restore a forsaken promise. 3. Through an act of grace, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s possible you reanimate an ideal that was damaged or abandoned. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): To the other 11 signs of the zodiac, the Way of the Gemini sometimes seems rife with paradox and contradiction. Many non-Geminis would feel paralyzed if they had to live in so much hubbub. But when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re at your best, you thrive in the web of riddles. Your willingness to abide there is what generates your special magic. Your breakthroughs are possible by your high tolerance for uncertainty. How many times have I seen a Gemini lost in indecision who suddenly erupts with a burst of crackling insights? This is the kind of subtle miracle I expect to happen soon. CANCER (June 21-July 22): In September 1715, a band of Jacobite rebels gathered for a guerrilla attack on Edinburgh Castle in Scotland. Their plan was to scale the walls with rope ladders, aided by a double agent disguised as a castle sentry. But the scheme failed before it began. The rope ladders were too short. The rebels retreated in disarray. Be sure youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not like them in the coming weeks. If you want to engage in strenuous action, innovative experiment, or bold stroke, be meticulous in preparations. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t scrimp on props, accouterments, and resources. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): If you give kids the option of choosing food thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mushy and food thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s crunchy, most will choose the crunchy stuff. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more exciting to their mouths, a more lively texture for their teeth and tongues. This has nothing to do with nutritional value. Soggy oatmeal may foster a kidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s well-being better than crispy potato chips. Apply this lesson to the way you feed your inner child. Metaphorically speaking, serve that precious part of you the kind of sustenance both crunchy and healthy. Make sure that whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wholesome is also fun, and vice versa. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Your mascot is a famous white oak in Athens, Georgia. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s called the Tree That Owns Itself. According to legend, it belongs to no person or institution, but only to itself. The earth in which itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s planted and the land around it are also its sole possession. With this icon as your inspiration, enhance and celebrate your sovereignty in the next seven months. What actions will enable you to own yourself thoroughly? How can you boost your autonomy and be, more than ever, the boss of you? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s prime time to expedite this effort. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Police in Los Angeles conducted an experiment on a 10-mile span of freeway. Drivers in three unmarked cars raced along as fast as they could
while remaining in the same lane. The driver of the fourth car not only moved at top speed, but changed lanes and jockeyed for position. Can you guess the results? The car that weaved in and out of traffic arrived just slightly ahead of the other three. Apply this lesson to your activities in the coming week. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be virtually no advantage to indulging in frenetic, erratic exertion. Be steady, smooth and straightforward.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): You generate lucky anomalies and helpful flukes if you use shortcuts, flee from boredom, and work smarter rather than harder. On the other hand, you drum up wearisome weirdness and fruitless flukes if you meander all over the place, lose yourself in far-off fantasies, and act as if you have all the time in the world. Be brisk and concise. Avoid loafing and vacillating. Associate with activators who make you laugh and loosen your iron grip. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a favorable time to polish off a lot of practical details with a light touch. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): â&#x20AC;&#x153;Like all explorers, we are drawn to discover whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s out there without knowing yet if we have the courage to face it.â&#x20AC;? Buddhist teacher Pema ChĂśdrĂśn said that. According to my divinations, a new frontier is calling. An unprecedented question has awakened. The urge to leave your familiar circle is increasingly tempting. What do you think? Will you be able to summon the necessary audacity? Maybe the better inquiry is this: Do you vow to use all your soulful ingenuity to summon the necessary audacity? CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): â&#x20AC;&#x153;Once I witnessed a windstorm so severe that two 100-year-old trees were uprooted on the spot,â&#x20AC;? Mary Ruefle wrote in her book Madness, Rack, and Honey. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The next day, walking among the wreckage, I found the friable nests of birds, completely intact and unharmed on the ground.â&#x20AC;? I think thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a paradox to keep in mind. In the coming weeks, whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most delicate and vulnerable about you will have more staying power than whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s massive and fixed. Trust grace and tenderness more than fierceness and forcefulness. They make you as smart as you need to be. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Aztec king Montezuma II quenched his daily thirst with one specific beverage. He rarely drank anything else. It was ground cocoa beans mixed with chili peppers, water, vanilla, and annatto. Spiced chocolate? The frothy brew was served in golden goblets, each of which he used once and then hurled from his royal balcony into the lake below. He regarded this elixir as an aphrodisiac, and liked to quaff a few flagons before heading off to his harem. The coming weeks will be one of those exceptional times when you have a poetic license to be almost Montezuma-like. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your equivalent of his primal chocolate, golden goblets, and harem? PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): â&#x20AC;&#x153;Unfortunately, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m pretty lucky,â&#x20AC;? my friend Rico said to me recently. He meant that his relentless good fortune constantly threatens to undermine his ambition. How can he be motivated to try harder, grow smarter and get stronger if life showers him with blessings? He almost wishes he could suffer more so heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d have more angst to push against. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fall under the spell of that twisted logic in the coming weeks. This is a phase of your cycle when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re likely to be the beneficiary of an extra-strong flow of help and serendipity. Say this affirmation often: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fortunately, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m pretty lucky.â&#x20AC;? Rob Brezsny freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com
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Overset for the web HANGIN’ WITH MR. J
Social science professor Dr. Jeff Justice resigned from the faculty at Tarleton State University (Stephenville, Texas) in October to head off an investigation into whether he supplied alcohol to students and proselytized at least one to undergo a self-mutilation practice. Justice admitted, post-resignation, that he was a devotee (since age 13) of the “Sundance” ritual, in which he would hang from a tree in his backyard by hooks connected to stakes in his bare chest and that he demonstrated it to some students but apparently interested none. He attributed the incidents “severeMs. depression. ” Bonus: He OK, notomore Nice Copy Editor. The word limit is FORTY (40). Y’all submit ISUs had won a Faculty Excellence award in 2015. with waaaay more than 40, so I have to TAKE WORDS OUT. What if one word was vital info for your target to recognize you, fall in love and y’all ride off in the sunset? Oopsie! Struck out AGAIN because you can’t count words (or spell, but that’s another battle for another week). It’s your own damn fault. Who’d love a dork who can’t even count?
WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE
I FOUND UR GIFT to CARD, Recently added the DONATED list of words and phrases Target giftcially card, “To: J_ From: W_” Used card and my to be offi discouraged on campus, $30, bought and donated socks to Salvation Army. Sorry according to the University of Wisconsindidn’t find you; hope you understand & appreciate doing Milwaukee’s website: “political correctness. The good for others. When: Nov. 22. Where: Southside”Loop phrase to be a “microaggression” that parking is lot.said #1573-1202 might make some students feel uncomfortable CELTIC CUTIE @ CELTIC or unsafe if they hear itFEST or read it. In November, You hugged me. I gave you band picture. You left the University of Vermont held a voluntary with your friends too soon. Been thinking about that three-day “retreat” openlike only to students who meeting ever since. Would to continue where we left off. When: Nov. 14. Where: Jax Beach Celticthe Fest. “self-identify as white, ” so they can study #1572-1125 of “white privilege” in society (e.g., implications “what does it mean LAVENDERISH HAIR to be white?” and “how does whiteness impactlavender you?”).hair, print dress; dropped You: Cute, blondish phone outside library reopening. Me: Riverside guy,
glasses, blueSAFE? shirt; picked up phone, chatted. Met again; ARE WE
you left. Wanted to talk more. Like to get acquainted As NOTW wrote in 2010 and 2011, further. When: Nov. 14. Where: Willowbranch Library. Iraqi police (either corrupt or sincerely #1571-1125 unsophisticated) continued to purchase LITTLE RIVER BAND“detectors” CONCERT You: Tall, long-haired worthless bomb to use at dude, very handsome. Chattedinstilling in box offi ce @ Florida checkpoints in Baghdad, residents Theatre. Me: Too shy to introduce myself. I’ll be @ Art with a false of security, withmethe Walk Nov. 19. sense If feeling’s mutual, bring a flresult ower. that of people died in #1570-1111 supposedly When:hundreds Nov. 5. Where: Florida Theatre. safe neighborhoods. Briton James McCormick, FIRST WATCH HOT BREAKFAST You: Hot guy, adorable the most successful con man/seller, is serving dog; sexy smile, gorgeous blue eyes, captured my heart. aMe: 10-year sentence for the “ADE 651” (which In love with you. Hoping you’ll give me chance Baghdad long aftislands er someday topolice be yourcontinued Queen. Let’sto runbuy away to the the U.S. When: warned scam). more together. Oct.of 31.the Where: FirstSince Watch then, Ponte Vedra. #1569-1104 bogus detectors have been peddled to Thailand and other governments. In November 2015, IT MATTERS To me ... in my dreams. Remember still, London’s Thelips, Independent, in ascent. dispatch from our time. Your your intoxicating US, together. Egyptian SharmMexican el-Sheikh, reports One night ofresort bliss maybe? magic? When: Oct. 7. Where:hotels’ Los Portalas. #1568-1104 luxury security officers are now using similar bogus detectors to reassure tourists MOM WANTS YOU Daughter and I outside Lynch’s. You: frightened byhandsome, the recentgreat terrorism-suspected LEO on bicycle, calves! Later, dealt Russian planedrunk. crashLittle in Egypt. with Walgreens shy … my daughter said to get your attention. Drinks, Super Troopers, Training Day
… what’s BITE MEyour speed? When: Oct. 13. Where: Lynch’s
Jax Beach. #1567-1028 Mental health practitioners, writing in the January 2011 issue of the journal Substance YOU WAVED BACK GRINNING You: Bad-ass-looking Abuse, patients who hadgirl, guy, big described black truck. two Me: Soccer-mom-looking silver minivan. Waved you driving on 295-N, played recently arrived at at a clinic in Ranchi, India, a little cat-and-mouse, you got to offbe on bitten I-95-S. by Let me aft er allowing themselves prove looks can be deceiving. When: Oct. 3, 7-ish. cobras for North. recreational highs. Both men had Where: 295 #1566-1021 decades-long substance-abuse issues and NOTHING to MATTERS Self-hypnosis can’tabout stop me decided try what they’d heard on thinking fromOne, of you. No44, matter where go and what I the street. age bitten onI the foot, do, I still remember those beautiful eyes and the way my experienced “a blackout associated with a heart jumps when I see you. When: Oct. 6. Where: Luigi’s sense of well-being, lethargy and sleepiness. ” Pizza. #1565-1014 The other, 52, reported “dizziness and blurred HOT MINI DRIVER You: in red Mini near SunRay, vision followed by aGetting heightened arousal and a hot white-rimmed glasses. Drake blasting from car as sense of well-being,” and was so impressed he you almost hit in crosswalk; gave me a thumbs-up. Me: returned to the snake two later Tall skater nerd, Donuts Forcharmer Jesus shirt. Youweeks Let’s hang for second out. aWhen: Sept.bite. 29. Where: Five Points. #1564-1014 Chuck Shepherd TALL, DARK, HANDSOME,weirdnews@earthlink.net PATRIOTS FAN Jags/ Pats game. You: Pats shirt, jeans; with friends by bus watching game. Me: Short wavy auburn hair, Jags tank, cut-offs. Locked eyes as I went to sit. Heart skipped a beat at your handsomeness. Drinks on me, celebrate your win? :) When: Sept. 27. Where: Mellow Mushroom Jax Beach. #1563-0930
online
38 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | DECEMBER 2-8, 2015
BOWL ME OVER Me: In the mood to be pinned. You: Lakers jersey. Bowling but said you’d rather play video games. Said you’re about to take a trip into Asia. Can we bowl balls together in Asia? When: Sept. 25. Where: Jax Lanes. #1564-0930 HUNGER GAMES Hungry; got hungrier you entered. Told me you were going east to eat genuine Asian. Wanted to talk more but you had to go because your cousin, Jimmy, owed you a quarter. Let’s eat out together? When: Sept. 14. Where: China Wok. #1562-0923 NICE SMILE You: Brown hair, thin bearded guy, nice smile, bright eyes, blue “Good” sneaker T-shirt, with friends. Me: Short, thin brunette, blue/white tank, table across yours. Caught your eye, smiled. Like to know you better. Grab a drink? When: Sept. 11. Where: World of Beer Southside. #1561-0916 ECLIPSE RIVERSIDE 9/11 Super-cute brunette, ’80s night, black romper, white sandals. With group. Me: Solo; noticed matching outfit friend telling you to ask me to dance. Wanted to approach. Group left. Second chance? I’d dance the night away with you. When: Sept. 11. Where: Eclipse Riverside. #1560-0916 FIRE BUG I saw you, late night on a Friday. You were on fire, so hot. Couldn’t tell if it was your flaming personality or that fl aming staff. Night dives, long chats, but why you didn’t you ever text me? When: Sept. 4. Where: Beach. #1559-0916 YOU WALKED IN TATTOO SHOWIN’ ISU: Black leggings, open shirt, chest tat, soft voice, boots, hopeful eyes, smooth skin. You said black don’t crack. Love to have good time with you; you said futile; keep trying. Sorry about bad night. When: Sept. 4. Where: Parental Home Road. #1558-0916 BLUE ORBS You: Jean shorts, blonde hair, biggest blue eyes I’ve ever seen. I swear they glowed; when I fi rst saw you, lights in the place went dim. Can’t remember shirt color; just passing through, mesmerized by your eyes. When: Sept. 2. Where: Bold Bean Riverside. #1557-0909 YOU LEFT ME … SPEECHLESS The Prince Party. Your purple face stopped my heart. Wanna see your moves, your lights, every night. Let’s meet again: you, me and Prince. We can be silent together. When: Aug. 28. Where: 1904 Music Hall. #1556-0909 60-YEAR-OLD HIPPIE CHICK You still believe in those 60s values, modern technology, bikinis, no money worries, meditation, humanism, being groovy. Me: Bearded, beyond cool beach bum. Us. Why wait? Let’s fall in love, live at beach. Anything’s possible. When: Aug. 20. Where: Mickler’s Landing. #1555-0909 NATURE’S OWN BY MY OWN! You: Tall, handsome Nature’s Own truck driver delivering bread to Burger King; most beautiful guy I’ve ever seen! Me: Ordering drive-thru breakfast. You smiled at me, our eyes met. Let’s meet 6:15p Sept. 5 @ BK. When: Aug. 29. Where: BK, Blanding/Kingsley. #1554-0902 EVERY SUPERWOMAN NEEDS A SUPERMAN You: Tall, dark, collared shirt buttoned to top, shorts, Jordans, drink, surrounded by ratchets. Me: Average height, slim, slacks, blouse, bun hair, lured by lightskin man (insider); chose one another instead. 1 year, counting. Love you! When: April 30, 2014. Where: Jim’s Place. #1553-0902
NEWS OF THE WEIRD MY KID COULD DRAW THAT
A 1968 Cy Twombly “blackboard” painting sold for $70.5 million at New York City’s Sotheby’s auction in November (higher than experts’ estimate of $60 million). The painting consists of six horizontal lines of continuous circular swirls (white chalk on a “blackboard”) — like the kind of swirls that might be made by an extremely bored, aggressive, unsupervised firstgrader with a lot of chalk.
MUSIC TO WASH CLOTHES BY
The Baltimore-based “experimental music” creators Matmos announced the release of their new album, “Ultimate Care II,” consisting entirely of “music” made by a Whirlpool washing machine (the Ultimate Care II model). According to a November report in Time magazine, the machine’s 38-minute wash cycle will be “sampled and processed” to lighten the original sound. Matmos previously “played” canisters of helium on stage at Radio City Music Hall and a cow’s uterus at San Francisco Art Institute.
IS NOTHING SACRED?
In an enterprise somewhat resembling American Idol, amateur performers in China become self-supporting online not by soliciting money directly, but through virtual gifts from enthralled fans, with performers getting a cut of each sale. Beijing’s YY.com hosts original performances, and two of the site’s favorites, Mr. Earth and Ms. Cloud, earned about $160,000 last year from their universe of 1.8 million fans (according to a November Wall Street Journal item). In an ancillary industry (led by 9158.com), hardcore fans can buy access (think “virtual limousines,” shown “arriving” at a “concert”), giving them bragging rights. A simple “applause” icon after a song costs about a penny.
A TASTE OF THEIR OWN MEDICINE
The exasperated drug enforcement chief of Indonesia told reporters in November (after confiscation of a massive cache of Chinese methamphetamine) that the usual death penalty was insufficient for drug runners, who should instead be forced to overdose
on their own shipments. Budi Waseso also mused that crocodiles would make better prison guards than people because crocs can’t be bribed. He later added tigers and piranhas to the proposed guard roster. Waseso’s boss reiterated that the government is committed to rehabilitation over punishment.
LEAST COMPETENT CRIMINALS
Kaleb Alexander, 25, was shot and killed in October as he emerged from a United Dairy Farmers convenience store in Columbus, Ohio, still with his gun defiantly drawn after he had just then robbed the clerk. A Columbus police SWAT team was waiting outside the store because Alexander had robbed the store the previous two nights, as well, and somehow must have thought that the police would not catch on to his cunning robbery strategy.
GOVERNMENT INACTION
The Queens (New York) Redbird Tourist Information Center was finally ordered to close in July after an unsuccessful seven-year run in which, possibly, not a single tourist ever walked through the door. The New York Post, interviewing neighbors in Kew Gardens, found no one who ever saw a visitor, and the center’s lone staff member said she recalled only lunchtime drop-ins on jury duty at the criminal court building down the block.
TAKES ONE TO KNOW ONE
Deputy sheriff Michael Szeliga of St. Petersburg, Florida, in Fort Lauderdale for a weekend training session in July, was to receive a commendation at a formal banquet, for exemplary DUI enforcement, presented by Mothers Against Drunk Driving. He, escorted by two fellow deputies, arrived for dinner “staggeringly drunk” (though he did not drive), according to an internal affairs investigation, and was ordered to sleep it off. Szeliga wrote an apology and was transferred out of DUI work. Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said Szeliga was a good deputy but the incident was “one of the most ridiculous things” he’d ever heard of. Chuck Shepherd weirdnews@earthlink.net
DECEMBER 2-8, 2015 | FOLIOWEEKLY.com | 39