DREAM MAKERS in MUSIC CITY AN AUTHENTIC NASHVILLE RECORDING SESSION
THE RHINESTONE COWGIRL EDITOR’S TOP PICKS and REVIEWS
THE BEST FILMS of 2017
ASHLEY CAMPBELL FOLLOWS in GLEN CAMPBELL’S FOOTSTEPS and BLAZES HER OWN TR AIL
THE ENTERTAINERS A PILGRIMAGE to MEMPHIS
March 2018
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On the heels of traveling the world with her father, Glen Campbell, and coping with his Alzheimer’s diagnosis and then his death in August of last year,
106
WHEN YOU’RE WALKIN’ IN MEMPHIS, BE SURE TO PULL OUT ALL THE STOPS TO DISCOVER THE CITY’S ENTERTAINMENT HISTORY, STELLAR ATTRACTIONS, AND INCREDIBLE SOUL FOOD.
Nashville-based songstress Ashley Campbell is ready to blaze a new path for herself while also honoring her family legacy. She is pictured here in a vintage Chanel dress made specially
Photo courtesy of Memphis CVB
FEATURE 60
INTROSPECTIONS 75
Ashley Campbell: The Rhinestone Cowgirl Blazes Her Own Trail
76 Late-Night Comedians Are Making America Laugh Again
was taken by Seymour’s son). Campbell
LE MONDE 27
82 How Music Destroyed My Relationship
looks every part the Hollywood starlet,
28 The New Country Music
84 Sending in the Clowns
34 Pass the Popcorn! Twenty Don’t-Miss Films
86 Entertaining the Entertainers
for June Carter Cash and now owned by actress Jane Seymour (the photo
but her earnest and humble attitude and grace keep this diva down to earth. Photo by Sean M. Flynn
PUBLISHED BY
from 2017
42 Mercia, Dancer of Stories 46 Music in the Shoals: Northwest Alabama’s Rich
VOYAGER 89 90 Taking Twang on the Road
Musical Roots
96 Song of the South: Alabama’s Renaissance City
52 Dream Makers in Music City: A True Nashville Experience
106 Memphis like a Rock Star
C’EST LA VIE CURATED COLLECTION: THE ENTERTAINER 70
LA SCÈNE 112 AU REVOIR! 119
TheIdeaBoutique.com info@theideaboutique.com
V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 13
CREATIVE TEAM FOUNDER / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF LISA MARIE BURWELL Lisa@VIEmagazine.com
FOUNDER / PUBLISHER GERALD BURWELL Gerald@VIEmagazine.com
EDITORIAL MANAGING EDITOR JORDAN STAGGS Jordan@VIEmagazine.com
CHIEF COPY EDITOR MARGARET STEVENSON CONTRIBUTING WRITERS GREG CAYEA, ANTHEA GERRIE, BARBARA LIPPERT, MARGARET LITTMAN, TORI PHELPS, SUZANNE POLL AK, NICHOL AS S. RACHEOTES, L AURETTE RYAN, JANET THOMAS
ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY ART DIRECTOR TRACEY THOMAS Tracey@VIEmagazine.com
ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR LUCY YOUNG SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER RINN GARL ANGER GRAPHIC DESIGNERS OLIVIA PIERCE, HANNAH VERMILLION
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS, IMEH AKPANUDOSEN, JOE ALONSO, JIM CL ARK, GIAN ANDREA DI STEFANO F11PHOTO, JOHN PAUL FILO, SEAN M. FLYNN, EARL GIBSON III, SEAN HAGWELL, SCOTT KOWALCHYK ERIC LIEBOWITZ, DAVID MCCLISTER, DAVID MEANY, CARLOS RUIZ, STEVE SNOWDEN, SHELLY SWANGER CRAIG THOMPSON, EDEN T YLER, PHILLIP VAN ZANDT, CORA WAGONER, DEBBY WONG, ABRAHAM ROWE PHOTOGRAPHY, GETT Y IMAGES, PAUL BRADY PHOTOGRAPHY, SHUTTERSTOCK, WIREIMAGE
ADVERTISING, SALES, AND MARKETING DIGITAL MARKETING DIRECTOR MEGHN HILL BRANCH OFFICE MANAGER – IRELAND SHARON DUANE CREATIVE STYLIST SUVA ANG-MENDOZA ASSISTANT TO THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ABIGAIL RYAN BRAND AMBASSADOR LISA MARIE BURWELL Lisa@VIEmagazine.com
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VIE is a registered trademark. All contents herein are Copyright © 2008–2018 Cornerstone Marketing and Advertising, Incorporated (Publisher). All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced without written permission from the Publisher. VIE is a lifestyle magazine and is published twelve times annually on a monthly schedule. The opinions herein are not necessarily those of the Publisher. The Publisher and its advertisers will not be held responsible for any errors found in this publication. The Publisher is not liable for the accuracy of statements made by its advertisers. Ads that appear in this publication are not intended as offers where prohibited by state law. The Publisher is not responsible for photography or artwork submitted by freelance or outside contributors. The Publisher reserves the right to publish any letter addressed to the editor or the Publisher. VIE is a paid publication. Subscription rates: Printed magazine – One-year $29.95; Two-year $54.95. Subscriptions can be purchased online at www.VIEmagazine.com.
14 | M A R CH 2018
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Editor’s Note
THERE’S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOW BUSINESS All the World’s a Stage
A
fter a decade of storytelling, we’re excited about our first issue to bear the moniker “The Entertainers,” featuring a wide range of fresh ideas and content on both conventional and unconventional forms of entertainment. Suzanne Pollak, dean of the Charleston Academy of Domestic Pursuits, penned “Entertaining the Entertainers” to offer suggestions and helpful tips on how to be a gracious house guest. NYC-based columnist Barbara Lippert’s commentary, “Late-Night Comedians Are Making America Laugh Again,” thoroughly explores how late-night hosts are giving their viewers not only comedic relief, but also a cathartic antidote to the inescapable, overcharged daily news cycle that is leaving many feeling hopeless and bewildered. Jordan Staggs’s “The New Country Music” informs us that there’s a new sound, and it isn’t your parents’ country music. In 2017, a grassroots effort was launched to grow VIE’s readership and advertiser footprint. The strategic plan was to target each of the select cities of Birmingham, New Orleans, Charleston, Nashville, and Boston with a robust travel feature, align with the local chambers of commerce and tourism bureaus, and then culminate with a meet-and-greet celebration. We had the good fortune to have Ashley Campbell headline our Nashville meet and greet, which was held at The Listening Room Cafe last July 27, with Alaqua Animal Refuge as the benefiting charity. The music of Ashley’s father, country music great Glen Campbell, was an important part of my childhood, as it was for millions of other Americans. So when I met Ashley, her brother Shannon, and her mother, I found myself both starstruck and thankful. Ashley and Shannon had just returned the night before from touring in Japan, but, being consummate professionals, their jet lag never showed. I felt incredibly blessed while listening to Ashley perform her songs and covers of her father’s “Wichita Lineman” and “By the Time I Get to Phoenix.” Glen’s musical legacy of heartfelt lyrics and goosebump-inducing banjo playing carries on in Ashley. She has come from traditional country music roots but she has her own sound—and it’s cool! The Campbells are a fabulous and loving family who had to say good-bye
when Glen Campbell passed away on August 8, 2017, after a long and gallant battle against Alzheimer’s. Our cover girl Ashley Campbell—“the Rhinestone Cowgirl”—merges her supermodel good looks with advocacy for Alzheimer’s. She is a reminder to us all that it is what we do on our respective stages to evoke change and help make the world a better place that really counts.
Above: VIE managing editor Jordan Staggs, cover girl Ashley Campbell, and editorin-chief Lisa Burwell Left: Singersongwriters Ken Johnson, Ashley Campbell, and Andi Zack-Johnson Photos by Rinn Garlanger
That’s entertainment! Always stay humble and kind.
—Lisa Marie Founder/Editor-In-Chief
V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 21
The Creatives
We collaborate with talented photographers, writers, and other creatives on a regular basis, and we’re continually inspired by how they pour their hearts and souls into their crafts. Follow these creatives on social media and don’t forget to check out our account, @viemagazine.
or a bourbon with drops of bitters, and then I dive into another world. Current favorites are Bernard Cornwell’s Fools and Mortals, a cannot-stopreading novel about Shakespeare’s brother, and The Confessions of Young Nero by Margaret George.
MEGHN HILL Digital Marketing Director
FOR THIS ISSUE, WE ASKED THE CREATIVES: AS A CONSUMER, WHAT IS YOUR GO-TO FORM OF ENTERTAINMENT?
@megtothehen
Since childhood, reading has always been my go-to for entertainment. There is something I love about being transported into another person’s life through a book; reading allows you to experience new things you wouldn’t otherwise do or know about. With each new story comes a new adventure, and you never really know where you are going (unless you read ahead and spoil it for yourself !). Also, unlike with television, you can get away with reading in bed while your spouse or partner sleeps—without them being annoyed with you for blaring the TV!
I HAD ALWAYS BEEN THE AWKWARD ONLOOKER AT ALL SOCIAL EVENTS WITH NO IDEA THAT A NATURAL DANCER LURKED WITHIN. MY DANCING CELEBRATES THE JOY OF BEING ALIVE.
BARBARA LIPPERT Writer, “Late-Night Comedians Are Making America Laugh Again”
MERCIA TAPPING
@lippert181 Inspirational Speaker, Subject of “Mercia, Dancer of Stories” MerciaTapping.com
My answer surprises even myself. I spent my entire career largely deskbound, becoming eriously obese and eventually contracting breast cancer. Three years ago, I could hardly move across a room without clutching at furniture for support. I decided I needed to do my part to avoid a cancer recurrence. I lost weight and became fit. My favorite entertainment is anything where I get to move my body: sports and my new passion, ballroom dancing. I had always been the awkward onlooker at social events with no idea that a natural dancer lurked within. My dancing celebrates the joy of being alive.
SUZANNE POLLAK Writer, “Entertaining the Entertainers” @chs_academy
As a person who teaches, mentors, and organizes events—from dinner parties to multiday literary festivals—my number one way to entertain myself is to sit under a palm tree and read. The first thing I do is figure out what I am not going to do: answer my phone, check my messages, do the laundry. I make a drink, either tea with milk and honey
I’m definitely a TV person. When not OD’ing on The Rachel Maddow Show, I go spelunking around Netflix, Hulu, Showtime, Amazon, HBO, etc. My all-time favorite series is Mad Men, followed by The Sopranos, and then Breaking Bad. Lately, I find myself obsessed with fictional shows about divorce and affairs, literally—Divorce, Sarah Jessica Parker’s show on HBO, is much better in the second season. The Affair is coming back in March, and I’m hoping that there’s no more going off the deep end for Noah. Another great show is Catastrophe, written by and starring Sharon Horgan, and I’m really enjoying The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 23
COASTAL C U LT U R E A R T S A N D E N T E R T A I N M E N T E V E N T S A T G R A N D B O U L E VA R D
FOOD
BALLET 2 0 1 8
E V E RY SAT U R D AY, 9A M – 1P M GRA ND BO UL E VARD FA RMERS’ MARK E T
JA N UA RY 1 2 – 1 5 30A SONGWRITERS FESTIVAL benefiting The Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County
T HUR S – S U N , JA N UA RY 1 8 – 2 8
ARTS
MUSIC
C A L E N D A R
O F
OCTOBER 31 H A LLO WE E N O N TH E B O O LE VA R D
official Art Week South Walton event produced by the Cultural Arts Alliance
M AY 1 6 – 2 0 N O RTH WE ST F LO R IDA TH E ATR E F E STIVA L official Art Week South Walton event produced by Emerald Coast Theatre Company
presented by Emerald Coast Theatre Company at 560 Upstairs
benefiting Dog-Harmony
WA G TH E F LA G
FE B R UA RY 8
E V E RY T H U R S D AY, M AY 3 1 – A U G U S T 2
MY FURRY VALENTINE
TH E ATR E TH U R SDAY S presented by Emerald Coast Theatre Company
T HUR S – S U N , FEBRUARY 15 – MARCH 4
J U NE 2 3
“ S Y LV I A ” PE RF O RMANC E
B A LLE T AT TWILIG H T
presented by Emerald Coast Theatre Company at 560 Upstairs
presented by Northwest Florida Ballet
PURSES WITH A PURPOSE benefiting Shelter House
MA R C H 29
DOGGIE EGGSTR AVAGANZ A benefiting Dog-Harmony
AUGUST 30 DO G DAY S O F SU M M E R benefiting Dog-Harmony
NOVEMBER 20 H O LIDAY O P E N H O U S E & WA LK- A B O U T
NOVEMBER 20 – DECEMBER 25 F E STIVA L O F TR E E S benefiting more than a dozen local charities
NOVEMBER 24 – DECEMBER 15 PHOTOS WITH SANTA CLAUS Saturdays in Grand Park
NOVEMBER 24 – DECEMBER 15 HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGE RIDES Fridays and Saturdays in Grand Park
presented by Sinfonia Gulf Coast
SOUTH WALTON BEACHES WINE & FO OD F E S T I VAL
BEST OF THE EMERALD COAST
CINCO DE MAYO CELEBRATION WITH CANTINA LAREDO
CO A STA L WH ITE C H R I S T M A S H O LIDAY LIG H TS
SIN F O N IA SWIN G S O N TH E B O U LE VA R D
OCTOBER TBA
MAY 5
NOVEMBER 17 – J A NU A RY 1 , 2 0 19
S E PT E M B E R 2 9
A P R IL 26 – 2 9
benefiting Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation
E V E N T S
A RTSQ U E ST F IN E A RTS F E STIVA L
M AY 2 4
MA R C H 23 – 2 4
THEATRE
M AY 1 2 – 1 3
“THE AMISH PROJECT” PE RFORMANC E
benefiting Dog-Harmony
FAS H I O N
benefiting Junior League of the Emerald Coast
A Howard Group I Merchants Retail Partners Development
These events are presented as part of the Coastal Culture Calendar of Events made possible by the Grand Boulevard Arts & Entertainment Program.
OCTOBER 25 B A R KTO B E R F E ST benefiting Dog-Harmony
GRANDBOULEVARD. C OM/ E V E NTS
La conversation
THE DIGITAL POST WE LOVE TO COMMUNICATE AND INTERACT WITH OUR READERS! AND WE LOVE IT EVEN MORE WHEN THEY PROUDLY SHARE THEIR STORIES AND POSE WITH VIE FOR A CLOSE-UP! THAT’S WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT: SHARING, LOVING, AND BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS. WE THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH AND WE APPRECIATE YOU!
@brennakneiss.co What a wonderful way to kick off 2018!! I’m so beyond thankful and ecstatic to have one of my photos on the cover of @viemagazine. Like what?! #firstmagazinecover #cantstopdancing #someonepinchme
@Stubborn Seed VIE magazine mentions Stubborn Seed by Chef Jeremy Ford as having “some of the most imaginative food in the city.” #topchef #tastingmenu #dinner #pairings #cocktails #brunch #plateup #passionforfood #MiamiBeach #SoFi @Grove Bay Hospitality Group
@Gulf County Florida Tourism From Pensa‘cola’ to Apalachi‘cola’ there are many places to explore, as VIE magazine points out; however, our favorite area is Gulf County because of the variety of waterways and adventures you can find in our little slice of heaven.
@ACanela Our CEO, Kylie Chenn, has just been featured in VIE magazine for Acanela Expeditions! Check it out! #VIEMagazine #InspiredExcursions #KylieChenn #AcanelaExpeditions
LET’S TALK! Send VIE your comments and photos on our social media channels or by e-mailing us at info@viemagazine.com. We’d love to hear your thoughts. They could end up in the next La conversation!
VIEmagazine.com @caitlin_bloodworth Pretty pink velvet chairs in @littlebarnapothecary WaterSound
@pearlrb We are honored to grace the cover of the February 2018 issue for @viemagazine! #thepearlrb #rosemarybeach #30a #thepreferredlife V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 25
(256)810-3752
Le monde
Learn more and see the tour schedule at OfficialKristinChenoweth.com Photo by Gian Andrea di Stefano
Le monde GOES ROUND AND ROUND
With so much greatness on the way for Kristin Chenoweth this year, we had to give our 2015 Cultural Issue cover girl a shout out in this Entertainers issue! The Broadway and film starlet’s light is shining as brightly as ever, and she’s using it to help others. She recently recorded the song “Obedience School,” which she dedicated to the ASPCA, was awarded the Trevor Project’s Icon Award in December, and appeared in season one of the Starz hit series American Gods. Presently, Chenoweth is touring across the US, performing a few shows with Andrea Bocelli, and producing and starring in the upcoming ABC comedy The Real Fairy Godmother.
V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 27
Le monde
BY JORDAN STAGGS
Opposite: Nikki Lane brings an edgy, rock ’n’ roll vibe to the country music genre. Photo by Eden Tyler 28 | M AR CH 2018
Our cover star Ashley Campbell might be known right now as the daughter of country music legend Glen Campbell, but her position as a trailblazer and performer in her own right has inspired us. We’re taking a moment to appreciate the country music musicians who are paving the way for new sounds to emerge from the American South. Some of them might show up in boots, but you can rest assured the performers in this lineup are taking their country roots and branching out to create something bold and new.
V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 29
Le monde
Maren Morris
True country meets rock ’n’ roll in newcomer Maren Morris. The twenty-seven-year-old Nashville sensation made her debut in 2015 with her eponymous EP, though she recorded her first studio album in 2005. Morris’s on-stage energy and her songs that bring girl power to the forefront are refreshing in a genre that can get hung up on themes of love and partying—not that she doesn’t also write about them sometimes. Her first hit, “My Church,” honors the legacy of country artists such as Hank Williams Jr. and Johnny Cash; meanwhile, her latest hit, “I Could Use a Love Song,” was nominated for a 2018 Grammy for Best Country Solo Performance.
Photo by Debby Wong/Shutterstock
The Railers
Sometimes country music is all about having a good time—and that’s precisely what you get when you listen to the Railers' singles "Kinda Dig the Feeling" and "11:59 (Central Standard Time)." Brothers Jordan and Jonathan Lawson and Cassandra Lawson ( Jonathan's wife) make up this dynamic trio, which packs a punch on stage with memorable, "earthy" harmonies and rhythms created by a combo of vocals, guitar, mandolin, and accordion. But it's the fun-filled music video to "11:59" that will win audiences over. Director Jeff Venable worked with the band on the video, which was inspired by the roller discos of the late 1970s. “To be able to work with a director of that caliber, who not only saw our vision but raised it and made it funky and cool—it was almost like it was fate or something,” Cassandra said last year during the Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam festival in Panama City Beach, Florida, where the Railers were part of the Friday afternoon lineup. “We just want to introduce some of these instruments to younger generations—like my accordion and the mandolin—and to make them relatable and cool.” Jonathan chimes in to say, “We tried at one time to do what we thought would ‘work,’ and that brought us back to the truth of who we are and what we grew up with.” The Railers are working on their second album this year and looking forward to sharing all the best parts of country music combined with their unique vision.
30 |M AR CH 2018
Photo by Debby Wong/Shutterstock
Luke Bryan
Photo by Carlos Ruiz
While he’s not exactly new on the scene, Luke Bryan has remained one of the genre’s hottest performers for about a decade, and now he’s bringing his star power to ABC’s reboot of the hit singing competition series American Idol. Why is this important to the new country music scene? As Bryan joins judges Katy Perry and Lionel Richie for the new season of Idol, which premieres March 11, he has an opportunity to help shape the genre vis-à-vis up-and-coming talent on the show. (Carrie Underwood, Kellie Pickler, and Scotty McCreery are all successful country artists who made their debuts on the series.) Bryan has said he recalls the energy that reverberated through Nashville when Underwood won American Idol Season Four. The chance to reenergize country music and continue pushing the envelope of what it means to be “country” is one Bryan will no doubt take seriously—while also having some fun on the show.
Le monde
Nikki Lane
Every group has to have that cool girl: the one who doesn’t give a damn about what others think—or at least she doesn’t seem to. She’s got that effortlessly flawless look and an attitude that’s enviable in its apathy. Nikki Lane, a high school dropout from Greenville, South Carolina, who became a fashion designer before embarking on her career as a country rock star, takes that role in this lineup of artists to watch. With three albums under her belt, Lane’s sound has been called a blend of “potent lyrics, unbridled blues guitars, and vintage ’60s country-pop swagger.” Her 2017 album Highway Queen was the result of what Lane says is “the first time in my career where I decided how things were going to go; I was willing to take the heat.” We can’t wait to see what’s next for this glam country outlaw.
WITH THREE ALBUMS UNDER HER BELT, LANE’S SOUND HAS BEEN CALLED A BLEND OF “POTENT LYRICS, UNBRIDLED BLUES GUITARS, AND VINTAGE ’60S COUNTRY-POP SWAGGER.”
Photo by Eden Tyler
32 | M AR CH 2018
The Krickets
Country melds with bluegrass and what the lovely ladies of the Krickets call “swamp folk” for this band based in quaint Port Saint Joe, Florida. Again, this band is not the traditional country sound and prefers to fall under the Americana label, but the Deep South influences come through in the gospelesque harmonies and with instruments such as the banjo, mandolin, and fiddle playing major roles. The foursome of Melissa Bowman, Emily Stuckey, Lauren Spring, and Katrina Kolb came together to do a cancer benefit event in honor of mutual friend Cristina “Cricket” Russell. In memory of their friend, some of the proceeds from the sale of their first album, Spanish Moss Sirens, were given to the Cricket Fund Beyond Diagnosis to provide health services to women in need. The band is currently at work on its second album, so keep an eye out!
Photo by Joe Alonso
St. Paul and the Broken Bones
Photo by David McClister
Powerhouse vocalist Paul Janeway might not be strictly “country,” but there’s no denying the Southern influence on the music produced by this six-piece soul band based in Birmingham, Alabama. Janeway, guitarist Jesse Phillips, bassist Browan Lollar, drummer Andrew Lee, keyboard player Al Gamble, and trumpeter Allen Branstetter released St. Paul’s first EP, Greetings from St. Paul and the Broken Bones, in 2012. Their extensive touring has included performances on the stages of CBS This Morning Saturday, the Glastonbury Festival, the Rolling Stones’ Zip Code tour, Celtic Connections festival, and more. Now the band is on the road again, with a performance scheduled on the sunny coast of Northwest Florida on March 24 as part of Visit Panama City Beach’s UNwineD craft beer, spirits, and wine festival. St. Paul and the Broken Bones will perform Saturday during the Grand Tasting Afternoon at Aaron Bessant Park. Tickets are on sale now at VisitPanamaCityBeach.com.
V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 33
20
Le monde
Editor’s Picks:
PA S S T H E POPCORN!
D O N ’ T-M I S S
FILMS FROM 2017
By Jordan Staggs
Here’s the thing: I love movies. I always have, but my taste might not include every critically acclaimed or Oscarnominated film. It would be impossible to do an objective “top movies of 2017” roundup that pleases everyone (and I haven’t seen them all yet), but here are twenty movies that I think are worthy of the list. The titles of my picks are in bold. I hope at least some of these flicks will have you ready to snuggle up on the sofa with your favorite snacks!
34 | M AR CH 2018
1
THE YEAR OF THE SUPERHERO
It’s no secret the box office is dominated by super heroes these days. Rather than lump all my favorites into one category, you’ll see more sprinkled throughout this list, but here are a few straightup heroic highlights for the year.
WONDER WOMAN
In the current Marvel versus DC Comics movies war, I usually side with the former, but I have to give credit where it’s due: Gal Gadot and director Patty Jenkins might have saved the Justice League film franchise with this installment. Gadot’s power house performance as Diana Prince, a.k.a. Wonder Woman, made up for disappointing plot points and character shortfalls in Man of Steel and Batman v Superman. DC and Warner Bros. hit a winner with this film. It’s empowering and entertaining, with something for fans of comic books, World War I, and mythology alike. More importantly, it got fans excited for Justice League, which debuted in November and brought Cyborg, the Flash, and Aquaman into the fold, the last of which will be the next hero to get a solo film, coming in December this year. HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Wonder Woman, starring Gal Gadot and Chris Pine, set records when it made #1 on the Rotten Tomatoes Best Superhero Movies of All Time list! ©Warner Bros. Pictures
Another SpiderMan reboot might have seemed like a risky move, but after actor Tom Holland was introduced as Peter Parker/SpiderMan in Captain America: Civil War, fans couldn’t wait to see more of him in the role, and Spider-Man: Homecoming did not disappoint. Meanwhile, Thor: Ragnarok marked the seventeenth—yes, seventeenth—installment in the Marvel cinematic universe. Director Taika Waititi took on a lighter note than predecessors, which poised the god of thunder to team up with the Guardians of the Galaxy in this year’s Avengers: Infinity War. V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 35
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FAMILY FRIENDLY
It was a great year for family films, with both animated and live action crowd pleasers that parents will love just as much as their children do for years to come!
STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI This might be the most divisive film on the list when it comes to fan reaction. It seemed that most viewers either loved or hated the latest episode in the Star Wars saga. First, let me state for the record that I am a diehard Star Wars fan and love all the films—even the “bad” ones. Directed by Rian Johnson, The Last Jedi picked up where The Force Awakens left off in 2015 and contains echoes of The Empire Strikes Back while also continuing the new journey of heroes such as Rey, Finn, and Poe Dameron—plus spunky newcomer Rose Tico—as well as the tragically antagonistic Sith apprentice Kylo Ren. After the saddening loss of actress Carrie Fisher last year, The Last Jedi also paid homage to her with her final performance as princessturnedgeneral Leia Organa, and the return of Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker is a mustsee. HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Disney pleased audiences worldwide with the live action remake of the beloved musical Beauty and the Beast starring Emma Watson and Dan Stevens, while its new Disney/Pixar animated feature Coco charmed viewers with the story of Miguel, a young guitarist who must travel through the Land of the Dead to seek wisdom from his grandfather, a legendary musician. The film marks a breakthrough in mainstream depiction and storytelling of Latin American culture and features a nearly allLatino voice cast. Parents, especially those in corporate office jobs, will get chuckles from DreamWorks’ The Boss Baby, in which Alec Baldwin voices an infantile, suitwearing yuppie on a mission. The Warner Bros. LEGO movie franchise held strong in 2017 with two bigscreen additions, with Will Arnett reprising his hilarious voiceover role as the Dark Knight in The LEGO Batman Movie. 36 | M AR CH 2018
PERIOD PIECES With series such as Game of Thrones, The Crown, and The Last Tycoon dominating small screens, the box office hasn’t seen as many period films as in years past, but there were a few standouts in theaters last year.
MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS The intriguing characters of Agatha Christie’s famed novel come to life in this murder mystery whose impressive cast includes Michelle Pfeiffer, Dame Judi Dench, Penélope Cruz, Josh Gad, Leslie Odom Jr., Willem Dafoe, Daisy Ridley, Derek Jacobi, Johnny Depp, and Kenneth Branagh, who plays the illustrious detective Hercule Poirot. This classic whodunit takes many twists and turns as the passengers of the Orient Express lie, sneak, and accuse their way to discovering who killed Edward Ratchett (Depp) as the train becomes derailed during an avalanche. HONORABLE MENTION:
Inarguably a film that will receive multiple awards Inarguably a film that will receive multiple award nods this season, Dunkirk is writer/producer/ director Christopher Nolan’s riveting tribute to the Allied soldiers of Belgium, France, and the British Empire who were pinned down by German forces at the Battle of Dunkirk in World War II. Stunning visuals from the perspective of the soldiers on land, at sea, and in the air, with little dialogue, made this one of the more cinematic and compelling pieces of 2017.
SO MUCH DRAMA Even if we hate when our own lives get dramatic, we can all admit that watching someone else’s drama unfold makes for good entertainment.
PROFESSOR MARSTON AND THE WONDER WOMEN First of all, if you were expecting a movie about Wonder Woman when you went to see this one, you were only halfright—but Gal Gadot is not in this movie. The eversexy Luke Evans, who also costarred in Beauty and the Beast last year as the macho villain Gaston, stars as this film’s title character alongside the talented and alluring Rebecca Hall and Bella Heathcote. This semitrue story of the cre ator of Wonder Woman comics, William Moulton Marston, chronicles the lovetriangleturnedpolyamorousrelationship between William and his wife, Elizabeth Marston, as they both fall for their psychology student, Olive Byrne. Themes of free love, open marriage, and fetishism might be controversial today— so one can only imagine the stir they caused in the late 1920s and 1930s. It’s not for everyone, but the underlying psychological commentary, superb acting, and cinematography make this film worth a watch. HONORABLE MENTION:
Another true tale, I, Tonya, recounts the incidents leading up to the 1994 Winter Olympics, during which time American figure skater Tonya Harding (Margot Robbie) fought to overcome an abusive relationship and bias from others in her profession. Meanwhile, her husband, Jeff Gillooly (Sebastian Stan), and his friend Shawn Eckhardt (Paul Walter Hauser) planned a violent attack on Harding’s rival, Nancy Kerrigan (Caitlin Carver), in order to give Harding an advantage. I, Tonya received three Golden Globe nominations with Allison Janney winning best supporting actress in a motion picture for her role as Harding’s mother.
Above left: Agatha Christie’s classic novel Murder on the Orient Express comes to life on screen with a robust ensemble cast. ©Twentieth Century Fox Above right: Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk honors the Allied soldiers of Belgium, France, and the British Empire who were pinned down by German forces at the battle of Dunkirk in WWII. ©Warner Bros. Pictures Opposite top: Viewers either loved or hated Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The film paid tribute to the late Carrie Fisher with her final performance as Leia Organa. ©Walt Disney Pictures Opposite bottom: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, starring Emma Watson, charmed audiences with a live-action remake of the classic animated film from 1991. ©Walt Disney Pictures V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 37
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KILLER SOUNDTRACKS
Music can make or break a film, and while a good score is key, a soundtrack can be just as compelling, if not more so, for telling some stories.
BABY DRIVER
This actionpacked thriller stars Ansel Elgort as Baby, a getaway driver who is indebted to a kingpin crook (Kevin Spacey). Music is everything to Baby, whose tinnitus from a childhood trauma causes ringing in his ears—thus the story is often told through Baby’s headphones or car stereo, featuring throwbacks his mother used to play for him and other obscure tracks that keep his energy up during high speed chases. “Bellbottoms” by the John Spencer Blues Explosion, “Debra” by Beck, and the Commodores’ favorite “Easy” are just a few highlights in this film’s robust track listing. Elgort received a Golden Globe Best Actor nom for his part, while antagonist thieves played by John Hamm, Eliza Gonzáles, and Jamie Foxx keep the tension high and action hot. HONORABLE MENTION:
The soundtrack to writer/director James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy in 2014 helped catapult the oddball cosmic superhero team to being some of the new favorites in the Marvel cinematic universe—and catapulted old hits such as “Hooked on a Feeling” and “Come and Get Your Love” back to popularity on the radio. The muchanticipated Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 had a soundtrack that kept the good times rolling with classic rock hits including “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl),” “Mr. Blue Sky,” “My Sweet Lord,” and many more.
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Left: From writer and director Jordan Peele, Get Out grossed $245 million worldwide as it thrilled audiences across the globe. ©Universal Pictures
Below: Ansel Elgort’s starring performance and an energizing soundtrack had audiences ready to root for the criminals in Baby Driver. ©Sony Pictures
4 VISUAL STUNNERS
OH, THE HORROR
Sometimes a film just looks awesome, period. Whether through incredibly sophisticated visual effects, sweeping shots of settings, or gritty closeups, the cinematography sets the tone for the story.
Love being poised on the edge of your seat, wonder ing what might be around the next corner? Then these selections could be your next Redbox rentals. (I’ll be honest, though—if Netflix’s Stranger Things 2 were a film instead of a series, it would take the cake here.)
BLADE RUNNER 2049 This sequel to the 1982 scifi hit Blade Runner brought back Harrison Ford as blade runner Rick Deckard, whose mission in the original was to hunt down humanlike androids called replicants and “retire” them before they became too sentient. The original is a bit of a cult classic but was praised for director Ridley Scott’s moody vision and thematic depictions of his gritty dystopian urban land scapes, rich interiors, and film noir–esque character interactions. 2049 follows in those footsteps with Ryan Gosling as the new blade runner on a quest to find the truth about the replicants and himself. Though slowmoving at some moments and running a whopping two hours and fortyfour minutes, the sequel is nevertheless a visual masterpiece. HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Above: The Greatest Showman inspired audiences with uplifting original songs and standout performances by Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Zendaya, and big-screen newcomer Keala Settle. ©Twentieth Century Fox
Logan, the latest in Fox’s XMen franchise (which arguably launched the rebirth of the superhero genre on the big screen in 2000), takes viewers to 2029, when the XMen themselves have disbanded and mutants are nearly extinct. Hugh Jackman reprised his role as Logan, a.k.a. Wolverine, for this incredibly gritty Rrated sequel. The home release versions of the film include a blackandwhite cut, which has received praise from fans and critics alike. The Greatest Showman—a passion project for its producer and star, Hugh Jackman—combines original Broadway worthy songs with a touching story. The cinematography and costumes, not to mention the talented cast, made for a stunning depiction of P. T. Barnum’s humble beginnings and growth into one of America’s most celebrated showmen.
GET OUT The brainchild of writer and director Jordan Peele (best known for the sketch comedy Key & Peele), this contemporary horror story occurs when African American Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) goes with his white girlfriend (Allison Williams) to meet her parents for the first time at her family’s secluded countryside estate. The family reunion seems to be going well—until Chris starts to notice strange behavior from the estate’s black workers, and his visit soon spirals into a nightmarish experience. The film grossed $245 million worldwide and Peele has received high praise across the board, including some major award nominations. HONORABLE MENTION:
Perhaps a more highly anticipated horror film of 2017 was the latest adaptation of Stephen King’s It, which seemed to be all anyone could talk about in the month of September. Bill Skarsgård is freakishly V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 39
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good as the villainous Pennywise, a shapeshifting monster who lures in children under the guise of being a friendly clown (though how any kid would go near him in the first place is beyond me). In true Stephen King fashion, there is a psychological com ponent mixed into the horror, and It could leave viewers with more questions than answers, but it’s definitely a mustsee for fans of the genre.
Of course, these are just one editor’s picks for the year, and there are many more great films to see. Did your favorites make the list? What are your Academy Awards predictions? Send us an email or comment on social media (@viemagazine) to let us know which 2017 films we should check out!
Left: Sequel to the 1982 sci-fi hit, Blade Runner 2049, starring Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford, is a visual stunner sure to captivate audiences. ©Warner Bros. Pictures
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he begins to move toward center stage, struggling, pain and distress evident across her face and through her movements. In the background, a poem is recited. The verse tells the story of struggle. She moves evocatively across the stage toward a single chair and, with visible difficulty, resigns herself to the seat.
is more than a dance: it is a story. The bravery of the dancer is mesmerizing. As the dance ends, the doctor dramatically tears off the skirt, which represented the treatment the woman had to undergo. She is triumphant, standing tall with a defiant arm raised in the air and one foot upon the chair. She is victorious.
A young man enters stage left, dashing, confident, and moving with grace and ease. He is the doctor. Elegantly miming the act of filling a syringe, he approaches the forlorn woman with the cane. He injects her with what appears to be something awful—perhaps poison, the audience might wonder. He takes her cane away and implores her to leave the chair, and the dance begins.
I first met Mercia Tapping, the dancer, shortly after she lost her husband to brain cancer. She came into the Pilates studio where I am a trainer, tired, unfit, and looking as though she carried the pain of the world in her soul. She was determined to bring herself back to life. It was as though she instinctively knew that getting her body back physically would assist her in getting her life back together emotionally and spiritually. She worked diligently on losing weight and gaining strength, and after a year or so, it seemed things were moving in the right direction for Mercia. She had even shown me a picture of herself, taken decades earlier, as a happy, confident, healthy, and fit woman. I have to admit, I found it hard to recognize that woman, but it didn’t matter; Mercia knew that woman. Her hard work was all headed in that direction.
Like a matador, the doctor whirls and waves a black wrap skirt that had been draped over the chair. He wraps it around the woman’s waist. This is the paso doble, the dance modeled after the bullfight. The music is lively and dramatic, with flamenco tones and influence. The title of the piece elaborates more: “Breast Cancer Battle Paso Doble.” The audience witnesses the raw emotional expression in the personal fight endured by the dancer on stage. Swept up in her journey, they feel the intensity and wonder how it will turn out. There is never a moment the audience is not fully engaged. This
That is why when Mercia told me she had been diagnosed with breast cancer, I was blindsided. And yet, somehow I knew that with her indomitable spirit, it would all work out.
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ercia continued her Pilates lessons throughout her treatment as best she could. In 2016, as she was on the slow road to recovery, she told me she would be taking up ballroom dancing. She had bought a package of lessons for her and her husband when he had become ill, so they could finally learn to dance together. Unfortunately, his brain cancer had already progressed to the stage where the lessons became impossible. Mercia contacted the studio and was informed that her unused sessions were still valid. At that point in her recovery, we were working extensively on improving her balance and the neuropathy in her feet. Mercia told me she had been putting some Latin music on and moving and walking around her home, as she was inspired to “boogie” along with the beat. I noticed that ever so gradually, her walking improved. “One night, as I was listening to my music while walking, I remembered that an unfulfilled dream had been to dance with my husband, and I lifted up my arms as if to simulate dancing with a ghost,” Mercia recalls. “I immediately felt his presence and tears rolled down my face as I heard his voice whispering from heaven that I should go and learn to dance.” Mercia started her lessons, and her inner dancer emerged. She felt that every dance could tell a story at the deepest level. She faithfully attended private and group lessons, community dances, and professional performances. I noticed a renewed spark in Mercia. Her balance had dramatically improved, and her neuropathy disappeared. The woman she showed me in the picture from decades ago was emerging, reborn. “Dancing was the outward physical expression of all the emotions I could feel inside when I listened to music,” Mercia says. “Dancing improved my
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and
balance and my walking and miraculously cured my neuropathy. I explored different dance types to find my favorites.” Recently published studies show that people who routinely exercise can reverse signs of aging in the brain, improving balance and memory. Of all physical activities, dancing has been shown to have the most noticeable and profound effect. Researchers have also found hints that mambo and cha-cha type music can have extra brain benefits! Mercia expands on the idea of these benefits from a personal perspective, saying, “The benefits of learning to dance have been extraordinary. I no longer have neuropathy in my feet; I stand tall and erect and no longer walk like an old woman. I stride out into life. Since I have also lost a considerable amount weight, I no longer loathe the reflection in the mirror and recently went on stage in just a leotard. My body is not perfect, and I am seventy-one years old, but I can smile at myself again and be proud to be a woman.” Mercia’s favorite dance, the one that puts the biggest smile on her face, is the West Coast Swing. This style incorporates mostly contemporary music and, once the basics are mastered, leaves endless opportunities for improvisation. “Listening to the music and just having steps emerge as a natural expression of it is truly amazing. I am an inspirational speaker, but I have discovered that I like to tell stories with my dancing, which express different emotions within myself and hopefully might move any audience. However, I dance primarily for myself. When my steps to any dance are an expression of the music and form one synchronous whole, I get a natural high from it.” Mercia’s “Breast Cancer Battle Paso Doble” left the audience with an emotional and also uplifting experience. She seems to have birthed a new life for herself as a storyteller, an artist, and a creator. With
this first project complete, she strives now to improve her dancing skills so that her next story is even more profound and impactful. Movement, music, and dance are vital parts of humanity. They can inspire you, promote personal growth, and heal the heart, soul, and body. The poem read at the opening of Mercia’s dance was her work, written during her cancer treatment. The lines that struck me as most prophetic were the following: “I sit and look at the setting of the sun, and long to walk, if not run. In my mind I walk proud and tall, while in reality, I can hardly crawl. As a bird I would fly so free, or perhaps a boat, full sail at sea. Please tell me what becomes of me, and the secret to my recovery?”
It seems Mercia, the dancer of stories, has found the secret to her recovery.
Mercia Tapping is a public speaker and a blogger at OnlyOneLife.com. You can also follow her on Facebook.com/MJTapping and MerciaTapping.com. Laurette Ryan is a professional in the health and wellness industry and has been a national fitness presenter for over thirty years. She is the author of four books on fitness, self-improvement, and life coaching. She is also the mother of four amazing children.
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Tom King locally-owned and operated boutiques & restaurants Central Square Records Seaside, Florida
Tom King Central Square Records Seaside, Florida
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Music Shoals IN T HE
N o r t h w e s t A l a b a m a’ s R i c h M u s i c a l R o o t s
Photo courtesy of Noiseblock 46 |M AR CH 2018
BY M A R G A R E T L I T T M A N
Have you ever listened to the lyrics to Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Southern rock anthem “Sweet Home Alabama” and wondered what they were singing about? “Now Muscle Shoals has got the Swampers, and they’ve been known to pick a song or two.” Well, Muscle Shoals is one of four cities sometimes called the Quad Cities in the region of northwest Alabama referred to as the Shoals. (The others are Tuscumbia, Sheffield, and Florence.) For decades, if not longer, this was a safe space where musicians (in genres from country to blues, gospel, and R&B) could create together uninterrupted. Black and white musicians worked together in harmony here, even as racial tensions increased across the country. The location, about two hours from Birmingham, Memphis, and Nashville, kept the Shoals as something of a music industry secret. In 2013, however, a documentary called Muscle Shoals was released, and, to some degree, the secret was out. (If you missed it, you can stream it on Amazon.) The flick, which was a Sundance Film Festival pick that year, details the energy and confluence of genres that produced a multigenre sound that is still important today. Folks began to see how the Alabama town was as influential as Detroit and Nashville in American music making. While this may have been a surprise to tourists, who now flock to the area, locals knew this at their core.
In fact, people in Muscle Shoals like to say that “music is in the water” in this area on the banks of the Tennessee River. Native Americans first named these magical waters Nunnuhsae or the Singing River. Whether you hear that lore or not, you can’t deny the area’s diverse musical heritage. The Shoals is the birthplace of W. C. Handy, the Father of the Blues. Sam Phillips, founder of Sun Studio and Sun Records and known for his work with Elvis in Memphis (some call him the Father of Rock and Roll), was also from the area, but he was born in Florence. But it is the late Rick Hall who deserves the most credit for creating the Muscle Shoals sound—which is funk meets soul meets rock—when he created the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section house band in 1967. In 1969, the group moved on to form their own Muscle Shoals Sound Studio at 3614 Jackson Highway. It is this group, nicknamed the Swampers, to which “Sweet Home Alabama” refers, and their influence continues. One of the Swampers is bass player David Hood (he was bass guitarist and the studio cofounder). His son, Patterson Hood, went on to helm the band Drive-By Truckers, ensuring that the sound and the legacy will live on. V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 47
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For decades, if not longer, this was a safe space where musicians (in genres from country to blues, gospel, and R&B) could create together uninterrupted.
The main way to experience the Muscle Shoals sound is to take a tour of one of the recording studios. Here are four to try: FAME STUDIOS 603 Avalon Avenue, Muscle Shoals | Fame2.com
What do Etta James, the Osmonds, Aretha Franklin, Alicia Keys, Bobbie Gentry, Otis Redding, and Jamey Johnson have in common? They’re all part of the long list of performers who have recorded at FAME Studios. This legendary recording studio was founded in 1959 and moved to its current, unassuming location in 1961. During its heyday in the 1960s, it was one of the few places in the country where blacks and whites could record together without incident, in part because its remote location kept it off the radar of those outside the music industry. Take a guided tour of this still-working studio for ten dollars, and you’ll see lots of music memorabilia on the walls and hear many stories about the musicians who have recorded there. NOISEBLOCK RECORDING STUDIO 118 West Tombigbee Street, Florence NoiseblockMusic.com
Owned by Gary Baker (he’s a Grammy Award winner who wrote “I Swear”), Noiseblock is located in downtown Florence. With its bright colors, this studio has a more modern sensibility than some of
The Backstreet Boys’ Kevin Richardson in the recording booth at Noiseblock Recording Studio in Florence, Alabama. Photos courtesy of Noiseblock
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the others in the area. The client list has included country crooner Brett Eldredge and Mac McAnally. While not a household name, McAnally is one of the Shoals’ proudest sons and a Grammy Award– winning songwriter. Regular tours aren’t scheduled, but visitors can call for an appointment. NUTTHOUSE RECORDING STUDIO 108 West Fourth Street, Sheffield TheNuttHouse.com
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Another working recording studio, NuttHouse has been the acoustic home to some of the most popular new generation of indie, Americana, and country acts. St. Paul and the Broken Bones’ debut LP, Half the City, was cut there. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, a country act who routinely sells out Nashville audiences, also laid tracks at NuttHouse. There aren’t scheduled tours for the studio, which is in a former bank building, but the NuttHouse Live concert series regularly allows artists and clients to perform and the public to see (and hear) the studio. There’s a YouTube channel for those who can’t make it in person.
The recording room at NuttHouse Recording Studio in Sheffield, Alabama. Photo courtesy of NuttHouse
Architecture desig n ed aroun d You an d the thin gs You love...
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Shoals Playlist Want to le arn more by listening? Here’s a list of ten essential Mus cle Shoals s ongs—s ome that name check the Shoals and the Swampers, and others that were rec orded in the are a: 1. “Sweet Home Alabama,” Lynyrd Skynyrd 2. “When a Man Loves a Woman,” Percy Sledge 3. “Brown Sugar,” Rolling Stones 4. “Alabama Pines,” Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit 5. “Keepin’ It Country,” Jake Owen 6. “I’ll Take You There,” The Staple Singers 7. “I’ve Been to Memphis,” Lyle Lovett 8. “Loves Me Like a Rock,” Paul Simon 9. “Old Time Rock & Roll,” Bob Seger 10. “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You),” Aretha Franklin
MUSCLE SHOALS SOUND STUDIOS 3614 Jackson Highway, Sheffield MSMusicFoundation.org
If you were a Cher fan back in the day, this studio is going to look familiar. It appeared on the cover of her 1969 album 3614 Jackson Highway. It is both the same as it was back then and new and improved. It was once the best-known music studio in Muscle Shoals and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For years it was shuttered, but it reopened in 2017, so you can look (and listen) inside. See memorabilia of the famous people who recorded there and created that Swampers sound. Take time to hear the small building’s remarkable acoustics. Listen to stories about those who traveled to make music history by recording there. Tours are twelve dollars and are strictly first come, first served. 50 | M AR CH 2018
Native Americans first named these magical waters Nunnuhsae or the Singing River. Whether you hear that lore or not, you can’t deny the area’s diverse musical heritage.
While in the Shoals Recording studios are the musical foundation of the Shoals, but there are a few other related sites to visit while in town.
their pipes—there’s a recording studio where you can record a video or a single from a catalog of songs with local connections. W. C. HANDY BIRTHPLACE, MUSEUM, AND LIBRARY 620 West College Street, Florence | (256) 760-6434
ALABAMA MUSIC HALL OF FAME 617 U.S. Highway 72 West, Tuscumbia | ALAMHOF.org
It may not look like much from the outside, but this museum hits all the area’s highlights. Exhibits include plaster casts of Lionel Richie and Sonny James, a wax figure of Nat King Cole, instruments from Styx, and costumes and memorabilia from the many (and often surprising) pop culture and music icons who have a connection to the state of Alabama. Sections of the museum include the Hall of Fame, pop, country, R&B, gospel, Muscle Shoals, and songwriters of Alabama. Visitors can even test
If you aren’t a hard-core blues fan, the name William Christopher Handy may not be immediately familiar. But when you immerse yourself in his life, times, and music at this modest cabin that is his birthplace museum, you’ll realize you were already acquainted with his music. Handy is considered the Father of the Blues. The museum also helps organize the W. C. Handy Music Festival each July and a birthday party for Handy each November.
Above: A view of the main studio from the control room at Noiseblock Photo courtesy of Noiseblock Opposite: Bassist and Alabama Music Hall of Famer David Hood records at NuttHouse. Photo courtesy of NuttHouse
Margaret Littman is a Nashville-based writer and editor who loves a good musicthemed road trip. Her guidebook Moon Nashville to New Orleans Road Trip covers Muscle Shoals, Nashville, Memphis, and the Mississippi Blues Trail. See where she is and what she’s writing at LittmanWrites.com. V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 51
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Recording artist Natalie Stovall sings a new song during a live Imagine Recordings session with studio musicians while attendees listen through headphones. Right: Steve Fishell, a Grammy-winning producer and the founder of Imagine Recordings, explains the recording process to attendees at world-renowned Sound Stage Studios on Music Row.
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A T R UE NA S HV I L L E E X P E R I E N C E BY ANTHEA GERRIE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY SEAN HAGWELL
magine you could take a trip to Nashville and become an insider for a day: penning a ballad with a pro songwriter like the characters in the hit show Nashville seem to do between breakfast and lunch, hopping into the studio to record it, sitting side by side with a Grammy-winning producer in a mixing booth where five hundred chart-toppers have been laid down, and not just visiting the Grand Ole Opry, but standing on stage when the curtain goes up! The good news is you can do these things; living the life of Nashville, now in its sixth season, is among the most seductive experiences Music City has to offer. The series’ popularity is one reason the appropriately named Imagine Recordings recently set up shop, according to co-president Steve Fishell, a producer who has played pedal steel guitar with Emmylou Harris, Reba McEntire, Dolly Parton, and Linda Ronstadt. Fishell was featured in the TV blockbuster as concert guitarist to Rayna James during Connie Britton’s multiseason run as the principal lady.
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Above: Stovall (a top contestant on Season Thirteen of NBC’s The Voice) and Fishell write a new song with session attendees at Sound Stage Studios on Music Row. Opposite left: Attendees write a new song together during an Imagine Recordings songwriting session. Opposite right: Natalie Stovall adds a fiddle overdub to the new track as Imagine attendees view the session from the control room at Sound Stage.
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“O
ne thing I noticed about the show was that the recording studio was depicted as an inner sanctum, a place the public could never enter, and I wanted to demystify that,” explains Grammy winner Fishell. Initially, he had planned only to open up sessions at the famous Sound Stage Studios on Music Row, where the likes of Alan Jackson have recorded, but he found himself drawn into also opening up the creative process that makes Music City the place of songwriters’ dreams.
“OUR INTEREST IS IN SHOWING THE PUBLIC THE MAGIC OF THE CREATIVE PROCESS.”
“The idea grew out of a group who came to one of our studio sessions wanting to record a song they had written back home—not a process we particularly
“Our interest is in showing the public the magic of the creative process,” says Fishell, who points out that the alchemy seen on the show Nashville, in which a winning arrangement seems to come together on the spot, is quite authentic.
encourage,” he says. “But we did think it would be intriguing to partner a group with a professional singer-songwriter who could help them take an idea and draw lyrics out of them in an hour or less.” And the process, which has been tried by everyone from a handful of CEOs to larger team-building groups, is open to parties of friends or even couples able to afford the four-figure cost, which includes a copy of the song and a fair share of the publishing rights.
“A writer wanting to record a song usually brings a demo to the session. Most of the musicians will never have heard the demo before. Then they each play the song as they feel it, and a producer helps the singer pull the parts together that best enhance the feel they’re looking for.” During Imagine’s regular recording sessions, visitors can book tickets for $85 a pop—giving them a seat in the studio to witness the guitarists, drummers, and other musicians in action—and see the magic evolve as a finished track is born. Over at the Grand Ole Opry, there is an increased interest in interactive tours of the most famous venue in country music, thanks to the international spotlight the show has shone on the capital. “Since the show started airing in eighty-three countries, we’re seeing visitors make the journey from areas that had shown no interest in Nashville before,” says the Opry’s sales director, Wayne Chandler. “The investment the producers have made to film on location all around the city has helped to build the interest and show the authenticity of Music City.”
Now the Opry is giving guests the chance to sample a little of their own magic with an exclusive backstage tour for which no more than twenty places are sold. “The experience ends on the wings of the stage, from where the participants can be seen by the audience when the big red curtain rises,” says Chandler. The price of this backstage experience costs a cool $150— plus the amount of a seat for the performance. But it does include a professional photograph of visitors with the stage and auditorium behind them as a keepsake.
“SINCE THE SHOW STARTED AIRING IN EIGHTY-THREE COUNTRIES, WE’RE SEEING VISITORS MAKE THE JOURNEY FROM AREAS THAT HAD SHOWN NO INTEREST IN NASHVILLE BEFORE.” V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 55
Le monde
P
articipation experiences are increasingly the name of the game in Nashville tourism: at the famous RCA Studio B, where Elvis recorded “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” and the Everly Brothers laid down “All I Have to Do Is Dream,” groups can record (or ruin) a standard. Songwriting experiences run by the Country Music Hall of Fame, which owns Studio B, are open only to large tour groups, but they do offer an annual songwriting camp to teens, complete with voice coaching and professional recording sessions. If only adults could sign up—and if only the Bluebird Cafe would just allow the starstruck to wait tables for a night, if not take the mic, living the Nashville dream from the inside would be a done deal!
For more information on songwriting and recording sessions with the pros, visit ImagineRecordings.com. Anthea Gerrie is based in the UK but travels the world in search of stories. Her special interests are architecture and design, culture, food, and drink, as well as the best places to visit in the world’s great playgrounds. She is a regular contributor to the Daily Mail, the Independent, and Blueprint.
Imagine Recordings offers special packages for visiting high school choral groups to record their newest songs in a top Nashville studio.
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Le monde
THE
BLAZES HER OWN TRAIL
Ashley Campbell on her “rootsy” sound, playing by ear, and making her dad proud BY TORI PHELPS
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Musician Ashley Campbell, daughter of country music great Glen Campbell, will release her first studio album in the spring of 2018. Photo by Sean M. Flynn
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Le monde
hen the family business involves climbing Billboard charts, following in your father’s footsteps isn’t as easy as adding your name to the company letterhead. Success in the music industry takes real talent and the kind of tenacity that a pit bull would envy, no matter who your daddy is. Ashley Campbell, daughter of the late Glen Campbell, knows that better than most. And she wouldn’t have it any other way. As a singer, songwriter, and virtuoso banjo player, Ashley is a triple threat on the verge of a full-fledged breakthrough. She’s about to be everywhere—an “overnight” success story that, like most, has been years in the making. Ashley grew up with her parents and two brothers in Phoenix, Arizona, hundreds of miles from the glitz of Los Angeles and even farther from the country music mecca of Nashville. That distance was intentional. Her mom, Kim, and her dad wanted to raise their children outside the spotlight and the accompanying scrutiny that many celebrity kids endure. This quest for normalcy was, by all accounts, successful. Despite the fact that their father’s job involved performing all over the world, Ashley and her siblings spent their days going to school, playing with friends, and complaining about practicing the piano. Where their household differed from others on the block was in the amount of music that filled the home. Part of that stemmed from the elder Campbell’s line of work, of course, but the children created much of the family’s melodic life themselves, as they seemingly had music notes stamped into their DNA.
Opposite: Glen Campbell performs onstage with Ashley during his 2012 Goodbye Tour at Route 66 Casino’s Legends Theater in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Photo by Steve Snowden/Getty Images Right: “We raided Jane’s closet for this outfit,” Ashley Campbell says, referring to actress Jane Seymour, whose son Sean M. Flynn took this photo for Campbell’s new studio album. 62 | M AR CH 2018
The baby of the family, Ashley won Mother Nature’s lottery. She was born with an incredible ear that allowed her to master all of the instruments in her arsenal without ever learning to read music. She can hear an instrument, song, or entire musical score and then—often quickly—reproduce the sound. Not everything hooked her immediately, though. “I wasn’t super into the guitar,” she confesses. “But my brothers played, and I didn’t want to be the only one in the family who didn’t know how to play guitar.” By her teen years, she had fallen in love with musical theater, ultimately earning a theater degree from LA’s Pepperdine University. But a funny thing happened on the way to becoming a Broadway star— she picked up a banjo. During Ashley’s junior year, she was in a play, and someone in the cast needed to play the banjo. She volunteered to learn. What started as a helpful gesture blossomed quickly into an all-consuming passion.
Her mom, Kim, and her dad wanted to raise their children outside the spotlight and the accompanying scrutiny that many celebrity kids endure. If those years had a soundtrack, it would be bluegrass, which she performed with a band in between classes and term papers. More than a hobby, the banjo was a hard shove back to the “music” element of musical theater. The irony isn’t lost on Ashley; instead of serving as a stepping stone to acting, her move to Los Angeles reignited her love of making music. All that time treading the boards wasn’t wasted, though, as she would soon find herself on stage most nights. Ready for a little postgraduation R & R, Ashley asked to tag along on her dad’s tour to New Zealand and Australia. He agreed but also raised the idea of her
playing banjo for his megahit “Gentle on My Mind.” Then the tour’s music director upped the ante by suggesting that she play the strings parts for the old standards on a keyboard. Instead of a vacation, Ashley got a gig playing piano on every song, accidentally becoming a full-time member of her dad’s band. Channeling A Tale of Two Cities, this was, indeed, the best of times and the worst of times for Ashley. She was living every musician’s dream, but she and
her family were also dealing with her father’s 2011 Alzheimer’s diagnosis. The two events are inextricably linked because she officially joined the Glen Campbell band in time for his worldwide farewell tour, which was captured in a 2014 documentary, Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me. During those three years, she was playing with—and for—her dad, but Ashley was also pushing boundaries and finding her own sound. She performed with her brother Cal’s indie rock band, Instant People, which sometimes opened Glen Campbell concerts. And she settled into her voice, embracing the sweet yet soulful timbre that audiences now recognize as pure Ashley. V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 63
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“My dad was standing in the kitchen—I could see him—and I wanted to write a song that would be a tender, pleasant memory of him.”
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ongwriting was becoming more important for her, too, as a productive way to channel the riot of emotions and experiences coming at her. From this period came songs like the powerful “Remembering,” which captures the joy of being loved by her father and the sorrow at seeing him slip away from her. The music video is spliced with Campbell family home movies that beautifully illustrate the enduring connection between father and daughter. Perhaps her best-known song to date, “Remembering” was never intended to be a single. She wrote it in her parents’ Malibu home, where she lived with them until 2013. “My dad was standing in the kitchen—I could see him—and I wanted to write a song that would be a tender, pleasant memory of him,” she says. “I was trying to see the beauty through the ugliness of the disease.”
Ashley recorded a rough version on her phone, and when she moved to Nashville a couple of weeks later, she met up with a songwriter friend, Kai Welch. She told him about the song, and the two decided to see where it went. Radio play wasn’t a consideration; Ashley simply wanted to record it as a keepsake. Instead, the song had an immediate, undeniable impact on listeners. She should have known that it was destined for popular appeal, she says now, adding that the best songwriting happens when you’re not writing for the radio.
Above: Campbell penned her single “Remembering” for her father as his memory began to fade due to the effects of Alzheimer’s. It was released in 2015 as part of the Grammywinning soundtrack to the documentary Glen Campbell: I’ll Be Me. Photo courtesy of Ashley Campbell Opposite: Photo by Sean M. Flynn V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 65
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Opposite: Shannon Campbell (left) and Ashley Campbell perform onstage at the Twenty-Second Annual A Night at Sardi’s at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on March 26, 2014, in Beverly Hills, California. Photo by Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images Below: Campbell performs at VIE magazine’s 2017 Stories with Heart and Soul Tour event in Nashville on July 27 at The Listening Room Cafe. Photo by Rinn Garlanger
shley doesn’t write for the radio, and she doesn’t record for it either. Calling her style “rootsy, country, Americana,” she says it branches out into subgenres like pop and even mainstream country. While some artists might be afraid of not having an easily niched sound, Ashley has seen it work well before. She points out that her father was one of the first country-to-pop crossover artists, making what he liked and never worrying about the genre. It’s a strategy that seems to be paying off for his daughter. She was invited to be part of March’s C2C (Country to Country) lineup at London’s O2 Arena alongside artists including Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, and Little Big Town. Her name might not be as well known as her fellow performers on this side of the Atlantic, but Ashley is extremely popular in the UK. While country music stations in the United States have tight playlists and mainstream expectations, she explains that the UK is far less radio competitive. Her eclectic style and gift for storytelling have proved to be a particularly appealing combination across the pond.
With a fine-tuned sound and global fans, the only thing missing for Ashley has been an album. But with the March 9 release of her debut LP, The Lonely One, that piece of the puzzle is finally in place. The album, named for one of its tracks, explores different shades of what Ashley calls “being in the lonely hours.” As cowriter for all of the songs, she admits that it sounds like a downer but insists that loneliness isn’t always a bad thing. From it can come inspiration and even love—two of the perspectives included on the album. The first single from The Lonely One is “A New Year,” a celebration of fresh starts and wide-open possibilities. Written with friends Jerry Flowers and Patrick Davis, the upbeat song reflects Ashley’s belief in the importance of being with someone who makes you want to be the best version of yourself. That conviction extends to her career as well. Her brother Cal coproduced The Lonely One with her, and she credits him with making the album better in every way. Opposites when it comes to their musical approaches, Cal took his sister’s signature “rootsiness” and added a bit of edge. “I love that edge, and I couldn’t have gotten there without my brother,” she says.
Opposites when it comes to their musical approaches, Cal took his sister’s signature “rootsiness” and added a bit of edge. 66 | M AR CH 2018
Family and career are two sides of the same coin for Ashley. In addition to Cal’s production assistance, her brother Shannon, a talented singer and guitar player, is an integral part of her band. And then there’s her dad. Though he passed away in August of 2017, he’s still present in everything she does. Since his death, Ashley admits to a newfound determination, and she regularly asks herself what accomplishment she would want to show him if he were still alive. “He would want me to be the best I can be,” she says, “and I want to make him proud more than ever now.”
ASHLEYCAMPBELLMUSIC.COM Tori Phelps has been a writer and editor for nearly twenty years. A publishing industry veteran and longtime VIE collaborator, Phelps lives with three kids, two cats, and one husband in Charleston, South Carolina.
Magnolia House is a gathering place where people come from all over the world to experience the music, fragrances and the peace of living by the sea. Located on Hwy 98 at Sandestin’s Grand Boulevard Town Center in Miramar Beach, FL | 850.460.2005 | magnoliahouse.com
Seaside School
HALF MARATHON & 5K RUN
|
TASTE OF THE RACE
MARCH 2–4, 2018 | SEASIDE, FLORIDA
Taste of the Race
Half Marathon & 5K
MARCH 2, 2018
MARCH 4, 2018
Enjoy cuisine from some of the Gulf Coast’s top chefs, as well as fine wine from Wine World, craft spirits, craft beer from Grayton Beer Company, and live music!
Finishers will receive a Vera Bradley tote and half-marathon runners will receive a custom finishers medal. All runners will receive a 2018 race shirt, a coveted swag bag, and celebrate at the afterparty while enjoying live music, lunch, and craft beer from Grayton Beer Company!
PRESENTED BY
PRESENTED BY
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C’est la vie
THE ENTERTAINER
With this C’est la VIE Entertainer edition, we’re honoring the tradition of gathering with family and friends to listen to or play music. After all, music is magical. It has the power to stir our thoughts, make us feel, bring people together, and evoke precious memories. Grab some of these music-inspired goodies for traveling together, learning new things, and channeling some rock ’n’ roll attitude!
1
You’re the Piano Man
Euro Pianos Black Aire Baby Grand europianosnaples.com
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2
The Golden Circle
Custom Painted Cymbals by Josh Stadlen cymbalpleasures.com
Beatlemania
3
All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Song Released by the Beatles $49.95 hammacher.com
Turn the Tables
4
Shinola Rose Gold Runwell Turntable $2,500 shinola.com
Light It Up
5
Tom Dixon Etch Pendant Steel $550 tomdixon.net 6
Give Peace a Chance
XL Rhodo Agate Oval Peace Necklace $9,000 jacquieaiche.com
7
Book to Book
Peace Bookend Set $195 jonathanadler.com
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C’est la vie
8
Follow Suit
Raden A50 Smart Suitcase Set $595 raden.com
All Eyes on You
9
Eyes Jet Set Travel Kit $58 jonathanadler.com
Tickled Pink
10
Linda Farrow 695 C8 Oversized Sunglasses $750 us.lindafarrow.com
11
Watch Yourself
Hublot Classic Fusion Chukker Limited Edition Titanium Grey Dial Unisex Watch £9,800 bucherer.com/uk
12
Sea to Shining Sea
American Landscape Set from Juniper Books $295 juniperbooks.com
Party like a Rock Star
13
Any Old Iron Slits Jacket $1,250 shopaoi.com
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14
It’s Handled
Stella Large Tote by Cult Gaia $328 modaoperandi.com
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Introspections
Introspections THINK DEEPER
Check out Antiglot on iTunes, Amazon Music, and Spotify and at BradWalsh.com. Album illustration by Naya Cheyenne NayaCheyenne.com
“I make music” reads the About section on Brad Walsh’s Facebook page. It’s a simple statement to convey the complex and emotional sounds this solo artist creates. His 2017 album, Antiglot, is an avant-garde collection of “body sounds,” with each song composed entirely of vocal representations of various instruments. The end result: a set of tracks that will inspire thought and meditation, along with the occasional “How did he do that?” According to Walsh, the album was influenced by the current political climate; the modern-day mystic is also a well-known activist and something of a style icon. Visit his Twitter and Instagram accounts (@bradwalsh) for more. V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 75
Introspections
LATE-NIGHT COMEDIANS ARE
MAKING AMERICA LAUGH AGAIN 76 | M AR CH 2018
A CO M M E N TA R Y B Y B A R B A R A L I P P E R T
One of the more mind-blowing nuggets that author Michael Wolff fired off in his recent blockbuster book, Fire and Fury , is that aside from the now-banished Steve Bannon, no one on Trump’s political team thought he’d win the election. Wolff posited that in the mixed-up world of Donald Trump, his presidential campaign was an elaborate act undertaken in the hopes of losing so as to reap postelection rewards for his brand and far-flung empire. In true Trump style, however, our president has since gilded that lily, and now refers rather grandly to his shocking electoral sweep as “the Victory.” He was tweeting right up to the election that the system was going to be “rigged!”—perhaps to give himself some cover. Since then, we are the ones who need cover. Trump’s binary presidency—a pinging and ponging of warring beliefs, messages, and tweets—has brought much cultural fracturing. Every utterance drives an already polarized nation further into opposing camps. Unlike that old Miller Lite beer ad, which had people on differing sides screaming, “Tastes great! / Less filling!” we now have a population that reflexively sees things as fake or real, pro or anti; and it’s a lot less fun. Indeed, post-Trump, the political climate has become so pitched and adversarial that we’re losing the ability to speak civilly to one another. For the last eighteen months or so, people have been reporting that the ramped-up level of general antagonism is killing their sleep, diets, teeth, skin, family gatherings, and even long-standing friendships.
And, just as Trump never “pivoted” to what most people consider presidential, his “stable genius” level of media manipulation, unique among presidents, is one of the biggest causes of anxiety in America. Every day, it seems, our first-ever reality-star president creates a meteor-sized media boulder that he himself packs, rolls, throws, watches to see how it plays out, and then reloads, to generate a massive self-perpetuating cycle: A Trump news-bomb cyclone. Add to that the Trump-reactive reinvigoration of deeply reported newspaper stories, now amplified by the juiced-up cable and online news outlets (all magnified on social media) and the anxiety avalanche keeps growing. Trump has created so much cognitive dissonance around the idea of “fake” that, ironically, people are trusting comedy (crafted by writers who endow the riffs with history, context, and satire) more than the news. For a nation in need of anxiety blankets, it makes sense that late-night comedic institutions like The Late Show and Saturday Night Live—sometimes watched while huddled under a duvet—have provided new comfort zones. It’s no secret that in Trumplandia, these shows now function less as classic entertainment and more as a release valve for collective venting. James Andrew Miller, the coauthor of Live from New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live, agrees that NBC’s SNL now acts as a “coping mechanism for the country.” He explains that the iconic sketch-comedy program has always been part of the political process, with candidates like Trump, Obama, and Hillary Clinton hosting the show in the past. “The DNA of SNL is inextricably linked to politics,” he tells me. The difference now, he says, is that “it’s part of the news.” Of course, the Trump persona remains a panacea for comedians in general, but Miller explains that this moment is particularly rich for the SNL writers: “They’d V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 77
Introspections
Previous page: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert Photo by Scott Kowalchyk/CBS ©2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Below: Donald Trump talks about his US presidential campaign on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Tuesday, September 22, 2015. Photo by John Paul Filo/CBS ©2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
been in the desert for eight years with Obama,” he says. “He’s difficult to get a handle on or impersonate. No tics. Not a lot of drama.” So, Trump “was like a giant Christmas gift delivered to the door. The question becomes, ‘How often do you go to the well?’” Miller adds, “You can’t hit a single or a double. The other thing that Lorne (SNL executive producer Lorne Michaels) talks about is ‘saturation.’ These sketches go out, and in a nanosecond, they go online.” Certainly, SNL has ably spun several members of the Trump crew into comedy gold. (Melissa McCarthy as the podium-driving Sean Spicer comes to mind.) In turn, comedy gold has produced much-needed ratings gold for the forty-three-year-old show. Viewership for the series rose by more than 30 percent over the previous season, reaching heights it hasn’t experienced since the early days of the Bill Clinton White House.
I N D E E D, P O S T- T R U M P, T H E P O L I T I CA L C L I M AT E H A S B E C O M E S O P I T C H E D A N D A DV E R S A R I A L T H AT W E ’ R E L O S I N G T H E A B I L I T Y TO S P E A K C I V I L LY TO O N E A N OT H E R .
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Miller says, for SNL, it’s “one of those moments where the planets align. But the bar keeps getting higher. You have to keep meeting expectations. You don’t want to cry for the writers, but it’s a blessing and a curse.” In some ways, Alec Baldwin’s blistering portrayal of Trump as impulsive, childish, and soon to go over the edge has become larger than life, larger than Baldwin, and larger than SNL itself as an antidote to the times. Kurt Andersen, novelist and host of the Studio 360 radio show, is something of a Trumpologist. He cofounded Spy magazine in 1986, and the publication famously crowned our president—back when he was just a media-obsessed boy tycoon—with the multipart descriptors “short-fingered vulgarian” and “Queensborn casino operator.” With Alec Baldwin, Andersen wrote the recently published bestseller You Can’t Spell America Without Me as a memoir (with photos!) in Trump’s voice, which he admits was hard to do, given that “you could just do it verbatim.” He says that as a person, Trump essentially hasn’t changed since those 1980s prebankruptcy days, but the context he operates in certainly has, and Andersen finds that “terrifying.”
“
ALEC BALDWIN’S BLISTERING POR TRAYAL OF TRUMP AS IMPULSIVE, CHILDISH, AND SOON TO GO OVER THE EDGE HAS BECOME LARGER THAN LIFE.
Above: Guests Jon Stewart, Rob Corddry, John Oliver, Samantha Bee, and Ed Helms, join Stephen Colbert on The Late Show, Tuesday, May 9, 2017. Photo by Scott Kowalchyk/CBS ©2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
About Alec Baldwin’s version, he says, “His portrayal of Donald Trump has some cathartic, consoling effect. I think that’s true of well-done satire in general at a time like this.” Andersen brings up the “two different issues” of satire used as consolation and the question of “whether satire affects things. You can say, maybe, maybe not.” But he says one thing that gets a bad rap is “preaching to the choir. Well, the choir needs to be preached to, but not in an end-of-America, endof-democracy way.” He mentions Stephen Colbert (of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert) as the perfect embodiment of that new satirical high priest. “I don’t know what it does for Stephen Colbert to talk about Donald Trump,” he says, “but it does please and soothe me.”
up as soon as he returned to revealing a political orthodoxy and made the Orange One his obsessive focus as a late-night opener. As with other politically inclined comedic TV hosts, such as John Oliver and Samantha Bee, Colbert got his start as a correspondent on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, which became a clearinghouse for superstar comedic talent. Turning traditional TV news programming on its stiff, overly blow-dried head, Stewart brought a whip-smart, eviscerating take to everyday reporting. He regularly called his satiric bits “fake,” but even then, a younger, more digital generation recognized that what he was doing was somehow truer than what other news outlets were presenting, and they chose The Daily Show as their single filter. In 2005, Colbert graduated to his own show on Comedy Central, The Colbert Report, playing a caricature of a reactionary, right-wing, hugely self-regarding pundit, somewhat in Bill O’Reilly mode. The role brought out his monster talent for parody and satire, so much so that in late 2014, CBS announced that Colbert would succeed David Letterman as the host of The Late Show. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert debuted in September 2015 with great anticipation.
Andersen is not alone. Indeed, no one has profited from a “Trump bump” more than Colbert, whose ratings started to shoot
Now effectively naked, however, without the protective cover of that ridiculously pompous character to play off, Colbert couldn’t quite find his footing, and the show and its ratings were flailing. V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 79
“ I ' M G O I N G TO W I N A N OT H E R F O U R Y E A R S … B E CAU S E N E W S PA P E R S , T E L E V I S I O N , A L L F O R M S O F M E D I A W I L L TA N K I F I ' M N OT T H E R E . . . W I T H O U T M E , T H E I R R AT I N G S A R E G O I N G D OW N T H E T U B E S .”
Above: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver is HBO’s comedic news series recapping worldly events and politics each Sunday. Photo by Eric Liebowitz/HBO
That changed in 2016, when Colbert started devoting his opener to filleting Trump (and Melania). The ratings ticked up by 35 percent in 2017. “I think having somebody do what Colbert does, night after night, pitched perfectly and brilliantly, pretty vicious and funny, is kind of important,” Andersen tells me. “Maybe it’s our version of World War II–era USO shows. Not to dramatize that we’re fighting a war, but it’s good.” Two years ago, during an unguarded moment at a tech and media conference, CBS head Les Moonves mused that the presidential race starring Donald Trump “might not be good for America, but it’s damn good for CBS.” He later backtracked to say he was “joking.” But that’s the thing about the Donald—he’s hyperaware of what he brings to the table. In a recent interview at Mar-a-Lago with New York Times reporter Michael S. Schmidt, Trump made a cleareyed statement: “I’m going to win another four years
80 | M A R CH 2018
… because newspapers, television, all forms of media will tank if I’m not there … without me, their ratings are going down the tubes.” He’s got something there, which suggests that he’ll continue to create, amp up, and reload the news-bomb cycle, thus ensuring the continued need for late-night TV to step up its counter-therapy in response. It’s been dubbed “resistance comedy.” Or as Andersen put it: “There are millions of people who feel undone and discombobulated by this president and need that reassuring sense that there are other people freaking out, too.”
Barbara Lippert writes about media, politics, ads, and women. Currently, she’s a columnist for Ad Age; previously she wrote Mad Blog for MediaPost.com, which started out as an episode-by-episode deconstruction of Mad Men. For many years she was an awardwinning ad critic for Adweek and has also written for New York magazine, Vogue, Glamour, Newsweek, the Washington Post, and the New York Times. She lives in New York City.
Introspections
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BY GREG CAYEA ne morning, I discovered my girlfriend in bed with the lead guitarist of the Strokes, so it’s safe to say that music destroyed my last relationship. Okay, I’m kidding. That never happened, but music did play a major role in our breakup. Every time we would go and hang out with friends at some hippie-dippie music venue where the music was treacherous—at least to me—I’d stand there masking my discontent and pretending to be enthusiastic while desperately waiting for the night to end. At some point during the evening, resentment would creep in, and I’d get a bit moody . . . and well, it was usually all downhill from there. That was the beginning of the constant question for me:
Are we too different? I decided we should try and find some common ground. Something we could do together to create fond memories to tell our nonexistent children about. So, I asked my girlfriend to join me to break the world record for longest road trip—which we did. We broke the Guinness World Record for longest journey by car in a single country, but it didn’t help mend the rift between our very different musical tastes. We listened to podcasts for about 90 percent of the 122 days and 36,123 miles that we traveled. Sometimes she’d be okay with me putting on the Raconteurs, Nirvana, Eminem, and Eazy-E, and sometimes I’d be cool listening to some indie band from Santa Cruz that I’d never heard of. But in the back of my mind, while her music was playing, there was that nagging question of “Are we right for each other?” It kept me awake at night . . . in my sleeping bag . . . in the back of my Subaru, which is where we were living during the trip. As I lay awake beneath the stars with her passed out beside me, all wrapped up in blankets and sweaters, I often wondered how much more fun this road trip—and this relationship—would be for her if I loved Grizzly Bear or Passion Pit. It made me a bit insecure (which is my fault, and not hers or the
music’s). And yes, I’m sure there are plenty of successful, in-love, romantically sophisticated people who hate the music their significant other loves. I’m just saying that for me—and for many others, I assume—insecurity soon led to jealousy any time we’d hang out at one of her friend’s houses. Why? Because at those moments, it finally looked like she was having some fun, enjoying music with other people, living the life that she loved. When the suggestion would come up to continue the night at some local music joint—that I was sure I’d hate—I wondered if I was bratty for kindly bowing out. I just didn’t want to go. And that would spawn a “Why don’t you like hanging out with my friends?” argument. Was I ruining her life because I didn’t want to spend ten grand going to Coachella and painting my face like one of the Beatles? Was I insulting her friends who mourned Prince for ten days straight on Hollywood Boulevard by not tagging along? Is it bad that I kind of didn’t care? I mean, he wasn’t paying my rent or anything— is that bad to say? How could I get her excited to come to a hip-hop concert or a Manu Chao show with me? We simply never clicked on the music front. We loved each other, but we could never get amped up about the same activities unless it was skiing in Big Bear or something. And that stuff adds up. And here’s the thing, whenever we did find a song that we both liked, it was amazing! They say opposites attract, but there’s a severe ripple effect that takes place if I hate the music that someone else loves. My ex is probably reading this, so I’d like to say that I loved her (and her friends) and that she’s awesome. My life was mostly spectacular when we were together, but when it was miserable, it usually traced back to our lifestyles, which always had something to do with the music we liked and where we enjoyed hanging out. Music was not the core of our differences, but it was an issue that crept into nearly every aspect of our relationship. I always wondered if there was a way to truly connect with her, even if we never could really enjoy a song together. I’m still not sure, but I assume there probably was. Common sense led me to believe all I had to do was put a sincere effort into giving all of the terrible music that she liked a proper try. When I did that, it did wonders for us, even if I never ended up enjoying it. And when she was finally willing to watch The Godfather (What the hell took so long?), to partake in some entertainment that I swear by, I was elated. The greatest gifts she gave me were comfort and understanding, and, at times, leaving her comfort zone to let me blast E-40 as we drove through New Mexico. Isn’t that what lovers do? Support each other while driving through the desert? When we met each other halfway on music, it made all the difference in the world, but it still couldn’t save us.
Greg Cayea is an author, a music producer, a publicist, and a Guinness World Record–holding traveler. He writes offensive short stories about his life’s exploits and then draws cartoons to illustrate them. Stay tuned at ScrambledGregs.com for his next adventure. V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 83
S E N D I N G in the C LOW N S
BY NICHOLAS S. RACHEOTES
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Introspections
There is a well-worn tradition in drama, literature, and the throne rooms of history. When matters become too burdensome, comic relief is the prescribed therapy. Given the pervasive sentiment that “the sky is falling,” we are living amid a comedic boom. The difference between what we’re enjoying and the cultural tradition lies in the nature of our contemporary punditry.
Shakespeare gave us the Fool in King Lear, Nick Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and most famously, Hamlet’s description of Yorick, “a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy … Where be your gibes now? Your gambols? Your songs? Your flashes of merriment that were wont to set the table on a roar? Not one now, to mock your own grinning?” (He is talking to a skull, after all.) Our jesters have exchanged the coxcomb for the cape of the wise man, allowing them to represent their targets as fools and clowns. Cervantes gave us Sancho; Dickens provided Mr. Pickwick with Sam Weller; the list could prove nearly endless. There were numerous dwarfs and pranksters in the palaces of Europe. Russia’s Peter the Great presided over an assemblage of jesters and fools, often mocking the ceremonies of the church. Imagine, for a moment, what reward would await the Russian court fool who portrayed the czar in phrases we regularly apply to our political leadership? The important thing always was that behind the mask of mental weakness, jesters got to speak “the truth to power.”
Actually, you don’t have to wait that long. The best lines come crackling across social media all day, every day, at nearly the speed of light. They peek at you from bumper stickers and leer from your Facebook account. But don’t be deceived. When it comes to ridiculing the politician who would deify himself or herself, bringing down the athlete or movie star who has gotten too big for their audience if not too big for their stock portfolio, or sticking a pin to deflate anyone too full of himself, we have all developed the knack. So, in the end, when the call goes out to offer the consolations of humor, Stephen Sondheim provided the words: “Quick, send in the clowns. “Don’t bother—they’re here.”
During the toughest times in America, Abraham Lincoln was able to escape from the gore that marked his presidency into a story, often a ribald one. Will Rogers made the nation laugh during the Great Depression era, and jokesters both white and black guided us through the struggle for civil rights in the 1950s and ’60s. The clown can mimic, pour sarcasm over an event, imitate a human foible, make up a song, pull out a rhyme, and bandage pain with laughter. The odd thing about the jesters of today is that they are well paid, mostly well protected, and appear on your television screen after 11:30 p.m. Eastern time, or so it seems.
Nick Racheotes is a product of Boston public schools, Brandeis University, and Boston College, from which he holds a PhD in history. Since he retired from teaching at Framingham State University, Nick and his wife, Pat, divide their time between Boston, Cape Cod, and the Western world. V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 85
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There are myriad reasons you might become a guest in someone else’s home. Are you passing through town and merely need a place to stay for the night? Perhaps you are visiting along with your family, or you are one of several people who have been invited. Maybe you have a friend in need and would like to spend the night during your visit. Believe it or not, the rules are different depending on what kind of stay you are anticipating. The Overnight Guest If you are begging a room in a major city, it is not lost on anyone that you are trying to save money. So your appreciation needs to be in proportion to what you are asking. You are not the first person to think longingly of the homeowner’s capacious guest room and you in it while mentally reallocating the money you are saving toward fancy restaurants or gifts for your children. People with lovely, roomy houses are asked favors all the time. It will be your job to tread lightly and leave a pleasant experience in your wake. If you have a purpose for coming (your niece’s graduation, for example, or a job interview) make it clear, so that your host will know that you are not planning to be entertained during that time. Check with them about their obligations as well, and pick a time when you can do something together. This is an excellent time to follow your instincts. Maybe a specialty cocktail taken into the den is enough of a departure from the norm. Or, it’s entirely possible that your host may want you to cook them dinner. Just be sure you don’t stick them with the bill or serve them something they do not eat! You are responsible for the shopping, cooking, and cleaning. For less than four people, this is not that difficult. No one expects you to cater a dinner for eight because you are a houseguest.
House Parties We love house parties. But what constitutes a house party? What a house party is not is when your best friend, her husband, and their kids visit. It’s super fun, but that overnight stay is slightly different again. Multiple couples and families all meeting in one destination for several days creates a temporary bond that instantly infuses the occasion with giddy fun and expectation. It’s akin to being back in a dorm. Your
host will have gone to considerably more trouble than when you’ve popped in for an overnight. It’s your job to be enthusiastic. However, since there is a larger group, you don’t necessarily have to attend every activity on offer. Use your common sense. If the host has gone to great expense on the group’s behalf, such as chartering a fishing boat or organizing a round-robin doubles tournament or a private tour of a nearby attraction, you must attend. You will want to, because, if you opt to nap instead, everyone will discuss how churlish you are in your absence.
time? Everybody is put in a better mood by the smell of frying bacon and the sight of scrambled eggs, whether they want to eat or not. House parties create a forced intimacy that is rare today and will forge relationships that strengthen bonds in business, love, and every other aspect of your life.
A Friend in Need Being a houseguest is not always about being a guest. Sometimes it’s about trying to help bring equilibrium back into the house, whether it’s celebratory, as when your daughter has had a baby, or sobering, as when your best friend is receiving chemo or a loved one’s loved one has died. When life throws us major shocks, the need for routine domesticity is most crucial and yet still difficult to achieve. It’s time for you to step in and use your skills to run someone else’s house. When a person’s life is completely derailed, the rituals of family life are most comforting. Even if the recipient is barely able to eat or join in the conversation, simply sharing meals and witnessing that daily life goes on helps light the way through a crisis.
Sometimes you will be invited to a country setting where everyone is under the same roof. Long leisurely walks, maybe some skeet shooting or hunting, communal meals—these activities define house parties in South Carolina. Leaving may be either difficult or unnecessary, but perhaps you will have time and find yourself interested in the surrounding area. Rent a car and use the daytime hours to explore and sightsee.
Be sensitive about your length of stay, but be overly generous on what you are providing. Some cheer, plenty of good food, and a stocked freezer left behind will make all the difference. Never be afraid to step in and help someone who is grieving for whatever reason. Everyone is buoyed by extra love, and you will never regret giving kindness to someone in need.
The glue to all house parties is the communal dinner where everyone gathers to cook, eat, and relate the tales of the day. This is when the house party links back to dorm life. Some people have shopped, some people have hiked, and some people have read, but everyone comes back ready to report and celebrate as a group. Dinner attendance is mandatory.
Suzanne Pollak, a mentor and lecturer in the fields of home, hearth, and hospitality, is the founder of the Charleston Academy of Domestic Pursuits. She is the coauthor of Entertaining for Dummies, The Pat Conroy Cookbook, and The Charleston Academy of Domestic Pursuits: A Handbook of Etiquette with Recipes. Born into a diplomatic family, Pollak was raised in Africa, where her parents hosted multiple parties every week. Her South Carolina homes have been featured in the Wall Street Journal “Mansion” section and Town & Country magazine.
Dinner, with wine and cocktails flowing and stories being told, is certainly fun. But you might be surprised to find that breakfast can be even more fun. You are rehashing last night’s revelries and making new plans for the day, so the meal is suspended between the past and the future. Nowadays, an enormous breakfast is a total rarity, but aren’t some of our most favorite foods—sticky buns, extra crispy bacon, blueberry pancakes, coffee—served at such a
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Book your stay at RosewoodHotels.com. Photo courtesy of Rosewood London
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SEE THE WORLD
London brings to mind old-school architecture and the rock-and-roll flair of bands like the Rolling Stones. You, too, can feel like a rock star when you book a stay at the stylish Rosewood London, conveniently located on the High Holborn thoroughfare near Lincoln’s Inn Fields. The immaculately restored Edwardian building was once known as the Manor of Holborn. Today, its 262 guest rooms and 44 suites boast posh interiors and furnishings, and common areas such as the dazzling Mirror Room and the sophisticated Scarfes Bar bring modern luxury in to mix with the history.
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Branson Landing is a popular outdoor music venue in the city; the complex also includes a Hilton hotel, condos, over a hundred retail stores, restaurants, and more. Photo courtesy of Branson CVB
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es, Nashville and Austin get lots of country music love—and for good reason: they’re great places to hear live music, from full stadium shows to intimate singer-songwriter nights and fun festivals. But they aren’t the only places where country music fans can explore the new sights and sounds of their favorite genre. Join VIE as we take to the road to find the twang and highlight some of the country’s best cities for tapping your toes. Yes, we’ll include some of those standbys that you already know and might already love, but we’ve also got some lesser-known destinations with serious musical chops. V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 91
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ashville Tennessee
No story about country music would be complete without a look at the listening rooms and honky-tonks that dot the streets of the town people call Music City. The Bluebird Cafe in the Green Hills area, the Station Inn in the Gulch, The Listening Room Cafe (which recently opened a new location), and 3rd and Lindsley near downtown are four local favorites; in these small venues you can hear singer-songwriters and the words they create with a small audience and no fancy light shows.
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ustin Texas
Statistics suggest that the Texas capital has more live music venues (per capita) than anywhere else in the nation—about two thousand—and that’s why folks call the city the Live Music Capital of the World. That’s not just country music. Since 1945, Victory Grill has been an inclusive place, welcoming African American performers to its stage before others did. Today you can still hear some of the country’s best blues and jazz there.
If you like your music louder and your dance floors more crowded, the honkytonks along Lower Broadway are for you. While in recent years some have become more rock focused, there’s still lots of live country music played seven days week. These places don’t charge a cover for entry, but you are expected to tip the The hybrid of gospel, blues, band. Layla’s, Tootsie’s World Famous and bluegrass resulted in the Orchid Lounge, Robert’s Western World, and Nudie’s Honky Tonk 1927 Bristol Sessions, what (named for a famous Nashville tailor, folks call the "Big Bang" of not for a state of undress) are some of modern country music. the best-loved venues. For more Nashville recommendations, see VIE’s September 2017 cover story on Music City Best fests: So many choices! Tin Pan South is a songwriters’ festival held in April. The Americana Music Festival in September has become the leading event for alternative and indie Americana sounds. CMA Fest each summer always proves to be a star-studded event.
But if your cowboy boots are itching to two-step, try the White Horse, Ginny’s Little Longhorn Saloon, or the Continental Club.
Best fests: Austin City Limits is the longest-running music show on TV. Once a week, it is taped live and broadcast from the Texas city with its name in the title. You never know who will show up: recent acts have included Margo Price and Shakey Graves. SXSW (short for South by Southwest) has become the leading technology and music conference in the country. Plan to attend in March and see live shows in arenas, churches, parks, and more across the city.
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ristol
Virginia/Tennessee
More than ninety years ago, a producer named Ralph Peer decided to record some of the hillbilly music that was being made in Appalachia. He brought musicians such as Jimmie Rodgers and the Carter Family together for several weeks of sessions that changed the world. The hybrid of gospel, blues, and bluegrass resulted in the 1927 Bristol Sessions, what folks call the “Big Bang” of modern country music—basically the first commercial recordings of country music. Johnny Cash himself considered this the most important event in country music history. You can learn all about this at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, a Smithsonian Institution affiliate that tells the tale. But this isn’t some staid institution. You’ll often have the opportunity to catch live shows in the museum’s concert spaces. Bristol is also believed to be the last place Hank Williams was seen alive, so there’s country music royalty in the ether here. Best fests: More than forty-five thousand people come to this mountain town every September for the Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion, a multistage weekend of bluegrass, roots, and country music. 92 | M AR CH 2018
actual backyard in which local musician Forrest Williams hosts live shows throughout the year. Best fests: The 30A Songwriters Festival men-
tioned above is a must-go, as is the annual Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam country music festival in nearby Panama City Beach every Labor Day weekend. New events include SandJam in Panama City Beach, which will feature alternative and indie bands for a weekend of concerts on the sand.
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ranson
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outh Walton Florida
Not that you need another excuse to go to the beach, particularly in January, but if you do, the 30A Songwriters Festival is a pretty good one. The 2018 lineup for this annual event included some serious country favorites such as Kathy Mattea, Hayes Carll, Drivin’ N’ Cryin’, and Lee Ann Womack. If you missed it this year, you could add it to your list for 2019, which will be the event’s tenth anniversary! But you don’t have to wait that long to hear good music while enjoying your white-sand beach retreat. The festival raises money for the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County, which helps fund arts programming all year long. The music vibe in South Walton is laid-back, as it should be at a beach. Favorite venues include the Seaside Amphitheater, The Hub, and Williams Backyard Boogie—an
Missouri
This resort town in the Ozarks has a reputation for being, well, the place that traditional country music acts go when they can’t book cruises or Vegas showrooms. While there are some gems of truth there, it’s pretty unfair. Branson’s Highway 76, called the Strip, is chock-full of nightclub-style live music acts that may appeal to a more seasoned audience. The Down Home Country Show, for example, is rife with fiddle playing and musicians doing covers of Dolly Parton, George Jones, and Merle Haggard. Karaoke nights are popular around town if you are compelled to unleash your inner Shania Twain. Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers and Bill Anderson are frequent Branson performers. The Ozark Mountain Jubilee is a Branson hillbilly take on the Grand Ole Opry.
Above: Country legends Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson perform at the Bluebird Cafe. Photo courtesy of Bluebird Cafe Left: The Bangles perform at 30A Songwriters Festival at the amphitheater in Seaside, Florida. Photo by Shelly Swanger Opposite: The Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion celebrates the ninetieth anniversary of the Bristol Recording Sessions in September 2017. Photo by Cora Wagoner, courtesy of Birthplace of Country Music Museum
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Branson is not the place to go to hear cutting-edge sounds, but the views in the Ozarks can’t be beaten, and if you’re a fan of classics, you won’t be disappointed. Best fests: Branson Music Fest includes a bunch
of classic Branson acts in one place each April.
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hicago Illinois
The music with which the Windy City is most associated is the blues, but in recent years its country scene has gotten some real street cred. (In 2016 Carol’s Pub, a longtime Chicago dive and honky-tonk for northerners closed. Some wondered if there would still be places to boot scoot in the Windy City. Of course, there are.)
Branson's Highway 76, called the Strip, is chock-full of nightclubstyle live music acts that may appeal to a more seasoned audience. Joe’s Bar on Weed Street has a feel that is somewhat touristy and skews toward a younger audience, but the booking agents know their stuff: Joe’s attracts some of the best acts in the industry. The Old Town School of Folk Music in Lincoln Square is the place for a mellow singer-songwriter-style show. If Western swing is your thing, you can dance at the Empty Bottle. Best fests: Country LakeShake each June fea-
tures big-name acts with a view of Lake Michigan. Joe’s Bar hosts the Windy City Smokeout – BBQ and Country Music Festival in July.
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os Angeles California
Cowboys were known for heading west, and what’s more western than California? It shouldn’t be surprising that LA has a decent country music scene, albeit one that includes more indie-goth-country
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hybrids than you might see in other cities. Tinhorn Flats Saloon and Grill has multiple locations; it is the Hollywood address that draws people in for line dancing on Wednesdays. As you might guess from the name, Cowboy Country Saloon is another favorite of those with boots and hats. It offers free dance lessons on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Villains Tavern in the Arts District downtown is the place to hear live bluegrass and New Orleans jazz without a cover charge. Texas Loosey’s in Torrance is as cheesy as it sounds, but it has been a suburban mainstay for thirty-five years and is a decent live country music venue on the weekends. And, thanks to LA’s recording scene, you never know who will be discovered by a label bigwig in the audience. Best fests: There’s no shortage of music festivals in and around LA, but if
country music is your thing, Stagecoach Festival, which is held on the same grounds as Coachella (about two hours from LA), is worth the drive. The lineup for the 2018 fest, which takes place in April, includes Florida Georgia Line and Garth Brooks.
Margaret Littman is a Nashville-based writer and editor who loves a good musicthemed road trip. Her guidebook Moon Nashville to New Orleans Road Trip covers Muscle Shoals, Nashville, Memphis, and the Mississippi Blues Trail. See where she is and what she’s writing at LittmanWrites.com.
Origin
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Opposite top: Billy Dean and the Steel Horses rock the stage in Branson, Missouri. Photo courtesy of Branson CVB Opposite bottom: The annual CMA Music Festival is a highlight for the industry and fans alike in Nashville. Brad Paisley takes the stage at the 2017 festival. Photo by Debby Wong/ Shutterstock
yton G
irl
Kitty Taylor, Broker, GRI, CRS, CIPS Catherine Ryland, Broker Associate “Grayton Girl Team” Selling Grayton and Beach Properties along 30A. Realtor of the Year 2017 for the Emerald Coast Association of Realtors Grayt
on 19 68
850.231.2886 | 850.585.5334 133 Defuniak Street, Grayton Beach, FL 32459 www.graytoncoastproperties.com
Billy Reid’s Shindig presents a performance by the Alabama Shakes at the Shoals Theatre in downtown Florence, Alabama. Photo courtesy of Florence/ Lauderdale CVB
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A L A B A M A’ S RENAISSANCE CITY B Y J O R D A N S TA G G S
When planning a weekend getaway, Northwest Alabama might not be high on many travelers’ lists, but those who have visited the area known as the Shoals can tell you that maybe it should be. The city of Florence, the hub of the Shoals, is located on the Tennessee River and surrounded by creeks, woods, and abundant wildlife that have made it a haven for outdoor lovers. But there’s something for everyone—Florence’s downtown area near the Tennessee River has undergone a revitalization in the past decade that has put it on the map in recent years as a tourism destination.
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S TAY When choosing your headquarters in town, you really can’t go wrong with the Marriott Shoals Hotel and Spa. Spacious guest rooms come in all sizes, and many have private balconies and river views. Relax in the lagoon-style pool and get pampered at the full-service spa. Don’t get too relaxed to go out and enjoy an evening listening to live music and enjoying food and drinks at Swampers Bar and Grille, the hotel’s in-house restaurant and bar named for the FAME Studios house band that went on to found Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in 1969. (The Swampers were immortalized in the lyrics of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama.”) The hotel also boasts a huge conference center and meeting spaces on property and is kid friendly, with a playground and splash pad a short walk from the pool area. Upon arriving at the Marriott Shoals, guests may also notice an unusual structure outside: the Renaissance Tower. This twenty-six-story monolith was built in 1991 as a tourist attraction housing the Alabama 98 | M AR CH 2018
Shoals Aquarium, which fea“They include current and legendary tured over four hundred spemusicians, world-class fashion designcies of fish, plants, and other ers, architectural icons, thoroughbred wildlife, and an observation deck that was also home to racehorses, historical landmarks, and the Renaissance Grille. Since outlaws who helped shape the fabric Marriott bought the property, the restaurant has been transof this corner of northwest Alabama.” formed into a unique casual fine dining experience known as the 360 Grille. Patrons can watch the scenery slowly change as the restaurant Above: The Muscle rotates for 360-degree views of Florence, the Tennessee River, and Wilson Dam. For those seeking a hotel experience with lots of local flavor, the newly opened GunRunner Boutique Hotel offers ten luxury suites and a “hands-off ” approach— guests are not required to check in and are instead provided keyless entry codes for their suites, along with access to the rooftop lounge and 3,200-square-foot common area. Each suite is uniquely decorated and named for a Shoals area icon, such as the Lion’s Den, which sports deep purple and gold accents in honor of the local University of North Alabama, whose mascot is a lion, or the Sam Phillips Suite, so named because the legendary record producer was born just
Shoals Sound Suite at the GunRunner Boutique Hotel pays homage to the musical greats who recorded in the area, along with those who curated the unique sound and style found in the Shoals. Photo by Abraham Rowe Photography
a few blocks away. “The themes of our suites were chosen specifically to showcase our deep cultural heritage and talent,” says the GunRunner’s website. “They include current and legendary musicians, world-class fashion designers, architectural icons, thoroughbred racehorses, historical landmarks, and outlaws who helped shape the fabric of this corner of northwest Alabama.”
One of many charming eateries in Florence, Odette offers a large bar selection and Southern-international cuisine. Photo courtesy of Florence/ Lauderdale CVB
Conveniently located in downtown Florence, the GunRunner is also situated above Turbo Coffee and the old-school, new-cool Greasy Hands Barbershop— just in case you need your caffeine fix and a trendy trim while you’re in town.
E AT Once you’ve settled in, it’s time to eat! Downtown Florence is brimming with delicious food, but one absolute must-stop for lunch (or even just dessert) is Trowbridge’s. Opened in 1918 by Paul Trowbridge, this tiny ice cream parlor and sandwich shop is a Florence institution and is still run by Trowbridge’s grandson. The atmosphere and decor have barely changed in the past century. The food is simple—sandwiches such as chicken salad, egg salad, and even peanut butter and banana are staples on the menu—but it’s the hand-dipped ice cream that made the place famous. Indulge in the shop’s signature orange pineapple flavor, or, if you’re really in the mood for ice cream, try the Oh-My-Gosh, a massive chocolate brownie topped with a scoop of vanilla, whipped cream, caramel syrup, and a cherry. For delicious home-cooked Italian entrées, specialty drinks, and an intimate atmosphere, head to Ricatoni’s Italian Grill for lunch or dinner. (The ravioli with tomato cream sauce is a favorite, as is the freshly baked bread with a signature blend of herbs and olive oil for dipping.) Rosie’s Cantina serves up Mexicaninspired dishes with Southern flair in a vibrant and beautiful downtown building, while the Pie Factory is the place for pizza lovers to try handmade specialty pies and calzones or build their own creations. Legends Steakhouse is a regional chain that has been serving steaks, seafood, and Southern favorites for three decades. Odette, a newcomer to the Florence restaurant scene, will not disappoint those seeking fine dining downtown. The café is open for lunch, “snack” time, and dinner, Monday through Saturday, as well as Saturday brunch and late-night (until 1 a.m.) on Fridays and Saturdays. Odette’s ingredients are sourced from local purveyors and implemented to create “American fare with Southern and international influences” by chef Josh Quick. The bar’s expansive cocktail menu is impressive, along with the largest bourbon selection in the state of Alabama. V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 99
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Court Street is the beating heart of downtown Florence, with historic facades, trendy restaurants such as City Hardware and Ricatoni’s Italian Grill, boutiques, galleries, businesses, and more. Photo courtesy of Florence/ Lauderdale CVB Opposite: The Carriage Wine and Market is a great spot to relax with a glass of vino and enjoy browsing the retail selection of wines, gourmet foods, gifts, and more. Photo by Abraham Rowe Photography
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DRINK Libations are never in short supply at Wildwood Tavern, located next to the iconic Shoals Theatre in downtown Florence. With a mission to “Keep Florence Funky,” this small but lively pub draws a crowd from both the university and the local community. Beers on tap are rotated on a nearconstant basis, while signature cocktails, created by Wildwood’s owners and staff, include Matt and Tyler’s Tonics, Hannah’s Hard Stuff, and Reggie’s Remedies. The tavern also serves delicious flatbread pizzas, gourmet hot dogs, sandwiches, pasta, and more daily, with menu options until 2 a.m. for the night owls. If you’re ready to party, live music is on tap at FloBama, a concert venue-plus-barbecue joint in the heart of downtown. In case you hadn’t noticed, live music is rarely in short supply here. Native Americans gave the nearby Tennessee River the name “Singing River,” and with the abundance of recording studios, the area is known as a place musicians and songwriters can escape from the hustle and bustle of Nashville while still getting their hours in the recording booth.
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Voyager The Carriage’s mission is to spark curiosity in its patrons, encourage them to try new flavors, and, in the spirit of Southern hospitality, to make sure everyone has a really good time. On the Rocks is another lively downtown spot for live tunes, drinks, and craft burgers. Singin’ River Brewing is the town’s first craft brewery and taproom, open Tuesday through Saturday until 9:00 p.m. Try craft beers such as IPAcalypse NOW, the Swamper, and Shoals Oktoberfest when you visit the taproom, which also supplies a steady stream of entertainment with its Singin’ River Live concert and event series. Right: Alabama’s only Frank Lloyd Wright– designed residence, the Rosenbaum House, is located in Florence. Photo courtesy of Rosenbaum House Below: The 360 Grille atop the Renaissance Tower at the Marriott Shoals Hotel and Spa offers casual fine dining with an incredible panoramic view of the city and the Tennessee River. Photo courtesy of Marriott Shoals
Beer isn’t everyone’s thing, and even in the South, we respect that these days. Enter The Carriage Wine and Market, the area’s first wine retailer and tasting room. The Carriage’s mission is to spark curiosity in its patrons, encourage them to try new flavors, and, in the spirit of Southern hospitality, make sure everyone has a really good time. Market items and bites are locally sourced and always fresh—according to the website: “Like, really fresh; you can even come hug our farmer.” The team behind The Carriage also established the Florence Wine Fest in 2016, and the event is set to return with over a hundred wines to taste along with local chefs’ food pairings and, of course, live music. The festival takes place March 9 and 10, 2018.
BE MERRY Family-friendly entertainment and a celebration of local culture abound during First Fridays in downtown Florence. Every first Friday of the month, artists, musicians, and retailers take to the sidewalks for a small street fair, and many
restaurants and bars offer specials for the night. But it seems the event that locals most look forward to each year is the W. C. Handy Music Festival, which celebrates the life of Florence native William Christopher Handy, known as the Father of the Blues. “Handy Week” features live music just about everywhere in Florence, Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia (collectively, the Shoals area). This year’s thirty-seventh annual festival runs July 20–29. For a change of pace, visit October 28–29 and enjoy the annual Alabama Renaissance Faire downtown at the Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts, Wilson Park, and the Florence-Lauderdale Coliseum. The fair features vendors, costumes, special events, games and competitions, music and entertainment, and more medieval revelry at one of the nation’s largest all-volunteer-organized events, now in its thirtysecond year. You don’t have to wait until fall for arts and entertainment at Wilson Park. On May 19 and 20, the 32nd Annual Arts Alive crafts festival will take
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Below: Every first Friday of the month, the city of Florence throws a street fair downtown with music, art, and more. Photo courtesy of Florence/ Lauderdale CVB
over with hundreds of vendors selling original paintings, jewelry, photography, craft items, and more.
SEE AND DO Even when there are no festivals or events going on, there’s plenty to keep visitors occupied when they visit the Shoals. The Alabama Music Hall of Fame plays the tune of music history to those who visit its halls, while a stroll around the University of North Alabama campus is delightful in any season, but especially in fall when you might catch a home-field Division I football game. If you’re visiting during the day, you might even get to see the school’s mascots, Leo III and Una, a brother-sister pair of lions that live on campus in a $1.3 million habitat built specially for them in 2002. Another attraction unique to Florence is the Rosenbaum House, the only building in Alabama designed by renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The residence underwent an extensive restoration in the early 2000s and reopened as a museum in 2004. Other museums in Florence include the Children’s Museum of the Shoals—an interactive children’s museum fostering learning through play— and the Indian Mound and Museum, located at the site of a forty-two-foot-tall mound built by early Native Americans. The museum opened in 2017 and contains Native American artifacts dating back over ten thousand years, arranged in chronological order from paleo to historic periods.
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Voyager Lovers of history might also wish to take a detour from Florence to Tuscumbia, where the home and grounds of Ivy Green beckon thousands of visitors each year. This is the birthplace of the celebrated humanitarian Helen Keller, who was both deaf and blind. For over thirty years, live performances of William Gibson’s The Miracle Worker have been held on the grounds each summer. The play celebrates the life of Keller and the trials and tribulations she underwent as a young girl along with her teacher, Anne Sullivan.
SHOP Shopping might not be the first thing people come to Florence to do, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. Downtown is bustling with trendy local shops, as well as two high-end designer flagship stores. Billy Reid and Natalie Chanin are both Florence natives who hit the big leagues and then came back home. Reid now has stores across the country, but it’s in Florence that his heart truly lies. It’s here he hosts his annual Shindig weekend, during which he invites musicians, actors, designers, chefs, and other artists to curate concerts and events with tickets available to the public. Chanin’s legacy lies in big-city style with Southern comfort. She founded her brand, Alabama Chanin, with the mission to create the perfect cotton T-shirt—and things only escalated from there. Now designing luxurious yet incredibly cozy items and homewares, Chanin has opened her process up to the public with The Factory in Florence, which features creative workshops, a retail space, and a café.
EXPLORE For all its music history and trendy revitalization, the Shoals’ legacy still truly lies in the outdoors. Hunting and fishing are part of the local culture, and the lakes, creeks, and streams that feed the Singing River have played host to many professional fishing tournaments. Largemouth and smallmouth bass, bluegill, crappie, catfish, stripe, and bream are in abundance through much of the year, and there are plenty of marinas and boat slips available for public use. Other fun on the water includes yearround kayaking and summertime favorites such as waterskiing, wakeboarding, tubing, pontooning, and swimming. Hiking, running, and mountain biking are available for on-land adventurers to enjoy. The Shoal Creek Preserve boasts three hundred acres of creeks, bluffs, forest, and waterfalls to explore on four and a half miles of trails. Deibert Park, adjacent to the Children’s Museum, probably offers the area’s best playground and jogging trails. A short drive from Florence, Joe Wheeler State Park has everything from hiking trails and fishing to a restaurant, a beach, and a swimming area. It also offers outdoor lovers an alternative idea for where to stay, with accommodations that include campgrounds, cabins, lakeside cottages, and the resort lodge. Golf is also a popular attraction, with several topnotch courses including the Shoals Golf Club, which offers two championship eighteen-hole courses— the Fighting Joe and the Schoolmaster—as part of
He hosts his annual Shindig weekend, during which he invites musicians, actors, designers, chefs, and other artists to curate concerts and events with tickets available to the public. the esteemed Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. Blackberry Trail Golf Course and Turtle Point Yacht and Country Club each offer challenging and scenic eighteenhole courses. Professional golfer Stewart Cink grew up in Florence and hosts his annual charity golf tournament at Turtle Point. Now that you’ve explored, shopped, dined, and celebrated in the Shoals, it’s time to go home—but if you’re headed to Nashville or southwest through Mississippi, it’s recommended that you take a ride on the Natchez Trace Parkway. This 444-mile route is maintained by the National Park Service and has limited access points, one of which is just west of the Shoals. The hills, forests, rivers, and lakes along this route are a testament to the beauty of the American South, reminding travelers that sometimes taking the slower, more scenic route isn’t such a bad thing.
Above: A scenic view of Hole Ten at the Schoolmaster championship course at the Shoals Golf Club, part of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. Photo courtesy of the Shoals Golf Club Left and opposite: From top-of-the-line clothing and accessories to live music performances during the W.C. Handy Festival and other events, Billy Reid’s flagship store in Florence is a beacon of area culture and style. Photos courtesy of Florence/ Lauderdale CVB
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MEMPHIS Rock Star LIKE A
Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee, is a popular destination for dining and live music. Be sure to stop by the historic B.B. King’s Blues Club! Photo by Paul Brady Photography/ Shutterstock
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BY JANET THOMAS
M
ention Memphis and the mind immediately channels music—and food (was that your stomach growling?). Yes, there are those things in glorious amounts, but there’s also incredible history, charm, depth, and vitality. Memphis is undoubtedly on a roll, and it couldn’t happen to a more deserving city. Jump on board for a list of sights, sounds, and happenings that make Memphis magical.
LISTEN UP The two-hundred-mile stretch of road between Memphis and Nashville was declared Music Highway years ago by the Tennessee legislature, and while Nashville is undoubtedly a birthplace of music, Memphis has musical roots that run deep as well. The soul of the city is woven with blues, rock, and even country music. According to the Memphis Rock ’n’ Soul Museum, rockabilly became one of the early styles of the genre, created from a combination of country, blues, jazz, and rock and roll. It crossed cultures, generations, and nationalities to form its own unique sound. Pop and hip-hop can also be found in Memphis: one shining example, Justin Timberlake, grew up here and has a big heart for the city. This melting pot of music reverberates along bustling Beale Street’s restaurants and clubs. Like a compact version of New Orleans’ French Quarter, Beale Street beckons you into wherever the sound spilling out of the door pulls you—places like the Blues City Cafe, the historic B.B. King’s Blues Club, and Silky O’Sullivan’s. The Overton Square entertainment district, in the heart of Midtown, is another excellent option and is loaded with live theater, good restaurants, and independent retail shops. V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 107
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The Memphis Rock ’n’ Soul Museum also calls Beale Street home. A few years back, the museum released a list of songs that include “Memphis” in their lyrics. The effort was prompted by long-standing rumors that the city’s name had been included in more songs than any other place on the planet. The list consists of well over a thousand titles at present.
...Beale Street beckons you into wherever the sound spilling out of the door pulls you—places like the Blues City Cafe, the historic B.B. King’s Blues Club, and Silky O’Sullivan’s. For more musical immersion, take a tour of Sun Studio. This small studio, founded by rock pioneer Sam Phillips, became the springboard for the careers of such icons as Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Johnny Cash. In an area of Memphis known as Soulsville, the Stax Museum of American Soul Music also pays tribute to several music legends.
SLEEP LIKE A ROCK STAR What better way to blend music history with your visit than a stay at the recently opened Guest House at Graceland? Steps from the gates of Elvis Presley’s home, the resort has as much style and panache as you would expect from the King, including 450 guest rooms and specialty suites, meeting and special events spaces, two restaurants, and a fivehundred-seat theater. Visiting the Graceland Mansion itself is a surreal step back in time. Much of the ambience and furnishings, including those in the famous Jungle Room, have been preserved in all their groovy glory. Particularly moving and beautiful are the meditation gardens and horse pastures. When in Memphis, you may as well explore all things Elvis, since the two are inextricably linked. A new hot spot for fans is Elvis Presley’s Memphis, which debuted as the grandest expansion of Graceland since the mansion began offering tours in the 1980s. The impressive entertainment complex offers a crowd-pleasing collection of restaurants,
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shops, museums, and exhibits, including Elvis’s hot rods, classic cars, and private planes. Several tours, like the Elvis Entourage VIP Tour, will make you feel like you have an all-access backstage pass to his life. For a grand Southern hotel, look no further than the old-world elegance of the historic Peabody, built in 1925 and soon to undergo another luxurious update to its rooms. (A word to the wise: upgrade to the exclusive, private-access concierge level for extra amenities and pampering.) The Peabody is home to several world-famous ducks, thanks to an original few that were placed in the hotel’s lobby fountain in 1933. Don’t miss this living symbol of the Peabody brand with the whimsical march of the Peabody Ducks, or visit them in the Royal Duck Palace on the rooftop. Equally entertaining is simply sitting like ladies and gentlemen in the magnificent hotel lobby (with some bubbly or bourbon, perhaps) or taking the informative Duckmaster’s tour of the property. Hotel Napoleon is a fifty-eight-room boutique hotel in downtown Memphis. Formerly the historic Scimitar building, the property now thankfully boasts modern and appreciated amenities like refrigerators, rain showers, and the Luna Restaurant and Bar.
Located within the Bass Pro Shops Pyramid in downtown Memphis, Big Cypress Lodge offers more than a hundred family-friendly rooms, some resembling tree houses or vintage duck-hunting camps amid enormous cypress trees. Ride the world’s tallest freestanding elevator, which takes you to the Lookout at the Pyramid and beautiful views spanning miles.
STICK TO YOUR RIBS One cannot live on music and sleep alone. Luckily for you, Memphis is a foodie mecca. For dry-rub barbecue and slow-smoked meats, head to Rendezvous, Central BBQ, or Corky’s. (Here’s a delicious hint: some Memphis barbecue joints ship their bounty all over the country.) Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken and the accompanying comfort-food “fixin’s” are a must for a casual lunch. Fine dining also shines in this down-home, hungry city. Chefs Andy Ticer and Michael Hudman make their grandmothers proud at Catherine & Mary's, bringing the heart and soul of Sicilian and Tuscan cuisine to Memphis. The combination of a brick oven, pork, and Southern cooking, will have you falling in love at first bite at Hog & Hominy, another restaurant brought to you by Ticer and Hudman. And don’t miss dessert here; choices include peanut butter pie and gelato in assorted flavors. The handsome and intimate Bari Ristorante serves cuisine with influences from the Puglia region of Italy. Another winner is Restaurant Iris, where Chef Kelly English creates dishes that are described as decadent French-CreoleSouthern fusion.
Above: Book a room at the famous Peabody Hotel and meet the Peabody ducks! Guests can even take a Duckmaster’s tour of the historic property. Photo by Phillip Van Zandt/Memphis CVB Left: Hungry for some barbecue? Check out Rendezvous and sink your teeth into some Southern comfort food! Photo by Craig Thompson/Memphis CVB Opposite: Take a stroll to Sun Records and visit the place where it all started for icons like Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis. Photo by David Meany/ Memphis CVB
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Voyager Who let the ducks out? No worries, you won’t find duck on any Peabody menu, even at the hotel’s Chez Philippe, the only Mobil Four-Star restaurant in the Mid-South. This consistently applauded venue indulges diners with traditional French cuisine and multicourse menu options.
OUT AND ABOUT Get outside and see the city! With Memphis Riverboats, you can take a relaxed Mississippi River voyage aboard the Memphis Queen III that will delight all ages. Or stretch your legs at the 4,500-acre Shelby Farms Park, with more than forty miles of trails for walking, running, and biking, plus lovely lunches on-site at the Kitchen Bistro.
Right: Visit the National Civil Rights Museum and learn about the quest for civil rights from historical exhibits and a detailed timeline of events. Photo by f11photo/ Shutterstock Below: Step aboard the Memphis Queen III and take in the Victorian charm of the twinkling carriage lights, elegant drapes, and classic flowered carpeting in the main salon. Photo by Phillip Van Zandt/Memphis CVB
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A longtime favorite of locals and visitors alike, the world-class Memphis Zoo in Midtown houses more than 3,500 animals representing more than 500 species. The zoo has been a significant draw for Memphis since 1906.
The stirring National Civil Rights Museum highlights a historical timeline of iconic events during the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. The stirring National Civil Rights Museum highlights a historical timeline of iconic events during the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Stunning visual programs and moving audio and video exhibits provide an enlightening education and reminders of our country’s history. A great way to immerse yourself in the musical style that inspired Elvis and a multitude of others is by visiting one of the many Memphis churches. A legendary example is the Full Gospel Tabernacle Church, where soul musician–turnedreverend Al Green often preaches.
MEMPHIS IN THE MOVIES Several movies have been shot in and around Memphis; these include Walk the Line, Hustle & Flow, Mystery Train, and Great Balls of Fire! But to get a real feel for Memphis music, you absolutely must catch Take Me to The River, an award-winning full-length documentary film directed and produced by Martin Shore. It brings multiple generations of Mississippi Delta and Memphis musicians together as they collaborate on the recording of an album. The film features Terrence Howard, William Bell, Snoop Dogg, Mavis Staples, Charlie Musselwhite, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Lil P-Nut, Bobby Rush, Frayser Boy, the North Mississippi Allstars, and more. In a few short years, the project has been enlarged and now includes an educational initiative and a live-performance national tour described as a blending of classic rhythm and blues with modern hip-hop and rap music—like a passing of the torch from one generation and genre to another. Take Me to The River has been so successful that a special screening, a panel Q&A, and a concert were featured as an official 2018 Grammy week special event, and there is talk of plans to tell compelling stories of more cities in the future. Visit TakeMeToTheRiver.org for more info and tour dates.
The Rugby Boys of Memphis is a gritty but inspiring short film documentary about the seemingly unlikely sport of rugby as the inner-city nonprofit salvation for several Memphis youths. Beverage giant PepsiCo is behind the moving film, which was part of 2017’s Tribeca Film Festival and Mountainfilm on Tour. The word is that PepsiCo may expand The Rugby Boys of Memphis into a full-length motion picture.
UP AND COMING Momentum continues to grow in Memphis. The Memphis International Airport is proud to report the addition of six new airlines in recent years, and the existing carriers have also added service. Several new hotels are in the works, including the 118-room Moxy Memphis Downtown. Moxy is Marriott’s offering created to appeal to younger travelers who want sleek design and high technology blended with a pleasing price point. Currently under redevelopment is South Main’s Central Station. Plans call for apartments, a new
hotel, a restaurant and bar, a movie theater, and a venue for concerts and performing arts. The Grove at GPAC is set to be a new feature of the Germantown Performing Arts Center, boasting an outdoor venue that will seat between 1,200 and 2,000 people for a variety of concerts, theater, and dance productions.
Visit MemphisTravel.com, listen to a groovy Memphis soundtrack, catch a Memphis movie, and then plan your own magical Memphis getaway. Janet Thomas is a longtime writer and editor and former editor-in-chief of American Airlines' luxury magazine, Celebrated Living. She’s now joyfully beach-based along Scenic Highway 30-A in South Walton, Florida—when she’s not traveling the world for a good story.
75TH ANNUAL GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS One of the most anticipated awards ceremonies in the film and television industry, the Golden Globes are always a highlight for fans and celebrities alike. This year’s red-carpet styles at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, were especially noteworthy as many wore solid black in solidarity and support of those in the entertainment industry who have been victims of sexual harassment or assault. Photography courtesy of Hollywood Foreign Press Association
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Viola Davis and Julius Tennon
Susan Kelechi Watson
Debra Messing
Jessica Biel and Justin Timberlake
Kate Hudson
Meryl Streep and Ai-jen Poo
Nicole Kidman
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Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie, and Saoirse Ronan
Diane Kruger
Joe Keery
23RD ANNUAL CRITICS’ CHOICE AWARDS
Angelina Jolie
Reese Witherspoon and Emilia Clarke
The Broadcast Film Critics Association honored the finest in cinematic achievement on January 11 at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California. Big winners included film The Shape of Water, television series Big Little Lies and The Handmaid’s Tale, and actors Frances McDormand, Elisabeth Moss, Allison Janney, Gary Oldman, and Sam Rockwell. Wonder Woman star Gal Gadot received the #SeeHer Award presented by the Association of National Advertisers and the CW Network. Photography courtesy of Getty Images
Sarah Hyland, Ewan McGregor, and Nick Jonas
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Gal Gadot
La scène
Bob and Maggie Dickhaus with Mike and Susan Velotas
Ashley Campbell, Andi Zack-Johnson, and Ken Johnson
VIE STORIES WITH HEART & SOUL TOUR – COLA 2 COLA®
Val Deeb, Colleen Sachs, and Gerald Burwell
VIE magazine celebrated its Northwest Florida COLA 2 COLA® travel spotlight in the Destination Travel issue on January 18 with an intimate house party in Grayton Beach, Florida. The evening was shared with friends and family, who enjoyed delicious food catered by Roux 30a and live performances by Hit Songwriter House Concerts’ Ken Johnson, Andi Zack-Johnson, and Ashley Campbell, our cover girl. Photography by Rinn Garlanger
Zoltan “Zoli” Nagy with Jake and Hannah Vermillion
Mary Patton and Melanie Cissone
Suzy Accola and Susan Faulkner
Karen Wagner, Lisa and Dennis Peters, and Steve Wagner
Ken Johnson, Ashley Campbell, Andi Zack-Johnson, and Lisa Burwell
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La scène
Ann Wilson
Lee Ann Womack
30A SONGWRITERS FESTIVAL
Gurufish
Cody Dickinson, North Mississippi Allstars
Each year, the Cultural Arts Alliance of Walton County produces an incredible event that brings hit songwriters from around the world to the beaches of South Walton, Florida, for a weekend of live concerts. Venues across Scenic Highway 30-A and Miramar Beach hosted intimate shows January 12–15, 2018. This year’s headliners included Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle, Ann Wilson, Lee Ann Womack, the Zombies, Charles Kelley, and many more. Rita Wilson
Photography by Jim Clark
Cooper Carter
Emmylou Harris
A. J. Ghent
The War and Treaty
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Kerry Washington, Tracee Ellis Ross, Lena Waithe, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Angela Robinson, and Laverne Cox
Mary J. Blige
Danny Glover
49TH NAACP IMAGE AWARDS The entertainment industry honored the achievements of people of color at the annual NAACP Image Awards on January 15, 2018, at the Pasadena Convention Center in Pasadena, California. The night’s biggest winner was horror film Get Out, which took home awards for outstanding direction and writing (Jordan Peele) and outstanding actor (Daniel Kaluuya). Photography by Earl Gibson III/WireImage
Niatia “Lil Mama” Kirkland
Common, Omari Hardwick, and Mack Wilds
Logan Browning
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SUBSCRIBE TODAY! ONE-YEAR FOR $29.95 V IE M A G A Z INE .C O M / S U B S C R IB E
Au revoir!
Au revoir!
Learn more or book a table at DorchesterCollection.com/Plaza-Athenee. Photo by Pierre Monetta
THE L AST WORD
A little bling is never a bad thing! Travel and listen to your music in style with a pair of headphones by FRENDS. The fun-loving brand teamed up with jewelry retailer BaubleBar to “put a bauble” on this pair of FRENDS Layla headphones. All eyes will be on you when you don these glittering rose gold and white enamel headphones. Rock on!
Grab your new favorite headphones at WeAreFRENDS.com. Photo courtesy of FRENDS V I E MAGAZ INE . COM | 119
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